A/N: This is a bit of a short chapter, but since it's been a while I'd thought I'd post this. The next part will hopefully not take me as long to do, and I don't think it should. But we'll see how much time college allows me. lol Thanks to everyone who gave reviews, they not only encouraged me to write faster but they reminded me I had a story to begin with. I forgot about this, with college and all, but I'll do my best to continue writing this. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own DB.

Assault

In his mind, this wasn't a horrific act of hate or war, this was justice. Justice so long in the making, that the very thought of its completion made his heart beat ever faster. He would bring justice for the death of someone too young, justice for a world that deserved safety under his command and justice for the sake of justice, because there was never enough. And now, in the knowledge that it would be taken in such a way that the future, universal rule of his empire would be that much more closer to finality, Drakkus laughed, deep and long. It was all coming together so nicely.

The Power Booster, the only living thing that Drakkus had seen come from the city thus far, sat tall on his dragon and endured the insanity of the laugh. When it died down, Parm called out, "I believe you know our decision."

Drakkus sighed happily. "I must say, I'm a bit surprised; I do wonder how exactly you feel about killing everyone within your…city."

Parm inclined his head, mouth set firm in a scowl. "Word, you don't need to kill everyone. The wo-"

"-the women and children don't deserve it, I know," Drakkus interrupted. "The young dragons are innocent as well. Why, perhaps I should let them all go."

"Do not mock us," Parm said in a low voice.

"Mock you I shall, until you prove to me that your 'empire' does not deserve it." Drakkus regarded the Power Booster with a tilted head. "But of course, such an undertaking would be impossible. You can't expect children to do the work of warriors. And warriors I have, in the tens of thousands!" Word spread his arms wide, and Parm couldn't help but glance around him at the waiting wraith army behind Word.

"While you," Drakkus continued, in a lower voice, "rely on a child to save you. "

Parm grinned behind his mask. "To you anyone must seem like a child. How does it feel to get beat by one? Especially one you hold in such low regard."

Drakkus huffed and clenched his hands. "I went easy on you all in the past. I couldn't show my true power, but now, now I have no need to hide from the public. Now you shall see again…like you've seen before."

Parm's grin faded with every word spoken and eventually set in a firm scowl.

"You remember the village that used to lie on the border of the Blue Empire and the Red? I know you do. That was a fantastic battle, wasn't it?"

"No," Parm thought to himself, closing his eyes in guilt. "He's just trying to rile me up. Get me to do something idiotic. I will not let that happen."

Drakkus watched his bowed head that shook slightly in barely repressed anger. Drakkus sighed. "I do hope you know what will happen here." He leaned forward, the taunting almost as fun as the moment of winning itself. "The exact same thing."

Parm's eyes snapped open. He breathed heavily as images of a flat, smoking village replaced the one behind him, and anger welled up inside. For a moment he thought he might break, but then he breathed out and relaxed as the anger was replaced by a grim realization. Word was right. Parm looked up into the green eyes of Drakkus. The exact same thing would happen to the village. But this time, however, he would make sure that a body count was not included in that destruction.

"I may have made tactical mistakes in the past that had great consequences, and like all mistakes, I've learned from them. It will be different this time."

"Hmm," Drakkus mused, "I wonder if it will be."

"The most dangerous dragon is the one that is cornered. Remember that, Word, and do not take us lightly."

"But dead dragons are not dangerous at all," Drakkus hissed, "and so shall you be."

Parm scrutinized Word as his steeled nerves hardened through countless battles and threats placed a dry grin on his face. If Word was overconfident, then the tide of battle may be shifted so that Connor's plan could succeed. "I hope you aren't placing too much trust in those wraiths of yours. They can't think, and we know that's a problem on the field. You don't have warriors Word, you have cannon fodder."

"Enough!" Word yelled. "These are not ordinary wraiths. I've brought a new foe for the Dragon Booster. Your hero deserves the very best. He'll go down as a Dragon Booster should; in vain and right on target."

