Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seth's Magical Adventure! ❯ Collateral Damage ( Chapter 23 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he wants to buy the deeds to Sparklefire. I tried to trade with him, but he wants it for free. I don't give freebies.

 

It was all happening so fast, too fast for her mind to keep up. One moment, she had jumped the ship and allowed herself to become what was impossible under normal circumstances, and the next, she was flying with a speed that no normal creature could attain toward the ominous, threatening spires of darkness that had once been her birthplace. She tried to make sense of it, but only her semi-human mind could grasp fully the emotions she was trying to feel; sure, she could still talk, but that was of no use to any of them as they flew through the air. And even worse, both her semi-human and angry-cat minds were trying to wrestle control of their body. She had to make all of her minds cooperate, if she could.

 

`Stop! We can't leave them like that!' Sith said, but only in her mind could she see her normal self flying next to her, looking at her with terror, `They need us!' The dragon stared at the woman for a moment, and then returned her gaze forward as she continued her flight. A soft growl fell from her lips as she angled herself on a draft of cold wind, rising upwards a few feet.

 

`I know they do, but we have to do this,' Sith the dragon replied calmly, `I won't let my friends die so easily. Trust me.' Normally, this didn't happen if and when she transformed, but what happened was a special case. Sith had literally been torn apart three ways because of what Rath did. She couldn't decide which thought process occupied her more. Just on the other side of the dragon, another phantom of Sith flew, this time her hair in a thick mane of white, resembling a nearly perfect combination of cat and human. Unlike the first phantom, her fury was apparent.

 

`WE DO THIS MY WAY!' she roared angrily, her voice holding a tone Sith had never used, `LET ME OUT! I'LL SLAUGHTER RATH!' The dragon let a sigh loose between her jaws. There was no reasoning with this Sith.

 

`No. Stop it. I know I'm torn apart, but we have to do this,' the dragon said again, `Let me focus.' Both phantoms disappeared, and Sith felt both of them receding back inside of her again. That relieved her; transforming back would be a bit easier on her if she could get her mind organized. She returned her gaze to the citadel that came closer with each beat of her wings. They were getting close to the end of the battle, if they could just get inside. Rath would pay for everything; everything that was resulting in this world's instability. She grunted when she felt a small drift of air below her, and turned her neck to see a golden dragon shifting to fly alongside her. He was bigger, but Sith had to slow to let him keep her pace.

 

`Sith, I think they're going to try attacking her,' came Sceppiro's voice, `How are you holding up? Can you make it there?' Sith's eyes slid back to Aeroglyph, her large, scaly brows creasing in determination. She had a lot of strength, but time was running out, and she knew they had very little of it to work with. She was just glad she got herself in order.

 

`Yes, but my mind can't decide what I am,' she replied sternly, `Am I the loyal knight, the vicious killer, or the dragon? I want to do three things at once, Sceppiro.' The older dragon nodded his head, and for a moment, he didn't respond to his sister. One of his nostrils twitched, leaving Sith wondering what he was trying to do. Nothing in the air smelled of anything more than gunpowder and engine fuel. Then, suddenly, Sceppiro smiled.

 

`Well, just focus on what you want most,' he told him, a tone to his voice suggesting that whatever he sensed, he knew something Sith didn't, `If you want to turn back and help them, I think three dragons can handle it.'

 

`Are you… certain?' Sith asked warily, wondering if Sceppiro was just trying to joke with her. She slowed a little more until she was barely moving at all. Sceppiro skidded to a stop, and looked back at his sister. He was certain that he wanted her to do what she felt was right, but he didn't actually know how the other two dragons would take it. As if to answer their worry, Bahamut came up shortly behind them. He made a rumble in his throat, and with his link to them cut off for protection, they couldn't tell if he was laughing or grumbling. He stopped just short of them before he spoke to them both.

 

`Go to your friends, Sith,' he said seriously, `We can handle this. We did not expect both of you to come, and conditions have changed. They will need you to lead them again in the next attack.' Bahamut made another rumble in his chest, and it turned into a definite chuckle as he added, `If only because Bakura isn't doing a good job, and Atemu will be far, far worse.' Sceppiro laughed, his voice sounding like a shriek than anything anyone would consider a laugh. Sith's eyes widened as Bahamut spoke the last part, her wings ruffling in the wind.

