"I've got to say Achlys," Wingul and Presa stood in our way of the Mon Highlands. "That was quite an impressive trick."

"Let us through!" Milla interrupted our moment.

Presa laughed. "No way. Al sold you out to His Heighness way back in Nia Khera, Maxwell."

"He was on your side the whole time," Jude growled.

Presa laughed again. "Hardly. That man's no ally. I'll leave our relationship to your imagination. All I'll say is this: Al drifts from one group to the next like a ship without a compass. Trying to plot his course is impossible. Serves you right for trusting him."

"It's obvious that the Lance of Kresnik is the greatest threat if war breaks out," Wingul interrupted. "Surely Maxwell realizes this."

"Your territorial squabbles are of no interest to me," Milla crossed her arms. "My only concern is keeping that thing out of human hands and preventing a miserable end for us all."

Wingul unsheathed his sword. "So high and mighty. It's time someone broke your arrogance."

"Enough!" Rowan exclaimed. "You didn't become a veteran of countless battles through meaningless bloodshed. Has your youth gotten the better of you?"

"Don't lecture me on age, Ilbert. Your ways are old. Therefore, you falter. And then, you flee!" He concentrated for a few seconds, obviously in some sort of pain, and then his hair turned white and it was like he was another person.

"A sudden burst of mana!" Milla yelled.

"He has a booster!" Jude gasped.

I unsheathed my sword and stood in front of Wingul. "Leave him to me."

He spoke in a language that I couldn't understand and then he attacked me with such strength. Our swords clashed multiple times, neither one of us able to get at the other. He used severing winds, sending me stumbling back, but I did a back walk over, hitting him in the chin with my heels as my feet went over.

"Dark spheres!" Multiple spheres surrounded me and attacked him with one big blow. He stumbled back, but shook it off. Our swords clashed multiple times again. He took his blade, put the butt of his handle in front of him and dashed at amazing speed towards me. Thankfully, I was able to get out of the way. "Dark act!" I yelled and just like in the tournament, my blade grew a dark mist surrounding it and then the mist went through every hole in his face, attacking his insides. He kneeled on the floor in defeat and his hair turned back to black. Presa also stumbled back towards him in defeat.

"You've learned a great deal, Achlys," Wingul winced as everyone put their weapons away.

Behind them both, we could see backup coming to help. Aw, and I wanted to play more. I shrugged. Oh well. Maybe next time. I started to run out of Kanbalar, trying to sheath my sword. "Time for us to go!"

Everyone followed suite, running for our lives. I remembered the pain just then. My head hurt. My chest hurt. What was this feeling? Was this... was this heart break? The sensation known to only humans who were in love? I could feel my face heat up and tears form in my eyes. No. No. I was not going to let this keep me from going forward. However, once I thought we were far enough away, I slowed down and eventually stopped.

"Achlys?" The whole group stopped and turned to me with concern on their face.

"I have this feeling that I've never experienced before," My hand went to my chest and clutched at it. "My chest is tight and it's hard to breathe. I... I want to cry and my head... it hurts."

Rowan put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a smile. "That is what we like to call heartbreak."

"Hmm, I thought so," I whispered, balling my other hand into a tight fist.

"He took advantage of you, Achlys," Leia addressed. "He should be ashamed of himself."

"I assume your right," I sighed and walked past the group. "Come on, we are almost to Xian Du."


"Careful," Rowan mumbled as we saw Yurgen right when we got into Xian Du. "Word of our altercation in the capital may have preceded us."

"How was your audience with the king?" Yurgen asked.

"I'm sorry, we'll have to talk later. Can we depart right away?" Milla asked in return.

"Well, I guess that's possible," Yurgen crossed his arms. "You in some kind of hurry?"

"Yeah!" Teepo boomed. "The king's men are hot on our-" Elize covered his mouth right away.

"No need to rush off," That voice. I glared as we all turned around to see Alvin in the flesh. "They're on a wild-goose chase in the mountain right about now."

I crossed my arms and looked away. Were we really supposed to trust him?

"You threw them off our scent? Is this some kind of peace offering?" Milla questioned him.

"What?" Alvin seemed a little offended. "It's only natural I helped you. We're friends, aren't we?" I scoffed and ruffled my hair. "Come on, you don't believe me? I know you've put your trust in me before. Would it kill you to give me another shot?"

