"Me! I'm innocent?" Diato asked her, even saying it made him laugh. "Do you even see me? Do you even know me? I'm an assassin! Terra! A Dragon Slayer! The world would be a better place if I died. And with all I have gone through? I can go through this too." Diato stated, saying it to her face before shaking his head, turning away from her.

Terra pulled his elbow, forcing him to turn back. She stared at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks. She was embarrassed. That much he could tell, but what more she wanted to say he couldn't imagine.

"I mean that you were innocent when you ingested the poison! It wasn't your fault!"

Diato blinked, "You don't think I know that? None of it was my fault and maybe you would sit back, nicely wait for an answer to fall from the sky but not me. Perhaps not all questions are supposed to be answered, but my questions are worth answering. I know who I am, but I also killed a dragon while being poisoned in the same time for fucks sake. I know some prick who can't even kill a cockroach while wide awake, so don't pull that with me. Okay?"

Terra's hand fell to her side, "Okay." she said. Now what? Was written on her face.

***

"Um.." Max continued, trying to hide his confusion as to what they were doing in the middle of the night. John in the meanwhile, wasn't told that he was supposed to hide the fact that they were going after Terra. He explained what they were doing, where, and why; words spilling out of his mouth like beans from a jar. Max staring in deepening sensation of doom.

"Is that so?" James tilted his head slightly, "and you're just telling me now?"

Max couldn't think of something to say. He twisted the handlebar, trying to escape, but James was much smarter. Max heard the snap of a lock and brakes pulled. Shit. Max thought.

"I... suppose so..." John spoke, turning to Max who's face had turned stone stiff, "Were we not supposed to tell him?" He knew he had done something incredibly wrong.

"Of course, Terra's trying save him.." James said with enough venom that both Max and John had to flinch.

"She was with him in the orphanage wasn't she? Well no one ever said love doesn't make you blind! A dragon slayer trying to save a dragon, oh the irony!" He exclaimed, a tinge of dry humor in his voice.

James' other hand reached out to the bike's speedometer, and he pressed a red button with his finger. The bike's engine shut down with a small thud. Max kicked the side stand. John immediately jumped out of his seat as Max also dismounted the bike.

James gestured to them with his hand while trudging back to the building as if to say: follow me. Max left the bike in the middle of the bridge and followed James. John following in silence.

They stepped inside the organization, wandering through the corridors. James reached the common corridor from which other corridors branched out and shot Max and John a look.

"Max" James barked, "go wake Lailah up, and tell her that I'm calling her to the first floor." Then, to John, "Go wake up the other two teams. Tell them that I want three of my teams: Team T9, Team B6, and Team G3, to all report me in the basement, in your mission gear. This is an emergency mission, not even a second should be wasted." James jerked around again, facing the staircase, and climbed up the staircase with a little jog.

Max and John were already off. Max made his way through the corridors. The gray metallic surface of the walls accompanied his heavy steps to the bleak door of Lailah. He raised his hand to knock, hesitant for a moment before knocking. For a while, there was no response, but then came and answer.

"Who's there?" Lailah asked sleepily, slightly upset.

"It's Max," Max replied loud enough, "James is calling you to the first floor. He says it's an emergency mission."

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute" She shouted from inside.

Max nodded, feeling breathless as he hurried away. Worried. Upset John had been as stupid as he was. Now they would have to go after Terra, who's only crime was to care for someone who could not help but be born a dragon. Surely, Diato did not make the decision himself. Max thought gloomily as he reached the common corridor.

The room, unlike any other was white. Max leaned against the wall, waiting patiently for the other to come. Which had allowed him to observe those who came in. Lailah being the first, climbing up the staircase to the first floor. Followed by the others, which he recognized and remembered by name.

Most of them came with stiff expressions, some with worry, some with a permanent state of surprise. At least more than half of them knew who Terra was, who Diato was. Their bodies covered by skin-tight fire-resistant suits, weapons hanging from their backs, the hilts of them protruding from behind their shoulders, while their utility belts held small daggers, small leather boxes, and poisonous needles. Seeing them like this, it was almost unbelievable that they were going after one girl. Max thought, his gaze fixed at John who approached him with a sorry look, "We have to report in the basement," John told Max.

All ten of them reported in the basement. Their faces fixed seriously at the figure approaching from the stairs. The sound of his shoes tapping filled the silent room.

James moved down the stairs, and Lailah - who was walking behind him - went to get a car to get them all seated. Or at least most of them are seated.

James explained the mission to everyone, "one of our drawers sneakily went to the Dragon-Spine Mountains to help a dragon. We all know the rules. And so I have collected all of you for this mission. Not only do we have to defeat an A-ranked Drayer, but we might even have to deal with many S-ranked dragons." He continued, "And if you haven't figured out who I'm talking about - it's Terra who has gone there. We're not going to kill her but just get her here to the organization alive."

Max quickly glanced at the expressions of the group, which had been a quick variation of surprise and dread. But none said anything in her defence or anything about who the dragon was.

James explained the mission to everyone, "one of our drayers sneakily went to the Dragon-Spine Mountains to help a dragon. We all know the rules. And so I have collected all of you for this mission. Not only do we have to defeat an A-ranked Drayer, but we might even have to deal with many S-ranked dragons." He continued, "And if you haven't figured out who I'm talking about - it's Terra who has gone there. We're not going to kill her but just get her here to the organization alive."

Max quickly glanced at the expressions of the group, which had been a quick variation of surprise and dread. But none said anything in her defence or anything about who the dragon was. Like shadows, they began to move, swift like a cat, they left without a sound.

***

For a moment, there was silence. Diato looked at the girl, seeing the look on her face and felt slightly sorry that he had spoken so harshly. But he was who he was and he would not change for anyone. Terra had tried to make her point and she had failed. Although, Diato could not deny, he appreciated the sentiment.

They strolled across the grass towards the lake. Terra, suddenly came to a halt. Duato didn't notice her pause and continued. After a step, he came to a halt too, as he heard a splash sound. Although he knew it was just water. It felt like poison freezing his leg. He had accidentally stepped into the lake's water. It was shallow, but the water felt like some sort of ice poison trying to freeze him to death.

He immediately retracted his leg like a vampire would retract itself from sunlight. In his thoughts, Diato could feel a bubbling sensation in his blood. As if there were movement under his skin, the surface of his skin hot.

"Diato? Are you alright?" Terra asked, noticing the look on his face.