Arc 1: Wyvern Rebellion - Chapter 15

-Before-

"Someone shake Fiora awake." Basil requested, pointing to a sleeping red head. She was sitting cross legged on the grass, her head tilted, snoring pretty loudly. Gideon grabbed her shoulder and shook her. She finally woke, looking side to side confused wondering why there was an earthquake.

"Glad you can join us." Basil stated with a smile. Fiora yawned, not registering his comment.

"Now, pay close attention, because understanding how this works could be the difference between life and death." He explained, his expression not changing. He looked behind them and nodded. Everyone turned to see a tree sliding through the earth and taking a position in front of them. Oakwise moved his leafy mustache before speaking.

"Hope everyone had a good training so far. Basil, you could use a haircut." Oakwise stated. Basil sheepishly touched the curls touching his forehead, chuckling softly.

"Who remembers why you all are the only ones that can enter the Emerald Grove?" He asked everyone.

"Because you trust us, and you allow us in. Anyone else that tries will die." Abernathy answered, bored out of his mind. Oakwise shot a look at the chrono anchor mage.

"No. It's the one thing all members of a guild receive upon joining." He reiterated, trying to narrow it down.

"Our emblem." Luna stated, pointing to her wrist. Basil snapped his fingers and pointed to her.

"Exactly." Oakwise confirmed. Lyra cocked an eyebrow.

"Why is our emblem a factor in the grove? You've never said anything about it, master." She directed the question at Basil. Oakwise then shifted his gaze to Basil. Basil chuckled nervously while rubbing his head.

"Heh, must have slipped my mind." He said. Oakwise shook his head, his leafy mustache swaying.

"Your emblems are charge with a bit of tree spirit magic, believe it or not. I'm sure that you're good for nothing guild master must have mentioned something of the sort." He explained. Gideon raised his hand.

"Oh yeah! He said that they are like lacrima, and they can be used to track us down since there aren't so many of us in the guild." Gideon recalled. Oakwise smiled, happy someone got it.

"Yes. Good job. Basil's a handful." Oakwise praised him, shooting a look at Basil again. Lyra was taken back.

"I thought he was joking. That's not something an emblem usually does." She expressed. Coral shook her head.

"When it comes to the safety of his guild members, he never jokes about it. Your emblems act as tracking devices and are your identification tag. Any outsider that enters the Emerald Grove would suffer dire consequences." Oakwise elaborated.

"We're like a family." Abernathy commented draping an arm around Zephyr, twisting a finger on his cheek. Zephyr pouted.

"Yeah. Basil is like a cool dad." Lyra agreed, smiling. Oakwise's brows twitched.

"Anyways, today's lesson will cover Tree Spirit Magic. Ahem, not all beings that exist in Earth-Land is capable of personally channeling spirit magic. Zephyr for example just so happens to have the same elemental magic as Sylph-sama. And not only that, she is there to help him channel it. Celestial Spirit magic works through contract, which allows a Celestial Spirit Mage to summon one of them. That applies to tree spirit magic. You all aren't normally able to channel this magic. But your emblems allow you to. You are all under a contract, however. The magic won't work if your magic is used for malicious intent or against an innocent. Speaking plainly, the Wyverns are the only ones who will receive the full might of our magic." Oakwise looked to each member. Ewan stood in the back, leaning against a tree. He eyed the guild mark on his forearm. He never thought he'd join a guild. Least of all in circumstances like these.

"Tree spirits have existed in the Earth-Land for eons. Our presence dates back even before Dragons. And-"

"Oh, hush up, you old man. They don't want a history lesson. Long story short, you'll be able to stand against the Wyvern, but the magic will disappear as soon as they are all defeated." Sylvara cut in, appearing behind the members. Oakwise sighed.

"Yes, Sylvara is correct. This is the only way you'll have any chance against Wyverns. The reason we know is that our magic is effective is fighting Dragons. Any questions?" He asked.

"Will this magic effect our elemental magic?" Lyra inquired. Oakwise pondered, tapping his chin with one of his branches.

"That's a good question. Basil, do you have an answer?" He asked, looking over with a 'you better get this right' look.

