Chapter 7: New Bonds and Old Chains

When morning broke, Olsen awoke with reluctance then shuffled to the front room of the hut allotted for his dad. Through the front door, he could see Jin sitting on the front step, drinking tea in the fresh morning air made damp with thick fog rolling in from over the bay. Olsen winced as a flash of the sun reflected from the mist into his eyes while pressing on his pounding temples. After the return of The Five from their training, the village held a massive celebration in their honor that lasted nearly until midnight, resulting in Olsen drinking too much Ginger Ale and the dehydrated headache he felt this morning.

"It's about time you got up: it's almost 8 in the morning," Jin said as Olsen splashed water on his face.

"Gimme a break, I'm not exactly feeling like Prince Happy, you know," Jin placed a hand on his shoulder: he could understand what Olsen felt. Jin could still remember his first kill. Even though it was for the greater good, the shock of the act clung to him for at least a week.

"Trust me, it may seem like it won't end, but that feeling will fade with time." Olsen pulled his shoulder from under his dad's hand and walked back to his room where some casual clothes waited for him.

"I hope you're right. I'm uncertain how I should feel about it, though," Olsen said, closing the door while he changed.

"How do you mean, son?"

"Killing the Slime King didn't feel real. It was more like we were only playing Maplestory. But at the same time, I know that we all ended the life of something." Jin smiled to himself, nodding silently.

"It may not have been a kill that felt real, but there will come a time when shedding blood will become far too real. Don't become too wrapped up in this minutia, as it will make you hesitate when the time comes, and people you care for will die." Coming out of his room, Olsen nodded his understanding and wandered to the dining area where the rest of 'The Five' were already eating Tae Sang's juicy peaches, slurping as they ate. Jenny caught sight of Olsen and quickly lobbed a peach to him.

"I had a feeling you'd be getting up soon." She called as Olsen sat down, their mood somber as they discussed among themselves of recent events. Matthew and Helen both expressed their similar unease to Olsen, not sure if they should be horrified in taking a life. Once finished with their breakfast, The Five wandered back into the housing area where Olsen ducked into his hut to gather a few Shuriken as Matthew spoke up.

"Training won't be until this afternoon, so what should we do until then? I could use something to occupy my thoughts for the time being." Olsen emerged from the hut, securing a water skin to his belt.

"Well, I'm going exploring. I don't know what I'll find if anything, but I'll be back in town about noon." He waved.

"Don't you think staying in town would be better? It may be safer." Helen called.

"I won't be going far, and I won't be helpless. Besides, I heard that one of the Empress's Chief Knights and their platoon is patrolling the area outside the camp's border. If anything goes wrong, I'm sure we'll be fine. If you see my dad and he asks, let him know what I'm up to." He smirked, putting up his hand to wave goodbye while Jenny trotted after him.

"Olsen! Wait up!" she said as ran after him, disappearing into the woods. Jack stretched his shoulders before pointing to the north beyond the housing area.

"I'm gonna go check that direction out." He announced as Helen followed him. Matthew watched his friends walk in opposite directions, listening to the woods around him. It was quiet, unlike the suburbs where he had grown up. He wanted to go with either pair of friends but felt that he would only be intruding. Jenny focused her affections onto Olsen, and Helen seemed to be interested in Jack. Matthew, at one time, harbored a small crush on Jenny, but as he watched her and the way she acted towards Olsen, it was clear any advance he made would only be awkward. Matthew then turned his attention to pursue a relationship with Helen. That seemed even less feasible since Helen sought knowledge, and more recently, enjoyed Jack's company.

Romance among the girls he grew up with in Ohio was seemingly out of reach and became the odd-numbered friend of the group. Of course, there was always Lillianne, who seemed to take a liking to him. And the note she had given him with the Red Emerald earrings. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the paper and read the neat handwriting inked onto the page:

Matthew,

I'm going to be near the docks tomorrow until mid-morning. I want to talk some more with you, come and see me if you would like.

Lillianne ~

Matthew sighed. The invitation was welcome, but she was the daughter of Aran, and right now, she was far more powerful than him. How could she possibly have an interest in him when Lillianne could easily outclass him. No girl wanted someone weaker than they were. Putting the note back in his pocket, Matthew meandered through the village to the docks; it was worth a shot.

Olsen and Jenny walked for nearly forty-five minutes to a tall rocky mountain that reaching into the clouds. Olsen pulled a hand full of Shuriken from his pocket, throwing them into the rock, creating a stairway to a cave opening about thirty feet from the ground.

"There's no way for us to get up there. The shurikens are too small." Jenny teased. Olsen laughed as he quickly ran up the steps to the ledge and backflipped into it, landing firmly while putting his fists to his hips proudly.

"Just like that, Miss Jenny," Olsen replied, doing his best to imitate Aran's voice while taking a deep bow. Jenny pursed her lips and stomped her foot.

"Hey, I could do that too, you fancy footed…. monkey!" she shouted back.

"Then do it." Challenged Olsen, crossing his arms and waiting in well-faked anticipation. Jenny growled as she lined herself up with the rock wall. She ran and jumped up from the ground to each progressively higher step with ease. As Jenny lept for the final step, a shoelace caught on the point of the previous shuriken, stopping her in mid-jump, causing her to fall back first. Olsen reached out but missed her hand. Jenny tried to maneuver to land on her feet but was unable to right herself properly and began to spin. Olsen launched from the ledge, jumping between the rock face and a tree to the ground, his arms and legs glowing with pale pink light as he caught her. Jenny instinctively put her arms around his neck, her cheeks flaring a bright red when she realized just how close her face was to Olsen's. She couldn't say anything for the next couple seconds until Olsen began to set her down.

"No, wait… would you carry me up there?" She asked innocently. Olsen raised an eyebrow, attempting to set her down a few more times, but ascended the steps once it was clear he wouldn't be able to. From the ledge, both could see over the tops of the trees watching dreary clouds threatening to rain float overhead. Jenny wandered further in, investigating something that had caught her eye when a thought struck her.

"Olsen, could I talk to you for a second?" she asked, looking back and being captivated by his posture with the dark grey clouds behind him. Olsen sat down with his legs over the edge, leaning back on his hands.

"I'm all ears." Jenny took an unsteady breath, licking her lips in preparation to speak.

"Is there someone back in Ohio that you miss?" Olsen thought about it for a minute, sitting up.

"One of my buddies I used to hang with before I met you guys named Raul, but he moved to like New Hampshire or something like that. Other than him, not really." Jenny's spirits perked up; her chance to make him all her own had finally come.

"So, you never had anyone that you liked?" she asked, slowly walking back to where he sat.

"Not that I recall. There were a few girls I thought were cute, but not many that I would want to date. Where are you going with this?" Jenny nodded, sitting down next to him and pulling her legs up to her chest.

"To tell the truth, I've…" She stopped mid-sentence, losing all her nerve to come out and say what she wanted.

"Never mind, it's nothing."

"No, now you got me interested. What were you going to say?"

"I said it's nothing."

"Then why is that you're hiding your bright red cheeks?" Jenny felt her blood pressure rise as she turned to face Olsen, inches from him.

"I like you, Ok!?" Olsen pushed his eyebrows up while Jenny's cheeks blazed even redder, spurring her on to walking to another part of the crag opening as the sky began to sprinkle.

"Is that why every time I've seen you, you never really say much?" Jenny didn't say anything from being lost in her thoughts.

"What have I done? What have I unleashed?" she asked herself over and over, not noticing the rain as it slowly became harder until her foot slipped on the now damp moss as she tried to stand. Olsen grabbed her wrist and hauled her back away from the edge as she began to slide over, putting his arm around the small of her back. Jenny tried to get away from him, but Olsen firmly held her in place.

"Listen. I've wanted to ask you out a few times if the truth be told, but I was never sure you were available." He loosened his grip and stepped further into the cave, motioning for Jenny to sit next to him where the two of them sat to wait out the rainstorm. Olsen pulled his Gaia Cloak from beneath his shirt.

"When did you grab this? We came straight here." Olsen grinned as he wrapped it around them both to stave off the rain chilled breeze.

"I put it on this morning before I left dad's hut." Jenny shyly grinned, leaning against him, feeling happy and nervous at the same time. Above all, she felt relieved in telling him what she felt, though Jenny wasn't sure that she was ready for it.

Jack and Helen chased each other through the woods, playing tag using their new powers to gain advantages. Helen teleported herself beside Jack to tag him, then flit away, leaving Jack unable to return the gesture. No sooner had she tagged him, then she would feel a touch on her shoulder as Jack blew past her, smoke appearing around his feet.

"Give it up, Helen! You can't beat me!" Jack called as he ran between the trees.

"I'd like to see you try!" she laughed as she would teleport in short bursts to catch Jack once more. Helen spread out her hand as a patch of ice appeared where Jack was running, sending him sliding into a tree, face first.

"Ow! Oh man, why'd you do that?" Jack asked through his hands as his nose began to gush blood. Helen laughed and gasped at the same time, teleporting to him.

"Take your hands down and let me see," she said, pushing Jack's head back and bringing his hands down. She held her hand over his nose, which gathered a small slate-colored cloud in her hand that turned green-gold, healing the wound in his nose. Jack moved his lips and nose around to get rid of the intense tickle he felt once Helen had finished.

"That feels so weird," Jack said, shaking the blood from his fingers and rubbing dirt on them to get rid of what remained.

"I know what you mean… It feels weird to me as well." Jack smiled and paused a bit before quickly slapping Helen on the shoulder and dashing off into the woods again.

"You're it!" he shouted as he ran off. Helen chased after him again until Jack made a wrong turn into a small cave near Tae Sang's peach farm. The dark clouds overhead made it hard to see inside, triggering him to look up and notice just how dark they were; a rainstorm was coming, and they were pretty far from the village. Helen tagged him and slowed her run inside the cave.

"Are we playing hide and go seek now?" she asked, strolling further in as Jack chuckled and followed.

"Nah, we're going to have to stay here for a while. It looks like it'll rain soon."

"Then I am going to gather some peaches before that happens," she called, running out of the cave. Jack searched nearby for branches and twigs to make a fire; rain always made everything colder, and if they were going to be stuck here for a while, they would need some way to stay warm. Before Helen could return, the rain began to come down hard, soaking her long hair within seconds. She found Jack kneeling at a small pile of wood, trying to ignite it with a flint and a knife he had brought with him. Helen snapped her fingers with a chuckle, lighting the wood as Jack leaped back in surprise.

