#kozane

[tanuki-kimono]

Ô-yoroi (ancient armor) inspired modern obi belt, handmade by Shabon.

Part of the ô-yoroi was lamellar armor, made from kozane (individual scales) intricately woven with colorful kumihimo (braided cords) or kawahimo (leather straps) to form kozaneita (small plates):

When assembled vertically, kozaneita would form bigger plates called odoshi, used for different armor parts. The braiding process formed intricated decors:

[clanmeridonfr]

Kozane- V. 1

“Kozane is an interesting character, to say the least, and has been the topic of many of my volumes. Although with this pearlcatcher being this generation’s true Natural Born Lyren, it is only appropriate. I must admit that watching idly by as if this had already happened, but not quite sure what would occur next, then being forced to write it all down pained me greatly being so unable to help.”

Lyren Year 9,000- Rebirth

"What is this? Why do you have this?" A large, angry voice boomed throughout the sky.

"Please relax, this is nothing of your concern-" He started, only to be interrupted by an angry, feminine voice. "This is everything of our concern, Arcanist! This is unnatural and I am the one who creates the most unnatural beasts in this land, this-this is just unacceptable!"

"I have to agree with my disease-ridden sister, this creature cannot be allowed to live in this world," A calmer, softer voice spoke, "Especially when there is already one of these unacceptable beings in the world. To have two, it would be disastrous!" "Stormcatcher," The Arcanist turned to the first voice, "Plaguebringer and Gladekeeper," He said turning to the other two who just spoke, "how could you say that of a living creature? How could you speak of it with such venom and anger? Especially you, Gladekeeper, being one of life and rebirth, how is this not beautiful and exquisite to you?" He clutched the mysterious Arcane egg closer to his chest, but not too close in fear of squishing it. He was much larger than he sometimes anticipated. "We all know the legend," a gravelly, deep voice spoke. The Earthshaker. "The powers of two such creatures in the world at once can bring the flights we created to war. However, an army of pure magical entities birthed from two of these creatures will have the potential to overpower us. We cannot allow this Arcanist, no matter how- exquisite - you may think it is. We have wiped these creatures out once, we cannot give them another chance to destroy us!" "No." "What?!" The Stormcatcher screeched. "Arcanist, you need to calm yourself and think for a minute," a calm, soothing voice washed over him making him want to bend to her will. It was the Lightweaver speaking to him this time, "You are allowing your emotions and quest for exploration cloud your judgment. You do not understand the severity of this situation." "This isn't a situation! I'm perfectly calm and I know what I am doing. I am not going to allow you to kill a harmless egg." The purple Arcane egg shimmer gold for a second, catching the eye of all the deities around him. He saw out of the corner of his eye the Tidelord and Icewarden move towards him, they hadn't spoken at all during this unscheduled meeting, but it was clear which side they were on. He glanced desperately at the Flamecaller and Windsinger, the only two who had remained motionless and voiceless during the entire endeavor. The Flamecaller quickly looked away, refusing to hold his gaze; The Windsinger held his gaze for a second before flying off back towards his domain. "Arcanist," The Tidecaller spoke carefully, "we can't have you bringing doom and destruction to Sornieth again. Hand us the egg." The Tidecaller took another step towards him, stretching out a clawed hand. The Arcanist quickly pulled away from him and the Icewarden advanced quickly towards him. "Stop it!" He yelled at his fellow deities, "I told you! You. Will. Not. Get. This. Egg." He threw the egg upwards towards space and watched the scene unfold as if in slow motion. The Icewarden tumbled into the Tidecaller and the Lightweaver rushed to prevent them from falling off the Observatory. The Flamecaller lept towards the egg, for whatever motive he was unsure, just at the same time the Earthshaker threw his lumbering body off the ground towards it. They both fell just short and the egg continued to sail up and up and up. Seemingly out of nowhere, an Arcane sprite appeared, snatching the egg out of midair and disappeared out of sight just as quickly as it appeared. The Arcanist felt a big, goofy grin stretch across his face. After the deities recollected themselves they all turned to him in horror, awe, and confusion. "Arcanist," The Gladekeeper started, "We are going to have to talk about your doomsday starting tendencies, but in the meantime, the rest of us are going to find that egg before it hatches." The rest of his siblings split up, many shooting him awful looks of distrust. The Icewarden gave him a guilty glance, they had once worked together to protect the Lyren. The Arcanist still couldn't help but smile, there was no way they could find it before it hatched. Even he wouldn't be able to hunt it down and he had the ability to search through all space and time with a snap of his fingers. "Good luck with that." Then he whisked them away out of his domain with a flick of his hand. Slouching against the telescope of the Observatory, he sighed. He had a horrible migraine now.

