Chapter 4

Zira smiled as she looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining directly overhead in the clear, blue sky and the temperature was pleasantly warm. A light breeze caressed her body as she admired the beauty of the scenery around her. Flowers and trees dotted the grassy landscape and a river flowed alongside the road on which she and her teammates walked. Just ahead, perhaps a few kilometers away, lay a mountain range where their destination should be located.

"Apples!" Cyril exclaimed, suddenly veering off of the road toward a tree. "Let's take a short break."

Zira gazed upon the tree with joy. She'd forgotten about her hunger along the way, but now, seeing the apple tree before her, it was back with a vengeance. Eager to satisfy her hunger, Zira ran over to the tree and plucked off of it two apples, one for each hand. Zira quickly sank her teeth into one of the apples, the sweet juices immediately running over her tongue. She quickly finished off the remainder of the apple. As she started on the second apple, Cyril grinned at her.

"I see your appetite is as healthy as ever," Cyril said. He grabbed two apples of his own. "Not that I should talk. I'm starving too."

"Same here," Lance said, also grabbing two apples.

While Zira's teammates feasted on their apples, she walked over to the nearby stream to quench her thirst. She lay down on her belly by the edge of her stream and dipped her right hand into the clear water. Cupping her hand, Zira scooped several handfuls of water into her mouth. Wiping the excess water from the edges of her mouth, Zira noticed her reflection staring back at her. The irony wasn't lost on Zira, seeing the image of a Charmeleon on the surface of something that now caused her so much misery if it got on her skin. However, despite her new vulnerability to water, she still enjoyed the sight and sound of it.

After Cyril and Lance finished their apples, they walked over to where Zira was, both of them drinking heavily from the stream. Once they were done, Cyril and Lance sat at the edge of the stream with their feet resting in the water. After a moment spent gazing at the serene stream, Lance turned his head toward Zira.

"Well, Zira," Lance said, "do you want to try a mind probe?"

"Now?" Zira asked, sitting up. She found the timing rather curious. After all, they had a job to do.

"We might as well get the ball rolling on recovering your memories," Lance said. Facing Cyril, he asked, "Do you think we can spare a few more minutes?"

Cyril rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... alright. But just a few minutes. We really need to get on with the mission."

"I just want to see what I'm up against," Lance said. He faced Zira once more. "That is, if you're still comfortable with this. I could see things you might not want me to see."

"I understand," Zira said, nodding. She was eager to learn about her past and what brought her to the Pokémon world, despite the possibility that Lance might dig up something embarrassing or unpleasant. "Let's do it."

Lance repositioned himself so that he was facing Zira, sitting close enough that his legs were touching hers. "I'll show you everything that I see. You can tell me to stop at any time." He reached out and gently placed his hands on the sides of Zira's head. "Just try to relax," he said, his eyes beginning to glow blue.

Zira winced as Lance entered her mind. Though his presence was significantly less powerful than Athena's, it was also much less refined. She could feel Lance poking around inside her head. During the course of the mind probe, images of the Human world flashed through Zira's mind. Streets. Buildings. Landmarks. It was all very familiar to her.

"I know this place!" Zira said. "It's Azalea Town in the Johto region!"

"This is one of your strongest memories," Lance noted. "Maybe this is where you lived before you came here. Now, let's see if we can shine some light on your identity."

The images of Azalea Town faded as Lance shifted his attention to other parts of Zira's fractured mind. He was able to retrieve memories of other parts of the Human world with near-perfect clarity, images of a beach, mountains, a forest, and even a few people she didn't recognize flashing through her mind. However, as Lance tried to zero in on specific memories related to Zira's identity and social ties, he seemed to hit a wall of darkness that pushed back against him. He increased the strength of his mind probe, resulting in the formation of a mild headache in Zira's forehead. However, Lance was unable to retrieve anything from the dark void.

"What's with that dark area?" Zira asked, brushing off the pain.

"That void represents the damaged area of your memory," Lance replied. "Recovering those memories isn't going to be easy. They look pretty far gone." His eyes returned to normal as he terminated the psychic link, bringing immediate relief to Zira's head. "Well, it looks like we have our work cut out for us. Sorry if I caused you any discomfort. I'm still rather new at this."

"It's alright," Zira said. "It's a start, at least."

Cyril stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Alright. Let's get moving."

Zira and Lance got to their feet and walked alongside Cyril, resuming their course for the nearby mountain range. As they left the peaceful river behind, Zira's mind shifted to the dungeon, the dangers within, and to the role she was to play on this mission. The flood of questions and uncertainty threatened to overwhelm her. Zira took in a deep breath as she attempted to put her mind at ease.

After about an hour, soft grass gave way to rocky terrain as Team Dakota entered the mountain range. The path they were on would take them between a series of cliffs. It was on one of these cliffs where the entrance to Kaiser's dungeon awaited. Several minutes later, the team came across a rope ladder with wooden steps hanging from one such cliff.

"This looks like the place," Cyril said.

Zira looked up at the cliff, estimating it to be about 30 meters above the ground. She quickly realized that the cliff itself served as a security measure. The dungeon entrance was well-hidden from the ground and hard to get to for land-bound Pokémon, making this location very appealing to a paranoid Charizard.

"Do you think it was the researchers who placed this ladder here?" Zira asked.

"Makes sense," Lance replied. "A flying-type probably secured it up there for his or her land-bound colleagues." Lance ran his eyes up and down the ladder. "It looks like they attached several ladders together. I hope it's safe."

Cyril mounted the rope ladder and then hopped on it several times. Zira figured that he was just testing the integrity of the ladder, which was confirmed a moment later.

"It seems safe," Cyril said. "Let's head up."

As Cyril began his ascent, Zira stepped up to the ladder next. Just as she placed her foot on the first step, Zira became acutely aware of the fact that Lance would have a clear view of her privates as he climbed beneath her. She stepped off the ladder and turned toward Lance.

"Umm... after you," Zira said, motioning toward the ladder.

Lance smiled faintly at Zira. "Still shy, huh?"

Zira felt her face flush. Lance knew what she was afraid of.

"You'll get used to it," Lance said, walking toward the ladder. "Or you'll wind up like that weird guy back in town."

"What weird guy?" Zira asked. What was Lance getting at?

"A Typhlosion," Lance said, mounting the ladder. "The guy always wears a fundoshi. I don't think he realizes that makes him more conspicuous, not less. Anyway, we should get moving. Cyril's way ahead of us."

