Eldwin's body became heavier as he felt himself sink into the cold abyss. His mind wheeled with what he should be doing now. He couldn't see anything, and as for his feeling, it was all cold and wet. Eldwin flung his arms out and around, searching for something or someone to grab onto. The sound of a nearby splash erupted close to him as the pressure around his body changed. He spun around in the water, searching for whatever had just joined them while praying it wasn't the monster.

As his body sank lower, his lungs began burning. He puffed his cheeks out, trying to get any extra spot of air he could. He wished to swim upwards and refill his lungs, but with all his flailing, he forgot which direction up was. He was going to die here; there was no question about it now. His mind raced to see if Abraxas had given him advice on what to do from this point, but nothing came to him. For all he knew, Abraxas could have another pet lurking in the waters waiting to devour him.

 A dull yellow light began emanating from the bottom of the pit. The light moved upwards, giving light to Eldwin and his surroundings. He noticed the wall was painted with intricate designs with gold paint above him; he assumed that was the top with the blue paint wall going down for several feet before the gold came back with more artwork painting what he thought was the bottom. He grabbed his neck as he began searching for other people. His vision faded as a complex piece of an object he couldn't tell the make of came into his mouth and pressed hard into his teeth.

Eldwin breathed in several lungs full of air as his vision became clear and crisper. He saw Kirk floating before him with what appeared to be a red piece of coral in his mouth before grabbing Eldwin's arm and pulling him to the bottom of the bowl. Eldwin wanted to pull away from the other teen but found all his energy had been exhausted from flailing; he was glad Kirk was there to land a hand. As they drew closer to what appeared to be the circular entrance, he watched as Abraxas poked his head through to see if they were coming before disappearing through the opening.

Kicking hard, the boys propelled each other toward the opening. Eldwin watched Kirk slip through first, then followed suit. The two boys emerged into a bigger room on the other side; this time, bubbles appeared on the far right, ponding heavily into the water's surface. Kirk yanked on Eldiwn's wrist, singling him to go upwards. It was all Eldwin could do to keep from wincing from his pressure. The two boys burst through the surface up to their shoulders before treading.

"Rax, they made it!" Came Sari's cheerful voice.

 "As I knew they could." Abraxas chuckled somewhere behind her.

"Oh, Eldwin, it has been forever since I came here. Did you see the turtle and starfish carvings?" Sari asked excitedly as she helped Eldwin out of the water. Eldwin stared at her blankly as he coughed the weird object out of his mouth and into his hand. It was red and bumpy, almost shaped like coral. 

 "I had already opened the entryway before he arrived, Sari." Abraxas voice came from behind her. Eldwin looked around her and noticed they were in a large cavern big enough to hold several football stadiums twice as long. So many statins were set up toward the back, and he couldn't get them out, but close by, he noticed a small kitchenette made out of several stones with a fire burning and water boiling on the top. Sitting a little ways in front of the kitchen was a makeshift table with four wooden stools nearby. Abraxas sat on one as he peered over a scroll on the table. Across from the kitchen was a pile of rocks that appeared to have some shortness of bedding on them, and a black curtain around it blocked the view of the rest of the cave.

The water splashed around him as Kirk pulled himself out. Sari handed him a towel before helping Eldiwn out as well. Eldwin turned and looked where he came from; if he hadn't known better, he had just gone for a delightful swim with a roaring waterfall raining down. With a sigh, he adventured closer to his teacher, who was still gazing downward at the scroll.

Eldwin scrolled over the page and gazed past his teacher at the apartment. The characters on the page were shaped like boxes and circles, making them impossible to decipher. "You know it's not polite to look at other people's mail, correct?" the teacher asked as he sat up and looked at Eldwin. Eldwin felt his cheeks turn red and glanced down the cave's far end.

"I was focusing on it, just wondering where we are and if more monsters are lurking."

Abraxas chuckled as he let the scroll roll back into place. "Except for Malchrome awaiting in a separate ring, we are safe. Unless something could get through my defenses, that has only happened occasionally, so I doubt that should worry us." Eldwin looked around and watched Abraxas rise to his feet, "Speaking of which, I want to show you and Kirk my favorite room of all time.

Eldwin watched as Abraxas wandered toward a nearby bookcase. Abraxas placed the scroll back on the shelf and sighed. "Why did you change your name?" Eldwin bit his lip as the question came out. He didn't mean to blurt it out and ask so directly, but so many questions were racing in his mind. He closed his eyes, looked away, and felt Abraxas grab his chin and move his head to look into his eyes.

