Of Keys and Hammers

by zcritic88

In a realm beyond, the Four Chaos has taken notice of a realm tied close to the heart. They squirmed into the darkness and sought to corrupt if to reach a prize beyond the light. Will the Light of Order, be able to repel this ancient evil?

62. A Hopeful Return

At the Temple in the Jungle of Teeth. Lorustro and Arreia were off their mounts and listened to the tale Scrooge spoke of, the Lord Arcanum asked in a sly tone. "So that was the reason Gobsprakk himself came? That Orruk is an omen for disasters." Stitch agreed to that. "Nasty Orc!" Loru chuckled. "A nasty one he is, but he's not our problem anymore."

Nightscale felt wind blowing and looked above to find a Frigate with a notable trio of passengers, Scrooge looked upon the army of Stormcasts and asked the two figureheads. "Are you certain the Seraphon would take kindly to all of us dropping by in their property as a thank ya for their part in this battle?" Arreia nodded certain. "So long as we pay heed to their belongings, then they'll understand. They've been expecting you all for some time." Loru folded his arms pridefully. "And in case we have... more surprises, we will be prepared to face them. Our allies of the Freeguild are already heading home, so it's going to be just us soon."

The Frigate landed, Ven and Baldred jumped off to see the rather large doorway, befitting of giants. Stitch cheered at the arrivals as Halvek took a deep breath and was ready to get off Ol' Bountiful. Ven and Stitch had an embrace that warmed Arreia's heart as the Undead reported. "I think that's the last of those crystals, no more intruders are going to get in through here." He looked at the barrier in wonder. "What more do these lizards have in store for us?"

Loru was ready to climb onto his Stardrake companion as he answered. "Hopefully, none. To think you are the first Undead in history, to be permitted upon these grounds, least of all among the first mortals to see what they have seen. How does it feel?"

Baldred felt overwhelmed and Ven felt a little defensive of his friend. "Hey, Baldred never had the choice to be anything else and he's tried to find himself a place here. Give him a break." Loru mounted up as Arreia was ready to do the same. "He's worked hard to acquire a great power, in both body and heart." She had a deep breath. "Maybe one day, we will find solace for all the souls that Lich has enslaved... and maybe they could become more."

Baldred agreed and kept close to his katana and chime. "One could hope. Ven, Halvek? You have the honors of going in first." The boy almost flinched as Halvek asked. "Really? We don't even know what is in this temple, it could be booby trapped with another test for all we know."

The undead knight pondered. "They might, or it could be something that goblin left behind." Arreia found the tale strange. "We were told about that havoc that Grot left upon those Orruks, but surprisingly." She looked at the rather pristine if jungle worn entrance. "Little else was affected, he either triggered all those traps for us or he was in a hurry to use that." She sounded worried. "I'm more concerned of where that grot came from and why would he have done what he done."

Ven agreed and slowly approached the temple. "Aqua told me enough, a Gloomspite like that sounds as mean as they come, what ever he really has planned can't be good for any of us." Arreia had her hand under her chin. "She's spoken a tale of how that Dark Seeker manipulated one Grot into unleashing the Darkness upon his kind and how the rest of those savages were quick to manage that on their own. She defeated the source of the Darkness and what it concocted, but a Grot jumped into that power in an attempt to send the power's ripple... elsewhere."

Her eyes widened for a moment and Scrooge wondered. "Could that reckless grot be the same one we just saw?" Arreia nodded. "Possibly," she turned to Ventus. "If your view on the Light is spoken clearly, you believe that every heart out there has an inner light... a speck of goodness, compassion and a courage to overcome hardships without expending others. Save for those who choose to cast that Light away. Even the most cruel of Grots, would mourn if their Squig dies."

She shook as Halvek took the lead into the temple. "An interesting philosophy, but is talking like this going to save the realms?" The group answered a no, the Duardin signaled that Ven follows. "Come on, let's get to this!" The boy followed the Duradin into the temple and found a rather grand stairway to a glowing doorway, a gateway of rippling, cosmic power. Ven's mouth gaped in awe and spoke his mind. "A Realmgate!" The Duardin agreed with him in a smirk under his helmet. "Aye! This is why the Coalesced were so keen on guarding this place. And through here, lies their Master."

He felt the rest of the army following behind, Baldred, Scrooge and Stitch caught up. The alien is pretty speechless at the structure and the Undead Knight looked upon it in a haze, Scrooge asked. "This was a milestone for the short time we spent. Once we cross that, our business in this Realm is going to be done and we'll be enroute to return home. Are ya ready?"

Ven didn't hesitate to answer with his fist raised. "More than ready!" He was ready to charge in. "Come on guys, last one there is a rotten apple!" He dashed head first and Stitch took the challenge and sprinted with him. LEAP! PEW! Thud!

The duo landed on the other side and were a little surprised by the luscious amounts of grass, they looked on ahead and saw the thickness of an ancient rainforest, one with floral that looked colorful, alien, but nothing blatantly dangerous. PEW! PEW!

Halvek, Scrooge and Baldred were the next to enter, the duck was suspicious, looked upward and then to his left and right, he almost jumped his hat off. "By jove! We've over done ourselves now!" Ven turned around and before he faced his companions, saw hints of a translucent solid and a cosmic void. He approached to have a closer look, finding the void and various, massive spheres floating. One in particular looked to be of Jade, while another is of blue, with a radiant halo. He was lost with in the cosmic span and didn't hear the arrival of the Stormcasts, Scrooge appeared by his side and approved of the silence. "What's more about this place that we don't know?"

Ven felt his will to talk return and he answered. "I don't really know anymore. These were the guys that helped Aqua?!" He addressed the jaded sphere. "Guys who look at a collection of worlds like Ghyran" then the heavenly sphere. "and Azyr like we do for the worlds."

Halvek caught the two from behind with his own input. "That is the reason why we call your realm, the Realm of Hearts. It's got to be one that is beyond the jurisdiction of ours, for it's existence to make any sense to us." Ven agreed and turned around to find his closer companions catching up on the view, he wanted to clear his mind of the grand scope. "It might not be anything like the Realms you know of, it's probably so far away that you all would have never heard of us. But... here we are. A jungle away to going back home."

Baldred pressed his face against the window and was completely lost in the celestial wonder as Stitch was nearly snared and saw Arreia approach with her Dracoline. "The Seraphon have another name that few in the Order know of. The Warriors of the Stars, you should ask Aqua and Ana about them when you have the chance. Only they have seen the Slann's infinite potential."

With that suggestion, Ven felt he understood. "When the stars gaze upon the void, sometimes, it finds that there is something there looking back at it. Those stars share a light that guides us out of the Darkness and towards more. But why would these guys be looking into the Darkness in the first place?" He slowly felt his answer as he remembered the great enemy that lurks with in the dark as Arreia felt she understood the answer. "Because something had driven the Dark into Chaos and somewhere with in the Dark was a lost soul?"

Ven nodded. "And because that soul shined back, the stars lend some help." Scrooge tugged Baldred out of his daze as the boy asked. "Did the Slann seriously told that to Aqua's face?" Arreia believed so. "Would it do any of us good if the Slann used honey words about your friends circumstances and the sheer coincidence that guided her back home in the nick of time?"

Ven shook his head. "No, we all know that was the stuff the Daemons used to try to bring her deeper into the Dark." Baldred overheard that and sighed in relief. "It's better to be speak to a cold truth, than it is to tell us what we want to hear. That honesty helped us all in the long run and you can't argue with that."

Ven agreed and looked forward to the imminent meeting. "I got my own words to say to that Toad, I think I know how to say it now." He turned to the mesmerized group. "Are you done sight seeing? We got to keep going." The group forced themselves away and reunited with the party, they heard Lorustro instruct the rank and file stormcasts. "We are to pay our respects to the Starmaster, be careful about where we step as we explore this Star ship. Only bring out your weapons if we need to."

Arreia smirked at the Templar. "Come now, Loru, your asking as if we won't have unexpected company here? Our enemies are ever adapting, after all." Ven gasped at the words and saw a shadow grow dark in the left corner of his eyes. Hiss! A figure slithered out of the jungle as it began to blow in wind, a humanoid shadow with the long, electrical claws, a long neck and the face of a viper, complimented by yellow eyes. It's tail rattled in electrical power.

He drew his blade and watched the heartless sparkle, it lunged its face to the boy like a circuit. Ven rolled back and quickly slash into the Shock Viper for a kill. Arreia sighed with little surprise as the jungle lit up in electricity and revealed many of the monsters as Loru chuckled. "Like that?"

Arreia nodded. "The Skinks said nothing about the crystals repelling the powers of Darkness from entry." She glances her attention to Ven and the crew. "I say you coming here might have been their passage way. Which was why we came." She aimed her staff and approached her men. "The Slann needs you, we'll handle these monsters! Loru!" The Draksworn asked with a serious tone as his dracoth riders looked ready on the order. "You wish for the cavarly to hunt down our masterminds and bring them to justice?" Arriea nodded. "If you would, if the keybearer and his friends reach the Slann, they would be able to escape with the Navigator and his relic, stopping them is our enemies true objective."

The ceiling became shrouded in clouds as Halvek readied his gun. "I might be without a Frigate, but I'm sure as hell not going to let them fight my battle!" Scrooge approved of that. "Just stay behind Ven and Baldred with me, they'll get the heavy lifting done." Ven and Baldred looked to each other proudly as Stitch found a clearing being blocked by five Shock Vipers and a trio of light green, bell like heartless. The alien curled into a ball and charge at the foe, giving Baldred and Ven the chance to leap first into battle, Loru noticed something large on his right, descending down like a storm, an icy dark drake with a dark emblem, lead on by a horde of dark boulders. He yelled out a battle cry in sync with Nightscale and spear headed the charge.

