Dragon Quest - I - Chapter 4, part 6
6 - Armor of Loto (pp.176-180)
Been a long time. This is a short one, but concludes chapter 4. Chapter 5 soon!
“But he hasn’t shown his face around here these last 14 years. I had about given up. Guess I was right to follow you,” Galthira said to Aleph, baring his white teeth in a grin, as they advanced down the alley beside the church. “I’ll stick with you for when he comes back to attack again.”
Just a bit down the stone-laid path was a set of stairs.
“This is it!” cried Aleph, eyes flashing as he dashed on.
The stairs bent at a sharp angle; it was as if it were made to weave between the two giant knots of tree root that were jutting out on either side. It continued through and back down to a paved street.
Aleph and Galthira descended the stairs and gazed up at the giant mass of roots.
“Incredible,” Aleph gaped in awe.
The roots were easily three times Aleph’s height, and wider than his arm’s reach. A great number of them poured out of the ground, wrapping around each other in tangled bunches.
177
Within the left batch of root was a crumbling old stone fence. Right where the roots had caved in. It was likely the remnants of something the people of Domdora had built long ago to keep children from wandering within.
Aleph and Galthira stepped through the ancient fence and investigated the crumbling root. Beneath was an even more tangled mixture of root. However, beyond the tanglebrush, there was a glimpse of a passageway opening just big enough for a person to fit through.
Slipping through the opening brought them inside of a wide, hollowed root. Aleph lit a torch and held it out. Only darkness continued ahead. Aleph and Galthira headed into the dark together.
The root was complexly interwoven. They headed onwards, eventually exiting the root and coming to a large natural cave made out of many roots woven together. Aleph finally grasped the size of the great oak and stood for a moment, impressed. To have walked so far and to still be among the roots of the oak tree - it was enough to move him greatly.
The two pressed forward. They arrived at a small room-like structure. Aleph held out his torch to illuminate the area, and a large, sturdy chest appeared from the darkness. It rested atop a batch of roots from the floor that had grown together to resemble a dais. The finely crafted chest was adorned with a steel latch.
Aleph ran towards the chest and threw it open, his eyes gleaming in delight.
A single breastpiece lie inside, polished to the sheen of a mirror. Exquisitely carved wings adorned each shoulder, and runic letters were carved into the right breast. Aleph recognized the letters. It was the same very last word that was carved into the wall in Loto’s cave - his name, ‘Loto’.
178
Those letters would be forever burned into Aleph’s memory.
“It’s Loto’s armor!”
Aleph immediately pulled off the armor he bought in Maira and threw it aside, pulling Loto’s shimmering armor on. It fit perfectly to his body, with an almost sucking sensation. His body rippled with a shiver.
“What’s happening!?”
He felt a strange power coursing through him from the armor. That power flowed through him, as if it were blood, filling his body in an instant. A burning passion for battle rose from deep within his chest.
“Ye of the blood of Loto,” came a voice just then from behind them.
“Who goes!?” called Galthira, hand flying to the hilt of his blade as he spun around. Aleph quickly reached his own hand out to calm him. Wreathed in blue-white flame, the image of a white-haired old man floated in mid-air.
“Garai!” called Aleph, smiling with recognition.
“Garai…!?” repeated Galthira as he looked up at the old man, on edge.
179
“T-This is Loto’s armor -- entrusted to him by the three sages, right? Now I can cross over to the Dragonlord’s Isle, right!?”
But Garai shook his head.
“The trials are not yet complete.”
“What!?”
“You still need the ‘Emblem of Loto’.”
“The ‘Emblem of Loto’?”
Garai stared deeply into Aleph.
“First, there is something that you must do. Close to the far eastern reaches of Alefgard is a forest within a vast swamp. Nearby, in the darkness of a mountainous cave, Princess Laura is alive.”
“The princess is alive!?” gasped Aleph, matching eyes with Galthira. “But, surely she--”
“Has been alive this whole time,” interrupted Garai.
“I can’t believe it…”
“You should be able to save her now. Go, and rescue her. And then, you should visit the Holy Shrine.”
180
“The Holy Shrine…? Where is it?” inquired Aleph.
“Head to Rimuldar, and you will know,” replied Garai. “Follow the road closely and you will without a doubt find the Emblem. You will find it within your soul…”
“Within my soul,” repeated Aleph.
“Find the Emblem of Loto, and at the Holy Shrine you shall come across the Rainbow Tear, which shall guide you to the Isle of the Dragonlord.”
“The Rainbow Tear,” repeated Aleph again, robotically.
“Indeed. Farewell, ye of the blood of Loto. You must defeat the Dragonlord, and retrieve the Orb of Light…”
So saying, the visage of Garai slowly faded away.
A large sun was sinking into the western sky. Aleph and Galthira began their trek north after leaving the gates of Domdora. Aleph turned to look back many times -- Domdora shrinking with each step.
Farewell, Domdora -- farewell, my home, Aleph said inwardly.
