"Finally, the exit! I was so worried..."

Rhea and Niccolo had spent the entire afternoon in the Mindas Ruins, searching for the rumored Flowering able to use psychokinetic powers. Niccolo simply wished to disprove such a rumor, or so he claimed. The female warrior knew the tricky rabbit a little better, and her gut told her Niccolo wished to find such a Flowering to earn some profit with it. And just as she suspected, as soon as they found a Flowering using psychokinetic Niccolo attempted to capture it.

But much to his demise and Rhea's amusement, the Flowering managed to escape using the same power Niccolo so longed for. Frustrated, Niccolo decided to abandon the mission and go back to Domina. The Mindas Ruins were a frustrating place to explore. The heavy vegetation merging with the ancient buildings, transformed the area into a natural maze – one worse than the Forest.

"By the way, Niccolo." Rhea caught the rabbit's attention. "I've been talking to Rachel almost every single day for the past three weeks and her conversations are starting to worry me. Could you find something for her to do? Just to keep her mind distracted for a while. Her parents are extremely worried."

The rabbit crossed his arms in front of his large belly and gave the suggestion some thought. "I guess I could offer her a part-time job as an errand girl. Deliver some of my merchandise to the costumers."

Rhea turned her head slightly towards Niccolo. It actually surprised her how generously he made the offer. But of course, it was all a matter of price. "Thanks, Niccolo."

The merchant unfolded his arms while shaking his head. "Today was a complete waste! That Flowering couldn't use psychokinesis, so he ran away! What a fake."

The two bladed warrior seemed dumfounded by the rabbit's statement. "What are you talking about? How do you think he got away? It seemed pretty clear that he used..." her eyes began to follow the rabbit leaving the Mindas Ruins, not really paying any attention to her. "Hey, aren't you going to pay me?" Niccolo left the ruins, leaving the warrior alone. "Niccolo?"

X

Pearl recoiled another bed sheet from the clothes-line. She'd been taking care of the house since Elazul left in order to help Rhea and keep her mind busy. At first she felt sad that her guardian had left her, and while she still wished to be protected, Rhea had made her feel better and made her understand Elazul's feelings a little better.

It became easier as the days went by. Everyone had their own routine. The twins would usually practice their magic, lately they had been perfecting the teleport gate they created. It had become their most useful magic. At first, they could only connect it to Gato, since another magic user had to approve the second teleport gate in order for it to work, and the Gato nuns had agreed to secure the second gate in order for them to travel there quickly.

How it actually worked was confusing for Pearl, but she grasped the concept that there had to be an entrance and an exit for someone to be teleported to another area – which made sense. In the mere three weeks and two days that the twins had been working on their teleport gate, the number of places they could travel had also grown.

Bud became impatient when learning that Rhea had met the Wisdom Rosiotti, and so, after quite the struggle to communicate with said Wisdom, they had created another gate to the Forest where Rosiotti lived and Bud could finally meet him. His twin sister Lisa then managed to convince her brother to expand the gate to Geo, the city where they used to study at. Bud disliked the idea at first, but once their teachers approved the gate and they traveled there, they became happy to see all of their friends again. So much so, that both Bud and Lisa were now at the Duma desert, on a field trip with their classmates.

As for Rhea, she'd been relaxing these days. Every other morning she would go to Domina's market to buy them food and visit her friend Rachel. After lunch, she'd go outside to try and train Fenrir, her one month old wolf who became bigger every day. The rest of her time, she could be found either at the library or outside reading her books. At first Pearl thought that she read to relax her mind, only, she began to notice how focused she looked while reading and even took notes from said books.

Pearl kept herself entertained with the chores around the house. Rhea objected at first, until she understood it made Pearl feel like she belonged there. She would also have stopped counting the days of her guardian's absence, however Rhea kept mentioning him every single day. Pearl smiled at the thought. She wondered if Rhea realized how much she spoke of Elazul and how she was always the one to start that conversation.

Fenrir's growl broke her thoughts and made her alert. The wolf stood at the entrance gate warning a stranger to stay away. Pearl covered her core and walked cautiously towards the gate. There she saw a gray wolf in red armor. He was very tall and hardly seemed intimidated by Fenrir's presence. He most likely thought he could kill the four legged wolf before it could bark.

The beast's red eyes sent shivers down Pearl's spine as it asked. "Are you the one called Rhelia? I am Larc, a dragoon."

The guardian shook her head. "No one by that name lives here, Sir."

She saw the confusion in his eyes, and the consciousness of his body movement so not to provoke the other wolf. "Are you certain? I bear no ill intentions, just a proposal from my lord."

