"Do you believe in fate?" Farkiss questioned.
"I've never thought about it." Davi gave his usual flat answer and looked around.
Oleander City was located right past the beach, where the junkyard resided. Rose City had been massive with skyscrapers and airships that flew through the sky. It was loud and had cars on every road and streets full of people. It was also bright, flashing with so many colors that even at night, it would look as if it were daytime.
By comparison, Oleander looked bleak. It was a darker city with alleyways that twisted like mazes between the towers, and the people who were on the streets at night were the kind who held predatory eyes, looking for an easy target to rob. There was smog in the air, and almost every corner had either a factory or a store that was in the middle of being robbed. Junk littered the roads, and graffiti was on almost every building.
It was a city that was depressing and cold. Davi found it much more fitting and closer to home than Rose had been.
Sirens filled the air, along with the sound of gunshots. It was as if a crime was constantly taking place. Usually, the police force was enough to handle an issue, but if it got too great, a Knight would be called in. Since the closest guild was Phoenix Flight, though, the city thought it best not to get them involved, and since Oleander wasn't considered as big a deal as other cities, it'd be harder for them to appeal and get a proper Knight out.
A while ago, a dungeon had actually opened up in the city, and the Lance of Victory had personally shown up to deal with it. The damage to the city still hadn't been properly repaired, but it showed that Knights would arrive if the situation got bad enough.
Indeed, Davi could see why they'd fear getting Phoenix Flight to come and would rather deal with the issue themselves or wait for it to become so dire that another Knight was needed, because just by walking through the city with Farkiss, he was causing issues to happen.
Street lamps above him constantly exploded, sending shards of glass raining down on him, and whenever he walked over a sewer lid, it would erupt with water. The bad luck effect seemed to be working in full force. It was a little strange since it really hadn't gone off that much while he had been at the guild base, but now that he was walking along, it didn't stop. Could there be a reason for that?
Sadly for the curse, Davi was able to deal with everything it threw at him, cloaking himself in his mana to ignore the glass or side-step the sewer water that rained down. He kept his gaze laser-focused on the plump man before him.
"So you really don't believe in fate?" Farkiss called back. The man walked the streets of Oleander casually and was constantly getting stares from the greedy street rats who had nothing better to do with their lives since he was decked out in fine robes and golden jewelry, but the rats could also tell that Farkiss would deal with them swiftly if they tried anything. "Are you someone who believes in free will, Mr. Davi?"
Davi gave a lazy shrug. "I don't know. I said I didn't think about it. Maybe fate exists, maybe it doesn't, but it has little to do with me. I don't care either way."
Farkiss gave a grin and tugged on his beard as he kept walking. "Most people either believe in a higher power like fate, or they refuse. Very few I know would simply not care and not think about it. You're an interesting fellow, Mr. Davi."
Davi just gave another lazy shrug. "Maybe other people are boring. Where are we going?"
Farkiss chuckled again and finally arrived at the destination. It was a pair of stairs that led down into a subway station. "Down here—"
"Is this a trap?" Davi sighed.
Farkiss sheepishly rubbed his neck. "I really have info on the Great Dragon of Roads." The man stated, and he began to walk down the stairs. "Most of my stuff is down here. This place has been abandoned, so no eyes or ears will hear what we have to say."
Davi's frown grew, and the throb in his scar got worse. This was wrong. Something wasn't right. He needed to leave. And yet he couldn't. Unseen hands gripped his wrist tighter. His ankles were forced up and brought down on their own as if someone were making him walk, and he could feel arms tightly wrapping around his waist and chest, and someone breathing into his ear, a voice urging him forward. The throbbing of his scar was nothing compared to the pain of his head, and he walked, unable to disobey.
He wasn't in control. He never was. Not when the Dragon was involved. Not when his mother's revenge craved to grow and fester.
Davi followed behind Farkiss again, and they descended into the darkness. Only fire from the tip of the merchant's wand allowed them to see.
