(walks out, smiling sheepishly)

Hello again, everyone. Sorry for the long time inbetween updates, but the last month has been absolute hell on me. I have been thus far unable to write as much as I'd like, and I've been blasted by my second set of midterms. Hopefully though, the chapter's size will make it worthwhile (this things about 9,000 words long, and takes up 21 pages of my word processor)

At any rate, I want to once again thank everyone who took the time to read the story, and I hope that it was up to snuff. For those of you who left reviews, you have my sincerest gratitude.

Boo, RogueKaiser, thank you as well, and if you've got questions that you'd like to have answered, just leave me an e-mail address. Regretfully, policy has changed to where I am not allowed to respond on the chapter page anymore, for reasons I cannot fathom. I deeply apologize for this.

Lawyers- Ye knoweth the drill, refer thee to previous chapters if ye be requiring a disclaimer…

And with that out of the way, here's chapter four.

Family Reunion

The trip to Capitan took him three days of nonstop flying. The journey had taken a little longer than as the crow flew, mostly due to the amount of time that he'd had to spend weaving through mountains and around villages to avoid being spotted.

Fatigue was finally starting to wear on him though. The large Kaiser came to rest on a peak, and down below it, could see the deep harbor and cove that made up Capitan's largest financial asset. Warships moved in and out of the deep water and with his draconic vision, Ryu could see the ballistae and cannons up on their decks. There were merchant vessels as well, and some pleasure yachts owned by the rich merchants and guilds.

Capitan's many mercantile enterprises held a significant chunk of the city's power, but the ultimate power of their kingdom lay with their ruler, Henry McNeil the Third. It was he who commanded the armies, delegated taxes, and handled the other intricacies of government.

The dragon's lips curled up into a sneer and he glared down at the city. Rumors of corruption and exploitation by the merchant guilds and McNeil had reached his ears even before he and Bow had set out on that fateful journey to find Suzy all those years ago. Thieves and assassins operated openly, with buildings set up in the heart of the city. The streets were controlled by the soldiers, with the various captains and generals always vying against one another in their quest for power, and the consequences of such be damned.

Ryu shifted back to his human form. From his place on the mountain, he spotted the easiest trail to approach the city. From there, it would be a six or seven mile jog to the city gates.

He'd wrestle with the guards for a little bit as they tried to do everything in their power to make his wait an uncomfortable one, use the funds he'd acquired in the chimera's den to find himself a inn, and get some rest. From there, his next move was probably to fly to Windia, and see what Emperor Tolvin was up to, and if that job offer was still on the table.

Walking at a comfortable pace, he was able to cross the distance in a little more than two hours. There wasn't much of a line to get in, fortunately, and he approached the guards swiftly.

His helmet was off, tucked safely away in case anyone recognized the origins of the armor, and the hood of his cloak thrown back. A couple of days ago, he'd foreseen the necessity to dye his hair to be a less conspicuous color, and with the aid of a few herbs, it was now dark brown in appearance. It wouldn't last long like that, but with luck, he'd be long gone before the false color started to fade. His gauntlets and boots could pass for artistic variations on his gear, so he wasn't worried about that.

He reached the entrance to the city, noticing that the gate seemed to have been reinforced since the last time that he was here, and that there were guards everywhere. Something was going on that was pretty big.

"Name?" the guard asked, sounding perfectly bored with his duty.

"Kale Romar," Ryu said, looking at the man with a neutral expression. If this went south, he'd need to shift to his backup plan quickly.

"Occupation?"

"Soldier for hire." He crossed his arms underneath his cloak and shifted slightly.

"Mercenary," the man muttered, writing the information down on a sheet of paper. "Reason for visit?"

"Planning to enlist on a ship. I hear that they're looking for sword arms to keep the pirates away," the soldier said.

"That they are. Tell me though, have you considered keeping your feet on the ground?" the man raised an eyebrow at him. "With the war raging against the Windian Empire, the king is looking for anyone who can use a weapon."

It was a struggle to keep his face neutral. "No," Ryu said, shaking his head back and forth. "Pirates are one thing… battle hardened Windian heavy infantry and gryphonriders? Those are quite another. Little too dangerous for my tastes."

"You sure? The loot that's come back from sacking the border villages and trade route raids could get a man set for a long time." Another one of the guards said, leaning slightly on his spear.

Once more, he had to struggle to keep his expression neutral. "All the gold in the world can't help someone who's dead, now then can it?"

The guards said nothing, but waved him through. It was tempting to breathe a sigh of relief, but he didn't. As soon as he was clear of them though, he frowned and started to puzzle over what he'd been told.

There was so much going on here that it didn't make sense. He knew the capabilities of the Calitorans' kingdom, and while it was impressive, they had nothing that could match the power of the Windian Empire. When Duriak had left for Galen, he'd left the Empire in good hands and a well fortified position. As far as Ryu had been able to tell, that position hadn't changed. The Empire should have been able to squash any attempted incursion into their territory.

How were the Calitorans doing this?

He'd just have to keep his ears open for rumors and see if there was something that he could do to aid his old allies. Right now, it was time for some rest, and probably some food.

His stomach chose that exact moment to growl like an untamed beast.

