She ran through the dawn, droplets of newly disturbed dew falling upon her and Rydia as they sprinted through the grassy fields, neighboring Mysidia. The few fireflies still left danced upon the Earth’s surface, close to the woodlands, looking like fallen stars descended upon the world for one final time, guiding lost souls home. Strands of pink hair fell into Decca’s eyes and she hastily brushed them aside.

Rydia, no longer able to run, stopped behind the elf, taking in long gasps like she had been without air for this whole time. “I cannot go any farther, Decca.” She bent halfway over, her hands bound securely around her knees.

Decca, a few feet ahead, halted as well, feeling sudden pity for the Caller with all she had been through. Of course she couldn't run. She must be exhausted. Decca placed a hand on her shoulder, making sure she was able to stand again. “There’s no time, Rydia. Just take a breather and be ready to make for the tavern.” The elf glanced around the village. How did it become this vast? The tavern might as well have been another world away. A cold sensation fell upon Decca at that moment, causing her to close her eyes in order to be rid of it. Someone was closer than she had predicted.

“It’s him isn’t it?” Rydia watched with fearful eyes the expression upon Decca’s face.

Rydia’s question was only answered with a swift push into the shadows of an older building. But this time Decca did not pull out an arrow; instead she withdrew her dagger, its metal looking nearly blue in the dull glow around them.

And there was no need for a reply from Decca. The glow from the gem around her neck was all the response Rydia needed. Would Olvin wait for them? Or would he simply use his power to destroy the wizards’ village, leaving all who dwelled within its sheltered world to become merely ashes? No. Not Olvin. He would wait patiently for them. If it took all day, he would stand beneath the shadows of trees, watching with delight the horror strewn across the girls’ faces.

Watching... Waiting...

“He wants us to come to him.” Decca made no eye contact with Rydia, though in the vagueness of the dawn it would have been nearly impossible for Rydia to see the elf's glance. The sun alit the topmost part of the fog with its powerful rays, but the thickness of this new setting haze did not allow much light through, leaving only the mystery of a tinted world and the shadows full of nameless creatures beneath.

“We cannot stay here all day. He wants us badly enough, he has shown that quite well.” Rydia whispered back, gripping Decca’s arm, for she still could not see her.

“Then perhaps this fog can be our ally. Maybe he cannot see through this.”

The Caller nodded, though she knew well that Decca doubted her last words as much as she herself did. But if they lingered any longer, Olvin might bore of this game and decide to make things more interesting for his prey.

Remaining in the shadows of the buildings, the two continued on their original path, letting Decca’s judgment guide the way. Though she couldn’t help but feel a bit stupid. She grew up within this town and yet she could not seem to find the tavern. Magic was afoot--why else would the town suddenly seem like a maze? When the fog gave way to more homes and a few wizards scattered about, she soon found her bearings. But it was too late. Olvin had already bored of their continuous fleeing.

***

Kain watched the outside world from the window table he and Valzer had sat at quite frequently for the last six months. The fog outside made it near impossible to make out the closest person to the tavern, yet alone the forest, which surrounded the village. And even though the mist allowed for some light passage through, the outside seemed dark and a sense of foreboding filled the air.

“I can feel something happening... Something’s not right.” Kain rose from his seat, his eyes fixed hastily upon the window and what lay outside. “What do you think it could be?”

“Your cup is still full.” Valzer smirked, reaching over and pouring the contents of Kain’s glass into his own. But the wizard’s grin faded fast when it became obvious that his companion had not been listening. “It’s just fog, Kain.”

Valzer placed his cup down, joining Kain in the window’s view. Only a few people lingered about in the tavern this early in the morning, many of them too busy amongst themselves to pay attention to anything else around them. But one or two still bothered themselves a glace towards Valzer and Kain, the only ones who carried a conversation at this present time.

“Yeah, fog. But why now?”

“Well, fog usually results from the evaporation of warm water into cold air, which occurs when cold air streams over a warm water surface or when a warm rain falls through a layer of cold air near the ground--”

“Valzer, it has been cold for a while now and it hasn't rained here for some time. I could perhaps see it within the forest, for moist air is usually trapped within it, but not out here. At least not today.”

“You think it is magic’s doing then?” Valzer snorted and watched Kain with skeptical eyes. “Your time in the Crystal Wars has made you too suspicious, my friend.”

