Chapter 2: It is time…

Aran and Glen made the leisure stroll through the forest quickly, coming to a small campfire within a clearing. The fire swelled as Glen faced his palm to it and sat down on a large buried stone. Aran raised an eyebrow, placing more wood within the small circle of rocks.

"You haven't lost any of your abilities after all this time here, Glen. I'm impressed; I would have assumed that not using your powers here would make your mana atrophy." He said, leaning back slightly when a flare of sparks wafted towards him. Glen chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I've been practicing in private when no one was looking. Running a magic shop for a while in my younger days helped me explain away some occurrences people saw. Though it was always interesting trying to explain to some people why I was able to summon an Ice Golem to my side from nowhere." He laughed when he caught sight of John and Pierre walking into the light.

"Aran, it is good to see you," John said, placing his hatchet, shield, and ax near the fire. Pierre set an armored glove next to the campfire. Aran nodded at him, squinting his eyes slightly before noticing John's appearance.

"You look so different without your headdress, Dances; I'm surprised that you didn't bring it," Aran noted; John shrugged as Tina was the next to speak.

"I am more appreciative of him without it, personally." She grinned, nodding to Pierre and Glen.

"It's good to see you again, Aran. How is Lilin doing?" Tina asked, taking an arrow from her quiver, stabbing it into the ground, and propping her bow against it. Aran nodded to acknowledge her arrival when his eyes brightened in recognition.

"Athena, I didn't recognize you at first. Lilin is doing fine. I suppose that you didn't know, but we have a daughter named Lillianne." Tina's face brightened into a smile as she nodded to Aran.

"Congratulations. I do not doubt your daughter has become as fine a warrior like her father," She smiled, only to fade when she noticed the fallen expression on Aran's face.

"She is, but I wonder if I've made her childhood suffer because of it." Silence hung thick in the air until Aran turned his attention to Tina.

"You look quite different than I remember. I almost didn't recognize you when you walked into the circle." Tina blushed slightly and sighed.

"Life and bearing a child in this world can cause one's figure change." She replied, her arms subconsciously pulling around her.

"I meant your pointed ears are gone. And your hair isn't as long as I remember." Aran explained, motioning with his hand as he spoke. Tina nodded, running her hand through her hair.

"Elves do not exist in this world, Aran. It is but an illusion spell Grendal placed on them to hide their true appearance. As for my hair, good cleaning pastes to keep one's hair clean is quite expensive. Hair as long as I did have was not the most cost-efficient." Aran nodded his understanding when Carrie came jogging into the circle and placed her pistol on the ground next to Tina's bow. Aran tilted his head, looking at the places where they had set their weapons.

"Have the crystals become so weak that they don't change the fire at all?" he wondered, standing once he was sure everyone was present. When he next spoke, it was with a low but severe tone.

"And so, we are all here. I see each of you made lives in this world when I delivered these letters to you, so I will not take up any more of your time than I need to. I also understand that you all have created new names for this world. However, it will be quicker for me if I refer to your Ossyrian names. It is time that you, the Five Masters, return to Ossyria. The Black Mage has risen once again and resurrected most, if not all, the enemies that you slew. Despite the best efforts of Cygnus's Knights, Evan and myself, we were unable to stop his return." They all sat in silence, Tina and Pierre hanging their heads while Glen pinched the bridge of his nose.

"How did it happen?" asked Pierre coldly. Aran shook his head.

"I can only speculate. The Black Witch Eleanor came to the palace in Ereve and fought with the Chief Knights, severely wounding her in the process. But she evaded capture. The Knights under Eckhart speculate that she stole the Dark Crystal and used it as a key piece in his resurrection." Tina's face drained of color as her shoulders tensed.

"You don't think…" Pierre snapped his attention to her and cut her off.

"It's the only thing that could have possibly given her enough power to break through the seal, Athena." Everyone remained silent for a long while until Carrie broke the silence.

"Alright, that sounds scary and all, but who is this 'Black Mage' that you're all so scared of? I mean, I've gathered that he was a pretty big deal back in the day while we were in Ossyria, but come on! He's just a man with flashy tricks up his sleeve." She asked loudly. Despite having spent most of her life at sea, even she had heard of this despicable man, but no more than rumors. Glen looked over at her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No, Kyrin, I mean Carrie, my apologies. The Black Mage is a genuine danger to Ossyria, existing well before you came into port or even before you were born. Aran and Tina would be the most versed on who he is." Glen solemnly said.

"Tina?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and looking at her speculatively.

"Yes, Athena and I have known each other far longer than you may think. She was only a child when I saw her the last time." Aran answered, glancing over to Tina until Carrie spoke up once more.

"Then fill me in; I only know the stories and rumors." She demanded. Aran adjusted his footing, taking his halberd from around his shoulders and setting it on the ground before clearing his throat and beginning.

