The Heroes I-The Black Fire Lighthouse

Chapter VIII-Exploring, Training and Love

Garen looked around when the smoked cleared and the first thing he saw was Max and Becky looking around the city; as if she was taking in her surroundings for a later time and Max as if he was, well, just dumbfounded pretty much. He did not, however, see any sign of Cody, which probably meant he was going to do what he had said. As Garen started to take in more of the areas around him he noticed that the city was almost all white. The walk ways were all white and so were all the buildings, except for one. One building, no, one fortress, was a blackish color, but it wasn’t a plain black. It was a kind of weird and beautiful black, almost as if the building was liquid, just as in Mt. Killimore. This fortress was also placed in the middle of the city where everyone could see its greatness and beauty and it had, what looked like, half giant guards in front of each entrance. The site of this enormous city struck both Garen and Max dumb, but Becky was looking around the place as if it was nothing too impressive.


Garen looked around seeing if someone would know what he was looking for, so he ran over to the nearest marketer.


“Do you know where your mayor would be right now?” asked Garen politely.


The fat man behind the stand of rubies and emeralds looked up from his scroll titled "The Secrets Behind Fire of Color" and eyed all of them up, studying them carefully, then he started laughing and continued reading his scroll.


“Sir, this is a serious matter,” Garen said as he lit his thumb up with Green Fire and held up to the man’s face, causing him to jump and fall backwards off his stool.


“Oh, o-of course,” said the man shakily, “I didn’t mean to be so rude. We don’t have a mayor, that’s the first thing you need to learn, young boy. We have a high and mighty king, the best in our world. He would probably be in the palace, and I’m sure you saw that, but good luck trying to enter. No one is ever allowed into that place without special permission.”


“Oh, I’m sure we’ll get in quite easily,” said Becky with a little grin then turned on her heels and trotted off toward the palace, Garen and Max following quickly behind her.


When they got up to the main door of the palace, they saw two rather large guards staring down at them with very sour looks. Their faces were the most horrendous sight that they’ve ever seen. The guards’ mouths were curled into a snarl that showed yellowing chipped teeth, their faces were wrinkled and worn as if they were old men, their eyes were a cruel, pitch black, and their eyebrows grew together into one; not to mention the horrible smell climbing off their bodies and sneaking its way into the Heroes’ noses. Every guard around the palace looked the same as if they were all clones and they were now wondering how to get through these giant guards.


Becky was the first to break the barrier of the guards’ stench, crinkling her nose as she approached, and said, “Um, excuse me kind sirs, would it be possible for my friends and I to take a look around this lovely palace of yours and maybe even talk to your king?”


“I think you and your friends should leave the area before trouble starts,” growled one of the guards. “We don’t allow children into the palace.”


“Now listen here,” scowled Garen, “we need to speak to the king, it’s very important. And we're not children…we're almost adults.”


“And what would be so important as to interrupt the king now?”


“There are He-”


“There’s a city preparing to attack Langholm,” interrupted Becky quickly. “Naron is marching over as we speak.”


“Go alert the king now!” He said to the other guard.


“Wait,” said Becky, “it would be best if we spoke to him, we know more information.”


The guard looked down considering the option; finally the guard looked up and said, “Alright, go. But if I hear of any trouble, you will not like the consequences.”


Becky ran quickly past the guards, Garen and Max following her lead, and coming to a stop in the main entrance.


“Alright I know you two have never been inside a palace before, but we have no time to gaze, if the palaces are similar, the king’s office should be over here.”


She turned to her left and ran up a set of stairs and ahead of her was a single door that she barged through, Garen and Max coming through it shortly after only to see what looked like some sort of meeting going on with about a dozen people in nicely colored clothing staring up at them. In the middle of everyone were three people; on the left was a man dressed in green, glowering at them, on the right was a man in a rainbow colored robe with an irritated look, and in the middle was an elderly man dressed in a robe with blue, yellow, white, and red with a very kind and gentle look on his face still looking at the scroll laying in front them on the table.


“Excuse me!” yelled the man in green, standing up, “you have just barged into a very important meeting!”


“Sit down, Canola,” said the elderly man with a smile on his face and a happy twinkle in his eye, “I am sure these three have a very good explanation to come into this room, don’t you?”


“Um, y-yes we do, sir,” Garen hesitated at first, then started saying seriously and directing it towards Canola, “and it’s probably much more important than this meeting. Hell Raiders plan on attacking Langholm at daybreak tomorrow morning to begin the Hell Raider War.”