Farkiss had been right when he said the subway was abandoned. It was even more destroyed than up top, with torn-down walls and broken rubble. The railings that could once fit a train were ripped out, and trash littered every inch. Farkiss walked through it, leading the two of them into a tunnel.
"I believe in fate," Farkiss said softly. "I don't know how it works, but I believe that it exists. Things are too odd otherwise, don't you think?" The merchant questioned.
"Hmm?"
"Somewhere up above, I wonder, is there someone watching and listening, who pulls strings and controls us, putting us where we need to be? Does free will actually exist? I think not. I think we're all in one big story, and we all have a role to play." Farkiss kept walking down the tunnel, and the flame that poured out of the tip of his wand crackled and grew larger. "You and I have roles also. What are the chances, after all, that we would meet the way we did? I was in Gladiolus by pure chance, and yet I ran into you, and you agreed to help my friend in Daisy out. Little did I know the state Daisy was in. It's almost uncanny. After all, I could have asked anyone for help, and yet I asked the one person who was able to save the town. Not just any person, but someone who claims that they hunt dragons. Do you know what I first thought when I heard you say such a thing? I thought, 'This guy is a fool. ' I naturally assumed you were a nutjob or an idiot. Some stuck-up loser who claimed he was looking for a dragon. Little did I know you were serious. In a way, that was fate as well, because shortly after you left, I spoke to another good friend of mine. It was pure chance, really, but I brought you up. After all, I assumed that the snake would have eaten you along with everyone in Daisy, and yet my friend told me you actually killed his snake and closed the dungeon that he opened up. As I told him more about you, my friend realized who you were. The one who bothered the Great Dragon of Roads. The one who carries the will of the sinner. Yes, indeed, fate surely must exist, for there is no way for it to be explained otherwise. You and I were destined to meet, and I was destined to learn who you were so I could tell my friend, and she could tell me just what kind of horrible, unfeeling machine I met. How ironic that both of us brushed off the other one. The being above us, the one who pulls the string, must have been laughing their ass off as they put this show on. Now we have new roles to play, do we not? I am the one who will get rid of the Great Dragon of Roads issue, and you, well… You're the one who will die here tonight. A fated death. So, what do you say? Do you want to finish this story that we're both on? How about we just get it over with? You and I can reach the end of the Path that we're both walking. This is truly what I believe in. You, who are against the Great Dragon of Roads, and I, who serve under him, meeting in such a way, and now finding each other once more, walking toward the end of this fated encounter. Let's not keep the storyteller waiting any longer. Come, Mr. Davi, it's time you die."
Casually, Farkiss turned around, pointed his wand forward, and unleashed a massive wave of fire.
The flames erupted forth, without a word being uttered, and they easily melted the stone and tore away the darkness as the tunnel exploded, and he scorched the land before him with a single spell. He kept it up for over a minute straight before finally allowing his mana to turn off.
Not even dust remained in front of him. Lava bubbled up, and half the tunnel had collapsed and melted from his attack.
"And that's that—"
Farkiss's shadow twisted up, and Davi came jumping out of it already clad in his armor and swung his sword out as hard as he could, moving faster than the merchant could react. Davi's blade met the neck of Farkiss, and with a single slash, he beheaded the fat man.
Farkiss's body crashed to the floor, and his head bounced and rolled away, and a wave of red spilled out. Davi's helmet twitched, and his helm unfolded and sank back into his armor as he lazily turned away.
"Not sure what you were saying." Davi hummed. "The moment it seemed like you were going to attack me, I quietly slipped into my vault and waited. It wasn't a smart idea to take me to a place so dark. With shadows this thick, I can practically teleport. Also, I told you I'd cut your head off."
He felt no remorse. His Danger Sense had been screaming at him for a while now. He was a little concerned about one thing, though. His scar was still throbbing.
"Perhaps I did underestimate you."
"Haru damn it." Davi groaned as he heard the severed head of Farkiss speak. "I should have sliced you to bits."
A golden light erupted out of Farkiss's body, and from the stump of his neck a tendril fired out and wrapped around his head. In an instant, it was back on, and he was healed. Farkiss stood up and turned about to say something, but as he opened his mouth, Davi stabbed his sword forward, shoving it through the man's jaws.
