Chapter nine; The Hero's Journey, Growing Up.

When the four Heroes arrived back at the Guild the very first thing they did was go to the Guildmaster to tell him what had happened. Michael didn't say a word the entire trip back, nor did he speak at the meeting with the Guildmaster. Speer and Willow took the time to explain what had happened at the farm, what had happened to Albert, and what had happened to Michael. When they finished their story the two had expected Guildmaster James to be in utter shock or disbelief, but he merely nodded calmly as if he had heard it all before. The entire experience was just surreal to them.

"Thank you young Heroes that will be all. Go check on Shunt in the infirmary, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. Oh, and I'd appreciate it greatly if the details of this quest were kept between the four of you and myself, do you understand," James asked in his usually calm and soothing tone. Willow and Speer failed to understand, but they nodded in agreement regardless and left for their rooms for some well deserved rest.

Five years past, and each of the four Heroes have become prodigies in their own rights. By now each of the four have gone on to completing quests on their own, though Speer still frequently brought Shunt along as a human shield if for no other reason. Michael's secret was kept confidential from the rest of the Guild, however Speer wasted absolutely no time in bragging and exaggerating about his own exploits on that mission and every other one he'd ever been on. He's become the talk of the Guild, leaving his rivals in the dust when it comes to renown.

Michael has been accepting fewer quests than the other three, instead he has spent his time studying and mastering his Will energies, especially his fire magic. Ever since the incident at the farm five years prior Michael's greatest fear was losing control again and possibly incinerating someone innocent. He still had no idea what he was, what he had become, and so if he went on one of his rare quests it was mainly because he thought he could find some answers to his questions about himself. Other than that, Michael's only concern was winning Willow's heart.

"Willow! Hey," he called over to her after seeing her return from yet another successful quest. She turned her head to see her admirer, then huffed impatiently before turning back around and continuing on her way, never breaking stride. Michael hurried over to Willow and walked with her, persistent as always.

"I take it your quest went well," Michael asked.

"Of course, I even got a little something extra from the town as a show of gratitude," Willow bragged while showing off her new golden necklace.

"Very impressive Willow, it looks great on you. Maybe you can wear it tonight," Michael said with a twinkle in his eye. Willow could only sigh and reply, "Okay, I'll bite, why would I wear it tonight?"

"Because tonight's the night you go out on a date with me," Michael answered, confident as ever.

"Michael please, what makes you think that I'd go out with you tonight after all the other times I turned you down," Willow questioned cynically.

"Because I can take you to the peak of the Hero's Tower," Michael said, stopping Willow in her tracks. She turned her head and looked into Michael's eyes, silently asking him if he was telling the truth. He was of course referring to the weather worn tower that stood tall next to Bower Lake that's summit for centuries has eluded even the most ambitious adventurers and Heroes. It wasn't as if the tower was too tall to scale, far from it. Anyone who has attempted to climb Hero's Tower has been met by a magical barrier, probably left there by its creator centuries ago.

"How could you possibly do that," Willow asked curiously.

"You'll never know unless you go out with me tonight," Michael answered simply, and walked away. Willow clearly had no choice.

"Meet me at the tower at seven," Willow called out to him, and Michael waved as a reply.

When she finally arrived she found herself alone, in the shadow of the enigmatic tower. She questioned herself, wondering if it was truly a wise idea to go along with Michael's game. It wasn't until she spotted a figure in the water that those questions left her mind and instead she turned her crossbow on the mysterious shadow.

"Hey calm down will you? It's just me," said the dark figure, revealing himself to be none other than Michael when he swam into the moonlight. Willow lowered her crossbow and sighed.

"I almost shot you you jerk, don't sneak up on me like that," Willow snapped at him. Michael could only laugh and motioned for her to come into the water with him.

"Come with me Willow, the water's fine," Michael said, extending his hand to her. Willow crossed her arms in defiance.

"Are you joking? I'm not going swimming in these clothes, and don't get any funny ideas about me taking them off," she answered sternly.

"This will only take a moment Willow I promise, it will all be worth it," Michael said, trying to calm her nerves. Willow's curiosity got the better of her, and she took Michael's hand and stepped into the waters of Bower Lake. Willows touch was soft and gentle, completely opposite of the way she acted, it was like a dream to Michael. Though true to his word, Michael didn't waste her time and swam with her deep into the lake until he found a very particular spot in the water. When they stopped swimming, Willow looked around, wondering what to expect. She looked at Michael for an explanation, but he merely stared into her eyes with an all knowing smile, squeezed her hand, and whispered, "Stay calm." She didn't know what he meant by it, but for some reason Willow trusted him and squeezed his hand back with a smile.

All of the sudden the dark water began to shine brightly, as if the moon itself was underneath the lake and shared it's light to illuminate the entire area. After that both of the Hero's runes began to glow and a strange yet familiar energy flowed through them, and within seconds they had both disappeared.