Wild West Diego, Beast Tamer Extrodinair

"Ah. And now the two routes have become one. Do you suppose they will fight each other, Leongarddra?" The old man looked up from the orb, watching the giant creature loosen up and exercise. The beast made no effort to respond to Gremory, so the Djinn simply looked back down to the orb and continued to watch.


Ariella and Jahan would find themselves on the opposite side of the city from Yakuroro and Diego, though this knowledge was unknown to the two. They would find a very similar sight that the other two had initially experienced, in which they were standing upon a vast expanse of water. There was no visible sight below that suggested an end to the depth of water, as the light did not reach quite deep enough to show such a thing. The depth that the water reached, on their body, was simply up to the top of their ankles, give or take a small amount. There seemed to be some sort of invisible floor that kept them from sinking. The primary difference between the experience that they had was that the merfolk were immediately visible beneath that strange film of solidity that kept the two from being forced to swim.

It seemed that most of them were heading towards the other group, yet a few stayed behind and stared at Ariella and Jahangir. They looked upon the two with childish delight, performing underwater maneuvers and pressing up against the solidity of the water they were walking upon. Some were beginning to press up against the wall, feeling it with their hands while looking towards Ariella and Jahangir.

Straight ahead was a large tower, the central part of the city, and a doorway that lead into the building itself...



The two began to run, and the splashing sound of their steps in the water drowned out all other sound. They made good time, and the floor did not seem to be giving way under any sort of pressure, despite the fear and worry of the two. They came upon an entrance to a floor-level room just as Diego glanced below. The Fanalis child would find himself staring at a creature much different from the merfolk of before. Though it still had a similar look to it, there were a few dark differences. The most notable being the horrifying face that looked frustrated at not being able to pass through the solid floor. It was pounding on it, trying to get out.

A level of blood lust suddenly came from below, as the swarm of merfolk beneath them took a turn for the worst. They began to swarm beneath them with violent movements, crashing against the floor beneath them.

If the two decided to step into the city, they would find themselves out of the sight of the merfolk. A series of stairs, hallways, rooms and more stairs, with the process repeating, lead to the left. Each room they passed through would have a different motif, and both Diego and Yakuroro would see something the other did not. Things directly related to their past. To the hardships they've endured, and to the suffering they've witnessed. When they got to the third room, there were two mirrors from within and a table in front of each mirror. A large dusty tome sat upon one table, with the Toran words for "Past, Present, Future" printed upon it. Upon the other was a miniature model of Diego's village, which had been destroyed so long ago.

Ariella looked in wonder at the room they had been transported to. It was more a massive area than a room, per se. When she took a step, she noticed a small splash and looked down to see water up to her ankles, making her giggle in child-like glee. With a little splash, she took note of the invisible floor they seemed to be standing on before taking note of the merfolk below. She waved at the creatures with a friendly smile, just as enchanted by them as the creatures were by her. She pointed towards the towering city in front of them with a curious look before glancing at Jahan.

"Wanna race? Its so pretty!"

With careful steps opposite her words, she glided forward in the watery domain, being cautious in case the floor were to suddenly disappear. She wondered what awaited them in this part of the dungeon, glad to be out of the constricted feeling of the tunnels and the unnatural feeling of gravity being shifted.

In truth, Yakuroro's "worries" about the unseen force holding them up vanishing was simply part of his social deceit. His true concern rest with the merfolk below and as such he was paying keen attention to what was going on below his steps as the Imuchakk forged on. This made him aware of the distorted look of malice that the creatures soon took on almost as soon as it became visible. Yakuroro suddenly felt his fears hold a greater weight of justification and he willed himself to run faster as if it were at all possible. Thankfully, the merfolk seemed to be unable to get through to them...for now. It was possible that something Yakuroro had done set the water dwelling beings off, but at the moment he simply thought that their initial friendly appearance was merely part of some natural hunting technique or some other deception.

Thankfully, no fish-men climbed up out of the water even as Yakuroro and Akatetsu scrambled up onto dry ground. Panting slightly from his extended sprint, Yaku slowed his pace down stumbling up steps until he entered the first room. Looking behind him to check that no merfolk had followed, Yakuroro fell to his knees in an overdramatic display of exertion. "That was...a bit...scary..." Yakuroro said through a bout of huffing and puffing. When he looked up after catching his breath a bit, Yakuroro laid eyes upon the walls of the room and froze. The elder of an Imuchakk village pressing a red hot brand into the chest of a young blue haired boy was spread across one wall like a still mural. A scene from Yakuroro's own past that made the brand beneath his tattoo feel hot and far more present than it had ever felt in a great many years.

The magician immediately narrowed his eyes and looked around at other images that were on the walls around them. A sobering silence fell over the man as he viewed several scenes in which his village ostracized him due to the brand marking him as a demon. Yakuroro wasn't particularly shaken emotionally by this. He had forgiven the people of his village long ago and even looked back on the alienation as a blessing. Yet even so, he could not shake the unsettling feeling the murals brought about and tried to hurry on up the next set of stairs and through a hallway but there was no escaping one's past. The next room had more snap shots of Yakuroro's life on the walls. Thankfully, this time the memories were not quite so traumatic.

"Master..." Yakuroro said in a hushed voice as the next two murals he laid eyes on were the blizzard he'd succumbed to after leaving his village followed by the warm tent in which he awoke later. The wise eyes of his first and only true magic teacher stared back at Yakuroro from the walls. Accepting. Knowing. Despite trying to kick Yakuroro out at first, once the old Imuchakk realized the boy was a magician they shared a great deal of time together as master and student. The other images were snippets of magic lessons which were hard days that worked the young fledgling magician to exhaustion before ending with the sight of his master laying on his death bed, old age taking him back to the great flow. Yakuroro was beginning to understand the situation and, based on Diego's reactions, he could tell that the paintings of the past Yakuroro was seeing were unique to him.

As he walked down the hall to the next room he was already expecting what he saw on the walls. The day he returned to the village with his master's staff and a couple years of magic training in tow. His fight against a rampaging unicorn in his coming of age ceremony. Making his first staff that was truly his own out of the beasts horn. Earning a place among the village by making himself and his magic useful only to realize that despite some minor acceptance that he would never truly be happy in Imuchakk society where physical strength was valued above all. Then scenes of his adventures around the world focusing on other hard times in the Imuchakk's life presented themselves including his battle against the black djinn. It was like a walk through his own struggles Yakuroro had faced in life.

Finally, they reached a room which was different from the others. There were no murals, only mirrors and tables one of which held a tome that caught the magician's attention. Approaching the tome and running his fingers along the torran text, Yakuroro read them aloud, "Past, present, future..." He then looked into the mirror and mused, "City of mirrors, indeed. This must be the place the lizard man spoke of. Only this place seems to reflect more than just light..."

With an entrance in sight, Diego let his gaze drop to the creatures in the water. Instead of finding a merfolk, to his surprise he saw something horrific staring back at him. The creature slammed its limbs upon the floor and the merfolk began swimming violently underneath, sharing its frustration. Without hesitation, Diego entered the city, gesturing for his friends to follow along.

As Diego went to follow Yakuroro up the steps, Trixie cut in front of the Fanalis to go before him. When Yakuroro fell to his knees, Diego chuckled, "Better not be tired already, who knows what's-" The boy stopped mid-sentence as his eyes stumbled across a familiar picture on the wall. A bald man grinned at a young boy as he stood near a field of death.

Diego's heart skipped a beat and he looked away, only to see another picture. This time it was one of the boy standing over the bodies of his parents, their faces set in anguish. Tears stung Diego's eyes as he realized the room was full of several more pictures that displayed past memories. As Yakuroro moved to continue up the stairs, Diego's eyes turned to the picture of Jagang one last time. Through the tears and the pain, a fire lit in the Fanalis' eyes.

"I'm coming Jagang. With whatever power I find in this dungeon, I will use it to destroy you." The boy spoke softly, though his words were icy. He looked down to see Trixie sitting at this side with a curious look in her eyes. Diego tussled the fur on top of her head and gestured for her to follow before heading up the stairs.

The next room was filled with more pictures of his past, more recent scenes. Along one stretch of wall was a collage of memories depicting the ambush of the Black Crows and the subsequent kidnapping of Trixie. Remembering the feelings of loss, coupled with the half-dragon's earlier words, tugged at his heart. On another wall, was a picture of a cloaked man, peering out from under his cloak at a room full of people. Beside it was a scene of a boy floating over large crater in an alley. So many deaths that day.

The third room they came across a room that held two mirrors. Before each mirror sat a table which held an object. Diego's eyes settled on the one upon which a model of a village rested. His eyes went wide as he realized why it seemed so familiar, it was a model of his home. Diego slowly stepped forward and took a closer look. With awe-filled eyes, he turned to Yakuroro, "This is where I grew up..." The Fanalis hardly heard the Imuchakk's words.

