In the middle of a battle-scarred desert, Qassot, Riselus, Cyil, and Aavern stood, cheerfully exchanging their travels since arriving on Argean. Around them, the sand was pockmarked with scorch marks, craters, jutting rocks, and shattered rubble, evidence of Kyle's fight with Cyil and Riselus.
"Noisy," Ido, the leader of the Dark Lords, muttered. As if preparing for battle, he had tied his shoulder-length hair behind his neck and styled it neatly. Atop his usual tight-fitting dark clothing, Ido wore a neat, dark blue frock coat and wore black gloves over his ink-stained hands. He glanced around the cratered desert briefly, his gaze piercing the fog as if it weren't there.
"Late, as usual," he muttered.
"Who's late?" Cyil asked suddenly. The small golden fuzzball had rolled over next to Ido after being smacked away by Qassot.
"Kian and Xenon," Ido said.
"There are more Dark Lord wizard dudes?" Cyil asked.
"I will forgive you this once since you are still young and ignorant," Ido said darkly, fixing Cyil with his cold gaze, "but do not hold such contempt for us ever again. We are wizards of the High Council of Magic."
Cyil shrunk under Ido's chilling aura that demanded respect, unable to make one of his normal careless retorts. He could only nod in obedience and quickly scurry back to the others.
"That guy's scary," he said to Aavern.
"Well, he is the first real wizard we've met since Azor and Ezarik," Aavern replied, glancing over at Ido, standing straight and tall, with his eyes closed, leaning slightly against a tall rock sticking out of the desert. The figure he displayed was unnervingly confident, as if he knew that nothing in the world could hurt him.
"I kind of want to fight him. We didn't get to finish last time," Qassot muttered.
"You're starting to sound like Dracoa," Cyil commented.
"She's still not here," Aavern muttered. "I thought that Kyle guy was good at searching, seeing how fast he is."
"Can't the wizards just find her with magic or something?" Cyil asked, about to turn and wander over to Ido and pose his question, but he immediately decided otherwise.
"Nevermind," he muttered, "that would probably disrespect wizards or something."
Qassot and Aavern turned to look at Cyil in disbelief. They had never seen him act according to respect.
"Who are you and what have you done with Cyil?" Aavern asked, creating a cluster of balls of light behind him.
Cyil squeaked in surprise and ran to hide behind Riselus, who was also looking at Cyil in surprise.
"See, look!" Qassot said. "You've even got Riselus confused. That's the most emotion I've ever seen on his face."
"Ido's scary," Cyil mumbled. "Gotta be careful."
Aavern put his light balls away and turned back to Qassot.
"Okay… so we still need Kyle to find Cyil," he said. Qassot nodded in agreement.
"Hey!" Cyil said in a pouty voice, hopping out from behind Riselus, who had immediately returned to his usual expression. "I'm right here!"
Qassot and Aavern ignored him, and started to discuss ways to find Cyil and Dracoa. Cyil looked up at Riselus for help, but Riselus had his eyes closed and seemed to be sleeping.
"You're all so mean," Cyil pouted.
A sudden, distant rumble sounded through the air, like the sound of two islands smashing together mixed in with the roar of a thousand angry dragons. It was shortly followed by two explosions that shook the air. The Gem Keepers looked towards the mountains in surprise, but could not see anything, their view blocked by the dense mist.
A low, cold voice that radiated command cut through the chatter, silencing everyone in an instant.
"Quiet," Ido said. "You lack awareness."
"What do you mean?" Qassot asked.
"An enemy could sneak up behind you at any moment, and here you are, engaging in horseplay."
"Can't we just beat them up?" Cyil asked, then immediately covered his mouth.
Ido let out a cold laugh, unfolding his arms and getting off the rock he was leaning on.
"You think you can beat anything just because you have gained a little bit of power. Your arrogance knows no bounds."
"What's arrogance?" Cyil asked.
Ido turned to look at Cyil.
Cyil hid behind Riselus.
Ido sighed and leaned back onto the rock.
"When your pride causes you to lose someone close to you, you will understand," he said, his cold voice bringing the temperature of the air down with a chilling sigh.
"Don't be so harsh, you're scaring them," a deep, commanding voice said, emerging from the fog as they heralded the arrival of what could only be described as a very imposing man.
