The Tachibana clan crest flipped in Tsuna’s hand as he studied every inch of detail etched within it as if he were a connoisseur. “What are the chances that the Tachibana crest ends up here? In another world. Am I an actual member of the historic Tachibana clan? The somehow secret child of the legendary Ginchiyo Tachibana?” Excitement pumped his blood quicker than usual. But its wonder created much more questions from the turn of events. “Rylen. I might not be giving him enough credit. He hasn’t lied to me yet. And he seems to have my best interests in mind.” The moon hovered high behind the misty red ether that obscured it. “What if he helps me locate mom and Emiko? Then I’d!…” He calmed himself down. “I’ll have to rely on him. For now, at least.”
Ahead, crowds clogged the luminous path. Content with their bar escapades, vociferously celebrating in the night. Clearly not in a sober mindset. Their clamor forced him to contemplate stepping past them, as he could smell the odious whiff of beer and cigarettes from down the street.
If only they knew the danger they were in. Not like they would believe me if I told them. Just sitting on my thumbs while things are happening gets on my nerves. Like I’m the bad guy who wants this to happen to them. But why should I care? I don’t know these people. From Kiyomi’s angle, they seem like assholes. Even those pirates at the tower. That wouldn’t be fair. They’re pirates. How could I judge based on a select few?… That would make me no better than the Yanagawa people… I need to quit rambling in my head…
The crowd stumbled in his direction, having him desperately look for a way to avoid them. To his right, a dark alley with a dead end. To his left, a dark alley with men rifling through trash and dragging a slumped body. A step to his side, he settled with leaning against a building until they passed by.
“You lot need to make it back to the head! Captn’ will be pissed off if the deck ain’t shinin’ by mornin’,” One of the men in the bumbling crowd said aloud. Throwing his arm around a woman’s waist, streams of water seeped from his hands. Each stream wrapping spreading to a unique part of the woman’s waistband shortly sliding through it. His eyes scanned her up and down, then paused at her chest. “As your first mate, I expect it all to be done tonight! I got some other business to take care of.”
Repulsed by the man’s demeanor, Tsuna watched with disgust. Just how common are people like him who have these powers? Rylen could see the mist in the sky, right? Can this guy see it too? Maybe not, since he’s going about his trash. This place is suffocating. The air has a stink to it that just lingers, and no amount of street cleaning would fix it. Then again, it makes sense. Some of these people are pirates live here too and without structure there’s no one to tell them to clean their act. They probably piss all over the place… I would hate to live here.
Tsuna snapped his fingers to the sound of their footsteps, catching a spark jumping from his fifth snap. “I’m getting the hang of this!” A dim light broke into his sight. A youthful girl draped in rags jogged down an alleyway. Hands in front of her, she carried a fire with her palms. Crossing into his path, she checked out his red eyes. An unwashed face was the initial thing he regarded, then her frail frame and the fact she was barefoot. An odor that reeked of expired fish ran through Tsuna’s senses, breaking out all at once, driving his eyes tear up. Abruptly, she shoved her palms forward, producing a narrow wave of fire that flew in his direction. Tsuna’s impulsive reaction was to move his hand in front of the fire, but for reasons foreign to him, he didn’t. The fire caressed his face, its warmth like a kiss of nostalgia.
“Boo! I’m a Tarragon!” She said, with an enthusiastic hop.
Tarragon? Now star struck by the amber eyed child, he asked. “Why are you shooting fire at me? You shouldn’t be doing that. It’s dangerous.” A grin developed on her lips, the girls ether emanating from her rough skin so distinctly that Tsuna could see it without focus. She took a step to the side, widening her stance, suddenly dragging her other leg over. Tsuna’s attention was all hers as he pored over the bizarre child, having half a mind to think it could chalk up to typical childlike shenanigans. However, there was a noticeable difference in the way she moved. It was too calculated for someone who looked no older than twelve. Coupled that with the fire she shot, she could have meant to blind him or simply steal his attention from something else. Tsuna’s head swung around, detecting movement on his right and a rancid smell breaching his space. A man shuffled from his side, teetering on his toes as his tongue swayed from between his lips. A swing of his wrist and the grasp for Tsuna ended in failure. The man falling on his face.
