FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The sun beat down on the trio as they continued down the sparsely populated road, chatting animatedly amongst themselves as they made their way over the abundant hills that their path followed. Or more accurately, Axia was chatting with Shousetsu while Drum was trying to get some rest of his own. Their trek seemed to drag on and on, and after a while, Drum gave back control of the reigns to Axia. The teal dragon had found himself with energy to spare after a good rest and Drum was hoping to do likewise.

That hope was quickly diminished when Axia had asked Shousetsu about his experiences at Sengoku Academy. Turns out the swordsman was quite the conversationalist if sufficiently prompted and had plenty of stories that he was all too happy to share.

"And that's why Raremaro never pairs up with Kemura on cooking duty anymore." The swordsman said, concluding another tale of his everyday life. "He's never looked at a pastry the same way after that. I still don't think he's forgiven Kemura for ruining pie for him."

"I don't blame him. I'm impressed he's so dexterous with it, but I'd rather not have that tongue anywhere near any food I was eating." Axia shuddered at the mental image and tried to turn his mind towards happier thoughts. "Hey, Shou-shou, have you ever tried to train with any other worlds in your free time?"

"I can't say that I have. Legend World's been with me since the beginning and I've had no desire to experiment with other worlds."

"That's too bad. Considering you have Merlin in your deck, I sorta hoped you had some Magic World roots." Axia sighed wistfully. "It would've been exciting to learn what training he went through when he changed worlds."

"There are textbooks at Sengoku that have several monsters' accounts of their training in other worlds. But why ask me when you have a multitalented dragon with you?" He turned his gaze towards the drowsy red dragon. "I've actually been rather curious myself. How did you acquire powers from both Dungeon and Magic World?"

"Well really, I was sorta thrown into it." Drum shrugged lazily. He silently grumbled at his now fleeting nap time, and hoped a quick answer would suffice. "My father sent me off to Dungeon World, and Magic World came easily once I got the feeling for it. I don't normally go world jumping that often, though. I stick to Dragon World nowadays."

"Drum's a natural learner. Give him a push in the right direction and he'll pick up anything he sets his mind to in a heartbeat!" Axia giggled, smiling up at the armor dragon knowingly. Drum let out an amused snort, but grinned back at the dragowizard just the same.

"That does raise a question," Shousetsu spoke up, eyeing the pair curiously after their brief exchange. "What prompted you to visit Legend World, and Magic World before that? I'd imagine you'd have some specific reason for coming if you don't make a habit out of it."

Drum stiffened in his seat, his face heating up in a blush, as he quite vividly remembered the original reason for his venture and the resulting events that occurred thereafter. He turned to Axia, hoping the other dragowizard had something to help him, but the teal dragon was too busy blushing, though whether out of embarrassment or fondness, Drum couldn't tell.

I really should've see this coming. Drum thought nervously, doing his best to avoid the swordsman's eyes. It's fine though, no need to panic. We did other things besides… that. Like… His brain scrambled for an idea, but he ended up biting his cheek when he remembered the following morning. The shower he and Axia shared together was a fun way to cool down after their night together, but it was certainly not what he wanted to bring up as a conversation topic. _Ah, jeez… _

Drum's nervousness soon became palpable, and it made the dragowizard next to him blush even fiercer. Axia wrung his staff nervously, shifting his gaze from Drum to Shousetsu, silently hoping the swordsman wouldn't notice anything odd. He nearly jumped in his seat when Drum let out a sharp, forced laugh and began speaking in a shaking tone.

"Oh, y'know, just paying Axia a visit…I wanted to catch up with him since it'd been a while. Plus I had some free time and figured why not? One thing led to another…" Drum gesticulated very animatedly, and yet Axia was the one with the bigger blush, ducking his head to try and hide from the swordsman's line of sight. "Then he told me about what he wanted to do so here we are!"

Drum finished with what he tried to believe was a winning grin, but with the furiously blushing Dragowizard sitting next to him, it made it seem as if he had committed a crime. Or embarrass himself thoroughly, if his blush was anything to go by. Well, I learned one thing. The swordsman sighed to himself. These two have terrible poker faces. _ _

"And Gao isn't with you because…?" Shousetsu wondered, his tone dripping with obvious suspicion.

Because if he was here, he'd never let me live it down and ask way too many personal questions that I could never answer, Drum thought with a grimace. He was grateful for the easy question, though. This one he had a ready explanation for. "Because he was busy training with Tasuku!"

"Ryuenji?"

"That's right!" Drum nodded rapidly. "They were in the middle of a sparring session and I didn't wanna interrupt them."

"I see," Shousetsu chuckled. "That's rather considerate of you."

"Yeah, that's me…Always thinking of others…" Drum mumbled, anxious for a new topic. "So, how come you're here by yourself? You can't tell me your friends didn't want to help you?"

The swordsman took pity on the frazzled dragon, and let the matter drop.

"If they were available, I'm sure they'd try to convince me to take them, as you managed to. As it stands, Kanahebi is still refining his new ninja style, and Kemura was out training with Genma, last I heard. I would've asked Raremaro, being a fellow Legend World user, but one of us had to hold down the fort back at Sengoku. If all three of us disappeared at once, it would create havoc amongst the student body. We cannot let one front lose face to save another. That's just counterintuitive."

"You really think he can handle all those students by himself?" Drum wondered, having regained his wits during the swordsman lengthy explanation. "It took me and Gao 20 minutes just to make it to the lunch room."

"We've been at this for a while. Even one of us is more than enough against your average Sengoku student. He may be boastful at times, but Raremaro is quite capable of handling things himself. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"If you say so." Drum shrugged and leaned back, content to watch the grassy hills pass by.

"I'm sure he has it covered, Drum-kins." Axia said, eager to keep the conversation on other topics. "Otherwise he wouldn't be out here in the first place. Why, I bet he even knows exactly where Lancelot's army is in relation to the lake right now!"

