Three long and gloomy days had passed before Hunter obstinately woke up from passing out from deep exhaustion on the castle wall. The aftermath of the siege was impacting everyone in the Magical Kingdom immeasurably. The corruption claimed the lives of five talented wizards and left many more injured or immobile. Those who survived but were impacted by the siege were taken to the infirmary of the Magical Kingdom, including Hunter.

The infirmary was located in an enormous and long hall as if it was once used as a grand ballroom. Wooden cots lined each side of the room in a veritably uniform pattern, being separated by translucent screen dividers. The cubicles were isolated with curtains on one side, as to give the injured some privacy. Many of the injured had family, friends, or apprentices surrounding them. The room’s wide variety of emotions and feelings gave it a somber vibe that everyone felt immensely.

The mages who were on the front lines of the battle were the most injured, including the Cinder Wizard and the Mage of Wisdom. Remarkably, their injuries were not fatal and they were recovering incredibly quickly, thanks to the vast collection of medicines in the infirmary. However, those medicines were exclusive to those who resonated with the magic element. Hunter, who sustained injuries during his rampage, slept for three long days in order for his body to recount the physical trauma of letting the elemental power directly into his body.

The sun peered through the large towering windows of the Infirmary for the first time in three days since the battle. With the sun shining directly onto his face, Hunter woke up slowly and grudgingly. As the bright sunlight started to enter his heavy eyes he became more confused about what had happened. The memories of what had happened to him while under the influence of the gem were crystal clear, up until the last few moments before he tumbled to the surface of the wall.

He slowly and wearily sat up in his cot as he examined his surroundings, seeing Mark sleeping in an uncomfortable wooden chair beside him. Hunter smiled at the sight, and slightly scratched the back of his head as he stretched. As he lowered his hand he glanced at it briefly before noticing a bandage around his hand. The binding covering his left hand was wrapped very intricately, and he was curious as to why he had such a bandage in the first place.

His attention turned from his hand to the other ligaments of his body. He was undressed, with his robe delicately folded on a plain wooden table next to his cot. As far as Hunter observed, there were no other lacerations or bandages covering his body. He turned his attention back to the tightly bound bandage that entrapped the palm of his hand.

He started to carefully remove the bandage, and the injuries became more apparent as he unwinded the fabric around his hand. His hand was covered in a horrific burn, with a deep octagonal indentation in the palm of his hand. He had profuse bruises on his fingers and knuckles, leading down and fading around his forearm. The more he moved his hand the more it started to ache. Hunter let out a wince as sharp pains started to become more apparent throughout his hand and forearm the more he moved it.

Mark was jolted awake at the sound of Hunter’s painful cry, and he fell forward from the ligneous chair onto the floor. He perked his head up from falling, hoping that no one saw him fumble. He looked up to see the Hunter sitting with his legs folded in the cot, focused on the pains in his hand. His face lit up in excitement.

“Hunter!” Mark yelled thankfully as he ran over to hug his companion. He quickly became more emotional as the hug lingered. Mark continued, fighting back tears, “They said they didn’t know when you were going to wake up… so I waited.”

Hunter awkwardly hugged Mark back as he was both processing what had just been said and trying to cope with the pain of his hand. He broke the hug and then spoke with staggered bewilderment, “How… how long have I been asleep? A second ago I was…” He trailed off and looked back at the wound on his hand before continuing, “Where… is the elemental gem?”

“It’s been three or so days since the attack,” Mark answered promptly, wiping tears from his eyes. As he sat on the side of the cot, he continued and became increasingly more excited as he spoke, “You drove away the corruption by using the power within the elemental gem. It was unbelievable! I never thought such a thing was humanly possible!”

“Where is the elemental gem?” Hunter asked again, feeling ignored.

“You single-handedly saved the whole kingdom! Everyone, including- er, especially the elders were incredibly impressed and grateful!” Mark exaggerated as his excitement grew further. “In the time you were out I planned out where we should go next. It’s a straight shot north to the mountains where we will find the rock power tablet within the caves in the area.”

