It was time for battle.

The citizens had chosen sides and there was left nothing more than to count the numbers.

Fights in streets had stopped; everyone deep down knew that the next battle will determine it all. It was going to be the last one.

Lord and the priest were at each other's throats. They wanted to sit on the throne without sacrificing their followers or at least half the city's population. There had to be another way.

But neither one saw it. The Duke didn't want to leave and the priest didn't plan to abandon his hunger for power.

Some people seeing the inevitable downfall of their city left it. They went to their country homes until everything calms down.

Poorer ones simply ran to the twin city of theirs. It was richer and more stable but lacked any consideration for those not wealthy. All rules in there were for the nobles. They were gods, never accounted for anything. Going there was putting yourself in a cage full of lions and locking the doors behind. Not something anyone chose easily but they believed it would keep them alive; something their own hometown could no longer guarantee.

Almost all of the poor people hated the priest for starting this nonsense. They even stopped going to the church.

But that mean nothing to the priest.. His supporters were swimming in gold and not afraid to use it to their advantage.

There was not a chance he could lose with that. The Duke should start counting his last moments on the throne; they weren't going to last much longer.

The premonition of doom was unnoticed only by a group of travelers leaving an inn. Their merry bunch was drawing glances from other passerbies but it didn't seem to bother them. Two kids at the front chatted animatedly while others watched them with thinly veiled amusement.

"I tell you it's real! I watched that episode just this morning while eating breakfast!" one of the kids, the older one with light hair said loudly.

"But, but I've seen all episodes and there isn't one like that..." the other argued more calmly. He was biting his lower lip, eyes staring intently at the ground. "Magnone never met with LeLora" he said shaking his head. "It can't be true."

"But they did! I tell you! Magnone tried to incinerate her with his magma blast but she dodged to the side creating a double and confusing him. And then there were seven of them! Magnone was devastated and looked like he was going to lose but Drakard appeared freezing the entire room and the doubles disappeared leaving only the real LeLora behind! I just love Drakard! He's so cool and he can solve all the problems in an instant!"

There was a slight smile on the friend's face. "It wasn't LeLora but LeyLaira. They're twin sisters."

Ace blinked a few times before hitting his head with the front of his hand. "I'm stupid. And I called myself a fan of series. Now you'll tell me that it was LeLora who defeated Bankruk and I'll be done for." Par couldn't help himself and giggled. Ace hit his forehead again. Harder. "Fine. I'm leaving those series alone. Never again am I watching another episode. Why in the world are those sisters so alike and even have similar names?"

"They're twins" Par said as if it was common knowledge, which it was.

"That doesn't make it any easier for me to tell them apart!" Ace whined.

"LeLora has a pink bow and LeyLaira white one."

Ace sighed. Those bows were identical, soft pink and milky white. "Are you sure you're human?" he asked his friend seriously. "There's no way to differentiate between the girls with normal eyes. Have you been modified by aliens?"

Par looked like he was actually considering the question before replying. "No, I'm human."

Ace chuckled. "Sure that a normal one? I wouldn't want to one day find out you're leaving me to have some experiments done to you on an alien ship!"

"I'm normal" Par said with a soft smile that had a deeper meaning. Ace let it pass. He wanted a break from all the drama in his life.

"That's good. Although, I would have liked to meet some aliens. I hope you'd have introduce us!"

The kid nodded. "I would need a friend."

Ace laughed. "Yeah! And we could have the time of our life going through their ship while they're not looking!"

"It's not nice to do that..."

"We wouldn't be taking anything, just looking around. It's harmless!" Ace refuted. "There is nothing wrong with that!"

The group following the kids had everything but agreement in their eyes. They had wondered what this new adventure was going to be like and now they knew. It was Ace trying his best to turn Par into someone like himself.

"There are many people leaving" Hawk noted watching as groups of two or three went through the gates. Soldiers were eyeing them but took no action.

"Maybe there's something happening in the other city" Aurora said, lifting her shoulders in a shrug.

"They're carrying too many items" Worglan said. "You don't take carts when you go celebrating."

"Is this city in danger?" Aurora asked fearfully. She looked up as if expecting to see a meteor crashing through the sky.