"You praise is flattering." Shousetsu chuckled. "But only Oberon would know when anyone would enter this forest. He's rather well connected with it, just as he is with anything he imbues his magic into. Unfortunately he is also one for going to extremes. Now his spell is running amok as well, affecting anyone who would step foot in it as opposed to one with a wicked heart."

"This Oberon guy sounds more hot-headed than my father," Drum huffed. "We don't have to meet with him to get special permission to enter the forest, do we?"

"Rest assured, you won't need to meet with Oberon on this trip. I was personally asked by King Arthur to look into the situation. He trusts my ability to resolve this issue, and Oberon trusts his judgement. I simply needed to prepare myself, both in way of supplies and by gathering intel."

"Is that why you were in that tavern?" Axia wondered. "Collecting information on Lancelot's whereabouts?"

"Indeed. I was trying to find out if anyone had seen any sign of Lancelot or his ilk in the neighboring towns. I had actually gotten a few leads while I was there and was preparing to follow up on them." Shousetsu glanced back at the two dragons and managed to catch Drum's gaze. The red dragon quickly averted his eyes, developing a faint blush on his snout. Time to test the waters of my theory. "That's when you two showed up, arriving in your carriage like you were coming from a wedding reception."

Drum stuttered loudly, unable to even gasp at how forward the human was. Even Axia was struck speechless by the swordsman's words, caught between slight embarrassment and hopeful optimism at the idea.

Terrible poker faces, Shousetsu mentally reiterated, hiding his smirk from the flustered pair. That answers that at least.

"You just-! That's not-! We aren't-!" Drum stopped short several more times before turning his focus to the Legend World user's Buddy. "Hey Durandal! Isn't there some kinda knightly code about not teasing your teammates like this!?"

"On the contrary, it is refreshing to see him so familiar with you." The sword replied confidently. "A true knight is nothing without his comrades, and it is difficult to build camaraderie if you aren't at least a little familiar with one another."

"'A little familiar' my butt! I swear you're just making up these rules as you go."

Durandal gave no response to that.

Can't even tell if it's lying. Stupid Buddy sword…gets a fancy title like "Immortal" and it thinks it knows everything…

His complaints were silenced when he caught sight of a large structure out of the corner of his eye. His silence prompted Axia to look in Drum's direction, and the two gasped at the structure that crested over the hill. An enormous castle was situated on top of the large hill, its bulk outlined by the sun. The better part of the castle was obstructed by a large stone gate that outlined its perimeter, but several spires still managed to crest over the imposing wall, their ornate designs shimmering in the sunlight.

"No way! Our base camp is the castle!?" Drum grinned widely. "Oh man, we're gonna get the royal treatment! I can only imagine what kinda food they have in there!"

"Always thinking with your stomach, aren't you Drum-kins?" Axia teased, finally recovering his wits.

"Well a dragon's gotta eat, y'know?" Drum laughed. "C'mon, you can't tell me you're not a little excited to try royal castle food?" Axia hummed to himself, seeming to give the idea some thought.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Shousetsu cut in, "but we aren't staying in the castle." He tugged on the reigns and his horse veered off onto another path, leaving the castle on the horizon and heading down the small hill. "We'll be setting up our base camp near the forest's edge. There we shall keep a look out for any of Lancelot's army and-."

"Wait, we have to set up the entire camp ourselves?" Drum balked, remembering full well how packed their carriage were. "I thought we were trying to intercept these guys. Why aren't we going to get reinforcements?"

"We are the advanced squad. Or rather I was supposed to be." Shousetsu replied succinctly. "I was to scout out the enemy position and report back to gather those reinforcements. Even with the change of party members, the mission remains the same. We're here to pinpoint Lancelot's forces before we make the charge."

"Are you sure you can still execute the plan like this?" Axia brought up, "Adding two more to a mission originally designed for one can have a huge impact."

"I've seen you both in heated combat before." Shousetsu replied, "I have no doubt that we can still fulfill this mission."

"I'm more surprised that Arthur's giving you this much command." Drum said. "I mean letting two different dragons from two different worlds in on a Legend World problem? Dragon World still has problems getting Dragons and Dragon Knights to work together!"

"You'd be surprised at how much clout you carry, Drum. You helped save the world from Darkness Dragon World's invasion of Earth. That alone has more than earned you the King's respect."

"So, do you think I could get a royal feast at that castle after all this is taken care of?" The red dragon asked, practically drooling at the thought.

"I'm sure something could be arranged." Shousetsu chuckled.

"You never change," Axia giggled slightly before continuing. "But what about me? I don't think I've done anything as note worthy as saving an entire planet."

"On the contrary, you proved yourself capable when you stood up against me when I was at my lowest, back when I was possessed by that Dark Core." Shousetsu smiled comfortingly at the teal dragon. "You charged in regardless of the danger that I presented. I could only think a noble dragon would posses such tenacity."

"Oh, stop," Axia giggled, hiding his blushing face with his hand. "Now you're just flattering me. Besides I wasn't the only one to help. Asmodai, Tsukikage and Blazewing did their part too."

"Though I wouldn't call anything Asmodai does 'noble'," Drum snarked from the side.

"Whichever way you look at it, the two of you have earned the respect of Arthur's court." It was Durandal who spoke up. "You will make most welcome comrades."

Drum smiled pridefully while Axia beamed and the group continued their journey in a pleasant silence until they reached a cliff at the end of the hill. Shousetsu raised his hand to signal them to stop. "We're here. This place has the best vantage point for a base camp, and because it is located so close to a prominent settlement, it will assure that no stray monster will try to raid it." He hopped off his horse, and the beast disappeared in a flash of light. "You can send the nightmares back, Axia. We won't be needing them after this."

Axia nodded and flicked his wrists, the reigns vanishing in a flash. A brief moment later, the nightmares themselves disappeared leaving the group alone with the carriage.

