Disclaimer: i do not own LoM... etc etc etc

Fonts in italic are for character's thought

Kain approached Sierra and Angelique slowly as his strength was barely left in his body. He had seen that Larc was back. It was worth chanting a forbidden magic if it saved his friend.

"Kain… are you alright?" Angelique voice croaked

"Yeah, but I barely can fight now." Kain grinned as if it's nothing.

"Kain, what did you do to Larc?" Sierra asked

"Uhh.. it's kind of hard to explained but you saw that spell, yes?" Kain arched his eyebrow when he said this.

"Yes, all of the sudden, Larc stopped when 3 shots of light pierced him then you fall down and Larc disintegrate. Then suddenly he is back. What did you do?" Sierra asked amazed with what Kain did just now.

"Well… the three shots of light as you called it is a spell on its own. You see the first one was supposed to stop his movement. The second one was to change his form and the third one was to give him another chance." Kain explained briefly, leaving the important part that he didn't want Angelique and Sierra knew.

"Another chance?" Angelique asked when she was able to voice her thought.

"Give him another life." Kain said, before everything rumbled and the flames erupted and molten of lava started to flow out from the floor. A castle emerged from the flame and the ground moved as the castle emerged higher from the lake of flame's surface.

"Damn… I" Kain said as he tried to cover Sierra and Angelique. While he saw Larc was still there on that spot.

"Everyone, hold on!" A voice boomed in their mind. Kain closed his eyes and then when he dared to open, in front of him are a bridge and an entrance to a castle.

"Where are we?" Angelique asked when she was conscious.

"Larc, Larc are you alright?" Sierra dashed to her brother but before she touched him, a voice stopped her.

"Don't touch him, Sierra!" Vadise appeared though not in solid form. Her spirit lingered in the air.

"My lord, what happened to you?" Sierra asked gaspingly

"This is the consequences that I have taken." Vadise said calmly

"You protected us, don't you?" Kain said with his back on her.

"Yes…" Vadise said simply.

"What do you mean by Sierra can't touch him?" Angelique said when she was able to stand

"Larc is not of the living or the dead. Therefore, he is not to be touched." Vadise said

"But Kain said, he had given him a new life…" Sierra said, her voice raised, she was confused on why Vadise saying that Larc was not alive but he's not dead either.

"Do you think Kain could easily give him life? He is not a god" Vadise answered them.

"Kain…! Explain it to us. You said your magic had given Larc a new life." Angelique said while she shed tears.

"I merely do what I can, everything else is up to Larc whether he wants to be back or not is up to him." Kain stated what been bottled in him, truth was Heaven's Will can't even touch someone's lifeline. He didn't want to tell them that but Vadise was right, they have the right to know.

"Then what do you mean by giving him chance?" Sierra said, her eyes heated with anger, she was almost disappointed because her brother might not be alive after all.

"I give him a chance to return, whether he want it or not is up to him. Right now, he is making that choice. That's why Vadise said you can't touch him. If any mortal touch him then he just might lose his life." Kain explained with his voice restrained. He didn't want them to know that the chance to return was as slim as a silk string and as fragile like an eggshell, they just had to believe that Larc will have the will to return. Telling them that would only destroyed their hope.

"Is that so? Then I'll just do what I can, right now." Sierra said as she stood up and faced Drakonis' castle.

"Sierra?" Angelique was confused by her friend change of attitude.

"I'll defeat Drakonis and avenge Larc." Sierra said seething.

"Yeah, we still have him to defeat. Your nemesis." Kain smiled when he saw Sierra's resolve

"Hey, don't forget me! I'm here too, you know." Angelique pouted as she stood up and stood beside her brother and friend.

"Well, let's be off then…" Sierra ran with Angelique, the girls ran across the bridge with so much spirit.

"Well, Vadise. Please watch over Larc." Kain said when he saw Vadise nod then he started to sprint to catch up with the girls.

"Well, here goes!" Angelique said before she pushed the door in front of them. They were greeted with monster as soon as they stepped into the castle. Angelique readied her spear and Sierra brandished her dagger toward the monster. When Kain wanted to help them,

"Kain… you just rest. Leave this to us! Save your energy for later!" Angelique said as she pierced another land dragon.

