Chapter 7: The Sister of the Depths

The evening kept Dragon tossing and turning, his mind wandering to ever further things; since finding all the crystal husks, there wasn't much to do except maintain order among the Black Wing's ranks and watch Edelstein. The patrols of Memory Knights had yet to report anything out of the ordinary. His most enjoyable pastime was accompanying Eleanor on her assignments or outings to gather herbs. She had become a significant part of his life, constantly finding himself walking up behind her to embrace her as she worked on spells or potions. And then, there was his secret mission: keeping it hidden became more manageable, but Dragon worried he was beginning to lose sight of why he took the mission in the first place.

As of now, he'd come to a standstill: with the entire machine complete, he could do nothing to derail its use and not raise suspicion. At most, he could feed information to the Resistance in Edelstein and try to slow the progress of gathering recruits for the Black Wings now that he was in a high enough position. But even that, if not carefully managed, would reveal his true purpose.

With a frustrated huff, he threw off his covers and pulled on his clothes, draping his sword over his back and reaching for his door, when a delicate knock came from it as Eleanor's voice called to him.

"Dragon? Are you awake?" she asked, almost gently, as he opened it to meet her.

"Would you believe me if I said I was just leaving for a nighttime stroll?" he asked, pulling her close and kissing her momentarily.

"I could. But Gelimer has requested our presence," she sighed, reaching for the door and closing it as they walked to the scientist's lab in the castle's lower levels.

"Dragon, Eleanor. I haff a task for you," Gelimer called when he saw them sauntering in.

"You know your affairs have nothing to do with us, right?" Eleanor questioned with agitation in her voice, shifting her weight to one leg and putting a hand on her hip.

"Yes yes, but zat isn't zah point. I'm running an experiment und I neet you two to go into Ariant and get me some of zat mystical gemstone zey harvest called Lidium! From what I hear it makes for an excellent life conductor."

"How much do you need?" Dragon asked, his legs already becoming restless and wanting to leave. It'd been almost three weeks since his last outing in the field for an official mission. The thought made him internally hesitate: being eager to go on a mission for the Black Wings made him slightly nauseous.

"Oh nosing much; about a ton shoot do." Eleanor's eyes went wide in surprise.

"A ton? Do you hear yourself?" The doctor grinned, holding his teddy bear tighter with a sneering laugh. Dragon drew the Dume from his back and shoved the tip into his face, a black aura seeping from the cutting edges. Gelimer stared at the blade momentarily, thumbing the edges in unnerving silence.

"I know zat you are a high-level officer, but I can offer you somesing zat vill make you even stronger zan you alreaty are," Gelimer said with a cryptic smile. Dragon eyed the old scientist in suspicion, lowering his blade and speaking with a low voice.

"And what would do such a thing?" Dragon asked, partly in interest; partly in agitation. Gelimer held up an old parchment scroll, the edges tearing and withered, tied together with a moth-eaten red ribbon.

"Zis here iss a scroll of ancient power zat was found during one of our expeditions to zeh Sharenien ruins. It is said zat ven it is applied to vatever it is intentet for, zat item vill gain power equal to vat is vritten on zis parchment. However, zere is only a chance zat it vill actually vork since zeh scroll is very olt." Dragon took the scroll from Gelimer's extended hand, sliding the ribbon off and unrolling the ancient parchment to read the inscriptions.

"I didn't know you read ancient Shaernien," Eleanor smiled in surprise.

"Not fluently, but enough to get by," he replied, tilting the paper to see the faded runes better.

"I see; so whatever sword this scroll is applied to, that sword will enhance my sword by a certain degree?" Gelimer nodded his answer as Dragon laid his sword on the ground and placed the scroll across the blade, pressing it flat. At first, nothing happened until the faded letters on the scroll began to glow. The runes lifted from the parchment in a swirl of light that gathered together and then burst into what appeared to be the shape of a maple leaf.

The sparks of light descended onto the blade like stars twinkling in the night. The parchment burst into flames, disappearing and not leaving a single ember behind. Cautiously, Dragon reached for the handle of his Dume, unsure of what had happened if anything to his sword. But once he wrapped his hand around the handle, the mana veins within it screamed to life as a surge of power raced through his arm and into his body.

"Th-this is incredible!" Dragon huffed, staggering as the power settled and resonated with his body's energy.

"Zat it is Dragon: your power is enhanced by five degrees now. But I must also varn you, zat sere are only so many times zat any veapon can be enhancet as such," Gelimer warned, smiling a bit.

"Can this process be applied multiple times?" Eleanor asked, interested in the power it could grant her.

"Yes, but only to a certain number. Vis each enhancement, any part of your powers or physical abilities will be enhancet by a certain number off degrees; sviftness, strength, power, even your limberness can be enhanced beyond vhat you already are capable off. So long as you vear or use zeh item zeh scroll vas applied to. Be vise in vhat kint of power scrolls zat you use. Vance a scroll is uset, it cannot be undone." Dragon looked up and down the blade of the Dume, shaking his head in astonishment before sheathing it across his back.

"Anoser note zat you might vant to know is zat zeh oldest scrolls have zeh most potential power, but because of zare olt age, zeh spell zey were enchantet vis has become veak und may not vork." Dragon smirked and nodded, eager to try out his new strength against someone, anyone, now that he carried a more powerful weapon.


Mark woke with a start when he thought he felt a hostile presence outside his sleeping quarter's door, only to feel it disappear again. His training from Kyrin left him sore morning after morning, which only worsened since he had also been doing night patrols with her. Swinging his legs over to the floor, he pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed the sleepers from his eyes.

He was exhausted, but it was already noon, and there was still a training session with Kyrin before the beginning of their night watch. Despite being half asleep, he still managed to find the showers on the middle deck of the Nautilus. Before he stepped inside, Muirhat grabbed him by the shoulder and tossed him down the corridor. Mark struggled to right himself, finding that Muirhat was already on him, pinning him to the deck with his knee.

"Geeve bak what you have stolen from me, outworlder!" he shouted. Mark moved his head as Muirhat's fist slammed into the floorboards. Mark kicked off his attacker and sprinted for the main hatch.

"Come bak here, you coward!" Muirhat called once he had righted himself and chased Mark onto the beach, where there was more room to maneuver. Sure, Mark had been learning from Kyrin, but fighting someone of such a high caliber wasn't boding well for him. Nervously, he took a stance as Muirhat sailed over the yards of sand in one leap until he was within arm's length of Mark.

"Listen bud, I don't know what you have against me, but I didn't touch your stuff," Mark growled, still not fully awake.

