Heeeereeee we goooooooooo!
Sora ran forward, swinging at Riku with his Keyblade. The silver-haired boy ducked and attempted to counter, swinging his own weapon up towards his opponent. Sora twisted around and parried the blow, using his momentum to swing under the blade and kick at him.
Riku broke off and dodged. Kairi came up suddenly behind the former, poking his back with her Keyblade. "Looks like you forgot someone!" she laughed.
"You're out, Riku!" Gula called from where he stood with Candace and Ava on the sidelines. "Good job out there!"
He took it in stride. Sora and Kairi clashed, making the latter break away and try to use her speed to slip behind him. Sora turned around just in time and guarded.
When they clashed again, he used the weight of his Keyblade to hook on to hers. Remembering what Master Ava had taught him, he moved his weapon full circle, causing Kairi's grip to slip and giving him the opportunity to deal the finishing 'blow'.
He gently tapped the side of her neck. "Good job."
She sighed and picked up her Keyblade. "I keep forgetting about that move of yours. I wish I knew how to do it."
"If it makes you feel better," Gula called. "Neither Ava or the Master wanted to teach it to me."
"You have your own style." Ava replied, "Don't steal mine."
Sora laughed, wiping sweat from his brow. Over the course of the last few days, they'd practiced physical attacks and maneuvers for hours on end. The trio had picked up on it pretty quickly. Candace gave them a lot of encouragement, Ava told them what they were doing and how to do it, and Gula gave them constructive criticism.
It turned out to be an efficient system.
"Good job, you guys!"
Turning around, they were a little startled at first to see Strelitzia and Lauriam standing some ways away, with the younger of the two having been the one to call out. Sora and his friends had gotten to know the Dandelions much better during their time at Scala Ad Caelum as well.
"Thanks!" Kairi chirped.
Ava smiled and walked over. "Tomorrow afternoon, you'll be leaving for the Land of Departure. For the rest of our time today, we'll be teaching you basic magic and techniques."
Sora glanced at the sky. The sun was making its way to the halfway point in the clouds, meaning it would be lunchtime in an hour or two. They had the rest of today and maybe a little of next morning before they'd take off.
"There are a lot of spells." Gula elaborated, "For the ones we're going to teach you, there are three tiers: the First level, the Ra level, and the Ga level. We'll start with the First level Fire spell."
He stuck out his hand sideways, and a ball of crackling flames shot from his palm. It landed a few yards away, staying alight on the worn stone ground. The trio yelped in surprise and flinched backwards.
"That," he said with a chuckle at their reactions. "is Fire."
"Don't scare them like that." Ava chided lightly.
He snorted. Candace took over, "Next would be Fira, then Firaga, but y'all won't learn those for a while. Leopard Boy over here showed off and cast it mentally, which will also take a long time for ya to learn."
Gula huffed in amusement, his reaction to being called 'Leopard Boy' being hard to read.
"So, how do we cast it?" Sora inquired, watching as the spell dimmed and started to go out.
"I advise you use your Keyblades for this, and aim over there." Ava pointed at a nearby training dummy, and the three complied, lifting up their weapons. "Think about things that are related to fire. The sun, lava, light- anything warm or hot. Try to let it flow through your body, and then channel it into your Keyblades and say the spell."
Sora aimed the tip of his weapon at the dummy, and then did as she instructed. He found a parallel between how to cast spells and the explanation Candace had given them on how to summon their Keyblades. Maybe this would also blend with his training and become instinct.
He felt the sun and its light, warm against his skin. He imagined it seeping into his blood, getting hotter and hotter, and then directing the restless, burning energy into his Keyblade. It filled the tip, until it became too much and burst out-
"Fire!"
FWOOM!
Sora felt some sort of force push him back, and he lost his balance. Flames split across the air, albeit a little off course, setting the dummy's arm alight. He stumbled back and fell, the grip on his Keyblade loosening and causing him to throw it over his shoulder.