Speaking of food…

"How many times have I told you to stop reading my thoughts without my permission?" Ryu hissed at the blade, making certain that no one overheard him on the streets.

Honestly? I'm not sure, I lost track after about five hundred and seventy something.

He rolled his eyes. He'd have to have a chat with Ladon at some point, and see if there wasn't some way that he could shut the sword up, or at least limit its mind reading capacities.

He was simply grateful that he'd found out that no one could hear it except for people with Brood blood in their veins. At least he wouldn't have to worry about it giving away his position, or his identity.

He went closer to the center of the city. Slums and seedy pubs dominated this sector of the city, and he would likely find a cheaper and less conspicuous place to stay there. Sure, he would have to worry about pickpockets, but he didn't have much to pick that wasn't attached to his person.

He noticed the increased number of guard patrols. The Calitorans had become increasingly paranoid. Perhaps this was evidence that all was not well? That would explain why the man was interested in recruiting him at the gates. He shook his head again. Another of Duriak's lessons had been to never employ mercenaries in your battles. Even home grown citizen soldiers or militia were to be taken over them, because at least their loyalty was to Emperor and Empire, and not to the day's wages, and little that Ryu had seen in his journeys disagreed with what his mentor had said.

After a few minutes he found a disreputable looking inn with a sign so battered that he couldn't make out the name. He walked up the door and opened it, peering inside.

The interior of the inn was smoke filled from a rather ill-kept fireplace, and full of raucous laughter from sailors, and what appeared to be more than a few thieves busying themselves with gambling, staring at the bottom of their flagons, or entertaining themselves with serving girls.

The Brood soldier frowned. Ryu didn't want to make a mess of things and start a fight by breaking some sod's fingers when he tried to pick his pocket, so he settled on an alternative plan. He felt within himself, and called upon his Dragonawe Aura. It was an ability innate to all Ascended Brood, but using it in the human form took a great deal of concentration and focusing of will, so it wasn't used often. The Aura could induce supernatural fear into an opponent, or it could be used to bolster and rally friendly troops and allies.

Certain that it was turned up to a level that would ward potential thieves, he stepped through the door. Laughter stopped as greedy eyes settled on him. The men and women inside noticed his quality plate armor, and the bag at his side. Greed turned to uneasiness as he drew near and the Aura fell over them. In some cases the expressions went so far as abject terror. One man even spilled his ale all over himself as Ryu walked within a foot of him.

He narrowed his eyes as his gaze settled on the man behind the bar. The man's hands shook slightly as he refilled a mug of ale and placed it on the counter.

"How much for a room?" Ryu asked.

"How long are you planning on staying?" There was a slight stutter to the man's voice, but he was clearly used to dealing with dangerous situations and frightening individuals. Not surprising considering the rabble in this place.

Ryu frowned. He'd forgotten that places like this usually rented out rooms based on hourly rates. He reached down into bag, and drew out a hunk of melted silver from it. It was about the size of a standard silver zenny coin, maybe a little thicker. He tossed it to the barkeep, who picked it up and bit into it. Satisfied about its authenticity, the man reached up and grabbed a key from a rack next to his head.

"That'll get you a full night and most of tomorrow, sir. Third floor, first room on the right side of the hallway," he said, gesturing in the proper direction.

"Thank you." Ryu gave a nod of his head and headed up.

The room was everything he expected it to be: a bare, Spartan room, devoid of anything that resembled furnishings aside from the bed. A myriad of odors assaulted his sensitive nose as he stepped inside the room. He grimaced and coughed a bit.

What do you smell?

"I'm not sure… and to be frank, I don't think I want to know." Ryu drew over to the bed, noting that it was a threadbare sheet that covered it. The bed was probably uncomfortable and the straw likely was in desperate need of being changed.

He'd bet hard money it was probably also swarming with fleas and lice.

He sat down on the hardwood floor, and pulled a bit of dried venison out of his bag. He ate until his stomach stopped rumbling, and then lay down on the floor. He was asleep in seconds.

The Kaiser's eyes shot open and his hands went reflexively to his weapons. There was nothing. He was alone in his room.

Jumpy much?

Ryu didn't answer the sword, but got to his feet and pulled his helmet out of his bag. He put it over his head and secured it. Then he moved around to the window. There was something in the air, something that caused a tingle in his spine. His instincts and sixth sense were telling him that something was up.

"Trust your instincts… you'll be surprised how often they're right."

Ryu remembered his master's words well, and moved over to the window. There were bars on it, probably to keep thieves and various "second-story men" from entering without permission. A few slashes from Dranak'Tal, however, made short work of them.

Thank you. It has always been my life's dream to assist someone with breaking and leaving…

"Quiet." Ryu's eyes glared around, sticking to the infrared spectrum. It was a moonless, overcast night, and it would have been nearly pitch black were it not for the lamps in the main sector of the city. The Brood soldier hopped up into the window, squeezed himself out, and took to the air. He landed on the top of a disused temple, using its large spire to see if there was some manner of commotion going on. He didn't see anything at first but he kept staring. Something had awoken him, and there was something not right in the world.

He heard it faintly, coming from the northeast. He twisted and looked over to see a number of guard patrols rushing through the streets holding torches. Frowning, Ryu began to scan the city streets and the allies that he could see.