"The Black Mage used to be a Sage named Corus, just like our goddess, Minerva. But when a severely wounded man thrown through a portal came under his care, Corus changed. The man taught Corus Black Magic, whether out of thanks or out of some semblance of self-preservation. It twisted Corus into a being whose sole purpose was to destroy everything. He preached that after everything of the corrupted world had been wiped away, he would rebuild it, and together with Minerva, they would rule it with an iron fist. Minerva reminded him of the Pillars of Time, powerful magic stones, Rhinne had explicitly forged to prevent the world from being destroyed. But The Mage countered that all magic can be broken with enough force, no matter how powerful.

"Eventually, the arguments became wars, and Corus became The Black Mage. These wars became so intense that it led to Minerva separating Victoria Island away from the mainland of Ossyria, out of The Mage's reach save everyone she could. The mission of protecting the people on the island was given to us Heroes by Minerva, leading to her end. That monster slaughtered her with a surprise attack. After the other Heroes and I learned of his sin of killing Minerva, we learned of his plan to steal the power of time from Rhinne, goddess of time. Any man who can kill Minerva is dangerous enough, but if The Mage possessed enough power to rend a goddess's power away, there was no telling what he would do with Rhinne's power added to his own.

"After learning of The Mage's plan, we Heroes went to the Temple of Time and faced him directly, eventually able to seal him away within the center of Victoria Island. Despite our victory, a trap set by The Mage sealed us away in Ice. During the fall from the temple, I stayed conscious long enough to see that I had fallen the great Aquian Sea, and was sealed for the next 1000 years. " Carrie's shoulders slumped, blankly staring into the fire.

"Wow, I never heard that story before." She whispered, supporting her elbow with her knee and laying her head over into her hand.

"I remember crewman Bain saying something about The Mage and his disciples not long after the Nautilus made port. I thought it was just from us being at sea too long, but I never thought there was more to the story." Glen nodded, hanging his head.

"Yes, they have always been there, lurking in the shadows of history." He said when Pierre spoke up.

"What happened to the warriors that helped us in coming to this world?" he asked flatly, all of them turning to him.

"Whom are you speaking of Pierre? We came on our own." Tina answered, making Pierre shake his head and wave his hand.

"No, I mean the young woman with the strange pistol and the Nova warriors. Have you forgotten all they assisted us with?" Pierre asked with a huff as they all thought for a moment until Kyrin perked up, snapping her fingers.

"Oh! I know who you're talking about! The gunslinger! Her name was something mechanical sounding; Jett! Yeah, I remember her. And the other two. They were named, uh…"

"Tear and Kyle. What happened to them Aran? They seemed quite concerned when we left." Interrupted Pierre, locking eyes with Aran who sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Kyle, Tear, and Jett all returned to their world. I don't know what happened to them after that." Pierre nodded his understanding. In legends, The Nova were fierce warriors, defending not only Ossyria but also their own country from an enemy they never saw while Kyle, Tear, and Jett were with them.

"What about the Nautilus?" Carrie asked, standing once again with concern thick in her voice. Aran thought for a moment before answering.

"We used it to help get as many as possible to Herb Town via Aqua Road," Aran answered when John set a hand on his shoulder.

"Were all of them able to be saved?" he asked. Aran nodded.

"Most of them were saved and are in the farthest point in Herb Town. We managed to use the Pirate's Den to hide the Nautilus thanks to the cooperation of the Pirate Lords."

"What about the crew?" Carrie asked, each question making her face show more and more concern. Aran sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Muirhat has yet to be found or return. While we were taking some of the last people from Victoria away, an army of Skelegons was closing in through Henesys. Just as we were readying to leave port, the Nautilus stalled. One of the three Whalians maintaining the Core in the engine room became weak from hunger and passed out. Sharyl took his place, but it took too long to restart the drive crystal. Muirhat volunteered to give us some time by stalling the advancing hoard. Your sister tried to stop him, but he went anyway. That was last any of us saw of him. I went back after the initial attack, and this was the only thing that I found." He reached behind him and pulled out a dirty white cloth Muirhat used to cover his eyes. Carrie dropped her shoulders and whispered.

"Muirhat…" Aran straightened, reaching back for his halberd, Maha, and held it over the fire, which flared slightly as Maha himself appeared, looking earnestly at all of them.

"Masters, it is time that you return to Ossyria. The time for the Mage to fall has come." Aran said sternly. When none of them moved, Aran pulled Maha away and stood.

"What's the matter, Masters? The Black Mage has risen, and your home is under attack! You and the crystals are needed back in Ossyria, more than ever!" he bellowed when Glen stood and hobbled to him.

"Aran, believe me, we all want to return. But we no longer control the crystals. That power has since moved on to our descendants." With disbelief in his eyes, Aran stared at all five of them and then at their weapons. Only then did he understand why the fire hadn't changed when they set their arms down next to it.

"Then they crystals have diminished far more than I thought they would have. Why didn't you tell me this from the beginning?" Aran demanded. Pierre stepped forward with a lowered brow and wide, earnest eyes.

"We've told you now. With the crystals within the children, it only means that we will need to train them. It would be no worse than if we were to return to Ossyria."