Lance wasn't kidding about Cyril being way ahead. Cyril was nearly at the top already, the unstable rope ladder doing very little to slow him down. Zira was in awe of the Grovyle's impressive climbing ability. He made it look so easy. That wasn't the case for Lance, his ascent being much slower. Zira took in a deep breath as she mounted the ladder and began to climb.

If there was one thing that could pull Zira's mind off of her troubles, it was the damn rope ladder. With every movement of her body and Lance's body above, the ladder moved as well. To make things even more interesting, the wind was beginning to pick up, causing the ladder to flutter and twist. Zira gripped each step of the ladder as tightly as she could, not even daring to look down.

When Zira reached the top of the ladder, her teammates grabbed her arms and pulled her up onto the cliff. Zira breathed a sigh of relief as she rested on the ground. With the climb now behind her, she glanced at the dungeon entrance. Beyond the shimmering threshold, Zira could see what, for the most part, appeared to be an ordinary cavern. She knew better, however. Zira was familiar enough with these dungeons now to know that their odd entrances concealed the dangers that lurked within.

"Alright, let's get to work," Cyril said. He pointed toward the dungeon entrance with his arm stretched outward. "Onward!"

As Cyril marched toward the dungeon entrance, Zira regarded the Grovyle with a curious expression on her face.

"He's in an awfully good mood," Zira said.

"I hope he's not letting our promotion go to his head," Lance said. "Come on. Let's follow him before he marches 'onward' into trouble."

Zira and Lance quickly caught up with their teammate, not wanting the entrance to send them somewhere else on the first floor. Cyril entered the dungeon first, followed by Zira and Lance, the frigid wind of the mysterious entrance lashing at their bodies as they passed through.

Emerging on the other side, Zira immediately scanned her surroundings. The dungeon was a rocky cavern with a dirt floor. Small patches of grass and other plant life were scattered about. Sunlight poured in through holes in the ceiling, illuminating the cavern well enough that one could see without difficulty. There was a considerable amount of moisture in the air and Zira could hear the echo of water droplets in the distance.

"Let's move out," Cyril said. He took a step forward, then the ground beneath him suddenly gave out, revealing a pitfall trap filled with spikes. Cyril cried out in terror as he fell into the pit, just barely grabbing onto the edge in front of him.

"Oh gods! Cyril!" Lance called out. Using his psychic attack, he grabbed Cyril's hands and quickly lifted him out of the pit, setting him down harshly a few meters away from its edge.

Cyril stood up and brushed himself off, trembling as he did so. He walked over to the edge of the pit and peered into its depths. "Well, t-that was certainly a shock."

Lance stomped over to Cyril and grabbed his shoulder, roughly spinning the Grovyle around to face him. "You need to be more careful," Lance said, the anger evident in his voice.

Cyril looked into Lance's eyes for a moment before responding. "Y-yeah, you're right."

Zira looked around, wondering if there were any more traps in the room. As she slowly ran her eyes across the surface of the floor, Zira noticed several small areas where the color of the dirt varied slightly, including one area just a couple of meters from where she was standing. Zira walked over to the unusual patch of dirt and gently placed pressure on it with one foot. The ground beneath her foot caved in, revealing another pitfall trap.

"These traps are everywhere," Zira said. "Watch out for the light patches of dirt."

"That's a lot of traps," Lance said. "More than what's usually seen in a room. This has to be one of Kaiser's modifications."

"Y-yeah, probably," Cyril said, still shaken from his close brush with death. "Let's get out of this room."

The three Pokémon cautiously made their way toward the only exit in the room, avoiding several traps along the way. It took several minutes to reach the exit due to their slow pace, but when they did, they each breathed a sigh of relief. While the team took a moment to relax, Zira looked down the corridor. Off in the distance, Zira could see the next room at the other end, reminding her that they still had a long way to go in a dungeon full of nasty surprises. Zira mentally prepared herself for the challenges that lay ahead.

This is just the beginning, Zira thought.

Zira and her teammates proceeded down the corridor toward the next room, moving at a quicker pace this time since traps were not an issue in dungeon corridors--at least, not in any normal dungeon. Zira hoped that the same rule also applied to this dungeon. In any case, since feral Pokémon were still a threat, Zira kept herself primed for a fight. She kept looking back to make sure that there were no ferals behind them. And yet, no ferals showed up. Zira wasn't sure how large this floor was, but there didn't seem to be any feral activity in the immediate area.

Upon entering the next room, the thing that stood out the most to Zira was not the stairs leading up to the next floor, but rather the pedestal next to the stair upon which sat an orb. As Team Dakota approached the pedestal, Zira noticed an inscription on it that read, "Leave this place."

"What in the world..." Cyril said.

"Well, that's an escape orb," Lance noted. "I guess Kaiser wanted to give people a chance to leave."

"We won't be leaving just yet," Cyril said, "but it wouldn't hurt to have this orb just in case things get too crazy for us to handle." Cyril stepped closer to the pedestal and grabbed the escape orb. He then handed it to Zira. "I want you to have this. If it looks like we've lost control of the situation, go ahead and activate it. You can do that by giving it a good squeeze or smashing it against a solid surface."

"Understood," Zira said as she accepted the orb. Holding it with both hands, Zira gazed into its depths. The faint, blue glow emanating from the center had a calming, almost soothing effect on Zira's troubled mind. The effect was short-lived, however, as a sudden electrical disturbance surrounding the top of the pedestal where the orb had been made Zira and her teammates jump. When the disturbance vanished, a new escape orb lay upon the pedestal.

"Fascinating," Lance said.

"More like creepy," Cyril said. "Let's get this mission over with quickly. This dungeon's starting to creep me out."

As her teammates headed up the stairs, Zira took one more look at the escape orb in her hands. Then, placing the orb in her bag, she followed her teammates up the stairs.

The next floor was a single enormous room. Team Dakota appeared on one end of the room. The stairs were clear on the other side. In between was a whole lot of nothing. It seemed pretty straightforward to Zira, but she had a bad feeling about this. Her teammates seemed to be feeling similar unease.

"I don't see any traps on the floor," Cyril said. "Monster house, perhaps?"

"If that were the case, ferals would've appeared the moment we entered the room," Lance said. "There's something wrong here. We just aren't seeing it yet."

After a moment's hesitation, Zira and her teammates cautiously walked toward the stairs. Zira's stomach felt like it was tied into a knot as the uncertainty of the situation ate away at her. Back in the Howling Woods dungeon, Zira took some comfort in that her teammates were experienced and they knew what to expect with that dungeon. Here, however, Cyril and Lance were as much in the dark as she was and their faces showed it.