“Ha, you call that important?” said Canola. “Hell Raiders have been extinct for hundreds of years and the Hell Raider War has already gone and past, but I’m glad you’re doing your history lessons.”


“This is not a laughing matter,” said Becky sourly. “It’s the real thing, now sit down as your Elder directed you to and don’t interrupt again.”


“Check your manners young lady-!”


“Young!?” flared up Becky. “I am probably much older than you could imagine, I am an elf, now sit as you were directed so we can explain!”


The Elder looked over and motioned for Canola to sit again. “I would do as you were directed, Canola, she has much more experience than any of us in this room, except for me of course. Now, Lang, my son, discuss with these travelers about this problem, you are now the king.”


“Alright, father,” said the man in the rainbow colored robes.


“My name is King Lang, this is, you already know, Canola, our councilor and the Elder here is my father and the previous king, Langholm. Please tell us what the problem is that we are dealing with.”


“Well, my name is Garen, this is Becky, and this here is Max,” he took a quick pause and then told them everything that they witnessed in the forest, from the Dark Lord to the Hell Radiers’ meeting.


Langholm stood up, looking concerned. “This is a very dire situation that we’re in right now, we don’t have near enough people to fight against the Hell Raiders; we are going to need many more warriors.”


“That has just been taken care of,” said Cody’s voice from behind everyone.


“Now who might you be and what do you mean by that?” asked King Lang.


“My name is Cody, and I just notified Naron of what is happening and they are more than obliged to help.”


“Well, I must say, that is very interesting,” said King Lang, “we are usually at war with Naron, and they’re our enemies.”


“A lot of the soldiers and even the mayor despised the idea, I’m sure they still do, but the Grand Elder rose up and silenced everyone. He then said, ‘This is not the time for us humans to oppose one another, but to combine our strengths and fight together to beat these monstrous creatures, otherwise the human race will end because of our foolishness and stupidity.’”


“That is a very true statement from him,” said Langholm. Garen studied him very carefully, this man was very old, but shouldn’t be underestimated; he’s probably stronger than anyone here, even Becky or Cody.


“I am quite glad you believe that, Garen,” said Langholm.” I am this town’s Grand Elder and I was also the greatest king and soldier it ever had. War is a very hard thing to live with, but we must fight to save the human race. If history is repeating itself, then after this war will be the War of the Lighthouses, and that will actual have humans we have to kill; have any of you ever taken a human life?” he asked this in a serious tone and then glanced quickly over to Cody, then back to the others.


“Well, no; never really had to, I suppose,” said Garen, then he looked over at Max, who was looking down and shaking his head.


“I am quite old,” said Becky, “and I have had to kill some humans in my past, but I don’t think it’s as hard for me as it is for them.”


“No,” Cody said hesitantly, “I haven’t killed any humans before.”


Langholm looked over at Cody again, with a worried look, and then looked back to the rest of them, saying, “That’s what I thought. It’s going to be a very difficult thing to do, no matter how much training you go through, no one is trained to take away another human’s life.”


“Um, sir,” started Garen, “how did you know what I was thinking just awhile back?”


Langholm looked over to him and said softly, “Your friend here isn’t the only one who knows how to control Rainbow Fire, but with my age and experience, I have so much more control over it than he does.” He then clapped his hands together, causing the candles around the room to rise up in Rainbow Fire for a quick second, then simmer down, as he smiled at the group in front of him.


“Now, Cody, when are those worriers going to be here, I would like to properly meet them; not on the battle field.”


“I brought them with me here,” Cody said. “I asked if they could wait outside the doors, which they are doing now.”


“Well you should’ve said something, boy,” Canola.


“Yes, you should have done so, Cody. And Canola, I must ask you to be polite to these men, do not speak out of turn, and do not do anything to agitate them,” said Langholm.


“Yes, sir.”














“We’ve been waiting out here long enough,” said the Naron mayor, “where is he?”


“He is right here,” replied Langholm, walking through the doors, “I do apologize for the wait, but we were discussing some things and Cody failed to mention that he brought you with him.”


“Langholm, sir, there’s something that I have to tell you about our way over” Garen said quickly.


“Yes, what is it, Garen?” asked Langholm looking down at him.


“Well, I live in Kio and it shouldn’t take more than half a day to reach this city, but it took Max and me over two or three months to get here. I think the planet can sense that history is about to repeat itself and is somehow going out of order, so I think that it might take much longer than we think for the Hell Raiders to get here. It would’ve taken us much longer, but Cody brought us here with his powers.”


