Passing the Torch

Author's Note: Enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Dragon Quest series.

Summary:

Tara catches up to Cobi, who's just finished battling Terry, the champion of GreatTree.

Tara created divots with her walking stick in the magic wood. The Tavern was soused with potent spirits, tambourine music, and the drunken jollity of layfolk: loud ruckus and mugs raised to the thrashing of the Master Monster Tamer from the Kingdom of GreatTree by GreatLog's own Cobi.

All too often, Tara chased him around. It'd been the story when they set sail, trying to make him listen to Papa on the ship instead of peering into vases of freshly caught fish, and the story when the family got the farm up and running. Although Cobi surpassed his sister in rotations (suns as well as circles playing tag), she outmatched him in maturity.

"There you are, big brother!"

Someone's BombCrag rolled over Tara's boot tips, and she nearly stepped on a Mudron, whose mucky form camouflaged it.

Cobi grinned cheekily at Tara's hasty hop, biting and tearing roast meat straight off the bone. He was saving the more expensively priced and attractive sirloin for the monsters he encountered on his journey.

Her brother normally stocked a full party. MadDragon, Skelegon, and Balzak or Lazamanus, Granslime, and Niterich. The nonattendance of any of his regulars meant he must have handed off his winning lineup to their mother and father after his visit to the Arena.

Three monsters – a ZapBird, Anteater, and Drakee – followed. None his.

"Who are they?"

"Tara, meet Rainy, AE, and Drakee! They're Terry's!"

"Terry's?"

This pilgrim, Terry, gestured on the chair behind Cobi. If his confidence (more like arrogance!) didn't arrest others, the company he travelled with sure would. The faerie fluffball Watabou looked harmless enough, but that GreatDrak! Urrrgh!

Durran rattled her most. A fiend who, despite his noble code, gained infamy for his dark intelligence and defeat-dealing GigaSlash. That Terry recruited Durran from the Gate of Reflection represented how dangerous a master Terry was.

Then, there was the talk the Demon Lord DeathMore personally prophesized Terry would fall to evil…

"Fwahahahaha! How amusing!" Durran cackled seeing the girl flinch.

"Want some rib, Tara? Terry and I are marking our battle! He's even giving me his original team! Cool, huh?"

"I poured my blood and sweat into training them. Toughen them up, and we'll battle again. I'm hoping you'll stay a good rival."

The monster breeder examined the inductees. "So you named your ZapBird Rainy and your Anteater AE, but your Drakee Drakee?"

He stared coldly back at her, a conceited humph his only reply.

A luxury Terry was passing the torch to her brother now. No telling what sort of Hellblast he might summon down in the future.