Well, after far too long a time, It is finally finished being edited. I give you... my second chapter.

I pulled out a shield magnus, the buckler appearing just in time as the Sabre Dragon's foot came down on me. The blow was too strong, though, and the shield slipped out of my hands. Rolling out of the way of the next blow, I managed to block the last with the broad side of my sword. "Aqua Burst!" came a cry, and the creature was knocked off me by a ball of water.

"Okay, so she can use magic. That helps out a lot. I had thought I'd have to do this alone," I said to myself. But my 'quick-witted' guardian spirit just had to speak up.

"You have enough time to talk to yourself, but not to defend the girl?" I believe I've said this before. Damn him and his logic. After all, I had been too busy talking to myself to see the girl get sent flying backwards by a fireball. I ran up and blocked a stomp from the beast, as the girl rolled in the grass to smother the flames. The creature decided to lift its foot, and I gratefully jumped away from the thing, wings flapping. I took to the sky, in hopes that it couldn't hit me in the air.

I soon realized flying wasn't the best idea as it began to rain fireballs. Somehow, I had forgotten the attack that had just hit the girl. If I couldn't go high, I'd just go low, I assumed. Running under the thing's legs, I slashed its unprotected underbelly, sending the dragon into a fit of rage as it desperately tried to flatten me like a pancake. As the dragon realized that it could squash me by merely laying down, I ran out from underneath it as fast as I could.

Way to close for comfort, I can say that.

"Fire Burst! Light Flare!" The first attack was used to create a small fire in-between me and the dragon, so hitting me with its extending foot would hurt the monster too. Her next spell was a direct strike at the dragon's face.

Why is she doing better than I am?! Now it looks like I was the one who needed to be rescued! How humiliating.

I continued to strike at the creature, varying my attacks so I wasn't exposed on the ground or in the air for too long. I soon noticed the girl storing up energy, probably trying to use a more powerful attack. I increased my attack speed to draw it's attention. Finishing moves, once created and if used effectively were just that, finishing moves. I hoped that this girl had enough potential to have created something good.

If the Sabre Dragon was hit the battle would be over, I assumed. I could see it panting, and my slashes had done quite a lot of damage. Sure, the girl's magic helped too, but I was the one who had dealt most of the damage.

"Magic – Dance of Light!" she shouted, and in an annoyingly impressive show of power, what appeared to be a harmless stream of sparkling dust killed it. Hmph. What a ridiculous attack. Still, it was powerful, and I needed power. I should make something like that.

But not as girly, like her pathetic shower of confetti.

"Hey, Kalas. Nice job, rescuing that girl. I didn't expect something so selfless from you." AEthera said. That ticks me off. My spirit has a habit of insulting me in his compliments… I wonder if all guardian spirits are like that. I'm really starting to regret getting one. I don't see why Melodia thought one was necessary for me to get all the End Magnus.

Wait, if AEthera thought I was doing it to help her, (which I was, but only because I needed to use the girl) then she would too! Quickly, I need to make up a story!

"Not bad. These fangs fetch a handsome price these days." I said, trying to sound nonchalant. Damnit! No they didn't! Anyone who had been around this area for any amount of time would know that. Melodia had said she was from Mintaka, however, so I could only hope that she hadn't been around here long enough to realize the dishonesty in my words.

"Gram…Leon…" She said to herself, standing over the bodies of the two men who had been with her. I don't think she heard me, but it was best to stick with that story in case she did.

I walked over to her, and thought about how to act. If I pretended to be insensitive, it would suit my other comment well, and I could build up a semi-false persona around that. Besides, AEthera's always telling me that I am, so I suppose it wouldn't be too far off from how I normally act, giving me less room for mistakes.

"My oh my, what do we have here. A load of fresh magnus. These could come in handy." I said, kneeling down next to her two deceased friends. Now to see her reaction…

"H..Hey! You're… stealing their things?!" She half-shouted in disbelief. I wasn't really stealing them. Just making it look like I was. I had no need for such weak magnus – small wonder they had died, really. "They're my friends, you know!"

"They were your friends." I stated. "They won't be doing them much good now. We gotta do what we can to survive, right? After all, I don't hear them complaining. Besides, I'm not stripping them bare. I'll only take what I need." I almost shuddered in disgust at how bad the decks were.

