(September 22nd, 2017)

Justin

I sat under the stars next to Mia and gazed at the beauty of the night. I was lost in thought about what would happen next in our journey and about the media's reaction to the new king after this entire situation concludes. Having a teenager sit the throne after the death of the previous king is going to be hard on both him and the people around him. I could only hope that he gives a good impression from the start and tries to fix the shattered kingdom, linking people together in the process.

"What are you thinking about?" The love of my life asked before she rested on top of me and stared into my eyes with her prepossessing red ones. A curious smile drew on her face as she gazed deeper at my face and eyed my lips.

"What I'm thinking about? I'm not sure I know. It's all a haze," I replied. She kissed my lips and rested her head on my chest.

"Stop worrying about stuff. It's gonna be fine as long as everyone is around us. I want to enjoy the day with you some more, but I guess we need to go to bed if we're to leave early tomorrow." Mia got up after kissing me once again and descended from the roof to the room that the Andersons provided for us. I decided to stay for a minute or two before following her back inside, where I saw her getting undressed and neatly putting her clothes aside. The only thing she wore for bed was an oversized shirt that had the letter 'J' inside a heart. She winked at me before I walked to the bed after taking off my shirt and hopped under the covers alongside her.

"I made it especially for you a while ago before your birthday. It's very warm and nice to wear," She stated.

"I can see that."

"So, where are we going tomorrow?" Mia asked without masking the fatigue in her voice. She yawned nonchalantly and closed her eyes.

"I'm not sure. I'll think about the destination after breakfast."

Suddenly, Mia shrank in size, returning to her eight-year-old body while snuggling close to me. "Mmm... Much better."

"What are you doing?" I asked calmly. Keeping my composure and trying to hide my confusion.

"I can't help but want your warmth all around me. This way, I can sleep in your arms like I always wanted to," She answered with the voice of her eight-year-old self, bringing back nostalgic memories. However, I felt weird sleeping next to her like this.

"I don't want to sleep next to children," I declared casually. "I'm not your father or babysitter or whatever.

"Think of me as your little sister. We were raised that way, after all." Mia yawned once more, this time sounding more adorable in her kid form. "I'm not gonna let Jessie take you all for herself, by the way."

I sighed. "Alright..." I gave in to her as I did not have the energy to argue and closed my heavy eyelids and prepared to drift into sleep.

But all of a sudden, a deep and threatening voice echoed throughout the entire room. "Your time is running out." I rose out of bed and looked in every direction but saw nothing. However, when my eyes landed on a chair in the far corner of the room, I managed to spot a vanishing silhouette of a tall, humanoid figure sitting on the wooden chair with its legs crossed and staring directly at me. The silhouette simply sat there, enshrouded in darkness, and gazed at me. None of their features was visible, but the dark aura was too prevalent for me not to realize who it was. A second later, the figure vanished, leaving me with a heart that was about to stop. The harbinger was in my room...

I woke up in the morning to find myself alone in the room where Mia and I slept with the sun's golden rays shining on my face, giving me a pleasant warm sensation. The birds outside chirped happily and the azure sky was devoid of clouds, making me more eager to experience the great sunny day. I shrugged off the experience of last night and decided not to think about it. I got out of bed and exited the room, making my way to the bathroom, where I washed my face before brushing my teeth. I left the door open because I planned to leave immediately. That's when Alex knocked on the door. When I looked at him, I saw him staring at me while leaning on the doorway.

"Good morning, buddy," I said after spitting the paste.

"Heya. So how was your sleep?" He asked.

"It was great. What about you?"

"It was nice. Anyway, I'm just gonna get to the point," Alex said, intriguing me. "Can you give Mia the keys to your car?"

"Why would I do that?" I asked, becoming even more curious.

"It's just that, uh, she wanted to drive and wanted me to ask you b-because, uh, she's preparing breakfast," I realized immediately that Alex had a lollipop in his mouth. I also took notice of the strange way he walked toward me, reminding me of another crusader on our team. When he got closer, I discovered that the lollipop in his possession had a strawberry smell, something Alex hates with a passion. Alex publicly asserts his hatred for strawberry lollipops, which are a preference to a certain crusader in our group.

