He hadn't meant to hurt the two humans when he had destroyed the last altar, and now he had a dilemma. He couldn't decide whether or not to save the travelers who had since gained another companion. It didn't make much sense to him to let this man who was destroying the earth hurt these apparently innocent people.

After the roar, there was a howl. Then a scream of absolute terror. Red Cassius and his men turned to see what was happening to the Fralabeast. All they saw was a giant hole in the ground. Suddenly Red was up to his neck in the earth and trapped. The priests that were holding Brakk suddenly had roots wrapped up their legs, and he was free. The priest that was holding Mira found nothing in his hands all of the sudden. The one remaining priest pulled a small crossbow from his sleeve and shot the dart at Myst.

With a wave of his hand Myst produced of puff of wind which blew the dart off course and into a nearby tree. A tight cocoon had been wrapped quickly around the hands of the guard who had been holding Mira, and then she shifted back into her human form.

The guard with the crossbow was trying to reload when there was suddenly an arrow through his wrist. As he yelled in agony, a grunt was heard from the pit where the Fralabeast had been. Then it was quiet.

Cassius had not yet recovered form the shock of being swallowed into the ground, and he was sitting with his mouth hanging open has four of his finest guards were quickly put to the ground by this seemingly weak party of travelers. Maybe Gred was right. Maybe this man, Myst, would be his end. As the guards were gathered and tied Brakk unarmed them and got a tree to hold onto the group.

"I understand how we beat these simple guards, but what happened to that beast thing that was summoned?" Mira questioned Myst and Brakk who was still rubbing his wrists where he had been held.

"I'm not quite sure," mumbled Myst as he retrieved the crossbow dart form the tree.

"Maybe I can answer that," boomed a voice from well over everyone's head. As they looked up from what they were doing, they were amazed. A giant, scaled man was towering over them. His mottled green and brown skin almost made him blend in with the forest, while his piercing green eyes seemed to glow with the intensity of fire.

Instantly Myst threw the dart he was holding at the giant lizard man. Halfway there it was stopped as a piece of grass whipped around it in mid-flight.

"Impressive," commented Mira, "You can control the plants as well as the earth."

"No he can't. I was the one who stopped the dart," grinned Brakk

"I thank you forrestial. Though the dart would have done nothing to my skin, I am pleased to see some peaceful intentions in this group," spoke the lizard-man in a voice sounding somewhat like that a tired grandfather.

"Yeah, thanks Brakk," muttered Myst sarcastically.

"First I will apologize for knocking the two of you down when I destroyed the first altar. I hadn't seen you and since I had to concentrate on the power lines in the earth I didn't hear you approach."

"So you were the one who caused the earthquake that day?" asked Myst, "You nearly cost me my friend's memory."

"What's going on here?" asked Mira, puzzled.

"Let me explain," said the lizard-man.

"I am Dart. I am actually a human who was soul-fused with a great lizard because I was burnt badly in a fire caused by my mother who had to destroy her past in order to receive power from this man Gred. She nearly succeeded in killing everything, but my father's friends took me and transformed me into this thing. I have since been searching for the next place where Gred would surface. This forest was the location of many altars so I when I finally discovered they were here I came. The other day was the first time I summoned the earth's power to destroy one of the altars. I regret that I didn't see the two of you standing there as I was completing the procedures. I was coming to this altar to destroy it when I saw this man kidnap your friends and wait for you, DragonLord. When he summoned the demon I pulled it into the earth with me, and it couldn't stand the heat below the surface and was therefore banished."

"What about this man?" questioned Myst.

"Without the altar he cannot summon the demons," said Dart.

"I say we kill him," said Brakk, "If he is planning to destroy these forests and the earth he should die."

"I don't think we should kill him," said Mira angrily, "He might be worth something to his lord."

"Well let's make him talk" said a voice in the trees.