Coco: Okay, so we're in the third chapter of this four-chapter post. How are we liking things so far? Is this version better? Is it worse? Is it too soon to tell?

Let me know~

Vladimir paused in his task preparing more medicine for Nami went he felt something off in the air. He looked out the window in front of his work desk when dark clouds started to form over the island.

"Looks like it's going to rain again." Usopp said as he appeared behind the older man.

Vladimir didn't comment at first as he narrowed his eyes at the window when he pinpointed where the disturbance came from. However, there wasn't much he could do from here or in his current state. He could only hope Havel was around to keep an eye on things.

"It does that often here." Vladimir said as he returned to his work. "Magus is a spring island. Storms like last night are rare but rain showers are a common occurrence."

Vivi looked almost envious as she stared at the approaching rain. If only it could rain a quarter as much in Alabasta as it seems to do here. Vivi then looked to Nami as the girl shifted in bed as if uneasy. Vivi checked the cold compress on Nami's head to see it was getting warm. She removed it from Nami's head to place in the bowl of cold water at Nami's bedside. She took out another compress that had been soaking and wrung out the extra water before placing it on Nami's head.

"I hope the others return soon." Vivi said. "We need to leave as soon as possible to get Nami to this doctor on Drum Island."

Usopp nodded in agreement as he looked down at his crewmate in concern. He didn't like seeing Nami like this. He'd rather she be up and yelling at all of them as she usually does than this.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon." Vladimir assured the teens. "Wren won't want to keep them in the forest long."

He was sure his daughter would be turning them around shortly. Wren wouldn't waste any time in getting what's needed, so they could return to the house. He knew she wanted these pirates gone as quickly as possible.

"Because it's that dangerous?" Usopp questioned looking scared.

He had almost been envious of his crewmates getting to go into the forest to explore. However, the other part of him was afraid to step foot outside the safety of Vladmir's property after all the warnings that Wren has given.

"It can be." Vladimir replied honestly. "Magic is both a wonderous and dangerous thing. It has no real sense of normalcy. It's always changing and evolving. Effecting people and the environment in ways nothing else ever has before."

As he spoke, he raised his hand over the herbs he had been crushing. He muttered a few words under his breath. A small twister of wind appeared in the bowl lifting the contents within. The herbs flew over to four open bottles then broke off to fill each bottle evenly.

"Magic is still a mystery even to those who wield it." Vladimir continued. "It has given birth to many unexplainable phenomena. Doorways into other dimensions where forests grow from every direction and castles seem to be built down from the sky. Enigmatic creatures with unique and wonderous abilities. Unnatural weather singularities that not even our astonishing world could ever be able to come up with."

Vivi and Usopp looked at Vladimir in awe as they listened closely to his words.

"That sounds amazing." Usopp said. "Have you seen things like that, Dr. Magier?"

"Yes, I've seen a few of those things in my life." Vladimir said. "They are beautiful sights, but there is danger as well. For example, on this island alone there is a lake. It is known as Pendragon Lake. Named after one of the first families of mages. This lake is enchanted and in its depths one can either find all the answers to life or find a cold, dark unforgiving abyss that only offers a person their greatest fears. This lake is the home of a water spirit who has been fabled to help guide those she deems as worthy. She has no true name and simply is referred to as the Lady of the Lake."

Usopp felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of this spirit. He then jumped when the door slowly swung open. He squealed in fear while jumping behind Karoo who was also shaking. However, both relaxed when seeing it was only Nana. The kind fae had a troubled look on her face. Vladimir sighed.

"You felt it as well, Nana?" he questioned.

Nana nodded silently as the clouds finally settled over the island. Wasting no time, they opened, and the rain began to pour. The rain started to pitter-patter against the window as their guests looked in between them.

"Felt what?" Vivi questioned.

Vladimir took a deep breath as Tallulah, who had been helping Vladimir, looked at her mage in concern.

"Someone has entered the Cave of Cain." Vladimir spoke. "I had placed barriers outside of it to keep anyone with ill intent from going in. However, a neighbor of great power as slipped through. That can only mean it was Greylock…What could he be up to now? Just what plans has he made that he must disturb Cain?"

Usopp and Vivi exchanged a concerned glance as they wondered just what Vladimir was speaking about. And more importantly who this Cain fellow was that seemed to have the doctor so concerned.

Deep within the underground caverns, crystals gave off a dull glow to allow those who ever dared to enter some light. Those who did call the underground tunnels home were scurrying around collecting gems and digging out more tunnels. However, the knockers paused in their work when a shadow fell over them. They stiffened when they looked up to see Greylock had entered the cave.

