A/N: To my mysterious reviewer, please read my comments to your review which is located in the 1st chapter if you haven't already. I will mention again that this story will not be a straightforward novelization of the game. I will take liberties in changing events, sequences and story direction as I see fit. Some of the changes can actually be seen in this chapter. I still hope that readers will enjoy this story regardless of the changes though.

3/27/16 Update:

To my anonymous guest reviewer: I do agree about the Blue Wolves battle. I didn't put much effort into it honestly because I just wasn't in the mood to put so much work into that scene. Anyway, I did change it quite a bit now so I hope that you find it more satisfactory.

As for Jack's awkward foreshadowing, I tried to make it better even though there might still be some awkward parts to it.

Lastly, regarding your question about the sword in Lyner's prophetic dream, yes, it is Eolia's Serenade.

Chapter II: The Wings of Horus

His head was cloudy and hazy. He wasn't sure whether he was dreaming or that he was awake. His body swayed side by side, unsteady and almost falling. Flashes of images ran through his mind, all of them unknown yet some had felt familiar.

He first saw himself wielding a large blade, larger than the one he was currently using. It had a beautiful and elegant design as if a lot of attention and care was used in its creation. Looking beyond the distant, he could see countless shadows approaching him. Their figures were blurry and out of focus. Were they enemies? He didn't know, but the atmosphere was thick with tension. Turning his head, he said something to the girl by his side, but could only see her lips moving, none of her words were audible.

Suddenly, he found himself in a completely different place. Gone was his blade and the thick tension in the atmosphere. Instead, he felt relaxed and at peace. His hand was gripping tightly onto a small girl's hand, a different girl than the one before. He couldn't make out her details, but he felt like she was smiling. They were running, not from any person, but just simply running as the cool mid-day breeze brushed against their cheeks.

Everything then disappeared and he was now looking up at the sky, his back lying on the ground. He couldn't move any part of his body as if he was struck with paralysis. Was this part of his memories? His delusion? Or was he now looking at reality? He didn't care. He just wanted to close his heavy eyelids which were beginning to drop. Like his other visions, there was a girl here as well who was looking down on him. She had brown hair and she was saying something, but he couldn't hear her. Suddenly, his body was basked in a warm and soothing light that calmed his mind and body before everything became dark once more.

"Urgh." Lyner awoke with a loud groan, his entire body aching with pain, but with no apparent mortal injury. Temporarily dazed and confused, he looked at his surroundings and wondered just where he was right now. There were trees everywhere as far as his eye could see and high above the trees was the clear blue sky.

"I guess I'm in a forest of sorts...but why?" Suddenly, he recalled his last words with Shurelia and about his mission. "That's right! I was shot down by a large dragon like creature in the sky and came crashing down." He looked at his surroundings once more. "Then this is...the Wings of Horus? Wait, how did I survive the crash and where's the airship?" Realizing his object of interest was nowhere in sight, he sighed and began rubbing his arms and shoulders. "Guess my priority is to look for it."

Out of the corner his eye, he noticed a white piece of cloth near his foot. "What's this?" After picking it up, he realized it was a small white handkerchief, a bit dirty on the bottom. "Guess somebody dropped it, but who..." Probably because of the beautiful floral design on it, he felt that he shouldn't just leave it there and decided to find its owner on his way to find his airship.

Without any idea of where to start, Lyner began heading down what appeared to be an open path. Despite the urgency of his mission, he couldn't help, but admire his surroundings. It was very different from the environment he was used to at Platina. Here, the forest was vibrant and full of life. Birds were chirping and other small rodents scurried from one point to another. It was also not as cold so that made him feel warm and cozy under his durable armor.

After a few minutes of his peaceful stroll through the forest, he arrived at a large open clearing. And right in the middle of it was his airship, a few feet in the ground with several pieces of metal scattered around it. A black trail of smoke rose from the airship and into the sky. He initially felt despair when he saw the airship, but it quickly turned into anger when he saw a cloaked figure in a wide brim hat poking around the debris.

"Hmm...what a disaster...but it looks like some of it can be salvaged. Lucky me. Wait, this material..." The man murmured to himself and was completely oblivious to Lyner's presence.

