Divine Legacy: The Dragon Child - An Engage One-Shot

[Acacia Sgt]

Hello everybody! Here I am once again delivering another Engage related piece I wrote. A one-shot this time around. As such, any comment or feedback can be put here. Notes will be placed afterwards, so without further ado... enjoy!

Divine Legacy - The Dragon Child

Spoiler

Alear stirred awake. With a groan, he sat up at the edge of what he had been lying atop. It didn’t look quite like a bed, but it was clear it had been turned into a makeshift one. He took note of his surroundings. A mostly empty room, if it could be called that considering it only seemed to have one wall. It looked more like a large balcony or terrace, with a roof at least. Across him he could see the doors. The place was devoid of much furnishings, with only a drawer nearby and, of all things, a piano near the doors. A few decorative planters laid about, but not much else.

Where… am I? Alear could only wonder, puzzled.

Unfortunately, it seems he wasn’t able to recall much from before waking up. Just his name. So how he had ended up here, as well as where here was, were not questions he was going to get answers to. At least, not without finding someone to ask. Thus, intending to find said someone, he stood up and began to walk towards the doors.

He had barely taken a few steps when the doors began to open, making Alear stop in his tracks. From the other side emerged a little girl. She was clad in a white sundress that reached down to her calves, leaving exposed her sandals clad feet. A pink ribbon was tied around her waist. Her hair was periwinkle in color, and was tied in a braid that hung over her shoulder with another ribbon. She looked to be no older than ten. The girl held a watering can in her hand, no doubt with the intention to be used on the planters. However, the sight of Alear made her freeze.

“Oh, hello,” Alear said with a small smile.

The girl did not reply, remaining rooted on the spot. Shortly after, her red eyes began to water.

“Ah, w-what’s wrong?” Alear asked her, concerned.

Again, there was no reply. Without warning, however, the girl dropped the watering can. It bounced off the floor with a loud sound, but this was mostly ignored as the girl had then run over and hugged Alear.

“Father, you’re finally awake!” She cried out, tears now flowing freely.

“F-Father!?”

---

Alear sat at one of the tables of the Café Terrace. At the seat to his left, sitting primly, was the girl. Aurora, as she had introduced herself as.

His daughter.

He frowned. Waking up with barely a memory was already bad enough, but that it included forgetting he had a daughter? It almost made learning the fact he was figure of worship to pale in comparison. Especially since that only brought forth countless questions. Perhaps the most pressing: The girl’s mother. Alear blinked.

I’m married?

He had noticed he was wearing a ring. It felt familiar, specially the blue stone that adorned it. Alas, he still couldn’t recall much of anything. Still, it had to be his wedding ring. But if so, then where was his wife? Aurora had yet to bring her up, and Alear had to admit he wasn’t sure if he was ready to ask himself.

His thoughts would be interrupted as a plate was suddenly placed before him. Atop were a small stack of pancakes.

“Your meal is ready, Divine One,” the old steward, Vander, said as he also placed a glass of orange juice next to the plate. “I hope it’s to your liking.”

“Th-thanks,” Alear turned to him and nodded, still feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Meanwhile the excitable twins, Clanne and Framme, were placing a similar set-up before Aurora.

“Here you go, Princess Aurora!” Framme said cheerfully.

“Please enjoy your meal, Milady,” Clanne added more subdued.

“Thank you,” Aurora said.

“Once you’ve both eaten, we will depart,” Vander told them. “But there’s no need to rush, Divine One.”

Alear nodded in understanding. With that, the three stewards left, giving them the space to eat in peace. Despite the steward’s words, he was looking forward to meet his own mother as soon as possible. She was bound to have the answers he sought.

“Now then,” he turned to Aurora, “let’s eat.”

“You’re going to like them, Father,” she said happily. “These are my favorite.”

“Really?”

“Yes! I know you’re going to love them too.”

Alear chuckled.

“Well then, let’s find out, shall we?”

Still, looking at just how happy the girl was to finally be able to share a meal with him, perhaps he could take it slow then.

---

“Aaaaah!”

Alear swung his sword at the monster. Despite the fear he felt. Despite the unnerve those… things, gave him. Despite that a thousand years of sleep had eroded his combat skills. He knew he couldn’t let it stop him. He had to defeat them.

“Raaaargh!” The creature screeched as it was struck down.

