Thank you so much for your kindness, follows, favs on this story thru both Ao3 and ffn- it means so much. There is a "thank-you" illust. on Ao3 version chapter 36 if you wish to see it.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

The Manakete Princess

"… So this is the place," came Fafnir's grumbling tone as he sharply scrutinized what lay ahead.

Before him stood a temple of incredible intricacy; the steps that led to its doors were grand, carved from stone and marble, with pillars and arches that reached high overhead. His eyes scanned the area slowly and critically as he took his first few quiet, careful steps up the stairs.

The air was warm and humid as it brushed by him, and the residual magic that seeped from the earth and walls swirled around him as if in greeting. His skin crawled as that power traced along his arms, and he scowled.

"I am not one of you," he muttered. "Leave me be."

Though the energies refused to back away fully; they only pushed away enough to allow him space to continue up the stairs untouched.

It mattered little, however, for he still felt as though thousand eyes were on him as he reached the top of the stairs.

The temple doors were sealed shut in front of him, and with a sigh, he closed his eyes. What darkness he could feel beyond the stone walls was familiar, but it was not Gharnef.

"… So he's left already," he mused to himself. "Good. Then I've no reason to wait."

With firm steps, he approached the doors and pressed his hand to the seam between them. His fingertips hissed as ancient energy met his skin, and the doors groaned before they rumbled and slid open with a simple push. Fafnir inhaled slowly as trepidation filled him.

This temple was a holy place. The charge in the air was unmistakable; at one point, this had been home to something—or someone—of unimaginable power. A sneer grew on his face as he cursed himself.

"Now is not the time to cower," he growled. "What are you, a child? Have you not learned?"

Frustrated, he quickened his pace as he entered the temple. The marble floors beneath his boots created an echo with each step that travelled down the empty halls at his sides as he passed them by. Elaborate carvings of god-like figures decorated the area between each arch on the walls. The floors had been given similar attention, and beautiful patterns interlaced between each tile. Beautiful golden chandeliers hung from the ceilings, each housing a dozen candles that had long-since burnt out.

Fafnir did not need to be of this world to realize that this place had certainly been a location of great importance in the past. Just like…

With a quick shake of his head, he flicked his gaze forward from the walls towards the length of the hall ahead of him. A dark presence loomed not far in the distance, and he grimaced, his pace faltering.

It was Gharnef's magic—but it was not Gharnef himself.

Fafnir remained silent and simply stared down the hall.

It was a Divine Dragon. He could tell that presence from anything.

There was a sinking sensation in his stomach that irked him, and with a silent hiss he forced himself to ignore the feeling as he continued forward. He had come here for the spheres by Medeus' orders—that was all he wished to deal with.

However, the voice of a small girl stopped him dead in his tracks before he could reach the inner sanctum.

"Who are you?" came the voice, young yet tired. There was something about her tone that rubbed Fafnir the wrong way; it was like she had been unaware of her own words, or she was speaking in her sleep.

Fafnir elected to remain silent as he walked up the three steps to the sanctum doors, and he opened them.

The groaning of old hinges reverberated throughout the sanctum, and not far from its entrance stood a small girl with ivy green hair. A strange gold crown adorned her head, and she was wrapped in light pink robes. Though she was much smaller, and much younger than Fafnir, his entire body froze as he tried to process the power in the air around her. It was, in short, nearly overwhelming. He had not met a dragon with an aura like hers in over a thousand years.

"… Who… are you?" the girl asked again, and her tone grew far more defensive. "What… are you doing here?"

Gharnef's magic, Fafnir realized, had already taken hold of the girl.

"… I do not have time for this," Fafnir grumbled at her.

"Are… you here to hurt me?" She asked and raised her hand towards her chest, as if to ready herself to fight him.

Great.

"No. I am not here to hurt you," he responded flatly.

