To A Thief - Chapter 47: Dawn

The Dawn is coming...

Grauberg

"Boy, he really roughed you up didn't he boss?" Ecco chuckled as he patted away the dust from Draven's unconscious face. "Oh? Not a bad looking guy, either. Couldn't see it before with the layer of dust over his face. I think he'll fit in perfectly, don't you big boss?" 

"That's enough," the hooded man muttered. "Just get him back to base..."

Ecco sighed and held out his hands in a shrug. "Aw, I think it's a great idea for our little club! 'Must be this hot to enter'," Ecco laughed to himself as he placed a hand on Draven's chest and began pushing him with ease into the ground through a pool of black that had now formed under the catalyst's body. 

The hooded man turned away and looked off into the distance. "... I was beginning to enjoy the peace and quiet while you were gone." 

"That's harsh!" Ecco smiled in defeat. He jumped back up on his feet and licked his lips as he made his way over to his leader. "If we're going to be running with the same clique from now on, I'd rather them be a good looking bunch, you know? I got an idea for another pre-requisite in the list: No Galkas allowed." 

"I couldn't care any less about that," the man retorted, wanting the boy to shut up already. 

"Aw, big boss," Ecco cooed as he placed a hand on his leader's back and leaned over with a playful smirk. "I didn't know you were that kind of guy! Most people these days are so shallow..." 

"... Like you?" He replied, reaching up to his own face and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Ecco, I don't have time for this. The sooner we can find the other catalyst, the better." 

"Aye, aye," Ecco rolled his eyes giving a lazy salute. "You'd think after spending the last few years recruiting people, I'd have a little time off..."

"I have no doubt in my mind that you slacked off during that time period," his leader grumbled. 

"Gentlemen," a familiar voice suddenly called to them from behind. "When you are done with your little chit-chat, I would like a word." 

It was Moku. He was standng there with his staff drawn and his battle robes on. 

"Whoa," Ecco turned in surprise. "That's kinda disturbing! I didn't even see him coming. It's not nice to sneak up on people, you know..."

"Shut up," the hooded man silenced his acquaintance. "Moku... to what do I owe the honor, then? You saved me the trouble of looking for you."

 Moku would only brandish a smirk across his lips. "I've a simple request to make: 

Stop what it is you are doing, and hand Draven back to the Brigade. In exchange, I won't kill you." 

Jeuno - Brigade H.Q.

Everybody was coming back to H.Q. after another round of searching for Draven turned up nothing. 

Walking over to one of the settees, Flint dropped himself on it over the arm rest and smashed his face against the cushion with a groan. "Man, Draven is really breaking my a*s with this search! Just where the heck is he hiding?" 

Okina's monkey-like ears drooped a little as she sunk into one of the chairs at the center table and sighed. "I dunno, dunno... our team hasn't had much luck either, either," she said, pouting at Annie and Mel. 

"When I find that little b*****d, I'm gonna give him a real reason to go missing," Veronaut grumbled as he slammed his back against the wall lazily. 

Mel could only smile helplessly at everybody's stress. "Maybe something's happened to him? I sure hope not..." 

"I still think both Draven and Stiff eloped somewhere," Annie sneered, dropping herself on the settee and sitting on Flint's back. "Those two are totally gay for each other." 

Flint rested his cheek against the seat cushion with a really happy look on his face. 

"What is it with you and gay jokes?" Bear rose a brow at Annie, then eyed both her and Mel suggestively. "I dunno, maybe there's something you're trying to cover up...?"

"What!?" Annie growled, sitting up. 

Flint began to drool over the seat cushion. 

"Hey!" Mel pouted, then glared at him and pointed over at his wyvern. "Oh yeah? Well... you're gay for your baby wyvern!" 

Bear and his wyvern snapped their heads back, looking at each other with disturbed looks on their faces. "That's just gross, Mel." 

