Zack, Parker, Sean, Abrianna, and OJ were running through the snow-covered forest with two captured enemies beside them. Their mission was to find the princess and the two Head Knights who were supposed to take her to the Aveay king.
However, Leknath and Anthony had changed their course and were taking Ruby to the war zone for unknown reasons.
Zack suspected that their three comrades were being held captive and urged the group to hurry and rescue them. Running in the snow was challenging, and their armor wasn't suitable for the task. The extreme cold was taking its toll, but no one complained; instead, everyone focused on following Zack. Heirloom and Erma, who had barely visible scales covering their skin, were running alongside Zack with their cuffs chained to his waist.
Paladin Zack: [I can hear the warfare! We're almost there.]
Everyone picked up their pace.
Zack ran with his Sword Breaker, using it to defeat Hydra's forces along the way.
They eventually reached an outpost made of the same dark brick material as King Roshan's castle. Unfortunately, the outpost was in poor condition, just like the castle.
They all paused to catch their breath and take in the sight of the damaged outpost.
Abrianna: [Is this the place?]
Parker: [I... hope so!]
Both Parker and Sean were completely out of breath and were having a hard time catching it, while everyone else seemed fine. They assumed their thinner bodies would change their lack of cardio in the previous world, but their lung capacity seemed as bad as ever.
Heirloom looked at them with disappointed narrow eyes then heard Erma giggle a little.
Erma: [That's what took you down?]
Her mockingly cheerful response irked the Dragon Tamer. With a sigh, he replied.
Heirloom: [I... fucking... hate him.]
Paladin Zack: [Yeah! This is the place.]
He turned around and looked at everyone.
Paladin Zack: [We need to be silent and discreet or else we'll have to fight. I don't want to put any lives in danger.]
Everyone: [Roger.]
Zack nodded and walked toward the outpost entrance.
The group of six entered the building and closed the door behind them. The area was completely dark, making it impossible to see anything. Zack searched for a light switch, but the cold brick walls provided no help.
Suddenly, they heard a door opening and some muffled voices coming from ahead. As they listened, they heard footsteps moving away from the door.
Parker tried to calm himself down by taking deep breaths because of his racing heart. Sean murmured a chant and created a small flame on his wand, illuminating the hallway around them.
With the small amount of light, they were able to see that they were in a long and empty corridor. Zack counted all six members of the group to ensure that everyone was accounted for.
Paladin Zack: [Is everyone okay?]
He spoke softly with a whisper in his tone. Everyone nodded.
The footsteps faded away as the same door opened again and slammed shut.
Paladin OJ: [Follow my lead.]
As the group approached the closed door, OJ confidently took Sean's wand and walked ahead, leading the way through the dark hall. He placed his hand on the knob and the Paladins exchanged a glance before opening the door.
Parker rushed in with his hands shaped like a gun, feeling anxious as he demanded everyone in the room to surrender their weapons and raise their hands. OJ and Zack followed behind him and surveyed the room.
There were seven people in the room - Leknath and Anthony were with Ruby, while two Aveay generals in full armor stood opposite the Head Knights at a rectangular table. Additionally, two Hydra soldiers were standing by the Aveay generals.
Parker turned his head in shame.
Paladin Zack: [What's going on here?]
HK Leknath: [Paladin Zachary! It's an honor to meet someone of your caliber.]
Widening his mouth and spreading his arms apart, Head Knight Leknath welcomingly approached Zack.
Ruby, now awake and confused, looked at Zack, Parker, and Sean with a narrow glare. She remembered them from her time in Leviere. She also noticed Heirloom, who shamefully turned his head away once they made eye contact.
HK Leknath: [What brings you here? Did you already–]
The Head Knights looked further into the group and noticed the dragon tamer and Erma following them in handcuffs. When Abrianna walked in, she immediately noticed Ruby and wanted to run straight for her. Zack stopped her without hesitation.
OJ tried keeping his composure by lowering his head and squinting his eyes, though minor twitches revealed that it wasn't helping.
Paladin OJ: [We managed to beat the Dragon Tamer and his dragon, leaving the two strongest in the group with the Royal Knights and Anderson.]
He rose his head and revealed a pulsing vein atop his forehead, sharp white teeth, and a massive head that nearly filled the room... or at least that's what it felt like.
Paladin OJ: [TELL ME WHY THE FUCK YOU GUYS DIDN'T TAKE THE PRINCESS TO THE KING!]
Like he didn't know what the Paladin was talking about, Anthony turned around and saw the princess sitting, unprotected and free. His face turned red as he chuckled in embarrassment.
