Nornesh's Lair.

10:30 p.m. 21st Banem 1092.

Five Minutes Later,

"HAHAHAHA!" Loud, boisterous laughter, akin to thunder peals, reverberated within the mountain. Nornesh could not hold his amusement as he regarded Kashi with shining eyes. "Brilliant! In all the centuries I've spent in this world, I have not met anyone as bold. What a brilliant plan you've devised. So, I must aid you, if I wish to attain what I want, is that it?"

Kashi expressed a confident grin as he nodded, "Unfortunately, that appears to be the case. So, what do you say? Are we in agreement?"

Nornesh temporarily went silent, fiery eyes gleaming as he examined the youths before him. "...Do you understand the consequences should this turn out to be a hoax?"

"Yes," replied Kashi with a severe gaze. "But I do not lie when making important deals." He paused and then added, "However, you too are aware that this is not a 100% certainty, right? Only about 70 - 80% in your favor."

Nornesh snorted. "I care not for the probability, only the possibility." The dragon shook his head and then said, "As long as the possibility exists, there are a million ones one can manipulate the probabilities to their advantages."

"Possibilities, Not Probabilities," mused Syèl with a thoughtful smirk. "That'll go well on a T-shirt, don't you think?"

"Give Me Possibilities, Not Probabilities," Kashi instinctively added, but then shook his head. "The hell am I doing?" He glared at Syèl for breaking his line of thought and then turned back to the dragon. "The possibility certainly exists. However, only Skyrm knows how. He got himself a daughter, so he should be able to tell you how he did it—once we rescue him of course."

"So be it," Nornesh nodded as he rose to his feet. He then said as he rose to his feet. "Lead me to Skyrm."

Kashi scratched the back of his head as he gazed at the towering behemoth. "Well, I don't know where he is right now."

"What!?" Nornesh's eyes blazed with anger. "Do you expect me to scour the entire continent in search of one dragon? Do you have any idea how easy it is for a dragon to hide from the world if it so wishes?"

"Yeah, we have some idea," Syèl remarked as he glanced at the mountain walls.

Kashi grimaced, but then quickly added before Nornesh exploded. "But we do know exactly when and where he'll be a few weeks from now! That should be good enough, right?"

Nornesh's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. It happens to coincide with the date of Razznik's return, doesn't it?"

"Exactly," Kashi replied with an embarrassed laugh. "So, by attending, you'll effectively be killing off two birds with one stone. Convenient, right?"

Nornesh's brow shot up, confusion in his eyes. "Why would anyone use a stone to kill a bird? Requires too much force, insufficient range, and would most likely damage the feathers." The dragon huffed as he analyzed, "So inefficient. An arrow would much better suit that analogy."

"Exactly!" Syèl praised as he gave Nornesh a standing ovation. "I've been saying that my whole life. Stupid, stupid analogy. No wonder they were so excited when they finally killed two birds with one stone. Use an arrow—BAM—and you can get three of those fuckers in one shot, easy. I mean, I—"

"What—" interrupted Kashi, brows furrowed in abject frustration. "—I'm trying to say, is that we can both get what we want on the same day. Besides, I doubt the Chaos Order's Transcendents will try anything funny with you around. So, you can consider it a lazy day out to see current events in person." He paused and then added under his breath, "The best thing about nuclear weapons is no one's desire to use them."

Nornesh bent low. "What did you say?"

"Nothing important," replied Kashi as he tucked his hands in his pockets. "So, with all the cards on the table, I understand we have a deal?"

"Mm. Congratulations, hume," Nornesh praised with an amused chuckle. "You are the first in several centuries to successfully request my aid. Feel free to boast of this achievement at your leisure. I do not mind."

'Like hell, I will.' Kashi laughed through a strained smile as he replied, "Of course. I will."

"Good," complimented Nornesh as he once again laid on the ground. "So, out of curiosity. If I was not interested in this family thing, how did you plan to persuade me? Surely, you did not plan on throwing your life away?"

Kashi shrugged, "A battle challenge."

"What!?" "What!?"

Syèl and Nornesh exclaimed, the former in shock and anger, while the latter in total disbelief.

"Wait. Battle was on the table?" Syèl questioned as he began winding his arms. "Why didn't you choose that? What's with all the talking then?"

Kashi, however, rolled his eyes. "Civilized people talk first, then bash each other later."

