Zavier stood at the entrance to Don Loireag, the second root town in “The World.” He had been here numerous times, albeit he had been following the group of players united under Gingitsune. They had gone, the Kurai problem finally dealt with, and were on their way to some…intriguing field. Zavier had not followed them yet, trying to deal with a few things himself. With all that had happened during the fighting with Kurai and the battle against Nighthand while under the control of his Wood Dragon entity, then against Scythe himself, he had been left with no dragons but the ability to use 2 weapons at one time. He could still remember as he and Nighthand stood watching, his cloak, a symbol of his ownership of the dragons, breaking into data and spreading throughout the system. A part of him told him that the dragons were gone, that he would never see them again; well, at least the dragons that he had acquired. Wood, Bronze, Iron, Water, Fire, Stone, and Ether…he had only acquired the first four. The Fire, Stone, and Ether dragons still remained in some remote fields in the world, awaiting the bearer to receive them. He knew that he had been chosen to accept the dragons and wield them against the enemies of The World…but how was he to do that when he could not call upon them?

He hadn’t just taken the Twilight’s words lightly. He had tested it out, had tried to summon the powers within him. But he had felt nothing. Not the ancestral knowledge of the Wood Dragon, nor the incredibly strength of the Iron and Bronze Dragons, nor the magic powers of the Wood Dragon. They were gone from him, and he didn’t need Bahamut to tell him specifically. Whatever Scythe had done, he had corrupted the dragons so much that they need repair. A part of him told him that he would not be able to ever all on those powers again…but an even deeper part of himself told him that he could call on the dragons, once they were completed. It told him to simply wait for them to heal, and that he would be bestowed them once again. As hard as it was, he tried desperately to believe that part of himself.

And here he stood, watching as players milled about the different areas, happy to have become strong enough to traverse the fields of the Theta server. An upgrade to Mac Anu, this was not for the new character. This field was for those who had a good grasp of the game and could fight well. It took some time to reach this level, but those present seemed capable enough. Of course, he was not like that…he could go even further in the game if he wished. However, he wished for the entire united force under Gingitsune to have that honor.

What was he doing here? He was looking for someone. When had had traveled with Rayo and Wanderer, two members almost as old as him and who used to travel with him, they had always had to find someone who knew the location of the next dragon. That player was not actually a “player”, but was actually a computer program led to lead the one who could control the dragon powers. Although he knew he had no ability to conjure up the dragons, he felt no problem with trying to reach the next dragon. The Twilight had told him that his dragons had been corrupted, but it never said anything about the other dragons being corrupted. If that were the case, than he would undoubtedly be able to reach them.

And who knew? Maybe he would begin to summon his dragons from that point and receive the others later?

He walked slowly through the town, Order and Chaos at his sides. It instinctively made him think of the Unity, his group of loyalist. As it turned out, they were the smallest clan assemblage, but to an extent it made sense. Who would have been glad to have some kind of maniac, Xeromessiah, telling them what to do? He wouldn’t have, and he understood that no one else would have liked it anymore than he would have. But now that Xeromessiah had been dealt with, there had to be a way for others to join. Of course, he was not looking for the best, and he was not looking for the worst. He was looking for the players who had the divine spark, who wished to push The World further than it had been pushed, who wished to experience it in ways inexperienced. His two most powerful members, Zhirin and Silk, had understood this, and while he trusted them greatly, there were times when Silk pushed him to unimaginable limits.

“Well, remember Zavier, he was brought in during Xeromessiah,” Bahamut mentioned in his mind. He clinched as he had forgotten that his guardian knew what he was thinking at all times. “He is getting used to you, because you and Xero are very different. But, I think he respects you.”

“I know Bahamut, I know. But it seems like he goes against my rulings almost every time I give them. I was a bit split over leaving him in control of the Unity in my absence right through now. I just hope that he doesn’t do anything that would jeopardize its existence.”

“I doubt he would. Besides, if it came for a test of leadership, you’re comfortable that you would win, right?” Zavier looked at the blades at his side and smiled.

He didn’t need to say anything.

“In any case Bahamut, use your telepathy. I need to know which of these players is the messenger. I can’t tell just by looking at them.”

Zavier sometimes wondered how many people actually played the game. He knew that there were millions upon millions of members, and that of those members many got on regularly…but how many were on at one time? How many fields were open at any instantaneous point in time? If it were even half of the members who had joined, then no wonder the game experienced problems at times. That many different characters fighting or talking at the same time had to be an immense strain. Not to mention the numerous hackers who were constantly manipulating the game’s rules. No doubt the administrators of the game had their hands full at all times, protecting the other players against viruses, making sure that no illegal patrons entered the game…

It must have been hard work.

Zavier had once been an administrator. He had seen many of the issues that had to be addressed, and although his powers had been stripped by his peers, he nonetheless saw the intense struggle they underwent every day.

Zavier spent a few hours looking around the Root Town, awaiting their messenger. He watched as players fed their grunties, amused and amazed as they evolved, sometimes into what they had wanted, sometimes the direct opposite. He watched as trades were made, as new items were equipped. He was even approached by some players, many asking what class he was, and then asking for his weapons. He laughed to himself as he said no and the player shook their heads. After a while, however, he became irritated.

“He should have been here by now.”

“I agree Zavier, but we can’t give up looking.”

“Yes we can. The window of hours in which he could come has gone. We’ll have to look tomorrow.”

“I guess you’re right Zavier. Well, what do you want to do? I would advise you to log out but…”

“Haha, very funny. Actually, I’m going to sleep in a field that I really like.”

“Ahh…yes, I know of what you speak. Let us go there.”

It was no secret that Zavier loved Mac Anu. The rushing water, the setup of the city, the buildings, the bridges, the people; everything was wonderful. Nothing made him happier that climbing up on one of the tallest buildings and laying back, taking in the sun and the sounds that wafted up to him. It was a comforting feeling, and it had always given him peace.

However, when not in Mac Anu, he had found a new place of relaxation.

He walked up to the Don Loireag Chaos Gate and it responded to him. “Beautiful Setting Sky of Fire” he spoke, and the keywords joined together. His body was absorbed into the very webs of The World as he was taken softly to his destination. Upon reaching there Bahamut separated himself, standing as tall as he did.