“Hmm,” Langholm seemed to be thinking carefully, closing his eyes. “You’re right, Garen. The world’s time seems to be out of order, it’s something that none of us can explain or even understand. It will take the Hell Raiders much longer to get here than even they think. This is a good time for us to train and rest up.”


“And where should we be staying?” asked an older gentleman from Naron.


“We have more than enough rooms in the palace for you and your warriors, but we’re going to have to get our elderly in shape and retrain them and you and I may also have to fight this one, Grand Elder. It’s a dangerous thing to do, but we cannot take any chances against this.”


“You’re right, Langholm,” said Naron’s Grand Elder, “so for now you all find rooms and get ready to call it a night.”


“Canola, show these men to their rooms,” said Langholm. “I will show the Grand Elder his room and, Son; you can bring the mayor to his room.”


“Yes, sir,” they both replied back.


“You four can go around the village and eat or get supplies, when you get back I will show you your rooms.”


“Sounds good,” said Garen, then he turned around and started walking back down the stairs where the guards were, the others right behind him.











They were all split up to explore the large and magnificent city. Max and Garen were walking down the market area of the city, looking to see if they can find some decent food to eat. They didn’t need any new weapons, but going a few months without good food is kind of rough on them. The food looked amazing to them, there were fruits and vegetables there that Garen nor Max had ever seen. The apples they had weren’t just a deep red, but also yellow and green, even some that had a mixture of red, green and yellow. The longer fruit in a yellow casing looked strange to them and same with the spherical orange fruit, but they went ahead and got all the fruits they saw and brought them to the merchant, no matter how strange or bizarre looking.


“That all together would be eighteen gold pieces,” said the merchant, looking down at the many fruits in front of him.


“Eighteen gold pieces?” Garen asked. “Damn, that’s a lot compared to Kio.”


“You are from the ancient village of Kio?” asked the merchant pleasantly. “The protector of the Fire of Color Tablets?”


“Yes, sir,” Garen said softly. “Actually, they were stolen from our village, and a couple of friends and I are out to retrieve them to make sure no harm comes to this planet.”


“Well then, that would be a discounted price, you only need to pay me five gold pieces,” said the merchant in a whisper, then he grabbed hold of Garen’s hand quickly. “Please do all you can to retrieve those Tablets, I am very grateful to your village’s determination to keep this world safe.”


“We will do everything in our power to stop the Lighthouses from being lit, sir,” Garen said softly.


“Thank you very much,” said the merchant, walking back slightly, “and, please, don’t call me sir, I work for a living.” He then walked over to a couple that was looking at his fruits, asking them if he could help them with anything with a smile on his face.


Garen and Max started to walk down the street a little further wondering how a merchant could be so nice. They were always lead to believe that the merchants in large cities were lying masters of bargaining, but this guy wasn’t. They both decided that this would be enough for now and started to head back up to castle, talking about how this battle could turn out. Garen’s stomach started to feel as though it sank down as he was talking about it. He’s never been in a large battle like this before and didn’t have the experience, sure he knew what he was doing, but could he do it in the actual face of danger. One may think they can do everything just right, but when they’re actually faced with the situation, things may not be how they think, Garen remembered Mr. Killimore saying to him once. He looked back up to the castle, hoping that things would end well for them all. He realized that he needed real training, from someone who could pose a threat to him. He needed Cody to help him grow stronger.


It then crossed Garen's mind that he's already been through quite a lot, he barely remembers how long ago he left Kio, but it seemed like ages, so many things have happened to him. He looked over at Max and saw that he was also off in his own thinking world, and wondered how well he'll do in this battle. Neither him nor Max had any true battle fighting experience, Cody had the look as though he's been through much more than just simple little battles and Becky was an elf who could be centuries old and seen so much more than they could even comprehend. This is Garen's first true test in saving the Lighthouses from being lit and he knew it, he just didn't know how well he would do.











Becky wasn’t exploring the city, but, instead, looking through the castle. She had never really been inside one built by man and there actually weren’t that many differences. The middle of the floor had the religious symbol of the Fire Raiders and was neatly carved into the floor with unnatural perfection, even for an elf. She looked up and saw carvings of two Fire of Color Dragons on the ceiling, one was Black, the other was Rainbow and they both had the characteristics of a Dragon; the colors running through them like liquid.


“Are you enjoying the castle, Becky?” asked someone behind her, causing her to swirl around to face Langholm, who was smiling slightly. “You may see some differences between this and ones made by the elves, but the designs are also too perfect for humans to have made. I am very old and I still do not know who, or what, designed the interior of this castle.”


“How old are you?” asked Becky with curiosity. “You say you are very old as if you’ve outlived many humans.”