"What flavor is that?" I asked.

"Strawberry," Alex answered, removing it from his mouth to confirm my suspicions. He leaned next to me on the counter and waited for me to approve his request when I suddenly noticed that even the way he leaned was strangely unlike him. What was even more peculiar was the fact that he was eyeing my shirtless body and looking away immediately, blushing while doing so. That took me by surprise as Alex has seen my bare chest a lot, and not once did he look at me with lust so evident in his eyes. In fact, he openly affirmed his envy at my finely-tuned physique before acquiring the gauntlet of Orunos. I flexed my body a little bit in front of the mirror and watched from the corner of my eye as he lightly bit his lip. That was more than enough for me to conclude that the person who was with me was not Alex, the cyborg crusader, but someone else entirely. Finding that person's true identity was not a problem.

"So, uh, do you want to let her drive?" Alex asked.

"I'll think about it," I replied.

"Bab-... bro, when did I ask you for a favor like this?" Alex asked, thinking that would be enough to make me change my mind. Unbeknownst to him, however, that gave me another clue to prove that it was not Alex whom I'm speaking with. I smirked, knowing that I've finally caught him. Alex does ask me for favors and always remembers to return them one day.

"That's strange. I remember you borrowing my homework a lot, among other favors. I've done so many favors for you that you gladly returned. Hearing you say this is quite strange," I stated.

"Y-Yeah, that's right. I forgot," He claimed, laughing nervously while scratching the back of his head, something Alex is known to do and is quite easy to mimic.

"Oh, yeah. Hahahaha! Like the time you asked me to buy you that expensive necklace that you wanted to buy yourself, but I was closer to the shop at the time," I stated, pretending to laugh with him. "What did you do with it again?"

"W-What did I do with it? I, uh, I think I kept it hidden." The only people aware of my purchase of such a necklace were none other than the other crusaders in our team, aside from Zack. The truth is that Alex said he wanted to hide it, but he gifted it to Zoe on her birthday. It made him ecstatic when she thanked him and hugged him warmly. He did not shut up about it for a week, and whenever I bring up the subject, Alex always recounts the story. I was the only one to know about him giving the necklace to Zoe, however.

"Oh, yeah. Before I forget. Alex, can you remind me how much money I spent on buying Ethan a brand new pair of sneakers after I trashed his white and red ones?" I asked, feigning forgetfulness.

"Easy. Seventy-five dollars," The suspicious Alex answered.

"AHA! I got you now! I told Alex that I paid only fifty! I never intended to tell him the truth!" I revealed.

"What? B-B-But I learned a while ago! I didn't bring it up because we were busy!" The nervous person in front of me claimed as the sweat dripped from his head.

"Wrong! If Alex did learn the truth, he would have confronted me about it no matter the time or place! The only person I told the truth is you!" I pointed at the imposter and watched as she sighed, her hair turning from white to red. Her feminine features returned instantly upon defeat.

I noticed that Mia's hair remained short and did not grow back to its previous length. She bore a striking resemblance to her younger self with the neck-length hair. She looked lovely with short hair, but I got used to her having long, sleek, and luxuriant red hair. She seemed disappointed in herself and her mimicking skills after having failed to memorize Alex's moves.

"I was so close!" She exclaimed, looking down with a pouty face and crossed arms.

"You could have fooled anyone else, but I know Alex too well, Mia. But the one thing that you should have known is that Alex hates strawberry flavored lollipops. You could have tried to talk to me without it, at least." I approached her and kissed her on the forehead, turning her cheeks red. "Also, why is your hair short?"

"Y-You don't like it?" She asked while the blushing was still evident on her face.

"You look wonderful. It's just that you with long hair is how I'm used to seeing you," I answered with full honesty. With a snap of her fingers, her hair returned to its original length. "I'll think about letting you drive, but for now, we have to prepare." I exited the bathroom, leaving a desolate and failed Mia behind.

