"Are you expecting me, Grace?" his deep voice greeted Grace as that young man entered the room. He was so young. I predicted he was no more than twenty two years old. His dark brown hair was long enough to be tighten behind his neck and his skin color was light brown with a tanned accent. I believed he spent a long time under the sunshine.

"Yes, Aiken," Grace stood up from her chair, "Please come in and suit yourself."

Aiken's glance stayed at me for a brief moment before he took Grace's hand and kissed it.

It was a really brief moment but it was enough to know that he was studying my every movement. His brows which were so sharp and thick nearly furrowed when he saw me.

"Ah, I can see your journey has a good effect on your behavior," Grace smiled and kissed Aiken's cheek back, "Now, let me introduce you to this Young Lady I met in the middle of the meadow."

That man turned to me and I blinked.

For a second I thought I could see an armor covering his body. A silver one with a blue glimmers and then I blinked once again and it was gone.

"Ivy?" Grace asked me with a worry tone, "What's wrong?"

I shifted my gaze and met Aiken's. His eyes were in the same color as his hair. He stared back at me.

"What was that?" I asked him. I could hear that my voice sounded defensive.

"What do you mean?"

I examined him carefully. Now his clothes had back to it's normal form. A black coat and trousers. A pair of boots covered his feet. I also noticed a sword were slung in his back.

"Your clothes," I explained, "Just a moment ago it was changed, and then now…"

My words disappeared before I reached the end of my sentence. I didn't now how to finish it so I shrugged.

"You can see my armor?" he asked me as if he was convincing himself.

"Yes. I mean… No. not now. It had vanished."

For the first time, Aiken smiled. He stretched out his hand, asking to shake my hand.

"It's not vanished," he said when I carefully took his hand, "Actually, it should have remain unseen by ordinary human. You must have some extraordinary magic so that it appeared in your sight."

Aiken's gaze drilled into mine. He was trying to dig truths from my eyes, but I knew he would find nothing.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "I can't remember anything but my name."

A silence fell between the three of us. Beside Aiken, Grace was smiling softly. I kept my eyes in his face so that I saw it when his expression loosen into a wide smile.

"You were right, Grace," he said as he turned toward the old lady, "She may be a really great Fa Shih. We have to tell the elder. I hope she would be back soon."

Grace answered his smile and back to her chair.

"Where is the Elder?"

Aiken followed her and sat in the empty chair beside her. Grace gave me a sign to join them so I sat in my previous chair.

"She was off for thousand streams three days ago. There was an attack in the area near Lothranis and Momaganon. It makes her a little bit worried."

"Attack? By Wraiths?"

Aiken shook his head.

"They're still investigating. I hope it isn't a bad sign. You know, there are still so many people who believe that possessing a hell energy would make them stronger."

Grace stared at the table. Her gaze was unreadable. I chose not to interrupt them cause their expression were so serious.

"Does she know what may welcome her there?"

Grace eyes were back to Aiken. She seemed more worried than before.

Aiken nodded, "Yes, Grace. She knows it."

Once again silence filled the room. After moments had passed, Aiken turned to me and smiled.

"Well, we can discuss it later, Grace. Now I have to bring her to Etherblade before the sun sets," he looked at the sun through the window, "I think we better get hurry. Wraith loves to attack after twilight."

Something cold rushed in my veins. Was it fear? The way they talked about Wraiths made me scared.

"Actually, what do you mean with Wraiths? Why do you all so afraid with them?" I finally asked. They both looked at me at once. One with disbelief, one with concern.

"Wraith is a creature You'll easily learn to hate," Aiken responded quickly before Grace could open her lips, "They bring misery wherever they go."

I sensed bitterness in Aiken's voice so I didn't complain. I just simply nodded. At least I had have a picture in my mind about these… creature by looking at how Grace and Aiken talked about it.

I saw Grace threw an unreadable gaze to Aiken. Her face seemed full of concerned.

"Well, do you have any belonging?"

I jumped a bit when Aiken asked. I still focused on Grace's expression. Fast, I shook my head.

"I have nothing."

Aiken smiled widely, "Then it's gonna be very easy to carry you to Etherblade."

"What?" my eyes widened in disbelief, "What do you mean with carry me?"

I looked at Grace and then at Aiken.

Did I mishear him? Did he just say that he's gonna carry me?