"This is the day your Empire crumbles and your dragons fall. Enjoy your last breaths. When the sun sets, I'll have won!"

Behind Word, the wraiths suddenly bellowed and the riders yelled. As his attention was drawn by the sudden commotion, only his quick battle reflexes allowed Parm to lift his hands and block Word's mag-stream attack with one of his own. The purple energy that met his own green crackled mere feet from his face.

"Ugh," he grunted. "Too close. Word's gotten quicker than last time."

The sound of energy increased, and without even needing to look down, Parm knew that Cyrano was countering Abanddonn's stream. They were in a compromised position, Parm realized. Looking to the left and right showed wraiths stalking closer. He couldn't let down his attack without having Word's hit him, and he couldn't fend off the wraiths when he was holding off Word's mag-stream. If it was anyone else it wouldn't have been a problem. But Word was strong and his mag-stream was difficult to hold back.

Drakkus smiled in glee as he noticed the Power Booster's dilemma, and focused more on his mag-stream, giving Parm no leeway.

"If that's the way you wish to do it Word, then so be it." Parm slowly removed one hand from controlling the stream and shakingly lowered it to his saddle controls. Sweat poured down his face with the intensity of holding Word back with only one hand; he could feel the heat of Word's mag-stream coming closer, almost too close. "Just a little more."

Word had a few seconds to wonder what on Draconis Parm was doing before Parm's finger met a certain switch. The green mag-energy instantly pushed the purple back with such speed that Word's hastily made mag-shield came too late. He cried out in frustration as he flew through the air and landed on the ground in a cloud of dirt behind Abanddonn.

Abanddonn growled and intensified his own mag-stream against Cyrano.

Parm looked to the approaching wraiths and sent out multiple mag-bursts from each hand, driving back the wraiths on his right and left simultaneously. The rest of the wraith army growled threateningly and powered up one by one.

Parm looked them over. "It's time to leave, Cyrano." Cyrano grunted in acknowledgement, and with Parm's help managed to blast Abanddonn in the face. The behemoth staggered back a few steps and shook his head, roaring in indignity.

Cyrano swung around and raced through the gate as it closed. The volley of mag-blasts from the wraiths hit the gate with sharp thuds that echoed. The few that made it into the village harmlessly struck empty buildings.

"Secure the gates! Take your positions!"

Parm ignored the shouts and leaned over the saddle, breathing heavily and wishing he could wipe his forehead. That emergency mag-pack he had certainly came in handy, but now it was empty. He shook his head and sat up straight, No time to linger on that, he only hoped what little time he had been able to buy by stalling Word was enough. Speaking of Word….

Parm turned on his VIDDscreen. "Kitt? You were right. Word has some new cards up his sleeve."

"Scales."

Word stood up and glared at the gate as it clanged shut. He squinted his eyes slightly at the bright lights as the mag-blasts left little more than black marks on the door. Then he laughed.

When all this was over he'd make the Power Booster pay. Such acts as he had done were ultimately useless and would certainly seem so when Word towered over their broken bodies in the midst of the smoking ruins. There would be only one victor, and in one day, Word would take everything he wanted; Connor Penn, the Dragon Booster…and his dragon. With that dragon, smashing the remaining Empires would be easy and the Black would have no choice but to bow to him.

Word looked behind himself to his army and raised his right arm. Abanddonn lifted him and placed him in the saddle where Word brought his arm down in a sweeping gesture and shouted, "attack!'

The wraiths roared their understanding, powered up and let loose their energy.

His claws gripped the ground in frothing anger as his eyes grew wide at the sight before him. At a loss for words, Propheci darkened his features with a low growl. "Humans will pay."

The wraith army stretched for miles before him, where he stood on a grassy knoll concealed by the trees. Thousands upon thousands of dragons who had their freedom taken away in such a horrible way marched slowly towards the village. Propheci looked to where the last of the heavy, black smoke was just disappearing into the atmosphere. It was still a ways away yet. No doubt Word was attacking something, but what it was exactly Propheci didn't know. What army would be here? There was nothing in this region, so perhaps they were en route to a battle field and Word had ambushed them. Whatever the case, Propheci saw thousands of dragons who needed help.