"Awww Sweet" Jahan said in a childlike nature, he immediately reached down to feel the water at his feet, he marveled in the scenery and wanted to take everything in. If there were something that struck his impulsive mind with awe it would be this without a doubt. The deep blue waters, clear skies and the marvelous city inspired a child like wonder in the man. 

Then he noticed the merfolk swimming about the "floor" which divided them bringing his mind into even more joy. He pressed his hand against the surface giving the merfolk a smile, enchanted by their mysterious and "magical" appearance. He turned to Ari who soon glanced at him and asked for a race. 

"Sure but I wont go easy on you!" 

Jahan then started off without warning, or even waiting for a proper start, the boy moved forward without caution for that was his nature, fearlessness was simply a part of him. He would reach the city soon, likely  far before Ariella, and wait at the edge of it momentarily for the magician to catch up.

Yakuroro would be the first to notice the following events, as he was looking into the mirror even as Diego turned and spoke to Yakuroro. A familiar sight would grace the pair's presence in the Mirror. Yet, the child was turned away and did not see it. It was the mermaids, similar to those that they had seen just before getting into the building. Unlike before, this time the creatures were able to cross the space between their world and the real world; as their limbs met the mirror they turned from those of a merfolk into those of shadow. These shades of malice and hatred, and their sudden appearance from the mirrors, caused the room's tension to grow thick enough to be palpable. Any attempt at attacking them would be determined to be futile, as any strikes made against their bodies would simply pass through the creatures.

The creatures flew through the room at an incredible speed, passing through both the Magician and the Beast Tamer. Shortly after their entrance, even if one or both of the men decided to try to run, the Shades would begin entering their bodies through the ears, nostrils and mouth, if it were open. These did not obstruct the pathways to the individual orifices, yet shortly after they entered the bodies of the two men, everything would go dark....

---

Once Diego awoke from his dream, he would find himself laying back on open ground. The memories that he had from the dream faded away as reality brought itself back to the young Fanalis child. The day was a beautiful one, and it was getting close for his father to return from his hunting trip. When the Fanalis boy returned the village was awash in excitement; his father had quite the catch!

Not only had he gotten a large boar, which he dragged upon a makeshift board, but he also had a strange and unconscious pale human hanging over his shoulder. When Diego's eyes looked towards the pale man, the man's eyes suddenly opened and locked into Diego's. A glint of something terrifying could be gleaned from the man, before the eyes closed shortly after; a strange sensation from outside of the boy's body could be felt, trying to push its way in. Yet the feeling was fleeting, and the people enjoyed themselves greatly, eating a good dinner. That night, Diego's father declared that they would tend to the man until he was healthy once again.

That time did not seem to be far off, as the man quickly got better. Any hint of the terrifying feelings from before had disappeared, and Diego would soon find himself in a world of bliss. Everything was perfect; his family? Happy, laughing, and of a want for nothing. His friends were many, and their nomadic tribe were delighted when he and the pale man, Jagang, told stories at the camp fire. The days would go on and on in bliss. Occasionally there would be writing in strange places, however; writing in the Toran language. Every time Diego would see those words, a strange and faint feeling of loneliness, pain and despair would try to enter the boy. It was nothing big; just strong enough to bush against the child. And every time it did, his attention would be called for elsewhere, whether that be the campfire, the caravan, or his family. And each time he would find his closest friend and teacher, the story teller Jagang, awaiting him there.

One night at the campfire, Jagang and Diego had just finished talking about an adventure. One in which a wise and powerful magician guided a young boy on a long and joyful adventure, braving all sorts of troubles together; the deserts of Heliohapt, the bandit-roads one could come across in Reim, and the delving of a dungeon. At the end of the story, when everyone had turned in, Jagang turned to Diego. "That story. That's you and I, boy. These peaceful days... Don't you want them to continue happening, forever? Just stick by me. Forget everything else. We'll enjoy many an adventure..."

The flames in the fire licked at the night air, crackling as Jagang put more wood into it. There seemed to be something strange, dancing and flickering in the flames. Something... Similar. Toran words, though the child did not know the word. That unpleasant feeling began to permeate in the air.

The image of peace and relaxation at the campfire flickered. A strange image assaulted Diego's eyes, but disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. Whatever it was, the image was strong enough that it could potentially leave an unsettling feeling behind in the child. Jagang looked to Diego. "Boy? What's wrong? Wondering where we would go first? Me? I'm going to Heliohapt.... So will you, if you want to stick around." The words caused a sudden and sharp pain to strike at Diego, and the imagery before him flickered once again. This time, Diego was able to get not only a good look at it, but was also able to hear a message.

The corpses of the tribe were strewn about, dead and rotting. Jagang was still sitting by the campfire, looking at Diego, but the warm and welcoming smile was replaced with a glint of sadistic glee. A disembodied voice called out to Diego, as if speaking directly from his mind. "At last! I think this will be my first, and last, chance to speak to you! Listen! You must choose! Do you want to live the rest of your life with your goals forgotten!? Peaceful, I'm sure, and you'll never feel pain again... But did you forget what he di..." The man's question was prematurely cut off, and Diego would find himself being shaken by Jagang. Any sign of destruction was gone.

"Boy?! Are you alright? Here, eat this herb. It'll make you feel better. The headaches will go away." Jagang held out the herb, waiting for Diego to take it. The herb seemed somewhat... Familiar.

---

Yakuroro had no dream to look back on. He would instead find himself in a void of darkness. Yet according to his feet, there was ground. Regardless of whether he choose to walk around or not and explore the area, live images would begin to appear. They were much like the murals on the walls, yet these moved and showed his memories as he could recall them. Events of his past that he had already seen when he had gone past the first few rooms on his before the sudden appearance of those strange creatures. A disembodied voice spoke from around the room. "The past... Many find themselves lost in it. Unable to continue moving forward. Too busy wishing they had done something differently, or trying their hardest to believe that they still had something they once held. Young King Candidate. You do not seem to be such a man... The present... And the future. That is where your true struggle is."

The voice, an older one, faded from the Imuchakk's hearing. The past stopped showing, and instead there were other living and moving murals showing the present. It played back all of Yakuroro's movements and major decisions since he had come to Reim, with a heavy dosage of the country's coronation ceremony being among the most prominent.

Once again, everything turned black. And just as fast as it turned black, everything came back into sight. What a strange sight it was. Yakuroro would find himself in the middle of a city, with a strange mixture of Kou and Reim flags, pendants and overall culture. Perhaps the strangest part about them would be how the Reim culture seemed to be held with a much greater respect than the Kou culture. A strange force seemed to guide Yakuroro, forcing him down a path. He was almost... A wanderer within his own body. Walking down the streets would yield the magician the sight of many citizens, happily playing. No hunger. No pestilence. The place was incredibly clean. Before long, Yakuroro would come across a large statue of a man sitting upon a throne. The statue's visage would look slightly familiar, though the large owl-like statue would be much more familiar than the sight of the figure on the statue. The Imuchakk could likely link the memory of his fight in the Coliseum with the sight of the beast behind the statue; it was most certainly Zygus. Yet... Could that mean? The stone man sitting upon the throne was King Lagi. He looked much more regal, broad shouldered and powerful than Yakuroro was likely to remember him as. Etched upon the stone were the words 'Welcome to Remano, Hub of the El Nagi, Rulers of the World.'

The feeling of being a backseat driver in his own body once again washed over the Imuchakk. He heard words come from his mouth as he tried to get information from a passerby. The passerby would look at the Imuchakk strangely, but explain that the great King Lagi had taken over the world just five years ago. It seems that the Emperor of Kou came to Reim and a rebellion occurred. Lagi, using that as a catalyst, joined the rebellion to overthrow Kou and claim those lands as their own. From there, one country after the other, the rest of the lands fell to Reim and the El Nagi. Heliohapt, Balbadd, the Imuchakk lands and the Nomadic lands. When pressed on Magnostadt, the person pretended to not hear the word and simply muttered 'Praise El Nagi. Curse fate's guidance. Curse the weak. Give me the opportunity to break the chains of fate.' Black Rukh would flutter from the individual and into the sky, though it was just a slight amount.

Before long he would soon be caught by a couple of guards. "You there! His Excellency has been looking for you for a long time! He says he wants a rematch." Again, his body moved against his will. The King's forces looked to be elite, and surprisingly equipped to deal with any eventuality. There were beast forces and Magician forces that joined the guards as they called out for reinforcements to make sure Yakuroro did not escape. Yet still, the magician was a back-seat driver all the way up to the point that Yakuroro was brought before the throne of King Lagi El Nagi.


