Ellin Forest, 600 years ago
Inspecting the barrier stones keeping the camp safe was the job of the only mage among the refugees, Perzen. A year had passed since landing in this heavily forested area, though it wasn't by choice. The last gasps of the Black Wings attacked the airship, damaging the main Levi-stone beyond repair. Without that crystal, there was no way to transport everyone to their intended destination, instead deciding to make a camp in the Eastern Forests of Victoria Island, overseen by Helena, the elf.
After landing here, Perzen used the secondary Levi-stones to create a barrier around the camp, protecting it from the increasingly aggressive fairies, wildlife, and magical golems throughout the forests. The other colonies in Victoria before Minerva separated it from Ossyria had yet to be found or heard from. Helena organized search parties to search for these colonies, but not one search party returned with news about them.
From overhead, Perzen could hear the skiff Helena and her party used to search for food. He adjusted the barrier to allow her in, closing it just as the topmost part of the mast was inside. After landing, Helena instructed what food went where and how much could be used per day with calm precision as Perzen approached her.
"Ah, Perzen. I trust the Barrier is in good standing?" she asked before, greeted by Yuris, her stomach protruding from the new life she carried within her.
"For now. A pair of poisoned rock golems were trying to break in earlier; I don't know how long I can keep it up without some kind of help. They seem to be getting stronger, and the barrier crystals are beginning to crack after so many assaults."
"What of our scouts? Have they found nothing?" Helena asked. Even though she called herself Athena when speaking with the heroes, she reverted to her original name now that it was no longer necessary. Perzen reached into his book and pulled a sheet of paper out, reading off the reports brought back.
"Shadrion has been fighting off a group of creatures we've discovered, calling them Tree Rods. Ruis, as usual, is sending back useless reports about creatures dubbed Stone Bugs; Lohd has been exterminating a mushroom-like creature whose spores can cause a horrible rash, and Kanderune has taken a party of the strongest men here to track a heard of creatures that appear to be Boar for food." Helena nodded as she listened and then beckoned for Perzen to follow her.
"What of Freud or Afrien? Has there been no sighting of them? And what of the rest of Minerva's Heroes?"
"No one has reported any sighting of them as of yet."
"Then we must gather a party to search Ossyria."
"Helena, it took us over nine months to map out Victoria. We will not finish searching for years."
"I know of the time investment, Perzen, but we must search. The Black Mage may be gone, but the world still needs the Heroes." Perzen was about to argue further when the sound of something pummeling the barrier warbled throughout the camp. He gathered his mana, readying an attack spell when Yuris stopped him and held up a pistol she had modified.
"Save your strength, Perzen; I've got this," she grinned, shooting the fairies attacking the barrier.
"There! How's that for a pregnant mother!" Yuris shouted, blowing off the end of the barrel. Helena smirked as Perzen pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.
"Look, I know you're worried about Aran more than anyone. But he's a tough one. He'd find his way back here even if he had to take on the Black Mage with one hand tied behind his back." She smiled, turning back to the barrier with a hesitant smile.
"They have to," she whispered. Helena was about to return to the tree she used as a makeshift mayoral office and conference room when she heard popping sounds from outside the barrier, soon joined by the sound of intense battle coming from the northeastern border of the camp. Perzen, Yuris, and Helena ran as fast as they could to see what was happening, seeing five young people, possibly no older than 17, fighting off the fairies around them.
"Perzen, open the barrier!" Helena commanded.
"But what if one of those fairies comes through-"
"Open it, Perzen," Helena demanded. Perzen waved his hand, bending the barrier to open a hole.
"You five! This way!" Helena called. The five young adults ran for the hole where bright blue-winged Fairy slipped in just before the barrier shut, spreading its wings wide to let the poisonous powder fall from them. Yuris fumbled with the pistol, trying to reload a bullet until one of the young people shouted.
"Jenny, Jack! Bring it down!" The two aimed at the fairy; one of the young women, an archer with green hair, skillfully shot an arrow through its body as one of the young men with dark skin and bright red, spiky hair, took aim with his pistol and burned it to ashes as a plume of fire erupted from it. Yuris put down her arm after realizing the threat had been dealt with before she could even aim.
"Thank you. Fairy poison is a very potent thing. We'd be in trouble if that thing could spread it here." She smiled, reaching to her stomach when she felt her baby give a mild kick.
"Yeah, no problem." One of them replied, having long ruby-red hair cascading down his back. Helena noticed that one of these young people carried a polearm that bore a striking resemblance to Aran's Maha. There were subtle differences, but the overall shape was the same.
"Yuris, would you and Sion make them comfortable?" Yuris nodded, beckoning the teens with her further into the camp while Helena watched them with keen hunter's eyes. Perzen took notice, leaning down to her ear.
"They don't belong here, do they, Helena?" Perzen whispered.
"No Perzen, they don't."
"Should I make arrangements to have them expelled? Our lives are hard enough as it is."
"No Perzen, that will not be needed. I have a feeling that Minerva sent them to us."
"Minerva is dead, Helena. How can she still invoke her power?"
"Minerva was a powerful sage, Perzen. She lived many hundreds of years before either of us was born. I doubt that her life would end so easily. But more than that, did you not feel the power radiating from them?"
