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"I can't believe Asmodai is making you do his dirty work." Drum groused, once again in his Magician's garb, as he walked alongside Axia through Magic World Pavilion. The two were headed towards Magic World's transit terminal, a facility that transported various supplies to other worlds, to fulfill a task that the Demon Lord had issued them. Drum had his doubts when Axia told him about his deal with Asmodai, and they only deepened once he heard all the details.

According to Axia, the Demon Lord had heard about his plight somewhere down the line, and had offered him a way to travel to a good world for training, as well as access to the apparently restricted area of the library Drum had found Axia in. Of course, like anything that involved Asmodai, at least in Drum's experience, it came with a catch. It wasn't a particularly dangerous catch per say, but the job of 'delivering a shipment of supplies to a client in Legend World' sounded more like the demon was shirking his responsibilities than offering Axia a chance to gain more worldly experience.

"Aw, don't be so mad, Drum-kins. Our time together more than makes up for it!" Axia cooed, leaning up affectionately against the armor dragon. Drum stiffened up briefly, half expecting to be knocked back by another tackle-hug, but the dragowizard kept his contact short, choosing instead to continue his fantasizing. "Besides it'll be worth it if I can travel to another realm. Especially one like Legend World. Just thinking about it makes me giddy!" Axia clutched his staff to his side in his excitement, practically bouncing as he walked. "Legend World is where many of the great Heroes hail from! Could you just imagine if I managed to get a new form there? How majestic it'd be!"

Drum couldn't hold his smirk back at Axia's gushing. When it wasn't him being the focus of its intensity, the look actually suited Axia. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so eager about traveling before. Besides, you're just going there to be a glorified delivery boy. Not a whole lot of majesty there."

"Well, I've never gone to another world before, not counting Earth. I never thought I'd get the chance, but this seems right up my alley. Plus, I am a Dragowizard of my word. What kind of Buddy would I be if I backed out of a promise?"

Drum nodded, but still let a frown develop. "Still seems like a sour deal to me."

"It's no reason to be so grumpy, Drum-kins. Asmodai just has a different way of doing things." Drum snorted loudly at that. "Besides he's given me the opportunity to get a glimpse at another World. I can't just say no to that."

Drum still looked unconvinced but stayed silent. His aversion to the topic was not lost on Axia, and it was starting to put the dragowizard on edge.

"I thought Asmodai was your friend. Why are you so adamant about not trusting him?" The dragowizard's voice took a pleading tone as he tried to get Drum's attention. "Has he really done something so bad that it's earned your mistrust?"

"It's nothing like that. If Asmodai says this'll help you, then it probably will." Drum grunted. "The guy's just sorta underhanded, is all I'm saying. Even to his friends. Heck, especially to his friends."

"He didn't seem all that bad. A little eccentric, I'll admit, but…"

"Eccentric. That's a good word for it." Drum scoffed and stomped ahead, of the teal dragon.

Axia looked at Drum worriedly, thinking over what he said, but stayed silent since Drum hadn't slowed his pace. It had taken a lot to agree to the Demon Lord's proposal, and now his resolve was shaken to the core. The teal dragon stared down at the road, his mind clouded with doubt as he stayed by Drum's side. The two fell into a tense silence and continued down the city streets with only the sound of random passersby to fill the street.

As they walked past the magicians and demons, Drum noticed them giving him an odd look. Some gave him an odd glade while others seemed to get out of his line of sight. He huffed a little, prepared to chalk it up to them not seeing a dragon in a bad mood, until he felt how deep the scowl on his snout was.

Man, what's gotten into me? Sure Asmodai can go overboard, but it's always in someone's best interest, isn't it? I hope Axia isn't taking it too hard. He glanced over at the dragowizard and winced when he saw the downcast look on his snout. Great, I probably ticked him off by being so stubborn. And I was actually having fun on this trip.

He was surprised with himself at how much he was enjoying simply walking with Axia. He had expected the dragowizard to be clinging onto his body every step on the way, especially after the night before, but Axia was looking straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought. Perhaps a bit too lost.

"Still thinking about what I said?" Drum asked, though it got no response from the pensive dragon. He reached out and grasped onto Axia's shoulder in an effort to reassure him, but the contact seemed to frighten him more than anything. Axia yelped and jumped up, stumbling forward as he lost his footing. Drum threw an arm in front of the falling dragon, but Axia had caught himself, propping his staff up to regain his lost balance. "Sorry! I didn't know you'd be so out of it. I just wanted to make sure you were…"

Drum trailed off when he realized Axia's didn't straighten himself back up. The dragowizard remained leaning against his staff, looking at the ground just as intensely as before.