"I'll never get over how cool that looks." Drum murmured. "I still can't believe you managed to control them so easily."

"Aw, shucks Drum. You'll make me blush." Axia giggled. "It's not really that impressive. It's a lot easier to disperse a summon than it is to perform one."

"Still though-!"

Shousetsu cleared his throat loudly, interrupting their banter. "As impressive as it is, I need to inform you of a few things. Please come with me." Both dragons nodded and jumped down from the carriage, following the swordsman as he walked towards the edge of the cliff. Their view of the forest was unobstructed and the group looked over the large expanse that the forest covered. "Behold." Shousetsu pointed out over the horizon. "Hidden within that forest is the mystic lake we will be defending."

"That's the forest?" Drum asked. "But it's just sitting there, completely exposed! How has it not been overrun by now?"

"Drum does make a good point." Axia picked up. "I'm sure there are beings in Legend World who'd be able to evade whatever power the forest possesses, eIther by air or underground."

"On any other forest, you would be right." Durandal decided to answer. "But Oberon was quite thorough in his enchantment. Its powers permeate the very soil and air, making digging under or flying over it an impossibility. Plus, unless you were an unfeeling machine, you would have no chance of being able to get through it unaffected. The spell cast on it picks at the slightest insecurity you have, crippling you from the inside out."

"So we can't even fly at all without getting a heap load of forest creep. That's just great." Drum grumbled.

"It's to our advantage as well." Shousetsu continued. "From here, we'll have a perfect vantage point over the forest, and be able to locate Lancelot's forces before they can get too far."

"That's why you needed all this equipment? To have a stakeout?" Drum asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"But why so much stuff? It's only you and Durandal until we came along, and I doubt that sword eats anything."

"When you're facing off against an unknown opponent, it's better to be over prepared than under." Shousetsu explained. "I packed several contingency plans in case I found myself in an unfavorable situation. Though with you two here, I might not need them." The swordsman walked to the large carriage, opening the door and peeking inside. "Good, looks like everything I had ordered made it through. All that's left to do is unpack it. "

"Great, this again." Drum grumbled, rolling his neck in preparation. "Just give me a second and I'll-"

"If it's all the same to you, Drum-kins," Axia interrupted, "I'd like to take a crack at it."

"You want to? I thought you were still out of it from your all nighters…"

"I've gotten enough strength back to handle this," Axia said as he took his place near the carriage. "I might not have gotten a form change, but I'm still a lot stronger than when we parted ways!"

The teal dragon lifted his staff, a bright glow coming from the tip of it as he cast his spell. The large crates became enveloped in a soft, yellow glow before being slowly lifted from the vehicle and into the air. Axia held his staff with his left hand, his right controlling the flow of boxes, guiding them through the air and setting them down on the ground one after another. Both human and dragon watched on in impressed silence as Axia set the containers into several neat rows.

Drum's eyes widened when he saw just how many containers were stored in the relatively small carriage. When he had worked with them, he had been so focused on the task that it never occurred to him just how many there really were. He counted them off as Axia set them down and made it to 20 once they were all settled.

"Impressive work." Shousetsu said, stepping up to one of the crates. "Moving that many objects one after the other is no easy feat."

"Yeah, you did pretty well out there." Drum joined in, giving Axia a pat on the shoulder. "Guess you didn't need my help back there after all, huh?"

Axia shook his head, panting a little from his performance. "Not true Drum-kins. Doing that once is doable, but twice would've left me drained, even with a nap to refresh me. You really helped me, just like you always do!" He nuzzled Drum once more, the red dragon adjusting his body just enough for his blushing face to be out of the swordsman's line of sight.

As he turned, he reached out to one of the containers, hoping to open it and see what the Legend World knight had brought that would take so much packing space. He hadn't payed much attention to them before, distracted as he was by his irritation at Asmodai, so he only just noticed that, aside from the Legend World crest on the side, the boxes were completely featureless. There was seemingly no way to open them by hand.

"These things are sealed shut." Drum muttered, turning his head to the swordsman while Axia held onto him. "Is this another one of those enchantments?"

"Ahh yes, I had forgotten about that. Please, allow me." Shousetsu walked around one of the crates, inspecting it. The large container felt plastic, but he knew that was Magic World synthetic materials at work. He set his hand on the top of the box, the Legend World crest glowing in response. Afterwords, a set of latches materialized on both sides of the crest. Shousetsu flipped them open, and threw the lid off, revealing several gadgets and packs of various sizes. "Because of their sensitive contents, I had the containers fitted with a spell that would only react to me as well."

"You just think of everything don't you?" Drum dead-panned. "Where did you even find this stuff?"

"Most of this is from Merlin's attic back in Magic World. He taught there as a professor once upon a time."

"I've heard about that." Axia perked up, peeking his head around Drum, his earlier pep returning. "He taught the advanced Magics curriculum, something that only the highest level spellcasters could participate in. That was sometime before I enrolled though."

"Fate is having a good laugh at us right about now, I'd imagine." The swordsman shook his head and continued running his hand over the crates. "Axia, you mentioned back at the tavern that you had a way to repel the illusion magic surrounding the forest."

"That's right. I've been practicing several forms of magic since we last met!" Axia grinned, now back on his own two feet, but staying close to Drum's side. "Empathy magic, for example! I can get a good grip on other's feelings. A simple scan and I can determine if whatever's in front of me is an illusion or not!"

"Sounds handy. Will it work for all of us?" Shousetsu asked.

"I mean it should for Drum and myself because of our Magic World link. Though I don't know if it'll be enough to protect you, Shou-shou…" He looked down, looking both embarrassed and saddened.

"It's quite alright, Axia." the swordsman reassured. "Durandal holds enough protection for the two of us."

"Indeed. Through our connection as Buddies, I should be able to awaken him should any spell try to invade his mind."

