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You have requested us, Sartranomin, and we have answered.
Those voices again! He must've drifted off. Well, he wasn't fighting or in any danger, so he might as well listen to this envisionment.
Indeed I have. I have some grave news for everybody.
Grave news coming from you can never be good.
Oh, come on, Venos, there's usually a positive side to everything.
Not quite. You are all aware of the existence of the Unknown, am I right?
What immortal being isn't?
Since the fight against the Unknown, Alex had come to a faint possibility that instead of the future, these were envisionments of the past. That he really was Allezyamos, and these were inklings of his memory coming back to him. Reason being was that he was talking to a God, named "K", whom nobody had ever heard of who apparently knew him, and an envisionment of his first meeting him had given arise. Likewise, K had promised him protection in an envisionment, and he was likewise protected during the battle.
He was going to start focusing on these envisionments now. Perhaps if nobody else could or wanted to provide some answers, he figured at least these would. Indirectly, yes, but still ...
In two of his days, he says he will be coming for the payment of the planet.
That leaves comparatively little time for what needs to be done.
We'll never be able to do this by ourselves in the allotted time.
Am I the only one here that thinks this system is cruel?
We all do, Allezyamos. But there is no choice.
You called us forth. Assumption: You have a plan.
Yes. Quite clever, really. Zamcatristak's puppets and my agents will summon forth all those faith belongs to them, and have them conflict against each other like opposites.
Very clever! We'll have the payment, and results at the same time!
Possibility of success is high if the intensity of the conflict reaches a great maximum.
One of us will have to keep Guthinatox busy, though, so He doesn't interfere with anything.
I will leave that to you, Macanyale. You know what to do.
Task accepted. I take my leave.
Question, Sartranomin. Both sides co-exist quite harmoniously at the moment. What should we do to spark such a conflict inconspicuously against them?
Alas, I do not yet know. If I did, I wouldn't have even called this meeting.
You've been awfully quiet, Allezyamos. Perhaps you have an idea?
Ah, um ... yeah. ... I mean, no, I don't. Well, maybe.
Is everything all right?
... isn't there another way to appease the Unknown? Like, without having to resort to such heartless measures?
The Unknown is heartless, Allezyamos. So long as he is appeased by this sacrifice, there can be existence to begin with.
What is your idea, Allezyamos?
... ... make Zamcatristak's puppet's followers desecrate something your agents hold dear as a religious icon out of envy or jealousy.
Did you have an envisionment of something like that happening, Allezyamos?
Yeah. Two of them, actually. They worked. Almost too well.
We might as well give it a try. Venosyvan, you will do the honors. I need to speak with Allezyamos about something.
Will do, Sartra-
"Awaken, Allezyamos!"
Alex jolted awake. Upon first returning to reality, his attention was suddenly and instinctively directed towards Skee who, fortunately, was doing all right considering the situation. Relieved, Alex then noticed the strange patterns of differently colored light emitting all around them, illuminating fish and sea plant life everywhere. The source of this light was right below them, and it was apparently Venos' target destination.
"Behold." Venos proudly said, as though he was responsible for it.
Alex did. It was magnificent.
A city of glowing crystals sprawled all around below them. Huge, hollowed out stalks of crystalline stuck out every which way, interconnected by a series of additional ones forming something similar to pipes in order to redirect something between them. As the sleek long towers shot up from their bases, additional crystals also stuck out from the sides in ring-like patterns, serving no apparent purpose other than decoration. Each one boasted a different color of light, reflecting off each other and the wavy water to cast spectacular light shows practically everywhere in the area. There was no more murkiness save for the waters above them, so everything could be seen and not guessed. The majority of them sported small holes here and there, hewn out as though by some type of acid.
Venos propelled its passengers deeper into the crystalline structures until the tips were no longer visible. Inside, the light was much more intense, but at the same time, everything was much more clearer the farther down they went. As he got closer towards the large crystalline towers, Alex noticed that the majority of the additional decorative crystals were attached directly by unnatural means. The holes, the towers, the decoration, the light ... something was living down here. Something intelligent.