Having crossed half of the room without incident, Zira allowed herself to relax a bit. Perhaps this room wasn't so bad after all.

"Grrr!" something growled from behind, making Zira and her teammates jump.

Zira spun around toward the source of the growl. Standing several meters from her was a Charmeleon that looked exactly like herself. The Charmeleon bared its teeth and growled once more as it took a step toward her.

"Grrr-ah!" A feral Grovyle that looked just like Cyril now approached the team.

The sound of another growl drew the team's attention to a feral Golduck that looked like Lance running toward them. The feral copies had Team Dakota surrounded.

"I think we just found this floor's challenge," Lance said, readying his claws.

Zira readied her slash attack as she stared at her doppelgänger. After what felt like an eternity, the feral Charmeleon charged toward her, screaming as it readied a slash attack of its own. Zira braced herself for the attack. With her copy rapidly closing the distance, a hydro pump suddenly smacked the feral Charmeleon in the head, breaking its neck. Lance then cried out in pain behind her.

Lance's copy had taken advantage of his preoccupation with Zira's opponent, scratching him in the back and pinning him to the ground with the side of his head pressed into the dirt. Before the feral Golduck could deliver the killing blow, Zira charged toward it, throwing herself into the feral. Despite her smaller size, she was able to knock the copy off of Lance. Zira quickly got back onto her feet and readied her slash attack. Before she could do anything, however, the feral Golduck quickly pointed its glowing eyes toward her, delivering a psychic blow right into her chest that knocked her onto her back. With the wind knocked out of her, Zira struggled to get up. She managed to raise her head just enough to see the feral Golduck, now back on its feet, take in a deep breath, presumably getting ready to finish her off with one of its water-based attacks. Before it could do so, however, a bullet seed attack shredded the feral Golduck.

"Are you two alright?" Cyril asked, running toward his fallen teammates, having already defeated his own copy.

Zira managed to push herself up into a sitting position, though she was still having a bit of trouble breathing. "I'm... I'm alright." She looked at Lance. "He's hurt."

Cyril rushed over to Lance, who was now sitting. "Is it bad?"

"He scratched my back pretty good," Lance replied with a pained expression on his face. "I'll be alright."

Cyril moved around Lance to get a look at his back. "You're not alright. These are deep cuts. My gods... you're lucky your spine wasn't severed." Cyril walked back around Lance and reached into his bag, retrieving their only oran berry. "Eat this," he said. When Lance hesitated, Cyril became more insistent. "Lance, just eat it. Please."

Hesitating a moment longer, Lance finally relented, taking the oran berry and tossing it into his mouth.

While the oran berry did its work on Lance's back, Cyril began to pace back and forth. He was clearly frustrated, placing his hands on his head as though to keep it from flying off of his neck.

"Calm yourself, Cyril," Lance said. "This isn't the first time one of us has been injured on a job and it likely won't be the last."

"That was a serious injury, Lance," Cyril said, "and it happened at the hands of a copy. What if we encounter better copies later on in this dungeon? Will we be so lucky then?"

"I don't know, but we'll just have to deal with that when and if the time comes," Lance said, now standing. "In the meantime, there's some scientists in this dungeon that still need our help. Assuming we're continuing the mission, of course."

"I'm not giving up on those scientists," Cyril said. "Let's just hope this is as bad as this dungeon gets."

As Cyril and Lance turned toward the stairs, Zira got a glimpse of Lance's back. The deeper cuts were still slightly open while the smaller cuts had scarred over. A pang of guilt hit Zira, knowing that this happened to him because he was protecting her.

"Lance, I don't mean to sound ungrateful," Zira said, "but you didn't have to do that for me."

"No offense, Zira, but you're still very new at this," Lance said. "Until your combat abilities have developed, Cyril and I are responsible for your safety." He looked back at Zira. "Thanks for getting that other Golduck off of me."

"No problem," Zira said. "I just wish I could've done more."

"You'll be a seasoned warrior someday," Cyril said. "Lance and I will work with you every day."

Zira knew they were right, that she'd just have to be patient, but that didn't make her feel like any less of a liability. What if they encountered more copies? Or worse? The thought of Cyril or Lance getting seriously hurt or killed due to her inexperience sent a chill through Zira's body.

"Hey, check that out!" Cyril said, shaking Zira from her thoughts.

Cyril was pointing toward a familiar pedestal next to the stairs, bearing an identical inscription to the pedestal on the first floor and an equally identical orb.

"Maybe there's one of these on every floor," Cyril said. "I just can't figure out why Kaiser even bothered with these things if he wanted to stop intruders so badly."

"Hmm..." Lance said, stroking his beak. "I'm guessing that Kaiser was hoping that any unwelcome guests would become so unnerved or frustrated that they'd take the easy way out and just use the escape orb."

"Well, in any case, it wouldn't hurt to have another one." Cyril grabbed the orb and handed it to Lance. Turning toward the stairs, he said, "Let's go."

As Zira followed Cyril up the stairs, she said, "I hope we don't see any more copies." She heard Lance snicker behind her.

"You and me both," Lance said.

Emerging on the third floor, the thing that struck Zira the most about the room they were now in was the stone wall in the center of the room. It appeared to have some writing on it, but Zira couldn't make out any of it from a distance. Beyond the wall, on the far side of the room, was the room's exit. Aside from the wall, there was nothing remarkable about the room. There didn't even appear to be any traps on the floor.

"Keep your guard up," Cyril said.

A cloud of apprehension fell upon Zira and her teammates as they made their way toward the odd stone wall. The wall was obviously the next challenge. How difficult would it be to overcome this challenge and what would happen if they failed?

As they approached the wall, Zira could see that it contained 10 lines of text with a rectangular notch at the end of each line. Zira surmised that something was meant to be inserted into the notches. Standing in front of the wall, she looked down and, sure enough, there was a tray running the entire length of the wall upon which ten stone blocks lay, each of them bearing writing.

"These are riddles," Zira said. "These blocks are the answers."

"Well, let's not touch anything," Cyril said, sounding rather uneasy. "The exit's over there. Let's just go."

"We're not getting out of this that easily, Cyril," Lance said.

"Huh? Why not?" Cyril asked.

"Oh, this warning right here," Lance replied, looking at a sign next to the wall. "It says, 'You must correctly answer these questions to proceed. Failure to do so will result in a monster house.'"

