CHAPTER SIX: RED ALERT

Three days later…

"Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!"

Jessica was jolted from a deep sleep by the sounds of the alert. Beside her, Kyle moaned groggily. "Whuzzat?"

"They've spotted a ship nearby," Jessica said as she raced out of bed and put on her clothes.

"So?"

"So there may be trouble ahead, and they might need us. C'mon, get dressed!" From her satchel, Jessica removed a metal gauntlet with three blades fastened to it - an Iron claw, her favorite weapon - and strapped it to her arm. In the eight months since the fight against Ghaleon, she had been rigorously training herself and honing her fighting skills, just in case they would ever be needed again. If nothing else, it was a way to pass the time since she was no longer studying at Althena's Shrine.

Kyle, still not fully awake, stumbled out of bed and into his clothes, dragging his weapons harness along with him as he followed Jessica. They made their way to the deck, where Sarek and Rayner had already joined Admiral Salvo. The admiral was looking towards the starboard bow with a telescope. "What's going on?" Jessica asked breathlessly.

"We've spotted the Dragonheart," Salvo said. "We caught sight of her just as we left Meribian waters and crossed into the Dravot Sea. She's heading right for us, and she's signaling an alert."

"Lemme see," Kyle said, fully awake now. He snatched the telescope, and frowned as he looked through it. "I don't see anything."

"You're holding the wrong way, dummy," Jessica grunted.

Kyle flushed slightly and flipped the telescope around. "I see her now," he replied. "Man, they're really trying to get our attention."

"Maybe they want to warn us about the pirates they've been trying to track down," Rayner suggested.

Kyle's eyes widened as a sudden realization came to him. "Unless they're the pirates the Dragonheart was supposedly looking for! It would explain the missing guards, and why nobody's heard from the Dragonheart yet! They could have commandeered the Dragonheart back in Meribia, and using it to lead us into a trap!"

"Ridiculous!" Admiral Salvo said. "Nobody could take a Meribian naval vessel unawares!"

Jessica frowned at the suggestion. "Besides, how could anyone have found out about our expedition? We made sure we kept this a secret…didn't we?"

"Perhaps if we knew who exactly was on board the Dragonheart, we could solve this mystery," Sarek suggested. "Allow me."

With his staff, Sarek traced a circle in mid-air while softly whispering an incantation. The crystal orb headpiece began to shine with an orange light as it drew a ring of flame. "An Eyniam Seeing Circle," Sarek explained. "Comes in handy for situations like this."

An image slowly began to form within the ring of flame of a trio of men. One was a lean dark-haired man wearing a black cloak over black and red clothing, one was a familiar looking blond-haired youth in a violet robe, and one looked like a warrior from the Prairie Tribe.

Kyle's eyes narrowed, gleaming with anger. "Rathbone!" he hissed, drawing his sword. "That son of a bitch is actually stupid enough to take another shot at me!"

"You know him?" Rayner asked.

"He used to be in charge of Nanza," Kyle replied. "My clean-up of Nanza involved kicking him and his henchmen out of town for good. But how the hell did he find out where were going to the Dragon's Graveyard?"

"There's your answer," Sarek growled, pointing at the blond-haired young man. It was the first time they had seen Sarek angry, and they were surprised by the fierceness in his tone. "See that boy with him? His name is Quentin. He was there when we were looking up information about the Graveyard! That little bastard must have been spying on us in the library!"

"Another renegade magician," Kyle muttered. "That's just peachy. Don't you guys screen people before you let them into your guild?"

"How powerful is Quentin?" Jessica asked.

"Not as much as Majesty Mia or Premier Nash, but he's very talented with magic," Rayner said grimly. "He's definitely going to be trouble. His spellcasting has always had a bit of a violent streak, like he's trying too hard to show off how powerful he is. He worries a lot of the students, and even some of the teachers."

"Can't you just use your magic to sink them and wipe them all out in one shot?" Kyle asked Sarek.

Sarek shook his head. "The Dragonheart was designed to resist magical attacks of all sorts. Can we outrun her,Admiral?"

"No chance. That ship's the strongest and fastest ever built. We'd never be able to escape from her, especially in this antique. I'd say we have about an hour or two before she catches up to us, even at our top speed."

"Why would we want to escape?" Kyle exclaimed. "I say we let them come, and we fight them off. We can take them!"

"Probably. But a battle would put the Darkfire's crew at risk," Sarek cautioned. "We shouldn't endanger their lives needlessly."

