The tiny white bird hopped closer still, flitting over to land on the bent upright part of the girl’s knee.

The wild lands unfolded for Suzume like a tapestry, stretching as far as her dark eyes could take in. The sloped shoulders of the mountains sported a mantle of early summer green, passing into the haze of blue and purple as the peaks vanished, touching the bellies of the clouds. At her back, the cavern’s mouth yawned, a drifting sense of calm and tranquility of Wyndor sifting from the wavering lights below. Over one shoulder, she could hear the melodic chirp of a lone bird that had somehow found its way to alight upon the stones of the overlook.

The mountain dwelling of the Dragons was all so mystical and adventurous feeling. Secrets and shadows waited to be discovered at every twist and turn. And though the caverns were crafted for creatures that were far larger than any of the winged people, there seemed to be enough in the way of rooms there, built just for the purpose of people to live.

As if Lord Zemi may have foreseen the Migration at the founding of this place. As if he had known the events that would lead to the separation of the Cyngan and their Island home of Ceiswyr.

The sound of the wayward bird seemed louder to her for a moment, pulling the girl from her thoughts. Suzume wrung her hands in the hem of her robe with a frown. She did not want to let her heart wander that way. She did not want to place the blame for what had happened on Lord Zemi. He seemed sad enough that his lands were being attacked by the one that had once been his own brother.

Brother…

She may have had a brother once. She knew she had had a family, at least. But it was hard to remember. So hard to remember anything that she had been before the darkness had come. Before the fatal words of the chaotic magic uttered in the heart of Nefol had changed her existence forever.

Suzume didn’t completely understand all that had happened to her. But she could feel that she was no longer the simple girl she had once been. She was not even really like any of the other Awakened, either.

I’m not sure what I am…

The girl craned her neck back, peering at the sky. And she thought of Lucci.

…except for lonely.

She didn’t know how many days had gone by since the Migration had left the Islands. Though she had stopped counting, she knew it had been a lot. Weeks, maybe. Maybe more than a month. But the days felt like eternities within themselves, wrapped within the creeping cadence of worried waiting.

Will we ever be able to go back home again?

Kicking her legs back and forth over the edge of the cleft, the girl took in a deep breath. The wind fluttered the tips of her wings and played through the strands of her hair… but even that had a forlorn sound to it. The only company she had was the chirping of the tiny white bird that seemed just as lonely as she.

“I wonder what he is doing right now,” Suzume peered up at the bird, chancing conversation.

At first thought, it had felt like a silly idea to talk to the unknowing creature. But there was something almost intelligent in the tilt of the bird’s head as the single dark eye focused down on her. As if it really was listening.

“I’ve gotten a few letters from him in all this time. He has the worst handwriting,” the girl continued with a wrinkled nose face, “But I was so happy that he sent something to me. That he didn’t forget about me. I guess everything they’re doing is getting ready for the battle, so I was lucky he thought to write at all.”

As time passed, the news that Lucci shared had shifted from the cheerful banter that she was used to hearing. It was news of war. Of his long, tedious training sessions with – of all the most unlikely people – TsuYa. Of choosing his first weapon and learning how to work ground patrol. Of the fortification of the compounds and sealing off the furthest-reaching islands.

Gone was the talk of sunshine and fudge. Of the color of sunset clouds and the marvel of the silken petals of the flowers. Instead his letters slowly grew to sound more and more like the grim faced adults. And fear churned within her that the next that she would see Lucci, time would have changed him so that she would not recognize him anymore.

Lucci always changed so fast. But now he was changing to the rhythms of war.

The only thing that consoled her fears was his insistence at the end of each of his letters. Once the battle was over with and Zeromus had been defeated, he would find her. That they would be together again. For just a moment, he would sound like the Lucci she remembered. The last few lines were what she would hold on to. The promise of what would come.

“We’re going to win the battle,” Suzume murmured out loud, wrapping her arms around her knees and laying her chin on top. “Zeromus can’t beat us…”

~You seem certain of this?~

A voice sounded, distant as if carried on the wind. Yet so close that it appeared to be within her mind.

“He can’t! Lucci promised to see me after the battle… was… won..?” the girl swallowed, turning to peer behind her with a questioning face. She drew in a startled breath as she found that she was alone on the overlook. “Hello…? Is someone there?”

~Yes, I am.~

The voice sounded again, still as mysterious as the first time. There was a moment of awkward silence as Suzume’s dark eyes swung back and forth over the vacant stone before falling on the shape of the small white bird perched just above her.

“Did you…?” The girl opened her mouth, dumbfounded. Then shook her head, as if changing her mind. “No… that can’t be right. Birds don’t–”

~Talk?~ came a chirruped reply from the bird. Almost cheerful sounding.

“Ahhhh!” Suzume leapt to her feet with a short cry of shock, causing the bird to fluff its feathers in surprise.

~Don’t be alarmed? No harm is meant?~

The girl was already halfway to the door by the time she stopped, casting a wary glance back over her shoulder at the creature. Her voice wavered as she tried to clear her head, wondering what could cause such a strange illusion. “Wh..what are you?”

~I’m not a what.~ the bird replied, pruning quietly at its feathered shirt front.

“Then…?”

~I am a who. I am forming identity.~

Suzume furrowed her brow in confusion. Groping for a direction to take the conversation, she found herself clutching the hem of her robe again. “Who… are you?”

~Zeni.~

It was because the word was spoken so casually that it held so much weight. The girl froze, only her dark eyes blinking as she faced the tiny white bird. The bird, in return, regarded her calmly with a strange sparkle in is beady eyes.

Of course… Lord Zemi’s sister… she takes the form of a white bird! Why didn’t I realize that?

Though Suzume had been to Assemblies where the Trine had met numerous times in the past, she had never been up close to the table. Not close enough to have seen the two siblings of the Dreigiau through the haze of light and magic that always filled the great meeting hall. The girl had gotten a look at the great white wolf Zazo from time to time… but the younger sister, Zeni, was far more scarce and not nearly as evident upon first glance.

“Why… are you here?” the girl found herself fumbling for words. Why she was so nervous around this Arweinydd, she didn’t know. She had never been afraid of Lord Zemi. But then, something about this creature seemed so much further removed from the nature of people as she knew it. Far more alien and unknown than Zemi had ever felt.

~I am watching over the chosen.~

“The chosen?” she asked, voice quavering even to her ears.

~Yes. Those who are chosen to be protected by the Trine. Those such as you.~ Zeni tilted her head and flicked the fan of her tail before hoping forward on the stone.

“Why are we chosen?” Suzume spread her hands slowly, taking a few cautious steps forward.

~Because you are loved by my brother.~

Something about that statement felt wrong to her. But she couldn’t understand why. “Then you only watch over us because of Lord Zemi? Not because you are concerned, too?”

The bird flitted closer, landing on a nearby rock. ~Maybe.~

“Maybe? I don’t understand?” the girl took a step back so that she could look up at the Arweinydd. Her lips pressed together as she fought to choose her words properly.

~I find Earthians to be cute. Some of them.~ Zeni’s little beeded eyes appeared as she poked her head down around the stone, peering down in an almost comical manner for all the seriousness in her tone.

Suzume blinked again, digesting the thought.

~They make good companions. At least, that is what Zemi seems to think.~

“What do you think?” Maybe it was prying and blunt, she realized, to ask such a thing from an Arweinydd.

Zeni tilted her head as if in thought, seeming unoffended. ~I must study them more before I decide.~

“Is that why you’re here… talking to me?” the girl swallowed, not too keen on the thought that she was being studied.

~No. I was drawn here because I sensed a deep emotion.~ the bird flirted her wings and gave a small side-hop.

“From… me..?” she pointed to herself.

~I would assume the emotion belongs to you. You are the only one that is here. And you come here frequently.~ came the matter of fact reply.

Suzume found herself shifting her weight nervously from one foot to the other. She wondered what it meant that Zeni knew these things. “Then… you have been watching me?”

~From time to time. I enjoy watching the world from this peak. I notice that you visit this place by yourself often. And that there is great emotion when you are here. It is a curious thing. I wish to inquire the meaning of the feeling?~

“The meaning?” she echoed, puzzled.

~The cause? You speak of the boy Sygnus. Your feelings arise from being separated from him, am I correct?~

Suzume nodded, even more puzzled. Afterall, Arweinydd were supposed to be creatures of great knowledge and power. And here was one of the Trine, asking her, a simple girl, to define the meaning behind common emotion.

“Lucci is my best friend. I really miss him and that makes me feel sad. He was the only real friend I ever had when I came to live at the Islands,” she picked her words slowly, trying to explain. It was harder to do than it first seemed. “I’m also scared because he’ll be going into a battle. He could get hurt.”

~Though he is a boy, he is a Sygnus.~ Zeni informed her as if that said everything that needed to be known.

“I don’t understand?” her quiet frown accented the question.

~He is a Sygnus. He will not be easily hurt. You do not need to fear.~ The reply was accompanied with a gentle churrup.

It feels like… she’s trying to cheer me up?

The girl’s dark eyes blinked up, reflecting the ethereal white glow that clung to the bird’s feathers. Because it was so faint, she hadn’t noticed the shimmer on first glance.

Is that possible?

If the Zeni could pick up the passage of thoughts, she did not show it. Instead, the tiny bird hopped nearer until she was perched on a rock that brought her down to eye level with Suzume.

~I have a curiosity that you may be able to answer.~

It was a question and statement rolled into one that caught the girl completely off guard. “Uhn… okay?”

~I have asked Zemi about it, but he was never able to answer me well. I think maybe an Earthian would understand better. Things such as this seem to hover on your thoughts quite a bit.~

“I’m not sure if I can help, but I’ll try?” Suzume settled down on the flat white rock, peering at the Arweinydd expectantly. She had no idea what sorts of things that she could know that one of the Trine would not. But neither was she going to argue about answering questions that were put to her.

~I wish to understand the concept of a “friend”. You speak of the boy Sygnus as your friend. But I do not grasp the meaning behind this relationship.~

“Oh..?” once more, the girl responded with surprise. For all the questions that could be asked, this was not one that had occurred to her as a possibility.

Suzume leaned back, bracing herself on the palms of her hands in thought. As she did, the tiny white bird hopped closer still, flitting over to land on the bent upright part of the girl’s knee. Just a little while before, she may have been startled by the idea of an Arweinydd perched upon her. But for some reason, the sincerity that lay behind the creature’s question had put her at ease.

The sharper edge of loneliness faded into the moment as the girl frowned with a furrowed brow, trying her best to define something that came as second nature knowledge to herself. When she was certain she had some sort of explanation, Suzume took in a deep breath and began, “Well…”

And with all thoughts of masterful triumph focused, TsuYa squinted hard at the blue stone that sat still in the palm of his hand.

“Okay, Tsu… you take him from the back,” SoYa’s green eyes were bright, the color intensified by the green of the foliage that framed his face. “I’ll distract him from the side.”

“I think I should come in from the side and you get him from the back,” TsuYa disagreed, his hands tightening on the haft of his weapon. “I tried jumping him last time and it didn’t work, remember?”

“That’s because he could sense you coming,” the elder brother pointed out.

“Gee thanks… So why is this time going to be any different?” a sharp frown accented the younger brother’s discontent.

“Because I’m going to muddle his senses this time around,” the Athrylith murmured with a sudden hushing wave of his hand. “He’s coming…! We have to decide on something?”

“Fine, fine…” TsuYa muttered. “But if we get trashed again this time, next time we’re doing it my way!”

SoYa nodded and began to creep through the tall leaves and deep green bushes of the forest that was just a short distance away from the Compound. Though he was careful to be as quiet as possible, TsuYa couldn’t help but wince as his ears picked up the sounds of crunching leaves and heavy missteps.

His ears seemed to pick up a lot of things far more keenly than other people could as of late. He’d begun to learn that just because he could hear something, didn’t mean everyone else could. And he had always put that knowledge to good use.

A shroud of deep silence draped his motion as TsuYa slipped between the dappling shadows on the forest floor. His dark eyes searched between the motion of leaves, focusing fast on the approaching figure in the clearing just beyond the threshold of the treeline. Crouching low, he waited… measuring his opponent in deep concentration.

All senses were focused. His mind was locked and silenced – for he knew that thoughts were a dead giveaway. His fingers were sure where they gripped his weapon.

For a moment, everything was frozen, a pulse of breath between the folds of time. And then he launched forward, a blur of blue and white, teeth bared as TsuYa burst from the stillness of the forest shadows.

In unison, SoYa leapt out, knowing exactly when his brother was going to act without a cue. One sweep of his staff lit the clearing with a blinding flash of power. Though the spell wasn’t aimed at him, TsuYa could feel the condensing of air as the Athrylith released his will upon their target. A muddling spell, he had called it.

Giving the spell a moment to take hold, TsuYa darted in, his weapon raised up and ready to strike. He gave a smirk of victory, seeing that the mind muddle must have worked – their opponent still didn’t seem to sense his approach. His strike came fast and deadly, despite the size of the weapon in his hand – a blow meant to take down his target in one shot.