Cyril rubbed his face with his right hand. "Zira, get that escape orb ready."

"What's going on?" Zira asked, raising her voice slightly as she retrieved the escape orb from her bag. "What's a monster house?"

"A lot of feral Pokémon drop in from the ceiling," Cyril replied.

Zira stared blankly at Cyril for a moment as her mind processed what he'd just told her. "Oh fuck..."

"Yeah, pretty much," Cyril said. "We're not equipped to deal with a monster house, so if it starts raining Pokémon in here, don't hesitate to use that orb."

"Don't worry, you two," Lance said, his voice full of confidence. "I'm good with riddles."

Cyril failed to stifle a laugh. "Well, if you trigger a monster house, at least I'll finally be able to tease you about something."

"Cute, Cyril," Lance said, giving Cyril a sideways glance. "I'm going to prank you so hard when we get back home."

Zira smiled at the light-hearted exchange. With as uncertain as their situation was, it was nice to have something to break up the tension. As Lance set to work on the riddle wall, Zira and Cyril moved a short distance from the wall to allow Lance to work in peace.

"How are you holding up?" Zira asked Cyril, wanting to strike up some conversation to pass the time.

"Honestly, this place gives me the creeps," Cyril replied. "I'll be a lot happier as soon as we get out of this place."

"Yeah, me too," Zira said. She glanced at the riddle wall. Lance had already solved two of the riddles. A green glow emanated from the edges of the inserted blocks. Zira figured that must mean the answers were correct. "Looking good so far."

"Lance is pretty good with anything that challenges the mind," Cyril said. "Me on the other hand, I'd be getting us into trouble with the first riddle."

"I don't think I'm too good with riddles either," Zira said, still watching Lance. He'd correctly answered two more riddles. "How long have you and Lance known each other?"

"Since early childhood," Cyril replied. "He was my first friend and we quickly became best friends. We do pretty much everything together, go everywhere together. He means a lot to me."

"When I first met you guys, it seemed like you two worked really well together," Zira said.

"The irony is he and I are polar opposites in many ways," Cyril said. "I admit that I'm a hothead. I'm always rushing into things without thinking them through. Lance has always counterbalanced my worst tendencies. He's always steering me into the right direction, never letting me get lost in the woods. I'm eternally grateful for his friendship."

Zira smiled as Cyril finished speaking. The bond between Cyril and Lance was a strong one. Such a bond could weather any storm, overcome any challenge. Zira had to admit that she was envious of their friendship. Perhaps one day, she too could have such a friendship. Or maybe she did and she just couldn't remember it.

"All done!" Lance said. Zira and Cyril stood up.

"That was easy," Cyril said.

"Easy?" Lance said, placing his hands on his hips. "You didn't even do anything except for talk to Zira. Not that I didn't appreciate what you said about me, but still..." He had a grin on his face, indicating his playful intentions.

"Uh, you heard all of that?" Cyril asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I'm not deaf, Cyril," Lance said. He gestured toward the room's exit. "Shall we go?"

"Y-yeah," Cyril said. The green part of his face was beginning to turn red.

Zira suppressed a laugh as she placed the escape orb she was holding back into her bag, relieved that she didn't have to use it.

Leaving the riddle wall behind, Team Dakota headed for the room's exit, entering a long, straight corridor. Zira could see the next room far in the distance, at least several hundred meters away. Zira sighed uneasily. The light-hearted mood from moments ago had vanished, replaced by the apprehension from before, and the constant sound of dripping water in the distance was beginning to fray her nerves. After they had traversed half of the corridor, it even seemed like the walls were closing in on them.

"The walls are moving!" Lance shouted. "Run!"

Zira's heart jumped as she began to sprint. They weren't crazy. The walls really were moving and they still had a couple hundred meters to cover before reaching the next room. Zira ran with every bit of energy she could muster. Even so, she and Lance were both trailing behind the speedy Grovyle. As the walls continued to close in on them, it crossed Zira's mind that she and Lance might not make it out. With about a hundred meters to go, the corridor had narrowed to the point that they were running single-file with Zira in the center. Up ahead, Cyril was nearing the end of the corridor. The relative safety of the next room was so close.

Almost there, Zira thought. She struggled to coax a bit more speed out of her tired body. The walls were now so narrow that her arms and bag were making contact with the rocky surfaces.

"Hurry!" Cyril shouted. He'd made it out of the corridor and was now thoroughly freaking out.

Zira felt like she was about to collapse as she neared the end of the corridor. With about 10 meters to go, she and Lance had to move sideways. The base of her tail was pressed against the wall behind her and the wall in front was beginning to press on her belly. When she came up on the last meter, Zira hopped into the room, stumbling and falling onto the floor. A moment later, Lance stumbled into the room, nearly landing on top of her.

"Thank the gods, you two are alright," Cyril said, kneeling by his teammates. "That was too close."

"Yeah," Zira said, panting heavily from the exertion. "I thought... we were done for."

Zira slowly stood up with the assistance of Cyril. When Cyril turned his attention to Lance, Zira leaned over, placing her hands on her thighs. Her heart was still beating furiously in her chest and her tail's flame was burning with an intensity of which she'd never seen. Zira glanced back at the corridor. The walls were tightly pressed against each other. If she and Lance had been just a few seconds slower, they would've been crushed to death. How much worse was this dungeon going to get?

"Maybe Kaiser died in one of his own dungeons," Zira said, standing up straight.

"It's possible," Lance said, "but I doubt it. If Kaiser could modify dungeons, then it's likely that he constructed a back door connecting to the last floor so he didn't have to deal with this crap."

"And the researchers?" Cyril asked.

Lance shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. They've made back and forth trips, so it's possible they found the back door if it exists. Otherwise, it's possible that they perished in one of Kaiser's traps. All it would take is one mistake."

"If a back door existed," Zira said, "wouldn't Cale have known about it?"

"Maybe the researchers never told him," Cyril said, walking toward the pedestal. He grabbed the escape orb and placed it in his bag. "Let's get going."

---

Cale took a deep breath of the fresh afternoon air as he stepped outside. It felt good to get away from his desk and move about. He'd been sitting pretty much non-stop since he'd sent Team Dakota to Kaiser's dungeon several hours ago and his legs needed a good stretch. It was a perfect opportunity to patrol the streets, something he didn't get to do much since being promoted to the rank of commander. Surveying the square from his vantage point at the outpost's entrance, Cale spotted Shar sitting on the edge of the fountain.