"Yes, but at least you still have your strength and the fighting knowledge from before you came here," Aran huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.

"If that is the case, then we need to leave in three days. Be sure to have everything you need by then."

"Aran, that isn't enough time. At the very least, we'd need a week." Carrie countered. Aran breathed a long sigh, he jaw flexing while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Very well, a week, but no more." Aran announced, picking up a bucket of dirt and tossing it on the ashes, smothering them as the Masters all silently left. As Dances left, he caught Pierre by the arm, speaking low.

"Before you left the restaurant, you said there was more you needed to tell me." Pierre sighed, leaning closer so that only he heard.

"Aran wasn't the only one to come here." John's eyes went wide and the grip on Pierre's arm tightneing.

"Who else came? Was it one of the Empress's knights?"

"I doubt it. Their tracks lead away from the direction Aran took. There are at least half a dozen, maybe more."

"Be sure and tell the others as soon as possible, Jin. This could be as simple as overly ambitious adventurers, or covert Black Wings."

"I must know more before I do." John clenched his jaw and clenched his hand, but Pierre's mind had been made up, letting him go and returning home. When Dances returned to his home, Yasmin was absently reading the book she had bought at the dime store not long ago. When she heard John come in, she quickly put the book down and shuffled to the kitchen, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed against her favorite snowman pajamas.

"So, what's the damage?" she asked. John looked back up into her eyes, blinking slowly.

"We have a week days until we leave."


Slowly, Ergoth stepped through the dark halls to the throne room where his new master sat. As he walked through the door, he could see The Mage rolling The Dark Crystal over his fingers as though it were a coin. Beside The Mage, a crystal ball displayed six people silently speaking around a small fire.

"Master, why not go to world? Take crystals easily. Playing is waste time." Ergoth asked in a deep, gravelly voice. The Mage turned his scorching gaze to him, making Ergoth tense and shift his stance, ready to defend himself. Sharp clicks of heels on stone echoed through the hall as a woman walked up to The Mage.

"The Master has different plans Ergoth. Besides, simply taking them wouldn't serve his purpose." Said the sultry voice of Eleanor, leaning enticingly against The Mage's chair. Hundreds of whispering murmurs began to rise around them all, turning his attention to the Dark crystal in his palm. Ergoth tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Power is less? How that be? I think crystal's power is never less." Ergoth exclaimed. The Mage turned his gaze back to Eleanor as thick, hiss-like sounds echoed until a high-pitched voice interrupted.

"Then if all it takes to get their power back is use, why did you bring us back to life?!" The voice belonged to Pink Bean, a creature resembling a sizeable pink pillow with tiny purple horns. Ergoth looked back to the waddling creature before continuing the thought presented by Bean.

"Only make trouble for Masters? What is meaning?" Ergoth asked. The Mage stood and held out his hand to Pink Bean, narrowing his eyes as whispers rose in their ears. One of Horntail's three heads weaved its way into the room and thrummed in the back of his throat, speaking with a breathy growl.

"If all you are doing is bringing us back, only to send us back to our graves to 'train' the crystals, why bring us back at all? Your disciples would be plenty a challenge," Huffed the hydra, small flames flaring between his teeth. The Mage blurred as Horntail's head slammed into the ground while Pink Bean flew randomly. Ergoth scrambled at his neck from the Mage's iron grip after pinning him to the wall next to the door. Growling hisses buzzed in their ears while the light in The Mage's eyes became brighter, tightening his grip around Ergoth's throat. Horntail growled in discontent, re-adjusting his jaw and spitting out a glob of blood. Eleanor picked her weight off the chair, walking to the middle of the room, her words like poisoned honey.

"He is right, you know. It would be much easier to send you back to your graves right now than to explain himself to such simple-minded fools as you." Ergoth clenched his jaw, gasping for breath as Pink Bean spoke, trying to sound Intimidating despite his squeaky voice.

"If all you did was bring us back to kill us, using us as tools for your success, then I want no part in it. We did not agree to this!" Bean shouted. The Mage smiled as he let go of Ergoth and faced the giant talking marshmallow. Eleanor walked over to the Mage, placing both hands on his shoulder, leaning against his arm.

"You're correct, Pink Bean. That isn't the agreement. The Mage only gave you the opportunity for revenge on those who had killed you before." Eleanor answered while The Mage gazed intently into Bean's eyes. Ergoth struggled to stand and glared at the Black Mage. But he averted his eyes when The Mage looked over his shoulder to him, overpowering Ergoth's glare, making all except Eleanor leave.

"You know, master; there is no reason to be so harsh on them." Eleanor smiled. The Mage sat down again and waved his hand over the crystal ball. The image of the masters departing their meeting appeared while agitated whispers hung in the air around them.

"They may not be worthy of being called your followers, but where else would you find such fine fodder for your plans? Pink Bean and Horn Tail especially will provide enough challenge to advance the crystal's power quite far," Eleanor explained, sitting down on the arm of his throne. The Mage turned his gaze to her for a moment before turning back to his ball, more whispers rising.