"Hey! Get away from that!" Lyner rapidly approached the mysterious individual who jumped at Lyner's voice.

"W-Whoa, don't scare me like that." The man looked at Lyner from head to foot and scowled. "Tch, so another one from the Church is still here."

Lyner furrowed his eyebrows in response. "Church? I'm not with any church."

"Really? I figured you were with the way you're dressed. Anyway, who are you then?"

"I'm the guy who owns this ship?"

"Your ship? You were riding this thing?"

"That's right."

The man let out a short laugh. "Like anyone could survive this crash. You don't even look all that injured."

Lyner opened his mouth to retort, but then began wondering why he didn't suffer any significant injury. Even though he was naturally tough, he still didn't believe he could got out of the crash with only a few cuts and bruises. Although, his head was aching quite a bit.

The man sighed and then said, "I'm getting tired of this conversation. Guess I'll just come back when you're gone."

"Hey, wait!" Lyner called out to the retreating man, but it was in vain as the man soon disappeared behind the trees. He returned his attention to the airship wreckage and let out a cry of frustration. He doubted that the airship would fly again without any type of repair so it was useless staying here any longer.

"But what to do now?"

He sat down on the ground and considered the situation. He had no idea where he was or even where the Purger crystal was either. Not an ideal situation at all. Proceeding alone wouldn't get him anywhere so he decided to look for the nearest town and ask around. At least it was better than to blindly search around this unknown world.

Without a further thought, he began walking down the path where the mysterious man had disappeared early on.

Approximately an hour later, he finally found the exit and saw a small town nearby. It looked ordinary for the most part. Many small homes and buildings made of bricks were all situated closely together. There were however large pillars surrounding the town that ascended quite high into the sky. If his eyes weren't being deceived, there was even a small establishment on top of one of them.

"Is this what all towns in the lower world is like? It's nothing like Platina. It feels...vibrant." For the first time since the attack on Platina, he was not completely filled with stress, tension or a dire sense of urgency. Rather, his strong interest of adventuring and exploring had begun dictating his actions. "I wonder what new things I'll find..."

With a boyish grin plastered on his face, he jogged toward the town with a large signpost that said, "Karulu."

He saw a few people out on the streets, but they didn't pay him much attention oddly enough. He thought that he would at least receive some glances and stares because of the way he was dressed. "Maybe they're used to all sorts of people traveling through the town?"

As he continued down the street and admired the buildings along the way, he soon entered what seemed like the central plaza of the town. He didn't get any time to look around it because his attention was immediately drawn to a young man in dark purple armor and cape who was screaming at the girl by his side.

"You're useless!"

The girl flinched at the young man's words and took a half step back.

"It's because of you that the main force left us behind," the young man continued.

A woman nearby hastily grabbed onto the young man's arm and pleaded, "Please stop yelling at her commander. She just risked her life to save my daughter from monsters."

Surprisingly, the young man calmed down at her plea. "Is that right?"

The girl brightened a bit after seeing the young man's change in attitude. "Y-Yes."

However, the young man's anger returned instantly. "You idiot! Who told you to do that? How many times do I need to tell you to not act unless I give the order to? The village isn't paying us enough to do anything extra."

"I-I'm sorry," the girl apologized while bowing her head.

"Saying sorry isn't going to cut it!" The man slapped the girl with such force that she fell to the ground.

Terrified by the violent act, the woman quickly left the scene while Lyner felt his blood boil upon witnessing the scene. "That bastard." He ran toward the young man with the intent to knock him to the ground, but before he was even halfway there, a number of men in armors and white capes descended onto the scene while the woman from before had returned.

"What's going on here?" One of the knights asked. He was a man who Lyner assumed was the leader of the bunch as he had extra trinkets on his cape.

"Who the hell are you?" The man in purple asked, his anger clearly have yet to subside.

"I'm Cardinal Radolf of the Elemia Church," the knight calmly replied.

"Elemia Church?" Lyner thought. "Is this the Church that guy was talking about earlier?"

"Back off, this is Tenba business," the man in purple declared. "Your church has no authority with what we do here."

"This isn't about the Church or Tenba! If you insist on using violence here, then I'll beat you down like the wild animal you are."