 

`…Bakura? They have seriously allowed Bakura to lead them!?' she asked, and shook her massive head, `They truly must want to move. I had better go and make sure they haven't done anything stupid.' Sceppiro laughed again, making Sith wince. She wished he'd use their mental voices for that, just like they did when they spoke, but he had his own reasons to bark and screech. He looked at his sister almost adoringly as she turned herself toward the direction of the ships.

 

`You mean like actually trying to fire at Rath?' he inquired. Sith merely grumbled, and was about to take off, but then she stopped herself and thought about Sceppiro's words. That was definitely the stupidest idea to pull, especially with the ships jammed up. She sighed.

 

`That is a very dumb idea,' she agreed, `Bakura would definitely suggest that. I'll be off.'

 

`Be safe, young Esper,' came Tiamat's voice, and Sith's lips curled into a dragon's idea of a smile. She nodded, and flapped her wings once when a huge explosion sounded, causing her to yelp as she slid down quite a way. Sceppiro broke and flew off in terror, and both Bahamut and Tiamat dropped as well, stunned by such a massive boom. It sounded as though the explosion was only feet away from them, and the ensuing force of the impact pushed them back further. Being the first to recover, Sith growled furiously. That was definitely something Bakura would find to be a decent idea. At the very least, it'd be the most amusing one. She swore to herself that if this ended well and they both lived, she would make sure to drop him on his head. Or chop his head clean off, depending on her mood when it came to pass. Flapping her wings to make sure she could fly, she caught a stray rush from the explosion and soared back toward the ships, a spout of steam issuing from her nostrils. She wasn't happy with Bakura.

 

`Thief, you had better be alive when I get back,' she growled, `Or I'll make sure you take a trip or two through Oblivion.'

 

---

 

Meanwhile, the captains of all four ships were busy reloading their cannons with the same sparkling powder that just sent a hurtling ballistic screaming toward the mass of darkness they were supposed to be heading to. As Bakura watched Cyd bark orders at both humans and Espers, he couldn't help but be completely impressed with the explosion that just shook the entire earth. Not only did it cause a piece of Aeroglyph's outer wall to crumble off, it sparkled in a magnificent hue of purple as it did so, and Bakura guessed that such an effect was how Sparklefire got its name. When the second ballistic, shot from the third ship, exploded in a shower of beautiful, purple sparks, he practically jumped in excitement as he turned to Seth, who was watching with very little enthusiasm.

 

“Holy hell, priest, did you see that!?” Bakura exclaimed, pointing out the window, “It's wonderful! I have to hand it to old Cyd out there! He does know how to put on a spectacle.” He glanced at Seth when the priest didn't share in his amusement, and saw him mumble something incoherently. Bakura narrowed his eyes, wondering just what Seth was saying. He didn't need to wait long, for Seth decided not to hide his answer.

 

“He also knows how to scare the living daylights out of all of us, too,” Seth grumbled, crossing his arms, “Honestly, I don't know how this is going to help Sith. Or the other three dragons, now that I think about it.” Seth's lips thinned as he looked out the window distantly. He didn't like that he was so worried about Sith, especially since they seemed to have a constant rivalry over the pharaoh's loyalty even then, but he was worried. If their distraction didn't work, she and the other three dragons would be right in the line of fire. Even with their distraction, the dragons had flown off too quickly for them to know just where they'd gone to. For all he knew, they could've actually managed to hit their greatest weapons. His frown worsened as he said, “Bakura… what are the chances of us accidentally killing them?” Bakura glanced over again, and he began to frown, too. But not out of worry. It was more out of disappointment in Seth. Cyd wouldn't risk hurting his niece and nephew.

 

“Slim to none,” the thief replied, leaning on the windowsill again as Cyd shouted the order to fire, “Dragons are pretty resilient. I think it'll take more than one shot to kill them.”

