The walk to the White Blade was much simpler than I previously thought. Of course, I knew it was near the market square since that is what Phil said it would be. But earlier, I never saw it and it is pretty obvious where it is.

Also, Chimney isn't like any prince I have seen so far. Brice and Lucilius hold themselves to a degree of respect, that much I can tell. And while all three princes don't care for titles among friends, Chimney seems different.

It is like he doesn't care that he is of royal birth at all. He only ever puts his title out there when the situation calls for it, like what happened with me and that guard at the gate. I can't tell if that is because of the lack of inheritance in his future or that is just his personality. Either way, he is a puzzle that I am finding to be very intriguing to solve...if it can be solved that is. After all, people aren't all that simple, they are very complicated beings.

Either way, I want to get to know Chimney...

And I can't tell this desire of mine is because I apparently seem to have some affinity with human princes or something else is at work here. And I frankly don't care if either of those are true or both of them are.

My eyes flickered up to the hanging wooden sign that had the name 'The White Blade' on it with a wooden sword behind the words. Before we went in, Chimney stopped me. I looked at him, confused.

"So, you haven't told me what we need here?" he asked me.

My expression softens. "Oh...that would be helpful I suppose..." I said.

He smiled a bit at me and nods. He crosses his arms. "So, what exactly do we need from this shop?" he asked me.

"We need to talk to Lisanna, Phil told me that she would be able to get what we need to...find Lady Ianite," I whispered the words at the end since we are out in public and I don't want people to hear what we are up too. Something tells me that would be very bad.

Chimney rises an eyebrow up at me. "Well that wasn't what I was expecting to hear. I was expecting something completely benign...not world-changing," he said.

It is turning night, so there aren't a lot of people around and also, the shop is closed. Hopefully, the door is unlocked. I go up to it, turning the knob and pushing. The door opens, a bell chiming as I opened the door.

"We're closed," a voice spoke.

"Sorry, but we need to talk to Lisanna. It's important. Is she here?" I asked the man behind the counter.

The man stared at me but seemed to look past me. "Prince Chimney Swift?" he asked me making me confused. Swift? His last name is Myllet.

Chimney nods. "Yeah, we need to talk to her now," he said stepping towards the man.

"Wait here," he said before he disappeared to the back.

I looked at Chimney. "Swift?" I questioned.

"It's a nickname," he said before looking at me. "Got it because of how quick I am on my feet."

I nod a bit. That sort of reminds me of how I'm known as the Archmage of Solace back home. I look around the shop, so this seems to be various goods, armor, and weapons shop. I smile a bit seeing Phil's name on a sign and some items. I walk over to it, Chimney following me.

"I didn't know Master Phil allowed for humans to sell his inventions," he said looking at them.

I shrug my shoulders. "He gives them things that humans can uses while the mage-only inventions are only sold by him or by other mages," I said. Compared to everything else, Phil's inventions seem to be quite popular. There aren't a lot of them here and the baskets they are in seem empty almost. I smile a bit.

This is good. It means she needs a restock of Phil's inventions. That's very good for us.

The man comes back, along with a woman with the same description as Phil gave me. She looked at me and smiled. "Prince Chimney Swift and you must be Seto, the mage everyone is looking for. What pleasure do I owe for two handsome men to be visiting me?" she asks.

I look at her. "We need supplies, supplies that you can get us quicker than we would be able to obtain ourselves," I said.

"And what would that be?"

'Seto, the device,' Kala reminded me. Oh right! I pull out the metal ball, putting it on the floor, and pressing the button I saw earlier. I jump when a portal appears; Phil, Matthew, and Violet appearing from it.

Phil turned to me. "Was starting to think you had gotten captured or something, we were worried," he said before Violet pointed out Chimney.

"W-Wait, what's a human prince doing here?" Violet asked before I went into detail about everything that had happened from the trouble with the guard and meeting Lucilius.

Phil picks up the device, looking at Lisanna. "I need a favor," he said making her smile.

"Well, I can't say no to my favorite supplier, but you know how our relationship works, Phil. I do something for you and you give me something in exchange," she said before she walked up to him. She looked at the device. "Is that new?"

Phil shakes his head at her. "Not for sale," he answered.

She clicked her tongue, smiling a bit at him. "Alright, what do you need?" she asked.

