(Final Fantasy: Echoes of Time)

Chronicles of Lore
Entry 1----Scriptures of a Hero.

By: Mia~***

Author's Foreword:
Hello again everybody, and welcome to another infamous Fan fiction of mine.
This is my newest project, and so I hope that you all will appreciate my efforts. I have always wanted to write a fan fiction over the Final Fantasy series, but all of them have such a strict storyline, I was afraid that I could destroy something that is most grand.
Today I purchased: "Final Fantasy (Crystal Chronicles) Echoes of Time". My character is a female of the Selkies and she goes by the name of Lore.
As a disclaimer would go then, I do NOT own Final Fantasy or anything else that has been trademarked by that of Square Enix. The character is mine only in the name and only in how I come to develop her personality and abilities, nothing more. So....

Please R&R but be respectful. No flaming, I am looking for decent criticism not insults or unnecessary vulgarity. Other than that, please subscribe and enjoy!!!

-Mia~***

Introduction: "The Chronicles"

Every hero has a story, a tale that they have created through their daring adventures. The minor details are usually forgotten, but in the Chronicles, do they still strive and survive to this very day. My Father used to tell me..."Every great Hero that ever was, carried with them a journal. These journals were the only thing that the Hero could rely on in times of peril. These journals served the purpose of keeping travellers company, reminding adventurers of fine details that they had made notes on during their many missions. These notes later became known as the Chronicles. They were the fine details of the story that were never mentioned in the Legends. They were the hero's heart and soul put onto paper, they were a story all their own. A real hero always carries with him or her...a Chronicle. Because, one day, people all over the world might be singing your praises too---"

Chapter One: "Sleepless Nights"

Daddy was always a smart man, he told me this when I was down with the Crystal Illness. He made me feel so much better when he could sit down and just tell me these stories, tell me what I had to do if ever I was to leave this village. Momma had passed away when I was a baby, and Daddy was so strong, that he never seemed to let it get to him since he had to raise me alone. Then one day he went and disappeared...they told me that he had left the village and that they had found him dead. My father, one of the great Selkies of this town was gone forever. That was the beginning of my tale methinks. Sherlotta was there to help me then. She lived with me and took care of sang to me and would hold me when I would cry. It took a lot to get over my Father, but at last I did. The village wanted me to become a Clavat like most the people here...I tried...but swords were never my thing. Now tonight, I rest up as a brand new Selkie, with my Aura Shooter in hand. What? Didn't I tell you? Oh...it's my birthday tomorrow, I'll finally be sixteen. The "Coming-of-age" ceremony is being prepared in the Forest for my test tomorrow, and I'm so nervous, I can't seem to get tired. Sherlotta has been acting strange as well, I hope it's not because she might have to leave me now...I would hate to think what would become of me if she were to disappear. Ah well. For now, I have to focus, tomorrow is a new day and I will become a new person. So wish me luck Diary, I will let you know how things go.

Signed,
Lorena Magiska (a.k.a= Lore).

The young blue-haired woman set her chronicle down on the nightstand by her bed, and lifted her arms in a giant stretch. The full moon shone its light down through her open window, as the warm summer breeze filled the small hut in which she lived. Tomorrow she would get to see all of her friends as they wished her luck on her graduation test, the best part being that Sherlotta would be waiting for her at the end. "Hm...Sherlotta." Lore giggled, her eyes seemed to gleam every time she said the name. Sherlotta wasn't human, that much was for certain, but exactly what she was, no one knew for sure. But, she knew the forest better than anyone else and was very keen when it came to identifying sicknesses and then curing them. She had been in the village for many years, perhaps even longer, since there were no records kept for when she arrived. She was a friend to all, but her and Lore shared a special connection that not even Lore could explain. But her heart would flutter whenever the young cat-tailed woman was near, and Sherlotta's eyes seemed to lock Lore in a trance and put her in a dream-like state that she never wanted to leave.
But, people might find it weird if she tried to explain these feelings to anyone else, so Lore kept it her little secret and would just giggle and smile, and pretend like nothing was going on whenever she would sit and run her hands through Sherlotta's snowy hair. But now it was late and she had to get to sleep and fast if she was to not miss her own test. But there was one other problem...lately...Lore had been having these weird nightmares. As a child, she had never been much of a dreamer until she came down with the crystal sickness. Since then she had seen strange events taking place in the grassy fields and meadows of far off lands that she didn't even know if they truly existed. But lately she had been seeing things that looked more and more familiar to her as similar-looking objects had been seen around her village. It scared her to think that this reoccurring dream could be some kind of omen, but before she could ponder on it too much, she laid back, her head touched the pillow, and her world went black as she was swept away by a deep slumber.

