Once again, I own none of this.

We arrived in Fletz, the capital of Tiberoa, about a week after the end of the Serdian War. We could probably have made the trip faster, but we were all exhausted from the battle with Doel, and Haschel needed to get accustomed to his new Dragoon powers. At least he had it easier than Dart; Dart had thought Dragoons were a myth, and then he suddenly became one.

"So, what's with all the star shapes?" I asked, glancing around. There were stars everywhere, sculptures, paintings, even mosaics in the streets. "Is this some kind of national obsession?"

Albert shrugged. "The Tiberoans have an advanced astronomy. They put their faith in the stars."

I snorted derisively. "Faith in the stars? Please. That is well and truly idiotic. The stars are nothing more than glowing balls of plasma."

"Don't you care about their beliefs?" Dart asked, annoyed.

"No, I don't," I shot back. "Sorry, Dart, but I have more important things to worry about than offending some local." How right I was; just as I finished speaking, I felt the presence of another Immortal. Now what?

"What's wrong, Ray?" Shana asked.

"There's another Immortal nearby." I drew my sword. "I am Raymond Belmont. Show yourself." I am so tired of saying that.

A woman stepped out of a building ahead. Tall, fair, short black hair, carrying a narrow double-edged sword, and a general air of mischief, I identified her easily enough. Only one person that could be. I sheathed my sword. "Amanda." It wasn't a question.

"That's right." The thousand-plus-year-old larcenist smiled and replaced her own weapon. "And you're Duncan's new student."

I nodded. "I see he mentioned me. Now, I know why Mac and Dawson cornered me in Lohan, but what are you doing here?"

Amanda jerked her head at the city gate. "This country has some major bandit trouble. I'm going to do something about it."

"This from a lifelong thief? Come on, I'd have thought you'd see them as kindred spirits."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm into theft, not murder. These guys will kill over a scrap of meat. I don't like that."

"I guess not." I waved at the Dragoons. "Don't worry about this bunch. They know about our kind, since I impaled myself on a nasty sword. Speaking of which…" I turned to Rose. "Just what did that maniac hit me with, anyway?"

She frowned. "It is called the Dragon Buster, a weapon made to kill Dragons. Even Dragoon armor is of little use against it."

"The question is, how did Lloyd get his hands on it?" I turned back to Amanda. "Have you seen the guy? He's tall, with platinum hair and blood-red eyes. He wears a black and silver outfit, no sleeves, and carries two swords. One is a basic longsword, the other is the aforementioned Dragon Buster. It looks like a flame."

"Oh, him." Amanda grimaced. "He showed up about three days ago."

"Any idea where he went?"

"Not a clue." She glanced down the street. "I've got to get going." Before I could say anything else, she was gone.

Haschel laughed. "She's quite spirited. Have you met before?"

"She's an immortal thief, is what she is," I retorted. "And no, I haven't actually met her before, though Mac's mentioned her often enough. Now, what say we get back to business."

The seven of us soon wandered into the main square. I broke away at that point, deciding to make a few small purchases. I don't see any bandits. Why is everyone so nervous in broad daylight? Shoving that thought aside, I stepped into the local weapon shop. "Excuse me."

The owner looked up. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I need a new weapon. Something simple, yet effective." I gestured to my sword. "I'm good with a blade, but I need something as a backup, preferably something I can use to disarm my opponent."

He smiled. "I have just the thing." The man reached into a locker, and withdrew a long staff. "A quarterstaff should suit your needs."

I took the staff, swinging it experimentally. "Light, good balance, decent reach. I'll take it. How much?"

"Three hundred gold will suffice."

"Done." I paid him, then left to find my companions. It didn't take long. "What did I miss?"

Dart rolled his eyes. "Princess Emille, the heir to the Tiberoan throne, showed up and decided to give her people a hefty dose of insults."

"Sounds like a spoiled brat," I commented sourly, adding, "So why does Albert look so down?"

