Chapter 5: Training

The night left many things to ponder: what lay ahead of them? Would they ever be able to return to Ohio? Would any of them die? Would they be able to even stop the Black Mage? Would they be able to handle smaller related responsibilities? Dozens of children and pleading adults thanked them in advance as they wandered the camp before turning in. Salvation from the tyranny of the Black Mage was in sight, and it gave them hope to no longer be afraid.

Jack and Olsen seemed the least affected by the trust afforded to them, using it as a motivation to be better. Jenny thought of when Stumpy grabbed her and began to squeeze her, shivering as she remembered the crushing grip she had been caught in. It could have been easily prevented, but at the same time, her mother Athena showed her how to never let it happen to her or anyone else again.

Meanwhile, Matthew and Helen were especially conflicted. Matthew couldn't accept his failure to help Helen in her time of need. He had always seen himself as the noble warrior that would come to anyone's aid, and he often vicariously emulated that ideal by helping some of his classmates in Ohio. But letting down Helen by only standing by and being unable to do anything against Stumpy made him question his belief in that code.

Helen cursed herself, even blamed herself for letting someone touch her in such a manner when it could have been so easily prevented. She had always been a straight-A student, evident in her eligibility for Summa Cum Laude in next year's graduation. So many things had happened so quickly after her assault that it prevented her time to process. Jenny being nearby as someone she could speak to was a great help during the past two days, but it still couldn't erase the feeling of that man's hands on her, and now she was taken to another world and asked to be its savior. Why should she be the one to do something like that? Why should she be asked to protect an entire world when she couldn't even defend herself? When the next morning came, Matthew and Helen could barely walk straight, staggering into the large eating area just south of the 'Tent Suberb,' as it had been dubbed.

"What happened to you two? You look like you've been run over by a truck." Jenny commented to Matthew and Helen as she bit into a giant peach. As they both sat down, Jack and Olsen chuckled when Helen slumped over onto an arm, and Matthew dropped his head to the table.

"I couldn't sleep; too many things running through my head," Matthew replied, picking up a peach and biting into it. Helen reached for one but dropped it in surprise when Aran sat down next to her, while his wife Lilin, and daughter Lillianne, sat across from him.

"I could ask how you all slept, but just by looking at you all I can tell that Helen and Matthew didn't get any sleep," Aran said, peeling the skin from a juicy peach, and slurped up the juice as he bit into it.

"Well aren't you the clever detective," Helen muttered, despite wanting to just lay her head down and fall asleep, sluggishly reaching for the peach again. Her other hand reached into her pocket and pulled out her dead phone, only to stare at the blank black screen.

"Have you given any more thought to what I told you two last night?" asked Lillianne from a table behind them. Helen and Matthew sighed before Matthew offered his reply.

"It was all I could think about," Matthew mumbled, a yawn stopping him from biting into his peach.

"Will you help us?" Lilin asked with hopeful blue eyes. An odd silence fell over the group as Helen and Matthew became the center of attention. Aran broke the silence with a firm tone of voice.

"You must decide by mid-morning. Shanks will be piloting his ship to Victoria, where you will begin your training. I will not force you into this. Though without you, the Black Mage's rule may never come to an end." Olsen raised an eyebrow.

"Victoria? Wasn't it evacuated because The Mage was being resurrected? And what's the rush?" he asked. Grendal chuckled as he sat down next to Matthew and answered.

"It was. And The Mage's resurrection left the island in quite the unsafe state for most normal people. If we could replicate what exists in Victoria, we would. But that requires magic beyond what we can perform. As for the urgency, The Black Wings seem to have reduced their presence on the island. There is no telling when that will no longer be the case."

"And what would that be?" Helen asked, biting into her peach. Athena took a drink to clear her throat and answered.

"On the Island of Victoria, special training grounds exist in each city that aid new adventurers in training. These grounds have been created over the years by applying spells to the grounds, shaping them into what they are. If they were to be recreated, only someone with power equal to Minerva's could successfully do so."

"So, what? We gotta go to Victoria to train there? Why can't we train here where it's safer?" Jack asked, talking over a mouthful of bread in his mouth. Kyrin nudged him with her elbow before answering.

"You could train here, but none of you know how to use Mana. The training grounds are specially designed to help you learn to use mana. You can try using mana here, but I doubt it." She laughed. Jack stared at his hand, thinking back to when he beat up the thugs at the docks. If he could just remember how it felt, it might be a clue to controlling Mana. Kyrin smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't recommend trying to do that right now. The only thing you've felt is the power of the Ruby Crystal. Without any basic knowledge of mana control, you just might burn out your life force." Jack immediately put his hand down.

"Are you just going to send us there?" Jenny asked. Athena shook her head.

"No, Jenny. We will be going with you. While we are there, we, Chief Knight Oz, and Chief Knight Irena will be investigating the Sleeping Wood where The Mage rose from. Yasmin, Mark, Gregory, and May will stay here for the time being. There are dangers on Victoria that you would be able to handle, but not them. And we can only fight off so much." She answered. An awkward silence hung over them for the rest of the meal. Matthew was the first to finish and walk back to his hut.

He paced heatedly, trying to reason within himself what was expected of him. He wanted to make himself see that he could be what Ossyria needed. On the one hand, the weight of the world was rested on his shoulders, and it was his 'responsibility' to save this world. On the other hand, he was just a kid from Ohio with good grades and occasionally spent his afternoons alone. He battled with himself for nearly an hour on whether or not he would be the hero everyone wanted him to be. Helen came in and leaned against the door jam, crossing her arms and chuckling as she watched him pace.