HK Anthony: [You see, sir...]
He pointed to Musa and Abdimalik who were standing at the other side of the room. OJ glanced over at them and noticed their armor.
HK Anthony: [They told us that the Aveay army was beginning to lose, so we–]
Paladin OJ: [THEY'RE THE FUCKING ENEMY!]
Finally snapping, OJ grabbed the collar of Anthony's under shirt and raised him.
Paladin Zack: [There's no excusing what you two did. Get your sorry asses to King Devon and take the princess with you.]
OJ threw Anthony back to his spot and turned to the adventurers that tagged along.
Paladin OJ: [We'll handle the Aveay case, you two go do as you were commanded! And take these three with you.]
He pushed Abrianna, Parker, and Sean to Anthony.
Paladin OJ: [I'll deal with you later.]
Lek continued awkwardly laughing as he opened a portal and had everyone walk through it. Immedietly closing the portal after he walked through, Zack and OJ took a seat where the others sat.
Paladin OJ: [About this situation–]
Musa: [Sir, the problem right now is that Cody is the worst General ever! Under his command, the Aveay forces are falling faster than rain from the clouds.]
OJ looked at the soldier in shock. He was wearing armor of the enemy yet spoke to him like a superior. OJ turned to the other soldier also staring back at him with his fingers crossed. Noticing OJ's confusion, Musa bowed.
Musa: [I really needed the help of some higher authority. I'm sorry if we interrupted something.]
Abdimalik bowed right after and added.
Abdimalik: [We're sorry.]
Musa turned to him. Abdimalik looked at his friend with a soft smile, assuring him that he shouldn't take the blow alone.
Abdimalik: [It was a group effort.]
Paladin Zack: [You're wearing the Hydra armies' armor.]
Musa and Abdimalik looked at the armor they stole from the murdered Hydra soldiers.
Paladin Zack: [Mind explaining why?]
Isaac walked up to Musa and Abdimalik.
Isaac: [Musa Abdihamid, a private Magi-knight for the Aveay army. This one is Abdimalik Mohamed, a Corporal for the Aveay army.]
Musa: [We stole some of the Hydra soldiers' armor while searching for the Head Knights.]
Paladin OJ: [Then you must be quite dedicated to help your kingdom.]
Musa put up a straight face and stared his Paladin in the eyes. He replied with an effortless nod and watched as OJ sighed.
Paladin OJ: [What exactly is the problem?]
Isaac: [Our forces are at an enormous disadvantage against the Hydra forces, so we sent these two out to find one of the higher ups.]
Musa turned to Isaac and saw the blank expression on his face. He was lying through his teeth and didn't seem to be afraid of the consequences.
Isaac: [It's imperative that you send us some better gear–]
Musa: [HE'S LYING!]
OJ shot daggers at Musa. He noticed that the boy had a problem with communicating to his higher-ups and always wanted to get his point across. Musa stammered before continuing
Musa: [We called you over to fire these two from command! It's their fault that we're losing.]
Paladin Zack: [If their weapons are insufficient against the Hydra army, it isn't their fault that they're losing.]
Musa: [No... you don't understand.]
Heirloom looked at Musa as if he understood what was going on, but there was no point in helping his enemy.
Paladin OJ: [Have our forces retreat. If plasma weapons are no use, we might as well step back.]
Cody nodded and opened his chat interface.
Paladin OJ: [That was really easy considering the racket it was causing. Why did it take Lek and Anthony so long to settle this?]
Abdimalik: [Not to be rude or anything, but you haven't solved the problem at all.]
OJ turned to Abdimalik.
Abdimalik: [General Cody doesn't know what he's doing. He is the absolute worst when it comes to handling an army. We don't need to retreat, we need a stronger leader!]
Cody stopped typing his message and focused on the conversation happening behind him.
Abdimalik: [Maybe... just maybe, you can take control of the army for now.]
Cody: [Woah, woah! Hold your horses,]
He closed his interface and rushed to them.
Cody: [If you don't mind me intruding, Isaac has already told you what our problem is. There is no need to believe the... bullshit coming out of this soldier's mouth.]
Abdimalik: [You can't say shit, asshole!]
Zack glanced behind him and saw Heirloom and Erma standing nearby. He chuckled to himself and turned back to the quarreling soldiers, observing quietly.
OJ was shocked to see his troops fighting amongst themselves, but there seemed to be no easy solution. Does he side with his generals and solve everything immediately, or listen to the soldiers that risked their lives to tell him this, and fire his generals? The decision quickly got to his head as he mumbled to himself.
