A place of legend! This is Arcadia…

As Gralnir examined the gauntlets more, something had caught his attention even more so than the gauntlets. Benkei had mentioned that they were apparently create in the Twilight realm according to Van. "The Twilight realm you say!?" Gralnir's eyes widened. He was stunned... shocked even that this group would even know of such a place. This would lead him to question who exactly were these people before him. Based off his reaction, the Twilight realm isn't common knowledge.

Both Kane and Nir responded to Remi with agreeance. Nir would also mention praying for Virgil's recovery. Remi would bow her head slightly in thanks to Nir. As the Galatian group took their exit so did the Ovale group. At this time, the night is still young but not all were able to venture out. For those who wanted to rest, they'd retire to their quarters.

Benkei looked at gralnir has he seemed surprised about bis knowledge of twilight "I'm just as surprised as you are when it comes to any knowledge of the twilight realm but van is the one who knows more than I" benkei looked at his gauntlets "my people of the temple told stories of how the gauntlets were gifted to them many years ago from travelers that descended from the heavens, they taught the monks at the time their ways of life and magics". Benkei grabbed one of his gauntlets "we were told these gauntlets would be the start of peace, of a time where a warrior would rise up and bring balance to the world along side a group of heroes.....that's why these gauntlets are passed down generation upon generation to those that are worthy to wield them and bring out their true power.....so far none have done so". Benkei looked at them in a trance as if he was being fed this information.

It seemed that many were done for the night. Though it was still early, the travels they had gone through had brought much fatigue. Both Stella and Kira were already tucked in bed, both gently sleeping in their quarters. Kane, who had arrived at his section of their living-quarters, was already snoring. The combination of the alcohol and fatigue had quickly done him in. Nir, however, could not find himself to fall asleep. The anxiety over The Oracle kept him up, where he sat on his bed grasping the necklace the three friends shared. ”I pray you’re alright Persephone…” He said, looking out of the window into the night sky. While the others were either asleep, or preparing for sleep, Tobias found himself in the Arcadian library, studying. Benkei himself remained in the dining hall, speaking with Galnir.

For the most part, all remained in the Arcadian citadel. All but Van, who had found himself closing in on the Arcadian volcano. ”Here it is.” Van said. Kuro descended, dropping down at the base of the volcano. It was a clearing, with the dark jungles behind Van. ”Whoah! Do you feel that!?” Kuro said, transforming into his spectral form. ”Yes, I do. It must be….” Van said, ”….Let’s just go..” He continued, walking towards cave at the side of the massive volcano.

Gralnir listened to what Benkei had told him about the history of the gauntlets. "Hmmmm..." He'd listen more watching his body language. "Well... nevertheless... Until you can find the exact material for these gauntlets, I cannot restore them to it's original state." Gralnir had returned the other gauntlet. "I would reframe from using these any longer. I can see that these house a great power but any further use will ultimately destroy them. It wouldn't make much sense to meld it with different material since whatever material used cannot contain it's powers properly. You'd have to consistently re-forge them after every use. As far as I know, no other material is capable of handling this."

Benkei sighed as he took the gauntlets back and dematerialized them from gralnir "I know nothing truly about them and I can not return to my temple for I am on a life or death quest". Benkei wanted to become more powerful and train but needed one of his greatest weapons by his side "perhaps .....van or the something in the great library may have the answers I seek! This place is a vast source of knowledge!" . Benkei sought this opportunity to try and gain as much knowledge about his prized weapon as possible.

There was a faint glow coming from deep within the cave. It was just enough for Van to see where he was going. ”This place gives me the creeps!” Kuro said, resting on Van’s shoulder in his raven form. As they continued to descend deep into the heart of the volcano, they came to a stairwell, with torches alongside the wall. ”There must be something down here….” Van said, looking down the steps. ”Probably the source of whatever we felt!” Kuro said. ”Are we really going to head down there?” He continued. ”Yeah. If we’re going to get us some of that ore, we need to go deeper into the magma chambers.” Van answered, walking down the steps.

Every moment he drew closer, the pressure had increased. Whatever was emanating this power, would certainly be an obstacle ahead. Fortunately for Van, he had an idea of what he and Kuro were about to face….

Gralnir had grown more and more interested in Benkei and his origins. He'd listen more to what the monk would have to say up until he said that his mission is a matter of life and death."Hmmph. You seem to have many things on your mind young one. Nevertheless if it is answers you are seeking, by all means search the library. Even if you do not seek the answers you wish there, in time you will know all you need." Gralnir would say before turning and leaving the room.