"I did Helena, which is why I am so concerned. Power like that among the people of Ossyria is a near impossibility." Perzen seethed until Helena put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"All the more reason to inquire of their purpose, my friend. Once settled, bring them to the conference room so that we may find out exactly who they are."
Present Day
"What does it say, Matt?" Lillianne asked, approaching him and resting her chin on his shoulder.
"I can't see all that well, but I'll try to make it out." Silently, he read for a bit until he became still, and his eyes nearly doubled in size.
"What! What is it?!" Lillianne pressed. Matthew shook his head and cleared his throat to read aloud.
"Matthew, I write this to thee to come hither and save this town. If thou doth not, thy very existence in this world will cease to be.
Signed: Helen Olman
Post Script: ensuring for thee this is indeed from myself, Olsen hath left, completing a mission for Empress Cygnus." Lillanne and Matthew stared at each other briefly; how could Helen have written them a letter 600 years ago? She hadn't even been born yet! Grendal hadn't even been born yet! Athena chuckled and caught their attention.
"What? Do you know something?" Matthew demanded as Athena nodded, taking the letter and reading it.
"Yes, I do. But I can't tell you anything. Doing so would have consequences for all of us. You must go back to Ludibrium, and go through the Secondary Time Sphere which keeps The Rift in check. It will take a few years before that rift has 'healed' itself, so your departure is not required immediately, but I recommend you go soon." she said with a cryptic smile.
"How long would you say we can wait before the situation turns into something we can't fix?" He asked.
"You have at most a week. However, the longer you wait in the present, the more The Rift will heal, possibly closing off your path and permanently damaging what happened, altering the future for the worse." Athena warned. Matthew nodded and looked at Lillianne.
"Go find Helen and Jenny and let them know what's going on. I'll find Jack and let him know." Matthew commanded, about to turn away, until Lillianne grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Can we meet up later and discuss what happened?" she asked, her grip tightening on his bicep.
"Of course," he smiled, kissing her quickly before departing. Lillianne stood watching him for a while until Athena touched her shoulder.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, feeling Lillianne tremble.
"I don't know. I saw something during our encounter with Thanatos in Ludibrium, and I haven't felt right since," she muttered.
"Care to tell me? If it is enough to unsettle you, the daughter of Aran, it cannot be taken lightly." Lillanne sighed, turning and walking away.
"I'll speak with Matthew first," she replied, jogging off to find her friends.
All around him, Aster could feel eyes looking at him from unseen areas within the castle. Each waited in anticipation for the chance to plunge a blade through his chest. Ursa and Dante nervously watched everything, but Aster remained perfectly poised. As they neared the castle entrance, two high-ranking Ninjas appeared before them, crossing their arms over their chest as two small purple flames danced next to their shoulders.
"We've come to see him," Ursa said nervously as the Ninjas looked at each other, readjusting the red scarf around their face so that only their eyes showed, then motioned for them to follow. The inside of the castle was eerily quiet; even the footsteps of the Ninja leading them were silent as if they hadn't touched the floor. Once deep within the castle, the Ninja held out their hands, ordering them to stop before disappearing into a room before them.
Aster noticed multiple young women through the door seam, each with short white hair and a midriff-exposing outfit until a man's voice from inside the room caught his attention. A clap of hands shattered the silence, followed by people leaving.
"Come come, I will hear you out." Called a man's voice, nasal and high-pitched but muffled, as if he were covering his mouth. Quietly, the three entered, walking into the center of the room where a chubby man dressed in a lavender kimono and ridiculous-looking black hat reclined against an overstuffed pillow. To his right stood a samurai dressed in full red armor with a gold crescent moon atop his helmet. No sooner had they knelt and the door shut than five men, all dressed in dark blue with bandanas pulled over their mouths and noses, appeared, holding swords against their throats.
"Do excuse my Genein, but one can never be too careful, especially with power such as mine. I don't want to end up like my friend, the King Sage. Now, what can I do for you?" Aster's eyes narrowed, thinking about that little nugget of information carelessly said about the King Sage. Ursa was about to speak when Aster held out his hand and spoke.
"I have information leading me to understand you know something about the Pillars of Time." The chubby man adjusted the sleeves on his Kimono and nodded to one of the Genin standing next to Aster, who took his sword and slammed its dull side against his neck.
"That was a warning boy. Address me as such again, and I shall have your head here and now," the man grunted. Aster tilted his head, cracking his neck and squinting his eyes, thumbing a point on one of his shuriken.
"Great Castellan, it is my fault for not properly informing him of the procedure. Please don't hold it against him." Ursa begged, bowing to the ground. Castellan rubbed his chin, then nodded to one of the other Genin. He raised his sword and began bringing it down blade first when Aster appeared between the ninja and Ursa, holding back the blade with his dagger. In another quick motion, the Genin was thrown across the room and pinned to the wall by his sword through his shoulder. Castellan looked back at the man, staring in wonder momentarily as Aster's eyes glowed a hot pink, standing out from the dark of his hood.
"I came seeking information. You are a simple man whose head has grown too large for his body. So, I will ask again: what do you know about the Pillars of Time?" Castellan's blood boiled: how could this whelp think himself equal to himself? But Aster's power was far from ordinary, so he cooled his thoughts and straightened his kimono.
