The Jade Dragon: Chapter 36

After a six day trip from Yuuga, Yuu, the Jade Dragon's human form, and I reached the Vine-Covered Swamp.  Two days earlier, we fought a large group of Dark Soldiers that gave me the cloth I needed to make a dress that had a light gray sweater with three quarter sleeves and white fake fur at the collar, a white three tier ruffle skirt, light gray stockings that went almost to the bottom of the skirt, and white high-heels with a white bow as a strap, which I was wearing.  When I saw the swamp I got quite a bit nervous.  There was mud everywhere.

“We'll have to get around using the vines.” Yuu said.  “That's not mud, it's pure quicksand.”

“But, I'm very clumsy!” I exclaimed.  “That doesn't sound like anything I could pull off!”

“Don't worry, I'll be here to help you.” Yuu said.  “Okay, let's go.”

So Yuu grabbed the closest vine and climbed up it.  I was trembling, but I grabbed the vine.  I tried to climb up the way Yuu climbed up.  But my sweaty hands kept slipping.  After half an hour, I got up the vine about halfway.  But by then my hands were so slippery from sweat that I started slipping back downwards.  Then, Yuu grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the top of the vine.  He then jumped to a tree branch that was about a foot away.

“Come over here.” he said.

'Easier said than done!!' I thought, scared out of my wits.  'I hate heights and I have no balance at all!'

Yuu noticed that I was shaking and, once again, starting to slip down the vine.  He then started glowing green and I felt wind gather under me and carried me to Yuu.

“Thank you.” I said, sweating a lot.

“Be careful.” Yuu said, breathing hard and sweating.  “I can't do that too quickly. You need to have confidence that you can do this.”

“Uh, okay.” I said.

'Confidence is one thing I've never had in my life.' I thought.

So, it continued in that manner.  Yuu kept having to save me with his power.  After about 4 hours, we were about three fourths of the way to where the item that will open the door to the Shrine of Vines was.

“I need a break.” Yuu said.  He plopped down on the tree branch we were on.  He was covered in sweat and was gasping for breath.

“I'm so sorry!” I yelled.  “But, I've never had confidence in myself and I have no sense of balance!”

“That's to be expected.” Yuu said.  “You sealed away your Grace here, at the Shrine of Vines.  As for your Confidence, you sealed that away at the Shrine of Belief in the Beach of Illusions.”

“What are the areas we have to go like?” I asked.

“Well, the next place we have to go to is where you sealed away your Intelligence, the Ruins of the Star Library.” Yuu said.  “That place was in ruins way before Ayren and I went there, it was said that the Hell Dragon himself destroyed it because it contained books about the history of Alteran before the Hell Dragon and the Dark Army came to this world.  It's filled with zombies and ghosts of the people who used to work in the Star Library.  They were charged with protecting the item that opens the way to the Shrine of Knowledge, the Book of the Star Library.  Then we have to go to where your Strength is sealed, the Cavern of Stones.  As its name says, it's filled with stones.  Some block passages, others roll around the paths, and some turn into monsters.  The ones that turn into monsters are the ones that guard the item that opens the path to the Shrine of Power, the Shining Stone.  Then we will go to the Misty Forest, where you sealed your Ability to Read Minds.  The mist in the Misty Forest make it easy to get lost forever.  Only my Dragon Eyes can see through the mist.  However, the mist will form into monsters to protect the item you need to enter the Shrine of Insight, the Mind Gemstone.  We'd still have three Shrines left after that.  But I'll save that explanation for another time.  I'm no longer tired, so let's get going.”

Yuu got up and swung to the next branch.  I decided to try and summon up some courage.  I jumped onto the vine, swung back and forth, then tried to jump to the branch.  But I jumped too soon and couldn't reach the branch.  I was screaming as I fell.  Then Yuu used his power to lift me up to the branch.

After about 2 more hours, we saw a large stone platform just floating on top of the quicksand.  Yuu grabs my waist and he jumps to the platform.  Once we landed there, I saw that, at the back of the platform, there was a pedestal that had a clear crystal that had vines covering parts of it in a glass case.

“That's the item you need to put in the Prophecy Stone to get into the Shrine of Vines, the Vine-Covered Crystal.” Yuu said.

I looked back to see that there was a wall of thick vines that completely blocked Yuu from coming any closer.  I started to walk towards it, when I heard a sound behind me.  I whipped around to see three monsters made of mud and with vines giving them form jump out of the mud and block any way to get to the Vine-Covered Crystal.