“Mark,” Hunter said sternly, stopping Mark’s rambling. “Where is the gem?”

“Oh r-right,” Mark stuttered before explaining. “When they retrieved you from the castle wall the gem had been fused to your hand. When they… removed the gem… the burns got worse… so they put aloe on the burn and bandaged you up.”

Hunter looked back at his hand and gently touched the scorched skin, causing it to sting. He winced slightly then asked Mark, “Where is the gem now?”

Before Mark could answer, Rudy walked into their lonesome cubicle, holding a clipboard with many sheets of paper attached to it. He walked in without looking up from his clipboard and whispered to himself, “Patient ‘Hunter,’ current condition…” Rudy looked up and saw Mark and Hunter staring back at him awkwardly. He dropped his clipboard as he spoke, “Oh! You’re awake!”

“Hey Rudy, doing check-ups?” Mark said casually to Rudy as he picked up his clipboard.

“Well I was… but this is obviously more important,” He said intriguingly as he grabbed the chair Mark was sleeping in earlier. He threw the chair down swiftly and sat next to Hunter’s cot, sitting in the chair backwards. He then asked Hunter as he started to write on his clipboard, “So Hunter, how are you feeling?”

“Other than the huge blistering burn on my left hand, pretty good actually,” Hunter said in a sarcastic tone. “Where is the Elemental Gem?”

“Oh, that, the Lightning Wizard has it down in the vault,” Rudy spoke nonchalantly as he jotted frivolously onto the sheet on his clipboard. He stopped writing and jumped up from the chair he was sitting in. “I‘ll be back, I need to grab Valin.”

“Hey! You can’t just say that then…” Hunter began to shout in an annoyed tone as Rudy sped out of the cubicle. Hunter rolled out of his cot to sprint after Rudy barefoot, simultaneously grabbing his robe in the process.

In that split second that Mark watched Hunter leap out of his cot, he noticed the birthmark on his left shoulder blade. He had kept it a secret, even Hunter didn’t know if it’s existence. Mark had noticed it the night after he was discovered in the outskirts of his village. Hunter had removed the tattered clothes he was wearing to put on new ones, and that’s when Mark first noticed the strange symbol. It wasn’t until they had stumbled across the Elemental Town that he ascertained the meaning behind it. As aberrant and coincidental as it was, It oddly made Mark trust the Hunter more.

Mark shook his head and pushed the thought of the birthmark aside. After he witnessed the blur of Hunter throwing his robe on, now slightly singed from battle, Mark sat next to the cot for a second processing what had happened. He then quickly grabbed their belongings that were sitting off to the side in the cubicle and sprinted after them himself.

After passing a few cubicles, Rudy abruptly stopped in front of one, which caused the Hunter to run into him. The two stumbled over a few steps but stayed upright as a sharp pain went through Hunter’s hand, causing him to yelp loudly.

When he looked up he saw the Mage of Darkness sleeping in a cot with Valin sitting beside him. Valin turned her head towards them after hearing Hunter with a concerned look on her face. Mark joined them a second later, handing Hunter his belongings.

“How is he doing Valin?” Rudy asked Valin solemnly, as he took a step forward into the cubicle.

“He’s doing much better. He was awake earlier talking to me as he ate his food,” Valin explained calmly as she turned her attention to the restful Mage of Darkness. She looked back at the Hunter and said softly with a smile, “I’m glad to see you’re awake.”

“It’s good to be awake. But we can’t stay, we need to go down to the vault,” Hunter said with determination.

“What’s with the rush? You just woke up, you should be resting,” Rudy advised Hunter, looking at him confused.

“I feel fine, I need to get the elemental gem back,” Hunter said promptly.

