Syrasza

As time went on, Vrael would see the humans all convene under a shoddy shelter. The rain grew to a outright downpour and the storm above intensified. There was a lightning flash just about every ten seconds, and the sound of thunder rolled like war drums. The setting was perfect, all seven humans sitting under a roof of branches, leaves and mud. They had no walls and the only light they had was the fire they sat circled around.

The four brothers awaited the command of their alpha. Kalum had an arrow drawn and pointed at the ground, staring at his target, a trainer with a crossbow. Two of the other trainers wielded melee weapons, one a staff and one a spear. No doubt the staff user was a mage. The four teens all had swords and shields strapped to their backs. This seemed an easy fight.

Alvran's body had already transformed into the shape of a large tiger as he roamed and stalked silently around the camp, ready to pounce on his teenage prey. Elsyne ran his hand down the flat of his blade, gauging how far he would have to stick it into the mage's back before the mage died. The over eager Lynok clenched his fists and glared at the teens. He figured he could take all of them if need be, but that wouldn't be necessary, he knew.

A well oiled machine ready to operate, the four brothers knew to leave the spear wielder to Vrael. It would be a good fight to watch, especially after he witnesses his human brothers die so quickly...

It was time...Kalum released his knocked arrow, as if flying in slow motion, Kalum could see the direct path. He saw each and every rain droplet burst as the arrow sailed right at the neck of the crossbow wielding man. There must have been some funny joke, because the men and boys all laughed right when the crossbow man died. Even the man had a smile on his face as he fell face first into the fire, dieing slowly and painfully but paralyzed instantly as the arrow pierced his spinal cord.

As soon as the man fell, Alvran leaped from the shadows and landed on one teenager, pinning him on his back. The camp screamed in terror and started drawing their weapons as Alvran ripped the teen's jugular from his neck with sharp fangs and tackled a different teen. He took this squire into this maw and thrashed him about, eventually throwing his body like a rag doll into a nearby tree. Lynok had joined in the fun too, smirking at one squire as he grabbed another squire's face and slammed it into his knee, caving the face in. The last squire swung at Lynok, like an idiot, hopping for the blade to grab flesh. Instead, Lynok's calloused hands clapped on the blade, stopping it's motion, then he roundhouse kicked the poor squire in the head, snapping his neck.

While all of this was taking place, Elsyne had darted through the shadows waiting behind the mage. He wanted the mage to be too preoccupied with casting to defend himself. Elsyne didn't have to wait long. The mage took his staff and pointed it towards Alvran, about to utter some power word, but he was stopped as a curved elven long sword pierced through his back and into his lung. The wild elf kicked the dying mage off of his blade and looked at the spear wielder who didn't even seem frightened. He actually seemed more pissed off than anything, like a barbarian filled with rage.

"He's all yours Vrael." Elsyne said as he dodged a thrust from the spear wielder. The air around the spear distorted from the strength behind the thrust. "He's actually pretty strong too," the wild elf spoke from a safe distance, chuckling all the while. The four brothers stood back and awaited the approaching duel.
 
Anzo in that moment was a single minded monster. A very thirsty monster. This mage was powerful much more so than the mages that normally throw their lot in with pirates. There was something very primordial and simplistic in the struggle. The thirst in Anzo eagerly awaited as he felt the mage starting to slip. Even as Anzo's prey struggled and his face contorted there was no sweat on his brow. Anzo had swelled absorbing every drop of moisture he could from this body before him. He felt like a god.


All that remained before Anzo was a dried husk of a man. His form shifted back from water to flesh. What had happened in that fight? Anzo had lost himself. This wasn't justice, it had been vengeance. He could have stopped. This man didn't have to die by his hand, the fight had been over but Anzo had been thirsty for more. I enjoyed it! what kind of person enjoys sucking the life out of a man! Naked and feeling unclean, tears ran down Anzo's face. Tears that had just been the mages.


"We've won the battle, now we take it to the rest of'em to win the war!" The captain And the crew were Climbing back on deck. Anzo wiped his tears away, they couldn't see him like this. He would confide in Eiso about what had happened, she never judged him. But more importantly she had never led him astray, always being truthful and telling him what he needed to hear "Get those scurvy dogs men! Commodore's orders!" What now? close to a hundred men with ten mages poured onto the deck. "Yaahhhh!! Get them!...wait...where are the pirates?" One man wearing a captain's uniform asked as he lowered his sword. Anzo realized he must look ridiculous,as many of the men that had charged out tried not to act shocked that there was a nude brightelf boy on the pirate vessel "We killed them...the rest are on their way...prolly gonna blow us to bits! Good to see ya again, Malin! Oh, Cap't Malin, now isn't it?" Wroth slapped the other captain on the back and laughed heartily.