“I never get tired of seeing this place Bahamut.”

“Neither do I Zavier…neither do I.”

This keyword, which sounded as though it would be a sweltering desert being bombarded by meteors, was anything but. A river flowed throughout the field, winding in various ways, hitting softly upon the small shorelines made by it. There were plains of deep green grass with apple trees in blossom, each tree giving off its amazing scent into the gentle and steady wind. The water was pure, with small fish swimming in different areas of it. Zavier and Bahamut walked and discarded their equipment, going in for a swim. The water was cool, not cold, and amazingly refreshing. They spent almost an hour, simply basking in the calmness that pervaded the area. Zavier didn’t bathe because he could not log out, but this was as close as he needed to be. As he departed from the water he felt clean, revitalized, and carefree. He slowly picked up his equipment and walked away from the river, into a planes area, with 2 apple trees on each side. He rolled himself on the ground and felt the soft grass underneath him.

The reason that the final keywords of this field were “Setting Sky of Fire” was that it was in sunset. The oranges, reds, and variety of colors in between stretched out on the horizon. The truth, as Zavier had found on his first visit here, was that it stayed in a setting stance for about an hour and a half. Then the sun slowly dissolved into the horizon and a moon, full and radiating moonlight, would come out, bathing the field it its glow. And it would be that way until the morning, where the sun would hit a rising position for a long time before branching to a setting stance. As they lay back they watched the sun slowly go away, as if sad to be departing Zavier so soon. The moon seemed eager however and as the sun’s final rays left its white rays began. Zavier felt at peace, and slowly began to drift…

“Sleep well, Zavier.”




Zavier woke up to the first rays of light hinting at the ensuing day. He yawned, surprised at how soundly he had slept and slowly began to sit up. He could feel Bahamut in him and knew that the guardian, after making sure that all was well, had assumed his place inside of the character. Zavier slowly put on his armor, then placed his swords at his side. He walked over to one of the apple blossoms and touched it, a small green apple forming and depositing itself in his hand. He took a bite and was amazed at how delicious it was. He closed his eyes and teleported to the root town.

Don Loireag was not as busy as it had been, being that Zavier had gotten there a little later than he had today. He quickly finished the apple, throwing the rind into the air. It disintegrated into data, a good way of recycling. He walked the length of the root town, looking at the players, getting his bearings once again.

“Well Bahamut, let’s get to work.”

Two hours later Zavier was leaning against one of the buildings when something struck him. He and Bahamut had been cycling through all the players and NPC’s who had been coming through the gate town, feeding their grunties, meeting up to go tackle dungeons, and doing various other tasks. One thing that was different, however, was a player who had been there all morning. And as Zavier thought about it, he realized that the player in question had also been there yesterday for an extended period of time.

“Bahamut, I think I’ve found him. Do you see that player in red armor over there?”

“I do Zavier, but he doesn’t read as an NPC. I read him as a normal player in the world.”

“Regardless, I can tell that he’s different from the other characters. Come on, let’s go check him out.”

Zavier eased off the wall and began picking his way through the different areas. The player was at the item shop, looking at the NPC and glancing around the area. He slowly turned and looked around, locking eyes with Zavier. For a moment the two continued looking at each other before he turned around. Zavier made his way up to the character and cleared his throat.

“Hello….Zavier, it says. How are you today?”

“I’m great. How are you…Frahma?”

“I’m great, never better. Nothing I love more than venturing through the World.”

“Venturing through the World, huh? Yeah, I agree. There are countless mysteries out there just waiting to be solved.”

“You said it! I just got done with a trek of my own into some cool keywords.”

“Really? When? When did you get back?”

“Oh, about 10 minutes ago. My party and I dispersed because as soon as we finished they had to log off.”

“Truly? 10 minutes ago? And how long had you been there?”

“Oh, I don’t know...and hour or so? It took us a while to get through the dungeon.”

“Well, Frahma, I must say, that is very interesting. Interesting,” Zavier said as he slightly lowered his voice, “because I have been watching you for well over an hour, and you haven’t moved from this spot.”

The player’s eyes slowly narrowed as he stared at Zavier. Zavier could tell that he was a Twinblade from the height difference. Even for a twinblader he looked fast. “Sir, you must be mistaken. I have been at this spot for just a few minutes…”

“Come now, that’s not true! I have been watching you, as has another. You were here yesterday as well, and either you are suffering from acute memory loss, or you are not being truthful. Now tell me: which one is it?

“As I said, sir, you must be mistaken.” There was almost no sense of friendliness in the voice pattern of the player. His face was a mask of utter seriousness, and he looked into the face of Zavier with an unwavering gaze.

“Tell me, Frahma, the keywords to the legendary dragon of fire.”

“What do you know human? You have no idea how much power the legendary Dragon of Fire that sleeps within the World has. How dare you demand that I tell it to you?”

“You must have heard of Zavier Dragonus. I am he, and I was chosen to be the wielder of the dragons.” Zavier recounted his story to Frahma, of his second trek into the world and of how the symbols of the 7 dragons surrounding him, the 1st dragon choosing him. He concluded with the battle against Scythe and of what happened to the dragons.

“And so you wish to regain some powers by attaining the Fire Dragon. Hmm…I do not completely believe you human. I was told that the bearer of the dragons would hold the cape on his character design. But here is what I am willing to do. You will come to a dungeon, where I will be at the bottom. There, you will make your way to me and if you can get past all of the creatures that exist in that area, than I will tell you the location of the Fire Dragon. If you cannot best the threats that are there…then never ask of the dragons powers again.”

“I understand. I will show you that I am worthy of wielding the dragons. What are the keywords at which you will wait?”

“Descending Spiral Staircase. There is only one dungeon so you shall not get confused. Come quickly, for my patience is a short as the fire dragon’s flames are deadly.” The player walked away from Zavier and a circle of fire surrounded him. In a matter of moments he was gone, and Zavier was left standing in front of the item NPC. A couple of players walked up to him, and Zavier was surprised that they actually spoke to him.

“Hey, we were wondering…who were you talking to? You were saying a lot of stuff, but which one of us were you directing it to?”