When Yakuroro had gotten there, he would see a man who seemed bored with his position sitting upon the throne. His head, resting in the palm of a hand, was pointing towards the ceiling as a servant girl fed him grapes. Two more servant girls were fanning him with giant leaves. Three more serving girls lay upon his muscular body. All were scantily clad, and each of these girls were chained to the throne.  The most easily recognized to Yakuroro was Ayero, who was one of the women lying upon the man, as well as Lady Soushui, who was fanning the King. The other one was somebody whose name he may not know, though there was a chance he could recall Ariella from the ball as well. Perhaps the worst thing, however, was the density of black Rukh. All about the room, from guards to ministers to the women surrounding the King, black Rukh fluttered and made their homes. None of the women seemed to recognize Yakuroro, no matter how desperately he may have called out. King Lagi stood, the women falling to the side and onto the floor. "Ah, yes. Yakuroro. I must thank you, you know. Without my humiliating defeat in the Coliseum, I would never have had the conviction to succeed at creating such an empire as I have done to this day. I'm surprised... Why it is only now you have shown your face? No... That is of no matter. I have to ask, what do you think?" Lagi would open his arms out wide, looking around his court full of black Rukh. "Accommodating, I'm sure. You know... I've worked so hard... To shape this world. To mold it. Bring it to a new age. But there's one stain on my record I want to clear up. And that's my fight with you. Now come, fight me once more, at my full strength! Guards!"

Two large blades were each thrown into the King's hands. Each of the King's guards took a step forward, and King Lagi laughed. "I hope you don't mind. A King's subjects are an extension of the King's body. I did say that I would be fighting at my full strength." He went to take a step forward, and everything froze.

Suddenly Yakuroro would find something even stranger occur. His... Spirit, alongside the spirit of whatever was controlling his body, rose up into the air. It was Yakuroro's first chance at seeing the thing that had been speaking to him, and had been controlling his body.



"Your past... It speaks for itself. You have often found yourself to be a loner, though recently you've been more... Open. I am the Djinn of this dungeon, Gremory, and I am judging those through my trials. I wish to show you this possible future. If you continue to walk alone... You may find yourself facing such difficulties." Gremory would answer a few of the Blue Magician's questions at this point, as the two flew, out of body, straight into the air.

As they continued to gain height, the sight of the planet being overran by black Rukh became evident. Gremory interrupted a question by Yakuroro, speaking while looking out across the planet. "Just a possibility, in the infinite possibilities... But if you find yourself in this situation, would you be able to continue moving forward? Would you be able to continue to fight?" Before he would be able to answer the question, the Blue Magician would find himself back in his body with full control over its functions. A voice echoed in his head. "Now... Show me your choice..."

A small thought, foreign to Yakuroro, would worm its way into his head; this was his mind. His thoughts. His dream. He had control of it, and no one else...




Unlike the prior team, Jahangir would immediately find the creatures react to him placing his hand on the floor. With a sudden movement, a terrifying face appeared on the creature as it displayed a row of sharp teeth and a look of utter hatred. It worked hard to get out and past the wall that separated the two, banging upon it. A small group of the creatures followed both Ariella and Jahangir all the way to the point of the city entrance, yet no matter how hard the merfolk tried to get through they would find that to be impossible.

The hallway headed towards the right, and had a set of stairs at the end, followed by a room, another hallway, and then more stairs. Each room they passed through would have a still-life mural upon the wall that depicted the hardships they've endured, and the suffering that they've witnessed. Neither could see the images of the other, each witnessing their own pasts. When they got into the third room there would be two tables, each with a mirror directly in front of them. One table held a golden crown, encrusted with gems and extremely valuable looking. The other held an open pendant, with an impossibly detailed picture of Ariella's family when she was still young and her mother did not berate her for being a disappointment. If Ariella looked closely, she would find a magical symbol etched on the top of the pendant...

Ari was shocked at the reaction of the merfolk, shuddering at the shade of hatred before following Jahan into the city. Some of the wonder faded from her as they wandered through halls and she took notice of the mural on the wall.

The first image she noticed was a still-shot of her first test in Magnostadt, the initial Kodor placement after the first few months of schooling. Her mother had frowned greatly, her father had remained quiet. She had not scored badly, but she had scored lower than Adius and her mother had berated her, shaming her in front of her classmates for making the family look foolish. Her tail tucked between her legs at the memory and she looked to the next.

This one depicted the final argument between she and her mother, where Evelyn had thrown a bag of gold at her that spilled out across the floor, demanding that if she were not going to take her studies seriously to just leave and never bring embarrassment to the family name again. Adamus had simply stood silent in the background, a frown on his face. She had taken it to mean he agreed with her mother and wished her gone, so she picked up the bag of gold and ran to her room to pack.

The next memory was much more painful, she had come back from Balbadd when Adius had told her their grandmother was in poor health and was likely to die soon. When she arrived at the house, her mother had greeted her with a sharp slap and then fled with tears in her eyes. She had arrived too late to give a final goodbye to her grandmother. Adius had tried to comfort her by saying it was simply that she looked so much like their grandmother that Evelyn could not handle seeing her. She had ripped away from him with tears in her eyes and was back on her way to Balbadd within hours.

The next memory was far more recent, after her arrival in Reim. It showed a shot of her standing over a slaver with a flicker of black rukh around her as she took explicit joy in destroying the man. She remembered how filled with hate and anger she had been, a spoiled magician with no real view of the world. That was before she had seen what it was like to truly suffer by witnessing the struggles of the slums and slavery. She had never been exposed to such hardships in Magnostadt.

The images came faster after that, the slaves she had stumbled upon, the sick and dying children in the slums, the final image showing only the sadistic grin of Lilly, making her shudder, tears streaming down her face.

When she arrived in the third room next to Jahan, she glanced about, taking note of the crown before seeing an open pendant and wandering closer. Inside the pendant was an image of her family from before she had entered the Academy and begun bringing such disappointment to her parents. It made more tears leak from her golden hues before she finally caught sight of the small magical symbol etched into the pendant.

Curiosity got the better of her and she brushed her thumb across the mark, feeding a small amount of magoi into the pendant, wanting to see what the item could possibly be capable of.

Jahan initial shock at the mer-people-gone mad, led him to strike out in surprise, luckily his fist landed short of the malicious mer-beast's cage, for he may have shattered it. However after the shock from the creature subsided he laughed. 

"Wow Ari These guys have no Chill"

The Man still wasn't taking the dangers of his environment seriously, which was a usual thing for him, his heart just did not know the common mans fears. However as he ventured further into the city Jahangir started to notice murals of his past. There wasn't much to see honestly, the most haunting of the images would be that of his fathers death. The bloody battle which had all been a blur of imagery locked inside of his nightmares, had came alive vividly. 

The faces, clothing and the entire scene was accurate as if it were a fresh memory and not one that he had grown as a newborn. Later he would see the boney and scared images of all the freed slaves that came to Typhon as refuge, especially the figures of Knife and Raven.

As he made it to the third room alongside of Ariella, he took notice of the Crown and Pendant on tables in front of a large mirror. Jahan moved towards the crown intrigued by it. He simply wanted it. Impulse taking control over him more than reasoning, he grabbed the crown, tossing it in the air playfully with  a single hand, before giving it one more toss. The crown flipped through the air ridiculously high before landing atop Jahans head snugly.

Yakuroro's eyes opened in surprise when he saw the shade in the mirror and rose his staff ready to cast a spell if need be. The magician planned on using his borg to absorb its first attack without harm and then counter immediately with an offensive magic. "Diego!" The Imuchakk shouted as the strange being emerged from the mirror as a shadow and passed by without doing anything to trigger the magician's borg. As the Imuchakk turned he found that his eyes could not keep up with the shade's evasive movements as it flew about the room with haste. Apparently theses creatures were not acting out of true malice since the borg didn't even activate when the shade passed through the Imuchakk's body and sent him into a dream state of sorts.

The darkness that followed seemed infinite, but Yakuroro relaxed into a calm posture and observed his surroundings with the idea of this being another test in mind. Testing the invisible solid floor with his staff, Yakuroro would take a few steps and look around curiously. It would not take long for more of the visions of Yakuroro's past to surround him taking on a more life-like nature than before. The Imuchakk observed silently and considered what the point of all this likely was. At the moment, Yakuroro wondered if this was an attempt to weaken his resolve. Soon the shades from before revealed themselves again and a voice rung out to slightly confirm this. Had Yakuroro not already gotten over the tragic past he held, he could see how the memories might prevent him from being able to walk forward.

Yakuroro couldn't agree more with the voice that the true challenge in his life was to be faced now and in future days. The Imuchakk believed that this applied to all lives and that all fated hardships could be used to grow stronger. But he would not get a chance to express these views to the disembodied intelligence. Visions of moments more recent in his life were brought about as if to show Yakuroro what the current challenge he faced was. As the past scenes played out, Yakuroro spoke aloud to whatever might have been listening, "It's true, there are greater dangers I must face now than ever before. Fear made me act hastily, but the worl-"


Before he could complete his excuse, the world was whisked away to blackness once more only to be replaced with a strange yet familiar scene. It was remano, but not as he had last seen it. Weary of danger, Yakuroro waited for something to happen and when it did not, he began exploring as a strange sensation seemed to guide his movements. The state of the city seemed to be peaceful and in high spirits. Eventually he would come upon a statue in the likeness of King Lagi and his beast companion with an unsettling inscription. The statue suggested that world conquest had been attained by the man. It was an interesting sight that the dungeon had chosen to present to him. Yakuroro pondered the legitimacy of this future and what it might mean on a global scale. He needed to know more information.

