The Final Stand

Cedrine wakes and looks down into the ocean, seeing many spikes rising out of the water.
"What the..." says Cedrine as one of the creatures lifts its head out of the water. It sees Cedrine looking at it and roars, resulting in about five more rising out of the water.
"Well, water magic certainly won't help me here..." she says as she dodges an attempt to bite at her. One of the creatures (known as Yupos) charges up an electric bolt and sends it flying at Cedrine. She manages to summon up a Boulder, deflecting the attack, then sends it flying at the attacking Yupo. It simply dives underwater, easily avoiding the attack. After spending a few minutes dodging and blocking attacks from the six Yupos, Cedrine realizes that these creatures are very powerful, especially in water. With that in mind, she summons up a Tsunami and manages to wash them all ashore. Out of water, the Yupos are helpless. Cedrine breathes a sigh of relief as the Yupos roar helplessly from the shore. She then decides land is safer and moves her hut back to land, still keeping her distance from the grounded Yupos.
After a few weeks of surviving attacks from an increasing number of skeletons and Plutonus, a new creature makes Cedrine seriously consider leaving. After defeating the normal attack of skeletons accompanied by a few Plutonus, a new creature silently approaches from the sky. This creature (a Dragonoid) grabs Cedrine with its arm, flies up to the clouds, then lets her drop. Cedrine is barely able to prevent herself from smashing into the ground. She recovers, but a blast of fire causes her to retreat to her hut, which is immediately destroyed by the Dragonoid. A flurry of Stone Blasts send the Dragonoid reeling, but a dive at Cedrine causes her to roll to safety. A Tempest grounds the beast, but it is still quite formiddable. Another blast of fire sends Cedrine diving for cover. After hiding in the cover of the forest for a minute, she manages to catch the Dragonoid in the fissure of a Quake, but the beast appears unhurt. Angry, Cedrine summons a couple Geysers that put the Dragonoid on the defensive, but it quickly regains the offensive and it rakes its claws across Cedrine's back. She cries out in pain, but quickly recovers and sends a Tsunami toward the Dragonoid. The beast now appears injured, but is now enraged. It charges at Cedrine, nearly biting her head off. Another flurry of Stone Blasts cause visible damage to the Dragonoid and a well-placed Quake finally finshes it off.
"I think... it's time I left this island..." pants Cedrine.


Cedirne wakes up and sees Kusa still sleeping. She shudders at the memories of her time on Bani Shed, then goes back to sleep.

Vaisey stands just north of the desert. In fact, if he goes directly south, he will arrive at Astranova's front gate. Behind him are 500 HunterX4's, awaiting his command. He pauses as an Imperial messenger approaches him.
"My lord, 1000 Imperial soldiers are on their way. They will arrive here tomorrow morning."
"Excellent. The desert rebels will be crushed underneath my might." He pasues, then says, "Stay with us; we camp here."
"My lord, with all due respect, I must report back."
"That won't be necessary. You will camp here."
"My lord, I must report back."
"I see that you will not listen. Do you know what happens to disobedient soldiers?"
"No..." The messenger is shaking, remembering too late that Vaisey is known as the Knight Terror.
"Well, you're about to find out." Vaisey draws his dagger, stabbing the unfortunate messenger through the neck. "Astranova, you're next."

"Tristan... bad news." pants Djaq, returning from a recon mission.
"What is it Djaq?" replies Tristan, worried.
"Vaisey is coming. At least 1000 Imperials, along with 500 of those mech warriors that attacked us earlier."
"WHAT?!?!? Crap. Look's like we gotta go."
"What?"
"Par told me that if we needed help, we were supposed to head for the eastern Areyu Forest. Lamahl and Luke should be able to handle things here. You, me, and anyone else who wishes to come will head for the Areyu Forest to find said help."
"Hmmm... Okay. I'll spread the word." Djaq leaves to go inform Lamahl and Luke of the plans to leave for help. Meanwhile, Tristan makes the preparations to leave as soon as possible.

Snike's words rung inside Kisen's head. "You remind me of a student I had, ten years ago... Like you, his problem was defense." These words echoed those of a man he knew ten years ago, one he thought dead...
-Flashback-
-Unnamed Village-
"Haa!" Kisen shouted, as he swung his practice sword at Dan. The swordmaster easily parried the attack, and knocked the boy onto the floor. He then walked over, and offered a hand. Kisen accepted, and the man lifted him upright.
"Nice try. Your offense is good, but your problem is defense," Dan said.
"OK, Master Merveille, I'll try to improve my defense, next time." Kisen said.
"Again?"
"Ok!"
-Flashback end-
-Present day-
-Astranova, outside training hall-
Now that he thought about it, Snike DID look a lot like Master Dan. Maybe I'll ask him about it, the next time I see him. Kisen thought, as he headed towards his room. All of a sudden, an alarm blared, bringing Kisen out of his thoughts.
"Oh dear," he said. "Now what?"

Somewhere deep in the Anaron Swamp...

"Finally, my army is complete. After three years of creating these creatures, I can go out and eliminate these simple rebels Volverein is having trouble with before we can have our revenge." The renegade elf, known as Rakshaza, stands on a hill overlooking his army of monsters. The most common was a Knoll, a wolfish creature with the ability to stand on its hind legs. Armed with a mace and shield, these monsters are rather deadly in great numbers. Up in the air were a number of Ugloids, large brids of prey capable of diving faster than the human eye can see. Complimenting these Ugloids, quite a few Juphats patrolled the skies. Hydras slithered the ground, while Kinglizards scampered through the trees. The nearly invisible Rhani stand silently among the Knolls and a few Wood Men patrol the surrounding swamps. Others were there as well, but Rakshaza decided to leave them here for later. Either way, the crown jewel of the "first" army were the upgraded Yupos. Given the name "Land Yupos" by Rakshaza, these creatures were given legs and lungs so that they could survive on land. And their tactics remain unchanged, except that instead of diving underwater, they burrow underground at speeds unknown to man. After determining he was ready to partially unveil his army, he used magic only discovered through constant experimentation with "Creation" magic, he creates a portal that exits at Vaisey's camp. He orders his lieutenant, a Rhani, to have the army wait on the other side until he gave the order to come over.