I returned to the bedroom, wore my clothes, and walked down the stairs to the kitchen, where I greeted Ms. Anderson and grabbed a bagel before exiting outside, where I watched Zack train with Ian as I ate. Trevor and Jessie trained under the supervision of Mr. Anderson, who was giving them advice about footwork and defense. They proved to be good at wielding swords and other melee weapons, but that was not enough for Mr. Anderson. When Jessie saw me, she turned towards me and waved her hand, only to get knocked off balance by her sparring partner.

"How's the training going, sir?" I asked.

"Oh, Justin! There you are. It's great. They're improving with every sparring session. I guess seeing you crusaders in combat must have inspired them and invigorated their spirits. This takes me back to the old days when I was still serving under our late king. I used to train soldiers of the secret service. By the way, do you know why the secret service is comprised of ninjas?" Robert said while watching the group training, seeming enthused to relive his younger days, something that was quite wholesome to see. 

"I'm not sure, no."

"It's because of a past king who went to the eastern lands and forged alliances with the people there, learning many things about their culture and bringing it here. I don't remember which king it was exactly, but that's what I was told back when I was training soldiers. History enthusiasts love to fight about which king it was, but he made his journey in secret, so nobody knew when he went or came back."

"Why don't you come back?" Asked Zack, who finished his sparring. "You're always welcome."

"I retired long ago, Zack. Plus, the situation is not suitable right now," He answered the young king.

"We need someone like you who can train the soldiers, especially after all that's happened. Seeing a veteran train them will boost their morale and harden their resolve," Zack stated, which brought a smile on the old man's face.

"You remind me a lot of your father, young man. I'll think about it," Mr. Anderson answered after chuckling to the wise response.

"Justin, do you wanna spar?" Zack asked.

"Actually, I wanted to try something," I said before running and bringing back two giant rocks in each hand, making Ian, Trevor, and Jessie's jaws drop to the floor. I placed them next to each other with enough space for Zack to stand between and touch them both with his arms spread. I told Zack to do what I wanted him to do and prepared myself. I punched one rock and watched as the energy traveled from the first rock, through Zack, and onto the second rock that shattered.

"What the-?!" Zack exclaimed. "I felt the energy travel through me!"

"Cool, huh?" I asked.

"This is way too powerful!" Ian exclaimed.

"But I'm supposed to be way too powerful," I replied, not telling him the reason for me being so overpowered.

A charmed Jessie gazed lasciviously at me and said: "Wow... Now I see what Mia likes about you... Among other things..."

"JUSTIIIIIN!" Alex yelled as he ran towards me and grabbed me by the collar. The anger in his eyes was all too apparent as I realized what was going on. "You bought a pair of shoes for Ethan for seventy-five dollars?!"

"D-Dude, chill! That was a year ago!" I exclaimed.

"A year ago? Well, seventy-five dollars is still seventy-five dollars! Heck, it could have increased due to inflation! Why would you spend that much money on a pair of shoes?!" Alex said as he kept shaking me. I looked at the door to see Mia visibly trying hard to keep herself from laughing which did not help my temper.

"Says the guy who spent more than a hundred on a necklace for a girl!" I snapped. He was taken aback by that response.

"That was totally worth it!" He snapped back at me.

"You did not wake up in the same bed with her the next day, did you, Marie Antoinette?!" I snapped back and heard Mia burst out laughing next to Mr. Anderson.

Alex was taken aback by my response once more. "So that's how you wanna play, Walker? Alright then." He walked towards the shattered pieces of the rock I destroyed and punched the ground with his golden bionic hand. I watched in shock as the shattered pieces started to glow in a golden hue and float to form back into the rock I destroyed.

"This move is called Restore and Recondition. It can fix broken stuff and heal injuries. It takes a considerable amount of energy to use, but it's worth it." Alex grabbed the rock and raised it above his head. "Now, what do you think I'm gonna do with this?"

"You're gonna throw it at me?" I replied.

"No, you nincompoop. I will return it to where it came from. Now, come help me with the other one."

