Re: Forsaken Wolves IC (RES n ETHEREAL)

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

When the winds finally died down, Scyth opened his eyes to see glowing, orange crystals growing from jagged edges of a moist, dark cave. Looking down at his dying friend in his arms, he checked her neck and realized her breathing had gotten shallower.

“Where are we?” Scyth asked as he hugged his friend a little closer to his chest worriedly.

Motioning for him to be followed, Bel walked swiftly through a few hallways that were faintly lit in orange light, “In my lair. This place is in a different place from your flow of time. See?”

A short finger pointed to the water falling in drips from the ceiling around them, only instead of dropping from the top to the bottom, it zigzagged in its decent. Another looped and another spiraled into the puddles below, which then they made square and triangle shaped ripples. Very freaky.

Reaching a wide antechamber, Bel walked towards a tall, hollowed out piece of rock that was filled with water. Getting the hint, Scyth jogged to it, easily climbed the little row of stairs cut into its side and gently dumped Tyth’s body into the water.

She sank down then floated easily at the center, her white and blue hair flaring out behind her. Bubbles formed from her mouth and a black mist like substance began clouding around the open wound in her chest and arms. The red head was pretty aware that the water was healing her wounds, but how?

Knowing what he was going to ask, Bel leaned his back against the cave’s wall near the entrance they came through and yawned, “The water is a liquid version of the pills. Sinners on the verge of death were revived this way until they could develop immunity to the Anoushka. This technique was only used on Sinners with a nine percent chance of surviving.”

Having been staring at his submerged friend during this explanation, Scyth turned and looked at the young boy behind him with a grim, untrustworthy stare, “What I am concerned about is leaving her in the hands of a demon.”

Narrowed, slit like eyes flashed yellow as upper lip lifted in a distasteful snarl, “I don’t owe you any guarantees. You have your own agenda with Brant. Begone!”

Snapping his fingers, Scyth disappeared from sight. Satisfied, the blonde haired boy stepped closer to the water filled chamber of rock and waited.

His existence wasn’t always like this. Catering to the whims of humans, that is. But due to an error on his part in the past, his powers were sealed so that he could only use the more powerful ones for others when he struck a bargain and drank human blood. Not to mention he couldn’t harm the person he bargained with or those stated in the deal until it was done.

A sad and pathetic existence for a demon of his pedigree, but it kept him living. To think Brant of all people would finally give in to using his owed ‘deal’ after all these years.

Just for this girl.

---

It was too familiar, the pressure of water all around her, and yet she wasn’t drowning. It didn’t taste as bitter, but there were traces of Anoushka and the faint taste of blood that she could make out.

Opening her black eyes to blink blearily through the clear water, Tyth met the young blonde boy’s gaze. From her memory slowing coming back as to what happened before she blacked out, Tyth realized it was his fault she was healing in here.

‘You’re finally awake,’ drawled his voice inside her head. To think he is the unknown Bel, a bartering demon. They couldn’t really talk since she was in breathable water. Even if she moved her mouth, no sound would come out but bubbles.

Ignoring the headache that is threatening to split her skull, Tyth swam weakly towards the crystal widow separating them.

‘Let me out.’ She didn’t want to taste this water any longer. Already she is feeling the age old itch to hurt something. The headache was growing stronger and she fought the urge to bang her head against the walls of this chamber to help ease it.

‘No.’

What did he mean ‘no’? As if reading her mind, the boy smirked with a hint of fang peeking out from between his lips.

‘No, you wonder? Brant asked me to help you with self-control. It seems killing your ex-husband was his limit in handling you. Nearly killing your friends was impressive in my book, though.’

Despite the pounding headache, she wondered why Brant would ask the help of a demon? Bel’s prices said to be very, very heavy in cost.

Bel smiled and reached out to place his hand against the glass as the submerged girl floated. ‘Brant and I have a sort of…brotherly link would be the best way to put our relationship.’

‘He’s human. Does that mean you are a half demon?’

‘That is disgusting. I am very much a full blood demon stuck in human form. Jaavikanovashu was my sister.’

That wasn’t possible. ‘She was human!’

Pale pink eyes met her squarely and flared an angry red, ‘She turned human not long before you met Brant. A fact I will always hate her for. Interbreeding is full of complications and high mortality risks to the mother and offspring. The choice to change between species is easier.’

Through the headache, Tyth could feel pure dread settling at the bottom of her heart. Bel was Jaavi’s brother, which meant since she killed the woman….

Pressing closer to the glass so his eyes became murderous slits of molten, blood red and swirling black irises, Bel bared his teeth fully so his canines flashed in the dim, orange light.

‘I hate you more than I ever could my own kin. You don’t know how much I want to kill you only to bring you back to life just to kill you over and over again, constantly reliving your death. Because of my curse, I can’t harm the subject of my bargain. Lucky you. I would relish finishing what Brant couldn’t.’

She was shivering, flailing away from the window to press herself again the back wall of the round, rocky chamber. Her headache was nothing compared to the panic she was feeling. Her mind was connecting the dots as to why he wouldn’t let her leave this chamber of breathable water…

The color of the water around her grew a couple shades darker. Looking up, she saw a vial of Kibola drip itself a few times in the surface of the water from the chamber’s opening.

Clutching desperately at the jagged and rough edge of the wall ehind her, Tyth shook her head as wildly as the water would allow.

‘Please no……don’t!....No! NO! NO!!!’

Her pleas only made the demon boy smirk larger as the potent toxic serum mixed with the water, absorbing into every inch of her skin. He altered its effects to his needs in order to meet his goal and finish the bargain.

Tyth couldn’t fight it, the suppressed memories of Jaavi’s death. It was like she couldn’t stop her body no matter what she tried from advancing on the pregnant woman or raising her scythe with a shrieking giggle at the first slash…

Over and over again, she witnessed Jaavi’s death at her hand until she could time every second of every moment. Every sickening moment.

Sometimes her memories would change from Jaavi to Zephyros’ final moments. The man made an erratic error of force, letting her dig her sword straight through his breastbone and tearing downward, It was then she realized that she was soon be able to detoxify Anoushka completely with no side effects.

Then the scene changed to her struggle against Zied. He was trying to bring her back to her senses once the Kibola was too much for her to handle. Tyth wanted to scream every time she slashed at him, horrified at the feeling of wanting to see his blood run free.

But seeing Seiryu impaled on her sword made the headache she had been fighting to break open, letting the pain, guilt and horror engulf her. Because once she saw the pain on the other woman’s face and the anger on his, Tyth couldn’t take it anymore. Thrusting her head back, the woman began beating her head against the chamber’s wall. Harder and harder she put more savage force into the swings until she could feel pain blossoming at the back of her skull. Almost there!

Bel was relishing watching the woman’s face change in different levels of suffering, Her emotions were tangible to him and he was loving it. Getting his revenge like this would never bring back his powerful, baby sister but it was still worth it. At least up until she started beating her head against the wall. A thin stream of blood started drifting from her new head wound and Bel growled low, a guttural hissing sound that was not human.

The stupid tramp was trying to kill herself. As much as he enjoyed having forced her into a suicidal mindset, he couldn’t let her die. If her life ended, so did his.

Snapping his fingers reluctantly, Bel watched as the water inside the chamber whirl into a cyclone and brings the white haired woman back into the center.

‘Now now, you can’t die. But consider this a wake up call, demon style.’

Not bothering to bat another eyelash at the woman clutching at her head and flailing in place since she couldn’t swim at will, Bel smiled to himself.

What a wonderful day, that it is.

---

At the entrance of the cave a month and a half later, an symbol that was carved jaggedly into the stone began glowing. Seconds later, Scyth appeared over the symbol with a green necklace clutched in his left hand. A long, jagged scar starting from the edge of his left eyebrow, descending downward across the bridge of his nose and right cheek to further crawl past his jawbone and finally rest settled at the right side of his neck. The healed wound looked like someone had tried to cut his face open.

His once long, red hair was cut shorter to an inch in length except for his bangs which were left intact. At his back, tied over his black shirt and pants, was a leather belt that held up his two long sword sheaths. In his right hand, he held another set of swords that was sheathed with an intricate design on the cover. Strange alien symbols and the long, ink drawing of a reptile like creature wrapped itself around the length of the sheath.

Looking around to make sure he was alone, Scyth took one step forward and then disappeared from sight. The puddles around where he once stood shivered from the light breeze generated from his speed.

Appearing in front of the water chamber, Scyth looked into the murky colored liquid and wondered if his friend was still there. Then he saw a few strands of greyish hair and the faint outline of a body and wondered why she would be in such dirty looking water.

“Oh, it’s you,” drawled the annoying voice he knew would be there.

Ignoring the demon, Scyth propped the sword he had been carrying against the crystal glass window and tucked the necklace away into his coat pocket. He called her name once and didn’t get an answer. The next time, no answer. He kept calling until the demon walked up to his side and shook his head.

“No use bothering, she refuses to hear you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, she’s broken ever since she got here. Been hiding in the deepest depths of her mind and creating a fake reality to avoid this one. I don’t blame her.”

“What happened?” the man demanded, taking a step forward to brush his fingers against the thick crystal sheet of murky glass.

“You don’t want to know the details. But is there a chance I could get Brant to trade his first bargain with an old one? This one is pretty much a failure. Just like she is.”

Scyth wanted to gut the demon for talking about his friend like that, but he was right.

But to think Tyth would be acting like this just to avoid the truth. He was getting fed up waiting. The news he brought her wasn’t pretty either.

Tyth needed to learn control. This however, was wasting their time. He has enough of waiting around after risking his life to get stronger in order to help her.

“Tythlany, you damn well better listen to my fucking voice,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

“Ever since you stabbed Seiryu, the Azure Dragon, things have gotten very messed up. Zied Gray has turned into a nationwide criminal of the West since no one has been able to capture him. You are both missing S Class fugitives thanks to your guys’ records.”

No answer. Not even a twitch of movement.

“Tythlany! It’s your fault you hurt him! Deal with it, but are you going to keep hiding from him? Are you that much of a coward?!

The sun was setting and it was moments before it completely disappeared beneath the horizon. Everyone knew this was Jaavi’s favorite time of day. She was standing on the back porch, watching the sunset with Brant standing right next to her. A tear was sliding down her cheek which she stubbornly wiped away with a hiss.

“Aethwyn, if Tyth ever fails to move forward, you have to keep pushing her.”

The young man blushed at the name of his crush, but was confused by the woman’s words.

“Why? She doesn’t listen to me half the time!”

“That girl can’t be allowed to ever stop advancing, or she will never be complete,” she said, tightening her grip on her husband’s hand as the last rays of light flickered away.

“Promise me, Aethwyn.”

No one ever denied Jaavi when she was serious. Aethwyn promised.

Scyth was starting feel the first beats of helplessness. How else could he force her to wake up?

Suddenly it hit him. As much as it made him angry and hurt to admit it during his training with Brant, he had learned to accept Tyth’s feelings for Zied Gray.

The General was standing in the middle of a large torn up valley. Thick, groove like cuts were etched into the ground around the little patch of intact earth on which he stood. His wind tossed dark, blue hair settled wildly around his shoulders as he stared down at his successor who was fighting for breath on all fours before him.

“She loves another and you still fight like a mad man. What strength, Aethwyn.”

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Scyth smirked up at his master and friend.

“Shut up, old man. You beat into me, and gave me this strength to support her. Loving her, even if she doesn’t feel the same, is enough for me. But I also want her happy and we both know this is the only way.”

Shifting his stance so his two twin long swords were held over his head and the tips were crossed in front of him, Brant smirked through the blood flowing into his eyes.

“Then come at me, so you can rush to her,” he said in a voice ringing with pride.

“If you stay here, you will never see him again. Time flows differently here! If you stay a year’s time, it could be thirty or even seventy for his lifetime!”

He punched the crystal glass, clenching his eyes shut as he willed his voice to reach her.

“DON’T LIVE REGRETTING NOT FIGHTING FOR HIS FORGIVENESS! TYTHLANY!!!!!!!”

Panting, Scyth raised his head up after standing there, bracing himself against the chamber for a while. What met his eyes left him stunned.

Tyth had swam to the crystal window of the chamber. She looked completely messed up, her eyes’s red and bags were hanging under her lashes. Her skin was wrinkled from the water and her hair was slimy looking.

Black eyes pleaded at him as she pressed her hands against the glass from her side, brushing her face against the slick murky surface to meet his eyes. But her face looked completely sad and wanting as she mouthed something to him that he made out completely.

‘I want to see Zied.’

Nodding, the red haired man glared over his shoulder at the miffed demon who was glaring at the woman in the chamber.

“Let her out. She’s not done yet.”

Snarling, Bel reluctantly snapped his fingers and the water began draining from the chamber. Tyth started to sink towards the floor of the chamber and once she broke through the lowering surface of water, she began coughing harshly. Shifting from breathable water to pure air is painful the first couple minutes.

Jumping up, Scyth cleared the top of the chamber and landed behind his friend. Rubbing her back, he then pulled her against his chest and brushed her long, slimy hair out of her eyes.

Leaning against him, Tyth coughed a few more times. Raising her head, she reached a shaky hand to press against her mouth.

“I want to see him, Scyth. It hurts so much because I hate myself for hurting him so bad, but I can’t stop myself from wanting to see him again!” she sobbed, clutching at her face as her friend hugged her tighter. Scyth was smiling over her head at her words.

“Then learn to control yourself and we’ll go look for him.”

“How can I do that?” she asked, wiping at her cheeks where her salty tears were mixing with the water on her skin.

“That’s why you are here, tlisieng.” Bel growled from the other side of the glass window of the now empty water chamber. “Jaavi was convinced Schwis tampered with soul splicing as part of his experiments. Even I can tell you are an incomplete soul.”

Tyth winced violently in her friend’s arms as the demon hissed at her through the glass.

“Why mess with the human soul? Don’t the drugs he produces help him control them enough?” Scyth asked as he rubbed at the woman’s arms to get her chilly limbs warm again.

“The answer is no because the human body is too adaptive. This includes immunities. The more they take the drugs, the more they build immunity to it. What better way to solve that problem then by tampering with something that can’t be healed immediately?”

The demon watched as the red head picked up Tyth and jumped back out of the chamber. They landed behind him, and he turned with a glare at seeing the woman breathing and safe. He had hoped she would eventually die in the chamber.

“I can get her to reunite with her missing piece of her soul, but she will have to fight it in order to obtain it.”

Tyth frowned as she took her friend’s hand as he helped her stand.

“Fight it?”

“Fragments and pieces of a soul have their own consciousness and feelings. They never like feeling incomplete or separated, which makes them feel abandoned and not easy to bind back into a whole. You will have to force the piece of you to merge with you again, but it is never easy.”

Pointing towards a open room across the hallway that was glowing white, Bel looked at Tyth again.

“Your missing piece doesn’t have your experiences or memories since it was separated. All it knows is being alone and blames you for it.”

Determined and tired black eyes narrowed on the small looking demon as Scyth helped her limp over to the room after Bel.

“You said something to my soul, didn’t you?”

“I may have, Since you killed my sister, did you think I owed it you to be nice? At all?”

Bastard. “How long will this take?”

“This case is very rare but I will guess twenty seconds. Time plane difference, remember?”

They stopped at the room’s entrance and Scyth could make out the the slightly shiny sheen over the entrance. He got the feeling he wasn’t allowed through the barrier. Setting his friend back down on unsteady feet, he gripped her shoulders and she looked back to him.

“Good luck,” he murmured and stepped away to let her walk on her own.

Smiling weakly, Tyth reached back to grasp his hand.

“Thank you, Scyth.” She said and walked unsteadily through the invisible barrier, disappearing from sight. He began counting, knowing this was going to be a long fifteen seconds.

[Ethereal]

The Black Mountain. Dark clouds enveloped the dried out land surrounding the mountain. For some reason, sunlight never gets past the clouds. It was always like night and this part of the land seemed to have been scarred forever. Zied and Seiryu stood before the foot of the mountain and looked at each other. In their eyes, they silently told each other that this is the last one.

How long has it been since they came to the Eastern lands? Zied could barely remember. Perhaps a year and a half? Two years, maybe three give or take? Zied did not care. This was the last of the five mountains they had to visit and in it was the Dragon Spirit they were seeking. It was only a matter of time before he gets to complete his training with the five spirits. He could not wait any longer.

Much time had passed ever since they sought out the Dragon Spirits, it could be seen in Zied. Instead of mismatched hues, Zied's eyes now remained blue all the time. He still had that fierce look that he always had but something behind his gaze reflected maturity, a deep level of calm, and unparalleled strength. His white hair significantly grew in length and now fell loose and freely past his shoulders. His muscles became more toned and refined, his features seemingly adapting to the change he underwent. He had grown... not just by strength alone, but as a person as well.

It was not easy gaining possession of the five Kai Scrolls. Zied and Seiryu had to go through hell to obtain three of them and the other two had been like looking for a needle in a haystack. But that was nothing compared to learning the contents of the scroll from the Dragon Spirit itself. Zied and Seiryu both risked their necks and put their lives on the line to defeat the Dragon Spirit of each corresponding scroll, and it was no easy task at all.

"You think we'll get it easy this time?" Seiryu asked out of the blue.

Zied knew what she was referring to. Four Dragon Spirits all told them the same thing. The power of the Dragons was not something a mere human should play with. It was only when they have barely managed to defeat one that they began to understand why.

"Don't count on it. According to the other Dragon Spirits, the one here only taught his art to one man for as long as it lived... my foster father."

The legendary knight that conquered and unified the Eastern lands... Guilford, the very same man Zied vowed to kill. Now Zied understood why he couldn't bring himself to strike him down no matter how much he wanted to do so. His blood subconsciously told him not to for he would die.

"Let's go. Idle banter is not helping our goal."

---

The mountain top. Zied and Seiryu had finally made it only to be greeted by a man who wore a black cloak. The man's face was hidden beneath his hood and the only thing Zied and Seiryu could see was the man's teeth from that wicked smile he had. There was nothing atop the mountain. Only a barren flat that bathed in thunder and lightning from the black clouds that swirled above. In the center of the flat stood the cloaked man... waiting.

Mortal! Why dost thou seek power?

The voice rumbled from the heavens. Both Zied and Seiryu backed away one step as the cloaked man took one forward. His presence, his aura, everything about the man made both of them tremble. Frightening was not even the right word to describe how overwhelming the cloaked figure was.

Answer!

Lightning struck the edges of the mountain top tearing off a few rocks and earth. The cloaked man took another step forward causing Zied and Seiryu to back away yet again.

"That's... none of your business!" Zied yelled and charged in.

Even before he could take a step forward, the cloaked man was already in front of him and the next thing Zied knew was that he was gasping for air. The cloaked man had him by the neck and raised a few feet off the ground. As Zied looked down, he saw a pair of crimson hues hiding within the darkness of the hood. There was no mistake, this cloaked man was indeed the Dragon Spirit they have been looking for.

Dost thou take me for a fool?

Even with his new found strength, Zied was unable to pry himself free from the man's grip. Seiryu who found Zied struggling decided to act but was easily deflected away by the man with a simple backhand swat. She was knocked out unconscious and Zied found himself helpless once more.

"I... want to... save someone!"

Hearing Zied's answer beneath his gasps for air, the cloaked man released him from his death grip and just as soon as Zied's knees hit the ground, the cloaked man was back to the center of the flat. Zied clutched his neck and tried to rub some of the pain away as he took in heaves of breath.

Foolish mortal. To save thy beloved, thou need not power!

"I don't care! I have witnessed far too many deaths! Experienced a great many sacrifices! I'm sick of it! I want to put an end to them all!"

Thou seek destruction?

"No! I seek the power to change things! To correct the wrong!"

There was silence from the cloaked man for a while but his wicked smile is gone, replaced by a more serious expression.

Thou have chosen to bear heavy burden on thy shoulders. Very well... show me thy resolve and I shalt bestow unto thee, thy power which thou seek.

Moments later, the heavens rumbled above and the cloaked man slowly morphed into a copy of Zied. The only difference is that the other Zied was dominated by his killer half, drunk with power and ready to use it on anything that moves.

The real one drew his red sword and a second later, the mountain top was filled by the sounds of fighting. Metal clashing against metal, battle cries, the sound of earth breaking... the battle was fierce. Zied knew that one mistake was all that was needed to put an end to the fight. He was not going to make that mistake.

---

Two months later in the town of Rikushu, Zied's house. Seiryu was busy preparing for a meal when she heard loud knocks on the wooden door. Wiping her hands dry, she hurried over to answer the door. Imperial Knights were waiting outside and one man who bore the crest of her fallen kingdom stood outside the door. Surprised, Seiryu immediately back away.

"So it is true. I've heard rumors from old folks that you were in town. Since you have been gone a long time, and covered your tracks pretty well in the last few years, it took quite a while for people to recognize you. Welcome back Azure Dragon."

Sho, leader of the Thirteenth Cavalry of the Mikagami Kingdom, Seiryu's old flame when she was still a knight and before she met Croix and Zied. He had changed since the last time she remembered him. His brown hair that was always short had now grown considerable length which now curled its way down to his shoulders, his face that had always been scar free was now tainted by the battlefield.

"The kingdom had fallen Sho, why are you still wearing that crest?" Seiryu cautiously asked.

"Haha! Surely you jest, Mikagami Kingdom has been restored after you had left for the Western lands. The prince survived and succeeded the throne Seiryu. It was tough without you but we managed to re-establish the kingdom."

"Then why are you here? What do you want Sho?"

"The King wants you back in the knighthood Seiryu. Our liege has been kind enough to overlook your past escapades with that mercenary. The King will give you back your title as a knight should you choose to serve him."

"And what if I refuse?"

Sho closed his eyes and shook his head sideways. "That is not an opti--"

He was not able to finish his words when his black eyes met the gaze of blue ones from a man that walked in on their conversation. Sho's eyes immediately noticed the black dragon tattoo on the man's right arm and despite the change in features, he recognized who it was. Rage began to course through Sho's veins and his blood began to boil. He had wanted to kill this man long, long ago and finally his chance had arrived!

"You bastard! How dare you show your face around here again?!"

Just as Sho was about to draw his blade and lunge at Zied, the white haired man appeared between him and Seiryu with his hand pressing firmly on the hilt of Sho's sword preventing him from drawing the blade any further. Taken by surprise, Sho met Zied's gaze and felt a chill run up his spine.

"I've caused enough trouble in this land and I don't want to add any more to that. Leave..." Zied said and turned around heading towards the kitchen.

Seiryu placed a hand on Sho's chest and pushed him lightly, urging him to let it go.

"I'm sorry Sho, but I'm not going back. Even though you say it is not my option, I have already chosen a path to walk, and that is beside that man. We'll be leaving for the Western lands again soon enough. If you plan to stop us, then the next time we meet, you and I will be enemies."

"Tch! This isn't over Seiryu... Mark my words, that man will never leave the Eastern lands alive."

Sho turned around frustrated and mounted his steed. He looked at Seiryu one last time with eyes that were filled with hatred and disgust before leaving with the rest of his men.

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

The color of pale, creamy white was everywhere that she could see. Tyth had stepped through the barrier into a complete, blank space of nothing. Had Beltza tricked her? Was this another dimension in which she was to lose herself?

Making one step forward caused a fissure of ripples through the space and suddenly, she could sense a presence of something close by. All of a sudden she was thrown off her feet by a powerful force at the center of her chest. Coughing as she skidded through the whiteness, Tyth pushed herself up to her arms only the be thrown against an invisible, vertical surface. Pain bloomed from the back of her head and through her spine, making her grit her teeth.

“HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND!!!”

It was her voice, but it was shrieking and desperate in its anger. She understood her soul fragment’s feelings, but to think that stupid demon pushed it this far with his lies.

She did not come in here to lose. Surely he is angry with her. Surely he hated her, but Tyth still wanted to see Zied one more time. There was something she needed to say to that man and this fragment was going to help in accomplishing that.

Giving up struggling against the force that was holding her down and putting crushing pressure on her forehead and chest, Tyth struggled to use her voice.

“If you are me at all, you would know I wouldn’t shed a piece of me so easily! Why listen to someone who never knew us at all?!” she panted her demand as she let the pressure continue crushing her, holding onto what breath she had left.

“You don’t have my memories, my experiences or my feelings, but you are still a part of me. There is a man we need to see. If you knew how much I wanted to see him, you would agree that this is a waste of time!”

Nothing was going to keep her from Zied. Not a stupid reward, not assassins, not a demon and most definitely not herself!

“Come with me! You want to be whole more than ever! I know you do! I am the only one who can accomplish that. I want it too, but pushing me away is never going to bring that chance closer!”

The pressure on her chest lessened a bit, but the weight of sadness and anger still filled the air.

“I missed you!” Tyth said, screaming her feelings of what she knew the piece wanted to hear the most, after all this time.

A dam of everything broke and the space turned into a spotted changing array of rainbows. Tyth was panting harshly as the pressure lifted from her, letting air flow into her deprived lungs. Looking up, she stared into grey eyes covered in a tangled mass of pale blue hair. The young girl sitting on her chest with a tear streaked, tortured face was the missing piece of her soul.

“I missed you so much,” it said, reaching for her shoulders and resting their foreheads together. Tyth felt wetness sliding down her cheeks and knew she was crying too. It all caught up with her, how she missed being whole again. Missing this part of her that she never knew was gone until now.

“Come back to me. Let us be whole again, and forever never part.”

The younger version of her smiled, leaned down and pressed her lips to Tyth’s and she disappeared as they melded together. It was like everything clicked into place. Like she was washed clean.

Opening her eyes again, Tyth found herself sprawled on the floor of a dim lit cave cavern that was the room she entered. Scyth was leaning over her, resting a warm hand on her left upper arm.

“That was the longest twenty seconds of my life.”

Behind him, the demon snorted, “You originally thought it was fifteen.”

Pulling her forward to sit her up, Scyth blinked as he squinted closer to Tyth’s face. “Your eyes, they are grey speckled with hazel green.”

It had been a lost amount of years that she heard that. It meant her true eye color had returned after making her soul whole again. Lifting a few strands of her hair to her eyes, she was disappointed to see they were still a shade of vibrant clouds.

“Scyth, I need weapons.”

“But don’t you want to recover-“

“No time,” she said and moved to get to her feet, her longer length of hair falling around to reach to the back of the bend of her knees. Grey-green eyes narrowed on the frowning demon who was holding their swords.
“I have some loose ends to tie up.”
Rolling his eyes with bared fangs, Bel threw their respective pair of swords to them and directed his bright, red gaze on Tyth.

“We are done, for now.”

The snap of his fingers echoed after they appeared in the town she stabbed Seiryu in. It was surely Bel’s idea of a sick joke.

Turning on her heel, Tyth was marching towards the nearest train station when Scyth pulled her to a stop then covered her hair with his long jacket.

“I know where you are heading, but you’re on a list of most wanted criminals at the moment. The last thing I want is to be hogged the whole way.”

---

Jaavi’s grave. She had made it. All the years she had wasted avoiding this one place seemed so senseless now. It was approaching her favorite time of day and the mostly clear sky was covered in spots of grey clouds, causing a twilight drizzle.

On their rush to Brant’s farm, Scyth had filled her in as to what happened since the incident with Zied and Seiryu. It had been currently half a year since, and tons of things had changed. The complete control of guilds in the west had broken. The council had changed hands a total of three times before they were all assassinated and guild policy was completely shattered. Presently, the controlling power was the strongest person or group in whatever region.

Those that seek refuge or freedom from the anarchy traveled south. Her friend had not been joking that time was different in Bel’s lair. Tyth was also positive that she had not heard the last from Jaavi’s brother.

Staring down at the well-kept grave with Jaavi Olisuer’s name carved neatly across the top, Tyth began to cry her greeting to the silent slab of stone. Brant had given up eight years of his life and his voice to help Tyth and those facts made her cry harder, so much that she fell to her knees. Both had sacrificed so much just so she could have a chance at living a normal life.

Their sacrifices would not be wasted. Tyth would fight to the death to ensure that promise.

“Jaavi, I have remembered every single word you ever told me. When you found me on the ground at Brant’s mercy, when you were encouraging me to keep swinging in the Fourth’s overture finishing move or during your final moments…I remember it all.”

Behind her stood Brant with his sister, holding onto each other with pain filled, happy smiles. The General’s hair was no longer deep blue but a light baby cerulean with strands of grey peeking at his temples and crown. A few more wrinkles show up along his nose and cheeks. Everyone was watching her kneel in front of the grave, her long, glossy hair braided down her back as she lowered a bright, orange flower onto the ground as the sun began to set.

“I can see now why you chose Brant. Had I been older, I probably would have fought you for him. But more than anything, I want to thank you. Rest assured the people responsible for tampering with our lives and making us experience such tragedies will suffer greatly by my hand. No one should go through what we went through, right?”

The wind picked up, throwing her bangs into her face and Tyth began to smile as everyone knelt down to pray and bless the grave as the last few rays of sunlight flickered away.

“Rest in peace, Jaavi.”

Raising her head, Tyth closed her eyes as she let the light shower of rain pelt against her face. It was like these feelings came even easier than before.

Now she just had to share one with a certain man.

---

Scyth originally had been worried about her direct approach in eradicating the pathetic souls of debauchery from the Forsaken Wolves ruins. They struck headfirst in the old town in which their previous guild used to reside. Now he was simply enjoying testing out some of the new techniques he could combine with her Demon style to make even larger areas of destruction.

Four weeks ago, Tyth and Scyth had been traveling southward to the ocean in order to head East. Information thanks to what was left of Brant’s intel network, there was a good chance that Zied Gray was in his homeland of the East, the piece of isle where dragons were rumored to still roam. But too much conflict and corruption eating at the uncontrolled masses barred their entry from leaving the country. Before she would have thrown a fit from how unfair the situation was, but now she was content in simply waiting patiently for an opportunity.

It presented itself on the third day of the fourth week when a rare, eastern native appeared before them, revving to fight. Tyth refused to fight him, despite his demands and let Scyth have the spar. As she watched Scyth simply beat the too thin of a man into the ground, she realized that it wasn’t her place to seek out Zied, but vice versa.

She was the one that wronged him yes, but at the same time, she wasn’t worthy to simply appear before him and beg forgiveness out of the blue. It was his move, and she would deal with him when he appeared.

None of the rules said anything about speeding up the process, though.
Since the town had gone to the dogs anyway, Tyth decided she was done hiding her identity. There was no point when the one person she needed to see had to know where she was. So she tore her cloak from her shoulders and screamed her presence to the world. Pretty soon, she had earned the name “The White Demon” with how ruthless she was in battle with her enemies. But her partner knew when she pulled her slashes, like when she merely unarmed the young boy who had screamed his misguided hatred at losing his family at her.

Currently, she was fighting a mass of surrounding opponents with Scyth, back to back. The location was in the northern part of town, near the mountains where most of the traders used to come through. Dressed in a dark red shirt that cut hugged her shoulders, a flaring half skirt that covered one, booted leg, Tyth twirled in place as her twin Demon blades cut through the air in a complicated swirl of twisting, curved slashes around herself. Behind her, Scyth was mirroring her movements, but with a slightly different angle to his cuts. When one of the sellswords happened to be bold enough to cross into the area where their swords crisscrossed, Tyth and Scyth’s weapons blurred faster, drawing their pray in and mowing him down before returning to their other opponents.

“So this is your plan? Fight with anyone in a destroyed town in hopes he will appear?”

“He’s a Dragon, right? Those creatures are attracted to power and conflict. It made senses when we traveled together. He couldn’t help fighting one person or the next. It has to work.”
They twirled in unison 180 degrees clockwise while never leaving each other’s back, switching sides to push everyone surrounding them away for a few seconds.

“You want it to work, but I’m not so sure. You don’t know if he even will bother with looking for you.”

Tyth blocked an attack, threw her weight down on one knee to unbalance her opponent and ran him through when his guard wobbled open with her other twin blade. Another body replaced the now dead man she killed, and she caught three swords this time with her left blade held horizontally, then pushed them all back as her eyes flashed a pale yellow. She couldn’t call too much on Bel’s reluctant gift since she was saving it for when Zied appeared.

“What will you do if all he wants is your life?”

“I will give it to him.”

They jumped up from the middle of their tight circle when a flaming building was falling towards their large, scale battle. Landing in an alleyway as the once organized group of aimless mercenaries scattered in panic, Tyth pressed her back against the cool brick wall and closed her as her partner simply breathed beside her.

“Aethwyn, I know you are worried, but please trust me. This is what I want.”

“You are crazy now that your soul is whole again. It’s a miracle I love you as much as I do.”

They had both come to an understanding about Scyth’s feelings for his friend. She acknowledged them, but did not accept them and they both knew why.
Zied.

Walking back through the broken alleyway with her partner on her heels, Tyth’s face was illuminated by the pale moonlight as she looked over her shoulder back at him.

“It’s not just him though. Seiryu surely won’t let me walk away with all I’ve done to her. Granted I wouldn’t mind fighting her one on one in a true fight without being an uncontrolled, drugged Sinner, but I owe it to her I think to at least give her one, honest fight.”

They walked into an open clearing just in time to hear several bombs go off around them. It was typical for bombs to go off in this city everyone has deserted. Even her old apartment was in shambles, not able to salvage anything from the rubble.

Smiling confidently, Tyth spread her legs in a ready position just as several shadows began moving towards them. Once they entered the light, Scyth could make out glinting metal and sighed tiredly. This was getting too repetitive, but he had to admit it was all they could manage at the moment.

Tyth was determined to see Zied again, but what she was going to do when she did remained a mystery to him. She refused to elaborate as to what she was going to do if the man ever showed up, and it worried him since he was suspicious of the fact of her killing herself to repent or something.

He was not entirely sure what to expect of this woman anymore. Gaining the missing piece of her soul changed her from a confused, lost woman to a confident, mature creature who was hell bent on reaching her goal. He watched her as she engaged the next group of attackers wanting to simply fight. The Azazel Organization took advantage of the chaos by ‘infecting’ any able body they could with rogue pathogens of the Sinner serum, a perfected combination of Kibola, Anoushka and Vartosu poisons that were guaranteed to make a person powerful and blood thirsty for deal for three hours until their hears gave out or they were killed.

But as she met them slash for slash, he couldn’t help thinking she made the dance of death look beautiful. Her now lengthy hair swirled around her, enhancing her focused gaze of hazel grey eyes as she twirled, kicked and danced her way around the twelfth overture pattern. Alone she was trouble, but paired with his version of the twelfth overture, they were almost impenetrable.

The red head appeared beside her after her third step into the twelfth set of katas. Where she faltered in her spins, he supported her with his strong arms by lunging around her on one leg to pierce at their mutual enemy as she carved in a whirling slash or hold her up around the waist as they cut together at the same time.

Scyth knew he couldn’t have her heart. But he cared about her enough to help her be happy, even if it was for a man he felt didn’t deserve her or for a future that involved her dying. The scar on his face seemed to tingle like a phantom caress as he remembered why he risked his life that day with Brant to aid Tyth.

He just hoped Zied didn’t kill her once he saw her, should he arrive in town. Despite Tyth’s reassurances that she could take whatever that man could give, he wasn’t all that confident she defend herself should that man attack. Not wholeheartedly.
But that was the old Tythlany he knew, so he might be wrong about the new one.

---

She knew it was best to wait, but simply fighting a senseless, tiring battle was surely not the answer. It was all she could do to past the time.

Tyth knew the fires she started in this town and the few surrounding it were a small flame to depend on, but after going through great pains to make sure she was remembered had to reach him somehow, it was all she could hope to work.

Things were not finished between them.

Growling loudly as she caught two blades aimed at her neck, she vaulted herself over the parried blades after twisting them down to the ground and digging the tips into the dirt. She needed to make time go faster, until he appeared.

[Ethereal]

It was just like the old days. Sho stayed true to his word that Zied would not leave the Eastern lands alive. He had miraculously acquired the help of neighboring kingdoms to aid him in putting an end to the Black Dragon once and for all. Countless knights now surrounded Zied and Seiryu after falling prey to an elaborate plan to isolate them inside the port town where there would be no other place to run to but the sea. Sho spread word that a Western ship had docked and will be departing soon. Zied's eagerness to return to the West in search for Tyth got the best of both him and Seiryu. Sure, there was a ship ready to leave but the knights will be there to prevent them from boarding it.

Backs resting against each other, Zied and Seiryu endlessly deflected arrows, sword slashes, spear thrusts, hammer swings, axe blows and whatever attack the imperial knights had up on their sleeve. Sure, if Seiryu allowed Zied to just dispatch the combined Imperial Knights of several kingdoms, escape is possible but she did not. In fact, she made Zied promise not to spill any knight blood. Wave after wave would Zied and Seiryu disarm and knock knight after knight unconscious but they would just be replaced by another in a seemingly endless waltz of combat.

Pressed hard by the knights, Zied and Seiryu managed to stay unharmed and keep a good circular territory for twelve straight hours of fighting. They have kept a stalemate which forced Sho to come out to the front.

"Seiryu, give it up. You two are not going anywhere and we can keep this up all day, all night, all week... hell! No matter how long you want to stay stubborn! That boat will leave without you whether you like it or not. Oh! Let me just tell you that the Eastern land will be closing its docks to Western Ships after that one has departed. It's the last Western Ship that will ever dock here in the East."

"Damn you Sho! What will you gain for doing this?!" Seiryu hissed.

The knight circled around the two like a hungry wolf that had his pack behind him. His eyes were focused on Zied, the Black Dragon. Blue eyes met his gaze as he stopped a good distance in front of Zied but to Sho's surprise there was not a trace of murderous intent behind them. Only that deep calmness that drove Sho crazy. The Black Dragon he knew would have slaughtered every man that attempted to take his life. The Black Dragon he knew would do anything to survive and be the last man standing. What could cause a man such as him change drastically?

"Black Dragon... what happened to you? Why won't you act like the savage beast that you are huh?!" Sho asked.

Zied simply smiled and lowered his sword. The moment he did so, an arrow came flying in but failed to take Zied's life. He caught the projectile between two fingers right before the arrow tip punched a hole between his eyes.

"My sword is not the same as it was before."

Puzzled, Sho squinted his eyes and nearly burst out into laughter.

"Don't jest Zied! You're still the same man! You're still the Black Dragon! The murderer wanted in both the East and the West! How could you say that your sword is not the same as it was before!"

"I believe that a knight such as yourself knows the meaning behind my words the best." Zied replied with a smile and tossed the arrow away.

"A responsible sword. Are you telling me that you have chosen a knight's sword over a mercenary's? Don't you dare stain a knight's pride with your blasphemy! A mercenary... no, you of all people will never step on the knight's path! You have no right!"

"That maybe true. But how come you're still breathing after looking down on me like that? You and the rest of these knights, all your lives are at my mercy. You know this for a fact right Sho? Otherwise why have you kept yourself behind the lines until now when we are at a stalemate?"

Infuriated, Sho drew his blade but stopped abruptly as Zied raised his free hand and motioned for him to come.

