"Captain Ren, it's agreed. Once we leave, take the ship up and stay aloft. It's nearly dusk...if we're not back by morning, blow the island to smithereens with the myrrh cannon. Don't bother protesting...just tell me you'll do as I ask," Curt instructed.

"I...I will, Curt," Ren reluctantly agreed.

"It's been an honor to fly with you, Captain. You trusted us when you had no reason to. I'm still not sure why you did, but I'm glad you did. Thank you," Curt said.

"I'm glad I did too," Ren replied.

Curt walked down the landing ramp and joined his friends on the island shore. Ren waved goodbye and then closed the hull door. A few moments later, the airship lifted off. Curt looked at the sky and shook his head.

"Looks like a storm might be brewing. We'd better hurry. Let's check the Myrrhauder before we head inland," Curt suggested.

The eight friends cautiously made their way to where the Myrrhauder was docked on the shore.

"Melly...you, Fenrir, Mark, and John check out the ship. I'll keep watch with Paul, Autumn, and Shara," Curt instructed.

"You got it!" Melly replied.

A few minutes later, Melly appeared on the deck of the Myrrhauder.

"Ship's empty," Melly shouted.

"Alright, come on down and let's move on," Curt returned.

Once everyone had reassembled on the beach, Curt pointed to the sand.

"Looks like Richter and Neil brought a few friends. It shouldn't be hard to follow their trail," Curt observed. "Be on your guard."

Curt was right about the trail. Richter and the others had cut quite a swath through the thick brush. However, it seemed that they had followed a small path that had already been made long before.

"Doesn't this path seem pretty worn to you?" Curt asked Mark.

"Yeah...I was thinking the same thing. Seems like they've been this way before. Who knows how long they've known about the meteor's location? Those ships were already here, so they must have known about the island for quite some time now," Mark noted.

After about an hour of trekking, Curt and the others came around a bend and began to discern voices in the distance. Curt motioned for everyone to stop and listen.

"Sounds like Richter is arguing with someone," Curt whispered.

Everyone continued on quietly until they came to a place where the path began to slope gently downward into a crater. Curt motioned for everyone to hide because about 30 yards further on in a clearing they could see Richter and Neil speaking with another person they did not recognize. On the ground behind Richter and Neil, there were a number of bodies lying lifelessly.

"Who is that third person?" Curt whispered.

"He's not wearing a uniform...probably not military," Mark observed. "Uneasy sort of fellow."

The third figure speaking with Richter and Neil was dressed in a pristine white suit. However, there seemed to be a dark air about him.

"I don't see any meteor, fellas," Paul noted.

"And what's with all the dead guys?" Melly wondered aloud.

"Looks like they had some disagreement and hashed it out the hard way," Shara guessed.

"Curt, we have to protect my father...please," Autumn said.

"Let's try to make our way around the side there and get closer," Curt said.

Everyone carefully made their way as close to the edge of the clearing as they could safely manage. The conversation in the clearing could now easily be heard.

"You promised it would be easy. Well, it has been far from easy," Richter said angrily. "I have tried hard to do your bidding. What of your promised rewards? I come to you for aid, and you slaughter my men? I grow tired of these games."

"You are weak, old man. Your failure, your lack of perseverance, and your return here are all evidence of that," the man in white replied. "You failed to reap my promised rewards because of that weakness...it is no one's fault but your own."

"You blame me so easily while you sit here doing nothing!" Richter fumed.

"Your insults are beginning to try my patience," the man said calmly.

"Then act, you arrogant fool! Even now my enemies draw near. They are your enemies too, are they not?" Richter growled.

"You are the arrogant fool! You think so highly of yourself as to give me orders? You are nothing more than...what was it you called Olmos...ah yes...a pathetic petty puppet. I control the strings here, Van Feldt. And as for enemies...well this entire world is my enemy. But I think you are right for once...enough of these games!" the man shouted, suddenly brandishing a gleaming sword that materialized out of thin air.

The next instant was a blur as the man lunged at Richter while Autumn simultaneously screamed and rushed out into the clearing, her friends following right behind. Richter fell back onto the ground, having taken a sword slash to the chest, and looked up to see Neil standing with the man's gleaming blade protruding from his back.

"Neil!" Richter exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Sir...it's been...an honor," Neil stammered.