In the Lanes Between.

Ken felt himself resting peacefully in what felt like forever, the ordeals of his day were certainly things he thought he never had to ordeal. In a blink, he felt himself sitting on a park bench in a familiar town that is under a constant starlight. He groaned. "Not this again."

"Blee! Blab! Blab! Blab!" The sudden gooshy gibberish caught him off guard and he jolted off the bench to find a carnival was in town, being ran by weird blob like creatures with mouse ears and bulging green eyes. A rather, bloated blob with a goolish face was handing out cotton candy to the smaller bloblings and the boy quickly lowered his guard. "That's new." The blob heard that, turned his face to Ken and waved hello, the boy hesitantly waved back and looked around to find more of the bloblings making the town feel busy. His anxiety faded away and he faced the direction of the Bell Tower. "Those guys seem nice," in the corner of his eye, he found a particular someone wandering lost and asking one of the bloblings what was going on, only to get gibberish in return and is even more lost. Ken snickered and approached, finding Sora trying to decipher the creature. "Blab?!" The blobling heard foot steps, noticed Ken and looked more than pleased. "Ah!" He turned to Sora and pointed his thumb at Ken. "Blrp, blrp. Rabble!"

It walked away and waved goodbye, making way for Sora to say hello. "Hey Ken, what are these Blotlings doing here?" "I invited them, I thought this would stop this place from being a usual nightmare."

The boys looked above to find Roxas sitting on an edge, the nobody jumped off and landed, surprising Ken. "Really?" He looked around a little embarrassed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, it felt like how it did before we all had to leave. Anyone know why we're sharing this?"

Sora shrugged. "You got me there." Roxas didn't understand it either. "Must be because we became friends. Or because something is in the back of your minds right now." Ken wondered what it is and thought. "Was it because I unleashed the power of the Chaos Fire? A fire so hot that it can melt stone?"

Sora jolted at the name. "Chaos fire?!" Roxas gasped. "That's it," he gave a judgemental glance to Ken and squinted his eyes. "What is it and was that how you shook yourself from Xehanort's grasps?" Ken knew he was being judged and answered. "It's not the same thing as the stuff we been fighting. It's pyromancy that came from that world, an ancient flame that consumed the city of Izalith and turned the survivors into monsters of the Flame."

He raised his hand up and formed a fire orb that burned. "This is the normal." He focused and the fire danced more wildly, Sora is more bewildered. "And that's the chaos fire?!" Ken chucked it to an ally way and saw it burst, melting stone into lava, the boy didn't feel that different as the flame dried up. "Was I getting worked up over a name?"

Roxas folded his arms and honestly exhaled. "Yep! But if you cast that anywhere, someone could still get hurt." Sora agreed with that and gave Ken credit where it was due. "No wonder you gave Axel a run for his money."

Ken proudly gestured with his arms extended, his smirk spoke of the few things he can lay claim to. "I'll have to ask Miss and Ana if it is okay to let that go. If they don't get on me for the other thing." His pride was shot short as Sora pitied him. "You're out of one thing and into another. What were they thinking when they made fire out of the Dark?"

Ken shrugged. "I don't know! They came to regret that and just knowing about it has gotten me into more trouble than I want." He felt a little angry about it and saw a flicker of flame that was constantly changing colors behind, a bolt of fire jolted out from the rift and warped the path way in transmuting metal. He yelped and leaped at Sora. "We got company!"

Thud!

Sora was knocked on his back and saw the flame miss him and made contact with a lamp post, it twisted and bent into a melting point. Roxas drew his blades as Ken rolled off of Sora and crouched, his metallic hand sparked to form the Burning Keyblade and the blonde boy was about to attack. The flame giggled and took form of a Pink Horror with a face of a crescent moon. "Heh, heh, heh! Why hinder yourself with those worries, little one? A flame that emits the dark is yet another mystery of that world that you have in your hands!"

Ken swiped his blade and let loose a wave of hot fire. BOOM! It made contact with the daemon, that distorted and danced, the town flickered to an image of a world quickly coming apart from a beam of light from the sky. Ken's face twisted in a moment of hopelessness, shook and forced the image back to what the town was as Sora jumped on his legs, he rushed at the daemon with his blade and swung rightward.

SMACK!

The Daemon flung to a wall as Ken used his fleshy arm to form a chaotic fire ball. He was ready to throw as the Daemon waved his hand. "Even the brightest of lights, hide the darkest of shadows. How many paragons you know of that fell to those shadows?" The chaotic fire ball quickly turned dark as Ken flung it, with no idea of the change until it left his hand. The boy screamed in shock. "AHK!"

Sora and Roxas glared at the daemon that flipped over the dark fire and caused it to form into a rift with a glowing white ring. The daemon sprouted wings of light and Ken shook his head and held his blade downward with both hands and had the tip of the blade facing forward like a spear. "Most of them fell because of things like you! If you're looking for a fight, you found one!"

He asked the two boys. "Can I have this?" Roxas didn't mind as Sora cheered. "Show that daemon who's boss!"

Ken proudly approached the entity that snapped his fingers and let loose a bolt of dark energy that had wisp like eyes. Ken jumped to the right side and caused a barrier to form, shielding the audience from the dark blast. The Daemon floated to the left and clawed into mid air, a dark rift formed like an open wound and unleashed a pouring torrent of dark flame. Ken side stepped, spun to the daemons direction and spun his blade, he crouched, focused and leaped.

SLAM! The Daemon was caught in a stab and was shoved into the ground, Ken twisted and raised his fleshy hand once more, forming a whip of flame.

The daemon yelped and disappeared to dodge a smack that left a smoulder. PEW! PEW! PEW! A trio of daemons surrounded the boy and pressed their hands together to form a chaotic glow. They fired a beam in sync, Ken jumped back to dodge, raised his keyblade high in a bright aura and in a spark, felt himself in something that made him radiate. He stabbed the ground and unleashed a fire storm, engulfing the trio of daemons and causing two to disappear, the remaining one fell on his back in a thud and was in a daze. Ken approached quickly, placed his foot upon the daemons leg and glared down on it, the daemon looked back and had stuck his tongue out. "Do you know how they are going to see you, now? Black knight?"

Ken didn't care for the question and simply stabbed the daemon in the heart, hearing it's otherworldly death rattle and causing it to vanish. With the battle finished, Ken looked upon his hand to find a gauntlet he was very familiar with, gasped in shock and checked himself out. Sora looked at him confusingly and was surprised. "You showed that daemon's who's boss! Do you want to know what happened?"

Ken guessed as he saw the blackened armor. "I found armor like this back in the Castle, it had a lot more silver though. I think those Black Knights use to be Silver Knights before... something happened." Roxas believed it. "And why were they Black Knights?" Ken thought into it under his helmet, with his eyes lost in the theories. "I don't know, they kept guard of that Kiln, so it isn't what we would think about with the name. That daemons was trying to mess with us, that's for sure."

Sora and Roxas agreed to that, the nobody snapped his fingers and began to flicker in light. "I'll bet it was. Despite that, you haven't changed one bit." He waved goodbye and had a wide smile. "Take your time in this dream, you two got a lot to talk about without me nosing in."

PEW!

Sora folded his arms. "You'll know anyways, Roxas." He went back to checking Ken out. "Why did you pick up that armor anyways?"

The young boy lead the way in a wander. "I don't really know, from seeing Jambert switch his duds to this pretty sweet looking set after ringing this bell, to Miss Aqua talking a bit about her armor once we had the chance. She and Ven look cool in those."

Sora agreed with that, fold his arms to behind his head and followed. "I didn't know that was a thing until I saw it for myself. I thought this one guy I found was weird until I met those two." Ken wondered about that story. "How you find that guy?"

Sora remembered one of the most intense battles of his life. "I found a portal in the King's Castle and went through it, like an idiot." He advised his friend. "If you're ever allowed to go exploring again and if you find this weird wasteland, get out of there as soon as you can. You're far from ready to take him on."

Ken raised a finger. "After how I went into a scary castle the first time I did that? Then found that book and stood up to that creep three days after causing that? None of you are going to let me do that again unless there is a good reason."

He tilted his head and looked silly in the menacing horned helmet of a Black Knight, Sora nearly laughed to that. "Just because a lot of us are scared for you, doesn't mean we're going to interfere with what you want. Give it a couple days."

He and Ken made it to the bell tower, the spiky haired boy saw a illuminated message on the ground. "Dark foe ahead?!" Ken looked forward and saw a fogged gate at the door to the tower. "What the?!" Sora tensed, lowered his hands and formed his keyblade. "I know, we can't have one moment without those showing up!"

He smirked confidently and approached. "With the two of us here, this will be easy!" Ken yelped in a panic. "The last guy that said that, in regards to that," he pointed to the fog gate. "got his butt kicked like... half a dozen times." Sora taunted him. "I been in that tower, it's not that cramped."

Ken counted that blessing. "Thank goodness it isn't." He aimed his hand at the gate. "Lead the way, I'll cover ya!"

Sora was the first to traverse the fog and looked around a wide room with six pillars and a set of stairs spiraling upward, with both hands on his blade, Ken followed and held his blade with both hands. Sora caught something approaching in the corner of his eye, leaning by the left most pillar. A large spear knight in grey, lion like armor, it had a tuft of red hair. Ken immediately recognized the knight. "Oh crud, he's here!"