"My resolve against your pride. I challenge you to a duel Sho. If I win, you will let us pass. If I lose, my head is yours."

It was a sweet deal, Sho couldn't pass it up. All it needed was the right words to get the knight going and soon, the duel was over in a second with Zied as the victor. However, when both Zied and Seiryu were about to board the ship, trickery had been put into play. The knights managed to snatch Seiryu away. Zied would have come back for her but she pushed him to go on forward and find Tyth. Watching the purple haired woman disappear within the knight's ranks, Zied vowed to come back for her after settling his score in the Western lands.

---

Long strands of white hair danced with the strong sea breeze as the large western ship cruised at top speed Westward. Zied stood at the edge of the ship's bow looking far off into the horizon. The gaze that his crystal blue eyes harbored had certainty in them, that he wanted to return to the Western lands. His white cloak that bore the mark of his dragon tattoo swayed elegantly with the wind as he held strongly against a rope that kept the spear-gun in place. A lot has happened but he had crossed the point of no return long ago. Unfinished business was never meant to be left unfinished.

Beneath the white cloak, Zied now wore nothing but his black tight fit shirt with torn sleeves, his black pants were slightly modified by a trusted tailor/armorsmith to give him more freedom of movement, and a new pair of boots that matched his requirement for comfort and toughness. He had discarded every piece of armor that he used to wear beneath his clothing when he felt no need for them anymore. The only pieces of metal that he had on him would be his belt, his sword and his own pair of katars. A few years of training with the Dragon Spirits and he was finally ready to step into the West and find her.

It wouldn't be too long now and soon they will be setting foot on land. Zied had been at sea for almost a month now and just as he predicted, the Western lands finally came into view. The people aboard the ship had begun getting ready to disembark. Zied however, did not move an inch. There was a certain feeling in the air that bothered him just as soon as the ship reached the docks. With a strong kick using his legs, Zied leaped from the Ship's bow, flipped once in air and landed with both feet on Western soil. A flashy disembarking that attracted the attention of a few.

His right hand snaked to the hilt of his red sword beneath his cloak as he cautiously looked around. It may have been years but he had left this land as a fugitive. A couple years in the East would not do anything to change what he was in the eyes of the West. He was still a wanted man walking in broad daylight. As far as he was concerned, the souls that were out for his blood still lingered nearby and they only need one thing that resembled him to jog their memories of him - if the mark on his cloak had not done its job already.

He came back to the West to be found or to find someone first. That was exactly what he was going to do. Carrying no luggage with him, Zied began walking the port town streets heading to the nearby pub. Information as always is a crucial necessity, especially when looking for someone. A couple minutes of walking and he arrived at the place. It was run-down but patrons still flocked the joint, travelers, mercenaries and regular drunkards alike. Pushing the pub doors open, numerous eyes immediately turned his way. The crowd fell silent, as if his presence there meant that he held every patron's right to breathe in his hands... and that indeed was true.

Keeping his head low, Zied slowly headed to the bar, his footsteps echoing upon the hard wooden floor. He had not even taken five steps into the bar when someone recognized the marking on his white cloak.

"I-It's h-him! B-B-Black Dragon!"

His gaze flicked to where the voice came from but the sudden change in the pub atmosphere alerted Zied of trouble. Just as soon as the voice that identified him faded, the patrons all began drawing weapons, both men and women alike including the waitresses. Soon, their faces that were baffled not merely a minute ago turned into scowls and were now deformed by blood lust. Smirking at the sight of a bloodthirsty, drunken mob out for his head, Zied simply pulled down the hood of his cloak to reveal his face. He did not want any trouble and was willing to lay low and avoid them as long as he can but it was no use. After all, he is still the same man on the poster with a remarkable bounty on his head.

At least he tried.

"Get him!"

A courageous battle cry but futile. For drunkards, Zied need not his sword. One arm is more than enough. Like crazed beasts, men and women came at him like a swarm of bees that had their hive disturbed. Zied in turn, simply disarmed his attackers, grabbed them by the collar and hurled them out of the pub via the way he came in. Step by step he advanced while throwing patrons unharmed out of the pub for his own privacy. Screams filled the pub as bodies came flying out the front door one by one at a rapid pace. He did not hit them but the landing was sure to be rough. That alone should be enough to send them a message not to mess with him.

When Zied had finally reached the bar, the number of people inside were reduced to four. Him, a scared lad that held a measly knife close to his chest with trembling knees, the barkeep and an insect that he ridiculously remembered... Xalosis. Confident in himself, Xalosis, a Forsaken Wolves first class remained seated in his chair with his eyes fixated on Zied. Meeting his murderous gaze with an indifferent one, Zied paid no attention to the insect. He was not a threat and will never be one even in his wildest dreams. After disregarding the existence of the man that remained seated, Zied pulled out a few crisp republic dollars and placed them before the barkeep.

"I'm looking for someone." he said in a low tone. "Tythlany Nighfox, former Forsaken Wolves Captain a.k.a. the White Sinner. What can you tell me?" Zied finished.

The barkeep mumbled a few things to Zied in broken intervals despite clear signs of fear. He had no information regarding the White Sinner but had some interesting info about a new legend in the West, the White Demon. His gut told him that it was Tythlany Nightfox and as soon as he heard the part where the barkeep mentioned Old Grounds, Zied immediately knew where to go. On his way out, the man that was non existent to Zied began to talk trash.

"Hey Third Class! I never got to repay you for hurting my hand. Don't tell me, you forgot about me already?" Xalosis asked in a mocking tone.

Stopping on his way out, Zied eyed the wooden chair near his left leg. Raising one brow followed by a sly smirk, Zied used his left boot to hook the chair followed by a swift and powerful kicking motion. He sent it flying to Xalosis like a bullet. Unable to dodge the wooden chair, the man got hit and the wooden chair broke into a hundred little pieces as Xalosis was sent crashing down to the pub's floor. No surprise there. Xalosis was still as useless as Zied first judged and watched the man's sprawled and possibly bleeding form for a moment before he turned around and stepped out of the pub. Talking insects never made sense to Zied.

Once outside, Zied could not believe his eyes.

"That's him! He's back!"

It was like the port town's people had gathered near the pub to see for their own eyes that the Black Dragon has returned. It would have been heartwarming if what they held were flowers and wine but they were wielding anything sharp that they could get their hands on. It was then and there that Zied realized that the West has now become a chaotic place. Even guild regulated areas such as this port town was out of control. Sighing as he watched the people's expressions and listening to their curses and demands, Zied learned of why they were after his neck. Life has become hard in the Western land and he was but one means to make ends meet... the bounty on his head.

Some men held small vials that rang a loud and clear bell on Zied's memory. It was the very same poison that Tyth used to chug down when she needed to power up. How the hell did these men get their hands on that stuff?! Puzzled, Zied's hand snaked to the handle of his katars strapped to the side of his legs. If one of them makes a move, he will get swarmed and then he would have no choice but to fight his way out possibly hurting innocent citizens that only wanted the bounty on his head. There were no other options but to run away and lure the men with vials away from the port town. If he was right about that liquid, then he would have no choice but to draw his weapons.

Making a break for it, Zied ran as fast as he could towards the part where the mob was smaller. He drew his katars and flared his killing intent without holding back. It was enough to paralyze the normal people with fear allowing Zied to easily force his way through. His long white hair and cloak trailed behind him as he sped through the streets heading for the town exit. Just as he neared the exit, he felt several presences closing in on him from behind. When he looked back, what he saw was not men who were just after the bounty on his head but Sinners. Gritting his teeth followed by a low growl, Zied sheathed his katars and lured them out of the port town into the dirt road near the woods.

After making sure that he was far enough, Zied suddenly skidded to a stop and turned around. The men after him were still tailing him but he was ahead by a good number of seconds. He watched the men close in on him as he untied the cloak and tossed the white fabric to hang on a nearby branch. Taking his stance when using his fists, Zied waited patiently for the head hunters to arrive. When they did, all that Zied could see were mindless power drunk men out for blood. As he prepared himself to attack, Zied remembered Seiryu's words. Killing Sinners is not the only way to save them. But how much of that could be true when these people have already decided to throw away their sanity for power?

Eight men who drank the dangerous brew of strengthening poisons, they were eight men drowning in blood lust. Zied made the first move, attacking in a straight line to the nearest man, he ducked low to avoid a sword swing and pressed into the man's chest slamming his elbow hard just above the stomach causing the man to gasp for air. As soon as he made his move, the rest of the men began to attack. Two of them leaped into the air and the rest charged in from the ground. His eyes quickly discerning the locations of his opponents, Zied grabbed the arm of the man he just elbowed and hurled him upward to one of the men who leaped to attack. After watching two bodies hit each other, Zied leaped for the other one that was still in air and caught the man's sword arm after he swung his blade at Zied. Using the same momentum from the swing, Zied spun the man in mid-air and hurled him downward to another of the five left below.

With four more still able to move, Zied landed on both feet and immediately swayed back to avoid a frontal swing followed by a spin to the right to avoid another. Regaining his balance, Zied kicked back and knocked away the man approaching from behind. With one more fast approaching and the other two having recovered from their first swings at Zied, the white haired man kicked up dust in the eyes of the one to his left and blocked another death blow from the one to his right by catching the man's sword arm. With a quick yet strong flick to the elbow joint, Zied managed to disarm the man and hurled him towards the one he temporarily blinded with dust. Down to the last one, Zied did not hold back. Using his speed, Zied appeared behind the man and chopped him by the neck. A second later and it was lights out for him.

Not wasting any more time, Zied grabbed his cloak and left the scene heading for the Old Grounds. Surely they would recover but the outcome was already decided. Without him to be a target for them, they would surely turn against each other. There was nothing Zied could have done to save them and he surely did not want to kill them either. This spreading of the substance has to stop but only after he had settled things with her.

---

The Old Grounds. This was where the Forsaken Wolves used to be. A city reduced to rubble by ruffians, Sinners and mercenaries alike. A desolate place that harbored the source of the bothersome feeling that troubled Zied as soon as he set foot in the West. There was fire everywhere, a sign that there had been recent fighting that has gone rampant. Walking around a little bit, Zied found dead bodies all over the place. But they were all leading to one direction, forward. Leaping on top of structures that still stood, Zied got a better view of the city. He could feel numerous killing intent in the air as the wind swayed his cloak and long hair. Death was thick in this town and it could only be the work of a Sinner.

Pulling his hood over his head, Zied leaped structure after structure following a certain aura he would not mistake even after three years. His blue eyes then found a fix on the location of the aura. From afar, a battle is being fought and what he saw confirmed everything and at the same time caused him to just stop moving.

There he was, the redhead that saved Seiryu's life. And there she was, the white haired woman that took away Seiryu's life. Zied's brows narrowed as he tried to take a closer look at the two who were fighting from afar. His right hand slowly gripped the hilt of his red sword. He then leaped to other structures that led him closer to the fighting. As he neared where they were, her aura slowly became more intense. The feeling that bothered Zied was definitely coming from her. The White Demon? What has become of her over the years since they parted ways in Zartex? There was only one way to find out.

Zied watched her parry two blades that was aimed for her neck and managed to keep the blades pinned down to the ground. His crystal blue eyes watched her fight for a moment and made Zied realize that she had greatly improved. Was she under the influence of poison again? Should he strike her down when she is off guard? Thinking made his head hurt and his urges to get down there stronger.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Zied bended his knees slightly and with a powerful leap, soared into the air heading straight down to where the redhead and Tyth was. This is it, the moment he has long waited for... a chance to settle things with her.

Landing not far behind the woman, Zied kept his head low and his hood on. Even though she could not see his face, he was sure she would recognize him if he suddenly flared his aura. To get her attention, that was what he just did. Zied's hand still gripped the hilt of his sword tight beneath his cloak. Seiryu may have forgiven her but he has not. Depending on how she would answer him, perhaps there would be no need to strike her down.

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

Minutes, seconds, mere moments blurred together as she simply fought. Her movements were almost robotic as she simply struck, parried, twirling around their attacks, again and again. Time was passing, just like how she wanted. When she needed it, Scyth protected her back should an opening appear or she was too focused on her opponent to care.

If Sinners were her adversary, she just killed them. There wasn’t a long enough period of peace or safe place of resources to give any of them the proper time for withdrawal and recovery. She kept moving her swords, moving her feet and breathing evenly.

It seemed patience rewarded her, because she could sense him. Like a touch, his presence filled the air she breathed. Behind her, he stood ready.

Scyth was already moving towards her from the few feet he was from her side, drawing a red dagger with white and silver writing on both sides of the blades. Time seemed to slow as she pushed her enemy away to look over her shoulder and some of her hair flared around her at the force of her movement. Blue eyes met hers just as the red dagger dug into the now visible, circular diagraph etched into the earth. Only hers, Scyth’s and his feet were inside the diagram, and their surroundings shifted sideways until mountains grew around them.

The location tagged to the dagger was the northern Mountain Range of the Old Grounds, otherwise known as the Flat Acres. It was quiet here, away from civilization and chaos which was the perfect palce she felt it was that if Zied actually ever appeared that they would stage their “reunion”.

He looked different, but it had been a few years. His hair was longer, his eyes now the same, blue color. His presence was heavy should he let it, tipping her off that he was holding back. Tyth was impressed, but reluctant to really say anything unless it was her weapon.

Not bothering to say a greeting, Tyth appeared in front of him just as he did earlier at her back and their first blades met. A loud, thunderous crack filled her ears from the force of their weapons meeting, and it reminded her of when she was crazy from blood lust, attacking him while Seiryu was dying.

Where was Seiryu anyway? Should she not be by this man’s side, just like Tyth wished she herself could be?

Since she had only drawn her right blade, Tyth decided to use a trademark combination she favored in using. Pressing forward, she angled her upper body from the waist up the left with her left shoulder pointing outward. Slanting her blade flat so his slide down to her right towards the hilt of her blade, she clenched the handle tighter. Stepping backwards so both their blades slid to her right, Tyth let go of her weapon and twirled around the other way with a fist aiming for his face.

As if predicting her move, he retracted his sword back smoothly to block her hand with the flat side of his blade. Drawing her other sword from behind her back as her fingers spread out his sword, Tyth pushed the blade aside and met his chest with her hand, releasing the air pressure she collecting by merely moving her hand. He was pushed back only a few inches but it gave her an opening to move back a few feet. Skidding to a stop, Tyth snapped her fingers and her fallen first Demon blade flew to her fingers.

Behind them, the sun was slowly lowering to the horizon. Almost time.

There was no potent hate in his gaze that she could make out, which confused her as their single weapons met again. But no matter, since she was going to finish this the right way.

For what seemed like forever, they traded blows and didn’t let up. For the first thirty minutes, she was able to trick him into walking a step into her circle of personal space, and land a hit with her arm or leg. Once, she was able to switch hands holding her blade, latch onto the wrist holding his and pull herself into a twirl that brought them near her back to his chest, only her elbow was digging into the kidney of his left side. Feeling the air whoosh out lightly from his mouth against the shell of her ear, Tyth lunged forward when she felt him move, most likely to slash at her again. A few locks of her hair was lopped off when she shakily avoided his cut at her hip. Having shifted her body underneath the sword’s path just seconds before it sliced her back open, Tyth kicked out one sleek leg and dug her heel into his right kidney. Not stopping at mere contact, she pushed the force she gathered from the kick to literally force him back a few feet.

Every single time they had enough space between them to see their faces clearly, Tyth’s grey, hazel eyes never left his focused, clear blue ones. Amidst battle, she couldn’t help thinking they were beautiful.

Not helping herself, she smirked at him and then the world tilted sideways, and her back hit the ground hard. It was one second of distraction of feeling happy with him being near, and he used it to sweep her legs out from under her. Rolling away while struggling to catch her breath, Tyth heard his sword cut into the earth as he followed her rolling form with his sword.

Zied wasn’t the type to hold back, at least as far as she remembered. Neither should she. But she was pulling her punches. Tyth didn’t want to kill him.

He seemed to sense this because his eyes flashed angrily at her, and dug his sword into the ground then drew his katars. Did he want to kill her?

Had she lost her chance to gain forgiveness?

Meeting each katar with a sword, Tyth tried to read his face. On hers she knew her face was screaming that her heart wasn’t into this type of fight, even though she owed it to him. What she really wanted was to be selfish and hold him. To wish hurting him had never happened.

Maybe it was time?

He kept coming and coming, making her see the read Black Dragon in all its glory. His controlled savagery was amazing to witness, especially on the recovering end of all his strong and forceful moves. She was just one woman though, clean of everything. There was only so far she could last and if she faltered from a misstep, he would kill her intentionally. Tythlany didn’t want that.

Zied was coming again, and she could tell from the angle of his right katar where it was aimed at: her throat. She didn’t move until the last second, kicking herself left into a half cartwheel while catching his left katar in mid air between her knees, the other she let dig into the middle of her chest by dropping her sword and welcoming the blow. Already she could feel the sharp blade pierce through her breastbone, digging deeper.

Scyth, who had stood off to the side to let them fight, clenched his eyes and looked away while a tear fell down his face.

Falling to the ground on her side with the katar and its wielder, Tyth dug her fingers into the ground while coughing up some blood. It hurt but she refused to whimper from it.

Looking up through sweaty bangs to Zied who was crouched over her, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Hi Zied,” she finally greeted him, the first words since he appeared behind her. Hissing lightly as raising her head jarred the katar embedded in her, Tyth rested her head back against the ground.

“Excuse me if I took the satisfaction of taking my life, but I wanted to give it to you. I’m serious in redeeming myself where you are concerned. Sorry just isn’t the right word for all the feel after I killed Seiryu, but I didn’t want you to be alone. Even if it wasn’t me, I couldn’t stand the thought of you alone again.”

Blood started leaking from the side of her mouth and she spit it out so she wouldn’t choke.

“There’s so much I want to tell you, so much I learned since that day. But all I can think of is this….”

Smiling despite her pain and the blood, Tythlany reached up with a dry, calloused hand to brush the tips of his hair and cheek, “I love you, Zied.”

Her life was at his mercy now.

---

Scyth couldn’t believe this is what she meant by giving Zied Grey her life. That she would willingly die by his hand if it meant to prove just how sorry she was. He wanted to cry but knew deep down it wasn’t the time. The gift from Jaavi’s will the demon Bel gave them now made sense.

Not bothering to wipe the stray tears from his face, Scyth walked forward towards the two after Tyth unarmed herself to take the blow. Standing beside the white haired Black Dragon, he crouched down and offered the man with a shaking hand a small vial with only two drops of liquid in it.

“Zied Grey,” he said in what he hoped was a calm and serious tone, “My best friend and the woman I love just willing put her life in your hands. This can save her, but only if you really want to.”

Gods he hoped he did.

“You take the first drop and imagine what you want her drop to take from her. It could be her current wounds, “he hinted, clenching the bottle a little lighter, “ or it could be she was never born or even just turn it into water and let her die. It is your choice, and the woman was adamant that you were given the choice. After you decide, then give her the second drop.”

Looking at his friend who was dying a second time right in front of him, Scyth offered the bottle a little closer, “Choose quickly because something tells me these drops will evaporate if you take too long and the chance is gone.”

Because Scyth was starting to think Tyth planned it this way all along, and it made sense that Bel was seriously hoping Zied would let her die. It is very rare that for a few short moments, a person’s fate is ultimately determined by another with these tears from an angel. But there was no time to tell the Black Dragon how much she changed, how much she deserved to live now more than ever!

They both waited for Zied’s decision.

[Ethereal]

Zied watched, listened and took in every word the redhead said to him. Deep down in his gut, this is not how he wanted it to be. A simple apology would have sufficed but she just had to attack him first. And now the outcome was something he does not desire anymore. Zied released a pent up sigh and looked at the vial being handed to him. Tyth practically offered him her life after telling him how she felt. It was the most ridiculous way of apologizing he had ever received and he began to wonder how the woman came up with it. Regardless, he did not want her life and he had discarded any plans of taking it. This woman can do as she pleases with her life.

"Yes, when the wound was still fresh, I wanted your life so bad. But then Seiryu made me realize that it really was not your fault but the poison. I knew it, deep in my heart I knew it all along, but seeing you nearly kill Seiryu caused me to snap. And now that you're entrusting your own life to me, telling me I can decide if you live or die, all made everything clearer. I will gain nothing out of this. Tythlany Nightfox, I don't want your head on a pike, I just wanted to hear you apologize. I forgive you..." Zied paused and pulled out his katar from Tyth.

"Scyth I believe... I take this vial with no intention of killing Tyth. I can see it in your eyes that you are eager to use it on her yourself, you can do just that... but then again..." he finished and poured the contents of the vial to Tyth, drop by drop without a word.

"If what you say is true... don't dive headfirst and force me to kill you! Stupid woman." he said and turned around to walk away. He was feeling unsure of himself as he sat down to rest while keeping an eye on the two he just left. Seiryu was right all along...

Miraculously enough, Tyth's wounds began to heal. It was like watching life playing in reverse. A new path opened up for him and the white haired woman. How will things play out from here on? Zied could only wonder amidst the chaos in the West. The guilds have fallen apart, the rule of the land torn asunder. In the middle of everything, two individuals seek out their purpose, a goal to achieve or a promise to keep. Of course, with numerous blades seeking to end their existence, it was best to say that things are not going to turn for the better any time soon.

As the fires in the ruined city crackled on, Zied thrust his red sword to the ground. A new frontier awaits him in the Western Lands, and with him was a woman who just forced her way into him. Smiling as the wind blew harshly across his long white hair, Zied turned his head to Tyth and reached out with one arm.

"Hey... just how long are you going to sit around there? We're just getting started..."

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

When the two drops met her skin, it was like she was a doll being sewn together again. The very walls of every layer of her organs and skin were stitching themselves up. The blood that leaked out had 'miraculously' found its way back into their proper veins and organ walls. It hurt like hell, too. She grit her teeth as her very muscles were literally growing back together. The breastbone her sword had sliced through was rebuilding bone and mending together like it never broke. The blade had scraped against her spine, slicing between bone, but was now reversed and the vertebrae were undamaged.

Only scans of her bones or close glances at her skin would her faint puncture scar at the center of her chest and between her shoulder blades show what had ever occurred.

During the whole five minutes her body was repairing itself, she had clenched her teeth together to mute her whines of pain. Surely Beltza the Demon was watching and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her screams again.

When it finally over, Tyth sat up and felt at her chest for the wound she had self inflicted. It was gone, but the faint feeling of bumpy skin was there. It worked better than she could have ever hoped for, since it came from that masochistic demon. She had feared at one point he had it rigged to be a dud, just to be happy that she was finally dead. But now that their agreement was over, the sword wouldn't come to her call anymore. Glancing over at the burnt shadow of a sword where he blade had fallen from her chest, she knew it had burst into flames and returned to Beltza's alternate dimension. Good riddance. Tyth didn't want to depend on that demon spawn any more than she had to. It was bad enough he was related to Brant's wife Jaavi. To think Jaavi had once been a demon...

Scyth knelt down to her side with a relived smile and glanced at her chest to make sure the wound had healed successfully. She thanked him with her eyes and he nodded and they both looked at Zied. Scyth nodded to the man, said he was going to patrol the area and let them be. She thanked him again just as he disappeared from sight.

Leaning forward on her hands, she winces from stretching the new skin across her chest and back. The hole in her shirt looked embarrassing but it beat being alive any day. Pushing herself up to her feet, Tyth wobbled over to Zied's side. He had turned away after calling her stupid for acting so rashly, but she wouldn't have it any other way. It seemed death was a central part of their lives, and each other. In a sick way, it brought them together.

"Hey...just how long are you going to sit around there? We're just getting started..."

She reached out and clasped his hand and leaned her forehead against his arm, closing her eyes just to soak in the feel of him. It felt unreal. It was like her dreams were now reality. Tyth still couldn't believe he was standing right here in front of her. He wasn't dead, he wasn't angry, he was just there.

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe you are really here. I was....reliving dream after cruel dream that you would be less forgiving. That the other side of you would never let me live."

She didn't want to tell him just yet what Beltza had put her though, the images he tortured her with.

"But this is real, and I'm glad."

She smiled against his arm and let the tears flow freely. Now that her soul was complete, she didn't feel reluctant or strange when she is true to her emotions. It felt so right letting her self be plain right in front of Zied.

Lifting her head, Tyth leaned away from his arm and let go, reaching up to brush away her tears. Soon she began to shake with light laughter.

"This feels to raw and to real to be true, not after all the times I imagined that it is now happening. You in front of me, like this…”

In this moment, out of all the time they had spent together, her life felt whole. However, it was cut short as her senses sharpened and she smelled burning wood and heard disturbing cries through the night air. Sinners were close and now was not the time for her to be caught up in a reunion, despite her efforts to instigate it. Now they had to concentrate on staying alive for the next couple of hours. Their selfish feelings can wait a while longer. Shaking the blood from her sword, Tyth sent a silent signal to Scyth for him to get ready to move.

“We need to seek shelter. I want to know what happened after that horrible day, Zied. I also want to know where Seiryu is.”

Scyth signaled her that the coast was clear between two tall, broken buildings. Although she knew it could have waited, these past months without him left her wanting to keep some part of him close at all times. Reaching for his hand again, Tyth gripped her sword hilt in the other and laced her fingers hesitantly through his. Gently tugged him along, Tyth knew he would catch up in no time. The happy grin on her lips was visible, just as Scyth smirked at her over his shoulder and shook his head as he lead the way to the other side of the thin alley. What did it matter? She was happy, more than she had ever been before. If it weren’t for that fact that the city they were in was utterly destroyed and burning, Tyth would have whooped and screamed for joy.

[Ethereal]

"All in a day's work..."

Zied had just finished tending to the wound on his left thigh, the others were shallow enough to cause unnecessary worry. If it was not for the innocent man-- played upon by the wheels of fate, that stumbled between his fight with them, he never would have taken a near crippling blow. Both him and Zied managed to outrun them, and that goes without saying it took more than what he expected just to get some distance while wounded and carrying extra luggage. Now he found himself lightly gasping for breath while the man he saved was foolishly trying to make himself useful.

"Get out of here if you want to live. They have always been known not to care about collateral damage."

It was funny how the people suddenly forgot about the terror of the White Demon and Black Dragon that once roamed these very same lands. After all, people were bound to react to something bigger, something far more hideous and utterly inexplicable. They were the perfect fit. It was not an everyday scenario where someone appears out of nowhere claiming dominion over everything that moved or is valuable makes their appearance.

These killing machines ravaged the lands freely and unchallenged. Hell bent with the ideal that everyone should be ruled with an iron hand and a cruel justice system. It was these very same ideals that drove the land on the brink of collapse. Much hatred filled the lands, just as fear gripped the hearts of many. Nobody saw them coming, nobody even knew that they existed-- these people who had the power to rock the very foundation of humanity. Seraphs as they would like to call themselves, led by an idealistic man nobody has ever laid eyes upon.

They came, purging the land of its disease and bringing about their own. They cleansed the land from Sinners, made the remaining Guilds clinging to old tradition succumb to their will, defied every rule the current governing power set for the land. They were vigilantes, they were saviors, they were justice itself. They were a great many yet they were still an enemy. The Seraphs influence spread like wildfire left unattended. It was only a matter of years and they had brought the entirety of the land to its knees. Such terrifying power should definitely not go unchallenged.

The people who had the means to stand and fight were crushed like bugs, just as the people who cannot fight back but merely caught in the crossfire, it was all the same. Harbingers of death and destruction, chaos incarnate, they hammered down their own definition of justice upon the land and its people. Soon enough, they had brought the people together yet separated them all the same. They had unified the land under their rule, and those who cannot accept that fact were met with their Divine Justice.

Tythlany Nightfox and Zied Gray were now relics of the past. And yet they were hunted down mercilessly by the Seraphs just to prove that nobody is exempt from their justice. All hope seemed lost yet these two lived on-- the fire of hope burning endlessly in their hearts. Nobody in their right mind dared to step up and fight for what they believed in, yet these two did so unconditionally. They challenged the Seraphs every chance they get and would come out defeated. Even so, it was not enough to dull their blades. These Seraphs needed to taste their own medicine, and it just so happened that they picked the wrong people to administer it.

"I've got to get back to her... this isn't going anywhere. Looks like it was still a defeat."

Zied knew he needed to move to let Tyth know that he could not put a stop to the Seraph's onslaught, but the wounds he sustained while trying to topple a nearby Seraph camp were making it hard for him. The people who lived here had kept their hideout safe for the longest time. Leaving a blood trail for the Seraphs to follow just does not seem to be the best option right now. He was in the middle of a swampy forest where those who chose to run away took refuge. Even with the gloom of death lurking nearby, this place had been their home. As much as he hated it, these people will be forced to lose their home again, just like the countless others.

"Damn it all!"

The sound of metal armor clinking together neared where he took a moment to rest. The hallowed cries of the commanding officers echoing through the mist and woods. Though they could not pinpoint Zied's position, the Seraphs had him surrounded. Picking up his katars, Zied rose up with his back leaned on one of the mangled trees. Ignoring the pain shooting from his wounded thigh, his eyes were fierce and his killing intent threatening to break free from his control. This was not the first time he had been put in this scenario, there were many more that had the same level of threat. What was one more time for the records?

I found him! He's here!

Impending doom was knocking on his doors once more. Zied let out a sigh and took a deep breath to fuel his body for the incoming onslaught. If he wanted any chance of survival, he had to let his control go. Leaves rustled outward just the same as the waters rippled when Zied released his intent to kill. He would give no quarter to these fully armored anomalies in hopes that Tyth would sense his distress signal.

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

It was a hard battle. All her life was made up of were battles, fighting tooth and nail to stay alive and breathe just a few more seconds. So many sacrificed so little just for those few seconds. The opponent in front of her was no different. A tyrant by nature, the Seraphs are the scourge upon the land. Her unfortunate brethren and their predecessors of a sort, Sinners, had been designed to attain submission by force of blood. Mindless violent blood that was the price for a depraved man’s simple greed to bully and suppress.

Now was the age of Seraphs, and it sickened her that all their fights made little of a difference. The people were divided and scared. No one had any allegiance to anyone, not even themselves. The rulers of every grain of land were killed, people taken and abused. At the time she was focused on looking for familiar faces and hopefully one day turning most of the Sinners back to normal. It could be done – she is living proof of a reformed sinner with controllable bloodlust. But that was crushed when another tyrant decided to rear his head and accomplish what others could not: own the world.

The night was painted with a vibrant sunset, and they were all bathed in the bright red of the sky as the blood flew around their bodies. Tyth by instinct stuck to her circular style as her foots dug round grooves into the ground with her constant rotations. She was getting tired, but she needed to find an opening in order to break free. Before when they were simply strolling along, alert and alone to their next destination, which so happened to be a Serpah haven, did Tyth and Zied get attacked and separated.

She never liked being separated from him. It always irked her, not enough to distraction, but just enough to fuel her force in her cleaves of a blade that tore and sliced at her enemies. Seraphs were strong, stubborn bastards and they mainly won by overwhelming you in numbers. But that was if their pray was normal, and herself or Zied were NOT normal.

Speak of the devil. It was like a strong, tangible ripple through the air and as one, she and the Seraphs surged towards the source. Some swatted at her, but they mostly were all now running towards the direction of the force of power. She had felt it so many times now, she could already feel the body, smell his clothes as if he were right in front of her in all his rugged glory. He wouldn’t be using that much of his power unless he was getting ready to wipe a bunch of them out. She also knew that he would be somewhat vulnerable afterwards, which is why she never tried to leave his side for long. As much as he fought, his back did need protecting.

Legs surged faster as she fought to get through the mass of Seraph bodies, wanting to pick them off once they got within sight. It didn’t last long before she heard the sounds of battle and the familiar swish of his katar blades. If she didn’t time herself just right, he would get overwhelmed and she really didn’t want to argue with him later whether he had control of the situation or not. She would be too bone tired from fighting all day. These days, the reasons were getting more and more fuzzy to put together as to why.
Just what were they fighting for anymore? That one little breathe?


She found him and was filled with relief that was he still breathing. In their life, there always was the thought that one day they would be dead. Calmly noting his position through the horde, she reached over her shoulder for the handle of her scythe. It came up and over her shoulder in four jointed pieces. The three segments were jointed to lock in place with a few, well made flicks of the wrist and the scythe blade itself was simply pushed into position on its hinge. When she heard the click of the hinge locking the blade in place, she swung and bisected bodies and limbs. It may seem wrong that the gore didn’t bother her, but it was in the name of defending the man she loved.

Digging her boots in the ground as she skidded to a stop beside him after cutting her way to his side, their eyes met and she smiled for a single second. It was enough to show him she was happy she had found him. They drew strength from each other, as if being near him was her boost. Tyth would not doubt it for a second.
They cut down the last few remaining Serpahs and her arms were shaking from swinging her weapons nonstop. She was by no means old, but the motions were taking a toll on her body. Moving swiftly from the area to lose any stragglers, Tyth leaned her shoulder against Zied’s in a show of weakness.

“I’m so tired of this. The world changed, and I don’t have the strength to change it back.”

Looking at the man at her side, she pulled him gently to a stop and reached up with the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away some of the blood and dirt away from his brow. It was as if they always wore the color. Would it ever be different? This was not a life she wanted to live forever. Zied would not let her welcome death, despite how tempting but at times she got so tired.

In the beginning she looked for a fight. Now she just wanted to sleep and lay down her weapons for several decades, but there were always battles to be fought. Somewhere.

It didn’t help that the even the Dragons could not be found so easily either. This world needed help before it was destroyed and then they were just done. Tyth did not want to die that way, but there was no chance of an honorable death either. It was all she could think about these days, death, but looking at the chaos around, there was little happiness to be found out in the open. It you were happy, you hid it in the confines of a safe corner with those you loved.

Looking behind them, she figured she had put enough distance between herself and the bombs she planted earlier that day. Reaching for her hip, she pressed the detonator bottom and several flashes with loud booms could be seen off in the distance. They set of heat signatures and the smell of meat, courtesy of a ally they had who made the bombs. Good for decoys when you needed to shake a tail but it would not last long. Pretty soon the tactic would fail and they would have to keep running.

Looking further down the way, she saw the village up in flames. They had failed again. This was getting depressing that all they had were losing battles and failures to others.

Stepping closer to Zied to take comfort in his presence, she closed her eyes to try and fight back the hopeless felling of loss.

“Are we making a difference anymore?” she asked, reaching up to massage left shoulder.

At times her fighting spirit dwindled into doubt. What could they possibly do to change the tide of this domination? How could they rally the scattered people to arm them enough to fight for their freedom? Once they had freedom, how were they going to maintain it? It was like creating a country all over again, only no one was united. Who could possibly take that role as leader of the world against the enemy of the world? It was if they needed a savior for a dying breed of people with no hope of being rescued.
This life had gotten so dreary ever since the weather changed to be overcast and rainy.

---

It was raining again and his bones screamed at him to take a break. Brant, since giving up several years of his life, had not minded it in the beginning since he was on the brink of being an old man. Now he regretted it a little when his body screamed that it wasn’t young any more. He would rest, but only after his routine journey was over with. Tyth needed the blood potion, and in her case it only worked with a compatible match to her blood type.

It was a miracle he found a better deal: her twin sister’s blood.
He had been wandering through the rubble of a felled city, the Serpahs and Sinners since run off after picking off whomever they could. The sky was sunny and humid, making his clothes stick to his body with sweat. People who dared wander around like him were picking through the rubble and debris to salvage anything. Their faces were filled with pain and loss that it broke his heart they had all resulted to this. When several desperate men started yelling how the world should just end and let them all die, Brant would he scolded him for giving up when an angels voice began to sound from the top of one of the many mounds of stone rubble.

A long haired woman with sea blue hair trailing around her thighs lifted her arms to the sky as she hit notes that resonated off the stones around his feet. Brant at first was worried she would attract enemies until he noticed the armed men around the best of her mound of rubble. She wasn’t just singing, she was performing for any and all to hear. Her song spoke of sad days that were supposed to make you realize you can just keep walking forward.

It brought tears to his face, and when he stepped closer to thank her for singing, he almost felt like he was kicked in the gut when he saw her face. It was like Tyth was standing there, only it wasn’t her. Tyth had blue white hair, not just blue hair but he could see the resemblance. How could anyone not see it? They had to be related. Once he asked her some curious questions about her early childhood and family, did he know she was his girl’s sister.

Back before Tyth got kidnapped to be experimented on, she would sometimes see her parents and some other kids surrounded by sand and the sun. Same with her dreams that would have her cry through the night on his farm. He assumed Tyth’s origin had to be desert lands but this woman only confirmed it. He had asked her name and even it sounded Katharnian, the country made of deserts and sun.

Serenata. It had a nice ring to a beautiful voice.

Now the woman was in hiding in a underground refuge he took pains to keep from being followed so he could see her. For the blood potion to work, he needed a sizeable amount to use and he made the trip once a month. When he revealed to Serenata that her sister was alive and all she went through, she took some time accepting it but when she did, she agreed to help her baby sibling as much as she could. When he asked why she didn’t try to see her, Serenata gave him a sad smile.

“I think it is best this way.”

As he wove is way through dirt tunnels laced with dacule spit that bonded the dirt enough for it to keep the tunnel shape, Brant entered the large dug cavern that the refuge sat in. Wood, twine, moss and glow stone were all imported from up above to create an almost Outlaw dwelling. There were many shafts leading to the surface to circulate air and water from the constant rains that were then drained into the waterfall you crossed through the many tunnels to get there. He made a direct route to her hut where he found the young woman humming outside her little home, mending a few patches of clothing. She had been expecting for a while. He hoped the babe lived in these dire times. Tyth’s remaining family and others deserved that blessing.

Looking up with pale, hazel eyes, Serenta saw him and a wide smile stretched her lips. He nodded his greeting and sat at her feet, reaching a rough hand to her extended belly and could feel the child squirming inside.

“It feels like a strong pair of children.”he admired while pulling his fingers away to let her rub in his stead. She smiled tiredly and set her work aside, stretching out her scarred wrist so that he could draw at her blood. They both agreed he would take a only quarter of the usual in account for the twins.

“They take after their father, using my body as a playground. How is Nasrin?”

Brant could never get used to hearing Tyth’s real Kathar name. It sounded so…foreign. But then again, so was a former demon human pregnant woman renaming a drugged up teenager a name based on the amount of money you can make...

“Last I knew she was taking on a group in the north,” the older man replied as he slid the needle cleaning through the skin and began to draw thanks to a air pump that would draw the blood into a small vial.

“At least she is being less reckless. Taking on several hundred is overkill I think. Sounds more like our father when it came to life. Too big of odds.”

Brant smirked lightly as he finished, then accepted a drink of water. “Have you thought of moving yet? I heard Seraphs are heading in this direction again. They want to find this group. Its one of the main reasons they keep coming through. My band and I can’t keep leading them away forever.”
Rubbing at her belly, Serentata nodded with a sad smile. “I know. We are going to have a meeting about it once the boys get back. Thanks for everything, Brant. Please keep watching over her.”