Zavier realized that he must have been the only one able to see Frahma, and rather than spend hours trying to explain to them that he was talking to a player who wasn’t really a player who would lead him to a legendary dragon where he would gather up all of its energy, he simply told them that he was “playacting for a part in a play some of us are working on here in the world.” The people seemed to accept that and walked off.

“Alright Bahamut, so we know what we have to do. You ready?”

“Of course Zavier.”

Zavier walked to the chaos gate, took a deep breathe, and shouted out the keywords.

“Descending Spiral Staircase!”

The transformation into data that usually was quite an enjoyable experience was somehow…different than most times. He felt himself moving towards the field but he didn’t feel…well, he didn’t feel the ecstasy that he usually felt. He felt an oppressive force coming on him closer and closer, and no matter how he tried to shake it, it came upon him. He knew that he was going to be faced with a horrendous challenge, and maybe that was what was making him feel so nervous. He finally appeared in the field…and he almost laughed out loud.

He was standing in front of a staircase. He could tell it was a staircase because the railing led into the metal that was placed into the ground right in front of him. He glanced to the left and right and could see no similar structure. He saw sand all around him, and knew that this staircase of his was the only place he could go. He pulled the Order sword from its sheath, looking at the white light that surrounded it. He would need its holy strength in this endeavor, he was sure. He would also not show the full extent of his powers unless he needed to…and he wasn’t sure that he would need to. It had been a long time since he had gone after a dragon, and his powers had grown considerably since then. He walked to the rail and looked down.

“I have come for the test, Frahma. I would hate to keep you waiting.”

“Then come, mortal; face your test and prove your worth.”

Slowly the metal covering slowly slid away, and Zavier saw that he was indeed in front of a stairwell. He did not know what monsters he would face, or what the obstacles would be, but he did know that he would be faced with strong challenges. Getting dragons had never been easy, and if anything the arduousness of the task increased as his own powers increased. Perhaps that was the role of the bearer of the dragons, the responsibility that came with the power.

“…and with great power comes great responsibility,” he thought as he descended into the stairwell, the light slowly snuffed out as the metal door silent made its way closed.

Zavier was glad that his sword Order had a white light about it…otherwise he might have been stumbling around blind. And as he looked around the room, he was glad that he wouldn’t. He was indeed on a staircase, one that spiraled around at a downwards slant, further down than his light could enable him to see. Along the stairs however where sections that we at least 3 times as long as the individual stairs, and a door was situated in the wall at each. Zavier saw a few of these doors spread out, and he wondered what his task would be.

“Your task, Zavier, is to visit each of the rooms that you come upon. In it you will face monsters with varying degrees of power. Prove your strength and fortitude by overcoming them. Remember, you must visit each door that you see, or your test will become voided.”

“Understood Frahma,” Zavier said as he began walking down the stairs. He had been in quite a few strange dungeons, but this one was indeed unique. The keywords described it well, a descending spiraling staircase into the abyss which was akin to the Bottomless Pit of olden tales. With the Katana-like weapon held in front of him he made his way to the first door he could see. The door was plain enough…besides the fact that it had red lettering on it. “Hmm…must be fire elemental monsters,” he thought as he stepped up to the door. It seemed to respond to him and instead of opening, he found himself breaking into data. His eyes grew wild, wondering what was happening to him, wondering if he had been led into a trap. He closed his eyes, but a few moments later he knew what had happened.

He stood on the other side of the door, a teleportation method obviously in play. And now he was faced with his first challenge. 7 swordmandroids stood facing him, their weapons tinted in the light that brightened the room. “Swordmandroids, huh? I’ve faced your kind before…I have to say I’m a bit saddened at this. Well, if we are to fight, let’s do it!” Zavier rushed to them, his powerful legs allowing him to move incredibly fast. The swordmandroids almost had no time to react before Zavier was upon them. He brought his sword down, right, left, up, down…5 strikes that took down two of the swordmandroids. They didn’t seem upgraded past what he had already fought, and so he decided to quickly deal with them.

The 5 that were left quickly regrouped and attacked, two to the left, two to the right and one down the center. “So your A.I. has been upgraded…you can now coordinate patterns of attack. No matter…you don’t have the strength or speed necessary to defeat me.” Zavier ran towards the middle fighter, and as that Swordmandroid slowed down the others changed their directions to intercept Zavier. As they swung their blades in an attempt to stop him he jumped, lightly dodging all of their swipes, slowly landing behind the initially chosen Swordmandroid, bringing Order in a horizontal swipe that severed the head of the creature, sending it into data. He bought his blade up to parry the swipe of another Swordmandroid and punched it, his fist having enough power that it slammed the creature into the ground. He flipped over, his blade stretching out to split the Swordmandroid in half. He then rammed another and slammed it into the wall, his momentum crushing his opponent. The other two looked at him, slowly sizing him up. Zavier held Order before him, a slow dance been played out in the arena. He watched them, waiting for the moment when…The Swordmandroid to his left attacked and he brought his blade up, knocking the swormdandroid’s arm up, and the blade moving towards the air. He brought his sword and stuck it straight through the chest of the Swordmandroid. He felt a stab in his back and swung around, his sword slicing off the last enemy’s right arm. The monster looked at him, a dull expression in its eyes as Zavier’s blade went through its skull. The creature fell to the ground, slowly dispersing into data.

“Hmm…got careless. I must remember to never put my attention on something else.” Zavier realized that the stab had taken his health down minutely. He turned around and walked towards the door, and was once again teleported. He appeared on the outside on the stairwell, his sword glowing strongly once more.

“Hmm….if the rooms are this easily, then I will have no problem,” Zavier said, although his logical side let him know that it was not true. He slowly began to walk down the stairs again. He thought about all of the battles he had ever fought, and although he had beaten a great amount of enemies, it was nowhere near the amount of enemies that the dragons had defeated. He recalled the surge of emotions and battles that came to him every time he called upon it. The Wood Dragon, the dragon he had held for the longest of all his dragons, was a powerful warrior. But now…those dragons were hidden somewhere deep inside the codes of the world, someplace that he could not go.

“That’s true Zavier. I came from the source, and I can’t go back…at least, not yet. I’m sure that whatever they are doing to heal the dragons will help them.”