"Wait, so couldn't you have knocked some sense into him back when he was possessed by the Dark Core?" Drum asked.

"I could have, yes." Durandal said simply. "But Shousetsu chose of his own accord to accept that power. I knew that dark core would provide nothing for him, but he needed to realize that for himself."

The two dragons stared in shock before sharing a concerned look with each other. Before either of them could offer their opinions, Shousetsu spoke up. "As I said, it wasn't my proudest moment. Though from it, I saw the error in my judgement. I will not make a similar mistake on this mission."

"It's alright, we all make mistakes." Axia said. "And now you have the two of us to help you make sure this is a success." Both he and Drum smiled confidently at the swordsman, nothing but confidence in their eyes. Shousetsu nodded in return, a slight smile on his face, as he continued unlocking the mass of containers.

The two dragons took it upon themselves to take inventory while the swordsman finished unlocking the last row. Drum in particular walked quickly through the makeshift isles intent on finding something, but after searching through 2 rows, he stopped and called out. "Hey, Shousetsu. Is there anything in these boxes that can deliver a message to other another world? I wanna leave a message for Gao in case we run late."

"That's understandable. There should be a communications orb in one of these." The knight answered. "I can get it for you, but I'll need your help setting it up."

"You'll be done with that in no time with Drum-kins on the job!" Axia remarked, still rummaging through one of the crates.

"I'm sure." Shousetsu nodded and reached into one of the containers at the end of the last row, pulling out a collapsable telescope. "In the meantime, Axia, would you mind taking this and looking out for any sign of movement? I'd rather not have Lancelot getting the drop on us."

"Of course, Shou-shou." Axia nodded eagerly, delicately taking the item from the swordsman. "Just leave it to me!"

Shousetsu chuckled as he watched Axia run out and set up the scope on its tripod. "He's very eager." He commented as he started unpacking the materials for the communication device. It wasn't particularly complicated, just the orb and a small column to place it on, but it did require Drum's strength to carry the heavy base.

"He's always been peppy." Drum said as he helped take out the column with ease, hefting it under his arm. "He's actually toned it down lately. It used to be kinda annoying honestly."

"I never would've guessed." Shousetsu murmured as he lead Drum a little ways back up the hill. "You don't like the energetic type?"

"I don't have a problem with his energy. It's just he's always been very…" Drum paused for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to put his thoughts. "Physical with me. You remember after we fought together, he just tackle hugged me right out of the blue! Doesn't even give a dragon some warning."

"You're not much of a hugger, I take it?" The swordsman teased, turning to face the red dragon to see his reaction.

He was treated to seeing Drum blush hotly, fidgeting with the column as he tried to recover. "They just made me uncomfortable is all. It's one thing to be excited, but he was always so over the top with it. You don't just go from a fight straight into a hug! A fighter doesn't hug!"

Shousetsu's teasing smile steadily lowered as the dragon ranted, a curious gaze replacing it. "I'm surprised you remained friends with him if he bothered you so."

"He sorta invited himself along after we met." Drum said absentmindedly, his blush slowly fading. "The guy's surprisingly persistent for a dragowizard. I will admit though, when push comes to shove, he can really handle himself in a fight." He grunted and set down the column down. "Axia might not look it, but he's incredibly resourceful."

"He did seem rather capable during your match against Raremaro…"

"Oh yeah, you weren't there when we fought Kiri!" Drum cut in, looking excitedly at the swordsman. "He really stole the show that time. After that, he went off to look for his own Buddy, and now he's still trying to become stronger for that goal. That's something I can't help but respect."

Shousetsu narrowed his eyes at the red dragon. While at first it was to tease him, now he couldn't help but draw a parallel with Drum and a certain other fighter, a silver haired boy who also only respected strength. "Is that why you're here then?" He asked calmly, his even tone belying his unease. "To see him become stronger?"

"Well, yeah, that was the original reason I decided to come with him. I wanted to make sure he could become as strong as he wanted to be. You could call me his mentor for this." He grinned toothily and held up the glass ball. "So I just put this orb on top and I'll be able to talk to anyone I want?"

The swordsman nodded tersely. "Yes, anyone whom you've met before, you can talk to." Drum hesitated, hearing the shortness in the boy's voice. His stare seemed intense too, but he chalked that up to being on edge so far from camp. The two fell into silence while Drum carefully placed the orb on top of its perch on the column. After a while, Shousetsu spoke up again. "Do you mind if I ask you something personal, Drum?"

Drum shrugged indifferently, his mind elsewhere. "Sure, kid. Go for it."

"There's been something that's had me curious, about your relationship with Axia." Shousetsu's phrasing caused Drum to stop short, but he remained silent as the human continued. "It's been obvious he cares about you since our last encounter at Sengoku Academy. Back then, if I recall, his affections for you were dismissed. Emphatically so, to say the least." Hearing it said so bluntly got a wince from the large dragon, but he still didn't say anything. "Now you seem to be more receptive to them, but is it really because he's become less 'annoying' to you? Because he's working on becoming a stronger monster? I find it hard to believe that that'd be the only reason for you accompanying him."

Drum jerked back at the swordsman's accusatory tone and immediately took a defensive stance when he saw the that glare the swordsman had earlier was directed at him. "And that's a bad thing? I'm usually told I'm too hardheaded for my own good. Now you're acting like me changing my opinion of the guy is a crime." He snorted and turned to face the boy directly. "I heard what you were talking about with your Buddy back at the tavern. You forget, I've got really good ears. So yeah, maybe something happened between the two of us, and yeah, maybe Axia isn't as annoying as I first thought. I still don't see how what I think of him is any of your business."

The two glared at each other, neither one backing down. "It becomes my problem when it would affect my comrades." Shousetsu said at last, breaking the stare down. "But if you promise me that whatever is between you two won't end up hurting him, than I shall respect your decision."