With a sigh, Kain finally turned to Valzer, fixing his steady gaze upon his wizard friend. His stare was intense, too piercing, and Valzer couldn’t keep from wincing within the path of his icy eyes. “This thick? Come on, Valz, you’re a wizard. Don’t you feel something?”

“It depends. I feel countless things, Kain. Over a period of time you learn to ignore many of them. If you were to go with every little inkling, you would go insane with wonder.” Valzer leaned against the window’s ledge, watching the mist now with more doubt than before. “But perhaps you just may feel something that is worth checking out...”

From the corner of the wizard’s eye, he could see a small smile edging Kain’s lips and a gleam in his eye that was unmistakable.

***

Decca caught a glimpse of something that bore the sun’s own rays. Perhaps it only reflected the rays of this smothered star, so high up within heaven’s sky, so untouchable...and fortunate to be so. The elf stopped. Was the lengthy run finally catching up to her? No, it was something else. Something far worse. Had he bored of the game? She knew the answer and it wrenched inside her. She could not hurry, for he would follow, much faster than she could ever run. And what about Rydia? Decca had promised her she would be safe, and Decca would fight to her death in order to see her promise be fulfilled.

Rydia watched Decca’s profile within the breaking haze, lined with the light from above. Its glow was upon her skin and gave her a divine appearance. At that instant, she felt as if she was in the presence of her guardian angel. But in reality, there was nowhere safe, no way out other than the destiny Olvin had planned for them. Rydia closed her eyes, feeling her tears glide smoothly down her cold cheeks.

Decca smiled slightly, watching the girl besides her weep silent tears. She is so human... Yet so...strong. The Elf rested her hand again on Rydia’s small shoulder. “We’ll find another way out of this.”

Rydia shook her head. “Where can we go? If we run to the tavern, he’ll follow us. He’ll kill anyone in his way. These people will be... The wizards will try to stop him. They won’t let him take you without trying to defend themselves. They are no match for him.” The growing lump within her throat made it hard for her to swallow without coughing, but she was too distressed to cough, fearing it would give away their position.

Decca nodded, knowing well Rydia was right. But what could they do? The one thing that was completely obvious. “Rydia,” the elf, stooping down, looked the girl full in the face, taking in her delicate human features. Rydia was unlike Kain and Valzer in many ways. “Run for the tavern, just follow along this line of houses. It‘ll take you right to it. I’ll lead Olvin the other way.”

Rydia shook her head, her fearful eyes turning earnest. “No. I can’t let you do that.”

“Listen to me, Rydia. He’ll come after us. There’s no point in having both of us taken. You can get to Kain and Valzer and tell them what has happened. Olvin came here for me and if he has me, there’s a great chance he won’t come back for you.”

“What if he takes you back to where he came from, that other world?”

Decca smiled faintly and held the sapphire stone around her neck, its glow brightening with each passing moment. “Then you will just have to find me. Valzer will know where to look.” The elf let go of Rydia’s shoulder, the warmth leaving to the cold once more.

With a small nod from Decca, the girl rose to her feet and began walking, squatting down once again when she reached the shadows of another house. She continued on to one more dwelling, but stopped, watching Decca go the other way.

“Good luck, lorèl...” The elf whispered without troubling herself to look back to Rydia. She rose up, no longer caring if Olvin saw her. In her mind, Rydia was a good distance away to ever be a problem to him. Within the clearing mist, Decca’s body was shrouded in shadows, but what appeared through this darkness was her stone, shinning bright like a beacon of light guiding home sailors in twilight.

She knew he was there. His cold, heartless eyes pierced through any obstacle, no matter where they stood. Her hair wrapped around her arms and shoulders as the wind whisked it into the fog. And there, amongst the haze, stood Olvin. Tall. Imposing. Dark. His armor gleamed in the new sun’s light as the sky’s colors could now be seen through the departure of the fog. And as the Master Sage waved his hand, more mist disappeared into the wind.

“Decca...” His voice was calm, smooth, almost relaxing. “Where is your friend? I thought I had sensed her presence.”

The elf clutched the dagger in her left hand. He would take her. Of course. She could not fight him alone, no matter how skilled of warrior she was. It was as if he knew each and every attacked planned before she had been given the chance to make her actions reality. Her grip tightened. Even if he took her, she would not go without having the pleasure of wounding him.