He turned his head to Sycundys, who was watching him closely. "We shall begin. It is illogical to take prisoners today. Kill all the human wraiths."

Sycundys nodded her understanding and raced off with several other Prophets who were standing close by. When the only thing that accompanied Propheci was the wind blowing through the trees, he went down the hill another way. If today would prove to be so kind, Word Paynn would fall into his paws. He just needed to be ready.

The wraiths walked onwards to move into their assigned positions, unaware of the dragons deftly sneaking by in the forest. All communications between them were done by small flicks of the tail or quick motions with their paws, and as such they moved silently. They crouched in the tall grass and behind trees and bushes, eagerly awaiting the order to avenge dragon-kind.

Silently the signal came and they rushed forward. They wove in between the straight lines of the wraiths and jumped on their backs, ripping the humans from the saddles and slashing away at the control gear. The wraiths paused in a moment of confusion, but then fought back, throwing them off and meeting mag-stream for mag-stream.

Word Paynn, seated at the head of the army, heard nothing. His ears were full of the sound of mag energy hitting the energy shield that protected the city. Once this was down, the walls would be stormed and whoever was foolish enough to try to retaliate was as good as dead. Then he could go off in search of the Dragon Booster and Mortis, though if his guesses were correct, they'd likely be waiting for him.

He knew he'd have a bit of a problem when the shields came down. As much as he loathed Parm for saying it, what he said was true. Word's wraiths were cannon fodder, and today it was in the numbers of his army that he expected to win.

He watched appraisingly as his army's attacks continued without pause, knowing full well that the shields could not hold forever.

"Master," a raspy voice came from his VIDDconsole.

"Yes?" Word answered and had to tear his eyes from the magnificent display of power before him to turn his attention to the human wraith.

"There is-" The wraith was cut short as he was blasted from his saddle.

Word leaned in close with full attention. "What?"

Through the still active VIDDscreen Word saw a Prophet leap onto the wraith and accidentally cut the VIDDscreen off with a slash of its hind feet.

"Unbelievable," Word gasped incredulously. "Now of all times!" He opened another line and barked to the VIDDscreen. "Send the rear flank to deal with that nuisance!" He cut it off before the wraith could answer.

He looked up at the softly humming shield that continued to absorb his troop's attacks. He paused, eyes twitching and fists clenched tight. He hated to leave a job undone. He sighed as he activated several controls. Behind him, large footprints were they only indication of what waited in eager anticipation.

"We'll be back shortly," Word hissed to the besieged city.

The electric sound of so much energy hitting the shields nearly drowned out Kitt's voice as she instructed those around her.

"Keep the flares on standby and don't break from the formation unless I say so!" she had to yell to make sure everyone heard her. They were avoiding using the COMMlinks as much as they could for fear Word might hack into them, and since her squad was nearby there was no need to chance it

"Aim for the control gear and watch when your energy lev…," Kitt trailed off when the world went silent and her voice echoed throughout the courtyard. She cringed slightly at yelling so loudly when there was no background noise to overcome. "Wha?" she turned around.

No energy was hitting the barrier and the city was eerily silent. Kitt turned Wyldfyr around so that they were facing the quiet walls. Her eyes searched for a reason, but over the height of the walls could see none.

Her VIDDscreen flickered to life. "Mom?"

"Parm," she said, all too intent on the situation before her. " What's you- wait, Hoph?" Kitt's eyes jumped down to the screen, where Hoph's head was turned slightly up and away from the screen, no doubt looking at the energy shield.

"Why'd they stop attacking?"

Kitt gripped the handles a bit tighter than before. "Hoph, is something wrong?" she asked as the silence foreboded something terrible.