"Hurt him?" Drum balked. "I'd never…"

"Perhaps not intentionally, but whatever has happened has got you two walking on eggshells around me." Shousetsu said firmly. "I will not invade your privacy by asking you to divulge what had occurred between the two of you. All I ask is that you make sure your feelings are true. Anything less will be unacceptable."

Drum stared at the swordsman for a moment before lowering his gaze to the ground, his mind racing with uncertainty. My feelings? Untrue? No way. I knew Axia before this, if he had any reservations about what we did he would've told me… Despite his mental reassurances, he still found his hand trembling. So why do I feel so uneasy about what he said…?

Shousetsu regarded the pensive dragon for a moment before turning his eyes to the small structure. The small crystal ball sat atop of the little pillar, perfectly positioned to transmit a message to the world of his choice. Axia had not been exaggerating; Drum had completed the task in no time at all, despite the delicate materials.

The swordsman turned to the red dragon once more, seeing him still stare at the ground. In truth, he was relieved that Drum was putting thought into what he said instead of just lashing out angrily at him. He wouldn't have thought it possible for the hot-headed dragon to look so pensive. He knew Rouga would never second guess himself like that.

The swordsman shook his head, dispelling the mental image and turned to leave. "I'll leave you to your message." Shousetsu said, his voice seeming to snap the red dragon out of his daze.

Drum watched the swordsman walk away and reached an arm out, as if to beckon the boy back. He couldn't get his voice to work, his mind still full of questions. He shook his head and turned to the small orb, hoping the activity would settle the upset feeling in his stomach.

***

Axia was hard at work, adjusting the telescope to glance around the area. The device came with a foldable tripod, and the dragowizard took just a little bit more joy than strictly necessary in rotating it on its axis, getting a near 180 degree angle of the forest. He turned around when he heard footsteps approach from behind and smiled as Shouestsu slowly approached him.

"Back already, huh? I told you Drum-kins had it covered." He giggled, looking back through the lens. "No sign of any enemy movement, you'll be glad to know. This scope has made sure of that. I can't believe how well it magnifies, I can even see where the forest ends!"

"I'm glad to hear it's working so well." He chuckled lightly before taking a more serious tone. " I'd actually like to ask you a question or two, if it wouldn't distract you."

"Sure you can! Some Q&A is a good way to get to know each other." He turned again, a questioning look on his snout. "But wouldn't it help if Drum was here for this?"

"He's still busy with his message." Shousetsu said, hiding the slight hesitation he felt in his voice. "Besides, I've already had a chat with him, and while it did explain a bit, there are still some things I'm curious about."

"If you're sure. What questions are there to ask?"

"Well, first off, what prompted you to travel to Legend World?"

"Oh, that's an easy one. I wanted to train myself and become stronger. I've seen several other monsters use different worlds beside their own and I was hoping I could do it too!"

"And why Legend World in particular? I'd imagine you'd want to train in Dragon World, considering."

"And be manhandled by a horde of mean, dumber-than-rocks armor dragons? No thank you." Axia huffed indignantly, much to the human's surprise. "The dragons there are nothing but brutes, always thinking with their fists and not with their heads. I doubt I'd know even half as much about Magic if I had trained there. I mean, do you know any magic wielding dragons that aren't dragowizards?"

"I can't say that I have." Shousetsu said, slightly off put by the teal dragon's small rant. "Except for Drum, technically."

"Oh, yes, Drum's the exception to many rules." Axia said cheerfully, his mood lifted in an instant at the red dragon's name. "If all armor dragons were like him, I'd be training there in an instant."

"You really respect Drum, don't you?" The swordsman said with a knowing smile.

"Well, of course! He's the bravest armor dragon I've ever known. He even saved me from being terminated when we first met, in spite of our differences at the time. He's talented enough to master multiple worlds and he cares deeply about his friends, even if he's too shy to show it." Axia sighed dreamily and hugged his staff, cuddling it as if it were Drum himself. "There's no dragon I admire more."

"Drum had said you toned down your peppiness, though you still seem as high spirited as you were back at Sengoku. You certainly haven't lost any of your enthusiasm towards him." Shousetsu's smile turned somber at the teal dragons attitude, seeming not to have changed since he last saw him.

Mistaking his smile for a teasing smirk, Axia realized he was gushing and paused for a moment to compose himself. "Though that's not to say he doesn't have his own flaws. He can be brash at times and can be a little slow on the uptake, but he makes up for it with his strong spirit and steadfast courage." The dragowizard sighed as he looked wistfully over the horizon. "I wanna be like him in that regard, and develop a bond with my Buddy once I find mine. One that's strong as his and Gao's is."

Shousetsu stared at the dragowizard, half in surprise at the turn in attitude. He hadn't expected Axia's infatuation to be so well thought out. "Strong spirit and steadfast courage, huh?" He murmured to himself after a moment. "I'm guessing that's why you decided to help me?"

"That's right. I mean what kind of Buddy would I be if I let a friend charge headfirst into danger?" The teal dragon teased, now back to looking like his usual cheerful self. "Besides, I've always admired Legend World." Axia continued without missing a beat. "I've read a lot about the great beasts and knights of old from the books back at my wizard school. It was one of my hobbies in between classes."

Shousetsu smiled weakly, but took the change of topic in stride. "Considering the amount of items Merlin had in his attic, it's no surprise there'd be a book or two about the subject. Was the one who recommended this job originally from Legend World as well?"

"No, actually it was Asmodai. He's trained in Danger World, so I know he has experience with world traveling." Axia paused and huffed to himself. "Though Drum sure isn't happy about it."

"He isn't?" Shousetsu eyed him curiously. "Any idea on why that is? I thought he was one of your traveling companions."

"I said that too, but he still said Asmodai can be underhanded. That he doesn't hold back with friends, even when he's trying to help." He wrung his fingers around his staff nervously. "It still worries me a little bit, but I'm too far along to go back now."