Without waiting for further orders, the other knights surrounded the man in purple who was beginning to show signs of fear. "Damn it. I-I'm not going to help this village anymore you hear me?" He violently pulled the girl's arm. "Come on! We're out of here." He ran past the commander knight while the girl was close on his heels.

"This is why I hate Tenba," the commander knight named Radolf said with a sigh as he watched the man in purple armor retreat into the distant.

"I heard that Tenba's treatment of their Reyvateils have gotten much worse these past few days," one of the knights commented.

"Speaking of Reyvateil, were you scared, Aurica?" Radolf addressed a girl who was standing nearby. She had brown hair and wore a white and pink outfit.

"...No, not really," she mumbled.

"Well, do you still want to join Tenba now? Things like that will happen constantly. It's better to stay with the church because so long as I'm cardinal, I'll keep all the Reyvateils safe."

Despite Radolf's passionate declaration, the girl didn't seem to be very moved by it.

Lyner was about to approach Radolf and have a talk with him, but then he noticed something about that girl. "I feel like I've seen her somewhere..." His eyes fell to her brown hair and he suddenly recalled one of his visions from the forest. "Ah!" He ran up to the girl and held out the handkerchief he found. "This is yours, right? And your name's Aurica? Please to meet you. I think you saved me from the crash so thank you."

The girl didn't reply and instead, was shocked at Lyner's sudden approach.

"Do you know him, Aurica?" Radolf asked, a smile on his face.

"No, I don't know who he is," she coldly replied before walking away.

"Huh? Is that so? Sorry, it seems like there's been a misunderstanding," Radolf said to Lyner before he ordered his men to leave as well.

"That's weird, I could've sworn it was her," Lyner said as he scratched his head. "Well, can't mull over this for too long. Gotta find a way to fix my airship and find the crystal."

He continued deeper into the town and wondered about the two organizations, Elemia Church and Tenba. It was only a brief encounter, but he already disliked Tenba and for their treatment of Reyvateils. "Hopefully, that guy is the sole bad apple in Tenba."

He entered with what appeared to be a general store hoping that somebody could help him. Inside were many stacks of books on the walls and a myriad of objects and items. It was a messy place. There was even a frog stuffed animal up on the ceiling.

"Welcome...I don't recall ever seeing you around here before," the store proprietor said from behind the counter. "I thought you were one of those Church knights as first, but your armor's different after getting a better look."

"Yeah, I'm not from around here. I'm also looking for someone to fix my airship. Do you happen to know anyone who could help?"

"That's your airship? Then you'd better head out to Viola Forest because our town's selling it as scraps to Tenba."

"What!" Lyner was then out of the store in a flash.

"Hold it! That's my airship so you can't sell it!"

All of the townspeople that had gathered around the airship turned their attention to Lyner who appeared after running back to the airship without taking a break.

"Who are you?" An old man asked.

Lyner took a moment to catch his breath before replying, "...I'm Lyner. Lyner Barsett."

"So Lyner, do you have any proof that this airship is yours?"

"Proof? I feel like somebody has asked me that before. But no, I don't have proof. You should just trust me on this one."

The old man shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lyner, but without proof, this airship is the town's property and we're going to sell it to Tenba so they'll provide better protection to us."

"What does Tenba have to do with you guys?"

"We're contracted with Tenba to fight the monsters that are near the village so we don't have to risk our lives and fight them instead. But we're in financial trouble these days so I don't think we can pay them for any longer. So that's why we need to sell this airship."

"That's despicable, trying to sell someone's property," a voice interjected.

The mysterious man in the green cloak from before had shown up once again. Lyner found it surprising that he was coming to his defense despite what he said earlier.

"And who are you?" The old man asked.

"Yeah, who are you?" Lyner repeated.

"Just a simple traveler who happened to hear of this young man's sad story," the man said as he stepped forward. "I couldn't stay back and watch as you take his airship away from him. So gramps, do you have proof that this airship is yours?"

"The airship is not mine, but without any proof of ownership, it is automatically the town's. As mayor, I have the right to dispose of the town's properties for the town."

"Please, that airship is mine and I'll be in huge trouble if I lose it," Lyner pleaded.

The mayor appeared troubled at Lyner's emotional plea as he furrowed his busy eyebrows. After thinking for a while, he said, "Then you take care of it in Tenba's place."

