Note: I found a relatively detailed strategy guide on the Net, so I decided to give a brief description of the events in Tinto after all. Not, however, with Neclord as the main antagonist.

I stared in disbelief, my jaw almost hitting the floor. "You're what!?"

Jowy laughed at my expression. "I'm engaged to Princess Jillia."

I shook my head, incredulous. "Klaus told me you two were getting close, but I never expected this. At least not so soon." I frowned. "Hang on. With Agares dead, and Luca almost certain to die from our efforts, that makes Jillia the heir to the throne of Highland. That could complicate things."

Jowy shrugged. "Jillia says she doesn't want the throne, and quite frankly neither do I." He sighed. "Besides, Shu and Kiba think that the only way to win this war is to not simply defeat Highland, but destroy it, so there won't be a throne to take anyway."

"Why destroy Highland?"

"Apparently, Silverburg is up to more than just resuming the war. Before he joined us, Klaus heard some nasty rumors about magical experiments in the Highland capital, L'Renouille. Whatever he's doing, it can't be good."

"As if we don't have enough problems." I glanced out the window; the weather had taken a turn for the wet again, resulting in a three-day downpour (so far). "Does anyone else know about your engagement?"

Jowy grinned. "Nanami, of course. Viktor and Flik, I think, probably Shu, almost certainly Kahn. Oh, yeah, I think I saw Richmond nearby."

I laughed. "If our resident spook knows, then the news will be all over the castle by sunset. Congratulations."

"Thanks." The Jade Dragoon leaned back against the wall, arms folded. "What's our next move?"

I thought for a moment. "I'll have to talk to Shu, but I've got a pretty good idea. We have Two River and what's left of South Window, plus Tir's friends in the Toran Republic. Muse and Greenhill are under enemy control, and of course Gorudo hates us. I think we should try to persuade Tinto to join the alliance. Sooner or later, Luca and Neclord will get around to taking them on. Probably before dealing with Matilda, given the strength of the Knighthood."

Jowy nodded. "I think you're right. At the same time, Tinto would boost our forces in a big way. Jess has been there before; he told me they've got a really good infantry commander. Guy's name's Hauser. He's practically fearless, and he's almost as good as Kiba as a tactician."

"Excellent." I yawned and stretched. "I don't know about you, but I could use a bite to eat. Join me for lunch?"

"Sure."

Our plans for a meal were slightly delayed: Another chef stood facing Hai Yo, this one faintly sinister-looking. For his part, our army chef looked uncharacteristically nervous. The room was even more crowded than a contest usually made it; the usual suspects were present, plus Flik, Camus, Miklotov, and, of all people, Shin.

The visitor smirked. "At last, I have found you, Hai Yo. I have come for the 'thing'."

"Do you think I'll give it to you?" Hai Yo stammered.

His opponent laughed. "We shall have a contest. If you win, I'll give you this recipe according to Group rules. If you lose, you will give me the 'thing'."

Hai Yo turned to me. "Lord Julian, please help me."

"Alright." Before starting, I gave the mysterious chef an icy cold look. "I don't know what this Group of yours is, and I don't really care. Regardless of his connection to your Group, Hai Yo is a member of the Dragon Army now. If you, or anyone else in your Group tries to harm him, I will kill you. Got that?" Without waiting for an answer, I turned back to Hai Yo. "Let's get started."

As usual, commentary was provided by lunatic announcer Fu Tan Chen. "These are the four judges. He's the bravest swordsman Seles ever produced, and he likes his food really hot. It's Dart! Next, he's our lord's best friend, and the holder of the Black Sword Rune, it's Jowy! He's a tough judge of people and food, it's General Ridley! Lastly, a man from Muse with a major sweet tooth. It's Fitcher!"

I smirked. The Dragoon of Fire would undoubtedly like something spicy; I knew very well what Jowy's tastes were; Ridley would probably like some meat; and the comment about Fitcher's sweet tooth was a dead giveaway. "Fried eggs, barbecued ribs, and cheesecake. That should work."

