A rumble rose up in Zemi’s throat, his eyes locked on the Sygnus.

“Kudako…” Zemi’s voice cracked as he spoke the name.

“Zem,” AsaHi took his arm in a comforting motion. “He’ll be alright. I’m sure.”

“No… He isn’t alright,” the Dreigiau turned his gaze downward, face pale and strained. Words didn’t have to speak the feelings that were emanated.

SoYa didn’t have to hear it. He knew. The Dragon Warrior had fallen and would not be returning to them. And despite the power of the great Watcher from the Time Before, he had doubts that even Aur could hold up against the darkness and death of the wild-minded Sygnus.

So many. We’ve lost so many… is there really nothing left for us to do but run?

“Lord Dragon! Please hold your concentration. You too, Lady Wolf!” NaDo’s voice cut through the moment of mourning.

-Excuse you! My name is Lady Zazo. Get it right, Earthian!-

It was enough to draw the Arweinydds’ attention back upon the task at hand. Everything that had been said about the Vision Stone was true. It rose up before them, a pillar of brilliant blue light that shown straight up into the sky. Where its light shimmered, even the darkness did not touch. Something about the glade surrounding the Stone felt safe and protected — but SoYa could not say how much longer that would last.

The machine that NaDo set up next to the Stone was a marvel of technology, even more so than his ships and the endless lines of gadgets that ran the length of the walls of the Shellab. All wires and hums and tall flat looking screens, it somehow managed to tap into the vast energies of the tall Vision Stone. Under the right hands, NaDo had said, the Stone’s power might even be bent to the user’s will.

It’s hard to believe that a little boy can trigger all this…

KiNa’s hands were little, but the right ones. The moment the child placed his palms against the slick touch pad of the machine, the stone had burst into a brilliant light. The distant sound of ancient song rustled through the winds of the glade. And the tallest crystal face along the side of the Vision Stone had flickered with an image.

Just as NaDo described…

The picture wavered, glowing before them. A land that was not their own. But a living world just the same. There was no sight of city nor structure. Just a rolling forest and long green hills. A place that gave the feeling of peace. Perhaps safety, if hidden away from the searching eyes of the Dark Sygnus.

As the three Arweinydd focused their powers around the machine next to KiNa, the image of the distant land became more and more clear. More stable. The shimmering ripples of a riftway had spread across the face of the stone. It had become a gateway into this strange new world.

And now, the winged people were filing through this rift as quickly as they could. Women and children were assisted by the soldiers, feet shuffling up the slick crystalline incline that lead to the rift. Their faces were haunted with the fears that hung just over the edge of the forest — they could feel the pressure of the prowling death coming ever closer. No one dared to hesitate — even a completely alien land was less frightening than the Dark Sygnus’ wrath.

There were so many people. So little time. And knowing that Kudako and Aur could only hold the Sygnus at bay for a short while, SoYa didn’t know how they would get everyone to safety.

“AsaHi,” the Athrylith took her by the shoulders and started nudging her towards the stream of moving people. “I want you to go.”

“What? SoYa! I’m not leaving you here!” she protested instantly, just as he knew she would.

“Please! I’ll follow you. Don’t worry! I just have to know that you get through safe,” he tried to reassure her. At this point, they both knew that nothing could be promised.

“Don’t leave me, SoYa…” AsaHi hung on to his shoulders, tears in her eyes.

“I won’t leave you. But I have to help make sure everyone else gets through safely. That includes you,” he told her.

A broken sound. An uncharacteristic sob. Her strength had finally been spent in the face of so much death and loss. AsaHi threw her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his tunic. It was the hardest thing he could do to force her to let go. But he did, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

One of the soldiers saw his plight and took AsaHi by the upper arm, “Come with me, Miss.”

“No!” she tried to struggle. But he was far stronger as he led her towards the rippling face of the Stone.

SoYa could only watch, his heart aching.

AsaHi turned and reached back towards him. She called his name frantically, but he couldn’t hear her voice above the hum of the machine and the rift winds. Then, in a flash of soft blue light, AsaHi had stepped through, fading into the crowd of winged people. Lost to his sight.

“Keep going,” NaDo coached. “We’ve almost got everyone. We’re doing a lot better than I had hoped.”

Despite the positive words, SoYa could only glance back over his shoulder with a worried frown. The shadows and mists were moving again. And approaching fast.

“NaDo… Maru… you should take KiNa and get through,” Zemi’s tone was concerned. He, too, saw the motion in the forest behind them.

“Just a little bit more, Lord Dragon,” NaDo assured him. “We have to make sure the machine is properly dismantled and the rift shut… or there’s a chance we can be followed. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?”

As the last of the winged people gathered through the gateway, SoYa saw a lone figure holding back. A figure he recognized instantly.

“JouKa, what are you doing?” he rushed over towards her. “You have to get through the rift.”

“We’re beginning the dismantling process,” NaDo announced. “Everyone get ready to make a run for it!”

JouKa turned with a silent, haunted face. “I’m not goin’.”

“What? You can’t stay here!” SoYa protested. “You’ll be killed.”

“Then I will. But I’m not goin’. This is my world… my ‘ome. I’m not lettin’ some winged freak push me outta it!” she gave him a hard glare.

He took her arm, “Be reasonable! You’ve got nothing to gain by getting yourself killed here.”

She jerked her arm away quickly, backing away with a snarl. “Gain? Everything is gone! KoGu is dead! TsuYa is Marked! Our ‘ome is destroyed. People are dyin’! Tell me what’s worth seein’?”

“Power down, eighty percent!” NaDo’s voice warned.

“JouKa!” he reached for her again.

She dodged back, “You don’t order me around, Neffie! Go save yer own skin. I’ll take care of myself!”

“Seventy-five percent!”

SoYa drew in a frantic breath. He could see that nothing short of forcing her was going to work… and they just didn’t have the time.

Before he could reach out for her again, a deafening crack broke the sky above. The shadows and mists rolled in, struggling to press upon the brilliant blue of the Vision Stone. But the Dark Sygnus strolled forward, unaffected, long glimmering black blade held ready in one hand. It dripped, heavy with gore and blood.

JouKa gave a horrified scream, reeling away from SoYa’s hand. He could only stumble back in shocked astonishment as the girl whirled around and took off running. Not into the rift of the Vision Stone. But into the depths of the forest, the opposite direction of shadows and mists. He shouted her name, watching helplessly as she vanished between the trees.

The Sygnus’ laugher was chilling as he advanced. His smile was hollow and void of any emotion. His voice low and level, “Zemi Dreigiau… you sent your pets to do an Arweinydd’s job. And then you mourn their death. How hypocritical.”

With a flick of his wrist, the Dark Sygnus heaved a heavy, curved sword forward, tossing it at the Dreigiau’s feet. It glittered with a deep golden sheen, decorated by the etchings of a long, majestic lion. It, too, was splattered with blood.

Zemi’s face contorted at the sight of it. A sudden rage burned in his eyes, focus breaking away from the rift, shifting to the harbinger that stood before them.

“Zemi! No! Don’t — crud! Energy levels dropping drastically! We need to get out!” NaDo shouted a warning.

“Hypocritical. Just like everything you’ve ever said to me,” Lucci hissed.

“No! It was never like that! Never!” Zemi snarled, moving towards the Sygnus with a deadly furor. “We took you in! Cared for you! Gave you a home and even trained you! How could you turn on us like this?!”

“Did you really think that your so-called care,” the Sygnus drew the word out in disdain, “Could stop what I was meant to become? I didn’t kill these people, Dreigiau. Your idealistic hope did!”

A rumble rose up in Zemi’s throat, his eyes locked on the Sygnus.

Lucci lifted his blade, ready. A sickly smile crossed his face, “That’s right. Let me drink your power, Arweinydd. You would give me far more than these little Earthians have.”

“ZEMI! RIFT IS CLOSING!” NaDo’s voice bellowed, trying to break through the rage.

Zemi didn’t flinch. It was as if nothing but the Sygnus existed to him at this moment — the clashing of wills, a face-off of natural enemies that stretched back into ancient times, back to the Time Before.

Sygnus and Arweinydd.

And if legends spoke rightly, the Arweinydd would lose.

I can’t just stand and watch this! I have to do something!

SoYa thrust his staff forward, focusing his power into the stone. The staff that his father had once helped him craft… back when he had first learned what it had meant to be what he was, an Athrylith. And all that time they had spent recently… Father training him so hard. Teaching him. And Tsu.

Tsu…

And Aunt SaRa. Now Kudako. Aur. They would never see the light of this new world, the memories and sacrifices lost to the old lands. They would not be there to guide the struggles of the refugees that would have to work to start all over again. He was the last of the Ya family line. He alone, would have to lead the people.

And it’s all… your… FAULT!

A pulse of multi-colored power lit the staff’s stone, sending a shaft of light straight into the fray, slicing between Sygnus and Arweinydd. Unexpected, Lucci reeled back from the blast, a crackling pulse spreading across his shoulder, smoking where he was hit.

“ZEMI!” NaDo demanded.

Finally, the Arweinydd jerked his head around. He stared at NaDo, then at the wavering rift in realization. Whatever had held the Dreigiau captivated had broken as the Sygnus’ attention swung about, focusing with a terrible intensity on SoYa instead.

“You… the son of ZenToYa…”

It felt like the breath was being crushed out of SoYa’s lungs. Shifting tendrils of mist crept over the ground, towards his feet. But no matter how much he fought and threw his will against it, he could not find the strength to move.

“You think you can fight me when your father could not?” the Sygnus sneered taking a slow step forward.

Searing pain raced through his limbs, shadows moving over him, gripping him. For a fleeting moment, SoYa was reminded of the shadows that had taken his brother.

“Would you really give your life for your people? What would you risk to defend your homelands?”

“Every…thing…” SoYa croaked, fighting for breath.

“Then you shall be bound to share the tainted fate of Nefol,” the chilling voice cursed him.

The Sygnus’ silver eyes bore into his own, stripping away all the warmth in the world. SoYa doubled over, the pain becoming too intense for him to bear. His shaking hands struggled to keep grip of his staff, knees trembling and dropping him to the ground. His watery eyes could make out the darkness that had begun to stretch across his skin, spreading from his fingertips and up his arms.

“Power at 30 percent! Now or never!” NaDo’s voice edged with worry.

Faintly, SoYa could hear Maru’s pleading voice. “Take KiNa! Take him, Lady Zazo!”

-Don’t you think I have enough to carry?- the She-Wolf growled as she bore the Marked Champion towards the fading rift.

“He’s just a little boy! Please, take him!” a mother’s cry.

Even Zazo couldn’t seem to deny that. With a huff, the Arweinydd clamped down on the back of the child’s tunic, lifting the boy between her teeth.

“Mommy!” KiNa cried, little wings stretching and straining, reaching for his parents. “Daddy!”

“GO! GO!” NaDo shouted, slamming his fist on the machine as if to keep it running just a few moments longer.

The She-Wolf whipped around, lunging for the rift, carrying child and Marked through the final flickers of the blue Vision Stone light.

SoYa felt himself lifted from behind. Strong hands pulling him up, off his feet. The world jolted around him as his senses faded in and out of awareness. Distantly, he could see Zemi above him, carrying him.

“Lucci! You don’t have to do this!” Maru’s voice echoed from what seemed an immeasurable distance. “We know this isn’t you! This isn’t what you’d want!”

The Sygnus’ step faltered, but only momentarily. His voice was grave, “It’s too late for that.”

“No! No it’s not! You have to stop this!” NaDo begged.

SoYa felt the trickling light surround them as Zemi ran, carrying him to the rift. He reached back towards the wavering images of NaDo and Maru as they moved forward. He watched as they put themselves between the Stone and the Sygnus.

“I can’t!” Lucci cried and lunged forward, his fevered silver eyes locked upon the retreating Dreigiau.

The black blade lifted.

The sounds of screams. A crack like thunder split the air. A brilliant blue light.

The sensation of falling. Burning agony and choking breath. A terrible pain ripping through his body. Pain so overwhelming that drove his thoughts and senses to nothingness.

His mind reeled, struggling to keep hold of himself. But then that, too, was washed away.

There was no sensation left… followed by a deep, dark sleep.

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The Sygnus’ long silver hair swayed with a ghostly quality, blending into the flow of mist that billowed around him.

“Lucci! Lucci, you CAN’T do this!” Kaz’s voice pleaded from behind him. The cry was so desperate. So hoarse and filled with fear. It was so unlike how his friend usually sounded.

Lucci turned, pausing just a moment on the long, broken stairway to look back. The Sygnus’ long silver hair swayed with a ghostly quality, blending into the flow of mist that billowed around him, gleaming along the outline of his tall silver wings. The mist was always there now. They were always there in the mist. There was no getting rid of Them.

No running away from what he was. They had traveled long across the now-barren lands of the Inner Realms, all the way to the darkened heart of Nefol. There was no turning back. He knew what he had to do.

“I have to stop him,” Lucci answered in a boyish way. But his voice was not a child’s voice anymore – he was no longer the boy that Kaz had guided. “There’s only one way. You know that.”

“No… Lucci… look at yourself!” the spirit motioned with both hands. “This sword… these wings… You’re not thinking straight!”

“I’m fine!” the Sygnus snapped back with a tone he had never used with his friend before. Instantly, something deep inside him felt ashamed. And he lowered his voice. “When I get done, it’ll be over with, Kaz. Then no one will have to be afraid anymore.”

Kaz just looked stunned. And older somehow. His eyes were sad, ringed with worry and the inability to stop what he saw unfolding before him. But he tried one last time, “Please, Lucci-boy. Come home with me.”

It was the wrong thing to say. And the spirit realized it with a blanch the moment that the silver light sparked in the Sygnus’ eyes.

“Home?” Lucci flourished the long slender sword in one fist. It gave off a cold and victorious light, feeding into the mists. Into the chill that surrounded the silver-haired young man. “Home? In case you didn’t notice, there is no home to go back to. The Islands have fallen! Wyndor will be next! There will be nowhere to go to! This has got to be stopped!”

Without further words, the Sygnus wheeled around and began to storm up the stairs once more. The structure that loomed before him was tall, tilted to one side and cracked up and down its length. It was what was left of the once-great Spire of Nefol. But now that the Inner Realms had completely fallen under the sway of Zeromus’ taint and darkness, there was little left of the former beauty and light of the land.