 

`No, but it sure scares the shit out of us,' came a distant reply, and Seth nearly fell over laughing when he realized it was from Sith. Bakura's face burned with embarrassment; even though she had said it loud enough for both he and Seth to hear, he knew her response was aimed solely at his mind. Seth just happened to be part of the conversation. Blinking away the blush, he looked out at the sky. Sith wasn't anywhere in sight, but she was close enough to speak to, albeit mentally.

 

`Sorry, Sith,' he replied sheepishly, his mouth slanting in a half-smile. He felt Seth lean closer, as if wondering what he was saying to the dragon-knight, and Bakura felt relief in the fact that Seth couldn't hear anything he thought unless Sith felt a need to relay it to him. Which she never did.

 

`You're lucky I haven't come down there and smacked my hilt over your head,' she replied seriously, but there was still an edge of mild amusement in her voice, `Guardian or not, that was a stupid idea to try and fire like that. Just what were you thinking?' Bakura grimaced a bit, not liking the tone Sith was giving. Technically, this was his idea, but Cyd was the one who came up with using Sparklefire, not him. But when he relayed this to Sith, she merely snorted and said, `And you actually trust my crazy, volatile uncle to not send this attack straight to hell?' Judging by Seth's snort, Sith included him in her response. If there was one thing the priest respected in her, even just a little, it was the fact that she was blunt. She wasn't afraid of their reactions to her, which was what got Seth in so much trouble in the first place.

 

`…yes,' Bakura replied meekly. Sith didn't respond for a moment, and he barely heard a thump on the deck as he looked up. He assumed someone had dropped a barrel full of the powder Cyd was using, and didn't even care to glance when the deck door opened, admitting someone inside. He didn't listen as the crowd fell silent, and he certainly didn't notice as a black-haired knight, donned in white linen and armor, crept up behind him. Putting a finger to her lips, she urged Seth to keep quiet, which he did, if only for the fact that it'd scare Bakura.

 

`Then I suggest you trust me a little more,' she replied calmly, and then said, `By the way, turn around.' Bakura blinked, wondering how a dragon could see into the ship, and quickly turned around at her command. Only to scream right in her face. Sith stood before him, a slender black brow raised as his scream died down a little bit. Crossing her arms, her frown becoming just a little softer, she said, “It's nice to see you, too.” Seth snorted again, and Bakura's cheeks turned red once more. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. At least, they wouldn't come out in anything anyone could register as speech. Seth just gave him a smug glance.

 

“Egyptian, Bakura. Speak in Egyptian,” he teased, and when Bakura's face reddened further, Seth turned to the knight and said, “Good to have you back, Sith.” Sith just raised her brow again, an amused smirk planted on her face.

 

“Coming from you, that's hard to believe,” she stated, and Seth winced at the apparent truth to that, “I trust you haven't screwed us all over again.”

 

“Hey, ever since I went to your world the first time, I've tried my best to do everything I've been ordered to do!” the priest cried, throwing his arms up in exasperation. Sith just gave a soft chuckle, and not wanting her to comment on him anymore, he changed the subject, “So, were you able to find a way to get into your castle?” Sith chuckle stopped dead in her throat, and she grew a somber look. Seth's own usual arrogant look faded, realizing that her self-appointed missing didn't go well in the least. He wished he hadn't asked.

 

“No. I turned back when we heard the first explosion,” she replied, and Bakura looked away with guilt; technically, it was his fault, for he suggested the cannons to Cyd. Sith didn't seem to notice his movement as she continued, “Sceppiro is taking over for me. Not that that's a bad thing. I'd much rather be fighting alongside you than sneaking into my own castle.” Seth gave a firm nod, and the two of them smiled, though Seth's was weaker. Another explosion caused them both to turn toward the window, Bakura simply yelping in shock, not having expected the boom, even though he knew one would be coming. Seth just laughed as he heard many people on the deck scream, with Cyd cursing about some sort of clog in his cannon.

 

“I think you might've gotten here right on time,” he commented, as one Esper ran across the deck, carrying what looked like a giant cotton swab. As the Esper shoved it into the cannon, Sith's cheeks streaked with blue as she hung her head in embarrassment.

