One Thousand Years Later

"My Lord Bahamut...is their anything you wish?"

That was one reason that Bahamut kept these two attendants. Normal dragons would give him some official title like, "Father-Of-All-Dragons". It had been a thousand years, and still Bahamut hated these titles. None of them were as casual as his fellow espers. His children, the race of dragons, were far more dignified and official. And they revered their ancestor very highly. They all but worshipped him as a Dragon God. He didn't much care for the chamber they had built for him either. It was a long hall in a cave slightly under the ground of blue dark rock. There were torches leading all the way up to a throne for him at the back. Two dragon-like creatures, far smaller than him, stood before him and waited on him day and night. Apparently, he had been getting bigger after all. He realized he was twice as big as the average dragon. However, although these creatures looked somewhat draconian, his personal attendants were not. They were personal attendents he had brought from Terratopolis with him here, and they were offspring of espers and normal creatures. They were very special and had great magical power in them, but they were not true espers. Still, he prefered their company to anyone. After a thousand years...he still was frowning and looking downcast at the mere thought of men or the world.

"No, Khan. I'll tell you when I do."

The lizard-like creature swallowed, and turned and looked over to his sister, a slightly different creature named Singh. She frowned a bit herself and shook her head at Khan, indicating he shouldn't push it. Exhaling, Khan turned back and did what he had been doing for the past thousand years for the most part...looking out day and night for any arrivals. As for Bahamut, he went back to doing what he had been doing for a thousand years...contemplating his hatred and disappointment in men.

Outside, the world was dying. For centuries Tiamat battled against the Northern Kingdoms. Somehow, Odin had managed to conquer his foes and win them to his cause, and then waged war against Tiamat. The Fiend ofWind shifted tactics to where he did not strike often, and when he did, eventually Odin managed to gather enough strength to keep his damage down to a minimal. He even appeared to drive him off now and again. But the kingdom was in constant war. They fought endlessly against the monster for centuries. During that time, more and more people died, more towns were laid waste, and the effects of no wind caused more to die around the Planet. The world was in chaos, on the brink of constant war. But it did not fall into full ruin...yet.

Then, the prophecy of Tiamat came...and Kraken returned.

The monster caused the seas to rage into a poison malestrom. The coasts of the entire planet were battered by tidal waves to signal the monster's return. Yet the water turned foul and stagnant. Putrid slime and toxin was in it. All who drank from it or even got some in their mouth or skin got infections and disease from it. Rivers began to cease to flow. The ocean became foul. In both cases, horrible monsters and vicious carnivorous plants began to clog those streams as well. The mermaid races beneath the ocean began to die, as did all the fish. Only in areas where there was still spring water from beneath the ground was the water clean and drinkable. However, many creatuers were dying. The espers struggled for six hundred years to save the Fiend of Wind's victims: the birds that were susceptible to predation now. Now, they had to keep many of the creatures of the sea and rivers preserved as well. But many more were still dying. The whole world was on the verge of a horrible extinction. The espers couldn't save everything. Two hundred years ago, the last tame horse died when drinking poisoned water. This much Bahamut knew of the activities of the espers. However, he knew much of other things as well.

This was all the effect of the fall of the first two Crystals. However, the return of Kraken meant worse. It meant the destruction of the world was intensified. Odin barely held his kingdom together under one Fiend. But with the arrival of the second...the great human kingdom was doomed. Within a month, the entire Northern Continent was laid waste. Every castle but one was destroyed and all were gutted. Villages were burned to ash. Not one human was allowed to escape. The only place to go was the sea, and Kraken made sure none of them survived. It was the worst genocide in the history of man. Odin himself was forced to escape in the end. He managed to hold on alone, until every last of his subjects was dead. He struggled to fight on after that, but he could not. Right down until the end he thought he could beat them. But it was hopeless. It was only because of Slepnir that he survived. With that done, Tiamat and Kraken were left alone to destroy the world unchecked.

They worked slowly, destroying the world at their leisure. But bit by bit, the major kingdoms fell. Elves...dwarves...and men...all of their kingdoms fell. All opposition was slowly defeated. The world became a wasteland for beasts, with very few civilizations at all left. People were dying critically and frequently. Few children were even being born anymore. As the world died, humans continued to fall one by one. Humanity was already ripe to receive a killing blow. The whole world was tottering on the brink of destruction. The balance was shifting to death as it was. And yet, Tiamat and Kraken did not strike. No...they wanted to wait. They wanted their two remaining companions to arrive and help them. Then nothing would spare the Planet. They could attack together, and get revenge together on the espers as they finished off the world. That, Bahamut realized, was why they hadn't struck at the dragons yet. When they attacked at the end, they wanted him. He knew he would be the last to die. He would be the final target before the end of the Planet itself.

Only one elven forest was left, their native Elfheim. The last of the dwarves were holed up in Mt. Duergar. As for the humans...only one minor kingdom still stood, mostly because the army was never strong enough to fight in a war. That was Cornelia. There were a few other towns scattered across the world that belonged to men too. Pravoka...Melmond...Crescent Lake...Gaia...Onrac... None of them would be able to be a match for a Fiend, even if they alligned. As for the Lufenians, they were a stranded and lost race now. They had lost almost all of their technology. No human could understand them. Now, after all these years, they were still a feeble and fallen race, isolated on the world and powerless to even communicate with the other races. There had been rumors...something to the effect that others encountered them from time to time. But Bahamut couldn't see how that could be so. So he didn't care much for it.

At any rate, the evil of the world did not abate. Humans continued to betray and fight. They may no longer have had the capability for war, but they were as wicked as ever. They continued to betray, murder, steal, and wage all sorts of wickedness against one another. Long had they lost their strength, and yet with what power they had left they continued to fight one another. Nothing would sate them or abate them.The dark feeling that he felt surrounding the Planet did not fade, but only grew more oppresive, cold, and foul. The Planet continued to constantly grow dark, and humans, it was clear, did nothing but contribute to it. Because of that, Bahamut continued to be cross and disapproving. His anger against the wickedness of man remained unchanged. He continued to wait for one thing...their annihilation. Only then, he believed, would there be an end to this and hope of recovery.

And he hoped it happened soon. The world had but 800 years left...

200 before Kary returned...

Bahamut kept his head bowed low and said nothing. This was much as he had been for years without change. Soon however, he heard a sound that caught his occasional interest. That was the sound of footsteps, and it always brought news. He looked up at once. Ahead of him, he saw a gold dragon coming forward down the long hallway. It took some time for him to reach them, but eventually he was coming before the throne area itself.

"Halt!" Khan immediately blasted. He was an exciteable young esper, and he always took his duties a little extreme. "State your business at once!"