Sora asked. "Who is this guys anyways?" The old spear knight flipped his spear and sprinted to Sora in deathly silence, the spiky haired boy rolled to the left as Ken side stepped to the right and answered. "Definitely Ornstein! What happened to him?"

Ornstein heard that, lowered his spear and gave a dark glow, he thrust it at Ken to let loose a bolt of darkness. Ken flipped and was disgusted with his answer. "Come on, that lighting was cool and you sold that out for this?"

Sora sprinted at Ornstein and quickly smacked him. The Dark Dragonslayer was hit to the left, side stepped in that direction and thrust his spear upward, Sora back flipped, focused on the Dragonslayer and flung his keyblade like a boomerang.

SMACK!

Ken joined the attack with a quick spear rush and sunk the blade into Ornstein, the Dragonslayer flexed and let loose an aura of dark power, Ken pulled back and watched the fallen knight jump high in the air, he jumped back and watched Ornstein fall down on his rear to let loose a pulse of darkness that shattered one of the pillars. Sora flung his blade and yelled. "Fire!"

Fling! BOOM! The flame made contact with the Dragonslayer, Ornstein dashed after Ken, the boy side stepped to the right and smacked in a counter. Sora rushed after the knight in a combo, Ornstein spun a side stepped and swiped the two with his spear, he followed with a back jump and thrust dark orbs upon them.

Ken side stepped to an unbroken pillar, ignited his hand and spun around it as Sora rolled behind a pillar and let bolt of lightning at the Dragonslayer. Ornstein bull rushed after Sora and broke through a pillar, the boy flipped to a wall and stuck his tongue out. "We got you now, ya has been."

FLING!

Ornstein saw a heat of flame from behind him. BURST! It made contact with his back and the ground pooled in lava, the dragon slayer fell on his knees in response, looking exhausted, Sora jumped from wall to wall to meet up with a Kendry with a cooling down gauntlet, the two aimed their blades in sync to fire a beam of flame at the wounded Dragonslayer. Ornstein turned his head to them and dashed to the wall, the beam missed, Ken saw a glimpse of Ornstein disappearing as Sora felt a shadow looming from above. They looked above to find a shadow rift, realize what Ornstein was going to do and jumped back to avoid a spear first drop.

SLAM! The next pillar broke and Ornstein looked directly at them. FLING! He spear charged at them once more, the boys wall dashed, tricked the dragonslayer into crashing into the wall and found an opening. Ken flipped and spear dive into Ornsteins back, causing the knight to cringe, Ken jumped left and made way for Sora diving down with a slash. TINK! Sora landed on Onsteins right and turned his head to find the Dragonslayer falling over in recoil. THUD!

The boys couldn't believe it and cheered. Clap! Clap! Clap! They heard clapping from the center of the room and looked to find something more puzzling, an identical lion knight in golden armor. Ken was more confused as Sora looked at the dead Dragonslayer and back to the other. "Okay what are you?! Some kind of ghost?"

Ornstein pointed his spear to the stair end of the room rather proudly and invited the boys to take a look, Ken approached with a cautious look as Sora gazed at the direction, finding a statue of an armored king with wild hair and a scarf that covered his lower face. The Nameless King wielded a giant spear, Sora gasped. "Wow, how did this get here?"

Ken looked at the statue and squinted his eyes to the chest of the statue, there was a cavity shaped like a keyhole. "I don't know... but I think Ornstein wants us to open something for him." He was more confused. "What I don't know is why would he go through this kind of trouble to ask us?"

Sora turned to Ornstein, who is looking at the boy like he knew the answer, he thought about it and nodded. "Because he wanted to see if we would set things right," He aimed his blade as Ken took it into consideration. "If... we ever see someone toss the Light out and attack us like that fake did? We would stand up to them?" He looked at the statue, then back to Ornstein, he noticed a pattern and asked. "Ornstein knows this guy? He... done that?"

Sora wondered as his blade shined with the keyhole, light shined and connected the key. The statue shined in a mixture of light and lightning, a misty storm blew in the room and the chosen of the Key stood out of the way. Ornstein nodded to Sora in thanks and dashed to the statue, the two shined as one and blinded the boys for a moment.

Their vision returned and they found both Ornstein and the statue to be gone, leaving behind glittering words. Ken looked down to read it. "My thanks, Sons of Man. May you bring justice to the Chaotic Dark. Ornstein."

The black knight armor slowly flickered away to reveal the teenager with in as Sora processed the knowledge. "I think those two were close to each other," Ken nodded. "Like a teacher and a student," Sora guessed. "and if that size was correct, the guy with the statue was the teacher."

The one armed boy was worried. "Is that teacher, trying to do something... bad? Is that why Ornstein wanted a go at him?" Sora nodded. "If that is what he needs to do." He looked pretty impressed at Ken. "So a lot of your moves came from this guy, huh?"

Ken smiled widely. "I can't float or anything like that, so that's the next best thing. The faster you can attack after a dodge, the better." Sora agreed with that and walked up the stairs. "And that guy was fast." He lead Ken to the top of the bell tower and had a view of the lively town, he sat over the ledge and invited Ken to sit next to him. The one armed boy looked a little nervous and sat next to him, the two watched the activity until it became a blur.

At the Starship.

Ven and his crew reached a marshy lake and were surrounded in all ends by Shock Vipers and a particular snake man like heartless with a chime for a tail. Ven leaped on his corner and slashed upon them as Stitch called to Scrooge to help him with a leap on the Chime Rattlers. The duck let the alien cling to his cane and took aim. "Fore!"

SWING! Stitch used the force to leap a great distance as the Chime Rattler shook his tail in a calm pattern and let loose the grim tone of a bell. Baldred saw something appear from the shadow of a tree and used his chime to empower his katana with holy magic, a trio of soldier like heartless with lightning claws, they sprinted after a Halvek that was more focused on making a storm of his own to slow the Shock Vipers. "We got more!" He dashed as the Storm Knights pounced, Halvek finished casting a harsh wind on the Shock Vipers and saw the foes leaping.

He growled and in sync, was ready to swing his scope like staff. Baldred reached the Duardin and slashed his blade at two of the Knights, the other was smacked back and was at the receiving end of a pistol shot. Ven wiped out four Shock Vipers and six rattled their tails in a charge and rushed their heads to the boys direction, shooting out six lightning bolts that had a vipers head at the end. The boy deflected and hovered, he fired beams of light in a zigzag pattern to disperse them in two volleys and focused on the Chime Rattler being mauled, Stitch noticed and ducked.

PEW!

Another heartless dispersed. Baldred carved into the Storm Knights repeatedly for easy kills and left the lone Knight for Ven to finish off. "CAW!"

The crew heard a mighty roar, comparable to the squawk of a bird and looked above to see a shifting storm, it crackled in lightning and Halvek had the instinct to know the bolt is aimed at him. PEW! A spear of lightning shot at the Duardin, Baldred stood in front of him and formed a twisted barricade to block the shot. SWOOSH!

Something dived down from the clouds, the feathery Dragon of the Storms and his rider, the King of Storms dived down after Ven as the rider had his spear ready for a swing at Halvek. Ven rolled to his left as Halvek jumped back, fell on his back and left Baldred to roll back. The Undead Knight rushed to the King of Storms with his katana and slashed as Ven glided to the Rider. The Rider looked at Ven, clenched his fists and punched him before he had the chance to land, he sent Ven flying to a tree as the King of Storms flapped, flew high in the air and landed next to the pond. The Rider snapped his neck and spoke. "Do you honestly, think your going anywhere? Without that Dwarf, your little kingdoms will crumble like all the others."

His spear crackled in lightning as the King of Storms inhaled and aimed at Halvek, the Duardin, Undead and Duck knew what move was coming and rushed over to Ven, avoiding a torrent of fire. The boy licked his lips to a chance and glided back to the Rider that in a blink of an eye, thrust his spear at him, Ven rolled to the right and landed on the Riders blind spot, he let loose multiple slashes as the spear missed and let loose a tempest. He turned to Ven and was greeted to an alien to his face, he was clawed at as he grabbed the alien and tossed him aside. Ven back flipped as Baldred charged once again to slice at the King of Storms face. The dragon became annoyed, flew to the air and faced downward to breath.

WOOSH! CLAW! BASH!

From left, something bull rushed the King of Storms, Nightscale clawed into the Stormdrake and Loru leaned to smack the Nameless Rider in the face. The duo were sent falling into the lake from the force and the Drakesworn looked down upon the land dwellers with what feels like a confident smile. Ven chuckled, waved in thanks and lead to a path marked in stones, a stairway leading to somewhere. SPLASH! SWOOP!

The Stormdrake bolted out of the lake and took flight, circling around as the Nameless Rider looked to find his quarry had escape, he growled. "Damn it!" He looked at the Drakesworn and was dully surprised. "Thou art a Dragon Rider as well? Stormcast?"

Loru answered back. "Nightscale and I took an oath to protect the realms. Why art thou seeking to disrupt it?" The Nameless Rider answered like a breeze. "That thing that calls himself my master ordered me to and the name Sigmar, infuriates us." He asked bitterly. "Nightscale was kept around because he and his kind wanted to do what Sigmar says. Is that it?"

The King of Storms charged at Nightscale beak first and punctured his chest armor, the Nameless Rider swung at the Stormcast. Loru parried with his hammer, pushed it upward and ordered his Stardrake to push the Stormdrake back and descend.

SMACK!