 

“Yes, well, I was aiming to get here before any of you died,” she mumbled, and when another person yelped in pain, she turned to Seth and said, “All right, I think we'd better go and help these people before my uncle kills them.” Seth nodded, his grin returning. There were times he loved his job; as much as he hated being in the action, he did love watching others mess up their orders. And if Sith knew this about him, she was purposely ignoring it, either for his sake or for the sake of comradery.

 

“I heal the slightly wounded as you ready the cannons?” he asked, even though he knew the answer. Sith was perfect for manual labor, and he knew his best ability was to heal pain… whether he inflicted it in the first place or not. Sith nodded, and together, they walked out onto the deck, shortly followed by Mahaado, Karim, Isis, Bakura, and Mana.

 

It hadn't taken too long to get everything back in order for the next round of explosives, though on Sith's part, she did have to jump from ship to ship in order to relay Cyd's orders. After three rounds of using Sparklefire, he decided that it was time to stop playing nice, especially since Rath had managed to hit one of the ships in retaliation, and now they were going to use actual gunpowder. Seth was skeptical at first; Egypt didn't have gunpowder. But, as usual, the Espers did. And Cyd wasn't about to let Rath escape for damaging his prized creations. As soon as his cannon was loaded, Cyd shot the first blast of gunfire, and the entire Nesce-Egyptian army was rewarded with plumes of fire slamming into the dark citadel ahead, along with the acrid smell of smoke, much of which caused a better half of the human army to choke as they tried to clear the air around them. The Espers weren't bothered too much from it; they merely saw it as a minor annoyance.

 

“I'd hate to be whoever's living in there,” Karim commented, “I hope we didn't hit any of the captive Espers.” Sith swiped her tail, clearing the air around herself and Mana before she spoke again. She gave a warm smile to her former teacher.

 

“We didn't. Unless my uncle overstuffed his cannon, the blast shouldn't have been strong enough to knock out more than the outer walls,” she replied confidently, eyeing her uncle just in time to see him load his cannon up again, “My uncle's not stupid enough to overload his machines, and Rath's too smart to keep anyone within reach of the outer wall.” Karim nodded, and went back to help Mahaado heal one poor soul who'd gone too close to the cannon right as it fired. Her wings had been burned, but not torn off completely, and aside from some minor scrapes on her face and left arm, she was otherwise fine. She grinned when Sith looked at her, and then Sith turned to her uncle again. He was shouting into his radio. Bakura glanced at the knight quizzically, wondering just how she was taking what she saw.

 

“Didn't do too badly, eh?” he asked, knowing she knew this was technically his idea. She looked at him, and then gave a sly smile, one he wasn't sure if he liked or not.

 

“Considering it was you, it's not a complete disaster,” she commented, her tone edging between amusement and annoyance, “No one's died yet. That's looking in your favor.” Bakura just grinned, and because Atemu had just come out on deck and managed to overhear, he frowned. Bakura caught the pharaoh in the corner of his eyes, and his grin widened, turning smug, as if to say `ha-ha.' Atemu's eye simply twitched.

 

“There's still time before we can be sure of that,” he growled, storming ahead to speak to Cyd. Sith bit her lip, not sure of how to respond. Atemu's jealousy was more and more apparent the more Bakura was involved in this war. But damn it, they needed the thief's help. And it wasn't her place to call either of them on it and tell them to knock it off. If they were going to play this game, they had to work it out themselves. She merely had to make sure neither of them died, or both of them killed each other in the process.

 

“Oh, I wouldn't sleep if I were you, pharaoh,” Bakura apparently had other ideas, even if his tone was slightly teasing, and none too serious. Sith frowned, and the glare she gave must've been severe, for a moment later he said, “I can't protect you forever, you know!” Atemu just snorted, but from where Bakura was, he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. Seth, who'd been keeping close to Sith and Bakura, just looked over at them both. He knew it wasn't Sith's fault, but Bakura was going to end up pushing this too far. He had to do something to help Sith out, even if he didn't want to. After all, his job was to heal people, and if one of them managed to assassinate the other, or, more likely, Sith was about to snap, someone would end up dead. Not something Seth wanted to deal with, no matter who was killed.

