Forsaken Wolves IC (RES n ETHEREAL)

When the winds finally died down, Scyth opened his eyes to see glowing, orange crystals growing from jagged edges of a moist, dark cave. Looking down at his dying friend in his arms, he checked her neck and realized her breathing had gotten shallower.

“Where are we?” Scyth asked as he hugged his friend a little closer to his chest worriedly.

Motioning for him to be followed, Bel walked swiftly through a few hallways that were faintly lit in orange light, “In my lair. This place is in a different place from your flow of time. See?”

A short finger pointed to the water falling in drips from the ceiling around them, only instead of dropping from the top to the bottom, it zigzagged in its decent. Another looped and another spiraled into the puddles below, which then they made square and triangle shaped ripples. Very freaky.

Reaching a wide antechamber, Bel walked towards a tall, hollowed out piece of rock that was filled with water. Getting the hint, Scyth jogged to it, easily climbed the little row of stairs cut into its side and gently dumped Tyth’s body into the water.

She sank down then floated easily at the center, her white and blue hair flaring out behind her. Bubbles formed from her mouth and a black mist like substance began clouding around the open wound in her chest and arms. The red head was pretty aware that the water was healing her wounds, but how?

Knowing what he was going to ask, Bel leaned his back against the cave’s wall near the entrance they came through and yawned, “The water is a liquid version of the pills. Sinners on the verge of death were revived this way until they could develop immunity to the Anoushka. This technique was only used on Sinners with a nine percent chance of surviving.”

Having been staring at his submerged friend during this explanation, Scyth turned and looked at the young boy behind him with a grim, untrustworthy stare, “What I am concerned about is leaving her in the hands of a demon.”

Narrowed, slit like eyes flashed yellow as upper lip lifted in a distasteful snarl, “I don’t owe you any guarantees. You have your own agenda with Brant. Begone!”

Snapping his fingers, Scyth disappeared from sight. Satisfied, the blonde haired boy stepped closer to the water filled chamber of rock and waited.

His existence wasn’t always like this. Catering to the whims of humans, that is. But due to an error on his part in the past, his powers were sealed so that he could only use the more powerful ones for others when he struck a bargain and drank human blood. Not to mention he couldn’t harm the person he bargained with or those stated in the deal until it was done.

A sad and pathetic existence for a demon of his pedigree, but it kept him living. To think Brant of all people would finally give in to using his owed ‘deal’ after all these years.

Just for this girl.

---

It was too familiar, the pressure of water all around her, and yet she wasn’t drowning. It didn’t taste as bitter, but there were traces of Anoushka and the faint taste of blood that she could make out.

Opening her black eyes to blink blearily through the clear water, Tyth met the young blonde boy’s gaze. From her memory slowing coming back as to what happened before she blacked out, Tyth realized it was his fault she was healing in here.

‘You’re finally awake,’ drawled his voice inside her head. To think he is the unknown Bel, a bartering demon. They couldn’t really talk since she was in breathable water. Even if she moved her mouth, no sound would come out but bubbles.

Ignoring the headache that is threatening to split her skull, Tyth swam weakly towards the crystal widow separating them.

‘Let me out.’ She didn’t want to taste this water any longer. Already she is feeling the age old itch to hurt something. The headache was growing stronger and she fought the urge to bang her head against the walls of this chamber to help ease it.

‘No.’

What did he mean ‘no’? As if reading her mind, the boy smirked with a hint of fang peeking out from between his lips.

‘No, you wonder? Brant asked me to help you with self-control. It seems killing your ex-husband was his limit in handling you. Nearly killing your friends was impressive in my book, though.’

Despite the pounding headache, she wondered why Brant would ask the help of a demon? Bel’s prices said to be very, very heavy in cost.

Bel smiled and reached out to place his hand against the glass as the submerged girl floated. ‘Brant and I have a sort of…brotherly link would be the best way to put our relationship.’

‘He’s human. Does that mean you are a half demon?’

‘That is disgusting. I am very much a full blood demon stuck in human form. Jaavikanovashu was my sister.’

That wasn’t possible. ‘She was human!’

Pale pink eyes met her squarely and flared an angry red, ‘She turned human not long before you met Brant. A fact I will always hate her for. Interbreeding is full of complications and high mortality risks to the mother and offspring. The choice to change between species is easier.’

Through the headache, Tyth could feel pure dread settling at the bottom of her heart. Bel was Jaavi’s brother, which meant since she killed the woman….

Pressing closer to the glass so his eyes became murderous slits of molten, blood red and swirling black irises, Bel bared his teeth fully so his canines flashed in the dim, orange light.

‘I hate you more than I ever could my own kin. You don’t know how much I want to kill you only to bring you back to life just to kill you over and over again, constantly reliving your death. Because of my curse, I can’t harm the subject of my bargain. Lucky you. I would relish finishing what Brant couldn’t.’

She was shivering, flailing away from the window to press herself again the back wall of the round, rocky chamber. Her headache was nothing compared to the panic she was feeling. Her mind was connecting the dots as to why he wouldn’t let her leave this chamber of breathable water…

The color of the water around her grew a couple shades darker. Looking up, she saw a vial of Kibola drip itself a few times in the surface of the water from the chamber’s opening.

Clutching desperately at the jagged and rough edge of the wall ehind her, Tyth shook her head as wildly as the water would allow.

‘Please no……don’t!....No! NO! NO!!!’

Her pleas only made the demon boy smirk larger as the potent toxic serum mixed with the water, absorbing into every inch of her skin. He altered its effects to his needs in order to meet his goal and finish the bargain.

Tyth couldn’t fight it, the suppressed memories of Jaavi’s death. It was like she couldn’t stop her body no matter what she tried from advancing on the pregnant woman or raising her scythe with a shrieking giggle at the first slash…

Over and over again, she witnessed Jaavi’s death at her hand until she could time every second of every moment. Every sickening moment.

Sometimes her memories would change from Jaavi to Zephyros’ final moments. The man made an erratic error of force, letting her dig her sword straight through his breastbone and tearing downward, It was then she realized that she was soon be able to detoxify Anoushka completely with no side effects.

Then the scene changed to her struggle against Zied. He was trying to bring her back to her senses once the Kibola was too much for her to handle. Tyth wanted to scream every time she slashed at him, horrified at the feeling of wanting to see his blood run free.

But seeing Seiryu impaled on her sword made the headache she had been fighting to break open, letting the pain, guilt and horror engulf her. Because once she saw the pain on the other woman’s face and the anger on his, Tyth couldn’t take it anymore. Thrusting her head back, the woman began beating her head against the chamber’s wall. Harder and harder she put more savage force into the swings until she could feel pain blossoming at the back of her skull. Almost there!

Bel was relishing watching the woman’s face change in different levels of suffering, Her emotions were tangible to him and he was loving it. Getting his revenge like this would never bring back his powerful, baby sister but it was still worth it. At least up until she started beating her head against the wall. A thin stream of blood started drifting from her new head wound and Bel growled low, a guttural hissing sound that was not human.

The stupid tramp was trying to kill herself. As much as he enjoyed having forced her into a suicidal mindset, he couldn’t let her die. If her life ended, so did his.

Snapping his fingers reluctantly, Bel watched as the water inside the chamber whirl into a cyclone and brings the white haired woman back into the center.

‘Now now, you can’t die. But consider this a wake up call, demon style.’

Not bothering to bat another eyelash at the woman clutching at her head and flailing in place since she couldn’t swim at will, Bel smiled to himself.

What a wonderful day, that it is.

---

At the entrance of the cave a month and a half later, an symbol that was carved jaggedly into the stone began glowing. Seconds later, Scyth appeared over the symbol with a green necklace clutched in his left hand. A long, jagged scar starting from the edge of his left eyebrow, descending downward across the bridge of his nose and right cheek to further crawl past his jawbone and finally rest settled at the right side of his neck. The healed wound looked like someone had tried to cut his face open.

His once long, red hair was cut shorter to an inch in length except for his bangs which were left intact. At his back, tied over his black shirt and pants, was a leather belt that held up his two long sword sheaths. In his right hand, he held another set of swords that was sheathed with an intricate design on the cover. Strange alien symbols and the long, ink drawing of a reptile like creature wrapped itself around the length of the sheath.

