Hello again, everyone!

So sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I've been busy with life, to be blunt about it XD
I'll do my best to follow this chappie up soon, but I can't make a sure date for when #4 will be up.

Just to make something a little clear, whenever I state the timeline for a current part of the chapters (ex. Several days earlier...) I'm referring to the present moment, that is, when Cleao is
in the "Dreamworld". When I say "several days earlier," I mean several days before that moment.

I hope that clears up any confusion. Sorry I didn't really explain that properly earlier..

Anyways, on with the chappie!

FnI

Chapter 3

Several days earlier...

"It can't be true. I refuse to believe that."

A young man, naive in appearance but quite the opposite in reality, stood in the high office at the Tower of Fang, dressed in the expected attire of the masters; navy flowing robes that fell past his feet, a silver talisman hanging from his neck.

A dragon ensnaring a cross.

He'd never quite understood the relevance of such a symbol. What did dragons have to do with fangs? Sorcery, he supposed, was believed to be passed down from certain bloodlines, descendants of the Dragon race. Maybe that was where they'd gotten the idea.

His right hand pressed angrily against the pane of the widespread window he faced, his back to the desk, purposely avoiding the all-knowing eyes of his comrade.

"I do not understand it either, but there is no mistaking it. While my visions are of only possible outcomes to certain events, they are never wrong."

He scowled, his hand clenching into a fist, knuckles wracking against the cool glass.

"Forgive me for insinuating such. It's just...How could it be true? How could Krylancelo do such a thing?" He slammed his fist against the window in anger, letting loose an unconscious surge of energy strong enough to crack the glass; deep fractures marred the once smooth surface, the lines scarring his reflection in the pane.

"Hartia..."

"Please, Lai," disregarding the broken window, Hartia spun away to face his childhood friend. "Look again. Try to find something, anything that could at least shed some light on the subject."

"I have tried, Hartia. But there's something...blocking my attempts. Each vision I have seems to become less and less detailed, less coherent, less-"

"Helpful," Hartia finished impatiently.

A spot of blood dripped onto the floor, momentarily distracting them both. Hartia raised his hand to his face, muttering a curse under his breath.

"The window. You must have injured yourself."

"I'll live." He turned back to the window, staring out at the darkening sky with a growing sense of foreboding. "Can you pinpoint Krylancelo's location yet?"

"This same fog seems to be concealing him from me. I have not been able to break through just yet."

"Keep trying, Lai. Please."

He glanced away from the window to look down at his hand, the sting becoming a distraction. He stared at it for a moment, the blood slowly oozing out of the open wound and hanging precariously from his skin before dropping to the floor below. This simple action, gravity working against other objects, set his mind slightly more at ease. It was something he understood, a tangible, provable fact of life. He'd always been bright when it came to physics and mathematic equations, theoretical inquiries. When it came to the physical aspect of things, that is, the actions, it was clear that he would only ever be second best.

According to Lai's vision, the one man who could truly challenge his own power, the best sorcerer the Tower had ever known, was going to do something terrible. Unforgivable. And, in Hartia's opinion, unbelievable.

But if it was true, he couldn't just sit by and let it happen. The girl, Cleao...They'd come to know each other fairly well over the past couple years. They were close friends; more than that, Hartia felt very fondly of her. Not romantically, exactly. She was like a sister to him, which seemed odd. Krylancelo, Azalie, Leticia, Lai...These were the people he had always seen as his family. Cleao was so much the opposite of them. And yet, he really did care for her like he did Azalie and Leticia. She was a sister to him. A sister he needed to watch out for, to protect.

Was she ever hard to keep safe, though. Damn. She always managed to find herself in the most impossible situations. Kidnapped by wolven hunters, dragons, sorcerers, anything you can think of it's happened to her. But she'd always been saved, usually just in time, but safe nonetheless. And he'd be damned if he failed her now.

The problem was, this time it was different. Much, much different.

How do you save someone from the one person who protects them the most?

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, bringing up a worrisome memory. A wise man once told him that lightning storms were often foreshadows to great battles. He'd claimed that the thunder mimicked the clashing of weapons, the lightning the spark between metals.

This may have seemed like silly superstitious nonsense, and as a child Hartia saw it that way. But with age came wisdom.

Besides, Rox Ro had never been wrong before.

1 hour earlier...

"I envoke thee, blazing sun!"

A small string of smoke appeared above the leaf, swaying for a moment before blowing out completely.