"Sixteen Eyes of Ender, as well as the location and the Council's plans of the Stronghold. I know the portal was shut down long ago," he said making her sigh.

She shook her head a bit. "You ask too much, Phil," she said.

Phil stepped towards her. "Really? I know you have what I want, Lisanna. Stop acting like you don't. You're the most connected trader in Vienna," he said.

"And what are you offering for payment of my services?" she asked him.

"Phil," I said making him look at me as I point to his inventions on the shelves. I see him smile a bit and look back at Lisanna.

"A full restock of the usual items I sell you but these will be for free at the payment of what I am asking of you," he said making her scoff and cross her arms.

"And you think that will compensate for what you are asking of me? I don't think so. What you are asking of me is liable for treason against the Magic Council, I hope you do realize that. Besides, I am already doing something for you out of the goodness of my heart, for free which is rare," she said making me curious as to what she is already doing for Phil.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"Finding a safe and doable way to cure Master Shiro," Lisanna answered. Cure?

"Have any luck in that by the way?" Phil asked.

Lisanna shakes her head. "Of course not, you have to remember that this technology is not of our world. It is from Master Shiro's. The fact the Council found a way to use it against him is shocking since there is no safe way to remove it that doesn't involve a 95% chance of him dying a slow and painful death. The only person I would think to ask for help on that would be Master Shiro himself or Master Katrina. But since one of them is the patient and the other a dark mage, that is out of the question," she said.

It sounds bad, really bad. Whatever is wrong with Shiro sounds bad.

Violet stepped towards Lisanna. "Can you keep looking? I know Shiro gave up on himself months ago. You are our last hope in saving him," she said.

Lisanna nods. "Of course, but back to the matter at hand. I want more along with a free full restock for what you are asking of me," she said.

Phil sighed. "Fine, what do you want?" he asked.

"I want items I can sell to mages, stuff that--"

Phil shakes his head. "Nope, not happening. I'm not giving you items that can do a whole lot of damage when I know for a fact that the clientele that you cater to isn't always good people. I have standards for who I allow selling what, and you are never getting items that are for mages only," he snapped.

She rose an eyebrow up at him. "You don't trust me?"

Phil shakes his head again. "Not a chance. Ask for something else," he said.

Suddenly, she looked at me and smiled. She went past Phil and came to me. I stepped back, not liking this one bit. She loses her smile, grabbing my arm and squeezing my bicep. "Hm...I expected more, but yet again, you are kinda scrawny looking," she said. Well that was uncalled for...and hurtful.

"Hey now..." I mumbled.

She lets go of my arm. "In a cute way because you are cute, Seto," she said. Violet suddenly grabbed my arm, hugging it as she yanked me away from Lisanna and into her.

"What are you doing? You aren't getting him," she snapped.

Lisanna chuckled, looking at me as I felt my heart race. "Is this your girlfriend?" she asked.

"N-No! He doesn't have a girlfriend!" Violet exclaimed making me look at her. Wow, she didn't hesitate for one second there.

"There's no need to shout that, Vi," I said to her.

"Interesting, you seem like the type of guy that attracts girls," Lisanna said before I saw her smile. "But also good to know you're single." She looked at Phil. "I have the Eyes of Ender in store, as well as the plans and location you so desire. But I am curious, why do you want to go to the End Dimension? Do you want to go dragon slaying?"

"No, that dragon is important to Lady Ianite. Slaying it would be a big mistake. But our business is none of your concern. What would equal the payment to your liking?" he asked.

She paused for a moment, thinking most liking. She stepped towards Phil. "Did you know that there is a rare flower that blooms only in the End? They are called Drake Thorns. They can be used for medicines and other things. Get me a bundle of those to sell, as well as the full restock, and you can consider it a deal," she said. I smile a bit, well that seems easy.

But I saw Phil's eyes narrow at her. "The last time you sent to me to get some stupid plants, they fought back. Will these fight back?" he asked making her chuckle.

"No, no, the most damage they can do is the thorns on the stems," she said.

Phil sighed and nodded. "Alright, it's a deal," he said.

"I'll be right back then," Lisanna said before she left. After a few moments of silence, Violet spoke, looking at Chimney.