If I don’t get him in the first round, there won’t be another.

The air hissed and crackled, a flash of light blue suddenly lashing out at the condensing energy of SoYa’s spell. A mental snap resounded through TsuYa’s frame, breaking the arc of his leap and driving his brother back a few shaken steps.

No! He broke the spell AGAIN!

A flurry of feathers and silvery white hair whipped around as TsuYa found himself face to face with his father. The sharp green eyes of ZenToYa locked in upon him, the power of the gaze sending a shudder down the length of his practice weapon. He hardly had a moment to catch his breath before the shadow of the winged man fell upon him, followed by a flurry of strokes that would put the most boastful young warriors to absolute shame.

SOYA!

Though TsuYa was fast, once Father had caught sight of him, it was always over shortly. The best that he could do was to see how long he could hold out before he was driven into the ground by the raw power that the winged man possessed. Even without using magic and only armed with a simple wooden practice weapon, ZenToYa was very much the Champion of the Dreigiau.

SOYA! I need some back up here!!

Sometimes his brother was able to shake himself out of the mind stupor fast enough to get in another spell. Often times, he wasn’t.

Of course, Father wasn’t playing nice when it came to practicing battle simulation – everything about it was supposed to mock what real battle would be like… including the challenge of the attack. Therefore, it was nothing like the kindly one-on-one instruction that they received in the harmless practice yard. Still, the two of them had decided of their own free will to undertake the simulation arena, knowing full well that Father would push them to their limits there.

When it came, the real battle would be far less forgiving than Father.

Sweat streamed down TsuYa’s face as he darted and dodged, trying to put the trunks of trees and leafy branches between himself and Father’s practice weapon. His breath came in hoarse rasps between gleaming teeth. Only by his speed alone was he able to continue to avoid stroke after blurring stroke that flew his way.

This had been the longest he had ever lasted so far.

But it was taking its toll on him. And Father seemed to be hardly breaking a sweat.

“Tsu!!” He could hear his brother shouting his name. It was the only warning he had before the whole underside of the forest lit up in a brilliant, dazing light.

“Ah! No!!!” TsuYa staggered back, clamping his eyes shut. The world suddenly seemed to waver and melt around him. “Aim at HIM! Not ME!!”

Being able to shake himself out of the grips of the mis-cast mind magic, Father’s form rose up above him, wings spread wide.  TsuYa braced himself a moment before the blow came… a shattering strike that he caught on the haft of his weapon. But the strength behind the blow was still enough to force him to one knee.

“Tsu… oh no! I’m so sorry!” SoYa’s voice was distant in his ears. The pressure of the mind magic unraveled as he was released. But the damage was still done.

“Urhg!” TsuYa choked, fighting to regain his senses. Both of his arms were outstretched, holding Father’s practice weapon at bay. Though he was fighting it, the weight of the bigger man was driving him down to both knees.

No… we never win! How are we going to fight against the Marked if we can’t even hold our own in one simulation training?!

A flood of panic filled his senses. Followed by something strange – a deep and welling feeling, distantly familiar. It left the raw taste of fear in his mouth. His vision sharpened into painful brilliance for a split second. TsuYa didn’t know what his father saw in his face at that moment. But he could see a flicker of alarm reflecting in the depths of the winged man’s eyes.

He felt a surge of sudden energy flow through his limbs. His arms thrust forward in attempt to throw the bigger man back. A moment later, TsuYa found himself staring in surprise at where Father was fighting to regain his footing a few yards away.

SoYa was also staring, though his eyes were wide and focused on his brother. “Tsu? What… did you do?”

“I… don’t know?” he replied, dumbfounded.

Father brushed himself off, wings folding out of dishevelment. There was a shaken look on his face that sent TsuYa’s stomach churning with unease.

“Alright. The simulation training ends,” Kudako’s stern voice edged into the moment of tension. “The boys seem to be improving. Just slightly.”

Father gave a low grunt, frowning at where the Dragon appeared from further down the path. “Takes time. You don’t win the first simulations. Sometimes not even the first hundred.”

“Hmmm…” a low rumbling sound rose in the back of the warrior’s throat. Then the golden eyes fixed upon TsuYa. “That was a nice throw. You’re stronger than you look.”

“Uh… thanks..?” TsuYa frowned, looking down at his hands in confusion. He had no idea what had just happened. But compliments from Kudako were so rare that he wasn’t going to turn down his chance at winning one.

SoYa was still watching him with a puzzled look.

“Alright. You heard ‘Dako. Let’s call it for now,” Father nodded, taking a towel from one of the overhanging tree branches and wiping his face.

“Yessir,” SoYa gave a quiet nod and followed suit, leaning back with a groan. His fingers massaged his temples as if to ease away the pain of a headache.

After that flub, I should GIVE him a headache!

“I’m sorry, Tsu… I didn’t mean to..? It was a mis-cast?” the Athrylith gave a miserable look. It was always the same – SoYa had proven that he could handle very intricate magic… but never under pressure.

“I know… I know. Don’t worry about it,” TsuYa grumbled to himself and retrieved his own towel, wiping the grime from his hands.

Usually he would have really given his brother a hard time for such a slip up. But right now, an uneasy feeling hung in the back of his mind. Something had just happened, though he didn’t know what. And when uncertainties like that came up, he never knew exactly what it meant.

As much as TsuYa didn’t like to admit it… things had changed within himself ever since the battle in Nefol. Maybe even before then. Though they had managed to stop the progression of the Marked within him, he had been discovering that strange side effects were developing as time went on. Heightened senses seemed to be one… but it was not the only thing that he had suspicions about so far.

“As long as you learn, boys. That’s the most important thing,” Father’s gentle voice slipped between the darkness of his thoughts, bringing TsuYa around. “I think you’re both improving quite a bit. I know the simulation battles are a lot tougher… but the two of you make a good team when you work together.”

SoYa gave a hopeful smile.

TsuYa just scowled. “We still haven’t made a scratch in you.”

Father chuckled and rocked back on his heels. “All in time, Tsu. I’ve had a lot longer to hone my skills. Be patient. Keep working. You know it takes time and practice.”

“I do… it’s just… we don’t have a lot of time,” he frowned quietly.

“We make do with what we’re given,” Kudako muttered as he began to stalk away. “We’ve managed to turn the last few scouts off of us. And foil at least one that seemed a real attempt at attack. We’ve been fortunate to have this much time to make ready.”

The winged man sighed, watching the shadow of the Dragon slip away into the silence, down the path towards the waiting compound.

“Is it just me, or is he grouchier than normal?” TsuYa observed.

“Grouchy? You’re one to talk about being grouchy, Tsu?” SoYa’s eyebrows lifted.

“What? I’m not grouchy!”

“Then what are you?”

“I’m… just serious? There’s serious stuff going on, you know?” he folded his arms with a huff.

“Suure…” SoYa gave a slight smile.

Father cleared his throat with a hint of suggestion, a little curve tugging up at his lips as he watched the banter between his two sons. If anything, the training and simulations had given the three of them the chance to spend time together. To learn. To work side by side. And in a strange way, during this time of war, it gave them a chance to be the family that they had never had a chance to be… for a little while.
When the two didn’t respond the first time, the winged man cleared his throat again. A little louder this time.

TsuYa turned towards the prompting sound, “Father?”

SoYa also stopped and turned with a questioning look.

“Boys… I have something I want to give to you,” the winged man spoke, voice low and quiet. There was a grimness to his face that spoke volumes more than words alone. As he turned to lead them into the shaded forest, they followed without question, both brothers sending glances towards each other.

They didn’t walk too far before Father came to a stop. There was a quiet clearing, cheered by sun that streamed down through the leaves above and the babbling of a quiet little rivulet just on the other side. Some stone outcroppings stuck their heads lazily above the fringe of grass. Wildflowers were in bloom, a myriad of color and scent, soaking up the kindness of the weather.

The whole place felt like a great big blotch of irony to TsuYa. He could only wonder if they felt the same.

Why did he bring us here?

SoYa glanced over and gave a nod in response to the passing thought. Usually, TsuYa would have been annoyed at the invasion, but he held his tongue, eyes fixed to the feathers of his Father’s shimmering white wings.

One day… I’ll be like him.

Father turned slowly, his gaze falling on TsuYa first, as if having heard the wish. He gave a slow, pained smile before turning to observe his elder son. “It’s hard…”

SoYa blinked in question. “What is, Father?”

“Everything,” he gave a shake of his head, the sun reflecting from the strands of silver that marked his age. Even if everything else within the warrior seemed to fight time, the color of his hair gave it away. “You are both so young… but you’ve had to grow up so quickly. I wish war had never found its way into your lives. I think it’s a wish all fathers have for their children.”

TsuYa lowered his gaze, focusing on the swaying grass at his feet. It was always difficult for him to know what to say or do when Father spoke in such a way. Awkward. It was far easier for him to bear the brunt of a training session than to stand before words of affection.

“But since we must deal with the days that have been dealt to us, I figured it was time for you to have this,” Father reached his hands out, one towards each of them. There was a strange, round gem in both of his palms, the surface reflecting and rippling as if there were liquid inside. A deep blue one for TsuYa, a soft lavender one for SoYa.

TsuYa squinted at it, not understanding exactly what he was seeing.

Then his brother gave a quiet, breathy gasp, “Arfogaeth?”

Arfogaeth? Can it really be? The armor of will and spirit? Like the armor that Father has always had?

“Yes, that’s right,” Father nodded.

For the first time, TsuYa realized that the winged man was wearing his own armorstone in the medallion around his neck. Something about that left a twinge of worry in the back of his mind. Father rarely wore the amulet… unless he felt that battle was coming soon.

And now he’s giving us our own?

“Boys… I want you to take these,” sadness touched the light in his eyes as he held the stones out to his sons. “You’re still so young… I didn’t get my armor until far later. But Zemi thought it was best to begin to train you in using it. And I don’t see that there’s any getting around it at this point.”

Wow… This is just… too awesome!

The deep blue stone rolled from Father’s hand into TsuYa’s cupped palms. His hands trembled in excitement and anticipation – very few Apprentices or Warriors of the Dreigiau ever were given such a gift. It was said that Zemi himself had to craft such armor to the will of its user. And that only the owner of the stone could summon the spirit armor for protection.

TsuYa’s dark eyes flicked to where SoYa stood, his hands cupped in a mirror image to his brother’s. There was a look of humble surprise as he stared down at the lavender stone. A soft pulse of light answered the Athrylith’s questioning look.

Not one to be shown up, TsuYa threw all of his concentration on the stone in his hands.

Okay! Armor! You belong to me! Do what I tell you to!

And with all thoughts of masterful triumph focused, TsuYa squinted hard at the blue stone that sat still in the palm of his hand.  And sat.

And sat.

And sat.

Come on! I want armor now?

And sat.

Any day would be nice?

The stone only sat and reflected the darkening scowl that drew long over TsuYa’s face. “Great… I think mine’s busted.”

“Now… Tsu,” Father continued, pulled out of the solemn tone as he watched their reaction to the gifts, “It will take a lot of time and effort to learn how to use the armor. Maybe even years. It’s not something that can happen overnight. It didn’t even for m–  SoYa?”

The words fell off in mid-sentence, the surprise in Father’s voice causing TsuYa to pull his attention away from the stubborn blue stone in his palm. His eyes sharpened a little as he fought back the sudden welling of bitterness that jolted through his chest.

SoYa was standing, bathed in a soft purple glow. The stone in his hand seemed to be responding to silent commands, sending out tendrils of gentle light that wove together into the very faint outline of a gauntlet over his right hand. An expression of wonderment and bliss covered his face… making it even harder for TsuYa not to feel more than a little annoyed.

It’ll take years of practice, huh..? Obviously not for Uber SoYa.

The moment that Athrylith realized that he was being watched, all concentration shattered, the light from the stone scattering through the air and dying away. His bright green eyes blinked up at the two of them with a questioning look. As if he didn’t even realize what he had been doing.

“Well… there’s… always an exception to the rule, I suppose?” Father gave a tense smile.

“I’m sorry… did I miss something?” SoYa blinked at them.

“No. Nothing at all,” TsuYa muttered, closing his fist around the blue stone. Jaw clenched tight, he choked on the thick resentment that seethed from the pit of his stomach. With a grumble he began to pace away from the two, knowing full well he was being rude for not thanking his father for such a gift.

But right that moment, he didn’t feel thankful. Just shown up.

I take it all back. I liked SoYa better before he was the Athrylith.

“Tsu… wait? What’s wrong?” SoYa’s voice echoed after him, annoyingly oblivious.

He didn’t stop walking. Not even when he heard the sound of his father’s voice calling him to come back.

He suddenly just wanted to be alone.

His body poised to throw the stone as far as his strength allowed.

TsuYa stormed through the curtain of leaves like a tempest, the branches swaying away as he pressed through them. The weight of the stone was slight in his balled fist. Almost non-existent.

What’s wrong..? You wouldn’t know, would you, SoYa!

His feet carried him away from the calls of his brother and father, eventually past the final break in the forest. TsuYa stopped when he found himself standing right on the edge of the island itself. With a broken breath, he stepped closer, looking down at the dark clouds below for a dizzying moment.