Looking around to make sure he was alone, Scyth took one step forward and then disappeared from sight. The puddles around where he once stood shivered from the light breeze generated from his speed.

Appearing in front of the water chamber, Scyth looked into the murky colored liquid and wondered if his friend was still there. Then he saw a few strands of greyish hair and the faint outline of a body and wondered why she would be in such dirty looking water.

“Oh, it’s you,” drawled the annoying voice he knew would be there.

Ignoring the demon, Scyth propped the sword he had been carrying against the crystal glass window and tucked the necklace away into his coat pocket. He called her name once and didn’t get an answer. The next time, no answer. He kept calling until the demon walked up to his side and shook his head.

“No use bothering, she refuses to hear you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, she’s broken ever since she got here. Been hiding in the deepest depths of her mind and creating a fake reality to avoid this one. I don’t blame her.”

“What happened?” the man demanded, taking a step forward to brush his fingers against the thick crystal sheet of murky glass.

“You don’t want to know the details. But is there a chance I could get Brant to trade his first bargain with an old one? This one is pretty much a failure. Just like she is.”

Scyth wanted to gut the demon for talking about his friend like that, but he was right.

But to think Tyth would be acting like this just to avoid the truth. He was getting fed up waiting. The news he brought her wasn’t pretty either.

Tyth needed to learn control. This however, was wasting their time. He has enough of waiting around after risking his life to get stronger in order to help her.

“Tythlany, you damn well better listen to my fucking voice,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

“Ever since you stabbed Seiryu, the Azure Dragon, things have gotten very messed up. Zied Gray has turned into a nationwide criminal of the West since no one has been able to capture him. You are both missing S Class fugitives thanks to your guys’ records.”

No answer. Not even a twitch of movement.

“Tythlany! It’s your fault you hurt him! Deal with it, but are you going to keep hiding from him? Are you that much of a coward?!

The sun was setting and it was moments before it completely disappeared beneath the horizon. Everyone knew this was Jaavi’s favorite time of day. She was standing on the back porch, watching the sunset with Brant standing right next to her. A tear was sliding down her cheek which she stubbornly wiped away with a hiss.

“Aethwyn, if Tyth ever fails to move forward, you have to keep pushing her.”

The young man blushed at the name of his crush, but was confused by the woman’s words.

“Why? She doesn’t listen to me half the time!”

“That girl can’t be allowed to ever stop advancing, or she will never be complete,” she said, tightening her grip on her husband’s hand as the last rays of light flickered away.

“Promise me, Aethwyn.”

No one ever denied Jaavi when she was serious. Aethwyn promised.

Scyth was starting feel the first beats of helplessness. How else could he force her to wake up?

Suddenly it hit him. As much as it made him angry and hurt to admit it during his training with Brant, he had learned to accept Tyth’s feelings for Zied Gray.

The General was standing in the middle of a large torn up valley. Thick, groove like cuts were etched into the ground around the little patch of intact earth on which he stood. His wind tossed dark, blue hair settled wildly around his shoulders as he stared down at his successor who was fighting for breath on all fours before him.

“She loves another and you still fight like a mad man. What strength, Aethwyn.”

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Scyth smirked up at his master and friend.

“Shut up, old man. You beat into me, and gave me this strength to support her. Loving her, even if she doesn’t feel the same, is enough for me. But I also want her happy and we both know this is the only way.”

Shifting his stance so his two twin long swords were held over his head and the tips were crossed in front of him, Brant smirked through the blood flowing into his eyes.

“Then come at me, so you can rush to her,” he said in a voice ringing with pride.

“If you stay here, you will never see him again. Time flows differently here! If you stay a year’s time, it could be thirty or even seventy for his lifetime!”

He punched the crystal glass, clenching his eyes shut as he willed his voice to reach her.

“DON’T LIVE REGRETTING NOT FIGHTING FOR HIS FORGIVENESS! TYTHLANY!!!!!!!”

Panting, Scyth raised his head up after standing there, bracing himself against the chamber for a while. What met his eyes left him stunned.

Tyth had swam to the crystal window of the chamber. She looked completely messed up, her eyes’s red and bags were hanging under her lashes. Her skin was wrinkled from the water and her hair was slimy looking.

Black eyes pleaded at him as she pressed her hands against the glass from her side, brushing her face against the slick murky surface to meet his eyes. But her face looked completely sad and wanting as she mouthed something to him that he made out completely.

‘I want to see Zied.’

Nodding, the red haired man glared over his shoulder at the miffed demon who was glaring at the woman in the chamber.

“Let her out. She’s not done yet.”

Snarling, Bel reluctantly snapped his fingers and the water began draining from the chamber. Tyth started to sink towards the floor of the chamber and once she broke through the lowering surface of water, she began coughing harshly. Shifting from breathable water to pure air is painful the first couple minutes.

Jumping up, Scyth cleared the top of the chamber and landed behind his friend. Rubbing her back, he then pulled her against his chest and brushed her long, slimy hair out of her eyes.

Leaning against him, Tyth coughed a few more times. Raising her head, she reached a shaky hand to press against her mouth.

“I want to see him, Scyth. It hurts so much because I hate myself for hurting him so bad, but I can’t stop myself from wanting to see him again!” she sobbed, clutching at her face as her friend hugged her tighter. Scyth was smiling over her head at her words.

“Then learn to control yourself and we’ll go look for him.”

“How can I do that?” she asked, wiping at her cheeks where her salty tears were mixing with the water on her skin.

“That’s why you are here, tlisieng.” Bel growled from the other side of the glass window of the now empty water chamber. “Jaavi was convinced Schwis tampered with soul splicing as part of his experiments. Even I can tell you are an incomplete soul.”

Tyth winced violently in her friend’s arms as the demon hissed at her through the glass.

“Why mess with the human soul? Don’t the drugs he produces help him control them enough?” Scyth asked as he rubbed at the woman’s arms to get her chilly limbs warm again.

“The answer is no because the human body is too adaptive. This includes immunities. The more they take the drugs, the more they build immunity to it. What better way to solve that problem then by tampering with something that can’t be healed immediately?”

The demon watched as the red head picked up Tyth and jumped back out of the chamber. They landed behind him, and he turned with a glare at seeing the woman breathing and safe. He had hoped she would eventually die in the chamber.

“I can get her to reunite with her missing piece of her soul, but she will have to fight it in order to obtain it.”

Tyth frowned as she took her friend’s hand as he helped her stand.

“Fight it?”

“Fragments and pieces of a soul have their own consciousness and feelings. They never like feeling incomplete or separated, which makes them feel abandoned and not easy to bind back into a whole. You will have to force the piece of you to merge with you again, but it is never easy.”

Pointing towards a open room across the hallway that was glowing white, Bel looked at Tyth again.

“Your missing piece doesn’t have your experiences or memories since it was separated. All it knows is being alone and blames you for it.”

Determined and tired black eyes narrowed on the small looking demon as Scyth helped her limp over to the room after Bel.

“You said something to my soul, didn’t you?”

“I may have, Since you killed my sister, did you think I owed it you to be nice? At all?”

Bastard. “How long will this take?”

“This case is very rare but I will guess twenty seconds. Time plane difference, remember?”

They stopped at the room’s entrance and Scyth could make out the the slightly shiny sheen over the entrance. He got the feeling he wasn’t allowed through the barrier. Setting his friend back down on unsteady feet, he gripped her shoulders and she looked back to him.

“Good luck,” he murmured and stepped away to let her walk on her own.

Smiling weakly, Tyth reached back to grasp his hand.

“Thank you, Scyth.” She said and walked unsteadily through the invisible barrier, disappearing from sight. He began counting, knowing this was going to be a long fifteen seconds.

The Black Mountain. Dark clouds enveloped the dried out land surrounding the mountain. For some reason, sunlight never gets past the clouds. It was always like night and this part of the land seemed to have been scarred forever. Zied and Seiryu stood before the foot of the mountain and looked at each other. In their eyes, they silently told each other that this is the last one.

How long has it been since they came to the Eastern lands? Zied could barely remember. Perhaps a year and a half? Two years, maybe three give or take? Zied did not care. This was the last of the five mountains they had to visit and in it was the Dragon Spirit they were seeking. It was only a matter of time before he gets to complete his training with the five spirits. He could not wait any longer.