"Oh, don't mind this fool..." Singh sighed in response. "Just pause before the throne and give Lord Bahamut the news."

The gold dragon seemed to pay no mind to either attendant. Instead, he came down in front of the throne without being bidden, and immediately dropped down to one knee. His head was put down and looked away from the larger dragon esper, and he spoke in a tone of deep reverence. "Father-Of-All-Dragons...I come bearing news."

Bahamut looked back at him for a moment. A few seconds went by, but then he gave a short nod to him. He was sure it was more bad news. There hadn't been anything new lately, after all. Just a few brief changes of little importance. The next big change wasn't due for another two hundred years. Until then, he could just sit and wait and endure the small changes. This dragon did not introduce himself as having anything more important to say than any other dragon, and so he regarded the news as just mediocre. "You may speak." He simply responded.

"Master...do you remember Garland?"

Bahamut thought of this a moment, and frowned somewhat when he remembered it. Yes, he remembered that name. It was over in the Cornelia kingdom. Some mysterious man had showed up years ago in that realm. He had excelled in power and ability, and pledged his loyalty to the throne. Within no time at all, he became their greatest knight. He was especially useful in a time where the country needed defense against the dark powers of the world, even though the Cornelia region was the least effected by the changes the world was seeing. And for a few years, he had seemed to defend his realm well. He was a trusted and faithful servant to his king. At least...that was until he went the inevitable path of all men. He betrayed his own kingdom. He kidnapped their princess, and demanded control of the kingdom with it. He had the power to defeat any of the king's knights who rose to oppose him, so it was simply a matter of forcing them into submission. Bahamut hadn't regarded this as much. Just more wickedness of men, and another inevitable failure. It would mean the last human kingdom was destroyed and nothing more.

"Yes, I remember." He responded. "What of him?"

"Well, my lord...he has been defeated."

Bahamut paused slightly at that, but not long. That wasn't necessarily big news. After all, there were a few humans running around still who could stop minor acts of terrorism and evil. And much as Cornelia thought about this, this was minor at best compared to the evil that was destroying the world. This was hardly worthy of his concern. Just some other note.

"Very well." He simply responded.

"It was four humans who did it."

"I thought as much. You may go." Bahamut answered.

"Sir...they had certain items on them."

Bahamut tried to suppress rolling his eyes. He didn't really care. "What items?"

"They appeared to have shards of crystal with them, one to each human." The dragon answered. "Each one was a different color...and shone with an inner light. They seemed to correspond to the Four Crystals."

Khan and Singh both looked up to this. Their faces showed interest and surprise at this sudden announcement. They turned to their master to see what sort of result this would have. Bahamut himself stared back at the gold dragon. He was quiet for a few moments and said nothing in reply. Then, at last, he spoke again. "Is that all?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Very well. You may go."

The gold dragon gave a bow in response to the dragon king. After that, he turned and walked back out from the deep cave. As for Bahamut, he merely sat straight and tall, not looking pensive or thoughtful at all about this. He merely stared out with his normal appearance. Once the gold dragon had left, and the sound of his departure had faded, and once again they were all alone in the chamber, the three stood in silence for a few moments. At length, however, Khan and Singh both turned around to Bahamut. They looked to him with some expectation. However, Bahamut showed nothing. He looked just the same as always.

"Well sir?" Singh asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Well what, Singh?" Bahamut calmly answered.

"What do you think of these humans?" She responded.

"Very little." Bahamut simply answered. "What am I to think of them, Singh? This is just another petty little conflict among humanity. Occasionally, you see someone come forward and actually do something noble. But this didn't matter much. These were just some humans wandering around wanting to beat up a bully. It means little, other than that they are somewhat less repulsive than the rest of their selfish race."

"But the crystal shards?" Khan brought up.

"What of them?"

"Sir...Lord Leviathan... He said that the only way to restore the Crystals..."

Bahamut rolled his eyes for real at this. He exhaled a heavy sigh. "Khan..."

"They were light. They matched the colors..."

"Oh, come on now, Khan." Bahamut flatly answered, his voice full of cynicism. "The Crystal was broken into four pieces millenia ago. I was younger than you and your sister when it happened. No one knows what has become of the pieces. That they could be found and not simply kept in some treasure chest in a miserly human's vault is nearly impossible. It is highly unlikely that anyone could find them at all, let alone have them come together and be in the hands of the same group. If the espers haven't been able to find them, then it is almost impossible that the humans could. And if they could, what then? What reason is there to believe that these four humans would have them?"

"But sir," Singh protested. "Even in the human world, they have become somewhat aware of the Four Crystals. They know that four shards are needed to restore them. If they were to find four shards, then maybe they would realize that they were needed for-"

Bahamut sighed again, and raised a claw to his temple. "Singh, you confuse humans with espers. The humans barely understand the legend. Even if they did, they lack the power and strength and purity of will to be able to carry it out. It is humanity's evil that has caused this in the first place. Their actions cannot undo it. They would not even know what to look for. It is more likely that these people either carried some jewelry with them, or that they are impersonating an answer to some legend they conceived and do not understand. It is probably a ploy to gain wealth of some sort, or notoriety. All that they have done is saved one princess of one lesser kingdom. There is no reason to believe anything else."

"But sir-"

Bahamut sighed and turned his head down. "Singh, Khan... Stop trying to make me feel so optimistic about them. I have lost all love or care for them. I no longer have faith in their race. This will end eventually, yes... But it will only end when they are gone. I am thoroughly convinced of that now. Nothing will change my mind. Certainly not some mere act of human altruism. I don't expect to ever even hear about these humans again. If they try, they will be destroyed. The time will come to find the shards and restore them to the Crystals. But it will have to be something we take care of. We are the only ones that we can trust now. No one else. We have safeguarded the Planet for this long. We can trust no one else to do the same. Certainly not the humans anymore."

"Sir..."

Bahamut merely dismissed this with another head shaking. Khan and Singh both looked to protest for a moment, but then sighed and looked down again. They realized their master wasn't going to listen. And they wouldn't dispute him. They merely turned away and resumed their somber looks.

"Let's just return to work on your metamorphosis studies. You'll forget about this soon. I doubt we shall ever hear from it again."

Bahamut, however, hadn't been so wrong about something in a long time.

It was only about two weeks later when a silver dragon arrived. As before, Khan and Singh were his attendants in the chamber, while Bahamut stood in the back of the cave. He had news for him again, and once more it was about the four humans. But it wasn't just concerning another human kingdom at this time. It was concerning something much different.

