Chapter 18: One Can Never Be Too Sure

Far-off drum beats made the old wizard squirm in time with each hit. Sweat beaded on his forehead, making chills run through him as he began to groan and toss, becoming worse with each thrum in the air until Grendal bolted upright, catching his breath as he shivered from his damp clothes. But it wasn't just the chill of the night that plagued him; a cold feeling he never dreamed of feeling again seeped into his room.

Grendal wearily swung his legs to the floor and pulled on his robe, stepping outside and looking north to the El Nath Mountains. His chest tightened, and his eyes widened as he listened to the steady drum beats humming over the hills as he realized what was happening. His eyes followed a mountain pass leading to the Forest of Death, where an ominous red glow hung over the trees like a sunset soaked in blood.

"Someone's trying to undo the seal!" he exclaimed, grabbing his hat and staff and teleporting towards that glow in bursts. The old mage heard something following him as he moved through his jumps. His next teleport put him in the bushes, waiting for whatever was behind him. When the sound was close enough, Grendal unleashed a blast of sacred energy at the shadowy figure, making the figure jump to the side and hold up his hands.

"Peace, Grendal! What are you doing in the night at this hour?" Dances called as he brushed the leaves from his clothes. Grendal sighed, helping his friend to his feet while catching his breath and calming his nerves.

"I've felt something that I haven't felt in over 150 years, Dances. I must go and ascertain the meaning of it and keep a mistake contained." Grendal gravely replied. Dances nodded to him, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"Then I'm coming with you, old friend." he hummed. Grendal nodded as they headed off into the night toward the red glow.


The sickly blue magic reverberated with each hit Dragonoir unleashed against it, slowly numbing his hand. After an hour of relentless attacks, he growled a command to Phoenix, making the dragon spew flames across it, ripples dancing through the air. Dragonoir hurled a meteor at it in frustration, causing a blast of low sound to wash through the valley.

"I thought this barrier's strength exaggerated beyond belief. Even Skeleth himself couldn't break it." He seethed. But I need his strength to overpower The Black Mage." Resting against a dried tree, Maya sat watching him release his frustrations against the barrier. The sound waves pulsing past her fluttered her blond hair like a cloud. Without her sickness to hold her back, she wore what she pleased, wanting to be Dragonoir's student. Her new clothes consisted of a dark red Halter corset and long, flowing skirt with a golden rose hairpin tying her hair to one side. Over her shoulders, she wore a ruby chip-encrusted cloak to keep her warm. But even Maya's cloak couldn't protect her from the cold whirling around them as the Black Mage appeared.

"Well, if it isn't the Black Mage." Dragonoir sneered, turning to face him. Sharp whispers hung around them, sounding like The Mage was holding himself back. Dragonoir snorted in arrogance. The winds became a hissing mass of hissing whispers, causing Dragonoir to grimace.

"Plans? What Plans? All you've been doing is recovering your mana and building giant machines. If you're going to destroy Ossyria, do it already." He challenged as the Black Mage shook his head, taking a ragged, calming breath while entertained whispers rose from him. Dragonoir's eyes narrowed, and his fists tightened, locking gazes with The Mage.

"Never call me Utah. That man is dead." Dragonoir growled. The Mage challenged Dragonoir by turning his head downwards as if giving him an apologetic look.

"I will surpass you!" The Mage shook his head in disappointment, waving his hand through the air with a dismissive motion.

"You and I are the same! We use Black Magic and have surpassed the need for a physical body!" Dragonoir argued when Eleanor appeared beside him and laughed.

"Such arrogance." she chuckled. "The rift between you and The Master is far greater than that. The aura of Black Magic merely surrounds your body. The Black Mage is Black Magic." Eleanor draped her hand over The Mage's shoulder with an alluring smile, looking at Dragonoir from under her brown.

"For you to surpass him is nothing short of a joke. You have only wielded the power of Black Magic for a few years at best. It will take millennia before you can threaten The Black Mage." Eleanor picked her weight up and stepped forward, her expression becoming torrid.

"We will say this one final time; stop interfering with our plans."

"Or what? Are you going to kill me?" The Mage reached out as Phoenix began to gasp and choke.

"PHOENIX!" Dragonoir shouted, glaring back at the two standing before him.

"Let him go!" Dragonoir demanded, hurling a blast of magic at them, redirected by Eleanor with a sweep of her hand. The Mage narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip around the dragon's throat, hissing his demands through angered whispers.

"Why? What do you need those pesky Guardians for anyway?" Dragonoir pressed, magic flaring in his palms. Maya wanted to stand by Dragonoir, to help her master and protect Phoenix, but the presence of the Black Mage left her weak with fear. Again, The Mage tightened his grip around Phoenix's neck, forcing the great dragon to revert to his human form, clawing at his neck. With a defeated drop of his head, Dragonoir dismissed the spells and sighed.

"Alright, I'll stay away from your precious Guardians." The Mage immediately released his grip as his eyes smiled, he and Eleanor disappearing in a bloom of black smoke. Dragonoir shook with rage, magic defusing from his shoulders like smoke. Finally able to stand, Maya ran to Phoenix to ensure he was alright, helping him to his feet and holding the dragon steady as he caught his breath.

"How dare The Black Mage embarrass me. ME! Dragonoir! Draconic Mage of Darkness!" his thoughts raged, his fingers digging into his palms.

Grendal and Dances stayed hidden in the bushes, wanting to attack The Black Mage. But his presence alone filled them with so much utter and insuppressible horror that neither could move until The Mage left.

"What now, Grendal?" Dances asked with a shuddering whisper as the color returned to his skin.

"Dragonoir may be Utah, but he is still a threat. We must stop him here and now: if left unchecked, he may become our next nightmare." Dances nodded as they burst from their hiding spot and charged at Dragonoir.


Lillianne dragged her head from the pillow, brushing her limp hair out of her face, ruing the sleepers from her dull ice blue eyes from the long hours of crying. Why were Matthew and Aufheben kissing? What was it that Aufheben offered him? Was there something that she had done in the past that had made Matthew begin to look to other girls? She was just so confused. The black and yellow bruise on her cheek reminded her of the slap Helen gave her after kissing Jack.

With a heavy sigh, Lillianne pulled on her favorite faded jeans, a snug shirt, and favorite sandals, pulling her hair over her cheek and walking out of her hut. Olsen and Jenny were the first people she saw who waved to her, causing the flood of hurt she held back to flood out and run into the forest. Low hanging branches slapped her face, stinging her bruise as tears blurred her vision. She finally stopped at an old broken log, dropping her head into her hands, trying to force her tears to stop. Heaves of breath racked her shoulders, adding to her futile battle against the pain. The ring of Matthew's sword caught her attention, hearing his grunts with each swing, making the ground shake with each hit. Lillianne crept closer when Jack walked into the circle with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, I heard what happened," Jack muttered as Matthew huffed, stabbing the Dume into the ground and taking a long drink from a nearby wooden bottle.

"Tell me who hasn't," Matthew grumbled, taking another drink of water and wiping away the sweat.

"Do you know what happened?" Jack asked, taking the bottle that Matthew offered him.

