Yup! After a long time finally I had the time to write this sixth chapter! Somebody said that Seinna is quite a Mary Sue… and when I tried the Litmus test, she NEARLY is a Mary Sue! God… I hope critiques like that keeps coming, so I can improve this story further and further! (Oops… holiday is nearly over… I hope that I'm ready to continue my school…!)

The sky had turned red, that means… it's already afternoon! We have to find somewhere to rest… or else we'll be sleeping with a bunch of summon creatures! Suddenly my stomach grumbled, followed with nii-chan's. Looks like we forgot to have lunch before going… slowly we opened the sack containing Auntie Tatiana's cookies, and I ate one of them.

CRUNCH.

I held my jaws. This cookie is as hard as rock! When nii-chan tried to reach the sack for a cookie as well, I stopped him just in time. Maybe trying Auntie Tatiana's cookie was a bad idea after all… we threw away the sack, and continued walking.

"Hey, Xeride… is there anywhere for us to rest? I'm beat" I complained, feeling exhausted.

"Well, in my database… there is the wind fortress nearby…" Xeride answered.

"Where? WHERE?" I asked, shaking Xeride hard.

"It's… right there through the forest…"

The group dashed there, and found some bad news in front of the wind fortress… a pack of about 5 hounds. If we can get rid if them, there will be no worry about dinner… but if we lose… we're their dinner. Those hounds growled and leapt towards us, ready to slash with their sharp claws.

"It looks that we have no other choice, eh?" I asked myself, drawing the Grand Spear from the equipment bag, "Enchant thunder!"

Purplish light formed in my Hands as it seeped into the weapon, creating some kind of crackling sound.

The hounds made a formation around us. Two of them are standing guard in front of the castle, and three is preparing their attacks. So, this is one-on-one battle, eh? Better be ready!

One of those hounds leapt towards me with awesome speed. Barely dodging a claw attack, I jumped and stabbed my weapon into its hind foot. That shouldn't hurt it much, but at least it'll slow its movement. Clutching its sharp teeth, the hound ran towards me and bit my left hand. Blood gushed out, and I fell on the ground. I moved in time to guard another claw attack and stabbed the spear to the canine's stomach. Electric current flowed through the stray summon's body and not long it has turned into ready-to-serve, roasted dog. Skin its body and we'll have tonight's dinner. Casting a kittle healing spell I looked back, nii-chan had finished the creature with no scratch at all. Oh, how about Xeride?

The two of us were dumbfounded. Xeride wasn't hurt at all; the fact is that the hound has fainted somehow.

"Xeride… what did you do to the hound?" I asked hesitantly.

"I fed it with one of Tatiana's sweets" he answered.

One word I can say, I was dumbstruck. Uncle Orin was right all along about using those cookies to kill all the summon creatures along the way… but that itself was quite absurd. It seems that we can't eat this hound… it must taste awful, having eaten one of Auntie Tatiana's cookies.

Well only two are left, right? Nii-chan and I put an evil smirk on our faces. This will be easy. Those two canines were intimidated with our actions and immediately run away. Maybe today's dinner will be hounds minus the one who ate 'the-cook-who-must-not-be-named' cookie. When we entered the fortress, there was already someone waiting in there.

"Welcome to the wind fortress, I have been waiting for you" the person said.

"Thank you, miss… do you live in this fortress? May we take a night's break?" I asked.

"I don't live in this fortress… and more… I'M A MAN!!!" he shouted, seeming to lose his temper. His wavy violet hair that seemed haven't been combed for a month or so, stood up.

"Hey…! I know you!" nii-chan cried out.

"Well, it seems that this little pal knows who I am…" the man smirked, showing a bit yellow teeth.

"Sir, have you brushed your teeth yet? They looked all yellow!" I said. Oops, that man seems to have lost even more of his temper…

"Are you…" nii-chan said and stopped, adding the tension to the situation.

"Yes?" the man asked.

"Are you…" he spoke slowly, "Ketchum?"

Everyone in the fortress fell in our heads, well… except nii-chan of course. I rubbed my head which hurt from the impact to the stone floor. Ketchum is a silly name!

"I'M NOT ASH KETCHUM FROM PALLETE TOWN, YOU BUNCH OF BUMBLING FOOLS!!!" he yelled loudly. Making all of us exploded in laughter and held our stomach.

"So… who are you, then? I asked.

"Me? I guess your friends already know well about me…" he replied.

"I know all too well about you…" Xeride said in an angry tone. "You're Gedharm, the summoner who tried to revive Goura!"

"Oh-ho! So you still remember clearly about me, Xeride!" He cackled, "So, where's your furry partner? I thought I'll be able to find him here… where is him?"

"Shut your trap up, Gedharm. Don't' dare to mock Gabriel, you scum!" Xeride cursed. Wow, this is the first time I've heard Xeride curse in my whole life.

"Fine if you don't want me to mock him… tell me where is he, NOW!" The summoner yelled.

I was totally confused. What's going on here? How come this man knew my father, even Xeride and nii-chan? What's he gonna do with him?

"You're in bad luck, Gedharm…" nii-chan smirked, "Gabriel has followed the wind to the otherworld, along with master"

"How did you know mother and father?" I shouted, "Who are you…?"

"Ah… and who are you… a friend of these meddlers? You did say mom and dad… are you the child of these two?"

Again all of us fell on the ground on our heads. That's ridiculous; mechanoids don't have gender! And moreover… nii-chan's gender is unknown!

"Hey, that's ridiculous! How can even a robot give birth? We don't even have 'those'!" Xeride exclaimed in an annoyed manner.

The man looked a bit confused and started to scratch his head, when he looked around and saw the pendant- the red daemon gem.

"Oh… so YOU are the successor of the edge fencer… fine!" he exclaimed, an evil smirk growing on his face. He walked slowly towards me. I wanted to run, but I can't. I was too scared to even move a muscle.

He walked even nearer and nearer, seeming delighted at my pale, scared face.

"Seinna, watch out!" nii-chan shouted, paws outstretched as to stop the summoner from getting into me.

The man named Gedharm smirked, and nii-chan was repelled by a wall of energy. Struggling to get up, he tried again and again, but failed in a futile effort.

"Don't try to touch Seinna, Gedharm… "Nii-chan growled in fury. Claws extended, he tried full force to break the energy shield. Meanwhile Gedharm was getting nearer to me…

"U-uh…" I whimpered, scared of what the man will do next. We were no farther than an inch of distance. As the man smiled, he grabbed something from my neck and pulled it; it was the trinket from my mother.

"And now I'm done with the appointments here… I shall go" Gedharm walked away, smirking.

"You won't get away-"nii-chan bellowed in fury as he tried to attack Gedharm, but failed. He was blown back against the energy shield, hitting the wall hard. Coughing up blood, he stood up, his body starting to tremble in rage.

"If you really think that you can beat me, try beating this one first!" Gedharm shouted as he flicked his hands. Suddenly the circle in the center of the fortress shone a pale green light and an enormous creature, much like a machine bull, appeared. Electricity flowed trough its giant horns and started zapping in random direction. It kicked the ground hard in a challenging manner. Ready to do whatever its master said.

"You take care of these scum here" the summoner ordered, and disappeared using some kind of magic.

Impossible… we're going to fight this giant?