Nornesh chuckled as he listened to the duo. "I thought it was bravado earlier, but it appears you two believe you can defeat me?"

"Yes!"

"NO!" Kashi grabbed Syèl and clamped his hands over the troublemaker's mouth. "Don't mind him. He was dropped as a child."

Syèl successfully yanked Kashi's arm off, and then looked at the daeben with exaggeratedly widened eyes, "How did you know my past?"

"Get out!" Kashi snorted with disgust as he pushed the halben. He then looked at Nornesh and clarified, "I'm not delusional enough to think we can beat you. Not yet, at least. Unlike my friend here, I have second-hand experience of what fighting a Divine Dragon entails. No, I just thought we could beat you in a customary Blood-Out challenge."

"Blood-Out?" Syèl asked. "What's that?"

"It's like First-Blood. Only, the onus to draw blood rest solely on one party," Kashi explained. "Some instructors use it as a test for their students. One is considered to have passed when they successfully injure their instructor during a given time-limit."

"Ah. So, that's it," Syèl replied with a nod, but then his brows furrowed. "Hold on. That's a challenge? You really think drawing a single drop of blood from this guy is going to be difficult. What is he, Thanos?" The halben paused, and then looked at Nornesh, "No Offense."

"Do go on," Nornesh chuckled as he waved away the apology. "A dead man's ignorance is a sight to behold. No matter the age, there will always be fools who overestimate their abilities."

Syèl's brows furrowed, but rather than anger, he appeared exasperated as he questioned, "Okay, seriously. I have to ask. Is it that old people just get better at insulting and threatening others with age? There's that Araki bastard and now, you. How can you insult, threaten and then curse me to death—all in the same sentence—and still maintain a smile throughout like you're blessing me with riches?"

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!" Nornesh, unable to contain his amusement any longer, burst out in amused laughter. "Indeed! Perhaps, this is all that we old folks have left. Refining the art of insulting others indeed a splendid past time." Syèl's sullen expression as he covered his ears to prevent himself from bleeding set Nornesh off even worse. For a good while, the mountain violently trembled as Nornesh stomped his foot against the ground.

Luckily, just when it seemed the mountain would split in half, the proud dragon finally managed to rein in his laughter.

Letting out a huge, satisfied sigh, Nornesh wiped a tear from his eyes as he remarked, "Oh, that was beautiful. I have not laughed like that in years. For amusing me this much, I will reward you both." But first, the dragon glanced at Kashi and clarified, "This is separate from our agreement. You shall still suffer the consequences should I find out you were lying." Nornesh let out a somewhat pained sigh as he looked towards the lake, "But, rewards and punishment must be meted out accordingly. Such is karmic fate."

Nornesh chuckled and then said as he looked at Kashi, "You, daeben. I see that something inside you is drawn towards this lake." He snorted, exposing a proud grin as he boasted, "Do you know, if this were anywhere else, merely entering a mana lake like this would instantly destroy you. Your frail constitution would instantly combust, unable to withstand the torrential, unstable mana."

Nornesh's eyes shone with the pride of an elder showing off their prized achievements. "But this lake. This one you could bathe in for a few minutes. It wasn't easy, but I refined this pool over countless years to render it safe enough for humes."

Syèl's brow rose as he questioned, "Why? You're clearly strong enough to sleep in there." The halben's lip then curled up in a mischievous smirk. "Wait. Don't tell me you were so bored, you decided to do this to pass the ti—OW!"

Kashi blew on his fist as he happily examined the bump at the back of Syèl's head. "That'll teach you to shut up for once." The daeben then looked at Nornesh with an apologetic smile. "My apologies. The brain damage he suffered as a child renders him unable to filter his thoughts."

Once again, Syèl exclaimed, "Wow. You really do know me."

Kashi let out a frustrated sigh but chose not to engage. Instead, he asked the dragon, "If you do not mind, you were something about the mana pool?"

Nornesh's gaze traveled between the two men, intrigue and amusement in his golden-brown eyes. "Yes. I was saying that I have refined this pool for hume usage. However, it is still very much chaotic. By my estimation, even the strongest humes on this continent can only last a few minutes. Daebens, by nature, are not loved by mana. I do not think you will last very long."

Kashi's eyes sparkled as he came up with a bright idea. "Want to bet?"

