Chapter 3: Returning to a place you've never seen

The next morning, Matthew woke up with everything in a haze. As he walked from his room to the kitchen, he noticed pictures and keepsakes missing from hallways walls. Walking further through the house, he saw furniture missing, as well as the entire house having been cleaned from top to bottom. Outside, dark clouds drifted overhead, making everything Matthew saw seem even stranger. John and Yasmin walked in from the front door with sweat-streaked dust on their faces, as a Salvation Army 18-wheeler pulled away from the front of their house. The only thing that remained was the phone. Yasmin spotted Matthew standing at the end of the hall as she came in.

"Oh, Son. You're up." She called, grabbing a nearby towel and wiping her face.

"What's going on? And where is all our stuff?" Matthew asked, looking around at the patchwork-faded carpet where the furniture used to be.

"Matthew, listen. We are…" before John could finish speaking, the phone rang. Matthew quickly answered it, discovering that it was Jack on the other end.

"Hey man, you'll never believe what my mom just did."

"I bet it's not any stranger then what's going on at my house."

"What's going on there?"

"My folks just gave everything away to charity. EVERYTHING man."

"You're kidding, right? My folks just did the same thing. Jenny's and Olsen's folks too. I bet Helen is having the same problem." Just as Jack was finishing his sentence, the phone beeped.

"Hang on man; there's another call on the line. Hello?"

"Matt? It's Helen." her voice sounded quiet and raspy.

"Hey, are you doing alright?" he asked, realizing that his current situation was still not as pressing as Helen's.

"I'm at least not crying anymore. Jenny stayed with me overnight."

"That's good. I'm sorry that Olsen and I couldn't get to you sooner. We froze."

"It's alright, we were all in a very tight sit..." the phone line went dead, leaving an annoying beeping in the receiver. Matthew tried to get the phone working again by tapping on the hanger before he hung up the phone and turned back to his parents.

"Ok, what in the hell is going on?" Matthew demanded. Heavily, John sighed as he stepped forward.

"Son, the game Maplestory you've been playing is not just a game, it's a tutor for…" claps of thunder interrupted him while the wind began to blow. Matthew ran outside to see what was going on to see a funnel forming above the cottonwood tree in their front yard. Looking out from the door, John turned and snatched a large backpack, then grabbed Yasmin by the wrist and led her away from the house while trying to grab Matthew's hand. Winds steadily picked up all around them until they were strong enough to make the shingles on the house flutter.

"We have to leave now!" John bellowed, dragging Matthew down the front walkway to the street. Matthew never questioned his father, but right now was going to be an exception. He pulled his hand from John's enormous strength and stopped just in front of their tree.

"Dad, what's going on!? The same thing happened at school. What is…" a peel of lightning threaded from the clouds to the tree, leaving a smoldering, jagged hole where it had struck. Matthew shook his head, trying to get the ringing out of his ears, turning his attention back to the cottonwood. Within moments, the leaves died and fell from its branches. The bark became dry and splintered before his eyes, peeling away from the truck. An ethereal thrum reverberated as the roots pulled from the ground and squirmed across the grass like tentacles. Holes began to appear high on the trunk, crackling and popping as it started to move. John's skin paled, and his blood ran cold: he knew who this abomination was and he couldn't allow his son to face him yet, not without proper training.

In a flash of bluish gold light, John appeared beside Matthew, dragging him back with the same blur of speed as a thick root slammed down where Matt had been a moment before. It hit with enough force to break the walkway into rubble, collapsing what remained into the dirt. John quickly returned to Yasmin, grabbing her hand and running in the direction of the school.

From behind them, the tree let out an otherworldly scream as its roots pulled its trunk free. It began walking out into the road, its roots wriggling across the pavement. Matthew looked back, seeing a strange red cloth appear around its upper bows, followed by a few balls of dark light floating around the top branches facing him with faintly glowing pupils.

As he took in the scene behind him, Matthew recognized what, or rather, who it was. The tree was the boss monster from the deserts of Perion, Stumpy. But, Stumpy was just a character from the game Maplestory, wasn't he? What in the world was he doing here? Why was he even real?