“But what could they be doing Bahamut? What would have to be done so that the dragons could be completely healed?” Bahamut did not answer, and Zavier stopped walking. “Bahamut, what is it?”

“Zavier…there are ways. The source is able to restore all…but possibly at a cost.”

“What kind of cost, Bahamut?”

“The cost being…if they have to reset your dragon’s mainframes…your dragons may not remember you or any battles you had been through.”

Zavier looked up at the ceiling above him. Was it possible that Scythe, through acts that he had not planned, could have effectively erased the close connectivity that Zavier had formed with the dragons? It didn’t make sense. Zavier had worked so hard to get pat the initial stages…and now there was the possibility that he would have to do it all over again. He began walking again and came upon a second door which had red lettering on it as well. “I guess there is no element correlation between the color on the door and the monsters within the room. Alright Bahamut, let’s see what this is. Zavier closed his eyes as he was once again teleported through the door. As he opened his eyes…he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at his new challenge. He made a quick count, having Bahamut confirm his quick review. As Bahamut said he was correct, he focused on destroying his opponent.

Thirty-five goblins, each with a small dagger in hand, stood facing Zavier. “You can’t be serious…” he said as they laughed at him. 35 goblins stood together, ready to back one another, and their confidence was high. They knew that they could defeat him, and nothing would stop them from overcoming him. “Bahamut, I have a dilemma. I could undoubtedly destroy any goblin that tried to attack me…but with a group such as this, I could be slightly in trouble. Do you think I should use one of my ultimate attacks?”

“If you believe it would save time, then I think you should.”

A grin made its way on Zavier’s face as he placed Order in his left hand. He then withdrew Chaos from its sheath, the dark energy feeling almost electric along its length. He faced his adversaries, who no doubt, if they had any ounce of intellect, wondered how this Blademaster was now using two different swords that looked nothing alike. Some of the more bold monsters began to move towards him, edging slowly as if they were afraid he would attack suddenly and without warning. “Well, Bahamut, here goes!” Zavier rushed towards the creatures, calculating in his mind how he would perform his attack. He moved to the left, seeing the confusion in the eyes of the goblins. He then spun to the right, towards the center of the crowd…but he kept spinning. His body began to move faster as fire streaked around him. His eyes turned fiery red as he screamed out his new technique.

“Vak Cyclone!”

His swords shredded into the goblins, killing each on impact. The fire erupted all around him and burned them to a crisp, the energy hot enough to turn sand into glass. His entire body was moving fast and his swords sliced into the torsos of the goblins, and he saw them falling apart. He walked with the attack, moving towards the goblins who were trying to move away. Because there were so many, however, they became caught on each other, and only met their demise sooner. In a mere 10 seconds the attack was done, and Zavier was coming to a stop, his blades once again taking on their original color. His breathing was a bit heavier than usual, and so he sat on the ground, resting for a moment.

“Zavier, I sense your breathing is a little irregular. Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. There were so many enemies and trying to move with the attack just took up a lot of my energy. Don’t worry about it though…I’m fine.” About a minute later Zavier stood up, his breathing regular once more, his body completely relaxed. He walked to the door and closed his eyes, the teleportation that was set into place responding once more. He opened his eyes and placed his Chaos blade in its sheath once more. The dark energy that was spiraling around the blade was canceling out the light energy of Order. The sword placed away he began walking down the stairs again. He wondered how deep into the ground he would actually be going. On an almost complete tangent, he thought about the different food that the world offered. Sure, the grunty food preoccupied most of the things that were taken as “food”, but he had gotten an apple from the field he had been staying at. And that meant that, at the very least, more and varying types of fruits existed in other places in the world. And with the plans he had for the Unity, he wanted to get some. And so, at that moment, he knew where to get green apples from…he would have to search the field more when he returned to see if it housed any other delicacies.

Finally Zavier made his way to another door, but this time the symbols were written in a dark color. After inspecting it he guessed it was black. He closed his eyes, and he felt himself transmitting through the wall. When he was sure that he was finished, he opened his eyes to greet his challenge. Before him were 2 monsters that looked like big boulders that had been hewn into. They bounced up and down and slowly turned around to look at him. Zavier soon readied his blade, Order, and looked for any weak point. “Bahamut, what kind of creatures are these?”

“I’ve identified them as Menhirs. They are supposedly pretty decent monsters. They should give you a better work out than those other two groups of creatures did.”

“Good. I’ve been awaiting a challenge ever since I came into this dungeon.” Zavier held Order before him, stepping in a circle around the creatures. He noticed that he was in a circular room, as opposed to the almost square rooms that he had been a part of the last two battles he had fought. He wondered if they had anything to do with the coloring or symbols on the doors. He would have given it more thought but he was a bit pressed for time. The creatures jumped up and down, and the foremost Menhir raced towards him. The ground shook every time it hit the ground, as it seemed that bouncing was its way of galloping towards its opponent. Zavier stood in front of its line of sight, trying to find a weakness in it. Within range, the creature swung its massive body in what looked like a small circle, its body screaming towards Zavier. Zavier dodged out of the way and the creature hit the wall, sending pieces of stone everywhere. Zavier laughed…until he realized the stones were from the wall, and that the creature had not been hurt in the slightest. The creature focused on him once more and galloped towards him, its eyes almost as dull as the goblins he had faced. Zavier once again dodged the body-blow, but this time he brought his sword in three quick strikes along its torso. He knew he had damaged the creature, but in truth the damage was minimal. The creature had excellent defense, as Zavier was just beginning to understand that.

He dodged to the right, the creature moving in the same pattern it had done before. This time, however, Zavier did not move out of the way. When the creature swung its massive body towards Zavier he braced himself and brought his blade up, allowing the creature to slam into it. His muscles tightened as he pushed at the creature, using every ounce of strength he had to hold it at bay. They stood in almost a deadlock as they faced each other, Zavier unwilling to allow this creature to best him. And then, the folly of not paying attention to other creatures came into play. Zavier felt static in the air and before he could react, he and the Menhir were in a vortex of electric energy. The bolts of lightning stung his skin, traveling through his armor and Zavier fell backwards, quickly flipping up however. He looked at the Menhir he was facing and noticed that it took no damage from the attack.