"...Take care of what?"

"The Blue Wolves have been attacking this town for quite some time now. Tenba had been taking caring of them, but since we weren't able to pay them much now, they're not doing much about the wolves. So if you defeat them or at least drive them away, then we'll give you the airship."

"Ok, I'll do it," Lyner immediately agreed without any hesitation.

"Wha, wait up hold it." The traveler hurriedly tried to stop Lyner, but it was already too late.

"Then it's a deal," the mayor agreed. "Come see me at my home in Karulu when you're finished. The Blue Wolves are in Cello Forest."

"Thanks, it shouldn't take too long," Lyner said as he began walking away.

"Don't be too sure young man," the mayor quietly warned.

After leaving the airship area, Lyner suddenly realized that he didn't know where to go. "Where is Cello Forest anyway?"

"You accepted the job without even knowing that?" The traveler asked from behind.

"It's not like I had much choice. I have to get that airship back. But anyway, who are you?"

"You can call me Jack, a treasure hunter." He slightly lifted his hat to reveal his dark silver hair. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Lyner. So why the change of mind? You were trying to take the airship before, but you're now defending me so what's up with that?"

"Now, now. Don't sweat the small stuff. I really do want to help you."

Lyner wasn't completely convinced, but he did needed the help if he was going to finish his mission. The lower world was an unknown place to him. "I was meaning to ask this, but...what kind of company is Tenba? I don't like what I've been hearing."

"Tenba is a huge conglomerate that dabbles in a little of everything. They even have their own military that overcharges others to provide protection as you've just seen. They seem to be alright for the most part, but recently, they've begun to mistreat the Reyvateils."

Just remembering about the earlier incident was making Lyner angry. "I can't believe Reyvateils are treated like that."

"Well you're from Platina where it's different, but it's common here."

"Wait...How did you know I was from Platina?" Lyner narrowed his eyes and put his guard up.

"Huh? Oh...uh...you know..." Jack shifted his eyes left and right as he tried to explain. "You never heard about Tenba so it was pretty obvious. B-But anyway, we should head back to town because we need to make some preparations."

"There's no need. I can handle these wolves right away." Lyner placed a hand on his scabbard to make his point.

"Just trust me on this one, you're going to need to make some preparations." Jack began heading back to town by himself while Lyner thought about the situation some more.

"I don't really know much about the lower world so I guess it's probably better to trust him." Lyner ran after Jack before he disappeared too far away.

"So why are you helping me?" Lyner asked again once the two had entered the town. "What's in it for you?"

"These Blue Wolves have been a pain for me too," Jack replied. "It was only recently when a large pack of these wolves had entered the Cello Forest area and terrorized the people around here. Because of them, I can't even get back to Nemo."

"Nemo? What's that?"

"It's a city and I guess you can call it the capital of the lower world too."

"The capital huh." Lyner wondered if it looked anything like Platina. "I think I'll stop by there afterwards."

"You do that, but now, we should focus on the Blue Wolves. Do you know anything about Grathmeld?"

"Gratmold?" Lyner asked with a confused expression.

"Grathmeld." Jack shook his head disappointedly. "It's a method to create useful items. I'm not too familiar with it myself, but maybe you can learn it."

"So you want me to make something for beating these wolves?"

"You guessed it," Jack replied with a grin. "But first, we're heading up there." He pointed a finger toward the top of a tall pillar.

At the base of it, there was a small elevator. After pushing a button, the elevator car stirred to life and began ascending upwards. The car was rickety and loud compared to the smooth and quiet elevator cars Lyner was used to in the inner tower.

"It's as if I'm a different time period."

When the car reached the top, he found several people lounging around and admiring the beautiful view from the top. It reminded him of the times when he used to stand high up on rooftops and gazed out at the scenery. The only building of sorts was a small store with an attractive young woman attending to it.

"Excuse me, beautiful miss, but we're here to learn about Grathmeld," Jack asked the clerk.

"Great, then you should visit my grandfather, Professor Pochoma, he'll be happy to teach you." She gestured to the old man with a cane, sitting on a stool.