"My stuff ees not what you stole from me! Give bak de Captain, and go bak to yor world. YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE!" he shouted, fists glowing bright with blue flames. Mark jumped back as his fist hit the ground, throwing dirt, dust, and rocks everywhere. With each strike, Mark began to realize he wouldn't win. As Mark retreated, he Tripped over a sapling in the sand. Muirhat opened his Mana gates, transforming into a being made of golden light.

Mark tried to reach for something to get him away from Muirhat's howling fist, but each grab he made only kicked up loose sand. Thunder engulfed the docks, tossing sand high into the air and shaking the waves that curled and crashed onto the shore into calm water. Once the dust had settled, Mark shook his head to get what sand he could out of his hair. Kyrin stood over him, dressed only in a white button blouse. She held back Muirhat's fist while her hair swayed in the musty breeze from over the water.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked with a tone of voice that made Mark shudder. Muirhat's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as he pulled back and threw another punch. Kyrin grabbed his arm and directed it down, driving her elbow into his face, then slammed her fist in his gut, hurling him back into the tree line.

"Stay here," Kyrin commanded, her body exploding into a hot blue light making her hover above the ground. Mark's skin crawled and itched from the power emanating from Kyrin as though he had a nasty rash. He could only watch as she leaned forward slightly before disappearing into the tree line. Flashes of gold and blue light exploded between the trees as they fought.

Jenny bolted right as Helen cast a fire spell, flames igniting and billowing into the air where Jenny had been a moment before. Helen swung her new bo staff up and blocked the incoming Spartan sword from Matthew, who held back his strength as he spared with Helen. Lillianne swung her halberd down hard on the two of them. Helen teleported away. Matthew pulled back, blocking the halberd with his sword, and then held off an air-splitting punch from Jack with the Shield form of his cloak. Jack jumped away from the shield just as a colossal shuriken sparked off the face of the shield. Matthew tripped, coming face-to-face with Olsen and his dagger.

Lillianne whirled her halberd to block the wall of arrows Jenny had fired at her while gathering mana on the cutting edge. Jack's gun roared as high-caliber rounds split the air directly at Olsen. In a flash, Olsen disappeared, dirt tossed into the air as he rushed Jack, hoping to catch him off guard. Jack was about to brace for impact but was surprised when he felt Olsen's dagger slip around his neck. Thrusting his arm back, Jack aimed for Olsen's chest, only to miss when the Ninja vanished.

The six of them all jumped back as if on cue. They all stood in a circle, staring each other down. Static hung thick in the air around them. They each had their most potent attacks ready, watching for any movement until Matthew smirked, defusing his mana and sheathing his sword.

"Well, I'd say that was a fairly good session," he smiled. Helen grinned and bowed in return as she defused her poisoned ice spell.

"Indeed, we have all greatly benefited from this today," Helen answered as she wiped the sweat from her neck and straightened her hair.

"That was so totally amazing! You guys were like, bow bap bang! And then you were all like zzzzssshhhhoooowwwwww. I hope I can be just as cool as you guys looked one day," Antonia called as she and the other four apprentices clapped their hands.

"With a little work and diligence, I'm sure you could," Jenny encouraged, slinging the bow over her shoulders and reaching for a cup of cool water. As she did, she noticed small ripples in the cup.

"Did you guys just feel that?" Matthew asked, looking around and reaching for his Spartan Sword. Lillianne squinted as she looked into the forests around them, seeing blue and gold light flashes. Thunder rolled over the hills until someone in the Hyper Fist state streaked past them on the ground. The person shot back toward the forest when a person in the blue Ultra Hyper Fist careened into the same place as the gold, the light fading to reveal Kyrin.

Jack was about to question what was happening when the person in gold returned, hurling a sword-like weapon wrapped around Kyrin's arms and pulling her to him. Kyrin broke free of the rope, but a barrage of punches battered her, leaving her weak and vulnerable. The glow around the gold one soon faded to reveal Muirhat who dropped to his hands and knees, heaving breath into his lungs for seconds that lasted hours.

In a blur, they launched at each other again, matching each other's movements. Again, they backed away, waiting for the other to move. Kyrin slid her foot forward; Muirhat did the same in return. He clenched his fists tighter until the brass knucklers on his arms began to creak under his grip. In a blur, the two fighters lunged at each other. The grass around them swayed while a bubble of energy built around them. Kyrin instinctively reached for her pistol but panicked when her hand missed it on her hip. Muirhat absorbed the energy around him when he saw her hesitate, compressing it around his fist. The ground shook as he ran forward. Jack appeared between them, fists fizzing with lime-green electricity.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jack roared, slamming his electrified fist into the ground making it cave nearly 10 feet under the weight of his punch. Muirhat slid down the side of the crater, readying to continue his attack, until Jack caught his fist and defused the energy into the air as though it were a strong wind.

"Move, or I will eliminate you as well, outworlder," Muirhat growled, looking at him from under the bandages over his eyes. Jack's eyes slowly began glowing red as ruby crystal power flowed around him, climbing his body like a slow-moving fire.

"Why are you attacking my mother in the first place?" Jack asked with a sneer.

"De captain is yor motha?" He asked in surprise as Kyrin slid down the side of the crater and put a hand on Jack's shoulder, gently squeezing as though saying, 'Let go.'

"Yes Muirhat, he is my son. Now answer me this: why were you attacking my husband?"

"He ees not worthy of you! He ees but a weak outworlder!" Kyrin's lips curled as she responded.

"I don't buy that Muirhat! I already talked to you about this. Ever since you've come back you've been acting hostel to Mark, and now you threaten my son; so again I will ask, what has been bothering you?"

"Noting, you don't have to worry about eet." He huffed, pulling his fist from Jack's grip.

"Is it because you're trying to make up for being captured?"

"No."

"Is it because you don't like people who aren't from Ossyria?

"No!"

"Then what is it?"

"I STILL CARE FO YOU CAPTIAN! Eva since the charade we had played to stop Sharyl from insisting dat you marry heem, I have wanted us to be mora den friends. But den you disapeya for almost twenty years and den com bak only for me to find dat you had given yor heart to anotha." He screamed before running off in a random direction towards Mu Lung. Jack was about to go after him when Kyrin stopped him and motioned with her chin to the crater's rim, where Shulynch stood watching Muirhat run away. Shulynch swallowed hard before telling them all that Dances had requested they return to the village as soon as possible before running after Muirhat.

"Even after all that, she still wants to love him," Kyrin smirked as she watched Shulynch disappear into the distance.


For what seemed to be an eternity, Muirhat used what energy he had left to run, just run and run and run until he collapsed to the ground on his knees and elbows. Why? Why did she give her heart to someone as weak as Mark? Why would she fall for a land dweller when she had known him much longer? Why couldn't they rekindle their relationship to what it used to be?! A rustle of brush behind him stopped his thoughts, tensing his fists and crushing the leaves, thinking about what he'd say to his captain once she arrived.

