Me: Well...here's that homework I've been working on this past week.

Mario: ...homework? This is an Elsword fanfiction.

Me: I know, this prologue and the later chapters are for my History project. And I do say that I did meet the requirements of talking about two people and one event per era for two civilizations :D.

Mario: *sigh* Let's hope you're right then Fire. Prologue, START!


Prologue: Glaive's Challenge

All was quiet in the horrifically silent blue realm, where only the faintest sound originated from the occasional dimly glowing cubes that hanged suspended in mid-air. Finally, just like the calm before the storm, two weapons clashed as their respective owners sparred under the watchful eye of their master Glaive, a mysterious masked man fully robed with spiky white hair. Several old keys clanged from their home on the man's robe too aged for any key to unlock them, as if the Administrator of Time and Space locked himself away from the rest of the world in his little dimension. He amusingly witnessed the sparring match between his two students as he mindlessly dangled two brightly illuminating blue cubes in the open palm of one of his gloved hands.

His first student caused him grief time and time again ever since he agreed to mentor the crimson-haired teenager. The young Swordsman, Elsword, hacked and slashed his opponent without much thought, enabling for the other apprentice to smoothly dodge them with ease and back-flips to put more space between the two. Silently cursing under his breath, he fired flaming runes straight at his opponent who yet again blocked the attack by shooting them down with his dual revolvers. This time audibly informing his sparring partner that he's filling with rage, Elsword charges right at him only to meet several magical charged bullets to the abdomen. Grunting with each attack, he scornfully admits defeat due to Glaive's interference to halt the match. From this match alone, Elsword continued to enforce his rebellious outgoing spirit by switching tactics in the blink of an eye. However his hot-headed temper and aloof mind at times gets the better of him, especially when his opponent taunts him for being weak. After scolding Elsword for having the aforementioned negative traits lose sight of his victory, Glaive glances to his other apprentice.

If Elsword runs like hot water then the other apprentice, Chung, is the calm cooling water steadily flowing from the faucet. Born a reserved and introverted prince of the grand city Hamel, the secret teenager who kept even his real name locked in a code polished and cleaned his two revolvers, nicknamed the Silver Shooters, as he jokingly boasts to his glum red-headed friend about another match won. Glaive was pleased with Chung's calm and calculated formula of thinking, however during the timed exercises the gunslinger always failed due to spending too much time planning rather than acting. He looked at the prideful blonde spiky-haired prince with curiosity, why does he need to play his victories so big no matter how miniscule they seem? Then again, having two apprentices both 16 years of age leaves a lot of groundwork to downplay their pride, whichever form it so happens to take.

"Elsword." Glaive's gruff voice began lecturing his pupils. "If you weren't so hot tempered and actually planned a strategy, you could've easily overtaken Chung with your superior physical build."

"Tch whatever, I'm attacking him anyway." Elsword scoffed back, smirking to take in the strict master's compliment. It was once in a blue moon that Glaive actually praised the self-proclaimed Rune Slayer, one who slays with sword and runes, with just about anything ever since training with him and Chung began about six months ago with the eradication of the demons that plagued their continent Elrios for the past several years. He stretched casually, moving his bangs away with his hands once he finished, and continued his argument. "I can attack in close range and in long range Glaive, either way I'm able to deal damage in any distance I want."

"It's true you have the versatility to attack in all quarters Elsword, but mastering the right opportunity to strike like Chung here is the key to victory." The masked man's lectures seemed to bore the young crimson teenager, the latter yawning out of boredom. His gunslinger pupil, who dubbed himself the

Deadly Chaser, chuckled at being compared superior to his friend to point out Elsword's glaring flaws. Unfortunately for him, this points Glaive straight at Chung. "And Chung quit boasting, you're almost as arrogant as Elsword!"

Chung calmed himself and attempted to smooth his way out of being punished by Glaive just as he always has. "Me as arrogant as Elsword? I'm way smarter than he is anyway, plus I did always win these sparring matches." Before Glaive could nod his head in Chung's reasoning, Elsword butted in.