They muttered amongst each other in faeish as they moved closer to the cave walls to give the powerful fae a wide berth. None of them daring or wishing to be close to the old being.

"Hmm, Havel was not at the entrance to this place," Greylock said to himself as he moved forward. "How very odd. It seems as if the game will begin without resistance, then."

Greylock moved farther into the tunnels with the smaller neighbors making sure to move out of his way. After all they were not guardians of this place. Nor could they do anything against Greylock or the even greater monster that lurked within the tunnels. It usually left the knockers in peace as it roamed the tunnels aimlessly. It's hollowing calls echoing through the caves for hours at a time before it would fall into a deep slumber that would last a few days. And when it woke, it'd be met with fresh fruits and nuts that the knockers had gathered during its sleep. However, if anything were to interrupt its slumber it would wake in a rage and rampage until someone or something put it back to sleep, or it finally wore itself out.

"Now, where are you?" Greylock hummed.

He went down a few more twists and turns before he found what he came looking for. In the center of where several tunnels met and formed a large cavity, a hulky beast covered mostly in black fur was curled up sleeping deeply. Its body rose and fell with every breath it took. Its skeletal head was mostly covered by its long, twitching scaley tail, which was curled around its body.

"Ah, hello there, Cain," Greylock spoke to the creature. "Enjoying another long nap, are we?"

The beast didn't react. Its sleep too deep for it to hear Greylock's softly spoken words.

"I wonder how long it's been since you've been condemned to this dark space." Greylock wondered aloud. "How long as it been since you've seen the sun or tasted the fresh air?"

Again, he received no reply as the beast rolled over in its sleep to rest on its back.

"I think that it's time we change some things, don't you?" Greylock muttered as he raised his hand, which began to glow with a golden light.

Wren, who was quickly leading Luffy and his crewmates back towards the house, froze when a loud, chilling roar cut through the sound of the rain. Her visible eye widened. Havel, who had been resting along Luffy's shoulders, stood with his hackles rising. The boys tensed as their eyes searched the forest for whatever creature had made such a bone chilling noise.

"What…what was that?" Sanji questioned.

Wren turned her head towards the westside of the island as she felt her heart thump loudly in her chest.

"Cain," Havel answered. "Someone woke him from his slumber."

"Someone?" Wren scoffed. "We both know it had to be Greylock."

Though what business Greylock had with Cain was a mystery to her. The only plausible explanation is that Greylock was planning to use Cain for one of his latest experiments. Whatever he was planning couldn't be good if he was involving Cain.

"I thought he was going to see the Lady of the Lake." Havel murmured. "Or at the very least the Centaurs whose camp is nearby the lake. Could that have been a ruse to lure me away from the caves?"

"Possibly but worrying about that now won't help anyone." Wren said. "Havel, lead these pirates back to my father's house. I will try to make it to the caves to hunt down Greylock before he can escalate whatever he's planning."

Havel nodded his head in understanding as Wren prepared to hurry in the direction of the caves. However, she was stopped by Luffy.

"Hey, hold on!" Luffy said. "We can help! If this guy is giving you a problem, Wren, I'll kick his ass for you."

"Greylock is too strong for you to handle." Wren retorted. "Besides, you all don't have the time to waste on problems here on the island. You all need to leave as soon as possible. It won't be much, but you can take some supplies from my father's personal stores."

Most of what Vladimir grew in his garden was for medicinal or potion making. He grew little food in the garden as he only had to worry about feeding himself and Nana as Tallulah lived off whatever the forest and sea provided. However, it would have to do for these pirates.

"We can't take away from your father, Wren-chan," Sanji said shaking his head. "Not after everything you've done for us."

Wren was about to retort when she noticed the raindrops that had hit the ground were gathering at their feet. Forming small pools of water underneath each of them. Before she could call at a warning for the pirates to move, she was sucked into the puddle underneath her. The boys gasped in shock as Havel stiffened.

'Did Greylock somehow convince the Lady of the Lake to help him in his games?' Havel questioned. 'She rarely gives the old fae her attention let alone humor him in his fun.'

It had him wondering if she had plans for Wren specifically. Perhaps the Lady needed to speak with Wren…and the easiest way was to do as Greylock asked. She did move in mysterious ways.

"Oh, no!" Luffy exclaimed. "What happened to Wren?!"

"Did that Greylock bastard kidnap her or something?!" Sanji demanded.

