//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: You will know our Names (Part 2) 
// Story: Swords, Sorcery and Shenanigans 
// by FrostTheWolf 
//------------------------------//


Swords, Sorcery and Shenanigans- 
You Will Know our Names (Part 2) 




It took a while, but only a bit of convincing to alleviate the temper of the chaotic spirit. It seems this Eris knew her friend well and started laughing when Ryu mentioned that the fight began when he mentioned Nicko’s height.

“So, I take it that the subject’s a little touchy for him?” Ryu asked as he sat down on the ground. They’ve all decided to talk civilly, at least. Ryu took one side of the cave while Nicko and Eris took the other.

“Oh yes.” the female Draconequus nodded, still chuckling at her friend’s expense. “This isn’t the first time that this has happened.”

Ryu sighed, shaking his head. “At least it was me who was winning.” he said. Then he pointed at the Rune Slayer who was rubbing his sides. “Had it been Nicko who was more powerful than the two of us then I would have gone straight to lethal methods in subduing him.”

The red head stopped nursing his side to look at the dragon. Eris finally stopped laughing to do the same. The Rune Slayer was still feeling his tender ribs even after Ryu healed them. It would take a few hours for them to stop aching, but it was better than the pain of walking around with cracked ribs.

Both spirit and Rune Slayer exchanged uncomfortable looks. Eris had informed Nicko on who the dragon truly was after things had calmed down. To think that the human looking Ryu was actually a dragon was a shocking surprise. Matching Nicko in speed, power and surviving a surprise Storm Blade at almost point blank range while in human form said a lot on Nicko’s chances of winning. To hear him admit that he would have likely went for the kill had the tide of battle been different was a very frightening thought.

“Um,” Eris started. “You wouldn’t have really killed him, right?”

“Yes, I would have.” Ryu said in a matter of factly. He propped his chin on his palm as he looked at Nicko tiredly. “He started the fight, and was coming at me with a sword. So it was either him or me. I don’t know about you, but I like living.”

“I wasn’t going to kill you!” Nicko exclaimed in his defense. He would have just given him a simple beating. No way was he going for the kill.

“I didn’t know that.” Ryu retorted. “You just came at me all of a sudden. What else was supposed to think?”

“That it was a misunderstanding?” Nicko said.

The dragon shrugged. “It’s not like you were willing to listen to me at the time.”

Eris looked over to Nicko. “Well, you do tend to go overboard when you’re angry.” she pointed out to her friend.

Nicko groaned before throwing his hands up in the air. “Enough of this. We’ve got better things to talk about.”

“He’s right.” Ryu agreed. “Right now the griffons think that you’re a criminal who served to distract the guards while one of the rebels went after the royal family. Thanks to that I’m also seen as a criminal because I look human, like you.”

“Hey! We’re not part of those rebels that you’re talking about!” Nicko exclaimed. “I didn’t ask to be sent here!”

“I know.” Ryu assured, taking the Rune Slayer’s indignation calmly. “You were forcefully summoned here against your will, so I don’t blame you.”

“Wait,” Nicko said. “How can you tell?”

“Just a hunch.” Ryu shrugged. Displaced were called by using Tokens.

Tokens were a Displaced’s symbol, their sign. It’s a part of their being that could be used to summon them through dimensions or alternate Equestrias. Ryu knew that this was true, having already experience it.

The summons can go both ways, however. Ryu had accidentally activated a token fairly recently and, instead of calling the Displaced into his own version of Equestria, he was sent to theirs.

Tokens are what connects the Displaced together. It lets them know that there are others who had similar circumstances as them. Ryu was forcefully sent to Equestria, Allie and Gwen were also forced as well. It lets them know that they weren’t alone.

“So, what do we do now?” Nicko asked.

“Well, for starters,” Ryu pointed at the Rune Slayer. “You and me are going back to the city, go to her Highness, the Queen, and you will plead for your innocence.” Then he turned and pointed at Eris. “You one the other hand will try to gain information based on where the rebels are hiding. If you’re a complete hax like the Discord I know, then this task should be easy.”

“Chaos Magic is not hax!” Eris exclaimed. “It's the primordial force of the universe that allows us Draconequi to break the laws of physics.”

“So…” Ryu trailed off. “Like the ultimate cheat code?”

“Exactly.” Eris nodded in satisfaction.

Ryu left it at that. Chaotic spirits were chaotic. You could always count on them to do or say random things that make no sense to others. Ryu, though, already learned to take many things in stride. Dealing with Discord all those centuries ago made him realize that pushing the spirit away just made him want to cling onto you more. Discord found it funny to get on the nerves of others.

Centuries after Ryu’s escape from the pony princesses, the dragon realized that getting on the nerves of other creatures was indeed entertaining. If Eris was anything like her father then random things are to be expected.

“So…” Ryu prompted. “Do you think you could find the rebels?”

“That depends.” the spirit shrugged.

He should have known. Nothing the dragon did was always easy when it came to situations like this. Even when he was still helping Sven.

“What do you need, then?” Ryu asked.

“I need a lead.” said Eris as she reclined on the empty air. “You can’t expect me to just prance around hoping to find something, do you?”

Actually, that was what Ryu was expecting. But he supposed that she had a point. “If I’m right, then you could probably find a lead in the area where you and Nicko first arrived in.” said the dragon. “Pulling a creature from a different dimension really isn’t something that you could do easily. Something like that would definitely leave some excess magic in the air.”

“Hmm…” the spirit pondered, tapping her claw on her chin. “You’re probably right. It probably drowned out my senses earlier when we woke up, that’s why I didn’t notice. If it’s still there then we might actually get a lead.”

“It should be.” Ryu said. “Griffons aren’t really the type who use magic, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t know any. They have ceremonial rituals for them, and they gain their power from their worship over their Ancestors.”

“They sound different from the griffons that I know.” said Eris.

“That shouldn’t be surprising.” Ryu commented. Different Equestria may mean different lore.

“Whoa, hold on a minute!” Nicko shot back.

“Yes?” Ryu asked.

“Why is it that I have to apologize?! All I did was end up in the middle of town and it wasn’t my fault!” The Rune Slayer was a little frustrated. Sure, he wanted to find out how he ended up here in the first place. But that didn’t mean that he had to make a plea that wasn’t entirely his fault.

“You caused  a mass panic, set the guards on high alert, resisted arrest, got them to chase you, and became the scapegoat of a rebel faction that we don’t even know the location of.” summarized the drake. “If you had just let them take you in you could have just explained to them your situation without the extra violence. But you didn’t. And now we’re here.”

“For your information, I didn’t hurt anyone. That has to count for something.”  Nicko grumbled. “When I was in the town square, that stupid guard captain prevented me from even asking any questions before he called me a runt. If anything, I think he’s suspicious. Like there’s a reason for his attitude.”

“You mean besides being the captain of an entire army?” Eris commented.

