Kyubi hurried across the grassy plains towards the east. She had passed through several villages and towns since arriving back in her realm. The Knight Caster only stopped to check in the local merchants to see what news there was from the Knight Caster brigade she had been stationed with. So far all information had been mainly consisting results of skirmishes between members of both sides.
"Would you send out a hawk to the city of Lundor and have the elders of the Knight Caster Order await my arrival?" Kyubi asked one of her personal informants. "I wish to speak to them immediately."
"I will do my best Lady Fox." The man bowed. "But you should know that there have been rumors that you have run away with the Imperial. I fear that the order may not be entirely eager to see or hear from you right away."
"I'm well aware." Kyubi nodded. "But I will have a full report for the Order ready upon my arrival."
"As you wish my lady." The man bowed again to thew younger girl.
"And Kota." Kyubi interrupted. "You can call me Kyubi."
Kota looked at her curiously. The name sounded very foreign to him but it did strike a rather graceful note with him.
"As you wish Lady Kyubi. I will have a carrier hawk dispatched immediately."
"Thank you Kota." Kyubi smiled. "If you will, perhaps I could rest at your quarters for a short while?"
"Certainly." The middle-aged man nodded. He led Kyubi out of the dark alley and looked around. When he was certain the coast was clear he emerged into the streets of the town with Kyubi trailing close behind him. It didn't take long for them to arrive at Kota's personal quarters. Once inside Kyubi sighed with relief. She took off the cloak she was wearing to reveal Certo's over-sized T-shirt and black pants.
"Goodness my lady!" Kota exclaimed. "What sort of garments are you wearing? Your father would not approve of such styles in the slightest."
"My father will not see such styles unless I wish him to." Kyubi retorted. She sat down on a stool beside the fireplace and looked herself over. "Besides, these were... a gift."
"From the Imperial?" Kota raised a suspicious brow.
"That is not your concern." Kyubi narrowed her eyes at her informant.
"My lady, I would advise you to be wary of your actions regarding the Imperial. You know the Knight Caster way and the mission to protect the realms from the power of the Imperial."
"Which is exactly why I am here. Why I've returned after being gone for so long. I need to know more. I have to know more about the Imperial if I am to truly save the realms."
"Oh?" Kota raised a brow as he walked over to the fireplace and sat down in an easy chair and began to smoke a pipe he had resting on a table next to his chair. "You sound like you have a plan in mind."
"The workings of one." Kyubi nodded. "But like I said before, I need to talk to The Order."
Kota smoked his pipe thoughtfully as he stared at the girl. Kyubi's bright blue eyes seemed to blaze with the flames in the fireplace. Whatever was on her mind, she was dead serious about it; there would be no trying to change her mind unless it was by the order of the elders of the Knight Caster Order. Kota smiled to himself but said nothing.
Certo groaned as he sat up from under the trunk of a tree. The night had been loud and restless with the sounds of the unfamiliar night life around him. The Imperial had ended up falling asleep in his dragon form to appear more intimidating to anything curious enough to check him out. The past three nights had been this way and Certo was beginning to wear out faster than he had expected.
The dragon reverted to his human form and got dressed before emerging into the warm sunlight for a long stretch. He washed up at a nearby creek and used some of the water to mix with his dehydrated rations. The meal was bland but it kept him from going hungry. After packing up his belongings in his duffel bag, he sprouted his wings and flew off in the direction he thought Kyubi may have gone. Certo's mind was too plagued to accurately sense her. Ever since his transformation at school his mind had been a jumbled mess of thoughts. As he flew on he continued to notice the way his body continued to transform more despite his desire to remain dominantly human.
As he flew on, Certo began to notice that he hadn't seen any villages or signs of civilization anywhere. Not only that but the only sound he could hear was the wind brushing by him as he flew on. Not even so much as a song bird chirped and a feeling of uneasiness began to take him over. Certo began surveying the landscape more closely checking out every bush tree and shadow he could see on the ground below should any members of the Dark Ki be waiting to ambush him.
After several hours of uneventful flying across the plains and hills he spotted a large river cutting across the land and leading to a waterfall that flowed into a great valley beyond. Certo glided down towards it and came to a gentle landing at the water's edge. The pebbles beneath his shoes were polished smooth and glistened like semi-precious stones in the afternoon sun. The Imperial took some time to drink his fill completely and quench his thirst. As he sat down to relax for a little while he found himself staring up at the fluffy clouds drifting by overhead. A loud sigh escaped his mouth and the wind blew across the grass and rustling the trees. Certo raised his hand to look at it. It was covered in black scales and still changing, slowly.
