Shaddow hated her life. No. Shaddow hated Oz. No. Shaddow wanted to see Oz hung. Yes, that was much better she thought to herself as she drove down the freeway. What the hell was wrong with that mallard anyway? She was positively livid! How dare Oz order her out on some sort of wild goose chase like she had nothing better to do with her time. It was her day to train and Oz had just up and told her to pack it up, hop in the car and check out the Com call he had received in a meeting. Who the hell did he think she was, his secretary?

"I need you to do this for me Shaddow," Oz had told her after the meeting.

She had only scowled at him and folded her arms across her chest. "I have other things I need to do, Oz. Why not just send one of the lowers?"

He continued to sit in the chair, all business. "You know I can't do that, I need someone I can trust."

Shaddow had glowered at him.

Oz told her that he assumed the short call that was coming form out side New Ducaine Central was only a prank, but just to be sure he was wanted to send someone out. Shaddow knew little about what the call had entailed, save that someone knew who they were, where they were and what they were doing.

Oz had assumed special forces or maybe even the Brotherhood of the Blade. Shaddow had thought it was a couple of ducks who were very clever but at the same time amazingly stupid. She doubted that the enemies or the competition would call them at home. When she attempted to point that out to Oz he only sighed and told her to go anyway.

'He must have enjoyed sending me off like that as payment for the whole painting thing. Well to hell with him!' The duck thought angrily, as she sped up nearing the 200 mile an hour mark. Shaddow took a long cleansing breath and tried to calm down. Maybe the call would pan out and would do more then just kill an afternoon.

"Uh, if it's not too much trouble, could we slow down a little?"

Shaddow nearly jumped out of her feathers. She looked to her right and stared blankly at the dark haired duck sitting in the passenger seat. She had been so mad at Oz she had forgotten that she had agreed to take Truth with her. "Oh, yeah, sorry." Shaddow slowed the sleek, black vehicle to 150 miles per hour and smiled at the woman beside her.

Oz thought that she may need a medic for this particular mission, just in case, and had suggested she take the Truth, the Blades resident healing priestess with her.

Glad that she was offered Truth instead of Crash she readily accepted. Though Personally Shaddow was glad to have Truth aboard. Not only was it good to have a healer around but Shaddow enjoyed Truth's company and found her quiet nature very soothing. In fact she went so far as to say, she liked Truth, which was not an honor many ducks were bestowed with. Shaddow then remembered her other passenger, "how are you doing back there?"

"Fine, a little cramped but...not too bad" Diamond answered from the cars small backseat. He was attempting to entangle his long legs from the large black knapsack full of weapons Shaddow had tossed in there before they left the complex.

"Good, good" replied Shaddow, grinning at Truth then focusing on the road again.

Truth rolled her eyes a bit but decided against say anything. She mainly knew Shaddow by reputation. Reckless. Dangerous. 2nd in command. Shaddow was not known among the Blade for her personality, more for her harshness in battle and her thieving abilities. Still, Truth decided she was going to make an effort to get to know her. The raven haired duck hated to be misjudged herself and she was not going to do that to Shaddow. She would make conversation.

"So...this is a very lovely car, is it yours?"

Shaddow fiddled with the radio attempting to find a good station that did not broadcast military news.

"Yes it is, I bought it after my last heist, $200,000.00, and well worth it."

Diamond dropped the knapsack that he had finally been able to grab onto in the back seat, his pale feathers seeming to go even whiter. He attempted to choke out a sentence, "...you make... *that* much!?"

Shaddow laughed a soft, bubbling sound. "No, I put the other $150,000.00 in stocks."

Diamond fought the urge to pass out in the small back seat.

Truth cocked her head to the side and looked at Shaddow who winked at her and continued adjusting the radio.

Truth was not sure whether to believe the woman or not. It seemed like a lot of money, then again the Blade's lair alone must be worth well over $1,000,000.00, plus Shaddow was also vice president of the Blades legitimate face company 'BriceCorp.' Seeing as BriceCorp dealt with over 40 planets in this and other solar systems… maybe Shaddow's finances were justified.

As Truth continued to gaze out the window, thinking, a feeling began to grip the corners of her soul. It was a feeling of danger and phenomenal powers. It seemed to bore into her being and pound away at the very core of her spirit. "Stop!" she yelled.

Shaddow skidded the car to a halt.

"What is it?" Diamond questioned frantically of his wife, from the back seat.

"I...I...someone is hurting, that is all I can say." With those vague words she jumped from the car and began to run across the road and into a dark, condemned, building.

Diamond managed to untangle himself from the small vehicle, and jumped out of the car after her, pulling his sword, "Wait, Truth..." he called. But it was too late, the priestess had disappeared into the dark, vastness of the ominous building.







Truth blinked her eyes against the darkness. She had no idea what had possessed her to leave Diamond and Shaddow behind and run into the building. It seemed as though something was pulling her. Some sort of power, though what kind the priestess couldn't tell. She had also felt pain, a deep, agonizing hurt that came from the depths of someone's essence.

