“No need to cry little one” The voice said. “You are in the care of the great turtle sage, Rafiki.”

The turtle’s mouth did not move, the voice was speaking directly into Koren’s mind, the same as Hope.

“I have trapped the ghost.” The turtle’s head moved closer to Koren. “You are safe.”

Koren, who was screaming and wailing, stopped. He looked around to find the source of the voice before realizing it was in his mind. The turtle’s head came closer, and Koren slowly floated down. “That Ghost was quite peculiar, very persistent, I’ve trapped it for now. Tell me little one, what plagues you.” The turtle asked, with its gruff voice . “Why did the ghost bring you to me.”

“Wha…What.” Koren mumbled in confusion. “Are you going to eat me.”

“Eat you, why would I eat you. I am the great turtle sage Rafiki, and I have sworn never to harm a living creature. Besides, I am a star beast. We live off of the energy of stars, you wouldn’t be much of a meal anyways, haha haha.” Rafiki chuckled, trying his best to make his voice appealing instead of its usual roughness. “You have nothing to fear from me.”

Koren was completely flabbergasted, no one had ever told him about something called a star beast. Only Hope would know what to do in this situation, yes Hope…HOPE!.

“Big sis, what have you done with big sis.” Koren yelled. “Let her go!”

“Oh, are you a ghost practitioner, you don’t seem like one.” The turtle said inquisitively, its deep and hoarse voice reverberating in Koren’s mind. “Very well, I will release the ghost, lest be said that Rafiki is a Bully.”

“Ahh…Koren can you hear me, Koren.” Hope’s image suddenly appeared next to Koren “Koren I’m right here, can you hear me.”

“I can big sis, I can.” Koren replied with happiness. “You are safe, thank the ancestors, you are safe.”

“It seems I was mistaken, the ghost did not cause you harm.” Rafiki said. “Quite an odd pair you are.”

“Koren, this guy can use electromagnetic fields to interfere with my systems. I was there the whole time, but I could not reach you.” Hope stared at the Giant turtle’s head with vigilance.

“Well, this is an embarrassing moment. I apologize to the two of you. I thought you were possessed by the ghost and were forced to come here against your will.” The giant turtle said. “Since that is not the case, why did you come here.”

Koren’s feet finally touched the ground, and the invisible field retreated. But the being in the presence of the turtle was still causing some interference with Hope’s systems, causing her image to constantly flicker.

“Senior Rafiki, my name is Koren, and the ghost is my big sis Hope. We are sorry for disturbing your sleep.” Koren took a deep breath and continued. “We came for the thing on your shell. As long as we can take some of it, we will leave immediately.”

“Oh, is it one of those nasty critters on my shell.” Rafiki said. “Ah, they are very annoying”

Koren and Hope were overjoyed, since the turtle found the metallic crustacean ore to be an annoyance, they could take it from here safely.

“Senior, since you find them annoying, then it won’t hurt for us take just a tiny little bit of it.” Koren asked.

“No, no, no. I can’t let you do that. These are annoying, but necessary.” The turtle sage moved its head sideways and puffed. “If they weren’t on my shell, my aura would wreak havoc on your world.”

Koren’s mood instantly fell, he looked up at the Giant Turtle and Yelled. “Senior, we only need a small piece.”

Hope looked into the distance and found the piece they broke off when they rushed into the cavern. “The piece we already broke off, we only need that one Koren. Ask him if that’s ok” Hope whispered.

“I have a very good hearing, little ghost. And Yes, taking just that piece should be fine.” The Turtle Sage Rafiki said. “But you have to do me a favour in return.”

Koren was taken aback, how could he have anything to offer this gigantic spiritual creature. Hope who standing next to Koren looked up at the beast and said “Oh mighty Turtle Sage, what could we mortals possibly have to offer you. Won’t you be in the losing end of this deal.”

“You are right, odd little ghost. The boy and you don’t have the strength required to assist me, but I can see your potential.” Rafiki said. “Perhaps one day you will have that ability, and that is when I shall call upon this favour.

“OK!, Senior we agree.” Yelled Koren, ecstatic at the thought of charging up the Armor and being able to keep his word.