Suddenly, a deafening roar came from the sky as the shadow of a winged creature came into view. I looked at the sky and watched as a colossal dark purple dragon flew around the place and fired beams of energy from its mouth at the soldiers that had just arrived in town. I did not feel it until it presented itself when flying over us. As the city's defenses did nothing to stop it, I was overcome with apprehension at the thought of a rampaging dragon. 'Could this be the harbinger's dragon?!'

"After it!" I shouted as we ran to our vehicles and chased after the mad monster.

With the traffic being nigh non-existent, we made it to the city in less than four minutes and went to face the dragon. Mia and Zack conjured their armors and went flying after the dragon while Alex and I decided to tackle the issue on solid ground. Ian, Jessie, and Trevor took on the duty of evacuating civilians and helping those in need per my request. Alex fired his rocket launcher at the beast, but it nothing except enrage it and send it flying towards us. The dragon zoomed past Zack and Mia, charging straight at us while launching a barrage of its scales.

"What's the plan now?!" Alex asked.

"The best plan! RUN!" I shouted before booking it out of the area with the cyborg. The dragon flew after me, leaving Alex alone. I kept running without looking behind me as he flying monster chased me relentlessly throughout the city and did not stop when anyone attacked it. It plowed through soldiers, werewolves, and vehicles, making it a true danger to everyone around it. Eventually, it gained enough speed and struck me with its head. It propelled me high into the sky before flying after me and catching me with its mouth. It then threw me so far that I ended up on an entirely different side of town, alone and with multiple broken bones.

"Justin! Justin!" A horrified Mia shouted my name on the earpiece. I tried responding, but my ribcage was broken, and I barely managed to breathe. I looked at the dragon to see that it flew away after striking me before taking a gander at my bloody chest, unable to breathe. My ribs pierced my lungs and caused enough anguish to make me doubt immortality as a gift.

'But Alex was the one who shot you, you dumb asshole!' I thought to myself. A few moments later, I watched as Alex ran towards me with a determined look on his face. The cyborg broke through the debris that separated us as my consciousness faded. That's when I heard the voice of another dragon speak to me inside my head.

"O chosen, come to me and receive my power."

Alex punched through my chest, impaling me with his golden fist, and shouted: "Restore!" I watched as my chest healed nigh-instantaneously, my wounds disappearing, my clothes getting fixed, and my lungs finally able to breathe again. I inhaled as much air as I possibly could in one gasp.

"I feel like I jumpstarted your heart," Alex stated. "But nothing compares to you bringing me back from the dead."

"The same weapon that I used to save you has saved me, huh?" I asked, smiling as my friend pulled me up. "To beat that thing, we're gonna need the help of another dragon."

"Are you going to find it?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to go on my own. You have to stay here and help people. It may take a while until I find the dragon, acquire more power, and come back, but until then, I need you to fight this thing with all you got, alright?" I said to Alex, who nodded before I left for the car.

Before I started the engine, I felt myself being pulled upward and found myself levitating before getting whisked away to another location that I did not recognize. Once the white light flash faded, I opened my eyes to see myself in a vast green field with big trees separated by distance. I looked at my watch map to see where I ended up and discovered that I was in an entirely different landmass, much to my shock.

"Where the heck am I?!" I shouted.

All of a sudden, a dragon face icon popped up on the map. It showed the location of a dragon that was directly inside a volcano. I looked in front of me to find that very same volcano where the dragon was supposed to be located. However, it was too far for a simple hike. I placed my palm on my face and sighed, knowing it's going to be a trek to acquire the power and weapon the dragon is about to bestow upon me, and time is of the essence. I conjured the storm bringers and dashed to the location at speeds effortlessly passing Mach one. As I ran towards the volcano, I passed a group of warriors on horseback. That's when I sensed the same connection to the Astralis family coming from one of them, who looked very familiar. The connection between him and me was the strongest yet. I did not stop to see who it was, however, as I wanted to acquire the weapon and return to help my friends. But I knew deep down that he might have noticed me and felt the power between us. His left eye was covered with an eyepatch and his right eye was an ethereal shade of red.