Apparently the vision was in line with what Yakuroro intended as he felt himself controlled once more. It took some asking around, but as the magician witnessed himself question one individual he felt a chill. The very thing he feared Kou would do with Reim in hand had been executed by Lagi instead. It was bad enough to consider what kind of bloodshed was required to conquer Kou's territory alone. But the entire world? He could not see the Imuchakk bowing down to an outsider nor the proud magician's of Magnostatd accepting rule of another country. But the individual would not answer all of Yakuroro's questions before leaving with a dark prayer.

The Imuchakk jumped back when he saw the small flock of black birds manifest from the citizen's mantra. Had the corruption really spread to the daily lives of the common folk here? The city seemed far too clean and ordered for that to be possible. Alas, questioning it left Yakuroro standing out in the open where a pair of guards found him. Losing conscious control of the vision once more, Yakuroro was captured and taken before King Lagi himself whom seemed set on getting revenge for the loss he suffered at the magician's hand. The throne room he was brought to was thick with the black rukh's abominable aura. Seeing the debauchery Lagi lounged in surrounded by women, Yakuroro wondered how such a man had managed to keep a city from burning down to ashes. Then he noticed the large entourage of guards and realized that it must have been enforced through fear and control.

There were familiar faces among the women at Lagi's side, but Yakuroro made no attempts to call out to them. He was already aware that some magic was at work here and that what he saw was likely by design and not the true future of the world. As King Lagi stood and began to speak, Yakuroro looked down and closed his eyes hiding his expression from view. The taunting words of the king washed over the magician and his mind studied each sentence. 'Where is it...?' The magician silently thought to himself as his hands shook in closed fists. He was looking for the point behind the test. The question that its giver was trying to answer.

Eventually, Yakuroro would be given the hint he was looking for. Experiencing a spiritual movement of sorts that took him from his own body, Yakuroro came face to face with the Djinn of the dungeon. The blue skinned man spoke on Yakuroro's isolated heart and how it held dangers for the future. The threat was punctuated by the view of the planet itself engulfed in the embrace of darkness. "What are you trying to-" Yakuroro would be cut off again as the djinn mused emphasis that this future was just one of many. But the answer Yakuroro had been looking for since he entered the throne room was answered by the Djinn's questions.

Promptly finding himself back in his body, Yakuroro felt more in control of himself, the presence influencing his actions and the world around him no longer as strong. Confidence that this was all in his mind and that it remained under his control passed through Yaku's thoughts.

---

"Fufufu...hahahahahaha....bwahahahahahahaaa!" The Imuchakk began laughing hysterically and seemed to have lost his mind for a moment. The King and his guards all halted their advance and looked on in confusion at the unbelievable act. Yakuroro brought a hand up to his face and he stood tall locking eyes with the King. His expression no longer hidden, Yakuroro revealed his true face as the heavy eyes of a King Vessel looked to Lagi with a confident smile. "You are most welcome, I am glad that you enjoyed yourself but it is I who must thank you!" The magician spread his arms and his smile grew as Yakuroro realized that he was not alone.

Like a true king of deception, Yakuroro played false cards declaring himself the true mastermind. "Why would I wait so long to show myself indeed? Every step you've made up till now was just as I expected!" Yakuroro would dramatically point his finger at Lagi as he answered the questions in his own mind. Why WOULD he wait to show himself? Why would he let himself be brought to the King without resistance? Why else other than because it was all according to plan? "Who was it that made your ascent to power possible? None other than I, Yakuroro!" The threats present in the room were "real" despite Yakuroro's bravado, but he would make those dangers into his weapon.

Yakuroro believed that he would have ensured the guards were already in line with his plans. As soon as he thought of this, the magician suddenly noticed a familiar tiger donned in armor next to a high ranking guard who's gear demarked himself as a leader among their ranks. This guard removed his helmet showing himself to be an older looking version of Diego. "Now!" the fanalis shouted and at his command most of the guards turned on their corrupted peers and King Lagi himself. The women around the despot ruler then leapt upon him using their chains to try and bind him in places.

Yakuroro let his hands drop and he spoke in a booming voice as he passed judgement on the betrayed King who betrayed those around him. "It may be true that you achieved world domination. But behold what doing so for greed and selfish desires has brought upon you. You stand at the top, but none stand by your side without chains to bind them." The words were as much a reminder to himself as it was a chastising of Lagi's rule. "You reject fate and seek to erase past defeats and failures such as your loss to me. But destroy that which made you who you are is a path of self ruin. Fate is not about accepting a dead future. It is about building a better tomorrow based on the pain you've suffered in the past."

Then came a declaration of Yakuroro's intent and will. "It doesn't matter how much you taint the world or how much you seek to control others or keep them on their knees. People will stand up again and walk towards the future because that is what they were born to do! As long as at least one person holds this conviction in their heart..." Yakuroro stepped forward and knelt down by Lagi's side before gesturing out to the people around him as a storm of white rukh began to flow from the people and spread throughout the kingdom converting the black birds of depravity into the white will of solomon.  "It can spread to the hearts of others and pave a new path to the future!"

Diego studied the model of his village that rested on the table before him. Memories continued trickling through his mind of times long since past and he felt himself rise out of his body, staring down at the table from above. The Fanalis didn't notice the shades until the very air filled with an aura of malice. He snapped back to reality just in time to witness them rush towards him and seep into his pores. Before Diego had time to register the need to react, everything went black.

---

Through his eyelids, Diego noticed a shadow block out the morning sun. Lazily lifting his left eyelid, he is greeted by the familiar silhouette of his mother. She looks down at him with a beaming smile, clearly bubbling with excitement. His father had arrived back from the hunt. Diego leapt up and grabbed her hand, breaking into a run. His mother laughed raced him back to the village. She beat him but just barely, the past couple months Diego had been getting faster.

"Papa!" Diego shouted when he caught sight of his father. As he approached the older Fanalis, Diego  noticed the large boar that his father was pulling along behind him, as well as the man he carried. Tilting his head in curiosity, Diego leaned closer for a better look at the sickly figure. The man's eyes flicked open, revealing spiral-ringed iris' that burned into Diego's eyes. Something passed between the Fanalis and the strange man, making Diego take a step back. As quick as he noticed the sensation, it had passed. After placing the sick man in the tent the tribe used as an infirmary, Diego's father ruffled his son's hair and gave him a hug.

As the day faded to night, a large feast was prepared for Dalmad's return. Laughter and wine flowed freely as everyone celebrated. At some point during the festivities, Dalmad announced his intentions of taking care of the pale man and explained how he had been found. Sure enough, Dalmad with the help of the shaman, Croquete, nursed the man back to health. They learned the man's name was Jagang and soon became accepted by the tribe. Jagang proved himself to be a man of honor, by repaying his debts through labor. Diego grew attached to the man, fond of his ability to craft riveting stories. They would stay up late telling stories over the campfire.

Time passed, each day filled with joy in a perfect world where every need was provided. At times, Diego saw brief glimpses of a strange script, sometimes on a leaf or a flower or in the clouds. He would always be filled with a sense of dread, thankfully Jagang was there to pull him away. That was something the boy enjoyed about the man, he always seemed to know what Diego was thinking and how to help ease his troubles.

During one of their long nights at the campfire, Jagang had just finished a tale that had Diego hanging onto every word. The tale was one where a young boy and a magician traveled the world fighting evils on a wonderful adventure. Diego nodded, "I'd love to go on an adve-"

The Fanalis paused, as Jagang added wood to the fire, Diego noticed something in the flames. He stared closer and recognized the disturbing script that had been popping up, filling him with that same sense of dread. A vision pierced through his mind but before he could fully see it, the image grew hazy and faded away, leaving him with a gut-wrenching feeling.

Diego looked up at Jagang's question, the words distant and distorted. Yet the man's last words struck a disharmonious chord within the boy. Diego doubled over in pain as the vision from before burned into his eyes. No longer were they alone around the campfire, instead the bodies of Diego's tribe littered the ground, rotting and full of maggots. His stomach turned and threatened to spill his dinner as he looked upon the scene.

When his eyes turned to Jagang, the man had a sadistic smile plastered on his face. Diego was filled with a mix of fear and anger, but something called out to Diego. A voice in his head shouted out urgently, trying to relay a message. 'First and last chance? Who is this? Goals?'