"Muirhat?" The voice that called out wasn't that of his captain but her sister, the radar specialist. He could feel her steps approach, making him tense all the harder: The captain sent her sister after him instead of coming herself!?

"What do you want woman?" Muirhat asked angrily. Shulynch huffed and walked up to him, sitting beside him for a while, trying to build her courage again.

"Look, Muirhat. Kyrin has always had a thick skull, so sometimes things don't get through to her. When your idea to get Sharyl off her back worked, that was it for her. Honestly, I've been jealous of you two and how you looked so natural together because I… I've always had a…" Shulynch wasn't sure she wanted to continue, knowing it may not be the appropriate time. But if she stopped now, she may never have another chance to get what she wanted to say out into the open.

"I've always liked you. But I'll never be outgoing, bold, fearless like my sister. I know this may not be the right time, but I thought you should know." She felt silly for acting like a giddy schoolgirl but thought it wouldn't work out. At least she had made her feelings known.

Muirhat sighed hard, laughing with a hard breath as he got up, straightened his back, and walked away before looking over his shoulder at her. Shulynch waited with bated breath for what he might say, but Muirhat said nothing and walked into the surrounding forests, leaving her in confused silence.


Josephine walked through the village with some children who liked her calm and quiet demeanor. But no matter how many people she hung around, she constantly feared rejection and being cast out from the village. Her story of escaping a Black Wings facility spread fast, and everyone who spoke with her seemed to have a layer of distrust in their words. Thoughts of her purpose constantly loomed over her, making her understand their mistrust, but Josephine still wanted to be accepted as a human. Her spirits lifted when she saw 'The Six' come into town, only to fall just as quickly when they didn't wave to her.

"Don't take it so hard; they're often called back into town just to answer a letter or summons," Nathan assured her, escorting her and the kids to one of the eating tables where Aeirs sat cleaning her pistol when Syl walked up to them.

"Ah, there you are. A letter was just received from Ariant saying suspicious individuals have been walking around town. One is described as wearing a black trench coat and the other is a beautiful white-haired woman."

"That sounds like Dragon and Eleanor; Master Jenny told me those two are a nasty pair to run into. Dragon is a highly trained swordsman, and Eleanor is the Black Witch." Antonia replied, reaching for some steel-tipped arrows when she heard who they were up against.

"THE Black Witch? And we're the ones called in to check this out? There's no way we can take them in a fight," Aeirs squeaked, putting down her gun with a hard thud.

"I think we can do some damage if we attack in waves like our masters do. They can take on some of the most powerful of beasts in Ossyria that way," Burr pointed out, playing with a small orb of ice in his hand.

"In any case, The Six are going to Aquarious, so they won't be able to assist," Syl mentioned, explaining the rest of their mission. Questions began to mount in Josephine's mind. Yes, she had been sent here on a mission to mingle among them, but how was she to do that? She had no experiences to share with them, no family, no past, nothing except the memories she had gathered while sitting in the drawer of The Black Mage's desk.

"M- may I accompany you to this Ariant place? I have no memory save for when The Six found me in Zakuhm's cave."

"You mean you don't even remember who your parents are?" Auzzy asked with a chuckle, his eyes wide.

"I don't even remember if I have parents or a family: what is a family?" Nathan and Aeris walked over to her, taking her hand in understanding.

"My girlfriend and I both lost our families at young ages, and we had nothing but each other to hold onto as family. Family doesn't have to be people you're related to, it can be the people around you or those you've grown up with. Family can be the ones you hold close to your heart, and you'll never forget." Josephine slowly nodded as she tried to make herself understand.

"I don't see the harm in taking her with us," Antonia smiled as Nathan nodded. Josephine felt her heart become lighter, and a warmth spread through her body. Aeris turned back to Syl, telling her they would be ready to leave in an hour, gathering at the docks once Josephine had been adequately outfitted.


"You requested to see us?" Helen asked as the six of them filed into Dance's teepee.

"Yes. A message arrived from the Sea Sorceress Carta. She must speak with you on a matter that concerns all Ossyria: Pianus, the Fish. He was a terror that wanted to flood Ossyria and make it his domain when he was alive the first time. Now he has returned, and Carta says something is different about the way he's been thrashing in his cave. Something has also been making the ocean's creatures act differently," Dances said as he stirred a large pot of a delicious-smelling stew.

"If I remember correctly, Dr. Kim said that's where another Mana Drill is. I'll bet you anything Pianus is acting as its guardian," Matthew smirked, rubbing his hands together. Within the hour, The Six cruised through the waters using a submarine from Omega Sector's Aquatic branch, admiring all the wonders hidden beneath the waves. Down, down, down they trekked through ever darker waters; Bone Fish swam by while sharks cruised past them. Lights from the sub shone onto the walls of the abyssal trench reflecting off of gem-like shells of squids that would disappear in a cloud of ink.

"This is the second time this sub has been down to these depths. The first time was a beta test: a single woman offered to test it for us." The pilot said as he avoided sharp ledges while descending to the set sonar guide point.

"Is that so? Do you happen to remember anything about this woman?" Helen asked as she brushed her long locks of velvety violet hair out of her eyes, which now reached her knees.

"There wasn't much to remember except that she wore a cloak of a finely woven fabric and every so often I could see a strand of blond hair fall from under the cloak's hood. She wouldn't even let us see her face so that we could enter her information into the database. Another odd thing was that no one was in it when the sub returned." Helen looked back at the others deep in thought, while the pilot carefully maneuvered into the exact position displayed on the sonar.

"Well, that should be the cave there. We have a few hours of air left, but don't take forever." Once the door extended through the barrier, The Six filed into the damp cave where a green fire burned under a pot of thick purple liquid.

"Come in, come in my guests. Make yourselves at home while I finish." A beguiling female voice said, echoing through the cave. Olsen walked forward first, his hand resting on his dagger while the others followed him. What greeted them was a tall, ashen-skinned woman descended a small flight of stairs from her ingredient's closet. Matthew's eyebrows lifted as he looked to meet her alluring gaze magnified by a cascade of hair covering one of her eyes. She was taller than Matthew but a bit shorter than Aran. Every step highlighted her stunning, well-proportioned figure beneath skin-hugging clothes. Olsen, Jack, and Matthew tried hard to keep their senses about them. It was hard not to let their eyes wander too much.

"Ah, if it isn't The Guardians of Ossyria; I was hoping to have this done before you arrived, but alas, you'll just have to wait a bit. My name, if you haven't already guessed, is Carta." She said, dropping a hand full of mushrooms and something unidentifiable into the pot. The purple goop turned a bright green, which was strangely disgusting and mouthwatering at the same time.

