The storm continued its fury unabated.  Powerful jets of rain 
washed down on two figures.  One figure was lying face down in the muddy 
soil, barely more than a carcass.  The other stood three stories above it 
from the remains of an inn room.
      Cardia coldly stared at Edge's lifeless form.  Nodding, he tipped his 
wide-brimmed hat at the corpse and said, quietly, "A fitting end for one 
such as you, Ninja.  Engulfed by the Light that you cherished so."  Cardia 
Cardia laughed a closed-mouth chuckle and turned to leave through the inn 
room door.  Before he took three steps, he heard a voice, a small voice 
through the storm, somewhere below.  Whirling about, he glanced down...
      A small boy had crossed the street seemingly from nowhere and knelt 
down before Edge's corpse.  The boy turned his head and called out, "Mama!  
Papa!  Someone got hit by that lightning!"  From within one of the 
dilapidated buildings, two people made their way to the boy, somewhat 
hurried.
      Cardia glared through the rain but could barely see though the 
torrent.  Raising his pinkie and spreading his thumb outward, Cardia closed 
his eyes and mumbled something... suddenly, his hearing became very acute 
and he could clearly see through the rain.  He did not like what his magic 
was now showing him.
      The two people that ran from the building were both women.  One was 
dressed all in white, which was splattered with rust-red stains, and had 
golden-blonde hair tied back in a pony-tail.  The other wore her hair short, 
and appeared green.  The woman in green dropped to her knees, gasping.  From 
the mud, she picked up a small crescent-shaped device.  She looked to the 
blonde woman and said, shakily, "T-This is FullMoon..."
      The blonde nodded gravely, and put a hand on the green's shoulder.  "No
time for tears, Rydia.  Let's get him back to the hospital and I'll see what 
I can do."
      Cardia cluched his hands into fists.  "NO!  This is not how it was to 
end...!" he said throguh gritted teeth.
      Rydia and the other woman carried Edge's corpse along with them, while 
the boy tagged along behind.  The three returned to the derelict building.
      Cardia plotted.  "Edge, so help me... if you recover, I'll kill you 
again... now, how to prevent this from coming about..."
      Cardia snapped his fingers, and laughed.  "Oh, the complete audacity 
of it all!"  Waving his hands, he chanted and called to his forbidden magic, 
his Red Sorcery.  His body became a crimson outline, then was gone.
                                  *  *  *      
      The room in which Cardia appeared was fashoined by Cardia himself.  It 
was spherical, and quite large.  The wall all about was transparent.  From 
the outside, it would appear that Cardia's study was suspended in a large 
soap bubble.  However, no one would be able to survive in the space that 
existed outside the bubble, for this was the X-Zone.
      Cardia, immediately on rematerialization, began poring through some 
manuals which lined his many shelves.  Nodding, he returned to the center of 
his room and withdrew a small fragment of violet stone from beneath his 
robes.  Smirking, he said aloud, "I shall have to thank Matoya for her '
gift' sometime..." and raised the Crystal to his eye.  The inside of the 
Crystal seemed to swirl like smoke, then revealed a vision.
                                  *  *  *      
      Within Vector, Afkek sat on his throne, contemplating his next scheme
to defeat the Returners once and for all.  Abruptly standing, he shook his
fist at the ceiling and shouted, "And I'd beat them ALL, too, if it wasn't
for all those goddamned HEROES!"  Several of his guard snapped to attention.
Afkek looked around at them, shook his head, and flopped back down on his
throne.  "What I need," Afkek continued, "is my own hero, a fiend that can
do my bidding without backtalk, one that no one would suspect... until it
was too late!  Then..."  Afkek slammed his fist into his palm, "WHAM!  YES!
Perfect!  Guards!  Send for my advisor..."
                                  *  *  *      
      Cardia grinned.  "Yes.  That would be perfect."  Cardia concentrated 
on the stone, and it began to glow a soft violet.  Raising the stone above 
his head, he closed his eyes and chanted.  "WARP!"
      Afkek nearly fell out of his throne as a crimson outline of a man, 
then a whole man, appeared several feet in front of him.  Much to Afkek's 
dismay, he had sent his guards to find his advisor.  He, and the strange red-
robed man, were alone.
      "What!  How DARE you show your face in MY ROYAL CHAMBER?!"  Afkek spat 
at the intruder.  "When my guards return, you will suffer greatly for your 
rudeness!"  To emphasize, Afkek shook is fist at the Wizard.
      Cardia bowed his head.  "Afkek, I know what you desire... and I have 
the means to give it to you."
      Afkek lowered his fist and cocked an eyebrow.  "Eh, what was that?"
      "You are looking for the perfect assassin to destroy thr Returner's 
most powerful members, the so-called Heroes of Light."
      Afkek's jaw dropped.  "T-That is correct, stranger.  But how could you 
have possibly known?  I KNOW!"  Afkek raised his fists again.  "YOU'RE A 
RETURNER SPY!"
      Cardia shook his head.  "No, I am not a Returner spy.  In fact, I have 
nothing to do with this petty war that you insist on waging.  I am merely 
here to offer you a 'trade'."
      Afkek staked around his throne, considering.  "What do you mean, a 
trade?"
      Cardia grinned.  "I know a perfect specimen for your assassin.  Allow 
me to use what resources you have and I will produce him for you."
      Afkek nodded.  "Well, then, what is it you wish in return?"
      "I will inform you of that when I deem it necessary.  Do you wish this 
assassin or not?"
      A small trickle of drool made its way down Afkek's cheek.  "Yes, yes!  
Bring him to me, and all that you ask will be yours!"
      "Ready your Magitek lab, then.  I will return shortly."  Cardia turned 
and began to walk away.  Slowly, he faded from view just as Afkek opened his 
mouth to add something to his speech.  Shrugging, Afkek bellowed, "Ready the 
Magitek labs!  I want those labs up and running NOW NOW NOW!"