"Carry you," Aiken repeated as if I didn't hear him correctly, "Carry you like hold you in my arms and fly to Etherblade."

I looked at Aiken and his well-build figure. His chest was broad and I could slightly see the muscle in his arms and suddenly I felt a strange kind of panic.

"Don't you think it would be a bit inappropriate?" I turned my face so he couldn't see that I was flushed.

How could he talk about carrying a girl in a public place so casually? It would be so embarrassing.

"Inappropriate?" his brows were raised, "Why should it be inappropriate? It's very usual isn't it? Even more, it will be much faster and more effective than walking."

I looked at them and realized that Grace also furrowed her brows. She stared at me with a thoughtful expression.

"Was it like that back there in your home?" Grace asked, "You must be coming from faraway land. I've ever heard about the village near the Frostland…"

I only listened to her up until there. Aiken stole my attention.

"Does it mean you want us to walk all the way to Etherblade?"

I tilted my head as I inspected his face and tried to find a sign that he was bothered.

"Can we?"

The corner of his lips twitched and the next second he was laughing. So hard till his body was shaken.

"What's your name again?" he asked between his laugh, "Ivy? Right?"

I nodded, choosing not to complain. It needed some time till Aiken's laugh was gone then he was looking at me, thinking.

"Well, we can do it that way, but we really have to be fast. It would take at least two or three hour of walking," he then gave me a challenging look, "Can you manage that?"

I looked into a pair of his dark wood eyes and shrugged. My eyes didn't leave his.

"We won't know till we try, right? I have no idea if I ever did this."

"Fine. We'll do it in your way."

He gave me a faint smile and turned around. He started walking toward the door after kissed Grace's cheek briefly. I hurriedly followed him, giving Grace the last smile.

"Wait," Grace caught my hand when I'd already reached the door. So I stopped and faced her.

"Let me give you my bless," she came forward and kissed both of my cheeks. She then handled me a wand that I had no idea where she took it from, "Take this. You will need it," then she paused. Her face seemed almost sad with concerned, "And may Pan Gu will ever be in your side, Ivy."

I looked at the wand she'd just gave me. It's a simple wooden wand. Plain with a little ornament in the tip of it. The length was the same as my upper arm.

When I grabbed it, I stunned. I felt an energy rushed from it into my arm, my shoulder, my chest, and all along my body.

For awhile, I just stood there and staring at that wand before I blinked and realize that Aiken had already nowhere to be seen.

"Thank you," I said to Grace,"You have no idea how thankful I am."

I gave her a bright smile before I turned away and tried to catch up with Aiken. He was walking down the stairs.

"Am I too fast?" he asked me. Maybe he saw my rapid breath, "I often forget that not everyone move as fast as a Blademaster."

I nearly rolled my eyes and could stop it in last second, but I couldn't hold back my smile.

"You are very proud of it, aren't you?"

"Of what?"

We were walking across the room and so many people waved at Aiken. He answered their greeted with a bright smile but we didn't stop. We kept walking till we stood under the sunshine outside the inn, near the path.

"Of your power," I glanced behind him to the door, "and your reputation."

He bowed his head to get a better sight of me and smiled again, wider than before.

"You do have a high level of observation skill, don't you?"

I replied with the same wide smile.

"I like observing people. It makes me understand them easier."

Aiken shifted his gaze and turned away. Smile hadn't leave his lips.

"Good. It will help you survive," he said as he started walking to the path, "Now, if you may follow me, let's go this way."

We walked side by side along the path. Far ahead, I could see the hill where Etherblade was placed in the top of it. It was so green, covered by grass. Just like the meadow around us. Sometimes I thought that I heard a sound coming toward us, but I couldn't figure out what it really was.

"Grace said that the journey had a good effect on you," finally I broke the silence, "What kind of journey did you have?"

Aiken didn't looked at me, but he answered.

"I wandered around the world," he started, "It was a journey to improve my skill. There are so many strong wraith out there and I want to defeat them," he turned to me. his gaze was dark, "We're in the middle of a war, Ivy."

"War?" I ensured, "Against the wraith?"

He nodded, "Basically, yes."

"What do you mean with basically?"

Aiken looked at a distance and he suddenly felt so far.

"We aren't alone in this world, Ivy," he said as if he regretted it, "There are another races stay with us. We are now facing the same enemy so there's an unwritten tread not to fight each other. But a hatred which began with differences and grow with prejudice will never decease. Do you understand that?"

