Dex fell from a great height, screaming. "YAHOOOO!" he cried as he fell to the earth. He looked around. There were trees on one side of his peripheral vision, and hills to the other. There was also a stream over by the biggest tree.

"Hello!" came a voice from behind. Dex turned around to see a woman sitting on a broom. She had flowing pink hair, deep green eyes and a tall, slender figure. Dex looked harder. Is that...

"Amy?" He asked, surprised at the appearance of the girl before him.

"Amy? I'm afraid you must have me mixed up with someone else. Mind this is a new hairstyle; I'm Dorothy, Sorceress of Caldea. Where are you from?"

"Mountain Vale... This is still in Australia right?"

"Australia? What's... oh...? Welcome to MÄR Heaven. Does this happen every time MÄR heaven's in trouble?"

"What do you...?"

"Never mind, look, I'm just going to test your strength, so... Ring Armour!"She cried as a set of armour appeared before him, coming toward him at a running pace. He jumped back; shocked that he was being attacked. The armour threw a flurry of punches at Dex. He blocked as many as he could, but a few reached round the back. Dex jabbed at the armour, before throwing a hard punch at the metal humanoid. The head flew off, and a correspondingly shaped ring she was wearing shattered.

"Hmmm... He's strong, even with no mana...Alright, come with me." She said with a sexy voice. Immediately, he followed her to a ruin.

"Where are we?"

"This is the Place of the Sword. A legendary Ärm rests here." Dorothy said effortlessly.

"What's an Ärm? Dex asked.

"Ärms are like enchanted artefacts, imbued with special powers. That armour you fought, that was an Ärm. There are many types of Ärms. Tell you what; if we get the legendary Ärm then I'll give you any one of my Ärms." Dex looked at the wall in front of him, and then punched it, causing brick and mortar to cascade down.

"Let's-a-go!"

ΩΩΩ

Inside the dank cave, Dex thought about what kind of Ärm he would take when he fell down a hole.

"Come on, pick up the pace!" Dorothy snapped.

"I think I found something." Dex called back. Curious as to what he meant, Dorothy stepped down to see a sword in a stone. The sword was crafted beautifully, A shining red hilt with white highlights on the cross handle, and a gleaming silver blade. "King Arthur, eat your heart out."

"There haven't been any… oh, right, other world." She said as she walked over to the sword. She pulled as hard as she could, but to no avail could she get it out. She stepped back toward Dex.

"Not to be sexist, but I think this must be more of a man's job." Dex said as he ambled to the rock. As he pulled out the blade, light shone, giving the room a somewhat better appearance. Suddenly the chamber quaked, as three golems arose from the floor. One was made of wood, another stone and the last metal.

"Get out of there Dex!" Dorothy shouted as she tried to move forward, but stood rooted to that spot. Dex instinctively slashed the wood golem into splinters. The Stone Golem threw a punch at Dex, who pulled his sword up to defend himself. To his surprise, the blade vanished and he was holding a shield.

Hmm… I wonder if I can… responding to the thought as he thought it, the shield turned into a large hammer, which he swung into the stone golem, smashing it into pieces with one stroke. Steel… this is going to stretch it… Dex thought, but to his amazement, the hammer shifted once more into a funnel shape, which spewed fire, causing the steel golem to melt. As the trial ended, Dorothy stepped forward.

"Wow, the sword even gave you a little bit of mana…"

"What's the deal with this sword anyway?"

"This is the shifting sword, an Ärm that can change its shape without spending any magic energy. If you pay a little of your mana you can use elemental abilities. Now, our deal?"

"Here you go." Dex said, assuming that she was like Amy.

"Unnnngh. Its too heavy. Guess I'll let you keep it."

"Okay, and our verbal contract?"

"That was only if I got the sword!"

"You said, an I quote, 'if we get the legendary Ärm then I'll give you any one of my Ärms' emphasise 'we'."

"What… damn verbal contracts, fine, what do you want?"

"Something that can heal me of injuries, curses (Assuming they're real) and obesity, should it ever come to that, and even restore a bit of my, magic energy?"

"Let's see," Dorothy said as she pulled what looked like a fly(from pants, if you know what I'm talking about) and said "Dimension Ärm, Zipper." Then started feeling around in a pocket dimension. Dex stood flabbergasted, as she produced a ring. "Its called 'Restis,' but you're not ready to use it just yet, but I'll let you know when you can use this. Before I let you go wander around MÄR heaven like Ginta did, you need to change the sword into an accessory unless you want to get arrested for carrying an activated weapon Ärm."

Dex looked at the sword and concentrated. The sword vanished in a puff of smoke, and, in his hand, sat an ornate ring, with a sword symbol engraved onto the top.

"How do I get the sword out again, should I need it?"

"Say the Ärm's type and name."

"I don't know it."

"then name it yourself." Dex looked intently at the ring, which sat on his right index finger.

"Weapon Ärm! Soul Sabre!" The sword reappeared in his hand he then turned it back into the ring. As Dex and Dorothy walked out of the building, Dorothy turned and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Good. I have a reputation."

"Well, I suppose we're parting ways, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but I have a good feeling we will meet again soon."

Dex waved as Dorothy flew off on her broom I wonder if all brooms can do that? Dex said to himself, before he started to walk off, onto the road. He clicked his heels as he explored the world of his dreams.