Lunar SSS, Vol. 1 - Wind's Destination - Summary

Summary by Kizyr Translation of Afterword	Lunar Silver Star Story 1, Wind's Destination (Kaze no Yukue) Author: Kei Shigema Illustrations: Akari Funato Publisher: Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
Translation and Summary is by Kizyr. The translation and summary may not be posted or used anywhere without permission.

Prologue:

[1] The story opens in the middle of a raging storm. A mother and father wait out the storm inside their house, when a knock comes at the door. It's a traveler, whom the mother and father both know well. The traveler enters, carrying an infant girl—the same age as the mother and father's little boy—and a strange-looking animal. The father addresses the traveler by name, but is interrupted by the traveler, who says:

"The man by that name is dead."

The baby he carried in begins to cry. The mother and father's son, Alex, holds the baby's hands and she suddenly becomes quiet. The traveler asks the boy with green eyes:

"So, will you be the one to protect this girl?"

The following morning, the traveler leaves. The other four—the mother, father, Alex, and the small child—see him off.

Fifteen years pass.

Chapter 1: To Far Away Adventures

[16] Alex is daydreaming once again, of adventure, just like his hero Dyne. Luna calls his name and jars him out of his trance. The two of them practice their song for the upcoming Goddess festival as planned, yet Alex's playing sounds a bit sad. The song spreads everywhere, "through the morning light, Luna's voice spread out as if it wrapped itself around the world."

[21] Meanwhile, a traveler walking along a brick road towards a forest near Burg, hears the song. The traveler is about 40 years old, wearing a beard.

After the song is over, Alex goes into a story about Dyne and his adventures. Dyne was born in Burg, and left for adventure at age 15. He went to the port town of Saith, then the western inlet, then as far as Lent Village. He crossed the sea—which Alex and Luna can see from the hill on which they stand—to the free city of Meribia, the magic city of Vane, Karia, Senmario, and Lyton. He solved the mystery of the raging waterfalls at Zekuseo, and crossed the never-before-crossed marsh at Larne, with Ghaleon. He went to the abandoned city of Iria, and—

[24] Luna interrupts, irritated: he talked with the Crimson Queen, Palemia. Alex continues, undeterred, with mentioning the four heroes and four dragons, and the Dragonmaster. Though Luna's heard it hundreds of times before.

[26] As Alex continues, Luna feels uneasy, like an ashen lump forms in her heart, cold, growing larger, like the nightmare she's been seeing every evening on end. She finally interrupts again, angrily:

"But, Dyne died!"

Alex stops, but Luna asks him not to worry. They read the inscription in the monument atop the hill, in which a sword is plunged halfway: "Praised be the acts of our hero, Dragonmaster Dyne. May his soul find eternal rest on the Blue Star under the watch of the Goddess." The sword is also said to be Dyne's, even though Dyne was said to have fallen fifteen years ago in a distant part of the world.

Alex is about to tell Luna that he's decided to take the White Dragon's Trial, like Dyne once did, when Nall suddenly rushes in. Nall is described as a flying, talking (well, yelling now) cat. He asks why they didn't tell him they were at practice, prompting a small argument between Alex and Luna. More to the point, though, Nall tells them that a traveler has come to Burg from Vane. They go to see.

Everyone is gathered in the village center. They can't figure out if the visitor, a boy, is here for the festival, for Dyne's memorial, or what. Merchants, bards, and magicians who come to gather medicinal herbs often come, but not this sort of person. At the Goddess Statue, the man introduces himself as Nash Lumach.

When Alex, Nall, and Luna join the crowd, Alex and Nall talk about what Nash looks like amongst themselves. Nash notices, and glares, but Luna steps up and apologizes on their behalf—Nash blushes at the sight of her. Saria Noah, Alex's mother, introduces herself and asks why he's here; few people from Vane come, even for the upcoming Goddess Festival.

Nash scoffs at the festival; here's here for more ‘important' reasons. He asks if anyone knows about the legends of Dyne. Saria says her son, Alex, does, so Nash requests that he be his guide... for Nash will take the White Dragon's Trial to become the next Dragonmaster!

