"You're taking quite the chance, tiger," Liara said, absently twirling her staff. The panther sorceress shook her head, staring back into Thomas's determined, unwavering expression. "You're talking about fighting an entire kingdom."

"I'll burn the whole thing down if I have to," the snow leopard said flatly.

"Whoa, hold on now," Marco said, the red panda raising both paws. "I know I said I would help, but let's be rational..."

Liara giggled at the thought, stopping in the middle of the path through the dimly-lit forest. She turned to face the both of them. "A pacifist monk and a kid with a broken sword are going to take on the entire Lunatic Brotherhood. Is this some kind of joke or am I missing something here?"

Thomas's eyes narrowed for a second before he started walking again, walking right past Liora. Her smile faded, as if she realized that he was indeed serious--outclassed, ill-informed, and deadly serious.

"Look. I get it. Really, I do. But if they're interested in your brother so much that they'd cross a whole dimension to kidnap him, there's got to be a reason. Nobody throws that kind of magic around for no reason."

"Well, I'm not gonna pretend like I know how magic works," Thomas replied. "Hell, I didn't even think magic existed a week ago. I also didn't have an army of armored thugs hunting me. But I'm getting my brother back, and I'm going home. It's really that simple."

"No... it isn't. That's the problem." Liora reached out to grab him by the shoulder. "The Lunatic Brotherhood are ruthless; that black armor isn't just for show. They've razed villages, destroyed lives... and for trivial reasons at that. They've been bullying the Magic Academy for years, all to protect their false king."

"Should we really be mentioning that?" Marco finally spoke up, seeming a bit distracted with his attention split between the jittery white dragon perched on his shoulder and the other two.

"Who's going to hear us? Besides, it's not treason if you're talking about a usurper, now is it?"

Marco sighed, not really wanting to argue... Instead, he continued to follow the pair as they started walking through the forest again. He glanced up at the star-lit sky, half-hidden by the canopy above them. Nothing had attacked them yet, but the fact that it had been nearly mid-day when they entered was a testament to the foul, unexplained magic keeping the forest dark. It made him nervous, and the other two, at least outwardly, didn't share his concern about what had claimed Liora's mount and equipment.

"I don't get how this kingdom stuff works. I mean... isn't that lineage based or something?"

"When the last of the royal line died out, he decreed that only those fit to rule in his stead would do so. To that end, he had a sword forged that could only be drawn and wielded by the rightful king. Now, supposedly, the current king has the sword. And it is, in fact, the real thing... but no one has ever seen him draw it. And it's illegal to even so much as suggest that he draw it in public."

"Of course it is," Thomas said, sighing heavily. "...but I can't wait. Tyler must be scared to death, and I know he's waiting for me to come and get him."

"I suspect they must be treating him pretty well..." Marco mused. "You did say they never actually harmed him when they came, right? Just grabbed him and ran?"

Thomas nodded.

"That suggests that they would need him for something. It isn't as if the Lunatic Brotherhood is above killing children."

"That's reassuring," Thomas quipped, his voice dripping with sardonic intent.

"Sorry." Marco frowned. "I'm just concerned. Perhaps he has some latent magical ability like yours?"

Liara's ears twitched at that, and she looked at Thomas, edging uncomfortably close to him. "Is that right?"

"No. Well, maybe. Hell, I don't know. All I know is that this... this THING kind of attached itself to me at the Temple of the Sky." Thomas raised his right arm, focusing on the spot on his arm just below his wrist. A green symbol began to glow over his fur.

"Is that... is that Atmos?!"

Liara dropped her staff and grabbed his arm before he could even answer. "You... HOW?!" She couldn't contain her excitement, and Thomas noted that she was freakishly strong when she was excited; despite being nearly a foot taller, he couldn't pull his arm away.

"Chalen's beard... you're a runesoldier."