"And that is your cue," Jack said, pushing Lyner towards the old man. "Don't worry about me. I'll be here keeping her company." With a wave of his hand, he returned to whatever conversation he had with the store clerk.

Lyner sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Why do I have to do this?" He muttered before approaching the old man. "Um excuse me?"

"Yes?" The old man tilt his head up to catch a glimpse of his visitor. "Can I help you with something?"

"Uh, yeah. Can you teach me...Grathmeld?"

Instantly, the old man's eyes lit up like stars. "Of course, of course. Have a seat young man." He gestured to the stool next to his. "Grathmeld is an ancient technique that allows people to create all sorts of things such as bombs and medicine, but not many people are able to grasp the concept. That's why, I'm surprised, but overjoyed to see a young man such as yourself express an interest in it."

"Y-Yeah...because I think this...Grathmeld is going to help me in my travels."

"It will definitely help you, so what will it be? The one year course? The five year course? The ten year course?...Or the 1 day course?"

"...I'll take the 1 day course."

"Why is it that everybody takes the 1 day course," the old man grumbled disappointedly. "Well, let's begin. It'll be quick so try and keep up."

For the entire day, Lyner listened to the various theorems and principles of Grathmeld. By the end of it all, he felt like his head was overloaded with information.

"So? Do you understand Grathmeld now?" The old man asked when he was finished.

Lyner scratched his head and then yawned. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Great! Now take this." The old man gave Lyner a small card.

"What's this?"

"A recipe card to make a missile. It lists the ingredients that you need so all that's left is to make it using Grathmeld. Take these ingredients too and try making a few."

Lyner grabbed a few small crystals and stones. "Thanks. I'll get on it." He moved to an open area nearby and after a process of mixing components and using esoteric techniques, he was able to create several small missiles. "I...honestly didn't expect it to turn out like this."

"That's the mysteries of the Grathmeld," the old man said with a hearty laugh. "I'm sure you'll make all sorts of interesting and strange things from now on. So continue your journey young man and make me proud."

"I will, sir." Lyner bid the old man farewell and went to the town's inn that was near the tower. There, he found Jack lying down on a sofa.

"Finish already?" Jack asked as he stretched his arms. "Did you make anything."

"A few missiles."

"Excellent, that's just what we need." Jack got up and began heading out the door. "Now, let's go and take care of these wolves."

By the time the two had entered the Cello Forest, the sun had set and evening had arrived. It was a time when the birds and small animals went into hiding while the more violent and aggressive creatures made their appearance.

"Listen, be prepared to use those missiles on the wolves," Jack instructed.

"I don't need them. I can take care of them with just my sword."

"Then why did you spent all day making those missiles?!" Jack shouted.

"I made them just to be on the safe side and learn something new, but I want to first see how these wolves are any different."

"Don't think that it would be so easy," Jack murmured before he came to a sudden stop. "Well, looks like they're here. Why don't you try beating them?"

A pack of five wolves with blue coats appeared from behind the trees and bared their large sharp fangs at Lyner and Jack.

"Leave it to me," Lyner said as he readied his blade and charged at the wolves. Like a powerful tempest, he blew through the pack and struck a wolf in its side. This had brought the other wolves on the offensive. They dove at him, but he swiftly evaded and unleashed powerful counterattacks. Within a minute, all five of the wolves laid on the ground, not moving a muscle. Normally he would have felt proud of his victory, but he noticed something was off during the battle.

"I think you realized it now, but these Blue Wolves are pretty troublesome creatures," Jack explained from the sidelines. "Their hides are much thicker than the average wolf so it takes a lot of effort to take these guys down." Just as he finished his explanation, the wolves stood up and got ready to attack again. "Still willing to continue?"

Lyner frowned and thought about how it might take more energy than he wanted to take care of these wolves based on his experience just now. His journey was undoubtedly long so he should keep himself in peak condition as much as he could. Who knows how many tough battles await him in the future. "Alright, I concede. What should we do?"

Jack nodded in approval before he pushed open his cloak to reveal a metallic right arm with a gatling gun attached. Quickly aiming his gun at the wolves, he unleashed a barrage of bullets onto them. "Okay, while they're distracted, give me a missile. These wolves are weak to fire."