"I think I'll put my money on the Bear x Wyvern pair," Nanaa winked jokingly, going over to the settee Annie was on and using Flint's butt as her own seat. 

Flint laid there with a blissful expression on his face, his eyes turning into little red hearts. His only regret now in life was that he didn't lie on his back instead when they all came in a minute ago. 

Okina giggled at their silliness and relaxed against her seat while looking at the ceiling. She wondered how Stiff was doing. 

"Hey, hey," she began. "Where do you guys think Moku went off to, off to?" 

"Hell if I know," Vero shrugged. "He didn't say where he was going to go look..." 

"Wherever he is, I sure hope he's having more luck than we are," Mel sighed. 

"I'm sure he will," Claire said as she walked out of her office and leaned against the doorway crossing her arms. "Moku is smart. And he is one hell of a Mage. If anybody can find Draven, it'll be him." 

"Sheesh," Annie sighed. "If you were so sure about that, you shouldn't have bothered sending us to look!" 

Claire smiled. "You all needed something to do. It's not healthy sitting around doing nothing, especially when your linkshell gets drunk and have fist fights when they have nothing to do." 

"What? Drunk?" Bear looked at her in surprise. "Come on, we can all hold our liquor just fine, isn't that right Wert?" He said looking at Wert, who aside from being the linkshell blacksmith, also opted as the bartender. 

Wert just stood there with a grumpy look on his face. 

"There you have it," Bear nodded factually. 

"If Stiff hadn't left there would be a lot more to do," Nanaa sighed. "That boy always finds a way to stir trouble." 

"Makes a good punching bag too," Vero snickered, cracking his knuckles. 

"And he's fun to pick on," Annie smiled to herself, remembering her fondest moments of humiliating the poor b*****d.

"Yeah, and he tells me what I should cook next, now I don't know what to make," Mel pouted as her furry ears drooped. 

"I agree, without Stiff I ain't got no drinking buddy during the weekend," Bear grumbled. "Shoulda' seen us tipping sheep and s**t last time. He missed and ran right into a tree. Knocked his a*s out to next morning. Diiiiip shiiiiit."

"My boy needs to get back here so we could have us a night on the town again and find us some cute girls!" Flint grinned wide, but stopped abruptly and glanced at Okina quickly, adding with a nervous chuckle, "Uh, for me, that is..." 

They all shook their heads and looked at Wert, as if he had something to say too. 

... He just stood there with an even grumpier look on his face. 

However, he did end up slumping his shoulders and motioning to an empty dice table behind the bar counter. The current round was still open and awaiting the other player to roll. Wert then opened his gil pouch and showed them all that it was empty, giving a sigh. 

"He'll be back soon!" Okina stood up off her chair and smiled. "You don't need to talk about Stiffy like he's dead or something, something!" 

"Right," Claire nodded. "Whatever it is he was summoned for, I'm sure it was something personal that required some time to get through." She turned around facing the picture of Vincent on her office wall, thinking to herself with s distant smile, "He'll pull through it like he pulls through for us, won't he Vincent?" 

Cape Riverne - Bahamut's Domain

"What... the hell?" Stiff stared wide-eyed at the many wyrms flying before him, turning his attention towards their leader known as Bahamut. 

"That pendant..." Bahamut spoke, gazing at the silver fang around the hume's neck that resonated with the presence of the wyrms. "That does not belong to you, mortal." 

The earthen-scaled wyrm known as Ouryu hissed and snapped its head towards Bahamut. "That is not all he possesses, Lord Bahamut." 

"I am aware," Bahamut replied in his powerful voice. "How curious..." 

Stiff just couldn't seem to grasp how such enormous and ancient creatures were speaking clearly to him and each other. He shook his head and snapped out of it as they spoke of the pendant around his neck. 

"It is mine!" He protested in defense, looking up at Bahamut anxiously. "My father left me this pendant the moment I was born!" Taking the pending off, he held it up in his fingers and showed them the name engraved on it. Despite the fact that they were in mid air, he knew damn well that they could see the letters as clear as day. 