"To tell the truth, I have no idea what was going through my head. At the moment, I was completely focused on Aufheben; nothing else mattered. Not the world, not our mission, nothing." Jack nodded and sighed, handing the bottle back to Matthew.

"Well, Helen's mad at me too since after she broke Lillianne and me up from a surprise kiss." Matthew glared at Jack, ruby crystal power faintly emanating from his eyes.

"She kissed you?" Matthew asked, his voice growling. Jack closed his eyes and nodded, bowing his head and absently kicking the fertile ground he stood on.

"Well, isn't that great!" Matthew shouted, pacing away from Jack and placing his hands on his head.

"She took me by surprise, dude! How was I supposed to know what she would do?" Jack asked, pointing back to an empty portion of the forest.

"You could have stopped it! But instead, Helen was the one who broke you up!" Matthew roared, facing Jack as if baring his teeth.

"Hey! I'm as confused as you are! Don't pin all of this on me!" Jack shouted in return when Matthew punched him hard enough to send Jack flying into a tree, breaking the trunk in half. Lillianne flinched as she could hear the solid thud of Matthew's fist from almost 20 feet away.

"Don't lecture me!" Matthew growled as Jack got to his hands and knees, wiping the blood from his lip and rubbing his swollen cheek. He wanted to run up and smash Matthew's skull, but that would only fuel the situation. Jack brushed off the leaves, limping back to town, his head pounding. Lillianne began walking randomly to take her away from Matthew: she didn't want to be near him for a while.


Helen was walking through town when she saw Jack limping back to his hut with a swollen cheek and dripping lip. She shook her head, trotting to his cabin, where he bent over the sink, washing the blood out of his mouth while trying to cool the burning in his cheek.

"Let me help you," Helen muttered, holding her hand over his cheek, slowly healing the bump that had grown. Even though she was still mad at Jack, she couldn't stand seeing him hurt.

"Did you go see her again for seconds?" Helen asked with a simmering chuckle. Jack laughed and shook his head.

"I tried talking to Matt, and he gave me this." He said, looking away from Helen as she healed his wound and began walking out of his hut when she turned around.

"I'm still mad at you," She said finally, both remaining silent for a while as her magic healed most of his bruise. Thoughts began to whirl in her mind of what had attracted her to Jack in the first place. Yes, she did find him attractive, but she always wondered if there was some other motive. The one thing that seemed to persist was her unwillingness to let go of Ohio. And to some degree, Jack fulfilled that need. But clinging to him like that could only lead to suffocating him. She also thought back to the numerous occasions Jack would want to bring her along for a sparring session or even a walk around the camp and how she would refuse on many occasions. Jack seemed to be trying his best, staying near her and absently reading through ancient tomes while she meditated or practiced her spells.

Someone like Lillieanne, or even Jenny, might be more suited for him, being more action-oriented. Physically, they could keep up with him much better than she ever could, and this hiccup in trust opened her eyes to that fact. When Helen slapped Lillianne, it was more out of frustration at herself. For a terrible moment, she could only see Lillianne more suited for Jack than she could ever be. Thoughts of breaking off the relationship with Jack came to mind, but was it a wise choice in this time of confusion? Outside, she could hear the commotion of people running past the cabin, hearing some mention of her Grandfather and Dances with Balrog.

Walking out of the hut, she saw Dances supporting Grendal as they limped back into the village, badly hurt and bruised.

"What happened to you two?" Jenny asked as she supported Grendal opposite Dances, walking him further into the village.

"We ran afoul of Dragonoir." Grendal coughed, holding his side and slowly healing his broken ribs while Dances continued.

"Grendal felt something was trying to break down a barrier he set up in the Forest of the Dead many years ago and went to inspect it. We found Dragonoir and the Black Mage." Dances groaned, hobbling to a nearby stump and slumping onto it.

"You didn't try to fight them off, did you?" Kyrin demanded, holding her arms wide. Grendal painfully straightened, still holding the healing spell to his chest.

"Against the Mage, we could have done nothing. Dragonoir tried to break the barrier, so we tried to stop him."

"Lemme guess, you guys got your butts royally handed to you?"

"There was nothing that you could have done, Kyrin. Dragonoir has gotten stronger, much stronger." Kyrin shook her head as she returned to her station guarding the western wall of Herb Town's borders.

"What is beyond the Barrier?" Helen asked, helping to heal the rest of Grendal's wounds. Before he could answer, a creature wearing a red cape landed among them. Its skin was ashen in color, with large deep blue eyes set wide on its ellipsoidal head and a small yellow pompom hanging from a thick hair on its head. It looked around at them, then spotted Olsen and Jenny, Kneeling to them as though they were royalty.

"Hail to you humans of the land of Ossyria. My name is Gtul, a Zeta Officer of the Grays. I have come here because our Chief Elder, Dwote, requests to speak with the Guardians about a danger threatening this peaceful place." Olsen looked around, his hand reaching for his dagger.

"Where'd that voice come from?"

"It was I. Forgive my sudden communication as such, but what you humans call telepathy is how my race speaks to one another." Gtul answered, motioning with his hand as his voice echoed in their minds. Olsen relaxed, looking over to Helen before answering.

"You said that you were looking for The Guardians?"

"That is what I said, is it not?"

"I am just making sure I know your intentions. Only three of us are present at this moment: Helen, the Guardian Mage; Jenny, the Guardian Archer, and myself; Olsen, the Guardian Ninja."

"I see. I understand that there are six of you; where are the other three?"

"At present, we do not know," Helen answered, moving to begin healing Dance's wounds.

"That is a shame, for we may need all of you."

"Nah! This should be a piece of cake!" Jack called, strolling into the circle, punching his palm repeatedly.

"I will remain to learn why my grandfather erected that barrier," Helen announced, moving her healing spell over Dance's arm. Olsen nodded his understanding just as Alden came and jumped into Jenny's arms, purring and rubbing his head against her chest.

"Very well. I shall take you three to the Chief Elder. Masters, please give The Elders my regards." Gtul said, focusing energy within his palms as Olsen leaned over to Jack and whispered.

"Carrying anger into battle can lead to mistakes." Jack glared back at him before turning his eyes back to Helen.

"I need some way to clear my head, and punching some things'll help with that." Jack sneered, all of them disappearing in a flash of light. Helen sighed, having overheard what Jack said. After a few minutes, she finished with Dances, distracting herself with questions to Grendal.

"I ask again, grandfather, why did you erect that barrier?" Grendal sighed long, thinking back to his greatest mistakes and best friends, well before meeting the other masters.

"150 years ago, when I was about your age, I and my two friends, Richie and Reef, studied all manner of magic even though we were all, in reality, very inexperienced scholars. We were so close to one another that we were mistaken for brothers often. The three of us lived in a small mining town called Qetik, where the Forest of Death now resides.

"Richie was outgoing and a master of getting us into dire situations by summoning creatures or using spells beyond his control. Reef was the quiet one, but he was the thinker for all of us, reading through spells and ensuring he understood them thoroughly before attempting them. And then there was me, the eager overachiever, always trying to be the best out of my friends.

