Dragon Quest Emblem of Erdrick Level 2

LEVEL 2: FRIENDSHIP TRIUMPHS

This chapter begins with a now 10 year-old Arus and some-years-older Kira going grass-sledding together, followed by a friendly spar in the woods. Arus manages to best Kira, and Lunafrea swings in on a vine to offer constructive criticism: Arus's defensive stance needs work, but Kira lost anyway by rushing in too hastily. Tarkin climbs down from their treetop bungalow to add that besting an older opponent is no small feat. They're joined by Guru Tao, who has positive things to say about Arus's steady grasp of magic.

Tao and Tarkin have an expository conversation that touches on the following points:
-Tao welcomed the party into his hermitage years ago. Here, they can shelter Arus and Kira while training them so that one day Khamen can be restored.
-The hermitage has a sacred orb that conceals and protects the area from monsters.
-The Kingdom of Khamen was overrun by monsters after the party's escape all those years ago.
-Monsters have been increasing in presence the world over.
-Rumor has it the Kingdom of Loran has fared no better, and has also fallen into evil hands.
-Giran set out to verify those rumors for himself, but he's been late getting back.

A sinister(?) spiked hare eavesdrops on this and scurries off to report to a vampire cat, which flies off in turn to Khamen to relay the intel to the bad guy leadership.

Khamen Castle is currently occupied by three key figures in the bad guy leadership: The Dragonlord, Beastlord Gnon, and Deathlord Gorgona. They're reporting to their master Imajin through some communication device. Another expository conversation follows:
-Gnon and Gorgona have been charged with conquering the underworld of Alefgard.
-Gorgona's sorceries have routed opposing armies all over Alefgard.
-Gnon is poised to send a beast corps to take the last holdout of Erdrick's royal line, Tantegel Castle.
-The Kingdom of Loran has indeed fallen into the monsters' hands.
-The Prince of Loran has been bestowed the cursed name Jagan, and he has been raised into a child of Erdrick's blood with an evil heart.
-Jagan will turn 10 in 3 months, at which point he will officially be bestowed the title of Fiendlord.
-They have yet to find the Prince of Khamen, but it's only a matter of time before—Nope, wait, they found him!

The Dragonlord gets charged with dispatching the newly-found Prince Arus posthaste. Who's handy in the area? A minidemon named Zebul and his troll buddy. Communicating through an idol, the Dragonlord personally orders Zebul to use his troll friend to forcibly break the sacred orb, then locate Arus and eliminate him. Wouldn't that kill the troll, though? Yes, that's what they're good for, according to the Dragonlord. Zebul doesn't like using his friend as an expendable, but he doesn't get much of a say in the matter.

Back at the hermitage, the sacred orb is growing slightly shadowed. That's probably not a good sign. The bungalow is suddenly jolted. Outside, Zebul's troll friend is ripping up trees and rampaging through the area. The bungalow is rocked hard enough to send the sacred orb tumbling out. The troll grabs it, and Zebul tells him that it's a Sphere of Wisdom that makes you as smart as a sage if you bite down on it. When the troll crushes the orb in his teeth, it does not make him a sage. Zebul looks down sadly at his former friend's seared corpse before flying off to find Arus. With the orb's barrier down, he can finally use magic.

The fairy Teah is also racing to find Arus and Kira, who are bathing at a spring. But before she can reach them, a swarm of Dragonfries attacks. Kira and Arus aren't getting very far fighting them with wooden swords, and Kira is ready to hold them off long enough for Arus to get to safety, but Arus refuses to leave his friend. Instead, he breaks the guru's rule against ever using attack magic and starts spamming Sizz spells as fast as he can cast them. Too bad he only has the MP for three shots.

Zebul shows up and greets them, bragging that soon he'll be a greater demon. Kira calls him a shrimp, only to get a nasty burst of cold breath for his guff. It leaves his arm frozen, and Zebul warns him if he moves it again, it might break. Arus tries to fry Zebul with another Sizz spell, but he's out of MP. After more gloating about how helpful the Dragonlord's dragonfry corps was, Zebul takes a deep breath for one more good blast of cold air, but Kira rushes him and starts swinging his frozen sword arm madly. Zebul doesn't get why Kira would willingly risk breaking his own arm after being warned against it, and Kira says his friend is way more important than an arm. He gets frozen more with another breath blast. Arus, angry at what's happening to his best friend, starts to glow with a battle aura that coalesces in his right hand, letting him blast Zebul with one last Sizz spell. The dragonfries start to close in, then one look at Angry Arus spooks them so much they turn and fly off. Zebul, abandoned on the ground by his allies, curses himself for a fool and begs his troll friend's forgiveness in his last moments.

Giran comes back to the hermitage that night to find it destroyed, with the party gathered around a campfire while Arus is passed out cold. They know they can't stay here for much longer.