Slowly her eyes began to adjust to the bleakness and she could make out the details of the large structure. A Few tables lay upturned and broken, and several old, dusty bottles lay scattered upon the dingy floor. To her left she could make out a long bar with a shattered mirror behind it, though Truth guessed that there had not been drinking in this place for sometime.

Slowly she walked forward attempting to locate whoever was in pain. Just when she thought the task was impossible she began to feel it again, softer this time. It was almost a gentle tugging as though someone's soul were sobbing. The feeling was coming from upstairs.

Truth was about to run up the old stair case when a hand closed over her shoulder. The woman turned to face Diamond.

The drake had an expression or worry on his handsome face. "Truth..?" He asked uneasily, "what's going on?"

Breathing a sigh of relief at having diamond there, Truth smiled softly. The drake's presence always made her feel better. "I felt a power, it seemed to pull me in here." She then gestured up to the stairs, "and I felt pain."

That was all Diamond needed to hear. He pulled his weapon just incase they encountered trouble and the two then proceeded up the stairs.

When they reached the landing they saw what Truth had felt. A angelic, female duck was suspended in mid air, her long purple hair flowing out behind her. It looked as though she was just floating there, hovering on a gentle wind. He eyes were closed and her silver colored feathers glowed coldly, lighting up the small area. The woman's arms were held out to her sides and her back was slightly arched. Though there was an expression or peace on her face, Truth could feel the pain in her heart.

"...What in the name of Ducaine..?" Diamond breathed out the words while staring in awe at the woman.

Truth gasped as she quickly realized just what they were dealing with, "a Magi!" The healer had only heard legends about the Magi. In her order, legend said that the Magi were no more, and that in a time before Drake Ducaine, the Magi had been absorbed into the soil and ice of PuckWorld. That was well over 400 years ago. But now hovering in front of her was one of them! A being with true command over magic and power.

Diamond looked at Truth. "What's a Magi?"

"They are a race, thought dead. They can do true, real magic's and hear the soul of the planet."

"Like you're healing?"

Truth smiled, "kind of, yes. We have to get her down."

Diamond and Truth cautiously stepped forward. Truth didn't know why she felt this urgency, but she knew they had to get to the woman before it was to late. Slowly she reached out her hand.

"Don't touch her!" A tall drake in a long, black coat leaped between Truth and the Magi. His guns were drawn and aimed at Diamond and Truth. "One move and you both go down, Blade or otherwise."





Shaddow watched to two enter the building in wonderment. She had never seen Diamond move so quickly as when he was chasing after Truth. As the tall thief folded her arms across her chest she wondered what it was like to have love like that. 'No matter', she thought, 'no point in dwelling on things like that.'

The blonde was about to run after Diamond and Truth when she noticed a strong glint coming from across the freeway. She turned towards the glinting and tapped her necklace. Instantly a black visor appeared in front of her emerald eyes. She tapped her necklace again and activated the 'zoom' feature on her visor. The close up view of what was making the glinting came into view with amazing accuracy.

It was a large green, white, and burgundy space ship of sorts. The ship was parked behind the rubble of what used to be an outpost store. Milling around the ship were ducks. Four ducks to be exact. It seemed that they were unloading supplies from the vehicle.

Shaddow smirked as one of the ducks, a blond male, tripped over his own two feet and landed square on his beak. They didn't look like criminals, or for that matter, anything that belonged on PuckWorld. Figuring that Diamond and truth could handle themselves for a little while, Shaddow decided to go investigate.





Shaddow eyed the group with interest. The blonde female looked familiar, but Shaddow couldn't place where she knew her from. It had been easy for Shaddow to locate a good hiding place amongst the outposts rubble and ravage and with in a few minuets she had jogged across the sparsely decorated landscape and planted herself comfortably amid some bricks and building wreckage. Though she couldn't hear anything she could see much better from here.

The ducks had hockey gear, and just about everything else, though she wondered why they would need hockey gear in one of the hottest places on PuckWorld. Lazily she leaned on a boulder as she watched.

The mallards were beginning to lose Shaddow's interest when something caught her attention. There was a large, gray hockey bag laying on the ground next to the aircraft. It seemed very familiar to Shaddow, and it nagged at her. She continued to stare at the large sack pondering over its owner when something came to her mind. The contents of the bag would surely tell her who the owner was.

With unsurpassed agility, Shaddow crept forward, inching towards the bag. She was a mere 10 feet away from it when she heard something that made her eyes go wide and her body chill.

"Wild Wing, I really hate at' tell ya' this but I left my bag outside." The voice came from inside the ship.

Shaddow was in awe, it couldn't be. But that voice, that accent.

A gray head poked out from the roof hatch of the ship and Duke L'Orange surfaced and hopped to the ground.

Shaddow stood up and spoke a word she had not uttered in over a year, "Duke..?"







Diamond and Truth remained frozen in their places as the drake stood protectively in front of the Magi. Diamond's grip tightened on his sword. The second the Drake made a move towards Truth he would be ready to spring. Diamond would allow no harm to come to his wife, even at the risk of his own life.