She must not have believed him, as she curled in on herself and stepped back half a step. Her eyes, though tired, were still glaring at him with intent to fight. A sigh escaped the older manakete's lips as he threaded his fingers in his bangs. Though he loathed to do it, he closed his eyes and reached out his own energy to hers. His dragonstone glowed as he tried to worm through the veil of darkness that Gharnef had draped over the girl's soul.

The darkness had been persistent, though a sliver of light shone through as his soul finally reached hers beneath the veil.

Almost immediately, the girl recoiled and relaxed, and Fafnir wasted little time to retract his own magic. Though Gharnef's spell still bewitched her, she thankfully no longer saw Fafnir as a threat.

"… You… are like me…?" the girl asked, to which Fafnir only hmphed. "Who… are you…?"

"… I am Fafnir," he said. "… You must be Tiki."

With a strange, slow hum, the small girl nodded. She was certainly far more relaxed in his presence now than she had been just a moment ago.

Fafnir studied her for a few moments before he narrowed his eyes in thought. He was never particularly fond of children, though in this case, he supposed he would have to work with her to get the answers he needed.

"… Tiki," Fafnir started gently, "Do you know where the Lightsphere and the Starsphere are?"

She seemed to pause as she processed his question. "… Yes… but why do you want to know that?"

"… There… are many bad people that wish to use them," Fafnir said slowly. "… I wish to take them away so they will be safe and hidden, so that no one can misuse them."

The words felt like acid on his tongue as he lied to the girl, though he forced himself to ignore it once again as he stared at her. After a few moments, and a long, blank stare, Tiki smiled faintly at him.

"I… can show you…" she said, with a ghost of happiness in her tone.

"… Thank you," Fafnir responded. "Please lead the way, Tiki."

She turned and began to lead him deeper into the sanctum. Though there was plenty around him to look at, Fafnir found himself unable to look away from the back of the girl's head as she walked in front of him.

He refused to accept what he felt at that moment was guilt.

Finally, she stopped before a large set of ornate carved doors, and Fafnir's gaze trailed upwards. They were covered from top to bottom in imagery and runes that he did not understand. The runes reminded him of what he had seen in Thabes—perhaps it was the same language.

"Are they behind this door?" Fafnir asked as he looked down towards Tiki again.

She looked back at him with a nod and stepped out of his way. His lips pursed as he craned his neck upwards again, and he glanced to the doors out of the corners of his eyes. This would either work, or it would end in complete failure. His eyes slowly slid shut as he inhaled.

His arms raised towards the doors, and the dragonstone at his chest glowed brightly as he channeled its energy. The power burned in his limbs as his father's dragonstone reacted with the seal on the doors, and the runes glowed; the air stirred to life as the magic threaded together like a lock and key.

Fafnir's eyes snapped open as a gust billowed towards him from the doors, and the phantom screech of a dragon rang in his ears as the old doors cracked open before swinging wide.

With a thick, dry swallow, he slowly lowered his arms. It had actually worked.

A tiny voice pulled him from his shock. "They're inside…" Tiki said as she pointed into the small room just beyond the open doors.

Fafnir spared her a quick glance. "… Right…" he mumbled.

He carefully stepped into the room, and it was as if he had been hit with a wave of light—an ethereal power he had long since forgotten the embrace of—and he put his hand to his mouth as his eyes clenched.

"… It makes me almost sick…" he muttered to himself. "It's… too similar…"

After taking a few moments to regain his bearings, he removed his hand from his mouth and looked around him. Three spheres rested within the chamber, each on their own bed of silken cloth. He looked each of them over and realized he could not tell which one was which.

He hesitated before he looked back over his shoulder. "… Tiki," he called to her, "I have never seen the Starsphere or Lightsphere. Which ones are they?"

Another smile graced her expression. "The left one… and the middle one… those ones are the right ones…"

He turned his head to look towards the three spheres once again, and his eyes narrowed critically. Those were the only two he needed.

Carefully, he plucked the Starsphere and the Lightsphere from their resting places and held one in each hand. Their power was incredible—his hands burned and the muscles in his forearms tightened as he held them, and the magic they held swirled beneath their surfaces like currents.