If he was nervous about what he knew was coming, Lucci didn’t show it. He simply gripped the long dark blade in one hand. With the other hand he adjusted the shoulder of his light armor… which he had pieced together from plates that belonged to people three sizes smaller than him.

Not as if that matters now. I doubt I’m going to be walking away from this fight.

Zeromus.

He was the cause of every pain, darkness and death that the Sygnus had known. Time after time. Battle after battle. Little by little… the dark, ruthless force had chipped away at the last of the light, held within the people of the Dreigiau. And now, with Ceiswyr gone, hope had plummeted, just like the Islands from the sky.

But now that I have this sword… I can defeat him. Whether or not he really is my…

All of his life, Lucci had been treated as the Bane. The one that would tear the world he loved apart. Because he was a Sygnus — a child of the heavens and the earth. Possessing unknown powers, wrapped in the cold child of death itself. And because his father was said to be Zeromus, the Hatred.

But none of that mattered now. Whether or not the people of Ceiswyr believed in him. Whether or not he had any chance against the shadow that was so much greater than him. He was going to fight it. Just like he promised Lord Zemi he would.

And maybe then… they’ll like me.

The way ahead was blocked at the top of the stairs. But this did not concern Lucci. The huge doors crashed inwards at a flick of his hand. The rock cracked and crumpled into a pile on the other side of the doorway as if it was nothing more than brittled bread. He stepped over it, his tall black boots crushing down on the rubble as if he bore an immense and invisible weight.

Kaz had stopped, frozen on the other side of the doorway. Lucci didn’t say anything, but he could feel the lack of his guide behind him. In response to his thoughts, an answer came, low and sad.

“I am not strong enough to enter Zeromus’ Keep. This is as far as I can go, Lucci-boy,” the spirit intoned with a heavy sound. Unshed tears glittered in his eyes… if such a thing could really exist within one that had passed into the Mists.

“Thank you for everything, Kaz,” the young Sygnus paused. He looked back a last time, wishing he had not. The sight of tears was almost too much for him. Almost enough to make the child he once was want to rush back and embrace his old friend. Steeling his emotions, he pursed his lips instead. “I won’t forget…”

Lucci could hear the sound of Kaz’s weeping as he turned away again, “I won’t forget you… either… Lucci-boy…”

As he walked, the anguished sound was soon swallowed up within the pressing darkness that surrounded him. The only light was the swirling of the silver mists and the dim glow that trickled from his wings. Even that seemed to struggle to remain. Breath also came hard in the depths of the Spire, as the very air there was too tainted and decayed to breathe.

The young Sygnus couldn’t see where his steps were leading him. All he had was the depths of his senses. The overwhelming knowledge of where his enemy, his father, was.

If Zeromus could be called a father at all.

I was nothing to him… nothing but a weapon.

Lucci sucked in a long breath, pausing as a shaft of light appeared somewhere in the distance. The first thing that he had seen since entering the structure.

A low hiss echoed across the darkness of the chamber. In the lone shaft of light, Lucci could see the hunched forms of shadows loping towards him. Only the slightest glimmer of black eyes, then they were gone. The room was filled with the sound of animalistic hisses and half screeches.

The Marked! They weren’t supposed to be here! I thought they’d all be in the Spiral!

The creatures of Zeromus were awake and on the prowl. Though usually the Marked were very little challenge for him – in fact, they were often too scared of Lucci to even attack him – these advanced with a particularly aggressive air.

There’s a lot of them… this could be a problem.

Claws and fangs gleamed sharply as they paced just on the fringe of the shrinking cloud of mist around the Sygnus’ feet. What had once been whole and healthy creatures… people… animals… were now nothing but decayed, mindless husks of their former life.

I should have known Zeromus wouldn’t leave himself unguarded.

Lucci had fought his share of Marked … but now he was on Zeromus’ turf where these creatures were fed directly with the dark power. And Marked were notorious for inhuman strength and speed.

I wonder if they’ll attack. And if they do… can I beat them?

The stench of decay grew too overwhelming for Lucci to bear. He drew his collar up over his nose, backing away slowly, his blade held tightly in his other hand. His silver eyes darted around, looking for anything he could use to his advantage. But there was nothing. Nothing but darkness and the wicked things that grew there.

The Marked began to fret and hiss as he moved. Some lashed at his feet with black dripping claws, reeling back as the silver mists turned away their strikes. They shrieked from it, like a creature scathed. And began to strike more fiercely at the offending mist, advancing closer and closer towards Lucci.

Suddenly, a tremendous, soul-freezing sound shattered the air. A large winged shadow swept out from walls of darkness, alighting deftly in the center of the streaming light. Another shriek erupted from its mouth as it raised a flashing, black-bladed scythe over its head. A weapon that was all too familiar to the young Sygnus.

“M…Master… TsuYa?” Lucci staggered back at the sight. For the first time, real fear began to break through his façade of bravery.

The rest of the Marked scattered at the sound of the great shriek, commanded back to their darkness once again. It was obvious that the winged Champion held a lot of power over the lesser creatures. Once the other Marked were gone, the vicious black eyes focused on Lucci. The young Sygnus recoiled more — this creature was hardly like the Master TsuYa he remembered.

Last time I saw him… he was Marked but…

The winged Marked was far larger than Lucci remembered, wrapped in the drape of cloth that had been torn and shredded where his form had out-grown it in places. His skin was a dead grey color and mottled with seething gashes of ooze where many thick black spikes had erupted through his flesh. His hair was also dark, except for the one shock of white that fell across his brow and partly obscured his face. Wide wings of black spread from his shoulders, dripping in decay.

Lucci’s stomach twisted in revulsion and grief. One of the things he had hoped to do by facing Zeromus was to free his former teacher from the curse of the Marked.

But maybe… I’m too late now.

“Put the sword down, boy,” TsuYa’s lips curled back, a showing of fangs. His clawed hands gripped the scythe in warning.

Lucci suddenly realized that he was holding his own weapon ready, as if to take on the Marked Champion. Just as quickly, he dropped the point, shivering to think what might happen should he go head to head with Master TsuYa’s battle prowess.

“That’s better.”

“You can still… talk?”

Another snarl, “Of course I can.”

“Master TsuYa, I–”

“That’s not my name anymore,” a low growl erupted from behind black eyes.

Lucci took a step back in surprise. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Afterall, if he wasn’t supposed to call Master TsuYa by his own name, he didn’t know what to call him.

“Nevermind,” the Champion gave a snuff, grounding the butt of his scythe by his boot. “Follow me. Master Zeromus is expecting you.”

“You mean… you’re going to take me to him?” the Sygnus asked.

“Those were my orders.”

“Oh?” Lucci said, feeling the prickle of unease over his skin.

But before he could ask any more questions, Master TsuYa was already on the move, heading towards the single dark outline of an arched doorway ahead. The Sygnus followed quickly, not wanting to be left behind when the other Marked crept out once again.

Unlike the previous chambers, this one was alight with an eerie silver glow. A familiar sort of light – the kind that Lucci always saw in the mists around him. Only, this silver didn’t belong to him. Or the mists. It was something else. And as he stepped inside, he could see that the glow was contained in a large glass-like globe.

But Zeromus was nowhere to be found.

“What is this?” the Sygnus asked, turning towards the Champion.

The way that the silver reflected off of Master TsuYa’s hollow eyes was unnerving. Just as unnerving as the silence. The winged Marked said nothing. He simply back-stepped out of the room. Before Lucci could argue, the arched doorway shut with a thunderous sound, leaving no spot in the wall that showed there had ever been a door before.

“WAIT!” Lucci shouted, fear beginning to bubble up within him. He pounded on the wall with one fist. But it was closed solid. “Master TsuYa! Don’t leave me here!”

There was nothing but silence as his answer.

Maybe there’s another way out…

Lucci peered around the strange chamber cautiously. His limbs felt suspended and his motions, even walking, odd and under-watery. Light seemed to flicker through draping veils of various color from above, casting skittering shadows upon the wall. The floor under his feet, looking to have once been polished to a shine, was far too grimy now to give up his reflection.

The humid stench of death and long-rot draped over the room, seeping into his pores. Death of a very violent nature. Long, stiff figures lay crumpled against the far wall, some seeping dark pools that charted rivers across the grimy floor. Faceless, they were covered in long white squares of cloth, bearing the splattered remembrance of once-living things.

Why does this place feel so familiar…?

In the center of the room was a display of technological wonder. Everything about it was eerily alien — a strange spiral of life tangled within death. The structure emanated a pale, ghostly light as if infused by the lost souls of the pooling figures on the far side of the chamber.

Why do I think that I’ve been here before?

“Because,” a distant voice rose to greet him. A voice that he knew without knowing. “This was the place where you came into existence, LuShi.”

The Sygnus turned quickly, gripping his sword more tightly. “Zeromus.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Come out and show yourself!” Lucci grounded his teeth, turning around again. There was no sight of the bearer of the voice.

“My son… Are you so ready to take this step without knowing all there is to know?”

He shook his head, “I’ve seen enough. I know enough. And I’m not your son!”

“You can deny many things about yourself, child. But you cannot deny that,” the voice chuckled softly. It was so calm. Bearing so little ill will.

But Lucci knew it had to be a trick. “I’m here to put an end to this. You’ve taken… you’ve killed… too many people!”

“And you think you have not?” came the ripple of an answer.

The Sygnus grew stiff, a cold feeling bottoming at the pit of his stomach. When he answered, it was with slow words, “No. I’ve never killed anyone.”

“Are you sure, LuShi?”

“Yes! I’m sure! I’ve never hurt anyone! I’ve never killed anyone! Nothing except for your Marked… but they’re already dead,” he replied, becoming a bit more frantic.

“Ahh… but that is where you are unaware.”

“Unware?”

“Unaware of yourself. What you are. And what was done to create you.”

Part of Lucci reeled back in revulsion. Did he want to know? For knowing, once unlocked, could never be taken back. Everything he had ever learned in life had only stolen away the innocence that had brought him happiness.

Yet…

It was too tempting. There were so many questions he had. So many things he wanted to know.

“I have brought you here to give you a gift, my son,” the voice was coaxing. Almost warm. Almost fatherly.

And much to his dismay, something within Lucci responded to that voice. Something that he found he had very little control over.

“You see… you may not have killed anyone by your own hand, child. But hundreds upon hundreds died to bring about your creation,” the words intoned, burning into his mind. “To feed your soul and give it awareness… to bind you to the world of the Mists. Where death is your power… and your one hungry desire.”

Lucci began to shake.

People… died?  He killed people… to create me?

“Yes… I know you’ve felt it, LuShi. You can’t escape what you were born to become. Already, it’s begun. The wings are just the start,” the voice told him gently. “You’ve fought and fought to be like them. And all they will ever do is reject you. Because you are so much more… you are the embodiment of all that the living fear.”

“No…” his voice cracked with pain. The pain of realization. That what Zeromus said was true. As much as he hated it. It was all true.

I wasn’t born. I was made.

His eyes lifted, darkened by the churning shadows that drew nearer and nearer. That crowded his mind. Twisted his thought.

And I was made with this curse. This curse powered by death…

The strange silver light held within the globe in the center of the room churned in time to the darkness outside. And he felt strangely compelled to walk towards it. One hand reached up, towards the calling light.

I was made to become exactly what he wanted me to be — the Bane.

“That’s right… here is your gift, my son,” the voice urged him. “Take it. Receive your real wings.”

Real wings? But I already have…

Lucci withdrew his hand quickly. But it was a moment too late. Cracks had already formed along the side of the globe – the silver light was compelled to move towards Lucci just as much as he was to it. That’s when he realized that locked within were the spirits of all those who had been destroyed in order to create him.

“NO!” he pulled back with a sharp breath.

But the orb shattered, sending a spray of glass across the room. Shards slashed into his flesh, but Lucci did not feel it. The only thing he could see was the churning silver light as it rose up over him like a cresting wave. As it crashed down on him, he could feel an immense power rush through his limbs, lifting him up, even as a cry of despair rang from his lips.

He was losing himself.

Fragments.

He saw hundreds of lives flash before his eyes.

Joy. Sorrow. Discovery. Loss. All of it drew into him.

All of it filled every inch of him, squeezing him from inside until he felt like he would burst. Squeezing him until all that was himself could no longer be told apart from that which was so many others.

Burning.

And when he looked into the last remaining crest of glass, where the round orb once stood, he saw a reflection that he did not recognize. Blood streaks. Long, ragged silver hair. A dark sword in one hand. And the large arcs of silver wings rising from his back.

But, no matter how intently he looked, he could not remember his name.

A soft voice rose up, tickling the back of his mind. He thought he should know it.

He thought that there was something about the voice that was important. Perhaps it was the reason he was standing there in that strange room to begin with?

But none of that mattered as he listened with new delight. For the voice was offering him something he had lost — his name.

“Luccious. My son… you have come back to me.”

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Everywhere Zemi looked, the walls seemed to glow and pulsate with an inner life of their own.

It’s all there… Every last bit of it.

Images of Zerom’s coming. The fall of Nefol. The Migration from Ceiswyr. The battles with Zeromus. The fall of the Islands. And now the coming of a new leader to the Spiral lands.

But the images didn’t stop there. To Zemi’s growing trepidation, they spanned even into what appeared to be their future. Battles in the Spiral. A frantic flight into a deep, forested land. And a tall pillar of blue stone, that appeared to be much like the Vision Stone that NaDo had spoken so frantically about.

What is this…?

A light shown around the stone in the image. People were lined up, walking into it. The ones furthest away had wings… but as the people came closer to the light, the pictures showed people who were stripped of wings and a great looming darkness over them all. On the other side of the light was a round shape – the image of a world, Zemi knew.

What does this all mean? Is this what is yet to come?

Zento had given the images a couple of glances. But not making any sense of them, he simply shrugged and peeked further down the stairwell, leaving the Dreigiau to his thoughts.

“Look! Look at this!” AsaHi’s voice resounded from the narrow walls. Her excitement broke the Arweinydd’s concentration and he reluctantly turned to follow the rest of them down the stairwell. As they rounded the final corner, it was as if they had walked into another world.

This has to be the Stone Lair…

The chamber was enormous, looking to have been naturally weathered out from the heart of the stone over many, many thousands of years. It was the same sort of blue stone that the key was made of.

The same kind of stone that NaDo claimed the Vision Stone is made out of.