"Cheater." He mumbled under his breath, putting a few more pieces of wood onto the pile. Helen laughed as she set down the peaches to ring out her hair. When Jack looked up, the fire's light dancing across her skin made him think back to a camping trip back in Ohio. He did miss his original home, but so much had changed in recent weeks, that he hadn't had time to process that he would never be going back. Helen had gone through the same transformation, and with her here, he could at least still know there was a piece of Ohio here with him. In her hand, Jack noticed her phone, absently running her thumb over the blank screen, scooting closer to her.

Helen stared ahead to the wall. Time to process that she may never return to Ohio had also eluded her. The only tangible thing remaining in her possession was this now long dead phone. She missed not being able to tap a few buttons a find any information she wanted within a few seconds. Helen could still search for any information she wanted, except now it would be through the process of searching through books and scrolls. Absently, she turned to face Jack, passively aware of his eating one of the peaches she had picked.

"What? Is there a piece of peach or something on my face?" Jack asked when he noticed her staring at him, rubbing chin to wipe away the peach juice. Helen pulled a small towel from her pocket and held it out to him. When he grabbed it, the brush of his fingers sent a chill down her arm and pulled her hand away.

"Did I shock you?" Jack asked while wiping away the juice.

"No, you didn't… I just…" A breeze blew into the cave resulting in Helen pulling her knees up while putting her arms around them to stave off the chill. Jack moved closer to her, his muscular frame blocking most of the wind.

"Just what?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." She faced the back wall, resting her chin on her knees. During her training, it was a month before she was entirely able to overcome the fears that had come with her assault at the docks. Some part of her would always remember it, and she accepted that. So what did she fear in Jack? Why did his accidental touch cause her to reel? It wasn't unwelcome, nor did she have any reason to distrust Jack. He was a reminder of all the time growing up in Ohio. What was it? Why was her heart beating faster now? What were Jack's motives for coming closer to her?

"If it was something I said, I'm sorry."

"No, no, it was nothing you said…" As Helen turned her attention to Jack, she jumped when she realized how close Jack had moved to her.

"You didn't need to be so close to me." She said, sliding away.

"I'm just trying to block the wind. You looked a little chilly."

"Thanks. But no, it was nothing you said. I've just been thinking."

"Anything I can help with?" he asked, taking another slurping bite of his peach.

"At the moment, no. But I'll figure it out." Jack smirked, tossing the peach pit into the flames as well as another few pieces of wood, chasing away more of the cold blowing into the cave.

The bear sat asleep in his cave, living on peaches for the past few years to keep his mind clear and make amends for what he had done. Six years ago, someone had overpowered his mind and used him as a tool for slaughter. The bear would often awake and find his claws stained with blood, or break from his trance while holding someone by the throat. To prevent those terrible deeds, he moved far away from the village and lived in a cave where intense daily meditation allowed him to maintain control of himself. His martial arts teacher, No Gong, as well as a young panda named Tae Soo, would sometimes visit bringing him peaches and letters from town.

The entrance of his cave darkened as a blue cloaked figure came in, his light blue hair covering his intense orange eyes while small golden threads hung from his fingertips. Upon feeling the presence, the bear opened his eyes to the small figure standing before him.

"Tae Roon, I have come to employ your skills once more." The boy persuasively said as he smiled, holding up his hand and throwing his fingers forward. Golden threads shot out from his fingers. Tae Roon leaned to the side, avoiding the strings and standing to his feet.

"You cannot control me any longer Gobin, I have broken your hold over me." Tae Roon replied, opening his eye under furrowed brown, while his massive paws glided through movements until coming to rest in a fighting stance.

"That may be true, but a puppet can never outrun his master." Tae Roon swiftly swung his paw at the young boy who stopped the powerful blow with his hand. Tae Roon turned to swipe again, but he was flung back against the wall and held there when the small boy clenched his fist.

"You will be my puppet once more, Tae Roon. Otherwise, the Master will unleash his armies onto the very place that you used to call home."

"You can't do this! I will not be your slave!" The bear snarled, struggling against the invisible force holding him in place.

"You WILL be my puppet! And you will NEVER be forgiven for your deeds!" Gobin said through clenched teeth as he came closer. Holding the tips of his fingers out, threads of golden light extended all around Tae Roon's body. The boy then moved his fingers, forcing Tae Roon to kneel on the ground while reaching for his cheek.

"You've improved your will a great deal, Tae Roon. It still won't be enough to resist me."

"No! NO! NOOOOOO!"

Matthew casually made his way to the docks where the letter directed him. As he neared them, he began looking for Lillianne in her familiar armor but didn't see her. As Matthew scanned the cove at the end of one dock, a heavy sigh escaped him: either Matthew was too late, or it was a mean prank. The thought made him remember his middle school years when he received a note from his crush at the time, only to find it was a prank by one of his classmates.

"I was getting worried, thinking that you weren't going to come," Lillianne said as she walked up behind him. Matthew perked up, a smile spreading on his face.

"I was beginning to think…" as he turned around, he cut his sentence short. Instead of Lillianne dressed in armor with a halberd slung over her shoulder, Lillianne was dressed in a white kimono, edged in golden yellow with a pale blue obi tied back around her trim waist. Her hair was let down over one shoulder in a white cascade with a sky blue hibiscus tied into her hair. Matthew could only stare in silent awe.

"What? Is something wrong with it?" Lillianne asked, looking over her outfit. Matthew shook himself out of his trance as he stammered an answer.

"Oh, um, no, you look, whew, it's beautiful." He answered, stumbling over words as he tried to find better ones to describe what he saw. Lillianne smiled and walked to him, putting her arms around his and pulled him closer. Matthew instantly stopped when she pulled on his arm, surprised, and a little intimidated by her strength.

"Well then, let me show you around." After stopping by Matthew's parent's hut for an umbrella, Lillianne led him around Herb Town located a few minutes west of the camp for the next two hours. It was much more than just the portside village: It was an actual city. They wandered from small gift shops to herb stands and street performers, stopping for a bit to get an ice cream sundae to share or look at some trinket.

Lillianne was having the time of her life escorting the Guardian Swordsman of Ossyria, which was something that she used to dream of as a child. She would often daydream about who the Guardian Swordsman would be between her training sessions. As she grew older, Lillianne found herself wondering if this famed swordsman would be someone that would take any interest in her as a woman, since her body was much less feminine. However, when Matthew commented on her looking beautiful, her doubts and worries faded away and spurred her to want to know more of who Matthew was. Dances with Balrog happened to see them near noon just as they were leaving a shop.

"Matthew! Have either of you… well, Lillianne; you look so stunning. I bet Matthew thinks the same." Lillianne nodded her thanks while Matthew's cheeks flushed, looking away in hopes that neither of them would see.

"I hate to interrupt your date…"

"Dad, seriously? We're not on a…" Matthew cut himself short, realizing what they had been doing and looked back to Lillianne.

"…or is it?" Lillianne smirked and pulled him closer while laying her head on his shoulder until Dances cleared his throat and started again.

"I came to ask if either of you seen the others?" Dances asked. Matthew quickly answered.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen them since breakfast. We were going to meet back here at noon for lunch or something after exploring for a while. Maybe they took shelter somewhere in case it was going to start raining; it does look pretty dark." Dances nodded as Grendal came floating down from his search above the town.

"Have you had any luck, Grendal?" Dances called.

"Not a lick." Matthew pulled his arm away from Lillianne for a moment.

"What's the matter? Is there something they should be worried about?" As he spoke, a light mist began to fall on them, steadily growing stronger, forcing him to open the umbrella.

"Yes, son, there is. His name is Tae Roon. He was seen just a moment ago near the village. His master, No Gong, attempted to speak with him, but he didn't respond and shortly after disappeared."

"Wait… that big bear from Mu Lung? The boss monster?" Matthew asked bewildered.

"Yes. The game portrayed Tae Roon being under the control of the Goblin King. That is not entirely the case: Tae Roon was training in the woods when a man, or rather a boy, commented on his skill and introduced himself as Gobin. He turned away from him for only a moment and was rendered unconscious. When he awoke, he found his claws covered in blood, having slaughtered many of his friends. No Gong, Do Gong, and Tae Roon all searched for a way to break the curse placed on him, but to no avail as the episodes of slaughter became more frequent. Each time, Roon would have no memory of the event, waking in his bed covered in blood, or finding himself amid dozens of bodies and burning buildings.

"No Gong later found that Tae Roon's actions happened while he was asleep. To prevent further loss, Tae Roon left the village for many years, intensely meditating to gain control once more. Through his meditations, he found that his puppet master was a boy following the Black Mage; Francis." Lillanne lowered her brow and crossed her arms.

"Wait… Francis is dead; why is there a need to be worried?" Grendal shook his head.

"Disturbing sightings have been reported of the child puppeteer near the cave of Tae Roon the past twelve hours. If the others are still out in the forest, Francis may use Tae Roon to kill them. Roon is far more powerful then they can handle right now, so we must get them back quickly." Grendal said as the rain became heavier. Lillianne tapped Matthew's arm, pulling up the bottom part of her kimono and readying to sprint.

"Matthew, meet me at the east entrance of the village. I'm going to get my armor and halberd," Matthew nodded as she dashed away in a flash of swirling blue wind. Dances followed Matthew back to the house as he quickly changed into his armor.

"Matthew, you do know that you are going up against something that you aren't ready for, don't you?" Matthew looked back as he sheathed the Black Scimitar hard over his shoulder.

"I won't know until I try." He said as whispy red flames rose from his shoulders while he donned his Golden Gaia. Dances shook his head and grabbed his ax to run after them. Matthew was stubborn and determined, but with his current level of power, there would be no way he would be able to come out alive.

Jack jerked his head up from his knees after falling asleep: he had no idea what it was that jerked him awake, but he was glad that it did. The fire had died down to coals letting the cold from the rain outside dig into his being. He found a few more logs and threw them in to bring it back to life. Helen slept crumpled up next to him for warmth. He watched her for a bit, reaching out his hand to brush aside a lock of her hair when he pulled his hand back and shook his head.

"There's nothing there; we're just close friends." He thought when something felt like it was coming closer. Looking out to the mouth of the cave, he thought he saw something walking towards them. It was large, whatever it was with drooping arms, glowing white eyes, and over his left eye looked to be old scars. Jack realized that it was Tae Roon; In the game, he was a level 71 boss monster. There was no telling how tough he would be in the real world.

"Helen, come on! We gotta go now!" he called in a low voice, shaking Helen and hoping that whatever was coming hadn't seen or heard them yet.

"Mmmm… just a bit longer…" she muttered, moving closer to Jack and pulling her arms tighter around herself. Putting his arms under her, he was about to run until a small breeze blew through the cave, and a giant shadow stood over him.

