Chapter 10

Autumn Tranquility: What Lies Beyond the Heavens

Restlessness and determination filled the little town of Selphia in the days after Doug's meeting with Ventuswill. Apparently, Frey had riled them together to find a way into Leon Karnak, where the last Guardian was. The entrance was being blocked by a large gate that enveloped the whole tower into the Forest of Beginnings, making entering itself a hazard. But that didn't stop Frey from wanting to go in.

Everyone was frantically searching any possible way for a safe entry, reaching out to anyone who could have some sort of answer. They struck luck when Barrett, a traveler from someplace called Alvarna, appeared and gave them a ring that would allow a one-time trip out of the forest.

The exact details are unknown to Doug, but eventually Frey returned atop a flying Ventuswill, Leon also returning some time before them. Their safe arrival was a fortunate event, and Leon was of course welcomed into the village, taking residence at the inn.

At this time, four weeks has gone by since the return of Frey and Leon. Fall has calmed all the greenery in its auburn grasp and Selphia finds itself in another time of peace. So far, Frey and Ventuswill continue to allow Doug to stay in the village, not even mentioning his past transgression, but he still dreads the answer to the question that has been hanging heavy on his mind ever since his confrontation. How long this peace could possibly last….

…

Doug pondered on the past as he attempted ignoring the visible rustling of the bushes. Midday hung outside the restaurant, slowly dissipating summer heat peaking around this time, though unfortunate that didn't seem to daunt his pursuer. As the minutes ticked away, and Doug not wanting to spend yet another day stalked upon, he angrily called out to the person in the bushes, of whom he knew all too well.

"Illuminata, get out here already! If you want to ask me something, then just ask already!"

"Not possible! For I, the great detective Illuminata, am currently on the tail of yet another great case! So please, continue on with your daily activities, and I will silently observe you from the sidelines!", she boldly declared, not moving from her position in the bushes.

"Silently? You have got to be kidding me! Have you forgotten about all the ruckus you made at the shop this entire week? When you scared away customers because you keep staring at me through the window? I've had enough with you causing trouble for Granny Blossom." Illuminata made no movement despite his words. In frustration, Doug decided on what he hoped to be a fair compromise. "Okay, look. If you promise not to cause any trouble around the shop, then I'll let you follow me around when I'm not working."

"Very well then, your proposal is accepted!" With great vigor, she straightened her legs and revealed herself to Doug. Branches and brittle leaves covered her from head to toe, along with small scratches, but it would appear that she paid them no heed.

"Then you can start by come inside with me. I've been waiting forever for Kiel, I think I'll eat lunch for now."

"And I can start the investigation with a plethora of questions! Be warned, as there is a chance of your nonsurvival, for I will be-"

"I'm going in now, come follow when you're done with your rant.", he said, nonchalantly brushing off her remarks.

"C-Come back here, prime suspect!"

…

"Before you ask any questions I want to know why you're chasing after me.", Doug asked inside the restaurant. It was filled with the warm aroma of cooking food, the strongest one being the three slices of apple pie laid before them, along with a glass of fruit juice and a cup of Relax Tea.

"Silence! Relax Tea must sipped in a sophisticated atmosphere as befitting of the Great Detective! So be quiet and let me drink my tea." Illuminata took another slow sip of the steaming pink brew, relishing in the leaves' flavor. Much to his chagrin, she refused to speak any further until her cup was emptied and her plate was clean. A bit of pie was taken as she finished her swallow of tea. "But, I'll tell ya, I've been working on this case for a very long time.", she whispered slightly under her breath, pie still in her mouth, "If this all this pays off, then it'll be a huge breakthrough."

Doug looked from across the table in surprise. Illuminata wasn't in her usual grandiose persona… this must be more serious than he originally thought. The pair continued in peace for a while with only the sound of their chewing audible to their ears. As time seemed to move slowly, his fork began nearing the end of the pie crust when a figure clad in green entered through the door.

"Kiel, nice to see you finally made it", he called, relieved the quietness was disrupted before it turned awkward, "What kept you? Your pie's gone cold now."

"Sorry, I was checking with a few people to make sure that the information I got was correct. Huh? Illuminata? What are you doing here?" He took a seat next to Doug, taking notice of the elf. "I thought you minded the shop today."

"Yes indeed, excellent deduction! However, Amber just happened to have a owed me a favor after running off that one time, and so I was granted a leave for the rest of this investigation. And soo, young brother of the Dragon Knight, what has caused you to make a point of rendezvous with this suspicious dwarf?"