Driving its root feet into the street for stability, Stumpy opened his splintered mouth as bright golden light gathered at the back of his throat.

"INCOMING!" Matthew shouted, making John look back and drop Matthew, while forcing Yasmin to the ground as a beam of light shot over them. A nearby parked car became the unfortunate recipient of the ray, melting into a smoldering pile of molten metal. Yasmin and Matthew stared slack-jawed at what was left of the vehicle until Jon hauled them to their feet and began running once more.

Howling roars filled the air as Stumpy gave chase, weaving his way down the street after the three running before him. As the three of them rounded a corner, John saw the Olmans, Tina, and Jenny walking down the road not far ahead of them. Glen heard the noise of their slamming feet on the pavement and turned to see who it was, calling out to them as they ran passed.

"John! Why are you in such a hurry? Didn't we all agree last night to meet at noon? And what was that..." his question was cut short when Stumpy rounded the corner, letting out an ethereal roar. May and Greg, Helen's parents, both stumbled back, tripping over themselves as they turned to run. Glen took Helen by the hand as he and Helen lifted a few inches from the ground and sped away after May and Greg. Tina's brow furrowed as she reached for the bow around her shoulders, slinging it into her hands and nocking an arrow. Jenny's eyes became wide, trying to see the walking tree until Tina grabbed her shoulder hard, making her look into Tina's eyes.

"Jenny, go with the Olmans."

"Mom, what is that…"

"JENNY! DO NOT QUESTION ME! GO! NOW! RUN!" Tina shouted, pushing Jenny away with a firm hand. Jenny hesitated, looking behind her mother at the closing tree, skipping backwards before turning around in a full sprint. Just as Tina whipped around to face her foe, a root shot past her. Tina swung her bow, a burst of blue flaring as the bow cut through the root. As she spun her bow back into her hands to draw the sinews, a larger root swung from behind her, batting her out of the street in into a nearby car. The loud crash of glass and crunch of metal made Jenny turn around, seeing her mother slumped against a badly damaged car.

"MOM!" Jenny screamed. Further down the road, Glen, Matthew, John Yasmin, Helen, May and Greg all stopped when they heard Jenny's scream. May put a hand to her mouth shock seeing Tina slumped against the car, pulling Helen behind her as if to shield her from the sight. Greg appeared ready to run into action when John stopped him, shaking his head.

"Stay with Yasmin, she will take you three to the school. Wait for us there." He commanded. In flash of bluish-gold light, John appeared next to Tina, picking her up and jumping back as another beam of light melted the car. Jenny spun in all directions until she saw her mom standing next to John and Matthew, holding her head and was about to begin running to them when she felt a thick root wrap around her, hauling her into the air.

Jenny's piercing scream split the air making Matthew turn to see her being slowly crushed, her screams beginning to become gapes of pain. Matthew looked around the area, thoughts of his hesitation at the docks spurring him on until he saw a baseball bat in a front yard of a nearby house. After grabbing it, he rushed towards Stumpy, planting his foot next to the tree's trunk and swinging the bat as hard as he could. A rush of bright red flames roared down his arms and bat, slamming into the tree hard enough to collapse part of the trunk, making thunder echo down the road. Matthew grinned to himself until he heard his dad's voice call to him. Looking to his right, another large root swung at him, dirt and dust flinging into the air as it moved. Before it hit, John appeared in front of Matthew, holding up a shield but being thrown into Matthew as both of them were hurled into a hedge of nearby rose bushes.

Lights began popping in Jenny's vision as the root around her curled tighter and tighter around her waist. She was only vaguely aware of Helen's grandfather calling to her, as her hearing began to fade and was replaced with the rush of blood and the pulse of her heart. Jenny's head began to feel light as it became harder and harder to breath; she was sure that at any moment, her ribs would collapse.

"Olsen… help…" she wheezed, feeling something beginning to well up within her. It felt hot, as if fire were hurtling through her veins. Meanwhile, Glen held a bright fireball in his palms ready to fire, but with Jenny being held hostage, he hesitated. He was worried the blaze would do more than burn only the tree, especially since Jenny wasn't wearing any protective armor, when he noticed a cloud of green flames on her hands.

