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Zade: Agent of Gaia

Tutorial (Part 2)

"What!?" Syrion questioned. "Did I just hear what I think I heard!?"

"I guess dinner is going to be extra late tonight," Kadara said.

"Do I just go home now, or is someone going to tell me who the hell Sythius is?" Zade asked.

"Sythius is my brother," Syrion answered. "We have to stop him before he does something stupid!"

"Petty stupid or catastrophic stupid?" Zade asked.

"The latter!" Syrion exclaimed. "We need to go to Trianell. I know that's where he's headed."

"What's in Trianell?" Zade asked.

"The Undead," Syrion replied.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't be a world tour unless we toured the _whole_world," Zade said

"This is business, not pleasure!" Syrion snapped.

"So was the rest," Zade responded.

"Sythius is a madman!" Syrion exclaimed. "I never know what his ultimate goal is, but whatever he's up to, he has to be stopped!"

"So, then what are we waiting for?" Zade asked.

Syrion again boosted Zade and himself with the same magic they had been using to travel. As soon as he was done, the pair pursued Sythion.

Upon entering Trianell, they were greeted by the hostile inhabitants.

"Damn these pests!" Syrion shouted.

"Finally! I've been itching to get my feet wet!" Zade exclaimed as he pulled out his sword. The blade began to emit flames.

"What? Since when does your sword do that?" Syrion inquired.

"It's always been able to do that. Forget my awesome weapon, focus on the threat!" Zade replied as he charged at the multitude charging them. He began to dance around the area while swinging his sword around.

"Don't get cocky! You've only been trained to combat a single enemy!" Syrion shouted.

` "Okay, fine. We're in a hurry anyway," Zade said. Seconds later, fire engulfed the area as far as the eye could see. It remained in tact, but every enemy was incinerated.

"What's the point of a sword being that powerful?" Syrion questioned. "Do you really need sword skills after all? I think training you was a waste of time."

"No need to be salty. Yeesh," Zade responded. "Now, stop getting distracted by my sword, we still need to get to Sythius!"

"Right," Syrion said. He rushed ahead of Zade, and navigated the ruins until he came to the ancient chapel.

"Wait for me!" Zade shouted. "I'm going to get lost without you!"

"This chapel contains a passage into the catacombs. In their depths is where we'll find Sythius," Syrion explained.

"Okay. Let's go," Zade said.

Syrion, followed by Zade, continued forward. They had to fight their way through the Undead residing in the catacombs. There was no end to hostiles as they traversed deeper and deeper. It still didn't take them long to reach the end.

"Sythius!" Syrion shouted. "This ends now!"

"You captured me once, so you think you can do it again?" Sythius laughed.

"Do you really believe that whatever it is you are doing has any merit?" Syrion questioned.

"Evil people always think they're doing good. It doesn't matter if what he's doing is right when what he's doing is wrong!" Zade charged Sythius

"No! Wait!" Syrion shouted

As soon as Zade got close, Sythius knocked him back with magic.

"You idiot!" Syrion scolded.

"Why am I the idiot!?" Zade questioned. "I'm the hero, he's the villain, it's my job to stop him!"

"I was trying to diffuse the situation peacefully," Syrion sobbed. "I apprehended Sythius seven years ago. Despite the fact that everyone else doesn't know what we are, assaulting an agent is still a violation of cosmic law. Now, Sythius is going to end up in the Eternal Prison! That's exactly what I was trying to avoid!"

"The what?" Zade inquired.

"Naïve, little brother," Sythius laughed. "You thought you could 'save' me? We are mortal enemies! You are an agent of order, and I am an architect of chaos! Abandon what hopes you have. Bedlam awaits!"

"You magic types are all full of yourselves. It's getting old," Zade said. "I don't know about you, Syrion, but I actually am hungry for some dinner. Let's end this now," Zade engulfed the room in flames. After a few seconds, enough to incapacitate their adversary, Zade ceased the fire. There was horror on his face when he realized that Sythius was unharmed.

"You must really be full of_yourself_if you think cheap tricks will suffice," Sythius sneered.

"This is turning out to be a lot like the other day," Zade responded. "At this rate, you're doomed to fail."

"You think I'm going to fail? You should have seen your face after the flames failed to scathe me!" Sythius laughed.

"Enough, Sythius!" Syrion shouted. "You have violated cosmic law! I am obligated to subdue you and take you to be tried for your crimes!"

"Nice speech," Sythius laughed. "Sorry to disappoint, but I am beyond your apprehension!"

The catacombs shook as a massive portal opened up behind Sythius.

"No," Syrion said in disbelief. "No!"

"What is this?" Zade inquired.

"One of the Forbidden Gates has been opened!" Syrion replied. "Their locks were thought to be undecipherable!"