Majic sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping heavily. His arms, which had moments ago been splayed out in front of him, dropped to his sides. Sweat plastered his hair to his head, dripped down his neck and soaked his shirt. Books were piled beside him, their open pages motionless in the non-existent wind. The sun was setting, thank God, taking the ridiculous heat with it.

He'd been out here almost all day, practicing this one darned spell. When he left the hotel, he'd told Cleao he was going to study some runes. It wasn't a lie, really. He had all the books around him and everything...He just didn't want to tell her he was practicing. She'd want to come, and then when he couldn't do the spells he was trying to learn, she'd be disappointed. He hated disappointing people...Especially Cleao. And Master...He really hated to disappoint Orphen.

Maybe it would be cooler out tomorrow, and he could try again...

"Two years have gone by, and you still doubt yourself."

The stern voice behind him made Majic jump in surprise, before glumly turning to face his master. Looks like he hadn't avoided disappointment after all.

"I'm sorry, Master-"

"Don't apologize. Just concentrate. Believe you can do it. Know you can do it."

Don't forget just whose apprentice you are.

The memory came back to him as clear as if it'd happened yesterday. It had been almost 2 years ago, when their search for Azalie was still under way. With Stephanie to guide them, the group had come to the Library of the Heavenly Beings. Cleao, being Cleao, had gotten them all in a big mess, and Majic had ended up using his first successful spell- and what a spell it had been. He'd been having trouble with his spells for a long time. Doubting himself. And Orphen had encouraged him, helping him realize that he really could do it. After all, look at who his master was.

And he wouldn't forget.

"Right."

He squared his shoulders, digging his feet firmly into the ground. He threw his arms out in front of him, aimed directly at the leaf. A single bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"See the spell. Visualize its effects in your mind. Know what you're going to do. And then do it."

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this!

He saw the leaf exploding in flames, the ground scorched from the heat. He saw the flames twist and turn to his ever desire, grow larger and larger and then smother out at his command.

Behind him, Orphen felt the temperature in the air drop; He could see his breath in the suddenly chilled air. A smirk cracked his normally serious visage and he watched his apprentice carefully.

"I envoke thee, BLAZING SUN!"

He physically felt the power travel from his core, into his hands and out into the ground. Fire exploded from his fingertips, torching everything in his path. The heat, unbearable moments ago, engulfed him. But it felt almost spiritual. Like it wasn't really heating his body, but his mind. Flames licked at his skin, his clothing, and it felt incredible. Instead of burning him it felt soothing. Like someone had wrapped a warm blanket around his shoulders on a cold night.

But boy was it ever tiring!

After a few seconds, the flames began to shrink away, burning out until there was only smoke remaining. Exhausted but elated with his success, Majic spun around to look at Orphen.

"I did it, Master! I really did it!"

Orphen nodded his approval, noting the returning hot temperature.

"Nice job. Now let's get back to the hotel. I'm roasting in this damn heat."

Majic nodded quickly, a huge smile on his face. After gathering his books - and making sure all of the fire he'd made had been put out - the two of them started back for the hotel.

The path they chose was covered on all sides by large, leafy trees. It was growing darker, but the trees still managed to shield any travellers from the heat of the sun. As they walked in silence, Majic was thankful for their shade.

"Have I ever told you about absorption magic?"

Majic started at the sudden question. Orphen had seemed to be lost in thought, walking slightly ahead of his apprentice. This was usually the case; he really wasn't a very social person. So when he did speak, it was a bit of a surprise.

"Um, no." He sifted through the lessons his master had taught, trying to recall anything on the subject. "I don't remember ever hearing about it. We were never taught anything about absorption at the tower, either..."

Orphen chuckled, kicking a stray rock from their path. "No, of course not. See, absorption magic is a bit of a dilemma with the tower." He turned to face his apprentice, an annoyed expression on his face. "They don't believe it exists."

"Huh...But, you do? I mean, I don't think you're wrong or anything...But..."

"How could something magical exist without the tower knowing about it, right?"

Majic nodded, a frown creasing his brow. "Yeah. They know just about everything on magic. Even the whole thing with Baltanders..." He paused for a minute, thinking about what he'd just said and almost laughing. "Well, actually, that's not true. They really didn't know anything about it. I mean, they were going to kill- Ah, sorry Master."

He knew that talking about Azalie still brought up dark feelings for Orphen. The fact that he'd saved her after all usually made up for it...But he'd been through so much pain in order to save her. Majic knew this from what he'd seen on their journeys together, but there was also the stuff that Orphen wouldn't even talk about. There was a darkness in his past that...Well, there are some things you can never fully recover from.