"Oh no no no no no…" Glen muttered to himself, shaking his hand free of the flames and instead, an icicle that fizzed with electricity formed around his staff. He held it as if it were ready to launch a spear, when a black streak cut the root, appearing with Jenny in his arms some distance away. When Glen saw that Jenny was clear, the electricity around the icicle buzzed louder, snapping off the manhole covers as Glen hurled his icicle. The sound of thunder blasted down the road. A shockwave ballooned from Stumpy, throwing John and Matthew from the rose bushes, breaking the windows of the nearby cars and shoving them to the side. Ice plastered across Stumpy's face, flattening him to the ground, making everything fall eerily silent. Glen immediately rushed in the direction Jenny disappeared to, finding Tina kneeling next to Pierre, dressed in black shinobi attire. John and Matthew began to painfully pull rose branches and thorns from their clothes and skin.

"I'm sorry Tina, but we can't stay here. I don't know how long that attack will keep The Stump King paralyzed." he urged, looking over the unconscious Jenny in Pierre's arms.

"If Jenny is moved she may sustain unintended injuries. That root gripped her tight enough to fracture her arm." Tina argued.

"And if we don't move now, The Stump King will be ready to fight us head on. You've become lax in your training Athena as well as Dances, otherwise this may not have happened." Pierre scolded, soliciting a smoldering glare from Tina. Glen looked around for a moment, realizing someone was missing.

"Jin, where is Olsen?" Pierre slowly turned his attention to Glen, reaching into his shirt and pulling out a small vial of a thin white liquid and pouring it into Jenny's mouth.

"When I heard the ruckus in this direction. I sent him to fetch Kyrin, Jack, and Mark at their house and meet us at the school. This is the last of the Snow Potion I brought with me. It should speed up the healing of that fracture."

"Not soon enough I'm afraid," John said, both he and Matthew's arms and face stained with blood from the rose thorns. Glen followed John's pointing, seeing the roots of The Stump King beginning to move once again as the ice began to crack. Matthew's wide eyes widened as he watched the huge oak tree begin to move once again.

"Uh, dad? It's getting up again," Matthew said, patting John's arm to get his attention. Glen looked back to Jenny, shaking his head as he grunted in frustration.

"Everyone gather around. I'll transport us to the school." Glen said, holding out his arms as if to pull everyone in.

"I'm going after my wife and the Olmans. The school isn't too far from here, but they are already around the corner," John said, jogging down the road. Glen nodded his understanding, making sure everyone was close enough before folding his hands in a triangular shape, disappearing from the road with Tina, Jenny, Pierre and Matthew.


"What was that thing?" Greg asked, wheezing as he jogged along with Yasmin, brushing his short black hair out of his sweaty face. Both he and May weren't very physically adept as being self employed accountants didn't require much activity.

"I don't know, but I do know that my husband can handle it." Yasmin answered, keeping the four of them moving.

"It was a moving tree! Trees don't move like that!" May argued, tripping as her small heeled shoes caught a crack in the sidewalk.

"It's a creature called Stumpy, mom. It's from the game I play all the time," Helen answered flatly.

"From a game? Then why is that thing chasing us if it's from a game?" Greg asked, though shrank back when he realized how loudly he had spoken. Yasmin was about to answer when she heard the slaps of feet on the sidewalk coming from behind her, turning around to see John.

"Oh, did you…"

"No. He's coming, we need to run." John said when Greg let out a loud whining groan.

"More running? Are you kidding me?" John turned around, motioning to the giant tree rounding the corner.

"More running it is!" Greg called as the five of them once again jogged towards the school. Within a few short minutes, Greg and May were heaving for breath, unable to keep pace. John hoisted them over his shoulders, running the last few hundred feet. When they arrived in the football field, the others had already gathered in the center of the crater, enclosed in police caution tape, while a guard persistently pestered Carrie, Tina, Jack, Mark, Matthew, Glen and Pierre, still holding the unconscious Jenny.

"Look, I don't care if you're the president's daughter on a family picnic, lady. This area is strictly off-limits, not to mention that you have an unconscious girl here. You need to leave and get her to a doctor," The cop argued with Carrie.