The turtle sage Rafiki smiled. “Good”

The ore piece, which fell next to the massive claw, floated up and rushed towards Koren, coming to a stop just a few meters from him.

“I am quite curious, these little critters are filled with chaotic energy that is harmful to life of this world.” The Turtle Sage said, questioningly. “How are you going to use it.”

Hope smile and turned to Koren. “The Armor has been slowly absorbing chaotic energy going wild in the surroundings, it should have enough to activate and absorb the ore.” Hope said with a grin. “Show this guy, what he’s investing his favour in.”

“ARMOR!” Yelled Koren, as the liquid metal squirmed out of his body and started to solidify around him, it only took a second for the complete Guardian Armor to form.

The Giant Turtle looked on as the Armor formed, it’s smile getting wider. But it’s eyes gaped when Koren reached out and grabbed the Ore piece, absorbing it into the Armor.

“Incredible, you can actually directly absorb chaotic energy even though you are not a star warrior.” The Turtle muttered, its deep voice filled with emotion. “Ahh, you remind me of a young one I knew long ago. I wonder, did he ever find what he was looking for.”

The Giant Turtles eyes turned misty, it looked at Koren and said “ Well, off you go then. I have given you what you were after.”

“Thank you senior” Koren and Hope both said in unison.

Koren checked the power reserves of the Armor and he was welcomed with a number that made him confused.

4%

“Sis is something wrong, why do we have so little power.” Koren asked.

“Don’t worry Koren, this is enough to activate the battle mode, and take care of any immediate threat.” Hope replied, fervently “If my calculations are correct, and they always are, then the Armor should be able to turn that bird we encountered earlier into mush with a single kick.

“OK big sis, let’s go. Repulsors!” Koren activated the flight systems, slowly lifting him off the ground. He adjusted his course towards the ceiling, and fired the plasma jets.

Koren quickly approached the ceiling and turned around to see the Turtle Sage one more time, before blasting through.

“Sis, I was so scared when you stopped talking to me, I thought I had lost you” Koren mumbled in a sobbing tone. “I am so glad it all worked out”

Hope smiled “You don’t need to worry about me Koren, I was only distressed a bit. To think that creature could actually interfere with our connection.” Hope said as her brows wrinkled. “I have already become one with the Dimensional Core, so it couldn’t actually erase me, but still, what a strange power.”

“Sis, it said something about a ghost practitioner and star warrior, what do you think that means” Koren asked.

“Haven’t the foggiest, maybe it’s originally not from this planet.” Hope replied, acutely. “Star warriors and ghost practitioners could be followers of a different worlds path”

“We’re almost to the surface.” Hope stated. “It should be day break, we should rush towards the Oasis.”

However, it was then that they both heard the deep and hoarse voice of The Turtle Sage Rafiki, one last time.

“Take this with you. It will help you when you need it most.” The voice said.

Koren could feel a burning sensation emanating from his Spiritual Core. “Ahh” Yelled Koren “What… what is this.”

Koren visualised his spiritual core, and he could see a small turtle resting inside it. The turtle looked nothing like the giant turtle Rafiki.

“It doesn’t seem to be doing anything to harm your core. It seems to be taking a nap.” Hope said anxiously. “For now we can’t do anything about it, best to leave it alone.”

“Ah, OK big sis.” Koren said as he started to breath heavily.

************

Deep beneath the surface sands, lay a massive beast. This beast had thick short legs, a heavy dome shaped shell, and a massive head with a powerful jaw. This was the giant turtle sage, Rafiki.

Rafiki sighed. ‘I can’t believe I actually gave him my seal, what came over me.’ Rafiki thought. ‘At least he seems to be an honest one, unlike that fellow from before.’

‘Still, why did he have two cores. One seemed like a mutated spiritual core, while the other resembled the core of a star beast, how very peculiar.’

‘And that ghost, she seemed to be in a symbiotic relationship with the boy’ Rafiki moved his head down to rest on the ground. ‘Star, Ghost and Spirit, the power systems of three world on one boy.’

Rafiki breathed in, and air seemed to have been pulled from all over the cavern, and the surrounding tunnels. And as he breathed out, it created a tiny sand storm in this underground world.

‘Don’t disappoint me, Koren and Hope.’