"It shouldn't. If anything, it should enhance it. But, don't get distracted by it. Perform your magic as if nothing has changed. But be aware, you're stronger, but that doesn't mean you're invulnerable. Take too many hits from the Wyverns and you'll fall easily." Basil answered. Zephyr raised his hand. Bail nodded in his direction.

"Will we turn into trees?" He asked. Oakwise scratched his leaves.

"No, kid, you're not gonna turn into trees. The magic doesn't affect your bodily functions. Sylvara, will explain it better than I can." He indicated. Sylvara looked to Zephyr, approaching him. She reached down with one of her branches and pinched his cheek.

"You are the cutest thing!" She exclaimed. Abernathy was chuckling, finding it funny. "The answer is no. That's not how our magic works. Just pretend it was always there. Because, in a way, it has. Just being able to enter here is proof enough." She explained.

"Now that everything is covered, lets test it. All members, place your emblems on Oakwise, Basil and I." Sylvara demanded. Zephyr smiled and rubbed his neck. Everyone approached each tree and closed their eyes. They felt a surge of energy fill them.

"Holy crap!" Fiora exclaimed, who was now fully awake. The rest felt the same feeling, and the markings on their emblems glowed brightly.

"Good. Please remember, this magic is not finite. If your fight takes too long, it will run out, and you won't be able to hold a candle to the Wyverns. Make every attack count." Basil reminded them.

Everyone nodded.

"Galestride: Howling Tornado!" Zephyr swung his hands forward, causing two tornadoes to spin into existence and charge toward Falconer.

"Sky King's Soaring Wings." Falconer's clawed the air, a gust of wind opposing the tornadoes. Coral, in her Sailstrike Ocean Fusion appeared over head with her rapier ready.

"Sailfish Excalibur!" She cast. Her rapier was covered with a lance shaped water covering. She shot it, the projectile zooming toward the Wyvern. He smirked.

"Sky King's Wind Spire." He cast, a spire appearing and blocking Coral's attack. He held a hand up, ensuring the spire was challenging the water spell.

"Fun. You both are pretty strong. But there's something off. I can feel it in the magic. You're using spirit magic. But, neither of you are a spirit mage of any sort." Falconer commented. Coral gritted her teeth. The spell broke, and Falconer grinned.

"I see now! You've fused with a spirit! That's why your magic feels different!" He exclaimed. "I can already tell. You want to ask me how I know. Simple. When you're a Sky King, you can feel the tiniest change in the sky." He explained. Zephyr glared at him.

"So what if we are? It doesn't matter how we got our magic, only that we beat you!" He shouted. Falconer chuckled. He pointed to the boy. Coral landed in front of Zephyr.

"But you. You have two different types of spirit magic together. That's going to be troublesome. It just means that I have to take you out first." Falconer stated.

"You can try!" Zephyr exclaimed. Coral looked back at him.

"Zephyr! Don't do anything reckless!" She warned him. He smiled.

"Don't worry, Coral! I know what I'm doing!" He assured her. She sighed before looking forward again. Falconer grinned.

"I like your spirit, kid! But let me ask you something. How good is your awareness?" He asked. Zephyr cocked an eyebrow before he felt the wind around him pick up. In an instant, a figure swooped by and tackled Coral away. It carried her through the forest, crashing her into trees.

"Coral!" Zephyr yelled out. "What did you do?!" He demanded.

"I wasn't using the word Sky King as an egotistical title! That is my magic. I have dominion over all creatures lesser than us! And I'll ensure every single one of them keep that water mage busy until I'm done with you." Falconer explained. Zephyr gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. The Wyvern chuckled.

"You should focus on yourself. Who knows if you'll survive this." He stated. Zephyr glared at him before closing his eyes. Falconer cocked an eyebrow. Zephyr's body began to glow green. His hair turned green and his ears become pointed. Sylph appeared from behind him. She was glowing the same green.

"Say it, Zeph. I give you permission." She instructed. Zephyr nodded. He opened his mouth and spoke the words.

"I invoke our contract!" He exclaimed. Falconer smirked.

"So, you're a wind spirit mage? That's who it was! The one creature of the sky that won't heed to my command." He said. Sylph stuck her tongue out at him.

"No one controls me! Zephyr and I are partners!" She exclaimed. Sylph faded into his magic, finishing the integration of her spirit magic.

