Borgan barely had the time to wedge his staff in the dog's mouth just as it came in for a bite. Miria had already rushed to Lemina's side as Shade gently laid her down and went to the aid of Azuren.
As before, the Agribot resumed showering the magical shield that Azuren had created. It beeped wildly as Shade's metal darts entered its already damaged circuitry from the back. It foolishly turned to confront her...
...giving Azuren and his staff the chance to launch a powerful stream of water into the same weak spot.
The metal monster seemed to convulse as it completely shorted out and collapsed onto the roof.
Shade winked at her fellow dragon. Azuren nodded with a slight blush and turned see the last enemy's demise.
As soon as the Agribot had been put out of commission, the roof doorway burst open. Without hesitation, Randall and Talm rushed the Bronze Dog and severed its back legs as before. Borgan was nearly crushed as he tried to scurry away from the collapse of its body.
Ryko and Kara came down hard, Jan's sword and spiked heels first into its neck. A single spread of lightning bolts from Thundra took its second chance at life away.
Thundra chirped a bit when Ryko left Lemina's bedside.
As Lemina, Borgan and Miria were taken care of (and Kara collapsed lazily on a bed in the mansion), Shade brought Ryko, Randall and Talm out to the front gate of Vane. Evening was almost upon them.
Azuren quickly transformed into his dragon form and flew off.
"It's been a tough chase... and I think you'd better rest up a bit now. We'll follow the wizard as best as we can and try to find out what happened to the other dragons," she spoke.
The trio nodded and watched as the woman's body shifted into that of the Black Dragon of Althena.
"We'll come back with any information as soon as possible. Make sure the others are healed... I fear we maybe in the midst of something horrific," Shade thundered, then spread her gigantic wings and took off.
Ryko and Talm turned to re-enter the town gates and ascend the hill-based staircase.
"I'm beat," the ninja muttered.
The martial artist nodded and added, "I wish we could somehow get our stuff back from Meribia..."
"Ryko...what are you doing here in Vane with your friends?"
She turned to face Randall... dreading his upcoming questions as she shivered. Talm intelligently continued into the town and back to the mansion.
"Um... it's a long story," Ryko stammered.
Randall crossed his arms.
"I'd like to hear it... particularly after the recent commotion and those strange monsters nearly wrecked the town and killed the Premier's family."
A sweat drop formed on Ryko's chilled brow.
"All right... Horam was attacked by monsters a few days ago. You've no doubt heard about the recent rise in their activity lately..."
He nodded.
"Okay," Ryko continued, "Since so many were injured... and due to the fact that I heard a little bit of information about some sort of search for a sword... the dojo master sent the three of us to represent Horam at that conference."
She quickly went on, not letting Randall interrupt with an obvious question.
"During the course of the meeting, we met the Junior Premier and the two dragons of Althena. However, as we trained during a break, the three of them informed us that an assassin had tried to kill the High Priest of Azado and escaped with the Goddess Crest. We chased him through the sewers and all the way here since he planned on taking the Black Dragon's Crest as well... unfortunately, the wizard escaped while we were sidetracked in the trial caves..."
Ryko trailed off as the ground started to rumble. Both of them turned to face the west. Their mouths dropped as a huge white steamship thundered in their direction.
They rushed partway up the steps and watched as it approached, slowed and then came to a halt at the side of the hill.
Boomer, his tail aflame, came screeching in pain out of the doorway leading below the deck of the Destiny.
"YOU WERE WARNED!" the dragon-cat Ruby yelled as she flew after him in a fiery rage.
The lizard bounded all over the deck until he reached Ronfar's leg... and subsequently wrapped around it.
"Hey! What are you up to?!" the young man blurted out, chewing on a weed as usual. He tried to remove Boomer from his leg until he saw the irate Ruby circling. "Oh... he tried to sleep on you again, eh Ruby?"
Smoke fumed from beneath the fangs of her mouth as she turned even more red than usual.
"Worse! Now let me cook him!"
Ronfar laughed as he slowed the Destiny.
"Easy there... remember that you are a quite attractive little kitty, as well as a beauty of a dragon... easy to see why Nall likes you," Ronfar joked with a smirk.
Ruby exhaled violently...