"This isn't like you, Matt." She finally said, startling Matthew out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked, sitting down on his cot to catch his breath and calm himself after Helen startled him.

"Normally, when you're presented with a challenge, you do it without so much as a thought to the consequences or benefits. But right now you're just driving yourself insane." Matthew laughed and motioned back to her.

"Did you have a change of heart or something? Weren't you trying to resist this harder than me?"

"I was; but I thought about what Lillianne said, about how enough life has been lost. There must have been a lot of people that were killed during the evacuation, and there might be more. I don't think there are droves of people here ready to fight off such a powerful foe as The Black Mage like the game."

"Are you saying we should jump into something that could very well be extremely dangerous, not to mention deadly, just because we are the one who can defeat the Black Mage?" Matthew asked, crossing his arms.

"Each one of us has one parent who is an actual master, and they are going to train us. Yes, it may be deadly, but I doubt they would ask us to do something that we can't do. And yes, being 'the only heroes to stop the bad guy' is a bit cliché, but it's our reality now."

"So you actually believe what they told you?" Matthew asked, standing and walking over to her.

"Not completely, but it does explain for me all the weird things that our folks can do. And I bet it explains what your dad can do too. What's holding you back?" Helen asked, following after Matthew as he walked to a cliff near his hut overlooking all of the tents and cabins of the camp's residents.

"I am having trouble with being this person that everyone thinks is their savior. I'm an average person who has been asked to defend an entire world and its people from being destroyed. I don't want that kind of power! I'm not some awesome hero slash god from another world." Matthew shouted, running his fingers through his hair in a frustrated rage as he walked to the wall of his hut and leaned against it. Helen placed an understanding hand on his shoulder and sighed in solidarity.

"Look, I get it. We might fail, but we need to try."

"Shanks, get the engines ready. We are leaving without them." Aran said sternly, turning and walking up the gangplank while Grendal tried to persuade him otherwise.

"Aran, please just wait a bit longer. I'm sure that…"

"Grendal, we've waited long enough. Eckhart and his knights have found that the activity of the Black Wings is at an all-time low. If we don't go now, they may increase their troops, and we won't get another chance."

"Just give it another five minutes! Matthew's mom is looking for them." Jenny said, standing in Aran's way.

"Jenny, you sent Yasmin to search for them over forty minutes ago, and she hasn't returned with them yet. We are already well past the time I told you all we were leaving, and each minute we wait could mean that our luck will fail. Cast off when you're ready Shanks!" Aran called over Jenny's shoulder. Shanks nodded, pulling levers next to the helm to raise the anchors and unfurl the sails. Slowly and sadly, the Queen's Wing was pushed away by the dock hands and set afloat in the bay of the Mu Lung province. The sails pushed out as the light winds caught them, driving the large galleon into motion. Matthew and Helen arrived at the end of the dock just as the ship had turned around and was headed towards its launching point.

"WAIT! WAIT FOR US!" But the ship was already too far away for them to be heard. Helen backed up a few steps, ready to begin sprinting.

"What are you up to?" Matthew asked, noticing the determined light in her eyes.

"A wise person once said 'if your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.'" She said as she jumped into the ice-cold water and began swimming after the ship. Matthew huffed and jumped in after her, pushing his arms and legs as hard as he could to try and catch the accelerating galleon. From behind them, Jenny thought she had heard splashing and looked back to see Matthew and Helen swimming.

"Aran! They're coming! We left too soon!" Jenny called, pointing back to show Aran who ran to the side of the ship.

"Shanks we need to stop and get those two aboard," Aran commanded, running up to the helm at the back of the ship.

"I'm sorry, but if we stop now, we won't have enough speed to get into the air," Shanks replied. Athena bit her lip as she thought, then ran below deck and returned with a light rope in hand. She tied one end to an arrow, firing it into the water behind Matthew.

"GRAB THE ROPE!" called Dances as he tied the rope to the railing behind the helm. Helen quickly grabbed the line as is slid past her. Matthew couldn't find it as it had sunk just out of his reach. When he finally did find it, it was too far away to grab.

From below the water, turbines slid out of the hull and above the water, flames igniting within the housing, heaving into motion the large propellers at their backs. Matthew tried even harder to grab the end, flailing against the winds of the turbines that tried to push him back. Helen was soon brought aboard and quickly turned around to cheer Matthew while a towel was draped over her shoulders.

"We're almost at full power," Shanks called as he flipped switches to fold back the sails and to activate levistone heaters while large canvas wings unfurled on the bow. Jack looked to the Helm console where he saw a countdown with only a few seconds remaining.

"C'MON, MAN! YOU CAN MAKE IT!" Jack hollered. Matthew made one giant effort in reaching for the last few feet of the rope. All at once the turbines kicked in, knocking everyone into the railing or to the deck, speeding them along the last few hundred feet of water, over a waterfall and into the air. Shanks made a few adjustments and guided the ship into the clouds.

"What he able to grab hold?" Athena asked, getting up with a hand from Dances. Aran could only shrug; no one had really seen whether or not Matthew grabbed the rope. Now they were too far away to see if Matthew was still in their wake. Olsen hung his head as he leaned against the railing.

"He was so close too." He said disappointedly, following everyone down the stairs from the helm to and into the hold. It would be a good few hours before Victoria was in sight. Before descending the stairs, Olsen stopped, listening to something that he thought he heard. Jin turned back and motioned for him to follow.