"Aye, cap'n now! Hey, get the portals ready! We've got a battle ahead of us!" Malin yelled to the ten mages. Anzo alway like watching mages work when they wern't trying to kill him. Butin his line of work he didn't meet many friendly mages. "No one talk, this requires concentration..." Silence befell the crew at the order. Anzo's eyes bulged at the sheer amount of power they where drawing for this spell. The ten Mages magics resonated with each other making the effect that much greater. Only a few moments later, ten large purple discs formed strategically around the Seadrake. A white flash of light blasted from each portal and then the amazing sight of nine of the commodore's warships and the commodore's very own flagship sailed right through the portals, appearing to defend their family against pirate scum.


Eiso! Anzo could sense her before he saw here. She was magnificent. For all that Anzo had seen in the world nothing was more beautiful than his beloved Eiso. She had forgiven him for sending her away, he could already tell before even speaking with her.


"Yahaha! Here to save the day again, Commodore-Colonel Svenistisi Malurnifis, at your service!" A magically amplified voice from the flagship sounded over the fleet.


Anzo smiled like an idiot despite himself. "Looks like you found help after all." After Anzo embraced Eiso he would Wrap magic weaves around her, keeping the water from her feathers and allowing her to breath even under water. She looked at him curiously. " not gonna be of much more use in this battle till I find my hem.." looking down at himself. "Belongings" "aww, did my little egg lose his shell?" Eiso Giggled. "Just make sure you don't try to sit on me." Anzo climbed on her back, trying not to notice the stares of the hundred men on deck as he and a celestial dove into the sea. As impossible as it sounded she flew even more regally under water. Anzo could locate his gear without too much trouble, he was just glad to be doing it with Eiso. He would talk to her later though, but for now he had a battle to get back to and a commodore to meet.
 
The men didn't realize Anzo's nudity at first, then almost all at once, it hit them. They tried not to stare but they couldn't help but wonder what the boy and his owl were up to. They would find out shortly.

The trip underwater was not a pleasant one since the bottom had been stirred up and the blood of pirates clouded the usually clear waters. Anzo would see many bodies drifting ever towards the dark depths, hanging suspended in the dark waters. The owl was not an aquatic creature by any means, but she was quite good at swimming. She got Anzo to the seabed in less than a minute, it also helped that these waters were not incredibly deep. On the bottom, it would be difficult to see, but Anzo would eventually stumble upon his trousers...then the rest of his equipment and belongings would turn up shortly after. All in all, the trip took about fifteen minutes.

When Anzo resurfaced, the sounds of cannons blasting all around him was almost stifling. He had just emerged from near silence to the sounds of booming cannons. There was ship on ship warefare going on and all of it was to protect the damaged sea drake. Anzo had a choice now, go back to his ship and help the crew or he could take to the skies and help the commodore.
 
His heart racing, Lynden did the rash and unthinkable by trying to draw the ogre's attention with nothing on him but a improvised cloth belt. As the ogre turned to him, he clenched his jaw tightly, his hands balled to fist. He wished to draw him further into the tunnel, but it didn't come to that thankfully.

Valia stabbed the ogre as its back was turned, causing it to erupt into flames from the inside out. It was gruesome, and magnificent. What wasn't, however, was the smoke and smell that came after. Lynden tried to block it out of his mouth and nose area with his arm, but it did little to help. As he walked over to the boy on the ground, he let out a few involuntary coughs. The smoke made his eyes water.

"I might not be able to use my abilities to protect you, weak human, but I still have my soul."

He had a sarcastic comeback to follow up, but the coughing prevented him from saying it. Instead he brought the boy to his back and continued down the hall.

"I was hoping you'd forget about him..."

"He deserves better." He said in a short breath, and followed behind her breathing shallow breathes until they were clear of the smoke.

The journey underground was straining on Lynden. He hadn't eaten in about twenty four hours, and he had been avoiding drinking from his waterskin. About halfway he had to stop, remove the waterskin from the pack on the boy, and take a few long throat fulls of water down, then did a quick pour over his burned arms, draining most of his waterskin. He still had a bit, but he knew he would need water by tomorrow. His stomach ached and the muscles in his legs twitched, making it hard to walk. He was tired, sore, and the burns on his arms were almost unbearable. Still, he put his waterskin back in the pack, and put the boy on his back, and continued on. Even if Valia were to chastise him for being weak, or needing to rest to drink water, he would ignore her, not because he wanted to tune her out, but because he couldn't argue with her. He was weak. He told himself he needed to be stronger. He had to keep going.

Then finally, they made it. Lynden's legs gave out and he buckled, landing on his knee. He sat the boy down and sat beside him, letting Valia go and search for her sister.

He fought to keep his eyes open, and falling over to sleep. He wasn't sure if Valia's flames were getting to him, or if he was starting to get a fever.

"Hold it, and say 'Lilia' to bring my sister her." Valia said, handing him a ornate kite shield. Though she was in a hurry, Lynden ran his fingers over the shield's surface, tracing the design with his fingers. He brought the shield closer to his face, and in a tone barely above a whisper, he spoke.

"Lilia."
 
