And now, it's time for the next installment!

As night descended on the forest, Jack and Yusei became human once again. Stars began appearing in the sky and the scent of violets and other wildflowers wafted up into the air. Leo heard the hoot of an owl echoing within the trees.

He was about to follow behind when Jack lightly pushed him away.

"You need to stay here with Junk Synchron. We don't want you getting captured by the soldiers and used as a bargaining chip."

Leo stomped his foot against the softened ground.

"Aw, come on! I'm a part of this group!"

"I'm afraid he's right. Remember that you can't fight for yourself yet." Junk Synchron floated over beside him. Leo sighed regretfully.

"Right." He muttered, digging his foot into the dirt. He slumped down on a nearby rock. Yusei stopped a moment and went over to him. He held out his hand in a gesture to try and comfort him.

"We'll be back soon, Leo. I promise."

Leo sighed.

"Ok."

"Don't worry Master! I will take care of Leo!" Junk Synchron saluted Yusei before he and Jack slinked away into the bushes. A swish of melted snow splashed onto Leo's head.

"Hey!"

"It's just water, Leo. The snow returns to water in the spring!"

"I know that…"

"Sorry, Leo. I was hoping you would feel better if I told you that." Junk Synchron stopped floating and plunked when he hit the ground. Leo realized Junk Syncron was just trying to help and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's alright, I'll live."

Kalin's horse stood nearby as if waiting for the return of its rider. It circled around Leo and Junk Synchron, creating a pattern off hoof-prints in the ground.

…

In the meantime, Kalin and Yuki were still bound inside one of the tents. There was no light inside, save for a flickering that could be seen at the entrance, outlining the silhouettes of the two guards.

But the lack of light was not a problem for Kalin. Even without using any of his magic. He managed to push his fingers into his back pocket and pull out a key-like instrument made of wires wrapped in steel.

Before Yuki could tell what was going on or what Kalin was doing, he dexterously slipped the device into the lock of his handcuffs and freed himself. His cuffs quietly clinked when they fell.

"You still have a lock-pick on you?"

"Of course I do, and I made it myself," explained Kalin in a hushed tone, "I designed it to look like a mangled bunch of metal wires so the guards wouldn't take it from me if I ever found myself…er…in a tight spot.

…And the best part is that it works like a charm."

"What's even more impressive is you can be so slick when it's so dark." Yuki commented as he rested her hands on his knee and unlocked her own set of cuffs.

"It's all apart of the job description, trust me. Honestly, I'm looking forward to see what other kinds of trouble we'll get into..."

Because it was dark she couldn't see him smirk. But he could see as plain as day that she was trying not to laugh. Once he finished he took the handcuffs away and tossed them aside.

"Do I amuse you somehow?"

"You just seem so relaxed. Then again, I suppose being in dangerous spots like this is a matter of course for you."

Yuki would have said more, but Kalin put his hand gently over her mouth. He then pulled his hand away and motioned for her to follow him.

He cupped his hand over his ear at the back of the tent, listening for anything that might be just outside. There were faint voices of soldiers and footsteps. A crackling sound was off a ways to the right, probably a campfire. He could also hear the fleeting sound of crickets.

"Hold on." He whispered. As the sound of the soldier's footsteps faded away, he carefully tried to lift up the thick hide that made up the back wall of the tent.

It easily moved upwards. From there, he determined that aside from the top of the structure, the tent was simply the body made of metal rods and the covering made from hide. It made sense, since the soldiers were heading out tomorrow.

Kalin looked around, and off to one side was the forest. It was an easy escape route. Perhaps it was too easy, he thought. At least he left his weapons with Onyx before handing himself over.

He didn't need them. But, he then remembered that he couldn't use any of his magic except that which was imbued in his weapons. The use of his necromantic abilities could give him away to the others, if not to Yuki.

"Come on, we can sneak out now while there's nobody around to see us!"

Yuki scurried out behind him and he let the hide wall of the tent fall back into place. As they were about to run into the trees, an unfriendly voice greeted them.

"Going somewhere, you two?"

The caped soldier from before had his hand held out; a dark purple charge flickered from his fingertips threateningly.

"The other guards don't even need to be bothered as long as I'm around."

"You're a Spell Soldier, if I'm not mistaken. You won't be able to surprise me with your Shadow Walk ability like you did back in the forest." Kalin taunted him.