Eventually, OJ stood up and slammed his holy sword against the wooden floor, creating a loud noise that silenced everyone in the room.
Paladin OJ: [You four are acting like baboons!]
The four straightened themselves up.
Musa: [Whether you believe me or not, we want nothing but victory in this battle. Cody and Isaac are doing nothing to help us do that.]
Cody: [... We only have plasma weapons with us, and those have proven useless against this army. It's like bringing a pebble to a shoot-out.]
Paladin OJ: [Under the right command, an army of five can take out an army of four hundred.]
Cody hesitated to respond and looked away from the Paladins.
Paladin OJ: [I'm not one to pick sides, but the soldiers are right with this one.]
Musa and Abdimalik widened their eyes and began to smile. OJ stood up and walked toward the door.
Paladin OJ: [I will take command of the Aveay army. You two are officially demoted.]
Isaac and Cody clenched their jaws and tightened their fists.
Paladin OJ: [Either join the Aveay forces in battle, or run away from here and lose all benefits. The choice is yours.]
He walked out the door. Everyone else remained inside for the time.
Paladin Zack: [I'm really disappointed in you two, but I have to ask.]
Isaac and Cody looked at the strongest Paladin in the North.
Paladin Zack: [Did you guys mean to do this?]
They looked away and walked toward the door.
Paladin Zack Silently to himself: [I'll take that as a yes.]
*
Before they walked through the portal, Abrianna quickly reached for Ruby's only free hand and latched onto it like a magnet. Ruby was startled by Abrianna's sudden action and didn't feel comfortable with her touch, nor did she recognize her. Ruby quickly withdrew her hand and hid it behind her other. Abrianna was taken aback by Ruby's fear.
Parker, who was standing next to the Aveay Head Knights, was silently observing the situation. Abrianna's emotions affected him deeply, but he didn't know how to help. Seeing her sad made him feel sad, but he didn't want to interfere.
Leknath: [We're here!]
They made it to the other side of the portal and were transported to a hallway of metal and granite. A long corridor that had intense futuristic vibes and reminded Parker of the movies like Star Wars.
Leknath: [Before we go any further, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Leknath, but everyone calls me Lek. Don't be shy around me, I'm a pretty nice guy!]
Ruby's eyes widened slightly. Everything about him suddenly clicked in her head once she heard his name. The general upbeat, and positive vibe he was emitting reminded her of someone she once knew. Someone from the previous world. She grew more curious about this guy.
Leknath: [I'm the Head Knight of Jime and previously the Paladin of Penn, but don't let my high status get to you. Always feel free to reach out if you need anything! This guy here is Anthony Perez. He's the Head Knight of Aveay!]
Ruby was sure that these are the same people she knew, but their faces didn't match what she remembered.
While walking in the hall, they heard the voice of a high school junior walking toward them. To Parker and Sean, the voice was immediately recognizable. It wasn't until they caught a glimpse of him that they knew for sure. The king of Aveay wasn't just some old man like Didus, but someone from the previous world... or so they thought.
Sean excited: [Yo! Devon Fisher, man, is that you?!]
The king stopped walking and looked at the two with a soft smile. He was a tall guy, had dirty blonde hair, and a squared jaw that was unmistakable. Devon was wearing attire that looked luxurious. Gold jewelry around his neck and hands, a black suit and pants with a white shirt underneath. He had a black bowtie connected to his shirt and looked sharp. Devon opened his arms.
Devon: [It's me, man!]
Both Parker and Sean ran toward him with smiles across their faces. As they came close, two transparent blue spears suddenly pointed at their necks. The spears looked like they were extracted from a portion of the sky with a blue highlight scattered across the transparent starry metal.
King Devon: [I appreciate your fandom, but you can't come too close to me, I hope you understand.]
Their smiles and excitement quickly turned into fear.
King Devon: [So,]
Devon slipped his hands into his pant pockets and walked towards Leknath and Anthony.
King Devon: [What brings you back so early?]
HK Anthony: [Sir OJ told us to bring you this princess,]
Anthony released Ruby's hand and gave her a soft nudge forward.
HK Anthony: [Your Majesty.]
At first, Devon didn't recognize Ruby when he looked at her, but then he realized who she was. He was surprised and stepped back, but still extended his hand in greeting. Ruby blew a raspberry at the Head Knights, but when she saw Devon, she felt like he was hiding something from her.
Ruby: [No way...]
Devon kept his hand out, but Ruby ran right past it. She wrapped her hands around his back and gave him a hug. Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she hid her face in his suit.