"I received the story from an elvish sage." The silver dragon began, head bowed and kneeling before Bahamut. "He said the four warriors came from the Northwest to Elfheim. They were on one of the few ships that could still sail in the dead waters, one that they claimed to have taken from the notorious pirate Bikke when he was terrorizing Pravoka. They had four crystal shards with them, one for each of the Four Crystal colors."

Bahamut showed slightly more interest to this, but not much. Bikke was one of the filthiest human specimens left in the world. He made himself rich and wealthy off of the oppression of the weak and innocent. His ship had long since been enchanted by dark wizards, enabling it to sail at a constant speed regardless of the status of the wind. Rather than using this ship to help people, he used it to raid stranded ships and conquer weak towns. Everywhere he went, he bent the populace to his will, took the women for himself, seized the children as slaves, slaughtered the men, and raided whatever was left of value. He was a disgusting man who exploited the misfortunes of the world. He was weak himself, but he had enough men under him to do his bidding and enforce his wishes. However, it seemed that had changed. Again these four had appeared, and it seemed as if this time they had made the pirate answer for his crimes and commandeered his ship. Still, Bahamut thought little of it. That ship was a fine prize for the good and evil alike, and could be used for either purpose, especially in the hands of men.

"And what did they want with Elfheim?" Bahamut next addressed. He knew much of that place as well. It was the last refuge for the elves of the world. But more than that, it was possibly going to be their dying realm. During the attacks of the fiends and the age of chaos, dark elves had risen. Unlike pure elves, these ones devoted themselves to darkness and death. They were from a perverted, dark side of nature. They saw opportunity to advance in this world of decay, where they could thrive and spread more rot and disease and enhance their power over the dying earth. Although most dark elves were dead after years of conflict, Bahamut knew of one notorious elf that still lived. He was Astos, lord of the dark elves, and ruler of the Western Keep. This elf seemed to gain power when the crystals went dark. Because of it, he was able to attack and deal a crushing blow to elves of Elfheim not long ago. Five years ago he killed the last of the Elvenkings, and placed a curse on the prince of the elves to sleep for eternity. Astos then moved to gain the long buried crown of the elves, to make himself their next king and ruler and turn the race of elves to darkness. Not even the espers knew how to cure such a malady that had befallen the prince. Even if they did, it did not matter. Bahamut would not let them intervene until the humans were gone and the feeling of evil in the world was suppressed. And it was only continuing to grow as of late. In the meantime, the elves of Elfheim were leaderless and likely doomed. Astos was far stronger than any mortal man, assuming one would ever try to slay him, or elf. And nothing would break the sleep of the prince.

Such was Bahamut's fixed way of thinking. So what he heard next caught him a bit off guard.

"The four warriors...they found a potion of great power and gave it to the prince. He awakened almost immediately from his five year curse. After that, they presented him with two gifts: the Crown of the Elvenkings...and the head of Astos the Dark Elf. They had claimed both, venturing into the bottom of the forbidden cave to get one, and slaying the owner of the other to obtain it."

Khan and Singh couldn't hold back any longer. They immediately snapped around and gazed in shock at the silver dragon. Bahamut himself raised an eyebrow, and felt himself a bit stunned. "Are you sure you did not hear wrong?" Bahamut addressed, his voice very skeptical and cynical. "It is improbable, if not impossible, for what you have said to have occured."

"I didn't believe it myself, Father-Of-All-Dragons...but it is true." The silver dragon responded, not looking up. "No one else has dared try, and there is no other explanation. Hundreds of witnesses among the elves and humans alike can confirm it."

Bahamut paused again at this, but then merely shook his head. "Perhaps they appeared to be human, but were in a different form. Still, they could not have passed from Cornelia at any rate."

"There is a chance that they in fact did, my lord. In fact, it is most likely." The silver dragon protested, causing Khan and Singh to be more intrigued, and Bahamut to turn back to him. "The king of Cornelia rebuilt the bridge on the road to Pravoka after the death of Garland and the return of the Princess Sarah. The only ones who have crossed it so far are the four warriors matching the descriptions of the ones in Elfheim. Their appearance matches sightings in Pravoka as well. This is all being carried out by the same four humans."

Bahamut's brow wrinkled in confusion. He was genuinely puzzled by this. Surely, this could not be right. Humanity simply lacked the power. "You must be mistaken." He protested, his own voice now growing bewildered. "Never have any humans with such power walked the face of the Planet. No human group could destroy a dark elf, especially not one as mighty as Astos. To do so would require a strength of will and purity of heart mightier than any other human who ever walked the Planet. There is not the light in any human soul that burns that strong. No human has the power."

"I attest that what I am telling you is the truth, my lord...as far as I know it." The silver dragon responded simply, bowing his head lower.

Bahamut couldn't believe this. It wasn't true. He had never seen a human of that much strength. Dark elves fought with evil and wickedness. Death and darkness was their way. Humans, black and evil as they themselves were, could not possibly withstand their powers. It would take a pure soul, and no humans had such souls. They had grown far too evil. The world was continuing to die from their wickedness. And yet...the silver dragon claimed that this was so. Normally, the word of a dragon was proof enough for Bahamut. He had always expected the truth from them, and had no reason to doubt them. And yet, for the first time ever...he felt himself probing the mind of this dragon. He knew that he spoke the truth. He knew he wouldn't lie. And yet...his own mind refused to accept that what he heard was true. There had to be a mistake. Humans could not be like this. It was impossible. And yet...he sensed no lie on the dragon's mind. Everything he had checked to attempt to see the truth of was real. And those many witnesses could not lie or make up such a similar story. There had indeed been no others. It was this group of four humans that had done this.

This was a mysterious change of events. However, Bahamut waved to the silver dragon and dismissed him. The dragon bowed again, then turned and left the way he came. As before, Bahamut and his attendants were left in silence. A few moments went by in which no one said anything. This time, however, Khan and Singh were turned to each other and looking eager and amazed. Once things were totally quiet again, and they were certain that they were alone, they began to talk to each other with excited voices.

"Amazing..."

"Astos dead! At the hand of a human!"

"No human has ever taken up an elvish cause before!"

"And the shards! The shards!"

"Yes, yes! Maybe they really..."

"Oh, you two." Bahamut scolded with a disapproving tone. Both of them stopped immediately and looked to him. He glared at both with a gruff appearance, and shook his head. "I thought you would be smart enough not to believe in made-up human prophecies. I already told you once, these aren't the shards. The chances of them being there are astronomical to impossible."

"But master!" Khan whined.

"Master," Singh insisted, somewhat more controlled. "Surely the destruction of Astos... He was a dark elf! No human has ever killed a dark elf before! They had to have clean hearts and minds to even be able to begin to fight it!"