Chapter Two: "The Dream"

A child, she runs, past the thick bushes and shady tree's of the forest...gasping for breath, her legs tired and sore...
"She looks a lot like Sherlotta---"

Creamy whie hair and those piercing blue eyes, still she is pursued by the scholar draped inexpensive cloth. His spectacles gleam with delight, while she runs, so he chooses just to casually walk on behind her...never losing sight of her as he tips his hat to deflect the sun away from his old eyes. The goal is near...

"Is he chasing her...?"

Her the child comes to a clearing, she can go on no farther...she trips, she falls, she cries out, with no one there to help her...

"If only I could save her..."

The old man draws near now, he chuckles as she turns to scream. She knows that he is not a friend but a foe, and she has been caught at last. He reaches out for her, the shadow of his palm cast across her wavy hair as he grasps her scalp, a dark aura developing about him...

"What is he doing to her?!"

But now does his skin begin to smoke, the clouds drifting from under his sleeves and beneath the collar of his fine scholar cloth. He looks intrigued and does not seem to panic, trying to find the source of this phenomenon. Sure enough, he spots it.
Floating high above the clearest and most shallow body of water in the forest, shines a bright aquamarine mass, sending out a spectrum of colors across the ripples of the pool. The last crystal in the land hums with energy and the forest does respond...the crystal is a guardian, and evil cannot lurk where it is present...

"Wait, is that...?"

Now does the man release the girl, still no word uttered from his lips as a deep chuckle begins to gurgle in his throat. The girl is too scared to move as she doesn't seem to know what is going on behind her. Still the man bows his head, his shoulders shaking with each bout of chuckles until at last he throws his head back towards the sky and erupts in a maniacal laughter....and then...

Chapter Three: "Coming of Age"

Lore sat upright in her bed with a yell, she had not wanted the dream to end just yet and as the vision began to fade from her mind she had tried to summon it all back to her, but just found herself shooting up in bed. I guess it wasn't all a bad thing...but that place, that giant crystal, where had she seen it before? Now she looked over to her nightstand and picked up her chronicle to write, but then noticed the clock and threw off her blankets. It was nearly noon! She had overslept on her own birthday!!!! This was no way to start off becoming an adult.

Rushing out of her door, still trying to tie the laces on her fur-decorated, sapphire top (a.k.a her travel-war), Lore was greeted by the village girl known as Ilian. Ilian was a very sweet woman, in charge of her younger brother Lian and her youngest sister named Eryll. She was the best cook in the entire village and was well-off because her grandfather was the Headman f the village. Now she smiled up at Lore, her brunette hair waving about in the light breeze as she brushed dirt off of her light pink blouse, "Did you have that dream again?"
Lore merely twiddled her thumbs in response. She wasn't overly shy, but her bothered her that everyone seemed to know how she always had the strangest of dreams. But Ilian was sweet about it and she shook her head, "Well I'm sure that either way you got enough sleep. They just finished preparing for your test in the Forest. Even Sherlotta went ahead and said she would be waiting for you at the end. I'm making a huge dinner tonight with all of your favorite sweets and treats, so you better pass ok?"