The Nameless Rider was struck by the lightning hammer, the Stormdrake flapped backwards and waited for the armored duo to make their move. Loru answered rather furiously. "Long ago, Sigmar and Dracothian saw each other as equals and through that, encouraged Men and Drake to do the same. That bond carries over to this partnership, a vow to repel the forces of Chaos and any who threaten the world of Men. Where in the Realms did you get the idea that it was any different?"

The Nameless Rider laughed and answered. "Long ago, before the Age of a Great Fire, there was only a world of grey, of arch trees and Everlasting Dragons. One day, the First Flame came to be and scattered itself as souls of four, the Lord Souls and the Dark Soul. With the power of the Lord Souls, a Lord of Sunlight and his closest kin, waged war against the worlds old Masters." Loru understood part of the story. "You took this Dark Soul and sided with the Dragons instead?"

The Nameless Rider scoffed to the answer, thought about it and realized. "You presumed much for that one, but no. My Father, the Lord of Sunlight and a treacherous, Scaleless thing, worked together to finish them off. But I remained with the Dragons." Loru thought about it and he realized. "Oh, your father took the world from the Dragons and ruled it in their stead? While you were a traitor to him?"

He lad Nightscale fly high in the air and bombard the Stormdrake with star bolts. PEW! PEW! The drake dived down and swerved to reach his rivals elevation, letting the Nameless Rider slash into the back of Nightscale and confront Loru. "He never confronted me since the age of that war, it took a mere mortal, a lowly, undead human, to give me the fight I longed for. A fight that cost us our lives."

The Drakesworn's mouth gaped under his helmet and he assumed the rest of the story. "Until your Master... Garland, stole you from death's clutches and were sent to wage another war?" He crackled his hammer as Nightscale slashed the Stormdrake with his tail and traded a mighty bite for a deadly peck. The two circled around each other and crashed to the ground, they broke and circled each other as the Nameless Rider formed a stake of lightning. "It brought about this encounter, did it not?" He yelled out. "What do you have to say to even defend that god king of yours?"

HURL!

He chucked the stake at Nightscale, the drake jumped to the right side and the Stormdrake sprinted at him, Loru leaned to the right to have Nightscale dodge the sprint and had his steed smack the Drake in the legs, the Stormdrake nearly tripped and turned to reveal the Nameless Rider charging up a lightning stake and chucking it at Loru. BZZT! The Stardrake and Rider stumbled for a moment and recuperate to do melee combat once more.

Loru took a deep breath and parried the Nameless Rider. "I don't really have those answers myself," he and the rider pushed each other back, the Stormcast thought of it. "I've heard and was told about some of Sigmar's more questionable deeds, from the God King himself. Because of the constant ordeals we dealt with, it's no surprise if there are things he still hasn't told us."

The Nameless Rider stopped for a moment and asked. "And how long is it going to be before they come back to haunt you all?" Loru took his stare away for a moment, the Rider guessed by the pause. "They already have, did they?"

Loru nodded. "Because an evil heart, somewhere unravels the Realms and force those secrets to reveal themselves. We can't be everywhere at once and he can't either as he tries to fix these broken realms." The Rider shook his head. "At least he bothered at all." The Stormcast appreciated that and looked upon the Rider. "The mortals you pursue are in the mist of trying to fix their own problems with their realm, why are you trying to stop that? You know the kind of disasters that will happen if they don't succeed."

The Rider tried to answer and stopped, he tighten his grip on his spear and slowly sparkled in electricity. The drake jumped back and inhaled, Loru sighed in disappointment and ordered Nightscale to do the same. Fire and storm clashed with each other and scorched the arena, Loru took out his bow and aimed for the drake as the Nameless Rider charged a stake of lightning and tossed it to the sky. PEW! An arrow pierced the Stormdrakes neck as Loru looked up to the storm and whispered. "Nothing stops us now, old friend."

Nightscale knew what the que was and charged at the Stormdrake in a leap, avoiding bits of lightning and reaching the tired drake. The Nameless Rider tried to swing once more as Nightscale quickly clawed the Stormdrake in the chest, the feathered drake gasped, felt cold and collapsed.

The Rider felt a life has left and got off to see what happened, quickly, to his dismay, he saw the gaping hole of a claw mark upon his drakes chest, blood dripped. Nightscale growled, ready to attack as Loru whispered. "Hold." The Stormcast asked the Nameless Rider and had his hammer ready, exhausted, but mournful. "What are your names? You two look inseparable."

The Rider's spear hand trembled at a thought and looked at the victor. "He was called the King of Storms, we been together for ages. And we been together even in death." Loru counted it a blessing that he wore a helmet and hid some tears. "And yours?"

The Rider slowly raised his spear at the King of Storms body. "It's been so long since I been told my name, that I don't even remember anymore." He looked at his old friend. "I been a Nameless King, living among the dragons." He saw a hammer aimed at his head and Loru advised. "What ever your going to do to turn the battle, I'm not going to let you."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! As if you have a choice now." Loru and Nightscale were astonished by the feminine voice and were encased in a yellow crystal, the two struggled to break free as the Nameless King saw a yellow twister form on a tree, laughing at the Drakesworn duo as an army of Stormcast approached. Barbaricca pointed her hand at the fallen duo. "What a marvelous sight, two warriors, so alike and so different, clashing like the winds. The Drakesworn will serve our Master well."

Arriea caught up and overheard that, she formed a crackling arcane bolt and shot it at the crystal. BOOM! TINK! It had no effect, the Archfiend ordered the Nameless King. "You've done marvelously to weaken the best this army has. Now take the power of the dragon and sweep these fools away!"

The Nameless King glared at the Archfiend and crackled with his spear. "Would you be silent already!" PEW! The fiend was caught by surprise of the lightning bolt and shielded herself in a twister of her hair, her tone turned to scorn. "You fool, do you not know what you are doing?" She snapped her finger and caused the crystal to disappear before the Stormcast. "You will die here without us, alone and without your kin."

The dracothian cavalry arrived to see their leader spirit away, were shocked and glared at the Archfiend and the Nameless King, the fallen rider growled back. "Least I won't be your slave anymore." He charged the spear again and the Archfiend opened a corridor behind her. "Very well, Nameless god." She enveloped herself in wind and slithered in. "You've made your choice as a free man."

With the corridor gone, the Nameless King was before the rather furious army, his spear hovered over the King of Storms in a shake. Arriea felt the latent power and knew what the King had plan. "If he takes the dragons power, he would empower himself!" She ordered her archers. "Stop him!"

The archers aimed their arrows as stormy sky turned red, a dark rift bled like a wound and slithered, the Stormcast stopped and saw slashes of a burning blade, forming into the pattern of an eight pointed star. The wound, burst and let loose a horde of horned warriors, nine of most ferocious of them, flew from the wound on hellish steeds and were followed by a terrifying, three headed beast.

The Stormcast gasped at the site of Dorghar and the Everchosen riding upon his back, the Grand Marshall yelled out. "Tremble, warriors of hope! You're doom has come!" Arriea looked up to the Everchosen, the warriors of chaos and back to the Nameless King quaking between two decisions. The Grand Marshall stared at three of his Varanguard in a silent order, the horses flew enroute of the stone stairway with their terrifying riders, the Everchosen roared to the rest. "Slaughter everything onboard this ship!"

The Stormcast army readied to fight against the Slaves of Darkness as the Nameless King glared at the Everchosen and back to his fallen friend. "Let's set this right together!"

STAB! BOOM!

The two sparked into a pillar of lightning and gained notice of the Everchosen as his army approached the doomed Stormcast, Dorghar turned to feel the blowing of a grey storm. The mist cleared and the King of Storms was missing, yet the Nameless King remained, standing tall and radiating the power of lightning. Archaon rolled his eyes and aimed his sword. "It's about time some worthwhile meat came! What are you?"

The Nameless King flipped his spear, crouched and trusted past the Everchosen and into the warriors of Chaos. Obliterating the masses in one strike and turning to confront the Varanguard, he spoke calmly to the Stormcast. "Go, that boy and his friends must return home!"

Arriea felt the power, nodded and signaled her troops, the Varanguard were outraged and attempted to intercept them. "Where do you think your going?"

The Nameless King sparked his spear and aimed it for the sky in his answer. BOOM! Lightning shot out and struck from above, the Varanguard raised their shields up and focused on him as the Stormcast took off, leaving the Nameless Soul to confront the Darkness. The Varanguard charged a the soul, the Nameless King flew to the left in a cloud of storms and dived after them, crashing into three of the steeds and puncturing a gaping hole in two of them. The spear erupt in lightning and electrocuted the riders to where they flew to the lake and fell on the ground, twitching death throes. The surviving Varanguard growled with his companions and slashed at the soul with their demonic blades as Archaon was looking upon his answer. The Nameless King parried with his spear, spun and cleaved two more foes in two, the Everchosen saw enough and dived after the King. PEW! He saw a vision of a lion like warrior dashing at him from the shadows and had Dorghar fly back to avoid the knight.

The lion knight landed with grace as the Nameless King slammed his spear upon the remaining Varanguard and vanquished them in one blow. The knight looked back at the King that recongized him, held his spear with two hands and was ready to jump at the Everchosen. The Nameless King looked up at Archaon and answered. "I'm just another lord who's name was scrubbed from the ages. Looks like my sins are coming back to me again." He blew a strong just of wind at Dorghar, stunning the beast and leaving Archaon exposed to a dash. Archaon tilted left and used his shield to block a spear thrust from the lion knight, he gave a fierce glare to both. "Yet here the two of you are, Master and Apprentice." The Nameless King landed on Dorghars back and spun back with his spear. Archaon parried and felt a mighty jolt of electricity course through him. He yelled and leaped at the Nameless King to knock him off his steed, both tumbled together as Dorghar recovered, realize his master was off his back and turned to see the two rolling together, they pushed each other away and stood face to face. The steed roared as the Everchosen aimed at him, Dorghar barreled after the King with ferocity and was smacked aside by the Lion Knight, the knight landed on a tree and jumped after him.