“You got me there,” Langholm said, his smile growing, “I am a Fire Raider and we can control our age. In all reality, I am probably older than you.”


“Doubtful.”


“I guess you can believe what you want, but you will soon learn the truth, I’m sure,” he stepped forward and grabbed hold of the railing in front of him and looked down at Becky, a little seriously. “This won’t be an easy task for any of you, and I’m not just talking about this war. To stop those people from lighting the Lighthouses is going to take extraordinary skills and powers. This battle about to come up is only the first test, and hopefully you all can pass it. You and Cody, I’m not worried about, but Garen and Max have never faced a battle like this before and may not be ready to face it completely.”


“Then why let them fight?”


“Because they will never learn if they are not involved, these are only Hell Raiders, but, soon, there will be humans alongside the ranks fighting for the Lighthouses to be lit, if history really is repeating itself.”


Becky looked down at the thought of failing in stopping the lighting of the Lighthouses, then she looked back up, “Will we succeed in stopping these men?”


“That I cannot tell you, you all may grow in power exponentially by the time it comes to fight them, or you may not know how to stop them and fail. It’s something that time can only tell.”


“You’re right, I suppose.”


“I know I am,” he said with a smile back on his face, “but you should get some rest now, before they get here that is.”


“Actually, sir, may I ask you something?” Becky asked, looking around the room. "Something a little off topic."


"And what would that be, my dear?" Langholm said the smile still across his face.


"I look around this place and all the powers we can use, they're all so colorful, and at times, beautiful," she was saying this as she looked around the room some more, then back at Langholm, "but I've heard of humans having a rare case of not being able to see colors, or not see at all, and I was wondering, how would you describe a color to one who can't see color?"


"That is a very good question, actually. I suppose you couldn't really do it, could you? You could tell someone that pink is a mixture of red and a little bit of white, or that orange is a mixture between red and yellow, but they wouldn't know what those colors look like anyway. In stories, people describe things in color to bring them to life for the reader because if everything was black and white, with a little bit of grey, the world would be dull and not a very beautiful place. To the people who cannot see color or anything at all; they never see what true beauty in the world is. It's a shame really. Now I have a question for you Becky, what things to elves get? You obviously don't go blind or die of the flu, so what are some setbacks?"


"We can go deaf," Becky said, causing Langholm to laugh a little. "I don't find a flaw like that very amusing, sir."


"I'm sorry, Becky, I just find it very ironic how elves have the most keen sight and hearing out of any being on Earth, and yet you can go deaf. I'm not laughing at the situation, more laughing at the irony of the situation. Now, Becky, get to bed and rest, you'll need it." At that, Langholm kept walking up the stairs, having a servant bring Becky to her room and still laughing to himself, leaving Becky to wonder how old this man really was.














Cody was drawn to the area just outside the castle, looking at all the royalty that lived there. They’re all spoiled trash, Cody thought to himself. He hated royalty and had never looked up to them before. He had always been royalty himself within his old town and hated everyone there; that was before it was destroyed so many years ago. He looked over and saw a group of kids playing in someone’s yard as the mother was inside cooking something. He started to walk away when the ball they were playing with rolled passed him.


He looked at it for a little bit then knelt down to pick it up and started to bring it back to the kids. He knelt back down as one with shorter black hair kids ran over to grab it from him.


“Thank you very much, sir,” said the kid cheerfully.


“You're welcome, boy,” said Cody, looking at the ball still, then he looked up at the kid. “Please don’t call me sir, I don’t deserve that title.”


“Well, don’t call me boy, and how don’t you? Anyone around here deserves that title.”


“I’m not from around here, just helping out with some things for the king.”


“Are you talking about the battle? The Hell Raiders should be here any day, sir.”


“Don’t call me sir, boy, my name is Cody, and how do you know about that?”


“Okay Cody, my name is Jake. Everyone knows about it. Are you going to fight?”


“Yes I am, Jake.”


“Jake!” yelled a woman from the window, “what have I said about talking to strangers?”


“But mom, he got my ball for me and he’s gonna protect the city from the Hell Raiders for us.”


“Get in here, right now!” she said seeming to be a little panicked.


“No, I’m talking to him!”


“Listen to your mother, Jake,” Cody said, standing up. “All of you should listen to her; she always knows what’s best.”


“Alright,” said Jake, “but promise that you’ll come back Cody.”


Cody put his hand on Jake’s head gently, “I promise Jake, you have nothing to worry about.”


"And you!" Jake's mother yelled out. "I want to speak with you in here, now."