"We'll see about that. Sky King's Royal Slicer!" He yelled. He swung his arm, clawing the air. Blades of air tore through the ground all the way to Zephyr.

"Galestride: Gale Shield!" Zephyr cast, creating a shield made of wind in front of him. The blades collided with the shield, shattering it. He was struck, blood splattering on the ground. He was thrown toward trees, breaking several of them. Falconer zoomed through the air, his feet darting across the earth. He continued to claw the air, blades of air crowding the space between them. Zephyr pushed himself up, wiping the blood from his mouth. He looked up and saw Falconer coming toward him.

"Sky King's Wind Spire!" A spire appeared from behind Zephyr, propelling him forward.

"Galestride: Wind Cutter!" Zephyr yelled out, swinging his hand down. A shining blade of wind was shot out, crashing against the Falconer's attack. Zephyr's one attack was struggling to keep all of the Royal Slicers back. The young S-Class mage put his hands up, pouring more magic behind his attack, trying to hold back the barrage. Falconer grinned before clenching his fist. Zephyr gasped as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. His eyes widened as he looked down to see blood gushing out. He coughed up blood, falling to his knees.

"Zephyr!" Sylph yelled, her voice on the wind. Zephyr looked up to see Falconer standing over him with a clawed hand covered in blood. The young boy, for the very first time, felt fear. His hands began to shake.

"I don't know how you got spirit magic, but I'm going to enjoy ripping it from your body." Falconer said, his fingers manifesting tiny spirals of air. They spun at incredible speeds, ready to drill into Zephyr's chest. He launched his hand down, ready to tear open the young mage. A pair of jaws closed around the Wyvern before he could finish the strike. Titan swam with all his might, biting down hard.

"T-Titan?!" The air mage exclaimed. Falconer growled as he struggled against the shark's bite. He pushed himself back, throwing Titan off. The shark flew through several trees before landing on the ground. He was bleeding heavily from the mouth, but he forced himself to get upright.

"Titan's protecting me..." Zephyr pointed out, surprised. Titan had never care too much about anything but Coral. Or at least he seemed like it. But now, here he was, protecting Zephyr when he didn't have to. Falconer glared at him before turning his attention to the shark.

"You dare interfere with my fight?! Sky King's Wind Spire!" The Wyvern yelled. Spires of air were thrown at the shark. The sea creature took each one head on, taking damage. Broken teeth flew about being replaced by others. The shark swam hard, his jaws wide open once more. He huffed, his predatory intent clear. Falconer gritted his teeth as he realized Titan wasn't going to back down.

"I'll deal with you later!" He exclaimed, looking back to Zephyr who was pushing himself up. Falconer charged toward him, his claws outstretched. Titan growled and swam faster, catching up to Falconer. He bit down on the Wyvern's arm, causing Falconer to stop. The shark began to shake his head, trying to pull the arm off. But the shark couldn't move him. Falconer smirked.

"Never bit into a Wyvern's hide, I'm assuming. That's why you didn't hurt me the last time." He stated before swinging his other arm around. He clawed the air, sending blades of wind at Titan. The shark was struck, flying off once more. He crashed into trees, falling to the ground. He coughed up blood but forced himself to get back up. Falconer looked at him in disbelief.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" He asked before turning his attention to Zephyr again. The young mage had pushed himself up and was glaring at the Wyvern. Falconer chuckled.

"Worried for a mindless sea creature? Pathetic. You humans are so sentimental." He said before lunging forward again. Zephyr held his arms out, creating a shield of wind. Falconer collided with it, shattering it once more.

"Titan, stop!" Zephyr called out. "Sylph, I need you to give me more magic." He requested.

"Zephyr, you're already low on magic. If I give you any more-" Sylph started to say.

"I know! But I have to do this! Coral is always there for me. This is the least I can do for her. I have to stop Falconer. And I can't do it if I don't have more magic." Zephyr explained. The wind spirit sighed.

"Okay." She said. Zephyr's body began to glow green, a gust of wind picking up around him. He yelled, lifting his hands into the air.

"Galestride: Hurricane's Wrath!" He yelled. A massive cyclone formed, swirling around the area. Falconer stopped, looking at the attack.