"I doubt it's anything that physical" Hawk replied. "People don't seem to be in a hurry so it's neither an approaching army nor a hurricane coming this way."

"What could it be then?"

"An outbreak of some disease maybe? Or a killer setting up a residence like what happened in Mora. It was almost empty of people besides hunters when Silver Wing finally left."

"Who is Silver Wing?" Worglan asked interested. "I don't think I've heard that name before."

"He's a notorious killer. He had first shown up in the capital destroying the city economically by staying there for over a year. Nowadays Wing is popping up here and there, murdering some dozen people and disappearing again. I heard he's been sighted near the other city recently. We should keep our guards up."

"Is there a way to discern him from others?"

"Among us travelers there's a rumor going that he's an abused kid that had went mad. He has blood-red hair and crimson eyes which shine through the slits in his fox like mask. One thing to always remember is that he knows not what mercy means and there's not a single soul that survived meeting him" Hawk said explaining.

He remembered reading a post made by a merchant whose caravan had been attacked. It was a gory story of flashing daggers, maniacal laughter, madness inducing poisons and bloody killings. The author had a hand for writing so the tale that he spun was so good that since then the caravan owners started to travel in packs and hire triple the amount of mercenaries and still whenever they went anywhere there was fear in their hearts. No person could sleep peacefully while the killer ran loose. Especially those who went outdoors.

"Hawk?" Aurora's voice called, penetrating his musings. "Are you listening?"

"Sorry" he murmured looking straight ahead. Was there a fire raging right behind the gates?

"I asked whether you think we could defeat him?"

"Defeat who?" he asked turning to her.

"Silver Wing. You said we might meet him so..."

"Not a chance. He kept a whole capital in his grasp for a year and nobody could do anything to him, he infiltrated a mage's guild and killed every single resident there and on top of that he destroyed a whole caravan travelling with hired mercenaries! Do you think we could do any of that now? The answer is obvious. And he was just a low level newbie when he took over Mora. Whole guilds are afraid of him."

"Is that even possible?" Worglan asked taken aback. In his time he was one of the most feared creatures, a dark magician, but nothing like this. Can one person actually create this much mayhem?

"He managed" Hawk answered with a shrug.

"How do you know so much about him?"

"I tend to collect information on where we're going to be on the safe side and Silver Wing is always at the top of danger lists in any region of Meda kingdom since he follows no real patterns" Hawk explained half-heartedly. It was a bit embarrassing to say that like so many others he fell for the allure of chase and with avid interest followed all the news about the notorious killer. He didn't believe to have a chance at capturing him when tagging with his group but watching others' successes and failures was very close to the real thing. Players tended to share all information and guesses in forums since even the proudest and greediest ones didn't delude themselves that they could catch Silver Wing on their own.

Hawk sometimes wondered whether it was a good idea. What if Silver Wing wasn't mentally challenged and could use forums? Attack dates weren’t specified but hunter groups, their members, guilds and their plans everything was there in the open. Although, none of it had been used yet.

Or maybe people were just lying to themselves. No hunter had come close to catching Silver Wing or even finding him not in his comfort zone. The killer showed up when he wanted to and disappeared without a trace. It was like he was made of shadows that he lived in. Some people believed it too.

"What about other countries? Can't they send someone to take care of this problem?" Worglan asked.

"Meda is too divided and the king has no powers. There's no one who could send an official plead even if they wanted. Not that they do. As long as no one extremely high up died nobody cares. Although, hunters from other places come. They too want a piece of this rarity called Silver Wing."

Worglan grumbled something but it was too low for anyone to catch.

"Did you say something?" Aurora asked instantaneously.

"I think we should start worrying about what's up ahead" he said pointing at the raging fires that showed no signs of going out.

"What for?" Ace asked turning his head to them. "We can just run through."

"Run through?" Hawk asked in disbelief. "It's fire!"

"And this is a game. It'll hurt for a second and we'll lose twenty health points at most so why not?"

"Game?" Worglan asked while others looked at Ace with strange expressions. It was true that this was only a game but the level of realism often made people forget that some things were different after all.

"We should still help them out" Aurora said shaking her head. "It's not nice to pass those who are in need of aid."