"Yes, there are others. However, I wouldn't want you to waste your time, energy, and power searching when you've already spent a considerable amount bringing them back." Eleanor stood again and leaned forward to fill The Mage's gaze with her ample bust and lovely face.

"Besides, the power that you will gain by training those children will be nothing short of magnificent," Eleanor emphasized. The Mage's eyes appeared to smile, nodding slowly and grunting his approval. Eleanor stood once more before crossing a hand over her chest making a slight bow.

"No, thank you, my master."


The next day, The Five woke up early, signing into Maplestory and playing through various quests given by NPC's within the game. Bosses and monsters fell by the dozens. While playing, they also scoured the internet, trying to find anything regarding the Aran class until it was time to sign out and get ready for school.

Everything seemed normal, boring even, despite the enormous hole still in the middle of the football field. It and the scabs, bandages, and stitches on the students were the only things remaining to indicate that something had happened the previous day. School went by with the same boring lessons. P.E. came and went, along with other classes in a blended blur. The only highlight of the day was the arrival of the local news van coming to report on the giant crater. It was all so disappointing.

Once school was over, The Five went to a diner, laughing and talking about anything that came to mind until Jenny redirected the conversation.

"Hey, did you guys happen to notice anything weird when that light came down?" she asked, trying to speak over her mouthful of burger. Olsen thought for a while, then pointed his finger into the air when he remembered something.

"I did notice some rather strange pink sparks while I was training yesterday," he said, grabbing his soda and taking a big drink. Helen held up her hand and rubbed her fingers and thumb together.

"Everyone that I helped with the first-aid kit told me that whatever I did took away all their pain. And I noticed this weird purple glow on my fingers."

"You glow in the dark?" Jack asked with a laugh, making the others giggle as well. Helen shook her head.

"No, it wasn't in the dark. It almost looked like purple glitter glue," Helen replied, pulling out her smartphone to look up theories of people gaining powers. Matthew crumpled up his burger wrapper and slumped back in the booth.

"You know, now that you mention it, ever since that light came down, I've been noticing small bursts of red light coming from my hands every time I practice in the backyard," he said, reaching for his milkshake. Olsen and Jenny both looked at each other.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the light we saw at the school?" Olsen asked, casually reaching for a french fry. Helen shrugged as she scrolled through her phone.

"It could. A light coming out of nowhere is strange enough. It would be pretty cool if it were, though." Helen answered, clicking off the phone and sliding it back into her purse.

"I just hope it doesn't mean that we're all going to be some hideous mutation or something," Jenny said, taking another bite of her burger. The Five of them sat in silence for a while, contemplating these colored glows until Matthew broke the silence.

"Have you ever gone down to the docks at sunset?" asked Matthew to no one in particular. Jenny swallowed her fries quickly, reaching for a soda to wash them down and speak.

"No, not really. Don't you get in trouble though since it's, you know, THE DOCKS?" replied Jenny. Matthew laughed and flipped his hand.

"Nah. There's a deserted section after about 5:30. You wanna go? I go there a lot to think." Everyone looked at each other back and forth. None of them had any important assignments due the next day, so they decided to go. As they walked, they hung onto each other's shoulders and sang loudly words that they had made up to a song from a MapleStory town called Ludibrium.

"Take all your cares and fears in this big world,

Make a big basket and throw it out.

And you all have a great time!

Don't think about it at all

Take all your cares and trash them

Don't look back at all!"

They stumbled through words a few times, forgetting what it was they had made up while walking where Matthew led them. Once there, Matthew directed the other four to the waters drenched in reds, yellows, oranges, and pinks. Olsen jumped up to the cross brace of a nearby crane, flipping and jumping up to the top.

His movement caught Jenny's eye as she watched him clamber up the struts. She knew that she had nowhere near the same acrobatic abilities, but climbing would mean she would be alone with him. It would allow her to tell him about her harbored feelings for him ever since she reached her early teens. After looking around for a bit, she found the ladder leading up to the control cab and began clim1bing the crane.

On the ground, Jack stood silently near the edge of the dock, letting the gentle breeze from the water wash over him. It was strangely familiar to him, even though the only time he had ever really been close to the water was during a trip to a section of the beach next to Lake Erie.

"It's a beautiful sunset," Helen said as she sat down and dangled her feet over the edge of the dock. Matthew walked up beside her and crouched down.

"I come here to think sometimes. I think I even wrote a report here once." Jack nodded, agreeing with Matt.

"Well, it's better now that I'm here," Jack answered, flexing dramatically, making the three of them laugh. Meanwhile, Jenny reached the top of the crane, walking carefully over to Olsen, who sat with one leg dangling over the edge of the boom while looking out over the water.

"What are you doing up here?" Jenny asked as she came and sat down next to Olsen. She hugged her knees to her chest while being careful to keep away from the edge, slightly chilled by the breeze that blew.

"Just thinking." She looked away so he wouldn't see her blush as she heard his ever so slight French accent. She was quickly brought back to reality when Olsen began speaking again.