[42] Alex, Nall, Luna, and Nash head into the Weird Woods. There's quick conversation about needing a fire later for Luna's cooking, so Nash lights a fire... with a lightning bolt fired at a nearby tree. That prompts a discussion on magic, and Nash is surprised that Alex and the others can't use magic at all. Nash says that they can still learn, as they have the inborn talent to use it, and "There's no force like talent!". Such is Nash's motto.

Nash implies, though, that Alex is hiding his abilities and his intent to take the White Dragon's Trial himself. There's a side explanation about Dyne: since Dyne's death fifteen years ago, there's been no one to go to the White Dragon. It's also said that the Goddess Althena, pained by Dyne's death, stays alone at the top of her tower.

[47] There's a flashback to Nash's appearance in Burg. He doesn't seem like the Dragonmaster type; then again, neither did Dyne, according to the villagers. Nash says that he figured Burg villagers would know about Dyne, and the White Dragon Shrine's location, since Dyne got his start here. So, Alex explains about the Weird Woods to the north, a dense, mazelike, and dangerous place. Nash says that if Alex won't guide them, he'll just go it alone (for Mia's sake, he tells himself). Alex says that he'll still guide Nash—he feels the start of an adventure himself, and perhaps just like Dyne, he'll cross over from the Weird Woods to Burg, to Saith, to the sea, and then to the mainland.

[53] Back to the present day, when everyone is in the forest, Alex responds to Nash and says that he is, in fact, planning on taking the White Dragon's Trial. Luna interjects before Nash has a chance to respond, saying that Alex doesn't have any particular talent for magic, and he usually worries her with constant talk about adventures and journeying into the forest. At this point, Luna reminds Alex of a promise that he made to her once long ago, a promise to always protect her from danger.

During this time, Nash daydreams about becoming a Dragonmaster. It's befitting of an Elite member of the Guild, hand-picked by Ghaleon. And once he becomes Dragonmaster Nash, people will respect him, women will fall for him, and Mia will...

[58] Suddenly, Nall hears a noise. He sees a group of army ants on a fallen tree. Alex and Luna gather the group over and warn Nash to keep quiet. Nash has no idea what all the fuss is over a bunch of ants, and, much to the others protest, unleashes a very loud lightning attack against the ants. While he gloats, the others start running away and urging Nash to follow, as hordes of red army ants pour out from the area which Nash attacked.

As they run, Nash tries another bolt of lightning—which opens up a hole in the swarm of ants, only to be promptly filled with more ants. Alex formulates a plan: Luna and Nall will ascend to the top of a tree, and look for the ant's "control mound" while Alex and Nash defend below. Alex and Nash get separated, and Alex gets bitten and overrun with a swarm of ants. Nall spies the "leader" ant in the ant's mound, so Luna tells him to go find Nash and tell him to attack that, while Luna descends to help defend Alex. Nall delivers the message, Nash climbs a tree and strikes the mound, and the ants scatter about in disarray.

[77] While Nash brags about the victory, he loses his footing and falls from the tree, right into the ground. But no time to laugh. Luna lets out a scream—another ant is there, and it bites into her leg! Alex drives it off and bandages her leg, but soon thereafter, a second wave of ants regroups. Worse, Nash's magic is all spent!

A voice from above laughs, saying that their tactic was good against "Seguro Otsu" ants, but these are "Futasuji Otsu" ants—who have 3 controllers, not just one. He jumps down; the man appears to be in his 40s. Anyway, the older man pulls an item from his bag and tosses it at another large ant; it explodes (yet the item is non-magical). Now, there is just one left; the man finds and disposes of it in short order.

Introductions need to come later. They run; the man carries Luna himself while the others follow. Alex is reminded, for some reason, of his own father when he sees the man—Alex's father passed away seven years ago. Nash is the straggler of the group, desperately catching up with branches caught in his hair and robes.

[88] They finally come to a spring with ruins and statues all about. The man says they should be safe here, so he finally introduces himself as Laike Bogard, a carefree traveler. He looks well-traveled, with beaten clothes and a beard. After introductions go around, Alex tells Laike that they've come here from Burg to take the White Dragon's Trial, just like Dyne once did. He then asks Laike what he's doing there, but before he has a chance to respond, Luna falls faint at the spring's side. Laike removes the scarf that he wrapped around her wound; it's turned purple, indicating that the ant's poison has set in. Luna starts slipping into darkness...