"Axia…?"

"Do you think it's a good idea? Accepting Asmodai's offer, I mean." The teal dragon asked softly. "Do you really think there's a chance he would… just use me?"

Drum paused and looked away for a moment, not saying anything. Axia tightened his grip on on his staff, apprehension creeping up on him at his friend's silence. He was about ready to turn around and head back when he heard the red dragon

"I don't." Drum said at last. His voice was almost lost amongst the crowd of magicians and demons roaming the streets, but Axia managed to hear it just fine. "Asmodai is a lot of things, but he's no traitor. But he also isn't known for putting on the kiddy gloves. He'll play with your mind if he feels like it'll help you reach your objective faster. I just don't want to see you getting hurt like that out there."

Axia's eyes were full of stars at Drum's admittance. He'd never made such a remark before and the teal dragon desperately wanted to express his joy. Thus far, he had refrained from any over the top affectionate gestures out of respect for Drum's skittishness, but it took a lot for him to stop from charging at Drum into one of his signature hugs, and he couldn't stop fidgeting in place.

Drum easily caught sight of the dragon's pleading look and took a step back. The poor magic user looked ready to burst if he wasn't able to give him a hug soon. Drum sighed and glanced up and down the street. The crowd had thinned out considerably with only one or two passersby in sight of the two dragons, and they weren't even looking in their direction.

The red dragon turned back to look at the still eagerly waiting dragowizard. If he were any more excited, Drum was sure he'd sprain a muscle from how wide his smile was. I can't believe I'm saying yes to this. Drum thought raising his arms hesitantly and inviting Axia to hug him. _At least he's asking first. _

The dragowizard wasted no time and tackle-hugged the bigger dragon, nuzzling against him as close as he could. "Oh, Drum-kins! You know just what to say to make a dragowizard feel better." Drum blushed hard and held in a groan at Axia's incredibly affectionate contact, but was still glad the dragowizard was feeling better. He was also pleasantly surprised to find out that none of the other residents seemed to pay much mind to them, in spite of the blatant display of affection.

To his greater surprise, it was Axia that broke off the hug. He grinned at the red dragon, eyes still full of admiration as he resumed his pace. "C'mon, Drum! We still have a job to do!" The dragowizard had gotten his earlier pep back and was once again walking briskly through the city streets. Drum actually had to jog a bit to catch up to him, and soon the two were off again.

With their renewed pace, it wasn't too long before they reached the transit terminal. The plain, black building seemed bizarrely unassuming as opposed to some of the more colorful and vibrant buildings that made up the Pavilion. Neither thought much of it once they made it inside. Piles upon piles of boxes and crates were stacked and lined up in various piles, each waiting to be loaded up into the various, coach-style carriages that stood in the middle of the large room. Despite being so packed, there didn't seem to be anyone on duty. No one except for one lone demon who seemed to be taking inventory on one of the many piles.

"Hey you over there!" Drum called out, startling the creature. He was taller than both dragons by a few inches, but was skinny as a twig. He wore a loose vest that held a multitude of pockets, each filled to bursting and had a construction hat on that hid his eyes from sight but didn't seem to hinder his vision any.

"Oh thank the Demon Lords it's you, Axia." He exclaimed, jogging up to the pair. "I was wondering when you'd get here. Asmodai never showed up and these supplies need to be shipped out to Legend World ASAP."

Both dragons stared at the amount of crates that were stacked up. One pile alone was easily twice as high as either of the two dragons put together and even the smallest of boxes looked like it'd require two people to pick it up.

"Wha- Asmodai never said anything about carrying the entire terminal warehouse to Legend World!" Axia balked.

"Oh, no, it's just the one pile." True to his word, only one pile had boxes labeled with the Legend World flag crest while other stacks had other various world's crests decorated on them. The one thing that struck Axia was how large the Legend World pile was compared to the others. It practically made a small pyramid. "Asmodai said you'd be taking over for us and to leave all the Legend World stuff here for you to sort. Though I guess the work crew took it as 'take the day off and let it all pile up'!""

Drum frowned at the demon's phrasing while Axia was busy stuttering in disbelief.

"I mean… I… just…"

"Here, you'll need this badge to travel to Legend World since you don't have an affiliation with it." The demon continued on as if the dragowizard wasn't having a nervous breakdown. "Oh, and here's the invoice. Make sure the client signs it so we can process it. Trust me, you do not want to make a case with Legend World fairies. They can be a pretty ruthless bunch if you get them mad." He shoved a small badge with the Legend World crest etched into it into Axia's claws as well as a small clipboard, then saluted the pair with two fingers. "That should be everything. Good luck out there!"

