Chapter 1, Verse 2- The Pact-Beast

The next day rolled by uneventfully, Sil'Fer saw it as nothing more than a blur. He was too excited for the "raid." He was dispatched at sunset, he was to be packed and already off the grounds before actual nightfall. Sil'Fer was done packing before sunset and left at the first opportunity. He headed through the floodgate, cupping his hands over his mouth before he heard Lua call to him. "Hm…? Oh. Hi, Lua…" Sil'Fer said disappointedly because his task was being delayed. "Sil'Fer… don't… don't die on me, okay?" Lua asked. Sil'Fer shook his head. "I can't promise that… but I promise that I'll be careful." Lua smiled happily, throwing her arms around Sil'Fer. "Um… Lua…I need to…" Lua let go of Sil'Fer, blushing. "Okay, we'll see you when we're sent off." She said, waving. Sil'Fer waved right back, reaching the edge of the cliff. "Valira!" Sil'Fer called loudly. Sil'Fer undid his right gauntlet and stared at what looked like a another gauntlet of Mythril that started at the elbow with the pact-mark of Holy Dragon on it. His price was that arm, but he got a golemized arm put in it's place.

Fields under twilight, or rather the blurs of those fields were the only thing visible to the being—a Holy Dragon that heard its partner's call and came flying at breakneck speeds. Sil'Fer stood on the edge of the cliff and when he could hear the wing beats he dropped from the cliff and into the valley below. Suddenly he landed on a cushion of white scales. "It's been so long since you've called to me. I was actually beginning to think you'd forgotten our pact, child!" An adolescent female sounding voice came from the holy dragon. "I'd never forget you, Valira. If something were to happen to you, I couldn't forgive myself." Sil'Fer said to reconcile his pact-partner. "How old are you again, Valira?" Sil'Fer asked. "I'm just a wyrmling, child. I'm barely seven millennia old." Valira laughed. The Holy Dragon suddenly ascended sharply and turned directly around.

"Where are we heading?"

"Closed Lands."

And with that both partners took to the air to get to the Closed Lands. As they went higher above the mountains, Valira saw some entertainment, Knights of the Seal's air force. "I'm ready if you are, child." Sil'Fer grinned and chuckled. "Let's go, then!" The Holy Dragon blasted through the crowd, her wing beats taking them steadily through the cluster of ships as she spewed fireballs all over the place. Sil'Fer stood up on her back. "Drop me on that big one!" Sil'Fer suggested grinning wickedly, referring to their largest warship there. Valira chuckled. "All right, child. Let's see you do what you do best!" Sil'Fer's heart beat quickly as the anticipation began to set in. They finally reached the ship in a few seconds, Sil'Fer dove right off, whirling out his sabers in midair as he landed on the cushion that protected the actual balloon from dragon fire. Sil'Fer began hacking away at it, his sabers leaving several scores in the material before he finally punctured the shell. "Valira!" He called, leaping as high up as he could. His partner caught him on her back as the ship fell apart.

Suddenly Valira let out a burst of myriad lights, which tore through the remainder of the fleet. "How many times have we routed their forces in this area? Why I have half a mind to destroy the Grand Shrine for those Knights of the Seal fools." Sil'Fer sighed. "But… why are they our enemies?" He asked. "Because they hold too much faith in their gods... They're all too busy praying to the same god for the power to kill everyone else. It's because the humans are degenerate." Valira spat angrily. "I thank god that I'm only half-human…" Sil'Fer thought aloud. "Child! There are more of them coming, too many for my breath to handle. We will land here and stay close to the ground…" Valira suggested. "I'll go look around. Meet me at the Closed Grounds, where that cavernous complex is." Valira ordered. Sil'Fer nodded in silent agreement and watched Valira take wing. "…Valira… damn it…" Sil'Fer murmured.

Sil'Fer saw a lone bugbear, nothing to his skills he left it alone as he trekked across the mountainous area… That is, until he was attacked from behind. The club hit his left shoulder, and he hit the floor. The bugbear raised its club again, this time aiming for the young Sentinel's head. Sil'Fer rolled back and whirled both sabers from their hilts in an intimidating display; which unnerved the stupid creature for a moment. But the bugbear must have though Sil'Fer was all show, because it soon went after him again. It slammed its club down, and even if Sil'Fer blocked it would have shattered his finely made sabers. Instead, Sil'Fer ducked and rolled towards his left, coming up behind the bugbear and snapping both sabers up and into the base of the creature's neck, severing the spine in that perfectly placed shot. "…I would have let you live if you would have just gone home…" Sil'Fer said with some regret. "But you can't hear me, can you?" He asked, putting a hand on its corpse before giving it his last rites and kicking it off the ledge. He wiped the blood from his sabers with his cape and examined his shoulder pad. It was intact, but his shoulder throbbed underneath it. He'd have to deal with it; it was one of many wounds he'd suffered from with utmost stoicism.

