CHAPTER FOURTEEN: GIMME THE PRIZE

Rayner stood on the parapets of the gated wall, gazing at the horde of pirates and bandits. There were a number of archers in the group, and they appeared to be lining up for an assault. He tried to be as calm inwardly as his facial expression made him out to be. He was going to have to concentrate, or people were going to die, and he tried not to think about what would happen were he to waiver.

He reminded himself of what Kyle had told him about acting in the moment, ignoring the what-ifs of what could go wrong. He recalled his success in protecting the Darkfire from Quentin's magic attacks and protecting the party from the ice golems. He had done this before, and he would do it again.

He saw Captain Rathbone, Skai, and a giant of a man wearing the same white-fur garb as the bandits march to the front of the enemy battle-lines. Rayner was tempted to pick off Rathbone with a lightning bolt, but that wasn't his job. He was responsible for keeping people alive.

Rathbone drew his sword and raised his arm. Rayner took a deep breath. It was about to begin.

"Fire!" Rathbone commanded. A horde of arrows rained down upon the village and its defenders. With a slight wave of his hand, Rayner conjured up a magic barrier, bathing the city in soft lavender light. The arrows careened against the shield and plummeted to the snow-covered ground below. Again Rathbone gave the order to fire, and again Rayner warded the lethal arrows off. Arrows whizzed by the young mage as the Shadians returned fire. In the dim light, Rayner could see a few of the attackers keel over, arrows imbedded in their bodies.

Rayner couldn't understand the enemy's tactics. Surely they knew from the battle on board the Darkfire that he would be able to block such simple attacks as these. Was this mere arrogance on their part...or a diversion to keep him occupied?

From the corner of his eye, Rayner could see Quentin near the wall of the valley, and Rayner could detect a magical aura surrounding him, the type all magicians emit when they're spellcasting. What was he up to?

The answer came to him it a flash. Rayner immediately turned to the sentry nearest to him. "Tell Chunin and the others that the invaders are trying to magically tunnel under the gate wall," he said urgently. "Hurry!"

The sentry looked at Rayner skeptically, but did as the young mage had instructed. He hurried towards where Chunin and the outsiders had convened and relayed the message.

"Clever," Sarek said thoughtfully. "More clever than I would have given Quentin credit for."

"If this guy's so powerful, why not just attack the city gate?" Gryffin wondered.

"Rayner can block his spells with his magical shields," Jessica explained. "He's done it before. The archers out there are a mere diversion to keep Rayner occupied while Quentin brings the soldiers into the city!"

"Then what are we to do?" Chunin said grimly.

"Let 'em spring the trap," Kyle said, grinning. "They think they're gonna ambush us, and take us by surprise. But they'll be taken by surprise when they find out we're ready for them!"

Chunin turned to Sarek. "Can you detect where in the city the invaders might appear?"

"Yes," Sarek said. "Gather your warriors and follow me!" The Shadians followed Sarek, Kyle and Jessica racing besides them. Suddenly Sarek ordered them to halt. "Get ready! They'll be emerging from the ground here, any minute now..."

All of a sudden, the ground before them exploded, sending warriors flying and launching shards of stone shrapnel in every direction. Pirates and bandits swarmed out of the massive crater, Rathbone, Skai, Quentin, and Wolfe leading the charge. "I had a feeling they'd be expecting us to try this!" Quentin crowed. "Maybe that'll teach you not to underestimate me anymore!"

"Well done, Quentin!" Rathbone said. "You know what to do, boys!"

"It's payback time, you bastards!" Wolfe snarled, his claymore cutting down a pair of defenders as he launched himself into the fray. With the defenders completely taken by surprise, pirates and bandits swarmed through the village, butchering anyone in their way without pity. The well-organized battle lines had dissolved, and the fight for Shadia had now become a vicious, murderous struggle.

"Keep it together, damn you!" Chunin roared to the Shadians over the clamor of the battle. "Stand and fight, or we're all dead men! Will you lay down and die, and fail in your sacred duty?"