"My name is Stiff!" He continued. "This pendant belonged to my father, Aiden!" 

Practically every wyrm in sight besides Bahamut roared loudly at nothing in particular, simply at the sky. It was so loud Stiff nearly dropped the pendant trying to cover his ears. 

"Impossible," Bahamut's voice stormed. "He and his family is no more..."

"That's not true!" Stiff yelled. "They may be gone now, but my mother and father died not long after I was born! Of this, I am sure." 

Bahamut went silent and looked at the little hume before him, not saying anything. Was he somehow reading Stiff? 

"Heads up!" Sekai's voice boomed through the loud com belonging to the Icarus Wing overhead. The ship appeared to be stable again, and they had finally found their way back to Stiff. "Long time, Bahamut. Still wondering why your boy over there went all crazy on me?" 

He was referring to Ouryu. 

"Sekai the Underhand..." Bahamut growled lowly, calling Sekai by a strange title. "I don't believe you have something to do with this?" 

"Right you are, mate," Sekai replied, turning off the loud com and having his pilot lower the Icarus Wing down to the small island that Stiff was on. Jumping off the side of the ship, Sekai ran up to Stiff and patted him on the back hard. "Alright there, Stiff? Sorry about that. While the Icarus Wing's barrier took the extent of the blow, it sure wasn't graceful about it." 

"So you were expecting us to be attacked!?" Stiff growled at him. "You know, a damn warning wouldn't have hurt anybody!" 

Sekai just chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I got a little confident with my new toy. I guess it still needs a few tweaks." 

As Lion went up to the two of them, she sighed in relief seeing that Stiff was okay. But before she could say anything, she also noticed that he was practically naked. She looked away and rolled her eyes. "Will you get him some clothes already...?" 

"That can wait," Sekai said, looking up at Bahamut. "Bahamut, I would like you to meet your new green horn." 

The wyrms were less than pleased with Sekai's announcement, hissing and croaking at each other privately, almost mockingly. 

Bahamut furled its wings and roared up into the sky in reply to Sekai's proposition, silencing the other wyrms. "The age of the Dragon Knight is fargone, Underhand," Bahamut began. "To entrust a generation of neophytes with it would be preposterous." 

"Neophyte? The hell?" Stiff cocked his head back in confusion. 

"I don't know~" Lion smiled playfully, pointing her thumb at Ouryu. "This neophyte gave your friend over there a pretty hard time earlier. Isn't there something incredibly wrong with that picture? A single hume versus a dragon?" 

"Heh, easy Lion," Stiff chuckled nervously, not wanting her to anger the wyrms. "I didn't exactly have anything on this guy..." 

Bahamut remained silent as Ouryu jerked its head in the opposite direction, giving a low growl. "Ouryu is but a child... he knows not the path of the dragon just yet." 

Stiff jumped back in surprise, pointing at Ouryu. "That's a fricken' child? You gotta be kidding me!" 

Bahamut snarled, releasing two huffs of smoke from its nostrils. "Though you are smaller, you have indeed inherited Aiden's will." 

The wyrms rose their heads to the skies once again, bellowing in that odd manner of theirs. 

Like last time, Stiff shut one eye and covered his ears. "Damn that's loud... why do they do that?" 

Bahamut unfurled its wings, spanning them across the area as if it were presenting something. Somehow, despite not moving its wings like the other wyrms, Bahamut managed to stay in midair. "Those known as Dragon Knights never truly pass on in the sky world. They live on in our souls, just as our kin do. We roar in their names so that the world may heed their might." 

Stiff listened intently. It was strange, but it made total sense. He even thought it was actually a pretty damn cool way of paying tribute to someone who has passed on. 

"I understand," Stiff nodded. "They live on in our spirits, so that we might live for tomorrow," he grinned. "Something I always say." 