"Olsen, come, we must get below deck…"

"Shh…" Olsen cut Jin off, running back to where the rope was tied on. As he looked down, he thought the line was pulled tight while something swung from it. Olsen thought he heard a faint voice calling out from somewhere in the clouds.

"Hey! Heeeeeeyy! Anyone there!?" it called out. As they cleared the clouds, they could all see Matthew hanging on the rope for all he was worth. Olsen called over Dances and Jack as the three of them hauled Matthew up. Matthew was greeted by everyone before given a towel despite being sopping wet.

"You are, indeed, a warrior. Only the son of Dances with Balrog would attempt something as foolish as this." Jin said sternly. Matthew tried many times to speak, only to have his words be lost in a multitude of pants.

"You lot should go below deck to get warmth and rest. It'll be a few hours before we clear the Nihal desert and even more time before we clear Ludibrum." Shanks said, speaking mainly to Helen and Matthew, who both accepted the offer with gratitude. Jin and Athena hung up hammocks for the two of them which Helen and Matthew crawled into and promptly began falling asleep.

"Can you believe it? We're headed to the actual Victoria Island!" Jenny said, realizing she might have said it a bit too loudly.

"I know! I want to go see is Pig Beach really exists." Jack answered. Olsen propped himself up within the crook of a couple boxes and reclined against them.

"I want to know if the Secret Garden really exists." Jack raised his eyebrow and looked over to him.

"Secret Garden?"

"Yes, it's supposed to be the starting grounds for the upcoming Dual Blade coming out in a couple months," Olsen said proudly.

"How did you get a look at it if it isn't out yet?" Jenny asked, remembering she had seen some promotional videos for it, but nothing beyond that.

"It was on video I saw that was showing it off in the Korean version."

"But if it's a 'secret' garden, doesn't that mean it's supposed to be a secret?" Jack asked.

"Secret or not, I just want to know if it's real." Olsen chuckled, as the three of them quietly talked while Athena and Jin headed further back in the hold to the makeshift conference room. As they neared, Jin grabbed Athena's arm hard and stopped her firmly mid-stride.

"Athena, you do know that you won't be able to help them as much if they are going to be the strong warriors we need them to be. They will never learn if we hold their hand the entire way," Jin firmly said to her. Athena nodded.

"The Guardians won't survive if we don't until they can stand on their own. I know how much you want to ask of them, but survival training is something they have not been taught as of yet, at least, to survive in Ossyria. They have only been here for a few days, Jin, give them time to learn and adjust. It was years before even you were half the ninja you are today." She answered, but Dark Lord Jin shook his head.

"I was not born with power created by Minerva. Just in coming back to our world, the crystals are beginning to regain their power, making them more of a target. They all need to learn how to tap into that power and use it for themselves to stop the Black Mage."

"That will come with time, Jin. For now, they need our guidance in learning the basic forms of Mana Manipulation. Without it, they could kill themselves." Jin released Athena and silently stomped back to the conference room. Matthew listened quietly as he slowly fell asleep: yes, he was worried about what lay ahead of him, but he was far too tired to care.

The Mage was looking into his crystal ball as the little group was making its way to the since abandoned Victoria: so predictable. They couldn't find another way to teach without being dangerous. Under the leadership of Eleanor, the Black Witch, the Black Wings had been searching vigorously for any hints as to the location of the original founder of the Black Wings, Orca. Nearly a thousand years had passed, so her suspended animation sarcophagus could be anywhere.

Initially, The Black Mage intended to seek out his Ephenia, the Fairy Queen whom he had seduced into following him, turning her and the papillio against Minerva. But as he neared her forest palace of vines and flowers, he found it to be blocked off by an unusually powerful barrier. Not even his Black Magic was able to penetrate it. Upon studying the magic, he discovered that it had been erected not long after his sealing by Minerva's Heroes, but its makeup was of modern design.

It was strange that modern magic had been in the past, but that was of little consequence. The gathering of his old generals would be a priority. Orca had been the one to design the sarcophagus for all the generals as a backup plan, and she was the only one that knew where the others were hidden all over Ossyria. However, General Von Leon might be harder to find as his castle had disappeared shortly before The Mage's assault on the Temple of Time.

And then there was the matter of the Crystal Husks. Eleanor and her pet Wyverns were searching all of Ossyria for them, but as of yet, their locations remained a mystery. It would take time, but that would be time for these Guardians to retrain the power of the Crystals.

Matthew found himself walking along a long path, lined with people that he didn't recognize, each one reaching out, begging for release and assurance. At the end stood a man dressed in tattered black robes. He, Jenny, Olsen, Helen, Jack, and a girl Matthew didn't recognize were all racing towards this man in unison. But it didn't seem like enough.

Power of differing colors began flowing from around the five of them, but the girl doubled over in pain. Matthew went to see if she were alright, but she forced herself back to her feet and fought with them. All six of them attacked, this time hitting harder than before. The man in black reeled as he tried to deflect the attacks, but some of them were too heavy and landed their mark.

As they fought, the girl stopped and spit up blood. Matthew went to her, but she insisted that she was alright and that they should keep fighting. He continued to fight the man in black but felt worried when the power surrounding the girl changed from grey smoke to pale green light. Matthew also noticed that their attacks became weaker.

Looking back to the girl, he noted that blood was running from her eyes, nose, and mouth. He called out her name, but again, she rallied her strength and stood to fight. The man in black appeared to be weak and mustered all their remaining power into the one blow. Light erupted as the attack connected, sound waves ripping through the air and demolishing all within the room.