"It may not surprise you, but I can still use it to take back the girl! After all, she's the one we're really after. If you hand her over, I'll let you escape without a word."

No. His mission would be compromised. Either this Soldier was a good pretender or he was a complete idiot and didn't know who he was. Either way, his answer was the same.

"Sorry, but I intend to take this one with me."

If he couldn't use his magic, how could he fight without his weapons? He had no choice then but to grab Yuki by the hand and run for it. Yuki was eagerly keeping up with the threat of being captured pushing her forward.

"You two have no sense if you think you can outrun me!"

As they ran through the trees, the soldier suddenly reappeared in front of them. He grinned and curved his fingers, manipulating the energy in his hand. Kalin turned to the left and pulled Yuki along, only to find himself confronting the soldier again.

"No matter where you turn, I'll be right there. I suggest you turn around and head back to the camp. Or do you still think you can escape?"

Kalin snickered.

"If I had my Scythe with me I'd cut you in half!"

Yuki saw a faint shadow behind the soldier. There was a whistling sound and the faint odor of something burning. An arrow shot through the trees and hit the soldier in the back. Yet, it disappeared and caused his cape to set on fire rather than piercing him.

He shouted and fell to the ground, rolling around to try and quell the flames. He heard the sound of two pairs of footsteps. When he looked up, he was met with a foot to his chest.

The assailant removed his hood and leered at the Spell Soldier with disgust.

"Jack!" Yuki exclaimed. Jack didn't take his eyes away.

"Are you alright Yuki?" Yusei came dashing from behind Jack. Kalin grinned snidely as he still held Yuki's hand.

"I'm ok, Yusei!" She replied to him. Yusei looked her up and down just to make sure. In the meantime, Jack still had the Spell Soldier pinned down.

The soldier let out a loud guffaw, but quickly quieted down when Jack applied more weight. He gasped for air.

"Spare me…" He pleaded.

"Why should I?" Jack snarled. He applied even more pressure.

"Please," the soldier coughed, "I'll let you all go free if you spare my life and let me go…"

Jack released him, but didn't avert his gaze.

"You're pathetic," Jack huffed, "You can master things like Shadow Walk and surprise your enemies. But, when you're the recipient of a sneak attack, you can't defend yourself. You don't even know a spell that could've doused those flames, do you!"

The soldier leapt to his feet and scurried away, seemingly intimidated. But, just as Jack turned his back, the soldier turned around and unleashed a wave of negative energy at him. Jack quickly uttered and word and conjured and invisible shield that reflected away from him into the sky.

He retaliated with a spell of his own and conjured another arrow of fire that he shot at the soldier. He managed to dodge this time as he fled. The arrow landed near a tree and caused it to start on fire. Yusei saw the flames and reacted quickly by reciting the spell that liquefied the water in the air and put out the fire.

Smoke drifted up from the spot. Kalin waved his hand in front of his face.

"Watch where you aim!" He hissed. Jack clenched his fist.

"We rescued you, didn't we? A little gratitude would be nice."

Yuki pulled off some grass and leaves that had stuck to her. Yusei saw a stray blade and brushed it away from her shoulder. Yuki looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you for coming to rescue me."

Yusei returned a smile.

"The important thing is that you and Kalin are alright."

Yuki turned to Jack, who had his arms crossed.

"You too, Jack."

He tilted his head up, his gaze turned towards the sky.

"It was nothing. We have to protect you if we're going to awaken the other Dragons… Besides…"

Kalin raised an eyebrow.

"…Ah, never mind," He shrugged it off, "We'd better go."

Yuki sighed. As they turned to head back, Jack walked up alongside of her. Kalin walked behind them, and Yusei lead the way.

Yuki could hear the faint chirping of crickets. She gazed at Jack thoughtfully. What was he going to say to her earlier that he decided to keep to himself? When Jack caught her gaze she impulsively looked away.

"What?"

Yuki shook her head and assured him it was nothing. Yusei turned his head for a second to look at the two of them. His expression was blank, but deep down, he was grateful. Nobody had gotten hurt yet. However, he knew it wouldn't stay that way.

…

Lazar rubbed his eyes as he reluctantly emerged from his tent having heard a soldier yelling for him.

"This had better be important. I was trying to get some sleep!"