"What the hell is this?!" He questioned. Zephyr gritted his teeth. The power of the attack causing him to tremble.

"Zephyr, you can only do this once. The tree spirit magic will be low. This will be your best chance. Make it count." Sylph said, her voice echoing through his mind. Zephyr nodded. He yelled with all his might tossing the attack at the human form Wyvern. The cyclone swallowed him up, tossing him around. Falconer gritted his teeth, pushing against the wind. Zephyr focused harder, increasing the wind's speed. Falconer struggled, trying to escape the storm. Suddenly, creatures flew in from the sky and saved him. Zephyr released his spell, falling to his knees. He coughed up blood, unable to hold himself up. Sylph appeared in front of him.

"That was good, Zephyr. But I have an armada of winged animals under my control still, and all you have is a wind spirit and a weak shark." Falconer stated. He snapped his fingers, the animals circling him. Zephyr gritted his teeth.

"Galestride: Gale Shield!" He cast, creating a shield in front of him.

"I don't think so!" Falconer yelled in response. He pointed his finger and sent the creatures out toward the young mage. They attacked the gale shield. Zephyr kept his hands up trying to fight back. But when he looked up, he didn't expect to see what he saw. Winged serpents, their maws wide open, biting into the wind wall. Their fangs didn't break the defensive barrier, but they pierced through. Zephyr looked down. He felt the wind around him being sucked away. His eyes widened in shock as he realized the winged serpents were sucking the air away from the shield.

"This is your end." The Wyvern announced. The shield began to diminish more and more until... A cuttlefish appeared in front of Zephyr.

"Zeke?" He asked. The creature bounced around gleefully. It then approached the young boy and began to distort the light around them, rendering them invisible.

"W-what the hell?!" Falconer exclaimed. The wind shield was completely gone, but his target had disappeared.

Zeke had lifted off Zephyr, the trio having been able to make distance away from the Wyvern. Leaning against the tree, dress torn all over was Coral. Blood was leaking down the side of her head and battle damage all over.

"Coral! Are you ok?" Zephyr yelled. Sylph reappeared from the wind magic and approached the ocean mage.

"I've never seen you like this." She expressed in shock. The ocean mage turned her head toward the two, giving a weak smile.

"I'm ok...I've just never had to fight hundreds at once." She admitted. Zeke gave a sad squeal, nuzzling against the young woman. "I'm ok Zeke. Is Titan ok?" She asked. Zephyr looked to the side sadly.

"He protected me. I -" The young boy began.

"He's ok. He won't die that easily. Titan is a grumpy old man, but he won't let himself be done in like that." Coral shared, her infamous smile still shining through. The cuttlefish let out a happy squeal, dancing around Coral. "He'll come back soon." She promised.

"We should get you back to the guild." Sylph suggested. Coral shook her head.

"We can't let that Wyvern leave this area. If we let him regroup with any of his other comrades, they'll run us over. We shouldn't let anyone else outside of our guild be involved." She explained. Zephyr clenched his fist.

"Coral is right. I'll do whatever it takes." He agreed.

"It's not a matter of whether you want to or not. You will." She asserted, turning to look at him. "I'm not letting anyone die on my watch. We have the power to stop this, so that's what we're going to do. Zephyr, you have the power to beat him, I know you do. I don't know if you noticed, but when we stood in front of him, you were shaking." Coral pointed out.

"I wasn't shaking! It was just the wind or something!" He countered.

"You were shaking because that thing instills fear. Fear is normal. But that fear has a purpose. It should make you fight harder. It should make you want to protect your guild and protect Fiore. Remember, you're a senpai too. You trained one of your kouhai. Viperion looks up to you." Coral encouraged. "We all look up to you. You're the youngest one in the guild and yet, you're one of the strongest. It's a different kind of strength, but it's just as important." Coral expressed.

Coral stood up, trying to keep her balance. Zephyr stepped forward to help, but Coral held out hand out. Zeke swam over to her and tried to help, tugging on her dress with one of his arms.

"I'm alright. But you should get ready, I'm going to need all of you." She told Zeke. She looked over to the air mage. "You don't have to go out there. But you're a trust guild member. We all believe in you. And remember, Sylph chose you for a reason." She said. She placed her hands together and began to channel her own magic. Mist appeared all around her. From them, several sea creatures swam out. Arthur the sailfish returned, somewhat battle damaged. A jellyfish and a blue ringed octopus appeared. She nodded to each sea creature.