Lyner tossed a missile to Jack who caught it with his free left arm and loaded into a barrel that was also attached to his arm. "That's some arm you have there," Lyner said with interest.

"Thanks. Specially created. And now, prepare for some explosions." Jack took aim and fired the missile at the pack of wolves who had already begun charging forward. The missile struck one of wolves' hide before exploding and burning everything in a 10 foot radius. Just as Jack had said, the fire was extremely effective against these wolves who dispersed in all directions before succumbing to the fiery flames that reduced them to ashes.

"I expected a bigger explosion," Lyner mumbled.

"Well, if we had a better missile then maybe we get some earth shattering explosion. But I didn't expect you could make one with just any recipe."

"I see. Well, is that all of them?" Lyner asked, looking around the area.

"I don't think so. And speak of the devil, here they are," Jack said as he pointed a finger across the area. Out from the shrubbery and trees appeared a large group of about 50 more wolves. It seemed like the remaining pack had decided to make their appearance to avenge their fallen comrades and retrieve their dinner.

"Now I'm worried." Lyner frowned and carefully observed the wolves who were slowly descending towards them. "This will probably be difficult."

"Not as long as we have those missiles. Toss me a few more of them will you?"

"They're all yours."

"Good, now how about this?" Jack loaded a missile and launched it at the large pack. He quickly loaded missile after missile and launched them in rapid succession, all the while laughing like a maniac.

Lyner made a note to not give Jack any more dangerous weapons.

When the wolves' numbers had dwindled down to about 20, Jack said, "I need another one. Hurry!"

"Sorry..., but we're out." Lyner forced out a small laugh.

"...What!?" Jack shouted and turned around. "What do you mean we're out?"

"I didn't have that many materials to begin with so we're lucky the blast radius was big enough to hit a large number of those wolves."

"Damn! Then I think we should retreat and make some more back at the village...If we can actually outrun these wolves who appear quite angry to be honest..." Jack began to slowly shuffle back as if to avoid agitating the wolves even further.

Lyner however, stood his ground and then took a deep breath before blowing it out. "I guess there's no other choice." He drew his blade and readied it.

"Hey, what are you planning on doing?" Jack asked, shocked at Lyner's obvious intention.

"We got to take care of these wolves here before they hurt or kill anyone else."

"Don't be stupid. You'll just get yourself killed."

"It's not something I can run away from," Lyner said in a grim tone.

Jack gritted his teeth and then said, "Fine! I'll support you from long range so don't do anything reckless."

Lyner grinned at Jack's decision. "Okay, but be careful not to shoot me too."

"No promises," Jack declared as he fired off a shot at the nearest wolf. Instead of the gatling gun or the rocket launcher, Jack was now using a rifle.

The shot had missed its target, but had momentarily distracted the wolves so Lyner quickly charged in and drew first blood. He crushed the wolf's skull with a heavy overhead strike that would have normally been difficult to pull off if not for the preemptive strike. The wolf collapsed and it was safe to say that it wasn't going to get back up again.

Now that one of their comrade has fallen, the pack's attention returned to Lyner and they began their deadly assault.

Lyner swiftly slid to the side and evaded several wolves who tried to pounce on him.

Jack then countered with several shots that had made contact, but it wasn't enough to put these wolves down as expected.

"Nice shot," Lyner complimented as he moved around the area to create some breathing room for himself.

"Just shut up and keep attacking will you?" Jack also began moving further back to behind the trees, but a few of them had caught on and changed their targets to him.

"Your fight is with me!" Lyner struck the side of one of them which knocked it into the others, effectively returning their attention to him. He then moved away again to prevent getting surrounded by the pack before continuing with his attacks.

Jack admittedly didn't think much of Lyner when he first met him. He seemed clueless and not particularly bright with a goofy smile plastered on his face as he traveled around the village. A simple fool is what he thought. But here, it was like he was looking at somebody completely different.

With eyes focused and senses sharp, Lyner smoothly executed his attacks with little effort. There was nothing in his expression that showed that he was afraid of the challenge in front of them.

"Is he brave or is he just stupid to not realize the danger?" Jack wasn't sure, but this wasn't the time to dwell on such thoughts. He had to keep an eye out as well or he might end up wolf chow. He took careful aim and fired off a shot that blew out one of its eyes. "Don't forget that I'm still here as well." He continued with several more critical shots to pick up some of the slack. Most of the shots were aimed at the wolves' limbs so he could immobilize them.