The Spell Soldier was kneeling at his feet with his cape tattered and with a defeated expression on his face. Lazar sighed.

"Well, it certainly looks like you've been busy."

"Lazar, sir! They escaped! And one of they're friends threatened to kill me!" He reported. Lazar smelt smoldering metal and shook his head.

"Why am I not surprised? I guess that's why Goodwin asked Kiryu to act as an infiltrator for him. Then again, it's not like you have the proper training. We initially thought this would be a smooth operation and only needed a few of our more highly skilled soldiers in order to capture Yuki Shiro…until Goodwin learned that they had already awakened not only Red Dragon Archfiend… but also Stardust Dragon." He mused to himself.

"What …should… w-we do sir?" The soldier asked hesitantly.

Lazar thought for a moment.

"I want you to take the others back to Neo Dominoss. None of them would be a match for the dragons, especially now that there's two of them.

As for anything else, I will consult Goodwin myself. Go to your quarters and rest." Lazar returned to his tent, and the defeated soldier slunk away to his own tent to rest for the night.

In the meantime, Lazar grabbed a small crystal ball from inside the pocket of his jacket. He waved his hand over it and it glowed. After a minute or two, Emperor Goodwin's face appeared within the crystal ball.

"Why are you calling this late, Lazar?"

"Your Excellency… We were able to capture the girl, but she managed to escape thanks to the help of the dragons, as you predicted…"

"I see. What do you want?"

"I'm sending back the troops. Such a rabble can't even touch their power. But, I was wondering if anything further should be done on my part or if you're leaving this all up to Lord Kyosuke."

Goodwin pondered this a moment.

"The Archbishop is our greatest resource at the moment. However, I would like you to travel to Citlec and inform the viceroy of the United Spirit Empire that they will be searching for the resting place of Ancient Fairy Dragon.

I want that place secure, understand?"

"Yes! But…how do you know that's who they'll be searching for? I would have thought they'd go to Diadelos or Gardenia first."

Goodwin closed his eyes.

"You weren't alive back then, so I don't expect you to understand, Lazar. But, Empress Luna… was the last to fall victim to the curse… her powers as an abjurer were unparalleled. Her magic is more than capable of breaking the curse on the currently awakened dragons, even with her impaired by that very curse."

Lazar winced.

"Doesn't that just affect their ability to transform and the ability to tell others their human name? That wouldn't matter whether it was dispelled or not, they would still be at a disadvantage. But… I thought the point of the curse was to keep them sealed away…"

"Lazar, I sealed them away because I couldn't kill them!"

Lazar fell silent. He bowed his head.

"It doesn't change anything. I have given my orders. I wish to be left alone."

Lazar bid him farewell and put the crystal ball aside. Still, what did he mean when he said he couldn't kill them?

…

Yuki and the others had moved for a couple of hours before settling down for the night. Everyone had gone to sleep, including her.

Yet Kiryu was still awake.

He sat up from the spot he'd picked out and looked around. Junk Synchron was a mechanical creature and did not require sleep. But, he had been sent out to be a lookout and alert them if the soldiers were following them.

Leo was asleep nearby, his head perched against a rock.

Kiryu snickered when he saw Jack and Yusei had taken a spot on either side of Yuki after she had fallen asleep.

He toyed with the amulet around his neck as he mused to himself.

After two centuries, Yusei and Jack were not much different. Back then, he had paled around with them and Crow, the son of the Prime Minister of Diadelos and also one of the five dragons.

They were still all suckers for girls, each in their own way. It had been true for him too, in the past. That was before everything changed. That was before they betrayed him, he thought. It all changed when Yusei stabbed him in the back and tried to take what he had worked for all of his life.

The crown of his country.

After years of study and walking among his people, and time and again trying to prove he deserved to take his father's place when he either died or abdicated. He was Archbishop Kyosuke's only son…his only child, in fact. Even so, the high bishops still saw him as nothing more than a child of sin and an insult to the church. Those in power at the time would never accept an illegitimate son as the next Archbishop.

They already paid for their treason with their lives. They spent the rest of them imprisoned beneath the capital city of Cloudwater. He tortured them by giving them just barely enough food and water to live, keeping them in complete darkness and silence for the rest of their days.

But Yusei didn't deserve even that luxury in his mind. He deserved to die.

To be continued. See you next time, and thanks for your reviews!