He looked over at the woman with a questionable look. She would not have been that bad looking of a woman, but she carried on that typical royalty build that Cody hated so much. She was fat and looked as though she ate three meals of straight cattle a day, her throat made it look as though she had a multiple number of chins, her arms were probably bigger then Cody's thighs and her torso area sagged over her dress. Cody was very hesitant to go over and talk to this overweight, rich whore. He hated them so much, acting as if they weren't just superior to you, but as if they owned you and your life. He didn't really have a choice, though, he didn't want to be rude in front of the woman, especially after he just told her kid to listen to her, so he started walking over slowly, then, finally, at his normal pace.


When he got to the house, the woman let him inside, and he looked at her with disgust, the same way she was looking at him. He sat down in one of the chairs voluntarily, looking up at her and saying in a harsh tone, "So, what do you want with me?"


The woman glared down at him saying, "I don't like your kind around my children, you're all a horrible influence for them. You soldiers think you're better than the rest of us because you work with the king, but in all reality, you're all poor scum beneath our feet."


Cody stood up and walked up next to the woman and looked down at her with absolute hatred and hissed into her ear, "You have no room to talk, you damn bitch. You royalty have no room in this world and would be better off gone." His pupils were slits now and his, once gentle, grey eyes, were now cold and deadly. "I am not a soldier, I'm just another guy off the street fighting to keep this world from falling apart, but with people like you around, greedy, power hungry little bastards and bitches, this world is already doomed. Now I am going to come back here when we've protected your fat royal ass from these Hell Raiders, but not for you, I'm going to tell the kid I made it back alright."


"You're just like him," she said coldly. "The eyes, the violence, everything about you reminds me of Kadiash. I remember how he got banished from the city for killing people and starting fights and here you are an exact image of the monster."


Cody looked down at that comment. How could anyone compare him to his father? He was nothing like the man. His anger grew then and he glared down at the fat woman and he grabbed her oversized shoulder and pushed her out of his way and into the wall, almost through it, and continued walking away. He stopped and looked back at the woman's terrified look and said, "A year ago, I would've killed you without a second thought across my mind, being just like the man you described. Be lucky you met me as I am now." Then he walked off toward the castle, causing the woman to sit next to the cracked wall in tears, frightened of the man's return, frightened that he might actually take her life, or her boy's.











"So where is we'll be staying, Langholm?" asked Garen when they were all back at the castle, except Becky.


"Becky is already at her room," Langholm said looking at Garen. "You three will be staying right above us, separate rooms of course. Now get going you need your rest."


They all nodded at Langholm and followed a servant up to their rooms. Garen walked into his with pure amazement. It was as though the room was made for him. The curtains of the bed were an emerald color, along with the sheets and pillows. The rug beneath his feet was a darker green and even the ceiling was dosed with a liquid green. He went to his bed and laid down, feeling slightly rejuvenated and closing his eyes to try and fall asleep.


He laid there for a few minutes, tossing and turning, not being able to fall asleep and decided to get up and grab some water from the jug in the bathroom. When he got back out, Langholm was standing next to his bed, examining the frame as if he's never seen it before.


"So, Green Fire is your property, Garen?" he asked cheerfully.


"Er, yeah it is, but how did you-"


"These rooms are meant to equip itself for the one who sleeps in it," he said before Garen could finish. "There is a property in these rooms that helps recover the ones who sleep here and sometimes increases their powers, it is quite mysterious, I must say."


"Why are you here?" Garen asked as he sat on his bed.


"I noticed you had troubles sleeping. May I?" He motioned to the bed and Garen nodded curiously and Langholm took a seat beside him. "I know everything that goes on in this castle. I'm not spying on you. So what is it that is bothering you, Garen?"


"What if I can't fight in this war? What if I freeze up or don't know how to do anything? What happens if everything I've learned escapes my head?"


"Let me answer your questions with a question of my own," Langholm said smiling. "What if the exact opposite happens? What happens if none of this comes to be and you do a tremendous job?"


"I never thought of it that way."


"Of course not, we're built to self-doubt ourselves until we complete our tasks with success. You see, I'm a professional at what I do. Do you know the difference between an amateur and a professional?"


"No, I don't, sir."


"An amateur practices until he gets it right, a professional practices until he never gets it wrong. So, Garen, are you an amateur or a professional?"


Garen looked at the floor, never thinking of any of this before. Talking to this man was eye opening and very helpful. He now had hope in his heart that he could make a difference in this war. He looked at Langholm and smiled.


"I've been an amateur up to this point, but starting tomorrow, I will become a professional."


"Good," Langholm said, smiling back. "Now get some rest so you can train properly."