"They think they know everything about magic," Orphen corrected, sliding over Majic's side topic with only a small wince to show just how much it still bothered him. "That's the problem."

Majic nodded in silence, watching as his master suddenly veered off the path and headed for the trees. He snagged several large leaves off their branches and tucked them into his belt before walking back to where Majic was standing.

"Pay close attention to your senses, alright? Everything; sound, touch, taste, the whole thing." After Majic had nodded his understanding, Orphen took a few steps back and held one of the leaves up by the tip.

"Fire."

The leaf burst into flames, which danced around for a moment before they were dismissed.

"Seemed like an ordinary enough spell, right? Now, let's do it again."

He grabbed another leave from the stash he'd made in his belt and held it up. Eying it with the same calm determination Orphen always possessed when doing demonstrations, he murmured the same incantation. But something had changed. Just before he cast the spell, Majic had felt something. The air...It had changed. The spell had also had a slightly different effect. Instead of a small, controllable flame, the leaf had literally exploded, the magical flames consuming it almost as soon as they appeared.

Orphen was watching him now, waiting to see if the pieces would come together.

"Master...Did you...You used the energy from the environment, didn't you? It made your spell stronger, too!"

"That's right. Did you notice the temperature change?"

Majic nodded wordlessly, awed. The tower had always taught them that their power came strictly from themselves, that it was their own core strength which allowed them to wield it. The idea that the environment could help that power...It was exciting, to put it lightly.

"I don't understand. If it's so easy to demonstrate, then why doesn't the tower believe it?"

"Because it's not easy to demonstrate at all. Not everyone can perceive the temperature change. In fact, for those who don't possess the absorption ability, the change doesn't even occur."

"But.. How is that possible?"

Now they were walking again, albeit at a slow pace. Orphen ran a hand through his hair subconsciously, his eyes looking ahead but his mind far inside his own thoughts.

"It's my theory that because these sorcerers have the ability to absorb energies from the environment, they always have a unique sense for it. It's like there's a whole different layer to this energy, one that only those few can recognize. When you absorb that layer, the people who can't even register it to begin with won't notice when it's gone."

"I see...But why can some sorcerers feel this layer and not others?"

"That's a good question. Honestly, I don't really have a clue. I've only met two people who've been able to do it. Including you."

"Oh...Huh? But how did you know I would be able to do it?"

"Do you remember your very first spell? Back in the crystal library?"

Majic almost laughed at the odd coincidence. He hadn't thought about it much since, and here it was now, twice in one day. "Yeah. What about it?"

"When you used the ice spell, I felt it. I felt you take in the cold energy in the air. And that spell was extremely powerful, especially for a first one. Still, I wasn't positive about it until today."

Majic mulled that over in his head. He tried to remember if he'd felt anything special about the spell...Aside from the fact that it had been his first, he really couldn't recall anything out of the order. Then again, he didn't know what it felt like to use a spell without the environment, since he'd apparently always done it.

"So, today, with my fire spell..."

Orphen nodded, ruffling his apprentice's hair. "Yup. That was a kickass incant."

Majic smiled, enjoying the rare praise. Just like Orphen didn't talk much, he wasn't quick to cheer for anything. So when he did praise you for something, it meant that something was really well done. Trying vainly to smooth back his hair, Majic thought about what they'd discussed. And, naturally, came up with another question.

"You said you knew two people? Including me." Orphen nodded, his face turning slightly more guarded. Majic didn't seem to notice. "Who was the other sorcerer?"

Orphen was silent for so long, Majic began to wonder if he would answer at all. Maybe it was a sensitive topic. Maybe it had been Azalie...Maybe he shouldn't have asked at all. Maybe-

"Ro. Uh, sorry, Rox Ro."

Ah. That explained it.

Ro! I don't know! I have no fucking idea! Tell me! Tell me what I'm supposed to do! RO!

Orphen, for God's sake, stop! He's dead!

Majic remembered the old man fairly well. Well, he remembered that when they'd finally gotten to his house, the man had been at death's door. Azalie, disguised as Childman, had attacked him. Orphen had only a few minutes left before he'd died. He didn't talk about it much, but Majic knew the two of them had been close. He was pretty sure Rox Ro had been a huge mentor to Orphen. It must have hurt very much when he...died.