“No matter... I can always come back for the girl.” Olvin moved closer to her, his hooded face only inches from hers. “You are very powerful, Decca. It is a pity you never knew just how much.” For a moment, his voice went soft, a hint of regret lining his cold tone. But as fleeting the moment, so was the remorse.

“You don’t need Rydia. I doubt your lord will wish you to waste time finding her. I could very well escape while you searched, and then where would you be? In far more trouble with your master, I suppose.” A small smile edged Decca’s lips, her eyes fixed upon him, mocking him.

“Why do you care for these humans?” Olvin’s voice was strangely full of curiosity, like the thought of another being alien to these mortals could ever care for them.

His question took her by surprise, causing Decca to laugh at his ignorance. “To ever begin to answer your question, you would have to have a soul.” Decca could feel her knuckles grow white from her monstrous grip upon the dagger’s handle. But Olvin merely smiled, knowing well what she was planning to do.

“Go ahead, elf. Wound me. See how far it will take you. My master said he wanted you, but he said nothing about you missing a few limbs.” Olvin reached behind her, his actions faster than she had anticipated. He grabbed the dagger by its blade, yanking it from her impressively strong grip. Decca watched the knife glisten red in the sunlight and the deep crimson now trickling down Olvin’s fingers.

But still he held the dagger within his grasp, the blade digging deeper into his gloved hand. He threw the weapon hastily aside and curled his fingers where the cut lied, showing no signs of ache.

“And how were you planning on disassembling me?” Ribbed the girl.

Olvin reached for her arm in order to pull her along, no need in answering her, no need in getting into an argument with her. She’s as bad as that damn Asana... But once he touched her, the stone around her neck gave off a stunning light, causing Olvin to release his grip of her and cover his eyes.

Decca raised a brow in wonderment, her smile now fading. The stone’s light isn’t that bright... “Hmm. Not much for light, are you?”

“Not the rays that are produced from that stone. What comes from there belongs to the Light Crystal.” Olvin seized the stone within his fingers, wrenching the necklace until its clasp broke and it fell with a thud upon the grass. The sage looked then at his fingers. Where the stone had lied within his hand was a small, scorched image of the crystal. This time he showed the pain of his wound, wincing slightly.

Light Crystal? Whatever it is, it seems to give him pain that weapons cannot. And if this crystal is vast compared to the stone of my necklace, he has no chance against it. Decca’s emerald eyes shifted to her trinket, lying intertwined with long grass blades. Its gold shined within the light and it would surly catch the eye of anyone who would pass here. But when she reached out to touch it, a small blade skidded past her hand, piercing her skin and causing her to flinch away.

“Did you think I would allow you to carry such a trinket? One that can do some considerable damage to me?” Olvin waved his hand and imps appeared on each side of the elf, causing only a scoff at the tiny creatures from Decca. But it became obvious, as the two little demons took hold of her arms on either side, that they were no ordinary imps. Weak in appearance, but stronger than anything Decca had seen.

“You couldn’t just take me yourself? Your cravenness surprises me, Olvin.”

The sage laughed, lifting her chin with his gloved hand, leaving prints of crimson on her dark, gray-blue skin. “My lovely elvin enchantress, I cannot have the pleasure of restraining you. My hands must be free when we reach our destination.” As he spoke, the imps began securing her with ropes, in case she went for her dagger, still lying upon the grass.

“And where might our destination be?”

But before Olvin was given the chance to reply, if he indeed intended to, fire streaked past his left shoulder blade, causing a slight grin from Decca and a frown from Olvin. The sage spun around, his scowl changing quickly into a malicious smirk, but no humor lied beneath this fiend’s hood. Behind him stood the green-haired Caller and a smiling Valzer, back in his assortment of robes. From the Black Wizard’s hands flooded vast flames of red and orange, its brilliance almost blinding to the sage.

Olvin simply stood in front of Decca, his sword facing the two, apparently not shocked nor impressed with the other wizard’s actions. “Ah, now wasn’t that refreshingly weak of you, wizard?”

“Weak? Did he just call me weak?” Valzer laughed scornfully, stepping before Rydia, who lacked any weapon other than magic, holding his own blade and matching it with Olvin‘s. Valzer knew well he was better with magic than a sword, but in order to cast a spell he needed time, and that he lacked.