He saw someone running through the back allies about five hundred feet ahead of them. The person was taking great pains not to be found, but the number of guards seemed to ensure detection at every turn.

He walked along, moving slowly as the soldiers flanked out and tried cutting off all avenues of escape. When the chase had moved beyond his ability to see, he took to the air, keeping himself aloft with his wings.

The fleeing individual had taken to the roofs, and was dancing over them with a speed and grace that defied belief. The build suggested a female, though he couldn't tell for certain, as the person's face and head was covered by a some kind of cloth and leather headgear that seemed vaguely familiar.

Then something made him stop short.

As the girl leapt from one room and grabbed onto a windowsill that could not have stuck out more than a quarter of an inch, he saw wings spread behind her back and flutter outwards. They were membraned, like his own, but somewhat smaller, and she only appeared to be capable of gliding rather than outright flight.

…Could it be?

Arrow fire from towers began to hiss by her, driving her from the rooftops and back into the allies. Ryu dove down as he saw guards converging on her position. A pair of throwing daggers quickly nestled into the hearts of men clad in chain mail, and she tried to break past them.

Reinforcements however, cut her off before she could break through. She drew a pair of short, one edged swords from her back as the Kaiser landed behind the group

"Give it up, you little devil," one of the soldiers said, brandishing a large blade. "Did you really think you could steal plans like that and just waltz out of here?" His voice was sneering. "Surrender now, and we may kill you quickly. Keep this up… and our torturers will have a few pleasant rounds with you."

"You think you're a match for me? Then come and get me!" She flourished her blades and rose up on the balls of her feet.

Ryu's eyes widened. He'd suspected that it might be her, the wings, blades, and the dark leather armor matched the last equipment he'd seen her with… but the voice was the clincher.

"Yua…" he breathed.

His little sister. The girl that had been separated from him for years. His eyes began to burn with an inner fire, and he drew Dranak'Tal and his gladii from their scabbards.

The noise was heard by the two or so dozen soldiers that were surrounding her, and several turned to face him, including the leader.

"What's this?" he asked. "Ohh… you have a partner?" He looked back over to the Shadow Thief. "Well, two for the price of one. The king is going to give us more gold than we know what to do with for this."

"Wealth doesn't benefit a dead man," the Kaiser growled. "If you value your heart beating and your lungs drawing breath, step away from her… now…"

"You have no idea who you're messing with, pal." The sergeant in charge of the group snarled.

"Neither do you." He narrowed his eyes to a glare.

"Get him!" the man shouted.

Three soldiers broke away from the group. Two had axes, one a spear, and all wore splint mail. The Brood soldier focused on them, his mind analyzing every detail that he could, looking for any weakness that he could exploit, while simultaneously assuming one of the battle stances he'd been taught. Steel Heart seemed appropriate in this case, a defensive style.

The first one raised his large battle axe above his head and prepared to try and cleave his skull open. Ryu twisted like he was going to dodge left, and then shifted the other direction at the last second. Simplistic, but effective. The man guessed wrong, and stumbled by him. His gladii came in, and buried itself into the man's spine.

Ryu ripped the blade to the side, spilling entrails all over the cobblestone street behind him. He caught the next battle axe against the parrying blades of Dranak'Tal, before ripping the weapon out of the man's hands. His subsequent actions were a blur. The rune blade dove in, sliced through the splint mail of the man's shoulder, and continued until it emerged just above the right hip. He fell apart in the street as Ryu charged past, heading for his final adversary.

The man tried to block with his spear, but the thick wood didn't even exist as far as his weapons were concerned. They carved through it, and took the man's head from his shoulders.

Clean up on alley six, we've got us some gushers here.

Ryu didn't even spare the three bodies behind him a glance. He just glared at the sergeant, his eyes formed into a hate filled glare.

"Last chance. Back. Off." He brandished the two swords, and let the men see the blood dripping off their edges.

"No mercy!"

With that order, the battle was joined. Ryu didn't hesitate and focused his will into an Eldritch attack. Purple flames crackled and danced over the length of both of his weapons. He swung Dranak'Tal through the air, and the attack leapt from the blade, forming a half moon shaped wave of energy. At the same time, he jabbed his gladii forward and a jet of purple black light shot off the end.

The wave hit two men, blasting through their armor and cleaving them in half. The jet performed similarly, leaving a hole the size of a dinner plate in the target's chest as it burned armor and flesh alike to ash.

Then he summoned up his scutum and braced himself. The rest of the swarm was on him in an instant. Fury powered each of his blows as he struggled to reach his sister. She seemed to be holding her own, but he would not risk fate being kind to him.

He reached up and blocked an attack by a man with a war hammer. The weapon rebounded off the summoned scutum with a loud bong that jarred the Kasier's arm. He took advantage of the slight hole that opened up in the man's guard to surge forward and impale him on the blade, making certain to keep his left side covered with the shield that he was carrying.

He twisted Dranak'Tal in the wound before withdrawing the blade, spinning around and decapitating another soldier that was closing in on his right side.

The battle was slowing down now, at least to Ryu. Adrenaline was kicking in and his Brood reflexes taking over. His foes seemed to be moving like they were wading through a river or were completely underwater. As he ran another man through, he saw Yua leap up and grab a balcony with her left hand. She pulled herself up out of the reach of her foes, where she produced a throwing knife and buried it right between the sergeant's eyes. The man hit the ground and began to twitch.