"Well, I-"

"And not only that but to arrive late as well! We may have enjoyed some very delicious apple pie in the meantime, but that is no excuse for your extreme tardiness! So I implore you to confess your sins so we may bring this case one step closer to completion!" Illuminata flamboyantly said, pointing to Kiel in an iconic pose. While Kiel stared in awe, Doug couldn't help but think that she was going overboard with the Great Detective bit.

"I'd love to tell you what I was doing. See, I was going around, talking to people, when a few tourists told me about what just happened to them. They were taking an escorted stroll through Yokmir Forest when suddenly something big and green flew right in front of them, destroying everything in its path! They turned to look, but it was already gone! A biologist that was with them identified it as a Little Dragon." Notes scribbled on yellowing paper was produced from his bag and placed on the table. He also took the chance to start on his cold pie.

"Little Dragons? But those things aren't native to Selphia. Usually, you'd find them in Sechs territory, but even then they'd be nearly impossible… to… find….", Doug's voice trailed off when he realized Illuminata was boring into him with an intense stare of curiosity, like she was barely containing herself, "What is it? Are there crumbs on my face?" He wiped the corners of his lips in trying to find the point of her attention.

"Nothing, nothing. But this is intriguing indeed! Monsters spotted outside of their natural habitat? And so far away too! Not to mention we're not just talking about any run-of-the-mill creature, but Little Dragons! It's been said that while they are the weakest genus of Dragon, they are still as ferocious as any other lizard with wings. To leave them be would spell certain disaster." She raised her hand to her chin, striking another iconic pose. "And thus I propose that the three of us venture out to Yokmir Forest and ascertain the veracity of this matter!"

"Sounds fun. Let's go slay some dragons! You with me, Kiel?"

"Okay! We just need to make some preparation first." He put his fork down onto a clean plate, and started to hurryingly scribble something down.

"Sorry Doug, but it looks like your case will have to be put on temporary hold for now. But don't think I've overlooked your possible transgressions just yet! It would just happen that another pressing matter has appeared before me, and thus I must take appropriate action."

"Don't worry, there's no need to explain yourself me." I hope she forgets by the time this is over. "Hey, Kiel, what're you writing?"

"The necessary preparations that need to made. First off; equipment. I have this Ice Staff Frey gave me when we explored the Delirium Lava Ruins a few weeks ago. Even though I already had the sword Bado gave me, she still insisted. And it packs quite the punch too! My magic has never been stronger. She must be quite the blacksmith," he stammered off topic, "I know you have that Defender, Doug, so what about you Illuminata?"

"Hehehe…. Naïve children, do not underestimate the might of which I wield! Behold, my glorious and powerful-!" she reached to her bag and, with great tension, revealed what she was holding, "Watering can!"

Unforeseen stillness loomed down after Illuminata's… surprising revelation.

"Kiel, please take Illuminata somewhere to get a good weapon." Doug directed without second thought.

"Right. We'll check out Bado's place first. How about we meet up in front of the town gates in about an hour?"Kiel already rose from his seat, collecting his belongings.

"Good idea. I have something else to attend to, so I'll see you then."

"Okay. This is bye for now! Let's go, Illuminata." He took her hand, firmly dragging her out of the restaurant.

"Huuhh? Hey, wait! Prime suspect, I have to stay with you until the investigation has been closed!", she claimed while resisting Kiel's pull.

"And you said the investigation was put on temporary hold, so I'm sure this is fine."

"No! My own words, used against me! What cruel fate this…" Her voice faded out as she exited the building along with Kiel, leaving Doug with just a table of empty silverware.

With them gone, his face fell into a downward gaze, heavy thoughts on his mind as he too got up to leave.

…

Even in the thralls of Autumn, Keeno Lake still basked in the cordial embrace of Summer. Orange trees and golding grass lined up against the vibrant waters, still able to support the fish used to warm temperatures. Doug approached the shore, and attempted to avoid the cold and harsh stare directed towards him.

"It's time to report. What have you found?"

"…." He turned his head away from the soldier, hoping to avoid having to divulge anything.

"Even knowing all of that, can you truly believe that she was the one who did it?" Suddenly, her fingers curled tightly into his shirt in a small fit of unprecedented emotion. "That's why… I believe in her."

"Didn't you hear me? I ordered you to tell me what you found!" But despite his demands, the boy he thought he had so tightly wrapped around his finger made no reply. "Answer me when I ask you something-!"

"I've been thinking!" Doug cut in abruptly, "That… maybe… I don't want…"

"I don't know the truth, or what's right or wrong. I feel so conflicted right now. Everything's contradicting each other, but it can't all be lies. I don't fully believe that Ventuswill isn't at fault, but… I don't have any trouble believing in you."