Of course you wouldn’t. You were always the good one. The loved one. The one that would be given everything.

A sneer crossed his face, the Mark on his cheek seeming more pronounced for a moment.

And now you’re the powerful one. The great mindmage – like Dad.

The darkness below wavered, stretching down into the dead lands. The tops of the clouds churned and boiled as streaks of violet lightning crackled and chased the edges of their forms.

And me? I’m just an afterthought… the mistake.

TsuYa shifted his weight, back from the edge, though his dark eyes still followed the motion of the storm. Something inside of his chest felt like it would burst. The pain that he always felt when he thought back to the folly of his choices back in Nefol. And the Mark on his cheek ridiculed him constantly in the eyes of others – for all that Aur had done, it could never be healed or removed.

I try so hard to be like Dad… but I’ll never be good enough, will I?

A heavy feeling draped over the back of his mind. Something dark that left his vision hazy. A quiet voice nagged him, cautioning that it was a warning sign… that maybe he shouldn’t let his anger drive him to such loathing thoughts. But at that moment, it had all welled up within him — everything that he had held in calm silence for so long. Frustration and fear choked his senses. He felt like screaming everything down at the dark clouds below.

I bet they just feel sorry for me. Or maybe they think it’s funny to watch me fall flat on my face over and over again!

One hand reeled, ready to hurl. The hand with the blue stone.

This isn’t a gift of honor… it’s all Zemi’s idea of a big joke!

Teeth bared. Standing on the edge of the drop. His body poised to throw the stone as far as his strength allowed. To watch it fall away, swallowed in darkness.

Why did they even bring me here..?

The sting of bitter hot tears blurred his dark eyes.

If I’m so much of a burden, they should have left me to the Marked!

As TsuYa stood there, inches from the drop, a soft breeze whispered past his cheek. A gentle cooling presence stroked along the Mark and tangling through his short white hair. The presence was a familiar, calming feeling… something that reminded him, unexpectedly, of a happier time in his childhood.

When Mother had still been alive. And Father’s eyes weren’t so sad. When wings and wars and Arweinydd had been unreal.

Startled, he turned, seeing no one there. The lazy white clouds sifted in the pale sky above, a stark contrast to the storms below.

And TsuYa found himself standing on the edge, somewhere in the middle of two worlds.

Zemi…?

Though there was no answer on the winds, the Apprentice was certain of the presence he had felt. And for some reason, just thinking that the Dreigiau might have been watching… that the Patron was aware of his struggle… eased the sharpness of the pang in his chest.

TsuYa felt his arm lower, then drop next to his side. He drew his shaking hand into the safety of his pocket, placing the stone within. When his dark eyes fell back upon the storm below, no longer did he feel compelled.

What am I doing?

TsuYa shook his head slowly. A clearing of senses.

What am I thinking? I don’t hate SoYa… He’s my brother! He was the one that practically raised me!

He threaded his fingers through the short wisps of hair with a grimace. There was sweat on his face. It stung where it had seeped into the crevices of the Mark on his cheek. But he ignored it.

What’s happening to me? I thought I had this beat.

Suddenly, he felt ashamed. Ashamed for how he had just stormed off, leaving his father and brother to call after him. Right after his father had honored him with a gift of Arfogaeth – something that young Apprentices could only dream to have.

And then I had to go and act like that. He’s probably furious with me. He’ll probably take the armor back. And I don’t blame him.

TsuYa’s fingers traced along the chain of the amulet around his neck. Something wanted to push the blame off. To swear that it was some outside force at fault for his childish tantrum… but that was too frightening a thought to cater to. Besides, he could only blame bad behavior on the darkness for so long.

I can’t let this keep happening. I’ve got to be stronger than this.

Regret dropped him to his knees at the edge of the Island. Anger now passing, all that was left was a cold silence where fire had once burned. His thoughts tumbled over and around each other, stumbling in the way of peace of mind.

Thoughts of his family and the loss of his home. Of the Islands and of Zemi, the Patron he supposable served. Zazo… the Arweinydd who had taken a strange sort of interest in annoying him. Then of Zeromus… the Arweinydd who reached to pull his soul into darkness. Of the war. Of the boy Sygnus that stood in the middle of it all – the boy he had taken as his unofficial student, despite the disapproval of others. He never understood that choice, either.

There was so much he was doing lately that confused him. His own actions. Thoughts. Feelings. They didn’t always seem like his own. And he had no voice to express the terror that came from that sensation.

For a long while, TsuYa sat upon the edge of the world, watching the churn and flickers below. When his thoughts finally fell silent from the exhaustion of it all, there was nothing but the sky above and below.

That’s when he saw it. A strange liquid shift that folded parted the shapes of the stormclouds far beneath the Islands. It wove chaotically, bounding over the cloud caps, causing them to scatter into a rain of dark mists in every direction.

What..?

TsuYa squinted, rubbing at his eyes, thinking that the soreness of emotion may have muddled his vision. The shift in the clouds remained, coming closer. The Apprentice could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise in response coupled with a cold pressure in the back of his mind – another thing that he had been experiencing lately. He had learned that almost always, danger followed.

By the time that he had gotten to his feet, TsuYa could make out many more shifts rising through the clouds. The fact that they were coming from below, from the darkness of the lands, could only mean one thing.

Esgyll..?

Dropping all forlorn thoughts right there, TsuYa dug one heel into the rocky edge and with a twist, began to speed back in the direction of the Compound. Mouth wide open as he ran, he sprang over anything that fell in his way, kicking up loose soil at his feet.

DAD! SOYA!!

Even though he wasn’t a mind mage, he knew quite often that his brother and father could pick up on mind shouts. Especially if they were in distress.

ARE YOU STILL THERE? WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!

No answer came from the blur of leaves and trees as he ran. Somewhere far above his head, there was a spark of light. Streams of blue and gold shimmered down, fading like fireworks over the horizon. TsuYa’s heart began to thunder in his chest, his stride never breaking. He didn’t know exactly what the flashes in the sky meant. But he did know that the same thing had happened back during the first big attack.

ANYONE?

TsuYa broke from the depths of the forest into open ground and hit the path at full speed. The sound of his boots crunched on the dirt, a trail of dust left in his wake. His mind frantically calculated the distance between himself and the Compound.

I’ll never get there in time!

But he didn’t stop running. Even though the back of his legs burned and his chest felt like it would explode. His thoughts were on his father and brother. On those in the Compound who would be caught unaware.

A huge shadow fell down over his path, casting an eerie chill down upon the grassy hills. TsuYa looked up with an expression of dread. The shifting was straight above him – expansive and churning, blocking out the view of the sky as the liquid pulsation grew darker and more solid. It was only a matter of moments before the outline became apparent, the winged form of the sickly-grey Esgyll materializing from the wavering illusion.

So that’s how they get in undetected! They have some sort of invisibility magic?

With a wild leap, TsuYa threw him out of the sight of the huge monster, rolling into a set of nearby brush. He didn’t know if he had been spotted or not. But having been running out in the open as he was, he figured he would have been really hard to have overlooked.

I wonder why I could see them this time. I couldn’t before…

Curiosity drained from him as sky began to darken. One by one, the bulky shapes of Esgyll began to shimmer into view, sweeping down over the Islands. From a distance, the battle call of Dragons rang in the air. But they were far away. And there were many more Esgyll appearing now than there had been in the first attack.

The land that stretched between his hiding place and the waiting compound seemed eternal. Though safety wasn’t promised anywhere on the Island at this point, at least he could have fought along side of his father and brother if he were there.

My fault for running off like that… I’m such an idiot!

As the nearest shadow stretched over TsuYa’s hiding place, a chill of fear choked his breath. That’s when he realized that he was also completely unarmed.

The stone gave way to his command, parting like liquid to his touch.

“Is there anything I can do to help, Morh-AsaHi?” Lucci’s silver eyes peered down at her hopefully.

She turned to smile at him from where she was placing the last few fixings on one of the lunch plates. The fact that she was standing up on a step stool to reach across the counter and she still hardly crested the height of his shoulders made him feel momentarily awkward. But it was fleeting as the kindness of her smile soaked into his spirit.

Lucci could only smile back.

“If you could take a few of these plates to the table for me, I’d really appreciate it?” Morh-AsaHi nodded at where neatly folded sandwiches lay on circular plates. There was enough for everyone in the Compound.

“Okay!” he nodded quickly, taking the large plates between both hands.

Being that she was one of the few women that had remained behind after the Migration, Morh-AsaHi tended to take to heart far more than her fair share of cooking duties. Though Lucci was often in battle training, he returned to the kitchens to visit with her and assist with the daunting task of feeding the hungry warriors. He had spent a lot of time there in younger days, helping Aunt Sara and Suzume with household tasks. Something about setting plates and clearing dishes was calming to him in the midst of the tension of war.

As Lucci placed the platter down in the center of the large rectangular table in the dining room, he heard the sound of a heavy door closing down the hall. He didn’t need to hear the sound of voices to know who was there.

“I’m sorry, Father…” Master SoYa’s voice sounded tremulous, as if finally working up the courage to say something that he was afraid to say.

“It’s not your fault, SoYa,” Master ZenToYa paused in the hall, turning to look at his son. There were tired lines under his eyes. “You couldn’t have known. I couldn’t have known.”

“Don’t be too angry with TsuYa,” the Athrylith sucked on his bottom lip. “He’s just… been getting more and more frustrated with things lately. I’ve been watching him – he spends most of his time out training, even when he’s not training with us.”

“I know,” the winged man murmured with a nod. “He pushes himself so hard. That’s why I’m worried. He’s so impatient to find his strength.”

“Tsu’s always been that way…” Master SoYa sighed.

“I don’t remember him being like that before I left,” Master ZenToYa shook his head, running his fingers through the length of his bangs. “I guess I’ll talk to him when he’s ready to come back. It’s so hard when he’s always running off alone.”

Concern sifted through his own mind — Master TsuYa was the closest thing to a teacher, next to Lord Zemi, that Lucci had.

“I guess I would run off, too, if I had all these mind mages around who could–” the Athrylith paused, green eyes flicking up towards the far room, “Oh… hello, Lucci?”

“Uh!?” The boy gave a soft sound in his throat, realizing at the last moment that what he had been doing would be considered rude eavesdropping. Not that he had meant it that way.

The two of them just seem to be so worried about Master TsuYa. I wonder what’s wrong?

Master ZenToYa greeted him with a long, disapproving frown, “LuShi, what are you doing?”

“Helping Morh-AsaHi with lunch,” the boy replied, tensing a bit. He held up a sandwich for the winged man to see as testimony. Just at that particular moment, his stomach let off a particularly long and loud response to the smell of food.

Master ZenToYa arched a slow eyebrow.

Lucci winced in embarrassment. He hadn’t even realized he was hungry… but then, that was usually the case. It came and went with him. At times he found himself ravenous and quite able to eat enough for five. Other times he didn’t feel the need to eat at all for a whole day. He never knew how to explain it… it seemed about as abrupt as what Lord Zemi called his “growth spurts.”

“Sounds like lunch came right on time?” Master SoYa gave an easy grin, walking over and snagging a sandwich for himself. He took one bite, as if to encourage the boy to join in, making a long sounds of enjoyment as he did. “AsaHi’s cooking…. mmmm….”

Unable to contain himself a moment longer, Lucci grabbed a sandwich of his own and began to follow suit. It didn’t matter what was on it. He hardly tasted the food at all at the speed he was eating.

“You should have one, Father?” Master SoYa encouraged. His way of trying to ease the winged man’s apparent stress.

“I’m alright, SoYa. I’m going to shower off.” There was a momentary pause, and then, “LuShi?”

It wasn’t until he realized that both Masters were watching him with dumbfounded looks that he stopped to look. Almost half a plate of sandwiches was now empty.

“Are you going to leave any for the rest of us?” Master SoYa laughed gently.

“I’m sorry…” the boy gave a sheepish look.

As the Athrylith opened his mouth to reply, an eerie, high-pitched keening sound filled every inch of the Compound. Master ZenToYa’s head jerked up, eyes sharpening as if they could see even beyond the solid stone of the ceiling. Lucci didn’t doubt that he could.

“Father?!” Master SoYa choked, his knuckles whitening where he gripped the back of a chair.

“We’re under attack!” the winged man stated with a grim rush to his words.

The words that Lucci had been dreading to hear day after day. The words that he had been readying himself to face, day after day. Words he knew would come. But he still felt the shiver of fear rush over his body now that they had sounded.

The Esgyll…

“Oh no… Tsu! He’s still out there!” Master SoYa’s face fell pale as his eyes widened. His gaze shot over to his father, looking for direction. “And he doesn’t have his weapon?!”

“Tsu!” Master ZenToYa choked, taking a few rapid steps towards the doorway.

“Father, wait!” the Athrylith spoke urgently, knowing exactly what the winged man meant to do, “You must go rally the troops — they need you to lead them. I’ll go back to find Tsu!”