"… Incredible," he muttered to himself.

To think that these spheres held such unmatched power. No wonder Gharnef was essentially invincible with the Darksphere, or Imhullu, in-hand. However, as he gazed into the glassy surfaces of the Lightsphere and the Starsphere, he grimaced. The thoughts of Gharnef brought him back to his original orders from Medeus.

No matter what world it was, it seemed like people would always stab each other in the backs—dragons and humans alike. His mood darkened considerably at the thought.

"… Where… will you take them?" came Tiki's small voice, which drew Fafnir's attention.

He turned to face the girl and put the spheres in the satchel at his side as he did so. After a moment of hesitation as he considered his words, he quietly said, "… Far, far away."

That answer seemed satisfactory for Tiki, as she smiled at him again with a slow nod.

He bit the inside of his lip as he stared at her. Finally, he shook his head as he exited the chamber, and she followed him. As he walked towards the doors of the inner sanctum, he cursed that she was still right on his heels; would she not leave him be?

As he took the first few steps out of the sanctum, he realized her presence had begun to recede, and he looked back over his shoulder. She was standing a few paces away from the sanctum doors with a sad expression.

"… Are… you leaving?" she asked him quietly.

Curses.

"Yes," Fafnir responded impassively as he turned to face Tiki.

Her shoulders seemed to sag just slightly as her gaze lowered to the marble floors. After a tense silence, she asked, "… Will… we see each other again…?"

His expression immediately twisted into a dissatisfied grimace as he stared down at the girl. "… No," he responded quietly as he shook his head. "We probably won't."

Her energy sank, and the room felt heavy with her sadness. "Oh…" she said quietly. "… I… wish we could…"

To say Fafnir felt uncomfortable would be an understatement. "… Why is that?" he asked.

"… I'm… lonely," was all she could say.

An even deeper scowl etched his face as he balled one of his fists. Her words—her sadness and loneliness—had hit far too close to home. It was clearly obvious that she was the only Divine Dragon anywhere even remotely close—in fact, she had been the only other Divine Dragon he had met since his arrival in Akaneia.

It made him wonder: was she the only one left?

"… I am sorry," he responded with a softer tone, to which Tiki said nothing.

The turmoil in his heart ate at him as he tried to determine what to do or say further. Finally, he sighed quietly—releasing some of the tension that had built in his chest—and he reached out his hand to carefully pat the top of the girl's head.

"… I promise, we shall meet again… eventually," he muttered.

Tiki tilted her head to look up towards him as Fafnir removed his hand. "You mean that…?" she asked, the hope evident even behind the fog that clouded her irises.

"… Yes. I mean that," Fafnir said.

He could see the contentedness wash over her as she relaxed. "Okay," she responded—that time unmistakably happily.

His throat parched as he closed his eyes. It certainly was guilt that he felt, and he turned his back to the younger manakete as a portal manifested for him to retreat into. It crackled and buzzed as it formed, and he spared one last glance towards Tiki behind him.

"… Tiki," he grumbled. "… Be sure to stay… in the sanctum. Close the doors, so you don't get hurt by any bad people while I'm away. Alright?"

With a nod, she brought her hands to her chest. "Okay, I will… I'll see you later, Nir-Nir."

His legs felt like they had been chained to the ground upon hearing his new nickname, and his eyes widened.

He needed to leave—now.

"… Goodbye, Tiki," he muttered.

Quickly, he retreated into the darkness of the portal, and allowed it to sweep him away before it dissipated.

By the time the Akaneian League had almost arrived at the Fane of Raman, both Gharnef and Fafnir were long gone; the halls were empty, and the land surrounding the ancient temple had stilled almost in anticipation of the young prince's arrival.

As the army neared the temple, Xane bit the inside of his lip and furrowed his brow. Roy had done similarly not too far away from him. Though the air was thick and humid, neither of them had broken a sweat until now.