Everywhere Zemi looked, the walls seemed to glow and pulsate with an inner life of their own. Tiny streams of water trickled down the face of the walls from minuscule cracks far above, forming clear, reflective pools in lower parts of the cavern. Once, long ago, a river may have run through the underground passage, sculpting out many caves and tunnels through the blue stone, leading deeper and deeper than imagination could comprehend.

And though no sunlight was there to provide nourishment, plants grew everywhere. Strange, wondrous plants of many colors that reared tall above Zemi’s head. Treelike growths stretched up into eternity, vanishing beyond sight into the vaulted ceilings of the Lair. Flowers swayed, dripping petals down over the cool surface of the pools. The sound of scampering things darted through the wide glowing leaves, leaving them to wonder after the sounds.

This place… has so much life.

“Zemi, look!” AsaHi exclaimed, rushing up to him. She lifted one hand up, showing him the familiar form of a blushing red flower. “It’s a Cred! How did it get here?”

“I…” the Dreigiau gaped at it with a loss for words.

That’s impossible… those flowers only grow with the nourishment of Arweinydd power. I know – I grow them myself!

His teal-flecked eyes shot up to the pulsing stone of the walls around them, searching. For the first time, he could feel it. Whatever secrets that Aur had hinted at… there was something really there for him to discover.

“Zemi? Are you okay?”

That has to mean that this light…

The Dreigiau didn’t answer to the call of his name. His mind was focused, struggling to connect. To understand the feelings that were welling within his chest. With a glazed-eye expression, he shuffled closer to the nearest pillar of blue stone.

I have to know. Who are you? Where did you come from?

“What’s he doing?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s upset about the Cred?”

“Zemi? Where are you going? Are you sure we should mess with anything in here?”

Their voices began to fade away, replaced by a soft thrumming, almost like a heartbeat. It rose and fell with the pulsing glow of the blue stone. As he came closer and closer, Zemi could feel his own breath and heartbeat begin to slow, falling in time to the rhythmic cadence.

You have seen into the future. Can you show me the way?

The world dimmed around him as his hand reached out. The blue light filled his vision as the thrumming filled his ears. His fingers brushed the surface, meeting with a familiar jolt. Zemi felt the burst of pure power rush through his body. A deep rumble vibrated through his being, shaking the chamber as his form was ripped away.

The senses of sight and sound and touch were no more. The Earthian means of interacting with the world that he had studied and strove so long to imitate was wiped away.

Nothing but energy was left.

~Zemiiii…~

Something like a voice came to him from within the brilliant white nothingness. He gathered up enough awareness to focus on it.

~It has been a long wait, Zemi Dreigiau. But you have come to be here, just as it was hoped.~

Memory roused within him. The images that had been on the wall in the stairwell. Struggling to find his own words, he answered.

Then… this was all preordained?

Tiny specks of light drifted across his vision, swirling and capering. Space around him seemed to stretch into endlessness. His own light blurred and shifted. He found it difficult to hold on to even that.

~No. It was simply one.~

One? One what?

~One path out of the Infinite Ways.~

A flourish was felt rather than seen. Realization came to Zemi… that was where he was now.

The Infinite Ways… the place where the past and present and all worlds that might have been… meet together.

It felt strange to acknowledge it. As if the knowledge was coming from somewhere beyond himself.

How did I know that…?

~The same way that you know about the Time Before and the Mistake… though you did not experience them. This place is a part of the essence of all Arweinydd… though so few of our kind have stepped into the Ways. And those who have often find themselves lost to it.~

A flicker of surprise rippled over his awareness.

Our kind? Do you mean to say that you are Arweinydd?

There was a momentary pause. Then the space around him began to grow brighter. One by one, the tiny specks of light expanded, growing in strength until they were vast before him. How he wasn’t consumed by the enormity of them, he didn’t know.

~Yes. ~

Zemi flinched back, struggling to hold on to his own light. To not get lost in the draw of the Ways or the power of the Others. For the first time, Zemi felt truly small.

~We are all that remains of the essence of Arweinydd from the Time Before. We gave our life light to power the chamber of stone that you saw upon the Living World. It was there that we helped to shelter those who survived the Mistake.~

You mean like Aur… and the Dragonkin?

There was the sense of confirmation.

~As well as some of the Earthian tribes – though they do not remember. And… one small group of young Arweinydd. Including yourself.~

What?

But there was no answer to his surprise. The voice simply continued.

~ The balance of Chaos and Creation must be maintained. If it is not, things fall out of order. Paths in the Ways begin to merge and overlap each other unnaturally. And all can be lost. ~

Zemi felt a shudder ripple through his form.

~ The wars of the Dragon, Arweinydd and the Sygni pushed this existence into the Mistake. We have given all that we could to maintain life in the aftermath. We cannot allow such a thing to happen again.~

No… of course not.

The voice paused. When it spoke again, the weight of the words were heavy upon him.

~It is in your hands to bear the light of Creation and to maintain the balance and protecting the life of the Earthians you lead. This is, above all, the most important.~

I’m trying… I’m doing my best. But it’s impossible to protect my people if I can’t fight against the Chaos. Can you help me?

The voice did not answer at first. When it did, the words were not at all what Zemi was expecting.

~Zemi Dreigiau… Look around yourself. Look at the vastness of possibility and potential. The endless could-bes and might-bes. Do you not understand yet that though you are a great power among  your people, you are but a part of all that is? There is so much more to the events of time than merely your own efforts.~

Puzzled, the Dreigiau searched for a response. He found none.

I don’t understand.  Does that mean you won’t help?

~We will help you to achieve the part you are here to play. But you, alone, cannot hold up the fate of the world.~

Hold on. That goes against everything Earthians write about. There is always someone to save the world.

It was almost the sound of laughter.

~Yes, that’s their vision. But there is rarely a single champion that can overcome everything on his own.~

I know… I have lots of great people with me, too!

A slight sigh.

~Zemi, I don’t know how else to tell you. But, the champions of creation who are meant to battle the Chaos of Zeromus have not yet come.~

The Dreigiau’s tone lifted with incredulity.

What do you mean? We have plenty of great warriors right here!

~I understand that and agree. But Chaos will not be overthrown until Creation has found a balanced foothold against it. Right now, that just doesn’t exist… and it may take time.~

Are you saying that I’m not good enough for the job? That I can’t take on Zerom?

~I’m saying that it may not be your purpose to defeat him. But you have a purpose that is just as important… in paving the way to bringing about those who will.~

Miffed, the Arweinydd retorted.

Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do! I am Zemi Dreigiau!

A shaft of pale white light shown from directly below, between the drifting clouds of the Ways.

~Zemi, wait! Don’t go back yet! We haven’t been able to tell you everything!~

The Dreigiau had already decided. If the shaft below as the passage back home, as the voice seemed to indicate, that was exactly where he was going.

I’ve heard enough of your talk. I look around the Ways and I am convinced… I can choose my own path with or without your help.

~Please Zemi!~

The voice was growing more distant. Slowly, Zemi could feel a sense of his form again. And heaviness.

~You must protect your people at all costs! You must take them to the world beyond..!~

Heaviness flooded through him, pulling him down. Down. Down through the shaft.

~You must take them to the Vision Stone before it it’s too late!~

Once again the world flooded into his senses. Earthian senses. The vision of the blue stone walls and lush gardens. The smell of flowers and leafy brush. And the vast sound of his own roar as it filled the Stone Lair.

Zemi’s head snaked back, Dragon jaws opening wide. His wings unfurled, stretching vast within the immeasurable flow of Arweinydd energy. The Others, despite his rebuke against them, were filling him with new power and strength. Once again, he was the great white wardragon. Once again, the ground trembled under his feet and quivered at his roar.

Once again, he was the Dragon Patron.

And with the newfound power, he would rise up to challe-

“ZEMI!” AsaHi’s sharp shout rose to his ears.

“Huh?!” his head snapped around to see the girl hanging off the end of his tail.

She gripped the tufted fur with determination, brows lowered as she glared up into the face of the gigantic Dragon. “What are you doing!?”

The Dreigiau’s ears folded back a bit. “I was…”

“You scared us to death, Zemi!” Zento walked forward with a similar frown. “It’s great that you’ve got your Dragon form working again. But could you at least warn us before you go on a rawring rampage!”

“Uh… uh…” Zemi shook his mane out, slowly coming back to his senses. “Sorry.”

“So what happened? What did you find out?” SoYa asked, daring to walk closer, too.

“I…” The more senses that returned, the more he felt his hopes sinking.

“Zemi?” AsaHi asked, face turning concerned.

“Just… give me a moment,” the Dreigiau rumbled, lowering his head to the ground. “And I’ll tell you.”

If there was one thing the Others were right about, it was the fact that he couldn’t do this alone.

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“Zemi,” Zento murmured, holding his globe up to inspect the nearby wall. “Come check this out.”

NaDo looked like he was about to have a heart attack (as the Earthians often stated). His pen flew across the surface of the writing scroll, detailing each and every happening there within the Lion’s Keep. Every now and then, the winged man would mutter under his breath. Something that sounded like, “Amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

It hadn’t taken them long to figure out how to use the key stone that ShinRe brought. The Spiral Leader had been determined that the entrance to the Stone Lair was there within the Keep. So they had searched the chamber over, looking for some kind of passage or doorway.

Instead, they had found a blank spot in the center of a mural on the wall with an obviously tear-drop shaped indentation in the center. When they fitted the stone into the spot, part of the wall had rumbled and slid aside, offering a clear path down a narrow and dark flight of stairs.

That was the point when NaDo had lost any shred of self control. The scientist had paused in collecting his data and was now shaking Zento around by the shoulder.

“Don’t you see?” he exclaimed. “Don’t you see what this is?”

“NaDo, no. I don’t see!” the warrior grumbled at being shaken around. “Why don’t you explain?”

Zemi wasn’t so sure that was a good thing to ask. Afterall, his curiosity was piqued by the waiting passageway in the Keep’s wall. And the scientist could get awful long winded when he had something uber exciting to share.

We all adore you, NaDo. But you just can’t keep things to yourself.

“This here–” NaDo waved his hand over a patch of wide green on the mural, right around the place where the key stone had been inserted. “It’s a forest, right? And this here, this blue looks like an ocean to me. What do you think?”

Zento squinted with a frown, “I guess it could be. Why?”

The scientist stretched his palms forward. “I was right! There is a connection to this and the Vision Stone. This mural – it’s a picture of the forest and the ocean around our lab! And this little stone… see, it’s sitting in the middle of the forest as a representation of the Vision Stone itself!”

“Oooookay…” the warrior glanced over his shoulder.

“Are you sure of this?” Zemi asked, finding himself growing interested, too.

“Of course I’m sure, Lord Zemi,” NaDo told him. Once again, his pen was working over the paper, this time sketching out the image on the wall. “I’ve lived there for years. I know what it looks like.”

“Hm…” the Dreigiau rumbled a bit under his breath. He glanced over towards Aur with an inquiring look. But the Watcher would not meet his gaze.

He’s not giving anything away. That means NaDo must be right. There must be some sort of connection. I wonder why Aur won’t throw us a bone about it.

“Are you going to stay here or are you going to follow us down?” Zento asked with a sly look.

Instantly, the scientist perked up, losing interest in the wall. “Oh, by all means. I’m coming down.”

“That’s what I thought,” the warrior peered over at Zemi, handing over the situation without further words.

The Dreigiau nodded quickly, “Alright. Let’s get g–”

“Wait,” Aur spoke.

Everyone froze. All eyes turned towards the Watcher curiously.

“Only a few should go this time,” Aur told them simply.

“What? Why?” NaDo’s excitement had turned into disappointment.

“I understand that you want to study the phenomenon. But there are very important things that will happen the first time that the Stone Lair is opened,” the Watcher explained.

“That’s exactly why I want to be there to see it,” the scientist pouted.

“You will have plenty of time to study these things,” Aur reassured him. “But for now, Lord Zemi should choose a few to support him.”

The Dreigiau blinked around, at a loss. All of the Earthians here were good and supportive.

How am I supposed to choose?

“Zento,” Zemi began, the logical choice being his own Champion.

The winged man bowed with a slight grin on his face.

“AsaHi,” the Dreigiau then turned towards the girl. After what had almost happened to him, in the grips of Zerom’s Chaos, he was concerned about not having her at his side.

The girl nodded and stepped forward.

And where there was AsaHi, Zemi knew there had to be another. “SoYa.”

The young Athrylith straightened, seeming surprised that he was chosen. He didn’t say a word. Instead, he came to stand next to AsaHi, sucking on his bottom lip.

Zemi gave an abashed look at Kudako. He could already sense that he had probably chosen more than the “few” that Aur would have suggested. But he didn’t want to leave anyone out – especially not his most loyal of servants. The Dragon, however, didn’t seem offended.

“I will wait for you here, Lord Zemi. If you require my assistance, just call and I will come,” Kudako told him.

The Dreigiau nodded, thankfully. Then he turned towards Aur again. “Will this do?”

“It should be fine,” the Watcher replied with a nod.

“What about you?” Zemi asked.

Aur gave a hint of a smile. “I will not be going. There are secrets that you must find for yourself. I would do nothing but distract from the focus of these secrets.”

“I see,” the Dreigiau frowned.

Always talking in riddles. Darn Watcher is worse than us Arweinydd.

“Okay… are we ready?” Zemi turned and looked at his Earthian support team.

“Let’s do this!” Zento pumped his fist, already making his way towards the narrow passage ahead.

AsaHi nodded quietly while SoYa looked somewhat uncertain. But they both moved forward as the Arweinydd did. Zento led the way, spinning a soft blue light between his fingers. Carefully, he shaped the light into a small glowing sphere that hovered just over his shoulder — a “Zento globe” as he was so fond of calling it.

The stairway ahead of them was illuminated, soft blue on the golden stone. It was hard to tell how old the structure was, but it was obvious that it had been a very long time since anyone had opened the passage, much less traveled down the stairs. Long streams of silver-white cobwebs choked the air, getting tangled stickily in Zemi’s hair. In places, the dampness had soaked through the stone walls, spilling dark mosses and delving mushrooms.

The air was stuffy and gritty to breathe. AsaHi had already pulled her collar up around her mouth and nose while squirming to brush away any cobwebs that touched her.

“Ew! Ew… I sure hope there’s more down here than bugs and dirt,” her voice was muffled through the cloth.

“Yeah, me, too!” SoYa agreed, his own hand covering his face.

