I don't own anything except Chris Keon, Kristov, and Paul Fleming

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They could hear the battle before they saw it; the screams and clashes of steel-on-steel carried well through the forest.

"Come on!" Lavitz shouted. "We're almost there!"

"Correction," Chris said sardonically. "We are there."

The five warriors burst through the foliage into the chaos the Seventh Fort had been consumed by. There were Sandoran soldiers and Basil knights battling fiercely within its walls, and the knights were clearly losing. "For His Majesty Albert!" Lavitz roared, leaping into the fray with his lance held out.

"Lavitz, wait!" Dart called, futilely. Shaking his head, he raised his sword and followed the impetuous knight. "Why us?" he muttered.

Rose glanced at Chris. "Remember what I taught you," she said, then entered the battle.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Man, I haven't even used this thing before," he added, gazing at his rapier. "I could be cut to pieces. Well, whatever." Chris looked at Shana. "Stand back, my friend. Your arrows won't do us any good if you're killed."

She nodded. "Be careful."

"Always am." With that, he charged into battle with his comrades, beginning with a casual slice that took off a Sandoran's head. Then the battle was joined.

Dart stabbed a soldier through the heart, then rescued a Basil knight by bashing his opponent in the back of the head with his sword pommel. "That's for kidnapping Shana!"

With a series of spinning attacks, Lavitz killed several more enemy soldiers. "Rod Typhoon!"

"Die! More & More!" Chris took out another enemy with his sword, then grabbed one by the jaw and snapped his neck with a single, violent motion. "Hey, Dart!" he called. "Exactly how are five supposed to make the difference here!? We're still outnumbered ten to one!"

"We'll find a way!" Dart shouted back as he swung his sword. "We can't lose here!"

"Chris is correct," Rose said. "There are too few of us. And the Sandorans have reinforcements-"

She was cut off as a bright doorway appeared in the air, and a strange voice called out. "Heaven's wish to destroy all minds! Holy Explosion!" Within the portal, a bright sword slashed down, and several Sandorans were blown off their feet, killed instantly. "Inscript the Dark god into a rotting body! Flare!"

The fiery blast of magic killed the remaining enemies, and the man stepped into the normal world, his entrance disappearing behind him. "That should take care of that problem, at least."

Dart took a step back, staring. "Who... are you?"

He was dressed all in black, with heavy boots, a tunic with matching pants, scaled gloves, and a cloak over his shoulders. Tall, with green eyes and dark blond hair, he held an ornate broadsword in his right hand. He bowed. "Your pardon; my name is Paul Fleming, from the land of Ivalice. I came here by way of the city of Midgar, and I'm at your service." He spoke with a British accent.

Chris was the first to recover from the shock; he went straight to resignation instead. "Another world? When will it end?" he muttered.

"Are you a Wingly?" Rose demanded. "Humans, unless they are Dragoons, cannot use magic."

Fleming smiled. "In that, I'm afraid, you are incorrect. In my homeland, mages are common as dirt. Black Mages, White Mages, Time Mages, Summoners, Oracles... I happen to be quite skilled at most types. This seemed the appropriate time to use it."

"So Ivalice is on another world, like Earth?" Chris asked. "How did you get here?"

"Never heard of Earth," Paul replied, "but you're correct. Ivalice is just now beginning to recover the high technology it once had, and one machine that was uncovered in the city of Goug transported me to Midgar, on another world. From there, after a few misadventures, I came here."

"Why did you decide to help us?" Lavitz asked, spear leveled at the man.

"Actually, I had no idea what was going on; I was... call it scouting, this world, and when I saw that there was a battle, your side seemed to be the 'righteous' one; by this time, you see, I have a knack for telling which side is the barbarians. Ivalice has more than its fair share." He waved a hand. "You can put away the spear, by the way; you'd probably be dead by the time you reached me. Either that, or I wouldn't be there; a little trick time mages have: they can teleport."

Lavitz opened his mouth to disagree, then recalled what had happened to the Sandorans and shut it, lowering his spear.

Dart slowly put away his sword. "I see. Thanks for the assistance, Mr. Fleming." He sized up the sorcerer. "You're pretty good in a fight. Would you consider coming with us, if you're going to be here anyway?"

Fleming bowed again. "An honor. If in any way my magic may be of service, you have but to ask. And call me Paul; I haven't been called 'Mr. Fleming' since I graduated from the Gariland Academy."

Lavitz sighed. "First a martial artist, now a sorcerer. What next?"

Paul glanced at him. "Actually, Sir Knight, I prefer to be called a wizard. But, I suppose sorcerer fits as well. Or conjuror, mage, or possibly even necromancer, for I have some small skill in the resurrection arts. Just don't call me a summoner; those high-and-mighty mages use an art that I find to be inelegant, like using an axe on a toothpick. You're just as likely to cut off your own hand as to bisect the toothpick; I much prefer the purity of the High Magic."