“A bit too much to drink, buddy?” Tsuna asked with a sneer. “Should try crawling home instead.” His ridicule won no feedback as the murmuring man pressed himself off the ground. “You tricked this kid into thinking you could get an easy mark?” Tsuna turned back, the child now missing. “Where’d she go?”
Trembling, the man’s pale hands crumpled, snapping inward on themselves. Bones protruded from his wrists, contorted into jagged tips he used to lift himself. Minor bumps spanned across his body, swiftly growing in size, with the largest developing exponentially on his back. Tsuna skipped back, hastily slipping one of his gloves over his right hand. The body crackled, the spine visibly shifting through the neck and extending significantly to its side until Tsuna could see its entire head staring at him. Tsuna remained on guard before the monster, though the odds were plainly not in his favor. The movement of a gray cloak waved on the other side of the creature. Deflating, the bulges vanished, returning the once man to human size. The gray cloak emerged as a robe, donned by an ancient man. Perhaps the oldest and most sickly man he’d ever seen. Tsuna searched around the area, hoping that someone else had seen what had just occurred in front of him. As his eyes passed over the passersby that observed, their eyes locked onto him, holding a crimson gleam.
“Aren’t you a sight? A devil risen from the dead before my very eyes.” The trembling tone came from the front of him. Eyes veiled by his robe, he exposed nothing but the bottom half of his face. A movement of his fingers crackled with each bend. “Father of dragons, buried inside the body of someone so unexpected. Visions of sovereignty foiled. Met by the snare of his creator’s own encapsulation of ether. A pity, truly. Lux in tenebris, or the opposite for one such as Infernus.” A gradual winding of his hands gathered fire on the tips of his fingers. Held out, he dragged them inwards suddenly thrust forward in a blink, expelling a blaze that ate Tsuna whole.
Arms crossed before his face, the heat rushed through Tsuna’s fingers. The shirt he wore burned into a crisp, as did the bottoms of his shorts. The stream abruptly ceased, ending with the man’s coughing.
Tsuna went numb all around, feeling nothing but the intense heat cover his whole body as he watched the smoke float from his arms and hands. Why is it always like this? I’m so… pathetic. His mind went blank. All he could tell was that he was still alive. I need to run! Immediately, his limbs gave, his whole body shut down as he collapsed to the ground. All he wanted to do was scream. In pain, in anger, but his body wouldn’t react.
“He…” The man continued coughing. “Still lives… In shock, but I see your spirit burning… There’s something about you. Different from the diverse cages that Infernus previously housed. Does he care? Has he reevaluated his stance on mankind? I must have answers.” The man limped in his direction, his hand reaching out as he came closer. A jolt jerked his body, making him gasp loudly. “But wait… Two?!”
From the darkness above, Zio descended with his spear pointed at the hooded man. The man evaded backward, each step appearing as if he were floating. Zio pressed the attack, using his spear to bounce himself into a fiery wheel before unraveling and firing a precise beam of fire. Before the shot could reach the man, the creature from the ground slithered before him, exposing itself to the fire and taking the shot, disintegrating to ash.
“Damn… I hoped that’d end it.” Landing on his feet, Zio kept the spear pointed forward as he backed next to Tsuna. Gathering a red energy in his hands, he slammed it into Tsuna’s chest. “Get up. You’re not dying here.” Tsuna’s body jerked. Pressure from Zio’s hand surged through his limbs until the numbness disappeared. Zio’s attention remained on their enemy as Tsuna rose to his side. “You’re about a decade past extinct, Wyvern. What will the dragons think when they find out you’re trying to claim their prize?”
“The stained bloodline. Heir to the slayer. Forever ignorant of the greater calling, seizing the world in its eternal cycle of violence. The Tarragon attempt at the extinction of Draconian solves nothing in the course of it all. There will always be war and those who will fight for those in power. Whether it be for a god or a leader.”
“More war will never end the cycle and those with power will only want more! So long as Infernus and his followers remain a part of this world, we will know nothing but war. In the Ikon War, neither Dragon nor Wyvern had anything to gain. Yet you joined those otherworldly monsters to rule the rest of the world. All you’ll ever want is more power.”