"We studied hard, often coming across legends of Minerva's Book of Spells, where power untold waited for us, even spells that would bring back a person from the dead. We searched for that book while we studied until we came across something that would change our lives forever. Back then, the power we gained we wanted to use for assisting those in the mines. When a cave-in would happen, we were the first on the scene, healing wounds alongside the nurses and healers of the village.

There were very few cave-ins, mainly consisting of flesh wounds or bruises. But we couldn't do anything in the rare case of a fatality. Our inability spurred us to find Minerva's book even more, leading us to places better off left alone. And that's when Richie found a book containing spells capable of manipulating the human Life Force. Reef cautioned us about using this power, but after careful study, there seemed to be no adverse effects in using the magic.

"When the next collapse resulted in a death, we used a revival spell from the book and successfully brought the miner back to life, or so it seemed. We would have used more magic from the book to help unbury the mine, but Reef's cautious urging kept us from using the book's spells until we could study it in greater detail. A few months later, we would discover the true horror of the book.

"We were returning from learning Time Magic from Alishar when a monstrous explosion shook the ground we stood upon. At first, we assumed it was a cave-in within our sleepy little mining town and teleported to our favorite ridge overlooking the town. Instead, we saw a massive sinkhole had swallowed it. The three of us tried using our freshly learned magic to return our home to its former glory, but only for the homes and streets, and the toll it took on our bodies was immense.

"Richie's body aged rapidly, making him look like a skeleton; Reef hunched over, nearly able to touch the ground, and my hair turned white as I aged almost 20 years. We had restored the town, but its people lay in the streets with unspeakable wounds. We searched for anyone alive for hours but could find no one. With a mad fury, Richie scoured the town, looking for his love Asilia, calling for her repeatedly. Reef and I helped, but Richie found her, cradling her broken body and weeping over her. After a while, something in him snapped, and his tears became a joyful realization.

"He turned to us and held up the book, telling us that he knew of a spell within it that could revive everyone. Reef and I tried to convince him otherwise, but he'd chosen his path, with or without us. Reluctantly, we helped him, not wanting our brother to be alone in his endeavor. Ultimately, the spell worked, but the toll it took on Richie, as he was the primary caster, was beyond anything we could have imagined.

"He became nothing more than a floating skeleton, with his Life Force burning within his ribcage. Richie seemed to regret his choice, asking what had happened to him. But the people were beginning to stir, so we hid him away in our old study shack to keep from scaring the people. We stayed that way for weeks, Reef and I talking to the people to find out if the spell had any adverse effects on them. We brought Asilia to see Richie, which she seemed to take better than we first assumed. And for the first few weeks, everything seemed to return to normal. But it wasn't meant to be.

"It was initially subtle; Richie became irritable, mumbling to himself while reading from the book and snapping at us whenever we asked a question. The people began having nightmares, a few at first, steadily becoming townwide within a few short days.

"In the middle of the fourth week after the revival, Reef found Asilia wandering the street in a lethargic haze. When he called to her, it seemed as if she were a shadow of her former self, screaming a blood-curdling cry, demanding that he give her life. Reef and I managed to restrain her, trying to ascertain the cause of her sudden shift in personality. Even with all our magic, we could find nothing. And then the same began happening to everyone within the town, chasing us through the streets, screaming to give them life.

"Reef and I decided we needed to get Richie and leave, but he remained unresponsive and obsessed with the book. With no obvious way to convince him, we had to escape the nearing army of the former townspeople. Reef and I erected a powerful temporal barrier around the town to keep everyone in and ensure no one would be hurt by our mistake. After many years of searching to undo our mistake, we discovered 'The Bible of the Corrupt,' a relic of the ancient Black Wings as a collection of spells to unseal the Black Mage.

After another 60 years, we finally found Minerva's Book of Spells. Unfortunately, we discovered that a true revival was impossible without a trade. Once the Life Force had returned to the Erdas River, another would have to take their place for a genuine revival. Otherwise, their life force would eventually return to the Erdas River, leaving the body to rot away as an undead walking corpse." Helen sighed as she healed the last of his wounds, sitting beside him once she had finished.

"So then the barrier-"

"...is to keep the undead inhabitants of Qetik contained."

"What about your friend Richie?" Helen questioned.

"Reef and I returned to try and lay the townsfolk to rest until Richie revealed that he had taken control of them as his undead army for the conquest of the world. And so, The barrier stands. But if it were to fall, you can imagine what Richie would do."

"I see," Helen muttered, touching his shoulder. Grendal smiled, standing with Helen's help.

"I have no doubt that should your friend escape, we shall prevent him from getting very far." Grendal patted her head and grinned.

"Yes, my Granddaughter, I know you will be."


In a flash of white light, the four of them appeared in a meadow dotted with tall trees overlooking what seemed to be a battlefield: metal fragments littered the area next to blackened craters.

"This place used to be quite beautiful, but the war against the Mateon has tainted its beauty." Gtul sighed as Alden jumped from Jenny's hands and curiously sniffed the ground.

"What happened here?" Jenny breathed, taking in the devastation. Gtul shook his head and held out his hand.

"I will let the elder tell you that," He said, leading them between craters and charred patches that still glowed from plasma fire. Beyond the battlefield, they began to see other Grays walking and repairing the damage done to buildings.

"The Grays that live here are our working rank, the Barnard. Those of my rank, the Zeta, are mentors of the Barnard to help them advance." Further in, the battle scars lessened with finer-looking living quarters.

"Here, our higher officers reside. After many years of training, the Zetas are given a cloak of gold and red and the rank of Ultra. You will speak with the highest rank of our race, the Elder, D'wote."

"Does he actually talk? Or is he like you, and we'll be thinking at each other," Jack chuckled.

"No, Master Jack, you will be speaking with him. The humans of the Omega sector felt much more at ease when Elder D'wote learned how to speak as they do." The Zeta led them up a great pathway to an enormous ship, the metal etched with the alien's language glowing in a purple hue. For almost 20 minutes, they walked through hundreds of corridors until they came to a massive chamber, where one Grey sat meditating in front of a large orange-colored crystal. Gtul knelt near the crystal and bowed his head for a few moments until the elder picked his head up and stood, reaching for the staff beside him.

"Thank you, Gtul; you may return to your duties." Gtul bowed and left the chamber as the Elder walked to them slowly, using his staff as a cane to assist in walking.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you, Guardians, but from what I understand, there are six of you. Where are the other three?" Jenny lowered her head, speaking in a low voice.

"The other three are having some… personal issues," She answered, her gaze falling to the floor.

"Oh, that is a shame. You'll just have to remember this for later; walk with me." Slowly the Chief led them into a peaceful chamber with a small table set with four cups of a steaming liquid.

"This is what you humans call tea, but on my planet, it is called Geruuk. As you are probably aware, the Grays are not from Ossyria. We came to this planet five years before the resurrection of the Black Mage. At first, the humans of this place thought we had come to take over Ossyria. That couldn't have been further from the truth, which the humans here, such as the Dr. Kim, came to accept. We, in all actuality, were fleeing our planet from two great threats in the universe: The Mateon and the Vis-tors." Dwote explained, his teacup rising from the table to take a sip before continuing.

