The Oathsworn

by Liandra Jake

  "Just who exactly are in this group?" Iode asked as he and Corenden joined the group.

  Myith whistled. "You're a big Pog. The list is expansive, but I can name off a few that consult Arend almost daily with some of the best work out there. Let's see: Tommori Felkin, Iine Excellscar, Fanscaro Roberto, Allan of the Infighters, the list can go on forever. Most of the big wigs deal with Arend exclusively." He turned his head to Arend and gave him a wink. "When you finally get that shop open, you know I'm coming."

  Everyone but Arend and Myith were in shock. "Arend," Corenden gulped. "How is it possible you know people like that?"

  "Like what?" Arend asked.

  Corenden began freaking out, his hands holding his head. "He's insane. He has to be."

  Civen rolled her eyes. "Even I know who they are. I'm assuming you went through Yitkin and picked up Mr. Black here. Iine is the leader of the Northern Alliance, the equivalent to Draken. Fanscaro is an expert on monsters and how Orenth behaves around them, Allan is the leader of the strongest team this side of the planet; eleven people that can take on an army. I don't even want to know who else you know."

  Arend and Myith nodded slowly. "We don't really discuss things like that. Our main goal is an information network and an informal training tool for those who want to do the same things we do." Arend explained. "I could never ask about anything pertaining to the Dragon Drive due to its unnatural power, and the fact the most powerful information is never on the Nexus for obvious reasons."

  Myith seemed to have an epiphany. "Civen, tell him about Full Burn!"

  "Are you insa-" Civen stopped herself. Her expression changed as her internal conflict resolved itself. "He did take on the Black Monster." She nodded. "Alright! I can tell you about it. Let me see your weapon." Arend pulled the Dragon Drive from his bag.

  "Ho-ly shit. This things been to hell and back and then decided to do it all over again!" Civen cried with a look of wonder.

  "Would you believe it's been in only two fights and had a brief burst on a buggy?" Arend asked.

  "That's insane!" She replied.

  She took the Drive from Arend' open hands. "The first against two Pendragons and the second against Aquaporus."

  Civen turned it in her hands, popping it open. She winced. "I see why you've come here. Look." She held it out to Myith. Everyone else crowded in to get a look.

  The sight within looked like a gutted fish, barely operating on the last beats of its heart and oxygen in its brain. The parts Arend had salvaged were barely able to create the reaction Arend needed. "Arend, you must be some kind of genius to get this to work." Myith said with a shake of his head.

  Civen returned the Drive. "That's why I need parts. I've got a list here." Arend handed Civen a list of what he needed.

  Civen handed it to Myith. "Split this up and stoke the Main Forge. Make sure to get everyone involved." Myith followed her orders, copying down the list in six parts on different sheets of paper. "Well then, while they get that settled, let's get you a weapon so you can at least defend yourself. Follow me; we can take care of the basic designs while I explain a few things."

  Civen sat down under the enclosure. As she spoke, she sketched a design on a piece of paper. "Full Burn is something Myith and I discovered concerning Fire Korvan when we were experimenting with Airship technology. It's basically a super massive expulsion of pure Fire Orenth, enough to clear any system of Dirty Orenth. That's the medley of Orenth that is usually contained in small amounts in a Korvan System.

  "You'll need a filter for the Orenth though. A kind of fuel filter that gets the reaction started. From there it will feed on the Natural Fire Orenth until extinguished by some other kind of purified Orenth. This is where the filter comes in handy as you can channel the separated Orenth for the 'Deignition.' Also, the filter can be adjusted for a polarity swap that reverses the flow of Orenth, allowing you to coat whatever it is in Orenth." Civen handed the sheet of paper to Arend.

  He scribbled a few notes and made a few adjustments. "The Dragon Drive has a True Safeguard, which also has an Orenth absorption quality. For what you have in mind I'll have to find a very powerful filter and Battery Korvan. I may be able to hold a lot of Orenth, but with the power I can achieve with the second build, I need something to directly store and emit the Orenth, or else I'll end up like the Dragon Drive is now." Arend replied.

  "That thing must be worth a fortune. Not only is Orenth absorption rare, the fact you're immune to Changing and Possession by Tainted Orenth is invaluable. You're going to go places with the kind of power you're going to have." Civen said as she handed back the paper. Arend nodded. "All right you three; entertain yourselves. Arend, you're with me." Arend popped up and hurried after the excited Civen.

  "Hey, Michael, why were you worried about coming here? You sister seems nice." Corenden asked.

  "My father and I got into a disagreement about my traveling. My hatred towards him drove me to work very far away from this place. When I learned he was sick, it was too late to tell him how foolish I was. That was a year ago. Since then I've been working hard to make his spirit proud of what I've done with my life." He replied with a rather melancholy tone.

  Corenden gave him a rough pat on the back. "You helped me, Arend and all those Floxes back in Yitkin. That look in your eye as you burst through with the buggy was one I've only seen in Arend. Some men would kill to have the level of courage and confidence you had in that moment." He said with a smile.