“Don’t worry… if Aur believes there is something to this place, then we should believe it, too,” Zemi told them. He brushed his own fingers through his bushy mane. “I just wish it wasn’t so hard on the hair.”

As they continued downward, it felt as if the world was lost for any light. The pressure of the Keep grew heavier above them. The smell of the deep earth and musty closure was all the air they had left to breathe. After a while, even Zemi started to have his doubts.

I wonder what is down here that would be so important? Maybe it’s not here anymore.

His companions didn’t speak another word of doubt. They simply followed the blue light deeper and deeper into the heart of the Keep.

If we don’t find something soon, we’re going to have to turn back.

Eventually, it came to the Dreigiau’s attention that the air had begun to grow cleaner and less gritty to breathe. Though it was difficult to tell due to the color of the Zento globe, he thought that the stone of the stairs had changed, too — becoming darker and cleaner under their feet.

“Zemi,” Zento murmured, holding his globe up to inspect the nearby wall.  “Come check this out.”

“Hmmm?” the Dreigiau responded, walking forward. He could feel AsaHi and SoYa following not too far behind.

The blue light of the globe illuminated tiny patterns of light and darkness that spread over the face of the stone, high above their head. It was hard to make out what it was they were seeing, but Zemi could recognize the same type of gem-encrusted mural work as the walls in the Keep above.

“Zento, can you give us more light?” Zemi reached out with one hand, brushing the thin layer of grim from the stones.

The Champion nodded, releasing his existing globe, already going to work on creating another. And another. And another. Until the whole passageway above them was lit by the glittering blue glow. The pictures on the walls glittered and sparkled with a surreal quality, tricking the eye to believe they were moving, even when Zemi knew they really couldn’t.

“What are they..?” SoYa breathed, staring up.

“Dragons,” AsaHi answered, holding tight to his arm. “Dragons… but they’re different?”

The mural portrayed with majestic beauty Dragons of every color. Wings wide, they seemed to glide with scales sparkling in the blue glow. Between them were sparks of light that appeared to be stars resting within the sky. The image left him with a profound feeling of inner peace and unity, though the Arweinydd didn’t know why.

“Yes. They were different,” Zemi told them, sadly. It had been a long time since he had thought of the Dragonkin, the first living creatures that he had met there upon that world.

“You knew them?” AsaHi asked.

“It was a very long time ago,” the Arweinydd answered. “They taught me how to take a Dragon form. They taught me a lot of things besides that… It was partly based upon their culture and civilization that I decided to found Nefol and Ceiswyr.”

“Dragon civilization?” SoYa asked with a furrowed brow.

“Indeed,” Zemi touched the wall, running his fingers over the length of one of the graceful Dragon images. “They, too, were creatures from the Time Before, originally. They never told me how they had come to be here or how they had survived as long as they did. All that I know about them, came and went in too short a time. Some died… but some vanished. I have never found another real Dragonkin since.”

“Dragonkin,” AsaHi breathed, touching the wall, too. “Is that what these are?”

“I think so,” the Dreigiau answered. “Dragonkin and Arweinydd.”

“Really?” Zento squinted. “Those look like stars to me.”

“They are Arweinydd.”

“How do you know?” the Champion gave him the arched eyebrow.

“I just do. Don’t argue,” Zemi shrugged and continued walking.

If there are images here on the stairwell, certainly we are getting close to something.

Zento just huffed and followed, silently ordering his army of globes to move along with them. Before long, the mural images began to change, as if depicting the passage of time.

It looks like there was some sort of fight.

The feelings of peace had faded away. The images of Dragons and Arweinydd became more and more at odds with each other, until the sky was awash with the colors of battle and war. The stones glittered more and more brightly, clashing with a light that was almost painful to look at. Until finally, the wall was covered with the brilliance of a great final eruption where the images of both Dragons and Arweinydd withered and fell. Followed by darkness.

The Mistake…

Zemi felt prickles over his form, not realizing he was shivering until he felt AsaHi’s soft hand on his arm.

“Is that…?”

“Yes,” there was a lump in his throat as he answered.

“That’s terrible…” SoYa whispered.

It was unspoken. But they all seemed to know what the images depicted.

“It doesn’t stop though,” Zento’s voice carried back to them. “Look at these!”

They all rushed forward just to stop and stare. What shown before them was almost impossible, given how long the images had to have been there.

“No way…” AsaHi breathed.

A star. It became a white dragon. And that dragon came to live with the Earthian peoples.

There were battles between the different kinds of people and many dragons that came to protect them. Then finally, a great cleft that was struck, breaking apart the lands and ending the war. Cities were built, both on the ground and in the sky.

Then a girl appeared, freeing the dragon and releasing him into the world. But shadows followed.

“Zemi,” Zento exclaimed, face pale as he stared up. “Zemi… this is about us!”

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It happened in an instant - he was pinned to the ground with, canine nose jabbed straight into his face.

“It’s good to see you finally come out of your hidey hole,” chirped a familiar voice.

Zento turned to find himself face to face with a flicker of his past – the cheerful face of his old friend, NaDoTu. He didn’t know how many decades it had been since he had last saw the funny freckles, easy grin and odd looking lenses of the strange little scientist. But it was a welcome sight.

“NaDo!” the warrior exclaimed, doing a roundabout in mid-step. He quickly rushed up to the other man and took him by the shoulders. “What are you doing here?”

“Probably the same thing you are,” NaDo answered with a quip. “I’ve been playing chauffeur for a certain young Sygnus who happened to find his way to the Vision Stone. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Not much, actually,” Zento frowned at the mention of LuShi. “It was pretty much all Zemi’s doing.”

“I see. And I figure,” the scientist nodded, walking along next to the warrior.

The streets in the Spiral were strange and slightly curved, leading between simple gold-stoned buildings that rose from the earth on either side. It had its own sort of charm, Zento decided, but was still a bit difficult for him to get used to.

Especially after spending so long being an enemy of these people.

When NaDo spoke again, his tone was more somber, “How have you been, Zento?”

The warrior swallowed, searching for the words to answer, “I’ve been better.”

“I heard about…”

“Yeah.”

NaDo put his hand on Zento’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “Just let me know if I can do anything… anything at all to help out.”

“Thanks,” the warrior answered. “I think I’ll pull through.”

“You always do, Zento.”

“Well,” he attempted a lighter sound, “Now that you’re here, I’m going to expect a little bit of that Tu miracle-working magic.”

“Hah!” NaDo quipped loudly. “I leave the magic to Maru.”

“How is she… and the little one?” Zento asked with a slight smile. It was strange to think of the high-strung NaDoTu actually settling down, finding a wife and raising a child.

“They’re fine… they’re fine,” the scientist perked up in the manner of a proud father and husband. The glimmer in his eye told Zento that he was in for a loooong explanation, “Augh! You should SEE KiNa! I wish I had an image sphere with me. He’s getting so big now! And he’s mastering flying like it’s no one’s business… he’s a natural in the air!”

“Yeah… they grow up fast, don’t they?”

“Sure do… sure do…” NaDo leaned back as he walked, folding his hands behind his head.

Just then, a string of shouts from down the street broke into their conversation. With a worried frown, Zento glanced at NaDo. Seeing the scientist mirroring his concern, the warrior began to walk faster, making his way towards the source of the commotion. He could hear the dismayed shouts coming from just ahead coupled with another sound… something akin to barking.

A wild animal get in here or something?

Very few times had Zento seen people of the Spiral fleeing. So as he watched the golden haired men scatter, ushering women and children out of the street, the warrior could only imagine the great, terrible dangers he might find around the next corner.

What a day to leave my weapon back in the room…

“Maybe we should go find some backup,” NaDo suggested with a shaky voice.

Zento pressed his back to the wall, inching forward along the side of one of the stone houses. “Let’s see what we’re up against, first.”

“Augh… you and your warrior’s pride!” the smaller man complained.

The warrior didn’t say a word. Instead, he reached out and pulled his friend next to him, flattening him along the stone as well. Carefully, Zento snaked his head around the corner, getting a good look into the streets ahead of him.

What the…

It took him a moment to figure out what he was seeing. A terrified group of Spiral people huddled at the far end of the square. The huge glowing wolf form of the Arweinydd, Zazo, as she loomed over them. One man was pinned under her massive paw, the wolf nose pointed down into his face. Then with a flip, she released him, barking with snapping jaws as he ran away in terror.

“Whoa,” NaDo was staring over his shoulder. “The angry Trine strikes people down!”

“No…” Zento muttered with a frown. “Something is wrong.”

Before the scientist could protest, the warrior slipped out from their hiding place, closing the distance between himself and the raging white wolf. The frantic Spiral man rushed past him, heading in the other direction, shouting warnings about the beast’s wrath.

“Zento!” NaDo called. “What in the name of the Seven Universes are you doing!?”

“I have no idea,” the warrior breathed, trying to push the apprehension out of his mind.

The Arweinydd was already reaching for another one of the Spiral commoners, a fevered light in her green eyes. The Champion rushed forward, intercepting… only to find the huge paw yanking him forward instead. It happened in an instant – he was pinned to the ground with, canine nose jabbed straight into his face.

“Zazo!” Zento exclaimed.

The She-Wolf glared at him for a long moment. Then she flipped him out from under her grasp with a short bark.

-Impostor! You aren’t Tsu, either!-

Zento rolled across the dust, wings curled around his body to lessen the impact. When he pushed himself up to his palms, he gave her an incredulous look, “Of course I’m not Tsu. I’m Zento!”

Zazo just gave a low growl, then turned back towards the group of Spiral commoners.

The warrior leapt up and grabbed her bushy tail. It may have meant a death sentence, but he knew he couldn’t let the Arweinydd keep carrying on. “What are you doing!?”

The She-Wolf spun around with a snap, pulling Zento off of his feet. -Be gone, Earthian!-

Seeing a chance to make a break for it, the Spiral commoners ran, scattering across the square. Leaving the white haired Champion to his own demise.

Now Zazo was really furious.

-They got away! After I spent all morning searching… I’m going to have to start all over again!-

“Searching?” Zento grit his teeth, staring into her slitted eyes. “Searching for what?”

-None of them are Tsu!- she proclaimed with a hint of a whine.

“Of course not,” the tension began to drain out of his body. Zento released her tail and dropped to the ground as understanding dawned on him. “You’re looking for Tsu…”

-Good for nothing Earthians! None of them are!-

“Zazo,” the Champion attempted the softest voice he could manage. “TsuYa is gone. He’s not here.”

-NO!- The She-Wolf almost howled. -No! He has to be! He can’t be gone!-

Zento lifted his hand slowly.

So much grief… She doesn’t know how to mourn, does she?

Carefully, he reached out and placed his palm along the side of her neck. The translucent fur was soft… but somewhat duller than he remembered. As if even her inner light had diminished, wrapped in the grips of sorrow.

“Zazo… listen to me.”

-Zerom can’t have him! Tsu belongs to me!- she snarled, the fur rising on the scruff of her neck.

Something about that left chills over his skin. But Zento attempted to push it aside with calm reasoning, “We’re going to try to find Tsu and get him back.”

-I was the one who watched over him when he would come to the Host Gate as a child! I was the one who watched him come there to practice… I was the one that watched over him as he grew up!- the She-Wolf proclaimed, fangs bared into the Champion’s face.

“You… did?” Zento stared back with a stunned expression. He had felt that there had been some connection between the Arweinydd and his youngest son, even from the moment she first appeared in the physical world. But he hadn’t known why… and he doubted that Tsu had known, either.

Zazo didn’t answer. She simply continued with a low whine.  -Zerom had no interest in the Earthians until now! Why does he take mine? He should go and find his own!-

Seeing that nothing he said seemed to be calming her, he took a different approach. One that seemed to work with women… at least, in his limited experience, “You know what… you’re absolutely right.”

The She-Wolf stopped, nose slowly turning towards him. Then she agreed, -Yes. I am.-

“Zerom should go get his own Earthian. He has no right to take Tsu away,” Zento coaxed. It seemed to be working, for she had quieted down significantly, allowing him to stroke her neck.

-Absolutely! That’s exactly what I’ve been saying! But no one listens,- she whined again softly.

“I’m listening,” he told her. “I know exactly how you feel. I miss Tsu a lot, too.”

-I miss him more!- she answered, indignantly.

“Yes, I’m sure you do,” Zento agreed with a sad look. “We all miss Tsu. But you miss him the most.”

-I want him to come back,- Zazo peered at him with the most forlorn expression that a giant Arweinydd She-Wolf could possibly give.

“I do, too,” he said quietly. “I think we can make that happen. But we’re going to need your help.”

-Of course you will,- she shook her head out, tone shifting, sounding more and more like the Zazo that he knew. -And you have my help. So what are we waiting on?-

“Well… we have to make a proper plan,” Zento told her between pursed lips. “And we have to wait to see what sort of information Zemi brings back with him when he returns.”

-Why wait?- she snuffed with a flip of her tail. -Zem’s already returned.-

“He has?” the warrior furrowed his brow.

-Yes. What sort of Champion are you… if you don’t know something as simple as where your Patron is?- Zazo paced around in an uneasy circle.

“Well, I… don’t usually…” Zento frowned then shook his head. There was no need to get into a struggle of wit with the She-Wolf. He knew exactly who would win that one. So he changed the approach, “Do you know where he is?”

-Simple.- the Arweinydd sniffed the ground a moment before lifting her head, ears perked forward. -Follow me. And tell your cowardly four-eyed friend to come.-

NaDo poked his head from around the corner with a scowl, “Heeeey. What did I do to deserve tha–”

“Shh!” Zento hissed, snagging the scientist’s sleeve. He whispered sharply, “Come on. Before she changes her mind.”

“Fine… fine…” NaDo waved his hands in the air towards the She-Wolf. “Lead us, oh mighty and beautiful Patroness of the Trine.”

-That’s better,- Zazo almost cracked the hint of a wolf smile at the antics. -Now come.-

The Arweinydd rounded once and with a flick of her tail raced off down the winding streets, leaving the two men to their own devices to follow.

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“Tell me a little bit more about what’s wrong… maybe I can help you.”

“Sooooooooooo what are you? The King of the Spiral?” Oren beamed his trademark grin as he hooked a friendly arm around Aur’s shoulders.

JouKa winced a little. It was not the sort of thing that one randomly did to the Watcher from the Time Before. Luckily, Aur didn’t appear to be annoyed by it — or maybe he was and he just wasn’t showing it. It was so hard to tell with Aur most of the time.