Nornesh blinked, his gaze expectant. "Bet?"

"Yes. Bet" replied Kashi. "I bet that I can last beyond 1 hour."

"An hour?" Nornesh's brow shot up with ridicule and scorn. "HAHA! An hour, you say. How preposterous. I give you ten minutes. Just ten minutes."

"No," refuted Kashi with a firm shake of his head. "An hour. The stakes must be high because I want an equally high reward."

Nornesh paused and then regarded the daeben with curiosity. "What reward do you seek?"

"A favor," Kashi replied with a loose grin. "Just one favor. I complete this task, and you will owe me a favor. Do not worry, you still reserve the right to refuse should the favor be preposterous."

"Ho-ho," Nornesh chuckled with a grin as he rose to his full height. "You want me to owe you a favor? Do you have any idea how much my favor is worth?"

"Yes I do," Kashi answered, his gaze respectful but strong. "That is exactly why I seek it out, even at risk to my own life."

"No." Nornesh refuted with a shake of his head. "You would not propose an hour if you were unsure of your victory." He then raised three claws and said with an evil grin. "Three hours. Survive three hours, and I will owe you that favor."

Kashi grimaced, and his face instantly turned pale as a sheet. "Three hours is a little excessive, isn't it?"

"No," Nornesh said with a shake of his head. "That is how much a favor of mine is worth. Do not worry, I will not demand anything of you, even if you fail. Assuming you do not die, the pain alone will be punishment enough."

Kashi's brows shot up. "Pain?"

"Oh. Did I forget to mention? The mana is so strong that it destroys and repairs your body cells every passing second. It's enough to make a dragon faint from the pain." Nornesh sported an evil grin as he revealed, "Even I hypnotize myself to sleep before I go in. It can't kill me, but the pain is an annoying side-effect."

Kashi frowned, but then sighed and said, "Fine. I shall take the bet. But if I lose and survive, I will owe you a favor. It might seem worthless right now, but I assure you, one day I will become someone worthy of collecting a favor from."

Nornesh grinned as he looked at the daeben. "Of that, I have no doubt." He then glanced at Syèl, who was still massaging the back of his head. "And what about you? Are you interested in taking on the challenge?"

"Are you crazy?" Syèl questioned with ridicule in his eyes. "What sane person would willingly torture themselves. Sorry, but the only S and M I'm interested in are Salt and Mayo." Fixing his jacket, he then added, "Besides, I'm a vampire. Taking pure mana doesn't do anything for me. Only interested in mana I can extract from blood. Speaking of which..." The halben gave Nornesh a once-over and then proposed, "Have you ever considered donating blood? It helps a lot of people in emergencies, and is a great karmic activity."

Nornesh smiled as he regarded the cheeky vampire. "You want my blood? I daresay, you are even more daring than your friend."

Syèl nodded, his lips spread in a wide toothy grin as he said, "Why, thank you. I appreciate someone who notices my talents." He then patted Kashi, who appeared to be crying on his back. "See, even my friend here is moved to tears by your kindness and generosity. So, about that blood? How many gallons are you willing to donate?"

"BAHAHA!" Nornesh burst out laughing once again, his eyes shining with joy. "I forgot how refreshing it is to speak with someone not scared of my status or strength." The dragon nodded. "Fine. I have decided. I will give you both what you wish—"

"YES!"

"—IF you can win a Blood Out against me in ten minutes." Nornesh laughed as his body was shrouded in white light. The light then rapidly shrunk until it was about 8-feet tall, and then disappeared, leaving a bronze-skinned man with a pair of burning red horns curled back over his head.

The man, dressed in a loose pair of pants, spread out his arms and then approached the duo. "What do you say? Are you willing to try?"

Kashi looked at Syèl with exasperation. "Guess you got the fight you wanted."

Syèl, in turn, laughed as he pointed at Kashi's rapidly clenching fists. "Stop pretending, you battle maniac. You are even more excited than I am."

"Ah. Damn it," Kashi cursed as he looked at his hands. "Guess I couldn't hide it any longer." Glancing at Syèl, he said, "Now that I think about it. This will be the first time we are truly fighting side-by-side."

"Imagine that." Syèl grinned as he looked at Nornesh. "Anything I should know before we get started?"

"Don't get in my way?"

"Heh. Right back at ya!"

BOOM!