Part 9.

At a loss for what to do next, the group back at Stornway decided to approach the King to find out what happened to Art and Suzuri. What they found out from the castle's staff was that they were both there, they were an adorable couple in the eyes of the King and that they were given a ship to head to the other continent.

"So, we can warp to Wormwood, then?" Tara thought aloud. "We can wait for them there."

"I don't know if there's any other solution," Alicia said. "If the ship launched all ready today, there's no way to catch up to them, even with our own ship."

Taro pulled out his world map and opened it enough to let everyone see it. "Well, there's an island surrounded by a fjord right here. If they're aiming for Wormwood, they'll have to go around that through the Eastern Seam then come back to the west. If the winds are favorable during the whole voyage, it'll still take them three days at the very least."

"Are we powerless, then?" Alicia asked. "I can't stand the idea of just waiting, knowing that Zoma's after my sister."

"Agreed."

Angelo had come back from scouting outside with Seth. "Well, yes, they left, but there's a large red cloud to the south." Angelo said. "It's not natural at all."

"It also smells of smoke and ash," Seth said sadly.

Angelo said, looking around, "If the boat was attacked, expect our friendly couple to land here in 3... 2... 1..."

The magic of a Chimera Wing's warp brought Suzuri and Art to the town gate.

"No," Suzuri said, "Let me go!"

"The boat and everyone on it is gone, Suzuri, there's nothing you can do now," Art said, holding her from leaving the gate in a huff.

"This isn't right," Suzuri screamed. "All because he wants your seal."

Alicia waved to them. "We heard you took the ship to Upover, and it looks like Angelo's prediction was spot on."

Art and Suzuri came to the others. "That's right," Art said, looking down.

Suzuri shrugged. "We hadn't even gotten that far. But Zoma did come and cause a ruckus."

"He said he was going to," Tara said.

"Zoma had Ciresso's spear." Suzuri grunted, unable to hold in her rage anymore. "That... that... that nightmarish sludge-eating twiddle cross-eyed knucklehead!"

"What colorful language," Seth said with a smile. "Hey, now, if that's the case, we know he's alive, right?"

Suzuri said, "I'm willing to put up a fight, just in case he might be." She pulled out a map from her treasure map collection. "He gave me a map. He said bring the seal and I'll be able to have Ciresso back."

"That has trap written all over it," Taro said with a shrug. "Because Ciresso isn't there."

Everyone looked at Taro, confused. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

Taro crossed his arms. "Ciresso was training to be a Knight of Greygnarl, everyone knows that. Well, when things went down in Upover, he used a magical map that led to a grotto which was under his house. A map that is said to be a home to a new Greygnarl. I went with him at first, but then he told me to come out and find you girls to tell you. We saw Zoma in the Magmaroo. We saw him revive Barbatos from the last bit of Dragon Ashes left. He came back yesterday to use the Alchemy Pot to create more Dragon Ash just in case he needed to revive Greygnarl himself."

"They say that a fledgling holy dragon lived under our town, but I never was quite sure where," Suzuri said quietly. "But if Ciresso's in a grotto under our house-"

"You can't go back to Upover," Art said sternly. "Zoma's waiting for you in the dungeon and I'm pretty sure he's got his servants watching over the place where the dragon nests."

"He does," Tara said. "We went there ourselves. My brother had to save us from Baramos."

Art blinked a few times. "Ba... Baramos?" he asked. "Another one of the evil wizards from the time with Loto." He looked at everyone. "I need to do something, right now. Let's go to our room at the inn."

"What... why?"

"Because, this is important," Art said.

When everyone made it up to the suite room, Art bent down to his knees and started to pray. Everyone else stood around him, holding hands to form a circle. "By the power of my bloodline, by the power of the Goddess that protected Loto and now protects me, I call to the Heavens in anguish. I pray for a solution for peace. Heed me, even if you must take the life from my body!"

The Goddess did not apparate before them, though her voice was heard throughout the room. "Young Prince of Cannock, I hear your prayers of anguish. I know of Zoma's revival, as well as all of the other demons who have terrorized humanity over the years."

"What can we do, Your Grace?" Art asked.

"I will do what I can to confine them to their own dimensions," Celestria's voice replied gently. "As for Zoma, the only thing that can stop him is you."

"What do you mean?" Art inquired further.

"You must live by your hearts," her voice echoed. "All of you. I feel each of you have your own issues inside, and I can see that none of you are true to yourselves completely. My dear children, you must defeat Zoma so that you may be able to live freely."

Suzuri looked up, not knowing how to address the Goddess. "But, we..."

"Young lady, you are protected by the Light of Loto now. You bear a Descendant of Loto within you. If you concentrate on this fact, you cannot lose."

Art stopped and looked back at Suzuri. "Really...?"

Alicia and Tara stared at their sister, who was then bathed in a holy light. When on the ship... they really...? Both of them were more than surprised at the fact.

"Prince of Cannock, Descendant of Loto," the Goddess said, "Give me the Seal. I shall hold it until your Descendant is of the rightful age."

Art held the Seal of Loto up and it vanished into the light, then turned to look back at Suzuri again. The Goddess did not lie, he thought.

"Your path remains clear now. Barbatos and Zoma are your targets. Do not leave each other, my children, for true strength lies in your bonds." The light faded a few minutes later, and the tension died down quite a bit.

Alicia still was surprised, though. "So, while on the ship, you two really did the deed?" she asked.

"We did," Suzuri answered. "Because I... I thought Ciresso was dead. He'll never forgive me for this."

Art hugged around her. "It doesn't matter anymore if he will or won't. I'll take you both home with me if I must. I will see my own grow."

"He won't like that much," Suzuri said. "I didn't think we'd... the first time..."

"You're still going to find him?" Tara asked.

"Of course I am," Suzuri almost shouted. "We're too many to form one party, though. We need to split up."

Angelo said, "Okay then, we'll split into three teams. Art, you take Suzuri to that map and confront Zoma about Ciresso. Seth, you and Alicia go to Upover to scout the place. You're both very sneaky and highly evasive. Hide and the moment you see anything, you report back to me. Tara and Taro, you both should go to the Cavern of the Dragon since Taro knows where it is. I'll go ask about to see what else I can find out about the situation here. I have a lot of contacts."

Everyone agreed to the plan and set out to split up again.

"Art," Suzuri said as they started through the gate, "I've decided that... that I need to stay here, in the Celestrian lands, when everything is finished."

"Are you planning on going back to Upover?"

"I wanna help rebuild it. I've had to move far too many times in my life. That place has really grown on me." She said.

"Then I will resign from my position as heir to Cannock and assist you," Art replied. "I don't need to be a King. I don't need to have a title or rule anywhere. I need to be close to you."

She smiled and reached for his hand. "Where were you four years ago?"

"Fighting against Malroth, why?"

"Because... back then, I wasn't in any relationship. It just would have been a lot smoother then."