 

“I don't think he needs your protection, Bakura,” he said, wishing he had come up with something better. He didn't want to just threaten Bakura; that was definitely Sith's job, but he did want to make it clear no one would tolerate such a stupid battle between thief and king. Especially over a knight who wasn't sure she actually liked either. From what Bahamut said, she merely tolerated them. If Seth hadn't understood Sith's reasoning, he'd have blamed her for not making up her mind earlier.

 

“Besides, he has mine,” Sith added, which didn't help the matter at all. Seth nudged her in the ribs.

 

“Not helping,” he mumbled. Sith snorted softly, and turned away as Seth looked at Bakura and said, “I don't know what sort of battle you and the pharaoh are waging, but kindly keep it off of this ship, or I'll see to it that neither of you wins. Understood?” Bakura just raised a brow, surprised that Seth would even try to dissipate a matter that really didn't concern him. He looked at Sith, who said nothing, and then he just nodded.

 

“Understood,” he replied, “I'm going to help Cyd out.” Then, he was gone. Sith glanced at Seth as he continued to watch the thief's retreating back, and then let out a small sigh, smiling weakly. Seth looked back at her, wondering if she was all right. Even if he didn't like her that much, he knew when she was reaching her limit.

 

“Thank you for that,” she replied, and laughed, “I'll never be good at deal with them both.”

 

“I think you'd better tell them neither stand much chance, or this could get a lot worse,” he told her seriously, and when her smile vanished, he said, “Look, I might not like you, but I hate things like this even more. Besides, it won't hurt to knock them down every once in a while, anyway.” He chuckled at that statement, but Sith just stared at him, wide-eyed. Not because she herself wasn't considering the advice, but because for once, he was offering her help, and he was insulting the pharaoh in the process. A big no-no for his position, too.

 

“Seth! You can't say things like that!” she hissed, low enough so Atemu didn't hear them, “Are you looking to get fired?” Seth snorted. He would've loved to say `why, yes, I want that,' but he didn't want to be smacked over the head for it. He just grinned, leaning back against the wall.

 

“Hey, I respect the pharaoh to the highest degree that I can, but you have to admit he's a spoiled brat,” the priest commented, “He won't take losing well. And Bakura? He'll start a revolt if he fails. It's best if you let them both down.” Sith's lips thinned. But she did agree with Seth. She gave a weak nod, watching as Bakura and Cyd loaded another round into the cannon, setting it off immediately after. The ballistic, this time a huge, heavy, iron ball, whistled right through the air. The force blew a heavy gust of wind that ruffled Seth's robes, and he watched the ball soar across the sky, eyes wide with awe. He had never seen such a weapon before.

 

“Is there anything your race hasn't implemented yet?” he asked, as the ball smashed right into the citadel, the ensuing boom and explosion of smoke and plaster so powerful, that it shook the ship even from their distance. They faintly heard Cyd laughing hysterically as a piece of the citadel's courtyard broke off and then fell to the ground below.

 

“Doubt it,” Sith replied smugly, though Seth knew she meant no offense. She looked over the railing, and as the broken piece of land slid away from the citadel, landing on the sand with a huge crack, she snorted and said, “I'd hate to be the people living down there.” Seth looked, his skin paling. Forget about hurting anyone. He prayed no one lived there at all.

 

“How many of those are we firing?” he asked her, his voice just a bit shaky. He hadn't expected such a massive result, and was really, really glad that Nesce and Egypt were still allies. Sith tapped her chin, considering the answer carefully. She really couldn't be sure. If Cyd wanted to kill Rath before she struck, he'd keep lobbing them until the entire castle was destroyed. But if this really was to buy them some time, then one round really should be enough to send a warning.

 

“Not sure, but any more of them and we won't have a kingdom left to save,” she replied, her voice growing just a little grim, “And that's going to defeat the entire purpose of this war at all…” Seth patted her back, understanding her frustration. He knew what it was like working with overzealous arsonists. He worked with Bakura before. And even though Bakura wasn't technically an arsonist, he had a feeling that somewhere, somehow, Bakura managed to set something on fire, whether purely accidental or not. The point was, Bakura and Cyd were in the same boat. And when he turned around and saw them loading the cannon up for another shot, he couldn't help but laugh. Sith slumped over, unable to fathom that they'd shoot again when the first iron ball had taken such a chunk from her home.