“What makes you ask that?” Aur glanced over at the red haired man with quiet, hooded eyes.

“Well, you know? Lion? King?” Oren waved his free hand around. “And just the fact that your face is practically plastered all over the banners around here. So what’s the deal?”

“Oren…” JouKa sighed softly.

“What? It’s just a question,” he arched his eyebrows in response. It was that sort of hey-don’t-look-at-me innocent expression that had started to drive her nuts the better she got to know him.

By definition, Oren was the embodiment of blamelessness. Or so he seemed to believe.

“I am simply the diplomatic overseer of the Spiral, acting on Zemi’s behalf. That is all,” Aur answered.

“Suuure,” the red haired man laughed, flopping down in the big cushy chair nearby. “That’s why they’ve got you decked out in a place like this.”

“I cannot help it if the people of the Spiral wish to make more of me than I am,” the Watcher intoned quietly.

“Someone should give this guy an award for modesty,” Oren just grinned. Then he leaned with one elbow on the previously spotless table top. “What do you think, Jou?”

“I think… that I’ve told ya not to call me that,” she huffed, turning her head with a flutter of wings.

“Come on! I know you like it,” he responded, leaning even closer.

JouKa gave him a slight shove back. “Just who do ya think ya are?”

Oren just laughed all the more. His grin had turned teasing in what JouKa called “his uncultured and brutish way.”  But no matter what names she called him, it didn’t faze him one bit.

A slight smile touched Aur’s lips as he began to pace slowly in front of the large windows. A subtle interest shown in the way his golden eyes kept straying to watch their interactions.

Whether it was an act on Oren’s part was hard to tell. JouKa knew that he could be just as gentlemanly as he could be uncouth — it all really depended on what he deemed appropriate, she had learned. Maybe it was because he reminded her of the people she had grown up with in the Gathering, but something about his company was comforting in the midst of all the turmoil and breakdown. Though JouKa would never admit it out loud, she didn’t know what she would have done without Oren’s good natured bantering and optimistic outlook to keep her moving forward.

I just don’t know ‘ow ‘e does it.

As was the way of the people of the land, Oren appeared to have a lot of confidence, even at a time when darkness was closing in on every side. When JouKa’s own spirits were crushed, he wasn’t content to let her sink in her sorrow. Though it had been very difficult as of late.

I didn’t know ‘ow much it would hurt…

KoGuRai’s death at TsuYa’s hands. It was something that played in her mind over and over and over again. Her thoughts were haunted with the idea that maybe there was something she could have done to stop it. If she had intercepted, somehow, maybe the fight would have never happened. And if the fight would have never happened, maybe KoGuRai would still be alive. And TsuYa wouldn’t have become the next Marked Champion.

But instead, her worst nightmares had come true, right before her eyes. They were both gone, both far out of her reach. And nothing she could do would save either of them now.

I don’t understand why… terrible things ‘ad to ‘appen. They were both good guys once you got to know them. Neither of them deserved this.

“Hey. You’re thinking again,” Oren’s large hand cupped around hers. She realized she had been wringing her hands again, an all too obvious sign to him that she was worried.

“Yeah… well… you don’t think enough,” JouKa attempted a weak retort.

“No one’s ever accused me of having half a brain,” he smiled, trying to keep things light.

JouKa didn’t feel like smiling. But she did anyways. For him.

They’ve taken good care of me. Oren… and Aur…

The golden haired Watcher glanced her way as if sensing her thoughts.

I know I’m very lucky to ‘ave them.

That’s when Aur’s deep voice rumbled, “We are going to have visitors soon.”

“How do you know?” Oren asked, leaning back in the big chair, one eye squinting.

The Watcher just gave him a long, silent look.

“Alright, alright,” the red haired warrior waved his hands. Then he turned to JouKa and teasingly informed her, “We’re going to have visitors soon.”

JouKa almost snorted through her nose at his randomness. Instead, she just pushed Oren away again.

It didn’t take very long before there was a knock at the door, just as Aur had predicted. The Watcher rose to answer it, a polite exchange of words made through the doorway. When Aur stepped back into the room, Lord Zemi Dreigiau and his Dragon warrior, Kudako, followed.

JouKa rose to her feet at, giving a quick curtsey, “Lord Zemi!”

“Oooooh,” came Oren’s long, thoughtful sound. “THE Lord Zemi?”

The Arweinydd arched his eyebrow, hands folded behind his back. The Dragon warrior behind him appeared to be bored.

“Oren!” JouKa hissed over her shoulder. “Of course it’s THE Lord Zemi!”

“Of course! Forgive me, M’lord,” Oren echoed with a nervous laugh as he got to his feet and attempted a respectful bow.

The Dreigiau simply waved one dismissing hand as he took a seat, “No worries. Just relax.”

Kudako, however, looked less than relaxed. The Dragon shadowed the Arweinydd, standing sternly behind his seat with glittering, unblinking eyes.

“I’m glad to see you up and about, Lord Zemi,” Aur offered, sitting calmly across from the Dreigiau. “I had heard there were some… difficulties…”

“A few. But I’m working on it,” Lord Zemi answered.

“I knew you would,” the Watcher nodded. Then with a lift of his chin, he inquired, “What is it that you need from me, M’lord?”

“A little less formality, for one,” the Arweinydd grinned, the hint of fangs showing.

Aur sighed quietly.

Oren gave a little laugh, murmuring under his breath, “I think I like this guy.”

Before JouKa could chide, Lord Zemi flicked a bit of a grin at the red haired man. “An Outlander?”

“Yes Sir,” the warrior grinned back. “The name’s Oren. 100% Outlander. At your service, Lord Dragon.”

“It’s good to meet you, Oren,” the Arweinydd nodded. “It’s been a while since I’ve had contact with your people. But they always know how to show good hospitality.”

“That we do, M’lord,” Oren pumped one fist with a proud look.

Kudako cleared his throat in a not-so-subtle hint that there were more important things to be addressing at the moment. As if somewhat reluctant, Lord Zemi nodded and leaned forward, templing his fingers together.

“I don’t exactly know how to start this,” the Dreigiau said, eyes resting on his Watcher. “Other than to say that a spirit’s voice told me to seek you out for guidance.”

“Spirit’s voice?” Aur pursed his lips with a heavy brow.

“One of the spirits that have taken up residence around Lucci,” Lord Zemi explained. “Apparently, this one has befriended the boy… Lucci’s even given him the name of Kaz.”

Suddenly, the Watcher visibly stiffened. For one so emotionless, it was a serious over reaction.

Lord Zemi must have noticed as well because he asked, “Is that… someone you know? The spirit claims to be from the Time Before.”

Aur’s golden eyes took a long, hard look at the Arweinydd before he answered evasively, “I knew a lot of beings from the Time Before.”

Oren exchanged a curious look with JouKa, but had enough sense to keep his mouth shut.

“I see,” It was obvious that Lord Zemi wanted more information, but when the Watcher didn’t offer further words, the Dreigiau didn’t push the issue.

“Why did this spirit voice tell you to come to me?” Aur asked instead.

“Because, I…” the Arweinydd stopped dead, glancing at Oren and JouKa. Something akin to embarrassment hung over his face.

“Because you…?” the Watcher prodded gently.

“Because something’s wrong,” Lord Zemi blurted quickly.

“With?”

The teal eyes flickered towards them again, then focused on something outside the window, “Me.”

Aur’s voice was level and calm, “Now, was that so hard to admit?”

Lord Zemi ground his teeth for a moment. Then he answered, “Yeeaaaah…”

“Alright,” the Watcher leaned back in his chair. “Tell me a little bit more about what’s wrong… maybe I can help you.”

“It might have something to do with Chaos,” the Dreigiau began. At the word ‘Chaos,’ he stopped and quickly backtracked, “Not that I’m going Chaotic or anything like that. I just think that maybe…”

Aur’s golden eyes were focused on the struggling Arweinydd. He nodded gently over and over and over again, with an encouraging arch to his eyebrow.

“I think that maybe something happened to me when I faced Zerom. Something happened when Ceiswyr fell,” Lord Zemi finally said, biting the words off as if each one was something foul tasting in his mouth. “And I haven’t been able to… take…”

“Take…?”

“…Take… my Dragon form… ever since the Islands fell,” the Arweinydd’s gaze lowered.

JouKa’s mouth opened slightly. She didn’t mean for Lord Zemi to hear her sound of surprise and concern. But he must have, for he shot glance in her direction, teal eyes glimmering with shame.

“I’m sorry,” the Dreigiau intoned quietly. “I know the last thing anyone needs to hear is how you all have a gimped Patron now.”

Something stirred in her chest at his disheartened half-droop. Never had she seen the Lord Zemi Dreigiau so open and honest… almost Earthian. And though she was bad at the sympathy thing, the winged girl felt like she needed to say something. Anything.

“No, Lord Zemi. It’s not… like that at all,” JouKa told him.

“No?” he asked.

“No,” she shook her head. “When I was an outcast of my own peoples, ya brought me to your Islands and gave me a place to be. Maybe at first, I didn’t really think that I fit in there. It was kinda ‘ard. But now that it’s gone, I realize what a special place ya made for everyone. And I know ya fought as ‘ard as ya could to keep it safe. I don’t think there’s anything ya could do to make me think lesser of ya, Lord Zemi.”

The Arweinydd stared at her for a moment, too surprised to reply.

Kudako, however, found words for him, “Thank you.”

“Huh?” JouKa frowned.

“I’ve been trying to tell him that. But he will not listen to my reasoning. Maybe he will listen to yours,” the Dragon warrior grunted.

Lord Zemi just sighed, appealing to the Watcher once again, “So… that’s what I mean when I say something is wrong. Do you have any ideas?”

Aur tapped his chin with one finger before nodding slowly. “It sounds like you’ve lost your unification.”

The Arweinydd’s head jerked up, “That’s a lot like what the spirit voice said, too.”

“I’m sure he did, Lord Zemi,” the golden haired man simply agreed.

“And so… how do I get this unification thing back?”

“Usually imbalances like this are restored in their own time,” Aur answered. “But in the case of Chaos having some effect, you may need to find outside assistance. Something to help you balance out your energies of Creation.”

Oren gave a soft whistle, “This is waaaay over my head.”

“Don’t worry… me, too,” JouKa whispered.

“Me three,” Lord Zemi added, much to her surprise. He leaned forward with a slight grin. “Aur, this all sounds great. Don’t get me wrong. But I don’t know the first place to go looking for something to help balance out Creation. Is that like… a little walk-in hair salon or a downtown pub on the corner? Let’s call it Clyde’s Creation and More!”

The Watcher didn’t look amused. “I’m being serious, Lord Zemi.”

“So am I,” the Arweinydd spread his hands. “Throw me a line here. I’m sinking.”

“I would suggest that you start by finding sources of power that date back to the Time Before,” Aur answered gravely. “You know as well as I do that there are still many of them here upon this world.”

“That’s true…” the Dreigiau poked his finger in the air repeatedly. “That’s very, very true. In fact, if I remember correctly, the Spiral is one of the areas known for housing strange phenomenon. Like giant golden lions that came from the Time Before.”

The Watcher frowned all the more, “Yes. However, the pocket of energy that once sustained me was drying up. By now, it is probably nonexistent.”

“Where there is one pocket, maybe there are more nearby,” Lord Zemi debated.

“Perhaps, but do we have time to entertain notions without facts to back them up?” Aur asked.

Before the Arweinydd could answer, Kudako interjected, “It is not just a notion.”

“Hrm?”

The Dragon warrior pursed his lips stoically. Then he continued, “There were old stories when I was young… about the energies deep within the earth that powered the Spiral. Stories about why our home was founded here, of all places. Why the trees have taken such an unusual coloration. So many other stories that point to unnatural causes within these lands. But these are things that only the Clan Leaders of old really knew about and could confirm.”

“Which means?” Lord Zemi asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

“That I do not believe anyone here and now knows these old secrets anymore. The Clan Leaders were killed off when the Arms Master took control of the Spiral,” Kudako’s voice was low and grave.

“Perhaps… not… all of them,” Aur answered unexpectedly.

All eyes turned questioningly towards the golden eyed Watcher.

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“Take it slow, SoYa,” Father’s voice was kindly, coaxing him to find his wits and gather his senses.

“SoYa, talk to me! What’s going on?” Father’s face rippled in a blur of worry and fatherly concern. Kneeling, the winged man placed a hand on both of SoYa’s shoulders, pulling the Apprentice to face him.

“Father,” SoYa’s voice was strangled as his hand waved with an exaggerated motion, “It’s Zemi… he’s…”

Maybe it was true that Zemi had given his word not to act out of spite upon SoYa for being AsaHi’s Promised. But something in the Apprentice had panicked the moment he had been left to himself to gather his thoughts. That’s when fear had overcome him. Shaken by the vastness of the revelation, SoYa had run to find protection in the only place he knew to look.

How do you tell someone something like this? “Father, I just found out that Zemi’s in love with my Promised? And I terrified that even though he said he wouldn’t,  he might change his mind and decide to kill me just to have her for his own…?”

The Apprentice glanced up, catching the sight of his fear reflected in the green of his father’s eyes. And in that instance he knew… he knew that Father understood, an understanding that came without words. Simply emotion. The connection of one Athrylith to another. And for that fleeting moment, SoYa was grateful.

This was quickly followed by a bout of sudden embarrassment as he realized that Aur was overlooking the whole scene. As always, the deep, hooded eyes gave away no trace of the creature’s inner thoughts.

Erg… he’s probably thinking what a big cry baby I am. Running to Daddy at the first sight of trouble…

For the first time in many decades, SoYa had sought out the council of his father. And he found that despite what anyone else may have thought of him for doing it, it felt good to know that there was someone he could turn to when the situation got too big for him to handle by himself.

It’s been so long since Father’s been here… I forgot how it felt to be able to talk to him…

“Take it slow, SoYa,” Father’s voice was kindly, coaxing him to find his wits and gather his senses. “Start at the beginning. Tell me what’s happened.”

Somehow, in the light of the few gentle words, and the strange tingling feeling that seem to spread from the place that Father’s hand gripped his shoulders, SoYa found his tongue untying and his thoughts falling into place. With a few deep, calming breaths, he began to detail the whole meeting that had just taken place – how Zemi had stated his love for AsaHi… how SoYa had feared instantly for his own life upon the knowledge… and how the Apprentice had refused to forsake his love for AsaHi despite the fact that the Arweinydd could have so easily made him nothing more than another colorful blotch on the floor of the cave.