But, despite his careful observations, Alex could not find anything. No merpeople, water-elves, sage dagannoth, dragon, demon, or any sort of creature he would expect to create a great underwater city like this. All he saw were a thin number of strange red squid-like creatures propelling themselves in and out of the towers, using two long tentacles protruding from their mantles.
"These are the Oocon." Venos introduced Alex to them.
Hm, so they were.
Venos let itself sink lower until it was on the sea floor, and curious onlookers decided to risk a close encounter to these strangers to the deep. The bottom was the brightest, with added lamp-like buoys floating around giving off what seemed to be a source of heat below the water. Noticing this heat source, Alex did suddenly realize that the water was quite warm compared to earlier, not realizing the change of temperature from waking up from his envisionment.
The Oocon. Interesting thing to call round, featureless 2-foot long squids. They shone a bright, though dull reddish color, reflected by the light of the crystals. Their hides were smooth and featureless, not even giving way to a notable set of eyes, mouth, or even bone. When Alex got close enough to touch one, he noted the very rubbery feel they had. Almost too rubbery to even consider eating without choking yourself to death through the inability to properly chew one. Nevertheless, despite their simple appearance and movements, they seemed intelligent enough to exercise curiosity. Several of them approached the two spirits for closer examination, moving around them at all angles and even stretching out their tentacles to feel their material composition.
"Please don't do that." Alex politely said after two of them tried to pry Skee out of his arms.
But they didn't listen to a word he said. This happened for a while. Venos was holding its position, waiting for something, and more and more Oocon were taking interest in them. Particularly Skee. In fact, Alex almost felt like he should be using his spear to fend the Oocon off Skee because they wouldn't stop trying to tug him away. Since their impressively smooth tentacles lacked suction cups to properly grip anything, they instead had to resort to stretching them out and looping them around the target while getting the bulging bit at the end stuck in a self-made knot.
"He's not food! Why are you doing that?!?" Alex shouted, waiting for a chance to reach for his spear, held magnetically to his back.
They still didn't respond. Well, not in a manner Alex could understand. Despite being such a large number of them, there didn't seem to be any chatter at all. It was as quiet as an empty chapel in the middle of the night. One of them was even poised and pointing straight at Alex, as though it was trying to tell him something.
Even still, Venos was engaged in a staring contest with a comparatively larger one, and after a moment's silence, it spoke to Alex.
"They want you to let them ... "borrow" Skee." Venos said.
Alex was by far skeptical, threatening to use his spear to chop off their tentacles if they didn't let go, "Why? What are they going to do to him?"
Venos hesitated, "... fix him."
Skepticism was replaced by paranoia. There was no way he wanted to entrust his friend in such a condition to a race unknown to even him, despite his curious adventures. He had befriended several unlikely races, including the dagannoth, but even they still involved a little paranoia. At first, anyways.
On the other hand, maybe he was just tense. He was kidnapped from the war and helping those he knew as his allies, plunged down into the depths of the ocean in the middle of nowhere, and was about to meet one he should be calling "comrade". Now his kidnapper wanted him to trust this underwater race. All in a day's fun? Yeah right.
Regardless of his decision, they were not going to stop trying to pull him away, and eventually he gave up. Keeping his spear in hand, Alex stepped back and allowed them to pull Skee away from him. The first sign of dismantlement or danger to his friend, and he'd zap the whole lot of them. He watched them lift Skee up, turn him around between the number of them, and all alien curiosity was now pointed towards this ... he could possibly call it ... "project". Out of the corner of his eye, Alex noted that Venos was now talk- well, conversing to a slightly larger one of these creatures.
"Venos, forgive my paranoia," Alex muttered, believing that despite his not hearing him, they still understood his speech, "But I have no idea what's going on. Talk me through it."
Venos ignored Alex, leaving him to watch the Oocon flip, touch, and examine this odd, unlikely, but dying creature. They didn't unwrap the bandages, add any sort of substance, or even let the bystanders close. It was always a specific seven or eight of them that had the permission to closely interact with Skee. They were examining Skee for a while. Almost as though they were waiting for something.