"Oh, um," Hoph replied quickly and paused before continuing, " you-know-who said that half of the who-know-what are in the you-know-where." He grinned at the screen.

Kitt suppressed a grin and rubbed her forehead. "Alright thank you, Hoph."

"So," Hoph continued, moving from foot to foot uneasily, "why'd they stop."

"We don't know," Kitt answered, eyes surveying the quiet shield as she moved Wyldfyr to go speak with her lieutenant.. "Now get into the tunnel."

"I'm with Artha. Can I stay with him outside, please? I'm helping him."

Kitt looked down at the screen to see Hoph's pleading face. "Look Hoph," she said, "as soon as we have even one wraith breach the walls you get into that tunnel."

Hoph seemed to think over whether trying to argue with his mother would benefit him, but in the end he agreed without further question. "Okay, Mom."

"And Hoph? Take Artha with you."

Hoph glanced over to his left. "Okaaay, but I can't promise anything."

Kitt frowned slightly. What was Artha doing? Now was not the time for him to be stubborn. "Do your best. I'll see you later, honey."

"Yeah. See ya!" He exited the call with a quick smile for her.

Kitt pushed the handles further forward and focused her attention on her job at hand. At least the evacuation was going smoothly. If Word continued to attack the shields with as much power as he had been doing, then they would be able to keep it up until the very last of the humans and dragons made it into the tunnel. That was the ideal scenario, but Word had quit his assault and that only served to make Kitt nervous as to why.

Elsewhere Parm stood, back straight and head upturned, to stare relentlessly at the shield. Word was up to something, and though his pause gave time for the people to escape, Parm knew that he'd take the barrage of energy over this stillness any day. His eyes narrowed. Was Word preparing a huge weapon? No, what preparation would need all the wraiths to cease fire? "Scales." Parm glared at the slight blue hue of the shield. "Just what is Word doing?" He couldn't counteract if he didn't know what it was he needed to stop in the first place.

He looked to his side and said sharply, "well? What does he see?"

The man standing there held his right hand up with his VIDDscreen on, his face as troubled as Parm's. He looked up to the wall, and as Parm followed his gaze he knew that the slow update on the COMMlink was not good at all. The people and dragons that were stationed on the wall furtively tried to peer through the shield, but try as they might the other side was too distorted by the energy to discern anything. All of their outside cameras and sensors had been destroyed, and as it stood, they were blind to what Word was now dong.

The man beside Parm finally shook his head. "He can't get through. They really did a number on them out there."

"So every single sensory device is out." The man beside Parm made a small grunt at his musings. "Bravo Word," Parm said, voice barely above a whisper. "Now how on Draconis did you know where they all were?"

Mortis sat on Tyrannis Pax as the last line of defense against the people; far enough from Word to be of any use in that respect, but close enough to ensure that the plan went smoothly. He sighed, but resigned to his station quietly. He would see some action yet tonight, he could feel it. Word was a devious fighter, and the calm always came before the storm.

Over his shoulder he could see the mass of people and dragons filtering into the building, and if he looked hard enough he could see Artha nearly begging people not to bring every single item from their home with them. Connor smiled faintly as he watched Artha. He wondered if he would ever stop feeling so relieved at having Artha alive.

His smile slowly faded from his face as all the happiness he felt morphed into sadness. Seeing Artha again, so unchanged and normal, only amplified how empty that space beside him was. The space that should've held Lance as he either helped his brother or intentionally caused mischief was so glaringly void, and the longer Connor stared at his eldest son the more he felt a yearning for his youngest. Lance leaving was his fault, Connor knew. He blamed him for leaving Artha to die, and even years after Lance had bluntly shouted that heart breaking fact to his face, Connor still felt the sting. He should've done more…somehow. Connor wasn't sure exactly what he could've done, had he been given the chance to go back in time, but he knew that his duty as a father called for it. He had lost his oldest son and then he had lost his youngest.

But Artha had returned. Connor clenched his jaw and felt hope rising again. If Artha could defy all odds and return, then Lance could too. Connor only hoped he would forgive him; he couldn't bear to feel like this any longer.