Bahamut frowned. He had to admit, he was caught there. He himself, on many of his tirades of insulting humans, had stated that humans were too wicked to even fight a dark elf, much less a fiend. However, he had been forced to eat his words. They had somehow. Still he refused to believe this meant much. He frowned and turned his head to one side, and began to speak.

"Clearly, Astos was far weaker than I had hoped. Either that, or far less purity was required to fight him."

"Master!" Singh began to protest, nearly whining. Both Bahamut's attendents seemed to not like this answer, as treated it as some sort of a cop-out.

"Nevertheless..." Bahamut quickly added, sighing inwardly that he was having to concede somewhat to the statements of these youngsters, but wanting them to stop talking about it. Already, it had been nearly impossible to get them to stop after hearing about Garland. Goodness knows how encouraged they would be now. "I will admit. They had to be superior to the average human to be able to do this. Perhaps, at least for now, they have some genuine goodness inside them. But that is irrelevant. All humans have the potential, indeed the predisposition, for evil. They all eventually fall into it. I once knew a good human, but he sired filthy offspring. And they now rule the world and infect its race. Valiant or altruistic as these humans seem, they are still only human. They are still limited in their scope of thinking, weak of heart and spirit, and ultimately will collapse into darkness as millions of them have done before. This small action against Astos does not change the world's fate. Nor does it reverse the closing darkness that grows every day."

Khan and Singh both frowned at this. It was obvious that they thought Bahamut was being a wet blanket. Still, Bahamut refused to change. He knew he was right. They'd fall. They'd turn to evil in the end. They'd never make a real difference. They had done this, yes, but this was as far as they would get. From here on in, their power would pervert them to evil as it had to all other humans. This heroism would end now. And if it didn't, the powers of this world that were inclined to darkness would crush them. Humanity was weak in mind, body, and spirit. Easily broken, andbroken by any opposition. Such would be the case. No...again, it would eventually be up to the espers to fix this world. Humans would eventually die. These four...they were probably the last halfway decent humans in the world, but eventually they would fade as well. All humans did, and their valor and honor became nothing next to the evil of the Planet.

Bahamut exhaled, and turned his head forward to look out again, taking up his old position.

...Still...it is amazing that they beat Astos...

A seed of interest was planted in the head of Bahamut. He denied it, but it was there. He claimed he cared nothing for these new humans. Honest and truly, he believed that they were doomed to die and fail as their fellow race members had done. Yet still he was intrigued to hear more of them. Indeed, no human had ever acted on behalf of saving both humans and elves. And none had slain a Dark Elf. He doubted he would hear from them again...but somewhere, deep inside, he somewhat wished that he would. As it turned out, two weeks later...his wish was granted.

A gold dragon burst down the hallway. He was flying this time, soaring down to try and reach Bahamut as quickly as possible. He was panting and straining. It looked as if he had struggled to get to Bahamut as soon as possible. Khan and Singh, shocked at the sudden appearance of the exhausted, furiously flying gold dragon, stood up at once and quite forgot procedure. Bahamut himself did, and rose up from his position to look down on the gold dragon as he approached. Within moments, the gold dragon was before them. Covered with sweat, struggling to catch his breath, he threw himself down flat in front of Bahamut. He gasped and panted there for a few moments, regaining his bearings. In the meantime, Khan, Singh, and Bahamut were shocked. They hovered over the fallen dragon and regarded him with amazement. The urgency was evident, but whatever could it mean? What had brought the dragon here in such a fury and rush? But they got no answer. The dragon continued to pant and wheeze against the ground, and couldn't even look up.

"What is the matter?" Bahamut addressed him as he lay there. "What has happened?"

The gold dragon panted and huffed for a few more moments. He swallowed and moistened his throat, but continued to breathe hard and deep. Finally, he managed to slowly raise his head. He kept his eyes averted from Bahamut, but he choked out something shocking.

"My...my lord...the four humans...are attempting to relight the Earth Crystal!"

Khan and Singh dropped their jaws. They staggered back in surprise, and looked to each other in shock and amazement. However, that shock soon changed. Smiles began to spread on their faces, and looks of joy went over them. This was only confirming their greatest hopes. They immediately filled with enthusiasm and excitement to hear it. Bahamut too was likewise shocked. He misinterpretted what was being said at first. What he did hear, he didn't believe. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. No human had the strength or wisdom. They couldn't even know that much about the Crystals. They knew nothing, not like the espers. They had innate knowledge of the world and its workings. They knew the right things to do. Humans did not. How could they do this? How could they even care one way or another? How could they reach the Earth Crystal? How could they possibly relight it? Impossible! All impossible! The humans could do none of it. This was all a misunderstanding... It could be nothing else. Nevertheless, Bahamut demanded an explanation.

It took a while to go through it, but the gold dragon eventually told all. Apparently, the dragons were now taking an interest in these warriors. They were beginning to watch their every move, and shared information with each other. They had been giving Bahamut only the latest developments, but dragons were constantly watching them now to see if what they were doing was possible or true. They weren't alone either. Many human races now observed them. The espers had an interest in them too. The elves too were watching along with the dwarves. They were no longer simply called the "four humans". Now, all in the world were slowly beginning to call them by the title that the human legends claimed would revive the earth. They called them "the Light Warriors".

Following what they had done in Elfheim, they helped the dwarves of Mt. Duergar complete a canal that allowed Bikke's ship access to the open ocean. They were now free to travel around the world. And their journey took them straight to Melmond. That human settlement was experiencing what was going to happen to the world within the next 800 years...the rotting of the earth itself. The world had already begun to decay and turn to wasteland, but only nearest to the dark Earth Crystal was the world turning into waste. Each new fiend that came forth intensified it. When the Light Warriors arrived, they realized the problem. But by now, they had realized something else. They saw that their crystal shards now had the power to potentially relight the darkened crystals. Apparently, they had run into enough sages in their journey who knew only fragments of the nature of the Crystals to piece together what they needed to do...what they could possibly do. To that end, they had gone into the Cavern of Earth, the resting place of the Earth Crystal. There, they found and slayed a foul, life-draining wraith creature best known as a Vampire. However, they realized that their efforts were not saving the earth, and they had left to seek new guidance in this regard.

