See? I told you it wouldn't be too long before I updated. I mean… considering I'm updating the day after I first published it! Aren't ya proud of me? Jkjk

Guess I'd better tell you what the circumstances around my story are, eh? Nadil is back, though he hasn't taken Cesia, but Rath is awake, etcetc… Maybe more later.

Disclaimer: Let the lawyers be. I don't own 'em so you can't sue me on account of Dragon Knights…. Though I suppose…. You could with Kiari…..

She looked back over the vast ocean that separated Arinas from Dusis, surprised that she even made it this far. Her eyes could not even make out the tiny island in the distance, let alone the pillars that separated the two lands. The sea appeared rough in the distance, but it was calm for her crossing, a simple gift of Kharl's to send her on her way. "Woah," she said with a soft sigh, overcome with the surprise of actually being able to leave the island, and the fear of what Dusis held for one that smelt of living among demons, especially considering the Demon Lord had been revived not too long before.

A noise in the bushes behind her caught her attention and she snapped around, her crystal green eyes dancing as they searched the forest for any sign of motion. Scowling, her eyes came to rest on the little human who had apparently snuck away from Arinas. "What do you want, Garfakcy?" she hissed, wondering how she could have not seen him before.

Scowling at his discovery, he pulled a couple of loose twigs from his long hair as he came out into the open. "Master Kharl wanted me to keep an eye on you," he said, obviously thinking fast as he made up a lie.

Kiari picked up on his attempted deception in almost an instant. She had learned all about this little human in her long years living with them on Arinas, and she was not about to let him follow her, not now that she had a chance to be free. "Liar," She whispered, her typically sweet voice etched with hints of sour as she stared at him. "I seem to recall Kharl letting me out on my own, Garfakcy. He made it explicitly clear that I was to do this. Without you."

He looked taken aback as she turned his back on him and began her trek into Dragoon, heading towards the castle. "Fine, then," he said, staring at her retreating back, his jealousy quick to the surface as it normally is with her. "Just don't forget these." Without another word, he threw he pendant pairs at her and stormed off, apparently on his way back to Kharl.

Scowling, she scooped up the box, and, making sure that Garfakcy was out of sight, sank onto a mossy rock and opened it. "What is it you do?" she asked the pendants, pulling one out to test it. Feeling nothing special emanating from it, she pulled the golden chain out and slipped it on her neck as well. "Kharl, you're getting old. Too bad though. Your alchemy just isn't what it used to be."

She stood up and scanned her surroundings once more, tucking the pendant and its box into the ice void she had created earlier. "Might as well do what he wants," she said, starting off in the direction of Draqueen. "Can't hurt, and besides, I'm finally getting away."

---Elsewhere---

Rath was being restless, as usual. It had been days since he had last been able to go out and slaughter a demon ruthlessly, and he was getting a bit impatient. He felt it his duty to go out there and put a stop to the demons torturing the villagers in celebration of their newly resurrected Lord in Chantel and beyond. Especially since Nadil had used his body to resurrect himself. It did not help, either, that Ruwalk was breathing down his back, just as Alfeegi used to.

"Rath!" came his voice, echoing over the grounds. True, though it was, that Ruwalk was a bit more relaxed than Alfeegi, Ruwalk still could get a bit annoying when trying to get some of the papers in order. "Rath! Where are you!"

With a sigh, Rath stuck his cloak behind a nearby tree, and turned to face Ruwalk as he approached, putting on an entirely innocent look on his face. "Oh hi Ruwalk," he said, acting as he did not hear him approaching, "How's it going?"

With the skill rivaling that of Alfeegi's, Ruwalk picked up the cloak Rath had hidden and gave him a slight 'I warned you' look. "Where do you think you're going?"

"No where," he lied through his teeth, smiling the sweet and innocent smile that typically worked on Ruwalk, or any of the other officers when he needed something to go his way.

Ruwalk, this time, did not even bat an eye. "Yeah, right, Rath," he said, rolling his eyes to let him know that his little trick wasn't going to work anymore. He turned on his heel, beckoning Rath to follow him. "Everyone's been looking for you. Did you forget you were supposed to meet Rune and Thatz?"

"That's boring though, Ruwalk," Rath admitted, realizing that convincing him of his innocence was not going to work any more, not now that he had taken on the duties of the late white dragon officer. Ruwalk was going to more uptight that he had ever been. "I wanted to go hunt demons."

Ruwalk stopped abruptly, causing Rath to walk right into him. He did not say a word, but the silence in the air was tense enough to send Rath the message. Sighing heavily, Rath collected himself and followed Ruwalk the rest of the way in, knowing full well it was going to be a while before he managed to get outside the gates. So much for demon hunting for the next few days, at least.

Inside, the tension was even heavier as he walked by, waving casually as he passed Rune and Thatz, who were coming out of a side room. Rune and Thatz just stared at him before glancing at one another and following their fellow dragon knight, figuring now was the best time they would have to sit and talk with him. Without even knowing where he had been, they could guess what he had been up to, just by the look on Ruwalk's face.

"Rath," Rune whispered after they had managed to match strides with him. "Lord Lykouleon wanted to talk to us! Where were you!" The elf, as usual, was a bit overzealous when it came to serving the Lord.

Rath ignored him as they came into Lykouleon's study, his eyes resting on the Dragon Lord's blood dripping on his hand. Lykouleon just grinned and slid his hand back into the glove that was sitting on his desk, so that he could not poison any member of the Dragon Tribe. "Lord Lykou—" Rune began, at Rath's side, but he fell silent as he held his hand to stop them.

"It's alright, Rune," he said in his soft voice, his smile almost fully convincing. "It's just a scratch. I'll get Raseleane to help me with it later." He beckoned them to join him in more comfortable positions, looking at Rath as though he had never seen him before.

"What's up, Lykouleon?" Rath said, dropping into a seat near the fire just before Rune could smack him for insolence and disrespect. "What's all the big huff?"

Lykouleon chuckled, mostly at Rune's reaction than Rath's words. "The big huff, Rath, has to do with you." Rath jumped and stared at Lykouleon skeptically. "It's nothing bad, I promise. Ruwalk, if you would?"

Ruwalk beckoned down the hall to someone that the knights could not see from their positions, but Rath sat straight up, staring at the door with anxiety, wondering what the Lord could have possibly meant. What else had he done that he did not even know about?

Around the door jam came a young woman, her vivid green eyes coming to rest on Rath. She swept into a slight curtsey for the Lord, her blackened locks swaying gently around her face as she did so. "Your majesty," she said quietly, her voice bringing a slight chill into the room as Ruwalk shut the door behind her.

"Rath," Lykouleon started, his eyes shifting from the girl to him. "This girl's name is Kiari, and she said that you had promised to meet with her."

Muahahaha. Well, there you go. The two meet … rather early in my story… but yeah.

Now press the button and review! And if you still wanna guess what the pendant does…. Gimme a guess and stay tuned!