"Wh---What...." Zuno was speechless. He fell to the ground. He was bleeding heavily. Gwen had cut his stomach, Zuno was dying.

"Why..." He cried.

"You left me to die. Ravenrock took me in and cared for me." She replied.

Zuno crawled as he leaned to a wall. Holding his bleeding stomach he said, "I thought they killed you. You fainted and I couldn't do anything much back then."

Tears started coming out of Gwen as she removed her hood. "You couldn't do much, I know that. They trained me to become an assassin. For me to pass their test and earn their trust, I have to kill my closest people." She replied as she wiped her tears off her face.

"You don't have to do th---" Zuno coughed out blood and continued "run away with me." He moaned.

"What is done cannot be undone. It is too late, I can't save you." Gwen said.

From the back, an arrow penetrated Gwen's chest. She fell. Arya came running in.

"Zuno! Stay with me!" She yelled. She immediately approached Zuno and began healing him.

"Pl---ease don't let her die." Zuno said with a faint voice. Then he fainted.

-------------

Zuno opened his eyes, he was on his bed. He looked to his left, Arya was looking out of the window. He sees that Gwen was also still on bed, but she was tied up.

"I did what you asked. Do I always have to save your life?" She giggled.

"Thank you, I owe you again." Zuno said.

"Why save her though? She almost killed you, good thing I didn't kill her." Arya replied.

"I lost her once, I'm not planning to lose her again." Zuno made clear.

Arya felt pain in her chest, it was not a physical wound, but something else. "Do you plan to take her with us to Andeena?" She asked.

"I--- I don't know." Zuno was still shocked that Gwen was alive. "We'll ask her questions once she's awake."

"Good news from Andeena, you can enter and I'll be guiding you again, this time, I'm your guardian." Arya pointed out.

"Guardian? Why would I need a guardian?" Zuno asked.

"Ehm, if I hadn't been here to heal you, you would be dead by now, and don't even mention the past actions I did. You need me. Arya joked.

Zuno was speechless, "but I'm dangerous, you'll not be safe around me."

"Don't worry, now I got blessed with royal magic, I can protect myself and even you from yourself." Arya said.

Gwen's bed started to shake, she was struggling to untie herself.

"Gwen, calm down." Zuno said

"I can't be calm! I failed to kill you and now I definitely can't go back. What am I going to do?" She yelled.

Gwen, the one that Zuno thought was weak and extremely kind, was now someone unknown to him. She had completely changed since the last time they saw each other. She was now a trained assassin. He cried for days mourning her death, and now she shows up trying to kill him. But he knows, deep inside, Gwen was still the same person from back in the village.

"You can come with us." He said.

Arya poked Zuno and whispered. " If she comes with us, I don't think she can come to Andeena. They don't accept strangers, you know. Besides, I kind of hate her and do you really trust that she won't kill you along the way?"

"I'm not breaking a promise again." Zuno replied.

"I can't come with you, not after what I've done." Gwen said.

"Seeee, we'll just leave her." Arya exclaimed.

"I'll take care of you Gwen, just like back then, but I'm not leaving you again." Zuno comforted Gwen.

"Argh I can't believe this!" Arya shouted.

Gwen just smiled and nodded. So now, the three of them will venture to Andeena.

"We should leave immediately." Arya said. "I've got my eye on you, if you're slow, we'll leave you behind and if you're a burden, I will kill you myself. I'm not your friend." Arya came closer and whispered to Gwen as she untied her.

"Let's go." Zuno said. "We still have a long journey ahead."

The three left the fishing village.

--------------------

"Right, now where do we go from here? Lead the way Arya." Zuno said.

"Follow me, we have to go Cresan City first, then to The Fallen Lake and then to the Silent Mountains." Arya pointed out.

The three walked towards Cresan City.

"Gwen, if I may ask, do you know a boy named Wize?" Zuno asked.

"The white haired boy right? Yep, I knew him. He was one of the best warriors in Ravenrock. I was sent along with him to capture you and bring you back to Ravenrock." Gwen replied.

"What you did back there... You almost killed him. How were you actually planning to capture him?" Arya wondered.

"For start, I didn't think this through and just wanted to find you when I heard the news about the incident back in Floran City and the fact that I didn't hear any news from Wize's Scouting Legion. I know something was up. I guess I couldn't bear seeing a familiar face again. I just decided kill you to finally not let my emotions and feelings get in my way again." Gwen explained to Zuno.

"Kill me huh? What will you do now?" Zuno questioned.

"I guess if it is safe with you, I'll come with you all the way." Gwen said.

"Zuno is dangerous, very dangerous. You know about his powers right?" Arya made clear.

"I do. I have no---" before Gwen had finished talking, Zuno said "Once we get to Andeena, I'll know my powers and hopefully can control it."

They walked across hills and forests. After a few hours of walking, they came across a lake.

------------------

"Beautiful view, we should stay near the lake for the night." Arya said. The others agreed and they made camp.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to place magic barriers around us." She said.

Zuno was laying on the grassfield by the river and Gwen was by the camp.

Zuno looked to the stars, "Mom, Dad, I'm still alive. I'm still keeping the promise to come back and save you. But it will take time, for now I must learn about my powers. Be patience, I'll come back. Stay safe." He thought to himself as tears started coming out of his eyes.

Zuno sensed something, shadows, lurking nearby. He stood up and reached for his sword, but it wasn't there. He left it at the camp. Not far away, but he was not armed.
"No, no! Don't turn into a shadow!" He yelled. A arrow came flying towards Zuno, straight for his heart. But it did not penetrate, a shadow had shielded Zuno. He turned around to find Gwen the one firing the arrow. Zuno's body became static as his eyes turned all black and shadows started coming out of him, engulfing his body. He made his swords flung towards him, using 'the shadow'. He was prepared to charge at Gwen.

Gwen, after firing the arrow, was now shocked that Zuno didn't die and that he was now engulfed in shadows. She took out her sword and prepared to parry up against Zuno.

Arya was still casting  protection spells around the area when she sensed shadows, "No..." She mumbled. She quickly finished the spell and ran back to the camp.

"I'm sorry Zuno, I had to..." Gwen cried.

Zuno was no longer himself, the surroundings of him became dark and shadows started filling the skies around him. He was stronger than the last time he turned into a shadow-covered man. He lifted his swords, place it behind his head, on his shouldes, ready to strike. "You will now die." He said, his voice was various, deep and high voices came together, talking at the same time. He leaped to Gwen at high speed, hitting her sword and unarming her. He slashed his blade to Gwen. Gwen fell down, nearly dead. Zuno took up his sword and prepared to strike the final blow. Gwen was powerless, she couldn't even say a word anymore.

A spell was heard, "By the power of light, I vanish thee to darkness!" Arya summoned her magic staff and blasted an enegry ball to Zuno. Zuno was thrown back, he dropped his sword and he summoned a dark bow from the shadows. He pointed at Arya, an arrow was created from the darkness and he shot the arrow. "Shield!" She casted a spell, surrounding her with a barrier. The arrow didn't penetrate. "Let Light shine through." She thrusted her staff into the air, enlighting the entire lake. The shadows from Zuno started to dissappear, but not all.
He drew his bow again and fired his arrow, "Help me." He cried out.

"Let's end this, by the power of the divine magic, I send you back to darkness!" She ran to Zuno and pointed her staff at him. The staff touched Zuno, the shadows dispersed and dissappeared. Zuno passed out.

Arya immediately ran towards Gwen, who was dying. She put her hands on Gwen, trying to heal her. With the power she had left, Gwen put her hand on Arya's, "Don't.... It's okay.... Thank you." She said as she took her last breath.