Smiling cheerfully at her, Brant shook his head. “It’s a duty that isn’t mine anymore. Its his.”

“Will the Dragons ever come back? To think she would tie herself to the Black one…”

“I don’t know. Isn’t it a little late to be protective? They both went through hell and back for the other. How can that not be worthy?”

Sniffing playfully, Serenata picked up the baby clothes she was doing for her future twins, “I have a right to be an older sister, from afar.

[Ethereal]

Exhaustion has taken its toll for both of them. Defeat was always never easy to swallow, even though one has experienced it so many times. Tyth was showing signs of giving up... again. Zied could see it in her eyes all too well and it pained him to think he was actually nearing the borders of the same thought. But it was true that they drew strength from each other. Many times Zied would look to her for the will to push on, and many nights will she seek comfort from him to live another day. He would do so lovingly, both of them did.

"Hang in there... I'm sure there's something that can be done."

He may have said it with all the confidence he could muster, but it did not sound convincing. Both of them knew they were hallow words, but it was better than nothing. It was times like these were you take comfort in every little thing that was left around you. For him, it was the woman beside her that kept him moving forward. He would not lose her, it was unacceptable. She was too tired and making her walk a long ways south would be too unforgiving.

"Here, climb on my back. I'll do the walking."

He would carry her like this if they were to travel a long way. It was not much and even though she insisted she could walk, he would not budge. The Seraphs would be busy hunting down the refugees of the swampy village the people called home. He hated himself for not being able to save them from the tyranny. But there was nothing that could be done alone, or with a partner. The Seraphs were just too numerous and they would keep coming wave after wave after wave. Standing ground at one place for too long is a guaranteed death sentence. There was nowhere else to go but he knew they had to keep moving.

Her words bothered Zied. She was right, they were not making much of a difference anymore. Outclassed by the Seraphs, it was difficult to even know if challenging them was the right thing to do. They wielded all kinds of weapons with deadly accuracy and refined skill, not to mention they knew how to dabble with arcane arts. This was just a single Seraph, how much stronger could they become if you battled a single unit? Monstrous. Yet they do not come in single units alone, they were an army. One Seraph would hardly be a match for Zied and Tyth, but the problem is with their numbers. Where did they come from? How did they even manage to gather this many people?

Questions that link to a chain of more questions, Zied could not come up with a plausible answer. But even though they knew where to start, what to look for and who to kill, will they be able to do it to stop this madness? Uncertain. It was already night and the two have already traveled a great distance moving to the south. Along the way they would stop and pick up arms to battle a scout unit or a platoon, and then they would end up running again. They can only thin out their numbers but never really come up with a solid victory. It was back to square one all over again.

Taking refuge in a secluded cave, Zied and Tyth took what few hours they could get to recuperate. It made him wonder just how strong the opponent is if they were being pushed to the limit like this. It would seem that the strength he acquired from the Black Dragon was only good for healing his wounds now. It was hardly of any use in battle against the Seraphs. Sure he could move faster, strike harder or dodge quicker, but how long can he keep it up when they just keep coming? Frustration was starting to sink in and yet why was it that he refuses to give up? Was it his pride as a warrior? Or was it the will to keep on?

Glancing around, he saw Tyth coming back with food she has gathered nearby. It was all scraps of fruit and edible bark. The lands seem to be reacting to the suffering it was going through right now. Then again, something is better than nothing.

"You know that we can't keep doing this for too long... all this useless fighting. We should really start looking for people who can stand up to these Seraphs. I'm sure there are others waiting for the right time to strike back."

That much is certain. It was not just him and her who had the ability to fight back. Question is, where are they? What have they been up to? How much knowledge do they have about the enemy? They needed some answers and a plan. Fighting without a cause would just wear them down until they can't fight anymore. This was war, a fight for freedom. Unless they accept the fact that they cannot just throw themselves halfheartedly into a fight, even for the sake of saving a few people who were bound to die or submit to the Seraphs either way, Zied knew they were doomed. They needed to conserve their energy, fight at their maximum strength with people united behind them.

"It will take us time to muster a small force of capable people... but this is all that we have now."

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

All they had....was each other. Pressing her face against his shoulder, she closed her eyes to let one tear slip free. How could this man keep saying hope filled words when the world had broke apart?

As they eventually made their way toward a cave, she insisted she walk the rest of the way. As much as she loved his kind gestures, their strength needed to be conserved as best as possible. She foraged around near the mouth of the cave once she was sure he was sitting down, resting his legs and spirit. The land was barren as the air above it, and still. After gathering what she could, her legs hurried back to the cave and her partner inside to escape the eerie quiet.

Nibbling on a piece of bark, she considered Zied's words. If they were to find people, they needed civilization. From there, they could weed the civilians from the like minded warriors who wanted to rebel. Already she was thinking of several ways to accomplish that. Pausing, she realized how quick he could influence her train of thought and sighed in amusement. Putting down her food, she crawled over to his side and burrowed her way into his arms. Pressing her back against his front with their legs propped up on either side, Tyth leaned back to smile up at Zied.

"You are a good man, you know that? Already I have hope we can still make a difference." She smiled at him gently and slowly brushed her lips across the edge of his jaw, sending him feelings of comfort and concern.They both were tired.

Making sure her pitiful share was up high so no ground bugs could infest it, Tyth laid her sheathed blade across her lap and closed her eyes to half sleep. This was sadly one of the ways they rested. This was just one of the more affection positions, the other being pressed back to back with their weapons laid against their shoulders. They were always battle ready, their minds only half asleep in case they were ambushed. But right now, she needed his strength to make her strong, so he could therefore feel it and get energized from her strength.

It was a cheesy thought, but she knew her feelings for him factored in there somewhere too.

As she drifted off, images began forming in her mind. Shapes moved with the intent to maim, to harm only she wasn't its target. It was the world and it began to swallow the sun, only to be followed by agonized screams and mournful cries for everything to stop-

Suddenly a powerful presence flared in her senses so fast, she jumped up with a gasp. Her hand that had been curled around the hilt of her sword was poised across her chest, crouching at the ready with Zied at her back.

It was only when she saw the glowing circle etch itself into the ground before them that she relaxed just an inch. At the two forms appearing above the circle, she bared her teeth in irritation as she lowered her blade. Of coarse, it was that time of the month already.

Scyth, on all his red clothed glory, in the middle of the glowing arcane circle. As the light faded and the circle disappeared from sight, the second form that was beside him growled lightly as it took a single step forward.

Tyth would never get used to being in the presence of demons, even those who were sworn to serve her foster father, Brant. The man who had sacrificed several years of his life and his own voice for her is now considered a Demon Lord of sorts. He had somehow managed to kill Beltza and gain control of his domain, becoming part demon in the process and regaining his ability to speak. through mysterious means Although she tried to get an explanation as to how, Brant said it was best she did not know his sins. What was it about that old man, and demons? Was it his fate to always be tied to them?

The demon beside Scyth was an attempt at a quadruped feline looking.....thing. Instead of fur, it had skin and scales with toed feet full of claws and slime. Its eyes were the same as felines, only there were horizontal lines of red instead of veins. She knew the skin was as tough as Adamantine armor and the claws could cut through steel gilded brick easily for hours. The felinae were often mistaken for the first ancestors of cats themselves, only they lived on blood and the time of night gives them an extra boost of strength, In the realm of Hell, it was always night....so Brant said. This certain Felinae was sent as a servant of some kind of aid Scythe in anything he wanted. It could not defy its duty of defending her friend's life without losing its own first.

Its name is Idgris.

Glaring at the demon, she caught the vial tossed at her head from Scyth and clenched the glass a little tighter. Once a month, they deliver her a drink made from something's blood that sped up her healing speed and renewing the lost blood cells from constant bleeding and producing antitoxins. In a way it mirrored Zied's awesome healing ability, but it had a limited supply. Tyth was guaranteed a limited time in drinking it as well, since she did not enjoy digesting blood. It sounded too....demonic.

"Could you to have come a worse time?" she growled, huffing as she sheathed her blade.She had just gotten comfortable, and with always fighting for their lives, signs of affection were sometimes limited.

Snorting slightly, Scyth fingered the scars on his face as he leaned against the mouth of the cave. "We're just the delivery boys Ty. Teleportation is the fasted means to getting to you while this batch is fresh. Blood is not easy to keep, you know."

Ignoring him, she downed the vial and tossed it back. It always tasted horrible, making her want to gab but she forced down every last drop. She hated the stuff, but Brant insisted she take it for six months.

"Still! You popping out of the air ruins the moment!" she yelled, grabbing at dirt and throwing it at him because pulling a sword on her friend is a serous offense. He guarded his scarred face and looked away, glaring to the side.

"Yeah yeah-"

"Instead of laughing at me, why not put this arcane skill to used and find us some civilization!"

"What for?

"To start war. If we get enough people, we could take our country back. It will be a revolution."

Scyth rolled his eyes but his hand traced the hilt of his sword, a for sure tell he was interested in the idea.

"Civilization, huh? You need to keep heading in the direction you have been. You'll eventually find one and I hope you find someone to help you guys out. I have got Seraphs to find."

She nodded her thanks grimly at his answer and they disappeared once more, the red circle glowing and seemed to swallow them up. Idgis kept staring her down, and she felt the look even after the demon was no longer near them.

Tyth was worried Scyth hung demons for too long that he might turn into one, which is unlikely. But still she feared for him and his recent bonds. Demons are powerful and thanks to the Seraphs, their friends and fellow students from Bran's old home were killed. Even Brant's sister, who had given her all to defend their friends and other people, had been cut down in genocide blood. Scyth never forgave that injustice and swore revenge, eventually joining Brant in his rule over the Blut Damon as his right hand 'demon wrangler'.

She really hoped that potent anger did not destroy him. Scyth (or formally Aethwyn) was one of the few people she had left from her former life. It lit a stronger hatred for the Seraphs for hurting her, her family and others. But they had hope: to strike back. The mere idea pushed back her concern for her friend for a more hopeful future.

Leaving the cave, she stretched gleefully to the sun. Looking over her shoulder while tracing a hand to the hilt of her blade, she gave Zied a sheepish but happy smile.

"I was sleeping before we got here and I have no idea where we are. Do you remember the direction we were taking before I fell asleep? I want to get there as soon as possible."

Tyth wanted civilization so bad. She felt it was time seriously fought back their freedom. Her pale blue eyes shined from the excitement of being possibly free,

[Ethereal]

He too would never get used to seeing flesh popping out of an arcane circle, all the more seeing a demon come out with a human as its master. Scythe had handed over another vial of liquid to Tyth which gave Zied vivid memories of disaster in a vial. The one time she took in a dose, Tyth nearly killed Seiryuu...

Just then, Zied suddenly remembered the Eastern lands where he had parted ways with the purple haired woman, forcefully by the hands of the eastern knights. It was a bitter memory he had nearly forgotten. What could she have been up to for all these years? Surely, there was nobody in the East who could match up with her fighting skills now that he's stuck here in the west. But how sure could he be about that fact? Warriors are born, legends are forged. It does not take a lifetime to find somebody stronger than oneself.

Forcing his thoughts back to present time, Zied listened to the short conversation between Scythe and Tyth, he was momentarily irritated when Tyth was pried from his arms by a vial. But he knew she needed it. For Tyth, a former Sinner to suddenly stop taking in the poisons that keep her whole, she was suffering from cell degeneration, something Zied's healing skills could not cure. It pains him to watch her drink that horrible liquid down to the last drop but it was something beyond his grasp.

Glaring at the scarred man, Zied chose not to exchange greetings. It was for the best that way. Petty squabbles was not something that they needed right now, not for anyone in the least. He could deal with them for what they were trying to accomplish by making Tyth drink stuff he did not know about sooner or later.

When the man left, Tyth bolted out of the cave filled with hope. She was eager to find people who could fight the Seraphs. It was almost tangible, Zied could almost taste the hope in her eyes. She wanted freedom, she wanted a world where they could live the life they dreamed of. How could he deny her that wish? It was then and there, at that very moment, that Zied steeled his soul. He would do anything to grant the woman he cherished her wish. Whatever it takes, however hard it would be, he would endure and come out on top.

She asked him a question, he did not care to answer. They would find a way, there was no doubt in his mind. Right now all he cared about was sealing Tyth's lips with his own. A bit forceful he may seem when he grabbed her by the waist with one good arm, Zied's kiss on her lips was the exact opposite. It was very soft, very gentle, and loving. Then he decided to answer.

"We were moving south across those mountains." he replied, pointing a finger over the snow covered mountain peaks not very far from where they were.

"As much as I would like to have you for the night, that thought needs to be put on hold until we get to the civilization your friend talked about- if there is one there that is..." he trailed off.

Skeptical, that was what he was about the information they just received from Scythe. How could an entire civilization survive against the Seraph's onslaught? Could it be that this civilization was actually capable of fending off wave after wave of the Seraphs? If so, how did they manage it?

Zied had his senses heightened to the extreme. He was using his dragon power to sense what was beyond the mountain range. It was then when a chill in the air blew across his face making his long white hair dance behind his shoulders. Something was not right about that place and Zied could feel it. Looking back at the woman behind him, Zied called to her in a low tone.

"Come on let's go. If we move fast, we can get there in a few days."

There was nothing he could do about the gnawing feeling he had in him. He sensed something evil equal to the feeling the Seraphs gave off, although different at the same time, similar to that pet Scythe had. Perhaps that was the reason they remained unconquered by the Seraphs.


________________________________________________________________________________


Under the cover of darkness, a small boat lands on the shores of a ruined port. Cloaked figures, six of them disembarked from the small water vehicle in a hurry. On the back of their cloaks, they bore the mark of the Mikagami Kingdom from the East. After running a short distance into the port town, the six figures halted in their tracks. Before them lie a ravaged town devoid of life. Shock took over the cloaked figures as they turned their heads around the carnage that came and passed this way.

Crows flew away the instant the six made their presence felt. The figures slowly walked toward the desolate town that welcomed them with dead arms. Dried blood stains riddled the walls of the crumbling houses, bones scattered everywhere that looked like the flesh had been peeled off by wild animals struggling to survive.
They stopped in the town center which had little difference from the entrance. One of the figures pulled away the hood of the cloak, purple hair dangling down free from the confines of the cloth.

"I knew the situation was bad, but I was not expecting it to be this bad." she trailed off and knelt to pick up a dusty skull.

One of her companions was taking a good look at the weapon marks scattered all over the ground and walls. They were clean strikes, obviously from someone highly skilled. He was tracing the battle from the evidence he could see, as if picturing the fight in his mind. After surveying the area a little more, he shook his head and turned to face the purple haired woman.

"Seiryuu, two fighters of considerable skill were here trying to defend the town. With skill such as theirs, it's no wonder it took a lot of opponents to push them back."

Seiryuu turned her head and placed the skull back on the ground. "Pushed back you say? By a lot of opponents?" she questioned and looked around. "I don't see bodies of their opponents anywhere, nor pieces of equipment left by those claimed by the god of death."

The other cloaked figure bowed his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You are right Seiryuu, that's what's puzzling me. All I see is this white dust that covers the footprints of the skilled fighters. Just what are we up against?" he asked but did not expect an answer. Another of the cloaked figures looked at Seiryuu and spoke in a mild yet cheerful female voice.

"Do you think one of the fighters could possibly be the Black Dragon? I mean, there's just no other person that comes to mi--"

Seiryuu's eyes flared and her killing intent momentarily escaped her control. She had her weapon drawn and pointed at the cloaked figure who just spoke about the Black Dragon. She did not want to hear that moniker, that name that abandoned her in the East. The cloaked figure was caught by surprise and before she could react, Seiryuu's blade was already pressed on her throat.

"Mika... don't ever say that name in front of me again! We are not here for that man, we are here to find out what we are going up against! I did not train you all in the Water Dragon Arts for the purpose of hunting him down. If the land has come to this much devastation, then most likely that man is dead, or powerless to stop it."

Rustling leaves and crunching stone interrupted their conversation in a split second. Fierce eyes from the purple haired woman quickly surveyed the area and pinpointed the location of the sound. Clinking armor could now be heard and the sound was coming from a count that was ridiculously many.

"Damn it! We're surrounded! Get ready for battle!" Seiryuu hissed as the other cloaked figures moved in unison and took their stances.

Anticipation and tension filled the air in an instant. Evil could be sensed in all directions and Seiryuu's Dragon Sense was telling her that it was a good time to flee, but her mission was keeping her legs planted there. She needed to know what the Seraphs are and why the Westerners were powerless to stop their invasion.

Azure armor with silver lining on the edges stepped out of the darkness. The chest plate bore a crest that resembled widespread wings. They were wearing full-body armor that seemed impenetrable at first glance and wielded multiple weapon types. One by one they surrounded the six in a semi-circle with only the sea as their way back. These armors outnumber them multiple to one which caused great worry to the six as they looked to each other in search of what to do.

"This does not bode well for us Seiryuu... your orders?" one of them asked.

Fear circles around the eastern fighters looking for an opening to sink in. Seiryuu on the other hand showed no signs of it as she stood in the front. With a slow left hand, she raised it up to her chest and removed the clip that held her cloak in place. She looked back at the five behind her and gave her order.

"Remember your training!" she said fiercely.

Just before her cloak fell down the ground, she dashed forward and unleashed the first blow from her dual katars. Her speed was blindingly fast as she closed the distance with the enemy in merely three seconds. She kicked the ground mid-dash and elevated into the air. A spear met her descent but she spun her body around it like freely flowing water and landed the first blow cleanly. One of the armors fell down to the ground, Seiryuu on top with her katars digging deep within the neck part of the armor.

The battle has begun...

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

Caves are supposed to be dark, deep and mostly uninhabitable, except maybe for bears. Yet Scyth was sitting in the depths of a large ravine where tunnels and tunnels of jagged rock crisscrossed through water and bottomless air. The large opening in which he sat was decorated with numerous rugs and carpets scattered about the floor, torches and oil filled lamps were hung on every wall, in every hallway and nook that could cast a shadow. With how deep they were, he was impressed a little that one could even breathe. But his master made it livable, and a good place to summon demons should they need them.

Slouching in his chair, Scyth raised a dagger up to inspect the flat side, and his scarred face in the reflection met his brooding gaze. It was a shameful reminder of the time he spent chasing after a woman who never loved him. All that wasted time could have been helping his friends. For a few years, he followed Tythlany faithfully, even in the presence of the powerful Black Dragon. He was convinced he could love her when she loved another and for a time, he did. He was almost happy then, until the damnable Seraphs appeared.

Back then, only the Sinners were the true plague upon the earth. It was normal to cut down a crazed, power hungry human until they got pushed aside by powerful, armor wearing freaks of nature that defied everything he knew as a warrior. At first he didn’t care because the first couple twenty they defeated were taxing, but overtaken. It wasn’t until they happened upon towns being oppressed, enslaved, murdered and completely overrun that reality hit him.

Reality submitted to ferocious anger when he found his friends slaughtered. All they were trying to do was protect others from these monsters who tried to suppress them under a rule no one wanted. It was unjust, and an act of war, but he was powerless to stop it. No one knew anything about these fighters that took inch after inch of their country. Their motives were unclear, their strength having no end and numbers that should be considered 'rabbit breeding'.

During a day of constantly clashing with a group of them, and nearly being skewered simultaneously from exhaustion did Brant appear out of nowhere to grab him, and they appeared here surrounded by demons. It was then he learned what his master had accomplished since his disappearance after his deal with the demon Beltza. Demon Lord was a demonic slang term for a human who managed to suppress demons for their bidding, which was rare and did not happen since thirty centuries ago. Seeing this, Scyth decided to join his master, and eventually got the Felinae to submit to him.

But it wasn’t enough for Scyth. He wanted the Seraphs to pay for killing his friends and other innocent people. These were lives, dammit and he would see them avenged. For that, he needed to get stronger.
Clenching his teeth angrily, he threw the dagger with savage strength at the wall across from him and watched as the crystal gilded blade sliced like butter up to the hilt into the rock. It did little to impress or satisfy his blood lust for the Seraphs, and he clenched his hands at the feeling of anger and despair. What could he do?

As the ringing from the blade faded from the room, footsteps were heard heading towards the room and through the doorway, arrived Brant. His grey hair mixed with the dark purple to show his advancing age. Under his cloak, always bound around his neck was an enchanted stone endowed with the strength of Beltza’s spilled blood to give him the gift of speech. Should he ever take it off, he would become a mute once more. Glancing briefly at the blade in his wall, he walked over to it and nonchalantly pulled it out.

“You have always been rash, Aethwyn. I understand your anger and your loss. I share it, but constantly lashing out at them will solve nothing.”

Curling his lip bitterly, Scyth turned away and pounded his fist against the armrest of the chair he had been sitting in. It splinted under the blow, chips of wood scattering onto the floor.

“The anger never leaves me. I can’t sleep, I can’t rest. All I can think of is my friends, our family, and all the others who will end up like them. Tyth is right. There needs to be a revolution. A war.”

Brant said nothing as he watched a dark gleam enter his former student’s eyes as his hands were already reaching and pawing. One went to the hilt of his sword, the other caressing the rugged skin across his face. It seemed the young man wanted to fight, and for blood. Despite his claims of vengeance, the older man was concerned that Scyth had given into despair, and his heart turned to darkness.

Turning away to return the dagger to a blade rack near one of the many doorways, Brant untied his cloak from his shoulders. “She is well, then?”

The former general, now Demon Lord, knew the young man’s feelings for their comrade and former Sinner. It seemed before the fall into this ‘lusting madness’, he would return with a pained but compassionate look on his face. It hurt to love another who would not reciprocate.

“She is always safe, with him. The Black Dragon ignores me, like I’m some idiot,” Scyth replied bitterly as the Demon Lord tossed him a brook to sweep up his mess. Brant knew better than to believe those words. If anything, she was probably exhausted in her try to liberate others from being overtaken by Seraphs. As for Zied Grey, Brant suspected the man could sense Scyth’s turmoil but decided not to act on it.

It was also a sign that Scyth could not be trusted, especially with the crucial information of Tyth’s sister Serenata. It pained the old man to have to distrust his student, but he had no choice until he somehow calmed the boy down. To be at peace, and it would take some effort. Brant knew this more than anyone, if his struggle against Beltza said anything. Leaving his student to brood, the former general glanced behind him to make sure he wasn’t being followed before heading off into the labyrinth of caves he now called ‘home’.

Walking through several twisting and winding tunnels, Brant came to pause in front of wall. Biting his thumb hard enough to draw blood, he draw a circular symbol and then covered it with his hand. The wall gave away to shift sideways like a sliding door. Stepping through, the cave wall returned to its previous position as he walked onward into the dimly lit darkness. All along the walls, in organized rows, were tall circular containers filled with water. In the front of these containers were long glass doors so the insides are visible. Inside these tanks are floating bodies, with only the flowing algae lining the bottom and sides as light. It was his Sinner Recovery project, and it was time he returned to his work. Rolling up his sleeves, he stepped forward towards one of the tanks with a vial he pulled from his shirt pocket.

---

A faint sound was on the wind, a great distance from where they came and Tyth looked over her shoulder. The wind howled over her hair, pushing loose strands into her eyes so she turned away to brush them back. For a second she thought she heard screams of pain, and knew if she was right she could not do anything. Unlike Scyth, she refused to rely on a demon for transportation. Whoever was fighting, she hoped they escaped the Seraphs somehow…

Night turned to day and vice versa. Tythlany marched alongside Zied, her eyes taking in every inch they covered in case they were to be ambushed by Seraphs, Sinners or anything else. At one point, they pressed into the corner of a tree that was bent over behind a tall hill. With their backs pressed against one another, they dozed until the sun peeked over the horizon again.

When they finally arrived at the civilization Scyth mentioned, Tyth immediately was angry. All they found were ruins of an abandoned city in the middle of 20 mph plains. Skeletons of buildings barely put up any resistance to the wind as they walked through the abandoned place. It sometimes go so strong it threw dust and minuscule debris at their faces, that Tyth decided to wrap a scarf around her face and rise her hood to shield her eyes. It seemed Zied’s doubt is well placed. How could she have figured Scyth would be truthful, when he was angry all the time and probably sent them in a random direction out of spite?

Growling, she punched a fist into her palm, “I’m going to rip that man’s throat open when he appears again. I do not like being played with. There’s nothing here!”

Nothing by left over but debris and the howling wind.

Turning to her partner, she was just about to suggest they skip the place when a shadow moved behind him. Meeting his eyes, she slowly spread her feet and reached for the sword at her hip. She couldn’t sense them as well as Zied could, but the shadow was her only warning before several objects were thrown in the air. They released a smoke screen as more were released on the ground around their feet. It didn’t take long for their vision to be obscured, but Tyth took the steps needed to close the distance between her partner. She grabbed at his arm then pulled him a few inches around so their backs were pressed against each other, like when they are sleeping only now they are ready for a fight.

This is the first time the Seraphs used smoke screens of any kind. It confused her because it just didn’t fit at all, until she heard a voice yell across the smoke.

“You are not armored like the Seraphs. Who are you?”

Reaching behind her, she pressed a hand against Zied’s side to assure him she would talk. Tyth inhaled the smoke filled air to yell back.

“We’re just travelers passing though. We had no idea anyone still lived here.”

She felt the air itself shift as they came forward as one body. Through the fading smoke surrounding them were people clad in light armor from head to toe, wielding long lances and rapiers. Lifting her fingers away from her blade to show no harm, she raised her arms up to her shoulders’ height. It was an interesting sight how this formation was set up. They had enough people to surround their target where the interchanging pattern of a person wielding a rapier followed by a lance was continuous. These people clearly adapted to a strategy in trying to pierce the Seraph’s armor. Behind the circle, another more spread out ring of long curved swords she recognized, as scimitars were poised, ready to slash. Distantly she saw figures dancing through the smoke in the back, no doubt armed with bows or throwing daggers.

“I mean it,” Tyth said gently while taking a step forward. Her movement caused one of the lances to flinch forward and point itself at her throat. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward until the sharp point pierced her skin and drew a few pebbles of blood.

“I’m serious and telling the truth. We are looking for people to help us strike back against the Seraphs, these…invaders who are succeeding in oppressing us. I don’t blame you for protecting yourselves, but please let us-“

The man holding the spear sliced warningly at her throat, causing a shallow line of blood to appear above her jugular. She flinched away but did not back up. The man glared.

“We will not join you. The Seraphs have already one. All we care about is surviving, and you threaten that by being here. Leave.”

Their message was clear that no outsiders were not going to be tolerated, but this organized bit of survivors could be what could get them started in the revolution. She had to make them listen.
“And if I refuse to back down, you will cut us down?”

The man shifted back into the same position as everyone else. “Yes.”

Throwing her arms out with her eyes flashing angrily, Tyth took a step forward again and the entire group tensed up, poised to attack. “Then you are no better than the Seraphs for refusing me the right to speak! Right now we are being civilized, unlike those barbarians who just attack us! I’m offering you a chance to rise up and take back your homes, your country! Will you pass it up, or hide in the shadows and let them win by ruling you with fear?!”

The ring of weapons seemed to tighten around them as the man scoffed. “Then let us be named cowards. Our old lives are gone, our country is gone. What does it matter in fighting for them? Life is better when we rule ourselves. No one was a good leader. The kings were so rich they never shared. Ever. Our lives haven’t changed, but we will defend our lifestyle. They could be coming down on us, you having lead them here.”

Slicing at the air with her hand, Tyth pushed the lance downward until it was pointed at her feet. Gripping the hilt of the long blade, she tightened her grip so the man could not pull it away so easily. “Then we will all be fighting for our lives. Don’t you get tired of it? Don’t you want to live without having to worry if someone wants you dead or steal your children? We don’t deserve to live like this, and no one deserves to be treated like we have. I want it to end, but for everyone.”

The man pushed the lance through her fingers back towards her throat, only he was aiming to skewer her with it. Ducking her head to the side, she stepped back to press her side against Zied’s chest with a furious glare.

“You want it to end?” the man asked, flicking his spear around so her blood was shaken off and splattered against her cheek and hair, “then kill yourself. You will only kill more people with this idea for a revolution, for a counterattack. Trust me when I say no one here is willing to die for you. Now leave. Last chance.”

Tyth dropped her shoulders a little in defeat. Clearly, this was not the band she was going to win over. They have given up, unlike her who tasted liberation. She was just about to turn to Zied to tell him they were leaving, that she had given up when a voice, again from the distance rang out. What was it with these people yelling all the time? Did they sleep in this wind or something?

“Hold on everyone, I would like to listen to what this young woman and her companion has to say.”

An older man covered in a loose, hooded white robe seemed to appeared from the smoke itself. The others slowly made way for him, but as soon as he passed, they got back into position. Pausing beside the man who held the lance at Tyth, he clapped the man gently on the shoulder. “Easy there, Ciro.”

The man, now named Ciro, tensed and didn’t lower his weapon. “How can you possibly think to trust them? For all we know, they could be spies hired by those damn monsters.”

The robed man chuckled and stepped forward to gently but with enough force to lower Ciro’s weapon, raising his other hand in a series of hand signals so that everyone else did the same.

Meeting Tyth’s eyes with his own light brown ones, the old man gave a toothy smile, “Because I too dream of a revolution. I hope you forgive him, miss. His wife and sister are expecting soon, which would put any good man on edge.”

She nodded, reaching up to tug at the scarf around her upper face to dab at the shallow cut on her throat. She needed to dispel this quickly, what with feeling Zied’s displeasure at her back, “None taken. We have been out in the open long enough, which from everyone’s hesitant feet scuffling mean they feel the same. I know this is suspicious and you have every right to not trust us, but can we talk in some shelter? I don’t mind this wind at all.”

Reaching a hand out, the old man grasped her gloved fingers, “My name is Falkor.”

She hesitated for a second before giving the shortest version of her name. “Ty.”

Tythlany Nightfox was last known associated as a Sinner and fugitive. Those were not very friendly rankings that would be welcomed with open arms.

The old man nodded to Zied beside her as they briefly clased hands but she stepped in front of her partner. “My husband. Please, shelter?”

Zied’s reputation was worse than her’s. It would be best if they kept a low profile, for now. That, and she realized she actually put a label on their relationship. Smiling to herself as everyone dispersed into the last wisps of smoke and wind while Falkor waved them after him. Curiosity nipped at her as she followed him through several hollow buildings before a hole opened before them. The old rickety door was latched down from underneath by sturdy locks. Frowning as Ciro gave them another unhappy look before jumping down, weapons and all.

Falkor chuckled as he climbed into the whole, “He really doesn’t like you two. I guess I should be wary, since his instincts are very good.”

Tyth glanced at Zied with a look then crouched near the hole as the man’s head disappeared, “We should have no problems. I promise you.” As long as Ciro didn’t start anything, that is.

They jumped in the whole, just barely missing landing on Falkor, who stood to the side so he could pull the trap door closed and lock it. It made sense if they had little pressure from above so they could fall in should they need to run away from any enemies.

The tunnel they stood in was like an sound enhancer for the wind. It howled all around them, and whipped their clothing behind them. The bent over low to crawl through the narrow passages, and faintly through the oil lamp’s light that there were faint scrape marks all along the walls. It must have been from their armor. If the Seraphs happened down here, their armor would leave deeper grooves. Whoever designed this place was a genius….or just desperately intelligent.

It seemed like hours as they crawled through the tunnels. Her legs kept burning from crouching so long, and wondered if they were even heading anywhere. Her sword had to be moved to her back, along with her scythe due to the narrow passages. She could hear Zied breathing behind her and was glad of his presence at her back. Although she never had to worry about being in a water filled tank again, these tunnels felt strangely similar.

When they finally broke into an antechamber, it was huge. Ginormous. Inside the large space was a…treehouse didn’t even come close to describing it. There were long, wooden and steel platforms everywhere, held up by thick ropes from the ceiling. Pulleys were used as elevators and leverage to different levels, carry water and supplies all over. Then there were moving hooks tapped into tracks in the ceiling, with people hanging from them to get to other levels as well.

As Falkor stepped down the steep wall to a platform that was manned by Ciro and a few others. From out of every other hole around the huge dome came others who climbed up ropes, platforms and hooks, jumping into the free air and heading towards the large suspended dwelling. Below it all, were dirt made homes made into the descending crater with smoke coming from several holes.

Seeing her face filled with awe, Falkor chuckled as they climbed onto the platform but kept their fronts to them. This was a mutual agreement of sorts, but everyone understood not to give them any of their backs.
“This is amazing! How did all this happen?” she asked, gripping one of the four ropes that held up the square platform as they were hoisted into the air towards the largest level on the “treehouse”.

“We were visited by a man, who gave us a few ideas then left us to use them. It isn’t fully completed yet, not after three years of constant building.”

People from everywhere were pointing up at them since they were not dressed like everyone else. They are outsiders, which meant it was rare for them to come here. Or maybe rare for them to leave…

Once their platform met the dock to the floor, they stepped off and Falkor began walking towards a large wooden hut. Around them Ciro and the others seemed to form a half circle behind her and Zied, making it look they were being escorted to the hut. Leaning against Zied, she reached down with another hand to rub at her upper leg to ease the soreness.

Entering the hut, there were large intricately sewn cloths hung all over the walls. Everything smelled of smoke and incense. Waving at Ciro and the others to leave, Falkor sat down at the center of the hut to start the fireplace, which was a square hole in the center of the floor, full of ashes and dirt. Sitting down across from him, Tyth groaned aloud as her legs finally got to rest.

Lighting a pipe, the old man offered it Zied with a smile. “So, this revolution. What do you have in mind?”

[Ethereal]

Everything almost went downhill with this civilization that welcomed them into their secret hideout. Tyth was never good with words and if it was not for that man Falkor, they would have had to fight their way outside of this place. Of course, it was not a problem but then again, they would be cutting down the badly needed numbers capable of fighting which they needed for the revolution.

Just a few minutes ago, they were outside bathing in harsh sunlight and rough winds. Who would have thought that a magnificent structure like this existed at the bottom of their feet? The desolate city up top was the perfect cover to house a sanctuary. Recalling the earlier events as they sat in Falkor's hut, Zied turned his thoughts into the man they called Ciro.

In him was something else, evil in nature that was threatening to rip out Zied and Tyth once released. Perhaps nobody else notices what his Dragon Senses could, Zied decided to keep it to himself if the man named Ciro did not cause any trouble. The presence he sensed from far away grew stronger as they moved deeper into these people's lair. Now he could feel that they were surrounded by it, being threatened to be swallowed whole if they proved to be harmful.

The eyes of the warriors who were earlier threatening them had a confident glow in them, like they had survived numerous battles with the Seraphs. It was a rare sight nowadays that people had in their eyes. That look of certainty that even in the face of the strongest enemy around, they would not be beaten. Zied's suspicion was now confirmed. There is something behind these people, something that can make them relax even in these times, something they knew they could use against any incoming danger. Could it be that evil feeling he could sense in almost all of them? If so, there was only one way to find out.

“So, this revolution. What do you have in mind?”

Perhaps the most dangerous of them all was the one closest to their proximity. Zied's being was screaming at him to go all out on this man if he was in any way hostile. Falkor's presence was his and not his at the same time, like he was sharing it with another who coincidentally benefits with what he is currently doing. Zied turned down the offer of smoke and crossed his arms before his chest. They were being asked of their plans right off the bat. Something was amiss...

"Old man... You know who we are right?" Zied asked.

Silence fell inside the hut as Falkor puffed from his pipe and gently blew out white smoke. In his lips played a sly smile as if he was found out. "It's exactly as he told me, you are sharp. How did you know?" Falkor responded with a question.

Zied looked around the hut for a moment. It contained belongings that did not match the setting, probably salvaged from when these people still lived the good life above the surface. "It was pretty simple really. You are immediately interested in the plans we have for starting a revolution. Given your old age, surely you did not dream of the very same revolution. I don't mean any disrespect but people of your stature would be content living the rest of your life just like this, safe from all the trouble. It was as if you had been expecting us from a prophecy given to you."

Falkor's smile burst into mild laughter as if he was amused by Zied's words. "Prophecy you say? How in the world did you come up with that young one?" he asked again.

Zied was slightly irritated and offended. From the moment he had unlocked and mastered the Dragon Sense, his intuition was rarely mistaken. "You share your life with something not of this world within you old man. Do not take me for a fool. I haven't been granted power by the Black Dragon for nothing. Now trust is a two way street Falkor, tell us what you know and we shall give you something you can look forward to."

The smile immediately faded from Falkor's face and his eyes suddenly grew fierce. Falkor's look pierced into Zied as if he had opened a forbidden chapter of these people's own book of secrets. "You can sense them?" he asked yet again, puffing another hit from his pipe.

"Let me tell you something about Dragons old man, these creatures are sensitive to all things around them, the slightest change will not escape their senses. I can sense the evil but not their presence. It is almost hard to distinguish them from a person's own existence if mixed with that person's life force for they become one, hard but not impossible."

Silence once again enveloped the hut. Falkor did not even bother finishing his smoke and stood up. He walked toward the fireplace in the center and pulled away a portion of his robe to expose his arm. "Take a good look..." he said and held out his entire arm into the fire to burn. His flesh was slowly peeled off by the fire and to Zied and Tyth's shock, his arm took a different shape, beastly in nature and a claw-like hand with razor sharp nails. The instant he took his arm off the fire, the flesh and skin regenerated and his arm was back to how it was before.

"Demons. We have sought the aid of them against the Seraphs. With the coming of these abominations, there was no power in these lands that could match up to them except for these creatures. Not even you or the White Sinner stood a chance..."

Zied remained silent, intently listening to Falkor's words as he retold the story of his life and how he had come into contract with these demons.

"I was a former Guild Master of The Breakers, this town used to flourish with my guild's aid and life was happy, until these damned Seraphs decided to lay their justice upon us. My best warriors rallied the guild to the town's defense. I was one of those among the front lines. We held the town for a grueling thirty days against these Seraphs but with each passing day, more and more of us got slaughtered by those damn armors- there was just no end to them! We fought on, until we can hold on no longer."

He stopped and turned around into his collection of liquor. he poured himself a drink, as if trying to drown the memories of that fateful day when the Seraphs laid siege to their town. He was on the verge of tears but his anger kept them at bay. It was clear that this man loved his town and his people very much.

"We all thought it was the end for us. But one man came to our aid, a man not far from my age if I may add. He came in waltzing through the battlefield, crippling Seraphs that got in his way to where the townsmen are fighting. I could still remember it as clear as day, his strength was unimaginable, horrifying to say the least but not until he unleashed his minions that I came into understanding that he was a human no longer. Brant was his name. He spawned creatures of inexplicable strength from dark holes that appeared on the ground. These creatures battled the Seraphs and gave us time to escape. Brant was the one who picked me up under the rubble and gave me warning."