Zoro just remained silent as he looked around the forest for any sign of a threat. Just then the pool where Wren had disappeared shifted and lifted to form the image of a beautiful woman. Havel stood straighter on Luffy's shoulders as he gazed at the Lady of the Lake who graced them with her presence.

"Misce is safe." The Lady told them. "There is much she must learn and in very little time. Therefore, I will be keeping her for now."

"You can't do that!" Luffy snapped as he got in a stance to fight. "Give Wren back!"

The Lady seemed amused by Luffy's demand as the young pirate captain glared at her. However, before he could swing, Zoro placed his hand on Luffy's shoulder. The rubber boy looked back at Zoro in confusion.

"We can't fight her." Zoro said.

"What? Why?" Luffy questioned.

"Wren…she asked us to leave these guys alone. She said they don't mean to hurt us, so she asked we not hurt them." Zoro said. "It was her only request."

Sanji's eyes widened in understanding to what Zoro was trying to say. Wren and her father asked for nothing in return for everything they've done for the crew. It's true Wren has only been doing as asked for her father's sake, but she has still helped them all the same despite her obvious loathing for humans. Though it would seem that Wren did ask for something that he and Luffy had been unaware of. And Luffy—though dense on even the best of days—could understand what Zoro was saying as well.

"That's all she asked, huh…" Luffy said as he lowered his fists.

The Lady seemed more amused than before as she watched the pirates lower their guards.

"It is as I saw." She said getting the boys to look at her. "Misce's future is changing…this fateful encounter was indeed good fortune."

Havel tilted his head in confusion at the Lady's words before he jumped back in shock when Luffy and the others began sinking into the puddles.

"I apologize for what is about to happen." The Lady told the pirates who were struggling to free themselves from the water. "However, Misce is rather hardheaded. She will not listen to words of guidance. To her actions speak louder, so I do hope you three will give exceptional demonstrations in the challenges to come."

Before anything else could be said, the three pirates disappeared into water below.

"My lady, just what does Greylock have planned for those three?" Havel questioned from where he was now perched in the branches above.

The Lady looked up to smile at Havel. Her watery form shining slightly in the grey lighting trickling through the limbs of the trees surrounding them.

"Greylock wishes to study these humans." The Lady replied. "He has always had such a fascination with them. Moreover, Misce and those like her have always intrigued him even more. I believe he wishes to see just how far Misce will follow her father's wishes if those she was asked to guide and protect begin to harm our neighbors."

A growl built up in Havel's throat as he thought about Greylock. He has known that fae far longer than he wishes to admit. As far as age goes, he, Greylock, and the Lady are the eldest beings on this island. And ever since their younger years, Greylock has been pushing people and their fellow neighbors too far in his little games just for his own selfish quest for knowledge.

"All will be fine in the end," the Lady assured Havel. "I have foreseen it. Have faith in Misce and have patience, Old Friend. All your concerns will be laid to rest soon enough."

And with those final words, the Lady of the Lake released her hold on the puddle, which splashed against the ground. Havel huffed. His ears flickering to rid themselves of the rain that persistently poured around him.

"I know it isn't wise to doubt you," Havel murmured. "However, I cannot help but worry."

He then silently leapt from the tree to head in the direction of Vladimir's house. He would need to inform Vladimir on what is happening. Havel was sure with his abilities that Vladimir most likely already knew Greylock was up to something. However, he would need to be told the details. After that, all they could do was sit back and wait for the outcome.

Zoro groaned feeling his consciousness coming back slowly. His eyes sluggishly opened to reveal to he was somewhere dark. Something around him was giving of a glow that gave him some lighting. He sat with his head feeling a bit fuzzy. However, he pushed that aside as he glanced around to see he was in a cave of some sorts. The walls, ceiling, and even along the pathway crystals of various shapes and colors stuck out in different directions.

Zoro stiffened when he felt something brush against his hand. He looked down with his eyes widened when his gaze was met by half a dozen pairs of eyes looking back. The eyes belonged to what looked like tiny, old men. They could barely be a foot tall, and they wore miner clothes. They had either long white beards or mustaches. Some even had bushy, white eyebrows and they wore wool beanies on top their heads. Their ears were pointed and stuck out from the sides of their heads and all their eyes glowed an eerie yellowish green.

"What the hell?" Zoro muttered as he stood to his feet.

At his movement, the tiny men moved back away from him as if wary of his presence.

"A human." One of them murmured.

"Yes, a human here." Another muttered. "Bad."

"Very bad." A third said. "Not safe. Not safe at all."