"What is going on with me." He groaned. It was like ever since Kyubi had left his body had been acting against his will. Was it the spirit of his dragon self trying to take over? Or was it something else that he had no knowledge of? "I ned to find Kyubi, and fast." Certo closed his eyes and started to drift off into a light nap, hoping to regain his energy. He didn't realize it but he was being watched by the trees in the surrounding area. The wind rustled again and Certo cracked an eye. His blue iris rolled about in its socket before falling on the forest to his left. The wind settled down and he sat up. "I guess nap time is over." He muttered to himself, expecting Dark Ki monks at any moment. The half-dragon grabbed his duffel bag, spread his wings and took to the air again.
Kyubi walked almost impatiently through the streets of the city of Lundor. Getting access to the great city was easy being that it she was of the Knight Caster middle ranks. The guards did little to question her, keeping in mind her status amongst the ranks of their order. Kota had stayed behind at his rally point should she need any more assistance. It had been three days since speaking with the informant but the fox-girl was certain she could trust him with most information she provided him with.
The girl walked about the streets, her new cloak flowing gracefully behind her. She had changed into more appropriate Knight Caster garments, suited for a warrior of her stature. Her sword remained sheathed and strapped around her back. She donned lightweight armor plates on her legs, and chest as well as middle weight gauntlets and an armadillo-like base armor protecting her spine.
As she approached the edges of the business district of the city she noticed the increase in guards, both in human and bestial forms. They all watched her curiously as she made her way towards the upper levels of the city with a quick determination in her steps. As Kyubi reached the first plateau she was greeted by a monk in white with chain mail beneath his robes.
"Greetings Lady Fox." He bowed graciously. "I was expecting you."
"Good to see the carrier arrived safely." Kyubi nodded. "Has The Order been given notice of my arrival?"
"Indeed they have." The monk nodded. "They are...surprised, to say the least."
The pause in the monk's sentence caused Kyubi to raise an eye brow. She had expected there to be some disturbance amongst The Order upon her sudden reappearance but judging by the monk's tone there seemed to be more going on than he was revealing.
"Would you care to elaborate?" Kyubi raised a suspicious brow as she turned to walk towards the conference chambers.
"Well my lady, your sudden disappearance after the sudden capture of the Imperial has left The Order... confused."
"I can understand that." Kyubi nodded over her shoulder as the monk followed close.
"You see, according to the reports, your faction had infiltrated the Dark Ki fortress in order to kill the Imperial before the Dark Ki could obtain its power for themselves. However, Bear had reported that you did not follow through with the plan and instead captured the Imperial yourself, causing the loss of several of your fellow Knight Casters in the process."
Kyubi's blue eyes blazed bright and she whirled on the monk in a flash. "That is completely untrue!" She snapped causing several of the guards to jolt in surprise and tighten their grip on their weapons. "I caused no such incident! If there's any truth to that report at all, it's that I indeed rescued the Imperial but only because I was paying back a debt for saving my life from Shadow! I intended to kill him myself but before I could the Dark Ki stole him back!"
The monk nodded keeping his cool in front of their fiery tempered girl. "Indeed. And I understand you went after the Imperial yourself, correct?"
Kyubi bit her tongue to refrain from lashing out at the monk verbally. "Yes, that's correct."
"And then what?" The monk stopped and Kyubi turned to him. "You went into the Dark Ki fortress again, on your own with no support and were never heard from again until now. We had all assumed that you had died along with the Imperial."
"Well I can assure you that the Imperial is very much alive." Kyubi scoffed. This caused the guards to look nervously at one another. "And if you wish to discuss him then you can use his proper name."
"The Order is not interested in such formalities." The monk raised his hand dismissively. "But your sudden reappearance has raised a great deal of questions with the elders."
"Well I have a great deal of questions I would like to ask them as well." Kyubi stamped her foot stubbornly.
"I am certain that the council will not be as gracious as they could be considering the circumstances of your return."
"The circumstances?" Kyubi narrowed her eyes at the monk. "What do you mean?"
"The Order believes that you went awol by not carrying out your mission as planned. And, quite frankly, I agree with them."
"You would." Kyubi curled her lip, showing her fangs.
"You put our entire world in danger my lady!" The monk snarled, his brown eyes turning to feral slits. "The power of the Imperial could destroy our world for good this time! We have spend thousands of years trying to rebuild up to this point and we are still not fully recovered! If the Imperial's power fell into evil hands then we are all doomed to a world of eternal darkness!"