He was a tall man with wide shoulders, and unlike the other wizards the gem keepers had met before, his body was well-toned and muscular. His gray-green eyes seemed to shift slightly in color as he moved, roaming around and lightly glancing over each of the four gathered gem keepers in turn. His dark blonde hair was neatly arranged on his head around well-defined features that must be considered attractive for humans. His powerful legs were covered with belt-fastened tough black pants and brown boots that looked like they could break stone by walking on it. Draped over his upper body, rolled up at the sleeves and left open at the front, revealing the man's bare, muscular chest, was a heavy trench coat that billowed in the gentle wind. His powerful forearms were covered almost up to the elbow by gold-trimmed leather gauntlets, with holes cut to allow his strong fingers to clench into a fist as he walked.
The man strode up to Ido's side with powerful steps and an aura that commanded a different kind of respect than Ido. While Ido seemed to demand etiquette and thought, this man seemed to exhibit overwhelming power.
Cyil automatically shrunk back at the sight of the man, who would have towered well over Axel as if he were a child, if he were there.
"Xenon," Ido said. "You're late."
"I got here as soon as I could," Xenon said, his gaze sweeping back over the four gem keepers as he walked slowly and purposefully over to them.
"Did you hear that?" Ido asked.
Xenon nodded curtly. "Do you have any idea what that was?"
"It sounded like Kyle just caused an avalanche running around," Ido said, his voice laced with barely contained anger. "He's clearly messing around."
"I thought we were meeting at your castle," Xenon said, ignoring Ido's complaint.
"That was the idea," Ido replied. "But Kyle was taking too long to bring these four back, so I came out myself. Turns out they're just immature fools with no sense of urgency."
"Where is Kyle now?"
"Searching for the last of them."
Xenon frowned. "Won't he go back to the castle once he gets back?"
"He'll find his way," Ido said with an unworried wave of his hand. "That man needs to use his brain more often."
Ido changed the subject before Xenon could express his disapproval for this idea.
"Introductions are in order," he said.
"My name is Xenon, elder of the High Council of Magic," Xenon said, bringing both his arms forwards and slamming his fist into his open palm in front of him in a strange greeting. The shockwave from the impact sent a blast of wind flowing throughout His voice and movements carried a sense of authority that made Qassot draw her sword smoothly and swing it into a warrior's salute, bending to one knee as if greeting a king.
"I am Qassot, keeper of the Water Gem," Qassot said politely.
Xenon's eyes flickered with an otherworldly light as his unmoving mouth curled ever so slightly upwards.
"A warrior dragon. One with exceptional manners, as well. I have not seen one of you since the Elder Empire."
"Riselus," Riselus grunted. "Earth Gem."
Xenon looked Riselus over and nodded slightly, then turned to Cyil, who was hiding behind Riselus's leg.
Cyil only gaped at Xenon. He had no idea what was happening, but he felt that he needed to come up with some sort of polite greeting befitting his status.
"Uh…" he stammered, holding up a leg and making a few weak flames splutter into existence. "I- I'm Cyil. I make fire and stuff."
Xenon ignored Cyil's horrible attempt at a greeting.
"I'm Aavern," Aavern said. "Light Gem keeper and also this group's strategist. There's one more in our group. Dracoa isn't here right now, though."
"I assume Kyle is out searching for Dracoa?" he asked, turning to Ido. Ido nodded.
"Despite his speed, he's quite slow at searching," Ido muttered, clearly ready to scold Kyle about causing an avalanche while running around instead of doing his job, then turned to Xenon. "When is Kian getting here?"
"He's been gone for a month or so." Xenon replied. "He left a note saying that he would go ahead of us to meet with the Council."
"With what magic?" Ido asked. "He doesn't know how to make a portal."
"He's had some free time cooped up in that fortress of his," Xenon said with a sigh, crossing his arms in front of him.
"Then we're just waiting on Kyle, then."
Xenon nodded.
"Did Kian properly seal the gem this time?" Ido suddenly asked. "We don't want a repeat of what happened last time."
Xenon paused.
"He didn't, did he?" Ido asked. When Xenon shook his head, Ido let out a long sigh.
"That absent-minded idiot," Ido muttered, getting up from the rock and turning to leave.
"Huh?" Aavern said, suddenly snapping up. "Are we going now?"
"No," Ido said. "I just need to fix a problem that Kian left behind."
"Oh," Aavern said, slowly sitting back down.