Sycundys was thrown from the wraith and landed on her side, pausing only to regain her breath before she jumped back up to her feet. She hissed at the sharp pain in her side, only to barely miss a wraith's claw as it swept through the air where her head had been. She rammed her shoulder against his and took advantage of his momentary lapse of balance. Opening her jaws wide she tore through the hard metal and sparking wiring and pulled back, not releasing her grip until the vile device was ripped from the dragon, who was really just a prisoner.

She spat it out and pinpointed her next opponent, this time a human wraith and dragon. The human sneered at her and brought his mag-staff in a fighting stance. Sycundys could only feel disgust for the creature. Even as wraiths the humans controlled the dragons.

The dragon she had freed previously had gone, running frightened into the forest, the only place that had no fighting. The Prophets had other dragons in the forest, not participating in battle, but instead waiting for the freed wraiths, who they would then round up and provide aid, food and freedom. The humans, however….

Sycundys fired off a mag-blast which was met by the wraiths'. With their energy still competing for dominance, they raced towards each other. Not moving during battle was a death warrant, which only the stupid signed. Generally wraiths tended to stand still while countering her mag-streams with one of their own. This was a rare moment indeed.

Sycundys and the wraith both ended their streams at the same time, and as the wraiths lunged forward with his jaws and claws, Sycundys darted to the left to avoid the mag-staff.

The human snarled, held up his staff and his wraith turned to face Sycundys once again, but instantly found his weapon nearly stolen from his grip by another Prophet who had leapt over the wraith to grab it. Using the distraction to her advantage, Sycundys dashed to the other side and grabbed the human with her teeth and threw him from the saddle. As the other Prophet hurriedly took the wraith control off the poor dragon, Sycundys looked around for her next target. She didn't bother with the human; they never lasted long without a dragon, especially not in the midst of a battle.

"Sycundys!" a voice cried out. She swung her head around to find the source.

"K-Oz, what is it?" she asked impatiently as he ran up, avoiding the escalating battle around them.

"Temporary fall back. Word's sending down more wraiths from the front to deal with us."

"Do not tell me what to do!" she snapped and bared her teeth at a wraith that was advancing closer. "Where's Propheci."

K-Oz flicked his tail irritably and mag-blasted the human. "I don't know. I went ahead to catch up to him and I caught him as he was returning. He said he saw the wraiths attacking a small city of some sort, it's difficult to see through all these trees, but he said it had a mag-shield as well as pretty good fortifications. He saw Abanddonn and Word Paynn."

"Word Paynn himself? I wonder what's so special about that city…where is Propheci now?"

"He went back to keep an eye on things."

"Idiot," Sycundys murmured, and K-Oz wasn't quite sure if it was directed to Propheci or himself. Probably himself, he thought and mentally shook his head at the thought of Sycundys ever insulting Propheci. "What did I do?"

She glared at him. "Leaving him like that? What were you thinking? You know he's going to go after Word." She practically spat out the last word, and K-Oz shut his mouth and decided that attempting to place the blame on someone else was best in this situation, as it usually was in all situations for him.

"Even Propheci's not stupid enough to attempt something like that. There are far too many wraiths."

"When else but in battle is Word even close to being a target for capture?" As K-Oz mused her point Sycundys sighed and snapped her teeth at him "Well If Word has decided to be rid of us before he goes back to his previous plans, we'd best fall back and reorganize ourselves. You'll go back to Propheci and I'll meet up with you shortly. We'll try another attack later."

K-Oz nodded and raced from his spot. Sycundys watched him go but soon lost him in the chaos of battle. She spread word to the other Prophets and ran from the battle before the incoming wraiths overpowered them all.