"Do not lecture me on such issues!" Kyubi stuck a punishing finger in the monks face. "I have done more for this world than you have ever done in your lifetime! I have been exposed to Certo's powers! I know what he's capable of! I know he would never turn evil, not even if the Dark Ki tempted him with ultimate power!"
"That is not a fact, it's an assumption!" The monk brought his face close to Kyubi's. "You only think that. But we are all mortal. We are all susceptible to temptations. Not even the Imperial is immune."
"It's not an assumption. It's a solid fact!" Kyubi stomped her foot again, this time sparks burst from under her boot.
"Foolish girl," the monk shook his head sadly and straightened back up. "You're still so young and you have so much to learn despite your experience."
"I am well aware." Kyubi curled her lip again. "That is why I have requested a hearing with The Order."
"I will announce your arrival." The monk nodded and walked down the hallway before disappearing around a corner. Kyubi sighed, already exhausted from the petty argument. She turned and leaned on the railing and looked down towards the smaller buildings of the city below. She suddenly felt weak, like she had just fought an entire battle and barely made it out alive. The girl shook that memory out of her head and gripped the railing tight.
"They don't know what's going on," she whispered to herself. "Certo..." She looked up at the clouds drifting by. The sky was blue and the hue reminded her of his eyes. No matter how pressured he was he had always seemed to keep a calm and peaceful energy in his eyes. Kyubi smiled to herself and leaned against a pillar beside her. "I hope he's doing okay."
The grass was slightly damp beneath Certo's bare feet as he walked across the plains. The soft dirt soothed his soles and the energy from the earth seemed to refresh him with every step. The Imperial had stashed his shoes and socks away in his duffel bag to keep from ripping his only pair of footwear should his dragon side regain control. Glossy black scales continued to speckle his body but Certo found that the more he walked the more relaxed his mind became and he was able to revert to his human form with greater success.
He was enjoying the walk despite the slower pace. The ability to remain in his human form was refreshing indeed. Granted that he was certain that the people of this realm were used to seeing dragons among other mythical beasts, but being cautious was a lesson Kyubi had taught him early on in their training together. The blue sky overhead reminded him of how her blue hair would flow when sparring together. Her eyes were the same color but they held a fierceness in them that contrasted the grace of her long, flowing hair.
"I really hope she doesn't get mad at me." Certo muttered to himself. "I know coming here may have been a bad idea, but..." He stared at the ground beneath his feet and stopped to wriggle his toes in the grass. As soon as he did, his toe nails began to turn into long, eagle-like talons. Certo wobbled slightly and went back to focussing on staying human. "I think that she'll understand."
Just then the ground shook. Certo's head jerked up and he looked around. The sound of thunder could be heard in the distance, but from where he could not tell. The rumbling began to grow louder and louder. Certo stood his ground; he was out in the open with nowhere to hide. The cover of the forest was too far off to get to before whatever was coming arrived. Certo slung his bag over his shoulder and tried his best to look as non-threatening and confident as possible. Over the horizon he could see a small cluster of figures come up over a small hill. The cluster appeared to be made up of men and women in light armor and garments resembling Kyubi's combat outfit from when Certo had first met her. The cluster grew in size until Certo could see dozens, and soon hundreds, of bodies running in his direction. He started to move away from them attempting to get out of their way but the hoard of warriors seemed to follow his direction.
"Bloody hell," he muttered to himself as he heard the sounds of their voices coming closer.
The warriors all stopped less than one hundred yards from where Certo was standing. Certo froze, not sure what to do. He narrowed his eyes and squinted to get a better look at the people standing across the field from him. Then his eyes grew wide as he realized who they were.
"Knight Casters." He thought to himself, his heart beating against the wall of his chest.
The men and women of the battalion locked their eyes on Certo.
"You there!" A loud gruff voice bellowed across the field. Certo straightened up as the warriors parted and let a large grizzly-looking man through. The man's body was massive. Certo stood six feet tall himself but this man was easily three heads over him. On first glance Certo wondered if the man was a giant of some sort but had little time to dwell on it.
"What are you doing out here in these parts alone?" He demanded. He was covered in animal pelts and leather belts giving him a distinct mountain-man appearance.
"I...I..." Certo stammered nervously. "I was just traveling. I'm on my way to meet a friend." He held his hands up in a display of honest defense. "Am I trespassing on private lands at all? If so I was not aware and I'd be happy to find an alternative route if you would be kind enough to show me."
