"Fuck!" I exclaim, rubbing my aching jaw. The dark haired woman glared at me like a beast ready to attack, having one hand balled in to a fist and the other wrapped protectively over her chest. "Touch me again and I'll fucking kill you!" She said, speaking with a spanish accent. Before I could begin to apologize and explain myself, another voice drew both of our attentions. "Hey, I don't think this lady's breathing!" I turn and realize it wasn't just me and the dark haired woman there.

There was a thinner man, wearing a white, button up shirt with the collar undone, black slacks and shoes, with combed back, black hair and a pair of thin eyes behind rectangular, metal framed glasses. Next to him was a man with shoulder length, golden blond hair, and eyes as blue as the sky, his clothes were loose and exposing, likely on purpose to show off his defined muscles and tanned skin. There was also a darker skinned man, with thick black hair cut short, and a wide, round nose, and dressed in a simple polo shirt, khakis and tennis shoes, but I also noticed a necklace with a cross pendant on it. Lastly was a large, muscular man, with brown hair trimmed to a buzzcut, his tank top, denim jeans and work boots were all caked in dirt and sweat, and then there was the woman lying on the ground that he was kneeling by, with long orange hair, freckled skin, and tattoos covering her whole left arm and one on her right thigh, she was soaking wet and wearing a bikini.

The man in slacks and glasses rushed over to the other side of the woman on the floor, saying "Here, move, I know CPR." and began the process of resuscitation while the rest of us stared silently, unsure of what to do. I then noticed the ground was cobblestone, forming a circular pattern on the floor. Shifting my attention, I notice the room we found ourselves in was stone from top to bottom, illuminated by braziers affixed to the walls and a wooden doorimbedded on the far side. Recalling the light at the end of the tunnel I went through to get here, I had the thought that being in a stone room with no light was a bad sign.

My thoughts were swept away as the woman on the ground convulsed and began coughing up water, a collective sigh of relief filled the room. "Easy there." The man said, rubbing the woman's back as she caught her breath. She looked up at us, then looked around the room. "Is this Hell?" she asked, but before any of us could answer, the sound of the heavy, wooden door turning on it's old hinges brought our attention to the man standing in the doorway. "It worked." The man said in a breathless voice, "It actually worked!" It sounded like he was saying it more to himself than to us, but that didn't stop the barrage of questions from the others. "What worked?" "How did we get here?" "Where even is here?" The man, an elderly fellow dressed in a black robe, held his hands up in as if to calm us. "Be at peace, young Heroes, all will be revealed, but for now I am to escort you to meet with the King, he shall explain." The man said. '"Young Heroes?" "King?" I'm starting to think this isn't the afterlife.' I think to myself. "No fucking way, mate!" The blond man proclaimed, his accent sounding English. "I'm not going anywhere till I get some fucking answers!" The blond man's words seemed to surprise the robed man, causing him to shift his tone. "Yes, well, as I said; the King shall explain the situation, I am merely tasked with bringing you to him." The blond man, who shall be refered to as Blondie, refused to give in. "And I said I'm not fucking going, and you can take that to your "King."" Blondie said, the sarcasm and air quotes on "King" telling he didn't believe the robed man.

The others seeming to follow Blondie's lead and refusing to follow the robed man, while the robed man himself stared with his mouth agape, turnin to look back behind him then back at us, unsure of what to do. I could tell the robed man was nervous, and that if he had been sent by king, it was for good reason. I mulled it over in my head for a few seconds, wheigjing the pros and cons of the situation, but given that I wasn't sure if I was alive or dead in this situation, the pros and cons seemed unsupportive, so I did what I normally did when I didn't know what to do: I said fuck it.

