[Lucian]

It was night time when they arrived at the Northern Shore. The guy with a crossbow got out of the Zodiac in the shallows and pulled it right up to the beach. Lucian picked up Evan. "You... you dont need to carry me. I can walk on my own just fine" Evan said. "I dont mind, it isnt a problem" Lucian replied. They were both lying. Lucian steped out of the Zodiac, Evan in his arms, his eyes still glowing. They wouldnt cease to, dispite the stress on Lucian's own brain. "So the nearest city from here is Ironcry. I didnt notice a hospital last time I was there. Do they have one?" Lucian asked. "Not as good as the one in Venes, but it should do" the guy with the crossbow replied. "Okay we need to hurry" Lucian said. "You need to hurry. This is where we part ways" the guy said. "What?" Lucian was caught slightly off gaurd. "You know that I'm going after Zorander" the guy said. "But.. I just assumed we would be going after Zorander together, right after the much needed hospital visit" Lucian said. "What possibly made you think that. Zorander is my target, my opponent, my sworn enemy. Not yours. He isnt your concern. Getting to that hospital and trying to save that boy's life is your concern, not mine. We were able to slightly benefit each other along the way. Thats all" the guy told Lucian.

"Zorander is my concern. At first I thought I was just doing some ladies a favor. But somewhere along the way I decided that I wanted to really help. To go out of my way to do a good deed and make some sort of positive impact on this world I'm adrift on, in some small way. But instead all that happened is that I wound getting used like a fool and a puppet in some really messed up stuff. And its all because of that black book and what it drives people like Avara and Zorander to do. So much death and suffering has happened because of that black book. It has to be destroyed and I want to help you do it. To finally do some real good for Tiberia" Lucian said. "Technically you've done a lot of good for Tiberia already. It may not be in the ways you prefferd or wanted, but still. Because of your involvement the Ubrac brothers are no longer around to steal everyone out of their livelyhoods, Avara and Janis have been stoped from going any further along Zorander's path, the lives of the people of Ironcry have been benefited by both of those, as are the live of other innocents with powers out there, you helped to put an end to what was going on on that island, anyone who may visit that island from now on is saved by you, and you still may save that boy's life. You've already done much more than any normal folk could. There's no need to do more, its enough" the guy with the crossbow said. "But I want to" Lucian replied.

The guy with the crossbow sighed. "I'm going after Zorander now. I wont wait and risk him getting away from me yet again. And you must get that boy to the hospital now, any further delay and you'll very well lose him. Those are the facts. But after you're buisness with the hospital is through, if you still really feel the need to help, than you will at that time go after Zorander. You will do so on your own, with your own will and on your own two feet. You dont need a damned babysitter. You can take care of youself. But your not obligated to come, no one is forcing you, only if you choose yourself to be obligated. But if you decide not to, theres nothing wrong with that. Its completly understandable" the guy said. "Okay, I understand. And just like how Zorander is your target, as far as I'm concerned that black book is my responcibility" Lucian said. "So be it. Farewell" the guy said as he started to walk away. "But wait, how will I know where to find Zorander?" Lucian asked. "Before my clan iintercepted him in the Southern Mountains and he lost his book, Zorander seemed to be headed to Nacie. That's where I'm heading now, its a good place to start" the guy said. Lucian watched as the guy with the crossbow ran off into the distance.

With Evan in his arms, Lucian ran away from the Northern Shore and towards Ironcry. It was a shame in a way, it seemed like every time he was at the Northern Shore he had less and less time to admire it. But anyway. Lucian was really feeling the strain on his mind from how he was sustaining Compel on Evan to keep him alive. At least on a positive note...or a humorous one, the glowing of his eyes were able to serve as highbeams of sorts through the dark of the night. Eventaully when he made it to Ironcry, Lucian was exhausted. He stood at the entrance for a minute or so breathing heavily. His body wanted to collapse and his brain felt like it should of exploded already. Evan hadnt been in the greatest shape to be all that observant, but he had now noticed how Lucian was bleeding from both his ears. "Stop it Lucian. Stop this. Just put me down. I might as well be dead already, so there's no point in getting yourself killed to" Evan said. "Its okay, I just have to get you into that hospital" Lucian replied. "Its stupid! You dont even know where the hospital is in this city" Evan said. "But dont you" Lucian said. "Yea but..." Evan sighed. Lucian had already started walking down the city streets. "HELP! HELP!" Evan began shouting.

"What are you doing?" Lucian asked. "There's just no convincing you otherwise, so I'm helping too" Evan replied. Some person on the street came up to them after hearing theirs cries for assitance. "Oh my gods, you two need to get to the hospital!" the person said alarmed by their wounds. "Duh" Evan replied. "Please get in my car, I'll drive you there" the person said. He led the two of them to his hovercar, a sign that the person was at least somewhat wealthy. Lucian carefully placed Evan in the back seat and got in right after. The person closed the car doors and drove off withough regard to any poor citizens that might get in the way. "Why dont you rest a bit. There's no point in us both being in agony the whole drive there" Evan said. "No, I cant..... have to stay conscous" Lucian replied. For Compel would cease the moment he were to become unconscous for any reason, and he wasnt risking that. The person driving mumbled to himself about how they were getting blood all over his seats. Upon getting to the hospital's front door, the person got out of the hovercar and called for some doctors. He informed them of the injuries he saw on Lucian and Evan and let them know that he'd pay for the bill because it would make him seem like a humanitarian in all the newspapers.

Lucian picked up Evan and got out of the car and stumbled towards the doctors. As soon as they saw them, one of them called for a stretcher and some nurses. They would take Evan from him and place Evan on the stretcher. "Save him please" Lucian said. "We'll do our best" a nurse replied. As they rolled Evan into the hospital, he looked back to Lucian with a worried expression. "Lucian?" Evan said as they took him past where Lucian could see. "We need to get you inside quickly as well, you look like your about to..." the doctor was interupted by Lucian. "Thank you" Lucian said. The glow of his eyes faded suddenly as his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell into the doctor's arms. He had already reached and went way past his limit on the way here. Lucian's mind had not been ready to ever use that power in such a way. But Lucian had known that the very second he had Compeled Evan to live.

[Lucian]

Lucian was on the ground planting seeds into the dirt. He was in the middle of an acre of crops. Which itself was in the middle of a farm that went on for miles in every direction. Though there was one house off in the distance. Lucian had been at this for awhile. He wiped his brow as the pale blue sun beat down on him. He kept at it, while humming a tune that supposedly encouraged the seeds and the soil to get along. A local superstition. When a shadow fell over Lucian, he looked up. A 12 year old with blonde hair and red eyes was standing there. "Oh hey, Ion" Lucian said. "You dont need to do that. There's more than enough for this season's harvest already" Ion said. "These are for next season. I didnt have much else to do and I dont mind" Lucian said. "Oh thats right, the last of your friends left for the core worlds and you couldnt go because, ....you know" Ion said. "Anyway, where are the parents?" Lucian asked. "They're off at a meeting with the heads of the neighboring farms, deciding what portions of everyone's harvests get sent to the core worlds when the ship arrives" Ion said. "And what about Luminaria?" Lucian asked. "I dont know. She's your twin, you figure it out" Ion said. Lucian looked up at Ion. "She's your sister too, and you're lying about not knowing. But nevermind, you were just thinking about where she was" Lucian said. Ion frowned. He kneeled down and slaped Lucian's shoulder. "Hey" Lucian said. "You're not suppose to do that stuff. At least sis knows better, especially around the time the harvest ship comes from the core worlds" Ion said. "Knows better as far as you know, but besides thats because most of what she can do can really hurt people, while most of what of I can do is passive. I'll never be a threat to anyone" Lucian said. Lucian looked away for a moment.