Ace now knew who had been a major influence in making Par such a goody-two-shoes.

"A lady's words can never be disregarded" Worglan said with a nod towards Aurora and started to chant. His voice was very low like a faraway grumble of thunder.

Like hearing Ace's comparison clouds started to gather and the sky turned dark. Winds rose and in moments large droplets of water started to fall. It soaked the group and everyone that was ahead of them up to the gates. There rain fell the hardest drenching the burning wagon and killing off the flames. Then the clouds dispersed as quickly as they had come.

"That's some useful spell" Ace noted looking at the smoking wagon.

Worglan smiled. "Is there anyone who'd learn useless spells?"

Ace smiled acknowledging his remark and turned towards Aurora. "Can we pass them now?"

She looked troubled but nodded so Ace quickened his step and they were past the gates. Green field stretched as far as their eyes could see. It was empty of any living beings, animals or plants higher than a few centimeters.

A lonely road went to the left which was packed with people. At its end a dark shape could be seen, a forest.

"Are you sure there's something to hunt here?" Hawk asked Monthu who in turn looked to Ace. "It should be behind that hill" the kid answered motioning forward. There didn't seem to be anything in that direction besides green fields but who were they to question such sureness in the kid's voice.

Ace led the way and after half an hour they saw a valley opening up before them; it was as if they were standing on a very high mountain and looking downwards. Hills and valleys were intercepting each other, forests and fields fighting for supremacy. There were also dots moving here and there.

"How do we get down there?" Aurora asked. She wasn't one for heights.

"By walking" Ace said in a matter of fact tone starting to half slide, half run. It looked extremely unsafe. A single wrong step could have him rolling down the hill out of control.

"I think I know a better way" Worglan said eyeing Ace with distaste. "I prefer not risking my bones."

He started murmuring under his breath and soon enough his body started to rise from the ground. It didn't go high, only a foot or so. Yet he kept on chanting.

Then the other members of the party felt themselves leaving the safety of mother Earth. Their bodies lost their weight and started floating above ground way higher than Worglan's did. "You sure this is safer?" Hawk asked managing to fall upside down. He felt like an idiot in that position and Aurora's chuckles weren't helping at all.

Worglan ignored him, chanting under his breath. He couldn't lose his concentration for a second or they were all going to roll down the mountain and right at the death's door. He had visited the guy and didn't feel like twenty years were long enough.

His spell levitated them to the very bottom were Ace stood with an annoyed expression on his face. "You cheated!" he exclaimed in outrage.

"You're the only one crazy enough to go by foot. We have some grey matter in our heads" Worglan said exhausted. Undead didn't get tired by normal means but magic was a whole different matter. Ace guessed it was to prevent undead mages becoming overpowered. To keep the guy's image right he allowed a drop of sweat to run down Worglan's forehead and his breathing become a bit deeper, slightly quicker.

"Is that a very high level spell?" Aurora asked worried. She cast a spell to strengthen his body and mind so to reduce the strain.

"The highest I can manage" Worglan answered breathing a bit more easily. It was amazing how he could feel tired and yet elated. The emotions were swirling inside him like they belonged there even if it was just an illusion. He had thought he paid for immortality with mortal joys but here they were back. The strain of casting a difficult spell and keeping it up and pride in managing it, not failing.

Just how powerful was the kid to make him feel alive again? Or just how imaginative?

He couldn't answer.

Or more like didn't want to try.

"Where should w-" Hawk tried asking when Ace's voice cut him off. "Ice field!" the kid shouted out and rushed forward with a new pair of daggers drawn out. His opponent, a giant cyclops, fell receiving a leg full of mosquito like wounds which had no effect on his overall health. So he stood up and started angrily stomping on the ground trying to et rid of the annoying bug; Ace was dodging by inches.

"I think that answers your question" Monthu said taking out his scythe and choosing the best skill for the occasion. "It does" Hawk muttered under his breath as if it was a curse and released a volley of arrows. They pricked the giants face making him even more annoyed.

"Careful or we'll all be squashed!" Monthu cautioned. They were standing back to a very steep mountain/hill and before them was a rampaging cyclops. "We need to lead him sideways."