"Hey, where am I going?" I asked the robed man casually, gesturing to where he came from. The robed man's face lit up as he realized someone was making things easier for him, "Of course, Sir Hero, this way." The robed man said with vigor. The others stared dumbfounded. "You're actually going with him?" Blondie asked in disbelief, I respond with "Yeah, I mean, I'd like some answers, and the King's got them, so this seems like the quickest course of action." and turn to leave. Blondie tries to speak but I cut him off before he gets the words out. "Look, if you guys want to stay here in this dark, dingy place, you do you, but I'm out of here." The robed man leads down a long, dark hallway, buitl of stone with toiurches on the walls, similar to the room, a moment later I hear the various footsteps of the others behind me, turning around I see Blondie at the back wearing a scowl. At the end of the long hallway was a tall and winding flight of stairs, and unfortunately, due to my gamer lifestyle, I ended up at the back of the pack, breathing a bit heavier than the rest. I caught a glimpse of Blondie's snide smirk as he now led behind the robed man. The man in slacks and glasses made his way to me at the back, wanting to chat. "So, do you know what's going on?" He asked in a hushed voice, I answer casually with "Nope." which surprised the man. "You mean you have no idea what's happening or where we're going?" He asked sounding a bit distressed but still managing to be quiet, and again I respond with nonchalance. "Not really." "So then, what if he's taking us somewhere to kill us?" He asks, panic in his voice. "Then your day's about to get a whole lot worse." I joke, but the flushed expression in his face tells me he doesn't appreciate my sense of humor. I sigh and turn to face him. "Look, the way I figure, if he wanted us dead he could've killed us in the room back there, and if he wanted us to go somewhere he could have forced us, but he didn't, he asked us to follow him. Plus, this place, the way he's dressed, and this thing about a king, it doesn't really say "murder" to me, you know?" The man looked to be considering my words for a moment before nodding his head. "Yeah, that makes sense." His words sound halfhearted. "I'll watch your back if you watch mine, deal?" I ask, offering my hand for him to take, he looks at it for a moment before taking it and giving it a shake. "Watanabe Rin." He introduces himself, "Isaac Crowe."

At the top of the stairs was a wall, but before anyone could comment on being led to a dead end, the robed man produced a ring from his pocket, pressing it's face to the wall and turning. I could hear the muffled sounds of mechanisms behind the wall, or maybe within. The wall opened, flooding the staircase with light and blinding us within, when my eyes adjusted I found myself in a room that could not contrast the previous room more. The walls were stark white with all kinds of fineries on them; portraits, tapestries, marble busts, coats of arms, even suits of armor. I ended up spinning all the way around and saw as the wall we came in from had reverted back to being indistinguishable from the rest of the room. 'Hidden doors leading to secret, underground rooms, there's a good sign.' I think to myself, the feeling that whatever was going on was much more complicated than being dead.

Keeping with the theme of regality, the hallways we were led through had high, arching ceilings, ornate doors to the right and to the left were windows large enough to let in the light of the midday sun. I take the opportunity to get some sense of where we are and veer from the group to a window, not sure what to expect. I was mesmerized by the vista before me, beyond the walls was a sprawling city, but rather than cars and skyscrapers, it was a city of carriages and red brick roofed buildings, the tallest no more than two stories., and beyond the city I saw rolling hills of vibrant green grassland. While I admired the view, I failed to notice Blondie had been leaning against the wall, also staring out over the land. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He said, not so much a question, but I nod and say "Yeah." anyway. "Reminds me of this little village I saw when I was touring the Mediterranean." ""Touring?" What are you like a musician or something?" I ask. Blondie chuckles at my question. "Model, actually, the top male model in all of the UK, maybe even all of Europe. Maybe you've seen me on the cover of Aphrodite?" I shake my head, "Don't even know what that is." and again he chuckles. "It's a fashion magazine, though..." Blondie looks up and down at me, "I guess you've no interest in fashion, yeah?" The way he smiles as he says it, with a faux friendliness, leaves me with the impression that Blondie was, in fact, an asshole. 'Hmmm, makes sense, only assholes dress that impractically.' "But don't worry, I'm here if you need some advise." He said with a wink and a smack on my shoulder before returning to the group. It felt like Blondie had intentionally hit me a little too hard on the shoulder as a way of one upping me, asserting himself as the "alpha male." 'Yep; asshole.'

The robed man stopped us at a pair of large double doors, telling us it was "The Grand Hall, where matters of public importance happen, such as balls, trials and such." He then went into a long explanation of royal court etiquette, refering to the King as "Your Majesty," speaking only when spoken to, that sort of thing. I stopped listening about halfway through. When the doors opened, it became clear why this room was called The Grand Hall, not only was it big, but there were balconies above us, held up by marble pillars, and the floor was so polished I could see the reflection of the ceiling, which was painted like that of the Sistine Chapel. At the end of the long walk were four men, the two on the ends looked to be guards, armed and armored. Between the guards and on the right was a man much older than our escort, as indicated by the white hair on the sides of his balding head, he was dressed in similar robes, though his were white with red embroidery, as well as a gold scarf over his shoulders, a red, yarmulke type hat atop his head, and what looked like a bolo tie on his collar with red and white rope. Lastly, there was the man on the left, while the others stood, he sat in a large, ornate chair, and almost everything about this man looked regal and refined, from his polished, black leather boots, seamless trousers, black tunic with deep purple accents, jeweled rings, blood red cape with a golden clasp over his left breast, and blooming crown sitting atop his head, but despite his fine clothes the man wore a face of authority, with brushed back black hair that greyed at his temples and connected to his neatly trimmed beard, which pricked at the sides of his mouth without being a mustache, and his eyes stared down at us as if peering into our very souls with scrutiny. As soon as I laid my eyes on this man, there was just one thought that crossed my mind: 'This man was the King.'