Lucci’s mouth fell dry as his breath rasped between his teeth. All thought of food had vanished as he began to feel a pressing darkness drawing closer, somewhere outside. From the sky. And the thought that Master TsuYa was out there, alone, with the Esgyll coming in left him shaking all over.

Master SoYa needs to be there for the troops too! And someone has to warn the Trine!

“You can’t go back there alone, SoYa! Don’t you feel them? There are way too many,” Master ZenToYa argued, moving quickly across the room towards the halls. His voice was a low mutter, “I can’t lose both of you boys…”

If I can help find him… then maybe Master ZenToYa will be happy with me.

Lucci suddenly piped up, rushing over, “I’ll go! Just let me grab his weapon! I’ll find Master TsuYa and bring him back!”

“LuShi, hold on!” Master ZenToYa’s voice cracked, a tinge of worry hidden behind the usual gruff tones. It was enough to almost make Lucci stop.

Almost.

“I’ll be okay! Don’t worry!” the boy called back at them, taking off with a long-legged run down the hall towards the living quarters.

“Lucci!! No!” Master SoYa implored.

But the boy was already gone, rushing around the corner. And there was far too much to do for them to try and pursue.

Lucci ran straight for a long ways, the flickers of light and shadows flowing over the hall where windows shown in. He knew where Master TsuYa’s room was. And he knew exactly where the black bladed scythe would be.

I can do this! Master TsuYa needs my help! For all that he’s done to try to teach me, I’ve gotta try!

A crackling sound filled the air above the Compound as the ground suddenly shook under his feet. Lucci gave a small cry of surprise, rolled off balance to slam into the wall. Shaking his head out, he jerked his chin up. Then he froze.

Just outside the round window, a dark shadow swelled, blocking out all vision entirely. Lucci felt his skin crawling as his senses screamed of danger. He choked on his breath, fighting to get back up on his feet just as the shadows began to shift.

What is that!?

A single, huge eye socket appeared on the other side of the window. Hollow and dripping grey matter, somehow it focused on him with a frightening intensity. A vision without vision.

Esgyll!!

Lucci gave a quiet whine of fear as he lurched up on the balls of his feet, running once again at full speed. The wall behind him imploded as the large, powerful head came slamming through it. Great jaws of black teeth opened with a terrible rasping hiss as the slender grey neck craned around, lithe for all the spikes that adorned it.  But for all that it tried, Lucci was already far out of its reach.

The boy didn’t even glance back as his feet flew him forward. Arms pumping at his sides, lanky body thrown in full speed, all his thoughts were ahead. The room. The scythe. And hoping that Master TsuYa would be able to hold on for the time it would take to find him.

Again and again the Islands shook under his feet. And though Lucci did not come in contact with another Esgyll so closely again, he could only wonder what was happening to the rest of the Compound. Every now and again, he would rush down a new hall only to find collapsed stone and open sky where the building once stood.

I hope that his room is still there!

Lucky enough, Lucci found upon turning the last corner that it was. Though the hall was dark, as if all lighting in that area of the Compound had been sucked away. Swallowing, he rushed forward, pulling up short in front of Master TsuYa’s doorway. That’s when he realized the one kink in his plan.

I don’t know his lock code.

The boy glanced over at the dim plate of symbols that sat just below arm level on the wall. One had to have the right combination of symbols in order to open the door. And knowing Master TsuYa, his would be very, very complicated to break.

I have to get inside! What do I do?

Lucci drew in a deep breath, the echoes of battle somewhere distant on the other side of the building. His mouth pursed in a firm line as he stared grimly at the unyielding door. Then he took one look over his shoulders in both directions to see if anyone was there.

There was no one.

I know he won’t like me doing this… but I have to help…

Both hands placed, splayed on the face of the door, the boy began to concentrate. His eyes traced the outside form of his hands. Studied the essence of the stone in the door. Searched the hollow area in the room that lay on the other side.

A silent silver mist began to spread, draping across the floor of the hall around his feet. A mist that he didn’t completely understand… but one that he recognized. He knew that it was somehow a part of his power, for the mist always seemed to come as he was gathering concentration and energy around him.

Let… me… through…!

The mist suddenly plumed out from his open palms, spreading in a strange twisting ripple between his hands and the stone of the door. The stone gave way to his command, parting like liquid to his touch. Lucci found himself able to walk forward, pressing through the door as if it had been no more than a curtain.

That’s it!

His steps were unsteady as he stumbled into Master TsuYa’s chamber. It was a room that he had been in many times before, so he spent no time looking around. Instead, Lucci went straight to the corner where he knew the scythe would be. A breath of relief passed his lips as his eyes fell on the dark, cloth-wrapped shape. It had toppled to one side due to the impacts against the Compound. But otherwise, it was untouched.

Lucci reached down and carefully picked up the weapon. Then turning a keen eye, he peered around the room one more time, pausing to look at the rack of weapons on the other side of the room. He didn’t know where Master TsuYa had collected them… but there were a number of swords, spears, and a dagger or two on display in his quarters.

I know he wouldn’t want these to be used, but I don’t have much of a choice. My weapon is all the way on the other end of the Compound.

His hand reached out and carefully pulled a medium-length blade from its casings. He unraveled the sheath and strapped it at his waist, sliding the sword safely to. If there was anything that Master TsuYa’s lessons had taught him… it was to respect the danger presented by any drawn weapon.

It had taken a while before Lucci had begun to understand the complexities of the youngest son of the High Guide. It was hard for him to pick out the truth because Master TsuYa was good at covering up things, both inside and out. However, during the many training sessions they had spent together over the past weeks, the boy had found a growing comprehension about the seemingly stand-offish young warrior.

Once you could get past the cold and calm exterior, Lucci had discovered that there was a tempest of emotion churning behind Master TsuYa’s dark eyes. There was also the capability for compassion and gentleness, though both were skewed, showing through in odd ways. But it did come out, mostly at unexpected times.

There isn’t much time.

His hands hooked tightly around the wrapped scythe as he forced them to stop shaking the best that he could. Then his mind reached out through the choking darkness to attempt to pin point a feeling – the location of his teacher.

Without another thought for himself, Lucci pressed back through the door, out into the raging battle beyond.

ZenToYa reached over towards the nearby counter and grabbed a long wooden-handled broom.

“SoYa? Are you back?” AsaHi called, wiping her hands on a rag as she walked out towards the dining area. The plates that Lucci had taken with him were sitting on the long table, though one plate already had a number of sandwiches missing.

I swore I heard his voice! He’s always late for lunch… or just eating and running. I wonder where he’s gotten off to now?

As if in answer to her thoughts, she heard a shout from the side hall. There was no mistaking the sound of SoYa. “Lucci!! No!”

What?

AsaHi thrust her head out of the doorway. Zento and SoYa stood there, both staring down the hallway. Following their gaze, she could make out the silvery-white form of the boy as he vanished around the corner, despite SoYa’s upraised hand and shout.

“What’s goin–”

Before she could finish voicing the question, the floor began to quiver. It followed with vicious jolt that sent her sprawling straight into the back of the winged man. Behind her, she could hear a large clatter as the long dining table tipped over on it side, spilling sandwiches and plates everywhere.

Somehow in the middle of feathers and limbs, Zento managed to twist himself around well enough to catch AsaHi in her fall. She gave a choked gasp, peering up into the worried light of his eyes for a moment before she felt her feet touch the ground again. A strong, steady hand held her firm.

“SoYa? You alright?” Zento’s voice was direct as he cast a glance around for his son.

“Owww!” came the whimpered reply, “No, I’m not!”

Turning, she could see that SoYa had not been as lucky. His fall had been broken by the large planted sticky-tree that had served as decoration right outside of the doorway. Hung up by his robes, he struggled to pull himself off the jagged branches. His hat had been cast halfway across the room.

“Hold on!” she told him.

Quickly, AsaHi rushed over and grabbed his hands, helping SoYa to his feet. Before she knew what was happening, she found herself pulled to his chest in a protective embrace. His voice murmured in her ear softly, “Thank Light that you’re okay.”

“What was that?”

“We’re under attack! We have to get you somewhere safe!” he told her urgently.

“Attack?” she whispered, feeling a rush of fear tingled through her body.

“We should find Zemi — she’d be safest with him.” Zento frowned and added quickly, “Then we need to figure out where the troops are gathered so we can put up our defense.”

“How?” SoYa’s voice wavered. Even to AsaHi, it sounded like a big undertaking.

“The Dragons are already dispatched… I can hear them fighting outside,” the winged man informed them. “That should give us some cover and possibly transportation. Chances are, one of them will know where Zemi is.”

A thunderous crash resounded down the hall near the living quarters – back the way that Lucci had run. AsaHi was thrown forward, clinging tight to SoYa’s robes as she felt the Islands once more give way under her feet.

The moment that they had found their balance again, they were moving. Waved on by the urgent motions of Zento, they rushed back towards the kitchen. “This way! Quickly!”

The walls behind them groaned and buckled as if bearing a great weight. The structure held for a moment before the stone exploded inward, a huge grey claw coming down through the roof of the dining area. The table splintered to pieces as the rest of the body burst through behind. Then a blunt, eyeless head snaked down through the hole, massive jaws opening in a silent, chilling hiss.

“Esgyll!” AsaHi gave a shout as she threw a glance over her shoulder. She had seen this creature once before, the first time that the Islands had been under attack. She knew the sort of mindless carnage and death that it could create.

“Keep moving! Go! Go!” Zento shouted back at them, teeth bared in a sharp scowl.

A piercing, high pitched screech shattered the air. This time she didn’t dare to turn around. There was only one sort of creature that made a sound like that… and it wasn’t something that AsaHi wanted to see again.

“Father! They’ve got Marked with them, too!” SoYa voiced her deepest fears.

“Marked riders… Figures.” Zento pressed a hand to one side of his head from the sound as he ran.

There’s so many of them! What do we do?!

She fought down the rising panic that bubbled in her chest as they skidded around the corner into the long kitchen chamber. Pots and pans lay skewed in every direction, jumbled by the unsteady ground. Food that she had been preparing was splattered over the counters and across the floor.

All of this went unnoticed by the warrior as he led them rapidly towards the door at the far end of the room. They had hardly made it halfway there before a seething shadow fell over the rows of double windows.

“Down!” Zento shouted, lunging for the two. He grappled SoYa by the shoulders and pulled them both down to the stained floor, his silver-blue wings arched over them like great feathery shields.

The pressure in the room tightened a moment before all of the windows blew inward. A sharp spray of glass flew across the room leaving tiny red streaks over the back of the Champion’s wings. AsaHi clamped her hands over her head, huddling into SoYa’s chest for protection. Through squinted eyes, she could see tiny crimson streams dripping from the tips of Zento’s feathers.

Zento… no!

SoYa’s face was ashen as he stared into his father’s face. If Zento was in pain, he didn’t let it show. There was nothing but a stoic determination written there – something that reminded her instantly of Kudako.

“Stay down,” his voice was hoarse.

From back down the hall, she could hear the sound of creatures approaching with a shuffling gait – what could only be the Marked. From outside the shattered windows, the shadow of the waiting Esgyll grew large and pronounced.

Both exits were blocked.

How are we going to get out of this…?

Zento turned his grim face towards the girl, as if hearing her thoughts. He gave her a soft smile and touched her nose with one finger, “Trust me.”

AsaHi blinked, shivering against SoYa’s chest. But she nodded. Trust in ZenToYa – the great warrior of legends — was all she could have.

“Father. The Marked,” SoYa warned in a low tone.

“Are they armed?”

The Athrylith twisted his head to look. “Some of them are.”

“Good,” Zento answered, much to AsaHi’s surprise. Then he rose to his feet, wings outstretched in challenge. “We need to arm ourselves with their weapons. Are you ready, SoYa?”

AsaHi’s fingers were latched tight on the front of his shirt, unwilling to let go as he moved to rise to his feet. SoYa murmured reassuring words to her as he freed himself from her hold. “Stay close, AsaHi…”

She took a step back, face flooded with concern.

The Marked leapt from the shadows of the hall, their motions jerky and mechanical. A stream of thick oily darkness trailed after them over the floor, their lifeless eyes focused unwavering on their prey. Blistered and torn lips curled back, a spluttering hiss rasped through the air as they charged.

A blur of motion, ZenToYa reached over towards the nearby counter and grabbed a long wooden-handled broom. He spun it between his fingers as if to test the balance of his new-found weapon. Then he leapt forward to meet the nearest armed Marked with a battle cry of his own.

AsaHi’s mouth fell open as the Champion swung forward, now armed with the very same broom that she has often used to sweep up the kitchen in the late afternoons. A resounding crack shook the air as Zento dodged under the swish of the Mark’s blade. Splinters flew in all directions as the broom handle made contact with the creature’s decayed head. The blow ripped part of the face completely off.

A spray of black exploded across the kitchen. A gurgling shriek echoed from the stone walls. In no time, Zento had disarmed the flailing creature and planted its own blade straight into its chest.

The other Marked did not even notice the demise of their comrade. Instead, they leapt straight for SoYa and AsaHi, vicious nothingness etched into their faces. The Athrylith quickly drew himself up, both hands spreading in front of him.

