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"Who are thee, trying to get past my mountain??"
A dark powerful voice was heard as the dragon spoke its first words. Retaining eye-contact with Menma, the dragon did not seem happy at all seeing the three of them there.
"Oh, so it talks..."
"It... Talks?!"
Seemingly surprised by its ability to talk, Menma went ahead speaking without thinking too much about what he actually said as the dragon did not take much liking to his meager choice of words.
"Don't upset him more than we already have! He's definitely not an it!-..."
Trying to get across the bridge as well, the old man could only look as the dragon now turned all his attention towards Menma, enraged and completely ignoring the fact that he was not alone up here. Finally being able to reach over to where Revan was, the old man tried to the best of his ability to help him back on top of the bridge again.
"Are you alright Revan??"
Reaching out, the old man managed to grab a hold on to Revan's left hand as he tried to pull him up from the great plunge into the hot pit below.
"I'll-... Manage, Bard... Mo-re Importantly, we need to get to Menma, and that fast before that dragon eats him-... Alive... I must stop him in time!"
Still struggling about halfway across the bridge, the two of them already had their hands full as the dragon snuck his head even closer to Menma, bumping its nose into him as if trying to figure out his scent.
"Oh, so you're a he then?"
Placing his hand on the dragon's nose, Menma tried to get some space between them.
"Yes, I'm not just a simple-minded animal whom you can toss smug remarks at without consequence. Choice your next words wisely or prepare to die, human!!..."
Bracing himself as he was facing the dragon, Menma had seemed to be able to calm his nerves, somewhat. Looking straight at the dragon as he got back up to his feet, Menma wasn't really sure what to say next as the dragon turned his head up towards the air and fired off a massive stream of fire in several directions, yet again flexing his dark wings as he did.
"I am the keeper of this mountain, and you are trespassing on my territory! I don't take kindly to pesky beings like you!"
"We're not trespassing per say, we're just trying to-..."
"Do you want me to swallow you whole little man? Being eaten alive by the great Volvagia is the slowest and most painful death there is! My digestion system takes a 100 years to break down things I eat. Yes, it is quite painful I imagine."
A big scary-looking smile formed on the dragon's face as he came close to Menma again. Breathing at him as he did, Menma had to take a step back, feeling the insane heath and the obnoxious smell coming out from inside his mouth.
"I imagine that to be quite painful, yes... However, we really are one of the good guys you see, and you wouldn't want to eat us. We are hunting this... Ehm, Dark Lord?"
Turning towards Revan, Menma wasn't sure what to say.
"Yes, Dark Lord!"
Shouting towards him, Revan immediately understood that Menma was stalling for time. It wasn't much to lean on, but if he only could stall enough for him to get over there.
"Bard, let go off my hand..."
"What are you saying?!"
"You are in no condition to pull me up... I'm going to concentrate my powers to pull myself up into the air and make a leap right over there instead... When I say, be sure to hold onto the bridge as hard as you can. It might get a bit shaky..."
Turning back towards the dragon, Menma then continued.
"Ehm yes, we're hunting this Dark Lord of the Sith, a man capable of bringing on great destruction to this world. If we don't stop him, we'll all be in great danger. You don't suppose you have seen him by chance? We're pretty certain he came over this mountain before us..."
Looking at the dragon, Menma could only await his reply.
"A dark being you say... You mean, someone like me??"
Testing him, the dragon's patience seemed to actually grow rather than decrease, and that was exactly what Menma was gunning for. If not for the dragon's overall understanding on the difference between good and evil in this world, then for his curiosity alone for who this peculiar fellow standing in front of him was.
"No... Well perhaps, but, I take it that you are a kind creature, are you not? If you're the keeper of this mountain, ehm, then I suppose you are just guarding it from evil looking creatures out for harm? Isn't that right??"
"Yes, yes I am... Or so you could say."
Forming a grin on his face, the dragon seemed to now take a liking in Menma, allowing him to continue...
"Then, you would not want to stand in our way because-..."
But on second thoughts, he still had to be careful about his choice of words when addressing him...
"I do as I please, human! Something as puny as you can not command me to do anything!!"
Knocking Menma over with his nose, the dragon did not seem to like what he had to say.
"I... Of course you do, great dragon..."
"If I hadn't already been awaken from my deep slumber just a few hours ago, I would have swallowed you all whole without question by now, but I would come to understand that this Dark Lord you are hunting, is the one who initially awakened me?"
"I suppose that could be true, yes, but there's only one way to be cer-..."
"Get away from the dragon, Menma!"
Having finally been able to get across the bridge, Revan came jumping in from above with the Master Sword in his hand, as he pointed it straight at the dragon with a determined look on his face. The dragon carefully took a few steps away from them in return, but continued to keep his fierce eyes upon them.
"I will not let you harm my friends, now step back!"
His entire body trembled, but he continued to stand tall. Stepping in between the two of them, Revan knew that the situation was dire, however, he could not let that break him no matter what. He couldn't falter here, after all, he was a Jedi Master now. Fear did not exist in his mind. Fear would only lead to anger and anger to the dark side, and then...
"Be careful of his every moves Menma, and don't trust a single word he says unless you are really sure about his content. Just because he hasn't eaten you yet, doesn't mean he won't!
"Revan wait, I don't think he's evil-..."
Reaching his hand up to him, Menma tried to get him to lower his guard, but Revan would not take any chances and heed his advice. Also reaching up to them was the old man as he too tried to get Revan to back down, and just as he did, the great dragon flapped his wings, causing a great wind to blow towards them. Barely being able to stand on their feet due to the share power of the one flick of the dragon's wings, the three of them were pushed backwards towards the edge as they watched the bridge behind them shake tremendously, almost to the point of getting blown to pieces. It was just able to hold itself up behind them as they were pushed even closer to falling into the pit below.