Heartened by Chunin's words, the surviving Shadian warriors held their ground, stalling the marauders' onslaught. But the suddenness and brutality of the onslaught still rattled them, not to mention the horrid reality that their supposedly invincible fortress had been invaded, and they were unable to turn the tide of battle in their favor. The two forces had become locked in a bloody stalemate. The roads and even the alleyways were crowded with fighters slashing and hacking at each other, and the fallen snow on the ground beneath them was quickly turning a dark crimson, soaked with the blood of slain combatants. Chunin's swords scythed furiously through the enemy ranks. Kyle, who was fighting some distance away, was still able to see Chunin in action, and had a better appreciation for his swordsmanship now that he was no longer on the receiving end of it. Elsewhere on the field, he could see Kashiro defending himself with the aid of a light battle-axe. It was crude, as was Kashiro's technique, but Kyle had to admit it was effective.

From a safe vantage point, Sarek's magic doled out terrible punishment on the enemy, but with all the civilians and Shadian soldiers around, he once again found himself in a situation where he was unable to let loose with one of his more powerful spells. As on the Darkfire, he was again forced to target individual foes, and was occasionally lucky enough to be able to target a group at a time. But for every foe he killed, there were three more to take his place.

Kyle, having been separated from Jessica and Gryffin during the fray, found himself surrounded on all sides by Rathbone's men. He hacked his way through a horde of invaders, using Sonic Risers and Power Sweeps along with standard swordplay. The enemy kept coming at them, and Kyle welcomed them. It meant he could wipe them all out at once.

The bandits and pirates suddenly broke ranks, and Kyle barely had time to parry as the blade of a massive claymore streaked towards him. He crossed his sword and dagger and blocked the attack, but the sheer force knocked him back. Regaining his balance quickly, he found himself face-to-face with Wolfe himself, his comrades cheering him on. The two circled each other warily and silently, as the bandits kept Rathbone's men back. They wanted to see their boss in action.

Wolfe grinned at Kyle. "So you're the brat Rathbone's after, huh?"

Kyle eyed the big man cautiously. "Yeah, that's me. And you're his new pet, right?"

Snarling furiously, Wolfe slashed at Kyle. Kyle parried the blow, but the shock of the blow nearly numbed his arm. Kyle counter-attacked, lunging with his dagger, but the big man seized his wrist and hurled Kyle over his shoulder. Kyle managed to tumble as he landed and he was back on his feet, although he'd dropped his sword and dagger in the process. Wolfe sneered and swung at Kyle with his claymore, but Kyle ducked under the massive blade and rammed his fist into Wolfe's gut, immediately following up with a solid uppercut.

Wolfe barely registered the punches, and he cast aside his claymore, readying his fists. "So that's how you wanna play it, huh? Works fer me."

Not liking the looks of the built-in brass knuckles on Wolfe's gloves, Kyle tried to get to his weapons, but Wolfe kept swinging and jabbing at him, his metal-encased fists missing Kyle by mere centimeters. Realizing he'd have to beat Wolfe unarmed, he kept ducking and dodging the burly man's fists. The last opponent he'd faced unarmed had been Skai, but fortunately, Wolfe had none of the Tribesman's grace or fluidity. The man was certainly stronger, though, and Kyle was not looking forward to being on the receiving end of one of Wolfe's punches.

At last, as he dodged a wicked cross, Kyle saw an opening. His fist rocketed towards Wolfe's unprotected chin, and Wolfe's head snapped back from the force of the punch. Without hesitating, Kyle immediately followed it up with two more powerful haymakers, but Wolfe blocked his last punch and rammed his fist into Kyle's stomach.

Kyle staggered back, gasping for air, but as Wolfe came forward, Kyle charged towards him, tackling the big man to the ground. Climbing on top of him, Kyle proceeded to hammer away at Wolfe with his fists, putting everything he had into each punch. "I'm really...getting...sick...of being...hit...in the stomach...by...bad guys!" Kyle rasped in between blows.

Wolfe looked at him in mock sympathy, unfazed by the barrage of punches, despite the fact that his lip was bleeding and he was now missing a tooth. "Gee, I'm sorry 'bout that. Lemme make it up to ya." Kyle was sent flying as Wolfe delivered a smashing uppercut, clipping him square on the jaw. Kyle landed several feet away, the deep snow cushioning his fall.

Wolfe strode over to Kyle, grinning nastily. "Is that better?"