"What is this that you're implying? That you want to back out of your mission? Have you forgotten what happened to clan? And you still want to give up? Softer than I took you for. You're a coward who's afraid to dirty his own hands."

"No! I haven't forgotten! There's no way I could! It's just…" Although weeks have passed since his confrontation with Ventuswill, he was still unable to discern who was telling the truth. The Sechs, who came to him when he was at his most vulnerable and gave him a purpose, or Ventuswill, who accepted him even when he pointed his sword at her throat. Uncertainly still weighted Doug down, and he became hesitant to make another move, much unlike quite a few years ago.

"Listen, kid. I won't tolerate any disobedience. I'll even make it easier for you and just ask one question. Where are the Rune Spheres?" Doug's spirit dropped when he heard the mention of the blue gems, and now looked directly at the man addressing him in fear. "I finally got your full attention. Yeah, did you think I was blind or something? Of course I knew you were lying when you said you haven't found any of the Rune Spheres!"

"How in the hell did you-"

"I said stop defying me!", he lashed out in anger while reaching for Doug's Fos Ring, using it a grip to hoist him painfully in the air. The dwarf squirmed around, terror and panic quickly rising, trying to pry himself free to no avail. "This time I'm not taking no for an answer. I'm going to use the Fos Ring like I should have done earlier to force the truth out of you. Let's start with level 5!" With his free hand, he procured the bracelet and clicked one of the bigger gems.

Sparing no second, the collar reacted aggressively, shooting waves of pain into Doug's body. He held his screams internally, knowing the soldier got off on his screams, but also because he grew accustomed to both the shocks of this level.

Keep it together. I can handle this much!

"Not quite enough for you? Then let's ramp it to level 8!" Following three more clicks came punishment of which he had never felt the collar produce before. To him, it could only be comparable to when he had his heart sliced open by Frey, but perhaps it could have even surpass death. Burns took form around his neck and began to spread at a rapid rate, but even with it would heal itself just as quickly. The unknown gift or curse was now working wholly against him. Each relapse of charred skin and mended flesh hurt more than the last, with no clear end in sight.

After only 5 minutes, Doug let out a shriek of unrestrained agony.

"This can all stop if you just tell me where the Rune Spheres are! And as extra incentive, I'll tell you something that'll really loosen your lips." He pulled Doug closer, still in the midst of struggling against the shocks. "Your healing ability will literally let me do this for all eternity. Oh, but don't worry about me. I've got all the time in the world!" A third click came into Doug's now blood soaked ears, and then came the intensity of Level 9.

The feeling pulsating through his entire body could only be likened to death itself. Death and rebirth, injury and healing, an unbreakable cycle of pure pain. It was all he could think of. This was pain. This was death.

I can't…! This has to stop! I… have to tell him… I don't want this torment to last anymore!

"Please… stop. I'll talk! Just stop this… I'm begging you!", he pleaded helplessly. Tears drained down onto his wounds upon hearing what he had actually said.

"Good, good. I'm very glad you came to your senses." Without another thought, the soldier dropped Doug into the pond. There, the water only served to amplify the runes being pushed into his body, which he purposely allowed to happen for the sole reason of seeing his underling squirm.

After he felt the little dwarf had had enough, he hoisted him up by the neck once again, setting the two face to face. "Now talk."

"The Rune Spheres… are in the deepest part of Yokmir Forest, the center of the Water Ruins, the theater in Obsidian Mansion, and the top of Leon Karnak."

…

15:00, and Doug still remained at his spot by the pond. The soldier had long since departed, satisfied with himself, and it was over an hour after he was to meet Kiel and Illuminata at the town gates. But he couldn't face them, he thought. He had just divulged the most sensitive information ascertaining to Ventuswill, their resident God figure. They might not know it, but he betrayed them yet again.

They'll forgive you. They'll always come back eventually, whether you want them to or not.

"That doesn't even matter right now. The damage is done, and I can't fix it," he responded dryly to the voice, "And nothing you say will change that." Doug stood, without a wound on him, and started to walk back to town. "But I'd appreciate it if you stopped randomly appearing inside my head. Your know-it-all attitude is really getting to me."

You shouldn't shrug off something like that.

"I don't really have a choice. I have to keep going…."

…

"Doug! There you are! Didn't we agree to meet here at 14:00? What kept you?", Kiel asked upon spotting his friend approach them from Selphia Plains.

"Nothing much. I was just taking a walk and lost track of time. Sorry about that." Doug pulled his shirt collar up higher, hoping to hide the blood that he couldn't wash off.

"Such an inconceivable excuse, for I see a blemish of blood on your clothes! Right there, on your shirt! You certainly did not just take a simple stroll, admiring the noon sky! Prime suspect, you make yourself even more prime suspecty by the second.", Illuminata stated haughtily, pointing to the exact blood stain she was referring to for effect.

