Re-Tuul scowled. "No shit," he muttered. "One of them has some strange artifact, the other has Lumiya. And with them planet-hopping, we can't complete the data extraction."

Re-Tuul filed the discussion on the Rising Dragon and the Core Host for later. There were more pressing matters. He had heard some distressing things while in Quebec.

"But we can't worry about them right now," he said, "It's those damnable Ancients we have to worry about. Juno and Kouken have been wandering around the planet hunting the Seven. If they succeed in their plans, they'll go after Xastra."

Re-Tuul's eyeless gaze fell on Daemonus, glaring at his back. "We're not ready to take over yet. The seeds are still growing, and we haven't located all of the Weapons yet."

Edited by RisingDragon on September 21, 2007 at 22:38:04.

"The Weapons will be found, and the seeds will grow to consume this pitiful world, Khaglessi." Daemonus continued walking, not bothering to glance at the being following him. Even when Re-Tuul's gaze fell upon his back, he shrugged off what most would fear.

"The Dragon and Willard cannot undo what has been done. Ziatoch will not allow it. You must have patience."

The dark man nodded and abruptly stopped walking. "And as for these Ancients. I have formulated a plan to deal with them."

Daemonus gestured with his right hand and the world went pitch black.

Edited by Fallen on September 22, 2007 at 0:10:20.

Re-Tuul froze as Daemonus gestured, plunging their world into darkness. Daemonus himself blended in so well that it was if he was not even there, were it not for the blood-red V-shaped visor on his sleek helmet.

Slowly, the world came back into view. They were in a different chamber, one that Re-Tuul did not recognize--this in itself did not phase him, Xobelisk was full of hidden surprises. He wasn't arrogant enough to claim he knew all of its secrets.

It was built in a quarter hemisphere, made of bulbous, strange violet walls. Many computers and devices were arranged in a half-circle within this room, their sharp-angled designs in sharp contrast of the organic structure of the room. There was only one light source: at the other end of the room, against a flat wall, a screen of transparent material held back a flood of silvery water, with a light source pouring through the water and the screen, illuminating Re-Tuul and Daemonus in a cold glow.

Within the depths of the water, a sleek figure could be seen. Sleek, silver armor gleamed in the light, molding itself to a lithe, dark-skinned body. Vibrant jade hair drifted in the water, framed by two large, curving horns of purple. Massive wings curled protectively around it, and a segmented metal tail drifted lazily in the liquid.



Re-Tuul's gaze wandered over the silent form with curiosity. "What... is this, Daemonus?" he asked sharply, but quietly, as if he were reluctant to awaken the entity held within the depths.

Daemonus looked at the woman floating almost lifelessly behind the brightly lit wall dispassionately.

He casually waved his hand and the technological devices ringing the room seemed to spring into existence. Various monitors clicked to life as the systems began waking. Small lights blinked rapidly while a dull hum began filling the room.

"This is Eon."

Edited by Fallen on September 22, 2007 at 0:28:01.

As the monitors and computers activated, a rapid sequence of code filled each screen. More light filled the room, and the hum increased as the revival sequence ran its course.

Re-Tuul crossed his black-and-white arms over his chest. His eyeless gaze remained on Eon's armored form within the waters, lips pressed and frowning. "I fail to see how this construct will be of any use to us against the Ancients."

The hum increased its pitch as the code ran faster, and there was a flicker of energy across the transparent screen. Eon's wings twitched, as did her tail. After a few more slight movements, blood-red eyes opened and stared through the waters at Daemonus and Re-Tuul.

As the gaze landed on Re-Tuul, he suddenly understood, and everything made sense. His disturbing grin split his face once more.

"How?!" Hugo snapped. "Without the Omega Core to find portals, we're STUCK!"

"I will help you," a voice said from behind Hugo.

The Mettaur leapt around, finding a man standing where he wasn't before. He was covered in a heavy black robe beset by jagged white designs, his entire face shrouded by a hood. The small chains that dangled from just below the edge of the hood hung still, unaffected by the raging winds of the rift that threatened to devour the Eternal Sanctuary.

"It's you!" Hugo shouted.

"We don't have much time," the man said. "We must leave. Now."

He felt it again. That strange presence he'd felt one night before the great disaster at that canyon. Matt had said it was nothing... but...

Eh.

He'd seen weirder lately.

"Alright, old man," he muttered, wiping a bit of blood out of his eye, "Lead the way."