Several wooden planks fell down into the hot lava as they too, like most things before them, melted instantly. The extreme temperature from below was reflected upon them as the wind finally settled, seeing dust, rocks and dirt fly everywhere and landing all around them. Sweat drops formed on Revan's face as he knew he would only get one chance to take this dragon on. Miss it and they would all end up dead.
"I don't care who you are or what your intentions are, great dragon, but I assure you that I will not hesitate to use this weapon to seal your fate if I have to! This will be my one and only warning..."
"Bwuhahaha, what a puny little weapon you have there, what could you possibly do with it? Scratch my back perhaps??"
Bursting out in a sinister laughter, the dragon did not seem to take his warning as anything more than a simple joke.
"This is not like any sword you have seen before... This is... The Master Sword!!"
"!! Revan, you called it that name, I thought-..."
"I would like to see you try human... I will bite your head off in the blink of an eye!!"
"I know my powers are weak out here, but if I can just use the Force a tiny bit and distract the dragon with that technique, I'll perhaps be able to-...!!"
Thinking to himself, Revan was prepared to get on with the battle of his life, but before he got the chance to, the dragon stroke first.
"Here he comes!!"
Shouting out, Menma reacted immediately as the dragon snared one of his claws their way, but just as he did, Revan was just as quick to get his guard up. Hitting the sword with the tip of his claw, the dragon just then realized what Revan meant as a bright light emerged from it as if creating an impenetrable barrier of some sort between them.
"Oh... I must admit, the sword's presence fills my soul with horror... What exactly have you done to it??"
Curious about the swords origins, the dragon halted his advance, patiently looking at them for a reply.
"Enough is enough! Please, we mean no harm, and you are definitely not as evil as you like to think great dragon!!"
"Old man??"
Finally speaking his mind from behind Revan, the old man tried to get the two sides to calm down, and seeing this, the dragon lowered his head before them as if accepting his plea.
"I see... So you are not like him from before..."
"So someone did pass here before us??"
Catching Revan's attention, the dragon just disregarded his question all together.
"Tell me more about that sword first and I might talk..."
"That doesn't concern you, unless you want a closer inspection that is..."
"Bwuhah! Are you trying to amuse me human??"
"Now, you talked about a man passing by here just recently??"
"Fine, I'll talk..."
Hearing the words, but not believing his content, Revan refused to let his guard down as he looked at the dragon who still had his head lowered in front of them. From behind Revan, both the old man and Menma paid close attention.
"Did he do something to affect your judgement? Did he let his evil twisted ways cloud your mind??"
Making his stance, Revan was more than ready to do whatever he felt was necessary, only being held back by the dragon's own approach to the situation now. Hearing this, the old man spoke out again.
"This dragon is the keeper of the mountain... Although many a man has met with their deaths here, we will not be harmed as long as we don't provoke him..."
Trying to get through to Revan, the old man expressed his concerns yet again.
"Why did you not tell us that there was a dragon resting on this mountain? This exceeds any danger I had predicted crossing here, if I knew, we would have walked around..."
Not sure what to believe, Revan still held his ground before the fierce dragon.
"What should we do?? Run, or..."
Anticipating what to come, Menma was more than ready to run for his life if it came down to it. But for now, he would just have to wait and see how things would turn out.
"I'm telling you, the dragon means no harm..."
"Okay, what if we just..."
Standing behind Revan and the old man, Menma then decided to step forth as he approached the dragon once more.
"Could you aide us in our quest for peace, great dragon??"
"Menma, what are you doing, we should not-..."
"In your quest for peace you say??"
Thinking about the question, the dragon took off to the air as it landed on the highest point of the mountain, just beside the bridge as he was still keeping a close watch over them.
"I was woken up from my sleep by a dark presence crossing here not long ago... I confronted him, but he had a weapon beyond this world... He injured my left claw, but as you can see, it barely qualifies as a wound."
Moving his wing to the side, a small burnt mark came to view on his claw from behind it as the three of them looked at it.
"That's a wound from a lightsaber, I'm sure of it..."
"He put me under some sort of trance, and when I woke up again, I felt the three of you coming this way, and so I immediately thought you were the same as him... But apparently, you're not. At least not according to the two here..."
Pointing at Menma and the old man, the dragon continued.
"This reckless one however, I'm not so sure about. You have the same scent as the other one, although it's a bit more pure in comparison. Neither one of you are from around here, are you??"
"Who are you calling reckless?! I am a Jedi Master, I never lose my cool!"
"I can see that..."
"Kremt... But you are indeed right, we're not from this planet, from this Earth... But neither is this guy either in a sense..."
Looking at Menma, Revan then returned his focus on the dragon again, and as he did, he finally decided to put down his guard, holstering the sword on his back.
"I understand... Well yes, that guy you are looking for did indeed get passed this mountain not long ago..."
"He's the guy we are after, the one you confronted... Will you let us pass so we can take care of him??"
Taking a step forward, Revan addressed the dragon once more.
"Let you pass you say?? Hmm... He headed down to the sea beyond here... I suppose he's heading to the other side of it..."
"To the other side??"
"Yes... I will allow you to pass, but only if you can promise me one thing."
Taking off into the air once more, the dragon landed right in front of them, sneaking his head along the ground and all the way up to their faces, just like before.
"Take care of this dark being for me, and I will call us even for placing foot here."
"Deal."