"And I will say it only one more time; we're not moving. We need to be here, and that's it." She said, putting her hands on her hips. The cop grit his teeth as he saw the others hurriedly running for the circle; he reached for his radio with a livid growl.

"Look, you to need to stay out of the area." He said, huffing as they ran passed him under the tape. When no one was listening to him, he quickly radioed in for backup.

"What took you so long, Dances. Did you forget your battle axe?" Carrie asked with a laugh in her voice. John set the Olmans down, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"No, I needed to make sure these four weren't caught," John answered. Carrie raised an eyebrow.

"By what?" She asked, as John pointed to Stumpy as he came swashing through the grass around the school building.

"Oh…" Carrie answered. Glen whirled his hands around one another, preparing to use another spell. A forceful grunt echoed through the air as four large icicles careened into the dried-out tree, followed by a wave of ice that covered Stumpy in a thick sheet. The snowy ice led back to a man with short white hair and striking light blue eyes running past them, weilding a gold decorated halberd.

"You five get started. I'll hold that tree off until you're ready to go!" called the man, as Stumpy began to break free from the thick ice. Olsen, Matthew, Jack, and Helen looked at each other. So many things had happened around them all at once. First, it was a strange light with an Aran silhouette at school. Then it was Stumpy being real, and now Aran himself was battling the ancient tree spirit, Stumpy. The only element that connected them was the game Maplestory. Were they all real? Their thoughts were interrupted when Pierre motioned for Olsen to hold Jenny, as the Five Masters drew their weapons, holding them over the center of the crater. As they did, each master called out a city and their name.

"Athena Pierce, Henesys!"

"Dark Lord Jin, Kerning City!"

"Dances with Balrog, Perion!"

"Grendal the Ancient, Ellinia!"

"Kyrin, Port of Nautilus! Power of Minerva, hear us! Let us travel from here to where we belong!" The clouds began to twist into a funnel above them as small yellow balls of light gathered into a bigger one. A root shot by Aran, but was flung back by a beam of blue light from his weapon before he lunged after the tree. A police car pulled into the grass facing the group, the policeman standing behind the door of his car and shouting over their loudspeakers when he saw the huge tree.

"Get out of there!" the policeman called. Dances looked back, about to tell the police to run when Stumpy wheeled around, reaching a root around the squad car and tossing it like a paper plane. Glen pulled his staff from the center, swinging as though he had thrown something, as two sets of scratch marks appeared across Stumpy's back to get the tree's attention. When Stumpy turned back araound, Aran to pummeled the tree with a series of quick slashes. When Glen returned his staff to the center of the group, the light had solidified. A climbing whine began humming in the air, loud enough to be slightly painful.

"ARAN! IT IS READY!" called Dances above the noise. Aran looked back; and in one hard swing, split the tree in half. He then flashed to the group just as the light drove down on them all. It shook the ground like an earthquake, ripping through the town for a few seconds before vanishing. Those who had seen the tree and the light came out of their hiding places and buildings alike, looking over the now deeper, smoldering crater in the school's football field.


The Mage slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair, as the mask he wore around the aura making up his face creaked from his clenching jaw. He grabbed a small glass statue and hurled it as hard as he could, shattering it against the wall. Ethereal growling sizzled in the air. One of his Skelegon servants waddled in with a golden platter, holding a glass of a special Mana potion Eleanor had made for The Mage.

He took the challis before holding up his free hand and slowly clenching it, making the bone creature crumble, snap into pieces, and gather into a ball. Quietly, The Mage walked to a window that overlooked the now desolate island of Ereve floating on the waters. Without the power of Shinsoo and the Empress Cygnus, it was nothing more than another drifting piece of land. Eleanor came walking in, swinging her hips with each step just as she usually did, and pulled back the hood covering her red eyes, silver hair, and beautiful, youthful face.

"Why are you letting yourself become agitated over this? It's nothing more than a distraction. The Stump King is only alive when he has a tree to control, and even then, he is only as powerful as the tree he inhabits. Beyond that, he is nothing more than a floating orb." She said, holding out her slender hand as an orb with a small flame above it appeared. Whispers hissed around her as The Mage held up his hand, cracking his knuckles as he clenched his fist.