'Don't worry. I don't need anything of this quality. Man, how pathetic. I'm almost surprised they even got this far.' I thought, feeling bad not for making the girl think I was stealing her friends' stuff, but because there wasn't even worth stealing.

"Catch!" I threw her the only two things of value they had. Maybe she'd have a need for them – they were her friends, after all, and I certainly didn't have a use for such trinkets.

"You… Gram's pendant… Leon's bracelet… You want me to give these items to their families. To help them remember, is that it?" She asked.

'It's certainly a better use than I would have for them.' I thought, but pretended not to notice.

"You know I… Maybe I…" Xelha started. She sounded like she wanted to ask me out, or something. I couldn't have that – getting attached to someone I was supposed to be using. I had to think of a way to…

I stopped in the middle of my thoughts, as the perfect remark came to mind. Smiling inwardly at the insensitive comment that sprung up in my head, I couldn't help but wonder where I got such borderline evil thoughts from. "That's your share of the loot. Enough to shut you up, I hope."

"…What?!" she shouted, and I couldn't help but smile. Perfect. That would stop any troublesome questions. "How could you be so…" I felt her grasping for a word, but it seemed she lacked the vocabulary to describe her opinion of me. "I won't accept goods stolen from my friends! How insulting to the dead!!"

I didn't quite know what to say, so I started to walk off, but my feet stopped when she spoke up again. "Hey! Wait... don't go!" I turned around, just in time to see one of the largest blushes I had ever seen. Crap. "I… uh… thank you for saving me." She nearly whispered. Very quiet for thanking someone, but I assumed that it was because of her current 'condition', (which I call "blushing red as a strawberry"). "My name is Xelha. I'm glad you came along when you did." The g… I mean, Xelha said.

"I didn't fight that thing to save you, Xelha." I lied. It was kind of hard to say, because she looked kinda cute like that. Damn… did I just think that? No way. Had to have been AEthera, messing with my mind again. Hmph. I'm just lucky that one of the few powers he doesn't have is the ability to read my mind. "A Sabre Dragon's fangs will fetch me a juicy sum. End of story." I lied again. Yeah right - a picture of a Shawra at would do better, no matter how unclear it was. Sabre Dragon fangs had no conventional uses, but some obscure maniac who'd want things like a Thunderfish's head might like them.

Starting to walk off the way I had came, but her voice froze me in my tracks. "Um… you're from Mira… the city of illusion, aren't you?" Xelha asked, and a chill went down my spine. Had she been there? Did she see me with Melodia?

"How could you tell?" I asked, never having felt as nervous as I did right then. It took all I had to try and keep it in while waiting for her response. Depending on the answer, I might have to kill her – not something I was really looking forward to.

"Because you have a Guardian Spirit with you. I knew as soon as I saw you. It's said that only the people of Mira can summon guardian spirits to this world…" But how? Nobody could tell that just by looking at me! I usually had to explain it to them, after they caught me talking to a spot in midair.

"You seem to know a lot about guardian spirits." I commented, still confused as to how this girl, who seemed the same as any other, would be able to see my contact with AEthera.

Hmm… speaking of the nuisance, he'd been awfully quiet lately. I wondered what he was thinking about.

"In ancient times, at the threshold between this world and another…" she started, and I ceased my absent thinking to pay attention. I might learn some useful things about AEthera from this girl. "Souls from both worlds would meet, their fates entwined… the visiting soul would become a guardian spirit. Yet very few were able to hear a spirits voice… and those bonded with a guardian spirit would receive great knowledge and power…" She explained.

'Great knowledge and power, huh?' If there were any truth to that, I could see why Melodia thought a guardian spirit would help…

"But I'm surprised. I thought that was just a legend. Some old tale passed around in fireside chats." I wasn't sure I had ever seen a 'fireside chat'. Maybe it was something they did in Alfard.

"There's no way of telling if someone really has a guardian." I commented. "I wouldn't blame anyone if they thought we were just hallucinating, or something." Sighing to myself, I couldn't help but remember when I thought that that was more likely to be the case. "Right, AEthera?" I asked. The spirit radiated what would be an impudent grin.