Father listened, a grim silence furrowing his brows. Aur seemed to be listening, too, from where he stood on the far side of the room.

“I really thought that was it. Zemi had no reason not to strike me down right there… he could have had AsaHi if he wanted. But…” SoYa shook his head, still overwhelmed at the outcome. “He didn’t…”

“Really?” Father’s face was grim, “What did he do then?”

“Zemi gave me his word that he would honor the Promise that we had made to each other,” the Apprentice answered. “He said he wouldn’t interfere between AsaHi and I.”

“I see,” a flicker of surprise rose over Father’s face at the words. A surprise that mirrored SoYa’s own. “That is… something else. Especially for Zemi.”

SoYa nodded, swallowing deeply, “Do you think he means it? Or… do you think he will go back on what he said later?”

“Who, Zemi?”

“Yes,” the Apprentice nodded quickly. The moment that he had heard Zemi confess his feeling for AsaHi, his life had flashed before his eyes. This fear still lingered heavily upon him, despite the oath that the Dreigiau had given him.

Light help me if Zemi decides to change his mind later…

“These are unusual circumstances, but… in my experience, if Zemi gives you his word, he will do everything within his power to back it up,” Father told him with a deep frown. “Zemi is a creature of honor, though he may not come off that way at first.”

“I hope you’re right…” SoYa let out a long, ragged breath.

“As do I,” an unexpected addition came into the conversation.

The Apprentice’s eyes flickered up, hovering upon Aur’s grim face. SoYa blinked, surprised that the creature had responded to the discussion with any display of interest.

“What do you mean, Aur?” Father’s glace turned up over his shoulder to take in the tall, golden eyed man standing behind them.

A prickling rose over SoYa’s skin at the sudden feeling that something much larger may have been in the midst of happening… something that he could not even begin to foresee. But it was something that this strange creature from the Time Before was fully aware of.

“I have seen this all before,” Aur murmured grimly, confirming SoYa’s thoughts. “And just as before, I can see that the current situation is heading for serious difficulties.”

“You’ve seen what before?” SoYa shook himself out, slowly getting to his feet to make conversation easier.

“The outcome that results when the Arweinydd come to grow too close in an emotional relationship to the Earthian kind,” he turned away as if gathering his thoughts. “I do not know if there is a natural adversity to such a thing. But all that has ever come of it is the making of terrible destruction. It was part of the events that brought about the ending of the Old Age of existence.”

“So you are saying that part of what caused the Mistake had to do with Arweinydd and Earthians falling in love?” the Apprentice asked dully.

“It is not the act or emotion shared,” Aur’s voice held a hint of disapproval for the situation that had come before. “It is the nature of the offspring that came from such a union.”

Father coughed, “Arweinydd and Earthians had kids in the Old Age? Sheeez… and here I didn’t even think that Zemi’s kind were capable of doing something like falling in love.”

“Oh, it is very much possible, ZenToYa. Just as Arweinydd influence the world around them by their presence, so have I seen the Earthian ways taken up by the Arweinydd. It is all just a matter of time and understanding,” he nodded slowly. “Some of the Arweinydd of my time became alarmingly Earthian in their nature… mostly of their own choosing and self-adaptations.”

“And some just settled down and had themselves a family?” Father scratched his chin, finding the whole idea unusual, if not a little amusing.

“Unfortunately.”

“What’s so wrong about that?” SoYa puzzled aloud.

“Such offspring that result from this union have been terrible to behold,” Aur turned a heavy gaze down upon the Apprentice. “Perhaps it is a sign that creatures of the heavens and creatures of the earth should not, by nature, come together in such a way. For the children of this parentage grow to become dreadful bringers of destruction and death to the worlds around them.”

SoYa blinked, face stunned and confused.

Father gave a similar response, putting it into words, “Surely that’s not always the case?”

“As I have seen, it was always the case,” came the grim answer. “The children that result of a blending of the Arweinydd and the Earthian heritage are known as the Sygnus. Why their natures were so destructive, I cannot tell you… other than it is a sign that the creature simply should not exist.”

“Why… what do these Sygnus do?”

“At first, the Sygnus-child seems harmless,” Aur’s frown deepened, “But over time, as the ability within the Sygnus-child grows into adulthood, it was as if the Earthian frailty could not withstand the inherited Arweinydd knowledge and power. The mind of these creatures snapped and insanity afflicted the Sygnus, driving them beyond the edge of reason and rationale. And for something with so much power to be out of control…”

SoYa took in a shivering breath, his mind running wild with imagination.

“So, the point being… it’s really a very bad idea for Zemi to start falling for Earthian girls?” Father summed up with a lack of grandeur

“Indeed. And if Zemi’s being has begun to alter so much that he has adopted this line of thinking already,” Aur cautioned, “It may not be possible to persuade him against the Earthian emotions that are taking root within his spirit. It’s no easier for his kind to shrug off such powerful emotions than it is for anyone else.”

Yes… I could see that when he talked to me.

SoYa sucked on his bottom lip with a growing silence. And pity. Pity for the Dreigiau… was an odd thing to feel. But, somehow, he did.

I just don’t think Zemi meant for things to happen this way. And now… from what Aur is saying… for Zemi to fall in love isn’t just out of natural order of things… it’s terribly dangerous to allow.

“I never knew,” Father said quietly.

“That seems to be the way of things… you serve a creature that you know very little about, ZenToYa. In fact, I would say that Zemi himself even knows very little about his origins and the dangers of what he is doing,” Aur replied, picking his words slowly.

“And what might that be?” the winged man asked. His voice wavered, sounding like one who wanted to know the truth but didn’t know how much he could handle it.

“First of all, he has broken through the barrier that separated his realm from this one.” The golden-eyed man lifted one hand then dropped it, “Do you think that there was a barrier placed between the realms for no reason?”

“I… really never thought about it…” Father replied, shifting his weight back on one foot.

“Danger comes with the breech between the physical realms and the Arweinydd realms,” Aur’s words settled about the room with great weight, “Unwelcome forces began to act upon the Arweinydd who tried to do such a thing in the past.”

“Forces?” SoYa found himself asking aloud, though not meaning to interpose.

Aur did not seem to consider the question an interruption. He nodded instead, and continued, “These powerful forces are vast, woven into the very fabric of existence itself. All we really understand about these forces is that they work against each other, fighting to maintain balance through control. And that because the Arweinydd are very powerful creatures, the forces seem to be drawn to them, seeking to influence their spirit. The names that the Arweinydd of the Old Age gave to these forces were ‘Chaos’ and ‘Creation’.”

“Yes… I’ve heard of this before,” SoYa nodded quickly. “The stories say that Zemi discovered the powers of ‘Esgor-ar… the knowledge of Creation… long ago. Is that the same sort of thing?”

“You are sure of this?” Aur’s thoughts seemed to be pulled off track as the golden eyes turned to observe the Apprentice.

“Well.. uh… yeah… that’s what they taught in the School, anyhow,” SoYa rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. “How else did Zemi create the Dragon servants and help to build the city of Nefol?”

“Is this true, ZenToYa?” the creature turned towards the winged man for a second confirmation.

“Yeah, that’s what I always heard, too,” Father nodded. “Why?”

“This ability was attributed to him when?”

“Oh, he’s always been able to use ‘Esgor-ar… since long before I’ve known him,” the winged man answered curiously.

“This was before Zemi created for himself a physical form?”

“Yeah. Zemi didn’t actually have a physical form till just a short while ago,” Father spread his hands. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“I.. am not certain,” Aur replied slowly. “I have never heard of an Arweinydd that could control the power of Chaos or Creation while still sealed within their own realms. Usually, the Arweinydd had to have manifested physically before such a thing could come to pass.”

SoYa felt totally lost. All this talk of great, powerful forces that tied into the heart of existence was a bit too big for him. It was the sort of thing he left up to people like Father and Aur and Zemi.

However, at this point, Father didn’t seem to be following along much better. “So what… does all this mean?”

Aur took a long breath, condensing the concept the best that he was able to, “When Arweinydd pass into the physical world, the forces of Chaos and Creation are drawn to them. These forces seek to influence the mind and heart of the Arweinydd and to use the power of the Arweinydd to sway the balance to one side or the other. It is not so bad if the Arweinydd is swayed to the side of Creation… for a creature of Creation gains power and fulfillment through nourishing the world. However… should the Arweinydd fall to the side of Chaos… I would predict it would be the end. For Zemi. For this world. And for all that live here.”

SoYa shivered as the statement trailed off.

After a moment of silence, Father spoke. “Do you think that Chaos would eventually become a threat to Zemi, too?”

“ZenToYa…” Aur’s sigh was deep, almost regretful. “The moment that Zemi passed into the physical world, Chaos had already become a very real threat to him. I have little doubt that he has been, and still is, caught in the battle between the two forces.”

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“If you will let me, I will guide you through this.”

The whole thing reeked like one big set up. And it had really put ZenToYa out on the edge.

Am I just expected to be used to this sort of thing by now?

After all, Zento’s whole life had been shaped and steered in the direction that the Dreigiau felt was most beneficial to their world. From the moment that he had stepped into Zemi’s cave, Zento had been the chosen one – the one to carry out the plans, establish the great civilizations and teach the mystical powers of unknown to his people. And ultimately, he became a legend.

But sometimes… just sometimes… I can’t help but wonder if Zemi has it as much under control as he’d like us all to believe.

The Dreigiau had been right about a lot of things. Many blessings came to Zento’s life with the founding of Nefol. He had fallen in love with YuKai. Together, they had two sons that he had absolutely adored. Though balancing his roles of father and husband with the legendary name of ZenToYa wasn’t the easiest thing, he always believed he had given it his best shot.

I think I’ve done well enough for myself and the boys. Under the circumstances we’ve been given, at least.

Zemi had been dreadfully wrong about other things. The first Awakening, Zento’s own, had not been embraced by the people of Nefol. Maybe it would have been different if Zento had understood the transformation that had fallen upon him. Or maybe it was that the Council in Nefol was looking for any excuse they could find to knock Zento out of power… and would have never listened, no matter what.

Whatever the case, my life was shattered into a million pieces.

And the Dreigiau had remained frustratingly passive about the whole deal. It wasn’t that Zemi had been particularly cruel. But he certainly did not have the understanding to comprehend the pain that Zento had endured in becoming an outcast to his own city.

I lost my home, my family, my position… my everything. I had no idea what I had become after my Awakening. I couldn’t even get near the Host Gate to seek Zemi’s guidance. If it wasn’t for Kudako and SaRa…

Things could have been done differently. And that thought brought the picture up to that very moment.

Again, a lot of stuff going on. Very little that I’ve been told about. Zemi and I are gonna have a knock-down when I get a hold of him.

Especially with Tsu’s health on the line. That was one of the biggest points that rubbed Zento raw.

I’ve abandoned my boys once already for Zemi’s wild plans. I refuse to do it again.

Kudako had urged Zento to trust in Zemi’s wisdom on the matter. But it was hard to do when he could sense so many ulterior motives in the mix.

“I swear, if this was a waste of my time… and a risk to Tsu…” he muttered to himself.

“Then what?” the familiar gritty voice sounded out behind him.

Zento swerved on one heel, staring. “Z… Zemi?”

As if having been summoned by Zento’s thoughts alone, the Dreigiau sat crouched on an overhanging stack of stone. How Zemi had come to be there was not impossible, but unknown. Zento had forgotten that the Arweinydd could now move so freely through their world.

“You have something to say to me, yes?” Zemi dropped lightly down to the ground, standing immeasurably tall in comparison to Zento. There was no hint as to what the Dreigiau was thinking.

“How could you tell?” the winged man winced as the words came out more sarcastic sounding than he meant them to.

Zemi remained unmoved. As if he had expected hostility and was already well-armored against anything Zento might throw at him.

After a moment of peering up at the Dreigiau, the winged man waved a hand forward. “Zemi, can I be blunt about this?”

“Go ahead… that’s what I’m here for,” came the answer.

“I want to know exactly what you sent me out here to do,” Zento pointed sharply with one finger. “Not what you wanted me to think you were sending me out here to do. But what in the name of the Seven Universes that you had in your head when you ‘suggested’ to Kudako that we come out here.”

“In other words, spill it all?” Zemi gave him a droll look.

Zento crossed his arms, “You know something? The problem here is… there shouldn’t be anything that needs spilling. It really bothers me to think that here I am, ZenToYa, supposed to be your so-called champion and the builder of your civilization… yet you cannot spend the time to tell me exactly what it is you’re sending me out to do.”

“There are many layers of things happening here, Zento,” the reply was careful and calm. “Some things began long before you were born… some even possibly at the beginning of an age in which none of us existed.”

“So you’re telling me that you’re flying by the seat of your pants?” he grumbled, spreading his hands at the Dreigiau.

“No. I’m telling you that you don’t know the whole story about why you don’t know the whole story,” Zemi gave a heavy sigh.

Zento was quiet for a moment before he faced the Dreigiau again, face flushing with smoldering frustration. “Tell me this. Am I here to find a cure for Tsu? Or am I wasting his precious time doing something that has nothing to do with him?”

“The truth?”

“Yes.”

“I honestly believe that the cure for TsuYa can be found in the power of the creature that is contained in the center of the Spiral,” Zemi nodded slowly. “This is part of what I came here to tell you — whatever you do, you must capture this creature alive. If it expires before I have a chance to Link with it, then both you and I have lost out on the very thing that we seek here.”

“Link with it?” the winged man squinted at the Dreigiau. “What are you planning to do with this thing?”

“Sustain it,” the Arweinydd answered, pressing his lips together.

“You mean…”

“Over the decades, I have watched its power significantly dwindle. I do not think that it has much time left in this world. I do believe it is a one-of-a-kind being. To lose it and the knowledge it holds about the ages that came before our own… would be a terrible shame,” Zemi explained with a soft look. “I don’t want to kill it, Zento. I want to preserve it.”

“Then why don’t you go in and fight against it?” Zento frowned, planting his hands on his hips.

“Well, that wouldn’t fit the prophecies that the people of the Spiral have feared for so long, now would it?” the Dreigiau grinned.

There he goes joking again. There’s something more behind this. He’s not budging on it, though.

“And you think this creature can help cure Tsu?”

“Yes, I think so.” Zemi’s expression turned gently somber, “Do you really think I have so little care for your sons, Zento?”