"Why are you here?" he asked. Lucian thought he had explained that already. He looked up but it wasnt Ion standing there anymore, it was Evan. "Wait, this doesnt make any sence. You're not suppose to be here" Lucian said. "Neither are you" Evan replied. "You're wrong, this is my home" Lucian said. "A place you can never return to is not a home, its just cruelty" Evan said. "What would you suggest, that I just give up?" Lucian said. "There's nothing for you here. All your friends left you behind, your parents get killed" Evan said. "I've still got my siblings" Lucian said. Evan looked hurt. "No we dont" Evan said. "I'm sorry" Lucian said. But then it was Ion standing there again. "What are you babbling on about? There are things you need to do" Ion said. Lucian and Ion stared at each other. "Stop that" someone else said. Lucian turned around. Standing there was one of the Ubrac brothers, the brother that Lucian had used his Mind Scan ability on. "How are you here?" Lucian asked. "You're a thief, thats how. But I never stole anything quite as valuable" the Ubrac brother said. "I was afraid I might have. I'm sorry I didnt mean to" Lucian said. "Could care less what you meant. Just get me out of here" the Ubrac brother said. Lucian looked off to the side. "I just told you to stop that!" the Ubrac brother yelled, pointing past Lucian. He looked where he had pointed. Now both Ion and Evan was standing there, in exactly the same spot seemingly fading into each other. "They're not the same" the Ubrac brother said.

Lucian blinked and found himself somewhere else. "Good day" a nurse said. Lucian took a quick look around. He was in bed, in the recovery ward of the hospital in Ironcry. He had bandages wraped around his forehead. The nurse was checking his pulse and other vitals. She looked pleased. "Finally woke up. You gave us quite the scare. You were in surgery a long time last night, but you seemed to pull through. If you stay here a day or so for some rest you should be in good shape" the nurse said. Lucian had no intention of staying another day or two. "What about Evan?" Lucian asked. "Oh the boy you came in with. They were working on him all through the night and into the morning. He made it though, but we'll need to keep an eye on for at least a week. Maybe more" the nurse replied. "I want to see him" Lucian said. The nurse paused. She looked around for some reason. "Okay fine. My shifts nearly done anyway, so try and make sure you're back here quick for the next nurse" the nurse said. "Okay, thanks. Is it okay for me to walk?" Lucian asked. "I dont see why not. The boy is just down the hall by the way" the nurse said. "And my cloths? I'd rather not walk down the hallway in just this hospital gown" Lucian said. The nurse fetched some cloths for him. "Could I have some privacy to get changed?" Lucian asked. "Oh! oh yes, sorry." the nurse replied with a slight blush. She left the room and closed the door. Lucian sighed as he got dressed. These werent his cloths, they were new cloths, Tiberian cloths. He figured it must be symbolic in some way, he'd be dressed in Tiberian cloths from now on instead of the cloths from his home. Afterward, Lucian left the room and walked down the hall.

It wasnt long till Lucian found Evan's room. He walked inside, closed the door, pulled up a chair, and sat at Evan's bedside. Evan was awake but he hadnt noticed Lucian yet. He had been looking the other way, towards the window. He was thinking about what would happen to him now. Surely, Lucian would want to send him off to some boarding school or foster family. It was a nice thought, but Evan never had any intentions of going through with that. He had always planned on either getting away before hand or running off afterward. He was a mutant and a theif through and through. He figured he'd either continue to be a theif or find some other mutants to hang with. Could a combination of both be possible? Lucian had picked up on those thoughts. He was slightly disapointed, but he didnt show it. "Hey" Lucian said. Only now was Evan brought back to reality. He turned around and saw Lucian sitting there, a smile on his face, his hand on Evan's arm. Evan only smiled briefly. "So you made it too" Evan said. "I told you it'd be easy" Lucian said jokingly. "I was really much more concerned about you. It seems the hospital made you better afterall" Lucian said. "No. It was you. If it werent for you I would've died way before getting here. You saved my life, never forget that" Evan said. "I'm glad I could help" Lucian replied. "So they tell me I should expect to be here awhile. What about you?" Evan asked. "They insisted I rest a few days. But I'm not going to. I basically gave my word that I would head to the city of Nacie as soon as I could to help that guy with the crossbow deal with Zorander and destroy that black book of his, and I intend to do so" Lucian said. "Whatever you feel you need to do" Evan said. "But I was thinking that afterward, I could come back here and the two of us could go and make a life for ourselves somehow. What do you say?" Lucian asked.

"No" Evan replied. "What? But I wont force you into school or with some strange family or anything. I wont try to impose or force on you what I think is the right thing. It would just be us, we could do whatever we want" Lucian said. "There's that look again. I used to get that same look all the time from my brothers. I started to notice it from you lately...maybe even started to feel it. But we arent brothers, Lucian. If that was the sort of thing you get to choose then I'd probly pick you. You've helped me and cared more about my well being than almost anyone, and I'm really grateful. But I had brothers and they're gone now and I dont want to replace them. And I dont want to live my life as a replacement or substitute for you" Evan said. Lucian's hand sliped off Evan's arm, as he looked sadly off to the side. "I'm sorry" Lucian said. Evan sighed. "Its okay. So what are you still doing here, dummy. Thought there were things you had to do" Evan said. Lucian remained quiet for a good minute or so, before looking up again. "That seems to be the case. But after all that stuff in Nacie is done, I'm still going to come back here. Will you still be here though?" Lucian said. "I dont know. Maybe, myabe not" Evan replied. "So I suppose I should be going now" Lucian said. He got up and walked to the door and opened it. "Wait" Evan said. Lucian turned around, standing in the doorway now. "No matter what happens, It will be nice to know that I've got someone, you, out there in the world that knows I exist and cares about me no matter what I do. Its comforting" Evan said. "Thank you" Lucian replied. He left a moment later.

Lucian walked down the hallway for awhile. He past right by the room they had for him, he kept walking around the hospital till he found a hallway that was kind of empty. He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes. When he opened them he could see the Ubrac brother he had used his Mind Scan ability on, standing across from him against the opposite wall. No one else would be able to see him besides Lucian. "Since your not really one for apologies, I'm just going to say I think you can go now" Lucian said. "About time. But on a more serious note, whats going to happen to me?" the Ubrac brother asked. "You're a fragment of a mind of a person who's no longer alive. You'll fade away before this day is done" Lucian replied. "Is that so" the Ubrac brother said. "I suggest you go spend that time with Evan. He wont know you're their but its the least you could do" Lucian told him. Lucian wouldnt wait for a responce. He left the hospital and then left Ironcry as well, on his way towards the city of Nacie.