[96] Luna has a vision. Two men, fighting with one another. One is yelling that the other doesn't understand. "This dream? This... nightmare? The same one I keep having, over and over again..." She hears crying, and sees a baby girl in a man's arms. Luna finally calls out Alex's name and hears a response.

She awakens, weakened, near Alex, comforted by his green eyes. She's given some herbs boiled in some water by Nash and Laike. Luna should recover fully in a day, says Laike. They're now inside old ruins, with reliefs and statues around them. Alex tells Luna that Laike is the one who helped them heal her.

[104] Nall and Nash return; Nash having gotten the firewood for the fire. Laike tosses in some herbs that serve as an insect and monster repellant; Alex and company ask him about his journey. Laike has been traveling so long that he's lost track of time. In fact, he recalls one village where he met a family with a baby; the next time he returned, the baby had already grown into a young boy, who was similar in spirit to Dragonmaster Terius—the Dragonmaster who once journeyed to the Frozen Capital. [note: no other information besides this aside is given on Terius.]

[108] But, Nash asks, why is he traveling? Usually when one sets off on a journey, one has a purpose. Laike responds:

"So that today is unlike yesterday, and tomorrow will be unlike today."

Nash is unsatisfied and thinks that Laike, too, intends on taking the White Dragon Trial. Laike is very amused by this—but Nash is still curious as to why he's in the forest in the first place.

Simple: he got lost. Laike heard about Dyne's birthplace further inland on the island and was headed there.

Laike doesn't mind. He used to pull pranks like that when he was their age—moreover, that mix-up led him to Alex and the others. Anyhow, Laike fixes some dinner over the fire, they eat, and then rest for the night. Laike stays up for a little while longer.

[114] The next day, Laike is gone. He's left a note for Alex, saying that he'll continue his journey onto Burg and Dyne's Memorial—perhaps they'll meet again one day. The note contains one last bit of advice:

"P.S. A word of advice for your adventure: Examine your surroundings before you act. And while it might not be my place to say it, you should listen to the advice of your elders."

Alex: Examine your surroundings...?

Alex notices that the others are asleep, but he hears singing. Following the voice, he finds a spring, where Luna is bathing. He quickly covers his eyes, and peeks through his fingers. But in no time Nall flies over, calling out to Alex, and Luna notices that he's been watching her all this time. In usual Lunar fashion, she hits him so hard that he's knocked into the sky.

[121] A short while later, Luna serves up breakfast for everyone—except Alex. They discuss how they became lost when they fled from the ants. Nash is upset that they're lost, but is told not to worry, as the river they're alongside flows straight into Burg, so they can follow it back. But, no clues are around as for the whereabouts of the White Dragon Shrine.

[124] Before leaving, though, Alex recounts Laike's advice: examine your surroundings before you act. They notice reliefs of Dragons on some of the ruins, and it becomes apparent that this very spring is the foyer of the White Dragon Shrine! It's even closer than they thought, as well: the rumors say that the shrine is supposedly a 2-3 day journey from Burg.

[130] They search the spring and find a sunken hexagonal stone in the center. There are old characters written on the stone; Nash has seen them before in the Magic Library of Vane, but ancient languages weren't his specialty. But, Luna steps up and reads aloud the inscription:

"Are ye adventurers? Are ye of pure heart? Do ye wish to continue, unafraid of the trial? Then say the name of the holy White Dragon who protects Althena. Only then will the door open."

It's a mystery why Luna can read it, since this is supposedly her first time seeing these characters. They continue to answer the question by calling out the White Dragon's name:

[note: Fidy is Quark's name in the Japanese versions] Nothing happens. Alex corrects Nash, they try once more, and a passageway opens underneath the spring.

[134] The passage is underwater, and so they have to swim—just one problem: Nash can't swim. But he finally drums up the courage, spurred on by his desire to become a Dragonmaster, and follows the others inside. Journeying into the shrine itself, they reach the White Dragon's lair and are greeted by a deep, booming voice: "Who has awakened me from my slumber!? ... Oh? Who are you? ... Who do you think you are, human children?"