Not hesitating for a bit, Revan simply answered with the one answer he knew would satisfy the dragon, as the three of them were finally able to get passed. Watching as the three of them started the long climb down, the dragon then took off as it headed down to its cave a bit further down the mountain to recommence his great sleep. The path ahead of the three reached far down below them, and at the end of it, a large vast sea could be seen. Before continuing down however, the old man heeded a warning to the two of them.
"I guess this is where our roads go each their separate way. However, I must warn you... The land across the sea is said to be even more dangerous than this mountain, and not a single person crossing it has ever returned. No one knows what rests beyond the Great Sea, but the Unknown Realms to the South is said to be..."
"The Unknown Realms to the South??"
"Yes??"
"I've heard something similar before..."
Thinking about what the old man said, Menma let him continue.
"Take care you two and if we don't see each other again, then be sure to continue the path you have started, no matter the cost."
"What do you know of it??"
Addressing him, Revan had a curious look on his face.
"Enough to hope that whatever you have started and are prepared to go through with, you will succeed. After all, the world depends on it, right?"
Taking his leave, the old man then turned back as both Revan and Menma decided to head down the road. Not long after, the two of them came before the sea as Menma looked at Revan before speaking.
"How do we get across??"
"You will see..."
"Do you even know where he went? I mean, it's a huge sea we have before us, he could have gone anywhere..."
"I suppose that is a good point, but I just know. I can't explain it, but I have a feeling I know where he went. I just know it, I can feel his presence through the Force."
"Hmm... So about crossing the sea?"
"Oh yeah, come with me..."
Doing as he said, Menma quickly followed as Revan walked further down the road. Coming around the corner of some rocks that once were part of the mountain, the two were met with an unexpected view.
"Ah you got to be kidding me?!"
"Not at all..."
Before them stood an old ruin of a house and beside it, a small fisherman's boat not large in size.
"I spotted it as we were heading down here, so I thought it might be a good idea to use that one to get across. Perhaps even the only idea really."
"But it's pile rotten?! How is it suppose to keep us floating?"
Looking at him dumb-struck, Menma didn't know if Revan's idea was just bad or terrible.
"Let me worry about that. Come, give me a hand already."
"No, this won't work, I swear."
"Well if you have any better ideas, then please let me hear them?"
"Geez, fine, but this won't bode well..."
Pushing the small fragile boat out to the sea, the two of them then jumped in as they started paddling across.
"Okay let's see what you got Revan... Start paddling, and that fast! I fear if we don't keep a high enough pace, we're definitely going to sink like a rock."
At first it seemed to be going just fine, but not long after, what Menma had been expecting all the way really did happen, as the boat began to take in water, and that rapidly.
"What did I tell you? Bad idea! No, this was a stupid idea!!"
"Calm down, everything is under control..."
"Under control?! How can you say that?! Stupid! We are sinking god damn it! Abandon ship, abandon ship!"
"Okay just hold your horses for a bit, we are not sink-..."
"I'm up to my waist in water you moron!! Look, I can't paddle like this?!! Look, I can barely keep my head over water!!"
"..."
"Don't just sit there acting like nothing, there's no boat left to keep us above water. Was this your genius plan all along, to paddle 50 meters out to sea only to swim rest of the way?!!"
"Don't give in to your anger, that will only lead you to the dark side..."
"Damn it, I've had enough of this shit! First the spider, then the dragon and now this?! I'm swimming back to shore, you can just keep swimming over to the other side for all I care."
About to turn around to start swimming back to shore, Menma was then surprised to see that the boat suddenly emerged up from underneath the water again as the water that had filled the boat up started to pour out of its many holes.
"Please remain seated my friend and enjoy the ride. Buckle up because this is going to be one bumpy trip!"
Using the Force, Revan had lifted the two of them together with the boat up from the water as they were now gravitating about two meters above it.
"Let's fasten the pace a bit."
Concentrating his focus on the boat, the two of them suddenly raced across the waves at a rapid pace, and before they knew it, they hit land on the other side, crashing to the sand as they did. Not only that, but the boat shattered into tiny pieces as Menma stuck his head deep into the sand, struggling to get free.
"Bah, what just happened??!"
"We're here..."
"Why the hell didn't you just do this right away?!"
"It was my plan all along you see, I just needed to focus for a bit. I thought I already told you this? The connection to the Force is kind of weak in this place..."
"Ahh of course, smart-ass..."
"What was that??"
"Nothing... Let's just keep moving, shall we? Geez..."
"I wonder where we are now, hmm... Wherever this place is, I can feel we are getting closer..."
"So which direction, Revan?"
"Follow me."
Walking ahead of him, Menma saw no other option than to follow as the two of them quickly got the pace up as fast as they could without tiring themselves out. The hunt for Demise could finally recommence.
Traveling for several hours, the two of them finally entered what seemed to be a new landscape, completely different from the one they had recently been in. On the ground beneath their feet was freezing cold snow up to their legs, and a menacing wind blew straight at them. This didn't stop Revan however as he kept on going until the two of them finally spotted something far up ahead in the distance, beyond the cliff they were standing on.
"That is?!!"
Standing on the edge of a small hill, the two of them laid their eyes on what seemed to be a mysterious mountain ahead. Formed in the shape of three wolves' heads, Menma immediately knew he had seen that exact place before, but like all the other times, he simply could not put his finger on where or when he had seen that mountain before.
"You recognize this place, Menma??"
"I think... I think I know where we are... This place, no, this land to the South of where we came from... I think this is where I belong, where I come from in a different period of time... The old man talked about this land as the Unknown Realms to the South... Well to be frank, I'm pretty sure I've heard the expression, 'the Unknown Realms to the North beyond the Great Sea' before. And this mountain before us... I've definitely been here before. This place, all of it looks and feels familiar. This is... The Land of Iron."