We stopped and stood before the King, each of us anxious about what might happen next, our escort was the first to speak. "Oh great and powerful King Delioss," he began, bowing so low his head almost touched the floor, "after laboring tirelessly at your command, we of the Hexatic Church are proud to stand before you, having scceeded in our task of summoning the six legendary Elemental Heroes!" The robed man finished, moving to gesture to us. The room was silent, the man in red and white robes looking to the King as he looked at us, eyes narrowing. '"Legendary Heroes?" Why does that sound familiar?' I wondered, confused by the introduction, untill I remembered. 'Oh shit.'

"Is this some kind of joke?" The King finally spoke. "I...uh, I do not undersrtand, Your Majesty." The robed man responded hesitantly. ""Is. This. A. Joke?"" The King repeated, the annoyance in his voice was subtle yet present. "Are you offering your services as a court jesture?" "Er, no, Your Majesty." The robed man answered, still unsure as to the King's meaning. "Then perhaps you think I've fallen ill and succumbed to blindness?" The King asks, leaning forward with his voice raised slightly. "No, Your Majesty." The robed man proclaimed. The King had risen from his seat, brow furrowed and furious. "Then you think me a fool? You think me unlearned and dull-witted?" The King's enraged expression filled the robed man with fear, causing him to fall to his knees with his face to the floor, and I had to admit, even I was a bit scared. "No, Your Majesty, I would never make such an accusation!" The robed man spoke with panic. "Then why, pray tell, would you come before me, spouting nonsense and claiming success in the summoning of our salvation, when you bring seven individuals?" The robed man slowly drew his head up and looked to us, one after another, silently counting, his frightened expression turning to absolute terror as he began sputtering, trying to explain, but the King raised his hand to silence the man, then made a "Begone!" gesture. The robed man picked himself up off the floor, bowed to the King, and walked away, his footsteps and the sound of the doors closing echoing through the uncomfortable silence.

The King let out an exhausted sigh then looked to the seven of us. "Kellen," The King began, turning to the aged man in red and white, "What do you make of...this?" he asked, gesturing to us. The man, refered to as Kellen, looked at us with a neutral expression before speaking. "Judging by their appearances, it would seem obvious that they are not of this land, but I can only guess as to why there would be an odd number of those summoned. The real question, Your Majesty, is 'can we afford to be dismissive?'" The King looked at us for a moment, looking like he was trying to make a decision, before letting out a defeated breath.

The King, having composed himself, stood tall, and with the authority of a royal, spoke. "I am His Royal Majesty, King Maelon Delioss, Ruler of the kingdom of Arvendonn. The man you see beside me is Cardinal Kellen, advisor to the crown and ambassador of the Hexatic Church." The Cardinal gave a polite bow. "This world is not your own, but another known as Vytas, and it is in danger. An ancient enemy has returned to finish what it could not millennia ago; the complete destruction of Vytas and all things upon it. It happened just over a week ago, when the sky tore asunder and rained upon the land death and destruction, the likes of which none had seen before. Were it not for the brave men of the guard and adventurers, we might not have survived, but I fear that was just the first attack in a long war for survival, and that the next will come within the month, as well as be greater than the last. I did not believe my kingdom would survive, and so I called upon the Church, in order to perform an ancient summoning ritual, one that would bring forth those capable of defeating this evil and saving our world. You are they, those that may wield the very Elements in defense of our world. You are Heroes."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing; I had been summoned to another world to save it from total destruction, and that it was the same world as the one in the book I had just read. 'Was the book some sort of portal? Or had the book been brought to my world from this one? Or am I inside the book?' A million questions were going through my mind, but it seemed I was the only one, as the others summoned to this world had individually, yet all together, decided "Not a fucking chance!" The King didn't seem surprised by Blondie's outburst, if a little annoyed. "You're telling me you fucking kidnap me, bringing me here to fight some war I've got no stake in? Yeah, not happening, mate." "Yeah, I mean, sorry 'bout your luck and all, but this has nothing to do with us." The red headed woman said with an Australian accent. "Had you asked first, I might've felt inclined to help y'all, but not being given a choice, I don't feel so inclined." The large brunet said, his accent sounded like he came from Texas. "If you brought us here, then send us home, please." The man in khakis pled, his accent being one from Africa. Rin and the dark haired woman didn't speak up, but I could tell they wanted no part in this either, unfortunately, everyone's refusal to fight was futile. "I'm afraid that simply isn't possible." The Cardinal began, "Though we would prefer more willing Heroes, the summoning ritual cannot be undone. You are bound by your heroic nature, and won't be able to return to your world so long as ours is in danger." "Woah, woah, woah, hang on a minute, you mean we're stuck here?" Blondie asked angrily. "As are we all." Kellen replied, seeming almost sad by his answer. The others were obviously unhappy with the situation, and even I was a little concerned. "I do not expect you to forgive us, but I will ask that you understand our desperation. That being said, as Heroes you shall be handsomely rewarded for your efforts, and upon victory be sent home." The King said. I wasn't sure if it was the threat of death or the promise of gold that made the others change their minds, though I had my suspicions. "Alright then, guess you'd like to know the name of the man that's going to save your sorry arse. I'm William Taylor of London, England, Aphrodite's Top Male Model, 5 years running." Blondie, or I guess I should say William, boasted, puffing his chest out for the King. "I guess I'm in too then. Claire Greene, from Queensland, Australia, certified beach bum and disapointment to my parents." Claire, the bikini clad, red headed woman, said, sounding proud of her parents' disapointment in her. 'Well now I'm curious.' I thought to myself. "My name's Rodrick Reynolds, but my friends call me Rocky, y'all can too if you want, and I just work as a ranch hand for my uncle down in New Mexico." The large brunet introduced himself. 'Huh, so not from Texas then. I was close, though.' The man in khakis went next, though he seemed nervous about it, and even raised his hand. "If I may go next," He began, "My name is Khari Abara from Ghana, and I am a student and volunteer at the mission in my village." The dark haired woman went after Khari, saying her name was "Dani." and nothing else, then Rin went, saying he was a teacher in Shirakawa, Japan, which left me for last. "Isaac Crowe of Langley, Washington, college student and...not much else, I guess."