A blinding flash of light burst from SoYa’s open palms, causing two of the three Marked to reel back with a squeal. The flash of a rusted blade indicated that Zento was readily bearing down on them. The resounding screes indicated that short work was made.

SoYa’s eyes narrowed on the final charging Marked, an electric green light flickering from their depths. With bared teeth, he thrust out one hand, all fingers pointed forcefully at the creature. His voice rose up, like sudden thunder as he barked the mind command.

The sound reverberated within her skull, sending AsaHi stumbling back against the slick counter. Both hands were cupped over her ears against the power of the word.

The oncoming Marked jerked back as if a great, invisible hand caught it around the neck and flung it headfirst. Cartwheeling through the air, it landed with a fatal thunk over the top of the center counter. Its back arched, broken in half, the head hung limply upside down. Black ooze dripped from its open mouth to puddle on the floor.

“Uuugh…” SoYa stumbled back, covering his face with the threat of illness.

Gathering her wits about her, AsaHi rushed to his side, catching his arm and touching his face with one cool hand. “Are you alright!? SoYa? Speak to me?”

“I’m okay. I’m okay…” his voice was hoarse, eyes watery when he finally looked at her. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No. I’m fine,” she reassured him.

He nodded, catching his breath and choking all the more from it. The whole room reeked of Marked decay.

“SoYa,” Zento’s voice called.

The Athrylith turned towards his father with a questioning face.

“Well done,” the winged man nodded with the ghost of a smile. He tossed a bent-up pole arm over the counter. “Here. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”

SoYa caught it with trembling hands. He gave the weapon a grimace, then glanced at AsaHi.

“We’ll make it through,” the girl told him, touching his hand with hers.

His shaking grew less noticeable as he gazed down upon her. Swallowing down the sickness that glistened on his face, SoYa nodded.

“AsaHi,” Zento strode over to her. He held out a short, blunted staff. “Just in case.”

She took the weapon between both hands, wrapping her fingers around it with a determined expression. When she looked up at the warrior, she could still see the streams of blood that ran from his feathers. “Zento… you’re hurt?”

“Later,” he murmured. “We’re not done here yet. There is an Esgyll outside.”

AsaHi sucked in a sharp breath, looking uneasy.

No wonder he gave me a weapon…

“It knows we’re here. I don’t think we have much of a choice but to take it,” Zento’s voice was low.

SoYa made a frightened sound in the back of his throat.

“Are you ready?” the winged man asked, giving his son a prodding look.

The Athrylith nodded weakly, holding tightly to the haft of his weapon.

“Okay. Let’s go,” Zento pivoted on his heel.

The last thing AsaHi could see were streaks of red-on-silver as the warrior drove head on into the shadows waiting outside the Compound.

It was over quickly, nothing left standing but the dark form of the warrior, scythe held horizontally in both hands.

Lucci’s breath rasped within his ears as he raced down the grassy hills outside of the Compound. The weight of the scythe was heavier within his hands the longer he ran. A trail of shimmering silver mists followed his path as he sped forward, mind reaching and searching for any trace of Master TsuYa.

Though the great dark shadows spotted the sky everywhere he looked, so far, not a single one had come for him. Lucci couldn’t tell if it was because of something that he was doing… or if it was because the battles had begun to rage high in the sky above. Streaks of color whizzed through the clouds, challenging the shadows and lighting the heavens with Dragon fire. The boy didn’t have to look up to feel the vicious flight of the Dragons against the Esgyll. Striking. Colliding. Now and then, the desperate fall.

He could hear the sounds of the Marked in battle. Somewhere in the distance he knew that the Awakened had rallied and come to put up defense for the Compound. Part of him wanted to be there with them, fighting the battle that he had been training to fight. Proving to them all that he was on the right side.

But the other part of him was glad that he was far away from the battle, searching for Master TsuYa. And he didn’t know why. Maybe it was fear? But then, it certainly took more courage to run across the battlefield all alone, didn’t it?

The boy pushed the stream of questioning thoughts aside as a pressure in the back of his mind alerted him. Silver eyes swinging to the west, he could finally see what he was searching for. The flash of white and dark blue against green.

Master TsuYa!

Efforts redoubling, Lucci turned in mid stride, sprinting hard down the hill. It took a moment of hard squinting before he could make out exactly what was going on. Master TsuYa stood, crouched in a battle position as a pair of Marked circled him. A third Marked lay smoldering in an oily pile a yard or so away.

Though the warrior was unarmed, his hands were raised high above his head, crackles of energy racing up and down his form. A wide ring of blue pulsed in a circle around him – just a foot outside of his arm’s length. Random strikes of lightning played from the sky, commanded by the raw determination of his uplifted face. His eyes were almost as dark as the Marked’s as they hissed and paced, deterred by the fierce flow of power.

Lucci had known that Master TsuYa was a magic user of sorts, alongside of his battle skills. But it was the first time he had actually seen some of that power at work. As strong as it was, the boy knew that it took a lot of energy to maintain… and that soon the ring of magic would fail him.

“Master TsuYa!” he shouted as he stumbled the last few feet towards the battle. Pulling up short, he fought to catch his breath in deep gasps.

Master TsuYa turned at the sound of his name, a completely dumbfounded expression washing over his face. As if the last person he expected to see there, carrying his weapon, would have been the boy Sygnus.

“LuShi! What in the name of the Seven Universes are you DOING?”

“I came to help!” Lucci replied. Without another word, he flung off the cloth wrapping to the dark bladed scythe and hoisted the weapon towards the warrior’s waiting hands.

Master TsuYa caught it with a practiced ease, eyes slitting as his focus returned on the Marked. But the creatures were already backpedaling, responding with what seemed to be fear. Even though the Marked had no mind or awareness to fear for their own being.

“What the…” Master TsuYa murmured with a furrowed brow. Then his gaze turned, falling on Lucci with a long, heavy stare. “You..?”

They’re afraid of ME?

Lucci could only blink, dumbfounded. He couldn’t explain why creatures without fear were afraid of him. Nor could he explain why he felt no fear or disgust upon seeing their rotted and decayed forms.

It wasn’t at all like the feeling he had the day when he and Suzume had found a poor dead bird laying out in a field. He had cried half the day, only coaxed by Aunt SaRa’s gentle words and fudge.

This was something completely different. But he didn’t know what.

Master TsuYa didn’t ask any more questions. Instead, he raised his scythe, the blade traced with glowing blue light, and leapt without mercy at the retreating forms of the Marked. Lucci watched with morbid fascination as the creatures turned to meet him, instinct alone driving them to put up a fighting defense. The boy’s throat tightened as black spray flew out over the green of the hills.

Master TsuYa… the way he moves… it’s just like them.

It was over quickly, nothing left standing but the dark form of the warrior, scythe held horizontally in both hands. Master TsuYa was breathing heavily, his coat splattered with thick oily residue. The bodies of the Marked lay at his feet, now unrecognizable. The air crackled with the fading light of blue.

For a moment, Lucci stood there frozen. Almost afraid to approach him.

Finally, Master TsuYa turned to look at him. His face was grim, reminding the boy of an expression that Master ZenToYa would give. Except for the dark eyes. His voice was gritty and distant when he spoke, “Thanks, kid…”

Lucci perked up, a momentary thrill of hope and cheer rushing over him. It wasn’t often that someone earned thanks from the quiet-spoken warrior. The boy nodded quickly, chancing a few steps closer.

“What’s going on? Where’s Dad and SoYa?” Master TsuYa asked. As if he was wondering why one of them hadn’t come in Lucci’s stead.

“Last I saw, they were in the Compound. It’s being attacked by the Esgyll,” the boy explained quickly. “I’m not sure if they got caught up in the battle.”

“Did they know you were coming out here?” he frowned.

“Yes, sorta.”

“Yes? Sorta?” Master TsuYa echoed, wiping his blade in a patch of clean grass.

“I don’t think they wanted me to. But I ran off before they could stop me,” Lucci answered.

The dark eyes flicked up towards the boy, studying his face. He let off the sound of one quick laugh. It seemed like a laugh of approval, “Heh.”

They stood there, watching each other for a moment. The world was framed in sparks of light and seeping darkness. The grass swayed under the touch of a putrid breeze.

“Alright,” Master TsuYa finally said. “Let’s get back to the Compound. I’m sure they can use our help there. Do you have a weapon?”

“Ah-heh?” Lucci gave a sheepish grin, attempting to hide the sheath that he had taken from the wall in Master TsuYa’s room.

The warrior’s eyes fell upon it anyhow. A grimace crossed his face.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t have time to go find my own?” the boy stammered.

“Yeah… forget about it. Let’s just get a move on,” Master TsuYa muttered, crouching low as he ducked into the cover of scraggly bushes. “It’s probably better to try to go around to the back side of the Compound. There’s more trees that way. If that makes a difference.”

Lucci nodded quietly, knowing to argue would only serve to irritate him more. Master TsuYa was already on his way off over the hill towards the Compound, seeming to have found a second wind now that his weapon was in hand. The boy ducked and scrambled after him, sticking close as large hazy shadows of the sky battle criss-crossed the ground around them.

A deep rumbling sound vibrated through the Island as they crested the final hill near the gardens on the back end of the building. Master TsuYa poked his head above the brush to get a view of what lay between them and the final stretch of the run. A sharp hiss escaped his lips as he dropped back down, face tinged a bit blue around the eyes.

“Master TsuYa? What’s wrong?”

“We… can’t go that way…” he choked, hands gripping the haft of the scythe tightly to his chest.

“What, why not?” Lucci took it upon himself to pop his own head up through the bushes to get a look.

The boy’s silver eyes widened a bit as they focused on way lay at the bottom of the hill. One of the Esgyll was there, hunched over a pile of red and grey. The huge black maw buried deep into its kill, a sickly snapping sound reaching Lucci’s ears as it tore pieces away. Only the scattered white feathers over the grass indicated that the mass had once been an unlucky Cyngan soldier who had strayed too far from the Compound. A macabre sort of curiosity froze him there, watching with sickened fascination as the beast devoured the remaining bits in two swallows.

“LuShi! Get down!” Master TsuYa grabbed at the back of his tunic with a hiss. With a powerful jerk, the boy felt himself yanked into the bush. “You want that thing to see us?!”

The boy shook his head fervently, pushing his back against the soiled upslope of the hill. His voice fell low as he glanced over towards the warrior, “How are we going to get around it?”

“I don’t know,” the other admitted, teeth gritting. His breath was coming in labored gasps as if panic was taking its toll.

Lucci, however, felt perfectly calm.

“Ahhhhh….” a quiet, smooth voice floated down to them from above. “TsuYaaa! I thought I recognized you.”

Taken by surprise, the two jerked their heads towards the sound that hung just up and behind. A tall, dark-winged shape was perched upon the crest of hill with its back to the sun. Its face was concealed within the shadows, a long blotch of darkness stretching from where it crouched.

Master TsuYa’s brow furrowed as if searching for some source of recognization, for the shape had spoken his name quite clearly. Despite the fact that it possessed wings, it felt nothing like the Cyngan of the Island. There was a feeling of deep shadows and sickly decay about the form. However, the way it held itself was not the way of the Marked.

“Who are you?” Master TsuYa growled, pushing himself to a crouch of his own.

“Tsk. Is your memory so short lived? Perhaps breathing the thin air up here has left you thin-witted?” a cold chuckle played over the words.

With a flourish of dark wings, the creature dropped down from the hillside, landing in front of them. Before Lucci could get a look at its face, the shape gave a low, sweeping bow before them. A bow that spoke of mocking scorn and overbearing pride. A bow that was meant for Master TsuYa.

Long black and white streaked hair fell down in thin, ragged stream from over a strange part-helmet that framed its face. Its body was wrapped in a thick black cloak and thick leather gloves and boots. Only the metallic clank that sounded at the dip of the bow belied the set of armor that lay underneath the dark wrappings.

Large black wings rose from its back… but instantly Lucci knew that these wings were different than the wings of Zemi’s people. They felt somehow less substantial. Less real. As if they were nothing more than a dark projection struggling to become reality.

As the figure straightened, the boy got a first look at its face. It was a man of some sort… or it had once been. A blotch of melted skin wrinkled over the right side of his face – a disfigurement that seemed to have been the result of something long ago. His features were sallow and grey, two pools of darkness glittered where eyes had once been.

Just like the Marked?

Yet, somehow, this creature retained a will and knowledge of its own. Making it far, far more dangerous.

Could it be that Zeromus has found a way to perfect his creatures, now?

Master TsuYa gave a strangled sound, an expression of shock flooding his face. “KoGuRai..?!”

“It seems this is my lucky day,” the man gave a slick grin. His right eye twitched as a tiny drip of oily black liquid seeped down his face. One hand reached out towards the boy, “Lord LuShi. I have found you!”

Black eyes were fixed on the boy's pale face as if working to bore dark manipulations into LuShi's mind.