"We don't back down in the face of danger," Salvo declared. "The crew of the Dragonheart would never allow their ship to be taken while they lived. Rathbone and his gang must have slaughtered them all. The honor of the Meribian Navy demands that they be avenged!"

"And so must the honor of the Magic Guild of Vane," Rayner said. "One of our own has joined with criminals to commit murder and sacrilege, and he must be brought to justice." Sarek looked at his son with mild surprise, but said nothing.

"Besides, if Rathbone really is out to get us, it looks like we'll probably have to deal with Rathbone sooner or later," Jessica added. "We might as well do it now."

"It sounds like it's unanimous," Sarek said. "And you're all right. We cannot let Rathbone and Quentin get away with murder. We stand and fight!"

"All hands! Battle stations!" Salvo commanded. Instantly the crew made ready, donning armor and readying weapons. A squad of archers made their way to the deck, armed with powerful crossbows.

While the rest of the crew made preparations for an assault, Kyle stood at the bow with his sword and dagger drawn, eagerly anticipating the fight to come. The last time they'd met, Rathbone had proved to be a dangerous opponent, and Kyle was certain he'd become more dangerous since their last battle. He was looking forward to finding out how much he'd improved.

More importantly, Kyle had come to regret his decision to spare Rathbone's life after hearing of the numerous atrocities the pirate had committed - atrocities that could have been prevented had he finished Rathbone when he'd had the chance. It looked like he'd now have the opportunity to correct yet another mistake from his past.

-x-x-x-

Three years ago…

It had started off as just another day in Nanza, particularly in the Caravanserai, the town's only tavern. Bandits and thugs were huddled around their tables, drinking and playing cards while muttering about the latest indignities and abuses they'd had to put up with from their boss, Rathbone. Nearly everyone was armed to the teeth and looking around cautiously. There was no way of knowing if any of Rathbone's men were around to alert their boss to any chances of revolt. The memory of what happened to the last bunch of guys who'd tried it was fresh in everyone's mind. It was only a matter of time before someone tried standing up to Rathbone again, but none of these men were willing to risk their neck to do it.

Suddenly, the doors to the tavern burst open, and in strode Kyle, swaggering confidently and wearing a snide expression. "All right, everybody! Listen up!" he announced in a booming voice.

Kyle marched towards the center of the Caravanserai and folded his arms, daring someone to challenge him. Everybody was eyeing him warily, and he noticed several thugs reaching for their weapons. Some would have tackled him right away, but even at sixteen, Kyle was an imposing figure: tall, strong, fast, and with the advantage of age on his side, not to mention the fact that he wore a bastard sword and curved dagger in his weapons harness. Still, many of the patrons were waiting for the opportunity to try something, and Kyle found himself grinning because of it. He was going to enjoy this. "You guys listening? This is important, ya know!"

"Yeah, yeah, we here ya, kid," one man growled. "Now what's all this about?"

"Right to the point, I like that," Kyle said, not missing a beat. "I'm here to announce a change of leadership in this town. As of now, I'm in charge of Nanza!"

There was a momentary silence as the brigands stood speechless before they exploded into laughter. "And just who the hell do you think you are, brat?" one heckler called out.

Kyle kept grinning, but the look in his eyes had turned cold. "My name's Kyle, and I'm the guy telling you the way things are gonna work from now on. I'm your new boss, and you're all working for me! If you stick with me, you're all gonna be rich! Otherwise, you're outta here."

There was another round of raucous laughter from the crowd. "And how exactly are you gonna make us rich?" another man called out.

"Easy," Kyle said as if he was talking to a group of children. "You all know that Nanza is one of the most important destinations on Lunar. Nobody can cross the zones without coming through here. But ever since Rathbone's been running the place, business has been bad. Travelers and businessmen are starting to avoid the place, what with all the monsters and you guys robbing them blind. Not only that, but Rathbone keeps most of whatever you earn for him, and leaves you with scraps! We do the dirty work, we take all the risk, and he gets the loot! If we complain about it, he sics his goons on us. Is that fair?"

"And why are you gonna do a better job than he is?" the heckler retorted. "You're just a punk kid!"

"Because I've got a plan," Kyle responded. "We're going legit, boys. Instead of stealing from travelers and merchants who come through the Nanza Pass, we're gonna protect them! Fight off monsters, keep them away from thieves, that sort of thing."

"Whaddya mean we ain't gonna rob 'em?" a third heckler roared. "If we're not gonna steal, how are we gonna make money?"

Kyle grinned even more broadly. "By charging them an escort fee. Think about it! If they don't want to pay, they're on their own and they can take their chances with the monsters - or with us. You know any merchants or traders that are gonna choose sacrificing their lives over their cash? Greedy as they all are, they're spineless wimps, every last one of 'em! They won't have the guts to refuse our protection if it means they can pass through Nanza safely!"