"Are you sure you want to come along, sire? It will be dangerous--"

"Vi, you have never seen this man fight before," Matthew said making me curious. I know Chimney said he is known for being quick on his feet and he carries a strange sword. I look at his sword before pointing at it.

"So, what's your sword?" I asked before he smiled and pulled it out. My eyes widen a bit at it. It looked amazing. It a silver blade, a sword that would have looked like any other, but the handle is black and structured carefully to make the wielder hold it with ease and do complicated maneuvers with it. The blade has runes etched into the metal, symbols that I've never seen before and there are lines in between each symbol that make it almost look like the blade is cut up much like a spine is.

"It's a magic blade, my father gave it to me before he died. And you wouldn't believe what it can do until you see it for your own eyes. I do use magic items, that's how I'm so strong. But I can hold my own without them, the items are just an assurance is all...and a perk," he said.

"I wouldn't doubt the prince," Phil said making me look at him. He gives me a small smile, seeming impressed almost. "He not a force to be reckon with on the battlefield, don't underestimate him. There is a very good reason why he is known for being fast. He's faster than Shiro and that in itself was once seen as an impossibility given how fast Shiro's reflexes are."

I smiled a bit. I was happy that I didn't need to be worried about Chimney so much, but I still am since he is still a human, not a mage. And Matthew seemed to know what I was thinking due to what he said next. "There are very few humans that we know that we can trust to win against mages. While I wouldn't say that Chimney could win against a horde of them on his own, he can win against a few. So be at ease, Seto, I trust that Chim will be just fine," he said. I nodded at him, but just because I'm alright with Chimney coming and am somewhat at ease does not mean I'm not going to keep an eye on him. I want to see his skills for myself before I'm am fully put at ease much like the others are.

I nodded. "Okay, I guess I feel a bit better about you coming along," I said to him.

Chimney sheaths his sword, giving me a soft smile. "Don't worry, I know when I'm outmatched. If I know that I'm gonna need help, I'll ask," he said.

"Well, it is always useful to have another swordsman," I said.

"Especially when that swordsman is a noble and a princeling noble at that," Phil said.

"Are you sure Prince Lucilius was okay with you coming along?" Violet asked sounding concerned. I mean, Lucilius didn't seem to approve but he didn't exactly stop Chimney at all. He more encouraged then put Chimney down. I wonder why that is.

Chimney sighed. "Well, probably not. But...it isn't like he would be able to stop me if he tried. He may basically be the king now, but he is my cousin. Lucilius knows that trying to change my mind when my heart is already set is impossible. Besides, it isn't like Rullus really needs me, they need my cousin. Not me," he said making me frown.

I didn't like how he was talking about himself one bit. "Chimney, don't say stuff like that. For you to get a nickname for your deeds on the battlefield means that your people care about you. I've seen how you interact with them and how they regard you. They love you just as much as they love your cousin. Don't talk as if you don't matter, because you do and that just isn't because of your royal title, but your heart at well," I said to him making me get this feeling of nostalgia almost. I feel like I've had this conversation before. Probably with a friend back home, but most likely with Prince Brice or some other royal that I have a close relationship with. Either way, I like what I said.

Chimney stared at him as Violet looked at me. "Wow, that was deep, Setty," he said making me look at her. What did she just call me?

"Did you just--"

She smiles and nods. "Yep," she said.

I stared at her for a moment. "I don't hate it," I said before looking back at Phil. "So, what now?"

"Well, once we get the plans, we head to the Stronghold. I suspect it is gonna be guarded, so there might be fighting involved. Hopefully, The Magic Council abandoned the portal long ago. But we shouldn't discount it just because we believe that they are gone," he said. We all talked until Lisanna came back down with some other person holding three rolls of parchment. But what Lisanna had in her hands brought my full attention. I stare at the items in her arms.

They were...strange. It was a tealish medium size ball, but that wasn't the problem. No...it was the fact that what glowed inside it was what made it look like an eye.

But those things, they are so familiar to me. But why? I feel like I have seen something like that before but...not like that. They weren't teal, why are they teal?

I look away. Of course, they are teal. After all, they are right in front of me and the others seem not to suspect them meaning they are real...but it doesn't feel like they are to me for some reason that I just can't explain. They should be another color, they don't look like that normally. I gritted my teeth right before my head started to hurt again. At first, I was going to just ignore it since I'm sort of use to these headaches by now...but this was different.