"Please." The word seemed to shatter the stillness in the air. Diamond and the drake both looked to Truth, for the word had come from her throat. "Please, drake, I am a healer, let me help her."

Jericho was unsure. He wanted to trust this woman, there was something about her, but he didn't want any harm to come to Dagger. "I don't know that, now do I?"

Truth could tell the situation was getting more desperate. This man obviously wanted to protect the Magi, but how could she convince him that she was here to help. "No, you don't know that, but perhaps I can prove it. Diamond, will you help me?"

Diamond nodded, he trusted his wife. "Yeah, what do you need, love?"

"Please make a small cut in your finger so that I may heal it."

Diamond had to aid his wife in this way many times and was prepared.

Jericho watched in disbelief as the one called Diamond lowered his sword to his index finger and sliced carefully along it. Deep red blood oozed from the wound as the healer walked over to her husband.

Truth placed his finger in her hands and gently began to sing. The beautiful melody wafted through the building as her voice rose in song. A faint, blue light glowed from her hands and then, she stopped and released Diamonds hand.

Diamond held his hand up for inspection. The cut had healed.



Jericho lowed his weapons and moved to the side, "can you help her?"

"I will try."







Duke stood motionless in front of Shaddow. He had many words flashing through his head, but his beak refused to work. She was beautiful. Her honey colored hair blew around her in the warm, gentle wind framing her exemplary body and soft ivory feathers. Her face held confusion and wonderment. She was a vision against the near desert background that played out behind her. He was held by her Emerald-green eyes, unable to move.

"Duke, it is you… isn't it?" He voice was soft, curious.

Duke gathered himself as best he could and tried to speak. "Uh, Shaddow, how've you been, sweetheart?"

The blondes face filled with rage as she glared at Duke. That was it? That was all he had to say to her? Shaddow's hand was lightning fast as it struck his beak. Without giving him a chance to react she turned on her heal and ran back to her car.

Duke brought out emotions in Shaddow that she had not felt in a long time, emotions she tried to keep hidden. She was not going to let him see the effect that he had on her. "Come to the Blade," she yelled "Truth and her husband are there. I am sure Truth wants to see you, that is if you are not to busy with the 'Brotherhood'!"

Duke looked after her in astonishment. What had he said? Why was she bringing up the Brotherhood of the Blade? At least he had the consolation of knowing where his sister Truth was, though at this point he wondered if even she could explain things to him.







Dagger lay upon a soft feather bed in the headquarters of the Blade. Jericho had told her of the healer that had saved her and that the Blade had come to the old, condemned bar. He had asked her what had happened with her spell, and she told him that She had been trying to conjure a crystal ball so that they might watch some Television. But the spell had other ideas. It had wanted power. It had attempted to reach into the very soul of the woman who had tried to control it and to take her over. Dagger had stopped it, barely. She had closed off her mind to her power and nearly killed herself in the process, but that had been enough to contain the energy, this time.

Dagger's power was growing stronger just as the oracle said that it would. She was becoming more powerful, but in exchange her power was becoming more independent, more alive. A risk she was willing to take, but how much longer before she could not control her magic? Dagger closed her eyes, she was not going to think about it now. Instead she was going to focus on what Jericho had said to her. He also told her that they were up for membership in the Blade. Excellent. Being a member of the Blade was perfect. Through the Blade she would be able to find what she needed, and take the only thing that could save her life. The crystal of Xerix, from the Lair of the Magi.







Duke walked towards the entrance of the Blade. He was not sure what he would find after his time away. He knew that his cousin Manda was dead, and that there were new people to meet. He also knew that he still could exercise he right to be leader if need be, though he didn't want that, he would have rather led the Brotherhood… But that would come later.

As Duke entered the secret code into the large stone door, he sighed. Duke was sick of the way things were always the same. Sure it was a different heist and a different group, but the feeling was the way it had always been. There was no rush anymore, no little twinge of fear that came before entering Blade Head Quarters. He would do what he had always done. Enter, be welcome, start commanding, get rich, and move on. That's what would happen, that's what always happened.

Duke walked through the door to find 10 swords pointed the his throat.

A tall, southern Raptrin lowered his sword and spoke. "Ya' should remember ME from the Brotherhood. Incase ya' don't, Ah'm Oz, leader a' the Blade, now. Lets get a few things straight, L'Orange, yer're welcome here only 'cause yer're a friend a' Shaddow's and Truth's, there ain't no way n' hell yer're ever commanding' here, n' if yer're in, yer're in fer life. Understand?"

Duke stood motionless, speechless. This was not the Blade he remembered, and the rules had obviously changed. "Easy kid…" Weighing his options in seconds, Duke took a deep breath in. The Brotherhood had been his home, but Shaddow was no longer there, plus if Falcone had been willing to stab him in the back for leaving the organization… who else was ready to do the same thing. Not to mention that Truth.

Taking a sharp breath in, Duke looked directly into Oz's face and grinned darkly. "Oh, I'm in kid… I'm in."