"Yes, leave this small fry to us!" Sierra danced in the air and sliced the sky dragon in two halves.

"But…" Kain wanted to argue, but the looks that the girls sent gave him shivers so he surrendered and did nothing much other than gave them healing and supporting them as they stormed the castle and killing hordes of dragon as they go. When they approached a big door, they knew that Drakonis was behind the door. As soon as they entered, they saw Drakonis stood there so arrogantly.

"Drakonis, prepare to die!" Sierra shouted a battle cry before she lunged to him.

"I'd like to see you try…" As soon as Drakonis said that, the space around them warped and everything seems to be boundless. Drakonis changed into a huge dragon and the beating of his wings deafening

"Well, this is perfect! No worries of destroying things." Kain said as he readied for battle. The girls already swishing their weapons at Drakonis.

Kain chanted many spells to help the girls fight Drakonis. As the fight grew more intense, the harder it was to kept up with healing so they could stay alive. Within Kain's mind he is battling with himself whether or not he should use another forbidden spell or not.

"If I use that then… I'll just shorten my life but it can save us… but I don't think that we can beat him if we just kept hitting him."

"Sierra, Ange! Buy me some time!" Kain shouted as he prepared to conjure something.

"How long?" Sierra's replied came back raggedly. Her speed had faltered, initially she danced like the riding the wind but now she barely could evade all Drakonis' attacks.

"As long as you can…" Kain muttered as his body glimmer with soft blue light, below his feet, a trail of light started to move making a symbol. The trail of light soon made a pattern, then it became a circle, full of intricate symbols and design. The strong gust of wind did not deter Kain. It was making his conviction stronger. He was going to stood his ground and finished Drakonis with this spell.

As conjuration went on, Sierra and Angelique fought desperately trying to keep out of Drakonis' attacks and trying to hit him while evading him. Sierra jumped and thrust him from the air while Angelique slided down and pierced him from below. Then Drakonis moved and sliced them with his wings, however they managed to escape the attack barely. Then they started to lunge again to Drakonis' side and sliced the scale. Seeing the moment that Drakonis let his guard down. Both of them shouted a battle cry and attacked him fiercely. Sierra jumped and perform a series of slashes in the air then shouted, "Air strike" while Angelique thrust in all direction then she perform Blue dragon. Both of the attack, damaged Drakonis heavily and he fell down with a huge crushing sound. Sierra and Angelique rejoiced when they finally defeated Drakonis.

"Kain…! Look he's finally down!" Angelique shouted with marvel on her voice.

"Yes. Finally." Sierra replied with the same enthusiasm as Angelique.

However, when they saw Kain still chanting, they figured something must be off. So they tilted their head, they saw Drakonis' prepared to launch a big fire breath on them. As soon as they wanted to move, they found that their feet were paralyzed with terror. When the fire comes out from the dragon's mouth, Kain finished with his magic.

"Take this, you old lizard! Life is nothing in Niflheim, the queen of the dead knows no remorse. There shall be only death in her land. I, as the conjurer of fate shall lead you to that world. I opened up the door and invite you in. Into your damnation and condemnation of eternal pain. Infernal Gate!" When he had channeled all his magic into one spot there opened a hole in the space, consuming all the fire that is directed to Angelique and Sierra. However the hole didn't only suck the fire, it dragged the dragon too. Slowly, closer to the hole and finally consuming it to the dark abyss of the gate. When Drakonis was gone, the hole closed and the space around them returned to normal. The girls heard a thudding sound and found that Kain had collapsed. Soon after that, the castle rumbled greatly and started to tear off piece by piece. The floor started to crumble and fell into the flames of the underworld. They hoisted Kain into their shoulder and ran as fast as they can back to the entrance of the Flame. They ran frantically searching for a possible way out since the floors were crumbled or the path were blocked by ruins. With Kain added to their load of burden, they had to think and acted nimbly so that they could escape the danger in time. When they reached the entrance they ran as fast as they could to the other side of the bridge. They saw Larc had awakened from his slumber and eagerly shouted encouragement that they had to go faster since the bridge couldn't hold much longer. Sierra hoisted Kain up on her back and jumped in the air. While Angelique ran with her remaining staggering strength.