“Yes Zavier, it is exactly as you are thinking. These creatures have a thunder element attached to them. For some reason it didn’t register with me until the other Menhir performed a Rai Rom on you both.”

“That would explain why it didn’t care about attacking the other Menhir. It knew it would not hurt him.” Zavier thought he could almost detect a smirk coming from the Menhirs as they faced him, their hard bodies bouncing up and down against the ground. But then, Zavier wondered if they could detect the smirk that came upon his mouth. In truth, these creatures had excellent defense, which meant that he would need a stronger weapon to fight against them. And beyond that, because the creatures were of the thunder element…that meant that they would be sensitive to dark energy. Zavier slowly placed his light-based weapon back in its sheath, and withdrew Chaos. Dark energy surrounded him once more and he looked at the Menhirs, who seemed to try to size up this new addition to his character. The Menhir that had done almost all the physical attack raced at him once again, and when it flung itself at Zavier he waited until almost the last second. Then, in a split second he had moved, effectively dodging the lunge while bringing his sword down hard in a diagonal slash from upper right to bottom left. The blade seemed to sink into the body of the Menhir as it screamed in pain, the dark energy at odds with its electrical energy. Zavier knew that he had damaged it more than it thought him capable of, and he was amused. The creature turned towards him and jumped high into the air, coming down fast, as if trying to smash Zavier. He jumped into the air as well and brought his sword up, slashing as the two entities hit. The impact sent a shockwave throughout the room that unsettled some of the dust that had accumulated on the ground. Zavier fell, bracing himself as he hit the ground to minimize damage done to him. The Menhir slammed into the opposite wall, heavy damage inflicted on to it. Zavier felt the static around him warning of a Rai Rom and quickly moved out of the way, his attention still on the injured Menhir. As it tried to pick itself up Zavier performed three quick slashes, one vertical, one horizontal, and one diagonal. They left what looked like welts on the creature’s back, and the creature pushed with all its might to stand itself up.

The creature stormed towards him faster and faster, rage now apparent in its form. Zavier smiled, knowing that when one lost his or her head, the battle was soon over. He jumped into the air as the other creature jumped, spinning with his blade in the air. The dark energy swirled as it impacted into the creature’s stomach, splitting the stone that made it up. The creature stopped moving as it turned and hit the ground, and Zavier’s blade came down hard. He struck with such force that his blade slammed through the creature and into the ground. The creature’s lifeless shell lay limp on the grown, and Zavier withdrew his weapon. Zavier turned and faced the other Menhir, which seemed to try to keep its distance. He walked slowly towards it, smiling as the dark energy of his blade shimmered in a semi-dark light. “Menhir, I admit, you guys had me thinking for a moment. However, your weakness to darkness does not serve you well here. My Chaos can cut down any foe, and that leaves you at a disadvantage.” Zavier was within one foot of the Menhir when it cast a spell. Zavier brought Chaos up to guard…but the spell did not hit him. The creature must have used the spell to strengthen itself…although Zavier had never seen that type of magic cast before. He raised his sword into the air, gathering all his strength. “And this, Menhir, is…” Zavier was unable to finish his statement.

Before he could grasp what was happening he was being hurtled towards the wall he was facing. He brought his hands up to stop himself from being crushed into the stone and pushed against the weight that was wearing against him. He brought all of his strength to his arms and finally succeeded in pushing off at an angle. He turned around…to see the Menhir he had just killed.

“But how is that possible? I was quite sure that I had killed him…unless…,”

“…unless that Menhir had an ability to revive the dead.” Bahamut spoke to Zavier’s mind, and Zavier listened while watching his two opponents. “The Menhir has the ability to use a skill known as Rip Maen, a spell that revives a target unit. Players in the game can use it as well, and although for players it is used to revive other players, for the Menhirs it is used to revive any monster slayed in battle.”

“So I have two options. I can kill each of these things enough times to drain all of their mp…which would take a very long time and there’s no telling how much injury I would sustain. Or I could find some way to destroy them both at the same time…which would be almost impossible given their attack patterns.”

“Well, whatever you do, you will have to be quick about it. I don’t want us to meet our ends here, in this section of the dungeon.”

“Yeah,” Zavier agreed as he faced the Menhir that had recently died. It proved the most difficult because it was the physically offensive one. The Rai Rom of the other Menhir was quite formidable but was of little consequence, since Zavier could anticipate its coming. He would have to beat this creature almost to the point of death before he was allowed to wear on the other one. He still didn’t see how he would be able to do that alone. Undoubtedly these creatures had been defeated, but he could imagine that usually 3 or more people took them on. Even one added person would be enough to make a difference, and although he was tempted to utilize Bahamut, he did not want to risk that. The Guardian was still not that strong, and it could be hurt severely.

Zavier focused on the guardian that began to move towards him, the physical guardian while making sure to keep a small watch on the other Menhir. He did not want to be caught off guard as he had been done times in the past. The creature hopped into the air and came down hard where Zavier was. Zavier rolled out of the way, rolling back as he jumped to stand up. Chaos ripped into the stone of the Menhir, tearing away some of its hp. “Not a good enough hit,” Zavier thought as the creature rolled its body mass, trying to flatten him. It seemed to be trying to stay out of range for a strong hit, prolonging the fight for as long as it need to. Zavier jumped back, getting his bearings once more. Immediately the creature raced towards him, ever eager to bridge the gap between them.

“I wonder if I could use that to my advantage,” Zavier thought as he jumped away from the creature. The creature, not truly having legs, jumped to meet his position, and Zavier struck. He dashed by it, swinging his sword around his body as he passed by. Chaos rang true as it bashed into the side of the Menhir, knocking it across the floor and into a nearby wall. Zavier, not willing to give up the opportunity, raced towards it and was about to strike when he felt the static in the air once more, he rolled to the left, an eruption of electrical plasma present where he had just been. The Menhir had removed itself from the wall and Zavier jumped on its head, bringing his sword down hard. The creature moaned in pain as its hp was brought down considerably. Zavier jumped off, his body spinning like a saw, slicing down the Menhir’s back. His counter showed the creature’s hp near death level, and Zavier gave a sigh of relief.