“I’m with Rudy, you need to rest. I understand we probably shouldn’t have ripped the thing from your flesh but the gem drained you to the point of passing out for three days straight,” Valin told Hunter in a concerned tone.

“Let him go… I’m sure the Lightning Wizard would like to see him now that he’s awake.” The group looked back at the Mage of Darkness who was awakened from his nap. He coughed before continuing, “He did save the Magical Kingdom from extinction, we owe him everything.”

“Master, did we wake you?” Valin asked with concern, ignoring what he had said.

“Yes you did, and I would like it… if you left me to sleep here in peace,” the Mage of Darkness said through his pain. “The Blood Amethyst may have healed my mana fatigue but it didn’t heal my other wounds.”

“Alright, sorry for disturbing you,” Valin apologized as she gestured for the group to leave.

“Blood Amethyst? As in the stuff, we risked our lives for?” Hunter whispered loudly to Valin in a surprising tone as she walked out of the cubicle. She then led the way as the group started to walk out of the infirmary.

“Yeah, turns out our trip to the Blood Caves wasn’t in vain. If we didn’t go on that trip this infirmary would be packed for months,” Rudy explained as he chucked his clipboard onto an empty cot they walked by.

“That’s convenient,” Hunter joked slightly, continuing to lightly caress his wound, wincing in the process.

Mark sighed and grabbed a roll of bandages from a passing cubicle on the left as Rudy grabbed a jar of aloe from a cubicle on the right. Rudy tossed the jar to Mark, who caught it and immediately opened the jar. He stopped in front of the Hunter and gestured for his hand. Hunter rolled his eyes and stuck out his left arm.

Mark started to gently apply the aloe to Hunter’s hand as he spoke, “We got just enough Blood Amethyst from the cave. After everyone was given their dosage we only had a handful of crystals left.”

Mark then dropped the jar of aloe into his satchel and started to wrap the bandage around Hunter’s hand. Hunter winced and said through the pain, “Ack, Mark that’s a little too tight.”

“‘Would you rather bleed out or deal with a little pain for a couple of days?’” Mark mocked Hunter as he continued to wrap the bandage.

Hunter chuckled and dealt with the discomfort from the bandage. Rudy and Valin looked at each other confused, not understanding the exchange between the two.

Mark finished wrapping Hunter’s bandage and pocketed the remaining roll of bandage cloth as he spoke, “There, that should help with the pain for a bit while it heals. Just don’t mess with the bandage.”

“Okay, thank you,” Hunter said calmly as he rubbed his bandaged hand softly. The group stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before he chimed up again in an uplifting tone, “Why are we still standing here? I have a gem I need to get back.”

The group smiled and they continued walking towards the exit of the infirmary, passing many other injured mages along the way. In one cot, the Cinder Wizard was awake, and doing some tricks with a burning roll of bandages as a group of younger apprentices stood around and watched. In another, the Mage of Wisdom was laying alone, reading the same tattered book he had used in the siege.

As the group walked past them, they all stopped and looked up at Hunter and smiled. Hunter awkwardly smiled back as he didn’t fully understand why everyone was staring at him, and only him. The group then exited the infirmary and proceeded the long, winding trek to the Vault of the Magical Kingdom

•

The door to the vault opened with its usual loud scraping noise, shining light into the darker-than-usual vault. Rudy was the first to enter, looking around for the Lighting Wizard, followed by the rest of the group.

From within the shadows of the vault the Lightning Wizard roared, “I thought I made it clear that I wasn’t to be disturbed!” A loud clanging noise was heard as he rushed from behind a group of crates, entering the light that poured in from the door. He had his robe off, and his upper body and shoulder were covered in bandages. The Lightning Wizard glanced up with a look of anger to see the group standing there, and his face lit up. “Ah, Hunter! You’re finally awake! I apologize for my outburst.”

The Lightning Wizard grabbed his robe which was bunched up in an unorganized way on top of a pile of crates. He approached the group and clapped his hands, causing the flames in the lanterns to glow more brightly, illuminating the once cave-like room.

