A/N: This will draw influence from both the sub and the dub at times. If things don't necessarily conflict, I'll likely combine them. If they do, I'll try to give sub precedence where I'm familiar enough with it, but I've seen a lot more of the dub, so it's bound to fluctuate a little. That said, my emphasis will certainly be on general storytelling first and foremost. I hope you all enjoy!

Today was the anniversary. Ten-thousand ninety years exactly since the fall of his kingdom. During that time, Dartz had accumulated hundreds of thousands of souls with ease.

By taking advantage of men's wars, he afforded himself a surprising amount of spare time. By seizing the souls of criminals who had been sentenced to death anyway, he afforded himself even more. It was not uncommon for Dartz to go inactive for years at a time, relying only on well-placed pawns to 'farm' designated locations, allowing him to focus on DOMA's business endeavors and attempting to commune with his god.

It was a largely solitary life, and a lesser individual may have been frustrated that after so long, the time was still not yet right. But time had made Dartz a very patient person.

Today, however, was different. Today, to his pleasant surprise, he heard something new. Or rather, he felt something new. Leviathan did not communicate directly. Rather, the power of the Orichalcos moved through him, giving him feelings, ideas, instincts. It compelled him to actions he did not always understand himself, but he was far beyond the point of questioning them. Himself, perhaps, if he was having trouble seeing what the Orichalcos tried to show him. But never the power itself.

The dragons.

He could feel their presence, but it was faint- distant, and clouded. A memory of the past, or an inkling of the future.

To combat three legendary dragons, he would need to seek three knights of his own. Three dragon-slayers. Three swordsmen, three musketeers, of sorts. This he suddenly understood clear as day.

The question of where to obtain them was not so easily answered, but he did know they would be none of his current servants. He needed furious souls. Souls that would rage fiercely against this world and everything within it. While all his pawns held some bitterness, he needed more.

And although he knew nothing else about them, he had some basic understanding of where he'd need to look to find them.

It seemed he would be taking a trip.

Dartz didn't know where he was going until he got to the airport, and one city spoke to him. This happened again at the next port, and the next, until he found himself in a medium-sized city in Victoria, Australia.

He continued to follow his gut to what seemed like a poorer, somewhat run-down part of the city. Then, his compulsion ceased. Either some unforeseen magical force was in play, or- more likely- he had reached his destination.

When nothing stood out in Dartz's immediate survey, he found a place to settle down for the moment. He knew it may take hours or even days to find what he was looking for, but Dartz was a very patient person.

This did not mean he could not be mildly disappointed at times, however. The city had its share of scum, but nothing out of the ordinary. He may have sought a person in a position of power, but little he'd seen could qualify as anything of the sort. The local priest seemed closest, and Dartz had found their type… difficult, over the years. The criminals seemed petty and lackluster. And his magical right eye detected no particularly powerful souls in the vicinity among the common folk, either. Not that this was surprising, given the majority of those were currently tradesmen, nuns, and children.

Still, he had waited three hours thus far, and he could certainly wait longer.

He was just preparing to continue his round of the area when something caught his ear, clearly than it should have been at that distance:

"YOU WANNA GO, MATE? Call me a drongo again- I bloody dare ya!"

By the time Dartz turned toward the source, a small boy was already whaling on not one but two other children, both larger than himself. Naturally, each time he would focus his attention on one, the other would take the opportunity to counter, but his sheer speed and ferocity kept them both at bay, until the boy stood over them, bloody but victorious. Judging by his caretaker's reaction, this was a common occurrence.

As he watched the scene play out down the street, Dartz had to admit this was not what he expected. The boy could not have been older than 9 or 10- barely older than Kris had been- and beating up the other orphans in a church's orphanage was hardly the first thing he expected to see his future knight doing; the situation was so utterly ridiculous he couldn't help but smirk to himself.