King Devon: [Woah now!]
He had no idea what was going on, but he couldn't just leave her like this. Devon returned her hug to calm her down. The guards around the king didn't know what to do, so they kept their attention on Sean and Parker.
King Devon: [What's wrong?]
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With her eyes covered in tears, Ruby tried her best to articulate her words.
Ruby: [This world! I thought... I thought I was the only one brought here... I know nothing!]
Sean and Parker suspiciously looked at each other. Ruby pulled herself out of the hug and wiped her cheeks from the tears.
Ruby: [I'm so happy to see someone I know.]
Abrianna stepped back and Sean caught a glimpse of her confusion.
King Devon: [Well, you're safe with me, princess.]
Parker: [Hold on...]
Both the royals turned to him.
Parker: [Did you say something about being brought to this world?]
Ruby nodded. Parker pulled his head back and began to think to himself, connecting all the pieces. A year before graduating from middle school, the younger sister of a second-year had the same name and face.
Parker: [You wouldn't happen to be Penny's sister from team Nexus, would you?]
Ruby's eyes widened.
Ruby: [YEAH! How do you know?!]
Parker: [You were in Felix's advisory?]
Ruby nodded eccentrically as a wide smile formed from ear to ear.
Parker: [There's no way... you were brought here too?]
Sean: [Penny's younger sister? She wasn't with us when we were brought here.]
Parker: [Neither was Devon, but here he is... in the flesh.]
Ruby: [You know Felix?! You must be Parker!]
Parker softly smiled and nodded.
Parker: [You got that right.]
Ruby hugged Parker tightly, just as she had done with Devon.
Sean noticed the confusion on Devon's face, indicating that the person in front of them was not the same Devon Fisher they knew from Winooski. Sean had assumed that since Ruby kept her memories, then the case would be the same for everyone else, but Devon appeared to be unaware of what was happening.
Parker: [The wizard is Sean Soukone. He was also in Felix's advisory.]
Ruby walked up to Sean and gave him a nod of respect.
King Devon: [I don't understand any of this… do any of you mind explaining?]
Moments passed.
King Devon guided the group to the castle courtyard, which was enclosed by the gleaming metallic-white walls of the castle. The plain green field was adorned with nothing but elegant, somber grass. At the center of the courtyard stood a granite conference table.
Devon instructed the four to take a seat and ordered the Head Knights to keep watch from a distance. Once his guests were seated, Devon sat with his hands crossed, gazing attentively at them.
The three shared their experiences in the new world with each other. Parker and Sean shared their time with Zack and Faith, while Ruby talked about her adventures with team Hydra. They also discussed how they ended up in the new world and what happened when they arrived. Their different experiences tugged on Devon's curiosity, which led him to have many questions.
King Devon: [I think I understand now.]
Parker softly nodded.
King Devon: [However, I don't get why anyone would summon a group of useless kids to our world. What do you guys need to accomplish?]
Abrianna looked at Ruby.
King Devon: [I may not be the guy you guys think I am, but I'm willing to help in any way I can.]
Sean: [Yeah, we don't understand anything about all this ourselves. Right now, we're just trying to make ends meet however we can.]
King Devon: [So money is what you need?]
Sean: [Yes. Millions.]
Devon awkwardly laughed at Sean's cold, dead stare.
Parker: [Ruby, you said something about the Hydra group wiping your memory clean, right?]
Ruby: [Yeah, they said something about me not wanting to remember the terrible things Leviere did to my kingdom. I didn't really understand, but they seemed like they actually wanted to help... at least at the moment.]
Sean: [So you just joined them, not knowing what they were going for?]
Ruby nodded and then apologized.
Parker: [Do you remember anything about being a princess?]
Ruby: [All I remember is walking out of my room in Winooski, then arriving in a prison cell.]
Parker let out a groan
Parker: [The lunch table was planning a get-together that ultimately failed. We all walked through a door, then bada bing bada boom, here we are.]
King Devon: [So, how long have you each been here?]
Ruby: [A few days.]
Parker and Sean: [About a week or two.]
King Devon: [Different appearances, different method, same city... how does that work?]
Devon continued to groan as he raised his head and stared at the night sky.
King Devon: [None of this is making any sense.]
The other worlders stared at Devon as he pondered their situation. Making no sense of it, he eventually came up with an idea.
King Devon: [I want to study this.]
Surprised, the three of them looked at the king of Aveay.
King Devon: [Do you know anyone else that came from your world? Possibly someone that doesn't have any memories?]