"...I see..." He knew it was lame, but what was he supposed to say? I'm sorry? Somehow, he didn't think Orphen would appreciate that. It would probably just annoy him.

"Don't worry about it, Majic," Orphen said. Apparently Majic wasn't very good at keeping his emotions secret.

They walked along in silence once more. They were closing in on the inn now; it was only a few metres from where they were walking. It would be nice to have a warm bed to sleep in tonight. And he was going to enjoy it. Who knew when they would see an inn again? Even a hotel with a creepy old man was better than the hard, cold ground. Which reminded him...

"Hey, Master?" Majic asked tentatively. Orphen's moods changed faster than you'd think was normal, so one always had to be on their guard.

"Hm?" Clearly he was distracted by something. Definitely a good thing, for Majic's sake.

"Did something happen last night? Between you and Cleao, I mean." Suddenly this didn't seem like the best idea. Asking Orphen anything remotely personal usually led to a punch, but Majic was just too curious sometimes. So, when Orphen didn't answer, and despite his nervousness, he pushed. "Because, well, because this morning the two of you were acting...Odd. I mean, civilized. Polite. Nice. Which is, you know, weird. Between the two of you." Stammering was always inevitable when talking about Cleao. Of course, it was usually because Orphen was pissed off at her for doing something, or Majic was about to tell him that she was missing. This time, it was a little different.

"Huh. Really. I didn't notice."

And that was it. That was all he said on the matter. No punching, no yelling, no incanting. Just a grunt followed by a useless answer. Well, clearly something had taken place between them. Maybe Cleao would tell him. He would just have to ask her when-

His thoughts were cut off by a huge explosion that shook the earth and knocked him clear over. Majic raised his head in alarm, searching for what had caused such a shock. He didn't have to look far.

The inn was in shambles. One of the walls had been blown clean off; it had broken into millions of pieces of wood and brick, sailing through the air like arrows before landing several metres away. Some pieces managed to hit him, prickling his back and cutting his face and outstretched arms. The other walls were keeling inward, having nothing to hold them up. The disturbing crunch that echoed their collapse was sickening.

Oh my God...What if Cleao was in there...

"Fuck!" Orphen spat, already taking off in the building's direction. Majic scrambled to his feet, the momentary daze having passed, and hurried after his master.

Just as they reached the wreckage, a small blue light appeared in front of them. A dark figure appeared, his unmistakable red hair standing out against the white rubble.

"God damnit! I'm too late. No, but Lai said she survived..."

"Shrimp man? What are you doing here?"

Hartia turned around in surprise, clearly thinking he was alone. His eyes flickered over Majic, recognizing him briefly before turning his gaze on Orphen.

"Hartia? What the fuck are you-"

"You BASTARD!"

Before Majic could react, Hartia literally threw himself at Orphen, fists aiming for a hit to his face. Orphen, though clearly surprised, managed to dodge him easily enough.

"I don't have time for your games, Hartia. Cleao could be in that fucking mess."

"Don't you know it, you sick fuck!" Hartia tried again, dashing at Orphen with a fury Majic had never seen before in his eyes. Majic had never heard him swear so obscenely.

This time Orphen didn't completely dodge him; they fell to the floor and grappled with each other, Hartia looking like he really did want to kill him. Amidst the squirming, Majic heard Orphen shouting to him.

"Get Cleao out! Now!"

Hesitating just for a moment, Majic nodded. He dropped his bag and dashed for the building, praying that she was somehow unscathed.

Meanwhile, the two sorcerers continued to fist fight each other. Punches connected with faces, ribs were cracked, and blood was shed before Orphen inevitably managed to gain the upper hand. He managed to get onto Hartia's back, pushing him into the ground with his knees while pulling one arm up toward him with his arms.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He hissed, slightly out of breath. He could feel Hartia's chest heaving underneath him. He'd always been the weaker brawler, more brains than brawn. Which only further confused Orphen about what he was trying to do.

"You thought..I would just let you...Get away with it?" Hartia wheezed underneath him, still visibly shaking with rage. "Not...a goddamn...chance..."

"I don't know what you're talking about you fucking idiot!"

"I just...don't understand...why you would...do it.."

"DO WHAT?" This idiot was wasting his time. Cleao needed his help. Fuck, if she'd been in there when it happened...His chest tightened in panic, his stomach dropped and for a moment he thought he might actually puke. All over Hartia. Well, it wouldn't have been such a bad thing.

But Hartia had relaxed underneath him. He stopped resisting, his breathing slowly coming back to normal levels.