I thought about it for some moments.

"Does it means I have to be careful when I met the other races?"

"Very careful," he emphasized his two words, "We can head to a war side by side, but never trust them."

I tilted my head so I could see him. His face was stern.

"I Understand," finally I said, "Fight with them, but never trust them."

Aiken nodded. He seemed normal again and his smile was back for a second, but the next second he stopped walking. His expression became aware and he grabbed my wrist. He looked at around us carefully.

"They are here," he whispered, "Stay close to me."

"What?" I examined the meadow around us and found nothing, but something in the back of my head had already rang an alarm. I felt something came toward us, "Who are they?"

"Wraiths, of course," Aiken said. His gaze still wander around the meadow, "There are so many low rank wraiths around here. Actually, for me they are harmless, but still dangerous for you. So please stay close to me."

"Okay."

I had just close my mouth when I saw a big creature rushed toward us. It was a huge scorpion in a green and blue colors. It's tail hanged above it and I could see it's sharp sting.

"Our left!" I exclaimed and Aiken turned in an instance. He drew his sword which immediately shifted into an enormous form. I positioned myself behind him. In one swift, the wraith had already cut into pieces. I looked at it with disgust.

"You have a good reflect," Aiken commented. He even didn't bother to look at me because another creature had approaching us.

"Thanks," I said. I stayed close behind him as he sliced the wraiths easily, "Even though I will be more glad if I could help."

Aiken turned around and smiled. I had just realize that he was the easily smile kind of person.

"I believe you will be able to do that," he said as he rushed passed me and blew an attack to the wraith behind me, "Very soon."

It seemed that the fight had attract others creature. They started coming in a large amount. They were varies in form. Some looked like a scorpion, another had a wolf form, and the others looked like a giant flame.

"Run in three!" Aiken ordered loudly, "One!"

He cut three creatures at once.

"Two!"

Another wraiths approached us. I prepared myself to run as I felt Aiken grabbed my hand.

"Three!"

We fled.

Without looking back, I knew there were so many wraiths came after us, so I kept running. Aiken ran beside me. I knew he could move much much faster than this, but he didn't leave me. instead, he turned his head and told me.

"Keep running toward that hill. I'll fix those wraiths."

I nodded without thinking twice. I could feel him releasing his hold on my hand and I increased my speed. When I looked back, Aiken was holding his sword up and exclaimed.

"Piercing Wind!"

Then he sliced an empty air.

The next second, I almost fell from my surprised to see what happened before my eyes.

Aiken's movement, I didn't know how, had caused a strong blow of the wind which cut all of the wraiths into pieces.

In one movement he killed dozens of wraiths.

I had no word to describe it but amazing. I even didn't realize that I'd slower my steps to watch him till he saw me and his gaze filled with fury.

"What are you doing there!" he shouted, "Keep running!"

I startled and was pulled back to reality. I started to move again but it was too late. A creature appeared in front of me. It was a huge wraith in a flower shape. It had a beautiful color of pink in it's flower crown, but suddenly it opened it's mouth and I could see a series of sharp, long teeth.

And I screamed.

Too late. Too late to run. Even with his speed, Aiken wouldn't reach me in time. I was going to die.

A flash of face crossed my mind. Too fast to be recognized.

I would die without knowing who I really was.

A part of me had already gave up, but suddenly a voice in my ears came up with a loud scream.

No! I don't wanna die! Not here, not like this, not because of it!

Before I realized, an energy in my right hand pulled it upwards and I screamed a word I'd never heard before.

"Pyrogram!"

My mind didn't recognize that word, but something in my subsconsciousness knew it.

Fire! Fire! Fire!

Suddenly a raging flame emerged from the ground around that creature. It was burning, blazing, and blasting. It turned the wraith before me into a dark ashes in a couples of second, and then, it vanished. As sudden as it emerging, leaving me who fell upon my knees in a horror.

What did I do? I asked myself. How could I do that?

I kept asking myself but all I could hear was a buzzing sound in my ears. I heard Aiken called my name but he seemed so far away. All my energy were leaving my body and made me limp.

The last thing I knew was the soft grass in my cheek and Aiken's worried voice calling my name over and over.

And then the darkness filled my head and pulled me down into a deepest abyss.