Hunter stepped forward as the Lightning Wizard approached him. Hunter asked promptly, “Where is the elemental gem?”

“Getting straight to the point I see, it’s just over here,” The Lightning Wizard gestured towards the shadows he emerged from. He started to walk in that direction but stopped to talk, “Oh, and before I forget…”

The Lightning Wizard rummaged through his pocket and then threw something toward Hunter. Hunter instinctively caught it with his right hand and curiously looked at the object he had just caught. It was a triangular-shaped rock with sparkles engraved on it. The Lightning Wizard had given him the Magic power tablet. Hunter’s face lit up when he saw this and spun around to Mark to show it to him.

The Lightning Wizard chuckled as he turned back towards the shadows, “That demonstration of power was more than enough proof that you can protect the power tablets, so I see no point in keeping it from the two of you.”

Hunter handed Mark the Magic power tablet, and he started to admire the stone himself before putting it into his satchel along with the other one. The Lightning Wizard started to walk towards his workstation as the group started to follow. He walked around a wall of crates to reveal an exceedingly cluttered table. His work table was covered in various spell books about crystals, papers, sketches, and an apparatus with many different magnifying glasses attached to it. The Elemental Gem, now shining a vibrant light blue color, sat underneath the apparatus.

The Lightning Wizard stood in front of his table and spoke clearly, “After the elemental gem was removed from your hand I was put in charge of protecting it until you woke up. During that time I wished to examine the gem and learn as much as I could from it.”

He turned and took the gem from the table. He handed it gently to Hunter, who took it and immediately started to examine it himself. Hunter looked back and spoke to the Lightning Wizard with relief, “Thank you, it felt like a piece of me was missing without it.”

“If it stayed attached to your flesh for any longer it probably would have been,” The Lightning Wizard said in a witty tone, leaning on his work table.

“Did you discover anything from researching the gem?” Mark asked him suddenly and curiously.

“Nothing that we didn’t already know. The gem remains a mystery,” the Lightning Wizard stated casually as he shrugged and glanced suspiciously at the stacks of papers beside him. The silence that followed his statement was slightly awkward but was easily interrupted.

“We should probably get going, we’ve been at the Magical Kingdom for too long and we still have a long journey ahead of us to collect the other power tablets,” Mark explained boldly, gesturing towards the vault door to the Hunter.

“Yes! We need to make plans for our next stop,” Hunter said excitedly to Mark. He turned back to the Lightning Wizard, “Thank you for everything, we’ll make sure we come visit when we can.”

“You aren’t staying for the Vigil?” The Lightning Wizard asked curiously.

“Vigil? What is that?” The Hunter asked as he slipped the Elemental Gem back into his robe pocket.

“It’s a ceremony to remember and celebrate those who died during the battle,” Valin spoke up to say. “You should at least stay tonight for the Vigil, then continue your quest for the power tablets tomorrow morning.”

Mark and Hunter looked at each other worryingly, knowing the longer they put off leaving the more progress the Soul Taker could make. Reluctantly, Hunter agreed, “Sure, we can stay. I don’t see an issue with that.”

“Hunter, it’s been three days since the attack, who knows what progress the Soul Taker has made by now, we can’t spare any more time,” Mark contradicted with concern.

“So? Valin and Rudy said I should get some rest anyways, and it will probably mean a lot to everyone if we stayed for the ceremony,” he argued in a serious tone.

Mark hesitated on what to say next, thinking about the possibilities and consequences of staying. Then, he finally spoke up, “Okay. You’re right… we can stay for just tonight.

“Then it’s settled!” Valin announced to the duo. “The Vigil isn’t until very late this evening, so we have some time to kill before then. I could give you a better tour around the castle! There’s still so much more you haven’t seen.”

“I think… Mark and I need some time alone to talk things over and rest,” Hunter said honestly. “I appreciate the offer nonetheless.”