"He'd heard she was very sweet, so her behavior came as a major shock." Dart shook his head. "If that Immortal was right, an obnoxious princess is the least of our worries."

"No kidding. Why don't we try the bar? They almost always have info if you know how to ask."

Don't they ever get tired of stars!? Even in the tavern, the star motif predominated. Not just in the décor; it featured an annoyingly chatty waitress, who kept yapping about stars until even Albert wanted her to shut up. As for the others, Haschel looked amused, Shana interested, Dart bored, Lavitz polite, and Rose just shy of murderous. Does that girl ever shut up!?

The bartender interrupted my thoughts. "What'll it be?"

I looked up, slightly startled. "Oh. I'll have a beer." When it came, I glanced at my beleaguered comrades. "Does that waitress ever shut up?"

The bartender followed my gaze. "Hey, Kaffi! Don't give the customers a hard time!" He refocused on me. "You sure you're old enough to drink?"

I shrugged. "I'm old enough to kill, so I think I'm old enough to drink. I'm twenty-four." I downed the rest of the glass and paid the man. "I'd better get moving."

"Watch out for the bandits."

"Right."

I wandered out of the bar about an hour after Dart and the others. Night had fallen by then, so I concentrated on finding a place to sleep. A lot of Immortals, myself included, tend to exude an aura of menace when going about in unfamiliar territory, so the bandits gave me a wide berth. Cowards, I thought with contempt. They wouldn't pose the slightest threat to one of us. Even Shana would have little trouble with such vermin. Finding a relatively isolated place, I pulled the quarterstaff from my back and began a brief (for me) practice session. [A/N: Think Kilik from Soul Calibur.]

"Ray! Over here!"

I turned; Shana was standing near a small house, waving for me. "Coming!"

The house belonged to a man named Nello, the representative for the Green Project, whose goal was the reforestation of the Barrens. Not surprisingly, he insisted on chatting about it all night. Fortunately for my sanity, Albert was willing to talk to him, allowing the rest of us to get some sleep.

Rose sat across from me. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"That sword you carry. I've never seen anything like it."

I unsheathed my blade and regarded it. "Mac gave it to me, the day I began my training. 'Take care of it, and it will take care of you,' he said. We Immortals live and die by the sword, or on occasion the axe. The only Immortal I know of who doesn't carry a blade is a man named Darius. About fifteen hundred years ago, he became a holy man, thus effectively removing himself from the 'Game'."

Rose lifted an eyebrow. "How does that help him?"

"We cannot fight on holy ground. That means churches, temples, cemeteries, anything someone considers holy is off limits. The specific religion is irrelevant." I shook my head. "Anyway, the katana was originally designed in an island nation called Japan. The sort of blade I carry was designed for use by the Samurai, a supposedly honorable warrior class. I say supposedly because they could behead people for not bowing down to them. A katana takes a very long time to make, often as long as three years. My weapon was forged about five hundred years ago, by a craftsman whose name has been forgotten."

"I saw some strange markings on the blade, near the handguard."

I smiled. "Those are Japanese symbols. They spell my sword's name: Ryu-Kokyu, Dragon-Breath. Duncan and his cousin Connor both use similar dragonhead katanas. I don't know where Mac came up with this one."

"It is very beautiful."

My smile widened. "I never thought I'd hear you say that. Yes, a katana is as much a work of art as a weapon. Despite that, it will cut through flesh and bone like warm butter, as you have seen."

She leaned back. "What about that Immortal we met earlier today?" she asked, changing the subject.

I frowned. "Amanda? I don't know, but from what Mac's told me, her presence could be very good or very bad. Which it is depends on the precise situation here in Tiberoa. She's not going to take my head, if that's what you're asking." I yawned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."

The Barrens reminded me of a trip to Arizona I'd taken the year before. Very little plant life, a lot of rock and sand, and monsters ad nauseam. (Okay, maybe the last one isn't like Arizona.) The only sort of vermin that gave me any trouble was a creature that looked like a mutant centaur with a bow and arrow. It fell to my blade after shooting me once.