"The Land of Iron??"
"Yes... Or what it eventually will become known as in the future that is. The Samurai lives here-... Lived here-... Will live here in the future, or something like that. This ahead of us... It's called the Three Wolves Mountain... And at the top of it is..."
"Demise..."
"...I wasn't going to say that, but, are you sure? Is this where-..."
"Yes. This is the place, I can feel his presence being close. What is it that's up there Menma? What is so special about this place that Demise went all the way to this far away planet to seek it??"
"I... I'm not really sure, I... Whatever it is, it got to be important."
"It's okay. I guess this leaves us with only one way to finding out, huh... Menma, this is it... Are you sure you want to do this??"
"Yes... No turning back now. We're in this together, remember? Let's see it to an end."
"Before we go up there though, I want you to have this."
Reaching for his right side, Revan tossed him something which seemed to be some sort of weapon.
"This is the prototype version of my very first sword, the one I was working on before I went to work on the Master Sw-... I mean, the Goddess Sword. I never got to test it beyond that stage, but if anything, it should be able to at least parry a few strikes of the lightsabers. However, if you get hit even once by Demise, it is all over. The lightsabers, they are one of the deadliest weapons around. I have a feeling though that you are adapt to using a sword, so I guess we shouldn't have any problems, no?"
"What do you mean it 'should' be able to parry? What am I suppose to do with this strange sword?"
Looking at it with an uncertain expression on his face, Menma didn't really know what he was getting into. It didn't look like any normal sword alright, and compared to the Master Sword, it really looked more like a katana of sorts.
"Use it for defense only, I don't want you to get in the way. This battle will have to be between Demise and myself, and your help has so far been more than I could ever have asked for. However, this is a battle between the Jedi and the Sith, and only I can stop him. Don't take any unnecessary risks unless you are 100 per cent certain you will succeed."
"If you want me to just watch, why even bring me up there? Wouldn't it be just too much of a risk? I mean, if you feel like you will only have to defend me, then-..."
"I have no idea what it is that is up there or why Demise have come this far to seek it, but something is telling me that our meeting has come to be for a reason, a reason that has yet to present itself. Whatever it might be, I just have to trust that, and that is why I am bringing you up there as well. If there's a slight chance your assistance in any way will help me defeat Demise, I will have to take it."
"I see... Well then, let's not linger any further, Revan."
"Right, Menma..."
Giving him a nod of confidence, the two men then started the long climb all the way up to the top. It wasn't an easy climb, but after 20 or so minutes, the two of them finally reached the top of the mountain. It was as if a great fire was burning in Revan's eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for, his time to deal with Demise once and for all and bring deserving peace and justice to the galaxy. If not for himself, then for everyone who had fought so long and so hard to make that dream come true before him. This was his battle, and he could not go back on his promise to Master Marek to finish what they had started. He would deal with Demise and let his Master's soul finally rest in peace.
One final battle, and it would all be over. Looking ahead of them, the two men spotted a dark cave up ahead as they slowly began to approach it. Coming closer and closer to the entrance, the two of them looked at each other one last time as they entered the dark and unholy cave. There was a faint fire burning further into the cave, and as soon as the two of them came before it, they spotted the man Revan had been hunting all along. He was standing with his back turned against them, as only his dark robe could be seen.
"Revan... So you finally made it here... And you brought a friend as well it seem, how intriguing..."
Addressing him in a dark sinister voice, Demise then turned around to face them as only his vicious smile could be seen underneath his hood.
"Demise... This will be the final battle. The era of the Jedi and the Sith ends here. Whatever you are planning, it all ends now!
Drawing the Master Sword, Revan was more than ready for the final battle to settle the score from last time. Everything rested on his shoulders now, and he could not fail no matter what. Seeing this, Menma also readied his katana as well as the two of them paid close attention to Demise's movements.
"Did you forget your lightsabers, gentlemen?? Don't make me laugh!! What are you supposed to do with those old-fashioned weapons?!"
Bursting out in a sinister laughter, Demise then drew his red lightsaber as a loud buzzing sound could be heard as it emulated from its hilt.
"Oh but I brought something far more powerful than a lightsaber, and with it, I will seal your fate!"
"I would like to see you try you belittled foul! Only the era of the Jedi ends tonight as the Sith shall rise again, stronger than ever before!!"
Demise waited no further to launch at them with his lightsaber, and seeing this, Revan quickly prepared to do the same.
"Menma, let's do this!!"
"Right behind you Revan!"
Watching as Revan came face to face with Demise, the ultimate battle between the Dark Lord of the Sith and Jedi Master Revan was about to begin.
Finally the long-awaited clash comes. Would Revan be able to fulfill his promise and put a stop to Demise once and for all?? What about Menma, would he gain something out of this battle? Read on to find out!!
--->
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Chapter 4;
The Quest for Peace continues!:
For as long as time remember, there has always been war...
Although different periods of time has brought different eras of peace,
An underlying cause for hatred has always been there lurking in the shadows,
Always present, always abiding its time to spring forth once again to disturb the hard-fought peace...
This tale is that of the forgotten, in a distant place far, far away.
This is how it all began, 7000 years ago...
When a defining change was just about to happen,
A different course, in a different place than what we eventually has come to know as the "Earth."
A change that would make two worlds collide, the starting point for a new beginning...
This is the tale of Jedi Master Revan
And how he came to be known as the Hero of Time,
The first wielder of the Master Sword.
This is how it all began, a long time ago...
In a Galaxy, far, far away.