"Just a little bit more than we can breathe easy." She said in her mind. When she looked back she saw that bridge had collapsed and that increased her adrenaline to the limit. When she thought she finally made it, the tiles collapsed and everything went to a slow motion for her. Suddenly, Larc grasped her hand and pulled her up. When she was in the safer ground, Vadise began to chant a rite and the ground around them a magnificent white light. Their surrounding changed, from the desperate gore of the Flame into deep, calm White Forest.

"What in the world happened?" Angelique asked agape

"I transported us back to the White Forest." Was Vadise's reply

"My liege, do you know what happen to Kain?" Sierra's voice brought Angelique's focus back to her brother who's just fainted for a while.

"I do not know… but perhaps he was exhausted. He has strained his body to the limit by battling Drakonis after performing such an intricate spell for Larc." Vadise's word catch Larc attention, he was never informed why did he retained his body.

"Sis… Angelique… what exactly happen when… when… when I…" Larc's sentence was unfinished partly because he was quite mortified by his guilt, partly he was scared to know the truth, and partly because he knew that he had fragmented vision when he was being the centaur.

"Kain saved you. He risked his life to save you, Larc." Larc's question was answered by Sierra's outburst. He knew that Kain somehow had saved him from the dark abyss of hell. He talked with Kain in his subconsciousness after he had finished with the spell. Kain dragged him back to this world, Kain dragged him from his weakness.

"Sierra, calm down. Kain knew what he's doing. Larc, I won't ask you to pay your sin to us but please... don't do this again, okay." It was more a statement than a question when Angelique said that. Larc nodded when she had finished her word. Larc fully understood that and intended that he would pay all of his debt to Kain and Angelique with all his life and as long as he lived.

"I'm indebted to you…" Was his final confirmation that he would protect his friends with all his might. When they heard a moan, they all turned their attention to Kain.

"Ahh… where am I?" What Kain saw was large expanse of trees and blue skies.

"Is this heaven?" Angelique's shrill cry and hugged confirmed that he was still in Fa'Diel.

"Or maybe not… Hello, sis. Glad to see you." Kain smiled before he flinched in pain.

"Kain… Kain… I'm so glad that you're alive…!" Angelique cried as she gave him a bear hug.

"Uh huh… me too. Ange, could you lessen your grip please…?" Kain smiled as he tried to sit up while being straddled by his sister.

"Oh.. uhm sorry!" Angelique released her hug when she realized that she was putting too much pressure on her brother.

"Nah… it's okay." Kain said while ruffling her hair. His obsidian eyes directed to Larc. When Larc saw that Kain's eyes beckoning him to come closer. Larc walked closer to his friend.

"Larc, how do you feel?" Kain's ask solemnly.

"Indebted." Gruff voice replied.

"How so?" Kain's eyebrow arched when he asked again smiling.

"You saved me from my own condemnation and my sister from Drakonis' claw." Larc replied still not facing Kain's face

"Think nothing of it. Both of you are my friend, whose life are dear to me." Kain laughed in mirth when he knew in his heart that he had saved two of his friends. That he could change fate.

"But…"

"Larc, if you still felt indebted then I ask you to look after Angelique, make sure that she did nothing stupid." Kain offered this time more serious than before.

"I will." Was Larc's reply. If Kain wanted him to protect Angelique then that's he would do.

"Good. Now, that this problem had been settled. I need to get back to work." Kain tried to rise slowly since his strength had not recovered fully yet.

"Don't you think that you need to rest?" Sierra asked pointedly.

"Ask Vadise… then you might know why I am in rush. Sis, are you going?" Kain asked as he tried to walk out of the forest.

"Ah yes. Coming! Well, I'll see you both later…" Angelique said while she tried to catch up with her brother.

"My liege, do you know what he's talking about?" Sierra asked her master

"That boy is trying to prevent the worst to happen before the time is up, simply as that." Was Vadise's reply before she slumbered to recover her strength. The brother and sister looked at each, vaguely understanding what the white dragon told them. All they know was that they would lend their strength if needed for their human friends.

Weee. getting closer... . There's still some more :D