Then it came. An Oocon, redder and shinier than the rest, with an escort swimming in synch. Was this their leader coming over now? Their big brain behind the crew? No, it had to be something else. Leaving only two of them to hold Skee in a specific place, the rest floated over to interact with the newcomers until they approached the scabarite and inspected him for a moment.
Suddenly, without warning, the redder Oocon thrust both its tentacles through the bandages and straight into Skee's body. Reacting purel by instinct, Alex sudenly whipped his spear out, and if it wasn't for Venos' tail lashing it out of his hands and pinning him down, there would be fried Oocon everywhere.
"Do NOT disturb." Venos warned. The sudden reaction started an array of movement from the Oocon like fish after having their aquarium tapped. Gradually, they settled down, and Alex could only watch with a stunned expression as the Oocon impalling Skee gradually dimmed down to the same shade of red as the others. It wasn't consuming Skee, but rather injecting him with something.
Their own blood.
"Are ... are they doing what I think they're doing?!?" Alex stammered.
"They are." Venos replied, not even taking its attention off the one it was conversing with. Alex suddenly felt a jerk and fell to his knees. Venos was moving again; following the larger Oocon through the structures. Recalling his spear, Alex began to panic, ushering Venos to keep Skee with them, but Venos only told Alex they will return him when they are done.
"They're injecting him with their own blood!" Alex shouted, "How do I know they are not turning him into one of them?"
"Oocon are only born Oocon." Venos replied, "There is no turning into one of them."
Alex was still uneasy. Venos sighed.
"Oocon blood contains more than ten times the healing potency any ancient unicorn can bestow." it explained, "Despite their appearance, they are a very friendly race. They heal and cure just about anything that comes their way that doesn't try to eat them."
"But, they impaled-" Alex started, but Venos immediately cut in.
"For Oocon blood to work, it must be directly injected into the body. Swallowing it has quite the opposite effect. A natural defensive property, which ensure they are nobody's prey."
Trust, Alex forced upon himself, I've got to trust.
"What if it's breathed in?" Alex asked, just for the heck of it.
Venos paused, "... I have absolutely no idea."
The larger Oocon continued to guide them on, unmoved by their conversation about the Oocons' little secret. Ahead, Alex took a guess that that larger crystalline formation was their destination. Rather than slim and tall, this one stretched out wide, hewn directly from a formation to give it a much more unique, though unnatural shape. What's more, it was huge! Easily by itself, the size of the crystal city itself! There was no light coming from this one, and upon closer examination, it seemed to be more hollow than the others for some odd reason.
The larger Oocon stopped and gestured them inside. Venos wordlessly obeyed, and quickly shot through the large opening at the bottom of the structure. Several thin hallways spread out all around them inside, most likely for Oocon alone. Alex wagered he could squeeze through them easily, but Venos was intent on moving upwards. A few stories up, and Alex suddenly experienced a chilling sensation followed by a splash. The crystal contained a large air bubble within!
"Get off here, I'll be right back." Venos instructed.
Alex obeyed. Jumping off Venos, he landed on the foggy, but dry floor and looked around the wide-stretched dome with awe. Just like Venos cavern, this structure too boasted almost an infinite number of murals and sculptures hewn out of the crystal itself. The crystals reflected his shining symbol light, casting lines and colors all throughout the cavern, illuminating it far better than the cavern. Add that to the light shining in from the surrounding crystals towering over it, and it became a sight too spectacular to describe. It was difficult to tell if he was still underwater or not.
The floor was a marvel by itself. Despite its flatness, it was hewn with hundreds of smaller, diamond-shaped crystals emitting from a single star pattern in the center. The ancient Saradomin symbol, just like Venos had on its forehead. It was incredibly symmetrical, built for both texture and looks. Protruding from the floor up to the ceiling were four gigantic pillars, branched out in many sharp-looking crystals like an upside-down pine tree. They held up the ceiling along with the air-bubble, keeping everything securely together against the test of time.