The voice was cut off and Diego found himself on the ground being shook by Jagang. The boy sat up and looked around, but the bodies from before were no longer there. Diego's gaze turned to Jagang as the man offered him an herb. As Diego stared between the plant and Jagang, he found a distant part of him filling with anger. He recognized the herb, but he found himself unable to recall how, the name or its use, which frustrated the Fanalis boy further. When he lifted up his hand to accept the herb, a part of him rejected the action and Diego jerked back.

The more he thought of the man's words, Diego's mind turned to the vision he had seen. Every time the sight of his family's decaying corpse assailed him, the Fanalis took a step back from Jagang. He found himself growing more distrustful of the man, but it hurt his heart to feel that way. How could he feel so violated by the sight of a cherished friend? What had the voice meant?

"Leave me alone! I can't think!" Diego shouted and he turned to run off into the woods. He was cluttered with conflicting emotions inflicted by the disturbing images. He needed to get away to be by himself, to find some answers. He needed to get away from Jagang even more so, Diego was having a hard time controlling his anger, seemingly without any cause. Maybe if he could get to Fish Head Creek, he could calm down. The rippling of the waters usually soothed his mind.

The image upon the pendant changed, fading away and then being replaced, one by one, with the images of individual family members. The only one that did not show up in the small pendant's picture frame was her mother. There was one individual, however, that was out of place; the appearance of Azix. It was only a momentary appearance, and disappeared to be replaced by an image of their family, minus Evelyn. And with everyone being the appropriate age. As this image appeared before Ariella, Jahangir had just finished flipping the golden crown into the air.

It landed upon his head, and the merfolk from before immediately appeared in the glass mirrors. Upon exiting those mirrors, their forms underwent a transformation. They were dark and dense-looking smoke-like beings, and their bodies did not seem to be effected by any sort of attack from their world. There were fewer here than there were in the room with Yakuroro and Diego, yet their speed was still quite real, and neither Jahan nor Ariella would be able to escape them as they came forward and entered into the bodies of the two dungeon challengers...

---

The darkness surrounded Ariella, and that darkness held within it a terrible stench that permeated in the air. Any movement she made would inform her of the ground around her being littered with something strange. Something... Soft. Any sounds made in the room seemed to echo, but otherwise the darkness was as still as the night. A disembodied voice, one that was familiar to the Magician, came out from the dungeon. "Ariella... Do you wanna play, too?" It was the sound of Lilly's voice, yet the distance it came from was impossible to determine. Any additional movement, and Ariella would likely step in something wet and slippery.

A flame had lit up, just a few meters from the Magician. The rays of light brought forth an incredibly grim picture; a mixture of both children and adults, slain and lying upon the floor. Some were dismembered, others were stabbed, and many simply had their throats slit. The radius the light from the burning body showed this sickening sight was only in an area of six or so meters, yet the bodies seemed to continue beyond the light. Again, the disembodied voice echoed throughout the area. "Come on Ariella. Play with me. It'll be fun!" A girl's giggle punctuated the end of the request for Ariella to play with her.

Before Ariella had a chance to explore very far, another familiar female voice would speak up from behind her. Evelyn brushed past Ariella with a disappointed sigh, her voice cold and sharp. "Move, Ella. Unlike you, I keep my obligations. Go find someone else to disappoint." The distaste the woman held for her daughter was not hidden in the slightest as she moved around Ari, her steps brisk and purposeful. She brushed some blonde hairs from her face, not even giving Ariella another glance in her pursuit. She disappeared from sight when she reached the edge of the fire.

Another burning body appeared, far ahead, once again casting light on the surrounding area. Evelyn had somehow managed to cover an incredible amount of distance, as the sight of her facing Lilly was evident. "Oh, you're here to play too? Come on, follow me!" Lilly lead Evelyn away from the light, and a thud was heard, much the same as the noise of a soft object falling to the ground. "Why do all my toys break so easily?" Lilly's voice sounded extremely disappointed.

A new burning body appeared, to Ariella's left. The light shown upon her father, crying. "My Evie... You've been taken from me... But I won't let them take our children." The sound of his crying stopped. Any attempt at shouting out to him would be in vain, as it seemed he was unable to hear Ariella. "No... They won't get our children, Evie. Ariella and Adius. They're both our precious children, and I will not allow harm to come of them... But I must find out if you're still alive!"

Lilly made an appearance in that circle, walking into it. "Ariella's mommy broke too fast. Did Ariella's papa want to play, too?" Her knife had blood on it, but was the blood from Ariella's mother, or was it simply a morbid game the child was playing? Adamus roared, bringing his wand out and leveling it towards the child while firing off a large flame that rushed towards Lilly. The child skipped back into the darkness and Adamus followed. Shortly after he was consumed by the darkness, another thud was heard. "Darn. Father always says that they don't make toys like they used to..."

The change in shadows on the ground would tip Ariella off to another burning body behind her. This time, it was her brother Adius. "Adius, help me!" Her own voice called out from the darkness, impossibly so as she was not the origin of those words. Adius turned and ran towards the voice. "Ari?!" A familiar thud was heard as Adius walked outside of the light's edge, and out of Ariella's sight.

The scene changed, and she found herself once again in the hallway of the ballroom. As if everything had never happened. Except her family was not there. This was a new ball. A new celebration, for something completely different. And a new fire was raging in the rooms. The flames roared, and Lilly walked from the room that burned with great abandon. "Ariella... You wanna play too? It'll be fun!" Everything paused. The flames. The child's taunts. The dull sound of music that was playing in the ball room just a moment before.

An old man appeared from beneath the floor, wise in appearance though a little... Blue.



"Young one. My name is Gremory. I am the Djinn of this dungeon. The master of this place. You are in a crossroads, of sorts. If you hesitate, you may lose many things important to you. You have hesitated in the past. Can you face her, in the future?" The Djinn would answer a few of her questions before interrupting her. "Show me your will. You cannot lie to yourself in your own mind. Do you have the strength to face her?"

Time would resume, and Lilly would take the first step forward...

---

Jahangir's sight went black, but soon came back to him. When he awoke, it would seem as if he had been remembering something from the past. All of that was simply a dream, however, as knowledge of where he was came flooding back; they were at the gates of Magnostadt, laying siege to the city in order to conquer it. The last thing he could remember was a large rock flying towards his head before everything had went dark. It was night time, but the entire place was lit up to hell so badly that one would hardly be able to tell. There were shouts and commands, and a pounding headache assaulted Jahan's consciousness. A man, dressed in a soldier's uniform, knelt over Jahangir. "Your Highness! Are you okay?! Somehow the enemy managed to get into our camp! You were hit by a catapult's shot, as well! Luckily, it hit the hardest part of your body; your skull. Lieutenant Minerva handled guarding you until you were able to feel better. Lost her Borg, but took out at least ten of their top Magicians! Wish you could have seen it, sir!" Over that soldier's shoulder, to the right, stood the familiar sight of somebody Jahangir cared deeply for.

Minerva. Upon hearing that he was awake, she began to turn towards Jahangir with a smile in her face. "You w-worried me there for a moment, i-idiot! Didn't I tell you to be ca..." Her words stopped mid-sentence as a blade appeared to be sticking out of her chest. The invisibility from the Magician fell away, revealing a man who was in tears even as he pulled the blade from Minerva's heart.

The Magician smiled a bitter smile as the tears ran down his face. His clothing denoted that he was simply a third kodor Magician; nothing special. Yet the adage 'No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp their style.' certainly played true here. "You bastards! Attacking our homes! Our families! I won't go ea..."

One of the soldiers screamed out in rage, cutting the man off even as his blade decapitated the Magician. "LIEUTENANT!!! SHIIIIT!" The soldier was incredibly upset, having lost his commanding officer. Some of the other soldiers were beginning to feel the loss of morale, and their fighting became less fierce. As if to punctuate the dire problems that Jahan was facing up against, another explosion had went off somewhat close to the man. Magnostadt wasn't a pushover country, that's for sure. Their repelling of the Kou invasion some years back was no fluke.

Two more Lieutenant's approached the man and slapped some sense into him. "Get a hold of yourself, Soldier! We've got work to do! We can mourn her death later!" The two lieutenants turned to Jahangir, nodding towards him. "Pops. You gonna be alright?" It was Knife and Raven, two of his adopted family members. A beam of energy suddenly made an appearance, bisecting their bodies from the waist.

A voice echoed within Jahan's head. "This is a very real problem you face here. I can see your ambitions, but I must ask; are you ready for the consequences? Will you be able to see this through?" Was it a Magician, taunting Jahangir from the safety of the accursed tower of Magnostadt? The camp was in a panic, and needed the firm guiding hand of a leader. Yet, at the same time, those who were close to Jahangir had just died. How would he handle the matter?