"If you are already familiar with who we are, then it will save us time asking what you requested our presence for," Olsen replied shortly. Carta looked up and walked over to him, leaning forward while supporting herself with one hand on her knees. She put a fingertip under Olsen's chin, making it painfully hard not to look at her chest.

"Patience young Ninja; there is a time for expediency," She smiled before taking her finger away. Olsen fell onto the ground, quickly getting back up in embarrassment.

"Hm, you overland men are so easy to manipulate. Give them something to stare at and they become nothing but putty in our hands, am I not right girls?" she giggled, looking to Lillanne, Helen, and Jenny. All three girl stared back at her with rather angry scowls, the daggers in their eyes almost taking form. Carta smiled even wider as she walked back to the pot, grabbing a small fish figurine and running her fingers over it.

"I thought your request was to tell us about Pianus," Lillianne huffed, stepping closer to Matthew. Carta looked back over her shoulder and grinned.

"Ah, yes. Long ago, Pianus was just a normal fish within the oceans of Aquarious, often bullied by the other fish because of his tiny size. His friends, Muse and Kenta of Aquarium City did their best to stop it. All the same, Pianus was bullied day after day. He then wished that one day he could be big enough for one would want to bully him again. Unfortunately, The Black Mage answered and granted his wish." Carta held her hand out as a cloud of mana swirled in her palm, creating a hazy image of the characters in her story.

"Pinus learned his powerful Light Beam and other techniques from him, absorbing the powerful magic of The Black Mage. It made him grow into the monstrosity that he is now. His sheer size alone made him a formidable foe within the seas, and soon he began terrorizing the ones that had bullied him before." With a wistful stare, she set the figurine on the shelf and turned to them, feeling a bubble rising in her chest. The feeling made her faint, placing a hand on her chest to suppress the feeling. The action made Helen tilt her head, feeling something in the air waiver. It felt as if there was an interruption of magic. Carta soon regained her composure and continued with her tale.

"The power he gained tainted him. Once satisfied with the torture dealt to those that wronged him, it became his mission to sink all of Ossyria. He would rule it from the crushing depths of the water. With his new powers, he began to undermine all of the land starting in Aquarious, headed west towards El Nath. He was only a short way through when your parents came and stopped him." Again, Helen felt a disruption of magic, watching as Carta placed a hand on her chest, seeming to press harder this time.

"Since the resurrection of the Black Mage, he is once again continuing with his quest to sink Ossyria. An additional force at work is coming from the area around his lair, which is unsettling. I fear that my power will soon become vulnerable. Ah, here, have some," Carta offered, spooning out a bowl of the green goo bubbling in the pot. Jack cautiously reached out for the bowl and sniffed it; it smelled like lemon and old bread.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't kill you; you're too important to Ossyria," Carta chuckled. Still, with a high sense of apprehension, Jack tipped up the bowl and sipped the bitter, yet delightful goo swirling in the bowl.

"Hey, this isn't too bad," Jack laughed, tipping up the bowl and eagerly drinking the rest. Carta wistfully smiled while she spooned out the other five bowls, giving them to the remaining Guardians.

"This is a potion my sister taught me when I was very young: it allows one to breathe in places where air doesn't exist temporarily," She explained, faltering and pressing on her chest once more.

"Why exactly would we need something like this in the first place? The water pressure is too high to go anywhere without a sub; we'd be crushed instantly," Jenny exclaimed as she finished off the last of her bowl.

"It isn't to breathe in water; it's so you can breathe within Pianus's lair. He has created a barrier at the entrance of his tunnel to keep water from rushing in and eroding his work. As a result, the air has become nothing more than a cloud of poisonous Miasma tainted by his power and unlucky fish." Matthew thought momentarily about what she had said until a question hit him.

"You said your older sister taught you this breath potion, right?"

"Yes, it was," Carta replied, looking down into the pot and swallowing hard to suppress her sadness, feeling the bubble in her chest rise again.

"Could you tell us who your sister was?" Helen gently asked. With a nostalgic smile, she looked up and closed her eyes, reflecting on all the times she had spent with her sister and how she had always admired how she could learn magic so quickly.

"I knew her as Icedancer. But you and the people of Ossyria know her as Minerva, the Gentle." Silence filled the cave as The Six stared in awe and astoundment: Carta was Minerva's sister?

"If that is so, then why do you not have the beautiful wings of white that Minerva possessed?" Helen asked once she was able to overcome her stunned stupor. Carta chuckled softly and smiled.

"I took after my father, a human from the Versal dimension. I later discovered it was a parallel universe to this one. I used to have skin like yours. But when I came to this world at the invitation of my sister, someone tried to force himself on me, and in self-defense, I ended up killing the poor man. Minerva knew what had happened and decided to help me by hiding me here where no one would try to kill me, changing my name from Windharp to Carta. Here, she and the goddess Rhinne taught me to hone my ability to see into the possible future. Over time, because of the lack of sun, my skin became what you see now, like my father's."

"You see the future?" Lillianne asked, more interested now than she had been.

"It isn't a set future, only a possible one. But even without looking forward, I know you will defeat Pianus." Olsen smiled as they began to leave, thanking her for her potion when Carta reached out and grabbed Matthew's cloak.

"However, there is something that I must tell you. If…" She seemed hesitant and saddened, looking around at the young faces of these six young people, prophesied to stop The Black Mage.

"If you continue down this path… If you succeed and defeat The Black Mage, one of you..." Carta closed her eyes: she had seen so many young ones come to her seeking a possible answer to their adventure but had seen just as many never return from their quest for greatness.

"One of you will suffer a great loss." Carta whimpered. Jenny walked back to her and took Carta's hand, which gripped Matthew's cloak.

"Then we won't let that happen. Yes, we may have difficult times ahead of us, but we promise there will be no losses."

"How can you say that with such certainty?" Carta questioned sadly. "I have seen what could happen to any of you, and there is no escaping that one of you will die." Jack smiled as he turned around and drew his pistol, throwing out the cylinder while watching the brass bullets make a blurry ring.

"You said it yourself: It's a possible future. So we'll make sure that future never happens." The confidence in Jack's voice eased her enough to let them go, but the heavy feeling that had settled into her heart didn't feel any lighter, nor did it feel as though it had any signs of leaving.

"Icedancer, if only you were here you could calm my spirit. Please, watch over them, wherever you are."


The students arrived with Josephine in Ariant without incident and were greeted warmly by the former Sand Bandit leader, Jano. He was now Abdulla's liaison to ensure the people of Ariant were fairly treated.