"Yeah, thanks," Kyle said groggily, his head ringing from the force of the blow. If he managed to survive this adventure, Kyle promised himself he was going to brush up on his unarmed combat skills. This was getting embarrassing.

Wolfe laughed again. "Well, that's good, ain't it? 'Cause I got plenty more of that right here."

Wolfe raised his fists, ready to deliver a crushing blow, when Kyle dug his fingers into the snow and hurled a clump of it at the big man's face, aiming straight for the eyes. Wolfe yelped as his head reared back from the impact of the blow. He clutched at his face in agony, and Kyle took advantage of Wolfe's momentary blindness to regain his footing and retrieve his swords. He was ready to finish off the big man when from the corner of his eye, he saw his father surrounded by enemies. Gryffin was fending them off, but more kept swarming around him.

Ignoring Wolfe, who had recovered from Kyle's trick, Kyle headed towards his father and unleashed a Sonic Riser. The impact blasted a clump of enemies away from Gryffin, and the rest were surprised enough to be caught off-guard, vulnerable to Gryffin's swordsmanship. Once the invaders were dispatched, Gryffin nodded to Kyle. "Thanks for the breather. You look like hell."

"Had a little run-in with your pal Wolfe," Kyle said with a shrug.

"Is he dead?"

"No, but he's pretty damn pissed at the moment."

"Good. Then I can kill him myself. I owe that bastard. Where is he?"

Kyle pointed to where he and Wolfe had been brawling, but there was no sign of the bandit leader. "I don't see him. Guess he's off hiding."

Gryffin waved his hand dismissively. "Forget him for now. I'll kill him later. Meantime, we got plenty other bad guys to deal with, and a lot of people to protect from 'em. You with me?"

Kyle grinned. "I'm with you."

-x-x-x-

Amidst the chaos of the battle, Quentin made his way over to Rathbone, who had just delivered a killing stroke to a Shadian soldier. "We have a problem, Captain."

"What kind of problem?" Rathbone asked icily.

"I found the gate that leads to the Graveyard, but we can't open it," Quentin replied. "It's completely magic resistant, and there's no way to force it open or break it down. The Shadians are the only ones who know how to open it."

Rathbone swore harshly, and then smiled as an idea popped into his head. "Skai's hunting for Jessica right now. Find him before he gets to her, and give him the following instructions."

Quentin looked confused as Rathbone relayed his message. "But I thought we came here to..."

"We'll get to that eventually. But for now, follow my instructions. I know what I'm doing."

Quentin nodded, not that he could do anything else. "Yes, Captain."

-x-x-x-

Two children ran screaming from a cackling axe-wielding bandit, who chased them down relentlessly. One of the children, a young girl, tripped and fell, and her older brother turned back to try and help her up. The pursuing bandit's shadow engulfed them, and their eyes widened with horror as he saw the bandit raise his axe, leering hideously. But the blow never landed. Jessica had seen the pursuit in the nick of time. Howling furiously, she charged towards the would-be murderer, and struck him dead with a single blow of her iron claw. She then turned towards the children. "Are you guys okay?" she asked.

The boy nodded wordlessly as his sister clung to him protectively. Both of them were shaken, and the girl's ankle seemed to be in pain. Jessica cast a Healing Litany on the girl, and then pointed to a nearby stone house. "You'll be safe in there. Follow me!"

Jessica fought her way to the structure, battering aside pirates and bandits alike. As she reached the door, one bandit lunged at her with a spear, but she seized the shaft and lunged, delivering a fatal strike to the bandit. A pirate slashed at her with his sword, and Jessica snagged the blade with her claw and snapped it in half before killing the pirate.

She knelt down and gave the children a comforting smile as she ushered them inside the house. "Just stay here out of sight until the fighting's over."

"I'm scared," the girl moaned.

"I know," Jessica said, tousling her hair. "It's okay to be scared sometimes. But don't worry! This'll all be over soon!"

"You got that right," Skai said from behind her.

Startled, Jessica turned around, but Skai was already moving, the pommel of his dagger striking her on the head. Jessica slumped unconscious to the floor.

Skai stood over her unconscious form, his dagger at the ready. "Well, that was disappointingly easy," he said with a chuckle. He then looked at the terrified children and sneered. "Sorry to barge in unannounced, but the lady and I have unfinished business."