This was the first time Vaugh had ever been in the wildness above the ground, and it was extremely different that venturing out in the caverns. There was so many spells that were different from each other, instead of a smells that culminated back to an earthy tone. Vaughn was enjoying his time above ground so far, and he was particularly enjoying learning things about food above ground as well. In the midst of his search he came across many things. There were many berries that he came across, of all kinds and colors. He made sure to handle them properly on the chance that they could poisonous. That's not all he found, he ran across nuts that had been born from a large tree, leafy greens that resembled something his mother might have been growing and even a peculiar red root vegetable that he assumed was a radish, according to his mother. Vaughn came across a fresh spring as well, which he was more used to than any of the things he had just came across. Near the spring he ran into some green onions, an ingredients he worked with from time to time. The last thing he found was very odd, it was a large browning root plants that he had never seen before, but he was slowly forming a menu from the items he was getting. This world was full of things that could be used to cook, and Vaughn was beginning to see that in full. He was satisfied with what he had found at that moment and began to walk back to the camp. Before he got there something gave him slight chills, despite the moderate climate that was outside. Vaughn shook his head in an attempt to throw the goosebumps off his skin, only to catch a glimpse of light glistening from something. He turned and looked at a vine that rode all the way up a tree that was bearing a single glowing fruit. It looked like a jewel, shinning the moon light and it was completely beautiful. Vaughn stepped closer to inspect it, he poked, sniffed, and thoroughly looked all around it.

"What a beautiful ingredient."

Even though Vaughn had never seen this before he could feel in his gut that this was meant for consumption. His mouth watered just looking at the immaculate item there on the vine. He immediately took out his journal and drew it in its natural state the bet he could in a timely manner. Once he completed it he wrote down what he viewed to be most important abotu the fruit, then he picked it very delicately. Once it was in his hand he carefully carried it back to camp, holding it the best way he possibly could.

"Sorry that took so long, I found something very interesting."

He set all the ingredients down aside from the Jewel Fruit which he needed to taste if he ever wanted to get this meal going. In the mean time Gilhom was inspecting the items he brought back to assure if they were poison or not, but he had no clue what the fruit was. Vaughn took out his parrying knife and cut an extremely small square from the side of the fruit. Once that piece was removed he popped it into his mouth making sure to suck air into his mouth at the same time to perfume the flavor throughout.

DELICIOUS!

Vaughn's eyes widened as he tasted the unbelievable flavor of the fruit came to the front. It was unlike anything he had every tasted in his culture. It was sweet yet tart with a developing flavor that came in stages then culminated with an explosion of them all at once, followed by a subtle aftertaste. This fruit was incredible and Vaughn's butterflies came out. He was so excited to get working now, so he rolled his sleeves up, and got all the the necessary items that he would need to cook this dish. Vaughn removed two medium sized bowls that had many uses, accompanied by his chef's knife and cutting board.

Vaughn's abilities began to show themselves as he began to work to the fullest. There would be two parts to his dish, a refreshing energy restoring salad. Vaughn took all the greens, leafy enough to be the base of the salad so he rinsed them and put them in one of the bowls. Now with the root vegetable, the radish, green onion, fresh cracked nuts, a quarter of the sweet berries and a few slices of the new fruits he created a fresh salad. He then grabbed a handful of the assorted berries, and few slices of the Jewel and squeezed and rubbed. This method would make a complicated fruit flavor that was mostly sweet, but with under tones of bitter and sweet. Once that was finished he set it off to the side.

"Feel free to help yourself to some salad."

Vaughn smiled, but continued working. What he had left was about less than half of his berries left and and half of his fruit left. He thought, trying ti come up with something that would be worth this.

If I just had some meat

Vaughn thought to himself, since he really liked working with protein. Ding! He got an idea thinking about the last dish he ate. There was bread with it which gave his an idea. He rushed over to his bag to get an 8' pan that was used for making meat pies, a very common dish used in Dwarven cuisine. He also removed some of flour from his father. A very starchy flour that was used when his father made bread, but due to its starchy nature and unique flavor it could be used in making crust as well.

Vaughn returned to his station and got back to work. His knife skills really showed themselves at this moment, as he proceeded to cut up the Jewel in such a way that it wasn't losing much juice. He diced it to pieces and cut some of the berries in half, throwing all of the cut up fruit in a bowl and let it sit to the side so the flavors could marry. With the flour he created a quick pie crust with the fresh spring water. This was a process he knew all too well given it was what his father loved to do the most. It took about seven minutes to make the crust, that he then lined the pan with. With that finished Vaughn returned to the fruit, bringing the flour over to it as well. He stirred the mixture to see what stage it was in at that moment and the juice of the fruits was really beautiful now. Vaughn put a little bit of the starchy flour in the bowl as well so that the mixture would hold together. He stirred it until it was thick enough to fill the pie effectively.

Vaughn put the two pieces of the puzzle together, combining the pie crust from his father's flour in addition to his new filling creation. The last thing that was left would be to allow it to cook. Vaughn placed it near the fire and kept a very close eye on it, making sure to turn the dish every couple of minutes. He did this so it would cook throughout.

After about tweleve minutes he deemed it as being done. Vaughn took it away from the flame and set it to the side. At that point he wanted to try his salad.

"It's almost done, it has to finish setting. How's the salad?"
 