She caught that?!

"Wow Illuminata, I didn't even notice anything out of the ordinary! Maybe you really are a Great Detective," he fawningly said somehow oblivious to what he was implying to the elf.

"Oh yeah, that! I ran into some Orcs on the way here and they caught me surprise. Gave me a small cut, but I didn't have any trouble taking care of them. Nothing to worry about there! Ha haha…" Doug gave a nervous laugh, "Anyway, did you find a good weapon for Illuminata?"

"First we went to Bado, but everything there was too expensive, but then we ran into Frey and she gave her a Water Spear she was working on. I also gathered a stock of magical potions, so everyone take a few vials," Kiel handed out the flasks of brown concoction to the two, "Use these when you get tired, okay Illuminata?"

"You need not give the Great Detective instructions for I am quite versed in the concept of combat survival," Nonetheless, she took the potion graciously and stored it away into her pouch.

"By the way, who's the party leader? We need someone to take charge during battle so we don't go screwing up. Kiel's magic can reach Illuminata and I better that way too. But, I usually fight by myself, so I don't really know much about this either,"

"I think it should be you, Doug," Kiel answered with faith.

"Agreed."

"H-Hey, don't just jump to conclusions! This is important, we should discuss it for a bit," he stuttered, guilt lingering in his heart.

"We did discuss it. Having a magic user or a spear wielder at the front just isn't reasonable. Besides, I think you've seen more combat than the two of us combined. You'll be fine, and it's not like we're mindless, so we'll help you make decisions on the battlefield," Kiel adamantly reassured Doug.

"You're okay with this too, Illuminata? I thought you'd be against the prime suspect leading a group into combat."

"True, true, as a detective it is incredibly foolhardy to allow such an important role be occupied by such a suspicious individual. But…," she walked up to Doug and placed her hand on his shoulder, "As your friend, I want to believe you," Illuminata slightly coiled her fingers as her sight wandered down from the younger one's eyes, "Yes… I want to believe in you…"

"Whoa, cliché much? You guys are making me blush…" I guess that voice can say some founded things once in a while. "Fine, if you guys insist. But don't blame me if this backfires and I have to cast escape and abort the mission!" he flashed a wide smile, to which they warmly accepted. "There nothing else we have to take care of?" Kiel nodded in accord, "Alright then, I'll say this again. Let's go slay some dragons!"

…

The forest at large somehow remained untouched by the seasonal changes, the tress retaining their vibrant green with even the wind feeling a bit warmer. Grass made no sound from the three's steps and the still blooming flowers remained as they were, bright and colorful. From where they treaded, the Sun was slightly obscured by the overhanging leaves, leaving still shadows in its absence.

The enemies encountered in the area consisted of mainly weak orcs, and as before, posed no serious threat to their little group. Doug found it trivial to send them off before either of his comrades needed to intervene. Their path was overall, lacking in any kind of difficulty, and made him wonder if Kiel really needed to prepare them like this, but he still knew that it was also because they haven't encountered their target as of yet.

"Illuminata, we're getting close to where Frey found Amber. Do you want to go see it?" Doug called to her in the middle of their formation.

"No, Amber has already taken me there. A quant little patch of grass and blossoms, filled with the sound of fluttering butterflies. I thought it was a nice place for Amber to have spent all those centuries in."

"You know about that?"

"Amber filled me in the night she got her memories back. We stayed up until the break of dawn, talking and talking about stuff like that. She didn't hold anything back, told me about how she and Ventuswill became friends, how it eventually came down to that Guardian stuff." She swung her spear onto her shoulder, its weight unused to her. "I'm glad she felt comfortable enough to share that with me. Makes me feel like I'm doing a good job looking after her."

"I don't see a reason why she'd think that you aren't. Amber loves being with you, and that's a fact," Doug stated with his usual tone, then proceeded to change the subject before it got any closer to him, "Anyhow, Kiel, did you pick up any useful on Little Dragons while you were preparing?"

"No, I couldn't find much. Because they're a species normally found in the Sechs Empire, there wasn't much I could find. So we'll have to be extra careful when we find them."

"If we find them. I think you're both forgetting that we're chasing a rumor here, and a dangerous one at that. Dragons of any kind are bad news. I've seen entire villages ravaged by a group just because it happened to be passing by." Doug stopped for a minute to look around and, seeing no current danger, gestured to his friends to rest for a period, "Gruesome stuff, really. If a Dragon really is here, we'd better chase it away before it lays waste to Selphia."

"Quick question, where would this village in your anecdote be located? I would love to venture out to see it." Illuminata beamed an intent glare to Doug, unnerving him quite a bit.