I doubt The King understood half of what we told him, but I don't think it mattered. "Now then, with introductions out of the way, let us move on to unveiling your affinities." The King clapped his hands twice and from the door behind him walked out a man carrying a clear, crystal ball on a pillow. "The legends speak of six Heroes, each one wielding one of the six Elements, discovering your affinities will allow us to know which. However, due to whatever reason, one of you was brought here by mistake, and is not a Hero. Not to worry, whichever of you it is will be allowed to stay in the castle until the Heroes save Vytas." The man with the ball stepped out in front of us, holding the ball up to chest level. "This is an Orb of Revelation, it is a magic item which allows one to discover their affinity, should they have one." The King explained. I can't say I cared much for how dismissive the King was being to whichever of us he thinks was summoned by accident, 'It's not as if they'd be useless, we come from a world where we the first man to fly and the first man to walk on the moon are only 66 years apart, so I'm sure the seventh could bring something to the table.' The moment the thought crossed my mind, a chill ran up my spine and I remembered the book. 'The Seventh?'

Blondie was the first to step up, full of confidence. "Place your hand on the Orb and channel the Element within you." The King explained. I was half hoping Blondie was the odd man out, I've spent my fair share of adventures with assholes, so I wasn't too keen on doing it IRL, however, the moment he touched his hand to the Orb, the room was filled with a bright, blinding light, causing the rest of us to step back. I could hear the sound of Blondie straining, and peaking through my fingers could just barely see whta looked like Blondie pulling something from the Orb, something long, narrow, and made of light. With the sound of an exerting grunt, the light shifted, and after rubbing my eyes, I was able to see what Blondie had pulled from the Orb: a sword of light, an exact replica of the one I saw in the book. With a proud look on his face, Blondie lifted his sword in the air for all to see. "By the Sun, quite literally it seems. Sir Taylor has been revealed to be the Hero of The Sun, the light bringer and greatest of the Elements!" The King announced, which only added to Blondie's ego. The light began to fade, making the sword appear as a normal hand and a half longsword with a crossguard and a mushroom shaped pommel. 'Makes sense, a sword as bright as the sun might be distracting.' As it was there didn't appear to be anything extraordinary about the sword, except for a circular orange stone embedded in the center of the crossguard.

