This is the first conversation Ael and Kay had in the morning.

"Get up."

"Hmph. . ."

"Get up."

"Mph"

"Ael, get off your lazy rear and wake up!"

"It's . . ." he stretched as he let out a yawn. "It's five in the morning. Why so early?"

"I've already packed us breakfast. If you want to learn sword fighting, we gotta start early. Besides, we've got a journey to get back to."

Grudgingly Ael followed Kay's lead. He felt somewhat bad for taking off without saying goodbye. "Can you at least tell me where we're going?"

"I scouted out a good place where we could begin."

"Begin what?" Ael was rather confused. It was still early to him, so he didn't quite remember everything from last night.

"Combat practice. Or did you forget?"

The scenario made more sense in that light.

***

"So . . . How do I do this again?"

Kay was starting to lose patience. This was the fifth time he had to explain something in a single hour."*sigh* I already told you, turn your torso to the side to minimize the target."

He turned his torso as instructed when a thought crossed his mind. "Wait! I've got an idea!"

"What?"

"Maybe we should set up practice fights. I get to learn from experience instead of a lecture." Ael was a little tired of hearing instructions. If he was going to sword fight, it was going to be his way.

"Hmm, might not be a bad idea." Kay had to think it over for a minute. "Alright, I'll spar with you. Just remember, minimize the target."

***

Kay swept at Ael's legs with his naginata. Ael, his reaction time steadily improving, jumped back before that attack connected. Given the distance, Ael focused light energy in a beam and aimed toward his opponent.

Kay was running to Ael at top speed. Sensing the beam heading to him, Kay ducked as it flew over, and continued to run. Kay gathered winds in spheres and sent them in opposite, careening paths headed to Ael.

Ael saw the winds. He readied himself to block them. First came the one on his left. Then the one on his right. Then came Kay's foot, which landed squarely in his face. The recoil sent him into a nearby tree.

"Remember what I said." Kay told him.

"Keep focus on your enemy, right?"

"That's right."

Ael decided to try a different strategy. He unveiled his wings and took to the air.

Kay was shocked, 'How did I not notice this before?' "What just happened?"

"I have wings. What does it look like?" Ael responded dryly.

Kay then realized that he had a distinct advantage in the air. He pulled at the side of his gi to reveal flaps of cloth. He held them in hand and used his power over wind to propel himself to the sky. "Tell you what," he said. "If you can catch me in the air, training for the day is done."

"You have yourself a deal." Ael took off after the already gliding Kay. Kay was swerving side to side to outmaneuver Ael, but he stayed right on target. Kay then willed a gust to carry him up and over Ael in a loop-de-loop. When Kay was above his head, Ael abruptly stopped and turned around. Unprepared for the sudden halt, Kay crashed right into his friend.

They tumbled along the forested hillside for forty-five seconds before coming to a stop. Ael excitedly jumped up back o his feet. Then he bent his knees sickly and lost whatever breakfast his friend had given him. Still, even with the disgusting chunks before him, Ael was proud that he had caught Kay so quickly. Ael helped his friend up.

"What the heck? Why did you suddenly stop like that?" Kay said.

"You just told me to catch you, you didn't specify how." The look on Ael's face was smug.

Kay was just about to launch into an hour long rant about how students should not smart-mouth their teachers when he heard a voice calling. "You hear that?" Kay asked.

"Hear what?" Ael didn't have a clue what Kay was talking about.

"I heard a voice. It was coming from over there." Kay pointed to his right.

Ael, wanting to make sure there actually was a voice and that Kay wasn't simply losing his mind, closed his eyes and strained his ears to hear. He began to hear a very faint cry. it didn't sound like an animal's cry.

With a shock, Ael realized that it was a person crying for help. He and Kay shared a glance before dashing off toward the source of the sound.

Ael stumbled only once as he sped to his destination.

After a few minutes of adrenaline-fueled running he found a girl with a broken leg lying down, pale faced and passed out. It was Rozita.

"What is she doing here?!" Ael was feeling a strange mix of concern and anger.

"Never mind why, we have to help her." Kay helped clear Ael's head a little.

"I think I have an idea. Halo." Ael called his Star.

"You need something?" Halo asked.

"You remember what you did to heal me in Broomfurrugh, right?"

"Yep."

"Can you do it again?"

"Of course." Halo then hovered over to Rozita's injured leg and produced a blinding flash. Liquid light was being poured onto the injury. It made a sound like flowing water except somehow more crystal-like. It only took a moment's notice.

Rozita was still unconscious after the healing. The two young men decided to return to the clearing with Ael carrying Rozita. When they returned, the set her against a tree and waited. For a long time no one spoke.

"I don't like this." Ael broke the silence.

"Don't like what?" Kay asked.

"First of all, what was she even doing here? We didn't come across any wild berries, so she couldn't have come here for them. Second of all, what happened to her? I mean, what kind of animal breaks someone's legs then leaves?"

Kay had been pondering the same things. Then he noticed a stir. "Seems like you'll be able to ask her yourself. She's waking up."

Rozita opened her eyes. She sat up and took in her surroundings. "Where am I?" she asked. "What happened?"

"This is where we've been practicing swordplay. As to what happened, we found you with a broken leg and passed out. Halo healed you and Ael carried you here." Kay said.

"No, I mean what happened? I was looking for you two when something attacked."

Ael took a breath. "We have no idea. Wait, you were looking for us?'

Rozita nodded. Then turned red. "I-uh, i-it was for the Stars. Spark here filled me in n what was happening."

A speck of orange-red light flew into view. "Hey guys. What's up?"

Gale and Halo also flew into view. "Hey," they said simultaneously.

Ael focused back on Rozita. "So, just to set things straight; you came to join us when something came out of nowhere and broke your leg. You sure you have no idea what attacked you?"

Rozita sighed. "No. I didn't get a good look at it. Whatever it was, it wasn't from around here"

Kay cut in. "In that case, it'd be a good idea to get moving."

Ael had his worries, however. "But what about the town? They have no idea what might be waiting for them."

"Neither do we, but it's most likely after us. Rozita was left alive. Why?" He paused for dramatic effect. "So we could find her. So it could find us."

Ael recognized the logic in Kay's words, but still wasn't convinced. "If it was after us it would-"

Kay quickly and rudely interrupted. "Don't!" he exclaimed.

"Don't what?"

"Don't finish that sentence."

Ael was slightly mad at being cut off. "You don't know what I was about to say."

"You were about to say that if it were us it would have attacked by now, and then it would have attacked."

Ael folded his arms. "Again, you don't know that."

"There is a concept called 'tempting fate,' it's generally a good idea to not do it."

"I'm starting to think that you just don't like being wrong."

Rozita was tired of the bickering. "Ladies, ladies. We can all agree that you're pretty," she said sarcastically. "Now, can we please get moving?"

Ael and Kay looked at each other for a moment, then agreed. Together, the three of them set off toward the mountains.

"You're girlfriend's pushy," Kay said discreetly to Ael.

"Yes, she is," Ael replied. "And she's not my girlfriend."

***

Dracson watched from his ocular pond. "They have no idea," he laughed. "Yes, I think this arrangement will do nicely." He weighed his options. "Still, three on one is hardly a fair fight. I think it's around time I changed that."