Bahamut patiently listened to the whole tale. Singh and Khan were captivated by it, hanging on every word and seeming to cheer on these Light Warriors as the story was told. Bahamut himself heard this, and was more stunned than before. The battle hadn't stunned him so much. Oh, he knew better. He knew that Lich was the true culprit for this offense...that, and the evil of men. That Vampire was a decoy...a distraction. The true evil was deeper in the cave. What more, he knew that the moment the humans attempted to confront this evil, they would be annihilated. Lich was invincible, and far stronger than anything they had ever encountered. There wasn't a human alive who was even a reasonable match for his power. He had been wrong about Astos, but he knew he wasn't wrong about Lich. That monster was beyond anything that Astos has been. It was not possible for humans to win. Even if they could, the Crystal would remain dark. Lich would simply regenerate. He couldn't be killed anymore, not with the dark Crystal constantly fueling him. Victory was impossible.

Unless...

They truly did have the crystal shards.

But Bahamut grunted to himself and shook his head. Now he was starting to believe that foolishness. There was no way that the humans had the shards. No one had them. They may think they have them, but there was no way they truly did. If they did, the light would be eclipsed by the darkness of their hearts or men's hearts within an instant. Then all hope would be gone. In fact, it was important that humans never touch the shards. If they did, then all hope would be destroyed, and the Crystals would be dark forever. Their evil would ruin them and doom the Planet. They needed to hurry up and die so that there would still be hope left. Only espers could save the world. Humans were ruining it by their very existence... So they couldn't possibly have the true shards.

And yet...Bahamut couldn't silence his thinking so easily.

These four warriors...they might have been foolish and stupid for trying to take on powers far beyond them. They might have been going to an early grave. They might even be doing more harm than good through their folly of thinking themselves heroes. But...Bahamut could not hate them so much for this. They were in the Cavern of Earth. They were doomed to die, but they were trying. They were the first humans in a thousand years of slow death and decay, Bahamut realized, that stopped thinking about themselves and their own petty problems and concerns. They were genuinely concerned with the well being of all life on the Planet. That trait was something only espers thought of. That was something only they could fathom...only they could care for. And yet...these humans were now concerned with it? Weak...brittle...foolish...excuses for heroes...and yet they wanted to actually help? After a thousand years of chaos, were some of them actually trying to make a difference? It seemed as if they were.

Amazing as it seemed... Bahamut realized that for the first time there may actually be unselfish humans in the world.

These people...might actually be for real.

They were doomed to lose. Lich would destroy them all. And if he didn't, the other fiends would. And yet, while their bodies were useless...their minds feeble...perhaps they did actually have some honor in them. True honor. Perhaps they actually wanted to help others. Perhaps they were truly selfless...and truly pure on the inside. Perhaps...there was some true, pure, and good blood left in humanity after all these years. Perhaps there was yet true determination, courage, and perserverance toward goodness that was within men. Bahamut didn't honestly believe that there was at this time...but for the first time in a long while he began to consider the possibility that there might be. For a short moment, he wanted to meet these warriors face to face and find out for certain...

When the dragon was dimissed, Khan and Singh were too excited to control. They whispered and murmured so much among themselves that eventually Bahamut simply commanded them to be silent, and only then was left with his thoughts. Once they were alone and quiet for a few moments, Bahamut thought for a few seconds about attemping to seek out and scan for the presence of these humans. But in the end, he decided against it. No matter what happened, they could not survive Lich. He knew he wouldn't hear from them again if they went any farther. And so, he decided to ignore it.

This would be the end of it all, it seemed.

The day that changed Bahamut's life...and the life of the world...began just like any other.

He rose early in the morning. He would have hunted for something to eat before dawn, but the dragons of the land were determined to feed him and serve him. As usual, they brought him more than he could possibly eat shortly after he awoke. After he had filled himself, the dragon that had hunted it was left to run off and boast while Bahamut settled into his position in the cave. Soon after, Khan and Singh arose from their own slumber, and then filed out to attend to their master once again. They were still earnest for rumors or talk of these Light Warriors, to the point where it was hurting Bahamut's ears. However, they were silent for now, too sleepy to care much as they went into their places and prepared for the day. After that, for about two hours, things were silent. The day unfolded like any other. Bahamut continued to sense growing evil in the world, and he saw that the espers hadn't made a move without him yet. He was left to contemplate and wait.

Then, abruptly, the great esper perked up his head. Something struck his ear. A sound of something...a very strange sound. It had been a while since he had heard it...so far back that he couldn't remember. But something in his memory registered again when he heard this noise. Something struck him from it as familiar. However, he couldn't place it. All he knew was that he could hear it. Khan and Singh noticed his reaction, and were puzzled by it. But as the sound grew louder, their own heightened hearing picked up on it. They turned and looked to the source as Bahamut did, and all three were soon gazing out to the front of the chamber. The sound was coming from outside, and it was growing closer.

"Master...what is that sound?" Singh asked. "I've never heard anything like it before."

"Is it an esper?" Khan ventured.

"No..." Bahamut murmured in reply. This confirmed one thing. It was something only he had heard, and it had been years ago when he heard it. Before Khan or Singh were born. But what was it?

The sound drew closer and closer, seeming to come from some great distance. But there was no distance to travel. The island that Bahamut was on was small. All of the dragon islands were connected via the underground, but what stuck above the surface was very little. Only a few strips of land in fact. The strange sound grew until it appeared to Bahamut as if it was right outside. He grew tense at this. He nearly rose, thinking of doing something about it. But just at that moment, the sound suddenly broke off and died rapidly. Within a matter of seconds, it ceased and shrank back into nothingness, fading into the wind that was no longer there. Khan, Singh, and Bahamut all stood warily, and looked out to the front chamber.

At length, however, someone emerged in the shadows. Immediately, Khan and Singh braced themselves for an attack. Bahamut, however, could sense the presence of what had come, and was more controlled. Within a few moments, the figure emerged into the light of the torches and exposed himself, and when he did Khan and Singh both relaxed. It was a brass dragon. However, Bahamut immediately realized, he knew no brass dragon had just made that sound. His curiousity was aroused, but he sensed no evil or trap coming from this, and so he endured it. He patiently waited for the dragon to come.

This new dragon seemed interested as well. He was enthusiastic and excited. He didn't even make it near the throne of Bahamut. He only came close enough to be in the light and Bahamut's vision. After that, he immediately threw himself down on the ground, prostrating himself before the King of Dragons. With that done, he immediately called out to him.

"Lord Bahamut! Something wondrous has happened!"

Bahamut paused a bit in response to this. Both Khan and Singh looked intrigued at it, and turned to their master to see his reaction. That statement told him little, however, and he gestured for the dragon to continue.

"The Light Warriors...they did not proceed into the Cavern of Earth."

Typical... Bahamut darkly thought. Finally they show their colors. They knew they couldn't beat the evil there. It was time for them to do their best and get out while they could.

"They went to the Cavern of Ice instead." The brass dragon continued. "They found a thing called the Levistone there. They next went to the Ryukahn Desert. They used the stone to raise an ancient Lufenian vessel, a ship that could ride on the air."