"Done" Ace said appearing beside Monthu and then opposite their group. "Hey, you! Yes, you giant idiot! Can't catch me, can you? So slow I might fall asleep any moment now!"

The creature roared in outrage and jumped after Ace who was running in zig zags and taunting it.

"Spirits that linger give him strength to oppose his foes, Speed of Light!" Aurora chanted giving Ace a buff to his quickness and then continued giving a specified enchantment to every team member that increased his element of power.

"I'm going to join Ace cover me."

"Got it" the ranger answered releasing a few well aimed hits. They made the monster wince a little but he didn't turn back. "We can go all out, he's ignoring us for the moment!" he shouted out letting go of a bunch of arrows that flew all hitting the targeted places. Par followed his order and summoned a fire elemental alongside which he shot a bunch of fireballs. While it was on cooldown he summoned the fire snake which slithered to do her favorite biting tactic.

Worglan joined in and called a wire-o-wisp that stayed near Hawk and enflamed all his arrows for that little extra damage. Then he cast circle of fire. It was an area-of-effect spell which burned anything that stayed within it. In normal fights it was dangerous for your party members but it can be put at any height so the spell was one of the best fighting against giants. After that Worglan continued with the usual fireballs, only his were coming five at a time.

Aurora seeing that nobody will be in any real danger used some of her mana to call upon god's judgment in sky fire.

A few more hits from Monthu and the cyclops fell disappearing into grey mist. Small pile of loot took the corpse's place.

Ace glanced at it and seeing nothing interesting in the rusted weapons and chain armor turned around. "I think you went a bit overboard guys" he said remembering the amount of spells used. "Me and Monthu had nothing to do."

"So what? Isn't that free experience for you?" Hawk asked not finding anything wrong with making sure the enemy died as quickly as possible.

"Yeah and if we got attacked again?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Imagine now a group of them approached us."

"Since when have you become a voice of reason?" Monthu asked not exactly in distrust but with a bit of apprehension.

Ace blinked a few times recounting his words. "I'm sorry. It's your job. Then everyone use as much as you have! Make it a flashy fight for all to enjoy!"

"You sure you're feeling okay?" Monthu asked pocketing the items to be shared at a later date. He had the highest strength stat so carrying fell to him.

Ace shrugged. "I'll go look for more mobs."

"Sure" Monthu agreed but Hawk interfered. "What for? I can attract giants with a single arrow." To make his point clear he shot somewhere in the distance and an earthquake happened.

"What did you do?" Aurora asked grabbing on the wall to stay upright.

"It's a giant running" Ace said with a laugh. "Par let's see who can stay standing! No holding onto anything!"

The kid nodded accepting the dare and let his staff fall to the ground. His hands lifted up to help him keep balance and he put his legs a bit apart.

Ace watched his try and smiled to himself. The kid took the game very seriously.

He himself put an air of weakness wavering back and forth, always on the verge of falling but never actually doing it. His balance from climbing on the roofs was impeccable.

Any other person would see his actions as making fun but Ace was sure Monthu would understand it as equaling the field. If he was better, he should be doing more. Simple as that.

The game ended without a victor as a mountain of a monster barged into their camp and looked for an offender. His eyes were focusing on Hawk when Ace took out a throwing dagger and threw it right at them. The giant roared in pain covering his sight to protect it. Monthu used that time to start cutting at the leg while Ace grabbed on the trousers and started climbing.

He was halfway done when the monster decided he didn't need two hands to hide his eyes and started to swat at everything with the other. The giant limb came perilously closed to knocking Ace over but he managed to hold onto the fabric and doubled his climbing speed afterwards.

Spells flashed past him but he ignored them. It was only fire and he had [Excessive Heat] to protect him against that. The spell showed up to be a really useful thing unlike what he had thought when he had learnt it at first.

The path came to an end at the giant's head. There Ace made sure to get a good grip with one hand while he took a dagger drenched in acid with the other. Then he used it to stab repeatedly at the creature's neck.

The giant went mad from pain. He started jumping and shaking, hitting his own neck with no success. When he understood it, he went to throw himself back first into the wall. That was something Ace had no wish to taste so he stuck the dagger in as deeply as possible and jumped down.