"WOW! That one was strong! I even feel that I acquired more power by his mere presence!" I said to myself out loud as I dashed to the volcano, arriving at the top to find a gate with a dragon symbol at the door. I approached the door and placed my hand on the symbol, and watched as it opened on its own. I descended down the stairs towards the volcano while trying not to think about melting from the heat.

Soon, however, I realized that while it is indeed very hot, I did not melt, nor did the heat affect me in any other way. Nevertheless, it was very tempting to take off my clothes and run throughout the place totally naked. I spotted a tall structure inside the volcano that resembled an old fortified tower of some sort. With two large demons waiting for me, I conjured my sword and rushed at them, slicing one's ear and the other's eye. The one who lost its ear punched the ground next to me as it screamed in pain, allowing me to cut off its hand. The other one kicked me away and threw an ax in my direction, but I parried it with my own ax. I got back on my feet and spat on the ground next to me before rolling the sleeves of my jacket and rushing at the enemies. The demon that lost its eye tried to attack me again, but with its lack of depth perception, it failed to deliver the punch and screamed as I sliced its foot with my ax before running to its head and impaling it. I threw my weapon at the other demon, hitting it in the head. The ax did not fully penetrate the hole in the demon's head, so I conjured my crossbow and fired a non-lethal arrow to hit my ax and push it further in.

I opened the door to the tower while wondering whether the monsters were guarding the structure or were there to attack it. Making my way to the first floor, I found a treasure box with several potions and elixirs that I took without a second thought. I proceeded to the next level, where I fought a bunch of possessed suits of armor before proceeding to the third floor, where I found myself in the presence of a satyr that held an ax in its right hand and a spear in its left. It charged at me and swung its ax that I parried with my own. It pushed its spear in my direction, but I jumped out of harm's way and hit its leg with my sword. I rolled on the ground before shooting its back with my crossbow and watched as it angrily pulled out the bolt and charged at me, aiming to strike me with its horns. Before it could pierce through my chest, I grabbed the horns and held my ground. I watched as it tried to push me, making my feet slide backward. That's when I conjured the storm bringers and stabbed it in its head before kneeing it away and slicing its neck with my sword.

When I finally made it back to the top, I found a lever that looked very odd and out of place in the center of the top floor, begging me to pull it. When I pulled it, a sound rose from the ground floor. The lever then vanished into particles of light, and in its place, a chest spawned. When I opened the treasure chest, I observed many scrolls for magic spells and abilities. One that struck my attention was that of a magic satchel. It said that I must absorb the scroll with my magic powers to acquire a void that allows me to place an infinite amount of objects within me, regardless of the size or weight of it. Similar to the way I conjure my weapons and dematerialize them when they realize their intended purpose, albeit with any item I desire and not just with weaponry. "Don't mind if I do!"

When I acquired the magic satchel, I used it to store the abilities that I wanted to give to the others while acquiring the abilities:

Night Clarity: Allows the user to see clearly in the night or dark locations. It can be activated or deactivated at will.

Doppelgänger: Creates a doppelganger of the user that will follow their commands. The doppelganger will vanish if attacked with enough force or at the user's will.

Petrification: Halts the movements of anyone the user touches. The effects terminate at the user's will, if they are struck with enough force, or when a specific amount of time runs out. The target can break free if they are too powerful. 

Underclock/Time Deceleration: An ability that slows time around the user while keeping it unchanged in everyone else's perspective. Lasts up to five seconds. Duration can increase with training.

Flight: Grants the ability to temporarily fly without wings.

"Now these will be very serviceable. I need lots of practice with them to achieve their full potential, though," I stated after looking through the skills I acquired and their current power.

I walked down to the ground floor and found that a secret entrance revealed itself after I pulled the large lever. Down the secret stairs was yet another underground dungeon filled to the brim with monsters. As I was approached by a goblin, I used the petrification ability to freeze it in place, immobilizing it in midair. I laughed at the petrified monster before kicking it to the lava below. I used my crossbow to kill the goblins that charged at me from a distance and swung my ax at those who made it close to me. I watched as demons spawned, and more possessed suits awakened and readied myself for an incredible fight, only to be perplexed by the sight of the security armors and the demons fighting each other. I took the opportunity to sneak past them and avoid any unwanted fights while giggling at the entire situation.