“Isn’t there a saying: “Innocent until proven guilty”?” the redhead snarked.

Ryu couldn’t help but palm his face. He could easily picture the scene in his head based on what he knew of the griffons and his short battle with Nicko earlier.

The griffons were a very serious military nation. They’ve had constant struggles with the remnants of the rebellion for centuries. This ensured that they were on edge most of the time. To hear how Nicko reacted to what was probably a regular arrest made the dragon wish that he went against Sven’s wishes back then and actually went and eradicated the rebels that he found.

“Nicko, kid.” Ryu tried to say. “You really are an impulsive one. It’s people like you that have the most interesting of lives.”

The dragon was content with living a sedate life. He took care of his problems in the most efficient ways so that they won’t haunt him in the future. That left him with a lot of free time for his friends and family, but in turn made everyday a bore when he wasn’t in their presence.

Nicko gritted his teeth as he glared at the dragon. “Interesting? You don’t know what my life was like.” he was lucky that he had his brother with him through it all. “It isn’t my fault that I’m impulsive! I just hate it when people always refer to me based on what I look like rather than what I’m capable of. It’s the same thing with my Twin brother.” 

Both Nicko and Anson were thought of as weird when they were young because of a medical issue called Autism Spectrum. They weren’t highly affected by the disorder, but it was still enough that when it came to social interaction via verbal and nonverbal communication. When Nicko was young, he thought of himself similar to a Nobody from the Kingdom Hearts series since back then; they weren’t able to understand peoples emotions as much as they could now. Nicko took a little bit more time to explain everything to Ryu about what he and his brother had been through, including finding their parents after they thought they were originally dead or just disappeared. 

After some time though, Nicko thought of something. Something that went along with what Ryu asked for. “Okay… I’ll come along. But, I want you to help me with improving my combat skills. Going up against you just a few moments ago taught me that I can improve upon my swordsmanship despite the fact that I already mastered my skills in Rune Magic.”

“Rune magic, huh? Would that happen to be the kind of magic you used earlier?” the dragon asked. It certainly piqued his interest when he saw it in action. If Ryu could learn how to do it himself, then the possibilities of what he can do with his magic would gain a significant boost.

Nicko nodded, creating a single Rune above his hand to show the drake. “The one you saw was one of my mid level skills called Storm Blade.” he took out his skill book and showed it to the dragon. “I know a bunch of other skills that also have different purposes, depending on the situation I’m in. How I fight might take a lot to explain, but I want you to help me improve my combat abilities before I go back to my world.”

Nicko was pretty confident of  what he was capable of. Powers like his weren’t always used for attacking the enemy head on. Critical Sword was an ability that allowed the teen to increase his strength and chance for a critical strike for a short amount of time while Magic Chain was a passive debuff that encased his enemies in a mystic chain that decreased their Magical Defense. Phoenix Talon was an ability that served as an attack and also enhanced the caster depending on how it’s used. If enemies were in the caster’s range, they would get burned by the phoenix while it ascended into the sky.

Ryu stared at the single page of Nicko’s skill book. Though he couldn’t understand the what was written inside, he pretty much got the gist from what he saw earlier. It was like combining [Aura Burst] and [Mind Sword].

By using the energy gathered for the [Aura Burst], Ryu could convert that energy into a series of [Mind Swords], impaling everything around him and sending solidified magic swords in every direction around him. The dragon gave off an intrigued humm. That could work.

Thank you, Nicko, for the idea that you provided for Ryu’s new [Blade Burst] skill. The dragon supposed that he should pay the kid back for his help.

“I don’t mind Apprenticing you.” the dragon pondered. Ryu tried not to show any expression on his face, but the small upturn of his lips clearly expressed how eager he was at that prospect.

Back in the original Breath of Fire 3 game, there was a Master System. The Masters provide bonuses on the stat growth of those Apprenticed to them every time that character level-ups. But the Master System also has its downsides. Some stats may gain some bonus points, but there were also areas where they decrease.

Masters could be used to balance out a character’s stats, or specialize in the area that they excel in. With seventeen Masters to choose from, it was a tricky system to find out which one would be best for who.

“We’ll see if we have time.” Ryu said. “Eris, can you please start looking in the city now? I’ll take Nicko to the palace myself. They’ve already seen me once. If they have any problems with Nicko, I’ll be sure to take care of it.”

“Yessir!!” Eris playfully replied as she saluted and disappeared with a snap of her eagle talon.

Ryu sighed when the spirit left. He stretched his back and muttered to himself. “Alright then.” With a mental command and a grunt of discomfort, two spikes made of bone pierced through the dragon’s clothes on his back, shocking the Rune Slayer at their appearance.

“Whoa!”

The dragon ignored the teen, having to focus his thoughts mostly on the transformation. Muscles began to cover the bones, and slowly completed the draconic pair of wings. Once the last set of scales settled in, Ryu breathed out a sigh of relief and turned to repulsed looking Nicko.

“Right.” Ryu started. “Let’s go. I’ll carry you to the city.” He went to approach the kid, but stopped and looked at him. How was he going to carry the boy?

Shaking his head, the dragon bent down and wrapped an arm around Nicko’s mid-section before lifting him on his shoulder.

“Hey wait! Put me down!” the teen flailed as he tried to pry himself off the dragon.

“Shut up before I decide to paralyze you.”

Ignoring the Rune Slayer’s cries, the dragon started sprinting towards the exit. Before Nicko could voice anymore complaints, Ryu leaped out of the cave’s entrance and began to fall.

“AAHHHHH!!!!”

“Hahaha...” Ryu laughed at his passenger’s cry of panic before spreading his wings and started to glide, taking control of his descent. With a powerful flap of his dragon wings, and Nicko lurching from the force, both of them shot up straight into the sky and made their way towards the city.

Nicko saw the ground quickly shrinking away as they flew higher up. After the initial shock of falling, the teen began to feel a mixture of shock and awe as he realized that he was flying. He had always wanted to know what flying was like, but never thought it would be like this. Screw thinking of Smaug, nicko felt that Ryu was ten times better than that! “God, this feels incredible! Now I know why Rainbow Dash likes flying so much!”

The joy of flying mostly came from the liberating sensation of freedom. Ryu felt the same before, and still could feel some of it every time he took the skies. 

No walls barred his way, no ground to hold him down, no cloud too high, and no place was definitely too far. He could see so many things into the vast horizon from the embrace of the sky. The feeling of absolute freedom was amazing. One of the things that Ryu liked about his dragon blood was his ability to experience this joy.

The dragon soared higher and higher, even going past the mountain city. He gave Nicko a view that he would probably rarely see…

Even if the way Ryu carried him wasn’t the most dignified position.