Strelitzia squeaked in surprise as it stuck into the ground a few feet away from where her and Lauriam had been silently spectating. Kairi and Riku's Keyblades blasted the spell with twin cries of "Fire!" a split second later, incinerating the rest of the dummy. They also tripped, but caught themselves.
Ava went over, "Are you alright?"
"Sorry," Sora muttered, getting back up. "I didn't think it would be like that."
"We cast our first spells!" Kairi clapped, "You can be proud about that!"
Candace went over to what was once the dummy; now a pile of ashes. "You cast 'em, alright! Ha ha!" She tapped the black powder with her foot.
Sora laughed nervously and walked to his Keyblade, taking it back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you guys." He apologized.
"It's alright." Lauriam replied.
Strelitzia nodded. "No harm done. We need to get going now, though. We have a patrol with Brain and Elrena. See you around!" she waved and skipped away.
Lauriam smiled after her and waved as well, jogging after his sister. Sora went back to his group. "Okay, what's next?"
"Well, for one thing," Gula said. "You all successfully cast the spell. So good job there. Sometimes newbies don't get it quite right, but we won't get into that. But you need to stand your ground, or else you'll go flying every time."
"Fire is thought to be a bit of a dominating element," Ava chimed in. "So you'll have to let some of the energy stay with you and keep you strong when you cast it."
"Why didn't you say so before?" Riku asked, furrowing his brow.
She giggled, "Sorry, I wanted to see how you would do without that advice."
Sora decided not to feel irritated or annoyed. His Master had been very stressed lately, so it was nice to see her lightening up a little, even if it was at his and his friends' expense.
"Keep practicing Fire," Gula said. "When break time rolls around, we'll cool off and teach you Blizzard next."
"I don't know if that pun was intentional, but I'm going to roll my eyes anyways." Ava said.
"Not like I can tell if you're going to roll your eyes."
They all laughed.
In Another World...
Elrena glared at the trees, which did nothing but provide shade, vines, and the sounds of forest wildlife. "This may not be Evdomos, but I hate it already."
"It's just trees." Lauriam snorted, pushing aside some foliage in their path.
The blonde Dandelion twirled her Keyblade, which glimmered in the light. "Evdomos is a foresty place."
"That doesn't mean something is going to come out and attack us." Brain replied, "Although it is best to be on your guard."
"Anywhere is better than Evdomos right now," Strelitzia murmured.
"Agreed." Lauriam looked around, then froze suddenly. The others halted too.
"Do you feel that?" hissed Elrena.
"Heartless," Brain muttered.
They exchanged glances, gripping their Keyblades and preparing for a fight. Lauriam led them to the source of the darkness, which was just beyond some bushes.
"-ese stupid devices."
The patrol stopped and peered past the leaves. It was hard to see, but there were people in the clearing. One of them waved around a dark purple gauntlet that looked like it was supposed to fit on their arm.
There were three shocking things about the sight. One: the gauntlet, which seemed to have copies on the arms of the other people, bore the Heartless symbol. Two: they all wore masks of varying color.
And three, there were Shadows and Knights scampering around them.
Strelitzia made a choking sound. The Heartless didn't seem to pay any mind to those who were conversing right next to them. They swiveled their heads around, looking for anything suspicious.
"News flash: we need these 'stupid devices'." Another one, sounding female, snapped. "But if you want to get killed, be my freaking guest."
"How long is he going to take?" the third one, male, complained.
"Maybe he'll come the moment you put your dang Heartless away!" snapped the boy who wasn't wearing his gauntlet. "We're going to attract attention! And if what I heard from Moonlight is true, then those wielders are going to be looking for us as well!"
"Come on, they aren't even doing anything!" the other male, clad in a cobalt mask with light blue eyeholes, gestured to a nearby Shadow, who stared back up at him with glazed, empty eyes.
"Blech." The female shuddered, "I hate those ones. So gross."