When at least the light subsided, Matthew ran to the girl, catching her just as she was collapsing. Blood soaked his gauntlets from a wound in her side. He called for Helen to heal her, but Helen shook her head. With the last bit of life in her, the girl reached up and caressed Matthew's cheek. It looked as though she were desperately trying to say something. But her massive strength failed and she slowly, painfully fell limp when a sudden jolt made Matthew spill out of the hammock onto the floor of the ship's hold.

"Ow, my head…" he mumbled, rubbing his forehead. As he opened his eyes, he noted they were sore and wet. Had he been crying? Why was he crying? Did that girl in the dream mean something to him? As he stood back up, he noted that his whole body and steps felt light and the floor had a slant to it, as if the ship were descending. Once he found his footing, Matthew made his way back up to the deck and was immediately swathed in damp clouds where he was greeted by Jack.

"Hey, you're up. You alright man? You were crying pretty hard back there." Matthew wiped his eyes again, wiping the last remaining tears.

"I think so. I had this really vivid dream, and someone I really cared about died."

"That's intense. Was it your mom?"

"No, it wasn't her. It was some other girl I didn't recognize, but we were close. Like, really close." Jack chuckled and shrugged.

"Heh, well that's dreams for ya. I had a dream that I was fighting off a giant green apple." Matthew snorted and burst out laughing.

"An apple? Really?"

"Yeah man, it was no joke." The two of them laughed about it for a while until the ship burst from the cloud cover, revealing an island amid a dark sapphire sea.

"There it is, Guardians, The Island of Victoria," Aran announced. Matthew's breath caught in his throat as what lay before him was not the idyllic island from Maplestory. Instead, it looked like a warzone, even from their great distance. In the center of the island, a massive black chasm spread its ashen blight over the island, causing it to appear dead.

"What happened?" Helen asked in a breathy voice. Aran's brow pursed and his jaw clenched.

"This is what the Black Mage's unsealing left behind." He growled, remaining silent for a while, speaking again in a commanding voice.

"Be on your guard and follow the instructions of your parents. The island may be deserted by its people, but the Black Wings still operate here. Your training will help, but if you encounter any Black Wings, retreat to your masters as fast as you can. Even as you are now, you stand no chance against them," He said, turning to Shanks and nodding to him, making the decent become faster.

"So, are you like, going back to Herb Town or something?" Jenny asked.

"No, Chief Knights Eckhart and Oz will be joining me to investigate the site where The Black Mage rose from. It may hold some clues as to how he was released." Another hour passed before Shanks brought the ship down through a mass of trees. Ash and dust billowed everywhere until the turbines began to spin down. Once the dust had settled, they saw a broad, wooden path leading to the side of the ship, which rested on a platform further down. Jin was the first to disembark, motioning for the others to follow through a tunnel that led through a massive tree trunk.

The Five blew past Jin, stopping on the other side of the tree, staring in awe at the sight that was before them. Trees as tall as skyscrapers reached to the sky with leaves as big as cars. Drops of dew as big as baseballs hung the tips of the leaves.

"It's beautiful," Jenny whispered, taking in the whole scene before her.

"This is nothing like the game. This is so much bigger," Jack commented before catching sight of a house near the tops of the trees.

"Hey, isn't that…"

"Yes, Jack, that's my house," Grendal answered, hovering over the branches up to the front door.

"I still can't quite wrap my head around your grandfather being the Grendal," Jenny said with a chuckle as they walked over to a bridge made of vines and planks, following them to where Grendal stood, holding his hand against the door of the building.

"This place used to be so alive," he whispered, only loud enough for Helen to hear as the others wound their way up to the building.

"Since the Fairies left, well, there hasn't been much life in this place," He said sadly as he pushed the door open to reveal his study and home, teaching many a traveler the ways of magic. The rest of the group filed into the small house, looking around in wonder at the dusty room filled with books until Aran brought their attention back to the task at hand.

"I know that all of this must be overwhelming, but you must all go your separate ways. Grendal and Helen will stay here in the east forest of Ellinia. Dances with Balrog, Kyrin, Jack, and Matthew shall go the Northern hills of Perion. Dark Lord and Olsen shall go to the west alleys of Kerning City. Finally, Athena and Jenny shall go to the southern plains of Henesys. You masters have been allotted two months to train. During that time, there will be some instances where your masters will come with me to investigate happenings around the island. Are there any questions?" he asked. Jack raised his hand slowly.

"Yes, Lord Jack."

"Who's back in Mu Lung guarding everyone if everyone is here?"

"That doesn't need to be a worry of yours. Evan, Lillianne, and the remaining Empress Cygnus' Knights are there to ensure the safety of everyone there. Are there any other questions?" Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the information given to them, so Aran drew eight glowing blue stones from his vest, handing one to each of the masters.

"We shall convene in two months then: train hard, Guardians of Ossyria!" Each of the masters grabbed onto their children and shot into thin air right before Helen's eyes.

Helen Begins:

As her friends vanished before her eyes, Grendal and Aran bid their farewells, before her grandfather turned to her and sighed.

"Right then: We should get your training started. You even get to wear special clothing!" called Grendal, leading her into a back room where he searched through trunks, boxes, and even the drawers in his bedroom.

"Are the clothes in Ossyria like the ones in the game?" Helen squealed, shortly after Grendal returned from his searching with dust all over his white robe.

"Yes and no. Here, clothes and armor still help in amplifying your power, but not in the same way as the game portrays." He said as he searched. Helen helped in the search, at the same time imagining herself wearing a Red Calaf robe. It was something she had wanted to make and dress in for Halloween that year. As she searched, Helen saw two old glass cases with no doubt something ancient and valuable inside. The glass was covered in so much dust that no one could see through it any longer.