[clanmeridonfr]

Kozane- Finale

Read V.1 - - Read V. 2 - - Read V. 3 - - Read V. 4 - - Read V. 5 - - Read V. 6

Morning came and went and by mid-afternoon, Kozane was at the base of the mountain. Even from a distance, it had looked huge, but up close it was towering higher than anything he had ever seen before. The entire mountain seemed to be decorated with small alcoves and holes that possibly led to larger caverns. Where he now stood in front of him lay a large open tunnel leading to the base of the mountain. The insistent nagging force still had not gone away, and if fact it seemed to have gotten stronger, and he worried that the same episode he had upon entering Meridon would occur again. As he entered the tunnel, he felt the strange sensation that he was being watched.

He followed the tunnel further his long claws click-click-clacking on the stone floor. Kozane shuddered every time one of his back claws even just slightly scratched on the stone, he was certain he would never get used to the eerie sound... that is if he decided to stay in Meridon. He was conflicted. Meridon was the home and sanctuary for all Lyren, it was where they had originated from after all, but Kozane didn’t feel like a Lyren. Yes, he had shapeshifted and used his powers before, but he didn’t feel like the Lyren name was his to claim. The tunnel opened up into a large cavern; he was inside a hollow mountain! The ceiling rose up hundreds of lengths above him and he could see countless numbers of other openings to other pathways. They were all uniform and about the same size, all with smaller plates just on the outside. Kozane approached one that was on the ground level and looked inside. It didn’t lead to a long hallway like the one he had just been in, but rather it was a small alcove or cave that seemed to have once housed a dragon. “These were all homes once,” he said aloud, his voice echoing off the cavern walls. The stone tablet outside had writing on it and an impression of a dragon hand. He placed his own hand on the impression, his hand was smaller but otherwise fit perfectly, “Lyren Shijinko of the Windcallers.” The name felt weird in his mouth. He walked to another. A fae, obviously by the hand size, “Lyren Glimmersong of The Sparked Swords.” “Lyren Mizua of the Protectorate.” “Lyren Zora of the Brigade Faction.” “Lyren Silver of the Starborn Scholars.” Kozane walked round and round, just on the lower floor, reciting what had to be at least 40 names. Then, he came to the last one, “Lyren Grand Dahken Rael of Dahk.” This tablet had been scratched and even broken in one corner, the cavern inside was completely empty and bare of any belongings whatsoever. What had happened to him? What had happened to all these Lyren? The answer was clear, but he didn’t want to face it. All these Lyren who had dedicated themselves to the forces of the gods, only to later be betrayed by them was a fate Kozane didn’t want to face. He noticed a stone tablet rising out of the floor in the center of the room that he hadn’t seen before. Approaching it, he could tell that it too had been attacked and damaged in whichever battle had plagued this place. “We dedicate this mountain in the name of the Gods and in the name of our kind,” Kozane read the first line aloud. Underneath the quote, it appeared to be a directory of sorts. The first 2 floors were dedicated to elemental warriors, the next few were living quarters, and, according to the tablet, the very peak of the mountain was home to the current True Lyren. Lower floors going underground were dedicated to the nursery, the library, and records. Kozane stifled a gasp, the back of the tablet repeated the same thing word for word, but what had surprised him was what someone else had carved in. The words “powerful but unequal” looked as if they had been burned into the stone. He slumped to the ground. He couldn’t take it anymore. These were his people, and they were all gone. He could not get the memory of running, screaming and fear from the vision out of his head. Kozane’s happiness at finding the legendary Meridon had turned into a sorrowful dread. All of it and everyone was gone. All of it was before his time before he even hatched, and he never experienced the terrors. So, he only allowed himself to be sad at what was lost and what could have been. What he could have been. He was upset and angry and tired of being lied to. His eyes fell on the tablet again, he knew what he had to do. Swiftly and with a great gust of air, he lifted up from the ground and flew straight up to the outcropping he spotted at the very top of the hollowed out cavern. It's a good thing he decided to fly, the stairs leading up had crumbled away this high up. There was no door, like the other living quarters, leading into this large cavern. From outside he could see the immensity of the room as well as a large natural opening leading to the outside. The room, otherwise, had been entirely ravaged; belongings were torn apart, walls scorched, claw marks skidding across the floor… it was a disaster. Kozane shook away the negative feelings the scene created. He placed his own claws on the tablet outside the door. Clyathera, 9th True Lyren, Our Golden Warrior. His own hand was tiny in comparison to Clyathera’s. To no one in particular, he announced, “I am Kozane Arcana and now accept my fate. Hence on I shall be known as Kozane Lyren, 10th True Lyren and last Lyren born on the Full Night. I swear on my life that I will protect Meridon, protect its people and bring grace back to the Lyren. Truly, I believe that I can no longer be alone in this world.” It was the speech all True Lyren made when they became of age, modified slightly. “That can’t be true.” A female voice whispered hesitantly from the shadows. Kozane whipped around, instantly on guard. “Who goes there?” He called out. Mentally, he prepared a spell for worst case scenario. “That can’t be true. You have to be lying or mistaken.,” a dragon stepped out of the shadows. She was a generally small Skydancer, she was clearly young and perhaps only a little older than himself. Soft green runes, just like his own, danced across her yellow body and feathers. “You certainly aren’t the last Lyren and you can’t be the True Lyren,” she paused, fluffing uneasily, “because I am. I am Clya, and I am the True Lyren. Why are you here?”

