Series Opening Theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEEQ8PjI3pU

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Aubrey: “Take care, you two! I’m heading off!”

*Aubrey closes the front door behind her before raising her hand to shield the morning sunlight*

Aubrey: “Man… it’ll be good to start adventuring again.”

???: “Especially given the fruits from such, huh?”

*Aubrey turns around, looking towards the shadow cast against the door behind her. Within the shadow is the familiar face of Kimarous.*

Aubrey: *smile* “Most definitely.”

Kimarous: *smirk* “You definitely have learned patience over the past year. The Lodestone started working again two weeks ago, and only now are you setting off.”

Aubrey: “I wanted to make sure I tied up all loose ends at your estate before leaving.”

Kimarous: “Actually, when it was just me and Zypher, my sister took care of everything.”

Aubrey: *shrug* “It’s just as well. I imagine it took some negotiating on your part to get permission from Fade to come along for the ride.”

Kimarous: *small laugh* “Aubrey, we saved the entire divine realm from certain destruction. As mighty as my lord is, he is not without gratitude. As soon as I informed him that the orbs were once again active, he immediately gave indefinite leave of duty.”

Aubrey: “Do you still have the ability to turn physical with sufficient darkness?”

Kimarous: “That’s right. I’ll hitchhike on your shadow in the meantime.”

Aubrey: *smirk* “I don’t know how I feel about you perpetually staring at my ass.”

Kimarous: *abrupt laugh* “Aubrey, I’m on a two-dimensional plane! I don’t ‘gain’ anything from that… not that I find you unattractive or anything.”

Aubrey: *chuckle* “Relax, Kima. I’m kidding.”

*Aubrey turns away from the Erebite, starting to walk away from the Sorel residence*

Kimarous: “So where to first? I’m assuming you’ll want to reassemble the Brigade…”

Aubrey: “That’s right. First, an old friend who also has dibs on a wish… Tobias.”

Kimarous: “Then it’s westward to Nosgoth, then.”

Aubrey: “That is correct.”

*Aubrey stops walking for a moment, taking a deep breath before staring off into the distance*

Aubrey: “Kimarous… it’s good to have you back.”

Kimarous: “Such that it is, I suppose.”

*Aubrey smiles and looks back down to the Erebite*

Aubrey: “You will be restored to life, Kima. I promise.”

Chapter End

Chapter 2: The Devil King Returns

Kimarous: “So who do you all think will be rejoining the Brigade?”

Aubrey: “Tobias and Baal are no-brainers, although I have no idea how to contact Baal. While he periodically returns to Babylon, he seems to have taken a liking to travel. We may have to go to his realm, or we might just happen across him.”

Kimarous: “Probably the latter. He sniffed out Zypher and Kari way back at Pluto, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he just popped up after tracking us down.”

Baal: “You mean like this?”

*Both Aubrey and Kimarous both yelp, twisting around to see the Devil King only a few feet behind them. After confirming his identity, Aubrey takes a few moments to breathe and calm down; Kimarous does likewise, even despite lacking physical lungs.*

Kimarous: *heavy breathing* “I… stand… corrected…”

Aubrey: *pant* “Don’t… do that!”

Baal: *chuckle* “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, especially since my shadow was facing the other way and I didn’t think Kima would see me.”

Aubrey: “So… was he right? Did you actually sniff us out?”

Baal: *twitch* “Who the home do you think I am… Lycaon? No, I just happened across you guys while wandering around. I was just about to give Tobias a visit, actually.”

Aubrey: *smile* “As were we.”

Baal: *smirk* “So I heard. Given how Kimarous is riding on your shadow, that leads me to a single conclusion: the Draken Orbs shine again.”

Kimarous: *grin* “Indeed… and unless I’m mistaken, we still owe you a wish.”

Baal: “Damn straight! Life for you, godhood for Tobi, and the perfect girlfriend for me!”

Aubrey: “Looks like we’ve got everything planned out. Now it’s just a matter of gathering everyone together again.”

*The party resumes walking down the road*

Baal: “So, how’s… existence?”

Kimarous: *thinking* Almost said ‘life’, didn’t you? “It goes… not much to say, specifically.”

Baal: “A spirit serving a god has nothing interesting to say?”

Kimarous: “There are interesting moments, but nothing nearly as interesting as our previous adventure. I spend a lot of time running errands, acting as a messenger or agent for more worthy prayers to my lord. I’d elaborate, but then I’d get into the more boring details.”

Aubrey: “And I have enough boring details to sort through myself… do you realize how many investments I need to keep track of? Not to mention how I support his sister and nephew. How did life go from being so fast-paced to being so agonizingly slow?”

*Aubrey and Kimarous both make dejected sighs before turning back towards Baal*

Kimarous: *forced grin* “So, what about you?”

Baal: *smile* “Oh, the usual. Eating and running, killing demon slayers, banging consorts…”

Aubrey: *blink* “Wait… consorts? I thought you said you wanted a girlfriend…”

Kimarous: “To be more specific, he wants a girlfriend slash consort slash queen, question mark, who won’t scream his ear off during sex… apparently.”

Aubrey: *awkward pause* “How… very… special…”

Kimarous: “Heh. Kiya said the exact same thing.”

Baal: “Oh, Kima… in case you were ever wondering what happened to Slafter…”

Kimarous: *surprised* “Slafter?”

Baal: “Yeah. I mean, yes, you threw him into the demon world, but do you know what ever actually became of him?”

Kimarous: “Chained up and tortured for eternity?”

Baal: *tentative hum* “Well, that depends on how he views things.”

Kimarous: “What does that mean?”

Baal: *smirk* “Well… notice anything different about me?”

Aubrey: “Aren’t you evading the subject? That’s pretty unusual for you. Ah, whatever… *scans Baal* Uh… since when do you dual-wield?”

*Kimarous scans Baal as well, noticing a black and green longsword on the Devil King’s back, partially concealed behind the familiar tooth-like katana of Drachezahn*

Baal: *smirk* “Maybe it’s time you two got reacquainted.”

*Baal draws the new blade, stabbing it into the ground in front of Kimarous. As the Erebite stares at it, the weapon seems to rattle and shake, seemingly agitated by his presence.*

Baal: “Behold, my new cursed sword… Slafter.”

Kimarous: *wide eyes* “Slafter has been turned into a sword?”

Baal: “That’s right. He serves as a counterpart to Drachezahn now. While Drachezahn adds his strength to those he deems worthy, Slafter draws his power from that of his wielder, becoming stronger depending who uses him.”

Aubrey: “You called him a cursed sword… where’s the catch? With Drachezahn, the curse is that he turns on or abandons unworthy hands. With Slafter…”

Baal: “He’s cursed in the sense that he was turned into a sword in the first place. *picks up Slafter and stares at the hilt up-close* And as long as he behaves himself, I’m going to slowly remove the pain caused from clashing against hard objects… isn’t that right, Slafter?”

*Slafter rattles for a moment, but then seems to calm down and stops. Afterwards, Baal puts the cursed weapon back onto his back.*

Baal: “But enough of that. Let’s go get Tobias.”

Chapter End

Chapter 3: The Ascended and Fallen

*As the party walks down the road, they notice two figures approaching them, both in the form of young males. One of them has unkempt brown hair and is dressed in brown breeches and a grey tunic with mint lining. The other wears a set of light brown, almost golden-hued leather armour, in addition to a green cloak; he too has brown hair, but his bright yellow eyes stand out to a much greater degree.*

Baal: “Well, what do you know…”

Aubrey: “Tobias! Horus! Hey!”

*The two pairs make friendly waves as they approach one another*

Horus: “Baal! Aubrey! It’s been a while.”

Tobias: “How are you two doing?”

Aubrey: “Quite well. We were just on our way to see you, actually.”

Tobias: “Go figure. I figured I would stop by your place, since travelling with Horus gave me a decent enough excuse.”

Baal: “Where’s Horus going?”

Horus: “Moirae… diplomatic reasons.”

Tobias: *amused snort* “Diplomatic? We both know that’s purely an extra.”

Kimarous: “Ah… ah-ha-ha… so he’s the one… heh… thought so.”

*Tobias and Horus start looking around in confusion*

Horus: “Uh… is someone else here?”

Tobias: “I know that voice sounds familiar…”

Kimarous: “Oh, sorry! I forgot to make my presence known. Down here, by Aubrey.”

*As the two men look down as the Erebite, their faces light up*

Horus: “Kimarous! So good to see you!”

Tobias: “How are things going for you?”

Kimarous: *smile* “Well enough. Can you guess the circumstances of this meeting?”

Aubrey: “Oh, let’s spare them the guessing game. The orbs have finally reactivated, so we can bring Kima back to life again. Also, that means godhood for you, Tobias.”

Tobias: “Awesome! Hey, Horus. What say we postpone the trip of Moirae and join them?”

Horus: “O-Okay. I guess we’ll need to pass Moirae again at some point.”

Aubrey: “You both are welcome to join up… although I’m a little concerned for you, Tobias. I mean, after you lost your godhood, I don’t know how…”

Tobias: *smile* “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m an accomplished enough fighter without my god powers. I used to be a hero, after all.”