"Jen, I don't know why, but for a while now, I've had this feeling…" Jenny turned quickly to him. Was he going to confess first? Was the guy she had a massive crush on about to tell her that he liked her? Was she prepared for this? Jenny's tongue felt numb, and her hands felt clammy. Her heart began to pound so hard that she could hear it in her ears and hoped that Olsen couldn't hear it.

"…It's been nagging at me ever since I can remember. I've always had the feeling that I wasn't going to stay here, that I wasn't meant to stay here." Jenny hung her head. As Olsen's words plowed through her, she felt her heart deflate. Jenny had built so much tension within herself that it almost hurt to hear him say he had a feeling that he was about to go away. Regaining her composure, she turned her head to him, still laying on her knees.

"How do you mean?" she asked, trying to hide her clenched hands and pursed lips.

"It's as if there is a feeling that something bad is going to happen. When or how it's going to happen remains unknown, but deep down, you know that it will happen."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Jenny nodded, awkwardly twirling her shoelace.

"That's how it feels to me. It's as if all of us, not just me, are going to go very far away from here very soon. I don't know. I just have that feeling is all." Olsen turned his gaze towards Jenny, who wasn't prepared to meet his gaze, and her entire face turned red.

"Does that make sense?" he asked. Jenny turned her face back into her knees quickly and nodded.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn It! I just can't say it! What do I do? What do I do?" she thought, clenching her jaw and fists. Olsen chuckled and stood.

"Anyway, that's what's going through my head." He said as he walked back towards the ladder leading down to the docks. As he climbed down, Olsen saw a group of men dressed in baggy robes walking towards Matthew, Helen, and Jack. At first, Olsen laughed to himself that seven men would be walking around dressed in black bathrobes, but as he watched them, a strange tension began weaving through his body. It was the same feeling when the light shattered all the windows and school. Quickly, he caught Jenny's attention, telling her to come down with him. On the ground, the other three jumped when a loud voice split the quiet.

"You three! Where are the other Crystal Bearers?" Jack raised his eyebrow, facing them.

"'Scuse me?"

"Where are the other Crystal Bearers! Your feigned ignorance will not save you!" another man shouted, the group of them spreading out to encircling them. Matthew stood, making sure to keep Helen behind him.

"If you guys are looking for the game shop, it back that way. They'll have the larping schedules." He said, his arms itching and his legs quivering; something was seriously wrong.

"What if we have the wrong ones, Captain?" a woman in the group asked.

"No, they are the ones. Can you not feel their power?!" The captain seethed. Behind the group, Jack and Helen saw Olsen and Jenny come down from the crane, catching their attention in the back.

"Captain! The others are here!" a person called.

"Perfect. Now, Crystal Bearers, come back with us to our master. He is eager to meet you." The captain smiled. Matthew lowered his brow and shook his head.

"I think you're a little TOO into the larping scene. Like I said, the gaming shop is back in town." Matthew mocked, motioned for Olsen and Jenny to follow, and walked away. The captain scowled, appearing before Matthew and blocking his path.

"No, no, I insist," he growled, lowering his brow and holding his hand before him as a black and purple flame ignited in his hand. Matthew felt a hand grab his arm and pull it behind him, then wrap another arm around his throat.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Helen demanded before she too was held in place by someone else. Jack began moving when he heard the loud clicks of a gun being cocked next to his temple.

"Who are you guys?!" Jenny demanded, she and Olsen holding up their hands as they were surrounded by two more of the group, both holding a sharp knife to their necks.

"You will know soon enough. For now, we need to return." Helen dug her heels into the ground, pulling her restrained hand free and slapping away the other around her throat before punching the man in the face, beginning to run for the gate until she was tackled to the ground once more, pulled to her feet.

"Why do we need to go directly to the master? This one seems to need a little taming." the man growled, licking her cheek slowly.

"No, Haqun. They are to be left untouched." the captain barked. Haqun growled, holding Helen's jaw and forcing her to face the captain.

"Can't I have just a little taste? She looks so pretty, like a flower." He begged. "J'waller over there looks to be eyeing the other one, and I can see Hakana drooling over the dark one." Haqun ran his hand across Helen's stomach and up towards her chest using his free hand. J'waller smiled as he put his arm around Jenny while Hakana slung her arm over Jack's shoulder and chest, resting her chin on his opposite shoulder.

"I SAID NO!" the captain shouted when Olsen's flaming shin slammed into Haqun's head, hurling him away from Helen. Jenny slapped away the knife against her neck, kicking the guy in the groin, and began running, as did Olsen and Helen. Jack slammed his elbow into Hakana's gut and ran after the others. Matthew hauled the woman behind him over his shoulder and slammed her to the ground, allowing him to run. Two of the robed group appeared before Jenny, throwing their hand forward as glowing ropes shot out to her. Jenny ducked, running to a nearby dumpster for cover as another bright rope snapped off the metal.