The man curled his big lips from under his braided beard. "You are in fact trespassing. Trespassing on our rights to peace; Imperial." Certo froze.
"I-Imperial? Me?" He pointed to himself trying to look as confused and innocent as possible. "I beg your pardon friend but I think you have the wrong person." Certo was laying on the act as thick as possible to appear more convincing to the audience before him.
The grizzly man grabbed the thick metal beam that was strapped to his back and leveled the hammer at the teenager. One side looked like an axe blade while the other was flattened where the blade should have been expanded into a thick, mallet-like edge. "Your tricks won't fool us Imperial. We know who you are. Did you really think you could blend into our societies when looking like that?"
Certo looked down at himself and realized that he had been wearing his casual clothes. "Son of a bitch," he cursed to himself. He looked up at the Knight Casters and waved his hands dismissively. "Look, I'm not here to fight or cause any trouble. I'm only trying to find Kyubi so she can help me. It's really important."
"Kyubi?" The man raised a brow then narrowed his eyes again. "You mean Fox? She's dead. She died when she went to kill you after being capture again by the Dark Ki."
"No! She wasn't!" Certo protested. "She's alive! She's been living with me these past two months. She's been training me to help fight the Dark Ki."
"Well if she's been with you then she's a traitor to the Knight Caster Order!" The man gripped his hammer in both hands. "She has abandoned her duty and failed to head to our way of life."
"She didn't betray you, you cloth-eared numbskull!" Certo snapped, suddenly losing his temper. "She's been trying to help you and I've been trying to help you. We've already gotten rid of several Dark Ki members."
"Save your breath Imperial." The man snorted. "I, Bear will be the judge of who has helped who. Your very existence doesn't help anyone! You are a threat to ever living being across the cosmos and the only way to protect them is to take your life!"
"You've got it all wrong!" Certo shouted. "I'm not bad! I'm just a normal high school student!"
"You're a selfish being!" Bear snarled. "In your supreme life you gained all the power of the world, then when you were reincarnated you destroyed the world you lived in! We won't let you do it again! No after all we've done to rebuild!"
"I'm not like that at all!" Certo fumed, his hands tightened into fists, his slowly growing talons cutting into his palms.
"Silence! I will hear no more from you plague of an existence!" Bear let out a beastly roar and stepped forward, slamming his hammer into the ground. A cloud of dust shot into the air and a split second later a mount of earth burst up from under Certo striking him in the chest. He flew high into the air and hit the ground with a thud. The imperial wheezed as he struggled to regain his lost air. Across the field the Knight Casters charged with a determined battle cry. The sight of their weapons being drawn was enough to make Certo turn and run, but he was petrified.
"Move," he shouted in his mind. "Move!" The first warrior reached him and swung his pace, crush the teenager's skull. Certo squeaked and ducked under the swing. Another weapon came rushing at him and Certo side-stepped almost gracefully and dodged two more attackers.
By now the Knight Casters were closing in around him cutting off his means of escape with their mass of bodies. Certo ducked, bobbed and weaved in between them avoiding each strike as Kyubi had taught him to do.
Another roar erupted from Bear's throat. He stepped forward and slammed his hammer into the ground again. Certo felt the soil beneath his feet shift and he spun out of the way as another mound of earth shot up where he had just been. A warrior with a spear rushed in with two shorter lances on each side of him. Certo held his breath and jumped back hitting the spire of earth. At the last possible second his arms turned draconic and he dug his talons into the earth before swinging his legs up behind him to avoid being stabbed. The warriors looked up at him in surprise as a long black tail sprouted from Certo's spine. With a loud snap, he broke their weapons with a sharp swing of his tail, knocking them to the ground in the process.
"I don't want to fight you!" Certo shouted desperately.
"Then don't! And make our job of killing you easier!" A female dressed in a green tunic wielding a pair of daggers lunged at him. Certo somersaulted onto the ground, his dragon legs tearing through his pants. He grabbed the girl's arms with his right talon and slammed her into the pile of earth. The girl cried out in pain and tried to clutch at the deep gashes in her arms.
"Nala!"
Certo felt a pang of guilt in his heart as he looked at her before another group of warriors rushed in swinging their blades at him.
"I'm sorry Kyubi." He whispered. The four warriors thrust their swords forward. Certo crouched below them and with a loud rip, turned completely dragon. He exhaled with all the force he could muster and blew the four warriors and several other Knight Casters into the air.