"Hi everyone. I'd like to ask for a favor. Will you all help me fight?" She asked, her voice not hinting any fear or difficulty. Each animal gave her a nod and swam in the air in front of her. The jellyfish wrapped some of its tentacles around her arm, the octopus did the same. Coral looked up and gave a smile.

"I'll do my best to keep them all occupied, Zeph. Last thing I need is for you to fight halfheartedly. I'll be ok." Coral expressed.

"B-but.." Zephyr started to say.

"Stop that. You're a senpai. Act like it." Coral reminded, her voice still kind. She smiles at him. No anger or pressure. The sea animals began to swim through the air, pulling Coral along.

"Lilah," she looked to the jellyfish. "It's time to give you the spotlight. Ocean Fusion: Stingflow!" Mist covered coral, and on the other side she wore a beautifully translucent dress, that glowed brightly. Tentacles appeared from behind her, stretching about. Arthur swam ahead while Zeke sat on Coral's head. Achlys let Coral go and swam ahead as well, filling the sky with dark poisonous ink. Feathered serpents, harpies, monstrous bats, and all the winged beasts in the area obeyed the call of the Wyvern and his Sky King Magic. Coral flowed through the sky, her tentacles trying to knock out each animal with a single blow. The one's she couldn't take out Achlys took care of. Arthur zoomed around the sky, slicing the dangerous creatures to get their attention. Coral did her best to move fast and hard.

When Falconer had pulled Coral away, she was swarmed with all the nearby creatures. But now, she was prepared. She couldn't use Ocean Fusion for too long. Her dress ripped a bit more, her body not used to being attacked so many times. Her tentacles moved around her, attacking. She moved her body as a swimmer would, twisting gracefully. But right when she made a turn, she was homed in by slices of air. Falconer was coming for her.

"You're persistent." She stated, her tentacles moving quickly.

"I could say the same thing about you." He replied. He began to throw blades of air at her. Coral moved swiftly dodging while she moved her body gracefully.

"You're a lot better than I thought you'd be." He said, floating toward her. She turned to face him, her tentacles moving to block the attacks.

"That's funny, I thought you would be a lot stronger too." She retorted, her tentacles moving quickly. A tentacle shot out toward him. He held up his hand, creating a spire. The two forces met and stopped each other.

"I guess it's time for me to get serious." He announced. He opened his arms wife and began to smirk.

"I was a famous sky pirate in the universe I came from. They called me the Sky King, because no one could best me in the air. I took what I wanted and no one could oppose me. And neither will your guild! Sky King's Hurricane!" He cast. Both arms swung forward. Numerous of air blades crowded the sky. As they began to move, high speed winds pulled Coral about, including all of the creatures that heeded Falconer's command. The blades began to cut into Coral and the sea creatures. Achlys swam around her, trying to keep her safe. Arthur and Zeke did their best to keep the blades away from Coral. Coral moved her hands and summoned water to cover her and her sea creatures. However, the air blades still struck her shield, slowly moving through the water toward them.

"No one is getting in my way." He announced. The blades finally made it through, slicing at Coral and her friends.

"I... I need you all to go back into the ocean. Please." Coral expressed her body shaking. Achlys gave a small cry. "I'll be ok, I promise." She promised. The animals all disappeared in mist, against their will.

"Coral!" Zephyr yelled. The young sir mage's heart fell. Coral screamed out, her dress becoming shredded. She used her magic to keep up with the healing, but the damage was coming in too fast. Once the assault was over, Coral's body began to fall out of the sky. Tears began to fall from the young man's eyes.

Coral, the mother of the guild. The one who had always took care of everyone and kept Zephyr in check, had been defeated. Zephyr couldn't move his legs. He could only watch.

"Zeph! You have to move!" Sylph yelled. Zephyr tried to struggle against his own fear, but his heart worked way too fast, his instincts screaming to not go. A whoosh of wind blew past him, and the figure of the powerful shark could be seen racing toward Coral. The shark began to manifest mist all on its own racing toward her, shrouding itself and Coral. Out of the mist, was the ocean mage in her Jawsurge form. The armor appeared to be damaged, but that didn't stop her.