"Are you, Jack?" the shadow asked with a growl. Helen let out a scream when she opened her eyes as Tae Roon raised his paw. He barely missed them when Helen teleported both of them outside, where Jack began sprinting.

"You won't get far," Roon muttered, hitting Jack with a hard jab, sending them both sprawling across the ground. Roon was about to strike Helen when she teleported to a branch above her, which he tore through with his claws. Helen side flipped away, attempting to fire a Sacred Arrow only to realize her staff was missing. Instead, Helen threw her hands out, hurling out a bolt of lightning, only to be caught by Roon and thrust back. To block it, Helen threw her arms to the side, summoning a wall of flames to absorb the electricity. Jack scrambled to his feet, fists glowing as a hard punch slammed into Tae Roon's gut, sending the bear skidding across the mud followed by Jack, who pummeled Roon with thunderous punches.

Jack launched into his Twister Punch, Roon stopped it, nearly twisting the boy's arm in half while clenching hard enough to break some of his fingers. Jack howled in pain, trying to pull his hand from Roon grip until Roon swept Jack's feet from under him with a swing of his arms, breaking his leg before brutally thrusting him away through the mud. Helen teleported to him and steadied him before summoning a wave of ice, freezing the rain as it roared towards Roon.

Tae Roon ran through it and stood over them in a flash, drawing back his paw for a strike, when a shuriken hit Roon's wooden handguard, spinning him as hot pink flames billowed around his fist. Puddles splashed straight towards Roon until Olsen appeared, punching Roon in the face where a pinkish ghost melted into his skin and turned Roon's eyes green, then disappearing again.

Jenny helped pick up Jack: Helen would need more time than just a quick touch to heal his wounds. Tae Roon caught sight of them as they helped Jack away and was about to attack them when Olsen appeared once again, slashing at Roon's arms before disappearing again. Jenny and Helen would periodically have to stop to delay or block Tae Roon's attacks. Once blocked, Olsen would appear with streaks of pink following him. But he could see that his attacks weren't enough to make Roon focus on him.

"Come on! I need more! More Power! I NEED MORE POWER!" Olsen growled, his hair instantly losing all its blond color, turning a hot pink while his daggers thundered with hot pink flames. A pink seal appeared above him, where he planted his feet and pushed off as if a cannon had fired. Olsen shot down to Tae Roon in a streak of pink light. Cuts spurted blood on Roon's arms as he tried to guard his face until he was thrown back by a forceful stab to his chest. Olsen's eyes glowed almost red, and his body seemed to vibrate with the amount of power flowing through him. The seal appeared again, and Olsen shot forward, unleashing slashes in sets of eight when the glow abruptly stopped.

Tae Roon swiped him to the ground when Olsen slowed, then summoned fireballs to ontop of him. Olsen managed to scramble out of his muddy impression as the fire detonated where he had been a moment before. His legs felt heavy, and his arms felt stiff, leaving him unable to avoid Tae Roon's giant paw. Something like a dark purple light enveloped Olsen before the strike made contact, the ground exploding into a muddy splash.

A man dressed in black with a white and black mask held the exhausted Olsen in his arm while readying three shurikens. As the man prepared the weapons, a horned being appeared next to them from a black and purple flame.

When Tae Roon found them, he began charging until a giant crescent of bright golden light whistled between them, tearing a trench into the ground. Tae Roon jumped back so as not to be hit, ready to attack again when an arrow of pure wind landed at his feet, throwing Roon back. Roon snarled as he righted himself again until the man in black kicked Roon's feet out from under him, throwing him to his back. Four Swords of light descended from the sky, pinning Roon to the ground as a ring of fire roared into existence around him. A man dressed in blue fell from the air, his fist and body radiating lime green threads of electricity.

"CRASH HAWK SMASH!" the man shouted. When he hit the ground, it collapsed into a crater and rippled like water as green light shone brightly. Tae Roon's voice shrieked in pain above the shaking of the land, bolts of green lightning striking multiple times. When the stikes stopped, a tall figure floated up from the crater while small threads of green electricity felt over the ground where his feet touched. The man in the mask appeared near him, as a woman in green clothes emerged on his right, slinging her bow over her shoulder. Another young woman dressed in a red cloak appeared out of a flare of flames and embers on the man in the mask's left while a knight landed to the right of the archeress.

Matthew, Lillianne, and Dances came running up to the others as Helen attended to Jack's broken leg and fingers. 'The Five' stared in awe at these strong warriors walking towards them, each dressed in a different color seeming to elude power.

"Who are you guys?" asked Jenny in stunned awe when they neared.

"They are my Knights, young Guardian Archer." A Female voice called as a dragon covered in soft feathers landed quietly behind them and provided cover from the rain with one of its wings. A young woman dismounted, dressed in a bulky white cloak, adjusting the gold wire crown with tassel medallions holding down her bright golden hair that fell in clouds to her knees. A dark blue gem that shone with an otherworldly light hung Around her neck. As she neared, the five warriors knelt once under the dragon's wing.

"I am the empress of Ossyria, Cygnus, And this is my noble Guardian Dragon, Shinsoo. I have wanted to meet you five for some time now but have been so busy. I humbly welcome you, Guardians of Ossyria." She said as she curtsied to them. Olsen felt confused, shaking his hands back and forth.

"No, no, no, no… we're not that powerful yet. We're still just starting." Cygnus smiled as she stood once again while the knight came and helped her remove the cloak to reveal a white and blue dress while the man in black faced Olsen.

"The kind of power that you just displayed Olsen was far more than Dark Lord Jin or I, Eckhart, could produce combined. Your training is not complete and yet can produce such breathtaking power." Olsen was left stunned; an elite knight, charged with the empress's safety, was complimenting him!? Eckhart reached up and removed his mask, revealing his young face when a young woman in a fire-red cloak giggled.

"I could feel all of your power from a long way off. I'm amazed at the potential you all have. Oh, this will be so much fun!" she said as she grabbed hold of Helen's hand and jumped up and down like a little girl. Helen pulled her hand back, returning to Jack as she finished healing the last of his broken bones.

"I suppose. Who are you? And how old are you?" Helen asked.

"Oh me? I'm Oz, and I just turned twenty-one. I'm the youngest of the Empress's Knights. The next older is Irena at twenty-three: she's the one in green, followed by Hawkeye, the handsome devil in blue, twenty-five. The one in black is my brother, Eckhart, twenty-nine, and Mihile is the knight: he's the oldest of us all, being thirty-four." Jack raised his eyebrows as he stood to his feet, testing out his leg and thanking Helen once she had fully healed him.

"So, you could feel my power from far away and came to check out the gun show?" Jack said as he flexed his arms.

"We came to meet with you about the child Puppeteer," Cygnus answered, hiding her mouth to stifle a giggle as Jack posed.

"Apologies for the interruption Empress, but that needs to wait!" Mihile shouted as Tae Roon clawed himself up the side of Hawkeye's crater, his eyes glowing red.

"Doesn't that thing know how to stay down?" Hawkeye growled when a blazing comet hit Roon hard, launching him up through the trees in an instant. What remained was a being made of red-orange light, her lengthy hair standing above her head as she hovered near the ground.

"There, that deals with him." Kyrin's voice said, thick with power until the light dispersed, dropping her to the ground.

"Kyrin, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you were coming to settle the fact that I still have more wins than you do," Hawkeye called, leaning on Irena, who promptly shoved him off.

"Well, I can't let you have all the fun," Kyrin replied, clicking her tongue and winking.

"Come, let us return you to the village. Your parents are waiting." Dances said, he and Matthew handing out umbrellas to use. As they journeyed, Jenny noticed the change in Olsen's hair.

"Did… did your hair change?" She asked, grabbing a few strands to see them better. Olsen caught some of his hair to see better.

"It would appear so," Olsen replied, opening and closing his hand a few times, realizing that he could feel the crystal's power much more intensely. Perhaps this was the result of releasing the seal his father had explained to him. He would have to inquire about it once the meeting with the Empress had concluded.

"Orders? What orders? I don't remember any orders." Francis answered arrogantly, shrugging as he watched the group leave. The blurred image of the Black Mage's eyes narrowed, having seen what happened to Tae Roon while under the boy's control. The Mage lifted Francis by the throat as hissing whispers surrounding the boy.

"Why do I have to be your messenger boy? And what's the matter with killing five kids? It's not like anyone is going miss them or anything." Francis wheezed. The Mage slammed him against the tree, cracking the trunk, narrowing his eyes further while gathering black power in his free hand before burning away the bark beside Francis' head. Francis chuckled, taking a deep breath when The Mage finally let go of his throat.

"You won't take my life: you still need me." The Mage took an ethereal breath, turning away from the boy and holding up his hand where a ball of black energy swirled into existence, showing a woman held up by chains in a dark place. Francis' skin paled when he recognized the woman in the picture while the Mage looked at him over his shoulder.

"You leave her alone!" Francis demanded. The Mage turned around, holding his other hand above the ball and slowly clenching his fingers. The woman screamed in pain as a gold and blue glow surrounded her in an upward draft.

"Stop! Don't hurt her!" The Mage narrowed his eyes, a questioning murmur echoing around them as he closed his hand more, the woman's pain intensifying.

"YES! I PROMISE! JUST STOP HURTING HER!" Francis cried, falling to his knees and folding his hands together as he begged. Seconds dragged on as The Mage held the pose, reveling in this boy's pathetic pleading. Fuming whispers surrounded Francis as The Mage dropped his hand, and the woman's pain stopped. One final burst of murmurs rose around him as the image of The Mage disappeared,

leaving him alone with his tears.

"Mother, I swear; I'll get you back," he vowed, wiping his tears he held up his hands and pulling on the strings tied to his puppet, walking towards the Nihal Desert.

"Tae Roon, you will be of service to me once again. Come and get me. We will descend into the Tombs of the Ants. I will need your protection." Near the border of Mu Lung and the Nihal desert, Tae Roon pulled his body from the drift of sand and began walking to Francis, where the two of them met and disappeared to his Fortress of Dolls deep within the nesting grounds of the Yellow One Eyes.

The Black Mage walked to his prisoner's room, where a figure hung chained to the wall while holding the monocle she treasured.

"Master, my Wyverns have found one of them." Eleanor eloquently purred, suggestively crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one leg as she stood behind him. The Mage looked over his shoulder with blank eyes, holding out his hand, where she placed a clear, hollow crystal. Holding it up to the light, he turned it until a faint glow shone through it. The Mage narrowed his eyes as pleased whispers arose around him, transporting them both to a chamber filled with machinery. The crystal glowed red as The Mage placed it into a well-made mold. The glow followed an etching to a crest that surrounded an empty pit.