At least this "cave" wasn't about to collapse on him. Hopefully.
Alex proceeded to look around. Ahead, he saw an opening that led to a cavern on the lower floor. About four times his size, and yet it looked so small in contract to the room.
"Detecting intrusion." came a voice he had heard once before.
Alex stopped. He remembered his fight with Venos. No doubt their third "comrade" possessed similar capabilities, and he didn't want to lose his spear again. He spun around, trying to find the source of the voice. Strange that it was incredibly mono-toned.
"It's me, Allezyamos." Alex called out. Hopefully it will at least prevent a fight long enough for Venos to return and set things right.
There was a long pause. A sign of movement, a glimmer of light, anything to signify he wasn't alone in the room. It wasn't present.
And yet;
"Truth is a resultant of trust." came the voice, "And I do not trust intruders."
Alex gazed up at the murals. Perhaps it was concealing itself from him. While gazing, he carefully and cautiously made his way to the center of the room, so that he could react to anything coming from anywhere.
"Really! I am!" Alex shouted, hardly believing the words coming out of his mouth, "I came with Venosyvan!"
"Theory is plausible, but trust is still lacking." the voice replied, "If you speak truth and trust, tell me my own name as proof."
Alex froze. Venos never did mention his name. He just called him "comrade".
"Venos is coming too." Alex tried.
"It matters not." replied the voice, "This test is yours. Tell me my name, or I will be forced to take appropriate measures."
Alex scanned the walls, desperately trying to find him. The walls held nothing even close to something animated. Wherever he was, he concealed himself incredibly well. But perhaps that was because he was made of crystal himself, and was simply camouflaged.
"You cannot. It is as I thought." the voice replied. Alex had hesitated too long. In one last attempt to locate the source of the voice, Alex looked straight up. There, almost hewn directly into the ceiling itself, was the center of all the murals. A crystalline dragon statue, arms outstretched and feet held down as though crucified on the ceiling.
Unlike Venos, this one took the appearance of a more aquatic-like ancient dragon, with a much smoother surface and composition. Instead of wings, it bore large dorsal fins, its tail ended off in a caudal, and its hand-like claws were joined together by webbed skin for fast underwater movement. Even the shins of all four legs were delicately curved for minimal water resistance. Its hide was so smooth, it was as though chiseled down with a toothpick. Several lines and patterns were carved all over its body giving it a very detailed and artsy, though scaleless hide. Also unlike Venos, who was mainly a rocky skeleton with joints separated by open air, this one was complete. A perfect crystalline representation of a water-based dragon. If its eyes were open, it would be gazing down over the whole room. It had wedged itself in so tight that it appeared to be part of the murals itself.
"Intruder, begone or suffer. Your choice. The Recommendation: begone. Self-Desire: suffer. Choose." came the voice, and Alex finally saw movement. Its eyes were closed and its symbol atop its forehead wasn't glowing, but the mouth moved in perfect, though static coordination to the voice.
"Just wait for Venos!" Alex pleaded, "I promise, I won't do anything."
"Inactivity begets consequence. You have been warned." the dragon said, and before Alex's eyes, detached itself from the ceiling and landed inches in front of him on all fours with a loud "BAM"! Sitting up high on all four legs, it opened its eyes and allowed its symbol to glow a dull grey light, giving it a very old, wise, and intelligent look. It was the same size as Venos. Almost ...
"Final considerations are advised." it said, shining its thinned, focused eyes over him. Sitting upright like a dog, it was marginally taller than him.
He had no choice. He had to buy himself time. Whipping his spear in front of him, he applied it like a pole-vault to add some distance between him and ... ah, DID he really not know the dragon's name? It was a male, he knew that. Alex thought hard in his previous envisionments in which he had spoken. Perhaps he heard it one time during those. It was hard to remember their words, as he heard them almost unconsciously all the time.
But despite his maneuvering to separate himself from the crystal statue, it continued to sit there without the slightest desire to give chase. Was his movements helping to prove his identity? Was this dragon only bluffing danger? Was it waiting for him to make the first move? Or ... was it ... trying to ...