I will defeat the Dragonlord -- I will return peace to this land. Until that day, farewell!
Been a long time. This is a short one, but concludes chapter 4. Chapter 5 soon!
“But he hasn’t shown his face around here these last 14 years. I had about given up. Guess I was right to follow you,” Galthira said to Aleph, baring his white teeth in a grin, as they advanced down the alley beside the church. “I’ll stick with you for when he comes back to attack again.”
Just a bit down the stone-laid path was a set of stairs.
“This is it!” cried Aleph, eyes flashing as he dashed on.
The stairs bent at a sharp angle; it was as if it were made to weave between the two giant knots of tree root that were jutting out on either side. It continued through and back down to a paved street.
Aleph and Galthira descended the stairs and gazed up at the giant mass of roots.
“Incredible,” Aleph gaped in awe.
The roots were easily three times Aleph’s height, and wider than his arm’s reach. A great number of them poured out of the ground, wrapping around each other in tangled bunches.
177
Within the left batch of root was a crumbling old stone fence. Right where the roots had caved in. It was likely the remnants of something the people of Domdora had built long ago to keep children from wandering within.
Aleph and Galthira stepped through the ancient fence and investigated the crumbling root. Beneath was an even more tangled mixture of root. However, beyond the tanglebrush, there was a glimpse of a passageway opening just big enough for a person to fit through.
Slipping through the opening brought them inside of a wide, hollowed root. Aleph lit a torch and held it out. Only darkness continued ahead. Aleph and Galthira headed into the dark together.
The root was complexly interwoven. They headed onwards, eventually exiting the root and coming to a large natural cave made out of many roots woven together. Aleph finally grasped the size of the great oak and stood for a moment, impressed. To have walked so far and to still be among the roots of the oak tree - it was enough to move him greatly.
The two pressed forward. They arrived at a small room-like structure. Aleph held out his torch to illuminate the area, and a large, sturdy chest appeared from the darkness. It rested atop a batch of roots from the floor that had grown together to resemble a dais. The finely crafted chest was adorned with a steel latch.
Aleph ran towards the chest and threw it open, his eyes gleaming in delight.
A single breastpiece lie inside, polished to the sheen of a mirror. Exquisitely carved wings adorned each shoulder, and runic letters were carved into the right breast. Aleph recognized the letters. It was the same very last word that was carved into the wall in Loto’s cave - his name, ‘Loto’.
178
Those letters would be forever burned into Aleph’s memory.
“It’s Loto’s armor!”
Aleph immediately pulled off the armor he bought in Maira and threw it aside, pulling Loto’s shimmering armor on. It fit perfectly to his body, with an almost sucking sensation. His body rippled with a shiver.
“What’s happening!?”
He felt a strange power coursing through him from the armor. That power flowed through him, as if it were blood, filling his body in an instant. A burning passion for battle rose from deep within his chest.
“Ye of the blood of Loto,” came a voice just then from behind them.
“Who goes!?” called Galthira, hand flying to the hilt of his blade as he spun around. Aleph quickly reached his own hand out to calm him. Wreathed in blue-white flame, the image of a white-haired old man floated in mid-air.
“Garai!” called Aleph, smiling with recognition.
“Garai…!?” repeated Galthira as he looked up at the old man, on edge.
179
“T-This is Loto’s armor -- entrusted to him by the three sages, right? Now I can cross over to the Dragonlord’s Isle, right!?”
But Garai shook his head.
“The trials are not yet complete.”
“What!?”
“You still need the ‘Emblem of Loto’.”
“The ‘Emblem of Loto’?”
Garai stared deeply into Aleph.
“First, there is something that you must do. Close to the far eastern reaches of Alefgard is a forest within a vast swamp. Nearby, in the darkness of a mountainous cave, Princess Laura is alive.”
“The princess is alive!?” gasped Aleph, matching eyes with Galthira. “But, surely she--”
“Has been alive this whole time,” interrupted Garai.
“I can’t believe it…”
“You should be able to save her now. Go, and rescue her. And then, you should visit the Holy Shrine.”
180
“The Holy Shrine…? Where is it?” inquired Aleph.
“Head to Rimuldar, and you will know,” replied Garai. “Follow the road closely and you will without a doubt find the Emblem. You will find it within your soul…”
“Within my soul,” repeated Aleph.
“Find the Emblem of Loto, and at the Holy Shrine you shall come across the Rainbow Tear, which shall guide you to the Isle of the Dragonlord.”
“The Rainbow Tear,” repeated Aleph again, robotically.
“Indeed. Farewell, ye of the blood of Loto. You must defeat the Dragonlord, and retrieve the Orb of Light…”
So saying, the visage of Garai slowly faded away.
A large sun was sinking into the western sky. Aleph and Galthira began their trek north after leaving the gates of Domdora. Aleph turned to look back many times -- Domdora shrinking with each step.
Farewell, Domdora -- farewell, my home, Aleph said inwardly.
I will defeat the Dragonlord -- I will return peace to this land. Until that day, farewell!
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