Word and Abanddonn set their sights once more on the wall. Of all the times for the Prophets to attack, it had to be during the sweetest battle of them all. Of course, attacking a larger army such as Word's was normally suicide, but he was currently engaged in his own battle and he didn't want to waste any time or more wraiths to hunting them down. They probably knew that, hence the sneak attack. They wouldn't try again until it suited them, provided his wraiths didn't injure them too much. He was sure the Gold Empire wasn't on any sort of friendly terms with the Prophets, and since there was no way for them to have known he was coming, it was likely just a small company of Prophets travelling from one outpost to another, and from what he had seen of their numbers he felt safe in assuming he was right. If they thought they could get away with another attack later, he would simply crush them. But right now, however, he had unfinished business to attend to. His vengeance would not be stopped now.

He grinned as the wraiths once again fell into formation.

As the sun neared the end of its course through the sky, Kitt found herself hanging on the calls from Parm and the Intel Division. It was difficult not knowing what was going on out there. The atmosphere from when the battle had been raging had been far less tense than it was right now, and Kitt wasn't sure how much more of it they could take before it drove them all crazy. But it was giving them precious minutes, and those were invaluable, so long as the backlash wasn't completely out of their ability to control.

As Wyldfyr paced of his own accord, Kitt tapped her finger against the console. Suddenly, he stopped. Kitt usually thought nothing of Wyldfyr's habit to pace, but when every other dragon froze in their tracks as well, it was time to take heed.

Two things happened at once. A number of large streams of mag energy hit the shield, and the sound drowned out the noise of the Earth-class wraiths as they emerged from beneath the wall. Kitt averted her eyes from the shield and ducked as a wraith, still only halfway out of the tunnel it dug, threw a mag stream her way. Wyldfyr knocked it back with a mag burst of his own.

The wraith screamed and heaved itself out, seemingly pushed out by something else. It ploughed through the last bit of rock and dirt obstructing its way and shook it off. Riderless, it stepped fully into the city. Kitt noticed the same thing happen with all the other Earth-class wraiths that were just emerging from their holes. She held her mag-staff up and tensed her muscles as other wraiths clawed and swarmed their way through.

"We have a breach under the walls!" she yelled, pressing a button on the side of her helmet as Wyldfyr deflected the numerous mag streams. "Parm, they came underneath the wall. We need you to-"

"Kitt!" Parm replied through her helmet. "That's just a diversion."

"What?" Kitt immediately looked up at the shield, where the mag streams were still focused on it. Kitt could only count a few dozen of them, a far cry from the number before, but the power of them was staggering. "How is the shield faring?"

"If this keeps up it'll go in a minute or so. I'll need to prepare for them when that comes down," Parm said, referring to the new wraiths that would surely come. Kitt looked back to the wraiths before her, wraiths whose primary job was to keep Parm and the others from readying themselves for the real attack.

"Gotcha, we'll handle these guys then."

"Kitt? You don't think…."

"Elite wraiths? It has to be."

"But Word can't control those many at that amount of power at once."

"We'll find out soon enough." Kitt shot out a mag blast and knocked down a wraith who had leapt up, trying to reach her lofty perch on Wyldfyr's saddle. Wyldfyr threw wraiths with his arms as his mag streams cleared away those who weren't foolish enough to come close. Kitt opened the channel to Parm one last time, and paused only slightly before saying, "good luck. I'll see you when this is over."

Parm's voice came after a few seconds hesitation, sounding static and low from interference, but his determination remained audible. "Count on it."

Artha leaned against the side of the armoury and looked up at the shield. He couldn't see much of it, save for what was directly above him, but he could tell the attacks had begun again. The slowly darkening sky made the shield all the more noticeable, and the blue hue it cast over the city was surprisingly calming. The attacks from Word's wraiths, if they were strong enough, would cast ripples that Artha could see from his post just outside the Armoury. Lately, however, the entire shield would brighten for split second, reminding Artha of lightning. It set him on edge, but perhaps this was normal for the shield to do so. Even so, as time passed and more people proceeded into the tunnel, he became more fidgety. He searched for Thruust with his eyes and edged through the crowd toward him, simply wishing that this would be over soon.