*Raising both arms at right angles, Tobias’s forearms and legs are suddenly sheathed in dark silver armour. A subtle spool of metal thread projects from each piece of armour, although their exact purpose is not visually apparent.*

Tobias: “The Vesica Versus… my weapons from my hero days. They are enchanted so that I can summon and banish them at will, as well as do… other things.”

Aubrey: *blink* “Just what kind of a hero were you?”

Tobias: *smirk* “Well, that’s a long story for another day.”

Baal: “Think you should go back to Kari and tell her what’s going on?”

Tobias: “Nah. I’ll just send her a letter. She’ll understand.”

Kimarous: “But what if she wants to join the Brigade again?”

Tobias: “Even if she did, she’s not really able to come along. She’s sorta…”

*Tobias smiles and waves his hand over his lower torso, curving the motion into a crescent*

Aubrey: “Oh… OH! Congratulations!”

Tobias: *scratches head* “Heh… thanks. She’s currently at four months, so she’s not really in traveling condition, let alone fighting. Besides, somebody needs to take care of the hotspring while I’m away, especially with the early frost this year.”

Kimarous: “Hotspring?”

Tobias: “Yeah. Since I’m not long a divine, I need to make a living. Kari and I run a small but successful hotspring near the Nosgoth-Moirae border.”

Aubrey: “I see. And what have you been up to, Horus?”

Horus: “N-Not much. Pluto is running smoothly, so I’ve had plenty of time to visit other realms and deities. Also, Nosgoth has temporarily fallen under my jurisdiction, as a new official god hasn’t been designated yet.”

Tobias: “Hence why it comes as no surprise that we are travelling companions.”

Baal: “So what places do you visit? You certainly don’t make regular trips to Babylon.”

Horus: *dejected stare* “In no small part to the fact that you are never there… anyhow, most of my time is actually spent visiting Moirae. I’m currently, um…”

Tobias: “He’s dating Saria.”

Aubrey: *shocked* “Fade’s KID?”

*Kimarous and Baal burst out laughing as Aubrey glares antagonistically at the Living Titan*

Aubrey: “I never thought highly of your perverse desires, but I never thought you a pedophile!”

Horus: *indignant* “I’m NOT!”

Aubrey: “Then what do you call someone dating a child?”

Horus: *pained* “Guys, help me out here…”

Chapter End

Chapter 4: The Suspicious Girl

*The party is once again travelling down the road*

Aubrey: “Well how was I to know she could alter her age?”

Baal: “You wouldn’t, hence the humour.”

Tobias: “In any case, we just need to check on the other three and then we can start searching for the orbs again.”

Kimarous: “Zypher, Kiya, and Ryoshi… I wonder how they are doing.”

Horus: “Last I heard, they were doing well.”

*Down the road, the party hears the faint sound of a lute being played*

Aubrey: “Hmm? Music?”

Kimarous: “A wandering troubadour, perhaps?”

*Travelling further down the road, the party catches a glimpse of the lutanist. It is a youthful woman, slim and tall, with medium-length brown hair and yellow-brown eyes. Her attire consists of a black coat, a white undershirt, black pants, and gold-trimmed boots. She hums along with the tune she is playing, although she stops once she notices the party.*

???: “You… I’ve seen you…”

*The woman hops to her feet, flipping the lute to her back. There, the weapon transforms into a large broadsword, sheathing into simple straps on her coat. Now standing, it is also apparent that she has two flintlock pistols on her belt as well. Before the party can react, she scurries up to the nearest Brigade member, Baal, staring him in the face.*

???: “Let me see your face. *smiles* You are the one from my dreams! *grins* Then the starts were right and this is the day! *squee* Gods give me strength!”

Aubrey: *sweats* “What the…?”

Tobias: “Well, this is odd…”

*Baal, feeling a distinct lack of personal space, pokes her forehead with his index finger and lightly pushes the woman out of his face*

Baal: “Who, pray tell, are you? What am I to you? And why should I care?”

???: *sheepish wince* “Oh, sorry. I haven’t even introduced myself yet and already I’m shoving myself into your face.”

*The woman backs up to be visible to the entire party and clears her throat*

Haruka: “My name is Haruka. I’m a big fan of the Draken Brigade and I was wondering if I could come along with you this time.”

Aubrey: “W-What?”

Horus: “Fan of the Draken Brigade?”

Haruka: *side glances* “Erm… I saw you during the Wyrm Pearl tournament.”

Baal: “After what happened, I’m surprised we have any fans at all.”

Haruka: “Well I can understand what you mean there…”

*Haruka walks up to Aubrey’s shadow, crouching down to Kimarous’s face*

Haruka: “It’s especially unfortunate what happened to you.”

Kimarous: “W-Wha…? You noticed me? And how do you know who I am?”

Haruka: *smirk* “What other Erebite would be lurking in Aubrey’s shadow?”

Kimarous: *thinking* How did you know I was an Erebite in the first place?

Aubrey: *thinking* Surely I’m not that recognizable, even after all that happened…

*Tobias makes several hand gestures, roughly indicating that the party take her in, if only to keep an eye on her. Aubrey, Horus, and Baal nod in agreement; Kimarous does nothing, as Haruka is still staring down at him.*

Aubrey: “Welcome to the Brigade, Haruka.”

Haruka: “Awesome! Thanks!”

Baal: *thinking* You are a bit too suspicious to ignore, little girl…

Haruka: “So… to Transylvania, I guess?”

Tobias: “That’s right. We’ll be meeting up with the other three members of the Brigade there.”

Haruka: “Huh? But what about your Fated One, Kari?”

Tobias: *thinking* All the more suspicious… how does she know about that?

Kimarous: *thinking* And furthermore, how does she know about Kiya? She didn’t mention her outright, but a common fan would logically conclude that Kari was among the remaining three…

Tobias: “She won’t be joining us this time around. She’s sorta…” *pregnant hand motion*

Haruka: “Oh… OH! Congratulations!”

Chapter End

Chapter 5: Twilight Council

*The party sets up camp on the edge of the forest; to their south is Transylvania, full of rolling hills. The sky is reddish from the setting sun; just as the camp setup completes, the solar circle disappears beyond the horizon.*

Kimarous: “Ah… finally.”

*The Erebite rises up from Aubrey’s shadow, manifesting into his physical form. He stretches his arms out, although clearly out of mere habit.*

Kimarous: “It’s so good to exist in three dimensions again.”

Aubrey: *soft smile* “I said it was good to have you back… to have you physically here makes it all the better.”

*Kimarous and Aubrey smile back at one another for a brief moment. Haruka blinks and leans closer to Baal, who was the closest person next to her.*

Haruka: *whisper* “Unless I misunderstand things… she has the hots for a SHADOW?”

Baal: *whisper* “It would appear that way.”

Kimarous: “Anyhow, I’ll keep watch as you guys sleep. I don’t exactly need sleep myself, what with being deceased and all.”

Haruka: “Alright then. *yawn* See you all in the morning.*

Kimarous: *smirk* “After a fashion.”

*Everyone besides Kimarous lies down on their sleeping cots and goes to sleep. After an hour or two, Aubrey rises to her feet, having only pretended to fall asleep. Baal does likewise. Together, they silently rouse Tobias and Horus, who were actually sleeping. With Haruka still asleep, they make their way over to Kimarous.*

Kimarous: *frown* “I share the sentiment that she’s suspicious, but we can’t consistently hide the purpose of the Brigade from her.”

Baal: *frown* “I wonder if she already knows.”

Tobias: “Does it really matter right now?”

Horus: *rubs his eyes* “Let’s just get the preliminary stuff out of the way.”

Aubrey: “Right.”

*Aubrey pulls out the Orb Lodestone and hands it over to Horus*

Horus: “Thanks. Now, it’s just a matter of…”

*Horus locks his gaze on the Lodestone… nothing happens*

Horus: “Hmm? What the…?”

*Horus concentrates harder, even contorting his face into an intense expression. Still, there is no response from either his eyes or the Lodestone.*

Horus: *frown* “Why won’t it work?”

Baal: *sighs* “I worried this might happen. I think that when you ascended, Ra’s powers ended up overriding some of your inherent mortal abilities, including your ability to track the orbs.”

Tobias: “Well, that’s annoying.”

Horus: “I’m not so sure. It was because of Ra’s Titanic influence that I could track them before, so I don’t see why any further influence would cancel it out.”

Kimarous: “Either way, it isn’t working. The actual cause probably doesn’t matter.”

Horus: *concerned hum* “I guess…”

Aubrey: “Uh… question?”

Kimarous: “What is it?”

Aubrey: “Uh… the individual pointers… are they supposed to wobble like this?”

Kimarous: “Wobble?”

*Staring closer at the Lodestone, the party notices that all seven pointers seem to constantly shift slightly, sometimes barely noticeably*

Kimarous: “It never did that before…”

Aubrey: “Then… what does that mean?”

Horus: “Was it damaged at any point?”

Aubrey: “Not that I can tell.”

Tobias: “Perhaps, despite sheer odds, they are all in somebody’s possession already.”

Kimarous: “That could cause problems when we want to acquire them.”

