Chapter 2

Dan's POV

The ruin's of the old Phoenix drop didn't look anything like what was inside the inner gate in this small settlement. It was lively, peaceful. There were a few village natives there but they were full of glee whenever they talked or even passed on another. I began to walk through the entrance when I was suddenly stopped by a sword, held up pressing on my neck. I froze as I adjusted my eyes to my side where a female knight glared angrily at me. Oh great, I thought to myself, Are all the women around here this hostile?

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" She grunted.

"Alexis, stand down!" Yelled Katelyn suddenly. "He's here with me. I found him in the woods and he needs some help."

The girl's look immediately went from hostile to a rather pathetic look of guilt and sorrow as she looked over at Katelyn. She then turned at me with wide eyes and drew back her blade. "I'm so, so very sorry!" She said in a much softer and elegant voice than before. It took me completely off guard. One second she's got a sword to my neck willing to end my life right there, and the next second she turns into this sweet innocent girl who looked like she wouldn't hurt a fly. "If I had known you were with Katelyn, or even seen her with you, I wouldn't have been so threatening." She continued with her head now looking at the ground. Looking at her now she seemed to be very young. Very young and very naive.

"Ha ha ha. I see you're still learning to think before you act, huh Alexis?" All three of us looked to see an older knight walking towards us. His hair was… Strange. It was a solid blue color that matched his kind looking eyes. His armor was worn and tattered, but he was obviously a knight of higher ranking than either of the two girls.

"Oh, Dante!" Alexis said surprised, "Sorry, I was just trying to be safe."

Safe? I thought. Safe from what? Was there something out there I didn't see or know about?

This "Dante" knight spoke forgivingly towards her, "It's alright. It's actually better you stay safe with visitors. With Tu'la close by we can't be too careful."

Tu'la? I continued to myself, What's going on around here? "*Ahem* I'm sorry,' I said finally, 'but could I please get an explanation of what the heck is going on here?"

Katelyn walked over beside Dante and they both looked at me. They looked shocked, as if they never really expected me to say anything. "Right, I'm sorry about that." Said Dante, "I'll lead you into town. For now welcome to Phoenix Drop."

I started to become a little impatient. "Yes I know, I've been welcomed already, but could you please tell me who you guys are? I don't care if it's on the way, just explain!"

His look went from kind to one of suspicion. He glared at me for a second. It was obvious he didn't take to kindly to my tone. "You'll get your answers,' he said finally, 'but understand that we're not so trusting of you yet. Finding a stranger right outside our gates when larger forces have been taking over this land isn't exactly normal." He went on, "So if you want us to help you, then you better not get on our bad side, otherwise we'll consider you a possible enemy." He turned, walking inside of the small town. He motioned me over to him, and then said something else, "And believe me, that's the last thing we want to do to anyone."

We continued through the settlement until we reached a small well. The well seemed to mark the center of a plaza. Dante had explained that he and those girl knights were actually guards. He also explained that there were a few more of them around as well, but he also said that Katelyn, the guard I met in the forest, was actually not one of Phoenix Drop's guards. "She used to be," he went on, "but fifteen years ago she went off on a…. Journey… with the former lord of this town as well as a few others."

"Former lord?" I said, confused, "Did something happen to him?"

"Her," he corrected, "And no, she's fine."

"So how come 'She' isn't lord anymore?" I continued.

"Well…' he said with a sigh as he rested against the well, 'Fifteen years passed and she didn't come back during that time. So, her son, Levin, took over as lord and he's lead Phoenix Drop ever since." He paused for a second, and chuckled. "Then, about a month ago, she and everyone came back." His smile suddenly turned into a frown. "Well… almost everyone."

We both fell silent for a moment. "So…" I began, "Is he… Gone?" Just then it occurred to me that that might not have been the right question to ask at that moment.

"No." He said softly, "He's back now." There was something wrong with how he said it. "But…" he went on, sullenly, "We lost someone while getting him back. Someone very close… Close to her." He finished.

"Who?" I asked, "Was he a guard like you?"

"He wasn't a guard at all. He was much more than that." Dante and I both shot our heads to the side at the unfamiliar voice. Or at least, unfamiliar to me. The voice came from a blonde haired man wearing what seemed to be fairly normal village attire. His look was stern. He continued on, "He was by far the bravest, most honorable man I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." As he continued, small tears began to well up in his eyes. "He sacrificed EVERYTHING, to get me back! In doing that, he rid this world of the worst possible evil that has ever existed, and he gave his life in doing so."

"Garroth." Dante said suddenly.

The blonde haired man wiped away his tears and regained his composer. "I'm sorry," he said with a smile. "I didn't mean to go off like that.' He turned to me, "I'm Garroth, former guard of Phoenix Drop." He put his hand out.

"I'm... Dan," I said repeating the motion to shake his hand.

"So Dan,' He said kindly, 'where are you from? Anywhere near here?"