"I should get going. I wouldn't want to raise any suspicion, at least not yet." Eleanor said, drinking a potion and uttering a spell as a cloud wrapped around her. Before she left, The Mage looked her in the eyes, making her nod in return.

"I will do my best since we still need the boy. My only concern is the dragon since his senses are the sharpest of any I have ever known." She warned, at which The Mage nodded as she left in a plume of dark mana.

Once The Guardians and The Masters had been seated around their meeting fire, Cygnus stood and cleared her throat.

"As you all have guessed, my knights and I have come with information regarding the Child Puppeteer. Before The Masters left for the Other World, Eleanor strongly persuaded a boy named Francis to serve the Black Wings with his talents of controlling things with mana as if they were puppets. We don't know what leverage persuaded him." Cygnus stated, turning to Oz for more information, who continued.

"Our tactician, Neinheart, helped keep track of the Puppeteer's movements to his hideout deep within the Tombs of the Ants, the Fortress of Dolls. Unfortunately, the Masters couldn't dissuade him, and he lost his life in the fortress due to his misguided obedience." As she spoke, Oz absently manipulated the flames within the campfire.

"How has he returned? Has the Mage, or one of his followers, resurrect him?" asked Jenny. Oz shook her head and shrugged as Irena, the Wind Archer, continued.

"No one is sure. Rumors have spread, saying the other Black Wings intervened before his death." Helen leaned in, tapping her lips with her finger.

"Then why are you telling us this? All that we know so far is the fact that he is alive." She asked as Jenny held out her hand from across the site.

"You realize that the boy tried to kill us, right?" she questioned sternly. Helen nodded and answered.

"I realize that. However, information like this doesn't help explain what role we Guardians play. Are we being asked to stop him? Capture him? Or even, god forbid, kill him?" the sobering thought brought heavy silence to the gathering as Helen waited for an answer. Cygnus bowed her head, sighing before giving her answer.

"Information regarding the Puppeteer is still being found so it may be some time before we know anything certain. It will be your choice on how to proceed when more is known," Cygnus replied sleepily, leaning back against Shinsoo when a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

"Empress, are you alright?" Matthew asked. Mihile gripped his sword when he saw Matthew stand and move toward the Empress, but stopped when Cygnus held up her hand.

"I am alright, Matthew. Its something I've lived with, but thanks to Shinsoo, it hasn't become a problem." She answered. Concerned, Shinsoo helped the empress onto his back then spoke to The Five with a severe tone in his voice.

"I trust that you will all follow the best path. Mihile, I am taking the Empress back to the council. Assist the Masters with the Guardian's training." Shinsoo said as he raised his wings, lifting into the air majestically. Cygnus reveled in his soft feathers, closing her eyes to rest for the short trip back to Mu Lung, which served as a palace, using multiple buildings near one another to act as such.

"What is the best course of action, Master? Charging The Guardians with such a task could be something they may not ready to handle. They are still children, after all." Shinsoo asked Cygnus telepathically as he flew, an ability that he and the empress shared.

"I haven't asked them of anything yet, Shinsoo. We all still need to know more. The atrocities he committed before his alleged death twenty-five years ago…"

"…would be grounds for imprisonment, not execution. We would be no better than the Black Wings by stooping to that measure of action. Francis's alleged death was a tragedy, the result of his violent resisting. Don't forget; this is Heidrin's son, and we must bring him home alive."

"But if he lives, he might be taken back by The Black Wings again, and the cycle would repeat." Cygnus sighed, opening her eyes and watching the world pass them by as she thought.

"Until we know more, taking any action would be hasty." Shinsoo nodded his understanding, letting Cygnus rest until they descended into Mu Lung, where a sky blue-haired woman greeted them.

"Neinheart! I thought you had gone to the El Nath border to wait for one of your informants?" Cygnus asked, her surprise allowing her body to wake up once more. Nienheart raised her head in response to Cygnus' call, taking a small bow before answering and helping the empress down from Shinsoo's back.

"I did, your majesty. Francis is returning to his Fortress of Dolls with Tae Roon to deliver a message."

"What message?"

"My informants were unable to find out. But they are shadowing the Puppeteer." Cygnus nodded her thanks, walking to the council chamber. At the sight of Neinheart, Shinsoo's body tensed as something strange emanated from her. It was just beyond understanding, but the emanation felt dangerously similar to Black Magic. Was this a residual imprint since her informants were always so close to Black Magic? No, that wasn't it. He studied her carefully and realized he could feel masking magic over Neinheart. But why would Neinheart need masking magic? A new tactic? No, she would have informed Shinsoo of such a change. As they entered the chamber, Shinsoo tried one last time to see past the masking magic only to be cut off as the door closed. With no option left to him, as there were no windows for him to see into the chamber, he waited with tense apprehension.

The meeting finished well after night fell, leaving Cygnus and Neinheart quite tired. Both returned to the sleeping chambers. Shinsoo took up his position just outside her room's window, peering in and watching their actions. He still hadn't figured out why Neinheart needed Masking Magic after so many years in their service.

"How can those fools think such an assault is possible? Don't they realize it would be suicide?" Neinheart asked as she poured a cup of Cygnus's favorite Peach tea as she continued.

"Nothing of that sort will ever work. The Mage would kill every soldier before getting close enough to matter. And that is to say nothing of the location of The Mage's castle and the creatures no doubt haunting it." Cygnus answered, coming out from behind her dressing divider and reclining in a nearby chair.

"I would have hoped to discuss the danger that Francis poses, but those generals seem set on destroying the mage right now."

"How true," Neinheart replied with a dark grin as a small drop of black liquid fell into Cygnus's tea from under her sleeve. Shinsoo's pupils narrowed, and his fangs dropped down out of his gums. The Feathers on his neck hardened into armor, and his claws extended as he searched for that dark power. Where? From where was it coming?

"You must be tired, Empress. I can see it in your eyes." Nienheart smiled warmly.

"And you are not?" Cygnus smiled in return, putting her hands around the warm cup. Shinsoo remained unable to locate the source of the dark power he felt, but as soon as it had come, it left, causing his body to revert but heightening his senses. There was malicious power at work here, and it was close to the empress. Too close.

"Thank you for the tea, Neinheart; I shall see you in the morning. Hopefully, I'll be able to convince the generals to see reason." Cygnus sighed, sipping from the cup and letting the warmth spread through her body.

"We shall see." Neinheart smiled as she picked up the tray and blew out the candle in the room. Cygnus shuffled to the window where Shinsoo looked in, reaching out a hand and setting it on his great muzzle once he came closer.

"Shinsoo, you seem tense. What's the matter?" Cygnus asked.

"It may be nothing, Master. But I thought I sensed Black Magic here, near to you." He replied, still looking around for the small source he had felt, noticing that the unease from Neinheart had also dissipated.

"Has it gone?" Cygnus questioned, setting her cup down and looking back into the room.

"I don't sense it any longer. Perhaps you should increase the guard at your door." Cygnus nodded as she yawned widely, going to her bed to lay down.

"I will tomorrow. In the meantime, could you please tell the tale of the Nine Spirits Dragon to me." She asked, her body relaxing as sleep overtook her. Shinsoo had been her guardian since she was made Empress at age twelve, and her father's guardian long before that. Despite eighteen years passing since her crowning, Cygnus still loved to hear the tale of the Nine Spirits dragon and how she had defeated the terrible six-headed hydra, Zakuhm. When the next day dawned, Cygnus reserved herself to convince the council to wait for an assault on The Black Mage until 'The Guardians' were ready to do so. Shinsoo noted Neinheart's comings and goings, each time sensing something unsettling.

Shinsoo stayed close to the Empress when the council broke for the noon meal, shifting to a human form to watch Neinheart with every sense afforded him. In his human form, however, his magical senses were highly dulled. He tried to convince Cygnus to retreat to the safety of her bedchambers, but the Empress stubbornly refused. Shinsoo's unrest only began to subside once Cygnus retired for the night.

"I never knew that Shinsoo was able to change into a human form," Neinheart commented, pouring a cup of Cygnus's favorite tea.

"Yes, it is an ability gained by forming a contract with me as Empress," Cygnus answered. Shinsoo felt that prick of dark power once again, the same as the first time: Where? Where was it?

"I trust that the council has decided what to do about Francis?" Neinheart asked, a smile tugging at her lips. Cygnus slumped into her chair and rubbed her temples.

"Yes, it's decided that he should be captured and interrogated. I will try to do what I can for him, Neinheart. I know this must be hard for you to hear your son spoken about as if he were a criminal." Cygnus said apologetically, breathing in the comforting steam of her tea. Shinsoo's frantic search settled on Cygnus's cup, seeing it swirling with dark energy. Beyond the cup, he saw Nienheart's Masking Magic break for a moment and reveal someone else, though not clearly.

"Thank you, Empress, I know you will. The tea should help; I put some medicine in it for your head. May you sleep sweetly," The woman said as Cygnus raised the cup to her lips.

"MASTER NO!" Shinsoo shouted, reaching for her to swat away the cup, but she had already swallowed.

"Sleep, empress. Sleep and never wake." The spell hidden inside the tea began weaving into the empress while Shinsoo reached through the window. The woman inside hit Shinsoo with a blast of magic, tearing the wall away and revealing herself as Eleanor. Shinsoo recovered and flew at the house again, only to be hit with another powerful blast and knocked to the ground. Before he could get up, Eleanor disguised herself once more and lay on the floor just as the guards came bursting in. Shinsoo returned to his calm state when the feeling of darkness disappeared, but he knew the truth; Neinheart was an imposter.

Before he could speak, the soldiers woke the imposter who told them of Shinsoo's unprovoked attack against both her and the empress. With no response from Cygnus, the guards lowered their spears to him and ordered him to comply with their demands. Shinsoo attempted to explain only to find his speech sounded like chirps or growls. What broken bits of words did form were formed senseless half sentences. When he didn't comply, the soldiers began to make demands in a much more forceful tone, alerting other guards on the ground level to come and surround him. Sadly he left the building where his master slept with the imposter at her side, taking to the skies.

"I must go and return with help… If I wait much longer, I won't be able to say what's wrong. Hold tight master… I'll get you back."

'The Five' trained hard over the preceding two days, able to control the most potent attack from each corresponding Knight, wielding them far more powerfully even without the aid of a fairy pact. Jack screamed loud as he punched through a tree as though it were mere paper while green threads of lightning snapped over his fist.