High above and beyond the clouds, higher still, the dragon soared beyond the height of what other creatures flew. He stopped and flapped his wings in a timely beat, allowing him to hover in the air. The winds roared at the high altitude, but Ryu created a steady stream of wind magic pushing out of him in the shape of a sphere to allow them to talk normally.

“So kid, what do you think?” Ryu asked.

“What do I think?” Nicko said. “I think this is beyond anything I’ve seen before.” 

The Rune Slayer marveled at the sight. He could see Griffonia’s entire continent, as well as the sea that surrounded it. Their land had many mountain ranges, but all of those were flooded below by a literal sea of trees. He had never seen so much green.

The Griffons respected the land their Ancestors passed on to them, and they never cut down their forests unless they were in dire need of them. Their castles and mansions were made using stones and bricks, with hardly any wood. They had a solid foundation, and even their houses could be considered as a bunker.

Nicko still looked on in awe of the country, pushing on the dragon’s shoulder to raise his upper body to give him a better view of his surrounding. He had Ryu to thank for the unforgettable sight, because this was a memory that he would truly cherish. “It’s almost like a dream… Thank you for making it come true.”

“Watch it, now.” Ryu started, a small amused smirk forming on his face. “You keep talking like that and you’ll make me think that you’re trying to come on to me.”

Nicko sputtered in embarrassment, dropping his grip on the shoulder so that he wouldn’t be able to see the dragon’s face when Ryu tried to look up at him. “Good god!! I’m not like that! I’m just being thankful!!” Images played and… Eugh! Definitely not that!

“Good.” Ryu nodded, “But then again, I stopped caring for genders four hundred years ago.” 

If you couldn’t find the time to relieve yourself because you're too busy training your magic, then it wouldn’t be surprising to find yourself expanding your preferences. Thankfully, however, Ryu still likened himself as a well polished sword than a snug sheath.

With another powerful flap of his wings, Ryu suddenly stopped their beating. They were suspended in the air for a moment, before gravity remembered that its job also included them as well.

Both humans fell from the sky at an incredible rate. The dragon releasing his grip on Nicko so that he could see his new Apprentice scream in terror without his support. However he was sadly disappointed when, instead of screaming his lungs off, the kid just kept his silence and watched as how the ground came closer. Nicko was falling with his body facing downwards and his arms and legs spread wide to catch draft.

“Uhh Ryu? Is it just me or are we falling to our death?” said the kid with the medical disorder.

The dragon sighed dejectedly. Nicko wasn’t screaming like he hoped to. Ryu was controlling his descent so that he would be at level with Nicko’s body. The kid was acting so casual about falling from a height near the stratosphere. Something was definitely not right in his head.

For Nicko, however, he was having the time of his life. He was grinning broadly as they fell. He was never scared of heights. In fact, the teen was one who always enjoyed coming down from big falls. It reminded him of a scene in Devil May Cry 3 where Dante dove off a gigantic tower that was as tall as the mountainside of Canterlot. Nicko always wanted to find a way to do that in real life. This was the closest he had gotten to that.

He wasn’t a son of sparda, but Nicko didn’t really care at this point. He was having a blast, that’s what counts.

“Stay close to me when we land and play along.” Ryu said as he grabbed Nicko under his arm. 

Nicko nodded as the dragon’s wings began spread wide, gently slowing their descent. Ryu made sure that the landing was soft enough that Nicko wouldn’t suffer any whiplash before setting the boy down on the ground. No sooner after they arrived that guards showed up with their weapons ready. Ryu recognised them as the sharpshooters under Gilbert’s tutelage. He saw the old Griffon coming forward from the line of young soldiers.

“Well Ryu, it seems like you found our troublemaker.”

The dragon nodded before gesturing to the other human. “Gilbert, this is Nicko Nocte. He is the one the guards came across earlier today.”

Many looks were exchanged from the griffons behind Sir Gilbert. Nicko wanted to say hello to be polite, but was unsure of what to do. They did kind of blame him for the course of events that happened earlier even though he had no intention of causing them harm. Right now, he just stayed silent. Like an old rule in the Military, do not speak unless spoken too.

The old griffon looked at Nicko, raising his brows when he gazed at the boy. “This child? I didn’t expect someone this young being capable of some of the things that I’ve read in the report.” Gilbert said, taking out a piece of parchment from the sack hanging by his side, and reading Nicko’s description again.

The teen thought that the knight was actually talking to him. He even saw the Griffon make eye contact with him before looking at the papers again. Still, he remained silent. Unless Ryu said otherwise, he would have to be quiet for the time being. Damn his Autism Spectrum. He didn’t know what to do at the moment.

“Gilbert, is her majesty able to see us?” Ryu then asked. “I believe there are some things that we need to clear up with the queen.”

“I’m afraid not, Ryu. She wanted some time alone with the King for the time being. It may be a while before you will be able to see her.” He gave the dragon a thankful nod. “What you did helped a lot. The King has recovered enough to regain his consciousness.”

“That’s good.” Ryu said. Still. Even with the King well and awake, that left the solution to Nicko’s predicament on hold. Hopefully Eris finds something on her side of things. “Would you happen to know where the Training Barracks are?”

“The Training Barracks?” Gilbert repeated. “Why would you need to go there?”

Ryu pointed over to the silent redhead, who was standing in attention and was stiff as a board. “The boy asked for me to help him with his swordsmanship. He has a temper when somebody refers to him by how… tall he is and during a brief clash we had, I saw that his emotions affected his combat skills.” 

Murmurs came from the griffons that were behind Gilbert, the soldiers who still training to be a full guard. The old Griffon was surprised that Ryu got a new student. Though the queen said that the boy was Ryu’s business, training the Red-maned youngling wasn’t something that he expected from his friend. 

Gilbert went to point out something that was off sight beyond the houses. “It’s not far from the palace. I can take you there if you want.”

“Are you sure.” Ryu asked, “Don’t you have to find the rebels that attacked the King?”

“The Queen’s soldiers have been tasked with that job.” the griffon snarked with a roll of his eyes. “They just had us make sure there wasn’t anything lurking in the area that we have to deal with later.”

The Griffon made a gesture for both humans to follow him. Nicko looked at Ryu, unsure if they should or not. But a nod from the drake was all he needed to see before the two of them started walking. Gilbert himself was in between Nicko and Ryu as they made their way over to the barracks. Nicko was personally surprised though when the Griffon actually began to talk to him.

“So, Nicko. How old are you?”

Following the rule of do not speak unless spoken to, the Rune Slayer replied as he put his hands in his pockets. “Just turned Eighteen about a week ago, Sir.”

Social situations were one thing that wasn’t Nicko’s strong point. Sure, he could talk. But talking to new individuals he never met before was a challenge for the teen. Not knowing much about that person really made it hard for him to find out anything about who he was talking too. So instead of asking questions, he simply answered the questions Gilbert asks him. They continued to talk as Ryu soon joined in and caught the older Griffon up on everything so far. The only part they left out though was Eris. Letting them know that a Draconequus was helping them would cause panic given the way that Discord’s actions had driven the world into chaos. So, they just referred to her as an Associate.