He raised the blade, ready to deliver a killing strike, when he heard Quentin's voice. "Skai! Wait! Don't do it!"

Skai stared at Quentin incredulously as the renegade magician raced to his side, stumbling through the snow. "What do you mean 'don't'?" the assassin demanded.

"Captain Rathbone's orders," Quentin explained hurriedly, gasping for breath. "We need her alive."

Skai folded his arms. "Don't tell me we're pulling the old 'damsel in distress' bit."

Quentin nodded. "Rathbone thinks we can use her as a hostage to force the Shadians and Kyle to let us enter the Dragon's Graveyard. And he thinks it'll be more dramatic if you kill her once we're inside the temple."

"Damn Rathbone and his drama!" Skai growled. "These Shadians are fanatics. They won't think twice about sacrificing a girl to protect their precious treasure."

"Rathbone doesn't think Kyle will let that happen," Quentin said. "He'll convince them somehow when he sees she's at your mercy. Besides, what does it matter when you kill her? She'll be dead either way, right? Anyways, don't take it out on me. I'm just the messenger."

Skai still wasn't convinced, but orders were orders. Besides, killing Jessica had been Rathbone's idea after all, so Skai supposed Rathbone had the right to suspend her sentence. He unstrapped Jessica's claw from her arm, and tied her wrists together with a piece of rope he always carried with him. The rope was thin, but as strong as a steel chain. He then picked Jessica up and carried her outside of the house, holding the blades of her claw to her throat. "Get everyone's attention," Skai said to Quentin.

"You got it," Quentin said, as he cast a series of lightning spells, illuminating the night with a violent display of lightning that sent thunder rumbling through the valley. The battle slowly ebbed to a stop as fighters on both sides hesitated at the sound and the sight of Quentin's spell.

"Men of Shadia! Kyle of Nanza!" Skai cried out, now that he had everyone's attention. "Surrender immediately, or Jessica dies!"

"No! Keep fighting!" Chunin ordered. "We must protect the Graveyard at all costs!"

"No! You can't!" Kyle exclaimed, immediately sheathing his weapons. "If you keep fighting, they'll kill her!"

But Chunin and the Shadians resumed fighting, refusing to back down, except Kashiro. "Chunin, don't do this!" he urged the commander. "Don't let them kill the girl!"

"I'm not bluffing, Kyle!" Skai announced. "You'd better get them stop the fight right now, or I'll kill her!"

Frantically, Kyle turned to his father. "Dad, you've gotta stop them! They'll listen to you! Get 'em to stop fighting!"

Nodding, Gryffin dashed over to Chunin, who was still fighting fiercely. "Call off your men!" Gryffin demanded. "Tell them to surrender!"

"Never!" Chunin cried. "Shadia will never yield, especially to the likes of them!"

"But you have to, or they'll kill Jessica!"

Chunin glared at Gryffin. "That's not my concern, Gryffin! The girl never should have come here! She is responsible for her fate, not me! No more compromises!"

With a sudden fury, Gryffin seized Chunin by the shoulders and locked him in a steel grip. "You listen to me, you arrogant son of a bitch! My son and his girlfriend risked their lives to come here because I did something stupid four years ago! I said it before, and I'm saying it again! I'm not letting any of them die because of me, and I'm not letting you punish them for my screw-up! So you will tell your men to surrender! You hear me?"

"He's right, Chunin," Kashiro said quietly. "Besides, Althena protected the temple once before. Trust in her to protect it again. Let's not have anyone else die over it."

Chunin's eyes blazed with anger and indignation, but his expression slowly faded to resignation. "I hear you, Gryffin. And you're right. Innocent blood is too high a price to pay for our cause. We will yield."

Sheathing his sword, Chunin called out to his men, "Warriors of Shadia! We have done what we can against the invaders, and we have fought with honor! But now we must yield! Throw down your arms and surrender! Do not allow the girl to be harmed! That is an order!"

The fighting came to a complete stop as the Shadians looked at each other in astonishment at the order, while the pirates and bandits were grinning nastily. But slowly, the Shadians laid down their weapons and surrendered, bitter and ashamed.