"I do owe you an explanation." Abraxas released Eldwin and walked over toward Sari, "See, the thing is, My name is Abraxas. I was born with this name and hopefully die with it as well. I grew up in Surga with my brother as a street urchin, and Omega saw our great potential when we grew up. With a lot of training, we became a rare breed of fighters. Dragon riders." Eldwin's eyes widened as he took in the information; he could never see his teacher fighting, nonetheless riding something that never existed.

"Who should show him, Rax."

Abraxas nodded before wandering back to the shelf; he broke off a piece of the ground below him with a stump and flew to the top shelf. He grabbed a red box with a seal in gold and the emblem of a dragon in flight. Eldwin cocked his head as Abraxas put the rock back into place and wandered over to the table. Eldwin followed and watched as Abraxas removed the lid. A bright light shone from inside. Eldwin raised his hand to block the light but watched as his teacher withdrew a golden pendant connected to a golden chain. On the Amulet was carved an open book with a bookmark in the middle.

 "When I came to your world, searching for my brother, I learned quicklyn't look like me, nor did they have my gifts, way to dispose of that people did, to say the least. So, after my tenth or so mission with the archeological team." Eldwin watched as Abraxas looked at Sari before returning his attention to Eldwin. "I forfeited most of my magic to this amulet in hopes that I would need to draw my true self out in time of battle, war, or uncertainty." Eldwin watched as the teacher stepped back and slipped the chain over his neck.

Abraxas raised his hand and touched the pendant, "I, Alfred Del Mastro, humbly request the power of Omega to receive my gifts once more to be able to serve your purpose." As he spoke, the pendant let out a shrill yet melodic sound as an emblem of a book with its face open and a bookmark lying off to the side began glowing. The glow engulfed Abraxas until he wasn't visible anymore. Eldwin took a step backward. He watched the teacher's small frame grow in bulk before the light disappeared. Where a man, who had appeared to be ill and malnourished from lack of food and as thin as a man his height once stood, a different man stood in his wake.

The teacher's small frame grew muscles; he appeared to be a bodybuilder, not a teacher of high school students. Eldwin watched the teacher run his hand through lush brown locks, turning his clothes into battle-worn leather. The teacher's golden eyes rested upon him with a smirk. "Depleting my magic changed my body shape. I would have to be this strong to wield a Warhammer and move rocks at a whim." He laughed. Eldwin watched as his mother approached the teacher, hugged him, and whispered something in his ear, causing the teacher to chuckle.

"Of all the names you could have chosen, why Alfred Del Mastro?" Kirk asked, causing Eldwin to jump. He hadn't realized Kirk was standing so close to him. Abraxas chuckled as Eldwin's mother let go of him and returned to her cooking. 

"Malchrome asked the same thing when I said my goodbyes after accepting this role. I found it theatrical; I would be called Wisdowm the teacher." Kirk let out a chuckle and turned away from the teacher. Eldwin's mind raced. He was more confused than before. "Eldwin, Kirk, do the two of you see that picture with my brother and me?" Eldwin turned in the direction Abraxas was pointing and stared at a picture of the twins with their dragons. "Follow me," Abraxas whispered into Eldwin's ear. Eldwin jumped from the sudden closeness as the teacher pushed past him.

Eldwin watched as he walked towards the wall and placed his brother's hand on the painting. The picture moved backward and off to the side, revealing a room behind it. The teacher stalked closer to the room before coming to a halt and facing him. Eldwin watched as he held a hand, guiding him towards the opening. Sucking in a deep breath, Eldwin wandered closer before sticking his head inside. At first, he saw a bright light fueled by torches resting against the wall.

Eldwin watched as he walked towards the wall and placed his brother's hand on the painting. The picture moved backward and off to the side, revealing a room behind it. The teacher stalked closer to the room before coming to a halt and facing him. Eldwin watched as he held a hand, guiding him towards the opening. Sucking in a deep breath, Eldwin wandered closer before sticking his head inside. At first, he saw a bright light fueled by torches resting against the wall. 

"What is this?" Eldwin asked as he watched Kirk wander over to a wall of what appeared to be daggers and swords.

Abraxas chuckled as he passed him and began walking toward the very back of the room. "This is the hall of armor. I have kept all the armor from past battles of my favorite warriors and their weapons. As you can see from all my collections, they were all my friends. Everyone had a name, a title, a family, and friends. I was their commander in the time of warfare. They put their trust in me, and I failed them. I keep their armor in here to remind me of them."