From behind Decca came two gloved hands, one around her mouth, the other around her waist. At that moment she realized the two imps were lying headless besides her. They may have been strong, but the element of surprise was vastly stronger. “Kain, next time you wish to wrap your arms around me, let it be in a safer place.”

Leaning over her from their kneeling position, the warrior smiled and finished unraveling the ropes that were bound around her waist. He reached out to the grass, picking up her stone and her dagger, wet from the dew upon the ground. Kain bent a piece of the necklace's hook over in order to fix the broken chain and placed it round her neck, moving her hair off her shoulders. “Can you go one day without getting yourself into trouble?”

“How interesting would the day be then?” Decca finished wiggling out from the ropes herself, grabbing her bow from its holder on her back, next to her quiver and assortment of other longer bladed daggers, and took aim in-between Olvin’s shoulder blades. But as she released the slender weapon, the sage turned around, knocking Valzer and Rydia back and causing the elf’s arrow to lodge itself into his shoulder, where a wound had been previously set by Valzer.

“We tried this before, it’s not going to work!” Valzer help Rydia up, and Kain pointed for them to go the opposite direction, into the forest again. With a glance at Kain, his eyes speaking the doubt that Kain was sure mirrored on his face, Valzer nodded and took Rydia into the woods. Protect Decca, Kain. She is the key in all of this...

I’ll do my best, Valzer. As much as Kain hated when Valzer spoke within his head, he was thankful he did it this time. No need for Olvin to hear them. The warrior closed his eyes for a brief moment, lost in this forest around him. Decca was the key in all of this? Valzer had known this far longer than Kain had, and the consequences of this never-ending battle with Olvin would be dire to all of them. Would it result in the lost of someone dear to them all? But what brought him from his thoughts were not attacks from Olvin, it was Decca grabbing him fiercely by the arm and dragging him into another end of the woodland.

“He's letting us go, Decca!” Kain panted along behind her. The leaves whacked him hard in the face and he brought his hands up to stop the sharp ends of the twigs from scratching him. But running ahead of him, Decca didn’t seem to notice them. In fact, when one branch scraped her right cheek, she barely even blinked.

Did she hear me? Kain reached out ahead of him, through the drooping leaves of shining emerald, and held on to Decca’s arm, forcing her to stop running. At first she brushed Kain’s gloved hand away, looking as if she were to run again. The Dragoon wasn’t about to have her do that, for if she started, he may never catch her. Kain turned her around and rested his hands on both her arms, hard enough so she would not run, but gentle as well so it would be easy for her to break free again. But she didn’t. She only stared back into his icy blue eyes.

“Kain, if we stop running he’ll catch us. And we still haven’t found Valzer and Rydia.” She closed her eyes for a moment, the wind combing her hair off bare shoulders once more. Kain brushed the strands from out her eyes, smiling slightly. The grin faded once he saw the cut upon her cheek. It was foolish of him to worry over such a small, trivial wound, and she had many in her life, ones that were far worse. They both did. Those were the tolls of many battles.

But the thought of any harm coming to her... He had never felt such strong, intense feelings for anyone, and this both surprised and frightened him. Warriors cannot let emotions get the better of them. Warriors are ruthless, heartless, cold. But he couldn’t be. Not around her. “How did you get mixed up in all of this, Decca?”

She simply smiled. “I wish I knew. But I have a feeling the answer isn’t going to be something we want to hear.” She rested a hand on his face, feeling the rough stubble beneath her fingers.

“War never has a happy ending does it?”

“We’re warriors, Kain. We can die in any battle, any time, even this one. What sets us apart from everyone else is not just are skills, but what we learn from the battles we walk away from. I learned it’s better to die fighting than to die running away.”

Kain rested his hand over hers. “And I learned it’s better to die yourself than to watch the ones around you perish into nothing.”

“Kain...” Decca leaned her head to the side, watching him with silent eyes. But her ears twitched, hearing something other than his soft breathing and she took her hand away from his face, taking now within her grasp her bow.

“He’s here?” The Dragoon held his lance within his own hands, standing next to the elf.

“No, he’s after them. Come on.” And with that she was running again, the leaves in her path seemingly parting for her. Kain watched for a brief moment after she had left, then sighed quietly, sprinting after her.