The crowd's angry muttering now turned into declarations of approval, but some were still not convinced. "So what's gonna stop Hell Mel from storming over here with a regiment and wiping out our extortion racket?"

"I've already thought of that," Kyle said. "We'll only charge rich people. Guys with cash to burn. If they're honest to goodness poor, we won't charge a single silver keves. Also, we won't charge any escort fees to women and kids. That'll make us popular in every city and village in the Katarina Zone - so popular that nobody's ever going to want us closed down! Besides, with all the fighting we'll be doing, we'll be making the Nanza Pass safer, so that more people will actually want to travel through here. Not only will that mean more money for us, but we'll be heroes! Mel wouldn't dare come after us then! Heck, if we do a good enough job cleaning up these parts, he might even back us!"

"And what about Rathbone?"

Kyle spat on the floor with contempt. "What about him? If he doesn't like it, he can pack his bags and leave. I'm not gonna bow and scrape to that blowhard anymore or let him keep our hard-earned winnings while we get nothing! Are you gonna sit back and let him push you around, or are you gonna throw in with me and make more money than you've ever dreamed of?"

Overwhelmingly, the crowd began applauding and chanting Kyle's name. Kyle just stood there smiling, basking in the glory. It had worked without a hitch. Nanza was in the palm of his hand, and it would be here that he'd embark on creating his own reputation, out of the shadow of his father.

But the cheering came to a sudden halt as again the door flew open, this time with such force that it was torn from its hinges. Five burly thugs muscled their way through the crowd and towards Kyle. Behind them was a tall, dark-haired young man dressed elegantly in black, and his jet-black eyes were fixed in an icy glare.

"And what's all this?" he asked, his voice as cold as his eyes as he put his hand to the sabre at his side. "A mutiny?"

"Hey, Rathbone!" Kyle said with a mock friendly smile. "Nice of you to finally show up. I was just explaining to everybody the new order around here."

Rathbone laughed, although there was no humor in it. "Were you, now? Then be so good as to explain it to me - the man who you know full well is in charge of the 'old order.'"

"Alrighty. As of now, I'm calling the shots around here instead of you and your bully-boys. You've been in charge here for too long, and nobody's got anything to show for it except you. Your leadership's been bad for business and bad for morale. You're out, I'm in, end of story. If you want to stick around here, you do what I say and work with our brand new escort and bodyguard service. If not, you and anyone else with you will be kicked out of Nanza forever."

"You're demanding far more than you can take, boy," Rathbone snarled as he closed in on Kyle. "Nanza is mine. Its criminal element serves me, and no one else. Your father's reputation and your pretty speeches may impress the rabble, but not me. I killed Tarsis, Crowley, and Kurlow for the right to control this town, and I'll do the same to anyone else who tries to take it from me! So you'd better think carefully before challenging me. After all, your father isn't around to protect you anymore."

"I know," said Kyle, grinning. "That means I can have all the fun to myself."

Rathbone's hand went to his sword, but Kyle backhanded him across the jaw before he had a chance to draw it. His henchmen charged at Kyle, but he neatly avoided and dodged their clumsy attacks and he curled up his fists.

"You guys are pathetic," Kyle taunted. "You don't deserve to run Nanza."

Rathbone wiped the blood from his chin and pointed at Kyle. "Take him!"

"'Take him?' Is that the best you can do?" Kyle laughed as he ducked and thwarted a vicious onslaught of fists and knives. "What about 'Grind him into the dirt like the dog he is!' or something like that? No wonder Nanza's in such bad shape with a loser like you running it!"

One of Rathbone's men snarled as he raised a knife, preparing to strike, and Kyle jabbed with his fist into the man's stomach. As the thug gasped in pain, Kyle raised both fists high into the air and smashed them onto his opponent's back, knocking him down to the floor. As a second bandit grabbed him from behind, his arm wrapping around Kyle's throat, he elbowed the thug in the stomach, loosening his grip enough for Kyle to be able to toss him over his shoulder and sending him crashing into a nearby table, scattering mugs, flagons, and cards. Another came running at him with an axe. Thinking quickly, Kyle grabbed a bottle from another table, and as he dodged the axe's swing, he smashed the bottle into the side of the man's head. The brigand went down amidst an explosion of glass and liquor. Kyle's haughty expression turned to anguish as he stared at the remnants of the bottle in his hand. He'd just smashed a bottle of Dragon Flagon ale, his personal favorite. "What a waste," he murmured miserably.