Rakshaza crosses through the portal, coming face to face with Vaisey.
"Long time, no see, old friend."
"Rakshaza... you're... back?"
"Yes I am. Your raiding party is about to get stronger." He turns to the portal. "Send about half of 'em over." The monsters begin crossing over and set up camp beside the Imperial camp.

Snike walked up to the medical ward, mulling over the possibilities. Maybe she'll remember me right off the bat, he thought, or maybe, there'll be no way to bring her memory back. What if it's not even her? No, I'll have to trust my men. He was at the door to the ward now. Well, here goes nothing... The Lord opened the door and stepped inside. The room was completely white, with nurses and doctors scurrying about, taking temperatures, giving medicine, and generally trying to fix up the patients. Snike walked up to the front desk. The nurse immediately straightened up when she saw him.
"Hello, My Lord. How can I help you today?" the nurse asked the Lord.
"Hi, I'm here to see a patient." he said. "Her name is Nicole, if I'm not mistaken."
The nurse pulled out a clipboard and checked it. "Ah, you mean the amnesiac Imperial agent? She just woke up a few minutes ago. Here, follow me." The nurse got up out of her chair and led Snike to the end of the beds, and into the private room section. She then stopped in front of the third room on the right.
"Here you are, sir." the nurse said.
"Thank you," Snike replied.
"Just one question, though. Are you going to interrogate her about her Imperial service, or something?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"We've already had three people in the last day grilling her about it. I'm concerned for her well-being, and I think she's on the verge of a meltdown."
"Oh, she is, now? Don't worry, I need to speak with her about something... else about her past. Also, please get me the names of those visitors by tomorrow. "
"Y-Yes, sir." The nurse stammered, as she quickly turned and walked back to the desk. Snike opened the door and stepped inside the private room. Inside, there was a woman with green hair, sitting up in the bed. He smiled, realizing that his men were right. The lady was looking at him with a questioning expression.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Snike." Snike replied.
"Ah, so you're the one who saved Kisen, then." she said. "He told me about you. Let me guess, you're here to ask me about my Imperial service, right? I already told you, I don't remember anything since a month ago. Can't you believe me?"
"I believe you, Nicole." The Lord said, calmly. "I'm actually here about something related to your memory loss. Now, I heard you remember a few things about your past. Could you please tell me them?"
"O-Ok, I guess." Nicole was unnerved by his gaze. "I remember that I'm looking for a man with orange-tinted hair, and that's about it."
"I see." Snike said, fumbling with something. Finally, he pulled out a picture, showing a man with orange-tinted hair, and gave it to her. "Would it be this man you're looking for?"
"Yes! That's him!" Nicole exclaimed. "Do you know where he is?"
"Yeah, but I want to ask you something else. You know that locket you have around your neck? Can I see it?"
"Ok, here. But, it won't ope-" Nicole stopped midsentence as Snike opened the locket with ease. "How did you do that?"
"Easy. You're supposed to push the little heart right on the front of it, and it'll pop right open. Anyways, it's just as I thought. Here you go." The Lord said, giving back the locket. Nicole gazed at it for a second.
"Wait, that's me, and you... But, why are you in this picture? Who's the girl? And why does it say 'from D to N'?" she asked, confused.
"Well, the girl is your daughter. The N is your name, of course. The D stand for Daniel, which is my real name. And as for why I'm in the photo..." Snike produced a small vial, turned around, and drank it. Instantaneously, his hair turned orange. He turned back to Nicole. "Now do you remember me?"
The girl took a look at the picture, than looked back at the Lord. "Wait.... You're.... the one in this picture.... How... could... this... be?" her shocked face suddenly turned blank. Then, a few minutes later, she suddenly snapped to a start. "Snike, what happened? I remember destroying the Mech, but then..."
"We got hit by a grenadier. The blast sent me up North, and you apparently were sent south, near some thieves. You remember now, don't you?"
"Yes, I do." Nicole said.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you earlier, honey, things came up. Not to mention that I didn't know that you were alive until yesterday," Snike said.
"No, it's OK. Oh yeah, where's Cedrine? She was here yesterday..."
"She had to leave. That boy she raised broke out earlier today. You should get some rest.." Snike started.
"Nonsense, I need to apologise to Tukana for my absence. And prepare for any raids. I think Vode knows we're here." Nicole replied.
"Stubborn as always, huh? I'll go get your gear." he said. And with that, Snike left the room.

Snike quickly pulled another vial out of his pocket and consumed it, restoring his hair to its' natural black. Then, smiling, he walked out of the private room section, past the beds, and stopped at the front desk.
The nurse from before quickly handed him a slip of paper.
"Here are the names you requested, sir." she said.
"Thank you," he replied. "However, can you give it to Nicole? I think she would appreciate it."
"Yes, sir!" The nurse said, and Snike left the ward. He strolled down the hall, turned a corner, and entered the special armory. Inside, there were chests strewn about. The Lord walked over to one labeled "CASSIUS", produced a key, and opened it. He took the contents out and closed the chest. Picking up the gear, he walked out of the armory. Along the way, the Lord bumped into Fred, who was at the base to get his official captain certification.
"Oh, sorry sir," he said. "I didn't see you there."
"It's alright, Captain Fred," Snike replied.
"Say, what are you doing with Lady Cassius' equipment, sir?" Fred asked, noticing the green bundle in the Lords' hands. "Are you getting rid of it, or something?"
"Not exactly," the Blazing Flash said, smiling. He continued on back to the medical ward, leaving the captain there, perplexed. The man re-entered said ward, walked straight through the bed section, and returned to Nicole's room.
"Here you are," Snike said, setting the gear and clothing at the end of the bed.
"Thanks, honey." Nicole said, picking the bundle up.
"Now, I'll give you a little privacy. I'll be outside the room." The Lord stepped out, and waited beside the door. A few minutes later, the door swung open, and Nicole walked out, clad in yellow and green. She turned to Snike.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"Absolutely beautiful," he replied. "Now, let's go." The lord took his wife's hand, and the two walked out of the ward. They made their way to the throne room, Snike leading the way. He told Nicole to wait, then marched in to the room, and stopped in front of Tukana.
"I bring news about the mysterious lady the Royal Guards met up with, along with the knight, Tukana." Snike began.
"Really? Has she regained her memory, Snike?" the leader of the rebels asked.
"Indeed."
"Go on. What's this news of her? Is she one of the Imperial lords' spies?"
"No. Actually, you already know her. Let me bring her in." Snike said. He motioned to Nicole, and she walked in and stood beside him.
"I'm saddened that the leader of our fine organisation would fail to remember me." she said.
"Cassius! What a surprise! Let me apologise for my rudeness!" The man said, evidently surprised.
"No, it's alright, Tukana. I didn't know who I was, until a few minutes ago, thank to my husband here."
Snike blushed, embarassed. "It was no big deal."
At that moment, the alarm blared.
"Raid?!" Nicole exclaimed.
"Tch," Snike said. "OK, I'll go get the mages. Nicole, can you go get the soldiers and the Royal Guard? We'll assemble in the barracks." The two Lords ran out of the room and split up to scramble the rebel forces.