My eyes looked back at one of the Eyes of Ender, staring at it. I feel as if I'm drawn to it or something, I don't know why. I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Violet's hand touched my arm making me jump from the sudden contact. I looked at her, seeing she is looking at me with concern and worry. That's when I realize I had subconsciously put my head to my head.

"You feeling okay? Is it your head again?" Violet asked. I lowered my hand, seeing that Chimney and Matthew are looking at me with worry. While Phil was busy talking to Lisanna about the maps and such to notice.

"I..." I mumbled. I know what I want to say but the words aren't coming out of my mouth.

Violet looked over at Phil. "Phil, can you activate that device again? I'm sure you and the prince can handle things without us," she said. Phil nods, placing the device on the floor and activating it. Matthew, Kala, Violet, and I went through the portal that is created, ending up back in the spot that I was at only four hours ago. James, Shiro, Riley, and Reed look at us.

"Where's Phil?" Shiro asked as Violet dragged me by the arm past him.

"He's still at Lisanna's finishing up. I need to talk to Seto alone," she said. She dragged me away as I just let her guide me, Kala staying behind to give us two privacy. Though since she can sense my feelings through our mental connection, it isn't much privacy she is giving us. But that's not really her fault.

My eyes look around the forest, staring at my surrounds...this...feels strange.

What's going on?

A sudden sharp pain hits my head making me yelp and hold my head in my hand. Violet looks over her shoulder at me. "Seto?"

'STOP HARVEY!' A disembodied voice screamed making the pain worse. I groan, Violet grabbed both of my arms, yelling for the others.

I stare blankly at the ground, letting Violet be the one that keeps me balanced and not on the ground. But as the others came, both Riley and James grabbed me as my vision blackened for a moment making me gasp in shock. I look at Violet, who grabbed my shoulders when I almost fell backward.

She's talking to me but I can't hear her words. The strangest thing is...she changes. No, seriously, she changes into a completely different person, and so does the scenery.

Replacing Violet in front of me is a woman with long silvery-white hair and dark brown eyes. She has a cut on her left cheek, blood staining from when it once bled. She looks distraught, she has a firm hold of my shirt, tears in her eyes as she looked both mad and distraught.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" she screams at me making me flinch.

"I-I--" My response stopped when I saw our surroundings.

Rain poured down on us, slowly diminishing the forest fire that is erupting a few dozen feet behind her. The fire lighting up the night in a red and orange glow. The stench of death and blood tainting the air.

What happened here?

I look back at the woman, her grip tightens on my shirt before I saw tears start to trickle down her cheeks. My eyes soften, feeling my heart breaking at the sight of her crying. I want to comfort her, try to stop her from crying but for some reason...I don't.

Her eyes flicker up to meet mine. "I-I can't lose you, I can't. You're a-all I have left in this world," she cried.

"I'm sorry," I said without meaning too. The words just came out of my mouth much like they do with Riley's spell. I raise my arm, my hand cupping her left cheek. I rub my thumb over the cheek, her hands loosen in grip, lowering down from at my chest to near my stomach. That's when I notice the blood on me, I have a lot of dry blood on my clothes while the only spect of blood is on her face. And for some reason...that eases my heart. "I wasn't thinking...obviously..." I lower my hand from her cheek. "I didn't want you involved...I didn't want anyone involved. This is my mess--"

"I-If we didn't come when we did...you would be dead..." she said not looking at me. The fires behind her mostly gone now, leaving the moon to provide light, which isn't a whole lot. I felt her hands tremble.

"Probably..." I said to her.

A small sob escaping through her lips before she buried her face in my shirt, gripping the fabric yet again. "Please...let this go. Let it go. It will be the death of you, I-I know it will. Please don't make me have to bury you too. I'm begging you, stop for me. Stop going after them for me. P-Please..." she sobbed into my shirt.

I hesitated before I wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer. "O-Okay, okay. I'll stop. I'll stop," I told her. I hear her let out a shaky breath, her arms going around my center. I smile a bit. "Not every day the student gets to save the Master, you did well."