"Very well, but be warned; cross me again as such and my Ninto shall hunt you down. The Pillars of Time are 12 seals, each engraved into a gemstone. Each of these stones represents a different aspect of nature, and when one person gathers together all twelve, whatever magic they conjure through them will become unbreakable except for the one who cast it." Aster nodded, kneeling back down when two ninjas appeared on either side, holding a kunai to his neck, the same red-scarfed violet flame-wielding ninja who had escorted them into the castle.
"Are these the Ninto you are speaking of?" Aster asked, a wisp of hot pink smoke wafting under his hood.
"Yes, and they are far better trained than my Genin." Castellan threatened. Aster chuckled, shaking his head with a frustrated sigh before asking his next question.
"Do you know a way to find these Pillars?" he asked, locking eyes with Castellan.
"Each of the stones is encased in a statuette, a protective barrier preventing any person that did not know their true form to use them. Of my years of research, the statues look something like this." Castellan held up a drawing of the statuettes from a table beside him with writing scribbled all around the picture.
"I, myself, managed to find one, but alas, if I had known what it was before I had sold it then I would have kept it." Aster locked eyes with the chubby man again, watching with an unwavering stare as Castellan's eyes looked away to the wall on his right, where the samurai stood.
" So he does still have it. " Aster thought, adjusting his shoulders to be ready for any action these famed Ninto would make against him.
"May I have that drawing so I can search for them independently?" Castellan smiled and rolled the stiff parchment before putting it on the table beside him. Aster sighed angrily, standing to leave before the Ninto closed ranks before him, blocking his path.
"Again boy, if you ever disrespect me as such again, I will take your head." Aster glared over his shoulder so that one of his eyes locked with Castellan's. Something like a wave of heat filled the room and bathed it in a pale pink light. Castellan's skin became coarse, making a tiny gesture. The Ninto drew their weapons in a blur, ready to strike Aster down until they were both sent tumbling across the floor, staining it with their blood. Castellan's breath hitched, watching as the three quietly left his room, escorted to the front gate by a pair of Genin.
"Well, that could have gone better. Thanks to you Aster, we don't have any leads," Ursa shouted in annoyance, throwing her hands up and shaking her head.
"Oh, but we do, Ursa," Aster grinned as he quickly walked down the road from the castle.
"We do? How?"
"He has one of the Pillars."
"He does? But how did you know?"
"He looked right at it just as he finished holding up that poster. And the parchment revealed more than just what it looks like."
"How did you see all that? All I saw was a blurry charcoal drawing." Dante exclaimed as he tried to keep up with Aster.
"Training: He had scribbled the location of another one on his little drawing. We're going to Singapore!"
It seemed like a flash in time, but 'The Five Second', as they called themselves, began taking on more and more missions involving more investigation. Their name came after The Guardians took on the name of 'The Six,' and was a mutual agreement between them.
"So what was this mission again?" Nathan asked as they filed out of the plane and onto the tarmac.
"The Empress only asked us to come here; don't you ever pay attention?" Burr asked with an edge as they walked through the doors, and a woman with dark shades met them.
"I have been sent in her stead to brief you on your mission. She had some pressing business to take care of." Heidrin said, taking off her shades and tossing her blue-tinted hair.
"What sort of business?" Antonia asked, readjusting the bow across her back.
"I can't say; she and Mihile have disappeared quite often." Heirdrin hummed. "Your mission is this: for the past 100 years, an old steamship has remained docked at the far end of town, and said docks have been haunted by ghosts ever since. Recently, something has caused the ghosts to begin acting… strangely."
"What, like, violent?" Aeris asked.
"No, just strange. The report sent wasn't specific. Your task is to ascertain how they are acting, whether or not it is violent and cause for immediate concern, and to find the possible source of their strange behavior."
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get to it!" Auzzy exclaimed, turning to leave the airport when Heidrin caught his shoulder.
"Before you leave, the Empress asked me to bestow her blessing on you to help you on your journey, " she said, pulling Auzzy back into place. Then, she held her palm forward and cast the blessing spell.
"May the blessing of the Empress go with you and give you the strength to face your enemies, for the sake of Ossyria." With the Blessing finished, Auzzy was already walking out of the airport as the others tried to catch up with his quick pace.
After exiting the airport, the five of them took a moment to admire the sights and smells of Singapore before making their way to the far side of the city, where a thick bank of fog hid a quaint port town. As they neared the docks, they encountered fewer and fewer people until only a single old man in a rowboat remained. Black, threadbare clothes hung on his thin frame, while a ragged white beard hung from his face.
"So these are the docks that lead to the ghost ship, huh?" Auzzy said when the old man's snoring hitched as if he had choked.
"Wha… eh… who… who goes there?" the old man asked, carefully turning around in his boat to face the five of them.
"Th'name be Ralph: Where are yeh youngin's headed?" he asked, holding up his cane and pointing it at them.
"We are The Five Second, and the Empress Cygnus sent us to investigate the ghost's strange actions said to be here," Burr replied making the man come up onto the dock and face each of them as though trying to look into their very soul.
"Th'ship that yeh be goin' to is not one to be taken lightly. An hundred years ago, ev'ry soul aboard that ship became sick and died since there wasn' a doctor aboard. Most say it was because th' Engine Master's heart was broken in half by a woman, others say it was because th'Engine Master was pulled into th'engine and burned alive. Whate'er the case be, at its heart, th'engine of that ship still be burnin', and th'only way to release it is to smash his watchman's lamp."
"What about recently? A report sent to the Empress said that the ghosts here were acting strange." Nathan asked.