Before Zoro could demand to know just what they were going on about, heavy footfalls were heard from behind. The tiny men stiffened and quickly shuffled together behind Zoro's legs as Zoro pushed Wado Ichimonji slightly from its sheath. He slowly turned to see what was coming up behind him. He stiffened at the sight.

The creature that appeared was at least three feet taller than Zoro and had large glowing red eyes. Its head looked like the skull of a wolf or something, but it had horns that looked as if it belonged to goat. The rest of its body was covered in thick black fur except for the long, scaley tail that swished behind it. Its red eyes fell on Zoro with a small growl building up in its throat. It then let out a thunderous roar that shook even Zoro to his very core.

'Is this thing Cain?' He wondered as he recognized the roar as the one that was heard earlier. 'Just what the hell is he?'

Zoro then gave a shout of surprise when the creature lurched forward at surprising speed despite its large size. He barely had time to jump out of the way. He tucked and rolled away from the beast while cursing when those little guys cried out. He turned his head seeing that while most of them had gotten away, the beast had its clawed grip on one.

"Dammit!" Zoro grunted as he went to draw his blade.

However, he paused knowing he couldn't just go swinging blindly at any of the inhabitants on this island. So, thinking quickly, he took his Wado Ichimonji from where it rested on his hip—sheath and all. He launched himself at the creature and only hit its wrist with only as much force as he thought necessary. It dropped the tiny man to ground looking more surprised than hurt by the sudden attack. Zoro landed in front of the beast to put himself between the tiny men and it.

"Human needs to run." One of the tiny men said.

"Yes, run and run fast!" Another agreed. "Human cannot beat Cain. Cain too strong for human."

"Yes, Cain stronger than even Misce!" A third said. "Though they are the same, Misce is weaker than Cain."

Zoro's brow quirked. That name…it's what these fae have been calling Wren. Almost none of them seem to address her by her actual name. He also had to wonder what they meant by Wren and this creature being the same. Said creature was sniffing curiously at Zoro as a rumbling noise was going through its chest, which was heaving as if it was aggravated.

'It's not like I have time to think about it,' Zoro thought as the creature stood even taller looking ready to attack at any moment. 'I'm not sure what is going on here, but that mystery woman made of water said something about challenges.'

He wasn't sure what they were being challenged for, but he knew he couldn't waste his time playing games. They still needed to get Nami to a doctor before it was too late. They also needed to save Wren from whatever is happening on this crazy island. But first…he needed to focus on getting out of here alive.

Sanji groaned as he shook the water out his hair while standing up. He looked around to see was in a denser part of the forest with no sign of the path in sight or his crewmates or Wren.

"Where…the hell am I?" Sanji wondered out loud. "What…happened?"

It all suddenly came back to him, which had him gasping and jumping off the boulder he woke up on.

"That's right! Wren-chan's in trouble!" Sanji said. "I've must find her and save her."

He remembers something about a lake being mentioned and he remembers something about a lady being the one to take Wren through some kind of weird magic water trick.

"I don't even know where to start," Sanji said. "Just where is this lake?"

He then stood up straighter when he heard something behind him. He frowned taking his pack of cigarette's out of his pocket. Surprisingly, they weren't soaked even after he had been pulled through that puddle. He placed one in between his lips before taking out his lighter. He lit it and took a drag before letting out a puff of smoke.

"So, any of you guys know where I can find this Pendragon Lake?" He questioned. "I have a lovely lady who needs my help, and I'd hate to keep her waiting."

He looked up to look at the men who had surrounded him. Though he wasn't sure if he could call them 'men' as only the top half was human while their lower halves were horses.

'Centaurs?' Sanji wondered.

He's heard about them in stories. He never thought they'd actually be real. Of course, since coming to this island he's learned a lot of the creatures that he once thought was myth were real. One of the centaurs, stepped forward. He was large—probably standing two feet or so taller than Sanji—with long black hair and light eyes. His lower half matched his hair, but he had white patches along his back. He held a bow and arrow in hand but made no move to use said weapon as he narrowed his eyes at Sanji.

"Misce is with the Lady of Lake." He said. "There is no safer place for her on the island. Unless Her Lady deems Misce unworthy and casts her into the endless depths of the lake."

Sanji stiffened when hearing this as his feet shifted underneath him to take a wider stance.

"I'm not the type to question a woman, but what makes your Lady of the Lake qualified to cast judgement on others?" Sanji demanded to know.