“Ayra, you have to fight them alone.” Yuu said.  “Only if you destroy them can you claim the Vine-Covered Crystal.”

I drew my sword and put on my Scanner Goggles.  I saw all three of the monsters were strong to everything as far as elements went.  Therefore I could only rely on my sword artes.  I slashed one on the arm and the mud arm fell to the ground.  But, in a flash, the vine that formed the arm wrapped around the mud and reformed the arm. I panicked.  I kept slashing away, but I kept getting the same results.  As I was starting to get really tired, I suddenly thought of something.

'Those vines keep reforming everything I chop off.' I thought.  'The mud creatures themselves are immune to all elements, but what if I burned off the vines?  Those have to be weak to Fire.'

I jumped back and quickly channeled a Fire spell.

“Flames, come forth!” I chanted.  “Fireball!”

I aimed the three Fireballs so that they hit each of the three monsters' vines. The vines instantly burnt up and the monsters turned into piles of mud.  Then something odd happened.  The mud piles started glowing and turned into a translucent form of a man in armor.  I then heard the man speak.

'Thank you for releasing my spirit.' he said.  'The last time I saw you, you were a man, but I am not fooled.  It has truly been a long time.  You made the Vine-Covered Crystal and brought it here.  You asked me, whom you had saved from drowning, to guard it and you gave me longevity so I could guard it, and eyes that could see the true forms of things.  If you wish to get the items you made to open the paths to the Shrines, you'll have to save 6 more people who, like me, were turned into monsters by the Hell Dragon.  Only you can give our souls peace.  Now, take the Vine-Covered Crystal and then take the Portal Circle to the Shrine of Vines.'

With that, the man disappeared.  Then, the glass case surrounding the Vine-Covered Crystal shattered and the crystal floated to my hand.  Then, at the front right corner of the platform, a circle of light appeared.

“Take that Portal Circle Ayra.” Yuu said.  “I'll head to the Shrine of Vines on my own.  By the time I get there, you will have gotten back your Acrobatic Grace.”

“You'll be okay alone?” I asked him.

“I'll be moving a lot quicker without having to constantly save you.” he said.

“Okay.” I said.

I stepped into the Portal Circle.  There was a flash of light and, next thing I knew, I was in front of a Shrine covered in vines and surrounded by a quicksand mote.  I saw a stone covered in vines and went over to it.  When I got there, I saw an opening that was the shape of the Vine-Covered Crystal and I heard a voice.

'Thou who doth wish to enter the Shrine of Vines, present thy proof.  Proof that thou art worthy of entrance.'

Then, the Vine-Covered Crystal in my hand started to glow.  I placed it in the opening.  The vines on the crystal each connected to one of the vines that surrounded the opening.  I hear a loud noise.  I looked over in the direction of the noise.  I then saw that thick vines had bridged over the quicksand and the vines surrounding the Shrine had parted to reveal an opening.  I crossed the vine bridge and entered the Shrine.

When I entered the Shrine, I saw an area that had a pool of mud that led to a platform connected to the wall that had a huge crystal covered in vines.  I walked towards the pool of mud, and then three Dark Soldiers jumped out of the mud.  I quickly eliminated them with my Fire sword artes.  Then, a bridge made of vines to a platform that had the crystal that was covered in vines.  I walked across the vines to the platform.  As I was channeling a Fire spell to burn away the vines, three Dark Soldiers jumped out of the mud and attacked me.  I was forced to cancel my spell and fight them.  After I used my Fire sword artes to destroy them, I turned around and started to channel a Fire spell when I saw that the vines covering the crystal were gone.  I walked over to it and touched it.  It glowed red and a thick vine fell in front of me.  I saw that the vine led to an opening in the ceiling.

I climbed up the vine as fast as I could, trying to ignore my fear.  I climbed and, when I got to the top, I saw a corridor that was well lit.  I walked down it. Then, I saw four Dark Soldiers guarding the end of the corridor.  I put on my Scanner Goggles.  I saw that they were strong to every element but very weak to weapon artes.  I took off the Scanner Goggles and drew my sword.  I ran towards the Dark Soldiers and slew them all with non-elemental sword artes.  They disintegrated and I saw that there was a hole in the floor at the end of the corridor and a vine was hanging from the ceiling and reached a platform right under the opening.

I slid down the vine onto the platform.  I then saw a maze made of platforms with crystals and strips of quicksand between all the platforms.  I swung to the platform as quick as I could.  As soon as I landed, two Dark Soldiers appeared.  I destroyed them and three vines dropped down that led to the next platform.  I continued in this fashion until I got out of the maze and was in front of the door to the room with the Altar.