Lyner seemed to have noticed the openings that Jack had created and proceeded to cut off the one-eyed wolf's head. Next, he spun his body from around to avoid the incoming wolf bites and claws and delivered quick yet powerful blows to the nearby wolves who had difficulty keeping track of his location. His movements at times seemed like a blur and with it, he was able to penetrate through the pack's numbers and get behind them.

Jack heard a large number of loud cuts and what sounded like painful cries from the wolves as well as heavy bodies falling onto the ground. "What's going on in there?" Jack couldn't see very well of what's happening within the large wolf gathering so he moved more to the west for a clearer view. From there, he saw Lyner turning his body left and right using quick footwork to create some space from the wolves before he made a wide horizontal slash to cut a large number of them.

As Lyner prepared to follow up with his attack, a wolf had snuck around and tried to bite off his left hand. Fortunately for him, he reacted quick enough and pulled back his hand before kneeing the wolf in the face. The wolf let out a yelp before Lyner punched it with his gauntlet fist and then struck it down with his blade.

At some point there were only eight wolves left and the number was continuing to drop as the remaining pack continued their assault in unison. With no room to evade, Lyner leapt high into the air before descending like a lightning bolt onto a wolf's back, splitting it into two with his blade. A few of the remaining wolves began showing signs of distress and temporarily ceased their attacks after the devastating strike. One wolf however had leapt at Lyner's head. Taking quick action, Lyner ducked and cut open the wolf's belly from below. A second wolf had follow up with another pounce right after, but this time, Lyner didn't have the time to duck or evade. Instead, he blocked the attack with his gauntlet arm and pushed the wolf back before chopping off its head with a swift cut.

Now that there are only a handful of wolves left, Lyner leapt back and created some distance between them. His sword began to glow brightly and Jack could feel some kind of immense pressure from the blade. Before the wolves had gotten within attacking distance, Lyner swung his blade forward. "Impulse!" He shouted as a surge of wind shot out of his blade and knocked the wolves down, but they didn't look to be finished just yet.

Noticing that Lyner had stopped moving and that his chest was heaving up and down, Jack realized that Lyner had overexerted himself and had became exhausted. "Guess it's my turn now. Take cover!"

Lyner only hesitated for a second before he ran back as Jack leapt out into the frontlines and unleashed a barrage of bullets with his gatling gun. It was apparent that the wolves' injuries had adversely impacted their movements because all they did was cried in pain from the attacks and couldn't move away. In less than a minute, the last wolf dropped to the ground in a large puddle of blood.

"Now...it's over right?" Lyner asked with a shaky smile. Sweat drops poured down his face as he took a much deserved breather. There were a number scratches and bruises around his arms because even he couldn't evade every single attack from a large group of enemies.

"I sincerely hope so," Jack replied before checking the wolf carcasses. "Anyway..." Jack took one hard look at Lyner and said, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"There are some dangerous things back where I come from," Lyner replied as he sheathed his blade. "I trained myself to stay alive and protect my home."

"...Is that so? Well, I though you'd be smarter based on what I've heard. To think you would risk your life for people you don't know. And to make it worse, it seemed like you didn't even fully recover from that crash and you had to expend more than your usual strength to beat these durable wolves, am I right?"

"...You're very perspective." Lyner scratched his head and let out an awkward laugh. "Huh? Did someone tell you about me?"

"What? O-Of course not!" Jack replied in a flustered manner. "Who would know both of us? W-What I meant was that I thought you seemed smart. A-Anyway, let's report back. We gotta get the airship back, right?"

"You're right. I can't waste anymore time here." Lyner ran back toward the village on shaky legs that seemed like they might collapsed at any moment.

"I think this guy is just going to give me a lot of trouble in the future. I can feel it," Jack thought as he watched Lyner run into the horizon.

After receiving some directions, Lyner barged into the mayor's home at Karulu. "I did it. I beat the Blue Wolves."

"What? Already? And without any significant injuries? I find that hard to believe." The mayor raised an eyebrow after listening to Lyner's statement.