He was gone in a flash, leaving Axia and Drum to deal with the large pyramid of boxes. Both dragons stared dumbly at where the skinny demon was before Axia sighed in defeat. He walked up to the large pile, adjusting his monocle as he began to scrutinize it.

"What are you doing? Drum wondered after shaking himself from his stupor.

"Trying to find out the best way to move these. It'll be tricky, but I think I have a spell that can…"

"By yourself? No way! Here, I'll take care of this."

"But Drum-kins, I-"

"I'm not letting you kill yourself over something Asmodai of all demons couldn't do himself!" The red dragon slammed his staff into the ground and walked up to one of the piles, muttering all the while. "It's one thing to be a delivery boy, but if that jerk is thinking about turning you into free labor, he's got another thing coming!"

Axia tried to object, but was entranced when Drum managed to lift up one of the large crates by himself. The thing was larger than he was, yet he lifted it effortlessly over his shoulder. He gulped as he watched his fellow dragowizard's arms flex hard, his muscles barely straining against the weight.

"I-if you insist." He managed to stutter out. And this is him in his Magician form, the weakest he could get when it comes to physical strength.

While Axia continued to stare, Drum continued shoving crates into one of the larger carriages. The vehicle seemed designed to handle heavy cargo, even having been enchanted with a spell that let it hold more on the inside, a fact Drum readily discovered when he was able to fit 5 of the large boxes into the carriage with no adverse effects to its body. After reassuring that they could all fit, he became a well oiled machine, heaving the large boxes into the carriage with no trouble at all.

Even after having experienced his strength before, Axia couldn't help but be impressed at how effortlessly he handled the workload. While he admired the red dragon's strength, he couldn't help but feel a touch envious. Even with the spell I was planning, it'd take almost twice as long to move that much material. To think that Drum's power had gotten to such a point. Maybe after this, I'll be that strong…

It took little time for Drum to move out the load of crates into the carriage. The temporary dragowizard was completely in the zone, so much so that he hadn't even felt Axia's eyes on him throughout his routine. Eventually though, even he began to tire, and it was with a relieved sigh that he leaned back against the now full carriage, grinning stupidly at his fellow dragowizard.

"See? Piece of cake for me," He boasted, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. He pulled his staff out of the floor and leaned against the carriage, looking quite pleased with himself. After recovering his breath, Drum looked around the room, scratching his chin in confusion. "So, what's gonna pull these thing?" He wondered.

Axia brightened up quickly, grinning with excitement. "Just leave that to me, Drum-kins!" He jumped up to the seat in front of the carriage and gave a loud whistle that echoed slightly in the packed room. Drum looked around and was about to ask the dragowizard what had happened when he saw a small fire flicker into existence in front of the vehicle. A second ball of flame joined it and both immediately expanded, taking the forms of ethereal horses. A pair of reins then materialized out from their mane into Axia's out stretched hand, the teal dragon smiling as he grasped the reins to make the connection secure. "These are nightmares, loaned from Legend World and here to transport us to our client."

Drum was struck speechless at the impressive display of magic. he never would've imagined it, but seeing the dragowizard command two flaming steeds was an incredible sight. "That was so cool." He managed to whisper.

Axia beamed at how starstruck he made Drum and gestured to his fellow dragon to board with him. Drum shook himself out of his trance and quickly jumped up to the seat, sitting close to the other dragon, much to Axia's delight.

"How did you manage to do all that?" Drum wondered aloud, wearing a goofy grin as he looked at the nightmares. "That summoning thing was wicked!"

Axia blushed at the praise, but managed to put some pride in his voice at his accomplishment. "It's just something I've been training with. Half of it is the badge giving me a link to Legend World, but it still takes a lot of power to manifest creatures like that."

"You were working on a skill like that and you're still worried about not becoming stronger? You're way too down on yourself." The red dragon sighed, resting his arms behind his head. "Man, that was cool. You've practically got me jealous!"

Axia watched with in amazement at how the red dragon was acting. It was a departure from his normal gruffness, but he had to admit he found it a little endearing. It was nice to know Drum had other things he got excited about, other than pudding. He looked back to the nightmares, thinking things over. In truth he was feeling a little tired and he knew he was starting to feel the exertion of such high level magic catch up to him. He cursed his own limits, but was thankful for the olive branch the former armor dragon inadvertently provided. "Do you wanna hold their reins while we travel, Drum-kins?" He asked sweetly.