Much time had passed ever since they sought out the Dragon Spirits, it could be seen in Zied. Instead of mismatched hues, Zied's eyes now remained blue all the time. He still had that fierce look that he always had but something behind his gaze reflected maturity, a deep level of calm, and unparalleled strength. His white hair significantly grew in length and now fell loose and freely past his shoulders. His muscles became more toned and refined, his features seemingly adapting to the change he underwent. He had grown... not just by strength alone, but as a person as well.

It was not easy gaining possession of the five Kai Scrolls. Zied and Seiryu had to go through hell to obtain three of them and the other two had been like looking for a needle in a haystack. But that was nothing compared to learning the contents of the scroll from the Dragon Spirit itself. Zied and Seiryu both risked their necks and put their lives on the line to defeat the Dragon Spirit of each corresponding scroll, and it was no easy task at all.

"You think we'll get it easy this time?" Seiryu asked out of the blue.

Zied knew what she was referring to. Four Dragon Spirits all told them the same thing. The power of the Dragons was not something a mere human should play with. It was only when they have barely managed to defeat one that they began to understand why.

"Don't count on it. According to the other Dragon Spirits, the one here only taught his art to one man for as long as it lived... my foster father."

The legendary knight that conquered and unified the Eastern lands... Guilford, the very same man Zied vowed to kill. Now Zied understood why he couldn't bring himself to strike him down no matter how much he wanted to do so. His blood subconsciously told him not to for he would die.

"Let's go. Idle banter is not helping our goal."

---

The mountain top. Zied and Seiryu had finally made it only to be greeted by a man who wore a black cloak. The man's face was hidden beneath his hood and the only thing Zied and Seiryu could see was the man's teeth from that wicked smile he had. There was nothing atop the mountain. Only a barren flat that bathed in thunder and lightning from the black clouds that swirled above. In the center of the flat stood the cloaked man... waiting.

Mortal! Why dost thou seek power?

The voice rumbled from the heavens. Both Zied and Seiryu backed away one step as the cloaked man took one forward. His presence, his aura, everything about the man made both of them tremble. Frightening was not even the right word to describe how overwhelming the cloaked figure was.

Answer!

Lightning struck the edges of the mountain top tearing off a few rocks and earth. The cloaked man took another step forward causing Zied and Seiryu to back away yet again.

"That's... none of your business!" Zied yelled and charged in.

Even before he could take a step forward, the cloaked man was already in front of him and the next thing Zied knew was that he was gasping for air. The cloaked man had him by the neck and raised a few feet off the ground. As Zied looked down, he saw a pair of crimson hues hiding within the darkness of the hood. There was no mistake, this cloaked man was indeed the Dragon Spirit they have been looking for.

Dost thou take me for a fool?

Even with his new found strength, Zied was unable to pry himself free from the man's grip. Seiryu who found Zied struggling decided to act but was easily deflected away by the man with a simple backhand swat. She was knocked out unconscious and Zied found himself helpless once more.

"I... want to... save someone!"

Hearing Zied's answer beneath his gasps for air, the cloaked man released him from his death grip and just as soon as Zied's knees hit the ground, the cloaked man was back to the center of the flat. Zied clutched his neck and tried to rub some of the pain away as he took in heaves of breath.

Foolish mortal. To save thy beloved, thou need not power!

"I don't care! I have witnessed far too many deaths! Experienced a great many sacrifices! I'm sick of it! I want to put an end to them all!"

Thou seek destruction?

"No! I seek the power to change things! To correct the wrong!"

There was silence from the cloaked man for a while but his wicked smile is gone, replaced by a more serious expression.

Thou have chosen to bear heavy burden on thy shoulders. Very well... show me thy resolve and I shalt bestow unto thee, thy power which thou seek.

Moments later, the heavens rumbled above and the cloaked man slowly morphed into a copy of Zied. The only difference is that the other Zied was dominated by his killer half, drunk with power and ready to use it on anything that moves.

The real one drew his red sword and a second later, the mountain top was filled by the sounds of fighting. Metal clashing against metal, battle cries, the sound of earth breaking... the battle was fierce. Zied knew that one mistake was all that was needed to put an end to the fight. He was not going to make that mistake.

---

Two months later in the town of Rikushu, Zied's house. Seiryu was busy preparing for a meal when she heard loud knocks on the wooden door. Wiping her hands dry, she hurried over to answer the door. Imperial Knights were waiting outside and one man who bore the crest of her fallen kingdom stood outside the door. Surprised, Seiryu immediately back away.

"So it is true. I've heard rumors from old folks that you were in town. Since you have been gone a long time, and covered your tracks pretty well in the last few years, it took quite a while for people to recognize you. Welcome back Azure Dragon."

Sho, leader of the Thirteenth Cavalry of the Mikagami Kingdom, Seiryu's old flame when she was still a knight and before she met Croix and Zied. He had changed since the last time she remembered him. His brown hair that was always short had now grown considerable length which now curled its way down to his shoulders, his face that had always been scar free was now tainted by the battlefield.

"The kingdom had fallen Sho, why are you still wearing that crest?" Seiryu cautiously asked.

"Haha! Surely you jest, Mikagami Kingdom has been restored after you had left for the Western lands. The prince survived and succeeded the throne Seiryu. It was tough without you but we managed to re-establish the kingdom."

"Then why are you here? What do you want Sho?"

"The King wants you back in the knighthood Seiryu. Our liege has been kind enough to overlook your past escapades with that mercenary. The King will give you back your title as a knight should you choose to serve him."

"And what if I refuse?"

Sho closed his eyes and shook his head sideways. "That is not an opti--"

He was not able to finish his words when his black eyes met the gaze of blue ones from a man that walked in on their conversation. Sho's eyes immediately noticed the black dragon tattoo on the man's right arm and despite the change in features, he recognized who it was. Rage began to course through Sho's veins and his blood began to boil. He had wanted to kill this man long, long ago and finally his chance had arrived!

"You bastard! How dare you show your face around here again?!"

Just as Sho was about to draw his blade and lunge at Zied, the white haired man appeared between him and Seiryu with his hand pressing firmly on the hilt of Sho's sword preventing him from drawing the blade any further. Taken by surprise, Sho met Zied's gaze and felt a chill run up his spine.

"I've caused enough trouble in this land and I don't want to add any more to that. Leave..." Zied said and turned around heading towards the kitchen.

Seiryu placed a hand on Sho's chest and pushed him lightly, urging him to let it go.

"I'm sorry Sho, but I'm not going back. Even though you say it is not my option, I have already chosen a path to walk, and that is beside that man. We'll be leaving for the Western lands again soon enough. If you plan to stop us, then the next time we meet, you and I will be enemies."

"Tch! This isn't over Seiryu... Mark my words, that man will never leave the Eastern lands alive."

Sho turned around frustrated and mounted his steed. He looked at Seiryu one last time with eyes that were filled with hatred and disgust before leaving with the rest of his men.

The color of pale, creamy white was everywhere that she could see. Tyth had stepped through the barrier into a complete, blank space of nothing. Had Beltza tricked her? Was this another dimension in which she was to lose herself?

Making one step forward caused a fissure of ripples through the space and suddenly, she could sense a presence of something close by. All of a sudden she was thrown off her feet by a powerful force at the center of her chest. Coughing as she skidded through the whiteness, Tyth pushed herself up to her arms only the be thrown against an invisible, vertical surface. Pain bloomed from the back of her head and through her spine, making her grit her teeth.

“HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND!!!”

It was her voice, but it was shrieking and desperate in its anger. She understood her soul fragment’s feelings, but to think that stupid demon pushed it this far with his lies.

She did not come in here to lose. Surely he is angry with her. Surely he hated her, but Tyth still wanted to see Zied one more time. There was something she needed to say to that man and this fragment was going to help in accomplishing that.

Giving up struggling against the force that was holding her down and putting crushing pressure on her forehead and chest, Tyth struggled to use her voice.

“If you are me at all, you would know I wouldn’t shed a piece of me so easily! Why listen to someone who never knew us at all?!” she panted her demand as she let the pressure continue crushing her, holding onto what breath she had left.