“Ignorant. What would I accomplish if I had more power? Rule my subjects, then what? Those very same would incite insurrection to overthrow my order. Culminating in more pain. Power will never be the answer.” The mans concern turned to Tsuna. “You. Is there an answer to this? Can you solve a dilemma that has endlessly plagued living beings? To find our lost Soul?” He closed his eyes and sank his head. “I do not wish for you to answer that today. The source must show itself for you to comprehend.”
The crowd behind Tsuna and Zio drifted. Each man and woman strode into the shadows of the alleyways. Zio took off, gunning it towards the man as he forced his spear.
“Oh, no you don’t!”
A step forward and the man’s foot released a wall of fire from beneath it. The gushing geyser separating himself from Zio. His charge came to a halt, locking eyes with the man before he looked at Tsuna again. “Survive, suffer, then find me. My hope lies with you.” Dissolving into red ether, he faded from sight.
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Only Tsuna and Zio were left. Zio clutched his spear tight, then glanced over his shoulder to Tsuna. “This changes nothing between us. I still don’t trust you.”
“Why!” Tsuna yelled from his gut. “Tell me what is wrong! Since the tower, I’ve done nothing to deserve this spite from you. Infernus is has no control, you’re only speaking to me! But you know that already. Otherwise you’d have left me on the ground! Or are you going to run away again!? Damn it all, right? Can’t kill me, so you have to leave. What are you scared of?”
Enraged, Zio spun around and stomped in his direction. “How would you feel if the one person you devoted your life to died because of you?! Because you were complacent! Because you didn’t make it in time! What would you do if the culprit was standing right in front of you and as much as the cry for vengeance howls at you, you can’t do a damn thing about it?!” He inhaled, fighting back tears. “When the bomb eventually clicks, it’ll be too late. And I’ll have lost another… It was never personal. I had to make sure Natsumi and Rylen were never in danger.”
“Then…” The hostility left Tsuna’s body. “It was either put them at risk or let the dragons get me.”
“If I knew a way to detach you from that monster, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Time has shown that there is no way to break that link between the two of you except through death. Rylen thinks you’re different. I think he’s wrong. I will kill you if you lose it.”
The statement brought silence between the two of them. In both of their ears, a chime rang through the night, growing louder by the second. The hoarse voice of a man rode through the streets on a horse. “Drakes! Drakes at the gate!”
In the moment it took Tsuna to register what was happening, Zio had already jumped into the air and landed on a building. “Get back to Infinity! Find Rylen!” With no other order, he departed towards the city gate.
A dense pressure fell on Tsuna’s shoulders. It was as if the air itself had become an object. A tightness wrapped around his neck, inhibiting his breathing. The dry air hit his tongue, immediately making him feel drowsy. I need to get out of here… Quick…
***
The clanging bells shook Natsumi from her intoxicated stupor. She brushed her head, the world spinning to its normality. Four-legged creatures assaulted the edge of the city en masse while she took a swig of water. “Ugh… My head. This might be a sign that I should stop drinking so much. Climbing this tower while hungover probably wasn’t a good idea, either.” Through her crusty eyes, she could see other drakes surrounding the sides of the city and tore at the walls. “Drakes, drakes, and more drakes. If there were any older dragons here, we’d be in a lot of trouble. The pirates are capable enough. They do nothing but fight. We should have plenty of time to find Tsuna.” Ears twitching to the shrieks in the distance, she tapped her foot to ease her mind. Turning her attention for a moment, pulling it back seconds after. “Stay calm, Natsumi… Rylen ordered you to stay put! But! Why should I!? These monsters are after Tsuna! And he’s out there alone, probably waiting for me to come rescue him! Once I do, he’d be all grateful and stuff! Yeah! Forget that idiot, Rylen! I’m going!”
“You sobered up fast. Was it the water or your hormones that did the trick?” Rylen said, standing beside her.
“Yah!” Natsumi jumped, practically tumbling off the building. “When did you get there? You didn’t hear any of that, did you? Especially the last part.”