"Do you mean to tell me," he mumbled, his face pressed into the damp grass, "that you really don't know?"

Honestly. Orphen really could've killed him.

"How many fucking times do I have to tell you that? Christ!"

"I knew Lai was wrong! But..That doesn't make any sense..."

"Fuck this."

Orphen dropped Hartia's hand and rolled agilely to his feet. He couldn't afford to wait for Hartia to get his act together; Cleao could be in serious shit.

Running to the building as fast as his legs would take him, he saw Majic kneeling beside a chunk of fallen wall. He was saying something, tears streaming down his face. Orphen's heart froze in his chest, his blood ran cold.

A spill of blond hair could be seen from under the wall.

"No...No..." He couldn't breath. Dots splayed across his vision, his legs gave way and he fell to the ground. He had to get to her. He had to help her. He tried to get up. He stumbled towards Majic, his legs feeling like lead beneath him. After what felt like years, he managed to reach them. He fell to his knees beside Majic, who was holding a small, pale hand, whispering to her that everything was going to be all right, that master was coming...

The wall had landed on her back, pinning her against the ground. Everything above her shoulders and below her knees was visible. Without thinking, Orphen reached up and stuck his fingers to her neck. And waited.

Please...Please...

The thud against his fingers finally came, if not in its weakest possible form. He wanted to scream, to cry, he couldn't believe it. She was alive.

Majic was saying something to him, asking him what they should do, how they could help her, if he could feel her pulse.

"She's...She's alive..." He managed, his voice coming out cracked and low, barely louder than a whisper.

Barely.

"We have to lift this off-" Majic was saying, but Orphen was already on it. He didn't know if he'd used magic or if it was just sheer adrenaline, but the wall was off in a matter of seconds.

Anxiously he scanned her bruised back, searching for any signs of spinal damage. He carefully ran his fingers down her spine, feeling for any stray bumps or cracks. Finding nothing except bruises and cuts, he turned his attention to the back of her neck. Again finding nothing out of the ordinary, a wave of relief flowed through him, leaving him feeling almost giddy. He hadn't a clue as to how she'd managed to avoid some kind of spinal injury, but he wasn't about to question her good fortune. Slowly, he rolled her onto her back, making sure to be as gentle as possible.

He should have been prepared for what he saw. Hell, she'd just been in a goddamn explosion. But somehow, nothing really could have lessened the impact of seeing just how serious her injuries were.

The first thing he noticed was the blood. It was everywhere. Her chest was bathed in it, cuts and scratches marring her torso, her stomach. Her arms hadn't escaped injury either; he could see pieces of wood sticking out here and there, the impact from the explosion shooting them like daggers into her fragile flesh, no doubt. Her hair, normally impossibly clean despite the messes they got themselves into, was almost harder to look at than her actual injuries. Blood soaked into the thin blond strands, leaving it with an almost coppery gleam. She'd always taken pride in cleanliness. If she could see herself now...She'd probably have a heart attack. Instead of making him laugh, the thought only made Orphen feel violently ill.

He turned his gaze to her face, watching anxiously for any signs of consciousness. Even this part of her body hadn't avoided damage; a jagged wound sliced across her left cheek, oozing more blood than seemed realistic. Her bottom lip was split and swollen, her cheeks bruised. He opened her eyes gently, pulling back the lids with his fingers, but she didn't respond. He tapped her cheek lightly, murmured her name over and fucking over again, but she wouldn't wake up.

"She needs a healer,"

Hartia had appeared on the opposite side of her at some point during Orphen's assessment of her injuries. He'd been too busy, too panicked to notice.

"No shit," he murmured darkly, the spell already forming on his lips. He held his hands above her chest, a light blue hew emitting from his fingertips.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, a hard edge to his voice, the spell whipping out of his mouth furiously, but to no avail. The wounds remained open, the bruises just as dark and damaged as before.

"What..what does it mean, Master?"

The fuck if I know.

Hartia cleared his throat, somewhat wearily.

"I may be able to shed some light on the situation. More or less. It would explain why I...well, it will make my behaviour more understandable, at the very least. But...You're not going to like it."

Didn't Hartia ever appear without some form of disastrous news? Fuck. The guy was a heavy scythe and dark, flowing cloak away from being the damn Grim Reaper.

Scratch that. He had all of those things. Plus a bloody bow.

This situation was just getting more and more fucked up by the minute.

Hope this meets any and all expectations. Let me know what you think! :)

FnI