"How much longer?" Artha asked as he approached, impatience beginning to creep up on him.

Thruust spared him an angry glance. "Till what? Till we get overrun or-"

"Until everyone's in the tunnel!" Artha nearly yelled. "How much longer?"

Thruust gave him the type of look you would normally give a rotten apple and swept his gaze over the crowd as he spoke. "Hard to tell, but as long as everything moves smoothly we…." Thruust trailed off as one by one all the lights inside the armoury and surrounding buildings went out. Both Artha and he stared at them, though Artha considerably less worried than he. "Not now, scales, it's too soon!"

"What?" Artha asked as Thruust rushed off. "Too soon for what?" He struggled to keep up with him through the thick crowd.

"Look around you, fool," Thruust replied irritably without looking back or even slowing his pace.

Artha glared at his back but did as he said. Everywhere a light had been on, whether it was the street lights just flickering to life, the lonely light in a soon to be abandoned building or the bright lights leading the way to the tunnel, were shutting off.

Artha stopped abruptly and looked around worriedly. Cries echoed from the tunnel as surprised humans and dragons were suddenly thrust into blackness. "What, what happened? Thruust!"

Rushing forward double time and guided only by the light from the shield, Artha pushed his way through the crowd and clapped a hand on Thruust's shoulder, forcing him to stop. "What?" Thruust snapped.

"What's going on?"

"I'm a little busy right now, in case you've not noticed, Artha Penn." Thruust placed emphasis on the last words and turned to leave. Artha fumed and tightened his grip, having had enough of Thruust's attitude towards him.

"Tell me now! I have to know!" Artha said forcefully.

"Why? Because you're the Dragon Booster?" Thruust eyed him for a moment. "I outrank you boy, and I will not have some snivelling little child who thinks he's above everyone in this city getting in the way! I have work to do and you're slowing me down. All you need to concern yourself now is helping those people and dragons get into the tunnel safely, and then getting in yourself." Thruust leaned in closer to drive the next words home. "Leave the fighting to the ones who are capable of doing it."

Artha gritted his teeth. "Don't speak to me like I'm some sort of kid. I can fight too!"

"Not now you can't. Not in this fight, and not in this entire war," Thruust shouted at him. "You're nothing to those guys out there. You're a little bug running around underfoot. You haven't seen battle and you don't know how to fight at their level. The title of Dragon Booster means nothing if you're…this." Thruust finished off with a gesture at Artha.

"But-," Artha began before he was cut off by Thruust.

"If you want to be the Dragon Booster and save everyone, start by listening to your superiors. Disobeying reckless orders like this only shows us how much of a child you really are." Before Artha could retort Thruust turned him around and gave a shove that was forceful enough to send him staggering a few steps. "You've wandered too far from your post."

Artha whirled around indignantly. "This has nothing to do with you just telling me what's going on. I know you have something against me, but this is ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? Ridiculous is setting all our hopes and plans on a kid just because some prophecy tells us to. You've done nothing except allow all this to happen! If you were really the Dragon Booster my family would still be alive and I wouldn't be wondering if I'll still be alive tomorrow! How can Connor trust you so much? We've worked so hard just to build up this Empire, and as soon as you come we get attacked. You…you're just a kid, you haven't done anything, how can you stop an entire war?"

Artha lowered his eyes to the ground and stared at it. "The original Dragon Booster did it," he mumbled.

"Yes, but you aren't the original Dragon Booster, are you? Last time I checked you were Artha Penn."

Artha raised his eyes to look Thruust in the face and found only contempt. Thruust cleared his throat, suddenly all too aware of his lapse in control. "I need to discuss some urgent matters with the others," he said flatly, avoiding Artha's eyes. "You would do well to get back to your post and prepare to enter the tunnel yourself." Without another word he stalked away and left Artha standing. Artha stared at his retreating back, even as Thruust disappeared from sight and Hoph came to lead him back to the Armoury.

Slowly, the blue light faded as the shields finally fell.