KoGuRai..? It can’t really be…

TsuYa felt his throat tighten, struggling to fight down the nausea that was forcing its way upwards, turning his mouth nasty on the inside. His face was damp with sheets of sweat and his eyes stung from the putrid odor that hung heavily over the battlefield. Though he fought back the instinct reactions of his body, his mind was focused on the dark winged figure that stood before him.

KoGuRai had been the youngest member to sit on the Nefolian Council before the fall of the city to Zeromus. Originally, the position had been filled by his father, who had died during a set of battles with outlying tribes. Out of respect and in memory of the strong, good-hearted warrior, the rest of the Council had chosen to allow his son, KoGuRai to step up in his stead.

TsuYa considered it one of the greatest mistakes made in the history of Nefol. KoGuRai proved to be the exact opposite of his father. He was a power hungry, manipulative young man who inspired the division of the Council into restless political factions. The original purpose of the Nefolian Council became tainted as a new driving ambition swayed the minds and hearts of those who once served the people.

And now, KoGuRai stood before him, literally. Though not at all the way that TsuYa had remembered him. His form had been shifted and altered by a familiar darkness that could only speak of the touch of Chaos.

Impossible…

And the words that KoGuRai had just spoken, the twisted hand reaching out to the boy Sygnus, were even more impossible. Something in TsuYa screamed that he should take action. That he should intervene. That should LuShi reach out and embrace the title that he had just been offered, everything would be over.

Don’t do it, kid…

But his limbs were heavy and his mind was clouded. Sound stuck in his throat, catching on the taste of bile.

Don’t let them sweet talk you the way they did me.

LuShi stared at the outstretched hand. His silver eyes flickered up to study the strange, disfigured face. Then with a motion that spoke louder than any words could, the boy shook his head and took a step backwards.

TsuYa felt himself release a breath he didn’t know that he was holding.

A slight pout tugged at the curve of KoGuRai’s lips. The smooth voice came again, seeming to fight to hold on to patience, “Come, now. Lord LuShi. You should know very well… feel it in your essence… that you don’t belong here.”

LuShi’s gaze fell. There was little doubt that the words struck home. The boy had never been welcomed there with Zemi’s people.

“Look. This one doesn’t even have wings yet!” one black nailed finger pointed down towards TsuYa. The smirk on the disfigured face only served to make it all the more gruesome. Cracked lips drew back from blackened teeth, fangs showing quite clearly.

“HEY!” TsuYa spat, suddenly regaining his voice in a fit of irritation.

But KoGuRai was completely ignoring him at this point. Black eyes were fixed on the boy’s pale face as if working to bore dark manipulations into LuShi’s mind. “And neither do you, Lord LuShi. They have stifled you with their fear. Kept you from obtaining your wings.”

The boy’s head jerked up with a quizzical expression.

“That’s right… you should have wings,” the dark voice purred. “Have they ever made fun of you because you didn’t? Have they treated you as if they did not want you here?”

LuShi nodded slowly, peering at KoGuRai in wonderment. As if he was curious how the grisly-faced man could know pain locked in his heart.

“My Master gave me wings. Don’t you think they’re wonderful?” the dark wings unfurled, rising to the sky. “He can give you wings, too.”

The boy gazed up, taking in the gleaming dark feathers with round, interested eyes.

“Don’t fall for it, LuShi. It’s nothing but lies!” TsuYa snarled, pushing himself to his feet. “They’ll tell you anything to get you over there. Trust me… it’s not where you want to be!”

LuShi’s attention snapped away from the wings at the sound of his voice.

“Now, then…” KoGuRai began again, but TsuYa refused to let the sweet talking continue unrivaled.

“It’s just like what they tried to do to me, LuShi. Do you know that story?”

The silver head shook and KoGuRai’s face turned red as TsuYa captured LuShi’s attention and held it raptly.

“Zerom waited until I hit a low in my life and was doubting everything I ever was. Then he came along and made it sound like all my dreams would be answered if I took the gifts that he would give me,” the warrior’s lip curled as the words rushed out between them. “Come to find out, the gift was nothing but turning me Marked! And I’ve been trying to find a cure to it ever since. Is that what you want for yourself, Lucci?”

The boy shook his head again, looking a little alarmed. Out of shame, TsuYa didn’t speak so freely of his situation on normal terms. But this wasn’t normal terms. And to reveal so much to LuShi seemed to have the impact that he hoped it would.

“Ahhhh….” KoGuRai gave a quiet laugh. “Poor TsuYa. So that’s your story… you couldn’t handle it. And now, is that jealousy I hear?”

“What?” the warrior fumed in return. “Jealous? Of you?”

The winged figure took a slow step forward. For the first time, TsuYa realized that KoGuRai was a good head and shoulders taller than he remembered him being. “I have you to thank. You passed up your chance to become the Rhyswyr. So now the position has fallen to me. As has the rule of Nefol — just as it always should have.”

“Is that the sort of mess that Zeromus has been feeding you?” TsuYa sneered back.

“It is simply the truth.”

“Truth? I’ll tell you the truth,” the warrior balled one fist and held it upright. “You think you’re really something. But you’re nothing but one of Zeromus’ playthings… no better than any of the other Marked.”

LuShi’s head snapped around incredulously.

Seeing that he had the boy’s attention again, TsuYa continued, “Pretty fitting – you’ve always been rotten through and through if you ask me.”

TsuYa hadn’t forgotten how upon Father’s disappearance, things only continued to decline in the School – mostly thanks to KoGuRai’s sway in the Council. SoYa had not been viewed to be of the age to succeed his father as the High Guide and the pressure within the Council had become immense. KoGuRai had stood, in TsuYa’s mind, as one of the more dangerous rivals to SoYa’s position. And for threatening his brother, KoGuRai also stood as his own rival.

KoGuRai’s mouth thinned into a pressed line of disapproval. Though it was obvious that he was angry, he did not move to strike. It seemed to have something to do with the fact that LuShi was there. “TsuYa… you are still the same childish, spoiled brat as ever.”

The Apprentice simply smirked in return, letting the insult run off of him. It was always a pleasure to ruffle KoGuRai’s attempts to remain calm and unmoved. It never took much… and TsuYa never tried hard. Even the most base of insults, pointed in the right direction, could set him off.

The winged creature fell back upon ignore tactics, turning his attention once more towards LuShi, “The company you keep leaves a lot to be desired, Lord LuShi. Come with me and I’ll see to it that you will be given the respect and position that you deserve.”

Again, the boy only shook his head. This time, his response was far faster than before.

“You cannot mean that you don’t want to be fighting on the side that’s winning?” KoGuRai frowned sharply.

LuShi’s soft voice came, the first words he had spoken since the winged creature had appeared, “I already am.”

So much determination. So much belief in the three simple words. KoGuRai’s brow wrinkled with a hint of frustration, seeing that his efforts had fallen short and all that he had offered remained undesired.

The kid’s got more guts that I gave him credit for…

Black eyes glittered maliciously from under the swaths of dark hair. One lip curled as KoGuRai’s smooth, coaxing voice grew hissing and spiteful, “I see. I was warned that Zemi Dreigiau may have worked his twisting powers on your mind, Young Lord. I had no idea that it would be this far gone.”

TsuYa felt a chill spread over his skin. The hair on the nape of his neck stood on end, once again signaling danger that he could not pinpoint yet.

One dark-gloved hand reached up. A signal to something just out of sight, over the hill. A low moan carried on the wind as a terrible sight rose before the warrior’s eyes. There was a group of Marked scuffling towards them, black eyes cowering away from both the boy Sygnus and KoGuRai. It was only the single command that kept them moving forward.

Between them they held the slumped and battered body of one of the Awakened soldiers. His wings were now shredded streams of flesh and feathers, his face mauled beyond recognition. Where his sword hand had once been, there was nothing but a gristly stump that frothed a flow of blood that clotted black along the side of his robe. The suffering moan indicated that he was still alive.

Is he taking a hostage or something?

A cold smile touched KoGuRai’s lips as the broken Cyngan was thrown at his feet. “One of yours, yes?”

Is he trying to make some kind of exchange?

TsuYa ground his teeth.

I don’t get this.

LuShi watched the grim procession with unblinking eyes.

A sharp flash of metal shown suddenly in the hazy sunlight. KoGuRai had drawn a long-hafted naginata, the wicked serrated blade pointed down towards the bloodstained grass.

“What are you doing?” the words rushed out of TsuYa’s mouth as he leaned forward. His own hands gripped more tightly around the black bladed scythe.

“I’m giving Lord LuShi his wings,” KoGuRai’s voice was low but triumphant.

It happened so quickly that it was hard to comprehend until it was too late. The rise of the blade, only seconds before it plunged straight through the Cyngan’s back, exploding in a crimson flow down through his chest. The body arched backwards writhing as it hung upon the cruel blade.

A shout broke from TsuYa’s mouth and he felt himself surge forward. His scythe swung up, over his head, gaze locked upon the monstrosity that stood before him. The dark winged creature that smiled silently down at the pool of demise that spread around his feet.

From behind him, he could hear LuShi’s voice crack in a sudden hoarse cry. The sound was chilling, like the wailing of the dead. More ghastly than even the shrieks of the Marked. It was the sound of one fated as the Bane.

TsuYa felt his feet ripped out from under him as a flash of chilling silvery-white filled his vision. Knocked back against the side of the hill, he fought to clear his vision and find his wits. The scene that unfolded before him was haunting and unreal.

LuShi was hovering a foot off of the ground, a thick pulsating mist swirling and condensing around his form. His head was thrown back, eyes clamped shut, mouth wide open in a soundless scream. He looked like he was in great pain. A slender tendril of silvery-white rose from the sprawled body of the slain Cyngan, streaming directly into the mists that surrounded the boy. As if LuShi was feeding and gaining power from death itself.

Hedd-ynad!

Terror froze every inch of TsuYa’s body, eyes wide and locked upon the deadly awakening that was playing out before him. There was nothing that he could do to stop it.

Is… it…  the Sygnus….?

SoYa grabbed AsaHi's hand as a second Esgyll swooped down towards them, out of the flashing battle skies above.

“Quick! This way!” SoYa grabbed AsaHi’s hand as a second Esgyll swooped down towards them, out of the flashing battle skies above. The girl gave a soft sound as he led her towards a nearby grove of trees, just on the fringe of the Compound.

“Zento!” she cried, looking back over her shoulder at the lone winged warrior.

The name alone almost made SoYa’s step falter. But he forced himself to keep moving. He knew that if he looked back, he would never be able to follow his father’s instructions. That he would want to stay and face the dangers instead of leading AsaHi to safety.

If there is safety anywhere on the Islands now.

“Keep going!!” Father’s shout was muffled, strained with the sound of intense battle. A flash of brilliant light from behind told SoYa that the winged man had called on the power of his arfogaeth. “I’ll come to find you! Just don’t stop no matter what!”

He could hear the sound of AsaHi’s sobs between her gasps for breath. It was hard to know in the pressure of battle what was right. What was wrong. Which way was up or down. Father had taught him that everything in war was about survival — because you couldn’t help anyone else if you were dead.

Still, these were the hardest steps that SoYa had ever taken in his life. Even if it was to protect AsaHi.

We’ll find help and come back for you, Father. I’m not leaving you alone here to face the Esgyll by yourself!

Not that the winged man wasn’t perfectly capable, SoYa had learned. Wounded or not. The moment that Father had leapt out of the doorway to the Compound, he was already slashing through the waiting creatures on the other side. The thick scale-bone hide gave just as easily as the flesh. The first Esgyll had fallen to Father’s blade with a gurgling shriek before SoYa even had a chance to gather his wits about him.

But that had called the attention of more Esgyll. And seeing the demise of one of their own, these Esgyll would not make the same mistake as the first.

The sound of leaves crunching under his boots alerted SoYa to the fact that they had reached the tree line. The swooping Esgyll must have responded to Father’s diversion because they had not been followed. Still clinging tightly to his hand, AsaHi collapsed in the thick underbrush, fighting to find her breath between choked sobs.

“Zento…” she sounded more afraid than he had ever heard before.

“I know… I know…” SoYa wrapped his arms around her protectively, stroking his hand through her hair to calm her. It was all that he could do not to join her lament.

This wasn’t the way this battle was supposed to happen. We weren’t ready again. There are a lot more than there were the first time.

Something in SoYa’s mind chided him that he should be out on the battlefield rather than hiding in the brush. But to gaze upon the destruction that lay everywhere — the crumpled walls of the Compound… the thick oily smoke that spoke of the tell tale signs of a fire getting out of hand in the distance… the splurts of flame that shot across the sky… and the flickers of white that indicated the approaching Cyngan troops — it all seemed too big for him to take in.

How am I supposed to get AsaHi to safety… when there isn’t even safety for someone like Father?

Squinting hard, SoYa could make out the lumbering shadows of the two Esgyll in the midst of battle in the field. Every now and then, a flash of brilliant blue spoke of Father’s presence as he battled. And though he fiercely believed in the strength that his father possessed, he could only suck on his bottom lip and wonder how long it would be before the wounds and loss of blood would weaken the winged man’s blow.

Where do we go? Maybe we shouldn’t have left him out there.