Again, that golden light appeared, and the blade was halted. This time, though, Farkiss had changed. His jaw had grown sharper and more pronounced, and his teeth became jagged and sharp, the golden ones glowing white hot. Farkiss bit down and tore a chunk out of Davi's claymore, chewing the metal up and swallowing it.
"The fuck?" Davi asked. Farkiss burped and then opened his mouth and spewed out another wave of fire. "Row Shadow Vault." Despite being so close to the flames, Davi managed to sink into his ocean of darkness, and he closed the vault.
He floated there, his heart rapidly beating and his mind whirling. He felt like he was about to have a panic attack. What was going on?
'Was that Polymorph? Is he a dragon? No. Even if it isn't the Dragon I'm looking for, I know how Dragon mana feels. His isn't anything like a dragon. Not even similar or close. The thing he did, though, was a Dragon move. He used magic without saying a spell either. That means he's not human. Mutants can't turn back into themselves and freely transform like that either, though. What the hell? And he totally broke the new sword I got also…'
Davi gave a heavy frown as he stared at the claymore Pock gave him. It was just the tip that was missing, but the bite marks along the blade freaked him out. He kept thinking of the hellish night. The blizzard, the fire, the death. His scar ached.
'Should I leave? I can likely escape from him thanks to being underground. If I go up, I'll be able to get away. His mana is intense, but not on the level of Pock or the Captain. They could easily handle him, I'm sure.'
Then he recalled what Farkiss said. The words the merchant spewed out about the 'Great Dragon of Roads'. This was maybe his only chance to figure out what was going on, wasn't it? If the captain saw Farkiss, she'd just kill the man and get it over with.
As soon as he had that thought, Davi felt it again; only this time they weren't invisible. Shadowy hands crawled up his back, the darkness twisting and molding, and they tightly wrapped around his neck, his arms, his legs, his head, his hands, and his feet; they all dug into his flesh, and he heard the cries of the birds.
The shadow hawks were rapidly flying toward him, screeching as loud as they could, but it was too late. The hands yanked him up, and Davi pierced through the shadows and stumbled out into the real world, still feeling the hands, though now they remained unseen.
Farkiss instantly growled and turned to look at him. The golden light covered the man more, and his body began to change. Blue and black scales grew out of his arms, and jagged claws jutted out. A pair of twisting, branch-like horns that almost looked like they belonged to a deer also stabbed out of Farkiss's head, and out of his backside, a tail jutted out and slapped at the ground, cracking the stone. Like the scales on his arms, it was blue and black, and fire started to drip down his jaws.
Davi was reminded of Garon, but Garon had been slowly transforming into a monster more and more and still had to use spells like a mage. Farkiss, whatever he was, Davi was sure he wasn't human. So why did the man not trigger his Danger Sense when they first met?
What were the odds of them meeting like that anyway? Was it seriously fate? Was there someone setting this all up? It felt way too convenient.
It didn't matter at the moment, however. Davi decided he'd worry about it later. Right now, he was more concerned with staying alive.
Farkiss charged forward, fire spewing from his mouth, and Davi easily dodged it, his armor reforming his helmet as he side-stepped the flames. He ran along the walls, kicking up a wave of sparks, and when he reached Farkiss, he twisted himself and spun, swinging his sword as hard as he could. His mana also rose up, reaching its peak, but it wasn't enough. Farkiss lifted an arm, and the sword rammed into it, but it was only able to dig past the scales by a small bit. By flexing his muscles, Farkiss trapped the sword in place and laughed as he pulled his other fist back and rammed it into Davi's stomach as hard as he could!
His strength was incredible, and it seemed to pack a tremendous amount of weight and force behind it, easily able to shatter a full suit of armor, but the Shadow Armor was far from normal.
The metal rippled like the surface of a lake had been disturbed, and the kinetic force of the attack dispersed. Suddenly, it all got pulled into the arms, and Farkiss felt a wave of pain as Davi's blades easily tore through the limb, now cutting all the way through.