"Alright," Garen said and then he lied in his bed as Langholm stood up. He could feel the warmth and power flowing through him from the properties that the bed had. He closed his eyes and fell asleep within minutes, thoughts of winning this war and stopping those men from lighting the Lighthouses.


Langholm turned and left the room, looking at where Cody was sleeping. "It looks like my old friend may need a talk as well."











Cody was sitting on the ledge, staring out of the window at the Dark Forest, not being able to sleep. His room was an exact match of Garen's, except for one thing, it was all rainbow colored. He heard the door creak open and he slowly turned to see Langholm standing there, looking at him.


"I was wondering when you would get he," Cody said as he turned to look back out of the window. "Was Garen that much more important?"


"He needs more encouragement than you do, Cody. So why is it that you can't sleep? Is it because of Him?"


"Yeah, I can feel Him out there as if He's searching for me. He left His mark on Max when they met in the Dark Forest, I'm sure of it."


"What will happen to him?"


Cody turned and hopped off the ledge, looking at Langholm with worry. "It means he's going to die. Once the Dark Lord leaves His mark, it's almost impossible to escape. There's only one man to escape his mark as far as I know."


Cody took off his shirt, showing on the left side of his chest a branded scar. It had a large D with an L tracing the inside of it. Langholm came over and examined it closely then looked back up at Cody.


"This isn't from being marked, though, is it?"


"No, but you know that. It's the same thing, though. And I fear Max may die."


"Then train them."


"What?" exclaimed Cody.


"You can train Garen while Becky can train Max. Starting tomorrow morning. They need it. They need a training that will push them past their limits, a training that makes them fight for their lives. It's the best chance they have against the upcoming war."


"Alright, I'll do it, but only because I owe you my life," Cody said. "Now, please leave, I must get my rest if we're to do this tomorrow."


"Right," Langholm said and then left the room.











The burning on his chest was unbearable and the ominous mark that was now a burning red worried him. Max couldn't sleep at all through the pain, what could it be? He got up and looked out of the window at the Dark Forest, his hand resting on the wall and his other scratching at the mark. He was slouched over trying to let the wind distract him from the pain but it wouldn't work. He heard the door open behind him and he quickly threw a towel over his shoulder, covering the mark. His hair was a mess and he was dripping in sweat from the pain. Max looked over at the door and saw that it was Langholm who was looking at him with a worried expression.


"You don't have to hide it from me, Max. I know what the Dark Lord did to you," he said calmly, walking slowly toward Max.


"How would you know?" Max shot back scratching at his chest. "You wouldn't know what it is or what it's like."


"I do know what the Dark Lord's Mark is and I have fought him before, expelled him from a previous host once."


"Well, there's nothing to do to stop this," Max said shaking and beginning to cry. "I can see it. My death, every time I close my eyes, I see myself dying. It's the worst kind of torture."


"They're only nightmares caused from the Mark," Langholm said, putting his hand over Max's chest. "I can help with that in more ways than you think."


"You can?"


"Let me show you." His hand lit up with Yellow Fire that Max had never seen before and he could feel the pain and stress leaving his body. "Feeling like your old self?"


"Y-yeah," Max said. "What was that?"


"It was Yellow Fire. I am very old and can sometimes use the powers of the Original Four. Yellow Fire is the Fire of earth and can be used to lift curses like that. You'll still have the scar of the mark, but the curse should be lifted."


"Thank you, Langholm," Max said embracing Langholm who embraced him back, patting his shoulder.


"It's no problem, son, now get some rest. You'll need it for training tomorrow."


"Yes, of course," Max jumped into his bed and as soon as he closed his eyes he was asleep, no longer bearing the burden of the Mark.


Langholm left the room and looked down the hall with a smile. "Only one member left." He walked towards Becky's room slowly, sensing that she, too, could not sleep.











Becky's room was the same as the others' but looked ever more magnificent. The Gold Fire that her room represented shined through brighter than the others' did, showing her control over the Fire. She was sitting on a stool, sharpening and examining her blades. Her bow and arrows were laid beside the stool. Her mind was wandering too much on training and the war for her to sleep and she could hear Langholm going from room to room. It was only a matter of time before he came to see her.


Becky's ears perked up, "Come on in," she said just as there was a knock on her door.


Langholm walked in smiling at her. "Your ears are just as good as I thought they'd be."


"So, what reason do you come to visit me, Langholm?" Becky asked pleasantly as she set down her duel blades.


"All of you are having troubles sleeping," sighed Langholm. "Even the experienced ones at battles."