Falkor poured himself another drink and downed it in one go. "From the mouth of Beltza, former demon lord, Brant relayed the prophecy to me. This day was bound to come when Divine Justice would cleanse the land. Nobody would be exempt and the land will come to an end, to be reborn in balance. The innocent and guilty will die alike, or so he said. I did not want to believe him but the picture of our town burning down was proof enough for me, and so I asked him how do we stop it."

Falkor took a deep breath and chuckled. "His answer was vague and almost foolish. Hope he said was the key to stopping the Seraphs, and our hope lies with these Demons. Brant taught us Demonology and helped us rebuild our town underground as you see now. It was his blueprints and genius that allowed us to continue on living. He taught us how to summon these creatures and bind them into a contract, and with that, all of us here, men women and even children are bound to a contract with their own demon."

Zied was infuriated. "You have this power and yet you choose to stand idly by and watch as the world burns down into ashes?! Then why did you even sought the aid of these demons in the first place?!"

"Young one, the people here have seen and experienced far too much grief. What chance do we have against these Seraphs when we are but a speck of dust in their territory? They could easily crush us. We may have the power to stand up to them but we lack the power to fight back!"

It makes sense. Their numbers confined here pale to the endless waves of Seraphs that would continue moving forward until all opposition is crushed. They needed an army and right now, they are not even close to being one.

"Then we will find you warriors, people capable of fighting back! You train them in this Demonology and we build our army!"


_________________________________________________________________________________________________


The wind was pierced as Seiryuu ran top speed into the open road. She was carrying one of her followers over her shoulder while two others trailed behind her. They were badly wounded and the Seraphs simply overwhelmed them in numbers. They had to break through.

"Tch! At this rate we'll..." she said but was stopped by the words of one of her followers.

"You go on ahead Seiryuu, lead the others to safety. I will stay behind and buy you time!" he said.

"Saizo! Don't be stupid! You'll get killed!" Seiryuu yelled as she planted her feet on the ground and skidded to a stop.

"I would rather die than see us all fall into the hands of these monsters! Now go Seiryuu! You have trained me well! I will not go down without a fight!" He replied and took his stance in place. "Now go!"

"Saizo..." she called out.

"Please go Seiryuu, I will help Saizo buy you time. Take Mika to safety and tell her that I have always loved her..."

Tears formed in the corners of Seiryuu's eyes as she watched two more of her men stand their ground for her escape. "Jin... I will tell Mika your true feelings... I promise." With a heavy heart, Seiryuu closed her eyes and turned around. She began running at top speed leaving her men behind to face their impending doom.

"Saizo, look at them, they are nothing but hollow armors that turn to dust when defeated, and what is that light that shines brightly on their backs? They resemble wings don't they? Come to think of it, now they are looking more like ghosts don't you think?" Jin asked as he took his stance beside Saizo.

"You ask too many questions Jin. Having doubts? I don't mind you chickening out on me and running away, you don't have to do this."

"Don't I? The love of my life is half dead and you tell me I have no reason to do this? No matter, I will also not have you take all the credit for this. Get ready Saizo, here they come!"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________


Somewhere in the meager safety of a forest, Seiryuu laid down the wounded Mika on the ground and slumped beside her with her back pressed against a rotten tree. It was still dark and the moon gleamed eerily high above the night sky. The tears that Seiryuu held back now fell freely as they rolled down the smoothness of her bloodied cheeks. She had lost four of her best men in just a few hours. The elite of the Mikagami kingdom stood no chance of victory against these so called Seraphs. The wounds she sustained and the pain they sent her body was nothing compared to the pain she had in her heart. Jin, Saizo, Ru, and Kenta all gave their lives so that she and Mika could escape and continue the mission.

"Damn it!" She cursed and punched the ground hard. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she cried harder and burst into muffled sobs.

"Sei...ryuu... p-please don't cry..." Mika whispered weakly. "They chose... to repay you... for saving them once..." she continued and tried to gather strength to sit up.

"Don't move Mika, your wounds are deep. I would have taken you back to the ship for treatment but the Seraphs destroyed it. We had no choice but to press on into the land..." Seiryuu said and looked away to hide her tears from Mika. "We'll focus on healing your wounds with the Dragon Art." She said and pressed a hand on the young woman's forehead.

Mika closed her eyes and smiled. She knew she had used up a lot of her inner Ki and it would take days for Seiryuu to completely heal her without the help of her own Ki. "I'm glad to know you haven't given up Seiryuu..." She whispered before losing consciousness.

They had ran non stop for a few hours to get away from their pursuers but along the way, Seiryuu had not found a single establishment that was left intact, and to her horror, there were no people traveling the roads. It was desolate all around and the land was clearly dying. Food was scarce and they had little rations to survive a week. But it did not faze her. She was determined to save Mika no matter the cost.

Almost depleted herself, Seiryuu continued healing Mika for days. She would only take a sip of water and a bite from her rations every twelve hours and then continue healing. Four days have passed and Mika was on her way to full recovery. Seiryuu was pleased that she was able to save her but was so depleted that she immediately fell into a deep sleep.

On the sixth day inside that forest, Seiryuu was woken up by the sound of a wagon passing nearby. It was early morning and when she looked around, Mika was nowhere to be found. Alarmed, the purple haired woman staggered back to her feet. She could feel the weakness from not having a decent meal slowly take her. It was her determination that kept her going.

Hiding herself beneath some bushes, Seiryuu peeked at the open road. She spotted the wagon being escorted by the Seraphs. It had a large cloth draped over the wagon but a few limbs dangled and escaped the cover of the cloth. Faint rusting alerted Seiryuu of another presence but calmed down when she heard the voice. It was Mika.

"They are carrying dead bodies of people Seiryuu..." Mika said as she pointed over to the direction the wagon was going.

It was a large pillar structure that was not visible during the night. From the fuzzy image it had, Seiryuu could tell that they are far away from where the structure was. The questions began piling up inside her mind. What were they planning to do with all those bodies? Could it be that they are turning them into Sinners? No, according to the intelligence they had, these Seraphs kill on sight.

"So far, fifteen wagons have already passed by." Mika reported.

"Well then, looks like we'll need to follow them and find out what they intend to do with these bodies. But we'll do it once we're recovered. We can't fight them in our current condition. Let's wait until nightfall. For now, we'll hunt for food and recover our strength."

With a nod, Mika agreed to the plan and poised herself to sneak back inside the forest. Whatever the Seraphs are doing with the bodies, it must have something to do with their near-endless numbers. If so, then that might just be their key to cutting down their fighting power.

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

Tyth wasn’t sure who to be more disappointed in: Brant or Falkor.

As they listened to Falkor’s story, she pitied these people who decided to take demons into their bodies as a way of defense against the Seraphs. But once children were mentioned, her anger sparked. Brant knew her feelings about children’s lives being messed with. She was the perfect example! Still it wasn’t all his fault. For all she knew, he was ignorant to the fact that the children here even had a contract. The woman could not help but suspect her master in any case. There was so much he didn’t tell her. All these secrets she learned after they occurred. Did losing his sister affect him that much he would not tell anyone anything?

"Then we will find you warriors, people capable of fighting back! You train them in this Demonology and we build our army!"
Yes they would find people to help fight, but not children. Never children!

Standing up so suddenly her scarf fell from her throat, Tythlany pushed Zied to the side to shove her face in the old man’s. Her eyes glittered with restrained fury.

“How dare you bring children into this. They don’t understand what’s happening. How could they?! All they know is that scary people in armor out there are willing to kill them! How could you let them be turned into this!”

The old man looked away, plain guilt in his eyes, “We made a choice out of desperation. Our next generation must survive, by any means.”

Slamming her fist into the floor, Tyth bared her teeth, “You took away their right to choose! How can you guarantee they can even be turned back if these Seraphs are defeated? You could have ruined your ‘future generation’.”

The last bit she ended with a snarl. Pulling away, Tyth stood up. During her rant, several armed men had rushed into the hut, pointing their gleaming spears at her and Zied. Glaring down at the old man, Tyth clenched her hands tightly to keep from punching him into unconsciousness.

“We ask you to help us, but know that I do this so no other child will turn into what you made these ones into. I will also swear to find a way to turn them back and teach it to them.”

For a while, her and the old man simply stared at each other as Zied turned to the guards, his hand resting on his sword.

Then Falkor waved his guards away and nodded slowly at Tyth. Nodding back, she turned to her partner and crossed her arms, her eyes glinting in dying fury.

“Then we are in agreement? When we bring new people to learn Demonology, they will only be adults. I refuse to involve any more children.”

The two men nodded and she stalked from the tent. Although her feelings for this topic was personal, it hit home stronger than seeing a dead child’s body when finding a raided village or town. Everyone was wary of her as she stormed onward until she found the edge of the landing, looking out over the dwelling that was the crater below. Slowing taking in air through her nose and releasing it even slower out her mouth to calm her nerves, she watched the people below simply go on their day. Had Zied not revealed they were harboring demons, she would have figured them for normal humans. Normal people.

A group of kids, her guess for their age around seven to twelve, ran around the houses that were built into the rock. She guessed the game was tag, and her eyes became sad. Resting a hand on her own flat belly, she fisted the fabric in one hand. It would be a lie if she said she didn’t want a child of her own, but there was now way she could bring one of her own flesh into this world. If the Seraphs happened to kill her first born child, or Zied for that matter, it would destroy her will to live. She would hunt them down and fight them until they killed her. It was just too dangerous, and not the right time. Her body needed to be unrestricted in order to bring about the battle that was to come. She could not afford to be pregnant, even if her chances of conceiving are small due to her body being so abused by poisons and violence. For all she knew, she could be barren…

There was movement at the far right of the crater. Glancing over, she saw Ciro and several of his men pack up to leave. Frowning, she watched them longer as Ciro directed them into a cart with wheels that were resting on tracks. The cart was facing in a downward angle, with a latch on the back wheels to lock it into place. Her guess that from the lack of pulleys on the top to pull them along, the force to get them to where they were going had to be gravity. Sure enough in a tunnel with tracks beside theirs, a cart came into the light from an upward angle. So it is gravity, but where were they going?

As if feeling her gaze, Ciro looked up and stared right back at her. One boot was propped up on the step up into the cart, and his hand was on the side rail ready to pull himself up. He looked like a statue as he froze. They were too far away for her to make out his facial expression. Why would he be staring?

Sensing two people behind her then feeling Zied’s presence, she relaxed a little and turned to see him and Falkor. Noticing who she watching, the old man folding his arms into his long sleeves.

“Ah I see you found our transport system. There are other giant antechambers that have been built in like ours, and that is one of the ways we can transport supplies as well as people. It looks like Ciro and his team are heading home.”

Nodding faintly at the explanation, she turned back to look at Ciro again but him and the cart were already gone. Strange.

“We have a spare hut for you two to stay in should you decide to rest here,” the old man offered while inclining his head to them.

Bowing her head, Tyth bowed a little to show her thanks. It was as if their earlier conversation never happened. “We thank you and appreciate the offer. Until next time, Falkor.”

Meeting Zied’s eyes once more, the old man nodded meaningfully then turned away to head back to his hut. She could only assume they talked a little while longer after she left. Before he entered, Falkor turned to one of his guards and instructed him to lead them to a hut should they decide to go there.

Sighing heavily, Tythlany walked over to Zied and stepped into his arms, resting her forehead on his shoulder. “I’m sorry for losing my temper, but you understand why I did.”

Leaning up to kiss him, she sighed into his mouth and then pulled away. “It seems this place beats sleeping outside, despite the whole ‘everyone being linked to a demon’ bit. I say we take them up on the offer and rest for a while. Who knows when we will get this chance again.”

Pulling gently on his sleeve, she turned to the guard and asked him to lead them to their hut. Some would be disturbed at being surrounded by possibly thousands of demons, but rest, even for a few hours sounded heavenly. If anything, she could use Brant’s name to any of the demons and hoped that slowed their attack should anyone here decide them, as outsiders, needed to die.

---

The cart fell down the tracks easily. Along the way, there were several turns that led to other chambers, rest stops and supply coves, but they mostly kept their direction straight. Ciro gripped the side of the cart hard in order to keep his fingers from shaking. He needed to see his wife. He needed to tell her.

It took forty five minutes to get to his chamber he called ‘home’. The familiar houses and light from the glowstone only heightened his urgency once they broke from the tunnel and were coasting the tracks that led to the breaks for the cart. Not waiting until the cart came to a full stop, Ciro heaved himself over the side and walked off the landing platform, down the stairs and through the streets to his home. If he started running, others would get curious and this matter needed to be private.

Once he was home, he walked through the front door and immediately made a direct route to the nursery. There, sitting in the rocking chair making clothes for their future twins sat his wife Serenata. Her long, blue hair was pulled up in a loose bun that clumped in smooth strands at the base of her neck. She was beautiful, even if her pregnancy added a little chub around the lines of her face and arms. Looking up, her eyes seemed to glow as she lifted her arms to him. He went to her, pulled her forward a little so he could wrap his arms around her and kissed her.

Pulling away, he reached for her belly and rubbed it. Inside were his children and from them, he drew a little calm.

“Welcome home, my love.” She breathed against the side of his face, not wanting to let him go. He needed to do this gently.

Kneeling on the floor before his wife, Ciro took her hands into his and raised them up to his lips to kiss them. “Rena, I need to ask you something.”

Tilting her head to the side, his wife smiled and held his fingers tighter.

“What is it?”

He inhaled once, twice and then closed his eyes. “I saw a woman with your face today, in Xavalon. I don’t mean like she looked similar. She had your face. I could not mistake it, and wanted to know if it meant anything to you.”

Before he had left, his demon inside seemed to sense her eyes, and he looked up. Already just seeing the woman named Ty irritated him, and from his feelings the demon’s senses activated. His vision sharped, zoomed in on her figure and her face. The scarf had fallen away and revealed his wife’s face. For a few moments, he was in shock and then he was determined to figure out why there was a clone of his wife wandering the world.

As he watched her face, what he saw there confused him. Serenata’s eyes became wide with shock and then sad. Closing her eyes, she lowered her head and began to cry. All she kept murmuring that he could make out were chopped up words.

“So close……she’s so close….” his wife kept uttering through broken sobs.
Taking her shaking shoulders into his hands, Ciro leaned close to press his forehead against her hair. “Rena, you know her, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know her. You just described my twin sister.”

He assumed she was a clone, or a demon in disguise, but his sister in law? He didn’t even know his wife had any surviving family after her parents were killed by Sinners and her sister taken. Everyone knew there was little chance of surviving as a sinner when introduced as a child. She had assumed her dead after searching the Kathar deserts for weeks.

“Your sister is alive? How can you be so sure?”

Looking away, his wife wiped a few tears away from her face. She could not tell him about her association with Brant, not yet. He would be so angry to know about her blood being drawn, risking the life of their children. But it meant everything just to help out her sister, her baby sibling, heal a few injuries and never meet. But they were so close now, only several miles apart. Shaking her head, Serenata clenched her hands. No she couldn’t see her. It was too risky.

“Just trust me, I know. What was she doing there?”

He told her and his wife shook her head but with a proud smirk, “So she is planning on rallying others to fight? If I wasn’t pregnant, I could aid her with my voice to catch everyone’s attention.”

“I don’t know all the details. I will speak with Falkor about her later.” Ciro said, leaning down to rest his head against her extended belly. He never could get enough of feeling her and them.

“Rena, I’m glad you decided not to trifle with demonology. Not with your condition. Who knows what that would have done to our children.” He said,closing his eyes as she hummed him to sleep on her lap.

“I know love,” she replied, combing her fingers through his hair. She couldn’t tell him she despised demonology. It was an abomination, no matter how powerful one got from it. Others expected her to commit the contract once the twins were born, but she would not.

Looking through the nursery window to the glowing lamps, Serenata’s gaze grew determined. She would never. Her husband knew this, but kept up appearances. Leaning down, she tugged on his ear affectionately.

“ Go to bed, love.”

Waking up, Ciro agreed and kissed her goodnight. She promised him she would join him in a few minutes. Looking back over his shoulder as he paused in the doorway, he saw a single tear stream down her cheek again as she faced the window. Feeling like he was punched in the heart, he turned away and left.

[Ethereal]

Finally a roof over their heads. Although unsure if their presence was really welcomed in the underground community, Zied was slightly happy that for the longest time, they would have a room to sleep in, a place to stay and ample time to get that much needed rest for their weary bodies. It was not long ago that they had been fighting for their lives outside with those Seraphs; the fatigue was starting to sink in for both of them. The two knew that they wouldn't be able to keep up that escapade for too long.

Scenes inside the cottage played back in his head. He remembered how Tyth reacted to the knowledge that these people used even their own kids to fight the Seraphs, with demons to add. He saw how she hated it and knew that she would not allow a child to participate in the upcoming war against the Seraphs. Questions kept playing in Zied's mind after what he further learned from Falkor when Tyth stepped out for fresh air. Would it really be wise to keep them out of the war now that they are actually potential fighters with greater fighting capability than normal people? Would it hurt them too much to turn to their kids for aid in desperate times like these? What could possibly be right and wrong when they are already being threatened to extinction?

"Zied Gray, I know this will come as a surprise but the one who saved us from the recent Seraph attacks was but a mere child, his name is Cain. The child has absolute control over his demon and to our surprise as well, his partner wielded immense strength."

Those words kept ringing inside his head and even though he wished himself to fall asleep. He couldn't help but wonder how Tyth would react if she knew that in demonology, the younger the host, the stronger the demon gets. Of course the risk of them losing control and being swallowed by their demons are there, but Falkor said that there are ways to counter someone losing control of their uncanny partner.

Rolling to his side, Zied watched Tythlany fast asleep beside him. She was exhausted and he could tell through her deep breathing at a fixed interval. The vow he made echoed inside his head, he would do whatever it takes, no matter how hard he will endure, all for this woman beside him. Perhaps using those kids would cause them to fight with each other but there was hardly any other choice left in the matter. The people here will now be charged with the task of ensuring the future for the next generation, and with that great of a task at hand provided their limited number, they would surely need to utilize every able body.

"If we can somehow gather more people to be trained for demonology... then perhaps..." Zied whispered as he kept his eyes on Tyth.

The worries slowly disappeared from his mind as he gazed upon Tyth's beauty. Seldom did he get the chance to appreciate how beautiful she looked. It was all thanks to these underground people that he was granted a time like this. He admired her soft skin, now clean from all the dirt, blood and grime that had long stained it ever since since they began trying to survive outside. He watched every slow and calm breath she took in, smiled with every turn she made in her sleep. There was just so many things they could have been together other than fighting for their own lives, or so he thought. But Zied knew, he knew it damn well that to make her dreams come true, they have to fight one last time against the Seraphs, and he would gladly take the front.

Not wanting to wake her up just yet, Zied gently rolled himself on top of her and moved his face closer to hers, until he could feel her warm breath brushing his lips. He ran a hand across her silky skin teasing himself more of her until he could take it no longer. He was yearning for her and the night was still young. "You're so beautiful..." he whispered and kissed her gently. This chance may never come again to him so he decided that he would make the most out of it. He was hers, and she was his.


_________________________________________________________________________________________________



Seiryuu had lost track of the time they had spent traveling to the spire that once looked like a mirage from a distance but now stood gloriously in front of them. The intricate design of the tower was a signature by the Seraphs. One look at it and it was more than enough to tell someone that humans were not the ones who built it. The structure stood strong and high, easily towering over the largest and tallest man-made building in the western lands. The sight was breathtaking in itself but intimidating at the same time just for the sheer amount of Seraphs coming in and out, flying even around the spire.

Inside one of the carts that carried numerous dead bodies, Mika could not stop herself from asking Seiryuu a question. "Just what are they going to do with these bodies?" Seiryuu could only shake her head in loss. There was no telling what the Seraphs needed the bodies for until they see for themselves.

Several minutes later, the cart that carried the two were brought up into what Seiryuu could only figure as the middle section of the spire. Much to their surprise when they had arrived in a chamber, the two saw mountains of dead bodies already there beforehand. Most of them are already being tossed by the Seraphs to be burned by a pillar of blue light in the center of the chamber. There were also white-armored Seraphs chanting something in a language foreign to Seiryuu's ears. They had the blue pillar surrounded while the worker Seraphs kept tossing bodies into the streaming blue light.

Pretending to be dead, Seiryuu and her companion Mika found themselves among the pile of dead bodies with a good view as to what the Seraphs have been doing. The duo had gone in too deep and blowing their cover now would only mean certain death for them. Seiryuu knew that they have no other choice but to just learn however much they could about the enemy. Whatever it is that they may learn here might just be their key to defeating the Seraphs.

"It looks like some kind of ritual or something..." Mika trailed off as she fixed her eyes at the white-armored Seraphs chant tirelessly around the blue pillar. "Do you think that they are cleansing the departed to grant them passage to heaven?" she asked Seiryuu while trying hard to stay still and ignore the stench of death all around the place.

On the other hand, Seiryuu had her eyes fixed on the blue pillar. She had heard the questions of her companion yet she was too shocked to answer them. As she watched one body tossed into the light, there she would notice a flash in the area and a stream of smoke would escape the dead body and draft upward into the light. After that smoke has completely left, the body would disintegrate into nothingness in the center of the pillar.

"I don't know Mika, it does not look like that to me. It seems they need something from these dead bodies and that blue light in the middle is the one taking it."

"Now wait just a minute Seiryuu, what would these guys need with the dead?"

"Beats me, but I wouldn't consider these monsters guys. What they're doing is beyond human understanding. We need to see where this light goes to... we need to go up."

Having said what needs to be done, Seiryuu slowly began to crawl out of her hiding spot beneath the dead. Her partner did the same while making sure both of them go unnoticed. Surely there must be some sort of stairs in this chamber that leads upward, all they need to do now is to find it. Stealth was the key. After all, Seiryuu and Mika were the only other ones moving aside from the Seraphs.

After weaving their way through mountains of the deceased, Mika had managed to find a platform that looked like it would take them upstairs. The platform was a crystal that was powered by the very same blue light. By stroke of luck touching what closely resembled a panel of buttons, the two had managed to make the device worked and it silently carried them to the next level of the spire. Nobody could have prepared them for what they saw on the next floor.

Heaps of armor lay scattered around while worker Seraphs assembled them in the center where the blue light from downstairs connected to. When they have finished an armor, two crystal protrusions from the ceiling would blast the armor with two different beams, the left one fires the very same blue light while the right one would send that smoke that Seiryuu noticed earlier into the armor. Moments later, the armor would come to life and it would walk over to the weapons section and become one deadly adversary.

"This... can't be happening... they're using humans to wipe humans out!" Seiryuu blurted in shock.

"Incorrect." replied an unknown voice.

Immediately shifting into combat stance, Seiryuu and Mika drew their weapons out and turned around to the source of the voice. To their surprise, behind them stood a very human-like being. His gaze from those fiery red eyes was intense and powerful, his posture dignified like he was born a king and probably the most disturbing about the man is that he had an aura of dangerous permeating from his very core. His black hair swayed with the wind while he had an eery smile playing in his lips; it only made him look more sinister than how he already was.

"We're using human souls."

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

Shadows. He ruled them, not that he cared much what they did. Ever since becoming a Demon Lord, Brant was more conscious of shadows and how heavy they were. It made sense how these demons, the ones Beltza had belonged to, were considered the ultimate messengers of their races. They could mold into any shadow anywhere, collect information then report back to their commanding demon. It was simple, but only effective if someone was not spiritually aware of their tiny life forces when in shadow form. Otherwise, traveling as a shadow was not worth it.

It did come in handy though, like when he felt the familiar but wispy weight of one of his minions crawling up his back. To anyone else, it looked like the shadows on his back were moving on their own. The demon slithered up his back until it came to cover his ears and began talking in a silent language only he could understand.
When it finished talking, he dropped the syringes he was holding in shock. The delicate glass containers of chemicals and antitoxins shattered and covered his boots.

“Are you sure?” he demanded in a serious voice, turning abruptly to stalk his way back into the lab where his subjects were hibernating. Already he was crunching the percentages in his head, and knew they could function at 85% capacity. If anything, it was too soon to release then but this news….this staggering information pushed his hand. He couldn’t risk Tyth getting hurt, not now.

Sad thing was, he knew these demons never trusted them. Brant was fine in using them as much as they used him. He was all too aware of the rituals in bringing spirits back. Lucky for him, his body was not in prime condition to host a raw demon spirit. Already he was processing Tyth’s condition in his head, and knew these demons and probably others were on the move.

Rushing forward, he began to punch in numbers that drained the tanks and releasing the subjects inside. Swiftly he moved to the next one, the previous tank’s front glass door would hiss open as soon as he left it. Once he had all seventeen tanks opened, he hurried to one of his desks and began writing a quick note. There was no time to instruct Serenata in everything, not with the weight getting heavier on his neck and the hissing climbing higher pitched notes in his ears. He would arrive soon and already Brant dreaded deep down that he was out of time. The shadows seemed to be moving, dancing around him, on the walls, along the hallway that was outside his ‘hidden’ lab, only not for long. It would be discovered, and surely it would end in a fight.

Light slaps of flesh on stone was heard behind him, and he looked over his shoulder. Several nude people with long washed out white hair of several shades were walking on unsteady legs to him. He had made sure to awaken them several times to explain the state of the world and that they were mostly cured. Like Tyth, their bodies have been abused by toxins but can function normally. Their individual weaknesses would have to be discovered on their own.. Recovered ones, if they survived, did not usually remember their past lives. Only that of their time as a Sinner.

The front most Sinner was a long haired man with striking, silver eyes named Tempest. The man was the first Brant had worked on to recover and was the most aware of what was happening. Nodding to the purple haired man, he turned to the others and began signing very fast with his hands. A Sinners way of communication that was drilled into them, since some lost their voice over time.

Leaning down the stone ground, Brant began drawing the symbols for the circular pentagram that would transport them away from here.

---

Tyth did not dream. She did not like dreaming either, not since the demon Beltza tortured her through reanimated memories that played over and over in her mind of all the people she killed, or were afraid to kill. It was a fear that always caused her to hesitate for one second before closing her eyes to rest.

The closest she ever came to dreaming recently is the taste of freedom for her and the world. The mere ‘dream’ she had was imagining the Saraphs defeated with Zied by her side. With that wonderful man by her, she dared to try and dream a little harder.

Sighing as she felt warmth on her face and the smell of his skin, Tyth groggily opened her fluttering eyes. Looking up into bright blue eyes glowing with a hungry light, her breathing felt a little faint. For a second she just stared back, letting her body wake back up and then she made her move. Leaning up, she sealed her mouth across his and pushed herself up on her elbows.

“You sure know how to wake up a woman,” Tythlany breathed as she broke away, then pushed herself further up into a sitting position, the thin blankets curling around their feet. Reaching up to cup his face in her hands, the white haired woman used a bit of energy to invert their positions so that Zied fell onto his back, and her now straddling on top. Leaning over him with her hair surrounding them like a white curtain, she smiled a teasing smile.

“I believe you said once we got to civilization, you would have me. I intend to cash in those words.” Leaning down, she pressed their noses together and could faintly hear a growl, and knew a battle with her dragon had been started…

When she woke again, she had no idea what time of day it was. Being underground where there was no sense of day threw her off, so she just lay there at a loss of moving. Considering how rested and sated she felt, Tyth assumed they had slept for quite a while.

Glancing over at the man beside her, she winced with a pang of guilt. He would never sleep this hard or this deep. Zied never allowed himself to lower his guard completely, but there were rare times when she would put him to sleep with one of her ‘toxic kisses’. She didn’t like how he ran himself ragged, considering he was the stronger of them both in ability. They were going to start a war, and she needed him rested. This made the fourth time, and he hated it when she pulled these stunts, even if it was for his sake.

Leaning over, she pressed her face against his hair to take in the scent of it and then pulled away to get out of bed. Pulling on her clothes, Tyth combed out her long hair with her fingers, strapped on her sword and stepped out of the door.

Jogging along the long, wooden platforms until she found Falkor’s hut again, Tyth breathed a little deeper. The two large men guarding the entrance did not even bat an eye as she passed. Inside, the old man was sitting cross legged in the middle of the hut while a large circle of men sitting before him were talking and yelling over each other to be heard. To his right was Ciro, who was tending the fire while talking to another man with braids in his hair in hushed tones, despite the loud commotion. All their voices overlapped each other so much she couldn’t follow any of their conversations, nor did anyone acknowledge her presence at the very end of the circle. It irritated her very much, that she was being ignored. Chances are the old man calling this gathering since their arrival is very high, but how could she take back their attention?

Tyth looked over the large spread that took up the remaining space inside the gathered circle of men. Meats, vegetables, soups and breads were set everywhere, but that wasn’t what she was reaching for. Pulling a plate full of slimy but tiny black fish that smelled as bad as they looked, Tyth narrowed her eyes and ate three of them whole.

She chewed thoroughly with a blank face, waited for a few moments, inhaled and then reached for the nearest man by the collar of his shirt. Jerking him down to face her, she opened her mouth and burped long and hard right into his face. She made sure most of it went into his nose so that it was certain he smelled it so much he could taste it.

It worked because everyone shut up, looked over at them and then the man she held pulled away so hard with a wail of disgust, Tyth almost though he was singing.

“You’re awake? That was quick.” Falkor was the first to speak, while the others mumbled under their breath.

“How long?” she asked in a direct tone, setting her sheathed blade across her lap.

“Almost a full two days.”

Nodding,Tyth stared into the square dug out that was the fire pit. The smoldering embers from a dying fire glowed and winked back at her. If it was a full day, then she had maybe 40 minutes left until Zied was close to stirring. Barely making 48 hours cut it pretty short considering her kisses varied from half a day to a whole week depending on how much toxins she transferred without killing her target. A normal person’s blood can only handle so much. With Zied, it was a gamble.

“We will need a leader for the people to be inspired to follow.”

Falkor looked up, a deep wrinkle between his brows. “Why not you? Or the Black Dragon?” Several others looked like they wanted to object, looking at her out of the corner of their eyes. They would not even face her.
It irked her that people could not see the man she loved instead of just what he was, a dragon. Shaking her head no, Tyth reached for one of the dirt covered roots that were piled at the side of the pit. Cleaning it of cool dirt, she threw it across the food and into the embers. It was so dry, it began to smoke from the heat and burst into flame.

“Who would follow a Sinner or a Dragon? We are both outcasts as far as this world is concerned, and it would take too long to win over anyone. If we had someone of royal blood or outstanding favor of the people, we can get more to side with us faster.”

“A figure head, then.”

“Yes. Do you know of anyone that would fit that role?”

The woman had not seen the old man look so mischievous before. “Three such candidates are sitting in this room as we speak. I had them escorted here from their respected colonies not long after you left our meeting the first time.”

At his gesture to the three men further to his right of Ciro, one of them the man with the braids, did they bow their heads faintly to her. She was not interested in them nor was she impressed. Results are what she wanted now, not showing off of this man’s resources.

“Cute,” she deadpanned, still annoyed and about ready to fling things around in frustration. It was weird, she felt so wired and irritable. True her soul is whole again, but it is also scarred from having been incomplete once. Should she have been ripped apart too many times, her mind would have been destroyed. But she couldn’t blame her moods on her fractured soul, since this had occurred recently. Maybe it is a sign, along with this meeting, that her day was not going to go well.

As if to prove her right, she started to hear growling. Not as in mild annoyance, no this was like a feral animal. Looking up, she saw everyone seemed to have changed their behavior from social to defensive. Clutching her sword, she jumped to her feet and began inching towards the exit.

“What’s going on?!” she demanded, spreading her feet and ready to unsheathe her blade…but no one answered. They were all crouched over, as if ready to pounce. It was bad to be in such an small enclosed space with these men who seemed to have suddenly turned dangerous. They began to slowly keep towards her as one body, so she turned tail and ran out of the hut.

Skidding to a halt, she saw it wasn’t just the men inside the hut that had changed. Everyone outside the hut were slowly zeroing in on her. Why? What was going on?

“You look confused.” Said a familiar voice and it was one she couldn’t believe to be hearing. There in the middle of the horde walking towards her as if he owned the world was Scyth, and around him seemed to bubble an ominous aura. His eyes glowed an evil white, as did everyone else and that was when it hit her.

“You’re controlling them. Stop it.”

Why was he doing this? Where was Brant?

Shaking his head, Scyth walking in a half circle back in forth in front of her, and it looked like he was stalking prey.

“Not until I get what I want. Come with me, and everyone here will live. Or should I have some of them kill themselves just to prove my power?”

Lifting a hand, he clenched it closed and the five people behind him closed their mouths and then started choking.

“Stop it! Why do I need to go with you? I can’t do anything with demons.” She yelled back, unsheathing her weapon and leaning down ready to swing.

Blinking, Scyth twisted his head sideways and licked at fanged teeth. That was why, she realized. This man wasn’t Scyth, but something possessing him, and using his body to spread its control to the others. Considering the radius this creature could wield, she could only assume an elite demon or higher.

“You don’t know you have it? Are you not female? Are you stupid? Come with me.” The possessed Scyth snarled and reach for her arm, but she ducked away only to be hissed back towards him by the surrounded possessed.
“No! I don’t know what you’re talking about! Where is Brant? What happened to him?!”

Possessed Scyth smirked as he finally grabbed her arm while catching her sword with his bare hand, blood running freely from the deep cut. “That old man is probably dead by now. Now let us leave before that stupid Dragon gets here.”

Tyth never knew Scyth to be this strong or maybe it was the demon’s influence. She began to panic as her sword was ripped from her hand and flung off into the crowd. She tried twisting and pulling away but all that happened was her being dragged behind her possessed friend towards a black portal forming a few feet away. Whatever this demon wanted, it thought she had it, but what could she have?

Already she was sending wave after wave of distress to Zied, already hating herself for making him sleep so hard. She was scared, terrified that she would simply be spirited away for reasons unknown to he and away from Ziedr. It felt vaguely familiar…

No.

A little girl was running through the hot sands, laughing. Her short, frizzy blue hair bounced around her shoulders as she skidded down sand dunes.

No.

A storm was suddenly on them. She was screaming for her papa, for her mama. Lights flashed, and she heard her father cry out in pain.

NO.

High pitched screams, either hers or her sister’s, were eaten up by the harsh winds as metal covered hands grabbed at her, tugging her backward. She didn’t care if sand got in her mouth, if it suffocated her. She just wanted her mama.

“NOOO!” she screamed, her eyes widening in heavy hysteria as she thrashed wildly against Scyth because the portal that was right in front of her.Tyth would have gone in, had her insides not started burning and a single word whispered into her mind.

‘Help.’

Closing her eyes, she screamed even harder as the burning intensified, and then a strong invisible force burst forth from her and knocked everyone back. Falling backwards with her captor’s support, she could vaguely see the peopl of the colony groaning and then a flash of red and blue. When her head hit the ground, she heard a voice say,

“That’s as far as you go.”

Then there was singing, and Tyth was lost to unconsciousness.

---

Serenata couldn’t believe Brant had lost control of the situation so easily, or how fast it all fell apart. The quick note he scribbled was very vague and rushed, with two drops of smeared blood in the corner from where Tempest had handed it to her. She inquired about the blood, but he only said it was not his.

Once she had finished reading the letter, her hands were shaking as she reached for the extra dagger in a drawer from her dresser. This dagger Brant had given her should she need to head to main colony for her birth, but that was not the reason. Her sister was in danger, and Serenta was the only only one to save her. Moving as fast as she could through the small house with a large belly, the woman rubbed at her throat and kept clearing it hard. Tossing the blade to Tempest as the others gathered on the glowing circle, she hugged her belly and waited for the harsh zip feeling.

It jerked Serenata forwards and she would have fallen hard to the ground had Tempest and another Sinner not caught her in time. Screams so painful they wrenched her heart up echoed as the burst of power just flew past them. They had arrived just after something had happened, and she looked down and almost burst out crying.

She watched in slow motion as her sister was falling to the ground in a stupor, and her clothes were steaming. Clenching at her stomach to feel her babies kicking and squirming, Serenata pulled strength from them still being alive, and anger at this young man for hurting someone dear to her. He was already pulling himself up, recovering from the blast that seemed to have knocked everyone off their feet, and crawling towards her baby sister. He would not succeed.

“That’s as far as you go,” she snarled, then opened her mouth and made her rusty lungs let loose powerful notes she had not used in a few years.

Like expressing her intent to hurt or protect through her voice, this young man began squirming on the ground in pain. She did not stop until he glared at her and disappeared in a flash of red light from the ground.
It was like everyone sagged further from the man’s presence gone and began getting to their feet, looking around confused. Had they been controlled, she wondered as she let her voice die away.

“Tempest, you and half of them go secure this area. Make sure no one else like that man is around here. I will not take any chances.” She ordered as she dusted off her dress of white and faded green.

Hiking up her large dress that draped over her extended body, Serenata strode up from ground level to the higher platform where her sister lay with the remaining Sinners following. The colonists around her were murmuring and asking each other what had happened, even pawing at her for answers but she just made a beeline for her sister.

When she yelled for them all to back up since a few almost came close to stepping on her sister’s form, she about used her voice to get their attention. That was when the rest of the Sinners made a protective half circle in front of her to push the colonists back with their arms. Once they had room, she kneeled down and checked the younger woman’s vitals. She was breathing but shallow and her clothes were singed and still steaming.
As she inspected her heart rate, another female sinner crouched down to hook up a small machine that Brant had insist they bring with them to confirm her condition to Tyth’s chest and stomach. Upon further inspection, Serenata noted that the girl’s clothes were singed from the inside of the fabric, not the outside. Why would that be?

A powerful aura was felt by everyone as it came closer to them, and Serenata looked up to see a white haired young man appear near them. Before she could say anything, the sinner handed the machine over to Serenata and then pointed to the readings. It held two symbols in red and then she looked uncertainly to the young white haired man. This had to be the Black Dragon, the one Brant always talked about. He seemed a little taken back by seeing her face, and knew he figured she looked just like Tyth.

Gulping down some bile since her nerves had been so shot, Serenata stood up on shaky legs and motioned for the young man to come forward. Brant said his name was Grey. Zied Grey.

“You need to know something-“ Serenata started, figuring her introduction could wait, but her name was bellowed from the crowd. Her husband was barreling himself through, clawing for her.

“Rena!” he yelled, reaching her and pulling her close to his side, “What are you doing here?”

“Protecting her,” she said, pointing towards her unconscious sibling at her feet. “Brant gave me a heads up and I got here as soon as I could. I don’t know the whole story, but we need to make sure she is alright.”

Ciro scoffed and hugged her close, his nose pressed into her hair. “She’ll be fine. I’m sure she was just overexerted from fighting off whatever was here.”

It was too much. Renata was at her limit, and the pregnancy only shortened her capacity of patience. Her hand whirled around and smacked hard against her husband’s cheek.

“A pregnant woman is no laughing matter!” she yelled out, huffing from lack of air.

Shocked, her husband felt at his cheek from where she slapped and faintly rubbed it. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to offend you. Are the children alright? Do you feel any pain-“

Stomping her foot in anger, Sereanta shook her head then pointed back to her sister. “Not me. HER!”