His graceless flight landed him on a patch of grass which did little to soften the hit. It reverberated through his whole body and he lay still for a few moments trying to collect his wits about himself.

When he was back on track, he wondered why Aurora wasn't healing him when his health bar was flashing such a deep crimson red.

A huge foot coming his way answered all questions he had asked and more. [Shadow Dash] was required to escape it alive. In the air he grabbed on the giant leg's trousers and hung there looking around.

His friends were running left and right, falling and standing up again.

Ace thought for a moment and took out another dagger. It was drenched in paralyzer.

The thing would do nothing to subdue the ton of mass this monster was but with one leg asleep its damage could be somewhat minimized. Not thinking more on it, he plunged the blade in and repeated it until he felt the muscles under him relaxing.

This brought another set of troubles because he was falling again yet he couldn't be hit or he'd be taking a break for a whole day from Royal Road.

His eyes desperately went around searching for an escape road. Like usually there was none.

That meant he had to create one.

"Wild vines!" he casted and at the same time used [Shadow Dash]. The grass spawned just at the time to soften his blow to the wall and create something for him to hold onto. He used the vines to slide down and drank a few potions to keep his health up. Every hit was a mortal danger since he had so little of it.

"You're a madman" Hawk muttered from somewhere beside him and Ace looked up. "Why?" he asked instantaneously. "You were crazy enough to anger a giant and kept on doing it to the very end."

Ace looked in the direction Hawk was shooting arrows and saw a fallen mountain with one leg laying limp while all other flailed around destroying everything in their paths. The little forest that had been before them was no more.

"I'm sorry" he said looking in awe.

"Why apologize if you're not feeling guilty?"

"People like it" Ace said without thinking, watching how a strong ancient oak was torn in half with a single swipe of a hand. Hawk turned towards him but there was no explanation of the words said on his face. There were only wide eyes at the scale of destruction that could be caused by an immobilized giant.

Ace took a step to get a closer look but Hawk pulled him back. "Stay still. Do you want to get squashed?"

The kid muttered under his breath angrily but listened. For a second.

In another he was off to stand beside Par and distract him from casting spells by his chattering.

Twenty or so minutes later they managed to finish the creature off and were free to see far ahead with their horizon cleared from obstructing trees.

The valley was still going down where a field filled with cyclops and heavy armed giants walking around could be seen. It looked like they were patrolling around something but that thing was hidden beneath a thickness of trees and bushes.

Fog was a constant there rising up to the middle of giants.

"It will be dangerous to go there. We could easily get separated" Hawk said with a disgruntled face. Fog was archer's worst enemy.

"Then we make camp here and you lure them with your arrows." Monthu said looking over the dark valley.

Cyclops weren't going to cause a lot of problems. They were armorless and weaponless relying on their bare fists to do the work. However, giants were a whole different story. Their size was almost twice of a cyclops who was already three times that of a normal human being. On top of that they wore crudely made armor made of bones and leather. Some had massive rusted swords or shields which could level a forest in a single hit. It was going to be like fighting a mountain.

Hopefully, there were no more creatures which could pose even more threat. But Monthu didn't hold his breath on that one. The foggy plains were wide and anything could be hiding in there. No one ever said it could be only two types of monsters in a single field.

****

The morning sun was welcomed to a could be gory sight if it was anything but a game. Now only a mountain of loot was an indicator what had transpired the night before. And seeing that it was the height of a human being a lot of things must have happened.

A party of tired humans lay beside it panting and puffing in exhaustion. Neither one looked capable of even standing up.

"I don't think I've ever kept on going for so long" Hawk said exhaling.

"I can understand why" Monthu said wanting to sit up but not finding the energy for it.

"We should have stopped ages ago!" Aurora echoed them, thinking of a spell to ease tired muscles but none came to mind. Not that she had mana to use one even if she did remember.

"But those experience points were just coming to us to get collected! It was do that or be killed by them!" Ace disagreed loudly. He heard Par breathing in a steady rhythm beside him. The kid was most likely asleep.

"And still we should have escaped" Aurora murmured. "Up the hill?" Ace asked in disbelief. "There's no way we could get up there!" "More the disappointment."