Finally, I made it to the final room where nothing stood between me and my fate but a door that I opened with a simple movement of my hand. Down the last flight of stairs, I found myself inside a room with three panels in front of it and a circle in which I stood. I stood in bewilderment as the entire place shook, and a colossal black dragon emerged. It was so big that I could only see its head and nothing else. Not even its full head. Only the upper half of its head, including its colossal eyes.

"O chosen. We meet at last. I have been waiting for eons for your arrival." The dragon did not move its mouth but spoke into my head. "My name is Myzoroth."

"N-Nice to meet you, too."

"Although you were taken by my peers nearly a decade ago from this very world, it was your destiny to return and claim my power. I can feel your suffering... Your pain. You have lost so much..." The dragon said one thing that caught me by surprise.

"You said I was taken by your peers. I know that already but from THIS world?!" I asked in utter shock pointing at the floor in which I stood. "This is where I was born?!"

Suddenly, an image of a house appeared in front of me. I did not recognize this house for a moment until the memory of the ancient mural in the hidden mountain temple flashed inside my mind.

"This... Is this my house?" I asked, feeling a heavy sensation in my chest. The image was crystal clear and portrayed a house near some woods. No one was there, but it seemed to be occupied.

"This is a picture from a time long past. After the night you were taken away from the place of your birth, I kept watch over your family and watched as the years were not as kind to them as they were to you," The dragon stated.

"What... What do you mean?" I asked the mythical being, feeling my heart get overwhelmed with so many emotions that I did not know what to do.

"The night of your ascension was the night that your family met its end at the hands of the ones who took the life of the late queen. Assassins commissioned by the tyrannical empire. Your older sibling, however, remains in this world."

"What?! Where is he, then?! What's my last name? I want to know!" I exclaimed.

"I am not permitted to answer these questions, o chosen one," The great dragon answered.

"What?! What -or rather who- isn't permitting you? If I recall, I'm the only one who has ever set foot in this place in centuries!" I yelled at the monstrous dragon.

"The great spirit of the one who has fallen. It is not my purpose to answer that question, but to give you the information to forge your own path. If this little piece of information is enough to bring you to tears, then you will not be able to continue on your path. Your allies in great peril as we speak. They face a powerful foe they could not dream of defeating without you. To acquire my power, you must answer the three riddles on the panels in front of you. They shall help you regain your heart."

The first panel to the left lit up and asked:

"Feared for my nature but am in love with nature. Made for sin, but completed by his virtues. Who am I?"

I took a moment for myself to think and find the answer. Scratching my head and reading the riddle again and again did not help to give me a clue.

"Feared for my nature?" I asked myself out loud. "My nature..."

The dragon remained silent as I thought of the answer but to no avail. "Oh, come on! I'm wasting time here!" As time passed, I began tapping my foot on the floor as I got annoyed. "Mia's probably going crazy about-"

Suddenly, I realized that I have found the answer as I put the pieces together. "It's Mia, isn't it?" I asked the dragon and watched as the panel disintegrated into particles of light. All the memories I shared with my beloved started showing inside my mind, making me think back to the day we met and the time I gave her the necklace.

"Correct," The dragon answered. "The next riddle."

"I lost her, I lost my home, and finally, I lost my core. But through his golden light, I found myself once more. Who am I?"

"Hmm..." I said while thinking inside my head. "Lost someone and lost a home. We all lost our home. But who's 'her' that this riddle is talking about? Could it be... Zack's mother or..."

Suddenly, it hit me. "Alex! The answer is Alex! He lost his sister a few years ago!"

"Correct," The dragon said as the panel disintegrated, leaving the final panel. "The 'he' mentioned in the riddle is you, chosen one. Next riddle."

"I am a walking curse with a destiny. Everywhere I go, chaos and death follow. To end this madness, I must see his journey to its conclusion. Who am I?"

"Zack," I answered as I realized that the true purpose of these riddles was to remind me of the ones that suffered for my sake.