Baal: “Not really… at least, nothing I’m worried about. The Brigade is tough. We can overcome any obstacle that stands in our path, forcefully or not.”

*Slafter rattles twice on Baal’s back, apparently agreeing with the Devil King’s proclamation*

Kimarous: “Well, we’ll find out in the coming days. For now, you guys should get your rest.”

*Everyone returns to their sleeping cots, either returning or finally going to sleep. After several minutes, the prone Haruka opens her eyes and frowns.*

Haruka: *thinking* The orbs are on the move? Odd… and troubling. Does that mean… *shakes head* No. It’s probably nothing.

*Haruka closes her eyes again, finally going to sleep*

Chapter End

Chapter 6: Different Homeland

*The party prepares to enter a tunnel into the underground lands of Transylvania. Before they go inside, they look across the distance to the mountain that houses the Bloodworks; the peak is missing, causing it to resemble an exploded volcano.*

Baal: “Looks like they haven’t fixed it yet…”

Kimarous: “Didn’t think they would. Still, there are other, smaller arenas scattered about. The reservoirs should still be running red.”

Aubrey: “Let’s go see how the others are doing.”

*The party enters the tunnel into the vampire community. They soon find themselves in an open courtyard area, one of the communal hubs.*

Tobias: “So… does anyone know where exactly Zypher and the others live?”

Aubrey: “Not a clue. I know where Trista is, though. She’ll probably know.”

Haruka: “Hey, I think some people are coming.”

*A group of eight vampires start walking towards the party; as they near, they spread out and slowly begin to encircle the entire brigade. The group tenses and readies themselves just before the vampires draw several weapons and lick their limps hungrily.*

Tobias: “What the…?”

Aubrey: “A feeding gang? They haven’t existed for centuries!”

Kimarous: “Horus, lord of Death and the Sun… have you any influence on fire?”

Horus: *smirk* “Just enough.”

*With a quick spin, the Living Titan darkens the various braziers and torches that light the courtyard. Now with sufficient shading, Kimarous takes physical form and leaps from Aubrey’s shadow. The various vampires fall back in surprise.*

Vampire 1: “A spectre?”

Vampire 2: “No! It’s a shadow spirit, like that arena fighter!”

Vampire 3: “If it has a body, then it has blood! It just means more for us!”

Vampire 4: “You idiots! He’s an Erebite from Moirae!”

Vampire 5: “Whatever! We have the advantage of numbers!”

Vampire 6: “Blood… I just want blood!”

Vampire 7: “Guys… I think this is the famed Draken Brigade…”

Vampire 8: “I don’t care what you all think! I’m running!”

*The eighth vampire runs away, soon followed by the fourth, second, and seventh ones. The remaining four stand their ground.*

Haruka: “Now we have the advantage of numbers…”

Vampire 5: “We can still take you down, though!”

*Suddenly, the same vampire is knocked out from behind by a figure in red*

Vampire 1: “Dammit! Not him!”

Vampire 6: “Need… blood!”

*The sixth vampire leaps behind Kimarous, still looking at the figure in red, and jabs his fangs into the Erebite’s neck. Kimarous casually glances at his assailant and casually swings his fist down into the vampire’s groin. Stunned, the vampire lets go and stumbles back; Kimarous then spins around and knocks him out with a punch to the face.*

Kimarous: “Pointless…”

Aubrey: *thinking* Kimarous let himself get bitten since he has no blood to lose. Still, that attack was just so… feral…

Vampire 3: “Enough playing around! We can still lap up blood from our blades!”

*The remaining vampires run at Baal, who fluidly blocks their swords with his own, knocks said swords out of their hands, knocks them out with his pummels, and sheaths them again.*

Baal: “So much for a warm welcome.”

Man: “Sorry about that. Things just haven’t been the same since… hey, wait…”

Kimarous: “Hey there, Zypher.”

Zypher: *blink* “K-Kimarous? Is that you? Aubrey? Baal? W-Wha…?”

Aubrey: “The Brigade is reforming. But we’ll discuss that later. What’s going on?”

Zypher: “Well, let me take you back to my place. There’s a lot to talk about.”

Horus: “I can imagine. Are things as bad as they look?”

Zypher: *nod* “At this rate, vampire culture is going to completely collapse.”

Chapter End

Chapter 7: Cup Runneth Dry

Zypher: “Kiya, I’m home.”

Kiya: “Dinner is almost ready, although dessert is already prepared.”

*Kiya leans in from the kitchen door, revealing herself to be dressed only with an apron. Kiya widens her eyes at the sight of the unexpected guests; the Brigade members do likewise.*

Kiya: “Uh… h-hey guys…”

Aubrey: “H-Hi…”

Kimarous: “Uh… what say you get back to the whole dinner thing?”

Zypher: *nervous laugh* “I’m willing to wait on dessert, honey…”

Kiya: *sweats slightly* “Y-Yeah…”

*Kiya slinks back into the kitchen area as the red-faced Zypher leads his guests into the living room, where everyone takes a seat*

Zypher: “Uh… sorry about that. Things have been rather stressful lately and she’s trying her best to keep me relaxed.”

Tobias: “Yeah, I know what you mean. Kari has done her share of sexy antics as well.”

Horus: “Speaking of which, Tobias is currently on his way to becoming a daddy.”

Zypher: *smile* “Oh, good for you. Kiya and I are currently holding off on having kids right now, but I’m glad to see you and Kari are progressing well.”

Tobias: *smile* “Thanks.”

Aubrey: “Sorry to change the subject, but could we please learn what’s going on here?”

Zypher: *sigh* “Well, it’s… um… ah, how to articulate it? Mmm…”

*Zypher rubs his forehead for a minute before Kiya, still in the kitchen, pipes up a response*

Kiya: “The blood reservoirs have turned to water.”

Zypher: “There we go. Thank you.”

Aubrey: “W-Wha…?”

Haruka: “W-What do you mean, ‘turned to water’?”

Zypher: “Well… just that. If I had an explanation as to how or why, we probably would have solved it by now. All I know are the effects. A couple of weeks ago, several vampires stated that the blood reservoirs tasted a bit watered down. A lot of people rightfully took this as a warning sign and either drank up a bunch to tide them over or stored some in private containers. A few days later, all the blood had turned into simple water. The people who didn’t stock up are now enduring what could best be defined as a vampire’s famine.”

Horus: “That’s terrible…”

Zypher: “We’ve tried to set up countermeasures. A few people have been kind enough to donate to their neighbours, sharing their own blood from both pitcher and nape. Several others have set up makeshift street fighting matches with portable Death Ward seals; we can’t use the regular arenas, since the blood would get lost in all that water. Of course, despite all our efforts, there are still hoodlums who resort to more desperate means.”

Kimarous: “Do you have any leads? Maybe we can help.”

Zypher: “I’m not sure how much you can do. My best guess would be one of the new cults that have popped up, although given the Brigade’s fame, it might be difficult for you to…”

Baal: “Come now, Zypher! Just because the cults are discrete doesn’t mean we have to be. Heck, our very presence might be what’s needed to draw them out.”

Zypher: “Y-Yeah… yeah, you’re right, Baal. Especially given the cults I’ve seen so far.”

Hakura: “Such as…?”

Zypher: *smirk* “Believe it or not, there was a short-lived cult dedicated to worshipping Kima.”

Kimarous: *abrupt laugh* “You’re kidding!”

Zypher: *chuckle* “No, I’m not. You’ve become something of a folk hero. With the Wyrm Pearl Cup destroyed, they’ve replaced it with the Kimarous Memorial Cup, since renamed as the Draken Memorial Cup.”

Kimarous: “Ha! Epic!”

Zypher: “On a less amusing note, there was also a brief cult dedicated to Lycaon. We put a stop to that one pretty quick. Although, given recent events, we wonder if it hasn’t been revived as a new sect. The main one we’re worried about right now actually seems to be an anti-vampire cult, given their use of cross symbolism.”

Hakura: “Crosses?”

Zypher: “Yeah. Crosses and yellow robes. That seems to be their trademark. *frown* In all seriousness, we both really appreciate if you looked into it. Ryoshi…”

Aubrey: “Kiya’s brother?”

Zypher: *pause* “He tried looking into the cult on his own… and hasn’t come back since.”

Chapter End

Chapter 8: Secret of the Bonds

*The party is travelling down a darkly lit street, having been partially darkened by Horus’s presence to allow Kimarous to take physical form. Leading the group is Trista.*

Horus: “Too bad Zypher or Kiya couldn’t come along.”

Trista: “With the way things are, we need to keep watch over all possible communities. Those two watch over their sectors and I watch over mine. I was the closest to Ryoshi’s area, so when he disappeared, I took over his patrol.”

Haruka: “Do you know where he roughly disappeared at?”

Trista: “Sadly, I have no clue… *sigh* Dammit, where are you?”

Aubrey: “Have you two become close?”

Trista: *leery glare* “Don’t get the wrong idea. We’re just members of the same arena team. It’s not like we’re in any relationship otherwise!”

Aubrey: *widens eyes* “Well, I wasn’t thinking that…”

Tobias: “But given your unexpectedly snippy response…”

Kimarous: “Easy, guys. The last thing we need is for internal bickering over such a matter. Let’s focus on the task at hand.”