"Your masters helped us all very much in our time of need and for that we are grateful. We had requested their return, but since they are so busy these days, Lady Sly recommended you in their stead. Welcome to Ariant." Jano said with a warm smile and a hug to each of them.

"Thank you; my master Helen has told me many things about this place," Burr commented as Jano escorted them into the palace to see The Sultan.

"Thank you for coming to the desert town of Ariant at my request. I feel as if I am taking advantage of you since your masters already helped us once. Alas, I don't think our forces can handle something like this. As I said in the letter, a stranger in a black coat and another in a black cloak were seen walking around our village; would you know who they might be?" Abdulla asked, turning to see each of their young faces. Auzzy stood and bowed slightly before offering his thesis.

"We do. Well, I don't, but my sister apprentice Antonia has said that these two people could be Eleanor the Black Witch and a powerful disciple named Dragon. These individuals are a bit more than we can handle, but we can look into what they are up to." Abdula nodded understandingly, stroking his chin deep in thought.

"Thank you. We are in your debt for whatever it is you can do." The six of them walked through the entirety of Ariant once they had left the palace, visiting different people and hearing stories about how Jack, Helen, Lilin, Nathan, and Aeris had helped rid the town of Areda. However, every person they talked to hadn't seen the two strangers they sought. Fortunately, a boy said there were two strange people near where the Lidium was processed at the city's edge. Auzzy sighed as he checked his stars, Antonia checked her arrow count, and Aeris ensured she had at least four reloads.

"Are these people really so terrifying?" Josephine asked as she watched them get ready.

"It's not that they're scary; we are highly unprepared for a battle of this caliber. Even Master Matthew has trouble beating Dragon, let alone Eleanor. And he is nearly a Fourth Degree Swordsman." Nathan answered as he swept through motions and stances to ready himself.

"Then why are you going to face them? Wouldn't it be better to let your masters take care of them?" Burr huffed and shook his head as though annoyed at her lack of understanding.

"Because the people of Ossyria are our family: Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins, grandparents, all of them are our family. And no one makes our family feel unsafe." Josephine stared blankly at him for a moment as did the others until Burr shook his head and motioned for them to go and face their foe.


"Dragon, don't you think this one here would look nice as a ring?" Eleanor asked, holding a small Lidium gem on her finger, imagining a gold band underneath it.

"Eleanor, we are not here to find a gem for you; we are simply here to get the Lidium Gelimer requested." Dragon reprimanded. Eleanor sighed, putting down the small rock before pressing herself against Dragon while the old man Muhamad checked over their stock.

"I'm sorry to tell you that we do not have that much Lidium in store. It is not something that you can just go into the desert and find like a handful of sand; it takes years to make a single ounce of Liduim. Even when Areda demanded the Lidium, the most we ever found was under the ton you requested. However, that is only the high density. There should be more than enough lower density over here for your needs." Muhamad said as he motioned to many large piles beside the processing line. Dragon growled, reaching for the man's scarf and picking him up to meet his gaze.

"No, that will not do. Gelimer requires the highest quality."

"Please! Don't take it! It is our only way to bring money into this desert city. If you take that then how will we survive?" Eleanor set a hand on Dragon's shoulder telling him to set the man down as she took a turn. Using her feminine charm to her advantage, she pulled back her hood and threw her cloak over her shoulders.

"You did it once before did you not? I don't think you should have any problem doing that again now do you?" she asked in a calming tone, leaning forward to look the man in the eye.

"Those were some of the hardest days; I don't think the people of Ariant could take having their lives belittled like that again." Eleanor became agitated as she restrained her wanting to strangle the man just to get the Lidium that Gelimer wanted.

"Then let me put it this way: if we don't get the Lidium, I'll kill everyone and everything here," she threatened, standing up and holding out her hand where a dark flame flared to life.

"Even the children?" Muhamad shakily asked. Eleanor stopped as memories of her childhood flooded back to her and her life before the Black Mage. Things were so happy and simple, and she felt safe with her oldest brother, Logan, who was always around to protect her.

"Eleanor, what's wrong?" Asked Dragon, watching how she spaced out for a few moments.

"I don't know, I…" Her thought was interrupted when Auzzy's Bazlud dagger stuck into the ground at Dragon's feet.

"Hey, why are you bugging these people? Didn't you do enough by sending Areda here?" Aeris asked with overconfidence emanating from her. Dragon huffed as he reached for his Dume but was met with Nathan's spear at his throat.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Nathan scowled. Dragon looked into Nathan's eyes with a sneer: he could quickly draw his sword and cut down this insignificant worm. But they were the students of The Guardians and could prove to be more of a challenge than any average person. Dragon instead smirked, drawing his Dume in one fast, smooth motion from over his shoulder, throwing Nathan back.

Antonia released the bomb arrow she had been holding while Burr cast a lightning spell to block them in. Orbs of fizzing energy appeared and struck the ground, encircling Dragon and Eleanor. Eleanor teleported to Burr, slamming her palm into his gut with a dark attack spell before teleporting away as Auzzy's Kunai slammed into the ground where she stood.

Aeris compressed her mana into a grenade and hurled it as hard as she could at Dragon. He held up his sword and blocked the explosion that shoved him back. Nathan pulled himself from the pile of blankets as bright blue dragon's wings appeared on his back, and a tail swayed behind him. He charged at Dragon with hurricane force, knocking him into a building. Eleanor cast a protection spell which was easily smashed by Aeris and Burr using a combination of fire and lightning, the force of its breaking throwing her toward Dragon. Josephine could only watch from behind a small fruit stand as her five friends battled. She felt fearful but still kept the same unemotional and calm face. Dragon stood and wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his gauntlet before cracking his neck.

"You five are quite the advisories; I commend you," he growled, patting the dust off his coat.

"I suppose I shouldn't underestimate you." He smiled. With a grunt, he shot forward and slammed into Nathan's spear. Nathan did all he could to hold back Dragon's Dume, but his arms began to buckle under the weight of Dragon's strength. Antonia and Aeris fired from both sides, making Dragon pull back and cross his arms. A steel casket surrounded him, first absorbing the shots, then firing them right back. Neither Antonia nor Aeirs had the time to dodge as Aeris' bullet went through her shoulder, and Antonia's arrow stuck into her drawing arm.

"AERIS! ANTONIA!" Nathan shouted, swinging hard trying to push Dragon back. Dragon instead kept pressing Nathan, locking weapons and pressing all his weight onto him. Nathan began to feel that if something didn't happen soon, he was about to be squashed.