Just as his mind began to swing towards disobedience, he heard a muffled gasp escape AsaHi’s lips. She grabbed tightly to the sleeve of his robe and jerked once to get his attention. “SoYa! Look!”

The girl pointed up towards the churning clouds. The Athrylith’s eyes lifted opening wide in a shock of fear. Two huge shadows were bearing down upon the battle near the compound from above, rocketing groundwards in a blinding speed.

“Father!” SoYa choked, stumbling towards the edge of the brush. He knew that no matter how fast he would run, he could never make it that far fast enough to warn him. “Father… no!”

“Wait!!” AsaHi grabbed the edge of his cloak, yanking back with all of her strength.

“But..!” he protested over his shoulder.

“SoYa, they’re Dragons!”

It took a moment for his brain to process the words that the girl spoke. When the meaning finally struck him, he didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, “Dragons…?”

As the two shapes corkscrewed down through the parting clouds, SoYa began to make out the descending forms. A glint of gold reflecting against the blue. Wide, elegant wings. Silken spun mane. The Dragon form of Lady KaiShi skimmed the tops of the bushes as a plume of flame erupted from her open maw. The blast took one of the Esgyll by surprise, causing the creature to rear back, writhing as its back half ignited and burned in a flare of greasy smoke.

In the glow of flame and darkness, SoYa could see Father’s form peering up at the sky. His wings glittered silver as his hair swept back in the warrior’s knot, his hair flung by the blast of air from the Dragon’s wings. Next to the great battling beasts, he looked so tiny.

AsaHi gave a shout that sounded like a combination of joy and a call to get the Dragons’ attention. SoYa almost reached to stop her as she rushed out of the treeline, waving one hand around wildly. But then he realized that Dragonback might be their only way out of there.

A tremendous roar shook the Islands, cutting off AsaHi’s cheerful display. SoYa’s hands flew up to his ears, pressing against them desperately. Though the girl had fell silent, she remained out in the open, head raised and eyes fixed with a glittering light on the sky above. He could feel it — the pressure of a huge presence that swept around him like the dislodged leaves as the winds whipped through the trees.

The glimmering white Dragon was suddenly above them, the belly just barely cresting the tops of the trees. SoYa felt his breath ripped from him as the thunderous sound of beating wings reverberated the ground. The creature was so huge that it seemed as if he could reach up and touch the white scales, despite the distance that it had from the ground.

“Zemi…” AsaHi’s awed voice was tiny to SoYa’s ears.

But then, everything was tiny in the wake of the Dreigiau.

It felt so unreal. As if time itself had come to a stop to watch the Arweinydd’s approach.

The white Dragon’s great head reared back, gleaming fangs showing in the firelight. A stream of pure white light burst from the Dreigiau’s throat, so huge that it would surely take out the entire Compound in one blast.

SoYa felt his throat tighten as the world was bathed pure white. The light was cooling. Healing and gentle. He felt it race over his limbs, strengthening both body and spirit with a rush of power unlike any he had ever felt before. For just a moment, he wondered if that was what it felt to Awaken.

When the light had faded, the Esgyll were gone. Not even a charred body remained laying there in the field. Simply gone. Where the light had given healing to those who followed the Dreigiau, it had blown away the darkness of their enemies without question.

SoYa craned his head back as the enormous white Dragon landed. The Dreigiau’s wings stretched towards the sky, towering far above the blue and silver of his Champion. And though there wasn’t really a sense of fear in the back of his mind, even AsaHi seemed hesitant to approach. Though SoYa had seen Zemi’s Dragon form back in the cave of Wyndor, it wasn’t quite the same as standing before the Dreigiau in his full, uncloaked battle form.

“Trying to take on the whole army by yourself again, Zento?” the deep rumbling voice filled their ears with in droll, almost amused tone. The huge white head lowered until it lay unceremoniously upon the ground.

“Did you expect anything less, Zemi?” Father grinned back, approaching the Dreigiau without a hint of fear. He placed one palm upon the white nose, a smile of gratitude playing on his lips, “You’re late.”

“I am right on time,” Zemi replied with a twitch of his ears.

“Late,” Father repeated.

“You’re not dead? Therefore, I am right on time,” came the half purred response.

AsaHi had gathered herself up during the exchange, chancing an approach towards the two. SoYa got to his feet as well, not wanting to appear to be the only one to look as shaken as he was.

Everything… will be okay now. Right?

Not far away, the golden Dragon of Lady KaiShi stood watching, proud head arched back, seeming to be testing the winds. Somehow, she gave him a sense of comfort and encouraged him to continue forward simply by being there.

When the two of them finally stood before the Dreigiau, all SoYa found he was able to do was stare. There was the constant feeling of shrinking there in the presence of a creature so large. Zemi, however, seemed completely oblivious to this, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary at all.

“Father…” SoYa’s voice croaked in concern.

The winged man turned at the sound. For a moment, the Athrylith thought he saw a strange blueish light glimmering around him. But it was gone with one passing blink.

“SoYa. AsaHi,” Father walked towards them, hands outstretched. Any wounds he may have suffered from the fight were completely gone. “Are you alright?”

AsaHi nodded. Then with a quiet sound, she ran up to the winged man and hugged him tightly, choking with relief.

Father’s face was awash with surprise. “Now… what was that for?”

The girl didn’t answer. Instead she broke from the embrace and stumbled up to where the Dreigiau’s head lay in the grass. Somewhat shyly, she placed both of her palms up upon his muzzle. After a testing moment, she placed her cheek against it, too.

SoYa coughed, feeling a strange, biting emotion rise up in his chest. An emotion that he fought to strangle down as quickly as he could. Afterall, Zemi did just save their lives.

And I would be a real Grade A idiot to even think like that…

Instead, the Athrylith shook his head, forcing his focus back on the winged man, “Father. What about Tsu and Lucci?”

Father’s face grew grim, his green eyes shifting towards the two waiting Dragons.

“What is this about TsuYa and Lucci?” KaiShi asked with a slow flick of her tail.

“TsuYa has been out here on his own during the battle. We returned to the Compound after training before he did,” Father winced, attempting to skirt around the details the best that he could. From the look on the golden Dragon’s face, he wasn’t pulling anything over on her. “And LuShi ran out after him to bring him his weapon.”

Lady KaiShi unfolded her wings, “I did not see any sign of them as we flew over. But then, I was not looking to find wayward boys in the forest.”

“We must find them,” Zemi’s head slowly lifted, a rumbling sound of concern in his throat. “There are worse things attacking the Islands than just the Esgyll.”

What does that mean?

SoYa shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the statement. But before he could say anything, the large form of the golden Dragon was crouching next to him on the field. “Come with me, SoYa. You’ll be safer if we fly together.”

His reply caught in his throat as he blinked at the creature’s gentle face.

“Are you afraid to fly?” she asked.

“No, Ma’am. Of course not…” SoYa shook himself out.

“Then let us go and find your brother?” Lady KaiShi extended one slender claw to him.

Hoisting himself up on the claw, he managed to grab a hold of the silky mane and pull himself up upon the golden Dragon’s back. It took a moment for him to righten himself and find his balance. He was still no where near as skilled at Dragon riding as AsaHi was, but he was learning and getting better.

There seemed to be silent words spoken between the girl and the Dreigiau. For neither said anything as AsaHi made her way to the white Dragon’s side and climbed up his great shoulder. With a practiced motion, she was mounted, her fingers woven into the wild white mane, face unafraid. As if the huge beast was an extension of herself — a source of power and comfort.

Father had already taken to the skies, winging up from the broken ground into the dizzying heights above. SoYa watched his father’s movements, wishing for the courage and the surety that the winged man always seemed to have. He was jolted from his thoughts as the golden Dragon under him shifted, rising to her feet. As the wings spread, the Athrylith gripped the mane tightly, laying flat against her back.

In a smooth sweeping motion, the ground vanished underneath them. The sound of vast wings flapping told him that the Dreigiau was not far behind.

Brother… we’re coming. Just hang on.

A hand shot out of the mists. A large hand that had the appearance of a claw at first.

The world had no feeling — neither hot nor cold. And nothing in between. No breath could be drawn in the place between the mists.

His vision was doubled. Then tripled. Sight beyond to see what was real. Twisted and shivering, it lay hidden under the guise of the literal.

Layers of worlds upon worlds. Dimensions that met only to condense and expand. Everything interconnected. Time was no boundary.

When Lucci moved, his weightless body left a trail of silver light. His fingertips drew streams in the air as he watched in mute curiosity. It was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. And it occurred to him that he could sit and watch it endlessly.

If it wasn’t for the eyes that watched him.

Eyes in the mist. Many, many eyes. Whenever he turned to look at them, the eyes vanished. Cowering. But should he look away again, they would return. Everytime.

Lucci wanted to tell them to leave. They could go make light streams from their own fingertips. These light streams belonged to him. But he didn’t seem to have the ability to speak aloud. Not like he used to in the other world.

~Other world.~

Yes. There had been another world. He had almost forgotten about it.

But it was a cruel world. A world where people treated him like a cast away. And there was fighting and war. There was the darkness of Chaos.

There was no reason to return to that other world. The place in the mist was far more welcoming. The light streams didn’t work in the other world, anyway.

Between the spread of his fingers, he notice something odd. It was walking towards him. Shaped like a person. Except it was strange and silvery. Glowing like the mist.

The Mistperson was looking over its shoulder as it walked as if it wasn’t sure where it was. Or where it was going. Or maybe it was afraid that something would be following it.

Lucci hoped not. There were already too many eyes in the mist as there was.

Finally, the Mistperson stopped to look at him. Then it fell to its knees, hands upraised. Like it was begging. Begging for something from him. The eyes were wide and pleading as they focused on Lucci’s face.

That’s when Lucci recognized the Mistperson. He had seen him in the other world. This was the winged soldier that the man named KoGuRai had killed.

~Aren’t you supposed to be dead?~

Lucci thought to ask. But then, maybe it would be rude to the Mistperson to ask that. Because it was obvious that he was dead. Which was also probably why the Mistperson was so afraid.

~You are the ghost. Shouldn’t I be afraid of you, instead?~

Then the realization came to him. Something funny had happened to Lucci when the Cyngan soldier was slain. He could remember the mists coming from everywhere, rushing forward as if to take the spirit of the dead.

To take it and then to bring it to Lucci.

He watched as the trails from his fingertips began to glow brighter. Maybe it was because the Mistperson was there. He didn’t know. But it was a curious thing. So Lucci reached his hand closer to the Mistperson just to see what would happen.

The Mistperson began to glow, too. But it wasn’t a happy glowing. It seemed afraid.

Images began to flicker in front of Lucci’s eyes. At first, he didn’t know exactly what it was he was seeing. But as the images continued, the Mistperson began to dissolve away, drawn into the light at Lucci’s fingertips.

~Memories.~

Lucci realized the images were memories. The memories of the Mistperson that were now, somehow, being given to him. Drawn away by the mists. Drawn away by the light. And becoming part of him, now. Written upon him like the marks of ink upon a blank page.

A life that he had never lived. A death that he did not die. And power. Growing power from the fading spirit of the Mistperson.

When Lucci drew his hand back, the Mistperson was gone. No more than a voice without people. An essence trapped within the silver mist that quietly hung around his shoulders. An essence and power that would serve him without question.

~Wait. That’s wrong to do. Isn’t it?~

Just as quickly as the thought came, it slipped away from his mind. Because from the mists, the shape of silver wings began to form. Wings, just for him. Wings that held silent promise.

No longer would he be called Lei’ Igro.

And maybe if he had wings like the Awakened, Master ZenToYa would finally like him.

A smile parted his lips. Maybe he could go back to the other world now. And everything would be alright, afterall.

Another shape appeared within the mists. Though it was walking towards him, it was not like the first shape. It wasn’t a Mistperson. In fact, the mists seem to part from it.

Dark wings gave the identity away before it came too close. It was the man called KoGuRai. And he was smiling, too. A crusty, black-toothed smile.

Lucci suddenly wished that he wasn’t there. There was something about the man called KoGuRai that he didn’t really like. Besides that, Master TsuYa didn’t seem to like him much either.

“How do you like it, Lord LuShi?” Somehow, the man called KoGuRai could speak in the place between the mists.

Lucci tilted his head in curiosity, spending a moment to consider how such a feat was done. He closed his eyes. He could feel the mists drawing near to him. When he opened his eyes again, he had discovered his voice.

“Like what?”

“Why… your power. Your birthright,” the man called KoGuRai motioned widely with one hand. “Your wings.”

“The wings are nice,” Lucci told him.

The oily smile crept over the man called KoGuRai’s face. It was a gloating smile. A victory smile. “I knew you would approve, Lord LuShi.”

Lucci nodded slowly, then brought a glowing fingertip up before his face. “But I’m still not coming with you.”

The slick smile faded instantly. And Lucci suddenly understood the satisfaction that Master TsuYa found in frustrating people who were particularly annoying to begin with.

“But… Lord LuShi… I…” came the astonished protest.

“In fact, I want you to leave,” Lucci found his voice growing in strength. A new realization had come to him. The realization that told him that there, within the mists, he had a lot of power.

