Aaron's POV

"Aaron! I can't believe we're going to the elf kingdom today for our mission!" Yako yelled, excited as she ran into my room and jumped onto my bed.

"Yea yea yea. Now get off! I need to get ready for the mission!" I pushed Yako off my bed and Yako landed safely on the ground in her nine-tailed fox form,  pouting like a kid.

"Meanie!" Yako yelled as she changed back to her human form and I chuckled good-naturally as I changed my clothes. I stared at my reflection and sighed, thinking about Bryan's and Allen's funeral. It had been two weeks since the funeral and Allen's younger sister, Alice, still refused to talk to me even though I tried everything to talk to her. It pained me so that she doesn't want to talk to me but- my train of thought stopped as I stared at my black swords and daggers belt, a gift given to me by Allen when I first started to join Xutenth, and reached a hand out to get it but stopped and retracted my hand back. I sighed and took another sword and daggers belt, this time the brown one, and clasped it around my combat pants and smiled sadly as I went to my weapon closet and took some dozen throwing knives, a long sword, and a shorter hunting knife. I stepped out of my room and saw Yako gesturing at me to hurry up but with a worried look in her eyes. 

"Finally. What took you so long to get changed?" Yako asked.

"It's just..... nothing," I replied and I saw Yako's facial expression begin to get more worried.

"Are you sure? You can tell me you know." Yako said worriedly and I sighed.

"Yes Yako, I'm fine. It's just I was thinking about Alice, that's all." Now it was Yako's turn to sigh.

"She still hadn't talked to you?" I nodded and Yako frowned.

"She's still angry about the death of her brother huh?" I nodded and sighed sadly.

"If I was dead......" I began but Yako cut me off.

"Don't you go there, Aaron. It's not your fault." I shook my head and sighed.

"It is! Don't you get it?! If I was alert enough to protect Allen before the assassin strike, he would not have died! If I had not been a fool to just leave Allen alone during that time, I would have saved Allen and- and-" Tears of frustration fell my face like waterfalls and I felt someone warmly embrace me.

"It's not your fault. You did the best you could and that is enough. Allen and Bryan never blame you for their death, knowing that they would die to save you rather than you dying to save them anyways." I sobbed harder as I clutched Yako tightly, crying on her shoulder and she smiled.

"You're not alone Aaron. You got me and the others. We'll never leave you alone and in pain, I promise." I nodded and got myself out of Yako's embrace. I smiled and Yako smiled back at me.

"Come on Aaron. Let's meet the General for the mission briefing." I nodded and hurried with Yako to the meeting.

-----At the meeting-----

"Team E, you guys are assigned to go to the elf kingdom of Faenya to assassinate the assassins who are to kill Lady Amastacia, the daughter of Lord Legolas, one of the Lords in the Elf King's order." There was an uproar of shock and astonishment because the elf kingdom usually did not call the Eliminator Association for help in their kingdom affairs because the other elves were still reluctant to ask the association to help and also because they never bother learning about the association even though the association is built by them, the human kingdom and the angel kingdom in the first place. I sat in my seat, hands under my chin deep in thought about this mission.

Faenya, named after the Elven Goddess of air, weather, and birds, Aerdrie Faenya, is the true name for the Kingdom of Elves which is consisted of the three main kingdoms namely Mirkwood, Eglarest, Alearaheal. Long ago in the past, the three kingdoms were at war with each other, Mirkwood against Eglarest, Eglarest against Alearaheal, and you get the idea. Husbands against husbands, mother against mothers, children against children, spell casters against spellcasters, people against people, kings against kings. Those days were the worst with many people suffering from starvation due to the lack of food and thirst due to the lack of clean water to drink as the waters from the lakes and rivers were stained with a sea of blood. Those people who were rich were only able to buy a few weeks of food and a few bottles of water to get by due to the mindset of the elves that outsiders should not meddle in political situations and other situations in the elven kingdoms. At that time, no outsiders, and even the people living in the three kingdoms dare to meddle in the affairs of the three kingdoms and so, the war raged on. Seeing this, the Elven Goddess of Peace and Fertility, Galadhiel, who wanted a stop to this war made a relic, or more precisely, The Harp of Harmony, the fifth relic among the ten legendary relics of the three kingdoms, The Angel Kingdom, Alumina, The Human Kingdom, Albado Kingdom, and the Elf Kingdom, Faenya. Legends said that the harp has invisible strings, but the user can play the harp by gently touching and feeling the location of the strings. The invisible strings of the harp will produce light when touched and when the user's hand glided through the strings, silver and blue butterflies will appear according to the direction and movement of the gliding. When the users use the harp to attack the enemy, the users combine their power and play their song that has emotion so strong that makes the enemy fall onto their feet by the sheer power of it, the butterflies will instead flow and circle the enemy and, while doing so, pierce into the bloodstream of the target and into the brain, which either controls the enemy to get himself badly hurt or when being in the brain for too long, causes severe brain injury that leads to death. It is said that the ones who could use the harp are the people from Alumina, Albado, and Faenya. From what I heard from the gossips around the kingdom, my dad was the one who had found the harp during the war which the kingdoms pitted against each other, and together with his friends, they found and used the seven relics out of the ten legendary relics of the three kingdoms to stop the war which shocked me. I never heard anyone able to find and use the seven legendary relics without burning themselves up because of using too much magic but......

