The Final Stand

"Well, rather than tell you, why don't I just show you," Lyle said, healing his arm. When he had finished, and had retrieved his blade, the portal had re-opened.
"Ok, so, Cedrine, Par, Morgan, and Kisen, you're coming with me for a few minutes. The rest of you, hold on. I'll send transportation shortly." One after the other, the five rebels went into the doorway, which closed after Lyle, the last one, went through.
-Jogonho-
Lyle stepped out of the doorway, onto the stone floor. Awaiting him, were Questor, Par, Cedrine, and Kisen, all surrounded by rebels.
"Stand down," Lyle said. The soldiers instantly lowered their weapons. "Okay, men, create another portal, this time, to Astranova. The throne room would be preferable. Oh, and someone get me a cloak? I want to give my friend a bit of a shock."
The rebels scurried about, operating some sort of mechansim, and soon, another portal was created.
"Portal complete, sir," one of the men said. "And here's your cloak," another one said, handing Lyle a black cape with a hood on it. Putting it on, Lyle turned to the group.
"You'll be able to hear me from the other side of the portal. Wait until I say that you guys can come through, before going into the portal, OK?"
"OK," they replied. Lyle spun around, pulled up his hood, and walked through the portal.
-The Rebel Base, Astranova-
Lyle landed a few feet away from the throne, bowing his head. Tukana was sitting on it, looking slightly bored.
"Ah, a messenger. I've been expecting you. So, any more information about Snike's corpse's whereabouts?" he asked.
"No, sir," the 'messenger' replied. "But, what if I can tell you his exact location right now?"
"Rubbish, he can't be alive. I'll bet my best blade on it." (Author's note: From now on, Addison will be known as Cedrine, and Lyle will be known as Snike.)
"Well then, it looks like you owe me your finest sword, sir, because I'm right here!" Snike said, tearing off his cloak. Tukana froze, stunned for a second, then asked Snike this simple question: "How in the name of God did you survive?"
"You underestimate the Four Lord's durability, Tukana. You see, I healed myself, changed into a disguise, and lived as a merc for the past month. Oh, and I come bringing allies. You can come through now, guys!" Snike shouted through the portal. At his words, Kisen, Questor, Par, and Cedrine walked through the portal, and stood beside him.
"T-Tukana?" both Questor and Par stuttered. "Y-y you're a-alive?"

A good ways away from them, Okami punched a hole through the mound of sand that trapped him. He shook himself off, and wearily limped towards the mound of sand that trapped Shira. Okami started digging, doggedly looking for his friend. When he got to Shira, he gasped and opened his eyes. The whites of his eyes were the same shade of scarlet as his irises, and his pupils were gone. Okami licked his face. Shira rose, entire body in flames. He hunched over, shuddered, and gasped as wings of flame concentrated on his back. He raised his arms shakily and flames shot out of them. He glanced at the water and a geyser erupted. He grinned malevolently.

Okami snarled, warning Red-Eyes to stay away. Where had his old friend Blue-Eyes gone? Old Red-Eyes had at least been a lot like Blue-Eyes. Now there was nothing left. Okami even wondered if a Bad Thing had infested Red-Eyes. Red-Eyes tilted his head and a heat wave blasted out behind him. His forelegs raised up, his paws curled up into balls. Okami sank, his ears pinned. He whimpered submissively. Red-Eyes cut out the flames and patted Okami's head softly. Okami didn't like this new Red-Eyes. Not at all...

Shira tilted his head and smirked at Okami. "Hm. Look at you, boy... Well? Time to head to Mythamis. Let's see if we can catch Kusa there... He told me two Shrines were there.