-Magical Training Hall-
Melissa had just successfully created water when an alarm blared. She, and all of the other the other mages stopped right on the spot. About a minute later, Dan burst in, agitated.
"Ok, everyone, get your weapons and armor, then proceed to the barracks. You will be briefed there." he said. Instantly, the spellcasters rushed out of the room, some panicking, others excited, but most of them alarmed. Melissa waited until the room was clear, then she walked up to Dan.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"The Imperial army is attacking. They're being led by Vaisey." he replied.
"You mean, the Knight Terror?"
"Yes, the very one. Now, I need to go find someone, so can you go down to the Barracks with the rest of the mages, please?"
"Y-yes, sir." Melissa said. Dan chuckled.
"No need for formalities when we're alone, Melissa. I'll see you in a few minutes." And with that, he turned around and left the room.
-Sparring Hall-
Nicole walked into the hall, seeming very calm. The fighters froze.
"We're under attack. Go get your weapons and armor, then assemble in the barracks." she said coolly. The warriors all ran out of the room, excited for a real fight. Some of them glanced at the Lord as they exited the hall, but none had the gall to say anything. After the hall was emptied, Nicole locked the door, and sprinted to the Barracks.
-Living Quarters-
Kisen was polishing his stiletto. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The thief opened it to reveal Snike, who seemed to be tense.
"Oh, Lord Snike. What was with the alarm?" he asked.
"Raid. You need to get to the Barracks, stat!" Snike replied. Without waiting for a response, the Lord turned and ran.
"Hey, wait!" Kisen exclaimed, as he ran after the Lord.
-Barracks-
The soldiers were now gathered in the spacious room. Amid the crowd, there were murmurs and complaints of discontent, which came to a stop when Snike and Nicole, who was not wearing her regular attire, Kisen noted, emerged onto the podium in front of them. KThe whole army froze when they saw that the two were holding hands. Nonetheless, the Blazing Flash spoke.
"A few minutes ago, we received a report that 1500 Imperial troops were spotted north of us, led by Vaisey. The fact that they're led by a Commandant makes their intent clear: The Empire wants us dead, today." Snike said. "However, little do they know, we have allies on their way to join us. We just need to hold out a few hours, until they arrive, and victory will be ours. We will meet the enemy head on. Lord Tukana and I will lead the close-ranger fighters, while Nicole here," The Lord said, squeezing her hand. "Will be in charge of the mid to long range fighters and the mages. Any questions?"
"Yes, one. Why should we trust the Imperial agent?" The crowd gave a wide berth to the swordsman with brown hair who asked.
"Why shouldn't we?" Snike replied, with a question of his own.
"Well, for all we know, she could be a spy for the Empire, who'll betray us the second she gets the opportunity!"
Snike spoke slowly, trying to remain calm. "Kid, this 'spy' you're speaking of, is also known as Cassius. Now why would my wife defect to the Empire, especially after what happened to us a month ago!?"
Half the room's jaws dropped, as he said this.
"Oops, sorry." the swordsman mumbled.
"You're lucky we're about to fight, soldier. Otherwise, you would be in the dungeon." The Lord said, glaring at the man. "Now that we have that matter settled, any other questions? No? Ok, Let's go." The crowd filtered out into their specific groups, and marched out of the base.

With a little bit of help from Tukana, Djaq and Tristan arrive in Arblont around midday. The portal they took lets them out by the shrine, where Andar is the only one still there.
"Welcome, Royal Guard captains. Please, sit down."
"Uhhh... Hello?" says Djaq hesitantly, not sitting down.
"Are you... Glorgendel?" asked Tristan, getting right to the point of why he's here.
"No, I am not. He is in the throne room, probably making plans with Durin, Pe Ell, Par, Morgan, and Hedret."
"Oh, I see..." replies Tristan, still wondering how the man knew who he and Djaq were. Andar stands up and walks towards the throne room. Djaq and Tristan exchange a quick glance before following. They arrive in less than ten minutes.
"Glorgendel, you have visitors."
"Thank you, Andar. Welcome, Tristan and Djaq of the Royal Guard." Par and Questor immediately turn around, worried that help was needed this quickly.
"What happened?" asked Par, worried.
"Vaisey is coming. At least 1000 Imperials. The odds of that number being off by a couple thousand are quite high." replied Djaq, still not over the fact that Glorgendel knew exactly who he and Tristan were.
"This is not good." states Andar, appearing not the least bit worried. "Pe Ell, are your men ready to move out?"
"They have been since we got here. I'll go tell them we're moving out." Pe Ell leaves in a rush.
"The rest of us here should probably make preparations." The rest leave. Andar stops Glorgendel on his way out. "You must go as well. Snike and Cassius won't be enough to stop him." He now shows the worry he hid earlier.
"You really think he's escaped?"
"Yes I do. Make sure Astranova does not fall. And expect non-human attackers."