“That’s okay! I can just escort you to a guest bedroom then, like what I was attempting to do when we first met after the meeting in the war room,” Valin reassured the duo, starting to walk to the exit of the Vault.

Mark, Rudy, and Hunter started to follow Valin out of the Vault before the Lightning Wizard spoke up enthusiastically, “I’m glad you both decided to stay, I’ll see you both later this evening at the Vigil.”

Mark and Hunter nodded in agreement as the group collectively turned around and started to leave the vault. Before they reached the vault door the Lightning Wizard spoke up again.

“Oh, Rudy, can you stay back for a minute? There are some things I need to discuss with you,” the Lightning Wizard asked, expecting a singular answer in return.

“Yeah. Just give me a second,” Rudy yelled back in response. He turned to the group, and spoke in an uplifting manner to mainly the Hunter and Mark, “If I don’t catch you at the Vigil before you leave, it was very nice to meet and get to know you. I am certain you two will be able to stop the Soul Taker.”

“Thank you, Rudy, I wish you luck with… whatever he wants,” the Hunter joked, wishing his friend a good farewell.

Rudy chuckled then remembered something, “Oh, I have something for you.”

Rudy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, yet long black felt pouch, and handed it to Hunter. Inside the pouch was a collection of pencils of various shapes and colors.

Rudy continued as Hunter looked at the contents of the pouch in excitement, “I swiped those from the Art wing of the castle, I thought you would appreciate having better drawing utensils than a stick of charcoal.”

“This is amazing! Thank you!” Hunter exclaimed as he ran up to Rudy and hugged him awkwardly. The hug only lasted a few seconds before they parted ways.

The goodbye was sweet and wholesome, but fairly rushed. Rudy had gestured the remaining three of them out of the vault so he could shut the large door and talk to the Lightning Wizard in private. The door shut with its usual loud clang, and nothing but silence followed for multiple seconds before Rudy finally said something.

“So… Why did you feel the need to intrude on our farewell?” Rudy asked the Lightning Wizard as he faced the vault door, slightly annoyed.

“I lied to them, that’s why.” The Lightning Wizard stated honestly in a cocky tone.

Rudy spun around instantly, incredibly confused and slightly angered by his response. He responded suspiciously, “What… exactly do you mean by that…”

“Well, Rudy…” The Lighting Wizard trailed off as he picked a very old book up off of the work table. He walked over to Rudy and handed him the book as he continued, “It’s about time I teach you about the forgotten art of Alchemy.”

Rudy’s face lit up with surprise after hearing this. Alchemy had always been something he was interested in, ever since he heard rumors of the sacred practice. However, the craft was so old and unused that only a few elders knew of it, including the Lighting Wizard. Alchemy used to be used by all of those who resonated with the magic element. As new forms of magic used started to develop, the need for Alchemic magic dwindled exponentially. Many spells in alchemy could now be performed without the use of rare materials, so no one saw the use for the practice anymore.

Alchemy followed two strict rules that could turn dangerous if broken. The first, and most important rule, was the rule of equivalent exchange. For each spell, you needed to put in proper materials in order for the spell to be successful. Secondly, you were restricted to specific recipes for spells. If you modified a spell, it could end in a completely different direction than you intended. After wands and staffs became more widely used, Alchemy became a hassle and lost art.

Rudy desperately wanted to become an Alchemist. He would ask the Lightning Wizard about it, but they never had the time to explore the craft. Hearing his master say this excited him, but also confused him why now of all times he was going to learn.

His face returned to a confused look as he spoke, “What does Alchemy have to do with lying to the Hunter?”

“The Elemental Gem wasn’t created by an elemental power, it was created by using a very old yet powerful Alchemy spell,” the Lightning Wizard explained in a scholarly tone. “I lied to them about it because they simply do not need to know. Besides, you saw firsthand what the gem did to Hunter’s flesh when he took in that power. He doesn’t need to be experimenting with the powers of the gem, it could be incredibly harmful to himself.”

