Here it is, chapter three. I lost a lost, and recoveredd little, so I basically had to rewrite this chapter...

Anyway, It's been too long since I worked on it, whether or not all of my stories are offically on hold. I'll probably continue to write for a while, and hopefully should have the next chapter up soon. I feel kinda guilty about not writing in so long.

To Fan Fan Girl, sorry I didn't send this to you for beta reading first, but it was just kinda eating away at me about my lack of updates within reasonable timeframes. Please still help me with this though, okay?

To everyone again, here is the next chapter. I hope you didn't miss it too much.

"You come at last, woe laden child, to the depths of Malpercio's realm." The giant thing said.

"Prepare yourself!"

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I could already tell this wasn't going to be an easy battle. At least, for me, it wouldn't be. It was deep enough in the water that I couldn't attack it from the ground, and if I flew close enough, it could lash out at me with it's head.

My best bet would be to keep my distance and draw it's attention, while the girl… Xelha, I reminded myself, fired spells. If I could just get it on land… I could use it - the move I'd been planning.

The creature smashed it's head in the spot where I just was, having barely seen the attack, and taken to the air. Water shot up from the force of the impact, splashing my ankles, even while at this height. I needed to be more careful…

"Fire Burst!" She shouted. The serpent recoiled from the searing heat of the spell, it's tail lashing about angrily. In an instant, the creature recovered, the thin tail snapping forward at an incredible speed, and wrapping around Xelha's leg.

I flew up, slashing at the scaly tail, only to be met by the creature's head. As I crashed into the ground, I felt a jolt of pain rip through my back. If there hadn't been a good two feet of water on the ground, I probably would have my back broken, at the very least.

Damn, this wasn't good… we had done minimal damage to the beast, and it looked like I was already out of commission. Looking upward at where Xelha was, I could see that she had two magnus available. As the creature's tail began to slide underwater, dragging her along with in, she turned and smiled at me.

I felt a healing energy sweep through my immobile body, and realized what had happened. The second magnus… it was an attack magnus that might've been able to break the creature's hold on her.

Instead, she had used her last magnus to heal me. Talk about guilt…

"Xelha!" I cried without thinking, and leaped into the deeper part of the water, where I had last seen her before he sank. "Playing the hero, are we Kalas?" AEthera asked, his sarcastic voice seeping into my head as I tried to get to her before she ran out of air.

My one wing flapped, trying to speed me along, as I swam down to the figure deep below me. I needed a long range attack!

Seeing a magnus floating in the water, I grabbed it, not even pausing to look at what it was. It could only be Xelha's other magnus, meaning I had to get it to her… if I could get there in time at all.

As I got closer, her face became visible. I nearly breathed a sigh of relief - she was still alive, judging by how she looked like she was holding her breath. Quickly slipping the magnus into her hand, I pulled out a shield, seeing the approaching face of the monster.

Two seconds later, I would be glad that I did, as it propelled itself into the shield with a force that bent it to a point where I knew that it was completely unusable. That probably would have broken a few ribs, if not completely crushed them on impact.

I struck, trying to deal whatever damage I could wile it was still recovering from the attack. It didn't matter that it was a huge sea serpent, nothing rams it's head almost all the way through a shield and doesn't get a headache.

It began to swing it head towards me, trying to crush it's attacker. Just before impact with my head, it stopped, letting out a horrible roar. I saw Xelha began to swim upwards out of the corner of my eye. Good… she was okay.

I decided to follow her example, and escape to the surface while I still had breath. It wasn't so easy for me, however. One wing can only help so much, and my winglet was fried the second I touched the water.

"Good job, Kalas. Now, look behind you and… MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" My head snapped back. It wasn't often he yelled, so I took it very seriously. I nearly froze, but saw that would mean certain death, and snapped out of it.

The thing's head was shooting at me fast than the time that it had nearly obliterated my shield. Blocking would be pointless. My one wing gave a flap, helping to turn me out of the way, and I could hear a sickening crunch, even though I couldn't feel any pain.

Swimming the rest of the distance to the surface, I quickly realized what happened, as I fell to the ground, panting and clutching at my chest.

Xelha ran over, shouting something, but I couldn't tell what. My vision was becoming blurry, and I could hear someone screaming. I think it was me. In one second, Xelha saw it, and I could just barely make out the look of horror on her face.

My wing was broken.

I faded in and out of consciousness for what seemed like hours.

Xelha… she was trying her hardest… but that thing, nobody could take it on alone.

