Waiting For Someone

Standing above the walls of Belturn, Xilo made sure everyone was hidden with darkness. "I'd rather not deal with the crowd of people." Since that was the case Xilo figured it would be best to stick with back alleys and with Tearia here she was the perfect guide. Following behind her Xilo checked their surroundings before he jumped down into an alley. "Looks like no one spotted us." Tearia brought them through a maze of different places as everyone kept low. Xilo could only use his darkness to hide them when it was impossible to hide otherwise. He didn't have the energy to hide almost 25 people constantly even with his improvements. The few people they did pass didn't pay them attention.

"How long until we get to the zone Tearia?"

"Probably another twenty minutes. We're taking a long way just to be safe, just keep following me."

*GRAAAWWWWWWWWWW*

Jumping at the loud sound ringing in her ear, Xelfia tried to find out where it was coming from. When she looked at Xilo and Tearia though they seemed to be completely unphased by it. Scratching her head she was confused until she heard that loud roar once more. "Am I going crazy?" It sounded like it was right next to them but no one was reacting. Tugging on Xilo's sleeve, Xelfia tried to get his attention. Ever since Belturn was in her line of sight Xelfia had been daydreaming without stopping. She followed Xilo by instinct as she got lost in her thoughts. "That sea of graves...the dragons...Azurin." She still remembered the story of the two dragons to this day.

"Hey...Xilo, Tearia do you guys hear that?"

*GRAWWWWWW*

"Hear what Xelfia?"

"Nope I don't hear anything."

The two quickly denied hearing anything, leaving Xelfia lost.

"I hear this roaring...but it doesn't sound scary, it's more like...."

Trailing off Xelfia couldn't quite put a finger on the emotions she was feeling from it. "Maybe I should visit Azurin again with everyone." During the months she had always thought about visiting that old dragon. He had seemed so lonely down there by himself. "He had a very comfy aura however it was also sad." She wished she could fulfil his wish sooner but a lot had happened after that time. Now that she was here though she would make sure to see it through. "He said that Spirit Dragon was slowly getting weaker, so it shouldn't be too hard." Those graves had permanently burned themselves in her mind. "One empty one...and the other waiting for one to return." She didn't know why it got stuck in her heart so deeply, she just knew it refused to fade.

"An ever burning fire."

With a bit more travelling they eventually made it to the gates of the Astral Zone. "Just the same as before." Xelfia couldn't find a single difference from her time here before. She watched everyone walk inside avoiding any people while Darkness kept them obscured from any senses. The grass beneath her feet had been trampled on until it had created a small path leading to a forest up ahead. "The place where Tearia attacked us." After that they had run away and fell down below as Xilo carried her. "I should be thanking Tearia now." Jokingly thinking that a soft grin surfaced as they walked into the forest. "There's a castle beyond the mountain and forest, that was where the Spirit dragon and the centre of the Astral Zone should be.

*GRAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW*

"Hey Spirit, are you making these noises?"

Now that she was a lot closer to the Spirit Dragon she could feel a sense of familiarity in the noises she heard. "It seems everyone heard that one too." Everyone's ears perked up once the roar sounded. "What exactly are you crying about though?" Was it a cry for battle, anger or the loss of the one they loved. "She abandoned her husband though." This Spirit Dragon had left her husband alone to explore the world. "Regardless, I'll end your suffering." Lightly stepping forward, Xelfia watched as Astral Beasts came out of the forest to attack them. They were swiftly dealt with by Vandor and Raran's squads as they made their way to the mountain. "What pain are you feeling?" Another roar was heard much louder than before as they reached the mountain.

"Good work everyone, keep it up. The mountain area might be a bit difficult but we should be able to handle it."

Things started to blur as Xelfia listened to the icy voice of Xilo while they all fought together. Xelfia hadn't lifted a finger though, she was just protected by Xilo. "I thought it'd be Tearia who would be like this, not Xelifa." It didn't bother him at all though. Xilo just silently protected her as he kept track of everyone. "Tearia seems to be drowning herself in fighting." The few people they did pass kept clear of such a large group making it easier for them to travel. They would pick up anything useful along the way as well as grabbing any unique beasts Xilo hadn't eaten yet for later. Hearing another roar, Xilo saw Xelfia freeze for a moment from the corner of his eye.

"....?"

"...was that a voice?" Unable to actually hear anything, Xelfia picked up her pace as she rushed ahead of everyone. "I felt like I heard a voice." Rushing into the mountains Xelfia had zero care for her safety as Xilo and everyone chased after her. "Azurin...is this really what you want?" She had thought about going to see him just to ask. That just felt wrong to her though, like she would have failed him in some way. Darkness filled her vision as the caves blocked out the sun. Astral Beasts died around her by the second as everyone fought. The notion of time broke for Xelfia until she eventually saw a small castle up ahead with some small bits of light. A loud roar thundered around the entire area as if it was calling out to her.

*GRAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR*

Xelfia could hear it much more clearly this time and she definitely heard a voice.

"...Come...Fight...I'm waiting...For....The End....Familiar one."