Drum opened his eyes, apparently getting ready to take a nap himself. Any relaxation fled his body when he heard the teal dragon's offer. "Are you kidding? That'd be awesome!"

Axia giggled to himself at Drum's enthusiasm. "Wonderful! Now hold you hand out."

Drum did so and was instantly held onto by the teal dragon's own hand. He was just about to quip about this being solely about holding hands until he felt a wave of energy pass through his claws. The reins felt so natural and so did the nightmares they connected to, almost as if they were an extension of himself. Ordinarily trying to tame any type of beast of burden ended up with him flat on the ground, but the link he formed with them made the nightmares completely docile.

He glanced over to Axia, seeing a calm smile on the teal dragon's snout. "They're all yours now, Drum-kins. Just crack their reins and we'll be off."

"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Drum shouted and cracked the reins while Axia held the Legend World badge up. A golden beam of light shot out of the badge, the familiar energy of a portal to another World had opened up before them. The ethereal horses silently trotted forward, passing through the barrier. On the other side was a long dirt trail surrounded by countryside, a far cry from the concrete buildings of Magic World. The carriage moved relatively smoothly onto the uneven road, despite being crammed with so many items. Its passengers were less lucky.

"Not much room on these things, is there?" Drum said, keeping his legs pressed together as both he and Axia were rocked gently from side to side. He smirked over at his companion, seeing the blissful smile on Axia's snout at being pressed so close to him. "Not that I see you complaining."

"What do I have to complain about? This was going to be little ole me escorting this pile of stuff to another world by myself. Now I got my Buddy to help me, which automatically makes it better!" He finished by nuzzling up against the bigger dragon.

Drum smiled amusedly at the dragowizard's affection, considerably more comfortable with the gesture now that they were alone. He looked over at the nightmares that were pulling the carriage, feeling the light tingle in his claws from the magic energy while also feeling the warmth of the teal dragon laying against him. It was relaxing, serene even, with nothing being said and letting the sounds of the nightmare's hooves hit dirt and the slightly squeaky carriage wheels fill the air.

A light yawn interrupted the semi-silence, and Drum turned to find the dragowizard at his side shaking himself awake.

"Mm, sorry Drum-kins." Axia said, rubbing his right eye to clear the sleep from it. "Guess I was more out of it than I thought."

Guess that explains why he's not as energetic. He thought with a smirk. "It's no problem. I mean, I did keep you up pretty late last night."

Axia blushed, but smiled, clearly happy to relive the moment. Drum was surprised with his forwardness, but chalked it up to them being in private. He doubted that he'd be able to match that type of coy behavior with people present, but for now, he took amusement in being able to make the usually extroverted dragon pause and blush with a simple statement.

"I haven't had a good night sleep in some time, anyway," Axia commented, yawning widely. "Most of my time has spent practicing my magic or staying up late researching. It's just like back at my old Magic Academy, only with less grouchy professors berating your work."

"I know the feeling. Father always got on my case if I he thought I was slacking off." Drum smiled and jostled the reins slightly, the action having no effects on the flaming horses. "You can take a nap if you want, I think I've got the hang of this."

"Well… if you're sure," Axia was interrupted with another yawn. "I think I'll take you up on that offer. Just wake me up when we get to the next town. At this point, it should only take another 20 minutes."

Drum nodded and grinned as the other dragon curled up and leaned against him, using his staff as a makeshift seatbelt. In no time at all, he was breathing deeply, fast asleep and completely oblivious to the bumps in the road. Drum smiled at the sight and refocused on the ambient noises once more.

It was a while yet before signs of civilization started to show up and Drum had begun to wonder if there would be no end to the road. He had resolved to wait it out until Axia had gotten enough rest. The red dragon was no stranger to an all night training session and wouldn't interrupt the dragowizard's recovery nap unless absolutely necessary. It didn't keep him from silently wondering if the road would just go on forever though, and he found himself very thankful that he had least had some company with him.

His worries were put to a halt when at last the town came into sight. Various townsfolk filled out the previously empty road, and the carriage rattled when it hit cobblestone instead of dirt. Despite being the only horse drawn vehicle on the road, the denizens ignored it in favor of their own doings, giving the two dragons plenty of space as they made their way further in.

This is the place? Drum wondered, looking at the small, rural buildings that passed them by. Looks a little small for a trading hub.