They had descended into a spacious chamber. Magma offered some lighting. Van had paused, stopping in the center of the chamber. ”The ore here won’t be easily obtainable Kuro…” The spectral form rested on Van’s shoulder, turning to him. ”What exactly are we dealing with here Van?” He asked. ”I’m not exactly sure. But whatever it is, it’s power is quite overwhelming.” The young bounty hunter stood there, awaiting the source of the great power.

Back at the Arcadian citadel, in the silence of the night, there was a mysterious figure walking down the halls. It was an ominous presence in Arcadia….

Benkei ran down the halls of the building trying to reach the library. It was night and Benkei came to realize something very important as he ventured in pursuit of the library……Benkei had no idea where it was “……..I have no sense of direction I never asked where the library was!!!!!” Benkei panicked in confusion trying to return to the others but felt like he was going in circles “IM GOING TO DIE IN THESE DAM HALLS!!!!!”. Benkei ran thru doors and corridors trying to figure out which way was out towards the library or back in with his friends in the dining room “I never even asked where my dam room would be where I would be spending the night !!!” Benkei wandered the halls in sorrow moaning for help and salvation as he truly was lost “the worlds strongest warrior can’t ever find his way around this magical prison!” He cried to himself unaware of the actions of this very night closely approaching.

Upon reaching the spacious area within the volcano, Van and Kuro would come to aa stop. The spectral figure couldn't comprehend what was about to happen as to the same magnitude as Van. Before long, a breeze of air had blew past them. It would feel surprisingly heavy, knocking them back a bit. The quietness of the cave would soon erupt with the sound of rubble, dropping to the ground. Stones had been rolling down an incline, where an insanely large figure started to rise up. It's bellow was loud, shaking the room. How could something so large fit inside of this volcano? Anither gust of air had pushed forward once more. Something was different however. As the figure began to widen it's mouth, small spurts of flames would quickly dissipate. Soon enough, the creature would blow out much bigger flames. This would in turn reveal itself slightly from the shadows. It was a dragon! This creature was thought to no longer exist within this world. Each step it took forward, it's presence seemed more and more intimidating. To be face to face with such a beast was unthinkable! Nonetheless, Van had already braced himself.

The dragon had brilliant white scales with two 2-pronged horns growing from his head. It's hands were bigger than Van himself with it's claws being slightly shorter than half of his body. One slash could prove to be fatal. The dragon seemed to have been awoken due to Van's presence and it did not seem pleased. The fangs of this dragon could easily rip through even the flesh of a giant. As it continued to walk down from it's perch, a thunderously loud grow would follow. Finally, down at Van's level, the dragon would inspect the young assassin. Without wasting anymore time, it would let out a roar so loud that not only did it shake the ground, it would disturbed the volcano itself!

Something had been disturbed within the volcanic chamber! And to make matters worse, the beast was a mighty dragon! Rumored to be exctinct, these beasts were once feared throughout the realm of Galea. For one to be here, in Arcadia, was shocking. ”A dragon!” Kuro cried out, sinking into Van’s shadow; his eyes peering from darkness. Van held his ground, remaining still as the creature approached him, inspecting him from head to toe.

The young man did the best he could to manage his nerves, and not display any fear. He, however, did not challenge the beast in the slightest, avoiding any eye contact. ”Just remain calm Kuro…” To be face-to-face with such a creature would spell death for many, however, Van seemed to be familiar with how to interact with such a creature. What could it have possibly been?

Outside, the volcano rumbled. A tremor had shaken most of Arcadia; all caused by the dragon that laid awaiting in the chamber. It even reached the hall, where the cloaked figure walked. He stopped, turning towards a window that allowed him to view the volcano. “….” Beneath the hood, the figure smirked, walking away from the window. Where exactly were they headed?

As benkei travelled along the halls he became lost and anxiety fill his whole body “is this where I die ? Lost in these forsaken halls to die of hunger and the legend of the great benkei comes to an end!”. As benkei started to sulk he could feel a tremor throughout the very floor he stood on “what In the heavens is that! This is some natural earthquake? Or something else ?” Benkei kept his balance and continued to walk through the halls looking for anyone to help him find the library and tried to not get dizzy from the quakes. Benkei sighed as he walked worrying about that just happened “I need to fix my gauntlets maybe even make them stronger so I can fight through my limitations! “ he stumbled into someone while rambling and his face was of pure relief “oh dear god I apologize for bumping into you but finally a person! Maybe you know where the library is?” Benkei could not see who the figure was under the cloak but soon would find out.