"Hey Grampa, what are those cases up there?" she asked. Grendal followed where she pointed and smiled. One of the cases levitated from its perch with a wave of his hand to where Helen stood. Helen grabbed a cloth and wiped away the dust from the glass, revealing a backless dress as black as a raven's feather that secured around the neck. The light shining through the windows made it glisten with a gold sheen as though it were polished onyx. A gold belt hung low around the waist while silken gold half sleeves hung on either side of it.

"Whose dress was this?" Helen asked as she wiped more and more dust from the case, revealing the other accessories within.

"This dress is the only one of its kind. As of yet, there has been no one to wear the prized Onyx Empress Requiem. If you train with all your heart, you may one day wear such a garment." Helen's awe was only broken when Grendal held a bland looking sleeveless shirt and long skirt to her.

"What are these?" Helen asked with raised eyebrows and questioning eyes while taking the scratchy woolen clothes.

"These are your training clothes. Once you have completed your training, you will be awarded this." Grendal pulled back a curtain to reveal a free-flowing top and skirt in lovely lavender and purple colors. The tube top flowed into loose-fitting, sheer sleeves. The knee length skirt was made of the same material as the sleeves, with an apron-like fabric hanging from the waist under the skirt. She then looked back at the drab clothes Grendal had given her and sighed.

"Can't I just wear that?" she asked, pointing to the black dress. Grendal slowly shook his head.

"That dress contains ancient power, which would overwhelm you just by touching it. For now, you will wear these. All great magicians, myself included, wore something just like those clothes you're holding," Grendal said. Sighing disappointedly, Helen went into the back room to change, feeling rather conspicuous since the top was a tad too big and the skirt fit too snugly. The shoes she was given to wear were anything but glamorous, not to mention the pointed hat she was also given to wear was lopsided. When she came out, she carried her old clothes with her, holding her phone in her hand.

"Ah, there you are, and those clothes don't fit right at all." With a snap of his fingers, the outfit was adjusted to her frame with magical ease.

"Now then, off to the training grounds!" Grendal said with a smile, ready to step out the door.

"Where should I put these? Don't tell me you're going to throw them away!" Helen asked, motioning to her old clothes, feeling that she was leaving a large part of her life behind. Grendal stopped and looked back at the neatly folded pile in her arms.

"Throw them out? Why would I do such a thing? They are still good. Though you may outgrow them sometime down the road, there is no way that I would throw them out. Just set them there on that desk. I promise that we will return for them." He answered. Helen sighed and set her clothes down, hesitating before setting her phone down on top of them, knowing she may never be able to use it again. She gave one last longing glance at the phone before leaving through the front door, following Grendal over numerous vine bridges to a vast platform. It was secured to multiple trees, with grass, dirt, and even a small stream running through the middle of it. As Helen set foot on the platform, her whole body felt lighter as her fatigue vanished. Grendal turned back to her with hands behind his back.

"This place is where I trained many a Magician. For now, you are to keep your mouth closed, and your ears and heart open. Only answer questions that I ask. What I am going to help you with is to tap into your mana, an energy that comes from your Life Force. It is used as a catalyst for all magic or abilities. Now place your feet like this, just a bit wider than your shoulders, pull your arms in and close your eyes. Look deep inside yourself. Look for the feeling of energy swirling within you." Helen closed her eyes, listening to everything that was around her: birds singing, the light breeze blowing through the trees, and the musty smell of live wood. She was about to give up when she felt something. It felt like a light pressure in her chest.

"I think I found it!" she exclaimed. Grendal smiled when he heard the smile in her voice.

"Good. Remember that feeling. That is your mana. Now, you must take that feeling and direct it to your mind and your hands. This will properly open the pathways for you to use your mana and build the amount available to you. To compare it to something you already know, your total mana is equivalent to two mana points. But be warned; if you try to use any spell after your mana has completely depleted, you will instead use your life force. Unless you can tap into the power of the Crystal itself, which you will learn to use, you will slowly begin to kill yourself."

"But how can I learn to use that power? I barely know how to use mana." Helen asked, opening her eyes.

"You can use that power already. If you remember, you were subconsciously using it when you were giving students first aid. It took the form of a healing spell. The principle for using it is the same as mana, but it is far more potent. Learning to use the crystal's power will come in time. For now, focus on mana." For hours, the two of them worked to gain control of Helen's mana by directing it to her hands. It would often come close, but not before her mana would run out.

Just as the sun was setting, Helen finally broke through. Directing her mana made it grow tenfold. She would have liked to continue, but her body and mind were worn out. Grendal teleported them both back to his house. Helen meandered to a soft bed and collapsed, instantly falling asleep.

The next morning started far too early for Helen. Nonetheless, she dragged her sore body from bed to run through an underbrush obstacle course that Grendal had set up the night before. When she finished, Helen was given only a few moments to catch her breath, then hurled right into her magic training. Once shown and instructed, Helen practiced the most basic attacks, the Plasma Bolt and the Double Claw, on unsuspecting green blob-like creatures called Slime that roamed the area. Once she was sure of her mana control, Grendal showed her more advanced spells such as Magic Armor, Teleportation and Armor Fortification until her mana ran dry.

After Helen was given a rest, she was sent through the obstacle course and drained her mana again while Grendal coached her. On the third round running the course, Helen collapsed to the ground, panting and wheezing as though she had just run eighty miles.

"Get up, you still have the whole day ahead of you!" Grendal commanded. Helen pulled her elbows under her; her chest felt tight, each breath felt like fire, and her eyes burned from sweat dripping into them.