The Imperial soldiers march steadily through the desert, reaching the gates of Astranova by midday.
"Surrender or die." proclaims the magically amplified voice of Vaisey. The Astranova's response is to shoot a flmaing arrow, landing at Vaisey's feet. "You've made your choice. Prepare to die." The Imperial soldiers resume their march, not seeming to notice the high walls of the Rebel base.
Meanwhile, atop the gatehouse, Lamahl notices a solitary cloud rapidly approaching the base. "Doesn't that cloud look a little low to the ground?" he asks Luke.
"Yeah, it does. Odd, isn't it?" replies Luke. Then, the gatehouse begins to shake a bit, as if something massive is burrowing underneath it. Suddenly, a section of the wall collapses and the Imperial soldiers increase the pace of their march. A rift appears about a quarter-mile in front of the Imperials and a few thousand Knolls swarm out, rapidly closing the distance between the rift and the broken wall. The rebels rush to repel the creatures as the Knolls reach the wall. Metal clangs on metal as the two forces clash. For a minute, it appears as if the Knolls will be immediately repelled, but the Imperial soldiers arrive to bolster the ranks of the Knolls. Meanwhile, the cloud is now overhead the base and its disguise, which was put up by the Juphats, is discarded, revealing the large number of Ugloids and Juphats. A quick rebel response results in many Ugloids permanently grounded, but the Juphats resurrect their fallen comrades as the surviving Ugloids dive-bomb the rebels, causing many to scatter. More rebels arrive and the Imperials/Knolls are pushed back to the break-point in the wall. This stalemate lasts until a portal opens within Astranova. Pe Ell is the first to come out of the portal, followed by 1500 Kuryonese elites.
"Let the fun begin." he says as he leads a charge against a group of Knolls that broke through the rebel lines.

Kisen stabbed the soldier in the neck, as he spun under his adversary. The infantryman fell, but as the thief withdrew his stiletto, the blade broke. Cursing, he discarded his broken weapon and twirled his cape. Now, invisible, he ran up to a group of imperials, feeling dark energy pulsating in his right arm. However, this time, the energy welled up in his left arm as well. Startled, Kisen stopped for a second. He felt his sleeves hardening, and his gloves shifting, as the energy rushed through his veins. The thief was suddenly consumed by a desire to kill. He ran at the group, and tried punching the soldiers. Invisible claws emerged from his gloves, cutting through the man like a hot knife through butter. Kisen kept swinging at the infantrymen, who scattered, afraid of their unseen attacker. Eventually, they were all slaughtered. The thief took one look at the bodies, and snapped back to his senses. Quickly, he uncloaked himself and looked at his arms and gloves. Instead of sleeves, purple gauntlets covered his arms, and his gloves now had steel claws protruding from them. Kisen made a mental note to have the gloves checked out, then returned to the frenzy.
-A few feet ahead-
Time to finish this, Snike thought, as he finished off one of the countless platoons of Imperial soldiers. The rebels had pushed their enemies back easily, and the Imperial army had lost over half its' men in the fighting. Backing off for a few seconds, the Lord mentally tapped into the powers of his cape, unsealing part of his former power. Then, cupping his hands, he focused all of his energy into the tips of his fingers. A ball of light appeared in Snike's hands and began to grow. When it was twice the size of a watermelon, Snike thrust his hands at in the direction of the Imperial Army, and let go of the energy. The ball contracted, then erupted into a massive laser, incinerating anything in its' path. When it receded, Vaisey's attack force was less than an tenth of it's original size. The Lord staggered back, then rushed back into combat, albeit slightly slower, mopping up the human remnants.

"Sir, the Rebel general nearly wiped us all out."
"I saw. Thank you for pointing out the obvious." With that, Vaisey stabs the man in the back, then lets him bleed out. He turns to Rakshaza. "We are not winning here. I suggest we pull out."
"It is far from over." The rift re-opens and the Hydras, Kinglizards, and Rhani pour out, slaughtering the closest rebels.
"Ack! Big monsters!" screams one rebel as a Hydra charges him, killing him with one bite to the neck. Vaisey looks pleased with the arrival of these new creatures, then orders the HunterX4's to attack. The rebels/Kuryonese get pushed back to the walls as the onslaught of creatures and robots overpower them. A pocket of Kuryonese get separated from the rest, led by Pe Ell, Luke, and Lamahl.
"Gah! There are too many of them!" cries Lamahl, skewering a Knoll on his spear.
"No, we're just getting started!" shouts Pe Ell, swords bloody and a crazed smile on his face. He beheads a Knoll before charging a Hydra.
"Bird!" cries a Kuryonese shock trooper as an Ugloid dive bombs him. The Kuryonese archers, about 50 of them, point their bows upward, fire, and are rewarded with several shrieks.
Off to the side, Luke and two swordsmen are surrounded by a group of ten Knolls and three Kinglizards. The Knolls charge as Luke throws his tomahawk, downing one. Luke quickly bends down to pick up a fallen soldier's axe as an Ugloid dive bombs him. He rises to see the Ugloid fly over his head, just missing him.
"That was lucky, perhaps too lucky."
Meanwhile, one of the swordsmen slays two Knolls before getting overrun. The remaining swordsmen charges the Knolls, trying to rescue his comrade. In his frenzy, he manages to kill off the remaining seven Knolls, but a passing Ugloid notices him, dive bombs, and skewers the unfortunate soldier on its long teeth.
"Crap! They're dead." complains Luke as the Kinglizards approach, cutting off his escape. The axe he picked up happened to be a two-handed axe. Realizing this, Luke throws his axe at one Kinglizard, giving it a need for an eyepatch. Wielding the battle-axe with both hands, Luke charges the now one-eyed Kinglizard, hoping to quickly take it out. The other Kinglizards thought differently, and charged at Luke, cutting him off. Cursing, Luke begins backpeddling, now hoping to rejoin the rest of the rebels. He backpeddles into a Rhani, which appeared to be waiting for him. He immdeiately turns back towards the lizards, who split and rapidly surround him.
"Looks like I get to go down fighting." He charges the wounded Kinglizard, ignoring the other two completely. He swings his axe, but the lizard dodges to the left as the Rhani chases Luke down. He manages to recover in time to block the Rhani attack. But the Rhani quickly disarms him and prepares to kill him. The sword goes up and swings down.





author's note: to be continued next post.