Mauri came out onto the deck of the DragonShip Destiny when she felt it suddenly stop moving. The water serpents accompanied the beast-girl... and were obliged to douse both Ronfar and Boomer after Ruby had blackened both their faces with her flame breath.
"*cough, cough* We're here, love... sorry Ruby," Ronfar murmured.
Mauri giggled slightly at the sight.
"Yes, I guess it's time to disembark... I hope Vane hasn't had to endure the same problems as Meribia," she spoke as the group headed down the stairs to the ground below.
They found a pair of surprised humans waiting at the foot of the stairs: a young girl in a martial artist's uniform and a middle-aged man in a white tunic.
"Wha... what is that thing?" the girl said.
Ronfar looked at Boomer, then Ruby, then the drakes.
"Pets, I guess."
"No, the ship," the girl responded with an irritated look.
Mauri responded after watching Ronfar slap himself.
"This is the DragonShip Destiny, formerly the vessel of my brother Leo and Althena's Guard. I am Mauri and this is Ronfar, from Raculi."
The man stepped forward.
"Of course, I've heard of both the Destiny and you, Priestess Mauri. I just never had the pleasure of seeing any of you," he said with a grin, "I am Randall, a magic teacher here and former resident of Horam like Ryko here."
He bowed to each. Ryko followed in suit after glancing at the strange creatures that accompanied the priests.
"Enough with the pleasantries... has Vane been attacked or was the Black Dragon's Crest taken yet?" Ruby forcefully asked.
Their mouths dropped again, both at the fact that the winged cat had talked and also that she knew EXACTLY what had occurred.
"Unfortunately, yes-" Randall started.
Ryko interrupted, "Of course... that wizard has two crests and nearly wiped out Lemina and her family with undead beasts. You just missed the blue and black dragons leaving from here... we completely lost him in the fights..."
"DAMN!" Ruby yelled, taking to the air and trying to locate Shade or Azuren. Both were out of her sight in the nearly dark skies.
Ronfar looked alarmed.
"Blondie was almost killed?! Mauri, we'd better stop here for the night and see if we can help."
Mauri nodded and added, "You say you're from Horam... I suppose you must be the ones that accompanied Lemina all the way here then."
"I was one of them," Ryko responded.
"We'll have a couple of questions once the kid's okay again," Ruby answered as she returned to a perch on Ronfar's shoulder. "I'd go after them but I care about Lemina as well," she finished, displaying her 'soft side' for once.
Mauri, Boomer and the drakes started up the stairway.
Ronfar followed... then stopped abruptly.
"Can you two watch the Destiny for a few minutes? We don't want it stolen by malevolent mages again," the gambler quested. "We'll send some guards to watch it for the night as soon as we get to the mansion."
Randall nodded in agreement, watched as Ronfar and the winged cat climbed the stairs and then turned to a shaking Ryko.
"Ryko, I noticed that you used Jan's sword in an attack on the roof... might I ask why you're carrying it... and why she isn't with you? You're best friends... I'd hardly think she'd let you go off alone... particularly with her weapon," Randall spoke.
Sweating profusely, Ryko muttered, "Um... well... it's just that... I..."
She stared at her feet.
Randall walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. His expression showed no rage... yet...
"Please tell me about what has happened to my daughter. Was she injured in the attack at Horam?" he asked.
Ryko shook her head quickly, not really knowing the true answer to that question. Hesitantly, she looked up into his eyes.
"I don't know what has happened to her... the last time I saw her was before the siege at a training session. She seemed quite depressed, and apparently went out of the town to think, according to the guards," she reported softly.
Randall nodded, "Go on."
Ryko continued, her voice changing almost into a whisper.
"She never came back. I went out to search for her and found her sword next to some sort of crater by the forest. It was then that the attack started and a group of monsters happened upon me, demanding Jan's blade."
She cleared her throat. A small tear was hanging from one eyelash of her weary face.
"I fought them off and recovered all that I had left of her... they were looking for a sword, and probably mistook this one for it. I couldn't find her around or in Horam before I left for Meribia the next day."
Ryko looked down again. An uneasy pause followed.
"I'm sorry," she started.
"It's not your fault... Jan could take care of herself," Randall responded in a regular tone, without a hint of anger on his face. "If you didn't find her body, then there should still be hope... but I'm very curious to find out just what happened to her... a crater you say?"