"D-Don't remember," was all the reply he could offer before again changing the topic, "It's almost been two hours since we started, and no sign of anything out of the ordinary. What do you think Kiel? Maybe it'd be helpful to find where those tourists were before," Internally, Doug had realized he used Kiel two times now to shift the conversation away from himself. Perhaps that's what he's here for? "Hey, where'd you run off this time?" he had looked away for a brief time to address Illuminata only to find their other companion to be missing. "You do know it's dangerous to wander off in a forest where dragons possibly are right?"

They waited a few minutes for a responses, greeted only with the soft sift of the afternoon, before walking off a little ways to try and locate Kiel. Doug backtracked to the riverside they had passed, where rustling was faintly emanating. The sound was distinctly different from any monster Doug had known of, but he hovered over his sword's hilt just in case.

"Kiel? Come on out, it's me," he beckoned in a low voice, exercising caution. The rustling grew in ferocity the longer he allowed time to move forward without action. Steps became audible as well, coming closer all the while until Doug was sure it was right on top of him.

"Get moving Doug!"

"What the hell?!" In no time at all, Kiel appeared out of the dark trees and following close behind was a huge stampede of white fluffy mass, each ferociously stamping their feet forward. His legs started off on their own, joining him in being pursued by the dozens of Woolies. "Kiel, what did you do? Actually, never mind that, didn't Forte always tell you never to mess with anything in a monster infested area?!"

"Sorry, she did, but I decided to ignore that for today! You know what they say, you have to be a little adventurous at times!" Doug glanced to the blonde, and realized he was clutching three pristine apples to his chest, hampering his ability to keep up pace.

"Don't tell me you started this for a quick snack!"

"Sorry again, I did! They looked so good compared to the ones at the store that I went back to get a few when we stopped to rest. Won't it be great when we get to eat these together? All three of us will be energized for the upcoming battle!" he airily conversed, despite the serious situation they found themselves in.

"Kiel, there are things I don't want to die for-Wait, hey! Are you saying the apples Granny Blossom stocks aren't good? I have half a mind to- No, no, what the hell am I doing?! You're rubbing off on me, this isn't the time to talk!" Doug decidingly took point and grabbed onto Kiel's wrist as to not lose him to the wooly sea behind them, and took his blade in his other hand. He swung wilding in front at the incoming bushes and shrubs in order to clear the off path they had inadvertently taken. The greenery grew thick as they continued running, scarcely able to even see a short distance ahead. To their graces, however, light came upon them, finding the main path again. Both Doug and Kiel were covered in cleaved flora but could pay it no heed, the monster sill right behind.

Doug recognized the area they had burst into, being where him and Illuminata had split. With her in tow, they would be able to cast Escape, ejecting themselves from their current standing, and within moments the two saw a figure in the distance, contently sniffing a flower.

"Illuminata! Kiel brought trouble, we need to reform the party and get out of here!"

"What in the what?" she peered to see what the trouble was, and immediately caught sight of their pursuers. But instead of responding with surprise, her eyes filled with confidence and strength. "Don't worry, just get behind me!"

"Whatever you say!" Doug sprinted with all his remaining energy to circle around Illuminata, guiding himself and Kiel behind her. She held her spear with the blade to the left, low to the ground, gripping it in a way that allowed for maximum flexibility. As the rushing Woolies closed in, she brandished it adjacent to her body, pulling it back in preparation.

"Behold the power of the Great Detective!" In a single stroke of the shaft, she completely decimated the front of the attack, steel cutting through the soft snow-like fur and letting it fly in chunks all around them. The attack had surely penetrated skin, but no blood was spilled before a small shining light enveloped them to return to the other Forest. "Kiel, finish it!"

"Okay got it!" Kiel hastily gave Doug the apples occupying his arms and, now free to move, flourished his staff and opened a brown tome, putting them close together. The energy siphoned off of the other, building up until the caster had enough to release a high level spell. "I'm really sorry about this!" He closed the tome with a flick of his staff and thrust his arm forward, releasing the built up energy as a large spike of rock, spiraling itself to the furthest flank of the enemy. The assault sent the majority of the force away, any stragglers running to the confines of the forest.

"Oh man, awesome stuff you two! That was totally amazing." Doug congratulated, fighting of the feeling that he was shunted to the side.

"Never underestimate a detective," was all she replied in light of the fight, happily rubbing her nose.

"We made a great team, don't you think? The little dragon won't stand a chance against the three of us!" While accessing his friends, he remembered the apples he had risked their mission on getting, and took one for himself and another for Illuminata, whom was still basking in her own limelight. "Let's really take a break now and eat these apples I found! They're so big and shiny, don't think?"