"Noble effort, wretched man, but you have only succeeded in prolonging the General's imminent demise," the man sneered. "Sacrifice is nobody's gain."

The man pulled his sword from Neil's body, and the sword vanished. Neil slumped lifelessly to the ground. Autumn rushed to her father and knelt beside him while Curt and the others drew their weapons.

"Damn you! Lying scum!" Richter yelled.

"Empty words...coming from you. But alas it seems we have more guests...the enemies you spoke of perhaps?" the man noted.

"Where's the meteor, Richter?" Mark asked.

"There is...no meteor," Richter answered, wincing in pain.

"What are you talking about?" Curt said in surprise.

"Fools! I am the one with whom you should be speaking," the man said haughtily.

"Go on then...speak. Who are you?" Curt asked.

"I'm what you've all been looking for this whole time...I'm your meteor," the man revealed.

"You sure don't look much like a meteor, mister," Melly mused aloud.

"A fiery spirit there, young one! No...I suppose I don't look much like a piece of moon rock or whatever you might have been expecting," the man returned.

"So you are what fell from the sky all those years ago?" Curt asked.

The man nodded.

"Then you brought the miasma upon our world?" Curt concluded.

The man smiled.

"So who are you really? Where did you come from?" Melly questioned.

"I was once a Guardian...at least that is what you call them...much like your companion there," the man said coldly, motioning to Fenrir. "Why do you debase yourself by choosing to side with this wretched rabble, dog? You are no better than your master."

Fenrir growled at the man.

"Growl on, weakling," the man heckled before turning his attention back to Melly. "However, I was different...special...the first created. But I gave up that life...and I was exiled."

"Exiled? By whom?" Shara asked.

"By the one they say has no origin...the one who created us Guardians...and this world...the Ancient One," the man shared.

"Why did you bring the miasma into our world?" Melly inquired.

"Revenge, of course. The miasma and I are one in the same...it is my power and influence. He said this world was good. Well, it is obvious that I have proven Him wrong! The cry of this lost world is like music to my ears. This world is corrupt...full of selfish, pathetic puppets...good for nothing...not even fit to serve as an ally...only fit to be destroyed," the man stated angrily.

"Harbinger of destruction, it seems it was right for the Ancient One...our Creator...to exile you. You were wrong to have come here though...we won't let you destroy our world. We will fight you, and if we fall, may the myrrh cannon show you no mercy!" Curt declared.

"Myrrh! His silly gift of seeming grace! It hasn't been able to shut out the miasma completely, and it cannot destroy me!" the man laughed as he pointed at the airship hovering in the distance.

Suddenly, several lightning bolts shot from the heavy storm clouds looming overhead, striking the airship. Curt and the others watched in horror as one of the ship's masts came crashing down. The airship began to fall, and everyone heard and felt a great rumbling as the ship crashed into the island.

"I have toyed with this world long enough. I, too, am weary, General. What once brought me amusement, now only causes me utter disgust. It is time for my revenge to be made complete. It is time for the final destruction of what should never have been created! I will deal with you all and then lay waste to the rest of your kind!" the man scoffed.

"No you will not!" Curt shouted as he began to charge the man.

The man quickly raised his hand, and Curt suddenly halted as he felt the crystal pendant around his neck shatter. Curt looked back at his friends and helplessly watched as Mark's and Melly's crystal pendants, as well as the crystal orb Paul was holding, all shattered. Another crystal orb sitting on the ground near Richter also shattered. The man stretched out his arms and began to slowly ascend into the air, looking down with contempt upon those below. Curt and the others fell to the ground in great pain as the miasma began to take its toll.

"Feel my true power...this is the purest miasma! Revel in despair, wretches...it will all be over soon!" the man announced proudly.

Thunder began to roll and the wind began to blow as the man lifted his arms to the sky. Curt rolled onto his back and looked to the sky.

"Creator..." Curt whispered before he began to convulse.

Suddenly, the earth began to quake and a small break in the clouds appeared. A beam of light flashed down through the sky and lanced through the body of the man. The man let out a cry of great pain and began to fall. In his last conscious moments, Curt watched as a figure of light caught the man in mid-fall.

"Rest now, my child. It is finished," the figure of light said as it gently laid the man's body on the ground.

Curt felt the last of his strength leave his body as he closed his eyes and the world went black.