"My my, Jack. I'll be sure to stay on your good side from now on." Hawkeye laughed while he clapped Jack on the shoulder. Mihile called out to them with a chuckle after seeing the destruction Jack had unleashed as he approached.

"He's not the only one Hawkeye. Matthew has made my own Solar Scythe look like a paper plate compared to his." Lillanne set the end of her weapon on the ground and stood next to Matthew, catching her breath from a sparring session she had just finished.

"Hey, isn't that Shinsoo?" asked Helen, pointing to a white spot in the clouds. Oz looked up, shielding her eyes from the bright glare of the sun to see that it was indeed Shinsoo. Her face brightened but soon fell as she didn't see Empress Cygnus sitting atop her guardian dragon.

"Irena, can you see if Cygnus is with him?" Jenny and Irena both looked into the sky at where Shinsoo was, neither of them seeing the golden-haired Empress atop him.

"No, she isn't. Something's wrong." Irena said: Shinsoo's flying was awkward and labored, making him drop several times until he crashed into the ground and slide to a stop. Eckhart was the first to his side, resting a hand on his head.

"Shinsoo, what's the matter?" he asked Shinsoo sounded as if he were trying to respond, but all that came out were growls and squeaks.

"What's the matter? Just a day ago, he was talking, so why is he just making weird noises?" Helen asked as she and the others came up, as Mihile explained.

"The lives of both Shinsoo and the Empress are connected through a strong spell that can only be released by the one who placed it. From what I've come to understand of this spell, it binds their life forces together. Whatever affects the Empress will affect Shinsoo and vise versa. Something must have happened to the Empress." Shinsoo raised his head weakly, his eyes looking tired and nearly dead as he looked to Helen, trying to pull himself to her. Something inside her seemed to click as she reached out her hand and placed it on Shinsoo's muzzle, pulling her into a vision of what he had seen.

"My Master is… grave danger. You stop…one… ing… grrrr… to be… chirp brrp… she is… spell. Life… fading…" then all went dark as Helen was thrown back into her mind, Jack catching her as she fell back.

"Helen, what happened? Your hair and eyes were glowing in this weird purple color." Jack asked as he set her upright.

"The Empress is in danger. Someone is trying to end her life by using a spell. Shinsoo showed me everything: whoever it is, she's hiding as Neinheart."

"I will take us there." Oz firmly announced, stabbing her staff into the ground and pulled a small book from her cloak, turning to a page in the middle. The Knights all gathered around Oz and looked back to them as if waiting for them to join in.

"Are you coming?" Irena asked.

"Are we expected to? I would assume this would be a matter for the Knights." Olsen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It may be. But it may also be a good opportunity to use the skills you've acquired." 'The Five' stepped in closer as a cloud of flames enveloped the lot of them for a moment. When they died down, they were just outside of the council chamber in Mu Lung, where a few dozen guards had set up simple barricades all facing the entrance of a nearby building. A captain recognized the Chief Knights and quickly ran over to them.

"Thank Minerva; you've come. We've been pushed back and blocked off from entering the Sleeping chambers of the Empress. Someone impersonating Neinheart is in there, and she's brought in a bunch of her creatures. They're too tough for us." Eckhart and Mihile nodded to one another as Mihile began to issue orders.

Eckhart and Oz will take the Guardian inside the building to rescue the Empress and flush out the creatures. Irena, Hawkeye, and I will stay here and coordinate the soldiers to surround the building from outside and hopefully capture this imposter." With an enthusiastic response of the soldiers, Eckhart and Oz lead 'The Five' into the halls of the sleeping chambers.

Near Cygnus's room, Eckhart stopped them and tossed small pebble forwards, which bounced off a barrier standing before them. He began talking with his hands to Oz when Jack charged directly at the barrier and thrown back. For a moment, the air wavered and then split as the head of a large, dinosaur-like creature made of nothing but bones faced him staring down at Jack with its red eyes. Jack quickly ran back to the hall, breathing heavy and shallow.

"What was it, Jack?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know. It was like three times my height and made of nothing but bones with glowing red eyes." Jack spat, making Oz drop his shoulders.

"Grand Skelegons: they're the personal favorite of the Black Mage." She sighed. The barrier waivered as the rest of the enormous beasts walked through, clicking its bones together as though growling.

"Helen, can you disassemble that barrier?" Oz asked, moving up with her and pointing behind the creature.

"I don't know; I don't know how to dispel yet."

"Here's the quick version. Find the anchoring points of the barrier, and the others should be able to destroy them. But you must hit them all at the same time; otherwise, there could be dire results. We'll keep that creature busy while you work." Oz and Eckhart charged from their hiding spot while 'The Five' waited for the Skelegon chase after the others. Helen bowed her head to concentrate in front of the barrier, searching for the points that anchored it, unaware of the massive creature sneaking up behind them. Jack and Matthew happened to hear its armor clinking and turned to see a green-colored lizard raising its daggers, swinging them down at Helen. Jack was ready to try and catch the blades but was moved out of the way as Matthew pulled his cloak around himself, making the blades spark off. Jack regained his footing and struck the creature across the face, temporarily disorient it.

"I could've caught those!" Jack shouted.

"Maybe you didn't notice, but this is a level 136 monster in the game, a Green Cornian to be exact. We've just passed level 30. How do you think we would fair?" Matthew pulled up his cloak again, sliding back from the force of impact as the creature struck again.

"We have to protect Helen until she can find those anchoring points; I'm not sure we can beat this thing, but it's all we got: Jenny! Push him back with what you can. Olsen, give us some speed, we're going need it. Lillianne, you watch Helen!" Jenny grabbed one end of her bow and swung it hard at the Cornian; something sparked out of the air, surrounding the bow and left it in a whirlwind tearing through the hallway. The Cornian crossed his daggers, blocking the wind but sliding back from the force. Jenny drew her bow as a Spine Arrow began appearing. It then flared into a tribal looking bow emanating green light as the wind swirled around her arrow. When she released it, a hurricane-force gust hit the Cornian and sent him sliding back through the hallway even further.

A blueish pink symbol appeared above them all as Olsen began his assault with Jack and Matthew close behind. Olsen threw a double set of shuriken at the Cornian to distract it as he appeared on its neck, delivering a hard punch to its face. A green ghost sank into it, making the Cornian stumble unable to keep its balance. Jack drew his gun, firing round after round to keep it off balance as he charged. Matthew drew the Black Scimitar in his right and the Silver Gladius in his left and began to swing time and time again, but the scimitar was weighty and very hard to handle with just one hand.

Throwing the Gladius to the side, he then attacked with just the one sword, striking powerfully with sparks flying as the two of them met blades. As Matthew finished a particularly hard swing, Jack delivered a punch that glowed with red and green lightning, making a roar as it connected and hurled the lizard through the wall. For a moment, the three of them looked at each other with questioning expressions: yes, they may have thrown the Cornian back, but did they hit it hard enough to keep it from coming back?

"Guys! I got it!" Helen said as she walked over to the walls and placed a small mark next to each point with a dab of poison.

"Jenny, you take the top one. Olsen, Jack, you take the ones on the sides. Matt, you get the one on the floor. On my mark, strike them all hard." Mana flowed over their weapons as a flame as they positioned themselves. While Jenny drew her bow back, her bow and hand glowed with a bright green light, gathering her mana and crystal power near the end of the arrow. Olsen drew his dagger, holding it high above his head while hot pink flames began to smolder into existence around his fists and along the blade of the knife. Jack pulled his fist back as far as he could while a red light gathered around it, saturating his Knucklers with a blood-red glow. Matthew held his sword up as red light collected at the hilt, golden sunlight being attracted to the blade as it became a giant sword made of light.

"NOW!" the simultaneous hits of everyone's attacks shook the building on its foundations, breaking the barrier like glass. Even as the barrier was still falling, they rushed to the room. Lillianne was the first inside, cutting through the door to see Neinheart standing above Cygnus with a dagger raised above her head. She launched her polearm as though it were a spear, pinning the woman's sleeve to the wall with the knife in hand. As the momentum from the halberd turned the woman around, she revealed her true form. Her light blue hair melted away into snow-white, and her clothes burned away to expose the revealing purple clothes of Eleanor.

"So it was you!" Lillianne shouted as she charged forwards while Eleanor turned to vapors and appeared across the room.

"Yes. It is me. Do you think that I would kill the Empress of Ossyria just yet?" she said smoothly.

"I don't know, would you?" Lillianne asked. Eleanor smiled and launched an attack spell at her only to have it absorbed and dispelled by Helen's Ebony Gaia. Within seconds, the rest of the Guardians filled the room, as Oz and Eckhart appeared in a burst of flames.

"Eleanor! Where is Neinheart?" Eckhart demanded, lowering his stance with shuriken ready to throw. Oz drew her hands into an attack stance as she stepped towards the empress. Once out of Eleanor's line of sight, she knelt and put her hand on Cygnus' forehead and began dispelling the powerful magic within her body.

"Now now Knight of Darkness, you needn't be so uncivilized. You Chief Knights were so naive that you didn't even see or feel the Black Soldiers come and take her away. I'm sure you'd be able to figure it out soon enough. Time is running short for her, though, so I would hurry if I were you." Oz worked as fast as she could, finally breaking through the magic. Unfortunately, the Empress was too weak to move, even when she tried.

"Don't move your highness; help is on the way." She whispered when Eleanor's overconfident voice caught her unawares.

"Oz, Knightess of Flames, I'm surprised that you even tried to dispel that Magic, especially since I'm the only other one who knows how to release it." Oz began walking strangely, seeming to push the others out of the room.

"You were trying to kill the Empress. Its only natural that I would try and dispel said curse to get her to safety." Oz replied, still pushing the others out of the room.

"You could always try attacking the one who placed it." Eleanor laughed. But Oz remained firm.

"Oh, you will be attacked." Eleanor was puzzled; the only other creature or person that could overpower her was…

"You didn't," she said as she realized that Oz had succeeded.

"I did." Something crashed through the walls and tackled Eleanor out of the room, disappearing into a cloud of dust. Above the cloud, Shinsoo's wings or flashes of dark light within it as the two of them fought. When the dust cleared, Shinsoo stood snarling in his protection state: His claws extended, his teeth had grown to a fearsome length and sharpness. Eleanor's cloak hung from his fangs.

The soldiers rallied by Mihile immediately began searching for the witch in the surrounding forests. But even with his sharp, adrenaline-fueled senses, Shinsoo could no longer sense Eleanor, returning to his calm demeanor. With help from Oz, Cygnus sat up and walked over to the edge of the building at which Shinsoo came back, allowing her to hug his muzzle for support. Mihile, Irena, and Hawkeye all went through the demolished walls surrounding the Empress to ensure her safety.