Upon muttering the elemental's name, a small blue flame appeared about five feet in front of Lynden. The shield was immediately drawn to the blue fire, pulling itself away from Lynden and seemingly attaching itself to the floating flame. Then, with a bright flash of light, a blue and purple elemental appeared holding the shield. It was a lightning elemental, and she held the shape of a woman similar to Valia, but where Valia glowed orange with flame, Lilia radiated all colors of blue and purple from electricity. The elemental made crackling noises as she stretched, electricity arcing all over her body.

Ah! Freedom!" The elemental glared at Valia before turning back to Lynden.The lightning elemental smiled."And are you our master, the one who holds our true names?" She tilted her head and questioned.

"Master!? This weak human!? He was merely a vessel that I used to find you, dear sister! He's worthless otherwise! We should kill him now and be on our way!" Valia spat angrily, facing her sister.

Lynden would feel the heat growing as anger welled up in Valia. This gorwing heat was cut short, however. A crack of lightning would arc off of Lilia and blast Valia in the chest, causing her to stagger back a step. Unlike Valia, Lilia had been summoned before about fifty years ago. She practiced her abilities and managed to regain some strength. She was far from her potential, but she was growing to fit the part once again.

"Hush with that nonsense! Do you wish to die? We are cursed, sister, banned from the elemental plane, bound to this land, our being attached to these gems! We have two choices, an eternity of servitude, or death. You know as well as I that should either of us turn on our master, we would both perish. I'm not sure about you, but I want to live so if it's death you seek, then I shall kill you myself before you lay a hand on our master!" Lilia was now yelling in a thunderous voice.

The crackling of lightning filled the area, arcs of blue and purple anger mixed and swirled with bright orange flames of rage. The two sisters now stood face to face, staring each other down. Valia knew the consequences of killing her master. She knew that it would mean death for her and her sister, so she would never actually do it, especially if it harmed her sister. Despite their differences, the two sisters loved each other very much, and they were in this together. The two sisters were evil by nature, Valia more chaotic and Lilia more lawful.

"You and your loyalties are what got us into this mess!" Valia said in a deep angry tone.

"Sister, had it not been for your undying need for freedom, none of this would have happened." Lilia said with a firm voice.

The two sisters were infuriated, not being able to argue about the preceding events that led to their banishment for years. They needed to get it off of their chests. Lynden would hear their dialect change from common to some language he'd never heard before. The were talking and yelling and whispering and sobbing...wait...sobbing? The conversation would end with both elementals on their knees, holding each other. They were all the other had left.
 
Then, another elemental came into Lynden's chaotic life. He watched mesmerized by the ferocious display of power. Both the elementals were majestic and beautiful in their own strange way. Lynden was on his knees as the new lightening one, Lilia, asked if he was their master. He opened his mouth to speak, but Valia took the initiative. She berated Lynden again, getting angry at him for some unknown reason, but Lilia actually defended him, or his pride at least. Lynden let out a bated breath he felt he had been holding in for far too long. It seemed he wouldn't be killed by Valia with Lilia around.

They talked, argued, and debated, meanwhile Lynden struggled to stay awake. He wasn't sure if he was feverish, but it sounded like the two elementals were speaking in strange tongues.

The sight of the two women holding each other, sobbing, was enough of a shocking image to give Lynden enough clarity to pull himself up.

"I have no wish to be anyone's master. I brought Valia here so she could be reunited with you and to prevent any other unnecessary deaths. Now that you two are reunited I can leave you two in peace." He said as he walked to the boy and sluggishly picked him back up, his leg buckled, but instead of giving, he stomped his foot down to show his body that he was still in control.
 
While Vaughn displayed his immense aptitude for cooking, Gilhom simply sat back and watched. It was a beautiful sight, really, a young chef at work displaying top notch talents. He first prepared a salad, it came out looking amazing. "Feel free to help yourself to some salad."

Gilhom nodded and smiled excitedly. He laid his eyes on the delicious looking mixture and grabbed a fork from his pack. He used the fork to pull out a good bit of the salad from the bowl and placed it on a plate. Gilhom had made the mistake of not bringing any silverware or platter ware for eating in the wild last time he was out. He often waited for his pots and pans to cool down before he could actually eat from them wihtout burning himself, but he was smarter now.

He jabbed a bit of the greens along with some berries and of course, a bit of the root. He shoved the hearty fork-full in his mouth and chewed the mixture vigorously. Then it hit him. An explosion of flavors so decadent that he could barely contain his happiness. A big smile came across the cavern dwarf's face and she shoveled the rest of his portion of the salad into his mouth. He hardly knew how to savor his foods, but he did know this was good and he wanted it all right now.

"It's almost done, it has to finish setting. How's the salad?" The chef asked.

"It's magnificent! Wonderful! Best salad I've ever had!" Gilhom was smiling and rubbing his belly. "And whatever you're cooking over there smells amazing!" The ever hungry Gilhom said as he pointed at the fire.