"We're too late..."
Td260 stood dejected looking at scorch marks in the sand where the fighting had occurred.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE?
ANYONE HERE... NYONE HERE... ONE HERE... HERE...
"No sign of anyone...Wait- over there. Someone's tending to their wounds..."
Bloody damn Questers and their God damned morals...
"Hello? Is there anyone there?"
Oh! Er... um... Are you here to attack me?
"Not unless you're an agent of the empire..."
Good...
Nicole tries to stand.
AH!!! I can't move my leg... I think it was broken by a rock...
"Damn... I'm all out of bone restoration potions. Is there anyone else here?"
Um... a few guards, but the kind soldier took Kisen and the rest of them away...
"Heeeeey.... Waaaait a minute... What's your name?"
Nicole...
"!!! YOU'RE NICOLE?!?"
Oh no... You're gonna try to kidnap me, aren't you...
"No, but there are about a hundred news bulletins about you daily broadcasting through the satellites."
Yeah! You're famous! Though... not in a good way...
"Look. Since you're wanted, whoever did this might come back, so unless your knight in white armor is hiding behind that rock, we're gonna have to stay here and keep an eye on you."
Why?
"To screw with the empire."
Ditch the girl and lets go! We can't stay here and play bodyguard!
"We're staying."
... I hate you.
The trio sat down to await contact from one of the rebels.

"I think I can be of assistance here" Said oelqaz as he separated from Minby. "Long story of how this happened, don't ask now. I can enter your body, and as long as I'm inside of you"
Scourge cut in "That's what she said"
"A-HEM, as long as I'm inside of you your wounds will be healed."
"O-ok..." Replied Nicole.
Oelqaz entered her body, and she felt fine again.

"My lord, the boy and his wolf have been captured and brainwashed."
"This is grave news. I must speak to Andar about this... Do you know where he is?"
"Andar? He's by the shrine, meditating."
"Thank you." The captain of the Home Guard returns to the barracks as Glorgendel walks to the shrine.
"I knew you would come when Durin told you of Shira and Okami."
"Shira... and Okami?"
"The names of the boy and the wolf, respectively."
"Ah. Well, do you think Vode is preparing to attack us?"
"Vode is a cautious man now. He is wary of me, and now you. Before, he thought he could win through sheer force of numbers. Now, he is trying to amass the best in the land to his cause before he strikes. We have some time."
"What of Par?"
"Par is doing quite fine. He and his old friend Morgan are gathering a large rebel force. And, Pe Ell is on his way with an elite group of Kuryonese soldiers."
"Pe Ell is coming back? Excellent. We have a chance now..."

Shira liked this new power... It consumed him, changing him, making him fearless, nondistinguishing, malicious. Just like how he needed to be in order to get stronger, and wipe out the rebels who threatened the security of the continent... And make Kusa pay for putting lies into Luna's head. He charged off with a trail of flames roiling behind him. He found a castle flying an unknown flag. He dove down to inspect it. A rebel garrison... Time to put his powers to the test. He swung his arm and a tongue of flame scorched five soldiers. Ten more flanked him. He unleashed a heat wave which blew them back. An archer loosed an arrow at him. He materialized water, grabbed the arrow, swung around and redirected the arrow into the archer's throat effortlessly. He laughed demonically as the rest ran. All he could think about was the raw power he now wielded...

--

Kusa and Luna had been looking for a rebel outpost for some time. They had stopped at Mythamis, where Kusa had beseeched the power of the Three and Four-tailed Kitsune. They finally found a small group of warriors. Kusa ran up to them first. "Hey, are you guys rebels?" "Yeah. Who're you?" "You can call us fresh recruits... I'm a Kitsune summoner, the only one left in Jawari, I think." "Hmmm... Spirits of the Blue Fire, eh?" "Yes, sir. The girl over there's great at sneaking around... She can spy, and I have yet to see her with a weapon... She may prove to be a very good mage, though." The man sat and leaned back. "Hmmmm... Well, we're waiting for transportation, so I guess we'll see what you kids can do. Kids usually don't last long on a battlefield, so you two'd better be lethal at what you do." "Thanks... Know the guy you were fighting earlier? He used to be our friend before Vode made him all screwy in the head. If anyone can persuade him to come back to the right side, it's us."

"I thought... you were assassinated?" said Questor, quite surprised.
"That was an act so that we could continue to plot the Empire's downfall, without them being the wiser."
"I see. And how long was Snike on our side?"
"He was a rebel from the beginning."
"Oh."
"How are you doing Par? Still an elf-friend? 'Cause we could use some help..."
"I'm fin- Wait! How'd you about the elves?"
"I have my sources..." Tukana glances towards Questor.
"Morgan... you told him?"
"Not really. He was able to figure out who I was quickly, then asked about you I figured lying would be a bad idea. Also, after I told him, you were promoted, if that helps..."
"Hmph. I suppose so..."
"Snike, did we leave anything out?" asks Tukana.