The run was not long in length, but time was a completely different factor at this moment. And Kain found himself soon watching Decca kneel over Valzer, propped up against a tree, the elf listening to him speak and healing his wound.

“He took her, Decca...” Valzer, using the tree behind him, rose up to a trembling stand. “Thanks...” He placed a hand over hers, still on his chest.

Decca nodded with a slight laugh. “Who else is going to heal you? You can’t very well heal yourself, even with those bottles and herbs in your bag.” She strung her bow over her shoulder, kissing him slightly on top of his forehead. “Take care of yourself. I’m not always going to be here to heal you.”

“Sure, kid.” Valzer glanced to Kain, who watched them sadly. As Decca began walking the other way, Valzer grabbed her hand. “Where are you going?”

“After Rydia.” Both men looked to object, but Decca merely placed her fingers over the blue stone of her necklace, her touch giving the gem a soft glow. “Olvin said something about this stone being part of the Light Crystal. When he touched it, it caused him pain that none of us could ever give him. I’ll be fine as long as I have this. Kain, make sure Valzer’s okay.” They both watched as their elvin companion disappeared into the trees around them.

Kain looked over to Valzer, still a bit weary. “What's a ‘Light Crystal’?”

***

She would track him down, follow him to the ends of this world if she must. Was Rydia already dead? Decca did not allow this thought to cross her mind. She merely kept on running, the branches of trees, the shrubs of the forest, the animals of the world, all streaking by her as she sprinted onward. She knew not where she was going, but an idea of where Olvin might be crept through in the back of her deepest thoughts: The Shrine of Amyl.

The shrine was there, amongst the forest of Mysidia, long before the village was built. It stood as a constant reminder of a world once shallow of any human life. Any human life. Not elvin life... The wizards of the village wrote of the shrine in many Mysidian legends. But no scroll, nor book, ever spoke of how the building came to be. In fact, people were as careful to not speak of the shrine as they were of staying away from it.

If there was any place for an evil such as Olvin to come from, the only place it could possibly be was that shrine. The building was a landmark of power unknown to any being of Earth. It was the point where both good and evil energy flowed together as one. When Decca was a child, she, Valzer, and the other children of Mysidia would play near this shrine. No child would dare enter upon hearing the stories of dreadful things from their protective mothers.

But Decca had gone in there. Valzer followed, worried for his sister. She saw it to be another adventure waiting to be explored. But what she found was the disappointment of upturned stone and a shrine in ruins...

And a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt.

It was the feeling of a child returning to her home after being lost from it for so long. A sense of warmth and familiarity lied amidst these ruins, waiting to be discovered. But the elvin child dismissed this feeling of home. And now she wished desperately that she had not; perhaps she should have searched the Shrine of Amyl. Maybe she would have found something that could have stopped Olvin from the beginning.

Or perhaps she would have found where she belonged, where she came from...

Decca stopped running. Before her, in the streams of descending light and among the vast woodland trees, stood the Shrine of Amyl. She hadn’t been here for a while, and yet she never forgot the sensation that fell upon her whenever she laid eyes on the structure. For a moment she merely stood, gazing upon a gateway to another world. It was peaceful even still, though a new evil had plagued its once humble interior.

Still lost amongst her thoughts of forgotten memories and a life once lived, the elf climbed the stone steps of the shrine, her movements not in caution, but of one desiring nothing more than to go back to a time far gone. The wooden doors themselves showed the beauty that the shrine once held before its destruction; each carving, each intricate swirl of gold and mahogany, a sight to behold for anyone who bothered themselves with detail.

The doors stretched as far as the shrine itself, and was surprisingly easy for her to push open. The inside held a peaceful air, like the end of a great war had finally come, leaving behind the spirits of each warrior's soul. Vines and the plants of the woodland around the shrine had grown within the ruins of the temple, intertwining themselves with the uprooted stone and broken things strewn upon the ground. The now midday light broke through the stain glass windows in shafts, allowing their images to glide across the floor with every movement of the sun.

There was a small dais in the far back of the room, leading to a door, not as lavished as the front. But what caught her attention was who stood upon this platform, smiling broadly.

Olvin, from the other end of the shrine, reached out his hand to the elf. “You have come at last, Decca...”