Haqun appeared before Helen and Olsen, grabbing her arm. Helen's arm glowed purple, making Haqun let go, screaming in pain. Olsen gripped Helen's hand, leading her away from the area. Matthew saw Jenny's plight, turning to the pair approaching her, slamming his feet into the back of one. The second person held their palm to Matthew as flames began fluttering to life. Matthew froze until Jack slammed his fist into the side of the person's head, picking up Matthew from the ground and motioning for Jenny to follow. As they turned, the captain and two others stood in their way, holding out their hand with some kind of swirling air in their palms. The other two got up, reaching to their belts and drawing pistols, holding the ends of the barrels to Jack and Matthew's heads.

"My patience is wearing thin, Crystal Bearers. Come with us, and no further harm will come to you." the captain growled, holding out his hand as though waiting for them to take it. Jack lowered his head, chuckling quietly before spin kicking the guns away from those behind them in a blur of movement. He then swiped both of them across the face with a hard punch, crossing his arms when the guns fell into his hands with the butt of the grips touching.

Matthew was about to tell him how stupid he was when a transparent, red flame engulfed Jack and spread to the guns. Red light concentrated at the ends of the barrels, turning and shooting each of the assailants in quick succession, each shot sounding like a cannon. AS he turned to train his guns in another direction, he stopped, starring down the sights as the last two remaining robed men held Helen and Olsen tightly, pressing knives into their necks. Matthew and Jenny could see Helen weeping with terrified tears while Olsen's eyes were wide, trying to remain still.

"That's enough! Take one more step, fire one more shot, and I'll do it!" called Haqun.

"Haqun, we need them all alive if we are to get the master's approval."

"We just use some healing spells if needed. DROP THE GUN!" Haqun shouted. Matthew and Jenny began trying to get through to Jack as he stood there, holding the gun out and arm's length. Haqun pressed the knife further into Helen's neck while the other pulled Olsen arm further behind him. Helen locked stares with Matthew, mouthing the words "help me" as she felt the knife begin to cut her skin. Jenny turned to reason once more with Jack when she saw the smirk on his face. Jack appeared between his friends in one quick blur, grabbing the robed men's arms and wrenching them away from Olsen and Helen's necks. He then slammed them into the ground, knocking them unconscious.

Olsen and Matthew stared for a minute until they realized they were no longer in danger. Jack stood for a while longer, the red glow surrounding him as though it were a flame. The robed men lay all around them, moaning in pain or lying still.

"Jack, are you okay?" Matthew asked as he approached him. As Matthew neared, the red glow stopped, and Jack collapsed to the ground unconscious. Both Matthew and Jenny rushed to his side to try and catch him before he hit the ground but were too far away.

"We need to get Jack back home," Matthew commanded, reaching to pick Jack up.

"Don't you think we should take him to a doctor?" Jenny asked as Matthew picked him up over his shoulder.

"And tell them what? 'My friend collapsed after shooting five and knocking out two more guys while he was glowing'?" Matthew asked.

"It's better than taking him home! What if he has internal bleeding or something?" Jenny asked, walking with Matthew as he made his way off the dock.

"In either case, we need to get him away from here. Maybe Jack's mom will know what to do." Matthew answered, passing by Olsen and Helen, coxing them to follow. The five of them left the dock as quickly as they could and made their way to Jack's house.

Meanwhile, the captain sorely got up from the ground, holding a healing spell over his shoulder where a bullet had passed through. He hadn't expected that the child would know how to control the crystal. It'd been so many years since they were seen that many within the Black Wings believed them to be only myth. Once he had healed his own wound enough, he tended to the other healer within group, waking or healing the rest of them quickly.

"Now what? Do we try again at another time?" Hakana asked, rubbing her gut where the bullet had passed through.

"That won't be possible." Called a cold voice. The group turned to see a man wearing a long cape with a long-handled weapon draped across his shoulders.

"And who are you?" The captain demanded with an arrogant tone. The man lowered his stance, holding the weapon back as though ready to swing.

"I am your worst nightmare."


"Now, tell me again what happened?" asked Carrie, placing a second cool towel on Jack's head as he lay unconscious in the living room of his house. Olsen put a hand over his mouth, running down his chin before beginning.

"We were down at the docks just watching the sunset from a spot that Matthew told us about when a group of robed people demanded we come with them, saying something about being Crystal Bearers. Matthew told them about the game shop in town, but they kept on with it. We tried to leave, but they seemed like they would kidnap us. We tried to fight them off, but they just appeared everywhere we went. The next thing I knew, Jack's whole body was glowing red. He punched two and took their guns, shooting most of them, and then knocked out the two holding Helen and Olsen. After that, he just passed out." Olsen explained for the fourth time, looking over to Helen, who sat at the end of the kitchen table staring down at the ground, rubbing her arms vigorously.

She shivered as the disturbing look in Haqun's eyes kept flashing through her mind and the ghost of his hands on her body lingered. Jenny walked to her and tapped her shoulder, making Helen jump and whimper but calmed when she saw Jenny sit down next to her, speaking quietly enough that only Helen could hear.