"Now what? The real Nienheart is missing, and we still have no leads on Francis!" Jack huffed when Cygnus turned to them and tried to speak.

"I don't know whether or not the information was right, but Eleanor said that the Shadows had seen Francis heading back to his Fortress Of Dolls with Tae Roon once again. He could be planning something big for us, so I would suggest that we go to him before he can make his move." She said, still somewhat exhausted from her ordeal.

"What about Neinheart?" Matthew asked.

"Neinheart is a capable woman; she can handle herself. Our priority is still finding a stopping Francis, so we shall leave at once." Eckhart urged as he turned to leave when Cygnus turned and tried to take a step but stumbled.

"Wait!" she called, getting to her feet once more with the aid of Mihile.

"Empress, please, you mustn't…"

"I'll be fine, Mihile. Young Guardians, I don't want to put this on you if you are not ready. If you decide to go in place of my knights, I am asking you to capture a young man that has not even reached his teens by any means. There is a high possibility that you may even have to end his life. Is that something you can bare?" She asked. With this fact renewed in their thoughts, they all stood in silence for a long while, thoughts of their encounter with Slime King coming back to them.

"We'll bring him back alive." Matthew stated, motioning for the rest of 'The Five' to follow him, walking out of the room with heavy steps.

"What makes you certain that we can bring him back alive? What if death is the only option open to us?" Olsen asked, walking level with Matthew as they left the building. Matthew looked over his shoulder to see Lillianne and Jenny behind him while Helen and Jack jogged to catch up.

"We have to be better. I don't want to kill needlessly." He replied.

"Your optimism might be misplaced."

"Didn't you kill some of the Black Wings during training?" Matthew hissed, his eyes angrily glowing deep within them as he faced Olsen.

"No. My father and I would fight them off. Though he did drill into me that one day, we would kill one day and that I would need to be prepared to do so." Matthew turned forward once again, remaining silent until they spoke to the Crane Sky Ferrymen to take them all back tp Herb Town, then secure transport to Victoria Island.

"Matt, do you even know where you're going once we get to Victoria?" Lillianne asked.

"That would be a good idea to know. I guess I got caught up in the moment." Matthew chuckled, shaking his head as he went back to ask Mihile on how they might find the Fortress of Dolls and how to get there.

Eleanor appeared in the castle, shivering in adrenalin-fueled fear as she tried to hold up the last bits of fabric over her ample bust while repairing the tears in her skirt.

"Shinsoo is much stronger than I imagined. Any longer and I would be dead." She thought, standing when she saw The Mage walking through the halls. Embarrassed at her failure, she turned her head and tried as best as she could to keep her chest covered with her arms when the last bits fabric fell away, stopping her skirt from falling off by leaning against the wall.

"Master, I'm sorry. I have failed y…" she fell silent when the Mage put his arm around her back and pressed the side of her head to his chest. He said nothing for a long while, releasing his hold and pulling from his sleeve a new cloak, putting it over her shoulders to cover her. Whispers hung in the air for a moment as he left, disappearing in a cloud of black mana. Eleanor was stunned; she had never expected the Black Mage, of all people, to show her kindness for failing such a task. She was overcome and fell to her knees in tears, memories of her past rushing to her. Her father had done the same thing when she had fallen into a thorn bush wearing her best clothes as a young girl before they had died. The Mage's embrace, for a short while, made her feel safe as if her father was holding her.

Francis worked furiously on his new doll when the Black Mage's image appeared, hissing whispers of intrigue.

"Are you kidding? I'm like a kid in a candy store now that I'm back with my precious dolls; of course, I'm going to cause a stir." He answered as the mage neared him, leaning down to his ear where his whispers became hostile before fizzing out of existence. Francis looked over to where Tae Roon stood guard and clenched his teeth. Turning back to his desk, he pulled out a new cornhusk doll he had hidden and quickly undid the shrinking spell. Francis equipped the massive form that stood 6 feet above Tae Roon with hammers, swords, flails, and chains to give it a fearsome appearance.

"I am not some little kid you can push around to deliver some message. Don't worry, mother; I'm coming for you." He mumbled, fine-tuning an arm on the doll one more time.

Once they were able to find transport to Victoria and had arrived, the six of them slowly made their way down through the caves cutting down the one-eyed lizards that attacked them. After two hours of following the map drawn for them, they found the fortress, taking cover when they saw Tae Roon standing guard at the door.

"So now what, Matthew?" Jack asked, rolling his shoulder to ease the tension in it.

"Lillianne, can you keep Tae Roon busy while the rest of us get inside?" Matthew asked. Lillianne smiled darkly tribal seals appeared above her and on her halberd.

"I could take him on with one hand and foot tied behind my back, blindfolded." She smiled, catching Roon's attention as she leaped from cover and led him away. The others ran to the fortress, hiding among the many piles of materials in the halls until they came to an empty room lit by a few candles.

"We might be able to find a clue to his whereabouts in here," Helen suggested, all of them taking a section of the room to search. As they searched, Jack heard the crinkle of dry leaves and turned to see a giant golem raising a hand over Jenny. He bolted behind her in a flash of light, catching the giant hammer before it hit. Jenny turned around and released a blow, knocking back the giant corn husk figure, allowing Matthew to chop off the arm with his Gladius. Jack rushed forward, smashing the body so that it was barely stable. Olsen hurled a pair of stars through another of the golem's arms while Helen threw an icicle into the damaged torso.

"You fools! It's a doll! Dolls were never alive to begin with. The only way to stop it is to destroy it or kill the Puppeteer." A child's voice said in the dark as the golem raised one of the swords and swung hard at Matthew, who aimed to cut off the arm. He missed when the doll pulled back and hit Matthew with one of the hammers into the wall. Jenny fired arrows being sure to stay on the move so she wouldn't be an easy target, pummeling the doll with her Double Strike while Jack drew its attention by pounding it with his fists. Matthew shook the stars from his vision, charging furiously and cutting one of the arms clean off.

"Stop! You're breaking it!" the young voice said as the doll swung a second hammer at Matthew only to have it blocked then blown apart by Olsen. The golem was then set ablaze by Helen's fireball, nearly knocking it over in the process. The doll turned its head back to her as Jenny and Olsen glided through the air, unleashing arrows and stars into it's back. It swung its second sword behind it but missed when Jack hit the doll's torso, breaking the trunk and throwing it into a wall. The little voice somewhere in the dark growled as he pulled on his strings, making the doll stand once more. Before it could get up, all five of them attacked together, reducing the doll to ashes and chunks of corn husk. Jenny looked closer and could see faint strings leading back to a dark corner of the room.

"You broke it! You idiots!" the boy yelled, coming out from the dark shadows and kneeling next to the ashes of his creation. Matthew sheathed his sword, grabbing a length of nearby rope and reaching for the boy's arm.

"What are you doing?!" the boy demanded, struggling to break free of Matthew's grip.

"There are some people who would like to have a word with you." The boy growled, beating on Matthew's stomach and fighting to get away as he screamed.

"NO! LET GO! I CAN'T LET YOU TAKE ME! I HAVE A TASK TO COMPLETE!" he shouted. Matthew gritted his teeth and began to tie the boy's hands behind him roughly.

"Your task is done. You and your Black Mage are responsible for a lot of people's deaths, and you will answer for them."

"No, you don't understand! If I don't complete it, he'll kill her!" he screamed, struggling even harder until he managed to break a hand free. Matthew quickly wrestled his arm back into place, further tying them until Jenny thought she saw tears rolling down his cheeks and his mouth move, saying something indecipherable.

"Matthew, Stop!" She commanded, kneeling and turning his face up to hers, pulling his hood back to reveal his dark blue eyes, which were so full of sadness that it made Jenny's chest feel heavy.

"Are you Francis?" she asked, brushing his hair away from his face. The boy nodded, pulling from Matthew's grip and latched onto her as tight as he could and bawled into her shoulder, speaking at best he could through his crying hitches

"It's my mom; The Black mage has her. He said that if I don't do what he wants, he's gonna hurt her." Jenny felt sorry for the boy; She had no clue what she would stop to if her mother were used and leverage over her.

"I'm sure your mom's safe," Helen said, trying to reassure him and kneeling next to Jenny while stroking his hair.

"No, you don't get it. The Mage has her in his dungeon, and if I don't do what he wants, he's gonna hurt her." Jenny hushed his crying as Jack came up and stood over them.

"The Black Wings are one nasty bunch of people, man. How's you get mixed up with them anyway?" he asked. Francis dried his tears as he began.

"It was a while ago, but ever since I can remember, I could control anything as though it were a Marinette by using strings of mana. I was out playing with some new dolls I had made when Eleanor came up to me, saying that the Black Mage could use someone with my abilities. I said no, but she said that they would hurt my mother if I didn't. So I joined them to keep her safe. I did a lot of horrible things and never saw my mother again. The Cygnus Knights stopped me, which led to my death. But now that I'm alive again, the Mage has captured my mother to keep me under tighter wraps." Francis became quiet for a moment, then quickly got up and kicked Matthew back as he moved behind Jenny and attached his Mana strings to her, taking control of her body.

"But I have one of you to be my doll; I can save my mother!"

"Olsen, help me." Jenny pleaded as she walked against her will backward towards the door, readying her bow. Matthew and Jack prepared to rush the boy. Francis snapped the stings making Jenny draw her Spine Arrow buzzing with the power of the Emerald Crystal and mana.

"Stay back! I've waited long enough to free my mother from that man, and now I have the means. Nothing will…" his victory speech stopped as the handle of Lillianne's halberd hit him in the side of the head, knocking him out and cutting the strings controlling Jenny, who quickly ran to Olsen shivering. Being unable to control her own body made her think back to when the Stump King had nearly crushed her to death.

"Are you ok?" Lillianne asked, dropping the unconscious Tae Roon outside the door, slinging her Halberd over her shoulder, and picking Francis in her arms.

"I will be." She shuddered, breathing slowly to calm herself as Matthew once again tied Francis' hands together.

"Is that necessary?" Helen inquired as she stood next to Matthew.

"For now, it is. I would rather Francis didn't take over another one of my friends." Matthew replied, making sure to tie the knot tightly as he signaled to leave. Three hours after leaving the mines, Francis awoke to find himself surrounded by The Masters, Tae Roon, Aran, Lillianne, and 'The Five' deep inside Tae Sang's peach farm.