"Hmph," Bahamut gnarled, growing quiet once more as he continued to gaze at Stiff. 

He just had to be looking at something that others could not. 

"So? How about it?" Sekai grinned up at Bahamut. "What better candidate than Stiff? The world could use another Dragon Knight, or rather- a Dragon Thief. I like the way that sounds," he said, but suddenly took up a more serious tone. "Bahamut. You understand why Vana'diel needs Stiff. You've been in this world since the beginning of Altana's kind..."

"I think you're over-exaggerating," Stiff grumbled at Sekai. He was making him sound like some revolutionary. But for some strange reason deep inside, Stiff felt that he really needed this. He could feel his heart and much more reaching out for the power and wisdom to save his friends- maybe even the world. But more so, the power to restore order to the world. As it was before the end of peace. 

Yes, Bahamut could see it clearly. As clearly as he could see what must have been Aiden's soul standing behind Stiff, looking up at him with that same intense gaze in his eyes. He was beginning to believe it now... that the hope that had thus been placed on this single boy years ago by them was done so rightfully. 

"What power has given you to ne'er falter on the fate of your past and the balance of light and dark in your body... has brought you here to me. We of dragon and wyrm lineage believe that Vana'diel herself is a goddess. If what Altana holds for you is true, then perhaps Vana'diel saw to it that such destiny and fate was etched into the skies. Very well. You shall become the last Dragon Knight. You shall restore balance between light and darkness," Bahamut agreed, dropping into the island with a hard quake before standing on its hind legs upright. 

"Steffan the Immaculate, you shall protect Vana'diel's future." 

Sekai smiled and placed a hand on Stiff's shoulder. "Congrats, mate. Now that's a burden that I wouldn't want to bear." 

Stiff could feel his heart pounding. He tried desperately to find something to say, but honestly, what was there to say? What would you have said if somebody told you that the world was now on your shoulders? All he could do, was fall back on his rear with an overwhelmed chuckle. "Vana'diel's future...? Me? But... I..." 

Lion sighed, placing a hand on her hip with a smile as she went over to the panicking Stiff and held her hand out to him. "Don't worry. You'll have friends with you, right?" 

Stiff placed a hand over his father's pendant and over his chest, looking up at Lion. "I.. I will?" 

Sekai chuckled as he walked up beside Lion and held his hand out as well. "Don't worry, just because you got a little extra doesn't mean we won't be picking up our share of the world. I'm sure your friends back home feel the same way." 

Looking up at both of them, Stiff sighed out and allowed himself to relax before taking their hands and jumping back up to his feet. "Thanks, guys. You're right. There's no way I could do it without everyone." 

"There are things you must do here before you depart for the sky world," Bahamut stated. "The skies tell me that there are those who are in need of you back on the mainland. The clouds there have gone into a tumult." 

"What? You mean my friends?" Stiff asked in surprise. "Could they have found Draven?" 

"Well, unless you've got anything else to do here, I suggest you head back to the mainland, mate," Sekai said. 

"Ready to go, "Steffan"?" Lion giggled as she prodded Stiff on the forehead with two fingers.

Pursing his lips for a second, Stiff looked up at Bahamut and asked, "I do have something to ask. One, if you wyrms are so powerful, then why didn't you do anything during the Crystal War, and what's stopping you now? Two, do you have any idea what happened to my father before he went to see my mother during my birth?"

Bahamut looked down at Stiff and let out a silent growl. "We of the sky world hold great amounts of energy and power. It is so massive, that after a time, Vana'diel herself begins to deteriorate. It is something her surface can not support. That is why the land here in Cape Riverne is in disarray. That is why we could only remain on her surface for a short time before returning to the sky world. We of the sky world have been here for many generations, and as such, descend when the skies are in need of Vana'diel's wisdom. Then, it was also common for us to show Vana'diel's selected individuals our ways, so that there may be more wisdom to be had in the future."