"What are you talking about? I'm right here! How could I be a hallucination?!" he said, and I sighed. 'That's not what I meant, you know…' I thought.

"Huh? Was that voice… your guardian?" Xelha asked, and I could hear AEthera gasp in surprise. "Amazing… I suspected there was something different about this girl, but I wouldn't have dreamed that she could hear a spirit that wasn't bonded with her." he said.

"I thought I heard a faint voice… in my mind." she stated, and now I was in about as much disbelief as he was.

"You mean, you heard AEthera's voice?" Xelha nodded.

"I did. Just barely, though…" She paused, finding the spot where AEthera viewed everything from and stared at it.

"So, your name's AEthera. I'm Xelha. Nice to meet you, AEthera." She said. I could hear his reply.

"Nice to meet you too, Xelha… Wow, this is weird, talking to someone who isn't Kalas."

The girl gigged oddly, and I stared at her, confused. "Your voice tickles me… it feels strange." I could tell AEthera was going to start talking continuously because of that comment, so I decided to say something before he could.

"Hey, AEthera, ever since I woke up at that village, you've been acting kinda funny." Here it was. I could finally see if Melodia's magic worked or not. "That reminds me. Doc Larikush was worried about amnesia, like I'd hit my head, or something. Don't tell me you've lost your memory, and forgotten everything that happened before that! Its that it?" I asked, and waited for an answer.

'Actually, please do tell me that. It's what Melodia was trying to do, after all,' I thought. If it worked, I vowed to no longer doubt Melodia's plans.

"I…" He began, trailing off only because he could tell I wanted to know. "…can't remember a thing!" he laughed.

"What… no way! You're got to be kidding me! What's going on here?!" I said, silently praising Melodia's magic skills. Although they seemed dubious at first, she really pulled through.

A roar echoed throughout the forest, and the two of us prepared for an attack. We didn't see any more monsters, and I lowered my weapon. "Let's talk about this later. This doesn't look like a nice place to chat. I figure you'll remember soon enough." I secretly hoped he wouldn't, but I couldn't tell him that – not if I wanted him to trust me, at least.

Xelha turned towards us. "Hey, Kalas, AEthera… I have to go to the ancient ruins deep in the forest. What about you two?" I saw where this was going, and thought quickly.

"We're headed that way too. Want to go together?" I asked. If she accepted, I could join up with her to get this island's End Magnus, then take it, the pendant, and continue on my own. If not, I could just follow her, and take them both after she got the Magnus for me.

Either way, I win.

"If you don't mind. But before we leave, could you spare me a minute?" She walked over to the two dead men and bowed her head. "Thought it pains me to leave you here… my mission cannot wait… Gram… Leon… thank you… for everything."

She made a weird movement with one hand, and began a prayer. "Cast light upon the darkened earth… Save those lost in despair… O mighty ocean, guide us as we journey through… the darkest pit of night." The two men disappeared in a glow of rainbowy light, and I wondered if all magic had to look that girly, or if it was just what she knew.

I then stopped and thought about the offensive magic she had used during the battle. That wasn't so feminine and sparkly, so I assumed it was just her. I wondered if Melodia's was like that as well. The only time I would have seen it, the spell knocked me unconscious.

"What were you…" I asked, wondering about her weird burial ritual, but I never got to finish the sentence.

"Kalas, AEthera, we should get going." She said, interrupting me.

How rude.

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'More… Shawra?!' I thought, cutting one down in two hits. It didn't seem fair –Xelha's magic worked better against them that my sword. There was an Unuk thrown in there every now and then, but still too many Shawra for my tastes. I couldn't wait to get off this island and away from the freaks.

I could see the ruins in the forest, meaning we had to be getting close to the place where the End Magnus was sealed. I believe Melodia said something about water, and I hadn't seen any so far, meaning we were probably on the right track.

Arriving at a small lake, I sighed. "Is this the place?" A strange beam shot out of the pendant Xelha was wearing and she let out a gasp as the water began to overflow. For some reason, the stars could be seen in it, even though it was daytime.

"What is it?" I asked. A geyser of water shot out of the pond, and a Sea Serpent appeared from within it. I had only one thought.

'How the hell did that huge thing get in a pond?'