"You grump. I sent everyone home. Why are you still here?" She asked lovingly to the shark. The shark began to make noises. "I can't hear you, Titan. I have a concussion. But you can help me." Coral requested. The shark's teeth seemed to grin at her, his fins giving a nod. The armor felt powerful to her.

"Titan! He's so tough." Zephyr said, tears still coming down his eyes. He looked down at the ground, unable to watch. "Why did you choose me, Sylph? Look at me. I can't even move. How can I save Fiore?" He asked. He heard the echo of her voice on the wind.

"I chose you because of who you are. You're kind. You're loving. And you're always willing to help anyone and everyone. That's why I chose you. And that's why, in this moment, you will save Fiore. It's not about how brave or how strong you are. It's about how much you care! And how understanding you are! You feel Coral's determination, don't you?" She asked. Zephyr wiped his eyes, looking up.

"I do...But...How can I save Fiore? How can I protect the people I care about?" He asked.

"You're not alone, Zephyr. Everyone, every member of the guild is fighting too. Viperion, Abernathy, Gideon, Lyra, and even Master Basil. You have to remember that they are all fighting to save Fiore. Anyone else could be here, but it's you for a reason." She reasoned. "Besides, what would Fiora do?" She asked cleverly. Zephyr smiled.

"She would fight. She would fight until she couldn't anymore, until her fists were bruised and bloody." Zephyr said.

"Then do that! Fight, Zephyr. Fight like you have a raging hurricane in you! I am the Elemental Spirit of the wind And you are my chosen!" Sylph said.

"Yes, I am!" He said, a wind whipping up around him, causing the broken bark and leaves to swirl.

"You can't do this! You can't defeat me! Look at you! You're surrounded ocean mage! Just surrender and perhaps Lord Wyrnxoth will let you live. You put on a good show, for a human. Why not join him?" The Wyvern asked. Coral was breathing heavily, blood dripping from her side.

"I'd never join him. I would rather die, and so would my family! You had your chance to fight for Earth-Land. But instead, you ran from the Dragon King festival. You were afraid of Acnologia. That beast was slain a guild in our very town. And we will slay you if we have to." Coral's smile was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a snarl.

"You will be slain, human." He said, his draconic voice echoing with a booming rage. Coral's hair rose and her eyes glowed. "No. You consider yourself the apex predator of the sky. But WE are the apex predator of the sea. Feel Titan's wrath!" She shouted.

Titan, the great white shark, poured his magic into the form. Coral let out a mighty roar. Falconer laughed.

"I am Falconer, the sky pirate! The Sky King! I serve Lord Wyrnxoth, inheritor of the Sky Dominion! I will fight my kind, for my comrades! I will annihilate you!" Falconer yelled. A swirl of wind covered him, then it grew. From it, emerged from it came a mighty Wyvern. It didn't look to be like the ones left on Earth-Land. He not only looked feral, but more fierce and powerful. Falconer had red and orange scales. He spikes and wings were streamlined for speed. The Wyvern roared into the sky. After a couple of seconds, roars from all around responded in kind. Wyverns, the feral mindless beasts left behind heeded a true Wyverian's call. The took to the skies, their destination the sky above the Magic Council building.

Coral showed no fear. Instead, she smirked. She shook, but not from fear, but from the thrill. When was the last time she felt like this? Her last fight? No. Before she joined the guild. Her delinquent past. She fought and fought until she couldn't. And she'd do the same right now.

Water erupted all around her, mist and spray surrounding her. She zoomed forward, her bulky fist ready to pummel the Wyvern. Her fist was met with a draconic head, her punch connecting and creating a loud smack.

Coral's fist connected with the side of the dragon's head. Her magic burst through her body and shot out, her punch empowered with a surge of water. Falconer received the blow, roaring and shooting a burst of air point blank at the ocean mage. Coral flew back, hitting the wall of the Magic Council building.

"Titan!" Coral shouted. The great white shark answered, her body moving ferociously in response, shooting herself back into the air and trading against the Wyvern blow for blow. She screamed harshly, her fist colliding against the tough hide. Falconer clawed the air, tornados coming into existence. He shot them towards her. The ocean mage created a shield of water, the tornado slamming against it.