“Now onto other things…” Zavier rushed at the other Menhir, which cast a Rai Rom at him. He dodged, using that moment to check on the Menhir he had just battled. The creature was struggling along, its body in horrible condition. Zavier wondered how he would deal with this Menhir that seemed to continually run from him. He slowed his run to a quick step, walking to the left of the creature, then to the right. The creature moved back as it watched him, casting Rai Roms at different intervals. “It would almost appear as though that’s the only move it has.” Finally Zavier succeeded in what he had planned, pinning the creature in a corner. The creature moved to the left, right, and backwards, trying to get away but finding itself in an awkward position. Zavier brought up his blade, Chaos glinting with dark light. He rushed forward, readying his blade for a powerful strike. The creature through up a Rai Rom on itself for defense, but Zavier didn’t care. He walked into the spell, taking some of the hits as he hewed into the Menhir. It moaned terribly as the dark energy ripped into its skin. Finally, it was injured so much that it ceased using magic, all of its life energy dedicated to maintaining form. Zavier knew this was his chance.

He raised Chaos into the air, placing both hands on the hilt, and dug it into the chest of the Menhir. The Menhir took the damage and slowly fell to its side, dying on the spot. At that exact moment Zavier turned around, seeing that the other Menhir had made its way close by. He saw the beginnings of the resurrection spell and lunged his sword with all his might at his attacker. The blade streaked through the air as it slammed into the Menhir, hitting it with so much force that the blade carried the creature. It slammed into the opposing wall, the sword nailing it into place. The Menhir became silent…stopped moving…and perished. Both creatures’ bodies disappeared into data, and Zavier knew he had defeated these enemies.

He grabbed his sword out of the wall and placed it in its sheath. He walked over to the door, and was teleported. He resumed his walk, going to each door that presented itself. Surprising to him, the creatures were not as tough as the Menhir battle had been. There were more goblins, which he easily dispatched. There was a mixture between Fire Witches and Water Witches, which proved very weak against physical attacks. There were Swordmandroids with a Menhir, which, while proving a good combination, did not exact any supernatural challenge. He must have gone through 6 more rooms when he reached the bottom of the stairwell.

“Bahamut, it looks as though we have finally arrived at our destination.”

“Yes, Zavier, but be careful. We don’t know what is on the other side.”

“Tell me about it…” Zavier closed his eyes, and was teleported through the door, which bare white symbols. This, to his memory, was the only door that had those letterings…of course, he didn’t have time to ponder it, as he materialized inside the room. He opened his eyes…and was greeted by Frahma.

“Welcome, Zavier, to the final room. This is a final test of your prowess. Up until now, you have been fighting creatures that have been of no consequence to you. Even the Menhirs, who were of decent power, were at their maximum half of what you yourself are capable of. Their role, as you may have begun to surmise, was simply to gather data about your fighting.”

Zavier nodded. “I had begun to suspect so. I could sense, and to an extreme degree still sense, a great deal of power in this dungeon, but I knew that those creatures were not manifestations of it. I thought that they were there as some other motive, although I knew not what that other motive was.”

“Well then, Zavier, now you know. And now, you face the true challenge of this dungeon!” Data began to compile behind Frahma, and as he gestured with a bow, he disappeared. Zavier took a defensive stance as he saw fire ignite all around the room. The room itself was cylindrical in nature, made of stone so white that he felt almost as if he were suspended in air. The energy before him began to twist and contort, and he could feel it growing.

“Bahamut, this is it! This is the entity I felt in this dungeon. Finally it shows its true face.”

The energy finally began to convalesce into a singular form, red fire spewing along its course. Eventually it began to manifest arms, with hands similar to humans. Its body became similar to Zavier’s, having red armor that looked thick, and appeared to be made of bone. It grew legs, which were covered in the same type of armor. Finally its head was developed…and it seemed to wear a mask of the bone armor, nothing showing but its eyes, which burned with a white-flame. In front of Zavier stood a warrior clad in red bone armor, who towered over Zavier by inches. It brought its hands forwards, and a great sword that appeared to resemble a great Katana appeared coated in red fire, settling into his right hand. In its left hand appeared a red shield, its design similar to that of a Tower shield. It raised its arms into the air, lightning striking all around, its powers raised to the maximum.

“My god Zavier…”

Zavier felt the energy wafting from the creature. This would not be an easy battle.

“I know Bahamut, but if I’m to get information on my dragons, I have to prevail.”

The creature opened its mouth and symbols appeared in front of him. Zavier’s eyes widened as he saw fire forming around the creature, swirling around into what seemed like a focus of energy. Zavier brought his own swords forward, calling on the only attack he thought could get him through. Water appeared around Zavier as he concentrated on forming the attack. The color deepened as more and more power was placed into the attack.

Symbols surrounded the air around the creature as its mouth opened wider, red and orange flame circling inside. As it called on more energy its mouth seemed to get wider and wider, and it slowly began to bend backwards.

Zavier’s eyes turned deep blue and his blade formed a sphere of energy akin to water at their tips. Soon the ball extended to Zavier’s entire body and he brought in all the energy he had been gathering.

The symbols around the creature reached their apex…and the creature shot its upper body forward, a great stream of fire energy shooting out. The energy was so hot that it ruptured the game as it escaped from him, the surroundings becoming almost liquid.

“RUE BLAST!” Zavier screamed, releasing all of the energy he had been able to acquire. The energy shot from him, so powerful that it knocked him back a few inches, his feet grinding along the ground.

The two waves of energy met each other in the center of the room, and an explosion of sound buffeted both fighters. They kept pushing, all their might in that attack, striving to see who would be the first to back down. Zavier’s feet slowly began to sink into the ground as the stone began to slightly buckle under the pressure. The ground underneath the intersection of the two blasts was being blown away as their diameter increased, both fighters straining to win this test of fortitude. Zavier screamed, pushing rounds of energy into the blast. A guttural growl erupted from the creature as it pushed more and more energy, the new waves of energy erupting from its neck in the appearance of ripples. Zavier felt the strain of the attack, feeling the vibration of the center of gravity they were feeling travel through the Rue Blast and into his body. He pushed and pushed and pushed…until he felt his energy began to run low. The Rue Blast held its ground, but slowly began to give way as its source of energy began to run low. “NO!” Zavier cried as the stream of fire slowly began pushing towards him. Soon the stream of energy was directly in front of his weapons, so much so that he could feel the heat that was being expelled from it. He felt his blades, although completely surrounded by water, beginning to increase in temperature. “I…can’t….can’t….hold it!” he thought as the ground below him began to cave in. Just as his Rue Blast completely gave out he fell to the left, his body returning to normal. He looked back to see the fire wave slam into the door he had just entered in, completely destroying the exit. He stared wide-eyed as his only escape was reduced to a pile of rubble, revealing a wall similar to the others with no indication of escape.