"I see..." Stiff looked down in thought. 

"As for your father," Bahamut continued. "The last I remember of him, was an important quest to locate a dear friend of his whom he wanted to save from the darkness. I've yet to know if he succeeded or not. The skies were blinded by shadow that day."

Stiff bit his lower lip hard. That was an incredibly familiar quest. 

Draven... 

I swear I'll save you. One way or another. 

I won't let the darkness take you! 

Grauberg

"This little guy's got guts!" Ecco grinned wide, his fangs glinting as he eyed the brave little taru hungrily. 

The hooded man would just stare at Moku. "That is quite a request. What makes you think I will comply so easily?" 

"I won't ask you again," Moku narrowed his eyes. "Do it. Return Draven to me... and I'll let you go." 

The hooded man reached up and removed the shroud covering his head, looking Moku directly in the eyes with a calm expression. This was the first time Moku had seen the Descent leader's face, and he was quite surprised at what he saw. 

"That is a request that I can't accept," he stated.

The man appeared to be young, though it was uncertain how old he was. He looked to be somewhere in his early twenties. He had somewhat lengthy brown hair that didn't go past his chin, like a typical style you'd see any other young man in. His eyes were a piercing golden-yellowish color, pupils slit vertically like a feline's eyes. It made sense too, as the furry cat-like ears poking out of the man's hair proved that he was of Mithran heritage. He was practically the third male of their species that Moku had even see in person, being quite rare. 

He had some red lines marked along his cheeks, much like you see some of the other Mithran people bearing as tradition. Some were permanent. 

But when he got a good look at him, Moku's eyes went a little wide in surprise. He could have sworn he saw this person before. 

"You... but you're...!" He stuttered, blinking at the sight. "I forgot your name, but... why would you do all of this?"

"What's the matter?" Ecco leaned over with a deviant smirk. "Cat got your tongue?" 

"Arrogant children of Altana," the man began. "Nothing comprises of just light and darkness alone. I will restore peace, the way it was meant to be restored." 

Moku lowered his head, closing his eyes and giving a sigh. "No. You're not the one I once knew... you've become somebody else." 

"Enough of this crap," Ecco sighed, holding up his hand in a clutch towards Moku. He began to emit emptiness out of his body with ease, just as he had used to stop Draven. "You're either with us or against us... and you're clearly the latter. So move it!" 

He sent a fast tendril of dark emptiness flying towards Moku, much like the ones the Descent leader had used to take hold of Vincent in the past. 

Moku brought his staff forward then curled his arm over himself as the orb at the end of it began to glow with a bright light. Swinging at the tendril with the glowing end of his weapon, Moku sent the tendril flying right back at Ecco.

"You just don't understand, do you?" Moku muttered, looking up at them through narrow eyes. "Stop filling your heads with premature ideas of this world! It doesn't have to be about light or darkness! It's about every single one of us!" 

Moku began to release a red and orange glow around his body, the color showing even in his eyes. With a loud grunt, he slammed the base of his staff down onto the earth which caused the aura around him to disperse and form a large wall of fire that circled around all three of them, locking himself into a large ring of fire with them. A fiery battlefield. 

"Eh?" Ecco stepped back in surprise, looking at all the magic energy floating around. "Oh? This is..." 

"Hagh!" Moku growled once more, raising his staff over his head and absorbing energy into it from the surrounding world itself. Then, he readied his staff behind him and looked at the two valiantly in the eyes as his body and the aura around him began to glow various hues of color that corresponded to all the elements. 

"Allow me to show you... the true power of Vana'diel's elements. The power to prevent hers and her children's destruction! I won't let you harm either!"

"What...?" The mithran Descent leader narrowed his eyes at the spectacle. "This is..."

A huge grin cut across Ecco's lips, licking them in excitement. "Dawn Child...!" 

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Continued in Chapter 48: Bittersweet Memory