Falconer laughed.

"You think you can beat me? A Wyvern? I am the Sky King! I will not fall human! Not to you or anyone else! My Lord Wyrnxoth will rule!" Falconer roared. Coral's eyes widened.

"Rule? Rule what?" She asked. Falconer smirked.

"The Sky Dominion shall rise again! We will take back what was ours! The dragons died by the hands of their own kind! We will not make the same mistake." Falconer declared.

The two went blow for blow. Falconer creating chaos in the sky. Whirlwind, tornadoes, hurricanes erupting into existence. Coral using her and the tree spirit magic to stay afloat and stay in the fight. She would take hit after hit, being blown back or knocked away, but she wouldn't return her assault. In the corner of her eye, the figures of the feral Wyverns grew closer and closer. Once they arrived, she wouldn't be able to take them and Falconer on.

"I see the fear in your eye human. I don't blame you. You'll be the first to fall!" Falconer opened his wings and body, an accumulation of his magic whipping about. Coral's eyes widened. She had never seen someone do that.

"Sky King's Wyvern Hurricane!" He yelled. A storm of wind blades gathered in front of him, moving as a cloud and began to shoot toward her. The blades were too numerous to count. Coral did her best to try and dodge the attacks, but they were too many.

Thank you for being here, Titan. I'm sorry I didn't let you go home. I hope that Zephyr can do what is needed and-

"Galestride: Hermes' Path!" A tunnel of wind was created from the ground and was made all the way. It hit the Wyvern, Zephyr zooming through the tunnel. A barrier of wind formed around him as he charged toward the enemy. BOOM! Clouds and smaller winged creatures were blown away from the center of the impact. Falconer's eyes widened.

Zephyr had transformed into his elf-like form, his body covered in a white aura.

"Zeph?" Coral asked.

"I'm going to fight, Coral! Let me handle him! I'm not scared anymore." Zephyr declared. Falconer roared from the ground and took off once more, wisps of wind coming out of his mouth like flames.

"I can tell you're out of tree spirit magic." Zephyr revealed. Coral's smile came back.

"Glad you came to join us." She said, flying down and sitting on the ground.

"You've returned, child?" Falconer asked.

"Zephyr Ventus. S-Class wizard, master of Galestride." The young man answered. "I am the chosen of the elemental spirit of the wind." He added. The green and white magic whipped around him. He pulled all of the tree spirit energy into his overflowing aura. A transparent Sylph appeared next to him.

"I don't recall ever making you king of anything. There is no king of the sky. And your Wyrn-whatever won't be lord of anything. I am the spirit of the wind. I will not allow you to wreak havoc!" Sylph declared. Falconer growled.

"I am king! I fight for my place in this world! The world that was taken from us! You may say we were cowards! But what would you do if your kind was in danger?! The lengths you'd go to save what you can?! You will never know our strife. You will never understand!" Falconer declared.

"No, I don't. I'll never know that pain. But I can make the choice to move past it. To choose to live instead of dwell on the past. You think your people would want this?" Zephyr asked. Sylph turned to face her chosen, amazed at what he said. He's grown, even if just a little. He didn't have a stake in this, but he gave it his all to do what was right. She smiled and went back into the magic.

"It's now or never, Zeph. You have to stop him here and now or..." She expressed.

"There is no or. If there's something I learned from Vi, it's that a warrior never gives up." Zephyr stated, the aura becoming more powerful. He looked up and grinned at his opponent.

"I'm the chosen of the wind, Falconer! And no one messes with the Emerald Oasis guild or my home!"

Falconer roared, his wings beating hard, wind gathering around him. He charged the young mage, maw wide open. Wind and Wyvern fire shot out quickly. Zephyr didn't bother to dodge. He collected all the wind around him, building it in his hand. He remembered hoe Viperion did. She learned how to fly more efficiently, and her punches were getting closer and closer to hitting him. He felt the strength and determination behind them. The feeling of comradery and friendship.

"Sylph! I invoke our contract!"

The boy created a swirling, powerful whirlwind. He placed his feet on the air, and pushed off, meeting Falconer in speed. The attack from both sides clashed, everything around them being caught in a powerful hurricane. Trees and the rest of the creatures were blown away, icons of the sky challenging each other's might.

