Smok: Smok peered over angrily at the small lad. "Wha? Your not Drow...or Rohlig... what are you doing here!?"

Garet: "I will ask you the same thing, demon!" The boy was encompassed in his glow, each step only enhancing it, drawing on more life, drawing more of the mana from the air. Almost to the point that the mystical creatures nearby would start to choke.

Smok: "Demon? Your lack of respect is pitiful... We drakes are the servants of Merinell, the queen of Istria... We are the personal servants! Perhaps you don't understand what I mean... Our position in this world, is to remove the species that are not deserving of life... for example, our friends the Drow and Rohlig... And of course, the humans and Elves shall meet the same soon, the Lyontiar won't even be able to stand up against us. Demon... ha! What are you? some little hero?" Smok laughed as he spoke, entertained that a young boy was standing against him.

Garet: The boy kept his leer upon the Drake, approaching ever more, at a mild pace, his energies growing. "Perhaps, it is you who does not know your place, wretch. Yes, perhaps you do like to give yourself some idea that you control the grand scheme of things, but, really...you are nothing but a useless pawn. And when pawns...start screwing with the natural order..."

The boy raised a hand, a myriad of stones rising from the ground, forming a diamond-shaped dart. As he clenched his fist, it reformed at the molecular level, turning from simple gravel to the strongest of elements, Sabel Diamond.

"Nature...starts screwing back!" he yelled, thrusting his hand forward, the blade launching at the demon.

Smok: Smok concentrated on the javelin of diamond heading at him, trying to see its structure, trying to change it... change what it was... he couldn't, the boy's control over it was far too powerful, he could not uncreate the object... he tried to cast a defensive shield in front of him, covering his head with both arms wrapped around, bent forward, claws planted in the ground... The object made contact, starting to break through, Smok growled, being pushed back, leaving scratch marks in the ground where he was being shoved back... he grunted, it was harsh, he had to disband the mass, or else it would break, he concentrated hard on it, and managed to break apart its chemistry, shattering it...

He was breathing a little heavy, not exactly prepared for such an immediate show of force... He stepped forward, and laughed again...

"So... you are a defender of 'natural order' are you? You must not understand it very well.... nature is not some friendly, lovely, green world, where harmony proceeds all... it is a battlefield... it is a constant battle, a war of minds, of muscles, of ideas, of passions, a war... Merinell will recreate this world... to be more like that world you think exists now... She will put an end to the battlefield, by winning the way..." Smok placed both his arms and claws forward, and chanted, a chant in Essian again, and the space around Garet began to twist... Smok spoke again, "There is a world within a world... you are the sub-reality user, the user of element... I use the world of existance, I will kill you with my own ontology... it will be a glorious site, to see physics trump nature..." With that, space began to swirl... Smok was freezing time close to Garet, so he could not see what was happening, he saw Smok standing there, talking, but the words seemed to be moving... Smok indeed was moving, he took flight, and hovered over behind Garet, where he landed, and prepared to slash the druid down to size with his massive claws, while he was trapped in the timeless hurricane's eye.

Garet: He closed his eyes, feeling the pull, the drag, the groan of the magics upon him. "You are a fool...an absolute fool...to think that what this Merinell wants is any different than that which exists..."

He raised his arms, encasing himself in the Sabel diamond. It hardly mattered that he was locked in this void of time if the drake couldn't reach him. Garet twisted around, trying to gauge the demon, failing as time slowed around him. "And if you think your parlor tricks are going to have any effect on me...you are sorely mistaken!" With that, he vanished into the ground, before lightning strikes would herald his rise elsewhere.

"Now you will learn what the real power of Istria is..." he aimed his hands toward the spire, more lightning striking it, causing it to rise into the air, with more following beneath it.

The Sabel Golem had risen, its ruby eyes focusing upon the Drake. It flexed once, causing thousands of spikes, of projectiles to sprout across its body.

Smok: Smok was thoroughly entertained... He had not expected a fight this good, nor did he know of anyone in Istria with powers like these. He spoke back to Garet, "... As a Rapturist, these are no tricks and illusions, what you see is what it is... reality is my dough to twist as I please, to mold as I see fit... and I believe my nether storm is getting large enough to show you that one...." and Smok roared, calling his storm, the winds grew very heavy... Smok spoke again, "The power of the rapturist is terribly difficult to control, if I break concentration too much, I lose control for a brief period of time.... that is the simple drawback to being a Rapturist...." The storm winds grew even heavier, then dark lightning bolts struck Smok... he howled out in pain, but in laughter at the same time... He stretched out his claws, placing his arms up, and spoke one Essian word, a bolt from the sky made direct contact with the golem, and Smok bent down and opened his mouth, as did any dragon when they breathed their fire, a let out a long, thick, explosive column of a dark blue flame.... it collided with the stone golem, a dark lightning and a dark fire at the same time, tainted nature would be the best way to describe these.