"You mean, you guys are having a party?" Lore asked, a wide grin spreading across her face at the mention of sweets. "Well of course we are! It is your birthday today, and you only turn sixteen once! This is your coming-of-age party...everyone has one." Ilian chuckled, like she was surprised that Lore would ask such a thing. Sure everyone had a graduation party, but only if they graduated, and only if they had family who would then throw the party. Lore had no family in the village anymore, so now she was for sure that Sherlotta had planned the whole thing out for her. Bowing her head, she almost had to hold back tears as she lifted her head, "Thank you so much Ilian. You're the best!"
"Don't mention it." Illian grinned, "Just don't be sleeping in like that anymore. You're an adult now and you have to start learning to take care of yourself."

"Haha, no need to worry about me!" Lore laughed as she flexed her muscles, "I'm strong just like my Papa, I will pass this test no problem!"

Illian just nodded then and went back to her business without saying a word. But, over in the garden near Ilian's house, Lore spotted Lian and Eryll, so she thought that she might just go over for a quick hello. Sure enough, Lian was planting his vegetables, giving every single one of them a cute girlie name, and Eryll was busy scolding him, saying that only madman named their vegetables before planting them: "I swear, if I have to eat another Daisy or Brooke I'm gonna---Oh hi Lore!" the little girl's words were cut short as Lore walked over with a casual wave.
Lian had been grumbling to drone out his sister's lecture when he looked up and waved back at Lore grinning and saying in his sing-song voice, "Happy Birthday Lore! I can't believe you're sixteen..."

"It's your birthday today???" Eryll pouted as she looked up at Lore, "Why didn't you tell me sooner, I didn't have time to prepare you anything!" Lore just shrugged unable to reply. She really didn't think that her birthday was that much of a big deal, even if she was becoming an adult. Sensing a fit then, Lian was the first to jump in as he muttered, "Well Eryll, why don't you go help Ilian in the kitchen?" and sure enough, that was all it took before Eryll was running over to her big sister and waving her arms asking what she could do to help.
"She is so cute..." Lore muttered as she wished that she had a younger sibling. Lian just nodded as he went back to his garden, "Well, I always have to look after her. She is my favorite little sister you know."
"Lian, she's your ONLY little sister." Lore pointed out with a frown.
Lian just smiled,"Yeah, I know."

Crossing the bridge from her house, there stood the only place of residence with a mill attached to this. The house, of course, belonged to the wealthiest man in the village, which was the Headman and Ilian's grandfather. Now he strolled out of his house and though Lore tried to pass him by with a sweet wave, he snatched her collar and drug her back as he cleared his throat to speak. His over-sized nose reminded Lore of a Mu Beak, and secretly, in her own mind, she was laughing at the old man, though on the outside, she kept a very straight and serious face. Bald as he might be, his white hair still shone brighter than his bare scalp as the old man in his lavender attire began to lecture, "Now I know that being sixteen is a wonderful time in a person's life. We are honored in celebrating your coming-of-age...but as the laws would have it, you have yet to prove yourself in being that of a true adult----" but his speech was cut short by Ilian yelling across the river, "Lore, what are you still doing here? You have to hurry and get to the forest." Now she looked to the old man, "Give it a rest Grandpa! Don't worry Lore, Gramps gives the same speech to everyone."

Now Lore beheld as a giant vein began to grow on the old man's brow, his nostril's flared as he turned towards Illian and began to stomp his feet. As he yelled and began a new rant on 'respecting your elders' Lore saw Ilian give her a wink, and Lore took that as her cue to leave as she dashed off towards the Forest so fast, that not even Bachete the snoozing villager would able to catch her.