*Kimarous pauses while Trista takes a moment to take a calming breath*

Aubrey: “If we have no idea where Ryoshi vanished at, I would try looking at his house. If he was trying to track the cult’s location, he might have notes or something that might indicate where he was intending to search.”

Baal: “That or the cultists might pay his house a visit if he was found out.”

Trista: *frown* “I’ve been trying to stay optimistic, but you may be right.”

*After a few turns, the Brigade finds itself across the street from Ryoshi’s residence. Trista begins to lead the party closer, but Kimarous blocks her with his arm.*

Kimarous: “Something isn’t right here… you see that?”

*The party notices a small light coming from within the structure, glowing through the cracks around the doorframe and closed windows*

Horus: “He’s home?”

Trista: “If he’s come back, why hasn’t he told us anything?”

Baal: “If he hasn’t, then it probably isn’t him.”

Aubrey: “Shh. I think somebody’s coming.”

*Everyone watches silently as a figure walks towards the house. Even in the dim lighting, it is clear that he is dressed in bright yellow robes.*

Trista: *whisper* “A… a cultist! You guys were right…”

*Surprisingly, the cultist seemed to have heard her. He suddenly shifts his head in the Brigade’s direction before bolting for the door, which he quickly begins to slip through*

Kimarous: “Dammit! We were spotted!”

*Before anyone else can react, Kimarous dashes for the door as well, melding with the shadows to increase his speed. The cultist tries to slam the door behind him, but Kimarous reforms in time to slip his arm through to keep it from closing.*

Cultist: “Shoot him!”

*Two other cultists in the room draw flintlock pistols and fire at Kimarous’s arm, wounding him in two places. However, the Erebite doesn’t flinch and pull back as they hoped; instead, he quickly reverts to shadow and slips through his opening, reforming on the inside of the structure. As he reforms, the wounds on his arm disappear.*

Kimarous: *smirk* “Just like new.”

*Before the cultists, five in total, can react to the Erebite, Baal kicks the door open, knocking it off its hinges. The door flies into two of the cultists, knocking them over and stunning them.*

Cultist: “Don’t let them take the bonds!”

*Kimarous reverts to shadow and binds himself around said cultist, pinning him to the wall. The two alert cultists run at Baal with blades, although the Devil King quickly decapitates both of them with a quick motion of his own swords.*

Baal: “We only need one to talk…”

*The two stunned cultists try to get up, but Horus and Aubrey quickly kick them in the face, knocking them out. Trista relieves Kimarous, tying the leader cultist up in some tight ropes.*

Trista: *stern* “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

Cultist: *sneer* “I won’t talk! Even if you take the bonds, they are of little use to you now!”

Tobias: “Bonds, bonds, bonds. What are these ‘bonds’?”

*Tobias takes a quick look around. In the centre of the room in an ornate gold chest covered in crosses; each of the cultists wears a cross necklace as well.*

Tobias: “These crosses have anything to do with your ‘bonds’?”

Cultists: “Just as our master was tied, so do we proudly show our ties to the master.”

Tobias: *smirk* “Then I guess whatever’s in here is your master’s bonds?”

*Tobias opens up the ornate golden chest and looks inside. Within seconds, his expression turns to complete and utter shock.*

Tobias: “This… is what a cross is supposed to symbolize?”

*Tobias reaches into the chest and pulls out a perfectly round sphere, semi-transparent and grey with a hint of yellow. In addition, the orb’s centre is full of cracks.*

Aubrey: “I-Isn’t that a… Draken Orb?”

*Haruka stumbles backward, her body white and shaking*

Haruka: “N-No! NO! This… NO! This wasn’t mean to happen! I-It can’t be! NO!”

*Trista swiftly moves away from the cultist and pins the fearful girl to the wall*

Trista: “Tell everything! NOW!”

Chapter End

Chapter 9: Haruka’s Story

*Haruka continues to shake nervously as Trista looms over her*

Trista: “Well? SPEAK!”

*Baal grabs Trista by the shoulder and pulls her back*

Baal: “Enough. We won’t learn anything if she’s too scared to speak.”

*The Devil King nudges the fuming vampire off to the side, where Aubrey and Kimarous gently hold her back. Baal then walks up to Haruka and lightly pats her on the head.*

Baal: “Care to tell us who you really are?”

*Haruka takes a moment to calm down, taking a deep breath and swallowing*

Haruka: “Well, as I said, my name is Haruka. I am half succubus and half Tsurogas.”

Baal: “Tsurogas?”

Aubrey: “What’s a Tsurogas?”

Horus: “Never heard of them before.”

Haruka: “I’m not surprised. We are a very secretive race; far more so than even vampires. Just as the Djinn had divine children in the form of Titans, it also had mortal children. We are they.”

Kimarous: “A mortal descendant of the Djinn?”

Baal: “So you are a devil, then.”

Haruka: “P-Pardon?”

Baal: “If you are partially a descendant of the Djinn and partially descended from the demon dimension, it seems you have the makings of a technical devil.”

Haruka: “I… never thought of it that way. I guess it’s a lot easier to define me as that then explaining my individual halves.”

Aubrey: “Even so, your heritage is clearly important. What does a mortal descendant of the Djinn want with us?”

Kimarous: “You recognized the orb… are the Tsurogas their intended guardians?”

Haruka: *nods* “As it were. I suppose you could call us the world’s true historians. We have very long life spans and incredible memory. It was we who first took care of the Orb Lodestone, and it was we who wrote the books describing the Orbs themselves. And… I was the one who unveiled them to the world.”

Aubrey: “What?”

Kimarous: “My acquiring of the Lodestone… our great search… our conflicts and victory over Lycaon… all that was because of you?”

Haruka: *nods* “Without my little… deposits… nobody would know about the Orbs.”

Trista: *frown* “So… it was you who brought this calamity down upon us…”

Haruka: “Don’t act like any of the consequences were intentional! It was never ‘according to plan’ that Lycaon learned of the Orbs, or that Kimarous got killed, or whatever these cultists are doing was part of some grand scheme! It wasn’t!”

Trista: “Even so…”

Horus: “Hey, leave her be!”

Kimarous: “Horus is right. If it weren’t for the Orbs, we would still have a ton of problems as it is. Lycaon would still be alive, Ra would still be causing trouble, and Baal might have stood no chance against Ifrit’s rebellion.”

Baal: *indignant* “Hey, I could have handled him just fine!”

Kimarous: “My point is that Haruka deserves our thanks, not our condemnation.”

Haruka: “R-Really? You think so?”

???: “However…”

*Everyone turns around to see Pangaea, lurking in a dark corner of the room*

Pangaea: “Whether the results were intentional or not; whether good came of her actions or not… it doesn’t change that what she has done has dire consequences.”

Tobias: “Pangaea…”

Baal: “What are you talking about?”

Pangaea: “It is because of her… and more directly, through all of you… that the dragons have now broken free.”

Chapter End

Chapter 10: Crisis of the Soul

Trista: “W-What?”

Horus: “The dragons…”

Tobias: “…Are loose?”

Kimarous: “And… because of us?”

Pangaea: “The dragon of wishes, Zahiyas, stated that he was waiting for forty-five hundred years; ever since the dragons were first sealed into the orbs. Your wishes were the absolute first, and the dormant period afterwards was sufficient for their seals to break.”

Hakura: “A-Are you absolutely sure, Pangaea?”

Pangaea: “Just look at the orb you have just found… dull, cracked, and lacking any sort of dragon image inside. The resident has left.”

Trista: “W-Wait! Wait! Hold on a sec! If these dragons have gotten out, then how come it hasn’t shown up yet?”

Pangaea: “The souls of the dragons need to regain much of their former strength. They cannot yet take physical form, but their spirits have lost none of their potency. They need a physical host, and as such would likely take over the first person to encounter their… well, as the cultist put it… their bonds.”

Baal: “Then assuming that the cultists came in here to take possession of the ‘bonds’, then that means that Ryoshi was in possession of the orb beforehand.”

Trista: “S-So then…”

Haruka: “Ryoshi has been taken over by Ryujin?”

Aubrey: “Ryujin?”

Haruka: “The yellow dragon… since the orb was tinted yellow, it’s probably him.”

Pangaea: “There’s no ‘taken over’ about it. Ryoshi IS Ryujin now. The only way to return him to his bonds is destroy his mortal body.”

Horus: “But…”

Pangaea: “Face it, ascendant; Ryoshi is already dead. No mortal soul could co-exist with that of a dragon… certainly not in the same body.”

Trista: “No! I don’t believe you! I won’t! Ryoshi has to be alive! Buried, maybe, but at least…”

Pangaea: *snort* “Optimism; how droll.”

Trista: “He can’t be gone! If this… Ryujin dragon was just Ryujin, then how come he’s taken so long to join with his followers? Zypher and I spoke with him several times before he appeared; he knew everything Ryoshi knew!”

Pangaea: “And I hold Lycaon’s memories from after I consumed him. Ryujin just ate him from the inside out. *frown* Look, if you people refuse to kill this beast, I will!”

Trista: “But… but… Ryoshi…!”