Garet: That was his cue, the drake's attentions focused on the decoy, the druid began running behind Smok, a twister forming around his legs, lifting him into the air. "That is the drawback to all of the artificial magics...they require your mind!"

The boy came up behind the drake, the wind releasing him, allowing him to fall amongst the ridges of spines along the demon's back. "Entirely too much of your resources spent trying to conjure the magic, and very little in actually controlling it!" Garet ran up his spine, a myriad of stones rising from far below, reforming into a saber of Sabel Diamond.

"If you were true to this world, something that belonged, you'd realize that the strongest magic is that from nature. Not for its physical strength..."

The boy slowed, aiming the sword at the base of the demon's head, "but for the amount of control it gives over the end effect!" he yelled before stabbing at the creature.

Smok: Smok leapt off from the ground, as the tornado came close to his back, he felt the tug, it was strong, very strong, it was heading right towards him, the Druid used his own wind against him. Smok growled, and took flight, he got up a few yards off the ground, and flapped his wings furiously, the wind holding the tornado in place briefly, he beat his wings harder, then harder, then harder... he was losing patience, he was losing concentration, he was being overcome by anger, some young druid was telling the most high beasts alive the way the world worked...

Soon, all that could be seen was a whirl in the sky, the furious beating of wings, till you couldn't see them anymore, they moved too fast for sight, and a massive twister, starting to change direction, and head back towards the Druid... Smok had an idea, he released another column of flame, right into the heart of the fast spinning wind, the flames were strong... Smok continued to feed the tornado, until the gigantic, burning, spinning mass was heading straight towards Garet. Smok landed on the ground, and waited to see what would happen.

Garet: The boy looked up, watching the events transpire, the dragon twisting, shifting, sending the plume of flame after him. "You fool!" he chimed, starting to laugh. "You oblivious fool! You have no clue what you're fighting, yet I know exactly what you are!" The wind cut out beneath him, the boy starting to fall, being pressed downward by the ensuing flame. He wasn't worried, his eyes showing more determination than ever before.

Garet held his hands before him, fingers spread, as though he were capturing the Drake's flame. "Ifraati of old, your master plane is calling to you! Help me tame this useless force, to preserve the natural way!" Within the palms of his hand, a strange glow appeared, wrapping about the flame, and stealing it. It was as though the boy were ripping it from Smok's throat, forcing more and more into this existential sphere.

He shifted, holding the sphere, landing hard on the ground, leaving an impact crater. Definite proof that he wasn't the race he seemed as he held the sphere of flame over him like the great Atlas held the heavens. He grunted, struggling to stand under the force, soon finding his other foot upon the ground, pressing against it. "Djinn, great collector of mana, wielder of the ultimate flame! Forge this senseless energy into a weapon for Nature's Will!"

Another glow, and the Drake's breath glowed brighter, fading fast, before dissapearing, a solitary spinning blade hovering in the air before it fell into his hand. Had this Druid just turned the strongest breath in the land into his sword? It seemed that way as he swung his new blade a few times, testing its weight. "I now command you, Ifrit, the sword of ultimate flame, tempered by the soul of dimension, and forged in the heart of the planet's will. You serve ME now, and none other." The sword gleamed, understanding its new role. "And you have been created, to destroy those who would challenge Mother's will, and her way!" The sword glowed again, bonding itself to him, making itself an extension of his will. The boy looked up to Smok, gripping the sword.

This, he thrust into the sky. "Ifrit! Dispel the false will of this demon! I, Garet Cereanos Melane COMMAND IT!!" Within that instant, a sharp wave of heat fired into the sky, dispelling the clouds instantly, filling it with the familiar warmth of the sun, bringing intense light to the field. Garet simply stood there, staring up at the dragon, now revealed. "You're next, knave!" he yelled after it.

Smok: Smok cried out and covered his eyes, the light burned him, coming so suddenly, he was distracted, he could not see, blinded by this trick... He roared with anger, a roar that to the drakes was a summoning call.

Indeed, he heard roars back in heedance, and the drakes did move towards the area. Garet would have to defeat Smok quickly, for a force of drakes was no joking matter.

Garet: Garet looked up, squinting from the light as he watched the demon screech. He lowered his head, shaking it. "As much as...you need judgment...I will not take advantage of you." The boy sat, setting the large blade across his lap, feeling its life force pulsing.

The druid hardly cared that there was a trove of Drakes drawing closer, nearer their leader. They were even more the pawn than he was.

Smok: Smok regained his sight, long enough to see the young boy with a large weapon, sitting on the ground... why hadn't he struck... was he taunting Smok.? Smok was enraged the possibility that he was being taunted by this druid... He screeched again, calling the drakes, they were in sight, the first ones began to land down next to Smok, most of them a little smaller, than he was... they all were covered in blood and gore, from the destruction they had caused, they were wearing the death they caused all over their person, the messier a drake was, the more he had killed, and the more prideful he showed the gore.... It was sickening...