 

“Want me to talk to them?” he asked her, as she laid a hand on the pommel of her sword. Her lips thinned, though her stare was flat as she watched them.

 

“Depends. Can you kill them if they give you a half-assed response?” she retorted, and Seth laughed again. He shook his head, patting a scroll he tied onto his belt.

 

“I doubt I'd kill them, but I could probably make them really confused,” he replied darkly, “Before I left to do the recon in Aeroglyph, your brother gave me a few scrolls inscribed with his magic. I didn't use them.” Sith gave him an incredulous stare, feeling that if he did, they could've avoided this altogether. When he finally realized that, he blushed and said, “…oops.” Sith just snorted, shaking her head.

 

“Wouldn't be the first time you didn't do something you were supposed to,” she mumbled, and walked off to speak with Cyd herself. Seth hummed, trying to figure out what that actually meant, and when he finally comprehended it, his mouth dropped open. She was, once again, bringing up that he had started all of this again! Just because he didn't want to do his job! Nose scrunching, he raised his fist and shook it.

 

“THAT WAS A CHEAP SHOT!” he called, but all he got was a laugh from the knight. He growled, stuffing his hands in his pocket. He wasn't actually mad; after all, that was the truth. But damn it, it was the truth! He stalked over, wondering how he could get his revenge, when suddenly, he stopped and frowned. Revenge wasn't the right way to go, at least not here. Besides, she was joking. She didn't mean it as the insult he took it as. And, as a priest, it really wasn't a good idea for him to get into the habit of going into revenge. And, that was what Mahaado and Karim were trying to teach him, back then. He let out a sigh. This was going to take some time to get used to, and even more time to accept it. But he could own up to it, maybe. He walked over to where Sith was.

 

“Yeah, we probably got a hole big enough to get through,” Cyd said, tapping his foot and then looking over at he said, “What're you idiots doing!? I said `no more cannon fire,' ya big numbskulls! Put that down!” Seth and Sith looked to see a werewolf and a younger Esper drop the iron ball, both of them scared to death from Cyd's outburst. In their minds, they were just doing their jobs. Seth nudged Sith in the ribs as Bakura and Atemu helped the two roll the iron ball away.

 

“What's going on?” he asked her, as Cyd wiped his forward and ordered the cannons to be cleaned. Sith glanced back, and her smile told him that whatever she had said to Cyd, it'd be good news. They could use some good news.

 

“We've opened a break into the citadel,” she whispered back, excited, “We can enter through there, shut off the mechanisms Rath activated, ground the castle, and attack her on all fronts!” Seth didn't see the enthusiasm of deepening this war, but Sith's happiness was infectious. He smiled as well, watching as Bakura and Atemu nodded, going back to speak to Cyd about their next move.

 

“How will we get inside?” he asked her, “Are the engines free yet?” Unfortunately, Sith shook her head. But her excitement hadn't diminished, and soon, Cyd was getting everyone on his ship rallied onto the deck, Bakura using his radio to instruct the other captains of the other ships to do the same. Her wings ruffled.

 

“No, but we have an alternative,” she replied, “Cyd relayed the plan to Sceppiro through their minds, and Sceppiro is relaying it to both Bahamut and Tiamat. They're going to come back with the hostages they could rescue, and then ferry the warriors on their backs. We should have more than enough to overwhelm the Espers that still oppose us.” Seth silently wondered how many Espers were actually on Rath's side. He didn't doubt they could do some serious damage, but he didn't think Rath was incompetent enough to let herself be overwhelmed. Especially since she had perfectly anticipated their moves so far. But something had blown her plan apart, literally speaking. She hadn't predicted Cyd would fire back at her. And maybe that was the key. Maybe that was why Sith had let the plan continue until now.

 

“And what of the hostages?” he asked, “What then?”