The Kaiser simultaneously blocked a pair of strikes with his shield, and parried a downward chop with Dranak'Tal. The God-forged weapon nearly cleaved the sword of his opponent clean in half, and with a heave, Ryu threw his adversary off balance. The man drew a short sword, and out of instinct, Ryu kicked. His taloned feet tore through the man's steel bracer, through flesh, through bone. The soldier howled and lurched backwards clutching at a stump that was spewing blood everywhere. He twisted down a side alley and bolted from sight.

By now, oil lamps were being lit in the buildings around them, and curious citizens were sticking their heads out. Ryu growled as he realized this. It was not the low profile that he'd wanted to keep, but his sister's safety was paramount. He had just found her again, and he wasn't about to let her die on a Calitoran blade.

There were only five men surrounding him now, the rest had taken off after his sister. The Kaiser growled. He didn't have time for this. He simultaneously blocked an axe strike and cleaved a man in half vertically. Then he banished his shield and brandished his shorter blade. Then he assumed a Cobra stance, tightening his grip upon both swords, before unleashing hell.

Ryu transformed into a cyclone of whirling blades and death. He rolled out of the way of an attack, startling everyone with his speed and flexibility, and as he rose up, he slashed Dranak'Tal across one of his opponent's legs. He gave a scream and toppled backwards, his severed femoral arteries becoming a silent testimony to the fact that he had mere minutes to live now.

The rune blade came up and blocked a downward strike by a man armed with a bastard sword. The weapon's own momentum drove it down against the other sword, and Ryu came to the conclusion that it there must have been a flaw in the blade, given that it sliced itself in half. The man had barely begun to register the sudden reversal in the odds when the Kaiser's gladii was driven into his chest and twisted. At the same time, this put Ryu out of range of a spear thrust.

Wrenching his weapon free, the Brood soldier twisted it around and held it knife fighter style. He swung it outward and parried another axe catching it on the tip end of the wide blade. Dranak'Tal sailed in, blurring across the man's arms and neatly slicing them off midway between the wrist and the elbow. As soon as he'd finished, Ryu reversed the direction of the attack and took the man's head off.

Two left.

He twisted out of the way of the final spear carrier, lashing out with his foot and cutting through the wooden pole with his armored talons. He gave no quarter, no mercy. The man died with a scream, his body cut in half.

The last man, panicking and whimpering like a new born kitten, launched himself forward in a suicidal charged that was doomed from the start. His war hammer raised over his head, he was completely blindsided when the Brood soldier twisted out of the way and slammed his weapons into the man's back. His spine punctured by the crystalline rune blade, and the gladii protruding from his chest, he expired, blood dribbling from his mouth.

The entire fight had lasted less than twelve seconds.

Ryu, I think we are at the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship…

"Why would Ladon create such a blood-crazed weapon?" the Kaiser grumbled as he started off into the alleys, looking left and right for his sister.

'Tis not so much blood thirstiness as the fact that I have been bored out of my proverbial skull for three millennia and am so happy to be back in action. The blade giggled manically for a few moments.

Ryu certainly hoped that it would calm down and be less… aggressive, as time passed. He'd just have to wait and see. For now, he had a sibling to locate. It didn't take very long.

"Pssst," he heard a hiss and twisted to see a heated figure standing in one of the allies. He recognized her instantly and drew close. She still had her swords drawn, he noted, and was definitely glaring at him. "I don't know who you are Brood-Boy, and I'm not about to thank you for that little display of chivalry until I know who you are and what you're after."

"Are you always like this towards someone who pulls your tail out of the fire, Yua?" he asked raising an eyebrow, and seeing if it got a reaction from her.

It did. Her blades flashed up, and she entered a battle stance. "I don't know who you are, buster, but you've got three seconds to spill it or, Brood or not, I'm planting these in your neck."

"You don't recognize me… I'm hurt." He shook his head, but he smiled behind his mask. "I'm sure mother and father are simply thrilled about how well their children know each other." He finished by adjusting the Dragon's Tear to where it could be seen by her.

"Impossible…" she gasped, and glared at him. "What kind of a trick is this?"

"You have certainly become paranoid in the years I've been gone," he reached up and unstrapped his helmet, before taking it off. Even with his hair dyed the color that it was, she was certain to recognize him.

There was a look of surprise that came over her masked face, and slowly, the two short swords returned to their sheathes, one over the left shoulder, the other at the right hip. Then she bolted forward and wrapped her arms around the young soldier. He could hear her laughing and sobs of joy starting to make its way into her voice.

"How?" She asked him, looking up into his green eyes. "How? I watched you Ascend," she beat her fists against his armored chest, hissing a bit in pain as she did, but ignoring it. "I watched you do what mom did…"

"Yua…"

"Yes?"

"Air… please…" her brother gasped.

She let go immediately, and Ryu took a deep breath. He panted for a moment and then shook his head, before quickly putting his helmet back on.

Heh, quite a grip for such a skinny little kid.