“You don’t have my memories, my experiences or my feelings, but you are still a part of me. There is a man we need to see. If you knew how much I wanted to see him, you would agree that this is a waste of time!”

Nothing was going to keep her from Zied. Not a stupid reward, not assassins, not a demon and most definitely not herself!

“Come with me! You want to be whole more than ever! I know you do! I am the only one who can accomplish that. I want it too, but pushing me away is never going to bring that chance closer!”

The pressure on her chest lessened a bit, but the weight of sadness and anger still filled the air.

“I missed you!” Tyth said, screaming her feelings of what she knew the piece wanted to hear the most, after all this time.

A dam of everything broke and the space turned into a spotted changing array of rainbows. Tyth was panting harshly as the pressure lifted from her, letting air flow into her deprived lungs. Looking up, she stared into grey eyes covered in a tangled mass of pale blue hair. The young girl sitting on her chest with a tear streaked, tortured face was the missing piece of her soul.

“I missed you so much,” it said, reaching for her shoulders and resting their foreheads together. Tyth felt wetness sliding down her cheeks and knew she was crying too. It all caught up with her, how she missed being whole again. Missing this part of her that she never knew was gone until now.

“Come back to me. Let us be whole again, and forever never part.”

The younger version of her smiled, leaned down and pressed her lips to Tyth’s and she disappeared as they melded together. It was like everything clicked into place. Like she was washed clean.

Opening her eyes again, Tyth found herself sprawled on the floor of a dim lit cave cavern that was the room she entered. Scyth was leaning over her, resting a warm hand on her left upper arm.

“That was the longest twenty seconds of my life.”

Behind him, the demon snorted, “You originally thought it was fifteen.”

Pulling her forward to sit her up, Scyth blinked as he squinted closer to Tyth’s face. “Your eyes, they are grey speckled with hazel green.”

It had been a lost amount of years that she heard that. It meant her true eye color had returned after making her soul whole again. Lifting a few strands of her hair to her eyes, she was disappointed to see they were still a shade of vibrant clouds.

“Scyth, I need weapons.”

“But don’t you want to recover-“

“No time,” she said and moved to get to her feet, her longer length of hair falling around to reach to the back of the bend of her knees. Grey-green eyes narrowed on the frowning demon who was holding their swords.
“I have some loose ends to tie up.”
Rolling his eyes with bared fangs, Bel threw their respective pair of swords to them and directed his bright, red gaze on Tyth.

“We are done, for now.”

The snap of his fingers echoed after they appeared in the town she stabbed Seiryu in. It was surely Bel’s idea of a sick joke.

Turning on her heel, Tyth was marching towards the nearest train station when Scyth pulled her to a stop then covered her hair with his long jacket.

“I know where you are heading, but you’re on a list of most wanted criminals at the moment. The last thing I want is to be hogged the whole way.”

---

Jaavi’s grave. She had made it. All the years she had wasted avoiding this one place seemed so senseless now. It was approaching her favorite time of day and the mostly clear sky was covered in spots of grey clouds, causing a twilight drizzle.

On their rush to Brant’s farm, Scyth had filled her in as to what happened since the incident with Zied and Seiryu. It had been currently half a year since, and tons of things had changed. The complete control of guilds in the west had broken. The council had changed hands a total of three times before they were all assassinated and guild policy was completely shattered. Presently, the controlling power was the strongest person or group in whatever region.

Those that seek refuge or freedom from the anarchy traveled south. Her friend had not been joking that time was different in Bel’s lair. Tyth was also positive that she had not heard the last from Jaavi’s brother.

Staring down at the well-kept grave with Jaavi Olisuer’s name carved neatly across the top, Tyth began to cry her greeting to the silent slab of stone. Brant had given up eight years of his life and his voice to help Tyth and those facts made her cry harder, so much that she fell to her knees. Both had sacrificed so much just so she could have a chance at living a normal life.

Their sacrifices would not be wasted. Tyth would fight to the death to ensure that promise.

“Jaavi, I have remembered every single word you ever told me. When you found me on the ground at Brant’s mercy, when you were encouraging me to keep swinging in the Fourth’s overture finishing move or during your final moments…I remember it all.”

Behind her stood Brant with his sister, holding onto each other with pain filled, happy smiles. The General’s hair was no longer deep blue but a light baby cerulean with strands of grey peeking at his temples and crown. A few more wrinkles show up along his nose and cheeks. Everyone was watching her kneel in front of the grave, her long, glossy hair braided down her back as she lowered a bright, orange flower onto the ground as the sun began to set.

“I can see now why you chose Brant. Had I been older, I probably would have fought you for him. But more than anything, I want to thank you. Rest assured the people responsible for tampering with our lives and making us experience such tragedies will suffer greatly by my hand. No one should go through what we went through, right?”

The wind picked up, throwing her bangs into her face and Tyth began to smile as everyone knelt down to pray and bless the grave as the last few rays of sunlight flickered away.

“Rest in peace, Jaavi.”

Raising her head, Tyth closed her eyes as she let the light shower of rain pelt against her face. It was like these feelings came even easier than before.

Now she just had to share one with a certain man.

---

Scyth originally had been worried about her direct approach in eradicating the pathetic souls of debauchery from the Forsaken Wolves ruins. They struck headfirst in the old town in which their previous guild used to reside. Now he was simply enjoying testing out some of the new techniques he could combine with her Demon style to make even larger areas of destruction.

Four weeks ago, Tyth and Scyth had been traveling southward to the ocean in order to head East. Information thanks to what was left of Brant’s intel network, there was a good chance that Zied Gray was in his homeland of the East, the piece of isle where dragons were rumored to still roam. But too much conflict and corruption eating at the uncontrolled masses barred their entry from leaving the country. Before she would have thrown a fit from how unfair the situation was, but now she was content in simply waiting patiently for an opportunity.

It presented itself on the third day of the fourth week when a rare, eastern native appeared before them, revving to fight. Tyth refused to fight him, despite his demands and let Scyth have the spar. As she watched Scyth simply beat the too thin of a man into the ground, she realized that it wasn’t her place to seek out Zied, but vice versa.

She was the one that wronged him yes, but at the same time, she wasn’t worthy to simply appear before him and beg forgiveness out of the blue. It was his move, and she would deal with him when he appeared.

None of the rules said anything about speeding up the process, though.
Since the town had gone to the dogs anyway, Tyth decided she was done hiding her identity. There was no point when the one person she needed to see had to know where she was. So she tore her cloak from her shoulders and screamed her presence to the world. Pretty soon, she had earned the name “The White Demon” with how ruthless she was in battle with her enemies. But her partner knew when she pulled her slashes, like when she merely unarmed the young boy who had screamed his misguided hatred at losing his family at her.

Currently, she was fighting a mass of surrounding opponents with Scyth, back to back. The location was in the northern part of town, near the mountains where most of the traders used to come through. Dressed in a dark red shirt that cut hugged her shoulders, a flaring half skirt that covered one, booted leg, Tyth twirled in place as her twin Demon blades cut through the air in a complicated swirl of twisting, curved slashes around herself. Behind her, Scyth was mirroring her movements, but with a slightly different angle to his cuts. When one of the sellswords happened to be bold enough to cross into the area where their swords crisscrossed, Tyth and Scyth’s weapons blurred faster, drawing their pray in and mowing him down before returning to their other opponents.

“So this is your plan? Fight with anyone in a destroyed town in hopes he will appear?”

“He’s a Dragon, right? Those creatures are attracted to power and conflict. It made senses when we traveled together. He couldn’t help fighting one person or the next. It has to work.”
They twirled in unison 180 degrees clockwise while never leaving each other’s back, switching sides to push everyone surrounding them away for a few seconds.

“You want it to work, but I’m not so sure. You don’t know if he even will bother with looking for you.”

Tyth blocked an attack, threw her weight down on one knee to unbalance her opponent and ran him through when his guard wobbled open with her other twin blade. Another body replaced the now dead man she killed, and she caught three swords this time with her left blade held horizontally, then pushed them all back as her eyes flashed a pale yellow. She couldn’t call too much on Bel’s reluctant gift since she was saving it for when Zied appeared.

“What will you do if all he wants is your life?”

“I will give it to him.”