The young bounty hunter had stood his ground. Facing such an incredible beast would make any man fall to their knees. He was not easily intimidated much but Kuro would cower underneath his cloak. After an extensive inspection of the young bounty hunter, the dragon deemed him as an intruder and would stand up right on it's hind legs. With yet another loud roar, the volcano would rumble once more! The ground would shake as pieces of stone would fall from the stalactites. Where some of the columns were, they would start to crack as well. The rumble had disturbed the volcano to the extent of reaching even that of Arcadia! The people within the city had felt the vibrations, staring out into the distance. Most of them had been fairly nonchalant as if this was a regular occurrence. Others would be intimidated, receiving a helpful hand from those around them. This would reassure them that no harm would come from the volcanic eruption. Within the inner city, the eruption would even reach there as well. Of course most there were not panicking, at least those who are familiar with Arcadia.

The dragon would then turn to face Van once more with it's large stature. Small bits of flames would escape it's mouth as it prepared for a breath attack. It took some time to breathe in but the dragons eyes would glow as if it was ready to attack. With one full move, the dragon would drop down to it's forelegs and blew a tremendous amount of flames at Kuro and Van! Upon touching the stones, the heat from the flames was so intense it began melting away at the stalactites and stalagmites. After the blast of flames, the dragon would begin to persue Van's body immediately.

In the halls of the citadel, Benkei stumbled across the mysterious figure. He asked for help, not knowing where the library was, but was met with silence from the cloaked individual. They raised their hand before swaying it to the side slowly. In an instant, Benkei would find himself between two large bookshelves on the second floor of the vast library. Back in the halls, the figure continued walking down, heading towards the infirmary…

As for Van and Kuro, who were in the presence of a mighty dragon, things weren’t going to well. The beast had taken them as intruders, which wasn’t as much as a surprise to Van. The young man stepped back, a bead of sweat dropping down the side of his face. ”This isn’t good at all!” He said, watching as the fire from the dragon’s mouth built up, indicating that it was going to release torrential flames. ”Kuro! We’re going to have to fight!” Van said, quickly veering to the right to avoid the blast of fire. As he moved, the dragon was close behind, pursuing Van immediately after he moved. Kuro’s eyes peered from the shadow of his hood, looking back at the attacking dragon. ”Fight!? Fight that thing!? There’s no way we’re doing anything to that!” He said.

Van ignored Kuro’s pesimism, using his agility and size to move throughout the chamber and attempt to escape the beast. ”I know that!!” Van yelled out, waving his hand and creating a Twilight wall behind him to slow the beast. ”But if we do nothing we die! And I don’t plan on dying here! So split up!” He continued, ordering Kuro to depart from him. The spectral being quickly moved from his cloak, slipping to the left and moving into the shadows of the inner chamber.

Benkei would blink and in an instant would be between book shelves “what in bloody hell!!!! Who was that person and how did I end up um in…..oh the library! “ benkei instantly forgot about the figure but was more happy to be in the library where he originally was trying to locate . Benkei stood between the shelves and thought to himself “hmmm now to look for anything related to the twilight realm and about their ancient weapons so I can fix my gauntlets up ….something tells me these books are not going to be just thrown around with these normal books…..maybe the library has a restricted section “. Benkei walked around each section searching for a book about the twilight realm and any weapon details they might have “hmmm my theory might be right ….nothing seems to be available…let’s see if this place has a librarian around here “.

So now the battle within the volcano had commenced. Van had assessed the situation already and had made moves to attempt to counter the dragon. A wall of twilight had been erected in order to defend against the creature. This was of course to no avail. The dragon had easily shatter the wall like glass. The pieces of the wall would scatter before vanishing. The dragon would let out a war cry as if to boast it's overwhelming strength. Van and Kuro opted to split up causing the dragon to make a quick decision. Since Kuro had slipped into the shadows, the choice was essentially made for it.

The dragon would continue to pursue Van. Fortunately for Van the cave didn't have such an open space where the dragon was truly free to roam. If that were the case, this situation would look quite bleak for the young bounty hunter. Since the dragon w=couldn't move as fast, it would send multiple breathes of fire in Van's direction hoping to catch him in it.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Virgil was still in his comma like state. He was in such a vulnerable position, it was quite depressing to see. Anna who had been by his side was actually sleeping next to him. Her head was resting on the bed while she was sitting next to him. Unbeknownst to her, she would soon get a visitor.