Parker and Sean began to think to themselves, but Ruby was quick to come up with several ideas. She raised her hand out of instinct and patiently waited for Devon to awkwardly pick her.
Ruby: [It might come out as a surprise... but I know a few people.]
King Devon: [And they are?]
Ruby: [You, Leknath, Anthony... and team Hydra.]
Everyone in the room fell silent.
Ruby: [You guys are just an assumption, but the others, I'm 98 percent certain.]
King Devon turned to his Head Knight and stared at him for a moment.
King Devon: [Maybe on the Hydra members.]
No one in the room knew what Devon was talking about, but Anthony had a bad suspicion.
King Devon: [Your Highness- I'm sorry, Ruby. Ever since you got here, you've been with team Hydra, am I correct?]
Ruby gently nodded.
Ruby: [At least one of them was watching me at all times.]
King Devon: [They didn't happen to tell you who wiped your memory, did they?]
Ruby: [It was either Heirloom or Omar... why do you ask?]
King Devon: [It's just a hypothesis, but I get the feeling that whatever jogged out your Royal memories is a memory-wiping spell used to capture dragons. The only two classes with magic powerful enough to wipe memories are Mages and Dragon Tamers.]
Ruby had no clue what Devon was talking about, but she let him continue to see if he could make any sense over time.
King Devon: [The only way to restore those memories, is by having the person that took them return them. I was thinking, maybe, just maybe, you could convince the Dragon Tamer to use the same spell on you again to maybe bring back your princess memories.]
Ruby: [Will something like that work, though? What if I forget everything I know now?]
Abrianna: [Restoring memories doesn't work the way you may think.]
Everyone turned to her.
Abrianna: [The memories that were erased will take the back seat when restored, leaving the new memories in the front to take command. In your case, if what you're saying is true, your other-world memories will be what you remember, and everything from your princess days will be a distant memory.]
Parker: [Shit... I'm beginning to feel like Felix with all this info dumping.]
Ruby: [Okay, but convincing him won't be easy. Don't one of the kingdoms have a mage that could do the same thing?]
King Devon: [The only mage in the Northeast that can manipulate the mind is Sophia Do, but she won't do anything that will permanently damage someone's head.]
Ruby was surprised to hear that name.
King Devon: [Besides, Heirloom was the one that wiped your memory. Our only hope is having you manipulate him into returning them.]
Ruby stared at him for a moment before coming to a conclusion.
After a simple head nod, Devon commanded Lek to return and reopen his portal.
Sean: [What's the plan?]
Ruby: [You guys need to distract the Paladins and leave Heirloom to me.]
The rest nodded and walked toward Leknath's portal. He had everyone taking part go in one at a time. The king and Anthony stayed back while everyone else walked through and instantly appeared outside the outpost.
The first person to walk through the portal was Ruby. Luckily, she found herself face-to-face with Heirloom. They looked at each other, and Heirloom felt shy as he looked into her kind eyes. Ruby smiled and took hold of his hand. She led him to a corner while Sean and the rest of the group arrived through the portal. They rushed over to Zack and brainstormed a diversion plan.
Ruby pressed Heirloom against a wall and glanced around the area. They were clear from anyone's sight.
Ruby: [I've been looking for you,]
Heirloom stammered uncontrollably until Ruby covered his mouth with her free hand.
Ruby: [I need your help!]
Heirloom couldn't respond. Her short and cute figure began to get to his head as his eyes kept trying to look down.
Sean: [Zack! Have you seen Ruby?! She never came with us to the castle!]
Paladin OJ: [What?!]
Heirloom overheard the conversation going on then turned back to Ruby. It didn't take long for Erma to notice Heirloom went missing. She cautiously searched around the place but couldn't move far from Zack's clutches.
Ruby: [We need to get out of here.]
She placed her hand on Heirloom's handcuffs and watched as they silently broke into pieces.
Ruby: [C'mon!]
Ruby ran into the woods and Heirloom blindly followed after her. Without a second thought, Heirloom left Erma behind and escaped with a runaway princess.
Heirloom: [What's going on?!]
Ruby: [We're running away! Do you honestly think I want to be held captive?!]
Heirloom's mood began to rise as he watched her long hair flowing behind her.
Heirloom: [Yeah, but how did you escape the Head Knights?!]
Ruby: [I'll explain everything to you once we get far enough!]
Ruby inspected her skills and selected the first one she saw. Let out a hand, an opaque white oval that released a red mist formed in front of them.
Ruby: [I don't know where this will take us, but we have no other choice.]