The man called KoGuRai shrank back a step. As if he couldn’t help but to do what Lucci ordered.

“I want you to leave. Right NOW,” the glow around his fingers had begun to spread, illuminating both of his hands.

The mists started to churn, losing the shape of wings as they did. A thousand cold voices seemed to rise up at his back. The voices without people. A lifeless chorus echoed his words in a haunted chant.

-…right now… right now… right now… -

A gurgling hiss rose up from the man called KoGuRai. He threw one hand over his melted face, backing further and further away. Struggling as the silver tendrils swept towards him. Then he was lost from Lucci’s sight. Drown by the mists.

Lucci’s lips curved upwards. There was satisfaction in that.

Before he could consider the feeling much further, he heard a voice shout his name. He turned, with a start. He knew that voice.

“Lord Zemi?”

-…Lord Zemi… Lord Zemi… Lord Zemi…-

The voice called his name again. But it was fuzzy. Muted by the mists.

“Lord Zemi!?” Lucci began to turn around and around frantically. A feeling of suffocation. The mists that had been a source of power just a moment ago were now a source of separation. He couldn’t see Lord Zemi anywhere. “Lord Zemi, I’m here! Where are you?”

-…are you… are you… are you…-

Then there was silence. A silence so deep that he wondered if he would be trapped within the web of silver mist forever. It was true. The realization that he didn’t know his way back to the other world.

“Lord Zemi…” Lucci’s voice dropped to a whisper, hoping that the voices without people would not echo anymore, “Please don’t leave me…”

-…leave me… leave me… leave me…-

A hand shot out of the mists. A large hand that had the appearance of a claw at first. But the moment that it clamped down on Lucci’s shoulder, a white smoke rose from the hand. And it became just a hand, wrapped in familiar black cloth.

Lucci turned around quickly to find himself staring up into the face of Lord Zemi. Except, something was wrong. He could not see Lord Zemi the way he knew that Lord Zemi really looked. Instead, there seemed to be a fierce visage of a white dragon layered over top of the usual kindly features. Draconic eyes burned brilliant teal, fangs gleaming wickedly.

“Nooo..!” Lucci pulled away in genuine fear.

-…nooooooo!..-

“Lucci!” the voice was gritty and distorted. Bordering on a growl.

The boy continued to back away, shaking his head. “It’s all wrong…!”

-..all wrong… all wrong… all wrong…-

“Lucci-boy… what have you done?” despite the growly sound, there was deep concern within the words.

“I don’t know!” Lucci choked, for the first time wondering if maybe he had done something terribly wrong. “Lord Zemi… I’m scared!”

“I’m here, child. Let me help you, Lucci,” the voice was becoming more and more like the voice that he remembered.

The mists were drawing away, fading from his vision. The hand that reached for him was once again Lord Zemi’s hand. The image of the Dragon drifted away as the silver light parted. Very blurry, the other world began to appear, as if viewed through rippled water. Then he could see the concerned lines that traced across the familiar face of Lord Zemi.

The boy stumbled forward, reaching for the Dreigiau. As he fell into the waiting arms, his senses dulled. He could feel the warmth once more. The sound of his breath was loud in his ears. His heartbeat.

When his eyes closed, a deep, unknowing sleep swept the mist away.

Unruffled, Zazo paced forward and shoved her nose right up in TsuYa's face. ~Lazy Earthian. Wake up!~

“TsuYaaa!” the name ripped out of Zento’s hoarse throat as he swooped down towards the splayed body below. He had been searching up and down the western edge of the main Island for any sign of his son, in trepidation. What he finally found didn’t leave him with any comfort at all.

TsuYa lay face down in the grass. It looked like he had been dragged under cover after he had been overcome. There was blood, both black and red, everywhere that the winged man looked. His terrified eyes couldn’t measure how much of it might belong to his son.

Light. Please… please… don’t let him be dead. I’ll never forgive myself if…

The winged man dropped lightly to his knees, reaching both hands down to support TsuYa’s limp head. He fought back the threat of tears that blurred his vision and made it so hard to tell whether or not his son was still breathing.

“Tsu… please. Please stay with me. Zemi will be here soon,” Zento pulled him up, cradling his head against his chest. His hands were shaking as he stroked through the dirt-matted hair.

~ZenToYa…~

A familiar voice sounded in his senses. The winged man drew in a choking breath and turned his eyes to the crest of the hill. His gaze was met with the unblinking green eyes of the giant white wolf.

“Lady Zazo?”

~If awards were given for theatrics, you would certainly have won something tonight.~ she gave a panting laugh.

Despite the fact that he was facing down an Arweinydd, Zento found himself gritting his teeth at her casual disdain. He wanted to yell at her. To rant and rage. To get her to understand that the life of his child was far more than just a game.

Zazo’s tail flicked back and forth. As if his agitation only served to amuse her all the more.

The Champion balled his fist. “When Zemi gets here, he’ll–”

~Relax, ZenToYa. You don’t have to threaten me with my brother’s so-called ire. Your son is alive. I have personally brought him here and seen to his well being.~

Zento’s mouth shut with a click.

She gave a wolfish grin at his sudden turn of discomfort. ~Now tell me again. What will Zemi do when he gets here?~

“Nothing,” the winged man turned his head, eyes focusing back on the quiet face of his son.

Is Tsu really okay? He’s so still…

~It is the nature of what he has become.~

“What are you talking about?” Zento glanced up at her, holding TsuYa closer to his chest.

~Certainly you do notice. As much as Zemi and his pet Watcher would like to say otherwise, your son has begun to change.~

“No…” he shook his head, fingers tightening on the cloth of the blue coat. “You’re wrong.”

~Am I?~

“Aur has created a cure for Tsu..?” Zento heard the questionmark at the end of his own statement and gave a frown.

~Aur has created a delay.~

“What do you mean?”

Zazo shook out the ruff of her coat. ~I felt it in TsuYa today as he fought. I feel it in him now. Until Zeromus is completely gone, the threat to your son remains.~

There was far too much truth to the words. And after all that had happened that day, they were far too much to bear. Zento felt his will sag and his body slump forward, still cradling his youngest son. Tears threatened to come. But he knew if he released them, he may never get them to stop.

~Don’t start that now. There is still time. TsuYa has a powerful fighting will. You must continue to hold your strength in the face of the changes that will come.~ Zazo gave him a very serious look. ~Also… do not be fooled into believing that a band aid is a cure.~

The winged man peered at the white wolf. Once again, something in her words rang true.

As he drew in a deep breath, TsuYa uttered a low, guttural sound. Something between a groan and a growl. Zento felt the speckle of goose bumps rush over his skin. But as his sons’ dark eyes fluttered open, he did everything he could to suppress the encroaching feeling of uncertainty.

She’s right… I can’t… let myself doubt.

Unruffled, Zazo paced forward and shoved her nose right up in TsuYa’s face. ~Lazy Earthian. Wake up!~

TsuYa jerked back with a startled shout, accidentally jabbing his elbow into Zento’s stomach as the two of them scrabbled in the grass. Much to Zazo’s obvious amusement.

~I knew there was a reason I stopped by today.~

“Zazo!” TsuYa choked, eyes flicking around frantically. Then he seemed to realize that Zento was there, too. “Father!?”

“Tsu… are you okay?” the winged man choked down the flood of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.

“I’m… I’m alright, Dad,” TsuYa nodded in response. Then, much to Zento’s surprise, he added with a quick breath, “I’m so glad you’re here…”

Against his son’s better wishes, the winged man pulled him close into a long, relieved hug.

TsuYa took in a long, broken breath. He seemed to sit there for a moment before his thoughts were collected. Then he gave a shudder, like a skittish animal, and took a hold of Zento’s robe. His voice croaked out one heavy word, “LuShi?!”

Puzzled, the winged man shook his head, “I didn’t see LuShi here. Only you?”

“LuShi!?” the young warrior turned, stammering at Zazo when he didn’t receive the answer he seemed to be looking for.

~I got you away from there before things got too dangerous,~ she informed him. ~Zemi is taking care of the boy Sygnus right now.~

“What? Why?” Zento’s chin jerked up as a sick, heavy feeling began to churn in the pit of his stomach. For the first time, he began to sense that something about the air felt wrong. Up until that point, he had been so engrossed in his son’s health that he had completely overlooked everything else.

~It seems the enemy has attempted to awaken the boy Sygnus’ innate power.~

If the whole Island had come down on his head, Zento didn’t think he would have felt more shocked. This was the first time that he had been informed that the Arweinydd did, in fact, know of some sort of danger that LuShi held.

“Innate… power?” the winged man choked. “What innate power?”

~We do not know yet. That is what Zemi is checking on right now,~ she replied with a warning cock of her head.

I… KNEW it! I KNEW something like this would happen all along!

Zento’s fingers tightened upon his son’s shoulder. He gave a hiss of displeasure.

But did Zemi listen to me! NO!

“Dad…” TsuYa gave a low sound. “Dad, that hurts?”

“Huh?” the winged man pulled his hand back with a jerk. “I’m… sorry, Tsu.”

Zazo interrupted the frothing tide of thought with a well-jabbed nose. Straight into his son’s face. ~TsuYa… what happened to cause this?~

Instead of answering her, the young warrior rose to his feet and gave Zento an incredulous look. “Dad… you’re never going to believe this. But I saw KoGuRai!”

“What?” it was so out of the blue that he completely lost all track of angry thoughts. He found himself standing, too. “KoGuRai?”

“He’s one of them… he’s the one that caused all this with LuShi,” TsuYa looked down, shaking his head. “KoGuRai… looked like one of the Marked. But he was different. He could talk… had a mind of his own. The same old attitude, of course. And he had wings. Except… they were black.”

“I see…” Zento couldn’t think of anything else to say to the rush of upset words that came from his son.

~Zerom has chosen his Champion?~ Zazo’s tone seemed surprised.

“I guess so?”

~That is peculiar.~

“Why?” the winged man frowned slowly, pushing himself up on the palms of his hands.

The she wolf didn’t reply, however. He knew from experience with Zazo that when she wanted to say something, you’d hear it whether you wanted to or not. But when she wanted to keep her secrets, to get her to speak was like trying to move a mountain.

“What happened to KoGuRai?” TsuYa asked. His knees seemed wobbly. But he was holding. An iron will that seemed ready to try and face down the dark winged Champion if he were to appear right then and there.

~I left him there to reap the darkness that he attempted to sow,~ the she wolf finally spoke. There was a nasty gleam to her fangs as her lips curled back in pleasure. Or displeasure. He couldn’t tell which.

“Is he dead?”

~Doubtful. The boy Sygnus has power… but he is not yet strong enough to destroy the Rhyswyr of Zeromus.~

“Darn…” TsuYa muttered under his breath.

Just then, a soft galewind kicked up the stray grass around them, sending it scattering up into the sky. Zento craned his head back to see the lithe golden shape of KaiShi backwinging down for a landing only a few yards away. He could hear the joyful shout of SoYa as the winds died down.

Only a moment later, the Athrylith had slid down the Dragon’s shoulder and was rushing over to greet them. “Father! Tsu! Tsu – you’re alright?”

“Of course…” TsuYa gave a grimace at all the fuss his brother was making.

“Why do you always have to go running off alone like that! You had us worried SICK!” SoYa scolded momentarily. Then he grasped TsuYa by the shoulders, shaking him around good-naturedly.

“Yeah… yeah…” the young warrior rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. But he didn’t protest too much when his brother gave him a long pat-on-the-back hug.

Zento let out a long breath, allowing much of the tension to drain out of him. With a grim face, he strode up to the golden Dragon, KaiShi. She was also watching the two brothers, an unreadable look on her face.

“Hey,” he said quietly, just trying to capture her attention.

“Zento,” she acknowledged, tilting her head down towards him.

He reached up and touched her nose with the palm of his hand. An appreciative gesture. “You saved my hide back there. Thanks.”

“Nonsense,” she flicked her tail slowly. “ZenToYa always has everything under control.”

The winged man laughed, “Of course. That’s right. I forgot.”

They stood together quietly for a while as the sound of the battle faded into the distance. The shadows crossed the sky far less often and plumes of smoke grew weaker as fires were tended. Not far away, SoYa and Zazo seemed to be prodding TsuYa on some matter while the young warrior mock protested with crossed arms.

“Is it over…” he heard himself ask of no one.

“The battle is. For now, we’ve held Ceiswyr,” KaiShi replied. “But there is trouble with LuShi, it seems.”

The golden Dragon had adopted a wait-and-see stance on the issue of the boy Sygnus. Though she had never verbally rebuked Zemi’s choice of raising LuShi on the Islands, neither did she seem to completely agree with the decision. Like Zento, she was a leader of her kind. And her thoughts hovered on what was best for those that she was responsible for.

“I guess I better go see what damage has been done,” the winged man sighed grimly. “I’m sure things will need tending.”

“Would you mind if I joined you, Zento?” KaiShi asked quietly.

Taken by surprise at the question, Zento realized that he wouldn’t mind. Not one bit. As he turned his head back towards the waiting Compound, he told her so.