The others swarmed Blondie, asking 'how he did that,' and such. The King, trying to restore order, began to explain, "The Heroes of legend cannot only wield the Elements in a magical aspect, but physically as well, as your affinity is revealed, so too shall your weapons be." Everyone got really excited about touching the Orb now, and went up one after ther other. 'A sword of sunlight, huh? You can already tell it's going to go straight to Blondie's head, as if it wasn't big enough.' I grumbled, annoyed that an ass like him would have the affinity for "the greatest of the Elements," but I shrugged it off. 'Just as well, I'm not too big on sunlight, I'm more of a night owl. Maybe I'll get a sword of moonlight! What would a sword of moonlight even do, though? Could I slay a werewolf with it? Could I become a werewolf? Are werewolves even a thing here?' As my mind wandered, the others went their turns in discovering their affinities. Claire went first, the Orb filling the room with waves of soothing blue light at her touch, and from the Orb she pulled a spear with a light blue, teardrop shaped gem in the base of the leaf blade. "Fair Lady Claire, you are recognized as Hero of The Seas, forever shifting and as dangerous as they are beautiful." The King announced. Then it was Rocky's turn, the Orb emitting a warm, orange glow as he pulled a heavy looking weapon, which he held with ease, that looked to be half battle-ax and half war-hammer, with a rectangular, green crystal where the two halves meet. "Sir Reynolds, you are recognized as Hero of The Earth, that which is an immovable object and an unstoppable force." After him, Khari was going to go, but when it looked like he was nervously hesitant, Dani shoved him aside and put her hand on the orb, which filled the room with a lightning flash of light and gifted her with what looked to be a small, angular knife with a chain attached, and a round gem of blue and green where the chain met the knife. "Lady Dani, you are recognized as Hero of The Sky, as gentle as the clouds and as fierce as the storms." Khari went after, his hand on the Orb filled the room with a soft, white glow, and pulling a bundle of dark cloth from the Orb, on top was what looked like a brooch with a milky white gemstone. "Sir Abara, you are recognized as Hero of The Moon, a mysterious illusionist without equal." Next for the Orb was Rin, who filled the room with little glints of sparkling lights and pulled a bow from the Orb, a simple shortbow, but without a bowstring, and a deep blue gem with white lines dividing it in sixths on the arrow rest. "Sir Rin, you are recognized as Hero of The Stars, the guides and storytellers of the night." And lastly was...me. 'Oh, shit.' I thought to myself, realizing that in watching the others go I had made myself the seventh, and thus was "the one summoned by mistake."

Whilst having my little breakdown, the King thought it time to move on. "Now then, with our heroes known, let us-" "Wait!" I blurted out, forcing everyone's attention on me, I don't know what compells me to speak, but I do. "Can I check my affinity?" I ask meekly, everyone giving me questioning looks. "There is no need, he have our Heroes. Do not interupt me again." The King warns, a slight furrow in his brow, but still I speak. "Yeah, but there's no harm in it, right? Maybe I'm also a Hero." I suggest, the furrow deepening in the King's brow as he stares me down. "Impossible. Legends speak of six Heroes because there are six Elements, no more, no less. Now I command you to be silent or I shall have you thrown in stocks!" The King threatened with a finger. I was nervous, and a little scared, and yet I felt compelled to speak, try as though I might to not. "But what if there was a seventh Element?" I ask. Both the King and the Cardinal looked at me, though the Cardinal's expression was more neutral, while the King showed only fury. "I suggest you choose your next words carefully, boy, for what you speak is heresy before a devout and pious ruler." The King said with barely contained rage. I averted my eyes, wishing I had never spoken and hoping he'd move on, but another entered the conversation. "Then..." we all turned and saw Rin had spoken up, "...why would the summoning ritual bring seven people here, if it was only meant for six?" I could practically feel the King's rage radiating off of him as he stared daggers into Rin, who himself showed no fear. "Yeah, and if your bowling ball here doesn't glow, means you're right, no harm, no fowl, but if it does, then you've got yourself another legendary Hero fighting for you." Claire added. The King, looking about ready to burst, saw a few more nodding their heads in agreement, and made an attempt to compose himself. "Very well, Sir Crowe," The King began, saying my name with condescension, "If you wish to further waste the time of the crown, the Heroes, and Vytas itself, by all means, check your affinity."

I almost didn't want to, I could have apologized and kept my head down, but my feet moved me towards the Orb, every eye in the room watching me, with curiosity, expectation, ire, it felt like the longest walk in my life. My hand shook as I reached for the Orb, and as I placed my hand upon it...nothing. Everyone in the room let out a breath, for some it was a sigh of defeat, and for others, a victorious scoff. Before I remove my hand, however, the room is flooded with a dark crimson light, as if the walls were painted with blood, and there was an ear shattering soundas if nails screaming as they're dragged across a chalkboard. I try to pull my hand off, but it's stuck, glued to the Orb, I try to pry my hand off, willing to lose the skin on my palm if need be. My hand finally falls free, the sound and light ceasing as well, but the Orb falls to the floor and shatters like glass. Through labored breathing, everyone stared at me, fear in there eyes over what had just happened, and even I was terrified. I looked down and saw in my hand a dagger, which looked almost identical to Blondie's sword, just shorter and with a black, red blotched gemstone on the guard.