Zavier stood up slowly, ready to meet this fiery demon from hell. Chaos in his right hand, Order in his left, he braced himself as his challenge raced towards him, billows of fire erupting from its armor. Its eyes showed no remorse, and it would find no sadness in ripping Zavier from the world.

Forever.

The creature had incredible speed. It closed the distance between them faster than Zavier had thought possible…much faster, and Zavier was almost caught off guard. One moment, he was watching as the creature stared him down, and seemingly in the next moment he was brining his Chaos sword up to block a vertical swipe by the huge Katana. As the blade hit Zavier’s entire body shook, the energy behind such an attack phenomenal. Had he not been in a game, Zavier would have worried about his weapon breaking. But these weapons, to an extent, were an extension of his body, mind, and soul. They would not break unless he himself was broken. He pushed against the Katana, reinforcing Chaos with Order to give himself extra leverage. He pushed the blade about 2 inches away, and the creature attacked again. The attack sent Zavier hurtling to the ground and rolled away as the blade struck the ground where he had fallen. He rolled by and brought Chaos for a strong strike and the monster’s midsection, but the tower shield had already been put into place, the creature somehow able to anticipate what he would do. With the monsters he had fought, employing various techniques and abilities, he had shown this creature a great deal about his fighting style.

The creature jumped into the air, fire billowing out of its back to give it an edge. It came down hard, spinning with its great katana. Zavier flipped backwards to dodge the attack but was too slow. As he brought himself up the creature had already sprinted at him, slamming its body into Zavier’s. Zavier felt unbearable heat as he fought to stand in position, the creature moving against him. The creature was stronger and pushed him back, slamming Zavier into the wall. Zavier coughed, a small amount of blood erupting from his mouth. The creature brandished its shield and slammed it into Zavier, pushing him further into the stone wall. It jumped back and rushed with its shield at Zavier again. Zavier knew that he only way he could escape was to reveal yet another of his powerful techniques. As the creature came upon him Zavier brought both his blades out simultaneously. His Wood Thrust sent Wood Elemental energy pulsating through his body into his swords, enlarging them as they went against the tower shield. The creature was caught off guard and was thrown to the side, falling onto the ground with a large crash. Zavier stepped out of the broken stone and rubble and faced him, the attack wearing away. The creature stood up and its flames roiled higher.

“So…you have some degree of extra-intelligence. I seem to have made you mad.”

A deep growl erupted from the stomach of the beast, and words began to materialize…at least, Zavier could hear them. “Do not flatter yourself Zavier. You are outclassed in every way.”

Zavier stared at the creature, unable to utter a sound. Because deep down inside, a voice that Zavier didn’t want to hear silently said two words.

“He’s right.”

Zavier rushed at the creature, and the creature accepted the challenge, standing with sword and shield in hand. As the creature brought its blade up to parry the attack Zavier spun 180 degrees and flipped backwards, soaring above the creature. The monster looked up to see Zavier coming down at it from the sky, spinning and slamming his entire weight into the body of the creature. The creature was thrown forward and Zavier was quick to take advantage. He slammed into the creature, slicing at its back with both his swords, finally jumping to the opposing wall and, adding the momentum of the lunge, slammed his swords into the creatures back. The force launched the creature into the wall on the other side of the room. Zavier smiled…and dropped down to one knee, his breathing heavy. “So much of my energy was put into that attack,” he said. Big drops of sweat formed on his forehead and fell to the ground. “So, how do you like that monster? Still think I’m inferior?”

Slowly the creature dislodged itself from the wall. From the pit of its stomach came a growl…that sounded more like a laugh than anything else. The laugh rose in intensity and in volume, and as the creature stood up and looked at Zavier its entire body heaved with each wail of laughing. Zavier looked at the creature, his body shaking. “Don’t let him get to you Zavier…don’t let him get to you. Bahamut, how much have I hurt this creature?”

“By what I can see Zavier…not that much.” There was a worried tone to Bahamut’s voice, and Zavier looked back at the creature. Its flames were still burning as high as they did a while ago, and it really looked no worst for what Zavier had done to him.

“Allow me to introduce myself to you Zavier. I am the Guardian of the 5th circle. I was created when this world was still young, when there were limitless fields for exploration. When the world changed, I still retained my major function and began to improve myself into the creature you see before me. Undoubtedly if you had fought against me in my first stage you would have defeated me easily, and my second stage, though giving you pause, would not have proved very difficult. However, this form, my third and final form, is much more powerful than you are and more than you will ever be.

“I know that you seek the Fire Dragon, the incarnation of the fire energies in this world. Let me tell you, mortal, that you are nothing to it. Its powers are equal, and I dare say greater than the Water Dragon you acquired. They are polar opposites, ones magic in more placed towards defense, one placed more towards offense. The Water Dragon was created to heal, and so its powers are more manifested for defense. The Fire Dragon was created for destruction, obliteration, and eradication. Therefore, since I am imbued with that power, I excel in offensive combat. I modified myself to give myself a good deal of defense as well, which is evident by the tower shield.”

“Then are you controlled by Frahma? Do you bend to his will?”

“Hahaha. Nonsense Zavier, you know the answer to that. I answer only to one…and that one is greater than you.”

“Could he mean…” Zavier wondered as he reasoned what the creature said. There were a few who were given that title. One would definitely be the dragon…but the other would be the hackers he had gone against since his arrival in this world…
“Regardless mortal, your time has come!” The creature braced itself, fire erupting from it. “Let me show you what true speed is!” The creature seemed to stand in place for a moment…and then disappeared. Zavier’s eyes went wide as he stared ahead, wondering where the creature had gone.