"The Mateon are a peaceful race of explorers in reality, but that makes them the most dangerous race of creatures, second only to the Vis-tors. The Mateon descend to a planet and begin to study it. Unfortunately, they study a race by absorbing any creature into themselves, gathering what information they can from the subject, and then absorbing the body as nutrients. Once they have completely studied a race, they will have consumed the entirety of the planet's inhabitance. This destructiveness is what we Grays were running from; the Mateon will not attack until they feel a threat to their survival." Dwote looked at his cup, swirling the liquid around for a moment.

"The Vis-tors are a destructive race focused on one thing; conquest. They will go to a planet and kill every indigenous inhabitant, intelligent or not, and then colonize that planet in their name. The majority then move on to the next planet. When we left our planet, we received word from our military outposts that the Vis-tors came and glassed it, leaving nothing behind. A few years after we came here, we learned that the Vis-tors had sent scouts searching for what other planets were capable of; they even had the power to jump dimensions. I believe one of the scouts came to your home planet of Earth." Dwote took another sip of his tea, then crossed his arms in his lap.

"To ascertain whether a planet is worthy of their time, they abduct a select few inhabitants and study them for their battle potential, returning them without harm, then reporting back to the mother ships." Olsen chuckled as he shook his head in disbelief.

"What is it, Master Olsen?" Dwote asked. Olsen couldn't contain his laughter and burst out with a hard belly laugh.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that I know of a person that may have been abducted from our hometown. I always thought he was just crazy, but I never imagined it happening." Jenny perked up when she also had the same thought, remembering the constant rantings by the sheriff about his now entirely truthful abduction.

"So, I'm guessing they didn't attack us because we weren't worth thier time?" Olsen asked.

"Far from it. The Vis-tors found that Ossyria had ties to your world, and thus conquering Ossyria was vital if they were to invade successfully. According to their beliefs, if a planet can defeat their assaults, they will leave it be. Needlessly expending resources is a waste to them. With our help and the unification of Ossyria, we beat the Vis-tors and prevented the attack on your world.

"The only thing that remains of their assault is something that we all refer to simply as, The Cube. Our best scientists and the Human's best are working together to determine what exactly this cube is capable of. So far, the only viable option is using the Cube as a power source for Ossyria. Currently, we are working on running power lines to the rest of Ossyria and should have the whole system operational by the end of the year." Jack nodded as he sipped the tea: it tasted like lemon bubble gum.

"Hearing your history is interesting, but that can't be the only reason you called us here," Olsen said, raising one of his eyebrows. The chief nodded as his face lost all expression, speaking gravely.

"The Mateon have come here. Some have been here since the beginning of Ossyria, hiding as air-breathing Octopi and in the form of a toy within Ludibrium called Blocktopuse. They communicate telepathically and have sent scouts to survey and determine whether or not this place is safe enough to explore after their encounter with the Vis-tors on our home planet. A year before the resurrection of the Black Mage, the Mateons came here in a small vessel containing no more than 1,000; each was heavily armed, carrying solar energy pistols. But that is not the most frightening thing: they brought a powerful machine we've dubbed the MT-09. To stop this fearsome machine, we built our mechanical warrior to stop it, code-named Zeno. At first, we sent Zeno as a spy to watch what they were doing.

"We discovered that during the Mateon's exploratory missions, they found a viable power source for their machine since the MT-09 required massive amounts of fuel. Zeno managed to see that this fuel source was a green crystalline object. It gave off energy readings that maxed out even our most advanced sensors. Under orders, Zeno tried to destroy the MT-09, but in the video we saw, that machine was nearly unstoppable. It could outmaneuver Zeno as if it were a small child or a slippery eel despite being nearly the same size. Zeno was swiftly defeated and only managed to come back in pieces. The Mateons, I fear, will begin their assault on Ossyria soon, with the MT-09 as the flagship if we don't stop them. Because of this crystalline fuel, I thought it best to call you." Dwote explained, looking eagerly at their faces and then absently watching as Alden lapped at some of Jenny's tea.

"Is there some way we can see what Zeno saw?" Jenny asked.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Olsen asked. Jenny shrugged as she petted Alden.

"I hope not, but if that is the last husk, we could be in ALOT more trouble than we think."

"Why is that Jenny?" asked Dwote.

"If I can see what you're talking about, I can give you a definite answer." The chief nodded and brought up a holographic control board with knobs and dials. The Elder scanned through the footage until it showed the crystal he mentioned. Jenny sadly nodded and sighed heavily after watching the small clip.

"That crystal appears to be the Emerald Crystal Husk, a container for its true power. Some of its power may still be in it so they can use it as a power source."

"What sort of power are you talking about?" asked Dwote keenly. Jenny stood with a stern look, holding out her bow and readying to draw her hand back.

"This is one of my more powerful attacks called The Spine Arrow. By using Mana, I can create an arrow instead of using an actual one." She explained, demonstrating by pulling the sinews of her bow and creating an arrow that lit up the room with a comforting blue glow. The Elder nodded in understanding.

"And this is the same Spine Arrow using the power from that husk." The bow roared into a huge tribal design as an arrow appeared, humming loudly and making the air thick with static.

"The power left in the husk is only a tiny fraction of what I carry. Olsen and Jack are the same." The Elder nodded his understanding as the explanation became clear.

"I see. My, this is a much more dangerous situation than I first thought. Could you three eliminate the MT-09 without the others?" Jack nodded as he cracked his neck and knuckles.

"You bet. That hunk of junk doesn't stand a chance. Besides, we've been learning how to control the crystal's power, and we've faced some pretty tough baddies already." Jack said, smacking his fist into his palm. Olsen put a hand on his shoulder.

"That may be true, but we must return for our armor first. After that, if you can lead us to the Mateon, we can take it from there," he explained. Dwote nodded and held his hand as an Ultra walked into the room and bowed.

"Ah, Kizong, I'm glad to see you: please take The Guardians back to their quarters to retrieve their armor and then escort them to the Boswell plains. They have accepted defeating the MT-09. We will be right behind you with a force of our strongest Ultra and Zeta once you have defeated the machine." The Elder said as Kizong nodded and held out his hands, transporting them back to Herb Town, where they ran to change into their armor, leaving with their new friend as soon as they finished.


It had been at least a few hours since Lillianne last spoke to Matthew, amplifying the feeling of loneliness in her heart. There must be some reason why Aufheben would make such an aggressive romantic gesture toward Matthew. She was from a different time and knew them as a married couple, so why would she want to tear them apart and jeopardize her future? Her wandering led her to find Helen meditating on a small hill overlooking Herb Town. Lillianne tried to say something, but nothing seemed right, leaving her groping for words until she gave up and sat beside Helen.

"So, what did you come here for?" Helen asked with an edge of anger in her voice.

"Helen, I don't know what I was thinking, but I want you to know I'm sorry for what happened. I was just so confused and hurt."

"It seemed as if you enjoyed it," Helen growled back, stopping her meditation and glaring at her.

"I didn't." Helen shook her head and turned back to the sunset, pulling her knees up and watching the sun sink below the horizon, seeing Evan and Mir practicing their spells while flying through the air.