Yua's hands flew back to her blades and she glared around, searching for the source of the voice. Her eyes were narrowed to glare, and Ryu couldn't help but chuckle. At the same time, he was worried. Yua was a thief, granted. But what could possibly be making her so jumpy like this?

"Dranak'Tal," he held the blade up to where she could see it better. "A good blade… but one with a bizarre personality to say the least." He stared down at it as the weapon began to giggle again.

"Not to sound impolite, bro, but can we catch up later?" Yua asked, putting the toe of her boot into the ground and digging around with it. "I've got half the Capitan armed forces searching for me at the moment and I need to get out of here."

"Lead the way," he raised his swords and fell into line behind her.

She was off in a flash, leading him through the back allies and side streets of the port city. Every now and then, they'd have to stop and take cover in the alleys as patrols rushed by, searching for them. They ranged in size from standard six man forces all the way up to forty man platoons and at least one two hundred man company. Ryu found himself wondering what it was that his sister had stolen to mobilize the army like this. Not even the royal jewels or the crown itself would likely cause this kind of a fuss.

Fortunately, both of them were skilled enough at sneaking to remain out of sight and use the shadows as their allies. Within half an hour of their reunion, brother and sister had managed to make their way to the walls. The guards here were even more alert than the ones in the city proper, and it left Ryu wondering what their next plan of action was. He could always Ascend, but he didn't feel like blowing his cover. Ladon had warned him that things were afoot in the land, and that stealth was the best option right now. He'd already left a dozen or so bodies behind him in the alleyway, and he was sure that at least one person had seen him.

He watched the guards carefully. They were alert, but hadn't randomized their patrols, which meant that someone with the proper timing could simply sneak past them. In their defense, "proper timing" would require that one scale the walls, get across them, and then get back out of sight before a good minute had passed.

"Any ideas?" he muttered to Yua.

"Yeah, I've still got some tricks up my sleeve." She gestured to the building next to them. "Hope you can climb."

In response, he spread his wings from behind his cloak, and took to the air, landing on a balcony a few feet below the top of the building. Yua had nodded her head, and then scaled the wall with speed and grace that would have left a spider green with envy.

"Nice trick," she muttered, nodding towards his new additions.

"They're not the only thing that's changed," he muttered. "The gauntlets and boots aren't for decretive purposes."

He didn't ask what her plan was. He had faith enough in her. Thieves didn't work as long as she had without getting exceptionally good at their jobs. She reached down into her belt, and pulled out a small gem. She closed her eyes and seemed to focus on it. The small stone started to glow black, and when Yua reopened her eyes, Ryu could see that they also looked like shinning obsidian.

Ryu almost chuckled when he noticed that there was a heavy fog that started to roll in. The due waited a few minutes as it settled in, and could faintly hear the guards calling for torches to be distributed. They saw their opening, and as one, they took it. Ryu flew, while his sister glided to the wall, landed without a sound, and then jumped over it, spreading her wings and gliding down to the far end.

Both siblings took off running just as soon as their feet hit the ground, smirking to each other as they left their enemies behind.

They ran for some time, until they'd covered several miles and left Capitan far behind. As they crested a hill that was some distance from the main road, Ryu turned to face his sister.

"I think you owe me an explanation now," he raised an eyebrow at her and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Suppose I do," Yua muttered, sighing and pulling out a couple of scroll cases. As Ryu leaned over to look at them, she opened up the first one.

Soldier's instincts and lessons long past told him in an instant that he was staring at a series of campaign maps and attack plans… the Calitoran plan of attacks. He could see a number of upcoming strikes planned for the border regions of the Empire. Probing attacks, he realized. They were trying to gauge the capability of the Windians to respond to incursions against spread out and lightly defended targets.

"I heard there was a war on, and that some places got raided…" the Kaiser stared back at his sister.

"Multiple wars, actually," Yua's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he could see her tense. "The Calitorans press us from the east, while Evrai forces attack from the southwest. We're focusing mostly on beating back the Evanites… Emperor Tolvin figured that a higher priority should be placed on the religious fanatics bent on bringing about Armageddon than the cutthroats looking for a cheap profit."

"Can't fault his logic there," Ryu shrugged. "What preparations have been taken?"

"We've set up patrols and dispatched fifteen divisions, ten legions and five wings of gryphon riders to shore up the garrisons along the southwest and we're preparing a campaign to repel them from their beachheads, and ultimately, to assault Evrai itself." The girl said looking up at him. He seemed to be nodding approvingly.

Ryu was tempted to whistle. Tolvin was living up to the old adage of the best defense being a good offense. Divisions held ten thousand troops to themselves, divided among light infantry, archers, and other troops, who were adept at rapid movements across open battlefields and outflanking the enemy. They also held an integrated unit of cavalry, about five hundred strong.

Legions held six thousand frontline soldiers each, and were markedly different from their Division brothers. Soldiers in those units were equipped with heavy plate armor, and either a hefty tower shield and a large spear, a pike, halberd, or some other kind of polearm, or a heavy two handed weapon like a poleaxe or a greatsword. And all of them carried sharp edged thrusting sword. As Duriak had told him in one of his rare humorous moments, the legion "put the 'heavy' back in heavy infantry." Though they were slower moving than the light infantry of the Divisions, in a pitched battle the heavily armored and well armed legionnaires could smash a light infantry formation into lots, and lots, of useless pieces. They were also superb at holding defensive positions, and featured organic support units such as sappers, ballistae and a small detachment of heavy cavalry.