They jumped up from the middle of their tight circle when a flaming building was falling towards their large, scale battle. Landing in an alleyway as the once organized group of aimless mercenaries scattered in panic, Tyth pressed her back against the cool brick wall and closed her as her partner simply breathed beside her.

“Aethwyn, I know you are worried, but please trust me. This is what I want.”

“You are crazy now that your soul is whole again. It’s a miracle I love you as much as I do.”

They had both come to an understanding about Scyth’s feelings for his friend. She acknowledged them, but did not accept them and they both knew why.
Zied.

Walking back through the broken alleyway with her partner on her heels, Tyth’s face was illuminated by the pale moonlight as she looked over her shoulder back at him.

“It’s not just him though. Seiryu surely won’t let me walk away with all I’ve done to her. Granted I wouldn’t mind fighting her one on one in a true fight without being an uncontrolled, drugged Sinner, but I owe it to her I think to at least give her one, honest fight.”

They walked into an open clearing just in time to hear several bombs go off around them. It was typical for bombs to go off in this city everyone has deserted. Even her old apartment was in shambles, not able to salvage anything from the rubble.

Smiling confidently, Tyth spread her legs in a ready position just as several shadows began moving towards them. Once they entered the light, Scyth could make out glinting metal and sighed tiredly. This was getting too repetitive, but he had to admit it was all they could manage at the moment.

Tyth was determined to see Zied again, but what she was going to do when she did remained a mystery to him. She refused to elaborate as to what she was going to do if the man ever showed up, and it worried him since he was suspicious of the fact of her killing herself to repent or something.

He was not entirely sure what to expect of this woman anymore. Gaining the missing piece of her soul changed her from a confused, lost woman to a confident, mature creature who was hell bent on reaching her goal. He watched her as she engaged the next group of attackers wanting to simply fight. The Azazel Organization took advantage of the chaos by ‘infecting’ any able body they could with rogue pathogens of the Sinner serum, a perfected combination of Kibola, Anoushka and Vartosu poisons that were guaranteed to make a person powerful and blood thirsty for deal for three hours until their hears gave out or they were killed.

But as she met them slash for slash, he couldn’t help thinking she made the dance of death look beautiful. Her now lengthy hair swirled around her, enhancing her focused gaze of hazel grey eyes as she twirled, kicked and danced her way around the twelfth overture pattern. Alone she was trouble, but paired with his version of the twelfth overture, they were almost impenetrable.

The red head appeared beside her after her third step into the twelfth set of katas. Where she faltered in her spins, he supported her with his strong arms by lunging around her on one leg to pierce at their mutual enemy as she carved in a whirling slash or hold her up around the waist as they cut together at the same time.

Scyth knew he couldn’t have her heart. But he cared about her enough to help her be happy, even if it was for a man he felt didn’t deserve her or for a future that involved her dying. The scar on his face seemed to tingle like a phantom caress as he remembered why he risked his life that day with Brant to aid Tyth.

He just hoped Zied didn’t kill her once he saw her, should he arrive in town. Despite Tyth’s reassurances that she could take whatever that man could give, he wasn’t all that confident she defend herself should that man attack. Not wholeheartedly.
But that was the old Tythlany he knew, so he might be wrong about the new one.

---

She knew it was best to wait, but simply fighting a senseless, tiring battle was surely not the answer. It was all she could do to past the time.

Tyth knew the fires she started in this town and the few surrounding it were a small flame to depend on, but after going through great pains to make sure she was remembered had to reach him somehow, it was all she could hope to work.

Things were not finished between them.

Growling loudly as she caught two blades aimed at her neck, she vaulted herself over the parried blades after twisting them down to the ground and digging the tips into the dirt. She needed to make time go faster, until he appeared.

It was just like the old days. Sho stayed true to his word that Zied would not leave the Eastern lands alive. He had miraculously acquired the help of neighboring kingdoms to aid him in putting an end to the Black Dragon once and for all. Countless knights now surrounded Zied and Seiryu after falling prey to an elaborate plan to isolate them inside the port town where there would be no other place to run to but the sea. Sho spread word that a Western ship had docked and will be departing soon. Zied's eagerness to return to the West in search for Tyth got the best of both him and Seiryu. Sure, there was a ship ready to leave but the knights will be there to prevent them from boarding it.

Backs resting against each other, Zied and Seiryu endlessly deflected arrows, sword slashes, spear thrusts, hammer swings, axe blows and whatever attack the imperial knights had up on their sleeve. Sure, if Seiryu allowed Zied to just dispatch the combined Imperial Knights of several kingdoms, escape is possible but she did not. In fact, she made Zied promise not to spill any knight blood. Wave after wave would Zied and Seiryu disarm and knock knight after knight unconscious but they would just be replaced by another in a seemingly endless waltz of combat.

Pressed hard by the knights, Zied and Seiryu managed to stay unharmed and keep a good circular territory for twelve straight hours of fighting. They have kept a stalemate which forced Sho to come out to the front.

"Seiryu, give it up. You two are not going anywhere and we can keep this up all day, all night, all week... hell! No matter how long you want to stay stubborn! That boat will leave without you whether you like it or not. Oh! Let me just tell you that the Eastern land will be closing its docks to Western Ships after that one has departed. It's the last Western Ship that will ever dock here in the East."

"Damn you Sho! What will you gain for doing this?!" Seiryu hissed.

The knight circled around the two like a hungry wolf that had his pack behind him. His eyes were focused on Zied, the Black Dragon. Blue eyes met his gaze as he stopped a good distance in front of Zied but to Sho's surprise there was not a trace of murderous intent behind them. Only that deep calmness that drove Sho crazy. The Black Dragon he knew would have slaughtered every man that attempted to take his life. The Black Dragon he knew would do anything to survive and be the last man standing. What could cause a man such as him change drastically?

"Black Dragon... what happened to you? Why won't you act like the savage beast that you are huh?!" Sho asked.

Zied simply smiled and lowered his sword. The moment he did so, an arrow came flying in but failed to take Zied's life. He caught the projectile between two fingers right before the arrow tip punched a hole between his eyes.

"My sword is not the same as it was before."

Puzzled, Sho squinted his eyes and nearly burst out into laughter.

"Don't jest Zied! You're still the same man! You're still the Black Dragon! The murderer wanted in both the East and the West! How could you say that your sword is not the same as it was before!"

"I believe that a knight such as yourself knows the meaning behind my words the best." Zied replied with a smile and tossed the arrow away.

"A responsible sword. Are you telling me that you have chosen a knight's sword over a mercenary's? Don't you dare stain a knight's pride with your blasphemy! A mercenary... no, you of all people will never step on the knight's path! You have no right!"

"That maybe true. But how come you're still breathing after looking down on me like that? You and the rest of these knights, all your lives are at my mercy. You know this for a fact right Sho? Otherwise why have you kept yourself behind the lines until now when we are at a stalemate?"

Infuriated, Sho drew his blade but stopped abruptly as Zied raised his free hand and motioned for him to come.

"My resolve against your pride. I challenge you to a duel Sho. If I win, you will let us pass. If I lose, my head is yours."

It was a sweet deal, Sho couldn't pass it up. All it needed was the right words to get the knight going and soon, the duel was over in a second with Zied as the victor. However, when both Zied and Seiryu were about to board the ship, trickery had been put into play. The knights managed to snatch Seiryu away. Zied would have come back for her but she pushed him to go on forward and find Tyth. Watching the purple haired woman disappear within the knight's ranks, Zied vowed to come back for her after settling his score in the Western lands.

---

Long strands of white hair danced with the strong sea breeze as the large western ship cruised at top speed Westward. Zied stood at the edge of the ship's bow looking far off into the horizon. The gaze that his crystal blue eyes harbored had certainty in them, that he wanted to return to the Western lands. His white cloak that bore the mark of his dragon tattoo swayed elegantly with the wind as he held strongly against a rope that kept the spear-gun in place. A lot has happened but he had crossed the point of no return long ago. Unfinished business was never meant to be left unfinished.

Beneath the white cloak, Zied now wore nothing but his black tight fit shirt with torn sleeves, his black pants were slightly modified by a trusted tailor/armorsmith to give him more freedom of movement, and a new pair of boots that matched his requirement for comfort and toughness. He had discarded every piece of armor that he used to wear beneath his clothing when he felt no need for them anymore. The only pieces of metal that he had on him would be his belt, his sword and his own pair of katars. A few years of training with the Dragon Spirits and he was finally ready to step into the West and find her.

