"NO!" The boy yelled, springing up the steps. On the last step he slipped, hitting the cold, hard floor.

The left side of his face pulsed with pain. It didn't matter. "Why now?"

He heard his parents' faint yells from below and felt the man in green brush past him. Tomas sprang up and ran alongside the man, desperately looking around the temple's top floor.

Thunder, rain, and wind thrashed wildly around them. The final floor was shaped like a circle with a tall, thin spire piercing the skies at its center. A solid turquoise fence lined the circle.

"Where are they?"

Ari's screeches echoed from the other side of the spire. Tomas ran faster, feeling the wind sting his face. The man in green disappeared behind the spire ahead of him.

"Why aren't the yellow dragons following us?"

Tomas finally reached the other side of the spire, where the incense smell mixed with that of smoke. He wiped his face with his sleeve, as the rain clouded his sight.

"Tommy!" Eila yelled as she sprinted at him.

After crashing into each other, Tomas sighed with relief. However, Eila quickly whipped her head around, her eyes wide and fixed on the sight ahead of them. Her shaking hands on Tomas's shoulders betrayed her fear, and she had a frozen expression.

The Nether Oracle stood in front of a disappearing cloud of red smoke, his face twisted with anger. He waved his staff wildly in the pouring rain, with blasts of purple light shooting off its crystal. In the air, Ari danced around the clouds, looking like a blue blur flying around the magical blasts. She screeched at the vile Oracle; her eyes wild with fury as she opened her mouth. A blast of flame sped past her bared fangs towards the Oracle. The sorcerer stepped to the side in one smooth move as the flame crashed into the spire.

The twins exchanged glances when Tomas noticed Eila's shoulder. A black spot tainted her sweater, and the smell coming off it reminded him of burnt paper in a fireplace.

"Eila, your shoulder—" Tomas croaked.

Eila glanced at the burn. "I'll be ok, it doesn't hurt much." She grabbed Tomas's arm and pointed to Ari in the sky, speaking quickly. "Right now, we've got to help Ari somehow. She... she protected me when the Nether Oracle showed up from a portal. You see her fighting up there but... the Oracle hit her tail. The blast that hit her got my shoulder too, but I-I'm worried she'll get even more hurt a-and we need to help her!"

Tomas nodded, observing Ari and the Nether Oracle fighting. "What can we do though?" he asked in a low voice.

More importantly, where was Mister Green? Tomas followed him behind the spire, he was sure of it.

Eila held out her camera, grasping it firmly in her hands. "I have an idea. You got anything that could distract that guy? We can help Ari get a hit if we can get the Oracle to stop dodging her fire. What do you think?"

Tomas put a finger to his chin. "That's a good one! What do I have..."

He fumbled through his backpack, its contents soggy from the rain. He grabbed the handle of his mini bug net. "This could work somehow."

With little time to spare, the twins sprang toward the Nether Oracle. Eila ran at him head on, her camera poised up and ready to shoot. Tomas ran to the Oracle's left, holding the net close to his chest. With a snap, the Oracle flinched as the camera flashed white.

"You wicked, little vermin!" the Oracle cursed. "Must you interrupt my every move with irritating distractions? If only you understood--"

Once close enough, Tomas swung his net and hit the Oracle's right hand. It's grip on the staff loosened as Ari roared. The furious dragon inhaled, puffing out her chest and firing another flaming blast.

Tomas sprinted away from the Oracle as he heard the fire crash behind him. The Nether Oracle screeched as the flames seared his robes. The rain soon extinguished the flames over the hunched Oracle, who winced in pain as the water touched his fresh burns.

Thunder cracked against the spire. Eila got her camera ready for another shot, lining herself in front of the Oracle again.

However, the Oracle's focus was on Tomas. His head jerked to the side with a nasty cracking sound and his eyes glowed furiously at the boy. His mouth contorted into a grin from ear to ear. Tomas felt a shiver cover his whole body; the sounds of the storm were soon drowned out by his own heartbeat.

The Oracle raised his staff. Darkness gathered around the crystal.

Tomas, however, gripped his net tighter. He took a step toward his enemy. Eila soon joined his side, putting the camera up to her eyes.

No running away; they needed to take down the Nether Oracle right there and now.

Ari yelped and growled as she fled down to the twins. The trio faced the Oracle, then split off as the Oracle's staff glowed with sinister energy. Eila snapped the camera's flash, Tomas readied his net for another strike, and Ari sprung toward the sorcerer head-on.

The Oracle put his hand up over his face and flinched after the flash. Still, he chuckled and waved his staff, firing a stream of haze and scarlet sparks in a circle. The twins felt their eyes sting as if touched by salty water.

"Did you really think that trick would work a second time?"

Tomas rubbed his eyes, running past the smoke. "No. Good thing it's not the same one!"

A blue tail appeared behind the Oracle, sweeping his legs. As the Oracle reeled on the floor, Ari clamped her claws over his arms and slapped the staff away with her powerful wing.

Her glare pierced the Nether Oracle as she growled, fangs exposed. He remained unmoving under her hold.

Eila sighed, her heart fluttering. "We got him!"

Tomas grinned and slowly lowered his net. "We did it. We cornered him!"

The rain softened as the twins ran to each other for a hug. Ari turned her neck and purred at them, her tail softly wagging.

A quiet scratching mixed with the rainfall noises. The twins' smiles dropped as the sound grew louder.

Closer.

The red smoke around them slowly lifted. Something scratched the ground beneath them. Then the sound multiplied.