I have to - I have to help her!

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My mind became clearer, and the battle opened up in front of my eyes.

Xelha, looking completely battered, stood in-between me and the snake monster. I could tell that her continuous healing herself was the only thing keeping her standing.

The serpent brought it's head down on us, and she blocked it so that it couldn't fall on me.

…She was doing this to help me?

I pulled myself up, feeling Aethera's power well up inside me, keeping me strong. I hoped I could do this…

It was an idea that had come to mind after the battle with the Saber Dragon. A buildup and release of power combined with elemental energy.

The attribute I could access the easiest was wind. If I were in a better state, I'd try fire, but I was in no condition to push my limits. The 'Flash Explosion' would have to wait.

"Mighty Sword…" I softly whispered, gathering all that remained of my power for this last attack, ignoring how it drew out the pain in my chest.

"…blow forth, as a gust of wind!" At this, Xelha turned towards me, hearing my voice. It was good to know she wasn't in as bad shape as I was, despite looking worse off.

I could see her lips moving, and I could barely hear her voice through my concentration. She was warning me, trying to stop me from using up too much energy. But it was too late. The energy had been spent, the attack already formed. I had very little left to do.

"Sword Style: Blue Storm!"

I jumped at the lake monster, my body running entirely off AEthera's power. If I had use of my wings, I'd have swooped down at it head on, it would have made a better chance of the thing taking the full force of my attack. But you make due with what you have - and I only had my legs to rely on at the moment.

The second the blade touched the ground, I let go of the energy, pulling it in a spiral like the Skystorms that appeared every so often. The creature didn't seem to take too much damage, but it's head shot up into the sky, before crashing back down to earth and remaining still.

I had done it. We had won.

"The time has come. The gate to Ar is opening. Behold, the blessing of Malpercio." The thing said, using the last of it's breath. I got up and approached it, slightly wondering why I was able to move, when a shining magnus came out of the water and hovered at about eye level in front of me.

It kinda hurt my eyes, it was so bright. But I could take it. This was clearly one of the end magnus, one of the things that would bring me that which I desired most. In my position, I did the only thing to do. I took hold of it, and immersed myself in it's power.

I let out a gasp, as visions flooded my eyes. I could see it, me, and my wings! I was there, I could also see Xelha, and a few others… I was happy, I was so happy. Even from the other side of my vision, I could tell…

…Melodia? Ah, so that's where she was. I was wondering why she wouldn't have been with me at such a great moment.

But, Xelha, and those others… They weren't happy for me? That seems mean, maybe even downright cruel. I wanted it to come to pass, but not like this. I want her to be happy for me when I ascend to my birthright, the wings I truly deserve.

Xelha… why aren't you happy for me?

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"The Gate to Ar has been opened. Stars, be prepared…"

"…For the song of destruction."

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"Stop it!!" I heard Xelha's voice, snapping me out of my trace, and the vision fades away. Why? Why now, of all times?!

I noticed the golden birds coming out of the ground, and the ground beneath us shaking. Something about this was wrong, very wrong. Dropping the end magnus in surprise, everything settled down and I realized my strength had returned… though the aching in my chest had done little to ease it's grip on my body.

The power of merely touching one end magnus could do something such as that? The vision of that day seems closer and closer ever still, especially after just witnessing it.

"Who…or what are you? Malpercio is the name of a cursed evil god from ancient times!" Xelha said accusingly. I flinched - where did she suddenly learn about this from?

"How was I supposed to know?! And how do you know all this?" I asked. I really wanted to know how – if what Melodia told me was correct – a mere maid knew so much about ancient legends.

I was interrupted by a shaking of the earth as a giant ship flew overhead.

Giacomo.

He was here, and standing in front of me.

"Girl… you will return what you have stolen." Soldiers had somehow surrounded us when we were busy staring up at the ship in shock. Or in my case, staring at Giacomo in anger.

It was him. And he was after the pendant.

This was NOT according to plan.

A soldier grabbed Xelha, and I tried to help her, but another hit me in the back of the head with his gun. Between the pain of that and my broken wing, I lost my will to stay awake, and drifted into unconsciousness, the last thing in my mind being the laughter of the man who had murdered Gramps and Fee.

That was going to give me one heck of a nightmare…

Okay. So the first end magnus is over, but the Sadaal Suud trip still continues. Why Kalas has a broken wing? - Becuase to me it just worked there, and because it explains some things later on. (You'll see next chapter)

Expect his heart to recover sometime in Diadem.