Second chance. He wanted a second chance. He wanted to be with what he called friends. I pursed my lips and tapped my foot. But, he sold Milla out in Nia Khera. Wasn't this a third chance then?

"Achlys."

I whipped my head towards the voice.

"It's only fair that you decide what we do with Alvin," Milla told me. "He's hurt you the most out of all of us it seems."

I sighed and there was no answer for a few seconds. If I gave him a second chance, I couldn't let myself fall for him. "I don't see why not," I shrugged. "Besides, who's going to steer the wyvern while I'm cowering behind them?"

"Okay then," Milla nodded and turned to Yurgen who just shook his head.

"I'd ask what's going on, but I don't think I want to know," He crossed his arms again. "You people sure have a lot of drama in your lives. I'll be in front of the wyverns. Come see me when you're ready to fly," Yurgen walked away from us.

"If I'm ever ready to fly," I put my hand on my head with a sigh.

"I read in a book that exposure to fears can cure them," Milla hummed.

"Yeah, but not full on exposure all at once," Jude laughed.

"I'll... I'll be fine," I put on a smile. "Don't worry about me."

"Are we ready then?" Rowan put his hands around his back.

"It looks like it," Leia jumped up and down.

"Great."


"Oh my darkness!" I screamed as the wyvern flew up into the air. My arms tightening around Alvin.

"Try to steer better, please!" I could hear Elize scream at Alvin.

"Help! I think I'm gonna barf!" Teepo yelled.

"Teepo! Shut it!" Alvin growled at him.

I was behind Alvin with my arms tight around him and my head buried into his back. My eyes closed of course. "I'm okay! I'm okay!" I screamed to myself, but it wasn't helping. I felt the wyvern swoop steeply downwards and then back up. I couldn't stop shaking. I could feel my tears rolling off my cheeks, which felt frozen. When it got smooth, I tried to open my eyes, but then I looked down, gasped and closed my eyes again. I could hear Teepo say it's sparkly, but I refused to look at all.

"Uh, what is that?" Elize asked.

I opened my eyes again to see a Pterobronc staring at us. "Go! Go! Go!" I screamed and closed my eyes again.

"Achlys!" I heard Alvin yell. "Can you hit it?"

"Are you serious?" I screamed. "I can't even keep my eyes open for two seconds!"

We got out of the way as it dove after someone else. Alvin steered our wyvern to follow the other as I screamed again. I heard the dragon fire fireballs at someone, hoping it wasn't us. I heard someone scream and a wyvern screech as well. Oh shit. Someone got hit. I opened one eye to see that it was Milla and Jude's wyvern and they were already on the ground. I closed my eyes again preparing myself for whatever happened next.

Suddenly, my arms were yanked off and Alvin wasn't there anymore. Had we landed? I opened one eye to see that we had. I grabbed at the saddle and started panting as my heart was ready to burst out of my chest. I didn't even know where I was. I didn't even know where anyone else was. I just stared down at the saddle and tried to pull it together. It wasn't working obviously.

What if I died? I'm thankful that I didn't fall off. But, what if I did? Would the wyvern catch me? Would I be eaten by the Pterobronc? I don't know and that's what scared me. I didn't know any of those outcomes. What if the Pterobronc had hit our wyvern? What would have happened? Would I have been able to defend us? I couldn't even open my eyes in the air.

"Achlys?" A voice kind of broke me out of my daze, but my grip on the saddle didn't loosen.

"She's in complete shock! Get her down now!" I recognized it as Jude's voice.

"She's not letting up her grip," A soldier told him, trying to get my hands unlatched from the saddle.

"Achlys? Can you hear me?" Jude asked shaking me, but I didn't answer.

"Please Lady Achlys. Wake up!" Rowan's voice entered the conversation.

I saw out of the corner of my eye Alvin being helped to the inn. I gripped tighter on to the saddle and started to tremor. I didn't really know where we had landed, or what was even happening, but what I did know was that eventually, we had to fly again. My mind raced from one thought to the next with different situations that could have occurred. There were a million and one things that could have gone wrong.

"Shit," Jude cursed at himself... and me. "Alvin!"

The two soldiers that were helping Alvin stopped and turned him around.

"If you have the energy, please! Come help us get her off!" Jude yelled to him trying to pry my hands away from the saddle. "She needs to get to a medic!"