"Would you try something with Evan?" Lillianne asked. Helen looked away in a bit of shame as her eyes became dull.

"I don't know if I would; Mir would probably tear me apart if I did." Helen chuckled as Lillianne smirked.

"You might be right about that." Lillianne grinned, playing with a pebble in the dirt.

"Listen, Helen; I want to apologize for whatever happened."

"As do I," Aufheben announced, sitting down on the other side of Helen.

"So what excuse do you have? Did you just want to experiment?" Lillianne snapped.

"No, I mean, I don't know. I felt out of control of my actions, but simultaneously, I was; it was so strange. I come from a time when you and Matthew married and had children, and I knew that. But still, it was as if something was pulling me to him against my will." Lillianne didn't feel much better after what Aufheben said; Her trust was shattered, so how was she supposed to forgive the future princess? Helen nudged Lillianne enough that she reflexively twitched.

"Lilli, this may seem like the worst thing to do, but you should talk to Matthew. I've been friends with him since we were kids, and I can tell you that he is just as confused as you are." It took everything in Helen's being to give that advice, even when she didn't want to speak with Jack.

"I'm not sure Matthew would be in a listening mood," Lillianne mumbled when Aufheben blurted out an answer.

"Then spar with him. I've spared with my sister Oberon when we had disagreements, and after getting out the pent-up aggression, we resolved our differences. It works, trust me."

"Is that what you did before you kissed Matthew?" Lillianne shot back. Aufheben closed her eyes, holding back the urge to send her flying.

"Just try it," Aufheben barked before gliding down to Herb Town. Lillianne huffed as she got up and walked back to her hut, sitting on her bed and resting her nose on her laced fingers. She watched the sun's reflections on her halberd with a blank stare, replaying Aufheben's suggestion of sparing with Matthew. What if they could speak while sparring when the heat of battle tore away inhibitions?

Lilliannne donned her armor and grabbed her halberd, following the sounds of grunts and rumbles as Matthew moved through his forms. As he turned through a brutal swing, she stopped it with her halberd, their blades ringing with a sour note. Lillianne pushed off the Dume, spinning her weapon into s ready position.

"Why was Aufheben kissing you?" Lillianne growled, launching at him hard. Matthew managed to block her swing, countering quickly enough that dust flew into the air.

"How am I supposed to know that?" Matthew sneered. A gust of wind carried a swirl of sparks e as their weapons met again, which Lillianne deflected into the ground.

"You were the one with your face stuck to hers!" She shouted, pulling back and swinging up. Matthew pulled away, swinging from above and slamming into the handle of the halberd with enough force to sink Lillianne's feet into the fertile ground.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Lillianne pushed the blade away and kicked him in the gut, bringing down her halberd hard, striking the broadside of the Dume and sinking Matthew similarly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Lillianne pulled back and swung as Matthew defected her blade to the ground, then aimed a thrust for her chest. Matthew spun with the deflected attack, slamming into Lillinanne's guard, and shoving her back, despite her bracing.

"I don't know! I wasn't myself!" Lillianne pushed the blade away and then swung down hard, her halberd hitting the ground, allowing her to flip over the handle and hurl the head at Matthew again. The Dume howled like an out-of-tune bell as he countered her swing by attacking in return.

"Don't you know how much I love you?" Lillianne shouted, pressing into his guard. Matthew's eyes narrowed as he pulled back and struck her halberd out of her hands with an upward cross, tripping her as he pushed her to the ground with the pommel of his sword. Matthew stabbed the dirt beside her head as she sprawled on her back. He leaned against the glowing sword for a while as small frustrated tears hung at the corners of his eyes.

"Lillianne, I don't know what made me do it. But I would never want to tear us apart, not now, not in a million years."

"Then why didn't you stop it? I saw you; you looked like you enjoyed every second of it."

"I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't pleasant. But there is nothing in this world that I would trade for you, not purposefully or knowingly. I can't make you forgive me; I can only ask." Lillianne pulled herself into a seated position, reaching up and hugging him. As he brought the sword down, he looked confused, sad, and desperate to make sense of it. She knew she hadn't lost Matthew, but something in him had changed, as did something in her. And they would fix it together.


Eleanor grinned as the crystal ball darkened after hearing a promising lead on the last crystal husk. With a wave of her hand, the alpha wyvern glided to her in eerie silence, thrumming as Eleanor scratched its chin.

"The Master will be very pleased to hear about this new development," She said silkily, patting the neck of the wyvern. As Eleanor left, she stopped next to her closet and eyed the dress made on her birthday, wondering if she should wear it for the day. She shook her head, eager to deliver the news of finding the last Crystal Husk.

As she walked through the halls, some of the other disciples recently recruited watched her for a long time after she had passed them. These young men and some of the women were so simple-minded. All she would have to do was swing her hips a little heavier as she walked or shift her weight forward as she talked to them, and they became nothing but mindless balls of putty, eager to do whatever she asked. However, one student showed promise.

During his induction, he revealed very little about himself, leaving his past vague or hidden and only giving his name as Dragon. It intrigued her, especially since she could see his resistance to her wiles. As she rounded a corner, she spotted him: it wasn't hard to miss him, especially with the giant Sword of Dume towering over his shoulder. His brow, constantly furrowed, gave his strange dragon-like magenta eyes a fierce appearance, while the long, black hair framed his contemplative face, reaching to his waist. On his cheeks were two red marks, curving from his jaw to the bottom of his eyes.

Most of the time, he dressed in black with heavy metal grieves and gauntlets, accompanied by a sleeveless leather trench coat with a high collar secured to his waist with two large belts. An elegant silver chain hung from the right belt loop of the jacket to the front belt loop on the other side. The flowing leather sleeves covered his massive forearms and stopped around his elbow, leaving his biceps bare. It appeared to many that this person was Eleanor's favorite, often taking extra time to train him in magic and even some combat to combine them with his mighty sword style.

As she passed him, she set a slender hand on his shoulder, stopping him as he wound through the mass of old and young students.

"Meet me outside the castle. I have a spell for you to try." Dragon looked back at her with a friendly but cold smile and those strange dragon-like pupils, nodding his understanding and making a shiver run up her spine. With the assurance that he would come with her, Eleanor continued to The Black Mage's chambers, where he stood at the window overlooking Edelstein.

"I have found the last husk. The Mateon aliens are using it in a machine built in the Omega Sector, which is why we could not find it." The Mage nodded, a hiss escaping his throat.

"The Antellion is complete; the Grace Gears are working perfectly and have already provided Papulatus the needed mana to fuel his Clock Face, and the mana storage tanks are nearing completion. From now on, we only need to wait for those children to complete re-training the crystal's power," Eleanor explained, seeing the tension in The Mage's shoulders disappear.

"Shall I go and retrieve the crystal for you, Master?" The Mage shook his head as whispers faded into existence around them.

"Then I shall take my favorite student with me. He is strong with his swordplay and could easily overpower any of the Mateon." The Mage nodded his approval as Eleanor smiled, her sultry red lips glistening as she pulled up her hood while walking out of the room. With a tap on her Black Wings brooch, she called for Dragon to meet her at the entrance of the main castle. The sorceress waited outside the main door for quite a while before Dragon called her from behind.