---

Both Diego and Yakuroro would find that the images before them faded from view, replaced with the realm of reality. During his view, earlier, Diego would have noted that the miniature replica was, in fact, a pop-up book, and there were other scenes within it as well that would remind him of the pleasant times of his life. A voice echoed within the room, familiar to both of them; Yakuroro would know it as the voice of Gremory, whereas Diego would recall the voice being from the strange warning message he had received when inside of that dream-like state. "You may continue forward, to the central tower, and advance to the Chamber from there. Ah. And the Magician? You may find that book useful. I suggest you keep it." Opening the book would yield the sight of a magical circle inscribed upon the interior of its hard cover, yet the pages seemed blank. There seemed to be a deeper purpose for the magical tool, one that would take time to discover.

The way onward was open, however in the next room there was a set of stairs that went upwards, to the tower, and a set of stairs that went downwards.

It seemed like there was noise coming from below, and if they chose to investigate it they would find Ariella and Jahangir caught in a sea of black mass. All attempts at harming them in that state would simply be met with an impassable wall. If the two were there, the Djinn would speak to them. "They are here to compete for the strength that can be found from the dungeon. If you wish to challenge them, you may certainly wait to see if they will be able to escape from their personal prisons of darkness, or if they succumb and stay trapped in there until this dungeon has been cleared..."

Otherwise, if they instead chose to go up the stairs and ignore the sounds from below, they would eventually find themselves in a room of stained glass. Upon the floor was a motif made of light that seemed to imitate the sight of the night sky that they had experienced while in space. It shimmered while radiating power; no doubt the portal to the next room.

The Imuchakk returned to a relaxed standing position as he faded from the dream and back to the room where he had been before the surreal experience began. As Gremory's voice sounded around them, Yakuroro clenched his left hand into a fist as if to grasp fate itself and looked down at it thoughtfully. The fact that he had passed this test told the magician that his ideals surrounding fate had the Djinn's blessings. It also suggested to him that he was not wrong to have opened up to Ayero and Diego in recent months. Rather, he should perhaps even hasten the slow but steady efforts if he sought to truly have their support in the coming trials ahead. But these were thoughts to mull over after the dungeon was conquered. At the Djinn's recommendation, Yakuroro took the book in hand and opened it up. It's nature as a magic tool was clear, but its function not so much.

With little else to do, Yakuroro turned to advance to the next room but stopped himself as his turning gaze fell upon Diego. "Are you alright?" Knowing the boy's tragic past, Yakuroro could only guess as to how traumatic his experience with the shades had been. Even if Diego told the magician that he was fine, Yakuroro would reach out to pat his head and ruffle his hair playfully before offering words of encouragement. "Thanks to you, I was able to make it out alive. You look good in armor...you too trixie. Now then, what do you saw we go capture ourselves a dungeon?" Akatetsu then pushed his head between Diego and Yakuroro demanding his head be pat as well, "Gyarwar..." Apparently the chimera had been quite worried about Yakuroro while waiting for him to come out of the dream world. Now that he was back, the beast wanted attention. "There, there. We'll be out of this place soon enough. Lets use the gold we get to have a big feast at Lady Soushui's." Yakuroro suggested as he rubbed Tetsu's carbon skull. The prospect of good food and his family being together again excited Akatetsu and gave the young chimera the motivation needed to focus back on the task at hand. Completing the dungeon.

When they advanced to the point where the other challengers were visible, Yakuroro would frown at the thought of waiting to ambush them. "We aren't here to trample on the paths of others...Lets move on." and with that, he would turn his focus to the path leading to the next magical doorway. There was no need to ask if Diego was ready this time. After coming this far, it should be a given that they were both prepared to forge on ahead. Tucking the book he'd obtained into his magic carpet belt, the Imuchakk reached for the portal and entered its threshold.

As Ari tried to activate the necklace, a sudden swarm of merfolk from the mirrors converged and the shades took her to a place of darkness, filled with the sickly sweet stench of blood. A moment later, the voice from her nightmare was drifting towards her, the voice of the psychopath child asking her to play. She tentatively began moving forward before she was jostled as her mother pushed past her with cold words.

While some might think the tone was just from her mother being in a hurry, Ari knew she would have addressed her in the same way if she had just been told tea was ready. Hurt flickered across her face at the words as her mother disappeared into the dark and then the voice of nightmares rang out again. Ari gasped as she heard a thump and rushed forward in hopes of saving her mother from the tiny monster. Before she could move far, her father appeared to her left and she tried to cry out to him, but her voice fell on deaf ears as he verbally lashed out at Lilly.

Ari tried to move and stop him from following the destructive child but she was not able to and another thud was heard. The sadness was slowly being replaced by anger. While she had been panicked and slightly sad at the loss of her mother, to take her father was unforgivable, she had just begun repairing her relationship with the man, and she could not handle losing that. She grasped for her wand as she looked around, trying to find Lilly in the darkness when she heard her own voice in the darkness, and calling out for her beloved brother. The one person that had always accepted her and been supportive. The anger burned hotter as she tried to stop Adius from following the mimic of her voice. Another thud and then the scenery changed.

Suddenly, she was at a ball, in the same hallway as before, only this time the fire was different. Everything was different, but the same. When Lilly emerged in front of her, Ari immediately gripped her wand and raised it up. This time, she would not falter or hesitate. And then the oddest thing happened, everything froze and a blue man appeared before her and spoke. She listened to his words, anger and grief in her eyes. She would ask nothing of him but offer him only an answer between grit teeth.

“I will not hesitate again.”

When time resumed, she was ready and flew into motion immediately. She lashed out with her Numbing Spheres, targeting Lilly’s legs and followed up with Twining Vines and Electric Cage II. The attacks would hit Lilly’s leg, making the girl stumble to the ground before the vines would wrap around Lilly’s legs and the electric cage would pop up around her. Ari simply stared at the girl that would not be able to escape the cage without paralyzing herself, if she happened to get loose of the vines. While she had no love for the girl, this was more acceptable to her than killing the child. She would, if need be, but she would rather avoid it. Her voice was hard and emotionless as she addressed the girl.

“Even if you take everything from me, I will still fight. And I will win. But you are a child, you are only what you were created to be. Maybe, with the right circumstances, you can be taught humanity. If not, then I will kill you. But even a monster like you deserves a chance to redeem themselves.”

Looking around once more, logic filtered into her mind and she realized she was caught in an elaborate illusion meant to test her. While she did not appreciate the method, people most often showed their true selves when in duress, so she could understand using it as a testing method. But what was she being tested for? She called out, unsure of if the Djinn could hear her.

“Is this what you wanted? Did I pass? Or must I kill a child?”

[magoi 155/300]

Abilities Used:

The headache Jahangir was assaulted with upon waking up felt far too real, along side the camp, the fires the smell of battle. Everything felt almost impossible. He saw the image of Minerva coming towards him, obviously to scold him as usual. He smiled, it was his fault after all for taking a rock to the head-. 

Jahan's eyes shot open immediately from the site of a blade piercing Minervas chest, and with that the feelings of rage and despair grew over him ten fold. He would have completely obliterated the man who had slain Minerva, yet the ringing headache and his own men beat him to it. 

After that the scene just sort of replayed in Jahans head over and over again, his body felt a maelstrom of emotions, yet he himself just couldnt believe. He couldnt even begin to comprehend what had just played out in front of him, or maybe he just didnt want to believe it. 

He was brought back to reality by the sound of ravens voice, however even that was soon interuppted by a beam of light which literally split them into two. The sight of which drove Jahan to complete anger and despair, and produced a fear within the boy that he seldom ever felt. The fear that he would be alone at the end of things.

A voice echoed within Jahan's head. "This is a very real problem you face here. I can see your ambitions, but I must ask; are you ready for the consequences? Will you be able to see this through?"


The voice penetrated Jahan's mind and resonated over and over again. While it could have been many things, Jahan would have to guess it was not. ITs words weren't that of an enemy, not with the driving force of his enemies being their sheer hatred and anger towards him. It toyed with him, asking if he would see this through, and the entire thing only angered Jahan. 

"Where Am I! Whats happening!" The events that he had just lived through and his memories simply did not add up, and that also triggered more anger in the fanalis boy.  He only truly remembered being in the dungeon, and running alongside Ariella. 

Then it began to add up, if only a tiny bit, however the whole of his anger did not subside. 

"I must still be in the dungeon, being tested. The voice is likely the master of the dungeon, the djinn himself" Jahan thought to himself, he couldnt be completely sure, however he would go with this regardless. It was the only thing that made since to him, so regardless of rather or not he was in the dungeon being tested, or not he would focus his energy as if so.

"The consequences? Seeing this through? I WILL NEVER BOW DOWN, GIVE UP, OR BREAK.!" Jahan more so shouted this, to whomever whatever, anything. The anger boiling from the images which he could only assume were conjured by the djinn of this dungeon sparked a fuse of anger towards the being. 

"This is the war I started, and the world will be unified, and NONE OF THIS WILL EVER HAPPEN. NOT TO ME, NOT TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN."