"You should tell your lord that proposals should be discussed in person."

Larc followed the new female voice behind him. A blonde girl with lavender eyes. A hand casually resting on her daggers, only for the dragoon's trained eyes, he knew she was ready to wield them should she find it necessary. "As he does." his voice was a reassuring one. "However, my lord is unable to leave. As such he requests your presence and assures that your time will be worth the listening." he scanned the two bladed warrior once again. "Are you Rhelia?"

Her eyes widened momentarily, but her expression remained the same. "It's Rhea. What was your name again?"

"I am Larc, a dragoon." his gaze shifted from Rhea to Pearl and Fenrir. It became apparent for both girls that the dragoon felt uncomfortable standing there between them.

The two bladed warrior's eyes frowned. "A dragoon, you say?"

"A knight who serves a dragon. If you want to know more, you should come to the Underworld with me."

What the dragoon didn't realize, was that Rhea hadn't made the question because she was unaware of what a dragoon was, rather, she was simply surprised to see one. Still, Rhea didn't correct him.

She rested a hand on her hip, allowing some distance from the blades and allow the dragoon to ease his fighting stance. "You've caught my interest. It just so happens I have been looking for certain dragons for a very long time." She tried to resist, but a sinister smile drew on her face nonetheless. "The Underworld? That's quite far from here, and how am I supposed to enter if I'm not dead?"

Larc's right arm stretched. Small sparks of energy appeared at his fingertips, the wolf concentrated and a large portal appeared. Red and gray smoke swirling inside, hardly inviting one inside.

"This portal will take us inside the Underwold." his red eyes locked her lavender one's. "Once there, all you have to do is see Olbohn and he'll grant you passage."

Rhea laughed, in a way that bothered the others. "It's that easy? I guess there's no harm in listening to your master. I'll go."

"Rhea..." Pearl's voice barely a whisper.

The two bladed warrior approached the dragoon and eyed the Jumi. "Stay here with Fenrir. I won't be long. If I don't comeback by nightfall... tell the twins I'm sorry and Elazul to forgive me. I think this one is really important to me, Pearl."

It wasn't how fast Rhea had decided to go the Underworld with an unknown knight. It wasn't because she forgot all of her responsibilities and promises to keep everyone safe. It was the rage in her eyes that both worried and frightened Pearl. That rage consumed her so fast that the guardian wasn't sure if Rhea felt it at all. And why had she become angry because someone mistook her name?

"Please, go thru the portal and I'll follow you behind." Larc asked.

Rhea waited for Pearl to give her the nod of approval before jumping inside the portal without hesitation. The dragoon followed her before the portal closed and Pearl was left alone with a wolf who begun to howl.

X

Rhea opened her eyes. All was foggy around her and it took her a minute to adjust to the dim light and manage to raise her body from the ground. She felt sick to her stomach and for a moment worried she would throw up.

"Have you awakened?" she recognized Larc's deep voice.

"Awake, yes. Alive? Not so sure..."

The dragoon smiled, revealing his fangs. "You may feel sick and dizzy until Olbohn grants you passage. After all, this is no place for the living."

Rhea cursed under her breath. "I guess knowing that does make me feel better." she shot the dragoon an intimidating stare, as to remind him she did not trust him. "Lead me to your master."

The dragoon nodded once. "First we see Olbohn. This way."

Rhea studied the long murky corridors. Nothing there yet, or at least, nothing she could see. The problem was that despite her vision haven become used to the dark environment, she couldn't see much. Unlike those who inhabited that realm, she was a creature of the upper world.

Hey, newly-dead!

Watch out for that guy!

Kahahaha!

The voices shrieked and mocked in the darkness. Shadoles, Larc called them.

We're like shadows.

Shadows of everything!

You'll be one of us, too!

The journey had been longer than Rhea cared for, with the Shadoles teasingly lurking behind them. She also hadn't expect to fight monsters down there.

The dragoon came to a sudden stop. His arm stretching in front of him. "Inside. Olbohn will help you."

Rhea entered the Wisdom's control room. Olbohn, the keeper of the Underworld met her gaze and then Larc's. Rhea respected the silence between them until the Wisdom took the initiative.

"Larc," the Wisdom's voice was deep and solemn. "Dragoon of Drakonis." Larc remained silent. "Why do you bother me, bringing this person down here?"

The dragoon raised his chest in pride. "As a dragoon, I must follow the will of my master."

Olbohn shot Rhea a more critical look. "You brought quite a lively one... So will Drakoni's plans succeed now?" Another wave of silence was the Wisdom's answer. Olbohn gave Larc half a smirk. "I would love to help if you had a nice spot for me."