Leaving the two alone to face each other alone, Archaon's eyes glowed at the King and he fired a blast of arcane power, the King side jumped and sprinted at him. Archaon simply dodged and slashed at him with the Slayer of Kings, drawing blood. The Nameless King stomped, roared as a bolt of lightning and shoved his spear at Archaon again, impaling him and hoisting him up in the air. Sparking lightning and causing the Everchosen to yell in pain.

FLING!

The Everchosen was flung across, landed and dashed to the kings right. The king swung his spear and unleashed a gale, the Everchosen rolled above that, shield bashed the king and carved once more. The Nameless King kicked him back and charged his spear again, ready to slam it down like a lightning bolt, Archaon rolled to the right, felt the coursing lightning and yelled. "Enough of this, die!"

STAB!

The Slayer of Kings impaled the Nameless One in the chest, he clenched to his spear and he spat. "You might have gotten me, but what do you think is about to happen now?" He cringed as Archaon twisted his burning sword in anger. "Even if they run, they will fall one by one, your Master will learn that."

SLASH!

He pulled his blade out and let the King fall, a storm blown heart hovered from the fading corpse, the Everchosen stared at it and sought to seize it, WOOSH! The Lion Knight rushed at the Everchosen for a quick stab, grabbed the heart and disappeared in glittering light. Leaving the Lord of the End Times to look upon a wounded Dorghar and approached. "They dare fight against the inevitable! Soon, they're light will be devoured."

In a dream of nothing particular.

Sora found himself staring upon a town basked in Twilight, by a shore. He noticed the odd and stirred, finding Ken in a complete trance, the one armed boy snapped out of it and leaned by a wall, feeling the noise bellow. "Tick, tock, tick, tock. Do we have any idea what time it really is?"

Sora shrugged. "Nope," He thought about something and smiled to him. "You know that once you give Aqua that book and tell her everything, it isn't going to be all bad." Ken took a deep breath and raised his hand out, he focused a feeling of bitterness and felt something spark. "Would you really say that if this-" his hand ignited in black fire. "shows up from me out of nowhere?" He let the fame fade away and confessed. "That psycho always says one thing that keeps sticking around, I mess up, a lot. Enough that I can do that." He exhaled. "Even when I think I do everything right. I always find a way to break something."

Sora cringed. "That's not true." He thought of it. "Sometimes things happen, no matter how prepared you are. It's how you deal with it that helps you get by." Ken listened to that as Sora frowned more. "Sometimes you don't know what your doing right there until it's too late to do anything about it. Sometimes it happens because we act stupid and sometimes..." Ken understood. "it happens regardless if we think ahead."

He looked up to the sky and listened to the clock, Sora listened and thought of one more thing. "Even if you are the odd student out from Kairi or Ana, you just need to keep trying the way you can. A lot of good things happened because you broke those rules." Ken wondered how and felt a ding in his head. "Like how, if I bring the tome to Miss, they'll know how that part of the Dark works, how just about anyone can use the Light and what ever is going on that involved me. Some aliens thought the worst because of a Prophecy and I wouldn't have been able to do what I done if I didn't try to survive that."

Sora smiled to him. "Yep!" He stared at the shore and felt a cooling calm.

In the Starship.

Ven and his crew had a close encounter with bird like, heartless knights that tossed razor sharp quills and nimbly rake at them with long talons. Together they made quick work of them, Baldred spotted a particular Corvian Knight descending down on Ven with a spiked arm and fired a bolt of soul energy to vaporize it. He exhaled. "Phew! We need to keep going or we'll eventually get overwhelmed."

Halvek felt something stiffening his beard and looked above to see the sky turn red, Ven felt a horrifying darkness bleed and turned back to see a distant corridor opening up, he was short of breath and gasped. "No way, those guys got here too?"

Scrooge jumped at the realization and turned around to find a temple cloaked in vines. "I'll bet if we mix the power of the Keyblade with that Slann's tricks, that will solve this mess." Ven saw something rustling in the trees and felt mortal peril. "Yeah, but right now; you, Stitch and Halvek need to get in there and tell him. Baldred, you want to try some new things out?"

The Undead posed with his halberd and nodded. "They won't get past us." He ignited his hand and spewed toxic mist upon his weapon as the crew ran on ahead into the temple, Ven shined his blade to form a barrier and watched a trio of Varanguard arrive on flying steeds, they noticed the barrier and who caused it. The leader of the trio, one with a helmet like a demonic bear, aimed his blade at him. "You just made a grave mistake, boy!"

He ordered his cohorts. "Slay him first, but take your time with the Husk." The Varanguard dived down in sync and rushed at the boy not moving, Ven smirked, looked to a left most tree and jumped out of the way before the trio made contact, Baldred rolled to the right and took his chance to slash into one of the riders. He shined his chime, hovered and rained down divine pillars as Ven zipped above the fiends, raised his keyblade to the sky and unleashed lightning upon them.

One of the Varanguard collapsed in a jolt and caused the remaining two to split their attacks, one sharply turned to Baldred to strike, the other flew at Ventus in a spear head. Baldred jumped back and cleaved again as Ventus back flipped, disappeared and zipped across the chaos knight from all sides in a ray of lightning. Baldred rolled to his foes left side, avoided the jaws and stepped away from the knight to keep a distance, the knight rushed back at the steeds neck and stabbed the halberd through, piercing the Varanguard in the chest and pulling out to let the steed fall. The knight stood up as he watched his partner fall dead from electrocution, he readied to bull rush and felt his chest burning. "RWARG! Why won't you just... die."

He caught the Undead in his roll and shove him down the stairs, Baldred rolled and stood up to see his foe in agony, Baldred switched his chime for his staff of bone and flung an orb next. The Varanguard used his shield to block that and charged again, Baldred rolled under the sword swing and thrust with his halberd. STAB! The Varanguard was impaled and flung down the stairs, to the duos surprise, the Varanguard knight was still alive and tried to get up. "You... change nothing, we... are endless. RRRWARG!" He gasped a final breath and fell on his face. Another foe was bested.

The two meet up and felt blow of wind pushing them forward to the temple, the immense power unleashed, showed they need to resolve the invasion soon. They entered to find rows upon rows of saurus warriors at the call, leading down a hallway to a throne room. Sitting on it is a blue toad that was half asleep, yet was listening to Halvek's plea. "Once they get here, we can try something to kick ol Archaon out. The energies of the key with the Azyr ought to do the trick." He heard foot steps and was the first to turn around and approach. "Ah, there you are! How bad is it getting out there?"

Ven was in a hurry to answer. "Did you feel the power spike out there? If we don't do something, this whole ship is going to blow!" Scrooge cringed to that. "And that's bad for business." Stitch pleaded to the lethargic toad wizard to wake up, the Slann opened his eyes and croaked. "The shadow of death comes! Brace yourselves, Warriors of Harmony!"

Ven and Baldred wanted to know what that was for and saw a dark barrier block the wizard, duck and alien from the group, Halvek saw a cold mist blow in entry and freeze the hall way, setting the saurus warriors into a defensive frenzy and charging at it to break it down. A corridor of darkness opened and a woman's voice spoke chillingly. "Fret not, I seek only the dwarf."

The figure emerge, revealing the woman in a grey, nun's dress, complimented by a black hood, she held a long scythe with her right hand. "Thou are only a youth, accompanied by a misguided lord." She raised her scythe and rubbed it with her left hand. "Please, avert thine eyes." The scythe flickered specks of snow as the trio readied for battle, the Deathly Sister promised as she lowered the scythes blade forward. "I will snuff out this soul for good."

Halvek scoffed to that. "Like you would!" He aimed his pistol and fired as Ven and Baldred stood in her way, the Undead yelled. "We're not letting you stop us when we are this close! Who are you?"

The woman dodged the pistol shot nimbly and thought to amuse the knight. "I am Friede, oh Lord of Men." Ven flowed to the right wall and speared a leap at Friede, the nun jumped to the right to dodge him at a nimble speed and slashed at him. Cutting into the boys armor and leaving behind a biting cold, Baldred used his staff to shoot a soul crystal at Friede and drew her attention, the sister dashed left, lifted her scythe and had the tip behind her back, her left hand kept it in balance, poised the strike. The melee duo kept close in watch and waited, Friede dashed at them to attack with a slash that broke her guard. Ven and Baldred rolled back and countered with a keyblade and a halberd, Halvek had his aim and fired a shot at the Nun, she kept calm, jumped back and waved her scythe to blanket herself in snow. She vanished in mist and the duo heard foot steps from their left, Halvek broke a sweat and realized. "Ah bollucks, she's right behind me."

He turned to hear a raspy breath and charged, finding the sister with her scythe ready to strike and smacked her with her staff, Friede dashed right and swiped her scythe to unleash a trail of frost that caught the Duardin in a chill, Halvek jumped out of it and saw sharp ice erupt, he focused on keeping away from the nun and watched her moves.

Friede slashed over and over as Ven and Baldred ran close to her, the boy aimed his blade and shouted. "Fire!" As Baldred formed a flame orb comparable to a dark sun and hurled it. Both made contact with her and exploded, she flew to the barrier with trials of frost and jumped towards her left, she looked the two directly in the eyes with a warning of death, surprisingly for the two, underneath the hood is a rather fair lady, with dark hair and a burn mark on the right side of her face. "Don't thou have kin to return to?"