When the pie as ready, he would happily accept his slice and dig in as quickly as possible. Within seconds, tears of joy poured form the elated dwarf's closed eyes. "By the Gods this dish is heavenly," he whispered in between bites. The mixture of fruits and the mild crust give a flavor so delicate and soft that it felt like you were touching the smooth face of an angel. But that was just the initial flavor. After savoring the pie for a moment, it was like the heavens opened up and you began plummeting towards the planet from above, but it wasn't frightening, it was a rush of pure excellence, sweet, tart, tangy excellence. After landing softly on the ground, a delightful aftertaste wiped you clean of all dirt and dust that you may have collected from the ground. It was a truly magnificent recipe fit for a king.

"I think...I think I could die happily now. Thank ya so very much!" The dwarf laid down on his back and looked up at the starry sky. Vaughn would have seen stars before from skylights in the cavern, but they would have never have been so clear before...in fact, Gilhom had never seen the stars so clearly before either.

"Is it just me or does the sky look even more beautiful after that meal?" He sat up and looked around. "Wait...everything looks more beautiful! Everything is so clear! I can even see the ants moving on that plant!" He pointed to a plant about thirty feet away. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say my vision's increased..."

Actually, Vaughn would experience a drastic increase in his vision should he eat his own dishes. In fact, the Opal Fruit was known to permanently increase the vision of whoever eats it. This meant that Vaughn would be able to spot even the farthest away and tiniest ingredients.
 
"I have no wish to be anyone's master. I brought Valia here so she could be reunited with you and to prevent any other unnecessary deaths. Now that you two are reunited I can leave you two in peace."

The two elementals stopped and looked questioningly at Lynden. "He has a good heart...and he said we're free? He's leaving us in peace?" Lilia smiled at her sister.

"I guess...I guess he's not completely useless..." Valia smiled at Lynden. He would have no reason why this happened, but the two elementals disappeared, smiling at Lynden. All that he could imagine was the he truly freed them.

Where their bodies once stood, the two elementals left behing something to remember them by. Where the fire elemental was, a long sword with a red tinted, translucent blade sat ready to be picked up. Similarly, where the lightning elemental stood, a regal kite shield lay flat, crest upward. Should Lynden pick the blade up, he would feel a strange energy flow through him, something he had never felt before. If Lynden focused on the blade, it would ignite. The more he thought about it, the brighter the flames would become. Lynden would feel slightly tired after using the flames, however. One final thing Lynden would notice would be that this blade was a completely different weapon than that of the fire elemental.

When Lynden picked the shield up, he would not feel affected by heat. It would be like any heat that once filled the room balanced out to become a comfortable temperature, in fact, he wouldn't even be chilly from being underground. It was like temperature didn't even apply to him. With this new balance in temperature, Lynden's feverish state would begin to die down as long as he stayed seated and resting. In fact, this might actually be a good spot for a rest. The child seemed to think so as he still had not regained consciousness.
 
Anzo was once again reunited with his clothes. The worst part was that this wasn't even the first time that he had lost his cloths. The first time they had actually been burned from his body while he had dueled a twin pair of pyromancers. Anzo had acted just in time to protect himself but hadn't extended that protection to his cloths. The captain had given him these, for taking out both of them. But also because "I'm tired of seeing ye walk around at half mast, Of course I'm not embarrassed. Will ye stop strutting about like a gull all proud about having a beak. No shame this one. KEEP LAUGHING AND SCUTTLE YOUR STERN SIDE!" Anzo slipped into his finely embroidered vest and pants that came halfway up his calf. He loved how they shimmered all the hues of twilight. They had been a fine gift.


His fathers Gauntlet and by far his most prized possession was floating just above the bottom, seemingly indifferent to the current. The single edged elven sword he carried was finely crafted and balanced. It had cut through the water and stood upright in a sand bed. Anzo held himself close to Eiso's body as she ascended towards the surface. The burst from the sea at speed and flew into the sky gaining altitude and taking in the scene around them.


The commodores vessels where engaging the pirates all around. Anzo had never seen any thing quite like the flagship. It had more cannons than any two ships he had ever seen. "Take me in close. I'll protect you" he wispered in Eiso's ear. Anzo wrapped Eiso with magics to deflect missiles both magical and mundane. Eiso, ever the Tactician or the air Dove at the closest Pirate vessel, keeping the sun above and behind them so that a pirate would have to squint into it to see them. Anzo was chanting. It was a circular chant, gathering energy until Anzo couldn't contain any more. Magic seemed to be jumping around the gauntlet, and spun into a sphere in his palm crackling with energy. Just before Eiso would pull up from her dive Anzo would release the energy, Blasting through and jumping between the ranks of pirates on the deck .
 
Lynden blinked twice as the elemental sisters left, leaving behind two artifacts that contrasted the rusted metal of the cavern. Lynden walked over, put the child down again softly, and picked up the blade.

Holding it with his right hand, he ran his fingers down the translucent blade. He felt the energy like a faraway feeling. He tried bringing it closer to his mind, until it erupted forth. The resulting fire was so shocking he dropped the blade. He smiled, remembering the fyrebrand.