Swiveling a colorless pellet on the tip of his fingers, Rylen slid it into his pocket. “For a moment now. I’d asked you for a report on what’s happening out here, but you ignored my calls. So, I decided to look for myself. I had no idea you were so attached to Tsuna already. He must’ve left a good impression.”
“Well… if I had to put it into words.” She gazed up at the moon. “He’s a lot like Zio, but less cold. Sometimes Zio can be nice and warm, but it’s rare when he does. He pushes me away, when I’m only being who I am.”
“And what does Tsuna do?”
“That’s the thing. He’s just as hotheaded as Zio, but he’s bold and sentimental. While we were gone, he announced at a local Minhki joint that he’d find the tools to fix their community. He might have just been blowing smoke, but there was sincerity in his words.”
Rylen scanned over at the sea. Pirates released the sails to their ships, leaving crewmen behind who weren’t on the boat by the time they raised anchor. He laughed and turned to her. “You’ll be happy to know he kept his word.” A twinkle lit in Natsumi’s eyes. “After he went missing, I found him wandering the streets. He went to Titania’s with a sack full of tools he stole from a blacksmith and left without it.”
Natsumi canines showed through a smile she tried to contain. Shortly, her eyes widened, as she stroked her ears and perked up. “And you just let him!?”
“He’s an adult and not our responsibility yet.” Rylen said with a dismissive wave. “What’s a better way to learn about someone than to follow them for a few hours?”
“Eh… you should rephrase that.”
“Unimportant. Natsumi, you form attachments fast, perhaps too fast. Often burned because of it. Zio, I understand. He was the one who found and raised you. Your devotion to him is nothing to question.” He unbuckled a pouch on his waist, shifting between the colorful pellets inside. “However, it’s becoming harmful. You’re relying on him or someone to replace him to fill a void in your life. The year we’ve been gone must’ve been lonely. Am I correct in that assumption?”
“This isn’t the time to be talking about stuff like this!” Natsumi said, turning her head.
“With the way things are looking, now may be the best time.” Rylen crossed his arms and close his eyes. “This is something I’ve been wanting to address, but could never find the best time.” He cleared his throat. “Zenith, the organization, is a team. Though, As you’re aware, we stay out of each other’s personal lives. You look at me and see your boss. This eighty-eight-year-old Elf, with a mild obsession with ethertech.” He held tight to his pistol and pulled it from its holster. Caressing the barrel with a slow stroke of his fingers. “You wouldn’t know that I’m married to the woman who created ethertech. Whom is also the one who kicked started my obsession. Or why I left Yggdrasil and gave up my immortality. Personal things that shaped me into the person I am today. We’re a group of outcasts. Continuing our lonely habits in the presence of our partners. And I think I want that to change. What do you think? Should the two of us be the start of that?”
Natsumi stared at him, quickly averting her eyes to the gate and back. “You’re that old?”
Rylen shot her a side eye. “That was the most important thing you took from my speech?”
Natsumi sighed. “Just thinking about how long I have ahead of me. What I’m looking at is the most dangerous situation I’ve ever been a part of. What if I die here?”
“As your mentor, I take offense to that. Let’s say you’ve gotten hurt. I’d be upset. If you died, I’d mourn. There are people who care about you, Natsumi. It’s for that reason you have to push on. No matter how strong the foe.” Roars at the gate drowned out the sound of screams, making Natsumi’s ears twitch. Rylen turned his attention back toward the dock. “The ships cleared out. Clearly, some pirates have no will to fight. It won’t be long before the city falls.” He rested his arms on the grips of his two pistols. “Don’t you worry about Tsuna. He’s alright, I’m sure of it.”
“Rylen, is it really a good idea for me to stay here? Leora could easily defend Infinity. Without our help.”
“Not with that hole in her floor. Leora is skilled, but she relies on Yggdrasil’s power that runs through that building. You’ll see. If luck benefits us, her plan will work.” He walked to the edge of the tower. “I’m counting on you to secure the skies. If you see any dragons that can fly, I want you to distract them until I give you the word.”