Eldwin glanced around the hall with new wonder. Images of battles from years ago played out in his mind as he walked behind Abraxas. Eldwin came to a stop behind him. Eldwin moved his head and gazed at two pieces of armor that stood side by side. One was golden with a white dragon insignia, while the other was black with a white dragon insignia. Eldwin turned to Abraxas as he turned his back towards the armor and flung his arms out. The golden arm shot off its mannequin, opened up from the top, and slammed down around his torso, locking it in place. 

 "Still fits just how I like it." Abraxas laughed as he began stretching his arms. Eldwin turned his attention to the black armor. Something sparkled in the corner of his eye. He turned in the direction, watched Kirk notice it about the same time, and began wandering toward it. He saw it; it was a minor armor made for a woman with a pure white solid plate, and the skirt was sheer as if made from lace. On the chest was engraved a red phoenix.

Kirk had come to a stop before it alongside him. "Who did that belong to?" Eldwin asked as he felt the teacher's presence behind him.

"This one belonged to Princess Alvera of Anderil. She had the dragon's strength and the tenacity of a bird who wasn't afraid to set the world in a blaze. When she was younger, I taught her everything she ever knew and wanted to know." Abraxas continued talking, but a faint male voice called to him from the distance. Eldwin froze, hoping it wasn't Azeal from his amulet, but in a way, the voice was different.

Eldwin turned his head to the left towards an empty mannequin with the picture of a sea serpent behind it. "Had I known that was how I had to find ya, I would have sinned sooner." Abraxas' voice came, disturbing his thoughts. Eldwin gave him a curious look, causing Abraxas to sigh. He felt he just told him something important but didn't want to get into it then. "What are you hearing?" Abraxas asked as he followed Eldiwn's gaze.

 "Eldwin," came the voice once more. It was a low rumble, but at the same time, it was soft and kind, not filled with vile.

"Something is calling me. I feel like it's coming from behind that wall." Eldwin pointed towards the painting with the sea serpent under the water with a lot of destruction. He kept his eyes on Abraxas as he nodded, stalked towards a pillar, and pressed his hand against it.

"Where you must go, I can not follow. My master is summoning you."

 Sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Eldwin headed towards the wall as the serpent slid behind a second panel. Peering inside, he noticed the tunnel was covered in sapphires, giving off a soft blue glow. A low rumbling met his ears as he traveled inside. The sound of the painting sliding back into place met his ears, causing him to turn around. He watched as the painting slid back in place, blocking him in. Chills raised his spine as he turned and marched down the corridor. 

 Cold, damp air kissed his forehead as he traversed down the hall. The rumbling grew later as he approached another entryway. It resembled what he had in a dream that felt like years ago. The ground had given away only a tiny corridor with water resting before him. He continued walking, allowing the water to engulf him slowly. Putting his foot out, he hit a drop-off and plopped under the water with a loud splash. Eldwin struggled to fill his lungs. They burned, yearning for air. He felt his body sink downwards, allowing his foot to get wrapped in seaweed.

 "Eldwin." The voice came once more, this time louder than before. Eldiwn greeted his teeth, trying to ignore the intense burning within him as he pushed his foot downwards, sending a wave against the seaweed and pushing it off his foot. Rolling over onto his stomach, he swam towards the voice as it continued calling towards him. He arrived at a dark blue door with seashells decorated all around the outer layer and conch shells as doorknobs.

 Eldwin held his hand out towards them as the vision began fading. He shook his head, trying to revive conciseness once more. The teacher had referenced his mother so many times it was hard to imagine them as anything else. He even had to admit that the thought made him nauseous. Puffing his cheeks out in a vain attempt to achieve more air. *His lungs burned as he pushed through the current, the hard water stinging his eyes as he moved through.

A bright yellow light shone at the end of the hallway from a dead stop like the previous water tunnel. Eldwin gritted his teeth as he pushed forward. He stretched out one hand before the other, grabbing at whatever was before him. The world that Abraxas had introduced to him made little sense, perhaps because he didn't know about most of it. How embarrassing it would be to have a ward who uses water's power to perish under his element.

Closing his eyes, he searched for the power he had felt many times now. Opening his eyes, he felt an energy coursing through his blood. He held his arms out before slamming them down by his side. The water pushed away from his hand, launching him forward. Eldwin kept his eyes on the light ahead as he drew closer. Silver rungs embedded into the wall glistened as he approached. Eldwin reached out a hand toward them and watched as they withdrew themself back into the wall. 