The robed man made an offhand gesture. Near him, a black gateway opened, brimming with dark fire.

"This gateway will take you to your respective dimensions," he said. "Your quest is finished."

"What about Matt?" Hugo demanded. "What about the rift?"

"I will seal the rift."

"But what about Matt?!"

"There is nothing we can do for him now." The man seemed indifferent.

Hugo angrily stomped the ground. "Damn it!"

"Matt... will be fine," R.D. said, looking down at Hugo. A great rumble made him stagger, but he quickly recovered. "He's too stubborn to die."

R.D. looked back into the black rift that he had sent Dragon Drive FINAL into, then back into the Gateway this robed man had conjured.

"Let's go."

"...so we're goin' to our homes, then?" Hugo asked the man.

"Yes."

Hugo glanced over at R.D.. "Well, then..."

He extended the handle of his pickaxe for R.D. to shake. "It was nice workin' with ya, kid."

Despite the destruction happening all around them, R.D. was amazed that Hugo could act so cordial. He reached out a bloodstained gauntleted hand and grasped Hugo's pickaxe, shaking it in farewell.

"Same here, Hugo," R.D. said, grinning slightly. He relinquished his grip on the pickaxe and looked back into the Gateway. He steeled himself and ran, leaping into the portal to depart back home.

Hugo didn't enter at first.

He glanced back at the man in the black and white robe, the Chronomancer. "So what are you going to do after this, then?"

"I will return to my post and do whatever I can to ensure the safety of the Multiverse," the Chronomancer replied.

A pause.

"...get somebody else next time you need help," Hugo said, turning away. "I'm not interested anymore."

"Very well."

The Mettaur slung his pickaxe over what he imagined to be his shoulder. "See ya around."

The Chronomancer didn't reply as Hugo stepped into the black portal, leaving behind the ruined Eternal Sanctuary forever.

The wind swept over great cliff overlooking the sea in sunny California. It was surrounded by forests, and covered in lively green grass. The sound of the sea crashing against the cliffside was the only thing that could be heard. So far, this place was untouched by the great wars that had been waged by the Seven Beasts of the Dark Apocalypse.

At this cliff, a black rift was ripped into existence, widening rapidly into an spiraling portal of black fire. It shuddered, unstable, and ejected a single being, a wounded teenage boy clad in metallic blue armor. R.D. grunted painfully as his body struck the hard, grass-covered ground, bouncing and rolling away several feet even as the Gateway disappeared behind him. He was lying flat on his back, staring upwards into a clear sky. Both fresh and drying blood matted his hair and covered his face, as well as leaking from various broken sections of the ruined Dragon King Armor. The wound in his shoulder left by the claw of Dragon Drive FINAL still bled, but the flow was weakening.

The amnesiac teen let go of the Fifth Cipher energy finally, and pain wracked his body as his eyes returned to their normal state. Finally he was able to let his guard down, and finally, he could grieve. Tears cut rivulets through the dirt and blood that caked his face.

Helena was dead. Matt was gone, his mind separated while his body, trapped in the armored form of Dragon Drive FINAL, was lost in the vast reaches of the Multiverse. He had been forced to battle his best friend, and it tore at his heart when Matt had asked him to kill him. He just felt like dying.

He didn't know how long time had passed as he lay there. Maybe minutes, perhaps hours. He didn't care. He lay there and wept silently as the wind blew and the sea crashed. But eventually, he slowly pulled himself up and stood. He was slumped over, and his right hand covered the large, gaping wound in his left shoulder. Slowly he walked to the edge of the cliff and looked to the waters below, and he remembered a snippet of conversation he had overheard between Alasea and Helena.

She loved the sea, he thought exhaustedly. She... probably would've loved to be at this place.

He turned around and looked down at the plain, spotting a large, flat rock lying on the ground. Slowly he walked over to it and, using the strength he gained from his integration with Lumiya, lifted it up. He returned to the edge of the cliff and rammed it into the ground on its end, like a grave marker. With another, smaller rock, R.D. carved words into the stone, making it a memorial to their fallen friend, the girl who had died attempting to save them.

After he had written into the stone, he grasped a tentative flow of Fifth Cipher energy and channeled earth energy with it, wrapping it around the cliff and the marker, preserving it for eternity. He stayed there for some time, not saying anything. He didn't know any prayers... a moment of silence would have to suffice.