"I AM THE CHOSEN OF THE WIND! YOU WILL NEVER STAND A CHANCE AGAINST ME!" Zephyr screamed.

"Then I will crush you!" Falconer snarled back. Zephyr put everything into the attack. Tears rolled down his eyes, the strain on his body becoming too much. His body wasn't made for all this magic right now. His muscles burned and his mind screamed for him to stop.

"I... WILL NOT...FAIL!" Zephyr yelled. The cyclone got even more powerful, the hurricane expanding, pushing back Falconer. The Wyvern roared, pushing against the attack. He looked into the boys eyes. He saw the pain and the resolve.

"What are you willing to lose? What are you willing to give up? To protect what is most dear?" Falconer asked, the magic in the air becoming more powerful. Zephyr was losing, the strain becoming too much. His mind was flooded with the time he spent with everybody. They were there for him, helped him, raised him, and encouraged him. He may have been a prankster and a little mischievous, but he was one of them.

"You know the answer, Wyvern. I'm not going to give up. Not when my family needs me!" He yelled.

"Your family?" Falconer responded.

"My guild! EMERALD OASIS!" Zephyr screamed. A glow from his chest shined, a white and green glow surrounding his body. Falconer was pushed back. The young boy's power grew exponentially, the whirlwind becoming more and more powerful.

"You...you..." Falconer stammered. He roared, trying to push through the wind. The magic in the air became more powerful, the pressure growing. Falconer felt something in the wind. He felt it in his soul.

"Zephyr Ventus! I, Sylph of the Wind, the protector of this land, give you my power!" The spirit yelled. She appeared next to the boy, her body a flowing light green. She glowed with a soft light. She was the embodiment of the wind, a force of nature. Her hair flowed as if she was in the wind. And if there was one thing she knew she wasn't wrong about, it was who she chose to harness the power of the wind.

The magic engulfed the Wyvern, the magic of both wind and tree spirit magic becoming too much. The cyclone pushed him back, his body unable to handle the pressure.

"What...is this?" Falconer roared. The power was incredible. He couldn't hold up any longer.

"I'm sorry, my lord... I'm sorry, Iris. I have failed to secure our home." Falconer whispered. With a final roar, the Wyvern was consumed by the wind, his body falling beaten and unconscious.

The cyclone dissipated, the magic being too much for the young boy. Zephyr's magic disappeared, the boy falling. He didn't even have the strength to try and stop himself from falling.

"Zephyr!" Sylph shouted. She caught the boy, using the last of her magic to make sure he landed safely. She strained, slowly floating to the ground. Coral ran over, having used a little of her own magic to heal just enough. The rest of it would be for Zephyr. The moment the pair landed, Sylph fell to the ground, weak. Coral knelt beside the young boy and allowed her ocean magic to cover him in water.

"Do you know how hard it is to manage two different kinds of spirit magic?" Sylph asked weakly, laughing as she did. Coral looked at her and smiled.

"You chose well." Coral replied.

"You've been good for him, Coral. Take care of him, and yourself. I hope I can see you again." She said. Coral blinked.

"Wh-where are you going?" She asked.

"To rest. I used all my magic to keep his body from falling apart. This boy is my chosen, and I'd regret it if anything happened to the sweet boy." She expressed her eyes watching the sleeping mage. A tear rolled down her cheek. She turned to Coral and smiled, tears rolling down more and more.

"Tell him not to worry. That I'll be back soon..." She informed the ocean mage, her body falling apart into wind. Coral felt the magic fade away, a gust of wind blowing. She closed her eyes, the pain and relief of the battle washing over her.

Coral put a hand on Zephyr's head, her magic working its way through his body. His injuries began to heal and disappear. She smiled and stood up, picking up the boy. She carried him in her arms. In the distance, several people from the Magic Council people were running over. Coral fell to her knees, her magic having been used all up.

Draculos followed, wanting to check on the two who fought the returning Wyverns.

"Makarov was right. This guild does have potential. Especially that one boy, with the wind spirit." He commented, walking over. He looked to the surrounding mages. "Take them in and treat them! They've earned it."

As he watched the two were taken away, then to the collateral damage of the area.

"I hope the other members are faring better."