Baal: *frown* “Sorry, Trista. It looks like there is no other option left…”

Horus: *snaps fingers* “Wait… I got it! Ryoshi’s Shadow Soul! Even if Ryoshi’s original soul was destroyed, which I doubt, then his Shadow Soul would still hold a copy of his original self. If we could only switch places between that and the dragon’s…”

Tobias: *smile* “Copy or original… if we could expel Ryujin into the Shadow Soul, then we can destroy his body without causing any harm to Ryoshi!”

Haruka: “Great idea, guys!”

Aubrey: “That plan just might work!”

Pangaea: *frown* “I highly doubt it. I’ll give you some time to try it, but if you cannot succeed, then I’ll take care of things myself.”

Kimarous: *smirk* “Just keep telling yourself that.”

Trista: “So… we can save Ryoshi?”

Tobias: “Can? What’s with the maybe phrasing? Will!”

Baal: “No mere dragon can stand up to the Draken Brigade!”

Pangaea: *incredulous* “Mere dragon, he says…”

Aubrey: “Alright! Ryoshi, here we come!”

Chapter End

Chapter 11: Dragon Coven

Aubrey: “The pointer is moving around a lot. We must be close.”

Horus: “Perhaps I cannot view the orbs directly, but we can still follow the appropriate pointer.”

Haruka: “And when we start looking for the other dragons, we can just follow the pointers that seem to move the most; odds are they are closest.”

Kimarous: “We’ll worry about that when the time comes. For now, all that matters is Ryoshi.”

*As the party moves forward, they approach a catwalk hanging over an unseen area*

Trista: “If memory serves correct, this catwalk hangs near the primary blood reservoir.”

*The party quietly slips onto the platform as Aubrey stares at the Orb Lodestone.*

Aubrey: *whisper* “It just spun around. I think he just passed underneath us…”

*The party cautiously stares over the edge. Below them stands a small legion of dragon cultists, all dressed in their signature yellow robes. At the front stands the possessed Ryoshi, dressed in a more ornate robe with a large iron crucifix hanging from his neck. His most striking detail is how his eyes are completely yellow; they are overlapped by semi-transparent reptilian scales.*

Trista: *frown* “Damn that demonic lizard…”

Baal: *whisper* “Hey, I take offence.”

Tobias: *smirk* “No you don’t.”

*Ryujin raises his arms toward the reservoir and begins to speak to his congregation*

Ryujin: “As waters flow, their minds will slow until they cannot think; Anarchy’s Kiss, so long they miss their sour, sanguine drink…”

Baal: “Cruddy poetry? Now I DO take offence!”

*Baal leaps down from the catwalk into the crowd of cultists; the group notices him, but not before he lands in the centre of the congregation, impaling two cultists as he lands. As their blood splashes to the ground, the Devil King smiles sadistically at their draconian leader.*

Baal: “Hell-oh…”

*At that, a large hell portal opens up below him. A single platform of rock suspends the Devil King and his two blood sacrifices in the air as the majority of cultists fall down into the hellpit breach. As quickly as it opened, the portal shuts, returning the floor to normal.*

Kimarous: *smirk* “He’s improved…”

Aubrey: “Great job, Baal! We’ll take the rest!”

*The other Brigade members all leap down from the catwalk, quickly dispatching the remaining cultists, all of whom are unprepared or awestruck by the previous display. Ryujin frowns and prepares to draw his sword, but Kimarous reduces himself to shadow in the dimly lit chamber, reforming behind the possessed Ryoshi and grappling him from behind.*

Kimarous: “That’s enough out of you, fiend.”

Ryujin: *snarl* “Don’t underestimate me, peon!”

*Ryujin manages to free one of his arms, again reaching for his sword. This time, Trista runs up and grabs him, tightly prying his limb away from his arsenal.*

Trista: “Ryoshi! Please, stop!”

Ryujin: “Silence, worm!”

*Aubrey partially relieves Kimarous, taking the other arm while he retains grip on Ryujin’s torso. Now effectively restrained, Ryujin is helpless as Horus approaches him.*

Horus: “Ryoshi!”

*Horus grabs Ryujin’s head, staring intensely into his possessed friend’s eyes, his own eyes glowing brightly. Ryujin does not respond beyond a confused frown.*

Ryujin: “W-What are you doing?”

Horus: “Clench those teeth!”

*Horus yanks Ryujin’s head forward, smashing their foreheads together *

Chapter End

Chapter 12: Light, Darkness, and Dragon

???: “Wake up!”

*Ryoshi abruptly awakens from receiving a hard slap to the face. Rubbing his sore cheek, he stares up at the figure crouching over him. It resembles him exactly, only completely black.*

???: “Good! You’re awake!”

Ryoshi: “Uh… who the heck…? Where…? What?”

Shadow: “I’m your Shadow Soul, Ryoshi. We are in your mental realm, which…”

Ryoshi: “Say what now?”

*Ryoshi scrambles to his feet and looks around. The majority of the realm looks like a sea of mercury, much like Horus’s description of his arena against Ra. However, Ryoshi’s own realm is clearly divided between light and dark; the darker portion of the youth’s mind is a pure sea of black, seeming almost like a vat of tar.*

Ryoshi: “This half of my mind… is that where you are from?”

Shadow: “Yeah. That half is the actual Shadow Soul… my own mind, as it were. This is your half, your mind. At least, it should be.”

Ryoshi: “Should be?”

*Looking over towards his eye area, the pair view another figure in Ryoshi’s image, only yellow and scaly-looking. He is sitting down on the ground near the eyes, apparently startled.*

???: “A… a headbutt? Phew… for a second there, I thought he was going to kiss me…”

*As the figure stands up and walks back towards the eyes, Ryoshi frowns*

Ryoshi: “And who might he be?”

Shadow: “An invader of sorts. Calls himself Ryujin. I don’t know much about him in general, but he must be removed. Through me.”

Ryoshi: “What do you mean?”

Shadow: “The only way to get rid of him for good is to trap him on my side, then for me to be struck down in the living world.”

Ryoshi: “Have him possess you, then have you killed?”

Shadow: “Basically.”

Ryoshi: “You know, I don’t think you’ve been cut down before, Ryoshade. What do you think will happen to you?”

Ryoshade: *smile* “Ryoshade? That’s a new one. Anyhow, I don’t know… nor do I really care. My mandate from Fade was to assist you by any means. Whatever happens to me in the process is of no consequence.”

Ryoshi: “That’s… pretty selfless of you. *lowers head* Still, what if you really die?”

Ryoshade: *slight shrug* “I don’t know…”

Ryoshi: *weak smile* “And don’t care, right?”

Ryoshade: *smile* “Well, unless you want me to…”

Ryoshi: “I just want you to know that, well… I kinda like you.”

Ryoshade: *chuckle* “Whatever happens, you won’t lose me. I’m just what you’ve always described me as; a second self. I’ll spare you the cheesy metaphors.”

Ryoshi: *confident grin* “Right. Let’s get this over with!”

*Both Ryoshi and Ryoshade draw their swords and dash at Ryujin, converging on him on opposite sides with Ryoshi having a slight lead.*

Ryoshi: “Hey, Ryujin!”

*Ryujin turns from the eyes, noticing the young warrior. He draws his own sword, blocking Ryoshi’s incoming slash.*

Ryoshade: “Your time is up!”

*Ryoshade slashes at Ryujin from behind, but the dragon dodges out of the way, moving away from the eyes. He then prepares his sword for use against both warriors.*

Ryujin: “You couldn’t just sleep in the corner, could you?”

*In the living world, Horus signals for the others to let go of the possessed Ryoshi*

Horus: “Everyone, move back!”

*Everyone lets go and takes a few paces back. The youth falls to his knees, clutching his head and crying out loudly. In addition, his shadow rapidly spins around his body, completely out of sync with available lighting.*

Horus: “It’s all up to Ryoshi now.”

Trista: *frown* “Let’s hope he can do it alone…”

Kimarous: *smile* “No… not alone.”

Chapter End

Chapter 13: Clash of Souls

*Ryoshi swings his sword down upon Ryujin, while Ryoshade slashes from below. To their surprise, Ryujin manages to block both attacks with a single block, although his body is forced into taking a step back in order to avoid Ryoshade’s attack.*

Ryoshi: *thinking* It might be inch by inch, but we are bringing him ever closer to the Shadow Soul. If we can keep this up…

*Before Ryoshi can finish his thought, Ryujin suddenly flicks his sword into the youth’s own blade. The weapon is knocked clear out of his hands and flies over the dragon, landing several feet behind him. After a few clattering sounds, a splat is heard, catching the attention of all three fighters. The weapon had landed in the Shadow Soul and disappeared into the darkness.*

Ryujin: “You… you’re trying to force me into that!”

Ryoshade: “Got that right!”

*Before Ryujin can regain his attention at the shadowy youth, Ryoshade kicks the dragon’s hand, sending his own sword flying into the tar-like abyss. He then prepares another slash to drive him back, but Ryujin stands his ground, catching the blade between his palms. With a sudden squeeze, the blade shatters, leaving Ryoshade with little more than a handle.*

Ryujin: “Don’t think you can chase me in there!”

Ryoshi: “If we can’t chase you, then we’ll drag you!”