  "It's a valuable trait, but it needs to be something more." Michael replied.

  "Hmmm." Corenden said as he thought.

  "Hey," Iode exclaimed. "Do you think someone might know who the Dragon Hunters are?"

  Michael nodded. "Possibly. Let's split up and find out." The three spit up, Michael to the sleeping quarters, Iode stayed in the forge area, and Corenden investigated in the area where the tribesmen were working on household necessities.

  "Excuse me, but do you know anything about the Dragon Hunters?" Corenden asked an old women repairing clothing.

  She shook her head. "No, but Loain, the would-be librarian lives in a tent just north of this area. He may have the information you need."

  "Thank you!" Corenden called as he flew above the encampment. He noted the brightly lit tent a good fifty yards from the others. He landed just outside the entrance.

  "Hello?" Corenden called.

  Corenden could hear someone fumbling papers in the tent. A man poked his head out of the tent. He looked like everyone else; bleach blonde hair, darkened skin, and bare-chested.

  "Who are you?" He asked, confused to find a Pog.

  "I'm a friend of Michael's. I need to know about the Dragon Hunters." Corenden replied.

  "So Michael's back. It's about time. Come inside." He said with a wave.

  Loain's tent was practically held up by books. A small semi-circle hinted to where he slept. "Sit." Loain said as he sat at one end of the semi-circle. Corenden joined him on the other end. "What do you want with them?" He asked.

  "Our friend was kidnapped by a group of their members. We plan on taking him back." Corenden replied.

  "Good. Then I have no need to lie. The Dragon Hunters' only goal is simple. Hunt dragons." Loain said.

  Corenden raised an eyebrow. "There are two problems with that statement. First, dragons are myths. Second, even if dragons existed, a group of thieves and kidnappers would never be able to take one down."

  Loain shrugged. "It's not my place to judge. Their base is to the east. It is beside a cluster of large mountains. You will need a guide. Unless you can find an airship." Loain could barely keep from laughing at the last part.

  "What about the Sereph Floxes?" Corenden asked. Loain let a short burst of laughter out before quieting down. "From one myth to another. They have remained silent for a long time. Good luck in finding them."

  Corenden pulled out the Briar Korvan from before. "Are you sure you don't have anything?" Corenden asked as he waved it back and forth.

/>   "That's a powerful Korvan…" Loain eyed it carefully before making his decision. "I have a book. I cannot understand its language. However I do believe it is Sereph in nature. I am willing to trade."

  "Aright. Let's do this." Corenden replied

  The two exchanged goods with a simple pass. Corenden left to regroup with the others. Iode and Corenden were the only ones able to find out anything. "Let me see that book." Michael said.

  Corenden passed it over to him. "I recognize these letters, and I know where we can get it translated. Aegith in the Clockwork Jungle."

  Iode nodded. "It's the best choice we have. We can float down the river and avoid the heat and dangers of the desert."

  Civen and Arend worked straight through the night. As Civen quenched the black steel of the sword a final time, Arend promptly passed out and fell head first into the forge.

  "WOAH! CRIOS!" She yelled as she rushed to pull him out. Much to her surprise, his face was unburned, and his cloths only lightly singed. He snored as Civen set him down under an enclosure. 'This guy is insane!' she thought to herself when she was sure he was alright. She quickly returned to her work.

  By the time the other woke to the light of the morning sun, Civen had long since finished her work. It was short enough to be swung quickly with one hand, but the hilt was long enough for two. The blade was straight and flat in almost every aspect. Near the hilt, a small bit of the blade was cut at an angle for looks. The sharp edge of the sword extended past the spine of the blade and came back down it a third of the way to form a second tip. It sat a little funny in its sheathe, but it worked nonetheless.

  "Did he seriously fall into the forge?" Michael asked, looking over to Arend.

  He was strapped like a piece of luggage onto one of the canoes the tribe had provided for their float trip. "Yeah." Civen replied with a yawn.

  She gave each of them a small silver necklace. A small shield hung from it, with a dragon etched in. "These'll give you good luck and swift travels. I would love to give you a better farewell, but I'm too tired. Goodbye Michael, stop by sooner next time."

  Corenden placed Arend' necklace into his bag. Michael climbed in with him, while Corenden and Iode got into the other canoe. They were specially designed not to tip over at any time while in the canyon, so they wouldn't have to worry about Arend causing a tip over when he wakes up. And so they started the 900 mile trip to the Clockwork Jungle.

  - - The Master - -

  Kyrel shifted slightly as the train pulled into the Nest's station. The doors opened out automatically.

  "Lead the way." Erasur said; carrying the charred suitcase that now contained Kyrel's ruined suit.

  Kyrel walked out the door with Aero Fìra on his back and Felsen Soul in his hand. A small party was there to greet him.