"Cody said he's never killed a human, I thought."


"You know as well as I, that that was a lie. You can tell by his face that he's killed before. I know that he has because I know his past."


"His past?"


"He will tell you when he feels it's ready. So, why can't you sleep?"


"Right," Becky said slowly. "And I'm just getting ready for training and the upcoming war."


"A way to distract your thoughts, I see. There is no need for a Fire Raider, or an elf, to sharpen their weapons. I'm sure you know that," Langholm looked over at her weapons as she nodded. "I want you to train Max."


"Why Max?"


"Because I don't think Max can handle Cody's training. Garen could use the way Cody will train him very well. And, well, I think you and Max are better suited for each other." He looked her in the eyes a smiled.


She started blushing then got up from her stool and started walking toward her bed. "If you think there's anything between me and Max you are far off. But I will train him."


"Alright, thank you Becky," he said. "And I guess we'll see what happens between you and Max."


"Nothing will," she chuckled out. "Now please leave, I need my rest, as do you."


"I may look old, Becky, but I have much more power and energy than any of you do," he said gently. "But I do need my rest at some point and the Near Star will be rising in a few hours. Good luck with you training." He left the room, letting Becky go to sleep with her thoughts and all she could dream about was Max.











The four of them where standing in the courtyard, all geared up with their weapons and ready to train. They were waiting on Langholm to tell them what was going on with the training. Garen and Max had no idea how the training was going to be, while Cody and Becky already knew what was happening. Langholm came walking down the stairs, his hands in the pockets of his robes and his sword hanging at his hip. When he reached them, he had a serious look on his face that they haven't seen yet on him.


"This training is going to be tough," he said, "for all of you. Cody and Garen will be training together while Becky trains Max. As Becky and Cody are training you two, they won't really improve their skills as much, so I'm here to train them."


"Who's going to train you then?" Becky asked.


Langholm chuckled softly. "Believe me, I don't need any training. Now Becky and especially you Cody, don't be doing training so much out of their class that they won't learn, they must be able to gain experience from this training."


"Yes, sir," they both said.


"Now get to your training. Cody and Garen, I want you to stay here because it's the widest area for training and I suspect Cody will be training in the arts of Fire of Color along with swordsmanship. Becky and Max, I want you two over near the archery range because she will be teaching in the art of archery, duel blades, and Fire of Color."


"If we're both learning Fire of Color, then why not give us a larger area?" asked Max.


"It's simple really," Cody put in. "My Fire of Color is more wide ranged and destructive, while Becky's is more one on one and stealthy."


"Right, now get going," Langholm said.


Becky and Max started walking toward the archery range and Langholm walked back up the stairs to sit down at the top and watch the training. Cody turned toward Garen, who was starting to draw his sword, but Cody was there right next to him, holding his hand over Garen's, keeping his sword in place.


"Not yet," he said. "We're going to train as if it's real. You train like you fight, always remember that. In a real battle, you'll more than likely to use your Fire of Color before your sword. That is what we'll start with. It will tire you at first, using such an intense amount of Fire right off. You will get used to it, though." He was now standing a few feet from Garen before he could finish blinking, his speed was incredible.


"Will you teach me to be that fast?" he asked.


"In due time, Garen, it comes with this training. Now get ready. I'm going to first see how skilled you are."


"Right."


They both got into a fighting position and Cody shot a wave of Rainbow Fire from his hands, which Garen turned to dust that blew past him. Cody gave a small smirk and raised his hands up, causing the earth around him to shake. Small rocks started rising up and then began flying at Garen, who was trying to dodge them but eventually got hit and was knocked to the ground. The rocks around him fell and Cody was there at his side, arm stretched out to help him up. Garen grabbed hold and Cody pulled him up with little effort.


"Now I know where we must start," Cody said. "I'm going to teach first, then train."


"Why's that?"


"Because, you need to learn how to control the elements around you, it's a very useful ability of the Fire Raiders and it's something that needs to be taught, not trained into you. That's where we'll start."


Garen looked at him and he noticed that Cody's look was different. He seemed happy and even had a sparkle in his eyes.


"You seem to enjoy this training." Garen said.


"It reminds me of the days, with Kyle," Cody replied. "Now let me begin my teaching."


"Right."


Langholm looked down at Cody and Garen with a smile. Looks like they're going over the control over the elements, just as he thought. That was the main reason of training in the courtyard. It has earth and air all around and a fountain for their water. He turned his attention over to Becky and Max who were also doing what he thought they would at first. Practicing in swordsmanship.