Another angry bellow from Bear resulted in another swing of his hammer. This time Certo was ready for it. He jumped slightly and dug his claws into the pillar that shot up beneath him. He sprang off the mound of earth and lunged for Bear. The hulking Knight Caster prepared to swing his hammer but a sudden force of air hit him, stunning him. Certo's roar thundered in his ears as he spun into a screw attack. Bear regained his senses at the last moment and stepped back. Certo plunged into the ground as if it were nothing but water.
"What in ancient's sake?" The other Knight Casters stopped and looked at the hole in the earth.
"When could the Imperial do that?" One of the swordsmen asked in awe.
"It doesn't matter! Find him!" Bear ordered. Several of the Knight Casters paused to close their eyes and concentrate. Suddenly one of them opened his eyes wide and shouted.
"Look out!"
A loud roar echoed from the hole in front of bear. A second later a bubble burst from under the ground sending a shower of dirt and grass into the air. Several Knight Casters were sent flying their weapons clattering to the ground. The ground beneath Bear burst from under him as Certo leaped into the air. The black dragon let loose a menacing snarl and landed in another cluster of warriors before plunging back into the earth.
"He's gone back under!"
"Well get him out!"
Before any of them could move Certo burst up from under them again like a scaly black whale jumping out of the water before diving beneath the earth again.
Bear picked himself up off the ground and grabbed his hammer. He scanned the earth and sensed the Imperial's presence. Certo felt the Knight Caster's essence beneath the earth and magnified his own. The black dragon extended his wing tips until they resembled two shark-like fins breaking the surface of the plains. He dug into the ground at a phenomenal rate as he circled the Knight Casters like a hungry predator stalking his prey before going in for the kill.
"What is he doing?"
"He's just messing with us! Stay sharp! He's only an animal."
"I'll show you an animal." Certo thought to himself. His wing tips tucked back in and he disappeared below the earth again. For a long tense moment, all was silent.
"Did he get away?"
"No, I don't think so, I would have sensed it."
A low rumble began to shake the ground. A bubble began to rise in the middle of the Knight Casters.
"Move, move move!" The warriors scattered as the shock wave of air burst through the ground. The sound of Certo's roar rattled the warriors bones and rang in their ears.
"That was a close one."
"Yeah, but like I said, he's just an animal."
A sudden snarl grabbed the Knight Casters attention and a wall of fire burst up surrounding them. The path Certo had dug out of the earth when circling the Knight Casters was now a blazing inferno.
"We're trapped!"
"Fire elements! Take care of the flames!" Bear ordered. The intense heat was already making his blood boil and his vision was starting to blur. The Knight Casters coughed and gagged as they struggled to get fresh air into their lungs but the thick smoke was choking them to death. A sudden gust flew up past him as Certo shot like a black bullet out of the hole his shock wave had made and into the sky. Bear growled angrily and raised his hammer as if ready to swing. Before the hulk could make a move a sudden force struck from above as Certo released a sonic roar. The force brought every Knight Caster to their knees and crushed several of the less fortunate ones. The shock wave of air extinguished the flames in a cloud of dirt and grass.
When the roar of the flames and the echo of Certo's voice died away the black dragon slowly fluttered down to the ground. He circled the fallen, writhing Knight Casters until he was beside his duffel bag that he'd dropped after getting struck from Bear's attack. As he picked it up in his talons he heard a groan from behind him. The black dragon whirled around to see a single warrior bloodied and crawling towards him.
"You... you bastard... you set a trap... you... set us up for that move..."
Certo nodded and craned his long neck towards the man. The Knight Caster froze, expecting his head to be removed at any moment by the dragon's powerful jaws. Instead Certo raised a foot and pressed it onto the man's back. The man felt a sudden force rush through him and his body began to tingle. There was a loud snap as his broken legs healed themselves and his open wounds burned as they sealed up. Certo stepped back and let the man get to his feet. The warrior looked himself over surprised at what had just happened. He looked up to see Certo walk out into the middle of the group of fallen warriors crying out in fright as the dragon loomed over their broken bodies. Certo picked out several Knight Casters who looked like they were in more critical condition and repeated the process of healing their wounds as well. As each one got to their feet they watched in awe as the black dragon went about healing the seriously wounded.
After his seventh patient, Certo moved to the edge of the cluster of bodies. He looked back over his shoulder at the gaping warriors who had been watching him. He sighed sadly and turned to the south east before spreading his wings and taking off into the distance.
The man who had first been healed walked over to his friend who lay coughing on his own blood. His ears were bleeding and blood trickled from his nostrils and eyes.
"What was that animal thinking? Leaving us to die like this!"