Yes, it was. Alex braced himself and backflipped just in time.
The dragon let out a loud humming sound. The entire floor ripped apart on its own, revealing the hundreds of razor-sharp diamond crystals which surrounded and floated around his opponent like a barrier. Below the floor was another, of course, but it was under a couple of inches of sea water. Alex landed with a splash and, in a moment's thought, realized the purpose of such a maneuver. He leapt and clung onto one of the murals as the water was electrocuted in shining grey lightning.
"You have been appropriately warned. I will accept full responsibility for any pain and anguish you will experience. Farewell." the dragon echoed, its otherwise statically toned voice filled with power and determination.
And then the pillars came loose on their own. Turned out they were just for decoration after all, because the roof didn't even react. They floated around, poised to be used as either javelins, clubs, or any other form or torture method this thing used.
There was hardly any effort on the statue's part. Was the dragon using majiya? ... no, that wasn't it. This was just telekinetic magic. Perhaps from an affinity to sharp crystals like Venos had against blunt damage.
Two of the pillars rocketed at Alex, and he jumped onto another mural. Touching the floor was going to result in an undesired consequence, Alex knew, so he was now very limited to maneuvers. The pillars banged against the mural, but no damage occurred to either of them. Immediately, they swerved around and came at him again, this time slightly off-course. Not a mistake, they planned to pin him down in mid-flight. Risking it all, Alex let himself fall off the mural and balanced himself on the end of his spear on the floor. The water came alive with electricity again, but the pillars had already collided with the wall, so Alex was immediately airborne once again. A gutsy move, since his spear wouldn't have completely stopped the current reaching him, but it worked. This time.
The two other pillars came into play now and all four were heading right for him. Using his spear to latch onto a mural, Alex propelled himself upwards, intent on getting as high up as possible. He was dealing with a master mage, who used magical and telekinetic abilities to fight rather than his body. However, it was without a doubt it also possessed some natural combatting abilities, and wouldn't have much trouble defending itself in close-quarters combat. The pillars missing him by inches, Alex took advantage of their presence and leapt aboard one, expecting it to either collide with the others or soak itself as a response to his maneuver and preparing to react accordingly.
All the while, he thought hard. Maybe he did know his name from a vision. Must think. What did they say? Something about a task ...
The pillar he was riding spun around, as expected, and Alex jumped towards the wall. What he didn't expect, however, was the sudden appearance of the three other pillars - one getting in his way, and the other two threatening to crush him between them should be make contact with the first. Thinking fast, Alex quickly kicked off his spear, propelling the both of them just off course, around the pillar, and prevented a crushing. Immediately after the current danger was past, Alex recalled his spear in mid-air and clung onto the wall.
"Underestimation is a mistake." the dragon complimented him (or so he thought ...), "Threat level higher than expectation. Will increase attack ability."
Alex stared. The dragon, still sitting there in its protective barrier, shot a stream of grey lightning bolts at the pillars, charging them with the dangerous energy and setting them aglow. This must be why the other crystals of the city are glowing as well. Alex remembered that he was only buying himself time - he didn't actually have to beat his "comrade". Both cases seemed impossible now. Impossible unless he made a few real risks.
Twirling his spear threateningly, he switched weapons to the staff (Oh good, I remembered to bring it this time!). He was going to have to fight fire with fire. With one hand gripped on the mural to keep him out of the water, he focused on not focusing and prepared to attempt to use the dragon's own weapons against him. If its telekinesis was stronger than his majiya capabilities, he was doomed.
The pillars came at him in a spiraling quartet, intent on making them undodgeable without severe consequence. He wasn't going to dodge them this time, however. Letting loose, he projected his majiya out at the pillars and halted them mid-flight, surprised at his ability to do so. Dex was right, it did get easier the more he did it. Taking full advantage of the situation, Alex leapt off the wall with the pillars and, with an unnecessary waving motion, propelled them right at his stunned opponent. There was a collision, and almost explosion of crystals, but when they cleared off, all Alex succeeded in doing was make his opponent rise to his feet.