"That, too, be a mystery. By the light o'the moon, a glow like the sunset took the ship, bright enough to light the docks, and e'er since then, the ghosts have been still, not acting unless there be danger to th'ship. What e'er be on that ship, 'tis the key to their act." Burr looked toward the docks with apathy, holding up his wand and crossing his fingers over the shaft before drawing it as though it were a bow. Sparkling lighting energy gathered at the bottom while freezing and smoldering ice energy gathered at the top. The blast released resembled the face of a monster, striking something amid the fog and freezing all that was within the radius of the arrow's explosion.
"BURR! What are you doing?! Do you want to have a fight or something?" Antonia exclaimed.
"Don't you worry your pretty head, miss; th'spirits won't come beyond the fog. Let a few minutes pass before ye go, e'en though I think it best you don't. You'll find th'ship in dock six." Ralph said sadly, before returning to his boat and sitting down without another word. The five of them looked at each other, cautiously walking into the bank of fog where, Just as Ralph had said, the ghosts were still as statues, watching them as they walked past.
"This is creepy," Aeris whispered, stepping up to one of the ghosts and waving her hand in front of its face.
"Don't push it Aeris. Antonia's right; disturbing one of them could make a lot of fight come our way that we can't handle," Burr said sharply, ducking in surprise to avoid hitting a ghost's fishing pole. As they neared the ship, the actions of the ghosts began to seem even stranger. Some would pace, worrying about what to make for dinner, while others would jump up and down and laugh uncontrollably. Once aboard the ship, the strangeness only thickened, putting everyone on edge as bursts of laughter or sudden screams echoed in the halls.
After losing their way many times within the ship's deceiving corridors, they found the engine room where a strange energy emanated from behind the door. They all readied themselves and burst through to find three people inside, taking a statuette from the central boiler. Antonia huffed, shaking her head and training her arrow on one of them in a ragged cloak.
"Thieves, I should have known that they would have something to do with this," Antonia growled.
"Thieves? Aren't thieves everywhere? What's so special about these guys?" Nathan asked, leaning over to Aeris and relaxing his stance slightly.
"These guys are a special breed of rogue ninja whose only goal is getting what they want no matter the cost or lives that stand in the way. In short, trained robbers," Aeris sneered, cocking back the hammer of her pistol and compressing mana into a grenade. The two groups stared at one another for a long while until Auzzy thought he recognized the one wearing a sackcloth cloak.
"Master Olsen? What are you doing with the Thieves?" The two with him turned and looked back at the central figure who pulled the statuette from the boiler and threw a smoke grenade, hiding the three thieves' escape.
"What are you talking about, Auzzy?!" coughed Burr, using the wind from his wand to clear the smoke.
"I thought I saw Master Olsen."
"You're crazy Auzzy! Olsen may not be as principled as the rest of the Guardians, but he wouldn't join the thieves. It's not like him." Aeris shouted. When the smoke finally cleared, it revealed dozens of ghosts surrounding them with their leader, dressed in a white captain's coat, holding up a glowing red lamp.
"You dare to stop this ship!" questioned the tall ghost, holding his lamp out, covering them all with its unsettling red glow
"I thought that Ralph guy said that the engine master was the one with the lamp?" Antonia pointed out as she backed away, nocking an arrow.
"Forget the details 'Tone, we've got bigger problems!" Nathan growled, bracing himself. The tall ghost held his lamp higher, and the smaller ghosts charged.
Aster, Ursa, and Dante ran until they found an alley in the port town, stopping in the shadows to catch their breath. Looking back at the ship, Aster could hear the sounds of battle and ghosts dematerializing.
"Aster, why did that one boy call you Olsen? The only one I know of by that name is the Guardian Ninja of Ossyria." Dante asked, looking over to Aster, seeing strands of light pink hair blowing in the breeze from under his hood.
"Before you showed up, the buzz around the tavern was that he'd gone missing. You seem like you've been around the block a few times, what do you know about it?" Dante asked as Aster examined the statuette, looking for any sign to show how to open it.
"I wouldn't know anything about it. That Olsen is nothing more than a kid, and he was said to be one of the ones to stop the Black Mage; disciples must have gotten to him." Aster replied flatly. Dante wasn't buying the act and quickly pulled the cloak's hood, revealing his pale hair and strangely glowing hot pink eyes.
"You're Olsen?! What's someone like you doing mixing with us thieves?!" Dante screeched, reaching for the statue, until Olsen streaked down the alley away from them.
"You wouldn't understand," Olsen shot back, putting the statuette in his satchel. Dante and Ursa stared at one another, standing and stomping toward him.
"Somehow I get the feeling that you've involved us in something really, really, dangerous. So before you shut us out, give us the decency to know what we're in for. You're one of the Guardians supposed to save Ossyria for Minerva's sake!" Ursa spat. Olsen let out a long sigh; he'd recruited these two to help him with this assignment, thinking that keeping them in the dark would help protect them.
"I am on a secret mission for the Empress Cygnus." Ursa and Dante stood back from him, their brow pulling down over their eyes.
"What kind of mission?" Dante asked.
"A little while ago, The Black Mage disguised as one of her Chief Knights visited her, asking about the Pillars of Time. The Empress and her advisor Neinheart had never heard of these artifacts, nor could they find any reference in historical texts. My mission is to find out what these Pillars of Time are and retrieve them as quickly as possible." Ursa licked her lips and put her hands on her hips, shaking her head and looking back to Dante.
"So you're not here to try and close down the Thieves den again?" Ursa asked.
"I didn't even know you existed until this mission. The Empress and her knights will decide the fate of the den." Olsen said. Dante shook his head as Ursa crossed her arms.
"And not telling us was your way of protecting us, huh?" Ursa huffed.
"In a way, it was. It was more so because I didn't know if I could fully trust you. You are still technically thieves, after all." Dante and Ursa looked at one another, and Olsen could see their thoughts rolling across their face.
"I say we stick with Olsen here. What have we got to lose, Dante? It's only a matter of time before the Empress and her Knights come to shut the den down, and we won't even have marks high enough there to brag about." Ursa finally said.
"You understand we might get a prison sentence even faster?" Dante asked.
"At this point, I don't care; we never had enough credibility for Jarred to give us the big jobs, and we'll never be able to move up with the crap he's been feeding us. At least this way we can try and make up for what we've done in the past." Ursa argued. Dante sighed, rocking his head side to side and nodding.
"I can't let my little sister do this alone. I'm in." he sighed. Olsen chuckled, reminded of when he first came to this world in these two before him.
"Alright, let's go. But please, for now, my name is Aster."
It had been two days since she heard about the Guardians receiving a letter from 600 years ago, and something was gnawing at Kyrin. She'd begun having visions of what felt like events from her past, but any time she tried to focus on them, they would fade away from her mind.
"So, d'you think they're memories?" Mark asked after she told him about the visions, pulling on his clothes after showering.
"I don't know. But these visions make me feel like I'm missing a giant part of myself."
"What if you were to talk to Glen or Tina? You've known them both even before I met you. They might be able to help." Mark suggested, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her.
"And that's why I married you," Kyrin smiled, leaning over and kissing him, patting his leg as she stood.
"I guess I'll meet you for Night Patrol?" Mark asked as Kyrin nodded, stopping at the door frame.
"I'll let you know if something else comes up," she smiled, blowing him a kiss before walking to the side hatch access, opening the door to see Athena and a small army of women around her.
"Athena, I was just coming to look for you," Kyrin exclaimed. Athena smiled and put her hand down, ready to knock on the hatch.
"Would you care to join us? Oz, Irena, Lilin, and I are leaving for a local hot spring." Kyrin eagerly agreed, saving her questions for later when she and Athena could speak privately. However, as the night continued, her questions were pushed further into the night as all of them except Kyrin enjoyed the pleasures of the hot spring. The knot in her stomach finally reached a precipice when everyone was about to leave while staring at Athena's long hair swaying in the breeze. A memory flashed through her mind, showing a densely forested area, looking up at someone with sandy blond hair and being wrapped snuggly in a blanket.
"Kyrin, are you alright?" Lilin asked when she noticed the captain's eyes seemed lost and unfocused.
" What? Y-Yes, I'm alright. I'm gonna soak in the spring again; my shoulders are a bit stiff from training. You guys go ahead," she smiled, watching them leave. Almost as if she were in a trance, Kyrin walked back to the spring, changed out of her clothes, and sank into the warm water up to her shoulders. She felt as if she'd forgotten something important. Ever since that letter had shown up, the way Athena smiled kept making these visions or memories pop up in her mind. Her long reddish-brown hair fell over her eyes and hid her frustrated tears from the world as she stared at her reflection. Athena held the answers Kyrin needed, but a private moment never came. She could always ask Athena later and comfort her soul, but she wanted to resolve this knot in her stomach.
"What did I forget?" she asked herself when the sounds of another person entering the water made her look up to see Athena.
"You seemed distracted all evening; is everything between you and Mark alright?" Athena asked as she dipped into the water beside her.
"It's not Mark, it's me. Ever since that letter showed up, you've had this smile that's made me begin to have these visions. They vanish whenever I feel like I'm about to get a better grip on them. I'm missing a huge part of myself; I just know it," she huffed. Athena sighed, sinking into the warm water and looking up at the star-filled sky above them, letting her mind drift back over centuries, back to the Altair Campsite.
"What do you know about your Mother and Father?" Athena asked, sitting up and massaging her arm in the warm water.
"Well, My father was the captain of the Nautilus, and I never found out what happened to my mother; she was never there. I just assumed that she'd died while on the high seas or something." Kyrin said, absently moving the water with her hands. Athena grinned, looking at the Star's reflection in the water as they danced from the ripples Kyrin created.
"I'm sorry, but that isn't your past, Kyrin." The Captain sat up and looked at her with sudden interest and confusion.
"What do you mean? It's the only past I know."
"Black Bart Isn't your Father, Kyrin." Athena sighed, resituating herself to see Kyrin better before beginning her tale.
"Your mother and father met in Leafre during the Black Mage's rise to power. By the time we needed to escape from the Minar Forest, your mother, Yuris, was already pregnant with you. Even though she tried to hide it for a long time, there was no mistaking it after five months. Your father, Testonen, entrusted her safety with me." Kyrin's forehead scrunched, staring at Athena with confusion and muted shock.
"Wait, during the rise of the Black Mage? That can't be right. That would mean I'm almost as old as you! I'm human. Humans never live more than a hundred years. If you're not counting mages."
"Not entirely, Kyrin. Your mother was an elf of Ellul and an attendant to the Queen, Mercedes, coming with Her Majesty to answer Minvera's call. It was almost like a fairy tale when they met, falling in love nearly the same instant they met gazes."
"What was he like?" Kyrin asked, trying to imagine a strong man with a look of adventure in his eye. Athena stayed silent for a while, seeming to struggle for the memory.
"It's strange: I can clearly remember your mother, but your father escapes me. From what Yuris told me, though, he loved your mother with unwavering dedication." Athena replied, watching as Kyrin's eyes fell.
"After the defeat of the Black Mage, I went back to Leafre in search of any trace of Minerva's Heroes. All I could find was the coat you now wear. When I showed it to Yuris, she told me it was your father's coat without reservation, despite neither of us remembering who he was. " Looking over her shoulder, Kyrin spied the long, heavy, fur-trimmed coat hanging on the side of the closet.
"W-What about my mother?"
"That I can answer; your mother was kind, intelligent, and a tinkerer but became restless after being released from her duties as Her Mejesty's attendant. She stayed on the move and knew everyone's business, even after marrying your father." Athena smiled, recalling when she would find Yuris' face covered in dust or grease as she made something in her workshop."
"What happened to her?"
"We had limited medical supplies in the camp we'd made, and what healing magic my friend, Perzen, did know wasn't specialized for healing. Yuris died within hours of giving birth to you, but not before fighting to hold you at least once and give you your name. You and her would've gotten along so well." Athena said gently, setting a hand on her shoulder.
"As much as I want to have met her, my memories of it are blurred." She smiled as Athena leaned back and continued.
"Before she died, she entrusted your care to me, and I raised you for 20 years. But because of your human heritage, you were becoming quite the handful. You were constantly seeking out fights and being sent home from the makeshift school we had made. We'd made a village out of the camp, allowing us to trade for supplies and keep the town alive. On your twenty-first birthday, the Nautilus came into port so they could perform some repairs and resupply.
The Nautilus was a submarine sailing from the Bay of Ferns, now Herb Town, when the Whalian princess and a young man from the nearby village were married. The Nautilus was a gift to the town, built in tandem with the shipbuilders and the Whalian technologists. When that sub left Victoria's port, you stowed away, setting out to sea for nearly a week before they discovered you.
"The Captain almost dragged you back home, but after contacting me and hearing your pleading, I let you stay aboard as a new deck sweep. Over the next few years, you worked your way up the ranks, eventually making captain and taking the crew on a different path. Instead of exploration, your vision was to make your crew into sea fairing protectors of trade ships from other 'true' Pirates." Kyrin felt like her head would explode: she was almost as old as Athena?
"Then, I'm a half-elf?" Kyrin asked timidly.
"Yes. It grants you a long life, much longer than any human. But not nearly as long as a full-blooded one." Kyrin absorbed the information quietly, looking down at her hands under the water.
"I'm going to outlive Mark, aren't I?"
"Yes, and perhaps even Jack, despite his sharing your elfin heritage," Athena answered solemnly, the two silently sitting while listening to the babbling fountain on the far side of the bath.
"So why don't I remember any of this? What happened to me?" Kyrin asked after a long while.
"Approximately 34 years ago, The Nautilus was caught in a bad storm while on the surface. Your first mate, Black Bark, and his 4-year-old daughter, Shulynch, later told me the storm had blown your ship off course. It crashed into a sheer rock face off the coast of El Nath hard. When the storm finally settled, the crew searched the ship and found you passed out in the corridor hit by the cliff face the hardest. When you came to, you didn't remember anyone and were beginning to act like a lost little girl rather than the gung-ho captain you had been.
"Black Bark spun the story that you were his daughter, Shulynch was your sister, and you were a deckhand under him, allowing you to work your way through the ranks. Once again, you worked hard and became captain of the Nautilus, coming to port on Victoria Island soon after, and have been here ever since." Kyrin sat stunned, compiling everything she heard while faint memories came to her in a steady stream. Her birth home, the first days on the Nautilus , and the first time she looked up to see Athena's face as a baby. But there were still memories of a pair of strong arms wrapped around her while aboard the Nautilus , kissing another's lips repeatedly. She tried to recall the person embracing her. No matter how she tried, she couldn't pull from her memory whom she had been in love with.
"Is something wrong Kyrin?" Athena asked.
"I'm not sure. Did you tell me everything? I have this feeling there was something more than just my memory of being captain of the Nautilus." Kyrin chuckled, wading out to the middle of the spring, allowing the water to come up to her neck, melting away the cool night air from her back and shoulders.
"Black Bark told me that you and Sharyl, the Whalian Prince, courted one another before your accident and even considered marriage. Sharyl intended to leave his undersea kingdom and lead the crew at your side. After your accident, your feelings for him changed, and you forgot the relationship you shared with him."
"And to get him to stop trying to win me over, I made up that farce with Muirhat. Seems like I break hearts everywhere I go." Kyrin sighed, finally getting out of the warm water and drying herself off.
"Is Sharyl is still around?" Kyrin asked, wrapping her long hair in the towel and squeezing out most of the water.
"From what I understand, he was a key figure in evacuating Victoria Island. The last I heard of him, Sharyl returned to his undersea kingdom to protect it from ensure the Black Mage and his forces." Athena called, getting out and drying off as well.
"I should at least see him once everything's over and give him some closure," Kyrin smirked, going to the basket holding her clothes, her grip lingering on the coat she now knew was her father's from so many centuries ago.
"I feel so old now." Kyrin chuckled, trying to think of how she could explain how she wasn't five years younger than him; she was over 600 years older than him. Beyond that, how would she explain to Jack that he was also part Elf?
"Be glad that your heritage allows your stubborn youth to remain." Athena smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder as they left the spring. Kyrin's mind swirled, trying to absorb everything about herself and her past. What bothered her was that Athena couldn't remember who her father was despite being told about him. Maybe something happened during the fight with the Black Mage.
Three Days Later
Josephine almost felt human: the time spent in Herb Town taught her much about being human. What they felt, how they talked, how they loved. The Children, especially, had taken a strong liking to her, even going so far as to call her their Nana. Being with the children helped Josephine learn the life lessons she had missed while lost in the Black Mage's drawer.
But those days haunted her thoughts, as did the memory of what she was and her mission. And then there were the issues with her body. There were times when it would cease to move. At first, it would only last a few seconds or be limited to one of her limbs, but as of late, she began lasting as long as thirty minutes. She found a private spot behind some of the huts when she could no longer stand the unknown, speaking into her pendant.
"Master, can you hear me?" she asked as a hazy image of The Black Mage appeared before her.
"I have been experiencing issues with my body. It stops functioning and there is nothing that I can do about it. It's as if I'm blacking out." Insidious whispers from the Black Mage filtered through the amulet when she saw a few children peeking around the corner, urging her to come and play with them. She hid the pendant behind her, encouraging the kids to go ahead and start without her. After an eternity, she convinced the kids to leave, allowing her to bring out the amulet where the Black Mage's annoyed whispers reminded Josephine why she existed.
"Master, please! Not here! There are so many young ones-" The Black Mage's angry whispers cut her off, stating her purpose once more with even less care.
"No, please." She begged, but The Black Mage ignored her, declaring his distaste for those too weak to ensure their survival.
"You can't!" She begged. But her words fell on deaf ears as The Black Mage severed the connection, and the pendant began to glow. She couldn't allow him to summon a creature here, not when so many young children were waiting for her to come out. Time wasn't on her side as the glow became brighter and she could feel the pressure of The Black Mage's magic building in her chest: she had to leave the village before it was too late.
With all the strength she could muster, Josephine began making a mad dash for the forests around the village. Unfortunately, the kids saw her and began to chase her, thinking she had started a game of tag. Josephine ran faster, hoping to make it far enough into the forest before a creature that would no doubt tear them apart appeared. After running deep into the woods, she sat down and waited for the horrible sight to come when a little boy scared her.
"I found you!" he said with a bright smile. Josephine's heart froze: he had to go! She couldn't let him be hurt! She tried to get up and make him go away, but a throb in her chest brought her to her knees while the pendant glowed even brighter.
"Josy, are you ok? Are you hurt?"
"Run! Please! Run!" Josephine whispered as the pressure in her chest built, feeling like her body would burst.
"Here take my arm and I'll…"
"RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" Josephine screamed, trying to hold the magic back as light spilled from the pendant and poured from her body. Her scream scared the boy into running as fast as possible, stopping once he reached the other kids. Turning back, he and the rest of the throng of kids watched in horror as light grew between the trees, along with Josephine's screams of agony.
Five of 'The Six' gathered around the lunch table, some of them forcing a smile or laughing uncomfortably at a joke one of them told. It was strange not to have Olsen with them as Helen seemed to pull into herself. But Jenny stayed near her the most, keeping their mage friend from pulling away from them all.
"Please tell me you aren't getting lost in that labyrinth you call a library," Jack joked, reaching for a plate and grabbing a steak and vegetables for lunch.
"Nah, I won't let her," Jenny smiled, patting Helen's back as she sat beside her, carrying a plate of food piled high with potato salad, hot dogs, and a helping of fish.
"I am grateful for thy companionship, Jenny. However, I must admit thy presence interrupts my meditations." Helen grinned, setting down a reference manual of Ossyrian creatures and a plate of simple sushi.
"Just want to make sure you know I love ya." Jenny smiled, comically patting her shoulder before turning her sharp eyes to Matthew.
"And what about that letter Helen supposedly wrote? Are we going to do anything about that?" she demanded. Matthew quickly chewed his mouthful of food, swallowing hard and thumping his chest to make it go down faster.
"Lillianne and I had some things to discuss, and I wanted to ensure it was taken care of." Jack raised an eyebrow, trying to speak over his mouthful of food.
"Did you try to kiss another redhead?" Jack chuckled before Jenny elbowed him in the ribs.
"What? Too soon?" he laughed. Matthew and Lillianne chuckled, about to explain what they were working through, when Lillianne noticed Helen's face had become white as a sheet, and her eyes bulged from her head.
"Helen? What's wrong?"
"Can you not sense it?" she asked when the sound of people running and screaming from the forests surrounding Herb Town. They all left the table, standing amid the rushing throng until Helen managed to catch a child sprinting toward them as fast as her little legs could carry her.
"Guardians! You have to go and help her!" she called, bowling against Helen.
"Who is it that requires our help, child?" she asked, squatting to the girl's height and placing her gentle hands on his shoulders.
"Nana Josephine! Something began chasing us away, like a Hector only bigger!" The five of them looked at each other; there was no time to armor up. If what the child described was near the village, they would need to act now! Helen folded her hands, transporting them all to the forest's edge, where giant clawed paw prints lead through the soft earth into the trees.
"So, you are the famous Guardians of Ossyria." A rough voice asked from the trees.
"What have you done to our friend?" Jenny shouted.
" Friend? Is that what you call her?" the voice asked with a growl, stepping out from behind a tree, the hair on its back bristling while its long claws picked through the dirt, tearing through it with each heavy step.
"Yes, she is!" Jenny squeaked back. However, their courage began to fade as the giant wolf came forward, standing almost three feet taller at the shoulder than Lillianne before it pushed off its forepaws and stood on its hind legs.
"That's just cruel. Calling that thing a friend is almost worse than what the Black Mage did to Minerva," the wolf growled. "But that isn't my concern; I have come to the warm lands where food is plentiful! And I'll start with you!" the wolf held up his arm, claws flaring longer and swinging at Matthew. The Warrior crossed his arms as a steel casket slammed around him. As the wolf swung, the metal shifted and morphed into claws aimed back at it. The wolf managed to jump back, barely avoiding the reflected attack.
Jack tried forcing the wolf back, each punch sounding solid as it made contact with its rippled abs, flinching with each strike as the impact reverberated through his knuckles. The wolf caught Jack's fist, drawing back its free hand and brandishing its sharp claw, but stopped when Helen froze his hand to a tree. Jack pulled free and somersaulted backward into its chin, breaking his hand from the ice. Jenny focused her mana and held up an orb, summoning a Snow Phoenix to her side. It dove at the wolf, freezing its feet in place and knocking it to the ground. With a battle step, Lillianne tucked in her arms and slammed her shoulder into the wolf, throwing it against another tree. The wolf staggered to its feet, wiping its lip of spittle.
"Heh, that's pretty good. But it'll take more than that to do me in," The wolf snarled as it stood, breaking the ice from its hand and feet. Matthew readied to cast his Dragon's Roar, but the wolf appeared before him in a blur, throwing him at Jenny with a backhand, then swatted Jack into Lillianne. Helen tried casting a lightning spell, throwing her hands out as the wolf dodged each strike until its massive hand gripped her head. Lillanne rushed forward, jumping onto the beast's hand to pry his fingers away, but the beast's strength was too much for her, being flung into a nearby bush instead.
"You'll need more than your bare hands to bring me down, Guardians! Is this all you can do?" it growled, beginning to clamp down on Helen's head. They could only wish for their weapons, but there hadn't been time to get them when they learned of this creature's appearance. The wolf tossed Helen into the air, then hurled her to the ground, raking them across her back and cutting the flesh. Helen gasped as the searing fire roared through her back.
Matthew and Jack ran to the wolf, only to be driven to the ground when the wolf hit them both in the gut. Alden came sprinting from the village, his horn glowing as he charged and engulfed the wolf in flames. The wolf tried to lunge for Alden, but his smaller size allowed the Celion to outmaneuver the deadly claws. At the same time, its missed attacks gave Alden many opportunities to claw at its flesh. While Alden kept it busy from the front, Syl and Jin came from behind the beast, bringing their weapons.
"Going into battle like you did is valiant but foolish. Many of your abilities are null without your weapons." Jin scolded, tossing Jack his Knucklers. Lillianne shook her pounding head, catching her halberd as Matthew tossed it to her and began to build momentum.
"Let's end this!" Lillianne shouted, summoning a massive cloud of mana to form her Judgment Axe. Ruby power roared around Matthew's Execution. Disappearing in a flash of light, he reappeared at the wolf with his sword stuck through his gut.
"You say we need more? Then we've got more!" Matthew growled, cutting through his side and spraying across the ground. Jenny's Emerald power flared around her body as she unleashed a solid wall of arrows, pinning the wolf to a tree. With a roar, Jack slammed into the wolf, plunging the claws of his Equinox Knucklers through his body with earth-shaking force. Jack pulled him from the arrow's hold and dropkicked him towards Helen, who focused her Amethyst power in her palms. Her eyes opened and revealed their glow as her hair rippled with violet light before summoning a wall of flaming gears. They burned so hot that even the others hid behind the smoldering trees as the wolf howled in pain before turning to ash. Instantly, Helen dropped to the ground, reaching over her shoulder with a healing spell to close over her skin and heal the wounds.
" I was careless. Olsen might hath been my protector at that moment. But without him, I must ensure I can protect mine self. " she thought as the pain died away. For a moment, they all stood and smiled at their success when Lillianne remembered Josephine and began looking for her. Minutes passed until Alden's cries brought them to where she sat, appearing to have passed out.
"Let's get her back to town before anything else happens," Jack suggested, picking her up and jogging back into town. But none of them noticed that Josephine's eyes were open and lifeless under her long hair; they were too busy trying to get her into safe hands, running into their apprentices.
"Do you guys know where Olsen is?" Auzzy asked, watching Jack run past them for the infirmary with Josephine in his arms.
"No, we don't. We only know he's on a mission for the Empress. Did you see him or something?" Matthew asked. Auzzy cradled his chin but shook his head as he walked away: something strange was happening, and Olsen had something to do with it. There just had to be a reason why he had seen him with the thieves. There had to be!