Ruby jumped through the oval and disappeared. Unsure if following her was the best idea, Heirloom had a gut feeling that doing so was the best possible option.
As soon as he jumped through, Heirloom's armor vanished and revealed the black t-shirt he wore underneath. This caused a significant drop in his defense and attack stats, and he lost any dragon power her had. He figured it was because of the distance between him and Erma, but dismissed it as a fluke.
Ruby found a sturdy oak tree and sat against it.
The two of them landed in a desolate wasteland with nothing but trees and rusty sand for miles.
Heirloom joined Ruby and sat beside her. The tree was bulky enough to allow the both of them to touch their shoulders. Ruby didn't think anything of it, but Heirloom grew embarrassed and turned red. The hardly visible scales on his skin faded into obscurity.
Ruby: [This part of the world is pretty shit, huh?]
Surprised to hear her cuss, Heirloom turned to her and quickly turned away once they locked eyes.
Heirloom: [What more do you expect from the Western Wastelands?]
Ruby giggled and then turned back to the empty plain in front of them.
Heirloom: [Why don't you explain what happened after you left?]
Ruby: [I met up with a king. He told me several things that counteract what you and Vijan have been telling me, so I didn't believe him.]
Heirloom: [Things like what?]
Ruby let out a sigh.
Ruby: [You know, the usual.]
She looked up at the sky and stared at the orange hue.
Ruby: ["Team Hydra is the real enemy," "Everything that I know about them as a team is false," "Team Hydra is the cause of all our current problems..." like I said, the usual.]
Heirloom: [Okay, so why run away? I never saw you as that type.]
Ruby silently stared off into the distance as a breeze blew on their hair.
Ruby silently: [You don't know anything about me.]
They both sat in silence as Heirloom lowered his head and began to think to himself.
Ruby surprised: [Oh! That's not what I meant!]
She began to giggle.
Ruby: [I'm just super confused at this point in my life. Nothing is making any sense, and I don't know how to cope with it.]
Heirloom still didn't know how to respond so as soon as Ruby stopped giggling, the both of them sat silently.
Heirloom: [Hey,]
His sudden response caught Ruby by surprise.
Heirloom: [Th... thanks. For saving me back there.]
Ruby: ['Least I can do for saving my life, right?]
He looked at Ruby with his dead eyes.
Ruby: [Can I ask you something?]
Heirloom: [Sure. Anything for the princess.]
The princess looked away from him and stared at the yellow grainy dirt beneath them.
Ruby: [... After everything that's happened, I'm starting to doubt everything you and the others told me.]
Heirloom narrowed his eyes, cautiously waiting for her to continue.
Ruby: [If the alliance was really after me, then how come they didn't kill me by now?]
Heirloom: [I'm not sure I understand.]
Ruby: [When we first came back to the castle, none of the allied soldiers were out to get me. If anything... they were after you guys.]
She raised her head and stared at the sky once again.
Ruby: [And when they kidnapped me, it didn't feel like they wanted me dead. It felt like...]
She turned to Heirloom, her eyes frightened of the person sitting beside her.
Ruby: [like they wanted to get me away from you.]
Heirloom: [I don't know their true intentions, Princess. However, I can guarantee that they aren't in your best interest.]
She clenched her teeth and pulled her head back.
Ruby: [Are you lying to me?]
Heirloom: [I would never. I have nothing to hide.]
Ruby: [If that's the case, then... give me my memories back.]
As Heirloom paused, he noticed Ruby's body tense up. Her fingers gripped tightly onto the particles of dirt, her shoulders stiffened, and her eyes shook in anticipation of his response. The luminescent blue light rays highlighted their hair, emphasizing the fear in her eyes as she stared at the dragon tamer. Although he's witnessed reactions like this before, this time he felt he may have made a mistake. The outcome of this situation hung in the balance, and his next move could make or break it. Heirloom hesitated, clenching his teeth and lowering his gaze.
Heirloom: [There's stuff you don't want to see–]
Ruby: [That's my decision to make!]
Heirloom raised his head to the trembling princess.
Ruby: [I want... no, I need you to give me my memories back, Heirloom.]
The situation had reached a tipping point. One wrong move and everything would crumble. Heirloom felt his anxiety rising and quickly brainstormed an escape plan. As he looked down at his shirt, he had a sudden realization of what he needed to do.
Heirloom: [Fine, but I'll need Erma to use my dragon powers.]
He looked back at her as she loosened her strain.
Heirloom: [Only then can I return your memories.]
Ruby: [You better not be messing with me.]