[Lucian]

While Lucian was on his way out of Ironcry, he happen to pass by the house of Avara and Janis. He stoped when he noticed. He found it ironic that he was hungry at the moment. Lucian hadnt bothered to try any hospital food. "I might as well" Lucian said. He was surprised about the front door being open. He could of sworn it had been locked. Upon entering he saw that everything was a mess, the house had been ransacked. "Angry neighbors? They did tend to give Avara and Janis not so nice looks in the street. Maybe they had been on to them or suspicous? I suppose this was karma or something" Lucian concluded. There was no way for Lucian to know that it had actually been Zorander who ransacked the place. But Lucian was mostly correct about the neighbors, though the neighbors were just to lazy to be the ransacking type. Lucian made his way to the kitchen. Luckily there were leftovers in the refridgerator for Lucian to help himself too. After Lucian gorged himself and had his fill, he left the house.

Only to find a few guys standing there waiting for him. "Damn..." Lucian thought. "You were with those two when they left town. Where's my boat Avara rented?" one of them demanded. "Oh. Um, well the zodiac that came with it is at the Northern Shore waiting for you, but..." Lucian said. "Thats fine. But what?" one of them asked. Lucian wasnt about to tell them what really happened to the boat, or to Avara and Janis for that matter. They'd likely take him to jail, and further delay was not what Lucian wanted. "Last I saw them....they sailed out to sea" Lucian said. Lucian compeled the leader of the group of guys to accept his answer just incase. Afterward, Lucian left Ironcry finally and began his trek to Nacie.

Over a day earlier. Zorander appeared in a puff of smoke at the edge of the Forest of Elements. He could see Nacie not far from where he was. "Damn him!" he yelled out in pain as he pulled out the arrow from his hand. He bitterly tossed it aside. "That pest should be grateful he's not dead like the rest of his clan. Instead he continuously haunts my steps. Let him try and get off that island with all the boats destroyed" Zorander laughed to himself momentarily. But he was in pain and weak at the moment. All that time without the black book, and his fights with the Ubrac brother in the mines and then especially with Avara has taken its toll. Zorander held up the grafting Arcanum, looking it over with relief and satisfaction. "Alas, I need to recharge and restore my strength before I take any further action" Zorander said to himself. He glanced at Nacie before heading into the Forest of Elements.

Once Zorander had chosen a spot in the forest, he held out the black book infront of him and let it go. The Grafting Arcanum floated there and glowed. It opened to a page towards the end of the book, a page that was suppose to be blank. A wave from Zorander revealed hidden text. He started chanting in a secret language. As he did he himself glowed as well. His arms spread out, he floated off the ground. Energy was being saped out of nearby trees, plants, small animals, the very air itself. It would be converted as it passed through he book and into Zorander. The wound of his hand from the arrow as well as any damages he had recieved from Avara began to heal. At the same time the things around him were withering and dying at the same rate. This process would take about a day. Sometime during the late hours of the night though, Zorander was disturbed by a forest elemental.

It had noticed Zorander's blatant violation of the forest and it wasnt happy about it. The spectral form of the elemental shimmered and floated to Zorander's location. It sent an energy blast at him, but he barely seemed affected. "Leave at once!" the elemental commanded. Zorander frowned at first, then smirked. "I have a better suggestion" Zorander replied. His glowing arm moved forward, his palm facing the elemental. The book fliped to a different page and Zorander read aloud from that page. The elemental felt weird at first. "Whats happening to me!?" it said. Its very essence was started to be sucked through the black book and into Zorander. "I'm going to graft not a part of you, but your entire being into me. Everything you are will be mine" Zorander said with self satisfaction. "Nooo!" the elemental shouted in agony as it was entirely absorbed into Zorander. His voice and form echoed for a moment with every word and movement. "Much better" Zorander said.

When the next morning came Zorander had finished. He was no longer glowing or echoing and he was on the ground with the black book tied securely at his waist. "How amusing. I suppose this makes me the lord of this part of the forest" he said. Animals would bow and trees would grow or wither at his discretion as he passed. In a puff of smoke, Zorander appeared within Nacie. So far he only felt average humans around him, but he could feel someone with power somewhere in Nacie. "I wont be interupted this time. I'll find whoever it is with power and have it for myself" Zorander said, now walking along the streets of Nacie.

The city of Nacie wasnt the wealthiest of places in the human territory. Since the world economy wasnt all that great, it didnt help matters. Tourists would probly help the situation, but Nacie was very remote and never nearly recieved tourists. Nacie had to survive on its own, on its own supplies. There wasnt even enough for all their own people. Which is why poverty was on the rise. All over the city you'd see people just sitting around on curbs day and night, waiting to starve. Only about half the shops in the city were doing well enough to stay open. One such shop was run by a hot lookin girl. She was about 18, blonde hair worn in a ponytail. She had all the right curves and happen to be a bit of a show off. Anyway. Technically the shop was her fathers, but he was old now and mostly stayed at home nowadays. He trust her to run the shop, and didnt worry about going out of buisness because they sold food. And people would always need food even if they bitched about the prices every day.

So the hot lookin, and legal by the way, young lady was minding her own buisness sitting behnd the counter. Today hadnt been all that bizy so far, but it was still early. She sat there waving her hand back and forth, and as she did the hands of the clock would zoom forward and backwards. She considered taking a brunch break. She flicked her wrist again and the hands of the clock moved back to the actual time. Only for some guy to walk in. He smiled as he came in, he was decent looking. "Hello Cecilia" he said as he closed the door and walked up to the counter. "Hi. Welcome, how may I help you. If your just here to loiter you gotta leave" Cecilia said. "Actually I'd like some sweet potato pie" he said. She pointed over to it. He went and grabed it. She checked out his ass, while he did. Then he came back and put it on the counter. She pressed some buttons on the register, while he was admiring her assests. "Have a good day" she said after he paid. He walked towards the door, but then stoped and turned back. He looked like he was about to say something.

With a flick of her wrist, Cecilia stoped time within the shop. A slight grin crossed her face. She happen to be a mutant, not that she told anyone in Nacie. Not even her father knew. Cecilia walked up to the young stud and started making out with him. Not that he'd ever know about it since he was currently frozen in time. "Yummy" she said after. She lifted his shirt. "So, so" she said. Then she took a good look down his pants. "No, no" she said, disapointed. She fixed his clothes to the way he had them, went back behind the counter, and with a wave of her hand time resumed. "So. Wanna go out some time?" he asked. "Maybe never" Cecilia replied. "Wait..." he started saying. Cecilia waved her hand, fast forwarding time right through everything else he had to say until he left her shop. Cecilia sighed. "Yep, still want brunch" she said to herself. After locking up the shop, Cecilia would start traverseing the paths of Nacie, looking for any naive stalions to pay for her potential meal.

Sometime later in the afternoon, the guy with a crossbow arrived at the edge of the Forest of Elements. He had passed by the withered trees and fully suspected Zorander. He was slightly mad at himself, he had really wanted to catch up to Zorander before he had made it to Nacie. Or maybe he had been completly wrong about where Zorander would go? He still needed to check it out to make sure. The guy with a crossbow would walk around Nacie for awhile. There didnt seem to be any sign of Zorander from what he could tell. Which only annoyed him really. If Zorander wasnt here he'd have to restart his search from scratch. Then the guy heard an explosion not that far off. The guy with a crossbow started running down the streets towards the direction of the explosion, readying his crossbow as he did. He hoped it was Zorander, the last thing he needed was more distractions. Then Cecilia ran right into him.