Jahan would sit upon the throne one way or another, he would mold the world in the image that he saw fit, and he wouldnt let anything stop him. Those thoughts were all that could run through his head, nothing not even death would stop me. 

The bodies of his loved ones even further ignite his fiery passion, he stood up. If finishing this battle was his test then so be it. 

"Soldiers! Attention!" Jahan began barking orders, changing the position of his men, echoing them to a new formation, and creating a mini tactic to encircle the enemy troops, his mind was working over drive, or more so his heart. Somehow the man was able to make solid decisions, his experience truly showing itself in this moment of passion.

"I will have this country, and I will have you as well master of the dungeon. The world needs a new order, and I will be the King to give it so!"

The scenery of the woods crumbled away, returning Diego to the room he had been in before. His memories flooded back as well and he connected the strange feeling to what it truly was, rage and pain towards Jagang. He realized that it had been a test, but Diego felt a sense of failure at having not killed Jagang when he was so close. Tilting his head back, the Fanalis let out a primal roar, "Jagang!"

Yakuroro's words of concern snapped Diego out of his thoughts and the Fanalis took a moment to nod. Then the Imuchakk magician did the one thing to make the Fanalis boy calm down, Yakuroro pat Diego's head and ruffle his hair playfully. After the fresh memory of his father doing the same thing, a single tear ran down his cheek. "Thanks Yaku. Sure, let's go finish this dungeon."

Diego followed Yakuoro into the next room where there were two sets of stairs, one leading up and the other down below. He followed the magician down the lower one until they caught sight of two people surrounded in darkness. The familiar voice in his head suggested waiting till they were done with their personal prisons. Diego understood that they were also having similar experiences that he had. The group turned around and went back up the stairs, taking the route that led upwards. Soon they came to a room filled with stained glass on every wall and a motif of the night sky on the floor. The floor shimmered with an awesome power, but that didn't stop Diego and his pets from following Yakuroro into the portal.

Gremory watched his orb as the groups moved and were effected. He grunted as Jahangir responded with information he should not have known. "Leongarddra. Remind me to discipline the Shades. Somehow they had failed to keep the man from the first group from remembering that he had been in a dungeon. I allowed no such information to be leaked to the young one there...."

Leongarddra let off another attack, which extended some distance away from the creature. He cracked his neck, back and forth, and turned to Gremory. "Simply have them work twice as hard, right now, then, until you see the results you were looking for. You didn't want to see that particular contender's resolve when he knew that it was a test, correct?"

Gremory sighed, massaging his forehead. "Yes. Different individual tests were given to each of the contenders... I suppose the Magician that was with him has passed, and so I can assign some competent Shades to the man in order to get the job done... Ah. Leongarddra. Welcome our guests."

---

Ariella awoke from her trial, though she heard no suggestion of whether the Djinn had approved of her choice or not. Not a single sound was uttered. Perhaps the simple fact that she had been released by the strange Shades implied that he approved, or perhaps it meant something completely different. The Shades that had left her body made a straight shot towards Jahangir's, and Ariella would be unable to stop them. They created something of a dark force-field around the man she had entered the dungeon with.

What could the man possibly be experiencing..?

---

The soldiers made a good faith effort to turn the tides around, yet the power of Magnostadt was nothing to look down upon. Their fighters clashed with Magnostadt's magicians, and the battlefield was littered with the bodies of the dead and defeated. During Jahangir's outburst, one of the soldiers nearby looked up at him in confusion. "Sir... What are you talking about..? Who are you talking to? Sir, please, focus on the present. We need you here."

Memories would be filled in between the time he had visited the dungeon, and the time he was experiencing at that very moment. His trip in the dungeon had lead him to nothing; the end held no power, as Zadi had said it would. Perhaps somebody else had gotten there first? Once again there would be a feeling of him having woken from a dream. It was the feeling of having been brought from recalling something, and back to the present time. The situation kept getting worse and worse, even with the assistance of the tactics and strategies Jahangir had learned; the Magicians fought with tactics and strategies that were with completely different rules and laws. Jahangir's forces were beat back so heavily that they had only one strategical option left available to them; to retreat.

How would Jahangir recover? Would he give up on his conquest?

---

Diego and Yakuroro would note that reality became a haze and their vision became unfocused. Slowly it returned, and before them was an entirely different scene.


They were standing upon a floating arena within the confines of space. The stars shown beautifully across the vast expanse. Yet they were not the only ones who were standing upon the rock. "...get the job done. Ah. Leongarddra. welcome our guests."

Yakuroro would recognize the Djinn, who was sitting upon a chair made of gears with an orb lying upon the ground, by his feet. There was a second being that shared the platform with the four. A large creature, that looked something akin to a humanoid lion. The creature stood at a total of three meters tall, with a weapon that was just as large resting upon his shoulders.



The creature chuckled. "Welcome to the chamber. I watched your fight in the Trial of Strength. Impressive... But that trial is simply to keep the weaklings from reaching the chamber. I am here to see if you have the strength of a King. Prepare yourselves!" The creature let out a lion's roar, but was shortly interrupted.

"Wait!" Gremory stopped the beast form charging forward with his single command. He turned back to the contenders. "I am Gremory, the Djinn of this dungeon. Two of my tests measured your personality and smarts, and two of my tests measure your strength. You, Imuchakk, my tests were never truly to test you, but to test your friend's choice of companions. I refuse to follow one who has already gone through the trials of a dungeon, and gathered the power from within... But child..." Gremory turned his full attention to Diego. "Are you truly looking for the power of a King? For the power to lead? If the answer is no... I can offer something  else. A different power. For that, you do not truly need to be tested by Leongarddra... Yet simply handing it over is out of the question. Lets see... To avoid a trial by combat, you must guess Leongarddra's full name. If you guess correctly, I will reward you."


OOC:

Ariella, you are refunded your Magoi/Stamina and cooldowns for the abilities you used in dreamland, since you did not actually use those abilities.

Ari was glad when the vision released her and the shades seemed to leave, but her alarm grew when she saw them immediately head for Jahan. She sighed but did not attempt to interfere. She understood now that each person had their own test and trial to survive and so now the man had to face his challenge and see what the Djinn thought of it.

The Djinn from her vision had seemed kindly, not cruel, regardless of the method of testing them, so she would go back to examining the pendant that sat in front of her mirror while patiently waiting for Jahan to complete whatever the dungeon had in store for him. Hopefully, he would get what he was looking for in the depths of his vision. If not, she was not sure what would happen to her. She wanted to explore more of the rooms but she did not want Jahan to be alone when he finally came out of the trial. So she would wait and just look at the pretty pendant that seemed to match her hair.

[magoi 205/300]

"W-what? Sorry soldier the heat of battle is affecting me" Jahans memories were plugged up and the illusioned strengthen to the point where he had no idea what had come upon him. He was here in the battle for Magnostadt he realized and he was losing it, rather badly. His army wouldnt be able to hold out and there defeat was inevitable. So what would he do?

As embers, smoke and ash blew past the boys face he had decided it, mounting a war horse, he called for the next commanders in rank. He would do only what he could do. 

"Were going to pull a modified retreat. Have the soldiers run, creating a line for the magicians to punch through, after there surrounded, we'll retaliate as we make our escape." It was a battle formation turned into a retreat route, his options where nil, but he wouldn't leave without taking out as many as he could. He was just as angry as they were, just having witnessed his lover and family die. However he was a commander, and a king before anything else, and his even though his emotions were everywhere he would stand by what he believed in. 

"We have lost the battle, but the war wages on. We will unite the world. Go, hurry and sound the horns, command the men and rush for your lives. I will fight this battle until all of my precious soldiers have escaped" 

Jahan was feeling a wave of resolve and compassion from the deaths of his family, and while he would like to move forward, and burn everything to the ground. He would not allow his men to suffer a fate like his with no chance of victory. So instead Jahan fought, and charged into battle, using every bit of power he contained within himself to buy time for his comrades. He feared not death nor an army. For him this wasn't giving up, but another obstacle in his quest to unite the world.

Everything around them grew hazy as the room faded out, replaced with the backdrop of space. Diego and his beasts stood on a rocky platform with sharp edges that dropped off into eternity. There were two other beings that shared the platform, other than Yakuroro and Akatetsu. An old man sat in a chair fashioned of gears, his skin a familiar blue hue that Diego would recognize. In Caim's dungeon, the Djinn had been much larger, but the skin tone was similar. Nearby the Djinn, a large lion, as tall as his friend Ilirran, stood with a gigantic sword on his shoulder.

The lion-man welcomed them to the chamber before telling them to prepare for a fight. The Djinn called out to halt the lion-man's movements, introducing himself. The Djinn asked Diego if he was searching for the power to become a King and lead. The Fanalis boy shook his head, "No, I'm not interested in leading. I am interested in finding the power to deliver a long awaited justice." He looked between his beasts and Yakuroro. "I also wish for the power to protect those I care for."