"He's right mayor," a man said from the doorway. "I was patrolling around the Cello Forest area and there I saw countless dead Blue Wolves. He's not lying."

"You believe me now?" Lyner asked with a hint of irritation.

"It seems you are right, Lyner," the mayor said as he stroked his beard. "You have my apologies. It's just that your story seems farfetched. The Blue Wolves are very difficult to defeat and considering their large numbers..."

"Well, I did have help from a few missiles."

"Missiles? Did you make them by Grathmeld?"

"Yeah, I just learned it about a day ago."

"That's amazing young man. There aren't that many people who can apply the principles of Grathmeld or even learn it. So I guess we're lucky that you had come in our time of need. We're low on money so we can't afford to hire Tenba for our protection. They weren't always that way though. Something must've happened recently..."

"Um, so I can get my airship back now?"

"Hmm? Oh yes. It's a promise after all. If there's anything you need, let me know."

"Thanks. Then can you help fix my airship?"

"I'm afraid we can't do that. There aren't any skilled engineers here, but maybe you can try your luck at Airport City Nemo."

"Nemo...I think I heard that name before," Lyner said, scratching his head.

"It's the largest city around here and I heard that anything is obtainable there. The villagers here will keep watch over your airship until you bring back someone who can fix it. You have my word."

"Really? Thanks. I'll head to Nemo right away." Lyner walked out of the mayor's home and saw Jack leaning against a wall.

"Seems like everything has turned out well for you."

"Seems like it. So, do you think I can find somebody to fix my airship at Nemo?"

"Probably," Jack replied with a shrug. "It is the capital after all."

"You're still sticking with me?"

"I'm heading to Nemo too after all."

"Great, because I need directions."

Jack grinned and said, "You're an interesting fellow. Well, let's head back to the inn and spend the night before we begin our trek through the forest. I'm exhausted."

Lyner stretched his arms and let out a yawn. "Yeah, okay. I guess my mission can wait for a day."

As they proceeded down the road to the inn in silence, Jack suddenly said, "So why the rush anyway?"

Lyner came to a sudden stop and looked up at the sky.

"You don't have to tell me you know," Jack said. "I'm just curious that's all."

"Well, it's not like I'm trying to hide it," Lyner explained, still looking up at the starry sky. "And you've been a lot of help to me. I don't know where I'll be if you weren't here."

"I didn't really do much. You did all of the hard work."

Lyner shook his head. "I'll tell you at the inn."

Lyner and Jack were sitting at the lounge of the inn after registering their rooms. Other than the innkeeper who was busy cooking a late dinner, the inn was empty. Jack had been quietly listening to Lyner's story and when it was over, he learned that Lyner was from Platina.

"So you really are an Elemia Knight," Jack said, nodding his head. "Your movements and combat skills are pretty good."

"So you finally believe that I came down here in that airship?"

"I kind of figured it a while back already. Hard to think otherwise because of you ignorance. So anyway, what are you doing down here? It's been a long time since a person from Platina has descended to the lower world."

"I'm searching for the Purger Hymmn Crystal." Lyner took out his brooch and showed Jack the hologram. "This is it. Have you ever seen it."

Jack examined the hologram for a few seconds before saying, "Sorry, but I've never seen it."

"Figures," Lyner mumbled.

"And there's still the problem of getting back up to Platina because your airship can't fly right now. I'm not completely sure we'll find an engineer at Nemo. Well, there's still Tenba who have some of the best engineers...but that's probably not a good place to go."

Lyner looked despondent when he asked, "Can we climb the tower?"
Jack raised his eyebrows in surprised. "Well...maybe. There are stairs that go to the top, but there's a large obstacle in the way."

"And that is?"

"The Teru Tribe," Jack replied with a frown. "They hate people and have a gate that prevents people from climbing any higher."

Lyner let out a loud sigh. "Seems like there are a lot of problems I have to deal with. Well, I'll concentrate on getting the crystal first and think about the other problems later."

"Sounds like a plan."

Lyner nodded his head and said, "I'm going to see if dinner's ready."

Jack crossed his arms and watched Lyner help set the table from afar. "Well, I got nothing else to go on so I might as well just follow him. Who knows, I might be able to find her."