[140] After Quark introduces himself, Nall responds by saying they're adventurers, but Nash quickly interrupts.

Quark then looks to Luna and Nall. Luna introduces themselves, and explains that they're not there to take the trial, but just to watch. Moving on, Quark asks Nash and Alex if they're prepared to become Althena's protector—there hasn't been a Dragonmaster in 15 years, not since Dyne. They both agree, and the trial begins.

[144] Nash awakens awash in light, yet he can't see a thing. Quark says this trial is to discover the real reason why Nash wishes to become Dragonmaster—Nash responds: "I told you already, to protect the peace of this world..."

But it's not as simple as saying an answer. To find the real reason, they go back to a memory three years ago, at the Magic Guild's Entrance Exam. People are in robes progressing to the central square. Nash is among them, but trips on his robes and falls down. Everyone is laughing—save for one girl who approaches him.

Quark: Oh... This girl?

[147] Alex awakens awash in the same light. He is asked the same question, why he wishes to be a Dragonmaster, and they delve into his memory. Seven memories arise:

1. Just recently, they were being chased by army ants. Alex thinks, "No matter what, I must protect Luna!"

2. Alex plays his ocarina, while Luna sings beautifully, their melody carried on the wind.

3. Luna is nagging Alex to eat well, particularly if he's going to become strong like Dyne, and go off on an adventure. Luna adds, "Keep it up, Alex... future Dragonmaster"

4. Alex and Luna are six years old. Wild dogs surround them. Alex stands protectively before Luna, as the only one who can protect her.

5. Alex's father is on his deathbed (approximately seven years prior, when Alex was eight).

6. An unfamiliar memory arises next. Alex sees a young baby boy gripping a traveler's finger. The traveler speaks, "So, will you be the one to protect this girl?" And so an oath was sworn.

7. The seventh memory is a brief one, of a song spreading across the land.

We go back to the question: why does Alex wish to be a Dragonmaster? He answers:

Alex also has that inborn desire for adventure, like many others before him. Quark poses another question...

Alex is unable to answer. He made a promise long ago to Luna, and can't forget that. Quark asks him to answer by listening to his heart. Alex recalls another memory of Luna, and her song, and when he set off on this adventure, but he gives no verbal response. Nevertheless, Quark understands—Dyne, thirty years ago, answered the same way when he took the trial. For now, Quark tells Alex to continue his adventure, and know the world better, so that the people and things in it become more important to him.

[161] Nash and Alex return, with Luna and Nall waiting for them. Quark explains that they must continue their adventure from here, according to their dreams. They did pass, and Nash is very happy at this fact; but to become Dragonmaster, they have to seek out the locations of the remaining three Dragons and take their trials: Red, Blue, and Black.

[164] Nash gives a farewell before leaving the cave. He can check the location of those Dragons in the Vane Magic Library, he says. He thanks Alex and the others for their help, and says that the only mistake they made was Alex's choice to take the White Dragon Trial—but since Alex won't be going anywhere else, then it doesn't make a difference. Nash tells him that he can find his own way to Saith by following the river, and asks them to look him up if they ever find themselves in Vane. Nash exits. Luna suggests that they accompany him to Burg, at least.

[167] Many days later, we're in Burg, where everyone is preparing for the upcoming Goddess Festival. A grandmother is with two children; one of them mentions the Goddess in her tower, and the grandmother goes into the legend behind Althena and the origin of life on Lunar.

"Long, long, very long ago, people lived on the Blue Star. These people believed that they could become gods, and so they used to do whatever they pleased. But, they were too selfish, and they eventually caused the decay of their own world. The Goddess Althena guided those humans of pure heart from the decaying Blue Star to this world, together with the Dragons. But, at that time, this world was still a lifeless desert.

"Everything we have now is thanks to Althena. The Goddess Althena spread her magic power across this world. Althena's wondrous magic transformed the lifeless desert into a lush green land. As long as Althena exists, this world will not return to the desert."

There's more talk of the Dragonmaster who protects Althena, and then their focus shifts to the festival. All three are looking forward to Luna and Alex's music.