"I expected you to come sooner, Dragon. What kept you?"

"Apologies, Mistress Eleanor, but I had a personal matter to attend to as you were calling me."

"And were you able to finish said matter?" She asked snidely.

"Yes." He replied. Eleanor sighed, summoning her staff and leading Dragon to a designated teleportation sigil.

"I understand we are going to the Omega Sector?" Dragon asked.

"Yes, we are." Eleanor grinned, slowing slightly to walk level with him.

"What is the mission?"

"We are to retrieve the last Crystal Husk from the Mateon." Dragon raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

"Wouldn't a ranking officer such as Lady Oberon or Eldan Giant be better suited for such a mission? I am a rather new student of the Black Wings and have yet to earn a title or rank," he argued.

"The Black Mage didn't want me to go alone, so I suggested you accompany me. You will be more than enough for the Metaon." Dragon was about to protest further until Eleanor put a finger to his lips and silenced his argument before teleporting away in a blaze of blue flames.


Claudine and Checky stepped cautiously into the back alley after hearing the small bell of their informant on the Black Wings. In a loud whisper, Claudine called out the password.

"With oil and water, I will create a new beginning."

"And with sweat and grease, I will rise from the ashes." Came the informant's voice, who always remained in the shadows of the alley as he was a DEEP undercover spy within the Black Wings. The Resistance never knew who the informant would be, except that he would respond with the passphrase.

"Well, what have you been able to learn?" Checky asked, shifting her weight to one leg and crossing her arms.

"I'm still only allowed to go certain places, but from what I have learned, the Mana tanks are nearly complete. I don't have much beyond that, given my current status." A silvery glow came from a brooch on his chest, at which the informant nodded.

"I must be on my way." The person said as the sound of thick leather fluttering in the wind tore into the night. Claudine huffed and wandered in a circle, putting her hands on her hips.

"At this point, he's as good as useless. We already know the Mana tanks are nearing completion. It's been a month! You think he'd have more."

"Give him some time, Claudine. Remember, he's just managed to get INTO the Black Wings. He still has to work his way up the ranks."

"If it were me, I would already know what they've been working on and sabotaged it." she huffed, storming back to the main garage.

"Or you'd be dead. The Black Wings is a powerful organization; I doubt they'd let recruits have full access on day one." Checky countered, following after her. Claudine huffed, remaining silent as they weaved through the crowded streets, careful to avoid the sights of the Black Wings Officers posted throughout the city.


It was slow going, but the four of them walked through the underbrush of the Bosswell plains to the very center of the Mateon's territory, where they had built a large dome. Jack pulled out binoculars, watching the supposed entrance where hundreds of Mateon wriggled in and out of the dome.

"I thought your elder said there were only a thousand of these things. There're at least ten times that here!" Jack whispered.

"They must have brought more in recently." Kizong thought to them. "They keep the MT-09 in that hanger, at least according to the data Zeno gathered while infiltrating." Jack returned the binoculars to his face, watching the octopi inspect and move crates around.

"What do you suppose those things are?" Jenny asked, tilting her chin in the direction of the crates.

"I haven't the slightest clue," Kizong answered. Olsen thought as he watched a machine pick up the crates and move them directly into the building.

"We can use those to get in. I doubt they'll look thoroughly enough to see us." Olsen suggested. Jack panned over to the larger crates, watching as only an armed patrol would surround a particular container until a machine came to pick it up.

"We'd need to be quick; about 30 seconds pass between when one gets picked up, and the guards move to another." Olsen grinned as tiny wings appeared on all of their heels.

"I will stay behind and wait for the reinforcements. By the time you get in, they should be here waiting for your signal." Kizong thought to them, slinking back to remain hidden.

"That won't be hard to miss," Jack mumbled as they ran to patches of Bushes and hid behind small hills as they made their way to the crates. Before the armed guards were too close, they slipped into one, with Olsen holding the door shut so it wouldn't flop around, giving them away as they moved. The heat was stifling, being lifted and moved shortly after.

"Jack, see what's in here," Olsen said, holding the door harder as the transport hit a big bump. It took a moment for Jack's eyes to adjust to the dark, feeling in places where it was too dark to see. His hand brushed against something that felt like fabric, and as he ran his fingers over it, it gave slightly under his hand with a firm, gelatinous consistency.

"Hey!" Jenny hissed, smacking his hand away.

"What was that?" Jack whispered back, confused at what it was that he had felt.

"That was my chest, thank you very much." Olsen and Jack snorted, trying to stifle a laugh.

"My bad." Jack smiled. Jenny huffed and crossed her arms, ensuring she watched where Jack's hands were until the crate stopped moving. Cautiously they snuck out, hiding behind other piles and bundles of equipment, trying to find a good hiding place to keep them concealed. Finally, they found crates stacked against the wall with just enough space to squeeze between them and the wall and onto a small pocket on the top.

"No offense to you guys, but I can keep hidden better than you two. I'll Take recon on the area and see if I can find out where the MT-09 is kept." Olsen suggested until Jenny pointed to something on the far side of the room.

"I think that's it right there," Jenny pointed out, looking over the top of the crates. Jack and Olsen looked where she pointed, seeing a large biped machine with cables and clamps tied to it.

"I'm going for a closer look. I'll create a diversion at the hanger door. Once that happens, you guys retrieve the crystal from the machine. If all else fails, we'll lead that thing outside so the Grays can help us." Jenny and Jack nodded as Olsen disappeared and flitted from place to place. Olsen was about to round the corner and get a good look at the machine until what he assumed to be technicians examining it.

They appeared to be tinkering with different wires or pulling out circuit boards that resembled sheets of clear crystal and then replacing them. One circuit board they removed looked as though a power surge had burnt it, and all the circuits severed as though it were a fuse. The two Mateon looked at each other and left, taking the burnt board. Carefully Olsen crept forward and peered into the opening left by the technicians. Tucked away in the back of the compartment was a fist-sized crystal, glowing with the same eerie green color of Jenny's crystal power.

"That has to be it." He thought, but he hadn't the slightest idea how to get it out since all four points of the crystal were held within sturdy-looking clamps. Each clamp pulsed, feeding into the machine. He was about to try to pry it loose when the technicians returned with another circuit, this time with something resembling thicker pathways embedded into the glass-like board. As he watched, Olsen realized that their technology couldn't handle the crystal's power, even if only the husk remained.

One of the Mateon waved his tentacle to another sitting in the machine as whines and grinds came to life. Plumes of black smoke and steam jettisoned from the body as it took its weight, the crystal glowing brightly. When the driver went to move the arm, there was a bright flash and then an explosion of black smoke from the same circuit they had just replaced, the machine winding down again. The technician pulled out the burnt board, reaching to a small cart it had brought, and pulled out a board that appeared to be made from the Emerald Crystal itself.

Carefully they slid the circuit in place, and the Mateon waved its tentacle again. This time, the machine started in a flash. The driver tested the arms, moved the giant legs, and then made the machine curl its arms up as though flexing.