"While it may have been to give them a taste, there was never any guarantee they would be the ones to attack and not the Masters," Eleanor answered, shaking her hand and dismissing the orb, placing her hands on The Mage's shoulder and resting her chin on her hands. Thoughtfully, he drank another mouthful of potion, questioning whispers rising in the air, sounding as though he were trying to suppress his irritation.

"So far, nothing has turned up in the search. My wyverns have been searching day and night; and still, nothing has come of it. Are you sure that they're above ground?" Eleanor questioned, as The Mage shook his head, sipping the potion. Eleanor backed slightly and bowed before disappearing in a cloud of vapors.


Jack stirred, slowly opening his eyes, but quickly closing them again when the light from outside stung his eyes and made his head pound. As he reached up to massage his temples, he realized that his whole body ached.

"What happened?" he thought, groaning as the pain in his head slowly faded. From somewhere in the distance, he could hear what sounded like a crowd in a mall or a fair.

"The last thing I remember was running to school, mom yelling something, and then hit with a beam of light." Once his headache had subsided just a bit, Jack tried to get up but felt something hold him down. The something didn't feel like a hand; it felt like a paw. He opened his eyes and saw a panda wearing a blue kimono, an orange overcoat with wide eyes and a wild tuft of fur on the top of his head.

"Lay down young man. You've got quite a bump there. Or is a lump?" the panda said, pressing a towel, smelling of bitter herbs and some other strong scents, to his head. Jack tried to get up again, but the panda pushed him down again, harder this time.

"You are to stay here for a while. I don't want you getting all woozy and pass out." The panda said. Jack relaxed and put his head down on the pillow, chuckling to himself as he reached for his forehead to feel the protruding goose egg.

"I must have hit my head pretty hard. There's a Panda taking care of me." Jack mumbled. The Panda looked around the room, spinning left and right multiple times.

"Where? I don't see him." The panda asked. Jack picked up his hand and pointed at the Panda who responded by pointing to his chest and raising his eyebrows.

"You think I'm the talking panda?" the panda said, walking over to a mirror hanging on the wall, rubbing his chin as if to inspect a shave.

"Well, you're right about the Panda. Handsome fella." He said, reaching for a comb to brush down the tuft of fur atop his head. Another panda pushed aside the cloth door, flooding the room with light, making Jack moan again.

"Mr. Do, Tae Sang needs your help. More warriors than he can handle are returning ." The second panda said.

"Tell him I'll be right there." The panda in the kimono turned to leave, pointing his paw at Jack.

"Now stay there until I come back. I'm Mr. Do by the by. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Do said as, he reached back to shake Jack's hand before leaving, his voice fading into the distance. Jack sighed and blinked a few times, trying to rid his vision of the rainbows he saw. It sounded like this panda was a doctor of some kind. But it was a talking panda! Things like that didn't just happen! Looking around the room once his vision had cleared, Jack slowly sat up, pulling off the towel on his head. In trying to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over him, so he reached out for the nearest wall to steady himself. He began to hear echoes of whispers coming from a long way off.

He looked around the room to find where it was coming from, but it sounded like it was coming from everywhere. Thousands of whispers gradually became louder and louder when all at once they became a single female voice. It was soothing and warm.

"Welcome home, child," the voice said, dying away in the same eerie whispers.

"Welcome home? I don't even know where I am!" Jack shook his head when another wave of dizziness washed over him, walking through the cloth door once it passed. On the dirt paths, dozens of people walked, ran, or limped around the city-like campsite. Some of the people carried bowls of herbs and other ointments, while others moved supplies. Across the street were rows of wounded soldiers or strange short men having their injuries treated.

Jack carefully walked through the crowds of people, noticing that several of the adults would bow to him as he passed by. Small children came running up to him asking if he was going to, in their words, beat up the Black Mage for good. Jack couldn't answer. He felt like he was dreaming with all the respect and adoration shown to him. It was almost creepy. He tried to walk away quickly, but as he did, a small entourage of children began to gather around him. Eventually, he found Matthew, Helen, Jenny, and Olsen, with a crowd of children following them and bowing to them as they passed.