"So, the little puppeteer is finally awake. You didn't have to strike him, Lilli." Aran smiled as Lillianne clenched her jaw, irritated that Aran refused to stop calling her by that name. Francis tried to take control of another person but found his hands tied behind his back. He struggled to free them for a minute or two before hanging his head as tears began streaming down his face once again. Aran knelt, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Francis, I was told about your mother. And I am sorry, but what you have done in the past still haunts all of us. Many of our comrades lost their lives because of your following this mad man, do you understand what I am saying?" he asked. Slowly Francis looked up to the old warrior and scowled.

"If The Black Mage threatened your mother because you wouldn't serve, wouldn't you do anything to keep her from getting harmed?!" asked Francis in a tear thick yell. Matthew and Lillianne looked to each other, torn about what to do: turn him over to the knights or help him rescue his mother. In the odd silence, Olsen drew a pair of throwing stars while standing behind Aran, the points glinting with sunlight. Aran turned and was surprised when Olsen swung his hand hard. Aran tried to stop his arm, as did Jenny, running to him. Francis flinched but heard the stars slam into the wood. Francis opened his eyes and looked all over his body, watching the ropes that held his hands drop to the ground. Olsen then glared at Francis, hot pink aura seeping from his arms and shoulders like smoke.

"We'll help rescue your mother, but once that is complete, you will submit yourself to the Knights. Am I clear?" he growled, purposefully turning his hand to reveal his dagger. Francis fearfully nodded as Olsen quickly sheathed the knife, catching the surprised stares of both Aran and Jenny as he turned to walk away.

"How do we find your mother?" Helen asked gently, sitting down next to Francis. Once he had calmed a bit, he looked around to gather his bearings.

"To the west of here, just before the Mine of the Dead, there is a magically hidden path leading to a castle of the Black Mage."

"A castle? You mean there's more than one?" asked Jenny.

"I have never been to his main castle, nor has anyone ever seen it for that matter, other than Eleanor. The other castles are illusions; once the Mage is done with them, they get destroyed. If we can get passed the barrier, then I can lead you to the dungeon where they would be holding her." Kyrin came walking up to the group, having returned to Herb Town to find the Ticket Triplets; Cherry, Erin, and Joel.

"Here they are. The only ones who might do what you need." Kyrin said while Joel clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

"So! What is it you youngin's need doin'? Mah sisters and ah are said to be the roughest, toughest ship drivers out there." Joel asked in a heavy southern accent.

"We need you to take us to the Forest of the Dead," Matthew answered flatly. Joel pulled his leg up and smacked his knee, while Cherry took her hat off and swung it around as Erin shouted with an enthusiastic howl.

"Hoowee! That right thar is what we Tickets live fer. We'll get you there, and be back before supper." She shouted with the same southern accent. The three of them ran excitedly back to their ship to get it ready, leaving the group in stunned silence. Lillianne walked up to Matthew and spoke in a low voice.

"I'm worried about Olsen. What if he believes that Francis led us into a trap." She asked.

"Even if that were the case, l don't think Olsen would kill the kid if that's what you're worried about."

"He seemed almost to be looking forward to it while we were leaving for the fortress."

"I don't think any of us are ready to take a life — not even Olsen. Even if he does decide to do that, I will make sure it doesn't happen." He answered with a stern yet somber tone. Lillianne nodded, grabbing his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I have some duties to tend to here in Herb Town, so I can't go with you. Just keep your head about you." She insisted, heading off to her duties. Within thirty minutes, 'The Five,' Cygnus, and Eckhart were on their way to the forest, passing over the cold El Nath Mountains at their highest point. The cold made them all of them shiver, even while they stayed in the warmer hold of the flying corvette. Cherry came down from the helm and began passing out old looking cloaks to each of them.

"These here cloaks were made by Alcaster. Best mage in the north for anyone that ever came to El Nath. They may not seem like much, but believe me; they sure keep you warmer than a biscuit in the oven." Each of them was thankful for the leather cloaks, the cold melting away and their fingers were burning as the feeling came back into them. Francis still kept a close eye on Olsen, being careful not to destroy the delicate trust he had established; he didn't want to waste the chance given to him. A few minutes before they were to land and disembark, Cygnus went into the main cabin to find Francis, seeing him huddled next to Jenny for not only warmth but also under guard.

"Hello, Elde. Do you remember me?" Cygnus asked, coming closer to them and standing before Francis.

"How do you know my real name?" he asked, backing away from her slightly.

"I am The Empress Cygnus, a good friend of your mother's. I remember you when you were just a baby, and how Neinheart would hold you during meetings, or bring you to the training grounds once you were old enough." Francis lowered his brow, then shook his head.

"No, I don't remember you. But you are the one that's going to decide what happens to me, aren't you." He asked, almost disappointedly.

"Yes, I am." Francis hung his head as Jenny put an arm around him.

"I'm going to jail, huh?" he asked bluntly.

"Yes, unfortunately. But I will remember you rescuing your mother once we return to Herb Town, and perhaps, in time, you will be freed. But let's not focus on that right now. Let's focus on getting your mother back." Cygnus held her hand out to him, pulling Francis to his feet once she felt the ship begin to descend. After leaving the boat, an ominous cold wind blew all around them while the Tickets circled overhead.

"Where is this barrier?" Helen asked, trying to find some inconsistency with the horizon to give away the presence of a barrier.

"You won't be able to see it, at least at your current level of power. The barriers erected by the Black Mage hard to see, even for me. We are right in front of it. I only know because I was there when the Black Mage put it up." Francis explained, walking over to a tree and knocking on it while putting his ear to the bark.

"Right here… this tree is our ticket through the barrier. Except that I don't…" before Francis could finish, Jenny drew an arrow and launched a bomb arrow, blowing a hole in the middle of the trunk.

"Is that enough?" she asked, lowering her and clipping it to her back. Francis nodded nervously, leading through to reveal a monstrous black castle, the central spire standing taller than any of them could see. Clouds hung around the tops of the lower spires. Skeleton soldiers patrolled the top of the walls while more patrolled the grounds with skeleton dogs at their side.

To keep out of sight, Francis quickly led them through the twisted dead trees around the castle to a secret entrance at the back of the castle. Inside was just as dangerous, trying to avoid the one or two generals riding skeleton horses, capable of releasing massive clouds of deadly poison. After a few close calls to alerting the soldiers, they finally reached the dungeon where Olsen and Eckhart took out the guards, allowing them to enter.

With no other guards visible, they quietly searched every cell with little or no success or finding others that had died while in the dark depths.

"I'm a bit surprised that you came with us to such a Dangerous place, your empress," Jack said in a low voice. Cygnus smiled and nodded.

"Believe me, Guardian, if it were up to my Knights, I wouldn't have even come to see Francis when you retrieved him. But Neinheart is a dear friend of mine, and I feel that I should at least show some personal effort in her rescue. I've made mistakes, and doing this is the least I can do. " She answered, kneeling to a skeleton sporting armor with the sigil of her forces, putting a hand over it and bowing her head.

"I wonder if this soldier died alone." She muttered, her demeanor seeming to fall. When Francis and Matthew reached the very last cell, the boy peered through the window to see a figure hanging on the wall with chains wrapped around her body and neck, keeping her in suspended.

"Mother? Mother?!" Francis called. The noise drew the attention of the rest of the group to hear a small whisper from within:

"Elde…" Francis began pulling on the door, making it rattle loudly, echoing through the halls.

"Francis, be quiet. The guards will hear." Matthew said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But my…" Helen put a finger to her lips and pointed to a talisman hanging above the door.

"That talisman is connected to the door. If we open the door without removing that talisman, the place will go up in smoke." She explained, teleporting herself inside the cell. From the outside, her movements appeared to blur, waving her staff over each anchor point of the chain, freezing them. She broke each chain quickly, catching Neinheart, who limply fell into her arms, barely conscious. A moment later, Helen teleported them both out of the cell, where Francis ran and wrapped his arms around his mother, holding her up. Cygnus knelt next to them, reaching into her sleeve, pulling a small bottle of Elpam from it and tipping it to Neinheart's lips.

"That cell has been with Time Magic. Time moves many times faster than out here. How long has she been missing?" Helen asked, held up by Jack, as the effects of the cell wore off. Cygnus stood once again, offering her the bottle of Elpam for a sip.

"Neinheart left six days ago to meet up with one of our shadows. Usually, Neinheart won't return for at least a couple of days. She is a competent woman, and so I thought nothing of it when she had returned the same day she left in Mu Lung." The Empress replied.

"It looked like you were in there for only a couple seconds," Jack said, helping to steady Neinheart one he was sure that Helen could stand on her own. Helen looked at the sigil and held her hand forward, studying the magic within the cell.

"Calculating it all out, in six days, she would have been in that cell for an equivalent month." Helen surmised. Color began returning to Nienheart and used what strength she had recovered to hold her son close when she saw him when something sparked in Jenny's mind.

"Wait, in the game, Neinheart was a guy. So why is Neinheart a woman? Eleanor could be playing us again!" she called, reaching back and nocking an arrow until Cygnus held up her hand and shook her head.

"No, Jenny, this is and isn't Neinheart. Neinheart Von Rubistein was an excellent friend of mine, helping me enormously as my tactician after my coronation as empress at the age of twelve. Once my Knights had been trained and empowered by Shinsoo, we began our efforts to prevent the rise of the Black Mage in tandem with your parents before they left for the world of your birth. A Knight in training under Eckhart had taken a liking to Neinheart by the name of Heidrin. Once knighted, she began training under Neinheart for strategies in leading the platoon of trainees assigned under her against the Black Mage." When more of her strength returned, Heidrin released Francis and held him away from her. What little light come into the dungeon revealed her young features and blue eyes that anyone at first glance would easily mistake for Nienheart.

"Even though I lead many soldiers into battle, I found myself falling in love with Neinheart." Heidrin continued, smoothing down a few strands of Francis' hair.

"Our son Elde was born a few months after our wedding. From the first time he could crawl, he could control anything as though it were a marionette. Ten years went by uninterrupted: but one day, Elde vanished. The Knights and I searched for days but couldn't find anything leading to his whereabouts. With the seal broken on The Black Mage, his first act was destroying Ereve by raining down fire on the island. I evacuated at the request of Neinheart, who stayed behind with the Chief Knights and some of the more advanced knights to hold off the Mage's forces. The battle took many lives, including my husband, whose body was never recovered or found. The only thing recovered was his monocle." Heidrin put a hand on her chest, where Olsen guessed the monocle hung around her neck like a pendant.