Nothing happened for what seemed like hours. Tears streamed down my face and I was unable to blink them away. I felt my teeth grinding and it seemed like I was going to get all the way down to the gums. I felt my face get really hot, like I was on fire and my head was throbbing as it was when I was sleep deprived. I felt strong arms go around the upper half of my body and hold me as tight as they could.

"It's okay," Alvin's voice whispered into my ear. "I'm here."

I finally took my first deep, sharp breath since we took off and I took my hands off the saddle. From then, everything was kind of a blur. I was taken to the inn where a medic and Jude had me lie down in a pretty warm room for an hour or two just to let my mind settle. They took care of any wounds that I may have had and left me in the dark for about 15 minutes. I think that's what made me calm down the most. Just leaving me in my natural element.

The medic let me out of the inn when the sun was just about to completely set. He had told me to go right to house Sharil for a good night's rest. Whether I would sleep or not was a different story. But, I would try. I was a bit tired from the days events anyway. I saw Alvin leaning against a street lamp once I got out of the inn and started making my way towards him to see how he was doing, but stopped in my tracks when Jude walked up to him. I didn't want to... spy on their conversation, but I had overheard Alvin say that he doesn't care if all the spirits in the world died off, but it's another story if humans suffer from it.

I didn't want to hear anymore. I rushed down the road to the mansion. The sun had finally set and since it was a new moon tonight, it was pitch black except for the stars. My whole life I've seen spirits die because of spyrix use, but I let it happen. Maybe Maxwell was right. I shook my head at the thought. No. I can't go back on my people. The people who have respected me for years. The people who I had promised I would be there for them.

"Achlys, how are you feeling?" Rowan's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Oh! Yes, I'm feeling much better," I tried to smile sincerely, but my mouth didn't want to cooperate.

Rowan frowned. "What's the matter?"

I sighed. "I'm just... tired. I'm going to bed."

"The wyverns won't be ready for a day or two," Rowan told me. "You have enough time to get yourself ready for the trip again."

I nodded and walked up the steps to one of the guest bedrooms. I laid down on my bed and waited for Leia. I thought she was already going to be in bed, but she was nowhere in sight. Probably making some ruckus outside or having fun with Elize. I liked having Leia as my roommate. She talks and I listen, and that's all she wanted. I guess she was a bit lonely. She was here for Jude and I could easily tell this. She never stopped talking about him. It was cute in a way, but when I look at Jude, I could tell that all he cared about was Milla. It was sad. We were all so broken, but we all built each other up. Well, tried to anyway. The door creaked open and I sat up.

"Hey Leia, I was wondering where...," I trailed off. It wasn't Leia. "What do you want?"

A bootless, coatless, Alvin shrugged and closed the door. "Hey now, I'm just checking in."

"I'm fine," I snarled and laid back down on the bed. But he didn't leave. Instead, he sat on my bed and sighed. I tried to ignore his presence, but it was hard. I just wanted him to leave. I wanted to be mad at him. I wanted to be angry for just a little while longer.

"I know you heard what I said to Jude," Alvin finally spoke. "I didn't know what I was saying. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

I stayed quiet. He didn't deserve an answer. At least, I don't think he didn't deserved an answer. I could be wrong, but my instincts told me to keep quiet. Maybe he'll leave if I did. Hopefully.

"I'm sorry that I sold Milla out. I'm sorry that I'm, according to Teepo, a big fat liar. I'm just... a shady guy," Alvin continued. "Leia and Elize are angry with me for upsetting you. They told me how you felt after the incident in Kanbalar. I know no matter how many times I say it, you probably won't forgive me nor will it probably even mean anything, but I'm sorry."

I sighed and turned on to my other side to face his back. He was slouched with his head facing downward. I felt the need to comfort him, even if he was a jerk. I didn't hesitate to gently run my fingers up and down his spine. He flinched a little bit, but then relaxed when he felt what I was doing; comforting him.

"There is always a light, even in the darkest of place," I gently kissed his side. "You'll find your way."

Alvin laughed and laid down next to me. "That sounds strange coming from the Great Spirit of darkness."

I smirked and put my head on his chest. "Maybe, but I think you get what I mean."

Alvin got comfortable on the bed and started stroking my hair. The bed was a little small for 2 people, but we managed to fit. I put my free hand his chest directly over his heart. The beating and his now stable breathing was quite calming and my eyes started to droop. I was almost asleep when Leia quietly came into the room. She stared at us, shrugged, and went to bed, not caring that Alvin was there at all.