"What kind of a place is this!?" Lavitz asked rhetorically, impaling a giant lizard.

"A desert with a healthy monster population," Rose replied coolly. "What did you expect?"

We never found out what Lavitz would have expected; a maniacal cackling sounded from a stone ridge ahead. I looked up, and saw three monkey-like bandits leering down at us. More vermin to exterminate. How very delightful.

The middle one cackled again. "Are you dating those girls in a place like this!?"

Dart seemed puzzled. "Who are you?"

The bandit on the right laughed. "Did you hear that!? They are asking us 'who we are'!"

"Maybe they think we're a bunch of doctors!" the third cracked.

"Should be a quack!" the first cackled. They leaped down. "We're the one and only Gehrich Gang!"

The Red-Eye Dragoon snorted. "They have no class."

"What's that!?" the right-hand bandit demanded, outraged. "Yo, Mappi, how should I cook these dumbheads!?"

Mappi pretended to think; I guess real thinking was beyond his capabilities. "I know! Let's get the money!"

Albert rolled his eyes. "We have nothing to give you. But if you insist, how about a 'miserable ending' for you."

"Stop yapping! Just leave your valuables! That's the deal!" Mappi snapped.

Dart drew his sword. "Get out of our way. We have no time for you."

Rose followed suit. "This is your last chance. Get out of our way or you'll need a real doctor."

The bandits responded by charging us. This of course was suicide; the one who tried for me caught an arrow from Shana in the throat just as Ryu-Kokyu bisected him. Rose, cool as ever in battle, disposed of the other henchmonkey with a stab to the heart.

Dart wasn't so lucky. He defeated Mappi easily enough, but the deranged bandit stole his Dragoon Spirit. Rose tried to catch Mappi, but the lunatic was too fast. He vanished, still cackling.

Dart slammed a fist on the ground. "How could I be so stupid!?"

"Calm down, Dart," I said. "Albert, do you know where the nearest town is?"

The king nodded. "Donau the Flower City is a few miles to the north. We should be there by midday."

"That's a relief," Dart said, regaining his composure. "Maybe we can find out more about this Gehrich Gang."

We found out more, all right, more than we wanted to know. Donau would have been quite a beautiful town, but Gehrich's bandits spoiled the effect, to put it mildly. As a result, the people of Donau lived in almost constant fear, despite the idyllic setting.

"I'm going to see if anyone here knows anything useful," I said.

Dart nodded. "Alright. Be careful."

My search was unfortunately fruitless. Some people obviously knew more about the Gehrichs than they were letting on, but fear kept them quiet. In all honesty, I didn't blame them. With some of the gang in town at all times, playing "stool pigeon" would have been suicidal. These bandits make me sick.

"Ray, come on."

I turned. "What's up, Lavitz?"

"We're going to see the Mayor," Lavitz said. "A young lady asked us to help her fiancée, who happens to be the Mayor's son."

"If it hurts the bandits, it helps us," I said. "I'll be right there."

There isn't much to say about the meeting. The Mayor asked us to rescue his son, we agreed and went on our way. One thing made me very nervous; the Gehrichs were rumored to be based past a place called the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. Corrupted gravity. That is a very bad sign. I sighed. o I want to know what's next?

A commotion at the bottom of the stairs told me what was next. Three obnoxious bandits were scared off by a teenage girl with a very large hammer. She could stand to wear a little more. The girl was a dancer, judging by what there was of her outfit. Her most noticeable feature was her hair, a bluish-platinum color. Now, who does that remind me of? Then it hit me. Lloyd.

The girl abruptly noticed us and raised her hammer. "Are you with the Gehrichs? Do you want me to smash you too?"

"It's alright," Dart said. "We're not with them."

"What's your name?"
"It's Dart," Dart said, bemused.

The girl twirled once. "Mine's Meru! I'm the best dancer in Donau!"

"Let's go," I said. "We need to move fast if we're going to help Lynn."