She nearly fell over, but the guy grabed her by the wrist preventing it. "Out of the way" she said worried looking, seeming to be in a hurry. "Tell me what happened" the guy with a crossbow said. "Well I was having brunch with this passably looking guy and we got to talking, and before I knew it lunch came around, so I figured I'd convince him to have lunch with me too. I know i have a shop to run, but you dont let oppurtunity like that pass by when it presents itself" Cecilia was saying. "About the Explosion! Tell me what happened with the explosion, geez!" the guy with a crossbow interupted her, annoyed. "Hey dont yell at me. I've already got some guy in grey robes appearing out of nowhere trying to kill me." Cecilia said, trying to free her wrist from him. "Grey robes?...Zorander. Good" the guy was thinking. "Listen that man wants to kill you. I'm assuming because you have some sort of power and he wants it" the guy said. "What,....power? What power. I dont have any power" Cecilia said. "He would know. And your not very good at lying. The good news is I'm here to kill him. So if I were you I'd follow me right now" the guy with a crossbow said. "Forget it" Cecilia replied.

"I'm not following you anywhere. I dont know you and got no reason to trust you what so ever" Cecilia told the guy. Then Zorander appeared in a puff of smoke about half a block behind Cecilia. The guy pulled her behind himself quickly. Zorander glared at the guy and recieved one in return. "How the hell did he get off that island" Zorander was thinking completly infuriated. "You shouldnt have come. Now you'll die along with her!" Zorander shouted. He started to wave his hands to do something, when the guy fired two arrows off his crossbow in quick sucsession at Zorander. Whatever he had been about to do was interupted as he disappeard in a puff of smoke, the arrows barely missing their target. "Okay, trust established. lets go, now" Cecilia said. The guy with the crossbow started running through the streets of Nacie, Cecilia holding his hand as she ran for dear life with him. The guy was leading the two of them out of Nacie, in an attempt to fight Zorander on his terms.

Zorander appeared in a puff of smoke, not far behind them. He waved his hands towards the windows of the buildings along the street. Suddenly all the windows shattered and the glass flew towards the guy and Cecilia. "Duck!" the guy said. The two of them ducked as some of the glass flew past them. Then the guy pulled Cecilia down a different street, the rest of the glass smashing against the corner of a building. Zorander then appeared again, above them. Flying after them, an echo of himself trailing behind him. "Crap, thats new" the guy with a crossbow muttered. As Zorander flew after them, he'd blast waves of force from his palms at them. The guy was barely able to keep himself and Cecilia just ahead of the blasts. Which would destroy the ground and sides of buildings and even kill people they ran past. The guy turned slightly while he was running, firing off a few more arrows up at Zorander. Zorander would glide through the air, dodging the arrows. The guy and Cecilia made it out of Nacie and were running through a field of grass. "I've had enough" Zorander said.

Zorander said something under his breath and the grass the guy and Cecilia were running over tied around their ankles tightly. The both of them nearly triped. "What the hell?" Cecilia said. "Damn it" the guy said. He knew it was Zorander's doing. Zorander laughed, while he hovered in the air somewhat high above them. "Die at last!" he said nearly hysterically. He blasted a repeated succsession of waves of force at the two of them. "I dont wanna die!" Cecilia shouted as she grabed onto the guy with a crossbow. "What are you...." mid sentence the two of them were suddenly gone. The waves of force killing nothing but grass. "How is that possible! What happened!" Zorander yelled in rage.

Alittle over a day later, Lucian had arrived at the edge of the Forest of Elements. He had noticed the not so great state of that part of the forest. He really didnt know what to make of it. He stoped when he saw a city not to far away. He pulled out his map to make sure. "That must be Nacie. I hope I'm not to late" he said as he put the map away. He started walking through the grass field and towards Nacie. Again he stoped when he thought he heard something. "Hello?" Lucian said, cautiously. Suddenly he got a reply. "...are you doing!!" the guy with a crossbow shouted as him and Cecilia suddenly appeared before Lucian and landed ontop of him.

[Lucian]

"Oooow!" Lucian said as he hit the ground with a thud after Cecilia and the guy with a crossbow landed on him. This was a baffling time for all three of them. "Where did you two come from? How did you? Who is she?" Lucian asked. Cecilia kind of huddled at first still expecting to be blasted by Zorander, but then nothing happened. This was when she realized she was laying across Lucian. "Oh" Cecilia said as she looked toward his face. She smiled. The guy with the crossbow's first reaction was to get up off the two of them immediatly and point his crossbow at the sky. He had expected Zorander to be up there, but Zorander was nowhere to be seen. He looked around them to make sure. Was Zorander hiding, the guy thought to himself. Then the guy noticed that the sky wasnt quite the same, it was just small differences really. "This isnt the same day. What happened?" the guy with a crossbow asked. Cecilia was a bit to focused on Lucian at the moment. "Hi my name is Cecilia. Its very nice to make your aquaintence. Very" Cecilia said. "Oh..." Lucian smiled briefly. "...Hi I'm Lucian." he replied. The guy with a crossbow turned towards them at this point. "Lucian..you actually showed up. Foolish but honorable. I told you I would have understood if you had decided not to come" the guy said. "You two know each other?" Cecilia asked.

"I meant what I had said then and I keep my word" Lucian looked back to Cecilia. "And yes we know each other, but how do you two know each other?" Lucian asked. "So be it. How are you doing though?" the guy said reffering to the bandages across Lucian's head. "And what happened with Evan?" the guy asked. Cecilia had mistaken Lucian's bandages for a handband till now. "You're hurt, oh sorry I hope I didnt make it worse by landing on you?" Cecilia said. Though actually she was now kind of turned on by the injury. "Who's Evan?" Cecilia asked. "I should be fine. And Evan is alive, they managed to save his life. He's at the hospital still" Lucian replied before looking back at Cecilia. "No dont worry about it, no more damage was done, but um,...not that I'm complaining but when were you planning on getting off of me?" Lucian asked. "I'm glad to hear that Evan is well. But to make long stories short..." the guy looked to Cecilia. "Lets just say Evan is a friend of Lucian's" the guy then looked to Lucian. "And Cecilia is now who Zorander is after for her power" the guy with a crossbow said. Cecilia blushed slightly. "Sorry didnt really notice I was still on you, not that I'm complaining either" she replied with a slight smile. She got up off of Lucian and stood up. Lucian now stood up as well. Cecilia frowned at the mention of Zorander. "So she's who we have to protect from Zorander while we stop him once and for all. Where is Zorander anyway?" Lucian asked.

"He was coming after us, but unfortunatly I have no idea where Zorander is at the moment" the guy with a crossbow replied. Cecilia was delighted at the idea that Lucian would be one of her protectors. She couldnt care less where Zorander was though, she was just glad he wasnt where they were. Lucian was slightly discouraged by the fact that he came all the way here to seemingly accomplish nothing. The idea of starting from scratch to find Zorander appealed to Lucian almost as little as it appealed to the guy with the crossbow. "So how did you two just appear out of nowhere like that?" Lucian asked. "I'm assuming it has something to do with you, Cecilia" Lucian said to her. "It was completly Cecilia's doing. While I appreciate how it served to keep us alive, I still have no idea what exactly she did" the guy turned to Cecilia. She knew they both expected her to explain what her power was exactly. Something she had been rather contented to keep to herself. Cecilia sighed. "I can sorta manipulate time.... usually just forward, backward, or to stop time and start it up again" Cecilia looked at the guy with a crossbow. "I had no idea I could move through time like that, which is what I think I accidentally did to us. I guess we moved ahead since Lucian is here now" Cecilia said. "Wow thats amazing. I've encountered all sorts but no one who could do that" Lucian said. "Really?" Cecilia said, with a smile and after taking a step towards Lucian.