He had to keep them safe. The stewards… and his daughter. That was why he had joined the war against the Fell Dragon, was it not? To keep his family safe. He paid a big prize for it but at least he was alive, and so was his daughter and mother.

Even if I can’t recall, if I must take up the sword again for them, then…

He turned around, facing the next creature.

So be it!

And lunged.

---

Unsurprisingly, Queen Lumera had been disheartened to hear he could not remember her. Still…

“Regardless, I’m glad to have you back, my dear child,” Lumera said with a smile.

Alear wanted to return the gesture, but he found himself he couldn’t.

“Still, that it’s not the reunion you had hoped for…” he trailed off, glancing down.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Lumera shook her head. “It’s solace enough that you’re here now, with us.”

The Divine Dragon Monarch then glanced down to Aurora.

“Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Yes, Grandmother,” Aurora happily nodded. “Father is with us now!”

Alear glanced back up, finally mustering a small smile.

“Yes, I suppose that’s true. I am back.”

If only that could mean much more than what it did right now. Alear did not felt like he was coming back home, but rather visiting Lythos for the first time. Still, after a thousand years away, perhaps it did not matter in the end.

Lumera glanced back to him.

“I know there is a lot to discuss,” she told him, “but perhaps it shall be best to do so back at the castle.”

Alear nodded. At least he was not going to be facing all this without help.

---

Alear stood by the stairs leading up to the garden fountain. Not far away was Aurora, kneeling down, playing with one of the many cats that lounged about. At least, once they had come back after things had calmed down after their little mock battle. He simply watched her, a wistful smile on his face.

“It was a surprise, was it not?”

Alear turned around, to see Lumera approaching him.

“To discover you have a daughter.”

“Oh, yes, it was,” he admitted.

Lumera stopped right next to him, her gaze also on the little girl.

“Truth be told, you would’ve been surprised all the same, even if you still had your memories.”

“What do you mean?” Alear was puzzled.

Lumera turned to face him.

“She was born after your slumber began,” she explained. “A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Considering…”

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Forgive me, but it still pains me to remember. To have seen you be struck down, unable to stop it.”

Alear saddened upon hearing that.

“It’s okay, that’s in the past,” he said. “What matters is that I recovered.”

“At the cost of your memories,” Lumera stated. “Which means you also forgot about… her.”

Alear tensed up. This was it.

“Um, yes, I’ve been meaning to ask,” he said, bracing himself for what was to come.

For a moment Lumera did not reply, simply glancing up to the sky.

“Her name was Luz,” she said at last. “You only met during the war. It did not happen right away, but you two would soon become friends.”

“I see,” Alear glanced over back to Aurora. “We then became more than that, did it not?”

“Yes, you did,” Lumera glanced back down. “You two were so happy. Even with the war happening, and the costs it was bringing us. So few of us remained. Luz’s own parents had long died as well.”

“So then,” Alear turned to face Lumera, “if Aurora was born after I was wounded, does it mean…?”

Lumera shook her head.

“No, you did not marry. You had decided to hold it off until after the war was over.”

A small sly smile then graced the queen’s lips.

“But it seems you choose to not wait on some other things instead.”

Alear’s face quickly went beet red.

“Ah…”

I guess that explains why there was no ring.

Having long learned the Ring of the Hero-King was not, in fact, a wedding ring, it had left him wondering where it was. Turns out, there was none.

An amused Lumera gave a small giggle.

“It’s fine. Nothing to be embarrassed about. You were a young couple in love, so it’s only natural. Even being your mother, I understand. Though that’s because I’ve had a thousand years to come to terms with it. As well as an adorable granddaughter to spoil.”

Alear gave a nervous chuckle, though then it hit him.

“Wait, all this time you’ve been referring to Luz in the past tense,” he noticed. “What… happened to her?”

The fact that even now there had been no sign of Luz was already a worrying sign. It would only be confirmed when Lumera once again became forlorn.

“What happened to you had been a big blow to us both,” she began. “We were the only ones left. Everyone else had died. And now we had lost you as well. Not quite dead, but not awake either. I fear she never quite recovered.”

She glanced down at the ground.

“It wasn’t long after that we found out she was pregnant. Oh, how learning that uplifted our spirits. A light shining in the darkness that plagued us. It restored her resolve, vowing to stay strong for the child. But even so, the pregnancy got complicated. Then the moment of birth came.”

Lumera glanced back up to look at Alear.