Strange, Cale thought. Shar really should be at home getting some sleep. Cale figured that Shar was troubled by something. He walked over to his friend to find out what.

"How are you, Shar?" Cale asked, taking a seat beside the Flygon.

"I'm alright," Shar replied. "I've just been thinking about what you told Jake and I this morning. I mean... if what this Lugia told you is true, this is huge."

"I believe she can be trusted," Cale said. "I just hope Team Dakota is careful in that dungeon."

"Yeah, me too," Shar said. "You know, I... um..."

Cale looked at Shar. "What is it?"

Shar sighed. "I'm worried about Lance."

"He'll make it. They all will." Cale looked around to make sure no one was nearby. "Are you two seeing each other?"

"Well... not yet," Shar replied. "He seems like a nice enough guy and I've been wanting to ask him if he'd be interested in another male for a mate, but I've been too afraid to ask the question."

"I don't think it would hurt to ask him," Cale said. "Even if he's not interested, Lance doesn't seem like the type who'd try to ruin your career. Just be careful, Shar."

"I know," Shar said before Cale could say more. "Whichever way this goes, I'll have to keep it a secret."

Silence fell between the two friends. Cale stared down at the ground, not knowing what direction to take the conversation. He felt bad for Shar, but there really wasn't anything he could do to help his friend. Homosexuals weren't permitted to join Federation Security or hold public office and Shar was gambling his career by pursuing such a relationship. It was just one of many examples of inequality still remaining in Andaran society, a relic of Andara's dark past before the formation of the Federation ten years ago.

"By the way," Shar said, shaking Cale from his thoughts. "I overheard you telling Team Dakota that story about the explorers and smugglers. I guess that's why they call you Cale the Ruthless."

"I hate the nickname, Shar," Cale said. "I was just doing my job."

"I understand," Shar said. "I know you either arrested or killed all of the smugglers, but what happened to the explorers?"

Cale sighed. "They got away. When we launched our attack, they fired up a magnagate and left. They even made certain that the smugglers couldn't follow them through."

"Wow, that's cold," Shar said. "Are you still searching for them?"

"I put out bulletins from time to time, but the trail's gone cold," Cale replied. "I think it's safe to say they got away."

Another moment of silence ensued, then Shar yawned. Standing up, he said, "I'm going to get some sleep." He took a few steps and then looked back at Cale. "Maybe you'll find them someday."

As Shar walked away, Cale stared ahead at nothing in particular, lost in his thoughts. "Maybe..."

A loud crash to the left suddenly caught Cale's attention. A scuffle had broken out between a merchant and a customer at a nearby stall. Cale jumped up and rushed over to break up the fight, grateful for the distraction.

---

The next several floors of Kaiser's dungeon were mercifully like those of an ordinary dungeon with the exception of the strange pedestals that Kaiser placed throughout. It seemed like Kaiser never finished tweaking the dungeon. There was sporadic feral activity on each floor, but nothing that Cyril and Lance couldn't handle. Zira managed to get in some flamethrower practice. Her attacks were becoming more and more reliable, giving Zira a much-needed confidence boost.

The 10th floor was a gigantic maze. Zira estimated it took at least a couple of hours to traverse it. Lance had taken the lead after Cyril had led them in circles. The Golduck's memory was considerably sharper than those of his teammates. When they finally made it to the stairs, Zira immediately noticed the lack of a pedestal. A feeling of dread fell upon Zira as this likely was not a good sign of what was to come.

"There's no pedestal here," Zira noted.

"We're approaching the end of the line," Lance said. "According to Cale, the next floor contains some kind of giant, hostile creature."

"I wish we knew more than that," Cyril said. "I really should've asked more questions."

As the team climbed the stairs to the 11th floor, Zira took in a deep, nervous breath. This was it. Everything hinged on how they handled this floor.

Immediately after crossing the threshold to the next floor, Zira noticed just how much warmer it was. She could see the stairs and some large rock formations on the far side of the room, across a chasm from which an orange glow emanated. A narrow rope bridge extended across the chasm. And nearby, right in front of the bridge, lay another one of Kaiser's pedestals. However, the inscription on this pedestal differed from the others. This one read, "Last chance. Death awaits on the other side."

"I guess this is really it," Cyril said. He looked away from the pedestal, scanning the chasm before them. "What's with that orange glow?"

Cyril walked toward the chasm, followed by his teammates. The very instant that Cyril got a look at what was in the chasm, he abruptly turned around and quickly walked away, nearly knocking over Zira. It turned out that the chasm was filled with magma.

"Oh gods!" Cyril said, placing his hands on his head.

"It's just lava," Lance said.

"Just lava?" Cyril spun around toward Lance. "I can feel my leaves wilting just being near that pit."

Zira was still standing by the edge of the chasm, relishing the warm air currents circulating around her. "I think it feels good."

Lance chuckled. "You could probably go swimming in the stuff, Zira. It'd feel just like a hot tub to you."

"Oh, enough!" Cyril said, gripping his head once more. He began to walk toward the bridge. "Let's just get across this thing as quickly as we can."

Cyril stopped just before the bridge. He inhaled deeply, and then he took off running at full speed, the rope bridge bouncing beneath his feet. However, despite the unstable surface, Cyril never once lost his balance. Zira once again found herself impressed with the Grovyle's abilities.

Zira and Lance traversed the bridge next, walking along at a relaxed pace while Cyril waited on the other side with his arms crossed. When they stepped onto solid ground, Zira smiled at Cyril. She was just about to say something to him when the sound of something snapping from behind grabbed her attention. Zira spun around just in time to see the rope bridge fall into the magma below.

"No going back," Lance noted. "Fortunately, we already have a few escape orbs."

"Let's hope we don't have to use them," Cyril said. "We've come too far to throw it all away."

As Cyril headed for the stairs, Zira and Lance exchanged nervous glances before following their leader. None of them really knew what to expect of this creature that they were to encounter, their only clues being large and aggressive. Zira let out a nervous sigh. The closer they came to the stairs, the more jittery she became. As Team Dakota walked between the large rock formations, the ground sudden began to rumble. Zira and her teammates stopped dead in their tracks as the ground shook with increasing intensity. As they struggled to maintain their balance, something ruptured the ground ahead of them with such force that it knocked all three of them off of their feet.

A giant green, clawed fist had forced its way through the ground. It was shortly followed by another hand, and then a reptilian head resembling that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Zira watched in horror as the massive reptilian creature lifted its muscular body out of the ground. It stood upright on a pair of digitigrade legs ending in clawed feet. A long, thick tail tipped with a spike and a pair of curved blades completed the terrifying creature.