"Spirits of the ancient dragons, give me wisdom and strength to face mine enemies!" he grunted. The symbol of his Dragon's Blessing appeared on his head, making every muscle in his body swell. The boost allowed him to push off Dragon and swing at him with the butt end of his spear, but Dragon backflipped away. Eleanor appeared where Dragon had been a moment before with an attack spell at the ready. Nathan braced for impact when Burr deflected the spell with an ice spell of his own. The two mages stared each other down, threads of unused mana feeling over their arms and licking the ground.

"That was a brave move. Even your master Helen wouldn't do something so foolish," Eleanor complimented. Burr's face contorted into fury, pulling back his wand as he spun around and unleashed a thunder spear aimed at Eleanor's heart. She quickly swatted it away and fired back a dark spell. Nathan ducked under Burr's arm as mana swirled and formed a Dragon's head on his spear, shooting forward and obliterating her spell just as Eleanor teleported away. Despite missing Eleanor, Burr's spear continued on its blazing path, screaming for Dragon as he descended.

When he touched the ground, Dragon crossed his arms to call up his casket again. This time Burr was ready as he cast a sealing spell over him. Instantly it canceled his casket as Burr's spear hit him with full force. Ice splashed over Dragon's chest as threads of electricity coursed through his body, kicking up a cloud of dust in its explosive impact. Nathan followed with a barrage of hits from his Dragon Fury. A hail of Auzzy's Kunai disappeared into the cloud of dust kicked up, followed by one giant Kunai shaking the ground with its impact. Silence hung in the air for what felt like a minute. Eleanor appeared again, calling an enormous book before her that fluttered through pages until it stopped nearly at the end.

"Light and darkness surround me; I call upon thy powers to come to my aid. Stars be still, and moon become silent as the night surrounds me; path of darkness come to me and give me the power to vanquish those that would oppose me!" Dark energy gathered in a massive ball on her staff, humming in a dark violet light of null energy. She was about to release the spell when a single shot exploded down the street. It ricocheted off her staff and fired the magic high into the air, detonating and turning the sky sunset purple.

Everyone looked down the road, seeing Aeris holding her gun with her weak arm before kneeling to the ground. She dropped her pistol and reached for her bloodstained shirt, blossoming in a flower of crimson. The shot distracted Eleanor long enough for Nathan to slam his palm to the ground, making three stones erupt around Eleanor. Just as the sorceress gathered mana to cast her spell again, she heard a shout behind her.

"MAGIC CRASH!" Nathan screamed as Eleanor's spell cracked and shattered into mana specks. Eleanor tried to summon her spell book again, but the mana she attempted to use only pooled in her palms and splattered to the ground. None of her magic was working. Looking down at her hand, she noticed the pale shackles around her wrists.

"Aeris, here let me bind that," Nathan called, running to her and kneeling as he reached into his knapsack. He was stopped by Aeris, shaking her head.

"There's no time; we have to..." The dust surrounding Dragon disappeared as winds surrounded him and threads of mana plasma licked at the ground and buildings. Claws of orange light swung down from the sides of his feet into the ground and a bright blue circle of orbs sank into his shoulder.

"Now I'm angry; now, you will die!" Dragon hissed as he pushed off and hit Nathan hard, an orb appearing on his shoulder. Aeris tried to run but was pulled back and thrown to the ground beside Nathan. Burr summoned a wall of ice when Dragon rushed at him cutting through the wall in one strike. Burr tried backing away but the blade's tip cut through his skin from hip to shoulder. Dragon grabbed his robe, hurling Burr to the ground next to Nathan. Josephine felt terror stronger than even descend upon her as Nathan's words played over in her mind.

"We both lost our families at young ages, and we had nothing but each other to hold onto as family..." She watched as Auzzy tried to use his flexibility to deflect Dragon's sword. But the deflected attacks only made more of the orbs turn a bright red before he was hurled to the ground next to Burr.

"...Family doesn't have to be people you're related to..." Antonia propped herself up on a crate in the marketplace, trying to keep still so the arrow in her shoulder would wiggle around. She summoned a dummy before her, blocking Dragon's creature capture spear. The dummy became splinters after Dragon used his bright and fearful Intrepid Slash, again making another orb turn red.

"... it can be the people around you or those you've grown up with," Antonia called up another dummy, but Dragon obliterated as a sound wave ripped through it and slammed into the building beside her, reducing it to rubble. Anotina weakly tried to get up and run, but Dragon's Creature Capture spear stabbed through her thigh, yanking her to the ground. She was then drug back and thrown to the ground next to Auzzy.

"Family are the ones that you hold close to your heart and the ones you never forget." Standing over them, Dragon absorbed the orbs into himself as he lifted his sword above his head. Threads of golden plasma flared around him and his Dume. Every muscle in his upper body doubled in size. Just as he was about to swing down, something hit him in the gut and flung him back into a building next to Eleanor. She ran over to him and helped him to his feet as Dragon wiped his lip, but was surprised to see the doll that The Black Mage had been working on not long ago. She stood with a stance as though she were ready to fight despite her hands and legs shaking.

"Leave my brothers and sisters alone! I won't let you lay a finger on them." Eleanor looked to Dragon as he stared hard into the girl's piercing eyes. He knew she was made for a specific purpose, but he had no idea what kind of powers, if any, she possessed. Dragon pulled himself to his feet, staring at her for a while before sheathing his sword.

"Dragon, what are you..."

"There is no Lidium here, Eleanor. I checked with all the miners and processors in town; every last ounce of Lidium has been traded for supplies and is scattered all over Ossyria. It would be a waste to try and find everyone that they traded with." Dragon declared as he turned and limped back to the outskirts of town where the skiff they had taken awaited. Josephine fell to her knees as the villagers came from all around, putting the other five on makeshift stretchers and taking them back into their houses to tend to their wounds.

"This... this is my family." Josephine thought as she stood and helped tend to her wounded family. She was still unsure how she had found the strength to knock Dragon back, but she was thankful nonetheless.


After searching for hours and returning to Carta for the lair's location, The Six found the cave where Pianus had been digging. They began to feel the telltale signs of a Mana Drill as the pull on their mana became stronger the further they ventured into the cave. The chilling light of luminescent slime sent shivers through their body, worsening their nausea with the stench of dead fish hanging all around them.

"Any guesses on who the anchor is for the drill?" Jack asked as they trekked on.

"I do not have an inkling of an idea. We must hurry; I doubt the potion Carta provided us will last much longer," Helen surmised. With a single red eye, Sea Urchins with massive spines watched them as they approached a black curtain-like wall waiting at the end of the cave. Jenny happened to brush the spine of an urchin, jerking her arm away in surprise and seeing its eyes swell and glow bright yellow.

Jack grabbed her collar and yanked her back as Matthew covered them with his cloak. Olsen turned in time to see the urchin burst with a cloud of flames, hurling its steel-like spines in all directions. Most of them ricocheted off Matthew's Cloak, but two hurled for Helen and Lillianne's back until Olsen drew his dagger and swatted them into the ground, the spines splitting a rock.