It wouldn't be too long now and soon they will be setting foot on land. Zied had been at sea for almost a month now and just as he predicted, the Western lands finally came into view. The people aboard the ship had begun getting ready to disembark. Zied however, did not move an inch. There was a certain feeling in the air that bothered him just as soon as the ship reached the docks. With a strong kick using his legs, Zied leaped from the Ship's bow, flipped once in air and landed with both feet on Western soil. A flashy disembarking that attracted the attention of a few.

His right hand snaked to the hilt of his red sword beneath his cloak as he cautiously looked around. It may have been years but he had left this land as a fugitive. A couple years in the East would not do anything to change what he was in the eyes of the West. He was still a wanted man walking in broad daylight. As far as he was concerned, the souls that were out for his blood still lingered nearby and they only need one thing that resembled him to jog their memories of him - if the mark on his cloak had not done its job already.

He came back to the West to be found or to find someone first. That was exactly what he was going to do. Carrying no luggage with him, Zied began walking the port town streets heading to the nearby pub. Information as always is a crucial necessity, especially when looking for someone. A couple minutes of walking and he arrived at the place. It was run-down but patrons still flocked the joint, travelers, mercenaries and regular drunkards alike. Pushing the pub doors open, numerous eyes immediately turned his way. The crowd fell silent, as if his presence there meant that he held every patron's right to breathe in his hands... and that indeed was true.

Keeping his head low, Zied slowly headed to the bar, his footsteps echoing upon the hard wooden floor. He had not even taken five steps into the bar when someone recognized the marking on his white cloak.

"I-It's h-him! B-B-Black Dragon!"

His gaze flicked to where the voice came from but the sudden change in the pub atmosphere alerted Zied of trouble. Just as soon as the voice that identified him faded, the patrons all began drawing weapons, both men and women alike including the waitresses. Soon, their faces that were baffled not merely a minute ago turned into scowls and were now deformed by blood lust. Smirking at the sight of a bloodthirsty, drunken mob out for his head, Zied simply pulled down the hood of his cloak to reveal his face. He did not want any trouble and was willing to lay low and avoid them as long as he can but it was no use. After all, he is still the same man on the poster with a remarkable bounty on his head.

At least he tried.

"Get him!"

A courageous battle cry but futile. For drunkards, Zied need not his sword. One arm is more than enough. Like crazed beasts, men and women came at him like a swarm of bees that had their hive disturbed. Zied in turn, simply disarmed his attackers, grabbed them by the collar and hurled them out of the pub via the way he came in. Step by step he advanced while throwing patrons unharmed out of the pub for his own privacy. Screams filled the pub as bodies came flying out the front door one by one at a rapid pace. He did not hit them but the landing was sure to be rough. That alone should be enough to send them a message not to mess with him.

When Zied had finally reached the bar, the number of people inside were reduced to four. Him, a scared lad that held a measly knife close to his chest with trembling knees, the barkeep and an insect that he ridiculously remembered... Xalosis. Confident in himself, Xalosis, a Forsaken Wolves first class remained seated in his chair with his eyes fixated on Zied. Meeting his murderous gaze with an indifferent one, Zied paid no attention to the insect. He was not a threat and will never be one even in his wildest dreams. After disregarding the existence of the man that remained seated, Zied pulled out a few crisp republic dollars and placed them before the barkeep.

"I'm looking for someone." he said in a low tone. "Tythlany Nighfox, former Forsaken Wolves Captain a.k.a. the White Sinner. What can you tell me?" Zied finished.

The barkeep mumbled a few things to Zied in broken intervals despite clear signs of fear. He had no information regarding the White Sinner but had some interesting info about a new legend in the West, the White Demon. His gut told him that it was Tythlany Nightfox and as soon as he heard the part where the barkeep mentioned Old Grounds, Zied immediately knew where to go. On his way out, the man that was non existent to Zied began to talk trash.

"Hey Third Class! I never got to repay you for hurting my hand. Don't tell me, you forgot about me already?" Xalosis asked in a mocking tone.

Stopping on his way out, Zied eyed the wooden chair near his left leg. Raising one brow followed by a sly smirk, Zied used his left boot to hook the chair followed by a swift and powerful kicking motion. He sent it flying to Xalosis like a bullet. Unable to dodge the wooden chair, the man got hit and the wooden chair broke into a hundred little pieces as Xalosis was sent crashing down to the pub's floor. No surprise there. Xalosis was still as useless as Zied first judged and watched the man's sprawled and possibly bleeding form for a moment before he turned around and stepped out of the pub. Talking insects never made sense to Zied.

Once outside, Zied could not believe his eyes.

"That's him! He's back!"

It was like the port town's people had gathered near the pub to see for their own eyes that the Black Dragon has returned. It would have been heartwarming if what they held were flowers and wine but they were wielding anything sharp that they could get their hands on. It was then and there that Zied realized that the West has now become a chaotic place. Even guild regulated areas such as this port town was out of control. Sighing as he watched the people's expressions and listening to their curses and demands, Zied learned of why they were after his neck. Life has become hard in the Western land and he was but one means to make ends meet... the bounty on his head.

Some men held small vials that rang a loud and clear bell on Zied's memory. It was the very same poison that Tyth used to chug down when she needed to power up. How the hell did these men get their hands on that stuff?! Puzzled, Zied's hand snaked to the handle of his katars strapped to the side of his legs. If one of them makes a move, he will get swarmed and then he would have no choice but to fight his way out possibly hurting innocent citizens that only wanted the bounty on his head. There were no other options but to run away and lure the men with vials away from the port town. If he was right about that liquid, then he would have no choice but to draw his weapons.

Making a break for it, Zied ran as fast as he could towards the part where the mob was smaller. He drew his katars and flared his killing intent without holding back. It was enough to paralyze the normal people with fear allowing Zied to easily force his way through. His long white hair and cloak trailed behind him as he sped through the streets heading for the town exit. Just as he neared the exit, he felt several presences closing in on him from behind. When he looked back, what he saw was not men who were just after the bounty on his head but Sinners. Gritting his teeth followed by a low growl, Zied sheathed his katars and lured them out of the port town into the dirt road near the woods.

After making sure that he was far enough, Zied suddenly skidded to a stop and turned around. The men after him were still tailing him but he was ahead by a good number of seconds. He watched the men close in on him as he untied the cloak and tossed the white fabric to hang on a nearby branch. Taking his stance when using his fists, Zied waited patiently for the head hunters to arrive. When they did, all that Zied could see were mindless power drunk men out for blood. As he prepared himself to attack, Zied remembered Seiryu's words. Killing Sinners is not the only way to save them. But how much of that could be true when these people have already decided to throw away their sanity for power?

Eight men who drank the dangerous brew of strengthening poisons, they were eight men drowning in blood lust. Zied made the first move, attacking in a straight line to the nearest man, he ducked low to avoid a sword swing and pressed into the man's chest slamming his elbow hard just above the stomach causing the man to gasp for air. As soon as he made his move, the rest of the men began to attack. Two of them leaped into the air and the rest charged in from the ground. His eyes quickly discerning the locations of his opponents, Zied grabbed the arm of the man he just elbowed and hurled him upward to one of the men who leaped to attack. After watching two bodies hit each other, Zied leaped for the other one that was still in air and caught the man's sword arm after he swung his blade at Zied. Using the same momentum from the swing, Zied spun the man in mid-air and hurled him downward to another of the five left below.

With four more still able to move, Zied landed on both feet and immediately swayed back to avoid a frontal swing followed by a spin to the right to avoid another. Regaining his balance, Zied kicked back and knocked away the man approaching from behind. With one more fast approaching and the other two having recovered from their first swings at Zied, the white haired man kicked up dust in the eyes of the one to his left and blocked another death blow from the one to his right by catching the man's sword arm. With a quick yet strong flick to the elbow joint, Zied managed to disarm the man and hurled him towards the one he temporarily blinded with dust. Down to the last one, Zied did not hold back. Using his speed, Zied appeared behind the man and chopped him by the neck. A second later and it was lights out for him.