Natsumi shot to her feet. “But I could spot a dragon anywhere from the ground and catch it in the air! Seeing one is not the problem! Fighting one is…” She bit her bottom lip. “I’ve never fought a dragon before. Zio took care of them when we traveled together and he’s not here. I don’t think I can handle one.” Natsumi felt his hand press her ears flat, followed by several pats.
“Do you remember the time where it was the two of us against a horde of enraged kobolds? I recall it was a time you startled yourself and held over three dozen back on your own? When I look at you, I reflect. Often to when you joined Zenith. It was inspiring to hear the story of a brave orphan, ignorant of the world outside of her small town, wanting to fight and save the world she never knew. Out of our the core members of Zenith, I believe you will be the one to surpass me in time. To take my place as the Gale of the Zenith. Believe in yourself, as we all believe in you. You’ve got this, Natsumi.”
Natsumi’s lowered head rose as she recomposed herself. A confident grin formed as began fixating on the gate. “I’ll do my best!”
“I wouldn’t expect any less!” Rylen waved two fingers as he walked. “Cassandra and Alecsander will lookout for Leora, while Leora herself focuses on saving as many civilians as she can. I’ll sweep the streets to find something that could substitute for a piece of Ygg and clear the streets of drakes that head in this direction. Leave Tsuna to Zio, if he hasn’t found him already. Expect them to return soon. We’ll rendezvous and get out of here with the skin on our backs.”
“Zio?!” Stars lit in Natsumi’s eyes. “Zio’s still here!?”
“Well, of course. He couldn’t have gone far in a few hours. Knowing him, he never left.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m counting on you, Natsumi. It’s showtime!”
“Yes, sir! And thank you for the talk, Rylen. I think I needed that.”
“No problem.” Rylen dropped off the tower. A gust of wind kicking up around his feet, softening his landing. “A source powerful enough to replace a piece of Yggdrasil.” He searched his pocket for the transparent pellet and held it in his palm. “I sensed dark ether close by. Starting my search there would save time. If it comes to it, I may have to…” Clutching his fist, he placed the pellet back in his pocket. “It’s too soon.”
***
“Sir!” Alec said. Upon seeing Rylen, he snapped to attention with the spear in his hand. “Welcome back! Did you find any luck in your search?”
“Not yet. I only came by to check morale and make sure everyone’s clear on their duties.” Rylen peered at Alec’s cheek. Almost fully healed from the burn. “You’re recovering well, Alecsander. I see an inconvenience won’t stop you from carrying out the job.”
“It’s all I ever dreamed of, sir. Fighting the evils hidden from the rest of the world. Saving countless lives before they even know they’re in danger. It’s what I believe a hero would do.”
The charisma brought a smile to Rylen’s face. “Excellent! Does Cassandra share that same vigor?” Rylen said as he looked around. “Is she inside?”
“She said she would set up an ambush for drakes that come this way. She had that pissed off look on her face, so I didn’t bother asking.”
“Isn’t that how she looks normally?”
“No sir. There’s this look she gets in her eye that… nevermind. It’s too much to explain.”
“Very well.” Rylen looked towards the sky. “Should Leora need me, remind her she can connect to my communicator. I adjusted her frequency to include my channel when she makes a call, so I’ll always be in the loop.” He bent his knees, a storm kicking up around his ankles before he launched into the air. “Stay vigilant, Alecsander!”
“Yes… sir.” Alec’s expression turned sour, running his hand where the burn was on his cheek. He grit his teeth, tightening his grip on the spear. “Why?”
***
The jump landed Rylen on the roof of a warehouse, and a glance to his left led him along a trail of buildings that passed by the dock. Upholstering his pistol, he jumped across the buildings. He shifted directions, sliding along the grates of the building, as the scream of a woman reached him. “One in the chamber.” Below, he spotted the woman and a drake slithering toward her. He dove at it, pressing his foot forward and into the drake’s head. A gust of wind blew from his foot, flipping him in the air and thrusting the drake in the ground. Rylen landed on his feet, waving the woman to away. “Those are scales are quite tough. Not the typical malnourished drake, I see.” The drake stagger back on its limbs, roaring at Rylen as he pointed his gun. “Seems like Tsuna was right. Someone powerful is behind this attack. If they’re the source that the dark ether is resonating from… Astraea protect me.”