*Ryoshi then proceeds to tackle the weaponless Ryujin, knocking him to the ground. Tossing his useless handle aside, Ryoshade joins in, helping to pull the dragon towards the Shadow Soul.*

Ryujin: *struggling* “Don’t… think… you’ve won… yet…”

*In the physical world, the Brigade watches as a dark shadow starts to envelop the screaming Ryoshi. The Shadow Soul takes form, but does not separate from his body. Mimicking the screaming motion, but not producing any sound, it begins to physically wrestle with the living Ryoshi, the two rolling back and forth on the ground.*

Trista: “D-Do we act now?”

Kimarous: “No, not yet…”

Horus: “Until the Shadow Soul breaks free, we can’t take any risks.”

Trista: “But… what if it’s the wrong soul in the shadow?”

Aubrey: “Sis, it was a gamble from the start. This may be the only way to free Ryoshi of the dragon, but it’s still playing with the odds. All we can do is hope for the best.”

*Trista grits her teeth before falling to her knees and slamming her fist on the ground*

Trista: “Dammit! I hate feeling so… helpless!”

Baal: *shout* “Oy! Ryoshi! If you don’t survive, I won’t let you live it down!”

Tobias: “Come on! We know you can do it!”

Trista: *whisper* “Come back… *shout* Come back to us, Ryoshi!”

*Watching from the shadows, Pangaea forms a barely legible smirk on his face*

Pangaea: “All they can do is shout unheard encouragement… what a foolish gamble, indeed. And yet, I think it might actually work.”

*Inside Ryoshi’s mind, Ryujin manages to tear his right arm free of Ryoshade’s grasp. As the shadowy figure tries to regain his grip, Ryujin grabs his own arm instead. With a chop of his unbound legs, the dragon dislodges Ryoshade’s footing; combined with a hard twist of his arm, he sends the dark figure flying into the air. To Ryoshi’s shock, Ryoshade lands within the boundaries of the Shadow Soul and is enveloped by the dark tar-like terrain.*

Ryoshi: “R-Ryoshade!”

*With a freed arm and Ryoshi distracted, Ryujin quickly turns the tables on the youth. Now Ryoshi is the one being dragged to the dark abyss by the dragon, rather than the reverse. As they near the exact border, Ryujin pauses for a moment, chuckling arrogantly.*

Ryujin: “I can hear your friends, all crying out for your safe return. Ah, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure they are reunited with you soon enough…”

*That said, Ryoshi’s vision is enveloped by darkness*

Chapter End

Chapter 14: Dark Demise

*As suddenly as the darkness enveloped Ryoshi’s sight, it just as suddenly pulled away. Now what envelopes his vision is Ryujin’s midsection, seemingly resisting further movement. Craning his head backwards, Ryoshi sees a human-like figure emerging from the tar-like abyss, its arms bound to and tugging those of the resisting Ryujin. It doesn’t take the youth very long to figure out what is happening.*

Ryoshi: “Ryoshade!”

Ryoshade: *chuckle* “As I said, the Shadow Soul is my turf! And you, Ryujin, have a mandatory invite to my going-away party!”

Ryujin: *scowl* “You have no authority over me! I am Ryujin, Golden Dragon of…”

*Ryujin’s speech is cut short as Ryoshi, who had slid underneath the dragon to get free, sits up; having misjudged his position slightly, Ryoshi inadvertently headbutts the dragon’s groin in the process, briefly stunning him.*

Ryoshi: “Golden? You’re just yellow.”

Ryujin: *teary-eyed in pain* “D-Damn you…”

Ryoshade: “Damn him? You are the invader here! You’ll be the one who’ll be damned! *grunt* So hurry up and get what’s coming to you!”

Ryujin: *agitated yell* “Never!”

Ryoshi: “You heard him! Get in there!”

*Ryoshi gives Ryujin a hard boot to the ass, thrusting him towards the Shadow Soul. The dragon manages to keep his head above the darkness, but his arms are pulled under. In an effort to pull them out, Ryujin inches his legs closer to allow him proper leverage. As he manages to pull his arms out, Ryoshade grabs the dragon’s legs and starts pulling him in through them. Half clawing and half relying on the adhesive tar on his arms, Ryujin barely manages to hold a grip on Ryoshi’s own mind while the rest of him is pulled into the black.*

Ryujin: “I… won’t… give… in…”

*Before responding to the dragon, Ryoshi gives a solemn glance at his shadowy counterpart*

Ryoshi: “Farewell, old friend.”

Ryoshade: *smirk* “Just do it.”

*At that, Ryoshi raises his foot above Ryujin’s head*

Ryoshi: “Get the hell out!”

*With a quick stomp to the face, Ryujin is fully knocked into the Shadow Soul. At that moment in the physical world, the Shadow Soul severs from the screaming Ryoshi’s body. Ryoshi also regains consciousness, the yellow scales falling from his eyes. His painful screams seamlessly transition into a fierce battle cry; with a single fluid motion, he draws his sword and, without turning around, stabs behind himself. The blade pierces the Shadow Soul’s chest, causing the dark being to stumble backward, splashing into the reservoir. After a tense pause, the water rapidly reverts to blood, starting from the centre circle of ripples.*

Haruka: “Q-Quick! Check the orb!”

*Baal unveils the Draken Orb, which has returned to its original state*

Baal: *grin* “Dragon captured!”

Ryoshi: *smile* “Heh… did it…”

*Ryoshi slumps down to his knees, prompting Trista to rush to his side*

Trista: “Are you okay?”

Ryoshi: *relaxed sigh* “Yeah… just a bit worn. *glances down* Although… I think this will take a while to get used to.”

*The entire party notices that Ryoshi is conspicuously lacking any sort of shadow*

Tobias: “That’s… weird.”

Ryoshi: “Will it come back, I wonder?”

Kimarous: “I’ll ask Fade about it when we next pass through Moirae.”

Haruka: “For now, though, let’s just get you home for a good rest. Present company knows how much you’ve earned it.”

Ryoshi: “Heh… yeah, what with Baal and Horus here…”

*Unseen in the shadows, Pangaea cocks his head with interest*

Pangaea: “Not bad at all, but don’t think that you can save everyone. If you are fortunate, none of the other possessed will be an acquaintance.”

*With a slight hum off disappointment, Pangaea pulls a dull, cracked orb from his robes; this one lacks any specific tint, but is very dark, indicating it to be the black orb.*

Pangaea: “Now that I’ve alerted the Brigade, I should get back to finding whoever you’ve taken a hold off… whoever that might be.”

*After putting the orb away, Pangaea topples over into his shadow and disappears*

Chapter End

Chapter 15: History and Future

Kiya: “Ryoshi! I’m so glad you’re safe!”

Ryoshi: *cough* “A-Air…”

*With a little assistance from Trista, Ryoshi manages to pry himself loose from Kiya’s absurdly tight embrace. Moments later, the entire party sits down for a meal, relating recent events between individual mouthfuls.*

Zypher: “Sounds like a troubling quest ahead of you guys.”

Horus: “You aren’t coming along?”

Kiya: “Unfortunately, all four of us have become so integrated into maintaining local order that things would probably fall apart here if we left. Even with the blood restored, to have the local heroes suddenly vanish to face a mysterious foe would likely cause dissent.”

Baal: *mouth full* “Hmm… you think so?”

*Everyone else does a simultaneous sarcastic cough, thinking back to Ifrit’s rebellion*

Zypher: “By the way, Haruka, I have a couple of questions for you.”

Haruka: “What about?”

Zypher: “Well… this dragon cult. Two things are bothering me. One, why did they move against the vampires? Two, how exactly did the dragon’s emblem become a slayer’s symbol?”

Haruka: *thoughtful hum* “I wish I could give you a clear answer on those. Truth be told, the history and origin of the vampire race is unknown even to we Tsurogas. You predate us, actually. Some of our people theorize that while we are the mortal descendants of the Djinn, separate from the mighty Titans, that your people might be the mortal descendants of the dragons, your grander counterparts being the wyverns.”

Aubrey: “If that were the case, I’m surprised that Drachezahn hasn’t had some sort of reaction.”

Tobias: “Yeah… I mean, Slafter seems to be conscious enough of his surroundings.”

*Slafter rattles slightly in acknowledgement*

Kimarous: “And given how Drachezahn knows who is a worthy enough wielder, I would assume that he at least has a degree of awareness. Maybe he just doesn’t feel like communicating with our kind. *pause* Drachezahn IS a ‘he’, right?”

Haruka: “Last I checked. Back on topic, though, there’s also a pretty high chance that Ryujin just felt like being malicious. Most of the dragons were like that, sporadically causing chaos.”

Horus: “Not all, though?”

Haruka: “A few were nice on occasion, sometimes even compassionate. Usually the females, though, and usually at a price. Power for service and such.”

Trista: “The standard ‘join me or die’ kinda thing, right?”

Haruka: “More or less. Now, what was the other question again?”