Davi didn't stop there, though. The force of Farkiss's attack kept vibrating through his body. With Way of Self Iron, he directed it into his bones, adding it to his own power, and slashed into Farkiss's stomach and tore his other arm off. He then rammed his sword into Farkiss's stomach and pressed his weight into the man, knocking them both to the ground.
Farkiss yelled out in pain and then roared, unleashing another intense blast of fire from his mouth, but Davi ignored the flames as they rammed into his upper body. His armor struggled to protect him, but he ignored it and raised his fist up high and slammed it down into Farkiss's face. He punched into his fiery maw again and again, cracking his teeth and breaking his jaw, until blood flowed down, and the man's fire went out.
"Are you a dragon?" Davi asked.
Farkiss hissed, and his body started to glow, but before he could heal, Davi jammed his thumb into Farkiss's eye, popping it, and he grabbed the man by the skull, lifting it up, and then rammed it into the ground hard enough to crack it. He did that again and again, causing the monster to scream and disrupting his thoughts, which made the golden light cancel out, leaving him still injured.
"Are you a dragon?" Davi repeated. Again, the glow started, so Davi jammed his thumb in deeper and began to bash away again. He used his other hand to grab the sword in Farkiss's belly and jammed it in further until it pierced out his back. When the light died down, Farkiss was groaning and drooling. "One more chance. You healed earlier, but I bet if your brain is totally ruined, you can't. Are you a dragon?"
"No!" Farkiss finally screamed out, broken teeth, blood, and vomit dripping down his chin. "For Sigurd's sake, I'm not a dragon."
"What are you then?"
"I'm a Lung."
"Bullshit, you look nothing like one." Davi frowned. "I've seen the inside of people; I know what they look like."
"Not the organ, you dumbass." Farkiss sneered, and that ticked Davi off, so he bashed his head again. "Stop it!"
"Answer my questions then." Davi kept his thumb pressed through the eyehole. "What's a Lung?"
"It's a type of monster. We serve the Dragons." Farkiss hissed. "When I first met you, I thought you were a dumbass—someone hunting a false tale. Then I found out you met the Great Dragon of Roads. You survived him and even left your mark upon his body. You're his enemy, and that means you're my enemy as well."
"All the dragons are dead," Davi said flatly.
"Now, we both know that's utter bullshit." Farkiss's smirk grew. "Why else would the king make sure this era has a Dragonslayer? He's grooming that girl to be it. What was her name?"
"How do you know about Evelyn?"
"That's it. Evelyn—"
"How do you know about Evelyn?" Davi rammed his head into the ground again.
Farkiss coughed and winced. "Who hasn't heard of her?"
Davi's eyes narrowed. "The Great Dragon of Roads, where is he?"
"I don't know—"
"I'm going to crush your head!" Davi yelled. "Where the hell is he!"
Farkiss just grinned. "I really don't know. No one has seen him in hundreds of years. Not since he brought ruin to Mordheim. To be honest, you and that bitch are likely the last two humans who saw him. That's why it pisses me off! We were fated to meet! I'm sure of it! I should have been the one to kill you! That should have been my fate! So why doesn't it get to be me?!"
Davi growled, and his fingers began to dig into Farkiss's skull. "Tell me everything about what you are, the Dragons, and anything else I need to know."
"Why bother?" Farkiss sighed. "You're already at your Fated Death time."
Davi let out another growl. "On second thought, I think I'll just kill you."
"You won't." Farkiss gave another large grin. "My story isn't over. I'm not fated to die. I might not be fated to kill you, but still, you die here. I guess it's 'her' turn to take over."
"Her—"
Red spilled out, and Davi felt a wave of agony pierce him as a hand went through his back and out his stomach. He stared at the arm going through him in utter shock. Even more baffling was the fact that Danger Sense still wasn't going off.
Davi looked up to find a woman standing behind him, her arm going through his body, and she had a large smile on her face. "Hello. Please die."