~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Don't be afraid to start over. It's a new chance to rebuild things. This time better. The way you want it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They knew Jason told them, but they didn't believe it until James said it.

"Adam's alive," Max said making Mitch nod.

"Yeah, seems like it. We have to find him," Mitch spoke. Max looked at the general, agreeing with him. Max looked away, looking ahead. The two ran to the magic side of the base, to not only help protect the staff but to help find feral potions while they leave the wizards to deal with the dark wizards and judging from all the explosions they are hearing, the battle already started. Luckily the Sky Army base is abandoned and already destroyed, so it isn't like the damage will really mean all that much to an already destroyed home.

When they made it to the magic side of the base, they saw that the buildings were more damaged than the rest of the base, the only thing that really still stood was the mage tower and docks for ships. But as Mitch expected, Jordan and Ian were stood outside the mage tower while the others were checking the smaller buildings outside of the tower. You would think that you could just walk into the tower without harm but that isn't the case.

Since recruits use to steal magic items from the tower a lot, Adam had Seto install a type of...security system so people couldn't just walk in and take things since the mage tower had some pretty dangerous stuff inside it. The only people who can walk into the mage tower without harm are the Generals, Adam, Seto's apprentices, and the two colonels. No recruits, outsiders, or captains were allowed inside without permission from Seto. Mitch remembers watching Seto show how the security system that Dan and him designed worked and even though he knows that he is allowed to enter, he was always hesitant since he didn't want to have the system spring on him.

Mitch looked at Max. "Umm, you probably don't--"

Max nodded a bit. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not allowed in the tower," Max said before he left Mitch, going to go help the recruits and Sonja with the smaller buildings. Mitch walked up to Ian and Jordan, looking at them. Ian looked at the staff on Mitch's back.

"That's--"

"Harvey's magic staff," Mitch said nodding.

Ian sighs. "Leave it to Harvey to leave something dangerous and important just out in the open and not in the safety of the tower. So what's with the explosions?" Ian asked him. Mitch than explained the situation to Ian and Jordan, telling them everything he heard that was said between Master James and Master Joyce. When he was finished, Mitch saw the two smiling a bit.

"So, Adam is alive and on the Timeless Isle," Jordan said.

Ian crosses his arms. "We have to go rescue him, due to the curse on the island, time flows much slower on it, so he probably has no idea how much time has past. What feels like a week on the island is actually a month in the outside world," Ian explained. Mitch nodded again.

They remember the first time that the Sky Army got involved with the Timeless Isle. After several reports were filed to but the Sky Army and the Magic Council, the two finally decided to investigate it. Adam and two recruits went with three mages from the Magic Council to find out what is going on and report back so a course of action could be determined. He was only supposed to be gone for two weeks, but he didn't return until two months later after Ty sent out a rescue party to bring Adam back. Ty sent out Harvey, Ian, Lachlan, and some recruits, along with Master Waglington and Master Phil at Harvey's request, to bring everyone back home. During the two months, Ty was forced to take control as the Sky Army Commander when Adam didn't return when he said he would. Ty was able to keep both the public and the Sky Army calm and at peace while him and the generals worked on a rescue plan.

Mitch cracked a small smile. "Remember what Adam said to you and Harvey when you went to the island?" Mitch asked him.

Ian chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I do," Ian said smiling.

"What he say?" Jordan asked them.

Ian looked at Jordan. "Before we told him about him being missing for two months, he said: 'This is why I can't take a vacation! You all would run around like chickens with your heads cut off if I didn't tell you all what to do. You all can't survive three days without me!'." Ian said making Jordan chuckle.

Jordan nodded. "That sounds like something he would say," Jordan said. Jordan looked at Ian. "How did he react after you told him?" he asked.

Ian chuckled again. "Well, we all know how stubborn he could be. He said 'I don't need to be rescued, I can find my own way back to base. I'm not a child.'." Ian said.

"And then Ian, Lachlan, and everyone but Harvey and Adam came back. Harvey apparently got fed up with Adam's attitude and made him find his own way back while under Harvey's supervision," Mitch said. Mitch looked at Jordan. "They were back about three days later after Adam gave up and asked Harvey for help," he said. Jordan nodded a bit. Jordan remembers hearing about what happened with the Timeless Isles and when Adam went missing, but he was off base at the time and only heard that Adam was rescued.

Jordan looked at Ian. "Wait, can General Azdel do that? I mean, he--"

Ian uncrossed his arms. "You don't argue with an angry wizard, Jordan. Especially when that wizard is Harvey. Rankings don't matter to Harvey when he's mad at you since he's more powerful than all of us. He doesn't care," Ian said before looking at the tower. He sighed. "Well...let's hope the security system doesn't kill us," he said. The others nodded, agreeing.