“Wha?!”

“She’s expecting. The machine readings said so!”

Turning back to the Black Dragon, Renata bit her lip as she watched his mind put two and two together.

“Congratulations” was all she said, sarcasm dripping from every sound she pronounced.

Her baby sister is pregnant, and only once person can be the father.

---

Falkor groaned as his head rang from having hit the ground so hard. Others had fallen on him so a rib was hit by a foot or an elbow dug against his throat. The whispers in his head stopped talking, ever since the ringing voice speaking out of nowhere. Then the voices screamed in high shrill screams, and then all was silent. His mind was back again.

Once he stood up, others around him were getting the sense of self back. Something had happened, but he had no idea what. The white Sinner lay at the center of their crater of fallen bodies, so she had to be the source. When did she have power when all she had was brawn?

Already people were panicking, and confused. Raising his arms, he asked for all the calm down and to breathe. There were some colonists who had not reverted to Demonology that had to have witnessed the event, and they needed to come forward.

Already he was calling for any of them to come forward and explain the situation. Hearing the woman’s new condition, Falkor figured they would have to wait for her side of the story until after she woke up. Making his way over to the Black Dragon’s side, he saw the young man digest this news.

“I hate to disrupt this crucial time, Grey but did you see what happened? We all need to figure this all out if we are to act.”

The old man noted Ciro's wife and frowned lightly.

"Miss Serenata, should you have traveled in your condition?"

The young woman pushed herself to her feet and walked towards him. He felt a slight tremor of intimidation from this woman, from the hard glint in her eyes and the demon inside hissed.

"I will explain what I can, but for now I want this young woman taken care of. Pregnancy is a delicate matter."

Nodding, he called forward some of his men to gently pick up the girl and take her back their hut. "Your will be done, my Songstress."

[Ethereal]

Not one to question a familiar aura in distress, Zied forced himself up and rushed to the ground zero of the powerful blast wave that rumbled inside the underground colony. He was barely awake and still groggy from the aftereffect of the toxins Tyth used to put him to sleep. He knew he needed to be battle-ready when he got there but he was surprised to see Tyth's steaming body surrounded by people he knew he could not mistake for Sinners; the battle was already won and it looked like Tyth was the victor.

The words coming from the mouth of the people there were gibberish to him, he couldn't make out or understand any of the words that came to him like buzzing of bees. In his current state, he was only using the body language of the people surrounding Tyth protectively to judge if they were friend or foe. Much to his surprise, there was one there that looked exactly like Tythlany. The moment he stepped forward, she looked at him and muttered something which was audible, but not entirely understandable. The other sinners held a device over Tyth and looked like they were examining her for something.

"Congratulations..."

It was the first word that he could finally understand after the hollow ringing in his head cleared. The toxins in his system were finally being cleansed by his ability to heal himself if not entirely. The word itself meant that there was something to be happy about and yet the sarcasm and bite in the tone suggested otherwise. He did not know this pregnant woman so he did not care and continued to make his way over to his unconscious half.

There was so much commotion over what just happened and it seemed like this pregnant woman was not about to let him get close to her any time soon. She ordered the people around like someone of considerable position in the community. Even old man Falkor bowed to her like he was just a lapdog or something. There were inquiries here and there but the question was just one thing only... what happened? It was exactly what Zied wanted to know too but it would seem like the people there were just as lost as he was.

Fed up with what was currently going on, Zied could only feel anger and confusion swirling inside him. It was too much to bear and there was nothing or nobody to vent out on. Covering his face with his right palm, Zied took in a deep breath to fill his lungs and clear his head. Moments later, he breathed out followed by the most powerful surge of his killing intent that he could manage. It came out as a gust of wind blowing violently over everyone in the area including those from the other sections of the colony. That should be more than enough to get their attention. He needed answers and he was going to get it one way or the other.

"Nobody touches her until I get some answers myself." he said to everyone in the area. "I am not fond of being ignored or taking sarcasm from someone I don't know..." he continued and drew his blade while standing in front of Tyth's unconscious body. "Sinners or demons make a false move and I will make sure your heads roll." he threatened and took his stance. "Now... anyone going to tell me what the hell happened here?" he finished with his eyes holding a cold, blank yet sharp stare.

There was silence for a while. All sorts of emotion began to fill the area as Zied maintained a ferocious intent to kill around him. He could feel their mixed emotions in the air as it escaped the people's being. Nobody dared to move and even the one that looked like Tyth was taken by surprise. It was most likely due to the rampaging anger he was making them feel through his Ki. The man named Ciro was stirring with doubt, anger, intimidation and fear. Zied could tell that the man is confident of his own skill but against him who is currently in this state, there was hardly any competition.

Falkor, who kept a cool head was also stirring with confusion and worry for his people. He may have the power of a demon in him but the old age would be his downfall against Zied. It would seem like everybody finally understood why he was so often talked about by Brant.

"I like the form of your spirit. Is that how a Dragon looks like?" A voice questioned.

Zied's stare shot up to the top of Falkor's hut. There, a teenager boy sitting with gold hair and slim built looked down to meet his eyes. The mere fact that the boy can see the form of his spirit is something of another level. Zied's eyes turned fiercer by the second, much to the boy's amusement. The kid jumped down from Falkor's hut and the people beneath, including Flakor, backed away from him like he was some sort of outcast.

"... and you are?" Zied inquired, not letting his guard down even for a moment.

The boy smiled as he walked through wave after wave of Zied's killing intent unfazed by the pressure. It was right there that Zied knew that the boy could be on par with Tyth or possibly stronger than himself. It has been a long time since he met someone who could withstand this pressure coming from him.

"They call me Cain, but I am just a nobody cursed with a power I did not want." the boy responded after stopping a few feet away from Zied's attack range. "Tell me warrior, if you don't get your answers, are you going to slaughter these people?" Cain questioned in turn.

Zied was unsure if the boy was blatantly threatening to take him head on should he make a move against these people surrounding them. Or maybe he was just sharing his life story - it was hard to tell through the boy's cold eyes and that indifferent gaze they held. A battle was not one thing he needed right now and he could take a hint. The boy was right and he was clouded with anger and confusion. It was the boy's win this time. Ever since he spent time with Tyth, Zied had started to give a damn about life, and that was what he himself sometimes think a weakness he had gained.

The ominous atmosphere cleared little by little as Zied sheathed his blade back to its rightful place. It was never his intention to kill anyone, just to get some answers. The boy closed his eyes, exhaled and turned around to walk away.

"I'm glad we had come to a mutual understanding." he said before leaping off to the lower sections of the underground caverns.

"Can I talk now? Can we take care of my sister now? Are we all done with here? Because if we are, we have an emergency to take care of!"

The woman claiming to be Tyth's sister immediately brushed Zied aside as he ordered the sinners to carry Tyth inside Falkor's hut. They all disappeared behind closed doors as Zied stood there at a loss. Nobody could tell him what was what and that creeping feeling of something being wrong just stayed there to gnaw at him from the inside.

"Are we supposed to start a rebellion like this?" Zied sighed in defeat.

"We can only do what we can, when we can Gray. Nobody could have thought that this would happen..." Falkor trailed off as he lit up his pipe to smoke beside Zied. "I had asked you a misplaced question if you saw what happened, I apologize."

"And you give me a misplaced apology old man. The one who got in here with evil intent is out there, and I feel like the one who could answer both our questions would be that Serenata woman. Although it feels like she is hiding something and that will not be brought to light anytime soon."

"Indeed. Serenata has always been like that, she maybe our Songstress but she is also a woman filled with secrets. I hear that Brant and Serenata were close. Maybe you should start asking her from that point of view when you get the chance Gray."

"I will keep that in mind old man."

As Zied was about to return to the hut lent to them by the community, Falkor stopped him with a question that has no immediate answer. "What do you intend to do now Gray? With Tythlany in that state, there's not much to do but wait until she gets back on her feet. Strong as you maybe, you know full well how dangerous it is to venture outside alone."

Zied turned his head to the side to catch a glimpse of Falkor. "It's just as you said old man, we do what we can, when we can..." he trailed off and walked away.

The moment he stepped into their hut to do some thinking by himself, Zied was stopped by a sharp disturbance in his Ki flow. It felt like he was shot with an arrow from the back and in his head, an image of Seiryuu appeared. It was only for a brief moment but when the image faded, he was out of breath and sweaty all over.

"My Dragon Eyes activated... on their own?! Impossible!! I haven't even grasped the basics of it yet... Seiryuu... are you alive?"

The image he saw was about Seiryuu falling from a high tower made of crystalline material. Although it was only for a moment, he had felt a connection between Seiryuu that time and he even felt the same wind on Seiryuu's face. What could it possibly mean for him to see her image so suddenly? It was a thought that would surely linger a until he finds the answer. Pondering on what to do, Zied looked outside towards where Falkor's hut lie. Tythlany was in no condition to travel and it would be far too dangerous to go outside alone. The Seraphs could track this hideout if he were to reveal himself outside in his current state. Zied's Ki flow had been irregular after everything that has transpired.

"I'm sorry Seiryuu, it has been a while and I'm afraid it will be a while longer... I just hope you're safe."


_________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Aaaaaaghhh!!!"

The sound of metal, flesh and liquid tumbling over crystal floors echoed inside the hall accompanied by a bone chilling scream of pain. Mika's Katar had been sent flying a few feet away with her left arm still holding on to it. The man with red eyes countered Seiryuu and Mika's combination assault with ease and Mika was the one to take the brunt of the counter-attack. But the man with red eyes was not done yet. He gracefully blocked Seiryuu's follow-up attack with his bare hand and using the momentum, directed the attack towards Mika. Sensing the flow of her attack changed, Seiryuu withdrew her arm just in the nick of time before the point of her Katar nearly pierced through Mika's head. Looking sideways as she sensed a follow-up from the man, Seiryuu pulled her arms into a cross-guard before her chest and followed by a thud, took the man's kick full force which sent both her and Mika flying backwards.

"Guuhh!! We hardly even touched him this whole time..." Seiryuu cursed as both her and Mika lay sprawled on the crystal floor. "We... can't continue like this... one of us must survive!" Mika blurted out heavily under pained breathing. She was already pulling herself up despite being heavily wounded. Seiryuu knew that from the start that one of them or both of them could die against such an opponent. From the moment the man dodged her ultimate technique with ease, she knew that the battle had already been lost long before it started.

"Mika, do you think we came here to die like this? I will make a path so we can both flee." Seiryuu bravely said as she sat back up and grabbed her katars. Mika's pained expression turned for the worse as she heard Seiryuu's words. She knew she was slowing her down now that she was gravely wounded. Chances of their survival already dwindled to nearly zero percent if herself was included in the equation. Grunting while she slowly stood up, Mika raised her one good arm grabbed on to Seiryuu's shoulder. "Don't be... ridiculous... we both know how this will end... if you... if you think I will make it out alive... you're wrong."

Seiryuu couldn't say a word. Her subordinate had already accepted her fate that she will die here against this man. It was the cold, hard truth that she could not be powerful enough to avert. A sting in her heart caused tears to form from the corners of her eyes while she looked at Mika slowly stepping forward to face the man again in her condition.

"I will do what I can to... distract him... the only way out would be through the pillar edge behind him. With your speed, you can get past him if I could distract him for a few... seconds." Mika instructed under heavy breathing. "Should anyone be able to survive a fall from this height, you would Seiryuu... with your Azure Wings technique."

It was a good plan, or rather the best one they could come up with for an escape plan. Mika already knew that she could only last a few seconds against the man. Mika looked over her shoulder to Seiryuu and smiled weakly. "Promise me one thing Seiryuu... Don't die." The smile faded from her face as she turned to face their adversary. It was now or never and Seiryuu's heart already started beating fast. She had never felt this afraid in her entire life. Not even Zied's tremendous fighting ability could force her into submission but this man, this man is on a whole new level.

He just stood there with a peculiar smile on his lips as he watched them cling on to life so desperately, he was enjoying every second of it, a twisted pleasure that is only found in the deranged. "I see that both of you have already realized." he said and took a slow step forward towards the two. "There can be no escape. Accept your fate and become part of the glorious new age!" The man stopped a good distance and took his stance with barehanded fighting style. His punches were heavy, his speed monstrous and his battle sense extraordinary. Never had Seiryuu seen such a man in existence until today. He could easily be considered a God of Fighting.

Mika's pained expression had subsided and she had managed to gather enough Ki to attack in one burst. Seiryuu could feel Mika's fighting spirit raging as she watched her slowly lower her legs, readying to hurl herself into the man, and into her death to give her leader a chance at life. Seiryuu could only swallow her pride and give a silent thanks to her subordinate. The Eastern Lands need to know this development all for this world's sake. The Seraphs need to be stopped and sacrifices are a part of accomplishing that; a fact that is neither hard nor easy to accept.

"Now Seiryuu!!"

At Mika's command, both of them moved in unison. Seiryuu aiming for the edge and Mika for the man. Mika's eyes were in a deadlock with the man's red ones while closing the distance between them in her kamikaze attack. Her heart pounded wildly as the distance grew shorter and shorter to her target. Pulling her good arm back and using the speed as her momentum, Mika threw in a couple feint steps before spinning to launch one final combination at the man. Her pride with the technique taught to her by Seiryuu on the line, she would execute the Flowing Water Dragon combo to give her mentor a window to escape. It was a combination move made by Seiryuu meant to attack all vitals in a matter of a few seconds using a katar. The move can be divided into three levels. Paralysis, Death and Annihilation. She was going to go all out.

Seiryuu kept her eyes at the two while she slipped past the man's range. She took her eyes away and focused onto the edge just after seeing Mika execute the first blow. That move was meant to be used with both katars in hand. Having just one requires that you know the ultimate form of the move, Ashes to Ashes, the final level of the combo. Seiryuu knew the attempt was futile and she refused to see her student's disgrace.

"Too slow." the man said as he clipped the tip of Mika's katar in place with two fingers. He had completely stopping the motion of her combo and ultimately Mika from moving any further. She was completely read from start to finish. The man smiled devilishly at Mika. Sensing immediate danger, Mika let go of her Katar and switched to hand-to-hand combat. She took a step back and spun to the left then executed a roundhouse kick. The man watched her from the corner of his eye not moving an inch from where he stood. He was timing Mika's attack and the moment it came into range, he used his free arm to flick it away. He let go of the katar he held with the other hand as soon as he had broken Mika's balance and reached forward to grab her tightly by the neck. The man with red eyes, still smiling, lifted Mika off the ground as he choked the life out of her.

"Commendable, but this ends now."

The woman gasping for air fell into silence after three hard blows resounded in the hall. Seiryuu looked back to see Mika lifeless on the floor and the man already reaching for her own neck. "Such speed!" she thought to herself in surprise. Ducking low and kicking the ground harder, she managed to slip past the man's death clutch and as Seiryuu was in mid air after jumping from the edge, the man caught her by her hair. She was now dangling thousands of feet from the ground by her hair.

"You and that other woman should make fine souls for my army. Such potential will not go to waste." he claimed.

"Not if I can help it!" Seiryuu screamed at the man and quickly cut her hair followed by an attempt at the man's arm. Sensing the danger from Seiryuu, the man immediately pulled back his arm and just as Seiryuu began falling, launched an attack of his own. Unable to pull back her arms in time, Seiryuu took the blow to her face and was sent flying away from the tower. Knocked away and half conscious, she tried hard to recover from the hit while judging for the Ki she needed to break the fall.

"It's... not over yet you monster!!" Seiryuu vowed as he saw the man still at the tower not giving chase.

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

With a heavy heart and frayed nerves, Serenata exited Falkor’s hut a second time. Rushing to her side was the female sinner who has always aided her. With dark blue eyes and short cropped white hair, Lucrezia reached a hesitant hand for the pregnant woman. Concerned eyes with questions dotting her face made Rena feel a little better, but not my much.

“I am fine, Zia.”

Was she really fine? This reunion with her only living blood relative( besides her own children) was going worse than she ever dreamed. After performing the tests and ironing out the results in about three hours after her sister’s collapse, Serenata was horrified at their discoveries. In all honestly, her sister should not even be pregnant. Her reproductive organs are chemically abused. Tyth should be infertile, so having now to be pregnant was nothing short of a miracle….and a mystery.

Telling Zied Gray about the situation looked like heaven compared to how she felt right now.

Letting Lucrezia and Tempest look after her sister, Serenata went to find Zied Gray. He needed to know and absorb these facts. Rena took a few deep breaths before carefully making her way over to the hut Falkor had lent them.

Serenata’s face looked exhausted but determined once she found him and he agreed to let her talk.

“I know you have a lot to deal with right but I will be very blunt with you. I am Tythlany’s twin sister but I wish for this fact to remain unknown to her. Memories of her family are painful recollections that Brant said always made her mentally unstable. It cripples her mind to even try and remember. I don’t want to agitate her worse, especially in her condition.”

She did not wait for him to agree, instead hugging at her protruding belly as an anchor.

You do understand what it means when I say she is pregnant, correct?

Serenata proceed to explain the link of the leftover power traces detected from the baby, and how it could only be from Zied’s own dragon powers. She damn near started crying when she outlined her sister’s own personal link to the baby. The pregnancy was unnatural and abnormal from every angle, and dangerous. It was up to them what to do next. If they were going to fight as planned or not, which Serenata prayed they did not.

When she said her piece, Serenata paused on her way out the door. “I love her, never doubt that. I won’t get overprotective and demand you take responsibility because honestly, this shouldn’t even be possible for her. But we both can agree she will refuse to be left behind. All I can ask is that you make some connection with the child. Try and communicate with it. Convince it to control its power, and let Tyth protect herself. It is the closest I can think of for her to make this a normal pregnancy. If you don’t, they both can die.”

Looking back at him with a plea in her eyes, Serenanta bowed her head and then left.

Considering her talk with Gray, it was the closest she had felt like to being a sister in years. But it was far from the family her baby sibling needed right now, and she had her own children to take care of.

As if reading her thoughts, Ciro materialized at her side as she continued to waddle down the plank towards home. Rena couldn’t bring herself to go back to her sister, not after giving her such awful news.

“You are doing what you can, love. She will figure it out,” he murmured gruffly, still reluctant to speak happily of his supposed ‘sister in law’.

Rena frowned deeper and then stopped walking. Looking up at her husband, she reached for his arm but he shied away from her touch.

“You try to comfort me, but I feel alone more than ever. I can’t bond with my sister. Do I at least have you? My husband?”

Ciro looked away, guilt heavy in his eyes. She couldn’t stand seeing it.

“It wasn’t your fault you were possessed by that demon, swept into his influence. No one here remembers it even happening.”

“I remember waking up, not knowing how I got outside.”

“Ciro…”

“You were there, after NIghtfox knocked us all off our feet. We were all gathered around her, instead of back to a far off distance for safety. That could only mean we intentionally walked there, without conscious thought. I hate it.”

Sighing, she looked over at their home which was steadily getting closer. “I don’t blame you for feeling that way, but please. The children and I need you.”

“No.”

She reached for his arm, clamping down desperately.

“You could never hurt us-“

He turned away, determined to patrol the colony’s perimeters. He would be damned if he would let another of those things in again. Clenching his teeth, he shook his head at his wife and walked away. He could almost feel her pain licking at his back.

“Ciro! Please! Don’t leave me! Not now….sob…..”

Rena collapsed to her knees in front of their front door, crying. It was only until a more painful contraction made her cry out in pain that he whirled back around. Several others peeked out of their homes and shops to watch.

“Rena?!”

She clenched at her stomach, tears streaming down her face. A trickle of blood could be seen staining her ankles and dress.

“The babies!” she gasped in shock. “They're-!”

---

Sitting on a straw bed covered with thick, heavy blankets, Tythlany hugged her knees tightly to her chest. Ever since the woman named Serenata left, she had not moved. All she could do was breath and think.

Pregnant. It was unreal. Her? Really? Even if the machine they used was of Brant’s own tools, she still had some doubt…and a flicker of hope.

Reaching a hand down to rub at her flat stomach, the woman couldn’t help but feel a little happy. Deep down, she wanted children of her own. Being a Sinner put a damper on any sort of happy future considering the toxins and drug abuse should have destroyed her ovaries. Maybe they were kept in tact should the Creators decide to breed them?

But what Serenata said rang like a war cry in her ears. It shook her to the core just how dangerous her body really is.

When Tyth awoke, her body felt like lead and could not bring herself to move. The low toned humming near her left came from the dark, blue haired woman who was rubbing at her large belly. She gritted her teeth when she tried to move, but it only made the woman turn towards her.

“I am truly sorry but you cannot move because of me. I am keeping you there because we need to talk. Attacking me or running off is not an option at the moment.”

Tyth snarled at her, easing her muscles to relax despite the heaviness pressing her down onto the bed.

“You are smart, but I’m sure you can’t keep me here forever. I’ll just wait you out.”

There was an amused glimmer in the woman’s dark green eyes. “Good. More time for you to listen to me then.”

Before Tyth could throw another biting comment, there is suddenly a slight pressure on her throat. It kept her from talking further. The woman shook her head with a sad and guilty face.

“Please, just listen.You collapsed after sending that red haired man away, and I arrived moments later. Brant sent word that I was specifically needed to help you. I know we look alike, if you have not noticed, but that is merely coincidence. We do not know each other, but I feel I owe Brant a great deal so here I am.”

Leaning back into the wall covered with furs and mud, the woman hummed for a few moments longer and then closed her eyes.

“My name is Serenata, and you, Miss Nightfox, are pregnant. Along with several tools and a group of recovered Sinners thanks to Brant, we were able to diagnose your condition. The baby, gender unknown, inherited powers from the Black Dragon himself, and protected you from being abducted. We know the true events thanks to one of the machines that let us scan through your most recent memories before your collapse.”

Blinking since that was all the movement she is allowed besides breathing, Tyth’s face grew a little pink and the white of her eyes grew. Knowing her thoughts, Serenata laughed aloud.

“Do not worry, we do did not go back THAT far. Rest assured your love live is strictly private, despite how loud you two are.”

Ignoring her sister’s pink face, Renata grew serious once again. “The baby protected you, but at the cost of harming your body because the nature of the powers it inherited. It’s nature is suppose to be wielded by those blessed by Dragons, not regular humans. If you can remember the burning sensation before your collapse, I can tell you it was from the baby activating its power as a response to your despair and fear. But it harmed your inner organs instead and singed your clothing. You are lucky to be alive.”

Tyth looked away, eyes downcast away from her look a like. This is annoying, having a one sided conversation but the woman didn’t seemed bothered at all. Tyth wanted to rant, damn it!

“Just a little longer,” she assured the woman, seeing that all familiar sulking face so similar to one she wore as a child years ago.

“That is only part of your condition that is abnormal. The other…..is more heartbreaking. Since your body is conditioned as a Sinner still, it detoxifies any foreign chemicals and cells. This includes the fetus. Your body is unconsciously attacking it, but we found a protective shield from its power ensuring its life. The power the baby inherited is the only thing keeping it alive. I am so sorry, Tythlany.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. So she is pregnant, but her body is trying to cause its own abortion? Now she knew this is all crazy! Renata saw her sister’s eyes flare up in anger at her words, but she swallowed back the bile and kept talking. It needed to be said.

“I know you do not want to believe me right now, but know feelings are connected solely to that child. If you get too scared, it will attack like before. If you get too angry…”

As if responding to the woman’s voice, Tyth clenched her eyes shut as pain stabbed in her stomach with a flare of a firey stinging sensation. Never had she felt like this before. NEVER! As her eyes clenched shut and a few tears fell, she didn’t notice a faint glow flicker around her hips and arms. Renata saw it,and knew the fetus was unconsciously trying to ward anything away from its mother. Feel for any dangers or threats.

Renata couldn’t stand just forcing her own sister to endure the pain, but she could hurt herself more by failing around. “Please endure it and try to calm down. Until the baby’s reaction subsides, you will feel better.”

When the glow subsided, Renata rubbed at her own belly again, humming for all five of them to feel at ease.

“Tythlany, please accept what I’m telling you and know I regret you have to go through this. A normal pregnancy like mine seems easier compared to yours. When you feel better and can control yourself, please talk to your lover. I will tell him the news, but ultimately it is your decision how you handle this.”

Rena looked away from her sister, trying so hard not to shake with tears as she left the hut. Not long after, Tythlany regained the control of her own body. Tears streaming down her face, she curled up tightly on the bed and waited for the throbbing pain to subside…

It had been an hour, and Tyth was thinking hard on what is the truth. What are her possible options now that she is carrying Zied’s child? Will the double edge relationship they share be the end of them without even trying?

Her hands starting shaking as reality finally sunk it. Tyth is scared, of now and the future. She had no idea how to take care of a baby! Was Zied even experience in such things? As far she she knew, Zied was far from having a domestic life if his relationship with Seiryuu was anything to go by. Tyth could barely wrap her mind around being a mother. What of him thinking himself a father? They love each other yes, but by society they were not married, and having a child. Was this even normal? Tyth did not know normal anymore.

More importantly, this threw quite the mud in their plans for war. If the baby was truly uncontrollable in its powers, it meant she could not go out on the front lines. That fact Tyth refused to accept. This war needed to start. They had to get their freedom. Tyth could not do that, how she wanted by sitting on her butt while waiting for Zied to come back. Now she knew what the women felt when their loved ones left on a live or die situation. Never knowing if they will come home or not.

Then there was the possessed Scyth to think about. He had tried to abduct her, which made her wonder all of a sudden. That demon wanted something she had. Could it be…

“You don’t know you have it? Are you not female? Are you stupid? Come with me.”

The baby. The demons know about the baby. It explained the fast response soon after it was….created. That still didn’t explain how fast Brant, Serenata and the demon knew so fast. Could they have been under surveillance? Just what connection did Brant have, and why did the stupid shadow vermin want her child so bad?

A headache started at her temples from thinking so hard, and a faint throb echoed from her lower belly. Glaring down at her stomach, she eased herself from the bed.

“Oh stop it, I’m just stressed out. You can’t protect me from everything in this world.”

Tyth walked towards the thin blankets that separated her from the outside, when the world around her vision swam and she felt like the axis as the world was tilting. Scrambling to get righted, she felt acidic liquid bubbling up her throat. Clawing blindly for the fire pit that was always at the center of the hut, Tyth leaned over and vomited. When she was done, she leaned back on her heels to wipe at her mouth.

“Ugh, this kid. Wonder what Zied thinks of you.” She could not help but smile a little. To think her tiny family had grown just a little bigger.

---

Tempest leaned against the hut behind Lucrezia as she sharpened her long daggers. Unlike her, the male Sinner is mute and could only communicate by sign language. Still, he is familiar to her and would have nothing else at her back.

When a painful cry was heard, Lu’s head whipped up to see Serenata’s husband carrying his wife further into the many houses for a doctor. She hoped the woman had a good delivery, but did not get up to follow. Her mission is to watch over Brant’s daughter.

Noticing movement on a roof far across from them, Lu saw the young blonde boy from earlier. His blonde hair bounced as he lept form roof to roof. Even from where she is crouched, she could tell he was merely playing. As if sensing her gaze, he stopped on one roof and turned towards her.

His eyes met Lu’s and she felt a shiver skitter up her spine. Then the boy turned away, jumped down and was out of sight. She didn’ t like him. He felt wrong.

---

Hissing as he reappeared in Brant’s lair, Scyth coughed up blood. The notes from the woman’s voice still made his nerves vibrate painfully. The witch caused the demon’s anger to resonate through his whole body, and Scyth just wished for a little sleep.

“You don’t get to sleep human. We almost had it. The baby with a strong soul.”

It was like a dream, how everything whirled by and Scyth let it all happen. One ofwhat he thought was Brant’s demon lacky had materialized in front of him, vowing to make him stronger. He agreed without asking, and gave up his body to the demon. Brant had left to his lab and never knew a thing. Already with the demon’s senses, he could see the other demons plaster themselves to the shadows everywhere. Their clicks, whispers and hisses flew through his head and he got snippets of every conversation. When he walked among them, they hissed some word and licked the air at his boots.

They whispered a name he never forgot.

Bezaleel.

It reminded him of only one other that Brant had mentioned. Beltza.

Sneering, Scyth struggled to his feet. “You forget about possessing humans already? I don’t work on demon time. My body has to rest. It has to eat and recover. Forgive me for being weak, you slime pest.”

“Then recover. We will try again.”

“Yes, wife.” Scyth replied back bitterly and stumped forward for his room and bed. His body ached everywhere, and not just from nearly being torn apart by one woman’s singing. The demon had took on Brant with his body, and he was surprised either of them still lived. They both left damaging wounds on each other. Brant had aimed for his heart!

Falling onto his bed, Scyth let his arm rest over his eyes. Due to the possession, his human feelings were muted except pain, hunger and exhaustion. He didn’t think about the guilt of nearly killing his former teacher, the woman he loved or the child she carried. He did feel the pain that she was carrying that man’s child, and the jealousy ate at his heart that he was denied such happiness. Then the bitterness came over him again, and blanketed itself around him like a second skin.

“Why do you want the kid so bad?”

Bezaleel seemed to stir inside his soul, or wherever demons reside in their host bodies. “The Dragon’s spawn will be a good bargaining chip to the Serpah’s creator. He likes good strong souls.”

Sleep tugged at his mind but Scyth had to ask it.

“What could that guy possibly give you?”

It was weird that he could feel the demon smiling, long fangs peeking through ash colored lips.

“Revenge.”

He fell asleep smirking.

[Ethereal]

A father. That was what he was now after hearing the news from Serenata herself. Zied did not know how to react. As a man who spent his childhood being trained by his foster father, and with him living nearly all his life in the battlefield, being a father is something unknown to him. Yet despite all the fear her felt, deep down he was smiling. Tythlany is carrying his own flesh and blood. What was so special about it that could still make him smile despite knowing full well that the pregnancy itself for Tythlany is no walk in the park?

"make a connection..."

The woman was right, he should make a connection to the child. The question is... how should he do it? All these felt like he was trying to learn a new skill. Clueless at first but he was sure he could get the basics down and become better at it. Was fatherhood the same thing? Could it be compared to what he has done all his life? But somewhere behind all the doubts Zied had, he felt sorry for the child soon to start living in this wretched world. Now he has two reasons to make the world a better place. Clenching his hand into a fist, Zied silently vowed to put an end to the Seraphs... for his child.

He knew that Tyth was already conscious, but it has been over a few hours now and there was still no sign of Tyth coming over to their hut. Breathing in deep, Zied stood up and stepped outside. Destination? Falkor's hut. Him and Tyth need to know where they stand and with bigger things on their plate, they both can't afford to sit idly by.

"It just had to be at this time huh Tyth?" Zied questioned the air around him and walked on.

Moments later, he had arrived at Falkor's hut and he was showed inside by the old man to where Tyth was. She just sat there, immovable, lost in thought. Making his way by the door, Zied stopped and looked at her. Nothing has changed about her except for the fact that she was bearing his child. No words could come into mind and Zied found himself struggling on what to say. This was not part of their plans, at least not yet anyway.

"Why do you lock yourself in here? I've been waiting for you."

He did not really require an answer so he just simply walked inside over to Tythlany and put a hand on her belly. Zied could feel strong Ki waves the moment his hand touched the skin of her belly. The child was reacting to his own Ki he had gathered in his hand. The child was excited and in its own way, greeted him with warmth.

"Not too much now kid, you might hurt your mother." Zied gently spoke. There was no doubt, it was their child in there. "This child will grow to be strong, stronger than me or anyone else I know. Tell me, is it a boy or a girl? What should we name our child?"

The words actually came out sounding better than expected. There was hardly any sign of hesitation in how he said it. Could it be that his excitement took over and his rational side locked behind emotional bars? It could be both but Zied did not care. It was this very moment in his life that he actually felt alive and free. Although the lack of reaction from Tyth killed his moment of peace.

The dangers of this pregnancy were real. Zied knew that Tyth's body is treating the child like a foreign object and was actively trying to get rid of it. He could not even bear to think about it. Even though the child right now is currently protecting itself using its own power, Zied knew that it would not last forever. The child will eventually grow tired and the moment the child lets its guard down, Tyth's body would take that chance to attack the child relentlessly. The sad part is, there's just no way they could make Tyth's body stop doing so unless she and the baby dies.
Zied could only imagine what is on Tyth's mind right now.

For the all he knows, this was the second time that Zied felt scared again...

_______________________________________________________________________


Seiryuu finds herself falling at breakneck speed thanks to the punching power of the guy she fought back in the tower. She had managed to calculate and gather the amount of Ki needed to execute the only technique that will surely save her from certain death. Azure Wings, the most powerful skill in her arsenal. As she neared the earthen soil, Seiryuu spread her arms, katars in hand in preparation to execute the move.

"It's now or never!" she yelled and gritted her teeth. Roughly estimating her distance from the ground and carefully aiming directly below her, Sieryuu slashed forward using both arms with all the power and Ki she had gathered.. A faint blue arc escaped her katars and sped faster than she fell impacting the ground. Soon after, a large explosion followed suit causing a massive cloud of dust and debris to fly upward towards her.

The blast-back from the impact of her technique shot upward in a roaring rage. It slowed her fall down by a great deal and as she was nearing the cloud of dust and dirt, Seiryuu pulled her arms into a sturdy guard before her face and readied herself to enter the cloud of dust. A few seconds away from he hard ground, Seiryuu noticed that her speed is not decreasing anymore. "Damn it! It's not enough!"

Assessing the situation immediately, she calculated her survival falling from her current speed. She would but just barely and it was not acceptable. Spreading her arms immediately as she just entered the cloud of dust, Seiryuu fired off her Azure Wings technique one more time causing a followup explosion and a new wave of dust and debris flying away from the blast center.

Moments later, an exhausted Seiryuu knelt in the middle of a fairly large crater her Azure Wings created. Having forced to fire off the same technique twice in a row, even Seiryuu's reserve Ki has been used up. "Not... too shabby... I suppose..." she muttered in heaves of heavy breath. After failing twice in standing up, Seiryuu gave up and decided to catch her breath for a few minutes.

"I shouldn't be taking my leisurely time resting in enemy territory..." she hesitated yet remained still. She was out of immediate danger but the commotion she created by using such a technique would surely draw enemy attention. Finally deciding that staying longer there would be too dangerous, Seiryuu stood up on shaky footing. She was just about to comment on how much her legs shook when she heard a familiar sound all around her, the clinking of armor.

The silence had been broken. Seiryuu's eyes turned fierce upon seeing the first armor make its appearance above the crater. Soon, her heart pounded inside her chest as more and more of the same dreaded armor began to surround the whole crater. The Seraphs were already there. "Tch! No rest for the weary. C'mon! Get down here and show me what you got!" she yelled.

Her strength depleted, her Ki at dangerously low levels, Seiryuu knew that her chances for survival is no longer present. Yet, her will is unbroken. Even though false bravado is the best she has right now, Seiryuu refused to give in.

"Mika... it looks like this is the end of the road for me. I'm sorry..."

The Seraphs began to descend the crater one by one. The battle has already begun and Seiryuu could only stand in the middle of it, unfazed yet unsure of her own survival. If she could somehow survive, what it would take is a miracle. Seiryuu knew that their world has fallen short of miracles long ago. The ground she stood on trembled as the armors neared. When the first one came close enough to strike with its huge axe, Seiryuu's battle instinct kicked in. She swayed to the right barely avoiding the axe's blade by a hair's breadth.

"If I'm going to be done in by the likes of you, I would rather kill myself now!" She growled and countered with impeccable timing and precision. It would have been a kill had she the strength to follow through, but she was already too slow and too weak. The Seraph with an axe simply ducked to avoid her incoming katar with ease. The swing she made left her wide open and with wobbly balance, she primed herself as an easy target for the Seraphs.

"Damn it all!" Seiryuu cried out.

Her eyes opened wide, her scream cut short as multiple painful sensations shot right through her body. It felt like time had slowed down itself for Seiryuu when she looked down to see several foreign protrusions coming out of her chest, abdomen, arms and even legs. They looked like spears and the tips were coated in her blood. Not wanting to believe it, she looked back only to find more of the same armors silently granting her demise with their weapons. With her fate sealed, Seiryuu looked forward and saw the axe wielding seraph from earlier ready its blade.

With the axe on ready to strike her down, Seiryuu could only look down and cough up blood, smiling faintly with her stained lips.

"Zied... I... I don't... want to..."

Then everything went black.


_______________________________________________________________________


His moment with his loved one and child were disturbed by a sharp sting in his chest. Again, the same feeling of burning in his eyes that followed after were there. Zied stumbled forward away from Tyth while clutching his face with his left hand. It was a futile attempt to ease the pain in his eyes. This was the second time it happened in just a short amount of time. The Dragon Eyes activating on their own against his will and without complete knowledge and training in the technique.

"Aaaghhh! Uaaaaahhh!"

It felt like he was being dragged inside a bright stream of light that seared his very being as he traversed the length of it. Yet he was neither burned to ashes nor consumed by it. Moments later, Zied found himself in the air, yet it felt like he was still kneeling in the cottage beside Tyth and his child. Confused and bewildered, Zied looked around surveying the area. He found the same crystalline tower not far from his point of vision, and a huge crater lying a good distance away from the tower. He was just about to avert his gaze from the crater when he noticed movement.

There was no mistaking it, the Seraphs were on the move and it looked like they have prey. From the distance of his view point, Zied could only make out a faint form but no matter how much he did not want to think about it, the image he saw earlier about Seiryuu kept playing in his mind. It was the faint color of purple in the center of the crater that confirmed his dreaded thought.

In a mere second, the image faded and Zied found himself staring at the wooden floor of the cottage, restless and out of breath.

"Seiryuu's alive... and she's in trouble!"

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

After giving up on leaving the hut on her third hurl that turned into dry heaving, Tyth stumbled back to the bed and sat there. Thoughts began whirling in her head on how to talk to Zied, and about what. The baby. The war. Their future. These colonies.

Not to mention the demons that had their child on their 'Most Wanted' list.

Everything important always had to happen at the same time. She winced a little as the baby felt around, and she wished she had the ability to lull it to sleep. Tyth was more than happy it was created, hell she didn't mind the time when they were creating it, but it was being more of a distraction than anything and she needed to think.

The Serenata woman had not appeared in a while, so she was at a loss of how long she sat there until she felt his familiar presence. LIke a blanket, it enveloped her and the child. It calmed her a little until Zied pressed a hand against her stomach to feel at the child. The clash of Ki and warmth through her own skin was a strange feeling and if she wasn't so distracted, she might have chuckled.

Tyth cracked a smile when Zied warned their child not to release too much energy. Already the child calmed down more then ever, and she felt she could finally breathe.

"What should we name our child?"

Already she could feel the edges of confusion starting to overwhelm her again. Serenata never mentioned the gender, always referring to it as the "child". It could only mean their machines and tests could not determine that one simple fact. Tyth could only assume it was too early in development to know right now.