Ven kept a firm battle face for his answer. "Yeah, and we're not going home without this guy, we need his help. Are you from Baldred's world?" Friede posed her scythe behind her back in preparation. "I am a sister of the Sable Church of Londor, thou art brave as thy kind always have." She dashed after them again, Ven flipped back as Baldred rolled to the right and cut into the Sister, the Undead spoke back. "Does thou realize, that we won't have a home if Chaos succeeds?"

The group heard a roar from outside and the sound of battle, Friede answered firmly. "Yes, thou know'th how to banish this; Dark, Lord of Cinder." Baldred gasped and readied his flame in sync. "Must this cycle continue?" Friede readied to strike. "Ye, traversed the Dark once, has thou found that strength?" Baldred aimed in his answer. "I have." BURST! A flame combusted at the sister and sent her falling on her back, she placed her hands on her face and saw a dark chime radiate in lightning.

FLING! ZZZZAP! Lightning struck and the sister jolted limp. The knight took a deep breath at the achieved victory and the barrier died down. SMASH! Something bull rushed through the icy barrier in great force, the dreaded steed Dorghar and a furious Archaon. He yelled at the crew, determined to end their lives. "This has gone on long enough! Dorghar, devour them!"

The Slann raised his hands in the air and focused upon Ven, the boy heard with in his mind. "Send him away, Pure Heart." Ven understood what that meant and aimed his blade at the charging monstrosity. A large keyhole opened in front of him and opened the way into the unknown. Archaon gasped as he and his steed rushed through it. The hole vanished and Ven fired a beam at it. Causing it to rupture in light and engulf the temple. Nothing seemed to happened, yet Ven felt a great danger was averted. "Did that send him away for good?"

He turned to the Slann, who raised a finger. "If he seeks to return, he will have to use the Cosmic Maw, the Realmgate from Ghur." Baldred exhaled and felt a chill. "But he'll be after us again when he has the chance?"

Ven agreed and asked. "So now that we're done, we just need to go to Azyr to get the Heartstone?" The Slann croaked as Arreia and her men arrived. "With the key close to the Realm of Hearts and the knowledge of the waystone, it will take but a moment. Our enemy has seized another for his wicked plans." Ven gasped as Scrooge asked the Stormcast. "Another?! Did Archaon do something to Loru?" Arreia cringed and ordered. "No, some fiend of Air snatched him up in a crystal. Lord Slann, we believe these fiends have made off with one of your Skink Oracles as well!" That the Slann grumbled to. "He will be found in the Realm of Hearts along with the other three. They are the key to the Heart of Discord." Halvek guessed. "In other words, it's ya back up plan when Garland nosed in? If we rescue them, then that means we will have allies over there for good measure."

The Slann focused a spell in preparation as Baldred's chill escalated and he shivered, his eyes glowed a deathly green. Ven noticed a barrier returning at the Slann's command, a que that he needs to turn around. He saw Baldred staring directly at him and aiming his staff of bones, he gasped and saw dark power glow. Baldred's free hand reached for the one and threw the aim off, a dreadful bolt of dark mist shot past Ven and made contact with the barrier and the Undead glowed in purple energy, the boy drew his blade and demanded. "I don't know what you are, but get out of Baldred! Now!"

The undead hissed hatred at Ventus. "And allow you to deny me my prize? Keybearer?" He felt the dark power weaken and cursed. "This fool dares to oppose his god? The Supreme Lord of the Undead?!"

The group were surprised and shouted.

"Nagash!"

Ven was ready to defend himself as the Necromancer flung dark orbs at him, the boy rolled and flew to his foe in the speed of light, striking with lightning infused power and shocking the Undead.

Nagash caused Baldred's staff to glow in darkness and form into a dark blade. SWIPE!

Ven jumped out of the way of the dark power as Nagash sneered. "The Heartstone needs the Keybearer and a powerful mage to open a certain way." He took Baldred's chime and glowed in dark. "It's unfortunate that one of those won't be using that, I wonder how your friend will cope of your... parting." He laughed in spite and tried to lean, letting loose a dark power that caused Ven's legs to move slowly. Baldred stood up and tried to walk away in a promised peace. The spite left and the Undead exhaled and the green eyes flickered away, the knight's voice opposed the evil spirit. "These hexes are mine to wield! Ven."

The boy listened. "I know, we'll get him out of you and then we can go home." Baldred smirked under his helm and radiated his chime in light. "If not, don't hesitate. The Light will keep you safe." Ven felt the sacred oath and countered with his own. "Don't worry, I won't let another creep take a friend from me again."

Baldred chuckled and violently twisted, the green eyes took hold and Nagash's tone took over to ask. "What idiotic vow is that? He's nothing but a hollowed sack of bones and flesh for me to bend to my will!"

Ven circled around and saw the Slann readying a spell, opening the rift for someone, the boy gritted his teeth in an anger. "He's fought you back! If you're not going to let him go, I'm coming in there myself!"

Nagash gasped and laughed hysterically at the boy, he tossed the chime like it was junk and ignited his hands. "Will he ever be free? You're only wasting your time!" He aimed and let loose multiple fire snakes at the boys trial, forcing him to run and give the Necromancer time to breath bile upon the katana. The possessed undead charged to slash, Ven rolled behind to counter attack and saw his foe rolled ahead. Nagash swiped Baldred's hands to unleash a repeated flame swave, Ven kept moving and fired ice spells.

PEW! PEW! PEW!

Nagash growled and readied to hurl a forbidden sun, the hand twitch and reached for the body, causing the body to solidify into stones. The body glowed in spectral green energy and hovered. "He isn't going to save you, Cursed one. I will claim someones soul, one way or another." Baldred was forced to switch to his staff and unleashed a barrage of dark specters and dark orbs. Nagash twist his wrists as Ven dodged and caused the impact to erupt into a ghastly fiend, that clawed and bit.

Stitch head butted the barrier and barked to the Slann to let him through, the toad wizard hummed. "That won't be needed. The Lord of Cinder has acquired great power to defy the Undying." Stitch growled as Scrooge noticed a body in the arena, glowing in black fire. "And that power earned him some respect with in the dark?"

The glow became noticeable as Arriea stepped across the rift and noticed the burning body rising. "You're kidding me?!" She yelled. "Ven, look out, theirs trouble on your left!" Ven saw Friede rise as Nagash sensed a great anger from the woman, he turned as the Slann advised. "The Lord of Cinder has respects the Darkness of men and the Darkness answers in kind."

Friede conjured a second scythe of frost and glared directly at Nagash. "Release the Lord of Dark, Necromancer! He belongs to no one!" Nagash aimed his hands together to launch a dark orb at the Black Flamed Nun, Freide dashed towards Ven with an odd grace and slashed a pillar of black flame at the Necromancer. She whispered something to him. "I will hold the vessel in place, the bond between thee will suffice?"

Ven gasped and knew what she meant, Freide dashed to the wall and jumped to the Necromacer to slash at him, Ven sprinted from behind and smacked the Undead. Nagash glowed in soul power and raised his staff high. "This ends now!"

POFF!

An aura of soul magic erupted from the body, Baldred screamed in sync with Nagash's frustration. Friede had her scythes at the Undead's neck and spun to his back to pin him down, Ven circled around and felt a heart shining, a feeling of an unwavering duty and a slew of familia, revealing itself in the tide of spite. He aimed his blade and thought. "Baldred, follow the light!"

His heart shined with his blade and in sync with Baldred's, causing a faint glow that pushed the spite, the spectral energy was forced, screaming out of the body.

Baldred wheezed a sob and went limp, Friede let him go and watched him collapse. "It is done."

She turned to the spirit, taking form of a skeletal wizard with a crown, shoulder pieces of tendril like bones and a mighty staff. "WRAAAAGH!" He enveloped in purple energy and vowed. "I will claim your souls for this!"

He raised his bone hand at Ventus and caused his essence to tear, the boy screamed at the pain as Friede jumped into Nagash's face and carved with her frosty scythe. Ven gasped, looked up the ceiling and leaped, he cut a crack of light in the ceiling and taunted. "You're done for, bone head!"

Pillars of light crashed upon the Spirit of Nagash, the necromancer formed a barrier to block most of the blows as the Slann focused. "Distract the Spirit, it is our turn now!"

Ven understood and rushed at the spirit in a glow of light, carving into it and finishing with a burst of light, Nagash summoned a spectral sword and cut into him as Friede unleashed a wave of black flame upon him, side stepped, unleashed another and side step again for a final one. The Spirit was torn bit by bit and noticed something occurring behind his back, he turned to see Arriea and the Slann focusing a spell of divine power and realize what they are doing. "Do you really think that will stop me?" He laughed as Ven rushed at him, the Spirit dodged and reached for the boys neck, Ven felt immediate danger coming for him and a scythe at his torso, yank!

The scythe pulled Ven away from the hand of Nagash and behind Friede, she smirked and asked. "Take care of the Lord of Men," She dashed to Nagash to do melee and keep the necromancer occupied, giving Ven time to catch his breath and back away, he focused a shot lock as the Necromancer quickly seized Friede by the neck and lifted her kicking body. He turned to Ven and used Friede as a shield, the boy redirected his aim as the Necromancer smiled, the hand glowed in spectral energy and Friede gasped in a moment of horror, her breath was taken away and she shriveled and aged rapidly, her skin and flesh turned to dust and left behind a skeleton, Nagash crushed her skull and let the body collapse, seeing Ven's courage turn to shock, then to anger. "You're fate will be a thousand times more cruel." He pressed his hands together to condense purple light into a skull that expanded. "Behold the Sun of Shyish, one gaze and your soul will be mine!"