Gryphon wings, though, were what made the Windian military feared world round. The riders were elite soldiers, trained from an early age to handle the fearsome creatures and to fight while controlling their mounts. From up on high, they would survey the battlefield, relay information to the commanders, and could also use their storm lances to devastating effect on the unprepared. Each wing held four hundred riders, their mounts, and the handlers to care for the griffons.

All three units also brought along support in the form of magic users like clerics and combat magi, and were trained extensively in mingling together and forming combined units that could complement each other.

All in all, Emperor Tolvin was deploying nearly a quarter of a million troops to the southern front. An impressive display of force, no doubt intended to send the message of "we will no longer tolerate you raiding our cities and hauling people off for the purposes of slave labor and religious sacrifices."

Then he realized something. "What's this 'we' bit that you're going on about?" he stared at her. "Don't tell me that you're…"

"Yep, I work for the Emperor now, the Left Hand, as it were… though some would call it the underhand…" Ryu could tell that she was smirking behind her silk mask.

"And what exactly is it that you do?" he cocked his head to one side and stared at her pointedly.

"Oh, the usual, espionage, counter espionage, removal of foreseen and unforeseen targets of opportunity behind enemy lines…"

"Assassination, in other words." Ryu raised an eyebrow. He found it hard to imagine that his sister would be able to do something like that. How?

"It's not easy, and sometimes it gets to you," she shrugged. "But then I remind myself that these bastards are destroying people's lives and butchering civilians to fatten their bank accounts, and I find it a little easier to go through with. Speaking of which," she reached down into her belt and pulled out a slightly bloody finger with a gold signet ring on it, "in the morning, King McNeil is going to discover that war minister Takar has tragically lost his head in the wake of my infiltration."

Ye Gods, that was lame…

Yua glared down at the blade. "Just tonight I've managed to steal the Calitorans' battle plans, the blueprints for their town and the castle, and at least temporarily castrate their military chain of command. What have you done?"

Well, let's see, there's the time that I butchered a bunch of demons in the God War, and eventually killed a couple of deities… The times that I fought in the Dragon Wars and killed, one moment let me do the math… the rune blade muttered intelligibly for a few moments, with the occasional thought of "carry the six" and "multiply by the coefficient factor of thirty seven." Round to four significant digits and… was personally responsible for the defeat, dismemberment, and-or deaths of no less than ten thousand nine hundred and twenty Dark Dragon troops, demons, monsters, beasts and other miscellaneous creepy crawlies…

Neither of the two Brood said anything. Ryu raised an eyebrow again, while Yua just gawked.

"What of the others?" Ryu asked. "Katt, Bow…"

"Well, the kitten and pooch hooked up with each other," Yua said as she started to tap things off on their fingers. "They're currently running an extension of the Ranger's guild at Township—which is fine and hasn't been hit too hard by the war—" she held up a hand to stop the inevitable question. "Sten's back at High Fort, haven't heard too much from them lately, not sure what it is that they're doing. Rand and Jean also went back home, and Spar… well, with Grassmen, who knows?" She paused, and then frowned, scratching the back of her head. "And Nina…"

"What, she's okay, right?" Ryu took a step forward, his right hand coming out from underneath his cloak and gently grabbing his sister's wrist.

"Yes, and no…" Yua said. "Physically she's fine, and she's opened up a magic academy at Township, probably one of the reasons the Evrai folks steer nice and clear of that place." Ryu nodded in agreement. The raven winged magi had left quite the impression on the Saint Evans headquarters… as well as several large craters. "She managed to bring her sister back from being the Great Bird."

"What?" Ryu gawked at his sister. "I thought that was supposed to be impossible."

"Well, she found some way to reverse it. I don't know the details about it, I just know that it involved the shamans, some really rare spell components, and her risking her life so many times it wasn't even funny." Yua shrugged her shoulders. "And while she's overjoyed… her people… that stupid legend."

The Kaiser bowed his head. Nina's black wings were, according to some ancient prophecy, an omen of destruction, and the majority of the population wanted to see her killed as a demon.

"I see," Ryu stared down at the ground.

"That's not everything, brother." He could hear a cold rage seeping into his sister's voice. "You're not scot-free either. Ryu, you hurt her."

"How badly?" he whispered. He'd been afraid of this. Everything had its consequences, and nothing came without cost.

"I don't know. She used to make a little pilgrimage to see you ever three or four months. I went with her once," Yua stared back in the direction of Windia. "You don't know how much she hated what you did. You could have at least warned her."

He sighed. "I wanted to spare her the pain."

"Spare her the pain?" Yua was gaping at him her eyes wide with disbelief. "What in the name of our mother were you thinking, you idiot?" In a flash, she'd drawn one of her blades and thumped him over the head with the butt end of it.

The helmet absorbed most of the blow, but he still felt the impact quite readily. He grunted, but made no move to defend himself.

"What the hell was she supposed to think, just watching you lying there like that? Do you know how many times that I saw her bawl her eyes out, thinking that she'd lost you forever?" She shook her head.