For a moment, the creature stared at Zira and her teammates with its yellow eyes. Then it let out a deafening roar, so loud that the dungeon seemed to shake. The creature tilted back its head and opened its mouth, no doubt preparing to launch an attack.

"Take cover!" Cyril shouted.

Zira dove behind the rock formation to her right, just barely dodging an attack that resembled a seriously powered-up bullet seed. To Zira, it was more like a cannon seed. The attack lasted for several seconds. The creature stopped to take a breath, and then launched another cannon seed attack. Zira didn't dare move from behind her hiding spot. She was effectively pinned down, as were her teammates, and she was unsure how long the rock formations would protect them from the relentless assault. The situation seemed hopeless. Zira reached into her bag and retrieved the escape orb, just in case things took a turn for the worst.

"Is there anything we can do?" Zira called out.

"I'm not sure!" Cyril shouted back. "I don't see any good options!"

"If only we had some blast seeds!" Lance yelled.

Cyril snapped his head toward Lance. "Seriously? You're making jokes now?"

Another attack shattered some of the stone near Zira, showering her in debris. She clutched the escape orb in her hands so tightly that she threatened to activate it. The rock formations that protected them were going to give out eventually, or the creature would get tired of wasting its energy and simply charge at them. Either way, they were running out of time.

"Should I use the orb?" Zira shouted.

"Wait!" Lance shouted. "Cyril! Use the totter seed!"

Cyril reached into his bag, digging through it for a moment, and pulled out what Zira hoped was their ticket out of this mess.

"Can you distract it?" Cyril shouted.

Lance looked around for a moment before setting his eyes on a nearby boulder. He lifted the boulder with his psychic attack and flung it backwards over the rock formation that sheltered him. It was a blind shot, but luck was on Lance's side. The creature cried out in agony as the boulder struck its right shoulder. Cyril leaped out from behind his cover and tossed the totter seed at the creature. Upon detonation, the creature screamed and became badly disoriented, stumbling forward as it clutched its head with its good arm.

"Now's our chance!" Cyril shouted. The leaf on his head began to glow as he took in a deep breath. After a moment, Cyril unleashed a powerful solar beam, hitting the creature in the center of the chest. At the same time, Lance unleashed an equally impressive hyper beam into the same location. The combined attack blasted a hole in the creature's chest, killing it instantly. It collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Zira emerged from her hiding spot, still holding the escape orb in her hands. She joined up with the others as they headed toward the fallen creature to inspect their work. Under ordinary circumstances, there would be no doubt that the creature was dead, but this dungeon had been anything but ordinary and her teammates no doubt wanted to make sure that it wasn't going to somehow spring back to life. They studied it for about a minute before one of them finally spoke.

"I'm not sensing any brain activity," Lance said. "I think it's safe to say it's dead."

Cyril nodded. "Let's finish the mission and get out of this place."

Zira placed the escape orb back in her bag as she followed her teammates toward the stairs. With the final obstacle out of the way, there was hopefully nothing left standing in their way. As Zira ascended the stairs to the final floor, she took in an anxious breath. This was it. They'd made it to the final floor. Now it was time to find some answers.

To Zira's surprise, the final floor was nothing like the others. Rather than a dreary cavern, this floor was a lush, beautiful grassy landscape with a large pond occupying the center of the room surrounded by trees and flowers. The sun shone from directly overhead in the clear blue sky. Oh, how good it felt to see the sun again, even if it wasn't exactly the real thing. This floor was a slice of paradise in an otherwise terrifying dungeon. Not far from the pond lay a stone cottage, no doubt their final destination.

"This is pleasant," Zira said.

"It certainly is," Lance said. "Kaiser really wanted to work in comfort." He surveyed their surrounding for a moment and then pointed toward something in the distance. "There's the exit."

Zira turned her attention toward the exit. From this distance, she could just barely make out the shimmering image of the outside world projected on the dungeon wall. It was good to know where it was in the event that they had to make a quick getaway. Despite the peaceful surroundings, they were still in a dungeon and dangers could still be lurking. After all, there must've been a reason for the scientists' lack of communication.

"Let's find those researchers," Cyril said, heading for the cottage.

The interior of the cottage was what one would expect of a non-electric laboratory. The main room contained several large chalk boards, bulletin boards, and tables. There was a solidly-built desk in the corner to the left with what appeared to be a Pokémon-made manual typewriter sitting on top of it. Papers and notebooks were scattered all over the place, some of which were clearly aged and some that looked fairly new. Zira figured the newer papers and notebooks belonged to the scientists. And in the back of the room sat another one of Kaiser's pedestals surrounded by a forcefield. A strange silver object sat atop the pedestal that looked like it might be a helmet.

"We've got some blood here," Lance said, looking down at the floor. There were several streaks of blood on the floor, all leading to a closed door to the right. Lance walked over to the door and slowly opened it. "Oh gods..."

Zira and Cyril rushed over to take a look inside. On the floor lay the lifeless bodies of a Flygon, a Breloom, a Lucario, and a Raichu. Their hands were bound behind their backs where they all exhibited a single, deep slash wound. A wave of sadness fell upon Zira. They had failed to save a single scientist.

"No..." Zira said. "We're too late."

Lance kneeled by the body of the Flygon and inspected it. "There wasn't anything we could've done. They've been dead for a few days."

"They were all bound and killed the same way," Cyril said. "This was an execution."

"Executed..." Zira said. "By whom?"

"I don't know," Cyril replied, "but let's get out of here before we're next. Lance..." His voice trailed off. "Take one of their badges," he said quietly. "We'll need it to prove that we found them."

Lance nodded and then removed the Andaran Federation badge from the Flygon's bag. Then Team Dakota quietly exited the room.

"Does anyone want to say anything for them?" Cyril asked, holding the door open.

Zira remained silent, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.

"May the gods watch over you," Lance said quietly.

Cyril softly closed the door, staring at it for several seconds afterward before turning toward his teammates. "Well... there's just one thing left to so." He looked into Zira's eyes. "It's time, Zira."

Zira nodded. It was finally time to fulfill her purpose on this mission. She headed for the pedestal, her teammates following closely behind. A mixture of excitement and anxiety washed over Zira. What would it mean if she could retrieve this artifact, something that no other Human thus far has been able to do? What would this artifact do to her? Or would this part of the mission be for naught?

