Aeragis’s Awakening

{What did she mean when she said all that?}

It was dark… the only light source he got was from the lanterns that lit the road up. He passed some people up who were just now heading to the nighttime festival, all excited, some with their significant others. Ryuma was the only one who's headspace wasn't clouded with thoughts of partying and drinking. Clara left him with too much.

Nobody in the academy joined it to save anybody. What other job could one do in the order but fight demons? Hell, now that they've graduated. Most of them are going to be taking supervised scouting sessions into the lower world, so, they'd have to protect and save people at some point.

He then thought back to Mr. Taku. The man said that being a collector had nothing to do with fighting demons and that it was enough for him.

Of course after what she said, it'd now make sense, but Mr. Taku was one person. He assumed he was the exception to the rule. Did priest really feel like this in general?

No, no… even if that were the case, Ryuma was sure that most of the graduates at the academy would grow out of it after experiencing the real thing. She was just overreacting.

Ryuma looked up and saw that the route he was taking wasn't towards his home. It was towards his and Toga's secret area near the cave.

He thought to turn around and correct himself but stopped. Did he really want to go home right now? He didn't want to feel like such a colossal failure the day of. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to relax and think about some things.

He had an irregular heartbeat and it felt like his whole body vibrated.

What was that? There was an odd feeling coming from the forest in the direction of the cave. Something told him to move forward despite how dark it was and no lanterns to light a path.

{Maybe heading forward isn't the smartest thing to do,"}

He had to admit, the thought came across his head, but even if he failed to join the order, he still had priest training. He had to see if there were any demons there or not. At least for the safety of the civilians.

And so he went forward, further into the darkness until it became pitch black. He summoned his katana's and slowly inched himself forward one step at a time.

It was that final step that did it. The world around him brightened with the light blue color of spirits. Though it was still dark, it looked like he entered some sort of spirit world.

Ryuma looked around with his mouth ajar. Trained as he was, even he couldn't help but drop his guard. This wasn't right. Him and Toga's been here hundreds of times. This has never happened before.

Remembering his position, Ryuma put his guard up again. For all he knew, he could be under attack. He's never seen a demon before. Matter of fact, he's never been to the lower world before. For all he knew, this was what the lower world looked like.

He had to admit though, this was abnormal. There was nothing in the academy that taught him anything about this.

Regardless though, he pushed forward. With the amount of spirit lights around, it was easier to see where he was going now.

He made it all the way to the cave without a demon in sight. Certainly, that was good news. There's never been a demon up here, this would be a first.

He finally made it to the cave. His heart beat in his chest again and that same vibration came. This time, it was deeper. He clutched his chest in fear that he was going to have a heart attack.

But still he pushed on.

Entering the cave, he noticed there was zero resistance this time. He just continued further in. Every step forward, felt like a step downward. One spot he stepped, lit an entire row full of green spirit torches on the wall. He was finally able to see the stairs on which he was walking.

"Well Toga… you wanted to know…" Ryuma said.

If something happened to him, it was his fault.

It wasn't that much further down before Ryuma made it to a large door. It made stone grinding sound once he pushed his way into it. The space inside was far and wide. Ryuma moved forward surveying everything around himself.

He heard a noise at the entrance he just came from, but when he looked, the door was gone.

His heart started racing, but Ryuma stowed his fear. Whatever was in here with him, trapped him here. The visibility was still low, but his senses told him he was in danger.

"So you finally come child," They voice was deep, dark, and masculine. Despite that, it held a calm he's never heard before, and rung of wisdom he's never learned before.

Even still… he couldn't get his heart to stop racing.

Being in his presence alone caused him anxiety. He tried even harder to stow the fear that was in his heart.

"I was expected?" Ryuma said.

He tried desperately to sound normal. This thing held intelligence, elsewise, it would have attacked him on spot.

And there wouldn't have been a thing he could do about it.

"You were, for time is about to run out, and the merging has begun," The voice said.

His heart rate started slowing as he spoke to the creature. "Merging!? What merging?" Ryuma asked.

"… The merging of you and I Ryuma. I am the shining spirit of the White Dragons known as Aeragis. And it's about time I awaken,"

Ryuma's expression widened. The shining spirit of the White Dragons hasn't appeared for hundreds of years. For it to appear in him was a miracle. "The shining spirit of the White Dragons… This is amazing! We need to tell the High Edict right now! They'll need to hear this. It may even spare my life!"

There was a chuckle coming out of the dragon that reverberated around the room. "Naïve child. For what reason do you think I was hiding in you to begin with? If they were to know of my existence within you… without a doubt, they'd make a show of it to execute you,"

"You were hiding in me?" Ryuma let that sink in for a minute. What is going on? Why is it starting to seem like everything he's learned isn't lining up? Now that he thought about it… that test. He looked up into the darkness. "Wait! So are you the reason my soul force only had twenty-four on it?"

"That is correct. I took the liberty of sucking one hundred points off you so that it wouldn't show. For that first test isn't to measure whether you have the capacity to join the order. The sole reason for it is to fine the shining spirit of the White Dragons and kill it whenever necessary,"

"I don't get it! Why would they want to kill you!?" Ryuma asked. He seriously felt he was missing something. What was going on here? Were they really trying to sabotage the White Dragons?

"I'm a traitor to their worldview and a threat to this systems existence. It makes perfect sense they'd try to get rid of me first chance they got."

Though he didn't want to believe it a lot of the inconsistencies make sense if he was to go with the shining spirits version of events. Even so, that didn't really mean that this shining spirit wasn't evil

"You hesitate to believe me,"

"It's not that I don't believe you. You could be leading me off with halve truths. How do I know you're not trying anything conniving?

"You don't. One must simply see with one's own eyes to verify the horrors of the world,"

Ryuma took a deep breath. "Not viable. The only way down to the lower world is through the order, and thanks to your meddling, I didn't pass my class for that,"

"A short-sighted complaint my boy. Would not you trade your life for a medal? I will bring you myself to the lower world to witness thy true world of Order. But first, one must cleanse the land of invaders,"

"Invaders?" Ryuma thought about who he could be referring to. "Don't tell me there actually are demons in the Skylands!"

"No!!! Such a beings aren't capable of making it past the barrier of soul energy. I refer to the servants of the Dog,"

"The servants of the dog," Ryuma repeated.

It didn't take him at all to figure out who the shining spirit was referring to. "Hold on a minute!"

Before he knew it, the cave started shaking. Parts of the cave started rumbling. Was it a rumbling all over again? This time, it wasn't East Skylands territory going through the natural rumbling. It was the dragon himself.

The dragon roared and for the first time, Ryuma was able to see the shape of this massive creature coiled around him like a snake. It had the whitest scales and the longest body. Claws that could rend bedrock, it shot itself upwards, and disappeared like the apparition it was through the ground.

Ryuma pieced its cryptic words and knew then, that it was headed for the festival.