R.D. rolled his eyes. "Well excuse me for watching our backs so we didn't get ambushed," he snapped.

"Stop it, you two," Alasea said. "What exactly happened when you two got pulled into the eclipse?"

===At the Black Mountains===

The dragons began circling the mountains overhead, as Bahamut swooped down and landed before the Riders, towering over them imperiously. "I see you are as anxious of attack as ever," he rumbled, seeing the ready Riders at the entrance. "But in these times, no one can blame you."

As the King of Dragons spoke, he lowered his tail and slanted his back for Veronica to dismount.

The Riders calmed once the dragon showed no harm. However they were still slightly edgy. Volant and Giro came forth to the dragon as Veronica slid off.

"Do you know where Dargor is?" Giro asked, hopefully.

"I'm right here!" Dargor called from behind. Volant and other riders moved over to look and Veronica did as well. "And what are you doing here, Bahamut, who's the human as well? A snack?" He asked, half joking. Some of the riders snickered, Dargor hardly expected anything more.

"N-no!" Veronica spoke finally. "I'm here for my husband, Bryant Hartnett and his brother, Brandon Hartnett."

"They're fine, resting right now I believe." Giro said to her as he strode up beside her. "I'll take you to them in a moment." He then made his way to Dargor and Volant was behind.

"Dove siete stati, il mio signore? Il regno si sarebbe sbriciolato se foste andati affatto più lungamente.(where have you been my lord? The kingdom would have collapsed if you were gone anylonger)" Volant scolded. Dargor shook his head.

"Soltanto prendendo cura di un certo buisiness, comunque non è andato come previsto.(Merely taking care of some buisiness, however it didn't go as planned.)
" Dargor responded calmly. He then passed the two without allowing them more questions. He then went to the dragon. "Now as I was saying, what are you doing here, Bahamut?" He repeated.


In Germany Blazen was walking beside Kalmar.

"I saw...Its a good sign I'm assured." Blazen said with a smile. He then quickened his pace a bit, however he felt pulled back because of the barrier that prevented high speeds. He found it annoying, but trugged on.

Edited by Blazen on March 8, 2007 at 20:56:33.

"When we were teleported into the eclipse, we wound up in the courtyard," Soma said. "Arikado was there. He was about to explain what happened when a group of skeletons attacked us. One was about to attack Mina, but I destroyed it. Somehow, I absorbed its "soul", or at least, that's what Arikado called it. He said I needed to head to the master's chamber to find a way out of this place, while he would put Mina in a safe place."

"Sounds like a good excuse to do some dungeon crawling!" Matt proclaimed.

"No, it's not!" Hugo snapped. "Did you even find out why you got those weird powers?"

Soma shrugged. "Arikado said I'd find the answer on my own."

"Wonderful. Well, I guess going there's still our best option."

"And you trusted him with Mina?" R.D. said, "Has he given you any concrete reason to trust him?"

===At the Black Mountains===

Bahamut was not really amused by the man's crude joke. "I merely came to deliver the lady to her loved ones. You will take her to them," he commanded as he returned Veronica's ring to her.

"Once a fool, always a fool, I suppose," the Child said, "Nothing is invincible, no plan is fullproof. Your arrogance will be your downfall, Sadistic One. I only pray that it comes about soon."

"He's helped me before. I still don't know what he's trying to do, but for now, I think I can trust him."

The group stopped before another set of double doors. Approaching it, Soma opened one of the doors a bit, peeking outside-a small gust of cool wind blew in as he did this. Soma looked back at the others. "It's another courtyard. But there's a tower in the distance. I think that'll be a good place to look for the throne."

"Let's go then," R.D. said, opening the door slightly and slipping out and into the cool air. He held his Phase Blade out ahead of him with both hands, looking about carefully as he moved forward.

The air was just as brisk as before, and the full moon still shone high above. Before them was a long walkway, and in the near distance, a tower loomed over them, with a large clock stuck on midnight near the top.

Matt glanced up at the sky. "...if we're in an eclipse, how come the moon's still here?"

"Magic?" Helena suggested.

"...eh, sure, why not."

Something caught Hugo's eye, and he leaned foward. "Who's that?" he asked, pointing at a figure down the walkway. The figure in question was facing a tall headstone-gray haired and dressed in white, his fingers lay on the stone as he studied it leisurely.

Suddenly, on some hidden cue, the man glanced toward the group, and a smile crossed his face. "Soma!" he called, standing straight. "There you are! I'm glad to see you're unharmed!"

R.D. frowned at the newcomer. He was getting very annoyed by feeling a sense of wrongness in nearly everything in this place. It was almost as bad Khalis' atmosphere.

"Who is this guy?" Alasea half-whispered to Soma.

Dargor nodded slowly to the dragon. "Fine, we will, but after that, they are your responsibility." Dargor said sternly. He then began to his village. "Come on girl, Volant, Giro." He commanded, the Riders came quickly and Veronica ran behind.

Inside the people praised and cheered to see thier king back safe. Dargor nodded to them as he went and finally reached the inn where the two Hartnetts were.

"I'll take you to them." Giro volunteered and dismounted his steed. He began to the door and Veronica followed. They walked up the stairs and down the hallway before Veronica and Giro were before the two doors. "They're inside, I'll wait here." He said and Veronica first went into Bryant's room, closing the door as well, seeing Giro's back turned anyway.

Outside Dargor was tending to the peasants who came to ask why he was gone. He gave them the same excuse as he did the Riders, all satisfied but wary at the same time.

Back upstairs Veronica and Bryant had just embraced eachother, Veronica crying.

"I've missed you!" Veronica cried.

"I'm ok, Veronica, I'm ok." Bryant assured, holding her lovingly. Veronica then pulled up from his shoulder and kissed him and he returned it. "I love you too." He said softly.

"A-hem." Came from the door, and there was Brandon. "So...when did you guys plan to tell me this?" Brandon asked, amused.

"As soon as you were out of prison, but things happened before I could have told you." Bryant shrugged.

"When we were in the cell at Gouki's?" Brandon questioned.

"Slipped my mind." Bryant responded with a smirk. Veronica giggled a bit. Brandon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, so...no hug for your brother-in-law then?" Brandon asked, jokingly, but Veronica gave him one quickly anyway.

"I'm sure it was you who kept him in one piece anyway." Veronica said giggleing still.

"Oh yeah." Brandon assured. Bryant shook his head.

While your reunion is touching, Bahamut said telepathically to all of the Hartnetts, I'm afraid we really must be going.

Kalmar nodded and continued their trek, alightly irritated by the speed barrier set around this place.

Someone with great power must have done this, he thought to himself, wondering if the power Blazen sensed earlier was the cause of this.

"That's Graham," Soma whispered back, as the man in question walked over.

"Ah, crap," Matt muttered. "What should we do?"

"Let's just tell him we've got somewhere to go and leave," Helena suggested.

"What do we have to go in such a hurry in DRACULA'S CASTLE?" Matt hissed. "He'll suspect something."

"Let's just beat him up now!" Hugo said.

Soma sighed. "I dunno..."

"Well, I see you've found some new friends!" Graham suddenly remarked, stopping before the group with a polite smile. "Did you get caught in the eclipse, too?"

Thinking quickly, Matt turned to look at Graham with an unassuming posture. "Yeah, pretty much. I guess we're not the only ones around here."

R.D. remained silent, letting Matt do the talking. In the meanwhile, his eyes looked about Graham for any kind of weakness, whether physical, magical, or spiritual, while he held a hand in his pocket, touching the Chaos Emerald he had there.

R.D. could detect a strange, unreasonable aura around the man-not like his personality was unagreeable, but his simple precense. Graham had something he was hiding, that was for sure.

"...I've got something to ask you," Soma suddenly said, a statement which elicited a glance from Matt, who would have prefered to leave without any incident.

"Sure, go ahead," Graham said.

Soma's eyes narrowed. "Someone told me that you were trying to inherit Dracula's powers. Is this true?"

You blitherin' idiot! both Matt and Hugo thought at the same time.

Graham's expression remained pleasant. "I take it the man in black told you that, didn't he?"

"It's not true, is it?" Soma pressed.

Graham slid a hand out of his pocket-it was quite slow, which helped Matt to suspect that he was drawing a weapon of some sort, but his hand was empty as he fully extracted, being used for a small gesture. "The term 'inherit'...would be incorrect."

"So, it's true!" Hugo snapped, his pickaxe halfway ready to point at Graham.

"It's simple, my little friend," Graham remarked. "You see...I was born on the very day that Dracula was destroyed." There was a hint of expectation in his gaze. "Therefore, I can only conclude from my research and intuition that I AM Dracula, reborn for a new age!"

R.D. raised an eyebrow and suddenly had a the Phase Lance formed and activated, holding it out at his side so the blades extended along the length of his arm. His gaze was centered on Graham, and his eyes narrowed. Alasea backed up and put her hands on the hilts of her short swords.

Graham noticed the defensive measures of the team. "Now, now," he said. "There's no need to get violent."

"Sure there is," Matt said. "You just said you were fuckin' Dracula, right?"

"Yes...but that doesn't neccessarily mean I want to destroy anyone." Graham slid his hand back in his pocket. "I don't really consider you a threat to my mission, so you can rest easy."

Matt scoffed. "Well, I feel a lot better."

"Though..." Graham now looked at Soma, with such a glance that seemed to upset something inside the white-coated teenager. "I have sensed a power within you...would you tell me what it is?"

Soma didn't answer immediately-maybe it was Graham's precense that made him uneasy, maybe it was the others surrounding him...but if Graham really wanted to know...

"The power to rule," Soma said.

Shock flashed across Graham's composed features. "What? That's impossible!"

Now Matt took notice, his body tightening. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I can't remain here any longer!" Something demanded haste in Graham as he suddenly turned, and bolted toward the clock tower, moving quite fast for a man his age.

"HEY! Hold it!" Matt burst into a run-sure, he was the fastest, but somehow, he remained just behind Graham, unable to capture him. Without looking back, Graham turned a corner once inside the gate, which Matt tried to follow.

"What the-?" he exclaimed, as Graham was suddenly nowhere to be seen.

Edited by The Helldragon on March 11, 2007 at 1:38:57.

Alasea blinked at the turn of events. "What just happened?" she asked no one in particular.

R.D. looked on as Graham fled, then deactivated the Phase Lance. He turned to Soma. "Power to rule?" he inquired, an eyebrow raised.

Soma nodded. "That's what Arikado said it was. The power to rule...I don't know what it means, exactly, but I guess it explains my ability to use the powers of monsters."

"That Graham cat escaped me somehow," Matt called back to the group as he walked back. "He probably teleported or something."

"We have to go, then!" Helena said. "We can't let Graham beat us to the throne!"

"It has to be in that tower," Soma said, "that's the only place I think I haven't checked!"

Blazen then stopped and sighed. He felt like he was pulling an airplane behind him. He shook his head as he caught some air. "This sucks." He said to himself.

Veronica, Bryant, and Brandon all froze when they heard someone talk. However Veronica reconized the voice and nodded.

"Looks like we gotta go." Veronica said to the two and they nodded slowly. Outside Giro was already heading out and the Hartnetts followed. They went down the stairs and then to the outside.

Bryant and Brandon's eyes widened to the sight of the dragon. Veronica tugged them both. "C'mon he won't hurt you." She assured as they were dragged to the dragon. "Bahamut this is, Bryant and Brandon." She said pointing to each as she said the names.

Dargor looked to Giro and quirked a brow, asking about them mentally. Giro smiled a bit, assureingly. Dargor then nodded and looked to the three Hartnetts as they made aquatences.

"Then let's go," R.D. said curtly, activating the Phase Lance once more before turning towards the tower and walking forward. Alasea nodded and followed after him.

===At the Black Mountains===

As he was introduced to Bryant and Brandon, Bahamut bowed formally. "It is time for us to leave," he said, turning around and lowering himself for them to climb up, as the harness and saddle had changed to seat three.

Veronica nodded. "Let's go." She said to the two who were still a bit hesitant. However they got on and secured themselves. Brandon sighed and leaned back a bit, looking up into the sky, and Bryant was looking at the ground.

Dargor nodded to Bahamut and the Riders were at his side. "I suppose we may meet again, but I doubt as enemies." Dargor said to the dragon as he then turned to the tower that was in the center of the village.

Bahamut looked at Dargor briefly before snorting. "We never were enemies in the first place, Shadowlord. And if we had been, it would've been terribly one-sided."

The King of Dragon's wings unfurled, and with a flap, he shot into the sky, quickly followed by the rest of the dragon tribe to parts unknown.

Edited by RisingDragon on March 11, 2007 at 18:39:00.

The dragons saw the barrier and started to veer off when it suddenly shattered. They quickly made use of this and flew off.

"I cannot let you interfere," the Child said to Xastra.

"You cannot defeat me, Xastra," the Child said simply. Indeed, it seemed as if the Principality knew he could not be destroyed; his posture was relaxed, his swirling eyes calm, his tone indifferent, almost bored.