"The Lady has been here since our beginning. Even before our queen mother," the Centaur replied. "She has seen all that has happened until now and she has seen all that will happen from this point forward. She is the one who knows all and with her wisdom she guides those who are worthy. Those who will be great heroes and do great things that will shape the future of this world."

Sanji's eyes widened slightly. He had no idea there was someone in this world with such power. However, something bothered him.

"The future isn't set in stone," Sanji said. "So, she couldn't possibly know everything."

"It's true that the future can be changed." The Centaur agreed. "That is why the Lady guides heroes, so that hopefully they will show this world a bright future. Her methods might be unorthodox. However, you should worry less about what the Lady has planned for Misce and worry more about your future. Normally, I do not humor Greylock and his senseless games. However, the Lady of the Lake asked us to give aid, which means ill fortune for you."

He then took an arrow from his quiver as his brethren also prepared for a fight. Sanji tensed as the muscles in his legs coiled ready for what might come his way.

"I do hope you and your companions meet her expectations." The Centaur told Sanji honestly. "For Misce's sake."

Before Sanji could ask the Centaur what he meant, he fired the arrow. Sanji dodged to the side but was shocked when a strong wind followed the attack. It knocked Sanji clean off his feet and into a tree even though he had put several feet between him and the arrow.

"What the hell was that?" He coughed out.

He couldn't think about it long, however, as he soon had to dodge another Centaur who took a swing at him with his sword. Sanji kept dodging and evading the Centaurs even as they came one after the other.

"I don't want to fight you!" Sanji said as he landed a few feet away from the Centaurs. "If I hurt you guys, it'd make Wren-chan sad. I refuse to bring any tears to her eyes."

He then grunted in pain when one of the Centaurs managed to nick him with a blade in his side. He put a hand over the wound as it began to bleed.

"So, what will you do then, Pirate?" The Centaur questioned as he notched another arrow. "You cannot avoid us all forever. And if you die that won't help Misce."

Sanji frowned because he knew that was true, but there had to be some way to get through this obstacle.

'I need to ditch these guys and find Wren,' Sanji thought. 'And then those other two idiots, so we can return to the others and leave to get Nami to that doctor. I can't be wasting time here…Just what do I do?'

"Aw man, where am I? And where did the others go?" Luffy wondered. "And what's up with this weird place?"

He glanced around to see he was in some kind of large hollow. It looked to have been manmade as the ground was made of stone and there were old stone pillars standing up from the ground. Some whole and some broken and crumbling. Plant life looked as if it had been working on retaking its place here as there were several vines and weeds growing through the cracking foundation. Luffy looked up to see he was at least 10 feet below the ground. He could easily get out using his devil fruit power. However, before he could do that, something caught his eye.

He blinked when he saw what looked like a large stone table in the center of the hollow. It had only a singular chair that remained standing while the others were either fallen over or rotting away with weeds growing from the rotting wood. And a few feet behind the table against one of the walls of the hallow, nestled in between two pillars was a large, stone carving. It reminded Luffy of a gravestone, but what really caught his eye was the glowing light in the center of the gravestone. It was a warm, golden color that flickered like a flame. It drew Luffy closer.

"Oooh, some kind of mystery, magic light." Luffy awed as he got closer.

He reached forward to poke the light to see what would happen. However, before he could touch it, something slammed against his face. The attack sent him flying backwards and crashing into one of the stone pillars. The pillar crumbled due to the impact and when one of the stones fell into Luffy's face the boy cried out.

"Ouch! That hurts!" He whined after he threw the stone off him. "What the heck did that?"

He sat up seeing some gray-skinned boy who had a feral expression on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Luffy asked. "And what was that for, huh?! That hurt, ya know!"

"Silence, human! I am Sable the Spriggan and guardian of this island." The fae snarled. "You dared to trespass in this sacred place! Your kind does not belong in the Hollow of the Kings! Misce should not have allowed you in this forest!"

Luffy frowned as he stood and adjusted his hat, so that his eyes were shadowed.

"Wait, are you involved in what happened to Wren?" Luffy questioned. "Where is she? I'm taking her home to Mage Pops who's helping my friend."

Sable only growled at Luffy in return as his body began to shift and grow. Soon he was several feet taller than Luffy and covered in stonelike armor. He glared down at the young pirate.

"You cannot have her!" Sable shouted. "Misce is not of your ilk! I will allow you to corrupt her no more! Humans like you along her weak father turn her away from her own kind. Once I find her, Misce will never be allowed to return to humans again. She shall remain here with us forever! Forever!"

Luffy grit his teeth then quickly dodged out of the way when Sable took a swing at him. Luffy landed on a pillar above the raging fae.