[173] Speaking of Luna and Alex, we're back in their home. Saria notices that Luna seems distant. Nall nearly spills the news that Alex, too, took the White Dragon Trial, but is shushed by Alex. They continue preparing food for the festival.

[176] On the day of the Goddess Festival, everything goes by well, with Alex and Luna as the highlight of the celebration. Luna sings about legends, adventures, Dragonmasters, and so on, with her songs reaching across the world and up to the Blue Star.

After the song, the village is resting. Luna looks around and notices Alex is gone, so she goes to the only place he would go. She arrives at Dyne's Memorial and finds Alex looking out towards the horizon. He tells Luna of his intention to go and take the other three trials. Luna says Alex should follow his dreams, but is disheartened—Alex comforts her. He wants to see the world, to become a Dragonmaster; Luna says she'll pray for his safety while he's gone.

[184] Alex intends to leave tomorrow, without telling even his mother. He'll write them once he arrives in Saith.

[189] The next day, Luna is with Nall; Luna is resolved to show no tears. But she reflects on how she and Alex have been together all this time, and on how much she wishes him to return soon, now that Alex is finally leaving his home village.

[191] Saria arrives with traveling gear and asks them for help. She explains that she knows about Alex's intentions, as any mother should know, and she's well-aware that Alex passed the White Dragon Trial and now intends to cross over to the mainland to take the remaining three. She knew this just by the look on Alex's face when they returned from meeting the White Dragon—because, Alex's father once had that exact same look on his face after he journeyed to the White Dragon with Dyne long ago. Alex's father wasn't only Dyne's close friend, but also went with him to see the White Dragon and crossed over to the mainland with Dyne. The only reason he returned to Burg was because of his health.

[194] Saria then says that Luna and Nall need to go with Alex on his adventure, which is why she's brought more traveling gear. A tearful good-bye, and Luna runs to catch up with Alex.

Luna and Nall catch up to Alex, who is already within the forest. Luna says that she wishes to go with him on his journey, and he gladly agrees.

"Luna! Nall! Let's go together, off on our adventure!"

Chapter 2: A New Encounter

[200] Burg is situated far inland on Caldor Island. It's a three-day journey from Burg to the port town of Saith. Alex comes here about twice a year to sell goods and purchase supplies. Moreover, ships which are bound for the mainland leave from here. Oddly, the place is silent, doors are closed, and no one is about on the streets. The group goes to the port to see if they can check with a ship and see what's going on—but, no ships are there, not even fishing vessels.

[202] But, they spy none other than Nash on the beach. He's throwing rocks out at the ocean and cursing. When Alex and the others greet him, he asks what they're doing here; Alex responds that he means to cross over to the continent and take the remaining Dragon trials. Nash is upset; he says Alex is just a country boy—he's not Dragonmaster material. Alex says, nevertheless, that their encounter is a good thing; now he can go with Nash to the Magic Library of Vane to check on the locations of the other Dragons. Nash is still upset; he says Vane is where the most elite magicians gather—ordinary people can't enter.

[205] Luna stops them before things get heated. For now, they should take care of getting on a ship to cross over. But there's the problem, Nash says: there's a monster out at sea attacking ships, and so no one is sailing.

[208] As they speak, a yacht appears some distance away from the beach. Nash points out the incoming yacht, and they signal out to it. The yacht draws closer, and closer, but much too fast. There's a girl riding atop it, about Luna's age; she yells out to them to get out of the way—and the yacht crashes into the shore. The girl apologizes, saying that the yacht needs a crew of at least three to properly guide it.

[212] The girl is half-beastman. Beastmen are rare on Caldor Island, but Alex has heard that there are many on the continent. She introduces herself as Jessica, a priestess from the Shrine of Althena. Alex is a bit nervous since he's not used to seeing another girl around his age besides Luna. Luna scolds him. They then hear Nash's voice and find him buried underneath some sand at the beach. They retrieve Nash and Jessica heals him.

[217] All of them have some tea and chat in the cabin aboard Jessica's yacht (which is still intact, it seems). Jessica says that she came here to help out the people of Saith. But she also has some interest in the White Dragon Trial, and likes the sound of "Dragonmaster Jessica". Nash scoffs at this.