[clanmeridonfr]

Kozane- V. 6

Read V.1 - - Read V. 2 - - Read V. 3 - - Read V. 4 - - Read V. 5

Lyren Year 9,045- Discovery

He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he was sure of one thing and that was he was never going back. Ever since that horrible night that was the only thing he was sure of anymore. After his home collapsed, he stayed by Arca’s fallen form for several hours, crying over what he lost. He then came to the realization that there may be others coming if they did not hear back from the assassin. So, he spent a few hours sifting through the rubble looking for any belongings he could take with him. After recovering his sword, his fake pearl, and a few other trinkets, he buried Arca’s body; vowing to never return.

And he hadn’t. He has been traveling for a few weeks now with no real destination in mind and not once had he ever thought of going back. Kozane tried to stay away from civilization, but sometimes it was necessary. He would arrive at a small clan, disheveled and messy, and would ask to rest for the night. He hadn’t been turned down yet, perhaps it was his pitiful form. Every single time he would be asked where he was going, and every single time Kozane wouldn’t answer, he couldn’t answer. Frankly, he was tired of the damned question. The pulling feeling that he had his entire life was still there, and no matter where he went it always seemed to grow stronger, more frantic, more urgent. Despite this, he refused to follow it. Kozane had no desire to. Arca had said it was nothing and he would still believe her. Then one day the feeling was stronger than ever. He was somewhere on the border of the Arcanist’s and Plaguebringer's realms. It was strange, so overpowering so that it was the only thing he could focus on. His senses felt dulled and his head was buzzing with this energy. Yet, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Kozane tried to shrug it off and walk away, but he had lost all sense of direction and continuously returned to the same place. Kozane couldn’t see straight and couldn’t focus on what was directly in front of him. He felt off balance and nauseous, but empowered with magical energies. Kozane took an uneasy step forward, trying to feel the ground for holes through the pins and needles in his feet. It was getting worse and worse, it was unbearable, unlivable as the fuzz turned to sharp needles. He fell to the ground clutching his head in his claws praying for his mind to clear. Unsure of what else to do, he cast a healing spell on the ground around his feet (as healing spells used on the caster require being cast around the healer as they cannot be cast on). Then it all went away. He wasn’t sure if it was the healing spell or some other...thing. As when he removed his claws from his head and opened his eyes he was in a completely different place. It was a wasteland, simply put, the ground was sandy dirt and there was no green foliage for as far as he could see. In the distance, Kozane swore he could see some sort of structure. Above him, however, was most impressive; as he stood up he looked in awe at the giant stone arch above his head. It was surely a gorgeous thing once, but now it was in ruins and disrepair. The banner that hung in the center was torn to shreds. Where he now stood was what must have once been a stone road, but now it was cracked and glowing with stored magical energy (stones have a knack for storing magic). Kozane had no clue where he was or how he got here. He pulled out a small map from one of his side bags as if it would matter. He didn't know where he was in the first place, so where would he know where he is now? Kozane sighed and put away the map a bit disgruntled. "I guess," he said to no one in particular, "I'll see if anyone's home." Kozane began walker towards the structures he saw in the distance. As he got closer and closer to the structures dread began to sneak into his belly. They weren't buildings, or rather they weren't anymore. What was once probably a house for living in was now an abandoned mess reduced to rubble. The buildings were made out of mixed materials, some were marble, others were just plain stone and a few were even crystal. Each building had a unique characteristic to it that made Kozane's heartache. What happened to all the dragons that lived here? Half of the buildings were buried in the sand, it has probably been hundreds of years since anyone has been here. Kozane wandered from building to building in silent horror and awe. The houses appeared to have been left in a panicked hurry. Belongings were strewn around haphazardly in every building he felt was safe enough to enter. One building was completely empty save for a lone Windsinger doll missing one of its ears. Kozane felt a pang of sorrow, knowing that something