As they made it into the barracks, they turned their way to the wide open field where the griffon soldiers had their drills everyday. There wasn’t much activity there as most of them were out in the city searching for the rebels.

Ryu didn’t wait for Gilbert and Nicko when they stopped for the Rune Slayer to take in the facility. The dragon went ahead and stepped into a large circle of dirt and kicked some it with his boots. It was a good place to train in.

“Nicko!” the dragon called out, gaining the Rune Slayer’s attention. “Get over here. Since I don’t think we have a lot of time until our mutual friend finds a lead, we should get at least some training in.”

“Right.” the redhead nodded, unholstering the sword on his back and making his way into the circle.

Gilbert watched with no small amount of amusement at the boy’s eagerness. Ryu was definitely going to make him regret that later. The trainees behind the old knight stood off to the side, also eager to see how the two humans would clash.

When Nicko stepped inside the circle Ryu clenched his fist and created a katana from his [Mind Sword]. He examined the blade, making sure that the edge was blunt. He wouldn’t want any accidents in the training.

“Right then.” Ryu began. “First off, Nicko, tell me what you are.”

“What?” the teen asked in confusion.

“What are you?” the dragon gestured to the boy’s body. “Here’s an example. My name is Ryu. I’m a human and a dragon. I can transform into a dragon because of a bloodline. The name of my kind of dragon is Brood. Now you.”

“Well, um.” the teen scratched his head. “I’m Nicko Nocte, a Rune Slayer.”

“What do you specialize in as a Rune Slayer?”

“Um, Runes?”

“I’m sorry, what?” the dragon said, cupping his ear towards the teen. “Did you say Spoons?”

“No. I said Runes.”

“Prunes, you say?”

“I said RUNES!” the Slayer shouted.  Nicko didn’t know why the dragon wanted him to repeat himself when he knew that Ryu heard him perfectly. It was starting to get on his nerves.

“There.” The dragon declared. “Say it properly and make sure that you know it yourself.”

After saying that, the dragon lunged, swinging his blunted sword in a wide arc above the Rune Slayer. Nicko gave a startled cry as he moved to block the blow. Both blades clashed, with Nicko straining to hold his sword in place as the dragon continued to press against his weapon.

“Now, Rune Slayer, what is your specialty?” the dragon asked, adding more pressure on his sword.

Nicko grunted. With a cry of exertion he pushed back and jumped away, raising his hand towards the dragon.

"Too slow!" the dragon roared as he lunged at the retreating teen. He grabbed Nicko by his vest with his left hand and pulled him back then threw him to the side. "So obvious! You attack, you cast! You defend, you cast! You need to know how fast you can make a rune, and how well!"

The dragon went into the offensive once again as the teen recovered, swinging his sword in wide arcs and giving Nicko enough time to react.

Every attack, Nicko blocked. Ryu continued his assault, deliberately sliding his sword over Nicko's blade. He attacked from every direction; up, down, left, right. He forced Nicko on the defensive, repeating the slashes even as the teen grunted after every blow.

"Deflect, Nicko! Redirect! Parry! Don't block!" Ryu shouted as his sword swung to the side, shifting Nicko's sword into that direction and leaving the teen exposed. The dragon roared and shoved his foot into Nicko sternum, kicking him back and making the teen tumble.

Nicko's face twisted in pain as his tender ribs took the blow. He held his side as he righted himself into a crouch and looked up at the dragon staring down at him without a hint of emotion on his face.

"You're not a tank, Nicko. You're a runt."

The Rune Slayer glared as a tick appeared on his temple.

"Don't give me that look. You're tiny, but that doesn't mean that it's a disadvantage." the dragon dashed over to the downed teen, Nicko jerking his head back as the Ryu stopped in time and held his sword at his neck. Both humans made eye contact, with Ryu looking down at him. "You're agile. You're quick. You're strong. But you're not very bright."

"What?!"

Ryu withdrew his blade and started walking back to the middle of the circle. Nicko took this time to get back on his feet and rub the spot on his neck where the dragon's sword had been.

"You're not inventive." Ryu called out with his back turned to the teen. "If you haven’t noticed, both our fighting styles should be the same.”

“Huh?” Nicko stopped glaring as he looked at Ryu with confusion.

“Don’t be so surprised.” the dragon swung his sword in his right hand, slashing the air once, then twice. Then he pulled back his sword hand so that it was behind him, shifted his legs and made sure that his left hand was in front. His hand was spread open. “[Simoon]!”

Nicko and the other spectators flinched as an explosion made of fire and wind came from the dragon’s hand. Ryu turned and spun, swinging his sword into a sweeping slice, then stopped with his left hand out once again.

“[Sirocco]!”

Tiny balls of fire sprayed out of Ryu’s open palm, where each light exploded into individual [Simoon] spells in the air.

Looking back to the gaping Rune Slayer, he opened his arms wide, showing Nicko his sword held in his right hand and the excess magic leaking out of his left hand. “This is what I meant. With Sword in one hand, and the Arcane in the other, our style in fighting should be the same.”

Even though Ryu had powerful magic spells, he rarely has any uses for them. Most of the spells were too noisy and too flashy. Maybe in time, when the world knows who he is, he’ll get the chance to unleash every spell in his arsenal. But for now he’ll focus on teaching Nicko his more subtle and efficient style.

“Focus on your speed, technique, and stamina, Nicko. My style is based on those.” Ryu said. “I have enough stamina to leave me standing after days of non-stop fighting. I have speed fast enough to lead my enemies on and drive them into an ambush. I have the technique to fight opponents who can easily overpower me, and hold my own until I find a way to win.”

Nicko nodded as he paid attention. Both him and Ryu had more or less the same type of body build. Ryu was slightly different, only because he was older and had the time to develop his muscle based on his style.

“Also, the most important thing about my style.” Ryu tapped his temple. “Innovation.”

“Innovation?”

“To create new, and clever ways of using your skills.” the dragon explained. Ryu held up a [Magic Ball]. But instead of creating a flash with it, he directed it to the ground and fired. The spell dispersed in a violent discharge, but there was no blinding light that came from it.

He created another [Magic Ball] in his hand, then tampered with its creation. The ball of pure magic ignited and turned into a [Fireball] after Ryu added the element within the composition.

“Just because a spell is used in one way doesn’t mean that it could only be used like that.” Ryu explained. “Experiment and learn through trial and error. Break down the components of your magic and create new ways to use them. An explosion is loud, flashy, and carry concussive force. With enough practice and control  you could use that force factor to aid you in your movements. You could use their flashy display as a distraction. You could use the noise they make to disorient your enemies. The are many methods for you to choose from, not just these.” 

Even the most harmless of skills could have a devastating effect. Ryu made enough of them to know himself.