"We don't have time for niceties. And where the heck is Fang?! He was supposed to arrive five minutes ago!" the other male, wearing a mask that was completely black, started to pace. "It isn't good for us to linger."
The female tossed her head in a way that suggested she was rolling her eyes. Her mask was a wine red, with a single white carving in the shape of a lily trailing the side of it. "You do realize we came here early because someone woke us up." She glared at the blue-wearing male.
"We should attack." Elrena hissed.
"Good idea. Take out the Heartless first." Lauriam shot forward, followed by the other Dandelions. There were only eight Heartless, and they were eradicated before one could barely even blink.
They surrounded the three mysterious people. The males took out their own weapons: a gleaming dagger and a spear, respectively. The female was holding a staff, her irritation burning right through her mask.
She twirled the staff in her hands and slammed the bottom into the ground. A pulse went through the earth, making Lauriam and his comrades stumble slightly. A barrier spell went up around the three mask-wearers.
The boy clad in black turned on the blue one, "I told you to put your Heartless away! You fool."
Blue shrugged in response. The female huffed and went up to the barrier so that she was right next to Lauriam. "State your business, Keyblade wielder."
Elrena sputtered, "Our business? No no no, what is your business? You must be part of that group of Heartless controllers! What are you trying to do?"
The dark-masked boy, who seemed to be the most hostile of them, barked a harsh laugh. "Like we'd just tell you!"
The female seemed to be hardly Lauriam's own height, but clearly much bossier. "We were just leaving. You don't want to mess with us, so I'm helping you with this beauty of a spell." She tapped the transparent wall, smirking. "You're welcome."
Strelitzia frowned, "We can't just let them go."
"Of course we're not letting them go." Elrena snapped, "You three are coming with us whether you like it or not."
"I'm inclined to not believe that." the hostile boy huffed, sliding his gauntlet back onto his arm. The blue one remained silent, looking at his own gauntlet as if he didn't care.
"You can't hide in there forever, anyways." Brain said, lifting his Keyblade as he unlocked the barrier.
The female's smirk remained on her face, becoming even more smug, despite the fact that her spell was now gone. It spilled into her smooth voice, "We don't need to."
At that moment, a blur of white and pale yellow slammed into Brain, knocking him to the ground and causing his Keyblade to fly out of his hands. The blur then backflipped into the air and landed beside the masked ones.
It was a young man with long, pale blonde hair tied back out of his face. He wielded dual axes, and an eyepatch left only one narrowed blue hue visible.
Lauriam recognized him: one of the people who had attacked himself and Strelitzia. The orange-haired girl seem to know who he was as well, since she flinched a little and took a step back.
The black-masked boy sputtered, "Took you long enough, Fang!"
"You're welcome." The young man, who had been addressed as Fang, replied. He looked at the Dandelions with his one eye. "Of course you wielders are here. Figures, especially after what happened on Evdomos."
Lauriam gritted his teeth. Brain had gotten back up, and despite looking disheveled, he was surprisingly uninjured and was glaring heatedly at the Heartless controllers.
"I'm not looking for a fight," Fang continued. He lowered his axes ever so slightly. The masked trio exchanged looks that ranged from 'what, really?' to 'this guy is insane'. He looked at the three, making a small hand gesture.
They begrudgingly lowered their own weapons. Fang looked back at the Dandelions, "I don't consider myself a hostile person, so we can just part ways and pretend this never happened."
"You say you're not hostile," snapped Lauriam. "But not only are you able to control the Heartless, but you weren't exactly passive the last time we met."
"Look," the one-eyed man replied, his patience seeming to be worn thin. "That wasn't my fault. I don't expect you to understand, but that entire incident wasn't purposeful."
"Why are you explaining yourself?" seethed the dark-masked boy. "These are Keyblade wielders!"
"Shush." Fang huffed, before turning his attention back to said wielders. "If it's an apology you're looking for, then sorry. If you want an explanation, sorry again, because I'm not giving you one."