Roy absentmindedly rubbed his right arm as they trekked through the forest. The closer they got to the temple, the more he felt as if they had an audience. However, no matter how often he glanced over his shoulders, or scanned the trees for any figures, he saw nothing. A small bead of sweat trailed down from his temple down to his jawline, and he wiped it away with a quick rub of his hand.

Marth could feel it, too; whether it was him and Roy sharing their unease or if they had felt it individually, neither of them could tell. Marth balled his fists as he continued forward, towards the edge of the forest. The light began to shine through the leaves in thin rays and dappled the ground the closer they got to the temple.

"We are almost there…" Marth said.

Malledus, who had been at Marth's side, nodded. "Just beyond the forest lies the Fane of Raman…" he said. "There, we shall find what you are looking for, sire."

"Yes," Marth responded. "The two spheres. From then on… Gharnef should no longer be a threat."

Roy glanced forward to look at Marth, who had been walking just a few paces ahead of him. The redhead said nothing, as it was not his conversation to take part in—but he could not help but feel a twinge of uncertainty in his chest.

He was unable to put his finger on why, exactly; that is, until a ghost of a voice whispered to him on the wind, through the rustling of leaves:

"You… are not the first to come here."

A chill ran down his spine and he quickly glanced over his shoulder again, and he pulled his right hand up to cup his ear. No one was behind him aside from his usual comrades—and that voice…

That woman's voice had not been one of theirs.

Suddenly feeling vulnerable, Roy quickly snapped his gaze forward once more and pushed his hand back down to his side.

Finally, they reached the edge of the forest, and as soon as they broke free from the shade of the trees, some of the tension eased. Before them stood the Fane of Raman, its marble walls and grand staircase seemed to glow as the sunlight reflected off it. It was incredibly beautiful—almost breathtakingly so—and Marth found himself frozen in awe as he stood a few paces from the base of the staircase.

Roy, as well—he was rooted to the spot near the tree line as he stared forward at the beautiful building before them.

"Impressive, isn't it," Xane mumbled as he tapped Roy's arm with the back of his hand.

Roy glanced towards him and nodded. "I… can't say I've ever seen anything quite like it," he said.

Xane snickered and cocked his head to the side as his gaze drifted forwards once more. "Yeah. You could say it's pretty one of a kind… at least for here, anyway."

With a slight squint, Roy mouthed to ask Xane what he meant—though he was interrupted by Bantu as the he stepped forward.

"Prince Marth," Bantu said, which made Marth turn on his heel to face the man.

"Bantu," Marth responded with a smile as the elderly manakete approached him. "I am sure you know far more about this temple than any of us would, right?"

With a slow nod, Bantu's gaze rose towards the temple entrance. "Perhaps you would allow me to enter the temple alongside you…"

"Of course," Marth said. "I would appreciate any knowledge you might have to share… especially if that would help us find the spheres we are looking for."

Bantu grumbled and brought a wrinkled hand to his chin. "… It might… become a problem, if we cannot open the seal that keeps them here…"

Marth's brow furrowed as he considered Bantu's words. "What do you mean? They… are sealed away?"

"Yes…" Bantu said. "They were sealed away so that they would not fall into someone else's hands… but… the only way the seal will open is by the power of a Divine Dragon."

"Wait, so you are saying that… even after travelling here, we might not be able to get them?" Marth asked with slightly widened eyes.

Bantu nodded solemnly in confirmation. While Marth and Bantu were busy speaking with one another, Roy's gaze slid to Xane, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest with his eyes closed. He wore a defiant frown on his face, and Roy squinted slightly at him.

A nudge of Roy's elbow bade Xane to open his eyes, and he glanced towards Roy. His previously heavy expression lightened into his usual, whimsical smile. "Something on your mind, Roy-boy?"

"Yeah…" Roy muttered so that only Xane could hear. "Surely you overheard what Bantu just said, right?"

That whimsical smile quickly faltered, and Xane lulled his head to the side to break eye contact with Roy. "… Yes, I did."