The Quest for Peace continues!:
For as long as time remember, there has always been war...
Although different periods of time has brought different eras of peace,
An underlying cause for hatred has always been there lurking in the shadows,
Always present, always abiding its time to spring forth once again to disturb the hard-fought peace...
This tale is that of the forgotten, in a distant place far, far away.
This is how it all began, 7000 years ago...
When a defining change was just about to happen,
A different course, in a different place than what we eventually has come to know as the "Earth."
A change that would make two worlds collide, the starting point for a new beginning...
This is the tale of Jedi Master Revan
And how he came to be known as the Hero of Time,
The first wielder of the Master Sword.
This is how it all began, a long time ago...
In a Galaxy, far, far away.
"Who are thee, trying to get past my mountain??"
A dark powerful voice was heard as the dragon spoke its first words. Retaining eye-contact with Menma, the dragon did not seem happy at all seeing the three of them there.
"Oh, so it talks..."
"It... Talks?!"
Seemingly surprised by its ability to talk, Menma went ahead speaking without thinking too much about what he actually said as the dragon did not take much liking to his meager choice of words.
"Don't upset him more than we already have! He's definitely not an it!-..."
Trying to get across the bridge as well, the old man could only look as the dragon now turned all his attention towards Menma, enraged and completely ignoring the fact that he was not alone up here. Finally being able to reach over to where Revan was, the old man tried to the best of his ability to help him back on top of the bridge again.
"Are you alright Revan??"
Reaching out, the old man managed to grab a hold on to Revan's left hand as he tried to pull him up from the great plunge into the hot pit below.
"I'll-... Manage, Bard... Mo-re Importantly, we need to get to Menma, and that fast before that dragon eats him-... Alive... I must stop him in time!"
Still struggling about halfway across the bridge, the two of them already had their hands full as the dragon snuck his head even closer to Menma, bumping its nose into him as if trying to figure out his scent.
"Oh, so you're a he then?"
Placing his hand on the dragon's nose, Menma tried to get some space between them.
"Yes, I'm not just a simple-minded animal whom you can toss smug remarks at without consequence. Choice your next words wisely or prepare to die, human!!..."
Bracing himself as he was facing the dragon, Menma had seemed to be able to calm his nerves, somewhat. Looking straight at the dragon as he got back up to his feet, Menma wasn't really sure what to say next as the dragon turned his head up towards the air and fired off a massive stream of fire in several directions, yet again flexing his dark wings as he did.
"I am the keeper of this mountain, and you are trespassing on my territory! I don't take kindly to pesky beings like you!"
"We're not trespassing per say, we're just trying to-..."
"Do you want me to swallow you whole little man? Being eaten alive by the great Volvagia is the slowest and most painful death there is! My digestion system takes a 100 years to break down things I eat. Yes, it is quite painful I imagine."
A big scary-looking smile formed on the dragon's face as he came close to Menma again. Breathing at him as he did, Menma had to take a step back, feeling the insane heath and the obnoxious smell coming out from inside his mouth.
"I imagine that to be quite painful, yes... However, we really are one of the good guys you see, and you wouldn't want to eat us. We are hunting this... Ehm, Dark Lord?"
Turning towards Revan, Menma wasn't sure what to say.
"Yes, Dark Lord!"
Shouting towards him, Revan immediately understood that Menma was stalling for time. It wasn't much to lean on, but if he only could stall enough for him to get over there.
"Bard, let go off my hand..."
"What are you saying?!"
"You are in no condition to pull me up... I'm going to concentrate my powers to pull myself up into the air and make a leap right over there instead... When I say, be sure to hold onto the bridge as hard as you can. It might get a bit shaky..."
Turning back towards the dragon, Menma then continued.
"Ehm yes, we're hunting this Dark Lord of the Sith, a man capable of bringing on great destruction to this world. If we don't stop him, we'll all be in great danger. You don't suppose you have seen him by chance? We're pretty certain he came over this mountain before us..."
Looking at the dragon, Menma could only await his reply.
"A dark being you say... You mean, someone like me??"
Testing him, the dragon's patience seemed to actually grow rather than decrease, and that was exactly what Menma was gunning for. If not for the dragon's overall understanding on the difference between good and evil in this world, then for his curiosity alone for who this peculiar fellow standing in front of him was.
"No... Well perhaps, but, I take it that you are a kind creature, are you not? If you're the keeper of this mountain, ehm, then I suppose you are just guarding it from evil looking creatures out for harm? Isn't that right??"
"Yes, yes I am... Or so you could say."
Forming a grin on his face, the dragon seemed to now take a liking in Menma, allowing him to continue...
"Then, you would not want to stand in our way because-..."
But on second thoughts, he still had to be careful about his choice of words when addressing him...
"I do as I please, human! Something as puny as you can not command me to do anything!!"
Knocking Menma over with his nose, the dragon did not seem to like what he had to say.
"I... Of course you do, great dragon..."
"If I hadn't already been awaken from my deep slumber just a few hours ago, I would have swallowed you all whole without question by now, but I would come to understand that this Dark Lord you are hunting, is the one who initially awakened me?"
"I suppose that could be true, yes, but there's only one way to be cer-..."
"Get away from the dragon, Menma!"
Having finally been able to get across the bridge, Revan came jumping in from above with the Master Sword in his hand, as he pointed it straight at the dragon with a determined look on his face. The dragon carefully took a few steps away from them in return, but continued to keep his fierce eyes upon them.
"I will not let you harm my friends, now step back!"