Or not. The barrier was gone, and the pillars and crystals were now in the wall behind it. The dragon statue couldn't stop them with his own telekinesis, so he had to sacrifice his barrier to re-divert them away. Remembering he was not in mid-air hurtling towards the knowingly dangerous sea water floor, he quickly switched weapons again in mid-air and did another remarkably impressive balancing act on the end of his spear.
"Unknown ability detected." the dragon said, surprised at him, "What ARE you?"
Alex fired a lightning bolt right at him. Either it'll make him very annoyed, or come to the realization that this really is Allezyamos he was fighting. Alas, that wasn't the case, and it answered back with its own lightning bolt, knocking him right off the spear and into, as guessed, the water. The sensation he felt upon first contact was very similar to riding five charged Venos' at once, but more blunt than electrical. Clearly this comrade was more skilled in the special ability department than Venos was. He took the punishment wordlessly, struggling to get out of it, but all he achieved was the recall of his spear.
He couldn't move his body. Could hardly feel it. How strange, that he was being harmed by his own type of element. Was it some other type of energy in it that did the damage rather than the electric part of it? Or perhaps he simply had a resistance to it and this was only a fraction of the power it was trying to do. It wouldn't stop. He was serious about taking him down.
Suddenly, something jolted in his head. His body tensed suddenly, and he was no longer of the world.
The stone tower he had seen once before stretched in front of him. He was ascending it at an incredible velocity. So incredible that he could not see any detail. He heard the wind rushing, felt it, even smelled it. It smelled burnt. Raw. He also felt somebody or something was on top of his head, but he couldn't see who or what. His body also felt foreign. He couldn't look anywhere but where this envisionment compelled him to. It was as though he was on autopilot.
There was a flash, and he was suddenly looking straight up at the top. The tower stretched up endlessly, but there was a platform up there. Or, more like a gap. The tower abruptedly ended in one section of it almost as though a large cylindrical chunk was pulled right out. It seemed thats where he was headed. He and his ... rider? He was ascending up to it. Almost as though he was flying. Suddenly, a ball of dark grey mass flew down at him, and there was another flash.
He was now inside the gap. His rider had jumped off and he was shaking his head for some reason. He must've been hit. Ahead, a familiar sight. The Unknown with its sword drawn, except he was more a shade of grey than blue this time. He then realized that he was viewing this vision colorblinded.
Another flash. He had fired a lightning bolt more powerful than he had even conjured at it. Its sword took the shot, but it was stunned, and a black blur shot from beside him and made contact with it. Both Unknown and unknown blur clashed at each other, the blur being supported by his lightning attacks.
"Traitor!" the Unknown was shouting, more at him than the blur. It threw its sword right at him. The blade came right at his head.
As suddenly as it started, it suddenly stopped. The grey lightning was gone, and he looked up to see the dragon anxiously eying him, most likely to see if he was still alive. Unbelievably to both him and his opponent, Alex rose to his feet. He was at the dragon's mercy now, so his only choice to buy time now was talk.
Yes, he DID know his name. One of the visions mentioned it. His most previous one he had while riding Venos underwater. What was it now ...
"Your name ... I think I remember it now." Alex weakly said, hoping to buy some time with that. The dragon looked at him intently. His tail was charging with the grey electricity, setting it so bright that it was almost blinding. Contact with the water would mean instant pain. If not, death.
"It ... started ... I think, with ... an "M"." Alex tried.
The dragon nodded encouragingly. Like Venos, it too was on the verge of believing this was Allezyamos the full 100%.
What was it. Who said it? Was it ... Venos' voice that said it? No, Sartranomin's. He was issuing M... Ma... something, a task.
"Ma ... Maca ..." Alex worded out, hoping to jump start his own memory. The statue nodded again, urging him on wordlessly with tail and claw movements.
Macanyale! That was it! Sartranomin did say it after telling him to- ah, that wasn't important now.
"It's Macanyale!" Alex said, unwillingly in a shout. "Canyale-yale-yale" echoed through the cavern. The dragon smiled intently. He guessed right, but it began to lower its tail. Was it too late now for that?