Not wasting any more time, Zied grabbed his cloak and left the scene heading for the Old Grounds. Surely they would recover but the outcome was already decided. Without him to be a target for them, they would surely turn against each other. There was nothing Zied could have done to save them and he surely did not want to kill them either. This spreading of the substance has to stop but only after he had settled things with her.

---

The Old Grounds. This was where the Forsaken Wolves used to be. A city reduced to rubble by ruffians, Sinners and mercenaries alike. A desolate place that harbored the source of the bothersome feeling that troubled Zied as soon as he set foot in the West. There was fire everywhere, a sign that there had been recent fighting that has gone rampant. Walking around a little bit, Zied found dead bodies all over the place. But they were all leading to one direction, forward. Leaping on top of structures that still stood, Zied got a better view of the city. He could feel numerous killing intent in the air as the wind swayed his cloak and long hair. Death was thick in this town and it could only be the work of a Sinner.

Pulling his hood over his head, Zied leaped structure after structure following a certain aura he would not mistake even after three years. His blue eyes then found a fix on the location of the aura. From afar, a battle is being fought and what he saw confirmed everything and at the same time caused him to just stop moving.

There he was, the redhead that saved Seiryu's life. And there she was, the white haired woman that took away Seiryu's life. Zied's brows narrowed as he tried to take a closer look at the two who were fighting from afar. His right hand slowly gripped the hilt of his red sword. He then leaped to other structures that led him closer to the fighting. As he neared where they were, her aura slowly became more intense. The feeling that bothered Zied was definitely coming from her. The White Demon? What has become of her over the years since they parted ways in Zartex? There was only one way to find out.

Zied watched her parry two blades that was aimed for her neck and managed to keep the blades pinned down to the ground. His crystal blue eyes watched her fight for a moment and made Zied realize that she had greatly improved. Was she under the influence of poison again? Should he strike her down when she is off guard? Thinking made his head hurt and his urges to get down there stronger.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Zied bended his knees slightly and with a powerful leap, soared into the air heading straight down to where the redhead and Tyth was. This is it, the moment he has long waited for... a chance to settle things with her.

Landing not far behind the woman, Zied kept his head low and his hood on. Even though she could not see his face, he was sure she would recognize him if he suddenly flared his aura. To get her attention, that was what he just did. Zied's hand still gripped the hilt of his sword tight beneath his cloak. Seiryu may have forgiven her but he has not. Depending on how she would answer him, perhaps there would be no need to strike her down.

Minutes, seconds, mere moments blurred together as she simply fought. Her movements were almost robotic as she simply struck, parried, twirling around their attacks, again and again. Time was passing, just like how she wanted. When she needed it, Scyth protected her back should an opening appear or she was too focused on her opponent to care.

If Sinners were her adversary, she just killed them. There wasn’t a long enough period of peace or safe place of resources to give any of them the proper time for withdrawal and recovery. She kept moving her swords, moving her feet and breathing evenly.

It seemed patience rewarded her, because she could sense him. Like a touch, his presence filled the air she breathed. Behind her, he stood ready.

Scyth was already moving towards her from the few feet he was from her side, drawing a red dagger with white and silver writing on both sides of the blades. Time seemed to slow as she pushed her enemy away to look over her shoulder and some of her hair flared around her at the force of her movement. Blue eyes met hers just as the red dagger dug into the now visible, circular diagraph etched into the earth. Only hers, Scyth’s and his feet were inside the diagram, and their surroundings shifted sideways until mountains grew around them.

The location tagged to the dagger was the northern Mountain Range of the Old Grounds, otherwise known as the Flat Acres. It was quiet here, away from civilization and chaos which was the perfect palce she felt it was that if Zied actually ever appeared that they would stage their “reunion”.

He looked different, but it had been a few years. His hair was longer, his eyes now the same, blue color. His presence was heavy should he let it, tipping her off that he was holding back. Tyth was impressed, but reluctant to really say anything unless it was her weapon.

Not bothering to say a greeting, Tyth appeared in front of him just as he did earlier at her back and their first blades met. A loud, thunderous crack filled her ears from the force of their weapons meeting, and it reminded her of when she was crazy from blood lust, attacking him while Seiryu was dying.

Where was Seiryu anyway? Should she not be by this man’s side, just like Tyth wished she herself could be?

Since she had only drawn her right blade, Tyth decided to use a trademark combination she favored in using. Pressing forward, she angled her upper body from the waist up the left with her left shoulder pointing outward. Slanting her blade flat so his slide down to her right towards the hilt of her blade, she clenched the handle tighter. Stepping backwards so both their blades slid to her right, Tyth let go of her weapon and twirled around the other way with a fist aiming for his face.

As if predicting her move, he retracted his sword back smoothly to block her hand with the flat side of his blade. Drawing her other sword from behind her back as her fingers spread out his sword, Tyth pushed the blade aside and met his chest with her hand, releasing the air pressure she collecting by merely moving her hand. He was pushed back only a few inches but it gave her an opening to move back a few feet. Skidding to a stop, Tyth snapped her fingers and her fallen first Demon blade flew to her fingers.

Behind them, the sun was slowly lowering to the horizon. Almost time.

There was no potent hate in his gaze that she could make out, which confused her as their single weapons met again. But no matter, since she was going to finish this the right way.

For what seemed like forever, they traded blows and didn’t let up. For the first thirty minutes, she was able to trick him into walking a step into her circle of personal space, and land a hit with her arm or leg. Once, she was able to switch hands holding her blade, latch onto the wrist holding his and pull herself into a twirl that brought them near her back to his chest, only her elbow was digging into the kidney of his left side. Feeling the air whoosh out lightly from his mouth against the shell of her ear, Tyth lunged forward when she felt him move, most likely to slash at her again. A few locks of her hair was lopped off when she shakily avoided his cut at her hip. Having shifted her body underneath the sword’s path just seconds before it sliced her back open, Tyth kicked out one sleek leg and dug her heel into his right kidney. Not stopping at mere contact, she pushed the force she gathered from the kick to literally force him back a few feet.

Every single time they had enough space between them to see their faces clearly, Tyth’s grey, hazel eyes never left his focused, clear blue ones. Amidst battle, she couldn’t help thinking they were beautiful.

Not helping herself, she smirked at him and then the world tilted sideways, and her back hit the ground hard. It was one second of distraction of feeling happy with him being near, and he used it to sweep her legs out from under her. Rolling away while struggling to catch her breath, Tyth heard his sword cut into the earth as he followed her rolling form with his sword.

Zied wasn’t the type to hold back, at least as far as she remembered. Neither should she. But she was pulling her punches. Tyth didn’t want to kill him.

He seemed to sense this because his eyes flashed angrily at her, and dug his sword into the ground then drew his katars. Did he want to kill her?

Had she lost her chance to gain forgiveness?

Meeting each katar with a sword, Tyth tried to read his face. On hers she knew her face was screaming that her heart wasn’t into this type of fight, even though she owed it to him. What she really wanted was to be selfish and hold him. To wish hurting him had never happened.

Maybe it was time?

He kept coming and coming, making her see the read Black Dragon in all its glory. His controlled savagery was amazing to witness, especially on the recovering end of all his strong and forceful moves. She was just one woman though, clean of everything. There was only so far she could last and if she faltered from a misstep, he would kill her intentionally. Tythlany didn’t want that.

Zied was coming again, and she could tell from the angle of his right katar where it was aimed at: her throat. She didn’t move until the last second, kicking herself left into a half cartwheel while catching his left katar in mid air between her knees, the other she let dig into the middle of her chest by dropping her sword and welcoming the blow. Already she could feel the sharp blade pierce through her breastbone, digging deeper.

Scyth, who had stood off to the side to let them fight, clenched his eyes and looked away while a tear fell down his face.

Falling to the ground on her side with the katar and its wielder, Tyth dug her fingers into the ground while coughing up some blood. It hurt but she refused to whimper from it.

Looking up through sweaty bangs to Zied who was crouched over her, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Hi Zied,” she finally greeted him, the first words since he appeared behind her. Hissing lightly as raising her head jarred the katar embedded in her, Tyth rested her head back against the ground.

“Excuse me if I took the satisfaction of taking my life, but I wanted to give it to you. I’m serious in redeeming myself where you are concerned. Sorry just isn’t the right word for all the feel after I killed Seiryu, but I didn’t want you to be alone. Even if it wasn’t me, I couldn’t stand the thought of you alone again.”