The guy with a crossbow had become lost in his thoughts for a moment. "Did Zorander see what you can do?" the guy asked. "Huh, no I doubt it" Cecilia replied. "Then we need to keep it that way. If Zorander were to gain that ability, someone like him, he'd use it to go back in time. To find himself back whenever it was that he was in his prime, and then he would use the Grafting Arcanum on his past self. He would regain his youth, any power that he may have lost due to age, he would become at least twice as powerful than he has ever been, if not more so. Then he'd likely keep going, using the Grafting Arcanum on all past versions of himself throughout time, forever. Zorander would become unstopable" the guy with a crossbow said. "I doubt I can even use my power like that" Cecilia said. "Zorander has a knack for figuring it out" the guy said. "I'm no expert, but wouldnt doing something like that mess up time, lead to paradox's?" Lucian asked. "Whether it would or not, Zorander wouldnt care. He's only interested in power and himself and maybe even immortality" the guy with a crossbow replied. "Problem is we dont know where Zorander's gone too. I suppose it wouldnt hurt to check Nacie?" Lucian suggested.

"Fine" the guy replied, then looked to Cecilia. "You have to stay with us until Zorander is dealt with. Its for your own safety" the guy said. "Sure, sounds great to me. Right Lucian" Cecilia said as she wraped her arm around Lucian's. Lucian smiled slightly. "Heh, heh. Sure" Lucian replied. The guy with a crossbow rolled his eyes. The three of them would walk toward Nacie. Just as they were about to enter the city, Cecilia's cell phone rang. The guy with the crossbow stoped and turned toward her annoyed. "Yes lets just make sure everyone knows where we are incase Zorander is still here" the guy said. "Sorry, geez, I'll turn it off" Cecilia replied. She took out her cell phone to see that it was her father calling her. "Oh. I have to answer this" she said. The guy looked further annoyed. "I'll turn it off right after this call, I swear" Cecilia said. The guy with a crossbow's nostrils flared. Cecilia fliped open the phone. "Hello?" she answered. "Yes. Hello, daughter. I'm calling because, well because the man holding me hostage told me to" her father said. "What!?" Cecilia exclaimed. She turned the speaker phone on. "Well I hadnt heard from you in a day so I was concerned and went to check on our store. Then this man in grey robes came in and has threatened to end my life and everyone else's if I didnt call you and tell you to come here. It seems he used the same kind of threats to get people to tell him about us and where our store was and that I was your father" Cecilia's father said.

"Damn it, Zorander" the guy with a crossbow said. "Dad, just tell'em I'll come if he doesnt kill you, or ruin the store if possible" Cecilia said. "Sure thing honey.....he says make sure to come alone or else" her father said before the line cut off. Cecilia turned off her cell and put it away. Lucian was really getting more and more disgusted with Zorander. "Come on lets go, Lead us to where your store is" the guy said. "But he'll kill my father if I show up with you two" Cecilia said. "And he'll kill you both if you go alone. Remeber like I said his whole point in being here is to kill you for your power. So hurry up and lead us to the store. We'll take out Zorander and keep you and your father breathing. Thats what we're here for" the guy replied. This was unsettling to Cecilia. "Okay, I guess" she said. "Wait" Lucian said. "What you have another idea" the guy with a crossbow said. "Yes, actually, I think I do" Lucian replied.

[Lucian]

"Okay here I am, and I'm alone just like you wanted" Cecilia shouted. She stood across the street from her shop. Well technically it was her fathers store, but in her own mind she considered it hers. This part of Nacie was oddly vacant and quiet for the time being. The presence of Zorander and the threats he had been making to the people had served as sufficient motivation to flee to other parts of the city. Even the homeless and starving had wondered off to greener pastures. Or in this case gutters and curbs. "Very well. Now come inside so you, your father, and I can all have a nice chat" Zorander replied loudly from within the shop. "No. Let my father go. You said you wouldn't harm him if I came and here I am so do as you said. I have nothing to say or do with you unless I know my father is safe" Cecilia shouted. Zorander frowned and considered it. He wanted Cecilia's power and he wanted it badly. He was so close, he wasn't going to let an old decrepit man like Cecilia's father get in the way of that. Besides, her father annoyed Zorander to no end. "Would you like some tea or food. You can buy some here in my shop. The prices are good" Cecilia's father asked for the hundredth time. He just kept forgetting that he asked, so he asked repeatedly. Zorander glared at Cecilia's father. "Fine" Zorander shouted to Cecilia outside. "And for the record your prices suck" Zorander told her father venomously. Zorander came out from the store with Cecilia's father grasped by the arm. "Let him go home now. This doesn't involve him" Cecilia said. "So you could run off as soon as he was out of my sight. I don't think so girly. You can see for yourself that he's unharmed and that's as good as your getting" Zorander said. "Oh hello daughter. Is the shop doing well? Well look at that there's a penny in the middle of the street" her father said. "Yes that's nice father" Cecilia replied, feeling completely humiliated by her father at the moment. "I just have one question for you, before I get down to bizness" Zorander said. "What is it?" Cecilia asked.

"How did you convince him to let you come alone?" Zorander asked. Cecilia was quiet for a moment. He must be referring to that guy with a crossbow, he doesn't even know that Lucian showed up, Cecilia was thinking. "I begged him. For the sake of my father. I nearly cried over it" Cecilia lied. "I see. I suppose that fool couldn't help it" Zorander said. "This better work" Cecilia said more to herself. "What did you s..." mid-sentence Zorander realized he could no longer feel Cecilia's father at his side. Zorander turned and saw that he was indeed no where to be seen. "That's impossible!" Zorander said as he turned back towards Cecilia. She was standing in nearly the same spot as before. "How could that senile fool get away from me" Zorander was a bit pissed. Cecilia had actually stopped time and dragged her father back home. Zorander would have come to this conclusion himself if not for what happened next. Zorander suddenly stopped what he was doing. His body wasn't in his control. Zorander found himself repeating the now pointless action of turning to the side to find that Cecilia's father wasn't there. Zorander was utterly confused and infuriated as this was going on. From a nearby alleyway, Lucian was using his Deja Vu ability on Zorander. "Hurry, now's your chance" Lucian said in the guy with a crossbow's mind. The guy now revealed himself to be on the roof of the building next to the shop. The rage in Zorander's eyes knew no bounds when he saw the guy. During the brief window in which Zorander was forced to repeat a now pointless action, the guy wasted no time. His crossbow was already prepared to make the shot. It was an awkward one but he was a professional. He fired an arrow without hesitation or mercy. Zorander yelled out just as the effects of Lucian's Deja Vu ability wore off. Zorander would back up against the wall of Cecilia's shop, as he did he looked down to see the arrow sticking out of his chest. The guy had aimed for Zorander's heart, a small target to be sure. "Well I'll be damned. Lucian's plan worked" the guy with a crossbow said.