Khan and Singh were both amazed to hear that. As for Bahamut himself, he raised an eyebrow as well. He had seen such a thing...but that was ages ago. It was before there were any dragon or human nations. He had thought after a thousand years that the Lufenians had lost it. But now that they were in the hands of these four humans...that was another vast credit to their race. What would they do with such a thing? Bahamut had only bad thoughts, but he said nothing else. He continued to listen...and as he did, something obvious struck him. That sound...he knew where it came from. But that would mean...

"My lord...they have found word of us. And...they have come."

With that, the brass dragon bowed once more, and then moved to one side. Khan and Singh's eyes both expanded in surprise, and Bahamut got his first look at humans in centuries.

The Light Warriors had come.

They were all young...little more than boys and girls. They seemed early teenage at best, which wasn't much for a human. One was dressed in red with only light shoulder armor, and carried a sword strapped to his side. The other dressed more casual. She was in green loose clothing with a green bandanna tying most of her hair back, with only a knife and light sword to function as weapons. The next was a young woman swathed in a white robe with a red trim, the hood pulled down close around her head. Finally, there was a young man who dressed almost entirely in black, save for a large, wide-brimmed, straw hat pulled over his head. Between the low hat and a high collar around his neck, one could barely see his face. But he had some power in his eyes that gleamed out. His eyes seemed to flash like yellow lights from the blackness around his face. None of them looked terribly impressive or hardy. They all looked rather pitiful and weak. And yet...as Bahamut looked at them...he sensed something else familiar in them as well...

The brass dragon bowed, and then withdrew himself from the chamber, never giving his back to the King of Dragons. Khan and Singh were amazed. They looked to each other in some confusion. They were expecting to be enthused and excited to see the Light Warriors there. They had dreamed of this. However...they had never actually seen a human in person before. They looked rather small and punitive, compared to their own size and the size of dragons. They only came up to the hip of the average dragon, and were much smaller than Bahamut. Not to mention they looked so young and weak... At any rate, they stood straight and tall. Bahamut himself gazed at them, but said nothing. These were the first humans ever to actually visit the dragon isles. That was intriguing in and of itself. However, Bahamut had lost his affinity for humans, and gave them no welcome or greeting. He merely drew himself up and gazed down at them. That caused something else odd. Every human he had ever met had recoiled in fear from him. All were captivated by his presence and majesty. But these humans were not afraid. He sensed some nervousness and anxiety in them, but no fear. And this fearlessness wasn't from arrogance, but rather was respect in place of fear. They regarded the dragon before them with respect, but nothing fearful. They stood there in silence after the brass dragon left. They didn't move for quite some time.

But then, at last, they came forward. They walked calmly and slowly, transversing the long hall. Small as they were, it took them some time to do so. Khan and Singh watched them like hawks the whole time, before a thought from Bahamut told them to assume the correct position. Then they looked out straight and took the appearance of being silent, bold guardians. Bahamut himself lay in his position and waited for them to come. At long last, they did reach the space before Bahamut. They stood there a moment...and then, to a bit of Bahamut's surprise, bowed down before him, dropping to their knees, not in worship but in respect. They gazed up to him, but they stayed down against the ground before him. Silence followed, and neither the humans nor the great esper spoke. Bahamut's slightest movements were loud enough to drown out the humans, but they did nothing.

At last, the white robed one spoke softly, in a very slang and rough tongue of the espers themselves. "...Lord Bahamut, Father-Of-All-Dragons..."

Bahamut snorted once. The hot breath in his nostrils blasted across the humans from that simple gesture. Their hats and hoods were almost blown off, and they leaned back a little. "You grasp the esper tongue...but listening to you is like a deaf mute braying as a donkey to hear it." He addressed in the human language. "Speak your native tongue. I can understand that."

Bahamut's very voice made the voice of the humans sound small, puny, and almost comical. His voice resounded throughout the cave, while there's barely filled the small area they stood in. At any rate, the white robed one went silent. They paused for a moment, and then the red one spoke again, seeming to be their leader. "...Lord Bahamut...we come to you in a dark hour of the world..."

"I am well aware of what hour it is." Bahamut coldly retorted, cutting off the human. "You must think little of me indeed if you think I did not know what is transpiring."

The young man paused, but then spoke again. "...We...we have traveled far..."

"I know all about your journey as well." Bahamut cut off quickly. "You think I am blind to that as well? I know you are the so-called Light Warriors. I know that you seem to think that you are capable of fulfilling a fragmented legend of human origin. So far, you have only told me things I already know. If you came to just tell me news, I have plenty of messengers already to tell me such things. If that is your purpose, then go. If not, then state it at once."

The four paused again, not expecting such a rough response obviously. They balanced themselves and took deep breaths. A bit of fear was in them now. They seemed to pick up on the power that Bahamut held, and it startled them. However, the leader soon spoke again.

"Legends spoke of a mighty dragon king that resided in these islands. We came to find you. We came because...we need your help."

Bahamut paused at that. He said nothing for a moment. Khan and Singh looked in for a brief moment, but then looked out and appeared bold again. Bahamut leaned back slightly, a bit more intrigued at this, and spoke again. "And what sort of help do you think the 'Father-Of-All-Dragons' would give you?"

"You know of our journey. You know of the crystal shards we possess." The green one suddenly spoke up. "We have borne them our whole lives. Our parents told us to keep them safe and to one day restore the Crystals with them. We didn't know what they meant until recently."

"We now know that there are Four Crystals that keep our world in balance." The black added. "We know it was once a pristine and good place, but that it was perverted to evil. We know the Crystals have gone dark, and this has caused it. We want to use our shards to relight them."

Bahamut snorted at this. The four humans recoiled a bit at this, but when they spoke again their voice was more pleading.

"We have found the Earth Crystal." The red one continued. "We thought we liberated it, but we sense a horrible evil guarding it. We know we don't have the strength to combat it. We need your help."

"Let me look at you more closely." Bahamut simply answered.

The four humans paused at this, but then looked at each other. After a moment, they nodded as one. They turned back to Bahamut, and inched a bit closer to him. They stayed on their knees however, not rising. Bahamut looked back at them, and looked over them all one by one. He started with the closest one, the red one. He said nothing for a few moments as he looked him over, but then eventually spoke.

"Somewhat rugged...shoestring muscles...but they are hard. You are not a human knight, are you?"

"No, my lord."

"I am not your lord." Bahamut snapped. "Are you a dragon?"

"No, my... No." The human answered, somewhat nervously.

"Then stop addressing me as one. What is your name?"

"...Darwin."