"Well I'll be damned," Zade responded.

"The portal to Pandaemonium is open at last!" Sythius laughed.

Chaos spilled out of the portal and engulfed Sythius.

"Yes. Yes! YES!!!" Sythius cheered.

"You truly are mad! That much Chaos will destroy you!" Syrion exclaimed.

"Worry not, brother. All this Chaos that I have absorbed will soon be expelled!" Sythius replied.

"Why, brother?" Syrion questioned.

"To fulfill a higher calling, my purpose!" Sythius responded. "A puppet like you could never understand!"

"You're wrong! What I do is my higher purpose!" Syrion said.

"Yet it will amount to nothing! Scourge and nightmare alike shall plague Aethlos!" Syrion shouted. He opened up a portal in front of himself. "The ultimate breach has been achieved!"

"Impossible!? How!?" Syrion gasped.

"Just give up," Sythius said as he entered the portal.

"Stop!" Syrion shouted as he chased after his brother, but it was too late.

"Where did he go?" Zade asked.

"He said 'nightmare' and 'breach' which could only mean that he gained entry into the Dreamscape," Syrion answered. "Then that would mean... damn it! The Chaos!"

As soon as he said that, fiends began pouring out of the portal.

"What do we do?" Zade asked.

"We retreat," Syrion answered.

"Seriously?" Zade questioned.

"Do as I say!" Syrion commanded.

Chased by the horde of fiends, the pair returned to the outside. The fiends were flooding the surface as they were leaving the chapel. Then, fire from the sky rained down upon the fiends. It was breaths of dragons. The vermillion creatures swarmed the area, serving to clean up the mess that had been made.

"Syrion of the Nine!" growled one that landed before the heroes. "We granted you the privilege of sharing our burden, and you broke our trust! Not only did you not stop this from happening, but you even had help! This failure will not be easily forgiven!"

"I_will_ redeem myself- Starting with ending this crisis!" Syrion responded.

"Promises mean nothing; results do!" the dragon said.

"I'd be lying if I said I was perfect. For six years I have abode by the code I was entrusted to uphold. I have executed my duties successfully until now. The Nine have put their faith in me, and they have not lost it. It is only right that since we share this world, we share the responsibility" Syrion spoke.

"We will not debate this at the present time. Go rectify this now!" the dragon ordered.

"Come on, Zade. Let's go," Syrion said.

"Go where?" Zade asked.

"To the Temple of Repose where the Dreamer resides," Syrion answered.

"We don't have an offering?" Zade questioned.

"Tell the Gatekeepers that Akharan of the Reds is indebted to the Greens for your entry into the Collective Dream," the dragon said.

"As you wish," Syrion responded. He, accompanied by Zade, went to enter the Dreamscape.

"Syrion of the Nine!" shouted one of the sentries. "What business do you have here!?"

"I believe you know why," Syrion answered.

"You have come to take responsibility for your brother. The blood of Aethlos is on your hands, not his!" the sentry replied. "However, you could not stop him out here. How then do you expect to stop him in there? Even we find him formidable. A few of our own have fallen to the corruption!"

"I can't just do nothing!" Syrion exclaimed. "It is my sworn duty to stop him!"

"Even if that means being his executioner?" the sentry questioned.

"If I have no choice, then so be it," Syrion answered.

"Your conviction is honorable, but you will still be denied entry without an offering!" the other sentry exclaimed.

"The Red, Akharan, says he is in your debt for allowing us access for free," Syrion said.

"One of another in our debt? Interesting," said the first sentry.

"Should we not take proper time to consider this arrangement?" asked the second.

"Leisure is not on our side. Let us conserve our forces. Notify the others. These two will remedy the situation," the first responded.

"Zade? Let us overcome this crucible," Syrion said as he ran into the portal.

"Is saving the world on an empty stomach really part of being a hero? Next time, I'm bringing snacks," Zade muttered as he ran in behind his mentor. When he was through, he found him crying.

"Syrion?" Zade addressed.

"This place was a perfect paradise. There was absolute harmony. Now, it is tainted by desecration," Syrion responded.

Zade looked out in the distance The expanse of luscious greenery was being victimized by thick black clouds and mists. The dragons were seen fighting corrupted ones.

"A reckoning is at hand," Syrion stated as he charged forward.

Zade followed him, and they ran into the depths of the Dreamscape.

"SYTHIUS!!!" Syrion screamed as lept to plunge his blade into his sibling.

With an outstretched hand, Sythius pushed Syrion back.

"How did you escape back in Gildiel!? HOW!?" Syrion asked.

"Does it really matter at this point?" Sythius questioned.

"I have to know!" Syrion replied.