-Lenny's story, near Mythamis-
Day 28, I think. I've been wandering through mountains and valleys, I'm shocked I'm still alive.

And so Lenny strenuously approaches a rebel outpost clad in damaged peasant's cloth, a shield, and a blood-drenched spear. He noticed a number of really bizzare individuals gathered around. There was a blonde-haired kid, some techno-geek, what appeared to be a green-hair mage, some guy with tomahawks, a white-haired man with a fox, and many others.

Minby shouted, "Hey look over there!" That was the last thing Lenny heard before he passed out.

How come I keep on passing out...

Okami stared off after where Demon-Eyes had taken off from. He howled long, wistful, loud, but no answer. He curled up on the ground... Had he completely lost Blue-Eyes? Okami whimpered sadly, wanting Grey-Eyes back. He remembered where the Mage had gone. He picked himself off and trudged slowly in that direction.

--

Shira was reporting back to the Imperial Palace. Volverein let him into the throne room. Shira bowed reverently in front of the Emperor. "My liege... I failed to destroy the Empire's Most Wanted, but I think I made up for it by roasting a rebel outpost or two..." Shira grinned with relish, remembering the slaughter he had caused. Vode eyed Shira carefully. "Hmmm... Good. I want you to go to the Rebel Base in the Nishik Desert. Destroy the main rebel force, and the rest will fall into chaos, and we will have peace..." "Yes... My Lord." Shira rose slowly, eyes filled with bloodlust. He slowly exited. Volverein grunted beside him, "Just do yourself a favor and stay. Low. Key." Shira stopped for a moment, then continued on. "I'll keep that in mind..." Shira spoke casually. He started the long walk to the Nishik Desert...

--

After a few miles of walking, Okami was suddenly thrown into a net. He yelped and struggled to break free. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Black-Hair. Okami relaxed, and allowed himself to be dragged away, Black Hair walking beside him...

"Nothing comes to mind about this particular matter, but I do believe we have some guests waiting," Snike said. "The Royal Guards, I believe, and my comrade." Par raised an eyebrow at the word 'comrade', but said nothing.
"Ah, right. I was wondering where they were. Guards!" Tukana called. The guards came in, and stopped cold when they saw Snike. He addressed them. (he being Snike)
"Go tell the scientists to open ten portals to Mythamis. The Royal Guards are arriving."
"Yes, sir!" the guards replied, and ran out of the room, shouting "Snike is back! Snike is Back!" as they ran. The former Lord merely chuckled."Well, then, I'll need to head back to Jogonho now. The men will be freaking out right about now. I'll be back in several hours. Ciao." he said as he stepped back through the portal. The group stood there for a few minutes, caught off-guard.
"... He sure gets to the point, doesn't he?" Kisen said.
"You wouldn't believe how much worse he was, a few years ago." Cedrine replied.

Kusa and Luna both heaved Okami back to the rebels they had met. As they approached, they saw a wormhole open. The rebels stepped into it. Kusa and Luna dragged Okami all the harder, and somehow managed to get into the portal before it closed. They were now in a room filled with whirring machines, scientists attending to them, and a group of fierce-looking warriors. The warriors looked at them and demanded, "Who are you, and what's that you've got there?" Kusa managed to spit out, "I-I'm Kusanagi, the last Kitsune summoner in Jawari, and this is Luna, my friend here. We have the Seismic Tempest, Okami, here... We can use him as a bargaining chip for leverage against Shiranui. With both Luna and Okami, we're sure to do something to him..." The warriors turned to talk amongst themselves, eyeing the three of them suspiciously every now and then.