Van’s defenses were easily dealt with, which was no surprise to him. This wasn’t a battle he could win, but at this point, it was a matter of survival. ”This isn’t good at all!” He cried out, continuing to move through the cave system, making sure to cut corners. He moved swiftly, feeling the fire from the dragon’s mouth behind him. Fortunately for him, his quick cuts were enough to avoid the beast’s attacks. He managed to find a small hole in the wall while fleeing from the dragon. With how nimble Van was, he was able to move into the hole, seeking shelter there. The young man was covered in sweat and panting from the heat. ”I’ll wait for the right moment…” He said, peeking from the hole to see if the dragon was nearby. If it was one thing the young man had over the dragon, it was speed, but only because of the limitations of the cave.

Back in the citadel of Arcadia, the mysterious figure had arrived at the infirmary door. However, instead of walking in through the front, they lowered their head briefly before walking alongside the wall of the hall. Their hand was placed on the wall as they continued to walk slowly. They appeared to be feeling out the room somehow, locating something, or someone…

Benkei would look around the library looking for a librarian trying to find information about the twilight realm to fix his gauntlets “the books in this place is vast almost as if they have the complete history of Galatia here”. Benkei was determined to fix his weapons so he can better prepare himself for the coming battles and the sentimental value they also hold for him. Benkei would walk through the library until he stumbled into someone “finally the gods have answered my prayers , excuse me may I ask if you have anything related to the twilight realm in this huge collection of books?”.

Van had been narrowly avoiding certain death. With his size and speed, he could out maneuver the dragon. Aside from that, the entirety of the volcano's structure would cause for the restricted movements of the dragon. The young bounty hunter had found an opening within the cave to hide in. There wasn't an exit so he would have to move accordingly. In order to survive this ordeal, Van would have to wait for the right opportunity to make his move. Fortunately for him, the dragon would pass by him. It couldn't locate him after he slipped into the hole. For some time, the dragon would have it's back facing the hole.

As the hooded figure had approached, Anna would begin to wake up. She'd stretch her arms big and wide, yawning. Now looking to Virgil, the little girl would begin to think to herself. A slight breeze was felt and this had prompted the little girl to look in the direction of the door. For some reason, she had gotten up to go to the doorway. As she opened up the door, Anna had become shook with surprise. The hooded figure was now face to face with Anna!

In the library, Benkei was finally able to get a hold of someone. It was a fair skinned young woman wearing a blue button-down dress and brown boots. She was decorated with golden jewelry, and her silver hair was slicked back, ending at her shoulders. She turned to Benkei, who asked her about the Twilight realm, pushing up on her glasses. “Are you speaking to me?” She said, pointing to herself. It was an odd question, considering the fact that they were the only ones standing there. “If you are, then I’m afraid I can’t help you with that. Something like that is kept in Arcadia’s most—EEP!” She quickly covered her mouth, her purple eyes looking from one side of the aisle to the other. “I have spoken too much!!” She whispered to Benkei.


Cave…

Van’s quick thinking, and hiding within the small hole, had paid off. The beast had passed by him, missing him completely and giving him the beast’s blindside. ”Perfect..” The young man said, raising his hand. ”If I’m gonna want to put damage on this thing, I’m gonna have to use stronger techniques…” He continued, beginning to charge Twilight energy in the palm of his hand. The energy crackled about, lashing at the walls of the hole and damaging them. It’d envelop Van’s right hand completely. ”Alright Kuro…I hope you’re ready…” He said, stepping out of the hole. The crumbling rocks were sure to get the dragon’s attention.

Arcadia…

Anna had opened the door, only to be met with a cloaked figure who towered over her. ”…”They stood there in silence, visibly taken aback by the young girl, before walking by her and over to Virgil, who was laying in the bed. After reaching the bed, the mysterious figure stood there, looking over Virgil. Who were they? And why were they here? Surely those questions had come across Anna’s thought.

Benkei waited for the librarian to give him a answer that would benefit him but it seem like she could not help him much "Ah I am sorry for botherign you....wait a min" As he spoke the librarian seemed to let slip that the information he seeks was hidden in arcadian most restricted areas and he could only think of one person who would have access to something like that " THE OLD MAN NOSS!!!!" he covered his mouth to silence himself then bowed to the woman franticly waving her goodbye "WHERE ARE YOU OLD MAN NOSS!!!!". Benkei would run through halls once more looking for nostradomus and going room to room.

Cave...

It's just as Van had expected. With the dragon facing the complete other direction, it gave him ample time to power up one of his stronger techniques. The gathering of energy had caused the area around to crumble slightly. This would gain the attention of the dragon. It would turn to face the young bounty hunter. Soon the dragon would begin to gather Misra as well. The flames that would normally gather when using a breath attack did not manifest. Instead, there were lightning streaks that would pass by frequently. Similarly like Van, the area around the dragon would begin to vibrate. The two would soon collide their attacks. Unfortunately, this was not a battle that Van could win and he knew it. However, the bounty would not turn over without putting up a fight.