"Why? So you can have a minuscule degree of consolation to ease your guilt? To confirm your fears of a traitor, or affirm that your speculation of such is mere paranoia? No matter what, I have no inclination to bring any comfort to your troubled mind," Sythius grinned.

"Does our childhood mean nothing to you?" Syrion questioned.

"The past is in the past. This is now!" Sythius answered.

Syrion, infuriated, charged at Sythius, and was again knocked back. He just kept charging and screaming.

"Please, keep trying. This _is_amusing," Sythius laughed.

Zade attempted to strike from behind, but was detected and knocked back. He didn't immediately retaliate despite the continue efforts of Syrion. "Think, Zade, think," He muttered to himself. "What would he do?"

"Some hero you turned out to be," Sythius derided his brother.

"Hey, bitch, I have something to say to you!" Zade called out.

Sythius turned around and was ready to knock Zade back, but before he could, the amateur hero cast dirt into eyes. In a moment of panic, he became disoriented.

Zade impaled Sythius, and realized a conflagration. "How does it feel!? How does it feel to be so powerful and yet thwarted by mere dirt!? DIRT!!!" He terminated the flames, pushed his sword in further, then pulled it out.

Sythius, silent, stumbled back. Mist was drawn to him and he absorbed it through his wound.

"What is going on?" Zade asked.

"No!" Syrion shouted as he charged Sythius. He was blasted back.

Sythius laughed as additional mist covered his body in its entirety. The mist quickly faded away, and Sythius was in a new form like a caterpillar emerging from a cocoon as a butterfly. A horn like that of a unicorn had sprouted from his forehead, and wings like that of a dragon had sprouted from his back.

"This is corruption in full bloom. Sythius has become a fiend," Syrion said.

"Well I'll be damned," Zade said.

"If you thought mere dirt could stop me, you are a much bigger fool than I initially thought!" Sythius said. "I am the Undying!"

"You're just embarrassed that you were susceptible to such a tactic!" Zade replied. "Until I used it, we couldn't land a hit. You should be dead!"

"What part of 'Undying' did you not understand?" Sythius questioned.

"Using Chaos to cheat death? You are despicable!" Syrion shouted.

"That's the problem with heroism and order. They come with petty limitations. Disorder and anarchy will liberate Aethlos and all worlds! The universe will be free to live as it chooses!" Sythius exclaimed.

"Only in harmony can life thrive. Chaos isn't life. Chaos is death! Look at the damage and destruction you are causing! Look at what you have done to yourself!" Syrion yelled.

"I am nothing more than a means to an end," Sythius responded.

"You're insane," Syrion replied.

"A puppet like you could never fathom freedom," Sythius said. "Order is oppression and you are enslaved to it."

"Left to its own devices, creation would destroy itself. Order is a system that keeps creation in check. I will not let you unravel the fabric of harmony for the sake of wicked indulgences!" Syrion exclaimed.

"You won't 'let me?' You can't stop me!" Sythius responded. He started shooting balls of energy out of his hand towards Syrion who barrel rolled out of the way. He continued his assault, and did not relent.

Zade attempted to strike Sythius, but the monstrous mage became airborne. He had to dodge a beam of energy soon after.

Bound to the ground, there was nothing the heroes could do except dodge the barrage of attacks.

"What would he do? What would he do!?" Zade spouted. "Think. Think. Think. Think? Think! That's it! He'd think!"

"What are you on about?" Syrion questioned.

"I need to open my mind. That dull thing hasn't done me much good, but maybe now it will be useful. It may be our only hope," Zade answered.

"How so?" Syrion asked.

"The Dreamscape is a manifestation of the Collective Unconscious. That means that everyone here sharing the dream is connected. Our minds are connected. If I can activate those connections, my subconscious will register instincts and skills that I would not otherwise possess. It's easier said than done, but it's the best that we can do," Zade explained.

"That's not how this works. Being able to affect mentality on a collective level does not mean having direct access to each individual mind. We're sharing the dream, but our minds are still separate. No matter how hard you think, you can't just force someone's mind into your own," Syrion responded.

"Heroes of this sacred realm!" Zade yelled. "Indulge me! Connect your subconscious to mine! Let our minds be united! Our divided efforts alone cannot defeat this threat, but by aligning ourselves, we can overcome this pestilent abomination!"

"Pretty speeches will get you nowhere!" Sythius shouted as he struck Zade down.

"Zade!" Syrion yelled.

"Ouch," Zade said after several suspenseful seconds.

"You reckless fool!" Syrion snapped. "This is not a dream we can wake up from! Since we entered through the portal and not through slumber, our bodies are gone! If we die in here, we die for real!

"I know I will die if I lose, so I won't worry about losing or dying. I will win no matter what, because I keep telling myself I will win no matter what!" Zade shouted.