As they watched the brawl, the surrounding crowd marveled at how effortlessly Kyle was able to single-handedly keep Rathbone and his men at bay, and they cheered him on eagerly. Rathbone had ruled them by fear for far too long, and seeing him get what he deserved at the hands of a mere sixteen-year-old boy delighted them. Plus, they loved a good fight, and this promised to be the most memorable brawl they'd ever see. One man in the crowd, eager to get in on the action, looked like he was about to take a swing at one of Rathbone's thugs, but Kyle managed to spot him as he laid the henchman out with a punch. "Stay outta this!" he ordered. "I said I'd beat these losers alone, and I will!"

The crowd's cheering only incensed Rathbone and his henchmen as they pressed their attack even further. However, their anger only made it easier for Kyle to defend himself. They interfered with each other's attacks, leaving themselves vulnerable. Kyle was only too happy to batter these guys to a bloody pulp, months of resentment and anger towards them going into each punch. He could've used his weapons, but he didn't want to kill anyone today. He wanted Rathbone and his bullies to live to remember this day for a long time to come.

As one barely conscious bandit raised a hidden crossbow and aimed it at Kyle, smiling evilly has he did so, a wooden chair suddenly smashed into him from behind, knocking him senseless. Kyle caught this from the corner of his eye and scowled. "What do you think you're doing, Jess?" he said angrily. "I said I was gonna take care of these guys by myself!"

A furious-looking Jessica glared back at him as she snatched a frying pan from a nearby stove. "And you said you were gonna 'till I got here!" she snapped as she swung the pan in a wide arc, clipping another thug. "You started without me, so now you've gotta finish with me!"

"You were late!" Kyle shot back angrily as he delivered a solid right cross to another of Rathbone's henchmen, who Kyle could've sworn he'd already walloped a couple times. Rathbone's men were stubborn, if nothing else. "I was waiting for over an hour for you to show up! What'd you do, take the scenic route?"

"Boys are supposed to wait for girls!" Jessica retorted, bringing her frying pan down onto the head of the bandit she'd just struck with it. "It's the gentlemanly thing to do!"

Kyle rolled his eyes as he delivered a smashing uppercut to the thug he was still brawling with, sending him sprawling into unconsciousness. "What did you want me to do, just sit around twiddling my thumbs?"

Jessica grabbed the shoulder of the only thug still in the fight and heaved him downwards as she brought up her knee, slamming it into his chest. "I wanted you to be patient for once in your damn life! You knew I wanted to see your big speech!"

"Well, at least you made it for the fun part!" Kyle said as he walked up to the brigand Jessica had just struck. He tapped the guy on the shoulder, instinctively causing him to look up at him, right before delivering a smashing right cross to the jaw.

As the last of Rathbone's henchmen hit the floor senselessly, Rathbone, who had been watching the fight from the sidelines, drew his sword and advanced on Kyle. Kyle grinned nastily as he also drew his own sword. "Let's get this over with, Rathbone. I have a city of thieves to take over and a bottle of Dragon Flagon to avenge!"

No sooner had Kyle finished his taunt when Rathbone lunged at him with terrific speed and ferocity. Taken by surprise, Kyle barely had time to parry. Unencumbered by his gang, Rathbone now had plenty of room to maneuver, and Kyle realized he'd underestimated how skilled Rathbone truly was with a sword. Steel rang against steel as their swords crashed against each other in a fierce volley of blows that was nearly impossible for the onlookers to follow. Jessica followed the duel anxiously, but not letting herself even imagine that Kyle might be in over his head.

For long, tense moments, there was only the sound of clashing steel as Kyle and Rathbone cut and thrust at each other. Kyle had been training for as long as he could remember, and apparently, so had Rathbone. However, Kyle soon realized that Rathbone was expending too much of his strength due to his anger, and he was wearing himself out too quickly. Kyle was content to let him do this, allowing Rathbone to utterly exhaust himself while keeping his own movements minimal. As Rathbone reached the end of his rope, it was Kyle's turn to press the attack, his sword cutting Rathbone across the face as Rathbone missed a parry. A second slash tore a dazed Rathbone's sabre out of his grip.

"Almost had me there, Rathbone," Kyle said, smiling coldly.

Kyle pressed the edge of his sword against Rathbone's neck. Rathbone glared at him defiantly. "Is this where I'm supposed to beg for my life?" he drawled. "Or is this where you just strike off my head and have done with it?"