He laughed in triumph as the spell took form, Ven braced for the worst and felt his heart leaping.

FLICK! POOF!

The skull disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Spirit of Nagash looked upon where his spell was and turned to find Halvek with his void stone orb risen high and breaking apart the winds of magic. The Kharadron exhaled and put it away. "That was close." Nagash gazed upon him and glowed his eyes green, ready to fire death beams upon him, Ven had a change of plan, spun his keyblade and leaped with a battle cry.

SMACK!

He smashed into the back of Nagash's head as Arreia and the Slann glowed in unified energy, of the winds of Azyr and Shyish. The wizards aimed at the spirit and together, shouted a pulse of magic.

WOOSH! The magic pushed the Spirit and caused it to disperse, Nagash screamed and rushed at the two. Ven watched wicked spirit fade away and dashed over to Baldred. Nagash felt himself slipping and yelled. "This isn't over! One day, all your souls will belong to Nagash! The place you call paradise, will be mine! Whether it be the forges, the realms of Chaos and even the Kingdom of Hearts. I will return one day." He looked upon Ventus trying to wake the Undead up and laughed at him. "All who oppose the will of Death, will be laid broken and hollow."

He kept laughing as the power evicted him from the Star Ship. The barrier dispersed and Arreia fell over exhausted, the Slann grumbled and through will, caused his throne to hover and move, he kept a watchful eye upon Ventus as Scrooge and Stitch watched the boy shake the Undead awake. "Come on, Nagash is gone. We can go home."

Baldred weakly looked up to Ven, tried to say something and tried to tap the side of his head. Ven leaned on his knee to try and help him up and felt something was wrong, he tried to figure it out and felt the word hollow whisper in his mind. Stitch had a closer smell and tugged Baldred. "Wake up!" The Undead had his hands on the ground and breathed in and out. Scrooge was feeling an ill omen and approached the undead. "Come on, we got what we came for."

He reached for the knights helmet to see what is wrong and Ven sharply yelled. "Scrooge, don't do that!" The duck stopped and asked. "If you know so much, then would ya mind tellin' me what is wrong with him? What did that bone head do to him?"

The question stun the boy and Baldred whimpered, he lowered his head and breathed strangely, it felt like a cry.

Ven tighten his grip and he saw all the signs. "Why would he do this to him?!" He tried not to cry and thought of something, he stood back and aimed his blade. "I'm not going to let that monster have the last laugh. Guys, I'm going in."

The group wondered what the boy meant as the keyblade shined. Ventus's vision became that of a white light, giving way to dark. He found himself in ruins, before a lake, he had a closer look and saw a ringed shaped whirlpool, descending into forever. A faint whisper blew to the boy. "The fate of the cursed." Ven took a deep breath and jumped down into the ring, he felt himself falling, more whispers came. "It's an undead." "You'll become Hollow." "What is your name?"

The boy saw with in the void, a ring of fire. The whispers changed in tone. "Bearer of the Curse." A familiar voice whispered in return. "I must break this Curse." The voice spoke back. "Seek misery" "Frail" The voice of the Undead spoke in resolve. "I need to grow stronger." Ven found himself past the ring of fire and finding another ring, one eclipsing light.

A masculine voice echoed. "Very few, indeed, have come even this far." "Once the Lord of Sunlight banished Dark, and all that stemmed from humanity. And men assumed a fleeting form. These are the roots of our world." Ven heard the tale before and felt something calling, the void sparked a light, revealing a bramble of burning branches, shaped like a persons head. "Men are props on the stage of life, and no mater how tender, how exquisite..." the voice sounded enraged. "a lie will remain a lie!" The voice calmed. "Knowing this, do you still desire peace?" The whisper of Baldred was heard. "Yes, more than anything."

The fiery voice asked. "But what is a king? You, neither born of greatness, nor granted it by the fates. What is it that you seek?" It chuckled amused. "You cannot even say yourself." The fiery faced faded and Ven saw a cave in the bottom of the abyss, he readied to land and found himself upon a bridge of giant candles. He looked on ahead to find a room on the other side and approached, a sinister, feminine voice slithered. "Brave undead, you have proven yourself to me." Ven felt a fear most familiar, looked ahead to be a giant Kiln across a bridge of giants and heard the fiery voice returned. "Many monarchs have come and gone. One drowned in poison, another succumbed to flame. Still another slumbers in a realm of ice. Not one of them stood here, as you do now."

"The throne will certainly receive you. But one question remains... what do you want, truly? Light? Dark? Or something else entirely."

The boy reached the door, found no handle and used his blade to open it, revealing the Undead Knight, sitting on top of an ashen thrown, he was blinded by the sudden light and tried to look again. Ven reached his hand towards him and asked. "Is this what you really wanted in the first place? Or do you want find a place to really belong?"

Baldred clenched his fists upon the throne and slowly stood up. "Where am I even suppose to go? What really awaits me in the end?" Ven closed his eyes and tried his hardest not to cry. "I don't really know anymore, but you can't stay here. You need to find your own answers," he asked. "will you let us help you? Like you helped us?" Baldred took a deep breath, looked upon the hand and got off the throne, Ven held him tight, smiled to the knight and lead him away into the light.

The boy's vision came through and he saw Baldred relaxed, on his hands and knees in silence, he once again offered him a hand up. The knight took it and felt like he was in a haze. "I was born from the Dark and was marked by it's sign. Is the Dark... all that I am?"

Ven shook his head. "No, you never chose that. You kept trying to be more and that was what lead you down the path you took." He smiled to lighten the mode. "It's a little of both."

Leap!

Baldred felt a weight on his right shoulder and saw Stitch climbing on with a certain chime, the alien hummed his input. "Baldred, friend!" Scrooge agreed with him. "And a friend he has." Arreia agreed with that. "One that has done the impossible, even among mere humans. Take pride in that, as you made the heavens move and defied gods themselves."

She had a deep breath and had a harsh tongue for Halvek, who was trying to find what to say. "Now why did you use the Voidstone orb? Do you know how easy it is for that to break?" Halvek grunted. "You know what the Purple Sun would have done, as long as I didn't use it to trap the spell, the stone would be fine. But that means I got to let it cool down."

Ven figured that much. "It will give us enough time to plan with Aqua and the others." The Slann pressed his hands together and readied a spell. "Time that is crucial." He asked Arreia. "Gather your men in the Jungle and go to the Vault. I will guide them from here."

The Stormcast saluted and ordered. "Come on, we need to see our friends off one more time!" With the army leaving, the Slann raised his hands and let loose the power of the Azyr. In a glimmer, the crew found themselves in a golden structure of some kind. Confused by it all and given an alert welcoming from a guarding Stormcast. "Who goes-" He saw the unusual characters, the Kharadron and the Slann, he apologized and asked. "Oh... is there an occasion for a Starmaster to be here?"

The Toad wizard simply stared at him, the guard nodded to the answer. "The Heartstone!" He turned. "It's been well guarded over the weeks since it's last use. So the War at the Jungle of Teeth ended in our victory?"

Halvek grunted and flexed in pride. "It was won and then more. Olgrik ought to let Arreia know of our payment, consider my extra work a bonus though." The guard wondered and asked Ven in curiosity. "That bonus is to be from the other side? What of Lady Ana?" Ven felt he could spill a story. "She's doing fine, she's been helping Aqua with teaching a couple of-"

At a realmgate in the Varanspire.

Ahriman was pleased with Zonir and his Tzaangor henchmen, the collection of imprisoned spells and Ztardon's overall mood. "And now, all we need is the Everchosen's word that we can return to base." March! March! March! Ztardon slowly turned around to find an army of the Warriors of Chaos, an pale Ogroid with a shield and spear, along with an excited band of savage looking cultists and braying beastmen. The Ogroid looked at his competitor and smiled to him smugly. "So you too have answered the calling?" Zonir squinted his eyes back. "For now, me and the Shaman are equals." Ahriman saw Skaven skittered in the back and a certain hellish steed flying towards the gate, Archaon looked both annoyed and pleased. He introduced Ahriman to the Ogroid. "Ahriman, you know of the champion I spoke of?"

The Sorcerer remembered. "Keenfist. With this kind of army at our disposal, we would crush those who stand before us if they attempt anything foolish." Archaon agreed with him. "We will see how the others in the Realm of Hearts fared while we were away and plan our next move. Regardless, I will claim our next candidate from the Guardian's grasp and eliminate this meddlesome competitor."

The Sorcerer knew Archaon was speaking of Garland. "Yes, he's been enough of a nuisance already." In a flicker of light, the Realmgate opened a chaotic rift into a dark city, the Everchosen blew his horn and ordered. "We march! For glory!" The horde of madmen, mutants and rats cheered in the thought and followed back into the Realm of Hearts.

In the Lanes Between.

Blip! Blip! Blip! Sora stirred from his sleep and found a flashing light giving a gentle beep to alert him about something. He saw a sphere with the Land of Departures markings. Ken mumbled in his deep sleep and slowly woke. He yawned and saw the world ahead, he readied his bag and looked at his watch. "We're early in the day."

He snapped to an idea. "Hey, if we are quiet enough, maybe we can find a way to hand the thing over without Miss noticing and getting angry right away?"