Reaching for his hand, Tyth battled with the words in her throat as she tried to grasp at the courage to finally talk to the father of her child. Their child. Glancing up at his face, she tried to find comfort in his look of awe and the light of excitement in his eyes. This was new, and he wanted this. He wanted them.

Her fingers almost touched his when suddenly he lunged away from her side, clutching at his face in pain. Her confusion turned to panic in an instant. Tyth rushed from the bed to her feet, hands outstretched to the man she loved while waiting for him to clam down. When his body finally stilled and his eyes focused back onto the floor, he said words that twisted her heart inside her chest.

"Seiryuu's alive... and she's in trouble!"

Her hands fell away from him to her sides, and she clenched her eyes shut as emotions inside warred together. Jealousy. Selfishness. Anger. All directed at a woman that shared a place in Zied's heart. But before the despair could overwhelm her, Tyth let out a breath and marched over to Zied. Now wasn't the time. She could cry about it later.

Reaching down for his face, she gently but forcefully made him look up at her with her palms cupping his face. She prayed that it didn't look like she is about to cry.

"Go." Tyth said with all the determination and encouragement she could muster into her voice. She had to convince him. When he looked like he was about to say something, the woman shook her head.

"You will regret it if you do not," she murmured, tracing her fingers along the side of his face. Looking at his face, she imprinted every single line and curve to memory. Already she could feel it. She was sending the man she loved off to battle.

Smiling shakily, she leaned down to press her forehead against his. Her hair fell around them, the long strands hiding them from the world. "It will probably just be nothing. She probably got jumped while trying to rest, and you just need to clean up. You'll be back before you know it."

Her voice was breaking and already she could feel the tears well up in her eyes. Tyth didn't want him to leave her, but it wasn't fair to just let Seiryuu die. Zied could never let himself do that. He gripped at her legs tightly as he knew she was trying to make this easy for them.

"We'll be fine, the baby and me. We will be waiting for you."

Bringing herself to look back into his eyes, she couldn't hold back the sob as she lunged down to press her mouth against his. She kissed him long and hard, pouring her feelings and fears into the kiss. Clutching at his shoulders and hair as she pulled back for air only to keep kissing him repeatedly. Tyth wished desperately she knew he would come back alive. Whatever was taking down Seiryuu could very well be a match for Zied. It scared the hell out of her.

Her lips lingered shakily against his and she fought back the tears. "I love you. Now go."

It took everything she had to pull her arms away from him and gently urge him towards the door. She knew him well enough that they could never say good bye. This is not good bye. Her emotions were just over the top because of the baby. Tyth would keep telling herself that. She kept forcing herself to smile at him, even as he ran out of the hut.

Again, time seemed to slip away from her notice. Tyth just stood there for a long time, staring at the floor. The world seemed to slow down and distance itself from her as the voices talked outside. They were discussing on how to send Zied over. She stood still as a statue, even as Zied's presence finally winked away from her senses. He wasn't there. He was now gone.

Something inside her broke, and the almost frantic searching pains from her stomach echoed her despair as she fell to her knees. Screams and sobs so filled with pain that she never heard from any of her victims were torn from her throat. Grasping at her face like Zied did to try and catch her many tears were useless as she cried and cried on the floor of the hut. It hurt so much to send him away.

The baby flared to life in her stomach and she tried to ignore the burning pain. Ripping her hands away from her face to clutch at her stomach, desperate to calm the child, Tyth wailed with her forehead pressed against the wooden floor. Already she wanted him back. Give him back DAMMIT!

"Get up."

A voice. It sounded familiar. It sounded worlds away to her brain.

"Hey."

She twitched as she heard it again, and turned her head to see pale bare feet. Her vision focused from blurry colors to try and focus on one toenail through her tears.


"You are stronger than this, Tythlany. Get up already!"

Those biting, barking orders. Only one person really spoke to her like that. Eyes shakily looked at the edge of her eyes to meet amused eyes over a large protruding belly.

"Jaavi...."

"Surprised, kiddo? Not as much as I am to sense that kid of yours. That one is screaming it's presence to the world." A ghost, a vision, a hallucination. Whatever she was, the pregnant woman leaned down to press two fingers against Tyth's lower belly. She could faintly feel a flare of power and then the child was silent. Tyth couldn't feel anything.

Fear welled up inside her heart. "What did you do?!"

The blonde woman merely rolled her eyes and leaned back onto her heels. "I just put the kid to sleep. They were getting too spoiled, staying up so late. But meeting their father so early has that effect, I guess."

Tyth turned over so she was lying on her side, head curved over her shoulder at an awkward angle as she kept her eyes on this....whatever it was that she is seeing. Hazel met dark green and Jaavi smirked a little evilly.

"You're dead."

"Yup. I guess turning human never destroyed my true demon nature if I'm here helping the one who killed me."

"I....I never meant to-"

Cool, air pressed against her lips and Tyth froze. "I know your mind wasn't there that day, but your body still used the weapon that tore me and my children to pieces."

Hearing the truth from so long ago made Tyth want to cry again, and her bottom lip shook. She bit at it hard to keep from breathing a few times. Dark green eyes softened as Jaavi pulled her fingers from Tyth's mouth to smooth a few strands of hair on her girl's head. "But being human taught me to forgive. I forgive you Tyth, and know I loved you. You were my first daughter."

Tears blurred her vision again, and her fingers moved frantically to grasp at her fair. Tyth felt nothing and she couldn't see her anymore. Whatever was happening just now, it was ending!

"Jaavi! I don't know what to do!"

A sarcastic laugh filled the young woman's ears and it sounded so far away. "Quit clinging to me, kiddo. You know what you have to do. A mother's instincts come easier, and stronger than anything. Use them, you idiot!"

It was a like a ethereal slap to the face. Tyth's mind seemed to jump start and the world began to move again. Blinking the blurry tears from her eyes, she looked around at the dull lit hut and felt the hard wooden floor where she lay. Jaavi's hallucination was gone.

Forcing herself to sit up, Tyth reached for her belly and waited for the painful searching flare of pain but all she felt was a dull flare of power. In a way, she was relieved. The child is alive.

Pushing herself off the floor, Tyth reached for her forehead and inhaled deeply. A mother. She is a mother now, her love off to fight. She had to make do while he is gone, fighting for their sakes. Tyth will do the same.

A new feeling filled her. Confidence.

Already her back straightened and her eyes glared ahead as she walked out of the hut into the dully lit canyon of a colony. The group of Ex-Sinners to her left seemed to jump to attention as she surveyed everyone. Staring at them, she crossed her arms and took an authoritative posture.

"You will do as I say?"she asked, her voice carrying a testy edge to it.

The short haired woman from before who accompanied Serenata stepped forward and dropped down to one knee. "On your orders, ma'am!"

For the first time in a while, Tythalany smiled. It was one that promised something. Seeing it, the rest of the Ex-Sinners dropped to one knee, covering their heart with their right hands. It made her smirk even harder.

"Good. I think that is what Brant planned anyway. I hope you got enough rest because I am going to work you very hard." It was not a statement but a promise.

Turning on her heel to face the old man, Falkor as he sat by the front door of his hut smoking a pipe. Seeing the fiery determined glare she was sending him, the older man seemed to squirm a little as he got to his feet and bowed his head in respect. She looked too much like Lady Serenata to do otherwise.

"You and I have much to discuss Falkor. We will have another meeting, without demon distractions this time," she said, sending rapid hand signals to her now appointed guard. They ran off in different directions, weapons at the ready.

"My Lady?" he asked, at a loss of whatever else to say.

Staring the man down like a woman ready to fight the world, Tyth spread her feet just a little as if ready for a battle.

"We are going to war."

[Ethereal]

It was not too long ago that Zied found himself inside a comfortable hut with Tyth and their child, yet now he finds himself floating endlessly in a tunnel with stream of dazzling colors passing by time and again. The feeling is unusual and there aren't enough words for Zied to describe it. Traveling this way felt strange and seemed as if he will be ripped apart if he moves even an inch. Perhaps it was the fear of having to travel with unconventional means, opposite to what he was used to, running at high speed.

"Well now, it feels like I've been here forever... How much longer will this take?" he asked himself only to find silence as a response. His heart pounded heavily in his chest and his mind kept playing back the image that he saw in Falkor's hut about Seiryuu being overwhelmed by the Seraphs. It was hard to believe that such a skilled fighter would be overrun so easily. It was a possibility yes but with Seiryuu as the opponent, she could very well survive on her own against a horde of those armors for a few weeks alone.

"No use over-thinking things. Anything could happen in a battle."

It was his battle experience giving him an answer to his query. He could only pray that he was not too late when he gets there.

Just as he closed his eyes for a few seconds, bright light began to shine from the front, like he was approaching the end of the tunnel. Already he could feel the presence of several Seraphs from inside and it brought fear in him when he felt a very faint presence that was familiar. Seiryuu was there, and the terribly weakened and gradually weakening presence could only mean one thing, she was dying.

With his sword hand gripping the hilt of his blade strapped to his back Zied could only think of one appropriate thing to say. "Not today Seiryuu..." Zied muttered and as soon as he felt hard ground beneath his feet, he opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by Seraphs.

A deep breath and a powerful slash later, Zied managed to knock away and destroy a couple armors that immediately attacked him upon appearing from a hole in the air. He frantically searched for Seiryuu but there were too many armors that blocked his sight and path. With his spirit raging and time running out, Zied's carefully maintained temper went past the threshold. There would be no holding back and he will make sure these armors turn to white dust.

Wasting no time, Zied kicked the ground hard and launched himself forward into the fray. The Seraphs one by one reacted to the newcomer in the battlefield and turned their attention towards him. Weapons at the ready, they waited patiently to clash with the long, white-haired man dashing at high speed to attack them.

Technique was not an option at the moment. He needed to clear a path to Seiryuu and to do that, he should attack multiple targets at the same time. His trusty blade sang songs of joy as he swung it around with pure brute force. He could feel his blade slicing through the armors like a hot knife through butter. Keeping finesse would only mean wasting more time. Those armors that met his blade while he rashly evaded incoming attacks would stop moving and turn to white dust.

They were going down by the numbers at the hand of a single man. As he moved closer and closer, Zied caught a glimpse of one armor that was raising an axe in the air. He was not too late but barely early either. "A glimpse of the future eh... is that the nature of the Dragon Eyes?" he questioned himself while slashing down one Seraph that hurled itself before him.

Channeling more Ki to his legs, Zied positioned himself at the ready to dash at blinding speed. When more Seraphs tried to get in his way, he hurled himself forward and seemed like he faded from where he stood. A second or two after, a loud booming noise followed leaving a clear path from where he previously stood right to where Seiryuu was. The tip of Zied's blade had pierced the armor that held the axe and that Seraph slowly turned to white dust blown away slowly by the gust.

There she stood, pained and nearly lifeless. Zied couldn't bear to see her in such a pitiful state, but he knew that if he pulled out the spears that pierced her body, her death would be instant. Rage crept rapidly, it nearly swept away his rational side at some point but if he goes on a rampage here, Seiryuu would surely die. She was still alive but barely, that's the important thing. What needs to be done is to ensure he could bring her back in time to be saved.

Like a mirage, Zied faded from sight, appearing behind Seiryuu to deal the final blow to those who held the spears that pierced the woman. He was gritting his teeth so hard he could taste blood in his mouth. The man gripped with anger wanted to destroy every single Seraph right there and then. But he noticed that the Seraphs have stopped coming after he struck down the spear wielders. They just stood there like they were waiting for orders.

"Now what? Scared?" Zied mocked, but now was not the time to keep fighting. They have stopped moving and it was the perfect time to get back to the hole where he came from with Seiryuu.

"Z.. Zi.. Zied?"

The woman had slipped back into consciousness. Much to her surprise, there stood a man with that familiar fierceness in his aura. Coughing up more blood as she tried to speak again, Seiryuu mustered all the strength she could gather to look up. She wasn't dreaming. The pain she felt made her sure of it. He was there, he came for her in time of need. He was alive after all.

"Save your strength. I will get you out of here no matter what happens."

He did not look back. He just stood there maintaining a protective circle around both of them. It was so fierce that even in her dying state, she could feel the intensity in him. She knew full well that demise awaits those who step into what Zied likes to call, Circle of Life.

"It's... too late for... me... I don't have... much time left... but I'm glad... that you came... thank you Zied."

"Don't die on me now Seiryuu or I will kill you myself."

She chuckled, more blood spurting out of her lips. She was fading fast and she no longer had the strength to keep on. When the man seemed to have noticed the lack of response from her, everything started to fade again. She could hear him calling out her name but his voice was becoming fainter and fainter, til there was silence.

..
...
....

Thou call thyself my kin? Though who hath been blessed by the holy blood? Pathetic.

"W-who are you?" Seiryuu questioned with uncertainty. The pain was gone, her body healed of all wounds. "Where am I?"

Thou ask too many questions. I am you, you are I. We are but one, in mind, body, blood and spirit. Thou hath forgotten thy holy pact made with our blood? Pathetic.

"We are one? By blood? What pact?! I don't know what you're talking about?! Who are you?!"

Foolish child. Thou deserve not thy right to our holy blood. Have thee forgotten ancestral lineage? Hath death taken from thee, thy memory? Thou deserve death.

"What?! I... I don't..." Seiryuu crumbled. She could not remember anything at all. Not even when she tried her hardest to do so.

.....

"I don't want to die!!!! Are you there?!! Can you hear me!! I want to live!!!"

Bearer of the holy blood... remember thy pact made with our kin. A select few from thy kind were granted our blood, dragon's blood. A costly exchange merely for honoring our kin. You, human, shame us by accepting death. Pathetic.

"Then help me!"

Should thou knoweth the power our blood holds, like thy other bearer before thee, thou should cometh to understand that thou need no help. Rise and shame us no more human. Remember....

The voice faded. Seiryuu found herself alone in the dark. She was contemplating on the meaning behind the words when she just suddenly felt herself being dragged somewhere. She tried to scream but when she opened her mouth to do so, she found herself back into where she got stabbed and instead of voice coming out, she breathed herself back to life.

The ground began to tremble around her. She could see Zied in shock as to what was happening with her. Taking a careful look at herself, Seiryuu noticed that her feet were barely touching ground. She could feel a violent gust of wind forming beneath her feet as she continued to rise higher. The clouds darkened and the heavens released a thunderous roar. The spears that pierced her body fell off one by one like they passed through water. Then rain came, pouring down as hard and violent like the wind beneath her feet. She was healing, and she felt stronger than ever.

Seiryuu could only let out a loud scream upon feeling her Ki overflowing from her body. Moments after the feeling subsided, Seiryuu slowly descended back to the ground. She was battle-ready once more and she felt like the Seraphs were in for trouble against her and Zied.

"Impressive display of power. Now I want your soul even more."

How could she forget that voice? The one who killed Mika and nearly sent Seiryuu to her death stood mightily within the ranks of Seraphs in the crater. Seiryuu's eyes turned fierce and directed her gaze over to the voice's origin. There he was, donning a black cloak that hid the same leather armor he wore when they first fought inside the tower. The Seraphs moved away from him in unison as he took a step forward, the ground crunching beneath his foot.

"I was wondering what the commotion was about and I was surprised to see this man who ripped apart nearly half of the Seraphs I sent to collect you." he commented and chuckled soon after.

"Now I see why they are offering me a dragon spawn as their chip. You people have so much potential hidden."

The man kept babbling on and on about how valuable their souls would be and what fine addition they would become to his army. When Zied had finally pieced together the facts he knew and this man's statements, it all made sense to him now. Zied understood that this man was the one who would get Tyth and his child as an offering. That pissed Zied off in a near instant.

"You little piece of...."

"Zied! Don't lose your calm! He is not to be taken lightly!" Seiryuu interrupted.

It's only natural for Seiryuu to stop him like that. She did not know anything, but to Zied, if he could put an end to him now, nobody would be coming after his child anymore. It was a risk he was willing to take. Just as he was readying to attack the man, a gust of wind blew against his face and he was surprised to see that the man had closed the distance in just a blink of an eye.

"Little piece of what?" he asked and attacked Zied soon after with a straight punch.

Reflexes kicking in, Zied barely blocked the man's punch with the blunt of his blade. He immediately felt that the strain on the blade was too much to bear if he took the full brunt of the blow. Jumping up lightly, Zied let himself be blown away by the force of the man's punch. It even surprised him more at how a fraction of his strength could send him flying back a good distance into the Seraphs.

"Zied!!!" Seiryuu cried out.

"You're not going anywhere woman."

Just as the man poised himself to attack Seiryuu, his eyes squinted and quickly looked to the direction where he sent Zied flying. Zied Gray was already back for more and within striking distance after recovering from his downtime earlier. With a crooked smile on his lips, the red eyed man welcomed Zied's full powered slash with his sword and raised his right arm to block it. A loud clang of metal against metal resounded as Zied's slash landed squarely on the back of the man's fist.

"Astounding! You can actually move as fast as I naturally can if you try hard! Remarkable! What is your name?"

He sounded like he was playing a game. It irritated Zied to a different level at how casual and carefree his comments are. Even though he could still feel his hands shaking after such a powerful blow against the red-eyed man's guard which was hard enough to withstand it, Zied readied to attack again. But the man was one step ahead of him. Instantly turning his hand that blocked Zied's slash, the man gripped Zied's sword tightly and smiled.

"I asked a question. Maybe I should take your toy away." he snarled and yanked Zied's sword from him. He then threw Zied's sword at Seiryuu with the intent to kill her while keeping Zied occupied. Dodging the sword gracefully, Seiryuu prepared to counter but was stopped by several Seraphs in her tracks. The man has given the order and all the remaining Seraphs were already after Seiryuu's neck.

Zied however, did not waste any time. He switched to hand-to-hand combat and attacked with a flurry of high speed punches and kicks. The red-eyed man simply swayed at the exact time while perfectly avoiding each and every blow from Zied.

"Don't play his game Zied!! He is with considerable skill! We need to work together!" Seiryuu yelled out in vain. Zied was not listening and his eyes were trained at the man with his own goal of taking him out. He was not reckless anymore. The moment Zied felt the man's power from the earlier punch, he already knew that the man is a dangerous opponent.

"Zied eh... what's the matter?" The man asked as he continued to sway left and right and back. "Is it my turn already?" he continued and countered one of Zied's punches. Zied caught a glimpse of the heavy Ki surrounding the man's fist. The instant he saw it coming at him, Zied jumped back and narrowly avoided taking a full on blow to his face. A trickle of blood escaped Zied's lips and he found himself losing his balance. He was just grazed by the punch and yet it felt like he was actually hit.

"Damn you!"

"Hmm...? Down already? A short break perhaps?"

"Zied!! You're getting caught up in his game! Fight like you always do!"

Grunting as he forced his legs to push him back up to his feet, Zied staggered once before regaining his battle stance. He raised both fists before him in the style he created and mastered on his own. His breathing calmed down to regain stamina and his eyes ever fiercer as he stared at his opponent. He was ready to go at it one more time charged in to stike first. He had kicked the ground so hard that he managed to close the distance as fast as the man first did.

Without a trace of hesitation, Zied started out a combination, punching low to the mid section with all the strength he could muster from his knees and waist. Following Zied's movements, the man simply stepped back making Zied's punch a wide swing and an open opportunity to counter, but Zied was reading his opponent too. The moment the red-eyed man began his counter attack, Zied leapt slightly and executed an axe kick aimed at the man's right shoulder. Noticing the change in Zied's pattern, the man raised his right arm and took Zied's kick without flinching. The ground rumbled upon impact and the man smiled.

"Strength, speed, battle wit, determination and spirit. You have all I need for a general! What say you we join forces?"

Without responding to the man's invitation, Zied pulled his leg back and the moment he landed, threw a fast three punch combo. He had targeted the man's face, mid-section and face only to find that all his punches were tapped away by the man. A simple sway to the left followed by a punch from below caught Zied off-guard. The speed of the man's punch was beyond anything he had ever faced before. Zied never saw the man throw a punch, instead he just felt like he had been hit by one.. two... no multiple times!

The man had actually fired his own combination and Zied took it all. The last hit was a kick to his stomach that sent Zied cruising on hard ground stopping flat on his back a good distance away. Groaning in pain as he tried hard to stay conscious, Zied felt blood rushing up his throat and soon after, he coughed up the red liquid.

Such damaging attacks!

His vision blurred intermittently and just as he was about to try and get up, a heavy foot stomped into his chest forcing him back to the ground. The red-eyed man had already closed in on him and was preventing any further resistance.

"It's not polite to attack someone you don't even know. It's too bad you rejected my offer. I will kill you here and now then take your soul to be my toy. Farewell... Zied."

As the man raised his fist to deliver the final blow, he stopped and looked sideways only to find a huge, faint blue arc coming his way. Raising his left arm to block the arc, the red-eyed man slid backwards from the force after catching the arc with his left hand. The moment he deflected that concentrated Ki strike, Zied and the woman could be found no more. The hole in the air closed and there were no traces of their spirit left in the battleground.

The man turned around to leave the crater that nearly turned white from the dust of all the Seraphs he had sent to gather the soul of Seiryuu. She had left behind not a single one of the armors standing and managed to snatch Zied to safety.

"Well played woman... I'm sure we'll see each other pretty soon."

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

Inspiring others is not Tythlany's strongest skill. She has too much blood on her hands for others to consider her trustworthy, but she had to try hard as hell to persuade these people. She needed them to believe not in her, but her words. If they didn't, she would most likely revert to the depressing woman she had been before Zied woke her up. Never again. This had to work.

True to his word, Falkor gathered all the leaders in a large meeting hut that held all of them easily. For a few moments, she simply stood off to the side watching these men (a few woman with grey in their hair) talk amongst themselves. Most of them avoided her and Lucrezia which spoke volumes of how hard Tyth had to try.

One enough water was distributed amongst the leaders, Falkor motions for Tyth to step forward. She did and already the tense feelings seem to become stronger. As if to voice this, one of the younger looking of the leaders spoke up. His hair in the firelight looked a dirty blonde and there were seashells braided into the longer lengths trailing down his back.

"My inner demon tells me not to trust you. Why bother asking us to meet here when none of us will believe anything you say?"

Tyth folded her arms across her chest in front of her and then sat down to be level with all of them. The last thing she needed to imply was that she above them. They are all equals.

"I understand you don't want to listen to me, but I plead for your ears anyway. The Seraph problem is bigger than me, and I am here to discuss a way to fight back. I understand these colonies are havens, but have you considered that they could also be your destruction? I had my team inspect several tunnels and the structure of this carved out dome. It isn't very sound. Get enough of those armors above you and you're all are buried alive."

Several were offended, others voiced concerns but Falkor simply waved his hands in a sign of needed calm. Taking this as a cue to keep talking, Tyth leaned closer.

"Its only a matter of time before these places are discovered. You have parties who hunt above and take great pains to avoid detection, but trust me that this won't last. It won't be caused by me or any other outsider, but from yourselves."

"What do you mean?!" the blonde demanded, slamming his fist into the smooth dirt floor. The man with dark brown hair that were gathered in multiple braids around his head only to be left to swing around his shoulders frowned in confusion. The emblem of gold tucked into his shirts looked slightly familiar but Tyth ignored it. He did not matter.

"The demons inside you, the ones Brant taught you to make a bond with. Just like when that man tried to abduct me, he somehow awakened the demons inside you to override your conscious and possess your bodies. Should a high ranking demon walk back in here again, you won't be able to defend yourselves if you can't even harness the power Brant gave you. You hide from Seraphs, and you are body slaves to demons. Pathetic."

"How dare you!"

"Kill her!"

"I have had enough of this!"

They were riled and scared. Perfect. Tyth tried not to smirk in smug arrogance as she leaned forward to sip from her clay mug of water. Lucrezia had served her a plate of mostly meat and then took her place by the wall behind her. The woman knew enough about her condition that she needed to eat a lot.

"Panic all you want, but it is the truth. You don't even know how to make those creatures listen, do you? You only captured a monster, but never bothered to actually tame it. I can help you do that."

At first no one seemed to hear her, but she gave it a few minutes to sink in. While she waited, Tyth tore into a thick slab of dried meat. It was chewy and gave her jaw a good work out in trying to tear it apart. Already she was starting to drool at left corner of her mouth just from trying to tug the jerky apart.

"You can?" one of the men asked in a hushed voice. Looking up, Tyth saw that everyone was looking at her, including Falkor with wide eyes. Behind her, she heard Lucrezia give a slight scoff at their reaction.

"Yes, I can. But if I help you, will you help me?"

"You are asking us to die for you." The man with the braids commented, his face hidden behind his hair as his head was bowed. His words sounded like a blast's echo throughout the entire hall.

The suspicion and distrust seemed to come back. Tyth tried not to flinch as she lifted her chin up, eyes narrowing in determination.

"Since when did anyone get anything by not fighting for it? I can't force you, but I don't expect you to lay your life down for little me. If anything, I suggest you fight for yourselves. I am just giving you a means to get your revenge, and fight back."

There was the hook Tyth was desperately hoping would work.

Falkor cleared his throat and everyone seemed to turn to him. The former guild master smiled at the others and then looked back at Tyth. " As nice as the sentiment is, I wonder why. Why do this?"

She smiled weakly and lifted a piece of meat to her mouth but did not eat it. She brushed the piece against her bottom lip and then licked the juices away. "Because I think Brant was waiting for the right moment to tell you. It seems there has been a prophecy concerning those bestowed with "demons" who are to save the world from Seraphs."

Before anyone could question it, Tyth drew a piece of papery from between her breasts and threw it to the man with braids. He caught it easily before it could fly past his nose and opened it. Several others crowded over his shoulder to read it with him.

"That's the mark of the Gods!" one said, causing the others to murmur. Falkor seemed to flinch harshly and then look to Tyth with wonderment.

"Brant was able to wrestle a prophecy from the Saint's Temple?! Just how much influence does that man have?"

If only Tyth knew herself. Her former master was still a mystery to her. The Saint's Temple is where the Gods of the Elements that were thought to have created the world are worshiped and their prayers most channeled. Seers and prophets channeled the will of the Gods and rarely were these wishes written down. How Brant managed to obtain such a specific one was beyond the woman.

"All I know is that he intended that message to be brought along with Lucrezia and her group," she answered, restocking her plat several layers high with meat and fruit before rising to her feet. Meeting Falkor's eyes, Tyth inclined her head.

"I will let you and the rest mull this over. You know where to find me. Just know I have little time to wait, " she said pointedly at her stomach and then turned around to walk out of the meeting. Lu was at her side in an instant, carrying a large wooden container of water.

Once they were a good distance away, Tyth began to nibble on a random fruit she had picked. Lucrezia glanced around them casually before leaning closer. "Are you sure this was a good plan?"

Tyth sighed and walked into the hut she was given to share with Zied. Setting the food down on the table, she closed her eyes and let her breathing ease slower. Her senses spread out for anything that was not her or Lu. Not picking up anything, Tyth opened her eyes and glanced at the woman over her shoulder.

"I don't know what Brant is planning, but I'm not about to lose this chance. Whatever the prophecy he was trying to send us does not matter. I have only so much time before I'm all waddle and no swing."

Looking at the rest of the written prophecy sitting innocently underneath a cup she set it under, Tyth picked it up and laid it open on the table. They had given the others only part of the real prophecy that included the seal that the Saints used to authenticate their prophecies. It was too easy to simply cut the paper with the seal cleanly from the rest of it, that Tyth was sure they would buy it. She had no time to feel guilt or regret for tricking these people since Brant had started this long strain of lies.

If Lucrezia was right in what she said earlier, then Tyth shouldn't have to worry if that man was dead but alive.
Because if he showed himself to her, the woman was not sure she would be able to stop herself from going for the man's throat. He had some death wish to keep this kind of truth from her.

As if sensing her thoughts, Lu leaned down by Tyth's knees and rested her fingertips lightly against her knees. "Do you intend to kill him? He is a man who does everything for a reason."

Glaring at the woman, Tyth turns her glare to the first half of the prophecy and the words written there. "We all do things for a reason. I might just let him explain himself before I decide to kill him. He had no right, Lucrezia. To use my life like that. And now my child's!"

Snarling, Tyth grabbed the paper and a bottle of alcohol that Lucrezia had obtained for the other male exSinners to drink. Shaking the other woman off, Tyth marched over to the fireplace where a small flame was struggling to burn the large logs. Throwing the paper into the fireplace, she uncorked the bottle with her teeth, spat it to the floor and then jerked the bottle forward so that half of its contents spilled onto the flames. The fireplace exploded into flames and soaked up the piece of paper. Tyth watched as the words were burned away with a savage and intense glare. She didn't look away until it was all burned to black. Lucrezia watched from her place by the floor with a sad look.

All she could see of the paper before it was gone was "A child born of human and dragon blood will-" turned to ash.

Tyth tried to even her breathing as she walked back to the table to sit down, setting the alcohol down as well. Standing up again, Lucrezia took a few steps away to give the pregnant woman some space. They did not get to sit in peace for very long when they both suddenly looked at the front door, bodies tense.

"Who is it?" Lucrezia demanded, reaching for her sword.

Not bothering to answer, the man with braids opened the door and walked inside. Staring at Tyth, he bowed his head and then rose his hands in peace.

"I wish to talk with you. I am sure you know who I am," the man said pointedly at Tyth while keeping a wary eye on Lucrezia.

Reaching a hand up to her forehead so she could massage the stress from the bridge of her nose, Tyth waved the man inside. "Of coarse your Highness. What can I do for the former Crown Prince of Dragomir?"

Lucrezia moved closer to her charge as the former Prince bowed and then took a seat across from Tyth. "Ah, please call me Jarek. I want you to know that if no one else agrees to help, I will stand by you. I also do not believe in laying down and just welcoming death."

Tyth narrowed her eyes but otherwise did not move. "I feel a proposal coming."

The man smirked and leaned forward over the table towards her. "You are a woman with child, the father disappearing suddenly. Whispers say such scandalous things."

"Out with it already."

"Marry me."

Lucrezia, who had been drinking a mug of alcohol, began coughing behind Tyth. The woman herself blinked and then closer her eyes. "And why would I possibly betray the man I love for you?"

His smirk only grew as his dark blue eyes traveled down her body to rest on her lower belly. "Because you wouldn't want me to offer your child up to the highest demon bidder, now would you? I'm not stupid, I can do the math. Your child is powerful and the demons in higher ranks, maybe even Kings, are after that kid. As for the father, I would hate for him to have an accident. He has been making all kinds of enemies, human and non human..."

Tyth clenched her fist and her lips so wanted to curl in rage. This man was outright threatening her and her family. Lucrezia moved for her sword but she was hand signaled to stand down.

"Let me guess. If we happen to win this war with the demons under contract and you somehow convince starting a royal line with the woman who they consider their 'savior' will return you to your former glory as one the most powerful royal lines is in everyone's best interest, then you will be set for life. I can do the math too, you greedy bastard."

They stared each other down for several moments, before Jarek began to chuckle aloud. Standing up, he leaned over Tyth with a wide smile. "You amuse me, Sinner. Until next time."

As he was about to step fully out the door, Tyth unclenched her fist. "Hey Jarhead."

The prince whirled around with an offended look on his face, which made Tyth smile wholeheartedly. "I hope you are not too hell bent on marrying me. You don't know what happened to my last husband. How was he killed."

Jarek pressed his lips together. "Why should I care?"

Tyth met his eyes and the message in them were clear. She would kill to protect what she held precious. "He died by my hands. The jerk had audacity to hold a grudge at me for accidentally killing his brother, pretend to love me, then turn around and try to become a Sinner so he could kill me. Trust me, I know Zied is the only man who can handle me."

The prince's shocked face disappeared behind the door as Lucrezia shut it none to gently. Tyth closed her eyes in happiness as they both listened to the prince's curses since the door had made contact with his nose. When they smelled the blood from the appendage being broken, they both burst out laughing.

[Ethereal]

"Damn it! Urrghh!"

"Zied stay still, you're hurt pretty bad."

As the two traveled the strange rift back to the other end, Seiryuu tried to tend to Zied's injuries without much progress. She had been trying her best to keep the man still but Zied was driven by an intense anger. It was more than enough to render him uncaring for his own condition. Seiryuu was left to her own thoughts as she watched Zied wrestle with his injuries and frustration. What could drive a man such as him to this end? Then it hit her, like a tidal wave crashing down on her as hard as it could. It was another woman, the very same woman who last time she saw, tried to take her life.

"She's still alive isn't she?"

The moment Zied heard Seiryuu's words, he settled down limping and looked at her with questioning eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The Sinner Tythlany. She's the one causing you to be like this, on a mad rampage and uncaring for your own life. Don't tell me you stuck with her all these years?"

Zied noticed the sharpness in her tone and words, like a grudge waiting to explode the moment she lays eyes upon Tyth. Recalling the past when they were still traveling together, images of how Tythlany nearly tried to kill her played back in his thoughts. Of course Seiryuu would be angry, she had every right to be. But Tythlany had changed, changed so much that she can only be called a Sinner because she was once one of them.

"And what if I did?"

Zied's words had their own bite in them. Seiryuu's heart felt like it was ripped apart. All these years that she and Zied got separated did she realize that she still longed for him, even after their first closure. After all the hardships she went through when they parted ways by circumstance in the Eastern Lands, she was only able to get through them with the help of Zied, him and that powerful image he left her when they were separated. He was a man out for blood back at that time, out for blood because of her. But now a different man stood before her. He was the same Zied Gray she knew yet different all the same. He had grown stronger, and it did not take a genius to figure out that the reason for his growth was because of that woman... that woman he was supposed to kill for her.

Looking away to avoid his eyes and stare that she couldn't bare to hold, Seiryuu allowed herself to be swept away by her own thoughts. He was so near now yet why does it feel like he's so far out of reach? Has there really been so much things put in between them that going after him would feel this wrong? What happened all these years? Her heart pounded heavily within her chest causing her to slightly open her mouth and gasp for breath. She was being drowned emotionally. After promising herself that she would not let her feelings get the best of her when both of them finally meet, now she's like this, a baby without the warmth of a mother's touch, alone, scared and helpless. She loves him still, that was a fact she had already admitted and succumbed to.

A quiet moment passed by and lingered. Zied's healing power kicked in and the silence between him and Seiryuu helped him focus. The light that danced within the tunnel as they traveled was the only thing that moved. The two stood still, consumed by their own thoughts about a lot of things. It was Seiryuu who broke the ice.

"You were supposed to kill her. You set out seeking revenge for what she did to me right? You were supposed to do that for me right Zied!? Then what the hell is this feeling that I have now?! Why do I feel like you're so far away?!"

Seiryuu was on the verge of tears. While it was true that his intention back then was to kill Tythlany because of what she did to Seiryuu, there was no denying that his feelings for Tyth ran deeper than he would superficially acknowledge. Also, there was just no gentle way for him to say he loved Tythlany with all his heart, the very same woman that tried to kill her.

"And now you refuse to even give me answers? What kind of a man are you?! Why did you even bother saving me and vowing revenge for me when you couldn't even begin to think how I would feel about your actions?! Who gave you the right to play me Zied?! I'm a woman for God's sake! You know how I felt about you! You should have known that going to that length will kindle the old flame! Hell I even believed you would come back for me in the East! Then what?! Years passed, Seraphs came, the Western Lands seek help from the East, then I meet you again only to save me another time?! What the hell Zied?! What am I to you?! Answer me damn it!"

He heard her loud and clear as day, yet he held the answers back as hard as he could. They were heading back to the caverns and the last thing he needed was conflict that waited around the corner to ignite between Seiryuu and Tythlany. That was unnecessary now that Tyth had his child in her. If something were to happen between them, the child would react in a protective way and given its power, both Tyth and his child would be in grave danger. He had to make sure it doesn't happen. Taking a deep breath, Zied turned to face Seiryuu.
The words he locked inside after giving much thought seemed the right choice to say.

"You will always be a part of me Seiryuu, that will never change. I will be there for you when you need me because you have been... a very good friend. I love Tyth, that was something I realized when she wholeheartedly plunged my sword through her body by her own will. A lot has happened since then and I got to know Tyth more. She may have been a sinner but that was because she lost a big part of her soul. I understood everything about her when she somehow managed to get her soul back. I spent the years with her trying to protect her fragile self that I have grown to love more and more. I am not saying this to hurt you, I say this to make you realize where we both stand. I will not apologize if you think I played with you, that was not my intention... You are an important part of me that will never fade. Without you I would be just a nobody. But without Tythlany, I would be nothing. She bears my child Kaede."

It felt like ages when she last heard her real name mentioned by someone else. If there were people who knew what her real name was, they were probably already dead except for Zied. If her memory serves her right, just between the two of them, Zied would only call her by her real name if he was being firm about something that contradicted with what she wanted. He had drew the line yet again between them and this time it was for good. Drying her tears and looking away, she muffled the sobs that continued to escape her when she came to understand that the man before her can no longer be hers. There was nothing more for him to say and any more would be too much.

"Heh... Good friend... that's all I'll ever be to you huh?. I'll always fall second best to you right Zied?"

Just as she was about to say something more, the light began to swallow both of them and soon the two found themselves inside the cavern once more. Zied was not able to fully recover inside the rift and as soon as his feet felt solid ground, his body weight came crashing down on him and his knees gave out. His senses were thrown off inside that rift in space more than the physical injuries he sustained did. The man was coughing up blood once more and his insides felt like they were torn apart. He did not realize he had sustained serious injuries until he was fully conscious.

People started to gather around the two and some of them were shocked to see the man who threatened them not a long while ago was down on all fours and greatly weakened. Going into protective stance, Seiryuu stood in front of Zied with her katars drawn out. Her knees were bent and she was ready to pounce at anyone who makes a false move. Zied in turn reached out and tugged at her coat. His eyes told Seiryuu that everything is ok and she stood down. Whispers began to flood the crowd.

Look at him, how can someone so strong end up like this?

...and they're trying to get us to fight a war with the Seraphs?

...don't be ridiculous! We'll never stand a chance!

I don't think we're going to live in peace with them around...

... we should tell Falkor to cast them out?

"These people don't like you much huh Zied?"

Gathering every ounce of spirit and strength he had left, Zied pulled himself back up on his feet. He looked around the weary people and when his eyes met theirs, they shied away from his gaze. All of the people believed they couldn't win. These people were already defeated before the battle even began. With him in his physical state, it was the crushing blow they were looking for to shatter the weak resolve they had. All of them... except one.

There he was within the crowd, that slim boy with blond hair. He met Zied's gaze like a real man would, yet all the while maintained that inner child in him. He pushed himself through the crowd and walked over towards Zied and Seiryuu. He took a good look at both of them and smiled.

"You..." Zied mumbled, his voice coarse and breaking up due to the pain he felt. "What do you want?" he asked.

The boy's smile grew wider. "You fought him didn't you?" The boy questioned back but didn't wait for an answer. "I can still feel his presence and spirit all over you and I must say... he really did a good job of beating you up."

