I took the bottle and opened it. Inside was another note.

"The Ashburn Volcano
Burns brighter than the sun
With your courageousness
Being tested, this trial will be fun
Past the Inferno Gates
Dive into the fiery passion
In the heat of battle
You will retrieve the
Dragon Eye Medallion."

"Guess we're going to meet Jedidiah." Spencer said.

"Yup. Better get going, Clara," I said.

"Good luck, Courtney." she said.

"Please... call me Allegra."

I kissed Minerva goodbye and met up with Spencer.

"Just follow the southern currents, and you'll be at Flare Blaze Island." Clara said.

"Okay, bye!" we said.

We swam out of the trench and started heading south. Then, we started swimming much faster, even though we were swimming the same speed.

"We must be in the currents Clara was talking about." Spencer said.

"If we keep following it, we'll be at Flare Blaze Island in no time at all." I said.

Spencer and I stopped swimming and just flowed with the currents.

"By the way, do you have an answer for the question Rokai asked yet?" Spencer asked.

"No, not yet, but I'm working on it." I replied.

Then, the water started getting warmer. I looked ahead, and saw underwear volcanoes. I looked down and we were directly over one. I heard it rumble and got nervous. I grabbed Spencer and brought him close. I quickly put up a water barrier. When the volcano erupted, the hot steam went past us.

"Phew... that was close," I said.

"Yeah... thanks," Spencer said.

"Don't mention it."

"We must be here at Flare Blaze Island, because the water is really warm."

I nodded and brought down the barrier. The two of us swam up and looked around us. As the sun was rising, the night vision spell wore off. We looked around and soon saw an island not too far from where we were.

Must be Flare Blaze Island.

"Race you there!" Spencer said, swimming ahead.

"Hey, no fair!" I laughed.

We soon made it to Flare Blaze Island and laid out on the crimson red sand. Then, the ground started to shake. Spencer and I looked up and saw smoke wafting from the Ashburn Volcano.

"Looks like it's about to erupt." Spencer said.

"Yeah. Let's get to the Inferno Gates before Ashburn blows its top." I said.

We got up and started walking along the path into a small jungle.

"Place bring back any memories?" Spencer asked.

"I'm working on it," I said, looking around.

"The note said that your courageousness will be tested. Wonder what you need your courage for?"

"Hm... good question."

Come on, Courtney, think... what around here looks familiar...?

As I was thinking, I saw a rundown temple, or a ruin of some sort. We walked up to it and looked around at the broken temple. I picked up a piece of it and blew away the dust. I soon made out some letters on the broken piece.

"-WARE OF LA-"

Hm... what could this mean?

"Hey Spence," I called out.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Look around for pieces with letters on them."

He nodded and started searching.

"Found one!" he said.

Spencer brought it over and there were more letters like the piece I had.

"-VA MON-"

"Let's keep searching." I said.

We split up and looked around the whole ruin. After a few minutes, we both found two pieces with letters.

"BE-" "-STER"

"I think that's all of them." I said.

"But what does it say?" Spencer asked.

I looked back and forth at the pieces in front of us to see if I can make out any words. I bent down and switched around the pieces. I stepped back and my eyes widened at what it spelled out.

"BEWARE OF LAVA MONSTER"

"Yup... well, I don't know about you... but, I'm going home," Spencer said, turning around.

"Oh no you don't," I said, grabbing his shoulder.

"Courtney, did you read what it says? I bet you the lava monster is guarding the Dragon's Eye. If it is, what are we going to do?"

"We'll fight. The note said that our courageousness will be tested, and right now, we need to be courageous. Are you with me or not?"

Spencer averted my gaze and sighed. He then looked back at me with a determined look.

"With you to the end... always." he said.

I smiled and nodded. We walked away from the temple and made our way to the foot of the volcano. When we made it, the two of us looked up at the massive volcano.