"Right." Hai Yo smiled shakily.

A half hour later, all was ready. "First, here's the challenger's appetizer: veggie stir fry." Dart: 3, Jowy: 2, Ridley: 1, Fitcher: 1. "Not very high scores, huh? Next is the champion's appetizer: fried eggs." Dart: 3, Jowy: 4, Ridley: 3, Fitcher: 4. "We've got some pretty good scores here. Next, the challenger's main course: sweet and sour fish." Dart: 4, Jowy: 3, Ridley: 3, Fitcher: 4. "We've got some pretty good scores here. Next, the champion's main course: barbecued ribs." Dart: 5, Jowy: 5, Ridley: 5, Fitcher: 4. "Great scores! Next, the challenger's dessert: salad." Dart: 1, Jowy: 0 (he hated salads), Ridley: 1, Fitcher: 1. "Oh, that's rough. Last, the champion's dessert: cheesecake." Dart: 4, Jowy: 5, Ridley: 4, Fitcher: 5. "Great scores! The points have been tallied. The winner is…Hai Yo!"

The Group chef chuckled evilly. "You have won, Hai Yo. Here is the recipe. But, don't think that the Group is finished with you." He chuckled again, then abruptly keeled over.

I knelt and felt for a pulse. "Nothing. He's dead." I straightened. "Hai Yo, why on earth would a bunch of chefs be after your head? This idiot lost, gave you a recipe, and then poisoned himself. What on blazes is going on?"

Hai Yo, appearing very nervous, didn't answer.

A surprise awaited us in the meeting room: We had a visitor from Tinto. This surprised me; here I was, planning to try to persuade Tinto, which had been ignoring us so far, and now an emissary showed up on our doorstep.

"Alright, what's going on this time?" I asked, striding in.

The boy rushed to me. "Lord Julian! I'm Koyu, from Tinto. Our city is being overrun with zombies! Please, help us!"

Viktor looked at him sharply. "Zombies!? Is Neclord up to his old tricks!?"

Koyu shook his head. "No, it's not him. It seems he's somehow managed to resurrect an evil being from the Moon Crisis. Zack something or other."

Dart froze. "Zackwell!?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Albert surprised us with a vicious curse. "Of all the vermin that could have appeared, we have to fight Zackwell!" Seeing my puzzled look, he said, "You remember what happened to Lavitz at Hellena Prison, right? Well, when we went to the Death City Mayfil, Zackwell confronted us, after manipulating Lavitz's soul."

I shuddered. "I've had more than my fill of demons and zombies, but this is serious. Koyu, the Dragon Army will come to the aid of Tinto. You have my word." I turned to Shu. "Shu, I want you to come along as well."

"Of course, Lord Julian." Shu nodded. "If I may, I believe we should take a large part of the army with us."

"Like how large?"

"Six companies should be enough."

I nodded. "Alright. Viktor, Flik, Apple, Ridley, Jowy, Kiba, Klaus, Jess, I'll want you for this mission." I glanced at Teresa. "Lady Teresa, you're in charge until I get back."

"With that decided, who will be your battle party?" Shu asked.

"Nanami, Jowy, Viktor, Flik, and McDohl. From what I've heard, heavy hitters will be very important."

Koyu grinned. "Thank you. Let's go!"

Between Drakemouth and Tigermouth we picked up two more recruits: Gijimu, and a swordsman named Georg. Other than that, very little happened before we got to Tigermouth (except, of course, for the inevitable monster fights, but we were used to those by then). My party was somewhat larger than I had intended; Ridley insisted that I needed a suitable escort. Thus, I was joined by Kahn, Miklotov, Camus, Gengen, Kinnison, Shiro, and Luc.

Kahn nudged me. "See that woman over there?"

I followed his gaze. A blond-haired woman in a blue cloak stood a few feet away, watching us. "Yeah. What about her?"