They entered the tower, the tower was fairly sized and tall, but since it is a mage tower, the inside is much bigger than it should be. Like normal, when they enter, they are impressed with what they see. Even with cobwebs, faded-colored walls, and layers upon layers of dust on every surface, the tower still retains its unique inner design. It looks as if someone hasn't been inside for years which is accurate since no one has been in the tower for years.

They went up the spiral staircase, still cautious of their surroundings. Mitch was in front with Jordan and Ian behind him, he stopped when he saw light coming from an opened door. He stared at it. 'Maybe Harvey forget to let out--What? No! That's not possible! No one has been in this tower for years! Even if a torch or something was still lit before the fall, it would have gone out within the week of being lit. Someone is here,' he thought. Mitch notched an arrow on his bowstring, holding onto it, ready to draw the string back at a moment's notice. Mitch went next to the door, peeking inside and saw a figure in a very familiar dark-colored wizard robe making Mitch's eyes soften.

"I-It's Harvey," Mitch whispered to the others. Mitch put his arrow back into his quiver, but Ian grabbed Mitch's wrist.

"Mitch...I don't like saying this but...Harvey is the enemy as long as the obedience shackles are on him. He doesn't have a choice but to attack us. Just...be careful," he warned Mitch. Mitch nodded, he slowly pushed the door open wider, taking a step into the doorway. Ian and Jordan followed closely behind him as Mitch went closer to Harvey.

Harvey was shuffling papers, looking at an open book that's in front of him. He paused, turning his head slightly to the side, hearing Mitch's footsteps behind him. He set the papers in his hand back on the table, sensing magic. 'Is that...' Harvey thought to himself. Harvey set his hand on the table, he turned halfway towards the three making them stop in their tracks as Harvey stared at him.

Harvey's eyes went to his magic staff that is strapped to Mitch's back. Harvey's eyes soften. 'I knew it...I can recognize that magic signature anywhere...' he thought to himself.

Mitch put his hands up, looking at Harvey. "Harvey, are you okay?" Mitch asked. He was internally slapping himself for asking that, you can tell just by looking at Harvey that he is anything but okay. Harvey looked away, not speaking, he turned back to the table, looking at the books and papers. Harvey picked up a quill from the inkpot, grabbing a piece of parchment and writing on it. He pushed it away from him and in front of Mitch.

Mitch took a few steps forward so he can read it. "He says that Klyen sealed his voice as punishment for breaking Jordan, Dan, Ant, and the recruits out of the Squid Kingdom's prison...he can't speak, he can only say spells and that's it," Mitch said before looking at Ian and Jordan.

Ian sheathed his sword, going up beside Harvey. "Harvey, how do we break the seal on your voice?" Ian asked him. Harvey's eyes glanced at Ian, he shakes his head. Ian looked at the books and papers, he couldn't read the language since he can't read wizard language or whatever Harvey said it was. "There has to be something here that can--" Harvey's hand grabbed Ian's wrist, stopping him from touching the papers. Ian looked at Harvey. "--you might have given up on yourself but we haven't given up on you..." Ian said making Harvey look at Ian, shocked. Harvey stared at him, he slowly let go of Ian's wrist. Ian's eyes soften. "Your siblings, Klyen was using them against you so you would cooperate...and now that you have the obedience shackles on you, you have no choice but to obey him. Don't worry, we know that everything you have done in the last few years wasn't of your choosing. You--" Harvey gritted his teeth together, he grabbed the parchment, scribbling a few words on it and showing it to Ian. Ian looked at it, reading it to himself.

"Well? What did he say?" Jordan asked him.

Ian sighed. "He wrote that the only way to get the obedience shackles off him is the kill the person who put them on him. And it was his father who put them on him," Ian said. Harvey lowered the parchment, he looked at it for a moment. Harvey wasn't hopeful for regaining his freedom, he knew it was next to impossible. Harvey wrote down a sentence, putting the parchment on the table before closing a book on the table. Ian picked up the parchment, reading it. Ian clenched the paper in his fist, he looked at Harvey. "Harvey, you can't give up, you can't. We'll find a way to save you, I promise you that we will--" Harvey looked at Ian and shook his head. 'Don't make promises that you know you can't keep, Ian...' Harvey thought to himself.

Harvey then pointed at the staff on Mitch's back, picking up another quill and parchment, writing on it. Harvey pushed the parchment to Jordan when he was done writing. Jordan picked it up. "He wrote: 'That magic staff cannot stay here. Don't let it fall into the hands of the dark mages. Don't trust the Magic Council,'." Jordan read aloud before looking at Harvey. "Okay...but what can we do to help? We need to rescue Adam, how do we do that?"