"If he assigned Drum to be with you, I'd imagine he'd have your best interests in mind."

"Oh he didn't assign anybody with me, Drum just sorta invited himself along. Heh, kinda like how we did with you." Axia added sheepishly.

"And you're okay with that? Doesn't him coming on board so suddenly seem a little…" The swordsman paused, quickly searching for a word that didn't seem accusatory. "…odd?"

"Not really. Drum's got a habit of jumping into things without warning." Axia giggled and blushed lightly. "Besides, I'd be all on my own otherwise. As embarrassing as it is to say, I probably would've left the supplies with you and gone off sightseeing. Now I get to help both you and Drum on an entirely new mission! Plus you heard what he said, we're a team now! I'll help him and he'll help me, and we'll both help you."

"That you will," Shousetsu said with a small smile. He turned to look out over the forest, silently going over what he had learned. In spite of being infatuated with Drum, Axia has acknowledged his shortcomings and still likes him for it. He has a reason to trust him as much as he does… If only I had as much luck back then.

"Shousetsu?" Axia's voice brought the swordsman's attention back to the dragowizard curiously staring at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry." He shook his head dismissively, but Axia still looked concerned. He could tell the dragon wouldn't let him go without some form of reassurance. "I just had one other question on my mind."

"Oh? What is it?"

In truth, he didn't really have a proper question prepared, but it was a good time to ask about another thing that had been on his mind. "Why did you pick 'Shou-shou' as my nickname?"

"Oh, that! Well, that Kazane girl got to call Kemura 'Kem-kem, so I've decided on calling you 'Shou-shou'." He grinned pridefully at the smaller human. "I think it's catchier, if I do say so myself! It certainly rolls off the tongue better, don'tcha think?"

I suppose some dragon traits are universal. Shousetsu thought dryly while the dragowizard preened. A dragon's pride is nothing to be messed with.

"It certainly has a ring to it. And if you enjoy it so much, I don't mind you referring to me by it." The swordsman said, turning back towards the camp. "I should head back and finish organizing. If you don't mind, could you keep looking for any movement for a few more minutes?"

"Can do," Axia affirmed, already turning his attention back to the telescope. "Always happy to lend a claw, Shou-shou!"

The young knight nodded and walked back towards the remaining crates, his mind uneasy as he absentmindedly rummaged through an open container. He sighed as he took out a backpack and began to look through it, taking inventory of its contents.

"What do you make of it, Shousetsu?" Durandal quietly asked his Buddy.

The swordsman was hesitant, his mind still unsure of what he had learned. "They seem sincere in their beliefs. At the very least I can rule out either of them being enemy spies."

Durandal sounded doubtful. "How high was that possibility?"

"Too high for my liking. The timing was too coincidental, and with Lancelot's location unknown, who knows where his allies could be--."

"Shousetsu," The immortal sword's voice cut through his Buddy's ramblings. "You know as well as I how frail of an excuse that is. If there were any chance of them being spies, you would've struck them down in an instant back at the tavern."

The swordsman sighed lightly, and slumped over the container. His Buddy was right, and there'd be no real way to convince him otherwise. "Truth be told, I was a little worried for Axia's sake. I remember feeling like he does. More so than I care to admit. And the way Drum was talking, I…"

"While it is true that you've had some experience in this area, you must remember that Drum isn't Rouga." Shousetsu clenched his fist at the mention of his past mistake. "You must have more trust in him. He will not lead Axia down a wrong path."

"You're right." The young knight looked over to where Drum was still working on the communications orb. "I should apologize."

"In time, yes." Dudandal said. Shousetsu looked down at his buddy, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "Right now you must prepare for the coming storm. Believe it or not, you have given him something quite necessary to think about."

***

"Stupid glass ball. Can't even get a signal." Drum grumbled as he shook the column the communications orb lay on. He'd been trying for several minutes to get some form of connection, but all he got was static. Drum kicked the column one more time, more out of frustration than an attempt to fix it. He was still mulling over what Shousetsu had said earlier. Much as he didn't like to admit it, the swordsman's words had really gotten under his skin.

Drum never was much for thinking before acting, and he'd done much more acting than thinking in the last few days. As far as he'd come, it was the one thing he still needed to work on. He wished he could talk to Jackknife. It was his advice that helped him remember the Magic World connection after all.

"Wait, Magic connection," A thought came to him. "Wonder if…" He placed a hand over the orb, channeling his power through it. He found the connection again, and followed it back to where he knew Dragon World was. He immediately followed it to where his Buddy was, and tried to establish a link there. He furrowed his brow when he still ended up getting static again, as much as it puzzled him. How did one get mental static?

Drum focused harder, and managed to hear noises, but they were unintelligible. He remembered being told once that such a phenomena meant that the person had a lot on their mind, was sleeping, or was doing something labor intensive. Drum could guess it was the third; Gao was either sparring or Buddyfighting with Tasuku, neither of which Drum wanted to interrupt. Instead, he turned his attention to the other open connection he had found.

Jack?

Drum? The green dragon's voice echoed in Drum's head after a moment. Drum is that you?

Jack! It's about time I got some reception. Drum mentally snarked. This thing's cheaper than an earth cell phone.

It took a few moments for the green dragon to respond. How exactly are you contacting me?

Okay, get this, I'm actually using my Magician Drum connection thing to telepathically link minds to you! How cool is that?

That sounds a little invasive actually. Jack thought disapprovingly. The mind is not a toy to be messed with.

Take it easy, Drum rolled his eyes, though he wasn't sure if the action even translated mentally. I'm getting a boost from some Magic World tech and I doubt I could do this kinda thing on my own. I just need you to take a message for me. There's something I gotta tell Gao.

Why aren't you contacting him yourself if it's so important?

_I'm getting some weird interference from him and Tasuku. Are they sparring again? _

In a sense, Jack said amusedly. He could practically feel Drum's curiosity and turned to where the two humans were 'sparring'. Take a look for yourself. Drum's line of sight followed, and the red dragon had to hold a snicker when he saw the spectacle before him.