"I guess you are some human fighter then." With this, Bahamut turned his head to the green one. This one looked even more nervous, but he scanned her as well.

"Light clothing...strong, yet more lithe... You are a more agile warrior, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"However, that wasn't good enough until recently, was it? You used to use your body for hurting others, didn't you?"

"...No."

"Don't lie to me." Bahamut nearly hissed. "Your mind and soul are as transparent as glass to me. I burn liars and I rend their flesh. I'll ask you again. You used to use your body for hurting others, didn't you?"

"...I did."

"You were a common thief, correct?"

"Yes, but-"

"I am not concerned with 'but'."

"I gave up that way of life, sir."

"Why?"

"...I realized it was petty, and only did more wrong to an already wronged world."

"How noble of you." Bahamut responded in a tone laced with sarcasm. "And your name?"

"Tuck."

Bahamut snorted. "That is what mothers do to children when they put them to bed, thief." He turned his head away and looked to the white one next.

"You are as weak as a baby...your spirit is strong, however. You are one of those white mages, aren't you?"

"Yes. I am Lucinda."

"Who trained you?"

"I...trained myself sir."

"That would explain why everything else about you is feeble and worthless besides your spirit." Bahamut dismissed. He turned at last to the black one. He paused for a moment on him, before snorting.

"Well, well...what have I done to warrant the presence of a dark wizard?"

"...I am only a black mage, sir."

"You'd love to be a dark wizard though, wouldn't you? Your power calls on the forces of destruction."

"...It does, sir..."

"And you think yourself a savior of the world with such powers?"

"...No sir. I only want to do my part."

"With black magic?"

"...Even destruction can be used for good or ill, depending on its recipient and purpose, my lord. You yourself...are tremendously powerful with great destructive abilities."

"Hmm." Bahamut answered. "You've given the best answer I've heard yet. Your name?"

"Harbaro."

"Very well." Bahamut answered, leaning back again, and surveying the four once again. "Darwin, Tuck, Lucinda, and Harbaro... Four little human children who have come to the King of Dragons to gain his power. And what, I might ask you, led you to believe that I would ever put myself at your beck and call, like a trained dog?"

Darwin swallowed, but answered with a head shake. "We did not want to command you, sir..."

"Then what power did you think I could give you?" Bahamut cut off.

"Sir...the greatest human warrior of all time was the Dragoon that you trained." Lucinda protested. "You taught him the secrets of his power. "

Bahamut smiled at this. He gave a short laugh in response, and kicked his head back a little. "Ah, so you do want me to be your lord. You want me to train you until you are strong enough to defeat this evil that guards the Crystal. You've come to me in search of training."

The four eagerly nodded in response to this.

Bahamut continued to smile and gave a nod of his own. "I see." He simply answered. "Very well." With that, Bahamut raised a claw and pointed it back to the entrance to the cave. "You may leave the same way that you came. Good day."

The optimistic looks of the Light Warriors immediately fell. Their looks grew fearful, and soon they began to plead with him. "Lord Bahamut!"

"Please!"

"You must help us!"

Bahamut's smile vanished at that, and turned to a frown. "I must do nothing, little children." He snapped back. "You four are small and pathetic. Your puny bodies and souls are nothing. You are rugged, young, and inexperienced. And you know nothing. If you did, then perhaps you would know this. The reason the Crystals turned dark...the reason this Planet has turned to waste...the reason that everything is dying bit by bit...is because of you. You and your whole race. For thousands upon thousands of years have I watched you and your people. For one generation to the next, I saw your race engage in evils and wickedness the likes of which you would never believe. For that time I watched and waited for what little good was in your race to come out and to win out over this evil. But it never did. The good died and vanished. Hate continued to grow and fester like an infection ina wound. And now, your evil has gone too far. It is the evil of men that now clouds the Crystals. It is their wickedness that is rampant on the Planet that eclipses them. The very world is sick and dying from your evil. And you come before me, meager and pathetic as you are...claiming to have the crystal shards that have been lost before your father's, father's, father's, father's ancestors walked the earth...and you think that you can make a difference? You think that because you have small glowing shards of glass that you can relight the Crystals? Even if you did have them, you are weak. Weak in spirit and mind. Your whole race is weak. No hand of man will ever relight the Crystals. No man could survive long enough to. And even if you did, what then? How long do you think it would be before the darkness of your race covered them again?"

Bahamut expected them to be silent, to endure this accusation and then withdraw. However, he saw no change in them. They looked somewhat hurt when Bahamut accused their race...but it didn't last. Their boldness and defiance remained. They continued to hang on. They bowed down a bit lower to Bahamut and turned their heads down, but they did not falter.

"Lord Bahamut...you speak of men caving in to evil and falling for it."

"I cannot deny that many of us did do horrible things."

"Until now, we've done little to change it as a race."

"Perhaps we have done much to hurt the world and injure it."

"But we now wish to make a stand against it, sir."

"We want to stop it."

Bahamut frowned. "After all these years of evil and wickedness, you think that you can just turn back? You think you can just one day oppose it and make any sort of difference?"

"Even if we can't, Lord Bahamut..." Darwin responded. "We cannot turn back time. Whether or not this is the best time or not doesn't matter. We can only oppose this evil now. The only other options are to wait or do nothing. Neither of them would do any good. If we have to die, then we die. But we must try to help now."

Bahamut snorted. "Try." He sneered. "Do you actually think that in the hand of your race this would be possible? Do you think you could truly relight the Crystals? Do you think it's possible in your hands? Knowing all you know of the darkness of your own race?"

"Lord Bahamut...you may think little of our legends..." Lucinda responded. "But we do. We have believed in them our whole life. You may have little faith in humans, but we do. They are who we have interacted with and depended on our whole lives. We can depend on nothing else. We believe. If you don't believe it, then try our hearts. See if we aren't pure enough."

They went silent after that, and said no more. Bahamut frowned for a moment and gazed at them. He sighed slightly and thought for a moment. But then, he looked at them harder. There was something familiar about them...but he couldn't remember what. Perhaps scanning them would tell after all. And so, with a bit of a sigh, he looked at them hard. Slowly, he closed his eyes, and looked over them. He had scanned humans intensely long before. That had been back in the days of Palad. At that time, he noticed a great innocence in the boy. He saw the potential for evil, yes. But his desires didn't encourage that. He did not want it. He was motivated only by good and nothing else, a desire to help others. But after him, most humans had given in more to their dark side. They encouraged it and used it. At this point, many humans had given in to their dark sides. Bahamut could feel it in the world strongly. Even here he could feel it. The humans had to be dark indeed by now...

...So Bahamut was amazed at what he saw.