Moments later, Kyle and his party stood in a row, along with a downcast Chunin. They had not yet been bound or disarmed, except for Jessica, who remained tied up and in Skai's grip. Nobody would have dared make a move while Jessica's life was in danger, and they knew that Rathbone knew this as well.

Rathbone paced back and forth in front of his captives, savoring his triumph. "I must say, you all put me through quite a lot of trouble. But seeing you like this made it all worthwhile." He paused before Kyle, relishing his triumph over his old foe and the anger in Kyle's eyes. "I suppose it's customary to salute one's enemy as a worthy adversary when all is said and done, but I really do despise you, Kyle, and words can't possibly describe how much I enjoy seeing you like this. Helpless, unable to make a move, shamed in front of friends, family, and the very people who were counting on you to help protect them."

"Enjoy it while you can," Kyle hissed.

"Spare me your hackneyed threats," Rathbone said. "You're playing in a game way out of your league. This was your first time out as the hero of your own adventure, wasn't it? And look how things turned out. You should keep playing the sidekick, Kyle. You're worthless without someone else's lead to follow, be it your father or a dragonmaster. All you can do, all you've ever been able to do, is share the glory of your betters."

"Then what does it say about you, Rathbone, that I didn't need help kicking your ass the first time we met?" Kyle sneered.

"And look where that got you," Rathbone said snidely. "You weren't smart enough to kill me, and I've been able to kill a lot of people because of it. You also made yourself an enemy who was willing to follow you to the ends of the earth to avenge his humiliation. Not smart, Kyle. Not smart at all. Another sign of your ineptitude when you try and act the hero on your own."

He turned away, ignored the other captives, and approached Chunin. The Shadian was glaring hatefully at Rathbone, but the pirate returned his gaze with a sneer. "You must be Chunin. Someone has something special he wants to give you. Wolfe, will you do the honors?"

Wolfe sauntered behind Chunin, and with a feral snarl, viciously grabbed him by his dark-green hair, pulling his head. He drove the blade of his claymore up to the hilt through Chunin's body, the serrated blade easily piercing the lacquered armor. The warrior's vibrant dark eyes slowly dimmed as blood flowed from the wound. Wolfe released him, and Chunin fell dead to the ground.

"Chunin!" Kashiro cried out amidst the horrified wails of the Shadians. He charged forward, raising his axe, but Gryffin warned him back.

Cursing silently, Kyle forced himself to remain in place, staring daggers at Rathbone and Wolfe. Granted, he hadn't liked Chunin in the brief time he'd gotten to know him, but he deserved better a better fate. Rathbone caught Kyle's reaction, and smiled. "I'll bet that right now, you're wishing you'd done that to me three years ago, aren't you, Kyle?"

"I'll still get the chance, Rathbone," Kyle snarled venomously. "So you'd better kill right now while you still can."

"Not quite yet," Rathbone replied. "I have something...special in mind for you before you die. Which will be soon, make no mistake about that."

"Good, I hate long waits," Kyle muttered. "So what happens now?"

Rathbone grinned. "Now comes the part where the Shadians open the gates that will lead us to the temple. And you, your father, and your fellow travelers will get to watch as I achieve the quest so many others have failed, and carry off each and every single diamond contained within the Dragon's Graveyard. As an encore, we'll slaughter all the inhabitants of this wretched city."

He turned to his men. "Take their weapons and bind them."

"You don't want to do that," Sarek said calmly.

Rathbone raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"You'll need our help getting past the Guardian of the Graveyard."

Rathbone laughed. "The Guardian of the Graveyard? Really, is that the best bluff you could come up with?"

"It's true," Gryffin said quickly. "I've heard the people of this village talk about it."

"And from what I've read of the beast in the Vane Library, we'll have an easier time defeating it than the lot of you," Sarek added.

Rathbone thought for a second. "Assuming you're telling the truth, what is this so-called Guardian?"

"An undead monstrosity in the form of a Dragon," Sarek said. "It is a construct formed of the souls of the departed dragons that takes shape when any men dare enter the hallowed halls of the Graveyard. The more dragons that die, the more souls that join it, increasing its power."

Rathbone sneered. "You're trying to scare me with ghost stories? Are you really that desperate?"