She was only stopped a couple more times after that little deal with the Headman. Once was by Phelple the Liltie and her little Selkie friend Ullz. The young boy had begun a rant on how he wanted to be sixteen so bad, and Phelple was trying to explain that one had to take a test to become a true adult. "Well then, if you're so smart, what does the test involve?" Ullz grinned, thinking that he would stump the younger Liltie girl. Now Phelple thought for a moment and then she said, "Well, it involves tying ropes to your ankles and...jumping off cliffs."
Lore gulped even though she knew it was a lie. There were no cliffs in the forests...at least...she hoped so. The other time she was stopped, it was by the two Yukes of the village (Yukes are spellcasters that wear masks over their faces). The young one was a girl whom Lore didn't really know all that well, but she went by Norschtalen. She was apprenticed to the older mage who just went by 'Teacher'. Lore may have lived in this small village all of her life, but, aside from Illian's family and Sherlotta, she really had no need to keep in touch with anybody else. The little girl Yuke was Eryll's playmate, that much Lore knew and after hearing the two fuss back and forth, she knew that Yuke's were not to be taken lightly. Now the Teacher raised his voice to the young one...or was he a she? Lore couldn't be sure, but after getting a quick 'good luck' from the teacher, she was off to the woods, where a Moogle stood by the entryway.

The strange plushie creature looked up at her with that sly grin, and Lore immediatly put a hand to her aura paddle. Now that she was an adult, the main rule was that you couldn't trust anyone. The creatures of the forest were very dangerous and you always had to be prepared.

Chapter Four: "The Test"

The Moogle grinned and clapped it's paws chuckling, "Good, very good. You are a quick learner, so this first part of the test should be very easy for you kupo." Lore just raised an eyebrow as she finally managed to say, "What do you mean?"

"Sherlotta sent me to meet you here. She wants me to teach you battle basics and tactics that might be useful to you during your test. I am to give you an overlay on your current situation. Would you like to hear it?"
"If it will help me, then yes..." Lore mumbled, "But as far as battle basics, I'm sue I'll be just fine." and she was very much confident in her answer. Lore had been fighting and practicing the forms of aura paddling since she was nine. Her father had made it a point to make sure that his daughter could defend herself at a fairly young age. All she needed to know was how to pass the test, the rest she could handle on her own.

The Moogle just nodded, completely understanding as its antennae bobbed back and forth with each little movement, "Alright then. I'll just get straight to the point kupo. The center of this very forest is where Sherlotta is waiting for you. You need only to make it to her to pass. But...this forest is filled with many a puzzle and riddle that will try and stop you from making it to that center, and enemies will also try and take you down kupo. The creatures here are not tame, and they do not like it when outsiders come into their home. They will attack, and they will kill you. Not everyone passes this test...remember that, and remember that well kupo."

Lore understood and gave her word. The Moogle then stepped aside, revealing a trail within the shade of heavy bushes and trees which bid Lore to enter. Sure enough, as soon as she stepped past the boarder, the bushes grew in, sealing off her path from the village as a new world opened up to her, and the sun poured in, illuminating the forest ground which was nothing more than a giant maze. Trails led up into the treeline above, and water gurgled as it trickled over massive rocks within the creeks. Furry creatures that looked like overgrown squirrels ran about back and forth as if they were on patrol. Exotic bat looking creatures never blinked as they hovered right in the center of the clearing where Lore would have to pass. This was going to be a long day...

10 big rats and 3 bats later...

"Where is the stupid door?!"
Lore was stumbling through the woods. She had yet to stop and rest and now she collapsed near a huge pedestal which she took to be some sort of monument. But upon closer inspection, the pedestal was no such thing. It was more ike a box had lost it's lid...inside there was a lever that could be activated by pressure, but required constant pressure to remain working. Now Lore went back to studying her surroundings. She looked around and pressed the lever inside, sure enough, she heard the earth creak, and what she had originally thought to be a wall of thick vines, lifted to reveal a concrete door, and then a sunny path leading deeper into the forest. She knew there had been a door here somewhere, now she was so relieved to know that she hadn't completely lost her mind.