"… So…" Roy started as he motioned one of his hands slightly, "If only a Divine Dragon can break the seal…"

Xane quickly shook his head and closed his eyes again, and his hand gripped at his sleeve. "I know what you're thinking. It will not work. I don't have my dragonstone… remember?"

At Xane's quick dismissal, Roy pursed his lips and remained silent. Xane spared Roy a glance again, and after a moment of consideration, he sighed.

"Besides… no one else here really knows that I am a Divine Dragon, remember? Just you, Roy-boy. And I don't really feel like outing myself," Xane muttered.

"… Even with Akaneia at stake?" Roy asked, and Xane shrugged.

"Akaneia might be at stake, but I already know what I can't do… and I know I couldn't open that seal if it's still there," Xane said. "Trust me. I don't regret throwing away my dragonstone, but if I knew it would've come in handy for something like this, I probably would've held onto it for a little longer."

Roy huffed in understanding and rested his hand on his hip as he glanced over towards Marth and Bantu again. "… Well, regardless, I guess we'll find out soon enough…"

Xane followed Roy's gaze just as Marth turned to face towards them and the rest of their troupe. Marth's expression was quite tense compared to how it was just moments prior.

"Well…" Marth started, uncertainty evident in his tone, "Bantu has informed me that it might be more difficult than we thought to get the spheres from the temple. We… will move forward, regardless. I certainly do not want to bring more people than is necessary into such a holy place, and there are no signs of enemies nearby. So with that in mind, I would only wish to bring a few along with me…"

Marth's gaze trailed to meet Roy's, which drew an uptick in the corner of the redhead's mouth. He nodded curtly, and Marth spared him a small smile before he looked around.

"… Bantu, Roy, Jagen, Xane…" Marth started, and thought for a moment before continuing, "… Merric, Caeda, and Linde. Would you all be willing to come with me?"

Each that had been named stepped forward to join with Marth and Bantu, who had already been standing in front of the steps to the temple. The young prince smiled at them all, and with a quick thank you, motioned his hand for them to follow him.

Bantu was right beside Marth, and Roy was a few steps behind. Xane lagged a few paces behind Roy, alongside Linde; the young sorceress glanced Xane's way as he stared at the steps just in front of them as they ascended. His brows were furrowed and he looked like he was very deep in thought. With a quiet hum, Linde averted her gaze from him and looked forward towards Roy.

They were certainly a curious pair of gentlemen. Both seemed to grow more somber than even Bantu upon reaching the Fane of Raman. She would have to take some time to get to know them a little better as their journey continued.

It took little time for them to reach the apex of the staircase, and their steps quickly halted.

Bantu seemed shocked. "The doors to the temple are already open…" he said. "… Someone has been here already…"

Bristled, their eyes immediately scanned the area to look for any signs of potential aggressors—however, they were very much alone. A gentle breeze brushed by, and a shiver ran up Roy's spine.

"… Child, you follow in the footsteps of another."

"Ugh…" he muttered as he put his hand to his forehead. It had been that woman's voice again. With a quick shake of his head, he lowered his hand back down to his side and spared a glance around the rest of the group. No one else seemed to have reacted the way he did.

Was he the only one that could hear her?

Marth quietly shook his head. "If the doors here are open… then we need to be careful. Though no one awaits us outside, we may have trouble brewing within the temple…"

"Sire, would you like me to enter first?" Jagen asked. "I would rather not put you in any excess of danger by leading us in…"

"Jagen…" Marth smiled. "I appreciate your concern. Though I think we should be fine—I have quite a distinguished group of allies alongside me right now."

With a quiet chuff, most averted their gazes with a twinge of embarrassment. Roy's expression softened at the prince's words.

"Let's not waste any more time," Merric said. "If someone has been here before us, they may just still be here. Or…"

"They may have left already," Xane cut in quickly.

Roy glanced towards Xane, who had a critical expression on his face with his arms crossed again. Though Xane had suggested it as a possibility, his expression seemed to tell Roy it was more of a truth than a guess. Marth fixated his gaze on Xane as well, and after a moment of silence, the prince nodded his head as he rested his hand on the hilt of his rapier.