"I won't fight you!" Luffy said. "Just stop it already!"

Sable didn't listen as he tried attacking Luffy once more, which forced Luffy to dodge again and again.

"If you won't fight then just stay still and die, human!" Sable demanded.

"I can't do that either!" Luffy said. "I'm going to be King of the Pirates someday! But more than that I have friends who are waiting for me. One of those friends is Wren, so just stop getting in the way! I need to save her."

He then grunted in pain when Sable managed to catch him in his large land. He slammed the younger male to the ground.

"The last thing she needs is you," Sable growled. "Humans are poison to our kind. All you do is destroy and reap what you don't even need from the land and even from each other. Mindless beasts. Monsters!"

He threw Luffy sending the boy into a wall, which cracked and gave in. Luffy coughed and hacked when the air was knocked out of him. As he struggled to get up, Sable moved to loom over him.

"It'd be better if your kind just disappeared!" Sable hissed as he raised his foot.

He went to bring it down on Luffy who looked up too dazed to move as the foot came down.

Wren laughed as she ran down the dirt path that would take her home. Her pale blue dress blew behind her as a breeze blew across the island gifting the islanders a lovely, midsummer day that wasn't too hot to enjoy. She waved at some of her neighbors who waved back as she ran by.

"In a hurry today, Wren?" Her elderly neighbor—Leland—questioned as she was passing his home.

Wren paused at the small, blue gate that stood between her and Leland as the old man was tending to his small garden. She smiled at him.

"Yep! Today is Papa's birthday!" Wren said. "Momma asked me to hurry to the market to grab a few things to make his favorite foods for dinner tonight."

She held up her basket to show him. Leland smiled at the happy child as he reached over the gate to gently ruffle her thick, soft locks.

"Is that so?" Leland questioned. "Well, best not to keep your mother waiting on you. Hurry along and be sure to tell your father I wish him a happy birthday."

"I will!" Wren promised. "Bye, Leland-san!"

She waved to Leland then hurried on towards the home she shared with her parents. She opened the gate to the stone fence that went around their property before stepping in. She shut the gate firmly behind her and then went to walk up the small dirt path that led to their front door. She reached the door and happened to look up to see her other neighbors looking in her direction.

The Adair Boys were peeking over at her over the hedge that separated their two properties. Wren blinked at them before offering a shy smile and a wave. The younger boy—Lachlan—hesitated a moment before raising his hand to wave back at her with an unsure smile on his face as well. However, his hand was soon smacked down by his older brother—Murray.

"Don't do that!" Murray hissed. "Remember what Mam said. Don't go makin' friends with the Magier girl. Come on, we got chores that need doin."

Murray cast a frown in Wren's direction, which had her flinching away. Lachlan watched his brother leave before glancing at Wren with a troubled expression.

"Sorry…" he whispered before following his brother.

Once both boys were gone, Wren, whose mood had dropped due to the interaction, slowly entered her home. The smell of freshly baked pudding reached Wren's nose, which had her looking up to see her mother, who was humming a familiar tune, pulling some Era-Shire Pudding from the stove.

Magier B. Abiell. The mother of Wren and wife to the town doctor Magier B. Vladimir looked like any other human at first glance. She was beautiful with long, unruly curls of ashen blonde hair and pale skin. In the face, she and Wren shared many characteristics like, full long lashes, a petite nose, a softly rounded chin. Her eyes differed from her daughter and were the only sign that she wasn't human. Her eyes were a pupilless, bluish white with dark rims around them.

"Wren, my sweetling, welcome home." Abiell greeted her daughter warmly before noticing Wren's bothered expression. "Is there something wrong, little bird?"

Abiell placed the pan she was holding down before whipping her hands on her apron as she moved towards Wren.

"Momma…why do some of our neighbors keep their distance from me?" Wren questioned causing her mother to free. "Leland-san is really nice to me and so is Moira-san and her family…but the Adair Family and many others…they act like there's something wrong with me."

Wren looked up at her mother with a troubled expression. Aibell sighed as she moved to kneel beside Wren. She placed a hand on Wren's cheek.

"People sometimes fear those who are different," Aibell said. "Even in our world where we embrace and celebrate our differences. To some, Wren, you are different…because there aren't many who are born from a union between a fae and mage or even a human. Being both mine and your father's child, you have more power within you than most. And to some this makes you dangerous and they fear you."