His entire body trembled, but he continued to stand tall. Stepping in between the two of them, Revan knew that the situation was dire, however, he could not let that break him no matter what. He couldn't falter here, after all, he was a Jedi Master now. Fear did not exist in his mind. Fear would only lead to anger and anger to the dark side, and then...
"Be careful of his every moves Menma, and don't trust a single word he says unless you are really sure about his content. Just because he hasn't eaten you yet, doesn't mean he won't!
"Revan wait, I don't think he's evil-..."
Reaching his hand up to him, Menma tried to get him to lower his guard, but Revan would not take any chances and heed his advice. Also reaching up to them was the old man as he too tried to get Revan to back down, and just as he did, the great dragon flapped his wings, causing a great wind to blow towards them. Barely being able to stand on their feet due to the share power of the one flick of the dragon's wings, the three of them were pushed backwards towards the edge as they watched the bridge behind them shake tremendously, almost to the point of getting blown to pieces. It was just able to hold itself up behind them as they were pushed even closer to falling into the pit below.
Several wooden planks fell down into the hot lava as they too, like most things before them, melted instantly. The extreme temperature from below was reflected upon them as the wind finally settled, seeing dust, rocks and dirt fly everywhere and landing all around them. Sweat drops formed on Revan's face as he knew he would only get one chance to take this dragon on. Miss it and they would all end up dead.
"I don't care who you are or what your intentions are, great dragon, but I assure you that I will not hesitate to use this weapon to seal your fate if I have to! This will be my one and only warning..."
"Bwuhahaha, what a puny little weapon you have there, what could you possibly do with it? Scratch my back perhaps??"
Bursting out in a sinister laughter, the dragon did not seem to take his warning as anything more than a simple joke.
"This is not like any sword you have seen before... This is... The Master Sword!!"
"!! Revan, you called it that name, I thought-..."
"I would like to see you try human... I will bite your head off in the blink of an eye!!"
"I know my powers are weak out here, but if I can just use the Force a tiny bit and distract the dragon with that technique, I'll perhaps be able to-...!!"
Thinking to himself, Revan was prepared to get on with the battle of his life, but before he got the chance to, the dragon stroke first.
"Here he comes!!"
Shouting out, Menma reacted immediately as the dragon snared one of his claws their way, but just as he did, Revan was just as quick to get his guard up. Hitting the sword with the tip of his claw, the dragon just then realized what Revan meant as a bright light emerged from it as if creating an impenetrable barrier of some sort between them.
"Oh... I must admit, the sword's presence fills my soul with horror... What exactly have you done to it??"
Curious about the swords origins, the dragon halted his advance, patiently looking at them for a reply.
"Enough is enough! Please, we mean no harm, and you are definitely not as evil as you like to think great dragon!!"
"Old man??"
Finally speaking his mind from behind Revan, the old man tried to get the two sides to calm down, and seeing this, the dragon lowered his head before them as if accepting his plea.
"I see... So you are not like him from before..."
"So someone did pass here before us??"
Catching Revan's attention, the dragon just disregarded his question all together.
"Tell me more about that sword first and I might talk..."
"That doesn't concern you, unless you want a closer inspection that is..."
"Bwuhah! Are you trying to amuse me human??"
"Now, you talked about a man passing by here just recently??"
"Fine, I'll talk..."
Hearing the words, but not believing his content, Revan refused to let his guard down as he looked at the dragon who still had his head lowered in front of them. From behind Revan, both the old man and Menma paid close attention.
"Did he do something to affect your judgement? Did he let his evil twisted ways cloud your mind??"
Making his stance, Revan was more than ready to do whatever he felt was necessary, only being held back by the dragon's own approach to the situation now. Hearing this, the old man spoke out again.
"This dragon is the keeper of the mountain... Although many a man has met with their deaths here, we will not be harmed as long as we don't provoke him..."
Trying to get through to Revan, the old man expressed his concerns yet again.
"Why did you not tell us that there was a dragon resting on this mountain? This exceeds any danger I had predicted crossing here, if I knew, we would have walked around..."
Not sure what to believe, Revan still held his ground before the fierce dragon.
"What should we do?? Run, or..."
Anticipating what to come, Menma was more than ready to run for his life if it came down to it. But for now, he would just have to wait and see how things would turn out.
"I'm telling you, the dragon means no harm..."
"Okay, what if we just..."
Standing behind Revan and the old man, Menma then decided to step forth as he approached the dragon once more.
"Could you aide us in our quest for peace, great dragon??"
"Menma, what are you doing, we should not-..."
"In your quest for peace you say??"
Thinking about the question, the dragon took off to the air as it landed on the highest point of the mountain, just beside the bridge as he was still keeping a close watch over them.
"I was woken up from my sleep by a dark presence crossing here not long ago... I confronted him, but he had a weapon beyond this world... He injured my left claw, but as you can see, it barely qualifies as a wound."
Moving his wing to the side, a small burnt mark came to view on his claw from behind it as the three of them looked at it.
"That's a wound from a lightsaber, I'm sure of it..."
"He put me under some sort of trance, and when I woke up again, I felt the three of you coming this way, and so I immediately thought you were the same as him... But apparently, you're not. At least not according to the two here..."
Pointing at Menma and the old man, the dragon continued.
"This reckless one however, I'm not so sure about. You have the same scent as the other one, although it's a bit more pure in comparison. Neither one of you are from around here, are you??"
"Who are you calling reckless?! I am a Jedi Master, I never lose my cool!"
"I can see that..."
"Kremt... But you are indeed right, we're not from this planet, from this Earth... But neither is this guy either in a sense..."
Looking at Menma, Revan then returned his focus on the dragon again, and as he did, he finally decided to put down his guard, holstering the sword on his back.