"Well, let us go find out," Marth responded.

The group made their way into the Fane of Raman, and the clinking of their armor and bootsteps echoed back at them as they wandered down the forgotten halls of the temple. Even though it had been clear there had been no caretaker for many years, the temple itself was in very fine condition, as if it had been protected from the rot of time.

Their pace was slow as they looked around—the sheer amount of intricate detail in every nook and cranny was incredible, even more so than any of the most ornate castles they had already seen. It was hauntingly beautiful.

Another shiver ran up Roy's spine as they walked further into the temple.

Linde turned to the side and walked over to one of the walls, where a huge relief was carved. She traced her fingers along the marble surface and shook her head.

"This is so incredible," she said quietly. "This figure… all of these figures, they look like gods."

"I've never seen anything quite like this," Merric added as he walked over to stand by her. "It's as if we're looking into a lens that's shown us a thousand years past. And it is practically untouched."

"I wonder why that is…" Caeda mused as she put her hand to her hip. Her gaze drew upwards from one of the pillars, to a chandelier that hung just above them. "The only thing that really tells us its age are these burnt candles. Everything else…"

"Yes…" Bantu grumbled. "The Fane of Raman… it was created by dragonkin, many thousands of years ago… The Divine Dragons themselves took care of the temple. Perhaps it still stands strong today because of their lingering power…"

"The Divine Dragons…?" Marth mumbled.

Xane had been notably quiet, and Roy took a few steps over towards him.

"… Xane," Roy mumbled under his breath as he stood next to the manakete. "… Is that why you're acting so tense?"

"…" Xane shrugged a little and offered no further response.

"… Is that why it's so uncomfortable in here…?" Roy muttered, mostly to himself, as he looked down the length of the hall. Not too far away stood the doors to what he assumed was the inner sanctum.

After a few more moments of gawking at the beauty of the temple's architecture, Marth led them towards the doors down the hall. It had been incredibly quiet—almost too quiet—and the closer they got to those ancient doors, the more charged the air felt. It flowed thick with a lingering magic—in all honesty, Roy had been struggling to not feel sick.

Though it seemed not to affect Xane or Bantu like it affected him. The other two manaketes were proceeding forward in silence, completely unmoved by the energy in their surroundings. Was this just because these draconic powers were new to him?

Something in his heart tugged as if telling him that was the wrong answer, and he grimaced. Was there something more to this that caused his reaction?

They finally made it to the doors, and after ascending what few steps led to it, stopped right at the entrance to the sanctum. There was something—someone—beyond the door that made Roy's hairs stand on end. It felt like a powerful light, yet somehow shrouded.

Another wince, and one of his eyes clenched.

"… Weary child… what has brought the two of you here?"

That voice was loud in his ears, like a roaring tempest, though it dissipated almost as quickly as it came. The two of them? What did she mean by that? Did she mean Marth?

"There is… something beyond this door…" Bantu said. "That light… I could recognize it anywhere. Is it you Tiki…?"

"Tiki? That was the girl you were looking for, right, Bantu?" Marth asked, to which Bantu nodded.

"Yes… but…" the old manakete paused as he frowned. "Something feels… wrong. Come, let us open the doors and find out…"

With a firm nod, Marth stepped forward and pressed his hand to the right door, while Jagen stepped forward and pressed the left door. Slowly, they swung open with a resounding groan, and a puff of air brushed by the group as the inner sanctum was revealed to them.

Large dragon statues lined the sanctum; they were toweringly tall and almost life-like, and each of them differed from one another. There were six of them in a circle: an Ice Dragon, Fire Dragon, Wind Dragon, Earth Dragon, Mage Dragon, and Divine Dragon. Bantu motioned to each of them to explain which was which as they entered the room.

"Incredible…" Marth mumbled as they looked over all the statues.