Lavitz's eyes widened at the mention of necromancy. "A necromancer...? Then can you resurrect the Basil knights who have died here?"

The wizard shook his head sadly. "I said 'small' skill; I'm afraid that raising those whose bodies have been this badly maimed is beyond my power. I'm sorry."

The knight hung his head. "I see."

Chris gripped his arm. "But at least we can avenge their deaths, my friend. We can still go for the Dragon, and make sure no others suffer their fate."

"If the Dragon's Nest is where I think it is," Rose said, "we'll need to cross Volcano Villude. It's not far from here." She glanced at Paul and narrowed her eyes. "I assume a magician as powerful as you are would have no problem traversing a volcano?"

Paul smiled. "No trouble at all."

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After they had begun moving again, Chris walked close to Rose. "You don't trust him, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't; it seems far too convenient that he appeared just when we most needed assistance, and as I said, normal humans can't use magic. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a Wingly."

"I'm not sure you can determine his motives simply from his species, Rose; I mean, the Dragon Campaign was a good eleven millennia ago."

"Perhaps. But we defeated the Winglies, cast them out of their cities in the sky, and there are likely many who still resent that."

Chris glanced at the black-clad mage. "Well, whatever you may think of him, I have a strange feeling that it's not going to matter; I get the odd impression that Paul won't survive this journey."

Rose shot him an almost amused look. "And you think that one man's life would matter much to me after all these years, all the people I've killed?"

He smiled. "You seemed concerned enough about my survival."

"Only inasmuch as you are the key to a prophecy," she said. "Were you not the 'man from the frozen lands beyond the edge of the world', I assure you your life would mean just as little to me." And she walked away.

"I'm sure." Actually, though, there seems to be more to it than that, Rose. It seems to me that the fate of the Divine Dragon shouldn't mean much to you, if your only concern is stopping the Moon Child. Why are you so interested in keeping me alive?

Chris might have been interested to know that Rose was having similar thoughts.

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After Rose left, Paul wandered over to Chris. "Cold-blooded, isn't she?"

Chris glanced at him. "Somewhat. What do you care, wizard?"

He smiled. "Oh, just wondering what you see in her, that's all." At the martial artist's look of surprise, Paul shrugged. "I'd have to be blind, deaf, and probably dead not to notice how you feel about her; you need to learn how to hide your emotions better, lad."

The younger man glared at him. "Really. And how do you propose I do that, oh great mage?" he said sarcastically.

"Well, you could always try this," Paul replied. Turning to a nearby Merman, he raised his hands. "Suffering spirits, to eternity! Break Seal!" The yin-yang spell instantly petrified the monster, and the conjuror turned back to Chris. "The ultimate stone face."

"Funny."

"Seriously, Chris, I think the only one unaware of your feelings is Rose herself; and you, it would seem, until I mentioned it." Paul's face grew solemn. "Take my advice: don't let the chance get away from you, or it may be too late." For a moment, his expression was sad. "In the world I came to from Ivalice, a friend by the name of Cloud might well have fallen for another companion of ours, Aeris, but she died before he acted. Don't let that happen to you."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll keep that in mind." And Chris stalked away.

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The next morning, the group reached the slopes of Volcano Villude, where Chris paused, gazing up at the fiery mountain with something close to loathing. "A volcano," he muttered. "A stinking volcano! Won't this be fun." Shaking his head, he walked into the volcano ahead of the others.

Paul glanced at Lavitz. "What's his problem?"

The knight chuckled. "Chris is from a place called Alaska, a very cold land. He found the marshland bad enough; a volcano will drive him out of his mind."

"As long as he does it quietly," the mage said with a chuckle of his own. "I'd hate to have to kill him."

Lavitz glanced at him sidelong. "Wizard, you are way out of your league. Chances are, Chris would kill you before you knew what was happening." He grinned. "He claims not to know how to fight, and he may even believe it, but I saw what happened in Hellena Prison; he killed three men with his bare hands, and knocked the stuffing out of the warden, without even a scratch on himself. And in Hoax..." He shook his head in disbelief. "I still don't know quite what happened there. He was attacked by a Sandoran elite on the wall, and when the chain came at him, I thought he was dead. But Chris just reached out, caught the chain... and snapped it. Then he threw the Sandoran off the wall, where I assume he died from the impact."

Paul suddenly looked thoughtful. "Oh." He nodded to himself. "Hysterical strength, I believe it's called. Warrior monks in Ivalice sometimes use it, unconsciously; if your young friend is capable of using it at will, I'd rather not be on the receiving end."