terrible had happened here, and reached to pick the doll up. Crash. Roar. Screams. Yelling. Magical energies forming up ahead. More screaming. "How could you betray us!" from the outside. Not enough time. "Daddy! Please, I don't want to leave!" My daughter. A gorgeous young skydancer, she's only a few years old. Another roar from outside. A large booming shout, "they are escaping!" "Sweetheart," my voice, "we have to leave now. Mommy is waiting for us somewhere safe we will-" "We are somewhere safe!" She screamed. I'm frustrated. I'm worried. I'm sad. She's crying now. "All of this is lies. It's a lie. Windsinger would never betray us." She's clutching her doll tight. Really tight. It's a Windsinger doll. Aged with love. Missing an ear. Another crash from outside. The house shakes. Yelling. Shouting. Screaming. Roaring. It's not safe. It's not safe. Muscles bunched up, ready to run. "We are leaving now." Final. It's done. I grab my daughter. She struggles. She screams. She tries to get free. Another yell from outside. It's closer. They are coming this way. I run. "Windsinger no! Daddy my doll! I dropped it! Daddy, please! We have to go back! Daddy! No! Please!" She's sobbing. She's screaming. "I hate you! Let go of me! Please, I love him!" I'm running. I can't turn back. I won't make it. Kozane blinked, shaking off the feeling of...whatever just happened. He was stilling holding the Windsinger doll. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his pearl shimmer once then stop. Kozane sat on the ground and sighed while looking at the tiny doll in his hand. He hated not knowing things. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know why he was here. He didn't know how or why he experienced that vision. It had felt so real like he was there yet he had no control over his actions. He carefully put the doll in his bag and picked up his pearl with a newfound interest. What else had Arca not told him? What else had Arca lied to him about? As he stepped out of the building he swore he could still hear the roaring and screaming from his dream. “The Windsinger would never betray us,” the Skydancer hatchling had yelled. He realized where he was. He had discovered Meridon. It explained everything! No location on the map (although that was partially due to his cluelessness as to where he was in the first place), the ruins, the stones with the stored energy and the devastated environment! In the Lyren year 8,750, at least that’s what Kozane thought was the correct date, the gods came down on Meridon and destroyed it out of anger and spite. A few hundred years later the last Lyren in existence was killed, only for another one to be born in year 9,000. Him. The Arcanist had been forced to attack with the other deities. He was truly the only one who did not wish to kill the Lyren race. But even with his immense power, he would not be able to defeat his 10 other brothers and sisters. In a display of cooperation, he shredded Meridon’s flag. Kozane remembered it all now from all the endless hours of reading. Despite the tragic history, he was elated! He had discovered a place that was said to not exist, he had discovered the home of his race! Kozane inwardly frowned, though, because he had no way around Meridon. He knew the area was huge, some books even said it was as large as the Gladekeeper’s realm. It could take him days to travel from one end to another, assuming he managed not to travel in circles. More questions began to arise, if he accidentally left would he be able to enter again? Could he even leave? Surely he could, as dragons had fled all those years ago, but what if things had changed? Kozane hated being uncertain. Stranger still, the feeling of needing to go somewhere or be somewhere was still there. Ever since he entered Meridon (of course without knowing what it was at first) it had gone away. Yet, after the vision, it was there once again nagging him insistently. If it wasn’t Meridon he was supposed to discover, what was it? He could feel it dragging him west, towards a large mountain that looked awfully far off in the distance. Kozane decided not to pursue this today, as the sun was already setting, and decided to sleep in one of the safer buildings for the night. Who knows what kind of monsters or beasts might be lurking around? He picked out a particularly small one that still hosted most of its furnishings, including a small bed, but had a large hole in the ceiling and laid down for the night. Meridon has no stars or moons. It pained him to think that Arca would be disappointed by this fact. She loved space.

[clanmeridonfr]

Kozane- V. 5

Read V.1 - - Read V. 2 - - Read V. 3 - - Read V. 4

Lyren Year 9,045- Time

The dust had cleared. He was back to his regular, pearlcatcher self. But nothing would ever be the same again. 