"Your lack of patience shows your immaturity," Ido scoffed, then turned and strode away without another word.
"Well he's a real ball of sunshine," Cyil grumbled.
Riselus sighed.
"Hey, don't tell me you agree with him?" Cyil said, turning around to look at Riselus with hurt eyes.
Riselus just closed his eyes and didn't respond.
"I want to follow him," Cyil said, immediately disregarding the subject he was just talking about. "Its pretty boring just waiting here."
"What are the chances Kyle doesn't know where we are?" Aavern asked suddenly.
"Pretty high," Cyil responded. "That would probably explain why he's taking so long."
"Where'd Qassot go?" Riselus asked suddenly.
"Huh?"
"Wasn't she right here?" Aavern asked, looking around.
As Aavern scanned the surrounding fog-covered dunes, he could see no sign of the sword-wielding teal dragon.
"I sent her after Ido," Xenon replied.
"Why?"
"Just a hunch."
"Doesn't Axel say that occasionally?" Aavern asked.
"That's just your imagination," Cyil replied.
-
Qassot quietly followed behind Ido as he strode across the sand dunes. The gentle crunch of sand underneath Ido's boots synchronized perfectly with the steady footfall of Qassot. He walked in complete silence, standing tall among the dark mist, walking as if he knew the place by heart. His stoic demeanor seemed to disregard everything around him, but Qassot's constantly twitching supernatural sense said otherwise. At all moments, he was alert, his magic scouring the dunes around him far beyond what the eye could see in steady, regular, waves, searching for anything irregular that might pose a threat.
After walking in silence for a while, the sound of lapping waves could be heard. Ido waked towards the waves and stopped near the shore of the ocean, visible in the dense mist as the gentle breeze blew the fog out of the way.
Ido broke the vigil first.
"You're not as naïve as the others," he said quietly.
"It's just instinct," Qassot replied calmly.
Ido turned his head slightly. Qassot could barely see the glint of Ido's eye through the mist.
"You don't seem to be their leader, though."
"Aavern is better at strategy," Qassot said.
Ido shook his head. "He is too arrogant."
Qassot shifted slightly. An odd chill ran down her spine, rippling across every bone in her body. Ido sighed.
"They are all too arrogant," Ido said, shaking his head.
"Then-"
"If they continue to walk this path, they will taste the bitter truth in the near future," Ido said quietly. He dipped his head slightly, turning back to face the ocean and folding his arms behind his back. From Qassot's view behind him, the dignified man in front of her seemed slightly forlorn.
"I see," Qassot murmured. It was the only thing she could say. Rippling chills kept sweeping down her spine, rooting her in place.
Ido raised his head to the sky, closing his eyes and letting out a long breath as the fog began to clear slowly, blown by the gentle, cold wind into thin, wispy strands, methodically swept away, deeper inland.
"Do you sense it?" Ido asked. His voice came as a quiet whisper. "The beings you are challenging?"
A chill ran down Qassot's spine as she suddenly realized what this strange sensation she had been feeling was. Qassot quickly focused her mind on the chills running up and down her body, then gasped and almost collapsed.
An immense power, magic denser and more powerful than that of anything she had ever seen.
Greater than the sleeping ice dragon under Ysk Mountain, who froze the air with her very breath.
Greater than the violent infernal dragon that drove them out of Ezarik's castle, scorching the ground with his mere presence.
Greater even than the dreadful power she felt from Shadowfang when he unleashed the full power of his magic against the Overseer, destroying the upper-dimensional being in one attack.
A power so vast, deep, and dark that her mind threatened to slip away from merely sensing it.
"Kluxon has awoken," Ido said quietly, his words slipping into her mind like thin strands of despair. "He has his gem."
Qassot shivered and struggled out of her trance, her eyes snapping open as she instinctively drew her sword and crouched into a battle stance. She could not see the Elder Dragon who was now awake and ready to wreak havoc on the world, but ever-present in her mind, like a looming, inevitable shadow, was its presence, drawing ever closer.
Ido gently lay a hand on Qassot's shoulder.
"We need to regroup with the others. Let's go."
Qassot watched as Ido quickly turned and strode across the dunes, frozen briefly at Ido's quick decision, but then hastily followed suit, casting one last glance behind her lest she see the looming figure of an impossibly powerful Elder Dragon descending on her to end her existence with its mere presence.