The dragon continued. “You could use the explosions to add more power in your sprints by creating them under your feet and propel you forward faster. You could learn to plant runes and use them as traps. You could learn to carve them into rocks and create grenades.”

Nicko gaped at the dragon’s absurd ideas. Ryu rolled his eyes as he looked at the teen’s expression.

“This is what you call Mastery, Nicko.” the dragon declared as he created four [Magic Balls] around himself.. “It’s not a matter of how many times you can use it; not how well you could perform it; not with how fast you can cast it. It’s about being diverse.” the four spells changed and turned into a [Fireball], [Snowball], [Gustball] and a [Lightningball] “One spell for different situations, creating different uses out of it. You do this right and I guarantee to you that you will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Nicko stood still as he looked at Ryu’s display. He looked down at his sword and hand before clenching them tight. That was a good point: Diversity. Back in Elsword the number of skills he could learn were limited. But here that might not be the case. If what Ryu says is true, then maybe he could create skills of his own.

Fire Rune, Splash Explosion, Storm Blade, and his other skills. If he could somehow find a way to break them down, maybe creating a new skill wouldn’t be so hard.

“Heh.” Nicko looked up and stared at the dragon straight in his eyes. “You know, if I didn’t know any better then I’d say that this was a training for me to gain a new Job Class.”

“Job Class, huh.” the dragon smiled at the idea. “What would that Job Class be?”

Nicko shrugged, holding his sword in one hand and leaving the other free, similar to how Ryu held his own weapons. “Don’t know. But it probably has something to do with sword and magic, like a Rune Slayer.”

Ryu gave Nicko a satisfied smile. Seeing the teen ready for more training made the dragon proud. “Let’s think about a name later, for now let’s concentrate.”

“Yes, Master!”

Ryu’s smile sudden turned evil as he heard what Nicko addressed him as. Off to the side, the feathers of Gilbert and the rest of the trainees all became ruffled as they shivered at the look in the dragon’s eyes.

“On to the next lesson.” Ryu declared. “Beating the crap out of someone is easy. It’s keeping yourself from getting the crap beaten out of that’s hard!”

“What?” the Rune Slayer asked, gaining a perplexed expression.

“Prepare yourself!”

The birds looking on turned their heads away as the one sided beating began. Gilbert shuddered as he heard the sound of blunted sword hitting naked flesh. “I think I just had a flashback.” he muttered to himself before wincing as he heard the same sound again. “Arcane Blade.”

That was a good name. The mysteries of Sword and Magic. Both learned and exploited, creating a master of the unorthodox swordplay and magic tricks. If there was a Job Class with a name like that, then Ryu definitely belonged in that category.



As time ticked on, an invisible Eris continued to search for some kind of lead that could explain how she and Nicko ended up into Ryu’s world in the first place. According to the drake, summoning rituals like the one that brought them here would leave some leftover magic in the air. Additionally, a token would be needed as a catalyst in order to summon them specifically. Using these as the only clues she had, the spirit began looking for the ones responsible for bringing her and her friend here.

Her Chaos magic was quite useful right now for multiple reasons. First off, she was able to hide herself from the all the guards that patrolled through the streets. Second, she was able to sense magic in the air. But how she sensed it though was different from how Unicorns or Alicorns would feel sorcery. 

Draconequus such as Discord and herself feel magic based on smell. It may be different to other Draconequi, but that was how it works in her world. Each spellcaster has a special kind of aura that defines themselves and is based on their personality and traits. Her father’s aura, for example, smelled like warm chocolate chip cookies. Nicko smelled like cinnamon sugar and Ryu smelled like apple pie (For some odd reason). Those with a sweet scent would be known to have a good heart and care for somepony, while those with a foul scent are known to be the opposite. 

Speaking of foul scents, she was beginning to smell something of that nature not far from the courtyard of the palace.

Slithering through the streets and above the heads of the civilians living in the area, the spirit followed the smell until she came across what looked like a trashbin. Whatever Eris was feeling, it was inside there. Using her Chaos magic to make the metal tin can disappear, the daughter of Discord was soon surprised to find what was hiding inside the bin as she picked it up with her paw.

It was a small stone, but it had the same symbol as the one that Nicko had on his left shoulder. 


        


	


“Well, that must explain how we got here.” The Spirit said to herself as she looked around a little. The smell of the object reeked of rotting flesh. Something Eris thought was a little disturbing. But still, she was going to use the scent of the object to track it’s caster. Which was easy to do because objects could not have their own magical scent unless they were enchanted items. 

That meant that the scent that was left on here was the scent of the individual responsible for this. Or individuals. 

Any fool that doesn’t know how to cover their tracks leave a trail behind. Using her nose, Eris carefully followed the smell back through the courtyard. The Draconequus was careful not to bump into any of the griffons that were in her way while she was moving and made her way over to the outside of a closed office. It seemed to be the living quarters for the guards. 

Unlike Canterlot, where the living quarters and the barracks were part of a two story building, Griffonia’s living quarters and barracks were two separate building that were right next to one another. Based on her magical senses, her friend and the dragon were close to where she was. 

Creeping through the window that was already open, Eris took the convenient opportunity to make her way inside and wait. Soon, a griffon wearing a cloak entered the room along with one other individual.

The captain of the guard. Wow. Nicko was right with his guess earlier.

“I could not have been more specific with my instructions. Now, thanks to you idiots, I have more problems to deal with and your assassination attempt on the king failed.”

“Failed!?” Squawked the other griffon. “May I remind you that I was the one who brought that boy here, disposed of the evidence and made sure to poison the king with the most vicious of mixture that would kill a minotaur within minutes!”

“Yes, but thanks to that brat, the city was on full alert and the king is alive thanks to the Elder Dragon that healed him-!”

“That is on you, not me! You were the one who hired me to do a simple job of summoning that runt and using it as a distraction. What happened afterwards is not on my head but yours. Besides, the procedure itself was risky enough given what was needed to perform the ritual.”

“Damn you. I knew I should’ve never trusted a wetboy like yourself.” The captain snarled. “What do you plan on doing now?”

“I plan on leaving. You asked for one simple thing and that was already done. Everything else is not my responsibility but yours. So if you want to become king that badly, you better finish the job yourself!”

This was followed by the griffon in the cloak brushing through the captain and out the door. Eris decided to follow him until he was in an alleyway and then give him a nice surprise. If you count that surprise being getting tied down by rope with just a finger snap.

“What in the ancestors-?”

“Sorry, little birdy. But I have some friends who want to meet you… And they have a few questions for you.”



By now, Nicko was starting to get the hang of what Ryu was teaching him despite multiple bruises and pain coursing through his body. The Rune Slayer had not demonstrated all of his abilities to the drake, but Nicko wanted to make sure and start off slowly with only a few abilities using Ryu’s teachings on mastery. He had a few ideas of how he could be innovative with his powers, but wanted to make sure to try them out before doing anything crazy. 

