Month 1, Day 4, 12:40:00; Arvium, High Council Great Hall

"Aella," a voice called to her, soft and seeming like it was simultaneously next to her and yet so far away. "Aella, wake up."

Garron.

Her eyes flickered open, and she saw Prince cradling her shoulders as a Healer worked near her shoulder.

"There we go," the healer said. "She's coming to."

"There's been a casualty," she heard someone say in low tones somewhere behind her. She gasped as she felt a weight on her leg, and she looked down, seeing Beo resting his head on her leg. "Are you safe, my lady?"

She nodded and smiled softly.

The wolf nudged her, then vanished, leaving behind only wispy smoke.

"Can you stand?" Prince asked.

Aella paused, then looked at her arm, seeing only a pale jagged scar where the arrow had been. She had returned to her avatar's form, the transformation ended since Beo had left. She blinked, feeling tired. But she nodded. "I think so."

She took his hand as he helped her to stand. She glanced around the hall, at the angry voices and the guards stationed at various points in the room.

"Silence," Prince said, raising his voice so the Hall could hear him. The Hall quieted, and he took a deep breath, crossing his arms over his chest.

Aella winced, her head aching with each word he spoke.

"She attacked a player," Nike called out to him, her tone slow and accusatory. She held a dagger in her hands, and she slowly twisted it, examining the blade.

"She has no control" another Council member said.

"Give her a mentor," someone else said. "She has too much power to be left alone."

"Aella," came a voice in her ear. "Do you want me there?"

Prince stepped in front of her, shielding her from the council. "She is a Beta," he said. "She has been in the Game only four days, and she has already killed a Boar and gained a transformation—we should not be criticizing her but applauding her ability."

"Her ability to go where she's not supposed to and make trouble," Nike said.

She took a deep breath, even though her heart was pounding in her chest. "No," she whispered. She stepped past Prince but paused when he placed his hand on her arm.

Quiet chatter filled the air, muted as the players whispered and huddled close to each other. "You are correct," he told the rest of the High Council. "The protocol for such actions, killing or attempting to kill another player is sentencing to the Underworld. But this was a matter of self-defence, and with more training you will be able to control your transformations and avoid another situation such as this one."

He turned to Aella. "We of the High Council caution you to avoid following such actions outside of battles in the future and be assured that this is a formal warning with consequences to follow if you choose to disobey. But in this instance you are found clear of intentional malice, and are clear on the grounds of self-defense. Do I have any objections from the High Council?"

Nike raised her dagger. "Aye—but I will withdraw my opposition if she declares a mentor, here and now."

Prince was silent for a moment, before he nodded. "Wait here," he said.

Aella swallowed as he left her side and made his way up a few steps and onto the platform. He sat down in his chair in the center of the council, next to an empty chair, and he nodded.

"You are untrained and your transformation enacted before you could control it, Aella Rynnex."

"Legend," a man called from behind her.

She turned, recognizing the voice, and saw Giescul, leader of the Invictus guild step forward and bow to the Council.

"The Council recognizes Giescul of Invictus."

"I offer to be mentor to the Beta."

"As do I," a woman said. Aella turned to look at her, and she felt a cold brush of air as she recognized the armor as the same that Nike wore.

"The Council recognizes Laeta of Mortia."

Invictus and Mortia want to mentor me?

"Aella," Garron's voice said in her ear. She blinked at his voice. "Choose a mentor—you will gain the ability to move freely about the game, and they will be able to protect you if you are ever attacked again. I will still be able to train you."

"You have heard the conditions of the Council, Aella" Prince said. He turned to Nike and nodded to her. "Even though Nike does not have a majority, I agree with her decision that you declare a mentor here today."

Aella nodded. She reached up and touched the crystal on her neck. Then she closed her eyes and was quiet for several moments.

"Do you accept Giescul of Invictus or Laeta of Mortia's offers of mentorship?"

Aella opened her eyes, moving her head so she was looking Prince in the eye. She took a deep breath and stepped forward. Her lips moved as she whispered the spell and the keypiece appeared in her hand.

She held up the keypiece, glancing at it's surface. It was a deep emerald color, it's surface marked by golden swirls that were part of an unknown design. Two of its edges was jagged, meant to be joined together with the other keypieces.

The change in the council was immediate—they were silent for a moment, their eyes wide. Then the entire Hall seemed to erupt in sound.