In History of Magic class, our teacher, Professor Ella Nightingale, said that the Ashburn Volcano is bursting with very powerful fire magic. Some say it's where fire magic originated from. Not even a powerful water spell could extinguish its flames.

"Hey, I see the gates from here." Spencer said pointing.

I looked over and saw a golden gate with fire crystals around it, but it was up really high.

"Okay... how are we going to get up there?" I asked.

"Maybe there are stairs somewhere?" Spencer suggested.

"Good idea, Spence. Let's start looking."

We nodded at each other and split up. I checked on the side of the volcano while Spencer checked the jungle. As I was walking, I realized that I was under something, because the sun's ray's weren't hitting me anymore. I looked up and saw some light filtering through some cracks. I stepped out of the shadow and looked to see what it was, but nothing was there.

That's strange.

I walked around it and gasped. Right there in front of me were rocks forming a staircase.

They blended in so well with the volcano that you have to be in a different perspective just to see them.

"Spencer! I found them!" I called out.

Few seconds later, I saw Spencer emerging from the jungle.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"Let's." I said.

I started walking up the stairs with Spencer close behind. When we reached the door, I took a deep breath, and opened it. Smoke and ash wafted out of the door. I looked down, and boiling, hot lava was bubbling beneath us. A small platform was in front of us, but it ends midway.

"Stay here, Spence. I don't want you to get hurt," I said.

"But what about you?" he asked.

"I'm getting the Dragon's Eye."

"That's suicide! If that lava monster is really guarding it..."

"Hey, hey... it's going to be okay. I'm going to be okay. That lava monster is going to have to try its best to get me, but... if it does get me... I need you to finish the Wizard Trials in my name."

"But-"

I covered his mouth and shook my head.

"Swear to me right now you'll do it," I said, lowering my hand.

"I swear." Spencer said.

"I'll come back to you, I promise..."

I gave him the biggest hug in his life, and he hugged tighter.

To me, that is the best feeling in the world. When you hug someone close to you and they hug you back tighter...

I released him and smiled.

"Wait for me at the foot of the volcano." I said.

"Okay... good luck, sis." Spencer said.

I nodded and walked through the Inferno Gates. I walked to the edge of the platform and looked down.

One slip off this platform, and you're as good as dead.

I placed my hand on my chest and recited a fire protection spell.

"Flamio Shield!" I said.

A warm aura surrounded me like a gentle, summer breeze. Soon, I was surrounded in an orange barrier. I stepped back to the gates and then sprinted. I flipped off the ledge and dived into the lava.

If it wasn't for the fire protection spell, I would've been burnt to a crisp.

I swam deeper into the lava and looked around for the Dragon's Eye.

If I remember correctly, some say that the Dragon's Eye is a myth, and that no one was able to find... needless to say even get close to it with the lava monster guarding it. The Dragon's Eye should be easy to spot because it glows a bright green.

When I touched the bottom of the volcano, I landed on something hard. I looked closer and saw that it was obsidian.

If you want to know how walking through lava feels, it feels like someone is pushing you the opposite direction, even though you're walking forward.

"If I were a Dragon's Eye, where would I be...?" I asked myself.

As I said that, I saw a faint green light at the corner of my eye. I turned around and saw the Dragon's Eye. It was surrounded by golden scales with a silver chain attached to it. As I reached for the medallion, it started to move. Then, right above it, three pairs of bright, red eyes opened, one by one.

The lava monster...

It rose up until it was higher than the volcano itself. I threw down a levitation potion from my belt and I rose up back to the platform.

"I am Anvar... Who dares disturb my slumber?" he asked.

"I... I am... Courtney Lockheart. I come in search of the Dragon's Eye," I said.

Anvar looked down at the medallion and then glared at me.

"If it is the Dragon's Eye you seek, battle me at Ashburn's peak."

"Challenge accepted, Anvar."

I threw another levitation potion and rose up to Ashburn's peak.