  "Welcome back." Kronth said with a tired look.

  The four others with her had the same exhausted hunch. With a twirl, Kyrel raised Felsen Soul above his head. "I think we've got the advantage."

  "Good work." Rusty said as he gave him a pat on the back.

  Erasur made them pause. "Wow." He gazed upwards at the dome with amazement. He held up a hand to block out the light like he would with the sun.

  The outpour of people surprised Kyrel's welcoming party. Hunter and Nate were more than a bit skeptical. "Why are all these people here?" Hunter asked.

  "I kinda destroyed the BluZeph mansion. They've come to help us however they can." Kyrel replied.

  Kronth shook her head. "More and more headaches. Have them head to the center of the Nest. They can find something to do there."

  Kyrel glanced back to his father. Erasur gave him a nod, turning back to his family and servants.

  "Let's go." Kronth said as she waved Kyrel after her. "Since last night, Celestial Rim has issued a threat. We've been up all night evac'ing the city and bringing in supplies."

  "The Cold Steam had been fitted with over a hundred cars to bring the entire city out in one go. The increased weight has reduced its power enough to be able to take turns without derailing." Rusty added.

  "Nem is waiting at Jacob's shack to train you to use Aero Fìra." Hunter said.

  "I can't use both of these. We need to find someone who can use Earth Orenth."

  Nate stopped. "What's up?" Kyrel asked when he started walking again.

  "There' always Vladd." Nate said.

  "I don't think that's a good idea. You know how gung-ho he can get." Kyrel said.

  "Exactly the point. He already knows how to use a gun, let alone the fact he's got the strongest Earth Orenth in the city." Nate replied.

  "Call Vladd and tell him to meet Kyrel there. We don't have time to argue." Kronth ordered.

  The group split up, Kyrel to go train, Nate and Hunter to get some sleep, and Kronth to talk to King. King had followed Kyrel's short train easily through the subway tunnel. He was resting behind the main stationhouse. A large area had been cleared for some future project that got delayed by the war. A small ally connected it to the station floor.

  As Kronth turned the corner, she found it was full of Floxes. The light green Pog from Arend' farewell was talking to a group of them in their own language, but Kronth could understand her fine. "The blue circles go to the Northern Gate, and the red squares go to the Southern, orange crosses Eastern, purple triangles Western. Divide them evenly between the twelve of you and remember some Gates have more main heading through them."

  "What about one with two stamps?" One asked.

  "That's an exception. A circle and triangle can go to either the Northern or Western Gate. Just stick to your guides and you'll be fine." She replied.

  The group scattered, the majority of them headed to the Mail Stations with empty bags at their waist. Only three went somewhere else.

  "I see you've got your hands full." Kronth said as she weaved between the Floxes sorting paper.

  Kronth nudged the sleeping King on the shoulder. "You're that Beastmaster from Dragon's Den." The Pog said as Kronth took a look at King's injured head.

  "I'm more than that at this point. I've been handling the mess with Celestial Rim as well as trying to get the city's Syndicates to pull their heads out of each other's asses. Follow my finger okay?" Kronth slowly brought her finger back and forth in front of King.

  He had trouble focusing on it until his eyes lost it completely. She sighed and took a closer look at his eyes. Both pupils were the same size, but they seemed to drift around her face as if he was drunk. She felt around the base of his skull. As she expected, it was swollen slightly and much warmer than usual.

  "What's wrong?" The Pog asked.

  "He's got a concussion. It's mild, but his fever is aggravating it. If Pendragons weren't built with the particular ability to relax the plated bones at the back of their skull, he would have passed out a long time ago. It also helps that King is old enough to have a slightly spongy layer of fat surrounding his brain. Outside of the fever, slight swelling, and physical exhaustion, he'll be fine." Kronth replied as she carefully gave him a shot between the bone plates in his skull to help with the swelling.

  "Oh that's no good." The Pog said worriedly.

  She reached a hand out and gently massaged him just behind his ear and hummed to herself. He shut his eyes and laid his chin down on the ground. Kronth sniffed at the faint traces of citrus in the air. It disappeared as the Pog retracted her hand and stopped humming. Kronth checked King again. The wound on his head had healed slightly and his fever had dropped slightly.

  "Orenth therapy? What's your name?" Kronth asked.

  "Berry. You?" She replied.

  "Kronth. You're Corenden's wife right?" Kronth asked as she picked the remaining earth out of King's fur.

  "Yes. We've been together for almost five years now." Berry replied.

  "How does that work? I know Floxes don't have dramatic ceremonies, but how do you get married?" Kronth asked. King was asleep by this point, leaning slightly against the wall of some building.

  "Th
ere are three steps. The proposal; no ring or gift is required. We then meet each other's friends and family at a large party. Should they approve, gifts are given from both sides to the couple, and at this point do the couple exchange gifts with each other. In truth only the love of the couple is what's important. They don't need prior approval to be married." Berry explained.