"They're telling the truth," Kashiro said. "That thing's been killing would-be treasure hunters long before our people came here. To face death from a warrior of Shadia is a much kinder fate than facing The Guardian."

Rathbone paused for a second, thinking it over, before turning to Sarek. "And you think you can defeat this thing while my men cannot?"

Sarek smiled. "My magic is greater than Quentin's, and I know many spells he does not. And Kyle helped defeat a Black Dragon some time ago, not to mention a would-be god. Can your or any of your men make a similar claim?"

"Besides, whose lives would you rather risk fighting an undead monstrosity?" Rayner added. "Ours, or yours?"

Rathbone's eyes narrowed, and he looked towards Wolfe, Skai and Quentin. Skai was shaking his head, and Quentin was glaring suspiciously at Sarek. "He could be bluffing, Captain," he ventured to say.

"Yeah, the runt's right," Wolfe said. "If there really was a guardian in there, why did the Shadians need to fight an' die to protect the Graveyard? I say he's lyin'."

"That could very well be," Rathbone mused. "I'm not taking any chances, though. Leave them free and let them keep their weapons. But Jessica remains Skai's hostage."

Kyle clenched his fists in anger, but Sarek laid a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to remain calm. "We might need her strength," Sarek protested. "She fought against Ghaleon and the Vile Tribe sorceresses just as Kyle did."

"You'll just have to make do without her, then," Rathbone snapped. "Jessica stays bound, and she remains with Skai. Just to ensure good behavior, and to stop you from trying anything...foolish. Now, open the gates."

Kashiro looked uncertainly at Gryffin, who nodded his head slightly. Sighing, Kashiro gave an order to the gatekeepers. Solemnly, the sentries unlocked the gates that would lead to the Dragon's Graveyard.

About a mile beyond the gate was the mouth of a giant cave, obviously the temple's entrance. Quentin's eyes gleamed as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Even Kyle, despite the direness of the situation, felt a rush of adrenalin as the way to the temple was revealed at last.

Wolfe, however, was more concerned with the Shadians than the temple. "What about them? We just gonna leave 'em loose?"

"Why not?" Rathbone asked offhandedly. "They won't dare do anything while we have hostages...will they?" He glared meaningfully at Kashiro as he spoke those last words.

"But I wanna kill 'em!" Wolfe growled. "These Shadian bastards have been houndin' me an' my men since we got here, and I wanna wipe 'em out!"

"You can do it once we've finished in the Graveyard!" Rathbone hissed. "But for right now, all I'm interested in is the diamonds and settling things with Kyle."

Rathbone gestured to the entrance and turned to his hostages. "Shall we?"

"Don't worry about us, Gryffin," Kashiro called out. "I'll keep an eye on everyone here."

With no more words, pirates, bandits, and hostages alike proceeded to enter the Dragon's Graveyard.

-x-x-x-

An eerie silence pervaded the atmosphere as the marauders proceeded through the cave. The cavern remained dark despite the lights provided by Quentin and Sarek. Footfalls echoed through the empty darkness, no matter how softly they treaded. Rathbone and Wolfe were in the lead, while Kyle and his companions were in between two groups of pirates and bandits, with Quentin and Skai keeping an eye on them. Skai doubted any of them would try and do anything reckless; not with Jessica's life in his hands. Still, it wouldn't do to get careless so close to victory.

Kyle never took his eyes from Jessica, all sorts of rescue-attempt scenarios playing through his head, none of them possible. He knew how fast Skai was, and Kyle wasn't about to gamble with Jessica's life. Even his ego wouldn't allow for that kind of risk. But he kept watching, hoping for something to happen that would allow him to get Jessica out of harm's way.

Jessica came to her senses as they were halfway through the corridor that led to the inner chamber of the temple. Her head throbbed from Skai's knockout blow, and her blood ran cold as she felt the bonds on her wrists and the blades at her throat – her own weapon. She struggled to break free, but the ropes and Skai's grip were too tight. Skai, feeling her moving around, pressed her claw against her neck.

"Don't struggle, girl," Skai said. "We of the Prairie Tribe believe there's no greater shame than dying by your own weapon. I'd hate to have to subject you to that. At least until Rathbone gives me the go-ahead."