"Thanks" Lucian said in the guy's mind. Lucian was surprised himself actually. Though that's not to say he expected himself to fail or anything like that. He was glad that it worked out well for the guy. "Not time for relaxing yet though, still have to destroy that black book. Gave my word I would after all" Lucian reminded himself as he walked out from the alleyway and over to Cecilia. "You okay?" Lucian asked. "Not a scratch and my father is safe and sound, but probly a bit confused as to how he got home" Cecilia replied. She then hit Lucian in the shoulder. "Hey!" Lucian said. "I hate being bait" Cecilia said. "Technically you were the distraction" Lucian replied, while rubbing his shoulder. "Well whatever. As long as you don't put me in that sort of position again, you'll still have a good chance of putting me in all sorts of other kinds of positions later" Cecilia replied with a devilish smile. "heh heh" Lucian kind of blushed, now rubbing the back of his head. The guy with a crossbow would have rolled his eyes at their exchange, if not for how focused he was on Zorander. More to the point, Zorander's lack of being dead yet, which he should have been. "How clever...but if you think I'm done yet...then..you're gravely mistaken" Zorander said while coughing up blood. This had gotten all of their attention. "I am Zorander. Wizard of the first and oldest order of wizards that Tiberia has ever known. And I will never die" Zorander said as he took a few slow steps forward. "NEVER!!!!" Zorander yelled as he violently ripped the arrow out of his chest.

Some blood sprayed from the wound at first. Zorander's arms spread out. The black book became untied from his side and floated around him in circles. Zorander would lift off the ground and float upward, green echoes of his form trailing him as he did. Zorander would float up above the rooftops of the buildings. The guy with a crossbow fired a few arrows in Zorander's direction. A wave of energy was released from Zorander. It deflected the arrows and spread so everyone in the city of Nacie could feel it. The black book glowed as it stopped in front of Zorander's chest. Then it forcefully merged within Zorander. His entire form glowed and changed shape. Though maybe it was more accurate to say that it looked like Zorander's form dissolved, making way for another form, a hideous form. It was the size of a house. Its hind section was that of a centaur with hind legs that seemed to small to possible support its wait. Its midsection was that of giant centipede, with a thousand little hair like legs along its sides and slime coating and dripping from the surface. The upper third of its body was that of a dragon. Thick brown scales that shimmered in the sunlight, giant and massive muscular arms with sharp claws that served as front legs and more than made up for the hind legs. The draconic head roared, its mouth lined with sharp and deadly teeth. Diminutive wings spread from its back, lots of them actually. One set of these wings wouldn't be enough to do much of anything but together they could make flight possible. All along the body in random places were grotesque parts of other demons or beings with power hanging out, like something out of Shadow Hearts. On the neck, was Zorander himself, or at least his head, arms and torso. Zorander was grinning. His eyes were filled with a mindless madness and rage. He would float there in the air for a moment after the whole process was finished. When he spoke, his mouth moved but the sound came out of the dragon's mouth instead, which made for an eerie and slightly jarring sight. "Die!" was all Zorander said.

"Lucian, remember when you asked me why it was that Zorander looked so normal despite having used the grafting arcanum longer and more than Avara could have. I might have told you that since Zorander was a wizard he was using an illusion to cover it all up. Well that illusion just shattered. Oh and now would be a good time to run" the guy with a crossbow said. "I couldn't agree more" Cecilia replied as she took Lucian by the hand and started running with him down the street. "But Cecilia, I.. I know running is likely a good idea. But I don't want to flee, I want to help. That's what I came here to do after all" Lucian said while forced to run with her. "Maybe you didn't get a good enough look at Zorander now" Cecilia replied. Lucian took charge of where they were running and led her into an alleyway and then stopped. "No, I'm going to help" Lucian replied. "Its stupid" Cecilia replied. "Maybe so" he sighed. "I'm not sure I could explain this right and now's not the time anyway. But I've already made up my mind. Listen right now Zorander is after you, so you're the one that really needs to get away. There will be no stopping Zorander if he kills you and gains your power" Lucian told her. "You know you look cute when your futily trying to be courageous" Cecilia said. "Futile!? That's a messed up..." Lucian was interrupted by Cecilia's kiss. Then she suddenly pushed him out of the alleyway. "Good luck" she said as she seemed to run off.

The guy with a crossbow had remained where he was on the roof of the building. It had worked to keep Zorander's attention away from Lucian and Cecilia and completely on him the whole time, so far. "There wont be anymore escapes or false defeats for you. On this day, matters between us will be settled, one way or another" the guy said. "I'll be glad to be rid of you" Zorander replied. The dragon's mouth opened wide and blasted a fireball at the guy with a crossbow. The guy turned and ran, the fireball blazing past behind him as he made his way towards the next roof. He jumped and landed into a roll before regaining his composure. He was on the roof of Cecilia's store now. Just as the guy had landed on his feet, Zorander sent a bone spike at the guy from one of the disfigured protruding limbs on Zorander's side. The guy fired an arrow at it. The arrow was destroyed but it at least deflected the bone spike from its target. The spike whizzed past the guy's cheek, a thin red line forming on it. He fired his crossbow twice at Zorander. This left Zorander with a choice. Either let himself be hit by the arrows so he could attack the guy, or deal with the arrows. An arm sticking out randomly by Zorander's hind quarters, blasted a small wave of energy towards the arrows. When the wave collided with the arrows, the arrows were reduced to dust. Zorander looked to where the guy had been, but the guy was no longer there. He quickly spotted the guy running and jumping along the rooftops, the distance between him and his foe rapidly increasing. Zorander's many diminutive wings flapped in sync and he would fly after the guy, a green echo of his now hideous form trailing him as he did. "Turn the nearby corner and hide. You need time to catch your breath and restratigize" Lucian's voice echoed in the guy's mind. "Remember I dislike when you do that sort of thing without warning, but anyway you have a new plan?" the guy with a crossbow replied while he was running. The guy ducked as Zorander sent a bolt of lightning past him, and then he got up and kept running. "Part of a plan. I'm just going to keep him distracted for as long as I can, possibly try and tire Zorander out if possible" Lucian replied in the guy's mind. "That's a foolish plan, your going to get yourself killed. I wont have that on my conscious" the guy replied. "Don't worry about it. Trust my plan okay, and hurry" Lucian said in the guy's mind. "Damn it" the guy said to himself. The guy leaped off the building as a volley of fireballs flew past. The guy landed on the ground and ran past Lucian. The guy kicked a door open and went inside a house, closing the door behind him. The people within the house were alerted, but the guy did his best to keep them quiet.