"Once Neinheart was lost, Heidrin took up the role of being my tactician. Many a time, I would call her by Neinheart's name by mistake. So to make things easier, she adopted the name while searching for her lost son." Heidrin then hugged Francis close as Jack appeared to be looking up, pointing his finger in different directions.

"Let me get this straight; Francis' real name is Elde, who is the son of Neinheart and a former knight? Is that why you wanted to come, Empress?" he asked. Cygnus nodded as Francis hugged Heidrin, holding onto her waist, not wanting to let her go after not seeing her for nearly six years.

"Elde, it's ok, I'm here. You rescued me, just like I knew you would. You have the bravery of your father. He would be very proud of you." Heidrin smiled, holding her son close when a chilling blood lust washed over all of them. Francis' eyes went wide as everyone turned to face the form that stood before them: The Black Mage himself. Questioning whispers hung in the air while the Mage squinted his eyes, holding his hand out to Heidrin as if pointing at her.

"You were the one that betrayed me, Mage! You said that if I worked or you, you wouldn't hurt her, and what was the first thing that you did when I didn't do as you wanted?" Francis yelled. The Mage narrowed his eyes further as a wave of power passed over them all. Frozen with fear, no one could move as his dark power emanated from his body, causing them all to feel weak and heavy.

"I won't go back to serve you, and you won't ever threaten my mother again!" Francis yelled as he moved to the front of the group, holding his hand out as threads of mana wove to the skeletons around them. The Mage closed his eyes and shook his head, ethereal growls emanating from him as he held up his hand as though holding an orb while Francis' mana threads evaporated.

"I AM NOT A CHILD! I know that what you are doing is wrong!" the child shouted. In a blur The Mage held out his hand, lifting Francis and threw him to the side, slumping down after hitting his head on one of the iron cell doors. The Mage then turned his attention back to Heidrin, as if oblivious to the existence of anyone else. Angered hisses came from him as he raised his hand. A slender black glow grew from the ground forming itself into a spear, buzzing as the Mage grabbed hold of it.

"Don't… you… dare!" Growled Jenny, drawing a Spine Arrow that hummed with a green light, holding the point aimed for The Mage as her hair's color intensified. The Mage's attention snapped to her, making Jenny lose most of her nerve, fighting against the feeling to keep the arrow drawn. Sarcastic whispers hung around her for a moment until Jenny further pulled the string, and bore her teeth. The Mage's eyes smiled, holding his arms open as his whispers rose in volume to a mass of incomprehensible voices before appearing in front of Cygnus, reaching out his hand to her jaw. When Eleanor appeared in the doorway of the dungeon, she announced her presence with an authoritative tone, dressed in black rather than her usual violet clothes.

"He is right in laughing at your actions; you are all the same: You never stop to think about the actions you are taking. Someone comes along whose radical ideals require all to be wiped clean to start again, which means killing thousands of people, and yet you yourselves who call yourself righteous in protecting those thousands of lives who are willing to end the life of one person. Doesn't it amount to the same thing?" She asked, shifting her weight to one leg while putting a hand on her hip. Olsen drew his dagger and faced Eleanor, standing beside Jenny.

"You're wrong! We stand for those who are unable to protect themselves, who need someone to stand between them and the evils you cultivate!" Olsen growled. The Mage threw his head back in laughter sounding more like roaring flames, nearly losing his balance because of his hysteria. All at once, the Mage stopped, pointing to them as growls and hisses came from him, turning his hand up while Black Magic seeped from his body. Jenny slowly released her draw as his words hit her: she was willing to kill? Helen spoke up when she saw Jenny losing her resolve.

"No! We will defeat you and not because we have more power, but because the darkest parts of your heart have consumed you. If killing you is the only way to stop you when reason and pleading from the very one you loved no longer works…" Helen drew a large flaming sacred arrow and held it at the ready aimed for the heart of The Mage.

"…Then so be it." Jenny looked over to Helen, and then to Olsen beside her; both of them were willing to kill so readily. How could they justify it? The Mage's eyes brightened in anger at the mention or even the hint of his past betrayal of Minerva. In a blur, he hurled the spear of power he held at Heidrin. Matthew stepped into the path of the spear and held out his cloak but watched in horror as the spear passed through the fabric. Helen dispelled her arrow and raised her cloak to block the spear, but again failed as the spear passed through it.

Helen turned and reached out her hand to grab the spear. Heidrin shut her eyes and put up her hands in reflex until the sickening sound of a weapon piercing flesh squelched, splashing blood onto her face. Heidrin opened her eyes, only to be struck in shock as the spear sailed past her eyes in the chest of her son, landing on the ground in a bloody heap.

"ELDE!" She screamed, running to Francis' side, cradling him in her arms as Francis gasped and heaved through the blood running thick in his lungs when the spear dissipated. Helen ran to him and began using her healing spell, but it wasn't working fast enough to close the wound.

"Elde, listen, you need to stay with me, alright? You're going be alright, Helen's here and she's…" Francis placed a hand on Helen's and pulled it away from the gaping wound in his chest.

"It's alright. You're not hurt, are you mother?" Francis asked weakly. Heidrin shook her head as tears flowed down her cheeks. She reached for Helen's hands to start healing him again, but once again, Francis pushed them away.

"I've done a lot of bad things, too many, so I don't deserve to live. But at least I could protect you, mother. Please don't be sad, mother." Helen ignored his wishes and began healing him again, pulling on all she knew and the power of the Amethyst Crystal to give her even more power. But it wasn't enough as the boy's life slowly slipped away until there was nothing left. Heidrin' tears stung her eyes as she brushed aside his hair, hugging his body close, ignoring the blood that staining her dress. The rest all bowed their heads to this young boy whose only wish was to protect his mother. The Black Mage chuckled and shook his head as a cold, emotionless whisper left him. Jenny's resolve boiled; she could no longer stand his sickening voice. She drew her Spine Arrow again aimed for The Mage while Eleanor spoke for him.

"Save your anger, Guardian Archer. You needn't waste it on such a meaningless loss. You'll need that for the coming…" Jenny blocked out her words as something within her snapped; her hair lost all its reddish-brown color, becoming completely green while a hazy emerald flame ignited around her body. Her eyes glowed with a fearful green light as she gripped her bow until her hand hurt.

"He died protecting the very thing he loved, and yet you call that a meaningless loss?!" she shrieked. A forest green haze gathered into the shape of an arrow, sounds of electricity snapping around it. The bow transformed into a tribal design while a wind collected around the shaft. The already humming arrow began to howl as if it were a hurricane.

The Black Mage readied to erect a protection spell, but before he could summon it, his arm exploded and disappeared. He looked back at Jenny: the light in her eyes became livid as the radiating power of the Emerald crystal blew her hair up. The Mage's arm quickly regenerated as he gathered a sphere in each hand, hurling both orbs together, and launched a beam of dark light at her. Jenny drew her bow and loosed arrows until a stream of them slowed the beam. But the beam's power was more than Jenny's arrows could hold back, quickly overpowering them and consuming her in darkness. She vaguely felt herself being carried, hearing the sounds of stones falling all around her. When she finally came to, she found herself in the hold of the Ticket's ship with Olsen at her side.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting up and then holding her side as a shot of pain hit her.

"Matthew and Eckhart escorted everyone out while Helen and I stayed behind to help you if we could. The Black Mage overpowered your arrows. But the collapse of your power ended in an explosion. Helen and I managed to get to you in time before the explosion hit you; I wrapped you and her in my cloak so that she could teleport us to the ship. The castle collapsed soon after."

"What of Heidrin and Fra… I mean, Elde." Jenny asked. Olsen tilted his head over to the side where Heidrin sat next to the cold and stiff body of Elde with tears still falling down her face when Cygnus walked up to them.

"I thought Matthew's or Helen's cloak would have blocked that spear," Jenny said, flinching slightly when the stab of pain in her side pulsed. Cygnus set a hand on Jenny's shoulder.

"Matthew and Helen were just as shocked that their cloaks didn't work. Perhaps once we return to Herb Town, Aran may have an answer." She said gently, walking down to Heidrin and next to her.

"Elde was a courageous young man. I am so very sorry for your loss, Heidrin." Cygnus expressed softly. Heidrin looked up to Cygnus and collapsed into her lap, letting the tears flow in her grief. Talking amongst themselves, 'The Five' resolved to stay in Mu Lung a few days to train under the Knights and hopefully prevent the loss of any more life.

The Black Mage flexed his right hand, trying to get the sore feeling out of it from being regenerated. The archer was mighty, even at this early stage of her training.

"Are you alright, Master?" Eleanor asked as she brought him a glass of potion she had made while resting her head on his shoulder. The Mage said nothing, sipping on the tonic she had given him when Eleanor continued.

"The Guardian Archer appears to have her Crystal power awakened by emotion. She may still be amateur, but she has far more power now that she has fully awakened the Emerald Crystal within her. Added to that, she has been learning from Irena, the Wind Archer of Cygnus and Shinsoo. Shall I go and make sure that those kids remain on the path that you have set for them?" She asked when the Mage shook his head, whispers surrounding them as he held up his hand, turning to her as the whispers became questioning.

"My Wyverns haven't found anything on the remaining three Husks. The Husk we did find, however, was buried deep within the Mine of the Dead, very near to the heart of Zahkum's sealed chambers." The Mage seemed to think for a while. Perhaps there was a pattern as to the whereabouts of the next Husk. Flipping his wrist, the Dark Crystal appeared between his fingers.

"I found that crystal within the base of Minerva's statue," Eleanor explained, when the Mage clenched his hand, making the crystal disappear in a cloud of vapors, pointing to a part of Ossyria on a map.

"I will have my Wyverns search the area around Horn Tail's cave in the morning," Eleanor said when a growl came from the door leaning into The Mage's chamber.

"I may be able to offer some insight into the area." Horn Tail said as one of his heads slithered through the door of the Black Mage's room.

"Near the top of the Cave of Life, I have noticed something reflecting the sun from time to time. It might be worth a look." The Mage nodded and Horn Tail pulled his head from the room and left.

"Do you think that could be it?" Eleanor asked. The Mage only looked at her, raising his head and looking out the large window of his chamber, sipping on the potion again. Eleanor nodded as she stood and gazed at the Mage for a moment before leaving, swinging her hips sensually as she usually did. The Mage only looked at his hand while the words the Guardian Mage said echoed in his head:

"If killing you is the only way to stop you when reason and pleading from the very one you loved no longer works, then so be it." The Mage just snorted as he dropped his hand and sipped on the potion, clenching his fist once more to try and relieve the soreness in it.