The two continued on until the horses stopped in front of a large building, its sign showing a glass of liquid being poured into a goblet.

"Hey why'd you stop?" Drum called to the beasts. The nightmares were unresponsive, the flickering flames that made up their mane the only evidence that they still were active. Drum looked to the large building, recognizing the picture as something close to the one from Dragon World. "We stopped at a tavern? This is no time to get a drink!" He turned to Axia but stopped when he saw him still sleeping soundly at his side. He's still out of it. Guess I'm on my own. He sighed and rested against his seat, resigned to enjoy the relative silence of the town… again.

Said quiet was disturbed a few moments later when a surprisingly familiar human exited from the tavern. It was a face he hadn't seen since the Gaen Cup, but he best remembered him from their bout at Sengoku Academy a while back. The youth in silver armor fit in well enough to blend in with the townsfolk, but he still stood out to those that recognized him.

"Shousetsu Kirisame?" Drum's asked. The named swordsman gazed up at Drum and raised an eyebrow.

"Drum Bunker Dragon. Or should I say Magician Drum?" The swordsman replied, walking up to the carriage. "It has been a while."

"It sure has. What are you doing here?"

"I should think that question would be better suited for me to ask. I specialize in Legend World, if you recall. You however have yet to be so formal with the world." He smirked and began silently appraising the dragowizard. "Unless that has changed?"

"No, I haven't done any other world training lately. I'm actually here to help a friend." He turned to the still sleeping dragon, who he now realized he was obscuring from the swordsman's gaze. "Axia's here with me. You remember, the huggy dragowizard that was with us back at Sengoku?"

Shousetsu held back a chuckle, remembering the energetic dragon nearly pouncing on Drum after their fight with his teammate, Raremaru. "Ahh yes, I remember him."

"Anyway, we're here to deliver some supplies to somebody. You know if there's a trading district or anything like that nearby? These two aren't budging an inch." He cracked the reins for emphasis and earning no reaction from the nightmares.

"How interesting. It seems fate has brought us together somehow." That got nothing but a confused look from the red dragon, but still Shousetsu continued. "I have good news for you. I can tell you exactly why they stopped here. These creatures have a spell cast on them that will halt them once they reach their destination. That happens to be this tavern, where I was waiting."

"Sweet, so we just gotta find who all this is for then. Shouldn't be too difficult."

To Drum's confusion, he was met with a quiet chuckle from the swordsman. "You're search is already over. You see, I am the one that ordered those supplies."

It took a moment for the sentence to full process in Drum's mind, but when it did, he all but yelled out, "You were the client!?"

Axia gasped as he was woken up from the shout, sitting up and looking around sleepily. "What about the client… what?"

"My apologies." Shousetsu bowed his head slightly. "I didn't intend to startle you or interrupt your sleep."

Drum looked at Axia to make sure he was alright before answering. "He's fine, but you ordered a mountain of supplies! What are you even planning to do? With this much stuff, you'd think you'd be spending several weeks traveling."

"If you're really that curious, I suppose I can tell you about it. You did come all this way after all." He turned and gestured to the small tavern behind him. "Please, let's head inside. This place isn't particularly busy this time of day."

"You sure it's okay to leave the stuff out here though?" Drum wondered as he jumped down. It was Axia who answered him, the swordsman having already made his way back into the building.

"The carriage is locked so that only he can open it, Drum-kins. Magic World takes its packaging very seriously." The dragowizard held out a hand. "Mind helping me down? I'm still a little groggy."

Drum nodded and held out an arm. I was hoping for a hand, Axia thought as he braced himself on the red dragon's strong arm. A small smile crept up his snout as he instead got to feel all the strength he saw back at the terminal. But this is nice too.

"You alright up there?" Drum's voice brought Axia out of his daze, his gaze turning to see Drum's curious but knowing expression. Dragon got your tongue? The phrase from the night before repeated itself crystal clear in his mind, and he had to shake his head to suppress the blush he felt rising.

"Just fine, Drum-kins." He said at last, bracing himself on the red dragon's arm and leaping out of the carriage. "Shall we?"

Drum rolled his eyes, a grin on his face as he lead the way. The two dragons followed the young human's trail into the tavern. True to his word, the place was almost devoid of patrons and the two found Shousetsu seated away in a booth tucked away in the back.

"Nice of you to wait for us," Drum huffed as the pair reached the swordsman.

"You two seemed preoccupied and I didn't want to interrupt," He smiled at the effect it had on both dragons. The two looked at each other, clearly not expecting the swordsman to have seen their last interaction. He continued on after only a moment to spare the pair any further embarrassment. "Or lose my seat. This section is quartered off well enough so that there should be next to no chance of anyone eavesdropping."