"Where were you, sleepy head? It's been a couple of days." Jenny said, carrying a small girl with fire red hair in her arms .

"Days? I've been out for days?" Jack asked in surprise.

"I was beginning to think that you weren't going to wake up," Helen called, escorting a child in each hand. Jack smiled, happy that Helen seemed to be doing at least a little better. Leaning over to Olsen, he spoke quietly.

"How's Helen doing? She seems a lot better." He asked as Olsen nodded.

"She appears to be better for the most part, though I doubt she will ever forget the experience. There are sometimes she'll still jump if she hears someone behind her, or feels a hand on her shoulder. Jenny has been staying near her, and it appears to have helped her. Only time will tell." Olsen answered. Jack nodded his understanding.

"What about Jenny? Is she ok? Last time I saw her, she was knocked out in your arms," Olsen sighed, looking over to Jenny as she knelt down and played with a blond boy.

"Jenny had a fractured arm and a few cracked ribs from that tree grabbing her. She's lucky too; one of the doctors here said a moment longer, and one of her ribs would have broken completely and punture a lung,"

"Dang man. How is she otherwise?"

"Physically she's fine. Helen's grandfather did something to her by waving his hand over her. Mentally though, she's still adjusting. She will jump if you come up behind her and don't call out to her." Again, Jack nodded his understanding and walked beyond them, where he was what appeared to be the main street, where makeshift shops and food vendors lined each side of the road.

"Where the hell are we? Is this some kind of county fair?" Jack asked, half expecting to see a parking lot on the far side of this marketplace. Olsen walked beside him, a dark-haired little boy holding his hand.

"No. It isn't. Trust me, I looked for a parking lot. All I managed to find is that we're in what appears to be a refugee camp." He said, seeing someone he thought to be Ms. Price and Mr. Drake walking among the people on the main road. But they were dressed very differently, and people would bow to them or excitedly greet them as they walked. Ms. Price wore a sturdy, brown, long-sleeved blouse and green skirt with slits running up to her hips. On her head, she wore a golden band with a gem in the center.

"Jenny, is that your mother?" Olsen asked, pointing her out to Jenny. She stared for a while, trying to see the woman she had come to know in her 17 years of life. But the woman she was seeing was so different; even the way she acted towards people had changed from a couple days ago.

"Wait a minute, is that my dad?!" Matthew asked, staring in disbelief at the man he saw.

"Weren't you awake for the last couple days? Didn't you see him then?" Jack asked.

"Well, yeah, but not dressed like that!" Matthew exclaimed. Mr. Drake was wearing a headdress decorated with large, black-tipped feathers. A thick, leather faud and tassets hung from his waist, and a decorated cowl sat around his neck. Jack chuckled when he saw them.

"They almost look like Athena Pierce and Dances with Balrog from…" his words trailed off into silence as he remembered what had been said before the light slammed into him from the sky.

"No…" he grunted. Jenny caught his train of thought and turned to him, her whole body beginning to shudder as adrenaline rushed through her.

"Jack, tell me you aren't thinking what I think you are." She asked when Helen spoke up, as she too realized the implication.

"But that would mean we are in the game of Maplestory; that only happens in novels and anime." She said.

"What other explanation could there be?" Olsen asked, letting go of the child's hand to face his friends.

"Don't forget, we all saw Aran, and Stumpy attacked at the school. None of that happened where we are right now." Matthew pointing to Olsen and tilted his head to the side.

"Actually, Stumpy came from my house. He was the oak tree from our front yard." Matthew explained.

"So then, where are we?" Helen asked.

"That's easy. You're in Ossyria!" one of the children answered. The answer silenced all five of them until the children tugged on their hands to walk with them through the main road, shops, and ultimately to where all the people had set up the living sector.

"So Jack, what did you wake up to?" Jenny asked as the kids led them from one tent "house" to the next, showing the group their favorite items.

"I woke up in some hut where a Panda named Mr. Do was taking care of me. Where's my dad?" Jack asked. Matthew returned a stuffed rabbit to a child before answering.