Wren's brow furrowed as her lip began to tremble. She had heard the whispers before. How people of the island and even their neighboring islands warn each other away from her. She's even heard some speak ill of her father for his choice of marrying her mother and having her. But she never understood why they said such cruel things.

"But…I'd never hurt anybody…" Wren whispered confused and hurt.

Wren gasped with her eyes shooting open to see she was surrounded by water. At first, she clutched her mouth to try and hold in her breath, but when she realized she was breathing fine, she dropped her hand.

'Where am I?' She wondered as her body floated in place. 'Pendragon Lake?'

It all then came back to her as she remembered how she got here. She was pulled away from the others by the Lady of the Lake.

'Why?' Wren thought as she tried to move her limbs to push herself towards the surface, but no matter how hard she tried, her body would not move from where it was. 'Why would the Lady help Greylock? Why trap me here?'

"Because there are things you must learn."

Wren stiffened then turned her head as a form swam around her. The form turned out to be a beautiful woman bathed in golden light. Her hair was silvery blue like the mist that rolled over the water above and her eyes as green as the algae that grew on the banks of the lake. She had a youthful appearance making her look younger than Wren.

"My Lady," Wren began. "What is the meaning of all this? Working with Greylock? Disturbing Cain. He goes through enough."

She said this last part with her hands clenching into fists. Wren was usually good with keeping her emotions in check. However, whenever Cain was involved, Wren tended to let her soft spot for him outweigh everything else. After all, they were the same. They were misces—halflings, and more than that they were family.

"Yes, Cain has suffered more than any living creature should." The Lady agreed. "However, I saw no other way than to go along with Greylock's plan. You are quite the hard person to get into contact with, Misce. I hope you will forgive me for all the trouble."

Wren frowned wondering what the Lady of the Lake needed to speak with her so badly about that she'd go through so much trouble.

"This will not take long." The Lady assured Wren. "As long as you keep yourself open to what you must learn and as long as you listen to what I must say."

"And what is it that I must learn?" Wren asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"To open your heart once again." The Lady told her. "If you cannot, you will sink so far into the darkness that you will begin to even poison those around you with your hatred."

Coco: Okay, so we obviously had some new characters. Nana, who is painfully obviously based of Silver Lady in ABM...I thought about giving her some speaking roles because it's not like all silkies don't talk. I'm pretty sure Silver can talk but doesn't...but I could be wrong. I haven't watched season one of ABM in a while and I just started season two. I need to do some rewatching...maybe even read the manga.

But moving on from that, I also added the Lady of the Lake who I was kind of inspired by the Lady of the Lake in Seven Deadly Sins (which I am halfway done writing the next chapter for in case you guys read that story and are curious on how it's going).

I put in a 'Hollow of Kings' into the story with a round table placed inside, which is a reference to King Arthur and his knights. Which I do have more Arthurian Legend references in this story, and we even have a 'Pendragon' family who will be seen later in the story. But I added my own One Piece twist to it.

Now, for this end of chapter...add-on? (I'm not sure what to call it XD) We'll be talking more about Magus Kingdom, which was in this chapter (well, in a flashback and it was technically just Era Island)

Magus Kingdom

Royal Family: Pen Family

*Four Major Families: Flumen (who married into the Magier Family) Family (founded Era) Carlor Family (founded Millennia) Terra Family (founded Centuris) Ventus Family (founded Eon)

*Each of the four major families were loyal to the Pen Family for thousands of years. Their friendship bloomed when ancestors of the five families washed up on Magus. They banded together and formed a new life on Magus where faced many perils before finally settling peacefully with the neighbors on the island. It was decided that Pen D. Argon would become the leader of their people, and the other families would act as advisors/ministers for the newly founded kingdom. When they took on their new responsibilities, they were all given middle initials. It's said any family who lives in the kingdom with a middle initial that it was given to them by the royal family, and it was a great honor. Though it's unknown why purpose these middle initials hold.

*Later when the mages had to flee Magus, the four Ministers were given the task of finding a new home for the people. They ended up separating onto four different islands for unknown reasons but remained as one kingdom thanks to the magic passageways that connected the islands. The ministers acted as leaders to those islands as the royal family lived elsewhere and were tasked keeping the magic passageways protected and working.

Era Island

Located: North Blue

Known Residents: Magier/Flumen Family, Bastion Family, Adair Murray and Lachlan and their family, Leland, Moira and her family

*Era along with Eon, Centuris, and Millenna are largely based off England, Scotland, and Ireland (more so the first two). I thought about basing each island off either England/Scotland/Ireland/Wales. Like Era being based off England, Eon being based off Scotland, Centuris being Ireland, and Millenna being based off Wales or maybe New Zealand (because of Lindel). I guess they kind of still are, but their more mixed together because while I'd say Era is based of England and I'd say in the real-world Wren would be from England, there are several characters who live there with Scottish/Irish names.