Rhea relaxed her hands once the tight grip began to hurt her. She had to focus and be smart about it. She wasn't there... not yet.

Larc's mouth tighten in irritation. "If you really mean it, then give permission to perform the Baptism of Flames. But if those words were meant to insult my Master, then mind you..."

"Permission granted." The Wisdom interrupted. "Receive the Baptism of Flames."

Rhea felt a ghost hand flat against her forehead. She screamed when the heat surrounded her body and the energy flowed inside her. It must have lasted a mere second, but for the two bladed warrior it felt like an hour had gone by. Once it was over Rhea felt sick to her stomach and for a moment she almost threw up.

The Wisdom smiled. "Now you can go to the bottom levels without losing your soul."

"Let's go!" Larc growled. "Our Master awaits!"

"Our Master?" Rhea wondered with some amuse.

They left Olbohn's chamber and further down their path. As they traveled, Rhea began seeing the souls of the dead lurking around. They sent chills down her spine and she hoped, no, she wished not to see anyone she knew.

After a long way down, the two entered a large chamber. Rhea gasped at the faraway castle in the background. A majestic structure towering all the way to the ceiling, desperate for a way out, desperate to display it's power and glory.

"Prepare yourself, my master comes." she watched as the dragoon knelled. "Lord Drakonis..."

A portal, much like the one Larc had summoned for them to travel to that place appeared at her side. She felt her heartbeat raise, her palms became sweaty and rage began to blur her vision. A human form emerged from the portal and the Emperor revealed himself.

His long red mustache drew a smirk as soon as his crimson eyes laid on the two bladed warrior. "So you finally found her..."

The skilful Lord had but only time to draw his own sword to protect himself, as Rhea quickly cut at his flank. The two blades leaped high, above the defense, and hacked at his head. Drakonis sprang backward, and the vicious stroke hurtled down, missing by a matter of inches. Rhea started to rush after him only to be stopped and somewhat choked by Larc's large arms. The dragoon managed to relieve her of the blades and hold her in place by pressing his claws against her neck. Even she knew better than to strugle in that situation.

"Enough with this foolishness, great warrior." Drakonis spoke. "I summoned you for a reason."

"For me to cut your head off, you bastard!" she hissed.

Drakonis shook his head in disappointment. "I am a war Lord. I know better than to search for an enemy that wants me dead had I not a good offer." He waited for the words to sink into her head. He noticed her body relax a little. That was good. "I want you to return the magical powers that were stolen from me by the other three dragons."

Rhea freed herself in a push, and Larc was ordered to stand down for the time being. "Why would I help you? I want every single one of you dead!"

Drakonis frowned. "Because it took you this long just to get to me. And you still wouldn't be here had I not sent someone to get you." The Emperor began to walk around. "I was once the Emperor of Dragons. Thanks to me, we ruled the surface and we were respected by every race in Fa'Diel. Only, three jealous dragons stole my powers for themselves. I was made to wander the Underworld in this weakened form." Rhea noticed how disgusted he sounded. "These three dragons," he eyed her viciously. Like a panther about to hunt. "They were there too. My proposal is as follows. I will tell you where to find them. Kill them, attain your revenge and return my powers."

Rhea clenched her teeth in rage. "And I let you live?"

"I find it to be a fair trade. Three dragons for the life of one." The emperor argued.

"The master does not want you to decide right away." Larc intervened. "I brought you merely to listen to the proposal. I will return you to the surface and allow you to think about it."

Two balls of flames formed at Drakonis side. They floated in loops and circles, leaving glowing trails of scarlet light in their paths. They moved faster and faster, until a portal was opened behind the Lord of dragons. "Take your time to consider this offer, great warrior." He said as his body began to vanish into light. "I'm sure you'll be smart about it."

X

Night had fallen when Larc brought Rhea back home. Smoke from the chimney alerting to dinner, the warm light from the house a promise to another familiar night.

"How long were we down there?" she questioned.

The dragoon seemed surprised. The two bladed warrior had been silent ever since her encounter with Drakonis. Still, he replied. "Even I am unaware how time works in the Underworld. I suppose time is no longer an issue for those of us who no longer breathe." The dragoon kept the portal opened as to leave immediately. "Prepare yourself..."

And as Rhea turned, the dragoon was already gone. Leaving her alone with her thoughts in a much too silent night.

A/N: Sorry this took so long! I actually deleted the original chapter as I just wasn't feeling it. You could say I suffered from a major writers block on this one! I think it turned out ok Perhaps in the future I will revisit it and make a few changes here and there. But for now, it's here to leave everyone curious as to "what is going on?!" :)