But all of the weight that she could put in her right arm...that' what it was taking to press down this lever, and there was nothing heavy enough that would keep the lever down long enough for her to pass. Plus, if she actually DID manage to get through, once the door closed again, how would she ever get out? This was not the birthday she had imagined, not in the slightest, but, down as she was about it, Lore did not give up hope. Now as she crawled along the tree line, she ran her hands through the tall grass, looking for anything that might help her...because she was at level with most everything else, it was lucky that she had managed to see the small glint of blue that had been hit directly by a stray ray of sun. In the treeline, Lore then pulled out a heavy piece of rock, the same shape as the missing piece that would keep the lever down. "Ha." she gave herself time to be egotistical, "See Papa, I didn't lose my head, and I solved the puzzle. I can do this, I know I can!"

Now she set the stone into place, the door was opened, and Lore ran through with a new found energy, "I'm almost there Sherlotta, don't worry!"

---------------Never in her life had she seen wild pigs in armor. They were probably half monkey, afterall, they may grunt and squeal, but they didn't have hooves like the pigs back home did. It was just the nose that seemed to give them away as mutated hogs. But they were as big as a man, and many times did Lore have to jump on top of them to land the killing blow on their heads. Now as she was battling it with the fifth one of the horde, did she notice the ground opening. Distracted as she was, the monster managed to swing and hit her in the gut. Lore fell over as she fought for breath, the wind had been knocked right out of her.
If she passed out now, then that would be the end of it all, she would die in this forest and never get to be with Sherlotta ever again. The thought was motivation enough for her to swing her paddle around and smack her own back, knocking the bubble loose from her throat as her diaphragm moved back into place. Now she flipped back a few paces, getting a good distance from the monster as she held her paddle back and concentrated her energies on the tip.

Suddenly her aura was visible as the tip began to shine bright, and with a solid cry she swung out into the air, and a huge flaming comet seemed to spring from the paddle towards the monster. Now it lay there in a smoldering heap, in the new hole that had been made by Lore and her magic. She bit her nails thinking that there were probably simpler ways to have dealt with the beast as she finally whispered and scooted away. She had been about ready to travel up the beams of a tree, when she looked back to where she had noticed the ground sinking. Now there was a lever and the situation basically spoke for itself.
For awhile though, Lore fought with the lever, trying to pull it the other way by hand, but having no such luck. She wasn't about to use her meteor power again either. But, she had to unlock the door because then there was only one more section before she was to reach the center! "Oh poop...I hate this....I really freakin' hate this!!!" she yelled, swinging her paddle around at the lever. And then, as though it had just been oiled and gentle loosened, the lever swung around, hitting the mechanism which then opened the door. Lore blushed with embarrassment, muttered a few curses under her breath before scuttling through to the new path before she did anything else that would make her feel stupid.

---------------This new clearing was much smaller than the rest. Immediately Lore found herself looking at a brand new door, but there was nothing to open it with, no enemies to fight, r anything in between. The door behind her closed and Lore cursed some more, thinking that she had fallen into a trap and had now been locked at a dead end. "Maybe..." Lore now began, trying not to panic as she approached the new stone door covered with turquoise colored eyes, "Maybe there is some magical password that will open this door. I should have made reference of any clues that might have helped me. I'm not a Yuke, how am I supposed to know what to say?" now she patted the cold stone, parts of it crumbling in her hand it was so old.

"It's only sandstone..." Lore sighed, "Maybe limestone...can I blow it away? Will that work?"
But, she would never get to try out that theory, for the minute she raised her paddle to strike, a void formed beneath her feet. Lore went to move but was too late, a creature sprung from under her, and she went flying, down to the ground where she crashed hard into the earth. She held her throbbing shoulder as she groaned and lifted her head, and standing there before he was a massive golem. It looked somewhat like a totem pole, made of similar material as the door. Blue symbols and ruins covered it's body as a thick mask covered what must be it's real head. Lore had just barely managed to see the black onyx bead underneath before it had been covered, the creatures face was an orange carving of the sun. This thing was her final test, she had to defeat the garden of the gate.