"Did you really just forget what happened because of these things?" Doug swiftly reprimanded.

"Time to eat, revitalize the body, clear the mind," The elf took a hefty bite of her fruit without further notice, overflowing juices running down her gloves. "Hmm, good stuff. Crunchy and juicy, like all apples should strive to be."

"Oh, you're right Illuminata, it is good," Kiel too started eating, gesturing Doug to take his as well.

"Y-You two are unbelievable… Just casually eating after wiping out an entire herd of Woolie like that, never took you as that much of an airhead. I thought you had something up there," He allowed himself a seat on the grass and bit into his own red morsel. It was as Illuminata had described, crisp and bursting with sweet juices. Every mouthful returned a bit of energy, to which he was thankful for. Sprinting took a lot out of you.

Their little group proceeded to rest under the evening sun for a time, conversing as if nothing of great significance had occurred yet. He continued to carve into his food until nothing but the center remained, and feeling they should resume their search, stood to rally the two.

"Alright, break time's over. Let's get on-" Suddenly, felled trees resounded loudly in the air, tremulous footsteps advancing at an alarming rate coming close behind. "Kiel, you didn't steal some oranges from a Buffamoo, did you?" The noise grew in force, raising everyone up from concern.

"No, I didn't come across any oranges," he answered with all seriousness, stepping back with his staff and tome ready.

"So that means you would've if you saw some…. " Somehow not surprised with his reply, Doug pushed to the frontlines and motioned for their set formation to be put into action. They stayed silent, all the while what they presumed was their target came closer.

Within a flash of a moment, they were rapidly confronted with the reality of the goal they set for themselves. A red winged beast rushed past the timber of the vicinity, clearing it out instantly. The formation they put themselves into was shattered as they were forced to scatter simply to avoid the falling trees.

Doug leapt, no period to ascertain the status of the others, and found himself facing the Little Dragon head on. It noticed his presence right away and bore his massive fangs before any retaliation could be made. Catching him in its jaws, it became barred from ripping the prey in half only by the small length of steal pushing against its teeth.

Just a few yards away from the dragon, Kiel laid sprawled on the uprooted black dirt, disoriented from not being able to fully elude the destruction it wrought. He now had a bump on the back of his head, but he still managed to locate Doug locked in a to-the-death battle of force. Grave concern for his close friend was meet while he forced his body to launch a Water Laser spell. The stream hit the beast's head with full force, but only diverted its attention from the dwarf to the magic user. Now Kiel sent a barrage of Fireballs, each simply grazing the scales atop its skin.

"Kiel, run away!" Doug, freed from its jaw, shot himself towards the Dragon's tail, jumping onto it, and mounted himself onto its head. The thick scales prevented it from noticing right away, but Doug still only a few precious seconds to divert its attention onto him once again. He locked his sword onto its throat, endeavoring to forcefully close its mouth in a choke hold. At last the beast noticed the intrusive presence, roaring at it in defiance, then swerved its head sharply back and forth. His grip on its horn was slipping, and caution had to be exercised lest he slice his palm open on his own sword, which was precariously pointing itself towards the wielder. The rough jerking the beast was doing also caused the boney protrusions to jab themselves into Doug's stomach. But while he held on, the mouth remained shut if only by an inch.

The current situation sprouted an opportunity for the mage left gawking at his courageous comrade. Tomes of all elements appeared from out of the small rucksack, lining themselves up for quick and easy use. Kiel concentrated on the glowing runes imprinted on the pages, using the time Doug was buying him to charge his spells. Launching the energy immediately after expending his Rune Points had proved inefficient, leaving this as an unsure, but only option.

He glanced up to check on Doug's condition, finding that he was holding on by a hair. The firm grip he had on its horn was lost, leaving him with only his sword, still shutting the massive jaw, as his clutch. The steel was lodged firmly into the soft flesh of its underside, inadvertently aided by the dragon's wild thrashing.

"It's now or never, I'm attacking, Doug!" A great mass of Rune Points was poured into the ancient texts in order to gather enough energy, of which may still not be enough to make any damage, but nonetheless Kiel congregated it into his Ice Staff. First to go off was his Fireball spell, collecting itself into a flame equivalent to a tame Explosion, then the Double Sonic, amplifying their collective strength to one Kiel had no right to handle at his age.

Foreseeing the incoming offensive, the dwarf made haste to dislodge his weapon from the dragon. One pull gave no freedom to the object, and he realized that he sawed it in too deep for it to be swiftly removed. Kiel had already launched his attack and jumping meant him almost certainly getting caught in range of the after blow. He had no choice but to improvise, swinging his body around to directly behind the dragon's neck, and temporality letting his hilt go, using it as his make-shift shield.