"No… more… for today… I'm spent."

"Do you think that the Black Mage will wait for you to regain your stamina? You must get up and go on!" Helen pulled her jelly legs under her, calmed her breathing, and brushed the sweat from her brow.

"Minerva would be proud of you, Helen. Now show me the most powerful Plasma Bolt you can muster!" Helen channeled mana to her hands, heating the air around it into its most basic form then hurled it away from her with a heartfelt yell.

Olsen Begins:

It felt only like a moment, but Jin and Olsen were soon standing outside of a rundown city. Once tall buildings lay in rubble all over the ground. Sidewalks were broken and twisted, newsstands and small shops had broken windows, while pages of newspapers littered the streets.

"Is this Kerning?" Olsen asked while Dark Lord shook his head.

"This is only what is left. Come." Jin commanded. Olsen solemnly followed until they stopped in front of a café with the doors missing. Inside was dusty beyond help. Chairs were broken everywhere, and bottles from the bar lay in shattered spreads of glass on the ground. The only placed left untouched was the back bathroom. Jin and Olsen crowded into the tiny space, then pulled the flush chain making the floor sink below ground level to what looked to be an underground boxing arena.

Jin walked off to the lockers while Olsen admired the scene before him. To one side of the room was a locked wardrobe. Something felt as if it were calling him from inside; something powerful.

"Hey, dad. What's inside the dress…" a shuriken came flying in from somewhere in the locker room and cut the lock off, throwing the doors open. The inside revealed a rugged and well-made red kimono shirt and pants edged in gold cloth, while a long sash was wrapped around the waist and tipped with a large bell. Knee high boots sat at the bottom of the dresser while a Captain's hat perched on top with a white bandana below it.

"That is the ultimate in Ninja Attire: The Blade of Flames. No other ninja, including myself, have ever become powerful enough, or worthy enough to wear such an honor. If you stay the course, you will. In the meantime, wear these." Jin answered, handing Olsen a dull red vest, loose-fitting pants, weighty brown shoes, and a floppy beanie.

"Clothes like these have been worn by some of the most powerful Ninja, myself included, in all of Ossyria." Olsen looked over the clothes and sighed, looking back to the Blade of Flames. He was going to wear that one day, he would make sure of it.

It didn't take him long to change into the training clothes. When he came out of the locker, his father was standing next to a mannequin dressed in a red sleeveless shirt over fine brass chainmail. The pants resembled red denim with plates of hardened armor attached to it on the shins. At the foot of the mannequin were boots covered in black chainmail, and a floppy, beanie-like hat sat on the head.

"This will be given to you once you have completed your training. Now come, we must make you aware of your mana," Jin commanded. The two of them sprinted through the city, performing many feats of parkour as they traveled to an abandoned construction site. Olsen instantly felt something wash over him as he stepped over the perimeter.

"Here is where many a Ninja was born. If you are going to be the hero you were destined to be, you must first have an awareness of your own power. The Pink Quartz's power is something you will be able to control with time, but that is not what I want you to use. I want you to use your mana. It is energy that every man, woman, and child is born with." Holding up his hand, a small pool of thick blue-brown liquid formed in his palm.

"Many are never aware of it: this energy comes directly from your Life Force, and so you must be careful when you do use it. You can use all your mana without consequence, but once you have, you must either rest until it is restored or tap into the limitless power of the Quartz. Otherwise, you will use your very own life force, and it will kill you." Olsen thought about what he had been told for a moment until Jin handed him a glove with a thin plate attached over the knuckles with small points, and a dagger. The glove also had close to twenty shurikens loaded into a small pocket just behind the palm under the wrist where the glove was fastened.

"This Claw is yours until you have completed your training. You will be given this, the Steel Guard, as a gift once your training is complete." Olsen looked over the Claw with eyes wide, the feats of what he had accomplished while playing his character in Maplestory coming to mind. He wondered if he would eve be able to return to Ohio one day, or if he could, would he even want to? He may be close to Matthew, Jenny, Jack, and Helen, but he had made some other friends in Ohio that he would miss. With a hard sigh, putting it out of his mind and centering on the moment.

"So how do I become aware of my mana?" Jin smiled. Olsen reminded him so much of his younger self during his days as part of the Night Lords.

"First, you must clear your mind; think only about finding a feeling of flow throughout your body. Stand with your feet together and your arms straight out to your sides." Olsen took the stance, despite feeling slightly stupid. A few times he couldn't really tell whether it was the need to go to the bathroom or something else, but soon he was able to find the flow of something. Concentrating on it, he felt a flutter in his gut.

"I've got it," Olsen called, continuing to concentrate on the flow. Jin smiled, watching as a low blue haze began to rise from Olsen's shoulders.

"Very good. Now channel that feeling into your arms and legs. Draw your dagger in the opposite hand of your Claw. Send the feeling through your arms and saturate both your Claw and your dagger. Take your time, because you will use up your supply of Mana."

"Well then what's the point?" Olsen asked, dropping his arms and opening his eyes.

"Another part of this training will expand your mana capacity. But be warned, once that you no longer feel your mana, you must stop. If you want to continue once your mana is gone, you must learn to control the Pink Quartz. Now concentrate!" Olsen snickered and retook his stance, clearing his head of everything. It was much harder than he had realized to redirect the flow that he had found. Just as he was getting close, his mana would run dry. After a short rest, he would try again, slowly but steadily opening his mana pathways and growing the amount of mana available to him. With the last effort, The routes were opened, leaving him exhausted. Jin made a campfire that night on the site and brought some blankets for Olsen to sleep on under the stars.