"I'm sorry," Ryu said, hanging his head, the ground suddenly looking rather appealing to her.

"Don't apologize to me, I'm not the one who needs to hear it," Yua snapped. Then she sighed, and her eyes seemed to soften somewhat. "Make no mistake, I'm upset at you, but I'm more upset with the rest of our kin."

The Kaiser stared at her, not understanding. "What?" he asked.

"Never mind, we've wasted enough time." She waved her hand dismissively. "Let's get moving, I've got to get these things to Windia. You can catch up with everyone there."

"Let me give you a lift," he said, extending a hand. "I can have you back in a couple of days."

"Thanks," Yua stood back and crossed her arms.

The transformation occurred quickly, and he groaned softly as his wings enlarged and his dragon side took over completely. He lowered his neck to the ground once it was over, and his sister took a seat in-between his horns, anchoring herself in place with his large mane.

"At least now we might be back in time for the coronation." She remarked.

"Coronation?" Ryu blinked, his voice deep and rumbling, though he made certain not to shift his head around too much and throw his sister off.

"Forgot to mention it." Yua burrowed a little deeper into her brother's mane as he leaped into the air. "After more than a hundred and eighty years on the throne, Emperor Tolvin De Windia is officially stepping down as the head of the Empire. Miena is taking over, and the ceremony is the day after tomorrow." Her grip tightened as the Kaiser's powerful wing beats rapidly propelled them up above the cloud level. "Think you can make it?"

"Only one way to find out," Ryu said, pushing his wings harder and harder.

"And bro… welcome back."

Meanwhile, back in Capitan Castle, the wounded guardsman that had escaped Ryu's wrath knelt on the floor before King McNeil. The soldier's hand had been wrapped in bandages, and he would soon be turned over to the clerics so they could regenerate the hand.

It was out of no benevolent feelings that the Calitoran king did this. The soldier was simply no good to him maimed.

Right now, though, that was the last thing that was on the king's mind. He was pacing furiously back and forth in front of his throne, his long hair, tied back in a single braid, flopped back and forth as he rapidly turned and twisted.

"You incompetents…" he breathed, his brown eyes bulging wildly. "I sent hundreds of you out to catch one miserable little thief, and what happens? Not only do you lose her, but you come running back here, screaming tales of doom and death!" he roared, reaching down and picking the soldier up, both hands on the man's collar. "What excuses do you have for this?"

"The infiltrator had help, my lord," the man choked out, fear twisting his face into a mask of horror, and he could feel his insides squirming. "Some soldier. He came out of nowhere, butchered half the platoon." The man began to hyperventilate.

"Some soldier… as in one…" The king's eyes narrowed and his face purpled in rage. "What the hell do I pay you people for?" he threw the man to the ground. The soldier landed heavily on his wounded arm, and screamed in pain. "One man did this to you? One man killed you at will?"

"My lord, he was a demon," the man stuttered, clutching his wounded limb close to his chest. "He moved too fast to be a normal man. Those who challenged him… oh Gods, they, he slaughtered them like pigs. Cut them down like they were just animals."

The King McNeil's bodyguards said nothing, but they exchanged glances and rolled their eyes. There was only one individual who didn't immediately discount his story. The man's face was easily forgettable, average in just about every way imaginable, and he wore robes of black and crimson, and a heavy amulet around his neck indicated his position as an advisor. He stepped forward from the other ring of slack eyed gawkers and miscellaneous yes-men and approached the king.

"My lord, it is possible that he was telling the truth," he said calmly.

"Derrick, don't tell me that you believe this fool? A Demon, really? The Windian Empire isn't known for making pacts with devils." McNeil waved his hands dismissively.

"And yet they employed a spy that by all description appears to have a set of bat wings sticking out of her back, my lord. Perhaps times have changed," Derrick gave a shrug. "At any rate, I believe that we've learned all that we can from this fellow here. Get him to the healers and put him back out on duty. Something a little easier this time, though."

"Agreed," The king looked down at the man, glaring at him. "I think watching the slums should be good enough for him."

The soldier gulped as two of the king's bodyguard stepped forward and helped haul him to his feet, before ushering him out of the throne room.

"You may take your leave, Derrick. This intrusion has left us all weary, and it is a most ungodly hour." McNeil said, and moved towards his room. His guards followed him. "One last thing, though," he turned his head. "I want you to double the number of units that will be involved with our next assault, and personally oversee the operation. Just in case."

The man named Derrick simply nodded his head, and teleported to his chambers.

One there, it was a simple matter for him to double check the wards and locks and make certain that everything was secure. Then he started to snicker.

"Well, well, so it seems as though that pathetic fool has already sent his chosen champion into battle. This should prove interesting." He rubbed his hand along his checks, cupping his chin with the palm. "Come then, Destined Child. Let us see what you can really do."

Up in the Celestial plane wherein Ladon resided, there was a flash of light, and a trio of individuals appeared. The first was an angelic being, her wings fluttering around a body that would have caught the eye of any mortal. She shivered, even though there was no chill in the air, and the elements of reality had never been capable of bothering her.

She was Myria, Goddess and creator of the Windian people, and their protector, such as she was able.