"Heresy." I heard the King mutter under his breath, I look over and he looks disheveled and enraged. "Heresy! Blasphemy! Guards, I order you to execute this...this man, this devil!" At the King's command, the two armed and armored men pointed their spears at me. I had never been in a fight before, armed or otherwise, so the notion of defending myself from a pair of royal guards with a dagger seemed unlikely. Then, unexpectantly, Rin stepped in between the guards and I. "Sir Rin, stand aside!" The King commanded, but Rin refused to move, then, Rocky, Claire and Khari walked over, standing side by side with Rin, it was honestly a little touching seeing the others standing up for me. The other Heroes, Dani and Blondie, remained where they stood, Blondie scoffing at the Heroes' defense, while Dani looked at them like they were fools, and then there was the Cardinal, who looked on with bated breath. The King glared with teeth bared, a twitch in his eye as the Heroes stared him down. "Your orders, Your Majesty?" One of the guards asked. Before he could say anything, the Cardinal spoke up. "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold? I dare not question your devotion to the Church, nor your faith in it's teachings, but given what we've just witnessed, do you not think it possible- nay, probable, that the Elements themselves have blessed us, bringing us this seventh defender in our time of need?" The King seemed to consider the Cardinal's words for a moment before averted his gaze from the Heroes. "The devil lives...for now." The King fumed, turning to return to his seat. I let out a sigh of relief, thanking those that stood between me and what was to be certain death.

The King, looking weary in his chair, continued where I had interupted him. "Now then, with weapons in hand each of you shall venture out into the world and acquire experience. Though you may be heroes of legend, you are but novices, inexperienced in the art of sword and sorcery, and know little of the world you've been tasked with defending." "Ah, a little globe trotting and monster slaying, should be a right treat. Not to worry, ladies, I'll protect you." Blondie said confidently, winking at Dani who rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid you'll have to journey seperately," The Cardinal interjected, "While it is only together that the Heroes may save Vytas, your abilities require room to grow, and would only be stifled in the presence of each other. Not to worry, though, we wouldn't send you out into the world alone. The crown has called for the best adventurers in the land to act as your travelling companions, ready to fight by your sides." 'Okay, so sort of a 'strong alone, stronger together' sort of thing.' I mused. "But that is for tomorrow, the hour has grown late and you are all surely tired." The Cardinal said, then clapped twice. The door we entered from opened, then a pair of maids entered and curtsied. "These two shall escort you to a room we've prepared for you. Rest, for tomorrow your journies begin in earnest." We all turn to leave, Claire being particular careful around the remains of the Orb, then Rocky turned around. "Oh, uh, sorry if this is a stupid question, but...what exactly are we fighting?" The rest of the Heroes stopped and turned to the King and Cardinal, also curious. 'A million bucks says I know the answer to that question.' I think to myself. The Cardinal looked to us and said "It is an ancient evil, a force of destruction that shall devour the land and it's people if not stopped. It knows neither mercy nor restraint, and is known as...The Blight." 'Hurray, I'm rich.' I silently, yet sarcastically cheer. Despite the Cardinal's answer being ominous, it was also a bit vague, as the Heroes looked confused. "Trust me, you'll know it when you see it." The Cardinal added.

The two maids led us to a large room at the top of a tower, where a number of couches faced a lit fireplace, a table of food was prepared, and a door led to a balcony outside. 'Oh man, it really has gotten late.' I think as I see the night sky outside. The other Heroes rushed into the room, Blondie made his way to the couches and laid across one, taking up the whole space, whereas Khari and Rocky went for the food, and Rin went for the balcony. "If you require anything else, please do not hesitate to ask." One of the maids said with a bow. "Actually, you wouldn't happen to have a bath here would you? I'm starting to smell like I washed up on shore." Claire asked. "Oh yeah, a shower'd be great." Rocky agreed, dirt still covering him. "No." Dani said to the brunet, "I'll come with you, in case any of these pervertidos get any ideas." The latina continued, shifting glances from Rocky to me. "I'm not a pervert, it was an accident." I pled, though it seemed to fall on deaf ears as Dani pushed Claire out the door.