Tasuku was pinned, just as he had thought, but by three rambunctious and overzealous dragon children. One in particular was bouncing on the poor boy's stomach, forcing the breath out of his lungs on every impact. Gao wasn't in any better shape; the boy was on the floor, laughing loudly, along with a few other baby dragons, who found the spectacle incredibly amusing.

No wonder I couldn't see them, he thought_. The Mighty Sun Fighter and Buddy Cop Boy Wonder have been toppled by babies!_

It's certainly become very busy, Jack thought once his chuckling had died down. Those two may make a perfect pair on the battlefield, but they're still just children themselves. They've got a lot of growing up to do yet.

Perfect pair, huh? Drum thought on reflex, his mind thinking back to his earlier predicament. It wouldn't hurt to have a second opinion. Hey, quick question, do you know anything about relationships? Like romance and all that sappy stuff Suzuha usually goes on about?

Romance? Oh, you're talking about Axia aren't you? He laughed deeply, just like he had the other day when he brought it up. Well, I'm glad your trip proved to be so successful. When's the wedding reception?

Drum pouted, doing his best to ignore the burning in his cheeks. You're the second person to have made that joke. It wasn't funny the first time either.

Take it easy. Jack parroted his earlier words back at him. This is a good thing. It means you have visible compatibility if someone's willing to point it out.

_Seems more like they're taking potshots at me. _

You'll feel more comfortable the more time you spend with him. Just play to your strengths. You always did learn best by taking action and gong with your instincts.

Well so far, instincts haven't given me any answers. I mean, how do you know when you're really… He couldn't even think of what to describe how he was feeling, but the mental link seemed to translate his obscure idea well enough._ _

Tasuku asked me something similar a while back. I'll tell you what I told him: When you think you can depend on that person for anything, without question; when you feel that their very existence drives you forward, then that'll be when you know.

All that, huh? Did that help him any?

_Not at first, no. Tasuku's always been a little stubborn, putting his duty to the Buddy police before his own personal happiness. It'd be rather unprofessional for the Boy Wonder to admit to having a crush on someone. _

Not to mention a real heartbreaker to all his fangirls. Drum chuckled, but paused as a thought occurred to him. Everyone's opinion on him would change… It wasn't something he had thought of before, but there was a small, lingering doubt that his friends would think negatively of him for his choices. And after Shousetsu had said what he thought, he almost had to wonder who else amongst his friends could have similar opinions.

I doubt Gao would care who you take interest in. Drum snapped out of his funk, trying to figure out if his thought unintentionally translated to Jack or if the green dragon's intuition was really that good. What's got you thinking about something like that? Surely none of your friends have given reason to believe they'd think any differently of you.

It's not them. It's what Shousetsu said that's got me off my game.

Shousetsu? The swordsman from Sengoku? Why is he in Magic World?

_He's not, he's in Legend World. That's actually part of the message I wanted to give you, we're gonna spend some time in Legend World with him. Get some training for Axia and help with a local problem. It shouldn't take more than a day, but I don't want Gao to get worried about where I am, y'know? _

As he was saying the last half of his sentence, Drum felt a brief but sharp pain run through his skull. At first he paid it no mind and chalked it up to mental fatigue, but his focus was redirected when Jack's reply came.

What was tha-- Jack's voice was distorted and fuzzy, as if he was loosing reception. I didn't h--…--ink we're cutting ou--

Jack? Jack! This time, static was all he heard back. Drum tried to visualize the connection again, but his mind drew a blank. "Something's blocking my connection…" He glared angrily at the device. "Or maybe this stupid thing is just a malfunctioning piece of junk!" He kicked the pillar again before huffing to himself. "Whichever it is, I need to bring this up to Shousetsu." The red dragon headed back to camp, new worries on his mind now.

***

It was midday when the trio had gathered back around the lined containers that made up their campsite. Three separate tents were already set up, along with the foundation to a campfire in the middle. Axia was sitting on one of the empty crates, eating a small pack lunch, when Drum jogged up to the makeshift camp.

"Welcome back, Drum-kins" Axia greeted cheerfully. "Did you manage to send Gao-wow your message?"

"Sorta. I talked to Jack, but we got cut off." He huffed in frustration. "I need to ask Shousetsu if there's a way to boost the range on that thing."

"Oh, first!" Axia jumped up on his feet, held up his staff and levitated a gray backpack within Drum's reach. "He said to give that to you when you were done."

"Thanks." Drum murmured as he took the pack. His arm was immediately dragged down from its weight, the red dragon stumbling slightly before he hefted the heavy pack up with both arms. "The heck? This thing weighs a ton! What's in here anyway?"

"Some survival basics. A few days worth of food, water canteens and a small tent." Shousetsu answered, walking up from the rows of containers. "One for each of us. Originally, I had ordered extra as backup on the off chance that they'd get lost or destroyed. It should help you in case we need to split up."

"You really are prepared for everything, aren't you?." Axia chuckled.

"Only for what I anticipate." He chuckled lightly before glancing to the set up communications hub. "Oh, Drum. I nearly forgot, the long range communications relay to the orb was in a separate container. Without it, you'd just get bunch of static." He regarded Drum with a surprising amount of politeness, after the verbal lashing he'd given him before. "I'll fetch that and you can send your message."

Axia giggled at the retreating swordsman. "Guess I spoke too soon. Right, Drum-kins?" He stopped his giggling after a few seconds, slightly puzzled by Drum's lack of response. He turned to see the red dragon's jaw hanging open, clear surprise in his eyes. "Drum-kins?"

You mean I had the power to just talk to people telepathically at any time? Why am I the last to figure these things out? He sighed to himself and picked his jaw back up after noticing Axia's odd look. But wait, if I was using my own power to talk with Jack, then I shouldn't have lost the connection like that. So what- His thought was interrupted when a low rumbling shook the ground. "What's that?"