"I knew you were a cutthroat, Skai," Jessica growled. "I didn't think you were a coward, threatening a tied up woman." Skai tenses at her insult, and it was only because of his obedience to Rathbone that he did not kill her then and there.

"How much further do we need to go?" Quentin grumbled. "This is taking forever!"

"You're forgetting that Dragons need to make their way through this tunnel," Sarek said condescendingly. "Dragons are considerably larger than us humans, so they take bigger steps."

Quentin glared venomously at Sarek. "That's right, keep talking down to me, old man. You'll get yours, I promise you that."

There was a sudden commotion up ahead, followed by the sound of clashing weapons and falling bodies. "Everything okay up there?" Skai called out to the pirates in the lead.

"Yeah, we're fine," Wolfe called back. "Just a couple of sentries that needed killing."

"Bring Kyle and his friends to the front," Rathbone ordered. "We've reached the inner gate. The grand finale's coming, and I want them to have front-row seats."

"You heard the captain," Skai said. "Move it."

The raiders in front of them parted to let them through, Quentin racing alongside them. They finally came to two massive wooden doors, engraved with ancient writings and carvings, with an iron bar fastening it shut. Kyle gritted his teeth at the sight of four corpses in Shadian armor, the blood still fresh. One way or another, Rathbone was going to pay for this.

Wolfe clutched the bar sealing the door shut and, snarling from the effort, tore it out of the wall and hurled it aside. The sound of the crossbar hitting the stone echoes noisily throughout the tunnel, shattering the eerie silence, and many of the marauders flinched from the noise. Wolfe heard the uneasy muttering and looked back at them in disgust. "What're you whispering about? You lot aren't scared, are you?"

"Hurry up and open those doors, Wolfe!" Quentin squealed. "The treasure's waiting for us!"

With the doors now unlocked, Wolfe pushed them open with another mighty heave, and the tunnel was bathed in a soft blue light. Cautiously, the marauders and their hostages alike entered the inner chamber of the Dragon's Graveyard.

"This is it," Kyle whispered to himself as he stepped through the entrance. "We're actually here."

It was the most spectacular sight any of them had ever seen; even Kyle and Jessica, who had been inside Althena's own tower, thought so. The circular main hall of the Temple was huge, larger than any of the Dragon Caves Kyle had seen. The entire interior was carved out of a marble-like stone, and a soft, ethereal blue light permeated throughout the entire shrine. There were two stories to the temple, with a stairway connecting the two levels, and a colonnade circled the chamber on each floor. The black and turquoise tiles of the floor formed elaborate designs and mosaics, intricate carvings and symbols decorated the walls, and the domed ceiling above glittered with embedded light-blue crystals and gems on an indigo background, resembling a twilight sky. In the center of the ceiling was a large globe of azure crystal, representing the Blue Star, the ancestral home of Lunar's humans.

Despite the tension and danger Kyle knew he and his companions were in, he felt oddly serene. A tranquil calm seemed to permeate throughout the entire room. Even the pirates and bandits seemed to look around almost reverently.

Between the columns were the entrances to large chambers, through which Kyle was able to see the interiors. The chambers were apparently burial chambers, housing the sarcophagi of the Dragons. Each coffin, nearly three times the size as one built for a rather large man, was formed of onyx and decorated with silver scrollwork. Kyle noticed tapestries hanging above each coffin with a portrait of a Dragon and numerous human figures, including Dragonmasters, along with strange writing in gold-leaf script. He happened to take a closer inside a nearby burial chamber, and was shocked by what he saw.

Embroidered on the tapestry was the image of a Black Dragon embroiled in battle with several humans, all of whom Kyle instantly recognized: Nash, Tempest, Dragonmaster Alex…and himself. This was the coffin of the Dragon he had helped defeat in Pao during the quest to defeat Ghaleon.

Gryffin came over to Kyle, who pointed at the tapestry. "That's me," Kyle whispered, grinning as he stared at his own portrait. Everything they did, everything they accomplished, all recorded here so nobody would forget them.

Gryffin looked from the tapestry to his son, his face beaming with pride. "I always knew one day you'd make your mark on the world, son, but this..."

"Dad," Kyle said, nudging him as he turned around. "Get a load of that."