Anvar looks very powerful. Even a powerful water spell wouldn't finish him off... so how about the most powerful water spell?

Without warning, Anvar slammed his fist down on me. Good thing I dodged it.

That was close... Even though he's bound to the volcano, he's pretty fast.

I stood my ground and recited a water spell.

"Sabo Aqua!" I said.

An orb of water formed between my hands and exploded. The water rained down on Anvar, but it did absolutely nothing.

"What harm can you do to me? No water spell of any kind can defeat me!" Anvar bellowed.

He then slammed his fists, over and over again, trying to hit me. I dodged every single one of them with elegance.

"I can't defeat you, but this can!" I said.

I snapped my fingers and the Shannon Pearl Gem appeared. It hovered between my hands, and then it began to glow. As I concentrated on its power, my eyes began to glow.

"Waters of Meldaria, hear my plea, arise and stand with me! Aqua Vortex!" I cried.

I heard the crashing of waves behind me as I recited the spell. Waves, higher than Anvar crashed into him. He screamed in agonizing pain. When the water died down, Anvar was nothing but an obsidian statue. The Dragon's Eye glowed within his chest. I snapped away the Shannon Pearl Gem and used earth magic to make a platform to it. I walked along the platform and looked at the Dragon's Eye. I placed my hand over it and ripped it out of Anvar's chest. The obsidian started to crack until lava poured down. The lava soon filled up the Ashburn Volcano. I looked at the Dragon's Eye and smiled.

Two down, four more to go.

I then snapped it away.

"AH!"

My heart stopped when I heard that cry.

...Spencer...

I jumped off the volcano and found my brother in the claws of what looked like to be a demon. He had blood red skin and piercing yellow eyes. His hair was on fire and standing at end. He had Spencer in one hand and the other engulfed in flames.

"How dare you come here without my consent! Now pay for your insolence, boy!" he cried.

I quickly ran up to them and grabbed Spencer. I pulled him out of his grasp and put Spencer behind me.

"If you're going to kill my brother, you're going to have to get through me first!" I growled.

The man's eyes widened, the flames in his hand diminished, and the fire on his head turned back into long, flowing, bright red hair.

"Allegra...?" he asked.

This time, my eyes widened.

This must be Jedidiah.

"Yeah... it's me, Jedidiah." I said.

He reached out to me and pulled me into a hug. When we parted, we both smiled at each other.

"I can't believe you're alive. How've you been?" Jedidiah asked.

"Fine," I said.

"That's good."

"Let me guess. Rokai told you I was coming, didn't he?"

"How'd you know?"

I pulled away from him and snapped my fingers. Then, the Dragon's Eye and the Shannon Pearl Gem appeared.

"Ah... that's how. You're taking the Wizard Trials," he said.

"Yup," I said.

"You're doing good so far, Allegra."

"Actually Jedidiah... there's something I need to tell you."

I soon explained everything to him.

"So you don't remember anything?" he asked.

"Not one thing. I did remember Minerva from the Aquarian Ocean," I said.

"It's a start, a great start, in fact. Anything here bring back any memories?"

"That rundown temple a few minutes from here sparked something earlier, but I can't put my finger on it, though."

"Oh, you mean the Ember Glade Temple."

The name hit me like a dagger to the back.

"Name ring any bells, sis?" Spencer asked.

"Big ones... it's foggy, but... I remember playing... hide and seek, with Jedidiah and two other boys at that temple," I said.

"Can you make them out?"

"No... it's too vague. But remembering something from here is really good."

"Yeah, extremely. Oh, by the way, I found this when I spotted Spencer at the foot of Ashburn." Jedidiah said, holding up a small bottle.

It was like the other two, but this one was green.

Time for our next clue, it would seem...

"NO! She's remembering too much all at once! We should just destroy her, now!"

"I agree... what is the point in waiting to strike when now is the perfect opportunity?"

"Patience is key, sisters... good things come to those who wait..."