"Everyone alright?" Olsen asked, looking at everyone, seeing where the spines had buried themselves into the stone walls around them.

"What was that?" Lillianne chuckled, having turned around and reaching for her weapon. Olsen approached another of the creatures, glaring into its cherry-red, unblinking eye.

"They look like the Master Pinbooms from the game," he muttered, sheathing his dagger with a hard shove.

"I knew they exploded, but I didn't think they'd throw their spines out, too," Matthew sighed, uncovering his companions as they unfurled.

"Whatever happens, let's just make it quick," Olsen commented, walking toward the curtain wall, looking up as far as he could. Unknowingly, he inhaled and walked through the water-looking curtain, where the other five soon joined him. Instead of being met with castle spires reaching high into the sky, a massive cavern splayed out before them. The immense pull on their mana made them feel like gravity had quadrupled. In the center of the room was a single pale-looking woman strung up by invisible shackles. Behind her was an enormous jet of mana drawn from the ground, its light making it hard to see as it disappeared through a portal in the ceiling.

"This is just like the dungeon cell that would hold the anchor of the Mana Drill in the others. Only it is on a much larger and stronger scale!" Helen managed to say as she tried to stand. Olsen managed to get to his feet by switching to the power of the Pink Quartz, allowing him to better see the girl hanging in the center.

"No... no it can't be!" he muttered. Matthew struggled to push himself up against the pull of the Mana Drill, using nothing more than his brute strength.

"Who is it?" he grunted.

"It's Carta!" Olsen called as Matthew used his Crystal power to stand, his hair shimmering in different shades of red as he picked Lillianne up in his arms.

"That can't be. If that's Carta, who were we talking to in her cave?" He asked when a voice boomed all around them.

"That too is Carta, albeit a small portion of her spirit." The voice chuckled. "Being the sister of a powerful goddess such as Minerva provides some excellent privileges if I say so myself. It is annoying now that you're here to save her." the voice said. Jenny, Helen, and Jack pushed their mana aside for their crystal power, their hair shimmering like the sun dancing across a lake. Carta fell from her position into Jack's arms as Helen swung her staff, breaking the invisible chains holding her. The heavy feeling vanished, and the remaining mana fell to the ground in a roar like a waterfall, the remaining pool of mana bubbling from its tapped spot.

"I don't care whether or not you stop this drill," sighed the voice, sounding bored. "It's proven quite the thorn in my side since I couldn't dig and risk destroying the anchor. But with the anchor removed, I can finally continue sinking all of Ossyria!"

"That won't happen, Pianus!" Jack shouted as Helen attended to Carta. Matthew set Lillianne on her feet, ensuring she was steady while handing mana restoring potion.

"No? And who is going to stop me?" the voice asked.

"We will!" Jenny shouted, hitting her chest with her fist. Pianus pulled his massive body out of the hole through a pile of rubble and eyed the seven of them uninterestedly before pulling his sagging lips into a sick smile.

"Then I will make sure that you don't stop me. The Black Mage may have taught me my powers, but I will never serve him!" The colossal fish said. A giant 'x' shaped scar glowed across his head as a giant seal appeared where his mouth was, breathing mana onto it. The ground split apart as jets of lava spewed from the ground. Helen teleported Carta away just as a plume of lava erupted beneath her. Olsen snarled as his doppelganger appeared, hurling shuriken at the giant fish, each star tearing through his scales and flesh, making Pianus howl with irritated pain.

Thunder rolled through the cave as Olsen launched into his Hidden Blade attack, slicing off Pinaus's scales as a streak of light. Jack hit Pianus hard enough to echo through the cave, each hit throwing Pianus in different directions. When he had gathered enough energy from his attacks, Jack put it all into one hard uppercut, lifting the giant fish into the air. The upward motion drove the oversized fish into Jenny's Rain of Arrows, tearing through his flesh, punching holes in his fins, and even tearing an eye from its socket.

The ground shook as Pianus slammed into the ground, clenching his jaw as a growl thrummed in his throat. The Guardians could feel the rage in his remaining eye while his fins glowed, the light buzzing and itching against their skin. Another spell seal appeared before him, breathing mana into it. Boulders rose from the ground, compressing into huge blocks as they lifted into the air, and symbols appeared on the ground under each of them. Jack held up his cloak and shattered the stone away as the rest dove away from the descending blocks of stone.

Matthew tumbled to his feet, drawing the Sawtooth and stretching out the mana connections as far as he could as he swung. The serrated teeth slammed into the side of Pianus's head, and the impact clapped through the cave, leaving them in his flesh after disconnecting them. Matthew and Lillianne sprinted along his Pianus' sides. Matthew's Sparta sword was a blur of cuts as he sliced through his scales and stabbed into the tender flesh below while Lillianne spun like a top, cutting down his side.

"YOUR POWER IS NOT WELCOME! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO SHOULD WEILD POWER!" Pianus roared as yet another spell seal appeared before him, summoning an army of the strange sea urchins around them. Helen appeared before Pianus from a surge of snapping threads of mana, gathering it into an arctic ice spell that froze his lips shut. Matthew vaulted off the wall behind Pianus and absorbed the five orbs gathered around his wrist, plummeting onto his face.

In a shout, he stabbed his Spartan sword between his eyes, where a green spell seal ignited and propelled his sword through the fish's flesh, spraying blood onto the rocks above. Pianus' eye became pearl white, unable to see Lillianne leaping above him, slamming her giant Axe of Judgment onto his back while loud crunches of bones breaking echoed in the cave.

"I'm sending us into overdrive!" Matthew called as their bodies glowed with a dark gold light. Helen and Jenny stood side by side as they drew their arrows, humming with power and releasing them into Pianus' face. Olsen ran like a comet, slashing at his sides in bursts while burying blood-soaked coins into the cuts. Jack pummeled Pianus' face, each strike leaving an instant bruise or breaking the skin and shoving a grenade into the holes.

Matthew connected the Sawtooth sections again, ripping them from Pianus' skin to his person, holding up his cloak as everyone ran behind him. Pianus slumped into the pit before twitching and screaming as his body detonated, spraying rock, flesh, and blood throughout the cave. As Matthew lowered his shield, they could all see Pianus' still breathing corpse lying over.

"I won't... be defeated here. But you have backed yourselves... right into a trap." He panted as Matthew dissolved the overdrive.

"What do you mean?" Jenny demanded.

"You must be The Guardians I've heard so much about. Your Parents came much more prepared than you did I must say, because as soon as you kill me, the barrier holding out the water to my lair will collapse and rush in. What do you think will happen to you?" Matthew growled and was about to step into an attack when Lillianne stopped him.