At the north of the sanctuary, a series of silver tiles formed a large ring, presumably where the Dragons would rest before they died. In front of the circle was a tall sculpture of the Goddess Althena sorrowfully cradling a dead Dragon in her arms. The statue was beautifully carved from white marble, with twin torches in silver candelabras emitting a blue flame on either side. Althena was dressed simply, with no adornments of any sort, and her hair cascaded loosely down her shoulders. The detail of the sculpture was so precise and so lifelike, Kyle would have sworn he was looking at the Goddess herself. Althena's expression was one of pure grief as she looked down at the Dragon in her arms, as if she was a mother mourning the death of her child.

At the sight of the statue, Kyle's fists clenched in anger at the thought of what Rathbone and his crew were about to do here, the depravity of their crime really hitting him for the first time. He'd never been anything close to pious, and before his adventure with Alex, he'd never given much thought, if any, to Althena or the Dragons. But the idea of Rathbone and his thugs plundering the bodies of the Dragons for selfish profit sickened him to the core. I can't let this happen. I can't let them loot this place and destroy what's left of the Dragons.

The awe of the moment was shattered by screams of protest as a crowd of children wearing hooded blue robes, the Caretakers Chunin had mentioned, suddenly gathering before them, rushing in from a nearby sanctuary where they had been praying. One of them marched forward, and the face beneath the hood was that of a young boy, probably not more than twelve. "You cannot be here!" he cried. "This is a sacred place! You must…!"

The boy's protest was cut short as Rathbone's sword instantly slashed his throat before the horrified eyes and screams of his fellow Caretakers, blood spattering across the tiled floor as the boy fell dead. Enraged, Kyle reached for his sword as he started towards Rathbone, but Gryffin and Sarek held him back. "You son of a bitch!" Kyle snarled, struggling against them.

"Hold your ground, Kyle!" Skai reprimanded, pressing the blades of Jessica's claw tighter against her throat. "That's strike two. One more outburst from you, and the girl dies."

The other Caretakers, in the meantime, were now coming forward, but Rathbone pointed his sword at them malevolently. "Anyone else feel like throwing their life away?" he snapped, his voice echoing throughout the chamber.

"We swore to look after and protect the remains of the Dragons of Althena!" another Caretaker proclaimed, this one a teenage girl, as she glared at him defiantly. "Our lives are meaningless if we turn our backs on our oaths!"

"It's your funeral," said Rathbone. He then turned to his followers. "Boys, take as many Diamonds as you can carry, and slaughter anyone who gets in your way! The treasure of the Dragon's Graveyard is ours!"

The marauders cheered, and were silenced as Rathbone held up his hands. He then sneered at Kyle. "But before we commence with the plundering and pillaging, and all that good stuff, I want to hold a very special…ceremony of sorts. Skai, if you would do the honors…kill the girl."

"No! Leave her out of this, Rathbone!" Kyle pleaded. "I'm the one you're pissed at. You want to hurt me so badly, go ahead and do it. Kill me, or do whatever else you want to me. I won't stop you. But don't hurt Jessica. Please. She has nothing to do with what's between us."

Rathbone laughed. "Finally begging like the dog you are, Kyle. But you're wrong; Jessica has everything to do with what's between us. In fact, she's been my true target all along."

Kyle's eyes widened in alarm as Rathbone continued to rant, his raspy voice reaching a fever pitch. "See, I don't just want you dead, Kyle. I want you broken and shamed, the way you shamed me three years ago when a sixteen year old upstart humiliated me and made me a laughingstock in front of everyone in Nanza! I want you to watch her die and to know that you failed to save her, just as you've failed to protect the Dragon's Graveyard – and in the presence of your father, no less. Then you will know what it feels like to lose, Kyle. To face the humiliation and degradation of complete and utter defeat. It's a bitter pill to swallow, and it will be especially so for you, after years of bragging about your prowess and feeding your ego. You're very predictable, Kyle, and that's why I know that this is the perfect way to destroy you."

Rathbone turned to Skai, reveling in the triumph of the moment. "Skai, kill the girl."

Skai grinned and raised Jessica's claw, preparing for the death strike. Kyle had never felt more helpless - there was nothing he could do, no way he could stop Skai in time.

"I love you, Kyle," Jessica whispered, closing her eyes as she braced for impact.