 Eldwin cupped his hand before slinging it forward. A ball formed before his hand and slammed into the wall, causing an ear-piercing explosion. The collision made the water around him unsteady and pushed him back. Eldwin closed his eyes, wishing for gills, hoping that he could become one with the water before he blacked out and died. The teen felt his legs move closer together as oxygen filled his lungs. He sucked in a sharp, deep breath and glanced down at his legs. He watched as scales began covering his legs, and a fluke appeared over his feet. He reached for his neck and ran webbed fingers over a pair of three gills on each side.

Pushing forward, he easily sailed through the water; when he reached the wall, he used his fluke to propel himself upwards. He shot halfway out of the water, sucking in a deep breath of air from the cave above. He splashed down before sticking his head above water. A waterfall splashed somewhere close by. He rubbed his eyes and noticed a small riverbed leading to a fountain a little while away.

 Eldwin grabbed the end of the road and hoisted himself into it. The water was only deep enough to keep his tail covered but not enough for him to move effectively. Eldwin pushed himself up, sat on his tail as if he would his knees, and sighed. The ground beneath him began shaking as the white dragon from his dreams appeared before him. The teen reared back into the deeper pond as the dragon approached him.

"I see you are stronger than I once thought." The dragon let off a hearty laugh as he drew nearer. "I assume you don't know how to change back into a human yet, young merman?" Eldwin dropped his head and stared at his dark bluish-green scales that formed a tail over him. He didn't know how he got into this predicament. Doing this earlier with Abraxas would have been a good help, but the dragon was right; he was stuck.

"I don't know how to turn back."

Chuckling, the dragon moved closer and breathed white smoke from his nostrils over the boy. Eldwin felt his tail pull apart as the smoke picked him out of the water and set him back on the ground. He glanced down at his feet and noticed he was wearing leggings the same color and design as his tail. The movement of the dragon leaving caused him to pick his head up. He watched the dragon travel towards the routine, his mighty tail swaying back and forth as he progressed. Eldwin followed. 

 The white dragon came to a stop as Eldiwn joined his sighed. Lotus floating on lily pads decorated the fountain's water, and lanterns resting on top of sticks on the centerpiece appeared to be a hexagon with blue armor floating in its mist. Swallowing hard, he looked at the dragon. "Is that one you showed me in the dream?"

"Not, but a friend who can control them. In a time of war, a warrior is presented with a special armor equipped just for them. Normally, it would be the color of the commander they were to serve under, and I wish I could give you one now. However, a mistake I made long ago has come to defeat me. You are not ready, but if you listen to your master, In due time, you can prove that this masterpiece belongs in your care. All you have to do is go grab it."

Eldwin glanced at the dragon as he spoke, then back at the armor. The armor itself was a dark blue that appeared to be able to blend in with the bottomless, darkest abyss any form could offer him. Taking a step forward, the fountain's base moved backward, revealing several steps to the next level on the platform. Sucking in a deep breath, he felt the dragon's eyes on him as he traversed forward.

Reaching the top, Eldwin stared at the armor before him. The breastplate resembled that of a female, causing him to be hesitant. He would be made fun of if anyone ever found out about him having female armor. Eldwin dropped his head, allowing his thoughts to overwhelm him. "Clear your mind. Everything will become clear if you take that leap of faith." Picking his head up, he gazed at the armor once more. Who cared what people thought? He would have the power Kirk wished he had. Who knows, it may significantly enhance the power he has now. Only time will tell what good things will come of this. Eldwin reached towards the armor and brushed his fingers against the smooth finish.

 As he touched it, the armor began glowing a bright teal before rushing toward him. Eldiwn stepped back as the armor slammed hard into his chest before forcing his head through the top, clamping down on the back, and locking on the side as he had seen Abraxas do with his armor. Eldwin let out a cry of surprise and fell backward into the water. The ground began shaking as the fountain withdrew into the ground. Eldwin jumped and climbed out before it disappeared into the ground altogether.

Tugging at his armor, he glanced downwards; the breastplate had smoothed out to give him a flatter chest, which caused him to sigh in relief. A shrill scream that sent chills down his spine echoed through the chamber, causing the dragon to turn his head to the side. "Sounds like my daughter has arrived and is in distress." As he spoke, he watched the dragon breathe onto the floor, allowing a door to rise, with the hall of armor showing from the other side.

"Abraxas can take it from here; you must move quickly." Without missing a beat, Eldwin raced towards the door, unsure of what danger awaited him on the other side.