"We need to bring them back with us." Elrena hissed, aiming her Keyblade at them.
Lauriam and Brain followed her lead. Strelitzia had stayed silent throughout the entire ordeal, but she too raised her weapon.
Fang scowled, "That's a shame. I was hoping we could part on good terms, since allies are always good to have. But alas, apparently not." He took something out of his pocket: another gauntlet. Quick as a snake, he clasped it onto his arm.
Elrena lunged forth. The masked female slammed her staff into the ground again, causing another pulse and throwing the wielders off balance. Fang tapped something on his gauntlet, with the other three following suit.
Before the Dandelions could react, the mysterious people disappeared in a tangle of black and dark purple tendrils: a Dark Corridor.
And then that was gone too.
That Evening...
"What?" Ava's head cracked up. Lauriam, Brain, Strelitzia and Elrena recoiled slightly. They were in the Foretellers' meeting room for their report. No one else was there except for them.
Brain nodded. "At first there were three, but then a fourth one came. He turned out to be one of the people who attacked Lauriam and Strelitzia."
Ava sat back down, holding her cheek. "Were any of you injured?"
"Brain got thrown to the ground pretty hard, but he's fine." Elrena replied. "I'm surprised we aren't in worse shape."
"The first three were wearing masks," Lauriam recounted. "The one who had attacked us on Evdomos is named Fang, apparently."
"It was weird," murmured Strelitzia. "Fang was trying to be...almost friendly."
"He was probably going to play the long con." Elrena crossed her arms. "Gain our trust, then stab us in the back with his Heartless."
Ava bit her lip. "Thank goodness you all are safe. What happened after this 'Fang' showed up?"
Brain frowned, "Here's something I thought was a bit strange: they were wearing gauntlets."
"Dark purple, with the Heartless symbol?" she pressed.
The patrol blinked in surprise and nodded.
"I remember seeing something like that, although I can't seem to recall exactly where." She sighed, "Continue?"
"Fang pressed something on his gauntlet after he refused to come with us. A Dark Corridor appeared, and they were gone." The dark-haired Dandelion adjusted his hat.
"Technology..." Ava murmured. "This certainly changes things."
"How so?" Lauriam inquired.
"It means that these people might not necessarily have darkness in their hearts."
"What?" they chorused.
"You have to have darkness in your heart in order to control Heartless," Elrena pointed out.
"This is just a theory." The Foreteller rubbed her temples. "With some knowledge and a mixture of technology and enchantments, maybe it's the gauntlets that are controlling the Heartless, not the people." She sighed, "I may be wrong, but it is quite strange to know they are using this tech instead of their actual hearts."
"Does that mean they could actually be good people?" Strelitzia asked softly.
"I would like to think so." Ava sighed, "We are sending Sora Riku, Kairi, Candace, and Skuld to the Land of Departure tomorrow afternoon. I'll tell Skuld about this new discovery so she can keep an eye out."
"Do you think these people are going to appear there?" Lauriam questioned in a quiet voice.
"I'm afraid so. But they can continue their training in the Land of Departure. Hopefully they might be just as safe there as they are here."
The Next Afternoon...
"Blizzard!"
Sora cast the spell, sending a flurry of snowflakes and ice spiraling from the tip of his Keyblade. It collided with the training ground and settled there.
Kairi and Riku did the same, with identical results. Candace clapped, "Good job, you three!"
"Where did you say Master Gula and Master Ava were again?" Kairi inquired, looking over her weapon.
"Making some preparations before we leave or somethin'." She waved her hand, "I think they were going to talk to Skuld? I dunno."
Riku shrugged. "You were going to be drilling us on Thunder, right?"
"Yep!" Candace turned, aimed her Keyblade at a random spot on the stony floor, and shouted, "Thunder!" In response, a coil of lightning burst from Draconian Emerald, striking the space she'd aimed at. The energy hissed in the air for a moment before quieting down. "That's how it should look."