As he sat amongst the rubble of the only home he had known, he cried while cradling the small, frail body of the only friend he had ever known. The only family he had ever known. And over, and over, and over, and over again he cast the same rune spell. Time. In a final hope that he could undo everything, everything he had caused. Hades was right. You never forget the first dragon you kill.

[clanmeridonfr]

Kozane- V.4

Read V.1 - - Read V. 2 - - Read V. 3

Lyren Year 9,045- Abandonment cont.

"Who in the Wyrmwound are you?" Arca demanded, "how dare you enter my home!" "My name?" He spoke carefully and deliberately, "my name is Hades. Master Killer. Trained assassin. Whichever you prefer sweetheart." Hades shrugged half-heartedly.

"What are you doing here?" Arca growled. "My job," he took out his cutlass off of its belt and began playing with the blade, "you seem to have a dragon here who a lot of important dragons want dead." Hades pointed the blade at Kozane, "and I have to say, I don't really want him living either." "What has he ever done to you? He hasn't even left this cave before in his life-" Kozane interrupted Arca, "it's because I'm Lyren...Isn't it? That's why you want me dead. It's because I'm Lyren." "Huh!" Hades feigned surprise, "now that you mention it, I do believe that is the exact reason why. A funny thing isn't it? Can't believe I forgot." Hades still made no move to attack, but Arca, standing between the two dragons, looked ready to fight. "How did you find him? How did you find out about him?" Arca demanded of Hades. "Oh, it was easy!" He responded, "Mother told me everything I needed to know! I had been tracking him for a while now, following accounts and details of what the deities remembered from that night. I've been following him and trying to find him for years now! I was just about to give up and go back to Mother's scrying pool for any more leads when I picked up on his magic from your little...disagreement." Hades smiled a large, toothy grin upon seeing the look of horror on Kozane's face. He had caused this. This was his fault. Arca pulled two more silver daggers out (guess those crystals on her legs weren't just for decoration). "You are one of the Shadowbinder's Assasins. She-the deities- sent you. Which means there is no reasoning with you." "Oh? Did I give that away? Darn. Oh well, not that it will matter anyway." Hades pulled out his sword, "soon his body will be delivered to the Forum's steps." Hades let out a chilling laugh as he ran at Kozane with both blades in his hands. Kozane fumbled with his sword in an effort to stop the attacker, but Arca intercepted with her two daggers. "Kozane, run! Please! It is your only chance!" Hades smacked the small sprite aside and stalked around Kozane. "My, that's a name. Kozane. Ko-Zane. I do believe that means 'Copper Scale' in an old tongue. Funny, cause there isn't a dash of copper on your body." Hades said, momentarily distracting Kozane long enough so that the wildclaw could throw his cutlass at him. The sword cut through the air and embedded itself in the flesh of Kozane's shoulder. "Oh silly me. Did it again." Hades looked at the dripping gold substance coming from the wound, "Lyren." Kozane let out a roar of fury and pain, while simultaneously attacking with his sword and a chaos spell rune. The wildclaw avoided the swinging sword, but the spell hit straight on and sent him flying back a few strides. Arca came running back into the ray with both daggers and a hateful gleam in her eye. She flew up and came down on the fallen wildclaw and managed to stick both of the daggers. In a sudden snap of movement, Hades jumped up and grabbed Arca by the wing in his jaws. With one flow, he slashed her with his claws and sent her flying, tearing her wing with a chilling ripping sound. She slammed into the wall and fell to the ground with a tiny whimper. "Now that she's out of the way-" Kozane roared. But it wasn't him. It was louder and deeper than a dragon of his size could ever manage. He was furious and full of hatred for this dragon who attacked the only family he knew. Kozane wasn't sure if she were dead or alive, but he knew that this dragon, Hades, was the cause of her pain. In his anger and rage, Kozane had unknowingly transformed into an enormous imperial. Hades face flashed with sudden fear, but he quickly hid this with a determined look as if now Kozane proved to be a real threat; which he intended to be. Kozane was still wearing his armor, which had grown to his size by some sort of enchantment, and he no longer had a need for his tiny sword. Casting it aside, he attacked Hades full force. They classed, dodging or parrying each other's attacks and occasionally getting a blow through. Yet, no matter how skilled or quick the wildclaw was, he was no match for the might brute of an enraged imperial. Finally, Kozane knocked Hades' sword out of his hand and threw him on the ground. Kozane loomed over him, exhausted, injured, but triumphant, and Hades did not have the power to stand up. "You," he wheezed, "you really are a monster. A beast. Freak of nature. You are dangerous...a threat. Just like all Lyren." Kozane hissed, "no! You are the monster! Attacking and killing others. How many have you killed?" "You lose count after the first one," the helpless dragon laughed, "but you always remember the first, which, I have to say, you'll understand soon." "No! I won't kill anyone, I'm not a monster. The Lyren aren't- weren't- monsters." "So, I'm free to go?" A small whimper from across the cave suddenly brought Kozane back to reality and he was acutely aware of his surroundings. "Even after all that I've done to your precious little pet? A shame really." Hades laughed again. Arca was behind Kozane, turning his back meant making himself vulnerable or it would allow Hades a chance to escape. If he stood here, he couldn't help Arca. If he let Hades free, he would return with forces. If he killed Hades...wouldn't that make him no better than the killer? "Thinking it through, huh?" Hades' snarl interrupted his thoughts, "let me make it easy on you. None of us are getting out of here alive." Before Kozane had a chance to comprehend what he just said, Hades threw a bag up into the air towards the ceiling and shot a plague bolt at it. The bag exploded, sending elemental and ancient rune magic all over the area. Everything it touched caused another small explosion until the entire cavern was shaking. Rocks from the ceiling rained down, the entrance became covered, walls were falling; the entire cavern was collapsing and Hades lay on the ground laughing as if it were all one big joke. Kozane rushed to reach Arca. That was his only goal, his only focus. He didn't care when a sharp rock shard cut through his wing. He didn't notice when Hades' awful laughter was cut off abruptly by a falling rock. What he did notice though was that he was much too large to navigate the cave and that in this large, lumbering form he was unused to he couldn't get to Arca before his entire home collapsed. In a last effort, he leaped towards where Arca was laying and whispered a quick protection spell, hoping that as the cavern was falling that would keep him safe enough to be a shield for the fallen sprite.