"You're going to help Lynn!?" Meru demanded. "Then I'm going, too!" No matter what we said, she just wouldn't take no for an answer. Dart relented after a long argument.

We were able to reach Fletz without incident, only to be unable to see the King. The guard insisted that, since we were strangers, we had to find someone to vouch for us first. Of all the things we do not need. This is going to take time that we don't have. "Anyone know someone we can ask?"

Dart did. "We can ask Fester the astronomer. He works as a governor for Princess Lisa, Emille's younger sister."

"Then let's go see him. We need to get that Dragoon Spirit back soon."

Fester was more than happy to help. He took us to the castle that night, making our job a whole lot easier. I for one was relieved; the last thing we needed was yet another delay. Now let's just hope that Emille doesn't interfere. I don't care if I offend the locals, but getting on a king's bad side is generally a bad move.

As befitted a star-worshiping country, the throne room was called the Chamber of the Sun, where King Zior resided. I have to admit I wasn't impressed. Though middle-aged, Zior was more than a little addlebrained. Something's not right here.

We knelt, and Dart spoke. "Your Majesty, we have come to ask for permission to enter the Valley of Corrupted Gravity."

"Hmm," the king murmured. "I think I've heard of the Valley of Corrupted Gravity."

Is he senile!? I forced my voice to remain level. "Your Majesty, we are not interested in being daredevils. The Gehrich Gang stole something very important from us, and the Mayor of Donau has asked us to rescue his son."

That seemed to penetrate Zior's fog. "Very well. Servant! Give them a pass."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Dart said, visibly relieved.

I was left alone for a while after the audience. Princess Lisa asked to speak with Dart and Albert (supposedly, she knew Albert was a king because of astrology). Not wanting to irritate the more well-behaved Princess with my opinions of such things, I demurred, preferring solitude.

About an hour later I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Mr. Belmont?"

I turned; it was Libria, Lisa's maid. "What is it?"

"Dinner is ready."

I nodded. "I'll be right there."

That dinner is not one of my fondest memories. Emille ate like an animal, Zior kept apologizing for her, Fester offended her, and she, in turn, managed to fluster Lisa by referring to astronomy as "useless." On the plus side, the food was good and plentiful. I may be immortal, but starving to death isn't fun, especially when you can do it more than once.

"You! What's your name!?" Emille snapped at me.

I kept a firm hold on my temper. "I am Raymond Belmont." I paused, deciding to shake things up a little, doubting that Emille would believe me. "And I am immortal."

There was no sign Zior even heard, Fester stared in shock, and Lisa froze in mid-chew. Emille's reaction, however, was quite revealing. She went pale, her mouth opening a little, a fork forgotten in her hand. She knows. How?

"Emille" recovered quickly. "Yeah, right."

"Did you catch her reaction?" Rose whispered.

"How could I not?" I whispered back. "She knows about Immortals. And I think she's an imposter. Be careful."

The rest of the meal passed without incident, and we retired to our room. What the king had forgotten to warn us about, apparently, was that we had an extra roommate---and Immortal, to be exact. What does she want? I thought in despair.

She smiled. "I heard about your audience. Going hunting?"

"Why do you care, Amanda?" I snapped, not bothering to hide my anger.

Amanda shrugged. "The bandits need to be taken out. I'm going along."

I sighed. "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?"

"Nope." She smiled sweetly.

"Whatever." I sighed again. "Don't worry, Dart, she won't slow us down. An Immortal doesn't survive more than a thousand years without being skilled with a sword."

"I'm only staying long enough to do in the Gehrichs," Amanda added. "Then you'll be rid of me."

"Fine," I said. "Let's get some sleep."

Author's note: Not much action here, but that will change. Before anyone reminds me, yes, I know Darius gets offed at the end of Highlander's first season. I have him alive because I don't like that. (To be fair to the producers, they didn't have much choice, since Werner Stocker is dead.) I have Amanda here because I figure a thief would be helpful in catching other thieves. Since this is an A.U. story, there will be some major changes towards the end. Thanks again for the reviews. D.S.