"Hm? Hey! Look! The Portal's open!"
I guess you're right. Oelquaz? Get out of her.
Awww... And I was just about to have some fun...
"Um... I'll leave this to you two..."
Hmph. Retards.
"STFU scourge. No one likes you."
*Nicole collapses*
"What did you do?"
Calm down. Her mind got tired and was sleeping, so when I left, the body adapted to reflect the now dominant consciousness.
"Ah. Ok. Lets go into the portal and meet the resistance leader."
They walk through at the back of the crowd of soldiers as 2 youths and a wolf in a net are lectured by a guard. td260 asks a nearby guard he had made friends with during the day they spent guarding Nicole.
"What's going on?"
We picked up a few new travelers- like yourselves. They came through with the frontal guard, and are being interrogated by the guard leaders.
"Ah... Should we go to the front with them?"
Probably. they want to catalog all new arrivals to the rebels.
"Um... Excuse me? Hey, Just announcing myself. We've been with the guards for a day now."
We had been alerted of your position.
"Oh... ok. Well, now i feel dumb."
Move along, move along. We need to discuss some things.
"Hey, I haven't met you two. When did you come into the camp?"
Oh, me and Luna only arrived a few hours ago.
"Makes sense why I didn't meet oyu then. You were on the other side of the camp, and never got over to our side of the camp."
"Our side"?
"Well, they have a special camp for the "specialized fighters". It's dedicated to the people with stronger fighting skills and better abilities than an average soldier."
Ah...
"Hey... Your friend over there doesn't talk much, does she?"
She's... been through a lot. The wolf brings up some good memories from before Shira went crazy.
"Ok... see you around."
You are in a very gentle mood today.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
Simply that you are not as blunt as you usually are.
"Thanks... I think."
By the way, we now have the Satellite's full data processing power. I hacked level 5.
"Soo... what's left?"
6 is hacking skills, 7 is the strongest laser, 8 has something to do with elements, and level 9 is the ultimate power. that is protected by the satellite itself. We need to hack that one new every time.
"Right... so start working on level 6."
Um... level 6 and level 8 are protected by someone's power seal. We must defeat them before attempting to hack through the coding.
"Ok... so we're lost right now..."
Yep.
"Ok... Lets do what we can with what we have."

Lenny woke up in a strange place full of mages, scientists, and warriors.

"Hey the kid is finnally awake," some girl clad in blue and black said. {Luna}

Some people started gathering around to see who this new guy was.

"Are we sure we can trust him?" {Keith}

"Hey, guy. Let's hear your story." {Minby}

"Hi, I'm Lenny. Ummm...I'm not the best story teller, but I'll try. I live for one thing, vengeance..."

And so Lenny told how his family was killed, how he attacked Volverein and was saved by a strange madman, and how they escaped into the desert.

"...and so we wandered for a day and a half. I was able to learn a little about this man. His name was Faustus and he was trying to figure out where his traveling partner was."

At the name of Faustus a man wearing black and weilding a scithe turned ahead and listened to the story.

"One day as we were heading around a mountain..."

{warning, flashback ahead.}

{Cue flashback narrative}

...We caught sight of half a dozen Imperial troops roaming around. Faustus started to head toward them with his knife in his hand.

"We should just go around, Doc. There really isn't any reason to attack them"

"We Haven't eaten all day. Your lucky I haven't eaten you yet."

Is that supposed to be humor?

And so Faustus charged at them with his knife raised. I ran toward the troops with the spear and shield I had picked up from the soldier Faustus had skinned. By the time I got there the doc had already killed one troop and was finishing off another when a third troop stabbed him in the soldier. I quickly struck the weak spot in his armor with my own Imperial spear. We both took out the other three fairly unwounded.

As I was some clothes and replacing my blunter spear-head, Faustus was doing his normal gore-fest. Groping brains and cutting spleens. Ew. As he got up I noticed his eyes were more blood-thirsty than normal. A lot more. A squirrel ran nearby him and he jumped it with his knife and split it open. Apparently he was on some druggie, vampirish high. And that's when he charged me. I knew it was bound to happen, but I had hoped otherwise.

-Insert epic fight scene narrative here-

...And then I cut his foot off. I think that was the changing point of the fight. He stumbled just long enough for me to knock his unconscious with my shield. I couldn't kill him, so I tied him to a tree. He's dead as far as I know. After that I wandered around, staying out of sight of Imperialists and hunting wildlife for food. I finnally found a country town that wasn't find of Vode and pointed me in the right direction. After days of wandering I finnally found you guys.