After many long moments, R.D. stood up and gave the ocean one last look. The battle for the Multiverse was over. Core Genesis had been destroyed, and Dragon Drive FINAL was lost in the Multiverse. It was time to head home, and wrap up loose ends. The amnesiac, armored teen turned around and began a long trek eastward, towards a place he knew was his home before his memory loss.

In the midst of sweeping the living room floor, Roll caught the sound of something knocking on the door. "Coming~!"

When she opened the door, she looked out at the street and nothing more.

"Down here."

She gasped, looking down at the front step. "Hugo!"

The Mettaur nodded. "Hey there."

Roll quickly picked the little robot up, capturing him in a strong embrace. "Ohhh, Hugo! I didn't know you were coming home today!"

"Same here." He felt himself relax in her arms, and missed it immediately when she put him back down. "Is everybody home?"

"Yes, everyone's home." Roll stepped aside. "Come in."

Hugo took a step foward, glanced back out toward the street where the portal had dropped him off before making his way into the house.

He half expected the others to follow.

For many, there were but only a few ends to be tied, but for X, there was still much plot to suffer through. For, in the time since he had been 'resurrected', he had perceived something of a veil over his vision. Like a dream he moved, though not, it would seem entirely of his own will.

However, it seemed he was not entirely without influence. The bloody swath he had cut across a few villages had bothered him deeply, and he had managed to steer himself away from that practice, though his arm had a nasty habit of crushing the windpipes of those who annoyed him greatly enough.

Moreover, his arm looked strange compared to the rest of his armor. Instead of being blue, or even the gray that his evil-self would have been fond of, it was simply splotched with brown, adorned with faded bronze bracelets and glowing with purple runes. In addition, his back felt rather stiff. He took to wearing a large, brown cloak to make himself less noticeable, and began to ask politely as to the whereabouts of any individuals that matched Tracer's description.

Dead people didn't answer questions very well, after all.

A day had passed before his strength finally gave out, exhaustion catching up with him. He collapsed in a dusty, grass-filled plain, the Dragon King Armor dematerializing from his form. His clothes were in perfect condition, but quickly grew wet with the blood that leaked from his wounds. Despite this, the teen could not bring himself to move any longer, and slept. Time passed.

It was a miracle he survived the night. He felt marginally better when he awoke in the morning. After washing the blood out of his clothes and off of his body with conjured water, he dug through his supplies and patched himself up to th best of his ability. Most likely he'd gain a fresh set of scars, especially from the wound in his chest and shoulder. After eating, he slung his travel satchel over his shoulder and looked around. He was on a plain of yellowing grass, with many volcanic rock strewn about from an eruption long in the past. Off a ways, there was a cracked, broken highway street. The teen made his way towards it, then, after picking a certain direction, made his way towards a forested, mountainous area in the distance.

For many hours he walked. The plain eventually gave way to a small, sloped canyon filled with forestry. On his left was a running creek, following alongside the hill that had the asphalt street on it. He longed for the relative comfort of Matt's Firebird, but it too was lost, having been on Matt's person before they entered that damnable Gateway that took them to the Eternal Sanctuary. He did have one vehicle on him, but boats were ill-suited for travel on land.

It wasn't until he reached a small rock wall on his left side that he began to recognize the area. On the wall, one of the jutting stones was painted to resemble a dog's head, that of a beagle. As he looked up at the rock painting, a memory of the red-haired girl flashed through his mind. Wincing, he held a gloved hand to his head, then shook his head before continuing on.

Several more hours passed. Eventually, the canyon gave way to an area of expansive hills, with the mountains still in the distance. Now he really recognized the place--not only in memory, but he and Alasea had come through here once before. He was nearly there, and he picked up the pace.

Before long, he made way upwards along a small mountain path. Everything was eerily familiar. Finally he was at the forest, and he continued through. And finally, he was there, at his old house. Large and expertly crafted, built into a mountainside. In fact, there was the old car he and Alasea had used last time they were here. The thing was broken and couldn't run, but that didn't really matter.

That strange, tank-sized vehicle that looked built for war was new, however.

They met on the dusty plains of the world, fallen to the chaos of the Seven.

Malvettix frowned. "So he's dead."

"I don't know. I wouldn't count him out just yet."

"What about the Omega Core?"

"Something...unpexpected happened."

After hearing the explaination, Malvettix's grin returned. "It looks like he managed to ensure that no one would use the Core for their own purposes after all."

"The Core can be rebuilt. All we have to do is gather the pieces."

"...really."