"It's now or never. If that thing gets loose, there's no telling what it could do." Olsen thought, dropping his Dark Sight and throwing a flash bang at the door catching the attention of all the Mateon in the hanger. He pushed off a seal and leaped to the second level, hurling stars and cutting through the tentacle aliens as fast as he could to keep the attention on him. Jenny and Jack crept behind the action and approached the machine as it readied an energy gun. Jack shot forward, driving his fist with thunderous speed. Before he made contact, the pilot looked back, and the Machine blurred, moving to the other side of the hanger. Jack stumbled to a stop, pulling out his pistol as a blue cloud enveloped his arm and gun.

The pistol roared with fire and smoke with each shot, but the MT would move to one side or the other in a blur. Over and over, Jack would shoot and reload, but still, the machine dodged each shot easily, moving in short bursts of near-invisible speed.

"JENNY! PIN HIM DOWN!" Olsen yelled as he jumped to higher ground, avoiding the relentless energy pistols fired at him. Jack grinned as he created a grenade, pulled the pin with his teeth, and hurled it to the right of the MT. As he expected, it moved left to avoid it. Jack fired his Super Shot, making the pilot move back right, positioning the mecha on top of the grenade as it detonated. When the cloud of smoke went up, Jenny fired Bomb Arrow after Bomb Arrow into it, hearing pieces of metal clinking to the ground with each explosion.

Olsen positioned himself above the MT and pushed hard off the ceiling, hurling a colossal shuriken into the cloud. A loud clang hit the ground, followed by metal shavings echoing through the hanger. The Mateons stopped and stared at the cloud momentarily, almost in shock that mere humans had taken down their most incredible creation. Olsen slid down a pillar until he was beside his friends, catching his breath.

"Did we get it?" Jenny asked as giant fans blew the smoke away, revealing the MT face down on the ground. A mechanical growl hummed through the air; the driver looked up and stood once more except for one missing arm beside it.

"We just made him angry." Jack guessed. In a breathtaking blur, when the machine rushed forward and swept them into the hanger door, denting it with their body impressions. All they could do was stand as the world spun around them after pulling from the dents in the door.

"I'm done with this," Jack growled, putting aside his mana for the Crystal power and beating against the hanger door. Jenny and Olsen defended against advancing Mateons, hurling stars and arrows as fast as possible. The MT driver reached for the detached arm and held it up to the shoulder joint as the wires, metal, and ball joint repaired themselves into place. Once done, the forearms came together as a beam charged within the palms. Olsen changed his cloak into flame-resistant shoes, drop-kicking the shot back, numbing his legs as he fell back down, leaving him unable to walk.

Jenny helped him back just as Jack transformed his cloak into Hammer Fists, slamming the floor to make a slab of rock jut from it. The MT pilot charged another shot, disintegrating the rock and hurling them through the hanger door. All three of them lay on the ground for a while, feeling every bit of their body pulsing with pain.

"What the heck. I don't remember this thing being so tough!" Olsen huffed, groaning while rolling onto his knees. Jenny struggled to pick herself off the ground, spitting blood while Jack wiped away the bloodstream running down his face. Olsen cradled his claw arm with a large gash running down its length. Jack hurriedly readied himself, barely able to stand due to his spinning head and pulsing arms.

"KIZONG! START YOUR ATTACK!" Olsen shouted, pulling his Claw off and instantly screaming and writhing in pain on the ground. Looking down at his arm, he saw one of the bones pushing out his skin, making it seem to hurt all the worse.

"Wasn't this thing like a level 70 boss in the game?" Jack asked, trying to steady himself as the MT-09 pushed through the hole in the door.

"Yeah, it should have been down by now. It might have something to do with the Emerald Crystal Husk powering it." Jenny grunted as she held her head. Jack became angry when Kizong's attack hadn't begun, even though Olsen had called for it.

"KIZONG! WHERE is your…" Turning around, all three saw at least a hundred Grays lying face down in puddles of grey-blue blood. Blade marks and craters decorated the ground everywhere. Jenny rolled onto their knees and looked around at the carnage before them.

"Who did this?" Jenny wheezed; fear struck all three of them as the realization that they were alone in the fight descended in their minds.

"Were you three relying on that pathetic excuse for an army?" a sultry voice said, making all of them turn to see Eleanor standing amidst the bodies, twisting her foot into the back of Kizong, his eyes squinting as though he were screaming in pain.

"I should have known you did this, Eleanor," Jack growled. The sorceress laughed as she took a sensuous bow, pulling her foot from Kizong's back.

"Your words flatter me, Guardian Pirate. But I had nothing to do with this." Eleanor said, pointing towards the base. The MT lumbered behind them, readying to charge again until someone wearing a black coat landed on the top of the machine, plunging his giant Sword of Dume through the driver. The person then jumped and cut through the machine, removing its arms, legs, and anything else surrounding the crystal.

Olsen watched in awe, forgetting the inferno of pain in his arm. He was about to call out to the swordsman but stopped; his hair reminded him of Matthew, but those strange dragon-like magenta eyes stared at him with hard malice, sheathing his sword with a splendid swing. After picking up the crystal, he walked back to Eleanor and handed it to her, where she levitated it and removed the metallic pieces from around it.

"There, now the collection is complete; thank you, Dragon." Eleanor hummed. Dragon crossed a hand over his shoulder and took a slight bow, folding his arms over his chest as he stood beside her. Behind the Guardians, they all could hear or see a small army of Mateon slithering over the ground toward them, activating their energy pistols.

"Now, take out the rest of these pests. We don't want these Guardians getting hurt more than they already are." Eleanor commanded. Dragon strolled up to the approaching army, reaching back and once again drawing his sword with a dramatic motion. Dragon blurred as the Mateon turned to soup, making a small orb appear on his shoulder. Four more orbs appeared as he continued to attack until all four began to glow red. Dragon stopped his assault and stepped wide, holding the Dume parallel to the ground as dark aura began seeping from the blade.

All the seals disappeared into his arm, and with one hard swing, the black aura spread from the blade shaped like a crescent with tiny star-like specks. It cut through every single Mateon still standing and slammed through their base, exploding in a ball of fire. Eleanor raised an eyebrow after seeing his attack. She taught him many spells, but that particular attack was something she had never seen him use nor taught him.

Despite his aches and exhaustion, Jack leaped at Dragon, but the swordsman held his arm up as a giant tiger jumped from behind him. The sound of the roar hurled Jack into a nearby tree with gut-turning force.

"I wouldn't try to attack Dragon right now, at least not in your condition," Eleanor suggested as she walked over to Dragon, draping her arm over his shoulders and patting his chest with her free hand.

"He has been well trained. I'll wager that he could even defeat your Guardian Swordsman. But that's for another time. Tah tah Guardians; it's been fun, but we must be going." Eleanor said, blowing a kiss as they disappeared into a cloud of black vapors. When she had gone, Jenny stumbled to Kizong, tending to him and his wounds as best she could as more troops of the Grays came to assist them.