{ /flashback narrative }

Luna stroked Okami's fur and smiled. Her soft hums filling his ears. He remembered her and wagged his tail, sniffing her torso gently. She giggled. "Stop it, Okami. You goofy wolf." She stroked his head gently. His armor was in her way though. She smiled and gripped the armor. "May I take this off for you?" Okami barked and wagged his tail. Luna removed each piece with Kusa's help, exposing Okami's soft fur. Luna sighed and hugged his neck. "Oh, Okami... I miss Shira..." Okami whined and howled. Luna teared up and burried her face in his fur, soft whimpers coming out without her permission. Okami gently laid down and let out a huff. Luna smiled softly and chuckled. "You're so cute, Okami." He wagged his tail slowly and laid his head down to rest. Luna laid against him, her body pressed against his for warmth. She drifted into a better sleep with the familiar wolf by her side.

Okami curled up around Black-Hair as she slept, wrapping his tail around her and nestling her between his hind legs and his belly. Her bringing up Blue-Eyes' name made him sad, knowing that Blue-Eyes was completely gone... Soon he, too, drifted off into a fitful sleep, tormented by dreams of Demon-Eyes...

--

Kusa sat atop the roof of the base, which proved to be very large indeed. A large chunk of it was an underground labyrinth for hiding. The actual above-ground portion was a two-story building, about as large a a major city hall. He gazed at the stars, particularly the ones above Arblont. How long had it been since his tribe left their ancestors' home? It must have been five hundred years ago, long before he was born... His grandfather had been born in Arblont. He had been the first to commune with the Kitsune. His abilities had quickly attracted the attention of his family and their close relatives and friends. Before long, Glorgendel had ordered them to leave the ancient trees behind, fearing Kusa's grandfather would become power-hungry and misuse his talents. Kusa's grandfather had told him of the Tekawai, the Elves' first enemies. Hearing them made Kusa loathe Vode when he came to power... Kusa's thoughts were interrupted by a bright flame far to the north. Could it be..? Kusa lunged up and scampered back up to the ladder, and raised the alarm. Cedrine, Okami and Luna soon caught wind of the alert...

Luna shot awake at the alarm and climbed onto Okami's back. "Come on, boy. Let's go." Okami raced to Kusa. "What is it Kusa?" He pointed to the north at the flame. Luna's eyes shot open. "Is that...?" Okami howled and barked. "Hush," said Luna. Okami didn't stop though. "Okami! Stop!" She whacked his snout and he stopped. They all looked out at the flame. "Do you think...?" said Luna. "Yeah," Kusa said in a soft voice. Luna petted Okami's head gently. "Stay calm, boy," she said as they looked at the horizon.

Lenny got up at the sound of an alarm. and noticed a large crowd staring North. He looked out and saw a flame burning high into the air.

"What's going on? Am I the only one that's clueless here?" Lenny asked to some kid walking around.

People were rushing around, but most were looking toward Kusa to find out what their next move was after this apparent news.

"LAND HO!" shouts the look-out.

"Sir, shall we prepare the men for a landing?"
"Yes Captain. And how many times have I told you not to call me 'sir'?"
"Many times, s-" The Captain manages to catch himself this time. He then leaves for the hold where most of the men are sleeping.

"Captain Rutem... What am I going to do with you?" mutters Pe Ell, anxiously awaiting the landing at a beach just east of Arblont. "Now, Overlord, here I come..."

"Snike... I don't like the way The Overlord uses us."
"Neither do I. It seems as if he works for the highest bidder."
"Yeah... I was hoping we'd assassinate people that were, you know, supposed to be assassinated. Instead, we assassinate people who have yet to do anything that makes them worthy of assassination."
"It seems like Par made the right decision in leaving."
"Yeah... And if we try to leave, we'll end up dead."
"I suppose we'll have to go through the motions for awhile."
"You can, but I'm gonna try to get in a position that interacts with The Overlord a lot. Maybe I can find out why..." He trails off, not wanting to say.
"Have fun, Morgan."