"Aella, what are you doing?" Garron's voice said in her ear. His tone was hurried and harsh, as if he was about to jump in front of her and go into battle.

She glanced up, looking up into the dark rafters of the ceiling, her eyes searching the darkness for any sign of movement.

Prince stood, and the Council turned to him, glancing between him and Aella as they quieted.

Aella moved her head down, looking at each of the council members. She closed her fist, returning the key to her storage.

"Congratulations upon finding the first keypiece for Terra, Aella Rynnex," he called to her. His voice was loud, but toneless, emotionless.

She nodded once, then turned her attention to the other Council members. Each one held a neutral expression, hiding their emotions from her.

Prince nodded. "Keypieces are needed to unlock the portal doorway that leads to a new planet or system, but they are also used to unlock access to the next cities within a system. There are three cities in each system, and each have a keypiece. The combined keypieces needed to unlock the doorway to the next system. Your keypiece to Terra will unlock the portal to Bela but must be joined with two other keypieces to unlock the doorway to Terra.Any, and all, members in your party will be able to cross with me into the next city. Generally, the members of a party are those in a team or a guild. Do you understand?"

Aella nodded her head.

Prince nodded once. "This changes matters considerably. We had hoped that more time would be given to the new Beta players before Bela was unlocked, as the monsters and challenges that come forth are beyond your skill levels at the moment. However, while protocol of the keypieces states that all Apprentices with keypieces may pass through the barrier by themselves, we recommend that you either declare a mentor, or join a guild before you find the rest of the Terran keypieces. "

Aella straightened her shoulders, relaxing the tensed muscles in her abdomen and legs.

"You have been offered a place in both Invictus and Mortia" Prince said. "Do you choose a guild today?"

Aella took a deep breath, then turned around, facing Giescul and Laeta who still stood in the center of the Hall. "I thank you both for your offer. I am flattered that someone of each of your standings wishes to mentor me."

She turned back to the Council and smiled. "I do wish to join a guild and accept an offer of mentorship today. With permission from the High Council of the I.L.S. Beta Game, and the members thereof, I ask that Ender Dragon Rider became my mentor, and that I be able to declare a new guild—the Sapphire Phoenix—today. Its members will be my current training team."

"Objection," Nike shouted, standing and pounded her fist on the arm of her chair, shattering the marble and sending chunks onto the floor.

"What?" Prince said, his calm demeanor flickering for a moment to anger before returning to his neutral expression.

"Aella, this is a dangerous game you are playing" Garron said. "You will be a target from both Invictus and Mortia, and you will put your team in danger. Are you sure about this?"

Aella stepped forward. "I am recommended to be a light-affiliated Elite player, but Ender Dragon Rider is a dark-affiliated Merchant player. I understand your hesitation, since the two Professions have major differences. These difficulties would have to be surpassed before I would be able to succeed. So I propose a compromise—that I be allowed to train with both a light-affiliated Elite from the Invictus Guild and a dark-affiliated Elite from the Mortia guild. I do not wish to choose sides, so I choose to create my own side. Whomever I ally myself with will be decided later on, once I have come to know the two guilds more in depth."

Nike suddenly dropped to one knee, bowing, and Prince lowered his head. The Hall quieted, and the silence that followed felt heavy.

Aella slowly turned around, seeing a man in dark scarlet armor standing at the end of the center carpet near the entrance. A team of powerful Alpha players in similar armor stood around him.

"Giescul," the man said, his voice deep and powerful enough to carry to each corner of the room. "As leader of the Mortia guild and its affiliates, I accept her compromise. Does Invictus?"

"Thanatos," Giescul called from his spot near the tables.

Aella's eyes widened, and her arms crossed over her chest, her heart starting to beat faster.

The leader of Invictus turned to her, his eyes searching hers. He nodded and turned back to the Council. "I accept her compromise, Prince."

Aella turned to Prince, seeing his eyes narrow and his body tense. "Then it is settled. We call Ender Dragon Rider to come before the High Council so that we may judge his ability to mentor you."

"What?" Aella said, her voice cracking as she reached a hand forward.

Prince waved his hand to the guards at the back of the room. "Summon the Dragon Rider immediately."

Aella glanced at Nike, seeing the grin that crept onto her face. Her eyes traced the line of the woman's arm to where her hand rested on the hilt of her sword. "No," she whispered, letting her hand fall to her side.