Lucian was standing in the middle of the street, just waiting for Zorander to catch up and see him. Was Lucian crazy? Had he just completely lost his marbles? That's likely the conclusion people would come to if they were watching from within their homes. It didn't take long at all for Zorander to catch up. He turned the corner and stopped out of sheer surprise at the sight of Lucian. It was quite the effort for Lucian to keep the look of disgust off of his face from Zorander's horrible appearance. "Well well, its you. It must have been your doing that made me repeat my actions for no reason back there giving that man the chance to shoot me dead. Or at least that's what I suspect the plan was" Zorander said. "Yes that was me" Lucian replied. "I could have sworn I destroyed the boats. I don't know how you or that man got off that island, unless you swam" Zorander laughed at the thought. "Actually you missed the Zodiac. Which I suspect is because it was hidden by the wreckage of the boat and raft you destroyed" Lucian replied. "Oh. You shouldn't have come here. You should have known to leave things well enough alone while you had the chance. But now that you're here I'm still interested in getting your powers too. Not as much as getting that girls, but still. And the fact that you helped that man and are helping him now makes it easier to hate you. So in short, prepare to die" Zorander said. "I want you to know that I plan on destroying the black book after the guy finishes killing you" Lucian told him, seemingly so sure of himself. Zorander roared, infuriated. Then he blasted a fireball directly at Lucian.

The fireball exploded as it made contact. Zorander laughed at Lucian's demise. While he was laughing he saw Lucian running down the street. "I could have sworn it was a direct hit, he should be dead not running away without a scratch" Zorander thought. He flew after Lucian. A random disfigured and protruding limb on Zorander's underbelly wiggled, as it did all the glass of the windows on the houses shattered. The glass shards flew at Lucian. None of them seemed to hit him, which still made no sense to Zorander because Lucian wasn't doing much of any dodging and yet he was still unharmed. "You'll have to do much better than that" Lucian taunted. Lucian turned the corner, escaping a wave of force Zorander had unleashed. Zorander was hot on his trail and pissed off. Another disfigured limb waved toward a tree that Zorander was passing. The tree tore out of the ground and flung toward Lucian. And just incase that wasn't enough, Zorander changed the leaves of that tree so that they were as sharp as daggers. The tree impacted with the ground where Lucian had been and then it exploded. Yet Lucian ran past without having received any harm. He gave Zorander a taunting look as he ran around another corner. Zorander roared out in frustration, as he followed around that corner as well. Zorander looked towards a building that Lucian was running past. The building tore out of the ground and slammed down on top of Lucian as it was completely destroyed. Everyone in that building would be dead especially Lucian since the building fell on him, or so Zorander thought. But the pattern continued. Again he would spot Lucian running down the block without any signs of harm or injury. Zorander couldn't understand it, it was driving him mad. He would follow after Lucian around a third corner, but Zorander had enough of this game. He noticed that Lucian seemed to be leading him back to where he had started chasing Lucian, but Zorander didn't care. An assortment of disfigured limbs all over Zorander's body started to move, wiggle, and contort. From such limbs Zorander blasted a wave of force, a bolt of lightning, bone spikes, metallic spikes, an acid laser, a dark energy sphere, wind blades, thorned vines would tare out of the ground towards Lucian, the glass in nearby windows would shatter and the shards would fling towards Lucian, a nearby telephone pole would rip put of the ground and break apart into a thousands splinters of wood that flew at Lucian. Also the dragon's head blasted a barrage of fireballs at Lucian. All of these attacks combined and hit Lucian, causing a large explosion in the middle of the street. Zorander's hideous form landed on the ground in front of where the explosion had been. Using all of those attacks all at once like that was a rather exhausting affair. A look of shock suddenly crossed Zorander's face. Lucian was standing in the middle of where the explosion had been, alive and completely unharmed.

"It cant be! It makes no sense! All those attacks hit you directly and you didn't even bother to dodge. You should be dead a few times over already, there should be nothing left of you!" Zorander exclaimed. "It makes perfect sense. You see, you've been chasing an Astral Projection" Lucian replied. Zorander was speechless as this realization dawned on him. Then a volley of arrows flew through Lucian and all struck deep in Zorander's torso on the dragon's neck. Zorander looked down at the arrows in disbelief for a moment. His entire chest and stomach was getting covered in blood and he was bleeding from his mouth as well. Then his entire hideous form collapsed onto the ground, becoming motionless. Lucian sighed as he stepped aside and looked toward the now approaching guy with a crossbow. The guy's attention was mostly on Zorander, so Lucian thought maybe he should give him a moment to himself. "If you don't mind I'm going to go back to my body now. Leaving my body defenseless for this long makes me somewhat nervous. Besides I haven't been out of the hospital long enough to really be pushing my abilities like this" Lucian said. The guy glanced at him and nodded. "I wont be long" Lucian said, as the Astral Projection seemed to fade. Lucian's body was sitting down in an alleyway a few blocks away. The Astral Projection's return to his body would make it seem like as if Lucian was waking up. When he did he saw Cecilia sitting there next to him. "What are you doing here? You were suppose to run to safety" Lucian said. "I did. Then I came back to find you when I heard all those noises and explosions. I found you just sleeping here and you wouldn't wake up. So it made me a bit more worried. I figured I would just keep an eye on you. A thanks would be nice" Cecilia said. Though what she said was true, she had omitted the part where she was making out with him the whole time while he appeared to be sleeping. "I wasn't actually sleeping, I was using my Astral Projection ability, basically I can project my mind outside of my body. But Thanks" Lucian said. They both stood up. "So how did it go?" Cecilia asked. "It went well. I was about to go back" Lucian said. "Then I'm coming too" Cecilia replied as she led him out of the alleyway. Lucian sighed.

Meanwhile, the guy was standing by Zorander's dead form. He had just finished ripping the black book out of Zorander's torso, so his hands were a bit bloody. The guy held the Grafting Arcanum in his left hand and his crossbow in his right hand. The only thing left for him to do was to make sure that Lucian destroys the black book like he said he would. After that the guy didn't have a clue as to what he was suppose to do next. Its not as if he could rebuild his clan with only him around. Continuing his clan's mission would be difficult by himself as well. The guy with a crossbow became distracted by this train of thought for a moment. And that moment was all Zorander needed. He was barely still alive and he wasn't giving up while he still drew breath. The dragon's head quickly raised and opened its mouth wide and bit down on the guy with a crossbow before there was anytime to react. It had bitten down on the guy's midsection, he yelled out as razor sharp teeth tore through his body. Zorander's head, on the dragon's neck, started to laugh hysterically. "Never, never, never, never, never! I'll never die!" Zorander said in his madness. The guy pointed his crossbow towards Zorander's skull. "For my clan" the guy said as he fired an arrow right through Zorander's skull. Zorander's eyes widened and rolled into the back of his head as blood poured out from his nose and ears. It was now that Lucian and Cecilia had arrived.

Cecilia stopped a few feet away, and covered her mouth. "No!" Lucian said as he went to the guy. He was trying to get the dragon's mouth open. "Stop. I'll be dead no matter what you do" the guy said. "But this isnt fair. It was over, you don't deserve this" Lucian replied. "No, its better this way. I can be with the rest of my clan now" the guy said. He held the crossbow and the black book towards Lucian. "Take these. Compared to what you've already accomplished, destroying this book will be beyond a simple task for you" the guy said. Lucian would take the Grafting Arcanum. "But the crossbow, that's yours. Its from your clan" Lucian said. "Just take it already. Its only got one arrow left anyway and its not like I'll be needing it anymore" the guy said. Lucian hesitated to take it but the guy forced it on him anyway. Then the guy took the bandages off of Lucian's forehead. "I'll be needing these more than you" the guy said with a slight grin. It was a joke. Lucian couldn't help but smile slightly at the bad joke. The guy died not long after. Lucian walked towards Cecilia. She wasn't quite sure what to say. Lucian was thinking that there were a few things that still needed to be done, including cleaning up the mess from the fight and destroying the book and giving the guy a proper burial. As Lucian was approaching Cecilia, Zorander started to stir. Zorander was essentially dead, but this was that very last flicker of his life refusing to accept the inevitable. Like an instinct or a reflex. A disfigured limb on his side raised up barely and blasted a bolt of lightning at Lucian. The lightning bolt had used up the last drop of Zorander's magic and his life faded permanently.