“She… did not made it. I’m sorry.”

---

Alear stood in the balcony of his assigned bedchamber. His hands gripped the railing, as he gazed up to the star-filled sky, his mind full of thoughts.

Luz…

He knew he should be feeling more strongly than that. But tried as he might, his inability to recall anything about her frustrated him instead. He would soon give up, glancing downwards and closing his eyes, as a sigh escaped his lips.

If only I could remember…

He stayed there for a moment longer before finally leaving the balcony, returning inside. He would soon change to a set of nightclothes left for him to use, intending to finally retire for the night. He had finished changing when there was a sudden knock at the door. He went over and opened the door. Standing on the other side was Aurora. She too had changed into a nightgown, and her hair flowed loose down her back.

“Oh, Aurora, what are you doing here?” Alear asked. “Shouldn’t you be in bed already?”

“Um, I…” she shyly fidgeted. “I wanted to sleep with you? If that’s alright.”

“Eh?” Alear was confused. “Why?”

“It’s what I did, back at the Somniel,” Aurora explained. “Sleeping by your side, hoping that one day you would wake up with me. After doing it for so long, it felt weird to now sleep on my own.”

She then joined her hands together, a pleading look on her face.

“So… please Father, can I? At least for tonight?”

Whatever protest Alear would’ve had quickly melted away. He couldn’t bring himself to say no to those eyes. Not to mention…

She had to have done it for centuries.

It would certainly be hard to break the habit, he had to admit. Thus, he smiled.

“Sure,” he nodded.

Aurora smiled.

“Thank you, Father.”

He stepped aside to let her in, closing the door behind her. Soon they were both under the blankets. Alear closed his eyes, when…

“Father.”

He glanced over to see Aurora staring back at him, a look of worry on her face.

“You will wake up tomorrow, right?” She asked. “You won’t go back to sleep for centuries again, will you?”

Alear couldn’t help but feel for her. The poor girl had waited so long for her father to wake up, that she feared to lose him again.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” he was quick to say as resolute as he could.

“Promise?”

Alear smile before nodding.

“Yes, I promise.”

At last, the girl seemed to cheer up.

“Good night, Father.”

“Good night… Aurora.”

Aurora would fall asleep quickly, though Alear remained awake a moment longer, staring at the ceiling.

It doesn’t matter if I don’t remember, he thought. Whatever my life was before, I have to focus on what it is now.

He turned to the side, to see Aurora’s peaceful face. He smiled.

Luz, I promise. I’ll take care of her in your steed. I’ll make sure she can continue to grow up in a peaceful world. I’ll do both of you and mother proud, you’ll see. Even if the Fell Dragon were to return, then I’ll strike him down. I won’t let him tear apart what remains of our family. Our actions back then, they won’t be in vain.

With that he finally closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. The road ahead was not going to be easy, but it was one he wasn’t going to traverse alone. Whatever tomorrow shall bring, he’d be ready to face it with all his might.

But for now, he’d rest.

And now, some author's notes:

Spoiler

The idea was partly inspired by something of a joke made at TeeHee Thread over at Forum Games in the month before Engage came out. About Clanne and Framme (and Vander, I kid you not) being secretly Alear's children. In any case, a few days ago I got reminded of it and... well, I thought to myself: "Why not actually do it? Write a small one-shot where Alear has a kid and finds out upon waking up." And here we are.

Keeping with the light theme naming the Divine Dragons have, I chose the names that I did. Aurora, more for its Latin meaning of Dawn. Luz, the Spanish word for Light. Though I originally thought of naming the mother Candela.

Yes, the story ends just before the game's Chapter 3 starts. I just couldn't bring myself to write beyond that. Not with this! It had to end on a happy-ish note! So consider Alear still having that nightmare, stepping out for his night walk, and then the Elusians attack. That said...

As it stands, I don't intend to make this a full-fledged story. Not when I have one already currently in the works as of this writing. So yeah, if I write more about this, expect it to be more like this one. Not necessarily sticking chronologically, either.

You know, for being an anniversary game and all that, and including characters as young as Anna and Jean were, it was curiously lacking the "Transforming Dragon Child" archetype. We do have dragons... but don't transform. I guess Aurora would fulfill that niche here then, heh. I mean, there's no reason she wouldn't have her Dragonstone...

I think that should be it. If I forgot anything... well, can always answer it in a later post.

I hope you enjoyed it!