All of the sudden I wasn't sure what to tell him. The other three guards already thought it suspicious that I was just outside their walls. I told him, though I wasn't sure he'd believe me. "I don't know where I'm from." Garroth and Dante stood there. Garroth looked confused, but Dante looked more suspicious than when he did back at the front gate. I went ahead and continued to explain, "As far as I know that forest out there is the only place I've ever been other than here right now. I'm not sure who I am, where I came from, or why I was even in that forest anyway." I paused. Unknowingly, broke from their gaze and looked at the ground. For that moment I felt a slight emptiness I don't think I've ever had before… Or have I. Thinking out loud, I finished saying, "All I remember… Is my name..."

"All I remember…. Is my name…"

Garroth's POV

Chills ran down my spine. I wasn't sure why either. I've never known or seen this man before in my life. Yet I believed him. His voice was honest in what he spoke, but when he stopped, his stern and confused look turned to one of sorrow, distress… Emptiness. Just then I noticed Katelyn walking over to where we were. "Katelyn," I called, "Please take Dan to Levin. Let Dan tell him his situation, and tell him to trust what he says."

Katelyn gave me a questioning look, but nodded in agreement. "Come on Dan."

When she took him to Levin's house, Dante turned and whispered to me, "What are you doing? We have no idea who he is, Garroth! Don't you find it a little suspicious that he happened to be outside our walls and then 'claims' that he has no idea who he is or where he came from?'

"I did at first." I responded, "But then I took notice of how he presented himself. His tone was honest, sincere. Notice that when he paused, something came over him,' I continued, 'he looked hopeless, lost, like he had lost something dear to him. You also have to remember that Aphmau has no recollection of her past either. When she arrived she was just as lost as she was." He just stared for a second. I could tell he was still a little skeptical.

He spoke up finally. "I trust you Garroth, and I trust your judgement, but keep an eye on him okay? After all that's happened, I don't think Phoenix Drop, the Phoenix Alliance, OR Aphmau can take much more of this."

"I understand." Dante was right. Despite my urge to help this stranger, I have to keep in mind everything that has transpired over the past week. If he does turn out to be one of these Tu'la spies, then we… I need to be prepared. "I'll see you later Dante," I said ready to end this conversation. The last thing I need are more worries plaguing my mind. "I'm going to see how our friend is."

"You be careful, Garroth. Make sure you give my concerns to Levin and Malachi. YOU may trust him, but we still never be too careful."

"Haha I will. Don't worr-"

*BOOM*

"What was that!?"

Dan's POV

The lord, his guard and I both shot our heads towards the window at the sound coming from far away. "Malachi, gather the guards and set out to wherever that crash came from!"

The lord's orders where white noise to me. For some reason I had a strange, familiar feeling. Whatever landed beyond the gates of this small village was calling out to me. "I'm going to." I said. The young leader said something to me, most likely in protest, but I ignored it as I began walking towards the door of the house. "Prepare your men." I said.

Both the lord and his guard looked at each other. "For what? What's coming?"

"I don't know." I responded, "But it's dangerous. I can feel it." Both ran out of the door of the house finding all the active and off-duty guards, while I slowly exited and walked towards the gate. What the hell am I about to get myself into? I thought.

*Transition*

I walked slowly through the forest. The lord and his guards were taking a bit longer than I thought they would have. I kept going, assuming that they would catch up at some point. It was quiet, and there was no sign of any crash or explosion. Then I realized something, it was almost too quiet. I was being watched. Just then I saw small movement from the bushes. I turned and readied myself. "Show yourself!" I shouted. It just then dawned on me that I had no idea what I was going to do. I had rushed into this forest with no armor or weapons whatsoever. From this point on I would just have to improvise. Then a figure emerged from the bushes and then another. I gave a sigh of relief when I recognized the two as Garroth and Katelyn. "My Irene!" I said shocked but relieved, "What the hell were you doing sneaking up on me like that?"

"We're sorry, we didn't mean to startle you." said Garroth. They both walked over to me. "Have you seen anything yet?" He asked me.

"No. I haven't." I began to think out loud. "Which is weird because with an explosion that big, you'd think there would be some kind of crater or something."

"What if it isn't a crater?" said Katelyn.

"What do you mean?" I responded.

"We've seen weird things happen around here over the years. That explosion could probably have come from a magics user."

She was cut off by a voice coming from the trees. "Magics? No, I don't think I would call it that." Everyone got back to back looking around, searching for wherever the voice came from. Suddenly something dropped from a tree nearby. "I wouldn't call it magics, more like… Power." All three of us glared at the ominous figure now slowly walking towards us. "All assumptions aside, it's good to see you again Dan."

What?! I thought, He… He knows who I am?

"What's wrong? You look… Pale? And afraid? I never knew you to have such feelings before brother."

Brother!? Who is he? All four of us stood there in silence, glaring at each other for what felt like millions of years. I was still in shock to what I had just heard. How could this guy know who I am? How can he call me, "Brother"?