"Yeah right what about those timed sessions? You always failed those because of all that planning in your head! How about acting out your plan first and think about the next course of action as they flow by?" He sternly yet playfully reminded Chung.

"At least I can actually think about what the next plan to take, you simply charge into battle hoping for the best-" After Chung's outburst the two students squabbled at each other for a couple of minutes, Glaive sighing at their immaturity. When the whining fest reaches a point where it could last for hours, the Administrator of Time and Space finally butted in.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He boomed, signaling a very harsh punishment in store for the two of them. Last time they had to carry two full buckets of water and run around the entire space of Henrir, which was the size of the vast continent of Elrios, in three laps. Elsword and Chung gulped, nervously waiting for their discipline this time. Glaive took the two blue cubes he was playing with in his hands and held one for each hand. "Now time to give you two a lesson." He enlarged both cubes revealing a portal to two foreign worlds, surely they aren't from Elrios? "These portals both head to the same world in a similar dimension to ours except in two different places. You can still use your weapons to fend for yourself once there, however Elsword no longer has access to his runes and Chung would need to find real ammunition for his Silver Shooters." The two apprentices expressed their dislike very audibly upon hearing that.

"You are to locate the hidden objects I have located there called the El Shards." As if muttering a spell, a small yet sharp blue-green dimly sparkling shard appeared in front of him. "I will scatter them through different points of time within your designated region. If you find the one within the region, it will automatically transport you further in time for the next one. Once you find all three, I will transport you back here. Otherwise you'll have to suffer the rest of eternity searching for them in a never ending time loop, do you two understand me?!" He firmly finished explaining his punishment to the two teenagers, who quickly nodded their heads in fear.

"Good." He glanced at the two of them, figuring out who to send first. "Elsword," Upon hearing his name the crimson boy immediately straightened up, "I want you to search through China, a group of people I hear are very conservative and thoughtful. Maybe some of the people you happen to meet and experiences you witness should stop that irresponsible charging habit of yours." Now he faced at Chung, who gulped louder than Elsword despite being more reserved. Obviously Glaive didn't punish him as often as the hot-headed Swordsman.

"Chung," Once again Chung immediately straightened up although in a more dignified manner, "You will travel through Japan, a group of 'Shoguns' as they call themselves that achieve innovation in a short span of time. Searching for the El Shards there should give you a chance to stop biding your time planning and act more often, though not to the point of pure recklessness." He glared at Elsword when informing Chung of his last statement.

"I guess I have no choice then." Elsword shrugged. "I wonder if these 'China' people-" After firmly getting corrected by Glaive he tried again. "I'm sorry, I wonder if the CHINESE people are just a bunch of old hermits who hole themselves up in some Great Wall and close themselves from the rest of the world." Despite his sarcastic humor, Elsword's mentor is worried that his hot-blooded Knight could be right.

"I'm honored to gain more knowledge from this exercise, even if this is a punishment." Chung, obviously acquiring more polite manners if any than Elsword, bowed in respect to his master. "Though I doubt if any of them are as hot-headed as Elsword, I'll hardly learn much about rushing myself into a problem headfirst without a Plan B." Once again joking, Glaive couldn't help but think that his apprentices may be sharper than what meets the eye.

"Enough insolence you two." He firmly reminded them of their forced task. "Now Elsword take the portal to your left, Chung take the one to your right. May you two have a safe journey." His students nodded and entered their respective portals, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Once they both entered in their designated destinations, Glaive rested in his throne and pulled up a cube-shaped split screen to track the progress of his two students in these unknown lands.

I wonder how Elsword and Chung will handle the special surprises I left for them? He chuckled somewhat darkly to himself, knowing full well the kinds of people he specifically transported the two pupils near to. All that remains now is how his young students react to the people they interact and the lessons they learn through their mission.


Mario: Elsword and Chung are...

Me: Yep I made them apprentices of Glaive for this story, really the only way I can make this an Elsword fanfic and a History project telling their adventures with various historical figures and events.

Crystal: ...Oh god I wonder how this will go.

Me: I have no idea :D! I just hope the story gets me a good grade and is well received here as well!

UPDATE: Got a 90 on this, one the best grades I got in that course all year woot!