Becky had both of her swords out and Max had his own sword and another one that they found at the armory. Max had a sloppy pose with his swords as Becky's looked flawless and impossible to break. She gave him a quick look and smiled.


"Remember, Max, one sword is for attack as the other is for defense," she said.


"Yes, I know."


"Well, you're holding both to attack. I know it takes some getting used to, that's why we're training and it will be easy when you have proper duel swords."


She pounced at him with incredible speed and Max blocked her first sword with both of his. Then she brought the dull side of her other sword to his ribs, causing him to kneel down in pain. He put his hand over the cracked ribs and lit it with a black glow. The ribs start cracking back together and growing back in place causing him to wince in pain.


"That is a very useful Fire you have there," she said helping him up. "Remember to use only one sword to defend, preferably your weak hand. Use your strong hand to strike. You can use either sword to attack when you're on the offensive."


"Yeah, I noticed," Max said. "Would you mind teaching the proper stance for the duel swords?"


"Yeah, sure," she said standing behind him and grabbing his hips cautiously. "First you have to get in a balanced stance. Even out your legs with a slight bend in the knees so you don't fall when getting attacked." She ran her hands slowly up his body and to his arms, seeing his face turning slightly red. "Then you put your hands up as if fist fighting, one for attack and another for blocking or for short jabs. They're an extension of your body, a part of you."


Max nodded slowly, feeling his stomach tighten up. She was so beautiful, kind and perfect. "Y-yeah, right. I think I got it. Or starting to."


He turned to face her with a smile and she smiled back at him. Maybe what Langholm said was true.


"Alright, let's give it another try."


Max nodded at her and she hopped away from him so lightly and landed roughly three meters from him. She again pounced at him, bringing down her strong hand. He took the blow with one sword and absorbed the impact with his legs. She swung her other sword at his side again and he parried it away then lunged it at her which she jumped away from with a smile.


"You're a quick learner," she said.


"It helps when you have an excellent trainer," he replied looking in the eyes.


"Now that's some progress with bother training and love," Langholm said to himself with a smile. He looked back down at Garen who was now beginning to move the earth around his feet. "Looks like it's time for me to jump in and train."


He stood up and took a step forward and was standing next to Cody in an instant. Cody looked up at him and nodded as he saw Becky and Max walking towards them. Garen dropped the rocks at his feet and walked up to Cody and Langholm.


"It may not seem like a lot right now, but those fundamentals you learned are crucial," Langholm spoke softly as Max and Becky reached them. "Now go sit and rest; Max, Garen. It's time to train these two."


Max and Garen both nodded and walked toward the stairs to sit and watch the training grabbing their bags for some food.


"I hope you two aren't too tired," Langholm said with a smile.


"Of course not," Cody said.


"Not even a little," agreed Becky.


"Good, because I'm not holding back right now. You two are advanced enough to be trained at high leveled powers." Langholm took of his robes and his facial features began to change slightly. He was getting younger, reminding Garen of Mr. Killimore. Langholm was no longer a kind old man, but now a young, battle experienced man ready for training.


"Are you ready for this you two?"


"Yes," answered Cody.


"Let's get started," Becky said.


"Alright, we'll see."


Langholm drew out his sword to prepare for Cody's and Becky's attacks as they charged at him with their full speed. He disappeared from their view and came back behind them with his arms outstretched, Cody and Becky flying away from him. Langholm rose up his arms with Rainbow Fire igniting on his hands and brought them back down in front of him, shooting a giant stream of fire towards Becky and Cody.


Right before the flames hit their target, it turned into small bits of rainbow dust and blew away with the breeze, a figure standing in front of Cody and Becky. Langholm stared at the person and smiled, his features growing old again.


"You trained him more than I had thought, Cody," he chuckled. "To be able to stop that level of an attack and without any countering motions. I am impressed."


Cody looked at Garen with shock on his face, "I didn't train him that. We only trained on manipulating the elements."


"I've been training that on my own. It's something that Kyle and I worked on after the first invasion three years ago. After his death, I worked even harder on it."


"Well I suppose we can end training, then, and take the rest of the time to rest up. I'm sure you all know swordsmanship. Besides, Cody and Becky don't really need the training at this moment."


They all nodded as response. "Good now get some rest and food in you so you can be well ready for the battle that is soon to come." He looked out at the distance, narrowing his eyes at the Dark Forest. "They are coming."


Cody followed Langholm's gazed toward the Dark Forest and could see the silhouettes of the Hell Raiders coming out of the forest at a slow pace. The numbers were not very high, but the size of these creatures was terrifying and he wasn't sure if this battle would be an easy victory for them.