"Correct. Your parents may have perished, but your true family is in need of you. And now I will bestow upon you my power. Use it wisely, o chosen one." In a blinding light, the dragon disappeared. When I opened my eyes, I found myself wearing a pair of gauntlets, greaves, boots, and shoulder pads made of a dark metal and dragon scales infused with energy. It had slots on the forearms where I placed the lightning bringers, allowing me to use lightning along with fire and ice.

I started punching the air and practicing my boxing and kicking moves to test out the weapons that came along with the immense power I obtained from the dragon. The new weapon served as both weapon and armor simultaneously. After I finished my stylish testing, I stepped back in the circle and watched as I got whisked away back to my world. This time, I found myself falling from the evening sky with the tyrannical dragon flying directly underneath. When it noticed me, it flew directly towards me, disregarding everyone else and soaring through the sky with a thunderous roar. When it got within reach, I charged my fist and punched it straight in the face, knocking it away. When it regained balance, it charged at me with its energy beam that I dodged after using my flight ability. I closed my ears when it unleashed another earsplitting roar to try and rob me of my focus.

"You... you loud son... TAKE THIS!" I charged at its mouth while flying and hit the flying monster with an uppercut. I then followed that with a series of racing kicks and ended it with one final kick to the face that sent it flying back to the ground. I chased after the dragon and slowed time to hit it fast enough as it fell. After a few seconds, the time limit for both the flying and the time slow abilities ended, and I fell alongside the dragon. I took this opportunity to conjure my ax and sword and slice its body, leaving deep cuts and wounds all over it.

My arms were grabbed before I plummeted to my death, and when I looked above me, I saw both Mia and Zack with their armors holding me with my legs dangling down. They took me down to the ground where the dragon fell unconscious. When we walked to the beast, I placed a hand on its head and sensed its energy.

"Justin!" The voice of none other than Ethan entered my ears. I turned around to be greeted with his smile as I ran at him and embraced my guardian in a hug.

"Much has happened, huh?" Ethan asked, glancing at my new weapon.

"Yeah. First, Mia got her scythe, and I got this cool crossbow, then she got her bow while I found a dragon egg and got myself an ax. Yesterday, Zack unleashed his royal armor, and Mia acquired a giant sword. Today, I got myself some magic spells and these beauties!" I retold what happened to the knight. "Oh, that's right. I nearly forgot." I pulled out the magic scrolls that I obtained from the volcano and showed them to the group.

"Where were you storing these?!" Alex asked, surprised by my new ability. "Where did you find them?!"

"In a volcano," I replied. "Now, take your pick!"

Mia chose the following spells:

Mind Empress: The user temporarily controls the victim's mind, causing them to follow commands for a short period of time or until five tasks have been accomplished.

Dash: Allows its user to dash in any direction to avoid attacks.

Mana Drain: Allows the user to drain a portion of a target's mana, the closer the user is to their target, the more mana is absorbed. The ability takes full effect when touching the target.

Alex fancied the following abilities:

Emperor Ice: Allows the user to create ice and use it in any way they please.

Presence: Allows the user to sense their surroundings and the presence of creatures.

The Sage: Shows its user the skills, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and other information about a target.

Zack acquired the following skills:

Morpheus: Sends its victims into a deep state of torpor or sleepiness.

Sun's Grace: Unleashes a blinding flash of light that affects the targets that the user desires.

Graviton: Creates a magic black orb that pulls enemies towards it, harming them with its magical properties.

Ethan decided on the following skills:

Abstinence: Protects its user from mind control and any similar influences.

War Chariot: Summons a flying chariot that shoots volleys of arrows and spears and transports the user through the air.

United By Spirit: Creates up to twenty clones of the user that will vanish upon the simplest attack. Used mostly for confusing enemies or attacking from multiple directions. Clones cannot undertake complex tasks and follow basic commands.

"And with that, our skills have been officially split." I walked back to the dragon with the group and told Alex to use his particular healing skill on it.

"Are you crazy?! If that thing woke up, we'd be doomed!" He exclaimed.