“Do you really want to know what I think, Zemi?” The winged man didn’t pause. He just let it all out in a long breath of exasperation, “I think that you have no way to understand the concept of being a father… therefore you can’t even begin to understand the hell I’m going through right now. Jerking me around when Tsu’s life could be in danger is not cool, Zemi!”

“That… was never what I intended to do,” the Dreigiau’s face froze, stunned and hurt at the stinging reproach.

Zento’s mouth opened, as if to follow up with another torrent of resentment. But a glance at the forlorn expression of the Arweinydd shook him, his senses focusing in on something that he had overlooked due to his own frustrations.

Something’s… wrong with Zemi…?

“I…” Zento found himself floundering. He suddenly felt like the nasty man who had just kicked the sick puppy for attempting to bring in morning newspaper. And he didn’t know why. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“No,” Zemi’s voice was husky with grief, “I deserved it. I know what this must look like. That’s why I’m here right now, Zento.”

“What’s going on, Zemi?” the winged man asked, finding his calm returning. He didn’t think that the Dreigiau would tell him everything. But at the least, he wanted to cue Zemi in on the fact that he knew something wasn’t right.

“I’ll talk to you about my situation later,” Zemi assured him with a wave of one hand. “Right now, I want to concentrate on filling all my promises.”

“What promises? To whom?”

“To you… to Kudako… and to TsuYa,” he answered, his eyes spending a moment to survey the horizon. Deep in thought. “As I said, there are a lot of things going on here. It goes very deep. Especially with Kudako – there are things that he must do here for his own sake. So that he has a chance to finally move on.”

Zento’s eyes lowered. Remembering the stories that Kudako had told him of the past in the Spiral, all accusation flooded out of him. It was easy to see how these things matched up when compared to the words and actions of the Dreigiau. And how Zemi was doing what he could to try to help them all.

Why did I have to go and say things like that… talking out of my nose? Not even thinking… not even trying to make any sense of it all.

He suddenly he felt extremely brash. As if there was nothing he could think to say to make up for his outburst.

“ZenToYa… there is no shame in fighting for your family.” Zemi’s eyes glittered, as if he could sense the winged man’s struggle. There was a soothing gentleness in his words, “Maybe you’re right… I don’t know what it is like to be a father. But I do know how I would feel if anything should happen to you or your children. That might well be the closest I’ll ever get to it, but it’s something, yes?”

Strange warmth tingled throughout his body — a feeling Zento had felt long ago, when he was just a boy living in the Dreigiau’s cave, so young and so unaware of the bigness of it all. A boy only knowing that the strange Dragon Spirit watched over them. A boy wanting to believe that this otherworldly creature felt some sort of love for the two orphaned children that were saved from the snow.

And now he had grown to know Zemi better over the long years. To know that the Dreigiau did his best to take care of his people. That he tried to love despite the fact that love was a thing so foreign to the Arweinydd kind.

“Yes, Zemi,” Zento reassured him, trying to sound apologetic. “You’ve always been very good to SaRa and I. And that counts for a lot. I’m just… really scared for my sons…”

“Don’t be afraid,” Zemi’s voice had reclaimed its usual strength once more. His hand stretched forward, an offering motion. “If you will let me, I will guide you through this.”

Guide me…?

After a moment of thought, Zento reached out to meet Zemi’s hand with his own. A small white stone dropped into his palm. Familiar. Soothing to the touch. The Arfogaeth.

My armor!?

“What? How did you get this?” Zento stared at the stone in surprise. He pulled out the amulet that he kept hung around his neck, only to see that the spot where the stone should have been was indeed empty.

I could have sworn I had it! How is it in all this time I didn’t check?

“I thought you would need it,” the Dreigiau grinned quietly. “Unless you consider yourself a warrior so good as to have no need for armor, now?”

“No… no, I need it. Espcially if I’m going up against some time-backwards creature,” Zento grimaced, putting the stone in its place. “I don’t know how I managed to leave that behind.”

“You’ve been preoccupied about Tsu,” Zemi pointed out. “It happens to the best of us, sometimes.”

“Surely not to you?” his tone was jesting, but the Dreigiau didn’t seem to take it that way.

“Yes… even to me,” there was discouragement in his tone. Something so rare to see in Zemi that it left chills on the skin.

Searching for any bit of support he could give, Zento encouraged, “Guide me, then, Dreigiau. I’ll follow your lead.”

The Arweinydd’s demeanor perked up at the statement. He nodded slowly, a slight fangy grin spreading over his face. “Put your armor on, I’ll give the Dragons the signal… and we’ll get this party started.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Zento grinned in return.

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Seeing Father come sit next to where Kudako was still kneeling... just the image of the two of them side by side... was like an impossibility that had come true.

Because something about you called to me.

Lord Zemi’s words to AsaHi echoed and reechoed in SoYa’s mind. He pondered them. Scoured them for their true meaning. Try as he might, he just couldn’t figure out why a single statement could make him feel so downright uncomfortable.

That and the fact that Lord Zemi had let AsaHi scold him in such a manner.

He was struggling. His whole concept of Zemi Dreigiau had been set by the School in Nefol long ago. Lord Zemi had turned out to be nothing at all like what he had been taught.

SoYa had reasoned… trying to convince himself that it was a good thing. Lord Zemi seemed openly friendly and curious towards the Earthians. He had even admitted to taking on Earthian form simply because he was interested in being among them. Though intimidating on first sight, the Dreigiau also tended to have an easy-going way of handling people which made him quick to warm up to.

As if one could actually like an Arweinydd.

I mean, it’s not like you can be friends with something like Zemi Dreigiau. He’s supposed to be… I dunno… served, respected and honored. As affable as he wants to come off, Earthians weren’t meant to be on close friend-like terms with Arweinydd.

SoYa ran his fingers through his curly hair watching as the rest of the group file under the wide arc of Dof-Ystafell. That was the name of this strange garden-like place. He had overheard the term when his father and Lord Zemi had spoken about it at length.

Master Kudako.

The Apprentice’s eyes fell upon the blue-haired man. The Dragon Servant of Lord Zemi.

KudakoRe was a name that had gone down into legend as the most dangerous man that had ever walked the Inner Realms. Yet, after giving his allegiance to Zemi Dreigiau, something had altered within him. Not only had his appearance changed to reflect his new essence, but his whole nature had shifted from the inside out.

SoYa didn’t know a whole lot about him. Though Kudako had known him since SoYa was a child, and he always been distantly kind… Kudako had rarely spoken openly or at length to the Apprentice. Not too many people knew exactly who the blue-haired man was in his previous life. Nor did they know that now he was a real, live Dragon. A Dragon in Earthian form.

Well… mostly.

I haven’t seen Kudako since… Father disappeared.

It was all very strange. SoYa still had not approached his father on everything that had come to pass. On why he was still alive. Of what he was doing there. Of why he had left the School and never returned. Why he allowed them to believe he had died.

Seeing Father come sit next to where Kudako was still kneeling… just the image of the two of them side by side… was like an impossibility that had come true. And as much as SoYa wanted to be happy about it — after all, why shouldn’t he be happy to know his father was alive — his confusion and discomfort wiped all efforts of joy from his heart.

Especially after the darkened image of TsuYa had been burned into his mind.

We don’t have much time…

To his utter surprise, his words were echoed by Lord Zemi’s husky voice.

“We don’t have much time,” the Dreigiau nodded firmly. “So let’s get on with this, yes-no?”

Aunt SaRa walked forward and sat placidly on the other side of Kudako, nudging him in the side. “Come on… you’re going to hurt your back doing all that kneeling.”

Kudako grunted softly.

“You’re not as young as you used to be,” she prodded cheerfully.

The Dragon scowled slowly, “And it shows?”

“Just a little.”

Of course, it didn’t really. He was a Dragon. And Dragons never aged in appearance. But the wide smirk on Aunt SaRa’s face was enough to keep SoYa from saying so. It was obvious that she was quite happy at seeing Kudako again…

SoYa tried to hide the thoughtful expression that rose on his face as Kudako placidly lowered himself to a cross-legged sitting style.

AsaHi had been inching her way up the steps one at a time throughout the whole exchange. It seemed from the way she spoke to Lord Zemi that the two of them had spent a significant amount of time together. And from what SoYa could decipher, she had no idea who the Dreigiau was during that time.

That would be enough to blow her top for sure.

She seemed a bit more relaxed now that she had made her say at the Arweinydd. Finally reaching the top of the steps, she watched the three who were already sitting there.

“Well?” the Dreigiau peered at her with a good natured grin. “Are you going to join us?”

AsaHi wrung her hands behind her back, looking uncertain. “I… don’t know. There’s not a lot I can do to be of help.”

“You’d be surprised,” he answered curtly.

The girl sucked on her bottom lip in thought. Her eyes traced over the expression on the Arweinydd’s face for a long time before she continued her approach. Without a further word, she sat down next to Father, folding her hands in her lap attentively.

Then the Dreigiau turned to SoYa.

The Apprentice felt a shiver ripple through his whole body.

“What about you? Are you going to join us, too?”

SoYa swallowed, trying to put forth a brave face. “That’s… what I came here for, My Lord.”

“Good. Glad to hear it,” Lord Zemi waved a hand slowly out to the group before him. “Why not take a seat, eh?”

Getting to his feet, the Apprentice complied. His head was still woozy from the impossibility of the situation. It felt as if at any moment he should wake up from the strange, intangible dream that he was living in.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he sat down next to Aunt SaRa and peered up at the Arweinydd with a quiet look.

“There now. We’re all together. Who would have thunk it?” Lord Zemi grinned quickly.

Silence passed over them. Thoughts, questions and curiosities whirled over their faces as they sat waiting what was to come next. But the Arweinydd remained silent, leaning back with a pensive gaze at the birds that were winging lazily overhead. Finally, after some time, his gravelly voice rose around them in a slow, measured cadence. And it stared unlike anything SoYa would have expected.

“Once upon a time, there was an accident.”

The Apprentice peered up. Along with everyone else. Their eyes fixed upon the Arweinydd in curiosity.

Seeing that he had their attention, Lord Zemi continued, “Not just any accident, mind you. It was a Mistake. Mistake with a capital ‘M’.”

Father scrunched up his nose, “Hrm.”

“Yeah. It was that bad.”

SoYa wrinkled his brow. He had loosely heard about the origins of the Arweinydd having been tied into some sort of disastrous mistake. But it was the first time that anyone had spoken about it beyond flighty speculation.

“Newsflash here. I’m only gonna say this once, so listen up,” the Dreigiau’s eyes alighted upon each of them in turn. The weight of his words fell heavy upon their mind. “This current existence is made up of Seven Universes. Can’t count them all on one hand, but you can count them on two. Seven. Complete. Whole. Perfect. So it was. Until the Mistake. That was when one of the Seven died.”

“The death of a whole Universe? What… what sort of Mistake could have caused that?” Naturally, AsaHi was the first to speak up.

“That isn’t exactly something I can answer, I’m afraid. I was there but not there to know it. I can only speculate,” he tilted his head slowly in thought. “It was pride, perhaps? Ignorance even? Yeah… Those That Came Before could be ignorant, just like Earthians. Even moreso, I think.”

Kudako’s mouth became a thin, firm line.

“Moreso because they should have known better. Because they existed,” the Arweinydd’s voice began to rumble, growing in agitation. His hands lifted before them, gesturing widely at the immensity of the concept. “They produced. They destroyed. They swayed to the flow of Chaos and Creation in a way that was theirs and theirs alone. They… should have known better.”

“What… exactly did they do?” Father asked quietly. His face was solemn and calculating.

“Something horrible,” Lord Zemi suddenly looked regretful. “It has many names amongst my kind, but I like to keep it simple and call it the Mistake. It was a funny thing, that Mistake. A work of mass Chaos that was Created. Irony is such a cruel thing, yes?”

SoYa’s mind reeled with the thought. He wondered if he was the only one struggling to make sense of the story that was beginning to unfold. A story that no other Earthian had ever been gifted to know. Especially not from the mouth of an Arweinydd himself.

“And what came after that Mistake was nothing. It was a universe that no longer held its spirit,” the Dreigiau frowned, trying to explain further in the best way he knew how. “The motion of life and growth had died along with the Mistake. Those That Came Before no longer were. But what they did not know was Those That Were Yet To Be had survived.”

“You’re speaking in circles again, Zemi,” Aunt SaRa chided him softly.

“Maybe. But for good reason. I want you all to understand where I come from. Who I am… and what you’re up against. And the only way to do that is to start at the beginning,” he gave her a soft look. “Don’t you agree?”

“If you say so.”

“But,” AsaHi’s voice was strained. “What does that have to do with you? If you weren’t there during the Mistake… if everything should have died then… why are we here? Why are you here? I don’t understand?”

“Ah… me?” Lord Zemi lifted a finger with a soft grin. “I almost did not exist. I do know that. For upon the destruction of Those That Came Before, there was a place where Those That Were Yet To Be waited. We slept.”

AsaHi tilted her head curiously.

“Our light was dim. Our awareness did not yet exist. We lay dormant, shrouded and unmoving. Unliving. Ungrowing.”

“So how did you get here if you were asleep?” she pondered.

“It was only by what I’d like to think was beyond chance that something did happened. It might have been a leftover ripple from the final aftermath of the Mistake. A good deal of power was given off at that moment. I do not know exactly how it happened,” his face was also pondering as he chose his words. “But the Light That Was Me was cast away, thrown off from the place in which we were left to sleep. Far away from the rest of Those That Were Yet To Be.”

“So poetic,” Father rolled his eyes.

“Naturally,” the Dreigiau gave a fangy grin.

“Then what happened?” AsaHi was leaning forward. Her face was a picture of absolute interest. Her eyes never left Lord Zemi’s face.

He peered at her with his own tilted head, seeming somewhat surprised at the warmth of the reception of his story. Then he continued, still grasping to find the right words to explain the unexplainable.

“Well, the Light That Was Me drifted,” he stated simply. “It drifted for time without measure. It drifted unknowing until the day that the fringes of Light touched something. It was the first something that it ever knew. That something was a Living World. Or, at least, it had been.”

“Our world?” Her knuckles had grown white, grasping her knees tightly.

“Yes,” the Dreigiau replied. “It was a world that held the potential to live again — as it once had before the Mistake came. The Light That Was Me was drawn to the Living World. Side by side, something began to happen. And after much time, the world breathed. When the world breathed, I Awoke.”