Moving on, Jessica adds that she came here also to find people who could help her take on the sea monster bothering Saith. So they'll set off in short order to find the monster. Nash has some objections to riding on a ship that's powered by wind, instead of by magic, but he has little choice.

[223] It's been a two-day journey thus far, and Alex's first time on board a ship. At that two day mark, a storm starts up and worsens, tossing the ship about. But suddenly, the waters turn calm. Jessica explains that they're in the eye of the storm, and have a brief time to rest. In the meantime, Nall's gotten seasick. Jessica attempts to cure him with a little magic, but for some reason her magical abilities aren't working. She checks with Nash, who is unable to use magic either—neither of them know the source of that problem.

[233] Just then, Nall hears a strange sound in the distance, growing louder and louder. And then, a monster's head appears through the fog! It looks like a dragon!

Jessica excuses herself and says that she needs to go below deck to check on something. She leaves the rest of them on deck as she ducks into the cabin.

Nash notices that the "monster" is man-made by indicating what appear to be carvings on the side. So it's a ship, but it runs without wind power, and magic power is strangely absent from this area right now. Nash them remembers: this is the Dragon Steamship Reguiss! With the famed pirate on board—

[237] "Ha ha ha ha!" calls out a voice, as a man about three or four years older than Alex jumps down from the ship onto the deck of Jessica's yacht. He introduces himself as Kyle, the Pirate of Justice. Alex introduces himself, and Nash is scared. Kyle continues: his usual demand is for all the money on hand, but he'll settle for just half their silver for the time being.

But this isn't their ship, Alex says, and so it's not right for them to hand over any money on board. This prompts a direct challenge between Alex and Kyle, and the two of them draw swords and begin to fight! During the fight, Alex recalls Laike's advice, "Examine your surroundings..." So, Alex cuts at a tight rope on the mast which whips around to smack Kyle in the head. While he's confused, Alex brings the point of his sword right up against Kyle's head.

[246] Kyle is impressed, and sheaths his sword at Alex's request. He then brings the hilt of his sword to smack Alex in the head and knocks him unconscious. Kyle reassures the others that Alex will be fine, and he sets about taking their money—specifically, 1500 silver from Nash.

Jessica then calls out in an angry voice. Kyle's countenance changes in an instant from smug satisfaction to fear. Kyle turns to Jessica and claims that he didn't know it was her yacht. Jessica grins: it's not just a yacht, it's a Meribian Navy Warship! She pulls a lever and the entire yacht transforms from top-to-bottom. Kyle remarks that she's just like her father, Mel...

[251] Everyone goes into the cabin to talk. Jessica accuses Kyle of being the "monster" who's been attacking the ferries to the continent. But Kyle insists that it's a misunderstanding. He's not the monster. About this time, Kyle apologizes and returns the 500 silver to Nash.

[255] Back to the current issue. Kyle explains that the "monster" must be either a real monster or a renegade pirate (renegade from Kyle, anyhow). Kyle figures that with the Reguiss's firepower, he doesn't have to worry about any enemies he might encounter, but Jessica counters that, even then, they can't go anywhere until this fog lets up.

[258] Nall comes in during this conversation and says that he saw something approaching from the top deck. Everyone else exits the cabin to see. They wait and see something monster-like rise up from under the water, with carvings and lights along the side. It's obviously man-made, but Nash and Jessica confirm that neither the Magic Guild nor the Meribian Navy have anything even resembling this device.

[263] Nash points to the top of the monster-like submarine vessel. A woman with long hair, crimson-red lips, and pale skin sits on the top. She introduces herself as Xenobia, and says:

"I am the leader of the Vile Tribe, who were sealed by Althena and the humans. Perhaps you have forgotten about us. You'll soon remember, as the time comes for you to feel our pain. Hm hm hm hm hm..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Afterword:

[265] Kei Shigema talks about the transition from the video game to the novel, and highlights some of the difficulties involved with completely switching formats for telling the story.

A full translation of the afterword is available here: Lunar: Silver Star Story, Vol. 1 - Afterword by Kei Shigema.