Questor wakes and hears the alarm raised. "Wonderful..." he mutters as he straps on his weapons.

Kusa stepped out into the sands of the Nishik Desert, closed his eyes and chanted a prayer of summoning as Blue Fire swirled around him. A rift in the air in front of him opened, revealing a spectral blue world. Out of it emerged a large Four-Tailed Kitsune twice Okami's size. The otherworldly beast turned towards the flame, which was rapidly getting bigger. Cedrine, Okami, Luna and one of the warriors Kusa soon identified as Questor ran up to his side, ready for a long fight. The flame was only a quarter of a mile away, and Okami snarled. The earth shook as Okami's legs shot into the ground. A sand pit opened around Shira, sucking the nearby sand into an abyss. Shira hovered above it and shot blasts of fire down, glazing the sand into rough glass. He lighted down on it, which rapidly started to crack and melt the glass. The sand pit was quickly becoming a lava pit. Luna carefully slipped off Okami's back and crept towards the edge of the sand pit. She called down, "Sh-Shira? It's Luna. Cut it out. I just wanna talk... Please? For me?" The flaming figure yielded no response. Her face hardened, "If you won't listen, then I'll kill you!" Shira responded this time with a blast of fire she narrowly avoided. There would be no reasoning with him now...

-Jogonho-
Snike stepped through the portal, opened the door, and crossed the hall to his office. When he got inside, he summoned thee whole outpost to him.
"Welcome back, Lord Snike!" one of them said.
"Thank you, Morris," he replied. "Now then, I need someone to brief me on what happened around here this past month. Also, before, I forget, someone get Fred? I need to promote him. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers said.
"You are dismissed." The rebels saluted, and left. Morris stepped up and began explaining the affairs of the outpost to the Lord.
-A few minutes later-
After the soldier finished, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter," Snike said. The door opened, and Fred(dy) entered the office, evidently intimidated.
"Have a seat. Morris, thank you for the briefing. You may go."
Morris saluted, and left the room, closing the door. Snike's face was completely obscured by the darkness.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" he said nervously.
"Yes. Why weren't you at the meeting a few minutes ago?"
"Uh.. I was waiting with someone for an aquaintance of mine. We had just given up, so I escorted her to the inn, for the night."
"Who was this acquaintance, Fred?"
"This merc sniper named Lyle, sir. Have you seen him?"
"Ah, yes, I know that man very well."
"So you have seen him?"
"Why, yes." Snike said, leaning forward. "He's right here."
"Wh-WHAT?" the soldier exclaimed, shocked.
"Surprised, aren't you?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Good job, by the way. You've earned a promotion, Captain."
"Th-Thank you sir!"
"Good to see that you're happy. Now, tomorrow, I want you to 'arrest' that mage I was traveling with, and bring her here. Make it flashy. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Fred said, enthusiastically.
"Oh, and by the way, Fred, do not tell anyone about my Lyle persona. I still want to use it. You are dismissed."
Without another word, the new rebel captain left the room. Snike smiled, then fell asleep on his chair.

*BOOM*
It would appear as if a flame related entity has appeared at the entrance of the fort.
"FINALLY!!! SOME ACTION!!!"
Td260 runs out towards the entrance to find kusa and luna fighting a strange man of flames.
"This that guy you mentioned earlier? The one who was captured?"
Y-Yeah... urg... Now's not the best time to talk...
"Right... RAIDEN!!! BATTLE MODE!!!"
Thunder clouds gather as Raiden prepares his spells.
"FINALLY!!! A STRONG OPPONENT!!! BRING IT ON BITCH!!!"
Firing his gun at Shira, Td260 dashes at the figure, only to dodge and roll away as a wave of flames shoot past him.
"HAHA!!! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!!!"
Sidestepping another wave of flames, Td260 mutters to his sword, and it blazes to life, lightning shooting down it's length into the sand.
"RAIDEN!!! NOW!!! VOLT SHOCK!!!!"
Plunging his sword into Shira's flaming torso, he shouts the last few words as he rolls away, firing at the figure. A bolt of lightning hits the sword, and a massive explosion of electricity occurs. As everyone's eyes adjust from the sudden light, they see a wobbly figure rip the sword out of his chest and stagger.
Shira?
Taking a step forward., Luna gasps as a ring of flames shoots out of him. A purple pillar of fire stabs upward into the night sky
"This is it. Whatever dark power they gave him is being revealed... If we can destroy it, we might MIGHT have a chance to bring him back."
Hefting his gun, Td260 grins.
"Lets give it our best shot. Can you two hold him off until I can get the satellite coordinated?"
Sure.
You bet.
"Ok... GO!"
*tap-tap-tap-tikka-tikka-tap-tap-tap-tikka-tikka-tap-PING!*
"GOT IT!!! Stand back..."