"Yes. We will have to hurry, though. The Core will attempt to regather itself in one place, so we must collect as many shards as possible to ensure we gain control over the artifact."

"That sounds like a large task," Malvettix said.

"We will have assistance."

"Very well..."

Meta delivered a kick to Hydro's midriff, kicking herself off in an attempt to get away from her opponent, her blades raised to defend herself from the force of whatever technique he might fire at her. She slided backwards and came to a halt not too far away from Sin and his newly summoned companion Gluttony. She cast a short and wary glance in their general direction.

"Who are you really," She muttered, loud enough for Sin to be able to hear her, "and what do you think you're doing here?"

Blazen's eyes widened as the violet attack came soaring after him. He had no time to charge up his attack, and rather having it used as an attack, Blazen threw it down in front of him to defend him. Blazen was tossed back from the resulting shock-wave of power between the two forces. Blazen's hair and clothes were tossed around in a rapid manner, so when he finally caught himself on the edge of a mountain, Blazen's eyes were blocked by his hair and his jacket was half off. Blazen shook his head, the strands placing themselves along Blazen's forehead and out of his main vision. Blazen allowed his jacket to slip off however and float down to catch on a rock. He wasn't assured it would be safe, but it was better than fumbling around to put it back on.

Blazen sighed with some annoyance, this beast was quickly becoming more and more of a pest as it continued to outsmart both Kalmar and Blazen over and over again. Though despite the fact the battle seemed to be slowly turning on their side, the beast was doing all that was in it's power to keep the battle on its side. It was prolonging the end as much as it could, by knocking both Kalmar and Blazen around. Blazen growled in distaste as the beast was still standing fairly tall before Blazen. He was down for only a second and already he felt as if the beast was mocking him.

Blazen then slowly felt his grip on the side of the cliff loosen before he lost it. Now running down the cliff, Blazen held his hands out, allowing two white orbs to form in his palms. The two orbs then began to shoot out from his palms only to be replaced by more orbs of the white flame instantly. Each orb was about the size of a baseball and each as fast as a bullet. They would hit the beast's hide and burn the hide of it, injuring it further.

....Quebec.....

As the creature's rapid footsteps came ever closer, it became clear there were a pack of these things. Patterson then began to squat down slightly and begin to back away, as did the men with him. Soon enough the pitter-patter of the foot steps were loud and in view. The owners were the demented trigens who shrieked as they came from the darkness.

Before the order could be issued, the three marines up front let loose their firepower. Patterson with his assault rifle, Young with his shotgun, and Ross with his sub. The shells and bullets left over from the spent shots hit the ground with a small, hollow, and metallic clang. The trigens however were quick and avoided most of the bullets and only scraped by a few. Young was able to kill one that stupid enough to leap at him just as he cocked his shotgun. A bloody mess hit the floor as it died. The marines were then beginning to slowly back away because of how close the trigens were getting. Soon enough Ross was forced to retreat, running out of ammo in the current clip he had. Patterson was able to cover him and Young as they backed off to reload their guns.

....In California.....

Books, furniture, rugs, carpets, things in general was tossed around making a growing mess on the floor. The rug was dug up in several places and books, opened and tossed. Some holes were embedded in the walls as the search continued. Looking and looking were three current tomb, or in this case, house raiders of the time. Bryant, Veronica, and Brandon Hartnett. They were here in search of a piece of a powerful staff. This staff was told of from the Dragon King, Bahamut. This staff, or scepter rather was the Chronoscepter.

Veronica, with a sigh of annoyance fell back into a luxurious chair. She watched the boys pull things apart for awhile. She was tired, they had been tearing this place apart all day and she needed a break. Looking up a bit, she saw a portrait of the family who owned the home. A father, a mother, a son, and a daughter. Veronica then stood back up and lifted the portrait off the wall and placed it on the ground. She felt around the wall behind the portrait to find nothing.Bryant turned to Veronica and approached her.

"Anything?" Bryant asked his wife, hoping for some good news. She just shook her head sitting down again, looking at the portrait. Bryant sighed.

"Well don't just sit there, c'mon we gotta keep looking before whoever owns this place comes back." Bryant said a bit anxiously, but that's when footsteps could be heard nearby.

R.D. narrowed his eyes as he observed the strange war-car in front of him. He had only seen one thing like it in his entire new life--his own boat, given to them at Kattelox. Quickly the amnesiac teen trotted up onto the deck, crouching low to not be seen through the windows. He approached the door and slowly opened it a tiny bit. It opened silently, and he smirked.