With a slow gulp, Roy slowly turned his head as he examined all the statues surrounding them. His fists clenched slightly and his gaze grew far more critical as he scrutinized the Fire Dragon. It looked a lot like Bantu had when he transformed, but more ornate. Then, his gaze shifted across the figures to the Ice Dragon. Was this how his mother looked?

As he looked into the creature's eyes, he found himself unsure. With a slight shake of his head, he then turned his attention to the one that seemed to tower even above all the rest: the Divine Dragon.

It looked… nothing like Fafnir.

A sinking feeling weighed in his gut, though he had little time to dwell as the voice of a small girl drew the attention of him and the rest of the group.

"Y… you… how did you get here?" came her voice.

"That voice… Tiki!" Bantu said, relieved, as he surveyed the room. "Tiki, my child, where are you?"

There were a few tense moments of silence before finally, with hesitant steps, Tiki slowly crept out from around the base of the Divine Dragon statue. Her eyes were glowing faintly red, and her posture was bereft of any friendliness; she clearly considered them a threat, and her knuckles were white with how tightly she was gripping at the ancient marble.

Xane immediately grimaced at her reaction. "Tiki…" he muttered.

"Tiki! It is I, Bantu…" Bantu said. "And…"

With a glance back towards Xane, Bantu seemed to quietly be requesting for Xane to speak up. Xane pursed his lips before he waved his hand almost lightheartedly.

"… Tiki—girly, it's me, Xane," Xane said. "Don't you remember us?"

The air was thick with tension as Tiki's eyes slowly shifted between Xane and Bantu. "… It's… Ne-Ne…? Ban-Ban…?"

Bantu seemed relieved. "Child, you remember us…!" he exclaimed as he slowly took a step towards her. He raised one wrinkled hand towards her with a gentle expression on his face and beckoned for her to step out from her hiding spot.

After a hesitant look around at the rest of the group, Tiki slowly took the first few steps out from behind the statue, and Bantu carefully walked towards her as well. Once they were close, Bantu pursed his lips.

"This spell…" he grumbled. "Did Gharnef do this to you, I wonder…?"

The mention of Gharnef immediately made Marth tense. "Gharnef…?"

Bantu only shook his head. "Child… please, open your eyes. Cast off the veil that has shrouded you," he spoke softly as he put his hand on Tiki's head. "Awaken, dear Tiki."

At his touch, the glow in Tiki's eyes faded and she relaxed. "… Ban-Ban… Is it really you?" she asked.

"It is," he confirmed with a smile. "It's been a long time, my girl. I am sorry I lost you."

Tears welled up in the small girl's eyes. "Ban-Ban…!" she cried as she threw her arms around him. He returned her hug wholeheartedly.

As they were hugging, Linde glanced to Xane. "So how did you know her?" she asked inquisitively.

Xane spared her a glance and smiled faintly, though it had been difficult for him to. "Long story, dear."

The young Tiki let go of Bantu before she ran towards Xane and Roy. "Ne-Ne, you too!"

Xane craned his neck as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's great to see you too, Miss Tiki," he said cheerily. "I don't think I've ever seen you so happy to actually see me."

She smiled happily towards him. "It's just… been so long! And lonely… so I'm happy to see you too."

Xane lowered his hand and rested it on his hip. "Well, let's see how long that lasts," he teased with a wink.

Tiki giggled before shifting her gaze towards the rest of the group. Her green eyes scanned everyone. "Who are all of you?" she asked, curious.

Politely, each of Marth's group began to introduce themselves to the little manakete. Merric and Jagen had made Tiki's acquaintance with gentlemanly bows, and Caeda and Linde had both complimented her on her pretty dress and hair, which brought a pleased blush to the girl's cheeks as she similarly swooned over the two women.

Marth smiled warmly at Tiki as she turned to him, and with a courteous bow, he introduced himself. "I am Prince Marth, of Altea," he said before he straightened. "Bantu had told me about you before. It is nice to finally get to meet you, Miss Tiki."

The girl's emerald eyes sparkled with cheer as she put her hands together. "Oh, it's so nice to meet you too, Mar-Mar!"