The redhead positioned himself as he looked at his teacher. Ryu still had a lot of energy to spare and so did he. The dragon had taught him about the diversity of his powers as well as for defense. Two elements that were very important to survival. Now was where the Rune Slayer needed to prove to his teacher that he understood what the dragon taught him.

“[Siricco]”

But first he needed to dodge that.

The Rune Slayer ran around inside the sparring circle, dodging all of the little bombs that the dragon sent his way. Ryu hasn’t moved from its center, giving Nicko the chance to retaliate if he ever chose to do so.

“Come now Nicko, think!” Ryu called out as his left hand continued to spray the spell, controlling the power in them to a minimum. “From your list of skills what can you do to counter!”

“I can’t think of any!”

“Then make one!”

The dragon ceased his barrage and made to grasp the air. Nicko found himself locked inside Ryu’s telekinetic grip. The dragon swung his left arm with effort and the Rune Slayer soon found his body following its direction.

Nicko was flung outside the sparring circle, rolling on the ground dirt when he made contact to reduce the damage. He recovered quickly, however, already accustomed to being thrown around by his new instructor. By the time he was on his feet, he was already moving back towards the circle, Ryu stopping his assault until he steps back inside.

The Rune Slayer himself had an idea of where to start with his counter attack, but first; he needed to get closer to the drake. Using one of the idea’s Ryu suggested earlier during his explanation, Nicko ran forward, using his Runes to create tiny explosions under the soles of his feet, giving him more distance and speed with every step.

Ryu made a sweep with his left hand, sending another spray of his [Sirocco] spell. Nicko dodged every tiny balls of fire coming his way, swerving left and right and ducking under them. He swung his sword when he was close to the dragon instructor, however it wasn’t aimed at Ryu. Nicko swiped the ground near his feet, sending a wave of dirt towards the drake.

Since Ryu gave himself a disadvantage by refusing to move from the middle of the sparring circle, Nicko made sure to exploit it. The dragon sweeped his left arm and pushed the incoming dirt away with a burst of wind, only to blink in surprise when the Rune Slayer used another of his Rune’s explosions to propel himself forward and slide between his legs. Nicko slapped his hand on the ground just under Ryu, creating an Ice Rune underneath him to hold him in place. 

The Rune created the same effect as the dragon’s [Chill] spell, but it slowed down Ryu’s movement purely by using the sudden drop of temperature around him. Before the dragon could even make his counter, Nicko channeled a blue colored magic around his hand as he swung for in a low diagonal motion. “LUNA BLADE!!” 

A huge aquamarine blade emerged from overhead and slammed down nearby Ryu’s prone location. The dragon, however, didn’t stand idle. Even with his body slowed, his magic was still quick and free of obstruction. He created another spell, this time a single [Simoon]. He hopped slightly off the ground as the spell detonated beside him, the force of the explosion pushing him away from the Ice Rune’s area of effect.

The Rune Slayer expected the dodge, and picked up a few nearby rocks that were made from the impact of the Luna Blade for a few extra surprises. Chucking them at Ryu, he snapped his fingers once they landed on the ground by his feet.

“RISING SLASH!!” 

Normally, the spell would summon forth a barrage of blades from either side of the Rune Slayer, as a source of protection when enemies came too close to him. But for this tactic, he placed the runes used to summon the blades on the stones he threw towards Ryu. The Elder Dragon was caught off guard once four huge blades sprung from the stones and scratched his arms.
Ryu at the rather devious tactic. The boy was improving and his teachings were paying off. It showed him that helping the redhead was not a waste of time.

“Impressive.” Ryu complimented, looking at the scratches on his arms. “Grafting your runes on an object and using them like a grenade, at least you’re taking my advice. But I still believe you can improve a bit more.”

Before he could do anything though, a new voice began to speak to the two of them. ‘Hey Nicko? Ryu? Can you hear me?’

‘Loud and Clear, Eris. Find anything?’ the redhead replied.

Ryu himself was confused at first. but it only took him a few moments to realize that Eris was talking telepathically. Quite a handy trick. Being a Psionic he should to see if he could learn it.

‘I did more than just find something.’ said the spirit. ‘I found the griffon that performed the summoning ritual. Meet me in the alleyway between the marketplace and the forge inside the city and I can show you what I mean.’

“Hmm…” the dragon hummed, healing his own injuries and walking over to Nicko to do the same. “I suppose that’s it for now.”

Off to the side, Gilbert and the trainees gave the two humans confused looks. The old knight shrugged before walking close to the circle since both looked like their lessons were over.

“That was splendid, Nicko.” the griffon praised. “It’s nice to see the scaly bastard get hit for once.”

“He had magic,” the dragon shrugged. He rarely had time to fight others who could use combat magic like Nicko. “But for now, we need to get going.”

“Where?” Gilbert asked.

“Our little tracker seems to have found a lead.” Ryu said. “We’ll tell you what we know when we get back.”

“I’ll go with you, then.” the griffon offered.

“It’s fine Gilbert,” Ryu assured his friend. “We’ll give you the information once we get them. I promised you that I won’t get involved in this. But--!” he pointed at the Rune Slayer. “Nicko will. Being unwillingly summoned, he should be there when you make the arrest.”

The old griffon looked at Nicko, frowning as he studied the teen. “Well… I suppose we could allow that. He was used for their schemes unwillingly.”

Ryu nodded, content with the decision. He took his attention back to the Rune Slayer. “From the moment we get the info, it’ll be just you and the knights. I won’t get to join you since this is their country’s problem. Don’t forget the things that I taught you.”

“Yes, Ryu. I’m extremely thankful for your teachings.” Nicko gave his new Master a grateful bow before straightening again.

Ryu just smiled as they began to walk to the location Eris directed to them. Gilbert was not far behind them, along with his trainees. Shortly after arriving at the location though, the drake gave Gilbert a look that would say “Stay Here” as the two of them walked into the alleyway. Shortly after losing sight of the old griffon, Eris dropped her invisibility spell. The dragon and Rune Slayer looked at the Draconequus as well as the guest that she had tied up beside her. 

“Ah perfect. I was beginning to wonder if you two got lost on the way.”

“What did you find?” Ryu asked, getting straight to the point. 

“Well, this here birdy is the culprit responsible for summoning Nicko and I with the use of this.” The Chaos Spirit told him as she tossed the Rune Slayer’s Mark to the Elder Dragon for both of them to inspect. The object pulsed in his hands and felt warm to his touch. “Furthermore, he says that he was hired to perform the ritual.”

That was an interesting thing to know, Ryu pondered. So a Displaced could also be summoned by other creatures as well, not just by other Displaced. But based on what Eris said, they can’t just call on them easily. Even so, he’ll have to remember to give Gilbert and the rest of his family his own token.