"I highly doubt it," I stated. "If anything, it might help us."

"What?!"

"I don't believe it went berserk out of its own will," I said to the perplexed group. "I think someone made it go mad. I can sense a strange aura coming from the dragon."

Alex punched the dragon, and it opened its eyes after healing completely. That is when it decided to speak to me, but it transmitted its words into my head. Unbeknownst to everyone present, the dragon and I engaged in a conversation.

"I am eternally grateful for what you did to me, o deity of war. Thank you for bringing me back to my senses."

"Who did this to you?" I asked.

"Justin, are you talking to it?" Ethan asked with visible confusion. Mia looked at him and nodded to confirm.

"The dreaded harbinger of the darkness," It replied, making my heart skip a beat at the simple mention of his name, especially since he decided to disgrace me with his presence last night.

"What? How did the harbinger reach you?" I asked and listened to the gasps from the group.

"He is much more powerful than you can imagine. He was responsible for the eons of dragon slumber. The fallen dragon god commanded us dragons to shelter and protect ourselves for that the future will require our reawakening. The ones who did not manage to escape the wrath of the darkness perished at the hands of the crusader. I resided inside a mountain where I rested dormant until he appeared and applied his mental magic on me and corrupted my soul. Thanks to you, I can pass my powers to the one worthy of bearing our will." The dragon started emanating a bright light, and when it vanished, it spawned a new weapon for me, which is a big spear that had a glowing blade and wing ornaments.

"Before anyone asks, I am NOT compensating for something else with this spear," I stated to everyone present as I examined the new weapon and spun it in the air. A double-sided purple spear with a glowing aura and wind magic would make my battles much easier and more fun.

"Here," Ethan said, giving me a tablet. "Alpha-One herself gave it to us so that you can contact her whenever you want to. She's taken an interest in you four as of late."

"Thanks, man. This means so much," I replied to my guardian. "If you can do me another favor, I want you to ask commander Astralis about the Astral link. It's a very fascinating thing that I want to know more about."

"I can do that. If you manage to contact me again, I'll tell you what I'll find." Ethan embraced me in a hug as we planned to leave. I turned around and walked away as the knight said his goodbyes to the rest of the crusaders before they joined me.

"Before we go, I think this victory is deserving of a celebration!" I approached the car with the group and looked at Alex and Zack before smirking and saying: "Are you two ready?"

The two understood what I meant as smiles formed on their excited faces. "And raring to go!" Zack replied before I started the song, and we got into our positions to perform our victory dance. A silly dance that has no meaning but to flaunt our perfect physique and to bring our spirits up. I discovered that practicing the dance never failed to lift our moods, and dancing in front of the group had the same effect on everyone as well. Mia, Ethan, and the others watched in astonishment at our perfectly choreographed dance. We kept dancing until the part where we took off our shirts to reveal our bare chests, making Mia and Jessie nearly faint. 

"We had the entire length of the journey to practice. It only took us two days to perfect," I stated while we posed in the same suggestive stance.

"Nothing's better than dancing to liven up one's spirits," Zack said with his exposed six-pack.

"So we thought we'd share the magic with all of you!" Alex exclaimed.

After our dance ended, the people present all clapped, making us feel rewarded with their joy and delight. I snapped my fingers in front of my girlfriend to bring her back from her daydreaming. She blinked twice before gazing at my face like a woman madly in love. She approached me and wrapped her arms around me, whispering: "See Jessie over there? I think she's fallen to you spell. And here I thought that I was the one who makes people fall in love. She seems perfect for the two of us."

"Yeah, no. I don't think we have the time for that," I replied, making Mia feel disappointed. 

When I got my clothes back on, I threw the car keys to Mia and winked at her as I entered the passenger seat. She squealed in joy as she entered the car, kissed me on the cheek, and drove the four of us away after saying goodbye to everyone in the city. As soon as we got out of view, Jessie texted me a message, saying: "When will I see you again?" Accompanied by a heart and a kiss. I smirked at the phone and put it aside to enjoy the lovely breeze with the crusaders as we journeyed on to resume our crusade.