"Ah, I'm glad you two remember each other." boomed a voice Alex never thought he would be so happy to hear now. Venos had returned, and was climbing out of the water-filled hole in the floor. His eyes were focused humorously on the pillars smashed into the wall.
Macanyale sat down again, waving his now-discharged tail, and the pillars and crystals pulled themselves out of the wall and were replaced in their corresponding locations. The battle was over. Thank Saradomin. And thank Sartranomin. ... wait, weren't they one and the same?
"Sister Venos, your presence is appreciated. Fundamental time delay between our last meeting." Macan said, not taking his eyes off Alex.
"Venos, what took you so long?" Alex stammered, relieved, "He wouldn't believe I was Allezyamos, so we-"
And then, the truth settled in.
"SISTER?!?"
Venos turned to Alex, its mouth impossibly forming a sheepish grin.
"I try not to let it show." Venos admitted, its voice slightly higher and relaxed to reveal the indeed feminized reality behind it.
"Gender matters not." Macan nodded, "Internal memory does. You are Allezyamos, but fail to realize who we are."
"His memory was erased." Venos explained, "By what and how, we do not yet know."
Macan tilted his head curiously.
"Memory loss is acceptable as an unforeseen accident." he acknowledged, "But bodily transformation?"
"I know, I was confused at the body change myself." Venos said, its... well, "her" voice back to normal, "I also did not think it was him at first."
Alex was at a loss for words.
"Body change? Do you mean-"
It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Venos and Macan were both animated dragons. Different in type and material composition, but dragons nevertheless. Was he, in some former life, also ... ?
"A pitiful condition." Macan pitied, rising up and walking on the newly-formed floor to get a closer look at his crippled comrade, "Undoubtedly brought upon by an opposing force. Aside from flexible accessibility, there appears to be no other reason why an exchange for a weaker form has been performed."
"Does he always talk like that?" Alex asked Venos.
"Unfortunately." Venos replied, stealing a glance at Macan.
So they were the Watchers. Agents of Lord Sartranomin. There was no possible way they had been descended from the dragonkin or White Dragons, as their formats were much too different.
"Low chance of this being a mere visit." Macan speculated, "Speak your purpose for this physical meeting, Venosyvan."
"The Unknown." Venos said, using the appropriate emphasis.
"Inconclusive." Macan replied, shrugging.
"He has returned." Venos said.
"Imminent." Another shrug.
"He says he never got the payment, and had begun disassembling the planet."
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
Macan was impressibly hiding his extreme emotions despite the change in volume, but Alex knew that he wasn't truly all that automated.
"Allezyamos and I along with an ancient one bought some time to pull together another chance of payment." Venos explained, "And what we have so far is by far not enough."
"You require my assistance?" Macan asked.
"Yes, our Lord is missing." Venos said, "That, and there's some impostor that seemingly is His ally, but I don't trust him. He knows too much."
"Are you talking about K?" Alex asked. Venos snapped at him, making Macan flinch.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CONTACT-"
"I didn't! I swear!" Alex shouted, backing away, "It was just during that one time I heard him say it!"
"Your temper is unacceptable, Venosyvan." Macan calmly disciplined, "Ease your intuition, lest it will overwhelm your mind."
Before him, everything between the three of them was unfolding. Venosyvan: the strong, brutal, short-tempered melee fighter of the trio. Macanyale: the wise, static, patient mage. He could only wonder what he was like with his original body. Probably the swift, courageous ranger or something. Quite odd and ironic, then, that he specialized in melee and mage now, but neither compared even significantly to these two.
"Allezyamos, the two of us need to talk privately." Venos said, her voice still enraged, "Wait by the entrance. The healers will be there to meet you shortly."
Without a word, Alex nodded and hurried off. During the excitement of battle, he had forgotten all about Skee. Hopefully the Oocon realized he was an air-breather and accordingly ensured a steady air intake to prevent drowning. He approached the crater, jumped in, and let himself sink to the bottom and the entrance.
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