"How do you do this one?" Sora asked.
"Thunder can be a tad dangerous," Candace explained. "Some students try to be domineering like you have to be with fire, and end up getting struck themselves. The trick is, you have to direct it into your Keyblade, but don't be forceful! After you think of that lightning in your own blood, ask it to move to your blade. And then shoot it out!"
"I think I understand," Sora muttered. Kairi was tapping her chin and nodding thoughtfully.
"One at a time. Riku, you're first because I'm biased." She cackled.
Riku shot them an amused look before pointing his Keyblade to a spot that was near his Master's. He closed his eyes, and after a few moments of silence, he called, "Thunder!"
The spell responded by darting out of his weapon and going slightly awry. It burned the stone briefly before disappearing.
Candace nodded approvingly. "Good, good! Remember: don't boss it around until all of it is gathered at the tip of your blade. Kairi?"
Kairi's spell was similar to Riku's, although the energy lingered in the air for a second before it dissipated completely. Candace gave her a tip and looked at Sora. "Your turn!"
Sora took a deep breath and aimed his Keyblade at the area that was a foot or two away from Kairi's. He imagined the energy, entering his body and flowing through it. It felt surreal, and it coursed curiously through his blood and gently grazed his heart. He swallowed at the sensation, but stood his ground.
'The Keyblade?' he thought.
The electricity obeyed him and gathered at the tip of his blade. More and more, until he felt confident enough:
"Thunder!"
The spell burst from his Keyblade, hitting the mark where he'd wanted it to go. It crackled in the air, and left nothing but smoke and a small burn behind.
Candace clapped, "Well done! That one took a little bit, so you need to be maybe a bit more forceful at the end? It'll become much easier the more you practice, though! Everyone did wonderfully!"
"Yeah, good job, you three!"
The group turned around and saw Ephemer smiling at them as he approached. "But unfortunately, it's time to go."
Sora felt his heart tingle, as if some of the Thunder had decided to stay behind. He was a little nervous and apprehensive, but at the same time thrilled. He wanted to see the other worlds, and going to the Land of Departure, such an important place, made him excited.
They nodded and unsummoned their Keyblades. Ephemer gestured for them to follow him. As they walked through the chatter-filled streets of Scala Ad Caelum, Sora looked around.
He wondered if the Land of Departure would be similar to this magnificent world. Tall, gleaming citadels; the music of the clock tower and the birds carried through the air; the bright blue sky with the warm sunlight coming down; the trolleys overhead; the aquamarine ocean, reaching far into the horizon like an endless diamond.
He wasn't too sure. Could anything really be prettier than this place?
Then again, he hadn't known there were other worlds, what, less than a week ago? Anything was possible at this point.
They made it to the Gummi Ship, and Sora was surprised to see a small crowd spectating nearby. Standing closest to the ship were some of the Dandelions and the Foretellers.
Candace waved cheerfully at the crowd. Kairi and Riku followed her lead, albeit a bit tentatively. Ava approached them, "Are you ready?"
They looked at each other, and nodded.
Ephemer had broken off from them to stand next to Skuld, and they were talking a little. The other Dandelions- Lauriam, Strelitzia, Elrena, and Brain- were watching in a bit of a distracted manner. The other Foretellers- Gula, Aced, Invi and Ira- were silent with unreadable expressions (mainly because of their masks).
Skuld stopped her conversation with Ephemer and went to join them. The group started to make their way to the Gummi Ship, but Ava was standing in front of the entrance to it. The other Foretellers went to stand beside her. "Before you leave," she said. "we have things we'd like to give you."
Riku blinked in surprise while Kairi and Sora inclined their heads slightly. Candace and Skuld nodded, as if they knew what was going on, and walked a few feet away so they could spectate. The crowd was still chattering quietly, although most were focused on the scene before them.
"They are called Accessories," Invi said, her voice cool and smooth. "Accessories are specially enchanted, and we will give you three five of these Accessories each. Hopefully they will help you train, defend yourself, and defend others."