Standing in front of the pedestal, Zira took in a deep breath as she slowly raised a hand up to the force field. When her hand made contact with the barrier, electrical arcs formed around the point of intrusion. However, there was no resistance from the force field. Her hand passed freely through. She'd passed the first test. Now she had to retrieve the artifact, an action with consequences unknown to her. Zira took in another deep breath and then she quickly yanked the artifact from its resting place.

"I'm not dead!" Zira said after a few seconds, overjoyed that her worst fears hadn't come true.

"That's always a good thing," Cyril said. "It looks like some kind of helmet."

Zira gazed at the unusual helmet in her hands, running her eyes over its mostly undecorated silver surface, the exception being a ruby-like gem on top. It was much too large for her to wear. At first, Zira thought it was designed for a Charizard, Kaiser himself being one, but the shape was off. The snout of the helmet was too angular for a normal Charizard and the back of the helmet was designed to accommodate a Pokémon with three horns. Zira wondered if Kaiser designed it for a Mega Charizard Y. But why would he do that? Was he capable of mega evolution? Did he design this helmet for himself or for someone else?

"Well, we got what we came for," Cyril said. "Let's go home."

"Not so fast," an unknown male said from behind. "We'll be taking that now."

Zira and her teammates spun around toward the source of the voice. Standing at the entrance were a Sceptile, a Garchomp, and a Weavile. The three Pokémon each wore a green armband with a white logo that Zira couldn't make out, apparently a team of some sort. Explorers perhaps? In any case, the three Pokémon appeared ready for a fight.

"Who are you?" Cyril asked, raising his voice.

"None of your damn business," the Sceptile replied. "Hand over the artifact or die."

Zira wasn't sure what to do. Whoever these Pokémon were, they clearly intended to deliver on their threat. After a long, tense moment, Cyril looked back at Zira.

"Toss it over to them," Cyril said.

Zira couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Were they giving it up so easily? Or perhaps Cyril had a plan. Zira complied with Cyril's order, tossing the helmet toward the Sceptile.

The Sceptile stepped forward with a joyous expression on his face, holding out his arms to catch the helmet. The instant he caught it, the Sceptile's face suddenly went blank. He doubled over and fell face-first onto the ground, landing on the helmet before coming to rest on his side.

A collective gasp sounded throughout the room, the shock of what just happened hitting everyone like an anvil. Suddenly, Lance fired a hyper beam at the Weavile, blasting a hole through the Weavile's chest and the wall beyond. The blast wave and debris knocked the Garchomp off his feet and injured his right arm. The Garchomp quickly got to his feet and fled the scene through the hole in the wall, holding onto his ruined arm as he did so.

After the shock from what just happened wore off, Zira and her teammates gathered around the fallen Sceptile and the helmet. Zira placed her fingers on the Sceptile's throat, just under the jaw, checking for a pulse.

"Don't bother, Zira," Lance said. "There's no brain activity. He's as dead as can be."

Zira retracted her hand. "So that's why no Pokémon can handle these artifacts. They suck the life out of any Pokémon who touches them." Zira turned her head to the door leading outside. "Do you think they're the ones that killed the researchers?"

"I'd say definitely," Cyril said. He had been searching through the Sceptile's bag, among the included items being an Explorers Guild badge and a notebook. "They have notes on Kaiser's artifacts and these researchers. I wonder how they even--"

Cyril was cut off by an agonizing scream in the distance. There was little doubt it was the Garchomp. What could've happened to him?

"Time to go," Cyril said, stuffing what he'd recovered from the Sceptile's bag into his own. "Don't forget the artifact, Zira."

Zira grabbed the helmet and gave it a cursory inspection as she stood up. It didn't appear to be damaged. She couldn't even locate a scratch on its silver surface. There was no space in her bag to store the helmet, so she held it under her left arm. As her teammates headed for the hole in the wall, Zira took one last glance at the lab, knowing that it was likely she was never going to see it again.

The instant that Zira stepped outside the cottage, the walls of the dungeon suddenly shimmered all at once and the ground began to shake. The sky turned an eerie shade of purple and the wind began to howl.

"What's happening?" Zira asked, raising her voice.

"I... I don't know," Cyril said, clearly unnerved by the sudden turn of events.

Zira scanned her surroundings, searching for some clue that would explain what was happening. To her horror, the trees that made up the dungeon walls were suddenly ripped away, revealing the purple void beyond. Then the ground around the edges of the room began to dissolve into the void as well.

"The dungeon's collapsing!" Lance shouted. "Run!"

Team Dakota headed for the dungeon exit with great haste. They passed by the body of the Garchomp--or rather what was left of him. The Garchomp had been ripped in half. Zira looked back at Kaiser's lab just in time to see it ripped apart and devoured by the void. This was no doubt Kaiser's final security measure to prevent his creation from falling into the wrong hands.

With the exit now very close, Zira began to believe that they just might make it with time to spare. However, her hopes were dashed when another reptilian creature like before crawled out of a fissure beside the exit. With the destruction of the floor continuing behind them, they would have to end this fight quickly.

While Cyril and Lance launched their most powerful attacks at the creature, Zira decided to contribute with her flamethrower reconfigured into a fireball, a trick she'd learned on one of the lower floors. She took in a deep breath as she summoned the power within her. A curious sensation arose in her chest as she did so. It didn't feel like any other flamethrower she'd produced. It felt far more powerful.

When Zira finally exhaled, releasing the energy she'd built up, a superheated ball of plasma left her mouth, striking the creature in the chest and sending it flying backward into the dungeon wall. Cyril and Lance both looked back at her wide-eyed and mouths agape.

"What was that?" Cyril asked.

"Not now!" Lance said, shoving Cyril toward the exit.

Zira and her teammates sprinted past the fallen creature and ran with everything they had through the exit. Emerging on the other side in torrential rainfall, they turned to look at the exit. The rock face continued to shimmer for several more seconds with increasing intensity, then it emitted a blinding white light. Zira shielded her eyes with her free hand until the light vanished a moment later. The dungeon, it would seem, was gone forever.

Team Dakota took a moment to relax. They were all panting heavily from the running and the powerful attacks, Zira most of all. The plasma burst had really taken a lot out of her. Too much. Her chest ached and she even felt a bit light-headed for a few seconds. There was no way she'd be able to fire off that move consecutively. It was just too much of a strain on her Charmeleon body.

"That was close," Zira noted of their escape.