"My mom, your dad, and Helen's folks are all being watched over in another part of the camp. They're still knocked out. We found out that a combination of coming here, wherever 'here' is, and hitting the ground knocked everyone out except Mr. Da'Lor, Ms. Price, Mr. Olman, Mrs. Waterman, and my dad." He explained when recognition came across his face.

"Wait, did you say 'Mr. Do'?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, why?"

"Was he wearing a blue Kimono with an Orange overcoat?" Matthew asked. Helen and Jenny raised their eyebrows in response, unsure of where he was leading the question.

"What are you getting at Matt?" Jack asked.

"Mr. Do was the medicine creator in Maplestory from Mu Lung. You know, the one that gives you a book of medicines?" Matthew explained. Helen lowered her brow, impulsively reaching for her phone until she remembered she had no service.

"Do you think that's connected to what we talked about a moment ago?" she asked, looking around and noticing their surroundings were uncannily familiar to an area of the game called Mu Lung. A gruff voice from behind them interrupted their thoughts.

"Yeh'd make a better door if ye be standin' in a buildin'. Iffin I could have yeh move I'd be thankful." All five of them jumped at the sound, turning to see a short man with a huge mustache, a hook for one hand, and peg leg that had been polished and worn. His hat was so low over his eyes that all one could see was his bulbous red nose. In his arms, he carried a crate full of what appeared to be bottles and corks.

Helen was about to ask questions when Carrie, dressed in an elegant red leather corset and snug fitting black short shorts, jogged up to them. A wide belt holstered a pistol on her hip, and black thigh high boots donned her feet. Completing her get-up was a fur-trimmed cape and a red 18th-century captain's hat.

"Jack, there you all are… I've been looking all over for you. All of you come with me; we need to talk." Jack raised his eyebrow, covering the eyes of the small child next to him.

"Uh… Mom? What's with the skimpy clothes? Are you trying to dress like Kyrin from Maplestory?" he asked. Matthew and Olsen swallowed hard as they looked away from her, trying to concentrate on something in the distance."Just follow me. It'll all make sense in a minute." She answered. Skeptically the five of them followed Carrie through the bushes and underbrush along a dirt path leading to the east. Olsen sped up his steps until he was level with Jenny, tapping her shoulder to catch her attention.

"Are you doing alright? I mean, from what happened while we were at the docks." He asked. Jenny shrugged.

"I'm still a little jumpy, but I think Helen got the worst of it. I've been sticking close to her as much as I can. She'll pull through though." She answered as another few minutes passed until they came to a dock. Around it stood four more people standing around a table made of a fallen tree, all of them vaguely appearing to be their parents.

Helen eyed her who she thought to be her grandfather wearing a tall white hat sporting a golden star, a white robe, and holding an old weathered staff in one hand. She had seen him while visiting her parents, May and Gregory, while they were still unconscious during the previous two days. However, he hadn't yet changed into the white attire he now wore. Matthew, Jack, Jenny, and Olsen still couldn't completely understand why their parent's change had been so drastic. Behind them, Aran walked up to the group, taking his place within the semi-circle in front of The Five.

"I'm sure that you all have many questions, and you've wanted to have them answered as quickly as possible. Your patience is appreciated so that we can talk to you all at one time and not repeat ourselves. I can see there is one question, in particular, you would like answered." Aran announced as he looked to all five of them, as if trying to read their emotions. Matthew stepped forward, taking a breath before speaking what had been on their minds.

"Where have you taken us?" he asked bluntly. Aran chuckled under his breath and smirked, thinking back to when he had first begun training under Minerva.

"With some help from your parents, these Five Masters of Ossyria, you have been transported from your world of Earth to the world of Ossyria." Olsen raised his brow, stepping forward so that he was beside Matthew.

"Do you mean like the main continent in the game, Maplestory? All of this is a computer game?" he asked. Aran looked to Athena for a moment who shook her head.

"No, Olsen. The world of Ossyria is no game. It is an actual world, where people live, work, and even die. I, and by extension, the Masters of Ossyria, welcome you back to your rightful home. You who will be the saviors of this world: The Guardians of Ossyria."