"ok... lets take him inside into a cell and see how he is when he wakes up..."
AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
"Raiden? What's going on?"
There's something going on in the satellite... it's...it's... a seal being broken? on lvl 9? Should i access it?
"Yes... Do it now."
It's... AAAAAHHHHH!!!
*FLASH-FLASH-FLASH-PWING*

I feel... different. What happened?
"Um... you unlocked a flame form, in addition to your lightning form... I must analyze this to find out why, and how."
Yeah... Can you switch me back? I want to be my normal form.
"I think if you access the satellite again on lvl 9, you can regain your usual form."
I'll... Try...
There. Much better. This could provide to be an invaluable asset in battle. However, I believe that we must wait for the satellite to regain energy before attempting that again.
"Right... Lets go inside to rest."

"Maybe there's a settlement in this god-forsaken forest..." mutters Par.
"God-forsaken? This forest is far from it." says a man appearing from the surrounding bushes.
"Wha- Who are you?"
"I am an elf."
"An elf? Pfft. Elves don't exist. Who are you really?"
"An elf," insists the stranger, "by the name of Glorgendel. I am the king of the elves."
"A king? Then you must have a palace of some sort, right?" says Par hopefully.
"Not just a palace, a rather large city. Let me show you..."




A blinding light flashes over Par's tent. He wakes up instantly to see the laser connect with Shira.
"That looked painful." mutters Par as he wakes from his sleep.

-The next day-
-Jogonho-
Melissa combed the city, looking for any sign of Lyle. Where is he, she thought, he was supposed to be back by now. Eventually, she gave up and returned to the inn. The mage approached the counter.
"Have you seen my companion today?" she asked the inn keeper.
"If you mean that sniper mercenary, no," he replied. "Haven't seen him since yesterday morning, ma'am."
"Ok. Sorry to bother you." Subsequently, Melissa went to her room and gathered her things. As she exited the front doors, a voice shouted, "Stop!" The traveler spun around to find the soldier from yesterday,garbed in knight armor, running towards her, followed by ten soldiers. Before she could react, two of them sprinted , grabbed the mage by both shoulders, and pinned her arms behind her back. The knight pulled out a scroll, and began to read from it.
"You, Melissa Bellevue, are under arrest for being a fugitive of the law, resisting arrest, and the murders of ten imperial soldiers. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you." he said.
"What?!" Melissa exclaimed. "I thought this was a rebel city!"
"If you thought that, then you're sorely mistaken. Let's go, men!"
On his word, the soldiers turned around, and began to march back to the barracks, mage in tow. A crowd grew, trying get a look at the newly captured prisoner. The soldiers moved in around Melissa tightly, to prevent any possible vigilantes. Finally, when the group had entered the building, the soldiers broke formation.
"Dave, Rodney you can let her go now," the knight said over his shoulder. When the soldiers unhanded the mage, he turned to her.
"Sorry about that, we had to make a show of it. Now, our commander would like to see you."
He led Melissa down a hall, and opened the last door on the left.
"Go on in."
The mage cautiously entered the room. Opposite her, a man with pitch-black hair stood looking out the window. All of a sudden, he turned towards Melissa.
"Hello. I must apologize for the... spectacle outside. I didn't want to tip off any spies in the city. Why don't you have a seat?" he said politely, gesturing to a black leather chair. The mage sat down down on it, entranced by the man's piercing blue eyes.
"Now then, Melissa, why don't we talk about your history?" he said.
"How.. do you know me...?" She asked.
"You don't remember me? I was part of your village."