Smok growled and shouted, "Drakes, kill this druid who tries to be God....!"

The drakes descended upon the boy... not knowing just how much crap they were in....

Garet: He boy calmly looked up, watching the army rushing toward him. Slowly, he stood, clutching the sword, brushing himself off with the other hand. All he could do was laugh. "You are a bloody coward! Sending this pathetic swarm at me? Despicable!"

He braced, shifting the sword behind himself, preparing for the first of the onslaught. "And now...I will reclaim that which you have stolen from the planet!" In almost no time, half a dozen of the beasts leapt at him, claws readied. With a grunt, they fell in half, their wounds causing them to burn to ash, the souls within freed. The boy grunted and danced, slicing and dispelling numerous demons before they started to catch on to this trick.

Garet had been hoping for that. A few of the large ones stayed out of the Ifrit's range, taking deep breaths, drawing the boy's gaze as more began to circle around him, drawing nearer. The druid merely grinned, watching in time as the plumes of flame came upon him, the others charging from all sides. Garet simply stabbed the sword into the ground before him. "Ifrit! Protect me!" he yelled, the Drake's flames redirected around him, incinerating the others that had attempted.

Quickly, he ripped the sword from the ground, swinging it, sending a bladed wave through the air, dividing a score more, melting them to ash. The boy could only feel better as more and more spirits were freed. Soon, the numbers were starting to wane, especially as more and more were falling.

After what felt like an eternity, he stood there, holding the sword ahead of him, panting, braced against the ground. "You despicable beasts...say hello to your personal Lucifer for me!" he yelled, before he thrust the sword into the air, aiming it at the sun.

"Almighty light of the chosen ones! Destroy those beings who taint the lands beneath you!" Almost instantly, he became engulfed in a bright ray of sunlight, the Drakes taking this opportunity to charge at him, before the beam would grow. Almost the moment they were touched, they burned. Worse than the heathens they were, they burned.

When the boy lowered the sword to his side, the point in the dirt, the drakes had all been dispelled. The last of which were nothing more than smoking skeletons now. All the souls had been saved, save for what Smok had devoured himself.

Garet looked up to him, chuckling softly. "So, are you ready to fight me now? Or will I have to dispel more useless creatures?"

Smok: Smok could not respond... he was more intelligent than his drake army... that sword... the powers this boy harnessed, he could not hope to possibly win, he should run... no... the Drake King never runs... but the drake king doesn't get beaten either.... what would he do.... if he died, Merinell would lose one of the best forces she had... if he lived by running, she would kill him anyway...

He could not respond... He only managed to choke out one sentence. "Me--- Merinell is not beaten by nature... You have no idea what you are really against...." and Smok took flight towards the mountains he had come from... he couldn't die... not yet, and he would not let Merinell kill him either... maybe he had to consider his options.

Garet: The boy stood there, panting, watching the demon fly off. He raised a hand, conjuring a sheathe for the sword, resting it across his back, before putting the Ifrit away. "You are smarter than you look, Demon...but you better know this..."

He knelt, picking up a rock, tossing it in one hand, hardening it into a Sabel Diamond ball. "If you do anything like this again, I will not hesitate to kill you!" he yelled, before pitching the stone. As it left his hand, a ring of air captured it, pulled it back, and launched it at the demon like a bullet.

"Remember who sent you running! I am Garet Cereanos Melane!!" The boy landed on his bum with a grunt, closing his eyes, holding himself up with his hands in the dirt behind him, panting. "Christ...that was close," he mumbled to himself. "Nature...I...I thank you...for your sacrifice. I...hope I do not need it again..." With the last of the energy fleeing him, he fell backward, falling into a sound sleep.

Clowd: As Garet fell, Jesru grabbed him before he hit the hard stone beneath. Holding Garet in his arms, Jesru looked down at him, lifted him up onto his shoulder, then suddenly everything around Jesru stood still again, and a faint apparition of a little girl appeared once more.

"What plans do you have with him, Kris?" Merinell asked him. "Plans? I do not have any plans at the moment for Garet. However, he needs rest, his first trial has come to pass. However... this game is not yet over," Kris responded.

"No, it is not over. A small ripple has been started, one that may eventually consume them all," Merinell stated in her normal monotone voice. "Yes, and that is why I would like him to rest... even if it is but a short one," Kris responded, followed by a nod from Merinell. Merinell then dissapeared, and time once again continued flowing as it used to.

"Come on will of nature, I do believe that you are with me now. Let us go find Heath, for our next objective is to remove this barrier," Jesru said, Garet still unconscious on his shoulder. He continued to walk away from Sylvia, as the city continued to burn.