Harvey hesitated. He was hesitant for a reason, Timeless Isle is different and more dangerous. He wrote down on the same parchment, handing it back to Jordan. Jordan looked at it, reading it to himself. He looked at Harvey, staring at him. "But...But that's--"

"What does it say?" Ian asked Jordan.

Jordan paused, he looked at Ian and Mitch. "He doesn't want us to do anything...he wants us to just leave it to him--"

"And let you get yourself killed in the process?! I don't think so!" Mitch exclaimed at Harvey. Harvey's eyes glanced at Mitch. Mitch stepped towards Harvey. "We aren't going to stand back and let you face this on your own. If something goes wrong...you could die. We need--" Harvey pointed at the parchment that sat on the table, Mitch looked at it. It was the one that talked about how to get the obedience shackles off him. Mitch's hands balled into fists, staring at it before looking back at Harvey. "No mage is unkillable. Klyen has to have some sort of weakness. He has too," Mitch spoke. Harvey's eyes soften at Mitch. He looked away. 'It's nice to know that they want to help me so badly...but there is no hope for me...even I know that...' Harvey thought to himself. Harvey turned his head towards the window when he heard the explosions making him crack a small smile. He could sense James, Kaylen, and Phil. He slowly lost his smile and turned away from the three, walking towards the door.

"Harvey, you're going to walk out of this..." Ian said making Harvey stop in the doorway. Ian looked at him. "I'll make sure of it, I promise you that we'll find a way to save you..." Harvey hesitated before he left.

Mitch looked at Ian. "How?" he asked.

Ian shakes his head slightly. "I-I don't know, but I refuse to give up on him. The Sky Army can't exist without Harvey in it," he said. Jordan and Mitch both nodded, agreeing with him. Ian looked at the table, looking at the books on it. "There has to be something here, start searching,"

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

James was thrown into a wall, Phil flicking his wrist towards the dark mage, a pillar shooting out from the ground and hitting them. Kaylen ran over to James, she grabbed his arm, mumbling under her breath and James felt his energy come back as the cuts in his skin were healed.

"Thanks," James mumbled to her. Kaylen nods, helping James to his feet. James pushed Kaylen behind him, blocking an attack from a dark mage. Before James could do a spell, he stopped, sensing a familiar magic signature. He gritted his teeth together and looked at Phil, who could sense it as well.

Joyce looked at the three elites, chuckling. "Give up?" she questioned before she sensed it too. When she sensed it, she smirked. "Oh, you three are in for it now," she said.

"We can't fight Harvey," Kaylen said to Phil and James.

Phil nods. "I barely stopped him last time and he almost killed me last time," Phil said.

James shakes his head. "I'm not fighting Harvey. Friends don't fight friends," James said.

Joyce looked at James, she chuckled lightly. "You know, James, you and Harvey might be even in magic strength. It could be an interesting match--" A figure walked pass Phil making Phil flinch and step back. He looked at the figure, recognizing them as Harvey. Joyce crossed her arms, looking at Harvey. "Good, you're here finally. Do me a favor and dispose of these three," she said. Harvey looked at Joyce, staring at her, he looked over his shoulder at James, Phil, and Kaylen. Harvey's eyes soften at Phil but he looked at Kaylen and gives her a small smile. 'At least Phil is okay, I was worried I hurt him too badly,' Harvey thought to himself. Harvey looked at Joyce and shakes his head. Joyce sighed. "I forgot...Master Klyen sealed your voice away," she said shocking the other three.

"He did what?" Kaylen questioned before looking at Harvey. 'That's why he can't escape, if he can't speak, he can't chant spells and no spells means no escape,' she thought to herself. Her eyes soften at him. 'A magic seal huh? I could probably break that,' she thought.

As if he knew what Kaylen was thinking, James spoke. "Kaylen, break that seal," James spoke. Kaylen nods and lifted her hand up towards Harvey. Harvey looked at her, he shakes his head at her.

Joyce laughed. "The only person strong enough to break the seal on Harvey's voice is the one who put it there himself! You can't break a seal put there by the strongest dark mage to ever live," she said. Harvey turned away from the three, walking past Joyce. Joyce loses her smile. "Hey! Where are you going?! You--" Harvey gritted his teeth together. 'I don't work for you, Joyce. Go ahead and die, I don't give a damn about what happens to you," he thought to himself, wanting to say it out loud but couldn't. But he heard Joyce scoff making him smirk. 'I forgot she could read my thoughts,' he thought to himself.

Harvey then smiled to himself. 'I know Ian and the others aren't gonna listen to me and want to help me...I just hope they don't get themselves hurt doing it,' he thought to himself.