"It feels like an earthquake." Axia said.

"Be on your guard," Shousetsu ordered, vaulting back over the containers. "This isn't natural, whatever it is."

All three slowly backed up towards each other, facing away to keep an eye out for any disturbances on all sides. The rumbling continued, ever so slightly shaking the ground beneath them. The three warriors scanned the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was causing the quakes. Axia had his eyes closed and stood stock still, a position Drum guessed was his way of stretching out his magic sense.

"You picking anything up?" Drum asked.

"No, nothing at all. It's like my magic sense is being blocked somehow." Drum's eyes widened. It had been what had happened to him as well, but before he could confirm his suspicions, Axia gasped, "Behind us!"

The trio jumped back at Axia's call, just barely missing the large form that came crashing down where they were moments before. They skidded to a stop, flanking the enormous figure that loomed over them. Its body was covered in a dark aura, obscuring most of its features, but it did hold a draconic appearance to it. Razor sharp claws glinted in the sunlight, and a spiked tail swung threateningly behind it.

"How did that thing sneak up on us? It's huge!" Axia called out.

"So much for being raid proof," Drum grunted, leveling his staff at the behemoth. "Can't even make a phone call without having to fend off some oversized monster!"

"There's no doubt about it. This is one of Lancelot's forces." Shousetsu said, drawing his sword. "It appears that even starting this journey will be hazardous…"

The beast roared at the trio, lashing its tail out and decimating the camp site along with their supplies.

"Our stuff!" Drum yelled, snarling as he changed forms once more. Back in his Crimson Battler gear, he pointed and glared at the large monster. "Do you have any idea how much of a pain it was to move all that!?"

"We can get new supplies latter. Right now we need to take down this thing!" Axia urged. "Shousetsu, let's all team up! We'll show this monster our combined strength!"

"Good idea. I ca-!!" Shosetsu's Summon was sabotaged, a chain made of energy shot out of nowhere, binding his arms to his sides. "What!?"

"Shou-Shou!" Axia cried, turning to assist the bound human. The large creature in front of them roared again and demanded their attention.

"Never mind me! Incapacitate that thing first!" Shousetsu ordered as he strained against his bindings.

"Looks like it's up to us. C'mon Axia!" Drum yelled, charging at the beast. The drills on his gauntlets went into action, spiraling together rapidly as he prepared his attack.

"Right behind you!" Axia called, and quite literally behind him, charging at the creature with his staff drawn, electricity crackling from the tip.

The beast slammed its fists into the ground, upheaving the earth and forcing the dragons to jump up to avoid the shockwave. The remaining equipment below was sent into disarray, but the combatants payed it little mind.

"Drum, Axia! Combine your powers in a Link Attack!" Shousetsu called from his bindings.

The teal dragon nodded and shot electrical currents into the air. Drum raised a fist, the material of his drills becoming a lightning rod for Axia's magic lightning. Both dragons landed back on the ground, Drum immediately going into a charge. His drills spun with Axia's magic surrounding him and he jumped once more to deliver a fierce uppercut to the monster.

The monster simply lifted its arm and caught the Crimson Battler's attack in its own clawed hand. Drum's eyes widened as he was held up like a rag doll and watched his drills forcibly stop against the creature's thick hide, Axia's magic fizzling out once the drills came to a halt. The titanic beast snarled and slammed Drum into the ground, smashing him into one of the remaining crates.

"Drum!" Axia yelled and charged at the monster himself. "You'll pay for that!" The beast growled and lashed out a claw, but Axia was much more agile and leapt over the strike, landing on the creature's arm and propelling himself off it, heading straight towards its chest. He twirled his staff and slashed downward, intending to leave a large cut in the monster's hide.

His breath left him when he was stopped by the monster's free arm, the impact not leaving a single dent to its scales.

Once more the beast snarled, but this time it spun on its feet and slammed the dragowizard hard with its tail. Axia yelled as he was thrown back from the impact and sent careening off of the cliff and into the forest below.

"Axia!!" Drum yelled and took off after the other dragon, sprinting hard across the field and leaping off the cliff, barely managing to grab onto the teal dragon's wrist. He dug his wrist drills into the cliff face, managing to anchor himself. "I got'cha Axia, don't worry!"

The dragowizard opened his eyes, having closed them out of fright but gasped as he looked up past Drum. The beast was leaning its head over them, its claws poised to strike them down.

"Look out!" He thrust his spear up, a blast of lightning coursing through it and at the beast above. "Great Thundershock!"

The blast hit its chest dead center, but didn't even phase the creature. If anything, it looked amused at the attempt, and brushed off the impacted area. It raised a claw and slammed it into the ground, destroying the ledge and sending the two dragons plummeting to the forest below.

"Axia! Fly!" Drum yelled out, desperately trying to straighten himself up.

"I'm trying! My Magic's being blocked!"

"It's what!?"

Neither warrior had time to think. Both were separated and jostled by the large trees that made the forest canopy. Above them, the creature remained, looming over the edge and snarling in satisfaction. Shousetsu's frantic grunts drew its attention, and it turned to face the swordsman, grasping the bound warrior in its claws and squeezing tightly.

"Toss him in as well." A female voice from behind commanded.

Shousetsu's eyes widened, gasping in the monster's grip as he tried to find the speaker. That voice, it's…

His train of thought was lost as the creature obeyed its orders and unceremoniously threw the him into the forest as well. The swordsman slammed into a thick tree and lost his grip on his sword, as well as his consciousness, plummeting to the ground.

"They're at the forest's mercy now." A male voice muttered from behind the large beast. "Do you think they'll survive?"

"The swordsman will make it. He's experienced fear before. But the other two are expendable." A small smile came to the female's face. "With any luck, this'll be the last we see of those dragons."