Ruby extended her hand, conjuring yet another white oval portal. Heirloom observed as the swirling wind was drawn inside.
Ruby: [I'll tell the others that we came to an agreement. Don't mess this up.]
Heirloom smirked and nodded. The both of them jumped through the portal and reappeared in front of the outpost.
As they landed on their feet, they saw Zack collapsed onto OJ's shoulders for a second. Abrianna, Parker, and Sean watched Ruby and noticed her smile their way. Erma immediately tried running to Heirloom, but the chains keeping her connected to Zack held her back.
As everyone turned their attention to the two that suddenly appeared, Zack began to wake up.
Erma: [Master!]
Heirloom turned toward her and smiled. His armor slowly started reappearing piece by piece in square particles. Erma didn't know how to feel, but deep down she felt somewhat glad to see him again.
Paladin Zack: [She came back?]
Ruby: [I've come up with an agreement with Heirloom.]
She walked up to Paladin OJ and looked him in the eyes.
Ruby: [He'll return my memories as long as you release Erma.]
Paladin OJ: [Someone like him actually wants to cooperate?]
Heirloom: [She'll learn the truth.]
As he walked closer to Ruby, his armor came back to him piece by piece from head to toe.
Heirloom: [Just return my dragon.]
Ruby turned to him.
Paladin OJ: [You're funny if you think we'll believe you.]
Heirloom chuckled.
Paladin OJ: [There's no way you're going to do what you say.]
Heirloom: [Whether you believe me or not is up to you, but if your final answer is no, then I'll have to take matters into my own hands.]
Heirloom turned back to Ruby.
Heirloom: [I tried to cooperate.]
He reached his hand out and shot a ball of fire at Erma's cuff, surprising everyone in the area.
Heirloom's wings grew out as he flew for the freed Erma. Once he reached her, he picked her up and hovered midair.
Heirloom: [I have no need for the princess anymore. You guys can have her!]
Zack: [No you don't!]
Zack utilized a wind spell that enhanced his ability to jump, allowing him to continuously leap in midair. With this newfound agility, he pursued Heirloom with the speed and determination of a buzzing fly.
As Ruby watched him soar off, a tear welled up in her eyes. Sean, noticing her distress, made his way over to her.
Sean: [It's not your fault.]
She turned to him and wiped her eyes.
Sean: [He's well known as a conniving bastard. You tried, and you came pretty damn close... so cheer up, okay?]
His smile managed to change Ruby's mood, but only slightly.
Ruby: [Thanks...]
Abrianna: [Ruby! Are you alright?!]
Abrianna ran toward the four.
Ruby: [Yeah, I'm fine.]
Abrianna: [You had us all worried. Where did you go?]
Ruby: [I tried to get to Heirloom's mind and somehow get him on our side. It failed pretty badly, huh?]
Abrianna: [You tried your best.]
The both of them looked at each other with smiles.
Paladin OJ: [What was the plan you made with Devon anyway?]
Ruby: [He came up with the assumption that in order to restore the memories of the normal world, Heirloom has to wipe their current memories clean.]
Sean opened his skill inventory and began scrolling.
Ruby: [So he wanted me to get close to Heirloom and somehow get to the point that he would willingly wipe the memories of the people we ask.]
Parker: [If that's what happened to you, it might be true. So you tried getting him on our side?]
Ruby nodded.
Ruby: [I thought I had him in the Western Wastelands, but apparently not. Again, I'm sorry.]
Abrianna wrapped her arms around Ruby and pulled themselves together. As they stood in silence, Sean continued to scroll through his inventory until he saw a skill that caught his eye.
Sean: [I knew I wasn't going crazy.]
Parker's attention shifted away from the girls hugging.
Sean: [I don't know if mine would work as intended, but I might just be able to do what Heirloom can.]
Parker: [That's what he said.]
OJ chuckled in the background. Sean's statement gained Ruby's attention, which caused her to release Abrianna's hug.
Ruby: [You have a power that can wipe someone's memory?]
Sean: [Looks like it.]
He clicked 'Learn Skill' and stood still as he felt his veins caress from head to toe inside his body.
Sean: [I think we should put Devon's theory to the test.]
Parker: [I think it would be best that we don't test it out on any high-ranking individual. Do any of you recognize any names from our world?]
Unsure of what Parker was talking about, OJ went with a hunch and walked up to Abdimalik and Musa, grabbed their shoulders, and introduced them to the others.
Paladin OJ: [Maybe they will work.]
Ruby: [MUSA?!]
She quickly turned to Sean.
Ruby: [You have to test it on him!]