"What's so secret you gotta keep us in the dark?" Drum wondered, warily eyeing the human as he took his seat.

"I should start from the beginning. You are both familiar of the legendary blade Excalibur, and its legend, yes?"

"I've read about the legend." Axia piped up, sliding in next to Drum. "Back in school, I took a supplementary course on legendary artifacts."

"And we've seen you use the sword," Drum said, remembering the swordsman's use of the blade. "It fit you a lot better than that creepy mask you got from the Dark Core Gadget."

"Yes, that power. I still have yet to properly apologize for my behavior back then as well. Especially to you." Shousetsu sighed deeply and bowed his head towards Axia. "I fell into temptation and accepted a power that was not my own. It was not my brightest moment, to say the least."

"It's alright Shou-shou," Both Drum and the newly nicknamed human eyed Axia at the name, though if he noticed the looks, he didn't comment on them. "You managed to overcome that darkness in the end. It's no wonder Excalibur let you wield it."

"Yes well, if you know the legends, you know that I was not the only one accepted by Excalibur. King Arthur's legend is based on his prolific use of sword after all, as well as the great and noble deeds he accomplished with it. But there was more to Excalibur's tale than what was written." He reached to his side, puling out a blue bladed sword from its sheath. "Durandal, if you would please explain to them what you told me."

"Certainly," Shousetsu's buddy said. "Excalibur was forged with the intent of being the greatest of all the legendary swords. However, forging such a powerful weapon is not without consequence. At the time of its creation, it radiated power so immense that it was too strong for any mortal to wield. So it was given to the guardian of a lake inside a spiritual forest, and was kept there until Arthur had proven himself worthy of it. And while he did reclaim the sword, the story does not end there. Legends say that the lake absorbed the inherent power in Excalibur's blade and now holds a portion of its might, and that whoever bathes in its mystic water shall be given incredible power."

Both dragons stared in silence for a while, taking in Durandal's tale. It was Drum who found his voice first, just enough to simply remark, "That sounds intense."

"If only that was the end of it." Shousetsu continued. "Naturally, several vile monsters heard of this power, especially after Arthur's victories with the blade. All unworthy challengers were repelled by the lake, or by Arthur himself. But there was one who sought out this power, and was in a perfect position to claim at as his own."

"Yes, a whelp who's lost his right to call himself a knight." Durandal spat. "One who fell so deep into darkness that he let it consume him. The Traitorous Knight, Lancelot."

"Lancelot…" Axia rolled the name on his tongue. "Wasn't he one of the Knights of the Round Table?"

"Yes, once upon a time, " Durandal answered. "But he lost the right to call himself one of the knights when he broke the Knight's Code and nearly collapsed the order. Long ago, Lancelot was among one of the strongest warriors in the land, second only to Arthur himself. He had his own slew of accomplishments and was a prominent member of Arthur's court. But every man has his vices. He had eyes for the King's wife, Guinevere, and she for him. The two consorted in secret all the while fulfilling their royal duties right under the court's nose."

Drum scowled hearing that, but it was Axia who sprung up, fists shaking in anger. "They both knowingly went behind his back like that? With no regard to the sacred bond they gave to one another!?" He sat back down, fuming to himself. "To think such a prominent knight would do such a thing. It's unforgivable!"

Both dragon and human stared at the dragowizard, taken aback by his outburst. Neither had either seen Axia look so enraged before, both having thought that such an emotion would be impossible for the upbeat dragon.

"You are correct." Shousetsu said, clearing his throat to bring their attention back to the matter at hand. "Such actions strictly go against the knight's code. Even worse, he had persuaded Guinevere into revealing the location of that sacred lake, most likely to enhance his own considerable power. Still, Arthur was not blind to his subject's plotting and was quick to act. He caught Lancelot before he set off and sent him into an enchanted forest to repent for his illicit actions."

"An enchanted forest?" Drum snorted, his disgust at the disgraced knights actions resurfacing. "How was that supposed to make him see anything different?"

"It was enchanted by Oberon, the King of the Fairy Folk and a well renowned master of illusions." Shousetsu explained. "The forest was designed to make anyone who enters it envision their worst fear. The spell would perfectly replicate anything from a person's memory and turn it against them in terrible, unimaginable ways."