Sil'Fer looked up at the dark skies. It seemed foreboding, ominous black, not even a single star shined. Raindrops fell lightly making splashing noises against the rocky terrain of the mountains and his adamantine armor. "God…" He muttered, sheathing his sabers and looking for the moon. He could barely see the moon's waxing crescent behind a black cloud. The others will be in position soon… I have to get moving. He let out a sigh and began to move at a hustle, his feet splashing in small puddles as rain fell more heavily. Lightning crashed into a tree, ripping it apart and making a makeshift bridge between gaps. Sil'Fer walked slowly across it, coming to the cavernous complex his dragon agreed to meet at. He ducked inside and heard a voice in his head, the telepathic bond between himself and Valira.

"Child, I have a message for you from Koail."

"A message? From Koail… he's here?"

"Yes. He says to beware the Imperials. They possess a reanimation of a man named Inuart."

"Oh no… we have to fight another with a pact?"

"Yes, child… You need to kill him before tomorrow."

Sil'Fer gasped, snapping his swords from their scabbards. He wasn't eager to get the job done, but he had to. He ran outside, leaping to a rocky ledge and sliding down it, seeking Inuart. He felt like he was being watched as he landed. He walked around for a few moments; suddenly he whirled around and raised his sabers in a cross to block a finely edged Mythril long sword from cleaving his head. "You're the cadaver? It's over, Inuart!" Sil'Fer could make out glowing red eyes and sleek red hair, the handsome features of a nobleman, but his eyes were empty, lifeless. Both combatants leapt backwards, a black dragon landing behind him. The undead dragon was partially rotting, half of the face horribly marred by the effects of undeath. Sil'Fer winced in disgust as Valira landed behind him. Both dragons roared, the black dragon's more of a shriek; which ended up making Sil'Fer's hair stand on end. Sil'Fer steeled himself and adapted an expert fighting stance as both dragons took wing.

Inuart slashed at Sil'Fer's shoulder. Sil'Fer, an agile combatant parried with both sabers, being knocked off balance from the force of the blow. Lightning flashed and Sil'Fer seemed to resemble Caim for a moment. Inuart let out a cry of rage and slashed quickly at Sil'Fer's side. Sil'Fer leapt backwards, bringing both sabers back and thrusting with both, only to be deflected by Inuart's long sword and kicked in the face. Sil'Fer reeled back, blood gushing from his lip from where the cheap shot landed. Both combatants locked swords and began to see exactly who would win the deadlock.

Valira flew in an upward spiral at the zombified black dragon, whipping it with her tail as the black dragon spewed flames, which hit Valira. There was a cry of pain and rage from the holy dragon, which came back down and bit the black dragon's neck with her merciless fangs. The black dragon twisted and broke free, launching Valira at the ground. She collided with the two human opponents, both of them being thrown on opposite sides of the dragon. Valira struggled to her feet and took wing again, this time firing her blazing inferno at the black dragon. The dragon seemed to be hit, but flew at her, shrieking again. Valira made a sharp ascent, flying as quickly as her wings could take her. She lowered her head and rammed the black dragon at mach speed as her horns sought flesh, ramming the black dragon to the ground.

The battle continued for Inuart and Sil'Fer. Sil'Fer spun and brought both sabers upwards towards the throat of Inuart. "Die, wretched mockery!" Sil'Fer roared in anger. Inuart parried the blows and tried to kick Sil'Fer again, only for Sil'Fer to reverse the momentum of his blades to hit the leg of Inuart. He seemed to feel not pain. "Caim! Why did you kill me!" Inuart asked Sil'Fer. "The hell are you babbling about! Caim's dead!" Sil'Fer spat, launching another attack, only for Inuart's long sword to rip into his chest. Sil'Fer staggered backwards, attempting to get his bearings. Inuart raised his sword for the final attack, but when he brought his blades down Sil'Fer parried with both sabers and thrust for Inuart's thigh. The black dragon got up, spewing fireballs at Sil'Fer and Inuart. Inuart rolled out of the way and Sil'Fer leapt back, still taking some of the blast. "…V…Val… Valira…" Sil'Fer moaned when the flames subsided, clutching his side with one hand and holding himself up using his saber as a crutch. Valira raked the dragon with her talons, only for it to fly away and when she directed her attention to Inuart, he was gone as well. "I'm sorry, Valira… I couldn't stop him…" Sil'Fer apologized, falling face-first onto the ground. His eyes saw nothing more than blurs. "Valira… Forgive me… I was too weak…" His eyes shut and it felt to him like that was the last time they'd shut. Raindrops fell on the still Nightguard and his draconic steed. The dragon lay down, stretching one wing over her partner to shield him from the elements.