Musa: [Hey! Do I not have a say in this?!]
OJ shook his head and shoved him over to Sean. Like he had no other option, Musa just stood there and didn't fight back.
Musa: [What if I'm not the person the girl remembers?]
Paladin OJ: [We'll consider it as a noble sacrifice. I'll give you the title and unimaginable riches will be sent your way.]
Musa: [Then what are we waiting for?!]
He turned towards Sean and stared at him with stars in his eyes and money on his mind.
Musa: [Let's get this started!]
Parker couldn't stop laughing as Sean prepared the spell.
Raising his wand above Musa's head, Sean shut his eyes and felt the magic energy flow in the air around him. The crystal on the tip of his wand began to glow and released round green particles that streamed onto Musa's head. The soldier began to feel pain which caused him to flinch and squirm every now and then. Everyone watched, waiting for something to happen.
Sean's wand crystal light dimmed away ever so slowly. Once all the light disappeared, they all stared and anxiously waited for Musa to do something... anything. Musa letting out a single breath shocked his crowd, but as he opened his eyes, Ruby ran towards him and Sean backed away.
When he finally opened his eyes, the thing he saw was Ruby cautiously staring at him with several others behind her.
Musa: [... Ruby?]
Ruby's eyes widened.
Musa: [What are you...]
Ruby pulled him closer to her and hugged his heart out. Musa was having a hard time breathing, even to the point that he started smacking the floor with his right hand.
Musa: [I... can't!]
Ruby excited: [IT WORKED!]
Musa had no idea what was going on as the only person he knew got up and started high-fiving everyone around her. Musa tried moving, but then he felt the gushy feeling of blood splattered around the inside of his armor, causing him to get up and freak out.
With a voice crack, Musa shouted.
Musa: [WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! GET IT OFF ME!]
He caught everyone's attention. Musa began to notice the interface options at his peripherals
Musa: [What the fuck?!]
He looked up at the sky and saw the single moon beginning to set.
Musa: [Where am I?!]
Abdimalik: [We're next to an outpost during a war.]
Musa: [Abdimalik? This is World War 3? I'm not old enough to be drafted! How long have I been out?]
Parker: [He definitely has his memories back.]
Sean: [Since it works, maybe we should try it out on some other people. Because it seems like Abdimalik is also someone Musa knows.]
Musa: [Who are you two?]
Parker: [Yeah, do you mind?]
Abdimalik willingly walked up to Sean and did exactly as Musa did. The light appeared once again, and the same process repeated. This time, however, Musa was watching in awe as he witnessed magic for the first time. He was dumbstruck and speechless the entire time. When Sean finished, he backed away from Abdimalik and watched as he opened his eyes.
Abdimalik: [What the fuck?]
He looked around and saw Musa standing beside him.
Abdimalik: [This isn't Summer School.]
Parker: [It worked on him too. Guess it's a guaranteed fix to bring back people's memories.]
Sean: [Yeah, but what does knowing that mean for us?]
Parker shrugged.
Ruby: [It's just a guess, but I have a feeling that bringing everyone's memories back could lead us back to our world.]
Sean: [I'm not saying that you're dumb, but that guess seems pretty unlikely. I mean, how would wiping a bunch of people's memories bring us back home?]
Abdimalik: [Our world? What do you mean?]
Parker took time out of his day to explain the current situation to Musa and Abdimalik. It only took a couple of minutes, but it felt like hours as the suns began to rise.
Abdimalik and Musa: [WHAT? NO WAY!]
Parker nodded.
Musa: [So that means I can fly?!]
Abdimalik: [Can I do the Chidori?! Please say I can do the Chidori!]
(AN: The "Chidori" is a lightning attack used in the anime: Naruto. The attack is also known as "Lightning Blade")
Parker: [You're asking the wrong people, pal. What you can and can't do can be answered by Felix.]
Ruby: [I never bothered asking, but where is Felix? I haven't seen him with you two.]
Sean: [Yeah you have. He just looks different now. Long blue hair, blue and purple eyes, really cute,]
Ruby imagined a boy with all of the attributes Sean listed but still didn't recall seeing anyone like him.
Sean: [I should also mention he's a girl now.]
Ruby stared blankly at Sean.
Sean: [You remember now, huh?]
Ruby nodded.
Musa: [I never took Felix as a trans type.]
Sean and Parker shrugged.
Paladin OJ: [Not to interrupt your meetup, but we can't ignore the fact that a war is going down, and we're on the losing team.]
Parker: [Right, the shitty excuse for a war. Yeah, we should get to it.]