It's massive arms were also made of stone, and they were twice as long as the creature's stubby little legs. The totem face glared at Lore, but it didn't seem to have any interest in her as she lay there in the dirt, tired and sore. But the moment she reached out for her paddle, the guardian reacted, it's joints creaking and grinding together as its arms came down into the ground with a giant crack, and the ground began to ripple towards Lore in a fierce earthquake that would bury her in the moist ground. But, being a Selkie, Lore was able to jump high enough and stay in the air long enough to avoid the waves, landing easily as she got back into her fighting stance, and made it her initiative to go onto the offensive.

The creature was ten times her height and was much faster than any rock she had ever encountered. Of course, the rocks she knew couldn't make noise or move around either. Several times she had been missed only by a fraction of an inch as she ducked and dodged, striking the golem wherever she could reach, as she searched for a weak point. But the golem didn't seem phased at all by her puny attacks, instead, it deliberately got lazy at trying to swipe at her, which only made Lore more furious, because she refused to admit that she was boring a rock and/or waisting its time.

It was only when she hopped on top of the creature's shoulders that the golem even flinched, and that was what gave it all away. Of course, the golem was wearing a mask, and the head had been a completely different color than the rest of the monster. That was the weak point! Lore grinned to herself and let out a whoop of joy. But now the golem was on offensive too. Having no real joints, the golem swung and swiped and twirled and whirled, trying to knock Lore off of its topmost end. Lore in the meantime was paddling into the mask, breaking it apart bit by bit as she hung tight to the golem's collar to stay rooted where she was at. A time or two, a piece of jagged rock managed to catch her mid-dodge because had not been fast enough, but she had no time to worry about minor injuries, she was so close now.
Finally as the mask came to crumble and reveal the head, Lore went for what she thought might be the final swing, but the golem would not have it. It threw her off most unexpectedly, and when she landed, the monster was glowing a bright blue. Her legs were pretty rough up and she moved not a moment too soon, and almost not soon enough as a giant laser shot straight from the golem's chest, leaving a blazing path of blue flame in it's wake. The ground beside the blazing path was completely charred and Lore swallowed back a scream as that could have been her. Now she jumped across the field towards the golem again, and again and again did the monster belch out its lazers and send out it's rippling earthquakes to try and stop her. For a moment it seemed almost hopeless in mounting the shoulders again, so Lore focused on the lower body, hacking away with her aura paddle, all the cracked spots that she had hit before...and all at once the creature hunched over and groaned.

Lore was quick to act as she figured the golem was succumbing to some sort of pain (or maybe it was stunned) and she raced up it's spine and swiped at the back of its head. The sun pattern rolled as the onyx ball was knocked fom one side to the other, back-and-forth as Lore pounded away, crying out in all her frustration as she was getting tired and yelling at the top of her lungs, "Why won't you die?!"

Now the creature tumble to the ground, knocking Lore off one last time. The Selkie hit hard her head and blacked out before she managed to see the golem sink into the earth once again (via the void), and the ancient doors behind it pulled away to reveal a fine dirt path, leading to a sparkling pool of blue. Her mind was dark, deprived of any dreams and thus Lore was convinced that she had died. She couldn't feel her heart beating, she didn't even know if she was breathing. Her tiredness was gone, all the soreness had vanished when she had hit the earth that final time. She was just completely numb.

The only thing working as it should, was her mind, as she reached out with her consciousness half-hoping that this was not what death was like, trying to contact someone she might know. Then somewhere off in the distance, in that deep and true black, a voice called for her, summoning her by name. A woman was calling fo her, but telling her that she needed to open her eyes, she needed to wake up. While Lore struggled to make out who it was, the black of her mind was fading away. And just like with her dreams, Lore begged her body to just stay for a few minutes longer so that she may figure it all out, but before she could even try, her eyes flickered open, to reveal the new path and the bright lights pouring through, a spectrum dancing across the grass. Asides from the wall, it was almost just like her dream.