"Trouble with the ladies, Alex?" Blondie asked sarcastically from his spot on the couch. "It's Isaac." I corrected, though I'm pretty sure he got my name wrong on purpose. "Well, take it from me, a bird like that, you've got to turn up the charm." Blondie continued. "Oh yeah?" I asked disingenuously, "Oh yeah! I've been with tons of women: French models, K Pop idols, Russian prima ballerinas..." I roll my eyes at Blondie's boasting. 'Ah, an asshole and a man whore.' "And all of them turn to putty when you give them sad eyes and say you're sorry." Blondie continued, looking up at me from where he lay. "Though, it probably wouldn't kill you to spruce yourself up a bit; hit the gym, buy some threads, that sort of thing." That was the point in the conversation, if you could call it that, where I thought it best I leave. Making my way over to the table, I found it loaded with delicious looking and smelling foods, despite it being medieval cuisine. A bowl of ripe, bright red apples, a pot of what smelled like potato soup, and the meatiest turkey I'd ever seen were just some of the dishes prepared. Rocky had helped himself to a chunk of turkey breast, the juices dripping from his chin, while Khari stared at the brunet, disgusted yet in awe. Unceremonious as it may seem, I decided to tear a drumstick from the golden brown bird and ate as I walked away. I made my way to the balcony, having forgotten Rin was also out there. "Oh, sorry, I can leave if you want to be alone." I offered, Rin shook his head, "It's fine, I guess you needed some air as well?" He asked. "You could say that." I reply. I joined him at the railing, noticing he had a lit cigarette in his hand. "You smoke?" Rin asked, offering me the tobacco, I shake my head in decline. "Neither do I." He said, giving me a look that said "keep this a secret." 'Yeah, I guess it'd look bad if a school teacher was a smoker.'

We stood together in silence, I looked down at the city, seeing the distant streetlamps illuminate the street where the townspeople roamed, while Rin looked upward to the stars. "You were right." Rin finally spoke. "I generally am." I joke, then ask "About what?" "When you said my day was going to get worse." He answered. I remembered the conversation, but didn't really understand what he meant. "How so?" I asked, Rin took a long drag on his cigarette, exhaling slowly before he answered. "My father was a soldier, he loved his country and was proud to fight for it, but when I was very young my father was killed in action, fighting a war that wasn't his, in a land so far from home. I swore to myself that I would never become my father, that I would help people through learning and knowledge, but here I am, so far from home, where I might die fighting a war not my own." I didn't know how to respond to the information, but felt like I should say something. "Well, my dad was a loser who got caught cheating on my mom with his Pilates instructor, and before you ask, yes, her name was 'Cinnamon.'" Rin couldn't help but laugh, and frankly, neither could I, but it seemed to cheer him up. "Hey man," I begin, wanting to speak seriously but sincerely, "This shit is definitely crazy, I mean we're in another world, which may be normal for the Japanese, what with you inventing isekai," Rin nodded and chuckled at my nerdiness, "But we're all in this together, even if it doesn't feel like it. So if you ever need me, I'll be there." "Same here." Rin said with a smile.

It was quiet again until Rin let out a slight chuckle. "What's up?" I ask, Rin pointed upward to the night sky. "Stars." He said, "When I was a kid I was obsessed with stars and constellations, I wanted to be an astronaut. I eventually settled into being a teacher, but I still take time to look at the stars every now and again. In fact, I was looking at stars when I was summoned." "Oh yeah?" I ask, surprised by the coincidence. "Yeah, I was just looking through my telescope when I saw what looked like a star that wasn't there before, then it started getting brighter and brighter, and when I opened my eyes I was here."

Rin's story reminded me of my own, and I couldn't help but wonder if his love for astronomy was what made him be summoned as Hero of The Stars. Then I thought of the others, how Claire was Hero of The Sea, and looked like she was pulled from the water, and how Rocky, Hero of The Earth, was covered in dirt. I began to wonder about the others, about Khari, Dani, and Blondie. 'I got off on the wrong foot with Dani, and even if I didn't I doubt she'd tell us anything. And Blondie? I doubt he'd tell us anything that didn't make him look bad, so it'd be hard to tell. Khari feels like the only other one who might be able to confirm the theory.'

"What about you?" Rin's question brought me back to reality. "What were you doing when you were summoned?" I thought back to this afternoon, about the book, and felt a chill run up my spine. "I was...reading a book, nothing interesting." A lie, but one that seemed to convince Rin, if his dissatisfied expression was any indicator. I wasn't sure how the others would react to learning that the idea of being the seventh Hero came from the ravings of a madman in a seemingly prophetic book, and given what happened with the Orb of Revelation, I chose caution over honesty.