"You okay?" Jenny asked, reaching out for Helen's hand.

"No, I'm not alright. I want to go home, but I want to make sure that Jack's alright first," she muttered. Carrie squinted her eyes; something had happened to the poor girl, but none of them had explained anything beyond Jack passing out after attacking seven people. Turning her attention back to Jack, Carrie shifted the towel on his head as Pierre and Glen came through the front door.

"Jack'll be fine, guys. It sounds like he just went a bit overboard." Carrie assured them.

"But what about that red glow we saw? And what did they mean by 'Crystal Bearers'?" asked Olsen.

"You might have been worried about Helen. Lots of weird things can look like they happen when someone you know is in trouble." She said with a sad smile, her thoughts turning to Muirhat. Helen looked over to Jack and walked over to the couch, sitting on the floor. Carrie reached for her hand and shook her head when she noticed Helen reaching for Jack, her hand glowing a dim violet.

"But…"

"Helen, he'll be fine. It's late. You should be getting home. Pierre, would you make sure they get home safely?" She asked. He nodded firmly and led them out the door, calling after Olsen to come home. Jenny offered to go over to Helen's to ensure she would be alright. Once the door was closed, Glen turned back to Carrie, reaching into his jacket for something.

"Are you still going to keep them in the dark?" Glen asked sternly.

"It's for the best, Glen. If they know who they are, they will get themselves into far more trouble. Were you able to find it?" she asked when she heard the garage door open, signaling that Mark had just come home. The sound of the door hadn't reached Glen as he shook his head and pulled out the elegant crystal bottle from within his jacket.

"It took me a bit of time, but I managed to find it." He replied, pulling an elegant bottle from his jacket when Mark walked in from the garage.

"Hey babe, did Jack and the others have a study session or…what happened to Jack? And what's in that bottle?!" he asked when he saw his son passed out on the couch. Glen and Carrie looked at each other: it was time to try and convince Mark that what was about to happen was very real.

"Mark, honey. Do you remember that story I told you when I woke up in the hospital? That wasn't a story; it's real. Jack's powers as a pirate have been steadily getting stronger. Why do you think that we've had to buy him a new punching bag every couple of months? Today he just tapped into far more power than he was ready for." Glen shook the bottle in his hands as the thick, blue liquid inside emanated a soft light.

"Right, and my sister is a mermaid. Carrie, those things were something you dreamed from hitting your head." Carrie objected and motioned to Glen. The old man walked to Jack, pulling the top from the bottle with a long glass rod attached, and dragged it across Jack's mouth. The boy's entire body glowed blue as Jack instinctively swallowed, then rolled over on his side, fast asleep.

"It's not," Carrie answered. Mark blinked his eyes a few times, trying to mentally explain what he had seen: maybe he had too much coffee, or the lighting was weird for a second. Jack didn't just glow blue for a moment, did he? Carrie went to the safe above the mantle, took out the revolver, and held it straight out. The motion caught Mark's attention, watching in dumbfounded disbelief as the same blue glow engulfed her arm, spreading to the gun as she pulled the trigger.

An ear-splitting roar shook the house as a blue bolt shot into the night, making the nearby windows explode. After dropping his hands away from his ears, Mark slumped onto a second couch within the living room, trying to wrap his head around everything that he had just seen.

"Everything that Carrie told me is real? This magical land called Ossyria and the Nautilus is real?" he thought, looking over to Jack and then to the bottle in Glen's hand.

"What did you just give Jack?" he asked, trying to keep himself from shouting. Carrie sat across from Mark on the coffee table, setting the pistol down.

"Jack used up all his Mana, something that every human has within them. It's a byproduct of his Life Force that we can harness for special abilities. A person only has a little bit after being born, but you can have more with training. Jack had drained ALL of his Mana and passed out because his available mana supply is still small." Carrie explained. Glen sat down next to Mark and put a hand across his back.

"The potion I gave Jack is a Mana restorative. Rest is the only safe way to restore the remainder. If one were to rely on potions, it could kill you," he said. Mark let his head fall into his hands. It was all too much. His wife was some kind of freak, and his son was another freak, and he was a freak for marrying a freak. All of what he had seen only existed in fairy tales and legends, not real life!

"Everything will make sense soon," Glen explained.

"We're leaving for Ossyria at the end of the week, and all of you will be coming." Mark couldn't get his head wrapped around what was happening. The whole life that he built was just about to end. His entire career and living were all going to disappear. Carrie moved to the couch next to him, grabbing his hands and turning his head to face him.

"Please, just for a bit, humor me and say that you believe me. Trust me; I'll tell you everything when we're there." Mark nodded absentmindedly, unsure if he would ever be able to accept what he had just seen.


"Is Jack going to recover? Spontaneously collapsing like that can't be good for him," Olsen pressed.

"Yes, he'll be perfectly fine after some rest," Pierre answered with stoic disinterest.