Rudy’s confusion and anger shifted to understanding and relief, knowing he could trust his master. He asked calmly, “Will we learn about the exact spell used?”

“Not quite, it’s a millennia-old spell,” the Lightning Wizard continued to explain. “The version we will learn about is vastly different. This magic is prehistoric, beyond any of our records. They followed Alchemy more loosely before they realized they needed the strict rules. So we will be doing some experimenting of our own once we learn the ancient craft.”

Rudy’s anticipation grew more after hearing this. He opened up the old book of Alchemy and spoke excitedly, “Alright, where do we start?”

•

Hours had passed since Hunter and Mark were left alone in the guest room Valin led them to. In those hours they said they would spend talking, they didn’t. Mark didn’t know what to say to his companion, especially after what he had witnessed just three days before. Hunter also didn’t know what to say, as he didn’t fully understand what had happened to him that night. However, they both continued to loop the events of that night over and over again, thinking about what could have happened differently if they weren’t caught by Marvin, or if they didn’t arrive at the Magical Kingdom that day. The more they pondered the more they felt responsible for what had happened.

As time passed, the sun shining from the large circular window in their cold room moved from one side of the room to the other. Eventually, when the sun was just about to leave the view of the window, a loud knock was heard on the large wooden door separating them from the rest of the castle. Mark sprung up immediately and opened the door, being thankful that the awkward silence was broken, but also because he knew who would be on the other side.

Mark swung the wooden door open to see Valin, who immediately broke the silence by saying to the duo, “Are you both hungry?”

Before Mark could say anything Hunter replied, “I’ve been thinking about food for the last hour, so yeah, I think I’m a little hungry.”

Valin chuckled before continuing, “They prepared a feast for you guys. Word spread that you woke up and they immediately began preparing it.”

“Out of all of the things I don’t understand about your way of life here, food is one thing I do understand,” Hunter announced before jumping up out of the bed he was sitting on. He walked past Mark, who was at a loss for words, and continued, “You coming, Mark? You aren’t exactly one to pass up free food.”

“Yeah, yeah, I just don’t understand why they would prepare a feast for us when we technically caused the attack in the first place,” Mark replied solemnly. Silence filled the room again, as Valin and Hunter were now the ones at a loss for words.

“You saved us, it’s the least we could do to thank you. Regardless of what had happened,” Valin tore through the awkward silence to say. The silence lingered after she said this, however.

Hunter spoke up finally, breaking the awkwardness, “We greatly appreciate it, Valin, thank you for making us feel welcome.”

“You both are always welcome here,” Valin announced. “Now let’s go eat!”

Hunter and Mark smiled and followed Valin through the winding corridors of the castle to another grand room on the opposite side of the castle, mirroring the infirmary. However, unlike the infirmary, this room was being used for its main purpose. Entering this vast room Hunter and Mark immediately were welcomed by dozens of mages crowding long tables completely packed with various dishes and desserts. The room was filled with silence as they entered, then they were immediately met with cheers and applause. Mark stepped back and gestured for Hunter to walk first.

Hunter looked at the roaring crowd of mages who were praising their hero and felt a pit in his stomach. The words Mark had said just moments ago stuck with him, and as he walked past the enthralled crowd, it felt wrong to accept this praise. The further they went the heavier his steps became, and a growing anxiety started to fester. He stopped abruptly in the middle of the hall, confusing Mark and Valin behind him. Mark reached over to tap him on the shoulder to ask what was wrong, but before he could Hunter fell to his knees and started to sob heavily.

The clapping stopped quickly as Mark tried to comfort Hunter, who was sitting on his knees, unable to stop the tears from rolling down his face. This was new to Mark, as he had never seen Hunter upset like this before. Over the short years that he has known Hunter, he was always the most upbeat and positive person of anyone in their village. Hunter would be the one to comfort Mark when he was mourning his father’s death during the raids. Hunter would be the one to bring positivity to their village through flowers and acts of kindness. The river of tears running down his face felt incredibly wrong.