Their opponent took the pseudo-Explosion head-on, tearing off several scales but otherwise suffering no substantial harm to its natural armor. Kiel looked on aghast at how little it had done, but hurried on to the next two spells, the Earth Spike and Water Laser. It did not synergize as well as the other magics, but served better as two independent moves. In this instance, he aimed at the extended wings, which held virtually no armor to speak of, and pierced through it with ease. Flesh and bone blasted away from the main body, spilling blood from the exposed stumps.

They had successfully grounded the dragon, but at the cost of draining all of Kiel's rune reserves. They were both defenseless in what had to be done just to progress this far. Their victory seemed short lived as Doug jumped down to help Kiel up, regretting that he did not possess the many back-up weapons Frey had. But without his Defender all he could do was throw Kiel's arm across his shoulder and try to escape its wraith.

"Hold on you two, I'm coming!" a voice echoed across the battle field.

Doug turned in its direction, surprised to see its source was Illuminata, an absent participant in the battle thus far. "It's about damn time you got here! Kiel's out of fuel, and my sword is implanted in that things' throat! I need you to distract it while I can get Kiel to somewhere he can rest," he commanded to the incoming elf, but waited for no answer, already running and scanning for a place to hide.

"Just leave it to me!" The first thing she did after trading places in the fight with Doug was access her surroundings. Innumerous logs and branches surrounded them, opening up the orange sky. The dragon was weak and unable to fly, but still able to continue. Her two comrades were out of commission for now. This fight belong to her and her alone right now.

"Listen well, defiled dragon! You will forever be in anguish over the single moment you decided to match wits with me, the Great Detective! And not only that, but you have drained one of my friends and stolen a family keepsake from the other! For your transgressions, I will never forgive you, and hereby condemn you to death! Here my words well, for I will not allow you to underestimate my wrath!"

The dragon bellowed in response, unfazed by her declaration, and charged forth at full speed.

All right, just as I deduced, it took the bait!

Illuminata stood her ground, spear poised at her side, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Fifty paces away, thirty five paces away, twenty paces away, ten paces away!

"Accept judgment," she lowered her weapon down to the ground, where a pile of branches and leaves were dislocated, "you who would dare lay a hand on my friends!" As the dragon approached dangerously close, she whipped her spear forth, caught together with the foliage. The leaves and wood became caught in its eyes, putting it a blind fit. Her spear guided itself on a second, rapid blow, flowing backwards until it meet and slashed into the eyes of the beast. It moved backwards, now having lost both flight and sight, but Illuminata would not allow it a chance to recover even a small amount of energy. She located Doug's weapon thoroughly submerged in pink flesh, running close to it and pulled on the handle with all her might. It did not concede easily, not helped by the erratic movements of the dragon, but it glided out after the third pull. She held it with a reverse grip and plunged the steel into the injured right eye.

The dragon, having had enough of the copious damage done to it, lashed its tail out to collide with Illuminata stomach, also causing her to release the sword as well. The force sent her flying into a tree that still stood tall, left her barely able to stand, and with a wide abrade across her exposed lower back.

She tried to muster enough energy to get back on her feet, but collapsed to the ground in defeat. The blind dragon couldn't locate her right away, causing it to randomly jump down on different locations, but it got closer to her all the while.

Just as she began to think of taking a Magical Potion, a barrage of Fireballs, both weak and strong, were thrown into the side of its face, dropping it to the floor. A weight was taken off of her shoulders as the attack could only mean one thing.

"Are you okay?! Hang tight, I'll heal you!" Kiel slid to his knees in his rush to reach the elf and wasted no time in pulling out the light green text. He released the magic onto the entire party, reinvigorating them and closing their wounds to some extent. "How do you feel now?" he held out his hand in assistance.

"Fit as a fiddle, thank you! Good to see you rested up," she accepted his gesture and got on her feet. Her gaze went next to Doug, whom was still unarmed, "Sorry Doug, I couldn't get your sword back. I had it for a few minutes, but I got greedy with the attacks and stuck it into the thing's eyes."

"No worries, it's not lost just yet. Not that you've taken away it sight, this battle just got ten times easier, especially now that we can properly fight as a team now," he tucked his Fireball tome under his arm, preserving its serve for the last stretch of the fight, "Kiel, I need you get its attention with a few magic blasts. You don't need to do that much damage, just get it to notice you. And Illuminata, you're with me to attack it from behind."

They both nodded and went off to act on their orders, Kiel firing wildly, and the rest circling around. The bloodied beast had choice but to react as they planned, enveloped in a world of darkness and no way of escaping. Doug again climbed onto the scaled back, accompanied by Illuminata, and reclaimed his sword at long last.