After a rapid three-days' march to Bytantum thanks to Okami's swift gait and strong back, the three disembark and enter town. The guards, trembling at the sight of Shiranui the Flaming Tsunami and Okami the Seismic Tempest, shout the order, "O-Open the gate! Immediately! O-Our Lordships here are a-always welcome within our w-walls!" The heavy wooden gate swung open, and Shira casually sauntered through, Okami at his side and Luna in his wake, resting a hand on the Wolf's back. People turned and stared at the two Commandants, paying little attention to Luna, much to her relief. Shira flicked his gaze at the largest crowd by the marketplace and spoke apathetically, "The hell do you want?" Everyone snapped back to their senses and resumed their tasks and errands as if they had just came out from a daydream. Shira sighed and walked around listlessly until they found an inn. He detachedly asked for the price of one night and paid the price, ignoring the innkeeper's fumbling and insistance that payment wasn't necessary for someone of their stature like they were nonexistent. He slipped an arm around Luna's waist and led her to the first-floor room, this one actually large enough to accommodate Okami with walking room left to spare. Luna sat him down and stared into his eyes, as if searching for something. "Shira... Is anything wrong? Ever since we got here, you've kind of... Well... Gone back to the way you were before... Why? Is everything alright?" Shira rubbed her shoulder gently, gazing into her eyes placidy, smiling, "Nothing's wrong... Well, alright, fine." Shira sighed wearily. "How to put this... It seems like it'd be the most badass thing ever to have everyone scared shitless of you, right? Well, wrong. Doesn't let you talk or do anything with anyone without them thinking you're gonna take their head off if they do anything. I guess I miss being invisible... I didn't sign up for this shit, just to get some cool powers and help a cause that at the time sounded awesome. Now I know better... But I can't be invisible again." Shira looked down at himself, and Luna did the same. Luna tilted her head thoughtfully and said, "Hmmm... Well, you could get rid of the fancy clothes and go for something not so flashy... Oh, right, and you left your weapons back in Astranova's vault, didn't you?" Shira swore and said, "Damn right... I remembered JUST as I caught up to you, but it was too damned late to go back and get the fucking weapons... I guess I better get both done at once..." He kissed her on her forehead and said, "Love you. I'll leave Okami here with you. I'll howl if I'm in trouble. Bye." With that, Shira slinked back onto the streets, hugging the sides and the back alleys. He was too busy being a shadow to notice the shadows above him...

As the sword rises in the air, Luke calmly accepts death. When the sword doesn't slice into him after a minute, he looks up, only to see a headless Rhani with a sword through its chest in front of him.
"I got your back!" laughs Pe Ell, turning to take down a Kinglizard, quickly beheads it and charges a group of fifteen Knolls. Luke picks up his axe and charges the one-eyed lizard for a third time, finally connecting, killing the creature.

The portal in Astranova opens again, this time letting Par, Questor, Hedret, Tristan, Djaq, Glorgendel, Durin, and 1000 elven warriors out. The Royal Guard also enters the fray, led by Tukana. With these new forces entering the battle, the monster+Imperial army is once again pushed back.

"Vaisey, we're pulling out. Give the order." states Rakshaza, noticing the presence of the elves. "We've accomplished what we set out to do."
"Fine." Vaisey gives the order. The monster+Imperial army turns tail and runs. The rebels, elves, and Kuryonese give chase. After the fleeing army passes the place where the rift opened each time, a large horde of skeletons come pouring out, stalling the pursuing army.
"Why did you not send the skeletons out earlier?" asks Vaisey, now angry that Rakshaza did not send in his whole army.
"They are expendable. Being very weak, I can produce 1000 of them in a minute. And now, our army has plenty of time to retreat."
"Hmph." Rakshaza and Vaisey turn and leave, the former satisfied with the day's happenings while the latter is quite agitated.

A group of black-clad assassins lunge down, and Shira rolls out of their way. He sidesteps a group of black spinning projectiles, and leaps over a sword slash. He recognized these warriors from the Areyu Forest, and suddenly becomes enraged. He snarls and his hands are enveloped in dark violet flames. The assassins take a step back and Shira snickers darkly before loosing the lethal fire blasts, killing three automatically. The rest scatter and scale the walls with monkey-like agility, and two more drop down behind Shira. Without even looking behind him, he blocks a knife by grabbing the hand that held it. He whirled around and disarmed the man using a quick armbar. He snatched the knife as it clattered to the ground, spun and narrowly dodged a sword swing aimed at his head. He continued his spin and slashed the back of the aggressor's neck, killing him. He then drove the knife under the ribs of the man whom he had taken the knife from, piercing his heart. He shot a flamethrower which killed another man, and brought up a water shield on his other side which caught five of the strange black projectiles. One of them shouted, "Shurikens won't work! We have to break out the guns!" Shira swore and snapped the water shield, which slung the shurikens at the assassins, but none of them hit. One of the three remaining assassins drew a strange contraption with a short barrel and a trigger. Shira swore again and used his still-present water shield to whip the object out of the man's hand. Two more assassins revealed guns and shot at Shira, who barely had enough time to duck behind crates. He attempted poking out his head, but quickly curled up again as bullets whistled past his head. He only had one option, and it was risky if he was too slow. He charged a Fireburst in his hands. The resulting heat ignited the crates. Shira kicked the flaming orb at the crates, which flew forward, breaking apart into flaming splinters. Shira heard screams as the men were burned alive, before the orb hit them. Shira stood, panting. He looked around at the men he'd slain. Why had nine men been sent after him? Was it the same man hunting him? Whatever the case, he had access to new clothes and new weapons... He took black tabi off one man and replaced his shoes. He took a dark tunic off another, removing his leather jacket and red shirt in lieu of the darker, less heavy garb. Shira found a katana much like his old one, the difference being that the blade was much darker, and didn't shine as much. Shira thought that would be useful, and put the sheath across his back. He shrugged, feeling the nostalgia flowing over him, from when he found his first katana... He quickly stowed that memory back in the annals of his mind, and looked for his last weapon. He found his answer lying across the waist of the burlies man: A jagged black shortsword. Shira was fascinated by the weapon and removed it from the man. He placed his looted blade across his waist, in the same manner the man had. It would take time getting used to the weight of the longer, heavier blade, but Shira overlooked that particular hurdle with the promise of better defense and more stopping power. He then realized that someone would smell the stench of burning flesh and spoiling blood.