"It sure was," Cyril said. Turning toward Zira, he said, "I wonder what that move was that you used. That was incredible!"

"I don't know what happened," Zira said, still shocked by the unusual move she'd used and the sheer power of it. She looked down at the strange helmet in her hands. "I really don't know."

"It would seem that artifact really boosted your attack power," Lance noted. "And that's just with one piece. I wonder what you'd be capable of with all six pieces."

As Zira considered Lance's words, a flash of lightning above followed by a loud boom interrupted her thoughts. She looked up at the sky, the rain pelting her face without mercy. It was quite the storm and every raindrop felt like an icicle impacting against her skin. Looking away, her eyes came to rest on a large Pokémon standing on a nearby cliff. Zira immediately recognized it as a Lugia. The Lugia stared at Team Dakota for a moment and then hopped into the air, flapping its wings as it adjusted its orientation.

"It's her..." Zira said, her eyes tracking the Lugia as it flew west.

Lance placed his hands on his hips. "Why do I get the feeling that she's connected to this somehow?"

It was a good question, but as the rain and wind continued to assault Zira's fire-type body, the thing foremost on her mind was shelter.

"Can we go now?" Zira asked.

Cyril and Lance both smiled at Zira.

"Yeah," Cyril said. "Let's go home."

---

Team Dakota arrived in Seneca Village, waterlogged and weary, several hours after leaving Kaiser's dungeon. Zira couldn't wait to get indoors. She longed for their warm, dry cabin and the shelter it provided from the cursed rain. But they still had to report to Cale. Their cabin would just have to wait.

The town square was almost totally deserted by the time Team Dakota arrived. The only Pokémon still present were those who had a type advantage against water. Zira figured all of her fellow fire-types had turned in for the night, possibly sitting by their fireplaces with a good book and a glass of wine. Zira sighed as she continued to shiver, wishing that she was curled up by a fireplace herself.

Upon entering the outpost, Team Dakota headed straight for Cale's office, closing the door behind them. Cyril and Lance informed him of what transpired during their mission. Lance handed over the badge that they'd recovered from one of the researchers and Cyril handed over the explorers' materials.

"That's so sad," Cale said, staring at the Andaran Federation badge in his hand. "I suppose we'll just have to console ourselves with the fact that those explorers won't be harming anyone again." He set the badge down on his desk. "You three did well under difficult circumstances. I'll see to it that you are commended for this." Cale picked up a wooden box that had been sitting on his desk and turned to face Zira. "I'll need the artifact, Zira."

Zira hesitated for a moment. She wanted to learn more about the helmet and whatever pieces that went along with it, but perhaps it was for the best that she parted ways with it for now. Zira took one last look at the strange helmet before placing it in the box. She had a feeling that she'd be seeing it again someday.

Cale placed a lid on the box and held it under his arm. "If there's nothing else, then you're dismissed," he said, turning away from the team.

Team Dakota left Cale's office, heading down the hallway and past the desks in the lobby as they made their way toward the exit. Zira could see through the open lobby door that it was still raining heavily outside. When they got to the door, Zira gazed outside at the soaked square. A flash of lightening lit up the sky, followed by a crack of thunder so loud that it made her flinch.

"You two head on home without me," Lance said, turning toward the medical room. "I'm going to get my back healed first."

Zira watched Lance pass through the door, getting one last look at the cuts and scars on his back. Those injuries would be gone the next time she saw him. Zira was relieved that Lance wouldn't have to live with those scars for the rest of his life. She turned her attention back to the storm raging outside. Zira groaned, knowing all too well the misery that she would once again have to endure.

"I'll race you back to the cabin," Cyril said, grinning.

Zira returned the grin with one of her own. "You're on."

Zira and Cyril burst out the door, sprinting through the square, past the fountain, and onto the street that would take them home. Despite the exertion, Zira was enjoying herself. The running distracted her from the biting cold that the rain inflicted upon her and Cyril seemed to enjoy running beside her. Zira knew that Cyril was letting her keep up. There was no way she could've matched the Grovyle's speed if he had been running all-out.

When Zira and Cyril reached their cabin, Cyril already had his key at ready. The instant he opened the door, they both rushed in, laughing. They placed their soaked bags on a set of hooks on the wall and then dried themselves off with a cloth.

"I hope I can sleep," Cyril said. "It's been quite the day."

"It sure has," Zira said. She wasn't going to be getting much sleep. She just had too much on her mind at the moment to even try. Perhaps something to pull her mind off the events of the day would help. She looked at the books sitting on the desk, her eyes coming to rest on Rescue Team Essentials. It wouldn't hurt to educate herself on the topic. "If you don't mind, I'm going to do some reading for a while."

"Don't stay up too late," Cyril said, hopping into his hammock. "It's back to the job board in the morning."

As Cyril made himself comfortable, Zira grabbed the book and plopped her butt on the worn chair in front of the desk. Upon opening the book, Zira was greeted by the Rescuer's Oath.

I am a rescuer. I pledge upon my honor, my life, my very soul to assist those in need and uphold the law.

Zira whispered the oath several times, wanting to commit it to memory. They were good words to live by. Zira turned the page to the table of contents and then to the introduction. As interesting as the content was, she was having trouble staying focused. Her mind kept drifting back to the dungeon, Kaiser and the artifacts he created, and to Athena the Lugia, who was still very much a mystery to her.

Where was all of this going?

---

Cale stood at the edge of town, just outside of the western entrance, waiting for Athena to arrive. He had the box containing the artifact tucked safely under his arm. He hoped that he wouldn't have to wait long. It was still raining, making him quite miserable due to his ground typing. He would continue to wait, however. Cale didn't believe that Athena would skip out on their meeting. A few minutes later, Cale heard something heavy land behind him, prompting him to turn around. Athena had arrived.

"It's agreeable to see you again," Cale said.

"Likewise," Athena said. "I assume that's the artifact?"

"It is," Cale replied, holding the box outward.

Athena carefully grabbed the box with one of her massive hands and placed it in a bag that she wore around her waist.

"I assume you'll be taking that to Emerald City?" Cale asked.

"Given the current political situation in Andara, I don't think that would be wise," Athena said. "I'll be taking it to the Dakota City University instead. They're not exactly equipped to deal with this sort of thing, but at least it'll be safe there."

"Agreed," Cale said. "So, it would seem that Zira is the key after all."

"Indeed," Athena said. "I have a request for you, Commander. Please see to it that Team Dakota doesn't collapse."

"I will," Cale said. "You have my word."