Month 1, Day 4, 18:07:26; Arvium, Legend Castle

Aella blinked, groaning as she registered the massive headache through her throbbing temples. Her body felt stiff, and moved her head to look around the room.

Dark gray marble made up the walls of the spacious room, and light blue curtains hung in front of the massive glass-paned window that let in sunlight. She lay in a large four-poster bed, delicate lace curtains hanging from the roof and draping over the sides of the bed. She pushed herself up as she saw a figure sitting in a chair next to the bed, one of his legs thrown over the arm of the chair.

He was taller than Garron, but lankier. His dark brown hair reached his shoulders, but was wavy and fell in his face, obscuring his brilliant green eyes. He raised one hand to her, showing the multiple black rings on his fingers and a thick gold bracelet.

She looked up at him as he moved to sit so he was facing her, and she raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

He laid a hand on his chest, shaking his head. "Really? I'm offended, darling, that you don't know who I am." He turned his head to her, his eyes narrowing.

She leaned back, feeling the hair on the back of her neck raise. She felt cold, as if she were staring into the depths of a dark, icy hole. Her limbs felt stiff, as if she were literally frozen to the spot. She glanced down, seeing some sort of faint blue light surrounding her body. What is this?

He shrugged. "I'm more concerned with who you are."

She winced, feeling the magic start to bend as she flexed her muscles. She moved her hand under the covers, feeling on her belt for her staff. Her hand closed around it as she turned her attention to him. Her skin was warm and she felt her heart begin to beat faster as she took a deep breath. I won't give in--you will drop this spell or I will take you down.

Her eyes widened as her stomach growled, loud enough for both of them to hear. "I'm hungry," she whispered, letting her shoulders relax. The stiffness faded away from her limbs and she stared up at the ceiling, her stomach feeling hollow. She glanced down as the man started to laugh.

He shifted positions and stood. He leaned toward her, waving one hand in a bow. The serious expression on his face faded, replaced by a smile that made his eyes crinkle. "There are few players that can resist my paralysis spell--good for you."

She raised an eyebrow, watching as the man started to pace in front of her bed as he talked. Now he's happy? What is with this guy? And where is Garron?

"My name is Ender, and I'm the one who brought you here. Welcome to Legend Castle," he said, bowing his head to her. "Sorry for the unpleasant welcome, but I wanted to see what you were made of. Garron sometimes makes bad choices when it comes to new people."

She nodded, her hand sliding off of her staff, and back to the sheets. They both need to work on their introductions.

"When did you last eat?" he asked.

She frowned, shrugging.

"In that case," Ender said, turning toward her. "I'll go whip something up for you to eat. You can come downstairs when you're ready." He walked over to the dark wood door and opened it, then turned back to her. "The dining room is down the hall at the bottom of the stairs and to the right."

Aella shifted under the blanket, moving her legs to the floor. Even though the floor was made of deep gray marble, a thick rug covered the floor, keeping it warm. She leaned against the bed for several seconds, closing her eyes.

Her limbs trembled, and in the silence, she felt a weight sitting on her chest. She squeezed her eyes tighter, a spasm traveling up her body as she saw Sigmund's body laying on the stairs, the booming of the explosions in her ears.

She reached up and gripped the fabric of the curtains around the bed, and took a deep breath, opening her eyes to a beam of moonlight that was drifting along the room through the window. She reached into the pocket of her pants, pulling out the Galaxium Crystals. They were empty, the glowing light inside now clear.

She held them up, remembering what Ciana had said about the recharging effect of moonlight. Slowly the liquid inside the crystals started to glow, growing lighter with each second. As the liquid grew brighter, she felt warmth flow into her body, relaxing her muscles. She smiled as she held her other hand to the crystal hanging around her neck. Chloe--you're always here with me, aren't you? That's why you gave me your necklace.

She stepped forward stared out the window, seeing the black tips of the pines that made up Arvium Forest stretched out below her. She sucked in a breath, seeing white smoke rising into the night sky in the distance. Bright spots of light illuminated the air and seemed muted against the storm clouds high above, the trees rustling with furious gusts of wind. Her eyes widened as the air flickered for a moment, showing a blue magic barrier just outside the window.

She glanced down, and she gasped. She recognized the scarlet armor of the woman who stood at the edge of the forest, her arms raised in front of her. Red magic flowed from her hands, and her mouth was moving. With each burst of magic, the barrier flickered.

She turned and ran out of the room, then down the wide staircase. "Ender," she shouted. Her feet pounded the steps as she ran.

Ender dashed out of a room to the right, dressed in full armor, a helmet covering his head. He caught her as she stumbled on the last step.

She looked up, seeing her reflection in his visor.

A giant crack split the air, followed by the sound of a thousand mirrors smashing.

Ender grabbed her hand and pulled her forward, leading her to the side of the staircase. He pushed on a small piece of decorative trim, and a small door opened inward, revealing a set of narrow stairs lit by flickering candles.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, moving her to face him. "This tunnel will lead you out the back of the property and into the woods. Keep going until you hit the ravine. There is a cave at the bottom with barrier spells and protection. I want you to go there while I get this under control, okay?"