SoYa swallowed, thoughts shying away from grasping this last statement. It was obvious that Lord Zemi was a powerful being… but the fact that the essence of life on their world was linked to his own being was something too unnerving to consider.

Even AsaHi had fallen silent.

Either Lord Zemi did not recognize their reaction or he did not care. His words continued on, the story unfolding further.

“When I Awoke, I found myself alone. I did not know about Those That Were Yet To Be. I did not know about Those That Came Before. I only knew of myself and of the Living World. And because it was warm, and I was alone…” A soft smile flickered over his face, “I chose to watch it.”

“If that’s what you call it?” Father grunted quickly. “Let’s not even go into the sort of benefits you scored by simply being here, eh?”

“I did not know that Arweinydd grow in power and change based upon their connections to Living Worlds,” Lord Zemi spread his hands with an innocent expression. “That was not a concept that I learned, in fact, until I discovered the secrets of ‘Esgor-ar. I did not know that it was because I spent time watching the Living World that I had begun to transform myself.”

AsaHi’s cheeks had grown more and more pale.

“I was Me by then,” Lord Zemi grinned, thumbing a finger back at his own chest. “No longer simply a Light without awareness. I had become what is now known as an Arweinydd.”

“So there are more like yourself?” Aunt SaRa leaned back on her palms, crossing her ankles in front of her. “What happened to them?”

“Now… we’re getting into the point I am wanting to make,” the Dreigiau nodded. “I don’t know when it was that I discovered the sleeping place of Those That Were Yet To Be. They were nothing but Lights then. Lights without awareness. But the moment I came to them, much to my surprise, it was as if my own being Woke them. They began to know. They began to stir.”

SoYa’s mouth became a little ‘o’ shape. “They are alive as well? How come we never see them?”

“I tried to tell them about the wonderful Living Worlds that I had found. But they did not want to listen,” Lord Zemi turned his eyes upon the Apprentice. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. “They did not wish to search for you. They were not interested in the Living World and the people who existed there. No matter what I said to them, they only wanted to remain as they were.”

SoYa peered up into the Dreigiau’s eyes somberly. Somehow there was pain within those words that he could not quite touch. As if it was a struggle that was long born upon the Arweinydd’s shoulders.

“So eventually I left them.”

“You left them? Why?” AsaHi’s face lifted again. There was sadness behind her eyes as she watched.

Lord Zemi’s expression softened as well, meeting the girl’s gaze with his own. “My soul longed for the Earthian peoples and creatures — the ones that yearned to grow and learn. The ones that were more like me than even the Arweinydd were.”

She blinked up at him in silence.

“The more that they grew, the more that I became. Until one day… understanding came to me unlike any other. I discovered the secret of Making.”

“‘Esgor-ar…” Kudako hissed softly, looking at his own hands. “The Making of the Dragons? Like myself.”

“Yes, ‘Esgor-ar…” the Dreigiau nodded slowly. “I united my spirit with the creatures of the Living World through this. For the first time, I was more than aware. I was Feeling.”

AsaHi was still staring at Lord Zemi, her face absolutely captivated.

SoYa could feel the shivers still rippling down his spine.

Father peered up. “But the Others of your kind. They do not feel?”

“For the most part. No.” Lord Zemi stated, “That is why it is dangerous that we are up against one.”

Kudako blanched. “We are up against what?”

“Another Arweinydd,” Zento frowned.

AsaHi squeaked, “What? Why?”

“I have yet to figure out the why. But I know it to be true,” Lord Zemi lowered his eyes again. “Of the other Arweinydd I have spent time with, there were three that I chose to call my siblings. Of course… they aren’t really my siblings since my kind cannot be related by blood. I simply thought it was an interesting concept of the Earthian people and chose to adopt it.”

“And what of these siblings of yours?” Kudako’s face was hard.

“There are my two sisters… Zazo and little Zeni. And there is my brother, Zerom.”

SoYa jerked his head upwards, mind shifting back to the encounter he had at the Host Gate with the Sparrow.

Then that was true! She really was Lord Zemi’s sister!

“When AsaHi came to the Host Gate and performed the ritual…” he dropped his gaze on AsaHi. She began to squirm. “Something happened that was not supposed to. I reached out to protect her from the backlash of energy that was produced in the summoning. And a tear in the Gate appeared… allowing me to reach through to the other side in full form.”

“I…” AsaHi covered her mouth. “I didn’t know.”

“I know you didn’t. Don’t stress yourself over what’s been and done,” the Dreigiau purred softly. “There were good things that happened because of that. For one… I could take on a physical form unlike I’ve ever been able to.”

“But there were bad things too?” SoYa felt his voice creak.

Lord Zemi leveled his gaze on the Apprentice. “Zerom. My brother.”

“He was the one that took TsuYa.” Aunt SaRa’s face was sharp.

The Apprentice drew in a hissing breath. His mind flickered back to the image of his brother floating in the rage of darkness.

“And the Marked Creatures that attacked us on the ground… that would be his power as well?” Kudako pressed his lips together even more tightly.

“You are correct,” the Dreigiau nodded. He lifted one hand to indicate the tiny dark-haired girl that was still playing in the flowers, “And young Suzume as well. Luckily for her… not enough of the taint embedded itself into her body before I was able to remove most of it.”

“And TsuYa?” AsaHi’s voice was breathless.

“He… was not so lucky.”

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There was a mass of indigo arrows, circles and scribbled words all over the white writing-platter.

The writing stick made a wild scree as the teacher drew across the board, finishing the last leg of the diagram’s triangle. A mass of indigo arrows, circles and words sprawled all over the white writing-platter. The man at the board indicated the top tip of the triangle with a double tap of the stick.

“This scribble here represents Lord Zemi Dreigiau — please excuse my lack of drawing skills,” the teacher gave a sheepish grin. “I’m a healer, not an artist.”

A few snickers met his ear as he turned towards the students. A small white curl escaped the confines of his violet cap, just at the peak of his forehead. His friendly green eyes observed their reactions, working to warm up the discussion. They were a group of young people, all newcomers to the city Nefol — it was his responsibility to ease their jitters and introduce them to their new home.

He tapped at another corner of the triangle.

“Here we have the Dragon Apprentices,” his gentle gaze slipped from face to face for effect. “That may be you one day. But only if you train hard to pass the Trail of Meeting.”

The tip of the stick rested on the last corner of the triangle.

“This is where everyone else sits in the equation — including yourself. We are all students of life, for this time that we pass through is an unending trial of discovery. However, only a few will become a Myfyriwr, an Apprentice of the Arweinydd.”

A hand lifted in the middle of the class. The teacher pointed to it with his stick, pleased to have questions so early in the lecture.

“Who are the Arweinydd? How are we supposed to learn from them?” asked a hesitant voice.

A tranquil smile crossed his face in response, “The Arweinydd aren’t so much a ‘who’ as a ‘what.’ It’s my opinion that they don’t exist as a “self”… not like you and I do. No one is certain of exactly what they are. We do know there are many of them and they don’t appear to originate from our world.”

His stick indicated the vastness of the darkening night sky through the window.

“As for learning from them — there is a way. Though of all the Arweinydd that we think exist, there’s only one that has shown interest in reaching out to our people. And that would be Lord Zemi Dreigiau.”

“The others don’t like us?” the innocent question came from the right side of the class.

The words came with a pondering look, “I don’t know that the concept of ‘liking’ and ‘not liking’ is relevant to their kind. From what we’ve come to understand, they work somewhat… differently than we do. Even in the most basic of things.”

A different voice rose this time, “Why should we want to learn anything from an Arweinydd at all?”

The query was met with stifled giggles in the back of the room.

“No, no. Good question,” the Apprentice joined them with a good natured laugh, templing his fingertips together thoughtfully. “Why? Well… it’s like asking why learn how to walk and talk from your parents.”

Curious eyes watched him, mulling over the answer. So he continued.

“What do you have to lose by learning all that you can in this world?” he leaned back tapping the stick against his leg. “The more knowledge you have, the more strength you’ll have. The better you know how things work, the better you can make things work. Knowledge is the key to opening every door in life… that is why this School in Nefol was established. And the knowledge that Lord Zemi Dreigiau shares with us far exceeds anything that our people could have found on our own.”

“But why would he teach us?”

There was a momentary pause, then a slow sincere answer, “I… am not certain. I have never asked him.”

“You’ve talked to him?”

“Why, of course! I believe he enjoys speaking with us as much as we enjoy learning from him.”

“Where is he? How can we talk to him?”

“He exists a different plane of existence than our own,” the man began to pace slowly in front of the drawing board. “The only place we’ve been able to speak to him is at the Host Gate. There, his image and words can cross the boundaries into our world. But even there, he doesn’t quite manifest in the physical manner that you or I do.”

“If he’s so powerful, then why is it he can’t come into our world without the Host Gate?” a hand from the far side of the room rose along with words of doubt.

The teacher gave a grim look, “Lord Zemi Dreigiau has his reasons for the things he does. Perhaps he doesn’t really need to. Afterall, his natural being is one of spirit, not of material. Why should he want to lower himself to our Earthian ways?”

“Sounds sorta stuck up to me…”

“Let’s go then,” the teacher made a wide swooping motion with one hand.

“Go?”

“Yeah, let’s head out to the Host Gate. You can go tell him that to his face.”

There was a shudder from the back of the room.

“That’s what I thought,” his stern tone grew jovial again. The tip of the stick landed back against the board, “Remember… Lord Zemi doesn’t have to help us with anything. It is from his own kindness he teaches us.”

An indigo sketch of something that resembled trees began to form upon the surface of the board as he worked.

“It’s by adopting his methods of planting and tending that we found ways of conserving food long enough to be able to make it through the winters without a yearly migration. He’s helped us understand our lands and given us knowledge of the beasts of our world – both dangerous and gentle. And he has never asked for anything in return.”

The Apprentice opened his arms with a soft smile.

“Nothing. We at the School of Nefol honor him as students should honor their Master. We strive to learn and understand all that that he offers to bring to our knowl-”

The class turned to look as a persistent and heavy-handed knock sounded at the door. The teacher gave a slight scowl, trying to ignore the interruption the best as he could. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the knock came again.

There was a soft snicker from the back of the room as the door opened of its own accord, without the teacher’s welcome. Following that, a head poked bluntly into the room.

The intruder’s light green eyes were very similar to the Apprentice’s, except for the lines of sternness that narrowed them tightly. Where the teacher’s expression was soft and friendly, this younger man’s mouth was curved down at the corners in a perpetual half-frown. The impatience of his expression spoke volumes… not a word needed to be exchanged between the two.

With a gentle sigh, the teacher turned to the class, “I believe that’s enough for today. We’ll pick up this question and answer session tomorrow.”

The class filed out, gathering books and cloaks, a line of cheerful chatter at being allowed out early. Once the room had cleared, the Apprentice leaned back against his board with a face that juggled disgruntled concern.

“SoYa…” the other man began, speaking his older brother’s name.

“This had better be good Tsu,” the teacher sighed, massaging his temples. “It’s the third time this week my class has been cut short for one reason or another. First it was the false Nergh attack. Then it was–”

“Yeah. I’ve heard all about your terrible week. Sorry to say, it’s not about to get much better,” TsuYa’s dark frown scowled the importance of the situation.

“What’s going on?”

“AsaHi,” TsuYa’s frown turned grim.

The teacher’s eyes widened at the sound of his Promised’s name, “Is there some word?”

“More than that. They found her.”

AsaHi had a tendency to wander and explore — SoYa had always known that. She was, afterall, born within the Gatherings, despite having lived in Nefol for so many years. It was the nature of her people to move with the seasons and she often spent days traveling the lands between the settlements.

However, this time, she had vanished without a word — nothing more than the nods of some of the students could confirm they saw her departure. When days began to turn into weeks… SoYa couldn’t help but worry. Those who were sent to search for her had been unsuccessful in uncovering any clue of her passage.

“The found her?” SoYa’s mouth fell open in relief as he echoed the words. “Is… is… she okay?”

“I don’t know. She’s asleep and no one’s been able to wake her up. It looks like she’s been asleep for a while,” came the slow answer.

“Where is she?” the Apprentice was gathering up his cloak and belongings in a muddled rush.

TsuYa suddenly grasped his brother’s shoulders in both hands, giving him a slight shake. “SoYa. They found her in the Host Gate.”

SoYa froze. “Host Gate?”

“Yes,” the younger brother lowered his eyes for a long moment. Then he looked up with a dark frown. “They found her with the Book of Ritual… she must have taken it. They think that she tried to summon Lord Zemi.”

“WHAT?” SoYa’s eyes widened as he stepped back with a gasp. “Are you certain?”

TsuYa nodded curtly and repeated, “She had the Book of Ritual. There was no mistaking it.”

A low moan escaped from between half parted lips, “Noooo… why?”

“You know why,” the sharpness of the younger man’s eyes cut as he retorted. “She doesn’t believe Lord Zemi exists. Well… I suppose… she had to find out the truth for herself.”

“How can you say it so…” SoYa’s brow furrowed at his brother’s disdain, then he turned to make his way towards the door. “AsaHi!”

TsuYa grabbed his brother’s arm a second time, stopping him. Warning was heavy in his voice, “She’s in big trouble, SoYa. You know the Council punishes non-Apprentices who try to enter the Gate… not to mention stealing the Book of Ritual and summoning the Patron without approval!”

“Stealing! She wasn’t–”

“She took the Book, SoYa,” his brother snapped back. “What else will they call it?”

“I…” SoYa felt a heaviness bottoming in the pit of his stomach.

“Look. Don’t get involved in this,” TsuYa’s lips curled back, “You’re pitting yourself up against the whole Council if you do. It’s just what they’d want to pin on you to get you out of the way. They’re already spreading rumors that Lord Zemi struck AsaHi down for her impudence. The gentlest thing that they’ll slap on her is banishment. And if you defend her… then son of the High Guide or not… you…”

SoYa’s voice was no more than a low mutter, “What do you expect me to do?”

“Stay out of it. You can’t do anything for her if she drags you down with her,” TsuYa crossed his arms with a huff. “The Council won’t miss a beat and you know it.”

“I… can’t do that!” without so much as a glance back, SoYa rushed out the door, books and papers scattering behind him.

His brother’s glittering eyes traced the white line of paper as it fluttered to rest upon the floor. Then TsuYa’s low sigh filled the room, “SoYa, you’re such a fool.”

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