Fear wiped whatever joy the twins had, gripping their chests tightly.

From the smoke appeared many long, thin claws and glowing red dots. The Oracle's followers had them surrounded in an instant. Their leader began chuckling. One follower delicately picked up the dark staff, holding it in its hands as if making an offering.

The twins shuffled closer together as the monsters gathered around them in a tight pack. They soon blocked the twins from seeing Ari. The two frantically eyed the monsters for any escape, some way to slip past them.

They heard Ari screech and yelp, followed by flapping wings. Fire streamed behind the monsters, its glow easing the twins. Monsters screamed and flinched away from the flames, with some being covered in them.

They found their opening. The two dashed out as Ari landed in front of them. Still, more monsters shambled toward them, their numbers seeming infinite. While Ari kept breathing fire at them, they continued to shuffle backwards. In the distance, the Nether Oracle's chuckling rose to a maniacal laugh.

"Now, my followers, flood this temple! Leave it devoid of life! Attack all you please!"

As if filled with energy, the monsters gave shrill cries and raised their claws. The space between them and the trio grew smaller, until Ari's tail bumped against the fence. Eila gasped and took rapid-fire photos with flash, while Tomas swiped his net at the monsters. However, the monsters shredded the net in an instant.

A claw pierced Eila's camera, stopping just short of her eyes. Eila cried out and yanked her hands away, leaving her beloved camera to its demise.

Backed tightly against the fence, the two caught a glimpse of the view ahead. The Ilenes' third peak was nearby, with silhouettes of its Sky Pillars showing through lightning.

The crowd of monsters silenced. The trio caught followers sent flying up and crashing down into the mass. Something thumped among the masses. The monsters surrounding the three turned and shambled to the source of the thumping, shrieking.

"What's going on?" Tomas whispered.

"Sounds like... punching. Or kicking? Whatever it is, these guys really don't like it." Eila answered.

The sounds got nearer and nearer still. A gloved fist emerged from one monster's chest and pulled back. The monster's eyes became white as it collapsed to the floor. A tall figure with fierce golden eyes peered at the twins.

Both twins shouted, "Mister Green!"

The man in green swung his arms to his sides, swiping monsters away with ease.

"Are you all well?" he sighed. Once reunited with them, his eyes widened at Eila's shoulder and the tip of Ari's tail, both seared. He lowered his eyes. "I... truly apologize for leaving you alone. Shameful as it is, my rage took control of me when I noticed him near you."

Eila patted Ari's neck. "Well, I accept your apology," she said, her tone more relaxed, "but you owe us more berry pancakes." Ari huffed in agreement.

"What happened back there? You just disappeared while I was following you." Tomas asked. The man's clothes, while soaked like the twins, bore scratch marks and patches of missing cloth. Dark splotches painted his gloves and boots, and strands of hair had escaped from his hair tie.

The man glanced at the monsters lumbering toward them. "The Nether Oracle employed a very underhanded trick, summoning a portal below my feet as he did." Narrowing his eyes, he muttered to the twins, "They have taken over most of my temple already."

Eila's face grew tense. "What about mom and dad? Nino? The dragons? Are they ok?"

"The dragons are keeping your parents safe. That I assure you. They are opposite to us as we speak, behind the spire."

"Then we must get to 'em!" Eila pumped her fists.

A shrill scream cut their thoughts short. The man turned and raised his fists.

Near the spire, the Nether Oracle and his followers peered at them. With a quick step he flew toward them, his staff filled with dark magic.

The man in green jumped in front of the twins with his arms guarding his face.

"Stay far from us, children!" he commanded as his arms clashed against the Oracle's staff. Red sparks poured out of it, getting brighter as the two fought.

The horde ran toward the twins, maws open and claws stretched out.

"We gotta go now!" Eila jumped on Ari's back. "We can still help mom and dad on the other side."

Tomas scanned the spire. Not much room left to run from the monsters. "We'll get there faster if we fly." He joined Eila, patting Ari's neck.

Ari readied for a jump; wings stretched out.

Clink!

A small satchel hit her side. It looked very familiar to the twins. Eila grabbed the satchel, feeling a round object inside.

"This is—" The twins saw the man glancing back at them while fighting back monsters.

"I understand your desire to aid your parents, truly," he said in a strained voice, "however, you three have the best opportunity to end this madness. I must apologize, but I ask you one final favor: take the orb and seek the shard among the Sky Pillars!"

The twins opened their mouths, but no words came out.

"Please." Monster claws tore through his sleeve. "I know this is a task you did not deserve to be burdened with. Perhaps it is shameful for a guardian to rely on mortals, especially ones so young, for such a monumental effort."

Slash.

Red flowed from a fresh cut on his cheek. "But I... have no right to call myself a guardian after my failures. I have much to atone for. However, I do not regret meeting you. Your family. I have lived for many centuries, yet it was with you that I experienced walking among mortals of all kinds and shapes. I am honored to call you... my friends."

Eila clutched the satchel close to her heart. "Mister Green, we can't leave you like this!"

Ari and Xybelios nodded solemnly to each other. "Keep them safe, Ari. Perform your duty as a dragon, as you always have."

Ari crouched, ignoring the twins' pleas. She leaped off with a strong flap of her wings. The twins could only let tears flow down their faces, holding on to Ari as they flew further from their parents and Xybelios. A never-ending monster army covered the temple roof, masking its turquoise with red and smoky black.

They watched as it consumed Xybelios's green figure as well.