To her left and right were a pair of large gargoyle like beings. They stood close to ten feet tall, and muscles rippled underneath their rocky hides as they clutched at spears large enough to slice a man in half. Wings fluttered around their bodies and electric blue, pupiless eyes took in their surroundings.

Before them was a large fortress, its walls manned by all sorts of creatures and beings.

Myria saw ancient Brood heroes passing back and forth on the walls, along with animated suits of armor and elementals of whirling energy. Ladon was as militantly minded as he ever was. She wondered what the Dragon God wanted with her though. She hadn't seen him in more than three thousand years and the start of the Dragon Wars.

She shuddered again. Even three millennia had failed to dull the memories she'd had of that day. She could feel Ladon's hate and fury washing over them all, his shouts as he told them what they'd all secretly feared. She remembered her own sorrow as her world shattered, and she felt what the others hadn't, the pain and rage that the God carried within him. Pain of loss. Rage directed towards himself, because of his inability to safeguard his people.

All attempts at communication—from anyone—with Ladon had failed since then. No visitors were admitted into his realm of reality. Those that tried were repelled, sometimes violently, by the Dragon God's power. He had never attended a single council meeting, never come to socialize with the others. He kept himself locked up.

And, she noted, the pain in his heart locked up as well.

It made the fact that he had invited her here all the stranger. Perhaps… No, something like that was out of the question. She wasn't that lucky.

She entered the fortress, noted the guards on all sides tightening grips on their weapons. They were unused to visitors, and it made them nervous, apparently. The winding, maze like passages of stone and metal were filled with wards, traps, and the like. Some of them were freshly created, but she noted, few had the make of the Dragon God's touch to them.

Strange. It was as if Ladon was preparing for an assault, be had left most of the preparations to his generals and commanders. Myria racked her brains, trying to find a logical explanation for it.

She didn't get time to complete her thoughts, however, for they arrived at the center of Ladon's fortress. It was a command room of sorts, glyph machina and scrying pools all over. Orders were being issued through them, but to who and for what purpose eluded her.

Ladon was the center of it all. In the storm of organized chaos, he was a bastion of calm, like a rock. Myria noticed that there was a soldier to his side, smaller than her guardians and seemingly less powerful, but as she stared into his eyes and recognized the man's face, she realized that Ladon would hold the upper hand even if he wasn't surrounded by his own guards.

The soldier was one Adrikan Dragoneye, and she knew the power that dwelled inside of him, and that he was more than capable of beating both of her guardians to within an inch of their life.

His expression towards her was neutral, but she bowed towards him out of respect.

"Greetings, Ladon, hero," she nodded to each in turn. "May I ask what the occasion for calling me here is? You're not known for receiving guests."

"The time of rebellion is upon us again," the Dragon God crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke, his ethereal eyes narrowing.

"You mean?..." Myria couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She closed her eyes and a tear trickled down her face. "I kept hoping… I kept praying… but it seems as though nothing will ever change. Seems you were right after all," she remarked bitterly.

Ladon's iron hard expression faltered for a moment, his face and eyes softening. He took a step forward, but then the look of compassion faded, and was replaced by the steely gaze of a commander.

"Whether I was right or not is irrelevant now," he remarked, striding over to a large scrying pool. "We can only prepare. And for that, I will need your help. Your people will need what blessings that they can be given to prepare for the coming storm."

"What of Kord, Baccob, and the others?" she asked.

"They have been informed, and will help in their own ways." Was it just her, or was Ladon's power weaker than it had been last time that she was here? It was as if something or someone had drained him.

Then the feeling faded, and Myria found herself concentrating more on the current situation. There was a lot that she was going to have to weather in the coming days. It was not going to be an easy time of her.

"And before you ask, I've already paid her a visit, and woke her up. She's awaiting his arrival." Ladon said, raising a single finger up off of his shoulder.

"What?" Myira's eyes went wide, before they narrowed to a glare. "How can you? She's—"

"She's fully old enough to make decisions on her own, my dear." he gave a wry smile. "And she handled herself well enough last time."

"She could have been killed!" Myria fired back, her fists clenching in rage.

"So could everyone else of the face of Asparia…" Ladon snarled, and for a moment, Myria thought that she could see the silhouette of his true form blossom around him. Then he calmed himself, and she saw a crack or two form in the impassive mask that was his face. "I do not enjoy watching her fight, or anyone else getting killed because of our blunder."

"What of the Kaiser?" she asked after a moment or two had passed.

"He makes his way towards Windia." Adrikan stepped forward as he spoke for the first time. "From there, we will attempt to contact him. We're not sure if we'll be able to. The interference has been more potent lately. I think the enemy knows we're planning something."

"And after that?"

"Then the real battles begin," Ladon said, looking down into the pool below him, through which he could see Ryu flying through the night sky.

&

Okay, hope that was better than it was the last time round. As you might have guessed, there were some major, major differences between this Family Reunion chapter and the first one. The main reason being that in hindsight, I realized how silly it was for future events to be caused by a thieves guild capable of such limited operations.

I hope that you all enjoyed this one, and as always, feed back and especially constructive criticisms are appreciated. Flames will be welcomed as well, as my Dorm's central air and heating unit is on the fritz again, and it's getting cold in here.

Hope to have the next chapter up within the next two weeks. Until then, good luck to everyone, and stay safe.