"That… that seems a bit harsh…" Axia trailed off, his anger lowering to a small simmer. Once more, he drew curious stares from the other two members at the table. He clutched Drum's arm as he began explaining himself. "I'm not saying he shouldn't face retribution, but it shouldn't be torture. Especially not mentally. That wouldn't solve anything…"

"The path of a knight is unforgiving in situations like this. Were Arthur a lesser person, he had every right to execute Lancelot for what he did." Shousetsu sighed, still seeing the dragowizard's reservations. "However, the court was not without mercy. The very forest he traversed was the same forest that housed the sacred lake he sought after. If he was to conquer his inner darkness and prove himself a true knight once more, then the spirit of the lake would guide him home, and he would return to his brethren with all his sins forgiven."

While Axia had relaxed hearing the condition given, Drum looked skeptical. "Something tells me he didn't exactly become one with his inner knight in there if he's causing you grief now."

"Sadly no." The swordsman shook his head. "They say that whatever Lancelot saw in there drove him to madness. He was so overcome with grief that he lost faith in himself and all those around him. Yet it was in that grief that he found the power to escape the forest's curse. Or so they say."

"He returned months later to challenge King Arthur, with his eyes set on Excalibur." Durandal continued. "He had amassed a large army of defectors to Arthur's rule and led a coup against the King. Though he waged a fierce attack, his army was repelled and he himself was captured. As punishment for his betrayal, Arthur banished him and his accomplices from the kingdom and had Merlin cast a spell on him that would prevent him from partnering with a human as a Buddy. He was to be cursed to wonder the land in eternal penance, until his dying days."

Axia clung tight to Drum's side, his earlier apprehension back in full force, while Drum stared uncertainly at the swordsman. Shousetsu, meanwhile, seemed to be irritated by the recount.

"Obviously that was not the case. Now, for the second time, there are signs of a resurgence. A written declaration of war was sent by Lancelot to Arthur, specifically demanding access to the lake. If he's denied, he claims he'll ravage the entirety of Arthur's Kingdom."

"I thought you said Oberon was the one who enchanted the forest?" Axia spoke up. "Why isn't he asking him to remove it?"

"Oberon does not answer to anyone other than those he respects." Shousetsu replied. "Arthur and Oberon are on good terms, so it wouldn't be out of the question for either to ask small favors from the other from time to time."

"So he's back, but he obviously doesn't have enough power to dispel the curse, otherwise he wouldn't need to use such a roundabout strategy." Drum supplied. "Why is he just now starting to attack the lake?"

"That's the most troubling thing," Shousetsu hardened his gaze, looking as if he wanted to break the table by looking at it. "There was no signs of an army gathering nor any signs of war brewing before now. There has got to be something more to this. It makes no sense for him to just come out of seclusion just to declare open war."

"So you think there's gotta be somebody else pulling the strings?" Axia wondered.

"I'm not sure. Whatever the case may be, I was tasked to lead the charge against this menace. That is why I am here. An army of that size cannot stay hidden for long. I am to intercept their troops before they reach the forest. Or, failing that, prevent them from reaching the lake."

"But you have no idea what you're going up against!" Axia brought up. "No matter how good you might be, even a trained Buddyfighter would have trouble going against an entire army! You don't even know if there might be even bigger monsters helping him."

"Axia's right," Drum joined in. "Even Gao can't take out the heavier monsters without some really strong Equip card. If this guy's got an army of them, you're gonna get creamed!"

"So what do you propose I do then?" Shousetsu asked, agitation creeping into his tone. "Simply let the lake be invaded and Arthur's usurpers run free? The letter marked today as the date for their attack, and the enchantment still stands. If I do not intercept Lancelot and prevent him from reaching that power, who will?"

"You humans are so stubborn," Drum snorted loudly, bringing his hands down on the table and standing up, his large form towering over the smaller human. "If that's all there is to it, then I'll come with you! We put a lot of effort into rescuing you from Disaster Force and I'm not gonna let you get yourself killed over this."

Despite the size difference, Shousetsu matched the dragon's glare unflinchingly. "Really, that's not necessary-"

"You bet your butt it's necessary!" Drum growled, pointing a claw at the swordsman. "There's no way I'm letting you face an actual army by yourself. Like it or not, I'm coming with you. And that's final."

"If Drum's going, I'm going as well." Axia joined in, standing up next to the red dragon. "If worst comes to worst, you two need someone who knows how to repel illusion magic. And I'm just the Dragowizard for the job!"

Shousetsu looked at the pair curiously, slight frustration still marring his features.

"Wouldn't you be weakened without your Buddy with you?"