Athena walked from her hut to where Eckhart proposed to meet her that day. His approach to romance reminded her so much of Kalib, and it was almost frightening. But Athena reminded herself daily that Eckhart, no matter how much she wanted it to be so, wasn't and would never be Kalib. On this day, at the behest of Helen, she wore a yellow camisole and shorts with comfortable sandals, tying her usually free sandy-blond hair back into a lush ponytail.

Upon inviting her, Eckhart mentioned that he wanted to show her something. Athena tried to guess what he wanted to show her the entire way. Questions kept mounting until she saw him, making her quicken her step to him, wrapping her arms around his as she walked with him. Eckhart put his mask back on to cover the red flaring in his cheeks, making Athena grin and lay her head on his shoulder.

"Eckhart, you don't have to be embarrassed. It shall come naturally with time."

"It's just a habit. Please, just bear with it." Eckhart asked. Athena nodded with a contented but slightly disappointed sigh, following where Eckhart led through the marketplace. Beyond it, he led her to an obscured path hidden within the ferns and grass growing around the encampment, where Eckhart picked a daisy and placed it in her hair above her ear.

"What is it that you wished to show me?" Athena asked with interest. But Eckhart remained silent, leading her to a secluded part of the forest when gentle music began floating through the air. Athena listened closer, noticing the familiar tune played on a Black Reed windpipe, one of the most challenging instruments to learn in the elfin race.

"Where did you find someone who knew how to play the Black Reed?" She pressed. The tune reminded her of Ellul and her days as a student under the Queen, Mercedes. Still, Eckhart remained silent as he led her to a place surrounded by dozens of candles lighting the area warmly. Athena's breath caught as Eckhart led her to a small table covered with a simple cloth, using carved stumps for seats. Sparkling utensils reflected the candlelight like a thousand mirrors making sparks of light dance around the dense trees like stars. When Athena was seated, Eckhart went to a cooler and grabbed a plate of an expensive elfin dish: a stir-fry using delicate new fern leaves. Again Athena was at a loss for words; everything Eckhart presented was things from her childhood. How did he know so many things about her, even though they had only officially begun courting over the last few days?

Nervously she pulled at her ear and crossed her legs, trying to seem natural. She kept the questions and panic to herself as the pleasant and lighthearted conversation kept her focused on Eckhart, easing her worry. Tucked in the forest, despite his heavy armor and weapon, Aran quietly watched Athena with sharp eyes. Something about how she acted when they started courting struck a memory, prompting Aran to ask Eckhart for a favor earlier in the day.

"Eckhart, there has been something haunting me ever since Lilin reawakened me, and I need your help to relieve it. I can help you in return." Aran nodded to himself, finally putting the old haunt of his memories to rest. Maha separated from the halberd and rested on his shoulder.

"Whatcha watching for?" he whispered.

"I've found a friend from my past." Aran smiled, readjusting himself into a more comfortable seated position.

"Do you mean Athena? She may have been a friend before you were frozen; she's old enough." Maha replied.

"That's not what I meant. Athena is not her name; it's Helena." Maha's eyes went wide as he looked at Aran.

"THAT'S Helena?" he sputtered, looking back to the happy couple staring into one another's eyes.

"She looks so different!" Maha exclaimed. Aran smiled as he, too, could see the difference.

"You're right. Her hair was a different color, almost white. And her eyes were lighter too. Now it makes sense why she always hung around me after her training with the elfin queen. What was her name?" Maha shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't remember. My memory isn't as good as a weapon. If I were still human, maybe, but now I have trouble remembering some things." Aran snorted softly, walking out of the forest back to his quarters. He didn't need to re-ignite a flame that had long since died: he had a family of his own, one that he'd die for if need be, and he didn't want to waste it on the past, which had since left him behind.

"How did you know it's her?" Maha pressed, staring at them as he floated alongside him.

"She pulls at her ear and crosses her legs when nervous. And from what I saw, she is still the same elf I knew all those centuries ago."


The Black Mage's eyes grinned as he extended his hand, feeling the Emerald Crystal husk drop into his palm from Eleanor. He held it up to the sunlight between his middle finger and thumb when his eyes fell, becoming angry and intense. He wrapped his hand around it and began squeezing, shattering the crystal and dropping the dust to the floor as fine dust.

"Milord?" Eleanor asked nervously. Dragon reached for his Dume out of reflex, getting up from his kneeling position with a low stance. The Black Mage's eyes narrowed into wrath as hissing whispers filled the air while wisps of aura rose from his shoulders.

"A fake? How can someone make a fake? The Crystals were made by-" The torrid glare from the Black Mage made Eleanor shrink back as Dragon readied to attack.

"I'm sorry, Master, but The Crystals shouldn't be replicable. They come from Ossyria's inception." Eleanor further explained. The Mage held up his hand and produced a cloud of vapors, forming an image of a Black Crystal laid over a common gem and morphing into something that resembled The Crystals.

"Was it Dragonoir? Is that why he was at Richie's seal?" Dragon asked as he relaxed and walked level with Eleanor. The Mage said nothing as he walked over to a part of the throne room and turned a few pages in an old book, whispers filling the air as he read.

"Bible of the Corrupt? I've heard of it from the history of the Black Wings but never thought it still existed." Dragon commented.

"It is genuine. It may contain a formula to create something of this caliber, which might be why Dragonoir was at the Forest of the Dead seal. But how does Dragonoir know of such a Formula? In all my years serving the Master, I have never seen or heard of such a method," Eleanor said, thinking through her extensive knowledge as The Mage held his hand up once more, playing with a black flame in his hand. Once he finished reading, he turned to them, holding up an image of Dragonoir while whispers hung thick in the air, clenching his hand and dispelling the aura.

Eleanor and Dragon bowed and left his chamber with heavy steps: Dragon's boots clomped on the floor while Eleanor's stilettos clicked sharply. Before they crossed the room's threshold, The Mage held up his hand and beckoned to Eleanor. When she came near, The Mage put his hands around her jaw and stared hard into her eyes as a small light passed between their foreheads, allowing her to leave once he finished.

"You did very well in dealing with the Mateon, Dragon. I am curious about that power you used: when and where did you learn something like that?" Eleanor asked, summoning her staff before holding her head where the light had touched her.

"Thank you, Mistress Eleanor. I've always had it, but because of your excellent instruction, I've learned how to control and direct it better." Dragon smiled as they walked to the castle door, where a skiff waited.

"What did The Mage do to you before we left?" Dragon asked as they boarded, preparing to push off.

"He showed me where the fake crystals were from. It was an old experiment found in the caves surrounding Perion in the days of the Sharenian. They found a way to create new Crystals using Black Crystal as a base, then cutting and empowering them with common gems, but they were very unstable. Before Minerva's betrayal, he ordered the experiment abandoned due to this instability." Dragon smiled as he started the craft, untying it from the anchor and jumping in, guiding it further up.

"It sounds as if Dragonoir is trying to overpower The Mage by making these new crystals," he commented, making Eleanor chuckle.

"That will never happen. But if that child continues to create the counterfeits, it will begin affecting the Crystals and the power the 'Guardians' wield. We must stop Dragonoir before that happens." Eleanor explained, taking a seat as Dragon guided it away and into the skies.