I hear her chuckle a bit. She pulls out of my arms, wiping her face with her gloves and sleeves as I saw a small smile on her face. "I learned from the best..." she responded. I step towards her, moving her gloved hands away. I roll my thumb on her cheeks, wiping the tears away. But her redden and puffy eyes are still an indicator that she was crying.

I give her a small smile. "There," I said as I see her cheeks flush in color under my hands. I remove my hands off her, looking her over. "Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head. "No, but you are," she said. I am? I didn't feel any pain? Yet again, I'm not completely sure how much of these flashbacks are like the real time versions. Sometimes I feel pain and other times I don't.

She grabs my left arm, pain stinging up my arm to my shoulder. "Ow," I complain making her smile a bit.

"Baby," she said before I see a gash in my forearm that's seeping out blood.

She took off her scarf making me pull on my arm and shake my head. "No, no, Anna, I'm fine. You don't--"

She ties the scarf around the injury, ignoring my protests. "We'll treat this when we get back," she said.

"Alright," I responded. We started walking, but as we walked, I looked around.

I did this?

This is horrible. I can see dead bodies too, but they're burned beyond recognition. And yet...it still haunts me.

The forest looks horrible. I'm ashamed of myself for doing something like this. But I'm also ashamed that this happened because I refused to let something go. Whatever it was according to...Anna?

Anna...I like that name. I look at her. But the weirdest thing is...she doesn't look all too familiar to me. According to her, I'm very important to her, I'm all she has left or something, and yet...she feels like a stranger.

Brice, Ty, Isaac, and Bodil, when I found out their names and their faces...I could tell they meant something to me. That they are important. They are my friends.

But Anna, she's different. It's like whatever connection we had...it was severed long ago. But why? Why is she different from the rest? What happened between us?

And what couldn't I let go? What couldn't I let go that it nearly killed me?

I wince when my head starts to hurt yet again. I hate these damn headaches. I let out a shaky breath, hearing voices, the voices of Violet, Shiro, and such. I close my eyes, wanting out of this damn nightmare.

And I can tell I did wake up since I'm laying down, not standing up like I was. I can hear distraught voices, they sound panicked.

"Has this happened before?" a voice asked. Wait...that's...I open my eyes, seeing a stone ceiling. I prop myself up, looking around seeing Aslac's chambers. We're back in the palace.

Violet comes to me, making me jump by her sudden appearance. "Are you okay?" she asks as I fully sit up, my hand still holding my head.

"Y-Yeah..." I mumble.

"Do these headaches happen often?" Aslac asked me. I look at him, staring at him for a moment.

I shake my head. "No, just come when I remember something," I said. I saw Violet's expression sadden making me look at her. I forgot the last time I remembered something, I kept it from her. "It was about a woman, her name was Anna and she was...crying. I think she was a student of mine or something." I remember that I did refer to her as the student and me a master or professor or something.

"So you are a professor of some sorts?" Violet asked me.

I shake my head. I don't think I'm a professor, at least not like the professor at the academies. I think...this is different. "I don't know how to put it, but I don't think I'm like the professors at the academy. I just have that feeling. And also...Anna didn't feel like Brice or Ty or Bodil. The others felt important like I've known them for years, while Anna...it is almost like that's the first time I ever met her," I said.

Aslac touched my arm. "Give yourself some time, Seto. You're going through a lot right now, don't overwork yourself. How's your leg?" he asked.

I look at him and smile a bit. "A lot better thanks to you. It doesn't hurt as much as it once did, it is just sore," I said.

Aslac smiles at me. "I'm glad, want me to teach you how to make your pain medicine so you can make it during your journey?" he asked.

I smile and nod. "Yes, I would love that!" I said making him chuckle lightly.

"Come on then," he said behind him walked away and to the table with all his equipment on it. I follow him, leaving Violet sitting on the bed, watching us. Kala is also laying on the bed, laying at the foot of it. "Okay, we need radish, bishopwort, garlic, wormwood, helenium, cropleek, and hollowleek."

I look at him confused. "And those look like and are?" I questioned.

"Look in your book," he said. As I get my book, Violet comes over, watching. I look around, not seeing the Fyre Brothers, the princes, or...anyone. It is just us four.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Talking to the king and Prince Lucilius," Violet answered before she looked at Aslac. "Is this alchemy?"