When morning came, Olsen was dragged from his covers and made to run a Parkour course, jumping over obstacles, steep inclines, and even over buildings. Once he finished, he was put through his paces using mana to throw two shurikens at one time or to stab twice so fast, both stabs appeared to hit simultaneously. For advanced techniques, Jin taught him the Shadow Cloak to become invisible and the Guard Drop to disorient an enemy. Once Olsen's mana would deplete, he would be allowed to rest for a short while, and then would be sent through the same process again until he collapsed in the middle of the day.

"I have… no more energy… I've gotta eat." Dark Lord nodded and let him have a small loaf of bread and some water, sending him through the course once finished. With each throw or stab, his mana was growing along with his speed and agility. Dark Lord could hear it in each grunt that came from Olsen. Each move he made began to show small flames, a sign that mastery of the techniques was building within Olsen.

Jenny Begins:

When Athena and Jenny arrived, neither was prepared for the sight that greeted them. Houses were flattened, shrubs yellowed, the grass had been turned to dust, and all the trees had been cut down except for one near the back of the village. Quietly, the two of them walked to that house, taking in all the damage that had been done during the evacuation.

"This looks nothing like the game." Jenny sighed as she knelt down and picked up a doll whose arm had been torn off and was missing a button eye.

"Within the game, the Black Mage was nothing but a far-off memory sweetheart. This is what fighting such a powerful foe looks like." Athena answered sadly.

"I remember children running through these streets, chasing one another with small bows and plunger arrows, pretending to be Minerva's heroes of old fighting off the Black Wings." Athena mused, still able to hear the sounds of those children's laughter, seeing their ghosts run through the streets. Jenny followed her mother into the house where broken arrows stuck into the wall or faded targets. It was so similar to the way the game had portrayed this house that Jenny felt as though she had stepped right into the game itself. As she admired the large front room, Athena went to her desk to search for something. Presently, Jenny came across a steel plate of names, reaching from the ceiling to the floor, covering an entire wall.

"What this?" she asked, running her hands over the letters which had been etched into the steel.

"It is a list of archers I trained before I left for the other world. Many, many of those names were lost during the battles that followed, but they will never be forgotten. Their sacrifice has laid the path for you to stop the Black Mage." Respectfully, Jenny ran her hand over each name, reading them off in her head as if she were visiting the Wall of Names in Washington D.C.: Jason Beil, Odette Mills, Alexio Gre, Christian Sori, and so many more. As Jenny felt over the names, she felt a small inconsistency in the metal, making a hideaway wall slide out. On a thin wooden rod hung two blue outfits reflecting the sun revealing metallic threads woven into the fabric. One looked to be a long button up dress with the front of the skirt cut out, showing the white pants with a wide black belt. The white sleeves ended in gold while the shoes and hat carried the same light yet authoritative blue as the dress.

"What is this?" Jenny asked with interest as she ran her hand over the collar, pulling away when something shocked her hard enough to give her a blood blister.

"These are called the Sky Lineros; the one on the left is meant for you. One does not simply buy armor and don it. The power within The Sky Leneros would overpower you, and you would lose yourself in the ecstasy of being drunk with power. For now, these will suffice." Athena stated as she produced a green tube top with a leather jacket, complemented by a matching heavy leather skirt and green apron.

"Do I really have to wear that?" Jenny asked, pointing to the outfit in Athena's hands.

"Yes, however only until you have completed your training. You are still very far from being able to wear The Sky Lineros, but it won't be going anywhere." Jenny looked back at the Lineros and sighed, taking the outfit to a room where she could change.

"Do not feel so forlorn. Even I wore something like that when I learned from Mercedes," Athena said as she leaned against the wall outside the room. Jenny felt slightly better when she heard Athena had to wear this god-awful outfit but still wanted to wear the Lineros. When she came back out, Jenny walked over to the wall of names, setting down her clothes with a smirk while letting her hand linger on her favorite blouse.

"I'll do you, proud guys," she thought, turning back to Athena who handed her a simple bow and quiver of arrows as they walked to a range just outside the village walls. Jenny instantly noted the feeling of strength was over her. Athena spent some time explaining and showing Jenny how to discover and use her mana by channeling it through her arms. It was a slow process, but Jenny was able to direct her mana, leaving her physically exhausted, but stronger nonetheless. When they left the training grounds, Jenny felt the full weight of her fatigue as the magic no longer supported her.

She slept well that night, but the next morning, under the loud insistence of her mother, Jenny pulled her sore body from her bed. The fresh air was enough to quickly wake Jenny up as Athena drilled her in agility and marksmanship. Jenny was also drilled in using her mana for techniques she had seen her mother demonstrate. When Jenny tired near the middle of the day, Athena sternly motivated her to continue. Athena felt a slight twinge of pride when the next shot Jenny fired pushed a target back: her power was growing nicely.

Matthew and Jack Begin:

A thread of lightning hit the ground outside what looked to be an old stone temple. Statues of ancient warriors carved into the rock stood on either side of the entrance.

"Wow! I never thought that I'd actually be here one day." Matthew said in awe.

"Yeah no kidding, it's a lot bigger than I thought it'd be." Jack laughed, looking up enough to almost fall over backward.

"What is it, Jack?" asked Kyrin.

"This! I mean I know it's carved into a mountain and all, but still!" Jack said, throwing his hand forward to the temple.