"Calm yourself, he's just baiting you. Besides, I think Carta's potion is wearing off; breathing is becoming difficult." Pianus laughed, his wheezing making it sound all the more sinister, pulling what remained of his body into an upright position. His eye sockets and flesh around his scar glowed a bright yellow, energy gathering in his mouth. Helen could \feel the spell solidifying and ran to the front, turning and holding up her cloak as a massive beam fired. It struck her hard, but Olsen ran to hold her up as she held back the spell.

She shouted with effort, forcing her arm away to reflect the spell at Pianus, vaporizing what remained of Pianus, the rocks behind where he'd been glowing. The six looked around at each other, relieved they had taken down a powerful foe and stopped another Mana Drill. That happiness shattered as wind began swirling around them. The roar of water echoed toward them as a wall of water weaved its deadly form into the cave.


"Captain, sonar shows no life signs; the cave has filled with water."

"What about heat scans?"

"Negative sir."

"X-ray?"

"Negative. They're gone, sir; The Guardians are lost." The captain hung his head as he walked back to the controls and started the engines when a ping appeared on the radar.

"SIR! We've got 'em! Seven, count seven life forms at 8 o'clock high!" Hitting a few buttons on the console, the captain activated the camera on the back of the ship to see a glowing orb hovering in the water. Upon closer magnification, he saw the archer girl holding her glowing cloak up, producing a barrier around them. Quickly, the captain jumped into the cockpit, pulling the sub around and giving them access to the wet dock. Once he drained the water, Carta was carried into the simple medical bay until they reached the surface. On the way, Carta opened her eyes, reaching for Lillianne's hand who had stayed by her if she woke up. She only stayed awake long enough to mouth a 'thank you' before slumping back to sleep.


"You vwern't able to find ANY Lidium?" Gelimer exclaimed, stamping his foot and shaking his teddy bear.

"No, not a single speck," Eleanor responded condescendingly. Gelimer stomped around like a child when The Black Mage appeared behind Dragon.

"Gelimer! Gather yourself, just because we don't have Lidium does not mean it will be impossible. There is still plenty of time before the five of them have fully trained the Crystals." Eleanor hissed. Gelimer huffed and returned to his lab, grumbling to his teddy bear. Questioning whispers rose in the air around Dragon and Eleanor, both nodding their response.

"Yes, Master. Josephine had come with the students of The Five. I believe she is still getting settled in," Eleanor commented as The Black Mage narrowed his eyes.

"Should we keep an eye on her from a distance?" Dragon asked, meeting The Black Mage's gaze, and nodded slowly.

"Very well. We'll ensure the doll doesn't become lost in this little fantasy of 'life,'" Eleanor said with a seductive smirk as she and Dragon left The Black Mage's presence. Her appearance in Ariant disturbed him: had she already forsaken her original mission for the humans she walked among? Another thing The Black Mage noticed was how Eleanor seemed to falter in her smile as if she despised her reply. Was the Black Witch beginning to lose her way?


"How is she?" Helen asked Matthew, walking to Carta's cot where monitors beeped off vitals.

"Dr. Kim says she was a bit anemic and dehydrated. But she's been stabilized and is just resting now." Matthew answered, looking down at her where she lay.

"Were you able to find out why she was both in her cave and Pianus' Lair?" Helen asked. Matthew shook his head as Helen nodded.

"Go and get some food; I shall take over her watch," Helen suggested, standing close to Carta while Matthew left: it was still hard to believe this woman was Minerva's younger sister. She defiantly had the allure Minerva was said to possess. But standing next to Minerva's living relative was awe-inspiring. Maybe Helen could learn what Minerva was like as a magus. Carta slowly opened her eyes and breathed deeply, feeling the presence shift once Matthew had left.

"Oh, many pardons. I did not wake you, did I?" Carta smiled and slowly shook her head.

"No Helen, you didn't. Where are we?"

"We have come back to Herb Town; Dr. Kim of the Omega Sector has come to make certain that your life is not in any danger." Carta tried to sit up, reaching for the pick-ups stuck to her body.

"Rest, you are in dire need of it," Helen commended. With a heavy sigh, Carta lay back down and stretched her arms above her head.

"Tell me, Carta, how is it you appeared to us in your cave whilst secured within the Mana Drill as its anchor?" Carta let out a contented breath before beginning.

"That was another spell Icedancer taught me before she married Corus: It is nothing more than a doll, created by using a mass of my own Mana anchored to something. It is similar to what you might call a hologram. The rest is a second spell that links my mind to the doll, allowing me to exist within it for a short time. If I had stayed too long with that form, the doll would have dematerialized and my mind would be left to wander for all eternity."

"If it was so risky then why did you perform it, especially if you were within the Mana Drill?" Helen asked with wide eyes.

"I did not have the time to do anything else when the Black Mage's soldiers came for me. Besides, I was able to see Icedancer not long ago."

"Hold a moment, you have spoken to your sister? I was under the impression she was dead!" Helen exclaimed. Carta shook her head in response and placed a hand in Helen's.

"Icedancer appears to be in an unstable state. But when she does appear, she is fragile and can't hold her form long. I can tell you, though, that she won't stand idle and let the Black Mage have his way; she will help you however she can." Carta struggled to mutter her last few words before falling asleep again in peace, knowing that, for a time, she was no longer in any danger.

Unbeknownst to any of them far out in the woods, a lone figure stood with a dark cloak pulled around her. The hood was pulled low over her eyes so that its shadow covered her face.

"I knew it to be a lie when Athena told us that you had died," Saia said as she walked up to the figure while lowering her head next to her.

"In a way, it is better that I am considered dead." The figure replied, turning slightly making a stand of golden hair fall into the fading light of day from below the hood.

"But why? Shouldn't The Guardians at least have a meeting with you? If not them, then at least the Heroes you trained? Aran has returned some time ago."

"No, not yet Saia. Windharp has already told Helen I am a ghost, which is better than being completely dead. The rest of the populous isn't ready to see me. Doing so now would only cause Corus to launch an attack. The ensuing battle would destroy all of Ossyria, and the Guardians are not ready to face him. I have been here ever since my heroes sealed Corus, but I can't stay in this form long, and others still require training."

"Then let me tell them…"

"No Saia. It is best that I remain as a ghost and a memory. Please, do not let our meeting here reach anyone; it could have unsavory repercussions if it reached Corus's ears." Saia bowed her head, turning back to the camp, waiting for the day to fade from the horizon.

"Thank you Guardians for rescuing my sister." She breathed, disappearing in a cloud of mana on the breeze from Saia's wings as she left.