✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"So do you guys wanna go by the arcade after school?"

Max asked as she walked with the boys to their science class.

"Can't."

Dustin replied.

"What? Why not?"

"We all agreed to play DnD after school today."

Lucas told her.

"I see."

Max said with a grin.

"You're ditching me."

"What? No!"

Lucas said quickly.

"It's just-"

"Exclusive?"

Max suggested with raised brows.

"Yes."

Dustin said.

"No!"

Lucas shouted, giving a sharp nudge to him in his side. Dustin narrowed his eyes at Lucas as he rubbed where his friend had just hit him.

"We'll hang out tomorrow Max."

Lucas finally said, knowing he couldn't win with her.

"Right tomorrow."

Max said with a nod.

"When you can finally make time for the new people in you 'party' right?"

"Max.."

Lucas said with a groan. The group walked into to Mr. Clarke's class and took their seats.

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Do you remember when I chose you to become my student?"

Kierran asked as he led a cold Asling down a shivering path.

"How could i forget?"

She asked as she pulled her cloak tighter around her freezing frame.

"Everyone thought I was crazy for choosing a baker's daughter to be my student. The apprentice of the guardian of Jupiter, the strongest of the guardians choosing a girl coated in flower and buttery fingers to take on my mantel."

"They were right."

Asling huffed.

"No,"

Kierran replied as he turned to look at her while they walked.

"They were not."

he told her with a kind smile.

"The people of Scanthia wanted me to pick a solider, someone visibly strong who could protect them against the darkness of the land of shadows."

Kierran continued.

"But do you know where my master found me?"

He asked. Asling knew the story, everyone in Scanthia knew the story of the diamond in the rough. Squire Kierran Mørkond, he studied under a Knight of the King's highest honor but Kierran had no chances at becoming a knight himself, as a boy he was scrawny and wasn't handy with a sword at all. When his master chose him to become his student there was an uproar as well.

"Yes I am well aware, Kierran."

Asling replied with a sigh.

"Everyone knows your story."

"My master, Jørgen Dubhghaill, was criticized immensely for choosing me."

"Naturally."

"Who would want a skinny poorly coordinated little boy to become the strongest of the nine guardians?"

Asling sighed, she heard his story many times.

"But you proved them wrong."

She said dryly and Kierran gave a warm chuckle.

"I sure did!"

he said with a slap on her back.

"We're here."

"Where's here exactly?"

"The Cavern of Crystals."

Kierran said. Asling's eyes suddenly became wide.

"Wait just a minute,"

Suddenly she seemed to be much more excited about being outside in the cold.

"Does this mean-"

"Yes, Asling."

Kierran said,

"It's time for you to find your crystals for your sword."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"I ordered pizza for you boys tonight!"

Karen Byers said as the group of boys zoomed past her, returning home for the night of playing their favorite game until they fell asleep or their parents dropped by to pick them up.

"Oh and Dustin,"

Karen added as she spoke specifically to a kid with curly brown hair.

"Your mom called and said Steve would be picking you up around nine thirty?"

She stated with a hint of questioning, needing affirmation from the boy that her words were right. Dustin smiled.

"Yes! Thank you Mrs. Wheeler."

He said happily before running along with the rest of the boys to the basement.

"Steve Harrington is picking you up to take you home?"

Lucas asked as he threw a confused glance Dustin's way.

"Yep!"

Dustin replied happily.

"You guys are so weird."

Lucas replied but Dustin didn't seem to acknowledge his response.

"Enough talking."

Mike said as he pulled out the game pieces.

"Help me set up."

He told the others who quickly rushed to help set up a table and prepare the game. Will pulled out his drawings of his new character. He pressed his fingers to the writing of their name. "ASLING" Was scribbled in a luscious forest green across the top of the page. Asling, seemed so real to him. He had spent so much time and dedication in creating them for this game. Part of the reason he had done so was to distract him from the haunting visions of the upside down he was continuously plagued with. Will did everything he could but the PTSD would never leave him alone.

"Will?"

Mike said as he placed a few more pieces on the board that had now been placed on a table that Dustin and Lucas set up.

"Ready to play?"

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Find your crystals, Kierran said."

Asling said with a huff as she walked down the narrow cave.

"It will be easy, Kierran said."

She added. The Cavern of Crystals was cold and dark. There was only a small magick ball of light that floated above Asling's hand lighting her way. And even the orb of light didn't provide enough for her to see far enough into the cave. Asling shivered and could see her breath billowing out in steam in front of her. She pulled her cloak around her tighter and pushed on. All apprentices of the guardians had to do this task when their masters felt they were ready. Finding crystals for their magick swords was a key part of becoming a guardian. For without the crystal swords the guardians wouldn't have a way to fend off the darkness. Just then a stray light caught Asling's eyes. She looked over to the wall of the cave, shining her magick ball of light in the direction of the distant sparkle and that's when her green eyes lit up with delight. There on the wall were at least four glimmering silver crystals.

"Finally!"

Asling cheered as she walked over and began scooping them off of the wall and into her satchel. Once they were all collected she began to search for more. Asling needed at least nine in total. She pressed on deeper into the cave. The sound of water dripping off of the steep stalagmites was the only sound to be heard other then the sound of her boots stomping in the muddy floor of the cave. In the mere time of a moment Asling managed to loose her footing while stepping on a slick stone on the cave's floor and fell straight into a thick coating of goopey mud on the cave floor. Asling groaned as she tried to sit up. Her eyes met a distant sight. Something glowing, not like a crystal. No this was glowing with a pulsing red hue and bits of what looked like snowflakes seemed to be floating out of the glowing part in the wall. Asling walked over to it, curiously. She leaned down to look into the glowing patch of the wall. It was almost as if it were alive. She could see distant land through what looked like skin that continued to pulse with the red glow. She took out one of the crystals she had collected and tried to slice the red surface open. It slit just like the skin of a frog. She peeled it back as best as she could and through it she could see a barren wasteland that was overcome with darkness. Those same floating white particles were everywhere in this dark land. A sudden roar caused her to stumble back. She could see a creature that had noticed her, it growled at her and she let out a small scream.

"Asling!"

Kierran shouted from the mouth of the cave.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah,"

Asling said quickly as she stood and collected her crystals.

"I'm fine. I'm almost done."