"She's a vampire. I can feel it."

"Wonderful. As if Zackwell wasn't bad enough." The battle with Neclord's Abomination in Dragon Castle had given me a healthy dislike for all things vampiric. "What do we do now?"

Before Kahn could answer, the vampire approached us. "You are Lord Julian, correct?"

I nodded warily. "Yes. And you're a vampire, so what do you want with me? For that matter, who are you?"

She laughed. "My name is Sierra. I have an offer to make: if you defeat me in battle, I will join you."

"Why would a vampire make such an offer?" Kahn asked suspiciously.

Sierra looked at him. "And you are?"

"Kahn, a vampire hunter. My family has a long-standing grudge against the vampire Neclord."

She smiled. "I've heard of you. As for why I would make this offer, it's really quite simple. Neclord is as much my enemy as he is yours."

"Then why do you want to fight us?" Jowy asked.

"To insure that you are strong enough to defeat him." Sierra looked at me. "Is that acceptable?"

I nodded, spinning my tonfa. "Alright. Let's see what you've got." I shot a glance at Nanami. "Family Attack!"

"Piercing One!" Jowy yelled.

"Cross Attack!" Viktor and Flik struck from both sides.

"Judgment!" McDohl's Soul Eater dealt a great deal of damage.

"Pale Palace!" Never mess with someone who can cast Blue Gate spells.

"Loyal Dog Attack!" Wolves and archers make a nasty combination.

"Charm Arrow!" Kahn's trademark spell sent Sierra reeling.

The bloodsucker wasn't through yet; she cast a spell that covered us in some sort of net, almost knocking me out. Nanami barely avoided it, and Gengen was knocked flat.

"Moon Light!" I'd forgotten about the Dragoons; Shana's spell had Gengen and me back on our feet.

"No more games," I growled, transforming. "Violet Dragon!!"

The Dragon summon was too much for even a magic-wielding vampire to handle. Sierra fell too her knees, gasping for breath. "You…are even more powerful than I'd heard," she managed. "I will gladly join you."

I smiled. "Thanks. Great Blessing." Once the healing spell took effect, I helped Sierra to her feet. "I've already got a diverse assortment of species in my force. Adding a vampire to the mix could be very useful."

Albert stepped forward. "Do you know anything about the demon Zackwell?" he asked.

Sierra grimaced. "I've heard he's holed up in the Tinto Mines," she said, sounding quite disgusted. "That's not the safest place in the world."

Jess snorted. "That's an understatement. Even without the local monsters, the Tinto Mines are a cave-in waiting to happen."

"Then we'd better get going," Albert said. The former King of Serdio wore an unusually grim expression. He was normally a friendly sort, but mess with his friends and he'd turn deadly in the blink of an eye. "Zackwell cheated destruction in Mayfil, but this time he won't be so lucky. It ends here."

Before going to Tinto proper, we made a brief stop in Crom, just long enough to pick up a window maker named Tenkou. From there, it took less than an hour to reach Tinto. Most of my friends were grim; we'd battled the undead while taking control of Dragon Castle, and from what Dart had said, Zackwell would be even worse.

I stopped in Tinto long enough to confer with Hauser, the troop commander Jowy had told me about. He agreed to join us, assuming we could dispose of Zackwell. "That demon is causing a great deal of suffering here. If he is not stopped, Tinto will be destroyed," he said.

"Don't worry about Zackwell," I said grimly. "His days are numbered."

Following my meeting in Tinto, I led a small group into the mines. Four of the elder Dragoons accompanied us: Dart, Albert, Lavitz, and Rose. My own party was slightly larger: Nanami, Jowy, Sierra, McDohl, Viktor, Flik, Kahn, and myself.

"Nastiest creatures I've faced since Melbu Frahma," Dart muttered, chopping one of the local vermin cleanly in half.

"No kidding," Lavitz grunted, impaling another monster. "I've never seen an infestation this big."