He saw the shield with unfocused eyes. His vision was blurred, and he felt himself falling over, and he landed on his knees, hands barely propping himself up. The sword had drained the last ounce of energy he had. He cursed, thinking he could very well sleep the rest of his time and miss the deadline. He couldn't stop now. He had to get up. He had to get back to the barracks. He had to return the kid home. But the effort he exerted into his arms and back to stand back up resulted in him hitting the ground.

Above his head was wear the sword fell, and beside him, a foot away from his face, was the shield. He lifted his hand, which felt like lead tied with rocks thrown into the ocean, and placed it on the shield's surface. Darkness crept into his vision, and the last thought he had was...

What rude women... They never even asked my name...

He smiled, and fell unconscious.
 
The now clothed Anzo was prepared for battle. The pirates didn't know what they had coming. A few cannonballs flew toward Esio upon their decent, none made their mark. Anzo had now prepared a devilish spell and descended upon the pirate crew. A crackling sphere of pure energy blasted through eight pirates as Anzo flew across the deck. Each body he hit violently convulsed as if electricity surged through them, demolishing their insides and frying their hearts.

The sounds of cannons seemed to echo louder and louder around Anzo. An allied ship was closing in and preparing to board. The men on the ship were cheering for Anzo as he wrecked the pirates. It would be up to Anzo to clear the deck of the rest of these pitiful pirates. Immediately around him, nine pirates would jump at him at once, attempting to strike him down in any way possible. More pirates cold be seen coming down from their posts to confront this new threat.
 
After ten hours of sleep, Lynden would wake up to a scared child staring at him as if he didn't know whether or not the young squire was alive. Upon Lynden opening his eyes, the child would jump backwards and run away into the darkness. Lynden wouldn't be able to see through this blinding darkness, only a few feet in front of him would be visible. The child had run away, out of Lynden's vision.

Should Lynden get up and look around, he would find the child curled up in a corner at the far end of the cave. He seemed terrified of something, most likely the experience he went through with Valia. The child had seen it all.

the child would not speak to Lynden, no matter how hard he tried, and he would refuse to allow Lynden to touch him. He was scared of Lynden. After a few minutes of trying, or not trying, Lynden would notice a faint glow of light coming from the dark hallway leading to this room. He could hear multiple footsteps coming towards him and the child.
 
Lynden awoke feeling cold. It was likely due to the cold that he awoke. He looked around, seeing he was still in the cave. How much time had passed? He wasn't sure. He heard the kid jump up and run off, hiding in the shadows.

Lynden groaned, and his entire body resisted, but he slowly pulled himself up. He picked up the shield, and held the sword with his shield hand. He put the child's pack on his back and walked into the darkness. Eventually he found the boy.

"Hey c'mon. I can take you to safety." He said slowly, leaning down and offering his hand to him. When he didn't accept, he decided to try another tactic. "Want to talk about it?" When even that didn't work, Lynden gave up and sat on the ground with a thump. He'd sit there for another hour, hoping the child would calm down. If he would not, then he would pick the kid up and drag him away.
It didn't get that far though. Light and footsteps came, and Lynden brought his knees to his chest, preparing to stand. Instead, he decided to hell with it, and just sat with the boy in the corner of the room. He gave the sword to his right hand and readied himself for anything, if they were to be found in the corner.
 
"The magical energy was here! I know it! I marked it on my map as soon as I felt it!"

"This is no time for games! People could die out here! Search and rescue should be swift!"

He's right, for once. We need to get a move on. Besides, it's been over ten hours. Whoever was here is most likely gone."

"Better safe than sorry! And what about that burned man!? You don't suppose it was..."

The voice trailed off as the group of three squires rounded the corner, their lantern illuminating the large open room. Lynden would immediately recognize the party. It was his friends, Cecil, Steven, and Albert.

"Ah ha! Told you! Look, survivors back there, I can see them! Hello, we are friend..." Steven stopped in his tracks. "Lynden!?" Steven started running. "Oh thank the Gods you're alive! It's Lynden!"

"Lynden!? It's really you!?" Cecil had a wide grin across his face as he started walking towards Lynden.

"By the Gods I believe it is him! I was worried about you, brother!" An excited Albert dashed with his comrades to meet Lynden.
Standing around Lynden in a semi-circle, Albert spoke first. "What are you doing down here? Did you find some mage down here? Steven said he felt a very powerful magic about half a day ago, before we found him." Albert would reach down to help Lynden to his feet noticing the child in the process. He would help Lynden up then turn to the child. "Ah, hello there." He said with a smile and outstretched hand.

The child looked at Lynden, then took Albert's hand. "He...hello..." The child spoke in a barely audible voice.

Albert looked toward Lynden. "Is he yours?" The squire asked in jest.
 
It was his friends. He let out his breath, looked over to the kid, and smiled weakly. "They're my friends."

His friends flocked to him, and started asking questions. Lynden dug his sword into the ground to help himself up. He couldn't follow their speech, as they were speaking so fast.

"Is he yours?"

"Har har. Yeah I had time to make one. Reckless youth and all." He turned to look to the boy. "How much time has passed?" He asked his friends.