"He didn't leave us to die." The man corrected as he watched the black dragon fade away into the distance. "He let us live."
Kyubi paced the hallway for over an hour. She had never been known for her extreme patience but now she felt like she was truly being put to the test. Deep down she knew that as far as matters concerning the Dark Ki, The Order was pretty busy. However, there was a nagging doubt that they were not taking the situation involving Certo, The Imperial, less seriously than they should.
After what seemed like ages the great doors to the conference chamber opened and Kyubi turned to enter. The monk from before emerged from the darkness of the room and held up a hand to stop her.
"What are you doing?" Kyubi demanded already at the end of her patience.
"The Order has denied your request to a hearing." The monk blinked several times, his eyes adjusting to the brightness of the sun.
"What? Why? Don't they know it involves the Imperial?"
"They do." The monk nodded. "But as of right now they are considering suspending you for your recent actions."
"I haven't done anything worth being suspended for!" Kyubi snapped.
"Not in your eyes but in the eyes of The Order you are guilty of endangering our world and its existence. You must enter but only to have your powers locked away."
"I will not do such a thing!" Kyubi protested. She turned to leave but the guards blocked her exit.
"I'm afraid you have no choice." The monk sighed solemnly. "You must be punished for your actions my lady."
"You can't punish me for doing what's moral and right!" Kyubi snarled her eyes burning to their feral beastly form. Embers began to burn from her hair and flames danced around her feet. THe guards stepped back slightly away from the sudden heat.
The monk only shook his head. "The Order foresaw you behaving in such a manner. They said you would not take your punishment graciously."
"Like I could take it any other way?" Kyubi almost spat fire at the monk.
"That is why they granted me the power to lock your powers away." He raised a hand and Kyubi's eyes grew wide. She suddenly felt her arms get yanked to the side and her body lift off the floor. She struggled as hard as she could but couldn't break free from the monk's magical grip.
"Put me down! Let me go!" She snarled, fur sprouting on her cheeks and her ears growing out into points.
"I'm sorry but I am not at liberty to do such a thing. You must be punished!"
"No!" Kyubi screamed and thrashed even harder. "I won't give in to something so stupid! You need me! The Order needs me! Certo needs me!"
"This Certo will have to live without you." The monk scoffed. "He is not meant to live in our world or any world for that matter. "And by allowing him to live you have broken the most sacred code of the Knight Caster Order to protect this world from darkness."
"Father!" Kyubi screamed at the top of her lungs. "Father help me!" The monk grabbed hold of her spiritual power with his essence and began to pull. Kyubi screamed hysterically as she tried to resist the pull of her own powers being stolen from her.
"Stop resisting!" The monk ordered. "Give your powers up or the punishment for resisting will be far more severe!"
"You can't do this!" Kyubi shrieked. "Certo!"
Suddenly a loud roar echoed across the city. The monk felt another opposing force grab hold of Kyubi's power and wrench his grip loose. The sudden force knocked him back into a pillar along the railing. Kyubi fell to her knees gasping for breath and clutching at her heart. All around her, blue flames danced furiously.
"What is going on here?" A group of monks in black robes emerged from the conference chamber and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the blue flames manifest into Certo's dragon form. The Imperial snarled menacingly at them and roared, sending their hoods flying off. The elders of The Order were sent tumbling head over heals before sliding up against the side of the railing.
"You dare to defy the Knight Caster order?" The monk in white demanded, angrily getting to his feet and glaring at the manifested dragon. Certo's eyes narrowed and he hissed sending sparks flying.
The guard closest to Kyubi raised his blade and swung. He immediately burst into flames and ran around flailing his arms, screaming at the top of his lungs before hurling himself over the railing and tumbling to his death on the rooftops below.
The white monk raised a hand again and took hold of Kyubi's power again. This time Certo swat the magical aura away with his claws, burning the monk's hand in the process. The blazing Imperial curled around Kyubi who was still collapsed on the floor. The monk snarled and barked like a wild dog as he transformed into his bestial form.
"No don't!" One of the elders shouted but Certo was quicker to react. With a earth shattering roar he struck the monk with his talons sending him crashing through the pillar and into the city below in a ball of fire. Certo snarled at the elders before tightening his coil around Kyubi's body and picking her up in his talons. With a flash of light and a gust of heat the dragon shot out across the city and disappeared into the distance in a matter of seconds.
"What in the heavens was that?" One of the elders gasped as she got to her feet.
"What I had feared." Another replied darkly. "The Imperial has bonded to my daughter."