He dashed through the back alleys with Shadow Whisper silencing his steps, winding up at the other side of town. He meandered through the unfamiliar area, looking about at the signs. People glanced at him and looked away. Shira sighed heavily with relief... Apparently clothes DID make a difference, when you go from designer clothes to clothes worn by assassins living around the Northern Areyu Forest. He found a tailor's shop and slipped into the building, a bell ringing as he opened the door. A woman wiping the counter looked up to see him and smiled. "Hello. How may I help you?" Shira bowed his head, indicating his camo pants. "I recently had a wardrobe change, but unfortunately the pants didn't quite match... I'm just looking for something that won't turn into a pile of thread during hard traveling." The tailor nodded thoughtfully, and stepped over to a rack of pants. She rummaged through them and pulled out black jeans that weren't half as bulky as what Shira was wearing. She handed them over to him. "These should fit you, between your waistline and leg size. That'll be one silver piece and one bronze piece." Shira pulled the exact change out of his pocket and handed the money to the clerk, and she handed over the pants. "Enjoy. And, hey, you look a lot like the Lord Shiranui, but your eye color's wrong, and your clothes definitely aren't the same... Ah, well, I suppose that's a little rude of me, isn't it? Have a nice day." Shira nodded and offered up a smile before walking back out into the busy Bytantum streets, finding his way back to the inn.

*VWOOOM*
"D-damn... got to... got to get away... so... so many... must..."
*THUD*
TD? TD?!? TD!!!!!!!
Seeing what looks like a shooting star fall out of the sky, the rebels go to investigate. They discover TD260 lieing in a crater, battered and broken. They take him inside, unaware of the shadows lurking arould them...

Luna was resting against Okami when Shira returned. She gave him a soft, sleepy look as he walked in, her warm smile showed that she was happy he was back though. Okami wagged his tail, being careful not to knock anything over. Luna slowly rose and yawned. "Hey. You got new clothes." Shira nodded and walked into the bedroom to put the pants on. Luna slowly slinked over to the door and looked through he small crack Shira had left in the door.

She gasped quietly and tried not giggle as she watched him get dressed. She was drooling slightly. Okami nuzzled her head as if to say, "What the fuck are you doing?" She smiled at him a whispered. "Nothing." He wagged his tail and licked her face, then returned to his past postion.

When Luna turned around, Shira was standing infront of her. She fell over with shock. "What were you doing?" Luna slid away from him a bit. "Nothing..." "Really?" He loomed over her with a dark look. "Let me ask again. What were you doing?" Luna covered her head and cowered. "I was spying on you while you where getting dressed! I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!" Shira chuckled and picked her up, pulling her into a hug. "That's what I thought." He kissed her deeply, and held her against him.

Okami openned one eye and looked at them, then huffed as if to say, "Humans..." He then returned to his normal resting state.

-Outside Astranova-
A small volcano was conjured below the horde of skeletons, and it erupted, incinerating the undead weaklings. Those that remained were quickly dispatched. Hoever, the raiding army had escaped. Returning to the base, Snike and Nicole immediately went to the throne room. Tukana was already waiting for them, with his arm in a sling.
"So, what were the casulties?" The Blazing Flash asked, wiping the blood off of his blade.
"Well, we lost around two hundred rebels, four-hundred and twenty Kuryonese, and fifty elves, not to mention the scores injured. Though, we did well, considering they had 1000 soldiers, 500 robots, and God knows how many monsters." Tukana said. "What's disturbing me is the creatures. Some of them were eerily similar to reports of suspicious attacks from Carnivon a few weeks ago. Since then, we've had no contact from the outpost. I'd like to send you two to check out what's going on, but it'd be too much of a risk, especially considering what happened today."
"Well, from what it sounds like, Carnivon was captured by whoever the hell commands the monsters. Therefore, none of the older rebels could infiltrate. It looks like we''ll have to rely on our new recruits. Actually, I think I know the two people we could send." Snike said. "Guards," the Lord began, "bring me the knight Kisen and the mage named Melissa." The guard instantly marched out the door. A few minutes later, they returned, with the two in tow. Bowing, the two guards returned to their posts outside.
"You called us, sir?" The mage and the thief said at the same time.
"Yes, I did." Snike said. "We have a mission for you. We've lost contact with the Carnivon outpost, and they seemed to have destroyed their portal. I want you two to go check on the town, and report back to us. My wife here," he said, gesturing to Nicole, "will bring you to the edge of the Anaron Swamp. From there, you will be on your own. Any questions?"
"Why did you choose us?" Kisen asked.
"I chose you, Kisen, due to your experience as a thief. You'll be able to blend in really well, from what I've seen. I chose Melissa, the mage standing right beside you, because she can also blend in, but has several spells up her sleeve, in a pinch."
"But, wouldn't Par and Questor have been a better choice, sir?"
"Questor and Par would have refused, as they don't trust me." the Lord said grimly. "Well, you should pack. Kisen, the researchers have finished with your sword. I heard it upgraded itself, so go get it. When the two of you are set to go, head just outside the base. Nicole will meet you there. One last thing, if you meet Cedrine during your journey, ask her to accompany you. She and the boy with white hair she's traveling with would be a major asset for you. Good luck. You are dismissed," he finished, allowing Melissa and Kisen to leave.
-A few minutes later-
-Rebel research room-
"You sword? Ah, the one that absorbed the ruby, right. Here you are," the scientist said, handing the sword to Kisen. "By the way, you should know that this sword is sacred. It belonged to one of the Paladins, a member of an order that was wiped out some 10000 years ago. You're lucky you have this."
"Wow. Thanks for the history lesson. I'll make sure to take care of it." the knight said, as he left the room. He examined the hilt as he headed towards the living quarters. It was the same as before, except for a red jewel now embedded on the right side of it. Who were the Paladins? What was the voice back on the mountain? And why, why does the blade give him, and only him, unbelievable strength? Kisen put these questions aside as he began to pack.
-30 Minutes later-
-Outside Astranova-
Melissa exited the base, to find Nicole on top of a giant hawk seemingly made of wind. Kisen exited only a minutes later, and the two new companions climbed onto the hawk's back. Once they were settled in, the Zephyr Bolt made the gust bird lift off, ordering it to fly to Khaskhan. The summon seemed to pick up speed, but there was no difference in the air flow around the three riders, allowing them to converse.
"So, when did you regain your memory, Nicole?" Kisen said suddenly.
"Actually, it was only a few hours ago, before the attack. My husband decided to visit me, and he brought along a few things to try and help me remember. Long story short, it worked, and here I am today. By the way, I must thank you for saving me from the Imperial soldiers, Kisen. If they had gotten ahold of me, well... You saw what happened to Shira," Nicole said.
"Shira? You mean he was the guy who tried to take down the base single-handedly? What happened to him? When I first met him, he looked normal."
"That would be the side-effect of the chemical Volverein calls 'liquid darkness'. You see, it strengthens your body dramatically, but it corrupts your mind and your soul."
"Oh. I see. Anyways, what's this about you being married with my savior? My former guild's information network never mentioned any relation between you two."
"That would be because it was a well kept secret. Not even Vode knew, and he had a full background check on us done."
"Wow." was all Kisen could muster, in his incredulity.
"Nicole, can I ask you a question?" Melissa asked.
"Yes, go ahead."
"Why did Dan say that Questor and Par don't trust him?"
"Because they don't. They three used to be friends, but my husband made a mistake, one that he's still paying for, every single day. Well, here we are," Nicole said, landing the air hawk in a clearing near the entrance of the swamp. Kisen and Melissa hopped off of the creature. "See you in a week or so!" Nicole shouted, as she lifted off the ground. The mage and the knight waited until the Lord had taken off, before they began the long trek to Carnivon.