"I understand... Well yes, that guy you are looking for did indeed get passed this mountain not long ago..."
"He's the guy we are after, the one you confronted... Will you let us pass so we can take care of him??"
Taking a step forward, Revan addressed the dragon once more.
"Let you pass you say?? Hmm... He headed down to the sea beyond here... I suppose he's heading to the other side of it..."
"To the other side??"
"Yes... I will allow you to pass, but only if you can promise me one thing."
Taking off into the air once more, the dragon landed right in front of them, sneaking his head along the ground and all the way up to their faces, just like before.
"Take care of this dark being for me, and I will call us even for placing foot here."
"Deal."
Not hesitating for a bit, Revan simply answered with the one answer he knew would satisfy the dragon, as the three of them were finally able to get passed. Watching as the three of them started the long climb down, the dragon then took off as it headed down to its cave a bit further down the mountain to recommence his great sleep. The path ahead of the three reached far down below them, and at the end of it, a large vast sea could be seen. Before continuing down however, the old man heeded a warning to the two of them.
"I guess this is where our roads go each their separate way. However, I must warn you... The land across the sea is said to be even more dangerous than this mountain, and not a single person crossing it has ever returned. No one knows what rests beyond the Great Sea, but the Unknown Realms to the South is said to be..."
"The Unknown Realms to the South??"
"Yes??"
"I've heard something similar before..."
Thinking about what the old man said, Menma let him continue.
"Take care you two and if we don't see each other again, then be sure to continue the path you have started, no matter the cost."
"What do you know of it??"
Addressing him, Revan had a curious look on his face.
"Enough to hope that whatever you have started and are prepared to go through with, you will succeed. After all, the world depends on it, right?"
Taking his leave, the old man then turned back as both Revan and Menma decided to head down the road. Not long after, the two of them came before the sea as Menma looked at Revan before speaking.
"How do we get across??"
"You will see..."
"Do you even know where he went? I mean, it's a huge sea we have before us, he could have gone anywhere..."
"I suppose that is a good point, but I just know. I can't explain it, but I have a feeling I know where he went. I just know it, I can feel his presence through the Force."
"Hmm... So about crossing the sea?"
"Oh yeah, come with me..."
Doing as he said, Menma quickly followed as Revan walked further down the road. Coming around the corner of some rocks that once were part of the mountain, the two were met with an unexpected view.
"Ah you got to be kidding me?!"
"Not at all..."
Before them stood an old ruin of a house and beside it, a small fisherman's boat not large in size.
"I spotted it as we were heading down here, so I thought it might be a good idea to use that one to get across. Perhaps even the only idea really."
"But it's pile rotten?! How is it suppose to keep us floating?"
Looking at him dumb-struck, Menma didn't know if Revan's idea was just bad or terrible.
"Let me worry about that. Come, give me a hand already."
"No, this won't work, I swear."
"Well if you have any better ideas, then please let me hear them?"
"Geez, fine, but this won't bode well..."
Pushing the small fragile boat out to the sea, the two of them then jumped in as they started paddling across.
"Okay let's see what you got Revan... Start paddling, and that fast! I fear if we don't keep a high enough pace, we're definitely going to sink like a rock."
At first it seemed to be going just fine, but not long after, what Menma had been expecting all the way really did happen, as the boat began to take in water, and that rapidly.
"What did I tell you? Bad idea! No, this was a stupid idea!!"
"Calm down, everything is under control..."
"Under control?! How can you say that?! Stupid! We are sinking god damn it! Abandon ship, abandon ship!"
"Okay just hold your horses for a bit, we are not sink-..."
"I'm up to my waist in water you moron!! Look, I can't paddle like this?!! Look, I can barely keep my head over water!!"
"..."
"Don't just sit there acting like nothing, there's no boat left to keep us above water. Was this your genius plan all along, to paddle 50 meters out to sea only to swim rest of the way?!!"
"Don't give in to your anger, that will only lead you to the dark side..."
"Damn it, I've had enough of this shit! First the spider, then the dragon and now this?! I'm swimming back to shore, you can just keep swimming over to the other side for all I care."
About to turn around to start swimming back to shore, Menma was then surprised to see that the boat suddenly emerged up from underneath the water again as the water that had filled the boat up started to pour out of its many holes.
"Please remain seated my friend and enjoy the ride. Buckle up because this is going to be one bumpy trip!"
Using the Force, Revan had lifted the two of them together with the boat up from the water as they were now gravitating about two meters above it.
"Let's fasten the pace a bit."
Concentrating his focus on the boat, the two of them suddenly raced across the waves at a rapid pace, and before they knew it, they hit land on the other side, crashing to the sand as they did. Not only that, but the boat shattered into tiny pieces as Menma stuck his head deep into the sand, struggling to get free.
"Bah, what just happened??!"
"We're here..."
"Why the hell didn't you just do this right away?!"
"It was my plan all along you see, I just needed to focus for a bit. I thought I already told you this? The connection to the Force is kind of weak in this place..."
"Ahh of course, smart-ass..."
"What was that??"
"Nothing... Let's just keep moving, shall we? Geez..."
"I wonder where we are now, hmm... Wherever this place is, I can feel we are getting closer..."
"So which direction, Revan?"
"Follow me."
Walking ahead of him, Menma saw no other option than to follow as the two of them quickly got the pace up as fast as they could without tiring themselves out. The hunt for Demise could finally recommence.
Traveling for several hours, the two of them finally entered what seemed to be a new landscape, completely different from the one they had recently been in. On the ground beneath their feet was freezing cold snow up to their legs, and a menacing wind blew straight at them. This didn't stop Revan however as he kept on going until the two of them finally spotted something far up ahead in the distance, beyond the cliff they were standing on.