"This is the Great Hall of Warriors; many were trained here. But this will be the first time that a Pirate has been trained at the Hall of Warriors." Dances with Balrog said as he heaved the stone doors open leading into the temple. Jack and Matt could hardly contain themselves as they admired the myriad of weapons hanging on the walls from past warriors, three of which were empty. The first showed the name Fang of Blades, and the second, Snow Tiger. The third looked as if the name had been scratched away with only an "a" and an "o" remaining.

"Who's name used to be here?" Matthew asked, pointing to the empty space. Dances began to answer when Aran came through the doors holding a package in his arms which he handed to Kyrin and left.

"What was that all about? I thought he was going to check things out in the center?" Jack asked.

"I had asked Aran to get this from the Nautilus before we left and must have forgotten he had it. This is a gift once you are fully trained, the coveted suit Emerald Sea," Kyrin said proudly, pulling open the thick brown paper enough for Jack to see the black and green suit. Jack went to touch it, but a pressure pushing against his hand stopped him.

"That armor behind you, Matthew, is what you shall wear: The Bullion." Matthew turned to see a sturdy statue donned with elegant black and gold armor, preserved within a glass a wood cabinet. Matthew stepped to it and placed his hand on the dusty glass. He could feel the hum of power radiating from the armor, even from behind the panes.

"So where do we start?" Jack asked. Struggling to resist touching the suit. Something instinctively told him he wasn't ready.

"With these," Kyrin answered, holding a worn-out tank top and leather pants, with equally worn out shoes and bandana. Jack eagerly took the clothes, running to the darkest part of the temple to change. Once Matthew had his fill of admiring his eventual armor, Dances presented him with a dull suit of armor and dented grieves, which Matthew tried to don. After a few unsuccessful minutes, Dances chuckled and helped him put it on.

"I'm surprised that they are taking this so well." Commented Dances with surprise in his voice, watching as Jack and Matthew both admired one another's get up.

"Did you expect resistance?" Kyrin asked. Dances shook his head and waved his hand.

"No, not resistance, just a bit of complaining. I suppose I didn't give those two enough credit," Dances smiled. Putting their folded clothes on the altar, Jack and Matthew bowed to the wall, as if they were leaving their old life behind, going to the training grounds to, at the very least, become aware of their mana. Surprisingly, both boys took to routing their mana within a few minutes. They also surprised Kyrin and Dances when they insisted on beginning to train. Not wanting to stunt their enthusiasm, Jack was given a pair of Brass Knuckles, and Matthew was given a small sword. The day's training allowed both boys to grow in strength and mana capacity many times over. And the next day, despite being sore, were up and training even before Dances and Kyrin.

"They have spirit, I'll give 'em that," Kyrin chuckled as she watched the boys run through the obstacle course.

"My only hope is that it will not wither when the darker days come." Dance answered, crossing his arms and thinking of the next round of training for them both.

"What is it that we are looking for, Aran?" Eckhart asked, darting in and out of the shadows, only the white half of his face covering mask visible in the light of Oz's flames.

"We are looking for the Seal Anchors set up here by Freud. If we can find those, Oz might be able to figure out how they were broken." Oz tossed aside her fire red curls, holding up her staff as a wall of flaming gears appeared above them.

"I don't wanna sound rude Aran, but you do realize that I can't really read ancient magic all that well. You guys dealt with some potent stuff back in those days, and the modern magic structure is different compared to what you knew," Oz called, clambering over the rubble, looking for anything that resembled some kind of markings.

"I don't need you to read them Oz, I just need you to feel out how they were broken. Freud told me this seal was indestructible once it had been fully activated. Obviously, that wasn't the case, and I want to know why." Aran called, tossing aside boulders with ease to search until Eckhart called them over to some marking carved into the rock.

"That's what I'm looking for. Oz, if you would please." Aran asked. Oz sighed heavily, holding her hand over the markings. Within a few moments, Oz furrowed her brow and gave a concerned look to Eckhart.

"What's the matter, Oz?" Aran asked, noticing the shift in attitude coming from Oz and Eckhart.

"Three years before you left to get the masters, the Ereve Vault had been broken into where we keep some of Ossyria's most powerful relics. Nothing seemed to be missing at the time, so we kept it quiet as we investigated." Oz's shoulders squared as she stood up, keeping her vision averted from Aran.

"The Black Witch's attack on Ereve revealed that she had the Dark Crystal and was using it to enhance her powers. That attack prevented our assistance to Edelstein. We tried taking the Crystal away from her after we the Ereve forces defeated her, but we failed."

"How does this explain what happened here?" Aran snapped, realizing that the Dark Crystal in possession of the Black Wings would mean that they were in much more danger than he first thought.

"The energy coming from this seal is the same as the Dark Crystal's energy. It was used to break this seal." Oz explained.

"That's impossible! Freud made sure it was indestructible."

"Any spell, no matter how powerful, can be broken if bombarded with enough power," Oz answered solemnly.

The Mage looked to Eleanor as she sauntered into the room, whispers arising as she came closer.

"Yes, my Lord, the Slime King has been delivered to his domain. Isn't it time that you retire for the evening? You've been awake for nearly a month and a half. You should really get some rest." Eleanor said smoothly as she massaged his shoulders, handing him a glass of her special mana potion. The Mage drank a sip and held it to the sun as he adjusted his stiff neck. The only response she was given was him quickly drinking down the potion, then handing her the glass as whispers surrounded her once more.

"I meant no disrespect master. I am only thinking of your well being." She answered. The Mage narrowed his eyes at her, turning his attention back to the world outside his window, almost ignoring her before she left his chamber, feeling slightly alone.