After a moment of waiting, he heard footsteps in the hallway, heading down towards the living room. And in that room, he could hear two distinct voices.

So, at least three people in the house, he mused, running a hand along the hilt of the Phase Blade on his hip. He opened the door the rest of the way and sneaked inside, closing the door behind him soundlessly. He took a step, and another memory flashed in his head. It was of him putting some sort of weapon into a hidden compartment in this hall. Guess he was a bit of a paranoid back then.

He crouched down and slid his arm along the side of the wall, feeling for a indentation. He found it, and pushed in slightly before sliding it carefully to the side. Within, he found a large, triple-barreled shotgun in a triangular pattern. He took this weapon, which had "Bone Jack" inscribed alongside the barrel, and hefted it. Despite its weight, he'd gotten strong enough to wield it with ease. After checking the weapon, he found it loaded.

He carefully made his way down the hall to the side of the living room entryway, then pivoted into the room. He pumped the Bone Jack shotgun once loudly, and aimed at the three occupants, two of which were male while another was female.

"What the hell are you people doing inside my house!?" he yelled at them, eyebrow arched and finger pulling the trigger slightly.

===In Germany===

Kalmar's blade glanced off the thick hide of the Devil Guardian harmlessly, an act that would normally call for retribution. However, the beast was more concerned with the God of Fire, and the rapid barrage of white fireballs impacting its lower torso.

With a deafening roar, the beast gathered energy into the crystal embedded in its collarbone and made a slight shield around its underside, warding off the attacks, then roared again as it slammed its massive arms into the ground on either side of Blazen, the shockwaves reverberating through the earth upon impact.

Kalmar swore loudly as the Devil Guardian slammed it's front legs into the ground, effectively drowning his cursing out. He quickly shot up from the ground, avoiding the shockwave. Deciding to take a chance, he directed himself toward the underside of the beast's right leg.

He powerfully slashed at the creature's armpit, hoping to sever a tendon or artery with it. The underside of the arms, he hoped, would be less armored then the rest of the beast.

---- Quebec Research Compound ----

Newman and Roberts stepped forward before firing their weapons, propelling rounds down the hallway in a deadly spray. The counter's on their assualt rifle displays quickly counted down from 60, the shells bouncing off the floor with a slight mettalic ping.

Baker and Augustine followed quickly, the 9mm and sub machine gun adding to the serenade of gunfire that filtered down the corridor at the approaching Trigens. Soon Augustine backed off, dropping both pistol clips before quickly reloading.



Edited by Fallen on September 26, 2007 at 18:59:45.

Blazen easily lost his balance because of resulting shockwaves. He fell forward, and landed on his face. His jacket floating and landing next to him. Groaning the god slowly stood up. He whipped some blood from his mouth and looked up at Kalmar proceeded to attack. Blazen would then ready two more flames in each palm and throw them at the beasts underbelly.

....California....

Bryant looked up as Veronica looked over her shoulder to see the man with the triple barrel pointed at them. Brandon merely stopped dead from his searching keeping his hands where they were. One was on the bottom of a desk and the other on top of the said desk. It was obvious he was planning on flipping it over to look under it a bit more easily.

Bryant quirked a brow to the teen who threatened the trio. He could tell in the teen's eyes that he wouldn't hesitate to kill them if needed. It was obvious by the many bruises and scars that he's seen his share of battles. Heavy ones at that. His eyes when down to Veronica who was wearing a rather sly smile on her face, not believing the same as Bryant. She was even bold enough to stand.

"Oh, we're sorry young man." Veronica said, innocently, but keeping a rather sly smirk on her face and twinkle in her eye. Slowly she took a step forward, trying to allow the teen's rather active hormones to make him more focused on her, rather than her companions and why they were there. Veronica was known in the past to win over a man's heart before tearing it out, figuratively of course.

"We were just looking for a little something. Would you be a dear and help us? You do know this house more than us." Veronica then asked, keeping her seductive tone in place. Bryant wasn't very amused, but he was assured Veronica knew what she was doing and allowed her to do such. Brandon, on the other hand, was turned around now, trying to force back an amused smile.

.....Quebec.....

As Patterson's group continued to hold of the Trigen force, Timmons' group had encountered the same resistance. He was busy running and shooting with his pistol as Hudson and his brother shot with their assault rifles. The group that attacked them was a bigger pack and because of the lighted area, didn't bother with sneaking around. Instead they just rushed the group, taking them by surprise. The marines were unable to take a good number down because of the inaccuracy of shooting and running.