He would wait for one of them to give him an estimation, then he would nod. "Thanks. Now take the boy and leave. I'll wait here a few hours then head to the barracks. You can't help me, after all."
 
"How much time has passed?"

"Since the beginning of the trials? going on three days, I'd suppose..." Cecil looked towards the ground as he spoke.

"Thanks. Now take the boy and leave. I'll wait here a few hours then head to the barracks. You can't help me, after all."

"Lynden, you mean you don't know? I..." Albert placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I hate to tell you...but...the barracks...there was an attack...A red dragon...It's still out there scorching the countryside." The distrought squire rubbed his neck. "The trainers were caugut by surprise...they are all dead, Lynden." Albert rubbed his eyes.

"Albert was the first squire back to the barracks...He said that there was nothing left of the barracks. The dead bodies of our trainers laid burnt, weaponless...They didn't even have a chance to get to their weapons to defend themselves." Steven shuffled his feet.

"And I arrived shortly after Albert...I noticed the semi-fresh claw marks almost instantly. This dragon wasn't an adult, but he was close to maturity. I can't imagine why he would attack the barracks unprovoked. It's mind boggling, really..." Cecil adjusted the shield on his back.

"Yes...we're out searching for our brothers-in-arms. We need to return to the city and notify the knights immediately." Albert looked at Lynden with sad eyes. "I think this will be an exception to the rule, friend." Albert would pause and wait for a response from Lynden. Should he have none, he would sigh and start leaving the cave.

Outside was dark, there were stars in the sky and the wilderness seemed peaceful. A contrast to all the chaos that's been happening. Albert would be making his way back towards the Barracks, hoping that other Squires might be there. It would take five hours time before the group reached the barracks. The buildings were charred and black from being burned. The graves of the trainers that Albert had made were in tact, right in the middle of the sparring grounds. One of the buildings still stood tall, but the roof was missing.

Before they exited the woods, Albert halted the group. "Listen!" Albert whispered. The sound of foot steps could be heard in the distance, along with mumbling. "Sounds like scavengers..." Albert drew the short sword that he retrieved before he set out to find his friends. He stepped closer to the barracks site and peered through the brush.

"Confirmed, eight armed goblins. Three ranged units, five with crude melee weaponry." He turned back to look at his comrades. "They seem to have come prepared to fight...shall we attack or try diplomacy?"
 
"Lynden, you mean you don't know? I..."
"Don't know what?" Lynden interrupted.
"I hate to tell you...but...the barracks...there was an attack...A red dragon...It's still out there scorching the countryside." Lynden's eyes widened. "The trainers were caugut by surprise...they are all dead, Lynden."
"Albert was the first squire back to the barracks...He said that there was nothing left of the barracks. The dead bodies of our trainers laid burnt, weaponless...They didn't even have a chance to get to their weapons to defend themselves."
"And I arrived shortly after Albert...I noticed the semi-fresh claw marks almost instantly. This dragon wasn't an adult, but he was close to maturity. I can't imagine why he would attack the barracks unprovoked. It's mind boggling, really..."
"Yes...we're out searching for our brothers-in-arms. We need to return to the city and notify the knights immediately...I think this will be an exception to the rule, friend."

Lynden was speechless. His home... The only real home he felt was real was gone. He swayed, but managed to stop himself from falling over. He could do nothing but look to the ground, his mouth agape, his eyes watered. The people he looked up to, the trainers, his role models, all now were dead. Albert turned to leave, and the others followed. Lynden put on his pack, and leaned down towards the kid.

"C'mon. We'll take you to the city. I know the Queen personally. She'll find your closest relatives."

He would then take the kid with him, either leading him or dragging him to the others.

The trip was silent, which worked for Lynden. He wasn't in the talking mood anyways.
Then they came upon the barracks, and he couldn't help but well up with tears. He hid his face from the others, but the entire time he walked, he tried preparing himself for this. As it turns out, he couldn't. Seeing the place destroyed, along with the fresh graves was terrible, and Lynden felt sick. More so than the fatigue, hunger, and thirst.
He didn't say it, but he was thankful that Albert, Cecil, and Steven were there, and they weren't lost as well.

"Listen!" Albert said, breaking the silence. In the distance, Lynden could hear footsteps and mumbling. "Sounds like scavengers..."


Albert crept closer while the others stayed back. Lynden just assumed it was other squires.

"Confirmed, eight armed goblins. Three ranged units, five with crude melee weaponry... They seem to have come prepared to fight...shall we attack or try diplomacy?"

"Armed diplomacy." Lynd said, not waiting for any others opinion. "Steven, stay back, keep the kid safe, and keep eyes on the ranged units. Make it so they arn't a threat if it comes to it."

Lynden walked out of the brush to take point, and walked to intercept the goblins. He wasn't in the mood for normal formations. He felt numb, and he didn't have time to deal with these pests. If they didn't immediately attack, Lynden would shift his sword to his shield hand.

"Goblins, a dragon has attacked and our dead is still warm in the ground. Please turn and leave us."
 