“Hired by who?” Nicko asked.

“That’s what we need to find out.” Eris grinned as she untied the rope she had around the Griffon’s beak. The cloaked griffon coughed violently and was gasping for air. Those things were plugging his air holes.

 Nicko facepalmed to himself during this. He did not expect for Eris to hold the bird like a hostage.

Ryu snorted when the chaotic spirit took out a feather. The dragon wasn’t wrong in his assumptions about her intentions with it when Eris started tickling their captive.

“Tell us what you know.” she said with an eager grin. When the captive griffon gave her a look that said he was not amused by her antics, she turned to her other companions while still wiggling the feather. “He must be trained for this.”

While amused by the Draconequus’ little game, they still needed the information from the griffon’s skull. Unfortunately for the bird, Ryu had a skill that could do that.

The dragon suddenly grabbed the griffon’s head, startling Eris and Nicko.

“Allow me.” said the dragon. 

[Monopolize]

Without warning, their captive jerked for an instant before his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Ryu continued to peer down at the griffon, barely moving any muscle. Nicko looked confused when he saw nothing happening except the griffon twitching every so often, but from the way Eris’ eyes widen she may have an inkling of what he’s doing.

The griffon gasped suddenly as the dragon released his grip. He didn’t move even as their prisoner collapsed on the ground unconscious.

Ryu breathed out slowly, closing his eyes as if to calm his nerves. When he opened them he looked at his hand in confusion, and began to examine it.

“Ryu?” Nicko called out to the dragon.

“It’s nothing.” he said, shaking his wrist as he turned to the redhead. “Our friend here is Solov Hazing, a scholar of the local academy of Arcane. He was hired a week ago to enact a ritual using an artifact. Even though the employer seemed shady, he didn’t refuse because he thought that it was a chance to further his study in magic. He, along with a few others, were definitely the ones behind bringing both of you here and he was the one who attacked the king.”

Solov Hazing was one of the disgraced families. Him and his friends. But unfortunately it seems that his other family members had nothing to do with the plot. The same goes with the others. They were simply a bunch of teenagers who did something stupid because they thought it was interesting, and that they were going to get something out of it.

Unfortunately what they got was something too interesting, as well as a place under the guillotine once Ryu tells Gilbert of what he knew. Based from the memories that the dragon leeched off from the griffon, his friends were enjoying the pay that they got from this situation.

“Here’s what I found out.”

The dragon began telling what he knew to Nicko and Eris first. Telling them how they’ve set up the ritual as well as position the assassination near the area where the King and his family frequented. Throughout the explanation, Eris was unnaturally silent.

After finishing, the dragon left in a flash of light and, as promised, stayed back to allow Nicko and Gilbert to deal with the situation.



“Solov Hazing? Is this correct?”

“Yes, Sir Gilbert.” Nicko confirmed for the old griffon once the guards have seized Solov and began to escort him to prison. “According to Ryu, he was hired around a week ago to perform a summoning ritual. The only reason why he performed the summoning was because he believed it was an opportunity to learn more in the field of Magic he was studying.”

“Which is?”

“Ancient Arcane.” The Rune Slayer explained. “He and his friends were part of one of the families that was disgraced. However, Ryu also said that they’re just simply a bunch of teenagers who only did it because either they thought it was interesting or because they would get something out of it. Sheer stupidity if you ask me.”

“Aye.” The griffon replied. Arcane sorcery was used for plenty of purposes, but it really depended on the caster. This kind of magic was rare and can only be controlled by a certain few individuals. 

One thing concerned the Griffon, however. Even though he was told that somefeather hired him to perform the job, Solov never said who hired him. If he was a puppet in all of this, then who was the one that was pulling his strings?

“Well, the rest of the guard could take him in for questioning. Right now though, I think the Queen might be ready to see you now.”

“Alrighty. Lead the way.” 

The boy’s enthusiasm made Gilbert smile a little as they walked back towards the palace. He was not as nervous as he was earlier in the day. In fact, he seemed a little more comfortable. 

They soon reached the Palace as they walked inside. Nicko himself was more relaxed with being by Gilbert. not to mention the fact that Eris was inside his head again. Both Human and Griffon walked through the marble-floored halls; ignoring the stares and murmurs that came from the other griffons that were in the room. 

The two of them soon reached the door to the Queen’s chamber as the guards once again saluted Gilbert.

“We’re here to see the King and Queen.”

Both guards now looked at Nicko before looking back at the old Griffon. “Yes sir, but… If I may… Are you sure that it’s safe? This… being, matches the reports that-.”

“I understand that. But this boy is under my protection as well as the protection of my Mentor. There is a misunderstanding that we must clear up.”

The two guards looked at each other in confusion for a few seconds before opening the doors. Both Griffon and Human stepped inside as the doors closed behind them. They were inside the Royal Bed Chambers, a place where Gilbert had only entered a few hours ago with Ryu. There, the King of Griffonia looked as if he was on the verge of death, but now his condition had greatly improved. Ryu’s spell must’ve done wonders for him. 

“Sir Gilbert,” The queen greeted once again as the old Griffon respectfully bowed in her presence. Her gaze now turned towards the boy that was with him, looking very confused. “I’m to assume that you’re the boy who has caused quite a stir inside this city?”

“My lady,” Gilbert began to speak. “This here is Nicko Nocte. He is indeed the one known as the Rune Slayer, but my mentor believes that he was summoned here against his will.”

The Queen looked at Nicko, suspicion lurking within her eyes. “Please explain your claims, Child.”

“Well, earlier, we caught the individual who summoned me here. His name was Solov Hazing, a scholar of Arcane magic. His only motivation for the act was to improve his study in magic and to satisfy his own curiosity.”

“Hazing, you say?” The King coughed, surprising the two visitors when he opened his eyes.“If I recall correctly, that is one of the dishonored families… Would he have happened to mention who hired him?”

Before Nicko or Gilbert could say anything, a loud screech could be heard from outside the doors in the hallway that lead to the chambers they were in. A sound of a sword slicing through solid flesh could be heard as more cries of agony echoed throughout the room.

“What in the Ancestors name is going on!?” The Queen demanded as she raised herself to defend her husband.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Nicko told them, readying himself for whomever entered through the door. It swung open as the guards that protected the front door were thrown in like ragdolls with bloody wounds across their chests. Gilbert rushed over to them, only to realize that the first one was already dead and the second guard was barely breathing. 

‘Nicko, watch out!!’

Eris’ warning couldn’t have come at a better time as the Rune Slayer ducked, avoiding the blade of the assailant. Returning back to his feet, the teen’s eyes widened as he realized who it was. 

The captain of the guard was standing right in front of him, holding a blood covered broadsword in one claw while having the other one unsheathed for when he needed his sharp talons. The Black Griffon lunged forward again, thrusting his sword forward towards Nicko’s chest. A predictable move that the Rune Slayer blocked with his blunt sword before kicking him backwards. 