Timmons had finally reloaded his pistol just in time to whack one of the vicious beings with the side of his gun and into a wall. Stunned the beast slid down the wall. He shot a couple more times, wounding one in the leg, but wasted his clip on air. His brother was more fortunate as his assault rifle held more shots, allowing him to shoot more wildly without as much worry on ammo. He wounded several in various limbs slowing them down. Hudson however was done shooting after his first magazine ran dry. He hadn't even reloaded yet, but he looked straight foward and continued running from the trigens. Ahead of him was the new group of marines that joined them just recently.

R.D.'s eyes narrowed dangerously as the woman turned on the charm as she approached him. "Lady," he muttered, "I don't know who you are, but if you take one more step, you're gonna be missing your upper half."

He seized the Fifth Cipher energy, letting it fill him. As usual, his eyes changed, the green irises widening and the pupils contracting. At this close a distance, the change would certainly not go unnoticed. His wounds throbbed painfully with the power within him, but he ignored it, keeping his focus on the three intruders.

"Sit," he ordered to the woman and standing man, motioning with his shotgun slightly. He didn't get the feeling that these three were demons. And if they really weren't demons, he had a rather nasty advantage here in the form of Lumiya.

===In Germany===

The arms of the beast proved to be just as armored on the underside as it was on the rest of the body. Granted, Kalmar's sword made a deeper cut, but still not enough to faze the creature. The Devil Guardian bellowed as its head and neck turned downwards, ready to chomp down on the Demon Hunter.

The two fire blasts ended up missing the beast's underbelly. Instead, they scored burns across the Devil Guardian's neck, and it screamed, throwing its head back up into the air before it could bite Kalmar.

Veronica, a bit surprised her tactic didn't work and even more so by the sudden change of the teen just stood there for a second. She didn't know what to do, she was only armed with a Blacktail that was resting in its holster on her thigh. Chances are she wouldn't be able to grab it, and even if she did, no chance of aiming it. She was about to say something in protest now that she had her senses back, but Bryant interrupted her before she began. He grabbed her arm, loosely, but enough to get her attention. Veronica only nodded and stepped back, and taking a seat on the chair. Bryant eyed the teen, staring into his green and fierce eyes. He took a seat on a couch, and Brandon, sensing how nervous his companions were and by the sudden change of the teen, sat himself on the desk.

"Fine we're seated." Bryant then said, "Now I think before anyone gets...excited at least listen to us." Bryant then said, almost pleaded. Bryant knew if they were to die again, they wouldn't go to hell nor heaven, but to nothing. Of course Brandon was the exception, but still. No one wants to die anyway.

Edited by Blazen on September 26, 2007 at 21:10:41.

R.D. lowered the gun, but still kept it trained on the group. He really would rather not fire the weapon. Seeing how it had three barrels, there was a good chance he'd destroy a good portion of the room with a single shot. But, if he had to, he'd fire it without hesitation. Due to the look in the eyes of the one man who got the woman to stand down, he figured he should spare them. Perhaps he'd only blow off a leg or something.

"Okay," he finally said, "Let's start with the basics. Why'd you break into my house?"

Bryant nodded, shifting his eyes to Veronica and Brandon who were still watching the teen carefully. He already classified himself as weird, so who knows what else he could pull.

"We're here because we're looking...for an artifact." Bryant said, carefully choosing his words, "A powerful one. We were sent by the dragon king, Bahamut." Bryant then informed, maybe that would bring some good vibes from the teen, then again maybe not. But Bryant, despite his better instincts, was willing to take that risk.

R.D.'s left eye twitched.

Bahamut!?

He frowned at them. "Bahamut, huh?" he said quietly, looking at the man who he labeled as the leader, "So, you know the King of Dragons."

Bryant nodded. It seemed this teen had some sort of connection with their sender. But this could still go either way.

"Yes, and he told us to look for the artifact, a child had told us to come here." Bryant continued. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His hands came together as he leaned forward.

"Apparently this artifact is power...but only when its complete." Bryant then added.

"Bryant!" Veronica then interrupted, "Es-nay on the Scepter-ay." Veronica warned through gritted teeth. She obviously didn't trust this teen yet.

R.D. raised his eyebrow slightly as the leader slipped. Scepter? And a child? And Bahamut...

The amnesiac teen sighed and shook his head slightly. "Bahamut is dead."