 

“It would depend. If they don't wish to help us, we keep them as prisoners. If they do, we employ them to help, either in fighting or healing,” she explained, and in a much darker tone, she said, “And if they attack… we have no choice but to kill them. Those insane enough to strike out have been driven mad, and nothing will help them then.” Seth frowned. He didn't like the sound of that at all.

 

“What could do that?” he asked, but for once, she merely gave a stern glance as her answer. She didn't want to tell him what she knew, and he knew better than to press. Bahamut had spoken about something that turned Rath mad, when he had first met Seth and Bakura. That had to have been the same thing, but what was it? He wanted answers, but he knew he'd get them soon enough. He let her silence slide, and when a roar pierced the sky, followed by a blast of cold air, they both knew at least one dragon returned. Bakura was nearly blown clean off the ship, and it took both Atemu and the werewolf grabbing the thief's arms to avoid having him fly off.

 

`We're here!' Sceppiro announced proudly, as everyone rushed away, him circling the ship and then landing with a crash on the deck. Sith was probably the only one who wasn't completely terrified with her brother's entrance, and Seth had to wonder if he'd done that before. Sith's expression said he had.

 

“Thanks for the heads up,” she replied flatly, and Sceppiro's teeth curled back in a wide grin. The passengers on his back stumbled out of their harnesses as Mahaado, Isis, Saimun, and an Esper cleric ran to their aid, and then another dragon rose up, his huge wings buffeting the ship with cold wind once more. This time, everyone expected a second dragon.

 

`We need to move quickly,' Bahamut's voice grumbled, gripping the edge of the ship with his two front claws as he lowered his head so his hostages could climb over his back and slide down his muzzle, `Rath will notice what we plan soon.' Sith nodded, helping Bahamut's passengers as Tiamat appeared on the other side, doing the same thing as her cohort. Silence slowly fell as they all helped and healed those who were stumbling and injured, and it continued as they decided on who would be going in the first round. Sith inevitably was picked first, with Bakura second. Atemu stood as third, but they needed one more leader. Seth looked around, wondering who would actually volunteer themselves. His answer was simple: no one. No one wanted that responsibility, and he knew that Sceppiro couldn't simply because he had to ferry them. He sighed. This was the way to help redeem himself again.

 

“I take the fourth team,” he said, much to everyone's surprise. No one had expected him to even think about making that kind of choice. He looked at the other three leaders. Sith smiled warmly; for once, he felt a comradery between her he wished he'd felt before. Atemu was proud; for once, Seth understood he was making the best choice he could. Bakura nodded with approval; for once, Seth felt that their own personal battle against the thief had ended. He took a stand next to Sith, and they began to pick their team members. They couldn't take everyone, but each of them were allowed ten others to choose from. Atemu had taken Shaddah, Karim, Mana, Akunaden, and six of his guards. Bakura took a mix of two Espers, one werewolf, an Incubus, a vampire, and five of the thieves he had brought along. Seth chose Mahaado, three guards, two of the brave villagers from the palace, and four Espers. Sith had chosen ten Espers entirely, and Seth understood why; she wasn't able to ferry any of them, and that meant her team had to be able to fly on their own. Smart idea on her part. Besides, it gave more of the Espers a chance to get revenge for being forced into slavery. Those not going were to stay and help reload for a back-up assault, to feed everyone else, or to try and provide healing in the absence of the priests.

 

`Are we ready?' Sceppiro asked with impatience as everyone's teams assembled onto the dragons, Sith's team getting their wings ready for flight. It took another few moments to get the humans strapped onto the dragons, but shortly after, Atemu gave Sceppiro's neck a firm pat.

 

“Let's get going,” he replied, when he received nods from Bakura, Seth, and Sith. Sceppiro let loose a loud roar, and jumped high into the air, slamming the deck with a burst of wind as he flapped his wings. Bahamut and Tiamat let go of the sides of the ship, and Sith jumped off with her team, all eleven Espers spreading their wings to fly away behind the dragons as they sailed off. The flight was fast; the air was cold enough to bring tears to Seth's eyes as they rushed through the sky. He didn't remember Bahamut ever flying this fast before, but the timing of the attack was urgent. If Rath put up any defense, their advantage would be lost and they'd have to blow another hole in her walls. Assuming that they even could. He glanced back, vision blurry from his tears as he wondered how Bakura and Atemu were faring. He didn't need to wonder to know Sith was probably crying from the wind. Not sobbing, mind, but tears would be shed, just because of how cold it was getting. He found he thought her very brave to be flying in her most human form.