“You little piece of trash.” The Attacker taunted. 

“What the hell is your problem? First you call me Runt and now you call me Little!!? Are you just asking for trouble!?”

“What is the meaning of all this?!” The Queen hollered. She was shocked at finding out the head of her own guard had just barged into the castle, killed the guards, and now came after both of them while they were in the middle of a discussion with Sir Gilbert and the Rune Slayer. She wasn’t the only one who was confused. Nicko and Eris were just as confused as the lady griffon.

“The meaning of all this is to finish what that damned Solov never did and never could  complete. Because you don’t leave a hatchling to do a hunters job!”

The Captain tried to use his wings to propel himself forward towards the King and Queen in a fast paced blitz. However, Nicko predicted this and used his newfound trick of a small rune explosion at the soles of his feet to put himself in between the enraged warrior and the frightened sovereign. With a quick motion, he deflected the incoming sword and went behind the Griffon to try and grab his wings. But doing this though caused the Black Bird to react, almost striking the teen with his back claws.

“You stay out of this, Freak! Or else I’ll end your life just like I’ll end the king’s!!”

“Oh really now?” Nicko taunted. “Very well then… HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!!!”

The former captain snarled in satisfaction. But soon, he realized something when he tried to move his wings. His muscles became stiff. Like they were locked in place. Turning his head, his eyes widened at the sight of two of Nicko’s Ice Runes right where the wing joints met his back. 

“What the bloody hell-?!”

Nicko grinned silently. “Looks like Ryu’s teaching have paid off. He taught me that when fighting against others who are incredibly fast, strike them in an area that would slow them down.”

“But you didn’t even hit me-!”

“Remembered when I tried going for your wings?”

Now the Griffon realized what he meant. The boy wasn’t trying to grab hold of them, but get close enough to cast his blasted spell! He cursed the ancestors for his bad luck. But realized that he didn’t need wings in order to move. Running on all fours, the assailant charged at the Rune Slayer blindly. Unknowing of what the boy had in store for him.

Nicko himself was so confident to the point that he set his sword back on his back for this one. He cracked his knuckles as he prepared his right fist, pulsing with magic. The Griffon lashed out furiously with it’s claws, but barely managed to get a hit on the boy. 

Nicko though, had a surprise for him.

“WIND BLADE!!” 

The Attack surged from Nicko as it shattered the guard’s armor and left him lying on the floor, unconscious. Nicko walked over and checked the birds pulse, making sure that he didn’t put TOO much power into that last attack. He was relieved when he felt the creatures heartbeat. Turning towards Gilbert, he sighed. “Well, seems like another arrest is in order.”



Ryu frowned as he watched the clash through the shadows under the room. Though he was happy to see Nicko practice his advice, something about this whole situation nagged the dragon.

The Guard Captain was one of the most trusted soldier of the crown. They were those who were noticed by a member of the Royal family itself and was recommended personally. They either became the head of the soldiers, or became a personal bodyguard for the royalty.

Ryu still couldn’t tell what drove the captain to betray his liege. The position came with fame and prestige, love of the masses and a welcome back to the ranks of nobility if they had been disgraced.

The captain’s actions now also didn’t match with his earlier schemes. Summoning Nicko and using him as distraction while his assassins tried for the king was a clever ploy, but charging into their majesties’ presence while blatantly telling them that he was the one behind it all just screams stupidity.

Ryu’s frown deepened. No, the captain wasn’t behind all this. He was nothing but a lackey. Someone’s pawn. Even so, the dragon still had to keep his promise. Like Pinkie Pie’s little rhyme, Ryu had to abide by the Dragon’s Code.

No. That was a lie. It wasn’t because of the Dragon Code. He didn’t care if he broke one of those. What Ryu cared for was the promise to his family, as well as to his close friends.

Decades ago he gave his word to Sven that he would never interfere with the Griffonia’s rebel business if he could. To the deceased knight they were still his ancestor's comrades, even if their cause had been wrong.

He’ll have to remember to tell Gilbert about his thoughts on the former captain. Ryu was still regretting how anti-climactic this was. But still, this was his world’s troubles. He didn’t need Nicko to to start helping a dimension that wasn’t his. Ryu was sure that the Rune Slayer had enough trouble on his own.

For now he needed to say goodbye to his apprentice. With the whole debacle done and over with, there was nothing keeping Nicko from going home. 



Shortly after Gilbert arrested the now former guard captain, the female sovereign expressed her gratitude towards the Rune Slayer for his bravery and strength, even the king showed his thanks to the young human for the actions he took. They asked him if there was any way that they could repay the boy, but Nicko kindly refused. He didn’t need anything from royalty right now though. He was in a hurry and had to get back to the Equestria that he knew. 

But beforehand, the Rune Slayer decided to visit his teacher one last time. 

Ryu himself was in the training barracks again as he had nothing else to do. It only took him a few seconds to recognize his student’s presence as well as the presence of Eris as she decided to come out of Nicko’s body. 

“Leaving so soon?” Ryu asked him. 

Eris nodded her head. “Yeah, we need to hit the road. Everypony back home needs us.”

“You probably haven’t been gone long. You’ve only been here for a short amount of time.”

“Yeah, but different versions of Equus might move differently in time. At least we won’t be running into anything that could drain us of our memories or something like that.”

Nicko himself chuckled a little at the statement. But Ryu didn’t see it as funny. Eris was referring to what he did in order to get the information out of Solov. That griffon would be lucky if he remembered what he did, thankfully the drake didn’t [Monopolize] his whole life but only the last week. Speaking of which…

“Oh that reminds me…” The drake told the two as he went back into his pockets and pulled out the Rune Slayer’s mark that Eris tossed to him. Ryu was handing it off to Nicko, but all the teen did was just smile and shake his head.

“Go ahead. You should keep it.” Nicko told him. “Call it a thank you gift for all the training and helping me with my magic.”

Ryu smiled a little. “Well, in that case. I have something for you then.” The dragon then took out his [Diary] and tore out a page. The paper began to glow as it dissipated into a bright light. When the light faded, the page was no longer there. But instead, something new took form in order to take it’s place.


        


“This is a Dragon Tear.” The Elder Dragon told The Rune Slayer. “If there’s ever a time where you need my help, use this.” 

Nicko smiled as he put the token in his pocket. He hugged the drake out of habit and the Ryu twitched from the sudden contact. He never really liked surprise hugs. Especially if they came from guys.

“Thank you for everything Ryu. You can not believe how grateful I am.”

 Before the dragon could say anything though, Eris said her goodbyes and snapped her talon. The two Displaced disappeared right in front of the Kaiser. All he did though was huff through his nose as he created another set of wings and ascended into the sky.

He had quite a story to tell once he returned to Canterlot.




End Chapter 12