Roy was completely unable to hold back the chuff that escaped him as Marth's face flushed from embarrassment at the nickname.

"M…ar-Mar?" Marth mumbled.

A grin grew on Xane's face as he chuckled. "Looks like you aren't safe from it either, princey."

Tiki then turned to Roy and bounced on her heels. "What about you?"

With an awkward smile, Roy said, "Uh, I'm Roy… just a mercenary."

That sparkle shone in her eyes again. "But you're a dragon too, aren't you?!" she realized excitedly as she put a finger to the tip of her ear. "Look, your ears are like mine, Ro-Ro!"

"O-Oh," Roy stammered as he blushed, "Yeah… I guess so."

Bantu chuckled quietly as he and Marth observed Tiki's excitement over her and Roy's similar manakete features. "Fledgling dragons do have a bit more of a hard time controlling their power…" he said quietly. "They both still have a lot to learn yet."

Marth spared a glance towards Bantu out of the corner of his eyes with a slight hint of a smile. "Is that so?"

"Indeed…" Bantu said as he eyed Tiki and Roy as Tiki continued to compare the two of them.

Marth's smile only widened as he watched Roy rub the back of his head as Tiki poked at the scales between his sleeve and glove on his left arm. "… Well, I find it quite charming," Marth mumbled.

Roy's gaze trailed from Tiki to Marth, and their eyes met—a slight twinge of pink dusted Roy's cheeks as he sent Marth a weak smile, clearly a bit embarrassed by the attention that he was being given.

Caeda, as if on cue, stepped forward. "I apologize for interrupting, but Miss Tiki, would you be able to help us?"

Tiki turned her head and rocked on her heels as she sent Caeda a wide smile. "Oh! Yes? What is it?"

"Well… we were looking for something," Caeda said as she leaned down to be more along Tiki's eye-level. "Do you think you could help us find it?"

"Yes, Tiki, we certainly need your help," Marth added. "We were looking for the Lightsphere and the Starsphere. Do you know where they are?"

Tiki turned to face Marth, her ponytail trailing behind her as she did so. "Oh! They were in there," she said as she raised her right arm to point beyond the Divine Dragon statue. Farther into the sanctum, there was a pair of doors that led to the inner chamber—though they were already wide open.

Immediately, Bantu froze. "Wait, Miss Tiki," he said. "The doors… they are open."

Xane's eyes widened as he took a few hasty steps forward to stand next to Bantu, and his gaze never left the open doors just ahead. A thousand scenarios ran through his mind at once, and he quickly snapped his gaze to Tiki's. "Tiki. Why are the doors open? Did you open them?"

With an innocent shake of her head, she put her hands behind her back. "No, I didn't do it! Another Divine Dragon came and did it."

The temperature of the room seemed to drop dramatically at her words, and all eyes were on her. After a few long, tense seconds of silence, Bantu slowly furrowed his brows—the wrinkles around his eyes deepened and his red eyes glinted as he did so.

"… Another Divine Dragon?" he asked slowly. "What do you mean?"

Tiki grew nervous at the quietness and suspicion in Bantu's tone. "He came here and said he was going to take them away from bad people… so he opened the doors and took them far away."

Roy shifted on his feet before he knelt on one knee, which drew Tiki's attention back to him. His expression was stern, but the worry was evident in his eyes. "Tiki…" he started quietly, "Do you know his name? Did he tell you?"

Tiki scuffed one of her feet against the ground timidly as she nodded, and she brought her hands together in front of her chest nervously. "Yes... he did, his name is Nir-Nir."

Roy's eyes slowly widened. "… Nir-Nir?" he asked, his tone serious. "That was his name? … Do you… mean Fafnir?"

A small nod from Tiki made Roy's heart skip a beat and Marth's fists clench at his sides as the reality of their situation hit them.

They had a huge problem on their hands. If Fafnir, allied with Doluna, had taken both the Starsphere and the Lightsphere…

Gharnef would be invincible.