"No way! We'll be working as a team, won't we?" Drum grinned cockily at the human. "If anything, we'll be stronger than ever working together."

"Besides, Drum and I are practically Buddies anyway. We can handle anything some spooky ole forest throws at us." Axia agreed, leaning against Drum's chest, taking great pleasure at the red dragon's acceptance of the physical contact. Said dragon was looking away from the cuddly dragowizard, trying his hardest not to blush too noticeably, but not doing anything to push him away.

Shousetsu raised an eyebrow at the display but didn't say anything about it. Instead, his buddy made the next observation.

"It would be prudent to increase our numbers." The sword at his side spoke up. "You may have grown stronger but there are dangers out there that even I alone cannot protect you from."

"That may be so." Shousetsu begrudgingly allowed. He stared down the two dragons, almost making them flinch from the intensity of his gaze. "You have to understand, this won't be like a regular Buddyfight. You have neither an affinity to me on a world level, or for Legend World in general. There's a chance your physical wellbeing could be in jeopardy if something happens to either of you, and an even higher chance of me not being able to do anything to help. Do you understand what you're agreeing to?"

He had intended to deter the two dragons, to make them see what was truly at stake and enjoy their time together. Instead, it seemed to only strengthen their resolve. Drum returned his stare just as intensely, and when Shousetsu glanced at the teal dragon, he found a stare just as determined.

"We've been in some crazy situations before." Drum stated. "I could hardly call myself a dragon if I let something like this scare me."

"Same for me." Axia joined in, "Dragowizards have our own sense of pride, too! And I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I let you march off half-cocked like this."

"That's how you both feel then?" Neither dragon wavered at his question, their eyes firm with determination. The young swordsman sighed deeply, but nodded in acknowledgment. "Very well. I'll accept your offer."

"Glad to hear it." Drum said, breaking the stare and smiling widely.

"You'll be much better off with a dragon escort." Axia chirped. "And it's always more fun to travel in a group!"

Shousetsu kept a stern frown on as the dragons chatted with each other, resting his head on the back of his hands as he watched them converse.

"Don't be so melancholic." Durandal said quietly. "They will be of great assistance to you."

"I have no doubt about that." The swordsman muttered, his hands blocking his mouth from the dragons' sight. "I'm already in Gao's debt. It'd be a poor reflection on me if something were to happen to his Buddy and his friend."

Durandal wasn't convinced. "There's something else weighing on your mind, isn't there?"

"Those two seem to be in better relations since our last encounter." He remembered their fight at Sengoku, more specifically Gao's match against Raremaru. Gao had used the two dragons in conjunction with each other to bring the match to a quick end. Though they worked well on the battlefield, they seemed mismatched off of it. He distinctly remembered Drum resisting any attempts on Axia's part to display affection very vehemently. Now though, as he watched them, he noticed their change.

Axia was leaning in just a little closer to the red dragon than would be considered appropriate, and yet Drum had no qualms with it, talking to him just as well as he would his Buddy. It was a far cry from the reluctant dragon he remembered seeing, who would've been shoving the teal dragon away with all his might.

"A lot can happen in the time they've been apart. Perhaps it simply took longer for Drum to realize his feelings."

"It's a possibility. But Axia wasn't with him during the final confrontation with Kyouya. So when could they have…"

"C'mon Shou-shou!" Axia called out, disrupting the swordsman's thoughts. "All this talk about traveling is getting me excited!"

"Right, I'm coming", Shousetsu nodded and watched Axia practically bounce out of the tavern. Drum seemed content to wait for the swordsman. "Does he always give out nicknames like that?" He asked, walking alongside the red dragon.

"Only with friends. You get used to it after a while." Drum said matter-of-factly. "I'm more surprised he managed to come up with one for you. Your name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, ya know."

"So I've been told." The swordsman replied. In truth, he'd never had much complaint regarding his name before, but it seemed to appease the other dragon and the two set on their way after the energetic dragowizard. The two dragons were in high spirits as they headed out, boarding their carriage again as Shousetsu mounted one of the horses that were parked to the side of the tavern.

"Let's be off. Time is short, and we need to set up our base camp." The swordsman called, giving his horse a quick tap on the sides with his foot. Drum looked over to Axia, taking hold of the ethereal reins again.

"So, are they gonna start up again or…?" Drum's query was quickly answered, the nightmares picking up again after Shousetsu and jostling their passengers. "Well, okay then! Don't give a dragon any warning or anything!"

Axia couldn't help but smile at the other dragowizard as the group headed down the well worn road.