Gremory gave an interesting offer, instead of fighting Leongarddra, Diego could guess the large lion's full name. Thinking carefully, he realized he had nothing to lose by accepting. "I accept your challenge." The Fanalis wasn't sure what it could be and as his mind turned the name over in his mind. He stuck his hand in a pocket and felt something inside, the glasses Ilirran had given him. Inquisitor's Gaze had made the Imuchakk warrior more intelligent, which meant they might help solve this puzzle. He fed magoi into the magical tool as he slid them on and began going over the problem in his mind once again.

[125/160]

Spoiler:

Thoughts would flood through Diego's mind as it raced and made new connections. Gremory leaned forward when he saw the boy put the glasses on, and let out a low whistle. "Hoooo. What have we here? The Inquisitor's Gaze? It seems like you understand... The gravity of the question." The Djinn smiled, tapping his finger on the chair. The man had made a pun; perhaps he enjoyed word games?

Another flash of recent memory would make connections within Diego:

The First Floor:

The Dragon, and the rest of the reptilians, learned things from the city of mirrors; yet when they went to that city, it was empty. This likely meant that that was where everyone lived, but they were on various floors of the dungeon while others entered for the trials. Their culture and learning came from that city.... And it was called The City of Mirrors.

The glasses did their job, giving Diego additional things to think on, but the final push was up to the natural abilities of the Fanalis boy.


"Ah. Leon. It looks like the second group is ready." Gremory made the comment, looking back at his orb.

---

As Ariella continued to play with the pendant she had the opportunity to note that the picture inside of the pendant changed to those that she held in her thoughts, though it seemed limited to her immediate family, with the inclusion of Azix and exclusion of Evelyn. Asides from that, Ariella would be the first to notice the change in Jahangir's condition, as the Shades left the body of Jahangir and made their way back to the mirrors.

Jahangir's vision would return and he would awake from the trial. The Djinn would speak words that seemed to have come from above the stairs. "Come to the tower. I am awaiting somebody strong enough to grasp victory. The portal will take you to your final test."

The two would find a similar scene as Diego and Yakuroro had found when they originally entered the central tower; the only remaining question was whether they were ready to enter or not.

The magic that transported the group was beginning to seem familiar to Yakuroro. Oddly enough, it brought back memories of Lady Soushui and how the Imuchakk had first met the woman. In that instance, he'd been put asleep by her magic. Was something similar taking place here? Yakuroro's mind became transfixed on the idea of solving the secrets behind this magic. Excitement built within the magician's chest even as he took his first step into the astral set stage and for a moment he did not seem to notice his surroundings, lost in a void of nerdy glee. It was not until the lion man welcomed them that Yakuroro came to his senses and really took a look around. "Bwaaa!" The Imuchakk jumped at the sight of Leongarddra and he clutched his staff in hand ready for battle. Thankfully, Akatetsu was nearby to lightly slap Yaku on the back of the head.

Calmed from the panic, Yakuroro lowered his staff and listened to the rest of what the lion had to say. The Imuchakk found it strange that the powerful looking warrior found the test of strength to be an impressive display. His eye brow raised and interest piqued in the talking manbeast as this suggested to Yakuroro that the lion had an eye for good magic. He'd been expecting the muscle focused mindset of his tribe to have dominated such a terrifying fighters personality. Gaining a sudden respect for the humanoid, Yakuroro became more relaxed and his eyes began to take in the rest of the surroundings even as Leongarddra declared they would battle.

This scan of his surroundings allowed Yakuroro to spot and set eyes on Gremory just as the Djinn began speaking. The timing was uncanny. To Yakuroro it had almost seemed as though the djinn blinked into existence. "Hooo~!" The Imuchakk felt the urge to clap at what he thought was a masterful display of magic. But he contained himself and listed to Gremory's words with a rare genuine smile. The news was both disappointing and promising at the same time. The magician didn't much care that the Djinn was interested in serving him, but more so that it hadn't really been trying to test him in the first place. But their trip into the dungeon had certainly not been in vain. An offer was made to Diego. Power for a display of wisdom...or might.

The Imuchakk wanted to speak, but he remained silent and let his eyes rest upon Diego. The Imuchakk himself thought the question almost unfair and expected Diego to complain about the terms. But to his surprise, he looked down at the fanalis boy to see Diego happily accept the challenge before entering deep thought. All desire to help Diego melted away from Yaku and he turned to face Leongarddra meeting eyes with the lionman. Diego likely didn't want Yakuroro's help. This was something Diego could do on his own. Yakuroro realized that his job in the dungeon was not to protect Diego but rather to help him up should he trip on his path. Even if the next possible trip meant clashing head to head with Leongarddra.

Ariella brushed a finger over the pendant again, surprised to see Azix there instead of her mother, though she supposed it made sense, considering her feelings about her mother and her affection for the light magician. She looked over to Jahan and would breathe a sigh of relief as Jahan seemed to finally come out of his trial unscathed. When the voice of the Djinn emanated from above them, she would give Jahan a moment to recover before offering a nervous smile and nodding up the stairs.

"So, what do you say? Are you ready for your final test?"

When he was ready, she would follow him up the stairs and through the portal, setting aside her nerves and preparing for whatever challenge might await them.

Diego's mind raced using the power of the glasses, as he tried to connect the dots. Memories of the dungeon were drawn forth and he found himself studying the knowledge the Half-Dragon on the first floor had shared. There was nothing readily apparent from it, they had learned in the City of Mirrors and doing such, they had gone through an evolution to gain superior intelligence.

The Djinn's play on words did not go unnoticed by the Fanalis, who narrowed his eyes and wondered if it was a clue. Leongarddra...hmm... Diego remembered that the dragon had avoided explaining their language. Play on words...what if...City of Mirrors Characters formed in his mind to visualize the lion-man's name. Suddenly he noticed a pattern, the name started to reverse at a point.

Diego filled out the rest of the pattern and looked up at Gremory, a smirk on his face. Before giving the answer, he hesitated a moment and glanced at Leon. If he was wrong, they would have to fight the lion-man and he looked very strong. If Caim was any standard, he would be exceptionally strong. The Tengu creature had been difficult with four people and a few beasts.

Diego set his jaw, perhaps with Yakuroro at his side, it wouldn't be so bad. The Imuchakk was quite strong...The Imuchakk. Gremory had been talking to Yakuroro when he was talking about the trials of a previous dungeon. At that moment he hadn't thought about it, but what power did Yakuroro obtain? Diego turned to the Imuchakk and gave him an odd look before turning back to Gremory. "My guess is Leongarddragnoel."


[125/160]

The Djinn nodded as the child spoke the beast's name. "Excellent decision. You have no doubt saved yourself much effort with that. Leongarddragnoel is his name. Now, your reward..." The man waved his hand in the air, and a shimmering light appeared besides Diego. It radiated a power that bespoke danger.

"I do not doubt that you have the resolve to live through it, but know this; by entering into that haze, you will be forever changed. You will become closer to a beast, though you will retain all of your memories and bonds with your current friends... It will be a painful process. And it will be a process that takes some time. If you are willing to sacrifice your current looks in the pursuit of strength for your goals, then enter."


Leongarddra watched as the child, Diego, went through the process of deducing his name. The beast set his blade down, piercing the ground until he was able to rest both hands on the end of the hilt while leaning against the sword. His face was blank, avoiding any tells or sign of encouragement towards the child's decision until after the Djinn had announced Diego's victory. A grin crossed the beast's face. "Congratulations. You may soon count yourself among my brethren... Though I suppose I am both relieved and regretful that I was unable to test the might of the two of you."

Gremory covered his mouth and cleared his throat. "That being the case, I believe your restrictions were rescinded, and you were given your sword only due to their participation in the battle..." After seeing the pleading look in the beast's eyes, Gremory rolled his own eyes. "I will be limiting the power from it, of course."

Leongarddra hummed, which almost sounded similar to a purr. "Thank you, Gremory. It feels strange to not fight with a blade."


If Diego entered the haze of energy, it would begin to restructure his body and cause the child to turn into a half-beast, half-man creature. Only time would tell exactly what he would become...

OOC:

Once you enter into the haze, it will take 2 posts to complete your transformation.

Jahan gasped, and upon coming back to his sens of reality, he was mentally cluster fucked and confused. 

"Battle Magnostadt.Dungeon..." He grumbled not really understanding what he had just experienced. He took a moment, and after eyeing Ariel he scratched his head, upon his finger touching his crown the boys eyes widened. He then realized that he was being tested. Jahan exhaled, before grabbing the Damokles blade, and heading up the stairs. 

"Im about as ready as ever" He said confidently.

Jahan would head towards the final section of the dungeon with haste, he was wary of this place, and rather un-amused by the merpeople and the lost city.