"Aaron?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up, seeing the other's concerned expression. I coughed and waved my hand, dismissing the others and telling them I am fine before peering at the map, frowning.

"Aaron. This map is the only one we got. Oh, but there is a map and some lady said that she will give it to you personally when you are in Faenya." I frowned at this and asked the General the lady's name.

"Her name is Qinrel and she said that she is a close friend of yours...?" I froze at the question, hands stopped feeling through the map, as I turned to the General with a shocked expression.

"I-" I started and tried to force the sound to come out but nothing come out.

"Aaron?" The room started to spin around me as I choked on my words, trying to calm down.

"I-I-" I tried again but nothing came out. I clutched my chest, trying to get the tightness out of there but can't, panting for breath. I saw someone's face in front of me.

"Aaron. I need you to listen to me okay?" I nodded and the person smile.

"Where are you in?" I smelled some mint on the person and calmed down slightly.

"In the meeting room." The person nodded and grinned.

"You are full in health, Aaron. You are sitting in the office chair and Aragorn, Alviss, Hikaru, Amelia, and I are here with you. There is a faint smell of peppermint coffee in the air and the lights are bright but not too bright that it hurts your eyes. Can you see it?" I panicked and the person's eyes widen.

"Aaron! Aaron! You're okay now! Aaron!" I saw a cloaked person in the corner of my eyes and suddenly this room turned into the integration room that I had been in before, in Xurenth.

"Aaron. So long never see eh?" My eyes went wide by the sound of the person and I cowered as the cloaked person came over.

"You caused Allen and Bryon to die." Tears started to stream out of my wide-opened eyes. "That's right. You killed them. You and your childlike thinking killed them." I started whimpering.

"No......" I heard shouting but it started to become distant.

"After all, you are the one who has all the bad luck, Aaron. Don't you see it? It was you who killed Allen and Bryan, your two best friends in Xurenth, because you never have friends. You never even have friends because you are so pathetic." Suddenly the cloaked figure leaned close to me.

"Admit it. Tell me that you didn't kill the two targets during that time because you are weak. Tell me that you had killed Allen and Bryon at that time because you are weak. Tell Me!" Tears slid down my eyes as I closed them, feeling myself slowly losing consciousness. 

"Aaron! Aaron!" was the last thing I heard before everything turned black.

Yako's POV

"Aaron! Aaron!" I yelled as Aaron slumped into my arms. I looked at Aragorn for help and he saw that Aaron was unconscious, he gave a quick word to the General and he nodded, telling us to pack for the mission and let Aaron rest in here first. After a few whiles of making sure Aaron feels okay to sleep on his bed, I went to Aaron's room and started packing his weapons and clothing for the mission. 

"Throwing knives, a long hunting knife, and a sword.....wait, why did he need this?" I mumbled to myself as I saw a sword that looked elven made.

"That's because my dad has it and I needed it. Rumor says that it is the Sword of Mist and Snow, one of the ancient relics of the three main kingdoms. My dad had the sword even after using it during the war of the kingdoms." I turned around and saw Aaron open his eyes, softly explaining it to me. I cried with shock and the sword tumbled out from my grip. He immediately waved his hand and the sword slowly and softly landed on the ground.

"Dude, what the heck!" Aaron tried to yell loudly but because he was still weak, he couldn't yell so loud instead he just huffed softly. I apologized and Aaron sighed.

"Sorry for scaring you. Yako, I never wanted this sword but because of certain circumstances, I have to take this sword as a heritage sword because it symbolizes my heritage although I don't know what is my heritage."  I glanced at Aaron in understanding and helped Aaron to pack his weapons and the things he needed for this mission. Then, we both sprinted through the dorm corridors into the school hall to catch up with the others who were all ready to be transported through portals to the place for our mission.

Hey guys. Sorry for the long wait for Chapter 2 Part 1. I hope that you all enjoy my story so far. As for Part 2, it will be coming out soon so stay tuned. Bye!

                                                                                -Angeline Chin Rue Ying