But as he walked away to plan his next course of action, there was no doubt at all in his mind, and he'd confirmed with his own eye, that boy's soul blazed brightly already. With the right push, he could become powerful indeed. Truly, there was a fire within that child.

Speaking of fire…

Dartz may have been surprised how little he'd needed to manipulate the threads of fate in this ordeal, but such had become par for the course over his life. It was the reason he trusted the Orichalcos's compulsions unwaveringly.

It was not difficult to ensure several people would still be inside as the church burned, or that the building's new owners would be in the crowd, or that young Valon would see them.

He was, however, surprised both that the boy went so far as to kill the presumed arsonists and that he was able to take down all three of them with no intervention.

Dartz considered recruiting him then, but he could feel now that the time was not right. The ten years that the juvenile was soon sentenced for 'manslaughter' would only serve to feed his rage and mistrust toward the world, and, of course… Dartz was a very patient person.

Months passed. A year. A year and a half.

At last, Dartz felt another compulsion. This time, however, he'd be setting events in motion much more remotely. The proper chant with the proper timing, and the ocean bent to his will.

It would be only two days before he saw news of the ship he'd sunk, but three years before he learned of its sole survivor. That was okay. He did not know in what way this event would bring another knight to his circle, but he trusted that it would.

His investments in both war and prisons paid off around similar times on two different continents.

In Asia, world-renowned company Kaiba Corp was currently supplying weapons to one side of a heated Civil War. With some gentle persuasion from a hefty investor, CEO Gozaboro was convinced there was no harm in profiting off both sides of this war if it was going to continue, and to take the opportunity to field test some of his newer innovations.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Valon was proving more of a problem child than Dartz could have hoped, rarely out of solitary more than a few days before he picked yet another fight, usually with multiple children and sometimes even with the guards. Due to be transferred not for the first time to a more secure facility, Dartz was easily able to have him brought to a more specialized location, where he would be taught a new means of conducting his battles, and farm Dartz a healthy dose of fresh and troubled souls in the process.

Only a month later, Dartz sensed it was at last time to meet one of his knights face to face. He followed his compulsions once again until they led him to a child refugee who had lost both mother and brother.

Dartz's words were laced with honey and promise as he offered the child a chance at vengeance- a chance that was eagerly accepted. What options were left at this point, after all?

Once they had boarded the plane to return to DOMA headquarters, Dartz prompted, "You've very quiet, child."

"... I don't really have anything to talk about," was the murmured response.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" Dartz asked gently.

"I guess…" Grey eyes averted. "My name's… Amelda… I'm e-.. I guess I'm twelve, now… I…" There was a long pause. "I used to like reading, and chess, before… Miruko and I didn't really have time for fun, though, since…"

As the tears started to fall, a small part of Dartz felt a tinge of sympathy, although another part wondered at the Orichalcos's intent in sending him a twelve-year-old child. Yet another part, however, couldn't help but lay a comforting hand on Amelda's shoulder as he mused, "You were a gentle spirit once, weren't you, child…" He did not expect an answer, and none came, but it wasn't hard to see. It seemed the kindest hearts broke the hardest. This would be good for inspiring the Orichalcos's will.

Then, against all reason, Dartz suddenly heard himself saying, "You remind me a bit of my own daughter." What? After all this time, did he still have a parental side somewhere within him? How strange.

Amelda became a little more withdrawn. "Uh.. Thanks? I think, but… I…" The child bit her lip and mumbled, "I'm a boy…" … His lip.

Dartz's eyes widened a little. "My sincerest apologies, young man." He decided downplaying the comparison might be most helpful, and offered, "I only meant that you'd both suffered a great deal in a short time. Though it has been… quite some time since I lost her."

Amelda looked up to him with hurt shock, then looked away again. "I'm really sorry…" He clenched his small fists.

But Dartz shook his head. "Don't be. In time, you and I will find others who understand the darkness in this world as we do. And together, my child, we shall end such suffering. Together, we shall usher in a new age."