 

The citadel loomed before them within half an hour, like a giant, crumbling, black crystal in the bright afternoon sky. At the edges of their visions, the Espers warned their human companions about the black aura surrounding the perimeter, but there had been no retaliation, and Sith didn't think there would be one. They were too close for Rath to attack. Any attack made that wasn't close combat would hit her, as well, and she wanted to avoid that, even if it meant a disadvantage. Rath wasn't stupid enough to hit herself unless she knew it'd kill them all. And, she knew it wouldn't. That was at least one thing working with them, as Seth watched the citadel below, Tiamat spiraling overhead. Sceppiro had landed first, and Atemu was already dismounting by the time Tiamat or Bahamut had gotten onto the courtyard. At one time or another, it had been a beautiful green garden, but now it was simply a charred, barren field. Which was fine for now. It provided enough of an area for three dragons to land. Unfortunately for Sith, it took her team nearly fifteen minutes later to unite with the others, by which Seth and Bakura had begun to worry about her safety; they assumed something had held her up.

 

“Everything okay, knight Sith?” Atemu asked, when Sith landed, her team scattering in between the dragons as Sceppiro reverted to his human form. Sith nodded, landing hard on the ground. Her knees buckled, and Atemu was concerned she'd hurt herself, but a moment later, she stood.

 

“Everything's fine, sir,” she replied, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, “Sorry. We were held up by a draft of wind.”

 

“Better that than an enemy ambush, eh?” Seth commented, and frowned, “Okay, we're all here. What's the game plan? Do we split up?” Sith tapped her chin carefully, thinking about it. There were at least three Espers she knew of that had to be dealt with. Splitting up might not be bad, but it could be a mistake if all three Espers attacked one group at the same time. Likewise, it was still bad for a full party of over forty people to wander through a castle at once, with two dragons waiting their return right outside. Either one gave them danger; it was simply a matter of how much danger they were willing to risk. She called Atemu and Bakura over, debating it. Finally, they decided that indeed, they would split up. But, Sceppiro would be taking over Seth's team because he knew the citadel as well as Sith, and Seth would be joining Atemu's team in replacement. When told, Seth agreed readily.

 

“But will Sith and Sceppiro have enough healers?” he asked. That was his only objection. Aside from Mahaado, Sceppiro had no healers, and Sith had no clerics, either. Bakura hadn't chosen any, but the Incubus was versed with healing, so that wasn't too bad. But everyone except for Atemu lacked healing. That didn't prove much of a problem for Sith.

 

“We'll be fine,” she replied, speaking for her team, “Everyone on my team has a basic healing spell, and I have most spells in my arsenal as it is. If anything, our problem will be too much power and too little fighting space.”

 

“Mahaado and I are adept healers,” Sceppiro added, “I can revive people as well, too. Provided that their injuries haven't pierced anything vital. We should be all right.” That took care of that problem. Bakura hadn't spoken, but he hadn't needed to. The smug look on his face told them all that he wasn't overly concerned with healing. Most of his team was made up of rogues and magic-users, both of which could simply avoid damage by hiding from it. Seth's lips thinned, and he nodded grimly. He was nervous about just heading in, but everyone else seemed confident. And ready. He took a deep breath.

 

“Let's go then,” he said, “Onto the next stage of this magical adventure.” With that, he, Sith, Atemu, Bakura, and Sceppiro led their teams into the wide hole that Cyd had created with his cannons. With that, he was entering Aeroglyph for the third, and hopefully, final time.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

And so, after successfully distracting, and destroying part of Rath's plans, Seth and the expansive army reunite with Sith and the dragons for a short time before four teams are chosen and sent to deployment on the first close-combat round of the war. With knowledge of the castle's interior, combined with knowledge on Rath's abilities, can our four teams successfully find and stop her? Or will she strike down Cyd and everyone else aboard his ships? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!