Sora wasn't counting on that. "After how worried we been for you, don't expect it to be easy." Ken's hope dashed away and he stretched as Sora noticed a star shining in the void. The boys looked to each other confidently and gave their thanks to Bryn.

PEW!

The duo found themselves as the stair way to the castle and walked up to the castle gates that was being greeted by the sunrise. Ken took a deep breath as Sora opened the door to let him in, finding two particular people wide awake. Goofy and Donald, talking about something, the shield bearer finished. "With how quiets it's been, I got the feeling we're in for a big surprise today." Donald tapped his foot and saw in the corner of his eye, someone returning, he gasped. "Sora?!"

Goofy turned to find the two boys back. "Well hiya Sora, hiya Ken!" Sora said hello back with open arms. "We're finally back!" Goofy was ready to give Sora a friendly hug as Donald folded his arms. "You took your sweet time to get here."

Ken apologized nervously, like he has a secret. "I wanted to see the Muppet show with him before we left and it was a long way way." He laughed nervously and Donald asked. "We know about the book." Ken cringed and reached for his bag as Sora folded his arms back to Donald. "Come on, he's been scared about this the whole trip,"

The one armed boy found what he was looking for and pulled it out a book of stitched together leather. "Yeah, here it is. The reason behind this mornings soap opera." Donald had a close look at the tomb and jumped in shock, quacking in recoil. "Wrararawk! Who made this?"

Ken exhaled. "Let's not know of that." Tap! Tap! Tap! Clank! Clank!

Sora let go and turned to his left to find Kairi in a hurry, she saw Ken with the forbidden tomb and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness!" She let Ana follow behind and see the tomb, the Stormcast gasped. "By the Warhammer, Kendry, we need to lock that up as soon as possible." The Princess agreed with the armored warrior. "I don't trust those binding and that means what's in the pages could be worse."

Ken approached the Stormcast and presented it to her. "I don't want to see this book again, it's brought me so much trouble in the few hours after I open the page and I think I dabbled into another flame we don't talk about often."

Kairi gave the book a scowl as Ana refused to the touch the book. "Oh no, we need an expert to tell us how to dispose of that. Why not destroy it if it is causing so many head aches?"

Ken raised his voice assertively and pointed at the book. "Because if someone else is using this, we need to know and if it gets burned, it might show up again." Ana realized how cursed the tomb is and agreed. "They always do."

Kairi raised an eyebrow and had her hands at her hips at Sora. "What kind of trouble did Ken get into before you came?" Sora tried to answer as another voice asked from the stairs above. "Yeah, what?!"

Ken looked up to find Riku and yelped, tossing the tomb over to the silver hair teenagers feet by accident, Riku glared at it, his lips pressed firm and he looked at Ken to ask. "Did an X show up?" The youngest boy nodded, Riku asked. "Did he take the chance to try and force that power out of you or try to control you through that?"

Ken's teeth clattered. "Yeah and I told him off... with the flames of Izalith." Ana gasped. "The Chaos fire?!" The blonde boy closed his eyes. "It doesn't do anything else but make lava, I swear." He pleaded. "What else was I able to do until Sora came?! I was a sitting duck."

The Stormcast answered with her arms folded. "What else was stronger? If that is all it does, then just watch what you call it." Riku heard someone coming down from behind and felt his blood grow cold, his face looked ill. "Ken only drove him off, for now. But he's just going to come back when ever he has the chance." He picked the tomb up and went to shake Ken out of his worry. "Listen to me clearly, he wants you to go off alone now. He is the kind of person that if he doesn't trick you into making stupid choices, he will take you by force. Until you and Kairi get stronger, you need to stay close!"

Ken sweated and looked pale. "All of that because I opened it." Riku scoffed and laughed in sarcasm. "I got bad news for you, he was going to come after you anyways and you just so happened to hand over excuse for him." He promised. "I'll lock this up, maybe we can put the info to some good use." He changed the subject. "Did you keep the Star Shard safe? You were a complete animal when you took it."

His proud smile surprised the boy, Ken searched his bag for the shard and he raised it up. "It's been safe the whole time."

From the stares, Mickey arrived and looked liked he heard it all. "Good work, Ken. There's no such thing as perfect, you know. Sometimes you got to do things the way you can do it" He sighed. "Even if it is unorthodox and even if you get made fun of. When you do your best, you would surprise everyone."

The one armed boy looked to be calming down from his morning. "But this still means someones going to have to watch me most of the time when I'm exploring, right?"

Kairi tilted her head to that. "Oh yeah!" She folded her arms. "If you and me stick together, they'll think twice before trying that again." Ken approved and tried to lean on a bookshelf. "Thanks for the advise, so anything else I-" His back tapped the shelf, it crumbled away in a flicker of light, he felt his back pressing on nothing and he sweated again, he looked Kairi in her surprised eyes and knew someone was right behind him. He took a step forward and turned around to find Aqua with her right hand on her hip and a worried frown, the boy fell on his hands and knees in an instinct. "Miss, that was an accident, I swear!" The teacher wanted her student to get up. "I heard everything since Donald and Goofy started the morning. Would you please stand up, you've already been through enough."

In a Vault in Azyr.

A librarian opened the lock into a contained chamber, revealing to Ven a multicolored, heart shaped stone. The Slann picked it up with his telekinetic mind and wiggled his fingers to make it glow a bright pink. Ven felt exhausted from his long adventure and guessed. "I just need to remember home and open the way?"

He felt that was easy as Scrooge noticed Arriea arriving to oversee. "Before we leave, is there anything else we need to do? Hopefully this will be the last time we have to travel this far from home."

Arreia had one in particular. "If Archaon is delivering an army over there, then we need to know what we will need to fight back. Who ever you are friends with, is not enough to stop the Slaves of Darkness and the armies that follow them. If you can rescue Loru, the Skink and who ever else was stolen from the realms, could you ask them to come here? I think we can activate the Heartstone without you from there."

Scrooge felt that made sense. "They'll know enough of the worlds to know where to go." Baldred asked with a heavy heart. "But once we arrive on the other side, what will each of us do?"

Ven wrapped his arm around the knight and let him know he's appreciated. "Me and Stitch will head home with Halvek while you and Scrooge get ready to tell the others around the town."

The Duck tapped his cane and promised. "I know a place where he can have the day off, what he needs is to find more people who want to talk to him." Halvek felt that was fair. "He'll be away from Nagash and his goons. If we need him again, we'll call."

Arreia gave them all a salute as she spots a doorway. "All you need is to focus the power into one of those and you'll be home."

Ven appreciated the tip, drew power from the Heartstone and aimed his keyblade at the door. PEW! Power enveloped the door and a ripple opened, the crew laughed with each other as the Slann glowed in the colors of jade, light, shadow, amber, grey, the stars and of the void. He pressed his hands at the door and shot a combined bolt of pure magic, the group jumped in astonishment, Ven asked. "What did you just do?" The Slann relaxed and inflated his chest. "One last token of aid for your quest. With in your worlds are a selection of Endless Spells I have collected. They are yours, if you find them."

Arreia wondered and asked. "Then why didn't you just give it to them?" She felt a voice in her mind explain something and she dropped the subject. "Oh, that would help them prepare for worse."

Ven appreciated it regardless. "We'll tell the others. Thank you for everything." Halvek took the lead into the doorway. "No, we should be thanking you. Come on, this isn't doing business!"

The crew agreed and followed into the doorway, leading into a cragged landscape that leads to a keyhole into a cosmos. With a deep breath and a sense of accomplishment, they jumped across and felt themselves sailing like comets. In a few minutes, they felt a warm, tropical air and the smell of salt water.

Tap!

They landed and found themselves on an island, Ven, Stitch and Baldred recognized it, the tree houses and the trees. Halvek squinted his eyes at the sun rising sea and asked. "This has a much safer air compared to the last ocean I viewed this close. But how are we suppose to get anywhere from ere?"

Ven was about to use his gummi phone as a particular silver ship descended from the sky. "That's one of them." He turned to Scrooge and Baldred. "We'll see you guys very soon."

The duck counted on it as Baldred stared on at the sea. "I'll be by me Bistro. Come on, Baldred, Twilight Town's awaiting."

The Undead woke up and followed. "Right." He waved farewell. "Good luck, may the Light shine." With the two gone, the remaining three climbed aboard the spacious ship, Halvek examined the architecture as Ven said hello to the monitor. "Thanks for picking us up, how did you know where to find us?"

An image of news shined on the main screen, along with the image of a teleporting star shard and of a comet. Ven guessed. "How much happened since yesterday?" He yawned and asked. "Get us home!"

The ship gave a single beat and hummed, asking Ven to do something, the boy aimed his blade and had the Land of Departure in mind. The ship flickered in light and in an instant, it was at the world. Stitch whistled. "Fast!"

Ven nodded and picked him up. "Yeah, this was something he kept suggesting, every time we been here, but we never figured it out until he started taking quicker routes. Are you guys ready?"

Halvek felt he was finished and looked forward to a reunion. "You all won't get disappointed with ol' Halvek ere." In a flicker of light, they were at the stairway to the castle, in a quick ascent, they were at the castle and heard drama occurring. Ven hummed and opened the door to see a group of people at the stairway and went to look, finding Ken kneeling before a surprised Aqua and Riku with a forbidden looking tomb. Aqua saw someone enter and turned to gasp. "Ven, your back?!"

Ven scratched the back of his head and prepared an introduction. "Like we promised, there's someone I want you all to meet!" Ken pulled himself up and hoped no one spoke of what occurred as Halvek introduced himself, he quickly analyzed them all and took out his wrapped treasure. "You'll all do, let's get to business!"