"Look at the bright side, we'd gotten a bunch of levels that we would have farmed for days otherwise." Hawk said opening his status menu, others followed.

"Seven" Monthu said with a smile. "Those cyclops seem to have been higher level than we expected."

"But they were so weak!" Ace said. He had gained only one level but it was to be expected. He was way stronger than his teammates.

"I think we found an unknown training paradise! Such information is sold for thousands of golds for guilds!" Hawk said with joy. No one in his group cared much for money so he already counted this place as his possession.

"I think I should tell it to my guild..." Ace said with a sigh. "I don't think I've ever done anything for them."

"You have a guild?" Hawk asked surprised. "You never mentioned it."

"There was no real reason to. It's not like I know many of them."

"But you do know them. How did we never meet them?"

"Oh but you did... Well, Par and Monthu did. You and Aurora were away at that time."

"I did?" Monthu asked unsure.

Ace rolled over and looked at Monthu over his hands. "Remember the time you almost got thrown down into a volcano?" "What?" Aurora asked in horror but Ace ignored her outburst. "So do you?"

"How could I forget such an occasion? It's not like I tend to make a habit of visiting places like that."

Ace chuckled. "Did you take note of the people who actually went down?"

"Only one; the girl screamed so loudly I had to cover Par's ears. None the less, he was terrified afterwards."

"That lovely voice belonged to Perry. She's a swordmage and leads a group hunting Silver Wing."

"I think I'd rather pretend I don't know her the next time we meet."

Ace laughed. "That does seem to be the case."

"You're cruel guys! She got thrown into lava and you talk as if she should be ashamed of being afraid!" Aurora said in an indignant voice. "You should feel sorry for her!"

"For what? She more than deserved it" Ace said in a dead pan voice. "Never in your life feel sorry for her."

"How can you be so heartless? She got thrown into lava!" The girl made sure to emphasize the last word.

"That's a word created for her. She found me being treated in an old woman's shack and deciding I was Silver Wing killed the healer granny who said I was sick and shouldn't be disturbed. Then from Romeo, our guild's leader, she found out I was her guild mate and took me in as a lost dog. It was humiliating to say the least!"

"She accused you of what?" Hawk asked in surprise. "Why would she ever think you were the cold blooded murderer?"

"Do you know the late characteristics of Silver Wing?"

"He's a child with red hair, fox mask and crimson eyes. Last time he wore dirty rags drenched in blood, although, usually he wore a dark cloak that hid his maskless face."

"That's pretty good. So Perry had a man from the caravan who supposedly had looked into the monster's eyes and seen sorrow there. That was pretty far-fetched but she's crazy like that. Anything is okay as long as she gets to catch Silver Wing. So she had him look into my eyes and look and behold he saw hidden sadness there! That meant I was the killer!"

"But all the traits didn't match you!" Aurora said puzzled. "She couldn't condemn you based on your eyes, especially since they didn't even match in color!"

"She would have if I wasn't me."

"How did you repay her?" Monthu asked with light amusement. He felt a kind of kinship with that crazy woman; he was often on the receiving end of Ace's bouts of giving payback.

"Hm..." Ace said trying to remember. "I punched and stabbed her guy, humiliated her and then, I believe, I ran away. Yeah, that's pretty much all I did."

"You don't know what holding back means, do you?" Hawk asked with a laugh.

"Pfff... She deserved it. I don't appreciate being accused of cold-blooded murder."

Hawk rolled onto his stomach and leveled his eyes to Ace's. "But she's got great senses. You're one of the few children who are actually capable of it."

"You'd pin me for a killer too?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe not The killer but if a dead body appeared I'd wonder a bit."

"You wound me!" Ace said with a chuckle turning on his back. He raised his hand and looked at it. "You sure this pale, weak looking limb is actually capable of anything?"

"We've heard there's more beneath the surface than meets the eye."

"People are such gossipers these days."

Hawks face went still for a moment. "Can you explain me something?" he asked in a serious voice, not befitting the previous light mood.

"Shoot me."

"You didn't agree to answer."

"There are things better left unsaid. It depends on your question whether I'll answer it or not."