These four...seemed pure.

Bahamut didn't believe it at first. After all, in this world of evil, what human could be like this? Could any still exist? Could they be born? Surely it was impossible... But he was wrong. They were weak in many ways...but their spirits were pure. Their souls were clean. They too had the potential for evil in them, but they had not indulged it. Like Palad...like the Dragoon...they had innocent spirits. Even the thief, who may have once indulged darkness, no longer did so. Her heart was as pure as the rest. She had turned fully from her evil, just as she said. She wasn't lying. Their spirits were strong and good...amazing as it was. Somehow, in this world of evil...they had stayed true and clean...at least as clean as the espers. Bahamut had not sensed such strength since those times long ago. He thought they had died out. But these type of spirits...perhaps they were for real. Their souls, not stained by evil...in theory, if they had the crystal shards...it might just be possible for them to relight the Crystals.

But that was still impossible. They'd never survive long enough to touch them. And Bahamut refused to believe that they even had the real crystal shards. And yet...he thought with a sigh, he had to admit one thing. He had been unfair to these four humans. They truly didn't have dark desires in their minds or hearts. Their intentions were pure. Weak and pathetic as they might have been, and flawed as their thinking was...they truly did want to make a difference. Everything they had done until now was genuinely for the good. Their hearts were good, even if they lacked the power. And in this world of evil, to see four humans of this pure heart and intentions...that was something remarkable. Bahamut sighed again, and adopted a softer look. He had treated them wrong at least, and he owed them an apology for that. However, it changed little else.

"...Even if you could," Bahamut continued, a bit quieter. "It would not matter. There is too much evil in the world. The Crystals would be dark again in no time."

"It's better that we purify them and save the world for a few days than never." Tuck flatly answered.

"You would only have to do it again."

"Then we will do it again. Again and again. Forever, if need be." Harbaro simply answered. "If that's what it takes, we will do it and much more."

Bahamut paused again at this. He was actually caught a little by this answer. He had not expected such devotion even from these humans. Yet they gave it. All of them looked firm and resolute. They would do this if need be. They didn't care about themselves. Bahamut was stunned at it. He hadn't seen such selfless humans in such a long time. He didn't even think they still existed. But they apparently did. These humans were serious. Indeed, they were exceptional creatures. Again the esper marveled at how such a perverse race could have put them into the world. He sighed again as he looked at them. They did not change or move. They were determined to stay the course. Bahamut realized he wouldn't dissuade them. They would remain until he enabled them to become stronger. They had true devotion and had committed their pure hearts to this goal. The Dragon King felt more of his anger and hate melt away at this. It was replaced by pity. Such noble little creatures...throwing such energy to futility... They were truly serious about this. They weren't going to give up or be talked out of it.

At length, the esper sighed again. "I see in you that there is some value. You have good spirits. However, you should realize that is far from enough. I knew a good spirit thousands of years ago. He was mercilessly slaughtered by the foes you now seek to conquer. There is no human alive who can slay them. I sincerely doubt you will be the first. Pure as your hearts are, you likely still lack enough. It's not anything to be ashamed of. Your quest requires exceptional men and women, even beyond those of your disposition." Bahamut paused a moment at this. He inhaled deeply, and looked over them again. There were strong of heart...but could that be enough? Could such tiny beings really have power? Bahamut had not yet seen such. They were throwing their lives away by trying. An esper needed to do this, not a man. And yet...they had slain the Dark Elf...and the Vampire...

"...If you want to prove yourselves to me, you must pass a test." He finally stated. "There is a castle that still stands on the Northern Continent. The Fiend ofWind and the Fiend of Water destroyed the civilization there long ago, but one ancient castle still stands. You will see it from the airship that you have recovered. You will not be able to land in front of it. You will have to land far away and walk for a month to get there. There is a fearsome wilderness that leads up to that, filled with dense forest, toxic swamp, and burning desert. The vilest and strongest of creatures live there. If you manage to survive until you reach the castle, you will find that it is infested with evil. Dark, angry spirits swarm it, angry at what happened to them in life and furious at the Fiends for cutting it short. It is a mane of evil now, and that evil will be attracted to the light in your souls and will attempt to blot it out. The castle itself is a lethal maze, manipulated by the supernatural spirits and almost impossible to find the way out of again. But you will have to find your way to the center of the castle itself. There, you will meet a horror so evil and pulsing with wickedness that only the purest and strongest of hearts will be able to defeat it. Once you have destroyed it, you will find a Symbol of Courage...something that proves you have done what I have commanded you, and attests that you have lived through it all and can tell the tale. Return this symbol to me. This will mean another month journeying through the wild back to your airship. But bring it to me...and you will become my students."

Bahamut expected fear and apprehension from this. And indeed, he did sense some fear among the four warriors. But their determination would not waver. Their spirits stayed strong. They bit down their fear and anxiety, and bowed lower to Bahamut. Then, to the esper's great surprise, they announced in one accord their response.

"Thank you, Lord Bahamut!"

"Thank you for this privilege!"

"We will not fail you."

"We swear we will return."

With that, the Light Warriors rose up to their feet. They turned, and immediately, nearly rushing like children eager to go outside, they marched back toward the entrance of the chamber. Bahamut watched them, but then bowed his eyes and merely waited for them to leave. He sighed again as he heard their footsteps fade away, and as they vanished back into the darkness. After that, he soon heard the airship outside start again. Its engines revved to full power, and soon he heard it take off. Moments later, the sound faded into nothingness as the airship went to full speed. The ship took off for the Northern Continent, and silence once again reigned through the chamber.

Once it did, Khan and Singh both turned to Bahamut in shock.

"Master...how could you!"

Bahamut kept his eyes down and didn't answer. He knew what he had told them to do. He had told them to meet the same challenge he demanded of the highest order dragons. This was a test of both strength of will as well as overall bravery and power. It was a test of purity of heart. He had been looking for a new king of dragons to take over in his stead for some time now. Each one, he demanded to complete this test. Each dragon that had taken it had died thus far. Many took it early on, and died just as easily. Nowadays, dragons devoted themselves to training to be capable of it. Some had spent a hundred years preparing for the trial, and still were not ready. And now, he had just sent four humans to do it.

"They'll be killed!"

"If they cannot pass this trial," Bahamut simply answered. "Then I am merely doing to them what Lich would have done. If they cannot beat this foe, then the Earth Fiend will destroy them without batting an eye."

"Master!" Khan whined. "What if they really have the Crystals? What if they are for real? Then what will you have done to them?"

"If they are genuine," Bahamut simply replied again. "Then they should pass this trial. After all...how can their legend be fulfilled if they are dead?"

To be continued...