Aella nodded, moving into the tunnel. Behind her, Ender waited, his hand on the door.

A massive thud echoed through the castle, and she jerked forward, grabbed his arm.

"What?" he asked, shaking his head.

She glanced back and forth across his visor, trying to find where his eyes would be underneath. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Don't worry about me, Aella. My job is to keep you safe. I will meet you at the cave when I am done here, alright?"

He gently pushed her away, closing the door behind her.

She leaned against the cold stone wall and groaned. Not again. The howl of wolves split the air, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Death wolves. She clenched her fist. "Summon armor," she whispered.

She glanced down, seeing the full set of armor covering her body. Her sword sat at her side, and her staff sat on the other side of her utility belt. I need to ask Garron where the golden magic came from--I've never seen it before.

She glanced up through her visor, checking her magic and health units. Her health was full, but the magic meter was only halfway full. She jumped as the ground rumbled beneath her and dirt fell on her head.

She turned and ran down the tunnel, her footsteps echoing on the stone tiles. After several hundred feet, she came to a set of stairs and she ran up them. At the top was a doorway with a wheel. She grunted as she tried to turn it, and it squealed as it started to turn. A hiss of air filled the air as it swung open several inches, cold rain pelting the floor through the opening.

She peered out at the darkness, seeing the dark shadows of the pine forest. "Scouting spell, permanent," she whispered. "Activate map."

A small version of the map appeared on the lower right of her visor. It was empty, no red carets showing the presence of any animals or players. She sighed, then opened the door even farther. The forest in front of her was angry, the rustle of the boughs in the wind and the roar of the rain creating a thunderous cacophony. She ran to the cover of the trees, pausing once she entered the darkness, looking back.

The castle was six stories high, with turrets and towers reaching even higher. Smoke poured from the highest windows, and flames licked about the roof. She jerked as the stones exploded from the left side of the castle with a roar, the debris falling to the ground below.

"Garron," she whispered. Where are you? She paused, her hand on her sword, her foot moving forward. He's fighting to keep me safe. She hung her head, slowly turning back to the darkness of the forest. I'll only make his job harder if I try to help. I--be safe the both of you.

She turned and ran through the underbrush, using her arms to clear the boughs out of her way.

***

Aella gasped, stumbling backward as her arms flailed to give her balance. She sat down hard on the slick soil, her back hitting the stump of a pine tree. Loose dirt and rocks tumbled down the side of the cliff, making a crackling sound as they fell down and bounced off of the stone. Her foot dangled over the edge and she pulled her legs up to her chest, taking a deep breath.

The rain pelted her body, but her armor was strong. She used her hand to try to clear some of the water off of her helmet, clearing her foggy vision. She jerked as her map buzzed, and she saw five red carets rapidly moving toward her position.

She scooted forward, then twisted her body so she could stare over the edge. A steep, nearly vertical, rocky incline led to the base of the canyon forty feet below. It was barely ten feet wide in most places, widening in others to almost twenty feet. Along the edge of the canyon, the pine trees extending along the walls like dark guards. A rushing stream filled the center of the ravine, and it would only grow with the pouring rain.

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky above her, thunder rumbling across the forest. I have to find that cave. She twisted her body so she lay on her stomach, and she eased herself over the side. Her foot caught an outcropping of rock, and she tested it. The rubber soles of her boots gave her traction. Slowly, she made her way down the cliff, her body trembling as lightning lit up the sky.

She pulled herself tighter to the cliff face, taking a slow and shaky breath. Her map buzzed as the carets stopped next to her position, located somewhere above her. The rain suddenly stopped, and she looked up, seeing a faint red bubble growing over the area, blocking out the storm.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," a voice called out to her, the tone lifting higher and lower in a sing-song way.

A twig crunched in the forest on the other side of the ravine, and her eyes widened as she turned her head.

"Found you," another voice called out.

She screamed as she was pulled away from the cliff, red magic holding her suspended in the air. Her arms and legs were constrained, almost as if they had been tied together, but her feet rested on something that felt solid.

Three women moved out of the shadows of the forest, their forms hard to see in the darkness. Her eyes widened as lightning lit up the area, showing the scarlet lines that were painted on their gray chestplates. Their weapons glowed with red light, and one in the center pointed to her, laughing.

The ravine was plunged into darkness, and Aella gasped. She struggled against the magic, hearing the ground move behind her. Two more players were behind her. They must be the ones holding the spell. She took a deep breath, her efforts useless. She gasped as the binding moved tighter, digging her armor into her skin.

"A Beta this far out?" the woman called out.

Aella froze as she recognized the voice behind the mask. Jakki? She narrowed her eyes as she growled. Her fingers brushed the small pouch hanging from her belt that held the Galaxium crystals. She felt warmth flow into her fingertips, giving her some energy.

She pressed against the magic, feeling it bend slightly.

"She has spunk," Jakki said, laughing. "But you see, Aella," she said, slowly pulling a gun from the holster on her hip.

Aella tensed, staring at the woman's eyes.

Jakki shrugged as she looked at Aella and pointed the gun at her. "You're just another step to climb to the Capitol."

A massive roar split the air as the gun went off, the bullet heading straight for Aella.