[clanmeridonfr]

Kozane- V. 3

Read V.1 - - Read V. 2

Lyren Year 9,045- Abandonment cont.

He hadn't expected her to use magic! Being completely unprepared, the magic slammed into Kozane with a weak force. Kozane lunged forward with his jaws and ripped the spell book out of Arca's hands. While it was possible she could use her spells from her memory, Arca would not be able to use as many without her additional power source. The two circled each other, both seeing who would make the next move. Kozane could feel the venom magic seeping his strength and causing more and more pain.

Kozane was the first to attack, casting a quick enfeeble spell at Arca. He hoped to cause her to use up all her magical energy so he wouldn't have to harm her; true to his plan, the sprite threw up a powerful ward to stop the spell, but spent no hesitations in counter-attacking. She charged at Kozane once again, however this time she had expected him to strike out with his tail. She sent herself flying over Kozane's head and quickly attacked with a strong firebolt. Kozane yelped out in surprise from the searing hot flames and smacked Arca with his wing. Hard. The small Arcane sprite slammed into the cave wall with a sickening thud. Oh no. Kozane ran over to where Arca now lay, worry and dread clawing at his chest. He lifted a claw to check if she were breathing, "Arca?" All at once he heard the metallic song a sword sings when pulled out of its scabbard, he saw Arca leap up over his head on to his neck and he felt a sharp, agonizing pain and warm liquid stream down from the pain. He felt tears come to his eyes, was it sorrow? Relief? Fear? Arca couldn't- wouldn't- kill him, right? Yet a smaller voice inside him told him she had killed before, why wouldn't she now? "You lose." His caretaker said. Kozane saw no reason to respond. "You wouldn't even use your sword nor would you use your staff! How do you expect to win if you won't use the weapons in your arsenal?" His wound suddenly became warmer and the pain duller. Arca jumped down from Kozane's back, landing in front of him. Kozane closed his eyes in shame. "Look at me Kozane. When it comes to battle, it's kill or be killed." She threw her dagger, a small silver blade with a hilt made of the same pink stones on her body, on to the stone floor. "Arca, I won't make the same mistake again-" he started. "No," she interrupted, "no you won't. You will not be leaving. Not as long as I am alive."

"Then I guess he won't have to wait very long, will he?" A powerful voice growled from outside. The voice's owner stepped into the light in the cave. It was an all black wildclaw with gleaming red eyes. He had a large claw missing and a scar on his face. He wore what seemed to be light padded armor and strapped to his side was a short cutlass and a longsword.