"What about the red glow?" Jenny asked. Sure, she may not have a crush on him like she did on Olsen, but Jack was still one of her close friends. Helen could only vaguely hear what was being said. It was as though everyone was talking a long way off while Jenny guided her.

"All will be made clear shortly. For now, go home and rest." Pierre instructed. Reluctantly, Olsen conceded and was about to begin jogging home when he remembered that Jenny and Helen would be alone, turning to follow then when Pierre grabbed his shoulder.

"Olsen, I have some business that I need to attend. I will be late tonight," he said sternly. Olsen nodded and jogged after the girls. Once Olsen was out of earshot, Pierre turned to an empty lot.

"You can come out, Aran. I still can't believe that even after all this time, you can't suppress your presence." Pierre scolded as Aran stood and walked to him, setting the end of his halberd down on the street.

"How is Jack?" Aran asked.

"He's unknowingly tripped the Ruby Crystal's power and reawakened it. The resulting fusion made him use all his mana and subsequent energy. I believe your arrival here is what has started the crystals' reawakening." Aran nodded and looked to the star-filled sky.

"It's only been a day since I arrived, but I'm beginning to think a week is too long. This world isn't ready for something as powerful as the crystals. I was there at the docks watching them, and the others too had unknowingly tripped the crystal's power, but not to the severity of Jack." Pierre lowered his brow.

"Olsen left that detail out when telling us what had happened," Pierre said, growling in his throat, crossing his arms.

"Don't be too hard on him. It's the girls and Jack that I would be most worried about." Aran said, following Pierre's stare.

"What do you mean?" Pierre asked, unfolding his arms and staring hard at Aran.

"You mean they didn't tell you, Jin?"

"Tell me what? What happened to them?" Pierre asked again, this time with a more intense growl in his voice. Aran sighed as his face fell.

"The robed men that attacked them, they were low ranking Black Wings soldiers. Three of the soldiers were interested in Jack, Jenny, and Helen for more nefarious purposes, from what I could hear. If Jack hadn't tripped the Ruby Crystal, they might not be here on this plane, and far worse could have happened." he sighed. Pierre clenched his fists tight enough to make his skin creak. Aran shook his head, firmly touching Pierre's shoulder with his fist.

"We need to leave as soon as possible, perhaps even tomorrow, or else they may fully awaken their powers. Without proper training in a world that accepts the kind of powers they possess, I fear that they will destroy everything around them." Pierre looked up and lowered his brow.

"Tomorrow? Aran, dozens of preparations need to be made to sever ties with this world." Pierre pressed when Aran grabbed his shoulder hard.

"Jin, listen to me! I stayed behind and took care of those soldiers, but the people who worked at the docks saw us. They are terrified of people like us, and it will only cause more trouble if we stay much longer. What if the crystal's power is tripped by accident, and they end up hurting someone?" Aran argued. Pierre roughly pulled his arm away, clenching his right hand but remembering that he had already taken off his claw. Aran dropped his hand and turned to leave, stopping to speak over his shoulder.

"I'll convey the message to the others. Be ready to meet where I arrived with anything you will need," Aran commanded. Pierre sighed heavily and shook his head, his upper lip swelling as he pushed his tongue between it and his teeth.

"I'll meet you there." He finally muttered while Aran nodded and disappeared. Pierre leaped into the air and then propelled forward with a spell circle made of lavender light, heading back home.

"'…And so, when the time is near, the power of those blessed will show itself as a sign that the final battle is nearing fruition.' I guess there's no going against it now. What would you do, master?" Jin thought as he lept through the darkness back home, only accompanied by the silence of the night air.


The Mage's whispers seemed angry as he tapped his finger on the arm of his chair, watching everything from his crystal ball. He then turned his attention to the three remnants of the group that had followed Aran into the other world.

"What is it you were hoping to accomplish?" Eleanor seethed, shifting her weight to one leg and putting a hand on her hip. The captain sighed and looked up from his kneeling position, struggling to see through his swollen eye.

"It was on my orders. I had hoped that bringing the Crystal Bearers to you would accelerate the master's efforts." The arm of The Mage's chair creaked under his grip. Eleanor slowly descended the steps to them, standing over the captain as black mist surrounded her.

"As of now, the Crystals are useless to the master. They must be trained to regain their power. Not to mention that we still need the husks. Do not attempt anything like this again unless I or the master order it so." The Captain nodded, flinching as something sliced through his cheek as runes were carved into his skin. The soldiers were dismissed with a wave of Eleanor's hand, limping and groaning out of the room. The Mage let out a long breath, calming his anger as Eleanor returned to his side,

"As Aran said, their return needs to be expedited. Why not help that along?" Eleanor asked silkily. The Mage turned his pale red eyes to her, narrowing them as if to ask 'why'?

"If they can't hold their own against your pawn, the Stump King, then there's no use in calling them here." The Mage growled low in his throat approvingly, whispers rising around her. Eleanor smiled back, sitting on the arm of his throne while running her long black nails along his jawline and turning his face to her, hovering just above where she guessed his lips to be.

"Indeed, it is an endeavor worth trying."