I went through the door and saw that the floor was a sea of quicksand, but there were trees with many vines all around the room except the very middle.  I climbed up the first tree in front of me.  When I had gotten to a thick tree branch, I felt that something was off.  I quickly cast a Fire spell.

“Flames, come forth!” I chanted.  “Fireball!”

The three balls of fire flew through the trees and a large dark object jump up and land on the thickest tree branch, directly across from me on the other side of the room.  The object was a huge black monkey that had sharp claws made of ice, and a large blue gem as the tip of its tail.

“I am the Hell Monkey!” it shouted in Ancient Alternion.  “I am a Hell General of the Dark Army of the Dark Soldiers!  What is your purpose here?!”

“I am Ayren, the Warrior of White Light!” I yelled in Ancient Alternion.  “I am here to take back the Grace I sealed here!”

“If you are Ayren, then I will kill you here and now!” the Hell Monkey yelled.

The battle started and it was tough from the start.  The Hell Monkey was swift and agile in the trees and on the vines.  In contrast, I was clumsy and was landing awkwardly.  It didn't help that the Hell Monkey was shooting spears of ice from its nails at me.  I used my sword to block them, but I was still getting lots of wounds.  I tried to use my Fire bow artes, but nothing was hitting, the Hell Monkey would just jump away quickly.  Things were looking grim when time stopped and I heard the voice, which I recognized as Yuu's voice.

'Weapon artes don't work on it!' Yuu's voice said.  'You have to aim a powerful Fire spell at the Weak Spot Gem at the end of its tail!  Use the vines!'

Time started up again.  I couldn't figure out what that meant.  'Use the vines'? Then I remembered an Earth spell that would work.  I activated my Overlimit.  I then cast the spell without having to channel.

“Ivy Rush!” I yelled.

Instantly, the Hell Monkey was wrapped up in thorny vines.  I then cast another spell without having to channel.

“Flame Dragon!” I yelled.

I conjured up a dragon's head made of fire and launched it at the Gem at the end of the Hell Monkey's tail.  The spell shattered the Gem and the Hell Monkey disintegrated.  Suddenly, there was a large flash of light that I had to cover my eyes.  When the light faded, I was on the ground, but the quicksand and all the trees and vines were gone.  I then saw the Altar where a red light was floating. There was another flash of light and I saw a pile of things in the middle of the room.  I went over to it and saw there was a large amount of white silk cloth, some pale pink silk cloth, some purple cloth, a large amount of white feathers, and a pile of gold coins.

'I could make a dress out of these.' I thought.

I put the coins in my coin purse and put the cloth and the feathers into my back pack.  I then walked up to the Altar.  I then heard a voice.

'If you are Ayren then hold out your left hand to the crystal.  Ayren's presence will give you the Acrobatic Grace he sealed here.  If you are not Ayren, nothing will happen.'

I then lifted my left arm and held out my left hand.  The red light then shone brighter and floated to my wrist.  There was another flash of light and when it faded, I had a gold chain bracelet with four red crystals that were very far apart from each other on my left wrist.  I was then encased in red light.  Suddenly, my muscles felt as light as a feather and I remembered how to do all the acrobatics that I could do when I was Ayren.  When the light faded, I saw a Portal Circle on the right side of the Altar.  I stepped in it and there was a flash of light.  When the light faded, I was outside of the Shrine, looking right at Yuu.

“So, you got your Acrobatic Grace back I take it?” he asked.

In response, I held up my left arm and showed him my bracelet.

“Good job.” he said.  “Well, it's a two week walk to Intellecton.  By then we'll need to get some supplies.  And then it'll be a two day walk from Intellecton to the Ruins of the Star Library.  That's assuming that we get attacked frequently, which I'm fairly certain we will be.  So we should get going.”

“You're probably right.” I said.  “Okay, let's get going.”

We then jumped from tree to tree out of the Vine-Covered Swamp, but my Acrobatic Grace made me so nimble and graceful, all of my former clumsiness vanished, that I left Yuu in my dust.  I had to wait a whole hour for him to get out of the Vine-Covered Swamp.  When he got out, we started down the path that led to Intellecton.  What I didn't know then, was that the Hell Dragon was making something that would change everything about my fight with him.  I didn't know then that, in the battle with the Hell Dragon, I would be forced into a choice with no way out...