Before the boy could speak more, Seiryuu's temper went out of hand. "You little piece of... How can you sound so amused and pleased when we just fought the man out to destroy you all?! Do you know him?! The man who nearly killed both of us?!"

"Oh I know him. I know him pretty well... Eletos, he's my older brother."

Zied's eyes sharpened. The boy named Cain had ties with the man who declared himself the bringer of light, the savior of this world, justice itself. If this boy before them is the younger brother of the man who wanted his child's soul, what could have gone wrong between them to end up in such circumstance? What could be brewing that he was unaware of? For all he knows, this boy could very well be the end of this tiny speck of home for all these people.

Zied's spirit slowly raged inside him. With all the uncertainties coming to light, there was just nobody left to trust but a few people. Badly wounded and all, Zied reached for his sword, drew the blade and pointed the tip at Cain. His Ki, although still intact and hard to draw out began stirring restlessly inside him.

"Tell me what you know kid... depending on how you answer, I will consider you a friend or foe."

"What I know would mean nothing to you... not now anyway... and don't think that toy of yours can threaten me. With your condition now, I hardly see you coming at me with any real strength."

"Don't push me kid."

"Oh I'm not pushing Black Dragon, I am merely stating what I see as fact. You hardly even scathed my brother and now you're threatening to go head to head against me whether you think I'm your friend or enemy? If you have any brains, I would suggest you start thinking."

The boy turned around and walked back to the crowd but before pushing himself through again, he stopped and turned his head sideways to catch a glimpse of the two.

"I'm stronger than him. El knows where we are and the only reason the Seraphs rarely come to this place is because of me. I am the one who keeps this place safe."

With his final words ending the conversation, the boy disappeared in the crowd and Zied was left there with more things to worry about.

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

It had been several hours since the meeting and Tyth had taken a nap since the food made her sleepy while waiting. She was dreaming of whirling colors that made no sense when a hand started shaking her shoulder.

Looking up into faded grey eyes, Tyth saw Lucrezia give her a somewhat happy look. Then she sensed him, and her heart seemed to flutter with happiness it almost hurt. Already she was smiling and moving to sit up when the other Sinner gently stopped her, then signed with one hand to sense the 'other'.

That aura, how could Tyth ever forget it? Seiryuu had come back with Zied, which went he had successfully saved her. Tyth was not sure what to expect with the woman, but she might as well greet them both.

Lu had already offered her some water which she gulped down in seconds, and then grabbed a big grape looking fruit that had turned into one of her now favorite snacks. Despite the kid napping, they sure were hungry.

Opening the door with her second in command at her heels, Tyth walked through the doorway to see the love of her life surrounded by everyone. As she moved closer, she spotted that purple shade of hair and her heart beat a little faster in nervousness. After all these years, she got to see her.

Once they noticed her coming, the villagers split to let her and Lu through. In front of the meeting halls doorway stood a nervous looking Falkor. Tyth gave Lu a look then gestured to the old man with her eyes. The woman got the message and she left her side to address the onlookers.

"I believe, people, that there is nothing to see here." As if to emphasize her point, she rose her arms and began motiong for them to move back. Falkor realized what she was doing and raised his voice to support her. The last thing they needed was a fight to break out between the purple haired woman and one of the locals.

"Everyone, please! One of our guests have returned! Give them room!"

As Lu continued with crowd control, Tyth gulped some empty air as she came within feet of Seiryuu. The woman looked angry, defensive and tired. The signature katars she wielded looked ever so menacing as the first time she saw Zied wield them. But to see them in her hands was all the more intimidating, and some part of her wanted to fight her. Just not now.

Acknowledging the woman, Tyth bowed her head in an attempt at a feeble greeting. "Seiryuu."

Not waiting for a reply since there was chance she might not get one, Tyth slowly stood in front of Zied. The woman's aura seemed to tense at her presence, so Tyth could only assume the Azure Dragon was not happy with her. Whatever happened, Zied would tell her later.

As for him, he looked like he had been put through a meat grinder but his powers were making fast work of his injuries. Still, it made her want to sob from seeing the dried blood around the mouth. Reaching up with her fingers, she caressed his chin while looking into his eyes. All she could feel was relief that he is alive, since it looked like he had come so close to death.

"I cried after you left, now I feel I am going to cry as I see you again," she murmured as her hands fluttered against his chest, feeling him. He was there.

Wiping away a stray tear, she gathered herself and took a step back with a wince. It was like the hallucination never happened. The baby began to stir, and its aura flickered to life like the yawn of an infant then flared as if sensing its father. Placing a hand over her stomach in hopes to ease the child, Tyth smiled weakly.

"You just have to greet your dad, now don't you?"she murmured before glancing at Seiryuu. "Can you help him over to that hut I just came out of? He needs to rest while his powers work."

It was obvious but Tyth needed something to say. This felt awkward and scary at the same time. Gesturing for Seiryuu to help Zied walk, Tyth led the way to the hut as the crowd had dissipated. Glancing over at Falkor, Lucrezia seemed to be talking to him in hushed tones. Whatever they were talking about, it looked somewhat serious but it did not matter.

Jarek did not seem to wander far either. Glaring at her, the Prince walked a few steps closer while keeping a safe distance. Now that the father of her child was back, the young man wasn't taking any chances getting killed at the moment. His swollen nose and dried blood made her smirk all the more. Tyth had forgotten how easy it was to tag team with a fellow Sinner.

"I won't forget this," he promised, glaring at her while nursing his nose. Tyth nodded in agreement.

"I am happy you won't. If you do, I might kill you earlier."

He gave her an almost inhuman growl that sounded suspiciously like a demon as he ran off. It reminded Tyth that the demon situation needed to be handled, but Zied comes first.

They entered the hut and Zied was put on the bed, despite the frown on his face that said he wanted to do otherwise. Tyth gave him an equally pointed look that lying down was best. He was concerning about something, and it seemed she missed something when he got here.

"Zied, just lie down," she demanded while sitting down in a chair and finally biting into the tough grapes that she was holding the entire time. Looking at Seiryuu, Tyth gulped down the fruit and picked another one.

"I am glad you are alive, Seiryuu. I want you to know that. Zied was very worried when he found out you were in trouble," she said and then began playing with the grape.

"I might as well try and say this....I wanted to meet you. To talk to you. To somehow mend this gap. We kind of touched base during that time we ate together in that run down inn, and then I killed you. Trust me when I say I regretted that moment. I was in so much pain because I caused Zied so much pain by hurting you so badly. At that time, I didn't think anything I did could make up for it. It was like Jaavi all over again...."

The memories haunted her. Jaavi's death. Seiryuu's. With Zied having come so close, Tyth began to cry and dropped the grapes to wipe at her eyes. When Zied tried to get up to come to her side, she viciously pointed at the bed through her tears as a way of saying he was to stay there. This needed to be said.

"Oh Seiryuu. So much has happened, and not the way I wanted it to. We tried to find you, to leave this place and look for you on the other continent, but it was so hard. Zied had his reasons, and I had mine. I just wanted to beg your forgiveness. Like my master's wife, I was forced to kill someone I didn't want to harm."

She hated how pathetic she sounded, but Tyth fought to remove her tears from her cheeks. "I know it sounds stupid but I struggled to become the person I am now. I am not a Sinner anymore, not really. Due to my master Brant's efforts, my body is slowly becoming more human. I can detoxify toxins and poisons so fast it is making me weaker in my abilities. Give it a year or two, and I won't be able to do anything except drink poisons without being poisoned."

Lifting up a wet hand damp with tears, Tyth clenched it closed. She would become a weaker person in a few years. She wouldn't be able to move as fast as normal Sinners could. Just like the pregnancy, her time as a warrior was ticking. Then Zied would have more on his shoulders. A family to protect with a woman who wouldn't be able to do much.

It was as if the idea struck her suddenly. Looking up, Tyth quickly got to her feet and walked over to Seiryuu. "I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but will you stay with us? Its for the best if Zied can sense you in trouble at any time. I think we can both agree this man's death would hurt us both. We could get to know each other again, and I will have a woman to actually talk to! Being pregnant wasn't planned and I'm sure Zied is happy about but I have no idea what I'm-!"

The baby suddenly flared its power when Tyth got to close to Seiryuu and Tyth had to quickly move backwards away from her with a cry of pain. It wanted to sense the other woman that felt similar to its father, but Tyth was in too much pain to let it. Stomping her foot, Tyth growled in frustration.

"Kid, I am trying to talk here and you throwing your powers around are not helping!" Tyth yelled, aiming her voice down at her belly. Clenching both her fists, Tyth's aura spiked a little in response to the child as she send her frustrated glare at Seiryuu.

"I so want to brawl right now but no one is going to fight me because of this kid. As much as I am happy to be pregnant, going through the motions is a bitch!"

As if to emphasize her feelings, she picked up the clay pitcher of water that Lucrezia found, and threw it against the wall behind Seiryuu. The shards and water shattered against the soft clay and dirt wall. Some shards even stuck into the wall while drenched in water, making it slightly muddy.

Once the adrenaline left her, Tyth blinked and then rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry. Lucrezia mentioned mood swings with a baby, but I think I have special circumstances..."

Glancing at Zied, her gaze softened and she wrapped her arms around herself. "Zied, I have asked these villagers' leaders to help me. I gave them information concerning a God's seal that they can't refuse. This needs to happen soon, while I can still participate. I would regret it if I couldn't help fight for freedom I so desperately want. As for the demons, I have come to the conclusion they want our child. As to what means, I am not quite sure."

Closing her eyes, Tyth sighed deeply. "What scares me the most is that no matter what, not knowing what to expect from this child's fate is the worst."

The fireplace had turned into a lump of warm ash. The only remnants of the one such fate that worried Tyth greatly. It was one she could not tell Zied just yet. Not until she squared things away Brant.

---

"What is he?" Lucrezia demanded when she finally got the last of the crowd to leave. Tythlany was currently reuniting with her loved one and Lu felt she was only one of the two of them that noticed Cain's departure.

Falkor seemed to avoid her question a little too quickly. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid. That boy, the blonde one. He was just here. He never appears without a very suspicious intent and I want to know why."

The old man's eyes seemed to sharpen with dangerous clarity. "It is not your place."

"The hell it isn't but I am going to pry anyway. Unless you tell me, I might just find out from some other source."

The man sighed. "You'll get killed."

Lucrezia searched his eyes, happy he revealed so much with so little words. "So he is that strong, is he? Someone like that should be able to help or hinder our situation. Which one is the question..."

The old man didn't even respond, he just turned around back into the hut. His response was clear that he was not allowed to talk about the boy, this Cain person.

Glancing back at Tyth, she saw them heading back to the hut. This meant she had some time to check on Serenata. She known the woman very little but Lu still felt concern for her labor. As she began to jog through the back streets between many houses after observing them from above for a few days, she had memorized several routes. It wasn't until she felt she was being watched that she slowed to a stop and looked around. The main street was two blocks away and she was almost to the healers where Renata was being kept.

It was at that moment she knew it him, Cain. He must of known she was asking about him and was probably observing her from afar, or at least having someone do it for him.

"I don't know who or what you are," she said to the air around her, addressing the 'eyes' she felt, "but I know it is not normal. Whatever you are planning, I hope you know who you are dealing with. Desperate souls are open to very desperate measures."

The last part was referring to the Tyth girl. Despite having her strength being zapped everyday, Lu knew she would do anything for her child. No male of any species should ever get between a mother and child, unless they had a death wish they wanted to cash in very early.

Saying her piece, the former Sinner continued her job until she saw Ciro sitting outside a healers hut painted white. Skidding to a stop in front of him, she heard painful grunts coming from inside and it sounded suspiciously like Renata.

"She asked me to leave," the man said in a broken voice. Looking down at him with a concerned look, Lu knelt down in front of him. The labor must be very difficult right now. Already she could smell the strong iron scent of blood.

"It will be okay. She is very strong. One marked as her with such a great power is still needed. The Gods will not forsake her." Lu said, reaching over to place her hand on the man's head in an attempt to comfort him. It seemed Lu drifted to whomever needed her. It made her feel a little warm inside as she continued to comfort a now crying Ciro as he shook from the sounds coming inside the hut. It will be a long night.

[Ethereal]

She had sensed her coming. The moment she had stepped out of the hut, Seiryuu felt her muscles tense in anxiety and confusion. In her mind she had pictured herself lunging at that woman the moment she makes herself visible to her eyes, but in her heart, there was one man stopping her from doing so. She even counted the steps it took Tythlany to make it to where they are, a sign that she had her undivided focus on the woman now.

Then there she was, that white-haired woman talking to the crowd like she was one of the locals. Zied has fallen quiet but Seiryuu could sense that the man was on the ready. The resolve she felt in Zied was somewhat overwhelming and indiscriminately hurting her feelings. The man was ready to jump in between the two and die in the process of stopping them should Seiryuu choose to pick a fight. It confused her all the more. Would it be right to think that the man simply didn't want Tyth hurt? Or could he be feeling the same way about herself?

"Seiryuu."

She had the nerve to call her name. It took every ounce of strength Seiryuu had left in her to douse the urge she was having to attack Tyth right at that instant. Just hearing her voice made her remember that time when the Sinner had nearly taken her life; it enraged her to no end. The only thing keeping the fragile peace between the two was the man holding his sword tight. His eyes were trained at Seiryuu and his aura was quiet, calm yet overly suffocating. Perhaps Seiryuu would be the only one to feel it since Zied had his focus on her.

She was just about to return the greeting when Tyth requested her to help Zied back to a hut to get some rest. It was a weak attempt at trying to converse with her but that was the best the white-haired woman could come up in their sudden unexpected meeting. Putting aside all the hate she felt right now, Seiryuu looked at Zied and just now noticed how bad his condition really was. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to notice that the Black Dragon was seriously injured by that man named Eletos.

The seconds ticked by like minutes for Seiryuu. The more time she spent inside that hut with Tyth, the more her urge to fight her and get even became harder to control. Then Tyth began a one-sided conversation. Her tone was not at all arrogant or intimidating. She was actually apologetic and she even pulled a cheap trick of making Seiryuu remember their girl talk at that inn. Her gaze shifted over to Zied when he tried to get out of bed but Tyth got the job done with just a mere show of dissatisfaction at the man's actions. When did the Black Dragon got tamed?

It was then and there that Seiryuu finally accepted the fact that she had completely lost to Tyth when it came to Zied. As if adding insult to injury, the child inside Tyth that Seiryuu had completely forgotten about reacted to Seiryuu's irregular Ki flow. The child was being protective of its mother and it was sensing Seiryuu's thoughts like reading an open book. At one point, the purple-haired woman was impressed at the child's strength and at the same time regretted that it was not her who was bearing Zied's child.

"You sure are one lucky woman Tyth," Seiryuu finally said, "you have tamed a beast." she finished and turned around heading outside the hut. She had heard enough and was hurt more than enough. She was still not ready to forgive Tyth anytime soon and she needed to clear her mind, and with her being inside that hut with the two just won't cut it. She opened the door and stepped outside in a hurry not wanting anyone to see the tears that were now forming in her deep purple eyes.

Back inside the hut, Zied had watched Seiryuu clear out of their hut. She had given both him and Tyth privacy to themselves and Zied knew that in Seiryuu's mind, she was already thinking that there are more important matters at hand that needs to be discussed. Even though he could not tell what was on the woman's mind for the most part, he was sure that what he just thought of was one of them. Wasting no more time on idle banter, Zied turned his head back to where Tyth was sitting. There was just so much she needed to know and with a lot of things going on with them trying to start a rebellion, Zied was not able to tell which of the things he found out should he leave untold.

"You know... I fought the man who is after our child. Needless to say, he is very strong," the fact was right before Tythlany's eyes. He was nearly killed going mano-a-mano with that guy. "and I know that he is looking for souls to be used in his army of Seraphs..." Zied paused and looked around the hut. He wanted to make sure nobody was around before he continued on. "Also, I was able to figure out that demons are working behind the scenes to get our child and make it an offering to that man. What for? I don't know, but I sure as hell not going to let that happen."

With that said, Zied looked around for his sword and found it by the bed. He reached for it and pulled the blade out of its sheathe. He examined the blunt part of the blade he used to block where the man had struck. It was chipped by just a mere punch. "That man's power is unbelievable. To be honest, I don't even think the three of us together would be a match for him unless we grow stronger..." and then his thoughts jumped back to the last words the boy named Cain said to him prior. "Then there's also a boy here who claims that the man I just fought was his older brother. This boy named Cain said he was the reason that man steers clear of this place, that he was stronger than him and he's the sole reason this place exists up until now."

Zied did not really know what to make of that boy since there were so many things about him unknown. He needed answers and Falkor seemed to be the right person to ask about Cain at this point. All these demons and rituals and the Seraph business had drained him so much for one day. Sheathing his sword back into place, Zied closed his eyes and focused on healing. "I'm not going to let anything happen to both of you Tyth... that's a promise." He murmured and drifted off to sleep.

________________________________________________________________________________________


Outside the hut, Seiryuu had just kept walking and walking. It did not matter where she went or what she did, she just needed to keep moving. Sitting still just allowed more time for the pain she felt in her heart to sink in. She did not care about the stares she got from the locals she passed by, she could hardly give a damn about the word outsider she kept hearing from them. For all she knows, she had always been an outsider. From her childhood to her adult years, from all the places she had been to and even to the man she had always loved. Things were never going to change for the better and the thought of just letting everything burn was a tempting offer.

The purple-haired woman wanted to scream her lungs out, she wanted to pull out her katars and go on a mad rampage. Killing everyone she comes across with who calls her an outsider seemed like a very, very good start. Without much thought to her footing, Seiryuu pressed on briskly until it was too late for her to notice she was crossing a thin path across a pit inside the caverns. Her left foot slipped and she lost her balance. Free falling down into the darkness of the pit, Seiryuu steadied herself in mid-air and positioned herself so that she could land on her feet. The seconds ticked by on her free fall and she noticed that the pit was getting smaller and smaller. The walls slowly caved in on her as she continued falling into the darkness.

Pulling out her katars with both hands, Seiryuu waited for the walls to come within reach before powerfully striking sideways to stick the blades of her katars into the walls. Using only her arm strength, Seiryuu forced herself to a stop only to notice a light further down below when she finally managed to come to a halt. It would seem that this place was not just a mere pit. Something down there was shining an eerie light and it beckoned her to come and take a look. Skillfully scaling the walls going further down, it did not take her much effort to reach a surface at the bottom of the pit. It was a carved out section clearly hand-made probably by the locals who thrived in the caverns. Taking a careful look around, Seiryuu was able to deduce that this place was home to someone.

There was a door beneath a glow lamp that harbored a dancing blue flame. The walls were littered with moss and several insects attracted by the blue flame danced around. The air was thick and it was nearly hard to breathe down there. But despite that fact, Seiryuu pressed on. She took a step forward and felt the earth crunching underneath her foot when she suddenly felt a presence behind her. It was very powerful and Seiryuu felt like she was at the mercy of whoever was behind her. Katars still in hand, Seiryuu clenched her fist and slowly rolled her eyes to the left trying to get a glimpse of the presence behind her.

"A wounded heart leads to discovery of one's true purpose. Wouldn't you agree?" a voice questioned.

It was a familiar voice. She had just recently heard this voice upon arrival at this cavern with Zied.

"You... what are you doing here?" Seiryuu asked and took the chance to flip forward when the suffocating presence eased up. She was now facing the boy she met earlier with Zied with her guard up and weapons in hand.

"How rude. You barge into my home and ask me what I am doing here? Where oh where are your manners lady?"

"...."

"Do not be afraid wounded one. Should I wish for your demise, I would have simply killed you without making you aware of my presence. Now let me ask you, Do you know what this place is? Did you come here for solitude? Did you come here for a purpose? Or did you come here for salvation? Which is it oh Dragon Kin?"

Confused by the boy's words, Seiryuu flinched and took a step back as the boy began to walk forward towards her. The pressure she was feeling right now was unlike anything she had ever faced down. This Cain boy felt nothing like the man she and Zied fought not too long ago. He was ridiculously overpowering her by just merely walking forward.

"What are you?!" Seiryuu hissed.

The boy simply smiled and continued walking forward. It was like he was the predator savoring his prey before pouncing for a meal. Backing up with every step the boy takes, Seiryuu soon found her back pressing against the wall underneath the blue fire light. She wanted to attack but her body was frozen in fear. Her limbs would not move and her will slowly crushed by the pressure the boy was emitting. When the boy was just a mere three steps away from her, Seiryuu closed her eyes in preparation for whatever was to come. As a warrior, it shamed her that she was consumed by fear so easily yet she could not help it. Seconds ticked by and then minutes... there was nothing that followed.

The overpowering presence disappeared and Seiryuu found herself in one piece, the boy Cain stood one step away from her and now had a playful smile on his lips.

"Would you excuse me? You're blocking my door."

Bewildered and lost, Seiryuu stepped aside allowing Cain passage to what he just called a door. She watched the boy press a hand on the mossy rock and watched it slide forward revealing a passage inward. Cain looked at her and smiled once more.

"Come on in, you're the first guest I've ever had in several years."

What was wrong with this boy? Just now he was oozing with murderous intent and had he willed it, her life would be forfeit and she could do nothing about it. Now it would seem like he was just a regular boy neglected by the people craving for company and friendship. Something is terribly wrong and Seiryuu knew it. She just couldn't bring herself to back out now due to the urge she felt in her blood to find out more.

"Hehe! A dragon's greed sure is something to behold. Even against your will, you are being controlled by your blood just by the mere promise of more power I showed it. Come inside... I will show you this world's future."

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

Watching him fall asleep, Tyth smiled gently. She never got tired of watching him rest, because he looked even younger than when he is awake. It is as if years melted away as soon as his body relaxed. It always made her pause and just simply stare, drinking it in.

But then her eyes trace over his bruised skin, the cuts marring his limbs, the shallow and almost pained breathes he takes in sleep. It reminds her that the person who harmed the man she loves makes her blood call out for his to run and by her hands, make his soul forever leave his mortal body. Tyth so badly wanted to simply end the boy, Cain' sibling just so her thirst for justice was sated, however deep down she felt that man is probably not her fight.

This man had wiped the floor with Zied which made her face reality: they knew near to nothing about him. That is what they needed to fix. Tyth would sate her thirst for his blood by finding out the man's weakness, and that meant having a good chat with Cain.

Determined to get the ball rolling back onto her court, Tyth softly tip toed out of the hut so she could let Zied rest. Once the door was closed, she raised a hand above her head and swiftly signed with her fingers a summoning signal. Three seconds later, Tempest the mute appeared at her feet from thin air.

"Guard him, please," she asked while gesturing to the hut behind her, "I want no one to disturb him. If they try to attack, kill them."

The mute, white haired man nodded and slowly walked into the hut. He glanced at the bed where the exhausted man lay, then sat onto the floor with his back pushed against the cool wall. His weapon of choice, a couple of long, think sickle looking blades lay across his lap as he simply stared into the shadows underneath Zied's bed.

Satisfied the love of her life was decently guarded at the best of her ability, Tyth walked back over to Falkor's hut only to glare grimly at the scene before the house.

Falkor was kneeling down on the ground, clutching at a few bleeding wounds on his chest while staring at the young girl walking abnormally away from him. Several other bodies lay on the ground in front of the hut, some of which she recognized as other men from the meeting.

Running over, Tyth skidded to a stop by Falkor's side. "What happened?"

"Its a demon, he's trying to find a body to pass along some.....message," the older man said, clutching at his chest in pain, "I think it might be for you."

Frowning and she slowly followed the girl, "What makes you think that?"

The girl seemed to finally hear her voice, turning around slowly so her eyes could peek through her tangled long hair cascading over one side of her face. Her light green eyes looked abnormally pale and unfocused, her breathing erratic.

"The demon wants the woman who killed Jaavi.....haaa.....do you know-"

Eyes narrowed as she stood up straight. "Yes I know what this means. The demon who attacked me earlier wants to talk."

Falkor watched as she strode over to the girl who was gazing at her with a blank face. Then her little hand reached up shakily, fingers twitching. Tyth clasped onto the the small hand with her own and slowly her eyes began to droop. The pull of the demon's influence began to tug at her mind.

"Nycht, watch my back." she whispered as a tall, long haired man with his hair pulled into a four foot braid appeared behind her. He nodded once and watched as she sank to her knees at the same time as the girl, both of their heads bowing as they slowly succumbed to the influence of the demon's summon.

Opening her eyes, Tyth found herself in a black room where the darkest bits seemed to be....moving. She could feel a tangible floor underneath her feet but could not see anything, or anyone. Was the girl just a means in bring her consciousness here?

A strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders from behind, holding her painfully tight against a broad thick chest. Tyth cringed from the contact, knowing who it is.

"What do you want?" she demanded, not bothering to fight against the demon's hold since in reality, her body was not there.

Beezaleel leaned forward to nuzzle at her head, bringing his fangs near her ear to nip at the edge, then tug forcefully backwards until her throat was bared. The harsh nip drew blood and she could feel the phantom feeling of the thick liquid crawling down the side of her neck. His large, long nailed hand came up to wrap itself around her neck, squeezing threateningly. She could feel his smile of enjoyment at her pain and unease.

"I want to know why my sister died because of you, a pathetic human. She left this world, the Astral side, to become human and be with your kind, betraying us, her true family."

As she was held captive, Tyth glanced around the shadows and noticed that they began to form a large landscape of black rocks and cliffs thousands of miles high, even more so deep down leading into depths she could not fathom thinking about. Glowing eyes stared at her from every direction, the only source of lighting coming from the grey skies above them. This is the Astral side, home to the Blackest of demon kind. Jaavi's birthplace.

Resisting the urge to fight, knowing it was not needed, Tyth simply closed her eyes. "I do not know why. I only knew her for a few years, then she died by my hands. Whatever she did before then, Brant might know."

The demon snorted in hatred at her foster father's name. "That man is always running from me. He was but a boy, the day we raided that village. I should have killed him then had I known he would be our future's undoing. Had they never met, she never would have severed the gate linking our two realms."

Tyth's eyes widened an inch. Jaavi did what? Something like that, against her own kind.....what would drive her to go against her own nature?

"I never knew that. You are wasting your time. I know nothing."

The hand clenching at her throat began to shake, and then she was pushed forward. Instinctively to protect her child, despite her body being fake, she flipped into a standing position.

The demon, Beezaleel had turned angry in his true form, but know lashing out at her spectral form would do him no comfort. She was merely a shadow, brought here as a link between their worlds. Humans could never come here, vice versa with demons, not since the gateway linking them together was destroyed by his sister. He still could never forget the savage talons of betrayal and anger sink themselves into his heart as he watched his sister, now a human, damn them to never step onto the human plane again.

"You don't understand......you don't know...it has to be you!" Beezaleel screamed as he came forward to pull her up by her shirt and press their foreheads against each other. He needed to glare into her very eyes.

"They must of hid it all from you, but you are the link that is part of it all," he murmurs feverishly, his grip on her shaking in uncontrolled emotion. "You have to be!"

Tyth felt so confused. Just what did the past with Jaavi have to do with her? All the woman did was convince Brant to try and fix her broken Sinner body, and they did. Tyth was halfway recovered when she was tricked into going berserk enough to kill Jaavi, hurt Brant by taking away his pregnant wife and children and mentally cripple herself into thinking she could never be trusted with someone else's life again. If Jaavi had a past, Tyth did not want to know, but her memory lives on in her kin who demand to get revenge for being damned in a world their physical bodies can never escape.

Suddenly, Beezaleel lunged forward and clamped his fangs into her throat. The pain flared through her nerves, and then she was seeing images from someone's eyes.

A blonde haired woman wielding a blood covered sword swung around, the setting sun shining brightly behind her as he hair flared out fiercely behind her. Blinking, Tyth's eyes adjusted to the light just as the woman jumped over a dead demon's body and then began to hack fiercely at another three. The familiar twists in her wrists of drilling her blade back and forth into her enemies made Tyth smile. She had learned all the forms, but watching the original creator at work just made the blood bath even more like a deadly dance painted red.

That style of swordsmanship was the duet of swords that Brant and Jaavi taught her and Scythe, but Tyth noticed she was fighting alone. Where was Brant?

"Human, you are looking into the few memories I have of the day she began slaying us, her own brethren in that disgusting form she turned herself into," Beezaleel's voice boomed in her head as she watched Jaavi make easy mincemeat of the demons.

Tyth watched as Jaavi grimly cut down four at once, her blades easily twisting around the demon's swinging limbs to make a rebound and cut the limb off. It was as if her blades created their own gravity, making the opponent pull itself against the swords the harder they tried to avoid her OR attack her. Tyth watched, mesmerized since she was never able to get any of her weapons to do that.

Then Beezaleel from the past appeared at the edge of some trees behind his sister in his full demon form.Hanging from the long, thin scaly tail covered in blood and bite wounds was a younger version of Brant. Long boney arms complete with razor claws dug into the earth as he watched her slaughter more and more demons, their black and grey blood staining the ground. By the time the sun rises, they will burned into the earth, never to be known by the night again.

"Sister, why!" Beezaleel yelled as she whirled around to face him, her swords glinting in the twilight rays of blood red, orange and yellow. He shook the human in his tail harshly, the tail coiling tighter around the young man's neck instead of his whole torso.

"All for him?! You betray us for HIM?!"

Jaavi simply stared at her demon brother and then took a step forward. Tyth could see it in her eyes, she was prepared to kill her own brother to get Brant free.

"I found a way to live in the light, but it came with price I cannot bare to live with," she said in a deadly monotone voice. "You cannot possibly understand. You are not human."

The next move Tyth never saw coming, the woman moved so fast. How was that even possible with such a body?! She watched as blood sprayed and gushed from the stub that was the remains of Beezaleel's tail as Brant feel into Jaavi's arms just as Beezaleel feel forward in the opposite direction. The demon screamed in pain, but Tyth had a feeling it was also not a roar of just losing a limb but also his beloved sister...

The scene began to fade as Jaavi used her brother's painful distraction to grab Brant and drag him to safety...

Blinking she focused on Beezaleel's fired colored eyes. "That's not-"

He never waited for her to finish as she was thrown into another memory.

It was the day she and Brant first met, and he had disarmed her mindless attacks effortlessly. She was peering from atop a building somewhere, zeroing in on Jaavi's cloaked form. It seemed the demon had taken possession of a bird to spy on his sister, but the distance in which they were apart might of been to keep her from sensing him....

"Jaavi, just leave her." Brant said, turning his back on the young teenage murderer whom he had beaten without breaking a sweat. It still unnerved him, look in her eyes of wanting to take the life from him with such mechanical but deadly motions of a large sickle twice her size.

The cloaked woman had knelt down by the girl, her weapon shattered in pieces all around her. Some of the shrapnel even lodged itself in her skin from the force in which the weapon broke. Slim fingers reached out to pet the hair over young Tythlanny's head, and blank drug fueled eyes stared through matted hair. It began to rain as Jaavi stared down at the only breathing survivor of her group.

"No, she is going with us." Looking up at her lover, the former demon gave him a look to not argue. "She is the one, Brant. The only who will right all our wrongs."

The man seemed to shrink under the weight her words brought. He hated hearing it already. "It was just a dream."

Jaavi clenched her hand tighty, "I did not make it up. I know what I saw, and we have to do this. Bring her, Brant."

The man looked up from under his hood, through the rain at the woman at his side. They stared at each other and then he gave a slight nod, leaning down to scoop up the girl he almost killed. He still did not get why he spared her the killing blow, unlike the rest.

"Don't make such a face," she chided as she covered the girl with a meager jacket ripped of some corpse from somewhere in the massacre Tyth and her Sinner group had caused. "Unless you regret it? Me being here."

Sighing heavily, the swordsman glanced down at the girl then up at Jaavi with his feelings in his eyes. "Never."

Being torn abruptly from the memory had Tyth's mind reeling with questions and thoughts. Sneering, Beezaleel reached for her again since being suddenly seperated from the demon's memories so violently had pushed them apart several feet. Glaring, Tyth shakily got to her feet and caught the demon's wrist before he could latch onto her throat again.

"Enough."she said in her most authoritative voice, "I don't care about your vendetta or how many people you possess to come at me. I will always stop you because if those memories meant anything, it was that Jaavi chose to be human for a reason. But I will not stand here to entertain you when I have have better things to do."

Beezaleel's eyes widened as he saw the woman's consciousness begin to glow. There was no way she could be able to have any powers, not even from the child in the state he forced her into the bring her there.

Eyes narrowing into slits, Tyth tightened her grip, "Know this, demon. I have a child to fight for, a family to protect. I will give my child a future if it means I have to take on the whole damn world to do it. I don't know why I was suppose to fix whatever they did back then, but I will live the life she never was able to. A human life you will not snuff out, because she made sure I always to find myself again."

Snarling and snapping his fangs at her Beezaleel rose to his full demonic height, he jerked her close as he raised his another hand with glowing claws, "I will have that child, girl. They will be given to that man and you will die in despair to feed my delight."

Smirking devilishly, Tyth braced herself. "Bring it, you overgrown lizard. I will gladly dance in your entrails if it means my child will LIVE!"

Throwing out her hand, she pushed against his chest and suddenly her mind fell backwards, falling until she woke up, kneeling on the ground in her real body again. Everyone was looking at her, and Nyht stared down at her, signalling she had been out for only give minutes. She had somehow successfully brought herself back on her own. Looking over at the girl, she gasped as the girl's body had been thrown back several feet and thrown against the wall of someone's house. Did pushing Beezaleel in the astral plane somehow mean her body had moved as well?

"Someone tend to her and the others here." she ordered some people standing around simply watching. Getting up on shaky feet, the gently throb of her child's heartbeat was soothing because it meant she was in her real body. She had tried very hard to keep herself from panicking from not hearing her child's heartbeat in the astral plane.

Looking back at Nyht, Tyth vbecame even more focused and now as the time to act. "Falkor? Verdict, please."

Wincing from one of the healers prodding a his abused skin, the chief hesitated for just a second before taking off the necklace of a jade stone around his neck and threw it to Tyth.

"Wear that and the people will acknowledged you as a leader figure. They will listen to your orders."

Nodding, Tyth raised the green stone above her head so all can see it. "Nyht, listen up. I want all the exSinners to train as many as they can. Once that group is trained, I want them to train others. Repeat this until everyone knows how to use their inner demon. So long as they create that link, the demon bound inside them will be completely under their control. We will do this four five days, eventually spreading to all the others in the other colonies. Understood?"

The long man with a shining braid nodded then bowed to her her, "Ma'am."

She watched briefly as he spun around on his heel and signaled the others to leave their posts and gather around him. Nodding to herself in approval, Tyth turned back to Falkor with narrowed, determined eyes that said "bring it on, world.".

"Where is the boy named Cain?" she asked, arms folded as she suddenly felt the urge to eat something, preferably deep fried.

The old man looked away, determined not to talk about the boy. "Why?"

"Because I want to talk to him, and know what I am up against. Call him here, if you can. I have sat around waiting long enough."

[Ethereal]

A devastated land, fires burning patches on the ground, dried trees, a massive amount of dead bodies piled everywhere, this was the image Seiryuu's eyes gazed upon as she was given a foresight of the future. Rivers dried up, the sky was dark and thunderstorms plague the clouds. The Seraphs have been busy fighting and killing off people all over the place and there was hardly any competition. Those who were being slaughtered were people who made a pact with demons. Even with the amazing feats they could do, the Seraphs simply overwhelmed them in might and numbers.

The image soon took a different angle. In the center of it all stood that man. In his right hand held a red sword and on the other, Zied Gray's neck. The man was still alive but barely. Gravely wounded and battered, Zied was struggling to break free from the man's clutches in vain. Eletos had a crooked smile of victory playing on his lips. Beneath Zied's feet lay Tythlany, her womb torn open and the baby just beside Eletos' feet. Zied was reaching for his child when Eletos suddenly drove the sword into Zied's chest giving him the final blow. He threw the white haired man's body away and picked up the child...

"ENOUGH!!! What is THIS?!!" Seiryuu yelled as she backed away from an orifice that contained dark red liquid.

Her breathing was rugged and her knees betrayed her causing her to collapse onto the stone floor. Her insides churned and the contents of her stomach quickly traveled up her throat and out of her mouth. The glimpse of the future was too much to swallow for her. Coughing to clear her throat, Seiryuu wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and quickly turned her head towards where Cain stood, the boy had an amused look partnered with a sheepish smile. She turned to him for answers and he looked back at her like he does not care.

"What did you see? I am certain you would ask me what it meant correct?"

Seiryuu nodded, the shock too great it rendered her speechless. The young boy chuckled and walked over to the orifice and touched the red liquid. He kept his finger in there and closed his eyes for a few minutes. His lips which were blank turned into a smile all the while with his eyes closed. What could the boy be seeing right now?

Moments later, he pulled his arm back and turned to Seiryuu. His voice was shallow and there was a hint of hopelessness in it.

"It still hasn't changed... what you just saw is the most probable future this land will turn to, this orifice is one of the artifacts stolen from a demon in the Astral Plane. What you and I saw is my brother's future. Even with the significant players taking up their role, this land will still be ravaged and turned into a desolate, lifeless wasteland. His goal is purification and there is nothing out there that could stop him from doing so. This has been the same image this orifice has showed me since the last three years."

Seiryuu raised her hands and looked at her palms. In her mind she already knew she had gotten stronger. She could feel her blood burning and yet even with her significant increase in strength and her involvement in all this purification plot, she has not made any epochal impact to the fate of this land. She clenched both fists and slammed one into the stone floor cracking it and leaving a small break in the point of impact.

"I see you're frustrated. Do you feel helpless? Do you want to change this land's future? Do you want to save the people close to you? Do you desire the power to do so?" Cain asked her, eyes mocking her own weakness.

"Why aren't you taking action? Why do you play in the sidelines when you said that you are stronger than your brother? Why are you offering to help me? What do you get out of it?"

"Tch tch! Too many questions coming from a mere fledgling of the once great Dragon Kin. I am merely observing events that unfold. My actions are independent and I don't plan on taking any sides soon or ever. I just happen to be bored with what I'm seeing since the last three years. Before my brother had attained divinity, this orifice showed me different things everyday. But after he had made a pact with an Almighty his future is the only thing I see since then. Helping you might change that and keep me entertained."

"Keep you entertained?! The fate of this land hangs in the balance and yet you are merely here for your own twisted sense of amusement?! What are you?! You have the power to change it! Why not do it yourself?!"

"Hehehe! Where's the fun in that Dragon Kin?"

"Bastard... How do I attain more power?!"

"Feisty aren't we. I know your kind. They have the power to change things if shown the right path. I have met many of your generations kin and given them directions to a path that will take them to what they desired... but none of them have attained it, the true Dragon Scrolls."