Blood started leaking from the side of her mouth and she spit it out so she wouldn’t choke.

“There’s so much I want to tell you, so much I learned since that day. But all I can think of is this….”

Smiling despite her pain and the blood, Tythlany reached up with a dry, calloused hand to brush the tips of his hair and cheek, “I love you, Zied.”

Her life was at his mercy now.

---

Scyth couldn’t believe this is what she meant by giving Zied Grey her life. That she would willingly die by his hand if it meant to prove just how sorry she was. He wanted to cry but knew deep down it wasn’t the time. The gift from Jaavi’s will the demon Bel gave them now made sense.

Not bothering to wipe the stray tears from his face, Scyth walked forward towards the two after Tyth unarmed herself to take the blow. Standing beside the white haired Black Dragon, he crouched down and offered the man with a shaking hand a small vial with only two drops of liquid in it.

“Zied Grey,” he said in what he hoped was a calm and serious tone, “My best friend and the woman I love just willing put her life in your hands. This can save her, but only if you really want to.”

Gods he hoped he did.

“You take the first drop and imagine what you want her drop to take from her. It could be her current wounds, “he hinted, clenching the bottle a little lighter, “ or it could be she was never born or even just turn it into water and let her die. It is your choice, and the woman was adamant that you were given the choice. After you decide, then give her the second drop.”

Looking at his friend who was dying a second time right in front of him, Scyth offered the bottle a little closer, “Choose quickly because something tells me these drops will evaporate if you take too long and the chance is gone.”

Because Scyth was starting to think Tyth planned it this way all along, and it made sense that Bel was seriously hoping Zied would let her die. It is very rare that for a few short moments, a person’s fate is ultimately determined by another with these tears from an angel. But there was no time to tell the Black Dragon how much she changed, how much she deserved to live now more than ever!

They both waited for Zied’s decision.

Zied watched, listened and took in every word the redhead said to him. Deep down in his gut, this is not how he wanted it to be. A simple apology would have sufficed but she just had to attack him first. And now the outcome was something he does not desire anymore. Zied released a pent up sigh and looked at the vial being handed to him. Tyth practically offered him her life after telling him how she felt. It was the most ridiculous way of apologizing he had ever received and he began to wonder how the woman came up with it. Regardless, he did not want her life and he had discarded any plans of taking it. This woman can do as she pleases with her life.

"Yes, when the wound was still fresh, I wanted your life so bad. But then Seiryu made me realize that it really was not your fault but the poison. I knew it, deep in my heart I knew it all along, but seeing you nearly kill Seiryu caused me to snap. And now that you're entrusting your own life to me, telling me I can decide if you live or die, all made everything clearer. I will gain nothing out of this. Tythlany Nightfox, I don't want your head on a pike, I just wanted to hear you apologize. I forgive you..." Zied paused and pulled out his katar from Tyth.

"Scyth I believe... I take this vial with no intention of killing Tyth. I can see it in your eyes that you are eager to use it on her yourself, you can do just that... but then again..." he finished and poured the contents of the vial to Tyth, drop by drop without a word.

"If what you say is true... don't dive headfirst and force me to kill you! Stupid woman." he said and turned around to walk away. He was feeling unsure of himself as he sat down to rest while keeping an eye on the two he just left. Seiryu was right all along...

Miraculously enough, Tyth's wounds began to heal. It was like watching life playing in reverse. A new path opened up for him and the white haired woman. How will things play out from here on? Zied could only wonder amidst the chaos in the West. The guilds have fallen apart, the rule of the land torn asunder. In the middle of everything, two individuals seek out their purpose, a goal to achieve or a promise to keep. Of course, with numerous blades seeking to end their existence, it was best to say that things are not going to turn for the better any time soon.

As the fires in the ruined city crackled on, Zied thrust his red sword to the ground. A new frontier awaits him in the Western Lands, and with him was a woman who just forced her way into him. Smiling as the wind blew harshly across his long white hair, Zied turned his head to Tyth and reached out with one arm.

"Hey... just how long are you going to sit around there? We're just getting started..."

When the two drops met her skin, it was like she was a doll being sewn together again. The very walls of every layer of her organs and skin were stitching themselves up. The blood that leaked out had 'miraculously' found its way back into their proper veins and organ walls. It hurt like hell, too. She grit her teeth as her very muscles were literally growing back together. The breastbone her sword had sliced through was rebuilding bone and mending together like it never broke. The blade had scraped against her spine, slicing between bone, but was now reversed and the vertebrae were undamaged.

Only scans of her bones or close glances at her skin would her faint puncture scar at the center of her chest and between her shoulder blades show what had ever occurred.

During the whole five minutes her body was repairing itself, she had clenched her teeth together to mute her whines of pain. Surely Beltza the Demon was watching and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her screams again.

When it finally over, Tyth sat up and felt at her chest for the wound she had self inflicted. It was gone, but the faint feeling of bumpy skin was there. It worked better than she could have ever hoped for, since it came from that masochistic demon. She had feared at one point he had it rigged to be a dud, just to be happy that she was finally dead. But now that their agreement was over, the sword wouldn't come to her call anymore. Glancing over at the burnt shadow of a sword where he blade had fallen from her chest, she knew it had burst into flames and returned to Beltza's alternate dimension. Good riddance. Tyth didn't want to depend on that demon spawn any more than she had to. It was bad enough he was related to Brant's wife Jaavi. To think Jaavi had once been a demon...

Scyth knelt down to her side with a relived smile and glanced at her chest to make sure the wound had healed successfully. She thanked him with her eyes and he nodded and they both looked at Zied. Scyth nodded to the man, said he was going to patrol the area and let them be. She thanked him again just as he disappeared from sight.

Leaning forward on her hands, she winces from stretching the new skin across her chest and back. The hole in her shirt looked embarrassing but it beat being alive any day. Pushing herself up to her feet, Tyth wobbled over to Zied's side. He had turned away after calling her stupid for acting so rashly, but she wouldn't have it any other way. It seemed death was a central part of their lives, and each other. In a sick way, it brought them together.

"Hey...just how long are you going to sit around there? We're just getting started..."

She reached out and clasped his hand and leaned her forehead against his arm, closing her eyes just to soak in the feel of him. It felt unreal. It was like her dreams were now reality. Tyth still couldn't believe he was standing right here in front of her. He wasn't dead, he wasn't angry, he was just there.

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe you are really here. I was....reliving dream after cruel dream that you would be less forgiving. That the other side of you would never let me live."

She didn't want to tell him just yet what Beltza had put her though, the images he tortured her with.

"But this is real, and I'm glad."

She smiled against his arm and let the tears flow freely. Now that her soul was complete, she didn't feel reluctant or strange when she is true to her emotions. It felt so right letting her self be plain right in front of Zied.

Lifting her head, Tyth leaned away from his arm and let go, reaching up to brush away her tears. Soon she began to shake with light laughter.

"This feels to raw and to real to be true, not after all the times I imagined that it is now happening. You in front of me, like this…”

In this moment, out of all the time they had spent together, her life felt whole. However, it was cut short as her senses sharpened and she smelled burning wood and heard disturbing cries through the night air. Sinners were close and now was not the time for her to be caught up in a reunion, despite her efforts to instigate it. Now they had to concentrate on staying alive for the next couple of hours. Their selfish feelings can wait a while longer. Shaking the blood from her sword, Tyth sent a silent signal to Scyth for him to get ready to move.

“We need to seek shelter. I want to know what happened after that horrible day, Zied. I also want to know where Seiryu is.”

Scyth signaled her that the coast was clear between two tall, broken buildings. Although she knew it could have waited, these past months without him left her wanting to keep some part of him close at all times. Reaching for his hand again, Tyth gripped her sword hilt in the other and laced her fingers hesitantly through his. Gently tugged him along, Tyth knew he would catch up in no time. The happy grin on her lips was visible, just as Scyth smirked at her over his shoulder and shook his head as he lead the way to the other side of the thin alley. What did it matter? She was happy, more than she had ever been before. If it weren’t for that fact that the city they were in was utterly destroyed and burning, Tyth would have whooped and screamed for joy.