Twisting and turning, Td260 lies on a cot in the infirmary, gripping his sheets and muttering.
"no... not another... no... NO!!!"
He bolted upright and fell out of bed as the doctors ran over.
Come on, you need to speak to Pe Ell.
"W-what?"

10 minutes later, in the main hall...

"your liege..."
Yes, yes. Sir TD260. You disappeared a few days ago, and was found in a crater earlier today. What happened to you?
"Well..."
With a haunted look in his eye, TD260 recounted the harrowing experience.

I was in my bed, and an entity of the dark appeared and dragged me away to another dimension.

I was dragged into their dark temple and was shadow cloned. They tried to access the satellite, but were unable to. In their attempt, a system bug was created, and the satellite laser was badly damaged. I escaped by creating a dimensional rift by overloading the dimensional matrix they had set up through a massive amount of electrical power from Raiden. He still has not recovered. I basically blew a hole through, and now they will send the shadow clones through in an attempt to reclaim me and take over this dimension.
Sighing, Td260 sat down, his eyes closed in painful memories.
I see... This is grave news indeed. Tell all warriors on duty to be prepared for an multidimensional attack. Are you ok TD?
"Y-yes... I just need some rest."
TD drudged off to his room, a sad, tired look upon his face.

Kusa and Cedrine arrived at the ocean west of the Sinarra Peninsula. Kusa sighed and gazed out at the ocean. He turned to the Lord and asked, "Where do we go now, ma'am?" Cedrina looked cooly at him and answered silkily, "Across the ocean, Kusa. You said you thought Shira would go to the Anaron Swamp, since it's a more menacing version of a forest, Shira's most comfortable area... And please, just call me Cedrine." Kusa nodded and again inquired, "Alright, but how do we get across the ocean? And are we gonna go all the way there?" The Aqua Fault turned and grinned smoothly, "Watch. I'll show you a basic water magic trick..." Cedrine walked towards the spray of small whitecap waves, and stepped out onto the surface of the water. She beckoned with her head for Kusa to follow. He was shocked to see he was also walking on water. "Alright, now lean forward just a bit... You're in for quite a ride." Suddenly, the pair were flying across the water, as if on rocket-propelled surfboards. Kusa shielded his face against the harsh wind that roared past him, but the Lord seemed unaffected. The land quickly disappeared from Kusa's sight as the view was replaced with blue waves constantly reaching towards the clouds. After about two hours of this, Kusa again saw land. He saw mangled and twisted trees, and overgrown weeds. Cedrine slowed down their ride, and when the water turned brackish, the Aqua Fault materialized thin rock platforms over the water. Kusa stood amazed, demanding, "How did you DO all that?" Cedrine chuckled and responded, "Oh, our ride and this convenient platform? Manipulating water in an OCEAN is easy enough... As for this walkway, it's a simple matter of using the mud already present in the water. Now, I think we should get going to Khaskhan. Something tells me we should be looking for someone up around there..." She continued the walkway, and Kusa could see through the canopy that they were headed north.

Shira stared at Luna, and an awkward silence prevailed for a long time. No one spoke until the next morning, and until everyone had restocked on food and supplies. Okami barked and ran outside, panting, tail wagging. Shira ran after him, dragging Luna along. Everyone gasped at the sight of the Seismic Tempest, and finally everyone saw through Shira's disguise. Shira swore and slung Luna over Okami's back, and leapt on in front of her. She hugged his waist as Shira yelled, "Let's get the hell outta here!" Okami loped swiftly towards the city's western gates. He knew he shouldn't have spent so much time in an imperial town, and he was worried someone might try and take him in for deserting. The city garrison was waiting for him. Okami roared and pulses of electricity shot at the soldiers, blowing some back. He slung shards of stone, piercing the Imperials' thick armor. Shira pelted them with Dark Fire, and Okami leapt over the fortifications with the agility of a cougar. The trio had escaped, but they had to put a lot of distance between them and the Imperials, fast. Shira directed Okami towards the lake. He focused his water magic, and steered Okami straight into the water. But instead of sinking, Okami was skipping across the surface of the water as if it was ground. Okami soon reached the other side, and the group continued heading towards the gulf dividing the Sinarra Peninsula from the Eldwich Highlands.

After an hour they reached the target destination, and Okami slowed, tired from the long, hard run. Shira patted his back and slid off. "Good boy. You did well." Okami huffed hoarsely in response, and collapsed. Everyone took a few minutes' break. When they were ready, they walked towards the ocean spray, and Shira led Luna and Okami out onto the water, using the same trick he had before. They spent two hours traversing the body of water, before arriving at the Eldwich Highlands. They had shaved hours off their journey by avoiding the winding trails of the Wolfstagg Mountains around the Sacred Lake in favor of walking on water, but Shira needed to take a break from using magic. They decided to make camp at the shore of the gulf...

"Snike... I think I can take him down now. We've been here for nearly 100 years. I think I have a chance."
"Morgan, I don't think it's a very good idea. Pe Ell failed after training nonstop for 1000 YEARS. I don't think you'll succeed."
"Why are you always such a pessimist? You're forgetting that a simple headshot will take him down."
"Fine. Try. But I don't think you have a very good chance."

"My lord, Morgan will make the attempt on your life tonight."
"Thank you, Snike. You have done well. You are dismissed." Snike leaves The Overlord's room, quietly running towards his own room.
Forgive me, Morgan. If I didn't do this, you would die trying. You are not ready.

Morgan arrives at The Overlord's room to find the door open.
"Come in, Morgan. I've been expecting you."
Expecting me...? How did he...? Unless... Comprehension lines Morgan's weary face.
"Yes, Snike told me. You should pick your frineds more carefully." Comprehension leaves Morgan's face as rage replaces it. He Quick Draws The Overlord, but a well-timed Parry deflects it. Morgan pulls back, re-sheathes his sword, then draws Yazzi and charges at The Overlord again, Yazzi's blade covered in flames. After a few minutes, Yazzi lies on the ground, discarded, and Sajina has once again been drawn. The Overlord sends a Finishing Strike at Morgan, but he dodges it, disarms The Overlord, and prepares to finish him off. Sajina rises, then...




Questor wakes up, re-living the beginnings of one of his worst memories. He gets out of bed to find Snike. He has a few things to say to the man...

Questor reaches Snike's room, and sees him conversing with Tukana.
I suppose I'll have to wait. Oh well...
He goes back to his room, sits down, and re-lives the end of his worst memory...



The sword falls towards The Overlord's neck, intent on beheading him. As the sword reaches its target, it stops suddenly, as the wielder feels a sharp pain in his back. He drops the sword, and falls to his knees. Snike stands over him, bloody knife in hand. He looks at it, confused. He then looks at the blood coming out of Morgan's back and makes the connection. His face goes white as he drops the knife.
"Good man, Snike. I knew I could count on you. Now, dispose of this traitor." The Overlord leaves the room, satisfied with the day's happenings.
I can't... kill him. No. I can't. I'll... take him to the elves. Yes, that'll work.
"Snike... you bas-" Morgan loses consciousness before he can finish.



Questor looks up, returning to the present day. He sees Snike heading towards his room.
"You dropped by earlier?" Snike asks upon reaching the room.

-A few days later-
Kisen climbed over the felled tree, then turned and helped Melissa over it. The two had made excellent progress, partially due to the favorable weather, and partially due to the fact that they had barely made any conversation. At this rate, they would arrive in Carnivon in two days.
"Well, we're half-way there," the thief remarked.
"Yeah, but we've encountered nothing. No wildlife at all. Doesn't that strike you as strange?" Melissa said.
"Actually, it does. This place is way too quiet fo- Wait,what was that?" Kisen said, as he heard something crunching. Instinctively, he reached for his sword, changing his clothing into armor as he drew it. Melissa, seeing her companion change form, quickly whipped out her staff and assumed a fighting posture.
"Whoever you are, show yourself, or else." the knight said, in the direction of the disturbance. A boy with white hair and a woman with blue hair emerged from behind a nearby tree, pointing their weapons at the two of them. A few seconds passed, as the Mexican Standoff persisted. Then, Kisen recognized the woman.
"Oh, Lady Cedrine," Kisen said, sheathing his sword. Confused, Melissa lowered her staff, and the boy in white hair stopped chanting. Cedrine put away her spear, and approached the knight.
"You're that man who guarded Nicole, aren't you? And you're Melissa, right?" she asked. "What are you two doing here?"
"We were sent by the rebels to check on Carnivon. We were also told to ask you and the white-haired kid to accompany us, if we crossed paths."
"Carnivon? It DID seem odd when we passed through. Well, I guess we can afford a little side-trek. We'll come with you." Cedrine said.
"Thank you." Kisen said, and the four set out to Carnivon.

Darkness fell across the ancient, bleak swamp. Everyone stopped, and Cedrine created an island out of rock. Kusa ignited some undergrowth drawn into a bundle with Blue Fire, and everyone sat down, eating their rations. Everyone remained silent until Kisen noticed Cedrine staring into the fire, deep in thought. "Cedrine, what is it?" Cedrine eventually spoke without shifting her gaze. "Kusa and I are hunting Shira. Not a day goes by where I don't remember the child I took as my own... His mother died in childbirth. I had to draw him out of the womb using water magic. His father had already been killed fighting off fifty Marauders himself. Shiranui Yamato was the last of his bloodline, and it was a bloodline that I could not let die. I adopted him as my own, and all was well until a thousand Marauders raided our village. I was knocked unconscious, but not before I wiped out half their force. When I woke, I found everyone dead, everything burnt to the ground. I looked for Shira, but all I could find were wolf tracks leading into the woods. I gave him up for dead... Until I saw him about to kill you, Kisen. Fighting him was physically easy, knowing his mentality from his day of birth. Otherwise, I would have had a much harder time of it..."
She took out a golden pendant in the shape of a flaming fox head. "This was his family's crest... But now he's disgraced this emblem. If he does not erase the shame he's brought upon his parents' name, he shouldn't live. I want to set him straight, and make him honor what's left of his clan. He hasn't even met its guardian or uncovered his actual abilities, and instead has paired with a Giant Wolf and given himself over to Vode's corruption."
Kusa mulled over what she'd just said. "So you're not just after him so we can recapture him. Your reasons are much more personal, and nigh-on maternal." Cedrine nodded. "That's correct. Now, Kisen, Melissa, if I'm not mistaken, you're headed to the rebel outpost at Carnivon to check out what destroyed everything there." Kisen responded, somewhat surprised, "Yeah." Kusa bowed his head and thought out loud, "Maybe we'll find Shira, Okami and Luna, too..." The group went to sleep, thoughts about what may have lied ahead floating through their heads.