"Reckless indeed," Syrion responded.

"Do you feel it, Syrion? The dragons have cast their magic. Your mind and theirs are joined to mine," Zade said. He took his sword and began to levitate. He went straight for Sythius who tried to deter him.

"You have access to a vast array of magic, but yet you come at me with your sword?" Sythius questioned.

Zade got close enough that Sythius pushed him back. He then pulled him forward, catching him off guard. Before Sythius could react, Zade had closed the distance, once again impaling him.

"Did you not learn that this does not work?" Sythius asked. Then, once again surprised, he was impaled once more. "What?"

"Yes, Telekinesis proves most useful," Zade said. "I'm sure Syrion doesn't mind that I borrowed his sword. It is the crux of my strategy, after all. You see, that sword has been charged with magic. The second you were impaled, you became silenced.

"No! My magic! It can't be!" Sythius shouted. "I refuse to be stopped by the likes of you!"

"I told you your arrogance would doom you, Sythius!" Zade replied as he put his hand on him. "Now your wards, your buffs are dispelled!"

"Damn you!" Sythius spat.

"Now, with a charged Flamebrand, this ends. You act the same, you die the same," Zade caused the sword to emit a furious blaze. The flames faded to black. He removed both swords from the burning Sythius and descended.

Sythius screamed in agony and despair. Even the ashes of his incinerating body burned until they ceased to be. Soon, the helpless Sythius in his entirety had become nonexistent.

"Thank you, Zade. You have done Aethlos a tremendous service!" Syrion said, taking his sword.

"That's what heroes do...," Zade replied.

"You risked your life for another world. _That_is exceptional!" Syrion said.

"That's what heroes do?" Zade questioned.

The two exited the Dreamscape, and were met by Akharan.

"Sythius is no longer a threat," Syrion said.

"Agents of the Nine, you and all who aspire to secure world order are brethren of Dragonkin," Akharan said. "We cannot deny our nature. To preserve harmony and protect the world is the meaning of our life, but just because we must fulfill our purpose does not mean we must deny others the right to join us in our industry. Inherently, our nature does not dictate that we are the sole saviors. For too long, Dragonkin has allowed pride to cloud our judgment. No more! Dragonkin shall welcome any and all alies."

"The Council's move to induct non-human races as agents is to emphasize the truth that all sentient life is responsible for the peace of the Cosmos. Let all be in harmony," Syrion stated.

The two returned to Gildiel, and ate dinner at Syrion's home. After savoring an exquisite homemade meal, they decided to go to sleep. The following morning, when Zade and Syrion were done saying goodbye, Zade was taken back into the presence of the Council to become familiarized with Cosmic Law. When he had learned all that he needed to know, he was sent back to Gaia.

"Where have you been!?" Teri cried. "I was worried sick about you! What happened!? Where did you go!?"

"I was pulled into another dimension against my will, made to assume a role I am questionably qualified for, and then sent to another world to become better at being the hero that I'm supposed to be," Zade answered.

"What?" Teri questioned.

"It sounds crazy, I know," Zade responded. "Do you think there's a better explanation as to why I was around one minute, then gone the next?"

"No?" Teri replied. "So, you're being forced to be a hero?"

"I'm not being forced to be a hero. I'm being made a hero, and I'm okay with that," Zade said.

"Seriously?" Teri asked.

"Yes," Zade answered.

"But why?" Teri asked.

"Because Cid sees potential in me, and for once in my life, other people think I'm important. Gaia is depending on me. I can't let anyone down," Zade replied.

"You're letting me down," Teri pouted. "You and I were the same. We both wanted just a simple life. Why can't we just have that?"

"Because life isn't simple anymore. Gaia has been compromised. It's changing at a rapid rate. Because I can't rest easy while turning a blind eye to those who need my help," Zade said.

"The others aren't here anymore. You're all I have left. I need you- to be here," Teri cried.

Zade wrapped his arms around Teri and held her body to his. "Don't cry. Don't forget that I love you. I will always love you, and will miss you more than you'll miss me."

"How can you tell me to not cry, when you're leaving?" Teri asked. "I'll go crazy worrying about you everyday."

"No matter how dangerous things get, I'll be just fine. I will win no matter what, because I keep telling myself I will win no matter what. I know I will die if I lose, so I won't worry about losing or dying. Don't worry either. At my core, the one thing motivating me to see this through to the end is to come back to you as soon as possible. I can't rush this, but I will do my best at what I do," Zade kissed Teri. "I won't make this any harder. I'm going to go now," Zade said, letting go of Teri, and walking away. He was nearing the edge of the town when he turned back and started running. "Wait!" he shouted at Teri.

"What is it?" Teri asked, Zade having caught up to her.

"I need snacks," Zade responded.

To be continued...