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Not far inside the volcano, Dart paused and looked toward the far side of the interior. "What's that?" he asked pointing toward a fiery shape in the distance.

Rose's eyes narrowed. "The firebird; we should avoid it."

"Will it let us by without attacking?" Paul questioned.

She glanced at him. "That's up to him."

"He sees us!" Dart warned. "Run!"

"No argument from me," Chris said. Before he'd finished speaking, he was already running, the heat providing added incentive.

"I guess you were right," the wizard said to Lavitz. "The last time I saw someone move that fast, it was a Bandersnatch in the swamps outside Goug, running from a Holy spell." He smiled. "It didn't get far."

Lavitz frowned. "What's a Holy spell?"

In response, Paul turned to a nearby Salamander and raised his arms. "Pure light, shine on bloody impurity! Holy!" Instantly, shafts of white light speared out of the ground, impaling the fire monster.

"Impressive," the knight mused, "but it's not quite dead."

Paul raised his eyebrows. "Indeed? Well, then, there's always this." He began chanting again. "Effortless water, break your silence, attack! Ice 4!"

Lavitz flinched as the freezing magic did its deadly deed. "You know, Paul," he said after a moment, "I think I could get used to having a mage around." He grinned. "It'll give the Dragon something else to worry about, anyway!"

Ahead of them, Chris suddenly stopped, seeing an odd expression on Shana's face. "Shana? What's wrong?"

She put a hand to her head. "Don't you hear that voice? It's... calling me..." Slowly at first, then with greater speed, Shana fled.

"Shana, wait!" Dart called, running after her.

Chris's eyes widened. "Virage!"

Rose looked at him sharply. "Are you certain?" She didn't bother to ask him how he knew of Virages; after all the other strange things he'd done and said, this was mundane.

The martial artist nodded. "No doubt about it!" Together, Chris and Rose followed Dart.

Paul glanced at Lavitz in confusion. "What the devil is a Virage?"

The Basil knight shrugged. "I don't know. Chris and Rose apparently do, though. And while I can't be sure about Chris, you can trust Rose's knowledge. I don't know how she knows this stuff, but you can be sure she's right." He held up his spear. "Come on!"

The two arrived just as Rose was explaining about the Virage. "...the Winglies' answer to the Dragons," she was saying. "Powerful magic, with great physical strength, as well. Not as deadly as Dragons or Dragoons, but deadly nonetheless, even though this one is incomplete."

Dart frowned. "But it's dead, isn't it?"

Chris stared fixedly at it. "No, Dart, I don't think so. It's just dormant, and I don't think it will be for long." He glanced at the fire Dragoon with a humorless smile. "Their hatred of Dragoons is great enough to wake them from the millennia of sleep."

He was distracted just a moment too long. The Virage suddenly lurched out of its molten lava-bath onto half-formed legs, and its single arm lashed out, knocking Chris into the wall. Before any of the others could move to help him, the Virage moved toward him and slammed its hand into the fallen martial artist, hard enough to force him a couple of inches into the ground.

"Chris!" Lavitz shouted. He rushed the monster from an age gone by, twirling his spear. "Flower Storm!"

"Die! Demon's Dance!"

Enraged, the foul creature turned, attacking the only warrior who had not yet gone after it. Dart rolled aside just in time to avoid a fate similar to Chris, then thrust his sword into the Virage's side. "Crush Dance!"

Off to the side, Paul raised his sword. "Time has come... crash down on the wicked! Meteor!"

The huge rock that fell on the monster angered it further, and the Virage turned its attentions to the weakest member of the group, who was still dazed.

"Shana!" Dart screamed. He ran at the creature, knowing it was too late even as it raised its arm...

And then a rapier flew straight and true into one of its eyes, partially blinding it. The blade was swiftly followed by a sprinting figure in black, who threw a flurry of punches into its mid section, then leapt, pulled the sword out, and slammed both booted feet into its head, knocking it back into the lava. "Rot for eternity, foul creature!"

Dart stared as Chris calmly cracked his knuckles and wandered over. "Chris...? But… It killed you..."

The youth grinned. "Ain't that easy to kill me, Dart. I'm a lot tougher than I look."

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Author's note: I know, it's kind of an abrupt end to this chapter, but I think the effect was worth it.

I hope this latest twist was interesting; I've had the idea for the Fleming character for awhile, and it occurred to me this would be a good place for it. Let me know what you think.

YSYF, my apologies; I was not aware that you had already used that particular idea. As you said, it is difficult to think of plausible Dragons, particularly after the Story of the Diamond Dragoon, but, if you wish, I can easily go back and alter it.

I think that about covers the notes for this chapter; read it and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark