 
### THE ROSTICAL USERS

###  __________________________

SCELDRANT'S COMET

by

Michael Rogers

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Michael Rogers on Smashwords

The Rostical Users

Book One - Sceldrant's Comet

Book Two - Celestrial Lancer

Book Three - Madora's Prophecy

Book Four - Sacred Knights

Book Five - Number One

Book Six - Daathic Darkwings

Book Seven - Seraphic Gate

The Rostical Guild

Book One - Sceldrant's Comet

Book Two - Desert Dragon

Book Three - Corrupted Radiatons

Book Four - Bakana Flare

Book Five - Healing Monarchs

Book Six - Elemental Rage

Book Seven - Tales Of

The Rostical Quest

The Dontalia Facility

Check out hand drawn maps for the Rostical series

Maps for The Rostical Saga

Copyright (c) 2009-2018 by Michael Rogers

Special thanks to Zaind, Butters, Kym, Shannon, Todd, Sallie and the many others who proofread this story.

Be sure to check the back for the character BIO and appendix.

The names and incidents portrayed and the names herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character or history is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

Smashwords Edition Licence Notes

Thank you for downloading this free eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends.

This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its completed form. Thank you for your support.

* * * * *

Chapter 1: Prologue

*A young man sat in a lounge room and watched anime while taking sips of water from a sport's bottle.*

Young Man: ( _So_ tired-) *He sighed in thought and listened to the front door open, causing him to look over his shoulder with a smile.* "Dad?"

Dad: "Ashton?" *He sounded surprised.* "You're back early! How did your grading go?"

Ashton: "Ahh, I'm pretty sure it went well, but I got Montana as my teacher. The old hag is _so_ _strict_."

Dad: "Ahaha, I'd rather have someone strict than passin' me when I don't deserve it."

Ashton: *He rolled his eyes and focused back to the anime.* "It's tough, dad."

Dad: "Since when has your life been easy?"

Ashton: "I don't know, my ex kind of was-"

Dad: "Ash, don't be a dick." *He grunted and walked into the kitchen, turning on the lights and the stove.*

Ashton: "Don't get all philosophical on me." *He spoke under his breath and watched a woman waterbend on the show.*

Dad: " _So_ -" *He pulled several bags out of the fridge and looked towards the TV.* "Do you think you'll pass the Tapkido grading?"

Ashton: "Dad, it's _Hapkido_ , and I'm not sure. Montana's always given me this _weird_ look like she knows me."

Dad: "Probably had something on your face."

Ashton: "Hah hah." *He rolled his eyes and looked to the side.* "Did you want some help?"

Dad: "That'd be kool. I'd like to have it done before your beautiful mother gets back from daycare."

Ashton: "Sure-" *He grunted while jumping up from chair and awkwardly stepped forward, causing him to quickly place a hand on the table.*

Dad: "You OK? Stop bein' a sook."

Ashton: *He winced and shook his head.* "Just a little sore from the grading-"

*A purple flash flickered from a glass cabinet, instantly catching Ashton and his father's attention.*

Ashton: "What-?"

Dad: "OK, why now?"

Ashton: "Huh? What now?"

Dad: "You always wanted to know more about your Aunty, maybe you could see her one day."

Ashton: "I'm _so_ confused. The purple light? Was it from outside?" *He looked to the window, noticing the curtains were closed.*

Dad: "It was the Crystalline thingy."

Ashton: "Crystalline thingy? It's a _ruby_."

Dad: "You're twenty-one next week, your mother and I decided you can view the memories then."

Ashton: *He raised an eyebrow and looked displeased.* "View the _memory_?" *He sounded unimpressed and looked back to the cabinet.* "You've been watching some of my anime?"

Dad: "That's not the point."

Ashton: "Dad, _seriously_."

Dad: "Aha, admit I'm the koolest dad."

Ashton: "I'd rather _not_ admit that."

Dad: "Next week, we can sit down and watch it."

Ashton: "Watch what?" *He grunted with a confused frown and suddenly gasped.* "You'll watch the new anime series that comes out next week?"

Dad: *He sighed.* "Was I like this when I was your age?"

Ashton: "I don't know, didn't you have like black and white photos back then?"

Dad: *He frowned.* "Help me with dinner, or you won't hear about the light."

Ashton: *He dragged his feet to the kitchen.* "Stop with the ruby business. What was the light, your phone?"

Dad: "Nah, it could be, how do I say it properly _Neu_ - _rons_?"

Ashton: "Neurons? Biology?" *He looked at his dad like he was an idiot.* "You're _really_ acting weird lately? Have you started drinking?"

Dad: "Drinkin'?" *He shook his head.* "OK, I'm surprised only one person punched me in the face."

Ashton: "Being a lawyer is rather stressful I'm told, maybe it's finally getting to you?"

Dad: *He shook his head.* "Wash your hands and cut this for me, maybe I'll tell you a little about what you should expect to see."

Ashton: "The.. Anime..?"

Dad: " _No_!"

Ashton: "Oh?" *He sighed and waved his hand over the bench, causing wooden trays to slide out of a top drawer.*

Dad: "Onions and garlic."

Ashton: "Yeah, yeah."

Dad: *He hissed and pointed to the sink.* "Wash your hands!"

Ashton: "Yeah, yeah." *He grunted with a sigh and walked to the sink.*

Dad: "You gotta clean those hands 'cause you're acceptable your way." *He started to sing and danced to each side as he started to stir boiling water in two differently shaped pots.*

Ashton: "Yuck, stop acting like such a dad."

Dad: "Ahaha, what did the couch say to the other couch?"

Ashton: "What..?"

Dad: "We are sofa apart."

Ashton: " _No_ , the dad jokes, _stop_!"

Dad: "I'm sofa king funny!"

Ashton: "Heh, _funny_ -" *He noticed the sounds of a car driving in.* "She's home early?"

Dad: *He looked curious.* "That does seem like your beautiful mother."

Beautiful Mother: *She quickly entered the house and glanced towards the ruby.* "Did you feel it? The Sacred Ruby."

Dad: "You felt it?"

Ashton: "Really?" *They sounded surprised.*

Beautiful Mother: "Ashton, you're home."

Ashton: *He spread his arms, looking at her slightly unimpressed.* "Yup."

Beautiful Mother: "I haven't felt Neurons for a long time, but-"

Dad: "It was instantly noticeable?"

Beautiful Mother: *She smiled and nodded her head once, before focusing her attention on her son.* "I.. Should we talk about this?"

Dad: "Why did it flicker?"

Beautiful Mother: "I have no idea. Maybe it's picking up on someone's Astragons? Maybe-" *She looked at Ashton.* "It could be his latent Neurons?"

Ashton: "I don't get it?"

Dad: "Neither could I." *He shook his head as if he didn't understand.*

Beautiful Mother: "I know we planned to show him next week for his birthday, but-"

Dad: "Show him tonight?" *He spoke with a growing smile.*

Beautiful Mother: "Yep!"

Ashton: "OK, dad I can get, but you, too?!" *He glanced at his mother while chopping the onion.*

Beautiful Mother: "Look where you're chopping please."

Ashton: "What's this about a stupid ruby? Do you mean the anime?"

Dad: *He sighed and wrapped his arm around Ashton's neck.* "Not everything is about anime."

Ashton: "JRPGs?"

Dad: "No."

Ashton: "Girls?"

Dad: "No."

Ashton: "Money-?"

Dad: "OK, shut it."

Beautiful Mother: "Tee hee. Now you know what you were like."

Dad: "You keep saying that." *He grunted with a loving smile and puckered his lips as his wife walked up to him, allowing him to kiss her.*

Ashton: "OK, none of that in the kitchen. Gross."

Beautiful Mother: *She kissed Ashton on the cheek.* "Gross!"

Ashton: "Mother." *He grunted with a smile, squinting one eye.*

Beautiful Mother: "I didn't stay back today-" *She walked towards the glass cabinet and stared at the ruby.* "We've been excited to show you for some time."

Ashton: "Oh-" *He clicked his fingers in realisation.* "Is it one of those iCrystals?"

Dad: "Eye-who-now?"

Ashton: "Y'know, the _iCrystals_? The AR."

Dad: "Artificial reality?"

Ashton: "See, you aren't that ancient."

Dad: " _Thanks_."

Beautiful Mother: "Something like that." *She spoke with a caring smile and gently grabbed the ruby with a silk cloth and placed it in the middle of the table.*

Dad: "Dinner should be ready in ten."

Ashton: "Move it." *He grunted while still sounding respectful and scraped the chopped onions and garlic in the pot.*

Dad: *He stirred and looked over his shoulder.* "You're going to experience the _best_ AR you've ever experienced."

Ashton: "See, that's more believable than a ruby that's apparently a crystal that also involves biology." *He chuckled and washed his hands again.*

Beautiful Mother: "Oh, Ashton! How did your Hapkido go?"

Ashton: "I'm not sure." *He slouched his shoulders.* "A little sore, but I will find out next week."

Dad: "Usually you get graded on the day, right?"

Ashton: "Right?" *He shook his head.* "Montana has a weird way of grading."

Dad: "But-"

Ashton: "But she's the best, I get it." *He purposely interrupted his dad.*

Beautiful Mother: "Okay, it's ready." *She spoke with growing excitement and readied placemats around the ruby.*

Ashton: "Now you've peaked my curiosity. If you're both in on this, I gotta know."

Beautiful Mother: *She watched her husband and son bring three bowls into the living room, sitting on cushions around the table.* "This is a special type of Crystalline Membrane."

Dad: "Ha! Dad one, spoilt shit, zero."

Ashton: "Mother, it's a ruby."

Beautiful Mother: *She giggled and shook her head.* "When you're ready, let's all touch it together."

Dad: "The ruby?" *He spoke with a smirk.*

Beautiful Mother: " _Really_?"

Ashton: "Gross! I'm losing my appetite."

Dad: "Dad two, family zero-"

Ashton: "Alright, lemme text the group chat that I'll be a little busy after dinner-" *He texted while he spoke, before placing the phone back in his pocket.*

Beautiful Mother: *She fidgeted on the spot and grabbed the men's hands, hovering them over the ruby.* "I'm sorry, I can't wait!"

Ashton: "Heh, why are you so excited?"

Dad: "It's been a few years since we last watched it."

Beautiful Mother: "Okay, are you ready?"

Dad: *He watched the ruby glow a faint purple colour.* (It's apparently activated by emotions-)

Beautiful Mother: "Don't be scared, okay?"

Ashton: "Pssht, scared? I'm turning twenty-" *He watched the area swirl and blur around him as an intensifying wind blew their hair back.* "W-What?!"

*Ashton staggered back with an uncharacteristic squeal and raised one arm in front of his face.*

Dad: "Are you OK?"

Beautiful Mother: "Ashton?!" *They shouted at the same time, looking at him with growing concern.*

Dad: "I hate to say, but maybe it was too early?"

Ashton: (It was AR? It _had_ to of been..) *He shook his head and shuffled back to the table, reaching over to the ruby.* "I'm kool, I'm kool."

Beautiful Mother: "You don't need to pretend to be cool, honey."

Ashton: "I just wasn't expecting to feel wind.. Must be an awesome device to create wind-" *His voice echoed as the area blurred and swirled around him.*

\----------

*Moonlight shined in a small clearing, deep in a marsh-like swamp.*

?????: *A man covered in platinum armour walked towards four other warriors dressed in black armour.* "Any movement, number eighty?" *He grunted with authority to a woman sitting next to a small fire.*

Eighty: *Her armour flickered in the fire's light.* "None, captain." *A small man impatiently tapped his foot next to the fire, catching her attention.* "What is it, ninety?"

Ninety: "Th-The Consultant, she said she was going to capture us personally." *He anxiously moaned and stared at a warrior with his arms folded.* "Y-You're pretty quiet, thirty."

Thirty: *He glanced at ninety with an emotionless face and looked into the fire.* "With my battle axe, I have _nothing_ to fear."

Ninety: *He stood up with frustration, facing the party.* "Have you all got Neurons stuck in the brain?! The _Consultant_ is after us!-"

Eighty: "We failed the mission, it's to be expected."

Ninety: "We're being hunted like lowly Scoldrants-"

Captain: *He walked up to the fire, sitting down next to number eighty.* "It was not our fault we failed the mission."

Ninety: "With all respect captain, you're a single digit warrior-"

Captain: " _Ninety_. Keep a calm mind like eighty and thirty."

Ninety: "B-But-"

Captain: "That's an order."

Ninety: "Tssk-" *He grunted and plunked himself on the ground with respect.*

*The large trees rustled in the cool night breeze and crickets could be heard in the distance.*

Captain: *He glanced at his party members.* (I understand his fear. Despite my ranking of six, I've witnessed the Consultant's power. She has the Rostical power of a volcanic eruption-)

*Several yells and grunts echoed in the distance, which alerted the party.*

Ninety: *He jumped up with shock and unsheathed his sword in the direction of the noises.* "Th-They're here-"

Captain: *He stood up and faced the area.* (I sense only _one_ single digit captain and-) *His eyes widened with fear.* (It's true, the Consultant-) *He looked over his shoulder and silently made hand signals, causing the party to nod their heads.*

Eighty: (The captain wants us to hide and attack-) *She reached behind her shoulder and unsheathed a small metallic bow.* (Despite my late number, I've got one of the best accuracies in the archers-)

Thirty: *He nudged his axe on eighty's armour, which caught her attention.* "..." *He motioned his head to a thick cluster of trees, causing her to nod her head.*

Captain: *He casually turned around and sat next to the fire.* (I was not selected to be punished for my party's failure. But I wouldn't stand and watch them receive punishment for something that was not their fault-)

*A woman with silver eyes stepped into the clearing.*

?????: *She instantly stared at the captain's back, as he continued to watch the fire flicker in front of him.* "Why hello, Keiran." *She giggled and smirked evil-like.*

Captain: "Sofia, you should respect your authority."

Sofia: *She rolled her eyes and sighed with confidence.* "It's just a ranking-"

Captain: "You're number nine for a reason, stand down and you will be spared."

Sofia: "Tee hee, I'll respect authority, if you respect the game's rules." *She grinned and glanced to her side.*

Captain: (I hope this goes to plan-) *He stood up and clicked his fingers.*

Eighty: *She pulled the string back and aimed for Sofia's head.* (A clear shot!-) *She released the string and a silver arrow blasted through the air, towards Sofia's ear.*

Sofia: "Oh wow-" *She slowly raised her left hand and caught the arrow with a smirk.*

Eighty: (She caught it within _inches_ from her head!) *She frowned with frustration.*

Sofia: "So, the game is hide and seek?" *She tilted her head at an angle with curiosity.*

Thirty: *He hid himself on a branch of a leafless tree, watching Sofia from a bird's eye view.* (I never liked that captain. I'll strike her down when I see an opportunity-)

Sofia: *She snapped the arrow with her fingers and flicked her ponytail over her shoulder.* "Come out pawns, I know you're hiding-"

Ninety: *He ran into the clearing with the sword raised over his head.* "Harh!"

Captain: *He stared at ninety with shock.* "Retreat!-"

Sofia: "Charging at a single digit-"

Ninety: "Who cares!" *He ran into striking distance and slashed the air in front of him.*

Sofia: *She moved to the side dodging his strike.* "One down-" *She glanced at him with a bored expression on her face.* "Herh!" *She grabbed the sword and kicked him on the side, causing his bones to loudly crack.*

Ninety: "Karh-"

Captain: *He stepped forward and reached behind his back.* "No-"

Sofia: "If you stop me, I'll ensure their last minutes will end _horribly_ -"

Ninety: (My lungs-) *He wheezed and moaned.*

Eighty: *She covered her mouth in disgust.* (He's completely immobilised by a mere kick!-)

Sofia: *She leant forward and whispered in ninety's ear.* "And that's the feeling of your lungs collapsing-" *She giggled and threw him to the ground.* "Next-"

Captain: "Focus on me!"

Sofia: "OK?" *She faced Keiran and giggled, as she placed her hand on her waist.* "I'm going to release my weapon-"

Thirty: *He jumped down holding the axe with both hands.* (She won't know what hit her-)

Sofia: *She spun around, causing a swirl of sparks to scatter from her waist.* "Ye-harh!"

Thirty: "Take this Azure!-" *His body glowed a shade of blue.* " _Magnitude_ _Divider_."

Sofia: *She sliced a dark-red whip across thirty's head, causing sparks to scatter from his armour.* "Using your special abilities won't work on someone like me."

Eighty: (No-) *She watched thirty awkwardly hit the ground and lay motionless.*

Sofia: *She giggled evil-like and sighed with boredom.* "I'm a boss out of your league-"

Captain: *He formed fists and gritted his teeth with frustration.* (I'll have to carefully think how I'm going to attack-) *He nervously stared at the whip, as he raised his hand over his shoulder.* (My weapon isn't suited against her whip-)

Sofia: "Two down-"

Captain: "Two down? Tcch-" *He pulled his arm forward, causing a wave of sparks to scatter from a sword in his hand.*

Sofia: "Nice sword-"

Captain: "You will be punished-"

Sofia: "Teehee, OK?" *She raised her arm and flicked the whip on her side.*

Eighty: *She flinched, as the whip snapped the air.* (Sh-She's crazy-)

Sofia: "I'm ready?" *She smirked as if she wanted the captain to strike.*

Captain: *He stepped forward and started to run towards Sofia.* "In honour of my fallen party members!"

Sofia: (Why isn't he flashstepping?) *She flicked her wrist, causing the whip to spiral above her.* "Harh!" *She lunged forward flicking the whip towards Keiran.*

Captain: *He jumped to the side, closely avoiding the whip.* "My sword skills are not something to be taken lightly-" *He sprinted forward and ran into striking distance.*

*Electricity swirled around Keiran's sword, which lit up the surrounding area.*

Sofia: *She looked at the lightning in shock.* "Wha-?"

Captain: *He stabbed the sword into Sofia's abdomen, causing strings of electricity to spark all over her body.* "You were all talk, to be struck down in one hit-" *He violently ripped out the sword and stepped back.*

Sofia: "Kah?" *She dropped to her knees in shock, as she covered her abdomen with both hands.*

Captain: "To ensure-" *He mumbled and straightened his arm at Sofia's head.*

Sofia: "Harh?" *She dropped the whip's handle, as blood trickled in between her fingers.*

Captain: "Lushes of aqua, crush, MERCURY BLAZE"

Eighty: *She looked shocked, as she kept hidden in the bushes.* (Rostical!)

Sofia: "N-No-" *An eruption of water-like fire, scorched the area around her.*

Captain: *He stared at the blue flames with an emotionless face.* "Eighty! Let us retreat-"

Eighty: " _Captain_!" *She croaked in pain.*

Captain: "Hmm?" *He looked to his side in shock, as he watched a woman with glasses walk out of the bushes.*

?????: *She held number eighty by the throat.* "You were one of the most loyal captains." *She spoke with disappointment.*

Eighty: "K-Kargh." *She gasped for breath, as she kicked the air trying to break free.*

Captain: (The Consultant!) "L-Let her go."

Consultant: "Hmm?" *She looked at the warrior who became motionless.* "Of course-" *She opened her hand and watched the warrior collapse next to her feet.*

Captain: *He stared at eighty with a worried look.* (Sh-She's not breathing-)

Consultant: "Now-" *She pushed her glasses up and watched the blue flames continue to burn Sofia.* "Poor girl-" *She clicked her fingers, causing the fire to instantly extinguish.* (Despite those wounds, she will be completely healed-)

Captain: *He straightened his arm at the Consultant, as lightning swirled around his sword.* "I-I don't like how the fundamental rules have changed!"

Consultant: "Without the punishment, it will make the rules seem petty."

Captain: "We failed the mission because the Scoldrants we encountered had some sort of _unusual_ power up-"

Consultant: "Don't make excuses."

Captain: "I-I can't explain it?! Their eyes turned yellow-"

Consultant: "Enough, I don't care." *She smirked and took a step forward.*

Captain: "Begone, you dirty lamp."

Consultant: *Her eyes widened in shock and anger.* "Too bad." *She raised her arms and rings of bright red fire swirled around her wrists.*

Captain: *He stepped back hiding his fear.* (Her flames are strong enough to melt stone. I've heard the stories from other captains-)

Consultant: "Not only is it rare for me to pursue renegade captains, but it's unfathomable for someone to confront me with such a _foul_ dis-respective tongue!"

Captain: "Well, I just watched my party-"

Consultant: "Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat, FLAMING STORM" *A fireball swirled in front of Keiran, which caused him to step back.*

Captain: "Even if you end me, others will rise too!"

Consultant: *Her eyes glowed an eerie yellow colour.* "Perhaps-" *She clicked her fingers and an eruption of bright red flames exploded high above the treetops.*

*Keiran's yells echoed in the marsh, as they slowly faded away with the light caused by the fire.*

Chapter 2: Dee Highs

*A woman laughed on a mobile phone before walking into a family friendly fast food restaurant.*

?????: " _For_ _example_.. Hello, my name is Ashton Lawyer. I'm twenty years old and I'm currently a Shift Assistant at Fast Food Enterprise and have been working here since I was fifteen. Now, what you're _not_ allowed to ask is their marital status or anything like that. Okay, Lance?"

Lance: *He looked up and stared at Ashton who stood beside him.* "Yea yea, sorry-"

Ashton: "Please, say it again-"

Lance: *He moaned and pouted like a grumpy child.* "Gettin' trained up to be a manager is pretty exhaustin', bah."

Ashton: "Oh, come on, just say it _exactly_ how I _just_ said it to you..." *He sat down on a chair opposite to Lance.*

Lance: "Dear oh dear.. _Ahem_. Hello, my name is Lance Lighten, I'm twenty-one years old."

Ashton: *He silently nodded his head, as he stared at Lance in thought.* (Good-)

Lance: "I'm currently a trainee Shift Supervisor at Fast Food Enterprise and it's delicious."

Ashton: "Good grief, Lance, at least try. This is the only way we are able to work in the same store. If you get promoted then neither of us need to get transferred, since well, we have been best friends since I could remember.... Hey?"

Lance: "OK OK, sorry, well _only_ for you I suppose I will do the homework. When is it?"

Ashton: "Wednesday."

Lance: "I will be ready for the manager induction with Twortz." *He rolled his eyes.*

Ashton: "Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow morning around eleven thirty then? I'll be present when Twortz will assess you-"

*A female customer walked in and brushed the wrinkles out of her skirt, as she made her way to the front counter.*

Lance: *He whistled with a cheesy smile.* "Oi-"

Ashton: "That is unacceptable!"

Lance: "Wat?"

Ashton: "Have respect for everyone, good flaming grief!"

Lance: "I was jokin' OK OK, gee."

Ashton: *He sighed.* "Well my shift is about to start, I have four to twelve." *He lifted himself off the chair and tucked his shirt in.*

Lance: (To think a nerd is my best friend.) *He sighed.* "Well, I'm gonna go then, so later." *He stood up and started to walk towards the exit of the restaurant.*

*The restaurant was very clean which consisted of windows on all sides of the dining room. The walls were painted a soft grey colour, the wooden chairs polished and the tables black limestone. The floors were a pale grey and the atmosphere in the restaurant was peaceful and relaxing. The Fast Food Enterprise was well known in the town of Dee Highs. Customers called it a treat when visiting and the regulars always went for a morning breakfast.*

Ashton: "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Lance: "I will prob-"

*A customer walked up to Ashton and started to ask him questions about the food, unaware he was in a discussion with Lance.*

Customer: "I just wanted to say the service here was _excellent_ -"

*Ashton smiled Lance off and then engaged in a conversation with the customer.*

Lance: *He walked down a long street as several cars drove by. He coughed due to smog caused by the cars. He ignored the constant yelling in the background.* (I wonder what's on TV?)

*Several sirens could be heard in the distance.*

Lance: *He looked up to the sky and watched the sunset, as he thought to himself.* (It's going to be around forty degrees tomorrow.) *He sighed as he wiped off a thin layer of sweat, which accumulated on his forehead.*

*The suburban area used to be clean and well maintained. Until the current generation stopped caring about the area and before they knew it, the area was now considered trash.*

Lance: *He struggled to get home and opened the fly screen. He looked up at the clock which sat on the fridge.* (Only four thirty? Far out.) " _Hello_?"

*Silence filled the house, causing Lance to sigh.*

Lance: (Looks like nobody's home.) *He walked into his messy room and turned on the TV.* "Oh not the _news_ , gah." *He sighed and rolled his eyes.*

Anchor Man: "Well it seems we will have _another_ record heatwave continuing all the way through until next week."

Lance: "Oh great." *He leant over and turned on a miniature fan.*

Anchor Man: "On other news, Sceldrant's Comet is a mere two days away, be sure to have your telescopes ready-"

Lance: *He rolled his eyes, as he stared at the TV with an emotionless face.* (Stupid comet-)

Anchor Man: "As meteorologist Mrs. Hambridge head of the Meteorology society states-"

*The screen changed shot to a woman with glasses in a white researcher-like coat.*

Mrs. Hambridge: "This will be a historical event, the space fluctuations emitted from the comet is astonishing all scientists. We believe this comet may have come from an undiscovered part of the universe."

*The screen changed shot, back to the Anchor Man staring at the screen.*

Anchor Man: "There you have it-" *A crowd in the background chatted amongst themselves about the Comet.*

Lance: "Pssht, _wateva_." *He switched the TV off by the remote and threw it on the ground.*

*Lance lay on the bed and silently stared at the white ceiling, as he moaned due to boredom.*

Lance: *He rolled over and looked at the time.* (It's only five and I'm about to go to sleep? Ha, pathetic.) *He closed his eyes and dozed off.*

\----------

Ashton: "Tyler could you please ensure all the registers are logged out and Rachael could you please ensure that all windows are locked."

Tyler: "Yep."

Rachael: "Yes, Ashton." *She blushed with a slight smile.*

Ashton: *He flicked all the switches off, on the power board and made his way to the front counter. Tyler and Rachael spoke to themselves as they awaited for his return.* "What's the time?"

Rachael: "Quarter past twelve."

Ashton: "Well all procedures are completed, let's call it a night then?"

Rachael: "Yeah." *She smiled, which caused Ashton to smile.*

Ashton: "Thank you both for your good work today."

Tyler and Rachael: "You're welcome."

*Ashton locked the restaurant and the party made their way to Ashton's silver car.*

Rachael: "Did you guys hear about Sceldrant's Comet?"

Tyler: "Of course!" *He opened the door and jumped in the back seat.*

Rachael: "Melinda won't stop talking about it, she's got me all excited about the event."

Tyler: "Who's Melinda?"

Ashton: "You work with her-" *He turned the key and the engine roared.* "She works on front counter?" *He looked in the mirrors and drove out of the car park.*

Rachael: "You know Mel? Melinda? Melinda Hambridge?"

Tyler: *He leant slightly forward, as Ashton drove over a speed bump.* "Oh, now I remember, yeah what about her?"

Rachael: "Well, we have Twortz's permission, and she'll even be attending." *She spoke with excitement, as she stared out the window.*

Ashton: "Twortz's permission for what exactly?"

Rachael: "Me, Mel and Twortz are going to watch the comet on the roof at work, would you both like to come?"

Ashton: "Of course, I have to see what all the commotion is about."

Tyler: "I have a late shift so I will be there anyway."

Rachael: "Sweet, sounds great."

*Ashton pulled up into a driveway and Tyler unfastened his seatbelt.*

Tyler: "Th-Thank you for the lift, so I will see you both Wednesday?" *He smiled, as he got out of the car.*

Rachael: "Yep."

Ashton: "We will see you then, goodnight." *He watched Tyler enter his house.*

Rachael: "I live just down the street so-" *She grabbed the door handle.*

Ashton: "No that is unacceptable, I will not allow you to walk at night."

Rachael: "But-"

Ashton: "It's not like we're kids anymore, how we could just play around on the streets at night."

Rachael: "I know, okay. You know I'm nineteen, I'm only a year younger than you so you don't always have to look out for me."

Ashton: "It doesn't matter how old you are, there are a lot of bad people out there."

Rachael: "Yes." *She smiled at Ashton.*

Ashton: *He smirked, as he drove up to Rachael's house.* "Okay, see you Wednesday."

Rachael: "Thanks, Ash."

Ashton: *He watched Rachael walk inside her house with a smile.* (It was good working with you Rach-)

*Ashton pulled out of the driveway and shook his head with satisfaction.*

Ashton: *He yawned as he drove towards his house.* (So, this is my life... For the past few years, I've watched this once peaceful suburb, turn into a fearful criminal town.)

*Flames flickered in several bins on the street, catching Ashton's attention.*

Ashton: "People lack respect these days." *He grumbled to himself and sighed as he turned down his street.* (No respect at all-) *He pulled up into his driveway and walked inside the house. He loosened his belt and turned on the TV, before throwing himself onto the couch.*

Anchor Man: "Welcome to the late night news. We have a few stories to tell tonight, first are; An eight-year-old killed a kitten with a cord, man suing girl because she said he looked fat, teens bash an old woman and put her into a coma and they won't get charged because they're underage and a man up for charges as he assaulted a burglar in his own home-"

Ashton: *He turned the TV off, shaking his head in disappointment.* (I _can't_ watch this... For me, as a person who never gets angry.. I get _so_ frustrated...) *He hobbled over to the bed and sighed, before turning the lights off.*

\----------

Lance: "Dad?"

Leon: "Stay inside, Lance! It's dangerous."

Lance: "Oh.... Okay."

Leon: *He ran onto the street, towards a man who lay in a pool of his own blood.* "Are you okay, sir?" *The man didn't respond, causing him to pull out a mobile phone.* "Don't worry, I will call an ambulance."

*Before Leon was able to dial a number, a bunch of thugs who attacked the man rushed out from a nearby bush.*

Leon: *He looked to his side in shock.* "Who-?"

*The thugs attacked Leon, knocking him onto the road.*

Leon: "Stop!-" *The thugs continuously punched him, until the distant sounds of sirens caused them to flee.*

Lance: *He sat on the floor and watched his unconscious father lay motionless on the road through the fly screen.* (Dad-)

\----------

Kairi: "Lance?" *Several knocks were heard at the door.*

Lance: *He woke up with a gasp covered in sweat, causing him to awkwardly pant.* (I remember those were the days when people started to act violent... _Everywhere_.)

Kairi: "Hun?" *She knocked on the door again.*

Lance: *He ignored her and looked over at the clock.* "Ten? Only asleep for five hours?... _AM_?!"

Kairi: "Lance? Are you okay in there?"

Lance: "I'm _fine_ -" *His stomach grumbled, causing him to place his hand under his shirt.* (Dad..)

Kairi: *She opened the door and started to clean Lance's room with a dustpan.* "Good morning, Lance."

Lance: "I'm goin' out today, mother."

Kairi: "Don't be out too late-"

Lance: "I will be home when I am." *He grunted and suddenly walked out the door.*

Kairi: "Be careful, hun!-"

Lance: "Wateva." *He left the house and started to cross a park towards the town's shops.*

Kairi: *She paused and looked down with sadness.* (Lance..)

Lance: *He reached into his pocket and grabbed out a piece of paper.* "..." *He started to unfold it and revealed a catalogue.* "Pfft." (Junk mail.. Crap, crap, crap, cra-) *An advert which promoted a newly released movie caught his attention.*

*Distant sounds of laughter could be heard from several children playing tag in the park.*

Lance: "Wat's this? Check out our best blockbuster thriller and spine-chilling ghost movies, out now!" (At least I know what I'm doing for the day.) *He changed direction and made his way to the cinemas.*

\----------

Ashton: "You're very welcome." *He smiled and picked up two bags, one in each hand.*

Employee: "Have a good day."

Ashton: "And you too." *He smiled and left the grocery store.*

Store Owner: *She stood next to the employee, as they watched Ashton leave.* "He is the kindest person, helping us out for _free_ _every_ Tuesday."

Employee: "I _know_." *She lustfully sighed.*

Ashton: *He read out a to-do list and crossed off volunteer work.* "Okay, so checking up on the elderly and then helping the troubled children." *He walked down the pavement and headed towards the old community centre.*

*A woman with a baby in her arms walked towards Ashton and suddenly stopped.*

Woman: "Ashton?"

Ashton: "Oh, hello."

Woman: "Thank you _so_ much for babysitting the other day, you're very considerate."

Ashton: "Haha, don't worry about it-" *The to-do list flapped in the wind, causing him to look at the paper.* "Sorry, but I have to go."

Woman: "That's fine, me too." *She smiled and walked past Ashton down the street.*

\----------

Lance: *He walked out of the cinemas disappointed.* "That was a pretty shit movie, aye."

*Sounds of chatter and cars driving past could be heard, as Lance stood on the side of the road.*

Lance: *He looked at his mobile and noticed the time and a message.* "Ashton? I finish around two if you want to hang out-" (And it's half past one.) *He walked across the road and a car stopped suddenly, causing it to skid.*

Driver: "You-?!"

Lance: *He took his eyes off the mobile and glared at the driver.* "Learn how to drive, asshat." *He crossed the road and walked through a park.*

*The driver tried to abuse Lance as swear words screamed in the background.*

Lance: "I'm headin' to work now. Meet u there." *He looked up to see where he was going and noticed a bunch of people queued up at the local library.*

Melinda: "Lance!"

Lance: *He walked up to Melinda.* "Wat's with everyone lining up here?"

Melinda: "They are hiring out the telescopes my mum has."

Lance: "Oh, ain't ya mum that weather chick?"

Melinda: "Yeah, that's it." *She sighed.*

Lance: "Aha, telescopes? To hire out? Wouldn't that be like a _loan_ or somethin'?"

Melinda: *She paused and sighed.* "I have to go we're busy."

Lance: "Wateva." *He walked away and kicked pebbles, as he walked over brown grass.*

*School kids screamed out Sceldrant's Comet with excitement in front of the library.*

Lance: *He noticed Fast Food Enterprise's rooftop in the distance.* (I don't see why everyone is getting excited over this stupid comet-) *He turned down a street and instantly noticed Ashton's car in the parking lot.* "Aha, Ashton's _crappy_ hybrid car."

*Lance walked up to the restaurant and pushed open the door, causing a rush of cool air to waft past him.*

Ashton: "Lance." *He smiled and stopped cleaning the display fridge.*

Lance: *His face was red due to the tiring walk.* "Do you know how hot it is out there, bah!"

Ashton: "Don't worry, my car has air conditioning." *He walked around the counter and grabbed two bottles of water.* "Manager meal it for me..."

Tyler: "S-Sure thing." *He gave Lance a jealous look.*

Lance: "No, not _water_." *He sighed like a child and rolled his eyes.*

Twortz: "Hello, Lance." *She walked from the manager's office and stood at the end of the counter.* "I will be expecting you tomorrow for your induction."

Lance: "Yea."

Twortz: "Hey, Ashton, are you still attending tomorrow?" *Her voice switched from professional to casual.*

Ashton: "Yeah, I wouldn't miss it."

Twortz: "Sounds great."

Ashton: *He smiled and walked up to Lance.* "Let's go, Lance." *He handed a bottle of water to Lance and walked outside.*

Lance: "Wat is that woman's problem?"

Ashton: "I'm sorry?"

Lance: "Twotters."

Ashton: "Oh, she's like that with every new recruit, she's an excellent store manager."

Lance: "Well, I don't like her-"

Ashton: *He fiddled with his keys, as he looked at Lance over the roof of the car.* "..."

Lance: " _And_ what were ya's talkin' 'bout? Wat's happenin' tomorrow?" *He grunted with curiosity, as he opened the car door.*

Ashton: "Oh? Rach, Mel, Twortz and Tyler will be coming. I want you to come."

Lance: "Yea, but _wat_?"

Ashton: "We will be watching the Sceldrant's Comet together on the roof."

Lance: (On the roof? I'll get to throw eggs at people since it will be _packed_.) "Yea alright, I _suppose_ I'll go." *He grinned evil-like.*

Ashton: "Seatbelt."

Lance: "Gah, yes _mother_." *He moaned as he clicked the seatbelt in.* "Where are we goin' anyways?"

Ashton: "To _the_ park." *He reversed and started to drive.*

Lance: "I don't really care 'bout parks but I like the one we're goin' to."

Ashton: "I like the park because it's the only thing people around here still respect."

Lance: "Pssht, respect."

Ashton: "Lance, that is unacceptable. You know if people started to respect everythin-"

Lance: "OK, OK, OK. Just don't go into that lecture again..."

*Ashton slowed down and turned right, as he drove into a parking bay.*

Ashton: "No..." *He spoke with disappointment as he looked out the window.*

Lance: "Wat?" *He played with the seatbelt to make himself more comfortable.*

Ashton: "They chopped down all the trees...." *He noticed one of the council members placing equipment into his truck.* "Excuse me, sir. I was just wondering why the trees were chopped down?"

Worker: "Oh, because people complained they made too much noise when the wind was blowing. Too bad though, it was a good looking park." *He hopped into his truck and drove off.*

Ashton: "....." (No..)

Lance: *He looked to his side and noticed Ashton's disappointed face.* "Let's go, this park ain't kool anymore."

Ashton: *He snapped out of his stare.* "Oh, yeah sure." *He placed his hand on the gear stick and drove away.*

Lance: "Man, I need a haircut, you mind if ya quickly drop me off?"

Ashton: "Yeah of course." *He turned around at the lights.* "So what are you going to do when holidays start next week?"

Lance: "Just laze around." *He lifted his arms over the head of the chair.*

Ashton: "I'll teach you how to drive, why don't you go for your licence?"

Lance: "Ha no." *He looked out the window.* " _Wait_ , I forgot, all these stupid shops are closed 'cause of that _stupid_ comet."

Ashton: (Ah, that's right.) *He stopped at a red light and looked over to Lance.* "I heard a paintball competition starts at quarter to three today."

Lance: *He raised his head and looked over to Ashton in excitement.* "I suppose I wouldn't mind goin'."

Ashton: "..." *He drove on to a grassy area and parked under a tree.*

Lance: *He looked at the time near the dashboard.* "It's quarter to three now, ya better hurry it up."

Ashton: *He smirked.* "We're here already-" *He opened the door and looked to the passenger seat.* "Come on-" *He watched Lance walk into the warehouse.*

Lance: (Paintballing? Ashton's awesome-)

Ashton: (Lance, he's not a patient person.) *He locked up his car and walked into the warehouse.*

*Every sound echoed in the warehouse which sounded like a sport's hall.*

Ashton: *He noticed Lance standing in a line and walked up to him.* "So what did I miss?"

Lance: "You have an option of pickin' three items, one is a sword, shooter and a shield. All of 'em are over there." *He pointed to a table.*

Ashton: *He walked over to the table.* (So it seems all the shooters have been taken and only one person took the sword and nobody touched the shields. Looks like I have no choice then.) *He grabbed one of the shields lined at the far right and walked back into line.*

Lance: *He looked down and noticed the shield in Ashton's arms.* (A shield? _Seriously_ -?)

Ashton: *He noticed a sword by Lance's side.* "I see you're the one that got the sword, haha aren't we the odd ones out?" *He lifted up his shield with an awkward smile.*

*A few guys at the end of the line laughed amongst each other, as they pointed towards Lance and Ashton.*

Rachael: "Okay, so the rules for today are standard, are there any new people in the group? If so, please raise your hand."

*Nobody raised their hands, causing Rachael to nod her head.*

Rachael: "Okay, there are thirty-three combatants. There are two ways of winning, when twenty minutes are up, everyone is to line back here and whoever has the least amount of paint _wins_."

Player: *He raised his arm before speaking.* "Is that all?"

Rachael: *She shook her head.* "Or, if everyone is covered with paint before time is up, then the last person wins. Any questions?"

Teenager: "Yeah, why is a hot little chick like you running a place like this?"

Rachael: "Why are you here? Do you have a permission slip from your parents or guardian?"

Teenager: "..." *His friends giggled at him, causing him to look away in a defeated manner.*

Rachael: "Alright, there is a first and second winner prize. We will issue out these white shirts." *A man started to hand out white shirts to everyone.* "And one last thing, play fairly. You all have thirty seconds to get ready after the buzzer. You will get disqualified if you leave the boundaries."

Lance: *He squinted his eyes and stared at Rachael with confusion.* "Isn't she that chick from our work?"

Ashton: "Yeah, Rachael has two jobs, she works here every Tuesday-"

Lance: "Why?"

Ashton: "Because her dad does office work, so she comes out to cover for him."

Lance: "Wateva."

Rachael: "Could I get all of you to position yourselves outside. Each person will be supplied with one litre of black paint, and don't worry it's user-friendly."

*All the players started to walk outside, causing them to scatter across the arena to hide.*

Rachael: *She noticed Ashton and Lance.* "Hey, Ashton." *She walked up to them and smiled, brushing her hair back.* "And.. Lance."

Ashton: "Hello, Rachael."

Lance: "'Sup?"

Rachael: *She noticed the sword and shield in their hands.* "Too bad guys."

Lance: "Ah wateva." *He rudely grunted and walked outside.*

Ashton: "Lance usually fails sometimes-"

Rachael: "Fails _sometimes_? Hehehe."

Ashton: "Haha, but when it comes to these type of things.. I always end up underestimating him."

Rachael: "Okay." *She giggled and blushed.*

Ashton: "How's Hapkido going?"

Rachael: "You're talking to a black belt."

Ashton: "Wow, that's amazing." *He spoke with blushing cheeks.*

Rachael: "You _should_ already know that.. You're just being nice, Ash." *She spoke with a flattered sigh.*

Ashton: "You've been going for three years now?"

Rachael: "Three times a week." *She nodded her head.* "Longer, but I started taking it seriously three years ago."

Ashton: "You're amazing."

Rachael: "Hehe." *She smiled and noticed one of the staff members looking at her, causing her to look professional.*

Lance: *He glanced across the arena and noticed differently shaped blocks.* (Where to hide?)

*Speakers which were placed high on poles started to play music loudly.*

Rachael: *Her smile faded, as she became alert to the music.* "You better get in position it's starting."

Ashton: "Okay.. Oh and Rachael, thanks for letting us in." *He raised the shield, as he walked outside.*

Rachael: "Hehe, of course." (Good luck, Ash.) *She pushed a button on a control box and a loud buzzing sound echoed throughout the arena.* " _Begin_!"

Ashton: *He ran up to Lance who hid behind a stack of multi-coloured boxes.* "Are we teaming up?"

Lance: "Was that even a question?"

Ashton: "Okay it was, it will be better-"

*Two teenagers ran across the opening and were shot from all angles.*

Rachael: *The speakers which played the music, faded into silence.* "Out." *Her voice caused the two teenagers to walk back into the waiting area, as the music started to play again.*

Ashton: (Their shirts were _completely_ saturated within four seconds.) "Lance, what are you doing?"

Lance: *He stuck out his tongue in concentration, as he wiped the paint all over his sword.* "I'm-"

*A tall man appeared from behind Lance and raised the shooter, aiming it at Lance's head.*

Ashton: "Watch out!" *He quickly moved in front of Lance and blocked all four paintballs with his shield.*

Lance: *He spun around and jumped to the side, slashing the tall man across the stomach.* "Hah!" *He fluidly flicked his wrist and sliced the air in front of the man.*

Tall Man: (I can't even read the flow of his strikes-)

Lance: "Gah, ya lucky this is a foam sword." *He stared at several black slash marks, which covered his shirt.*

Rachael: "Out."

Lance: "How does she know when they're out 'n' stuff?"

*Ashton pointed up towards the roof and revealed Rachael and several staff members, monitoring the area below.*

Rachael: "Out, out, out."

*People chattered in the background.*

Ashton: *He listened to the chatter with confusion.* (Talking? How are people talking-?)

Lance: "I think them assholes have teamed up!"

*A boy yelled in the background.*

Rachael: "Out."

*Two teenagers ran in front of Ashton and Lance, aiming the shooters at their faces.*

Ashton: *His eyes widened in shock, as he stared at the water gun-like shooters.* "Oh no-"

Teenager: "Oi, aim for their heads."

Big-nose Kid: "Got it." *He pulled trigger and shot several paintballs at Lance.*

Ashton: "Unacceptable!-" *He quickly stepped into the firing path and blocked all the paintballs with his shield.*

Rachael: "The four of you over there, _all_ _out_." *She pointed to a group of teenagers in the far back of the arena.*

Teenager: *He continued to shoot paintballs at Ashton's shield.* "I can't see if we got them-"

Big-nose Kid: *He watched strings of paint splatter off the shield.* "I can't tell either-"

Lance: "Harh!" *He sliced the sword across the two teenager's back, as they focused their attention to Ashton's shield.*

Teenager: "What-?!" *He glanced behind him in shock.*

Rachael: "You're both _out_." *She watched the two teenagers whimper back into the waiting area.*

Lance: "Humph." *He snickered child-like and sniffed under his nose.*

Ashton: "Look out." *He ran past Lance and raised the shield.*

Lance: "Wha-?" *He looked behind him and watched Ashton smear the paint from his shield, all over a player.*

Rachael: "Out."

Ashton: "Phew." *He turned around and sighed with relief.* "He was about to get you-"

*Three players ran around Ashton and shot him in the back.*

Ashton: "Ouch-"

Rachael: "Out."

Lance: (Ashton!)

Ashton: "Haha, I will see you in the waiting area, Lance."

Lance: "Yea, yea." *He quickly ran for another place to hide.*

Ashton: *He slowly walked into the waiting area and noticed fifteen players on a long bench.* (So, that leaves six more players left.)

Player: "Haha good game, Ashton but.."

Ashton: *He plunked himself on the bench and sighed with exhaustion.* "But what, sir?"

Player: "I don't think it's fair how five of them have teamed up though."

Ashton: "Five of them?" (Then it's them and Lance.)

Rachael: "Out... Out... You're out." *Her voice echoed and sounded static, due to the poor speakers inside. The players on the bench all looked up and stared at the next announcement.* "The game is now over!"

Player: "Over? _Already_?"

Rachael: "Everyone to the waiting area and the winner will be announced." *She walked down metal stairs from the roof, closely followed by the staff.* "Thank you all for playing." *She looked outside as the remaining players walked in.* "They're coming now."

Ashton: (I wonder how Lance went?)

Rachael: (How did he do that?) *She thought to herself in shock.*

*Five players walked in with black slash marks all over their shirts.*

Ashton: *He closely observed the smear marks on the player's shirts.* (Was that from Lance?)

*The players on the bench started to chatter amongst themselves until Lance trotted in.*

Lance: (Too easy-) *The players noticed no trace of paint on his shirt, causing them to gasp in disbelief.*

*One of the five players took his shirt off in anger and threw it on the ground.* "It was _five_ against _one_ and we all had shooters." *He looked at the four players.* "You're all _pathetic_." *He stormed out of the warehouse.*

Lance: (Pathetic alright.) *He chuckled to himself, as he walked over to Ashton.* "Let's go, I'm gonna head home 'n' get changed."

Ashton: "Okay, let me quickly talk to Rach for a sec."

Lance: "Wateva." *He rolled his eyes and took off the shirt.*

Ashton: *He slowly walked up to Rachael, as she bent over a table and shuffled papers.* "Hey."

Rachael: "Oh, hey." *She faced him and blushed.*

Ashton: "I know Lance somehow won, but he-"

Rachael: "He's bored and wants to go home?"

*They smiled and awkwardly giggled.*

Ashton: "Well, I better go-"

Rachael: "Bye." *Her face became redder.*

*Ashton and Lance casually left the warehouse, covering their faces due to the sunlight which shined in their eyes.*

Ashton: "So, how did you do it?" *His car lights flashed, as he unlocked the car.*

Lance: "Do wat?"

Ashton: *He opened the door and placed his hands on the steering wheel.* "How you were able to take them all out?"

Lance: "I dunno, it's just a game."

Ashton: "They all teamed up against you."

Lance: "I know." *He spoke under his breath, as if he didn't care.*

Ashton: (Lance being Lance.) *He sighed and started to drive towards Lance's house.*

*Four new looking cars, drove past at double the speed limit passing Ashton.*

Ashton: "Look at that." *He grumbled with frustration, as the cars swerved into the other lane without indication.*

Lance: *He watched the drivers force two other cars off the road.* "I know! Look how kool their cars are-"

Ashton: *He tightly gripped the steering wheel, as he watched the cars drive out of his sight.* (What was the point of that...?)

Lance: *He recognised the area and his street.* "Hey... Thanks for today aye?"

Ashton: "That's alright, thanks for coming." *He indicated and pulled over to the side of the road.* "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lance: "Yea, yea." *He jumped out of the car and made his way to the front door.*

Ashton: *He watched Lance wave his arm above his head like a child, causing him to drive off.* (I can't wait until Lance becomes a manager, then we can work together again.)

Lance: "Gah, _hello_?"

Kairi: *She slowly opened the door with uncertainty.* "Lance? Hello? Why didn't you use your keys?" *She unlocked the screen door and opened it.*

Lance: "They got bent somehow." *He walked into the house and instantly smelt roast, causing his stomach to growl.*

Kairi: "Dinner will be ready shortly, so please don't leave." *She yelled down the hallway, as Lance closed the door behind him.*

*Lance's room was as messy as a teenager's. There were clothes scattered on the floor and cables tangled from his electronics. He had stacks of DVD's and games. He also had a wooden table with all sorts of crystals and piles of spiritual magazines. The room was dimly lit.*

Lance: *He sighed and sat on the end of his bed.* (There's nothing to do.) *He looked around with a bored expression and his stomach growled again.*

*An hourly alarm beeped, causing Lance to moan with boredom.*

Lance: *The bed squeaked as he leant up and walked to the living room.* (I shouldn't have come home so early-) *He jumped on the couch and changed the channel on the TV.*

Anchor Man: "And now Mrs. Hambridge will be giving us an update on Sceldrant's Comet."

Mrs. Hambridge: "Thank you. Now that Sceldrant's Comet is closer to Earth we're able to grasp more information from it, we have also gathered the most intelligent meteorologists and have found some interesting findings relating to the comet."

Lance: "Not the news _again_."

Mrs. Hambridge: "Firstly, I have been receiving emails asking the same question and well let me tell you all, that there is _no_ _chance_ of the comet actually hitting us. Next, we believe the comet may cause some disturbances in the weather as the comet emits an abnormal energy signature our computers can't register."

Kairi: *She made noises in the kitchen, as she took the roast out of the oven.* (Almost ready-)

Mrs. Hambridge: "We also have pinpointed that the comet will be viewable around ten 'o clock at night, local time."

Lance: (At ten, aye?)

Mrs. Hambridge: "Once again, you'll be able to see all of the comet's glory if you pop down to the local library or public schools, as we're allowing people to freely use the telescopes!"

Anchor Man: "Thank you Mrs. Hambridge, we will continue the interview after a short message."

*A mysterious advert caused the screen to glow aurora colours, catching Lance's attention.*

Kairi: "Din-Din's ready, hun." *She sliced the roast onto three separate plates.*

Lance: " _Shh_ this kool show is on!! I'll be there in a second!"

Kairi: "Okay, please make haste before it gets cold." *She walked over to the table and placed the dishes in their respective places.*

TV Advert: *The advert showed pictures of products and a map on how to get there. It played on a continuous loop with a voice over.* "Don't miss our one-day-opening! Spirit attachments, curses, unwelcome guests, we specialise in all that stuff. We will be opening at eleven in the morning to one in the afternoon. If you're into this type of stuff, this is a _must_ see!"

Lance: *He sat on the edge of the couch due to excitement.* (I really want to go, but Ashton's stupid manager thing is on tomorrow-)

Kairi: *She noticed Lance stare at a blank screen, which caused her to look curious.* "Lance?"

Lance: *He unintentionally ignored her, as he grumbled deep in thought.* (I always feel like I can sense strange things and all that stuff so, I want to check this out. I don't even want to be a manager, I'm only doing it for Ashton.) *He sighed to himself with frustration.*

Kairi: "What was all that about, hun?"

Lance: "Some stupid thing." (Sorry Ashton but I _really_ want to go to this store.)

Kairi: "Lance, it's getting cold." *She sat down and grabbed a knife and fork.*

Lance: "I'm comin' _far_ _out_." *He got up and hobbled to the table as he plopped himself onto a chair.*

Kairi: "Luna, come on! It's getting cold!" *Her voice caused the sounds of a door opening in response.*

Luna: "Sorry, mother." *She walked out of her room dressed in all black and covered in dark make-up.*

Lance: (That thing is my sister-) *He watched Luna drag her feet to the table.*

Luna: *She noticed Lance staring at her, which caused her eyebrow to twitch.* "Wat are you lookin' at?!"

Lance: "Did ya take so long 'cause you were cuttin' yourself a little longer than usual?"

Luna: "So, Lance, have you seen any more ghosts lately or tryin' to summon a character from one of your stupid games?" *She smirked.*

Lance: "Wow, was I wrong? You took so long because you had to glue your face together because it broke when you tried to smile?"

Kairi: "Lance, enough!"

Lance: "What about her?" *He pointed at Luna like a child.*

Kairi: "She is five years younger than you, you should know better-"

Lance: "Yeah thanks for dinner, I'm off to bed, aye." *He pushed the chair back and made his way to his room.*

Kairi: "But you haven't eaten anything?" *Her voice slightly echoed down the hallway.*

Lance: "I'm not hungry anymore." *He slammed the door behind him and took a few steps into his room and yawned.* (Looks like I used more energy at that paintball thing than I expected.) *He yawned again and lay down onto the bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.*

\----------

*The alarm buzzed and woke Lance from his slumber.*

Lance: "Grr." *He moaned and peered at the clock.* "Quarter to _eleven_?! Oh, snap, I'll be late for the opening!" *He jumped out of the bed and quickly changed.*

*Sounds of cars driving by could be heard outside.*

Lance: *He opened the front door and started to run down the street.* (Luckily this place is near me.)

Woman: *She watched Lance run across the pavement.* (I remember him at Fast Food Enterprise, horrible service-)

Lance: *He stopped and panted, as he tried to catch his breath.* (Crap, I want to be there when the store opens, so all the good stuff doesn't get taken, argh.) *He thought to himself as he jogged across a park.* (It should be around here somewhere.)

*A swirl of wind drew Lance's attention to a large tent.*

Lance: (That must be it!) *He jogged around the tent and tried to view the line.* "Huh? _No_ _one_ is here...?" *He sounded disappointed as if his efforts were all for nothing.*

*A wrinkly lady with a huge presence cautiously walked up to Lance.*

Lance: *He stared into her hazel eyes and long black hair.* "Umm, can I help ya?"

Old Lady: "Oh hello there, young man. You have such shiny brown hair, we are opening now." *She smiled.*

Lance: "I'm sorry, I don't go for grannies."

Old Lady: "My my, such full of life aren't you? My name is Madora, and welcome to my shop."

Lance: "Uh OK.... Can I come in then?"

Madora: "Sorry?" *She placed her hand around her ear, referring to the way Lance spoke to her.*

Lance: "Gah-" *He paused and sighed.* "P-Please." *He awkwardly grunted and rolled his eyes.*

Madora: "Of course." *She smiled and slowly walked inside the tent.*

Lance: *He closely followed Madora, as he glanced around the store.* (Wow look at all this stuff, she has like bangles, rings, even headbands? I've never seen any stuff that looks like this before.)

Madora: "I'll be a moment, so let me know if you want to purchase anything."

Lance: "Ah yea, wateva." *He watched Madora disappear in a stock room at the back.*

*Sounds of clocks clicking could be heard inside the tent.*

Lance: (Wow-) *He staggered up to a table and stared at a metallic boomerang.* (I've got a _whole_ room full of similar stuff, but nothing like _this_.)

*A white light flickered in the corner of Lance's left eye.*

Lance: (What was that?) *He walked around the table and inspected the origin of the light.*

*Dust floated past Lance's face, as he slowly approached a table.*

Lance: *He picked up a stone, as it was the only item on the table.* (Hmm it looks like a crystal, it's faded purple but. Why did it shine-?)

*The dust slightly shined, as it floated past the stone.*

Lance: (I don't know why, but something is telling me to get it.) *He gently placed the crystal back on the table and glanced around for Madora, causing the stone to shine again.*

Madora: *She instantly stopped shuffling through papers and looked up with a shocked face.* (For a moment, I thought I felt Neurons?)

Lance: "H-Huh?" *He looked down at the table and noticed numerous hieroglyphic drawings, which faded across the table.* " _Kool_!"

Madora: "Oh dear-" (I _must_ be getting tired.)

Lance: *He quickly picked up the stone and shouted.* "Hey old lady I want _this_ , hurry it up or I will just leave."

Madora: *She quickly returned from the back and walked towards Lance.* "Oh? So what have you picked, young one?"

Lance: "This?"

Madora: *She noticed the stone, causing her to stare at it with shock and disbelief.* "Oh my, you?!"

Lance: *He gave Madora a feral look.* "Umm, do you want some time to yourself or somethin'?"

Madora: "Sorry, you seemed like the type who would take their time. The stone, it contains all the Astragons."

Lance: "Astragongs? _Aye_?"

Madora: *She covered her mouth and coughed to clear her throat.* "I said, so is this all you want?"

Lance: "Yea wateva, I just want this one." *He stared at the stone, as if he held his own heart in his hand.*

Madora: *She awkwardly hesitated, as she stared at Lance and the stone.* "Of course." *She pressed items on the register and looked up at Lance.* "I was told that whoever purchases certain items here-"

Lance: "Ah ha." *He grunted as if he didn't care.*

Madora: "I am to tell them a special riddle, depending on the item of choice." *Her voice became serious.*

Lance: *He ignored her, as he was fixated on the stone.* "Oh OK, sure let's hear it, granny." *He moved the stone up and down.*

Madora: *She sighed at Lance's child-like attitude.* "Well, this item's riddle says-"

Lance: "Get to it."

Madora: "The heart of an outsider's love will purify the poison with the last shine of light dispersing all of evil's last hope."

Lance: "Ah what the eff?! Maybe I got too excited."

Madora: "Sorry-?"

Lance: "Love will purify the light dispersing evil? This seems like bullshit, here is the money, I'm _outta_ here." *He threw the money onto the counter and made a hasty exit.*

Madora: "Thanks for coming." *She stood behind the counter and smiled as Lance left.*

Lance: *He angrily stormed across the park.* (The nerve of that old fart, taking me for a fool!)

Madora: (Well after several years of waiting-) *She paused with a smile.* (It seems it _finally_ will begin-)

Lance: *He frowned child-like and stopped.* "No, I'm gonna complain!"

Madora: (If things don't go the way they are foretold. The land will end up like this place.)

Lance: "Ya know, you shouldn't mess with customers-" *He angrily turned around and noticed her tent was no longer there.*

Man: *He read the newspaper on a park bench and noticed Lance, staring at the vacant space with a dumbfounded look.* (Kids these days get weirder and weirder.)

Lance: (What? It's _not_ there?!)

*Sweat dripped down Lance's forehead, causing him to flick it off with his finger.*

Lance: (It's _freaking_ hot it _must_ be the weather-)

Man: *He stared at Lance walk across the park with an emotionless face.* (Weirder and weirder.) *He shook his head and continued to read the newspaper.*

Lance: (I better hurry up and get to work before Ashton has another pointless sook.) *The air in the distance appeared to warp, due to the hot weather.*

\----------

*Lance stood outside Fast Food Enterprise and sighed, before opening the door.*

Lance: *He stepped inside and instantly felt cool air brush past him.* (That's better.) *He noticed Ashton standing with his arms folded and his face filled with disappointment.* (He doesn't look happy-)

Ashton: "Lance! I will _not_ accept this." *He stormed across the dining room and up to Lance.* "I was made to look like a fool in front of Tyler and Twortz."

Lance: "Why does it matter?" *He spoke as if he didn't care.*

Ashton: "It matters because _I'm_ the one who suggested promoting you. I _really_ don't know why you are my best friend sometimes!"

Lance: *He picked up several napkins to wipe the sweat off his face.* "So _wat_ , I ain't gonna get promoted?"

Ashton: *He sighed and looked away.* "Lance-"

Lance: "Well?"

Ashton: "Well luckily for you Twortz said, since you are our best worker Ashton, I will let this no-show slide. If he wants this position let him know that myself and a few other employees will be here tonight. We will begin the assessment then."

Lance: "OK-"

Ashton: "You are _so_ lucky."

Lance: "I'm sorry, Ashton."

Ashton: "One of these days I won't forgive you.. What flaming fudge were you doing anyway? I was calling non-stop?"

Lance: "Ah, I, umm? Overslept. I'm sorry, man.... And thanks for sticking up for me." *He threw the napkins in the bin.*

Ashton: *He sighed and adjusted his belt.* "If you don't turn up tonight I _won't_ forgive you." *His voice was stern and his face filled with seriousness.*

Lance: "Yea, I will."

Ashton: "Well I have rosters to do so I'll be on the computer all day. Come back at around nine thirty?"

Lance: "Yea kool, I'll see you then."

*Ashton nodded his head and quietly walked back behind the counter to the office. Lance turned around and walked to the door.*

Lance: (Oh no-) *He stopped and sighed, realising he had to walk all the way back to his house in the heat. He opened the door and hot air engulfed him.*

Tyler: *He eavesdropped on Lance and Ashton's conversation, as he spied through a display cabinet.* ( _Why_ is Lance Ashton's best friend?)

Lance: (I suppose this is karma.) *He sighed and braced himself, as he took a few steps outside.*

Tyler: (He always hinders Ashton's performance....)

\----------

Lance: *He slammed open the front door and slouched with a red sweaty face.* "Is anyone home?!"

*Silence filled the house, causing Lance to sigh.*

Lance: *He took one step at a time, as if it was a chore to move his legs.* (Too hot, tired-)

*Lance flicked a switch on the wall, activating the roof fan before stumbling up to his bed.*

Lance: (Sleep, TV, eat?) *Before he made a decision he dozed off, exhausted.*

\----------

*A man yelled down the street, causing Lance to gasp into a dark room from his nap. Lance struggled to get out of bed and grunted, as he tried to manoeuvre around the pitch black room.*

Lance: *He managed to turn on the light and noticed the clock.* "Oh man." *He cracked his back and scratched his head.* "Eight thirty two." (Just under an hour to get ready and walk there.) *He opened the door, which made a faint squeak sound.*

*Something vibrated in his pocket, which caused him to pull out the stone.*

Lance: (Weird?) *He went to the laundry and picked up the clothes.* (Looks like I'm wearing what I wore on Monday.)

*Kairi and Luna were in a conversation, as Lance made his way to the shower.*

Lance: *He stripped off and turned on the shower.* (Ah what a boring day, seriously.) *He placed the stone on the sink and he stared at himself in the mirror.* (I have such a weird feeling. I've _never_ felt like this before.)

Kairi: *She knocked on the door.* "Are you okay in there, hun?"

Lance: "Wateva, go away." *He stepped into the shower.*

Kairi: "Okay."

Luna: "I'm freakin' serious, all these lights spiralled out of the door."

Kairi: "Shh, it's okay." *She walked up to Luna and hugged her.*

Lance: *He turned the shower off and looked at himself in the mirror, as it slowly fogged up.* (How did the tent disappear like that?)

_Madora_ : "The heart of an outsider's love will purify the poison with the last shine of light dispersing all of evil's last hope." *Her voice echoed in Lance's head.*

Lance: (Dispersing all of evil's last hope. _Lame_!-) *He sighed in thought, quietly looking at himself in the foggy mirror.*

*Cheers could be heard outside, which filled Lance with excitement.*

Lance: *He chuckled and shook his head.* (Stupid crazy old fart.) *As he changed, he gazed upon the stone with a guilty face.* (I will show Ashton the cool crystal.. I will tell him the truth about the no-show.) *He opened the door and walked down the hallway.*

Kairi: "Where are you going?" *She spoke in a curious tone.*

Lance: "I'm off to work." *He walked past her.*

Kairi: "I thought it was your day off?"

*Lance ignored her and slammed the front door, as he jogged his way to work.*

Kairi: *She sighed and went into the bathroom.* (He is twenty-one and he still writes on the mirror?) *She sighed again and reached for a cloth.*

*Firework-like rumbles echoed outside, followed by cheers of excitement.*

Kairi: *She started to wipe off the hieroglyphs on the fogged up mirror.* (Wait a minute.. _These_ glyphs?!!) *She gasped and stepped back.*

Luna: *She heard Kairi gasp, which caused her to mute the TV.* "Wat's wrong?"

-

Lance: (Hah, I see it.) *He noticed the roof of his work, causing him to jog faster.*

*Excitement filled the atmosphere, as if it was a holiday at Dee Highs. There were posters, bulletins, news stands, radio adverts, mostly all media outlets, advertising the arrival of Sceldrant's Comet.*

Lance: *He walked past a group of kids holding glow sticks and shirts with the words 'Sceldrant's Comet' on them.* (The store's closed a little early tonight-)

Guy: "Yeah! I'm Sceldrant's Comet!" *He spun in circles pretending to be a plane.*

Lance: *He let himself into the store through the backdoor and walked into the break room to find everyone in multiple conversations.* "Wow, everyone's lookin' all fancy, it feels like we're going out or somethin'."

Tyler: *He turned around and stared at Lance with disgust.* "You're so immature, Lance."

Lance: "You're like, so immature, Lance." *He pretended to be an idiot, as he mimicked Tyler.*

Tyler: *He rolled his eyes and scratched several pimples on his face.* "Idiots say what."

Lance: " _Wat_ did you say, your highness?!" *Sweat dripped off his face and on to the floor.*

Tyler: " _Eww_ , is that what someone looks like if they don't have their driver's licence?" *He raised his nose and stormed out of the room.*

Lance: "I need to find the _right_ drivin' school!" *He yelled out, as he watched Tyler walk away.*

Rachael: *She snickered.* "So anyway, how have you been, Lance?" *She walked up to him.* "I haven't worked with you in ages."

Lance: "I'm off the floor, gettin' trained up to be your boss." *He poked out his tongue.*

Rachael: *She rolled her eyes and silently left the room.* (I don't know what Ashton sees in that fool.) *She grunted, as she climbed up a ladder to the roof.*

Twortz: *She left the manager's office and walked past the break room, noticing Lance.* "Oh, Lance!" *She sounded surprised.* "Too bad you weren't able to make it today."

Lance: "O-Oh hello, yea.." *He nervously chuckled and looked to each side.*

*Melinda slid down the ladder and rushed into the room.*

Twortz: *She faced Melinda with urgency.* "What's the rush, Melinda?"

Melinda: "Come quick, guys! Mum said it will happen in _ten_ minutes!" *She jumped up and down on the spot in excitement.*

Twortz: "Ten minutes?" *She sounded excited, while keeping a professional-like expression.*

Melinda: "I will see you both up there." *She turned off her phone and ran out of their sight.*

Twortz: "We'll begin the management induction once all this comes to pass, understood?"

Lance: "Yea, sure thing, Twotters."

Twortz: "What?"

Lance: "I said, we need new lockers."

Twortz: "Let's go." *She coughed and faced the ladder.*

Lance: "Yea!" *He rudely power walked in front of Twortz and climbed up the ladder first.*

Twortz: *She climbed the ladder in thought.* (With this comet, it's going to be very busy tomorrow.)

Lance: *He popped his head up and noticed Rachael looking through a telescope at the sky.* (Wow, the sky-) *He thought in a condescending tone, watching Melinda gloat about her mother to Rachael.* (Who cares-) *He noticed Ashton reading a book, as he waited for the comet.* "Oi."

Ashton: "Good grief, it's Lance and Twortz!" *He put the book down, quickly helping Lance and Twortz up from the ladder.*

Twortz: "Ah, thank you, Ashton."

Ashton: *He smiled, watching Twortz brush dirt off her hands.* "Anytime."

Lance: *He took off his backpack, holding it in one hand.* "Well, I'm here."

Ashton: "Thank you for coming, Lance."

Lance: "Yea, it was nothin', aye." *He walked over to the ledge of the roof and unzipped the backpack, revealing a carton of eggs.* (Aha, you little shits are going to get it-)

*Ashton nudged Lance, knocking the carton and eggs onto the ground.*

Lance: " _But_ -" *He looked down to his feet and stared at the cracked eggs with disappointment.*

Ashton: "Unacceptable!"

Lance: (Well there goes the fun.) *As he zipped up the bag, the stone shined in his face.* (Oh, the crystal-) "Hey, Ash."

Ashton: "What is it?" *He walked over to Lance.*

Lance: "Well-" *He paused, nervously sighing to himself.*

Melinda: "Oh my gosh!-" *She spoke on her breath, staring at the sky in disbelief.*

Lance: "Wat I _really_ did today was-" *He was interrupted by loud screams and yells in the background.*

Melinda: "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh _my_ _gosh_! You can see it in the far distance!"

*Rachael and Melinda jumped up holding each other's hands in excitement.*

Tyler: *He stared at the comet with his mouth open in amazement.* "..."

Ashton: "Tell me after this, yeah?" *He gazed upon the red dot, as he walked up to Melinda.* "Excuse me? Do you mind if I take a look?"

Lance: "Wateva." *He mumbled and folded his arms like a child.*

Melinda: "Go ahead, that's why I brought it hehe."

Ashton: *He closed one eye and looked through the telescope.* (Wow, I've never seen flames swirl like that.)

Rachael: "Could I take a look please?"

Ashton: "Sure-" *He smiled and stepped to the side.*

Rachael: "Hehe, thanks." *She smirked and leant forward into the telescope.* "It's so pretty."

Twortz: "Hmm?" *She looked up to the sky and stared at the dot.* "What's so special about a comet?"

Rachael: "Take a look and see for yourself." *She moved her hands and presented the telescope to Twortz.*

Twortz: "Okay, if you insist." *She stepped forward and looked through the telescope.*

Melinda: "Well?"

Ashton: "The fire is amazing, you agree with me?"

Twortz: "The comet looks like it has markings on it, like pictures or drawings." *Her constant bored face changed into astonishment.*

Rachael: "Pictures?"

Melinda: "Drawings?" *They spoke at the same time.*

Twortz: "Do you hear that violin?"

Ashton: "I don't hear anything?"

Lance: (Sceldrant's Comet.) *He stepped forward and stared at the red dot in a trance-like state.* (I feel _something_ from it.)

Ashton: *He quickly glanced around and smiled.* (The area was filled with constant chatter and yelling, and now it's _completely_ silent-)

*The atmosphere started to bend and warp due to the comet's presence.*

Twortz: "The colours are dancing in the night sky." *She looked astonished, as she spoke out of character.*

Melinda: "Wow, it is amazing." (No wonder why my mother never shuts up about it.)

*The party focused all their attention to the swirls of aurora lights, they failed to notice the flickering light in Lance's backpack.*

Rachael: "The sky is like a rainbow."

Melinda: "It has something to do with the atmosphere, like in the poles."

Ashton: "Like in the poles?"

Melinda: "Well, what we're looking at right now-"

Lance: "Are colours in the sky-"

Melinda: *She ignored Lance.* "Is the end result of the sunlight that has penetrated the Earth's gravitational barrier-"

Lance: "Err, it ain't day? No sunlight."

Melinda: "Well, I'm just letting you all know what I'm seeing with my own eyes _right_ _now_ -"

Rachael: "Sorry to interrupt, Mel but what is this called? I remember your mum showing me pictures at your place."

Melinda: "She dubs it _The_ _Aurora_ _Skies_. To sum things up, we should not be able to witness this from where we are."

Tyler: "W-We shouldn't?" *He looked slightly nervous.*

Twortz: "I underestimated this occurrence, it's very beautiful."

*The comet glowed brighter and reacted with the air, causing rays of warped rainbows to scatter the air.*

Ashton: "Looking at this, kind of makes you feel insignificant. Doesn't it?"

*The party unintentionally ignored Ashton, as they continued to stare at the sky in awe.*

Lance: (What is this feeling?)

*The stone started to glow the same colours as the sky, causing it to hum.*

Rachael: "Does anyone else hear that?"

*The stone suddenly shined as bright as the comet, instantly drawing the party's attention to the backpack.*

Twortz: " _What's_ in your bag-?"

*The stone released a blinding light and a powerful shockwave, rendering Ashton, Tyler, Melinda, Rachael, Twortz unconscious.*

Lance: (Huh, feeling sleepy-) *He watched the stone shatter into tiny white orbs, before falling unconscious.*

Chapter 3: Rostical

_Madora_ : "The heart of an outsider's love will purify the poison with the last shine of light dispersing all of evil's last hope."

Lance: *He woke up with a throbbing headache and blurred vision.* "A-Arh-" *He shook his head and blinked several times, causing his vision to return to normal.*

*Lance found himself in a large circular dirt clearing, surrounded by thick trees.*

Lance: *He leant up and looked around at the scenery.* " _Where_ -?" *He noticed Ashton, who lay unconscious on the dirt ground.*

*The thick trees drained the sunlight above, creating an eerie-like appearance.*

Lance: *He hovered over Ashton and started to rock him back and forth.* "Hey-"

Ashton: "..." *He moaned and remained motionless.*

Lance: "H-Hey, Ashton, wake up." *He nervously slapped him on the cheek, as he tried to wake him up.* "Come on, wake up, Ash-"

Ashton: *He slowly opened his eyes and appeared disorientated.* "Argh-"

Lance: *He leant back and sighed with relief.* "Phew, how ya feelin'?"

Ashton: "My head hurts-" *He groaned and spoke softly.*

*The dirt path was surrounded by thick trees, resulting in a linear-like trail.*

Ashton: *He leant up and coughed.* "Where are we? In a park?"

Lance: *He looked down the path and noticed it forked at the end.* "I don't know."

Ashton: "How long have we been out for?" *He held his head and looked around with confusion.*

Lance: "I don't know."

Ashton: "I see you're full of answers haha." *He tried to lighten up the mood.*

Lance: "You don't always have to try 'n' be happy."

Ashton: "Good grief, Lance, that type of tone is not acceptable."

Lance: "Pssht." *He grunted and rolled his eyes.*

Ashton: "Let's both gather our energy first and then we'll explore, sound good?"

Lance: "Who put _you_ in charge?!"

Ashton: "What do _you_ think we should do then?"

Lance: "Recover, then explore!" *He pointed down the path child-like and smirked.*

\----------

*A frightened woman ran across a large field and entered a dirt path.*

?????: *She turned around, filled with fear.* (It's too fast!)

\----------

Ashton: " _Alright_ -" *He pushed himself off the ground and brushed dirt off his pants.* "Let's go."

Lance: "Wateva." *He grunted and stood up.*

Ashton: *He glanced down the path in confusion, noticing the plants.* (I don't recognise this area. I don't think we're in Dee Highs anymore.)

*Lance and Ashton started to stagger down the path, causing the ground to crunch with every step.*

Lance: "So where are we gonna go first?"

Ashton: "Perhaps find other people and-"

*Before they reached the fork in the path, a loud scream echoed nearby.*

Ashton: " _Good_ _grief_ , what was that?"

Lance: *He instinctively sprinted down the path, towards the scream.* "Oi, hurry up."

Ashton: *He nodded his head and watched Lance take a left at the fork.* "G-Good grief." *He shook his head and started to run after Lance.*

Lance: *He ran through the unfamiliar path with determination.* (This is where I heard it-)

Ashton: *He caught up to Lance and took deep breaths.* "W-What was the scream-?"

Lance: *He stood on the spot filled with shock as his entire body shook in fear.* "W-Wat-?"

Ashton: *He looked past Lance, causing his eyes to widen in fear.* " _W_ - _What_ is th-that?"

*Lance and Ashton stepped back in shock, as they stared at a large red spider hunching over a woman.*

Ashton: (Th-The spider, it's _twice_ our size!)

?????: *She was forced in between two trees, as she squinted her eyes and looked away in fear.* (I can't do anything without my pendant-)

Lance: "W-W-We _have_ to do somethin'!" *He stepped back, crunching a branch under his foot.*

*The woman and spider focused their attention on Lance.*

?????: " _R_ - _Run_ , this Scoldrant is violent!" *She screamed at Lance and Ashton.*

*The large spider slowly turned around and faced Lance and Ashton, focusing its attention on its new victims.*

Ashton: "S-Scoldrant-?!" *He watched the Scoldrant's enormous furry legs, creep closer and closer towards him.*

Scoldrant: "Sk-kerarh?" *Saliva oozed out of its mouth, causing the ground to sizzle and steam.*

Lance: "Oh shit-"

Ashton: "Impossible!"

Scoldrant: "Skerarh!" *It bent its legs and charged towards Lance.*

Lance: " _No_!-" *He squealed frozen with fear.*

Ashton: (My brain isn't registering what my eyes are seeing!-) *He gritted his teeth in thought.* (But, I have to move.. I have to save Lance!-)

?????: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL" *A man's frail voice echoed in the distance.*

*A swirl of fire ringed around the spider, before suddenly erupting high into the air.*

Ashton: *He raised his arms in shock, as the fire brightly lit up the area.* "F-Fire?"

Lance: *He watched the fire engulf the spider in sheer shock.* (It's hot!)

*The fire stringed and extinguished, revealing a charcoal silhouette of the spider.*

Scoldrant: "..." *Its legs snapped off and fell, causing the ground to vibrate.*

Lance: *He stared at the Scoldrant's black and crispy remains, as smoke puffed out it.* "Oh my _effin_ ' gosh!-"

*The woman held her chest in shock and sighed in relief, as she leant against the trees to catch her breath.*

Ashton: *He stared at the ring of charcoal on the ground in astonishment, before noticing an old man hobbling down the dirt path.* (Am I dreaming-?)

?????: *He grunted, as he hobbled towards the woman.* "My, my, what are you children doing?!"

Lance: "Wat the _freakin_ ' shit nuggets _just_ _happened_?!" *He pointed at the crispy remains like a child.*

Ashton: (What was that? Did that man-) *His body shook, as he stared at the man in confusion.* (Did he use some sort of flamethrower?)

?????: "What do you three think you are doing?!"

Lance: "A-Ah-?"

Ashton: "G-Good, g-grief." *They glanced at each other in confusion as if they didn't know what to say.*

?????: "Even though it was a weak Scoldrant-" *The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes.* "I don't sense _any_ Rosterology items on you."

Woman: *Her rapid breathing slowed down and she placed her hands on the tree to push herself up.* "Th-Thank you _very_ much, I am in your debt."

Lance: "What the! What on _Earth_ is goin' on?! And who are you, old fart?!"

?????: "Oh, how impolite of me, bahaha, my name is Millard."

Ashton: " _Rosterology_ items?"

Lance: "M-Millard? Are you serious?"

Woman: "W-What is a Rostical User like yourself doing here?" *She nervously spoke in a high tone of voice.*

Millard: "I'm a random traveller searching for someone dear to me."

Ashton: "..."

Millard: "So, children, what does _urf_ mean?"

*The man wore brown clothes, had a fair amount of facial hair and looked quite mature. He wore a cone-shaped hat and had longish hair, which was concealed inside the hat.*

Ashton: "The question I want to ask is what-"

Lance: " _Wat_ was that swirlin' bundle of fire??"

Millard: "Hmm? You make it sound like you've never seen Rostical being used before?"

Lance: "Rostickal-?"

Millard: "Please, child, don't make me repeat myself, what is this _urf_ ' you speak of? A new Rostical? A new Scoldrant?"

Lance: "You mean Earth? Are you kiddin' me-?"

Ashton: *He quickly nudged Lance and whispered in his ear.* "It would be best to play along."

Lance: "Play along? _Why_?"

Ashton: "We have no idea where we are or anything. Even though there's little light coming through the trees, it means we were either out for the entire night, or we're not in Dee Highs anymore."

Lance: "True." *He mumbled with realisation.*

Ashton: "I'd prefer to get information slowly instead of looking like idiots if you know what I mean, allow me to do the talking."

*Lance respectfully nodded his head in agreement.*

Ashton: "Ha ha, sorry about him, sir Millard was it? He recently used too much _Rostical_ and is light-headed, many thanks for saving us."

Millard: "Such a kind young gentleman, no problem at all." *He glanced at Ashton, Lance and the woman, as they slowly recollected themselves.*

Woman: *She slowly exhaled and recollected herself.* (I am so thankful that a Rostical User was nearby.. Not any of them travel through these backwater villages.)

Millard: "Well, if you all are fine, I have to take my leave. See you again, children." *He spoke sarcastically and readjusted the cone-shaped hat, before walking down the path.*

Ashton: *He slowly inhaled and stared at the woman.* "Are you okay?"

Woman: "Y-Yes, thank you-" *She walked up to Lance and Ashton and bit her bottom lip.* "My name is Alicia, sorry about the fuss."

Lance: *He stared at Alicia, causing his heart to thump.* (She is beautiful-)

Ashton: "The fuss? Not at all."

Alicia: "I didn't expect the Scoldrant to be out _this_ close to the village-"

Lance: "Shit nuggets, you should be sorry, you stupid cow! You nearly got us killed!"

Alicia: "I-I, ah-" *She nervously looked away, avoiding eye contact with Lance.*

Ashton: "What I think Lance means, is he's a little tired and if you don't mind helping us out?"

Lance: (Pssht, sure, _that's_ what I meant.)

Alicia: "Of course, Lance and Ashton was it? My village is to the right at the end of the path."

Ashton: (Village-?)

Alicia: "I wouldn't mind sheltering you both for the night as a thank you."

Lance: "..." *He sighed with a grumpy face, placing his hands on his head.*

Alicia: (I hope the elder doesn't mind me bringing Outsiders to the village.)

Ashton: "If you don't mind-" *His words caused Alicia to lead the way down the path.*

*The party walked to the end of the path and encountered a small village, hidden in the forest.*

Alicia: "This is The Frozen Backwater Village, and it's my home tee hee."

*Several puddles scattered across the village, indicating it recently rained. The village looked bland in colour, as everything was made of wood. Livestock could be heard from the wooden huts and sheds.*

Lance: *He crossed his arms and frowned.* "She calls this shit hole a village?" *He mumbled to Ashton with disgust.*

Ashton: "It seems like a medieval village, like back in the fourteen hundred's or something."

Lance: "Maybe we'll get some answers from the dopey lookin' cow over there?" *He nudged his head to Alicia.*

Alicia: "I-I heard that!"

Ashton: *He nudged Lance and awkwardly smiled at Alicia.* "Sorry."

Alicia: "Okay. Please come this way, the elder must see you before you're allowed to stay."

Ashton: "I understand." *He looked at Lance, before following Alicia to the largest tent in the village.*

Alicia: "You both wait here, I will go inside and talk to the elder." *She opened the flap to the tent, which acted as a door and walked inside.*

Lance: (What is going on?) *He impatiently tapped his foot on the dirt ground.*

Ashton: "Lance?"

Lance: "That's my name." *He grunted with growing impatience and glanced to his side at Ashton, causing him to look down with a sigh.* "This place stinks, aye."

Ashton: (I'm a little scared too, Lance..) *He thought to himself and looked at Lance as if he understood how he felt.*

Alicia: *She popped her head out of the tent and waved them inside.* "P-Please, come in."

*An old man sat on a wooden chair which was stacked on several crates, causing villagers to look up to speak to him. Fire danced on torches, which were used for light.*

Elder: "Come forth, what are your names?"

Lance: "Lance."

Ashton: "And Ashton." *They hesitated when they spoke.*

Elder: "Where did you come from?"

Lance: "Eart-"

Ashton: "A far away place from the East."

Elder: "Oh? So, near the Gasher Hills, Surpreon? Well ha ha, we have an alliance with the ruler there, so you both are welcome."

Ashton: (Gasher Hills?)

Elder: "Gasher Hills is a fair walk, so I'll arrange an escort to take you both back there tomorrow morning."

Ashton: "Many thanks, kind sir."

Elder: "I have important duties to attend, that is all."

Lance: (That was easy.)

*The party bowed to the elder in respect before leaving the tent.*

Alicia: "Please follow me-" *She led Ashton and Lance to a small wooden hut.*

Lance: "Wat's this?"

Alicia: "Well this is where you'll both be sleeping. We have about twelve hours until sunrise, so please be ready for the night feast."

Lance: "Night feast?"

Alicia: "Your rude friend is pretty dumb." *She looked at Lance, before walking into the hut.*

Lance: "Wat, wat, _wat_?" *He grunted with shock and followed Alicia into the hut.*

Ashton: "Ah, sorry about him, he also got hit in the head when he was younger."

Alicia: "Oh, okay?"

Ashton: "Would you like to help him out and tell him about the night feast. I've given up trying to explain it to him."

Lance: (He's good.) "Shut up."

Alicia: "Everybody knows about a night feast, it's self-explanatory?"

Lance: "Silence, chunky face."

Alicia: "Have you looked in a pond lately? Stop being so mean, grottom bottom."

Lance: "Oh?"

Ashton: "Stop having a lover's quarrel and get ready for tomorrow."

Alicia: "Eww."

Lance: "Pssht, _whatever_."

Ashton: *He sighed and inspected the hut around him.* (I know night feast was self-explanatory, but, I just wanted to make sure it didn't symbolise anything else.)

Lance: "So who is goin' to be escortin' us?"

Alicia: "It will probably be someone who can use Rostical, to fend off Scoldrants that may or may not attack us."

Lance: (Scoldrants?) *He had a flashback of the large red spider, causing him to shiver in fear.*

Alicia: "U-Umm, I have to get ready for the feast myself, I will meet you both back here?"

Ashton: "Sure thing."

Alicia: "Please excuse me."

Ashton: "See you soon."

Alicia: *She giggled and skipped out.* (What weird people.)

Lance: "Wat a _weird_ girl."

Ashton: "I think she's just shy."

*Lance silently stared at Ashton.*

Ashton: "What's the matter?"

Lance: " _How_ are we gonna get back? It seems like everyone in this _dump_ doesn't know shit about Earth."

Ashton: "I-"

Lance: "Gasher Hills? Isn't that, like, in Australia or _somethin_ '?"

Ashton: "I don't-"

Lance: "Wait, is this a joke? Or-"

Ashton: "I don't know either, and I _promise_ this isn't a joke."

Lance: *He nodded his head with uncertainty.* "OK-"

Alicia: *She spoke from outside the hut.* "It's time for the feast, are you both ready?"

Lance: "That was fast-" *He watched Ashton walk out of the hut, causing him to follow.*

Ashton: *He looked around surprised.* (It's already evening?)

Lance: *He quickly followed Alicia and Ashton through the village.* "Wait for me-" *He stepped in a puddle, causing him to look down with a sigh.* (I want to go _home_.)

*The sound of leaves rustling in the wind could be heard in the distance.*

Alicia: *She turned around and noticed Lance staring at her, as he shook his foot.* "Is there something on me?"

Lance: "Ah err, no. Wat _isn't_ on you!" *His face became red, as he pretended to be disgusted.*

Alicia: "Humph, when you're both ready, meet me over here." *She raised her arm and pointed to a fire.*

Ashton: "Sure thing."

Alicia: "Loser face." *She grumbled at Lance before making her way over to the fire.*

Ashton: "I saw you looking at her, Lance." *He smirked, watching Alicia sit in between two villagers.*

Lance: "I was _not_ , look at its face, you can't do anythin' _but_ stare."

Ashton: "Fair enough, well what are we waiting for?" *He started to walk towards the fire, causing Lance to follow.*

Lance: (My cheeks are really hot.) *He sighed and sat down with Ashton on a giant log.*

*The villagers talked amongst themselves, as Ashton and Alicia discussed plans for the next day.*

Lance: *He kicked his feet together, as he inspected the area.* (I'm bored-)

*A small flame flickered in an old lamp, catching Lance's attention.*

Lance: "That looks kool-" *He mumbled to himself and quickly stood up, pointing at the lamp.* "It looks like an ancient dirty lamp."

*The villagers stopped their conversations and stared at Lance in disgust.*

Alicia: *She nervously leant over to Ashton and whispered something his ear.* "Amnesia or not, that is the _worst_ swear word you can use."

Lance: *He stared back at the villagers in confusion.* "All I said was dirty lam-"

Ashton: *He quickly jumped off the log and covered Lance's mouth.* "Lance, unacceptable!"

Lance: *He pulled Ashton's hand away and looked at him with an odd smirk.* "OK, but like come on. _Dirty_ _lamp_? Ahahaha."

Villager: "Why I never!" *She gasped to herself in disgust.*

Alicia: "Please ignore him, he's special." *She fake laughed and scratched the back of her head.* "Tee.. Hee.."

Mother: *She covered her child's ears and shook her head.* "Ignore him, honey." *She gave Alicia and Lance a feral look, as she pushed her child away.*

Ashton: "H-How about we call it a day?" *He tried to cover up the awkward moment.*

Alicia: "I agree, I'm terribly tired." *She pretended to yawn and stretch.*

Lance: "Fine." *He rolled his eyes and started to walk back to the hut.*

Alicia: "See you in the morning." *She waved Ashton goodnight, as she walked into her own hut.*

*Ashton and Lance silently entered the hut and sighed with exhaustion.*

Lance: *He lay down on itchy sheets and tilted his head to Ashton.* "How was I meant to know it was a swear word?"

Ashton: "Now we know, don't beat yourself up over it."

Lance: "Yea, I know."

Ashton: "Try and get some rest, we had a tiring day." *He rolled over and fell asleep.*

Lance: (I hate _everything_ about this feral place.) *He sighed as he tried to fall asleep.* (I will _never_ fall asleep here.)

\----------

Lance: *He moaned and slowly woke up with drool running down his chin.* (Gah, I don't even remember falling asleep-) *He wiped his chin and rubbed his eyes.*

*Lance stood up half asleep and staggered to the door.*

Lance: (What a crazy dream, in another world? Ahaha-) *He chuckled to himself and stepped outside, instantly noticing several horses trot past.* "Why me?! _Argh_ -"

*Several villagers glanced at Lance with confusion, before walking by purposely ignoring him.*

Lance: *A flapping piece of paper on the tent, caught his attention.* "I wanted to take a look around the area to find clues on where we are. If you're reading this before I get back, then I will probably be at the elder's place, Ashton."

*The constant sounds of villagers and livestock could be heard in the background.*

Lance: *He sighed and rolled his eyes, before making his way towards the elder's residence.* (What a pain in the arse-)

Villager 1: "I can't believe the Consultants are sending _so_ many tax collectors recently." *He groaned with disappointment, as he stacked barrels on top of each other.*

Villager 2: "I heard they need the funds to send all single digit warriors across the lands."

Villager 1: "Apparently the neighbouring village is getting taxed sometime soon."

Villager 2: "Soon ya say?"

Villager 1: "Yeah, it may also be the same group that killed Alicia's mother and father, and even stole her Rostical pendant."

Villager 2: "Poor thing, it was only a few days ago?"

Villager 1: "That's the reason she's been leaving the village I heard."

Lance: *His eyes widened in shock, as he stopped in front of the elder's tent.* (What are they talking about? The same stinky bitch I know? _No_ _way_.) *He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, entering the tent.*

Elder: *He noticed Lance, motioning him forward.* "Come."

Lance: *He slowly walked forward and noticed Ashton and Alicia, bowing in respect.* (What's happening now?)

Ashton: (Excellent, he must've read my letter.)

Elder: "Ah, Lance, we have been waiting for you."

Lance: "Waitin' for me? Then why didn't ya wake me up-?"

Elder: "Although this isn't a very wealthy village, I'm still of royalty and it's rude to keep them waiting." *He stared at Lance with slight impatience.*

Lance: "Arh-?" *He grunted at the elder like he was an idiot.* (Again, why didn't someone wake me up then? Rude effin' old fart-)

Ashton: "With respect, what are you going to do about an escort?"

Elder: "I will be sending two of my villagers with you."

Ashton: "Two?"

Elder: "You've both met Alicia."

Alicia: *She stared at the ground and smiled with excitement.* (I can't wait to leave with permission-)

Elder: "And this is, Cliff." *He motioned over a large man whose muscles bulged in all directions.*

Cliff: *A giant axe, tied to his back, rattled as he walked towards the party.* "..."

Lance: "Steroids much?" *Ashton nudged him.*

Elder: "Unfortunately, neither Cliff nor Alicia possess any Rostical."

Lance: " _So_?"

Elder: "And that will be a huge hindrance in the journey."

Lance: (Still, who cares-)

Elder: "Although, Alicia knows the Southern landscape very well and Cliff excels in brute force. Your bags are packed and thank you for saving Alicia. You all are dismissed!"

Ashton: *He kept in his respectful pose.* (The way he talks, it reminds me of how an actor reads lines in a play.. It's so strange hearing it as one's real speech.)

Cliff: *He bowed with respect and quietly left the tent.* "..."

Lance: *He gave Cliff an annoyed look.* "So wat, I'm assumin' we follow him like sheep?"

Alicia: "U-Umm-?"

Lance: "Pssht, wateva-" *He sighed and disrespectfully stormed out of the tent.*

*The elder tilted his frail head down towards Ashton, due to Lance's attitude. Ashton shook his head in response and made his way out the tent.*

Alicia: "Thank you, elder, I will return, to tell everyone about what's beyond the Hollow Plains." *Her face filled with excitement.*

Elder: "Be careful, young one. Be careful of the Consultants." *His brittle voice had a powerful sense of warning.*

Alicia: "I-I will." *She smiled and slowly made her way out the tent.*

Elder: *He sighed and ran his fingers along the arms of the chair.* (Be careful..)

Alicia: *She nervously glanced across the village, trying to find her party members.* (Where are they?)

Lance: (I hate waiting-) *He impatiently fidgeted on the spot, catching Alicia's attention.*

Alicia: (They're already at the entrance-)

Lance: *He watched Alicia walk towards him.* "Took ya time? That time of the month?"

Cliff: "..." *He raised his arm, hitting Lance in the back of the head.*

Lance: "Argh-" (Stupid asshat.) *He rubbed the back of his head in frustration.*

Ashton: *He shook his head and face palmed.* (Sorry, Lance, but you kind of deserved that.)

Cliff: "So, miss, where are we going?" *He spoke in a deep voice, as he awaited Alicia's instructions.*

Alicia: "Okay, so if we are going to Gasher hills to get to Surpreon, we will need to head South. But first we need to cross the Hollow Plains then to AriAri village, and we'll make a pit stop there."

Lance: " _And_? Is that _it_?"

Ashton: (I don't recognise any of those city names-)

Lance: "Wow, what an epic adventure." *He rolled his eyes and folded his arms child-like.*

Cliff: "From a warrior's position, it is wise to plan the destinations."

Ashton: (I agree.)

Cliff: "-And to carefully lay out those plans, instead of simply saying, let's go to plains, then to village, then to this and this." *He chuckled and shook his head.*

Lance: "Wat's _so_ funny?" *He hissed with a slight frown.*

Cliff: "I get called idiot all time, but you make me feel smart." *He cockily smirked at Lance.*

Lance: " _Stupid_ ogre." *He mumbled under his breath and poked out his tongue.*

Ashton: "Very good, Cliff, that's _exactly_ what I was going to say."

Cliff: "At least, you smart like Alicia."

Lance: "Shut it-"

Cliff: "Hmm?" *His grunt caused Lance to quickly look away.*

Ashton: "So off to the Hollow Plains it is then?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep."

Lance: (How corny are these people? Are we going to skip down the road?) *He face palmed and moaned.*

*The party started to walk down the dirt path, beginning their epic adventure.*

Ashton: "So, Cliff, how far have you gone out from the village?"

Cliff: "The furthest I've gone, was going to Library for the first time."

Lance: "The Library? Pssht, I thought you weren't smart-"

Cliff: *He stared at light, which shined near the end of the dirt path.* "Be quiet now, we entering danger zone."

Alicia: "That light, it's the Hollow Plains." *She looked at the party and smiled at her knowledge.*

Ashton: *He stepped into the light and blinked several times.* "H-Huh?" *He stared across a large green valley in amazement.*

Alicia: "Hollow Plains is the second largest plains across the lands." *She watched the vibrant green grass, sway in the constant wind.*

Lance: *He folded his arms and sighed.* (Bah, stupid girly field.)

Alicia: *She opened her hands and spread her arms far apart.* (It's beautiful-) *She started to spin in circles, bathing in the warm wind.*

Lance: *He looked down at the ankle-deep grass and noticed patches of flowers, which grew in random patches across the plains.* "Cliff, wanna daisy?" *He spoke in a childish tone.*

Cliff: "..." *He slowly sighed and glanced across the plains, ignoring Lance.*

Alicia: "Wow, it's so pretty tee hee." *She continued to spin around.*

Lance: "Stupid girl." *He mumbled to himself and rolled his eyes.*

Ashton: "So where do we go? Straight ahead?"

Alicia: *She stopped and looked forward.* "Yep."

Lance: (What are we going to do? I just want to go _home_.)

Ashton: *He noticed the next village in the distance.* "Excellent, I see the houses now-"

Lance: "Wait a minute, look at them tiny dots." *He chuckled in disbelief and frowned.* "You tellin' me that's how far to the next effin' village?"

Alicia: *She sighed like Lance and cupped her hands.* "We will rest there-"

Lance: "Who gave it permission to sigh?" *He glanced at each party member, folding his arms.*

Alicia: "S-Sorry-?"

Cliff: "It seems we not alone." *He stared in front with concentration, placing his hand on the axe.*

Ashton: *He heard a faint buzzing sound in the far distance, causing him to look around with curiosity.* "What is that?"

Lance: *He gasped and turned around to Alicia.* "I've never heard a girl fart before-"

Cliff: "It's a Scoldrant." *He grunted with caution.*

Alicia: (A Scoldrant _already_?) *She bit her bottom lip and stepped behind Cliff.*

Cliff: (Tssk this bad.)

Ashton: *He noticed an object, which flew closer and closer towards him.* "Is that it?"

Alicia: "Y-Yes." *She squeaked with fear.*

Lance: "Aye?" *He looked around oblivious and instantly noticed the Scoldrant.* "Shit?! It's a _giant_ wasp lookin' thing?!" *He stepped back with shock.*

Scoldrant: "Bzzz-" *It flew at high speeds directly towards the cluttered party.*

Alicia: "Oh no!"

Cliff: "It fine." *He grunted and frowned with anticipation.*

Alicia: "I was hoping we wouldn't run into any Scoldrants along the way." *She bit her bottom lip again and started to breathe heavily.*

Cliff: "It was foolish to think that."

Scoldrant: *As it flew closer to the party, it flipped it abdomen up and revealed a large stinger.* "Bwzz."

Ashton: "Here it comes." *He stared at the yellow-brown human-sized wasp in astonishment.*

Scoldrant: *It aimed its stinger at Alicia and fired several needle shards directly at her.* "Buzz."

Alicia: "N-No-"

Cliff: *He looked back and pushed her aside, causing a stinger to jab into his arm.* "Grarh-" *He ripped the axe off his back and threw it straight at the Scoldrant.*

Lance: *He watched the axe spin in the air, before slicing the Scoldrant.* (Huh-?)

Ashton: *He stared at the axe tumble along the ground behind the Scoldrant.* (He missed?!)

Lance: (I thought he hit it right on?)

Scoldrant: "Ekzrar-" *It made unusual sounds before its body sliced into two.*

Lance: "Whoa-"

Ashton: "Good grief!-"

Scoldrant: "Sz-zwarh-" *Its legs and wings fell off its body, causing the ground to rumble.*

Lance: *He shook on the spot, frozen in fear.* "D-Dude-"

Ashton: (Its limbs caused the ground to vibrate! That means the mass of its body-)

Alicia: *She stopped biting her bottom lip, as she started to relax.* (That was close.)

Ashton: *He shook his head in amazement.* " _Amazing_."

Alicia: *She cautiously walked up to Cliff and inspected the needle.* (Oh no!-)

Cliff: "It one of _those_ , isn't it?"

Alicia: "U-Umm-" *She silently nodded her head and looked down at her feet.*

Ashton: "We should hurry to AriAri village."

Cliff: *He grunted in pain and staggered towards his axe.* "Yes." *He puffed on his breath and grunted again.*

Lance: "For someone who towers over me, you're such a girl."

Alicia: *She glanced at Cliff then to Lance with confusion.* "A girl?"

Lance: "Yea, like. Oh no, a needle... Pshht, watch out, _tough_ guy." *He looked at Cliff and rolled his eyes.*

Alicia: "I'm tired of your sarcasm! If you're not going to say anything good, then _don't say anything at all_!"

Lance: "Don't tell _me_ what to do, little girl, I can do _what_ I want, _when_ I want, got it?!"

Ashton: "Unacceptable! Both of you please stop!"

Lance: *Ashton's voice caused him to instantly calm down.* "OK-"

Ashton: "Look at Cliff." *He spoke with concern.*

Cliff: "Don't worry about me." *He panted and stood at an angle in pain.*

Lance: *He observed Cliff and look intrigued.* "Oi, Cliff, why are ya blue?"

Cliff: "..." *He unintentionally ignored Lance, as he focused on the pain.*

Alicia: *She noticed the silence, causing her to step forward.* "That was a ground-based Scoldrant."

Ashton: (So there are different elements of Scoldrants?)

Alicia: "It had the type of a poisonous signature."

Ashton: "Signature?"

Alicia: "A signature are obvious things like colour or characteristics, for example, the spider was red, it would be a fire-based Scoldrant."

Lance: *He stared at the Scoldrant's legs, twitching on the ground.* (This is like a freaking game or something.)

Ashton: "You say _would_?"

Alicia: "But really it wasn't, that was for defensive purposes, why would a fire-based Scoldrant be in that type of environment?"

Ashton: (That makes sense.)

Lance: "I don't get any of this." *He shook his head and moaned with growing frustration.*

Alicia: "Although, some are not so obvious, hence the reason for different titles upon fighters."

Lance: "Now we're talkin' about fighting titles? Wha-?"

Alicia: "I-I don't believe this is the best place to talk about this." *She spoke quietly, as she stared at Cliff in concern.*

Lance: (I'm going-) *He started to walk towards the dots in the distance, causing the party to follow him.*

Ashton: "What about Cliff?"

*The party quickly walked across Hollow Plains, as they hustled their way to AriAri village.*

Alicia: "Cliff is one of the lowest ranking fighters-"

Lance: "Lowest?! He like sliced the giant wasp thing with ease."

Alicia: "Someone who can't use Rostical or use any sort of Rosterology supporters no matter _how_ skilled they are, are automatically placed on bottom rank."

Ashton: "No, I mean what about Cliff, as in is he okay?"

Cliff: "Heh, not to lower your morale, but I'm done for."

Lance: (Done for? What a girl-)

Cliff: "That _tiny_ _needle_ was lethal. No cure is known, it would be best not to worry."

Ashton: "Surely there's a cure somewhere-"

Cliff: "Don't talk about it please."

Ashton: (Un-) *His eyes widened in shock and he paused, taking time to register what happened.* ( _Unacceptable_.)

Alicia: (We could get a cure at Surpreon, but we won't make it in time.)

*Awkward silence hovered around the party, as they drew closer to the village.*

Ashton: "L-Look-" *He coughed to clear his throat.* "I see AriAri village." *He spoke to clear the awkward silence.*

Lance: "It's a little quiet for a village."

Alicia: *She shook her head in response.* "Sometimes you can hear their festive activities from the other side of the Hollow Plains."

Ashton: (If so, then why is it so quiet?)

Lance: (About time-) *He walked into the outskirts of the village and turned around, facing the party.*

Cliff: *He glanced to each side and suddenly looked cautious.* "Something not right."

*The sounds of a commotion could be heard from the village's central square, catching the party's attention.*

Alicia: "W-What was that?"

*The party stealthily made their way to the central, hiding behind a stack of crates.*

Lance: *He noticed a man in black armour with the number seventy engraved on the back.* (Is it a cosplay village or something?)

Alicia: "A-A warrior." *She gasped in fear.*

Ashton: *He watched frighten villagers circle around the warrior.* "Is he a bad guy-?"

Warrior: "I expect food, money and jewels, pile them up right here, _now_!"

Villager: *She nervously gulped and took a step forward.* "But you came just two _days_ ago-"

Warrior: "Know your place trash, I am warrior number _seventy_ out of two hundred and fifty five."

Lance: *He pretended to be a robot.* "I am four out of sixty thousand two hundred and ninety three-"

Ashton: "Inappropriate time, not now, Lance."

Lance: "Wateva-"

Warrior: "I've been sent _directly_ by the Consultants, don't _ever_ speak to me in that manner."

Villager: "Please, we don't have any, we have yet recovered from the last visit." *Her hands trembled with fear.*

Warrior: "Too bad then." *He quickly grabbed a child by the hair and placed his sword on her throat.*

Villager: "D-Don't!-"

Warrior: "Then pay your tax?"

Villager: "We can't-"

Warrior: "Humph."

Ashton: *He quickly looked away and squinted his eyes, as several villagers screamed.* (Disgusting-)

Lance: (He just sliced that girl's-) "Oh f-"

Cliff: *He quickly covered Lance's mouth.* "Don't give away our position."

Alicia: *She covered her mouth with both hands, as she tried not to scream.* (Horrible.)

Lance: *He looked at Cliff and nodded his head, causing Cliff to remove his hand.* "..."

Warrior: "I will be back here shortly and I expect the products soon or more heads will start flying!"

Cliff: *He watched villagers cry in disbelief.* (More heads?) *He stood up and jumped over the crates.*

Alicia: "C-Cliff-?"

Cliff: *He fiercely charged for the warrior, ripping the axe from his back.* "Enough pain!"

Warrior: *He noticed Cliff and faced him with a smirk.* "Too slow, don't underestimate us warriors."

Ashton: (This _can't_ be happening-)

Warrior: "Even though I can't use Rostical, I can _easily_ kill you with no effort. It's as simple as that."

Alicia: *She kneeled to the ground and stared at Cliff, as her eyes started to glaze.* (It wasn't meant to go like this-)

Lance: (This _has_ to be some show or something, this is terrible.)

Ashton: (I feel like fainting.) *He wiped sweat off his forehead.* "This cannot be accepted-"

Cliff: *He raised his arm and frowned, swinging the axe at amazing speeds.* "Harh!"

Warrior: "Grah!-" *He yelled with anger, jabbing the sword forward.*

*Villagers gasped as Cliff's axe bounced off the warrior's sword causing both weapons to spiral into the air.*

Ashton: *He noticed a dirt cloud form around Cliff and the warrior, blocking his sight.* (Their speed and power caused the dirt to fly into the air-)

Lance: *He watched the sword and axe jab into the ground.* (Those sounds, this isn't just visual effects-)

Alicia: *The dirt cloud settled, revealing Cliff and the warrior lying motionless on the ground.* "Cliff!-" *She quickly ran up to Cliff and dropped to her knees, feeling his cheek.* "I-It's cold."

*Lance and Ashton ran from behind the crates and up to Alicia.*

Ashton: (He's not breathing.)

Lance: *He stared at Cliff in shock and noticed blood on the dirt around his feet.* "Oh shit-"

Ashton: " _This_ is what violence results to." *He looked annoyed and grunted with sadness.*

Alicia: *She slowly stood up and sighed.* "Cliff was very experienced, but due to that encounter with the Scoldrant-"

Lance: "He fought handicapped." *He grunted in realisation.*

Alicia: "Y-Yep-"

Ashton: *He noticed the distraught villagers.* "Unacceptable-" *He mumbled to himself, before running towards them.*

Warrior: *He twitched on the ground and coughed up blood.* "Me, to go like this?"

Alicia: *She glanced at the warrior with distrust.* "..."

Warrior: "My captain, Zayden-" *He coughed up more blood.* "Single digit captain, he will-"

Alicia: "..." *She stared at the warrior with an emotionless face.*

Warrior: "He will kill you all, without mercy!-" *He gagged and released his last breath.*

Lance: "Captain? Single digit?"

Alicia: "I don't know much about their rankings, but all I know is that they're evil."

Lance: "..." (There are two _dead_ people right _in_ _front_ of me.) *He gulped and took short breaths.*

Alicia: *She turned around and watched Ashton help the villagers.* (Huh?)

Ashton: "Are you okay? I will take care of the injured first." *Several villagers pointed to the wounded, causing him to rush towards them.*

Alicia: *She watched Ashton help a villager covered in blood on their feet.* "Why is he helping? He doesn't know them." *She looked at Lance with confusion.*

Lance: "He's always been like that ever since I knew him, always tryin' to help people, I suppose it's nice but it kinda pisses me off."

Alicia: "Why?"

Lance: "Because-" *He stopped in mid-sentence and stared at Alicia.* "Shut up-" *He folded his arms and looked away.*

Alicia: "S-Sorry?"

Lance: *He sighed and focused his attention on Ashton.* "So, you're takin' Cliff's death pretty easily."

Alicia: "It's how we're trained, showing emotion that doesn't benefit what we're doing-"

Lance: "You show emotion all the time, ya dumb bitch?"

Alicia: "Well it's how powerful people are trained-"

Lance: " _Wateva_ , I'm gonna help Ashton." *He grunted and slowly walked up to Ashton.*

Alicia: (What a dirty la-) *She sighed and shook her head as if he wasn't worth the trouble.* (To not show emotion upon death, is what the warriors are taught.)

Ashton: *He wrapped bandages around a man's arm.* (I will do as much as I can-)

Lance: "Oi-" *He grunted and stood behind Ashton, causing him to turn around.*

Ashton: "Lance?"

Alicia: *She stared at Ashton with amazement.* (I've never seen someone help others so much-) *She gasped to herself in thought and bit her bottom lip in frustration.* (What am _I_ doing? I should help too.)

*A distraught villager, rocked a screaming baby in her arms.*

Alicia: *She walked up to Ashton and touched him on the shoulder.* "How can I help?"

Ashton: *He turned around with a smile.* "Could you please take care of the children, make sure they aren't in shock."

Alicia: "S-Sure." *She enthusiastically nodded her head and walked towards a crying boy.* "It's okay-"

Ashton: *He tried to lift a man and grunted with failure.* "You three." *He grabbed the villagers' attention, causing them to rush over and help him lift the man onto a bed.*

Lance: *He stood on the spot and watched people run past him.* (This sucks.)

Alicia: *She made the crying boy giggle with laughter, causing her to stand up and look at Lance.* (What's he-?)

Lance: "Pssht, this ain't my thing." *He grunted and walked over to a stack of wooden crates.*

Alicia: *She watched Lance sit on top of a crate with shock.* "How can he-?"

Ashton: "A-Alicia-" *He grunted, as he struggled to hold a villager up over his shoulder.*

Alicia: "C-Coming!-" *She quickly ran up to Ashton and helped him carry the villager.*

Lance: *He watched Alicia and Ashton carry the injured one by one in the village's Inn.* (How boring.)

*Ashton and Alicia worked until the sky started to turn orange, due to the setting sun.*

\----------

Ashton: *He walked out of the Inn and looked flustered with blood-covered hands.* (Tiring-)

Alicia: *She followed Ashton out of the Inn, rubbing her wrists.* "And that's it." *She sighed with satisfaction and appeared tired.*

Ashton: *He looked up into the sky and looked surprised.* "It's almost night?"

Lance: "Yea, I've been sittin' 'ere for like the _whole_ day." *He selfishly folded his arms and stared at Ashton.*

*One of the villagers who helped Ashton earlier that evening, walked out of the Inn.*

Villager: "Excuse me?" *Her words caused Alicia and Ashton to turn around.*

Alicia: "Yes?"

Ashton: "Ma'am?" *They both spoke with tired but welcoming smiles.*

Villager: "Thank you _so_ much for your work." *She closed her eyes with gratification and bowed in respect.*

Ashton: "You're quite alright."

Villager: "I would like to thank you, by letting you rest at the Inn _free_ of charge. It isn't much but, it's the least we can do for you all."

Lance: "Good 'cause I'm tired." *He yawned and rubbed his eyes without a care in the world.*

Alicia: (I'm going to hit him soon.)

Villager: "I will be happy to show you to your rooms?"

Ashton: "Yes please, that would be great."

Villager: "Please." *She walked up to the Inn and opened the door.*

Ashton: "Thank you." *He smiled and walked past the villager.*

*The floor squeaked, as the party shuffled into the Inn.*

Lance: "The floors _always_ squeak in these villages." *He looked disgusted and rolled his eyes.*

Alicia: (How would he know? He's apparently never been here.) *She pouted in thought, purposely ignoring Lance.*

Villager: *She opened two wooden doors.* "We currently only have two rooms available." *She looked at the party worried, due to her proposal.*

Lance: "Yea, that's kool. and Alicia can sleep outside-"

Ashton: "That's _fine_ thank you." *He glanced at Lance and pretended to smile at the villager.*

Villager: "Please enjoy your stay." *She quickly bowed and walked into another room.*

Ashton: "Alicia, you can sleep in one, Lance and I will sleep in this one."

Alicia: "Okay, I will see you both in the morning?"

Lance: "Pssht, hopefully not-"

Ashton: "Yes."

Alicia: "G-Goodnight." *She closed the door behind her and footsteps could be heard from within the room.*

Lance: "Ya better hope there are two beds, or you're sleepin' on the floor." *He walked into the room and yelled out.* "Ya lucky."

Ashton: *He staggered into the room and noticed Lance already asleep on the bed.* (What a day it's been.)

*Sheets which acted as curtains blew in the wind.*

Ashton: *He plunked himself onto the vacant bed, ignoring Lance's loud snoring.* (Those abnormally large creatures, what were they exactly?) *He leant to the side and blew out candles, which kept the room a lit.*

*Moonlight filled the room and faint sounds could be heard coming from nearby rooms.*

Ashton: *He stared at the roof in thought and had a flashback of Millard using his Rostical.* (How is it possible? He used fire? It isn't scientifically _possible_ -)

*Ashton rolled to his side and ignored the flapping sheet.*

Ashton: (It wasn't a flamethrower, I didn't smell petrol, I don't know, _good_ _grief_.) *He frowned in over thought, causing him to doze off.*

\----------

*Alicia screamed, causing Lance to moan and lean up.*

Lance: "That stupid cow is goin' to wake everyone in the Inn up." *He threw the sheets off and jumped out of bed, causing the floor to squeak.*

Ashton: "W-What's wrong?" *He mumbled and rubbed his eyes.*

Lance: "The stupid girl is yellin' in there."

Ashton: "Yelling? Alicia?"

Lance: "Yea-" *He mumbled and walked to the door.*

Ashton: *He hopped out of bed and followed Lance outside the room.* "Let's see what's wrong with her." *He softly knocked on Alicia's door and waited for a response.*

Lance: "Nothin'?" *He grabbed the door handle and opened the door.*

*Ashton and Lance walked into the room and found Alicia fast asleep on the bed.*

Ashton: "She's still asleep." *He looked at Lance in confusion.*

Lance: "Wateva-" *He yawned and faced the door, readying to leave the room.* "I'm gonna go back to sleep-"

Alicia: " _No_! Give back my pendant it's mine!" *Her scream caused Ashton and Lance to jump in shock.*

Ashton: "A-Alicia-" *He whispered towards the bed, as he tried to wake her up.*

Alicia: "You can't-"

Lance: "Wake up!"

Alicia: "A-Ah-" *She sprung into the air in fright.*

Ashton: (Lance-) *He sighed in thought and looked at Alicia.* "Are you okay?"

Lance: (Are you OK? OK? OK? That's all he says. It's just as bad as those side characters who sit in the background and scream out someone's name all the time.) *He chuckled to himself.*

Alicia: *She looked around the room, rubbing her eyes in confusion.* "W-What happened?"

Ashton: "Nothing, it seemed you were having a nightmare."

Alicia: "I see." *She sighed in relief.*

Lance: *He snickered and pointed at Alicia.* "Look at its hair."

Ashton: "Unacceptable, Lance, not this early in the morning." *He rubbed his eyes.*

Alicia: *She looked out the window half asleep.* "The sunrise-" *She whispered to herself and glanced at Ashton.* "We can leave the village now."

Lance: "Guess no extra sleep for me then." *He grunted in defeat.* (About time, this village sucks.)

Ashton: *He nodded his head at Alicia.* "Sure."

Alicia: "Okay, I'll see you both in the central plaza in ten minutes?"

Lance: "Wateva, just don't keep me waitin'." *He grunted and stormed out of the room.*

Ashton: "Sorry about him-"

Alicia: "No, it's fine." *She yawned with sadness and started to brush her hair.* (Stupid Lance-)

Ashton: "I will leave you to it then."

Alicia: "Th-Thank you."

Ashton: (I have a feeling this is going to be another long day.) *He left the room and walked back into his own.*

Lance: "Aha, did ya see it jump?" *He stared at Ashton and stuck out his tongue.*

Ashton: "Come on, Lance, let's get ready, and-" *He paused as he wiped sleep under his eyes.*

Lance: "And?"

Ashton: "Try to be a little nicer to her."

Lance: "Pshht, _why_?"

Ashton: "She knows where to go, we don't."

Lance: "Fine." *He moaned like a child and rolled his eyes.*

Ashton: *He noticed Lance waiting for him to get ready.* "So, should we wait for Alicia then?"

Lance: "Wateva." *He left the room and started to make his way outside the Inn.*

Ashton: *He collected all their belongings and followed Lance outside.* "So, how are you feeling, Lance?"

Lance: "Feeling? Just wanna go home, bah." *He stopped near the plaza looking uncomfortable.* (Home..)

Ashton: *He folded his arms and patiently waited.* "Me too."

Lance: *He jumped up and down and started to walk in circles.* "There's no planes, no phones, no nothin'.. Wat the effin' hell is goin' on, aye?"

Ashton: (A little side of me was hoping I'd wake up-) *He closed his eyes and sighed in thought.*

Lance: "So, wat are we _actually_ doin' that will help us find a way home?"

Ashton: *He opened his eyes and looked at Lance.* "When the elder said that Surpreon was the biggest city, I figured that, if we needed information or answers, that's where we should start to look."

Lance: "Do you have any idea wat's happenin', Ash?" *He looked and sounded sad.*

Ashton: "I don't think it's Australia.."

Lance: "..." *He smirked and looked away.*

Alicia: *She opened the Inn door and noticed Ashton and Lance waiting.* "I-I'm sorry to keep you waiting." *She skipped up to the party and pulled out a map, unrolling it.*

Ashton: (She brought a map, excellent-)

Alicia: "So our next stop will be-" *She ran her finger along the map and nodded her head.* "The Library, but we'll need to go through The Igloo Forest-"

Lance: "Wat if we run into any of them Scoldrants?"

Ashton: (He's right, I've been worrying about that too.)

Alicia: "Cliff." *She whispered to herself and tilted her head down to the ground.* "I-I suppose, we'll just have to flee."

Ashton: (We'd have no choice but to make a run for it.)

Lance: "So, we're gonna run like little girls? Pssht."

Ashton: "There's no other option."

Lance: "I know." *He folded his arms and looked away.*

Ashton: *He glanced at Alicia, covering up his concern.* "What's so special about this library?"

Alicia: "It's a place where _everything_ is stored." *She spoke with amazement, as she rolled the map back up.*

Ashton: "Everything is stored? What gets stored?"

Alicia: "All information, like discoveries, history, and even how to use Rostical."

Lance: (Yes! We can find our way home.) *He rubbed his hands together with excitement.*

Ashton: "Excellent, shall we get going then?"

*Lance and Alicia nodded their heads in response and the party walked towards Igloo Forest.*

Alicia: "Th-The Igloo Forest is _just_ beyond AriAri's exit."

Villager: *She watched the party leave the village, causing her to run slightly faster.* (I nearly missed them-)

Lance: *He turned around and noticed the villager.* "The same chick that offered them rooms."

Ashton: "Hello."

Villager: *She tried to catch her breath, causing Lance to sigh with impatience.* "I just wanted to say thank you again for yesterday."

Ashton: "Like I said before, it's fine-"

Villager: "If it weren't for you all, many of my villagers may have passed away, so please." *She straightened her arms and presented a ball-shaped object, wrapped in sheets.*

Ashton: "It was just first-aid-"

Villager: " _Please_ accept this as a token of our appreciation." *She purposely interrupted Aston.*

Lance: "Th-Thanks?" *He paused and looked confused.*

Villager: *She noticed Ashton and Alicia shaking their heads as if they couldn't accept the gift.* "If you don't accept this, it would be a sign of great disrespect."

Ashton: "If it will cause disrespect, then we have no choice." *He smiled with gratitude.*

Villager: "If you all would excuse me, there are people that I must attend to." *She placed the object in Lance's hands and started to walk backwards.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you very much." *She watched the villager walk into the village out of her sight.*

Lance: *He unravelled the sheets, revealing a yellow transparent orb.* "Aye?"

Villager: *She closed the Inn door behind her and sighed with relief.* (A lady with long black hair gave me that orb, saying to give it to people in strange garments-)

Lance: *He moved the orb up and down and stared through it like a child.* (I get that same strange feeling I got from the crystal-)

Ashton: "It fits perfectly in your hand."

Lance: "Yea." *He mumbled to himself with a loss of concentration as he continued to inspect the orb.*

Alicia: "I think it may be one of those Rostical items."

Lance: "You mean like what that old fart used?"

Ashton: "Old fart?"

Lance: "That swirlin' fire thing?"

Ashton: (Oh, Millard.)

Alicia: "Indeed, but you would need-"

Lance: *He interrupted her, by just a raise of his hand.* "You may be quiet now."

Alicia: "..."

*Lance rudely walked into The Igloo Forest, causing the party to closely follow.*

Ashton: *He looked up with fascination.* "So why do they call this The Igloo Forest?"

Alicia: "For a silly reason." *She paused, as she walked in line with Ashton.* "Because the further you enter the forest, the less sunlight shines through."

Ashton: "Giving the illusion you're inside an igloo?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep, that's exactly right."

Lance: "Ha, how _lame_." *He rolled his eyes, as he continued to play with the orb.*

Ashton: "These trees look familiar though." *He walked to the side of the trail and inspected the vegetation.*

Alicia: "Yes, that's because this is the same forest where we first met."

Ashton: "Same forest? But how?"

Alicia: "The trees strand around Hollow Plains and AriAri village."

Ashton: "That's a big forest."

Alicia: *She nodded her head, as she continued to walk through the forest.* "It goes all the way down to The Great Coast and finishes off where Maserio starts."

Ashton: "Maserio?"

Alicia: "It's the name for the hottest and most driest area on the continent."

Ashton: (So it's like a desert.)

Lance: "Ah _so_ much has happened in three days, information overload." *He waved his arms up and down child-like, as he growled like an animal.*

Alicia: "Tee hee, if you're complaining about information, wait until you get to The Library."

Lance: "Shh, your voice is annoyin', it's _so_ high."

Alicia: "Y-You're annoying, grottom bottom-"

*The sounds of a screaming man could be heard, deep within the forest.*

Alicia: "W-Who-?" *She looked down the poorly lit trail and started to bite her bottom lip.*

Lance: "Oh how convenient, who are we goin' to save _now_?" *He rolled his eyes and looked at Ashton.*

Ashton: "Haha, it's like you can read my mind."

Alicia: "Y-You want to go d-d-deeper?" *Her voice started to tremble.*

Lance: "He _has_ to, captain Ashton to the rescue." *He sighed and wrapped up the orb, placing it in his torn up pocket.*

Ashton: *He discreetly smiled and frowned with determination.* (Says the one who rushed towards Alicia's aid when we first woke up here-)

*Several thumps rumbled the ground under the party's feet, followed by another scream.*

Alicia: "I-It was the same man-"

Ashton: " _Quick_ , it came from here." *He pointed into the direction of the sounds, before running over roots and jumping through bushes.*

Alicia: (His eagerness, he looks like a crazed Scoldrant-) *Lance ran past her, causing her to run after them.*

Ashton: (We have to help whoever needs it!-) *He raised his arm, hitting a branch away from his face.*

Alicia: (We're running West to the ocean, _strong_ Scoldrants reside around there.) "Asht-" *She tried to yell in front and stopped, knowing Ashton and Lance wouldn't be able to hear her.*

Lance: *He ran past Ashton and stopped in front of a clearing.* "Phew-" *He took a deep breath, as Ashton and Alicia caught up to him.*

Ashton: "You're still as fast as ever-" *He stopped in mid-sentence to catch his breath.*

Lance: "I hear a beach." *He tilted his head to one side, as he tried to hear it better.*

Ashton: "The yell came from around here."

Alicia: "Look." *She pointed to a cave which led underground.*

Ashton: "A cave-" *He crept closer to the cave with curiosity.*

Lance: " _No_ _way_ we're goin' in there."

Alicia: *She unravelled the map and held it close to her face, squinting her eyes.* "I think this is called Concern's Gate."

Lance: "Wat a _stupid_ name-"

*A scream echoed from inside the cave, causing the party to stare at the entrance in shock.*

Ashton: "I don't really want to go in myself, but I think someone needs our help." *He looked at Alicia and Lance with concern.*

Lance: "We should just ignore the cave and-"

*Four loud clashes echoed from the cave, causing the party to shuffle closer together.*

Ashton: "Okay so the plan is-"

Lance: "Run?"

Alicia: *She awkwardly breathed, as she prepared herself for the unexpected.* (I _don't_ want to go in there.)

Ashton: "If we see a Scoldrant or a warrior, we'll run as fast as we can."

Lance: "Or we can just throw Alicia at them?"

Alicia: "H-Hey!"

Ashton: "Let's go." *He took a deep breath of bravery and walked into the cave, causing Lance and Alicia to closely follow.*

Lance: "Things I do for you, Ash." *He grunted and stayed close to Ashton and Alicia.*

Ashton: (It's much cooler in here, compared to outside.)

*The cave was damp and had an eerie green glow, caused by a stream of water on the left side.*

Alicia: "It looks like the cave gets wider further down." *She stared in front and noticed water dripping from the top.*

Lance: *He looked up and watched water dance on the ceiling.* (This cave is like from a game-)

*The party heard footsteps, which caused them to stop.*

Alicia: (I'm scared. I can hear footsteps in front of us.)

Lance: (Why am I effin' doin' this?! Damn you Ashton-)

*Scratching sounds screeched just in front of the party, causing Lance and Alicia to squeal like girls.*

Ashton: "Sorry-" *He turned around and watched Lance and Alicia hug in fear.* "Sorry, that was me." *He lifted up his belt and pointed to the wall beside him.* "It scratched on the rocks."

Lance: "Oh? I _knew_ that pssht." *He looked down and noticed Alicia in his arms.* "Bah, get it off."

Alicia: "Eww."

Lance: *He stepped back and looked away, filled with embarrassment.* "Eww _yourself_."

Alicia: *Her face was red and she bit her bottom lip.* (What a loser-)

*More scratching sounds screeched in front of the party.*

Lance: "Aha, _very_ funny."

Ashton: "Th-That's not me."

?????: "You guys should leave."

Alicia: "Eek." *She gasped and covered her mouth, taking a step back.*

Lance: "Who the-?" *He stared at a man covered in dirt, stagger towards the party.*

?????: "I thought I heard someone."

Ashton: "Hello?" *He nervously stared at the numerous cuts on the man's face.*

?????: "I want to forewarn you all, that there is a very powerful Guardian around here." *He spoke in a deep tone, as he glanced at each party member.*

Alicia: (Guardian?)

Lance: "So, why are _you_ here then?"

?????: "My friend got frightened by something and ended up running in here."

Ashton: "Excuse my rudeness, my name is Ashton, that's Alicia and-"

Lance: "Lance."

?????: "My name is Holland."

Lance: "Like the city?"

Ashton: "You mean country?"

Lance: "Wat?"

Holland: "Who?"

Ashton: *He shook his head.* "He hit his head."

Alicia: "A little too hard if you ask me."

Lance: " _Oi_!-" *He frowned at Alicia and Ashton.*

Ashton: *He ignored Lance's outburst, focusing all his attention on Holland.* "Would you like some help finding your friend?"

Holland: "I wouldn't recommend going any further into this cave."

Ashton: "Why is that?"

Holland: "It ends up becoming a maze further down."

Lance: "If it comes to helpin' people, Ashton won't take no for an answer." *He sighed and shook his head.*

Holland: "We must hurry then. I last heard her over here." *He stopped and stared at six caves.*

Ashton: *He stared at the caves.* (They look like catacombs.)

Holland: "I just heard her, let's go in this one." *He walked into the largest tunnel.*

Lance: "Huh? I didn't hear anythin'?"

Alicia: "M-Me neither."

Holland: (I heard her easily.)

*The party walked down the tunnel and growls could be heard.*

Alicia: "G-Growls?" *She whispered in fear.*

*Loud thuds echoed down the cave, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling.*

Holland: "Quick I heard her!" *He sprinted towards the noises, ignoring the party which struggled to keep up with him.*

Lance: "He's as fast as a friggin' animal-" *He slipped on the slimy moss and hit the ground.* "Argh."

Ashton: *He turned around and looked worried.* "Lance, are you-?"

Lance: " _Go_!"

Ashton: "G-Got it!" *He faced in front and started to run after Holland.*

Lance: "Shit nuggets, that hurt-" *He rubbed the back of his head and stood up, brushing small stones off his clothing.*

Alicia: *She caught up to Lance and stopped.* "Are you hurt?"

Lance: "Pssht, as if! Didn't feel a thing." *He stretched and continued to run down the tunnel.*

Ashton: *He found himself in a large sandy, dry clearing.* "Holland?"

Holland: *He glanced around the clearing and watched flames flicker in torches on the walls.* (Where are you?)

*Lance and Alicia ran into the clearing behind Ashton.*

Ashton: (This place looks different than the rest of the cave or tunnels.) *He turned around and noticed four other tunnels.* (So all the tunnels beside one, ended up here?)

Alicia: *She noticed a large stone door with several different hieroglyphs engraved on it.* "Wow."

Lance: "Wat are them markings?" *He pointed at the door with curiosity.*

Alicia: "It's a glyph."

Ashton: "A glyph?"

Alicia: "For Rostical?" *She looked at Ashton as if he should already know that.*

Alicia: *She looked back to the door and took several steps towards it.* (I've never seen this type of glyph before, yet I feel like I know it?)

Lance: (I get a strange feeling in here.)

*The yellow orb started to glow in Lance's pocket, unnoticed by the party.*

Holland: (It's gotten really quiet-)

*An explosion of rocks suddenly blasted from the wall, as a huge metallic Scoldrant stamped out of it.*

Alicia: "Eek!-"

Lance: "Arh?!"

Ashton: "E-Earthquake?!"

Holland: *He noticed a black dog-like Scoldrant jump away from the metallic Scoldrant.* "Everyone, be careful!"

Ashton: *He looked up and stared at the metallic Scoldrant in disbelief.* "Good flaming grief!"

Lance: "Shit nuggets!" *He grunted with widening eyes.*

Alicia: "Th-Those Scoldrant energy levels are _very_ high-" (It's so strong, I'm getting lightheaded.) *Her knees started to buckle and she bit her bottom lip with fear.* (Is that a Guardian?)

Scoldrant: *Its eyes glowed an eerie yellow colour, causing it to act violently.* "Geroar!"

Holland: (What's wrong with this Scoldrant-?!) "Everyone let's run, now!"

Ashton: "What about your friend?"

Holland: "She's safe, let's go!"

Lance: "Ya don't have to ask me twice, come on shit nugget seven thousand-" *He grunted to Alicia before running back down the tunnel.*

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She nodded her head and quickly followed Lance.*

Ashton: "But your friend-"

Scoldrant: *It roared again and punched the wall, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling.* "Geroarh!"

Holland: "Quick let's go." *He pushed Ashton towards the tunnel.*

Scoldrant: *The ground shook with every step it took.* "Gerr-?" *It noticed Ashton and Holland running into the tunnel, causing it to trample towards them.*

*The black dog-like Scoldrant chased after the party.*

Ashton: *He caught up with Lance and Alicia and looked behind him.* (It's chasing us!)

Lance: *He ran as fast as he could through the cave, closing his eyes in desperation.* (I swear, I better not effin' slip at a time like this.)

Alicia: *She ran out of the tunnels and continued to run through the cave towards the exit.* "I-I can feel that huge Scoldrant's footsteps!"

Ashton: "D-Don't think about it." *He ran behind Alicia, as he hid his fear.*

Lance: *He looked behind him and gasped.* "That black dog thing is right behind us!"

Alicia: "O-Oh no!"

Ashton: *He noticed the footstep-like thuds on the ground become louder and heavier.* (Is it getting closer?)

Holland: "It sounds like that metal Scoldrant is now running." *He looked back, completely ignoring the black Scoldrant.*

Alicia: *She rapidly took deep breaths.* "I see the exit."

*Boulder-sized rocks fell from the ceiling, smashing next to the party.*

Lance: "Nearly!-" *He grunted with hope, as he jumped over a boulder which smashed on the ground.*

Holland: "Don't stop! Keep running."

*The party was blinded by bright sunlight, as they ran out of the cave and continued through The Igloo Forest.*

Alicia: "We should run South towards the direction of The Library!"

Ashton: "Sounds great!"

Alicia: "O-Okay." *She looked up and suddenly changed directions.*

Ashton: (I can't feel the footsteps on the ground anymore.) "I think it stopped following us."

Holland: *He ran onto a dirt path, slowing down to catch his breath.* "We should be fine now." *He mumbled in a deep voice.*

Alicia: "We're back on the path?" *She smiled in amazement, taking deep breaths.*

Lance: "These dirt paths look all the same to me, wat about this stupid library-"

Alicia: " _Look_ you can see the top of The Library." *She pointed up, sighing in relief.*

Lance: "Gah, good." *He collapsed on the ground and lay on his back.* "That run was awkward and unexpected aye?"

Alicia: "Y-Yeah-"

Lance: "I wasn't talkin' to you."

Ashton: "Well-" *He looked at Holland and paused in mid-sentence, filled with failure.*

Holland: "Phew-" *He slouched back, wiping sweat off his forehead with his shoulder.* "What's wrong?"

Ashton: "What about your friend, Holland?" *He spoke with sadness and looked away, kneeling down to catch his breath.*

Holland: *He took a deep breath and stood up straight, facing Ashton with a smile.* "She made it just fine."

Lance: *He heard sticks cracking in the midst of the trees.* "Huh? Wat's that-?"

*The bushes rattled and growled, causing Alicia to squeak.*

Alicia: "W-What was that?" *She cupped her hands and bit her bottom lip.*

*The black dog-like Scoldrant jumped out of the bushes and glared at the party.*

Scoldrant: "Grr." *She showed her teeth in an intimidating manner, before charging for Holland.*

Ashton: "Holland, watch out!" (I'm too exhausted to move.)

Holland: "What?" *He unexpectedly stepped back and stared at the charging Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Gruff." *It suddenly stopped itself, causing it to skid on the dirt path.*

Alicia: "D-Don't move, Holland!"

Holland: *He noticed Ashton, Alicia and Lance staring at him in shock, causing him to chuckle.* "Sorry to startle you all, let me introduce you to my best friend."

Lance: (Best friend?)

Ashton: "Sorry, Holland sir, I didn't quite hear you right?"

Holland: *He bent down and scratched the Scoldrant behind the ears.* "Her name is Freya."

Freya: "Ruff!" *She wagged her tail in excitement.*

*Ashton, Alicia and Lance stared at Holland with dumbfounded faces.*

Lance: "Heh." *He stood up with a smirk and faced Holland and Freya.*

Ashton: "Lance?"

Lance: "You know, I thought all them Scoldrants were bad."

Alicia: "No, not all of them." *She coughed and looked at each party member.* "Some Scoldrants aren't violent at all, but I've _never_ heard or _seen_ someone become friends with one."

Ashton: (Amazing, having such an elegant creature as a friend.)

Alicia: "And that particular Scoldrant, it's one of the strongest ones." *She took a step closer to Holland.*

Freya: "Grr." *She faced Alicia and growled, causing her fur to fuzz up.*

Holland: "Ha ha, hey hey, Freya."

Freya: "Growlth?" *She looked over her shoulder to Holland and became docile.*

Holland: "Sorry about her, she gets jealous when other girls talk to me."

Ashton: "Good grief, how did you both become friends?"

Holland: "About four and a half years ago. I saw her freezing near the snowy mountains East of Eon city, she looked newborn too."

Alicia: "Eon City? Those type of Scoldrants don't reside around there?"

Holland: *He looked at Alicia and grunted in agreement.* "I know. I took her back to my place and raised her back to health. To this day, neither of us know how she actually got there."

Ashton: "Fascinating." *He nodded his head, as he acknowledged Holland's story.*

Lance: "The question I'd be askin' is, why was the dum dog in the cave in the first place."

Ashton: (Oh, Lance-) *He face palmed and shook his head.*

Holland: "We're on a mission to find the source of a disease-"

Freya: "Growlith!" *She growled in agreement.*

Holland: "Well, Freya sensed a powerful Neuron signature."

Alicia: (It must've been that powerful Scoldrant.)

Holland: "She went by instinct and decided to check it out."

Freya: "Ruff!" *She barked in agreement.*

Lance: "Newgong?" *He scratched his head in confusion.*

Holland: "Ah?" *He looked at Lance puzzled.*

Ashton: "He suffered some head damage so he can't remember basic things."

Holland: "Ah okay-"

Freya: *She faced Holland and growled.* "Grrr!"

Holland: "Okay, I want to thank you, Ashton, Alicia and Lance-"

Lance: " _Why_ am I _always_ last pssht." *He folded his arms child-like and looked away.*

Ashton: *He glanced at Lance then to Holland.* "Sorry, as you were saying?"

Holland: "Thank you all, but we need to continue our findings."

Freya: "Gruff."

Holland: (The disease is starting to spread at a faster rate.)

Alicia: "We need to go to The Library anyway."

Ashton: "The Library, yes." *He turned around and walked up to Lance and Alicia.* "Until next time, I bid you a good farewell, sir."

Holland: *He smiled and looked down to Freya.* "Yeah, of course! Let's go, Freya."

Freya: "Rrrawlf."

Holland: *He ran with Freya North East, waving his hand behind him at the party.* "We've got to catch up for the time we lost in Concern's Gate."

Freya: "Gruff!" *She barked in acknowledgement, as she jumped through a thick bush.*

Alicia: *She cupped her hands, placing them around her mouth.* "Bye, Holland! Bye, Freya!" *She stood on her toes and yelled.*

Lance: "That was a fantastic goodbye."

Alicia: "O-Oh really?" *She looked at Lance in shock.*

Lance: " _No_."

Ashton: "So which direction do we head towards now?" *He looked at Alicia, brushing dirt off his shoulders.*

Alicia: "We just have to continue walking down this path."

Ashton: "Excellent." *He smiled with joy, as he led the party down the path.*

Lance: "Sigh." *He moaned, placing his hands on his head.*

Alicia: "What's the matter, Lance?"

Lance: *He pouted like a child and walked with his eyes closed.* "I can't remember."

Ashton: "What's wrong, Lance?" *He pretended he couldn't hear.*

Lance: "I'm glad _someone_ asked-"

Alicia: "B-But I just-?"

Lance: "It's just we went through _all_ that trouble 'n' he didn't even give us anythin'."

Ashton: "What do you mean?"

Lance: "Like a reward or somethin'."

Alicia: (All he thinks about is himself.) *She frowned and walked down the path, staring in front.* (There aren't many people like him, and I'm _glad_ for it.)

Lance: "Yea, rewards?"

Ashton: *He ignored Lance's rudeness and continued to walk down the path.* "Come on, Lance."

Lance: "Pssht." *He rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his head.*

Alicia: *She noticed the path cut on to a main road, causing her to smile.* "We're almost at The Library."

Lance: "Yay." *He sarcastically moaned and rolled his eyes.*

Ashton: *He noticed the trees thinned out, causing sunlight to shine on the road.* (Wow, this place is amazing-)

*Birds flew above the treetops and insects buzzed in the background.*

Ashton: (The trees are vibrant green, the sky is crystal blue-) *He looked around with an opened smile, chuckling in amazement.*

Alicia: *She watched the trees sway in the relaxing wind.* (It's so pretty-)

Ashton: "Say, Alicia. Do you know anything else about the warriors?"

Alicia: "N-Nope, sorry Ashton." *She shook her head and looked up to the sky.* "I've told you all I know about the warriors and that wasn't much to begin with."

Ashton: "Oh? That's okay, but how come?"

Alicia: "People who live in backwater villages or towns like myself, aren't privileged to know such information. That's why only late ranked warriors are sent for tax."

Ashton: "I see."

Alicia: "But since we're stopping at The Library, you could browse for more information."

Ashton: "Browsing for information? It could be _very_ beneficial." *He looked motivated, as he walked with excitement.*

*Two travellers concealed in grey clothing and cone-shaped hats, walked towards the party.*

?????: "Why can't I travel with you?" *He mumbled to a larger man, as he dragged his feet along the ground.*

Traveller: "Because you're my little monster-"

?????: " _And_ why were you in such a hurry to leave The Library when you found out about the warriors?"

Traveller: "You're actually asking that? They'd make a scene, and don't forget Kath-"

?????: "But, father monster-"

Lance: "And so I said, _bam_ , you're gone loser!" *He clapped his hands and chuckled at himself, catching the two traveller's attention.*

?????: "Wowza, how noisy-"

Traveller: "That voice sounds familiar."

?????: " _Ooo_ , you know him?"

Traveller: *He tilted his hat up and noticed the party, causing him to stop.* "Oh? If it isn't Lance, Ashton and Alicia."

Lance: "Arh, wut?" *He rudely mumbled and stared at the traveller, giving him a feral look.*

Traveller: "Nice to see you again, children."

Alicia: "Millard!" *She smiled with uncertainty, observing the cone-shaped hat.*

Millard: "Bahaha, glad to see you all aren't getting attacked this time." *He tilted his hat further back, revealing his face.*

Alicia: "Tee hee."

Ashton: "Where have you been?"

Millard: "Me? Well, I was at The Library researching."

?????: (Trying to find the Consultant's headquarters.)

Lance: " _Lame_." *He mumbled under his breath and rolled his eyes.*

Millard: "Well, what are you youngsters doing out here?"

Ashton: "Since Lance has lost his memory, we're currently trying to find information regarding the city of-" *He paused in mid-sentence.*

Alicia: "The city of Surpreon, in between Gasher Hills and The Great Coast."

Millard: "Ah yes, so-" *He was interrupted by his companion.*

?????: "I have to go, I'll meet you there."

Millard: "Oh no, I'll be a moment."

?????: "Okies, you silly sausage." *He sarcastically grumbled and wiggled his bottom to each side, as he patiently waited for Millard.*

Millard: "Well I'll be off, I found some information that I need to revise over."

Ashton: "Before you leave." *He stopped in thought and looked at Alicia.* "Millard, do you know the purpose of the warriors?"

Millard: "Such an odd question? Why do you ask?"

Ashton: "Well it just seems that well."

Millard: "Well, child?"

Ashton: "Every time the Consultants are mentioned, it's usually related to taxes or death."

Millard: (One day you could hate me Ashton-)

Ashton: "Millard, sir?"

Millard: "Baha, answering that now would be too troublesome, and my back is hurting like no tomorrow. Besides, I have no excuses if I'm late, so I better get going."

Ashton: "Oh okay, well thank you anyway."

Millard: "Until next time, children." *He smiled and waved at the party, as he walked into the distance.*

Lance: "Rightio." *He sighed and looked down the road, noticing a large metal gate.* "I can see somethin', let's go. Last one there is an Alicia!" *He chuckled to himself and ran towards the gate.*

Alicia: "What's that suppose to mean?"

Ashton: *He face palmed and sighed.* (Oh Lance-) "Let's catch up before he gets lost."

Alicia: "Tee hee, s-sure." *She smiled and walked with Ashton towards the gate.*

Lance: (Whoa look at that _huge_ gate, it's like a castle.) *He slowly looked up towards the sky, as he viewed the exterior of The Library.*

Gatekeeper: "Who goes there?"

Lance: *He jumped back in shock, due to the unexpected voice.* "Shit nuggets, ya scared me." *He frowned and shook his fist at a tree.*

Alicia: "Th-That's a tree, Lance-"

Lance: "Good work, captain obvious, maybe you should be a captain ranking warrior."

Alicia: "Huh-?"

Lance: " _Captain_ _obvious_."

Alicia: (He's so immature-)

Gatekeeper: "I will _not_ ask again. Who goes there?"

Alicia: "S-Sorry-" *She quickly walked up to the gate and looked through the slit the man spoke through.* "The elder from my village has sent a pass."

Gatekeeper: "Pass?"

Alicia: "Y-Yes." *She nervously handed the pass through the slit to the Gatekeeper.*

Gatekeeper: "Hmm?" *He mumbled to himself, as he read the letter.* "This is fine! Open the gate! Please step away from the area!"

Alicia: "Y-Yes." *She looked over her shoulder to Lance and Ashton, causing them to step back.*

*The giant gate moved and suddenly thumped to the ground, causing a pulse of dirt to blow past Alicia.*

Lance: *He lowered his arms and blinked several times, focusing his attention beyond the gate.* (Huh?)

Ashton: *He gazed upon a massive staircase in amazement.* (It leads directly up-)

Lance: "Oh wut?!" *He grunted with frustration.*

Ashton: (There's a lot of stairs and my leg muscles already hurt from all the activities we've been put through.) *He sighed to himself in thought.*

Lance: "What's the point of this crap? Why build so many _effin_ ' stairs?!"

Alicia: "It seems you guys haven't been here before."

Lance: "Who _cares_." *He rudely brushed past Alicia and started to walk up the enormous flight of stairs.*

Alicia: "You are so _annoying_ , grottom bottom." *She whispered and sighed with frustration.*

Ashton: *He noticed two black walls, which towered on each side of the light grey stairs.* "Let's keep going, Alicia, I know we can do it."

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She nodded her head and started to walk up the stairs with Ashton.*

\----------

*A man with glasses sighed with frustration in a research-like dungeon.*

?????: "Blast it, why can't I get the formula right?" *He rubbed his eyes under his glasses and stepped away from a board full of glyphs.*

*Chatter of villagers could be heard from above ground.*

?????: "I need to find a way to make our dream come true, a land full of peace."

*The sounds of bubbling water could be heard from test tubes in the room.*

?????: "I can see it now, the villagers will ask me, Riddle, how is that research going? And I'll say there's been no progress." *He sighed and chuckled at himself.* "And now I talk out loud? To _myself_? Pathetic."

*Riddle sighed to himself and sat on a wooden stool, deep in thought.*

Riddle: (Either way, I need to investigate what is troubling the troublesome Consultant. She's the only setback from making my dream come to fruition.)

*Riddle pushed his glasses up with one finger and leant back on the stool, staring at the stone ceiling.*

Riddle: (My dream of peace, and with my power acquired through research-) *He raised his arm, causing swirls of black lightning to spark around his hand.* (It will come true, I promise!)

*Riddle jumped off of the stool and stormed up to board of glyphs.*

Riddle: "Either way, I'm in a bind. So maybe I should take action?"

\----------

*Lance, Ashton and Alicia made it to the top of the stairs and stopped to catch their breath.*

Ashton: "Wow, this is a new architectural structure-" *He stared at a balcony layered with white shiny tiles, ignoring the unusual elevator-like sound effects.*

Lance: *He stood on the spot, staring straight up.* (The ceiling is so high up, I can't even see it-)

Ashton: " _Wow_ , look at _this_." *He walked towards the balcony, placing his hands over the polished rails.* "This place is _not_ like the other villages." *He looked down in amazement.*

Lance: "Huh? Wat's so special about a library?" *He grunted and walked up to Ashton.*

*Platforms moved across the library, acting as elevators.*

Ashton: *He glanced at thousands of wooden shelves, containing differently sized books.* (This place is _gigantic_ -) *He stared into the distance, noticing the air was slightly foggy.* (There's got to be at least a million books in here-)

Lance: "I was expecting somethin' like a library, not somethin' the size of a _town_." *He mumbled to himself in shock.*

Ashton: "I agree-"

*Computerised voices echoed in the background, causing Lance to look up with curiosity.*

Lance: "Did I just hear a _computer_?!"

Ashton: "Yeah." *He nodded his head in agreement, as he continued to admire the area around him.*

Lance: "Why-?" *He mumbled with frustration and looked over to Alicia.* 'Oi, why does this place look so different from everythin' else?"

Alicia: *She sighed and walked up to Ashton.* "This is one of several areas across the land that uses Rosterology items to maintain the area."

Ashton: (Now it makes sense, essentially the technology here is far superior to what we've already seen-)

Alicia: "Th-The city of Surpreon which is where you're both from, no? Is the largest Rosterology-based city."

Ashton: "We haven't been home in ages, so I suppose we aren't used to seeing this type of environment again."

Alicia: *She nodded her head in understanding and leant over the balcony.* "Oh, okay."

Lance: (This place is huge, I bet it would look even bigger if the place wasn't foggy.)

Alicia: "So what do you want to know, Ashton?"

Ashton: "Information about the warriors? Consultants?"

Alicia: "A-Alright, this way." *She nodded her head and walked down a set of stairs, which spiralled underneath the balcony.*

Ashton: "Not to have a sense of negativity, but, won't it take too long to find any information in a place like this?"

Alicia: "I thought the same thing, until I familiarised myself with this console." *She walked towards a pillar, covered in glyphic markings.*

Lance: *He followed Alicia and stared at a white glowing orb in the middle of the pillar.* "Wat is that thing?"

Alicia: "It's a Rosterology console, holding _vast_ amounts of information."

Ashton: "What about the orb?"

Alicia: "And that-" *She looked up to the glowing orb.* "Is a Rosterology item containing Neurons to power it up."

Lance: *He stared at Alicia with a blank look.* "Wut?"

Alicia: *She ignored Lance and turned around, facing the pillar.* "H-Hello?"

Rosterology Pillar: "Information database zero-one-two-seven-four what category-dash place-dash would you like?"

Ashton: "Ha." *He smirked and took several steps closer, allowing him to observe the pillar in more detail.* (It acts like an intercom, not bad.)

Alicia: "Whatever you want to search, just say it near the orb."

Ashton: "Okay." *He leant forward with uncertainty.* "Warriors."

Rosterology Pillar: "Information has been deleted."

Lance: *He looked away and chuckled to himself.* (Been deleted? Pssht, how pathetic. Hope it doesn't get a virus.)

Alicia: *She stared at Lance pull different facial expressions, causing her to shake her head.* (He's really weird-)

Ashton: "What about, the Consultants?"

Rosterology Pillar: "Data found one listing."

Ashton: *He smiled with accomplishment.* "Excellent-"

Rosterology Pillar: "Transporting now."

Lance: "Transportin'-?" *The ground started to shake, as the floor detached itself off the balcony.* "Wha-?"

*The orb in the pillar started to glow brighter, causing the floor to slowly descend.*

Alicia: "Wow, the ground's moving."

Ashton: *He slightly bent his knees to keep his balance.* "Whoa."

Alicia: "I've seen several pictures and read a lot about The Library, but this is amazing." *She bit her bottom lip, as she nervously looked off the platform.* "Will it hold us? It won't fall or anything?"

Lance: "Relax, I'll make sure you won't fall."

Alicia: "S-Sorry, what was that?"

Lance: "I said, you're lax 'cause you're the size of a mall." *He quickly looked away, as his cheeks turned red.*

Alicia: "Oh." *She looked down.*

*The platform came to a sudden stop, causing the party to lose their balance.*

Ashton: *He noticed the platform connect to another balcony, causing him to sigh in relief.* "I think we're here, but-"

Lance: "There's at least a hundred thousand books here, how do we know what one to get?" *He grunted and stared at the books in disgust.*

Ashton: "They're labelled _a_ to _c_ -" *He scrolled down the shelves, running his finger along the spines of the books.*

Alicia: "I found it!" *She raised her hands and jumped up in victory.*

Ashton: "Excellent, good work, Alicia." *He walked with Lance towards Alicia.*

Lance: "Yea, for once-"

*An angry scream echoed beyond several shelves, causing the party to stop.*

Ashton: "What was that?" *He faced the direction of the screams with confusion.*

Lance: "I dunno, let's take a look." *He walked to the end of the shelving and peeked around the corner.*

Alicia: "W-What are you-?"

Lance: " _Shh_." *He waved for Alicia to be quiet, as he eavesdropped on the screams.*

Alicia: "Let's not disturb them, they're probably fighting for a reason."

Ashton: "I agree, it's none of our business-"

Lance: *He gasped, peeking Alicia and Ashton's interest.* "It's warriors."

*Alicia and Ashton slowly walked up to Lance with worried faces.*

Lance: (I'll show 'em that _I'm_ the big guy around here.) *He walked towards the warriors and prepared to charge.*

?????: "You emit no energy signatures, foolish action to take-" *A woman grabbed Lance and shoved him behind the book shelving.*

Lance: *He stared at the woman with long blonde curly hair in shock.* "Wat the?! You came out of nowhere!-"

?????: "They have not noticed your presence-"

Lance: "Shut-"

?????: "Such an inconvenience-" *She placed her finger over Lance's mouth with an emotionless face.*

Ashton: "Get your fingers off him." *He mumbled in a protective-like manner.*

?????: "I am not an enemy."

Ashton: "How can I believe you?"

?????: "If I were, I would have revealed your location to the warriors."

Alicia: "..." *She silently observed the woman.*

Ashton: "Reveal our location?"

?????: "As I previously mentioned, if I were an enemy."

Ashton: "Okay-" *He kneeled to the ground, filled with confusion.*

?????: "Listen for a moment." *She glanced at Ashton and Alicia, causing them to respond with obedient nods.*

Alicia: "W-Who-?"

?????: "Focus your attention to the threat in front of us."

*The woman's stern and clear voice, caused the party to focus their attention on the warrior's conversation.*

Warrior: "C-Captain." *A man with the number forty slashed into his black armour, bowed in fear.*

Captain: *She threw several books on the ground and turned around, facing the warrior with anger.* "What is it?!"

Ashton: *His eyes widened, as he continued to peak through the shelves.* "Wait, doesn't captain mean she's a single digit?!"

?????: "Indeed."

Warrior: "We were unable to find _any_ information on the Guardians, The Unknown Territories, or the divine city."

Captain: "You found nothing?" *Her cold voice sent shivers down nearby warriors' spines.*

Warrior: "N-Nothing-"

Captain: "You _do_ realise I can kill _any_ of you in a _single_ hand movement?" *She smirked evil-like, causing warriors in the late eighties to step back in fear.*

Warrior: "Y-Yes I know, I'm sorry, captain! But we tried-"

Captain: "So what am I going to report back to the Consultants then? I, Mindy, captain number nine, was unable to find a bunch of books and relics? I don't even know _why_ I try."

Warrior: "C-Captain-"

Mindy: " _All_ of you are dismissed."

*The warriors silently stepped on a pillar and started to ascend, taking them to the exit of the library.*

Mindy: *She frowned with disappointment and mumbled in thought.* (What to do?)

Ashton: (She must be strong, those warriors didn't talk back.)

Mindy: "I got it! I'll tax the next village up ahead." *She looked up to a balcony filled with sunlight and laughed with evil intent.*

Alicia: (Oh no, a tax!)

Mindy: "I hope they don't have enough, I need to get rid of this frustration." *She smiled and stepped forward, causing her image to disappear.*

Ashton: ( _Impossible_! Where did she go?)

Lance: " _Dude_! Did that crazy bitch just _teleport_?" *He scanned the area, trying to find Mindy.*

Alicia: (Captains-) *She bit her bottom lip and started to sweat.* (Flashstep-)

?????: "No, she flashstepped."

Lance: "Flash leapt?"

?????: "Flashstep, only high-ranking warriors have the ability and mindset to do so."

Ashton: "Sorry we haven't been introduced, my name is Ashton, this is Alicia and-"

Lance: "Lance." *He folded his arms and looked away.*

Ashton: "What's your name?" *He effectively covered up the tense atmosphere.*

?????: "My apologies, my name is Teresa."

Lance: "Aye? Theresah?"

Teresa: "It is correctly pronounced Te-re-sa."

Ashton: "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Teresa: *She noticed sweat drip down Alicia's forehead.* "Is there something wrong with your friend, _Alicia_ was it?"

Alicia: "That woman-" *She spoke under her breath in a daydream-like stare.* "Sh-She's the one that killed, _stole_ my pendant!"

*Ashton and Lance looked at Alicia with confusion.*

Alicia: "Please, I _cannot_ miss this chance to get it back." *She faced the party, as tears ran down her cheeks.*

Teresa: "You do understand that she is captain ranked, single digits have in itself exceptional powers, strength and speed."

Alicia: "..." *She opened her mouth and awkwardly paused, causing Teresa to continue talking.*

Teresa: "That was Mindy, ranked nine out of two hundred and fifty five. She excels in sheer power and swinging speed of her mallet, often underestimated due to her small size and feminine-like structure."

Ashton: "You seem to know a lot."

Teresa: "Indeed, once we find a better location, I can tell you what you would like to know."

Ashton: *He looked interested and enthusiastically nodded his head.* "That would be excellent." (I've noticed that Teresa's facial expressions haven't changed the slightest.)

Teresa: *She walked towards another pillar with an emotionless face.* "Exit dash."

Rosterology Pillar: "Confirmed."

Teresa: *She stared at the party, as the orb in the pillar started to glow brighter.* "Hurry."

*The platform started to shake, causing the party to quickly run towards Teresa.*

Teresa: *She watched the party jump on to the platform, as it started to rise.* "Exceptional timing."

Ashton: "Are you okay, Alicia?"

Alicia: "Y-Yes." *She nodded her head, as tears continued to run down her face.*

Lance: "So what are we goin' to do?"

Alicia: "I want my pendant back!" *She unintentionally yelled, causing Teresa to stare at her.*

Teresa: (Overwhelmed with emotions, how pitiful-)

Ashton: "Remember how strong that number seventy guy was?"

Alicia: "At AriAri village?" *She whispered under her breath and sniffed.*

Ashton: "Yes, I'd hate to see how strong a single digit is."

Lance: *He nodded his head with enthusiasm.* "I rekon."

Teresa: "Although I agree with Ashton, her resolve is getting back the stolen item. She would simply sneak out at night in order to retrieve the pendant, no offence, Alicia."

Alicia: "D-Don't be, you're right." *She wiped the tears off her face and sniffed again.*

Lance: "OK, so wat's the plan?" *He grunted with frustration and sighed.*

Ashton: "How about we head to the supply shop, then make a quick stop to rest before leaving. What village was it?" *He mumbled and looked at Alicia with confusion.* "AriAri?"

Lance: "But that's back _all_ the way down there?" *He pointed behind him.* "I ain't walkin' all the way down them stairs and back up again."

*The platform stopped, causing the party besides Teresa to lose their balance

Teresa: "To answer your question, Ashton." *She spoke in a professional-like tone and walked towards the exit filled with light.*

*The party covered their eyes to block the sunlight, which shined directly in their faces.*

Teresa: "I believe Mindy was not referring to AriAri village."

*The party took several steps outside the library and noticed it sat on an enormous mountain.*

Alicia: *She looked down on the vast amount of land.* (We're so up high-)

Teresa: "Considering The Library does not support a resting place, the locals created several Inns to compensate-" *She pointed down the monstrous slope, towards ant-sized houses.* "So, I believe she was talking about this village."

Ashton: "You sure are knowledgeable."

Lance: "So wat are you?" *He rudely grunted to Teresa, folding his arms like a child.*

Teresa: "I am merely a scholar and traveller."

Ashton: "Oh? Please be so kind to tell us what you were doing?"

Teresa: "Not that it is any of your business, but I explore undiscovered areas-" *She flicked her beautiful curly hair over her shoulders to stop it from flapping in her face.* "And I merely travel across the lands searching for the unexplained."

Ashton: "Wow, I see." *His tie rapidly flapped to one side.*

Alicia: *She stared at the landscape and faced the party, shaking her head.* "That would be the reason why we had to walk up so many stairs."

Lance: "Yeah." *He sighed, as he looked down the mountain.*

Teresa: "You state I am knowledgeable? Of course, you need to be in order to survive in this type of environment."

Ashton: (To the West is a sparkling blue ocean, The Igloo Forest trees swaying in the wind and mountains stand tall in the far distance, simply beautiful.)

Teresa: "The Inn under The Library-" *She pointed into the distance.* "Our destination is quite popular with passing travellers."

Ashton: "Makes sense." *He scanned across the landscape.* (There's dirt and grassy patches everywhere, how unusual.)

Alicia: *She noticed weeds and shrubs bloom in certain areas, as she flicked her swaying hair out of her face.* (Mindy, she's really scary, I don't know how we're going to get my pendant back.)

Lance: "We're _so_ high up, it's pretty kool-" *He looked down at the village and sighed.* "But look how far we gotta travel down, bah." *He sighed again and rolled his eyes.*

Teresa: "Do not worry, in my calculations the slope to our right and the gravel's texture, taking into consideration the density of our weight-"

*The constant wind blew Teresa's hair back in her face, causing her to once again flick it over her shoulder.*

Teresa: "We should be able to move down to the destination in a considerably short amount of time with little to no effort."

Lance: "Wut-?"

Alicia: " _Wow_."

Teresa: "Do not be modest."

Ashton: (She's _really_ smart-) *Something shined in his eyes, causing him to tilt his head down.* "What's that? A sword! Do you fight, Teresa?"

*The party started to walk down the tremendous slope, causing sounds of scraping gravel to be heard under their feet.*

Teresa: "No, it is merely an object with high sentimental value." *She evaded the slopes and ditches with ease.*

Lance: "Ah! That rock was _sharp_." *He watched the pebbles he accidentally knocked, roll down the slope.*

Alicia: "Tee hee."

Lance: "What are you laughing at, chunktron?"

Alicia: "..."

Ashton: *He sighed, as he concentrated on avoiding rocks on the slope.* (When will those two give it a rest?)

Teresa: *She listened to Alicia and Lance's conversation.* "Such meaningless effort wasted, it is not tolerable."

Ashton: "Wow, you kind of speak like me-"

Lance: "But with no emotions-"

Ashton: "You're awesome-"

Lance: "But with an emotionless face-"

Ashton: "I'm sorry, Lance but you've been demoted."

Lance: "Emotionless-" *He paused and looked at Ashton.* "Wait, _wat_?"

Ashton: "Demoted to single digit two of my friends."

Lance: "Pssht, shut up." *He grinned and shook his head.*

Alicia: *She observed Teresa in detail.* (When she went to stop Lance, where did she come from-?) *She gasped and patted around her sides, catching the party's attention.*

Ashton: "Alicia?"

Alicia: "The book regarding the Consultant!-"

Lance: *He instantly frowned in response.* "You mean the whole reason why we went up there?"

Alicia: "A-Ah-..? We had to get through The Library anyway-"

Teresa: "How curious? Did you not place it in your Astral Pocket?"

Alicia: *She slowly shook her head.* "I don't have enough Astragons to create a pocket."

Teresa: "Hoh? Do not have enough Astragons? Perhaps you have not trained hard enough. It is a basic life skill that-"

Lance: "Wat's an Astragong Pocket?"

Teresa: "Tcch." *She sighed.* "It is a term used for the personal space that allows people to conceal their weapons, hold items and accessories. The space in the pocket varies between persons due to quality and quantity of Astragons."

Ashton: (An Astral Pocket? Astragons?)

Teresa: "We are almost at the bottom-"

Lance: "Ah-" *He tripped on a root, causing him to tumble forward.*

Ashton: "Lance!" *He gasped in shock, as he watched Lance roll down the slope.*

Teresa: *She stared at the village with an emotionless face.* (I can feel someone of captain in ranking down there.)

*The party found Lance at the bottom of the slope.*

Alicia: "We should keep our voices down now."

Ashton: *He walked up to Lance, who was still on the ground and picked him up.* "You okay?"

Lance: *He brushed dirt off his face and out of his hair.* "Bah, I've had worse."

Teresa: "I concur with Alicia."

Lance: "You wanna conquer it?"

Teresa: " _Concur_."

Lance: "That's wat I said?" *He grunted like Teresa was an idiot.*

Ashton: "Lance, she agrees with Alicia as in, let's keep our voices down." *He whispered with a stern grunt.*

Lance: "Wateva-" *He looked towards the village and something shined on his face.* "Huh?" *He mumbled to himself and walked up to the light.*

Ashton: "What is it, Lance?"

Lance: "Wat's with things shinin' in my face, aye." *He grunted and squinted his eyes, finding a sword which conveniently rested against a crate.*

Teresa: "Do you desire to see what that man-child has discovered before drawing unwanted attention towards our current location?" *She spoke with an emotionless face, glancing at Ashton.*

Ashton: "Lance, what did you find?" *He walked towards Lance with a slight hunch.*

Lance: "Kool, a sword-" *He grunted with a smirk and faced the party, slicing the air in front of him.*

Ashton: (Did I feel wind just then?)

Teresa: *She glanced at the village of three wooden houses, surrounded by wooden verandas.* (What am I meant to do if we encounter trouble?) *She stared at barrels and crates, which were stacked all over the village.*

Alicia: "From a bird's eye view, I noticed a cliff next to the village-"

Teresa: "Indeed, ensure to be careful or you may fall off-"

*An angry scream caused Teresa to stop in mid-sentence.*

Ashton: (That sounded similar to the one in The Library.)

*The party stealthily ran closer into the village and hid behind a stack of crates.*

Mindy: " _What do you mean_?!"

Elderly Man: "You're too early, we got taxed just a day ago." *The old man raised his hands in the air, as he kneeled on the soft ground.*

Mindy: *She focused her attention to a stack of crates.* " _Who is there_? Show yourselves! _Immediately_!"

Alicia: "Oh no, we've been spotted." *Her eyes widened, as she covered her mouth in fear.*

Ashton: (Blast!)

Teresa: (This was not one of my best of ideas-)

*A little boy revealed himself, by walking out from behind the stack of crates.*

Mindy: "My, my. That child can be your tax, hmm-?"

*People gasped at Mindy's proposal, as they watched from the shadows.*

Ashton: "We cannot allow this to happen!" *He looked at the party with desperation.* (I cannot allow another person to get hurt. This is _unacceptable_.)

Teresa: "I disapprove your intentions of even confronting a captain, but-" *She paused and looked at Mindy from behind the crates.* "We do have the element of surprise-"

Alicia: "B-But what are _we_ going to do?"

Lance: "Yea, no plan aye?"

Teresa: "I have one, Ashton, you be a distraction behind-" *She mumbled her plan to the party, causing them to nod their heads in response.*

Mindy: *She stared at the silent villagers, causing her to smile.* "Well, if that's the case-" *She glared at the boy, causing his legs to shake.* "Boy, come here now."

*The boy started to whimper, frozen in fear.*

Mindy: "You're going to be my pet from now on, _got_ _it_?!"

*Before the whimpering boy took a step forward, Ashton jumped out from behind the crates.*

Ashton: *He frowned and faced Mindy.* " _No_ _way_ anyone will be your _pet_!" *He waved his arm and threw two knives, which travelled directly towards Mindy's head.*

Mindy: *She reached towards the back of her right shoulder and held onto something invisible.* "Two knives?"

Ashton: *He stared at Mindy's arm with confusion.* (She doesn't have a weapon-)

Mindy: *She lowered her arm, causing the two knives to bounce off a swirl of sparks.* "Despite being knives, you're so weak I couldn't even sense your presence." *She watched the knives land on the ground with a smirk.*

Ashton: ( _How_ did she block them? What were those sparks?) *Sweat ran down his forehead, as he nervously stared at Mindy's hand.* "W-What is that?"

Mindy: "Pfft, to make me release _my_ weapon to you lowly people, I'm _sickened_ at myself." *She lifted her arm holding a large green mallet.*

Ashton: (Where did she get that large mallet from?!) *He thought to himself in fear and confusion.*

Mindy: *She admired the light which reflected off her mallet.* "You attack a captain classed warrior, then stand on the spot completely vulnerable?"

Teresa: (It appears she has released her weapon, _already_.)

Ashton: (Is that her Astral Pocket?) *He nervously gulped in thought.* (I _need_ to keep a clear head! Don't let nerves affect my thinking!)

Alicia: *She stared at Mindy's back, holding a small dagger in her hand.* (Even with the daggers and knives Teresa gave us, I'm not sure this will be enough to stop her.)

Ashton: *He ran directly towards Mindy.* "Here I come!"

Alicia: *Ashton's words caused her to run towards Mindy.* "..."

Mindy: "Obviously you both have no idea what I'm compatible of."

Alicia: *She ran into striking distance and raised the dagger.* (Did she say _both_ -?)

Mindy: *She quickly spun around and smirked in Alicia's face.* " _Roaring Beast Kick_."

Teresa: (An Azure?!)

Alicia: "H-Huh-?" *An invisible force kicked her in the gut and blasted her towards a stack of crates.* "Eek-" *She smashed into the barrels, causing wood to snap around her.*

Mindy: *She spun around without hesitation and slammed the mallet on top of Ashton's foot.* "Hah harh." *The ground rumbled and cracked around her weapon.*

Ashton: "Argh!" *He yelled in pain, as he stared at the mallet on his foot.*

Mindy: " _Shattering_ _Stones_." *A ring of dirt swirled around her before a sudden shockwave blasted Ashton across the ground.*

Ashton: *He slid along the dirt and stopped, as he moaned in pain.* (The pain is _unbearable_ -) *He gritted his teeth, as he tried to overcome his fear.*

Teresa: *She remained hidden behind the crates.* (At this rate, I may have no choice but to interfere and stop this.) "Tcch."

Lance: "No way, _stupid_ cow!" *He jumped off the roof and slashed the air in front of Mindy.*

Mindy: (I didn't even sense him-) *She quickly spiralled to the side, avoiding Lance's strike.*

Lance: "F-Fast-" *He grunted in disbelief and glared at Mindy in sheer shock, readying to strike again.*

Mindy: *She raised the mallet and stared at Lance in thought.* (I wasn't expecting this at all, for a single digit, I could get demoted-)

Lance: "Harh!" *He jabbed the sword towards Mindy's chest.* "Gotcha-"

Mindy: "Too slow-" *She flicked the mallet up at blinding speeds, causing the sword and Alicia's pendant to fly into the air.*

Lance: "Pssht-" *He grunted and raised his arms, noticing the sword was gone.* "W-Wha-?"

Mindy: "How dare you even get this close." *She spoke in a low tone, as dirt swirled around her.*

Teresa: (She is gathering Neurons!)

Lance: *He stared at his hands in shock, causing him to look up.* (Why is my sword in the air? She didn't hit me? She moves so fast, everything is in slow motion-)

Mindy: *She closed her eyes and smirked.* " _Shattering stones_." *She tapped Lance in the chest with the top of the mallet.*

Lance: *He looked down at the mallet in shock.* (I can barely make out what she's doin' but there's no way my body can keep up with-)

Mindy: *She opened her eyes and nudged forward, blasting Lance off his feet.* (He's dead-)

Lance: "Gwarh-" *He smashed into the house he jumped off and wood exploded, as he smashed out from the other side.* (My feet haven't touched the ground-) *He slammed into a small tree, causing it to snap over him.*

Mindy: *She smiled at her destructive power, before focusing her attention back to Ashton.* "How unprofessional of me, using a skill like that to a _lowly_ peasant like yourself. So now, where was I?"

Ashton: *He squinted his eyes in pain.* (She's psychotic-)

Mindy: *She lifted the mallet towards her face and took several steps closer to Ashton.* "Now I will use my Ougi."

Teresa: *She watched Ashton rock back and forth in pain.* (He is overcome with pain, he has failed to notice Mindy-)

Mindy: "Hope you enjoyed your life, now it's time for me to end it." *She raised the mallet behind her head, as she readied herself for the killing blow.* " _Ougi_ -"

Alicia: "Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power, ICICLE EDGE"

Mindy: " _What_?!" (That sudden burst in Neurons!)

Teresa: "Rostical!" *She gasped, keeping her emotionless face.*

Alicia: *She stood up straight, as the pendant around her neck glowed a bright blue.* "..."

Mindy: *She looked over her shoulder and stared at Alicia.* (Rostical?) *She readjusted her footing and prepared to flashstep.*

Alicia: "Flashstepping now won't save you." *She looked sad and spoke with disappointment.*

Mindy: "You're wrong-" *An ice spear blasted from the sky and pierced into her back.* "Kark-" *The ice spear shot through her chest and jabbed into the ground.*

Lance: "G-Gah-" *He coughed up blood and awkwardly stood up.* "W-What was-?" *He staggered closer, holding himself in pain.* "Was that _Alicia_?"

Mindy: *She watched swirls of mist evaporate off the ice.* "I can't believe this-" *She wheezed.* "I didn't know the pendant was still active-" *She threw up blood and wheezed.*

Alicia: "N-No-" *Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed onto the ground.*

Mindy: "I-I can't-" *Her words were distorted, as she gargled blood.* (I can't die like this. Kath, I-)

Teresa: (I do not understand why she desired for our paths to intertwine.)

Mindy: *She dropped the mallet to her side, causing several vibrations to be felt along the ground.* (Failed.) *She sighed out her last breath and became motionless.*

Ashton: " _Argh_ my feet, it _burns_ _so_ _much_." *He held his foot with both hands, as he twitched in pain.*

Teresa: *She noticed Mindy dead on her feet, supported by the ice spear.* (It is over?) *She stepped out from behind the crates and walked up to Ashton.* (These injuries are serious, but considering they fought a captain ranked warrior. They are _very_ lucky.)

Lance: *He stopped and leant on the house.* "Is that Mindy girl alive?"

Teresa: *She looked to her side at Lance.* "Hoh? You are still conscious after receiving that attack-?"

Lance: "Yea-" *He coughed up blood and fell unconscious, causing him to slide off the house.*

Alicia: *She opened her eyes and looked around with blurred vision.* "H-Huh?" *She stood up and staggered, as she tried to regain her balance.* "Ashton!"

Ashton: *He looked at Alicia and his eyebrow twitched in pain.* "That was amazing, I didn't expect you to use Rostical?" *He spoke with his teeth gritted, as he tried to overcome the pain.*

Teresa: "Despite the fact it was a weak variant of a weak Rostical, if you did not have the element of surprise, this outcome would _not_ have been the same."

Ashton: "Why didn't you help us-?" *He stopped in mid-sentence, grunting in pain.* "My foot!"

Teresa: "I am useful with knowledge not fighting."

Alicia: "T-Teresa if you don't mind, could you please lay Lance alongside Ashton please?"

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Alicia: "I can't explain it well, so I'll just show you."

Teresa: "I see." *She walked over broken pieces of wood, which had scattered everywhere.* (She fainted, was it the sheer force of using Rostical, or was it that her body was not accustomed to the sudden surge of Neurons?)

Alicia: "Listen to my voice, Ashton.. It-It'll be okay."

Ashton: *His eyes watered by instinct, as he unintentionally ignored Alicia.* (The pain is unbearable!)

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She grabbed under Lance's arms and dragged him over to Ashton.* (Me doing such a tedious thing.)

Alicia: "Th-Thank you." *She stared at Lance and Ashton, as they lay side by side on the ground.*

Teresa: *She nodded her head and instinctively stepped back.* (Just what exactly is she doing?)

Alicia: "With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light, HEALING RINGS" *A pulse of sand blew into the air and her hair blew back, as swirls of light formed lines on the ground.*

Teresa: *She stared at the lines of light, creating a glyph.* (What is this!-)

*The glyph started to move in a clockwise direction around Lance and Ashton.*

Teresa: (What elemental affinity is this?!) *She watched their visible scratches and bruises heal in the light.*

*The glyph suddenly transformed into two white rings, which continued to spiral around them.*

Teresa: (This? Can not be the power of-) *Her eyes flickered in the light caused by the rings.* ( _Light_?)

Ashton: *He looked to each side, as he stared at the rings in awe.* (Such a beautiful sight-)

Teresa: *She glanced at Alicia and took a step back.* (Alicia's power? This has sparked my interest-)

Ashton: ( _Hey_? The sharp pains running up my leg, are gone?!)

*One of the villagers rushed up to Alicia and forewarned her that warriors were spotted.*

Alicia: "Thank you." *She nodded her head in appreciation, as she concentrated on the Rostical.*

Teresa: (Warriors were spotted? So Mindy's party have finally caught up to us?)

Alicia: "We have to go." *She lowered her arms and stepped back with weak knees.*

*Strings of light swirled around Ashton and Lance before fading away.*

Ashton: "I heard." *He stood up and looked at his foot in shock.* (It's _completely_ healed!)

Teresa: *She noticed Lance lying on the ground unconscious.* "I may require assistance, Ashton." *She bent her knees and struggled to lift up Lance.*

Ashton: "Oh sorry, how embarrassing." *He quickly grabbed Lance's arm and picked him up.*

Warrior A: "Come on! The captain said if we're late she'll beat us up!" *His grunts echoed in the distance, alerting the party to move faster.*

Warrior B: "Then why didn't we take the slope down?"

Warrior A: "Have you ever got stones in your armour?! Don't backchat me!"

Alicia: "I-It sounds like they're very close." *She bit her bottom lip and covered her mouth in fear.*

Ashton: "Where can we go?" *He supported Lance over his shoulder, as he spoke with panic.*

Teresa: "If we head East down those slopes, we might be able to use The Igloo Forest's canopy as cover." *She pointed towards the cliff, causing Ashton and Alicia to look into the direction.*

Alicia: (What a smart idea-)

Ashton: "Let's go!"

*The party awkwardly ran towards the cliff and suddenly stopped at the ledge.*

Ashton: *He peered down the cliff, causing him to look worried.* (How are we going to get down?)

Teresa: *She stepped to the side, leaving Ashton to hold Lance.* "Hmm? We should be able to slide-"

Ashton: (Slide!) *He thought in relief, as he scanned for an area to jump down.*

Alicia: "Slide? What do you mean-?"

Ashton: "Please excuse this, Alicia."

Alicia: "Wha-?"

Ashton: (Please don't let anyone get hurt-) *He grabbed Alicia and stepped forward, causing the party to slide down the slope.*

*Trails of dirt followed the party, as they safely slid towards the bottom.*

Teresa: *She landed with ease and gracefully ran towards nearby trees.* "We must hurry."

Alicia: *She awkwardly landed and coughed, before running after Teresa.* "..."

Ashton: *He landed and nearly fell forward, due to holding Lance.* (Come on, Ashton-) *He grunted to himself and stood up straight, before running towards the forest.*

Chapter 4: Neurons and Astragons

*A single beam of light shined directly on top of a kneeling woman.*

?????: *Two strands of long blonde hair dangled in front of her face.* (Thy should not be here.)

*The room was dome-shaped and the sounds of old people chattering echoed in the darkness.*

?????: *She looked up and watched dust float in the ray of light.* (Have The Wise gone mad-?)

The Wise: "Pepper!"

Pepper: *She quickly looked down with respect.* "But it wasn't me-"

The Wise: "Pepper, you understand you broke one of the most _sacred_ rules of our kingdom." *An old man's voice echoed throughout the divine room.*

Pepper: "But-"

The Wise: "Enough excuses!" *An old woman's scream echoed in the room, causing the chatter to stop.* "The kingdom of Valhalla does not tolerate _anyone_ breaking the rules."

Pepper: "I understand-"

The Wise: "You risked and _selfishly_ tried to expose our secret."

Pepper: *She looked up towards the sound of the woman's voice and squinted her eyes, due to the light.* "Thy didn't selfishly expose the secret, it is true thy want to see the outside, but-"

The Wise: "Pepper, punishment for this crime will result-" *She paused, sparking silence.*

Pepper: "..." *She focused on her breathing, as she awaited the decision.*

The Wise: "The outcome will be the loss your divine Remenistal." *An elderly man spoke with authority, causing Pepper to tilt her head to the other side.*

Pepper: (What!) "Y-You can't."

The Wise: "Too bad, we had high hopes for you. As one of The Sacred Knights and possible candidate of the chosen one-" *He paused in mid-sentence, as disappointment filled in his voice.*

Pepper: "I say, give me a chance!"

The Wise: "Don't you _dare_ raise your voice in your current position."

Pepper: "But-"

The Wise: "In regards to the crime, when did you exit The Imperial Glacial Castle and through The Divine Path?"

Pepper: "I _didn't_ go through The Divine Path-"

The Wise: "Lies! We will not ask again."

Pepper: (They keep interrupting me.) "Thy was intending to leave on pure curiosity, thy had no reason to reveal any secrets-"

The Wise: "The rules are the rules."

Pepper: "The rules are _stupid_."

*Several gasps echoed in the darkness, causing chatter to fill the divine room.*

The Wise: "These _stupid_ rules are the _very_ reason _nobody_ across the lands knows of our presence!"

Pepper: "But why?"

The Wise: "Remember the incident that happened with _Lorilei Gales_."

*Mutters reacted to the spoken name.*

Pepper: "But thy'm not like her."

The Wise: "This discussion has gone for too long."

Pepper: *She frowned, as her crystal blue eyes suddenly shined gold.* (Too long-?)

The Wise: "This sentence was inevitable, but we wanted to hear your side."

Pepper: (They are not doing a good job at that!-) "Thy'm being framed!-"

The Wise: "Pepper, you will lose your divine Remenistal and will be _banished_ from the city of Valhalla."

Pepper: "I say, thy do not wish to leave!" *She shook her head, as her eyes started to glaze.* "W-Where?"

The Wise: "To the place you desire so."

*Pepper looked down to the white polished floors, forming fists.*

The Wise: "We are not so cold-hearted, you were one of the five members of The Sacred Knights-"

*Whispers and mutters echoed in the growing silence.*

The Wise: "If you somehow regain your divine Remenistal, then you may gain the ability to access Valhalla once again."

Pepper: "Thy'm sorry, thy'm sorry-" *She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, with a twitching frown.* (If they will not listen to reason, then thy have no choice but to comply-)

The Wise: "We have spoken. The adjustments will begin in twenty minutes."

*Whoosh-like sounds echoed, as each member of The Wise flashstepped out of the chamber.*

Pepper: "No." *She placed both hands on the floor and whimpered to herself.*

*Sounds of high-heel-like footsteps walked towards Pepper and stopped.*

?????: "Pep-per?" *A woman dressed in pure white clothing leant down, placing her arm on Pepper.*

Pepper: "Celest, they're taking me away."

Celest: *She closed her eyes to hold back her tears.* "How long have they given thou?"

Pepper: "About fifteen minutes now."

Celest: "What is to happen?"

Pepper: "They are removing my divine Remenistal and banishing me from Valhalla."

Celest: (Pepper losing her Radiatons?) "Anything else?"

Pepper: "They mentioned, if I somehow regain my powers-" *She shook her head and sighed.* "Whatever that meant, yeah?"

Celest: (Thy see.) "With things happening down there, with the Consultants."

Pepper: "The Consultants."

Celest: "This is _not_ a good time."

Pepper: "What happened to Lorilei?"

Celest: "She was powerful in Remenistal."

Pepper: "..."

Celest: "She used one of the forbidden Remenistal, so she was able to teleport herself right out."

Pepper: *She silently stared at the ground.* "Thy didn't do it."

Celest: "It is hard to believe when there are witnesses."

Pepper: "Witnesses?" *She whispered under her breath.*

Celest: "Before you respond, people of Valhalla and a member of The Wise.."

Pepper: "This is just a bad dream.."

Celest: (It doesn't make sense that she would play innocent even after the judgement has-)

Pepper: "Thank you, Celest, for everything-" *Gold dust-like swirls blew out of her eyes.*

Celest: *She watched Pepper's body become transparent.* (Her eyes have reverted back to their normal colour-)

Pepper: "A-Argh-" *She grunted in pain, as her body started to disintegrate into tiny white orbs.*

Celest: "It's happening-" *She whispered under her breath and stood up, taking a step back.*

Pepper: "I say, it hurts-" *Her hands slipped, causing her head to hit the ground.* "Thy will miss-" *Her body burst into a pulse of white orbs, causing her voice to fade away.*

Celest: "Pepper." *She took a moment to herself and sighed.* "Why?" *She whispered to herself and faced a door of pure light.* "Thy cannot believe thou broke one of the most sacred rules."

*Celest walked towards the door and closed her eyes, blinded by the light outside.*

Celest: *She stood on the ledge of a massive ancient-like castle.* (Thy will watch over thou.)

\--

*Tiny white orbs swirled from the sky and gathered on the ground, forming a human-size silhouette. The light faded and revealed Pepper lying unconscious on the ground.*

Pepper: *She gasped into consciousness and leant up.* "I say, where am I?" *She stood up and looked around in confusion.*

\----------

Lance: *He opened his eyes and found himself in a small bed inside a very small wooden shack, noticing stars through the cracks of old wooden panels.* (Stars?)

_Alicia_ : "He stopped snoring." *Her voice could be heard from outside the shack.*

_Teresa_ : "What a trivial announcement, back to the topic of conversation."

Lance: *He threw the sheets off and stood up, before staggering towards the wooden door.* (This room is tiny-)

_Ashton_ : "Should we check up on him?"

_Teresa_ : "Negative."

Lance: (Negative? The bitch-) *He opened the door and nearly fell out of the tiny shack.* "Where-?" *He grunted to himself, as he looked around lost.*

Ashton: "Glad to see you're finally up."

Lance: *He looked towards the origin of the voice and noticed the party, sitting around a small fire.* "How long was I out for?" *He grunted and scratched his arm while walking towards the fire.*

Teresa: "At least fifteen hours."

Lance: "Wait a minute-" *He placed his hand on his chest in shock, as he inspected the area.*

_Mindy_ : " _Shattering stones_." *Her voice echoed in Lance's mind.*

Lance: "When that girl kicked me, I _swear_ I heard one of my ribs breakin'."

Alicia: "I healed them." *She proudly announced with a slight smile.*

Lance: (She healed a broken bone? Or did I recover from a broken bone in fifteen hours thanks to her..) *He grunted, deep in thought.*

Ashton: *He discreetly hid his smile.* (The realisation that someone can heal wounds, it's something right out of a game, isn't it Lance?)

Lance: "Th-Thanks-" *He stood next to Ashton and stared into the fire.* "I guess."

Ashton: "Lance." *He motioned his head for Lance to sit down.* "We were just discussing what we're going to do from here."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: "Oh, OK?" *He sat down next to Ashton, looking slightly disorientated.*

Alicia: "I originally planned to get a ship and travel across The Great Coast."

Teresa: "We would have been within walking distance to Surpreon."

Alicia: "B-But since Mindy's subordinates are now patrolling the area, we will have to go around The Great Coast." *She reached for a nearby stick and drew lines on the sandy ground, describing what she meant.*

Lance: " _Wait_." *He grunted with impatience and frustration.* "How did we end up in a forest? Wat happened to Mindy? And who's patrollin' wat?" *He prepared himself for other questions.*

Teresa: "Alicia surprised us all by using an ice element Rostical on Mindy." *She spoke with an emotionless face, as she stared at Lance.* "The attack resulted in Mindy's demise."

Lance: "Yea, I'm sorry _wat_?! It can use Rostickal?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep-"

Lance: "So _why_ didn't ya use it from the _start_?" *He gave Alicia a feral look.*

Alicia: *She paused and looked at the ground, feeling slightly intimidated.* "W-Well, I-I need this pendant to use Rostical-"

Teresa: "If I can recall, Alicia went out of her way to heal you no? Such pointless babble is somewhat frustrating."

Lance: "..." *He stared at Teresa as if he didn't know what to say.*

Teresa: " _As_ I was saying to your previous question. Mindy is now dead due to Alicia's Rostical, we had to leave on short notice as other warriors were heading our way."

Lance: "..." (Wateva.) *He looked away child-like, placing his hands over his head.*

Teresa: "It is fortunate that Alicia's Rostical bypassed her natural Astragon shield."

Ashton: "Oh, do tell!" *He sounded interested.*

Alicia: *She looked at Teresa as if she was confused Ashton didn't know.* "Powerful people have a high control of Astragons, this allows them to escape injuries that would otherwise kill a person."

Ashton: (It does?)

Teresa: "I am a firm believer of showing instead of telling, but it appears no one here is in any position to show off such a feat."

Ashton: "What does it look like?"

Alicia: "Astragons are invisible."

Ashton: "Sorry, no I mean-"

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She looked slightly annoyed.* "It is very unnoticeable as it is a slight shade different to your skin colour. Regardless, we must focus on the conversation. I do not wish to repeat myself one more time."

Lance: "If you don't like the convo, why follow us?"

Teresa: "It was more enjoyable when you were a constant background noise."

Lance: "Pssht, wateva. You know the sayin', snores get the w-"

Ashton: "So, Alicia-" *He nodded his head in understanding and looked down, observing Alicia's drawings.* "You said we had to go around The Great Coast."

Alicia: "Yep?"

Ashton: "Why do we assume that the warriors will stick around? So why not wait, then take the boat?"

Teresa: "That would be because of Mindy's death."

Alicia: *She nodded her head in response.* "..."

Ashton: "Why would that have such an impact?"

Teresa: "Only a few selective Scoldrants are strong enough to kill a single digit captain. The Consultants usually inspect the area until the matter, or reason is resolved."

Ashton: "So the Consultants will be sending more warriors to inspect what happened?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Ashton: "What do you mean _resolve_ the matter?"

Teresa: "To eradicate the Scoldrant of course."

Ashton: "Oh? But what if the Scoldrant attacked for defensive purposes?"

Teresa: "Such a question we both know the answer to."

Ashton: "Oh." *He looked down to his lap and formed fists.*

Lance: "So ya sayin' we need to walk the long way?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: "How far?" *He moaned under his breath like a child.*

Alicia: "U-Umm-" *She looked down to her diagram and back to Lance.* "We will need to go around The Great Coast, to the entrance of Maserio-"

Lance: "Heh? Maserio? Sounds like a friggin' computer game."

Alicia: (Compeutarh?)

Teresa: (Their choice of apparel, their choice of words and their lack of knowledge.. How curious.)

Alicia: "Maserio is the hottest and driest part on the continent."

Ashton: (That's right, the elder mentioned that before-) "Please continue."

Alicia: "After going through the entrance of Maserio, we will need to go through Gasher Hills and then to Surpreon."

Lance: *He sighed and dropped his arms on his legs.* ( _So_ _much_ _walking_ , I'm _already_ tired just _thinking_ about it.)

Alicia: "So we will head there at daybreak."

Ashton: "That sounds acceptable to me."

Teresa: "Due to the unfortunate circumstances, this is the best route to take."

Alicia: "Th-Thank you."

Teresa: "Hoh? I merely speak factually, there is nothing to be grateful for."

*The party awkwardly stared at Teresa.*

Ashton: "So, Alicia, since when could you use that power-?"

Teresa: "Before the discussion commences, I have a proposal I wish to discuss with you all."

Alicia: "Y-Yes?"

Teresa: "I have taken the appropriate amount of time for thought, which has established this decision."

Ashton: "What is it, Teresa?"

Teresa: "If there is no inconvenience, I wish to travel with you all, as a party. I have calculated my knowledge in a lot of aspects could serve you all greatly."

Lance: "Pssht." *He looked away with a childish pout.*

Teresa: "Is there an issue with the man-child?"

Ashton: "Lance?"

Lance: *He sighed with an appreciative smirk.* "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have had that epic plan to defeat Mindy."

Alicia: "Tee hee, ever since we met you, you have helped us a lot." *She smiled with an approving nod.*

Ashton: "Unacceptable, you had to ask?"

Teresa: "Excellent, although-" *She watched the fire dance in front of her.*

Ashton: "Although?"

Teresa: "Now that a single digit warrior is down, the Consultants will likely be sending several strong warriors."

Lance: "So? Who cares."

Teresa: "So we must be on guard."

Alicia: "What do you mean?"

Teresa: "The Consultants even out the experience in warriors."

Lance: "Aye?"

Teresa: "For instance, an area with two captain ranking warriors would have low numbers in the area."

Ashton: "While an area with low ranking warriors will have more numbers?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Ashton: "Acceptable." (She knows a lot of information.)

Alicia: "So, Ashton, your question."

Ashton: "Yes." *He faced Alicia with a curious face.*

Alicia: "Okay, I will tell you all about me-"

Lance: " _Sigh_." *He sighed and looked away.*

Alicia: "Twenty years have passed since I was born-"

Lance: "Wow-" *He rolled his eyes and sighed.*

Ashton: "Lance, not now."

Lance: "Wateva."

Alicia: "My mother and father were killed by warriors."

Ashton: "My condolences."

Alicia: "Th-Thank you." *She paused and slowly exhaled.* "When I was about seven years old, I was attacked by a Scoldrant. I was playing where I first met you both."

Teresa: "At the age of seven? Surviving an attack at such a young age is quite rare, I am intrigued to know what happened."

Alicia: "W-Well, it grabbed me and pulled me deep into the forest, there was a lake and it tried to drag me in. I was so scared and I kept screaming, but no one heard me."

Ashton: "Frightening."

Lance: (Attention seeker.) *He stared past Alicia with a bored expression and sighed.*

Teresa: "Please explain to the party how you survived the attack?"

Alicia: "I remember screaming as loud as I could, wanting it to stop. So I closed my eyes and felt the Scoldrant stop pulling on my leg."

Ashton: "Good grief, so the Scoldrant just attacked you for no reason?"

Alicia: "Yep. I opened my eyes and I looked down to see my pendant glowing, it was an aqua colour."

Teresa: "The colour of the pendant is trivial."

Alicia: "S-Sorry-" *She took a quick breath to continue her story.* "When I looked at the Scoldrant I noticed it was _completely_ frozen, _even_ the water around it."

Teresa: (She has the ability to heal? She was able to use Rostical at the age of seven? If the Consultants ever find out about her, things _may_ get complicated.)

Alicia: "Well, I pulled my leg back and its arm snapped off like a twig."

Ashton: "Like a twig?"

Alicia: "And its claws dug deep cuts around my ankles, so I placed my hand over it."

Ashton: "Like a normal reaction."

Alicia: "Y-Yep, and a bright light blinded me."

Ashton: "From the sun?"

Alicia: "No, my pendant. When I opened my eyes, the pain was gone and all that remained were scars."

Ashton: "That _must've_ been very scary."

Lance: "The only thing that's scary is her horrid storytelling, aye." *He chuckled and smirked to himself.*

Ashton: (Lance..) *He sighed, slowly shaking his head.*

Alicia: "It was really scary and that wasn't all. That very night I found out our village was due to be taxed. Like every other village, we were taxed a few days earlier so we obviously didn't have enough to pay."

Ashton: (Terrible.)

Alicia: "A-As a result, half of the village was slaughtered."

Ashton: "Unacceptable, you can stop if you wish?"

Alicia: "N-No, it's fine. Thank you." *She watched the wood splinter away, causing her to stare into the fire.* "Later that night, my mother rushed in _covered_ in blood. She said she found me on a rock near Concern's Gate."

Lance: " _Found_? How did ya mum know where to look then?"

Alicia: "My mother and several other villagers were heading back from Surpreon after stocking up on several items. My mother said something _forced_ her to look where I was."

Teresa: (So exploring the village's past will not explain the origin of her healing powers?) "Tcch-"

Alicia: "She later caught up with the villagers and they never really questioned it. She also told me, that I was already wearing this pendant when she found me."

Lance: "That was borin'-"

Teresa: (I find myself agreeing, it was pointless exposition.)

Alicia: "And that's how I found out about my powers."

Ashton: " _Incredible_."

Lance: "Wait, so that means the people that got killed in the village weren't ya real parents?"

Alicia: "No, but that's not the point."

Lance: "Great, then there's more creatures like Alicia runnin' around."

Teresa: "Actually, she would be like them. They can not be Alicia if they are of older age."

Lance: "W-Wateva."

Ashton: *He sighed and focused his attention on Alicia.* "This might be a stupid question, but do you know your real parents?"

Alicia: "N-No I don't." *She lowered her head and stared at the pendant.* (Lance's lame jokes are starting to annoy me.)

Teresa: (The power of healing? My memories-) *She placed her hand on her forehead in pain.*

Lance: "Bah, how annoyin', everyone is _so_ emotional." *He grunted and picked his nose.*

Ashton: "Well-"

Lance: "Who else is hungry?" *He scratched his belly under his shirt.*

Teresa: *She looked over at each party member.* "None of you are wearing any bags?"

Lance: "So?"

Teresa: "Where are the consumables?"

*The party looked at each other with hungry faces.*

Alicia: "O-Oh no, I was so caught up with what happened, I forgot about food-"

Lance: "Forgot about food?" *He grunted with disgust.* "Forgot about the book, wat's next?"

Ashton: "So did you."

Lance: "W-Well-" *He sighed and looked away.*

Teresa: "Fortunately, I noticed in the shack contained several bags of nuts."

Lance: "Ah man, I'm so hungry, I wanted to eat my favourite."

Alicia: "What's your favourite?"

Lance: "Watermelon, _mmm_." *He smiled with an open mouth and started to drool.*

Alicia: " _Eww_." *She glanced at Lance in disgust before looking away.* "What about you, Ashton and Teresa?"

Ashton: "I like chicken salads, yummy."

Teresa: "I do not have a favourite food."

Ashton: "You don't?"

Teresa: "I consume whatever is needed, ensuring the correct amount of nutrients are digested." *She stood up and walked towards the shack.*

Alicia: (Teresa.) *She silently watched Teresa walk into the shack.*

Ashton: "What about you, Alicia?"

Alicia: "U-Umm." *She held her pendant with both hands in thought.* "I enjoy vegetable soup."

Ashton: "Haha, vegetable soup-"

Teresa: *She walked past Ashton, holding several bags of nuts.* "This may not be the most enjoyable feast but it should suffice." *She sat down, handing a bag to each party member.*

Lance: *He groaned and dipped his hand in the bag.* (They expect me to eat this?) "Pssht, this _sucks_."

Alicia: *She grabbed a handful and crunched on one.* "I suppose it's better than nothing."

Lance: "As if I'm eatin' nuts for _dinner_ -" *He stood up and started to walk back to the shack.*

Teresa: "You must ensure your nutrients are-"

Lance: "I'm goin' back to _sleep_." *He grunted and slammed the door behind him.*

Alicia: "Lance-"

Ashton: "Don't worry about it." *He leant over and reached into the bag.*

Teresa: *She stared at the shack with confusion.* (Such troublesome behaviour is a result of impulse emotions-)

Ashton: "There's something that's been on my mind about the warriors."

Alicia: "Y-Yes?"

Ashton: "People say Consultants? Implying there's more than one?"

Alicia: *She shook her head in confusion, before swallowing.* "I wouldn't have a clue-"

Teresa: "It is speculated that there are more than one. But as of yet, only one active Consultant has made herself known."

Alicia: "Th-The Consultant is a girl?" *She looked surprised, grabbing another handful from the bag.*

Ashton: *He nodded his head in agreement.* (For some reason, I wasn't expecting that either.)

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "What else do you know?"

Teresa: " _Well_ -"

\----------

Lance: *Sunlight seeped through the cracks of the roof, waking him up.* "Hmm?" *He rubbed his eyes and stood up.*

*The leaves rustled in the cool morning wind, as birds chirped in the background.*

Lance: *He walked out of the shack, as his stomach wildly grumbled.* "Huh?" *He noticed the party standing up and ready to leave.* "So am I that bad? Tryin' to leave without me?"

Teresa: "Despite the fact you were completely healed, the trauma your body has suffered lately-"

Lance: "Wat? You make no sense-"

Teresa: "The rest you endured was a necessary requirement-"

Lance: "OK, OK, _wateva_."

Alicia: "S-So now that everybody is ready, shall we head off?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Alicia: (So East is-) *She spun around and faced the forest.* ( _This_ way.) *She walked forward, leading the party into the forest.*

Lance: *He placed his hand on his belly and moaned.* (I'm _so_ _hungry_.) *He whimpered and rocked his head back like a child.*

Ashton: "Here." *He presented a small bag, causing Lance to look at it with confusion.*

Lance: "Wat is it?"

Ashton: "Leftovers from last night."

Lance: "Pssht." *He snatched the bag and devoured the nuts in them.* ( _Thanks_ , Ash.)

Ashton: *He walked faster and caught up to Alicia.* "Excuse me, Alicia, I have a question."

Alicia: "O-Of course?" *She looked to her side at Ashton in confusion.*

Ashton: "How does Rostical _actually_ work?"

Alicia: "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure."

Ashton: "I see."

Alicia: "All I know is, if you have Rostical blood or if a Rosterology item responds to you, then you're able to use Rostical."

Ashton: (Rostical blood? An item that responds to you?) "I see."

Alicia: "And addition to all of that, you need to learn certain wording."

Ashton: "Certain _wording_?"

Alicia: "To make the Rostical up to three times stronger."

Ashton: "Three times stronger?"

Alicia: "I've also read, that some powerful Rostical only work with the correct symbols or incantations."

Teresa: *She closely walked behind Ashton and Alicia.* "Everything on this continent has Neurons and Astragons."

Lance: "Newgongs? Astragongs?"

Alicia: "I-It's _really_ surprising neither of you know this?"

Lance: "Well it sounds like I'm in science class or somethin', how _borin_ '." *He sighed and ignored the conversation, placing his hands on his head.*

Ashton: "Neurons, Astragons. Please continue."

Teresa: "Everything living and non-living have either Neurons and Astragons."

Ashton: (Even non-living things have them?)

Teresa: "People that can freely use Rostical are born with both Neurons and Astragons."

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She enthusiastically nodded her head, as she continued to lead the party through the forest.*

Teresa: "If a Rosterology item responds to someone, it means they either contain Neurons _or_ Astragons."

Lance: *He watched the party walk in front of him, giving them a sleazy look.* (How can that make sense to anyone-?)

Ashton: "But you said _everything_ has _both_?"

Teresa: "Perhaps I said it incorrectly? The Rosterology item will respond to those who have a _certain_ level of Neurons or Astragons."

Ashton: "Wow, then do the Rosterology items contain both as well-?"

Lance: "So that means we can use some magic too?!" *He had a mischievous grin on his face.*

Alicia: " _Magick_?"

Teresa: "Not exactly, it becomes even more complex here."

Lance: " _More_ complex? I'm outta here." *He quickly looked up to the trees, pretending he couldn't hear anything.*

Teresa: "Let us say Alicia only has Neurons, the pendant will need Astragons to activate."

Ashton: "Or vice versa?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Alicia: "..." *She looked down and observed the pendant.*

Teresa: "In regards to what Alicia said about symbols and incantations, there are several ways to boost the base power of a Rostical."

Ashton: *He had a flashback of the swirling fire Millard used.* (A _stronger_ version of that?!)

Teresa: "One way, is using the correct incantation, which is the easiest and most logical way of boosting it."

Ashton: "So how exactly does the Rosterology items work?"

Teresa: "If a user had only Neurons so to speak, then the item would draw the opposite _ons_ which would be Astragons closer to the user."

Alicia: (I'm getting confused-)

Teresa: "When the required Astragons are absorbed, it then mixes with the Neurons resulting in the bending of space, alterations to physical form and an energy source to do so."

Alicia: (That makes no sense at all.)

Ashton: "So to speak, it draws the opposite element needed to use Rostical."

Alicia: (He's amazing, he can keep up with the conversation.)

Teresa: " _Precisely_."

Lance: "Gah, my head _hurts_. I failed science for a reason." *He sighed and dragged his feet in the dirt.*

Alicia: "I-I thought you weren't listening-?"

Lance: "Shut it-"

Ashton: *He gave Teresa his full attention.* "P-Please continue, what do you mean _physical_ _form_?"

Teresa: "For example, Alicia's Icicle Edge. She would need to gather the energy, Neurons."

Ashton: "Okay." *He nodded his head in understanding.*

Teresa: "And Astragons, to manipulate the space to form a physical ice lance."

Ashton: "In physical laws that seems impossible, but I have no information on these Neurons and Astragons to work with!" *He mumbled to himself, deep in thought.*

Teresa: "Rostical is hard to grasp if one was never around to witness it."

Ashton: "Can you tell which one you have?! As in, can Lance or myself use Rostical as well?"

Teresa: "Even though I have told you the basic understanding of Rosterology items and Rostical, one is still needed to have a natural gift at it."

Ashton: "Oh?" *His excitement slightly faded away.*

Teresa: "You see, with all these requirements it is essentially _very_ rare to have Rostical Users."

Lance: "Well if _it_ can use Rostical." *He looked towards Alicia and pointed at her like a child.* "Then it can't be too hard?" *He tripped on a rock, causing him to stagger forward.*

Alicia: *She ignored Lance and looked at Teresa.* "Even though I am able to use Rostical myself, what is the difference between Neurons and Astragons?"

Ashton: "Not even you know?" *He sounded surprised.*

Alicia: "M-My village was very scarce on information."

Teresa: "Neurons are essentially an energy source, without Neurons the user would have no power to effectively use Rostical, it also determines how powerful a Rostical is."

Ashton: (I have mixed feelings, one side of me is saying this is all fake, but the other side is curious to know more-)

Teresa: "Astragons are essentially an alteration source, without Astragons the user would not be able to manipulate the space."

Alicia: "Manipulate _space_?"

Teresa: "Indeed, how else do you think you are able to gather so much ice for your Icicle Edge?"

Alicia: "I-I don't know, in the air?"

Teresa: "Materialising ice from thin air, is due to the Astragons. The Astragons gather the particles needed to create ice and bends them into a solid object."

Alicia: "..." *She silently nodded her head, as her face filled with learning.*

Teresa: "Since Neurons determines how powerful the Rostical is, Astragons determine the level of Rostical the user can use."

Ashton: "How?"

Teresa: "By the level of manipulation."

Alicia: "I-I don't understand?"

Teresa: "Another example would be to compare the Rostical Icicle Edge with another person with more Astragons."

Ashton: "Okay."

Teresa: "Their Icicle Edge would be far superior, longer, thicker etcetera."

Ashton: "And if you were to compare Neurons?"

Teresa: "Their Icicle Edge would materialise faster, would cause a stronger impact or possibly even explode to the touch."

Alicia: "I never knew there was so much stuff behind using Rostical."

Ashton: "Thank you so much, Teresa, you've been the only person to actually give us _answers_ and an understanding of things."

Teresa: "If my knowledge assists the party, then that is all the praise I require."

Alicia: "It's amazing how often I use Rostical without even knowing _half_ of it."

Teresa: (Perhaps I will not explain Azures, Ougis, or even the mechanics behind Rasticsplashes-)

Alicia: "My understanding about Rostical-" *She paused in mid-sentence and looked at Teresa.* "I appreciate the fact I can use Rostical even more, thank you."

Teresa: "As I previously stated, my knowledge assisting the party is all the praise I require-"

Lance: "How much more do we have to walk?" *He flopped his arms around as if they were jelly.*

Alicia: "W-We're almost at the entrance of Maserio."

*The party walked out of the forest and instantly noticed a beautiful beach, enjoying the sudden and constant sea breeze.*

Alicia: "The Great Coast is the largest and most exquisite beach across the land."

Ashton: "It has bright golden sand and crystal blue water." *He spoke with amazement.*

Lance: "It's just a beach-"

Ashton: "It looks like a perfect tropical area, the trees from Igloo Forest contrast the colours furthermore."

Teresa: "Rostical Users have been said to train here, the coast is protected by natural cliffs and is protected from the heat of Maserio if Scoldrants stray too far."

Ashton: "The view, it's like eye candy where ever we go." *He looked at Lance with amazement.* "Lance aren't you amazed at the untouched beauty of these environments?"

Lance: "Why would I be? It's just a _beach_ -" *He gave Ashton a strange look, as sunlight shined on his shoulders.* "That's something a girl would say, aye? Ashton, I wonder about you sometimes."

Ashton: "Hey, hey, you don't need to be a girl to respect the ecosystem."

Alicia: "Stop picking on him, Lance."

Lance: "Whoa, whoa, _whoa_ , have I missed something? Pickin' favourites now, Alicia?"

Teresa: "Lance, enough of this pointless dribble."

Lance: "Y-Yes, miss." *He lowered his head and looked away.*

*Ashton and Alicia giggled to each other, as the party started to walk up a large slope.*

Teresa: *She noticed the slope divided the coast and the land into separate regions.* "Ensure not to step near the edge of the cliff, the further we walk the longer the drop will be."

Alicia: "Y-Yep."

Lance: "Good work pointin' out the obvious-"

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Lance: "N-Nothin'." *He grunted and looked away, listening to the waves.*

Ashton: "It's starting to get hot."

Alicia: "We must be getting closer to Maserio."

Teresa: "Indeed, the grass is starting to become dirt and sand, and all signs of flourishing vegetation are near non-existent."

Alicia: *She looked down the edge and stepped back against the rocky wall.* (Look how far down the beach is now.)

Lance: (Man, that Teresa girl talks so _weird_.)

*Enormous mountains to the East containing Maserio was now visible, as they were no longer hidden behind The Igloo Forest's trees.*

Teresa: *She noticed the cliff's formation rise up, connecting to the mountain's wall.* (It intrigues me, what will happen once we reach Surpreon?)

Lance: *He stared at a cave's entrance up ahead.* "Wat is Maserio again?"

Alicia: "The only area on the continent that has unbearable heat, no flora and water."

Lance: "Huh?"

Ashton: "Pretty much like a desert."

Lance: "Oh-" *He grunted, as he struggled to carry the bags over his shoulder.* (Teresa said she couldn't see any bags, how can you _not_ miss these?)

Ashton: (I wonder what Surpreon looks like, is it like The Library? Even better? I wonder what the people are like-?)

Lance: "Oi, am I the only one that's startin' to get tired from holdin' all these blasted bags?" *He moaned and looked over his shoulder, noticing his sword poking out from one of the bags.*

Alicia: "I-I agree, my back is starting to hurt a-and my bag seems like it won't be able to hold anything else."

Ashton: (These bags are quite inconvenient.)

Alicia: *She ran her fingers under the sack-like bag.* (And the Acro Berries are crushed, the bottom of the bag is damp.)

Teresa: "Hmm?" *She looked at the ragged sacks they used for bags.* "It appears we require the RPG bag."

Lance: "Ha, R-P-G bag? Ahaha."

Alicia: "What's so funny?"

Lance: *He coughed and stopped smiling.* "Nothin'."

Ashton: *He glanced at Teresa with curiosity.* "What do you mean?"

Teresa: "Due to the high Rosterology advancements at Surpreon, we can purchase the number one recommended bag, the RPG bag."

Ashton: "What is this RPG bag?"

Teresa: "The RPG bag holds a limitless amount of items and it never gets heavier."

Ashton: "Never gets heavy?"

Teresa: "No matter _how_ many objects you place in it, _very_ convenient for any traveller."

Lance: "Aha RPG bag? What's next, we go to a dragon's lair to get wisdom advice?"

Ashton: *He face palmed and sighed.* (Lance, get over the bag.)

Alicia: "You act so weird sometimes."

Teresa: *She observed Lance's behaviour with an emotionless face.* (He exhausts such energy, reacting and being a slave to his own insignificant emotions-)

Ashton: "Alicia, how long do you think it will take us to get to Surpreon?"

Alicia: "I-I'm not sure-" *A warm gust of wind blew past her, flapping her hair to one side.*

Ashton: "Oh?"

Alicia: "I-I've never travelled along this path before."

Teresa: "Judging from our current pace, it will take approximately several more hours-"

Lance: " _Wut_ -?"

Teresa: "Do you all see those huge cliffs?" *She pointed in front of the party beyond the cave.*

Alicia: "Yep." *She repositioned the bag, as it started to slip off her shoulder.*

Lance: " _That_ _far_?" *He squinted his eyes, as he tried to look beyond the landscape.*

Ashton: *He stared at the cliffs with squinted eyes.* "What is that? Surpreon?"

Teresa: "That's the entrance to Maserio."

Ashton: "Maserio." *He mumbled to himself and looked up to Teresa.* "Could you please tell us more about this Maserio?"

Teresa: "Such an odd question? Surpreon is just beyond Maserio, surely you should know a lot about it?"

Ashton: "..."

Teresa: "Maserio consists of three divided areas. One is the Maserio plains, then you have The Unknown Territory, and last is Gasher Hills."

Lance: "Unknown poop-a-tory?"

Ashton: "What I think Lance means is, why is it called The Unknown Territory?"

Teresa: "Self-explanatory, it is the five places left on the continent which have yet to be explored."

Alicia: "Why haven't they been explored? I thought the Consultants would've explored everything by now?"

Teresa: "The Unknown Territories are either blocked due to natural occurrences or require some sort of key."

Ashton: "What do you mean _key_."

Teresa: "I am not sure, that is what I read."

Ashton: "That's pretty cool, what are your thoughts, Lance?"

Lance: "I admit it seems kool, nothin' more." *He folded his arms and looked away.*

Ashton: "Alicia?"

Alicia: "I-I think, it would be amazing to explore something nobody has entered before."

Teresa: "I concur."

Ashton: "And what about you, Teresa?"

Teresa: "Searching for the five Unknown Territories. I have reason to believe, that is _exactly_ what the top notch single digits are doing right now."

Alicia: "I hope we never encounter another captain."

Ashton: "I agree-"

Teresa: "We will be entering the cave shortly." (Hopefully, the barrier is not still active.)

Ashton: "Fascinating." *He inspected the outer layer of the cave with amazement.*

Lance: "Kool, a cave." *He ran towards the entrance like a child and turned around facing the party.* "Oi! Come on!"

*The party caught up with the excited Lance, entering the cave.*

Alicia: "Wow, it's amazing! It's so high up." *She looked up and spun around.*

Lance: "Oh shuddup, it's just rocks, get over yourself, hideous cow."

Alicia: "S-Sorry what was that?"

Lance: "Have a lovely day."

Alicia: "Tee hee thank you, that was probably the nicest thing I've heard you say."

Lance: "Wateva." *He sighed and rolled his eyes.*

Teresa: "Judging by these glyphs-" *She closely inspected the walls.* "They have been activated recently."

Ashton: "What does that mean?"

Teresa: "People who can use Rostical can create or remove glyphs."

Lance: "Who cares, get to the point-"

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She looked at Lance in an intimidating manner, causing him to look away.* "It is a possibility that we may encounter another single digit."

Alicia: "O-Oh no."

Ashton: "Are you certain?" *He slightly frowned and stood in a defensive manner.*

Teresa: "The Consultants have activated several barriers."

Ashton: "What for?"

Teresa: "To repel high levelled Scoldrants away from cities, such as Surpreon."

Ashton: "So the Consultants are actually _helping_ the cities out?"

Teresa: "It would seem like that." (Although that is what the Consultants say, they merely wish to monitor who goes in and out.)

Alicia: "So Mindy was the ninth strongest warrior, Teresa do you know who the others are?"

Teresa: "Indeed I do." *She continued to walk through the cave with an emotionless face.*

Lance: *He stared at Teresa, awaiting her answer.* " _Well_ , are ya goin' to tell us?"

Teresa: "If you wish to know, of course."

Lance: "..." *He face palmed and sighed.*

Teresa: "Captain of the ranking eight is known as Wendy, whilst Cindy upholds the title for the ranking of seven."

Ashton: "Do you know more about them? If so, could you please tell us?"

Teresa: "Their powers are the same regarding strength and abilities."

Alicia: "S-So, umm." *She looked down and bit her bottom lip.* "If they're the same in power, how are their rankings different?"

Teresa: "What makes Cindy stronger is the fact she is able to use Rostical."

Ashton: "What about the others?"

Teresa: *She paused and looked at Alicia.* "Before I answer that, I have a question for Alicia."

Alicia: "Y-Yes?" *She looked at Teresa with a timid face.*

Teresa: "Your Icicle Edge, what is your capacity for using it?"

Ashton: "If you don't mind, how come?" *He spoke with curiosity and respect.*

Teresa: "I prefer to know the information, so I am able to put that into my calculations."

Lance: "Why?" *He grunted and stepped over several stones on the ground like a child.*

Teresa: "I will incorporate that knowledge into another plan if we were to encounter another high ranked warrior."

Alicia: "U-Umm, I can use it at least three times before I faint."

Teresa: "I see." (Assuming I do not have to fight. Lance, Ashton and Alicia's skills _combined_ will not be able to fend off another captain.)

Lance: *He dragged his feet along the ground and moaned.* (This is so tiring, I just want to go home.)

Ashton: "Have any of you noticed there's nothing here?"

Lance: "Yea, like not even those Scoldrant things."

Ashton: "Isn't that an excellent sign?"

Teresa: "No, this is a bad sign."

Alicia: "W-What do you mean?" *She quietly mumbled, glancing to each side with caution.*

Teresa: "Despite being Maserio, there will always be signs of life. So that indicates that there is either a powerful Scoldrant residing in the vicinity, or a warrior massacred the area."

*The party suddenly stopped and stared at Teresa with confusion.*

Alicia: "S-Scoldrants." *She whispered to herself with fear.*

Ashton: "What did you mean _powerful_?"

Lance: "Judging by how ya voiced it, ya made it seem there are different levels of Scoldrants."

Teresa: "Despite a significant amount of research, one of the few things I could not grasp information on, was Scoldrants."

Ashton: "So you don't know?"

Teresa: "Negative, it merely means my knowledge is rather limited. Apparently, it is said that Scoldrants have their own tier list similar to how the warriors have rankings."

Ashton: *He continued to walk through the cave, causing the party to follow.* "You mean like, how there are captains and-"

Teresa: " _Precisely_."

Ashton: "I recall Alicia stating that lowest ranking warriors are those who cannot use Rostical, what _exactly_ are the rankings?"

Teresa: "Well rankings go up to two hundred and fifty five-"

Lance: "Two hundred 'n' fifty five?!"

Teresa: "Warrior classes are divided into groups depending on their ranking numbers, for instance-"

Lance: "I get the feelin' another nerdy explanation is comin' on." *He sighed and rolled his eyes.*

Ashton: *He nudged Lance on the side, causing Alicia to smile.* "..." *Small rocks crushed under his feet, as he paid more attention to Teresa.*

Teresa: "Warriors between two hundred and fifty five to one hundred and seventy are the lowest in ranking."

Alicia: "What ranking do they go in?"

Lance: "The _lowest_? Aha, stupid stinky cow cruncher."

Alicia: "Grottom bottom." *She placed her finger under her left eye and closed her right, poking her tongue out.*

Lance: "Pssht, wateva with your stupid faces."

Ashton: "What I think Alicia meant is, in what way are they the lowest ranking?"

Alicia: "..." *She nodded her head in agreement.*

Teresa: "Warriors in the lowest group are those with no skills or are newly promoted into the rankings. These warriors are not usually seen in public, as they are forcefully trained inside the facilities of Sorrowprax."

Ashton: "Sorry, where?"

Teresa: "Inside the facilities of the Consultant's domain."

Alicia: "What is the next group?"

Teresa: "Warriors ranking from one hundred and sixty nine to one hundred, are now strong enough to slaughter a small village."

Ashton: "Such as AriAri village."

Teresa: "Indeed. These warriors are usually used as tax collectors."

Alicia: "Wow, they have such important roles."

Teresa: "They do." (But in the eyes of the Consultants they are merely fodder.)

Ashton: "And the next class?"

Teresa: "Warriors ranked from ninety nine to twenty one are the tax debt collectors."

Lance: *He placed his hands on his head and sighed.* "So I start to pay attention and now we're talkin' 'bout tax returns? _Pssht_."

Teresa: *She ignored Lance and looked at Alicia and Ashton.* "They are the most seen and are the ones that usually cause the slaughtering."

Ashton: "Why do they take tax?"

Teresa: "Ironically to protect them from Scoldrants."

Ashton: "Tssk." *He gritted his teeth and frowned.* (Unacceptable-)

Teresa: "Now we start to get to the strong spectrum of the warriors."

Alicia: (I had no idea the warriors had such a complex ranking system-) *She looked down to her pendant, deep in thought.*

Teresa: "Warriors who are ranked from twenty to ten are vice-captains, which pretty much do _anything_ for the captains."

Lance: (Vice-captains?) *He hid his interest, as he pretended not to listen.*

Teresa: "Now single digit captains."

*The party stared at Teresa with serious faces, giving her their full attention.*

Teresa: "Warriors ranked from nine to two are single digit captains. They possess unnatural abilities and extraordinary fighting skills, topped with an amazing capacity at using Rostical."

Alicia: (She knows _so_ much, it's great learning more about them.)

Lance: "Ahaha, ya forgot number one and ya said that number seven and below can use Rostical."

Teresa: "Hoh? So you do possess some cognitive abilities?"

Lance: "Well, admit you're wrong-"

Teresa: "Negative, all captains are _meant_ to possess Rostical-"

Lance: "Clearly not-"

Ashton: "Lance, could you please stop interrupting her."

Lance: *He sighed and looked away.* "She's got five minutes."

Teresa: "Number one ranked warriors are the only type of rank that does not get passed down."

Ashton: "What does that mean?"

Teresa: "What it means, for example-" *She coughed in a professional-like manner to clear her throat.* "Number seven unexpectedly resigns their number, then number eight would become the new seven."

Ashton: " _Ah_." *He mumbled with realisation, as he continued to look fascinated.*

Alicia: "So, if a number one passes away, the number two won't become a number one?"

Teresa: "Precisely, I myself do not know the reason for this. But that is how the system works." *She looked forward and noticed harsh sunlight, brightly shining at the end of the cave.* "It appears we have walked almost all the way through the cave."

Ashton: "Good flaming grief, I can feel the heat already." *He waved his hand in front of his face.*

Teresa: "It would be in the best interest to cross the path as soon as possible, it appears the sun is at its peak, rising temperatures to an unbearable heat."

Alicia: "O-Okay."

Lance: "Wateva." *He covered his eyes, as he led the party out of the cave.*

*The air warped in the unbearable heat and mountains stood tall on each side, causing the path to look like a canyon.*

Ashton: *He staggered and stared at the enormous mountains.* (Even in terrible conditions like this, I still seem to admire the environment.)

Teresa: "We are near Gasher Hills now."

Alicia: "E-Excellent." *She spoke with no enthusiasm, as a thin layer of sweat covered her forehead.*

Teresa: "I also believe that the Scoldrant resides around here."

Ashton: "The same one we were talking about earlier?"

Teresa: "Indeed, it would be wise to avoid combat with it."

Lance: "Pssht why? You've seen what the cow cruncha over here can do." *He tilted his head at Alicia and smirked.* "That ice spear, I admit, even _I_ thought it was kool."

Alicia: *She shook her head and bit her bottom lip.* "I-I had no intentions of killing her-"

Lance: "Blah, blah, yea, yea, too predictable." *He coughed and deeply inhaled.* " _Ooo_ I don't wanna hurt 'em-" *He spoke in a womanish tone, mocking Alicia.*

Ashton: *He placed his hand on Lance's shoulder.* "That's unacceptable. Enough, Lance."

Lance: "Pssht, wateva." *He grunted and sighed, wiping sweat off his face with his shoulder.*

Teresa: "No need to dwell on the past. If Alicia did not do so, Mindy may have killed us all instead."

Alicia: *She lowered her head and became silent.* "..."

Lance: "Fine, give it a prize." *He placed his hands on top of his head and closed his eyes.*

Ashton: *He nudged Alicia and looked at Lance.* "Don't worry about him, that's his way of saying sorry."

Alicia: "I-It's too hot." *She whimpered with fatigue, ignoring the sweat which dripped down her cheek.*

Teresa: *She watched the party walk down the sandy path in thought.* (Perhaps it is due not sharing my time with others, but it continues to fascinate me the way these party members interact with each other-)

Lance: "I'm tired." *He grunted and kicked the sand like a child.*

*The party walked into a clearing and they instantly noticed an enormous spiral mountain.*

Ashton: *He stared at the mountain with amazement.* (Whoa-)

Lance: "Look over there!" *He pointed to his left in the far distance, with a finger in his nose.*

Ashton: *He looked into the direction Lance pointed towards with curiosity.* "A large grey sphere?"

Teresa: (Surpreon has not changed.)

Lance: "Double-you-tee-eff! Wat is it?" *He mumbled, as he violently picked his nose.*

Alicia: "Th-That's Surpreon." *She proudly announced with an exhausted smile.*

Ashton: (We're almost there!)

Lance: *He looked down and noticed shade.* " _Shade_!"

Teresa: "..." *She watched Lance stagger into the shade.*

Lance: "Gah-" *He collapsed on chair-sized rocks and sighed in relief.* "That's better."

Teresa: "Remember what I said earlier, it would be best to get to Surpreon as soon as possible-"

Lance: "Can we sit down for a minute, woman?" *He lowered his head, causing sweat to drip on to his lap.*

Ashton: *He glanced at Alicia, noticing her flustered and dehydrated appearance.* "I think we should take advantage of the shade, Teresa."

Teresa: "It would be wise not to rest in these conditions."

Ashton: "Look at Alicia and Lance."

Teresa: *She paused and glanced at each party member, closing her eyes.* "My apologies."

Lance: "Huh? Say wat woman?"

Teresa: "I have been too busy trying to get you all to Surpreon, yet, I failed to realise you all have reached your limit. Humph, something so trivial."

Ashton: *He waddled towards Lance and into the shade, as sweat dripped off his face.* "Haha it's okay-"

Lance: "Harh? Wat does _trivial_ mean?"

Teresa: "It comes to a surprise that you of all people have not heard that word before." *She walked over to the party, ignoring their red exhausted faces.* "It means pointless, small, insignificant."

Lance: "Not only have I got these Astragong words to worry 'bout, now I've got to learn these stupid dictionary words too."

Teresa: "What a melancholic dilemma."

Lance: "Who now?!"

Ashton: *He shook his head.* (Oh Lance..)

Alicia: *She walked past Lance and Ashton, noticing their flustered faces.* "Phew-" *She sat down on a rock and stared at Teresa with confusion.*

Teresa: "Please exhaust the required time your bodies need to rest, we will begin walking immediately after."

Ashton: "Of course, I appreciate the generosity, thank you." *He smiled with respect, wiping sweat off his forehead.*

Teresa: (It is not like I had a choice.)

Alicia: (Teresa has _no_ signs of fatigue or even _sweat_ -) "T-Teresa, aren't you tired? You're not even red?"

Teresa: "I am fine."

Lance: *He watched Teresa elegantly sit down on a rock with an emotionless face.* (Yea, she's right-)

Teresa: "As a traveller, I am used to extreme weathers."

Alicia: *She took deep breaths, as she tried to cool her body down.* "Once we reach Surpreon, Ashton and Lance, you'll have to show us around."

Ashton: *He silently stared at Alicia and Teresa with concern.* "Well, there's something I would like to tell you both."

Alicia: "..." *She looked shocked, focusing her attention on Ashton.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She looked over to Ashton, retaining a calm face.*

Lance: "Aye?" *He looked puzzled and whispered to Ashton.* "What are ya goin' to tell them?"

Ashton: "I feel that we can trust them, it will just complicate things when we actually get into Surpreon."

Lance: "I won't object if ya think it's wise." *He spoke in a mature-like tone, grunting with respect.*

Alicia: "W-What is it you want to tell us?"

Ashton: *He looked up and paused.* (How am I going to word this?)

Lance: "Oi, Ash, you all good?" *He mumbled to Ashton with concern.*

Ashton: *He nodded his head and took a deep breath.* "The only reason I'm telling you this, is because Lance and I feel that we can trust you both, and-"

Lance: *He nodded his head and wiped his nose.* "..."

Ashton: "Could you both _please_ promise, not to repeat what I'm about to say to _anyone_."

Teresa: *She nodded her head, brushing sand off her boots.* "Understandable, I accept."

Alicia: "I-I promise."

Ashton: "I would still like to go to Surpreon, as it may give us answers, but-" *He took a deep breath, filled with anxiety.* "We do not come from Surpreon, or _anywhere_ on this continent." *He sat and stared at Teresa and Alicia, feeling vulnerable.*

Teresa: (I am impressed, I knew she was one of the rare people in _history_ to _master_ Astragons. But to do _this_.)

Alicia: *She stared at Ashton with a blank face.* "What do you mean? Not from this _continent_?"

Ashton: *He paused and stuttered.* "W-We." *He stopped and paused again.*

Lance: "It's all good, Ash." *His words caused Ashton to take a breath of confidence.*

Ashton: "When we first met you, Alicia, it was right when Lance and I got transported here-"

Alicia: "Is this some sort of joke?"

Ashton: "We-"

Lance: "Stinky bitch, _why_ would _Ashton_ _lie_?"

Alicia: "It's just-"

Lance: "It's just _wat_? I won't let anyone talk like that to Ashton-"

Alicia: "I-It's hard to believe!"

Lance: "You have _magic_ here and ya find _this_ hard to believe? Pssht."

Ashton: (Lance.) *He sighed and stared at his feet.*

Alicia: "Teresa. What do you think?"

Teresa: "It is not a believable story-"

Lance: "Wait a-"

Teresa: "But as what Lance suggested, I see _nothing_ to gain if this were a pointless lie."

Alicia: "T-Teresa, I guess." *She whispered to herself, looking down in thought.* (Why _would_ he lie about something like this?)

Ashton: "Alicia?" *He looked up, placing his hands on his knees.*

Alicia: (For now-) "O-Okay, I believe you."

Ashton: *He sighed in relief, causing him to smile.* " _Great_ -"

Lance: "Oh _yay_ , _wee_ , awesome-" *He sarcastically waved his arms in excitement, before suddenly frowning.* "Let's go, it's _friggin_ ' _hot_!"

Teresa: "For once, let us take Lance's suggestion and head to Surpreon."

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She nodded her head and stood up, brushing sand off her pants.*

Lance: (For once?)

Ashton: "Yes." *He stood up and started to walk down the path.* "Teresa, you seem to be taking the news very well? Although, you never show any emotions, so it's hard to tell."

Teresa: "I am fine with it."

Ashton: "Oh?"

Teresa: "It does not matter where you come from, what matters is the actual person."

Lance: (Pssht, how corny. Are we going to give each other little presents too?)

Ashton: "So Alicia, Teresa. How do we get to Surpreon from here?"

Teresa: "We will need to walk through Gasher Hills."

Lance: "Wat's that?"

Teresa: *She pointed towards the enormous spiral mountain.* "Once we go through Gasher Hills, we merely have to walk straight towards Surpreon's outer sphere. We are not far now."

Lance: "Thank gosh!" *He grunted and closed his eyes, wiping sweat off his eyelids.*

Teresa: "Let us not waste any time. Our bodies were not designed to endure such heat, it may cause internal damage."

Lance: *He watched Teresa lead the party towards Gasher Hills.* (Still, like Alicia said, she's not even red.) *He thought to himself with curiosity.*

Alicia: *She walked on a limp, causing her to discreetly whimper.* (I've hurt my foot somehow.)

Ashton: *He looked around admiring the rock formations.* (The entire mountain is a spiral, the only formations close to that, would be rocks you see at the beach-) *He noticed Alicia limping, causing him to look at her worried.* "Are you okay, Alicia?"

Alicia: "Yes-" *She tripped on a rock, cueing Ashton to quickly catch her.* "Th-Thank you."

Ashton: "It's unacceptable to push yourself too far." *He wrapped her arm around his shoulder, supporting the side she limped on.*

Teresa: *She looked down and noticed the dark red ground, causing her to face the party.* "This is Gasher Hills-" *She touched a nearby rock, causing it to crumble.* "Despite its solid and unusual formation, there is a possibility it may crumble under your feet."

Ashton: "I appreciate the warning, thank you."

Teresa: "Ensure not to drag behind." *She spoke in a stern voice, before leading the party through Gasher Hills.*

\----------

*Celest stood on a small grassy island, ignoring the constant wind which blew against her back.*

Celest: *She took several steps to the ledge and looked down, staring at a layer of cloud.* (Thy cannot believe Pepper, the chosen one, really has been banished.) *She shook her head in disbelief and turned around.*

*A flock of white doves flew past Celest, causing several feathers to blow past in the wind.*

Celest: (Thy will go watch over her now.) *She sighed and suddenly disappeared in a flash of white light.*

\----------

*The party walked out of Gasher Hills and noticed bright green grass in the distance.*

Ashton: (This is strange? The environment?) *He looked down and noticed an obvious line where vegetation had started to grow.* "How come grass and trees bloom here?"

Alicia: "I-I'm not sure." *She looked puzzled, staring at the sudden growth in vegetation.*

Teresa: "Currently there are no facts as of now, but people believe this is the work of a _powerful_ Rostical User."

Lance: "Pssht, wat's next? We go find a man with magical powers and he can control the elements?" *He rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself.*

Teresa: "Continue walking." *She spoke in a stern tone and continued walking with an emotionless face.*

Lance: "Wateva." *He mumbled to himself and looked away.*

Alicia: *She looked down to the grass and smiled, biting her bottom lip.* (The closer we walk towards Surpreon, the more greener it becomes, you wouldn't even know Maserio is so close by.)

*Directly ahead of the party, stood an enormous grey sphere-like structure.*

Ashton: "This structure is _gigantic_."

*The party noticed a path of small white pebbles, leading to the front of Surpreon.*

Alicia: "W-We are here." *Her flustered face gradually lost its red colour, as the air's temperature dropped significantly.*

Lance: " _Finally_."

Chapter 5: Surpreon

*Holland and Freya ran across a large desert, chasing a flightless vulture-like Scoldrant.*

Holland: (Dang it-) *He frowned and gritted his teeth, ignoring the sweat which poured off his face.* ( _Another_ Scoldrant with the disease, it _really_ saddens me we've got to do this-)

Scoldrant: "Skreuuurr." *It spun around, extending its wings.*

Holland: *He looked down to Freya and watched the sand splash around her paws.* "Be careful, even though it can't fly, it can produce-"

Scoldrant: "Skeurrr." *It flapped its wings, causing a pulse of sand to blast towards Holland and Freya.*

Holland: *He quickly jumped in front of Freya and crossed his arms in front of his face.* "Go and strike it from behind!-" *He grunted as the sand blew past, scratching his arms.*

Freya: "Ruff!" *She watched blood string off Holland's face, causing her to growl in anger.*

Scoldrant: *Its eyes glowed an eerie yellow, boosting the wind's force.* "Skuerrr!-"

*Swirls of sand ringed around Freya, as she pounced through the blinding sand.*

Freya: "Growlith!" *She elegantly ran on all fours, directly towards the Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Ske-oh-oh-oh." *It opened its beak and shot small balls of visible wind at Freya.*

Holland: *The wind died down, causing him to lower his arms.* (Quickly, Freya-)

Freya: *She jumped to each side, evading eruptions of sand.* "Groowlth-" *She ran into striking distance and pounced towards the Scoldrant, opening her jaw.*

Holland: *He watched Freya bite the Scoldrant around the neck, instantly causing him to turn away.* (I am sorry, we had no right killing you. But, we couldn't allow you to attack passing travellers-)

Freya: *She trotted next to Holland and lowered her ears, symbolising she was upset.* "Garwoo?"

Holland: *He shook his head and scratched Freya behind the ears.* "Don't be sad, we _had_ to."

Freya: "Gruff." *She flopped her tongue out on the side, panting with exhaustion.*

Holland: "Let's get out of Maserio, we need to find another Guardian."

Freya: "Ruff!" *She wagged her tail in agreement and looked towards large mountains in the distance.*

Holland: "Come." *He grunted with determination, before running into the distance.*

\----------

*Pebbles crushed under the party's feet, as they gathered around the wall of Surpreon.*

Lance: " _Hello_?" *He impatiently growled, as he touched the sphere.* (Smooth-?)

*Lance's words caused noises to come from the other side of the wall.*

Gatekeeper: *A transparent slit appeared on the wall, allowing him to observe the party.* "This is the city Surpreon, what business do you have here?"

Alicia: *She took her arm off Ashton and stepped to the side, causing her to look down in shock.* (Healed already?)

Gatekeeper: "Hmm?"

Alicia: *She quickly walked up to the wall, placing her hand in the sack-like bag.* "Ahem, "I have a letter for the ruler."

Gatekeeper: "From who?" *His arm went through the wall, grabbing the letter off Alicia.*

Alicia: "F-From the elder of my village."

Lance: (Dude, his arm just went through _solid_ _rock_?!)

Gatekeeper: "Yes, yes, this letter-" *He mumbled to himself with an approving nod.* "You may come in."

*The wall rippled like water, revealing a door-sized entrance.*

Lance: " _Whoa_."

Ashton: " _Good_ _grief_."

Alicia: (Wow-)

Teresa: (It appears security is tight. Has word of a captain falling reached Surpreon so quickly?)

Lance: "So wat, we're off fantasy and in a sci-fi movie now?"

Ashton: "Lance." *He sighed with a slight smile.*

Alicia: (Scy fy? Maybe they _really_ aren't of this world?)

Teresa: "The door is now accessible-" *She walked past the party and stepped through the entrance.*

*The party quickly followed Teresa into the city, causing the wall to close behind them.*

Lance: " _How_ is it doin' that?"

Teresa: "You see that device over there." *She pointed to a white box-like console with symbols engraved on it.*

Ashton: "What is it?"

Teresa: "It is a Rosterology item, it controls both Neurons and Astragons allowing it to create or disperse matter."

Ashton: "Such as a solid wall?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Alicia: "I-It's amazing, what is its energy source?"

Teresa: "My knowledge of Rosterology items are limited. But like The Library, this city contains a significant amount of information."

Lance: *He placed his hands on his head and looked around, observing Surpreon with disappointment.* (I wasn't expecting this.)

*Alicia and Teresa talked amongst themselves in the background.*

Ashton: *He glanced at Lance and noticed his strange facial expression.* "What is it, Lance?"

Lance: "Aye? It's just, everyone is sayin' that this place is like the _most_ _advanced_ city to use Rostickal."

Ashton: "Yes?"

Lance: *He stared at the brick ground and down the walkway.* "But looking 'ere-"

*Ashton and Lance noticed markets with booths, stands and crates filled with vegetables and fruits along each side of the walkway.*

Lance: "The most advanced city sells fruits 'n' veggies? How _crappy_."

Ashton: "Well-" *He looked down the walkway and noticed larger buildings in the distance.* "We haven't explored the entire city, it's unacceptable to base opinions just yet."

Lance: "Pssht, wat are _your_ thoughts?"

Ashton: "To be honest I was expecting something more like The Library."

Lance: "You too, aye?" *He smirked at Ashton.*

Ashton: "Ha ha, yeah."

*Alicia and Teresa walked past Ashton, catching his attention.*

Ashton: "Now that we're in the city, what are we going to do?"

Alicia: "I think we should see the ruler first."

Lance: "Aye?"

Teresa: "To tell him your story."

Ashton: "Do you think it's wise? What if he thinks we're crazy?"

Lance: "Wait, didn't ya _promise_ not to tell _anyone_?" *He became defensive for Ashton.*

Ashton: *He stepped forward, quickly interrupting Lance.* "I was going to say that too, Lance, but I won't doubt Teresa's decision."

Teresa: "Do not fret, I have a feeling he may believe me." *The party closely followed her, as she walked through the city.*

Lance: *He frowned as if he wasn't pleased with Teresa.* "Ah, we've only just met you like yesterday, aye."

Ashton: (He's got a point.)

Teresa: "When have I given the impression that I am not trustworthy?"

Lance: "I dunno, we _just_ met you."

Teresa: "Nevertheless, I trust the ruler of Surpreon as we were once companions back in the days."

Lance: " _Where_ is it?" *He scanned across the city, glancing at shops, markets and houses.*

Teresa: *She walked across the clearing and made her way towards a royal-like building.* "It is quite obvious which is the ruler's manor."

Alicia: *She looked down and noticed a large black glyph, engraved on the ground.* "W-What is that?"

Teresa: "Merely Battling Oxident, keep your mind focused on the task at hand."

*The party walked up a set of stairs, catching two guard's attention.*

Lance: *He noticed the guards standing side by side in front of a large golden door.* (The building with the golden door and guards in front, yeah, that's pretty obvious.) *He face palmed at himself.*

Guard A: *He walked up to the party, causing his armour to rattle.* "What is your name?" *He pulled out a scroll and looked at each party member.*

Alicia: "A-Alicia."

Guard A: *He opened the scroll, running his finger from top to bottom.* "You are not on the list, leave now."

Teresa: "My name is Teresa."

Guard A: *He paused and scanned the scroll.* "Teresa is not here either."

Guard B: (Teresa? Sounds familiar-) *He turned around, facing the golden door and walked through it.*

Alicia: "We have permission to see the ruler-"

Guard A: "No, your name is _not_ on the list."

Lance: "Wat's up your ass-?"

Guard A: " _What_?!" *He yelled at Lance with anger, preparing himself to attack.* "Leave or you'll be _forced_ away-"

Ashton: "But she isn't lying, we _do_ have permission."

Guard A: "You all have been warned." *He straightened his arm at the party and opened his hand.* "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING-"

Guard B: " _Wait_!-" *He jumped out of the golden door with urgency.*

Guard A: "Excuse me?" *A small flame ignited itself in the middle of his palm, causing Alicia to step back in shock.*

Guard B: "I thought that name sounded familiar, he would like to see them _immediately_."

Guard A: "Immediately?" *He mumbled to himself in shock, causing the fire in his palm to extinguish.*

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Guard A: "Sorry for the misunderstanding. I was ordered to be on full alert, due to the Consultant's recent activity."

Guard B: "P-Please, this way." *He turned around and walked through the golden door, causing it to ripple like water.*

Lance: "Aye?" (Another transparent doorway?) *He glanced at the rippling door, staring at it with hesitance.*

Teresa: "It is similar to the entrance." *She walked past Lance and disappeared through the door.*

Ashton: "Alicia, Lance-" *He stepped through the door and met Teresa on the other side.* "Teresa."

Teresa: *She looked over her shoulder and stared at Ashton with an emotionless face.* "..."

Ashton: "I thought using Rostical is rare, how come _just_ a guard can use it?"

Teresa: "Hoh? It is the _ruler's_ guard after all."

Ashton: *He scratched his head with an agreeing smile.* "Ha ha yeah, sometimes I ask obvious questions."

Teresa: *She discreetly sighed to herself.* (There is no harm in asking questions, but it is displeasing to explain basic principles that a child should know.)

Lance: "Where do we go?" *He impatiently sighed, staring at the roof with curiosity.*

Teresa: "Straight ahead."

Alicia: "Excuse me, Teresa." *She paused and held her pendant with both hands.* "You seem to know your way around this place really well."

Teresa: "It is because he does not like change, it is the same as it was back then."

Alicia: "O-Oh okay." (What is she talking about?)

Lance: "So, _wat_ are we gonna ask this ruler?"

Teresa: "If there are no grievances about my proposal, I have intentions of telling his majesty the situation you both are in-"

Lance: "Wha-?"

Teresa: "And see if he is able to help you."

Lance: " _Hey_ that doesn't sound like a bad idea." *He waved his arms above his head and grunted like a child.*

Alicia: *She ignored Lance, staring at the guard's back.* (I hope he doesn't see-)

Guard B: *He stopped at another golden door and faced the party, noticing Lance act like a child.* "Behind this door lies the ruler."

Ashton: "Thank you for that, good sir."

Guard B: "..." *He nodded his head and walked past the party.*

Lance: *He looked over his shoulder and watched the guard walk through the door.* "He didn't have a sense of humour."

Alicia: *She reached for the handle on the door and quickly stopped.* "D-Do I need permission?" *She looked at Teresa for clarification.*

Lance: "Permission? How's this for ya, dopey bitch-" *He chuckled with a cocky smirk and power walked into the door, causing a loud thud.*

Ashton: (Did he just hit his head on the-?)

Alicia: *She covered her mouth, as she tried not to laugh.* "Are you okay-?"

Lance: " _Shuddup_!" *He grunted with frustration, rubbing his forehead in pain.*

Teresa: "This door is not manipulated by Astragons." *She spoke in a professional-like manner, as she glanced at Ashton and Alicia slightly smirking.* "To open this door you need to twist the handle and-"

Lance: "OK, OK, just, _wateva_!" *He opened the door with a bright red face, embarrassed.*

Teresa: "..." *She walked past Lance and stepped into the ruler's room, causing the party to quickly follow.*

Alicia: "W-We better show respect-" *She whispered to Lance and Ashton, causing them to bow.*

?????: "Hmm?" *He sat on a high royal-like chair and watched the party observe the large room as they walked towards him.*

Ashton: *He walked on a blood-red carpet, admiring the bright and rich appearing white walls.* (This room is very spectacular-)

?????: "Welcome! My name is Season and I'm the ruler of Surpreon." *He rubbed the arms of the chair, watching the party gather in front of him.* "What brings you all here?"

Teresa: *She looked up and stared at the chair's red-gold outlining in detail.* "I have something that may come to interest."

Season: (My is that Teresa?!) *He slightly smiled, before leaning forward in interest.* "Teresa it's been a while."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Season: "What would bring you back here?" *He stood up and took a couple of steps down.* "I thought you were going to help PKMY-"

Teresa: "..." *She looked to her side and stared at Lance and Ashton.*

Lance: (Why does everything have to be so _formal_?) *He grunted in thought, as he kneeled on the ground.*

Teresa: "It would seem that these two, do not come from this planet."

Season: *He paused and stared at Teresa.* "Did _you_ just try to make a _joke_?"

Teresa: "There is no reason for me to lie, nor make _jokes_ , Season."

Season: (The Grand Seal-) "I certainly believe you."

*Alicia, Ashton and Lance gasped in shock.*

Lance: "Pssht, everyone is so understandin'."

Ashton: "But it works in our favour, right?"

Lance: "We also won the lottery but we lost the ticket, so does anyone wanna give us money-?"

Season: "What was that?"

Teresa: "Ignore the man-child."

Alicia: (He believed her? The _ruler_ of Surpreon easily believed something like _that_?)

Lance: "Season."

Season: "Yes?"

Lance: "You have won a prize in the competition."

Season: "Hmm?"

Lance: "You have successfully won a pony!"

Teresa: "Lance, enough nonsense!"

Lance: (I guess they aren't _that_ understanding.)

Ashton: "I'm really glad everything is going along smoothly, but Season, why are you so easily convinced?"

Season: "Hohoho-"

Lance: "Santa-?"

Season: "I wouldn't usually bother with such stupid stories, but I have someone running around doing errands for me."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Season: "I will explain later tonight, maybe a private feast. I have prepared several rooms at the Inn for free, it's located just outside."

Teresa: "Season?"

Season: "Sorry, but due to Battling Oxident's soon arrival, I am _very_ busy." *He started to walk around the chair, leaving the party's sight.*

Alicia: *She closed her eyes and bowed in respect.* "Th-Thank you, your majesty, you're so _very_ kind."

Season: "I will see you all tonight, Teresa will know where to meet." *He walked towards the wall and stepped through it, causing it to ripple like water.*

*The party looked at each other, undecided what to do next.*

Ashton: "Let's go to the Inn."

Lance: (I wonder how big the rooms are?) *His face filled with excitement.*

Alicia: "What if there aren't enough rooms or beds?"

Lance: "We have a solution to that."

Alicia: "Oh thank goodness, what is it?"

Lance: "You on the floor?"

Alicia: "You suck-"

Teresa: "Perhaps you both misheard? He said _several_ rooms were prepared." *She started to walk out, causing the party to stand up and follow.*

Lance: *He frowned in thought, whispering to Ashton.* "Who's this person he was talkin' 'bout?"

Ashton: "I'm not sure." (It was _weird_ the way he said it though.)

Alicia: "So, Teresa, how do you know Season?"

Teresa: "Long ago when I was working, we agreed that things were not running at optimum levels."

Lance: "Workin'?"

Ashton: "What wasn't running at optimum levels?"

Teresa: "We ended up being companions, there really is not much to it."

Ashton: "Do you feel like you're left in the dark?" *He mumbled to Lance with curiosity.*

Lance: "What ya mean?"

Ashton: "I don't know, it just feels like I should know _more_ than I do."

Lance: "..."

Ashton: "I also noticed you've been very quiet lately, what's up?"

Lance: "I was just thinking about them Newgongs 'n' Astragongs, and-" *He paused in thought, as he silently walked through the room.* "Home of course."

Ashton: "Me too." *He walked through the golden door and noticed one of the guards opening the tall doors, leading outside.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you." *She spoke to the guard with respect, before walking outside.*

Teresa: "The area consists of small shops and markets, small houses ring around the outer edges of the city. This main square, consists of Season's manor, the Inn and the research facility-"

*Two large men walked out of the research facility, deep in conversation.*

Man: "So have you trained up for the upcoming Battling Oxident?" *He walked into the markets, causing his words to fade into the background.*

Teresa: *She stopped in front of a grey cemented mansion and focused her attention to a large wooden plank with the word Inn scratched on it, watching it gently sway in a slight cool breeze.* "That was a general explanation of the city."

Alicia: *She giggled in appreciation and nodded her head.* "Well, this is the Inn-"

Lance: "Could someone get it a prize? Thank _you_ , miss obvious!" *He grunted and pointed at the huge sign.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She looked at Ashton, catching his attention.* "Does he always intend to act like this?"

Ashton: "Well-"

Guard: " _Help!_ " *He barged through the markets and rushed towards the party, stopping in front of Alicia.* "Is it true, young lady that you know Rostical?"

Alicia: "Y-Yes-?"

Guard: "Come quick, we _need_ your help."

Alicia: "S-Sorry-?"

Guard: "A Scoldrant has snatched two females walking from Surpreon."

Teresa: (Hmm, why would a Scoldrant snatch two people? Is it because there is no food?) *She slightly frowned, deep in thought.* (No!-) *Her eyes widened in realisation.* (It must be a parent!)

Guard: "W-Well?! Will you help?!"

Teresa: "Perhaps we should help him out? We _are_ staying at the Inn for free, it is the least we could do."

Alicia: "You're right, let's go."

Guard: *He nodded his head and turned around, causing his armour to rattle.* "This way!"

*The party followed the guard who ran through Surpreon, towards the entrance.*

Ashton: "Whereabouts was the abduction?"

Guard: "I was patrolling around Surpreon and heard several screams near Gasher Hills."

*Teresa and the guard ran with their arms swaying behind their backs, ignoring the white pebbles outside.*

Ashton: "Got it, let's go!-"

Teresa: "Will it be wise for us to run directly to Gasher Hills?"

Lance: "Aye?"

Teresa: "You all had trouble just walking through it."

Ashton: "We _have_ to! _Despite_ the heat, someone is in _trouble_."

*The party became silent, as they continued to run towards Gasher Hills. Their footsteps cushioned on the ground, as it became sandy.*

Alicia: "H-How did you know I could use Rostical?"

Guard: "I heard Season when I was guarding just outside the throne room-"

*Loud screams echoed, interrupting the guard in mid-sentence.*

Lance: "Hurry it up! Come on, ya dirty shit nuggets!"

Teresa: (Tcch, that man-child.) *She watched Lance run up Gasher Hills, causing nearby rocks to crumble.*

*The party followed Lance up the rocky path, as they spiralled around Gasher Hills.*

Ashton: *He continued to run up the path, ignoring the scorching heat.* "Q-Quickly, we've lost sight of Lance."

Alicia: *She looked to her side and noticed the bird's eye view of Maserio.* (We've up pretty high-) *The ground around her crumbled and shattered off the side of the spiral mountain.*

Teresa: *She noticed Alicia falling off with the chunk of rock she stood on.* "Tcch-"

Ashton: "Alicia!-" *He spun around and quickly jumped forward, grabbing onto Alicia's wrist.* "Argh!-"

Guard: *He quickly grabbed Ashton's shoulders and pulled him away.* "That was close-"

Teresa: "Ensure to take my warnings into better consideration next time." *She twirled around and continued to run up the spiral path.*

Ashton: *He puffed with exhaustion and stared at Alicia's frightened quick breaths.* "Are you okay?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep-" *She spoke in a frail voice, before looking over her shoulder at the crumbling rock below.*

Guard: "It is good that-" *Another screech echoed, causing the party to regain their postures.*

Ashton: "Let's go!" *He grunted with determination and ran up the path.*

Lance: *He ran to the very top and instantly noticed a large figure, which was concealed in the sunlight.* "I-Is that the Scoldrant?!"

Teresa: *She ran behind Lance and noticed the Scoldrant.* "Tcch-" (Its Neuron signature is quite high-)

Scoldrant: "Squalarh!"

*Ashton, Alicia and the guard caught up to Lance and Teresa, staring at the Scoldrant in shock.*

Ashton: (It's at least fifteen metres _tall_.)

Lance: "It has like a beak, a body of a horse, a-and wings-"

Scoldrant: "Squall-" *It flapped its scaly wing, causing a warm pulse of wind to blast across Teresa.* "Larh!"

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She raised her arms and closed her eyes, as the wind pushed her slightly back.*

Lance: "And it's _covered_ in silver scales." *He paused and took a step back.* "Alicia."

Alicia: "Y-Yes?" *She spoke under her breath, biting her bottom lip in fear.*

Lance: "I think, I've found your real mother?"

Teresa: *The wind died down, causing her to slowly lower her arms and open her eyes.* "Tcch-" *She gritted her teeth as sand streamed off her face.* "We have eyes, you do not need to state its appearance!"

Alicia: *She stared at the large Scoldrant that stood before her.* (Why must I fight again?)

Guard: *He observed the ground near the Scoldrant, causing him to shake his head.* "Where are the civilians?!"

Ashton: "Where are they-?" *He heard sobbing sounds, drifting his attention to a crack in the ground.* (I heard noises?)

Teresa: *She noticed Ashton, who kneeled on the ground.* "They must be kept in a ravine or a cave."

Ashton: "I did notice several cave entrances running up the mountain, would they be kept in there?"

Teresa: "Gasher Hills is nothing but caves damaged by time. it is plausible."

Scoldrant: "Squalarh!" *It took a step forward, causing the surrounding area to crumble into dust.*

*The party except for Teresa stepped back, due to the Scoldrant's intimidating screech.*

Lance: *He drew his sword and pointed it towards the massive Scoldrant.* "Do we have to fight this thing?"

Guard: "It needs to be slain anyway."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Guard: *He looked at Teresa while facing the Scoldrant in a defensive manner.* "It picks off messengers, as they walk from and to Surpreon."

Ashton: "I see."

Teresa: (It is not a strong Scoldrant, but with this current party-)

Lance: "As if I'm waitin'!" *He raised the sword and charged towards the Scoldrant.*

Ashton: "Lance, don't be foolish!-"

Lance: "Pssht, standin' around doin' nothing _is_ foolish-"

Scoldrant: *It lowered its head and twirled around, slamming its tail into Lance's chest.* "Squal-" *It flapped its wings and a pulse of wind, blasted Lance back into the party.* "Larh!"

Teresa: (It may be troublesome.) *She looked behind her at a trail of sand, watching Lance slam into a crumbling rock.* "Alicia, on my word, you are to use Icicle Edge, understood?"

Alicia: "Y-Yes." *She hesitantly, yet eagerly nodded her head.*

Guard: *He stepped in front of the party, facing the Scoldrant.* "Humph, in Surpreon's name, I'll stop you myself!"

Lance: *He coughed out sand and awkwardly stood up, noticing the guard.* "W-Wat are you gonna do-?"

Guard: *He dug his feet into the soft-dry ground, preparing himself to attack.* "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

Alicia: *She watched two flames swirl around the Scoldrant's feet, causing her to gasp.* "Rostical!-"

*The flames suddenly erupted up into a tornado-like swirl of fire, causing the hot air to become more unbearable.*

Ashton: "It's the same as Millard's but it looks _completely_ different."

Teresa: "Millard? In what way are they different?"

Ashton: "Well, the guard's Flaming Wheel has a much duller colour and the wind isn't as hot as I remember Millard's to be."

Lance: *He charged towards the fire, raising the sword slightly behind him in the air.* "Take this, you stupid thing."

Teresa: " _Again_? Tcch-"

Scoldrant: "Squral?" *It flapped its wings, causing a gust to break the guard's Rostical.*

Lance: *A sudden pulse of wind pushed him back.* "H-Huh?" *He looked up and stared at strings of fire swirl around the Scoldrant's wings.* "Wat the?!"

Scoldrant: *It glared at Lance and faced him.* "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

Alicia: "Wha-?!"

Ashton: *He stepped back in surprise and stared at a bright red glyph, which flashed under the Scoldrant.* (How can it use Rostical-?)

Teresa: *She looked down to Lance's feet and her eyes reflected red, due to the igniting flames.* "Tcch-"

Lance: *He looked down and stared at the flames swirl around him.* (I can't move-?)

Guard: *He looked up towards the Scoldrant, noticing slight burn marks.* (It _only_ suffered minor burns-?) *He ran towards Lance in thought and pushed him out of the fire's range.*

Teresa: "It is slightly stronger than expected."

Ashton: "Will we be able to beat it?"

Teresa: "Even though it is strong, compared to a single digit captain-"

Scoldrant: "Squarll!" *It looked up and opened its beak, screeching out a string of flames.*

Teresa: "It is nothing."

Ashton: (I have to help?) *He looked around with a frown of desperation.*

Scoldrant: "Sq-" *It faced the party and it violently flapped its wings, blasting a gust of wind towards Alicia.*

Alicia: "Eek-" *Her hair and pendant flapped backwards, as she whimpered in pain.*

Ashton: *He watched the wind push Alicia back, feeling helpless.* (What use am I? I'm not even holding a weapon-) *He paused and looked over to Teresa.* "I'm going to find the women, I'd be better off doing that."

Teresa: "Understandable." *She nodded her head as if it were an approval for Ashton.*

Ashton: "Okay." *He gritted his teeth and glanced at the party, before running down the path.* (Take care, everyone.)

Teresa: *She stared at the Scoldrant with an emotionless face.* (What is its weakness?)

*Lance and the guard recollected themselves and faced the Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat-" *It faced Lance and a red glyph flashed under its feet.* "FLAMING WHEEL"

Lance: *He raised the sword in front of his face, ignoring its red-like appearance.* "Wat should we do?" *He grunted to the guard on his side.*

Guard: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL" *He pushed both arms forward and two lines of fire swirled on the ground in between Lance and the Scoldrant.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" *Her eyes widened as she muttered with realisation.* (Their Rostical collided-)

*A bright wall of flames erupted into the air, causing Lance and Alicia to step back.*

Lance: "Wat the effin' shit nuggets?!"

Alicia: *She took a step back and whimpered.* "It burns!"

Teresa: (I see it!) *She looked at Alicia, ignoring the hot gusts of wind.* "Alicia, when the Scoldrant uses another enchantment for a Rostical, use Icicle Edge straight away."

Alicia: "O-Okay-?"

*The wall of fire suddenly exploded, knocking Lance to the ground.*

Lance: *He coughed out specks of blood.* "How'd I-?! How did it hit me?!"

Guard: *He frowned, as the extinguishing flames shimmered off his armour.* "The Rasticsplash!"

Teresa: "After observation, its defence drops when it uses Rostical."

Alicia: (How did she notice that?!)

Teresa: "How fortunate, we once again have the upper hand."

Lance: *He grunted and wiped blood from his mouth, looking angry and helpless.* (Dammit.)

Guard: "For Surpreon!" *He ran towards the Scoldrant while unsheathing a sword and pointing it in the air.*

Scoldrant: "Squalarh." *It waited for the guard to run into striking distance and spun around, kicking the guard in the chest.*

Guard: "Argh-" *He tumbled back across the ground and slammed into Alicia.*

Alicia: "A-Arh-" *She fell back and hit the ground.*

Scoldrant: "Squarkarglarh!" *It made feral sounds, which further intimidated the party.* "Raging flames, fall down-"

Teresa: " _Now_!" *She yelled out to Alicia, keeping her emotionless face.*

Alicia: "Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power-" *She coughed and gasped for air, as the pendant shined blue.*

Scoldrant: "Snatching heat, FLAMING-"

Guard: *He looked up and noticed two ice spears materialise in the air.* "Ice?!" *He muttered under his breath in disbelief.*

Alicia: "ICICLE EDGE" *She lowered her arms, causing the ice spears to blast down.*

Lance: "Grr." *He stood up with a frown and firmly held the sword.*

Scoldrant: "WHEE-" *The ice spears pierced its wings, locking it to the ground.*

Lance: "Harh!" *He ran up to the Scoldrant and rammed his sword into the Scoldrant's chest.*

Guard: *He sighed in relief and stood up, helping Alicia onto her feet.* "We should hurry and see if Ashton has made it to the women yet."

Alicia: "Y-Yes, are you okay?"

Guard: "No time, we _need_ to go!"

Teresa: "I concur, we do not know if there are more Scoldrants lurking."

*Alicia, Teresa, Lance and the guard prepared themselves to look for Ashton.*

Lance: (I hope he's all good.) *He looked worried, mumbling in thought.*

Alicia: *She faced the slope and looked shocked.* "L-Look!-" *She pointed at Ashton in disbelief.*

Lance: "Aye?" *He smiled with uncertainty, as he watched Ashton walk up the slope.*

Ashton: *He comforted a small child by holding her hand and wrapped a woman's arm around his shoulder.* "You both are doing well."

Guard: (He was able to find the women and managed to walk back up-)

Ashton: "Alicia, could you please heal her? She feels _very_ cold." (Which is not a good sign in this heat.)

Alicia: "O-Okay." *She nodded her head and walked towards Ashton.*

Lance: *He gently touched a cut on his lip, causing him to hiss in pain.* (Shit that hurts-)

Alicia: *She looked over her shoulder to the party and nodded her head.* "I'm going to double the Neurons in this Rostical, so it will reach you all."

Teresa: "Hoh-?"

Alicia: "With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light, HEALING RINGS" *Her face began to wrinkle in pain, as two bright rings started to materialise around the party.*

Ashton: *He looked up at the white rings and spun around.* (Did the area just get darker, or is it because her Rostical is brighter than-?)

*A pulse of wind blew around the party, as a massive glyph drew itself on the ground.*

Teresa: "Ashton and I are fine, please focus on everyone else."

Alicia: "..." *She focused on deep concentration, causing the glyph to fade away from Teresa and Ashton.*

Ashton: *He looked down and stared at the little girl's cut on her leg, gasping in amazement.* (The deep cut is closing-)

Woman: *She started to snap out of her dizzy-like state.* "Th-This light?"

Ashton: *He stared at the little girl's face in disbelief.* (And the blood has stopped dripping from her nose.)

Alicia: (Th-They're healed-) *She sighed with exhaustion and dropped to her knees, causing the light to disintegrate away.*

Woman: *She took several steps forward and picked up the little girl, carrying her on her back.* "Thank you so very much. I would like to give you a gift, what is your name?"

Ashton: (Wow, that was sudden?) *He looked slightly startled at the woman's quick response.*

Alicia: "My name is Alicia and-" *She paused and took a deep breath.* "You don't have to give us a gift-"

Woman: " _No_ , I insist _please_. If you didn't let us repay our heroes, my daughter and I will be gravely insulted. My husband works in Surpreon's research facility, and I can give you his latest product."

Alicia: "..."

Woman: "It's called the _RPG_ _bag_."

Alicia: "Th-Thank you, but I can't accept something with such value-"

Lance: "Shh-" *He hissed and gently elbowed Alicia on the side.* "Shut it, woman."

Alicia: "W-Why-?"

Lance: "That's the bag thingo, Teresa was talkin' about before."

Teresa: (What a selfish man.) "Would it not be a loss for you to _freely_ give it away?"

Woman: "It's fine, my husband can easily make another." *She rubbed her daughter's hand in a motherly manner.* "And if it wasn't for you all, we may not be alive."

Ashton: "That is very generous, thank you, to the _both_ of you." *He smiled, wiping sweat off his forehead.*

Alicia: "Yes, th-thank you." *She sighed with exhaustion and awkwardly stood up.*

Lance: "Wateva, let's get outta here." *He grunted and walked past the party, down the slope.*

Guard: "We are _victorious_ , let's go back to Surpreon and tell the ruler the good news."

Ashton: "Sounds fantastic." *He smiled and watched the party recollect themselves, before walking down the slope.*

\----------

Pepper: *She cautiously walked through a forest in a lost-like state.* (Where am I? Who am I-?)

*Sounds of running water caught Pepper's attention, causing her to spin around.*

Pepper: *She ran at amazing speeds through the forest, suddenly finding herself next to a small stream.* "I say-" *She dropped to her knees and started to gulp the water from her hands.*

*Two warriors walked out of the forest and stood along the stream, deep in conversation.*

Pepper: *She sighed and stared at the water, noticing her reflection.* (I am a teenager-?)

Hundred and Five: *Pepper sighed again, catching his attention.* "Who-?" *He noticed Pepper and chuckled, glancing at the other warrior.* "Hundred and nineteen, check this out."

Hundred and Nineteen: "What?" *He stared at Pepper in shock.*

Hundred and Five: "What's a fifteen or so lady doing out here?"

Hundred and Nineteen: *He snickered, unsheathing a large axe.* "Want to come here for a second?"

Pepper: *She stood up and stepped back in a defensive manner.* "I say, where am I-?"

Hundred and Five: *He stepped forward, unsheathing a thin sword.* "He said _come_ _here_."

Hundred and Nineteen: "I haven't killed anyone for the Consultant in a few weeks!-" *He grunted in anger and ran directly towards Pepper, raising the axe behind him.*

Pepper: "Humph-" *She skipped forward and spun around, dodging the warrior's charge.*

Hundred and Nineteen: "Arh?" *He took awkward steps forward as he tried not to fall over.*

Hundred and Five: "I'll get her!" *He pointed the sword in front and charged for Pepper.*

Pepper: (These movements, they come naturally-) *She looked shocked, reaching over her shoulder in confusion.*

Hundred and Five: "Hah!" *He ran into striking distance and lunged the sword forward.*

Pepper: *She bent forward and jumped into the air, as a swirl of sparks scattered from her back.* "Humph-"

Hundred and Five: *He looked up in shock, tripping on his feet.* "Argh-" *He slid on the ground, grunting with frustration.*

Hundred and Nineteen: "She's fast-" *He mumbled to himself, raising the axe next to his head.*

Pepper: *She held a large mallet and grabbed it with both hands.* "I say, this is the end!" *She yelled and slammed the mallet into the warrior's back, causing a loud crunch to echo.*

Hundred and Five: "K-Kark-" *He stared at Pepper's legs with blurred vision, as she casually walked off his back.*

Hundred and Nineteen: "H-How-?!"

Pepper: *She lifted the mallet over her head and ran at blinding speeds.* "Hermph-"

Hundred and Nineteen: *He looked down at Pepper in shock, as he watched her hair move in slow motion.* (She's as fast as number seven-)

Pepper: "Harh!" *She quickly swung the mallet across the warrior's face, causing him to instantly drop to the ground motionless.*

*Pepper took deep breaths and looked around, glancing at her hands in shock.*

Pepper: (Did I just-?)

*Several warriors yelled in the distance, causing Pepper to instinctively run into the opposite direction.*

\----------

Lance: *He walked off the sand and onto the grass.* (This constant walking is lame.)

Alicia: "..." *She swayed her arms, catching Lance's attention.*

Lance: *He spotted a cut on her arm, causing him to chuckle.* "Oi, slurry cruncher, your healing ring thing _sucked_ -" *He pointed at her arm like a child.* "You missed a scratch."

Alicia: *She looked confused and lifted her arm, waving it up and down in front of her face.* "No, for some reason my healing won't work on myself."

Lance: "Rightio." *He sighed and rolled his eyes.*

Alicia: *She lowered her arms with curiosity.* "I forgot to ask, Teresa, do you know why?"

Teresa: "There have been case studies of people using light, essentially people with a light elemental affinity."

Lance: " _Oh_ _no_ -" (Another lecture!-)

Teresa: "There was not much information regarding this, but fortunately I was able to come across a document describing how healing in general works."

Alicia: "Y-Yes?" *She walked slightly closer to Teresa, as they drew closer to Surpreon.*

Teresa: "In theory, why you are unable to heal yourself is because the Astragons expels or radiates from _outside_ the body."

Guard: (What are they talking about?)

Teresa: "Unlike normal Rostical where Neurons are usually generated from _within_ the body."

Ashton: "So, Alicia can't heal herself because it doesn't start from inside the body?"

Teresa: "Close, but not correct. Since her healing Rostical expels away from her, she is practically immune to her own healing."

Alicia: "But sometimes I am shrouded in the light when healing?"

Teresa: "I am not certain, if that were the case, the Astragons _should_ heal you too."

Ashton: (Light? Something Teresa isn't certain on-) *He thought to himself in shock.*

Lance: " _Boo_ borin'! _Translation_?"

Teresa: "The user is unable to heal themselves."

Lance: (So why didn't she just say that in the _first_ place?!)

Alicia: (I have to remind myself to ask Teresa more about it when we have the time.)

Guard: *He looked at Lance causing his armour to rattle.* "Are you okay? You were pushed back pretty far away."

Lance: "Nah, I'm all good, aye. Dopey cow's light healed me up all good."

Guard: "That's good to hear-"

Teresa: "Perhaps you could focus on your Astragons?" *She spoke without taking her eyes off Surpreon.* "With the improper use of Astragons, the aiming of Rostical will sometimes be averted creating undesirable scenarios which just transpired a moment ago."

Guard: "U-Understood!"

Ashton: "Thank you, Teresa."

Teresa: "For what purpose now?"

Ashton: "Just being there for us and helping-"

*A loud scream echoed from Surpreon, causing the party to look alert.*

Woman: *She looked surprised, staring at the entrance.* " _Why_ is the entrance-?"

Guard: " _Left_ _open_?"

Woman: *She faced the party, holding her daughter's hands.* "Whatever is happening in there, once it dies down I will give you the gift." *Before anyone was able to respond, she left the party.*

Guard: " _What_ is going on in there?" *He muttered to himself and walked into the city.*

*The party followed the guard through the city, hiding themselves behind several crates.*

?????: "Where is the ruler of Surpreon?!" *She screamed at the top of her lungs.*

Ashton: "What was that?" *He looked over the crates and noticed a female dressed in pink armour.* "Pink armour-?"

Lance: "And pink _hair_? Pssht-"

Teresa: (Blast, why now?) "Alicia, how do you feel?"

Alicia: "I'm a little tired but I'm fine, why?"

Teresa: "It seems we may have to fight again."

Lance: "Who are we gonna fight now?"

Teresa: "That is Wendy, another captain."

Alicia: "N-No." *Her voice trembled.*

Ashton: (Another captain?! No, more people will suffer.) *He looked worried, gritting his teeth.*

Wendy: "Answer me _now_ , where is the ruler, emperor or _whatever_ -?"

Season: *He suddenly appeared in a flash of purple light and stepped forward.* "I am the man you look for, what business does a captain have with Surpreon?"

Wendy: "We need the knowledge about the five Unknown Territories!"

Season: "I am not allowed to give out _any_ information from royal archives, not even _I_ have looked through them all yet."

Wendy: *She tilted her head and faced Season.* "Then give me the documents and this city shall be spared?"

Ashton: *He watched the villagers Wendy assaulted run back into their homes.* "This isn't acceptable."

Lance: "Yea, we have to do somethin'."

Teresa: "No. Let this play out."

Alicia: "Huh?" *She whispered under her breath, nervously biting her bottom lip.*

Ashton: *He silently observed Teresa and stared back to Season.* (Teresa spoke with confidence.)

Season: "As I said before, I cannot give you any information."

Wendy: "Too bad-" *She reached over her shoulder and clutched her hand.* "I actually liked this city."

Season: (She's going to release her weapon-) "If you act in violence, I _will_ bring you down."

Wendy: *She pulled her arm forward, causing a swirl of sparks to scatter around her hand.* " _Fine_ so be it, _die_ old man."

Ashton: (Whatever Wendy just did, it sounded like two swords scraping against each other-)

Season: *He stared at a large bow in Wendy's hand, causing him to raise his arms.* "I forewarn you _one_ last time-"

Wendy: *She smirked and pulled the string back.* "Be quiet."

Alicia: (She pulled her weapon out of _nowhere_ , just like Mindy.)

Lance: (Those arrows are huge.)

Wendy: *She lined the bow in front of her face and squinted one eye, aiming towards Season's head.* "To be the ruler, you must be strong, so I won't take any chances."

Season: (Foolish girl.) *He slowly inhaled, as an enormous blue glyph drew itself around his feet.*

Wendy: " _Ougi_ -"

Season: "Fierceful storms, rain from the divine spirit of purity-"

Teresa: (Season's Neurons _drastically_ rose-)

Season: "Power of the beast roaring through the waves, lend me your strength-"

Wendy: "Whoa-" *She took a step back, lowering the bow in shock.*

Season: *He stamped his foot, causing a pulse of water to splash around his ankle.* "AQUATIC DIVIDER"

Wendy: "I-Is that, _Grand_ Rostical?"

Ashton: "Grand-?"

Teresa: "Grand Rostical is a stage above normal Rostical."

Lance: (Although this is going to get nerdy, I find that pretty kool.)

Teresa: "Grand Rostical can only be used by someone who excels at Rostical, or possesses a Pure Jade, which is a _powerful_ Rosterology item with condensed ons."

Ashton: "..." *He closely observed the water around Season's foot in amazement as it continued to gush out of the ground.*

Teresa: "Or, once mastering a specific Rostical, the user can formulate a stronger variant."

Ashton: "Resulting in Grand Rostical?"

Teresa: "Precisely. And lastly, one who is near death is able to use all their Astragons and Neurons at will."

Lance: "We didn't say anythin' and you still give us a crappy explanation."

Teresa: "Such immaturity is tiresome to be around for so long."

Lance: "Pssht, wateva."

Ashton: "Thank you, Teresa, for the explanation."

Teresa: (Although-) *She stared at Season, raising an eyebrow.* (Is Season even using Grand Rostical?)

Alicia: "A-Amazing."

Lance: " _Shh_ , ya bitch, _watch_." *He pointed to Season like a child.*

Season: "Harh!" *He raised his foot and slammed it into the ground, causing several rumbles to vibrate along the ground.*

Wendy: (Th-That energy level!-)

Season: *An eruption of water exploded in front of him, causing several watching villagers to gasp.* (For the Consultants to send a warrior directly into Surpreon, I'm curious to know what is so important.)

Wendy: (His Neurons _surpasses_ my own! Why didn't I sense this before?!) *Her eyes started to twitch, as she thought in frustration.*

Lance: (That water-) *He stared at the wall of flowing water in disbelief and amazement.* "Why is she just standin' there?"

Teresa: "Did you want her to attack him?"

Lance: "Well, no, but I was just sayin-"

Teresa: "Your opinion matters little to me."

Wendy: "I-I'm not intimidated by your Rost-" *An explosion of water erupted behind her, causing her to step forward in shock.*

Season: "Harh!" *He yelled and clapped his hands, causing the waves to blast towards each other.*

Wendy: "Wha-?" *The two waves collided and exploded around her, causing her to cough out bubbles.*

Ashton: *He watched water rain down on the markets and roofs.* (Extraordinary!)

*The water drained into the ground, leaving several puddles around Wendy.*

Wendy: "A-Ah?" *She awkwardly stood on the spot, dropping her bow on the ground.* "W-What happened-?" *She looked puzzled, before dropping to her knees.*

Season: (Blast it-) *He fell to one knee, leaving the party besides Teresa speechless.*

Teresa: (What is wrong with you, Season Seraph?)

Wendy: "Tssk!" *Her face wrinkled in anger, as she struggled to hold herself up.*

Teresa: (Why not defeat her now? Eliminating the roots of future problems-?)

Wendy: "No, you _stupid_ old man!-" *She coughed up blood, ignoring the dripping water from her hair.* "I _will_ be back!" *She picked up her bow and flashstepped out of the city.*

Season: "I'm only thirty, that is now old?"

*Several guards rushed towards Season, as they tried to aid him.*

Season: "I'm fine, I'm drained from using the Rostical, allow me to rest before the feast."

Guard: "Yes, sir."

Season: *He noticed the party walking towards him.* (I have grown weak-)

Alicia: "Are you okay, Season?!" *She spoke in shock and leant down, preparing herself to heal him.*

Season: "Oh hello, where did you all disappear to? I went to the Inn, but I couldn't find any of you."

Guard: *He ran from a group of distraught guards and bowed down to one knee.* "Sir."

Season: "Speak."

Guard: "These people not only helped rescue Cynthia and Katrina, but also defeated the Rostical Using Scoldrant residing in Gasher Hills."

Lance: "Ah, it was nothin', aye." *He spoke with a cocky smirk, picking his nose.*

Guard: "Battling Oxident will not be cancelled due to this incident, sir?"

Season: " _Oh_? Good work, now it gives the feast more of a celebration." *He cheerfully smiled, as the guard helped him up.* "And no, Battling Oxident will continue as it has been every single year."

Lance: "I'm assumin' Cynthia and Katrina are them girls? How come they never said their names?"

Teresa: "Sometimes introductions are not necessary in the presence of a threat."

Alicia: *She giggled, overhearing Teresa and Lance's small conversation.* (She always puts him in his place, it's funny.)

Season: *His back faced the party, as he walked towards his manor.* "Hohoho, glad to see you haven't changed, Teresa."

Teresa: "Understandable."

Ashton: "So shall we head to the Inn and get some rest? Alicia looks like she's about to drop on the floor."

Alicia: "Y-Yes please, I want to sleep."

Teresa: "Is this current location-" *She glanced at each party member.* "The best desirable place to regroup after sun fall?"

Ashton: "That is acceptable! Alright, let's go, Lance."

Lance: "Pssht, wateva."

Teresa: *She watched Lance and Ashton walk towards the Inn.* "..." *She faced Alicia, noticing her pale and sweaty face.*

Alicia: "W-Why are you staring at my face?"

Teresa: "It appears you are running low on nutrients and possibly suffering dehydration."

Alicia: "O-Okay?"

Teresa: "Come, you must consume nutrients." *She led Alicia to the markets with an emotionless face.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you, Teresa."

Teresa: "Ensure not to dawdle, it appears they are closing shortly."

\----------

Wendy: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fail." *She spoke to a dark figure hidden in shadows.*

?????: "Herm?" *She grunted with obvious disappointment, causing Wendy to form fists.*

Wendy: *She stared at the figure's glasses, which reflected the sunset's light.* "But-"

?????: "We cannot tolerate failure, even more so from a captain."

Wendy: "Y-Yes-"

?????: "You have to set a good example to other warriors, being the Consultant means it's my job to look over you all. This is your final warning, or you shall be _terminated_."

Wendy: "I-I'm sorry, Kath, I tried my best-"

Kath: "Your best was not acceptable, should I send another captain to do your current mission?"

Wendy: "No, no, _please_."

Kath: "I will tell Cindy once she finishes her current mission about your current situation and what possible results may occur, do you understand?"

Wendy: "I won't fail you, but."

Kath: " _Yes_?"

Wendy: "How can I persuade him to give us the documents?"

Kath: "Why did I even promote you? You're making all single digits look weak." *She sighed, pushing her glasses up with one finger.* "Grab a hostage."

Wendy: (Why don't the Consultants ever show themselves outside of Sorrowprax?)

Kath: "That is all, _dismissed_!"

\-----------

*Ashton and Lance waited in the middle of Surpreon's central.*

Lance: "Oi, hurry up chunktronic two thousand, and Teresa." *He moaned and fidgeted on the spot." "We're gonna be late."

Ashton: "Hey it doesn't matter where we are, remember what I told you at the manager's induction? Respect everyone."

Lance: "Respect everyone." *He mumbled under his breath, causing Ashton to smile.*

Ashton: "That's acceptable." *He turned around and faced the Inn.*

Lance: *He stared at Ashton's back, poking out his tongue.* "..."

-

Alicia: (Quickly-) *She whispered deep in thought, rushing herself to get ready.*

Teresa: "How unforgivable, we are behind schedule, let us hasten the pace, Alicia." *She leaned on the door with an emotionless face.*

Alicia: "Y-Yes, I'm sorry."

-

Ashton: "What are they doing in there?" *He mumbled to Lance, as he patiently waited.*

Lance: *He stared up into the sky, picking his nose.* "Dunno-"

Alicia: "R-Ready-" *She staggered out of the Inn, closely followed by Teresa.*

Lance: " _Come_ _on_ , let's go already."

*The party gathered, before rushing towards Season's manor.*

Alicia: "Tee hee." *She giggled to herself with growing excitement.*

Ashton: "You're really chipper." *He spoke with a smile.*

Alicia: "Surpreon's ruler, Season, it's _such_ a _privilege_ to have a feast with-"

*Music could be heard in the area, causing Alicia to stop and listen in confusion.*

Ashton: "Good flaming grief! Haven't heard music in a while!-"

Lance: "H-Huh?"

Ashton: "Just a moment? I _know_ that sound?! Lance?!"

Lance: "Sh-Shit nuggets?!"

Alicia: "W-What is it?"

Ashton: "It's music from where _we're_ from."

Teresa: "..." (Interesting.)

Alicia: "L-Let's hurry!"

Teresa: *She stepped forward and opened the massive door to Season's manor.* "This way, we are already behind schedule."

\----------

Season: *He patiently seated himself at the end of a long table, staring at trays of food and beverages.* "What are they doing?" *He mumbled to himself with slight boredom.*

*The party power walked into the room, noticing Season sitting at the table.*

Season: "Hohoho, I was just talking about you."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Season: "About time you all showed, I had the feeling I was being stood up, hohoho."

Lance: "Santa knows this ain't a date, right? 'Cause I'm totally not into that, aye-"

Alicia: "I-I'm sorry." *She respectfully bowed, looking slightly guilty.* "It was my fault."

Lance: "Naturally." *He rolled his eyes and smirked to himself.*

Season: "Please take a seat!" *He waved across vacant golden seats which scattered along the table.*

Alicia: (Lance is such a grottom bottom-) *She took several steps forward and sat down annoyed.*

Ashton: "Excuse me, Season, but-"

Lance: " _This_ _music_?!" *He plunked himself on the chair, looking to each side like a child.*

Ashton: *He nodded his head in agreement.* " _Where_ did you get it?"

Season: "..." *He smiled at Ashton and looked down to his plate.*

Lance: *He stared at Season with a strange look.* (Or you could not answer and smile at him, crazy old fart.)

Season: "Did you not find it odd how I believed your insane story?"

Ashton: "Well, yes?"

Alicia: (I did think it was really strange how-)

Season: "You may come out when ready!" *His smile widened, as he tilted his head back.*

Lance: "Aye? Who are ya talkin' to-?"

?????: "Hey, guys."

*A voice faintly echoed from the back room, where the smell of delicious food was being prepared.*

Lance: "Oi?! _That_ _voice_."

Ashton: " _That's_ -" *They gasped at the same time.*

Lance: " _Tyler_!"

Tyler: *He ran out from the back, giving Ashton and Lance hugs.* "Ashton! Lance!"

Lance: "Gah-" *He looked awkward, as Tyler stepped back filled with excitement.* (He's acting like he's been in a cage for several months.)

Tyler: "I-I thought I was the only person that woke up in this place."

Ashton: "But _how_?!" *He paused in disbelief, running his hand through his hair.* "Why weren't you in the same place as us?"

Tyler: "I don't know." *He shook his head in confusion, stepping back with happiness.*

Ashton: "W-What about Scoldrants? Warriors? The Consultants? How did you manage?"

Tyler: "Season, if it wasn't for him, I would have been killed." *An image of white razor-sharp teeth, flashed in his head.* "He saved me from Scoldrants."

Season: "Hohoho, _now_ you know why I believed you."

Ashton: "This is like a gift, it's _great_ seeing you, Tyler."

Tyler: "Th-Thanks, you too."

Season: "Gift? Oh! I almost forgot, this came in for you, Alicia, about two hours ago." *He handed over a package, wrapped in brown material.*

Alicia: "F-For me?" *She leant over and reached for the package, noticing writing on the top.*

Teresa: "What does it say?"

Alicia: "It says, this is our thank you and we hope it helps you on your travels, Cynthia and Katrina."

Ashton: (The RPG bag, if my memory serves me right.) *He watched Alicia eagerly unwrap the package, revealing the bag.*

Tyler: "Wow! The RPG bag." *He giggled with amazement.*

Teresa: "Do you mind, Alicia?" *She reached for the bag, looking at Alicia.*

Alicia: "P-Please." *She smiled and handed the bag to Teresa.*

Teresa: "Excellent, the RPG bag will come to _very_ good use." *She opened the bag, placing her sabre and several books into it.* "My compliments." *She nodded her head, giving the bag back to Alicia.*

Alicia: *She held the strap, causing her to look confused.* " _How_? It feels like there's nothing inside the bag?!"

Ashton: "And the size of the sabre was at least three times the size of the bag."

Lance: "That's pretty kool, too bad they had to give it to _you_."

Ashton: "You don't mind if we put all our belongings in there?"

Alicia: "No, not at all." *She eagerly presented the bag to the party, causing them to place their items into it.*

Season: *He cupped his hands and glanced at Teresa, watching the party focus their attention on the bag.* (I noticed Teresa placed her belongings in the bag, does that mean she intends to stay with them for a while?)

Lance: *He rammed the sword into the bag, causing him to sigh in relief.* (Ah, that's heaps better, not having to carry the sword around all the time.) "Here." *He grunted, throwing the bag at Alicia.*

Alicia: "A-Ah-" *She closed her eyes, causing the bag to tumble on to the ground.*

Lance: "Pssht, acting like the bag is a knife-"

Ashton: "Lance, we're guests-"

Lance: "I'm glad you established that-"

Teresa: "I also established that it is more enjoyable when you do not speak. Have I not addressed this previously?"

Lance: "Pssht, wateva." *He folded his arms and looked away.*

Ashton: *He face palmed and sighed.* (Oh, Lance.)

Tyler: *He watched the party interact with each other, causing him to slightly smile.* (I'm not alone.)

Alicia: *She picked up the bag and suddenly looked confused.* (Huh? It _still_ feels the same, but _how_?)

Ashton: *He noticed Alicia staring at the bag with confusion.* "What's the matter, Alicia?"

Alicia: "It has _everyone's_ belongings in it and it still weighs the same."

Teresa: "That would be due to the Astragons-"

Lance: "Seriously, next topic?"

*The party awkwardly stared at each other across the table in silence.*

Tyler: "S-So how long have you all been here?"

Ashton: "What do you mean?" *He coughed, looking puzzled.*

Tyler: "I've been counting how long I've been here and I would say about, three months."

Ashton: (Three _months_?)

Lance: "Wat makes ya think you were here for that long?"

Ashton: "Lance and I have only been here for at least a week."

Teresa: (What?! There were time differences?)

Tyler: "I've been counting down the days-"

Lance: "Tyler, I never really liked ya, but it seems you've changed."

Tyler: "Oh? Too bad you haven't." *He smirked, scratching his pimple covered face.*

Lance: "You wanna say that to ma face?!" *He stood up, grunting like a child.*

Season: " _Enough_."

Tyler: "Y-Yes, sorry, Season." *He lowered his head in respect and made himself more comfortable on the seat.*

Lance: "Wateva." *He grunted, sitting back down with a frown.*

Ashton: "So, Tyler, what have you been up to for the past three months?"

Tyler: "To be honest, I've only been doing research, I just find this planet _amazing_."

Ashton: "I thought so too, it's like the planet is still untouched."

Tyler: " _I_ _agree_."

Lance: *He silently listened to their conversation, causing him to roll his eyes.* (I swear, if they start talking about different types of flowers, I'm leaving-)

Tyler: "So, have any of you found-?" *He nervously coughed, looking at Lance and Ashton.* "A way back home yet?"

Ashton: "No, to be honest, myself, we were hoping to find answers here in Surpreon."

Tyler: "I-I see." *He sounded disappointed, looking down to his lap.*

Ashton: "What are your plans? Will you come with us?"

Lance: "Come with us to do _wat_?" *He implied he didn't want Tyler in the party.*

Ashton: "Well, to try and find a way home."

Tyler: "I will when one of us finds a way back."

Ashton: "Alright?"

Tyler: "I'd like to stay here and learn more about the history since Season allows me to look through all his data."

Teresa: (He does? Season?) *She thought to herself with an emotionless face.*

Tyler: "I never used to read books, but now." *He looked up and smiled.* "It's, _well_ , I never really gave it a chance."

Ashton: "Yes." *He nodded his head in understanding, giving Tyler his attention.*

Tyler: "Being here has given me that opportunity, to be grateful for just the _little_ things."

Lance: "Oh borin' shit nuggets, have you heard the way you talk now?"

Ashton: "He sounds very mature for his age."

Lance: "Sure, sure." *He spoke under his breath, rolling his eyes.*

Ashton: "Well Tyler is nineteen and you're twenty-one? He already acts more mature than you do, hahaha."

Season: "Hohoho." *He smiled, shaking his head.*

Alicia: "Tee hee."

Lance: "Rightio, I surrender." *His face became red, as he sunk further into the seat.*

Tyler: *He looked over to Alicia and Teresa.* "S-Sorry I haven't introduced myself, my name is Tyler and I come from the same place as Ashton and Lance."

Alicia: "M-My name is Alicia." *She closed her eyes and smiled.*

Teresa: "Teresa."

Lance: "Well, we're finally like _here_ , _what_ are we gonna do? _Where_ we gonna go now?" *He grunted in an arrogant tone, igniting silence.*

Alicia: "I-I don't know."

Ashton: (In retrospect, Lance's questions couldn't have been asked at a better time.)

Alicia: "My knowledge of the land limits at Surpreon, you'd have to ask Teresa if you want to go any further." *She lowered her head, speaking with disappointment.*

Teresa: "Hrm?" *She cupped her hands and leant on the table, deep in thought.*

Ashton: "What are you thinking, Teresa?"

Teresa: "Despite Tyler finding nothing through Season's research, I believe simply exchanging information both parties have taken in would be best."

Lance: "But wat are we gonna do _while_ that happens?" *He grunted like a child and sighed.*

Teresa: "I thought that was blatantly obvious, reside here a while longer."

Season: "That sounds like a splendid idea." *He clapped his hands in excitement, causing Tyler to stand up and walk away.*

Ashton: "Where are you going?"

Tyler: "The desserts I prepared earlier should be ready now." *He proudly announced, as he walked out the room.*

Lance: "It better not take too long or I'll go to head office." *He smirked and folded his arms.*

Ashton: *He smiled at Lance's inside joke.* (Fast Food Enterprise.)

Teresa: (Coming back to Surpreon, brings back _pointless_ memories.) *She elegantly lifted herself off the chair and walked over to Season.*

Tyler: "Don't worry, I'll make sure it's under three and a half minutes." *He shouted over the sounds of banging dishes.*

Lance: (Pssht, what a loser.) *He chuckled, shaking his head with a slight smile.*

Season: "Tyler makes the most _marvellous_ dishes that I've _never_ tasted before."

Lance: (What a dirty shit nugget, it's because these _marvellous_ dishes don't come from your _world_.)

Alicia: *She bit her bottom lip, bobbing up and down in excitement.* (Food that Ashton and Lance eat?)

Teresa: "..." *She sat on a seat next to Season, catching his attention.*

Season: "It's a pleasure to see you again-"

Teresa: "Enough pointless greetings, has anything important come up regarding the Consultants or captains?"

Season: (Straight into the discussion-)

Teresa: "Should I take that as a no?"

Season: "Well the letter Alicia brought with her-"

Teresa: "The pass?"

Season: "Yes, the elder from her village noticed recent activity around Concern's Gate."

Teresa: (Concern's Gate?) "Anything else?"

Season: "Nothing major has happened, apart from Alicia's letter, there has been no movement or new information."

Teresa: "I understand-" *She paused in mid-sentence, quickly glancing at Alicia.* "What information do you have-..?" *She paused again and looked down at the table.*

Season: *He looked at Teresa with confusion and slight fascination.* (It looks like she's overwhelmed with something of great importance?) *He coughed and shuffled himself on the chair, facing Teresa.* "Information-?"

Teresa: "Regarding Rostical Users, having the ability to heal?"

Season: "To heal? There isn't much information on it."

Teresa: "What about light?"

Season: "..." *He shook his head in a disapproving manner.*

Teresa: "Tcch."

Season: "Why do you ask?"

Teresa: "It was merely something I came across."

Season: "I see."

Teresa: "So how are things here?"

Season: "Oh?" *He smiled at Teresa's question.* "You're generally curious?"

Teresa: "I am not entirely sure, nevertheless, it was a question which deserves answering."

Season: "Hohoho, well Surpreon is doing great. I'm honoured to be the ruler here, and my people are absolutely fantastic."

Teresa: "I will admit one thing, I am slightly impressed with how you have maintained Battling Oxident."

Season: "You think so?"

Teresa: "Indeed. You have set up ranking and divisions, perhaps even PKMY would be jealous."

Season: "How is PKMY?"

Teresa: "I have not seen her for some time, but I am expecting to see her shortly, there are many things I need to discuss with her."

Season: "I see, still so secretive, Teresa?" *He looked down the table and noticed Alicia and Lance, bickering over something trivial.* "What are you going to do now?"

Teresa: "Prophecies."

Season: *His jaw dropped and his eyes widened.* "P-Prophecies?"

Teresa: "..."

Season: "Then you're working under her, aren't you?"

Teresa: "..."

Season: "Tere-"

Tyler: "Back in under three and a half minutes!" *He walked towards the table, carrying large plates in both hands.*

Ashton: *The plates tapped against each other, catching his attention.* "Do you need assistance?"

Tyler: "I-I'm alright, thank you." *He smiled, placing the plates filled with desserts onto the table.*

Alicia: *She glanced at ice-cream, cupcakes and chocolate muffins, causing her to intensely stare at them.* (I wonder what they taste like?)

Lance: *He stared at Alicia and chuckled.* "Settle down, you look pretty eager to try it."

Alicia: "S-Sorry?"

Lance: "The food, it's not goin' to run anywhere."

Alicia: "G-Grottom bottom."

Lance: "Stop callin' me that."

Alicia: *She focused her attention back to Tyler's dishes, poking her tongue out at Lance.* (They smell, look, so, _tasty_!)

Lance: *He frowned and poked his tongue out as well.* (Stupid grotty bitch.)

Tyler: *He sat down and smiled.* "P-Please, tell me what your thoughts are?" *His question, caused the party to lean over and grab several sweets off the dishes.*

Lance: "So, how did ya-?" *He scoffed down several muffins.* "Get the ingredients to make this stuff?"

Tyler: "Technology here may not be as advanced as ours, but they are more advanced in certain areas."

Lance: (That didn't answer my question at all.) *He stared at Tyler with a blank expression, ignoring the crumbs which tumbled out of his mouth.* (People don't like answering my questions.)

Ashton: "Good grief, I've missed chocolate." *He announced in excitement, wiping chocolate from his mouth.*

Alicia: "Th-That was _amazing_ , Tyler."

Tyler: "Y-You're welcome, Alicia."

Alicia: "Tee hee, my pleasure." *She smiled, chewing with satisfaction.*

Tyler: *He looked at each party member with satisfied faces.* (I'm glad everyone enjoyed-) *He noticed Teresa's plate, causing him to look at her confused.* "T-Teresa."

Teresa: "Hmm?"

Tyler: "W-Was there something wrong with my cooking? It looks like you haven't touched your plate a-and it seems like you're not enjoying yourself."

Teresa: "The main dishes were filled with nutritious foods, these are not, and therefore have no use to be consumed."

Tyler: "O-Okay?"

Season: "Hohoho, don't worry too much about it." *He chuckled at Tyler catching his attention.* "I would be more shocked if she _did_ seem to be enjoying it."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Season: "N-Nothing..." *He looked away and started to whistle.*

Lance: "Bah, I'm _stuffed_." *He yawned and stood up, stretching his back.*

Ashton: *He smiled and looked at Tyler.* "Take that as a massive compliment."

Lance: "Wake me up if the town is on fire or somethin'." *He grunted, before letting himself out of the room.*

Tyler: "It's time for me to head off as well, please let me know when you're about to leave the city." *He spoke to the party as he started to clear the table.*

Teresa: "I see no problem with this request."

Tyler: "If any of you need _anything_ , I will be at the research facility." *He smiled the party off, before walking into the back room.*

Season: *He looked at Ashton and Alicia.* "What are you two going to do?"

Alicia: "I-I'm going to go for a walk, I have _so_ much energy." *She firmly held her knees, fidgeting on the seat.*

Ashton: (Ha ha it's probably the sugar.) *He smirked to himself.*

Season: "If you're going for a walk outside, I recommend walking around Surpreon's outer sphere."

Ashton: "Why do that?"

Season: "So if anything happens, there will be guards right there to aid you."

Alicia: "I-I will, thank you." *She nervously stood up and bowed, before leaving the area.*

Ashton: "Not to sound like a sheep, but I think I'll go as well."

Season: "Very well." *He nodded his head in an approving manner.*

Ashton: "Thank you, Season for your kind hospitality, and for having us." *He bowed in respect, before excusing himself away.*

Season: "Such a pleasant young man." *He mumbled to himself, listening to his footsteps echo away.*

Ashton: " _Hey_ , Alicia, wait up!"

Season: "Now that it's just us two-" *He leant back on the chair, making himself more comfortable.* "I wouldn't expect you to make such a different array of friends."

Teresa: "Hoh? _Friends_? Inconceivable, they are merely party members."

Season: "Oh." *He paused and twiddled his fingers.*

Teresa: "On to far superior questions, where did you find Tyler?"

Season: *He paused and coughed.* "Well, it's very rare for me to leave Surpreon, but I was kind of taking a walk outside."

Teresa: "Needless information, walking outside, continue."

Season: "Well, I felt a Scoldrant nearby but I ignored it-"

Teresa: " _Ignored_ it?"

Season: "Well it wasn't close to the city-"

Teresa: "Again, pointless exposition."

Season: "Before I started to walk back, I heard yelling." *He looked at Teresa for a response.*

Teresa: "..." *She silently stared at Season with an emotionless face.*

Season: "And in the end, I saved the boy named Tyler." *He slowly looked away with a growing smile.*

Teresa: "What appears to be funny?"

Season: "It's nice to save someone-" *He looked up with squinted eyes, tapping his chin in thought.* "Without thinking of it to be a duty."

Teresa: "I do not understand."

Season: "I don't think you ever will."

Teresa: "Getting angry over pathetic reasons, becoming attached to people, loneliness, crying, sorrow."

Season: "What are you getting at-?"

Teresa: "Emotions, it makes one _weak_."

Season: "We've gone through this _so_ _many_ times." *He spoke under his breath with exhaustion.* "We _always_ end up talking about mother, then the two of us stop speaking for several years."

Teresa: "We do not speak for years due to _your emotions_ getting out of control."

Season: "You were the last person to see her, yet you don't even remember it!"

Teresa: "Proving my point as we speak, emotions are slowly filling your body."

Season: "Tssk." *He gritted his teeth and looked away.* "Don't you remember what it's like to be happy?"

Teresa: "I have gone without those for as long as I remember, I do not need them now."

Season: "But in case you need them?"

Teresa: "Them? _Emotions_?"

Season: "Yes?"

Teresa: "Metaphorically speaking, I would seek Joy as I do not know the glyphic structure of The Grand Seal." *She spoke in a stern voice, causing a tense atmosphere to fill the area.*

Season: "Hohoho, oh well, it was good seeing you." *He chuckled, covering up the awkward moment.*

Teresa: "And it was you." *She elegantly lifted herself off the chair and spun around, facing the exit.*

Season: "You off?"

Teresa: "Indeed, enjoy your night."

Season: "You too.." *He mumbled under his breath and sighed.*

\----------

*Ashton and Alicia slowly walked around the outskirts of Surpreon, admiring the moonlit scenery.*

Alicia: "So how come you decided to go for a walk too?"

Ashton: "Sometimes when I can't get to sleep, I usually go for a walk to relax myself."

Alicia: "B-But you seem to be relaxed all the time?" *She quickly looked to her side at Ashton, cupping her hands behind her back.*

Ashton: "It's just." *He awkwardly smiled, scratching the side of his cheek.* "I get really stressed for others?"

Alicia: "For others?"

Ashton: "Does that make sense?"

Alicia: "N-No, sorry."

Ashton: "Well, for instance, if one of my friends was in trouble, I'd worry and stress over them."

Alicia: "O-Oh! In a way, yeah, it does make sense."

Ashton: "Back when I was really young, I remember children throwing rocks in a park-"

*The sounds of heavy panting caused Ashton to pause in mid-sentence.*

Ashton: "Do you hear that-?"

?????: " _You_!"

*Ashton and Alicia turned around gasping with shock.*

Wendy: "You! How _dare_ you make me look-" *She paused and twitched her head with gritted teeth.*

Alicia: (A captain-) *She thought to herself, frozen with fear.*

Wendy: "Make me look bad in front of Kath!"

Ashton: "Violence is unacceptable, let's talk about this-"

Wendy: "Enough!"

Alicia: *She jumped due to Wendy's scream.* (Sh-She's covered in dirt, there's a black trail under her eyes, maybe she was crying-?)

Ashton: "Miss, what do you want?" *He stood on the spot unsure what to do.*

Wendy: "Hostage, hostage, hostage, _hostage_!" *She bent her knees and sprinted towards Alicia.*

Ashton: "No stay back!-" *He glanced around and noticed a pile of logs nearby.* "I'll protect you!" *He quickly picked up a thick log and stepped in front Alicia.*

Alicia: "A-Ashton-" *She trembled with fear.*

Ashton: "If you want her, you have to get past me first!"

Wendy: *She ran towards Ashton at amazing speeds.* "..."

Ashton: *He gasped and stepped back.* "Sh-She's moving at a speed where her image has become blurred-"

Wendy: *She suddenly appeared in front of Ashton with an evil-like smirk.* "If you have enough time to say what's happening, then you must be powerful."

Ashton: "U-Unacceptable-" *He raised the log in front of his face in a defensive manner.*

Wendy: *She raised her hand and sliced it downwards, cutting the log in half.* "Harh!"

Alicia: *The sounds of the timber cracking, caused her to close her eyes in shock.* (Th-This is scary, I-I don't want to fight-)

Ashton: *He stumbled back, staring at the small pieces of log in each hand.* "H-How-?"

Wendy: *She jumped forward, ignoring the splinters of wood and smirked.* "You act like a leader-"

Ashton: "You don't need to be a leader to know that this is not acceptable!-"

Wendy: *She spun around, causing a ring of sparks to light up her armour.* "Harh!"

Ashton: *He leant back to regain his balance and instantly noticed the large bow in Wendy's hand.* "Oh no-"

Wendy: "Harh!" *She fired three arrows into Ashton's chest, causing him to gasp.*

Alicia: "A-Ashton!" *She stepped forward, slowly overcoming her fear.*

Ashton: *He buckled at the knees and leant forward.* (Stay on your feet, Ashton!)

Wendy: "You're not going down?" *She slightly lowered the bow in curiosity.*

Ashton: *He dropped the logs and looked down at the arrows.* "I-I won't ever give up, i-if my friends are in trouble."

Wendy: "You take my Neuron boosted projectiles in a weak spot, you defend the weaker one, you tell me what's acceptable." *She smirked in Ashton's face.*

Alicia: (I can't move-) *Her feet trembled as she attempted to move them.*

Wendy: "They say, if you act like a leader, look like a leader, usually, they _are_ a leader."

Ashton: *His vision started to blur, causing him to unintentionally ignore her.* "Alicia, run-"

Wendy: "Since you're captain levelled, _Ougi_."

Ashton: "Oh gee?"

Wendy: *She raised the bow and pulled the string back.* " _Fletcher's_ _Enfilade_." *She shot a stream of bright fluoro green sand into the air.*

Alicia: "H-Huh?" *She looked up and watched the green sand sparkle in the air.*

Ashton: "What did you say? I didn't hear-"

Wendy: "Strike!" *Her words caused the sand to burst and scatter above Ashton.* (This technique isn't completed, I was recently taught it by Zephyr.)

*A string of sand suddenly blasted down and hit Ashton in the stomach.*

Ashton: " _Argh_ -" *He coughed and leant forward, ignoring the ring of sand in front of him.* (Sand? It felt like stone-)

*Eight more strings blasted down towards Ashton, knocking him off his feet.*

Ashton: "Argh!-"

Alicia: "A-Ashton!"

Wendy: (If this technique was completed, it would've had the power to pierce through his body.) *She discreetly flicked the string on her bow, causing the entire sand to blast down.*

Ashton: *He looked up and an eruption of sand blasted him into Surpreon's outer barrier.* "Argh-" *He coughed out strings of saliva, as a dark dirt cloud enveloped him.*

Wendy: "Now, hostage." *She spoke in a positive tone, facing Alicia.*

Alicia: *She slowly looked to her side and watched rocks rain around the dirt cloud.* (Ashton!-)

Wendy: *She walked towards Alicia with a satisfied smile.* "You're coming with me, _girl_."

Alicia: "N-No." *She took several steps back, raising her hands.*

Ashton: *He crawled out of the dirt cloud, as blood ran down his mouth.* (Tssk, I'm absolutely useless.)

Alicia: "I-I don't want to hurt you."

Wendy: "No?" *She stopped and thought to herself.*

Alicia: (How dare she do that to Ashton.) *She thought to herself in fear and anger.*

Wendy: (Who cares, I'll just kill her as a warning.) "Yes a warning, bwaha."

Alicia: *She stood in a battle-ready pose and took deep breaths.* "Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power, ICICLE EDGE"

Wendy: *She looked up and noticed the ice spears materialising in the air.* "W-Water?!"

Alicia: *She looked down to her glowing pendant, sighing with sadness.* (Does this come with adventuring? Is it possible to avoid this?)

Wendy: "No!" *She screamed with fear, recalling the incident with Season earlier that day.*

*An ice shard blasted down and jabbed into the ground in front of Wendy.*

Wendy: *She stared at the ice, causing her to tremble.* "N-No-" *Several ice shards blasted down, stabbing her in the arm.*

Alicia: (Ashton's right-) *A tear ran down her cheek, before falling forward to the ground.* (Violence is unacceptable.)

Wendy: *She screamed in fear, dropping the bow.* "I'm a captain! I've always completed my missions, Kath, help me-?!"

*Four of Season's guards rushed out from the entrance of Gasher Hills.*

Wendy: "I-I-" *Two ice shards pierced into her legs, immobilising her.*

Guard: "It's Wendy! Quick! Strike her down now!" *A nearby guard threw him a large axe, causing him to jump high into the air.*

Wendy: *She slowly looked up and noticed the guard directly in front of her face.* "Wha-?"

Guard: *He firmly held the axe with both hands and sliced downwards, landing heavily on the ground.* " _Heathen's_ _Might_." *He stood up straight and stepped back.*

Ashton: *He lay on the ground, twitching to stay conscious.* (The guard is glowing blue.. The captain is immobilised with ice..?)

Wendy: *She stared at the axe dripping with blood, causing her to stare at the guards with anger filled eyes.* "Y-You."

Ashton: (.. W-What's going on?) *He coughed out dirt and fell unconscious.*

Wendy: "G-Gah." *The ice around her shattered and sparkled in the moon's light, causing her to fall to the ground.* (I'm, I'm free.)

Guard: *He shook the blood off the axe and noticed Ashton and Alicia unconscious.* "You two! Take her, and take him! Report to me at Season's hall _immediately_!"

Guard A: "Sir!"

Guard B: "Understood!"

\----------

Guard: *He ran into Season's throne room covered in sweat.* "S-Sir." *He panted with exhaustion, kneeling down on one knee.*

Season: *He noticed the guard's condition, causing him to stand up from his chair.* "What happened?"

Guard: "I was doing an overnight patrol to ensure everything was in order."

Season: "Yes?" *He impatiently tapped his feet, wanting to know what happened.*

Guard: "We were heading back to Surpreon when we found those two."

Season: "Those two? Who?"

Guard: "The two that were here earlier, that helped fight the Scoldrant in Gasher Hills."

Season: "How or why were they unconscious?!"

Guard: "There was Wendy, ice everywhere, an aftermath of a battle."

Season: "Calm yourself!"

Guard: "S-Sir!" *He lowered his head and took a deep breath.*

Season: "So you're saying that Alicia-"

Guard: "Who? Sorry, sir?"

Season: *He sighed due to impatience.* "The girl with the ice elemental affinity, did she defeat yet another captain?"

Guard: "That would seem to be the case-" *He paused, nervously sighing.* "She couldn't move with ice spears and I finished her with an Azure Burst."

Season: "Interesting."

Guard: "Wendy looked _off_ I'm not sure how to explain it, even just from her appear-"

Season: "That would be all. Dismissed."

Guard: "Sir!" *He sounded slightly surprised, kneeling back onto his feet.*

Season: *He watched the guard walk backwards with his head lowered in respect.* (The same captain from before, _what_ are the Consultants planning?)

\----------

*Ashton and Alicia lay in single beds next to each other, with people swarming in and out of the room.*

Medic: *He waved glowing stones over Alicia and Ashton.* "She's stabilising faster than him." *He mumbled to himself in thought, before rushing back out of the room.*

\----------

*A nurse walked outside the Inn catching Teresa's attention.*

Teresa: "Is it plausible for us to be present whilst they recover?"

Lance: *He stood behind Teresa, yawning in a drowsy-like state.* "..."

Nurse: "Yes, don't be too loud though, there are others sleeping." *She opened the door, causing Teresa and Lance to walk in.*

Teresa: "You have no need to worry about me." (But I believe Lance will cause a pointless scene.)

Lance: "'Bout time, bah.. I can't believe it."

Teresa: "Hmm?"

Lance: "Some bitch kicked me out of the Inn while I was effin' sleepin'." *He walked into the quiet, low lit corridors of the Inn.*

Teresa: (Despite being said in front of him numerous times, he still has no idea the cause of this.) *She led Lance to a door, opening it.* "Here they are."

Lance: "Who wat are?" *He followed Teresa into the room, rubbing his eyes with frustration.*

Teresa: "Who else? You have not asked of them."

Lance: *He looked at Teresa in confusion, before noticing Ashton and Alicia in the beds.* (Wha-?!)

Nurse: *She walked over to the bed and turned off a can-like device, which emitted a high pitch sound.* "..." *She silently picked up the surrounding Rosterology items and left the room.*

Lance: *His eyes widened, rushing over to Ashton's bedside.* "W-Wat happened?!"

Ashton: *He slowly opened his eyes, noticing Lance.* "Hey-"

Lance: "Don't _hey_ me, Ash, you hideous shit fart, what happened?!"

Ashton: *He chuckled at Lance and sighed.* "We were attacked-"

Lance: "No shit, how?"

Ashton: "You know, by unacceptable violence-"

Lance: *He grabbed Ashton by the scruff of his shirt and frowned with anger.* "Don't bullshit me, who did this to you?"

Ashton: "It was Wendy. She came out of nowhere."

Lance: "W-Wendy." *He looked up and grunted in anger.*

Teresa: "Wendy has now been eliminated."

Lance: "Defeated? Pssht wateva." *He released Ashton and looked away.* "I didn't care anyways."

Alicia: "I-I've killed another person." *She whispered to herself, regaining consciousness.*

Ashton: *He grabbed the sheets causing them to wrinkle.* (In that confrontation, I was useless, I was unacceptable! I am _nothing_ to this team!)

Lance: *He turned away and sighed.* (I had no idea my best friend was getting hurt!)

Ashton: *He looked up to the ceiling and discreetly frowned.* (How can I trot around saying I protect people, if I can't even protect _one_ person-?!)

Lance: "Oi, Ash, be careful next time." *He mumbled, catching Ashton's attention.*

Ashton: "Okay."

Lance: "H-How hurt are ya?"

Teresa: "From a quick observation, Season has used a highly advanced Rosterology item."

Lance: "Huh?"

Teresa: "It has healed their wounds significantly. Despite knowing this, how are you both feeling?"

Ashton: "Not too good." *He mumbled, keeping a brave face.*

Alicia: "I'm a murderer."

Lance: "Murderer? Aye?" *He looked at Alicia, before sitting on the edge of her bed.*

Alicia: *She made eye contact with Lance, causing her to quickly look away.* "Th-Those are the facts, I killed another person and there's nothing you can say to change my mind."

Lance: "Well-"

Alicia: "S-So, just go away."

Lance: "Nah ya not, you dumb cow."

Alicia: "I-I'm not a what?" *She mumbled with uncertainty, glancing at Lance.*

Lance: "Ya not a murderer."

Alicia: "L-Lance?" *She stared at Lance filled with confusion.*

Lance: "I haven't spent a lot of time with ya, but I know two things."

Teresa: (I am confused? Alicia and Ashton encounter an enemy, and now the entire party acts differently?)

Lance: "One, is that you ain't a murderer, and two, if it wasn't for you, Ashton may not have survived."

Nurse: *She quickly walked into the room, reading sheets of paper.* "Sorry to interrupt, but you two need to leave now." *She glanced at Teresa and Lance, before inspecting the equipment around the room.*

Alicia: (Lance, have I been wrong about you-?)

Lance: "But despite those facts, your face still annoys me, your breath sometimes stinks, pretty sure I catch ya fartin' and-"

Alicia: (Why do you say such-) "J-Just, go away."

Lance: *He pushed himself off the bed and faced the door.* "I'm really glad you aren't hurt, Ash, oh, and fugly wugly cruncha." *He tilted his head to Alicia, violently picking his nose.*

Alicia: "Eww-"

Lance: "Don't tell me what to do." *He chuckled and walked out of the room, causing the hallway to creak with every step.*

Teresa: *She looked at the nurse, preparing herself to leave.* "I will see you both at a better hour-"

Ashton: "T-Teresa-" *He looked up to her, as if he wanted to say something.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She walked up to him and leant down.* "What appears to be the problem, Ashton?"

Ashton: (Despite the possibility of involving myself in something that's completely unacceptable, I believe, this may be for the best.) *He started to whisper in Teresa's ear, causing her to nod her head.*

Teresa: (Like I said to Season, I was intending to see her shortly-) "Of course, I know someone in The Great High Plains that may be able to help you."

Ashton: "Are you serious? Th-Thank you, I _really_ appreciate it." *He smiled with appreciation, resting his head on the pillow.*

Teresa: *She stood up and walked past the nurse.* "When will they be ready to leave?"

Nurse: "They should be fine at noon."

Teresa: "I see." *She walked out of the room and down the corridor.* (The thought of how PKMY will react to another visitor intrigues me.) *She opened the door to her room, deep thought.*

\----------

*Ashton ran down a dark stone corridor, causing his footsteps to echo several times.*

Ashton: "Lance, everyone, quickly!"

Lance: "I can't, the captain is too fast." *He ran behind Ashton, awkwardly breathing through his mouth.*

Ashton: "Don't give up, Alicia, Teresa _please_ hurry!"

Alicia: *She ran holding one of her shoulders, as blood poured down her arm.* "It hurts!"

Teresa: "I am a researcher, you should not have allowed me to fight-" *She collapsed onto the ground and lay in a pool of her own blood.*

Ashton: " _No_! Teresa!"

Alicia: "N-No, he's gaining on us." *She left behind a trail of blood, as she whimpered behind Lance.*

Lance: "He's too quick."

Alicia: "Ashton-" *She suddenly wheezed and gagged.*

Ashton: "Alicia?" *He looked over his shoulder, noticing Alicia.* " _Alicia_!"

Alicia: *She looked down and noticed a large ice spear through her chest.* "H-Hurts-" *She fell to the ground, smashing the ice to pieces.*

Lance: *He continually panted, looking for a place to hide.* "Ash! Here quick."

Ashton: "W-What?"

Lance: *He ran ahead of Ashton and hid behind a very large stone pillar.* "I think we lost him, aye."

Ashton: *He ran behind the pillar in front of Lance.* "G-Good thinking." *He took the time to catch his breath.*

Lance: "I'm glad you made-"

*A large sword pierced through the wall and Lance's neck, causing him to cough out blood.*

Ashton: *He gasped into consciousness, finding himself in his bed.* (Good grief-) *He looked around, wiping sweat off his face.* (That was an unacceptable dream.)

*The sounds of several villagers could be heard outside.*

Ashton: *He yawned and sat on the side of the bed.* (At least I feel much better-) *He reached for his clothes, noticing the vacant bed next to him.* (They've moved Alicia?)

*Sunlight seeped through the cracks, lighting up the room.*

Ashton: *He put on his clothes and walked out of the room.* (I feel _really_ fantastic-) *He walked down the corridor with a slight spring in his step.*

Teresa: *She noticed Ashton open the Inn door, causing her to lean off the wall.* "So are you ready?"

Ashton: *He closed the door behind him and looked up.* (Teresa?) "Where? What are you doing?"

Teresa: "Your training will commence as soon as we head to The Great High Plains."

Ashton: (Oh, that's right.)

Teresa: "Have you forgotten?"

Ashton: "No, not at all."

Teresa: *She started to walk away, causing Ashton to quickly follow.* "Then what is with the uncertainty? Changed your mind about what you asked me?"

Ashton: "No, it's just, what about the others?" *He looked over his shoulder, glancing at the Inn.*

Teresa: "Do not worry, I have left them something to do. They will not be forgotten."

Ashton: "Oh, okay?"

*Teresa and Ashton walked out of Surpreon, crushing the tiny white pebbles under their feet.*

Teresa: "What has induced this?"

Ashton: "What I asked you?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Ashton: "I-" *He paused and sighed.* "I think it would be better."

Teresa: "From a strategic point of view, indeed it would be."

Ashton: "Where is this Great Plains? How long will it take us to get there?"

Teresa: " _The_ Great High Plains and do not worry, Season has left us with that." *She pointed to Gasher Hills in the distance.*

Ashton: "What's up there?"

Teresa: "A teleportation glyph."

Ashton: "A teleportation glyph? You mean like what Season used to move back and forth from his throne room."

Teresa: "Precisely, correct."

Ashton: "It's wondrous how it works."

Teresa: "It is merely another form of Rostical."

Ashton: "Rostical?! I thought it was a Rosterology item."

Teresa: "You are not entirely wrong, there _are_ devices which induce the glyphic markings as the glyph, but require a powerful user to wield it correctly."

Ashton: "So-"

Teresa: "Do not dwell on the glyph any longer, focus that mentality on PKMY."

Ashton: "Not to sound like Lance, but are we seriously going to walk _all_ the way up Gasher Hills?"

Teresa: "Such a walk is nothing for me, but I believe it is best to present you to PKMY in top condition."

Ashton: "And making me walk up Gasher Hills will make me top condition?" *He looked at Teresa with uncertainty.*

Teresa: "Negative, that is why-"

*A large purple glyph drew itself on the ground around Ashton and Teresa.*

Teresa: "We are using Season's glyph to teleport from here."

Ashton: (She talks incredibly formal, it's hard to understand sometimes.)

Teresa: "Brace yourself if this is your first time."

Ashton: "First time? Teleporting?"

*The area started to swirl and blur, causing Ashton to lose balance.*

Teresa: "The density in Astragons usually leaves inexperienced travellers feeling light-headed and fatigued."

Ashton: "Whoa!" *A bright purple flash blinded him, causing him to close his eyes.*

Teresa: (PKMY, can you hear me yet?) *She stood on the spot with an emotionless face, as her hair swirled around her shoulders.*

Ashton: (It feels like there's no gravity, but my feet are still touching ground.) *He stared at the swirling area in thought, keeping himself calm.*

Chapter 6: Training A

Alicia: "W-What do you mean, they will be back shortly?"

Lance: "Yeah, how long is _shortly_?!"

Season: "I think seven days." (It really depends how long he finishes her training.)

Alicia: "Seven?!"

Lance: "A _week_? What could they _possibly_ be doin' in that time?" *He dropped his arms like a child.*

Season: "Teresa would say, that's none of your concern."

Lance: "Pssht, wat are we gonna do in a _week_?!"

Season: "Teresa has requested something to do on her leave, do you wish to hear of it?"

Alicia: "U-Umm." *She looked at Lance, waiting for his response.*

Lance: "I-I don't care-"

Season: "Neither do I, I will merely send this task to one of my guards."

Alicia: "Y-Yep, I would like to know."

Lance: *He sighed and rolled his eyes.* "Fine, just hurry up 'n' tell us."

Season: "Ahem." (How did she say it?) *He mumbled in thought, triggering a flashback.*

-

Teresa: *She gracefully flicked her hair over her shoulder, staring at Season with an emotionless face.* "Due to the both of us on temporary leave, I would like Alicia and Lance to find someone."

Season: "Find whom?"

Teresa: "A man named Millard, he is currently known to be at AriAri village."

Season: (Millard? It wouldn't be, _that_ _Millard_.)

Teresa: "Ashton has forewarned me, that Lance will get into mischief whilst he is away, so perhaps giving this task to them will serve you greatly?"

Season: "I see." *He mumbled, nodding his head in thought.*

Teresa: "I have heard great things about Millard's fire-based Rostical. It may help in the preparation for Battling Oxident."

-

Lance: "Mischief? Wat a bunch of losers." *He closed his eyes and grunted, picking his nose without care.*

Season: "Will you accept Teresa's request?"

Alicia: "W-We should accept it, we would have nothing to do but sit here."

Lance: "What fart-tronic seven thousand said." *He pointed at Alicia, angrily picking his nose.*

Alicia: "Eww, grottom bottom-"

Lance: *He purposely yelled over Alicia.* "But wat is this Battling Oxident? I hear it everywhere, aye?"

Season: "What is _Battling_ _Oxident_?" *He looked down, noticing Lance's puzzled look.* (He isn't joking.)

Lance: " _Well_?"

Season: "Excuse my initial shock, I thought you would know."

Lance: "Well, turns out I don't. Bein' from another world kinda does that, aye-"

Season: "I will tell you what Battling Oxident is when you arrive back."

Lance: "Wateva."

Alicia: "L-Lance-"

Lance: "Don't, L-Lance me-"

Season: *He stood up from his chair, walking down towards Lance and Alicia.* "I better give you this before I forget."

Alicia: "H-Huh?"

Season: *He gave Alicia a white compass-like device.* "Here you go."

Lance: "W-Why are you giving it to _her_?" *He folded his arms like a child.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you." *She looked down at her palm with curiosity.* "What does it do?"

Season: "What this device does is that it absorbs Neurons in the light."

Alicia: "Y-Yep?" *She nodded her head with slight confusion.*

Season: "And it redirects the Astragons, by refracting that light-"

Lance: "Why do you all go all nerdy, _far_ _out_. I don't care if it absorbs life, just tell me wat it _does_."

Guard: *He faced Lance startled, due to his disrespectful behaviour towards Season.* "..." *He slightly bent forward in a battle-ready pose, placing his hand on his weapon.*

Season: *He looked over to the guard, shaking his head.* "The Rosterology device that sits in Alicia's palm essentially renders the user invisible."

Lance: " _Invisible_? Say wat?!" *He chuckled in disbelief, poking out his tongue.*

Alicia: "F-For how long?"

Season: " _Good_ question, Alicia-" *He turned around, facing his chair.* "Until your Neurons deplete."

Alicia: "G-Got it."

Season: "Teresa told me her observations of your battle criteria, Alicia. She believes, you only have enough Neurons to reach AriAri village and back."

Alicia: "Oh, okay." (So that's why he gave it to me.)

Season: "Sorry, Lance, but you wouldn't have been able to use the device in the first place."

Lance: *He sighed with a disapproving nod.* "What 'bout them single digits?"

Season: "They will sense you, but you will still be invisible to them."

Lance: "Shit nuggets, that's pretty wicked." *He smiled to himself, placing his hands on his head.*

Season: "That's assuming you run into them in the first place."

Alicia: "I-I guess we've got a long walk ahead of us-"

Season: "Oh, and to save time, instead of taking the route you took to get here-" *He turned around, placing his hands in his robe.*

Lance: "Aye?" *He stared at Season in confusion, watching him pull out a sheet of paper.*

Season: "This map contains a direct route from Gasher Hills to AriAri village." *He rolled up the paper, handing it to Alicia.*

Lance: *He glared at Alicia with frustration.* "So why couldn't we take _that_ route in the _first_ place, stinkmania grumptopia?!"

Alicia: "I-I didn't know about this route-"

Season: "Not many people know about Spacial Funnels, these are secret routes, one of many."

Lance: "Oh OK." *His face became red, causing him to look away.*

Alicia: "Spacial Funnels? What are they-?"

Lance: "No." *He stepped forward with his arms far apart.* "No nerdy explanation, we're gonna go now."

Alicia: "Sh-Shall we go then?"

Lance: "Hurry it up, been waitin' for ages." *He groaned at Alicia, causing her to rush.*

Season: *He glanced at Lance annoyed, before focusing his attention to Alicia.* "Activate it now, Alicia, to see if it works."

Alicia: "Okay, that's a good idea, th-thank you."

Lance: "See if it works?"

Season: "Honestly, it's a prototype. With the help of Dawn, Tyler and their research we have developed this new Rosterology device."

Alicia: "Wow."

Lance: "Right, so, if it buggers up and we die, I'm hauntin' you, aye."

Season: *He stared at Lance and paused, before focusing his attention to Alicia.* "Remember, just focus on pouring Neurons into the device-"

Alicia: "Okay-" *She closed her eyes, causing the device to activate.*

*Several symbols stringed out from the device, which caused Alicia and Lance to vanish.*

Season: (Excellent-) *A researcher ran into the room, bowing in respect.*

Lance: (They both totally just ignored me.)

Researcher: "Your Majesty!"

Season: "Can I help you?"

Researcher: "Sir, you're needed in the research facility."

Season: "Of course." *He blindly waved in front of him, knowing Alicia and Lance could see him.* "Good luck on your task."

Lance: *He watched Season walk with the researcher out the room.* (He really couldn't see us-)

Alicia: "I wonder if Millard is still there?"

Lance: "I wonder why she wants to see the old fart anyways."

Alicia: "S-Sorry?"

Lance: "Well, the two look like they wouldn't know each other."

Alicia: "I agree."

Lance: "Agree? You ain't allowed to agree."

Alicia: "Oh? B-But you were agreeing with _me_."

Lance: "Huh?" *He looked at Alicia filled with confusion, before slowly walking out of the room.* "Just don't be a nuisance and we should be fine."

Alicia: "I'll try not to be." *She smiled, following Lance out of the room.*

Lance: "Well, _good_." *He hid his smile, as he led Alicia out of Season's manor.*

\----------

*Ashton and Teresa appeared in a flash of purple light, stepping off the fading glyph.*

Teresa: *Strong winds blew her hair to one side, causing her to flick it out of her face.* "..."

Ashton: "W-Wow." *He mumbled to himself in disbelief, staring at long swaying grass.*

Teresa: *She looked at Ashton with confusion.* (I do not understand, using such energy over the mere appearance of the scenery around him-)

Ashton: "Teresa, this place is majestic." *He glanced across the plains in amazement.* (It looks like it goes on forever.)

Teresa: "Hoh? Majestic? _Hardly_."

Ashton: "Then why did you take me here? What's so special about this place?"

Teresa: "This is the location to where your teacher resides."

Ashton: (My teacher? I'll try and be the best student she's ever had-)

Teresa: "Here she comes now."

Ashton: "Oh?" *He glanced around, failing to notice anyone.* "Teresa, I don't-"

?????: "Hello, Teresa."

Ashton: *He looked in front and noticed a woman small in height, walk towards Teresa.* (Where did she come from?)

?????: " _About_ _time_ you decided to pay me a visit." *She grunted, proudly staring at Teresa.*

Ashton: *He silently observed the woman with curiosity.* (She seems like a powerful woman. And, she wears quite unusual clothing.)

Teresa: "Ashton." *She stared at the woman with a slight smile.*

Ashton: "Y-Yes?"

Teresa: "I would like you to meet someone I dearly respect, PKMY."

PKMY: "Heh." *She chuckled and leant on a side, folding her arms with a smirk.*

Teresa: "PKMY, this is Ashton."

Ashton: "It's an absolute pleasure to meet you."

PKMY: *She slightly smirked, standing up straight.* (What a nerd-) "Nice to meet you too."

Ashton: "Excuse the ill-mannered question, but how do you pronounce your name correctly?"

PKMY: "It's pronounced Pee-Kay-Mee."

Ashton: "Oh okay, it's a unique name."

PKMY: "No problem."

Ashton: "Haha, cool." *He smiled, staring at PKMY with respect.*

PKMY: (Pssht, a nerd, _but_ I like him so far-) "So, Teresa, what am I doing with him?"

Teresa: "I had intentions to sit down and watch, I have no relevant information regarding the tools you need for your training."

PKMY: "So you have no idea what his elemental affinity is?"

Teresa: "Negative."

PKMY: "Or what basic structures of Neurons and Astragons he excels in?"

Teresa: "Negative-"

PKMY: "-Skillsets defining what fighting style he-?" *She gritted her teeth and frowned with excitement.*

Teresa: "Like I previously stated, I do not know." *She walked past Ashton and PKMY, towards the only tree in the distance.*

Ashton: "So, what would you like me to do?" *He nervously mumbled, keeping a brave face.*

PKMY: "Well tell me, what would you do if people were getting hurt."

Ashton: (A scenario?) "Got it."

PKMY: "Which of the following best suits you." *She coughed and folded her arms, ignoring the constant wind.* "Revenge, go and attack the attacker, run away from the foe's reach-"

Ashton: "..."

PKMY: "Try to protect them by being defensive, and lastly, formulate a plan to work as a team."

Ashton: "Yes-"

PKMY: "So which one is it?"

Ashton: "How will you know anything useful, by me answering that?"

PKMY: "Pssht, who's the one in training here?" *She slightly frowned, impatiently tapping her foot.*

Teresa: *She yelled from the distance, sitting under the tree.* "She is a top-notch teacher, Ashton."

Ashton: (I don't disregard what Teresa says, but those options aren't what I had in mind.)

Teresa: "PKMY, perhaps you should show him instead?"

PKMY: "Heh, not yet-" *She smirked, focusing her attention to Ashton.* "So, choose." *She spoke with confidence, stepping forward.*

Ashton: "Well, I'd want to protect them, my friends-"

PKMY: "Right, _yahoo_ , you're a defensive type!"

Ashton: "Y-Yahoo?" *He looked at PKMY startled.* (She's loud-)

PKMY: "Will be focusing and teaching you supportive skills." *She clapped her hands and rubbed them together in excitement.*

Ashton: "Is that it?"

PKMY: "Pfft, no way."

Ashton: "O-Okay." (Being around Alicia, PKMY's attitude, it's the _complete_ opposite-)

PKMY: "OK, now it's time for me to evaluate you."

Ashton: "Sure, what would you like me to do?"

PKMY: "All you have to do, is grab a leaf on that tree." *She pointed behind her, smirking in Ashton's face.*

Ashton: "Is that it?" *He looked over PKMY's shoulder to the tree Teresa lay under.* "No catches, or anything like that?"

PKMY: "Well I _will_ try to stop you so, I suppose that would be your biggest threat."

Ashton: (My biggest threat?) *He observed PKMY's small structure with confusion.* (She's as small as Alicia, if not smaller-)

PKMY: "Ready? _Go_!"

Ashton: *He instantly charged towards the tree, focusing his attention on the swaying branches.* (I'm definitely not the type to get cocky-)

PKMY: *She slowly looked over her shoulder, staring at Ashton.* "..."

Ashton: *He stopped at the base of the tree and looked up, reaching for a nearby branch.* (But this is fairly easy.)

PKMY: "Too slow."

Ashton: (Huh? Did PKMY say something-?) *He slowly turned around, while reaching further for the branch.*

PKMY: "Heh." *She faced Ashton and flashstepped before he fully turned around, causing a pulse of wind to blow the surrounding grass back.*

Ashton: "Huh?" *He noticed the grass move where she last stood, causing him to shake his head in confusion.* "She's not there-?"

PKMY: "Tssk, tssk." *She suddenly appeared in front of Ashton, watching him look over his shoulder.*

Ashton: (Behind?! No-?!) *He gasped and lowered his arm.* (In front of me?!)

PKMY: "Why are you staring in the spot where I was just standing? You look like a fool."

Ashton: "B-But how-?"

PKMY: *Her body glowed a shade of blue, causing Ashton to step back with fear.* "Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_."

Ashton: "What are you doing-?"

PKMY: *She waved her hand behind her waist and slammed it into Ashton's chest.* "Do you always stand there and talk while the opponent prepares an attack?"

Ashton: "Garh-" *He looked down and noticed a small shockwave, enveloping PKMY's hand.* (Th-The air? R-Rippling water?)

PKMY: "Pfft, wateva." *She pushed forward, blasting Ashton off his feet.*

Ashton: *He watched his feet dangle in shock.* "G-Gark-"

PKMY: "Harh!" *She stepped forward, knocking Ashton across the plains.*

Ashton: (Argh, this is what I get for thinking like Lance-) *His hair rapidly flicked in his face.*

Teresa: *She watched Ashton violently hit the ground, causing him to tumble backwards.* (A little extreme PKMY?)

PKMY: (Shut it.) *She folded her arms with a cocky smirk.*

Ashton: *Grass and dirt swirled around him, as he continued to tumble back.* "Blast it-" *He grabbed a rock near an edge, causing him to stop.*

PKMY: (Good, he stopped himself, at that rate I would've had to jump down and rescue him.)

Ashton: *He grunted, taking deep breaths.* "That was-" *He looked behind him, noticing the entire landscape.* " _Good_ _grief_ , I'm grateful I'm not afraid of heights."

PKMY: "Good work!"

Ashton: "For what?"

PKMY: "Not dying." *She smirked, cracking her knuckles.*

Ashton: *He watched the waves crash in the far distance, admiring the landscape.* (That would also explain that constant wind here-)

PKMY: "That's all for now."

Ashton: "But I can do _more_." *He pulled himself up, jumping back onto his feet.*

PKMY: "Eh?"

Ashton: "I feel great, like I don't feel anything at all." *He hopped on the spot and smiled.* "I'm fine."

PKMY: " _No_ that is all, we're taking a break."

\-----------

Alicia: "W-We've been walking for ages, could we please take a break?"

Lance: "Fine." *He stopped walking, rolling his eyes.*

Alicia: "So, umm, Lance?"

Lance: "So, umm, wat?" *He looked away, folding his arms like a child.*

Alicia: "What is it like on Earff?"

Lance: "It's Ear _th_."

Alicia: "Y-Yeah." *She smiled with fascination, causing Lance to look serious.*

Lance: "Well I thought it was awesome."

Alicia: "Thought?"

Lance: "But I've noticed things here, that, well I dunno." (Despite the crappy conditions, it's already better than my old life.)

Alicia: "Well, what did you do in your childhood? I don't imagine you collecting awards for hunting Scoldrants, or learning Rostical."

Lance: "It may sound like a bland life, but I just played video games all day."

Alicia: "Vydehogaimz? What are they?"

Lance: "It's like, umm, the screens at The Library and Surpreon, but with images you can control."

Alicia: "With images you can _control_?" *She leant over in amazement.* "That sounds extraordinary."

Lance: "Well, I reckon freezing water is _much_ better than playing games."

Alicia: "You think me freezing water is better?" *She smiled and looked away, as her cheeks turned red.*

Lance: "I-I dunno." *He noticed how close he unintentionally stood next to Alicia.*

Alicia: *She felt Lance's breath, causing her to step back.* "S-Sorry-"

Lance: "Ah, settle down, sister."

Alicia: "S-Settle-?"

Lance: "You have like snot running down your nose, you grotty cow." *He coughed and turned around, taking several steps away.*

Alicia: "I-Is it really?" *She covered her nose, discreetly touching it.* "But my nose isn't running?"

Lance: "J-Just, you, _feral_." *His face turned red, as he grunted like a child.*

Alicia: "..." *She looked down to the dirt ground, sighing in the awkward silence.*

Lance: "W-Well let's get goin', I don't want to get yelled at by Teresa again."

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She enthusiastically nodded her head, biting her bottom lip.*

*Footsteps rumbled along the ground, causing Lance and Alicia to stop.*

Lance: "Dude, I can feel your fart from here."

Alicia: "E-Excuse me?"

Lance: "If you didn't fart, then stop stamping, thundathighs."

Alicia: (Thunder thighs?) "Don't you feel the vibrations?"

Lance: *He sighed, nodding his head.* "Yea-"

*Several trees behind Alicia snapped and crashed down to the ground, causing a wave of dirt to blow into the air.*

Scoldrant: "Yarhyarhyarh." *A large lizard-like Scoldrant stepped towards Alicia.*

Alicia: "I-It's coming right for us!" *She gasped, taking a step back in fear.*

Lance: "Relax, stinko. Season said we're invisible."

Alicia: "Y-You're right."

Lance: "Pssht, of course I am." *He smirked, wiping under his nose.*

Scoldrant: "Yarh, yarhyarh." *It continued to stamp towards Alicia.*

Alicia: *Her eyes widened, preparing herself to jump away.* (No, I get the feeling it knows we're here-) *She jumped to the side, effectively avoiding the Scoldrant's attack.*

Scoldrant: "Yargh!" *It slowly turned around, charging towards Lance.*

Lance: "Oh, shit nuggets!" *He felt over his body in panic, trying to find his sword.*

Alicia: "Lance, the RPG bag!"

Lance: "Shit, I forgot." *He watched a woman cartwheel towards the Scoldrant.* "Who-?!"

?????: *She jumped high into the air and spun around, causing her long blonde hair to spiral around her.* "Hermph!"

Lance: "Aye?" *He looked up and watched the woman kick the Scoldrant off its feet.*

?????: *She kicked herself off the Scoldrant, flipping through the air.* "Hermph." *She landed in front of Alicia, facing the Scoldrant.*

Alicia: "W-Who are you?"

?????: "My name is Pepper."

Alicia: "M-My name is-"

Pepper: "We can save proper introductions for later, yeah?" *She focused all her attention in front, frowning at the Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: *It pushed itself back onto its feet, roaring at the party.* "Yargh!"

Alicia: "I-It sounds angry."

Lance: *He glanced at Pepper and Alicia, shaking his head.* "We can't defeat somethin' _that_ big _all_ by ourselves-"

Pepper: "I say-" *She bent her knees and jumped forward, giving the illusion she flew across the ground.*

Lance: "The crazy weird girl can fly-?"

Pepper: "Herh!" *She jumped up and spun around, kicking the Scoldrant in the face.*

Alicia: (Amazing! I should conserve my Neurons, so I can uphold the invisibility.)

Scoldrant: "Y-Yar-" *It growled at Pepper in defeat, before turning around.*

Pepper: "I say, retreat." *She formed fists, watching the Scoldrant trample away.*

Lance: "Y-Yea! And never come back, aye!" *He yelled at the Scoldrant, as it ran through the forest and out of his sight.*

Pepper: " _Phew_ , that was close, yeah?"

Lance: "Wow." *He faced Pepper, placing his hands on his head.* "How did you defeat it?"

Pepper: "I don't know."

Alicia: "W-Where are you from?"

Pepper: "I don't know."

Lance: "Rightio, where are ya goin'?"

Pepper: "I don't know."

Alicia: "How did that Scoldrant detect where we were?"

Pepper: "I don't-"

Lance: "I don't know?" *He sarcastically mumbled, rolling his eyes with a smirk.*

Pepper: "It must be one of those Scoldrants with high senses?"

Alicia: "Wait a-"

Lance: "Then how can _you_ see us?"

Pepper: "I don't know? I can just, see you." *She shrugged her shoulders in confusion.*

Alicia: (Maybe the invisibility has worn off?)

Pepper: *She walked towards one of the fallen trees caused by the Scoldrant.* "I say, what are you two doing?"

Lance: "Ah, ya know, just chillin'."

Pepper: "Thy don't understand." *She sat down on the log, causing Alicia and Lance to walk over.*

Lance: "Thy? What the-?"

Alicia: "Well, my name is Alicia." *She sat down on the log and smiled.*

Lance: "They call me Lance." *He leant on the log, pretending to be cool.*

Pepper: "Alicia, Lance-"

Lance: *His hand slipped on the log, causing him to fall on the ground.* (Shit, the moss was slippery!)

Alicia: "Tee hee."

Pepper: "Hahaha."

Lance: "Sh-Shut it." *He grunted and jumped back up, positioning himself on the log.*

Alicia: *She closely observed Pepper, holding her pendant with both hands.* (I have so many questions.)

Lance: *He glanced at Pepper, scratching the back of his head in pain.* (Pepper's voice sounds deep and mature, but not intelligent sounding as Teresa. It's a break from Alicia's high pitched banshee screams.)

Alicia: "Pepper, where were you born?"

Pepper: "I don't know?"

Alicia: "R-Really?" *She bent forward in a disapproving manner.*

Pepper: *She gently touched the sides of her head.* (I don't know-) "I don't remember anything."

Alicia: "Th-Then, what were you doing in this forest?"

Pepper: "I don't know."

Lance: "Pssht, not this game again." *He sighed, looking away like a child.*

Alicia: "Umm." *She nervously bit her bottom lip, staring at her pendant.* "What about the last thing you can remember?"

Pepper: "The last thing I remember is waking up in these woods, everything before that is a blur."

Lance: "Such boring questions."

Pepper: "..."

Lance: "What I wanna know is, how you kicked the Scoldrant like that." *He enthusiastically kicked the air in front of him.* "It was at least four times as big as us."

Pepper: "I don't know." *She shook her head, brushing her fingers through her long hair.*

Lance: "You took down that _huge_ thing and you're like sixteen?"

Pepper: "I-I don't know."

Lance: "Well, that's all the questions I'm gonna ask."

Pepper: "I remember seeing you both in trouble and well, _something_ just kicked in."

Alicia: "W-Well, thank you very much, Pepper."

\----------

Ashton: "So why do we have to take so many breaks?"

PKMY: "It's because I projected the Astragons in the air, reducing one of the key senses."

Ashton: "One of the key senses?"

PKMY: "The ability to feel pain."

Ashton: "I don't quite follow?"

PKMY: "The reason for this, is so people who desire to train would be able to do so, without having to stop."

Ashton: "I get what you mean, but I don't see the point of it? Even though there's no pain, the damage is still inflicted on the body, no?"

PKMY: "True."

Ashton: "For example?" *He implied he wanted to know more.*

PKMY: (Heh, he's smart.) "Would you want to stop every hour because of an agonising pain."

Ashton: "No-"

PKMY: "For example, reducing the pain would allow someone to walk on an injured leg."

Ashton: "Oh how careless of me, that's very genius." *He smiled at PKMY, touching his chest where PKMY hit him.*

Teresa: "A genius?" *She whispered to herself in confusion.*

Ashton: "I've also noticed, you sound like Teresa a bit."

Teresa: "Sounds like me? That would be a compliment, I have reason to believe he likes you, PKMY."

Ashton: *He blushed, shaking his head and hands.* "N-No I didn't mean-"

PKMY: "Heh, if you like me, Ashton, you should tell me." *She played along, stepping closer to Ashton.*

Ashton: "B-But, I-I-?"

PKMY: "Heh, it's fine."

Ashton: (Is this part of her training too?) *He coughed, regaining his composure.*

Teresa: (Hoh? Why did you stop? From observation, you like to tease.)

PKMY: *She tilted her head to Teresa, poking her tongue out.* (I must keep a _little_ sense of professionalism! Plus, he is completely in love with someone. I could feel how uncomfortable and inexperienced he is.)

Teresa: *She leant back and enjoyed the scenario.* (How trivial.)

PKMY: *She faced Ashton with a smile.* "Shall we get ready to teach you some Rostical?"

Ashton: "R-Rostical?"

PKMY: "Eh? I thought you were smart? Wat's with the dumbfounded look?"

Ashton: "I thought it was impossible for us to use Neurons and Astragons."

PKMY: *She leant on her side, staring at Ashton.* "Are you stupid?"

Ashton: "W-Wha-?"

Teresa: "PKMY, focus on the task at hand."

PKMY: "Wateva." *She sighed, face palming at Ashton.* "Everything is made up of those two, if you didn't have them before, you do now. But the fundamental rules still apply."

Ashton: "Rules?"

PKMY: "Rosterology items, Grand Rostical, the blood of Neurons, Astragons and elemental affinities. Surely Teresa has mentioned this?"

Ashton: "Oh yes. Good grief, please excuse my incompetence. I understand."

PKMY: (That's a little better.) *She walked behind the tree, sitting in front of a small pond.* "This is the second part of your training."

Ashton: "Oh okay." *He quickly walked up to PKMY, sitting down on the grass next to her.* "What would you like me to do?"

PKMY: "Maybe it would be better if I show you." *She closed her eyes, placing her hands on top of each other.*

Ashton: (She holds her arms in a defensive manner-)

PKMY: "Now, you see the water's surface."

Ashton: "Right." *He quickly focused his attention to the water.*

PKMY: "I'm going to concentrate the Astragons to manipulate the surface."

Ashton: "Yes." *He nodded his head in understanding.*

PKMY: "In order to maintain this, I'm going to be using the Neurons to hold the Astragons."

Ashton: "To sum it up, Astragons are the manipulation power, and Neurons are the energy source? I'm positive it's been mentioned several times already, but it's good to refresh my memory."

PKMY: "That's the _basic_ understanding of it, but not all Rostical works like that. Now watch." *She took a deep breath and started to concentrate, causing the water to ripple away from her.*

Ashton: (The pond's surface moved away from her, amazing!-)

PKMY: "Now you try."

Ashton: *He looked to his side, carefully positioning himself like PKMY.* "How do I do it? What do I imagine?"

PKMY: "Imagine yourself outside your body. You're trying to move the water's surface by pushing it."

Ashton: (Easier said than done.) *His eyebrow twitched in concentration.*

PKMY: "..." *She impatiently stared at the water.*

Ashton: *He opened his eyes and sighed with failure, shaking his head.* "N-Nothing."

PKMY: "Hmm?" *She placed her finger on her lips, tapping her foot in thought.* "Maybe I have to dumb it down even more?"

Ashton: (Ouch, dumb it down even more?) *He awkwardly chuckled, scratching behind his head.*

Teresa: "Perhaps I could offer my assistance?" *She walked towards PKMY with an emotionless face.*

PKMY: "Pfft, wateva."

Teresa: "If Ashton had no luck manipulating the water, how about wind?"

PKMY: *She clicked her fingers and smirked.* " _Yahoo_ , OK!"

Ashton: *He looked at PKMY and Teresa startled.* "Did I miss something-?"

PKMY: "Bestow, the cloudy abyss of gravel, MANIPULATE." *She waved her arms, causing green swirls to blow in the wind.*

Ashton: *He stared at the wind, reaching out in amazement.* (I can see the wind? I can see the air-?!) "Good grief, how did you do that?"

PKMY: "Easy-" *She faced Ashton and pointed at the air.* "Do the exact same thing to the wind."

Ashton: "Like what I was doing to the water?"

PKMY: "Yea, do wat you were _trying_ to do to the water."

Ashton: "Okay." *He closed his eyes and started to concentrate.*

PKMY: *Her short red hair flapped to one side, as she stared at Ashton.* (Astragons?! I thought I-)

Ashton: *He kept his eyes closed, as curiosity filled his face.* "Well, did anything happen?"

Teresa: "Negative." *She yawned, sitting back down under the tree.*

PKMY: "Although nothing happened, I'm pretty sure I sensed some Astragons in you."

Ashton: *He opened his eyes and sighed to himself.* "What does that mean?"

PKMY: "Perhaps you contain Astragons, but you've got no Neurons to power it up." *She reached behind her back and leant forward, revealing an RPG bag.*

Ashton: (She has one of those RPG bags too.) *He watched PKMY shove her entire arm into the bag.*

Teresa: (If PKMY's hypothesis is correct, perhaps we will get to see Ashton use Rostical shortly?)

PKMY: "No, no, no-" *She thoroughly moved her arm in the RPG bag, sticking her tongue out in concentration.* "No, no, ah? Yes!"

Ashton: (She must have a lot of stuff in there-)

PKMY: *She stopped moving her arm and smirked, pulling out an odd coloured blue ring.* "Yahoo, this Rosterology item is condensed with Neurons."

Ashton: "Right?" *He nodded his head, taking a step forward.*

PKMY: "Wear this ring, and we'll try again after another break."

Ashton: "Of course." *He spoke with respect, placing the ring on his finger.* "So, PKMY or Teresa."

Teresa: "Hmm?"

PKMY: "Eh?"

Ashton: "I was just wondering, how do you think my training is going?"

Teresa: "It is too soon to ask, it has only been one day."

PKMY: "Well, let me say it's very convenient that you're not stupid. I find it frustrating otherwise-" *She cracked her knuckles as if she was readying herself.* "I have hope in you."

Ashton: *He smiled with gratification.* "Thank you, I appreciate that."

PKMY: "OK, break's over, do it again!" *She yelled in a stern voice, causing Ashton to stand up straight.*

Ashton: "Yes!" *He tensed his body up, focusing his attention to the wind.*

\----------

*Pepper, Alicia and Lance walked across a large grassy meadow.*

Pepper: "To find a man named Millard?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep."

Pepper: "I say, sounds like you're both on an adventure."

Alicia: "Tee hee." *She giggled to herself in excitement, nodding her head.* "It's fun-"

Lance: "Finally!"

Pepper: "Finally what, yeah?"

Alicia: "Y-Yeah, what is it, Lance?"

Lance: "I finally see AriAri village, or wateva you call it."

Alicia: "Yay, that's great-"

Lance: "Pssht, I'm goin' first." *He grunted, running towards the village like a child.*

Pepper: *She touched her forehead, feeling disorientated.* (My perception is slightly off, either that or I'm feeling light-headed-)

Alicia: "Lance is really annoying sometimes, running ahead as usual." *She sighed and stared at Lance's back, watching him run into the village.*

Pepper: *She looked at Alicia, tilting her head to one side.* "How long have you two been together?"

Alicia: *She coughed, awkwardly stepping forward.* "Wha-?"

Lance: *He ran up to a villager, panting to catch his breath.* "Oi! Have you seen a man named Millard?"

Village: "H-Huh?!" *He stepped back, staring in front with fear.* "A-An Astral Projection!" *He threw the broom in his hand to the ground and started to run away.*

Lance: "Umm-?"

*Pepper and Alicia walked up to Lance, staring at the villager with confusion.*

Pepper: "I say, what was wrong with the villager?"

Lance: "Dunno, maybe he saw Alicia's face-"

Alicia: "Or maybe because we're still invisible?"

Lance: "Aye?" *He started to pick his nose, observing the villagers around him.*

Alicia: *She whimpered, stamping her foot.* "We are on a stealth-based mission, you shouldn't reveal our cover like that."

Lance: "OK, I forgot, get over yourself."

Alicia: (So if the villagers can't see us, then, why can Pepper see us?)

Pepper: "I say, should we continue further into the village for your friend?"

Lance: "Yea, wateva." *He grunted, walking into the village central.*

Pepper: *She looked at Alicia with a blank face.* "He should treat you nicely, he's not a very good boyfriend-"

Alicia: "N-N-No." *She awkwardly chuckled, shaking her head.*

Pepper: "I say, are you ill? Your face is red?"

Lance: *He glanced around looking disappointed.* (I had a feeling I was going to see Millard here.)

Alicia: "W-Why don't we focus on the reason why we're here?"

Pepper: "Sounds fair to me, yeah?"

Alicia: "Unfortunately, I don't see Millard anywhere here."

Lance: "Huh?" *He overheard two villagers, causing him to wave Pepper and Alicia over.*

Alicia: "W-What's wrong-?"

Lance: " _Shh_." *He frowned, pointing at the two villagers.*

Villager A: "Can you believe Millard has finally started to look for Kath?"

Villager B: "Yes, after so many years, finally."

Villager A: "I hope he's blessed with the Astragons, he deserves it."

Villager B: "I agree, occasionally and randomly passing by, donating funds after a tax."

Villager A: "Trying to find someone as powerful as Kath, I really hope he doesn't get killed."

Villager B: "Too bad I didn't get to say bye, he might not show himself for a while now."

Alicia: (Oh no, it seems like he's already left.) "W-We should report back to Season."

Lance: "W-Wha-?" *He gasped, catching Alicia and Pepper's attention.*

Alicia: "W-What's wrong?"

Lance: "Did something smart come out of your mouth?" *He stepped forward, gently touching Alicia's forehead.* "Are you sick?"

Pepper: "I say, I said the same thing, yeah." *She innocently nodded her head in agreement.*

Alicia: "Grottom bottom." *She pouted with a frown at Lance and spun around, starting to walk out of the village.*

Lance: "Pssht, wateva." *He mumbled to himself and rolled his eyes, following Alicia out of the village.*

Pepper: "I say-"

Lance: "You say _what_ , Pepper?" *He smirked, causing Alicia to shake her head.*

Pepper: "Do you two always act like that towards each other?"

Alicia: " _He_ does."

Lance: "Aha, no. Pretty sure docta tubby fubby over here starts it all." *He stared at Pepper and nodded his head, pointing at Alicia.*

Pepper: (What, unusual people?) *She smirked with slight confusion.*

Alicia: "Well, it's not like you're some divine being either, Lance."

Lance: "Not as divine as those volcanic fart-like rumbles you do."

Alicia: "E-Excuse me!-"

Lance: "Excused? You fart again-?"

Pepper: (Divine?) *Her eyes widened, as several images flashed in her head.*

-

*An enormous castle enveloped in bright light, stood tall on a floating island.*

-

Pepper: *She gasped and leant forward, holding her forehead in pain.* (What was that?)

Lance: "So, Pepper." *He placed his hands on his head, unaware of her confused state.*

Pepper: "Yes?"

Lance: "Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem to have a personality?"

Pepper: "Well, I-" *She paused, looking down with confusion.*

Alicia: "Don't take that the wrong way? She can't remember anything at all!-"

Lance: "S-See wat I mean!" *He pointed at Alicia like a child.* " _She_ started it!"

Alicia: "Y-You're so, _stupid_."

Lance: " _Stupid_? Now it's on, little girl!"

Pepper: *She stared in front in a daydream-like state.* (That castle? That feeling.) "I say, it's time for me to leave."

Alicia: "Y-You're leaving?"

Lance: "That's wat leavin' means-"

Pepper: "It was nice to meet you, Lance, Alicia."

Lance: "Oh yea! My name was mentioned _first_! Beat that, stinko winko!" *He threw his arms in the air, waving them like a child.*

Alicia: *She face palmed, sighing at Lance.* "Pepper, why not stay with us?"

Lance: "Y-Yea, you maybe borin', but you know how to fight."

Pepper: "I don't know."

Alicia: "Surpreon would be a good place to help find whatever you're looking for."

Pepper: *She shook her head, flicking her long hair over her shoulder.* "No, I want to try and find my memories by myself."

Alicia: "A-Are you sure?"

Pepper: *She enthusiastically nodded her head, looking into the distance.* "Yes."

Lance: "Wat 'bout them Scoldrants?"

Pepper: "Excuse me?"

Lance: "Like, by yourself, the Scoldrants?"

Pepper: "Don't worry, I don't sense any in the direction you're heading."

Alicia: "And what about yourself?"

Pepper: "I can handle being on my own."

Lance: "Fair enough."

Alicia: "Oh, okay."

Pepper: "I say, thank you for keeping me company." *She spoke, distracted in thought.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you as well."

Pepper: "Herm?"

Alicia: "For scaring away the Scoldrant."

Pepper: "..." *She smiled and started to run into the distance.*

Lance: "Oi! Angler!" *He faced Pepper, yelling out to her.*

Pepper: *She quickly stopped, looking over her shoulder to Lance.* "I say, yes?!"

Lance: "We owe ya one." *He mumbled, smirking in a mature-like manner.*

Pepper: (Angler?) *She looked confused and waved, before running into the distance.*

Alicia: "She was a pleasant girl."

Lance: "I don't know." *He smirked and rolled his eyes.*

Alicia: "Angler?"

Lance: "Did ya see her hair?"

Alicia: "..." *She shook her head, silently walking ahead.*

Lance: "Ya don't find it funny 'cause you don't understand!"

Alicia: "..."

Lance: "Oi, don't walk ahead!" *He grunted, walking faster to keep up with Alicia.*

\----------

Ashton: *He hunched forward, gasping for air.* "Ouch-"

PKMY: "You're making excellent progress."

Ashton: "Th-Thank-"

PKMY: "Now the next test, I'm going to throw my daggers at you."

Ashton: "Ah, I'm sorry?"

PKMY: "You are to block them."

Ashton: "B-Block?"

PKMY: "You won't feel any pain, but you've got to believe in yourself."

Ashton: "But-"

PKMY: "Just to be clear, you have to _block_ them, you're _not_ allowed to dodge them."

Ashton: "Okay." *He touched his chest, nervously nodding his head.*

PKMY: "And don't worry, I won't aim for any major arteries."

Ashton: "Major arteries-?"

PKMY: "Relax, and focus on what I told you about the Astragons."

Ashton: "Astragons, I understand."

PKMY: "Now show me, the results of all those exercises!"

Ashton: (Good grief, focus Ashton! Focus!) *He started to concentrate, causing the ring to flicker clusters of light.*

PKMY: *She noticed the ring, causing her to smile.* "Heh."

Ashton: *The air around him warped, as his body glowed a shade of blue.* (Concentrate!)

Teresa: *She stood up and stared at Ashton, showing more interest in the training.* (He is significantly improving, the amount of Astragons he is releasing is causing the air to warp.)

Ashton: *He frowned in concentration, as the air visibly warped in front of him.* "..."

Teresa: (I do not know if it is due to PKMY's training, but the level Ashton is at now, it is not normal.)

PKMY: "Now!" *She raised her arm, revealing four daggers.*

Ashton: "Tssk." *He stared at the daggers, cautiously taking a step back.*

Teresa: (It takes countless hours training every day for years.. Only those that are prodigies have this speed, this aptitude, being so adept at using Neurons and Astragons.. Does the master of Astragons know a reason for this?)

PKMY: "Harh!" *She spun around, blasting the daggers towards Ashton.*

Ashton: (You can hear the daggers piercing the wind-) *He watched the daggers slow down before stabbing him in the chest.*

Teresa: (All four stabbed him-)

PKMY: "Heh." *She spun around, throwing another dagger towards Ashton's chest.*

Ashton: *His eyes widened, staring at the dagger in shock.* (No!-) *The dagger slowed down and altered course, stabbing him in the arm.*

PKMY: "Hmm?" (That was meant to stab him directly in the chest-) *She frowned with a slight smirk, throwing another dagger towards Ashton's head.*

Ashton: *He raised his arms, focusing his attention to the dagger.* (I _can't_ let this one hit me-)

PKMY: "..." *She watched the dagger wobble in mid-air, before stabbing the ground next to Ashton's feet.*

Ashton: "I-I did it?!"

PKMY: "Release more, I don't want the dagger to come near you!" *She yelled, throwing another dagger towards Ashton's face.*

Ashton: ( _More_!) *He grunted and stepped forward, causing the surrounding grass to blow back.*

PKMY: *She watched the dagger suddenly stop in mid-air, causing her to glance at Ashton with a smirk.* (Awesome-)

Ashton: "Grarh!" *He grunted and watched the dagger fall to the ground.*

Teresa: (That is somewhat impressive.)

Ashton: *He awkwardly stepped forward, ignoring the sweat and blood which dripped on to the grass under him.* "H-How did I go?" *He stared at PKMY, anxiously waiting for her response.*

PKMY: *She walked up to him and smiled, carelessly ripping out the daggers from Ashton's chest.* (He's able to fluctuate the air around him, causing my daggers to alter course, missing its targets.)

Ashton: "PKMY?"

PKMY: (Judging by the Astragons around him, and when the daggers started to lose their momentum-) *She stared at her reflection in the dagger, thinking to herself.* (I'd say the aura formed a circular shape, similar to a bubble. A good defensive trait-)

Ashton: "PKMY?"

PKMY: "Pfft, stop saying my name, I was clearly in thought."

Ashton: "I'm terribly sorry!"

PKMY: "Good work." *She presented a root with symbols engraved on it.* "Take this, it will heal your wounds fast."

Ashton: "What is it?"

PKMY: "It's a hybrid version of Acro Berries."

Ashton: "Acro Berries? They sound interesting, why are they called-?"

PKMY: "I don't want your life story, just eat it."

Ashton: *He slowly bit down on the root, causing his lips to quiver.* (Terrible, this root is bitter.)

PKMY: *She dropped the dagger and turned around.* (He truly is a defensive type.) *She smirked in excitement.*

Ashton: *He looked down, chewing with disgust.* "I'm not badly hurt, am I?"

Teresa: "Only minor damage was caused."

Ashton: "I see, thank you, Teresa. You can tell when Alicia isn't here, she'd be using her healing powers."

PKMY: *She discreetly looked surprised.* (Healing powers-?)

Ashton: "How far away am I from completion?"

PKMY: "I would like to try one more exercise before retaking the exam." *She zipped up the RPG bag, throwing it at Teresa.*

Ashton: (Exam? Does she mean grabbing a leaf from the tree?)

Teresa: *She noticed the blood on the grass around Ashton.* "Perhaps a rest is in order?"

Ashton: "Please! Allow me to continue!"

PKMY: "Not with those wounds you aren't."

Ashton: "Please, allow me to continue."

PKMY: "No-"

Ashton: "Excuse the rudeness, but I need to."

Teresa: "Hoh? Need?"

PKMY: "Yea, _need_?"

Ashton: "I, want to protect my friends." *He looked down, panting with exhaustion.* "I can't protect them if I don't complete this training."

PKMY: "..."

Ashton: "So please, let me continue. I won't give up." *He looked up, staring at PKMY with determination.*

PKMY: (His drive, heh-) *She smirked and sighed.* "Alright, _fine_."

Ashton: "Thank!-"

PKMY: "But if you drop dead due to exhaustion, then that's _your_ own fault."

Ashton: (Good grief, how charming.) "So what's the next exercise?"

PKMY: "OK, you've got the understanding of basic manipulation, but that poor ring is working at its limit."

Ashton: "Oh?" *He raised his arm, staring at the ring with worry.*

PKMY: "Even powerful Rosterology items can run out of power if used for too long."

Ashton: "I see, can I recharge it somehow?"

PKMY: "Well, we need to focus on your Neurons."

Ashton: "My Neurons?"

PKMY: "We need to raise your stamina in using Neurons, so you're not constantly using the ring at one hundred percent. Does that make sense?"

Ashton: "So it basically means I'm using this ring to its maximum capacity and if I don't improve my Neurons it will run out of power?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

PKMY: "Heh, spot on. I'm glad I didn't have to repeat myself."

Ashton: "So does this mean I can use Rostical without the ring?"

PKMY: "No, we're merely raising your performance in Neurons so you don't wear out that ring."

Ashton: "I don't quite understand, but okay." *He coughed with slight disappointment.*

PKMY: "After inspection, you have an ability to project something similar to a bubble."

Ashton: "A bubble?"

PKMY: "It's the best way I could put it." *She shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head.*

Ashton: "Oh okay."

PKMY: "What I want you to do, is focus on your _bubble_ -like shield."

Ashton: "Alright."

PKMY: "Hold the shield up as long as you can while I use Rostical on you."

Ashton: (She knows Rostical-?)

PKMY: "Got it, shithead?!"

Ashton: *He coughed and stepped back, startled.* "G-Got it?"

Teresa: (It is best not to keep PKMY waiting-)

Ashton: "You're going to be using Rostical-" *He paused and looked down.*

PKMY: *She leant on her side, folding her arms.* "You got something to say?"

Ashton: "I don't believe I'm that strong yet-"

PKMY: "After giving me that whole, please allow me to continue speech?"

Ashton: "..."

PKMY: "You won't get stronger if you don't push yourself."

Ashton: "True."

PKMY: "Besides, I'll only be using weak Rostical."

Ashton: "I see." *He mumbled, taking a deep breath through his nose.* "Okay, I'm ready when you are."

PKMY: "Heh, when I'm ready?"

Ashton: "Yeah-"

PKMY: "FLAMING WHEEL, ICICLE EDGE"

Ashton: "What-?!" *A ring of fire swirled around him, burning the grass.*

PKMY: *She spun around, raising her arms into the air.* (Can you focus on two at the same time?)

Ashton: (From what I've seen, a verse is usually spoken during Rostical-) *He waved his arms, causing the fire to burn out.* (But she didn't use any spoken verse-)

PKMY: "Harh!" *She dropped her arms, causing four ice spears to blast downwards.*

Ashton: *He looked up and waved his arms, causing the ice spears to jab into the ground around him.* (Phew.)

Teresa: *She watched the ice spears shatter into nothing.* (Not bad Ashton-) *She glanced over to PKMY with an emotionless face.*

PKMY: "..." *She leant on her side, folding her arms.*

Teresa: (But, PKMY, skipping a training session and going straight to using Rostical?)

Ashton: *His knees buckled, as he tried to stay on his feet.* "How-" *He took a deep breath, as the ring stopped glowing.* "How did I go?"

Teresa: (His legs are trembling? Exhaustion?)

PKMY: "Very good, you easily avoided two Rostical which were of opposite elements."

Ashton: *He smiled, wiping sweat off his cheek.* "Thank you."

PKMY: "I noticed you put out the fire with ease, but the ice shards easily pierced your wind shield."

Ashton: (She's right.) *He had a flashback of the ice spears jabbing into the ground.* "So what does that mean?"

PKMY: "I'm not sure yet, you're able to cast a wind barrier around you. I'll let you know once I gather more information."

Ashton: (I can create a barrier? I didn't even notice-)

PKMY: "Enough talking, you want to continue? Then stand up straight!"

\----------

*Alicia and Lance bowed in front of Season.*

Season: "I see, so he wasn't there after all." *He spoke with disappointment, rubbing his chin in thought.*

Alicia: "B-But we did overhear some of the villagers-"

Lance: "Actually, _I_ was the one that heard it-"

Season: " _Continue_?"

Lance: "Pssht, wateva."

Alicia: "Apparently Millard has started a search for someone named Kath."

Season: "I see."

Lance: "So we like failed?"

Season: (Kath? It couldn't be _her_? It _can't_ be-) *He coughed, ignoring Lance.* "Just as you both were leaving, one of my researchers brought something to my attention."

Alicia: "O-Oh?"

Lance: "Was she that chick you were walkin' away with?"

Season: "Chick?"

Lance: "Ya know, that girl in white that was like, come to the research area."

Season: "There are no animals in my manor?"

Lance: "Don't worry." *He sighed, rolling his eyes.*

Alicia: "What did she bring your attention towards?"

Season: "The Unknown Territories."

Alicia: "The Unknown Territories? What about them-?"

Lance: " _Wait_."

Season: "Yes?"

Lance: "We walked all the way to that blasted village, and _all_ the way back."

Season: "What are you trying to say?" *He spoke in a stern voice, impatiently tapping his foot.*

Lance: "Don't we get an award or somethin'?"

Season: "Enough! I have enrolled you into Battling Oxident."

Lance: "..."

Season: "That in itself is a privilege, that can be your _reward_."

Lance: "An award? You didn't have to do that, I'm flattered." *He chuckled, waving his hand in front of his face.*

Alicia: *She shook her head, exhaling in frustration.* "..."

Lance: "Wait a minute, you never told us wat Battling Oxident is?"

\----------

Ashton: *He leant against the tree and stared at Teresa and PKMY, taking deep breaths.* "If you both don't mind me asking."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

PKMY: "Wat is it?"

Ashton: "I know you said to Season that we'd be gone for seven days, but why does it feel like we're on a time schedule?"

PKMY: "Yea, Teresa!" *She faced Teresa and leant on her side, folding her arms.* "Even though Ashton is making amazing progress, even I got that feeling too?"

Teresa: "..." *She looked down, brushing hair out of her face.*

PKMY: "Well, explain yourself?" *She grunted, impatiently tapping her foot.*

Teresa: "Battling Oxident."

PKMY: "Wat?" *Her eyes widened, as she gasped under her breath.*

Ashton: "Huh?"

PKMY: "Is it that time already?!"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "Battling Oxident?" (I think I heard that somewhere before.)

PKMY: " _Yahoo_!" *She excitedly jumped up, punching the air in front of her.*

Teresa: "Battling Oxident is an arena held in Surpreon."

Ashton: "Oh? How often?"

Teresa: "There is no allocated time frame, but it varies from eleven months."

Ashton: (Good grief, that's almost a year-)

PKMY: "I'm so excited-"

Teresa: (Perhaps you have forgotten it is too early to reveal yourself?)

PKMY: *Teresa's voice echoed in her head, causing her morale to drop.* (Oh yea-)

Ashton: *He slowly inhaled, catching his breath.* "Why were you so excited, PKMY? What's so special about this Battling Oxident?"

PKMY: "Wat's so special about it? Are you _that_ stupid-?"

Teresa: "People who wish to sharpen their skills, or to battle for what they believe in, enter in Battling Oxident."

Ashton: "So there would be a lot of people in there?"

PKMY: "A lot? It's always packed!"

Ashton: "But it's held in Surpreon?"

Teresa: "Correct."

Ashton: *He scratched his sweaty hair in confusion.* "But there wouldn't be enough room?"

Teresa: "Battling Oxident is kept in a Spacial Funnel, concealed by using a powerful glyph that distorts the Astragons-"

PKMY: "It's going to take too long to explain, just wait and see it for yourself."

\----------

Lance: "Fightin'? _Awesome_."

Alicia: "I remember several people from my village entered Battling Oxident for the prize alone."

Season: "Excitement fills the city when Battling Oxident returns."

Lance: *He stared at Alicia, sighing like a child.* "Come on, stinky cow cow meow wow."

Alicia: "C-Cow cow meow wow-?"

Lance: "Don't bring up a story and _not_ finish it, wat's the prize?"

\----------

Ashton: "From the impression I'm getting, Battling Oxident is a major event."

PKMY: "Damn right it is." *She grunted and smirked, forming fists.*

Ashton: "What's the incentive? Surely not _everyone_ is bloodthirsty."

Teresa: "Most people enter Battling Oxident purely for the prize, which is the Purifying Oxident."

Ashton: "The Purifying Oxident? I shouldn't assume it's just a trophy?"

PKMY: "Back in the days I came close to getting it once."

Ashton: "Oh really?"

PKMY: "They say that the Purifying Oxident not only boosts one's Neurons _and_ Astragons, but also prolongs Astragons."

Ashton: "What does that do?"

PKMY: "It has the potential to make the user live longer."

Ashton: "Good grief! I can see why it's popular now."

Teresa: "I calculated PKMY would effectively teach you something of worth, giving me the intentions of enrolling you."

PKMY: "Heh." *She smirked with an approving nod.*

Teresa: "If you desired, of course, Ashton?"

Ashton: "I don't know." *He looked down to the swaying grass.*

PKMY: "Huh? Do you know how many people want to enter Battling Oxident but can't?"

Ashton: "I'm not keen on fighting." *He shook his head, staring at PKMY.* "Fighting people for no reason-"

PKMY: "I'll be watching from the audience, Ashton, I'd like to see how well you go."

\----------

Lance: *He looked to each side, shrugging his shoulders.* "If the city gets so excited, why is it quiet 'round here lately?"

Season: "Most of my people are preparing for Battling Oxident as we speak."

Lance: "Oh." *He coughed and sniffed, looking away.*

Season: "Would either of you like to assist?"

Alicia: "O-Of course." *She smiled, enthusiastically nodding head.*

Lance: "Bah, I've got nothin' better to do, aye."

Season: "Splendid."

\----------

PKMY: "Well I reckon you're ready to retake the exam."

Ashton: "Excellent, what is it?"

Teresa: (Your training skills are exceptional, PKMY, but do not push him too far, his body appears to be at its limit.)

PKMY: "Wat is it? Wat does _retake_ mean?"

Ashton: "Oh, umm?"

PKMY: *She sighed, shaking her head.* "You've already tried it-" *She pointed to the tree with a bored expression.* "Just try and grab a leaf off the tree."

Ashton: (I was right..) "Alright." (I think I can do this now.)

PKMY: "You have three attempts."

Ashton: "Just say when-"

PKMY: *She suddenly flashstepped next to Ashton, grabbing his shoulder.* "Heh-" *She pulled him off the tree and flashstepped away.*

Teresa: *She watched Ashton and PKMY appear in the distance.* (Let us see if he has the potential-)

Ashton: "Argh-" *He fell forward, coughing as if he was going to be sick.* (What just happened?!)

PKMY: "I'm ready now! Yahoo."

Ashton: (Come on, Ashton! You've done too much just to give up now!) *He grunted, positioning himself as if he was about to sprint.*

PKMY: "I said _now_!"

Ashton: *Sweat dripped off his face, as he sprinted towards the tree.* (I will not fail this, I need to protect my friends!-)

PKMY: *She flashstepped in front of Ashton, looking down to the swaying grass.* "Finished crawling like a baby?"

Ashton: "Wha-?"

PKMY: *She tapped the ground, jumping into the air.* "..."

Ashton: *He stared at PKMY's foot with widening eyes.* "How-?"

PKMY: *She kicked the air, causing her to spiral at amazing speeds.* (Prepare yourself for my first critical hit!)

Ashton: *He watched PKMY spin into a small ball, frozen with shock.* (How is she doing this?!) *His hair and clothes rapidly flapped back.*

PKMY: "This attack is going to hit you so hard, you're going to see you own ass!"

Ashton: (No!-) *He shouted in thought as a heartbeat-like pulse thumped through his body.*

Teresa: (I should address the men about standing on the spot-.. Did I just feel a spike in Neurons-?)

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *He shouted with an echoing voice.*

Teresa: (Ashton's first Rostical!)

Ashton: *He spread his arms in front of him, as swirls of bubble-like lines enveloped him.* (Focus!) *He frowned with concentration, as the bubble-like swirls formed a shield around him.*

PKMY: *She broke out of her rapid spinning, raising her leg in the air.* "Harh!"

Ashton: *He crossed his arms, bracing himself.* "..."

PKMY: *She screamed, kicking towards Ashton's head.* "H-Huh?"

Teresa: "Hoh?"

PKMY: (His shield _absorbed_ _my_ _kick_ -?)

Teresa: "..." *She watched PKMY's foot push back and forth with Ashton's shield.*

Ashton: (No-) *He leant forward, as the shield popped.*

*An invisible force knocked PKMY and Ashton back.*

PKMY: "Heh-" *She straightened her body and landed with ease, watching Ashton tumble on to his back.* "Well, that was one of your three chances."

Ashton: *He slowly stood up, feeling defeated.* (She is unimaginably powerful-) *He noticed yellow leaves sway in the breeze, causing him to smirk with thought.*

PKMY: *She waited for Ashton's next move.* "If you won't do anything, then I will!"

Ashton: *He took deep breaths, raising his arms.* (She's able to move at a speed where I can't see her with my own eyes!-)

PKMY: *She took a step forward and flashstepped.* "Thinking of a plan?"

Ashton: "You won't fool me again!"

PKMY: *She stared at Ashton's back with a smirk.* "Oh really?"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

PKMY: *She raised her arm, causing the air to ripple like water around her hand.* "Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_."

Ashton: *He slowly looked over his shoulder to PKMY, as a bubble-like shield enveloped him.* (The speed she moves at, it's _unreal_ -)

PKMY: "Grarh!" *She punched Ashton's shield, causing it to instantly pop.*

Ashton: *He gasped, as PKMY punched him into the air.* (She still got me-?!)

PKMY: "Argh-" *She spiral back, hitting the ground.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" (The recoil of Ashton's shield knocked PKMY back.)

PKMY: *She smirked, wiping her mouth.* " _Yahoo_ , _that's_ wat I want." *She stood up, watching Ashton hit the ground.*

Ashton: *He coughed, overwhelmed with stress.* (That was my second attempt! Okay, think, relax-)

PKMY: (I want to finish this with a bang! Should I use a powerful Azure? Maybe chain him in a Rostical combo?)

Ashton: (The best thing I'm known for, is to think-) *He stood up and faced PKMY.* (Obviously charging like an animal results in me flying through the air.)

PKMY: (He's obviously not worth me using my Ougi-) *She shook her head with a slight frown.* (I need to remember, this is still a training session.)

Ashton: *He heard the leaves rustle in the wind, causing him to smile.* (The wind, the dead leaves, I think I got it.)

Teresa: *She stared at Ashton with an emotionless face.* (The odds are against him, what would he be smiling about?)

PKMY: "Eh? Do we have a boost of confidence now?"

Ashton: *He started to run away from the tree, cautiously keeping his distance from PKMY.* (If I keep running in a circular motion, I could perhaps-)

PKMY: "I don't know wat you're planning, but the tree is in the _opposite_ direction, dumbass!"

Ashton: *He noticed the air warp around PKMY's hand.* (If she's preparing her attack, she's going to flashstep shortly.)

PKMY: "Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_."

Ashton: (Here she comes-)

PKMY: "Harh!" *She pushed forward, causing a pulse of white aura to blast towards Ashton.*

Ashton: (Long distance?!) *He stepped back, raising a small strip of shield in front of him.*

PKMY: *She watched the aura form itself into a disc, slamming into Ashton's shield.* "You weren't expecting a different variant of my Azure, were you?!"

Ashton: *He grunted with exhaustion, as he struggled to keep the shield up.* (It feels like a car is pushing up against me-) *He dropped his arms to the side, causing the shield to pop.*

PKMY: *She watched the aura disc explode into the ground next to Ashton.* " _Never_ underestimate your opponent."

Ashton: *He covered his mouth and coughed due to the dirt which blew past him.* (Okay, the plan worked, but that was _way_ too risky.)

Teresa: (I am intrigued, what is Ashton's plan? Does he even have a plan?)

PKMY: "I don't know what you're doing, but here's _another_! Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_."

Ashton: *He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.* (I hope this works-) *The area started to shine white, as PKMY's attack blasted into striking distance.*

PKMY: (This will be his final attempt, but he's nowhere near the tree-)

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *Swirls of bubble-like streams enveloped him, forming a shield.*

PKMY: (His shield is only strong enough to slightly knock my attack to the side-)

Ashton: (I have to put _everything_ into this one!) *He spread his arms and yelled, causing the shield to slightly glow blue.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" (His shield is glowing, it is usually transparent.)

Ashton: "Argh-" *Grass blew back as PKMY's attack slammed into his shield.*

PKMY: "..." *She silently watched, ignoring the echoing screeching sound.*

Ashton: *He watched the shield erode in on itself, caused by PKMY's attack.* (I _can't_ let this shield burst!)

Teresa: (The Astragons surrounding Ashton is increasing-)

Ashton: (If I fail, she will take this ring away, rendering me useless!) *His feet scraped along the ground, as the attack pushed him backwards.*

PKMY: *She leant to one side and stared at Ashton struggle, shaking her head with growing confusion.* (Why keep the shield up? What is he doing?)

Ashton: (Alright, I have to initiate the plan!) *He focused on the eroding shield, causing the aura disc to vibrate in front of him.*

PKMY: "Give it a rest-"

Ashton: "Harh!" *He moved to the side, causing the shield to explode.* "Argh-" *He tumbled back, as PKMY's attack blasted into the distance.*

PKMY: *She sighed, slowly walking towards him.* "Not a bad effort, but you wasted so much energy."

Teresa: "Hoh? I see that was his intentions-" *She mumbled to herself, quickly walking away from the tree.*

Ashton: "D-Did I pass?" *He moaned, holding his chest in pain.*

PKMY: "Unfortunately no, however, you did give it your all."

Ashton: *He took deep breaths and smiled, purposely trying to stay on his feet.* "..."

PKMY: "Why are you smirking? You don't have a leaf, you lost? _Idiot_!"

Teresa: "The outcome has yet to be resolved." *She whispered under her breath.*

PKMY: *She looked over her shoulder, staring at Teresa with a frown.* "What was that, Teresa-?"

*A loud thunder rumbled through the air, as a miniature explosion blasted around the tree.*

Ashton: *He panted with one eye closed, slowly raising his arm.* "..."

PKMY: " _What_?!" *She looked to her side and watched an eruption of leaves blow into the air.*

Teresa: "..." *She watched the leaves spiral in the wind, looking ahead as if she followed the air current.*

Ashton: *He caught a leaf as a gust of wind blew past him.* "Never underestimate your opponent."

PKMY: *Her jaw dropped, as she stood on the spot in disbelief.* (This guy.)

Ashton: *He looked down to the leaf, causing sweat to drip off his face.* "I did it-?"

PKMY: "Hahaha, yahoo! You pass!" *She stepped forward and flashstepped next to Ashton.*

Teresa: *She looked up and spun around, staring into the distance.* (It appears Battling Oxident has commenced already.)

PKMY: "We'll have to save the celebrations for another time."

Ashton: "What do you mean?"

PKMY: "Now it's time for the hardest part of my training."

Ashton: "No fair, I _just_ _did_ the exam."

PKMY: "Teresa, has Season been notified?"

Teresa: "We have made the specified deadline, they will be awaiting our arrival."

PKMY: "Heh, good work, Ashton." *She proudly smiled, hitting the leaf out of his hand.* "I'm surprisingly proud of this one, Teresa."

Teresa: "From my experiences, people like Ashton are rare to encounter."

PKMY: "Well, I'm definitely attending Battling Oxident, so don't let me down."

Ashton: "Thank you _very_ much."

PKMY: "Teresa, I'm removing my training Rostical now."

Teresa: *She walked over to Ashton, placing his arm over her head.* "I understand."

Ashton: *He glanced at Teresa in confusion.* "What are you doing? I'm a little exhausted but I'm in no pain."

PKMY: "Dispel!"

Ashton: "Dispel-?" *He wheezed, bending forward in pain.*

PKMY: "Go now, I don't want to watch my star pupil scream like a girl-"

Ashton: (My chest! It hurts!-) " _Argh_!" *He yelled in tremendous pain, causing PKMY to turn around.*

*A glyph drew itself on the ground underneath Ashton and Teresa, causing the area to glow purple.*

Teresa: "Until next time, PKMY."

PKMY: *She smirked, ignoring Ashton's screams.* (Until next time.)

\----------

*A large cluster of people gathered on the peak of Gasher Hills.*

Alicia: *She watched several women in white run towards Season.* (I wonder why we have to meet on top of Gasher Hills-?)

Season: "Healing division, are you ready?!" *He spoke with a powerful voice, catching everyone's attention.*

Alicia: *She nodded her head, anxiously biting her bottom lip.* "..."

Season: *He watched the surrounding people nod their heads in response.* "You're in charge of holding him."

Guard: "Sir!"

Season: "You!" *He pointed to a woman in white, causing her to gasp.* "Ensure there is no internal bleeding."

Nurse: "S-Sir!"

Season: "I want everyone to act in a calm and quick manner-"

*Loud cheers and chants echoed from Surpreon, causing several people to look into the distance.*

Season: (Battling Oxident-)

Lance: *He listened to the cheers with a worried expression.* "It's gettin' dark-"

Season: *He looked to his side, noticing Lance's worried face.* "Hohoho, don't worry. You won't be disqualified, your match is a few battles away."

Lance: (That's not why I'm worried-) *He looked down to the sandy ground, sighing on his breath.* (Ash, I hope he's okay.)

*A purple glyph started to draw itself on the ground, catching nearby people's attention.*

Alicia: *She raised her arm, squinting her eyes.* (I'm not sure if it's because the sun has set, but that glyph is bright-)

*Teresa and Ashton suddenly appeared in a flash of purple light, causing Alicia and Lance to gasp.*

Lance: "A-Ash-" *He smiled with excitement, before noticing his condition.*

Ashton: " _Argh_!-" *He dropped to the ground, thrashing himself in pain.*

Season: "Go now!" *His order-like yell caused his subordinates to rush towards Ashton, starting their work.*

Lance: *He stared at Ashton from a distance, shaking his head in disbelief.* (Where did they go? He's all banged up.)

Nurse: *She tried to get close to Ashton.* "He needs to stop moving, otherwise I can't administer the sedative."

*Two guards rushed over, holding Ashton down, allowing several nurses to clean his cuts.*

Alicia: "HEALING RINGS"

Nurse: "This syrup will help-" *She whispered to Ashton, before looking up to Teresa.* "What happened to him?"

Teresa: *She held a clump of folded clothes in her arms, staring at the people surrounding Ashton.* "He is currently enduring several days worth of pain at once."

Nurse: "A-At once?"

Teresa: "This was to be expected and Ashton unknowingly agreed to it."

Season: (I see. That means Ashton completed PKMY's training-)

Ashton: *Two rings of light materialised in the air and started to spiral around him, causing him to sigh in relief.* "..."

Season: (That also means, he's now capable of using Rostical?)

Alicia: *She concentrated on the rings of light, staring at Ashton.* (He's stopped fidgeting, and he's started to breathe normally-)

Ashton: "I-? Who-? Where is Lance?"

Teresa: "Do not overexert yourself."

Ashton: "I-I think I'm fine-"

Teresa: "I believe you do not understand the severity of damage your body has endured."

Season: *He took several steps towards Ashton.* "I agree."

Ashton: *He raised his arm and moved his fingers, admiring the ring.* (Excellent, with this, I can now be of some use-) *His eyes rolled back, passing out.*

Nurse: *She looked up to Season, kneeling away from Ashton.* "No head trauma, confirmed."

Alicia: *She lowered her arms, causing the rings of light to disintegrate into nothing.* "All major wounds, healed."

Nurse: *She moved her hand away from Ashton's chest, causing her to stand up.* "The internal bleeding has stopped."

Season: "Excellent, I'm surprised and happy it went so well."

Lance: (He's all good-) *He discreetly sighed in relief.* (That's what I wanted to hear.)

Season: "Good work, everyone! Recovery was a success."

Lance: "Pssht, you couldn't get rid of him even if ya tried."

Season: "Move him straight to the Inn, I shouldn't be outside Surpreon any longer, _especially_ during Battling Oxident."

Healing Division: "Sir!"

Teresa: (Due to Season's leadership and loyal followers, they were able to handle the situation with ease.) *She started to walk down the slope with an emotionless face.*

\----------

Lance: "Zzz." *He awkwardly slept on a chair next to Ashton, waiting for him to regain consciousness.*

Ashton: *He moaned, slowly opening his eyes.* "Lance?"

Lance: *He snorted like a pig, waking himself up.* " _Gah_? Ash?"

Ashton: "Hello."

Lance: *He rubbed his eyes, sitting up straight in the chair.* "How are ya feelin'?"

Ashton: "I feel _much_ better now."

Lance: *He frowned with a slight smile.* "Shit nuggets, _how_ are ya feelin'?"

Ashton: "My throat is a little dry, but that's it."

Lance: *He had a flashback of Ashton thrashing on the ground.* "Wat-" *He paused looking at his hands.* "Wat were you doin'?"

Ashton: "Teresa took me to this lady and she gave me a little experience in battle."

Lance: "You were gone for a week, why couldn't you tell me yourself?" *He spoke under his breath, staring at Ashton in a mature-like manner.*

Ashton: "Teresa made me leave _right_ after I left the Inn-"

Lance: "Why?!"

Ashton: *He looked at Lance shocked.* "..."

Lance: "I was worried, aye."

Ashton: "Worried? What's wrong, Lance?"

Lance: "I don't want to sound like a chick, but you're the only thing I got goin' for me." *His eyes started to glaze, causing him to quickly look away.*

Ashton: "Lance, I had to do it so I could protect-"

Lance: "Pssht, wateva." *He sniffed and stood up, pretending nothing was wrong.*

Ashton: "Lance-"

Lance: "Season wants us to meet him at his place."

Ashton: "At Season's-?"

Lance: "I'll meet ya there." *He mumbled, quickly leaving the room.*

Ashton: *He sighed with an exhausted smile.* (I'm sorry, Lance.) *He moved out of bed, instantly noticing dirt marks, grazes, blood stains and tears on his shirt.* (My shirt-) *He looked up, triggering a flashback.*

\--

PKMY: "Right! If your body doesn't shut down from the pain you'll soon experience, I want you to have this."

Ashton: "Shut down?"

Teresa: *She firmly held Ashton's arm around her head.* "Listen to what she has to say."

PKMY: *She reached into the RPG bag, sticking her tongue out in concentration.* "Where is it?" *She grunted to herself, pulling out a clump of folded clothes.*

Ashton: "Thank you, but what's so special about those?"

PKMY: "They're just as expensive and rare as the RPG bag."

Ashton: "Really?" *He sounded unsure, staring at the clothes.*

PKMY: "These clothes will not break, wear or rip."

Ashton: (Unbreakable clothing? Wow-)

PKMY: "They will not retain dirt and will not absorb odours, and to top it off, they're very comfortable."

Ashton: *He smiled with gratitude, shaking his head.* "I certainly can't accept such a gift."

PKMY: "Heh, not many people pass my training, and." *She paused and leant to one side, folding her arms.*

Ashton: "And?"

PKMY: "Well, the clothes you wear _stink_." *She gave Ashton a feral look.*

Ashton: "Oh?" *He watched PKMY hand Teresa the clothes.* "Well, thank you very much."

\--

Ashton: (I guess she's right, I've worn these since I got here.) *He noticed the clothes stacked on the end of the bed.*

*Loud cheers echoed outside the Inn, cueing and rushing Ashton to change.*

Ashton: (Meeting PKMY, training with her, it all seems surreal.) *He looked down and thought to himself, smiling at his new clothing.*

\----------

?????: "Hmm? This is where Mindy last reported to the Consultants?" *She walked down a long row of shelving, running her finger along the spines of books.*

*The sounds of armour rattled from several warriors, as they closely followed the woman.*

?????: "The Library? Report number thirty-three!"

Thirty-three: "Th-They were last reported at the village Inn."

?????: "What, back at AriAri village?"

Thirty-three: "No captain, there's one just down the slope that acts as an Inn."

?????: "How long would it take?"

Thirty-three: "It's about a twenty minute walk, captain."

?????: "Humph, I will meet you all there."

Thirty-three: "Captain?"

?????: *She flashstepped and instantly found herself next to Mindy.* "W-What?" *A delayed stream of dirt rushed past her.*

Warrior: *He noticed the stream of dirt, focusing his attention to the woman.* "C-Cindy."

Cindy: "Hmm? Who _dares_ call me by my name?"

Warrior: *He walked up to Cindy, dropping to his knees.* "I am Mindy's second in command, my number is-"

Cindy: "I don't care what your rank is, _why_ is Mindy _still_ left like this?!" *She took large steps towards Mindy, forming fists.*

Warrior: "Captain-"

Cindy: (Why hasn't the ice melted yet-?)

Warrior: "C-Captain-"

Cindy: "I want her taken down _immediately_ and sent back to the Consultants."

Warrior: "Yes."

Cindy: "Also, tell my subordinates I will be heading to Battling Oxident for a little _viewing_ _pleasure_."

Warrior: "Surpreon is a far-"

Cindy: "Humph." *She flashstepped, causing a pulse of dirt to fly into the air.*

\----------

Cindy: *She flashstepped into a poorly lit room and instantly walked towards a bed.* (I can't believe it-) *She hesitated, before throwing a white sheet off the bed revealing Wendy.*

Guard: "Who goes there?" *His voice echoed outside the room.*

Cindy: *She stared at Wendy's cold face, causing her to grit her teeth in anger.* "The _same_ Neuron residue, I will break this dirty lamp's arms and legs."

Guard: *He burst open the door, noticing Cindy.* "You?!"

Cindy: *She looked behind her shoulder, staring at the guard with anger filled eyes.* "Back down or I'll kill you!"

Guard: *He unsheathed a sword, pointing it at Cindy.* "Don't you dare talk to me-"

Cindy: *She flashstepped out of the room, causing papers to scatter.* " _Ougi_."

Guard: "Harh?!" *He quickly turned around in shock, noticing Cindy raising her arm.* "How-?"

\----------

*Two guards casually walked together, holding long spears.*

Guard A: "It's really quiet with Battling Oxident."

Guard B: "I'm a little annoyed I couldn't patrol inside the sphere."

Guard A: "I know!-" *The side of a house exploded, blasting debris into the air.* "What?!"

Guard: "Blargh-" *He tumbled out of the house, slamming into a nearby crate.*

Guard B: "W-What happened?!"

Guard: "Sh-She possesses an Ougi-" *He coughed up blood, before falling unconscious.*

Cindy: *She stepped out of the rubble, staring at the guards in anger.* "Come at me!"

Guard A: "I-I don't know who you think you are." *He charged directly towards Cindy, pointing the spear at her.* "But you've got another thing coming if you think you can attack us royal guards!"

Cindy: "You've got another thing coming if you think you can stop my revenge."

Guard A: "Silence!" *He ran into striking distance, jabbing the spear in front.*

Cindy: "Astragons summon thunder to my words, lightning screech and squeal, ELECTRIFYING HORROR" *She deeply inhaled and screamed out a scattered stream of lightning.*

Guard A: "Wha-?" *Lightning stringed up the spear, electrocuting him.*

Guard B: "No!-" *He watched the lightning spark across the guard's armour with shock.*

Cindy: *She watched the guard slowly collapse to the ground.* "..." *She wiped her mouth, causing lightning to spark around her hand.* "Pathetic-"

Guard B: "How dare you!" *His yells caused several guards to charge towards Cindy in opposite directions.*

Cindy: *She looked to each side with an angry face.* (Charging at me from their pitiful hiding spots?)

Guard B: *He raised the spear, aiming it at Cindy's head.* "There're at least ten guards surrounding you-"

Cindy: (I'll wait until they're all in attacking distance-)

Guard B: "Harh." *He jabbed the spear towards Cindy's face.*

Cindy: *She ducked under the spear, sweeping the guard off his feet.* "Hmph-" *She spun around punching the guard in the gut, blasting him back.*

Guard B: "Goof-" *He tumbled back, awkwardly hitting the ground.*

*Nine guards ran into striking distance, raising spears and swords at Cindy.*

Cindy: *She clicked her fingers, shaking her wrists.* "Storms flash and swirl, instantly spark and wrap your energy around me, ELECTRIC TORNADO" *She straightened her arms and spun around, causing swirls of blue lightning to string around her.*

Guard: *He noticed the lightning, causing him to stop.* "Watch out, Rostical!-" *The lightning touched his shoulder armour, instantly dropping him to the ground.*

Cindy: *She smirked keeping her spinning motion as the blue lightning stringed in front of her face.* "You're all pathetic."

*Cindy stopped spinning and stood up straight, causing the lightning to spark away.*

Cindy: "..." *She watched the guards twitch, dropping their weapons.* "Collapsing one by one to the ground, pathetic!"

Guard B: *He wheezed, standing back up on his feet.* "Y-You won't get away with this-"

Cindy: "You frustrate me, so I'll show you my strongest Rostical?" *She slowly turned around, facing the guard with anger.*

Guard B: *He stepped back, frozen with fear.* "L-Leave now-"

Cindy: "Eye of the storm I hear your silence, raise my arms and allow me to become your conductor-" *She raised her arms, causing swirls of green lightning to spiral down her hands.*

Guard B: *His eyes widened, as he heavily breathed.* (Her Neurons are on a different level-)

Cindy: "Channel the power, channel the terror-" *She ignored a yellow glyph which materialised underneath her and she lowered her arms in front of her, crossing her hands in the process.*

Guard B: "In honour of my comrades!-" *He gasped as strings of lightning sparked in between his arms and legs.* (The Rasticsplash!-)

Cindy: "Channel the foe's impending doom!" *She watched the lightning swirl into a ball, causing her to smile.* "SPARK CANNON" *She pushed forward, blasting the ball of lightning towards the guard.*

Guard B: " _No_!-" *He closed his eyes, as an explosion of fire erupted around him.*

Cindy: "Tssk-" *She turned around and grunted.* "Now, for that dirty lamp." *She cracked her neck and flashstepped out of the area.*

Chapter 7: Battling Oxident

Ashton: (It sure is quiet-) *He opened the door, stepping out of the Inn.*

*Several villagers swept the ground around the booths in the markets.*

Ashton: (I wonder why Season wants to see us?) *He walked towards Season's manor, gasping with shock.* "W-What is that?!"

*An enormous dark purple sphere pulsated in the middle of Surpreon's central.*

Ashton: "That certainly wasn't there before-" *He mumbled to himself in disbelief, staring at the sphere with shock.*

Guard: *His armour rattled, as he walked around the sphere towards Ashton.* "Are you, Ashton?"

Ashton: "Yes?"

Guard: "Come quickly-" *He turned around, facing Season's manor.*

Ashton: *He stared at the sphere with fascination.* "It has several glyphs and unreadable text on it, it looks weird." *He mumbled to himself, closely following the guard.*

Guard: "Glyphs?" *He glanced at the sphere.* "That's the glyph involving the Spacial Funnel."

Ashton: "And where is everyone?"

Guard: *He walked up to the golden doors, opening them.* "They are inside."

Ashton: "Thank you." *He nodded his head in respect, walking inside the manor.*

\----------

Kath: *She sat on a high chair in a dark room, staring at a monitor.* " _Two_ _captains_ , what's going on?"

*Sounds of a blizzard-like howl could be heard outside.*

Kath: *Her glasses shone due to the monitor's light.* "Has there been any unusual Neuron or Astragons readings?!"

Warrior: *She stopped typing on the keyboard-like console, facing Kath.* "No, ma'am."

Kath: "Then, what about The Unknown Territories?"

Warrior: "No information as of yet-"

Kath: "Do you have _any_ good news?" *She grunted with authority.*

Warrior: "Y-Yes, a high ranking captain is available to take on the mission."

Kath: "Which one?!"

Warrior: " _Him_ , ma'am."

Kath: (A captain is available to inspect The Unknown Territories.) *She smirked evil-like, leaning back in the chair.*

\----------

Ashton: "..." *He walked through the golden door, noticing the entire party awaiting his arrival.*

Lance: "'Bout time." *He grunted and looked away, placing his hands on top of his head.*

Season: "Ah, Ashton! How are you feeling?"

Ashton: "I'm feeling much better thank you." *He pointed behind him with curiosity.* "When I was walking here I noticed a large-"

Teresa: "That would be Battling Oxident."

Alicia: "That circular thing is Battling Oxident?"

Lance: "Why didn't ya just tell us that?"

Ashton: "You didn't know?"

Lance: "Nah, he was like, oh, wait until Ashton gets here." *He looked up to Season, pouting like a child.*

Season: "Considering the three of you don't know what Battling Oxident is, Teresa and I thought it would be best telling you all at once."

Lance: "Pssht." *He rolled his eyes, making childish sounds.*

Ashton: "Please excuse the stupid question, but why-?"

Lance: "Please, leave the dumb questions to me." *He took several steps forward, facing Season and Teresa.*

Teresa: "..." *She stared at Lance with an emotionless face.*

Lance: "Why didn't we notice that sphere thingo before?"

Season: "Well-"

Lance: "And why is it there now?"

Season: "That's-"

Lance: " _And_ how does it work?"

Alicia: "L-Let him answer first-"

Lance: "Let him answer first." *He groaned like a cow, pulling a feral face at Alicia.*

Alicia: *She sighed and looked away.* (He's so annoying.)

Ashton: (Funny thing is, they _were_ the questions I was going to ask.)

Season: "Do any of you remember those glyphs embedded on the ground?"

Alicia: "Yes, those black lines in the central-"

Lance: "Wat about the glyphs?"

Alicia: "Grottom bottom, stop interrupting me."

Lance: "Bah, will ya stop callin' me that?!"

Alicia: "Will _you_ stop-"

Ashton: "Alicia and Lance. We won't get any answers if we keep this up."

Alicia: "S-Sorry." *She shook her head, focusing her attention on Season.*

Lance: "Wat-" *He closed his eyes and sighed.* "-Eva."

Season: "Shortly before Battling Oxident commences, the glyphs on the ground activate periodically-"

Lance: "Periodically? What do ya mean?"

Teresa: "Essentially the arrival of Battling Oxident activates the glyphs."

Lance: "Oh?" *He scratched his head in confusion.*

Teresa: "Once the glyph activates, it uses a vast amount of Astragons activating the entrance to Battling Oxident."

Ashton: "The entrance?"

Teresa: "The space, the arena, it is condensed into the sphere."

Lance: *He shook his head, moaning with frustration.* (Seriously if this was a book, I'd throw it in the bin. If this was a movie, I'd leave. Why must they have confusin' nerdy explanations about _everything_.)

Ashton: "So that sphere, _it's_ Battling Oxident?"

Season: "Yes."

Lance: "So now that's out of the way, where is everyone?"

Season: "They're already inside, seated in the spectator rows."

Lance and Alicia: "Already inside?"

Season: *He paused and sighed, looking over to Teresa.* "Ah?"

Teresa: "Once you enter yourselves, many questions will be answered."

Alicia: "O-Okay-"

Season: "Please come, several matches have already finished." *He jumped off his seat and started to walk out of the room.*

Lance: "Aye? Wat's with the rush?"

Season: "Considering you both are enrolled for a match, it wouldn't be wise not showing up for a match."

Ashton: "I see, that seems acceptable."

Season: (It's already bad of me to not be present in the first match.) *He led the party through his manor, walking with urgency.*

Alicia: *She walked behind Ashton, noticing his new clothing.* "A-Ashton."

Ashton: "Yes?"

Alicia: "Your clothing, where-?"

Lance: "Aha, I didn't even notice! It looks pretty badass." *He smirked and thumbed up Ashton, before hitting the side of the door.*

Alicia: *She smirked, lowering her head.* (Did he just _miss_ the door?)

Ashton: "Are you okay, Lance?"

Lance: "Pssht, _I'm_ _fine_." *He rubbed his head in pain and stepped to the side, walking through the door.*

Ashton: *He glanced at Alicia, tugging his shirt with a smile.* "I got it from one of Teresa's friends."

Alicia: "I-It looks _very_ good."

Teresa: "Indeed-" *She walked past Ashton with an emotionless face.* "The garments suit your body structure well."

Ashton: "Good grief, I don't deserve such kind words from you all, even Teresa." *He smiled with modesty, scratching behind his head.*

Alicia: *She observed Ashton, stepping outside Season's manor.* (I wonder what he went through?)

Teresa: *She walked towards the sphere and stopped, staring at the party gather behind Season.* "..."

Season: "Ashton, Alicia and Lance, prepare yourselves once you enter the sphere."

Alicia: "G-Got it."

Ashton: "Of course."

Lance: "Wateva."

Season: (I hope no one has noticed my absence.) *He watched the sphere pulsate, before stepping into it.*

Lance: *He watched the surface warp like water, causing him to smirk.* "I'm next!" *He announced in a child-like manner, jumping into the sphere.*

Ashton: *He sighed, looking at Alicia and Teresa.* "Let's go."

Lance: *He started to yell, as disorientating lights flickered in his face.* (It's like I'm in a vortex or something!-) *His hair rapidly flapped back, as if he was falling.*

*Lance suddenly slammed into the ground, causing a pulse of dirt to blow around him.*

Lance: "Sh-Shit nuggets." *He moaned and looked up, noticing tens of thousands of people cheering.* "Wha-?"

Ashton: "Alicia, here, grab this." *He reached down, helping her up onto her feet.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you." *She brushed dirt off her pants, gathering her attention to Season.*

Lance: *He faced Ashton, noticing his messed up hair.* "That was fun."

Ashton: "Phew-" *He watched Season talk to several of the patrolling guards, wiping his forehead with disorientation.* "I'd have to disagree with you there, Lance haha."

Season: "Dismissed!" *He turned around and walked towards the party.* "Ashton and Lance, come with me."

Ashton: "Yes."

Season: "Teresa, take Alicia to your usual spot."

Teresa: "Of course, let us go, Alicia."

Alicia: "Y-Yes, see you shortly."

Teresa: "Stay close, it would troublesome if you were to get lost." *She started to walk up a long set of stairs.*

Alicia: "S-Sure." *She skipped up the stairs, noticing the thousands of rows surrounding a stadium-like structure.*

Teresa: *She looked down in the middle of the stadium, noticing a massive dirt pit.* "That is where the battles commence."

Alicia: "Wow-" *She looked up, staring at the bright blue sky.*

Teresa: *She noticed Alicia's amazement, causing her to slow down.* "Despite the weather conditions in Surpreon, the sky remains blue."

Alicia: "A-Always remains blue." *She looked up, whispering under her breath in amazement.*

Teresa: "There are usually several hundred thousand spectators watching the matches."

Alicia: "W-Wow, what else do you know?"

Teresa: "People from all the towns and villages across each continent, gather to participate in Battling Oxident."

Alicia: (Amazing-) *She looked up to the highest rows, noticing people stare down to the dirt pit.* (It's so lively here, the constant chatter-)

Teresa: "Over here." *She started to shuffle down a row, causing Alicia to closely follow.*

Alicia: *She noticed deep slash marks and charcoal markings on the walls.* "What happened?"

Teresa: "Damages from previous matches, of course, was that not obvious?"

Alicia: (Th-That's scary.)

Lance: *He followed Season, twirling around in amazement.* "Whoa."

Ashton: "This place is enormous."

Lance: "I reckon, like the size of several football fields."

Ashton: "I certainly can't disagree with you."

Season: *He led Ashton and Lance through a waiting room and up a corridor.* "It is a large arena, Tyler got lost the first time I showed him."

Ashton: "I see what you meant Season when you said our questions would be answered once we saw Battling Oxident for ourselves."

Season: "Hohoho."

Lance: "Lemme get this right, _all_ _this_ -" *He motioned his arms around him.* "Was in that little sphere we walked into?"

Season: "Yes."

Lance: *He shook his head, whispering to Ashton.* "I never realised how much these Astragongs and Newgongs affect things around 'ere."

Ashton: "I felt the same way."

Season: *He walked down a hallway, behind the spectator seats.* "..."

Ashton: *He stared at Lance, discreetly smiling with excitement.* (I can't wait to show you what I learnt from PKMY!)

Season: *He approached an old man, sitting at a table with paperwork scattered across the desk.* "Excuse me?"

Man: "Pfft, can't you see I'm busy?! _Scram_."

Season: "I suppose I can go if you want."

Man: "Didn't I say scram-?" *He looked up to give Season a feral look, instantly noticing who it was.* "S-S-Season! Sir!"

Ashton: *He quietly stared behind Season, shaking his head with disappointment.* (That's why you should've been nice from the start.)

Man: *He quickly stacked the paperwork into one pile, causing the desk to look more appealing.* "P-Please forgive me."

Season: "I'm not sure if it's the atmosphere of Battling Oxident, but I'm not offended."

Man: "Y-You're so kind-"

Season: "But I will cut to the chase."

Man: "Your majesty-?"

Season: "When is Ashton and Lance's first match?"

Man: "I, arh, umm-?" *He flicked through several pages and stopped, pointing on a piece of paper.* "Lance begins two matches after the current one."

Season: "And Ashton's match?"

Man: "Right after, sir."

Season: "I see, so who is currently winning?"

Man: "You had to ask? The current champion of course."

Season: "Oh, that hunchback girl?"

Man: "Yes, sir."

Season: (Hmm, how interesting-) *He turned around, deep in thought.* (That means if Lance wins his first match-) "Ahem, let's go."

Ashton: "Yes, Season."

Season: "Where's Lance?"

Ashton: "He's right next-" *He looked to his side and mumbled with confusion.* "He was with me not long ago."

Season: *He glanced around, noticing Lance in a conversation with someone.* "There he is."

Lance: "Wanna say that again?" *He grunted to someone out of Season and Ashton's line of sight.*

Ashton: "Who are you talking to, Lance?" *He smiled, walking towards Lance.*

Lance: "Ya docta dirty willy sniffer!"

Ashton: *He walked with Season and stood next to Lance.* "..."

Season: (He's arguing with a dog?) *He gave Lance a disrespectful look, shaking his head in disappointment.*

Ashton: " _What_ are you doing, Lance?"

Lance: *He sighed heavily, pointing at the dog with a frown.* "The stupid woman wants _another_ argument."

Season: "That dog wanted an argument?"

Lance: "Huh?" *He looked down at the dog with confusion.*

Dog: "Ruff?" *It looked up at Lance, innocently sitting on the spot.*

Lance: "Oops my bad, I thought it was Alicia."

Season: " _Enough_ _games_ , come." *He grunted with frustration, storming away.*

Ashton: *He sighed and face palmed.* "Come on, Lance." *He grabbed Lance's arm, quickly following Season.*

\----------

Teresa: *She noticed Season, Ashton and Lance walking up the stairs.* "..."

*Loud bangs echoed, causing the audience to loudly cheer with excitement.*

Alicia: "Wow-" *She smiled with excitement, noticing Season shuffle down the row.*

Season: "Ah, Teresa, Alicia." *He sat next to Teresa, admiring the excited audience around him.*

Alicia: "H-Hello, Season." *She smiled and peered down to the pit, watching two men clash their swords together.* "These matches are _really_ amazing."

Teresa: *She leant slightly forward, glancing at Ashton and Lance.* "Who will be fighting first?"

Lance: "Me of course, pssht." *He folded his arms, smirking like a child.*

Season: (That Neuron signature-?)

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She looked up, quickly glancing to her side.*

?????: *A woman concealed in robes, shuffled down the row and sat in between Teresa and Season.* "..."

Season: "Hohoho, when was the last time the three of us were together?"

Teresa: "What are you doing here?" *She whispered to the woman in robes.*

?????: "..."

Season: "PKMY?"

PKMY: "Didn't I say I wanted to watch Ashton fight?"

Teresa: "Indeed you did."

PKMY: "Besides, I couldn't go to the last Battling Oxident, because, you know why."

Season: (That's when she-) "Yes." *He nodded his head.*

PKMY: "Good." *She grunted, leaning back on the seat.*

Season: *He sat on the edge of the row, looking at Lance.* "Okay, Lance."

Lance: "Wat?"

Season: "You see that gate over there?" *He pointed to the bottom of the stairs at a large doorway with bars raised on the top.*

Lance: "Yea, I've got eyes."

Season: "Go down there and you'll be prompted what to do in the waiting area."

Lance: "Rightio, wait till you guys see me in action." *He spoke in a cocky tone and stood up, shuffling down the row.*

Ashton: "Good luck."

Lance: "Thanks."

Ashton: (So if my match is right after Lance's, then that means, I _might_ have to fight him?!) *He looked over to Season for confirmation, noticing the woman in robes.* "Oh I'm sorry, miss, I didn't see you there."

PKMY: "It's fine." *She grunted, avoiding eye contact.*

Ashton: "My name is Ashton." *He reached out to give her a handshake.*

PKMY: *She instantly hit his hand away without looking.* "Don't, can't touch me."

Ashton: "Oh-?"

PKMY: "My uterus hurts."

Ashton: "Ok-Okay?" *He pulled a disgusted face, awkwardly looking away.*

PKMY: ( _Yahoo_ , you gotta man up there Ashton.)

Ashton: (That was quite awkward.) *He coughed and looked at the pit, keeping to himself.*

PKMY: (I hope I get to see some good fights this time 'round.)

Ashton: (Oh my-) *He watched one of the men fall to the ground unconscious, causing the crowd to cheer louder.*

Spectator: "The winner is Eliah Elanoy."

Alicia: *The spectator's voice echoed behind her, causing her to look back in shock.* "H-How is it that we can hear him so well?"

Teresa: "He uses glyphic symbols, amplifying his voice."

Ashton: "Sorry to intrude, but how would that work?"

Teresa: *She sighed.* "It was originally used as a Rostical for amplifying other Rostical, does that make sense?"

Alicia: "Y-Yes."

Season: (I designed the glyphs myself.) *He proudly thought to himself.*

PKMY: *She took a glimpse at Alicia.* (They have a stuttering little princess on the team do they?)

Season: "I have to take my leave now, I'm required to sit in my spot in case of an emergency." *He stood up and pointed to a large seat excluded from the rows.*

Alicia: "O-Okay, goodbye-"

Season: (My private seating-) *Before the party responded, he shuffled down the rows.*

Alicia: "..." *She watched Season leave her sight, before focusing her attention back to the arena.*

Ashton: "Teresa, I've been getting mixed impressions."

Teresa: "Hoh? Explain furthermore?"

Ashton: "Well, one impression I'm getting is that, Battling Oxident is kind of like a game."

Teresa: "Hmm?"

Ashton: "But the guy that lost." *He watched the men walk out of the arena.* "He was _covered_ in blood, almost unable to stand."

Alicia: "Y-Yes, I was wondering that too."

PKMY: (Oh Teresa, I feel sorry for you. Having to explain such _basic_ stuff.) *She chuckled to herself, staring at the dirt pit.*

Teresa: "You are not wrong nor entirely right."

Ashton: "..." *He stared at Teresa, giving her his full attention.*

Teresa: "As previously stated, people come to Battling Oxident for different reasons."

PKMY: (No shit.) *She sighed to herself and leant forward, holding her head up with her hands.*

Teresa: "People come to show off their pupils, wager currency, food, and even respect."

Alicia: "A-And some people turn up just to meet new people."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "I see."

PKMY: (To show off their pupils? Heh, Teresa you loser.)

Teresa: "And in regards to the contestants walking right after being stabbed, perhaps I will let you or Lance answer that."

Ashton: (Me answer that-?)

Spectator: "Next is Lance Lighten."

Teresa: "..." *She elegantly stood up and shuffled down the row.*

Ashton: "We just missed an entire match, Lance is up now?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep."

PKMY: (Ashton better not disappoint.) *She thought to herself, sitting motionless.*

Alicia: *She looked down the row, noticing the hooded woman and Ashton.* "W-Where's Teresa?"

Ashton: "She left just a moment ago." *He looked down the stairs to see if he could see Teresa.*

Alicia: "Okay." (I _just_ spoke to her?)

Lance: *He walked out from one of the gates, waving his hands above his head to the audience.* (Whoa, this is so cool.)

Alicia: (Lance? Lance Lighten?) *She watched Lance walk into the arena with shock.*

*The crowd was silent, before booing Lance.*

Lance: (Why are they booing? Pssht who cares, I was told to stop and wait here.) *He stopped in the middle of the arena, staring at the gate on the opposite side.*

*The crowd suddenly stopped booing, as a woman walked out from the other side.*

Lance: *He gripped his sword and thought to himself.* (The crowd stopped booing-?)

Teresa: *She walked up to Lance with an emotionless face.* "..."

Lance: (What?! I'm going to fight _Teresa_?)

Teresa: "Lance-"

Lance: "Wat the freakin' holy divine shit nuggets is goin' on?!"

Teresa: "I had forgotten, I already enrolled in a match before I encountered you."

Lance: "B-But I thought you were just a researcher?" *He gritted his teeth, hesitantly holding his sword.*

Teresa: "Hoh? I am. Nevertheless, as I previously mentioned, I forgot I had a match." (My memory is getting worse than I thought-)

Lance: "W-Wateva." *He looked away as if he didn't want to fight."

Teresa: *She unsheathed a sabre hidden under her belt, pointing it at Lance.* "Do not hold back."

Lance: *He looked at Teresa with shock, shaking his head.* "Why?"

Teresa: "Trust me, the injuries will not be permanent."

Spectator: "The match will begin, now!"

Lance: "..." *He stared at Teresa with a blank face, standing motionless.*

Teresa: *She firmly held the sabre, waiting for Lance to strike.* "..."

Spectator: "I said the battle has begun!"

Lance: *He shook his head and focused his attention to Teresa.* (OK, I don't know why, but I feel _really_ intimidated right now.)

Teresa: "Are you going to strike? Or do you prefer me to do so first?"

Lance: (I won't look like a fool in front of everyone!-) *He flicked the sword to his side, running towards Teresa.* "I'm gonna _own_ you, Teresa!"

Teresa: "Please." *She watched Lance run into striking distance, causing her to lift up the sabre.*

Lance: "Harh!" *He leant on a side, slicing the sword across Teresa's head.*

Teresa: *She swung the sabre downwards, causing a line of sparks to scatter.* "..."

Lance: *He slid back with shock, ignoring the splinters of sparks which waved past his face.* "Grr-"

Teresa: *She elegantly ran towards Lance with an emotionless face, raising the sabre.* "Humph." *She spun around, slicing the sabre downwards.*

Lance: "Grarh!" *He slashed Teresa's sabre, blocking her strike.*

Teresa: *She struggled to hold Lance's sword back.* "Tcch-"

Lance: "Yarh!" *He pushed himself back, causing his feet to scrape along the dirt.*

Teresa: "You are stronger than you appear-"

Lance: "I can say the effin' same thing!-" *He took large steps forward, jabbing the sword forward.*

Teresa: *She quickly leant to the side, watching the sword slice past her face.* "Close-"

Lance: (The sword is over your shoulder, dodge this!-) *He quickly grabbed the sword with both hands, slicing it across Teresa's head.*

Teresa: *She watched the sword slice towards her eye, causing her to flick the sabre above her head.* "Tcch-"

*A flash of sparks caused several audience members to gasp with anticipation.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She slightly frowned, noticing a stream of blood run down her cheek.*

Lance: "Yea, told ya I'll own you." *He charged towards Teresa, cockily smirking.*

Teresa: (Lance lacks experience, but he has natural skill-) *She dodged to the right, barely avoiding his jab.*

Lance: *He continued slashed the air in front of Teresa, frowning as she elegantly avoided each strike.* (Something doesn't feel right.)

Ashton: "Wow, Teresa's avoiding all of Lance's strikes by taking several steps backwards."

PKMY: (Eh? Teresa, who are you trying to fool?)

Alicia: "I-I agree, Ashton, she can avoid all of grottom bottom's attacks by just moving accordingly to the strikes! She's amazing!"

PKMY: (Heh, they were big words for you, little princess.)

Lance: *He started to pant with fatigue, as beads of sweat dripped down his face.* " _Why_ can't I hit ya?"

Teresa: *She raised the sabre in front of her face, waiting for Lance to attack.* "You have exhausted yourself with that berserker-like behaviour."

Lance: "Aha, you can't avoid this!" *He charged towards Teresa, ramming his sword into her sabre.*

Teresa: ( _Where_ did that energy come from-?!)

Lance: "Harh!" *He pushed forward with his body weight, forcing Teresa off her feet.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She spiralled to the ground and wheezed as she landed on the sabre's handle.*

Season: ( _Teresa_?) *He stared at Teresa lying motionless on the ground.*

Spectator: "Teresa has five seconds to get back on her feet."

Teresa: "Tcch, it appears I have been winded." *She whispered to herself with slight frustration.*

Lance: (-Three, four, five-)

Spectator: "It appears Teresa is unable to battle, Lance Lighten is the victor!"

Teresa: *She gracefully stood up, slowly exhaling.* "I was not expecting you to use a tackle."

Lance: "Aha, no hard feelings aye, Teresa?"

Teresa: *She flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned around.* "It was a good match."

Lance: "Yea."

Teresa: "Although be on guard, you have another match."

Lance: "How can I win? I'm so tired." *He spoke under his breath, slouching in fatigue.*

Teresa: "It should be any second now."

Lance: "Huh?"

*A cool breeze wafted past Lance and Teresa, healing their visible scratches.*

Teresa: *She wiped the blood off her face, revealing no cut.* "..."

Lance: *He sighed with relief, causing him to smirk.* "Hey? I feel _much_ better now, awesome!"

Teresa: "Indeed, I will now return to my original seating." *She walked towards the gate and out of the arena with an emotionless face.*

Lance: (Man, she sounds like a badly written robot.) *He grunted in thought as he playfully swayed the sword to each side.*

PKMY: (I don't-)

Season: (Believe it-)

Alicia: "He _won_."

Teresa: "Indeed he did." *She shuffled down the row, catching PKMY and Alicia's attention.*

Alicia: "Teresa, you didn't tell us you had a match."

Teresa: "To be quite honest, I had forgotten about my match." *She sat down, noticing Ashton was not in his seat.* "Has he already prepared himself for the match?"

Alicia: *She looked at the vacant seat, nodding her head.* "Y-Yep, he left just before Lance knocked you on to the ground-"

Spectator: "The match will commence once the next fighter is ready!"

PKMY: "Teresa, how disappointing."

Teresa: "Hoh? Too bad I was not trying to impress you."

PKMY: "Tssk." *She folded her arms and looked away.*

Lance: (Rightio-) *He nervously took a deep breath.* (There're no two ways about it, I just have to kick the next person's ass.) *He cracked his knuckles, waving his sword around like a child.*

Ashton: *He took a deep breath and walked out of the gate.* (Well, here I go.)

Lance: "Ash-" *His eyes widened in shock, as he lowered the sword.* "-Ton?"

Spectator: "Lance Lighten versus. Ashton Lawyer!"

Ashton: "Hello." *He stood in front of Lance, discreetly rubbing the ring.*

Spectator: "The match will begin, now!"

Lance: *He gritted his teeth and frowned.* (Shit! I _can't_ go all out like I did before.)

Ashton: (I know we'll be completely healed after our match, but I don't feel comfortable fighting Lance.) *He silently looked down, staring at the dirt.*

Lance: (What do I do? Fight my best friend?)

Ashton: (I don't feel comfortable fighting in general-)

PKMY: "Hurry it up, you pieces of shit!" *She stood up, screaming with anticipation.*

Alicia: *The crowd around her followed PKMY's attitude and started to yell out.* (The audience is getting restless.)

Ashton: (I heard PKMY's voice, I have to fight now.) *He tensed his body, facing Lance with determination.*

Lance: "Ash-?"

Ashton: "Here I come."

Lance: *He stepped back in shock, due to Ashton's reaction.* (Huh? He doesn't even have a weapon.)

Ashton: *He raised his arms, causing Lance to stand in a battle-ready pose.* (I've acquired a few Rostical-)

Lance: "Sorry, Ash!-" *He tightened his grip around the sword, throwing it at Ashton.*

PKMY: "The _idiot_ threw his-"

Ashton: *He straightened his arms, spreading them in front of him.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *Swirls of bubble-like strings enveloped him, forming a shield.*

Alicia: "What?!" *She watched the sword strike into the shield, causing a strange bounce-like sound.*

Lance: "Whoa-" *The sword bounced back, spinning through the air past his head.*

Ashton: *He lowered his arms, staring at Lance with determination.* "I'm the one that should be sorry." *He watched the sword stab into the ground.*

Lance: "That was _so_ _badass_ , Ash!"

Ashton: "..."

Lance: "But with a shield, you won't be able to knock me down." *He puffed out his chest and smirked.*

Ashton: *He stepped back, motioning a ball with both hands.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE"

Lance: "Shield strike-?"

Ashton: *The shield swirled and condensed into a sphere in between his hands.* "This is unacceptable!" *He pushed forward, blasting the bubble-like sphere towards Lance.*

Lance: *He stepped back in shock, watching the dirt swirl around Ashton.* "Huh-?"

Teresa: (He is unable to react in time.)

Lance: "Gerwarh-" *The sphere slammed into his chest, blasting him across the ground.*

PKMY: "Heh."

Alicia: *She observed a dirt trail, leading to Lance lying on the ground.* (Wow, Ashton-)

Lance: *He coughed, twitching in pain.* (Argh, I can't get up!)

Spectator: "It's a one hit knock out! It appears Ashton Lawyer is the victor."

Ashton: *He lowered his arms, rushing up to Lance.* "Are you okay, Lance?"

Lance: *A cool breeze wafted past, healing and re-energising him.* "I'm all good, aye."

Ashton: "Cool." *He helped Lance onto his feet.*

Lance: "That was freakin' _awesome_!" *He chuckled, giving Ashton a high five.* "Good luck on ya next match."

Ashton: "You seem pretty good about your loss."

Lance: "Well I'd rather lose to you, than to someone like Alicia." *He waved Ashton off, as he ran out of the arena and through the gate.*

Ashton: (Haha, oh Lance-)

Spectator: "Next is Eliah Elanoy versus. Ashton-" *He paused in mid-sentence, causing chatter amongst the crowd.*

Teresa: (A one hit knock out, are you impressed.)

PKMY: (Damn right I am!)

Teresa: (I see.)

Spectator: "It appears Eliah is nowhere to be found, therefore automatically forfeiting his match."

*The crowd booed at the spectator's announcement.*

Spectator: "Due to this, Ashton has skipped the semi-finals and straight to the finals, the current champion has been notified."

Ashton: (The champion?)

Spectator: "Please wait patiently, we recommend using this time to gather refreshments."

Ashton: (I didn't expect to fight the champion with only one match.)

PKMY: (Now it's gonna get exciting, the champion, eh? _Yahoo_.)

\----------

Cindy: *She slowly pulled her hand out of Eliah's chest, causing flashes of lightning to spark around the blood.* (I'm going to get this, dirty lamp.) *She formed a fist, causing sparks of lightning to scatter away.*

*The sounds of people walking and talking could be heard outside the change rooms.*

Cindy: (I can sense her Neurons nearby.) *She stepped forward, flashstepping out of the room.*

\----------

Ashton: *He watched a woman with a large hunchback walk into the arena.* (That must be the champion.)

Champion: *She hobbled up to Ashton and smiled.* "I'm ready when you are." *She spoke in a high innocent tone.*

Ashton: "Y-You too, miss."

Spectator: "The battle will commence in five minutes."

*Several people shuffled back down into their seats holding refreshments.*

Lance: *He grunted past Alicia and sat down next to Teresa.* "Phew."

Alicia: "So I see you lost, Lance?"

Lance: "Dick sniffer, please, no need to give me compliments-" *He closed his eyes and smiled.* "I did just fine."

Alicia: (Dick sniffer? What a loser.)

PKMY: (Poor Teresa, we have a princess and now a try hard.) *She sighed, shaking her head.*

Teresa: "I believe they are about to start now."

Lance: *He opened his eyes, focusing his attention to the arena.* (Good luck, Ash-)

Spectator: "Ashton versus. Battling Oxident's very own _champion_!"

Season: (Good luck, Ashton.)

Spectator: "The match will begin, now!"

Champion: "Would you like to go first or me?"

PKMY: (I haven't seen this champion fight before. I wonder how she fights? Is she a Rostical User? Archer? An Azure user? Scoldrant User? Rostic Dancer? Score User?) *She rubbed her hand with growing excitement.*

Ashton: "You can, miss."

Champion: "Of course." *She smiled and stepped back, giving herself distance.*

Lance: (Far out, she talks _higher_ than Alicia.)

PKMY: (A long-range attacker? An archer?)

Ashton: "I have to prepare myself." *He mumbled to himself, as the ring slightly glowed.*

Champion: "Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power, ICICLE EDGE"

Alicia: "What?!" *She stood up, gasping with shock.*

Ashton: *He looked up into the sky, preparing himself for the ice shards.* (Just like Alicia-)

Champion: *She pointed at Ashton, opening her hand.* "Oh my? Where do you think you're looking?"

Ashton: "What do you mean-?"

Champion: "..." *She twitched her fingers, shooting out twenty ice shards out of her palm.*

Alicia: "W-Wow-" *She watched the ice shards shoot past Ashton, bursting into large chunks of ice along the wall behind him.*

Ashton: *He stood on the spot with his mouth open in disbelief.* "Good grief."

PKMY: "That stupid twit! He didn't even react to her Rostical!"

Champion: "Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power, ICICLE EDGE"

Ashton: *He cautiously looked up, noticing four ice shards materialising in the air above him.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

Champion: (Mystic Shield, I haven't seen that Rostical in a while-)

Ashton: *He spread his arms, as a bubble-like shield quickly rose around him.* "..."

Champion: "Please do not underestimate my Rostical. I have mastered Icicle Edge."

Ashton: "I'm sorry what?"

Champion: "..." *She clicked her fingers, causing the spears to blast down towards him.*

Ashton: (PKMY helped me combat Icicle Edge-) *The ice hit the shield, instantly bursting into large chunks of ice.*

Teresa: "The ice has frozen his entire shield."

Alicia: "W-What does that mean?"

Teresa: "It loses its unique bounce-like structure."

Champion: "ICICLE EDGE" *She waved downwards causing an ice spear to blast towards Ashton.*

Ashton: *He glanced around the transparent blue ice with shock.* "What do I-?" *The ice spear shot through the shield, smashing into the ground next to him.*

PKMY: *She watched the shield crack and shatter to pieces.* (Dammit!)

Ashton: *He felt his cheek in shock.* (That was close.)

Champion: "It appears I have missed."

Alicia: "My Icicle Edge doesn't explode into chunks like hers do?"

Teresa: "It may be a result of her mastering that Rostical."

Alicia: "I see."

Ashton: (Now I know she's a Rostical User, I know what to expect.)

Champion: "Gushing will, lifting might, invisible power to my command, BRISTLING WIND" *The dirt around her started to rise, forming a wave.*

PKMY: "Wow, what a combo." *She watched a wave of wind hurl itself towards Ashton.*

Ashton: "No!-" *The wind picked up the surrounding ice shards, slicing him all over his body.*

Champion: *She waved her wrist, causing the wind to die down.* "..."

Ashton: "A-Ah?" *He dropped to his knees and stared at shards of ice embedded in his arm.*

Champion: "You fought well." *She turned around and prepared to leave the arena.*

Ashton: "Giving up? Unacceptable!" *He remained motionless on his knees.* (I can't move-)

Lance: "You can do it, Ashton!" *He roared from within the crowd, causing Ashton to move.*

PKMY: (Oh shut up.)

Ashton: "Okay, I hear you, friend." *He slowly stood up and stared at the hunchback woman.*

Champion: "Oh my?" *She slowly turned around, facing Ashton.*

Ashton: "I need to show I can protect my friends."

Champion: "I'm glad to see you're up for more."

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *A swirl of bubbles formed itself into a ball in between his hands.*

Champion: "ICICLE EDGE" *She straightened her arm, shooting several ice spears towards Ashton.*

Ashton: "Harh!" *He pushed forward blasting the ball of shield at the champion.*

*The ball hit the ice spears, causing a pulse of ice to shatter in the air.*

Alicia: "A-Ah-" *She covered her ears with shock.* (It sounds like shattering glass.)

Lance: *He watched the shattering ice glitter in the light.* "Whoa-"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He pushed forward, blasting the bubble-like sphere at the champion.*

Champion: "You need more force behind your projectiles." *She straightened her arm, blocking the ball with her palm.*

Ashton: *He stopped and looked shocked.* (With her hand?!)

PKMY: "What is this bitch?"

Ashton: (Good grief, I need to step it up!) "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He pushed forward and watched a puff of wind blow in front.*

Champion: "Your Neurons are too weak to use Rostical without the incantation."

Ashton: *He gritted his teeth and sighed.* (I didn't train to the point where I thrashed on the ground for nothing!-)

Champion: "FLURRY STYX" *Her hair flapped to each side, as swirls of dirt blew around her.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

Champion: *She cupped her hands and nudged them forward, blasting an invisible ball of wind at Ashton.* (I wonder if his shield can-)

Ashton: *A sudden burst of wind popped his shield, erupting the dirt around him.* "Oh no!-"

Champion: "ICICLE EDGE" *She waved downwards, shooting four ice spears from the sky at Ashton.*

Ashton: *He looked up with squinted eyes, gasping with shock.* "Argh!" *An ice spear jabbed through his arm, bursting into a large chunk of ice.*

Champion: *She waved her arms in a fluid motion.* "FRIGID STORM"

Ashton: (I'm starting to feel sick-) *He held his throat in pain, ignoring the growing ice on his arm.*

Teresa: *She closely observed Ashton, causing her to quickly look at PKMY.* (The wind around him just shifted.)

PKMY: (I don't know.) *She shook her head at Teresa, before looking back to Ashton.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *A bubble-like shield instantly swirled around him.*

Champion: *She watched a ring of ice swirl around Ashton, causing her to raise her arms.* (How much ice can he take before his body starts to negatively react to the loss of Neurons?)

*The ring of ice blasted up, swirling around Ashton like a tornado.*

Ashton: *Slash-like lines of ice appeared around his shield.* (This feeling? Sick-)

Champion: (His determination is one of the strongest I've seen in a while, I _should_ finish this up-)

Ashton: "Neurons give me your power, Astragons lend me your swift-" *A massive pulse of wind popped the shield, blasting the surrounding ice away.*

Champion: "Oh my? What a strong Rostical."

PKMY: "Eh? I didn't teach him that?!"

Ashton: "Tempest trap and conceal-" *His ring brightly shined, as his hair flapped to each side.*

Champion: *She glanced across the arena noticing the ice.* (Despite him being weak, with the surrounding ice, I can't allow him to complete it.)

Ashton: "CYCLONIC WINDS-"

Champion: "Crushing sounds, ridged surfaces, ROCK PILLAR"

*A spear-like pillar of rock erupted up from the ground, piercing Ashton through the shoulder.*

PKMY: "Wat-?!"

Ashton: " _Ugh_ -" *He threw up water, before falling to the ground unconscious.*

Lance: ( _Holy_ _shit_ _nuggets_!)

Alicia: "Th-The ground?!"

Season: (The level of Neurons used in that Rostical was slightly above normal, she intended to finish Ashton off.)

PKMY: (Using wind then ice, I wasn't expecting the champion to use ground.)

Spectator: "It appears the champion has kept her position!"

*The crowd roared with excitement, as several people stood up clapping their hands.*

Teresa: *She looked to the side with confusion.* (What is that unknown Neuron signature I am picking up?)

Alicia: "Wow, he did so good!"

Lance: "I reckon." *He smirked in agreement.*

Alicia: "Go, Ashton!" *She stood up and started to clap.*

Cindy: *She suddenly flashstepped in mid-air, glaring down at Alicia.* "There you are!"

Lance: "Wat the-?!"

Teresa: "Tcch-"

PKMY: (Captain?!) *She pulled the hood over her face and looked away.*

Alicia: "Who-?!"

Cindy: "Hyarh!" *She spun in the air, kicking Alicia in the face.*

Alicia: *The force of Cindy's kick, blasted her off her feet through a wooden wall.*

Cindy: (Right out of Battling Oxident!) *She smirked to herself.*

Alicia: "A-Arh-" *She tumbled on the ground, rolling on her side.*

\----------

Cindy: *She casually walked out of the sphere, smirking with evil intent.* "It's _definitely_ you!"

Alicia: *She slowly stood up with shaking knees, covering one eye as a stream of blood ran down her face.* "W-What are you talking about?"

Cindy: "You killed Wendy and Mindy!"

Alicia: "I-" *She looked down, noticing the dripping blood.* "I had no choice-"

Cindy: "Now it's _your_ turn!" *She walked towards Alicia, raising one arm.*

Alicia: *She stepped back, discreetly noticing the glowing pendant around her neck.* "I-I will fight back-"

Cindy: "Smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down, LIGHTNING BLAST" *A swirl of lightning formed itself into a ball in front of her palm.*

Alicia: "ICICLE EDGE" *She raised her arms and waved them down, blasting two ice spears at Cindy.*

Cindy: *She looked up and sighed.* "Lame-" *She pushed forward, blasting a stream of lightning at the falling ice spears.*

Alicia: *She watched the lightning shatter the ice, causing her to bite her bottom lip.* "L-Leave-"

Cindy: "As if!" *She flashstepped directly in front of Alicia.*

Alicia: "Wha-" *She gasped, stepping back.*

Cindy: "Harh!" *She grabbed Alicia's arm, twisting it with ease.*

Alicia: " _Ah_!" *Her arm snapped, causing her to cry.*

Cindy: "How did something like _you_ manage to kill my sisters?" *She tightened her grip on Alicia's arm, smashing her onto the ground.*

Alicia: "Garh-" *She awkwardly landed, coughing in pain.*

Cindy: "Pathetic, worthless trash!" *She stepped back, straightening her arm at Alicia.* "Smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down, LIGHTNING BLAST"

Alicia: *Her hair covered her face as she pushed herself off the ground.* "..."

Cindy: "Humph." *She pushed forward, blasting a stream of lightning into Alicia's leg.*

Alicia: "Argh!" *She quickly looked behind her in agony, watching the lightning blast out of her leg.*

Cindy: "Feel the burn?" *She noticed the burn on Alicia's leg, causing her to smile.*

Alicia: *She whimpered in pain, as blood poured out from her arm.* "I-It was self-defence."

Cindy: "Hahahaha, don't make me laugh! It's time to roast that little pretty face of yours."

Alicia: "N-No-"

Cindy: "Smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down, LIGHTNING-"

?????: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

Cindy: "Huh?" *She looked down, noticing a swirl of flames ring around her.*

Alicia: "..." *She watched the flames erupt into the air, causing her to squint her eyes.*

Cindy: *She grunted and looked to each side, as sweat ran down her face.* (That's hot-) "ELECTRIC TORNADO" *She spun around, causing tornado-like swirls of lightning to extinguish the flames around her.*

?????: "That's enough!"

Cindy: *She frowned in anger, looking over her shoulder.* "What do you want, old man?!"

?????: "Leave now!"

Cindy: "Tssk." *She frowned and faced the old man, forming fists.* "LIGHTNING BLAST" *She pushed forward, blasting a stream of lightning directly towards the man.*

?????: "..." *He slowly raised his arm, flicking his wrist.*

Cindy: *She watched the lightning blow away in disbelief.* "What?!"

?????: "..." *He took a step forward, adjusting a cone-shaped hat on his head.*

Cindy: "Oh yeah?!" *She crossed her arms, causing swirls of electricity to string around her arms.*

?????: (Her Neurons jumped a level-)

Cindy: "Eye of the storm I hear your silence, raise my arms and allow me to become your conductor, channel the power, channel the terror-" *She waved her arms, watching a ball of electricity spark in front of her.*

?????: (A powerful lightning-based Rostical-)

Cindy: "Channel the foe's impending doom! SPARK CANNON" *She pushed forward, blasting the ball of electricity directly at the old man.*

?????: *He raised his arm, pointing in front of him.* "..." *The ball touched the tip of his finger, instantly exploding in flames in front of him.*

Cindy: "Haha! That showed you-"

?????: *He waved his arm, extinguishing the flames to one side.* "..."

Cindy: "Grah!" *She grunted in anger, deeply inhaling.* "ELECTRIFYING HORROR"

?????: "FIRE'S PULSE" *A ring of flames spiralled around his hand.*

Cindy: "Skarh!" *She screamed out a scattered stream of lightning.*

?????: *He pushed forward, causing a large ring of flames to blast into Cindy's electricity.* "..."

Alicia: *She covered her eyes due to the brightness of the flames.* (The flames are hot-) *She looked down noticing a pool of her blood, before falling unconscious.*

Cindy: *She coughed out sparks of electricity, before stepping back in shock.* "How-?" *She watched the flames extinguish, revealing the man in perfect condition.*

?????: "..." *He stood on the spot, shaking his head.*

Cindy: (He's deflecting all my attacks that I've been using at _full_ strength?!) "I'm captain of the ranking seven!-"

?????: "Strings of fire ignite the foe, burn to ash, RIPPLING FIREY WEB" *He waved his arms up, causing strings of flames to wrap themselves around Cindy.*

Cindy: "A-Argh!" *She grunted, struggling to break free.*

?????: "Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat-"

Cindy: *She watched the strings of fire sizzle her clothes in pain.* "Dirty lamp!-"

?????: "FLAMING STORM" *He clicked his finger, causing a beam of condensed fire to erupt into Cindy's chest.*

Cindy: " _No_!-"

*The beam of fire suddenly exploded into a swirl of bright flames, tightly spiralling around Cindy.*

?????: *He watched the flames die out, revealing a pile of charcoal which crumbled to the ground.* (Poor soul.)

Alicia: *She whimpered in pain, lying motionless on the ground.* "..."

?????: (Cindy left her so distraught, she's whimpering while unconscious?) *He walked towards Alicia, adjusting his hat.*

\----------

Alicia: "N-No!-" *She woke up with a gasp, staring at the Inn's roof.*

Ashton: "Oh?" *Alicia's gasps caught his attention, causing him to smile.* "Alicia! Everyone, she's awakening!"

Alicia: *She glanced up at Ashton, noticing the entire party walk into the room.* "W-What happened?"

?????: "Cindy attacked you and I was able to defeat her before she killed you."

Alicia: "M-Millard!"

Millard: "Greetings, little one." *He smiled, adjusting his cone-shaped hat.* "You fell unconscious and I managed to bring you to the Inn."

Alicia: (Ashton, Teresa, even Lance.) *She smiled to herself, trying not to move.*

Lance: "So, are you like, feelin' any better?"

Alicia: "I-I am thank you." *She looked into his eyes and smiled.*

Lance: *He looked away with blushing cheeks.* "Good, now I can continue payin' you out."

Alicia: "S-Sorry?"

Lance: "Strinky fartronic, moronic poop breath."

Ashton: (Oh Lance..)

Millard: "Oh dear, poop breath?" *He sarcastically wobbled his bottom, smelling his own breath.*

Teresa: "Although you can not heal yourself, you have a _remarkable_ natural healing ability-"

Tyler: *He barged through the door, glancing at Alicia.* "I came as soon as I heard, are you okay, Alicia?"

Alicia: "Y-Yes I am, thank you, everyone." *She chuckled to herself in modesty.*

Lance: "Oi, Tyler."

Tyler: "Yes, Lance?"

Lance: "Any news about home yet?"

Tyler: "Not at the moment." *He looked disappointed, scratching the pimples on his face.*

Lance: "Oh?"

Ashton: (Too bad.) *He sighed to himself, looking at Lance.*

Tyler: "Most of my research stops at a person named Tarlea." *He shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head.*

Season: (Tarlea?) *He hobbled into the room, glancing at Alicia.* "Are you-"

Alicia: "Tee hee, I'm _fine_ , th-thank you."

Ashton: "This Tarlea, what's so special about her?"

Tyler: "I'm not sure, she was apparently the strongest person to ever have existed-"

Season: "Sorry to interrupt, but I would like to talk to you all at the research facility."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Season: "I have some important information I'd like to discuss." *He glanced at the party with a serious face, before suddenly walking out.*

Tyler: "I-I should go too." *He faced the party and nervously smiled.* "Once again, I hope you get better, Alicia-"

Lance: "Once again, I hope you get better Alicia, _pssht_! Get outta here, you big suck up." *He rudely pushed Tyler out the room, closing the door.*

Millard: "Oh dear."

Teresa: "Millard."

Millard: "Oh my?"

Teresa: "What has brought you here to Surpreon?"

Millard: "Well, I have a sensational feeling Season will inform us what's happening."

Teresa: "Season, it is not wise to keep him waiting. Alicia, we will be back shortly."

Alicia: "O-Okay." *She watched the party leave the room.*

Ashton: "Get well, Alicia." *He spoke with concern, leaving the room.*

Alicia: *She smiled and coughed.* "M-Millard."

Millard: "Yes, child?" *He faced her with curiosity.*

Alicia: "I just wanted to say thank you."

Millard: "Your gratitude warms my delicious heart, now get some sleep." *He smiled, closing the door behind him.*

Alicia: "Y-Yes." *She whispered to herself, making herself more comfortable in the bed.*

\----------

Season: *He watched the party walk into the research facility and gather in front of him.* "Thank you all for coming."

Millard: "It's my delicious pleasure."

Lance: "Delicious pleasure-?"

Season: "Ahem, I mentioned this earlier to Lance and Alicia."

Ashton: "About what, Season?"

Season: "In regards to The Unknown Territories."

Lance: (Ah, not these stupid unknown thingys again.) *He sighed to himself, placing his hands on his head.*

Ashton: "The Unknown Territories? I remember Teresa saying that it's the five places left uncharted?"

Teresa: "Correct."

Millard: "If you children don't mind." *He stepped forward, sarcastically coughing to clear his throat.* "Each of the five Unknown Territories have some sort of _occurrence_ , resulting in them not being accessible."

Ashton: "Oh? The territories, what suddenly brought this on?"

Millard: "I recently found out that those occurrences have stopped."

Tyler: "Y-Yes, we picked this up on the scanners before Millard entered the city." *He nodded his head, pointing to a screen.*

Millard: "Hence, why I'm here, children."

Season: "He's exactly right."

Ashton: "Wow, that really peaks my curiosity."

Season: "Considering what you've all been through, I feel I can trust you with what I'm about to say."

Teresa: (Why would all of the five Unknown Territories suddenly become accessible?)

Tyler: *He observed the party from the other side of the room.* "..."

Teresa: "Nevertheless, The Unknown Territories were the reason I desired Millard, he will be an excellent asset to our party."

Millard: "Oh jolly! Excellent asset? I'm honoured." *He smiled, sarcastically bowing in front of her.*

Lance: *He gave Millard a strange look, before focusing his attention to Season.* "So wat's this thing ya wanted to say?"

Season: "I wouldn't ask this to a party that wasn't powerful-"

Lance: "Oh get to it." *He grunted, sighing under his breath.*

Millard: "Oh, snappy child."

Lance: "..." *He stared at Millard, rolling his eyes.*

Season: "I would like you all to check out The Unknown Territories? If not, I'd be happy to send one of my best research teams."

Teresa: "I am very intrigued by this phenomenon, I will go."

Millard: "I was going to go either way, I'll tag along." *He giggled sarcastic-like and smiled.*

Ashton: "I would like to help as well, Lance?"

Lance: "Pssht, well-" *He folded his arms and looked away.* "It's better than bein' stuck here with Alicia, I'll come aye."

Season: " _Excellent_ , everyone besides Millard is dismissed."

Ashton: "This feels a little rushed?" *He mumbled to Lance with confusion.*

Lance: "I ain't complainin', I like the fast pace."

Teresa: *She started to walk out, as Ashton and Lance followed.* "We will meet you at the city's entrance."

Millard: "Sure thing." *He watched the party walk out of the room, before facing Season.* "Season?"

Season: "I just wanted to let you know a little about The Unknown Territories."

Millard: "Oh jolly molly." *He waved his bottom sarcastic-like, before acting seriously.* "I know more about The Unknown Territories than you think."

Season: "Well just in case, the closest Unknown Territory is-"

Millard: "The Ancient Forest."

Season: "Oh?"

Millard: "Surely that's not all you wanted me for, mr majesty?"

Season: "We will need to catch up."

Millard: "Lunch when I get back?" *He wobbled his body and giggled sarcastic-like.*

Season: "Unlike the other two, I remember who you are, back in those days, Millard-"

Millard: *He sighed and shook his head.* "There is something I need to do, before I talk about that."

Season: *He paused and slightly leant back in thought.* (I've never seen him talk so serious before.) "Ahem, report to me once you get back from The Ancient Forest."

Millard: "Will do." *He tilted his hat before turning around.*

Season: (With Millard on our side, I have nothing to fear.)

Millard: (I'm surprised Season remembers who I am, especially since I never really revealed who I was.) *He walked out of the research facility in thought.*

Season: (I don't blame him for the way things happened, I know it wasn't him-) *He sat down on a nearby seat with deep excitement.* (I will finally have a chance to talk to _him_.)

\----------

Millard: *He noticed that party waiting at the entrance, causing him to giggle to himself.* "Let's go, children!"

Lance: "Children?" *He grunted, placing his hands on his head.* "You ain't a pedo?"

Millard: "Nope."

Lance: "OK, kinda glad we got that outta the way-"

Millard: "We have plenty of delicious stuff to talk about, _on_ our sensationally scrumptious adventure."

Ashton: "That sounds like a smart plan."

Teresa: "Indeed." *She glanced at Millard, before leading the party out of Surpreon.*

Lance: "Sounds like a smart plan? He's makin' the adventure sound like a crunchy-berry food hunt-"

Ashton: "Lance." *He sighed, stepping on the white pebbles.*

Teresa: "Ensure to control your man-child behaviour. It will give a cognitive illusion of time being longer if you fail to comply with the request."

Lance: "Wateva."

Millard: "Crunchy berry food hunt? Fabulous, I'll be using that."

Chapter 8: The Five Territories

Ashton: *He walked across the grassy field, stretching his arms.* "So, Millard."

Millard: "Yes, little one?"

Ashton: "What's our destination?"

Millard: "Destination? Well, the closest Unknown Territory is The Ancient Forest."

Lance: "Where 'bouts is it?"

Millard: "It's located to the East, just on the outskirts of Maserio."

Ashton: "I see. How long will it take for us to get there?"

Lance: "Yea, _good_ question, Ash." *He grunted in agreement, placing his hands on his head.*

Teresa: "Taking into consideration we do not have access to any teleportation glyphs, or basic transport-"

Ashton: "That doesn't sound good." *He mumbled to himself with worry.*

Teresa: "We are required to walk there."

Lance: "Aye?"

Millard: "It's going to be quite the trip, children."

Lance: *He moaned, sliding his hands on the back of his head.* "If I don't have a six-pack by the time I get home, I'm gonna start chargin' ya fees, Teresa."

Teresa: *She ignored Lance, reading a map in both hands.* "We must commence walking in _this_ direction."

Millard: "And so, with the help of Ashton, Teresa, Lance and myself, we begin our walk to the first Unknown Territory-"

Lance: " _Seriously_ , you better not be doin' _that_ _all_ the way-"

Ashton: " _So_ , with The Ancient Forest.."

Teresa: "Herm?" *She placed the map in Alicia's RPG bag, giving it to Millard.*

Millard: "Thank you, my sausage." *He placed the bag on his back, ignoring the sudden rush of hot air.*

Teresa: "Address me as Teresa-" *She quickly looked at Millard as if she was asserting dominance.* "Never insinuate my name is sausage again."

Millard: "Wowza, of course."

Lance: (He legit just called her sausage, _wow_..)

Ashton: "Do we have to walk through Gasher Hills?" *He pointed to the tall mountains in the distance with curiosity.*

Millard: "Why yes-"

Lance: "It's hot!" *He grunted, dropping his arms to his sides like a child.*

Millard: "After going through Gasher Hills, we walk along the outskirts of Maserio."

Teresa: "And we should confront our first destination, The Ancient Forest."

Ashton: "Fascinating, thank you-"

Lance: "Bah, oh man, how long is it goin' to take to get there?!"

Teresa: "Season could not stress how far it is to travel."

Lance: "Wat does that mean?" *He grunted with impatience.*

Teresa: "It will take us a while to reach the destination."

Lance: "A while?" *He sighed, grunting with frustration.*

Ashton: "Once we reach The Ancient Forest, we report back to Season?"

Millard: "We will then travel to the other Unknown Territories."

Ashton: "I see-"

Lance: "Others? _Wat_?!"

Teresa: *She ignored Lance, focusing her attention ahead.* "Conserve your energy, you will need it-"

Lance: "You will need it." *He croaked to himself, pulling a feral face.*

Ashton: "How many are there? Was it five?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: "Gah." *He moaned, noticing his sweat.* "Now I'm sweatin', _great_."

Teresa: "With a rough estimation, it may take seven days."

Ashton: "Good grief." *He mumbled to himself, awkwardly walking through the sand.*

Lance: "Wat do you expect me to do in that time?!"

Millard: "My, my, maybe we could sing songs to get the time flowing?" *He sarcastically giggled, shaking his bottom.*

Lance: (Wat have I done to deserve this?) *He face palmed, pretending to whimper.*

\----------

*A man stood on the edge of a cliff, staring out into the distance.*

?????: *He watched the treetops sway in the wind, reaching over his shoulder.* (I don't know how I became a captain-) *He pulled his arm, causing sparks to scatter around a bow.*

*The man focused his attention to something in the far distance, raising the bow to his face.*

?????: (I'm captain with the ranking of five, why has the Consultant given _me_ a long list of simple missions a vice-captain could do-?)

Kath: "Hello, Zephyr." *She suddenly appeared behind the man, causing him to gasp.*

Zephyr: "M-Ma'am!" (Th-The Consultant!-)

Kath: "I'm just checking up on all my single digits."

Zephyr: "Th-Things are going well, I've still got a lot of missions to do though."

Kath: "And what are you doing now?" *She pushed her glasses up with one finger, staring at Zephyr's back.*

Zephyr: "Purging renegade warriors."

Kath: *She stepped to the side, looking past Zephyr's shoulder.* (I can't see anything-) "And that must be your ability I'm assuming?"

Zephyr: "Y-Yes, I can magnify my vision via Astragons-"

Kath: "Enough boring details, focus on the mission. I will summon you once I need you."

Zephyr: "Y-Yes." *He spoke nervously, pulling the string back.*

Kath: "That is all-" *She turned around and started to walk off.*

Zephyr: *He looked over his shoulder and frowned with confusion.* (She's not there?)

Kath: "Focus on your missions!" *Her voice echoed in the wind, causing Zephyr to look forward.*

Zephyr: " _Shattering_ _Shot_." *He flicked the string and shot a glimpse of pink light into the distance.*

-

*Two warriors spoke to themselves, surrounded by thick bushes.*

Warrior A: "So we break into Sorrowprax and free all the other warriors?"

Warrior B: "Yes, we'll do this in a few days-" *An arrow enveloped with pink light, shot through his chest.* "Kargh-"

Warrior A: "Number!-" *A second arrow enveloped with pink light, shot through his stomach.*

-

Zephyr: "D-Done-" *He nervously whispered to himself, turning around.*

*Zephyr slowly placed the bow over his shoulder, causing it to turn invisible.*

Zephyr: (Now for the next mission-) *He stepped forward, flashstepping out of the area.*

\----------

Ashton: *He adjusted his clothing, noticing the RPG bag.* "The RPG bag, has it been refilled?"

Teresa: "It has indeed been replenished."

Millard: "What a splendid observation, Ashton."

Ashton: "Pardon?"

Millard: "There have been several times I forgot to refill my bag, resulting in me getting _very_ hungry or cold."

Ashton: "Well, thank you, haha." *He chuckled to himself, closely following Teresa.*

Lance: (Am I the _only_ cool one here? This conversation is so boring!)

Teresa: *She looked into the distance, scanning to each side.* "I sense no captains in the vicinity."

Ashton: "Excellent, that's completely acceptable!"

Lance: "Sense? How can you sense?"

Teresa: "Due to a captain's powerful energy signature, it is not hard to decipher their locations when trained properly."

Millard: (With our current party-) *He glanced at Lance, Ashton and Teresa.* (Under the circumstances-) "If we're to encounter a captain ranked warrior, we are to retreat _immediately_."

Lance: "Whoa, so now you wanna get serious?"

Ashton: "Yes, sir." *He looked at Millard, nodding his head with respect.*

Teresa: "Understandable."

Lance: "Pssht, they're nothin' special."

Millard: "They are not to be underestimated-"

Lance: "There's only like six more captains left, so-"

Millard: (What-?!) "What do you mean, child?"

Lance: "I am no child!" *He stamped his foot like a child.*

Ashton: "We barely defeated Mindy and Wendy."

Teresa: "And I believe you said you defeated Cindy, Millard."

Millard: "Why, yes." *He looked down, staring at the dirt in silence.*

Ashton: "What's the matter, Millard?"

Millard: "You were able to defeat _two_ _captain_ classed warriors?"

Lance: "Yup." *He smirked as if he was the one that defeated them.*

Millard: "If that's the case, they _would've_ been late single digits."

Ashton: "Late single digits?"

Millard: "Seven, eight and nine."

Ashton: (Self-explanatory, how embarrassing.)

Lance: "Wat's the big deal?"

Millard: "Captains from six to one are _incredibly_ powerful, it sends shivers through these old bones."

Teresa: "For clarification, you are correct. They managed to defeat eight and nine ranking captains."

Lance: "Pssht, wat's so special about captains under seven?" *He rolled his eyes and smirked.*

Millard: "Well-"

Lance: "All I've seen from these single digit losers, is superhuman strength."

Ashton: (Lance, good grief.)

Millard: *He had images of Cindy's anger-filled face.* (Wendy and Mindy, in time, would have possessed Rostical-)

Teresa: "Captains ranking six to four are equal in strength, Astragons, Neurons and Rostical."

Lance: "So?" *He grunted with a slight frown.*

Teresa: "But how are they ranked?"

Lance: "Pssht, how would I know?"

Teresa: "They are ranked depending on their special abilities."

Ashton: "Good grief, just when I thought we started to know all we could, we learn more."

Millard: "..."

Ashton: "What do you mean by special abilities?"

Teresa: "An example would be-" *She paused in mid-sentence and started to think.*

Millard: "I've got a delicious example."

Lance: "Spit it out then, old fart?" *He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.*

Millard: "One would be, communicating with people by _only_ using your mind."

Lance: "Oh, divine shit nuggets! What captain can do that?"

Ashton: "It was an example, Lance."

Lance: "Pssht, wateva."

Ashton: "I'm not looking forward to encountering another captain."

Lance: "Wat are the odds of us havin' to fight another one of these Alicia wannabes?"

Ashton: "It's a possibility." *He whispered to Lance with a worried look.*

Lance: " _How_ can ya tell?"

Ashton: *He pointed at Teresa and Millard, noticing their deep in thought faces.* "I don't think they would look like that if there wasn't a possibility of us having to cross another captain."

Lance: "Fine." *He spoke in a carefree tone, placing his hands on his head.*

Ashton: "Lance?"

Lance: "I can easily defeat any single digits that come our way, with my epic skills."

Ashton: "Haha, I'm sure you could-"

Lance: "Oh!-" *He quickly looked at Ashton with realisation.* "That reminds me, who did you train with and how did you do it."

Ashton: "Do what?"

Lance: "Ya know, psswhwh." *He motioned a shield around him like a child.* "I thought we couldn't use Rostickal?"

Ashton: "I learnt it from one of Teresa's friends." *He walked up a slight sandy slope, wiping sweat off his face.*

Lance: "Oh yea, but how?"

Ashton: "She said, everything in this world flows with Neurons and Astragons. So even though we came here with none, they would be flowing through us now."

Lance: (So, maybe I could use some?)

Ashton: "Does that make sense?"

Lance: "Yea, sure does. So, who's this teacher?"

Teresa: (Teacher?) *She snapped out of her deep thought, discreetly listening to their conversation.*

Ashton: (PKMY, my crazy teacher-) "Not sure, she never mentioned her name."

Teresa: *She looked pleased as if she was happy with Ashton's answer.* (Excellent, PKMY is in hiding-)

Lance: "Ya know, people would never expect you to lie 'cause you're always helpful and kind."

Ashton: "..."

Lance: "But I've been with you for so long, I can see through that, ya asshat." *He grunted, sniffing under his nose.* "So, who's this teacher?"

Ashton: (He saw right through me-) *He smiled, looking slightly guilty.* "I can't seem to remember."

Lance: "Fine, I see how it is." *He walked past Ashton, hitting him on the head.* "Wateva."

Ashton: (Ouch, that hurt.) *He smirked, rubbing the back of his head.*

Millard: "Oh dear-" *He mumbled to himself, catching Teresa's attention.*

Teresa: "Millard, you appear to be wheezing."

Millard: "Oh dear, holding this bag, little one." *He grunted, panting with sweat.* "It feels like my arms will drop off like sensational twigs!" *He turned around, staring at Lance with a sarcastic sad-like face.*

Lance: *He sighed, rolling his eyes.* "Give me the bag, ya old fart."

Millard: "Oh, my hero!" *He clapped his hands, raising one leg behind him with excitement.*

Lance: "Wateva." *He grunted to himself, adjusting the bag on his back.*

Ashton: "Good grief, we made it out of Gasher Hills."

Lance: " _Finally_." *He sighed with relief, noticing vegetation in the distance.*

\----------

*Pepper sat on a golden shore, staring out into the ocean.*

Pepper: *Her hair blew in front from over her shoulders.* (Why can't I remember?)

*Swirls of sand blew past Pepper, as she sighed with an emotionless face.*

Pepper: "Who am I?" *She looked up, whispering to herself.* "Why am I here?"

*Cicadas buzzed in the background, as the ocean glistened in the sun.*

Pepper: "Why can't I remember?!" *She hit the sand next to her with frustration.* "Why, why, why?!"

*Pepper frowned and continued to hit the sand next to her while shaking her head with intensifying emotions.*

Pepper: " _Why_?!" *She gritted her teeth and her eyes suddenly turned gold.*

*Pepper hit the sand, causing several eruptions of golden sand to explode into the air.*

Pepper: "I-I say, what-?" *She quickly glanced to her side, watching the sand rain down in shock.* "-Happened?" *Her eyes reverted back to their normal colour.*

\----------

*The party walked over a small sandy hill, containing several patches of grass.*

Ashton: "So, Millard."

Millard: "Yes, my child?"

Ashton: "Could you tell us more about yourself?"

Millard: "I'm a simple old man with simple needs." *He giggled, adjusting his cone-shaped hat.*

Lance: "Whoa, back down. You sound like a fantastic person to get to know."

Millard: "Ouchies, you just lowered my morale."

Lance: "That's nice." *He rolled his eyes and looked away.*

Ashton: "Is that all, Millard?"

Millard: "Well, I learnt through time-"

Lance: "Borin'-"

Millard: "That an occasional laugh is very healthy."

Teresa: (An occasional laugh? Tcch, the first foolish thing I have heard Millard say.)

Ashton: "A laugh?" *He looked down and smiled.* (Tyler-)

Lance: "Bah-" *Sunlight shined in his eyes, causing him to squirm like a child.* "I hate this time of day, it gets _so_ hot!"

Ashton: "Excuse me, Teresa could I speak to you for a minute?"

Teresa: "Of course, Millard, Lance, continue on ahead."

Millard: "I'm always happy to be of some service." *He giggled, nodding his head at Teresa.*

Lance: *He stopped behind Millard, waving his arms to move forward.* "Hurry it up, grotty old fart."

Millard: "Whose fart is old and grotty?"

Lance: " _Feral_ -" *He pushed Millard forward, causing their voices to fade into the distance.*

Teresa: "Yes, Ashton. What is it you wish to discuss?"

Ashton: "I have a question about PKMY."

Teresa: "Discuss this question." *She looked down, listening to Ashton.*

Ashton: "Well how was it, she could flashstep and use all those strange Rostical?"

Teresa: "That was such an odd and random question."

Ashton: "Well apparently only captains can flashstep."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "And having the ability to use Rostical is very rare, you said that yourself."

Teresa: "Precisely."

Ashton: "Now it seems like everyone can do it."

Teresa: "What also is very rare, is to see so many captains in such a short amount of time."

Ashton: "Oh, okay."

Teresa: "..." *She watched Ashton nod his head, before walking away.*

Ashton: "Wait a minute-" *He paused and turned around, facing Teresa.* "You never answered my question."

Teresa: "PKMY is an elite teacher, perhaps she learnt to do it herself."

Ashton: "Probably." *He frowned in thought.* "So, she's a captain?"

Teresa: "Is it not plausible to be of captain level without being a captain?"

Ashton: *He mumbled to himself and nodded his head as if he was satisfied with Teresa's response.* "There's just, so many unanswered questions."

Teresa: "It would be expected from someone who does not reside of this world."

Ashton: "Not from this world? Haha, yeah."

Teresa: (How was the humorous?)

Ashton: "Well, thank you for your time."

Teresa: "Not at all."

Ashton: "Alright, we better hurry up before Lance has another one of his hissy fits." *He smiled at Teresa, before jogging up to Millard and Lance.*

Teresa: *She watched Lance, Ashton and Millard walk in front of her.* (From the things I have encountered on my travels, these people, such strange people they are-)

Millard: "Teresa, my little one-" *He looked over his shoulder.* "We've got a long walk ahead of us, keep me company, I'm getting lonely."

Lance: "Grotty old fart."

\----------

*Riddle stood on the edge of a cliff, staring at large waves crash on the bottom.*

Riddle: "And today, I must say farewell to Silver Wind Island." *He stared at an island, surrounded by crashing waves.*

*Riddle looked down to his pointy shoes, ignoring the cold sea breeze.*

Riddle: *He adjusted the straps to a large backpack-like bag on his back.* "Why I never got the RPG bag, strikes me as foolish." *He slightly frowned, grunting to hold it up.*

*Riddle sighed to himself and turned around, facing a large forest.*

Riddle: "I have to travel to Surpreon, I need to learn how the Spacial Funnel works involving Battling Oxident."

*The backpack made sounds as Riddle slowly walked into the forest.*

Riddle: "People in general sicken me." *He sighed to himself in a mature manner.* "I know everyone isn't bad, perhaps I should give them another chance-"

?????: "Oi, you!"

Riddle: "Oh my?" *He quickly looked to the side and noticed a party of thug-like men.* "Who are you?"

?????: "We're the ultimate bandits, give us all your goods and be on your way."

Riddle: "Oh dear." *He looked down and gritted his teeth.* "The Seaside Bandits?"

Bandit A: "No! They don't share the same ideals as us!"

Riddle: "It's dangerous in The Twilight Forest. There are a lot of Spacial Funnels and Reality Marbles."

Bandit B: *He looked awkward.* "Doesn't he know what we're doing?"

Bandit A: *He looked to his friend and sighed.* "Just snatch it off him, he's as skinny as one of those Scoldrants that live in the marshlands."

Riddle: "A prime example, why I hate-" *He mumbled to himself as his eyes started to glaze.*

Bandit B: "Just drop your bag and be on your-"

Riddle: "I want to restore order, I want a land of peace!"

*The bandits stared at Riddle with confusion, before bursting into laughter.*

Bandit A: "I want a land of peace, bwaha-"

Bandit B: "Yearhahahaha-"

Riddle: *He bent his knees, slowly placing the backpack on the ground.* "..."

Bandit A: *He chuckled, wiping under his eyes.* "That's a good boy, now, run off, and forget you ever saw us."

Bandit B: "Yeah, skinny weakling!"

Riddle: "To question my appearance is mean."

Bandit A: "Mean?! Bwarhaha-"

Riddle: "To question my power is foolish."

Bandit B: "Foolish? Yearhah-"

Riddle: "But to laugh at my dream-" *He looked up and frowned, raising his arm.*

Bandit A: *He sighed, pulling out a small dagger.* "Leave, or I'll slice you!-"

Riddle: "The folly-" *He sighed, staring at his feet with a depressed face.* "Such immaturity-"

Bandit A: "Immaturity?! That's it! I'm throwing these at your face!" *He frowned, pulling out a handful of daggers.*

Riddle: "Forceful sounds, radiate the ground-"

Bandit A: "Harh!" *He jumped forward, throwing the daggers at Riddle's head.*

Riddle: "As deep as abyss, DARK STYX"

Bandit B: "What-?" *He gasped, staring in front of him in shock.*

Bandit A: "M-My daggers?"

Riddle: *He slightly looked up, watching a dark aura envelop each of the daggers.* "..."

Bandit A: "They're _floating_ in the air-?!"

Riddle: "..." *He waved his arms, blasting the daggers back at the bandits.*

Bandit B: "W-What?!" *He watched four of his party members fall to the ground, lying unconscious.*

Riddle: "..."

Bandit B: "You?!"

Riddle: "Astragons at my command, no mercy for the damned, with all my might, DARK STRIKE"

Bandit B: "I'm going to cut, cut, slice you!-" *A dark aura swirled around his head.*

Riddle: "Trash deserves no mercy." *He slowly picked up his backpack and started to walk away.*

Bandit B: "Don't walk away! This dark fog is nothing!-"

*The dark aura around the bandit's face suddenly exploded, causing Riddle to smirk.*

\----------

Teresa: (We have been walking for several hours, it is surprising I have not heard any trivial complaining-)

Lance: "We've been walking for hours!"

Millard: "My legs are going to drop off, children." *He sarcastically whimpered like a child.*

Lance: "Oi?!" *He stared in front with a smile.*

Millard: "My, my, it seems we're finally reaching our destination."

Ashton: "What is it?"

Lance: "Come take a look, I can see the first few trees." *He pointed to a green pine-like tree in the distance.*

Millard: *He adjusted his cone-shaped hat, looking at Lance pointing in front like a child.* (Dear oh dear.)

Ashton: "This is excellent, it didn't take as long as I expected." *He smiled, sighing in relief.*

Millard: "And I didn't break any of my old brittle bones getting here."

Lance: "Pssht, same here-" *He chuckled, wiping sweat off his face.* "Sarcastic, old fart."

Millard: "Ouchies, my heart is now filled with immense sorrow." *He pretended to have a heart attack.*

Lance: "Oh? Ya want a tissue or somethin'?"

Millard: "Well-"

Teresa: "This is indeed, good news."

Ashton: "How come?"

Teresa: "We see the trees to The Ancient Forest, we are ahead of schedule."

\----------

*Kath sat on a high chair in the middle of a poorly lit room.*

Kath: "Come!"

?????: *A man flashstepped in front of her, instantly kneeling down with respect.* "Yes, bahahe?"

Kath: "I have an important mission for you."

?????: "Yes, ma'am?"

Kath: "Inspect The Unknown Territories."

?????: " _Them_? They aren't accessible?"

Kath: "They are now."

?????: "Why send me?"

Kath: "I need a high ranking captain, there's bound to be traps or foes."

?????: "Oh-"

Kath: "You can do _whatever_ you want."

?????: "Oh?" *A crazy-like smile consumed his entire face.* "Bwahahrh, great!"

Kath: "There are glyphs that need to be unlocked at each throne room, you'll be reported just before you leave."

?????: "I see."

Kath: "Zayden, do you understand the importance?"

Zayden: "Yes, ma'am."

Kath: *She smirked, pushing her glasses up with one finger.* "Excellent."

\----------

*Ashton, Teresa, Millard and Lance walked through a cool, damp, area, filled with vegetation.*

Millard: "It's delicious how fast the environment changed."

Ashton: "I know, there's no more sand and the ground is now soft, vegetative-like soil-" *He watched the party leave footprints before focusing his attention to the scenery.* "The trees stand high and mist allures in the distance-"

Lance: "Alright, Ash. This ain't a tourist destination."

Teresa: "I find myself agreeing with Lance, it is best to save the details."

Ashton: "So why exactly was this forest an Unknown Territory?"

Millard: "What do you mean?"

Lance: *He grunted in agreement.* "Yea, wasn't it meant to be like, not enterable or somethin'?"

Teresa: "Indeed, The Unknown Territories are said to be not accessible."

Millard: "I've been here before."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Millard: "But the trees we see now, this ground we walk on, was not here before."

Lance: "Aye?"

Ashton: "How so, sir?"

Teresa: "It was believed Maserio distorted the Astragons of the affected area."

Millard: "Possibly due to the heat."

Ashton: "Like a mirage?"

Millard: "Yes, to an extent."

Ashton: "To an extent?"

Millard: "You could walk across the area so many times and never bump into anything."

Ashton: (Wow.)

Teresa: "It is easier to think of it as a Spacial Funnel."

Lance: " _Borin_ '." *He rolled his eyes and walked to the side, waving his arm in the mist.*

Ashton: "So, how exactly are we able to walk in the forest now?"

Teresa: "I do not possess this knowledge." *She glanced to her side, staring at Millard.*

Millard: "I don't know either."

Ashton: "I see."

Lance: "So, if it weren't accessible, how'd ya know it was here?"

Teresa: "The Consultants found faint energy signatures in specific locations."

Millard: "Five of which had the same resonance."

Ashton: "The Unknown Territories." *He spoke to himself as if it was making sense to him.*

Millard: "Correct, my scrumptious hero."

Ashton: *He looked awkward.* "Thank you.."

Lance: *He flapped his arm, blowing the mist away.* "Aha, movin' the mist is so kool-"

*Several vibrations rumbled along the ground, catching the party's attention.*

Millard: "Did anyone else feel that or are my legs about to break?"

Teresa: "There is activity happening within the forest?"

Ashton: "Let's go, someone could need our help!" *He ran deeper into the forest.*

\----------

*Tyler closely observed a screen-like console with worry.*

Tyler: (There's a powerful energy signature in the area of Maserio?)

Season: *He hobbled into the research facility, focusing his attention on Tyler.* "Tyler."

Tyler: *He looked up, scratching a large pimple on his cheek.* "How is Alicia?"

Season: "She's resting. Any updates?"

Tyler: "J-Just an energy signature, nothing _strange_ as I was told to r-report."

Season: "I see, keep up the good work."

Tyler: "S-Sir!"

\----------

Ashton: *He ran, puffing on his breath.* "Who, or what could be in there-?"

Millard: *He felt something vibrate along the ground, drawing his attention to a large, slithering shadow in the mist.* "Look out, child!"

Ashton: "Excuse me-?" *He looked over his shoulder to Millard in confusion.*

Teresa: *She slightly squinted her eyes, stepping back.* "A reptilian-based Scoldrant."

Scoldrant: "Ksssst." *It hissed and moved around the party, separating the mist around it.*

Ashton: "Good grief!" *He took a step back, observing the Scoldrant with widening eyes.*

Teresa: "Be on guard, it appears to be venomous!"

Lance: *He staggered closer to his party members, watching the Scoldrant continue to circle them.* "Wat's it doin'?!"

Millard: "It's tasting our Astragons."

Lance: "Why does it flee if it can smell yours-?!"

Scoldrant: "Kssssst." *Arms extended out of its snake-like body, charging towards Teresa.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She remained calm and collected.*

Millard: "Teresa, I'll use my Rostical-"

Scoldrant: *It tilted its head back and spat out a stream of green liquid.* "Tssqk."

Millard: "I won't be able to cast it in time!-"

Teresa: *She raised her arms and covered her face.* "Tcch-"

*A bubble-like shield swirled in front of Teresa, blocking the stream of liquid.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *He watched the liquid steam and sizzle on the ground in front of Teresa.* "Phew-"

Lance: "Whoa, nice!-"

Scoldrant: "Tsssk." *It tilted its head back and prepared to spit out another stream.*

Millard: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

Scoldrant: *A ring of fire swirled underneath it, cueing two huge wings to flap out from its sides in response.* "Sssk ssk ssk."

*The Scoldrant flapped itself into the air, watching the ring of fire blast into the air.*

Millard: "I missed it!" *His robes and hat rapidly flapped as the hot air blew all the disrupted mist away.*

Scoldrant: "Sssk." *It flew in a circle above the treetops.*

Teresa: "Be on guard, flying Scoldrants are not particularly strong, but they are unpredictable!"

Scoldrant: "Tssqk." *It spat out small balls of green ooze-like liquid at the party.*

Ashton: "Ah-" *He jumped to the side, avoiding the splatting ball of ooze which sizzled the ground.*

Teresa: "Incoming!-"

Millard: "FLAMING WHEEL" *He waved his arm above his head, causing a wall of flames to evaporate the balls.*

Teresa: "Good work, Millard."

Millard: "I'm touched."

Lance: "Oi, bitchface, use your Icicle Edge already-" *He looked to the side and gasped.* (Oh-)

Millard: "Now is not the time to be daydreaming, Lance."

Ashton: "We need your help."

Lance: "Oh, right." *He coughed, grabbing his sword from the RPG bag.* "Ready!"

Scoldrant: *It flapped higher into the air, concealing itself in the thick mist.* "Tssssk."

Teresa: *She looked to each side, taking another step back.* "It is using the environment to its advantage."

Lance: "Thanks for pointin' that out, had _no_ idea."

Ashton: *He frowned with determination, as the ring began to glow.* (I will protect my friends-)

Scoldrant: *It dived directly towards Millard, as swirls of mist strung off its wings.* "Tssssk!"

Millard: (I will have to use a stronger and more direct Rostical to take it down in one hit, like Cindy.)

Teresa: "Millard!-"

Millard: "I've got this, little one! Infernal nova, gushing down-"

Lance: *He ran next to Teresa, raising the sword in the air.* (I can't do shit from here, but I can still protect Teresa.)

Millard: *His eyes widened as he stared at the diving Scoldrant with a dropping jaw.* (I won't be able to finish the incantation!-)

Ashton: "Millard! Continue the enchantment, _trust_ _me_!"

Millard: "Don't make me regret this, youngster."

Ashton: (You won't.)

Scoldrant: "Ssssk." *It pulled its head back, blasting a string of green liquid at Millard.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

*Swirls of bubble-like strings formed a shield around Millard, blocking the string of green liquid.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He cupped his hands and pushed upwards, blasting a bubble-like ball at the Scoldrant.*

Teresa: (Calculating the speed of the Scoldrant and Ashton's Neuron strength, in theory, Ashton isn't strong enough to block-)

Scoldrant: "Ssstqk-" *The ball burst on its face, causing it to alter course and smash itself into the ground.*

Lance: "Whoa-" *He watched a wave of dirt rain around the Scoldrant.*

Teresa: (He surpassed PKMY's expectations-)

Lance: "It's on the ground, get it!"

Millard: "Grasping heat-"

Scoldrant: "Ssssk." *It shook its head, flapping itself back into the air.*

Lance: "Umm, don't worry!"

*Dirt and liquid rained on top of Millard, causing the shield to sizzle.*

Millard: "FLAMING STORM"

*Intense flames suddenly exploded around the Scoldrant, causing the party to cover their eyes.*

Ashton: "Bright-"

Teresa: "A perfect and direct hit." *She looked up and watched a fireball fall and smash into the ground, causing a pulse of flames and ash to scatter the surrounding area.*

Lance: "Hot-" *He grunted, covering his face with his free hand.*

Millard: (I shouldn't use Rostical that consumes my Neurons so freely.)

Ashton: "Phew-" *He chuckled, walking up to the party.*

Millard: "Ashton that was amazing, I didn't expect you to use Rostical."

Lance: "His Rostickal thingy is pretty wicked." *He nodded his head in an approving manner.*

Teresa: (It would seem Ashton is getting used to his ring.) *She walked over and observed the sizzling ground around Millard.* (His shield was able to block the Scoldrant's acid-)

Millard: "Well, thank you, Ashton. If it wasn't for your deliciously surprising Rostical, I wouldn't have been able to complete mine."

Ashton: "Haha, it's fine."

Lance: "Oi, Ash. Don't be a modest loser and accept the old fart's compliment."

Teresa: "Nevertheless, let us continue on. This is uncharted territory."

Millard: "Ooo, you're giving me shivers." *He giggled, hugging himself.*

Teresa: "We do not know what kind of dangers we may or may not encounter."

Ashton: (Dangers?) "Yes, I agree." *He mumbled to himself, triggering a flashback.*

\--

PKMY: "But remember, only use this Rostical when the time arrives."

Ashton: "But I won't need it, I'm careful enough-"

PKMY: "You have to expect the unexpected remember?"

Ashton: "..."

PKMY: "It's always good to have a backup plan, it could save your friend's life." *She stared at Ashton, shrugging her shoulders.*

Ashton: (My friends?) *He sighed, nodding his head.* "What is it?"

PKMY: "Neurons and Astragons activate, the winds give me impenetrable hope, MYSTIC BOOST"

Ashton: "And what does it do?"

PKMY: "It's a formula which usually boosts the target's attributes. But that ring will transfer it."

Ashton: "Transfer it?"

PKMY: "Tssk, does it matter?" *She folded her arms, looking annoyed.*

Ashton: "No."

PKMY: " _Good_."

Ashton: (I need to learn to take my own advice, I shouldn't assume things will be alright.) *He stared at the ring with an emotionless face.* "Thank you, PKMY."

Chapter 9: The Ancient Forest

Millard: "Further into the forest, the mist became thicker and a constant sound of a waterfall echoed in the distance. The grass and surrounding vegetation were damp and the delicious sounds of owls and frogs could be heard-"

Lance: "Shut it will ya?" *He grunted with frustration, placing his arms on his head.*

Teresa: "..."

Lance: *He glanced to the side, staring at the thick mist.* "This place is so eerie."

Millard: "Oowh."

Lance: "Gah-?" *He stepped back in shock, staring at Millard.*

Ashton: "What is it?!" *He raised his arm, looking to each side, startled.*

Millard: "I got goosebumps." *He sarcastically giggled, waving his arms like a girl.*

Teresa: *She discreetly sighed, walking ahead.* (If he acted like that in front of PKMY, she would have punched him in the face.)

Lance: "Settle down, grandma."

Millard: "Ouchies!"

Lance: "There are things you don't do, like randomly screamin' when you're in the ocean."

Millard: "But the seaweed?"

Lance: "But the sharks-?"

Ashton: "Shh, do any of you hear that?" *He looked up to the treetops, spinning around in confusion.*

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "..."

Lance: "I don't hear anythin', ya fool."

Ashton: " _Exactly_ , I heard owls just a moment ago and now-"

Teresa: "Nothing."

Millard: "Oowh."

Lance: "Gah-" *He lowered his arms, frowning at Millard.* "What's wrong _now_?"

Millard: *He pointed at Teresa, sarcastically shaking.* "More goosebumps."

Lance: (Pssht, old fart.) *He rolled his eyes and looked away.*

Ashton: "Also, remember what Teresa said back at the entrance of Maserio?"

Millard: "Oh, no I don't?"

Lance: "You weren't there, grotty old-"

Teresa: "Good memory, Ashton-" *She faced the party, casually wrapping her arms around herself.* "No matter what the terrain is, there will always be signs of Scoldrants or living things."

Ashton: "So, what does that exactly mean?"

Millard: "I feel more goosebumps coming."

Lance: "It means, the faster we get outta here, the better."

Teresa: "Hoh? Are you frightened, Lance?"

Lance: "Pssht _as_ _if_ , where do we go?" *He stared at Teresa, sniffing his finger.*

Teresa: *She walked up to Lance and reached into the RPG bag, unrolling the map.* "It appears we are on the correct path, North East." *She rolled the map, placing it back into the bag.*

Millard: "Oowh-"

Lance: "Enough, old fart! Let's go." *He grunted with determination as he walked up a slight slope.*

Millard: "Yes, sir!" *He sarcastically mumbled, saluting Lance like a child.*

Ashton: "No signs of life, does that mean there's a powerful Scoldrant around?" *He watched Lance walk out of his sight.*

Teresa: "Perhaps, I can not say for certain, this is uncharted-"

Lance: *He gasped, alerting the party to catch up.* "Whoa-"

Ashton: "What is it?" *He yelled out, jogging up the slope.*

Lance: "I think this would explain why there's no Scoldrants around."

Teresa: "We are not alone."

Ashton: "Unacceptable." *He mumbled to himself, covering his mouth in disgust.*

Millard: (There's hundreds-)

Ashton: "This is terrible." *He scanned across the ground, staring at motionless Scoldrants and people.*

Lance: "They're everywhere." *He spoke to himself, staring at the bodies.*

Ashton: "Are they-?"

Teresa: "Indeed, I do not sense any active Neurons or Astragons from them."

Ashton: "This is-" *He formed fists, looking away.* "Unacceptable."

Millard: "You certainly like that word-"

Ashton: "I'm sorry, Millard, but it is."

Teresa: "Is this a captain's doing? Millard, could you confirm this?"

Millard: *He nodded his head and hobbled over to a nearby Scoldrant, placing his hand on it.* "Yes, this was a Rostical Using Scoldrant."

Ashton: "So?" *He observed the surrounding area, looking for something.*

Millard: "They've been sliced to pieces, effortlessly-"

Lance: "Oi! I see an entrance." *He pointed to an entrance of an abandoned temple.*

Ashton: "Good work, Lance!"

Teresa: "Hoh? That is not a noticeable entrance, due to the surrounding vegetation and vines."

Millard: "Excellent work, child." (I wouldn't have picked it out either.)

Lance: "I try." *He sniffed, pretending to be cool.*

Ashton: *Something moved in the corner of his eye, catching his attention.* "Did anyone see that?"

Teresa: "Negative."

Lance: "Affirmative." *He pretended to be a robot, staring at Teresa.*

Ashton: *He cautiously walked towards the movement, gasping with shock.* "It's a person! And he's alive!"

*The party focused their attention to Ashton, rushing towards him.*

Millard: *He looked down and noticed the man, adjusting his cone-shaped hat.* "Are you okay?"

Man: "So powerful." *He coughed and wheezed in pain.* "Such power."

Teresa: "What did this?"

Man: "A captain."

Millard: "What ranking-"

Teresa: "What is his name?"

Man: *He stared at an enormous Scoldrant next to him.* "My companion."

Lance: "My companion? It's a Scoldrant?"

Ashton: *He stared at the man, struggling to hold his head up.* (His eyes look funny?)

Millard: *He noticed the man's eyes.* (A Scoldrant User.)

Man: "Be careful-" *He gagged and stopped breathing, as his body burst into tiny white orbs.*

Lance: "Whoa-"

Ashton: "What is-?"

*The enormous Scoldrant suddenly burst into tiny white orbs, causing Lance and Ashton to gasp.*

Millard: *He watched the white orbs rise into the sky and out of his sight.* "Bless your spirit to The Astral Plains." *He whispered under his breath, lowering his head in respect.*

Teresa: "Do not waste your energy, it is merely death."

Ashton: "The white balls? Death?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "Why do you think the Scoldrants and people were here?"

Millard: "I'm assuming they were guardians here protecting this temple?" *He shrugged his shoulders, staring at the temple's entrance.*

Teresa: "Now our speculations have been confirmed, there is a captain somewhere nearby."

Lance: *He looked into the distance with a paranoid face.* "Wat if this person is like watchin' us _right_ _now_."

Teresa: "I believe the warrior is inside already."

Millard: "I agree, let's go in."

Lance: "S-Stop!"

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She turned around, facing Lance.*

Lance: "Why do we have to go in?"

Ashton: "What are you talking about?"

Lance: "Can we just go? Like, this has nothin' to do with getting home-"

Ashton: "Lance! Unacceptable!"

Lance: *He gasped, snapping out of his strange state.* "O-Oh."

Ashton: "Lance." *He sighed, placing his hand on Lance's shoulder.* "You okay?"

Lance: "Y-Yea, I dunno what came over me."

Teresa: (Fear.)

Millard: "Character development? Delicious."

Ashton: "What was that, Millard?"

Millard: "Ahem! I said, shall we continue, children?"

Teresa: "Indeed, it is not desirable having a captain ahead of us."

Ashton: *He walked towards the entrance with a frown.* "We cannot allow this."

Millard: "Allow what?"

Lance: "Here we go." *He sighed, rolling his eyes.* "Ashton activated hero mode-"

Ashton: "We cannot allow this!"

Teresa: "..." *She stared at Ashton with an emotionless face.*

Ashton: "Captain or not, no one has the right to take lives like this."

Millard: "Child, you should know."

Ashton: "..." *He looked down, overcome with anger.*

Millard: "Asserting anger is the most immature way to handle a situation."

Teresa: "We will find out what is so special about this place once we are _inside_ the temple."

Ashton: *He smiled, chuckling to himself.* "Please excuse my immature actions, it's not like me to handle a situation with anger."

Lance: "It's true."

Ashton: "Believe it or not, I'm usually the one lecturing others about that sort of stuff."

Lance: "Yea, that's also true."

Millard: "No need to explain yourself."

Lance: "This is borin', who cares?" *He sighed, walking up to the temple.*

Teresa: "In the past when people were discovering temples, ancient relics, sacred Rosterology items-"

Lance: "To the point."

Ashton: "Lance, respect-"

Teresa: *She closed her eyes and sighed.* "There were a large amount of traps, ensure to be careful."

Ashton: "Okay."

Millard: "Yes, ma'am."

Lance: *He followed the party into the temple.* "I'm _sure_ these traps ain't effective now-" *He walked on a stepping stone, causing the entrance to seal itself behind the party.*

Teresa: *She looked over her shoulder and glared at Lance with a slight frown.* "Tcch."

Lance: "Whoops-"

Ashton: "Your behaviour is unacceptable, what is with you?!"

Lance: "Nothin'." *He mumbled, listening to his voice echo.* "Just our slow pace."

Millard: "We'll have to look for another way out now."

Teresa: "Despite being uncharted, most temples have an exit in the heart of the throne room."

Ashton: "What is the throne room?"

Teresa: "An example would be The Library."

Ashton: "The Library?"

Millard: "Indeed, little one. That was once an uncharted area."

Teresa: "And in the throne room-"

Millard: "Which is now dubbed, the data room." *He sarcastically waved his arms emphasising mystery.*

Teresa: "Stored the land's strongest Rosterology item."

Ashton: "Fascinating."

Lance: "Pssht, what was the item thingy doin' there?"

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "I think I can answer that one."

Lance: "Kool." *He placed his hands on his head, walking down a tight corridor.*

Millard: "In books I've read, when great leaders pass away, their most treasured item is stored in their very own throne room."

Ashton: "Wouldn't the people benefit by using the item of such power?"

Lance: "I reckon."

Millard: "I'm not sure how they thought, we have different worries than they did."

Ashton: (That would make sense.)

Millard: "This land was very peaceful besides the very rare attack by Scoldrants, until the _Consultants_ came along."

Ashton: (As I thought.) "What was the original purpose of the Consultants?"

Millard: "Let's continue."

Teresa: "As previously stated, we will not get anywhere if we continue to talk."

Millard: *He looked at Lance and smiled.* "Wouldn't someone who dislikes slow pace, agree?"

Lance: "For once, old fart, you're right! Let's go."

Millard: "The temple was narrow and confined." *He withdrew his arms, trying not to touch the walls.* "There was little to no light, and every sound echoed-"

Lance: "Be quiet already!" *He moaned, stamping his feet with every step.*

Ashton: "It's awfully dark in here."

Lance: "You're such a girl."

Millard: "Now, now, settle down child, we need to work as a team."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: (Pshht, tell me to settle down-)

*Vibrations rumbled along the ground, causing the party to slightly lose balance.*

Teresa: "The tremors are getting stronger-"

Lance: "I'm not waitin' any longer, I heard something before the earthquake." *He grunted at the party, before sprinting down the damp corridor.*

Ashton: (Lance-)

Millard: "That boy." *He sighed and gathered his balance, adjusting his hat.*

\--

Lance: *He took a sharp corner and stumbled into a large room.* "Hey, this isn't a corridor thing-" *He glanced over his shoulder and noticed no one behind him.* "Oh-"

?????: "Ahaha, _perfect_ -"

Lance: "Huh?" *He quickly looked in front and noticed a man, staring at a wall.*

?????: "I can see why the Consultant were interested in this." *He laughed with his mouth open.*

Lance: "Who are you?"

?????: "Hmm?" *He tilted his head back and glanced at Lance, before focusing his attention back to the wall.*

Lance: "Oi-"

?????: "Didn't you dirty lamps take your time?"

Lance: "Wait a minute, isn't that meant to be a swear word?"

?????: "Hahahahahahaha, _fool_." *His laughter echoed down the maze-like corridors.*

Lance: "That armour, you're a captain, aren't ya?"

?????: "Hahaha, this-" *He motioned his arm across the wall in amazement.* "This is out of your comprehension-"

Teresa: "Lance?!" *Her voice echoed several times, before reaching into the room.*

Lance: *He looked back behind him with gritted teeth.* (Why aren't you here yet-?)

?????: "Now, this Rostical-" *He spread his legs and straightened his arms at the wall.* "I was specifically taught for this."

Lance: "W-Wat are you doin'?" *He grunted, slowly placing his hand into the RPG bag.*

?????: "These glyphs, bwahaha!"

Lance: (Where is the damn sword-?!)

?????: "'O power within' thee, unlock the tri-numerous Neurons, CELESTRIAL GLYPH UNLOCK"

Lance: "Wat the-?" *A sudden blast of wind knocked him onto the ground.* "Oof-"

?????: "Excellent-"

*Fluoro green lines filled up a massive glyph on the wall, which slightly lit up the dim room.*

?????: "Ahahahaha."

Lance: *He moaned and rubbed his head, unsheathing his sword.* "You won't be laughin' when I-"

?????: "I will see you dirty lamps at The Sandy Tombs?"

Lance: "Sandy, wat?!"

?????: "Try not to be late again, ahahahaha! I haven't seen blood in a while!" *He leant forward and flashstepped, leaving behind his maniac-like laughter to echo in the room.*

Lance: *He slowly stood up and stared at the glowing glyph with disorientation.* "...-"

Ashton: *He ran into the room, noticing Lance.* "Lance-" *He spoke on his breath, deeply inhaling.* "How did you get here so fast?"

Lance: "All I did was run down one corridor." *He turned around, facing Ashton.* "And it took you that long to get here? Ha _fail_!"

Teresa: *She jogged into the room with Millard.* (I felt a massive spike of Neurons.)

Millard: "I'm retired. I'm not meant to run this much." *He sarcastically held his back, pretending to be in pain.*

Teresa: *She glanced around Lance and placed her hand on her waist.* "Who were you talking to?"

Ashton: *He stood up straight, observing Teresa.* (She once again, doesn't have the slightest sign of fatigue.)

Lance: "Some guy who laughs like a crazy scientist."

Ashton: "What else did he say?"

Lance: "He just said we were too slow?"

Teresa: (What are the Consultants doing-?)

Millard: "What is this?" *He walked towards the glyph with a fixated stare.*

Ashton: *He watched Millard walk up to the wall, noticing the runic drawings on the wall.* "Look at all the glyphs."

Lance: *He placed the sword back into the RPG bag, sighing.* "Wat's so special about the drawings?"

Millard: "Besides the person you encountered, Lance. No one else has stood in this room for more than a lifetime."

Lance: "I guess that's kool."

Teresa: "These glyphs!" *Her eyes widened, taking a step back in shock.*

Ashton: *He noticed Teresa's strange behaviour to the glyphs.* "Are you okay, Teresa?"

Teresa: *She quickly regained her composure, staring at the glowing glyph with an emotionless face.* "Excuse my behaviour, we should focus on these glyphs."

Ashton: "S-Sure." *He nodded his head, looking back at the wall.* "Millard, anything?"

Millard: "Hmm? The glyph appears to be a lock."

Teresa: "I do recognise the formula. It is one of a defensive nature."

Ashton: "A lock? To what?"

Teresa: "I do not know."

Lance: "There's five glyph thingys, how come only one is glowin'?"

Ashton: "Good question."

Millard: (The five glyphs? It couldn't be those glyphs from the divine people?! Kath, what are you thinking?!) *He started to sweat, staring at the glowing glyph with worry.*

Teresa: "What else did this person say?"

Lance: "He said something about goin' to The Sandy Tombs? I was like, pssht, you crazy."

Millard: "That's-"

Teresa: "That is another Unknown Territory."

Ashton: "What exactly are they planning?" *He mumbled in thought, shaking his head.*

\----------

*Alicia peacefully slept in her bed, ignoring the outside sounds of the villagers.*

Alicia: ".. Vegetable soup, yumm-zzzz.." *Her pendant suddenly glowed green, before reverting back to normal.*

\----------

Ashton: *He spun around, inspecting each of the walls.* "How about we look for a way out."

Millard: "This way children, I feel a draft."

Teresa: "Indeed, if you look close enough, you can see moss growing on the walls."

Lance: "So?" *He grunted like a child, staring at the glowing glyph.*

Teresa: "This type of moss requires small dosages of sunlight, damp air and wind to grow-"

Lance: *He sighed, rolling his eyes.* "Which means?"

Ashton: "Which means a way out."

Millard: "Oh yippee." *He clapped his hands, sarcastically giggling like a child.*

Teresa: "Down here." *She power walked down a dark corridor, gathering the party's attention.*

Lance: "You can't see a thing-"

Millard: *He snapped his fingers, causing a swirl of flames to light up the corridor.* "There we go."

Ashton: "That's _much_ better, thank you." *He smiled, walking down the corridor.*

Lance: *He looked past Teresa, noticing light at the end of the corridor.* "Oi, I can see light!" *He ran past the party and into the light.*

Ashton: "I can't see him."

Teresa: "Be at ease, it is a trick caused by the light."

Millard: "We better hurry, we don't know what the child will encounter next."

Ashton: "Haha, I agree."

Teresa: "..."

Ashton: (Mazy corridors and paths. It would be easy to get lost in here.)

Teresa: *She looked concerned, walking in deep thought.* (Those glyphs, they are the same glyphs Tarlea was researching!)

Lance: *He watched the party step outside the temple, covering their eyes.* "Ah, come on!"

Ashton: *He blinked several times for his eyes to adjust.* "It's sure bright out here."

Lance: "Wateva." *He smiled like a child, staring at the approaching party.*

Millard: *He sat down on damp grass and looked around.* "The area was filled with flowers, and bright green grass. There was a small lake which sat motionless-" *He looked up, adjusting his hat.* "And the trees were as big and thick as a hill."

Lance: "..." *He stared at Millard, waiting to make eye contact.*

Millard: "The terrain was littered with small bumps and the pleasant sounds of the waterfall could still be heard-"

Lance: "Seriously, shut your shit nuggets up!-"

Teresa: "Lance."

Lance: "Y-Yeah?" *He quickly spun around, facing Teresa with obedience.*

Teresa: "Was there anything else said about The Sandy Tombs?"

Lance: "No, he just said that he'll see us at The Sandy Tombs too."

Ashton: "Does that mean this Sandy Tombs is accessible?"

Teresa: "..." (Perhaps-)

Lance: "So I guess it's back to Surpreon-"

Millard: "These old bones say, we should go to The Sandy Tombs."

Teresa: "I concur."

Ashton: "Shouldn't we head back and update Season what's happened?"

Teresa: "No, moving back and forth will consume too much time."

Ashton: "I understand."

Lance: "So-" *He stamped his foot and picked his nose with a smirk.* "Tell me where to go and I'll lead the way."

Millard: "Such youth!" *He giggled, adjusting his hat.* "Teresa, in which direction are we walking?"

Teresa: "North East, along the outskirts of Maserio."

Millard: "So The Sandy Tombs should be slightly North West, just over those mountains."

Ashton: "Where?" *He leant down, staring past the trees.*

Millard: "In the distance-"

Lance: " _Mountains_? In the _distance_?"

Teresa: "That is what he said, how is that not understandable?"

Lance: *He stared into the distance at the mountains, which scaled like a wall.* "Not _more_ walking?!"

Teresa: "If the books I read were correct, then the tomb should just be over the mountains."

Lance: "Well if we're gonna go, let's go _now_."

Millard: (I have a feeling those glyphs I saw in the temple are somehow related to Kath. I should stick with these children-)

Lance: "Snap out of it, feral old fart."

Millard: "Oh my, do you have a problem?" *He sounded concerned.*

Ashton: "Oh no." *He mumbled to himself, focusing his attention to Lance.*

Lance: "Wat did you say?" *He squinted his eyes as if he wasn't sure how to respond.*

Millard: "With all these shit nuggets and old farts, you might want to get yourself checked."

Lance: *He stared at Millard with a serious face, before chuckling to himself.* "I admit, that was funny. But we can't go if your ass is on the ground."

Millard: "My arse?"

Ashton: *He sighed, face palming at Millard and Lance.* "Teresa, shall we?"

Teresa: "Indeed." *She turned around and walked with Ashton towards the mountains.*

Lance: "Huh? Oi! Wait up!"

Millard: *He slowly stood up, sighing deep in thought.* (The Consultant, Kath. You need to be stopped.)

Chapter 10: The Sandy Tombs

Millard: "The party left The Ancient Forest and travelled towards their next destination, The Sandy Tombs-"

Lance: "..." (I'm not even going to bother-)

Ashton: "Millard or Teresa, if I may-" *He played with the ring on his finger, stepping over a rock.* "What makes The Sandy Tombs an Unknown Territory?"

Teresa: "It was inaccessible due to the ground."

Ashton: "The ground?"

Millard: "It was similar to quicksand."

Lance: "So? Walk _around_ it." *He shook his head, rolling his eyes.*

Millard: "It covered the whole region, which made travelling there, impossible."

Lance: "Maybe if someone was smart enough to make a flying machine-"

Ashton: "I see, but why is it similar to quicksand? Why not just say it's quicksand?"

Teresa: "It is obvious that researchers and travellers have tried to gain access to The Sandy Tombs-"

Lance: " _But_." *He smirked like a child, knowing what Teresa would say.*

Teresa: "Tcch-"

Lance: "Wateva."

Teresa: "But documents said-"

Lance: "So documents can talk now-?"

Millard: "What a bore, child."

Ashton: "Lance."

Lance: "Fine, wateva. I'm just tryin' to make this stupid hike more enjoyable."

Teresa: *She paused, silently walking with an emotionless face.* "They say the ground contains traces of Astragons, which instantly attracts nearby lifeforms."

Lance: "Wat 'bout something that _flies_?"

Teresa: "The Astragons in the sand pulls anything above it too."

Lance: "Pssht, alright, shoot down my ideas."

Millard: *He ignored Lance, rubbing his chin in thought.* "The sand is the least of our problems."

Ashton: "Millard? What's wrong?"

Millard: "What worries me is the single digit and-"

Teresa: "It is best not to worry. Your experience and insight is needed at its full potential."

Ashton: "She's right." *He smiled, nodding his head.*

Millard: "I know, you're right, children." *He hugged himself with a growing smile.* "This old heart of mine fills with warmth knowing that you all care about him."

Lance: "Gross."

Teresa: (If there was something to worry about, it would be the Consultant.)

Millard: (I've come to the realisation that I'm not as powerful as I once was.) *He silently adjusted his cone-shaped hat, focusing his attention in front.*

Teresa: "As you can see, Lance, we have almost reached the mountain."

Lance: "Wateva." *He pouted, looking away.*

Millard: (I can't risk injury if I plan to find Kath. I'll have to confront her with all I've got.)

Ashton: "Come on, everyone, I know we can do it." *He smiled, staring up at the mountain.*

Millard: *He coughed, snapping out of his deep thought.* "Oh? It appears the party has reached the bottom of the giant mountain-"

Lance: "I'll go, I'll go, just shut the old fart up." *He grunted, walking up the mountain.*

Ashton: (Lance, unacceptable-)

Lance: "Gah-" *He tripped forward, causing pebbles to tumble down the mountain.*

Millard: "As pebbles stumbled down the steep mountain behind him-"

Lance: "Shit nuggets! The mountain is steep and there's like, heaps of pebbles alright." *He angrily frowned, grunting at Millard.*

Ashton: "Haha."

Lance: "Shuddup."

Teresa: *She casually and effortlessly, walked up the mountain.* "We have reached halfway, not as time-consuming as you previously projected or insinuated, Lance?"

Lance: "..."

Ashton: *He smirked, stepping around an awkward rock formation.* "Let's stop picking on Lance-"

Millard: "Children?!" *He placed his hand on a large rock, closing his eyes.* "Do you feel that?" *He gathered the party's attention, causing them to stop.*

Teresa: "It appears to be the same type of vibration we felt back at The Ancient Forest."

Ashton: *He glanced at Teresa with a worried face.* "I don't have a good feeling about this."

Millard: *He opened his eyes, standing up straight.* (What does this mean?)

Lance: "Pssht-" *He shook his head and grunted, running up the mountain at a faster pace.* (That guy, he seemed really weird-)

Teresa: "Tcch, where does he get this energy from? Such like a child."

Lance: (How that guy kept laughing all the time, like a freak.) *He awkwardly stepped forward, slipping on small pebbles.* "Hurry it up!"

Millard: "Haha, like a child? I wish I had that energy."

Teresa: "..."

Lance: *He slowed down and stopped, catching his breath.* "I think we're almost there."

Ashton: *He caught up to Lance, gasping for air.* "Haha, I _still_ can't keep up with you."

Lance: "Ash? Are you OK? Looks like you're about to faint or something."

Ashton: *He looked down and noticed the pebbles shaking around his feet.* "Do you feel something?"

Lance: "Aye?"

Ashton: "The ground."

Lance: *He looked down, placing his arms on his head.* "Yea, feels like something runnin'-"

Millard: "Run!" *He spoke with urgency, hobbling past Ashton and Lance.*

Ashton: "Millard?" *He turned around and noticed Teresa being chased by buffalo-like Scoldrants.*

Teresa: "Focus in front." *She ran past Ashton and Lance with her arms swaying behind her back.*

Ashton: "Good grief, let's go, Lance!" *He glanced at Lance, before running up the mountain.*

Millard: "Let's go!"

Lance: *He stared at the Scoldrants, before running behind Ashton.* "Why don't we fight them?!"

Teresa: "These type of Scoldrants are not aggressive."

Millard: "That is true!" *He spoke on his breath, running fast up the mountain.*

Teresa: "They avoid violence and never attack people."

Lance: "Say that to _them_!" *He pointed behind him, closely following the party.*

Teresa: "There is a possibility they are defensive, due to a nest nearby?"

Millard: "Or maybe the possible activity inside The Sandy Tombs?"

Teresa: "Nevertheless, their body structure will not allow them to chase us once we reach the other side of the mountain."

Millard: "That sounds good to me!" *He yelled out, focusing in front.*

Ashton: "If those Scoldrants don't like fighting, then the nest is probably the most acceptable reason for their behaviour."

Lance: *He noticed Millard, Teresa and Ashton reach the top of the mountain.* "Wat if we slide down the mountain and the ground is still like that quicksand ya mentioned before-?!"

Ashton: "That's a good question-"

Lance: "Shit-" *He slipped on a rock, causing him to trip forward.* "Argh-"

Ashton: *He stopped next to Millard and Teresa, quickly turning around.* "That was close, right Lance?"

Lance: (Dammit!-) *The rocks around him violently vibrated, cracking the side of the mountain.*

Teresa: *She quickly observed the crack in the rocks, causing her to look alert.* "The tremors caused by the Scoldrants have resulted in an avalanche-like-"

Ashton: "Lance!-" *He watched Lance slide down on a rock towards the charging Scoldrants.*

Millard: "No!-" *He quickly grabbed Ashton's shoulder.*

Teresa: "There is nothing we can-"

Ashton: " _No_! Lance-"

Lance: "Go on! Forget about me!"

Ashton: "Unacceptable!" *He gritted his teeth, hitting Millard's arm away.* "Don't say something so cliche!"

Teresa: *She watched Ashton run down the slope with confusion.* "What a fool!-"

Lance: *He looked behind him, staring at the Scoldrants surrounded by a large dirt cloud.* (A stampede! Is this it-?)

Ashton: *He jumped on the rock, grabbing hold of Lance's wrist.* " _Lance_."

Lance: *He gasped, staring up at Ashton in shock.* "Wat? _Why_?"

Ashton: "Don't ask such stupid questions." *He leant down, looking over Lance's shoulder at the Scoldrants.*

Lance: "Th-They're gonna crush us-"

Ashton: "Forgive me, for the pain I must inflict, tssk." *He raised his arm, causing swirls of bubble-like streams to gather around his hand.*

Lance: *His eyes widened, staring at the rainbow shading of the bubbles.* "A-Ash-"

Ashton: "You've always been so drastic, stop giving up on yourself so easily."

Lance: "Ash."

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He concentrated on his hand, noticing the bubbles form a ball.*

Lance: (Giving up on myself? I was doing it for you, Ash-)

Ashton: "Sorry, Scoldrants!" *He pushed forward, blasting the bubble-like sphere towards the Scoldrants.*

Millard: (My Rostical can't help them out like this!) *He looked down the mountain, feeling worthless.*

Lance: *He covered his ears, ignoring the line of explosions caused by Ashton's attack.* "Bah-"

Teresa: *She watched several Scoldrants fall on their backs, tumbling down the mountain.* (His power has-)

Lance: "Why would you do this?"

Ashton: "Good grief, what else am I meant to do if I see my friends in trouble-?!"

Scoldrant: "Snornorknork." *It stamped into striking distance, raising its two front hooves.*

Lance: "Watch out."

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD" *He raised his arms, causing a bubble-like shield to instantly envelop him.*

Scoldrant: *It tightened its body, stamping its feet towards Ashton's head.* "Snork-"

*The shield blocked the attack and popped, blasting the Scoldrant back.*

Millard: *He watched the Scoldrant slide across the mountain in amazement.* "He doesn't need to use the incantation to the Rostical any more-?"

Ashton: "And what am I meant to do if I see my best friend in trouble." *He slowly stood up, keeping his balance on the sliding rock.*

Lance: "I-" *He looked down, watching the trail of dirt stream from the rock.*

Teresa: *She stepped forward, watching Lance and Ashton disappear into the dirt cloud.* "They are out of my vision!"

Millard: "This isn't good, I have to defeat these Scoldrants with my Rostical-" *He raised his arm, causing swirls of fire to ignite above his hand.*

Teresa: "No! Your fire may harm them."

Millard: *He sighed, lowering his arm.* "Yes, of course. I was caught up in the moment."

Scoldrant: *Rocks crumbled like dirt under its hooves, as it charged towards Ashton and Lance.* "Snorkork-"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, UNPROFOUND BIND"

Lance: *He stared up at Ashton with his mouth open in shock.* "..."

Ashton: (Focus!-) *Five bubble-like strings solidified around the charging Scoldrant.*

Lance: *He stared at the bubbles with confusion.* "They look like transparent poles-?"

Ashton: "Hurh!" *He clapped, causing the poles to jab into the Scoldrant's waist.*

Scoldrant: "Snorkorkkk!" *It snorted, as it squirmed to each side.*

Lance: "You bound it-"

Ashton: *He looked to each side, gritting his teeth in thought.* (We're surrounded-)

Lance: "Ash, we're surrounded aye. If I can be a distraction, you run for it-"

Ashton: "As my best friend, I don't want you to _ever_ say that to me again." *He frowned, glaring down at Lance.*

Lance: "But, we both won't make it!"

Ashton: "Maybe."

*The rock suddenly slammed into a boulder, knocking Ashton and Lance across the ground.*

Lance: "Argh-"

Ashton: "Blast it." *He held his arm in pain and stood up, ignoring the grazes on his hand.*

Millard: "What's going on in there?" *He glanced at Teresa, before staring back at the dirt cloud.*

Teresa: "Tcch, I do not know."

*The surrounding Scoldrants focused all their attention to Lance and Ashton.*

Lance: "You're always a good person.. I'm _not_ a good-"

Ashton: "You _are_! You just don't know how to show it."

Lance: *He sighed and slowly stood up, forming fists.* "How can we get out of here?"

Ashton: *He looked to his side, slightly smiling at Lance.* "That's acceptable."

Lance: "Acceptable? Is that your plan to get us out of here?"

Ashton: "I'm going to blow them away as a distraction, and we'll sprint up the mountain."

Lance: "..."

Ashton: "Got it?"

Lance: "Right." *He spun around, noticing the Scoldrant's violent-like behaviour.* "But wat _are_ we goin' to do?"

Ashton: "Neurons give me your power, Astragons lend me your swift, tempest trap and conceal-"

Lance: *A gust of wind blew around Ashton and in his face.* (Wind?) *He covered his face, watching the dirt swirl around Ashton.*

Ashton: "Harh! CYCLONIC WINDS" *He yelled with determination, waving his arm across.*

Lance: "Dude, amazing-"

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Millard: "What?"

*A screeching gale, blasted the surrounding Scoldrants off their feet.*

Millard: *He watched the dirt blow away with one gust of wind in shock.* "How-?"

Teresa: *She watched Ashton and Lance help each other, running up the mountain towards her.* (So I did not have to-)

Ashton: "Millard, Teresa, let's go!" *He ran past Millard, wiping dirt off his cheek.*

Lance: (We did it.) *He thought to himself in amazement.*

Millard: *He watched Ashton take several steps, before jumping out of his sight.* (What a brave man-)

Teresa: *She looked down the mountain and noticed the Scoldrants recollect themselves.* "I concur." *She elegantly spun around and ran towards the other side.*

Ashton: *He slid down the mountain, ignoring its magnificent view.* (If we keep moving forward, we will reach our goal faster.)

Lance: *His hair flicked back, as he slid down the mountain behind Ashton.* "It's become much hotter."

Teresa: "Indeed." *She slid past Lance with her arms flapping behind her.*

Millard: "The area on the other side of the mountain was a sandy field, nothing but a small structure located in the middle-"

Lance: "Pssht." *He rolled his eyes and sighed.*

Ashton: *He took a deep breath, relaxing himself.* (That was scary.)

Teresa: (Ashton is intelligent, yet, unpredictable. Placing himself in danger, to rescue someone of no importance to the wellbeing of the party-)

Ashton: *He stared at a graze on his hand before noticing a small structure in the distance.* "I'm guessing that's the tomb?"

Millard: "Y-Yes-" *He held his hat with one hand, gasping for air.* (I'm having trouble keeping up with these youngsters.)

Lance: *He slid closer to the ground, staring at the sand with concern.* "Wat about the sand?"

Teresa: "..." *She glanced at the sand, observing the area around it.*

Millard: "Oh my, he's right! We never established that the quicksand-"

Teresa: "I can see footsteps on the ground. It will be safe to walk on once we reach the bottom."

Millard: "Like I was saying, Lance. You have nothing to worry about, it should be fine."

Lance: "Pssht." *He rolled his eyes, holding his shoulder in pain.* (I must've hurt myself when we got knocked off that rock.)

Millard: *He sarcastically shivered, drawing attention.* "Those Scoldrants were a fright, weren't they?"

Lance: *He looked behind him, staring up at the mountain's top.* "Looks like Alicia's family stopped chasin' us."

Ashton: "Alicia's family?"

Lance: "The Scoldrants."

Ashton: "Excellent?" *He awkwardly smirked, filled with confusion.*

Lance: (I wonder what she's up to anyway?) *He frowned with realisation.* (Not that I care.)

Ashton: *His hair started to rapidly flap, causing him to look over his shoulder to the party.* "We're sliding faster and faster."

Teresa: "Indeed, due to the mountain's slope-"

Lance: "Who cares-"

Millard: "Brace for impact, children!" *He crossed his arms, covering his face.*

Lance: "We're goin' too fast, it's going to hurt!"

Teresa: (Tcch, he is right-)

Ashton: *He straightened his arms, frowning with determination.* (For my friends!)

Teresa: *She quickly gathered her attention to Ashton and his glowing ring.* (His Neurons-)

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

Millard: "Will that be enough to withstand all of us at this speed-?!"

*A bubble-like shield instantly raised around the entire party, reducing the sunlight and heat.*

Lance: *He looked up, staring at the shield in shock.* "Whoa, it's huge-"

*The shield hit the ground, causing sand to erupt around the party.*

Teresa: "..." *The shield burst, blasting the surrounding sand away.*

Ashton: "Good." *He mumbled to himself, sighing in relief.* (The shield cushioned the fall.)

Teresa: (It would have been troublesome if Millard, Ashton or even Lance injured themselves here. Ashton not only impressed PKMY, but me also.)

Millard: "Bahaha." *He took off his hat, laughing with his eyes closed.*

Ashton: "What's wrong with Millard?" *He stared at Millard, mumbling to Lance.*

Lance: "Gone crazy?"

Millard: *He tipped his hat upside down, watching a stream of sand pour out.* "Let's do that again!"

Lance: *He ignored Millard, rolling his eyes.* "Th-Thanks, Ash." *He stuck his finger in his ear, removing the sand.*

Millard: "You're too kind, thankies."

Teresa: "I too, appreciate your efforts."

Ashton: "You're all very welcome." *He faced the party and smiled.* "I'm glad I was helpful."

Lance: *He tapped his foot on the sand, nodding his head.* "Yup, safe to walk on."

Millard: "That's a relief." *He sarcastically waved his bottom, placing the hat on his head.*

Teresa: "I do not understand, we have already established this fact?"

Ashton: *He awkwardly stared at Teresa, before looking at Lance.* "So, Lance-"

Lance: "Yeah?"

Ashton: "This guy at the throne room-"

Lance: "What about him _now_?" *He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.*

Ashton: "What kind of weapon did this man wield?"

*Teresa and Millard suddenly focused their attention to Ashton, staring at him with interest.*

Lance: "Well, now that ya mention it." *He looked up, placing a finger in his nose.* "He didn't have one?"

Teresa: (That proves he is a powerful captain if he does not wield it.)

Millard: "I'm not entirely sure if things have changed, but captain ranked warriors have their weapons hidden on themselves."

Teresa: (How does he know that?! _Who_ is he-?)

Ashton: "What do you mean by _hidden_?"

Millard: "The level of a captain's power allows them to freely project their Astragons."

Ashton: "Yes? Please continue."

Millard: "And they can project it on to their weapons."

Ashton: "But why only captains?"

Millard: "That is due to certain requirements-"

Lance: " _English_?" *He sighed, rolling his eyes.*

Millard: "Well-"

Ashton: "It means you can't see their weapon until they reveal it."

Teresa: "Precisely."

Lance: " _Oh_." *He scratched his head, nodding with realisation.* "Like that Wendy chick, back in Surpreon?"

Ashton: *He had a flashback of Wendy unsheathing her bow.* (That feels like a long time ago-)

Millard: "You're outstanding, that's a gold star."

Lance: "Pssht, I finally get something right, and it's too hot for me to even care."

Ashton: "So, that means the captains will have an advantage until they release their weapon?"

Teresa: "Perhaps."

Ashton: "What do you mean perhaps?"

Teresa: "An individual ranking five and under, may not even need to use their weapon."

Ashton: "..."

Lance: "Pssht, so they defeat people by just usin' their hands?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Lance: "Flaming icy shit nuggets." *He sounded surprised as if he wasn't expecting to be right.*

Ashton: "I see."

Millard: "..."

Ashton: "I'd hate to encounter one of these monsters."

Teresa: (Monsters?)

Ashton: "They've got individual abilities, Rostical and powerful weapons, which are hidden."

Teresa: "Reminder, the Astral Pocket as previously discussed."

Ashton: (You can hold things like weapons.. I have to ask more about it at a better time.)

Millard: "As the party closely followed the footsteps leading to the tomb-"

Lance: "Look at this!" *His voice echoed from the tomb, causing the party to look at each other confused.*

Ashton: "He's already inside?"

Teresa: "When did he-?"

Lance: "Come on!"

Millard: *He hobbled across the sand, entering the tomb.* "You need to stop walking ahead of us."

Ashton: "What's wrong, Lance?"

Millard: *He stopped next to Lance and glanced across the walls with shock.* "Oh dear."

Lance: "Another pile of Scoldrants."

Teresa: "Again?" *She walked with Ashton into the tomb, instantly noticing the glowing blood on the walls.*

Ashton: *He observed the motionless bodies, causing him to form fists.* "They're the buffalo ones."

Lance: "The ones that _apparently_ hate violence?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "This is unacceptable."

Millard: *He stepped over a puddle of glowing blood, focusing his attention to the party.* "Let's try and get to the throne room before that captain does."

Ashton: "Sounds like a good plan, Millard."

Teresa: *She ran her finger along the wall, pouting in thought.* "The structure's design is the same as The Ancient Forest-" *She glanced down the corridor, nodding her head.* "Even the corridors are the same."

Lance: "Yea, except it's way hotter and a little bit brighter."

Millard: "A little hotter? Thankies, I do try." *He smiled, sarcastically waving his hand in front of his face.*

Lance: "Eww-"

Ashton: *He finished inspecting the Scoldrant, standing up straight.* (I've got to be on guard, I can't let anyone get hurt.)

*Footsteps echoed in the corridor, causing the party to look at each other.*

Ashton: "Huh?" *He looked to each side, spinning around with confusion.* "Where's Lance?"

Lance: "Oi! Check this out!" *His voice echoed down the corridor.*

Teresa: "Tcch, it was his footsteps we heard." *She ran past Ashton and Millard, down the corridor.*

Ashton: (Lance, please be careful-)

Millard: *He hobbled behind Teresa, noticing a fork at the end of the corridor.* "We were separated from Lance when we took the left, so-"

Ashton: "We'll take the right."

Teresa: "..." *She silently ran down the right corridor, noticing Lance enter a room.*

Ashton: "I saw him! Lance!"

Lance: *He slowly walked into a large room, stepping back with caution.* (It's him.)

?????: "Bwahaha, perfect." *He mumbled to himself, slurping saliva from his mouth.*

Ashton: "Lance?!" *He ran into the room, noticing Lance stand on the spot.*

Lance: "Shut it, do you like to constantly say my name?" *He grunted with a frown, stepping back again.*

Teresa: *She jogged into the room with Millard, instantly staring at the man.* (That's, Zay!-)

?????: "CELESTRIAL GLYPH UNLOCK"

Millard: "Is that the same man?" *He mumbled to Lance, stepping closer to him.*

Lance: "Yea-"

?????: "Bwahagaha." *He closed his eyes, laughing with a sarcastic-like smile.*

Ashton: "Who are you?!" *He stepped forward, shouting at the man with a brave face.*

?????: "Eh? I see you dirty lamps finally made it."

Teresa: (Tcch, he was apparently a captain of great potential-)

?????: *He sighed, covering his mouth with excitement.* "But once again, you're all too late! Hahaha."

Ashton: "What are you doing here?"

?????: "Why should I answer to trash?"

Ashton: *He paused with shock.* (Trash?)

Millard: "You have no right calling people dirty lamps, that's a disgusting word to use!"

?????: "Shut it, you dirty old lamp."

Millard: "Why you-"

?????: "You all must be pathetically weak."

Ashton: "I beg your pardon!"

?????: "You need grandma to rescue you."

Millard: "The nerve-"

Lance: "Wow, someone thinks he's pretty funny, aye." *He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.*

Teresa: *She looked past the man and at the glyphs on the wall.* (There are five glyphs-)

?????: "Hurry up!" *He grunted with impatience.*

Lance: "Hurry _wat_ up?!"

Teresa: (They are the same glyphs from The Ancient Forest, even the glowing glyph is the same.)

?????: "..."

Teresa: (Are they connected somehow-?)

*The ground started to rumble, as another glyph started to glow.*

?????: *He watched unreadable words and symbols draw themselves on to the glyph.* "About time."

Millard: *He watched the glyph spiral in a clock-like manner.* "What is this?"

*A loud noise echoed from the glyph, causing it to stop moving.*

Ashton: "What was that sound?"

Lance: "It sounded like a door being unlocked-"

*The ground started to violently shake, causing the man to laugh.*

\----------

Alicia: *She slept in the bed, rolling on her side.* "Zzz. Carrots cooked nicely-, zzz." *Her pendant started to glow brown, before reverting back to normal.*

\----------

Ashton: *He spread his legs, keeping his balance.* "At least we know where those vibrations came from."

?????: "Hehehee."

Millard: "What's so funny-?"

?????: "I can't wait to kill you all." *Drool oozed from the side of his mouth.* "Hahahahaha."

Lance: *He looked slightly worried and frightened.* "So, w-wat's your name?"

?????: *He slowly tilted his head, staring directly at Lance with a creepy smile.* "Hermm?"

Ashton: "D-Don't look at my friend like that-"

?????: "Haha, I suppose I will tell you. My name is Zayden."

Teresa: "..."

Zayden: "Remember it well, when I cover my body with your blood, muahahahahahhahaha."

Millard: (His condition, _no_! I thought-) *He staggered back in shock.* (I thought it wouldn't be possible anymore?!)

Teresa: (Something about his Neuron signature, seems _off_.)

Zayden: "Arghahahaha." *He chuckled, face palming with excitement.*

Ashton: "Th-This guy.. Millard, I get a strange feeling from him."

Zayden: *He faced the wall, observing the two glowing glyphs.* "Well, it looks like this one's done too."

Teresa: "People like him are unpredictable-"

Zayden: "See you later, dirty lamps." *He smirked, walking away from the party.*

Lance: "Wait!"

Millard: *He glanced at Lance with a serious face.* "What are you trying to do?"

Zayden: "Hahahaha." *He stopped as his fingers twitched with excitement.*

Ashton: "What are you doing?"

Zayden: *He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.* (Where is the next one?) *He mumbled to himself in thought.*

Millard: "Zayden!"

Zayden: "Hmm? It seems The Unknown Island is next-"

Lance: "Don't ignore us!" *He threw the RPG bag on the ground, unsheathing his sword.*

Ashton: "Lance! Don't!-"

Lance: *He ran towards Zayden, lifting his sword up.* "You better start givin' us answers, or I'll cut it from you!"

Zayden: *He sighed with boredom, facing Lance.* "I hope this won't be your real performance."

Lance: "Shuddup." *He ran into striking distance, grabbing the sword with both hands.*

Zayden: *He pointed his left index finger out, blocking Lance's swing.* "Once a dirty lamp, always a dirty lamp."

Lance: "Aye?!" *He looked surprised.*

Ashton: "H-He blocked it."

Teresa: "With his finger."

Zayden: "Pathetic-" *He placed his right hand in front of Lance's face, flicking him in the forehead.*

Lance: "Argh-" *Zayden's flick knocked him off his feet, blasting him into the wall behind Ashton and Millard.*

Millard: "Lance!"

Zayden: *He watched a large dirt cloud surround Lance, causing him to smile.* "Hahaha!"

Millard: *He straightened his arm, focusing his attention to Zayden.* "FLAMING WHEEL-"

Zayden: "Ahahahahah." *He turned around, flashstepping out of the tomb in an instant.*

Millard: *He watched a swirl of fire light up the room, before facing Ashton.* "What about Lance?"

Ashton: "Don't worry."

Millard: "Why so carefree? We have to check and see if he's alright, I don't believe his Astragons have properly formed around him so even a hit like that could kill him."

Ashton: "I figured Lance would mindlessly charge at Zayden-"

Lance: *He coughed several times, casually walking out of the dirt cloud.* "Bah."

Ashton: "So I raised a barrier around Lance, just before he crashed into the wall."

Lance: "Ah, thanks, Ash." *He awkwardly smiled, brushing sand out of his hair.*

Ashton: "Are you okay, Lance?"

Lance: "Yea, I'm fine. Your shield helped."

Ashton: "That's good to hear." *He smiled, sighing in relief.*

Millard: "That's really smart, don't you think, pretty lady?" *He looked to his side, gasping with confusion.* "Where's Teresa?"

*The room started to shake, causing deep cracks to scatter from the glowing glyphs.*

Ashton: "I'm going to find Teresa, I will meet you guys outside."

Millard: "Will do."

Ashton: (Why did Teresa leave the room?) *He ran out the room, deep in thought.*

Lance: "When I was in the dirt cloud, did he mention what rank he was?"

Millard: "Negative, childish child."

Lance: "Umm, rightio, let's go."

Millard: "Ooo, you rhymed-"

Lance: "Let's go." *He grunted with impatience, causing Millard to quickly follow.*

\--

Ashton: *He ran down the corridors, glancing to each side.* (Where are you, Teresa?)

\--

Lance: *He ran out the tomb, squinting his eyes due to the sunlight.* "Phew."

Millard: "Ah, fresh air." *He stretched his arms, deeply inhaling with a smile.*

Lance: "I reckon."

Millard: "This is such a lovely date, thank you, Lance." *He giggled sarcastically, adjusting his hat.*

Lance: "Say wat?" *He withdrew his arms, looking at Millard in disgust.*

\--

Ashton: *He listened to his footsteps echo, as he ran down the corridors.* "Teresa? Teresa?!"

Teresa: "I am in here!"

Ashton: "Huh?" *He quickly followed the sound of her voice, leading him towards a room.*

Teresa: "Tcch-"

Ashton: *He took several steps into the room, noticing Teresa wrapped in vines.* "Huh?"

Teresa: "It appears I am in need of assistance."

Ashton: "What happened? You were with us, then you were gone." *He looked down, removing the vines from Teresa's wrists.*

Teresa: "As the man was talking, I took the opportunity to find more clues."

Ashton: "More clues? For what?" *He slightly struggled, removing vines from Teresa's ankles.*

Teresa: "As to what is going on." *She brushed small vines off her shoulder, stepping beside Ashton.* "Then, I suddenly found myself in a trap."

Ashton: "Are you okay?"

Teresa: "Indeed. I must apologise for being an inconvenience. It was my actions which led me to this."

Ashton: "Unacceptable! You're a valuable member to the party."

Teresa: "Your logic is incorrect, the fact is, I got trapped-"

Ashton: "You tried to help out by gathering clues, that in my opinion is acceptable." *He smiled, walking out the room.*

Teresa: (I do not understand..?)

Ashton: "I mean it!" *He shouted from the corridor and turned around, waiting for Teresa to exit the room.*

Teresa: "I appreciate your feedback."

Ashton: "Let's go." *He looked back, preparing to run down the corridor.*

Teresa: *She started to run, nodding her head.* "Knowing Lance, he is probably already across the other side of the continent by now."

Ashton: "Haha, yeah."

Teresa: (What is funny?) *She thought to herself in confusion, ignoring the tremors along the walls.*

\----------

Millard: *He watched Ashton and Teresa run out of the tomb.* "There you are, children! These old bones were getting worried!"

Lance: *He waved his hand in front of his face, panting due to the heat.* "Be quiet."

Ashton: "Sorry, guys! Didn't mean to worry you."

Lance: "Pssht, well, about time. Do you know how _hot_ it is out here?!" *He grunted, folding his arms like a child.*

Millard: "Where did you disappear to, Teresa? Am I really that bad looking?" *He smiled, posing in a sarcastic manner.*

Teresa: "Essentially, I was bound in a trap."

Lance: "Pssht." *He chuckled, rolling his eyes.* "Comin' from the all knowledgeable traveller, pretty sad, Teresa."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Ashton: "Lance-"

Lance: "Unacceptable, not in this heat? I get it." *He rolled his eyes, looking away.* "Wateva."

Millard: *He ignored Lance, looking at Teresa.* "This Zayden fellow, he said The Unknown Island is next."

Teresa: "It is The Unknown Territory located on a small island."

Lance: "How original, wat next? We goin' to explore a place called Turnback Cave?"

Ashton: "Please continue, Teresa."

Teresa: "It was inaccessible due to massive rocks which surrounded the entire island."

Ashton: "Fascinating."

Lance: "Let's get goin' then."

Ashton: *He looked down in thought, shaking his head.* "What if it's a trap?!"

Lance: (I never thought of that-)

Millard: "Even though Zayden looked mad-"

Lance: " _Looked_? He was _crazy_."

Millard: "Either way, these old bones tell me he isn't the type to lie."

Ashton: "But how would you know? That's assuming things."

Lance: *He sighed, drawing the party's attention.* "Never assume things, one of Ashton's catchphrases."

Ashton: "Yes."

Millard: "Call it wisdom, my child."

Lance: "Wisdom? He said he wanted to cover our blood over his body." *He grunted with disgust, staring at Millard.*

Millard: "Oh? What are you talking about?"

Lance: "Ya know, when he was like, I'm gonna cover my body with your blood 'n' stuff."

Millard: (Lance is right, Zayden's attitude is alarming, even for a blood-crazed captain-)

Lance: "But still, he's gotta be strong."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Lance: "He flicked me in the forehead and I flew back, like twenty feet."

Ashton: "Watching your friend getting thrown across the room by a mere finger, isn't a good feeling."

Lance: "Yea, with just his _finger_!" *He pointed at a red dot on his forehead like a child.*

Millard: "Well, luckily Ashton saved the day with his shield." *He smiled, patting Ashton on the shoulder.*

Ashton: *He smiled with modesty.* "It was nothing."

Teresa: "I concur with Millard, excellent work, Ashton."

Lance: *He glanced at each party member, rolling his eyes.* "Pssht, was is this? Alicia's favourite movie or something? Let's get a move on."

Ashton: *He sighed, face palming at Lance.* "Which way to the island?"

Millard: "Hmm? I recall it being North."

Lance: *His stomach grumbled, causing him to slide his hand into the RPG bag.* "How far distance wise?"

Teresa: *She unrolled the map while observing her shadow.* "You seem to be correct, Millard, but it is slightly North East."

Lance: *He handed small nut-like bars to each party member.* "Yea, but how _far_?" *He grunted with his mouth full, causing Millard to step away.*

Ashton: "Lance-"

Lance: "Aye?" *He shoved the remaining bar in his mouth, staring at Ashton with confusion.*

Ashton: "Talking with your mouth full is unacceptable!"

Lance: *He stared at Ashton, crunching the bar like a cow.* "Yummy-"

Millard: "For my tummy?"

Lance: "Ah, no."

Ashton: (Lance, you idiot.) *He smirked, chewing the bar on one side of his mouth.*

Teresa: "To answer your question, Lance, the distance would be from Gasher Hills to the centre of Maserio."

Lance: "Gah?!" *He opened his mouth in shock, dropping pieces of food on to the sand.* "That's a freakin' long walk!"

Ashton: (Lance.) *He sighed, face palming again.*

Teresa: "Towards our destination, there is no terrain."

Lance: "So?"

Teresa: "It will cause it to be a pleasant trip."

Ashton: "Pleasant trip? I think you're hanging around Millard for too long."

Millard: "Millard? Me? Teresa, have you finally confessed your feelings towards me?" *He sarcastically giggled, puckering his lips.*

Teresa: "I decline your offer." *She walked North, ahead of the party.*

Millard: "Did I come on too strong?" *He mumbled, glancing at his feet in thought.*

Ashton: "Teresa-"

Millard: *He had a flashback of Ashton yelling at Zayden.* "Child." *He looked up, staring at Ashton.*

Ashton: "U-Umm, yes? What is it, Millard?"

Millard: "This may sound random, but you seem to hold your friends dearly."

Ashton: "Of course?"

Millard: "You seem very intelligent, but, getting yourself in danger for friends-"

Ashton: "I'm sorry, I respect my elders, but-" *He looked away, sighing in a mature manner.*

Millard: "Ashton?"

Ashton: "In my opinion, life without friendship is like the sky without the sun."

Millard: "..."

Ashton: "Please excuse me-" *He coughed, looking past Millard at Teresa.* "Teresa, wait up!"

Lance: *He watched Ashton jog towards Teresa.* "Ya know, even though he gets annoyin' with all that stuff. It's his passion, aye."

Millard: "..."

Lance: "Anyways, I've gotta be leadin' this party." *He tapped his foot in the sand, preparing himself to run.*

Millard: (Passion?) *He stared out into the distance, triggering a flashback.*

\--

*Millard stood in a room filled with operating lab-like consoles.*

Millard: *He spread his arms, causing rings of red rune-like symbols to appear in the air.* "This is excellent, Kathalestel. Just excellent."

Kathalestel: *She proudly walked into the room nodding her head.* "Hehe, this is so exciting, isn't it?"

Millardestel: "It was a success-"

Kathalestel: "Millardestel?"

Millardestel: "We will be the people to bring _ultimate_ peace, who _wouldn't_ find that exciting?"

Kathalestel: "We're going to purify all evil in this world, together." *She smiled filled with happiness, holding Millardestel's hand.*

Millardestel: "It sounds implausible when it's said out loud."

Kathalestel: *Her smile widened in response.* "This makes me happy.."

Millardestel: *He coughed, clearing his throat.* "Aevea! Please come out."

Kathalestel: *She watched a young boy dressed in white apparel, enter the poorly lit room.* (Our first successful specimen.)

Aevea: "Yes." *He spoke with a frail voice, watching Kathalestel step forward.*

Kathalestel: "We must congratulate you."

Aevea: *His eyes widened, deeply inhaling in shock.* "..."

Kathalestel: "You are the first person to successfully control their Neurons and Astragons without the need of a Rosterology item."

Aevea: "Thank you, I am happy to hear it was a success."

Millardestel: "You may leave now."

Aevea: "Yes." *He bowed with respect, leaving the room.*

Kathalestel: *She spun around, facing Millardestel with a smile.* "This is excellent, we now know the formula needed to use Remenistal."

Millardestel: "It's all because of this wondrous city of natural elemental benders."

Kathalestel: "Yes. But, why do you think the divine winged people left such a place?"

Millardestel: "I wouldn't have a clue."

Kathalestel: "I would've wanted to see someone bend the power of light."

Millardestel: "Me and you both."

Kathalestel: "We must set our plans, now."

Millardestel: "Yes, the sooner the better."

Kathalestel: "You're right as always, darling."

Millardestel: "You're too kind as always, cupcake."

Kathalestel: "Hehe, with the help of the other Consultant, we will spread peace across the land."

Millardestel: "Yes, what could go wrong?"

\--

Lance: *He slowly stopped running, looking over his shoulder at Millard.* "Hurry up, ya old fart!"

Millard: *He gasped, snapping out of his flashback, exhausted.* "Oopsy, haha."

Lance: *He sighed, panting with impatience.* "Wat are you doin'?!"

Millard: "It's these old bones you see-"

Lance: "We'll leave you behind at this rate."

_Millardestel_ : "Yes, what could go wrong?"

Millard: *He looked down, filled with failure.* (What could go wrong? What a hopeless fool I was-)

Lance: "Oi! Docto ancient?!"

Millard: "Alright, I'm coming!" *He started to awkwardly hobble towards Lance.*

Lance: (How annoying.) *He focused his attention back to Ashton and Teresa, rolling his eyes.*

\----------

*Holland and Freya walked towards a forest.*

Holland: "Phew, I'm buggered."

Freya: "Ruff!"

Holland: *He noticed a large tree, causing him to stagger towards it.* "Today was a long day, wasn't it?"

Freya: "Gruff!" *She wagged her tail in agreement.*

Holland: "Ah-" *He dropped on the ground, leaning on the trunk of the tree.* "How many cousins did we have to free?"

Freya: "Gowroo?"

Holland: "Yeah, about seven." *He looked up, staring at the setting sun with a sad face.*

Freya: *She trotted next to Holland, resting herself on Holland's lap.* "Grrwro."

Holland: "Don't worry about it, once we find out what the cause is, we'll-"

Freya: "Gruff!" *She barked with anger, causing Holland to smile.*

Holland: "Yeah! Haha."

Freya: *She curled her tail, positioning herself into a ball.* "..."

Holland: *He looked down and smiled, watching Freya sleep on his lap.* (I don't know what I would do without you.) *He scratched behind her ears, closing his eyes.*

\----------

*Teresa, Millard, Ashton and Lance walked through the sandy terrain, past several trees.*

Teresa: *She looked up, staring at the sunset.* "We will rest here for the night."

Ashton: "Okay." *He smiled in agreement, rubbing his shoulder.*

Lance: "For once I won't complain, I'm pooped." *He sighed, collapsing onto the sand.*

Millard: "I better give this old body a rest, too." *He leant forward, adjusting his hat.*

Lance: *He tilted his head back, sighing in relief.* "At least it's much cooler now, aye?"

Millard: "You're right, child."

Lance: "I'm always right." *He sniffed and looked away, pretending to be cool.*

Millard: "..."

Teresa: *She looked at each party member, placing her hand on her waist.* "There is no structure to this party."

Ashton: "..."

Teresa: "Lance-"

Lance: "Aye?"

Teresa: "Collect wood. Millard, prepare a weak Rostical for the fire."

Millard: "It'll burn like my passion for you."

Lance: "Eww-"

Teresa: *She purposely ignored Millard.* "Ashton, assist me with the sheltering."

Ashton: "Of course." *He eagerly nodded his head, walking towards her.*

Lance: "Lookin' for wood, wateva." *He grunted and stood up, walking away.*

Millard: *He spread his arms, causing a small flame to flicker on the ground.* (Teresa, you're wrong. From my experience, this is an all-round party-)

Teresa: *She watched the flames flicker in the dimming light.* (Excellent.)

Millard: (What it lacks is a leader, which you're starting to fill in quite well.)

\----------

Season: *He stood in the middle of the research facility, looking down in thought.* (They should've made contact already-)

Researcher: "Oh my-" *She gasped and stared at the screen in shock, catching Season's attention.*

Season: "Have you found the Consultant's location?!" *He quickly faced the researcher almost falling off his feet.*

Researcher: "No, sir! But there's been two major Astragon spikes."

Season: "Hmm?"

Researcher: "I can't explain it, it's some sort of activation-"

Season: "Where?!"

Researcher: "I'm unable to find the location, but we will notify you as soon as we have information."

Season: *He scanned across the room of typing researchers.* "Understandable. Good work."

Researcher: "Sir!" *She nodded her head, focusing her attention back to the screen.*

Season: "There's no need for me to linger here stressing you all out waiting for a response."

Researcher: *A man stopped typing on a keyboard-like device.* "Your majesty?"

Season: "I'll be at the Inn if I'm needed for whatever reason." *He walked out of the room, leaving the research facility.*

*Season scanned across the lively city, before walking towards the Inn.*

Season: *He opened the Inn door, walking down the hallway.* "Are you awake, Alicia?" *He knocked on the door, patiently waiting for a response.*

Alicia: "Y-Yes, it's open."

Season: *He opened the door and noticed Alicia, leaning up against the wall in her bed.* "You must be famished."

Alicia: *She looked down and awkwardly smiled, holding her stomach.* "U-Umm."

Season: "You've only just awoken after sleeping for an entire day! I'll send one of my subordinates to send you something to eat."

Alicia: "N-No, you don't have to."

Season: "Aren't you hungry?"

Alicia: "U-Umm." *Her stomach rumbled, as she innocently stared at Season.*

Season: "Hohoho, it doesn't matter. Someone is delivering your meal as we speak."

Alicia: "Tee hee, th-thank you."

Season: *He nodded his head, glancing at Alicia's arm.* "So, how are your bones?"

Alicia: *She looked at her arm with curiosity.* "They've already healed themselves."

Season: " _Already_? Amazing." *He mumbled to himself with surprise.*

Alicia: "I-I often underestimate myself, because I certainly wasn't expecting my broken bones to heal this quick."

Season: "I see."

Alicia: "Any news on Lance-?" *She stopped in mid-sentence, looking away.* "I mean everyone?"

Season: "They haven't come back yet." *He sighed, looking worried.* "So we're assuming they're still in The Ancient Forest."

Alicia: "Oh, okay." *She flicked the sheets away, struggling to lift herself out of bed.*

Season: "Are you sure you're allowed to get up?"

Alicia: "I-It's fine, I'm just weak from the loss of Neurons."

Season: "From all the healing?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *Her stomach growled again.*

Season: "Hohoho."

Alicia: *She smiled, as her face turned red.* "I suppose I am hungry, tee hee."

Season: "Hohoho, looks like it-"

*Several knocks were heard, drawing Alicia and Season's attention to the door.*

Season: "Ah, right on time." *He watched a woman wearing an apron, walk into the room with a tray full of food.*

?????: "Your majesty." *She smiled at Season, facing Alicia.*

Season: "I will be leaving now."

Alicia: "O-Okay." *She focused her attention to the tray of food, before glancing back to Season.* "You sound like you're in a hurry."

Season: "Something has sparked my interest."

Alicia: "R-Really?"

Season: "When I hear anything about the others, I'll be sure to let you know."

Alicia: "Th-Thank you very much." *She brushed hair behind her ear, lowering her head in respect.*

Season: "Not at all." *He coughed and stood up straight, walking out the room in a royal-like manner.*

Subordinate: "Here you go, miss." *She smiled, carefully handing Alicia the tray of food.*

Chapter 11: The Unknown Island

*Sunlight shined on the party, causing them to slowly wake up.*

Lance: *He loudly yawned, stretching his arms high into the air.* (Stupid Luna-)

Millard: "No, please stop." *He mumbled in his sleep.* "Two squishy, plumpness!-"

Lance: "Shut up, you're so annoyin'." *He mumbled with his eyes shut, rolling to the side.*

Millard: "Not the feathers! _Ooo_ , you naughty little lass-"

Lance: *He quickly leant up, glaring at Millard with disgust.* "Wake up, ya dirty old fart."

Millard: *He coughed and gagged, snorting into consciousness.* "O-Oh my."

Lance: "Pssht, _feral_." *He mumbled, wiping sleep out of his eyes.*

Ashton: "Good morning." *He yawned and stretched.*

Lance: "Mornin', Ash."

Millard: "Arh, a pleasant greeting."

Ashton: *He glanced to each side with confusion.* "Where's Teresa?"

Teresa: "I appear to be here."

Lance: "Oh really? I wouldn't have guessed-"

Ashton: *He smiled, watching Teresa walk out from behind several trees.* "Where did you go, Teresa?"

Lance: "Poopin'?"

Teresa: "Negative. I have successfully replenished the water." *She spoke with an emotionless face, placing water bottles into the RPG bag.*

Lance: "Water?" *He looked around, staring at the dry terrain.* "Aye?"

Teresa: "The water has been replenished, such needless questions."

Millard: "Bahahaha, that's Teresa for you."

Teresa: "Once you collect your belongings, we will move on, to The Unknown Island."

Lance: "Yea, yea. Ya startin' to sound like a broken record."

Ashton: "Lance-"

Lance: "And what belongings? They're in the RPG bag, dopey bitch."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Lance: "I-I said, I got a sleepy itch."

Teresa: "Humph." *She elegantly spun around, walking into the distance.* "Be sure to catch up when you are all ready."

Ashton: "W-What about you, Teresa?"

Teresa: "I will ensure the path is clear from any warriors and or Scoldrants."

Ashton: "Lance, that was unacceptable."

Lance: "Sorry." *He grunted, looking away.* "I'm not a mornin' person, aye."

Millard: *He awkwardly grunted, lifting himself up off the ground.* (I wonder what will happen on the island?) *He smiled, following Teresa into the distance.*

Lance: *He stood up, facing Ashton ready to go.* "Ash?"

Ashton: *He brushed his pants, smiling at Lance.* "I'll catch up."

Lance: "Rightio." *He smirked, running towards Millard like a child.*

Ashton: *He stared at mountains in the distance.* (I wonder what everyone is doing back at home?)

Millard: *He watched Lance walk next to him.* "Child."

Lance: "Old fart."

Ashton: (How are they taking us being missing?)

Millard: *He deeply inhaled, smirking at Lance.* "Today is going to be a sensational day."

Lance: "Wateva."

Ashton: (I wonder how Rachael, Melinda and Twortz reacted to us disappearing?)

Teresa: *She glanced behind her shoulder with an emotionless face.* "Ensure Ashton is not left behind."

Lance: *He looked at Teresa, before spinning around and waving at Ashton.* "Hurry up, ya dirty lamp, aha-"

Millard: *He flicked Lance in the back of the head, shaking his head in disappointment.* "Don't use such a filthy word, especially coming from a child."

Lance: "Oi! You want a go?"

Millard: *He leant back surprised, looking to each side.* "A go on what?"

Ashton: *He smiled at Lance and Millard, jogging up to them.* "Come on guys, this type of behaviour is unacceptable."

Millard: "Ahem, Teresa. Where do we have to go?"

Teresa: *She walked in a professional-like manner, unrolling the map.* "Hmm, it appears we have no choice but to follow The Ark River."

Millard: "The Ark River, I see." *He mumbled to himself, looking down.*

Teresa: "We should be able to cross a bridge over it."

Lance: *He jogged up to Teresa, glancing at the map.* "Wait a minute, lookin' at the map-"

Teresa: "Why do we not simply go East then North, instead of just going North?"

Lance: "A-Ah, yea?"

Millard: "It's to be sure that we don't miss the bridge."

Lance: "Huh?" *He gave Millard a dopey look, tilting his head on a side.*

Teresa: "Sometimes the map is not quite often drawn to scale, it is to ensure we do not miss that bridge."

Ashton: (That makes sense.)

Millard: *He glanced at Ashton and Lance.* "I don't recall asking, how was Surpreon?"

Lance: "Huh?"

Millard: "Did you all make it back safely?"

Lance: "Harh?"

Ashton: " _Oh_ , we got there fine, Season was very nice."

Lance: "Aye?" *He stared at Millard, tripping on a small rock.*

Ashton: *He sighed and smiled, helping Lance back onto his feet.* "So, what made you suddenly ask that, Millard?"

Millard: *He adjusted the cone-shaped hat, focusing on his steps.* "I just remember when I first met you three."

Ashton: (Lance, Alicia and myself-)

Millard: "You both needed to get back to Surpreon."

Ashton: "Oh okay."

Lance: "Bah, this is borin'." *He grunted, jogging past the party.*

Millard: *He shook his head, sighing at Lance.* "I'll make sure the youngster doesn't hurt himself."

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "Wait for me, child!" *He hobbled past Teresa and Ashton, making his way towards Lance.*

Teresa: *She glanced at Ashton, staring at him.* "..."

Ashton: "What's wrong?"

Teresa: "Were you not ready to tell him?"

Ashton: *He paused, looking slightly awkward.* "Not really, I get a strange vibe."

Teresa: "A vibe? I do not understand."

Ashton: "He seems like a really shady character if you know what I mean."

Teresa: "I see."

Ashton: "So-"

Teresa: "Yes?"

Ashton: "What are your thoughts on the activation of the glyphs and all?"

Teresa: "I do not know. It is very intriguing-"

Lance: " _We_ _can_ _hear_ _water_ _over_ _here_!" *He shouted in the distance, interrupting Ashton and Teresa's conversation.*

Teresa: "Tcch." *She unintentionally frowned at Lance.* (Is it necessary to talk like that?)

Ashton: "I think we're close to The Ark River."

Teresa: "It would seem so." *She spoke as if Lance's statement made it obvious.*

Millard: "Children! My senses are telling me we're near the river!-" *He paused, looking down in confusion.* "No, wait."

Lance: "Wait for what?"

Millard: *He placed his hand on his belly, nodding his head.* "I'm just hungry, false alarm, bahahaha."

Lance: *He sighed, rolling his eyes.* "Oi, Teresa, we just follow this East?"

Teresa: "Correct."

Ashton: "Why don't we just cross the river? You mentioned the bridge, but I don't really understand? Is there a current?"

Millard: *He squinted his eyes, looking into the distance.* (What's that?)

Teresa: "That is due to-"

Millard: "A Scoldrant!" *He pointed in the distance, standing in a battle-ready pose.*

Teresa: *She watched a large snake-like Scoldrant, slither towards the party at amazing speeds.* "Hiding itself on the outskirts of The Ancient Forest."

Ashton: "Good grief."

Teresa: (Now? Tcch, how annoying.)

Lance: "It's huge and green-" *He looked at Millard with confusion.* "So that means it's like a tree element or something?"

Millard: "Not necessarily, but it does indicate that it's weakened to fire."

Teresa: "Be careful though, the way the sunlight is shining off its scales, indicate they are highly condensed-"

Lance: "Don't go all scientific on me _now_ , wat ya mean?"

Millard: "We'll need to hit it physically before we can take it down with Rostical."

Teresa: "Precisely."

Lance: (Gah, why couldn't she just say that in the first place?)

Ashton: "It will be in striking distance in about? Thirty seconds?"

Scoldrant: "Z-Z-Zzz." *It slithered towards the party, eyeing each party member.*

Ashton: *He looked down in shock, watching the rocks vibrate around his feet.* "The ground is rumbling because of the Scoldrant." *He spoke with fear and amazement.*

Lance: "Here it comes." *He shoved his entire arm into the RPG bag, unsheathing his sword.*

Scoldrant: "Z-Z-Zzzz." *It curved its body, lifting its tail.*

Ashton: "Huh?" *He gasped, looking at Teresa.*

Scoldrant: "Zzzz." *It hissed, whipping its tail towards Teresa.*

Millard: *He stared at the Scoldrant in shock.* "Its tail! At that speed!-"

Ashton: " _No_ , Teresa!" *He closed his eyes, waving his arms in front.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

Teresa: *A bubble-like shield swirled in front of her.* "Ashton-?"

Scoldrant: "Zzzsk." *It slammed its tail into Teresa, instantly popping the shield.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She slid back, scraping her feet along the ground.*

Millard: *He stared at Teresa, before focusing his attention back to the Scoldrant.* (Ashton's shield absorbed most of the attack-)

Scoldrant: *It spun around, facing Lance.* "Zzzsk." *It twirled its body, flicking its tail towards Lance.*

Ashton: "Good grief! This is unacceptable! Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *He waved his hand in front, staring at Lance.*

Lance: "Sh-Shit-" *He stepped back, watching the shield raise in front of him.*

Scoldrant: "Z-Zsk." *It slammed its tail into Lance, instantly popping the shield.*

Lance: "Bah!-" *He fell back, sliding on his back across the ground.*

Millard: "Let's see if this works! Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL" *A red glyph shined under his feet, watching a swirl of flames spiral underneath the Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Z-Zzsk." *Its scales shined in the fire's light, causing it to hiss.*

Millard: "Harh!" *He raised his arms, causing the fire to erupt in a tornado-like swirl around the Scoldrant.*

Ashton: "Excellent! Go, Millard!"

Teresa: *She stood up straight, regaining her composure.* "Thank you, Ashton."

Scoldrant: *It pushed itself up, body slamming into the ground, causing a pulse of dirt to extinguish the flames.*

Millard: "O-Oh my!"

Scoldrant: *It glared at Millard, slowly slithering towards him.* "Zzsk."

Millard: "It's not over yet! It's coming again!" *He took several steps back, raising his arms in a defensive manner.*

Scoldrant: "Zzzsk." *It lunged its head back, squirting out a ball of purple fluids.*

Millard: "Oh no!"

Ashton: "Unacceptable! MYSTIC SHIELD"

Millard: *A bubble-like shield instantly raised around him, blocking the purple liquid.* "O-Oh my once again-"

*The purple liquid exploded, popping Ashton's shield and knocking Millard back.*

Teresa: "This is undoubtedly a powerful Scoldrant-"

Scoldrant: "Zzzsk."

Lance: *He stood up, pointing the sword at the Scoldrant.* "Knockin' me down ain't gonna do shit!"

Millard: "Enough games! Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat, FLAMING STORM"

Ashton: "Flaming Storm?"

Millard: *He stepped forward, watching a swirl of flames erupt in front of him.* "What-?!"

Lance: "C-Crap!-" *He watched bright flames scorch in front of Millard in shock.*

Millard: "This is not how the Rostical works?!"

Teresa: *She looked down.* "The fluids! It must be flammable!"

Ashton: "I got this! CYCLONIC WINDS" *He took a deep breath, jumping forward, swaying both arms to the side.*

Scoldrant: "Zzsk?" *It looked to its side, watching a pulse of high pressured wind blast it on its side.*

Lance: "Y-You got it, Ash!"

Millard: *He held onto his hat, watching the wind pulse the flames away.* "Amazing, youngster."

Scoldrant: *It quickly slithered in a circle, curling itself into a ball.* "Z-Zzsk."

Ashton: (My shields keep popping once they receive damage, it's unacceptable!)

Scoldrant: "Z-Z-Zzzzsk." *It violently spiralled, throwing itself towards Ashton.*

Lance: "Ash! Get out of the way!" *He yelled, lowering the sword to his side.*

Ashton: (My shield-) *He looked down, ignoring the glowing ring on his finger.* "My shield symbolises my courage."

Millard: "Courage?" *He glanced at Teresa with confusion.* "What does that mean?"

Teresa: "Nonsense-"

Ashton: "It feels like I hold the courage for all of you!" *He spread his legs and arms, facing the charging Scoldrant.*

Teresa: "Mere words and determination will not power up your Rostical, avoid the attack-"

Ashton: "Never! I will never ever retreat or turn my back on my friends-"

Lance: "G-Give it a rest!-"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *A bubble-like shield instantly swirled around him, causing him to smile.*

Millard: "Child, don't be foolish-"

Teresa: "Millard, use your-"

Ashton: "I _won't_ give up-"

Scoldrant: "Zsk!" *It threw itself at Ashton, instantly popping his shield.*

Ashton: "Argh-" *He blasted back, violently slamming against the ground.*

Lance: "Ash!" *He grunted, angrily charging towards the Scoldrant.* "Harh!"

Scoldrant: *It tilted its head back, watching Lance charge into striking distance.* "Zsk-" *It quickly flicked its head at blinding speeds, head-butting Lance in the gut.*

Lance: "Urgh-"

Scoldrant: *It lifted its head up, throwing Lance back.* "Zsk."

Teresa: (This is not good-) *She looked down, staring at the purple liquid on the ground.* (Millard can not use his Rostical without the risk of burning us too-)

Ashton: "This is not acceptable!" *He grunted in pain, standing back up on his feet.*

Scoldrant: *Ashton's yells, drew its attention back to him.* "Zzsk."

Lance: *He grunted and leant up, picking up his sword.* (That hurt.)

Ashton: *He wiped dirt off his cheek with his arm.* "I won't give up!"

Scoldrant: *It glared at Ashton, flicking its tongue out.* "Zsk-"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He placed both hands in front, holding a bubble-like sphere.*

Millard: (Maybe I should get Lance and Teresa to retreat, then use a powerful Rostical?)

Ashton: "Harh!" *He pushed forward, blasting the sphere at the Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Zskcrah?" *The sphere smashed into the side of its head, knocking it to the side.*

Ashton: "This isn't enough!"

Scoldrant: *It quickly pushed itself up, looking down at Ashton.* "Z-Zzzsk."

Millard: (It regained its posture so quickly-)

Scoldrant: "Z-Zssk!" *It lunged forward, rumbling across the ground towards Ashton.*

Ashton: *He looked to his side, discreetly staring at the party.* (I won't ever give up-)

Scoldrant: *It twirled itself into the air, causing the party to gasp.* "Z-Z-Zssk."

Teresa: *Her eyes widened as she discreet hid her shock.* "It is going to perform an aerial attack, Ashton!-"

Ashton: " _Ougi_."

Millard: "O-Oh my!"

Lance: "W-Wat?"

Ashton: "I feel it-" *A swirl of sand spiralled around him.* "My power, my _courage_!"

Teresa: "Learning an Ougi this early is _inconceivable_!"

Millard: *He watched rings of sand spiral around Ashton's body in amazement.* "He can control _ground_ -?!"

Scoldrant: "Z-Z-Zssk." *It pushed itself into the air, preparing itself to bodyslam Ashton.*

Lance: " _No_!"

Ashton: "FLORIAN DRIVER" *He yelled with determination, spreading both arms in front.*

Scoldrant: "Z-Zssk!" *It slammed on top of Ashton, causing a pulse of sand to spiral away.*

Teresa: "Ashton!" *She yelled out with an emotionless face.*

Ashton: "Bwarh!" *A sudden pulse, threw the Scoldrant into the air.*

Teresa: *Her eyes widened in shock, stepping back with confusion.* (How?!)

Ashton: *He frowned with concentration, slightly leaning to one side.* "I won't give up!"

Scoldrant: *It screeched and squirmed, as it violently slammed into the ground.* "Z-Zsk?!"

Lance: *He grunted in amazement, noticing the distance between Ashton and the Scoldrant with a dropping jaw.* "A-Ash-"

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD SHRIKE" *Bubble-like swirls materialised around him, suddenly crystallising into glass-like spheres.*

Millard: *He closely observed the swirl of sand around Ashton.* (It appears his Ougi is defensive _and_ offensive!-)

Ashton: "Harh!" *He pushed forward, blasting the spheres towards the disorientated Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Z-" *The spheres slammed into its side, exploding upon impact.*

Millard: "Deliciously amazing."

Teresa: *She closely observed the explosion, ignoring the Scoldrant.* (A mist-like discharge?)

Lance: *He watched the Scoldrant shake its head, facing Ashton.* "Bullshit! We hit it right on!"

Millard: "Hmm?" *He stood on the spot, unsure what to do.* "We just need a clear shot."

Lance: "Yea, wat the old fart said! We can't do crap if it keeps movin' all the time."

Ashton: *He nodded his head, staring at the Scoldrant.* (I need to bind it! I can feel my power slowly expelling out of my body-)

Millard: "W-What do we do? These old bones don't have a clue." *He wiggled his bottom, staring at Teresa for advice.*

Teresa: "As what Lance stated a mere moment ago-"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, UNPROFOUND BIND" *He leapt forward, swaying his arms.* "I can do this!"

Millard: "Oh my!" *He covered his mouth in a sarcastic manner.*

Ashton: *He watched five glass-like poles ram into the Scoldrant's neck.* "Argh, _everyone_!"

Teresa: *She focused her attention to Ashton, then to Millard and Lance.* "Take initiative!"

Lance: "Pssht, ya don't have to tell me twice!" *He smirked, raising the sword.*

Millard: *He watched Lance charge towards the Scoldrant in confusion.* "Child?"

Lance: *He ran into striking distance, firmly holding the sword with both hands.* "Harh!"

Scoldrant: "Zzsk?!"

Lance: *He slashed downwards, slicing off several scales.* "Aha, not so tough now-"

Teresa: *She stared at the Scoldrant's open wound.* "Millard!"

Millard: "Out of the way, child!"

Lance: "OK, wateva." *He grunted, retreating back to the party.*

Millard: "Ahem!" *He held onto his cone-shaped hat, ignoring a bright red glyph which drew itself under his feet.*

Ashton: "I-I can't hold this Rostical for long!" *Sweat dripped down his face, as he focused all his concentration on the poles.*

Millard: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

Lance: *He ran in between Teresa and Millard, panting with exhaustion.* "Doesn't that flamin' thingy swirl on the ground-?"

Millard: "I can manipulate the flames!-" *He yelled, waving his arms in a fluid motion.*

Scoldrant: *It looked to its side, noticing a swirl of fire spiral in the air.* "Zzsk-"

*The flames suddenly combusted into a fiery stream, directly into the Scoldrant's open wound.*

Scoldrant: "Z-Z-Z-Z-Zzzzzsk!" *It violently reacted to the fire, breaking out of Ashton's Rostical.*

Ashton: "Urgh-" *He panted, dropping to his knees.*

Lance: *He frowned and gritted his teeth, staring at his sword.* (Man, I can't do shit to a thing like that.) *He stared at the Scoldrant, forming a fist.*

Ashton: (I have to do this.) *He looked down, panting in thought.*

Teresa: "Despite the combo being successful, it appears it may not do justice."

Ashton: "Neurons give me your power, Astragons lend me your swift, tempest trap and conceal-"

*An enormous green glyph spiralled around Ashton, catching the party's attention.*

Ashton: "CYCLONIC WINDS"

Millard: *He watched the ground explode, due to a gale-like force, which rumbled towards the Scoldrant.* "This may-"

*A bright fiery explosion blasted the Scoldrant back.*

Teresa: *She slightly squinted her eyes, staring at the fire.* (The wind generated by Ashton boosted Millard's Rostical-)

Scoldrant: "Zq-Zzsk-Ssssk-" *It thrashed across the ground, accidentally sliding into the river.*

Ashton: "..." *The ring on his finger stopped glowing and the swirl of sand lost its momentum.*

Lance: *He watched the water erupt into the air, causing him to smile.* "Alright, wat should we do next-?"

Millard: "Well, that's a relief." *He yawned, focusing his attention on his ear.*

Lance: *He stared at Millard with confusion.* "Huh? Come on, before it recovers?!"

Millard: *He wiggled his finger inside his ear with a bored expression.* "Almost got you! Get out of there!"

Teresa: (He used an Ougi-) *She relaxed on the spot, staring at Ashton.* (It appears Ashton's recovery time is far superior to that, of a normal person.)

Ashton: *He panted, staring at his ring with relief.* (Wow, what happened?)

Teresa: (Perhaps it is due to PKMY's Rosterology ring-?)

Lance: "Wat is with you?!"

Ashton: "What's wrong, Lance?" *He stood up straight, deeply inhaling to calm himself down.*

Lance: *He pointed at the river like a child, stamping his foot.* "The Scoldrant-"

Millard: *He sighed, staring at the river.* "Well-"

Lance: "Well, wat?!"

Millard: "The Scoldrant won't be getting out."

Ashton: "Why? What do you mean?"

Millard: "You both asked, why don't we just cross The Ark River?"

Lance: "Yea, I know what I asked, aye."

Teresa: "..." *She watched the water violently splash in the river.*

Ashton: *He held his hand in pain, staring at the river in confusion.* "What's happening to it?"

Millard: "This way, children. Watch your step." *He giggled, as he led the party closer to the river.*

Teresa: "The Ark River is infested with powerful water-based Scoldrants."

Ashton: "Oh yes."

Teresa: "They are said to eat anything."

Lance: *He pouted and looked down, noticing purple fish.* "Oh, they're _just_ fish." *He sighed, sounding disappointed.*

*A large snake-like skeleton rose up from the surface, causing Ashton to gasp.*

Lance: "Oh shit nuggets!" *He stepped back in shock, watching the skeleton sink back into the river.*

Ashton: *He breathed deeply, facing Lance.* "O-Okay, let's _not_ go into the river."

Millard: *He adjusted his cone-shaped hat, looking at Ashton.* "Shall we have a quick rest?"

Teresa: (Despite having superior recovery, he does indeed look quite fatigued.)

Lance: *He shuffled through the RPG bag, pulling out a drink bottle.* "Are you OK, Ash?"

Ashton: "Umm-"

Lance: "Here." *He handed the bottle to Ashton, staring at him with concern.*

Ashton: "Yes, thank you all."

Millard: "A rest it is-"

Ashton: "No thank you, Millard."

Millard: "Oh jonkies?" *He looked puzzled, staring at Ashton.*

Lance: "Jonkies? Wat a douche-"

Ashton: "Resting now will be unacceptable. Please, let's continue on."

Millard: "You _really_ do like that word." *He spoke with a playful smile.*

Teresa: *She flicked her hair over her shoulder with an emotionless face.* "All we need to do is follow The Ark River."

Lance: "Then wat?"

Teresa: "We will be required to cross a stone bridge-"

Lance: "Oh will we-?"

Ashton: " _Lance_."

Lance: " _Wateva_."

Teresa: "Then we may rest at Eon City."

Millard: "Yes, you divine lady." *He sarcastically saluted, smirking at Teresa.*

Ashton: "That sounds great."

Teresa: "Indeed." *She walked past the party, following the bank of the river.*

Ashton: *He looked down, rubbing his hand.* (Good grief. I thought I wasn't meant to get tired when I used Rostical?)

Lance: "Umm, even though you've got these awesome powers just-" *He looked away, folding his arms like a child.* "Don't push yourself OK?"

Ashton: "Yeah, I'll try not to." *He smiled, nodding his head.*

Teresa: "Do not get left behind." *She yelled out in a stern voice, focusing her attention in front.*

Millard: "Oh my." *He wiggled his bottom, staring at Ashton and Lance.* "Let's go!"

\----------

*Zayden flashstepped onto a small island, surrounded by crashing waves.*

Zayden: "Muahahaha." *He hunched forward, wiping drool off his chin.* "Almost there!"

*Zayden looked up, staring at thick dark clouds.*

Zayden: "This will be the third one, yes! The third one, bwahaha." *He laughed in a crazy manner, walking towards a stone wall.*

\----------

Millard: "As the party walked closer to Eon City, the air became noticeably cold."

Lance: *He frowned and shivered, holding himself.* "..."

Millard: *He looked over to the Ark River, skipping with excitement.* "The river's surface became frozen and there were patches of snow-"

Lance: "Firstly, shut it, dirty old fart. Secondly, we're goin' to get sick if we keep goin' through all these weather changes."

Ashton: *He shivered, walking by Lance's side.* "I agree."

Teresa: "There is no correlation between getting sick and weather changes."

Lance: "Who asked for your input, aye?"

Teresa: *She sighed.* "Nevertheless, we should be encountering the bridge momentarily."

Millard: *He noticed a bridge arch over the river, blurred in the mist.* "Jolly wolly, I see it!"

Lance: "'Bout effin' time! Bah." *He sighed, purposely stamping his foot into a snow patch.* "Wat are we goin' to do once we reach this city?"

Millard: "I would like to talk to some people in the city."

Teresa: *She walked across the bridge in a professional-like manner.* "I too desire to speak to someone." (Cassandra.)

Ashton: "I'd like to replenish the RPG bag."

Lance: "And I'll just keep being awesome." *He handed the RPG bag to Ashton, cockily smirking.*

Ashton: "Thank you." *He placed the bag on his back, adjusting the straps around his shoulders.*

Millard: *He stepped off the bridge, waving mist away from his face.* "Ah, made it on the other side."

Ashton: "Hey." *He smiled, rubbing the ring on his finger.* "I see a city in the distance."

Millard: "And that children, is Eon City."

Ashton: "That's great." *He spoke with enthusiasm, causing Lance to roll his eyes.*

Teresa: "Knowing that fact means we are _very_ close to The Unknown Island."

Lance: "Awesome." *He ran through the thick mist, towards the blurred city.*

Ashton: "Excuse me, Teresa. Do we need an invitation or pass to enter?"

Teresa: "No, fortunately, this city does not require any passes."

Ashton: "That's a relief."

Millard: "What made you ask that?"

Ashton: "Well, we don't have Alicia's pass, so I thought-"

Lance: " _Kool_!" *His voice echoed in the distance, catching the party's attention.*

Ashton: "Not to sound like Lance, but let's go." *He smiled at Millard and Teresa with respect, before running towards Lance.*

Teresa: "It will be an inconvenience if we were to encounter a captain ranked warrior in the city."

Millard: "I agree." *He closely walked with Teresa towards the city.* "Speaking of such, do you mind sharing any information about the captains to this old brittle man?"

Teresa: "I do not understand? Ask directly what you mean."

Millard: "Well, captains with the ranking, one, two, and three?"

Teresa: "I do not possess the knowledge of the current single digit one and two."

Millard: "Oh? What about the third?"

Teresa: "I believe it is Zayden, although I am not one hundred percent sure."

Millard: "Wow." (She sure is knowledgeable-)

Teresa: "Do not take offence to this question, but how long will you be journeying with us?"

Millard: "Ouchies?" *He sarcastically gasped at Teresa in pain.*

Teresa: "It puzzles me, why you endanger your life for no real reason."

Millard: "I confess, it's so I can be with you." *He giggled, puckering his lips.*

Teresa: "Do not misinterpret me, I have no intentions to be with someone of your stature."

Millard: "My stature?" *He looked down to his feet in confusion.*

Teresa: "Do not bother me with such trivial things again." *She walked ahead with an emotionless face.*

Millard: "Argh, that hurt." *He sarcastically held his chest in pain.*

Lance: "..." *He watched snow slowly fall around him in amazement.*

Millard: (You seem to be perfect in all aspects-, but without emotion-) *He slowly followed Teresa, observing her in thought.* (That will end up being your greatest weakness.)

*The party gathered in a line, staring at Eon City with curious faces.*

Lance: *He pouted, glancing at the party with a bored expression.* "'Bout time you all got here-"

Teresa: "Eon City is a peaceful city-"

Lance: " _And_ -"

Teresa: "Ensure not to make any unnecessary commotion."

Lance: "Pssht-" *He folded his arms and frowned like a child.* "Wateva."

Millard: "Eon City was very cold." *He mumbled to the party, before walking into the city.* "The citizens wore jackets and scarves."

Lance: "Really-?" *He sighed under his breath, looking at Ashton with annoyance.*

Millard: "Large snowy mountains could be seen in the distance." *He spoke louder, ignoring Lance.* "It was an area which never saw the light of sun-"

Teresa: *She stopped, causing the party to gather around her.* "This is the city's central. We are to meet here in ten minutes?"

Millard: "Ahem." *He coughed and faced Teresa.* "Of course."

Ashton: "Ten minutes? Got it." *He smiled, nodding his head with respect.*

Lance: "Wateva, just hurry it up."

\----------

Teresa: *She walked down a tight alley, stopping in front of a small green house.* "Cassandra?" *She looked up, noticing smoke come out of a chimney.*

Cassandra: "It's open-"

Teresa: *She flicked hair over her shoulder, entering the house.* "..."

Cassandra: *She turned around startled, holding a large sword in her hand.* "Teresa?"

Teresa: "Indeed-"

Cassandra: *She placed the sword over her shoulder, causing it to turn invisible.* "Teresa!" *She ran up, hugging Teresa.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She awkwardly tapped Cassandra on the back.*

Cassandra: "How can I help you? How's your sister? How's your cute brother?"

Teresa: "Neither of which are important. But I have come to ask a favour."

Cassandra: "A favour? Of course! What is it?!" *She stepped back and smiled with enthusiasm.*

Teresa: "I need you to prepare and activate a teleportation glyph."

Cassandra: "A teleportation glyph? For what?" *She shook her head, waving her arm to the side.* "Do you know the quantity of Neurons I'll need to-"

Teresa: "I understand completely."

Cassandra: "So why-?"

Teresa: "Our presence is overdue at Surpreon. We need to be there as soon as we leave The Unknown Island."

Cassandra: "Unknown Island?" *She closed her eyes, humming to herself in thought.* "I have sensed a single digit heading towards The Unknown Island some time ago."

Teresa: "..."

Cassandra: "I can't forget that warped Neuron signature he gives off." *She opened her eyes with worry.* "It's Zayden, isn't it?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Cassandra: "Even knowing this, you still plan to go?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Cassandra: "I can fight! Please, let me come with you all!"

Teresa: *She shook her head with an emotionless face.* "I need you to complete the activation of the teleportation glyph."

Cassandra: "But my powers!-"

Teresa: "As you previously stated, it takes a vast amount of Neurons to prepare." *She spoke with hesitation, causing Cassandra to look confused.*

Cassandra: "You don't sound sure of yourself."

Teresa: "The Unknown Territories, the glyphs. They are being activated and I do not even know their purpose."

Cassandra: "Glyphs? And yes, why are you going to The Unknown Territory in the first place?"

Teresa: "I have been in two of The Unknown Territories. There were these glyphs I have never encountered before, inscribed on the walls."

Cassandra: "Th-They're accessible now?"

Teresa: "Indeed. The only thing I know, is that, they are the same glyphs Tarlea was researching."

Cassandra: *Her jaw dropped, stepping back with widening eyes.* "T-Tarlea? The strongest being-"

Teresa: "Yes."

\----------

Millard: *He walked towards a water fountain, before sitting on a stone pillar.* "The water, it isn't frozen?" *He mumbled to himself and noticed several Rosterology items.* "Ah, they keep the water from freezing."

*Waves of snow blew past, causing Millard's hat to flap.*

Millard: "It was then." *He looked down into the water, triggering a flashback.*

\--

Millardestel: "Kathalestel. We should set motion to our plan."

Kathalestel: "Millardestel, patience is crucial."

Millardestel: "I understand this, my love. But we need to do something."

Kathalestel: "Of course! We can't allow these evil people to freely walk the lands and not let their crimes be unpunished."

Millardestel: "If you feel the same way, why-?"

*An explosion was heard, causing the walls to vibrate in the laboratory-like room.*

Kathalestel: "What was that, Millardestel-?!"

Millardestel: "It came from outside the room!"

Kathalestel: "The boy!" *She looked shocked, as she ran towards a sliding door.* "What is it, number-?!" *She slammed open the door, instantly staring at the boy.*

Boy: *He held the sides of his head in pain.* "It hurts!"

Kathalestel: "What's wrong?!"

Millardestel: *He observed Kathalestel from a distance.* (What is that strange Neuron signature I'm picking up-?)

Boy: "I see visions, of a Scoldrant."

Kathalestel: "A mere Scoldrant?"

Boy: "It's black with yellow eyes!" *He bent over in pain, causing the air to radiate around him.*

Millardestel: "The air? Is that Astragons-?"

Kathalestel: " _Visible_ Astragons! Wha-?! This is not part of our plan!"

Boy: "Argh!" *He bent back, emitting a small shockwave around him.*

Millardestel: "No!-"

Kathalestel: *The force threw her across the room, slamming her into a high powered Rosterology console.* "Argh-"

Millardestel: "N-No!-"

Kathalestel: *The console sparked, causing streams of electricity to swirl around her.* " _Argh_! A-A-A- _Arrh_!"

Millardestel: " _Kathalestel_!" *He shouted at the top of his lungs, rushing towards her.*

\--

Millard: "Oh!" *He jumped in shock, staring at the fountain.*

*Millard stared at the fountain, slowly exhaling.*

Millard: "O-Oh dear."

\----------

Lance: *He walked with Ashton through market stands.* "So, Ash, what do ya think is goin' to happen after we do this?"

Ashton: *He picked up a handful of berries, placing them into a wooden basket.* "What do you mean?"

Lance: "Like, ya know."

Ashton: *He walked up to the shopkeeper.* "No, I don't know."

Shopkeeper: "That's seventeen forty, please."

Lance: "Well, I want to go home." *He mumbled to Ashton, scratching his arm.*

Ashton: *He gave the shopkeeper shiny stones, before walking away with Lance.* "Thank you."

Lance: "They were the stones Teresa gave ya."

Ashton: "There's something I want to tell you."

Lance: "You sound serious."

Ashton: "Yeah."

Lance: "You know I will listen to whatever you have to say, aye?"

Ashton: "I know."

\----------

Millard: *He watched Teresa, Ashton and Lance walk towards him from different angles.* "Ah, so the party gathered at the central-"

Lance: "Shut it, old fart-"

Teresa: "The allocated ten minutes have passed."

Millard: *He looked at Teresa, sarcastically nodding his head.* "Ready for The Unknown Island, children?"

Lance: *He sighed out a puff of mist, looking frustrated.* " _How far_?"

Teresa: "It is slightly North West from here."

Millard: "Shortly after leaving the city, we should be able to see it."

Teresa: "Precisely."

Ashton: "For some strange reason these inaccessible territories are now explorable."

Millard: "Where are you going with this, child?"

Ashton: "Well, how will The Unknown Island be any different-?"

*Two citizens spoke loudly, as they slowly walked past the party.*

Man: "I don't believe it."

Lance: "Huh?" *He looked over his shoulder, picking his nose with curiosity.*

Man: "The water levels have risen so high, that _any_ boat can set sail to The Unknown Island?"

Woman: "I know, I'm _so_ excited." *She adjusted a thick woolly scarf around her neck.*

Man: "What if there's treasure?" *He spoke with excitement, staring at the woman.*

Woman: "Should we head there next sunrise?"

Cassandra: *She walked out from a nearby alley.* "I don't think that is wise."

Man: "Cassandra."

Cassandra: "I've been told there's a Rostical Using Scoldrant living on the island."

Woman: "R-Really?"

Cassandra: "Yes. Apparently, it's a long-lived one too."

Man: "Blast it!"

Woman: "..."

Cassandra: "By all means, you could go-"

Man: "It's fine."

Woman: *She sighed, regrettably nodding her head.* "It's too dangerous."

Man: "Have a good day."

Cassandra: "You too." *She watched the citizens walk out of her sight.*

Teresa: "Humph." *She grunted at Cassandra with approval, before staring into the distance.*

Millard: "Conveniently it seems this island, like the others, is now accessible."

Lance: "Nah, the only thing convenient was us overhearing those two."

Millard: "Exactly when Ashton asked if The Unknown Island was accessible?"

Lance: "Yea." *He smirked, flicking his finger.*

Ashton: "Haha, that _was_ convenient."

Teresa: "Enough of this. Are you all ready?"

Lance: "Yea."

Millard: "Indeedly-do."

Ashton: "Yes I am, Teresa."

Millard: *He looked into the distance and watched the snow fall while adjusting his hat.* (I wonder if Kath has found the other two Unknown Territories? Three of their locations are known but the other two's whereabouts are vague..)

Teresa: *She gracefully spun around, walking towards the entrance of Eon City.* "It will not take us long to get there."

Cassandra: (Good luck, Teresa.)

Millard: (I wonder if Zayden is already waiting for us at The Unknown Island?)

Cassandra: *She watched the party leave the city, before turning around.* (I will prepare the teleportation glyph immediately.)

Lance: (More walking.) *He looked down to the snow, sighing to himself.*

Ashton: (That man, Zayden.) *He raised his hand, staring at his ring.* (I hope someone can help him.)

Millard: "As the party made their way to the coast, all they could see were large snowy mountains-"

Lance: "Grr-"

Teresa: *She walked towards the coast, pointing across the water.* "The Unknown Island is located there."

Ashton: *He stopped next to Teresa, noticing the island surrounded by crashing waves.* (Teresa was right, it wasn't far away at all.)

Millard: *He watched the violent waves slam against the rocks of the island.* (How are we going to get there?)

Ashton: *He glanced at the water, then to Millard.* "Wouldn't the water harbour the fish Scoldrants too?"

Millard: "Yes, that's correct."

Lance: "Wait! Whoa, whoa, _whoa_?"

Teresa: "What appears to be the problem _now_ , Lance?" *She spoke with a stern tone, staring at the island.*

Lance: "Those thingys that attacked the snake Scoldrant? How we crossin' the water then?"

Teresa: "Do not fret, I have already formulated a plan regarding that issue."

Lance: *He stared at the water and back to Teresa, looking awkward.* "I dunno."

Teresa: "Do you not have faith in my calculations?"

Lance: "Pssht, yeah I do, so wateva." *He rolled his eyes, looking away.*

Ashton: "Once we make it to the island, are there any Scoldrants we have to worry about?"

Millard: "These old bones tell me that Zayden fellow took care of them for us."

Teresa: "I took that into consideration, placing it into my calculations."

Lance: "Huh?"

Teresa: "We would benefit from this."

Lance: "Pssht, _why_?"

Teresa: "So we do not consume stamina fighting such fodder."

Lance: " _Oh_." *He stared at Teresa with a dopey look, moaning with realisation.*

Ashton: "Yeah, come on, Lance. Use your common sense."

Lance: "Wateva, Ash."

Millard: *He stared at the party, as they faced the island.* "Now that we're here, what's the plan?"

Lance: *He looked down, picking his nose in a child-like manner.* (The ocean doesn't look good without a shore.)

Teresa: "..." *She stared at the water with an emotionless face.*

Ashton: " _How_ will we cross this, Teresa?"

Teresa: "The plan is _Ashton_ will get us to the island."

Millard: " _Ooo_! So the plot thickens?" *He sarcastically waved his bottom with excitement.*

Ashton: "Good grief, me? _How_?"

Teresa: "By using your Rostical, Ashton."

Ashton: "My shield?"

Lance: "The wind?"

Millard: "My turn, the binding rods?"

Teresa: "No, the strike."

Ashton: "How will that work?!"

Teresa: "Could you eject your shield across the surface of the water."

Ashton: "I don't understand."

Millard: "Me neither. Isn't Mystic Shield Strike a projectile?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "So how-?"

Teresa: "I want you to project it across the water, then concentrate _maintaining_ it."

Millard: *He snapped his finger with a smile.* "While we walk across!"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Ashton: "I can't do something like that."

Lance: *He rudely sighed, tapping his foot impatiently beside Millard.* "More nerdy talk, projecting what, where?!"

Teresa: "Yes, you can do that, Ashton."

Ashton: "But I have trouble concentrating on the shield as it is."

Teresa: "In theory, there is no reason why you can not do this."

Ashton: "How could I maintain it?"

Teresa: "..." *She silently stared at Ashton, unsure what to say.*

Millard: "Child, why did you want to use Rostical?"

Ashton: "So I-"

Millard: "Why did you want to be of use to the party?"

Ashton: "I understand."

Teresa: ( _I_ do _not_ understand?)

Ashton: *He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine-"

Lance: "..."

Ashton: *He stepped forward, opening his eyes.* "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE"

Lance: *A swirl of wind blasted in his face, causing him to tumble back.* "Whoa, dude."

Millard: "My, my. I'm a tad jealous." *He tilted his head down, holding his hat.* "He could get to my level at _this_ rate."

Lance: "Well that wouldn't too hard, old fart."

Millard: "Ouchies, I'm truly hurt inside-"

Ashton: "Harh!" *A clear wave blasted from his hands, as he extended his arms forward.*

Teresa: "Humph." *She placed her hand on her waist, ignoring the constant wind blowing from Ashton.*

Ashton: *A bubble-like stream extended over the water's surface.* (I can't-)

Lance: (Hey, it's acting like a bridge.)

Ashton: (I can't hold this for long.) *He grunted, focusing all his attention on his Rostical.*

Teresa: *She took a step forward, leaning towards Ashton's ear.* "If you lose your concentration whilst we are walking on the shield, we all will essentially die."

Ashton: "Y-Yes, I understand."

Teresa: "Excellent." *She stepped back, flicking her hair with an emotionless face.*

Ashton: (How can you say _that_? It makes this even more stressful!)

Millard: *He noticed the bubble-like path flicker, causing him to shake his head.* "We won't be able to cross if the Rostical keeps fluctuating like that."

Teresa: "I concur-"

Ashton: "Ah-" *He gasped, as the path popped.*

Lance: *He leant back, silently watching from the ground.* "..."

Millard: "My, my. Lucky we weren't crossing it!"

Ashton: *He stared at the water, squinting his eyes with frustration.* (The waves, it makes it hard to focus!)

Teresa: "Ashton control the Neurons properly, remember what PKMY said."

Millard: (Hmm, PKMY? Where have I heard that before?) *He scratched his chin in thought.*

Ashton: "If you get stuck, remember to picture Neurons as the water." *He mumbled to himself, picturing a pond.* "And the Astragons holding the water."

Teresa: "Without either, there can not be a pond."

Ashton: "I remember it clearly, but how does that help me?"

Teresa: "Think about it in your mind."

Millard: "Yes, child. It will come naturally in your head."

Ashton: "But it _doesn't_ make sense."

Millard: " _Even_ if it doesn't make sense." (Because I had trouble when I first started to grasp Rostical too.)

Ashton: (I can't do this.) *He shook his head, sighing with failure.* "I can't, I'm starting to feel weak."

Lance: *He gritted his teeth, jumping back onto his feet.* "Come on, Ash! I _know_ you can do it!"

Ashton: *His eyes widened, as a swirl of wind instantly blew around him.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE!"

Lance: *He watched a powerful bubble-like stream extend over the water.* (See, I knew you could-)

Millard: *He observed the shield's colour with curiosity.* "The colour of the aura is white, instead of transparent."

Teresa: (How intriguing. That was faster than I anticipated-) "Let us hurry, calculating the Neuron's being exhausted right now, we have less than a few minutes!"

Ashton: "P-Please, Teresa's right." *He frowned with concentration, keeping his arms straight.*

Lance: "Gah, I trust ya." *He smirked, before running across Ashton's Rostical.*

Millard: "The boy's right!" *He coughed to clear his throat as he hobbled across the aura.*

Teresa: *She watched Lance and Millard step onto The Unknown Island.* "Make haste."

Lance: *He noticed Teresa and Ashton power walk across the aura.* "..."

Ashton: "Nearly-" *He stepped on the island, causing the shield to instantly disintegrate.*

Teresa: *She looked behind her with an emotionless face.* "It appears we have made it."

Lance: "Appears? We're _clearly_ here-"

Millard: "The Unknown Island was very small." *He looked up and spun around.* "It only consisted of grass and a sealed entrance, which led underground-"

Lance: "How do we get in?" *He rudely interrupted Millard with a smile.*

Ashton: *He walked towards the entrance, staring at the stone wall.* "Hey, everyone."

Millard: "Hmm?" *He hobbled towards Ashton with curiosity.*

Ashton: "There are things inscribed on this wall."

Millard: "These runic glyphs-" *He mumbled, placing his hand on the wall.* "It's definitely an entrance."

Teresa: *Her eyes widened in shock.* (I am unable to read this.)

Lance: *He frowned, banging on the wall.* "Maybe it's broken?"

Teresa: "Negative. I can sense someone down below."

Lance: "Then, wat does it say?" *He grunted with impatience, placing his hands on his head.*

Millard: "Those gifted with the power of Remenistal or the golden eyes are allowed to open this."

Lance: "Aye? Golden eyes?"

Teresa: "What is Remenistal?"

Lance: "Teresa _doesn't_ know?"

Ashton: "I haven't heard that word being used either."

Millard: "It's an old saying for Rostical."

Teresa: (Remenistal?) *Her eyes twitched in pain as she placed her hand on her forehead.* (Is that what everyone at The Lost City say? My memories..)

Ashton: "So we just need to use Rostical on the wall?"

Millard: "You got it, child!" *He smiled, stepping back.* "Raging flames, fall down-"

Teresa: "Millard."

Millard: "Oh?" *The red glyph which shined under his feet, faded.*

Teresa: "Ashton has a superior recovery rate, I believe Ashton should do it." *She lowered her arm, staring at the wall with an emotionless face.*

Millard: "I see, Ashton?" *He stepped forward and tapped the stone wall, staring at Ashton.*

Ashton: "O-Okay." *He nodded his head, forming a ball with both hands.*

Lance: "And, I'll just stand right here! Got it! Good work, Lance."

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine-" *A bubble-like sphere swirled in between his hands.*

Millard: "Sensationally marvellous."

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He pushed forward, blasting the ball into the wall.*

Millard: "Oh my! It's reacting to the Neurons-"

*The stone wall glowed and rumbled, as it slowly moved, revealing a pathway.*

Millard: " _Ooo_!" *He giggled, waving his bottom in a sarcastic manner.*

Lance: *He sniffed, staring at the entrance.* "Kool."

Ashton: "What was the purpose of that though?"

Teresa: "I am not entirely sure."

Lance: "Maybe they just wanted more security? Aha."

Millard: "You might be correct."

Lance: "Aye?" (It was a joke.) "Pssht."

Ashton: (It does lead downwards-)

Lance: "Oh well-" *He walked past the party and down the stairs.*

Millard: *He hobbled down each step, observing the walls.* "This place is structured the same way as the other two."

Ashton: "Yes, it looks like it." *He spoke in agreement, closely following the party.*

Teresa: (Remenistal-) "Millard-"

Millard: "Yes, my sensational cupcake-?"

Teresa: "What kind of writing was that?"

Ashton: (She seems a little shocked that she couldn't understand the writing.)

Millard: "These old bones can't remember everything."

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "I just learnt the writing from several books I read."

Teresa: "I see."

Lance: *He looked around, picking his nose.* "Wat the old fart said before."

Millard: "What did he say?" *He sarcastically grumbled.*

Lance: *He rolled his eyes, tapping the wall.* "It's structured the same as the other two, but the walls-" *He watched the wall crumble around his hand.*

Ashton: "I agree. But it looks much older, doesn't it?"

Millard: "I do remember reading somewhere that it's said to be the third oldest temple of the five."

Teresa: "Where did you find that out?"

Millard: "Although researchers could not explore these places, they were able to analyse the quality of Astragons in the area."

Teresa: "It would make sense-"

?????: "Bwuahahgagah!"

Ashton: "It echoed down the corridor." *He gasped to himself.*

Lance: "No shit, Ash." *He cautiously glared down the corridor.*

Millard: "It looks like he's already here."

Teresa: (Tcch, how troublesome.)

Ashton: "Please be on guard, everyone."

Millard: (Bahaha, I was going to say exactly that. I see a bright future with this one.) "Oh, and, Lance."

Lance: "Wut?"

Millard: "Please, no more running off when we hear something."

Ashton: "Please, Lance?"

Lance: "Pssht, _fine_." (Maybe if we picked up the pace, I wouldn't feel the need to run all the time.)

Millard: "As the party walked down the corridor, they reached a dead end."

Lance: "There were three stone doors, all with thingys and scribbles on 'em." *He rocked his head back and forth in a sarcastic manner.*

Millard: "Splendid storytelling! But they're glyphs and writings-" *He pointed at the wall with an innocent face.*

Ashton: *He stared at the wall, shaking his head.* "We can't go any further?"

Millard: "These glyphs-?" *He stepped back, observing the wall as a whole.* (It's definitely a supportive Rostical-)

Lance: "Pssht, this place is fallin' to pieces." *He unsheathed his sword from the RPG bag.* "Lemme just smash it down."

Teresa: *Her eyes widened, quickly looking at Lance.* "You must not!"

Lance: "But I must, ya know me." *He walked up to one of the stone doors, preparing himself to smash it.*

Teresa: "The glyph, it is a teleportation-"

Lance: "Wateva!-"

*The glyphs on the stone door started to glow purple, causing the party to step back.*

Millard: "Yes, why didn't I recognise this before?"

*A large purple glyph instantly drew itself on the ground around the party.*

Teresa: (How does he know about the teleportation glyphs?)

Millard: (But how would she know about those type of glyphs? It's forbidden Rostical-)

*A bright purple flash blinded the party, causing them to squint their eyes.*

\----------

Zayden: *He quickly looked over his shoulder, drooling with excitement.* "I'm not alone? Muahahaha."

\----------

Ashton: *He shook his head, stepping forward with disorientation.* "Whoa."

Millard: *He smiled, adjusting his hat.* "My, my. What a ride, wasn't that fun, Teresa?"

Teresa: "I do not understand? How that was in any way _fun_?"

Lance: "Bah, yea, you feral old fart." *He grunted, holding his forehead.*

Millard: "Okay, okay. Leave this poor old man alone."

Lance: "Then stop-" *He spun around, gasping to himself in shock.* "The area is _completely_ _different_!"

Ashton: "Where are we?"

Millard: *He discreetly smiled at Ashton and Lance.* (Such innocent faces they display.)

Ashton: "This area reminds me of PKMY's training area, Teresa."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: "How did we get here?"

Teresa: "You fail to understand _despite_ being warned, that you activated a _teleportation_ glyph?"

Lance: "Pssht, instead of pointin' fingers, Teresa. I'd like to know how them teleport thingys actually work."

Teresa: "Have I not explained that already?"

Lance: "No you haven't, how embarrassin' for you."

Teresa: "Tcch, I will explain the formula behind it after we conclude where we stand."

Lance: "On the ground?"

Ashton: "Lance?"

Lance: "We're standin' on the ground?"

Millard: "My, my. Even I knew what she meant, Lance." *He sighed, shaking his head.*

Ashton: "How is everyone?" *He brushed dirt off his clothes, glancing at each party member.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She quickly looked behind her, scanning across the ground.* (I sense, seven-) *She spun around, staring in front.* (No eight Scoldrants, circling around us.)

Millard: (She must sense them too-)

Teresa: (Why can I not see them? They are not of power, but with our current party-) "Millard-"

Millard: "I know, my princess."

Lance: (Princess?) *He rolled his eyes, flicking the sword by his side.*

Ashton: *He glanced at Teresa and Millard with confusion.* "What's wrong?"

Millard: "There are a few Scoldrants nearby." *He looked to each side with caution.*

Lance: "How many?" *He grunted, firmly holding the sword.*

Teresa: "Eight."

Ashton: *He raised his arms, causing the ring to flicker.* "How strong are they?"

Teresa: "..." *She stared into the distance with an emotionless face.*

Millard: "Well-"

Teresa: "Judging by their Neuron output, they are comparable to the one we encountered on top of Gasher Hills."

Ashton: "The one on Gasher Hills."

Lance: *An image of the Scoldrant flashed in his mind.* (That strong?!)

Millard: *He looked at Lance with confusion.* "My, my, child. You look ill."

Lance: "Pssht, it's because I gotta look at your face _every_ day!"

Millard: "Ouchies-"

Teresa: "Prepare yourselves!"

Lance: *He watched three Scoldrants charge towards him.* (I'll kick the living shits out of 'em!)

Ashton: "Okay, Teresa. Please stand back." *He looked up, watching four Scoldrants circle above him.*

Teresa: "..." *She elegantly spun around, walking behind Ashton with an emotionless face.*

Millard: *He watched a Scoldrant burst up from the ground.* (What sneaky creatures-)

Lance: "Here they come!" *He frowned, raising the sword in front.*

Teresa: (All the Scoldrants are now in attacking range.)

Millard: "Here we go, children!" *He clapped his hands, causing a pulse of fire to swirl around them.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine-" *A bubble-like ball swirled in between his hands.*

Millard: (These Scoldrants are weak to fire, I've got luck on my side once again.)

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He pushed forward, blasting a ball into one of the charging Scoldrants.*

Lance: "Nice one!" *He watched the Scoldrant roll and tumble across the ground.*

Scoldrant: *It flapped its wings, aiming its abdomen at the party.* "Koree-ee-ee."

Lance: "Huh?" *He looked up, staring at the flying Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Kee-kah!" *It shot two needle-like barbs directly at Lance.*

Lance: *He stared at the barbs, frozen in shock.* ( _Move_? Why can't I move!)

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *He waved his arms across Lance, causing a bubble-like swirl to raise around Lance.*

Lance: "Whoa-" *He stepped back, watching the barbs hit and spiral off the shield.* "Kool-"

Ashton: "CYCLONIC WINDS" *He stared at the barbs and looked up, blasting a tunnel of wind towards the Scoldrant.*

Scoldrant: "Kee-?" *A barb stabbed it in the chest.*

Teresa: *She watched two Scoldrants slam into the ground with incredible force.* (He used the wind to throw the barbs back at the Scoldrant, also hitting a nearby Scoldrant in the chest-)

Millard: "Raging flames-" *He stepped back.* "Infernal nova-"

Teresa: *She glanced at Millard.* "..."

Millard: *He closed his eyes.* "Gushing heat-" *A bright red glyph shined under his feet.* "Grasping heat-"

Ashton: "What are you doing, Millard-?"

Scoldrant: *It burst out from the ground, raising its claws, preparing itself to slash Ashton.* "Kee-"

Ashton: "Huh?!" *He looked to his side, gasping with shock.*

Lance: "Harh!" *He swung the sword with all his body weight, slicing two of the Scoldrant's six legs.*

Ashton: *He looked surprised, staring at the purple blood on Lance's sword.* "L-Lance-" (I couldn't respond-)

Scoldrant: "Kee!" *It screeched in pain, glaring at Lance.*

Lance: *He smirked, flicking the sword to his side.* "As if I'd let anyone touch ya."

Ashton: (Thank you, Lance.)

*A Scoldrant appeared behind Lance, readying its pincers.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, UNPROFOUND BIND" *Five bubble-like strings, solidified into glass, pinning the Scoldrant around the neck.*

Lance: *He turned around surprised, slicing the Scoldrant's head off.* "Hmph."

Ashton: "As if I would let anyone touch you." *He smiled, brushing his hair.*

Lance: "Pssht, don't talk down to me." *He smiled, shaking his head.* (What a cocky fool.)

Millard: "FLAMING WHEEL" *He opened his eyes, opening his mouth with concentration.* "FLAMING STORM"

Lance: "Aye?" *Hot hair swirled around Millard, catching his attention.*

Millard: *He spread his hands far apart, causing a fiery tornado to scorch an unexpected Scoldrant.* "Horh!" *A ball covered in flames blasted high into the air and exploded, consuming the remaining Scoldrants.*

Ashton: "A-Amazing-" *He watched two Scoldrants covered in fire, fall to the ground.*

Teresa: (Using two Rostical at once, is remarkable-)

Lance: "Not bad for an old fart."

Scoldrant: *It glanced at its sliced legs in anger, aiming a barb at Millard.* "Kee!"

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Millard: (I won't be able to react in time!-)

Ashton: "Millard! MYSTIC-"

Millard: *A bright red glyph drew itself on the ground, spiralling around him.* "SPIRAL FLAMES"

Teresa: *Her eyes widened in shock.* (That power!-)

*A huge fiery tornado blasted down from the sky, smashing on top of the Scoldrant.*

Lance: *He covered his face, watching splinters of fire scatter past his face.* (Th-The fire burnt the needle thing-)

Ashton: "The wind is hot-"

Lance: *He noticed the intimidated Scoldrants staring at the swirling fire.* "Now is my chance-" *He ran up, slicing the remaining Scoldrants.*

Teresa: *She observed Millard, noticing black tattoo-like lines on his skin.* (A Self-inflicting Glyph?!)

Millard: "Phew-" *He lowered his arms, causing the fire to extinguish.*

*The party clustered together, looking at Millard with amazement.*

Ashton: "You used two Rostical at once." *He smiled, chuckling in disbelief.*

Millard: *Sweat dripped down his forehead, as the black lines started to fade away.* "Bahaha, I've been practising that." *He mumbled, puffing each word.*

Lance: "Even _I_ was impressed-"

Millard: "Impressed? Awe-"

Lance: "Try not to have a heart attack, old fart, aha."

Millard: *He placed his hand on his chest.* "With youngsters like you throwing compliments at me, the sky's the limit!"

Lance: "Lame." *He placed his hands on his head, rolling his eyes.*

Ashton: "Excuse me, Teresa."

Teresa: "Hmm?"

Ashton: "You said that the Scoldrants were as strong as the one on Gasher Hills."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Ashton: "But they were quite easy."

Teresa: "It merely shows how strong you have grown."

Lance: *He smirked, enthusiastically sniffing through his nose.* "Ya don't have to thank me."

Ashton: "What happens now-?"

*A bright purple glyph shined around the party.*

Teresa: "It appears to be another teleportation glyph, be cautious."

Ashton: "Got it!"

Millard: (This is like the old times, once the enemy is vanquished, the test is over.)

Teresa: (It is quite intriguing to know why the glyph was still active-)

*The area started to blur and swirl, as a bright purple flash blinded the party.*

Lance: "Ah-?" *He stepped forward, slowly opening his eyes.*

Ashton: "W-We're back here, at the three stone doors."

Lance: "Gah, that doesn't feel good." *He held his stomach, looking ill.*

Millard: "My, my." *He observed his surroundings, adjusting his hat.*

Lance: *He walked towards the second stone wall, lifting up his sword.* "Let's try the next door-"

Ashton: "Lance, please stop."

Lance: *He looked over his shoulder and sighed, lowering the sword.* "Wateva."

Teresa: "Millard." *She stared at the door, waiting for Millard's response.*

Millard: "Of course." *He hobbled up to the doors, thoroughly inspecting them.*

Ashton: "Any clue on what they say?"

Millard: "Hmm, _well_ , the door on the far right says. Those who enter upon this door shall be tested."

Ashton: (The door that teleported us-)

Millard: "The one in the middle says-"

Lance: "Aye?" *He noticed Millard reading the door, causing him to step out of the way.*

Millard: "Those who enter upon this entrance shall face tremendous pain."

Ashton: "That doesn't sound good."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: "Wat 'bout the last one?"

Millard: "Hmm?" *He leant forward, squinting his eyes.* "Those who have the might of Remenistal shall pass to the sanctum."

Teresa: "We require the use of Rostical?"

Millard: "Yes, just like the entrance."

Teresa: "I see."

Millard: "Ashton, if you may?"

Lance: (Why isn't anyone asking for _my_ help?) *He folded his arms and pouted child-like.*

Ashton: "Of course, Millard." *He smiled and stepped forward, slowly taking a deep breath.*

Teresa: "..."

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE"

*The glyphs on the door started to glow, lighting up the area.*

Teresa: "The door appears to react to the mere activation of Rostical." *She mumbled to herself in thought.*

Ashton: "Harh!" *He pushed forward, blasting the bubble-like sphere into the door.*

*The wall started to rumble, causing the door to slowly slide open.*

Lance: "Hmph." *He grunted, walking into the room.* "Aye? It's just a small room?"

Millard: *He hobbled into the room, noticing a large glyph on the ground.* "Another glyph?"

Teresa: "It is another teleportation glyph."

Ashton: *He glanced at the ground slightly worried.* "Where do you think it will take us?"

Millard: "I hope it's a chocolate factory."

Teresa: (Chocolate factory?)

Lance: "Pssht, lousy old fart." *He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.*

Ashton: "Do you think it's another trap?"

Lance: "Why ya say that, Ash?"

Ashton: "A small room with a teleportation glyph, it could lead us _anywhere_."

Teresa: "Ashton has a point, but we can only hypothesise at this point. Millard?"

Millard: *He nodded his head, walking to the middle of the glyph.* (Focus-) *He reached out and opened his hand, causing the glyph to glow purple.*

Ashton: (It's responding to him, amazing-)

Millard: "It's ready, children."

Teresa: (I did not expect Millard to activate the teleportation glyph so, _easily_.)

Ashton: *He stepped towards Lance, whispering by his side.* "Since The Ancient Forest, I noticed you haven't complained about going home."

Lance: *He watched the room glow purple, caused by the glyph.* "I suppose, I've gotten used to this dump." *He walked on top of the glyph, folding his arms with a smirk.*

Ashton: (Glad to hear it.) *He smiled, as a flash of purple light blinded him.*

Lance: "Bah-" *He slowly opened his eyes, stepping back in a sickly manner.*

Millard: *He looked up and observed the new area around him.* "The place consisted of coloured tiles, which appeared new I might say."

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "There was no indication it was from ancient times and it was brightly lit." *He rubbed his eyes, blinking several times.* "It had a divine essence."

Ashton: "Wow, this place is _amazing_." *He spun around, admiring his surroundings.*

Lance: "Do you guys feel that?" *He lowered the sword and closed his eyes, holding his stomach.*

Ashton: "Feel what?"

Lance: *His eye twitched with concentration.* "It's like butterflies, it's hard to explain."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Millard: "What does it feel like, child?"

Lance: "Like, a swirl of electricity, or a whirl of wind, I dunno." *He opened his eyes with confusion.*

Millard: "That power, can you feel it fluctuate the more you concentrate on it?"

Lance: "Yea, how did you know?"

Teresa: (Lance can sense Neurons?) *She thought to herself in shock.*

Millard: "Dunno, call it experience."

Lance: "Pssht, old fart." *He looked down and felt his stomach.*

Ashton: (If this is the sanctum, then Zayden must be nearby.)

Lance: (This strange feeling. I get it when I'm with my family, what does that mean?)

Teresa: *She cautiously glanced around the room.* (The strange essence of this room is masking Zayden's Neuron signature-)

Zayden: "Do you understand how irritating and boring your conversations are?"

Teresa: "Hoh?!"

Millard: "Oh my?!"

Lance: "Aye?!"

Ashton: "Look up there!" *He pointed to Zayden who stood on a ledge which branched off the wall.*

Zayden: "It's me?" *He smirked, slowly turning around.*

Millard: "Zayden! What are you doing?!" *He braced himself, holding his hat with anticipation.*

Zayden: "Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm sure you're very well aware, _grandma_."

Millard: (You fool!-)

*Spheres of pure light floated across the room, lighting up the area around them.*

Teresa: (Orbs of light? They are-) *She gasped, staring at the spheres of light.*

Lance: "Oh flamin' shit nuggets! Did Teresa just show emotion?"

Millard: "Teresa, my dear, are you feeling well? It's not like you to be on edge."

Teresa: *She flicked her hair with an emotionless face.* (They are visible Neurons, but how is that possible?)

Millard: *He looked at Teresa, before glancing to a sphere of light.* (Neurons so powerfully condensed, that they're visible? I haven't seen something like this since, the floating city, Valhalla-)

Lance: "Umm, we've got an enemy right in front of us!"

Zayden: "Bawhahaha, and here I'm thinking you were the stupid one!"

Lance: "Pssht, shut up."

Zayden: *He sighed and faced the wall, observing the glyphs.* "Leave now, _fools_! I'm no longer interested in you."

Millard: "Don't turn your back on us-"

Zayden: "This one's a little harder to unlock than the other two."

Ashton: "The other two?" *He mumbled to himself, observing the wall in front of Zayden.* "Hey, look on the wall, it's the same five glyphs."

Zayden: "Hahahaha, unlock, like the others! Yes, the others! Bwahahaha."

Millard: "Enough of this!"

Zayden: "At least you're all here for a _real_ show!" *He chuckled, wiping drool off his chin.*

Lance: *He glanced at the party with an impatient frown.* "Is someone gonna effin' stop him?!"

Ashton: "Lance-" *He mumbled to himself with confusion.*

Lance: "Or am I gonna have to do everythin' around here?!"

Zayden: "Bwaha? _Stop_ _me_?" *He stopped his incantation, slowly facing the party again.*

Teresa: "..."

Zayden: *He instantly noticed Teresa, causing him to smile.* "Well, Teresa. Hello, bahahaha."

Teresa: (Tcch-) *She elegantly stepped back, preparing herself to run.*

Zayden: "Defensive seals, tri-nine traps-"

Millard: (That sudden burst of Neurons-) "Watch out, children-"

Zayden: "UNPROFOUND ULTIMATE BINDING"

Teresa: (Tcch! An advanced binding Rostical!-)

*Five red transparent rods, violently struck into Teresa's waist.*

Lance: *His hair blew back, causing him to stare at the rods in shock.* (I felt the force hit her from here-)

Ashton: "Teresa!"

Teresa: "Karh-" *She wheezed and coughed.* (I can not break free! If I was seen like this-)

Ashton: (That looks like my Unprofound Bind-)

Zayden: "Now that's done-" *He faced the wall and mumbled to himself, placing his hand on the glyph.*

Millard: *He frowned, stepping forward.* "No you don't, child!"

Lance: "About time-"

Millard: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL" *He watched a ring of fire spiral around Zayden.*

Zayden: *He looked down and smirked as the fire lost its momentum.* "Too easy, bahaha!"

Millard: "I-It extinguished?!"

Ashton: *He frowned, waving his arms.* "Neurons give me your power, Astragons lend me your swift, tempest trap and conceal, CYCLONIC WINDS"

Zayden: *He looked over his shoulder, staring at the blast of visible wind with a bored expression.* "You're such pests."

Ashton: *He watched the wind lose its power, causing a gentle breeze to blow against Zayden.* (Wha?)

Millard: "What trickery is this?!"

Lance: "It was a direct hit!"

Ashton: *He looked at Teresa, running towards her.* (I'm not really good at sensing things like Millard and Teresa, but these poles emit such power-)

Teresa: "D-Do not worry about me." *She struggled to say each word.*

Ashton: "Good grief, unacceptable. I'll worry about you as much as I want-"

Zayden: "Muahaha, trickery? Bwahaha!"

Millard: "I see how it is." *He spread his legs, focusing his attention to Zayden.*

Zayden: "Don't waste your Neurons, you dirty lamp, don't you see? It's my special ability-"

Lance: "..." *He jumped from Zayden's blind spot, raising the sword.*

Zayden: "Eh? I couldn't even feel your presence?"

Lance: "Too bad, shit face-"

Zayden: "Slow-" *He grabbed the sword and smirked.*

Lance: *His eyes widened in shock, as he tried to withdraw the sword.* "N-No-"

Zayden: "You were so close-" *He noticed how close the sword was to his face and formed a fist.*

Ashton: "No, Lance! Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

Zayden: "Harh!" *He punched towards Lance's face at blinding speeds.*

Millard: "Oh my!-"

Zayden: *A bubble-like shield instantly popped, blasting Lance back.* "A shield blocked-? Yes, a shield, bwahahaha."

Lance: "Oof-" *He smashed into the stone wall, instantly falling unconscious.*

Zayden: *He tilted his head, giving Ashton a feral look.* "I'm sick of you."

Ashton: *He ignored Zayden, staring at Lance lay across the ground.* "Lance!"

Zayden: "No-" *He shook his head, focusing his attention back to the glyph.* "The mission, yes? Yes, I will continue the mission."

Millard: (My Rostical.) *He looked at his hands in confusion.* (No ability can negate a Rostical like that-)

Zayden: "'O power within' thee, unlock the tri-numerous Neurons-"

Teresa: "Tcch-"

Zayden: "CELESTRIAL GLYPH UNLOCK!"

*The entire room vibrated, reacting to Zayden's Rostical.*

Ashton: "Ah-" *He rocked to the side, nearly falling over.*

*Sand streams fell from the ceiling, causing Millard and Ashton to look worried.*

Zayden: *He watched another glyph spiral and glow on the wall.* "Another activation, bites the dirty lamp, muahaha."

\----------

*Alicia focused all her attention brushing her hair, not noticing her pendant which glowed yellow.*

\----------

Ashton: " _What_ is your mission?"

Zayden: "Trash will speak when spoken to!" *He stared at the three glowing glyphs with a crazy smile.*

Ashton: "I reassure you, I'm no trash-"

Millard: "Don't bother, Ashton."

Zayden: "This is all for you, my Consultant." *He looked down, remembering falling snow.*

Ashton: "Unacceptable! What is your mission?!"

Zayden: *He snapped out of his daydream-like stare.* "Arh, two more, but _where_? Muahaha."

Millard: "Wait!-"

Zayden: "Bwahahaha." *He stepped forward, flashstepping out of the sanctum.*

Teresa: "Kerh-" *The poles around her waist disintegrated, causing her to drop to her knees.*

Ashton: *He quickly stepped forward, catching Teresa in his arms.* "Are you okay?"

Teresa: *She felt her chest and waist, nodding her head.* "I have received minimal damage. I appear to be fine."

Ashton: *He stood up, focusing his attention back to Lance.* "Lance!" *He ran towards him, stepping to the side avoiding a stream of sand.*

*The sanctum violently rumbled, causing large rocks to fall from the ceiling.*

Millard: "We should leave, children."

Teresa: *She elegantly stood up straight, observing the cracks in the walls.* (This place will collapse at any given moment-)

Millard: "But how will we get out? The teleportation glyph was one way." *He looked on the ground, scanning for another glyph.*

Ashton: (Only one-way?) *He leant down, staring at Lance with confused shock.* (How can I help?)

Teresa: "Tcch, this is not good."

Millard: "Oh dear!-" *He stepped back, watching a large piece of rock crumble in front of him.*

Ashton: *He looked over to the disorientated party members.* (I have to help! Help! _Help_!-)

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She looked at Ashton, noticing his glowing ring.* (I can sense Ashton's Neuron level output rising at an exceptional rate.)

Ashton: (I will not allow my friends to-) *He frowned, gritting his teeth.*

Teresa: (The ring is glowing. PKMY told me, if his ring started to glow for a long duration-)

Millard: "It's no use." *He stopped looking across the ground, stepping back filled with despair.*

Teresa: (It means he is either, using the ring to its limits, or, he is using his own Neurons. PKMY did not tell him this.)

Millard: (I have too much to live for, too many things that need closure. I can't.)

Ashton: (I will make sure _none_ of my friends are hurt!-)

*An enormous crack split in the middle of the wall, causing light from outside to pour into the room.*

Ashton: *He squinted his eyes, staring at the light.* "Why don't we exit through the crack?"

Millard: "Even if we escape-" *He listened to the violent waves outside.* "We'll be stuck on the island, due to the water Scoldrants."

Ashton: "I'll use another bridge-"

Teresa: "Due to the quakes caused by the glyph's activation, the waves are now stronger and larger than before."

Millard: "And don't forget, Lance."

Ashton: "..." *He looked down in thought.*

Teresa: (What will be the best cause of action to result in all my party members staying alive?)

Ashton: *He looked up, staring at the party as if he had an idea.* "Millard, could you please create one of those Self-inflicting Glyphs?"

Millard: "Why?"

Teresa: (Indeed, why? All it does is use the body's own energy to boost-) *Her eyes widened with realisation.*

Ashton: "Because-"

Teresa: "This may be selfish to ask, but Millard, fulfil Ashton's request."

Millard: *He stared at Teresa with confusion, nodding his head.* "Anything for you."

Ashton: (My friends mean everything to me-) *He stood up, watching Millard walk towards him.* (So I'll eagerly do things like this.)

Teresa: "But ensure that it is a _weak_ glyph, do you understand, Millard?"

Millard: "Make sure it's a weak variant."

Teresa: "Precisely!"

Millard: *He placed his hands under Ashton's chin, closing his eyes.* (What will this hope to do?)

Ashton: "Ker-argh-" *Black lines drew themselves all over his body.*

Millard: *He stepped back, ignoring the falling rocks around him.* "It is done-"

Ashton: "FLORIAN DRIVER" *He spread both arms apart, as swirls of visible wind spiralled around his body.*

Millard: *His hair blew back as he stared at Ashton in shock.* (His Grand Rostical!- Or was it his Ougi?!)

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

*A glass-like shield instantly engulfed the entire party, emitting a slight humming sound.*

Teresa: (The level of his shield is quite impressive.)

Millard: *He hobbled past Ashton, picking up Lance.* (Despite how strong a shield is, if the entire sanctum collapses on top of us-)

Ashton: "CYCLONIC WINDS" *He waved his arm, bursting the entire wall apart.*

Teresa: (Inconceivable-)

Ashton: *He pointed outside, slowly dragging his feet.* "We're going to Eon City."

Millard: "These old bones can't understand what's going on. You want us to run along the water?"

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He motioned a ball in between his hands, as it crystallised into a glass-like sphere.*

Millard: "What are you doing-?"

Ashton: "..." *He pushed forward, blasting the sphere into the distance.* "The threat far away is now gone, hurry!"

Teresa: "Let us go, quick." *She helped Millard carry Lance by placing his arm over her shoulder.*

Ashton: *He led the party outside, causing him to smile with concentration.* "Quickly."

Millard: *He looked down, staring at the water.* "We're on the edge of the island, child. We can't-"

Teresa: *She watched the wind swirl around Ashton, as the shield shattered like glass around her.* (What drives him so?)

Ashton: *He watched massive waves crash around the island.* "Unacceptable-" *He waved his arm to the side, exploding a large wave in the distance.*

Teresa: (That wave would have washed us away-)

Ashton: *He motioned the party to continue walking.* "Quickly-"

Millard: " _Despite_ the circumstances, don't be absurd! We cannot walk across the water."

Teresa: "..."

Ashton: *He raised his arms, noticing small cuts on his hand.* (The wind is sharp, it hurts-) "Go! Hurry!"

Teresa: *She stepped forward, placing one foot over the water's surface.* "..."

Millard: "Teresa, don't-"

Teresa: *She stepped down into the water, gasping to herself.* (Wind?)

Millard: (The water is being repelled?!)

Ashton: *He walked over the edge, placing both feet into the water.* "..."

Millard: "His Mystic Shield shattered-?"

Teresa: "Millard, come now."

Millard: *He watched Teresa and Ashton, slowly sink into the water.* "Y-Yes!" *He closed his eyes, hopping into the water.*

Teresa: *She watched a large sphere repel the water.* "We have submerged under the surface."

Ashton: (My protect! Help!) *Blood ran from his nose and ears.*

Millard: (My gosh!-) *He leant forward the moment his feet touched the ocean floor.*

Teresa: (Ashton's growth is remarkable! Wait until PKMY sees how much her pupil has grown.)

Millard: "W-Will _whatever_ is projecting the water away, hold?"

Ashton: "You're all trusting me with your lives! I will never, ever give up!" *He spoke with determination, as he started to tear out blood.*

Millard: "Th-The light was gloomy on the ocean floor. The sand sat still and several Scoldrants swam around the shield, completely unaware." *He mumbled to himself, keeping himself calm.*

Ashton: *He watched strings of wind swirl around his face.* (It feels like the wind is boiling water, but I can feel it cool.) *He sniffed, trying to stop the blood from coming out of his nose.*

Teresa: *She observed the ground, firmly holding Lance's arm.* "The ground slopes up. We should be nearing the surface shortly."

Ashton: "Argh-" *He grunted in pain, as he struggled to keep his concentration.*

Teresa: "We are nearly there, hold on."

Ashton: *He peered up, noticing a blurred image of land.* (Nearly-)

Teresa: "The top of the shield has reached the surface." *She calmly spoke, keeping Ashton's morale up.*

Ashton: "Harh!" *Water splashed into the air, as the shield-like wind burst around the party.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She fell onto the ground, discreetly sighing in relief.*

Millard: "Land!" *He kissed the dirt on the ground and smiled.* "That was outstanding, Ashton."

Ashton: "Haha, I don't hear any sarcasm, Mill-" *His eyes rolled back, as the drawings on his body disappeared.*

Millard: (Falling unconscious, I don't blame him.)

Teresa: *She stood up, giving Ashton a respectable look.* "You did excellently, I am overwhelmed."

Millard: "How can you stand so casually after all that, Teresa?"

Teresa: "Tcch." *She turned around, glaring at Millard with an emotionless face.* "Were you not meant to use a _weak_ Self-inflicting Glyph?"

Millard: "Hey, hey, hey. I saved the day, didn't I?"

Teresa: "He almost killed himself."

Millard: "..."

Teresa: "Surely you understand what a Self-inflicting Glyph does."

Millard: "Of course. It affects the way Astragons work."

Teresa: " _How_ exactly?"

Millard: "By blocking the way Neurons move in the body."

Teresa: "How so?" *She looked at Millard, knowing the answer.*

Millard: "Removing one's natural limit. Allowing Rostical to be at full effect without the use of incantations-"

Teresa: "Causing the Neurons to violently damage the body."

Millard: "..." (It's been years since I've been lectured like this-)

Teresa: "I am disappointed."

Millard: "Teresa, although you're not showing any emotions." *He paused and sighed.* "Or _never_ do. I know you're angry."

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "So I won't make any foolish mistakes again."

Teresa: "Carry Lance and I will carry Ashton. We will go back to Eon City, allowing them to rest."

Millard: "Yes." *He spoke softly, obediently picking up Lance.*

\----------

Kath: *She smirked, pushing her glasses up with one finger.* "Another glyph has been unlocked."

Zayden: *He flashstepped in front of Kath, bowing down to one knee.* "Indeed, muaha."

Kath: *She stared at Zayden in a condescending manner.* (His Neurons are getting worse-) "Go and find the next one."

Zayden: "Y-Yes, muahaha." *He stood up, flashstepping out of the room.*

\----------

*Teresa and Millard slowly made their way back to Eon City.*

Teresa: *She had images of Zayden wiping drool from his chin.* "What is wrong with that single digit?"

Millard: "I-I believe I can answer that for you."

Teresa: "Do so then." *She adjusted her grip on Ashton's arm, as she continued to look in front.*

Millard: "Hypothetically speaking, people are born with different levels of Neurons, Astragons or both."

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "When a person is born with a higher than average Neurons, there's a chance it may gather."

Teresa: (Gather?)

Millard: "Neurons can gather anywhere in the body, sometimes resulting for the better-"

Teresa: "To the point." *She took interest in the conversation, as she walked closer to Eon City.*

Millard: "Well, if the Neurons gather near the brain, it basically corrupts the person."

Teresa: *She touched her forehead in pain.* (I vaguely remember something like this? Now it seems I have forgotten simple things too.)

Millard: "They are driven on power, they lose basic emotions and gain powerful abilities. I assume that Zayden fellow is suffering from that very Neuron condition."

Teresa: "You make no sense. How do the Neurons gather? And why? Is there a remedy for the condition?"

Millard: "From previous cases, one may get the condition by being born with an overwhelming amount of Neurons." *He grunted, adjusting Lance around his shoulder.*

Teresa: "This information is wrong? People are born with different levels of Neurons or Astragons all the time."

Millard: "But what were to happen if you had no way to use Astragons-?"

Teresa: "It would cause a certain _imbalance_ in the body."

Millard: "That's exactly right."

Teresa: (I see.)

Millard: "And no, there is no cure."

Teresa: "This information was fascinating and it does explain Zayden's crude nature. But I have not forgotten what you put Ashton through."

Millard: *He sighed and looked forward.* "Hey, I see Eon City!-"

Lance "Arh, argh?" *He mumbled, regaining consciousness.*

Millard: "Ah, so you've come around."

Lance: "Don't tell me I fell unconscious _again_?" *He mumbled, gently placing his hand on his cheek.*

Teresa: "Indeed."

Millard: "But we carried you to safety-"

Lance: "Huh?" *He leant back, noticing how close he was to Millard.* "Eww, feral old fart-"

Millard: "You shouldn't walk-"

Lance: "Wateva-" *He stepped back, nearly falling over.*

Millard: "Lance?"

Lance: "I'm fine." *He wiped dirt off his clothes and stretched, noticing Ashton.* "W-Wat happened to him?!"

Teresa: "Settle down."

Lance: "But, Ash!-"

Teresa: "He used a self-inflicting Rostical to get us to land-"

*A massive explosion was heard and felt from The Unknown Island.*

Millard: "O-Oh dear." *He turned around, noticing nothing but a dirt cloud.*

Lance: "Wat?!" *He mumbled to himself in shock.* "Weren't we just there?!"

Teresa: "Indeed-"

Lance: "How did we get back? Did Ash use his bridge shield thingo-?"

Teresa: "Ashton would not have been able to effectively use the _bridge_ shield with you being unconscious."

Lance: "If we didn't cross his bridge, how did we get across?"

Millard: "..."

Lance: "Bah, my head hurts." *He rubbed the back of his head in pain.*

Teresa: "It is dire to thank Ashton when he wakes up."

Chapter 12: Recovering

Millard: *He walked into Eon City, watching two men run towards him.* "Please, over there." *He quickly pointed, directing the men to Ashton.*

Man A: "Take him to the recovery hall!"

Man B: "Got it!"

Lance: "I'm comin' too!" *He helped the men carry Ashton to the recovery hall.*

Man A: *He looked over his shoulder at Millard and Teresa.* "We heard-"

Man B: "And felt."

Man A: "A _huge_ explosion from The Unknown Island! What happened over there?!"

Teresa: "Another glyph was activated from inside." *She spoke in a stern voice, staring ahead with an emotionless face.*

Man B: "How did you get inside? We've been observing that area for a few years and-"

Man A: "Nothing."

Teresa: "One of our party members can freely use Rostical, so-"

Man A: "R-Rostical?!"

Man B: "Amazing!" *He looked astounded, glancing at each party member with curiosity.*

Man A: "We've never seen Rostical being used in our lifetime before!"

Man B: "Is it as powerful as the books state?!"

Teresa: "Depending on the person."

Millard: (Despite people using Ougis and Azure Bursts, Rostical Users have always been looked up in high regard-)

Ashton: *He coughed and wheezed in his sleep.* "Kgh-zzz."

Lance: (Ash.)

Teresa: "Millard, I am going to a companion's house."

Millard: "Okay?"

Teresa: "I am following up to see if she has done the preparations I have asked. I would like you to go with Lance and Ashton to the recovery hall."

Millard: "Okay-"

Teresa: "I will meet you all there." *She gracefully spun around, walking into the city.*

Millard: *He sighed, nodding his head.* (This is the not so fun part of an adventure.)

Man B: "We're almost there."

Millard: "Brilliant."

\----------

Teresa: (I wonder if Cassandra has prepared everything for me-) *She opened the door and stepped back in shock.* (Inconceivable!)

*Teresa stared at Cassandra, who was leant up against the wall with a spear pierced through her head.*

Teresa: (That animal-) *She formed a fist, shaking them with hidden anger.* (He is no better than a Scoldrant!)

*Blood ran down the wall, forming a puddle under Cassandra.*

Teresa: *She noticed a sword on the ground, causing her to shake her head.* (Such a powerful woman, defeated, before you could even grasp your weapon.)

*Teresa stepped back and walked out of the house, closing the door behind her.*

\----------

Ashton: *He lay on a bed in a small white room, with a flickering flame.* "Zzz."

Lance: "So how is he?!" *He looked at Ashton, grunting at a man dressed in white.*

Man: *He closed his eyes, moving his arm over Ashton.* "Hmm?"

Lance: "Hmm? Hmm, _wat_?!" *He started to panic, causing Millard to step forward.*

Man: "He pushed past his limits using a Rostical he shouldn't have."

Millard: "What a guess?" *He mumbled, questioning the man.*

Man: "Neurons have built up in certain areas of his body causing internal damage."

Millard: (As expected from a Self-inflicting Glyph-)

Man: "But I don't know how this is possible."

Millard: "Where are the affected areas?"

Man: "Luckily nowhere near his main organs."

Millard: "My, my, that's a mild relief."

Man: "Although, there is internal damage-" *He stepped back, lowering his arms.* "There is no significant damage."

Lance: "Wat does that mean?" *He hovered over Ashton, staring at him with concern.*

Teresa: "Stating that, as soon as Ashton awakens, he is able to leave." *She gracefully entered the room, closing the door behind her.*

Millard: (Teresa-)

Man: "Correct, and you might be?"

Teresa: "Teresa."

Man: "Now that there is no immediate danger, I have other patients to attend to."

Lance: "OK." *He smirked with relief, shaking his head.* (Man, I'm such a girl.)

Millard: "Other patients?"

Man: "A man went psycho just a few minutes before you arrived."

Millard: "Oh my." *He covered his mouth in a sarcastic manner.*

Man: "It doesn't help when I'm the only person in Eon City able to use high levelled Rosterology devices."

Teresa: (Zayden-)

Man: "Feel free to leave anytime you're ready." *He opened and closed the door behind him.*

Teresa: *She faced Millard, looking at Ashton.* "Did he say if any Neurons gathered around his head?"

Millard: "No."

Lance: *He gritted his teeth, forming a fist.* (I'm so freakin' sick of effin' getting knocked out _all_ the time!)

Teresa: "Had he used any of his life Neurons?"

Millard: "I don't think he'd be expected to be waking up anytime soon if he had."

Teresa: "Indeed." *She nodded her head in agreement as she focused her attention back to Ashton.*

Millard: "Did your friend have the preparations ready?"

Teresa: "Indeed she did." *She watched the shadows dance, triggering a flashback.*

\--

Cassandra: "The glyphs? Tarlea? Wow, I'm getting a little jealous."

Teresa: "Indeed, I will look into it further-"

Cassandra: "Once you have more information?" *She smirked, knowing what Teresa would say.*

Teresa: "Precisely."

Cassandra: "Oh! Before I forget, could you please send my regards to PKMY, Season and Madora."

Teresa: "I can accept such a simple task."

Cassandra: *She chuckled, shaking her head.* "Thank you."

Teresa: "I will-" *She paused and faced the door.* "I will arrive shortly."

Cassandra: "See you then. I'll make sure it's ready by the time you come back!" *She smiled, watching Teresa exit the house.*

\--

Ashton: "H-Huh?" *He started to awaken, instinctively scratching his eyes.*

Millard: "Ashton!"

Lance: "A-Ash!"

Ashton: "Ah, I feel _really_ weak."

Teresa: "It is good to see that you have awoken."

Lance: "So am I aye, aha." *He chuckled with relief, agreeing with Teresa.*

Ashton: ".. I'm glad we made it out of The Ark River." *He chuckled, softly coughing to himself.*

Teresa: (His voice is weak-)

Lance: "Made it _out_ of the river? Wat?"

Teresa: "Lance, fell unconscious throughout the entire ordeal."

Lance: "No shit, wat do you mean?!" *He faced Millard, filled with confusion.* "No one explained how we made it-"

Millard: "Young Ashton here-" *He smiled with a proud face.* "Raised a shield around us, allowing us to walk on the ocean's floor."

Lance: " _Wat_?"

Millard: "We walked on the floor of The Ark River-"

Lance: "Aha, that's freakin' awesome!"

Teresa: *She looked at Ashton with an emotionless face.* "Are you able to get up, Ashton?"

Lance: "Should he be gettin' up?" *He folded his arms, staring at Ashton in a protective manner.*

Teresa: "We should use this time effectively."

Ashton: "What do you mean by that?" *He spoke with respect, looking up to Teresa.*

Teresa: "I recall Zayden saying, where are the other two? Or something similar along those lines."

Millard: "Hmm, good hearing, my splendid-"

Teresa: "We need to take advantage that the opposition does not know the next location."

Lance: (Neither do we.) *He rolled his eyes, grunting to himself in thought.*

Ashton: *He bit his lip, lifting himself off the bed.* "I'm in no real pain."

Lance: "Good-"

Ashton: "Ouch-" *He rubbed his eyes, frowning in pain.* "Besides my ears and nose for some reason."

Millard: *He had a flashback of blood running out of Ashton's ears and nose.* "Ahem." *He awkwardly coughed, gathering the party's attention.* "Well, these old bones aren't looking forward to our next trip."

Lance: "Next trip? We don't have anywhere else to go."

Teresa: "Precisely. It would be wise to head back to Surpreon."

Lance: "Surpreon? Wait a minute." *He grunted with realisation.*

Ashton: "That's a little far away." *He sighed under his breath, losing morale.*

Millard: "We could stay here for a little longer."

Teresa: "It is _dire_ to update Season what has happened, and to check up on Alicia."

Lance: *He smiled in an approving manner.* "..."

Ashton: "Should I stock up the RPG bag for a long walk ahead of us?"

Teresa: "Please, my companion's house is this way." *She ignored Ashton, walking out of the room.*

Millard: "Oh my, children." *He motioned Ashton and Lance to follow.* "That's our cue to follow."

Teresa: "..." *She led the party out of the building and down an alley.*

Lance: "Ah, why are we stoppin' in a stinky alleyway?"

Teresa: "It is here."

Ashton: "What is here?"

Lance: "It's a tiny place anyways." *He stared at the tiny door, placing his hands on his head.*

Teresa: *She stepped forward, hesitating with realisation.* "Before we go inside, do not make a fuss."

Millard: "..."

Ashton: "Teresa?"

Teresa: "I have previously seen what has happened inside, so do not make a fuss."

Ashton: "Of course."

Millard: "Yes." *He nodded his head, stepping behind Teresa.*

Lance: "S-Sure." *He grunted, looking away.*

Teresa: "..." *She opened the door, revealing the gruesome sight to the party.*

Ashton: (Good grief!)

Millard: "..." *He looked away, lowering his head.* (I knew I felt something missing on my return to the city. It must've been her Neuron signature, although faint, still distinguishable-)

Lance: "So, wat are we doin' here anyways?" *He spoke with respect, knowing not to be rude to Teresa.*

Teresa: "I had my companion set up a teleportation glyph-" *She walked further into the room, facing the party.* "Straight to Surpreon."

Ashton: "Excellent." *He awkwardly smiled, avoiding eye contact with Teresa.*

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: (I'm glad we don't have to walk like a whole year to get back or something-)

Millard: "My hero." *He held his hands, sarcastically hobbling on the spot.*

Lance: "Oi, Teresa."

Teresa: "..." *She stared at Lance with an emotionless face.*

Lance: "Back at The Unknown Island, you were gonna tell me how them teleportation thingys worked."

Teresa: "Yes, the teleportation glyphs work in an easy formula."

Millard: (Easy formula? That's an understatement.)

Teresa: "The Astragons bend the space around the user and with the correct amount of Neurons, the user can freely transport from here to there."

Lance: "Huh?" *He stared at Teresa with a dumbfounded look.*

Teresa: "The Neurons charge the Astragons, causing the manipulation of space."

Lance: "Wat?"

Teresa: "Essentially-"

Lance: "This nerdy talk hurts my head! Silence." *He covered his ears, shaking his head with confusion.*

Millard: "But, child? _You_ asked _her_ -"

Lance: "Wateva."

Ashton: "Excuse me, but is this the glyph?" *He pointed to the ground, staring at black lines.*

Lance: "Aye?" *He looked down, staring at a circular-shaped glyph on the floor.* (They've been painted on-)

Teresa: "Indeed it is."

Millard: "Where are we going to get the Neurons or Astragons to activate it-?"

Teresa: "Cassandra has prepared everything in our absence."

Millard: (This Cassandra lass-) *He stretched the robes on his arms, mumbling to himself in thought.* (Somehow created a teleportation glyph in such a short amount of time.)

Ashton: "Being able to teleport, this is amazing."

Teresa: "Season and Grey have many teleportation stones, this is trivial to what they can do."

Lance: "So, let's get goin'?" *He grunted as if he didn't care what Teresa had to say.*

Teresa: "Indeed."

Millard: (And not only did she do this. But pre-emptively doing so, where activation is not required? I'm eager to have some questions answered-)

Teresa: "I am activating the glyph now." *She stamped her foot, causing the glyph to suddenly glow purple.*

Ashton: *He walked forward, standing next to Teresa.* "I'm sorry about your friend." *He spoke in a sincere manner, whispering to Teresa.*

Teresa: "Understandable."

Millard: *The area swirled and blurred around him, causing him to hold his hat with anticipation.* "Here we go-"

Teresa: (What is this feeling?) *She placed her hand on her stomach.* (Did I receive damage somewhere along the lines? Tcch-)

Ashton: (Understandable? Aren't you upset, Teresa?)

-

Lance: *He stepped forward, falling onto his knees.* "Ah-"

Millard: *He noticed Surpreon in the distance.* "And the party successfully teleported along the outskirts of Surpreon-"

Lance: "Not now!" *He grunted with anger, standing back up onto his feet.*

Millard: "Oh, frightening." *He withdrew his arms, pretending to be scared.*

Ashton: "The air is much warmer here, it's refreshing." *He smiled and relaxed, dropping his shoulders.*

Lance: "I'm gonna do my thing and run off."

Ashton: "Excuse me?"

Lance: "I've got about five days worth of payin' snot face out." *He stared at Surpreon, running towards it.*

Teresa: "I will go and keep Season updated immediately."

Ashton: "Teresa, I would like to come too please?"

Teresa: "That will not be an inconvenience."

Millard: "I've heard they've got splendid bargains at the markets today."

Ashton: "Here you go." *He handed Millard the RPG bag with a smile.*

Millard: "This is exciting, I'm going to get some delicious bargains, it's a steal!" *He sarcastically giggled, skipping towards the entrance.*

Ashton: *He watched Millard skip through Surpreon's wall, shaking his head.* "How embarrassing." *He face palmed, sighing to himself.*

Teresa: "What a pointless way to exert energy."

Ashton: "..."

Teresa: "I do not know who is worse, him or Lance?"

Ashton: "Haha, let's go." *He smiled, walking into Surpreon with Teresa.*

\----------

Millard: *He held a pear-like fruit, staring at it with fascination.* " _Ooo_ , how delicious and exquisite!"

*Several villagers walked past Millard, giving him a strange look.*

Millard: "You say, these _really_ have the power to cure sadness _and_ basic poisons?!" *He lowered his arm, staring at the shopkeeper for clarification.*

\----------

Lance: *He walked into the Inn, noticing Alicia's empty bed.* "Aye?"

Nurse: "Oh? You're with Alicia, aren't you?"

Lance: "Y-Yea?" *He spoke softly, looking away.* "I want to see her, aye."

Nurse: "You're in luck, she's finally awake."

Lance: "But she ain't here-"

Nurse: "She's now located in that room." *She pointed down the hall, walking past Lance.*

Lance: "Wateva."

Alicia: "..." *She silently looked down, playing with her pendant.*

Lance: "Oi, bitch face!"

Alicia: "S-Sorry?" *She turned around startled, noticing Lance.*

\----------

*Teresa and Ashton walked up to Season's manor, stopping in front of the guard.*

Teresa: "We are here to see his majesty."

Ashton: "..."

Guard: "I'm sorry, he's currently absent from his manor."

Ashton: " _Absent_?"

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Guard: "Current investigations have sparked his interest. He's currently in the research facility."

Teresa: "I see, let us go, Ashton."

Ashton: "S-Sure-" *He looked at the guard, nodding his head.* "Thank you, sir."

Teresa: "..." *She started to walk towards the research facility.*

Ashton: "The research facility. Why do you think he's in there?"

Teresa: "Perhaps abnormal energy signatures, probably regarding the activation."

Ashton: "Of the glyphs?"

Teresa: "Precisely."

Guard: *He stepped out of the research facility, stopping Teresa from entering.* "Restricted personal only."

Teresa: "We are here to see Season."

Guard: "That is not possible, he said _no_ _guests_."

Teresa: "Tell him, it is Teresa and Ash-"

Guard: "Teresa?! _The_ Teresa."

Teresa: "..."

Ashton: (Teresa must be a well-known scholar.)

Guard: "I'm sure he won't mind, please. Please, come in." *He stepped to the side, staring at Teresa in amazement.*

Teresa: "..." *She walked past the guard, entering the research facility.*

Ashton: *He closely followed Teresa, looking to each side.* " _There_ he is."

Teresa: *She watched Ashton point to Season who leant over Tyler.* "Season." *She noticed their glowing faces due to the Rosterology screen in front of them.*

Ashton: "Tyler."

Season: "Teresa!" *He smiled, rushing towards her.*

Teresa: "Well-?"

Season: *He tightly hugged Teresa, leaving her awkward and confused.* "We thought something happened to you all, at The Ancient Forest."

Teresa: "I had no intentions to worry you all."

Season: *He stepped back, sighing in relief.* " _What_ were you doing this _whole_ time?"

Teresa: "We ended up travelling to Eon City."

Season: " _All_ the way out _there_?" *He shook his head.* "You couldn't have made it here so quickly unless you had a teleportation glyph?"

Teresa: "Indeed, there is much to discuss."

Tyler: "Season, it just updated." *He leant back and looked away from the screen, scratching his eyes in disorientation.*

Season: "And?"

Tyler: "Still no energy spikes."

Season: "Okay." *He sounded disappointed, looking back at Teresa.*

Tyler: "But the experimental glyph is now ready." *He smiled, knowing his announcement would please Season.*

Ashton: "Energy spikes?"

Teresa: "What experiment?"

Season: "Hohoho, _well_ -"

\----------

Alicia: *She glanced at Lance, before quickly looking away.* "Bitch face?"

Lance: "Y-Yea."

Alicia: "So, you only came back to be mean?"

Lance: "W-Why not?" *He coughed, pretending to be cool.*

Alicia: *She paused, awkwardly scratching her arm.* "Umm, my arms and legs have healed themselves."

Lance: (It hasn't even been a week-) "S-So, did ya want a trophy or somethin'?"

Alicia: "N-No, it means-" *She nervously bit her bottom lip, looking up at Lance.* "I'll be able to travel with the party, as soon as I'm allowed to leave."

Lance: "Oh, OK."

Alicia: "Y-Yep."

Lance: "Well, fine."

*Alicia and Lance stared at each other, as silence filled the room.*

Alicia: "U-Umm, how about you save your insults, until then?"

Lance: "Aha, glad to see you're gettin' smarter."

Alicia: "Tee hee."

Lance: "Anyways, I'm off to see where the others are."

*Alicia and Lance stared at each other with red faces.*

Alicia: "Lance-"

Lance: "W-Wat-?"

Ashton: "He barged into the room, panting under his breath.* "Th-There you are!"

Lance: "Whoa, wat is it-?"

Ashton: "Let's go to the lab." *He stepped forward, grabbing Lance's arm.*

Alicia: (Ashton?) *She coughed, covering her mouth.*

Ashton: "Oh? Excuse my rudeness, this is unlike me-" *He paused, speaking with urgency.* "How are you, Alicia?"

Alicia: "Tee hee, I'm fine, go-"

Ashton: "But-"

Alicia: "Go, it seems urgent."

Ashton: "Thanks." *He smiled, pulling Lance out of the room.*

Lance: "Wat is it?" *He ran out of the Inn, staring at Ashton with confusion.*

Ashton: "Well-"

Millard: *He giggled, placing fruits and vegetables into the RPG bag.* "Simply, deliciously, divine." *He smirked, waving the bag around, admiring its light weight.*

Ashton: "Millard!"

Millard: "Hello to the two main heroes-"

Ashton: "Come with us, Season and Tyler have discovered something."

Millard: "Hmm?" (I wonder what's this about?)

\----------

Teresa: "How was it possible you came across such information?"

Season: "Actually, it's thanks to Tyler-"

Guard: *He noticed Millard, Ashton and Lance walk into the research facility.* "Season is expecting you all."

Millard: "Why thank you, child."

Guard: "My pleasure, _sir_ Millard." *He stamped his foot, bowing with respect.*

Lance: (Pssht, my _sir Millard_? Why do the guards think so highly of that grotty old fart?)

Ashton: *He walked to the left and smiled, looking over to Season.* "I got them, as you asked."

Season: "Excellent, thank you, Ashton."

Ashton: "..." *He nodded his head with a widening smile.*

Season: "Now, we can show you the-" *He paused in thought, placing a finger on his chin.* "Demonstration."

Lance: "Whoa, slow down, _wat's_ goin' on?"

Tyler: *He leant over a keyboard-like device, readying his hands.* "Season?"

Season: "Begin."

Tyler: *Season's words cued him to look at the party as if he was about to speak.* "Well-"

Lance: (Or just ignore me, that's cool.)

Tyler: "With this Rostical-based screen Season invented-" *He waved his arms, showing off the monitor.* "It's able to view the _entire_ continent's Neurons and Astragons."

Lance: "Whoopee, _another_ science lesson."

Ashton: "Lance-"

Lance: "Yea, land of the nerds, got it." *He sighed, rolling his eyes.*

Ashton: "Really, Lance?" *He face palmed, sighing under his breath.*

Millard: *He glanced at Lance, adjusting his hat.* "Silence, child. The adults are speaking now."

Lance: "..."

Millard: *He stared at Tyler, nodding his head.* "Please continue, boy."

Lance: (Man, did that old fart _just_ show me up?) *He frowned, folding his arms like a child.*

Tyler: "For instance, an example would be, when you all were at The Ancient Forest."

Lance: "..." *He sighed, looking up to the roof in boredom.*

Tyler: "We noticed a high energy spike in Neurons."

Season: "Then the same Neurons, spiked near The Sandy Tombs."

Tyler: "And last, we detected another near Eon City."

Lance: " _And_?"

Millard: "I agree, what has this got to do with anything?"

Tyler: "With the information we received from the energy spikes, we were able to develop a _weaker_ formula."

Ashton: "What would having a replica of the energy spike do for us?"

Tyler: "Surprisingly, with Surpreon's vast amount of information and Season's knowledge, he was able to create a glyph."

Millard: "My, my, impressive."

Season: "After speaking with Teresa and Ashton, I've come up with a way to halt his plans."

Millard: "Any luck?"

Season: "Well-" *He sounded indecisive, raising an eyebrow in thought.*

Lance: " _And_?"

Season: "Whatever Zayden is doing, we're trying to find a way to lock or reseal the glyph."

Millard: (I see, that would certainly stop the Consultant's plans.)

Lance: "So if ya got _so_ _much_ information, wat's the problem?" *He sighed, rolling his eyes.*

Millard: "Child? It's rude to speak to your peers like that."

Lance: "Pssht, wateva-"

Teresa: "And what is the formula for sealing the glyph?"

Season: " _That's_ what we're stuck on."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Tyler: "We've been unable to seal it."

Teresa: *She stared at Season, shaking her head.* "Season, you are of captain level, how can you not do such a trivial task?"

Season: "It just isn't possible." *He shrugged his shoulders in defeat.*

Teresa: "Inconceivable."

Ashton: "Excuse me, but why are you all making it sound like such a big thing?"

Teresa: "Most seal type glyphs or even shields, usually can be sealed and unsealed with high levelled Rostical."

Lance: *He stood behind the party, scratching his head in confusion.* (What are they talking about?)

Ashton: "I see, if that's the case, then what makes this glyph so special?"

Teresa: "With rare glyphs, they require the power of Grand Rostical to be sealed, unsealed."

Lance: "So? Season _knows_ Grand Rostickal?"

Season: "It's just-, it doesn't work." *He sounded confused, shaking his head.*

Ashton: "So this glyph you replicated, you want to seal it?"

Season: "Yes."

Tyler: "And that is why we've come to a halt in the experiment."

Lance: "Wait a-" *He shook his head with frustration.* "Why didn't ya just say that you wanted to lock a weak replica glyph, and that you couldn't do it?!"

Teresa: "Summarising what was just mentioned is quite tiring."

Lance: "W-Well-"

Teresa: "And that is _precisely_ what is giving Season-"

Lance: "The shits?"

Tyler: "..."

Ashton: " _Lance_ -"

Teresa: "A lot of _worries_." *She glared at Lance, before focusing her attention to Season.*

Millard: " _Ahem_ , despite being told the theory, could you please show us the glyph?"

Season: "Yes, could you all stand over here please?" *He motioned the party towards him.*

Tyler: (Season wants to be able to lock this glyph.) *He slightly frowned with determination.* (From the way Season speaks of Millard, maybe-)

Teresa: "The glyphs that were activated were like something I have never seen before."

Lance: "Me too-"

Teresa: *She intentionally ignored Lance, continuing on with her sentence.* "But how was it possible you created such a powerful glyph?"

Ashton: (I can't wrap my head around making a glyph you can't seal either.)

Season: "I'm not as knowledgeable as you are when it comes to formulas and glyphs, but we used the same traces of Neurons and Astragons from the energy spikes, recreating it into a smaller version."

Teresa: "I see, I understand."

Lance: (Seriously, how did _that just_ make sense?)

Season: "Tyler, ignite the Neurons."

Tyler: "..." *He pulled a small handle down, crunching it like a gear stick.*

Season: "Activate the experimental glyph!"

*A small glyph started to draw itself on the floor, catching the party's attention.*

Lance: "This whole sealing and everythin', why bother?" *He watched the glyph draw itself in detail.*

Ashton: (The glyph looks pretty complicated-)

Season: "My plan was to seal one of the five glyphs, so even though we don't know what the Consultants are planning, it should at least put their plans to a halt."

Ashton: "But even if you're successful to lock the glyph, wouldn't Zayden or the Consultants just unlock it?"

Teresa: "Season said the same thing, until."

Millard: " _Ooo_ , suspense?!"

Teresa: "Until I noticed the glyphs Zayden activated were dormant."

Lance: "Dormant? _So_?"

Millard: "Dormant?" *He mumbled to himself with a smile.*

Tyler: "If Teresa's right-"

Season: "Then we can't unseal the glyphs Zayden has sealed, or, he won't be able to unseal the glyphs we seal-"

Millard: "Within a certain time period."

Teresa: "Precisely."

Ashton: "Without a time period?"

Teresa: "It appears to be an ultra defence, restraining the glyphs with a time period."

Ashton: "Well that makes sense."

Lance: *He leant on his side, tapping his foot like a child.* "Who's to say he needs all five thingys to unlock wateva?"

Season: "We can only guess at this point."

Millard: "No, these old bones tell me that glyphs with such power _would_ need all five."

Season: "Hmm?" *He hummed in thought, agreeing with Millard.*

Lance: "Wait, to unlock _wat_?!"

Season: "We don't know."

Teresa: "Yet."

Millard: *He looked at Lance, sighing with impatience.* "Satisfied now, child?"

Lance: "Wateva." *He frowned, looking away.*

Ashton: *He watched the glyph pulsate, causing him to remember each Unknown Territory.* (It glows and pulsates like the others-)

Millard: "Okay, stand back, children." *He smiled, cracking his fingers in confidence.*

Season: "..."

Millard: "Let me do this." *He closed his eyes, chanting under his breath.* " _Seal_!"

Tyler: *He stared at the glyph, looking disappointed.* (Nothing, the glyph remains the same-)

Millard: *A platform of glyphs spiralled and glowed underneath his feet.* (Now I'm serious-)

Ashton: (Wow, look at all those glyphs around Millard!-)

Millard: "Self-inflicting Glyph!" *He opened his eyes, circulating wind around the room.*

Teresa: *She discreetly stared at Millard with widening eyes.* (His Neurons just skyrocketed!)

Lance: (Whoa, the old fart is going at it-)

Teresa: (Was the old man always _this_ powerful?)

Millard: " _Seal_!"

Tyler: *He stepped forward, staring at the glyph with suspense.* (What?!)

Season: "No luck." *He spoke slowly, sighing with failure.*

Millard: *He exhaled as tattoo-like markings faded off his body.* "I blame my age."

Season: *He watched the glyphs underneath Millard, disintegrate into nothing.* "Okay, deactivate it, Tyler."

Tyler: "Y-Yes-"

Alicia: "I-I'm sorry if I'm not allowed to leave the Inn, but-" *She walked into the room, nervously holding her arm.* "I feel really good now."

Season: "Hello, Alicia, it's fine." *He smiled, greeting her into the room.* "I was going to see you anyway. You're fine to leave."

Alicia: *She smiled, biting her bottom lip.* "Okay, th-thank you."

Teresa: "Welcome back." *She nodded her head, welcoming Alicia.*

Ashton: "It's great to have you back."

Alicia: "Tee hee, thank you." *Her cheeks turned red, as she walked towards the party.*

Lance: *He stared at Alicia, rolling his eyes.* "Did the room just get smaller?"

Millard: "My, my. If it isn't the little one, how are you feeling? I was deeply concerned." *He giggled, opening his arms for a hug.*

Alicia: "I'm feeling-" *She stepped over the glyph, causing it to seal.*

Millard: "Feeling-?"

Alicia: *The glyph stopped glowing, losing its spiral motion.* " _Argh_!" *She screamed with tremendous pain, suddenly collapsing to the floor.*

Millard: *He heard the sounds of a door locking, causing him to look up.* (What was that?)

Lance: "Sh-Shit-" *He whispered under his breath.*

Season: *His face filled with shock.* ( _What_?!)

*Silence filled the room, as everyone in the research facility froze in shock.*

Ashton: *He shook his head, running up to Alicia.* "Millard, help me pick her up please."

Millard: *He hobbled forward, assisting Ashton.* (Too bad. She was excited to travel with us again.)

Lance: "..."

Teresa: *She brushed her hand through her hair in confusion.* "What just happened?!"

Season: *He looked down to the glyph, causing his jaw to drop in shock.* (This cannot be possible?)

Tyler: "I-I don't believe it-" (I've got to make sure-) *He typed on the keyboard-like device for confirmation.* "She was able to lock it _just_ by _walking_ over it!"

Lance: "W-Will it be OK?!"

Season: "I'm not sure."

Ashton: "Sh-She's completely unconscious."

Millard: (So the plot thickens-?)

Teresa: "Why have we not taken her to the Inn yet?" *She cued the party to look alert, rushing Alicia to the Inn.*

\----------

*Kath sat on a high chair, staring a screen-like console in a poorly lit room.*

Kath: (Things are starting to worry me-)

Warrior: *She stopped typing, looking over her shoulder.* "Ma'am?"

Kath: "Number ten, why have you stopped my train of thought?"

Ten: "It is quite distracting, ma'am." *Her armour rattled, as she pointed up to the walls, watching them vibrate around Kath.* "You're releasing high amount of Astragons-"

Kath: *She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, causing the vibrations to stop.* "Most of my captains are on missions, it's a little unsettling having none of them here in Sorrowprax."

Ten: "Yes, I understand your worry, ma'am."

Kath: "Perhaps I have no choice but to inform The Black Brigade?"

Ten: "The Black Brigade, ma'am?"

Kath: *She shook her head, smirking with evil intent.* "No, it's too early for them."

Ten: (The Black Brigade?) "Of course, ma'am."

Kath: *She elegantly stood up, flashstepping out of the room.* "If you find any information on the next Unknown Territory, notify me immediately."

*Kath's voice echoed across the room, causing the warrior to quickly face the screen.*

Ten: "Y-Yes! Ma'am!"

\----------

*The party gathered around Alicia, who lay unconscious on a single bed.*

Lance: "Is it OK?"

Ashton: "..."

Season: "The medic has been notified, he should be arriving any moment now." (He's actually already running through her statistics.)

Lance: "Wateva."

Man: *He adjusted his glasses, walking into the room.* "Your majesty."

Season: "Ah, Alex, Surpreon's best medic."

Lance: (Pssht, right on cue.) *He stared at Alex's white garments, rolling his eyes.* (How convenient.)

Millard: "What happened to her?"

Teresa: "..."

Alex: "After examining her it became obvious to me that her Neurons and Astragons reacted to _something_."

Ashton: "What gave you that assumption?"

Alex: " _Every_ single Neuron and flow of Astragon in her body has shown recent activity."

Millard: "My, my, _every_ _single_ _one_?"

Teresa: (Inconceivable.) *She shook her head in a disapproving manner.*

Lance: (Shit, I don't understand _any_ of what they're saying.)

Alicia: "R-Radiatons-" *She muttered in her sleep, twitching her fingers in pain.*

Alex: *He looked at Millard, nodding his head.* "Yes, her entire body reacted to something."

Teresa: "I have never heard of this happening before, in what way were they activated-"

Season: "And to what?"

Alex: "The best way I can describe this, is well-" *He faced Season and Tyler.* "It's like an allergic reaction."

Tyler: "An allergic reaction?" *He mumbled to himself in thought, scratching the pimples on his face.*

Alex: "What did she come into contact with? A Scoldrant? Rostical? Something more?"

Tyler: "We are not entirely sure."

Ashton: "It was a replica of something else."

Tyler: "Yes. We merely copied the same type of Neurons and Astragons of a glyph."

Alex: "So it was an experimental glyph that did this?"

Season: "Yes."

Tyler: "Does this make sense?"

Alex: "Of course-"

Lance: " _No_ it _doesn't_ make sense." *He face palmed, moaning in the background.*

Alex: "What happened to the glyph? Did it react to her as well?"

Tyler: "The glyph's Neurons locked."

Alex: "Locked?"

Season: "We were trying to lock the seal and had no luck."

Millard: "As soon as our little girl walked over it, it instantly sealed-" *He suddenly snapped his fingers, catching Alex's attention.* "Just like that."

Alex: "I'm not sure if this experiment was important or not, but I would refrain having her near that type of glyph again."

Teresa: "..."

Alex: "It's obvious her body responds to it in a negative way."

Season: "I see. So-"

Lance: *He sighed, walking out the room.* "I'm goin' for a walk."

Ashton: "Ah." *He awkwardly watched Lance leave, before staring at the party.* "I'll go too. Please keep me updated."

Season: "Will do."

Ashton: "Thank you." *He smiled, leaving the room.*

Teresa: "What were to happen if she came into contact with another glyph."

Alex: "She would simply become ill."

Millard: "Oh my-" *He looked at Season and Tyler with thought.* "But didn't she step onto the experimental glyph?"

Season: *His eyes widened with realisation.* "What would happen if the glyph was stronger?"

Alex: "..."

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She prompted Alex to talk.*

Alex: "She would die."

Millard: "Hearing that saddens my old bones, no more talk about this?"

Tyler: (I agree-) "Season, I'll head back to the research facility, to see if I can find any more information?"

Season: "Good idea, report back to me immediately if you find any more information."

Teresa: "Perhaps you could find a correlation coefficient regarding Alicia and the glyph?"

Tyler: "O-Of course. And smart idea, Teresa!" *He bowed with respect, quickly leaving the room.*

\----------

Ashton: *He watched Lance power walk towards the entrance of Surpreon.* "Lance?!" *He shouted, running towards Lance.*

Lance: "..."

Ashton: *He stepped next to Lance, taking short breaths.* "What's wrong?"

Lance: "..." *He sighed, stepping out of Surpreon.*

Ashton: *He followed Lance, looking over his shoulder at Gasher Hills in the distance.* "So, you don't want to tell me anything at all?"

Lance: "It's just-" *He stopped, sighing to himself."

Ashton: "What, Lance?"

Lance: "Lemme find a spot to sit down, aye."

Ashton: *The sounds of waves, caught his attention.* "Hey, do you hear that?"

Lance: "No." *He mumbled, pouting like a child.*

Ashton: *He closed his eyes, deeply inhaling.* "Sounds like an ocean, you can even smell the salt-"

Lance: "Here will do." *He grunted, plunking himself on a large log.*

Ashton: *He sat next to Lance, looking at him with growing worry.* "So, what's up?"

Lance: "It's just, so much has happened."

Ashton: "Yes?"

Lance: "And I just realised how serious this place is."

Ashton: "Serious?"

Lance: "I've been underestimatin' this place, like pigface for starters."

Ashton: " _Pigface_?" *He smirked with a confused face.*

Lance: "Did you see how pale her face was? And Cliff, and like, all these deaths aye."

Ashton: "I am well aware of this, Lance, but what confuses me is-"

Lance: "Wat?" *He mumbled under his breath, looking over to Ashton.*

Ashton: "What confuses me is, although we've recently seen death close up." *He looked down, slightly frowning.* "Our world."

Lance: *He paid more attention to Ashton.* (His tone just changed-)

Ashton: "Earth is _filthy_."

Lance: "..."

Ashton: "Have you seen the news? What's been happening in our _very_ _own_ neighbourhood?!"

Lance: "N-No-?"

Ashton: "Murders! Theft! Lack of respect! Vandalism!"

Lance: "..." *He silently stared at Ashton with an emotionless face.*

Ashton: "After _everything_ we've experienced here, where we live-" *He looked up, grunting at Lance in an intimidating manner.* "You're getting worked up over _this_?!"

Lance: "..."

Ashton: *He sighed, controlling his emotions.* "I understand people have died."

Lance: (What am I meant to say-?)

Ashton: "Heck, even your father-" *He paused as if he realised what he said.* "I-I didn't mean-"

Lance: "It's all good, aye.."

Ashton: *He sighed.* "But, in comparison, this world isn't polluted with crime, our home-"

Lance: "OK, OK." *He brushed the side of his head in a mature-like manner, looking down to his feet.*

Ashton: "At least, the only problems in this world are caused by the Consultants."

Lance: "So, wat are ya sayin'?"

Ashton: "If we were able to get rid of the Consultants, or talk to the person in charge, then we might be able-"

Lance: "But, why are you comparin' worlds 'n' stuff?"

Ashton: "I admit, for the first week being here, all I thought about was getting home and seeing my family and friends."

Lance: "Yea." *He mumbled, nodding his head in agreement.*

Ashton: "Nearly a month has gone by and to be honest, Lance." *He stared at Lance with a serious face.* "I prefer here now."

Lance: "H-Huh?" *His eyes widened in shock.* "Oh, come on."

Ashton: "Excuse me?"

Lance: "Like, wat about video games, movies, foods and even cars. _How_ can you say that? Pssht." *He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.*

Ashton: "It's true, I stand by what I said."

Lance: "You want to stay here?" *He tilted his head, looking at Ashton as if he was joking.*

Ashton: "Yes, I want to stop these Consultants before this world ends up like ours."

Lance: "..." *He looked down, feeling disappointed.* "We've been here for nearly a month aye?"

Ashton: "Yes."

Lance: (I didn't even realise.)

Ashton: "But, there's one thing, I'm really grateful for."

Lance: "Wat?"

Ashton: "Getting transported together." *He smiled, placing his hand on Lance's shoulder.*

Lance: "..."

Ashton: "Did you want to help me?"

Lance: "Help you?"

Ashton: "Yes, help me correct the errors of this place?" *He paused with an enthusiastic smile.* "Before it turns like ours?"

Lance: "I-" *He bit his lip, indecisively grunting to himself.* "I just want to go home, have a long shower, and watch a movie."

Ashton: *He leant back, looking up into the sky.* "Look at the stars, the atmosphere, how _clear_ it is."

Lance: (Ash is really set to stay here-)

Ashton: *He took a long and satisfying breath.* "I've known you for more than twenty years, Lance. I know you would agree with me."

Lance: "Lemme think about it, aye."

Ashton: "So, if we can't find the next Unknown Territory, will you want to stay here with me?"

Lance: "Th-That's a really big thing to ask."

Ashton: "I-I know-"

Lance: "Are you tryin' to tell me, you aren't lookin' for a way back?"

Ashton: "N-No, if you want to go home, I'll still help you. But, I just _can't_ live in Dee Highs anymore."

Lance: "Then we can move, or-"

Ashton: "Until people start to respect each other, I can't call anywhere on Earth, home."

Lance: "Pssht-" *He frowned, looking away.* "Wat 'bout your family and-"

Ashton: "This goes beyond what I want."

Lance: "I dunno.." *He sounded confused as if he didn't know what Ashton meant.*

Ashton: "Well?" *He awkwardly proposed, leaning closer to Lance.*

Lance: "I will think 'bout it, _OK_?" *He frowned and grunted, suddenly shivering.*

Ashton: "The night here is pretty cold, shall we head back?"

Lance: "Yea."

Ashton: "Besides, I thought of something to do that'll put a smile on everyone's faces." *He smiled to himself with excitement.*

Lance: "Wat?!"

Ashton: "Oh, I forgot." *He jumped up and smiled, walking back to Surpreon.*

Lance: "Oh, no you just didn't." *He stood up, watching Ashton walk away.* "You're gonna tell me _now_."

Ashton: "..." *He started to run with a widening smile.*

Lance: "Oh you're goin' _down_!" *He grunted in a playful manner, running towards Ashton.*

Ashton: "Ha ha, this is unacceptable!"

Lance: "Pssht, unacceptable _me_!" *He ran into striking distance, preparing to tackle Ashton.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

*A bubble-like shield instantly swirled around Ashton, causing the surrounding environment to glow.*

Lance: *He touched the shield and it repelled him back, knocking him onto the ground.* "Ah-"

Ashton: "Ha ha, _that_ was acceptable."

Lance: "Aha, you suck!" *He kneeled up, brushing dirt out of his hair and face.*

Ashton: "Ha ha." *He wiped under his eye as the shield popped around him.*

Lance: "Pssht, wateva." *He closed his eyes and frowned, walking past Ashton.*

Ashton: "Lance-?"

Lance: "..." *He hit Ashton on the back of the head, causing him to smile.*

Ashton: (All he needs is a good laugh-) *He turned around, following Lance towards Surpreon.* (I'll speak to Season when we head back.)

Lance: *He grunted to the guard, before stepping into Surpreon.* (I'm kinda shocked about Ashton wanting to stay.)

Guard: "Hello, Ashton." *His armour rattled, as he placed a fist on his chest.* "You should be careful after sunset, Scoldrants are more active in the night around here."

Ashton: "I'll try to be more careful, thank you for the warning, sir." *He walked into Surpreon, making his way towards Season's manor.*

\----------

Kath: *She flashstepped in front of a door with green glowing glyphs on the hinges.* (If only she was awake-)

*Kath slowly reached out and touched the door, causing the glyphs to spiral and disburse.*

Kath: *She walked into the room, ignoring the high heel-like sounds her footsteps made.* (Nothing-)

*Kath stared at a woman, trapped in thick crystal-like ice.*

Kath: (You know the knowledge of all Unknown Territories, if only you could tell us.) *She pushed her glasses up with one finger, elegantly turning around.*

*Swirls of mist, wafted throughout the room, due to the large ice prison surrounding the woman.*

Kath: (I don't see why he wants to keep her alive-) *She flicked a strand of hair out of her face, flashstepping out of the room.*

\----------

Lance: (Man, I just want to go to sleep-) *He opened the door and yawned, dragging his feet to the bed.*

*Lance sighed to himself and took his shoes off, looking up to the ceiling.*

Lance: *He fell back and rolled onto the bed.* (Ash.. I look up to you.. You are someone I wanna work toward bein'..)

*Lance grunted and placed both hands behind his head while lying on his back.*

Lance: (But, you wanna stay here? I want to go home..) *He frowned in confusion and closed his eyes, squinting them as if he was annoyed.* (Wat do I do?)

\----------

Ashton: *He stood in front of Season's manor, knocking on the enormous door.* "Season, are you there-?"

*The door made sounds, suddenly opening by itself.*

Ashton: "Ah, thank-" *He stared into the empty manor, causing him to step back in confusion.* (Nobody is there?)

*Laughter echoed from the manor, drawing Ashton's attention.*

Ashton: (That laugh, it's definitely Season.) *He walked down the hallway, towards a golden door.*

\----------

*Pepper stood on a calm and relaxing shore of a beach, staring at a large red moon with fascination.*

Pepper: (It's so large, it's like I can almost touch it-) *She raised her arm, grabbing the moon from her eyesight.*

?????: "It is surreal, is it not?"

Pepper: "I say, who's there?" *She quickly spun around, staring into the forest.*

*A man wearing a robe around his neck walked towards Pepper in a friendly manner.*

?????: "Sorry to frighten you."

Pepper: *She stepped back, standing in a battle-ready pose.* "State your name and business."

?????: *He suddenly stopped, looking at Pepper in confusion.* "My name is Cameron."

Pepper: "Cameron?" *She relaxed, standing up straight.*

Cameron: (Her aura and personality changed?)

Pepper: "I say, my name is Pepper."

Cameron: "Pleased to meet you." *He smiled, slowly walking towards Pepper.*

Pepper: "What are you doing here?"

Cameron: "I was visiting my dear friend, Apollo and Blake." *He brushed his short brown hair as if he had a long day.*

Pepper: "Apollo? Blake?"

Cameron: "And what about yourself?"

Pepper: *She turned around and stared at the red moon, sighing to herself.* "I don't know."

Cameron: "The moon, it is called The Rubistral Moon."

Pepper: "I say, what?"

Cameron: *He shook his head, smiling to himself as if he couldn't be bothered explaining it.* "Do not worry."

Pepper: "I'm curious to know, yeah?" *She spoke with a smile.*

Cameron: "My people surmised that great things happen when the moon becomes red." *He looked up to the moon and smiled.*

Pepper: "Your people?"

Cameron: "You would not know, but my people get discriminated by racists." *He frowned and glanced at Pepper, ensuring he had an emotionless face.*

Pepper: "I'm sorry?"

Cameron: *He sighed and turned around.* "I have had a long day, I do not know why I am stating these facts to you." *He looked into the distance as if he could see past the trees.*

Pepper: "I say, it's dangerous out there." *She looked over her shoulder, listening to the distant screeches and roars.*

Cameron: "I am fine. Scoldrants are my friends, and those that are not, would not dare lay a finger on me." *He started to walk towards the forest with an emotionless face.*

Pepper: "Why are you leaving? You can stay, yeah?"

Cameron: "I deny your request."

Pepper: "Okay, be careful. I'll be sure to say hello next time I see you, yeah?"

Cameron: (You seem good-willed, so, having said that-)

Pepper: "Cameron?"

Cameron: (Hopefully I do not see you again.) *He suddenly flashstepped, causing Pepper to gasp in shock.*

\----------

Ashton: *He stood in front of the golden door, popping his head through it.* "Teresa?"

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She looked over her shoulder, noticing Ashton's head through the rippling door.*

Ashton: "What are you doing here?"

Teresa: "I was discussing the past with Season-"

Ashton: *He walked into the room, full of curiosity.* (The past-?)

Teresa: "I could say that very same question?" *She spoke in a stern voice, staring at Ashton with an emotionless face.*

Season: "Hohoho, Teresa, I'm shocked you couldn't remember that."

Ashton: "Umm-"

Season: "Why hello again, Ashton." *He smiled, comfortably sitting in his chair.*

Ashton: "Has there been any more information regarding The Unknown Territories?"

Teresa: "None thus."

Ashton: "Oh, alright." *He looked to the side, awkwardly smiling.*

Season: "Is that all?"

Ashton: "I would actually like to ask a favour from you."

Season: "What is it?" *He sounded annoyed, looking at Teresa.*

Ashton: "I would like to inquire about the ocean."

Season: "To the West?"

Ashton: "Yes." *He paused, stepping forward.* "And, if I'm able to talk to Tyler _if_ he's still awake."

Teresa: *She gracefully spun around, walking out of the room.* "I will leave you two be."

Season: "Bye, Teresa-"

Teresa: "Trivial farewells are pointless." *Her voice echoed down the corridor, causing Ashton and Season to smirk at each other.*

Season: "Well, yes. Tyler is still doing research."

Ashton: "Excellent, and what about the ocean?"

Season: "Ah yes, the ocean. What about it?"

Ashton: *He smirked, inhaling with excitement.* " _Well_ -"

\----------

Teresa: *She stood in the hallway with an emotionless face, knocking on the door.* "Alicia?"

Alicia: "C-Come in." *She coughed, faintly yelling out to Teresa.*

Teresa: "I did not wake you, did I?" *She walked into the room in a professional manner.*

Alicia: "No-" *She shook her head with a smile.* "Is everything fine?"

Teresa: "I have delegated the time to update you on what has happened."

Alicia: "Y-Yes?" *She leant up in interest, squeaking in pain.*

Teresa: "Do not overexert yourself."

Alicia: "Tee hee, okay."

Teresa: "Well it appears we are at a standby point at this time."

Alicia: "Standby point?"

Teresa: "Yes, the reason for this is that neither we nor the Consultants know where the next Unknown Territory is."

Alicia: "Yep." *She nodded her head in understanding.*

Teresa: *She walked up to the bedside, kneeling towards Alicia.* "So-"

Alicia: "So this is like a recovery point?"

Teresa: "Essentially, yes."

Alicia: "Tee hee, do you _always_ talk so formal?"

Teresa: "Hoh? Yet, is it a necessity to talk so kind?"

Alicia: "Tee hee, I can't tell if you're joking or not."

Teresa: (Joking-?)

Alicia: "U-Umm-" *She bit her bottom lip, looking down in thought.* "How is Ashton, Millard and yourself?"

Teresa: "Besides Ashton, we have received minimal damage."

Alicia: "Why? _What_ happened to Ashton?"

Teresa: "The recoil damage caused by the Self-inflicting Glyph."

Alicia: " _Oh_ that's right."

Teresa: "But what about Lance? You had not mentioned him?"

Alicia: "N-No, I don't care about him." *She frowned, pouting to herself.*

Teresa: *She paused, tilting her head in confusion.* "That was not in your nature."

Alicia: "..."

Teresa: "That reaction was, _unpredictable_."

Alicia: "Well, all he is-" *She paused in thought, deeply breathing with frustration.* "Is a big bully and _well_ , I don't care about him _anyway_."

Teresa: "I have read numerous books about emotions." *She gently placed a finger on her lip in thought.* "Yet, yours is unpredictable when regarding Lance."

Alicia: "Books? Teresa?"

Teresa: "Yes?"

Alicia: "It's nothing."

Teresa: "Then why state my name?"

Alicia: "I feel like we should get some rest. Th-Thank you _very_ much for checking up on me." *She grabbed Teresa's hand and smiled.*

Teresa: "It was not a laborious action." *She sounded confused and kneeled up, facing the door.*

Alicia: (Tee hee.) *She giggled to herself due to Teresa's choice of words.*

Teresa: "Like I previously insinuated, take advantage of the situation and rest."

Alicia: "Y-You too."

Teresa: "..." *She walked into the hallway, softly closing the door behind her.*

Alicia: (She reads books about emotions?) *She rolled over on her side, closing her eyes.*

\----------

*Choking sounds echoed from Lance's room, waking Alicia up.*

Alicia: "H-Huh?" *She mumbled to herself, opening her eyes.*

*Cicada's buzzed in the background, despite the cold night.*

Alicia: (What's that?) *She struggled to get out of bed, making her way out of the room.*

*Winds blew outside the Inn, causing the wood to suddenly squeak.*

Alicia: "H-Hello?" *She knocked on Lance's door, causing it to open.* (It's already open?)

*Alicia staggered into the room, looking concerned.*

Alicia: "I-If anyone is in here, I'll use Rostical." *She noticed movement near Lance's bed, causing her to stagger towards it.* "Lance?" (I can't see, it's too dark-)

*Wind blew the curtains up, causing moonlight to pour into the room.*

Alicia: *She looked down, staring at Lance.* (Oh no-)

Lance: "Blah, blah, blah, Luna, shut up-"

Alicia: (It was just him making sounds in his sleep.)

*Alicia cautiously left the room, gently closing the door behind her.*

Millard: "Alicia, what were you doing?" *He hobbled down the hallway, stopping in front of her.*

Alicia: "I-" (He's not going to believe me.) "Ah, umm, tssk, _err_ -"

Millard: "Speak up?"

Alicia: "I thought, I, heard, some-" *She coughed, looking down to her feet.* "-Thing?"

Millard: *He focused his attention on the door, noticing it was Lance's room.* " _Alicia_?" *He gasped to himself, staring at Alicia in shock.*

Alicia: "What about _you_ , _what_ are _you_ _doing_?" *She stamped her foot, pouting with embarrassment.*

Millard: "I was heading to get some rest, these old bones need to recharge-"

Alicia: "I-I don't feel well."

Millard: "It seems you're completely healed then?"

Alicia: "I have to go, bye, Millard." *She awkwardly stumbled into her room, closing the door.*

Millard: "..."

Alicia: *She leant over the bedside, landing into the pillow.* (I'm so embarrassed.)

Millard: (Bahaha, that brings me back to my youth.) *He opened the door with a chuckle and hobbled up to his bed, ignoring Lance's snores.*

\----------

*Beams of light seeped through the windows, filling the rooms with light.*

Lance: *He took a deep yawn, slowly waking up.* (Man it's quiet.)

*Chatter could be heard outside the Inn, causing Lance to lean up and stretch.*

Lance: (I'm so tired.) *He stood up and walked out of the room.*

Alicia: "Oh hello-" *She turned around, noticing it was Lance.* "Lance." *She spoke with disappointment, closing the door behind her.*

Lance: "I'm so tired and it's all your fault."

Alicia: "S-Sorry?"

Lance: "I couldn't get to sleep with you thrashin' about last night." *He folded his arms, grunting like a child.*

Alicia: "But _you_ were the one that was making noise-"

Lance: "Narh, don't wanna hear it."

Alicia: *She looked down and suddenly became red, covering her eyes.* "You're not wearing any pants."

Lance: "Aye?" *He peered down, noticing his legs.* "W-Well, trust you to look." *He quickly covered himself, trotting into the room.*

Alicia: *She touched her cheeks, breathing heavily.* (How could you forget to put on pants?)

Lance: (Stupid stinky girl, looking at me.) *He pulled up his pants, ignoring his bright red face.*

_Ashton_ : "Acceptable!" *His voice echoed outside the Inn, catching Lance's attention.*

Lance: (Ash? What's going on out there?)

\----------

Teresa: *She stood in Surpreon and folded her arms, glancing at the gathering party around her.* "I must state that this is an excessive consumption of time-"

Ashton: "Oh?" *He sounded disappointed.*

Teresa: "But I must commend you for-"

Lance: "Ash, you still out here?" *He walked out of the Inn, staring at the entire party.*

Ashton: "About time, Lance."

Tyler: (Late as always.)

Ashton: "Since there will be no progress on anything today, I thought we should use time management effectively."

Lance: "Aye?" *He glanced at each party member, noticing towels hanging off their shoulders.*

Teresa: "It was indeed a convincing action plan."

Ashton: "So I planned a day out-"

Lance: "Wat's with the towels?"

Millard: "My, oh my." *He sighed, shaking his head.*

Alicia: "H-How annoying."

Lance: "Shut it, curry powder."

Alicia: "Grottom bottom-"

Ashton: "The towels are needed for the beach."

Millard: "I'm mildly excited." *He sarcastically wiggled his bottom, giggling to himself.*

Lance: "But-" *He pointed at Tyler.* "Shouldn't you be nerding it up in the library? And-" *He pointed at Alicia.* "You shouldn't even leave the city? And-"

Teresa: "Statistics have shown, that activities like this are proven to reduce the effects of stress on the body."

Tyler: "Exactly."

Alicia: "And, I've also been given the okay to come."

Tyler: "Besides, I-I've been cramped up with research for too long."

Ashton: (Tyler was pretty excited when I told him last night.)

Millard: "Looks like we can't leave until we have Lance's permission."

Alicia: "Tee hee."

Tyler: "Hahaha."

Ashton: "Lance." *He smiled, throwing him a towel.*

Lance: "Humph, wateva." *He closed his eyes and pretended to look cool, hiding his excitement.* (This is going to be _so_ kool.)

Teresa: *She walked with the party out of Surpreon, deep in thought.* (But if I had it my way, I would have preferred to do research on The Unknown Territories.)

Millard: "As the party left Surpreon, they made their way towards the ocean-"

Lance: "Seriously?"

Millard: "Seriously, serious, child."

Teresa: "Perhaps man-child should become the standard to address him?"

Lance: "Oi!"

Millard: "Bahaha."

Ashton: *He shook his head, smiling in a mature manner.* (I think today will be fun-)

Millard: "But, I do wonder something."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Alicia: "M-Millard?"

Millard: "I hope there are some delicious looking females there." *He smirked, grabbing the air in front of him.*

Lance: "Bah, you grotty old fart." *He stuck his tongue out in disgust, staring at Millard.*

Ashton: "Come on, Lance, this is a day without _that_."

Lance: "And a day without _that_." *He pointed at Millard like a child.*

Ashton: "Okay." *He looked down with disappointment.*

Lance: *He stared at Ashton, sighing to himself.* " _Fine_ , wateva."

Alicia: *She closed her eyes, enjoying the warm breeze.* "Come on, Teresa."

Teresa: *She looked down to her feet in confusion.* "I am following the party at an adequate speed-?"

Alicia: "Tee hee-" *She grabbed Teresa's hand and started to jog ahead.*

Tyler: *He glanced at each party member, noticing their lack of equipment.* "Ashton, where is all our stuff?"

Ashton: *He patted the RPG bag on his shoulder.* "..."

Tyler: (I forgot they had the RPG bag. Saves me the trouble of getting them one.)

Lance: "Did anybody stock it up?"

Ashton: "I did that earlier." *He proudly smiled to himself.*

Millard: "As the party grew closer to the ocean, the sound of waves became louder."

Lance: "Grr-"

Millard: " _Ooo_ -"

Tyler: "W-What?" *He jumped in fright, staring at Millard.*

Millard: "Something growled? Like an evil Scoldrant."

Ashton: (Good grief.)

Tyler: "..."

Alicia: "I can hear it." *She gasped to herself, swaying Teresa's arm.*

Teresa: "You appear to be brimming with energy?"

Alicia: "I'm just so excited that we're doing this." *She jumped up and down.*

Teresa: (Excited?) "I see." *She spoke with confusion, staring in front with an emotionless face.*

Lance: "I can see it, aye!" *He yelled from behind, running past Alicia and Teresa.*

Ashton: *He half smirked, watching Lance stare in front.* (Haha-)

Lance: "Gee, this ocean looks better than our own!"

Tyler: "R-Really?" *He ran towards the beach, scratching his cheek.*

Teresa: (Those two exhibit the same energy as Alicia? Such a waste of energy-)

Ashton: (So far, so good.)

Teresa: (Excitement? Do not make me laugh-)

Millard: "Hey, young Ashton, why did you arrange today?" *He spoke with curiosity, tilting his hat to one side.*

Ashton: "Just a day where we can enjoy the beach together." (And to get to know each other a little better.)

Millard: "I will never understand you youngsters."

Teresa: (Indeed.)

Ashton: *He smiled, stepping onto the beach.* (Wow, this beach looks even better than I thought.)

Millard: (I suppose I'm entitled to at least one day off-)

Teresa: *She stepped onto the sand, looking awkward.* (What am I doing here?)

Millard: (Season said the Consultants are not active, so why do I feel _so_ guilty?)

Ashton: "What are you thinking about, Millard?"

Millard: "Food, child."

Ashton: "I beg your pardon?"

Millard: "When you get to my age, that's all that keeps you going."

Ashton: "Ha ha, okay? Well, hopefully today keeps you _going_ without food, haha."

Millard: "Oh my, _ooowh_." *He shivered sarcastic-like, shaking his bottom.* "Oh boy, I can't wait."

Ashton: *He chuckled, kicking the sand.* (I already feel fantastic.)

Millard: "Lance!"

Lance: "Aye?" *He stopped, looking over his shoulder.*

Millard: "The shore was not long and the area felt peaceful, secluded from the continent-"

Lance: "Oh my effin' supersonic shit nuggets!"

Ashton: "How's the water?!"

Lance: "Pssht-" *He ran towards the water, suddenly stopping.* "Do I have to worry about them water Scoldrants?"

Millard: "They don't like salt-"

Lance: *He took off his shirt, jumping into the water.* "Woo-"

Millard: "Oh my, I didn't even finish off my sentence."

Alicia: *She sighed, holding her pendant with both hands.* "There he goes."

Ashton: "Today, it's acceptable."

Alicia: "A-Ashton?"

Ashton: "Have fun okay?"

Alicia: *She smiled, swaying Teresa's hand.* "Yep."

Teresa: "..."

Tyler: "Millard, do you want to help me make a huge sculpture?" *He smiled, scoping out vacant space on the sand.*

Millard: "Out of what?"

Tyler: "Here, let me show you." *He walked towards a large clump of sand, kneeling down with innocent enthusiasm.*

Millard: "A sand pile?"

Tyler: "Y-Yeah."

Alicia: "Teresa, let's get some sun."

Teresa: "Hoh-?"

Alicia: "This is really exciting because I wouldn't usually have an opportunity like this-" *She sat on the sand, pulling Teresa's arm.* "Back at my village."

Teresa: "The Frozen Backwater Village? Covered by The Igloo Forest."

Alicia: "Yep." *She lay down on the sand, sighing with satisfaction.*

Tyler: *He scanned up and down the shore, itching his nose.* (Weird how there's no one here-)

Millard: "Like _this_?" *He formed a sculpture and looked up to Tyler while piling up sand.*

Tyler: "Yes."

Ashton: *He stood near the water, staring at the waves looking intimidated.* "..."

Lance: "Ashton! Get in the water, ya sook!" *He splashed water on to the shore, causing Ashton to step back.*

Ashton: "That is unacceptable." *He smirked, running into the water.*

Lance: "Oh no! A Scoldrant thing!" *He looked shocked, pointing behind Ashton to the shore.*

Ashton: "What?!" *He quickly turned around in shock.* "Wait? There's no-"

Lance: "Aha!" *He jumped up, dunking Ashton into the water.*

Alicia: *She kneeled up, placing her hands on the sand behind her.* "Tee hee, this is fun." *She watched Millard and Tyler create sandcastles.*

Teresa: (Perhaps it has something to do with the situation, but I can not seem to relax.) *She lay stiff on the sand, staring at the sky in deep thought.*

Alicia: *She looked to the side, watching Ashton and Lance muck about in the water.* "Excuse me, Teresa."

Teresa: "What appears to be the problem?"

Alicia: "I've been curious to ask ever since I met you at The Library."

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Alicia: "But how come I've never seen you show any facial expressions?"

Teresa: "Many years ago, I used to smile and experience the feelings that I can no longer remember."

Alicia: "W-What? Why? What happened?"

Teresa: "That was before my mother was killed."

Alicia: "She was killed?! How?!" *Her eyes widened with sorrow, staring at Teresa with her full attention.*

Teresa: "..."

Alicia: "I-I'm sorry, it was rude of me to ask-"

Teresa: "She died because of _me_."

Alicia: (To say such a terrible thing without showing anything in her face-)

Teresa: *She leant up with an emotionless face, discreetly digging her fingers into the sand.* "..."

Alicia: "How was it your fault? How did she die?"

Teresa: "She went into combat."

Alicia: "W-With what?"

Teresa: (Suns, Tyre, Jewel, Eliza, tcch-) "The details are irrelevant, she somehow lost."

Alicia: "How did she lose?"

Teresa: "As I previously stated, because of me."

Alicia: "I-I'm sorry."

Teresa: "I am too."

Alicia: "..."

Teresa: "..."

Alicia: "U-Umm-" *She bit her bottom lip, feeling awkward.* "H-How about we go into the water?"

Teresa: "I see no importance of-"

Alicia: *She stood up, brushing sand off her back.* "Here we go." *She reached for Teresa's hand, lifting her up.*

Teresa: "..." (To do such trivial things, such as a casual swim? What a disgrace-) *She gritted her teeth, following Alicia towards the water.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you for telling me about your mother though." *She cupped her hands, speaking in a serious tone.*

Teresa: "You are-" *She paused, watching the waves crash in thought.* " _Trustworthy_."

Alicia: "You are too." *She smiled, enthusiastically nodding her head.*

Lance: *He looked over to the shore, noticing Alicia and Teresa.* "Oh no, Ash. The water is goin' to get fatter in a sec."

Ashton: "The water is going to get _fatter_? Why is that-?"

Alicia: "Tee hee-" *She stepped into the ocean, splashing water around her.*

Lance: "Ash, I've spotted the fiendish whale!" *He pointed at Alicia like a child.*

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Lance: " _And_ her subordinate." *He smirked child-like, pointing at Teresa.*

Ashton: "Lance." *He sighed, trying not to smile.*

Alicia: *She poked her tongue out at him.* "It's nicer when you don't speak, _Lance_."

Lance: "Watch out! Its learnt how to defend itself." *He sarcastically gasped, covering his mouth.*

Alicia: "Watch out, it learnt how to act like Millard." *She sarcastically gasped, slowly stepping closer to Lance and Ashton.*

Lance: "Well, _wateva_." *He grunted, splashing water in her face.*

Alicia: "L-Lance!-"

Teresa: "It appears we are in combat formation." *She stared at Ashton with an emotionless face, standing in a battle-ready pose.* "Shall you counterattack, while I attack the enemy's companion?"

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She grinned evil-like, staring at Lance.*

Lance: "Fighting the evil whale will be dangerous, but, with you by my side, Ash-"

Alicia: "Humph." *She pouted, splashing water in Lance's face.*

Lance: "Oh, no you didn't, docta shit nugget!" *He wiped his face with both hands, staring at Alicia.*

Ashton: *He watched Alicia and Lance confront each, observing them with a smile of confusion.* "..."

Teresa: "If you have no intentions to attack first, then I will-" *She effortlessly waved her hand, causing an enormous wave to whoosh towards Ashton.*

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD" *He raised his arms, causing a bubble-like swirl to push the water around him.*

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Ashton: "Power is strong with this one." *He smiled, focusing his attention to Teresa.*

Alicia: "S-Stand back, Teresa, I will attack Lance." *She stepped in front of Teresa, preparing herself.*

Teresa: (I am sensing some Neuron activity in her-)

Alicia: "Harh!" *She slapped the water, watching it freeze into tiny ice cube-like pellets.*

Lance: *He watched the ice travel towards him in shock.* "No fair-"

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD"

Lance: *He noticed the bubble-like swirl in front of him, causing him to giggle like a child.* "Ahaha-"

Teresa: "Ensure to hit the weakness for massive damage." *She pushed forward, blasting a line of waves towards Ashton.*

Ashton: "Argh-?" *The water dunked him, causing the shield in front of Lance to pop.*

Lance: *He closed his eyes, pointing at Alicia with a smirk.* "You all know how strong Ash's shield is-" *An ice cube hit him on the forehead.* "Wat?!"

Ashton: "Blargh-" *He coughed, watching ice pebbles splash around him.*

Lance: "A-Ash-" *He grunted and noticed a barrage of ice cubes headed towards him.* "Shit-" *He gasped, quickly diving into the water.*

Tyler: *The splashes caught his attention.* "What are they doing over there?" *He mumbled to Millard, looking intrigued.*

Millard: "Wait-wait-wait-"

Tyler: "Hmm-?"

Millard: "Duh _darh_."

Tyler: *He looked over to Millard, noticing a large sand pile next to him.* "That's a good looking volcano."

Millard: "Volcano?" *He adjusted his hat, staring at the sand pile with disappointment.*

Tyler: "Yeah?"

Millard: "But it's not a volcano, it's meant to be Surpreon!"

Tyler: "Umm." *He pictured Surpreon in his head, before staring back to Millard's sand pile.*

Millard: "Give me constructive feedback, son."

Tyler: "It's, arh-" *He awkwardly smiled, coughing to himself.* "A good start, ha ha." *He awkwardly laughed, looking back to the water.*

Millard: "Yes! A good start!" *He jumped up, raising his arms in victory.*

Lance: *He jumped out of the water, gasping for air.* "Prepare to be annihilated, Teresa!"

Teresa: *She looked to her side with an emotionless face.* "..."

Lance: "Harh!" *He jumped up, attempting to dunk her into the water.*

Teresa: *She swiftly moved to the side, causing Lance to bellyflop into to the water.* "It would appear your attack missed?"

Ashton: "Not for long. MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE"

Teresa: "Prepare yourself, Alicia."

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She nodded her head, looking at Ashton.*

Ashton: *He raised his hands, causing swirls of bubble-like strings to materialise itself in the middle of the party.* (Focus-)

Teresa: (What is his plan?) *She stared at the bubble-like sphere with slight confusion.*

Lance: "Release it, Ash!" *He held his stomach in pain, smirking at Ashton.*

Ashton: "You got it." *He flicked his wrist, causing the sphere to pop.*

Alicia: "Eek-"

*An eruption of water spurted high into the air, blasting Ashton, Lance, Teresa and Alicia back, followed by several waves.*

Ashton: "Whoa-" *He was pushed back by a large wave.*

Lance: "Aha, _awesome_!" *He chuckled, brushing his hair.*

Alicia: "Tee hee."

Teresa: "..."

Ashton: "Ha ha ha."

Lance: (This is epic-) "Good one, Ash."

Millard: "So, Tyler, make sure you don't ever do _that_ in front of a girl you like." *He awkwardly made hand gestures to Tyler.* "You need to think logically."

Tyler: "Yes, okay." *He sighed, rolling his eyes.*

Millard: "Now, if you've got bad breath-" *Water rained around him, causing his volcano-like sand pile to melt.* " _No_!"

Tyler: *He snickered, spreading his arms, catching the water.* "Your volcano just _erupted_ -"

Millard: "It's _Surpreon_." *He groaned as the water stopped.*

Tyler: *He looked over to the water, watching the massive ripples around the party.* (What _are_ they doing-?)

Millard: *He looked over to the party, taking off his hat.* "I will accept your challenge, children."

Lance: "Aye?" *He looked over to the shore in confusion.* "I think the old fart is talkin' to us."

Millard: *He squeezed his hands, wrenching the water out of his hat.* " _But_ after a beverage. I'm terribly parched."

Tyler: *He scratched a pimple on his cheek, walking towards the water.* "What are-?"

Millard: "Oh my!" *He sarcastically gasped, catching Tyler's attention.*

Tyler: "What's wrong, Millard?"

Millard: "Does anyone have the RPG bag?!" *He yelled out to the party, staring at the sand.*

Teresa: *She gracefully walked onto the shore, standing next to Millard.* "..."

Millard: "Ashton left the bag right _here_."

Ashton: *He walked up to Millard and Teresa, drying his hair.* "Yes, that's correct, I placed it right there."

Teresa: *She closely observed the sand, thinking to herself.* (I see-)

Alicia: "W-What's wrong?" *She wrapped a towel around her waist, walking up to the party.*

Tyler: "The RPG bag has gone missing." *He spoke with a whine, dropping his shoulders like a child.*

Teresa: "Someone besides us has been here."

Alicia: "Teresa?"

Teresa: "Look at the markings in the sand."

Ashton: "How do you know? They could be ours."

Teresa: "That print on the ground."

Alicia: "W-What about it?"

Teresa: "The footprint is a shape of a shoe-" *She gracefully flicked her hair over her shoulder.* "None of us are wearing shoes."

Tyler: *He looked down, glancing at each party member's feet.* (She's right.)

Lance: "Pssht, let's beat up this asswipe!" *He grabbed a towel, forming a fist like a child.*

Alicia: *She watched water drip off Lance's body.* "U-Umm, I'm sure they would have a reason."

Lance: "Ha _why_?"

Alicia: "W-Well-"

Lance: "They stole our bag, wat good reason would they have?" *He grunted at Alicia, rolling his eyes.*

Alicia: "B-Because the area around Surpreon is usually filled with peaceful people." *She quickly spoke under her breath, before Lance could interrupt her.*

Ashton: "Violence is unacceptable anyway, Lance."

Lance: "..."

Ashton: "It's not good to assume things, but when you do, assume innocence."

Lance: (What's worse? Nerdy explanations, or a stupid corny scene-?)

Tyler: "It's true though, Lance."

Lance: "Aye?" *He grunted and sniffed, looking at Tyler.*

Tyler: "Around the first month when I woke up here, I was reading through Season's data files."

Lance: "Whoopie-"

Millard: "Child." *He grunted, telling Lance to be quiet.*

Tyler: "I-I learned that the crime rate here is the lowest on the continent. Heck, the crime rate is almost non-existent here."

Ashton: (As expected.) *He smiled to himself, slightly nodding his head with a proud face.*

Alicia: "W-What are we going to do?"

Ashton: "Get a new one?"

Tyler: "They're expensive-"

Lance: "Pssht, _no_ _way_ we're gettin' a new one-"

Teresa: "If no one objects to a walk, I can easily follow these tracks."

Millard: "My hero." *He cupped his hands, sarcastically waving his bottom.*

Teresa: "Allow the time to dry yourselves off." *She spoke in a stern voice, looking into the distance.*

Alicia: *She started to dry herself off, gently rubbing her hair.* (I wonder who would've done this?)

Teresa: "It will not take us long to find the culprit-" *She concentrated and a pulse blew all the water off her body and instantly dried her hair.*

Ashton: "Wow! How did you do that?"

Teresa: "An Astragon pulse. I could easily teach this to you once you've mastered one of your Rostical."

Lance: "No fair." *He grunted with a mixture of jealousy and excitement.*

Ashton: "That sounds excellent, Teresa." *He spoke with a smile, before focusing his attention to the footprints.*

Chapter 13: RPG Bag

*Mist slowly spiralled around a large ice prison, containing the woman in a small cellar-like room.*

?????: "..." *The sounds of ice, discreetly creaked around her.*

*The mist suddenly froze and slowly wafted the opposite way.*

?????: "..." *She suddenly opened her eyes, causing the mist to blast away.*

\----------

Ashton: "Teresa, please lead the way." *He smiled, allowing Teresa to step forward.*

Teresa: "Indeed." *She started to walk into the distance, leading the party.*

Lance: "Bah, more walkin'."

Millard: "Walking is delicious for these old bones."

Lance: "Wateva."

Ashton: "I kind of like the time together."

Tyler: *He started to pant in an unhealthy-like manner.* (I was already tired just playing on the beach.)

Teresa: (It strikes me as odd-) *She led the party down a path.* (As to why someone would steal something trivial like a bag?)

Tyler: *He discreetly stared at Teresa with a curious face.* (When I was going through Season's data files, there was nothing about _her_.)

Alicia: "Where are we going?"

Teresa: "The tracks are leading us, East."

Millard: "I don't know about you, children, but I feel _very_ positive _and_ -" *He looked up, playing with his hat in thought.* "And, I'm in a somewhat deliciously jolly mood."

Lance: "You're so random, ya old fart."

Millard: "So, thankies, Ashton."

Teresa: "..."

Tyler: "Yeah, thanks, Ashton. I feel pretty good too."

Lance: (Doesn't look it-)

Alicia: "Th-Thank you very much, Ashton."

Lance: "A bunch of suck-ups." *He mumbled under his breath, scratching his nose.*

Alicia: "Grottom bottom." *She whispered on her breath, glancing at Lance with annoyance.*

Ashton: "I shouldn't get _all_ the credit, guys."

Millard: "Child?"

Ashton: "I couldn't be happy either if you all weren't here-"

Teresa: "Focus on the task at hand, it is this way."

Lance: *He looked over Teresa's shoulder, staring into the distance.* "We're headin' to that large mountain thing?"

Teresa: (PKMY-)

Millard: "They say it's the second tallest object on the continent." *He stared at the mountain, spreading his arms far apart.*

Teresa: "..." *She leant over several mid-sized bushes.*

Ashton: "Anything?"

Teresa: *She inspected the bushes and nodded her head.* "Yes, judging by the angle of the bushes-"

Millard: "The suspense." *He squealed, sarcastically shaking his wrists.*

Tyler: (He's really weird-)

Teresa: "The culprit should be directly under that large mountain."

Ashton: (I'm curious to find out his side of the story.) *He quietly followed Teresa, deep in thought.*

Millard: "As the party walked further towards the mountain, they discovered a camping site near a small clearing-"

Lance: "Shut it-"

Teresa: "The footprints-" *She looked up, glancing to each side.* "End here-"

?????: "Stay back!"

Millard: "A mysterious man held the RPG bag in his arms-"

?????: "W-What?!"

Millard: *He closely observed the Islander-appearing man.* "The man was covered in dirt and wore ragged clothes-"

Lance: *His eye twitched as he grunted at Millard.* ( _Seriously_?!)

?????: "I said, stay _back_!"

Millard: "Come now, savage child."

Ashton: "Savage child? Millard." *He sighed, focusing his attention to the man.*

?????: "St-Stay back!" *He grunted with fear and anger.*

Alicia: "W-We will not harm you."

?????: "Don't worry, with _this_." *He lifted the RPG with a confident smirk.* "I will have enough, for _many_ feasts-"

Lance: "Oi _scum_ , give us back the freakin' bag!"

?????: "Oh _yeah_?"

Lance: "Yeah, ya heard me!"

Millard: "Oh no, he acts and sounds like another Lance."

Teresa: *She closely observed the man, stepping to the side.* "He appears to be confident."

Tyler: "W-What do you mean?"

Millard: "Meaning, he might be able to defend himself somehow."

Teresa: "Precisely-"

?????: "Crushing sounds, ridged surfaces-" *A brown glyph drew itself on the ground around him.*

Alicia: "R-Rostical!-"

?????: "ROCK PILLAR"

*The ground rumbled before four rock pillars, blasted out of the ground.*

?????: "Harh!" *He pushed forward, blasting the rock pillars towards the party.*

Tyler: "Arh!" *He stepped back in shock.*

Alicia: "Eek-" *She closed her eyes in fright.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel-" *He jumped in front of the party, swaying his arms.* "MYSTIC SHIELD"

?????: *He watched a bubble-like shield block the rock pillars in shock.* (How?) *He watched a gust of dirt blow away from the shield.*

Ashton: *He slightly smirked, lowering his arms.* "Violence is unacceptable!"

?????: (I finally got something that's worth-) *He glanced at the RPG bag with gritted teeth.*

Ashton: *He looked over his shoulder to the party.* "Is everyone okay?"

?????: *He tightened his hands, forming a fist.* (I won't give it up so easily.) "Crushing sounds, ridged surfaces, ROCK PILLAR"

Lance: "Ash, look out!"

Ashton: "Huh?"

?????: *Four rock pillars blasted towards the party.* (I've put a little more Neurons in this one-)

Ashton: *He quickly faced in front, raising his arms.* "MYSTIC SHIELD"

?????: *He watched two rock pillars come to a complete stop.* (How?!)

Ashton: *Two rock pillars blasted past him, causing him to grit his teeth.* "W-Watch out!-"

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She stepped to the side, closely avoiding a rock pillar.*

Tyler: "Huh?" *A rock pillar slammed in front of him, knocking him onto the ground.* "Oof."

Alicia: "He knows Rostical." *She looked worried, biting her bottom lip.*

Lance: "Give the girl a prize, great work, captain obvious."

Ashton: *He frowned, swaying his arms.* (I'll prepare a Mystic Shield Strike if he doesn't-) "We mean no harm, we just want our bag back."

?????: "OK, I'll give you the bag, _but_ under one condition."

Lance: *He puffed out his chest in anger.* (Man, I want to hit this tool.)

Teresa: "And, what is this _condition_?"

Tyler: "Tssk, it _hurts_." *He wined, kneeling up from the ground.*

Alicia: *She turned around, running up to Tyler.* "T-Tyler-"

Tyler: "Sorry, Alicia, I'm not a fighter." *Blood ran out of his nose, causing him to cover his face.*

Alicia: "Th-That's fine."

Tyler: "It _really_ hurts."

Millard: "..." *He observed the situation with a serious face.*

Alicia: "With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light, HEALING RINGS"

Tyler: "H-Huh?"

?????: "..." *He watched bright rings of light spiral around Tyler in amazement.*

Tyler: "W-Wow, I can feel the pain slowly going away."

Lance: "Pssht, condition, my ass!" *He grunted in anger, charging towards the man.*

?????: "ROCK PILLAR" *He pushed forward, slamming a rock pillar into Lance.*

Lance: "Garh-" *He coughed out his breath, rolling back towards the party.*

Ashton: "L-Lance!" *He grunted in a protective-like manner, before looking back to the man.* " _What_ is this condition?!"

?????: *He stared at Alicia and the rings of light.* (What a beautiful woman-) "For that lovely girl."

Lance: "I'm sorry-" *He coughed and grunted, brushing dirt off his shirt.* "But Teresa ain't goin' with you."

?????: "Not her! The other one."

Lance: "Huh? Wat other one?" *He stood up, looking back with confusion.* " _Tyler_?"

Ashton: "He's talking about _Alicia_."

Lance: " _Deal_!-"

Ashton: "No, that deal is unacceptable."

?????: "Well-"

Millard: "All this action is getting me tired."

Teresa: (Millard's aura just shifted.)

Millard: "Please give us the bag and we'll be on our way."

?????: "Oh? Right, go back into retirement-"

Millard: " _Or_ I'll be forced to use Rostical on you."

?????: *He paused with hesitation, before laughing it off.* "I may not look good, but I know some advanced skills myself."

Millard: "Oh? Well, give this old man some excitement."

Teresa: "We have given you a sufficient amount of warnings, heed his words." *She spoke in a stern voice, waving her arm to Millard.*

Millard: (Teresa, Tyler and Lance can't use Rostical.) *He adjusted his hat, stepping forward.* (Alicia can't overexert herself, she shouldn't even be healing-)

?????: (What does that old man think he can do?)

Millard: (Looks like I have no choice-) "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

*Two swirls of fire twirled around the man, instantly brightening the surrounding area.*

?????: *He looked down at the fire in shock.* "Wha-?" *The fire suddenly blasted up, swirling into a tornado.*

Millard: "Ashton, raise your shield around everyone please."

Ashton: "Yes!" *He frowned, quickly focusing his concentration.* "MYSTIC SHIELD"

Lance: *He watched the shield swirl around the party.* "Wat about me?! Can I do anythin'?"

Millard: " _I've_ got this." *He stood outside the shield and stared at the fire, keeping its fast and bright swirl around the man.*

?????: *His black hair, flapped to each side.* (It's hot!-) "Crushing sounds, ridged surfaces, ROCK PILLAR"

Millard: (Firing off a Rock Pillar will not disrupt my fire's momentum around him-)

?????: *He stamped his foot, ignoring the sweat which ran down his forehead.* "Harh!" *A large rock pillar, blasted up from the ground under him.*

Millard: *He tilted his head, looking up.* (My, my, maybe he's smarter than I thought.)

?????: *The rock pillar rose out of the twirling fire, causing him to sigh with relief.* (That's better.)

Teresa: (Hoh? He raised the ground underneath him, successfully avoiding Millard's Rostical.)

Millard: *He lowered his arms, causing the fire to extinguish.* "Keep the shield active!" *He looked behind him at the shield, which covered the party.*

Ashton: "Got it!"

?????: (My turn-) "Blinding dust, rain down, ROCK SLIDE"

Lance: *He looked up, noticing a large dirt cloud above the rock pillar.* (What's he doing up there-?)

?????: *He pushed forward, blasting twelve boulders towards Millard.* (I've recently learnt this Rostical, so I'm not that good with the aiming just yet-)

Teresa: (Using ground-based projectiles, it is a hard feature to learn apparently.)

Millard: *He gasped, staring at the boulders.* (Blast, considering I can't flashstep-)

Lance: "Look out, old fart!"

Millard: (Although, at his level-) *He hobbled to the side, twirling forward.* (I can easily avoid them all.) *He slightly smirked, watching streams of dirt fly past him.*

*One of the boulders slammed on top of Ashton's shield, causing Tyler to gasp.*

Ashton: (Argh-) *He slightly frowned, keeping the shield up.* (I just noticed, forcefully raising the shield puts a lot of strain on my chest.)

?????: (I can't believe he avoided them all-) *He jumped off the pillar, landing heavily on the ground.* (But I'll smash him with my own fists!)

Millard: "..."

?????: *He charged towards Millard, forming a fist.* (My punches can crack solid rock!)

Millard: "Foolish mistake, child."

?????: "Huh?"

Millard: "Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat-" *A swirl of flames clustered above the man, causing him to stop.*

?????: "ROCK-"

Millard: "FLAMING STORM" *He clicked his fingers, causing an unbearable blast of heat to scorch in front of the man.*

?????: "PILLAR-" *He mumbled, collapsing onto the ground.*

Millard: *He smirked, waving his hand, causing the fire to extinguish.* "Couldn't handle the heat of these old bones I see?"

Teresa: (Impressive.)

Ashton: (The man fell unconscious _just_ by the heat of Millard's Rostical-) *He sighed, lowering his arms, causing the shield to pop.* (That old man has some tricks up his sleeve.)

Lance: "Not bad for an old fart."

Tyler: (Th-That fire was _scary_!)

Millard: (That level of power was nothing-) *He turned around, facing the party.* (Compared to the fateful fight that will happen sometime in the future.)

Lance: *He ran past Millard, picking up the RPG bag.* "Got it."

Tyler: "W-What are we going to do with _him_?" *He looked at the man, wiping blood from his mouth and nose.*

Lance: "I say, leave him here aye."

Alicia: "U-Umm, why don't we ask him why he wanted our bag so much?"

Lance: "No one asked for ya life story."

Teresa: *She looked up, placing a hand on her waist.* "The sun is starting to set, we have a couple of hours remaining."

Millard: "Ouchies, I think I just broke my back, I need to sit down." *He sarcastically groaned in pain, hunching forward.*

Ashton: "Although he's a thief." *He looked at the man, sighing to himself.* "I find myself agreeing with Alicia."

Tyler: "B-But, he's a thief."

Ashton: "There are two sides to every story."

Lance: "Ah, come on." *He sighed, folding his arms like a child.* "Leave him for those Scoldrants."

Alicia: "Lance! Th-That's enough! Not even you're that cold-hearted!"

Lance: "..."

*Tyler, Teresa, Ashton and Millard grew silent, staring at Lance.*

Lance: "Well, shut up, aye." *He nervously coughed, looking away.* "Yeah."

\----------

*Holland and Freya sprinted through a forest, jumping to each side, avoiding teeth-like shards.*

Holland: "To the right!-" *He quickly jumped to the side, watching shards jab into a nearby tree.*

Freya: "Grrroh!" *She elegantly ran on all fours, jumping over Holland.*

Holland: "Man, this isn't good-" *He looked behind him, noticing several squirrel-like Scoldrants with large teeth, running after them.* "Their eyes!-"

Freya: "Gruff!" *She noticed their yellow glowing eyes, barking in agreement.*

Holland: "We _need_ to get out of their territory!"

Scoldrant: "Tss-tss-tss." *It sneezed, blowing out two shards towards Holland.*

Freya: "Growlith!" *She pounced on a tree, jumping back behind Holland.*

Holland: "Freya?!"

Freya: "Garwoo!" *The shards jabbed into her back, causing her to tumble across the ground.*

Holland: (Crud!) *He quickly picked her up, running towards a clearing.* (Nearly there!)

Scoldrant: *It effortlessly ran up a tree, sneezing out several shards towards Holland.* "Tss, tss, tss."

Holland: *He held his back in pain as blood stained through his shirt.* (It hurts-)

Freya: "Geroowh." *She whimpered, watching Holland run into the clearing.*

Holland: "Ah-" *He quickly hid behind a large tree, staring at the clearing in front.*

*Teeth-like shards, rained out of the forest, jabbing into the ground.*

Holland: *He breathed heavily, looking down to Freya.* "Are they leaving?"

Freya: *Her ear flicked, looking up to Holland.* "Growuff."

Holland: *He sighed with relief, resting his head on the tree.* (Good-)

Freya: "Grarh!" *She looked back, noticing the shards.*

Holland: (She jumped behind me so the shards wouldn't hit me.) *He scratched behind her ears, proudly smiling to himself.* "We'll rest here for the night."

Freya: "Grah-?"

Holland: "I'm sorry, Freya-" *He quickly pulled out the shards, causing Freya to howl in pain.*

\----------

Ashton: *He noticed the pink sky due to the setting sun.* "H-Huh?" *He quickly looked at the man who started to regain consciousness.*

?????: "Ah, my head hurts." *He looked up and noticed the entire party staring at him.* "Stay back, or I'll-"

Alicia: "Don't worry, we won't hurt you-"

Lance: "Like we've said a thousand times already." *He grunted, rolling his eyes.*

Alicia: *She smiled in a welcoming manner, walking up to him.* "I can heal your wounds."

Ashton: "Please don't push yourself, Alicia."

Alicia: *She nodded and smiled.* "Are you okay?"

?????: "Y-Yes." *He spoke with confusion as his face turned red.*

Alicia: "What's your name?"

?????: "It's-" *His stomach rumbled, causing him to look away.*

Alicia: "Tee hee, Lance could you please give me the RPG bag?"

Lance: *He purposely ignored her, hiding the RPG bag behind him.* "I'm sorry, wat?"

Ashton: *He sighed and grabbed the bag, walking up to Alicia.* "Here."

Lance: (Suck up.) "Humph."

Alicia: "My name is Alicia, what's yours?" *She opened the bag, pulling out a loaf of bread.*

?????: "Felix." *He shoved a handful of bread into his mouth, looking at Alicia with a smile.*

Lance: *He whispered to Tyler and Millard, staring at Felix and Alicia.* "Rank, look at it. Looks like it hasn't eaten in ages. They make a good pair, don't yas think?"

Millard: "Herm?"

Tyler: "..."

Felix: "I'm sorry for taking your bag-"

Lance: "Damn right you should be."

Alicia: *She turned around, giving Lance a feral look.* " _Why_ did you take it?"

Lance: "Watch out, it's gonna eat us."

Felix: "Ever since that Scoldrant with the yellow eyes.." *He looked down, mumbling to himself.*

Alicia: "I'm sorry?" *She focused her attention back to Felix.*

Felix: "I've been by myself, always a failure." *He shook his head, wiping his mouth.* "I'm sorry for attacking you all."

Alicia: "It's okay-" *She looked over her shoulder to the party.* "Right, everyone?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Millard: "Of course."

Tyler: "..."

Lance: "Pssht, no." *He folded his arms, looking away like a child.*

Ashton: "You were just trying to survive, that's acceptable."

Tyler: "Hey, guys." *He spoke softly so Felix wouldn't hear him.*

Millard: "Yes, child? Spit it out."

Tyler: "I'm heading back to Surpreon. I promised Season I would continue the research before nightfall."

Alicia: "I-If you don't mind, would you be able to take Felix with you and introduce him to Season?"

Tyler: "Arh?" *He awkwardly paused, staring at Alicia as if he didn't want to.*

Millard: "That sounds deliciously splendid, Tyler."

Tyler: "..."

Felix: "Sorry for harming you." *He bowed to the ground.*

Tyler: "Ah, it's o-kay." *He nervously chuckled, awkwardly scratching his face.*

Alicia: "Th-Thank you, Tyler."

Tyler: (I really have to walk back with him?) *He silently turned around, walking into the distance.*

Felix: "W-Wait." *He grunted, jogging up to Tyler.*

Ashton: *He watched Tyler and Felix walk out of his sight.* "What are we going to do with Felix?"

Teresa: "He could be a useful asset to the party."

Lance: "Nah, I don't think so, aye."

Teresa: "He can use Rostical, that disproves your statement."

Lance: "Wateva."

Alicia: "I don't know why, but I think we can trust him."

Ashton: "I feel we should get to know him a little better, though-"

Millard: "I'll be back in a minute, children." *He giggled to himself, walking away from the party.*

Alicia: "Bye, Millard?"

Lance: *He ignored Millard, staring at the party with a frown.* "Why are you all being so _supportive_?"

Alicia: "Why are you being such a grumble bum?! All you think about is yourself!"

Ashton: *He looked at Lance with an awkward face, whispering to Teresa.* "Do you want to see what Millard's up to?"

Teresa: "I too have no desire to witness such a trivial scene."

*Ashton and Teresa turned around, walking towards Millard through the forest.*

Lance: "Aye? So now you wanna act tough-?"

Alicia: "I'm not acting tough!" *She faced Lance, tensing her body up.* "I'm just telling the truth."

Lance: "I'm just tellin' the _truth_." *He rolled his eyes, sarcastically speaking in a girl-like tone.*

Alicia: " _See_? Why can't you just be nice for _once_ in your life?!"

Lance: "You hardly know me, docta butch."

Alicia: "And you hardly know me too!" *She stepped forward, yelling at Lance.*

Lance: "And now you're raisin' ya voice?"

Alicia: "At least speak _normal_."

Lance: "Normal? _Normal_?! Why bother! This is how _I_ _normally_ speak."

Alicia: "Just-" *She sighed, pouting with anger.* "Just what is your problem with me? I have done nothing wrong towards you."

Lance: "Well-"

Alicia: "Well, what?!" *She took several steps closer to Lance.*

Lance: "Just your face pisses me off, that's it!"

Alicia: *She stepped back, as her eyes started to glaze.* "I-I don't even know why I thought-"

Lance: "Thought wat?"

Alicia: "Some good in you, you're just a bad person."

Lance: *He silently gasped, leaning back in shock.* "Wat?" *He spoke under his breath, staring at Alicia.*

Alicia: " _Fine_ you _win_." *She shook her head, wiping her eyes with her arms.* "I'm an ugly fat butchy _it_."

*Lance and Alicia silently stared at each other.*

Lance: "Y-You don't have to go that far-"

Alicia: "I-I don't want to even hear it. I never yell, but you make me just-" *She turned around, storming towards a large rock.*

Lance: "..."

Alicia: (I can't even talk!) *She sat on a rock, staring at several trees.*

Lance: *He stared at her back, thinking of something to say.* "..."

*Alicia and Lance ignored each other, listening to the swaying trees in the wind.*

\----------

Millard: *He looked to each side, grinning at Ashton and Teresa.* "What brings you two here?"

Ashton: "We wanted to know what you were doing."

Millard: "I went off on a mystical adventure, collecting the sacred wood."

Teresa: "..."

Ashton: "Sacred wood?"

Millard: "Ouchies, no imagination? I just collected some wood so you children wouldn't freeze out here." *He raised his arms, holding a pile of wood.*

Teresa: "You could just fuel a fire on your Neurons alone. It is not like we have the dangers on an Unknown Island to worry about."

Millard: "Where's the fun in that, my delicious lady?"

Ashton: "Could I please help you with those, sir?"

Millard: "Of course, I think my back is about to break." *He sarcastically moaned, handing over several logs.*

Teresa: "..." *She stared at the logs, drawing Millard and Ashton's attention.*

Millard: "Teresa, my dear?"

Teresa: "Would it not have been easier to simply retrieve the RPG bag, reducing the amount of labour?"

*Millard and Ashton stared at each other with dumbfounded faces.*

Millard: (Oh my, I feel a little silly now.)

Ashton: "Well, we have enough, let's go back."

Millard: "I'm a slightly excited about our little soon to be camp." *He giggled, sarcastically skipping in front.*

Ashton: (I hope they have stopped.) *He thought to himself, looking concerned.*

Teresa: *She looked up, staring at the stars in thought.* (I wonder where the next Unknown Territory is?)

Millard: *He skipped back into the clearing, noticing Lance and Alicia facing away from each other.* (Ooo, I missed a dramatic scene?)

Ashton: "At least it's better than yelling?" *He walked forward, mumbling to Millard.*

Millard: "Baha, you said it, child."

Lance: *He looked at Millard, noticing the wood under his arms.* "Pssht, how are you goin' to light a fire?"

Ashton: (Good grief-) *He sighed, face palming at Lance.*

Lance: "We have no matches, aha, _stupid_ old fart."

Millard: *He hobbled into the middle of the clearing, placing the logs in a pile.* (Not too strong-)

Ashton: *He quickly followed Millard, throwing the logs in the pile.* "When you're ready, sir."

Millard: "FLAMING WHEEL"

*A swirl of fire blazed in the wood, lighting up the area.*

Millard: "My my, what was that, Lance?" *He sarcastically giggled, placing his hand over the fire.*

Lance: "Wateva." *He stood on the spot with his arms folded.* (OK, I just realised how stupid I sounded.)

Teresa: "He appears to be more-" *She stopped, placing a finger on her lip in thought.* " _Snappier_ than usual?"

Millard: "Is it that time of the season, Lance?"

Lance: "Pssht, now I know how _you_ feel."

Millard: (Children need to know their place-)

Ashton: "Good grief, everyone." *He took a deep breath, smiling at each party member.* "Let's enjoy the fire. I can't remember the last time I went out camping."

Millard: *He watched Ashton sit down, causing him to chuckle.* "I agree master, Ashton." *He hobbled next to Ashton, slowly sitting down.*

Alicia: *She started to move, as the tension slowly eased away.* (Just because I'm in a bad mood, doesn't mean I should act like this towards my friends.)

Teresa: "Hmm." *She unintentionally hummed, staring at the fire deep in thought.*

Ashton: "Teresa, what's on your mind?"

Teresa: "The Unknown Territories."

Millard: *He nodded his head, wiggling closer to the fire.* "What are you children going to do if there's no more activity."

Teresa: "No more activity regarding The Unknown Territories? Perhaps continue my travels-"

Lance: "Well, I'll be findin' a way home and _leavin_ ' this place."

Ashton: (Lance.) *He thought to himself, looking at the fire with a sad face.*

Millard: "Leaving this place?"

Lance: (Oh shit, Millard doesn't know-) "Nothin' aye." *He grunted and sniffed, pretending nothing was wrong.*

Alicia: (I don't know what I'd do-) *She slowly turned around to look at the party, noticing a figure in the distance.* (Huh? Who's that?) *She looked past the party, squinting her eyes.*

Ashton: "I'll probably get more information about the origins of the Consultant-"

Alicia: "S-Sorry to interrupt, but there's someone standing over there?" *She pointed to a woman in the far distance.*

Ashton: (Someone?) *He quickly turned around with curiosity.*

Teresa: (Inconceivable, I did not sense anything!)

Millard: *He silently stared at the woman with confusion.* (She doesn't have a Neuron signature-)

Lance: *He stared at the woman, raising an eyebrow.* "Wat a weirdo."

Ashton: "Lance, she's probably just taking a stroll-"

Lance: "She's just standin' on the beach, being _weird_."

Alicia: "It's as if she is waiting for someone."

Ashton: "What do you mean?" *He stared at the woman with interest.*

Alicia: "She's staring out into the ocean."

Teresa: "I do not feel _anything_ from _it_." *She sounded confused, standing up.*

Ashton: "Let's see if we can help her in any way." *He stood up, suddenly jogging towards the beach.*

Millard: "Oowh." *He stood up in pain, holding his back.*

Lance: "Hero mode, activated."

Alicia: *She glanced at Lance, before looking away.* "I-I'm coming too."

Lance: *He sniffed and started to walk, folding his arms.* (Who cares.)

Teresa: "I do not understand? What she does holds not business to us, let us leave her alone-" *She watched the party unintentionally ignore her.*

\----------

Holland: *He looked down, watching Freya sleep in his lap.* (She's almost healed already.) *He smiled and looked up to the stars, slowly closing his eyes.*

\----------

Millard: *He hobbled with Lance, Teresa and Alicia towards the shore.* "As the party followed Ashton to see if the mysterious woman needs our help-"

Alicia: "Ah-" *She awkwardly leant forward, stepping onto the sand.*

Ashton: *He stood on the sand, hesitantly staring at the woman's back.* "Hello?"

Millard: "The mysterious woman didn't respond and appeared to be in an unaware state."

Lance: "Shut the-"

Ashton: *He took several steps closer, leaning to the side.* "Hello? Miss?"

Teresa: *She looked over her shoulder, noticing the flickering fire in the distance.* "It is quite impressive you noticed the woman from this distance, Alicia."

Alicia: *She turned around, squinting her eyes.* "Is that Millard's fire?"

Teresa: "Indeed-"

Lance: " _Oi_ , _lady_?" *He shivered, folding his arms more tightly.*

Ashton: "Not to intrude miss, but-" *He reached forward and his arm went through her, causing his ring to glow.*

Lance: " _What_ _the_?!" *He took a step back, tripping onto the sand.*

Teresa: (I see.)

Alicia: *She gasped in shock, biting her bottom lip.* "W-Wha-"

Millard: *He loudly gasped, scaring Lance and Alicia.* "Look at this shell!" *He picked up a rainbow coloured shell, giggling to himself.*

Lance: "St-Stupid-" *He glanced at Millard with annoyance, before focusing his attention back to the woman.*

Ashton: "W-What is this?" *He cautiously took several steps back, continuing his fixated stare at the woman.*

*Alicia, Lance and Ashton stared at the woman in white, in a trance-like stare.*

Ashton: *He turned around, watching Millard play with the shell.* "What's going on, Millard?" *He tilted his head.* "Teresa?"

Lance: "Is it a spirit?!"

Teresa: "Hoh? It slipped my mind, you three would not have witnessed something like this yet-"

Lance: "A _spirit_?!"

Teresa: "What are you seeing right now-"

Millard: "The moon's light reflected off the ocean's surface, causing the water to dance on the shore."

Lance: " _W_ - _Wat_ are we seein' right now-?!" *He shivered again, slightly facing Teresa.*

Teresa: "It is a result of someone passing away, someone with immensely powerful Astragons."

Ashton: (Good grief-)

Alicia: "W-What do you mean?"

Teresa: "When someone for example-"

Millard: "Perhaps someone with the ranking of three to one?"

Teresa: "Indeed-" *She nodded her head, placing a hand on her waist.* "When a captain with a high ranking passes away, a level of their Astragons remain after death."

Millard: "Resulting in an image."

Teresa: "Or an after trace, memories, left behind."

Millard: "They've even been cases where powerful Rostical Users were able to talk after death."

Ashton: (Their image could talk-?)

Teresa: "Or, powerful Rostical Users communicating with the dead."

Lance: (Wow.) *His jaw dropped in amazement, as he stared back at the woman.* "Can she hear us?"

Teresa: "Negative."

Alicia: "Why haven't I heard or _seen_ anything like this before?"

Teresa: "Cases like these are _very_ rare."

Alicia: "B-But-"

Millard: "Very rare, child."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Millard: "So it wouldn't surprise these old bones if your village didn't even know about this phenomenon."

Lance: *He looked at the sand, raising an eyebrow in confusion.* "But we were on the beach before, _aye_?"

Ashton: "Yes, I was about to say the same thing. How come we can see her now?"

Lance: " _Yea_?"

Teresa: "There is little to no information regarding Astragon Projections."

Alicia: (Astragon Projections?)

Millard: "Astral Projections for short."

Ashton: "What purpose do they-?"

Teresa: "There really is no purpose or reason why this happens."

Ashton: "Okay."

Teresa: "All that is known, is this phenomenon happens when." *She stopped, staring at the woman.*

Millard: "When someone with an immense level of Astragons passes away, resulting in a projection of their image."

Lance: *He stood up, brushing sand off his legs.* "The old fart said there were cases of 'em talking?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Millard: "Researchers speculate, that Astral Projections are linked to users having unfinished tasks to attend to."

Teresa: "Humph, _merely_ speculations."

Millard: (Maybe I shouldn't bring up The Aspestosis Ship.)

Teresa: (Such trivial things I need not waste my time on.)

Millard: "You children should be lucky. This is the third one I've seen in _my_ lifetime."

Alicia: *She watched the woman's hair and clothing, gently flap in the soft breeze.* "She's beautiful."

Millard: "Some things are beautiful precisely because you can't obtain them."

Ashton: "What a good saying, Millard."

Millard: " _Oowh_ my, I do try." *He sarcastically giggled, waving his hands next to his face.*

Lance: "This woman _if she were alive_ could use Rostickal?"

Teresa: "Correct-"

Millard: "And she would've been _very_ powerful at it too."

Teresa: (Perhaps a previous captain?)

Lance: (This is-) *He started to breathe heavily, dropping to his knees.* (Amazing.)

Alicia: "W-What unfinished tasks do you have?" *She moved in front of the woman, looking at her face.*

Teresa: "It is useless, she can not hear you."

Alicia: "I don't know why but it's depressing watching her."

*The woman slowly moved her hand, pointing towards the ocean.*

Alicia: *She stepped to the side and looked into the ocean, noticing a slight glow in the water.* (Did she respond to me?)

Ashton: "You wouldn't think." *He spoke under his breath in disbelief.*

Teresa: "No it is not logical."

Lance: (Shit nuggets.)

Teresa: (What is this feeling? I feel on edge, as if I am being watched, and-) *She suppressed her emotions, causing her fingers to slightly twitch.* (My heart is pounding fast-)

Millard: "My, my, I knew travelling with you lot would serve some interesting events-" *He slightly smiled, adjusting his cone-shaped hat.* "But to see my _third_ Astral projection and for it to _interact_ with us."

Lance: "Wat's wrong with you, old fart? I don't hear any sarcasm."

Millard: "There's nothing to be sarcastic about."

Alicia: "..." *She braced herself, before running towards the ocean.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She quickly stepped forward, grabbing Alicia.*

Alicia: "L-Let me go, Teresa."

Teresa: "It is not safe to go in the ocean when it is dark."

Alicia: "..."

Ashton: "I'd always like to help when I can, but we have to act responsibly."

Teresa: (Tcch, my forehead hurts again.) *She let go of Alicia, rubbing her forehead in pain.*

Lance: "This will come as a shock, but I agree with it." *He looked at Alicia, avoiding eye contact.*

Alicia: "..."

Lance: "I feel sad because wateva her problem is- _was_ , she can't go." *He sighed, looking down to the sand.*

Teresa: "That projection you see, it is merely her essence."

Millard: (You have a lot to learn still, Teresa-)

Lance: "If it's enough that her powers stay behind, then it's enough for me to help."

Alicia: (Lance.)

Ashton: (He's really passionate about this type of stuff.)

Millard: "I wouldn't mind going swimming tomorrow?" *He smiled, looking at Lance.*

Teresa: " _If_ the Astragon Projection shows no activity tomorrow, we will need to head back."

Ashton: "Understandable."

Lance: "Fair enough."

Alicia: *She nodded her head in agreement, looking back to the woman.* "Sh-She's gone?!"

Lance: *He looked over to where the woman was with confusion.* (She _is_ gone-)

Millard: "It's getting very cold out here."

Ashton: "Come on, everyone." *He scratched his eyes, as he started to walk back to the camp.*

Millard: "Nothing smart to say about the Astral Projection there, Lance?"

Lance: "Nope." *He yawned, placing his hands on his head.*

Alicia: "Goodnight, Millard." *She walked past Millard, walking into the clearing.*

Millard: *He slowly walked with Teresa, watching Lance, Ashton and Alicia lay down around the fire.* "I admire how serious they're taking this."

Teresa: "It is a waste of energy."

Millard: "Teresa, my dear?"

Teresa: "We could be spending valuable time at Surpreon, relaxing along the shore was already enough, chasing Astragon Projections, is almost repulsive."

Millard: "..."

Teresa: "Nevertheless, I require the time to rest-"

Ashton: *He rolled over, watching Teresa walk towards him.* "What if something happens at Surpreon?"

Millard: *He stepped forward, glancing at Teresa.* "If there's interest at Surpreon, Tyler knows where to find us."

Ashton: "Okay, thank you, Teresa for coming." *He smiled, closing his eyes.*

Teresa: "..."

Millard: "If we're going to do some swimming tomorrow, I better get some beauty sleep."

Lance: "See ya in about four months?"

Millard: "Ouchies." *He hobbled next to the fire, lying down.*

Lance: "Won't it get cold 'cause we're near the water 'n' stuff?"

Millard: "My fire won't go out without my permission."

Lance: "Kool." *He made himself comfortable, closing his eyes.*

Alicia and Ashton: "Zzz."

Teresa: *She watched the party fall asleep, picturing the woman's Astragon Projection.* (I wonder how she passed away?)

Millard: *He closed his eyes, quietly thinking to himself.* (Every time I see special things like this, I just want to tell you, I just want to talk to you again..)

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She lay down in an angry-like manner, rolling to the side.* (Why am I thinking about such insignificant things?)

Millard: (Some things are beautiful precisely because you can't obtain them? My, my. My love, you are so beautiful-) *He used his hands as a pillow as a tear ran down his cheek.*

\----------

Zayden: *He flashstepped into a poorly lit room, kneeling down to one knee under a single ray of light.* "..."

Kath: "I have good news and bad news for you, Zayden." *Her voice echoed from the shadows, causing Zayden to lower his head.*

Zayden: "Y-Yes?"

Kath: "Which do you want to hear first?" *She spoke in a professional calm and collected manner.*

Zayden: "I don't care."

Kath: "Well the good news, is that you have successfully unlocked three of five glyphs."

Zayden: (I did it for you, my _true_ Consultant.) *He looked up towards the light, smirking to himself.*

Kath: (Although-)

Zayden: "And?"

Kath: "You are dismissed from this mission."

Zayden: *He lowered his head, filled with confusion.* "Dismissed?"

Kath: "Your condition has worsened." *She watched Zayden's head twitch to one side.* "You are no longer in the ranks."

Zayden: "But!-"

Kath: "This is no longer discussable." *High heel-like footsteps could be heard walking away.*

Zayden: "W-What do you mean _out of the ranks_?"

Kath: "You are no longer a warrior-"

Zayden: "W-What do I do?!" *He raised his head towards the sound of Kath's voice.*

Kath: "Do what you will, it's no longer my concern."

Zayden: "But he won't let you-"

Kath: "It was a mutual decision."

Zayden: "..."

Kath: "But I will warn you, meddle in my plans and I will _terminate_ you."

Zayden: "I was doing the mission _fine_ -?!"

Kath: "You lost yourself confronting those people." *Her voice echoed, as she flashstepped out of the room.*

Zayden: *His face filled with anger, as he slowly stood up.* (Kill-Kill-Kill! _Those_ _brats_.) "Bwahrhah." *He slurped in anger, flashstepping out of the room.*

\----------

Kath: *She walked into a poorly lit room which had a constant humming sound in the background.* (Too bad, losing Zayden in the end will cost me-)

*Images of different parts of the continent rested on the walls of the room.*

Kath: "It takes years to find and train a suitable single digit. Losing nearly seven in the past month is not tolerable."

?????: "This isn't tolerable, is it ma'am?" *A woman in captain's armour kneeled and bowed in front of Kath.*

Kath: "Ah, a captain that puts a smile on my face."

?????: "What is your word?" *She tilted her head, causing her hair to cover her face.*

Kath: "I want you to find the remaining two Unknown Territories and continue Zayden's mission."

?????: "Was he terminated or-?"

Kath: "That information will serve no purpose to your knowledge."

?????: "I understand, excuse my rude manner."

Kath: "You understand, I've had no problems with my ranking system."

?????: "Kath?"

Kath: "So tell me why I have five out of nine captains remaining?" *Her voice remained calm and collective.*

?????: "My ranking proves _I_ will _not_ have that problem."

Kath: *She smiled, pushing her glasses up with one finger.* "After speaking with Zayden, there are a few things that have caught my interest."

?????: "Ma'am?"

Kath: "They apparently wore strange clothes, I'm sure you're aware?"

?????: "Indeed."

Kath: "Who is the male that uses Mystic Shield?"

?????: "His name is Ashton, Ashton Lawyer. A manager from Fast Food Enterprise."

Kath: "Fast Food Enterprise?"

?????: "Yes, ma'am."

Kath: "You've only been in my ranking for less than two years and you already impress me to this extent?"

?????: "Kath-"

Kath: "Before I forget." *She turned around, readying herself to leave.* "Good work defeating a powerful Guardian."

?????: "I was forced to release my weapon, sound was, fortunately, its weakness."

Kath: "Hmph, go now. You've wasted precious time."

?????: "I understand." *Her image vanished as she flashstepped out of the room.*

Kath: (Perhaps I should have sent a competent captain in the first place-)

Ten: *She ran towards Kath from another room, staring at her with disorientation.* "Ma'am!"

Kath: "What brings you, looking like that-?"

Ten: "Your special thing, has been freed-" *She spoke under her breath, portraying herself in a confusing manner.*

Kath: "Special thing? What are you talking about?!" *She spoke in a stern voice, facing the warrior.*

Ten: "That woman in ice, she's gone."

Kath: "Gone?"

Ten: "This way, ma'am." *She quickly turned around, running out of Kath's sight.*

Kath: " _Gone_?" *She looked down, flashstepping out of the room.*

\--

Kath: *She suddenly appeared in an operation-like room.* "Now, let's see what the fuss is about-" *She pushed several glyphic buttons, causing a large image to pop up on a screen.*

Ten: *She ran into the room and took a deep breath, noticing Kath.* "M-Ma'am, you're already here-?"

Kath: *She stared at the screen in shock, pushing her glasses up with one finger.* (He's freed her?! Already?!)

Ten: *She looked at the screen, noticing a small room with shattered pieces of ice along the floor.* "What does this mean?!"

Kath: "I will need to talk to the other Consultant."

\----------

Alicia: "Hmm-" *She woke up blinded as sunlight shined on her face.*

*Lance slept with his arm wrapped around his neck, strangling himself.*

Alicia: "..." *She stretched and looked over to the party, noticing the men sleep in different positions.* (They're asleep-)

Teresa: "Hoh? You are up already? I have prepared the recommended clothing."

Alicia: "H-How did you get them?" *She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.*

Teresa: "I travelled to Surpreon to see if anything had occurred." *She held diving equipment under her arms.*

Alicia: "Was there anything?"

Teresa: "Negative."

Lance: "Large fries-" *He yawned and rolled to his side, kicking Ashton in the head.*

Ashton: "Arh-" *He gasped, waking up.*

Teresa: "Hermph." *She threw the equipment on the ground, waking Lance and Millard up.*

Millard: "The flying trees!-" *He looked around and coughed sarcastically.*

Alicia: "M-Millard?"

Millard: "Good morning, children."

Lance: "Ah? It's so early, why ya wakin' me up?"

Teresa: "Did you not say yourself, you desired to find what the Astragon Projection wanted?"

Lance: (Oh yeah-) "Come on, let's go!" *He smiled with excitement, jumping onto his feet.*

Millard: (Ah, youth.) *He sighed, slowly standing up.*

Ashton: *He stood up, walking towards the equipment Teresa brought.* "She has diving equipment, snorkels and other stuff."

Millard: "This is a little exciting."

Teresa: "..."

Lance: (Underwater, this is going to rock-)

Alicia: "Do we know what to look for?"

Lance: "I guess we'll know when we see-" *He paused in mid-sentence, folding his arms like a child.* (Oh I forgot, I'm not talking to _her_.)

Alicia: (Don't talk to me.)

Millard: "What the youngster was about to say, is, we'll find it once we see it."

Lance: "..." *He nodded his head in agreement.*

Teresa: (I once again appear to be doing such trivial things-) "Everyone ready?"

Ashton: "Sure am." *He smiled with excitement, placing goggles on his forehead.*

Alicia: "Y-Yep, Teresa."

Lance: "Always, aye."

Millard: *He grunted, struggling to put flippers on his feet.* "Yes, my sensational cupcake."

Ashton: *He looked at Teresa with confusion.* "Teresa, aren't you going?"

Teresa: "I will be."

Lance: "Yea? So why aren't ya wearin' any equipment?"

Teresa: "I will not need it." *She elegantly spun around, walking towards the beach.*

Alicia: (What does she mean she _won't_ need it?)

Lance: *He followed Teresa, waving behind him.* "Hurry it up."

Alicia: *She sighed with fatigue, holding her pendant.* (It's great to be outside, but I do feel a bit run down-)

Ashton: "Alicia, how are you feeling anyway?"

Alicia: "A little better, th-thank you, tee hee." *She smiled, cupping her hands behind her back.*

Millard: "Don't push yourself, little one." *He placed his hand on top of her head, hobbling towards the beach.*

Alicia: (I have such _good_ friends.) *She smiled to herself, stopping next to Teresa.*

Millard: "The party lined themselves along the shore-"

Teresa: "Although there is equipment for everybody, I believe it would be beneficial if only two people go."

Lance: "Aye? Why did you make _all_ of us put the stuff on then?"

Teresa: "It was calculated. The decision who goes into the water would be easier-"

Lance: "Well, _I'll_ be goin' of course." *He sniffed his finger, pretending to be cool.*

Millard: "And how did you calculate that, by the way?"

Teresa: "If I brought limited equipment, Lance would have _obviously_ argued who got to wear them."

Ashton: (Haha, sounds like something Lance would've done-)

Lance: "Well, wateva-"

Alicia: "U-Umm-" *She looked at Teresa, nervously biting her bottom lip.* "I-I would like to go as well-"

Lance: "Does _she_ have to?"

Ashton: "She can if she wants."

Lance: "Ain't she meant to be wounded 'n' stuff?"

Teresa: "Her wounds would not affect the outcome of this task."

Lance: *He rolled his eyes, stepping into the water.* "Don't slow me down, snotface."

Ashton: "Be careful please."

Alicia: "I will, th-thank you."

Lance: "Yea, yea." (Thanks, Ashton.)

Millard: "Alicia and Lance dived into the water. The water was very clear and bright."

Ashton: "Haha, really, Millard?"

Millard: "Sorry, child, there's no point in doing that if Lance isn't here."

Ashton: "Millard, you should give Lance a break."

Millard: "Shit nuggets." *He sniffed, tilting his head away from Ashton.*

Ashton: "..." *He sighed, face palming at Millard.*

Lance: *He held his breath, puffing out his cheeks as he inspected the ocean floor.* (The water's clear, but I can't see anything.)

Alicia: (I don't know what I'm looking for-) *Something sparkled in the light, catching her attention.*

*Small fish-like Scoldrants, happily swam past Alicia, as she caught Lance's attention.*

Lance: (What's she pointing at?)

Alicia: (Ah-) *She coughed out bubbles, causing her to float up to the surface.* " _Harh_ -" *She deeply inhaled, before diving back into the water.*

Lance: *He looked in the direction where Alicia pointed.* (Is it a rock?)

Alicia: (The sparkle, it looks like a box.) *She swam down to the ocean floor, touching the box.* (It's sealed tight and I can't lift it.)

Lance: (For someone who apparently never gets out, she can swim pretty well.)

Alicia: (I need the loser's help.) *She faced Lance, waving him towards her.*

Lance: *He swam over, placing his hands around the box.* (Here we go-) *He lifted the box off the ground, causing disturbed sand to smog the area.*

Alicia: *She noticed Lance struggle, causing her to grab the other end.* (Grr-)

*Lance and Alicia swam at an angle, making their way towards the surface.*

Lance: "Gah-" *He took a deep breath, spitting out water.* "This ain't a big box, but it's _so_ heavy." *He awkwardly kept his head above the water, as small ripples splashed against his cheeks.*

Alicia: *She used all her concentration, holding the box and staying above the surface.* (Eww, salty-)

Ashton: "They're struggling." *He mumbled to himself, watching Lance and Alicia splash towards the shore.*

*Alicia and Lance staggered out of the water, stepping onto the shore.*

Ashton: *He watched them drag the box along the sand in between them.* "Great work-"

Lance: "Gah-" *He collapsed onto the sand, panting with exhaustion.* (Man, I was never good at swimming.)

Alicia: *She panted, looking to each side.* "Where is Teresa and Millard?"

Ashton: "Tyler ran on to the shore, saying there was something Teresa needed to look at."

Alicia: "And Millard?"

Ashton: "He didn't feel comfortable leaving Teresa and Tyler by themselves, so he went with them."

Lance: "But he left you here by yourself?"

Ashton: "It was acceptable-"

Lance: " _Anyways_ , it was _so_ heavy!"

Alicia: "So they left you here by yourself?"

Ashton: "Really?" *He walked over, inspecting the box.* "It doesn't look like it's locked, it just seems air sealed."

Alicia: "What does that mean?"

Ashton: "There's a possibility that whatever is in there could still be damage free."

Lance: (Sweet.) *He looked at Ashton, then to the box with excitement.*

Alicia: "How do you think we can open it-?"

Box: "Psssh." *It suddenly opened itself, hissing, as air seeped through the cracks.*

*Ashton, Lance and Alicia all leaned forward, staring into the box.*

Lance: "There's orbs."

Alicia: "They look like Rosterology items."

*Different colours sparkled in the party's faces, as they slowly reached into the box.*

Ashton: "There's writing on this orb-" *He picked up the orb, causing his ring to slightly flicker blue.* "The power of an Elementalist."

Alicia: "Elementalist?"

Ashton: "What's that?"

Lance: "Beats me aye, but it sounds kool."

Alicia: *She picked up a scroll, unrolling it with interest.* "There's more stuff here-"

Lance: *He leant over Alicia's shoulder, staring at the page.* "And a detailed drawin' of a chick and some guy."

Ashton: "What does it say?" *He lowered the orb, not noticing it glowed with his ring.*

Alicia: "The Ruins of Estel, left behind, after the holy city bestowed into the skies."

Ashton: "Wow-"

Lance: "That woman!-" *He rudely pointed over Alicia, squinting his eyes like a child.* "She looks like that spirit, wat yas think?"

Ashton: *He shuffled in the sand, taking a look at the scroll.* "There is a resemblance-"

*The orbs started to vibrate in the box, glowing different colours.*

Ashton: "Good grief-"

Lance: "I didn't touch anythin'." *He stood up, stepping away from the box.*

Alicia: "W-What are they reacting to?"

Lance: *He looked down, touching his stomach with confusion.* "Can anyone else feel that?"

Ashton: "What does it feel like-?"

*White orbs clustered in front of the party, materialising a silhouette of a woman.*

Lance: (Th-The woman-) *He watched the orbs disappear, staring at the woman with shock.*

Alicia: "U-Umm, hello?" *She nervously whispered, slowly standing up.*

Ashton: "I want to talk to her as well, but didn't Teresa say they're not aware-?"

*The woman gazed upon the ocean, looking confused.*

Ashton: "Look at her face, it changed!"

*The woman turned around and looked down to the box, causing swirls of sand to spiral around her.*

Alicia: *She gasped and watched the woman point to the box, causing it to slowly disintegrate into tiny white orbs.* (Amazing.)

Lance: "H-How-?" *He looked up, watching the white orbs spiral into the air.*

Ashton: *His jaw dropped, leaning back in the sand.* (Is that what you wanted-?)

*The orb in Ashton's hand sizzled and disintegrated into clusters of light, causing him to gasp in pain.*

Ashton: (It was hot-) *His ring started to burn as it glowed dark blue.* (Th-The ring, it's glowing a different colour-)

Lance: *He stared at the woman, unaware of Ashton's ring.* "So I'm assumin' the box-"

Alicia: "Th-That's what she wanted?"

Lance: "Yea-"

*The woman started to float up, causing Lance and Alicia to gasp like children.*

Ashton: *He frowned in pain, holding the ring, suddenly sighing with relief.* (What happened-?)

Lance: "A-Ash-"

Ashton: "Yes-?" *He looked up, noticing the woman in the air.*

*The woman faced the party and smiled, slowly disintegrating into tiny white orbs.*

Lance: "She's looking right at us." *He spoke under his breath in disbelief.*

Alicia: "A-And smiling."

Ashton: (Her body is, _dissolving_? Like that captain-) *He watched the woman disappear into the sky and out of his sight.* (Those same white orbs.)

Lance: "The box?"

Ashton: "It's gone."

Alicia: *She looked where the box used to be, noticing writing on the sand.* "W-Writing-"

Lance: "Wat does it say?"

Ashton: (Unbelievable.) "It says, thank you.."

Alicia: *She looked up, holding the pendant with both hands.* "I feel sorry that she's trapped here."

Lance: "No, I don't think so."

Alicia: "What do you mean?"

Lance: "The way she disappeared this time. Those white orbs."

Ashton: "I agree, just a feeling I get-" *The ring started to glow different shades of blue, causing him to hide his hand.*

Lance: (I didn't realise how awesome stupid things looked.)

Alicia: "..." *Her eyes glazed, as she proudly smiled to herself.*

Ashton: "I'm glad we did it-"

Teresa: *She gracefully walked out of the bushes, jogging up to the party.* "..."

Alicia: *She sniffed, facing Teresa.* "Hello, Teresa."

Teresa: "Save the formalities, we have found another energy spike."

*Ashton, Alicia and Lance, looked surprised, fixing themselves up.*

Teresa: *She glanced at each party member, turning around.* "What were you doing? Did you all find anything?"

Alicia: "Well-"

Ashton: "We had fun."

Lance: "Yea, heaps of fun aye." *He smiled, looking up.*

Teresa: "Tcch, follow." *She stared into the distance, running towards the bushes.*

Alicia: "Why did you interrupt me, Ashton?"

Ashton: "She wouldn't have believed us anyway, remember how she was talking last night."

Alicia: "Y-Yep, I suppose you're right."

*The party ran in a line, following Teresa through the bushes.*

Lance: "Oi!" *He yelled at Teresa.*

Ashton: "Lance, unacceptable."

Lance: *He sighed, rolling his eyes.* " _Teresa_!"

Teresa: "What appears to be the problem?!" *She focused on her running speed, as she yelled out, staring in front.*

Lance: "Wat kind of energy thingo is it?"

Teresa: "It is not the same as when the glyphs were unlocked, but it has a similar trace to it."

Lance: "OK."

Ashton: (We must be getting fitter, we're already at Surpreon-)

Teresa: "Use this time to change back into your original clothing, we are needed at the facility!"

\----------

*A tall woman hidden in a dark brown robe with white glyphic markings, stood in Gasher Hills.*

Robed Woman: "I have been freed-" *She slowly raised her arm forming a fist, causing a layer of ice to shatter off her arm.*

*A gust of wind blew behind the woman, causing long blonde hair to flap in front out of her robes.*

Robed Woman: "I wonder what he plans to do with me?" *She elegantly spun around, causing the sounds of armour to rattle.*

*The woman sighed and took a step forward, causing her image to vanish.*

\----------

*Teresa led the party into the research facility, catching Season, Millard, Felix and Tyler's attention.*

Millard: "My, my, Season. You expected me to run there and back _that_ fast? Bahaha, you ran at light speed, children." *He giggled, staring at the party with flustered faces.*

Season: "I'm guessing Teresa has already told you all?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

*Alicia and Ashton nodded their heads in agreement, focusing their attention to Season.*

Season: "We are _very_ lucky, as I still have a teleportation glyph activated near the reported area."

Lance: "Reported area?"

Season: "Where the energy spike is being detected." *He sighed, pacing back and forth.*

Millard: (Season seems a little anxious.) *He thought to himself, adjusting his cone-shaped hat.*

Ashton: "Where is it?"

Season: "It's located near Hollow Plains, it's North West from here."

Alicia: *She looked up, responding to the location.* (Hollow Plains?)

Season: "Have you been there before?"

Alicia: "I-It's right next to my village."

Ashton: (Oh, that's right-)

Felix: (Alicia lives around there?) *He looked at Alicia, smiling to himself in thought.*

Season: "Tyler, if you may."

Tyler: "You know the good news, we have a teleportation glyph in the Hollow Plains."

Lance: "Yea, get on with it-"

Tyler: "B-But, the bad news is, the type of glyph it is-" *He faced Season, looking confused as if he wasn't sure.*

Season: "It's a low levelled glyph."

Tyler: "Ah." *He nodded his head in realisation.* "A low levelled teleportation glyph."

Lance: "Wat does that mean?" *He folded his arms like a child, grunting with impatience.*

Teresa: "Depending on the Astragon output of the glyph, there is a limitation to how many people or items can be transferred."

Tyler: "And that number is four."

Teresa: (There are five of us in this party-)

Lance: "One, two-" *He scanned across the room, counting each party member with his fingers.*

Teresa: (In my calculations, the weakest person should stay here and wait for the glyph to recharge-)

Lance: "Four-"

Teresa: (And that would be Lance.)

Ashton: "There's five. Lance, Alicia, Teresa, Millard and myself."

Felix: "I want to come as well."

Lance: "Pssht." *He chuckled, rolling his eyes.*

Felix: "Have you got something to say, you dirty lamp-?"

Season: "Enough!" *He coughed with authority, covering his mouth.*

*The room instantly went silent, as everyone focused their attention to Season.*

Season: "I believe Alicia should stay behind, she is still slightly weakened from what happened before."

Alicia: "Y-Yep." *She nodded her head, looking down to her pendant.*

Season: "When we activate the glyph the second time, I will send her and-"

Felix: "I'll stay behind, to make sure she is safe."

Lance: (Pssht, _please_.) *He smirked in a condescending manner, shaking his head.*

Tyler: "It will take a while for the glyph to re-establish itself, so-"

Teresa: "The four of us will be on our own?"

Tyler: "Yes."

Millard: "Understandable, right children?"

Ashton: "That is acceptable."

Alicia: "B-Be careful." *She walked towards Season and Felix, smiling at the party.*

Millard: "And, guess who stocked up the bag, _again_!"

Ashton: "Thank you, Millard."

Lance: "Hurry, the glyph?"

Tyler: *He sighed, scratching a pimple on his cheek.* (I _really_ want to know why Lance is Ashton's best friend-)

Season: "Please, stand over there." *He pointed to a glyph on the ground.*

Teresa: *She nodded her head and stepped on the glyph, staring at Season.* "..."

Season: "As Alicia said, be careful." *He discreetly looked at his hand, noticing blood in his palm.*

Millard: "Ready when you are, your majesty."

Season: "Okay." *He waved his arm, causing the glyph to glow purple.*

Lance: "Not this again-"

*The room around the party blurred and swirled around them.*

Lance: "I can't see anything."

Ashton: "If it helps, I usually close my eyes when we teleport."

Lance: "Wateva." *He smirked, closing his eyes.*

Millard: "The swirls of colours changed from gold to green-"

Teresa: "We do not need a commentary about something so trivial."

Felix: *He watched the party disappear in a flash of purple light.* "What about us?" *He impatiently looked over to Season.*

Season: "Start preparations for the next transport, immediately."

Tyler: "Will do, as soon as the glyph is ready to accept Neurons."

Chapter 14: Good Grief

Teresa: *She stepped onto the grass, noticing her hair rapidly flap back.* "The wind is abnormally strong today."

Ashton: *He stepped off the glowing glyph, looking to each side.* "What are we meant to be looking for?"

Teresa: "I am not sure myself."

Millard: "Treasure?" *He sarcastically giggled, waving his bottom.*

Lance: (There's something about today, I don't like this feeling.) *He placed his hand on his stomach, looking down at the swaying grass.* (I felt it as soon as I woke up at the camp.)

Ashton: "Should we split up? Hollow Plains is massive-"

Zayden: "Bwhahahehahegaha." *He laughed at the party's back, causing them to quickly turn around.*

Ashton: "Who?"

Lance: "You!"

Zayden: "Ahahahaha, kill, kill-" *He stood with a hunchback, raising his shoulders.* " _Kill_!"

Ashton: "Good grief-" *He slightly stepped back, hiding his intimidation.*

Millard: (Zayden's Neuron signature is all over the place-)

Zayden: "Kill! You filthy, dirty lamps!" *He grunted, leaning forward as his eyes turned yellow.*

Teresa: "It appears his condition has worsened."

Lance: "His eyes are yellow? Were they always yellow?"

Zayden: *He glanced at each party member, chuckling to himself.* (Which one to kill first?)

Millard: (Those eyes, Kath.)

Zayden: "Hahaha, I will now kill you all." *He stood up straight, facing the party.*

Ashton: "Why?"

Zayden: "I want _all_ of your blood _all_ over my body!" *He smiled with his mouth open, causing drool to run down his chin.*

Lance: "Let's kill him."

Ashton: "Lance! No-"

Lance: "Are you serious, Ash? Look at him."

Ashton: "There could still be hope for him-"

Zayden: *His finger twitched, causing him to glare at the party.* (I'm tingling to kill these brats.)

Teresa: (This scenario is troublesome, but it is nothing-) *She stepped forward, staring at Zayden with an emotionless face.*

Lance: "Hope?"

Ashton: "Killing is _not_ acceptable and-"

Zayden: "Defensive seals, tri-nine traps, UNPROFOUND ULTIMATE BINDING"

*Five red rods pierced through the air at blinding speeds, jabbing into Teresa's waist.*

Zayden: "Bahaha!"

Teresa: "Tcch, _again_?" (How foolish-)

Millard: *He stepped to the side, looking at Teresa.* "Cupcake-"

Teresa: *Her eyes widened in shock.* (No! He will destroy the others-)

Lance: "Why do you keep bindin' Teresa?"

Zayden: "She's a woman."

Ashton: "That is sexist and unacceptable, I will _not_ _accept_ _this_." *He frowned in disgust, causing his ring to glow.*

Millard: "He isn't exactly what I was hoping to find here." *He opened the RPG bag, pulling out a thick brown book.*

Lance: "Wat?! Now you're goin' to read?!" *He grunted with anger, snatching the RPG bag off Millard.*

Millard: "Settle down, child-"

Lance: "Don't tell me to settle down-"

Millard: "I'm going to fight seriously."

Zayden: "A fight where the grass will turn red, bahwahagha."

Lance: *He looked at Zayden, unsheathing his sword from the RPG bag.* "I'll give you a fight."

Zayden: *He smiled, wiping his chin.* "Let's get started, hey?"

Ashton: *He raised his hands, bracing himself.* (Why must we fight-?)

Teresa: "He is ranked third of the captains, do not underestimate him!" *She grunted in pain, as the rods placed pressure on her lungs.*

Ashton: *He nodded his head, ignoring his flickering ring.* "Lance, prepare yourself-"

Zayden: *He flashstepped directly in front of Lance, causing a pulse of wind to blow the other way.* "Ha!"

Lance: "Wh-?"

Zayden: "Hagh!" *He kicked Lance in the face, blasting him back across the grass.*

Lance: *He violently tumbled across the grass, dropping his sword.* (Shit-)

Millard: *His eyes widened with fear, dropping the book to the ground.* (I had completely forgotten about Zayden's ability-)

Zayden: "Pfft, too easy!" *He noticed Lance move in the distance, causing him to spit in anger.* "Tssk, I was meant to smash his skull in-"

Ashton: "Lance!"

Teresa: *She noticed Millard shaking his head in defeat.* "N-No-" *She coughed, making struggling sounds.* "M-Millard, his ability has a weakness!"

Ashton: (Weakness-?)

Zayden: "Grarh!" *He jumped towards Ashton, forming a fist.*

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD" *He waved his hands, causing a bubble-like shield to push Zayden back.*

Teresa: "He can only neutralise one element at a time!"

Millard: (What?!) *He quickly bent down, instantly chanting from the book.*

Zayden: *He slid back, staring at Teresa.* (That stupid girl! I never liked her and still don't!) *He stood on the spot, smirking to himself.*

Ashton: (What is he doing?)

Zayden: "I've always been the opposite to other captains."

Ashton: "Opposite?"

Zayden: "They say it's good to release it later-"

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He pushed forward, blasting a bubble-like sphere towards Zayden.*

Zayden: "But-" *He opened his mouth in excitement and leant to the side, avoiding Ashton's attack.*

Ashton: *He watched the sphere hit and explode the ground in the distance.* (Blast-)

Zayden: "But I've always enjoyed releasing my weapon much sooner than needed." *He spoke in a soft and calm tone.*

Millard: (His Neuron levels jumped up several stages.) *He looked at Zayden, continuing his incantation.*

Zayden: "Ha he he ha." *He raised his right arm, reaching over his shoulder.*

Teresa: (He is going to release his weapon!)

Zayden: *He tightened his fist and pulled his arm forward, causing a stream of sparks to scatter away.* "I'm going to annihilate you all!" *He held a large spear, which stood taller than him.*

Lance: *He coughed and leant up, looking at the party.* (Man, he pushed me _all_ the way back here?)

Ashton: (Violence is unacceptable.) *He stared at the spear with shock, throwing two knives from the RPG bag.* (But sometimes it's a necessity-)

Zayden: "Pfft." *He waved the spear, creating a shockwave of wind.*

Millard: (I need to gather my purest of Neurons, quickly-)

Zayden: "Aha-" *The shockwave blasted the knives to the ground, causing him to smirk.*

Ashton: *He looked down, noticing the shockwave push the grass back.* "MYSTIC SHIELD"

Zayden: *He spun around in a crazy-like manner, flashstepping behind Ashton.* "..."

Ashton: *He looked up and stared at the vacant space.* "Where's Zayden-?"

Zayden: *He rammed the spear into the shield, causing it to burst.* "Pathetic-"

Lance: "No!" *He ran into striking distance, slashing the sword across Zayden's right shoulder.*

Zayden: " _Why_ can't I sense you-?" *He flashstepped back, jumping high into the air.*

Lance: (Did I miss?) *He watched a piece of Zayden's clothing blow away in the wind.*

Zayden: "I am the third strongest captain!" *He grunted in a crazy-like manner, preparing himself for an aerial attack.*

Teresa: "Watch out! He is preparing-" *She wheezed and struggled to talk, causing her to stop in mid-sentence.*

Lance: "Huh?" *He looked up to the sky, staring at Zayden.* "Wat's he goin' to do from up there?"

Zayden: *He faced the ground, holding the spear with both hands.* (I'm going to _love_ the sound when I ram this _through_ your face.)

Ashton: *He looked up at Zayden then to Lance.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

Zayden: "Harh!" *He pushed forward, blasting himself towards Lance.*

Lance: "Shit-" *He gasped, raising his arms in front of his face.*

Ashton: *He watched a bubble-like shield raise around Lance.* (Good-)

Zayden: *He hit Ashton's shield, causing the ground to explode around the shield.* "Hahrahegh."

Lance: *He stared at Zayden in pure shock, ignoring pieces of ground which rained around him.* (Str-Strong-)

Zayden: *He grunted with a smile, jumping on a nearby falling rock.* "Hmph-" *He jumped off the rock, landing on top of a larger one.*

Lance: *The shield burst around him, causing the rocks to smash on to the ground.* "Oh, shit-"

Zayden: *He faced Ashton as the rock hit the ground and he raised the spear, pointing it at him.* "Die, dirty lamps!"

Millard: "FLAMING WHEEL"

Zayden: *Violent-like swirls of flames, spiralled around him.* "Bahwagh." *He blasted the spear towards Ashton, causing it to screech through the air.*

Millard: "Got him!-"

Zayden: *He jumped up and stamped his foot on the rock, causing it to burst in a pulse extinguishing the flames in the process.* "Lame!"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel-"

Millard: (Even though Teresa told me the weakness in his ability, all I know is fire element Rostical.)

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD" *The shield swirled in front him, blocking Zayden's spear.*

Lance: *He looked to his side, noticing the spear embedded in Ashton's shield.* (Crap, this guy's crazy.)

Millard: *He watched Zayden flashstep out of the rings of splintering flames and smoke.* (I have no clue what to use first, this fight is moving way too fast for me to keep up.)

Zayden: *He flashstepped in front of Ashton, twisting the end of the spear, causing the shield to burst.* "You're mine!"

Ashton: (He broke my shield with ease, I put a lot of Neurons in that one.) *He started to step away, raising his arms.*

Millard: "Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat-"

Lance: *His legs and sword twitched as he stood frozen with fear.* (I can't move.)

Millard: (The power of my Rostical is doubled thanks to this book.) "FLAMING STORM"

Zayden: *Fire swirled under Zayden's feet, burning the grass around him.* "Pfft-"

*The fire suddenly changed in colour, causing Zayden to look down in shock.*

Ashton: "Millard's fire turned blue?" *He thought to himself, continuing to step backwards.* (I will attack from a distance with Mystic Shield Strike.)

Millard: *He noticed the fire gather in power, causing the air to warp.* (Excellent, the fire isn't extinguishing, maybe his ability has a limit-?)

Zayden: "Four against one!" *He stared at Ashton, ignoring the fire around him.*

Millard: (Once I have an opportunity, I'll have to use my Grand Rostical-)

Zayden: "A little unfair don't you think?!"

Ashton: "Well-"

Zayden: "Unfair for _you_ , nhaghagh." *He flashstepped in front of Ashton, causing the fire to follow him, creating a fiery track.*

Ashton: *He glanced at the fire, causing him to loudly gasp.* "N-No-"

Zayden: "Haerh!" *He twirled around, slapping Ashton with the spear in an uppercut-like motion.*

Millard: (That sounded like it hurt!)

Zayden: *He smirked, spinning around, hitting Ashton into the air.* "Hahayah!"

Ashton: "Kah-" *His face quivered in pain, as he grunted, landing awkwardly on the ground.*

Teresa: (Tcch, Zayden can run circles around each party member before they even respond!)

Lance: (Get a hold of yourself!) *He grunted to himself, running towards Zayden.*

Teresa: (Millard is strong, but it is an awkward matchup for him.)

Lance: *He raised the sword, running into striking distance.* "Take this!"

Zayden: "Let's put a little bit of strength into this one." *He spun the spear at blinding speeds, slicing it across Lance's shoulder.*

Lance: " _Garh_ -" *An air slash, sliced down his back, slashing the ground behind him.*

Teresa: *She watched long grass blow past Lance caused by Zayden's strike.* (They simply are not ready to fight someone like him.)

Lance: "Kerh-" *He dropped to his knees and looked behind him, noticing a deep slash mark in the ground.*

Zayden: "Dirty lamp-" *He looked up and threw the spear into the air.*

Lance: "Shut up-"

Zayden: "You annoy me the _most_." *He stepped forward and spun around, kicking Lance in the face.*

Lance: "Oof-"

Zayden: "Bahaha." *He smirked, kicking Lance across the face with his other leg.* "Two-"

Lance: "Garh-" *He leant to the side, due to the force of Zayden's kick.*

Ashton: "Lance! _Stop_ _it_!" *He watched Zayden continually kick Lance across the head.*

Zayden: "-Five, six, seven-" *He kicked upwards, knocking Lance up onto his feet.* "Bahahaha." *He spun around, punching Lance in the face, knocking him into the air.*

Lance: *He coughed up blood, landing on the ground.* "A-Ah-" *His sword fell from the sky, landing on the ground behind him.*

Zayden: "Now _die_." *He formed a fist and tightened his arm, causing the air to warp around his hand.*

Lance: "You dirty-" *He coughed up blood, lying motionless on the ground.* (I can't move, I'm winded-)

Millard: "No, you don't! Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat, FLAMING-"

Zayden: "No-" *He jumped high into the air, grabbing his spear.* " _You_ don't!" *He threw the spear at blinding speeds towards Millard.*

Teresa: (Tcch, he will not be able to respond to it in time.)

Millard: "Oh no-"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He stared in front with urgency, blasting a sphere at amazing speeds.*

Millard: (I can't die now-) *The sphere hit the bottom of Zayden's spear, causing it to barely miss his head.*

Zayden: *He noticed the spear miss Millard in anger, causing him to grunt.* "Grr-"

Ashton: "Phew, that was close-"

Zayden: *He suddenly flashstepped behind Ashton, grabbing both sides of his head.* "Will you die now?"

Ashton: "Argh, let go!-" *He held Zayden's arms, trying to push them away.*

Millard: (He's going to snap his neck!) "Self-inflicting Glyph _activate_." *He looked up in pain, as black drawings drew themselves all over his body.*

Lance: *He looked up, twitching to move with frustration.* (I can't-)

Ashton: "M-Millard, use your fire!"

Millard: (Please be stronger than I give you credit for child-) "SPIRAL FLAMES"

Zayden: *He stuck his tongue out in concentration, applying pressure around Ashton's head.* "Haha-"

Millard: "Harh!" *He pushed forward, causing a swirl of flames to violently blast towards Ashton and Zayden.*

Ashton: "CYCLONIC WINDS" *He let go of Zayden's arms and pushed forward, causing a howling wind to blow him away from Zayden.*

Zayden: "Harh?" *He looked up and stared at the fire as the area lit up around him.*

Ashton: (I couldn't make it in time! Here we go-) *The flames scorched his wind, splintering on his sides, burning the grass around him.*

Zayden: (Hot!-) *Splinters of flames burnt his hair, causing him to flashstep away.*

Millard: *He noticed Zayden flashstep in the distance, causing him to quickly lower his arm, extinguishing the flames.* "Are you okay, Ashton?!"

Ashton: *He leant forward and panted, as sweat dripped off his face.* "Y-Yes, just, very hot-"

Zayden: "Bahagha, looks I'll be having fun after all, hey? Bahahaha." *He crazily laughed, wiping saliva off his face with his elbow.*

Millard: "I'm sorry, but I can't die here." *He looked over to Ashton, nodding his head.*

Ashton: (Now?)

Millard: "I have unfinished business to attend to."

Ashton: (I hope you know what you're doing Millard!-) "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE"

Millard: "FLAMING WHEEL"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, UNPROFOUND BIND"

Millard: "FLAMING STORM"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

Zayden: *He noticed a shield rise around each party member with confusion.* "Aye-?"

*Five transparent rods suddenly struck Zayden around the waist, causing him to smirk.*

Zayden: *He noticed two swirls of violent-like flames spiral around him.* "Going all out?"

Millard: *He noticed a cluster of flames spiral in a ball above Zayden.* (There's two different elements-)

Ashton: *He watched several bubble-like projectiles blast towards Zayden.* "..."

Zayden: *He clicked his fingers, causing the shields, projectiles and rods to pop.* "Bahaha."

Ashton: "M-My Rostical? Blast!"

Millard: (He dispelled all of Ashton's Rostical with a snap of a finger!-)

Zayden: *He stamped his foot with an evil-like smirk, causing the flames to extinguish.* "My ability?"

Millard: *He watched the flames above Zayden lose its shape before extinguishing into nothing.* (I'll add an incantation!-)

Zayden: "Bahwaha, you _pathetic_ _scum_!"

Millard: "Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat, FLAMING STORM"

*Flames swirled into a ball above Zayden, blasting hot air across the plains.*

Zayden: *He looked up, preparing himself to flashstep.* "Whatever, dirty lamp-"

*The flames suddenly exploded causing smog to fill the air.*

Teresa: *She looked up and watched the smog form clouds, blocking the sunlight.* (Tcch, this battle is beyond dangerous-)

Ashton: *He stared at the bright flames in amazement.* (Wow, I had no idea the Self-inflicting Glyph boosted Rostical so much.)

Zayden: *He coughed in the smog-filled area left by Millard's flames.* (He purposely exhausted his flames prematurely, creating this smog-) *He coughed again, grunting in anger.*

Millard: (Here's my chance!) *He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.*

Zayden: "Old man, you're going to die!" *He clicked his fingers, causing the spear to materialise in his hand.*

Millard: "Untouchable flames, splinter from the divine spirit-" *A bright crimson glyph drew itself on the ground around him.*

Teresa: *She quickly glanced at Millard, pushing down on the rods.* (His Neurons, are-)

Millard: "Burning courage engrave my immense power, scorch thout foe-" *Layers of glyphs rose up into the air, spiralling around Millard.*

Teresa: *Her eye widened, staring at the glyphs.* (Captain level!-)

Millard: "PHOENIX BLASTER"

Zayden: "You dirty lamp!" *He waved his spear to the side, pushing the smog to one side.*

*A spiral of black flames, erupted towards Zayden, incinerating the grass.*

Ashton: ( _Black_ fire!)

Zayden: "Wha-?" *He held the spear with both hands in front of him, standing in a defensive-like manner.*

Millard: *Strong bursts of immense heat, knocked his cone-shaped hat off his head.* "Ah!" *He roared on the top of his lungs, manipulating the flames into Zayden.*

Zayden: *He slid back, looking down to his feet in shock.* (The power of these flames-)

*The flames started to screech like an eagle, causing Zayden to gasp in fear.*

Lance: *He glanced to the side with blurred vision, noticing a black figure.* (What's that?)

Ashton: (This feeling-) *He stepped back with shock, staring at the black fire.* (Is this Millard's power?)

*Black flames ringed around Zayden, as the air started to warp.*

Zayden: *His spear rattled, as he continued to block the fire.* (This current, it feels like water-) *He grunted, holding back the fire.*

Millard: *He smirked with confidence and fatigue.* "Harh!" *He spun around, swirling his arms up.*

*The flames took shape of a bird, flapping its wing-like flames to the sides.*

Ashton: "It's like a phoenix." *He whispered under his breath in astonishment.*

Zayden: "N-No-" *The phoenix pushed him off his feet, flapping high into the air.*

Teresa: (Those flames, it is _obviously_ a Grand Rostical.)

*The phoenix released an unbearable screech, flapping through the clouds before suddenly exploding.*

Ashton: "Whoa-" *He ducked in shock, squinting his eyes due to the explosion.*

Zayden: *Immense flames swirled around him, as he fell from the sky.* (Pain-) *He spiralled in the air, slamming into the ground.*

Millard: (To think I could use that so many times in my youth.) *He coughed and dropped to one knee, ignoring the blood which ran from his nose, eyes and ears.*

Teresa: (That level of attack may have defeated Zayden-)

Zayden: *He coughed, standing up from the strings of smog.* "..." *He slowly faced the party, staring at them with rage.*

Ashton: (Zayden, he's covered in blood and burns, but he's not showing any signs of pain-)

Zayden: "What was _that_?!" *He coughed smoke, spitting out black blood.*

Millard: *He gasped with surprise, panting in fatigue.* "H-How did you survive my _strongest_ Rostical?"

Zayden: "The fun is _over_." *He uttered under his breath, glaring at Millard.*

*Thunder rumbled above the party as the clouds grew darker.*

Lance: *He leant up, looking across the plains.* (This guy is so strong, he's different from the sisters we fought.)

*It started to lightly rain, causing steam to evaporate off the grass around Zayden.*

Zayden: (Who should I kill first? The old man is nearly at his limit-)

Ashton: (I'm scared.)

Millard: "You can still stop this madness-"

Zayden: "That's it-" *He flashstepped next to his spear, instantly throwing it at Millard.*

Millard: "What-?" *The spear pierced through his leg, causing him to yell in pain.*

Zayden: *He smirked and watched Millard fall unconscious, dropping face first into the ground.* "Who's next-?"

Lance: "Old fart!" *His knees buckled, as he tried to stand up.*

Zayden: *He quickly turned his head, staring at Lance.* "Tehbahaha." *He flashstepped next to Millard, violently ripping the spear out of his leg.*

Ashton: "Lance, run!"

Zayden: *He charged towards Lance, pointing the spear in front.* (I should conserve how many times I flashstep because of that _stupid_ fire attack.)

Lance: "N-No, stay b-back." *He shuffled back, trying to get out of Zayden's path.*

Zayden: *He ran into striking distance, causing Lance to squint his eyes in fear.* "Now _die_!" *He rammed the spear through Lance's shoulder.*

Lance: " _Gah_ -"

Ashton: " _Lance_!" *The ring started to vibrate, causing Ashton to frown with confidence.*

Zayden: "Bahahaha." *He ripped the spear out with a smile, watching Lance step back.*

Lance: "G-Garh-" *He held his shoulder in pain, noticing blood run down his arm.*

Zayden: "Looks like you can't move your legs! So I'm going to happily ram this through your head!"

Ashton: (Ram this through your head?)

_Zayden_ : "So I'm going to happily ram this through your head!" *Zayden's voice echoed in Ashton's mind, causing his ring to glow in a heart-beat like manner.*

Zayden: "Now for your head!" *He leant back, lunging the spear towards Lance's face.*

Ashton: " _Ougi_ , FLORIAN DRIVER"

Zayden: *A crystal-like sphere smashed against his shoulder, knocking him to the side.* " _Huh_?"

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He breathed heavily, as swirls of wind covered his body.* "Don't you go near him!-"

Zayden: *He smirked and faced Ashton, wiping the glass off his shoulder.* "Couldn't wait your turn? You, dirty lamp _bahahaga_ -"

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine-" *Hundreds of crystal-like spheres materialised in the air.*

Zayden: *He glared at the spheres with caution, holding the spear in a defensive manner.* "What Rostical is this?"

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He jumped forward, blasting every sphere towards Zayden.*

Lance: *Several spheres smashed on the ground, shattering past him along the grass.* (Whoa-)

Zayden: *He grunted, flashstepping to the side, barely dodging several spheres.* "Tssk-"

Ashton: *His hair rapidly flapped to each side as he waved his arms.* (Nobody touches my best friend!-)

Zayden: "Bahaha-" *Several spheres smashed into his back, shattering over his shoulders.*

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD" *He cupped his hands and pushed up, causing a glass-like ball to surround Zayden.*

Zayden: "W-What? You filthy-"

Ashton: *He formed fists, causing the shield to implode around Zayden.* "Your actions are unacceptable!-"

Zayden: *He noticed small cuts all over his arms, causing him to hold the spear in anger.* "Dirty lamp!-"

Ashton: "Your language is unacceptable!"

Zayden: *He stepped forward, flashstepping in front of Ashton.* "Hargh!" *He grunted in anger, ramming the spear in Ashton's face.*

Ashton: *The spear suddenly sparked multiple times, before being repelled back.* "..."

Zayden: *He looked at his spear in shock, staring at Ashton in confusion.* "How-?"

Teresa: *She closely observed Ashton with interest.* ( _The_ _wind_ , he is manipulating it around him-)

Ashton: "I no longer have a use for Mystic Shield-" *He spread his arms, staring at Zayden with a confident smirk.*

Zayden: (He's generating an all-body shield? But _how_ -?)

Ashton: "Neurons draw, Astragons repel, UNPROFOUND BIND" *He raised one arm, dropping it to the side.*

Zayden: "Harh?" *He looked up, quickly flashstepping back as several glass-like rods smashed into the ground.*

Lance: (Ash?)

Ashton: "MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE" *He spun around, blasting a crystal-like sphere at Zayden.*

Zayden: "Don't smirk at me like that!" *He held the spear with both hands and twirled around, slicing the sphere with his spear.*

Ashton: "Don't like a taste of your own medicine?" *His voice sounded distorted, as the wind continued to swirl around his body.*

Zayden: *He ignored the drops of blood, which stringed out of his cuts.* "It's time for you to-"

Ashton: "Die? I get it already." *He sighed, crossing his arms.*

Zayden: "What are you planning now?!" *He frowned in anger, pointing the spear at Ashton.*

Teresa: *Her eyes widened in shock, staring at Ashton in a trance-like state.* (I had reason to believe it was Ashton's Rostical expelling the wind, _but_ -)

Ashton: "CYCLONIC WINDS"

Teresa: (He is merely reaching captain level.)

Zayden: (Wind?) "That's _nothing_!-"

Ashton: *He leant back, waving his arms open, generating a hurricane-like gale in front of him.* "Take this!"

Zayden: *His spear twitched, as he intensely stared at the wind.* (I'm really tingling to kill this brat-)

Ashton: "Hah!" *He pushed forward, causing the wind to explode and slice the ground, as it rumbled towards Zayden.*

Zayden: *He sighed in relief, standing up straight.* (The wind lost a majority of its power-)

Ashton: *He leant forward, flashstepping behind Zayden.* "Neurons draw, Astragons repel-"

Zayden: "What?!"

Teresa: (Inconceivable!)

Lance: "Holy shit?!"

Ashton: "UNPROFOUND BIND" *He motioned his arms, throwing a glass-like rod towards Zayden.*

Zayden: *He spun around, preparing to slice the rod.* "Ge-yarh-?!" *The wind pushed him forward, causing the rod to pierce his shoulder.* "Argh!"

Teresa: (Ashton planned that combo from the moment he generated the Cyclonic Winds-)

Ashton: *He pointed at Zayden, flicking his wrist, causing the wind to instantaneously dissipate.* "I'll show you what's acceptable!"

Zayden: *He wiped saliva off his chin, pulling the rod out in shock.* (Despite my ranking, even my body is nearing its limit-)

Ashton: "Neurons give me your power, Astragons lend me your swift, tempest trap and conceal, CYCLONIC WINDS"

Zayden: "Garh-" *He stepped to the side, awkwardly leaning to the side.* (I _can't_ flashstep-)

*An enormous gust of wind, swirled around Zayden, twirling up towards the clouds.*

Lance: (A tornado?)

Zayden: *The wind lifted him up off his feet, as small cuts continued to appear over his body.* (The wind is _cutting_ me?!)

Teresa: *She stared at the enormous tornado, which began collecting the rain.* (Ashton has somehow placed Neurons in the wind, adjusting Astragons to its structure-)

Ashton: *The wind started to vacuum the water off the grass, as the tornado grew in power.* (I can feel my power weakening.)

Teresa: (The wind! It is slicing him like razor blades!) *She thought to herself in astonishment.*

Ashton: (I hope these string of attacks work like the last one did-) *He deeply inhaled through his nose, lowering his arms.*

Zayden: *The wind suddenly lost power, causing him to look down in shock.* "D-Dirty-"

Lance: *He looked up, noticing Zayden near the clouds.* (He's far up-)

Zayden: *He started to fall, causing him to slightly panic.* (At this height and how I can't flashstep-)

Ashton: *He stared at Zayden, focusing all his attention in front.* "This is for all the pain you've caused!"

Zayden: "..."

Ashton: *He spread his arms, causing the swirl of wind around him to expand.* " _Unacceptable_ _Divider_."

Teresa: (A _second_ Ougi?!)

Ashton: *He waved his arms in a scissor-like manner, causing fluoro white wind to slice the air towards Zayden.* "Take this!"

Zayden: "W-White wind-?" *He hit the ground just as the white wind touched his chest, exploding the area around him.*

Teresa: (Another consecutive combo?)

Zayden: *He grunted in pain, awkwardly standing on his feet.* (I've used all my Neurons keeping damage to a minimal-)

Ashton: "G-Gah-" *The wind around him died down, causing him to drop to his knees.*

Zayden: *His yellow eyes glowed brighter, causing his panting to become more animal-like.* "Grr."

*Water, grass and dirt swirled away from Zayden in a massive pulse.*

Ashton: *He panted with double vision, placing one arm on the ground to keep himself up.* "Did that do it?"

Zayden: *He staggered out of the clearing dirt cloud, causing Ashton to gasp.* "I-I've barely got enough energy to kill you."

Ashton: *He looked down, causing water to drip on to the grass.* (I've given it my all-)

Zayden: *He raised the spear, pointing it at Ashton's head.* "For a dirty lamp, you fought-" *A small rock, smashed on his cheek, causing him to look to the side with rage.*

Lance: *He held several rocks in his hand, struggling to stand up.* "L-Leave him alone, aye."

Zayden: *He felt his heartbeat, as he slowly faced Lance.* "You've reached your limit, you useless dirty lamp."

Ashton: "No-"

Zayden: "I'll kill you _later_." *He glanced at Ashton and focused his attention to Lance.*

Lance: "Want more?!"

Zayden: "Get a taste of one of my strongest attacks!"

Lance: *He frowned, throwing another rock at Zayden's head.* "Gotcha!-"

Zayden: *The rock burst before touching him, causing him to chuckle.* "Neurons powerstart, Astragons engrave-"

Teresa: *She noticed the aura around Zayden's spear, causing her to punch the rods around her waist.* "Lance, retreat _now_!"

Zayden: *The spear glowed a fluoro black and red, illuminating a mist-like aura.* "Spear of true darkness, spirals of death and pain gather-"

Lance: "As if I'm runnin'!-"

Zayden: "I'm not good with Rostical considering my rank, but-" *He giggled, wiping drool off his chin.* "But, I've learnt how to combine it with my weapon."

Lance: "Wateva-"

Zayden: "DEATH SPEAR STRIKE" *He threw the spear at blinding speeds, causing it to screech through the air.*

Teresa: (Although Lance has distance, that _magnitude_ of _power_... He will _not_ be able to survive it.)

Zayden: *He ran after his spear, watching Lance stand on the spot.* (Next, I'll kill the old man, then Teresa, then, I'll get to torture my _friend_ -)

Lance: "I c-c-cant die." *He staggered on the spot, frozen in fear.*

*The spear's loud screeches which could be heard by neighbouring villagers, caught Ashton's attention.*

Ashton: "W-What?" *He looked up slightly disorientated, instantly noticing the spear.* "L-Lance!"

*The spear hit Lance, exploding into an expanding black and red smoke cloud.*

Zayden: "Now, for the old man-" *He snickered crazy-like, shaking water out of his hair, as it started to rain heavily.*

Teresa: " _Lance_!"

Zayden: "Sometimes _even_ killing gets me bored, so I created a little smoke into the attack by adjusting the Astragons _just_ to keep me interested." *He cockily shouted, running up to the coloured smoke.*

Lance: *He slowly opened his eyes, noticing he was sitting on the grass.* (I can't see anything.) *He squinted his eyes, staring at the black and red smoke with disorientation.*

Zayden: "Ahaha." *He grabbed the end of the spear, shaking it with a smile.* "Gotcha!"

Lance: (I don't feel well-) *He touched his shirt, causing him to look down.* "H-Huh?" *He raised his hand, staring at blood.*

Zayden: *He smirked, ignoring the lightning which flashed in the clouds.* "Do you feel the pain?"

Lance: *A gust of wind blew away the smoke, causing him to look up in shock.* "N-No-"

Zayden: *He looked in front with confusion, before hysterically laughing.* "How _pathetic_."

Ashton: "You need to stop getting yourself into trouble."

Lance: "Did you raise your shield?"

Ashton: "Good grief."

Zayden: "You had enough strength to flashstep again?"

Ashton: "..." *He smiled at Lance, as blood oozed out from the side of his mouth.*

Lance: "A-Ash?" *His eyes started to glaze, looking slightly down.*

Teresa: "..."

Ashton: "You okay?"

Lance: "You _fool_ , wat about _you_?"

Ashton: *He looked down, staring at the spear which pierced through his chest.* "I saved you and I'm the fool? Haha."

Lance: "You fool." *He spoke under his breath, gagging with despair and disbelief.*

Ashton: (When the time arrives?) *He continued to smile at Lance, slowly placing his hands on the spear.*

\--

PKMY: "But remember, only use this Rostical when the time arrives."

Ashton: "But I won't need it, I'm careful enough-"

PKMY: "You have to expect the unexpected remember?"

Ashton: "..."

PKMY: "It's always good to have a backup plan, it could save your friend's life." *She stared at Ashton, shrugging her shoulders.*

Ashton: (My friends?) *He sighed, nodding his head.* "What is it?"

PKMY: "Neurons and Astragons activate, the winds give me impenetrable hope, MYSTIC BOOST"

Ashton: "And what does it do?"

PKMY: "It's a formula which usually boosts the target's attributes. But that ring will transfer it."

Ashton: "Transfer it?"

PKMY: "Tssk, does it matter?" *She folded her arms, looking annoyed.*

Ashton: "No."

PKMY: " _Good_."

Ashton: (I need to learn to take my own advice, I shouldn't assume things will be alright.) *He stared at the ring with an emotionless face.* "Thank you, PKMY."

\--

Zayden: "How does it feel?" *He started to wiggle the spear, watching Ashton twitch in agonising pain.*

Lance: "S-Stop." *He whimpered under his breath, staring at Ashton.*

Ashton: "I-" *He coughed out blood, closing his eyes.* "L-Lance."

Lance: "Wat is it?" *He softly spoke, staring at the blood on Ashton's face, as it dripped to his feet.*

Ashton: "Neurons and Astragons activate, the winds give me impenetrable hope-" *The ring started to glow different colours, faintly warping the air around it.* "MYSTIC BOOST"

Zayden: *He pushed the spear forward, stabbing the ground, keeping Ashton on his feet.* "Now, you're next."

Ashton: *His knees buckles, as he lost movement in his limbs.* (I can't feel my legs-)

Lance: *He watched the blood run down the spear, staring at Ashton with an emotionless face.* (It feels like my _heart_ just _sank_ -)

Ashton: "I-I-"

Lance: "D-Don't talk, Ash-"

Ashton: "I have always been glad-" *He gargled blood, causing him to gag.*

Lance: "P-Please don't talk-"

Ashton: "I've always been glad to be your best friend." *He violently coughed, splattering blood on Lance's shirt.*

Zayden: *He stared at Ashton and Lance with disgust.* "Were you a couple or something? Bahaha."

*The aura around Ashton's ring, warped around Lance's body, causing him to suddenly gasp.*

Lance: (What is this feeling?)

Zayden: "If you're going to miss him so much-" *He stepped to the side, facing Lance with killing intent.*

Lance: *He wiped his eyes, as anger filled his body.* "Don't talk like he's dead-"

Zayden: "I'll send you with him!" *He looked at Ashton, smiling at Lance.*

Lance: " _You fucking bastard_! LIGHTNING BLAST" *He raised his hand and aimed it at Zayden, suddenly blasting a stream of lightning.*

Zayden: "Wha-?!" *A stream of lightning struck into his chest, causing his body to violently shake.*

Teresa: (Inconceivable!) *She watched electricity suddenly shoot out of Zayden's back, vaporising into the air.*

Zayden: "Kurh." *Strings of electricity sparked in the rain around him.* "Argh-" *He gasped and coughed, stepping back.*

Ashton: (Good work, Lance-)

Zayden: "This is-" *He stepped back, staring at Lance with shock.* "You'll see me again _dirty_ _lamps_!" *He flashstepped, causing particles of water to pulse away.*

Teresa: *The rods around her waist suddenly shattered, freeing her from the Rostical.* "Ashton! Millard!"

Lance: "Ash?!" *He stood up, gently pulling the spear out.*

Teresa: *She ran up to Millard, touching his neck.* (He is okay-)

Ashton: "Hey, promise me-"

Lance: "Sh-Shut up, Ash-"

Teresa: *She glanced over her shoulder, staring at Ashton and Lance.* (Lance appears to be emotionally distraught, he has not realised what he just did-)

Lance: "Just _don't_ talk like this!" *He yelled, holding Ashton in his arms.*

Ashton: "Calm down-" *He coughed blood all over Lance's arm.* "It's unacceptable." *He wheezed, smiling at Lance.*

Lance: (It feels like I'm about to faint-) *He muted out the background sounds, only focusing on the sounds of Ashton's breathing.*

Ashton: "Promise me, you'll act kinder towards people."

Lance: "No!"

Ashton: "I _know_ you're a good person-"

Lance: "You're the _only_ _one_ who understands me." *He shook Ashton, emphasising his emotions.* "You're the _only_ one besides my _family_ I can trust, you _can't_ _just_ _leave_!"

Ashton: *The rain drizzled off Lance's hair, dripping on to his face.* "Stop yelling, ha ha."

Lance: "I'm sorry for acting like a _complete_ -" *He sighed, wiping blood off Ashton's chin.* "You're _always_ there for me, no matter _how_ I treated you."

Ashton: "You were always there for me too, idiot." *He grunted, struggling to keep his eyesight on Lance.*

Lance: "You're getting cold."

Ashton: "Am I?"

Lance: *He looked down, noticing the large pool of blood around him.* "Ashton, I won't forgive you." *His lips quivered as he tried not to cry.*

Ashton: "I regret not being able to see you blossom into the person-" *He smiled, losing focus on Lance.* "I've always seen in you."

Lance: "What do you mean?!" *He sniffed, as the rain hid his tears.*

Ashton: "..." *He looked to the side, staring past Lance into the distance.*

Lance: "Ash? _Ash_? Hey, answer me?! Ashton!"

*Ashton's hand slid out of Lance's arms, slipping on to the ground.*

Lance: " _Ashton_!" *He shouted at the top of his lungs, holding Ashton tightly.*

Millard: "O-Oh-" *He moaned, regaining consciousness.*

Teresa: "You are in critical condition, conserve your energy."

Millard: *He silently nodded his head, squinting his eyes due to the rain.* "Where's Zayden-?"

*Alicia and Felix suddenly appeared in a flash of purple light, stepping off a large glyph.*

Alicia: *She instantly noticed Millard, causing her to run up to him.* "O-Okay, I'm going to heal you-"

Millard: "Argh-" *He suddenly hissed in pain, staring at his leg.*

Alicia: "Please relax, Millard-"

Lance: "Alicia!" *He shouted at the top of his lungs.*

Alicia: *She ignored Lance, focusing her attention on Millard.* "Wait your turn please." *She spoke with annoyance, raising her arms over Millard.*

Lance: " _Please_!"

Alicia: (Please-?) *She looked over her shoulder, noticing Ashton on the ground, motionless.*

Teresa: "Go _now_."

Alicia: (Ashton?) *She stood up, noticing red grass around Lance, causing her to run as fast as she could towards them.*

Lance: *He quickly stood up, watching Alicia hover over Ashton.* "..."

Alicia: *She raised her arms and took deep breaths, keeping herself calm.* "With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light, HEALING RINGS"

Lance: *He stared at Alicia and Ashton, watching rings of light spiral around them.* (I feel helpless-)

Alicia: *She noticed the ring's light slowly fade away, causing her eyes to widen with despair.* (It's too late.)

Felix: *He slowly walked towards Alicia with confusion.* (What kind of fight happened here?)

Alicia: (I have to put my all into this!-) "With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light-"

Teresa: *She applied pressure on Millard's leg, staring at Ashton with an emotionless face.* "..."

Alicia: "HEALING RINGS" *She yelled with concentration, causing bright light to engulf Ashton.*

Lance: "..."

Alicia: *She sighed, causing the light to fade.* "With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light, HEALING RINGS"

*Bright light once again surrounded Ashton, causing Alicia to squint her eyes.*

Lance: "Why-?" *He held himself, unintentionally shivering.* "Why isn't he waking up?"

Alicia: (His wounds-) *She thought to herself with sorrow, focusing on the light.*

Lance: *He licked his lips with anticipation, closing his eyes.* (Please, please, please, please!-)

Alicia: *She sighed with exhaustion, causing the light to fade away.* "..."

Lance: *He opened his eyes with worry.* "Is he better?"

Alicia: *She whimpered with exhaustion, slowly turning around with a sad face.* "H-He was punctured in the _heart_ -" *She spoke slowly, staring at Lance with sadness.*

Lance: "S-So, hurry up and heal him!"

Alicia: *She lowered her head, holding her chest.* "I can't-"

Lance: " _Now_!"

Felix: "Hey, there's no need to yell at her-"

Lance: "Stay the hell out of this!"

Felix: (Whoa-) *He quickly stepped back in shock, raising his arms.*

Alicia: "I-I can't heal him if he's already-"

Lance: "If you finish that sentence, I will hit you so hard." *He grunted in anger, holding back his tears.*

Alicia: *She stood up and whimpered, looking uncomfortable.* (I don't have to put up with this-) *She quickly turned around, running towards Teresa and Millard.*

Felix: *He glanced at Ashton, before running after Alicia.* (This is messed up.)

Teresa: (I can not sense Ashton's Neurons.)

Felix: *He ran past Teresa, looking at Alicia.* "Alicia-"

Teresa: "Felix, could you help Millard up?"

Felix: *He awkwardly stopped, facing Teresa.* "Ah, yeah, sure." *He awkwardly grunted, sighing under his breath.*

Teresa: *She stood up and power walked towards Ashton in a professional manner.* "..."

Lance: *He dropped to his knees, glancing at Teresa.* "Could, you leave me alone?"

Teresa: *She stared at Ashton with an emotionless face.* "Inconceivable."

Lance: "Just, go away." *He spoke with sorrow, placing his hand on Ashton's cheek.*

*The rain became heavier, causing slight puddles to form across the plains.*

Teresa: *She gracefully spun around, walking away.* "We will be residing in the closest village."

Lance: *He unintentionally ignored Teresa, as water dripped off his face, hair and clothes.* (Why? Why did you have to-?) *He paused in mid-thought, shaking his head in disbelief.*

\----------

Millard: *He supported himself on Felix, as he hopped on one leg.* (What has happened? When did it start to rain?)

Felix: *He grunted, staring at Alicia.* "Alicia!"

Alicia: *She turned around, wiping tears off her face.* (I feel sick.)

Felix: "Are you OK-?"

Teresa: *She suddenly stepped past Millard, glancing at Felix.* "We will talk _after_ residing at the village."

Felix: "S-Sure." *She grunted, looking back to Alicia.*

Teresa: "Here." *She gave Millard the RPG bag and his hat.*

Millard: *He awkwardly placed his hat on his head, leaving it titled on the side.* (My vision is blurred.)

Alicia: "My village is located through here." *She spoke with an emotionless tone, staring at the party.*

Teresa: "Direct us to the correct path."

Alicia: "..." *She turned around, leading the party along a muddy path.*

Felix: "What are we going to do with Lance?"

Teresa: "I will come back once Millard is resting in the village."

Felix: "Let me go back for him, I can get there faster." *He adjusted his grip on Millard's arm, as it started to slip.*

Teresa: "That will not be necessary."

Felix: "OK?"

Teresa: "Knowing Lance for over a month, I recommend that I do so."

Millard: "A-Are we going the right way?" *He moaned with exhaustion, losing focus on Alicia.*

Alicia: "Yes, this path will lead us to my village."

Teresa: "You seem preoccupied, Alicia. What appears to be the problem?"

Felix: (Did she _really_ just ask her that?)

Alicia: "Ashton." *She sighed and stepped into a muddy puddle, staring in front with a sour-like face.* " _What_ happened?"

Teresa: "It would be best to talk about it once we rest at the village."

Alicia: *She looked up, noticing the rain stopped due to the trees.* (I suppose this isn't the best place to talk about it.)

Teresa: *She followed Alicia, noticing the entrance to the village.* "I will go back for Lance now."

Millard: "B-Be careful, cupcake." *He coughed and wheezed.*

Teresa: *She gracefully spun around, walking back in a professional manner.* "Ensure to focus on your _own_ wellbeing before focusing on others."

Alicia: *An image of Lance yelling out for her help, flashed in her head.* (I've never seen him look like that before.)

Felix: *His footsteps squished on the ground, as he walked into the village.* (A backwater village.)

Alicia: (Why can't I ever stay mad at him? He treated me horribly-)

Millard: "Alicia, my dear child."

Alicia: "Y-Yes?"

Millard: "Do we need to talk to anyone of authority?"

Alicia: "Yes, please follow me."

\----------

Lance: (Nothing-) *He stared into Ashton's eyes with a blank face, sitting motionless in the heavy rain.*

*Lance gently rested Ashton's head on the ground, standing up.*

Lance: *He noticed his sword and walked towards it, dragging his feet with no emotion.* ( _Nothing_ is worse than this feeling.)

*Lance picked up the sword and jabbed it against his neck, causing a small stream of blood to rush down.*

Lance: (Ash, I _can't_ do this alone.) *He gulped, preparing himself to jab the sword through his neck.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She stepped from behind, grabbing Lance's hand.*

Lance: *He opened his eyes in shock, staring at Teresa with confusion.* "H-How-?"

Teresa: "You foolish boy."

Lance: "When did you get here?"

Teresa: "What did you intend to do?"

Lance: "Exactly what it looked like."

Teresa: "Suicide is a pathetic attempt to run away from problems-"

Lance: "Don't lecture me." *He spoke through gritted teeth, looking down at the grass.*

Teresa: "People who attempt do it so, somehow believe it would be beneficial for others."

Lance: "..."

Teresa: "All it causes is more grieving."

Lance: "Teresa, but why?"

Teresa: "You are somewhat stronger than that." *She spoke in a stern voice, lowering the sword to Lance's side.*

Lance: *He staggered forward, dropping the sword.* "Gah-"

Teresa: (Once again, emotions prove to be an inconvenience-)

Lance: "Wateva-" *His eyes rolled back, collapsing into Teresa's arms.*

Teresa: (His body could not handle the stress, causing him to fall unconscious.)

\----------

*Zayden suddenly flashstepped in front of a large tree, causing dirt to swirl under his feet.*

Zayden: *He wheezed and stepped forward, placing his hand on the tree.* (This damage-)

*Zayden gagged in pain, as it started to rain, causing steam to hiss from his back.*

Zayden: (It went right through-) "Argh-" *He looked down, throwing up water and blood.*

*Zayden breathed through his mouth in pain, watching the rain wash away the blood.*

Zayden: (I won't be fighting for a while. I've always been bad at healing.)

*Zayden looked down to his chest, staring at the burn marks on his armour.*

Zayden: (Lightning? That _dirty_ _lamp_.)

\----------

*Teresa walked into the village, carrying Lance over her shoulders.*

Teresa: *She walked towards a villager, noticing Alicia walk into a large tent.* "I require your assistance."

Villager: *He turned around, staring at Teresa with confusion.* "Me?"

\----------

Felix: *He stared at his knees with boredom.* (We've been bowing for at least ten minutes, my back is getting sore-)

Elder: *He watched Alicia walk into the tent, causing him to smile.* "Arh, welcome back, Alicia-"

Teresa: *She walked into the tent, catching the elder's attention.* "I am with the party, continue on."

Elder: *He watched Teresa line up with Alicia and Felix, bowing in respect.* "..."

Alicia: "Teresa, this is my village leader."

Teresa: "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Elder: "Alicia, it's great to see you again _and_ your friends, but please, tell me what has happened?"

Alicia: "S-Sorry?"

Elder: "You've been away for more than a month and _where_ is Cliff?"

Alicia: "Many things have happened." *She shook her head, shaking her head in amazement.* "There have been things I thought I'd _never_ see."

Elder: "Many things? Sounds interesting."

Teresa: "Indeed. I have witnessed rare things occur quite frequently while travelling with this party."

Felix: *He nodded his head, looking up to the elder.* "Yea."

Elder: "I also see you have your pendant back too, please tell."

Alicia: "Cliff was struck down by a Scoldrant saving our lives."

Elder: (A noble death-) "I will summon a burial tomorrow." *He looked to his side and clicked his fingers, causing a villager to walk out of the tent.*

Felix: (Cliff?)

Elder: *He sighed, observing the party's blood covered clothes.* "What happened to you all?"

Alicia: "U-Umm." *She awkwardly looked down, biting her bottom lip.*

Felix: "Arh, I don't know-"

Teresa: "One of our party members-" *She looked up, staring at the elder with a serious face.* "Passed away from a battle, just a moment ago."

Felix: (So, he's really gone?) *He thought to himself in disbelief, discreetly looking at Alicia.*

Elder: "Where is-" *He placed his hand on his chin in thought.* "Was it, _Lance_ and _Ashton_?"

Alicia: "Ashton, was the one that-"

Elder: "Oh! _Oh_ _dear_!" *He sounded upset as awkward silence filled the area.*

Teresa: "It is dire that everyone takes the opportunity to rest."

Elder: "I _completely_ agree with you, we'll dismiss this until tomorrow."

Alicia: "Th-Thank you." *She stood up and walked out of the tent, keeping her head lowered.*

Teresa: *She watched Felix and Alicia separate, staggering towards different huts.* (There is something I must do.) *She spun around, facing the entrance.*

\----------

*A loud thunder rumbled in the night, waking Lance up from his slumber.*

Lance: "A-Ah-" *He gasped, looking around the room in a daze.*

*Lance pulled up the sheets and smirked, shaking his head in disbelief.*

Lance: "Man, Ash. I had this _terrible_ dream that you-"

*Thunder rumbled in the distance as lightning lit up the room, causing Lance to notice the bandages around his shoulder.*

Lance: ( _Oh_.) *He looked down, sighing to himself with sadness.*

*Lance looked out the open window, watching the clouds move, revealing a full moon.*

Lance: (It had to of been a dream, who would've imagined that Ash-) *He looked down in sorrow, slowly falling back to sleep.*

\----------

Millard: "Wakey, wakey!"

Lance: *He slowly opened his eyes, noticing Millard, standing at his bedside.* (My shoulder hurts and it's itchy-)

Millard: *He looked down to his leg, staring at the bandages wrapped around his leg.* "It's pretty cloudy outside." *He looked out the window, watching the thick clouds slowly move by.*

Lance: "You mean it's gloomy?"

Millard: *He sighed, looking at Lance.* "I've been told to wake you about-"

Lance: "Yea, I know." *He had a flashback of Teresa and Millard, discussing funeral plans.*

Millard: "So you heard?"

Lance: "Yea." *He spoke in a weakened tone, looking away.*

Millard: (This is very uncomfortable.) *He adjusted his cone-shaped hat, facing the door.* "I better get ready."

Lance: "Ready?"

Millard: "I'm not going to attend an important ceremony wearing _this_?" *He tried to hide his sadness, quickly hobbling out of the room.*

Lance: (What am I going to do? Find a way home? Go home?) *He grunted to himself in thought.*

_Lance_ : "You want to stay here?"

_Ashton_ : "Yes, I want to stop these Consultants before this world ends up like ours."

Lance: *He formed a fist, staring at the wall with determination.* (No, I'll stay here for Ashton-)

*A faint knock was heard at the door, causing Lance to stare at it with interest.*

Lance: "Yea?"

Teresa: *She opened the door and took a step forward, looking over to Lance.* "I am here to tell you about-"

Lance: "I know, I'll get ready. Just. Go away, please." *He looked down, staring at his bandages.* (I'm not wearing any clothes?)

Teresa: "Understandable, be ready in twenty minutes." *She spun around and walked out, closing the door behind her.*

Lance: *He listened to Teresa's footsteps creak away, causing him to lift himself out of bed.* (If only I was stronger-) *He noticed his clothes neatly folded at the end of the bed.* (I'm so weak-)

Millard: "Lance, when do you think Zayden will strike again?" *He yelled out from another room, changing into clean clothes.*

Lance: "Dunno." *He grunted, putting on his clothes.* (If only I was stronger! Is this what Ashton felt? Is this why he trained with Teresa's friend-?)

*Violins echoed outside, catching Lance's attention.*

Lance: (Violins? Is it starting?) *He looked alert, taking a large step forward.*

Millard: *He walked into the room, fixing up his shirt.* "It's starting, let's go, child."

Lance: "W-Wateva." *He nodded his head, hesitantly following Millard outside.*

*Villagers walked back into the village, wiping their eyes with sadness.*

Lance: "Wat happened to them?" *He softly spoke with curiosity.*

Millard: "They attended a ceremony for some fellow named Cliff."

Elder: *He walked towards Teresa and Alicia, looking at Millard and Lance.* "I feel Lance should be the one to decide where the ceremony will commence."

Lance: *He walked up to the elder, sighing under his breath.* "Where it all began-" *He spoke with sadness, pointing down the dirt path.*

Elder: "Why such an odd place?"

Lance: "That's where we first woke here."

Elder: *He looked confused, accepting Lance's wish.* "Only the people who knew Ashton are allowed to come! To those who did, please come now!"

Lance: *He deeply inhaled, holding his breath.* "This way." *He sighed, leading the party out of the village.*

*Teresa, Millard, Alicia, the elder and several violin players followed Lance along the dirt path.*

Lance: "Down here."

Elder: "That's a dead end?"

Lance: *He walked into the vacant space, watching people walk towards him with an emotionless face.* "I know-"

*A large glyph started to draw itself on the ground, catching the party's attention.*

Millard: (A teleportation glyph-?)

*The glyph glowed purple, suddenly flashing in the party's face.*

Elder: "Who goes there?!" *He squinted his eyes, watching Season and Tyler step off the fading glyph.*

Season: "Excuse me for the rude entrance, my name is Season and I'm the ruler of Surpreon-"

Elder: *He gasped with realisation, lowering his head in respect.* " _I_ _beg_ _your_ _pardon_."

Season: "This is my comrade _and_ Ashton's friend, Tyler."

Tyler: "Y-Yes." *He sobbed with puffy cheeks, keeping a professional-like behaviour.*

Elder: "What gives us the honour to be in your presence?"

Season: "I'm not sure if they agree, but I classed myself as Ashton's friend."

Elder: "I see."

Season: *He looked over to the party and coughed, catching their attention.* "Four _highly_ respected researchers from The Library will commence the ceremony-"

*Four people dressed in black carried Ashton on a bright glowing glyph, which floated in the air.*

Lance: "..."

Season: *He stared at Ashton, noticing Alicia's sad filled face.* (I thought it was a joke when Teresa told me last night. I _can't_ _believe_ Ashton is really-)

Millard: "Let it begin." *His words caused the researchers to play the violins in perfect sync.*

Alicia: (Those violins are echoing-)

Season: "Now, for the last words."

Millard: *He took a deep breath and walked towards Ashton, adjusting his hat.* "Ashton was a kind fellow-"

Alicia: "..."

Millard: "He had the same beliefs as I, and he never said anything wrong towards me."

Lance: "..."

Millard: "He was one of the kindest people I've met and I was glad to be part of his life, even for such a short amount of time."

*Millard sighed and hobbled towards the party, causing Teresa to walk up to Ashton.*

Teresa: "I hardly knew this man, yet, I felt I could trust him."

Millard: "..."

Teresa: "His goals were that of a true nobleman, even risking his life multiple times not only saving mine, but others too."

Lance: "..."

Teresa: "I give him my utmost respect." *She walked towards the party with an emotionless face, causing Alicia to stagger up to Ashton.*

Alicia: "Ashton was a dear friend of mine."

Tyler: "..."

Alicia: "When we weren't travelling, he would always give me tips about _everything_ and tell me feedback about my flaws in the _nicest_ manner."

Lance: "..."

Alicia: "L-Like Teresa said, he risked his life _several_ times for us and-" *She paused, sniffing with sadness.* "It's a shame to see someone who had _so_ _much_ to live for, just end-" *She started to cry, causing her to cup her mouth.*

Season: "..."

Alicia: *She shook her head with sorrow, wiping her eyes.* "I-I can't say anymore."

*Alicia staggered towards the party, causing Tyler to shuffle up to Ashton.*

Tyler: "I-I had known Ashton since I was a trainee at my job."

Teresa: "..."

Tyler: *He nervously gulped, staring at the party.* "H-He always gave me advice _no_ _matter_ what it was, _even_ if it wasn't work-related."

Season: (Tyler-)

Tyler: "Thanks to him, I'm now the person I am today." *His eyes glazed with quivering lips.* "Y-You wouldn't expect _anyone_ who would want to hurt him."

Lance: "..."

Tyler: "He was amazing, helpful and kind, and I'm going to miss him-" *His voice squeaked, causing him to suddenly rush towards the party.*

*Lance slowly inhaled, keeping a brave face, as he quietly walked up to Ashton.*

Lance: "Ashton is-" *He paused and looked away, gritting his teeth.* " _Was_ my best friend."

Millard: *Lance's words, caused him to discreetly whimper.* (That got to me-)

Lance: "For some reason, I always pictured myself to go before him."

Tyler: "..."

Lance: "I don't know _why_ he took that killing blow for me." *He frowned at himself, forming fists.* "He saw something in me that nobody else could-, _no_ , not _even_ _me_."

Millard: "..."

Lance: "We've been friends since we were kids and he's always been like a brother to me." *His eyes started to glaze, looking at each party member.* "He had the rare power to change things."

Teresa: (Change things?)

Lance: "People listened to what he said, giving him the ability to change people."

*Tears ran down Lance's face, causing Tyler to cry loudly as if he was in pain.*

Season: "..." *He placed his hand on Tyler's back in a supportive manner.*

Lance: "All I was thinking about, all that was playing in my head, was going to him and thinking about myself. I _hardly_ took into consideration how I would've made him feel, or at least it feels like I didn't express myself good enough, aye."

Alicia: (Lance-) *She sniffed, wiping tears off her face.* (Those are the kindest words I ever heard you say-)

Lance: "People would usually say that the person will always live on in our memories-" *He sniffed, sighing with sadness.* "But this _sucks_."

Season: *His eyes started to water, staring at Lance with a blank face.* (He wasn't meant to die-)

Lance: "I'll try and start acting kind to others, it's the least I can do for you." (I swear I will _try_.)

Tyler: (This hurts-) *He leant forward, covering his mouth, muting the sounds of his crying.*

Lance: "Ash, I respected you as a best friend and loved you like a brother." *He looked down, silently crying to himself.*

Teresa: *She tutted in pain, gently touching her forehead.* (The Grand Seal-?)

Alicia: *She bit her bottom lip, softly crying to herself.* (Ashton-)

Lance: *He sniffed and stood up straight, staring at the party with red puffy eyes.* "It was me that should've died."

Alicia: (No, nobody should've died-)

*The violin users started to play louder, causing the glyph beneath Ashton to glitter.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She looked at the glyph with fascination, focusing her attention to the saddened Season.* "Who made this glyph?"

Season: *He watched vines grow out of the glyph, slowly wrapping itself around Ashton.* "I did."

Teresa: "Since when could you use this type of Rostical-?"

Season: " _Not_ _now_ , Teresa."

Teresa: *She leant back, silently staring at Season with an emotionless face.* (Understandably one of our comrades perished, but, what a strange way to react over a simple question-)

*The vines stopped growing, forming a small wooden shrine.*

Lance: (If only I was stronger-)

*Thunder echoed in the distance, causing Season to look up with sadness.*

Season: (I still can't believe it-) "Let's go, it's going to rain."

Tyler: "H-How do you know?" *He sniffed, glancing at Season.*

*It suddenly started to rain, causing the party to lower their heads and scatter.*

Lance: *He stood still, looking down with sadness and anger.* (If only I was stronger, Ash wouldn't have died!)

Alicia: *She cupped her hands around her pendant, staring at Lance.* (Should I ask how he's feeling?)

Millard: "Come on, little one, we'll catch a cold." *He sniffed, nudging Alicia to walk ahead.*

Alicia: (No! He's still mean-)

Millard: "Alicia?"

Alicia: "O-Oh, y-yep."

Lance: *He wiped his eyes, looking up to Teresa.* "Teresa."

Teresa: *She stopped, facing Lance with interest.* "Yes?"

Lance: *He watched the entire party walk out of his sight.* "Could I ask a favour?"

Teresa: "You? A favour?"

Lance: "Y-Yea."

Teresa: "Speak quickly, it is _clearly_ raining."

Lance: "If you don't mind, can you take me to the person who trained Ash?"

Teresa: "Hoh?" (Such timing-) "We can go now."

Lance: " _Now_?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: "You don't have to do it now-"

Teresa: "Do not misinterpret my intentions, I was going to tell her about Ashton."

Lance: "Oh-"

Teresa: "She wanted me to keep her updated on Ashton's development."

Lance: "Right." *He sighed, lowering his head.*

Teresa: "Are you sure you desire to see her?"

Lance: "Yes!" *He eagerly stepped forward, staring at Teresa.*

Teresa: "Do not get your hopes up, she may not wish to train you-"

Lance: "That's fine, aye!" (If I keep trying, I might be able to defend myself-)

Teresa: "Let us go then." *She elegantly spun around, walking down the path.*

Lance: *He stared at the wooden shrine with sadness, following Teresa in confusion.* "Umm, doesn't that go to the plains?"

Teresa: "The Hollow Plains?"

Lance: "Yea, wateva it's called."

Teresa: "Why are you telling me something I clearly know?"

Lance: "Well, shouldn't we tell everyone where we're goin'?"

Teresa: "I have already told Season." *She walked down the dirt path, stepping into the plains.*

Lance: *He closely followed Teresa, staring at the damage caused by their previous battle.* "I haven't asked yet, but how long will it take us to get there?"

Teresa: "PKMY and Season, together, have implanted several high levelled teleportation glyphs around the continent."

Lance: "And?"

Teresa: *She sighed and stopped walking, quickly facing Lance.* "We no longer have to walk."

Lance: "Huh? And who's Peekaymee?"

Teresa: "If she is willing to accept you, she will be your teacher."

Lance: "Oh-"

Teresa: "Glyph activate."

*A large glyph started to draw itself on the ground, faintly glowing purple.*

Lance: "Pssht, wat a crazy name." *He awkwardly chuckled, as the area started to warp and swirl around him.*

Teresa: "You should not make fun of her name."

Lance: "Wateva."

Teresa: (He appears to be acting like this, once again, due to the emotional stress perhaps?)

*A bright purple flash teleported Teresa and Lance out of the plains, blowing the water off the surrounding grass.*

\----------

Season: *He walked into the village, surrounded by the sounds of cries.* (A teleportation glyph was activated-) *He looked over his shoulder, closing his eyes.*

Millard: "Your majesty." *He faced Season, adjusting his cone-shaped hat.*

Season: "Herm?" *He looked in front, staring at Millard.*

Millard: "Everyone is upset, do you know anything to help cheer up these children?"

Season: *He nodded his head in an authority-like manner.* "I used to display different types of Rostical to the children-"

Millard: "Delicious!" *He sighed with sadness, clapping his hands.*

Season: "Tyler and I need to go back to Surpreon soon-"

Millard: "Understandable, I'll tell everyone now."

Season: "Okay."

\----------

*Lance and Teresa appeared in a flash of purple light, stepping off a fading glyph.*

Lance: "I still can't get over that dorky name, Peekaymee? Pssht-"

PKMY: "You pronounced it correctly." *She stood on the spot, placing a hand on her waist, staring at Lance.*

Lance: "Oh, arh-" *He closely observed PKMY from top to bottom, causing him to smirk.*

PKMY: "Wat is it?"

Lance: "You have short red hair, it looks pretty ugly."

PKMY: *She smiled innocent-like, walking up to Lance.* "E-Excuse me, mister?"

Lance: "Aha, I said ugly-"

PKMY: *She formed a fist, punching Lance on the forehead.* "I don't know how you're used to talking to others-"

Lance: "Holy crap!-" *He stepped back, rubbing his forehead in pain.*

PKMY: "But you've got something coming if you're going to talk to me like _that_ , piece of _shit_."

Lance: "Whoa, OK, jeez."

PKMY: *She sighed, tilting her head to Teresa.* "So are you updating me on Ashton's development?"

Teresa: "Lance, stay here for the moment."

Lance: "OK?" *He grunted, looking up to his forehead like a child.*

Teresa: "I will inquire to PKMY about your training."

PKMY: "Eh?"

Teresa: "About Ashton." *She walked up to PKMY, facing away from Lance.*

Lance: *He lowered his arms, slowly exhaling.* (Ash-)

*PKMY and Teresa talked amongst themselves, causing Lance to observe the area around him.*

Chapter 15: Training B

Lance: *He aimlessly walked forward, watching the grass sway.* (This place looks like that Hollow Plains.)

PKMY: " _Really_?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: *He stepped forward, causing his foot to slip.* " _Whoa_ -" *He looked down and gasped, falling back onto the ground.* (We are up very, _very_ high.)

PKMY: *She shook her head and looked at Lance in the distance.* (I can't believe it.)

Teresa: "..."

Lance: *He started to nervously sweat, noticing large thunderclouds in the distance.* (That wouldn't be the Hollow Plains?)

PKMY: "Yea, it is." *She walked up to Lance, staring at him with a serious face.*

Lance: "So, _all_ the way over _there_ is The Hollow Plains-?"

PKMY: "You speak too much, didn't I already answer that?"

Lance: "Well."

PKMY: "Your voice irritates me, shut up."

Lance: "Ah-" *He stood up, staring at PKMY with a dumbfounded look.*

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She watched PKMY and Lance in the distance, as a gust of wind blew past her.*

PKMY: "Now, my name is PKMY as you _already_ _know_ and yours?"

Lance: "Lance."

Teresa: (Watching these two characters interact will serve what they call _entertainment_.)

PKMY: "Let's get started, first-"

Lance: "Wat?! Already?"

PKMY: *She frowned, glancing at Teresa annoyed.* "Dickhead, are you going to show me respect or should I just show you _what_ I'm compatible of?"

Lance: "OK, OK, _gee_ , wat are we goin' to do first?" *He sighed, rolling his eyes.*

Teresa: (The look on his face will be priceless when he loses to PKMY.)

PKMY: *She stepped to the side, pointing at the tree in the distance.* "All you gotta do is get _one_ _leaf_ off that tree."

Lance: "Is _that_ _it_?"

PKMY: "Yea, and you've got three chances too."

Lance: "Ahahaha, rightio. You're on!" *He chuckled, cockily wiping his nose with confidence.*

PKMY: "You can begin when you're-"

Lance: "Pssht." *He smirked, sprinting past PKMY towards the tree.*

PKMY: "Tssk." (This kid annoys me, but-)

*PKMY started to run after Lance, easily catching up to him.*

PKMY: (Like Ashton, there's _something_ about him-) *She thought to herself, jumping in front of Lance.*

Lance: *He stared at PKMY in shock.* "How-?"

PKMY: *She backflipped ninja-like away from Lance, jumping into the air.* (I can't put my finger on it-) *She crossed her arms, spiralling into the air.*

Lance: "How did you get in front of me-?" *He ran towards PKMY in disbelief.*

PKMY: *She twirled her body in mid-air, suddenly kicking Lance on the head.* "Harh!"

Lance: "Argh-" *He awkwardly stepped to the side, covering his head in a defensive manner.*

PKMY: "Heh." *She smirked and spun around, kicking Lance on the arms, forcing him back.*

Lance: (Shit that hurt!)

PKMY: *She touched the ground and stood up straight, watching Lance fall on to the ground.* "Keep up the good work."

Teresa: (Hoh? Taunting him already, PKMY?)

PKMY: (Yea-)

Lance: "Good work? You crazy bitch, and here I'm thinking Alicia was bad." *He grunted and stood up, giving PKMY a feral look.*

PKMY: "Heh." *She stepped forward and flashstepped.*

Lance: "Wha-?"

PKMY: "That was your first chance." *She stood just behind him before dropping on all fours, sweeping her feet along the ground.*

Lance: "Shit-" *He gasped, quickly turning around.*

PKMY: *She knocked Lance off his feet, causing her to smirk.* "Before you hit the ground!-" *Lance fell in slow motion as she quickly twirled around at unrealistic speeds.*

Lance: *He watched PKMY position herself underneath him, as he slowly fell to the ground.* (Impossible-)

PKMY: *She lay on the ground, watching Lance fall on top of her.* "Harh!" *She punched him in the gut, blasting him directly up into the air.*

Lance: "Korh-" *He coughed out strings of saliva, as his hair rapidly flapped in his face.*

PKMY: *Her hair and nearby grass blew back due to the force of her punch.* "Heh."

Lance: *He slammed into the ground, wheezing in pain.* (What was _that_ -?!)

PKMY: "Now, that was your second chance."

Lance: "Karh-" *He wrapped one arm around his stomach, awkwardly leaning up.*

PKMY: "For your last chance, I'll even give you a ten-second head start."

Teresa: (She is not going easy on Lance, you can tell she does not like him.)

Lance: "No fair, you move _so_ _fast_ like an _acrobatic_ _ninja_." *He stood on his knees, staring at PKMY.*

PKMY: "Are you going to lecture me about your life story, or-?" *She faced the tree, slowly walking away from it.* "Do you want to train?"

Lance: (Ten seconds-) *He observed the distance from PKMY and the tree.* (And she's all the way over there.)

PKMY: "Are you going to give up-?"

Lance: "Pssht-" *He frowned and swayed forward, sprinting towards the tree.* (I _have_ to do this _cow's_ stupid test, so I can become stronger.)

PKMY: (Good.) *She smirked, closing her eyes with confidence.*

Lance: (And I got to make sure Ash's wish comes true.) *He ran closer to the tree, causing him to smile.*

PKMY: (Teresa, where do you find these people?)

Teresa: "..."

Lance: *He looked over his shoulder, glancing at PKMY.* (I know she's crazily fast and all, but she can't catch up _that_ quickly.)

Teresa: "..."

Lance: "Looks like I got this in the bag, _aha_."

Teresa: (You should not have taunted her, Lance.)

PKMY: "What did that little shit say?" *She frowned, grunting under her breath.*

Lance: "Wat a pathetic instructor, aha."

PKMY: *She tightened her fist, smiling with evil intent.* "You're going down now."

Lance: "Almost there." *He focused all his attention on the tree, as he ran into reaching distance.*

PKMY: *She flashstepped directly in front of Lance, causing a pulse of wind to blow away the surrounding grass.* "Heh."

Lance: "Wat the-?!"

PKMY: "Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_." *She waved her hand behind her back, suddenly slamming it into Lance's stomach.*

Lance: "Gurhg-" *He bent over PKMY's arm in pain.*

PKMY: "Heh." *She straightened her arm, lifting Lance off his feet.*

Teresa: (PKMY is fond of that Azure as it gives off the appearance she is holding the opponent in the air with her bare hand.)

PKMY: *She leant forward, nudging her hand, causing the back of his shirt to burst.* "Not so cocky now, are ya?"

Lance: "W-Wateva-"

PKMY: "Harh!" *She shot Lance back with an incredible force, watching pieces of his shirt sway in the wind.*

Lance: *His arms swayed in front of him, as he stumbled across the ground, coughing up blood.* (That dirty lamp.)

Teresa: (It appears you used too much strength in that Azure, PKMY.)

PKMY: *She smirked, glancing at Teresa.* "I will evaluate you now." *She yelled out, placing a hand on her waist.*

Lance: *He stopped, rolling on his back, slowly opening his eyes.* (Hey, that didn't hurt.) *He touched his back and chest in confusion.*

PKMY: *She turned around and walked towards Teresa.* "So-"

Lance: "Did I pass?" *He stood up and took a deep breath, jogging towards PKMY.*

PKMY: "Ashton failed the first test too." *She stood next to Teresa, intentionally ignoring Lance.*

Lance: *He slowed down and stopped, keeping his distance from PKMY.* (Ash had to go through this as well?)

\----------

Millard: *He stood at the village's entrance, staring at Alicia, Felix, Season, Tyler and the elder.* "Thank you muchly for allowing me to rest."

Tyler: (Muchly?) *He looked confused.*

Elder: "You're very welcome."

Millard: "And thank you, my dear Alicia, for healing my wounds."

Alicia: "Y-You're very welcome." *She smiled, unwrapping the bandages off his leg.*

Tyler: "A-Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Millard?"

Millard: *He shook his head with a smile, adjusting his hat.* "I have to finish off an errand."

Alicia: "Will we see you again?"

Millard: "I'll be happy to join you all again _once_ everything has been settled."

Season: "Could I ask what this errand is?"

Millard: " _Ooo_." *He shivered, shaking his head with a smile.* "That's a spoiler."

Season: ".. I see."

Alicia: "It's been nice talking to you without any sarcasm."

Millard: "Of course, my little cupcake." *He sarcastically giggled, waving the party goodbye.*

Alicia: *She cupped her hands around her mouth, watching Millard walk out of her sight.* "Bye, Millard!-"

*A large purple glyph drew itself on the ground, drawing the party's attention.*

Season: "I guess that's our cue to leave too, hohoho."

Tyler: "Y-Yes."

Elder: "It's been an absolute honour having you."

Alicia: "G-Good bye, Season and Tyler."

Season: *He smiled, walking towards the glyph.* "Be sure to visit me at Surpreon."

Alicia: "S-Sure!" *She held her pendant and smiled, watching Tyler and Season disappear in a flash of purple light.*

Elder: "You know where I'll be if you need me, Alicia." *He turned around and hobbled away, before Alicia responded.*

Felix: "The guy with the hat, he wasn't too bad for an old man."

Alicia: *She faced Felix, sighing with contemplation.* "U-Umm."

Felix: "What is it?"

Alicia: "I would like to go to The Library."

Felix: "The Library? Why?" (Yes! I get to spend more time with her.) *He discreetly smiled to himself.*

Alicia: "Travelling around with Lance, Teresa and Ashton-" *She looked up in amazement, shaking her head.*

Felix: "Alicia?"

Alicia: "There's so much stuff in the world, stuff I haven't even read or heard about."

Felix: "Oh yeah."

Alicia: "You wouldn't mind travelling with me there?"

Felix: "It's not like I'm doing anything anyway, so yeah, of course."

Alicia: *She smiled, biting her bottom lip with excitement.* "Th-Thank you."

Felix: "Let's go?"

Alicia: "I need permission to leave first, but I'm _positive_ he'll let me go."

Felix: "How do you know?"

Alicia: "Since you can use Rostical, tee hee."

Felix: *He smiled, scratching his head with modesty.* "Awesome-"

Alicia: "Let me get my things." *She spoke with excitement, skipping towards the elder's tent.*

Felix: "I'll meet you in the Hollow Plains, just outside the forest!"

Alicia: "Okay!" *She smiled, entering the tent.*

\----------

*Millard watched floating platforms move above him, as he hobbled towards a pillar.*

Millard: "Greetings." *He giggled, stopping in front of the pillar.*

Rosterology Pillar: "Welcome to The Library."

Millard: "Access, the Consultant's facilities, previous facilities and other continent."

Rosterology Pillar: "Zero results found for _Consultant's_ _facilities_."

Millard: "That sounded sour to me-"

Rosterology Pillar: "One result for _previous_ _facilities_."

Millard: "Delicious!-"

Rosterology Pillar: "And one, -dash, result for _other_ _continent_."

Millard: "Splendid-"

Rosterology Pillar: "High ranking, -dash, authority _only_."

Millard: "Take me to both search results."

Rosterology Pillar: "Access denied, authority needed."

Millard: "Dear, oh dear." *He looked down and smiled, mumbling under his breath.*

Rosterology Pillar: "Confirmed."

Millard: *He chuckled to himself, adjusting his hat.* "Thank you kindly, Season."

*The platform around Millard rumbled and shook, detaching itself from the balcony.*

Millard: *He watched the white orb pulsate in the middle of the pillar.* (Now I'll _finally_ have a clue _where_ she is.)

*Millard patiently stood on the floating platform, listening to the elevator-like noises which echoed in the distance.*

\----------

PKMY: *She walked up to Lance, leaning to one side, folding her arms.* "If someone was getting hurt, which of the follow best suits you."

Lance: *He brushed grass off his shoulders, grunting like a child.* "Wateva."

PKMY: "Revenge, go and attack the attacker. Would you choose to flee from the battle."

Lance: (Pssht, run away? Aha-)

PKMY: "Try to protect them, by using defensive tactics, and lastly. Formulate a plan and work as a team."

Lance: (That sounds corny-)

PKMY: "Which one is it?"

Lance: "Attack the attacker _of_ _course_." *He chuckled, rolling his eyes.*

PKMY: "It's basic procedure to ask, but I could've known that by the way you act."

Lance: "Wow, oh really?"

PKMY: "..."

Lance: "Do you want a cook-?"

PKMY: *She frowned, forming a fist.* "Go on, finish that sentence."

Lance: "Cookie-"

PKMY: *She flashstepped in front of Lance, punching him in the face.* " _Ahem_ -"

Lance: " _Gah_ -"

PKMY: "It's obvious to place you as an offensive type fighter."

Lance: "No shit-" *He frowned like a child, rubbing his nose.*

PKMY: "You have a possibility of excelling in physical _and_ Rostical attacks."

Lance: "Rostickal?" *He spoke with confusion, triggering a flashback.*

\--

*Lance raised his hand and aimed it at Zayden, suddenly blasting a stream of lightning.*

Zayden: "Wha-?!" *A stream of lightning struck into his chest, causing him to violently shake.*

\--

Lance: *He gulped, looking down to his hands.* (What?)

PKMY: " _Yeah_ , _Rostical_? What's with that response?"

Lance: "Lightning?" *He spoke under his breath in disbelief.*

PKMY: *She looked over to Teresa with a puzzled look, pointing at Lance.* "Wat's the idiot's problem?"

Teresa: (It appears something has triggered a flashback.)

PKMY: "I see." *She whispered to herself, looking back to Lance.*

Lance: (Was that me? That power?)

PKMY: "Dickhead, _focus_!"

Lance: "Huh?" *He snapped out of his confused-like stare, looking at PKMY.*

PKMY: "I'm officially interested in you now."

Lance: "Yea, I get that a lot-"

PKMY: " _How_ were you able to use such a strong elemental affinity without an item?"

Lance: "Pssht, how would I know?"

PKMY: "Or is it-?" *She looked down, smiling with excitement.*

Lance: (She's _really_ weird-)

PKMY: "Maybe you don't _need_ one." (But I need to test it.)

Lance: *He stared at her with a blank look, picking his nose.* (What's she talking about now?)

PKMY: "Follow me." *She walked around the tree, standing next to a small pond.*

Lance: *He followed PKMY, standing next to her with confusion.* "Yea, wat?"

PKMY: "You see this pond-?"

Lance: "No, where?" *He looked up, glancing to each side.*

PKMY: *She quickly punched Lance on the head, pointing at the pond.* "Close your eyes and focus on the pond's surface."

Lance: "Umm-?"

PKMY: "Think and _feel_ your emotions."

Lance: "I don't understand, I don't talk nerd."

PKMY: *She sighed, taking several steps back.* "If you feel a power, _explore_ it." *She folded her arms, waiting for Lance to begin.*

Lance: "OK?" *He nervously closed his eyes, imagining the water's surface.* (I don't feel anything besides what I _always_ feel. I don't know _what_ to do _or_ imagine.)

PKMY: "..." *She sarcastically coughed, implying Lance to hurry up.*

Lance: (All I keep thinking about is Ash.) *He frowned in thought, grinding his teeth.* (Why?!)

*The water suddenly swirled, rippling towards Lance, catching PKMY's attention.*

PKMY: "Enough! We will start the next test."

Lance: *He opened his eyes with confusion.* "But I didn't do anythin'-"

PKMY: *She ignored Lance, walking towards the tree, picking up a purple RPG bag.* "Wat I want-"

Lance: *He noticed the RPG bag, pointing at it like a child.* "Oi, Teresa!"

Teresa: "..." *She casually leant on the tree, glancing at Lance with an emotionless face.* "..."

Lance: "She _stole_ our RPG bag and painted it _purple_!"

PKMY: "Will you shut up and stop interrupting me?! This is _my_ RPG bag, you immature _shit_!"

Lance: "..."

PKMY: *She placed her entire arm in the bag, unsheathing a sword.* "Take this sword." *She gently dropped the bag, throwing the sword to his feet.*

Lance: *He looked down, staring at the sword.* " _Wat_ am I gonna do?"

PKMY: "Your next test is to have a duel with me."

Teresa: (Hoh?)

PKMY: "If you're able to hit me _once_ , then you _pass_."

Lance: (Just once? Pssht, this will be _easy_.)

Teresa: *She observed the sword, staring at PKMY.* (The sword, it emits an energy signature?)

PKMY: *She turned around, facing Teresa with a smile.* "It's a Rosterology-based weapon, it has a _special_ ability."

Teresa: "..."

PKMY: "I just want to see if Lance can use it."

Lance: *He picked up the sword, glancing at PKMY with confusion.* "Huh? Who you talkin' to?"

PKMY: *She ignored Lance, spreading her legs in a battle-ready pose.* "Alright, _go_."

Lance: (You don't have to tell me twice!-) *He charged directly towards her, raising the sword.* "Harh!" *He smirked with confidence, slashing down PKMY's shoulder.*

PKMY: "Heh." *She stepped to the side, easily avoiding Lance's strike.*

Lance: "Grr-" *He frowned and spun around, jabbing the sword in front.*

PKMY: " _Yahoo_ -" *She leant back, spinning out of Lance's strike.*

Lance: *He awkwardly stepped forward, watching a slash-like wave cut the tall grass in front.*

Teresa: (I see, the weapon amplifies the user's Astragons.)

Lance: (Wat the?!) *He stared at the sword, looking surprised.*

PKMY: *She took several steps back and leant down, grabbing a handful of grass Lance cut.* ( _Nice_ , he's able to use the weapon-) "Too easy-"

Lance: *He shook his head and jumped forward, slicing the sword across PKMY's face.* "Hah!"

PKMY: *She backflipped, flashstepping behind Lance.* "Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_."

Lance: (Shit-) *He quickly spun around, holding the sword in a defensive-like manner.*

PKMY: "Harh!" *She touched the sword, blasting Lance across the ground.*

Lance: (Even defending, she _still_ throws me back-) "Pssht, _weak_."

PKMY: *She smirked with confidence, flicking hair out of her face.* "With such a cocky attitude, your performance is quite disappointing."

Lance: *He stood up straight and faced PKMY, holding the sword with a firm grip.* (Should I pretend to be hurt and attack when she's vulnerable?)

PKMY: "Make your next move already!-"

Lance: *He frowned, running towards PKMY.* (It's no fair how she's able to teleport everywhere.)

PKMY: (A direct charge _as_ _usual_.) *She sighed, standing up straight.* "Don't hold back!"

Lance: *He ran into striking distance, slicing the sword across PKMY's head.* "Gotcha-"

PKMY: *She hopped frog-like under Lance's strike, standing on her hands.* "Heh-"

Lance: "Wat the-?" *He looked down in shock, quickly pointing the sword downwards.*

PKMY: "Hyarh!" *She spun to the side, kicking Lance in the gut, knocking him onto the ground.*

Lance: "Ouch!-" *He rolled on the ground, closing his eyes in pain.*

Teresa: "..."

Lance: "It hurts _so_ _much_!"

PKMY: *She pushed up, flipping back onto her feet.* "In pain, eh?"

Lance: *He sat on his knees, rocking back and forth in pain.* (Aha, she's walking over, she bought it.)

PKMY: *She walked up to Lance, instantly kicking him in the head.* "Heh." *She smirked, watching Lance slide along the grass.*

Lance: *He stopped sliding, frowning in anger.* "Don't you show mercy?!"

PKMY: "I've manipulated the Astragons around here, it's impossible to feel _true_ pain."

Lance: (Now that I think about it, I'm feeling pretty good, considering what she's done-)

PKMY: "Wat are you thinking about?" *She grunted in a stern voice, folding her arms.*

Lance: "Just the fact that someone like _you_ beat _me_ up."

PKMY: *She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head in curiosity.* "Wat's that supposed to mean?"

Lance: "You're a girl, do I need to explain more?" *He smirked, cockily sniffing his nose.*

PKMY: "I'm sorry, _wat_?"

Lance: "You're-"

PKMY: *She flashstepped in front of Lance, grabbing him by the hair.* "Sorry-?"

Lance: "A-Arh!-"

PKMY: *She slowly raised her arm, lifting Lance, glaring at him face to face.* "Sorry, couldn't hear you over there."

Teresa: (You are either testing your boundaries, or you never learn, Lance.)

PKMY: "Three finger snap- _flashing_ _fist_ _strike_." *She quickly poked Lance with the tip of her fingers.*

Lance: "Ouch-"

PKMY: *She slightly leant back, adjusting her arm in a more comfortable position.* "You know, one time I reached seventy-two strikes in a second?"

Lance: *He gagged as he violently rocked to each side due to PKMY's hits.* (Every poke is getting faster-)

PKMY: *Her arms started to blur, losing their image.* "Heh-" *She let go of Lance, continuing her attack, keeping him airborne.*

Teresa: (Due to the speed of her attack, it is keeping Lance off his feet-)

PKMY: " _Harh_!" *She spun around, uppercutting Lance into the air.* "You sexist _pig_!"

Teresa: (I thought she was rough with Ashton-)

PKMY: *She looked up at Lance, flashstepping in the air just under him.* (I excel in aerial combos-) *She grabbed his foot, using him to jump further into the air.*

Teresa: (But she is throwing Lance all over the place.) *She comfortably watched from the tree.*

Lance: *He squinted his eyes, spiralling into the air with disorientation.* (Did something just touch my foot-?)

PKMY: *She looked down with a serious face, closing her eyes.* "Airs pulsing, searing and soaring-"

Lance: *He looked up, noticing PKMY above him in shock.* (What is she doin' _now_?)

PKMY: *She opened her eyes and raised her arms.* " _Rippling_ _strike_."

*PKMY dropped her arms at Lance, releasing a ragged beam of red light towards him.*

Lance: "Wha-?!" *The beam forced him on to the ground, creating an immense shockwave which pulsated across the plains.*

Teresa: *She covered her face, as a burst of wind blew past her.* "Do you not think that was a little too much?"

PKMY: " _Yahoo_." *She fell to the ground, landing safely on her toes.* "Don't worry, I only used it at _six_ percent."

Lance: *He coughed, brushing rubble off his back.* (Man, she's crazy-) *He slowly stood up, wiping blood off his cheek.*

PKMY: "You failed the second test, but-"

Lance: "But _wat_?!"

PKMY: "At least you still got all your limbs." *She leant forward, cockily smiling at Lance.*

Lance: *He walked forward and stopped, tilting his head with curiosity.* "Wat's that sound-?" *He looked up, watching the sword pierce into the ground.* "Whoa!-"

PKMY: "When you get the sword out of the ground, we'll start the next training session." *She turned around and yawned, walking towards Teresa.*

Lance: (Get the sword out? What an insult-) *He grunted in thought, walking up to the sword.*

PKMY: "Phew." *She stood in front of Teresa, wiping dirt off her chin.*

Lance: *He grabbed the sword, wheezing in shock.* (It won't budge!)

Teresa: "What are your current observations?" *She watched Lance dance child-like around the sword in anger, attempting to pull it out of the ground.*

PKMY: "This may come as a shock, but I think he has both Neurons and Astragons."

Teresa: " _Hoh_? _Really_?"

PKMY: "He merely needs to tap into that power to access it."

Teresa: "Surely in _all_ this time he could have accessed it by now?"

PKMY: "Going by my tests, I've noticed his dormant abilities seem to be _blocked_."

Teresa: "Blocked?"

PKMY: "Something like a seal, all he needs to do is unlock them."

Teresa: " _Why_ would there be a seal?"

PKMY: "I dunno, but it's been there for _a while_."

Teresa: "Going by your theory, it would explain how he used Rostical on Zayden."

PKMY: "Yea."

Teresa: "But it does _not_ explain why it is _still_ sealed."

PKMY: "Ashton used his incantation, correct?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

PKMY: "Another possibility would be, Ashton transferred his Astragons to Lance?" *She shook her head in confusion, angrily scratching her head.* "I dunno, I'll need to gather more information."

Teresa: "Humph." *She grunted with respect, drawing PKMY's attention.*

PKMY: " _Wat_?"

Teresa: "Your training methods have always been the best."

PKMY: "Heh, hopefully, I can unlock this seal before I kill him, haha."

Teresa: "..." *She stared at PKMY with an emotionless face.*

PKMY: "If he passes the final test, I'll give him access to The Rostical Trials."

Teresa: " _Really_?"

PKMY: "He _is_ able to use Rostical _without_ the need for a Rosterology item."

Teresa: "I see-"

Lance: "Ahahahah." *He waved the sword in the air, smiling like a child.*

\----------

Felix: *He left the village and walked down the dirt path.* (I'm pretty excited, I get to hang out with Alicia.)

*Felix walked into the plains, noticing the damage left by Zayden.*

Felix: "I don't think I've ever been to The Library-"

?????: "Oh really?" *He flashstepped next to Felix, causing a burst of wind to blow around him.*

Felix: "Yea, great, what do you want?" *He faced the man, grunting in a rude tone.*

?????: "My name is Cameron, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Felix: "That's nice, now _go_ _away_."

Cameron: "Did you not notice I flashstepped?"

Felix: "So?"

Cameron: "Have you ever heard of someone weak flashstepping before?"

Felix: *He stared at Cameron, frowning in thought.* (No-) " _Wat_ do you want?"

Cameron: "I hear you are a Rostical User, one with a rare elemental affinity, ground?"

Felix: "So what of it?"

Cameron: "Do you not want to make yourself useful?" *He smirked as if he knew something he shouldn't.*

Felix: *His eyes widened, taking a step back.* (What?!)

Cameron: "Do you not desire people to be amazed, impressed, awed when they see you?"

Felix: *He frowned in anger, gritting his teeth.* "Wat do you _want_ , you dirty lamp?!"

Cameron: "Calm yourself, there is no need to swear."

Felix: "Your formal way of talking pisses me off-"

Cameron: *He ignored Felix, discreetly smirking to himself.* "I am just letting you know some of the _facts_ about the Consultants."

Felix: (Consultants?)

Cameron: "And."

Felix: (Is he a warrior-?) *He took another step back, forming fists which caused the ground to slightly rumble.*

Cameron: "And the _benefits_."

Felix: *He slightly calmed down, staring at Cameron in confusion.* "Benefits?"

Cameron: "Well, first things first, I will not hide anything from you." *He smirked, speaking in an intelligent manner.*

Felix: "Oh _yeah_?"

Cameron: "The Consultants have given me the ranking of one, I am the strongest of all warriors."

Felix: *He stepped back in tremendous fear, leaning to one side in a defensive-like manner.* "W-W-What do you w-want from m-me?"

*Felix started to shake in fear, staring at the power that stood just before him.*

Cameron: "Now ease up, I have no intentions of fighting you."

Felix: "D-Don't kill me-"

Cameron: "If I desired to kill you, I could have done so with a mere flick of the wrist." *He raised his arm, twirling his hand with a smile.*

Felix: "S-So, w-what is it?"

Cameron: "I am merely giving you an offer." *He spoke with seriousness, focusing his attention to Felix.*

\----------

*Pepper walked through a forest and stepped into a clearing, encountering several tribal-like men.*

Pepper: "Oh, hello?"

Man A: *He turned around, holding a small lion-like Scoldrant.* "Who are you?!"

Pepper: "Pepper." *She looked down, shaking her head.* "That's all I know, yeah?"

Man B: *He reached to his side, suddenly pointing a bone-like dagger at Pepper.* " _How_ did you find us?"

*The man's yell caused several Scoldrants to step into the clearing.*

Pepper: "I say-" *Her eyes suddenly shined gold, causing the tribal members and Scoldrants to step back.* "I am merely trying to find _where_ to go."

Man A: *He noticed Pepper's eyes, causing him to relax.* "My apologies."

Man B: *He lowered his arm, placing the dagger back into his leather pocket.* "As Scoldrant Users, we _always_ have to be on edge."

Man A: "Your eyes, they're different, but you're not a Scoldrant User-"

Pepper: "Tell me, where is the best place to go?"

Man B: "For what?"

Pepper: "To find answers, a busy place."

Man B: *He shook his head, turning away.* "We don't go to busy places-"

Scoldrant: *A tiger-like Scoldrant, stepped forward, staring at Pepper.* "Gerrarh."

Man A: *He stared at the Scoldrant with realisation.* "Yes, Surpreon. Maybe you should look there."

Pepper: "Surpreon?"

Man B: "Yes, it's that way apparently." *He stepped to the side, pointing behind him.*

Pepper: *Her eyes reverted back to their normal colour, nodding her head.* "Thank you-"

Man A: "Who are you?"

Pepper: *She smirked, bending her knees.* "I don't know, yeah-?" *She jumped forward at amazing speeds, giving the illusion she glided across the ground.*

\----------

Elder: *He sighed, staring at Alicia with a smile.* "That is reasonable, but _one_ condition."

Alicia: *She looked up with excitement, biting her bottom lip.* "Y-Yes?"

Elder: "You have to come back and tell us _all_ your stories."

Alicia: "Of course!" *She smiled with respect and started to walk out.*

Elder: " _Before_ you go."

Alicia: *She stopped, turning around.* "Yes?"

Elder: "I just want to say, I'll miss you, my dear Alicia."

Alicia: *She smiled, running towards the elder, giving him a hug.* "I will miss you too."

Elder: *He smiled, watching Alicia leave the tent.* (Stay safe, Alicia.)

\----------

Felix: *He quickly walked back down the path, slightly shook up.* (That was scary-)

Alicia: "Bye, everyone!" *She stood in front of the village, waving above her head.*

Felix: *He watched the villagers excitedly cheer Alicia goodbye.* "Alicia-"

Alicia: *She turned around and noticed Felix, looking a little surprised as if she wasn't expecting to see him near the village.* "I-I'm ready."

Felix: "Before we leave this area-" *He walked down the dirt path, looking at Alicia.* "Did you want to say bye to your friend?"

Alicia: (I'll just upset myself again-) *She shook her head, looking down.* (I'll always miss you, Ashton.)

Felix: "Did you get to see everyone?"

Alicia: "Yep." *She took a deep breath, walking onto the plains.* (I wonder where Teresa and Lance went-?)

Felix: "So, off to The Library you say?"

Alicia: *She smiled, hiding her emotional thoughts.* "Y-Yep!"

\----------

PKMY: *She walked towards Lance, rolling her eyes.* "OK, that was faster than I thought, don't get too excited."

Lance: "Wateva." *He sassily waved the sword in PKMY's direction.*

PKMY: "We will begin the next test." *She stood next to Lance who was covered in dirt, sweat and blood.*

Lance: "Alright?"

PKMY: "I want you to create a force when you swing the sword."

Lance: "A _force_?"

PKMY: "You did it before, like this." *She straightened her arm and pushed it forward, cutting the grass in a line.*

Lance: *He watched the grass sway away in the wind with amazement.* (That's so cool-) "Lame."

PKMY: "Heh." *She sighed, leaning one on side.*

Lance: "So, do I need to think of anythin', or can I just _swing_ it?" *He raised the sword in front of his face, staring at PKMY with curiosity.*

PKMY: (Most aura-based attacks are triggered by emotion.) "Picture a box, filled with air underwater."

Lance: "Yea."

PKMY: "You want to puncture a hole in that box, making all the air escape."

Lance: "OK?"

PKMY: "Imagine _that_ feeling and _use_ it when you swing the sword."

Lance: "Rightio." *He took a deep breath and grunted, swinging the sword.* "Aye? _Nothin_ ' happened!"

PKMY: "You're _not_ concentrating."

Lance: "How do you know?! I'm _tryin_ '." *He grunted, wiping sweat off his forehead.*

PKMY: "Don't just think about the box while swinging the sword, concentrate! You can't possibly expect to get results if you do that."

Lance: "OK, OK." *He lowered the sword, looking at PKMY with concern.* "How do I know if I'm gettin' any better?"

PKMY: "Bestow, the cloudy abyss of gravel-" *She raised her arms, causing visible swirls of wind to appear.* "MANIPULATE"

Lance: "Whoa! The wind is _green_!"

PKMY: "Now you'll be able to see improvements when you swing, for example." *She slapped the air in front of her, causing a green wave to waft away.*

Lance: (Kool-)

PKMY: "You see how there were no physical changes when I swayed my hand?" *She looked down to the ground, swaying her hands across the grass.*

Lance: (Yea, no grass blew up or anything.)

PKMY: "But with this Rostical in effect, you can _see_ if you're making improvements."

Lance: (That's pretty smart, coming from someone who I thought was a crap teacher-)

PKMY: "I'm starving, so me and Teresa are going to eat."

Lance: "..."

PKMY: "If you complete this task when I get back, then-" *She turned around, walking towards Teresa.*

Lance: "Then wat?!"

Teresa: "Then you can have some nourishment as well." *She walked with PKMY into the distance.*

Lance: *He watched PKMY and Teresa leave his sight, causing him to sigh.* (She makes it look and sound so easy.)

*Lance stood up straight while spreading his legs, as he mentally prepared himself.*

Lance: *He held the sword with both hands, staring at his reflection in the sword.* (Even though I don't feel any pain, I'm still getting pretty tired.)

*Green swirls of wind blew past Lance, gently blowing his hair to one side.*

Lance: "I gotta do this if I want somethin' to eat." *He breathed through his mouth, raising the sword.* (Picture a box underwater, the feeling of it escaping, that feeling-)

*Lance swung the sword, causing a small wave to expel from the tip.*

Lance: "Yes!" *He looked down, noticing the cut caused by PKMY.* (She was able to do that just by raising her arm.)

*Lance's face of excitement suddenly changed into determination.*

Lance: *He grunted with a frown, raising the sword.* (But this isn't enough to earn me shit!)

\----------

PKMY: "Wow! I'm _so_ jealous."

Teresa: "..."

PKMY: "The _Unknown_ _Territories_." *She chuckled in amazement, slowly walking back with Teresa.*

Teresa: "Indeed."

PKMY: "But, Ashton and Cassandra." *She sighed under her breath, kicking the grass.*

Teresa: "I know."

PKMY: "..."

Teresa: "Once the time has passed, you can explore the lands yourself."

PKMY: (To think they'd still be after me-)

Teresa: "There has been something troubling me as of late."

PKMY: "Troubling _you_ , Teresa?"

Teresa: "The glyphs that were activated are the same ones _Tarlea_ was researching."

PKMY: " _Tarlea_?! As in _her_?"

Teresa: "Indeed."

PKMY: " _What_?!"

Teresa: "..."

PKMY: "This is _very_ serious, Teresa."

Teresa: "I understand the severity of the matter, I intend to further look into this with Season."

PKMY: *She sighed with frustration, brushing her hand through her hair.* "How is he going? I saw him at Battling Oxident, but _you know_."

Teresa: "He appears to be in good health."

PKMY: "OK-"

Teresa: "PKMY."

PKMY: "Yea?"

Teresa: "Several days ago, have you felt an unusual power?"

PKMY: "No, why?"

Teresa: "It is very hard to focus on, but there is something far more powerful than a number two-"

PKMY: *She stopped, facing Teresa.* "Wat are you talking about? Stronger than a captain?"

Teresa: *She shook her head, flicking her hair over her shoulder.* "It must be nothing."

PKMY: "Nothing-?"

Teresa: "How long have we left Lance by himself?"

PKMY: "Oh? Umm-" *She looked down, observing the angle of her shadow.* "Two hours."

Teresa: "I see-" *Her eyes widened, quickly staring out into the distance.*

PKMY: "Teresa?"

Teresa: (I can sense something, _hidden_?)

PKMY: (Teresa?!)

Teresa: "It is nothing." *She looked at PKMY and walked forward.*

\----------

*Sandy gusts of wind blew across the desert-like Maserio.*

Robed Woman: *She walked on top of a large mountain, suddenly turning around.* "Hmm?"

*A woman suddenly flashstepped on a large rock next to the robed woman.*

?????: "Is there a problem?"

Robed Woman: "No, Sofia."

Sofia: "Hahehahe, great." *She smirked, ignoring her shimmering armour.*

Robed Woman: *She stared out into the distance, tilting her head in confusion.* (Impossible-)

Sofia: "So, what is it?"

Robed Woman: "It felt, as if someone sensed me."

Sofia: "Who you fooling?" *She smirked evil-like, standing up straight.* "Nobody can sense us from here."

Robed Woman: "Indeed."

Sofia: "So, what _are_ you doing?"

Robed Woman: "The Sandy Tombs-"

Sofia: *She slightly frowned, placing her hand on her waist.* "You aren't ordered to go walkabouts."

Robed Woman: "..."

Sofia: "We need to go, Kath will begin to ask questions."

Robed Woman: "..."

Sofia: " _Well_?"

Robed Woman: "Whatever he desires."

Sofia: "Great!" *She giggled and stepped forward, preparing to leave.*

Robed Woman: *She watched Sofia flashstep away, causing a pulse of sand to blow away.* (This is _my_ flashstepping speed-)

*The robed woman sighed and her image disappeared, causing the surrounding rocks to violently shatter away.*

\----------

Teresa: "I can see Lance now."

PKMY: "What's he doing?"

Teresa: "Just sitting there."

PKMY: "Tssk-" *She frowned, flashstepping closer to Lance.* "So what, you've given up?"

Lance: "No-" *He turned around with a childish grin.* "Wat's the final test?"

PKMY: "You _need_ to learn how to-" *She almost tripped, looking down with confusion.* (This, _this_ boy-)

Teresa: "..."

PKMY: (In two hours!) *She stared at numerous slash marks in the ground.*

Lance: "You were sayin'?"

PKMY: *She coughed, hiding her shocked reaction.* "Do you want some food or not?"

Lance: "No! Come on and tell me wat the final test is already-" *His stomach growled, causing Teresa to step forward.*

Teresa: "Your body states otherwise-"

Lance: "No!" *He frowned, gritting his teeth.* "Tell me wat the final test is."

Teresa: "..." *She looked at PKMY as if it was her decision.*

PKMY: "If you insist." *She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.* "The last test is to cut something."

Lance: "Aha, cut somethin'?" *He pointed down to the ground with a childish smirk.* "You stupid little-" *He noticed PKMY tightening her fist, causing him to keep quiet.*

PKMY: "Eh?"

Teresa: *She gracefully spun around, walking away.* (So he does learn after all?)

PKMY: "All you have to do is cut a branch off the tree."

Lance: "Is that it?"

PKMY: *She shook her head with a smirk, walking towards the tree.* "You're not allowed to move from a circle."

Lance: "Aye?"

PKMY: *She stood up straight and spun around, cutting the ground beneath her.* "There."

Lance: " _That_ circle?" *He looked down, glaring at the tree.* "Look how far the tree is?!"

PKMY: "Ten feet." *She stepped away, leaning on one side.*

Lance: *He sighed, walking into the circle.* "How can I do this? The circle is _only_ big enough to _stand_ in!"

PKMY: "Exactly." *She smirked and faced Teresa, walking towards her.*

Lance: *He watched Teresa and PKMY comfortably sit on the grass.* ( _How_ can I do this?)

PKMY: *She stared at Lance's face, causing her to chuckle.* "The face when it's trying to think is hilarious!-"

Lance: (I got an idea!) *He smirked, grabbing the sword by the tip.*

PKMY: "Oh, and you're not allowed to throw the sword either."

Lance: *He sighed and readjusted his grip, holding the sword by the handle.* ( _How_ am I meant to cut it?)

Teresa: *She watched Lance lean forward, swaying the sword at the tree.* "How long do you think it will take him to realise what he is meant to do?"

PKMY: "I give him one month, _yahoo_ , haha."

Lance: "Wat are you laughin' at over there?!"

PKMY: "It does _not_ concern you." *She grunted in a stern voice, trying not to laugh.*

Lance: *He looked at the tree, gritting his teeth.* (How am I meant to cut something I can't even reach?!)

PKMY: "It's almost hilarious that he hasn't realised yet."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: *He sighed, looking down in disappointment.* (Wait a minute-) *He observed the cuts in the ground, noticing it zigzagged up to the tree.* (I got it!-)

Teresa: "It appears someone turned the lights on inside."

PKMY: "Hahaha heh, was that a joke?"

Teresa: "No, merely an observation."

PKMY: "Eh? Well, don't compliment him just yet."

Lance: *He raised the sword and swung it, slicing the ground with a shockwave.* (Nice!-)

Teresa: "..."

Lance: *He looked down, observing the cut in the grass.* (My swing from the tip of the sword is about two and a half metres and another two with that shockwave-)

PKMY: *She watched dirt and grass swirl away from Lance.* "Looks like he's got the idea."

Teresa: "Indeed."

Lance: (Argh, I hate maths-) "All I know is that it's still not enough."

Teresa: *She watched Lance swing the sword again.* "It appears he needs to pump more Neurons into his swing."

PKMY: "Yea, that's correct."

Lance: *He slowly inhaled and stood motionless, closing his eyes.* (OK, OK, imagine the feeling of air coming out of the box, hold on to that feeling-)

PKMY: (Speaking of Neurons, his just rose-)

Lance: *He opened his eyes, swinging the sword up.* "Harh!" *A shockwave hit the stump of the tree, flicking bark into the air.*

Teresa: "Hoh?"

Lance: *His jaw dropped in amazement as if he underestimated himself.* ( _More_!-) *He struggled to lift the sword, swinging it with his entire body.*

PKMY: (If he keeps this up, then he might actually pass The Rostical Trial-)

*A shockwave sliced the ground, travelling up the tree, slicing off a twig.*

Lance: *He stepped forward, causing sweat to drip off his body.* "Ahaha-" *He leant back, collapsing onto the ground.*

PKMY: *She stood up and took a step forward, flashstepping next to Lance.* (He's smiling?)

Lance: " _Well_?" *He tilted his head back, puffing on his breath.*

PKMY: "You didn't cut off a branch-"

Lance: "Wat-?!"

Teresa: "If I recall correctly, you never stated the size of the branch."

PKMY: "Eh?"

Teresa: "He did indeed cut off a branch, despite its size."

PKMY: "Pfft, fine." *She smirked, throwing a bread roll at Lance.* "When you've gathered your strength, I will tell you wat happens next."

Lance: *He glanced at the roll in confusion.* "Where'd you get this from?"

PKMY: "My ass."

Lance: "Pssht-" *He shook his head as if he didn't care, violently shoving the roll into his mouth.*

PKMY: "Slow down, the food isn't going to run anywhere."

Lance: *He smiled, shoving more bread into his mouth.* (That's something I'd say to Alicia.)

PKMY: "When we left you by yourself, we checked a hidden training area called The Rostical Trials-"

Lance: "Kool-"

Teresa: "We merely checked to see if it was still accessible, fortunately, it is."

PKMY: " _Once_ you've prepared yourself, we'll head there and I will tell you what to do."

Lance: "Wat will happen there?" *He grunted with a mouth full of food.*

Teresa: "To simply put it, if you pass The Rostical Trials."

PKMY: "Then you'll be able to use Rostical."

Lance: "Aye? Then why-?"

PKMY: "Before you say _why can't everybody do this_? It's because only those who possess Neurons and Astragons can enter."

Lance: "Wat?"

Teresa: "Those who can use Rostical without the need of a Rosterology item."

Lance: "So _I_ can use Rostickal without an item?"

Teresa: "We do not know if that is thanks to Ashton, or if you do indeed have the natural ability to use Rostical."

PKMY: "Either way, we believe you can enter."

Lance: *He excitedly shoved the remainder of the roll into his mouth, standing up with determination.* "I'm ready now!"

Teresa: "Do not stress, our destination is not far." *She led Lance and PKMY across the plains, as she stared in front with an emotionless face.*

Lance: "Not far? You left me by myself for hours."

PKMY: "Didn't I say we were getting something to eat as well?"

Lance: *He swallowed the bread, staggering behind Teresa and PKMY.* "Wateva."

PKMY: "Hurry up, it's just up here-"

Lance: "Did you do the trials yourself?"

PKMY: "Shut up, you interrupting dick hole."

Lance: "Whoa, OK."

PKMY: "Let's get you into the trials already." *She sighed, walking next to Teresa.*

Lance: (I'm kinda nervous, like I'm about to go for a test.)

Teresa: "It is similar to The Unknown Territories in appearance." *She stood in front of a small shrine-like entrance, leading downwards.*

Lance: "Yea, it kinda does."

PKMY: "Really?!"

Teresa: *She watched two torches flicker on each side of the entrance.* "The task is simple, follow the instructions and move forward."

PKMY: "If you successfully complete this, then you've got _one_ more test and _that's_ _it_."

Teresa: *She faced PKMY, looking at Lance with an emotionless face.* "Also?"

PKMY: "Heh, _also_ I've left you a little present near the end of the trials."

Lance: *He silently stared at PKMY, looking down to his feet.* "Did Ash really go through all this?"

PKMY: *She ignored Lance, pointing at the entrance.* "Now go, I'll see you at the exit."

Lance: "Pssht, wateva." *He rolled his eyes, walking down the stairs.* "Ginger face." *His voice echoed, entering the trials.*

PKMY: *She frowned and formed a fist, stepping forward in anger.* "That _stupid_ -"

\----------

Millard: *He casually walked down a long hallway, filled with racks of books on each side.* "I've never been this deep in The Library before-"

*A spine of a book instantly caught Millard's attention, causing him to slowly pull it out.*

Millard: "Why yes, yes! This is _absolutely_ delicious!"

*Millard tilted his hat up, staring down into the book in amazement.*

Millard: "Who would've thought you'd keep all your records in such an obvious place, Kath."

*Millard slammed the book shut, placing it back into the shelving.*

Millard: "I'll _finally_ be able to confront you now." *He spoke in a serious tone, turning back around.*

*Millard chuckled to himself, as he power walked down the hallway.*

Millard: "You need to be stopped, I don't know how this will happen, but it _has_ to."

\----------

*Lance stopped in front of a pillar, reading the words which were engraved on it.*

Lance: "Only those with the Remenistal blood may enter, all of those which are not will be repelled." (Hmm, doesn't seem that bad-)

*Lance stepped through an invisible shield, shivering as if it was cold.*

Lance: *He observed large torches along the walls, before looking down a long corridor.* (It feels weird in here.)

*Several drum-like beats echoed, as faint divine-like music played in the background.*

Lance: *He walked to the end of the corridor, looking up to the roof in confusion.* (Music-?)

*Hieroglyphs glowed along the walls, separating the corridor into two rooms.*

Lance: *He stared at two large glowing glyphs, which acted as doors.* (I don't think I can get in.)

*Lance noticed writing on the glowing glyphs, causing him to slightly lean forward.*

Lance: "Neurons and Astragons." (Which one do I take?)

*One of the glyphs suddenly spiralled and faded, disintegrating into nothing.*

Lance: (Whoa, that was the one with Newgongs on it-) *He mumbled in thought, walking into the newly accessible room.*

*A large glyph suddenly reappeared behind Lance, trapping him in the room.*

Lance: *He observed the small poorly lit room, noticing a large statue of a Scoldrant in the middle.* (Okay, I'm guessin' I gotta do something with the statue?)

*Lance strutted up to the statue, noticing words engraved on the bottom.*

Lance: "This room is filled with Neurons, additional use of Neurons may result in death."

*Lance took a step back, grunting in frustration.*

Lance: " _What_ am I meant to do?! Find _what_ incantations?!"

*The music faded, as Lance circled around the room, looking through every crack and cranny.*

Lance: (Nothin'!-) "There's _nothin_ ' in this stupid room!"

*Lance grunted and faced the glyph, grabbing the sword with both hands.*

Lance: "I'm gettin' out of here!" *He stepped forward, swinging the sword at the glyph.*

*The walls around the glyph suddenly glowed, responding to Lance's strike.*

Lance: (The glowin' thingy didn't budge, but-) *He stared at the walls, grunting with realisation.* "I get it now. The redhead said the shockwave is condensed with Astragongs, so maybe-"

*Lance wandered along the stone walls, vibrating the handle, causing a faint aura to shroud around the sword.*

Lance: "Ah ha! There's writin'!" *His voice echoed several times, causing him to nervously look around.*

*Lance shook his head and chuckled to himself, focusing his attention to the glowing text.*

Lance: "Smear upon the skies, blue waves-" *He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.* "Wat does that mean?! Pssht-"

*The glyph blocking the exit suddenly spiralled, disintegrating into nothing.*

Lance: "Kool?" *He slowly walked out the room, noticing the glyph to the other room disintegrate into nothing.* "OK-"

*Lance slowly peaked inside the room, noticing it was a replica of the one he was just in.*

Lance: "Hmm." *He cautiously walked into the room, causing a glyph to spiral, sealing him inside.*

*Lance lowered the sword and walked up to the statue, noticing the writing on the bottom.*

Lance: "This room is filled with Astragons, additional use of Astragons may result in death. Find the incantation in order to advance to the enchanted room."

*Lance sighed, tilting his head back with impatience and frustration.*

Lance: "I'm guessin' it's like the other room, but?" *He sighed, lowering his head in failure.* "I don't know _how_ to use Newgongs.. I _never_ listened to Ash or Teresa's _stupid_ nerdy talk."

*Lance looked up and pulled faces, mumbling to himself in deep thought.*

Lance: (What does Newgongs do again? I don't know, elements? Magic? I don't know-)

*Lance impatiently tapped his foot, suddenly remembering PKMY manipulate the pond's surface.*

Lance: "That's it!" *He chuckled in disbelief, closing his eyes.* (OK, I gotta keep my cool-)

*Lance slowly exhaled, positioning himself like PKMY.*

Lance: *He opened his eyes and noticed writing fade away on the wall.* (It worked-)

*Lance smiled and sighed, shaking his head.*

Lance: (Wait a minute, how am I meant to read the words if I have my eyes closed to concentrate?)

*Lance stood up straight, staring at the stone wall, taking deep breaths.*

Lance: (I've _got_ to do it with my eyes open-)

*The sounds of Lance's focused breathing faintly echoed in the room.*

Lance: (Concentrate, concentrate-) " _Concentrate_!"

*The wall around Lance started to glow, as blurred words started to appear.*

Lance: *He smiled with astonishment, squinting his eyes.* (I'm actually doin' it, but I can _hardly_ make it out-)

*The writing on the walls glowed an eerie green colour, causing Lance to whisper the words under his breath.*

Lance: *He sighed and relaxed himself, causing the writing to fade away.* "Crashing down, Lightning Blast? That made no sense-?"

*The glyph outside suddenly spiralled and disintegrated into nothing, cueing Lance to walk out in confusion.*

Lance: (Not only did that make not sense, but where do I go now-?)

*A giant glyph drew itself in between the Neuron and Astragon doors, revealing a lengthy staircase leading up.*

Lance: *He sighed and started to walk up the flight of stairs, face palming to himself in thought.* (Why can't they make things easy, like invent an elevator.)

*Lance walked up the white stairs, noticing the divine-like music started to play louder.*

Lance: *He noticed light at the end of the stairs, causing him to look alert.* (There's the end to these _stupid_ stairs-) *He smirked to himself, running up the stairs.*

\----------

PKMY: "Do you think he can make it through?"

Teresa: "Perhaps, Lance's attributes are unpredictable."

PKMY: "Herm." *She folded her arms, grunting in thought.*

\----------

Lance: *He ran into a room with gold-like walls and a large statue in the middle.* "This one says-" *He mumbled to himself, walking towards the statue.*

*Gold light danced on Lance's face, as he leant forward, reading the writing on the statue.*

Lance: "Each individual's incantation is different. Focus on yours while releasing the might of Neurons and the diligence of Astragons."

*Lance looked up and stepped back, closing his eyes in remembrance.*

Lance: (OK, let me think. The first and second room had two different incantations, but neither made sense-)

*Lance opened his eyes in realisation, slightly smirking to himself.*

Lance: (Because they were _one_.)

*The divine music echoed, giving the room a holy-like feeling.*

Lance: *He spread his legs and coughed.* "Smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down, LIGHTNING BLAST"

*Lance's right arm straightened on its own accord and his hand tensed up.*

Lance: "Ah-?" *A flicker of light swirled in his palm, forming itself into a ball.* (The ball is giving off heat-)

*Lance's fingers twitched, causing a stream of yellow lightning to blast out.*

Lance: *His jaw dropped in amazement, ignoring his static frizzed-like hair.* "Th-That's what happened before with Zayden-"

*Before Lance could celebrate, the statue's eyes glowed, causing one part of the wall to fade away.*

Lance: *He stared at the fading wall in amazement, noticing another room.* (Holy flaming shit nuggets-) *He glanced at his hand in astonishment, observing his palm for burn marks.*

*Lance looked up and noticed several burn marks on the ceiling, caused by the lightning.*

Lance: *He stared at the other room, walking towards it.* "It might as well have a bright sign sayin' please enter."

*Lance rolled his eyes, walking into the room.*

\----------

PKMY: "..." *She slowly exhaled, standing motionless in thought.*

Teresa: "What are you pondering?"

PKMY: "I wonder what element he will acquire."

Teresa: "Perhaps the same element he used during his fight with Zayden."

PKMY: "Under those circumstances, it's not entirely possible."

Teresa: "Indeed."

\----------

Lance: *He spun around, observing the room around him.* (Massive mirrors on the walls? And _another_ pedestal in the middle? Let me guess, _more_ writing?)

*Lance walked up to the pedestal noticing a letter and a box.*

Lance: "It says-" *He took a deep breath, readying himself to read it.* "Congratulations you loser, I'm surprised you made it. Meet me at the exit for your last two tests-"

*Lance unintentionally swayed his body to the divine-like music.*

Lance: "I also want you to wear these clothes to symbolise you completed my training, PKMY."

*The mirrors on the walls slightly changed angle, causing beams of light to shine from the roof, revealing the exit.*

Lance: (She said I had only one more test but the letter says _two_?) *He looked up and faced the exit, proudly puffing out his chest.*

*Lance marched up the stairs, squinting his eyes, due to the light outside.*

Lance: *He covered his face, taking a deep breath of fresh air.* (Where am I-?)

PKMY: "Ha! I didn't expect you to come out so soon."

Lance: *He blinked several times, noticing PKMY and Teresa standing in front of him.* "I didn't expect to be in there for so long."

PKMY: "I don't want to push you, but I'm sure you won't mind." *She smirked and formed a fist.*

Lance: *He tilted his head back, breathing through his mouth.* "Just tell me wat the next test is already."

PKMY: "This test, is to fight me at ten percent of my maximum power."

Teresa: "Hoh?" *She stepped forward, looking at PKMY.* "Are you sure that is wise-?"

Lance: "You're on!"

PKMY: *She grinned at Lance, who cockily smirked back at her.* "The rules are simple-"

Teresa: "The rules are that of Battling Oxident."

Lance: "..." *He nodded his head in approval.*

Teresa: "If I see unfair fighting _or_ if one can not fight any longer, I will forfeit the match effective immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

PKMY: " _Yahoo_." *She smirked at Teresa, running into a clearing.*

Lance: "Yea, wateva." *He ran after PKMY, firmly holding the sword.*

Teresa: "The match will commence once the first move is made."

PKMY: "Can you beat me at ten percent of my maximum power?" *She smirked, cracking her knuckles.*

Lance: "Can _you_ beat _me_?" *He lifted the sword, standing in a battle-ready pose.*

Teresa: (Do not go too hard on him, and remember, we both know he learnt a Rostical in there, so be on edge.)

PKMY: (Yeah, yeah, I know.)

Teresa: "Lance versus. PKMY, begin!"

PKMY: "Oh, I've been waiting to kick your ass!" *She yelled in excitement, flashstepping out of Lance's sight.*

Lance: (I can _feel_ her flashstep.) *He stepped back in a defensive manner, closing his eyes.* (It feels and sounds like wind, over _there_!-)

*Lance opened his eyes and spun around, slicing the sword across.*

PKMY: *She flashstepped in the line of Lance's strike, causing her to quickly flashstep a few metres back.* "H-How?!"

Lance: "Aha, I missed."

PKMY: (Fine I will attack from a distance.) "Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_." *She leant back, punching a shockwave towards Lance.*

Lance: *He grabbed the sword with both hands, slashing it upwards.* "Grah-"

*An air slash sliced PKMY's shockwave in half, causing two slash-like explosions to burst the ground next to Lance.*

Teresa: (Hoh?)

PKMY: (He's become so much stronger to sense my flashstep-) "Boy, you _piss_ me off!"

Lance: *He took a deep breath, glancing at the damage on the ground next to him.* "W-Wateva-"

PKMY: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

Lance: *He smirked with anticipation, looking down to the ground.* (I've seen this Rostickal _so_ many times, I know what to do-)

PKMY: *She straightened her arms, spinning them in a clockwise direction.* (You're going to be toast!-) *She pushed forward, causing a tunnel of fire to flare towards Lance.*

Lance: *He noticed the sword flicker light, causing him to look up.* "Wha-?!"

Teresa: *She watched the flames scorch the area around Lance, glancing at PKMY with an emotionless face.* (Despite a direct hit-)

PKMY: *Her hair rapidly flapped back as she focused on the flames in front of her.* "..."

Teresa: (The power of those Neurons PKMY used would only cause the fire to be unbearable, not life-threatening-)

Lance: *He coughed as the flames extinguished.* (Shit-) *He stood on the spot, quickly putting out a small flame on his sleeve.*

PKMY: (How can you _not_ notice a bundle of flames heading towards you?) *She smirked, noticing the charcoal scratches on Lance's face.*

Lance: "You're cheap-" *He blinked, raising the sword.* "Huh?! She's gone-"

PKMY: "Too slow, dirty lamp." *She appeared behind Lance, pointing at the back of his head.*

Lance: "B-Behind again-"

PKMY: "Three finger snap- _flashing_ _fist_ _strike_."

Lance: (Quick! Before she hits me!-) *He slashed the sword on the ground, causing a rippling shockwave to explode the dirt.*

Teresa: (Hoh-?)

Lance: "Gah-" *He groaned, sliding on his back across the ground.*

PKMY: "Tssk-" *Her feet scraped along the ground as a strong force blew her back.*

Teresa: (Lance displaying _intelligence_?)

PKMY: *She frowned in thought, raising her arms.* "Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power-"

Lance: (I'm goin' to prove I can defend myself!) *He quickly stood up, noticing twelve ice spears materialise in the air.*

PKMY: "ICICLE EDGE" *She dropped her arm, blasting the spears at Lance.*

Lance: "Grr-" *He swung the sword, causing an air slash to shatter the ice into pieces.*

Teresa: (What an effective move, it is both defensive and offensive-) *She watched the ice shatter past Lance.* (Although, it is nowhere near its full potential.)

Lance: *He smirked, watching the ice sparkle on the ground.* "Wat's next, teacha?"

PKMY: *She growled, gritting her teeth.* "Fine-"

Lance: "Fine wat-?!"

PKMY: *She bent at the knees, flashstepping high into the sky.* "Airs pulsing, searing and soaring-"

Teresa: (She intends to finish the battle now!)

Lance: "Not that move again." *He placed one foot back, looking up with a mature expression on his face.*

PKMY: "Try blocking _this_." *She raised her arms above her head, causing the atmosphere to distort around her.* " _Rippling_ _strike_."

Lance: (I've got to put _every_ _ounce_ of energy into this _one_ _shot_.) *He stabbed the sword into the ground, taking a deep breath.*

PKMY: "Harh!" *She dropped her arm, releasing a red rippling beam of light towards Lance.*

Lance: "Smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down-" *He placed both hands in front of each other, yelling at the top of his breath.* "LIGHTNING BLAST"

*Bright yellow lightning blasted towards PKMY's rippling beam of light.*

Teresa: *She watched the Rostical collide, causing an abnormally loud humming sound to echo across the plains.* (PKMY, you are using at least thirteen percent of your maximum power-)

Lance: *His hair whipped to each side, as the lightning pushed back and forth.* (I can feel a vibration going _right_ _up_ into _bone_ -)

*The grass under the Rostical suddenly burnt and scorched into flames, as violent gusts of wind pulsed across the plains.*

Teresa: (These level of Neurons are too high-) "PKMY, you have to stop or this location can be detected by Neuron and Astragon readers!"

*The loud humming drowned out Teresa's voice, as strings of lightning flashed vein-like in the air.*

Lance: *He glanced at his hands, noticing blood seeping through his fingernails.* (I can't hold it for much longer-)

PKMY: *She remained in the air, as swirls of fluoro red waves blew past her.* (One day, I can't wait to fight this dickhead at my full capacity.)

Lance: *His face wrinkled in pain, as he whimpered with lowering morale.* "N-No-"

*The humming suddenly stopped, as an explosion erupted, spewing out black smog.*

Teresa: "Tcch-" *She covered her face, watching Lance and PKMY smash across the ground.*

PKMY: "Herh!-"

Lance: "Ooof!"

Teresa: "This match is officially over!"

\----------

Riddle: *He walked on small white pebbles, sighing in satisfaction.* "I'm _finally_ here."

Guard: "Welcome to Surpreon." *He grunted in front of the entrance, focusing his attention to Riddle.*

Riddle: "I'm here to offer my services." *He smiled with fatigue, adjusting the large backpack on his shoulders.*

\----------

*The smog cleared, revealing PKMY standing up with a smirk.*

PKMY: "Congratulations, you've successfully passed the test." *She rubbed dirt off her elbow, walking towards Lance.*

Lance: "Aha." *He lay on the ground as steam evaporated off his hands.*

PKMY: "Lightning, not bad."

Lance: "Kool, hey?" *He coughed and wheezed.*

PKMY: "I've got good news and bad news."

Lance: "Oh?"

PKMY: "The good news, you've passed my training." *She grabbed Lance's hand, helping him up.* (His hand is warm, no, _hot_.)

Lance: "And the bad?"

PKMY: "Well, due to the fact you rushed all these tests." *She paused, folding her arms in thought.*

Lance: *He stepped back with disorientation, wiping sweat off his forehead.* " _Wat_?"

PKMY: "It has caused too much strain on your body."

Lance: "OK, yea?" *He sounded worried, looking at PKMY in concern.*

Teresa: "Your survival rate is unknown-"

Lance: "Survival rate?! Wat?! For what?!"

PKMY: "It's when I lift the Rostical that disables pain."

Lance: "..." *He panted, looking confused.*

PKMY: *She faced Teresa, looking at Lance.* "We calculated it will take you approximately a month to recover."

Lance: (A _month_!) "I can't!-"

PKMY: " _Even_ if you were healed straight away, the initial pain will cause your brain to shut down."

Lance: "But what about the Consultants?"

Teresa: "There has been no activity."

Lance: "But-"

PKMY: "You _need_ to stay here so your body can heal itself, _then_ I can remove the Rostical."

Lance: "Wat am I meant to do in the meantime?!" *He became flustered, looking slightly upset.*

Teresa: "PKMY has a substantial amount of books you could read in the meantime."

Lance: "Books? I _hate_ readin' _books_ -"

PKMY: "For someone who learnt how to use Rostical, you sound quite ungrateful!" *She closed her eyes, folding her arms.*

Lance: "..." *He sighed, turning around.* "You're right, aye."

PKMY: "Eh?" *She opened her eyes in shock.*

Lance: (I promised myself when I completed the training-) "I'm going back to the pedestal."

PKMY: (Where my uniform is-)

Lance: "Thanks heaps, PKMY and Teresa." *He spoke with respect, walking towards The Rostical Trials.*

PKMY: "You're welcome?"

Teresa: (Lance, showing respect?)

Lance: *He walked down the stairs, looking down at his shirt.* (Maybe it's a good thing PKMY's giving me some new clothing, this shirt is pretty feral.)

PKMY: *She watched Lance leave her sight, looking at Teresa.* "What did you say before? I couldn't hear your voice."

Teresa: "Your Neuron levels were too high, I did not want people detecting us."

PKMY: "Fair enough." *She clicked her fingers, causing the air to revert back to normal.* "Do you think anyone did?"

Teresa: "Negative."

\----------

Lance: *He tightened a leather strap, checking himself out in the mirror.* (Not bad-)

*The leather vibrated and a sudden pulse blew away the dirt, blood and burn marks on Lance's face.*

Lance: *He smirked at himself before slowly exhaling with emotion.* (I gotta start changing the way I act, for Ash.)

\----------

PKMY: "It would be nice to go to a village without worrying about a captain."

Teresa: "Due to the Consultant's stress over The Unknown Territories, perhaps you would be _overlooked_?"

PKMY: "Tssk, who are we kidding, did you forget about The Black Brigade?"

Teresa: "Hoh? I entirely forgot about them."

PKMY: " _They're_ the ones after me-"

Lance: *He stepped out of The Rostical Trials with confidence, walking towards PKMY and Teresa.* (As strange as it might sound, this is the best clothing I've ever worn.)

PKMY: *She observed Lance, leaning on one side.* "Something seems different about him."

Teresa: "Besides his change of garments, there is nothing different about him."

PKMY: "..." *She sighed, watching Lance walk up to her.*

Lance: *He admired his clothes, taking a deep breath.* "PKMY, Teresa, thanks again."

PKMY: "You passed, you deserve it."

Teresa: *She nodded her head with an emotionless face.* (I must take my leave-)

PKMY: (And leave him with me.) *She grunted in thought, half smirking to herself.*

Teresa: "...-"

Lance: "When I'm fully healed, I want to see everyone."

Teresa: "That is understandable."

PKMY: "Alright, I'll be back in a sec." *She grunted at Lance, walking away with Teresa.*

Lance: *He turned around, walking across the plains with a satisfied face.* (I won't ever forget about you, Ash.)

*Lance stopped and stood at the edge of the plains, looking on to the landscape.*

Lance: (You'll forever be with me.) *He smirked and held his chest, facing the wind.*

\----------

Riddle: *He walked through the markets, observing the food stands around him.* (Not as great as Silver Wind Island-)

*A bright purple flash instantly caught Riddle's attention.*

Riddle: (What was that?) *He ran through a gathering crowd, instantly noticing Season and Tyler.*

Season: *He sighed, rubbing his neck in a tired-like manner.* "This was a long day."

Tyler: "I know-"

Riddle: "E-Excuse me."

Season: "Not now, I'm tired-" *He spoke with authority, looking at Riddle with a tired face.*

Riddle: "But, I want to offer my services."

Tyler: *He glared at Riddle, rolling his eyes.* "Can't you see he's busy?"

Riddle: "I've come all the way here from Silver Wind Island."

Season: "I'm sorry, you're welcome to stay here at Surpreon, but I don't need any more assistants."

Riddle: *He watched Season and Tyler turn around, slowly walking away.* "But I've got knowledge that could help you!"

Season: *He slightly frowned, facing Riddle with impatience.* "Tyler is my personal assistant, his ability to retain knowledge is all I need."

Tyler: "Y-Yeah." *He cockily smirked, scratching a pimple on his cheek.*

Riddle: "But-"

Season: "Excuse my rudeness, but _what_ could be so important, that you would confront me in such a manner?"

Riddle: "U-Umm-"

Season: " _Exactly_ _what_ _I_ _thought_." *He slowly turned around, walking away from Riddle.*

Tyler: *He cockily smirked, facing Riddle.* "You see, Season gets these offers _all_ the time-"

Riddle: "I know the location to the next Unknown Territory."

Season: *He gasped, slowly turning around with widening eyes.* "What did you just say?!"

Tyler: "..." *He frowned jealous-like, watching Season walk up to him.*

Riddle: *He pushed his glasses up with one finger, dropping his backpack.* "I know _where_ it is and _how_ to get there."

###

Wow, you made it! Thank you _very_ _much_ for reading! We, together _and_ our heroes, embarked on a delicious adventure! I hope you want to continue on and join us on the next part of _The_ _Rostical_ _Users_!

If you have any delicious questions, feel free to email me here. I'm also on Facebook and Twitter! I find _any_ feedback _scrumptious_ and I will _always_ reply back.

Hope to hear from you, little silly sausage!

\- Michael. R.

Chapter 01: Character BIO

**Name:** Lance Lighten.

**Age:** 21.

**Hair:** Medium and messy, bed-like hair. Hair goes to his forehead and around his ears. Hair spikes out. Hair appears oily and is not affected by weak wind. No hair style.

**Hair Colour:** Dark brown.

**Face:** No facial hair, no wrinkles. Symmetrical facial features. When showing emotion, his eyes and upper nose wrinkles up. White teeth. His voice is normal, not high or low.

**Eye Colour:** Light brown.

**Body Build:** Slender, not skinny nor large. Has slender arms and a toned belly.

**Body Attributes:** No body hair (Legs, arms, chest, stomach, back etc).

**Garment:** Plain T-shirt, shorts, no jewellery. Cheap, plain in appearance.

**Favourite Weapon:** Sword.

**Battle Type:** Offensive, front lines. Relies on physical damage.

**Favourite food:** Watermelon.

**Habits:** Has his own way of speaking. Unable to express himself the way he wants.

**Personality:** Arrogant, selfish, rude, care free, moody, loud, disrespectful, immature.

**Attributes:** Ashton's best friend. Only cares for himself and Ashton. He's interested in spiritual stuff and plays video games. Often misunderstood when he has good intentions.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Lance is introduced to us by Ashton, who's training him up to become a manager at Fast Food Enterprise (FFE). Lance later encounters an unusual advert, drawing in his attention. He later skips the manager's induction and visits the shop.

After several events, he ends up in an unknown world, the world of Rostical.

Lance's main focus is getting back home, despite what his best friend Ashton wants. After a certain event, Lance's focus changed from getting back home to revenge.

**Class:** Amateur **swordsman**.

Rostical: Affinity: Lightning

"Smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down, LIGHTNING BLAST"

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

All character statistics are shown from their last appearance in the book.

**Attack** \- The character's physical strength. Rostical assisted attacks greatly increases strength.

**Defence** \- Natural defensive capabilities, determines how many critical hits character can receive.

**Neurons** \- Determines the raw power of character's Rostical.

**Astragons** \- Determines the character's manipulation of space/width their Rostical consumes.

**Rostical** \- Character's natural ability at using Rostical.

**Speed** \- Character's running speed, also determines the speed of a flashstep.

**Agility** \- Character's manoeuvrability, ability to avoid projectiles and strikes.

**Technique** \- Character's strengths at using special skills, Azures, Ougi, etc.

**Intelligence** \- High intelligence may prevent stupidity.

**Ability** \- Character's given ability, self-explanatory.

Statistics:

Attack: **C-**

Defence: **D-**

Neurons: **C-**

Astragons: **D+**

Rostical: **D**

Speed: **D-**

Agility: **D**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **D-**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Ashton Lawyer.

**Age:** 20.

**Hair:** Medium and messy, bed-like hair. Hair shiny and appears well groomed. Hair sways in the slightest of wind. No hair on forehead or eyes, but curls from his ears on to his cheeks.

**Hair Colour:** Dark blonde.

**Face:** No facial hair, no wrinkles. Bright white teeth. Nose and lips slightly bigger than other facial features. His voice is clear and understandable but not high.

**Eye Colour:** Blue.

**Body Build:** Medium build. No fat or muscle.

**Body Attributes:** Light blonde body hairs, hard to see.

**Garment:** Business clothing, wears bracelet. Good professional appearance.

**Favourite Weapon:** Shield. Defensive weapons.

**Battle Type:** Defensive, rarely physical. Aids the party for protection.

**Favourite Food:** Salads, chicken salads.

**Habits:** When someone needs help, he ignores the surroundings to help, no matter what the cost is.

**Personality:** Pure hearted, kind, caring, giving, protective, sweet, nice, understanding.

**Attributes:** Lance's best friend. Goes out of his way to help others. A community type person. He tries to keep order.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Ashton is introduced to us as the goody goody, well respected, well liked person. He helps his best friend, Lance, to become a manager so he wouldn't get transferred.

When Ashton gets transported to the world of Rostical, he instantly falls in love with it. He later notices little signs that it could end up like Dee Highs, so he decides to stay and prevent it from happening.

Due to his natural way of helping others, he decides to train under PKMY and learns how to use Rostical.

**Class:** Defensive Rostical User.

_Rostical:_ _Affinity: Wind_

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, UNPROFOUND BIND"

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE"

"Neurons and Astragons activate, the winds give me impenetrable hope, MYSTIC BOOST"

"Neurons give me your power, Astragons lend me your swift, tempest trap and conceal, CYCLONIC WINDS"

Grand Rostical:

"FLORIAN DRIVER"

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

" _Unacceptable_ _Divider_."

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **D+**

Defence: **B+**

Neurons: **C-**

Astragons: **C-**

Rostical: **B-**

Speed: **A-**

Agility: **D**

Technique: **D-**

Intelligence: **B+**

Ability: **B+**

**Name:** Tyler Atkinson.

**Age:** 19.

**Hair:** Short cut, dry flaky hair. Poorly groomed. No hair style.

**Hair Colour:** Dark Blonde.

**Face:** No facial hair, has several pimples. His voice still cracks at times. His voice is high but when discussing something of importance, it suddenly becomes deeper.

**Eye Colour:** Blue.

**Body Build:** Medium, slightly big boned.

**Body Attributes:** Several freckles on arms and unnoticeable blonde hairs, flaky skin. Stronger than he looks.

**Height:** 181cm.

**Garment:** Good label T-shirt and pants. No jewellery. Average in appearance.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite Food:** Sweets, fatty foods.

**Habits:** Nosy, interacts with other people's business. Cries easily.

**Personality:** Snob, mature for his age, bad sense of humour.

**Attributes:** He looks up to Ashton. Has a bit of an attitude.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Tyler is first introduced eavesdropping on Lance and Ashton. He's jealous of their friendship, as he wants to be Ashton's best friend.

He is later introduced at Surpreon, by being save by Season from a Scoldrant. He appears to be a slightly respected researcher, usually located in the research facility. He aids the party by conducting research with Season and its resources. He also wants to find a way home, but discreetly loves it there.

**Class:** Researcher.

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

\--

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **E**

Defence: **E**

Neurons: **E**

Astragons: **E**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **E**

Agility: **E**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **C+**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Twortz Montana.

**Age:** 23.

**Hair:** Unknown. Her hair was always tied up into a ball.

**Hair Colour:** Brown.

**Face:** Face rounded. Her voice is very soft in tone, but easily understandable. Her laugh is dreaded and lightens up everyone's mood.

**Eye Colour:** Hazel.

**Body Build:** Big boned.

**Body Attributes:** Clean shiny skin. Stubby arms and legs.

**Height:** 166cm.

**Garment:** Wears professional clothes, similar to Ashton. Very well presented. Wears bracelets and small earrings. No facial piercings.

**Favourite Weapon:** Hand bag.

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite Food:** Candy, sugar.

**Habits:** Once she has a certain mindset, it will take nothing to change her mind. Easily offended.

**Personality:** Intimidating, kind, loyal, warm hearted, caring, intelligent.

**Attributes:** Has high management skills. Loyal to whatever she works under. Like Ashton, she strives for a happy environment.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Twortz is introduced to us as the top tier manager at FFE. She didn't approve or likes Lance, but due to Ashton's enthusiasm, she agreed to give Lance a chance at management.

After the incident with Sceldrant's Comet, her whereabouts is unknown. She's probably making cheeseburgers at FFE as we speak.

**Class:** Retail Manager.

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

\--

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **E**

Defence: **E**

Neurons: **E**

Astragons: **E**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **E**

Agility: **E**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **D+**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Melinda Hambridge.

**Age:** 19.

**Hair:** Long, stops at her shoulder blades. Straight shiny hair, she always has her hair down.

**Hair Colour:** Dark brown.

**Face:** Cheek bone visible. Her voice is deeper than most girls her age.

**Eye Colour:** Hazel.

**Body Build:** Not big boned, but good for her height.

**Body Attributes:** Several freckles located on her arms and pale skin. Gets cold easily.

**Height:** 188cm.

**Garment:** Wears thick clothing. All her clothes are different shades of green.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite Food:** _Unknown._

**Habits:** Talks on her phone too often, strongly chooses favourites, asks stupid questions

**Personality:** Kind, but can be very mean if confronted on a bad day, often light minded.

**Attributes:** Very popular and her mother is very successful.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Melinda is first introduced to us at the local library, helping her mother rent telescopes to the community. She also doesn't like Lance and ditches him the moment she finds a chance.

After the incident with Sceldrant's Comet, her whereabouts is unknown. She's probably on her mobile phone talking about dramas as we speak.

**Class:** _Unknown._

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

\--

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **E**

Defence: **E**

Neurons: **E**

Astragons: **E**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **E**

Agility: **E**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **D-**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Rachael Taylor.

**Age:** 19.

**Hair:** Long, travels further past her shoulders. Shines in the light. Hair streams down either side of her ears.

**Hair Colour:** Dark brown.

**Face:** Front teeth slightly larger, slight freckles on face. Her voice has a pitch but it's not high.

**Eye Colour:** Light brown.

**Body Build:** Slender, not skinny nor large. Has slender arms and a toned stomach.

**Body Attributes:** Pale and gloomy skin.

**Height:** 155cm.

**Garment:** She likes to wear sports clothing. A short skirt with sport tights underneath. Short sleeves.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite Food:** Cheeseburgers, fruit salad.

**Habits:** Incredibly friendly, which may appear flirtatious. Picks favourites.

**Personality:** Heart warming, loyal to her friends. Sneaky.

**Attributes:** She goes out of her way to plan things for her friends. She respects her father and has a huge crush on Ashton. She runs her father's paintball business when he's not available.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Our dear friend Rachael is introduced doing a closing shift at FFE with Ashton and Tyler. She is later reintroduced managing the paintball fight between Ashton and Lance.

After the incident with Sceldrant's Comet, her whereabouts is unknown. But she's probably holding a paintball game or working at FFE as we speak.

**Class:** Retail Sales Assistant.

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

\--

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **E**

Defence: **E**

Neurons: **E**

Astragons: **E**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **E**

Agility: **E**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **D+**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Millard Esteed.

**Age:** 43 ( _In_ _appearance_ ).

**Hair:** Shoulder length and curly. Usually hidden inside his hat. A stream of curly hair seeps out of his hat and down in his face.

**Hair Colour:** Dark brown.

**Face:** Several wrinkles and fair amount of facial hair. No freckles or piercings. His teeth are not in the best condition. Face slightly narrow. His voice is deep and brittle.

**Eye Colour:** Brown.

**Body Build:** Slightly leans forward when walking. Buff build **.**

**Body Attributes:** Has several glyph-like tattoos on his body, fair amount of body hair.

**Height:** 185cm.

**Garment:** Constantly wears his cone-shaped hat. All clothing grey in colour.

**Favourite Weapon:** Enchanted books.

**Battle Type:** Defensive-based, Rostical attacks.

**Favourite Food:** Loafs of bread. He enjoys simple foods.

**Habits:** Inappropriate at times, often too sarcastic.

**Personality:** Sarcastic, easy going, understanding, always up for a good laugh. Doesn't like tense or awkward moments.

**Attributes:** He is surprisingly reserved. He doesn't like young people who don't respect their peers. He doesn't reveal much about himself to people he doesn't trust.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

One of our main heroes, Millard, is first introduced saving Alicia, Ashton and Lance from a low tier Scoldrant.

He is later introduced, saving Alicia from the hands of Cindy. He joins the party on their quest to find The Unknown Territories.

He melds into the party very well, but at the same time, not much information is known about him.

**Class:** Master fire-based **Rostical User**.

Rostical: Affinity: Fire

"Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

"Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat, FLAMING STORM"

"Scorching screeches, hurdling down, miserable heat, FLAMING BLAZE"

"SPIRAL FLAMES"

Grand Rostical:

"Untouchable flames, splinter from the divine spirit, burning courage engrave my immense power, scorch thout foe, PHOENIX BLASTER"

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **D-**

Defence: **D-**

Neurons: **B+**

Astragons: **B+**

Rostical: **A-**

Speed: **D+**

Agility: **D-**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **B**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Alicia Riseley.

**Age:** 20.

**Hair:** Straight mid-long, ends at her shoulder. She ties it up near the end of her hair.

**Hair Colour:** Dark brown.

**Face:** Has a small beauty mole in the middle and on the side of her nose. Face slightly rounded. Her voice is fairly high.

**Eye Colour:** Light brown.

**Body Build:** Small and slender.

**Body Attributes:** Body features small. Has scars around her ankle.

**Height:** 149cm.

**Garment:** She wears old fashioned clothing. Long wide opened sleeves and pants.

**Favourite Weapon:** Rosterology items/ staffs.

**Battle Type:** Purely offensive/defensive support.

**Favourite Food:** Vegetable soup.

**Habits:** Bites her bottom lip when feeling anxiety. Stutters.

**Personality:** Shy, timid, easily scared, kind, sweet, honest.

**Attributes:** Raised in a backwater village, she seeks adventure and quickly offers to escort Lance and Ashton to Surpreon.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

She is first introduced, being chased by a weak Scoldrant across Hollow Plains.

After being saved by Millard, she quickly befriends Ashton and gets annoyed at Lance.

She eagerly joins the party, taking them to Surpreon. She ends up badly wounded by a captain and leaves the party to recover.

**Class:** A low levelled **Rostical User** , low levelled **healer**.

Rostical: Affinity: Ice

"With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light, HEALING RINGS"

"Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power, ICICLE EDGE"

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **D-**

Defence: **D-**

Neurons: **C+**

Astragons: **C+**

Rostical: **B-**

Speed: **D-**

Agility: **D-**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **C**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Holland Breeze.

**Age:** 24.

**Hair:** Short hair, fuzzed upwards.

**Hair Colour:** Blonde.

**Face:** Mild facial hair along his bottom jaw bone and a small goatee. Few small cut sized scars on his face. Has a very deep voice.

**Eye Colour:** Hazel.

**Body Build:** Large muscular build.

**Body Attributes:** Fair amount of body hair. Slash scars on his body.

**Height:** 193cm.

**Garment:** Wears a long coat, which the arms have been ripped off, as he likes to show his muscles. Wears gloves in each hand. No piercing or jewellery.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite Food:** _Unknown._

**Habits:** _Unknown._

**Personality:** Easy going.

**Attributes:** _Unknown._

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Holland is first introduced looking for his best friend, Freya, in Concern's Gate. Holland later reveals he is a Scoldrant User and becomes friends with the party. He had to leave on short notice, but he owes the party for helping him.

He travels with Freya chasing down several Scoldrants with a common illness, the yellow eyed disease. Not much is know about this illness, maybe they'll tell us soon?

**Class: Scoldrant User**.

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

\--

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **C+**

Defence: **C+**

Neurons: **D-**

Astragons: **D-**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **C+**

Agility: **C+**

Technique: **D-**

Intelligence: **C-**

Ability: **D**

**Name:** Teresa --.

**Age:** 25.

**Hair:** Shoulder length, curly.

**Hair Colour:** Blonde.

**Face:** Strong facial features. No deformations. Symmetrical face. Her voice sounds very mature and speaks with confidence.

**Eye Colour:** Piercing blue eyes.

**Body Build:** Tall and slender. No physical defects.

**Body Attributes:** No piercings.

**Height:** 188cm.

**Garment:** She wears tight clothing. She wears metal bracelets and anklets. The clothing is white and grey.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite food:** _Unknown._

**Habits:** Cannot relate to people on an emotion scale.

**Personality:** Highly intelligent, smart, great leader, very reserved.

**Attributes:** Speaks and looks formal, respect is a big thing to her. She has no emotions and is physically fit.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Teresa is first introduced, stopping Lance from recklessly encountering a captain in The Library. She assists the party throughout their adventures with her top tier knowledge.

She organises Ashton and Lance's training sessions with her old friend, PKMY. She travels with the party to The Unknown Territories, trying to unravel the mysteries behind them.

Not much is revealed about her and who is this Tarlea she keeps mentioning?

**Class:** Researcher.

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

\--

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **D-**

Defence: **D-**

Neurons: **D-**

Astragons: **D-**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **B**

Agility: **B**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **A-**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Season --.

**Age:** 29.

**Hair:** Neck length, curly.

**Hair Colour:** Blonde.

**Face:** Rounded chubby face. His voice is deep and he speaks slowly.

**Eye Colour:** Hazel.

**Body Build:** Big boned, big belly. Slightly overweight.

**Body Attributes:** His left arm is covered in black markings, which is akin to a tattoo. Their importance is currently unknown.

**Height:** 172cm.

**Garment:** Wears one robe which covers his entire body down to the ground. It has runic markings and glyphs drawn all over it. He wears a tiara made of leaves, which symbolises royalty.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite Food:** Tyler's cooking.

**Habits:** Eats too often.

**Personality:** Understanding, uses his royal power for good cause, caring, loyal, easily amused.

**Attributes:** Doesn't let power get to his head, he has a sense of humour but knows when to be serious. Will bend the rules for a significant cause.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Season is introduced to us, as the highly respected ruler of Surpreon. He displays powerful Rostical attacks and leadership.

He's later told about Lance and Ashton's predicament and unexpectedly believes their story. He homes the party at Surpreon and considers them good companions.

**Class:** Ruler of Surpreon.

Rostical: Affinity: ??

"Fierceful storms, rain from the divine spirit of purity, power of the beast roaring through the waves, lend me your strength, AQUATIC DIVIDER"

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **D-**

Defence: **D-**

Neurons: **B-**

Astragons: **B-**

Rostical: **B+**

Speed: **D-**

Agility: **D-**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **B-**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** PKMY --.

**Age:** 21.

**Hair:** Short, neck length, straight. Evenly cut, which cups around her head and across her forehead.

**Hair Colour:** Red.

**Face:** Slightly pale, lots of freckles. Her voice is high but not irritating.

**Eye Colour:** Brown with a red tinge. Said to be fiery red when in distress.

**Body Build:** Slender, very small in height.

**Body Attributes:** Freckles on arms, pale skin. No visible markings, wears a tight worn pendant around her neck. She wears several rings and bangles on her right arm.

**Height:** 151cm.

**Garment:** She wears the most strangest garments than anyone else. She wears loose clothing, long sleeves. She wears short shorts and has two different coloured socks rolled up underneath her shorts. She has several bangles which dangle off her shorts. Her clothing has several glyphs on them.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** Physical and Rostical offensive type.

**Favourite Food:** Chocolate, ice-cream lollies.

**Habits:** If she feels she's in the right, she won't listen to any other opinions.

**Personality:** Realistic, intelligent, powerful, strong willed, dominating, intimidating.

**Attributes:** Has a tomboy attitude, doesn't take crap from anyone, has high respect for Teresa for an unknown reason, very good teaching abilities. Her level of power is currently unknown.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

PKMY was first hinted by Teresa and Season, later introduced to Ashton as her trainer.

Her skills in physical and Rostical attacks are impressive and she displays excellent training capabilities.

But from what we gather, she appears to be running away from someone, I wonder why? She's also had conversations in thought with Teresa, is that some sort of mistake by the writer? I dunno, PKMY tell us!

**Class:** Standard **Rostical User** , close hand to hand fighter.

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

"Bestow, the cloudy abyss of gravel, MANIPULATE"  
"Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

"Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power, ICICLE EDGE"

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

"Seven finger snap- _flying_ _palm_ _strike_."

"Three finger snap- _flashing_ _fist_ _strike_."

"Airs pulsing, searing and soaring, _rippling_ _strike_."

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **B-**

Defence: **C+**

Neurons: **C-**

Astragons: **C-**

Rostical: **C**

Speed: **B**

Agility: **B-**

Technique: **C-**

Intelligence: **B**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Zayden Cheat.

**Age:** 24.

**Hair:** Long, shoulder length.

**Hair Colour:** Blonde.

**Face:** Narrow face. Sounds like Lance.

**Eye Colour:** Hazel.

**Body Build:** Skinny.

**Body Attributes:** Droopy eyes, talks as if his nose is blocked.

**Height:** 174cm.

**Garment:** Wears standard captain uniform. Wears metal protective equipment on his shoulders, knees, mid-arms, feet. Tight upper clothing and loose bottom clothing.

**Favourite Weapon:** Spears.

**Battle Type:** Offensive.

**Favourite Food:** _Unknown._

**Habits:** Dribbles.

**Personality:** Sadistic, unrealistic, blood thirsty, violent.

**Attributes:** Demonstrates key signs to a mental problem.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Zayden was dispatched by the Consultants to seal the sacred glyphs of The Unknown Territories, he later encounters the party and forms an obsession to kill them.

He later gets expelled from the warrior ranks and banished by the Consultants. Seeking revenge, he encounters the party, full of rage.

His past is currently unknown, not that it matters, he's crazy, right?

**Class: 3rd Captain** classed warrior.

Rostical: Affinity: ??

"Defensive seals, tri-nine traps, UNPROFOUND ULTIMATE BINDING"

"'O power within' thee, unlock the tri-numerous Neurons, CELESTRIAL GLYPH UNLOCK!"

"Neurons powerstart, Astragons engrave, spear of true darkness, spirals of death and pain gather, DEATH SPEAR STRIKE"

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **B+**

Defence: **C+**

Neurons: **C+**

Astragons: **C-**

Rostical: **D-**

Speed: **B+**

Agility: **B-**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **D**

Ability: **A+**

**Name:** Felix Barrels.

**Age:** 25.

**Hair:** Shoulder length, curly.

**Hair Colour:** Black.

**Face:** Thick puffy lips. Masculine facial structure. Sounds like Lance but a little deeper.

**Eye Colour:** Dark brown, which appears black.

**Body Build:** Buff muscular build.

**Body Attributes:** Dark tanned skin.

**Height:** 182cm.

**Garment:** He wears dirty torn up thick clothing. Ripped open holes on his elbows and knees.

**Favourite Weapon:** Rostical.

**Battle Type:** Offensive.

**Favourite Food:** _Unknown._

**Habits:** Stealing.

**Personality:** Arrogant, selfish, rude, care free, moody, loud, secretive.

**Attributes:** He acts and sounds like Lance without Lance's slang. He has an attraction to Alicia. Not much is known about him.

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Felix is first introduced as the villain who stole the party's RPG bag. He stood his ground against them until Millard decided to get serious.

Teresa found use in Felix's ability to use ground Rostical, asking him to join the party.

Things seem to be looking good for Felix near the end of Sceldrant's Comet, but, the confrontation with Cameron has got me worried.

**Class:** Amateur **Rostical User.**

Rostical: Affinity: Ground

"Crushing sounds, ridged surfaces, ROCK PILLAR"

"Blinding dust, rain down, ROCK SLIDE"

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **C**

Defence: **D**

Neurons: **B-**

Astragons: **D+**

Rostical: **C-**

Speed: **D**

Agility: **D**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **C-**

Ability: **E**

**Name:** Pepper Captian.

**Age:** 15.

**Hair:** Long, finishes near her lower back. She ties it into two ponytails on each side, which travels across her ears and down to her side.

**Hair Colour:** Blonde.

**Face:** She has several glyphic markings around her eyes. Average sounding voice.

**Eye Colour:** Blue? Gold?

**Body Build:** Slender, large shoulders.

**Body Attributes:** No body hair.

**Height:** 155cm.

**Garment:** Wears shiny white vest, white shiny skirt with tight sport shorts underneath. Wears golden bracelets on each hand. Red orbs used to hold her hair up.

**Favourite Weapon:** _Unknown._

**Battle Type:** _Unknown._

**Favourite Food:** _Unknown._

**Habits:** _Unknown._

**Personality:** Her personality differed when she lost her memory.

**Attributes:** _Unknown._

_Be warned as the following_ _may_ _contain spoilers._

Background:

Pepper is first introduced being confronted by The Wise. The reason for the trial is unknown, but as a result, Pepper woke up with no memory and the body of a teenager!

Her eyes appear to change colour once induced with powerful emotion. Keep an eye out on Pepper, she'll be full of surprises I think!

**Class:** _Unknown._

_Rostical: Affinity:_ _\--_

\--

Grand Rostical:

\--

Azure:

\--

Ougi:

\--

Hi-Ougi:

\--

Statistics:

Attack: **B**

Defence: **C+**

Neurons: **D**

Astragons: **D-**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **B-**

Agility: **C+**

Technique: **E**

Intelligence: **D-**

Ability: **E**

Others:

Captain #9 Mindy Raeyshe:

_Statistics_ **:**

Attack: **B**

Defence: **B-**

Neurons: **C**

Astragons: **C**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **B-**

Agility: **B**

Technique: **B-**

Intelligence: **B-**

Ability: **D+**

Captain #8 Wendy Raeyshe:

_Statistics_ **:**

Attack: **B**

Defence: **B-**

Neurons: **C**

Astragons: **C**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **B-**

Agility: **B**

Technique: **B-**

Intelligence: **B-**

Ability: **D+**

Captain #7 Cindy Raeyshe:

_Statistics_ **:**

Attack: **B**

Defence: **B-**

Neurons: **C+**

Astragons: **C+**

Rostical: **B**

Speed: **B-**

Agility: **B**

Technique: **B-**

Intelligence: **B-**

Ability: **D+**

Captain #6 Keiran O' Brien:

_Statistics_ **:**

Attack: **B**

Defence: **B**

Neurons: **B-**

Astragons: **C**

Rostical: **C+**

Speed: **B-**

Agility: **B-**

Technique: **C**

Intelligence: **B**

Ability: **D+**

Cliff Sickle:

_Statistics_ **:**

Attack: **B-**

Defence: **C-**

Neurons: **D-**

Astragons: **E**

Rostical: **E**

Speed: **D+**

Agility: **D-**

Technique: **D-**

Intelligence: **D-**

Ability: **E**

Chapter 02: Appendix

Acro Berries - Nutritious berries which instantly revitalises one's energy.

Ambrosia Flower \- Flower said to heal any type of poison.

Ancient Scoldrant - Or Ancioldrants, Scoldrants of immense power.

Astragenicons - Ancient word for Astragons.

Astragon - The force to bend, manipulate space. Counter part of Neurons.

Astragon Projection - Traces of Astragons remained after death. Image of the user.

Astral - Term usually referred to something Astragon related.

Astral-line - Term used for abilities not bloodline related, but are on an Astragon level.

Astraseeker - Rare people with the power of seeing images of the future.

Astral Pocket - Term used for the personal space that allows people to conceal their weapons. The space in the pocket varies between persons.

Auroriagenicons \- Ancient word for Aurorions.

Aurorions - Power of light and shadow merged into one. The strongest of all forms of energy. Has the power to manipulate the Astral state of an object, also relating to time.

Azure Bursts - Spiritual overdrive, word used for special skills outside the Rostical arts.

Backwater village - Term used for low wealth village, not high in population etc.

Battling Oxident - Half of the population gathers every eleven months in Surpreon to attend.

Captain - Ranking used for single digit warriors.

Consultants - Head of the warriors.

Crystalline Blossom - Crystal like flower which reacts to the touch of Neurons and shows one's memory.

Crystalline Membrane - Shows a memory already engraved on the crystal like flower.

De-Rostisized - Term used when Rostical is nullified or disabled.

Diareamer - Person with the power to walk upon Valhalla in Radiaton filled dreams.

Dirty Lamp - Term akin to the worst swear word.

Divine Pedestal \- Pedestal with Radiaton filled liquid, which contains the ability to view objects the user wishes to see.

Elemental Rage \- A constant state of a self-inflicted Hi-Ougi, only Elementalists have this ability.

Elementalist - Name given to the Divine Being's cousins.

Evolve - Term used by Scoldrant Users, when the Scoldrant transforms either physically and/ or mentally.

Face palm - Action, when a character places their palm on their forehead. Expression.

Fore Hunter - A distant cousin of Scoldrant Users. Able to Soul Link to elements or environments, thought to be extinct.

Fiftydeduction \- A Rosterology stone with the Astragons of fifty Rostical Users.

Flashback - When a character recalls a previous event etc.

Flashside - Word to describe a weaker variant of flashstepping.

Flashstep - Word used for the technique of transport. (Moving the legs at an incredible speed).

Genesis Stones \- Condensed stones of elemental power.

Glyph - Physical Rostical. Different uses can alter its colour, shape etc.

Guardians - Captain levelled Scoldrants placed to defend rare artefacts or areas.

Hi-Ougi - Two combined Ougis, only usable with more than one person. Results are powerful and vary.

Incantations - Symbolic words used to increase Rostical, or to use forbidden Rostical.

Matter Conductor - A rare item that absorbs any sort of natural energy, and stores it limitlessly.

Maserio's Cracker - Simple item used for distractions or festive events.

Neuronic Surge \- The ability to increase one's Neurons to alter and break another's Hi-Ougi or Grand Rostical.

Neuragenicons - Ancient word for Neurons.

Neural Meiosis \- Word used for the rare harmonic equilibrium between one's Neurons and Astragons with certain landmarks. Essentially, those that are compatible have the ability to manifest themselves as part of the land.

Neurons - The energy to use special abilities. Counter part of Astragons.

Ougi Arts - Combination of two Azure Bursts in a strengthened attack.

Paralysing Vapours - Strong odour which numbs the senses.

Party - Term used for group of characters.

Pentarang - Ancient deity, weapon unlike no other. Also known as the Stylus of Memories.

Philosopher's Heart - A divine deity, the item only a Valkyrie can use.

Purafetic Ceremony - Religious like dance, involving emotions and prayers. Said to relieve stress and bring happiness from self-doubt.

Pure Jade - Jade with lost secrets and allows the user to use Grand Rostical.

Purifying Oxident - Battling Oxident prize.

Purity Emerald \- Emerald with unknown powers that shields Rostical and acts as a Purity Zone.

Purity Zones - Term used for rare areas where Rostical cannot be used.

Radiagenicons - Ancient word for Radiatons.

Radiatons - The proper word for the power of light. Radiation's power is influenced by emotions of the user.

Remenistal - Old saying for Rostical.

Rasticsplash - Term used for secondary blasts of a Rostical. (I.e. Ice exploding or sparks of lightning etc).

Reality Marble \- Similar to Spacial Funnels. Highly condensed Astragons to create own reality, usually displayed in powerful, forbidden Grand Rostical, Ougi and Hi-Ougis.

Roharnia - Word used to describe the visible manipulation of Neurons and Astragons.

Rosterology - Term used for Rostical-based items. (Rings, clothing, bracelet etc).

Rostic Dance - Symbolic movement used to increase Rostical, or to use forbidden Rostical.

Rostical - Common word used for magic/mana.

Rostical Trials \- Pilgrimage for Rostical Users. If successful, the user learns a new technique.

RPG Bag - Bag which utilises the power of Astragons and can contain limitless amount of items.

Rubistral Moon \- Word used to describe the physical changes of the moon.

Sacred Knights \- A selective few, chosen to become the protectors of something important.

Sacred Rostic Tribe - Something to do with Scoldrant Users.

Scoldrant - Wildlife. Fifty percent are harmless and the other dangerous.

Scoldrant User \- People who use Scoldrant companions to battle. They are Soul Linked, if either one dies, so will the other.

Seals - Glyphic seals, used as locks for whatever purposes needed.

Self-inflicting glyph - Self recoil Rostical to significantly boosts one's attributes.

Seeking Opal - Opal which can find any living Astragon or Neuron residue.

Shadiagenicons \- Ancient word for Shadiatons.

Shadiatons - The proper word for the power of shadow. Shadiaton's power is influenced by drive of the user.

Soothing Elixir \- Stabilises ones emotions.

Soul Link - Used to describe the ultimate binding between a Scoldrant and the user.

Spacial Funnels \- Proper name for the hidden paths scattered across the continent.

Staff of Memories - An emerald that usually is placed in staffs, has the ability to Hi-Ougi with selected individuals and links Neurons together.

Summonce Scarbra - Pearl like orb in appearance, contains the Neurons and Astragons of another being. Similar to a Soul Link, one can summon objects to aid.

Swarming Light Flight - Games held in Valhalla, a test of one's aerial skills and talent.

Sword Arts - Special weapon techniques combined with one's own sayings, increases the force behind an attack.

The Agoura Marbles - The name of the second biggest games across the continent. Located in a multi Reality Marble, Spacial Funnel in The Hall of Oats.

The Black Brigade - Special warriors outside the standard captain rankings.

The On Resonance - Rare occurrences where an unknown pulse fills the surrounding area with their true potential.

The Voice of On \- People use the term as the unknown words that echo in your mind teaching you a new ability.

The Wise - Ancient people of the divine city.

Valkyrie - Position given to the leader of The Sacred Knights.

**Appendix** ( _Locations_ )

Aortus Mountain \- Mountain home to the world's flowers. Rich Astragons and Neurons in the dirt allow all sorts of fauna and flora to grow, regardless of their environmental needs.

Aspestosis Ship \- Ancient ship of lost Astragons which drifts across the continent.

Astral Plains - Term used for where the energy of Astral Projections gather.

Ancient Forest \- One of the five Unknown Territories.

AriAri village \- Backwater village. Peaceful village.

Ark River - Large river infested of carnivorous water-based Scoldrants.

Astral Sanctum \- The most sacred sanctum located in Valhalla.

Concern's Gate \- Runic cave in the middle of The Igloo Forest.

Eon City - City located near the snowy mountains. It's always cloudy.

Divine Path - Divine path which leads to the entrance of the holy kingdom.

Elemental Tower \- Lighthouse like structure, which spans up to the clouds. Holder of the Genesis Stones.

Frozen Backwater Village - Alicia's village.

Gasher Hills - Special hill located in Maserio. Unique shape, formed by time.

Great High Plains - PKMY's residence and training area.

Guelalia Cranners - Volcanic caves located on the other continent.

Guild's Tavern \- Large tavern located in Silver Wind Island where Guilds all over the continent meet to discuss missions, quests and other Guild related topics.

Hollow Plains - Second largest plains across the continent. Always windy.

Igloo Forest - The large forest which consumes a large part of the continent.

Imperial Glacial Castle - Castle in Valhalla made of pure diamond with the appearance of ice. Holds the most powerful Rosterology items.

Lost Ruins of Kite - Community of the Sacred Dancers, also known as the Runes of Estel.

Mt. Kingdom Hall - Sacred floating mountain hidden in ancient times. Once homed a powerful Guardian who protected The Philosopher's Heart.

Maserio - Akin to a desert.

Sacred Tribe - Village hidden in a self-made Spacial Funnel, which houses the Sacred Tribe of ancient Scoldrant Users.

Nikitik Village \- Large backwater village, consisting of five different villages connected to one.

Pristionus Lake \- Large lake said to contain hidden Reality Marbles the rest on its bed. It has been known to be the world's best fishing spot.

Sacred Waters - One of the five Unknown Territories.

Remenistic Village - Home to powerful Rostical Users.

Sakura Village \- Foreign style like village. Home of Elementalists and home to The Diareamer.

Sandy Tombs - One of the five Unknown Territories.

Silver Wind Island - The largest city on the continent.

Snowfrost Mountain - Enormous snowy mountains, located east from Eon City. It also never witnesses sunlight.

Sorrowprax - Warriors headquarters, jail, Consultants etc.

Surpreon - The second largest city/village/town. It has the honour of holding Battling Oxident.

Swirling Marshes - Marsh environment, dangerous to travel alone.

The Black Trade \- Black market of Silver Wind Island, able to buy and sell rare artefacts.

The Crescent Tree - Located in a Spacial Funnel in a small village of Remenistal Users.

The Entarlia Dome - A specialised dome which specialises in focusing Astragons, allowing people to fight Astral copies of warriors.

The Great Coast \- Self-explanatory, a great coast located to the west near The Library and Surpreon.

The Great Divide - Massive plain enclosed with two enormous mountains. Rostical can not be used.

The Guild's Silver Tavern - Silver Wind Island's official guild's tavern. Very popular and well known.

The Hall of Oats - Hall which holds The Agoura Marbles. Shows imagery of the contestants.

The Lost City - Sacred city hidden away from the dangers of the modern land. Spiritually-based, villagers are in touch to their divine heritage.

The Library - An area akin to a library, which stores vast amounts of information, knowledge.

The Runic Chambers - One of the five Unknown Territories.

The Skyler's Isle - Name for the set of villages and markets along the South-Eastern shore.

The Twilight Forest - Forest said to hold vast amounts of ancient Astragons.

Turnback Cave - Mysterious cave, contains catacombs, volcanic areas, underground lakes, nature's beauty.

Unknown Island \- One of the five Unknown Territories.

Valhalla - The proper name for the floating islands.

Chapter 03: Timeline

Each event could have a hundred years difference or a few, it's just a timeline of the events in order.

_Be warned as the following contains_ _major_ _spoilers._

Earliest;

\- Sacred Knights/ People of Valhalla roamed the land below.

\- Kathalestel and Millardestel discover conventional use of Remenistal (Rostical).

\- Ridley and Gabriel researching in their laboratory in Silver Wind Island.

\- Kath and Millard founded the warriors, everything goes well.

\- Lezard falls ill, Kath gives him her Radiatons to cure the illness.

\- Several years after, Ridley recognises the warrior's potential and somehow becomes a Consultant (with Kath and Millard).

\- Gabriel uses an experimental glyph on an Elementalist to try and alter Elemental affinity. Failure causes the birth of the yellow-eyed disease.

\- Madora and Imogen's flashback.

\- Kath and Millard experimental captain corrupts Kath, giving her the yellow-eyed sickness (which allows Ridley to manipulate her thought patterns).

\- Yellow-eyed disease now spreads across the lands.

\- Tarlea becomes the number one captain.

\- Ridley attempts to reveal Tarlea's renegade behaviour in Valhalla, resulting in the rising of Valhalla.

\- Amy (PKMY) is sent to orphanage.

\- The Elementalist Gabriel experimented on corrupts, the City of Elementalists.

\- Sacred Knights deployed to destroy disturbances of Elementalists.

\- Ridley and Gabriel take down Raphael and steal his Radiatons, effectively destroying his being.

\- Gabriel's Radiatons become corrupt, resulting in him turning yellow-eyed.

\- Ridley seals Gabriel to prevent further damage.

\- Ridley rescues Sofia by restoring her petrified-like state.

\- Tarlea become number one trainer.

\- Brazza, Pickles, Vanguard, Ethan's mission.

\- Brazza, Pickles, Isaac and Dakota become secret Elementalist captains.

\- Terra (Teresa) participates in number one training.

\- Tarlea is defeated by Ancioldrants under Ridley's command.

\- Teresa activates The Grand Seal by Joy.

\- PKMY joins the warrior's ranking.

\- Caesar (Season) escapes with Mae, Cyril and Ivan.

\- PKMY becomes Black Brigade leader.

\- Ridley takes Zayden under his wing.

\- Season and Teresa escape Sorrowprax.

The events above happened several hundred years ago from the events below.

\- PKMY leaves The Black Brigade, but retains captain status.

\- Kieran runs away from Consultant, gets attacked by Sofia.

\- Lance and Ashton talk in Fast Food Enterprise's dining room.

\- Rachael, Twortz, Luna wake up in the world of Rostical (2 years prior to the event above).

\- PKMY leaves the warriors.

\- Tyler wakes up in world of Rostical.

\- Twortz versus. Nancy.

\- Lance and Ashton wake up in The Igloo Forest.

After this event, Rachael and Lance's tale flows simultaneously (follows the same timeline).

Chapter 04: Rostical Incantations

Fire:

"Powers of the neverending red, beat and skip through the winds, FIRE'S PULSE"

"Pockets of fire, burn, BLAZING HAVOC"

"Pockets of fire, burn, blazing havoc scorch, change the glyphic seals, pour down, pour your heart's content with all you got! FADING SUNS"

"Lushes of aqua, crush, MERCURY BLAZE"

"Flames consume and burn my Astragons, HEAT LANCE"

"Untouchable flames, splinter from the divine spirit, burning courage engrave my immense power, scorch thout foe, PHOENIX BLASTER"

"With the power of my magic, and the power of my summon, we command thee to bring forth your total destruction, SCELDRANT'S COMET"

"Shattering gravel feel the heat of courage, burning passion fuel this dark void, VOLCANIC ERUPTION"

"Flames consume with a swift might, burn the Astragons at my command, HEAT-CUTTER SHURIKEN"

"O' fiery spirits feel my power and awaken. Sacrificial glyphs form and spiral, open the gates to the Astral plains. Show me, prove to me that the legends are true, dark flames cover the skies, rain down and bring forth your total destruction, METEOR SWARM"

"O' fiery spirits feel our power and awaken. Sacrificial glyphs form and spiral, open the gates to the Astral plains. Show us, prove to us that the legends are true, dark flames cover the skies, rain down and bring forth your total destruction, METEOR SWARM"

"Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

"Infernal nova, gushing down, grasping heat, FLAMING STORM"

"Scorching screeches, hurdling down, miserable heat, FLAMING BLAZE"

"Cosmic flames, crash down, blasting burns, SPIRAL FLAMES"

"Confusing winds, burning fury, five powerstarter, FIRE BLAST"

"Strings of fire ignite the foe, burn to ash, RIPPLING FIREY WEB"

"Fiery might, give me some light, FLAME BOLT"

"Scorch the planet, burn the foes to cinder, FLAMING PILLARS"

"Gravel and sand manipulate to my command, move like a drill and make them feel,

COMET'S VIEL"

"Recite the crimson words, volcanic courage inflame my might, four corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SCORCHING STRIKE"

"With the sacred flames which run through my body, my power and spirit call forth, the flames in my heart have been ignited, call forth, give this old man a break, CELESTRIAL LANCER"

"The divine art bright as the holy sun, number eighty nine, CRIMSON BEAM"

"Melt the stone, inner ground come to my command, eye of life burn with your fury, LAVALANCHE, INCINERATING STREAM"

Water:

"Powers of the deep blue, beat and skip through the winds, WATER'S PULSE"

"Kiss the rain, WATER STORM"

"Violent pain ripple with fury, CRASHING POOL"

"Water droplet change and transform this place, particles be one and let my power swirl throughout your spirit, open the gate to the lost Astragons taken by your serenity, fill and crush anything that stands in its way, TSUNAMI'S IMPLOSION"

"Taste the power of crushing currents, devour the sacred waters, AQUA LIQUID"

"Taste the power of crunching currents, slash and carve the sacred waters, AQUA TALONS"

"Taste the power of concentrated currents, consume the sacred waters, HYDRO CANNON"

"Power of the deep depths, summon the soothing aqua and flow with the spirits that borrow your power, AQUATIC RAPIDS"

"Power of the deep depths, let our power roar like thunder, and shatter like ice, heed our words, summon the soothing aqua, move and flow with the spirits that borrow your power, ETHEREAL RAPIDS"

"Fierceful storms, rain from the divine spirit of purity, power of the beast roaring through the waves, lend me your strength, AQUATIC DIVIDER"

"Power of the deep depths, let my power swirl throughout your spirit, summon the ocean's pressure and feast on the sacred waters, WHALE DIVIDER"

"Moisture's density, burst, BUBBLE BLAST"

Ice:

"Frostic stars, rain forth, FRIGID STORM"

"Icy swirls call down upon me, frigid skies grant me power, ICICLE EDGE"

"Icy swirls draw to the skies, frosted water lend me your power, GLACIA'S EDGE"

"Icy swirls spear down towards us, freezing skies and oceans lend me your power, DIAMOND'S EDGE"

"Icy swirls erupt down around us, frigid skies fall and plummet to our command, HOLY ICICLE SABRE'S EDGE"

"Frosted skies reveal the truth, please with the power strike forward, FREEZING HOLLOWS"

"Sway down, be gentle, be tame, now show them your frozen death! POLAR SNAP"

"Please come to my aid and fight along side me, _Ice Dragoon_ "

"Tundra's edge, split, carve, define your limitations, ARCTIC FUNNEL"

"Tundra's edge, split, carve, define your limitations, with the four stars facing east, west, north and south, radiate the points and change the osmosis' patterns of nature's wrath. Howling blizzard, sleep and dominate, PIERCING POWDER SNOW"

"Frigid stress no more hiding, release and bring upon your frozen wrath, FRIGID DISTRESS"

"Target aimed, ICE STREAM DIVIDER"

"Feel the cold of loneliness, fear overturn happiness, feel its purge! CHAOS FROSTSURGE"

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, ETHEREAL BANDAGES"

Lightning:

"Lightning pulse like veins, true power recharge and discharge and flow through the easiest current, LIGHTNING STRIKE"

"Astragons summon thunder to my words, lightning screech and squeal, ELECTRIFYING HORROR"

"Storms flash and swirl, instantly spark and wrap your energy around me, ELECTRIC TORNADO"

"Eye of the storm I hear your silence, raise my arms and allow me to become your conductor, channel the power, channel the terror, channel the foe's impending doom! SPARK CANNON"

"Drums of terror from the skies, flash down and amplify, LIGHTNING SLICE"

"Smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down, LIGHTNING BLAST"

"Flash of the storm, smear upon the skies, blue waves crashing down, chain reaction, LIGHTNING CHAIN BLAST"

"Lightning strike both sides, flashing and flowing, call upon the secrets, summon the beast of roaring thunder, DRAGON'S BREATH"

"Roar with the skies might, THUNDER BOOM"

"Smear upon the skies and envelop your might, thunder roar down, LIGHTNING PULSE"

"Vibrating molecules, heat, expand, repel, MAGNETIC RUMBLE"

"Spiralling lightning, instantaneously pierce, CRESCENT VOLT HOOK"

"Foreboding skies, gasp and shock, SPARK OVERDRIVER"

"Tear asunder, LIGHTNING STORM"

Wind:

"Powers of the relaxing green, beat and skip through the winds, WIND'S PULSE"

"Swift might, at my command, AIR SWIRL"

"Winds that be, power of might strike with fury, AIR CUTTER"

"Gushing will, lifting might, invisible power to my command, BRISTLING WIND"

"Defensive winds, swirl and soar, offensive gusts, grand winds blow throughout my spirit, tunnel its power through the almighty clouds and pierce anything that stands in its way, DIVINE TORNADO"

"Endure the piercing sounds, hurricane's might, ball of force, FLURRY STYX"

"Winds howling and feeling the cold serenity, soothing compassion rise this empty shell, CATAGORY NINE"

"Flora filled with pure Neurons, use the nectar and form a divinity spectre, as one with nature and as one with power, I'll show you the power of top tier and what it takes to become the level of prodigy, TERESA'S BLOSSOM"

"Winds, gentle and agile, gallop with pride and take on your natural prowess, PIERCING CLOUDS"

"Bestow, the cloudy abyss of gravel, MANIPULATE"

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, MYSTIC SHIELD"

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, UNPROFOUND BIND"

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, MYSTIC SHIELD STRIKE"

"Neurons and Astragons activate, the winds give me impenetrable hope, MYSTIC BOOST"

"Neurons give me your power, Astragons lend me your swift, tempest trap and conceal, CYCLONIC WINDS"

"O' wavering winds, in the name of the almighty storms, tempest trap and conceal, Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, give me impenetrable hope, as one with nature and as one with power, swift might, at my command, rebirth your power through this mortal vessel, shroud me in your everlasting power! FLORIAN DRIVER"

"Swirling gusts of the Northern winds, BRISTLING SHOCKWAVE"

"Neurons draw, Astragons repel, two corners meet and combine, winds carve into the unacceptable divider and rip my foes to shreds! HOWLING GALES"

"Restoring winds, sway and swirl, calm my allies' will, RESTORING HALCYON"

Ground:

"Powers of the proud brown, beat and skip through the winds, GRAVEL'S PULSE"

"Might, strength, fury, courage, form these emotions in array of mighty pillars, GROUND SHAKING"

"Bristling spears, hardened might, rain forth at my will, ROCK SPEAR"

"Temperamental stones, give it a sturdy push, rocks crush and devour, I'll finish you off like a boss, BRIMESTONE BATH"

"Render it asunder, DESERT DRAGON"

"Streams of Astragons, let your master call upon your ultimate power, the way and art of bending seals and compels me, head my words and my voice let the words gather your entity, unlock the sealed gate and trap and consume this entity, CRYSTALLINE RENDERING"

"Ground and water draw each other's power, liquefy and harden, LIFA BLOSSOM"

"Sturdy might show your patience, defend yourself against all harsh conditions, GRANITE PRISON"

"Sturdy might show your patience, materialise the condensed nature and hold the crystalline might, stand tall and defend yourself against all harsh conditions, the power of bold and beauty combine, GRANITE COFFIN"

"Crushing sounds, ridged surfaces, ROCK PILLAR"

"Blinding dust, rain down, ROCK SLIDE"

"Crumbs of dust, float and scatter, PIERCING LAND"

"Liquid of creation, dry out and swirl into your fury, DUST STORM"

"Swirls of granite, crunch into your walls of might, GREENSTONE PRISM"

"Ground, move to my body, move with my Astragons, quake and crack, open the natural gates of might's minerals, iron, copper, erode into my body and form the courage that rumbles in my heart, PANTOTHENATE ARMOUR"

"The aurora lights bend and swirl the gravel into liquid, turn to dust and sand, watch it vacuum your sins, SWIRLING SANDPIT"

"Damp corrosion of sand, ROTTEN SLAB"

"Taste the power of crushing currents, devour the sacred sands, DIRTCLOUD TALONS"

"Metallic forces be heard, weld my might into one single creation! STEELIGHT RETENTION"

Light:

"Flashing of the lights, MYSTIC FALLS"

"Divine power, unwritten holy laws unleash with holy waves, HOLY LIGHT SABRE"

"Power of the forbidden spirits, come to my command, with seraphic powers, TELEPORTATION"

"Majestic light, motion forth and put forward what is inevitable, the ancient twilight power of the radiant beings grant me all your strength, all spirits bow down to this almighty power, I say tremble and wither down before my knees, to fight me such is your reward, SACRED SWARM"

"Sacred light of Radiatons cluster and form, aid and replenish what has been lost, SOOTHING LIGHT"

"White ash, swirl with life and cause the opponent to halt, let the spirits fade, HOLYSHADE"

"With my holy powers unlock the white lights, silently gather and make what is right, MANIPULATE, SERENE STATE"

"Draw the power of the forbidden spirits, and merge, come to my command, with the seraphic powers of teleportation! Bend and use the space, power of cancellation! SEALING EQUATOR"

"With the divine power of the holy spirits, scattering light, HEALING RINGS"

"Unwritten holy laws, strike down thy foe, SHINING RAIN"

"'O power within thee, Radiatons pour and overpower Neurons and Astragons, CELESTRIAL GLYPH, SEAL"

"'O holy powers draw towards me, HOLY LANCE"

"Shattering bonds, with calm Astragons, and forceful Neurons, SERENITY SWIRL"

"Shattering bonds, my Radiatons explode and implode the power of light, SERENITY SWIRL"

"Sacred blood throughout thy veins, I say heed thout command, SOUTHERN CROSS"

"We are the Seraphs, no incantation necessary to have you feel our power, SERAPHIC TRINITY"

"Astragons perform and dance the sacred steps, Neurons light up and form yourselves. The seeker and master of Remenistal I ask upon the Radiatons to give life. Our emotions and beings become one and harness the power of our bonds-. The words of a healer, purity of spirits, thy alone will purify the doubts in your heart. Forbidden and secretive knowledge thy demand, The Voice of On let me hear your words-. The shape of this holy pentagram form the door to your existence, SERAPHIC GATE"

"MYSTIC FORCE"

"Lines merge and confuse thy enemy, NORTHERN LIGHTS"

"Way of bonds disrupt, temper its own dividends, almighty Radiatons disable the foe's awareness, SILENCING FORCE"

"The rich and forbidden Neurons pulsate with my Radiatons and summon the sacred Astragons to my will, AURORA FOCUS"

"I say, faintly shine with a wavering light, pools of shimmering light, gleam, glint, flicker, CLOUDED TWILIGHT"

"Quick healing shot, HEALING IMPLOSION"

"Quick internal light, INVOKING AURA"

"Let the stars fall out, STARSCREAM"

"Neurons draw, Astragons to my command, Radiatons move to my will, four corners meet and combine, MOONLIGHT REFLECTION"

Dark/ Astragons:

"Time freeze, three inverted stars gather, AYON RAPTURE"

"Time halt, the power of five inverted stars gather, hear my call, AYONSITE RAPTURE"

"Time stop to my command, call forth the powers of the seven stars, gather your power and freeze motion, halt the foes at hand, AYONSENITE RAPTURE"

"Words don't silence me, allow my power to be expressed through these movements you can't even comprehend, mystic arts shine by my emotions, come forth and show me your beauty, AUBERGINE BLOSSOM"

"There's a spark in no time, let your colours burst and shine, allow your existence to fade, NIGHTSHADE"

"Darkened volt, burn a cross and cause the opponent to halt, let your existence fade, NIGHTSHADE"

"Astragons at my command, no mercy for the damned, with all my might, DARK STRIKE"

"Forceful sounds, radiate the ground, as deep as abyss, DARK STYX"

"With my power open the dark gates, silently gather and consume the hate, MANIPULATE, DARK STATE"

"Set fire to the rain, feels its pain, with my mighty stance, DEMONIC SIOVANCE"

"Swirling shadows flock, with the motion all will block, darkness strikes hearts with fear, NIGHT SPHERE"

"Sword of arts, this sword is the start, rot and decay, haste and make no delay, ROTTING SWORD"

"Prayers be heard, threats be preferred, draw the abyssal scaled features, walk upon our land dark creatures, materialise from ash and carve your dark bones, with your numbers and might we are no longer alone, add on incantation, make this our anthem, your colours glow as night, help us in our fight, have your power sting, DAATHIC FULLSCALE DARKWINGS"

"Mastered state of Alchemy and Crafting I show you, _Ragnarok_ "

"Power of the white lights absorb and synthesise the natural power, patiently gather and redirect at the supreme power you hold and lend us-, SOLAR FLARE"

"My Rostical explodes deep in the hot abyss, grander than the seven stars of The Astral Plains, blast, ignite, brighten the area with your spectacular array, I shall a-tear your insignificant bonds, with the seraphic blood, this battle will finish! DIMENSION CASCADIA"

"My Rostical explodes deep in the hot abyss, with the seraphic blood I wish to end this battle! DIMENSION CRISIS"

"Blood, pure like the ruby, divine leather-, take the power you need, _Multi-Vein Snap_."

"Darkness of wicked blood, light of pure heart, combine your forces and show 'em what I can do! _Holy_ _Red_ _Eruption_."