It took Lore a few times to hoist herself up to the sitting position, and then a few more tries before she was actually ready to stand. As she hobbled over to the path, she fell a few times, her legs absolutely hating her as the soreness came back and she was dragging her paddle behind her. But once she was through the ivy, her grumpiness, exhaustion, and pain, were all swept away by a sense on awe, because there, hovering above the middle of the pool, floated the blue crystal from her dreams, a very amused Sherlotta sitting atop it.

Lore went to speak, but the words would not come out. Instead her mouth just hang there completely agape and Sherlotta just giggled,her black tail swinging back and forth as she smiled, "What else did you expect?"

Finally Lore found her voice as she shook her head, "Well, nothing really. But a congrats would be nice at the least. I have kinda been through a lot." and then she motioned at her scabbed knees, bruised stomach, and overly scratched shoulders and cheek. "Well, you did make it here. Guess I have to pass you then, right?" Sherlotta giggled again, "Well congratulations Lore, you passed. Hm...I do have something for you though." and she hopped down from high up top the crystal.

Lore went to catch her, but could not move fast enough. Not that it would have mattered much anyways, for Sherlotta merely came down but never touched the water. Lest did she hover above the pool just like the crystal, the water rippling under her from the pressure in the air, and Sherlotta just gazed at Lore with those beautiful blue eyes. She crossed the water step-by-step, and Lore could feel her heart begin to pound as she beheld this little demonstration of Sherlotta and her magic. Now Lore and Sherlotta were merely feet apart and a light blush came to Lore's face. Sherlotta didn't seem to notice however as she dug through her pockets, finally retrieving a small blue crystal and holding it out to Lore, "Here you go. A gift."
When Lore just looked at the crystal and tilted her head, Sherlotta became a bit embarrassed and stuttered, "I mean, I know it's not that big of a deal considering the one that;s floating up there but..." and her eyes grew soft yet sad as she grinned, "It was the best I could do." and a trail of pink came across her nose. Now Lore took the crystal and gently placed it to her heart, looking to Sherlotta whispering, "Don't worry...I will cherish it always."
Sherlotta smiled wide even as her face turned a deep and beet red and she whispered, "I'm glad!" and then she asked, "You weren't hurt too bad were you? During the test?"
"No..." Lore answered, as she pointed to show that her bruises had already begun to heal along with the scratches, "I am fine. I got a little lost, but other than that, no monster could ever hope to defeat me."

Sherlotta shook her head, "You sound just like your father." and then she sighed, her eyes sad again, "To think that you are sixteen. Seems like only yesterday you were this high---" and she brought her hand down somewhere past her waist, muttering something along the lines of 'where has the time gone?' before shaking her head and laughing nervously, "Oh, don't listen to me , I'm just reminiscing. Anways, I opened a new path for you so we can get out of the Forest a bit faster. I'm sure everyone is anxiously waiting for you back in the village." and Lore nodded happily. She hoped to never have to see another forest ever again.

Chapter Five: "Crystal Sickness"

When Lore had gotten back, Eryll had been waiting by the entrance. She wanted to be first to greet Lore and Sherlotta back home after the test, since she was no longer needed within the kitchens. She had waved happily and had asked if Lore had passed her test. As proof that she did, Lore had brought out to show the young girl her crystal and Eryll had beheld it in awe before she turned to tell everyone else of Lore's success. But halfway down the path she had halted, and now she turned to Lore and Sherlotta, her face draining of all its color:

"L-lore? I...don't feel so g-good..."
And then had the little girl collapsed on the ground, both Lore and Sherlotta running to retrieve her. Later that evening, there was no party to be had for Lore. Instead, everyone was gathered around Illian's hut, muttering whispers about what could be going on with Eryll. She had always been a sickly child, but nothing had ever hit her like this. All the way home she had screamed in pain, and now the hut was silent and everyone feared for the worse.