Cecilia saw the oncoming lightning bolt. "Watch out!" Cecilia shouted as she ran and grabbed Lucian. Just before the lightning bolt would have hit, Cecilia and Lucian suddenly disappeared.

[Lucian]

It was just over a week later when Lucian and Cecilia suddenly reappeared in the city of Nacie, on the exact spot they had vanished in the first place. Lucian still carried the black book and the guy's crossbow. However, the one arrow that the crossbow had left was mysteriously absent. "Are you alright?" Cecilia asked. She was still holding onto him and well aware of it. "Um, yea I feel fine. Nothing missing, no pain or injury" Lucian looked around at the street they were in the middle of. Homeless bums minded their bizness, some citizens were starring, one citizen was even making a phone call, but these things were not what had Lucian's attention. Where were the remains of Zorander and the guy? And what had happened to the damage caused by the fight with Zorander?

"Cecilia would you mind? I think something is wrong" Lucian said. This disapointed her, but she got off him anyway. Turning around allowed her to notice he citizens of Nacie whom had started to gather and crowd around them. "Whats going on? Its not like we're aliens of have something on our faces" Cecilia said. "Hurray!!!" the citizens began to cheer and applaud. "The town heroes have returned at last" other citizens cried out. Cecilia and Lucian looked at each other, bewildered. "Huh?' they both said. "You helped in defeating that menace turned freakish monster, Zorander. Not that he plagued us here in Nacie for very long, but we're still very grateful about it. He was probly a menace for a long time in other places. Anyway, that was over a week ago though. You two had vanished, we were starting to assume you had perished, we're glad thats not the case" a citizen explained.

"A week, eh" Lucian said with a frown while looking towards Cecilia. "oops, sorry" Cecilia replied. "So what happened to the damage and the remains?" Lucian asked. "We spent this past week cleaning up and disposing of that mess, and repairing the streets and buildings that were damaged. It really hurt our pockets since Nacie is on the verge of poverty, but Nacie had been basically looking after itself for a long time. We'll manage" a citizen informed them. "What about the guy?" Lucian asked. "We had him buried in our cemetary as a hero. Had a funeral for him and everything" a citizen replied. "Would you mind taking me to him?" Lucian asked. "Sure" a citizen said. "Has anyone bothered to check on my father? And has my fathers shop been robbed or anything?" Cecilia asked.

"Some bums tried to take residence in your shop, but the door was locked so they moved on. Your father is his usual self" a citizen said. Cecilia turned to Lucian. "You go to the cemetary if you really want to. But make sure you stop by my place, okay" Cecilia said. "Sure, I suppose" Lucian replied. "Promise" Cecilia demanded. "Okay, okay, I promise" Lucian replied. Cecilia paused time, and made out with Lucian for awhile, then made time resume, before running off. Most of the citizens of Nacie went back to their daily lives. Lucian was led to the cemetary by one kind citizen. "I'm surprised you havent asked for any sort of reward for your deeds" the citizen said. "I really cant think of one to be honest" Lucian replied, he wasnt really the reward me type. The citizen would inform Lucian of where Cecilia's home actually was, before leaving him alone.

Lucian sat down infront of the guy's grave. Since the guy had never bothered to tell anyone his name, the grave was simply inscribed, Our Hero. There was quite the collection of flowers adorning the grave. Lucian placed the crossbow on the ground by the grave. "Here I think you should have this back, Its yours afterall. Rest easy" Lucian said. He spent awhile at that grave. It was the first time in a long time that he thought about his parents. Lucian wasnt able to be at their funeral because of what had happened to him, and he never really had the chance to stop and grieve for them. He wondered how his siblings faired through it all. A tear threatened to slip down the side of his face. The death of the guy had allowed him to finally mourn his parents.

A great while later, Lucian was walking towards Cecilia's house. He then realized he still had the black book with him. "Thats right I still have to destroy this. Hmm, I wonder if Evan would want to do it, considering what happened to his brothers because of this" Lucian was thinking. He knocked on Cecilia's door, she answered with a smile. She would lead him to their dinning room. "Oh wow, look at all the food" Lucian said. "Yea, and the shop is doing well, not that you asked. Have a seat" Cecilia said. Lucian put the black book aside and sat down. "If this is some sort of thank you, than you're really welcome. I was getting very hungry anyway" Lucian said. "Its something like that" Cecilia replied. "Is your father alright?" Lucian asked, pointing out the fact that her father seemed dead in his seat at the table. "Oh he's fine, he's just sleeping" Cecilia replied. The meal they would have was very delicous and statisfying. "So what are your plans for yourself?" Cecilia asked.

"I plan on going to the hospital in Ironcry. There's this kid, Evan, who still might be there. I told him I would visit after things were resolved" Lucian replied. Cecilia was silent for a moment. "...and I was so hoping you might stick around here in Nacie, for me" she replied. "Oh, I see. I could come back afterward?" Lucian said. Cecilia sighed. "Nevermind, I'm dumping you" Cecilia said. "What? But we were never dating in the first place" Lucian said. "Whatever. The whole knight in shinning amor thing is hot, but I dont settle for second" Cecilia replied. "wow. I'll try to pick up the pieces and move on" Lucian said rather sarcasticly. It shouldnt be a surprise that the time at her house didnt last much longer. "No hard feelings okay" Cecilia said with a smile before closing her front door on Lucian.

Over a day later, Lucian was entering the hospital at Ironcry. He still had the black book with him. He was greated by a nurse. The very same nurse that had been responsible for his care during his last visit. "You left before we said you could" the nurse said. "Yes, sorry. So I suppose this is the perfect oppurtunity for a check up" Lucian said. "I'm not even going to bother. Why are you here anyway?" the nurse asked. "I came to see Evan Ubrac. Is he still here?" Lucian asked. "See for yourself" the nurse replied. Lucian hurried to the room he remembered Evan had been in. When he arrived the room was empty. "He left sometime yesterday, somehow snuck out right under are noses" the nurse said when she had caught up. She went back to doing her job after that. Lucian stood there and sighed before walking away slowly.

Sometime later, at night. Lucian was standing in a field. He had stolen a lighter from one of the nurses while they werent looking. He had then used that lighter to set the Grafting Arcanum on fire. He stood in that field watching the black book burn away, ashes being caught up in the breeze. Unknown to Lucian or anyone, Evan had not actually left the hospital in Ironcry. He had just turned invisible. He was still invisible and had followed Lucian to this field. Unknown to Lucian, Evan stood beside him and watched the book burn away with him, a smile on his face a he looked up at Lucian. It took some time, but eventually there was nothing left of the black book.

Lucian looked up at the stars in the night sky, and both of them went on their way.