Anzo leaped From Eiso's back to take the attention of the pirates off her. A cushion of air caught him before he hit the deck, but he was quickly surrounded by pirates who were not the least bit pleased that he had killed their mates. Anzo knew what he has doing was a bit unnecessary, but nothing ended a fight like pure terror. Every one of the pirates who had died had been drained of blood, which had then frozen in a javelin shaped shard. Each of the eight shards blasted into one of the nine pirates, and Anzo took the last one in the kidney with his sword while the man had stood dumbfounded looking at all of his impaled friends. The shards withdrew, floating around Anzo, soon followed by nine more Crimson shards of ice. He would get no blood on this deck. He called out" Throw down yer weapons and come out or I'll hunt and kill every last one of you!" Any pirate that Anzo saw with a weapon would soon after have a four foot shard sticking through his lung. That is if he saw them before Eiso who had the uncanny ability to silently snatch up pirates and fly off with them. Every hunter needs to eat, and why waste meat? Anzo was determined to take the ship before the commodores men arrived. If he didn't and some of them died, Anzo would blame himself for taking to long, it wasn't fair, but not much in life was.
 
As Vaughn continued to prepare the pie Gilhom helped himself to salad which he seemed to enjoy every much. The delved right into it like he hadn;t eat in a while. Vaughn smiled as Gilhom at his food the way he did; it really was a wonderful feeling.

"It's magnificent! Wonderful! Best salad I've ever had!"

Gilhom respond to Vaughn's question about how the salad was as he walked over to try the salad himself. He grabbed some a plate that he obviously had stashed, as well as som silverware. He got a good chunk, oddly more than Gilhom, and put it on his plate.

Should be a few days from now, I better start storing

Vaughn had a odd look on his face, then grabbed even more food onto his plate, and then masking his weird mood with a smile. Vaughn was particularly good at masking his fear for his condition.

"And whatever you're cooking over there smells amazing!"

Vaughn turned with a smile, taking some pride in this dish that he had never created before.

"Thanks."

Vaughn then began to eat his salad which had tones he hadn't exactly anticipated when combined. He did taste the part individually because its the duty of the chef to do so, so that he may form the parts into something much better than each could do alone. The unique combination was great, the salad had depth and volume, not to mention it held a strong energy source in it. It made Vaughn feel very revitalized having walked all day. He let out a nice sigh of relief since it made him feel much better.

By the time he was done with his salad the pie had finished setting, which meant it was ready to be served. Vaughn grabbed a plate for Gilhom and himself, then cut pieces for them. The pie itself was beautiful because of how it was prepared. The culmination of the ingredients turned from being Opal and shades of berries to being more like a sapphire inside. The pie was a sight to behold as it resembled the bluest of jewels in the form of food. He handed Gilhom his plate as he admired his creation.

"By the Gods this dish is heavenly,"

Gilhom whispered when he took his first bite. Vaughn had expected it to taste great so he simply smiled as he took his first as well. Perplexing. Vaughn's mind couldn't even begin to figure out the intricacies of the dish that he took his first bite of. It had so many levels of flavor. It melodious with how many flavor notes it hit, creating an amazing concerto on ones tastes buds. Vaughn got chills, creating goose bumps from head to to. His hair stood on end and his pupils dilated for just a moment. Everything was beautiful, the food made everything more appealing that he had ever seen before. The dish was like nothing else, but it was more than appropriate to call it heavenly as Gilhom just did. Vaughn was unable to formulate words, while Gilhom was able to still at least talk.

I think...I think I could die happily now. Thank ya so very much!"

Vaughn was tempted to say the same things since his emotions were nearly at the same level as his. He dashed they thought immediately though and responded.

"There's way to many ingredients in the world for me to die this early, This is just one notch on the belt Gilhom."

Vaughn smiled with confidence in the response he made, and he sincerely meant it. He then proceeded to savor every last bite of his meal, which was one of the highlights of his life at this moment. Once finished he remained sitting very satisfied in what he had created and eaten.

"Is it just me or does the sky look even more beautiful after that meal?"

He looked up so that he could see what he was talking about, and it was true. He could see nearly five times the stars that he could normally see through the holes in the cave in a particular spot. Vaughn thought that it might have something to do with not being able to see the whole sky at once before but it truely was an wonderful sight.

"It looks amazing."

"Wait...everything looks more beautiful! Everything is so clear! I can even see the ants moving on that plant!"

Gilhom sat up and claimed that it wasn't just the stars that was more clear, but everything he could lay his eyes on. He pointed out a plat and Vaughn looked at it as well. It was true! He could see the ants on that plant from a decent distance away; Vaughn could never so that before.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say my vision's increased..."

The gears turned in his head as he looked at everything all around him. Vaughn could easily stand behind that assumptions that Gilhom had made, and Vaughn began to laugh. He then quickly retrieved his journals and took the most detailed notes he could have ever done, even if he sacrificed some sleep for it it would be the best. In the midst of taking notes he looked towards Gilhom.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."

Vaughn quoted one of his favorite men to read about food, Graendithas Shawson, a widely reknown artisan. Being able to quote his now meant more than it ever did before.
 
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