"That is?!!"
Standing on the edge of a small hill, the two of them laid their eyes on what seemed to be a mysterious mountain ahead. Formed in the shape of three wolves' heads, Menma immediately knew he had seen that exact place before, but like all the other times, he simply could not put his finger on where or when he had seen that mountain before.
"You recognize this place, Menma??"
"I think... I think I know where we are... This place, no, this land to the South of where we came from... I think this is where I belong, where I come from in a different period of time... The old man talked about this land as the Unknown Realms to the South... Well to be frank, I'm pretty sure I've heard the expression, 'the Unknown Realms to the North beyond the Great Sea' before. And this mountain before us... I've definitely been here before. This place, all of it looks and feels familiar. This is... The Land of Iron."
"The Land of Iron??"
"Yes... Or what it eventually will become known as in the future that is. The Samurai lives here-... Lived here-... Will live here in the future, or something like that. This ahead of us... It's called the Three Wolves Mountain... And at the top of it is..."
"Demise..."
"...I wasn't going to say that, but, are you sure? Is this where-..."
"Yes. This is the place, I can feel his presence being close. What is it that's up there Menma? What is so special about this place that Demise went all the way to this far away planet to seek it??"
"I... I'm not really sure, I... Whatever it is, it got to be important."
"It's okay. I guess this leaves us with only one way to finding out, huh... Menma, this is it... Are you sure you want to do this??"
"Yes... No turning back now. We're in this together, remember? Let's see it to an end."
"Before we go up there though, I want you to have this."
Reaching for his right side, Revan tossed him something which seemed to be some sort of weapon.
"This is the prototype version of my very first sword, the one I was working on before I went to work on the Master Sw-... I mean, the Goddess Sword. I never got to test it beyond that stage, but if anything, it should be able to at least parry a few strikes of the lightsabers. However, if you get hit even once by Demise, it is all over. The lightsabers, they are one of the deadliest weapons around. I have a feeling though that you are adapt to using a sword, so I guess we shouldn't have any problems, no?"
"What do you mean it 'should' be able to parry? What am I suppose to do with this strange sword?"
Looking at it with an uncertain expression on his face, Menma didn't really know what he was getting into. It didn't look like any normal sword alright, and compared to the Master Sword, it really looked more like a katana of sorts.
"Use it for defense only, I don't want you to get in the way. This battle will have to be between Demise and myself, and your help has so far been more than I could ever have asked for. However, this is a battle between the Jedi and the Sith, and only I can stop him. Don't take any unnecessary risks unless you are 100 per cent certain you will succeed."
"If you want me to just watch, why even bring me up there? Wouldn't it be just too much of a risk? I mean, if you feel like you will only have to defend me, then-..."
"I have no idea what it is that is up there or why Demise have come this far to seek it, but something is telling me that our meeting has come to be for a reason, a reason that has yet to present itself. Whatever it might be, I just have to trust that, and that is why I am bringing you up there as well. If there's a slight chance your assistance in any way will help me defeat Demise, I will have to take it."
"I see... Well then, let's not linger any further, Revan."
"Right, Menma..."
Giving him a nod of confidence, the two men then started the long climb all the way up to the top. It wasn't an easy climb, but after 20 or so minutes, the two of them finally reached the top of the mountain. It was as if a great fire was burning in Revan's eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for, his time to deal with Demise once and for all and bring deserving peace and justice to the galaxy. If not for himself, then for everyone who had fought so long and so hard to make that dream come true before him. This was his battle, and he could not go back on his promise to Master Marek to finish what they had started. He would deal with Demise and let his Master's soul finally rest in peace.
One final battle, and it would all be over. Looking ahead of them, the two men spotted a dark cave up ahead as they slowly began to approach it. Coming closer and closer to the entrance, the two of them looked at each other one last time as they entered the dark and unholy cave. There was a faint fire burning further into the cave, and as soon as the two of them came before it, they spotted the man Revan had been hunting all along. He was standing with his back turned against them, as only his dark robe could be seen.
"Revan... So you finally made it here... And you brought a friend as well it seem, how intriguing..."
Addressing him in a dark sinister voice, Demise then turned around to face them as only his vicious smile could be seen underneath his hood.
"Demise... This will be the final battle. The era of the Jedi and the Sith ends here. Whatever you are planning, it all ends now!
Drawing the Master Sword, Revan was more than ready for the final battle to settle the score from last time. Everything rested on his shoulders now, and he could not fail no matter what. Seeing this, Menma also readied his katana as well as the two of them paid close attention to Demise's movements.
"Did you forget your lightsabers, gentlemen?? Don't make me laugh!! What are you supposed to do with those old-fashioned weapons?!"
Bursting out in a sinister laughter, Demise then drew his red lightsaber as a loud buzzing sound could be heard as it emulated from its hilt.
"Oh but I brought something far more powerful than a lightsaber, and with it, I will seal your fate!"
"I would like to see you try you belittled foul! Only the era of the Jedi ends tonight as the Sith shall rise again, stronger than ever before!!"
Demise waited no further to launch at them with his lightsaber, and seeing this, Revan quickly prepared to do the same.
"Menma, let's do this!!"
"Right behind you Revan!"
Watching as Revan came face to face with Demise, the ultimate battle between the Dark Lord of the Sith and Jedi Master Revan was about to begin.
Finally the long-awaited clash comes. Would Revan be able to fulfill his promise and put a stop to Demise once and for all?? What about Menma, would he gain something out of this battle? Read on to find out!!
~ End Chapter 4 ~
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