“ZAVIER, LOOK TO YOUR LEFT!” Bahamut screamed, and Zavier’s eyes went left. The creature had moved just behind him to his left side and had brought up its blade, the sword coming down to attack. Zavier rolled to the right, the Katana decimating the ground at which he had stood. Zavier instinctively brought his blades up and the guardian brought its sword around Zavier, the edge of the blade pushing against his swords as it tried to slice Zavier’s neck. Zavier’s arm shook from the strain placed upon them, but he would not give up.

“Why are you fighting Zavier? It’s apparent now that you can’t win. Why do you keep fighting against me, knowing that you are being destroyed?” Zavier dared not speak because it would break his concentration. He felt the heat of the Katana and the heat on his back from the creature, and his armor began to heat up. He knew he had to get out of that grip, but he didn’t know how. His mind whirled as he tried to find a weakness…and so he did what he had done in a duel against a player named Cypher so long ago. He slammed his head backwards into the mask of the creature. The creature fell backwards and Zavier scrambled forward, coughing and trying to straighten himself. He felt so void of energy, so weak, and yet he knew he had to continue. His vision was blurred, his forehead ached, and his muscles quivered in his body. The Guardian stood up, fire spiraling around it. “Well, Zavier, I must say that I have enjoyed this distraction for a while. But now, I must put an end to this.” The creature placed its Katana and its Tower Shield on the ground. It closed its eyes and cupped its hands, placing them at its side. Symbols appeared around the creature and it began to mumble words slowly. Fire formed all around the creature in a sphere pattern, and energy began to be fed into its cupped hands. It looked at Zavier, powering up for a powerful attack.

Zavier placed Chaos in his right sheath and order in his left. He slowed his breathing, calling on all the energy he could from his body and from his surroundings. He cupped his hands, placing them to his left. His weapons began to glow blue as a Rue Blast began to form, the energy this time being directed to his hands. His body became surrounding in energy as he powered up and placed all of his energy into his palms. His eyes turned blue, his mind only on defeating his opponent. The energy responded to him, and he pushed his body and mind further. His spirit was in control now, the soul of his being. This would take more energy than he had ever used in his life, or had ever wielded. The white walls around him began to turn blue; first, a slight baby blue, then, a deepening royal blue. The stones around him began to explode, energy being drawn from them. The same had begun to happen in the area occupied by the Guardian as it gathered up an incredible amount of energy.

“This is it!” the Guardian screamed, and as it brought its hands to its front a massive wave of fire erupted, traveling like energy. It rushed towards Zavier, destroying the stone that was around, so hot that the stone began to simply disintegrate in its wake.

“Let’s do it! Rue Blast!” Zavier brought his hands forward and energy gushed from him, energy spewing forward. The stone surrounding the wave was crushed by the force and energy surrounding the blast as it raced towards the Guardian.

The two blasts zoomed towards each other and met in the center, where the earlier blasts had been. However there was a considerable difference between then and now. The ground underneath Zavier shook as his muscles became taut, all of his muscles strained. The energy continued to erupt, and Zavier focused on the creature. The Guardian pushed as well, and Zavier could see that he was straining a bit as well. There was so much power to control that they had to have complete focus. The energy in the middle fluctuated, lightening shooting out from it. The walls began to quake and Zavier could hear the stairs breaking outside the room. The walls began to crumble, and data was exposed, which in turn began to corrupt. Zavier pushed with all he was worth, trying to move forward with the blast. The Guardian seemed to see this and pushed his blast. Zavier could not move forward and called on all the strength he could muster. His muscles were tired but he forced them to continue. If this battle cost him his life, he would at least take the Guardian with him. He looked up as the Guardian began to speak.

“I commend you for holding out for this long Zavier, but alas, this is where it ends!” The creature screamed out, and its wave of energy seemed to be amplified. A new surge of energy reached the middle and began to push the battle into its favor.

“NO!” Zavier screamed with wide-eyes, trying to push back, to no change. The blast began to move slowly towards him, and Zavier felt his surroundings getting hotter. Tears formed in his eyes, and he could not tell if he were crying, or if the heat and loss of energy was simply wearing against his body. Soon he could see the blast intersection close up, and the ground around him began to turn red. “It…can’t end like this,” he thought as the intersection made its way to a few inches in front of his hands. It pushed him down to one knee and he pushed back, trying to keep it at bay.

“Zavier.”

It was Bahamut.

“Zavier…I have known you for only a short time, and yet, I feel as though I have always been a part of you. I see now the destiny I was given, and I see why the source created me for you. You are exactly what I needed, and I am exactly what you need.”

“Bahamut, what do you mean?”

“I mean, Zavier, that you will be destroyed unless I help you.” Zavier felt something inside of him moving, and realized that it was Bahamut. In a matter of moments the creature stood beside him, facing the guardian.

“What’s this? A guardian? So, you serve this dog of a human? Fine, than you shall see him destroyed in your very presence!”

“Bahamut, what is the meaning of this?”

“Zavier…thank you for everything. You’ve shown me a multitude of things, and I will never forget them. I only hope that I will see you again.”

Zavier’s eyes widened as Bahamut began walking. He walked to where the intersection of the blasts was…and as he smiled at Zavier, he walked into it. Energy erupted as Bahamut faced the guardian, taking the full brunt of the blast. Zavier’s strength finally gave out, and he looked up as Bahamut let out a scream, the fire energy overwhelming him.

“Bahamut!!!”

“Zavier…you must leave!” Bahamut slowly began to change. As the room itself began to crumble he slowly began to turn silver, than gold, then red, then blue, orange, yellow, and finally black. Slowly, Bahamut dissolved away into data, a rift of energy opening where he had been.

Tears streaked down his cheeks as Zavier stared at the energy rift. He saw the Guardian picking up speed and making its way towards him, and yet Zavier was paralyzed. Bahamut, his guardian…was he truly gone?

“Zavier…you must leave.”

Zavier picked himself up, limping as he moved forward. The Guardian picked up speed, wanting to finish off Zavier now. As it came into range Zavier fell over, falling into the rift of energy. He felt his body transferring into data, and tears overwhelmed his face as he slowly dissolved.

With that final image of Bahamut burned into his eyes, Zavier fell into the abyss, the rift closing in after him.

Zavier +1lv. +Holy Tree Mail +Resurrect