The night air became a bit too chilly for Rin and I, so we decided to go back inside, where the other Heroes had ravaged the table of food and were gathered around on the couches. The ladies had returned, Claire now dressed in what was probably customary Arvendonnian fashion, and Rocky had also bathed, but was wearing a towel around his waist, which showed off the muscles he'd acquired working on a ranch. 'He probably asked the maids to wash his clothes for him. Makes sense, not much point in bathing if you're just going to put on dirty clothes.' The group had gathered in discussion of Khari's Elemental weapon, if you could call it that. Turns out, the bundle of cloth Khari got from the Orb was a hooded cloak, the outside being a dark fabric while the underside was a pale grey, and what I thought was a brooch was the clasp for the cloak. "I'm telling you, mate; you got stiffed!" Blondie said, almost shouting. His face looked red, same with Claire. "What's with them?" I ask. "One of the nice ladies brought up a bottle of wine as thanks for being Heroes, and these two hit it pretty hard." Rocky answered. "Seriously, who ever heard of someone using a cape as a weapon?" The intoxicated Brit continued, further criticizing the cloak. "Perhaps it is not as conventional a weapon as a sword or spear, but being the weapon of a Hero, surely it is more than it would appear." Khari retorted. Then as if to make a point, he threw his hood up and vanished from sight, surprising everyone. "Woah! Yo, Khari, mate, you still here?" Blondie asked, noticably freaked out. Khari reappeared as he let down the hood, grinning from ear to ear. "Wicked, man! *hic* It's an insivability cloak, like Harry Potter! *hic*" Claire slurred. 'Jesus, how much did they have to drink?' I wondered, perplexed by the woman's drunken stupor. "Not like Harry Potter, like Anansi!" Khari responded with glee. "Wait, what about a nazi?" Blondie laughed, ""Ah-nan-see!" It is a folktale in Africa, about a spider who is a trickster and a hero." Khari explained, annoyed by the englishman's ignorance of his culture. "I like that; "Anansi Cloak."" Claire cheered, then stumbling up to her feet. "We should all give our weapons badass names! *hic* We are Heroes afterall, our weapons deserve badass names!" Claire went to pick up her spear, knocking over the metal cup of wine she had sitting on the table. "I'll name this little beauty Rip-*hic* Riptide!" She announced, holding her spear at arms length. "Come on now, who's next?" The intoxicated Aussie asked, then pointing to Rocky. "Oh, uh, I guess since I'm the Hero of The Earth, I'll call my weapon...Earth Shaker?" Rocky suggested nervously, to which Claire went "Booooooo!" giving the poor man a thumbs down. "Come on, you can do better!" She insisted, but Rocky didn't appear to be that good at naming things. "Er, Mountain Maker? Stone Breaker?" Claire shook her head until an idea came to her pickled mind. "Oh, how about "Quake?"" Rocky couldn't resist the woman's insistance and enthusiasm for the name. "Quake it is then." He said with a smile. Claire then pointed to Dani, who didn't seem interested in the name of her weapon in the slightest. "Oh, come on Dani!" Claire said, dropping to her knees in front of the girl. "If you don't I'll tell the boys about that thing in the bath." Claire teased, I could only speculate about what Claire was referring to, but whatever it was got the dark haired woman's attention. "¡Callate la boca, perra!" The spanish woman exclaimed, grabbing Claire's arm, but Claire simply grinned and turned to us. "Oh boys!" She called out, but before Claire could divulge her secret, Dani gave in. "Okay, okay; Juracán! My weapon is called Juracán, are you happy?" Claire nodded like a child. "Alright, alright, enough of that." Blondie said as he picked himself up off the couch, but struggling to stand upright. "You want a heroic weapon name, I'll give you a heroic weapon name." He then picks his sword up and holds it aloft. "Galatine, the sword of Sir Gawain of the Round Table, and said to make him invincible in the sunlight. So it did for him, so too shall it do for me." He then succumbed to the alcohol and fell back onto the couch. Claire didn't seem that impressed with Blondie's choice in weapon names and brushed the man off, then pointed to Rin, who seemed to have a name already picked out. "Well, since I am the Hero of The Stars, I think it only appropriate that my bow be named Nagareboshi." As Rin named his weapon, he made the motion of drawing the bowstring, but where the bowstring was missing, a string of light appeared as he pulled back, along with an arrow of light going from his fingers to the gemstone. Not expecting this to happen, Rin accidentally lets the bowstring go, firing the arrow. The room erupts in panic as the light arrow ricochets off the walls, breaking glass and piercing through the furniture. The arrow found its way through a window, flying off in to the night.

The room was dead quiet, and completely dark. Everyone had laid down on the ground to avoid getting hit. "Rin?" I call out. "Yeah?" He answers, "Don't ever do that again." I say. The room then erupts into laughter.