Aced walked forward, holding three titanium chain necklaces in his hand. "This is called a Titan Chain. Its enchantment will boost your physical capabilities."
He offered it to them. Kairi took it first, then Riku and Sora. The young Keyblade wielders could feel its aura, and as they put it on, it felt lightweight and made them feel stronger.
As they looked at the chains in awe, Invi came up. She held black crescents shaped like talons, and seemed to be able to hook onto their new necklaces. "This is a Raven's Claw. It can help you fight against the darkness."
She clipped it onto their Titan Chains, where it fit perfectly. Sora felt a rush of exhilaration, and some of his senses began to sharpen a little.
Ira was next. In his hands were some sort of brooch, shaped like two white feathers intertwining into the shape of a shield. "A Heartguard. It'll help keep you safe against the darkness."
Sora accepted the brooch carefully. Between his fingers, it almost felt like it was pulsing. He pinned it onto the white t-shirt he was wearing beneath his red hoodie. Light seemed to fill the air around him, making him feel safe.
Gula stepped forth, presenting them with his own Accessories, "Gaia Bangles. I'm sure they'll come in handy."
He gave the Bangles to the trio. They looked like they were made of emerald and lapis, with a dark ruby on the clasp. Sora took one and clasped it around his wrist. More strength coursed through his veins, and he had to hold back a grin of happiness.
Lastly, Ava. She smiled, handing them the last Accessory they were to receive. "An Atlas Armlet. The enchantment will help you cast spells and protect you."
The Atlas Armlets were made of gold, shaped to look like vines weaving together, tipped with an array of small precious stones that seemed to thrum with a special spell. The trio took them, slipping their respective Accessory on their upper arms.
Sora felt a rush of energy, brimming with life. He felt his hand- where his Keyblade would usually go- tingle warmly. In a matter of minutes, he felt so much stronger and protected. Finally looking at his friends, he was pretty sure they felt the same.
"Stay safe." Ava dipped her head. With unison nods, the other Foretellers stepped aside.
As the trio, Skuld, and Candace climbed onto the Gummi Ship, the volume of the gathering rose. People shouted goodbyes, waved, and wished them safe travels. The group said their farewells.
Skuld sat at the cockpit, and they plunked themselves down nearby. She sent them a grin of mixed emotions: slight anxiety, anticipation, and excitement. "You ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be." Riku confirmed.
"Then hold on tight."
The Gummi Ship powered up, and with a jolt, it warped into the Lanes Between.
Review Responses! (From Chapter 7)
verdance: I hate getting lost. I am the worst at deciphering maps, and in 3D I didn't even know what I was doing. XD I enjoy writing banter because I'm surrounded by that. I am a very sarcastic person. Who knows what people will make of it? :)
I really like Gula, and I imagine him as someone with a bit of wit and mystery. The reason the Foretellers were looking at them was because they thought they were familiar. It's the same way Candace knew Kairi's Master was in the Land of Departure. Aaaand now you know why she reacted like that! :D Thanks!
Minty220: Scala Ad Caelum is full of possibilities! Plus we have data plans and all that XD. I appreciate your reviews! Hope you liked the chapter!
OMG! I didn't wait until exactly two weeks after my last update! And this chapter is actually decent! Who knew I had it in me! UwU
Here are the Accessories and their abilities in case you were wondering:
Atlas Armlet: Raises max MP and Defense. Also significantly enhances magic and summon power.
Gaia Bangle: Significantly raises max HP and Defense.
Heartguard: Raises max HP and Defense, and reduces dark damage by 20%.
Raven's Claw: Reduces dark damage by 20%. Also raises Strength and Defense.
Titan Chain: Significantly raises Strength and Defense.
Hope y'all liked it! Next up: Land of Departure! I am so excited for that! :D FEEL THE HYPE MY READERS!
somibel, OUT!