Sherlotta was the only one to come out of the hut now, her eyes stern as she bit her lip and said, "Eryll will be fine, she is feeling much better and is in the care of Ilian and Lain now..." everyone let out a sigh of relief until Sherlotta continued, "But...Eryll has the crystal sickness."

Now the group erupted in gasps and cries, especially from the adults. Crystal sickness was so are nowadays, seeings how the forest village was the only place left in the world with a crystal. The sickness was so uncommon that no one around these parts even bothered to keep the cures in stock, and so, Eryll was in very much trouble. While the sickness in itself only made one stronger in the end after having it, it was surviving it which was the problem.

Lore had not been given the antidote, but she was always a strong and healthy child. Eryll was not, and the first few days would be critical for her, and if they let her go on much longer, the pain would be too much and she could die. Everyone knew this, but no one was saying anything about going and getting the ingredients. Sure enough, that was the problem, the ingredients could not be found within the forest, and in this village, people who had been living there long enough were bound b the law that they could never go outside of the forest boundaries else they be punished by law. Lore's father was a foreigner so the laws did not apply to him---and so they didn't apply to her, but everyone else.

Now the young mage from earlier, Norschtalen, was begging with the Teacher, "Please Teacher I will do anything if you let me go and get those ingredients. I'll clean my room, practice magic everyday, I'll do anything. But we can't just let Eryll die, she was my first friend in this village!!!" and then she began to openly sob and cry. But still the teacher was stern, "Enough of this! I already told you, it's too dangerous!" and in a bout of rage and sorrow had the apprentice then taken off across the bridge. Now the crowd began to disperse and Lore slowly walked up near Sherlotta, to hear what she was saying: "I guess I'll have to sneak out of the village and go to get the ingredients myself."
But the teacher shook his head, "No, you can't do that. We need you here just in case if Eryll gets any worse!"

Sherlotta's whole body shook with rage, "But I'm the only one that can do it!" and of course she was referring to the ingredients. But again the teacher shook his head, "No. Now there is one other that can do it as well..."

Now Sherlotta stopped shaking, her voice almost crcking as she whispered, "Wait...y-you don't mean." and then she bowed her head, "But Lore...she just finished her test and she has so much yet to learn....and..."

"Lore needs to go out and experience the world anyways..." the teacher laughed, "So why not now?"
Sherlotta let her shoulders droop in defeat, her voice a mere whisper as she said, "I know..."
Now the teacher looked to Lore past the shade of his mask, his eyes bright yellow sphere's as he whispered, "See how Sherlotta loves you so?"

Now Lore's heart gave a mighty leap....no one had ever mentioned that word to her before...love. Did he mean just a parent-type love, or could it actually be what Lore was actually hoping for, that maybe Sherlotta had some sort of feelings for her too? Now Sherlotta spun on her heels, her eyes wide as she pointed to Lore and cried, "Wait! How long have you been standing there?!"

Lore went to go answer when Sherlotta crossed her arms across her chest and pouted, "Well, it's not like I don't trust you or anything..." and a light blush spread across the bridge of her nose, "I know that you can do anything you set your mind to Lore." and then she closed her eyes. So that was it then, it was settled. Lore would go clean herself up and set off for the next town in search for this cure? She would have done it anyways, seeings how she felt like this whole ordeal was her fault for showing Eryll the crystal. Now she had even forgotten that it was her birthday and that she should be celebrating at this moment...Eryll was all that mattered now. So, walking up to Sherlotta, Lore locked her in a gentle embrace, nuzzling her lightly as she whispered, "I'll be back soon then? And you will be here when I return?"

Sherlotta blushed a deeper red as she opened her eyes an hugged Lore back, holding her tighter and nodded , "Of course I'll be here..." and then she added, "Lore...please be safe."

And so for the first time would they part, Lore with her new crystal charm, paddle at her hip, and chronicle in her hand, as she set off in her very first adventure...one that would come to echo across time itself as the forest village had just set free the newest hero of our world.

[To Be Continued...]