Aslac shakes his head. "No, not exactly. Nature provides many herbs that can be extracted and used for medicines. It's science. Basically what I am doing is what you wizards do with your medicines, but without magic," he said.

Violet nods. "Ah, okay," she said.

"Wait, wizards use methods like this?" I ask her.

She looked at me and nodded. "We use herbs and such as well, but we enhance their effectiveness through magic. Not all ailments can be cured through healing magic since not all diseases are the same. Nyara is a talented healer, she is one of the best. The Fyre Brothers had contacted her after finding you. You were in really bad shape. Nyara used healing magic on your leg, but she also used herbal medicine as well. Whatever inflicted the injury on your leg wasn't normal. She suspects that the wound was magic-induced. So, she can't completely cure it without knowing what exactly happened. And since you had no memory, it was pointless to ask you," she said.

"Huh...so to cure a magic-induced wound or disease, you need to know what magic was used?" I asked.

Aslac nods. "Yes, magic is sensitive and dangerous. Healing magic is very sensitive and tricky. If you don't use the right healing spell, you could end up killing your patient by accident," he said.

Violet nods again. "Healing magic has to be precise and perfect. It values the feedback from a victim since that determines what healing spell that's used. Also, what magic type of wizard is very important. If you used a water type healing spell on Matthew for example, it would do more damage than good," she said. She then crossed her arms, looking frustrated. "That is also why I rejected studying healing magics. Sure they are useful but they are a pain in the ass. Too many things can go wrong."

I looked at Aslac. "Is there bad things like that with herbal medicines?" I asked.

He shrugs his shoulders. "Medicines of any kind can turn into poisons with relative ease. So anything can happen. The medical field is trial and error, mistakes happen. All you can do is learn from it and better the research for future generations," he said.

Violet nodded. "Exactly, if you want to know more about the medical field in the wizarding community, talk to Nyara. That is her field of expertise after all," she told me. If I get the chance, I definitely will ask her. I looked at Aslac. "Well, how do you make the pain medicine?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After learning how to make the medicine, which is vital information, Violet and I left. We both went to see where the others ended up at. Which was talking with the king and the two princes.

When we entered the throne room, the conversation that was taking place stopped. I almost stopped in place when I saw who turned to look at me.

It was the others and Prince Lucilius...but no king. Where is the king? I thought they were also talking to him?

Oh wait, Chim did say that Lucilius was basically the king without being officially throned. What happened to the king? Is he sick or something?

"Seto," Matthew said taking a few steps towards us as we walked up to them. "How are you feeling?"

I give him a small smile. "Well, my head hurts. But that isn't anything new. I'm used to that by now. Sorry for the scare, that...just happens sometimes," I admitted.

"It happened once and you were only out for a few minutes. This time you were out for almost two hours," Phil told me. Well...that does make sense I suppose.

That memory recall seemed longer than the rest. I look away from them. "I-I remembered a girl, a possible student of mine or something. Her...Her name was Anna," I said.

"So you are a professor?" James asked.

I shake my head. " I don't know, I don't think I'm a professor like the ones at the academies. This seems...feels different. Your students have a relationship that is appropriate for professor and student. Not too personal but still having a friendship like status with more respect added. But Anna and I...it's...I don't know. I don't know how to describe it, it's like she and I are siblings but we aren't blood-related. She said that I was all she had left and she...she couldn't take it something happened to me," I said. That's when the reality set in. If she can't take me dying then...my expression dropped. Everyone in my homeworld thinks I'm dead.

Everyone...including her.

H-How did she take that news? Is she okay? She was sobbing at the thought of me dying. And that was when I was still alive...how is she going to be when the word is that I am dead...

"I need to get home to her. She...She was distraught at the thought of my dying," I said.

"And you said that people think you were killed in your world..." Matthew said. I nodded, looking at the floor. I need to get home as soon as possible...I need to figure out what happened to Anna, to Prince Brice and Ty, and the others. I need to figure out what happened to my home and help in any way I can.

But I own a debt to the Elites and their friends, they are the reason I'm still alive. So...I owe them.

My eyes flicker up, looking at Lucilius. "Can you provide us horses to make traveling easier?" I asked him.

He gives me a smile and nods. "Of course I can."