Zypher: “How the crosses became…”

Haruka: “Ah, right. That’s a pretty easy one, actually. After the dragons and Djinn suddenly disappeared, there of course was the Titanomachy, wherein the Titans defeated the wyverns and took control of the heavens. The whole upheaval was so sudden and violent that some mortals took offence against the heavens and continued worshipping the dragons, missing though they were. The Titans decided to quash them next, scattering the cults far and wide. They lost many of the artefacts in the process, where they came into the hands of the newer, ignorant generations. They only knew that they were from a non-Titan religion. Once word eventually got out that vampires were Titan worshipers, not unlike most mortals, some extremist hunters decided that the crosses were holy artefacts of a lost ‘true’ religion. That specific notion faded over time and they’ve since become associated as simple slayer trinkets.”

*Haruka prepares to resume eating, only to find that her plate is empty. Baal, sitting next to her, burps slightly before noticing her surprised expression.*

Baal: “Oh, you still wanted that? You stopped eating for such a long time that I figured you were full, so I helped myself to what remained.”

*Haruka’s face contorts, halfway between a genuinely amused smirk and an irritated snarl, her eyebrow twitching with frustration. Without looking away from Baal, she holds out her bowl towards the main food platter, just out of her reach.*

Haruka: “Seconds please.”

*With a laugh, Ryoshi plops a fresh helping into her dish*

Ryoshi: “Now I have a question for you guys… where do you plan to head next?”

*Aubrey pulls out the Lodestone, checking which pointer was wobbling the most*

Aubrey: “For the orange dragon, to the east of here.”

Kimarous: “Interesting. We never travelled that far on our last journey.”

Haruka: “The realm of the endless coastline… Carthage.”

Chapter End

Chapter 16: Sand and Fire

*The Draken Brigade stares out at the landscape before them; a long coastline of golden sands, occasionally marked by ports dotting the oceanic border*

Horus: “Woah… no wonder they call it the endless coast…”

Haruka: *smirk* “It isn’t really endless, of course, but it definitely looks like it. The realm consists entirely of an extremely long coastline that stretches from the far north to the southern peninsula. If anything comes from the eastern continents, it comes through from Carthage.”

Aubrey: “The eastern continents?”

Haruka: “There are several continents throughout the world… large landmasses that dot the world like an archipelago of massive islands.”

Tobias: “I wonder… what with the world being so huge, how come the Draken Orbs are only on this particular continent?”

Kimarous: “Is there a possibility that there are dragons on other continents? That the Titans only control a fraction of the heavens and that the other lands operate separately?”

Haruka: *mild chuckle* “No, the Titans control the entire heavens. The reason the Draken Orbs are on our continent is because ours is the centre of the world; only here was where the Djinn was able to arrange the event that ultimately had the dragons sealed. As to why they remain here and not fly off elsewhere… well… *shrug* I suppose it’s a failsafe feature of the orbs.”

Baal: “Failsafe how?”

Haruka: “How are people supposed to collect the orbs if they fell into the ocean depths during the random post-wish scattering?”

Baal: “Good point.”

Horus: “What sort of things come from the other continents?”

Haruka: *shrug* “To be honest, I don’t really know. Most imports and exports are done by the wealthiest individuals and usually consist of collector’s items. Being a mysterious wanderer of a secretive race, I haven’t exactly amassed the wealth or status to investigate such matters.”

Aubrey: “What about the people from the east, though? Know anything about them?”

Haruka: *shrug* “Not really, no.”

Baal: *smirk* “The other day, you knew everything; today, you know nothing.”

Haruka: *indignant* “Hey! I-”

*A fiery explosion erupts just beyond the ridge of a nearby hill, catching the Brigade’s attention*

Aubrey: “Whatever that was, we should probably check it out.”

*As the party rushes up the hill, a scorched body is launched from the hilltop and begins tumbling towards them. As it comes into clear view, it is revealed the man was a dragon cultist; among his toasted remains are a metal cross and scorched orange robes.*

Tobias: “Whoever caused this is clearly no friend of our enemies…”

Kimarous: “Let’s just hope that old proverbs hold true today.”

*The Brigade hurries up the hill, finally obtaining a view of the battle before them. A single figure battles against a battalion of cultist warriors. Wielding a broken sword, the warrior wears an open black vest, baggy pants, a black headband, and black and red boots. He has blood-red hair and eyes, along with a subtle but noticeable facial feature: whiskers. Adeptly cutting down several of his assailants, the warrior points his finger at a more distant attacker, extending a needle-like stream of fire, piercing the cultist between the eyes.*

Baal: “A pyromancer?”

Horus: “Whiskers?”

Aubrey: “Who or what is he?”

*After his remaining comrades are cut down, a single cultist attempts to flee. Before he can escape, Haruka pulls out one of her flintlock pistols and shoots his leg, causing him to stumble. The whiskered warrior hears the shot as he finishes off his last opponent, turning around to notice the Brigade and wounded cultist.*

???: “Whoever slash whatever you are… *smirk* at least you aren’t their friends.”

Haruka: *cocks head* “Interesting…”

Chapter End

Chapter 17: The Tiger Mercenary

Baal: “Got a name, whiskers?”

Nero: *smirk* “Nero Kusanagi. I’m a Tigerman halfbreed from across the sea, hence why I seem so out of place. *smirk* As well as how I…”

*Nero raises his index finger between his eyes, lighting a small candle-like flame at the tip*

Haruka: *smiles* “An innately pyrokinetic bloodline… fascinating.”

Nero: “And who might you people be?”

Haruka: “Well, I’m something of a halfbreed myself, although I basically amount to a devil. My name is Haruka.”

Nero: “Oh, come now… don’t put yourself down like that. Some people may look down on you, maybe even hate you… what matters, though, is what you make of yourself.”

Baal: *sudden laugh* “Touching speech, but totally unnecessary.”

Haruka: *embarrassed giggle* “Yeah… I mean it in a positive fashion.”

Baal: “And why shouldn’t she? I am her lord, the Devil King Baal!”

Nero: *blink* “Two legit devils…”

Tobias: *laugh* “Don’t worry. They’re good guys, despite what their race implies. Even so, know that we are all very… unique.”

Horus: *nods over to Tobias* “No kidding. He’s Tobias, a former god who lost his divinity from a curse. And I am Horus, a mortal since ascended to Living Titan.”

Nero: *sweats slightly* “Any of you NOT associated with divinity or other dimensions?”

Aubrey: “I’m not… at least, not directly. I’m Aubrey, a daywalking vampire.”

Kimarous: “And lastly, there’s me.”

*Nero starts looking around all over the place, trying to find the source of the voice*

Nero: *confused* “Where the heck…?”

Aubrey: “Uh… he’s in my shadow.”

*Nero looks down at Kimarous, who awkwardly smiles back at him*

Kimarous: “My name is Kimarous. I’m an Erebite, a shadow spirit. I used to be a daywalking vampire as well, but I was killed in battle last year.”

Aubrey: *sheepish smile* “So now we’re more or less on a quest to resurrect him.”

Nero: *turns around, shaking head* “This land is WEIRD!”

Haruka: “Hah! You don’t know the half of it! Maybe if you joined the Brigade, then you could get a better scope of our various oddities…”

Nero: “Brigade? Is that what you call your team?”

Tobias: “More or less. Our full name is the Draken Brigade.”

Nero: “If you plan on hiring me, I’ll need a sense of what exactly you do.”

Kimarous: “Currently, we are hunting down the leaders of these robed cultists. So far as we know, there are seven such cults… or rather, six now; we’ve already stopped one.”

Haruka: “Wait a sec… did you say ‘hire’ you? Are you some kind of mercenary?”

Nero: *pulls out a coin* “Heads, I work for free. Tails, I take all your money.”

Horus: “We’re… uh… kinda broke…”

Aubrey: “BUT… we ARE technically in the service of the Titans.”

Nero: *interested hum* “You work for the Titans, so the Titans are your employers. The Titans rule over heaven… then that means… *wide grin* OH HELL YEAH! You’re on!”

*Horus elbows Aubrey hard in her side*

Horus: *harsh whisper* “What the hell are you doing? I’m counted among those guys! You just put the national budget of Pluto up for a coin toss!”

Aubrey: “Oh… sorry.”

*Baal, listening in, suddenly widens his eyes in realization*

Baal: *sweats* “Actually, I think its worse that that… you more or less put ‘all the treasure under heaven’ up for the pot…”

Aubrey: *sweats* “R-Really…?”

Nero: *wide grin* “Here goes!”

*The tense Brigade watches as Nero flips his coin in the air*

Chapter End

Chapter 18: Information Gathering

*After what feels like an eternity, Nero’s coin finally lands. The result… heads. The entire Brigade sighs in relief while Nero falls to his knees and cries out*

Nero: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Horus: *stares at the sky* “Thank you so much…”

Kimarous: “Uh… who are you thanking, oh great and mighty Titan?”

Horus: “Whatever unknown force governs coin tosses or destiny in general.”

Nero: *sigh* “Well, I guess we better get to business, then.”

*Nero bends down and picks up his coin, putting it away. From his ground perspective, Kimarous notices a particular oddity before it disappears from his sight.*

Kimarous: *thinking* Double-headed? He used a double-headed coin? Did he flub up a scam attempt? Accidentally use the wrong coin? Or was all of this some elaborate act?