Kyle shook his head, sneering. "Neither. I'm gonna let you and your chums enjoy feeling like third rate losers, just the way you've treated the rest of us. So this is the part where you and your gang leave Nanza forever, and I become the new big boss."

Rathbone looked around at the hostile faces surrounding him, and he realized he'd find no allies here. He sighed and reluctantly nodded. "As you wish. My men and I will leave Nanza in your tender care. But know this, boy. You were lucky today. The next time we meet and cross swords, victory will be mine."

Kyle laughed scornfully. "Next time we meet, I hope you'll have improved your banter as well as your swordsmanship. Now get outta here."

Rathbone gestured towards his men, and they sullenly trudged out of the Caravanserai, the crowd jeering at them as they left. Rathbone shot Kyle one final baleful look, his eyes seething with hatred, before storming out of the Caravanserai.

"You sure it was smart, letting him go like that?" Jessica asked. "He could be trouble later."

"Meh, so what if he does?" Kyle said. "I actually hope he does try it. I'd love another excuse to kick his butt again."

The crowd, meanwhile, was cheering Kyle's victory, one bandit after another clapping him on the shoulder and shaking his hand. "So what's the first order of business...boss?" one of them asked.

Kyle thought for a second, walking over to one of the few undamaged tables, picking up a bottle and drinking it down. He smacked his lips in satisfaction and said, "First order of business, we're gonna build some more bars in this town."

-x-x-x-

Kyle was shaken out of his reminiscence by Jessica approaching. "You look happy," she remarked.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?" Kyle replied cheerfully. "In just a few minutes, I'm gonna be fighting by the side of the woman I love and some faithful friends against the most nefarious outlaws Lunar has to offer, while on our way to complete the greatest adventure in history. Seriously, life doesn't get any better than this."

Jessica smiled, Kyle's enthusiasm quickly catching on. "Just be careful when you two get reacquainted. You beat him last time because he was overconfident and clumsy. Don't make his mistake."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mommy."

-x-x-x-

Rathbone stood at the bow of the Dragonheart, his eyes gleaming with triumph as he beheld the Darkfire. He could already picture the victory to come, and he gripped the handrails of the ship impatiently. Quentin stood besides him, where he could keep an eye on the mage. Should Quentin attempt to avoid participating in the battle to come, he would live to regret it.

His brow furrowed slightly as they seemed to be closing in on the Darkfire much faster than he would have suspected. "What's happening?" he called to Skai, who was maintaining the lookout atop the mast. "Why are they slowing down?"

"It looks like they're preparing for battle, Captain," Skai said. "Somehow they must have figured out who we really are."

Rathbone frowned, but nodded. "Well, we knew that was always a possibility, especially with a magician in their group. You might as well come on down from there and get ready."

As Skai descended from the mast, Quentin turned paled at Rathbone's words. If what he said was true, odds were that Sarek had learned of his involvement. He didn't know the full extent of what Sarek was capable of, and he wasn't in any particular hurry to find out. "What do we do, Captain?" he asked anxiously.

Rathbone raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'what do we do?' This doesn't change anything. The attack is still on."

"But they'll be waiting for us!" Quentin cried.

"So they will. Which is why we'll need your magic to shake them up a bit. Nothing too serious - I don't want to sink their ship until we've gotten Sarek's map. Just rattle them a little."

"B-but Sarek will…you can't possibly expect me to…I mean, he'd kill me…"

Rathbone glared at Quentin, fed up with his cowardice and whining. However, he restrained himself from launching into another tirade, realizing that if Quentin was to be of any further use to him, continuous browbeating would not be the way to get through to him. Quentin needed to be subservient, but not broken to the point of uselessness. Perhaps it was time to try a different tactic.

"Listen, Quentin," he said silkily. "When we first met, you told me that you no longer wished to be a servant of Vane. I understand that in the game of life, we all want to promote ourselves from a pawn to a knight. But pawns need to earn their promotions, and this is your chance to do so. You can't let yourself be intimidated by Sarek. If you stand up to him, Vane will realize your potential and fear what you are capable of!"

Quentin nodded his head, a new determination building within him. Rathbone was quick to sense this, and smiled. "Excellent. Now, why don't you send a little greeting to our friends on the Darkfire?"

"I've got just the thing," Quentin said with a cruel smile, a lightning orb forming in his hand.

Skai walked up to Rathbone, looking amused. "In the game of life, we all want to promote ourselves self from a pawn to a knight?" he whispered to Rathbone. "Do you have any idea how corny that was?"

Rathbone chuckled. "It worked, didn't it?" he whispered back. "Now, let's see what our pet magician can really do."