Infirmary...

As the hooded figure walked passed Anna, she had gave him passage by stepping out of the way. There was no words she could muster. The figure had such an intimidating presence, she was at a loss for words. Soon, the little girl would realize the person standing before Virgil's unresponsive body. "U.. ummm... He hasn't woken up yet if you were wondering."

Library

It would seem this new information from the librarian has led Benkei on a frantic dash throughout the library. He was on a mission to find Nostradamus. This had caused a scene within the library. Many who were around would be disrupted by the gust of air that would breeze by as well as the distractions that came with the running and yelling. The monk was running wild looking for Master Nos.

Cave

As expected, the beast turned to face Van, who was charging up his Misra into a destructive energy. It was unstable, and crackling bolts all over the cave. The dragon’s mouth opened, after turning to face the young bounty hunter. From its gaping mouth formed lightning. Bolts of the energy struck the interior of the cave, destroying the walls. ”This doesn’t look good, but I guess it’s too late now…” He said, running towards the dragon and the lightning attack it unleashed! ”Kuro!!!! Now!!!” Van called out, piercing the lightning attack and clashing with it! A large flash had gone off, Van struggling to even push against the attack. But this was all a mere sacrifice he took. All for an opening. Kuro’d emerge from beneath the dragon’s snout, his arm enlarged to match the dragon’s size. ”Take this!!!!” Kuro cried out, sending an uppercut towards the dragon’s chin.

Van, however, was overwhelmed with the attack, which triggered an explosion within the cave. He’d be sent through the walls from the force, landing in another lava chamber. ”Gaaaah!” He cried out in pain; his clothes now ripped. There were multiple cuts across his body, and his right hand was burned from the attack.

Library

Benkei had jumped to the conclusion that Nostradamus would be the best one to approach. He quickly turned around and sprinted through the halls, calling out for the headmaster. This had aggrevated many in the library. Tobias, who had diligently been reading a book, heard Benkei’s calls. He turned over the railing of the second floor and looked down to see the monk frantically searching for Master Nostradamus. ”What in the blazes is that boy doing!?” The young woman had watched in terror, covering her mouth. “EEEEEP! This isn’t good!!! I have to alert the guard! Such behavior is unacceptable in the library!” She said, running off to alert authorities.

Infirmary

In the infirmary, Anna was in the presence of a mysterious figure. She allowed them to walk to Virgil’s side. They continued to stand there. Anna, in her innocence, had no idea who this person was. It was only natural for her to tell them about Virgil’s status, and how he had not woken from his slumber. “You are far too young to understand child…” The figure said, turning out to have a male voice. “…Your friend will bring great sorrow to the world.” He continued, slightly turning to Anna; his hood obscuring his face.

As benkei ran through the library looking for nos or anyone who could reveal his location. Benkei knew there was a restricted location that only the great nos would know “he has what I need to fix my gauntlets and increase my power but most of all the power I can obtain to save the oracle”. With all the ruckus Benkei was causing he was disturbing everyone around him and setting off an alarm to alert the guards “hmmm wait is there an intruder or something?” Benkei looked around as if to find whoever was the enemy not realizing he was the cause of the uproar. His action frightened those around him because no one knew who he was .

Cave

The dragon had released it's fiery and electrifying breathe attack. Van had committed himself to striking the dragon. Coordinating with Kuro, they'd launch a dual attack. The bounty hunter would take the dragon head on, while Kuro would make a decisive blow in the midst of clashing attacks. A large explosion would be met in between both attacks. Van was pushed back quite some distance while the dragon had stood it's ground. Kuro came close to the dragon's jaw to make contact but was stopped short. A slash of some kind had rendered him useless, severing his shadowy figure in two.

The explosions would clear up revealing an armored knight. He had been standing, facing the dragon speaking no words. It was Gilgamesh!! Immediately, the dragon would roar in the face of the knight. After that, the dragon would start to walk away from the Gilgamesh. At this point he would then look over to Kuro as well as Van.

Library

With the disturbance Benkei had caused, it had alerted the guards nearby. All throughout Arcadia, guards had been stationed for the protection of it's people. Quickly, a few guards would stand in Benkei's path. One of the three guards held out their hand to stop him in his tracks! "What do you think you're doing here running amuck!?"

Infirmary

"A great sorrow??" Anna would mutter softly. She did not understand what the figure meant by this. "W- what do you mean?" She had asked with a puzzled look. Her head was slightly tilted to the side.