Nero: “Now… where did Mr. Orange vanish to?”

*Turning around, Nero sees the crippled cultist attempting to crawl away. He fires a warning fireball in front of the man to halt his progress before bolting after him, dragging him back to the group by his shot leg.*

Nero: “Now then, cultist… what do you know about a man named Kido?”

Cultist: *snort* “I have no idea who you are talking about.”

Nero: “You’re lying. Tell me where he is!”

Tobias: “Who’s this Kido person?”

Nero: *pause* “A man from my past. Tracking him was the reason I came to this continent… I heard that he’d been seen around these parts. Knowing Kido, he’d very likely join one of these cults you mentioned.”

Haruka: “Why is that?”

Nero: “If you are in the service of the Titans and these guys are worth hunting down, then odds are they have some serious power behind them. Kido… he always desired power…”

Baal: “I’m guessing you didn’t exactly part on the best of terms…”

Nero: *snort* “That’s an understatement. I’d rather not talk about it, though.”

Horus: “Any features we should know about in case we see him?”

Nero: “He has white hair, probably longish, and a burn scar on the left side of his face. He also might be wearing a mask that covers most or all of his face.”

Aubrey: “We’ll keep our eyes open for him. Our target, meanwhile, will have orange scales over his or her eyes.”

Nero: “His or her? You sound like you don’t know much about your target…”

Tobias: “To be honest, we don’t. Not the current form, at least.”

Haruka: “Our foe is a powerful being who has possessed the body of another person. I don’t know if you know much about him. He is the orange dragon… Westboro.”

Nero: “A dragon… *thoughtful pause* I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Horus: “I guess, on your continent, they’ve disappeared into the anals of history.”

Kimarous: “ANNALS, Horus! You mean annals! The dragons did not disappear into the buttocks of time!”

Horus: *wince* “Sorry.”

Aubrey: *rubs forehead in exasperation* “That just gave me very agonizing images of…”

Horus: *agitated* “Changing the subject here! Where is your base of operations, cultist?”

Cultist: *snort* “We know you have the Lodestone; you don’t need us to give you directions.”

Haruka: “Maybe so, but any info you can give us about your base would be most helpful.”

Cultist: *snort* “I won’t tell you anything…”

*With a nod of his head, Nero signals Haruka to kick the man over, facing him upwards. He then slowly begins to change a fireball, aiming it directly at the cultist’s groin.*

Cultist: *panic* “I’ll tell you everything! I’ll tell you everything!”

Chapter End

Chapter 19: The Ruins of Jericho

*The Brigade stands before a ruined city, the tall buildings fragmented and the walls shattered. Only a single portion of the wall remains standing, a small structure situated at the top.*

Nero: “Jericho, huh?”

Kimarous: “So this is what it looks like…”

Haruka: “In ancient times, it belonged to a powerful warlord who terrorized the region. Many fought against him, but his stronghold of Jericho was impenetrable… no mortal could ever hope to breach its mighty walls. In time, the Titans lent their aid to the righteous army, razing the walls and allowing them to crush Jericho once and for all. Only one section of the wall was left standing; the residence of Rahab, who sheltered and ferried the spies sent into Jericho before the final siege. It is also rumoured that her prayers were those that finally swayed the Titans into intervening, so selfless as to accept her own demise if the walls fell. Either way, she was hailed as a saint and is immortalized in the constellation that bears her name.”

Baal: *agitated* “Yeah, now that we’re done with the history lesson, could we get on with it?”

Haruka: “Right, sorry. According to the cultist, the catacombs and understreets of the city are still quite intact. If we are to believe his story, Westboro and his minions will be down there. However, there is still a chance that they’re above ground, scurrying about the ruined buildings, waiting to trap us down there.”

Aubrey: “I say we split into teams. One covers the underground while the others check the surface. That way we don’t

Horus: “What should the teams be?”

Nero: “I want to go with the underground group. If Kido is among the cultists, he’s unlikely to be hanging around these high buildings, ruined though they are.”

Tobias: “What makes you say that?”

Nero: “Well, when we last parted, he… kinda fell of a cliff.”

Kimarous: “So he’s probably leery of heights and more likely to be underground. Makes sense.”

Aubrey: “Since the underground will give us the advantage of shade, Kimarous and I will go down there as well.”

Haruka: “I’ll go down as well. That leaves Baal, Tobias, and Horus to cover the surface.”

Tobias: “Good idea. Horus’s undead hordes work better in open spaces, as does Baal’s dual-wield style. As for me… well… *summons gauntlets and smirks* These metal spools aren’t simply for decoration.”

Horus: *monotone* “Wow. How specific.”

Tobias: *frown* “They’re multipurpose; I could spend more time discussing possible applications that Haruka could talking about history. If things get so heated as to require their usage, then you find out then.”

Haruka: “Hopefully, it won’t. Okay, let’s recap. You, Baal, and Horus take the surface while Nero, Aubrey, Kimarous, and myself check the underground. Everyone okay with that?”

*Everyone gives a sharp nod of confirmation*

Aubrey: “One question… how should we maintain contact? If we get attacked, then…”

Baal: “Follow the clashing steel and warcries. How’s that sound?”

Aubrey: *shrug* “Yeah, I guess that works.”

Kimarous: “Anything else we should cover?”

*After a short pause, people shake their heads*

Nero: “Alright then. Let’s go!”

Chapter End

Chapter 20: The Understreets

*The team of Nero, Aubrey, Kimarous, and Haruka head down into Jericho’s understreets. After several twists and turns, they find themselves at a three-way split.*

Haruka: “Crossroads… joy. Do we check them out one by one or do we split up?”

Nero: “I don’t think it’s a good idea to split up completely. If we do that, then we’ll get picked off one by one, especially if Kido or this Westboro guy is down here.”

Aubrey: “Let’s divide into teams. Kima and I can head one way while you two check the other.”

Kimarous: “Then, if we find nothing, we backtrack here and go down the final path.”

Haruka: “Sounds good. You fine with that, Nero?”

Nero: “Alright then. *frown* Should you guys run into Kido, know that I lay claim to his head.”

Aubrey: “Just what exactly happened between you?”

Nero: “I don’t like to remember… *sigh* Long story short, he killed someone I loved.”

Aubrey: “Oh… I-I’m sorry…”

Nero: *nasal exhale* “Let’s just continue.”

Kimarous: “Right. Good luck, you two.”

*The two groups separate and head down their respective streets*

Nero: “Hey, Haruka?”

Haruka: “Yeah?”

Nero: “This might sound rude, given how I refuse to talk about my own, but… what is THEIR story? Aubrey and Kima?”

Haruka: “Don’t worry. We all have things we don’t like to talk about, but their history isn’t taboo. Those two first met in the Bloodworks, the great arena of Transylvania. In an awkward turn of events, Aubrey defeated Kimarous and claimed his championship. Many years later, they met up again and sensed a familiarity between them, although they couldn’t remember where from. Aubrey joined Kimarous in his travels, if mainly because they didn’t want the niggling question to drive them insane. They formed a friendship, although a seed of affection was planted when Kima comforted Aubrey after an upsetting turn of events.”

Nero: “Upsetting turn of…?”

Aubrey: “She accidentally killed a young boy’s surrogate brother, right in front of him. The kid disappeared soon afterwards, but it looks like he’ll seek revenge on her.”

Nero: “I see… yeah, that would be upsetting.”

Haruka: “Continuing on, their journey led them back to the Bloodworks, where they finally reaffirmed their relationship. And they laughed it off, being close friends by this point. They joined a team tournament together, during which their relationship blossomed. Sadly, during the final match, the arena’s Death Wars were rigged and destroyed. Kimarous died as a result, slain by the possessed Agent of Death, Pangaea. After the battle was won, Kimarous revealed that his as an Erebite shadow spirit and forgave the dispossessed Pangaea.”

Nero: *frown* “Well… things are different in my case. Kido’s transgressions were done of his own will. When I find him, forgiveness is out of the question. *pause* Sorry, continue.”

Haruka: “Well, there isn’t a whole lot to say beyond that. Kimarous gave Aubrey his estate, where she has lived for the past year. She’s currently on a quest to revive him, although with recent events, I don’t know what’ll happen with that.”

Nero: *eyes widen* “R-Revive him? How? What does it have to do with…?”

Haruka: *sweat* “Uh… I-I meant th-”

Nero: “HARUKA, LOOK OUT!”

*Nero yanks Haruka to the ground, the pair barely avoiding a large glob of orange acid that burns into the floor several feet behind where they stood. They then notice a second glob, this one aimed high. It strikes the ceiling directly above them, causing the stone to melt. Both fighters roll out of the way as the now liquid ceiling begins to pour down. However, they roll in opposite directions; Nero is separated from Haruka by the acidic rock blow, and she on the side form which the acid globs were being fired.*

Haruka: “Nero!”

*As Haruka scrambles to her feet, an orange-robed figure leaps from the shadows. He pins her to the wall with one arm while brandishing a short sword in the other. Haruka stares in shock at the man’s visage, having longish white hair, a burn scar on the left side of his face, and bright orange scales covering both of his eyes.*

Westboro: *evil grin* “Scream for me!”

Chapter End