Seiryuu have heard legends of it from the masters that taught her the way of the sword and the path of carnage. All the while she had thought that it was mere myth but now, this boy is telling her that the legend of the true dragon scrolls is real and he will show her the door to it. In her mind played different images from the orifice earlier. It did not take her long to come to a decision. If it meant saving this land and its people, even at the cost of her own life she would pass the doorway to get the true dragon scrolls. There isn't much choice in the matter.

She closed her eyes and steeled her will. Seiryuu slowly rose up to her feet and opened her eyes to look at the boy with eyes reflecting a determined fierceness in them. She is prepared and wanted the boy to tell her what to do next.

"As I thought... this could be amusing in the slightest. Follow me Dragon Kin and I will lead you to grasp your future."

"It's Seiryuu. It would be best you remember that for once I get this power you spoke of, I will come after you next..."

Cain disregarded the empty threat from Seiryuu and moved from the room they were in to the next with godly speed. He beckoned Seiryuu to keep up with him while they traversed the treacherous underground cavern the boy called home.

How deep does this cavern go?

Seiryuu questioned herself as she found herself having great difficulty chasing after Cain who fluidly jumped and effortlessly swayed past the sharp rocks and thin passages as they continued going downwards. Seiryuu's heart pounded in the darkness of the path. There was barely any light to show her the path Cain easily traversed. She had to keep her focus on Cain's blonde hair that served as a poor guide to the depths below.

Moments later, they arrived at another level of Cain's home. Before them stood another door made of ancient metal with carvings of a dragon that is riddled with dust and moss. The air is even harder to breathe down there and Seiryuu found herself gasping and bleeding after traversing the path downward. Scratches from rocks and roots covered her body and the thin air did not help her in recovering her stamina. Her lungs burned and cried for air and the woman knew that the longer she stays down there the more her life is being chipped away slowly, but she could no longer turn back.

"This is the ancient door of dragons. The place where the last dragon resides. In there you will find the keeper of the scrolls but let me tell you this, I wanted the scrolls for myself yet the keeper has managed to stop me every single time within five-thousand four-hundred eighty-six times I attempted. You know what that means don't you?"

Surprised at the boy's words, Seiryuu flinched at the amount of times Cain had tried to get the scrolls but was more worried about how he was stopped every single time. This boy who had earlier showed her how fearsome he could be had some real competition behind the door of dragons. But what was there to be worried about? She had no time to hesitate. Walking past Cain, Seiryuu's fierce eyes never left the doors. She pushed them forward with all her might and it creaked open slowly.

Cain stood there watching her back disappear into the darkness behind the doors. In his lips played a smile of hope and satisfaction.

"Soon my brother... soon you will see that not everything goes your way." He said to himself and chuckled.

"My lord... Falkor requests an audience with you."

"That lowly husk asking for an audience now? Feh! It's about that Sinner who is clinging to that man I presume? Fine... we shall see what she wants. That Dragon Kin woman... Seiryuu... She will most likey die at YergNogard's fangs."


________________________________________________________________________________



His breathing, slow and deep, his strength coming back to him in a calm and continuous manner. The power of healing he attained had continued to work at its best when his thoughts were preoccupied by nothing but sleep. The Black Dragon had seldom dreamed and if he did, it would be something about the future. It was mostly because of one technique he had been trying to grasp, the Dragon's Eyes.

This time as Zied slept, his dreams were nothing but images of the man in the Black Mountain whom he had trained with back in the eastern lands. The significance of the dream made him fully aware that he badly needed strength. The strength to carve his own path through the hardships they were facing and about to face in this land, the very same strength he would need to protect his family. It frustrated Zied to know that he's already strong, but the adversary is much stronger and he did not have what it takes to save anyone, not even himself should he fight Eletos again when the time comes.

In the blackness of his dreams, as he spiraled down a hazy tunnel, Zied saw an ominous dark purple glow deep within the black abyss. Drifting ever closer to the source of the faint light, Zied's eyes slowly widened in surprise when it began to take shape before him. Inching closer and closer, he could now hear a deep grumble with every breath the being surrounded by a purple aura took. It was majestic, breathtaking yet fearsome all the same. Before him stood a real Dragon.

The images of dragons he knew and saw back in the eastern lands; they were a great many, pale in comparison to the real thing. But how much of it is true? For all the man knows, he could be deceived by his own senses and knowledge about the creature. Awestruck and frozen in place, Zied shuddered as the thunderous voice of the creature spoke to him.

You...

Chosen one...

Awaken!

Heed my words bearer of our blood.

Thou face a great trial ahead of thee...

Does thou have thy strength to triumph?

Can thee stand true to thy purpose why thou seeketh power?"

Heed my words bearer of our blood.

The answer is in thy blessing, our blood. Honor us and we shall honor thee in retun...

A bright light stirred from the chest of the creature and expanded in a violent flash blinding the man and soon, he found himself awake and gasping for breath.

"What was that just now...?"

Raising his hands before his face, Zied could feel a vast amount of Ki flowing within himself. Was he rejuvenated by a few hours of sleep? Or was it the dragon's doing? He knew he could heal himself during rest but it was always never close to a full recovery. Puzzled by what the creature of legend meant by the answer being in his blood, Zied's mind wandered for answers. It was only when he noticed someone move from the corner of his right eye that he realized he was not alone.

There sat one of the Sinners following orders from that Serenata woman. He carried weapons that resembled sickles and he was looking directly at Zied. Perhaps the Sinner was surprised at how sudden Zied got up from bed. Reaching for his sword, Zied kept a close eye at the sinner while looking around the hut to look for Tyth. Nowhere to be found or felt, Zied picked up his tattered coat and slipped it on without much effort. He then strapped his sword sheath to his back and moved to step outside the hut. Nodding at the Sinner before stepping out of the hut, Zied acknowledged that the man was just there to watch over him while he rested.

Outside, Zied closed his eyes and began to feel his surroundings. Ki with a tainted feel lingered everywhere. Zied knew those who owned it were people that made pacts or contracts with creatures from the other side. Among those he was looking for two specific people, Seiryuu and Tyth. Seiryuu was nowhere near close to be felt but it felt strangely close at the same time. It was like she is all around the cavern. Tyth on the other hand was further up ahead. Somehow, her Ki felt different and had Zied not been with her for a long time, he would mistake her for someone else. That could be his child's doing.

The time to take action draws near. The Seraphs have been busy above ground and there was not much time before they overrun the land. Zied briskly walked forward to meet up with the cavern people's leaders. They should know what they are up against had Tyth not told them the story already. As he neared the hut, Zied began to hear bits and pieces of a conversation ongoing. The voice of his loved one was at quite a high pitch again and he automatically knew she was demanding for something. When he got close enough to open the door, the man pried it open slightly to take a peek inside. Falkor is being grilled for information about that blonde boy by Tyth.

"Where is the boy named Cain?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to him, and know what I am up against. Call him here, if you can. I have sat around waiting long enough."

"You should not worry Tyth. He's coming... I can feel it."

Falkor's eyes sharpened as he turned to look at Zied who is making his way inside the hut. For whatever reason the old man had, his tainted Ki felt strangely tense and erratic. Cautiously, Zied grabbed his sword sheath from his back and held it close with his left hand.

"You look surprised old man. Is Cain really that special you suddenly feel alarmed I could feel his presence?"

The old man responded with silence. He slowly pulled out his old pipe and lit by conjuring fire with his bare hand. He walked across the room and pulled a chair for himself to sit in. "Perhaps its about time I let you in on Cain..." he softly spoke and puffed his pipe.

"Damn right."

The old man began to tell tales of childhood. Surprising as it may, Falkor claimed that Cain and Eletos are his childhood friends. They were born to royalty and were soon to be crowned kings of two neighboring lost kingdoms. Both kingdoms were in a competitive race in terms of black and white arts and were always struggling to come out on top of each other. While they listened to Falkor's story with intent, Zied couldn't come to figure out how the two became brothers if they were born and raised in two different kingdoms. He just had to ask.

"Cain told me earlier that Eletos is his brother... how can that be if they were from separate kingdoms?"

"My great grandfather used to be the King's aide for Galbania, the kingdom of dark arts, home to Cain. Eletos is the offspring of the Galbanian King with the Freydorian Queen. It was a tale of love, hate and war I would not dare remember."

"Well that explains it. No wonder they don't see each other eye to eye. Both were from rivaling kingdoms and come from the same father."

Just as Falkor was about to continue telling the story, a bright flash of light engulfed the room blinding everyone in it. As it faded, the blonde boy was already in the middle of the room choking Falkor with his bare hand.

"Your slippery tongue would be your undoing Falkor. How many times have I told you that now?" Cain threatened and squeezed harder making Falkor twitch and gasp harder for breath.

Taken by surprise, Zied immediately drew his sword and surged his Ki at a dangerously high level. He knew what he was doing could draw the attention of the Seraphs, but it was the only way he could get the boy to stop and listen. It was his attempt to get Cain's attention.

The boy loosened his grip on Falkor's neck and returned a fierce, almost inhuman stare back at Zied for stopping him. Zied in turn responded with a sharp look of his own and carefully readied his sword hand. Should Cain choose to attack, he would defend Tyth with all his might and make sure she does not get hurt.

"Well played Dragon Kin. Your hunch was right."

The boy had mellowed down and completely released Falkor and turned to face Zied. He was back to his old self and the overpowering feeling was gone from the hut. Cain watched the old man struggle to regain his breath and composure in a way that seemed like he was enjoying the sight.

"Talk about me again without my permission Falkor, and I will kill you." Cain threatened.

Falkor sheepishly nodded and without a word, bowed for apology. The sight of how Cain treated falkor irked Zied to the point where he wanted to bash the boy's face in. The sudden rise in his Ki regained Cain's attention. He turned again to face Zied but this time, the look on his face was that of surprise.

"Ahh... you have grown in such a short amount of time. Marvelous indeed what the Dragon's Blood can do. Your spirit has changed form. Did you call me here to ask questions? If you did, then I don't have any answers for you."

"You bastard! I know what you are. I can see it as plain as day."

Having said that, Cain twitched. His eyes closed for a mere second and when the boy opened them, it was a different set of eyes, fiercer and almost horrifying.

"Hmph! Mortal, do not overstep your boundaries, but I give you credit for seeing my true form. Perhaps it is time I made introductions. I am Lanrael, the demon of fate. I was once one of the strongest lords of my kin until this boy summoned me with his dark arts and made a pact. Now I am trapped by this boy in this feeble body and forced to live the miserable life you humans do--"

"So you're a whipped dog in short. Why don't you get out of that boy's body and go back home?"

"You test my patience Dragon Kin! No matter. What I choose to do is none of your concern. This boy had me sealed in him forever. I have been with him long before Brant, one of the rising lords taught these people the art of demonology. Should I by chance leave this body, it will not age like Falkor. My power is too great for a mere mortal to wield, this boy's body is no more and what you see now is his form retained by my power. Our consciousness has become one and should we get separated, Cain will turn to dust and become one with nothingness."

"Enough demon! I am not interested in you or Cain. What I want to know is your goal. Are you both an enemy or are you not?"

Cain chuckled and a long silence followed. Shortly, a combined voice came out from Cain's mouth.

"We are nothing more but mere watchers. We play the wheel of fate and watch in the sidelines as it spins. We mold it to our liking from time to time and now is one of those times. I get bored of seeing this land's single track fate over and over."

"So all this is just a game to you? You make me laugh! For someone claiming to be one of the strongest demons, you sure as hell don't look the part. From what I think, Cain's brother, that Eletos would kill you in an instant should you cross paths. Isn't that why you're cowering here in the darkness of this cavern under the guise of being its protector?"

"YOU DARE MOCK ME?! I can kill you right where you stand and leave nothing for the worms to eat!"

"Spare me the pleasantries demon. You are nothing but a coward who can't do anything but play with pawns because you don't have the strength to face your own fate. You say you are a demon of fate and yet you despise what this land's fate is because that will also be your fate should it come to pass. Isn't that why you are desperately trying to pull the strings from the sidelines? If you want to change this land's fate so bad, you should contribute to the effort we are going to put into changing it. Remember this demon... if you get in our way, I will kill you."

[Rogue.Ember.Shadow]

That itch, she had long thought she had forgotten it. That insatiable itch to grab a sharp blade and go into battle, to slice something or someone apart. Tyth frowned as she looked at Falkor while fingering the necklace he gave her. It is different before, this urge. Her reasons are different, her strength changed forever. It is why she is getting impatient, to stand still. It made her want to run to Cain's brother, and try to finish all this.

When Zied came from behind, she squeezed the necklace on the point of breaking. That man never knows how to rest properly, but it is her concern that is not needed since he can heal faster than her. She let him talk, since all she can really do is wait until they had as many people trained up as they possible could. Tyth ignored the dark part of her that wished she was not pregnant, or at least could slow the process and toll on her body. Time is a battle for her, and feared she might be left out of the struggle against Cain and his brother Eletos. Her spirit needed to be in this, she refused to be denied. Glancing at Zied, she let her hand fall away from the necklace.

Their child's future is at stake, and so are many other families. She did not want to be selfish, but that was one of the things driving her to do this. If she did not fight for them, who would?

It seemed Tyth is thinking so hard that she missed most of the conversation between Zied and Falkor since she knew her partner is trying to get to the bottom of the the man's motivations and the person controlling him. Even she could not deny there is a higher power lingering behind these people other than the demons inside them...

As if reading her mind, she winced as Cain appeared in a flash of light and was stopping Falkor from revealing any more about his past. Being ripped from her inner musings, Tyth watched in shock as the boy is taken over by the demon inside, and Zied began to confront him. She became frantic, wanting to reach out to the man and pull him back since he is not fully healed.

The words are almost out of her mouth when she met the demon's eyes and it was as if something from somewhere inside the back of her mind appeared.

I know these eyes.

As soon as that thought is realized, she choked. That is not possible. The only real demon she came into contact with is Beltza. Then the demon began to talk more and everything sounded like an echo. Her pulse began to race as the words coming out of the boy's mouth, in a combined voice, began to warp into a whole other, guttural language she does not understand to her ears. It then began to fluctuate between the regular language she speaks and the guttural, rough sounding one that bordered on whispers. Her vision begins to flash and shake, and then she saw Zied and Cain step towards each other ready to fight.

No. Zied couldn't fight. Not now!

Then a flash of something made her gasp. Cain and Zied fell away from her vision as she began to see something else.

A young boy stood high up on a rock, the bright sun glaring behind him so he looked like a half shadow. He was staring off into some direction, when he flinched and spun around. It was then her vision zoomed in on him, and her hand, no someone else hand reached for him. It was black, and the claws so long.

"WHY?!" the person screamed as it almost reached the boy. Then the child moved, leaning almost completely backwards and kicked the thing up into the air. For a mere moment, Tyth stared into the boy's face as they were facing each other. The hair is more ruffled and uncared for, but that color. That shade of purple, the eyes are younger, more rounder but she could never forget them as they stared blankly into hers. His face is wiped of emotion, a sword held loosely at his side. Straightening his back as she began to fall, Tyth couldn't believe it as she fell into the cavern below.

Was.....that......

Brant?


Then the killing auras reached her and the baby began to panic. The child is tiny, just newly created but it packed a punch in power as it flared up around her. The boy disappeared and her regular vision returned as Zied as looking at her over his shoulder, greatly concerned she could almost see the whites of his eyes. Then he turned to the possessed Cain, demanding what he did to her and her head began to swim.

She moved and it felt like she had not even thought to do so. As if her body is not her own. She stepped in front of Cain and her hand reached for his face. Opening her mouth, the guttural language flowed out effortlessly.

"Xacku. Xighs axck ggeuuutoo."

Worm. Shut your mouth or I rip it off.

Then a light began to gather in her palm and it would have released had the boy not grabbed her wrist, twisting it upwards and the light pierced the roof, clearing a twelve foot in diameter sized hole effortlessly. Dirt and sticks rained down around them, but she is not finished. Curling her hand around the one holding hers, she spun and then smoke began to gather under where she held the boy.

The demon inside the boy curled his lip and spoke to her in the language she did not know.

How do you know Xose words?

She didn't reply, only raised her other free hand towards the demons face for another shot. The hand she currently held flinched up to her throat, and then her body is flooded with pain she began to scream.

Pulling her closer as somehow, a barrier was keeping Zied from her side, the demon snarled one word in the standard language.

"Die."

Her vision blackened and her body fell limp as her mind pulled from her body into a world of darkness. She is falling down through the darkness and all she can do is scream.

"NO! GO BACK! I WANT TO GO BACK!!!!!!"

Her child. Zied. How can she leave them! She would not allow it. But her numb continued to fall and refused to move.

Then arms are wrapping themselves slowly around her shoulders from behind, and she is pulled against a hard chest. Someone rests their head against hers.

"What are you doing here?" the voice asks, and she starts crying hysterically.

"Brant, I don't want to die. Please!"

The arms tighten around her and she can feel him chuckling from deep in the chest pressed against her back.

"I know. I've been waiting. Shall we go back?" he asks as he loosens his hold to lean around her left to look into her face, smiling gently. His dark colored hair reveal long black, almost scar looking marks along his left cheek and down curling around his neck, to further down his chest and then disappearing underneath his shirt.

"Please," she asks and then he is pushing her forward towards the direction she had been falling from. The closer they get, the more she can control her body. Soon she is running, with Brant by her side. She is so focused on the direction, she doesn't see the man stare at her with a tender and pained expression that it is border on crying.

Reaching a hand towards her, Brant calls her name. Looking over to him, Tyth blinks. "Take my hand. I'll lend you my strength."

Nodding, she takes it, he grips it tightly and the world of black is gone. Snapping her eyes open, Tyth gasps as she hears Zied's anguished screams and the demon's laugh as he is holding her up by her throat. Had she died? How long since she blanked out?

Growling, Tyth kicked one leg into the boy's chest, ripping herself from his grasp. She falls backwards on to her butt and as soon as the hand she had given to Brant touched the floor, a red circle shaped mark the size of three of her hands appeared. Then it drew a line to another that appeared until many appeared to link themselves into a larger circle made of smaller ones at her feet. Once they all linked together, the ring of symbols glowed a bright blinding she had to lift an arm up to shade her eyes.

From the circle, a body begins to rise. Then the symbols dimmed and disappeared and there stood Brant, the same one who she saw not several seconds before. Then she remembered her child and reached for her stomach, crying as she frantically tried to sense it.

A heartbeat. She hears it. Closing her eyes as a heavy wave of relief washes over her Tyth senses Zied and falls backward into his arms, her cheeks soaked in tears.

---

Brant gasps lightly as he is pulled from the Astral plane and back into the real world. Immediately he saw the boy's body knocked backwards and felt Tyth behind him, in panic. Turning around, he saw Zied holding her, and kneels down beside them with one hand resting on her lower stomach. Smiling gently, he looks at the boy and nods to him.

"The child is fine, and she is exhausted. Take care of her."

Standing back to his feet, Brant turned back around and walked straight for the boy's body struggling to get up from the rubble that was once the hut's back wall. His girl still had a good kick left in her.

Smirking, he stepped in front of the boy, reached down and pulled him up by his hair.

"I wonder if you have forgotten, Lanrael. There are those who simply watch, and those who simply act. Which do you think I'm tied to?"

"Mortal, YOU-"

Rolling his eyes, Brant reached forward and held his hand up against the boy's face. Just like Tyth had done. "Shut up, you have said enough for today."

Then Brant's hand he held up began to glow, and the marks like on his face appeared and drew themselves into four boxes that intersected into the middle, connected by the circle symbol that appeared when he showed up onto the back of his hand. Then a flare of power blew itself into the boys face and Brant let him go to fall at his fet, letting Cain cough himself into consciousness.

Turning back around, not caring about the boy just yet, Brant held up a hand to stop Zied from leaving with Tyth just yet. Reaching for her neck, he carefully removed the necklace and then met Falkor's eyes.

"You have failed. To think I trusted this task with you. These people were suppose to learn these powers a long time ago."

The old man had the gall to look embarrassed. Brant was slightly tempted to simply kill him and take everything on himself, but he was hungry and having been nearly killed and drifting along in the Astral plane to heal was very taxing. Food did not grow or appear in a layer of nothingness. To think Tyth had almost been dragged forcefully down to be consumed. Had he not been there....he could finish the thought. He would worry about that all later when his girl came to him with questions he will answer.

"What did you do, to the boy?" Falkor asked, pointing over towards Cain. Not even bothering to acknowledge him, Brant shrugged.

"As long as he doesn't touch my daughter again, I won't have to kill this boy. It won't last long but at least I left that demon with a warning. I have yet to know if he will actually heed it."

He did not mention that he had simply stunned the demon inside and pushed him back into the boy's body, hurting them both. Brant knew the extent of his powers and he could not waste them on fighting with this demon.

As he walked towards the entrance, Falkor stumbled to his feet. "What will you do?"

Glancing over at Tyth who was clutching onto Zied crying, Brant pressed his lips together. "To see someone."

Leaving the hut, he used his speed to find the hut one of the Sinners signaled him to as soon as he spotted him. Stopping in front of the one called Lucrezia, Brant blinked as he saw the man Ciro asleep in her lap.

The woman simply shook her head, "He was getting frantic during the birth so I knocked him out."

He nodded and without a word, entered the medical hut. Upon seeing him, the nurses gasped but did not approach as he tracked down the room Serenata was in. The heavy scent of blood covered the air and he hoped for the best. When he found the room, he found the woman curled into a ball crying. Gulping hesitantly, he took a step forward and after a moment's hesitation forced himself to walk over to her side.

"Rena, it is me."

It seemed like forever before the woman finally pulled her face away from her hands to look up at with the most pained, broken face he had ever seen. Fear leaps into his throat as he fell to his knees by her bedside.

"Rena...."

Gasping for air, the girl clutched at her hair. "One.....didn't...haaa.....make it.....the other...is..."

He couldn't take any more. Brant grabbed her hands and pressed them against his eyes, letting out one pain filled sob.

"I am so sorry, Rena. Its my fault, to send you here like that....."

They both cried together until he felt hair gather around him, and then felt ashamed so much to raise his head.

"Brant, that child doesn't deserve this. Us blaming ourselves or each other. We both knew the risks, and some might say we had forsaken that one life for Tyth's but I know better," Serenata said above him as she leaned closer.

"I won't blame you. In this world, I am lucky to even have lived this long,"she murmured and tugged on his hair to make him look at her. His eyes are red and filled with grief but most of all regret. That he could not protect them.

"You protected and loved my sister who I had lost. You let me fight for her, just this once. I saved her, and you do not know what joy and relief that is for me. So let me do this for you."

Blinking away the left over tears, Brant leaned back but still held this woman's hands. When he went wandering on his mission to find the one Jaavi had spoken of, he ran into Serenata, and could not help telling her so many things. She is now one of the few who knew him.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, his voice shaking and slightly raw from crying.

Serenata's gaze was steady as she will have the rest of her life to grieve for her child, "They both are girls, you knew this. Since this one was denied this life, her sister will be named Jaavilyn. Just like yours, taken from your side before anything more could be completed."

Brant bit his lip, to keep from crying again. "You don't have to....."

"I want to. This world deserves to have that name it again, the one who fought so fiercely for its sake."

Closing his eyes, Brant leaned forward to press his forehead against the knuckles of her left hand. "Thank you, Serenata."

---

Sitting in a world of white is a woman. Her hair is a light blonde, short and the tips tumbling over her shoulders. Glancing over her shoulder, she paused and then smiled. Looking at the back of her right hand, she could almost completely see through it. Her whole existence was almost not all there. She is a remnant, a piece.

"I'm still waiting....."

[Ethereal]

Zied, a man not fond of surprises gripped his sword tightly, ready to strike at a moment's chance. In their line of work, surprises could only mean two things, victory or death. Take an opponent by surprise, one gets the chance to deal a crushing blow, get taken by surprise and one gets a high chance of winning death. It was all a matter of cunning and tactics but for moments like what Zied was facing now, it was just utterly beyond control.

Tythlany began to exhibit strange behavior, like a savage beast, her killing intent has soared way beyond what she normally gives off during battle. Just as things were starting to get awry, she lunged at Cain and tried to finish him off with a power Zied had only seen for the first time. Had the demon not been aware, it would have dealt him a critical blow. Lanrael had saved himself by blocking Tyth's attack and pointing it upward causing that ray of bright light to pierce the roof and the stone cavern all the way up to the top.

Shocked beyond belief, Zied was frozen solid. Never in their entire time that they shared together had Tyth told him that she held so much power. There was no trace of Ki from the blast and there was hardly any signs of dark energy in it. That was what Zied could only call energy at its purest form. Awed at the awesome level of destruction the blast caused, Zied for a moment forgot that Lanrael had Tyth by the neck. It was only when he heard her muffled gasps that he was brought back to reality.

"NO!"

The scream failed to reach Lanrael as he continued to strangle the woman. Perhaps anyone else would have done the same had they been the target of such destructive force. In a way, Zied could understand that Tyth scared the demon and this was his way of making sure she would not try the same thing again, but will Zied allow it? Of course not!

Just as he was about to make his move, Tythlany came back to her senses and kicked the boy at his chest. The strength of that kick reminded Zied that Tyth is also a very capable fighter. She would not get taken down that easily and that move she just did made him smile. She's alright.

As he was about to rush to her side to help her attack Lanrael in unison, magic circles formed from Tyth's palm and soon a very familiar man came out of the ground and joined the fray. He was the man Tyth so respected and looked up to. The very same man whom Tyth considered a father... Brant.

How he came from the magic circle puzzled Zied but his actions against Lanrael showed him enough proof that Brant was on their side. With one hit of Brant's hand, he had managed to incapacitate Lanrael. Zied began to wonder just how strong could this guy be? But now is not the time for idle banter. Tythlany looked exhausted and there was hardly any piece of advice coming from Brant when he just suddenly up and left the hut.

Zied looked at what was left of Falkor's hut and then gazed long and hard at the gaping hole in the cavern walls. That blast had surely attracted attention and it was now only a matter of time before those up above comes storming in. Without much thought and hesitation, Zied looked around in search of Falkor. He had found him attending to a dazed Cain and picking the boy up from under the small pile of rubble.

"This place is done for. Falkor! If you value your people's lives, you should do as I say and do it fast!"

"What do you mean Gray?"

"You heard what I said. That blast earlier surely got the attention of the Seraphs. It's only a matter of time before they come storming down here and slaughtering everyone in this cavern. Gather your best fighters and start getting your non-combatants to safety. Leave this place and go topside. There's nothing left for you people down here anymore."

"But we--"

"There's nothing more left to discuss old man! This place is history! I will stay here and hold off whatever comes down from that hole until your people have made it to safety. Split your fighters into two groups and have one take the spearhead and the other guard the rear. Now hurry up and go and take Tythlany with you!"

"This is suicide Gray! You alone will not be able to hold them off! I will leave men behind to help you out!"

"Out of the question old man! We best reserve your number of able fighters to help train the others. If we lose some of them now, that could very well mean that we lost the rebellion even before starting it! Trust me Falkor, I will not go down that easily... Now go!"

Falkor looked at the man with hesitant eyes and nodded in both respect and gratitude. The man was neither playing hero or making false claim that he will not go down as he said it. He was just a man entrusting the safety of his better half in the hands of him, an old coward locked in an underground cavern. Silently he longed for his glory days when his strength matched that of a thousand men. But now is not his time anymore, Falkor could only entrust the future in the hands of those who can change it.

Zied nodded in response to Falkor when he stopped with Cain and Tythlany in both shoulders.. He wished that Tythlany could also stay behind but the way she looked now, sobbing and all shattered, it was no question that she would not have any will to fight. Kissing her forehead lightly, Zied gave her the most gentle smile he could muster.

"I'm sorry my love, it seems like I would have to ask you to part from me one more time. I cannot risk our child's safety. Please go with Falkor and get to safety with these people, I will catch up soon."

Entrusting the woman he loved to Falkor, Zied focused himself on that gaping hole. His eyes were fierce and his Ki levels surging erratically, was it excitement or was it worry? The man did not know. All he cared for is that he needed to buy time and that is what he intends to accomplish. He could only hope that Eletos would not be the one to show up first from that hole.

Time that seemed like forever passed by. Zied could hear evacuation proceeding smoothly behind him which slightly put the man at ease. The fact that no azure armor has jumped down the hole yet only made the situation grow favorable. He was already starting to think that it was a misplaced worry but it never hurts to be vigilant. Taking a deep breath and relaxing his muscles that have been tensed for a long time, Zied let out a short breath. His focus quickly shifted at the sound of the ground crunching beneath a pair of boots.

"My, my... aren't you the noble one?"

Zied turned his head to the side and saw Brant walking in with that prideful self like how he used to when he was still leading the Forsaken Wolves guild. In his lips played a melancholic smile but his eyes tell a different story.

"Brant... What are you doing here?"

"Doing what I can. I can't have my dear Tythlany live as a widow now can I?"

Zied's brow squinted lightly at Brant's clever remark. As usual he was going to do what he wants when he wants like a free spirit, but the man was nowhere near such a thing. His every action was always calculated and had great meaning in them. There was never a random thing for this man who is deeply surrounded by the clouds of mystery.

"So you think I can't buy some time now do you? Who do you think you're talking to?"

Brant chuckled lightly as he took his stand beside Zied. He rolled his eyes to the left and simply smiled at the white-haired man.

"I am not belittling your fighting prowess Zied-- this is the first time I called you by your name is it? I hope you don't mind but wouldn't you think it would be best if two very capable fighters bought time for the people to escape?"

Zied knew that. It was just hard for him to swallow that he was getting help from the man who was never around before. He was just about to say something when Brant continued to speak.

"Why not simply seal off that hole? That would save us a lot of trouble don't you think?"

Zied scoffed at the suggestion. Was Brant thinking or was he playing with him? No matter, he had already considered that route and there was no benefit in it, not even in the slightest.

"Are you underestimating me Brant? Do you think sealing off that hole would guarantee the safety of the people? It is highly likely that this place is already known by the enemy. The reason we're not being attacked directly is because the entrance is well hidden and that boy Cain you just knocked out claims to be this place's guardian. That hole may very well be the entrance that they need and if we just seal it, they will most certainly bust it open and kill everyone in here."

"You have a point. But do you think by asking them to leave this sanctuary they will remain safe? You pushed them to go outside where they would probably be surrounded by Seraphs. Who knows, you might have even pushed them to their deaths. What guarantee do you have that they will not be harmed once they step above ground? Are you ready to bear the weight of your conscience should your plan turn sour?"

"Nothing... I don't have any guarantees for them but I believe they have better odds at survival up above than down here in this hell hole. Tythlany is with them if you're forgetting something. Also, if there's one thing you haven't noticed about these people, they would do anything to survive. Their will to live is stronger than what you think. Surely they will not allow themselves to be done in by the Seraphs."

"Heh... so you're a man of odds after all. That's the one thing I noticed about you when you joined my guild. You take on missions and leave everything to chance. I would just like to remind you now that you're going to be a father, that nothing can be left to chance anymore. The reason I am here now is to make sure you come back alive, not for your sake or mine's but for Tyth."

"Don't make me look bad old man. I am not who you think I am. I just learned how to trust."

"Hahahaha! I apologize Zied, insult was never my intention. Stand ready, they are coming as you suspected."

"I know. The same goes to you Brant... don't die on me!"

As soon as the first armor landed from the hole, it was greeted by a full powered downward slash from Zied. A loud crashing sound followed as the white-haired man drove the blade of his sword downward to split the armor into two. Zied watched the Seraph turn to white dust while regaining his posture to anticipate more joining the fray. The battle to buy time had just begun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deep underground, tremors filled the large crevice that housed a majestic guardian dragon. A fierce battle to the death ensued between the purple haired woman and the beast of legend. Neither man nor creature showed signs of giving in. As fangs and claws tried to sink into flesh, they were met by steel and parried away by sheer force bite for bite and swipe for swipe. Yergnogard, the dragon was astounded by the woman's sheer will to survive.

"Why do you struggle so? I shall not hand over the scroll to the likes of you!" echoed the thundering voice of the creature followed by a mighty growl.

Seiryuu, the woman soaked in both her own and the dragon's blood smiled weakly beneath the cover of her entangled hair. She stood proudly and determined before the creature and raised her katars in hand to a battle pose. She was gasping for breath and had sustained a great deal of injury yet she pushed her battered body forward in an attempt to attack.

"Very well, so be it human. You have foolishly challenged me knowing you have no way of winning. I shall grant you a swift death! None shall remain of you to be remembered by your kin!"

The mighty creature snapped its head back and opened its jaws gathering energy in its mouth. It was preparing to breathe fire like it did so many times against Seiryuu only this time, the intensity of the energy it was drawing was more potent and overwhelming. But Seiryuu was not fazed, the battered woman stretched her arms to the side and began to draw her own Ki to her blades. She will be firing off her own strongest move and leave everything to the outcome.

"It was an honor to fight you guardian dragon. I will put everything that I have into this attack as well as my answer to your question. Now come! Let us settle this!"

The dragon roared and fired off a searing stream of purple fire towards Seiryuu. She in turn managed to gather all the amount of Ki she could handle in both arms and slashed forward. The strength and the speed of her Ki infused slash together with her sheer willpower soared forward in the shape of an arc barely visible in its blue hue. Their energies collided before them and a large explosion swept away both rubble and Seiryuu along with the blast.

..
...
.....
.......
.........

When the explosion subsided, the dragon stood mighty and towered over Seiryuu's beaten body that lay face forward to the ground. The eyes of the creature flicked downward at the woman and it let out a soft growl. Its blood streamed non-stop from the neck down to its chest.

"Lift your head woman, I do not have much time to say this so listen well. You have won and now deserve the power that I have long protected. How you choose to use it will entirely be up to you. Your worth and answer have reached me and I understand your reasons all too well. But know that this world is not ready to witness such power. When the time comes, you will understand. As a final parting gift, in lieu to my acknowledgment of you, I shall heal your wounds and set you off to usher in an era that you so desire. Live on great warrior."

A blinding gold light engulfed Seiryuu and her wounds immediately healed. Her strength gradually returned and felt that she was being strengthened to new heights she never deemed possible for her to reach on her own. When her healing stopped, she paused to wonder.

"I... I don't feel as strong as I was led to believe..."

The dragon chuckled as it laid itself to rest.

"Precaution is always in a dragon's instinct. The other half of the scroll is yet to be given. It was split into contrasting halves since the power sealed in it is so great this world is not ready for it. Should the other half fall into the wrong hands, there would still be another half that can give the world hope."

Seiryuu scoffed at what she just learned from the dragon.

"It's never so easy is it?"

"Aye. There are six dragons; earth, fire, water, wind, light and dark. The six dragons have forged their greatest strengths into two halves of the so called Dragon Scroll. The half I gave you holds the light, water and earth dragon's strengths. Incomplete as it may, your power now will still prove to be far more than enough to pave your own future. Should you find the other half, then you will truly understand our power. Now go! Your friend the Black Dragon, prodigy of the Dark One needs your help."

"How... what did you just say?"

"Still your mind and begin to feel the air around you. The surges of his Ki has reached this deep and yet even with your newly gained strength you fail to notice? Don't make me think twice woman."

Seiryuu laughed at herself. Of course she would not notice. She was too busy trying to save her own hide from the dragon not just a few moments ago. But the creature was right, Zied's and somebody else's Ki had been rampaging up above causing the tremors down below that had not stopped even after her fight with the guardian of the scroll.

"Thank you..." she said to the creature with gratitude and turned away ready to leave the place.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The crunching sound of metal breaking echoed inside the small confined space where Zied and Brant stood their ground. The back of Brant's fist shattered the head part and knocked a Seraph armor back hitting others before it crashed in the cavern walls. Little by little, the amount of Seraphs coming in from the hole is increasing in number even at the incredible rate the two were dispatching them. Much as he would hate to admit it, Brant knew that they were losing ground.

Brant yelled to alert the man of the situation, "Zied!"

The white-haired man yelled back while delivering another crushing blow with the back of his sword on another incoming Seraph that swung a pole-axe at him. He gracefully evaded the blow by ducking and spun his sword in hand and used the back of it to hit the chest part of the Seraph knocking the armor back to where it first came from.

"I know!"

Gathering their footing as fast as they could, both men stood side by side ready to take on more. Zied was starting to show signs of fatigue and was but a few breaths short. Brant seemed to be in no better position although he was much more accustomed to hiding his weakness.

"How many has it been Zied?"

The man shrugged, "I stopped counting after five."

"We're going to get overrun here if we don't find an open ground to keep them at bay. We should move back into the cavern."

Brant's suggestion made perfect sense. The Seraphs kept on pouring in and they were quickly losing room to move around. Just when the two were about to make their move to step back, the Seraphs began to give way to something with incredible force coming down the hole. The ground was crushed and a gust of wind greeted the two as a white armor landed inside to join the fray.

"Oh great... just what we needed, a new Seraph armor. What the hell is that!?"

Zied could not believe it. The white armor was giving off Ki and an incredible amount of it to top things off. Brant squinted his eyes and clenched his fists tighter. His strength had not fully returned from being locked in the void for so long and the enemy before them now is telling them it will not be an easy fight.

"Could be a general don't you think?" he asked Zied.

"It's not like I care! I'm going to destroy it!"

"Zied wai--"

Zied rushed in, sword in the low position and with speed the space he had before the new enemy allowed him to. He had not gained any reaction from the white armor but he pressed on. Using the strength of his legs and arms, Zied twisted his torso to deliver an upward slash with great precision aimed at the armor's chest. He was aiming to finish it in one blow but to his surprise, he felt himself get hit in the face and sent flying back outside the former hut of Falkor just when his blade barely nicked the armor's chest piece.

Brant watched Zied fly past him and was nearly caught off-guard by the white armor as it slipped past the other Seraphs to attack him. Brant could keep up with the incredible speed of the white armor as he matched the Seraph's attack blow by blow negating them before it reached his inner circle. It was a fast exchange of a hundred or more blows and soon, both man and armor were in a deadlock of right fists facing each other down in a contest of power.

"Fascinating... A fist-type Seraph with its own Ki..." Brant mumbled as he grunted while trying to push the Seraph's fist back with his own.

Brant was slowly losing ground in terms of power. His feet were beginning to skid backward as the white armor powered its way through his fist. When it decided to break the deadlock by attacking with its free hand from below, Brant knew that there was no way he could block it after spending ample strength in his little contest of power. The man jumped back with full strength to join Zied who laid sprawled on the ground.

"Its got power and speed. I could have easily crushed it had I been in tip top shape but as I am now, its stronger than me." Brant said while offering a hand to help Zied up.

"Don't make me laugh Brant... Are you saying since it knocked me back I don't stand a chance? It caught me off-guard!"

"As it nearly caught me. I'm merely suggesting that you be careful Zied. Had you been anyone else, you would have died with that blow you took. Now, how about we regroup and rethink our plan of action? And this time, we take the White One into account."

"Damn right... the farther it pushes us back, the more harder it is for us to stop them from breaking into the cavern. So uhh, any bright ideas?"

Brant chuckled, "I was hoping you have one..."

"Great... just great."

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