Tian enters a large bedroom. Fire roaring in the hearth. A tall muscular man sits reading in an oversized chair. His chiseled features unmoving as the light from the dancing flames wisped across his face. "Knew you’d be awake."

"You look worried. Is something the matter?" the large man replied briefly, glancing up from his book.

"Not yet. But HE is gaining strength. We need to decide on a course of action."

"Forgive me if I have a difficult time believing that he will be much of a threat. With you, Kai, and myself, we should be able to handle anything." There was a note of arrogance in his reply that irritated Tian deeply.

"Your naivety will be our downfall. I have seen him rise and fall countless times. It always take four. And we currently have no fourth!" Tian replied with a little more force than intended.

The large man cocked an eyebrow at Tian's obvious annoyance and placed his book to the side. "But you have someone in mind?"

Tian takes a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. "He’s been a great help in the past. On many occasions. The problem is in finding him."

"Shouldn’t be too difficult with your spellwork, Tian."

"The difficult part will be convincing him to help. We didn’t exactly part on the friendliest of terms."

"What did you do?" the man asked with a smirk that said he was already forming his own hypothesis.

Aghast at the allegation, Tian replies, "Nothing to concern yourself over. Besides, I am quite confident in your powers of persuasion."

"ME?" the man replies in shock, having not expected to be the one talking someone into a life threatening quest to save the world.

"Well he won’t agree if I go. No matter what is said."