Governor: Magier B. Vladimir (Governor of Water)

*Though the island's leader Vladimir doesn't have to physically be on the island to do his job. Him and the other governors typically don't stay on their respective islands. They like to take long trips and act more like scholars than leaders as they're meant to travel, learn/study, and bring back what they've picked up during their travels to better the kingdom.

*Era Island is associated with the element of water due its vast number of rivers that lead out into the ocean. There is even a lake halfway up the tallest mountain on the island known as Mt. Bedivere. There is a cabin settled on the edge of the lake where Cain used to call home. The man had been very reclusive and had chosen to live a solitary life on that mountain before moving away to Magus with Starling. It is unknown if the cabin has had another owner since Cain left.

*The island's main responsibility is education. It has the Institue of Magical Learning, and it equips their students with the resources they need to better themselves and to help their kingdom. This responsibility of education also leads to other responsibilities such as maintaining the development of the kingdom. They also handle most of the kingdom's politics because while the Kingdom does very little trade/interaction with the human world, they still must answer to the World Government. It is Era who handles most of those transactions and it is Era who speaks for the Royal Family if needed.

Millennia Island

Located: South Blue

Known Residents: Calor Family

Governor: Calor A. Morien

*Millennia is associated with the element of fire.

*The people of this island are known for being passionate in whatever craft they pick up and give everything to whatever task they are doing. Some might call them a bit intense and even too serious. However, they cannot say the people of this island don't do their best. The people of this island are also quite cunning and while they might not have book smarts like the people of Era, they are good at thinking outside the box and getting outside of sticky situations with cunning.

*Millennia Island's main responsibility is the protection of the kingdom. They act as the military might of the kingdom and are the main export of machinery/weaponry.

*Due to being responsible for the military might of the kingdom, most are trained since birth in the art of combat magic. And are trained as young soldiers. However, it is not required for the citizens of the island to participate in the military or train. Just as not everyone in Era must become a scholar. As there are ways to travel to each island, all the citizens can take up whatever craft they wish.

Centuris Island

Located: East Blue

Known Residents: Terra Family

Governor: Terra L. Roisin

*Centuris is associated with the element of earth.

*The people of this island are known for being quite friendly and loyal. They are diligent folk who like to start the day early and get all they can out of it. You'll never meet anyone more loyal than a mage from Centuris Island or anymore more hard working. Though they can also be very set in their ways and not easily moved.

*Centuris is known for its high-quality produce. Its soil is rich with nutrients and the island is always blessed with the perfect amount of sunlight and good weather. As expected, the island is covered mostly in farmland, and it is the least 'developed' out of all the islands.

*Centuris is also home to the Temple of the Druids, which is a temple of women who have sworn celibacy and act as bridges between the neighbors and the mages. It is said out of all the mages, the druids have the highest natural magic levels. It's been said this was a gift given to them by Queen Titania for their devotion to their fellow mages and neighbors. Due to this gift most of the druids have fae-like features. The druids are also known as special healers that are able to heal wounds normal doctors cannot. Though the magic healing they use does leave permanent changes in the one who was healed.

Eon Island

Located: West Blue

Known Residents: Ventus Family/Nimue's child(ren?)

Governor: Ventus E. Nimue (Nimue had been introduced in the last story. However, she had a different surname in the previous version)

*This island is associated with the element of wind.

*The people of this island are rather carefree and tend to travel often to learn and see new things. They are a free people who don't bother themselves too much with work or with structure. They enjoy having fun and they are easy people to be happy around. They are also people who are hard to read as they are so spontaneous.

*The responsibility of Eon Island is to handle trade. As those who like to travel most, they handle trade within and outside the Kingdom. They have the most interaction with the outside world and deal with humans to the most. They are the more openminded type who typically don't right off interaction with the humans. That being said, they also do not also humans onto their home island if they can help it as a way to keep their kingdom and the neighbors safe.

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I don't want to give away everything about Wren's homeland or too much away of characters who haven't even been introduced yet. I'm not sure if any of this information interests you, but to those it does, I hope you liked getting more of a background Magus Kingdom. There will be more to learn of this kingdom to come, but you'll have to read to the story to find out more XD

Anyway, I believe we have one more chapter to get through before the end of this post, don't we?