"Fine then. How old are you really?"

"Is that your million dollar question?" Ace asked with a smile, turning back on his back to look at Hawk. "Isn't it a bit of a waste?"

"I don't trust you to answer anything more complicated than that."

Ace chuckled. "As you wish. I'm nineteen. "

"Just like that? You just went and said it? Wasn't it your secret or something?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "It's not much of a secret. It's like entering a dragon's cave and finding a dragon there. Not surprising or anything. Say it, you were expecting something of the like."

"I thought it was a bit lower..."

"Too bad, I'm an adult already. Legally."

"Do you expect us to treat you differently now?" Monthu asked rolling over to look at Ace. Aurora did the same to be able to better follow the exchanges.

"Legal acts are only good for average people. I may reach a hundred years but even then I'll still be a kid, no matter what my passport might be saying."

"You don't seem overly sad at that."

"Hawk!" Aurora shouted out.

"Leave him be, he's just a kid whose finally gotten a candy that had been kept away in a jar. You needn't be angry at him” Ace said with a slight smile.

"Me? A kid?" Hawk asked lightly offended.

"Should I start protecting my brother from you then?" Monthu asked with a laugh.

"Shut up" Hawk grumbled. "So? Will you answer my question?"

"Sure. It's simple, really. I just got used to it. Years and years of the same do teach you to accept what you have."

"But not enjoy it?"

"I know the reason I don't age. It's not as easy to forgive as you might think."

"Forgive?"

"One of those stories better left untold."

"Why? How discriminating can it be?"

"Don't want to."

"But you've just raised my interest! You can't leav-"

"Hawk, leave him be. He's being extremely open unlike himself already." Monthu chastised his friend sensing the kid's growing anger. It was a miracle he had said as much as he did. Something extremely happy should have happened to make him this talkative and they should enjoy it instead of cutting it short.

"Exactly! Be a good boy and listen for once!"

"What? I've been demoted to a dog?"

"Yes!" Ace said clapping. "If you act nicely, one day you might return to being a human!"

"Can I at least be a bird and not a dog?"

"You don't get to choose!"

"What an unlucky me" Hawk said in mock horror, moving his head to sides.

"Maybe you'll learn one day!"

"Maybe, maybe."

Hawk was playing along for the sole purpose of watching Ace so free and unburdened. He wasn't sure he's seen this kid adult so unguarded.

When Ace returned from his outing they had all separated to return to real life and only then set out on this journey. Something must have happened at that time to change his usual guarded personality to this new strange one. Or was this another of his acts? Could he be planning something? Or just lying to please them until the right time came? Was he really that twisted?

"What are you so serious about suddenly? You're making me worried."

He was such a kid when he was in a good mood. It was hard to imagine he was anything but a willful twelve year old. Hawk had heard the saying if you can fake honesty, you've got it all made a million times but he'd never seen it action before. It worried him how much appearance and a feeling given by a person had to do with trust given. It could be so easily created. So easily mistaken for a true thing.

“It’s nothing.”

Ace looked at him through narrowed eyes but kept his mouth closed.

It was his day today.

Finally he was free of the terror called Vera.

There was nothing in the world that could ruin his mood. It was the most perfect day of all.

So he smiled and looked at his stamina bar. It was regenerating quickly and was back to a third already.

“I think we should go hunting for some giants now!”

“Are you mad we haven’t even rested yet!”

“Are you so weak, incapable of a little hard work?” Ace asked Hawk tauntingly. From the narrowing of the guy’s eyes he knew he took the bait even if he knew for what it was. Pride always had a big say in what people did and what not. “Good then!” he said without even waiting for the reply, “Aurora can cook us something until Par wakes up and we’ll be going!”

After saying that, Ace stood up and strolled towards the place where the ground started to go downhill. He looked there to make sure there were still enemies there. They were. Giants walked tall among the ever present fog. They were very far off from one another when cyclops were gone but they would prove to be an even harder opponent. Ace was sure of it.

“Can we run away when he’s not looking?” Hawk asked quietly so Ace wouldn’t hear it.

Ace smirked watching the lonesome giants. It was nice having enhanced senses.

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