Ryko nodded, feeling ready to break into tears.
"Even if something somehow 'landed' on her, you would have still found her body. I fear that something else may have happened..."
"I have no ideas."
Randall nodded and replied, "Then I wish to join you for awhile... until the fate of my daughter Jan is revealed... there's certainly not going to be any classes to teach for a few days after the recent events."
Ryko looked at up and saw the father of Jan with hope in his eyes.
"Yes... and I hope that it isn't related to these crest stealing events... I'm surprised you're not angry, Randall," she said quickly.
"I'm not mad with you... I'm just very... worried. I don't want to lose my child...y our friend..."
He grew quiet.
The guards that Ronfar and Mauri had sent for shuffled down the steps and informed them to go to the mansion and rest. The two silently followed the orders as the soldiers and mages climbed aboard the Destiny to guard it.
Thundra remained on a perch in Lemina's room, watching intently as a priest did his best to revive the Junior Premier. Her song was soft and sad.
The doorway nearly burst open as a man with a bandanna on his head entered. A half-beast, half-woman followed.
"Let a real master get in here," Ronfar boasted as he took a position by the side of the bed and began his healing litanies.
Mauri glanced up at the perch and noticed the raven. It was a very odd bird... not at all unlike those lizards...
As if on cue, Boomer, Ruby and water drakes flew in the doorway, followed by a glum-faced Ryko.
Thundra screeched happily, prompting all of them except the sleeping Lemina to stare at her.
Surprised, Mauri watched as the bird started to fly herself and landed next to Boomer and the drakes, chirping happily. The lizards' muzzles seemed to twist nearly into the shape of grins as they growled back.
"Looks like the bird has something against boomer-head too," Ruby scoffed.
Mauri shook her head.
"Actually, it looks like they know each other...they seem to be friends based on how happy they are now. I should ask Lemina about that bird when she awakes."
Boomer, Thundra and the drakes were indeed quite happy to see each other... they were no longer alone on Lunar (though each of them had made their own friends by now on this world). Now if only Alisia and the others were okay...
Ryko walked out of the room to head for the roof, nearly bumping into Talm as he entered.
"She okay?"
Ryko nodded to the ninja.
"Lemina's recovering well... as are Miria and Borgan... they should all be awake tomorrow morning," she spoke and continued out of the bedchamber.
Kara and Randall were on the roof when Ryko arrived. The former knelt over the warm, still smoking form of the metal monster. The twinkling light of the stars above was the only real illumination as it glinted off the shiny hide of the creature.
"What type of monster is this?" the Bunny Karate fighter asked.
Randall shook his head.
"I've never seen anything like it... and it was powerful enough to defeat some of the most powerful mages on Lunar."
Ryko silently stood and looked at the creature. She suddenly felt a few claws on her shoulder. Her head snapped to the side to see the winged cat, who she'd learned was somehow the Red Dragon Ruby, had just landed on her.
"I have... there were metal men in Taben's Peak similar to that thing," she purred.
"But where could they be coming from... and does it have anything to do with these crest stealers and monster attacks?" Ryko replied.
"I wish I knew... maybe they're related to all this evil sword business."
Ryko glared at the feline.
"What evil sword business?"
Ruby looked back at her, then again at the Agribot.
"Some sort of Dark Scimitar has supposedly revived... a really nasty thing. We haven't found it yet though."
Randall and Kara listened intently as Ryko continued.
"Ruby, would monsters be interested in this evil blade?"
Ruby meowed, "It's supposed to hold greater power than Zophar did... I guess they would."
Ryko thought out loud.
"Then that's what they were looking for near Horam... maybe THAT was the source of the crater!"
"Eh?" Ruby quested.
Randall stepped over.
"That certainly sounds feasible... that explains the monster search parties you encountered, Ryko."
She nodded and turned to the cat.
"Ruby, could you tell us more about this 'Dark Scimitar'?"
The miniature dragon stretched out and began to flap her wings.
"All right... but I'd best tell all of you at once, including Lemina when she wakes. It'll have to wait till tomorrow..."
Randall nodded.
"Yes, it would be a good idea for all of us to get a good night of sleep. The web of problems can only grow more complicated with each successive day..."
They quietly went back into the mansion under the blackness of night...
A blackness that mirrored the darkness that now continuously spread all over Lunar...