"Let's end this together, Illuminata!"

"Very well, prime suspect!"

They grasped the handle as one, and thrusted the entire span of metal between its eyes. It cried its last as the sword retracted, the two jumping away also. The dragon tottered backwards into an area of the woods that had not been made into a clearing, with light emerging after it crumbled down to the ground.

Doug walked slowly to where it landed, wishing to ascertain if it had truly been slain. But as he came upon it, an all too familiar sensation came over him.

The Fos Ring activated.

…

"Awaken, awaken I say!" she gave the unconscious Doug a slap across the cheek. When he still failed to respond, she slapped him twice over until his eyelids flickered open.

"Ow owow, hey, what the heck are you doing? I said, ow, stop hitting me already! I'm up," he rubbed his sore face to show his annoyance.

"Apologies, it seemed necessary to strike you again. So, how are you feeling? Why did you faint for approximately four minutes? How are your wounds?" Illuminata gave unrelenting questions, stating that she had donned her detective mask once again.

"Don't worry, I'm fine now." But why did the Fos Ring activate on its own like that? "Hey, the dragon really is gone, right?"

"Yep, the Little Dragon left nothing but this fang behind," Kiel showed him the oddly orange tooth. It was somewhat smaller than the teeth that nearly devoured him, but he made no qualms about it.

"Actually, about that, I don't think that what we just faced with was a Little Dragon."

"W-What are you saying, Doug? The tourist said he identified it as one! What proof do you have against that?"

"For one thing, it had wings. Little dragons don't have wings. And it was red, too. They're usually green," Doug explained, uncharacteristically showing insight on a subject.

"Such an astute observation, Doug, I'm impressed! I, too, suspected an incorrect identification, but decided to just keep quiet to see if my hunch was correct," she brought her thumb to her chin and nodded in contentment at herself.

"W-What?1 Then I was the only one who didn't know?"

"Come on Kiel, you would've been the first to know if you didn't his word to heart. And besides, what species that dragon was doesn't really matter now that it's six feet under. I think we're ready to report back to Selphia," Doug happily announced to his friends, who each gave a small breath of thanks, "And go ahead and keep that Dragon Fang, Kiel. Go show it off to Forte or something."

"I can? Thanks, Doug! Let's go home already, then!"

"In that case, I'll go ahead and cast Escape," both gave consent to him opening the blue spell book, allowing the latent energy to carry them off to the town gates.

"I think I'll take my leave here. Today was fun," Illuminata told the boys, "Oh, and Doug, continuing your investigation will be unnecessary. I've gathered enough clues and evidence from that investigation alone. I will present the results to you in twenty four hours' time, so look forward to it,"

"I-I didn't realize the investigation was still taking place."

"Detectives never take a break. And thus, I bid thee adieu," after her farewell, she abruptly ran off into town, leaving Doug and Kiel to themselves.

"Doug, do you mind coming with me when I show Forte the Dragon Fang? I'm not quite sure how she'll react."

"Sure. I don't mind."

…

"You did what?! Clarify yourself at once!" Forte loudly demanded of her little brother in their home.

"I heard a rumor that a Little Dragon was in Yokmir Forest, so I got Doug and Illuminata to go with me to take care it. I got to keep this Dragon Fang too," he showed the tooth to the angered knight, who became even more enraged at the sight of it.

"If a dangerous creature was running amuck somewhere near town, then you should've told either me or the other knights! How could you be so reckless and take on such danger by yourself!"

"I wasn't by myself, I told you, Doug and Illuminata were with me!"

"That makes it even more of a problem, you dragged other people into it!"

"Hey, I choose to come of my own free will, don't be so hard on Kiel!", Doug attempted to retort, but was blown off easily.

"Even so, I cannot allow citizens to throw themselves into danger like that. It is my duty as Dragon Knight to protect all who live within Selphia. Kiel, I will talk to about this in further detail later, but for now go to your room!"

"O-Okay…" Kiel looked to Doug, who tried to comfort him with a small smile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do much to appease her. I wasn't much help, in truth."

"It's fine. I shouldn't brought you here hoping that she would go easy on me. Really, I should've expected this. But thanks any way, for now and coming with me to the forest."

"Sure thing." He let himself out onto the street and began walking towards the General Store. By now, it was 18:00, the setting sun disappearing in the distance.

As he placed his hand on the door knob to the building, he couldn't help but think that he was overlooking something in the day's events, something that held greater weight than he could fathom.

These thoughts had to be put on hold, however, as explosions went off in the town square. Without even thinking, he made for where the disturbance was made.