I raised my hand. "Hold on. I think we've got company."

We sure did. Facing us was a giant stone golem, and it didn't look friendly. Before I could move, it had swept an arm out, knocking me flying. I hit the ground with a sickening thud, feeling at least three bones break.

"Julian!!!" Nanami shrieked. "Kindness Drops!"

My injuries mended themselves within seconds. "Thanks, Nanami." I turned to Jowy. "Let's see what happens when you combine the effects of a pair of True Runes."

He nodded. "You've got it. Piercing One!"

"Shining Light!"

"Cross Attack!" Flik and Viktor gave our foe a good slicing.

"Charm Arrow!" Kahn's favorite spell once again.

"Rose Storm!" Albert cast a protective barrier, Lavitz following through with his spear.

"Judgment!" McDohl's Soul Eater flashed, backed up by Sierra's power.

"Flameshot!"

"Demon's Gate!" Our attacks had weakened the golem enough for Rose to send it to its doom.

"Well, well, well, Lavitz. How nice to see you again."

Lavitz turned beet red. "Don't take that tone with me, Zackwell!" he snarled, brandishing his weapon. "I'm not your puppet anymore!"

"You used our friend against us, now you will pay," Albert growled.

I spun my tonfa. "Enough talk. Family Attack!"

While Nanami and I double-teamed the evil spirit, Kahn and Sierra combined their runes to devastating effect. Our Dragoon allies attacked from the air, using both weapon's and magic, though Rose's magic was of little use. Flik and Viktor stuck with their Cross Attack, and Jowy and McDohl used their runes with abandon.

"Now you pay for using my soul!!" Lavitz shouted. "Gaspless!"

"Aaaarrrgh!! This can't be! I…can't…lose!" Zackwell writhed as his body was consumed. "How dare you!!"

I laughed. Now it ends, Zackwell. Unfortunately, the demon had one trick left. A bolt of light slammed into me at close range. The last thing I heard before the blackness came was Jowy's scream….

"Is he going to be alright, Dr. Huan?" Nanami's voice.

"That spell was immensely powerful, but your brother is resilient. In addition, the Bright Shield Rune protected him to a certain extent. He will be weak for a time, but will recover fully."

I carefully opened my eyes. "He's right, you know. It'll take more than some wacko demon to do me in."

Nanami rushed to my side. "Julian! Are you alright?"

I smiled. "Yeah. Beat up, but definitely alive. I'm sorry I worried you."

"Forget it." Jowy appeared on my other side. "We're just glad you're awake."

"What happened after I was hit?"

A laugh sounded from behind me. "Jowy and Nanami just flipped out," Viktor said, coming around. "Nanami frantically cast healing spells on you, and Jowy kept blasting Zackwell with his Hungry Friend attack till there was nothing left. Then we used the Blinking Mirror to get you home."

I sighed. "Thanks, all of you. I take it Tinto's on our side now?"

Jowy grinned. "You got it. We got three more recruits, too. First was some guy named Marlowe, who thinks of you as a role model. He's writing a history of the current war."

"Flattering, but I'm too young to be a role model. Who else?"

"Koyu's brother Lo Wen and an old friend of Jeanne's named Raura." Jowy gripped my shoulder briefly. "I think that's enough talk for now. You need some rest, old friend."

I laughed. "You're as bad as Huan. Okay, I'll be good. Hold the fort for me, will you?"

"Consider it done. Goodnight, Julian."

Author's note: I hope this is better than the previous chapter; like I said, I'm winging it here. Sorry the update took so long (death to writer's block!). By the way, I've got three other stories in the works, all of them Dragoon crossovers of one kind or another. One is as somewhat improved sequel to "Twin Dragoons", crossed with Final Fantasy 8. Next is a crossover with Final Fantasy 9, and last is another psuedo-novelization of Legend of Dragoon, this one with a dash of Final Fantasy 7. See anything you like? Thanks. D.S.