Hunter shortly collected himself and they finished the trek to the front of the room, where the guests of honor were supposed to sit. The noise then slowly flooded the room again as the feast formally began, and Hunter remained silent. The vibes in the room drastically after the Hunter’s outburst, and would remain that way for a while during the feast.

The table the duo was seated at was much like the other tables, with a copious amount of delicacies covering every open space. The various foods were foreign to the duo but still looked incredibly delicious to them. Mark started to gather a plate of food and eat, whereas Hunter sat in silence, no longer visibly hungry.

Mark was afraid to speak because he wanted to give the Hunter space from the breakdown he had just experienced. Instead, Mark grabbed a plate with a slice of cake and placed it in front of Hunter. Hunter looked up at Mark and smiled briefly before picking up the strange spongy dessert with his hands.

Valin, who had a mouthful of food, nearly choked at the sight, then spoke to Hunter, “That’s not how you are supposed to eat that! Do you know how to use silverware?”

Hunter placed the cake back on the plate and gave the table in front of him a better look. Surrounding him were various silver tools, which confused him further. He picked up one of the silver tools, which was flat with thin prongs at one end, and examined it closely.

“Oh, right, I forgot you both are not familiar with our customs. Here, watch me,” Valin commented as she picked up the same silver tool that Hunter was holding. “This is a ‘Fork,’ it is what we use to eat… almost everything here.”

She grabbed another slice of the cake that the Hunter had picked up with his hands. She took the fork and used the side of it to cut a smaller piece off, then jabbed it with the pronged end in the middle. She then proceeded to eat the little sliver of cake, and then said to Hunter, “Just like that, you try!”

Hunter looked at the fork in his hand and back at the cake. He then proceeded to stab the middle of the cake with the fork, picked up the whole slice of cake, and took a large bite. As he chewed, he looked back at Valin with a smile, while she looked back at him with a look of horror.

“Uhm… close enough…” Valin hesitated, highly embarrassed of Hunter’s actions.

Mark was watching this interaction, and he proceeded to pick up the fork next to him, and he did the same thing as Hunter, but with a slice of breaded meat instead. This continued, with many onlookers in the hall confused and entertained at the creative way Hunter and Mark chose to eat their food.

The feast continued for a while, with Mark and Hunter continuing to eat food long after Valin and many others were full. Their plates kept being filled and then emptied, much to the surprise of Valin. By the time they had finished eating, the sun had set, and the Vigil was going to start momentarily.

The mages started to clear out of the hall and head to the courtyard for the Vigil. Mark, Valin, and Hunter also followed them, after leaving their table almost completely devoid of the glorious food that once sat upon it.

Once the trio had exited into the courtyard with everyone else, the mass crowd of people filled up a large portion of the sea of green within the walls of the Magical Kingdom. For a while, everyone stayed standing around, and Hunter and Mark were left confused about what to do. Neither Rudy nor the Lighting Wizard could be seen throughout the large crowd, and many of the mages that surrounded them weren’t familiar to them.

Silence flooded the crowd, and everyone knelt down on the same grass they battled on three days prior. Mark and Hunter awkwardly knelt down after everyone else and stayed silent awaiting directions on what to do next. However, all they were greeted with was a muffled sound of an elder speaking on the complete other side of the courtyard.

They sat there for what felt like hours, in silence, with their knees starting to buckle with how long they have been kneeling. The silence around them loomed with incredible respect, with everyone honoring those who lost their lives in the battle. Though Hunter and Mark didn’t directly know those who were wrongly murdered, they knew people in the crowd that did. Mark and Hunter felt immense guilt as they knelt on the wilting grass. Even though they couldn’t have done anything to directly save their lives they still felt that they could have done something.

The guilt of setting the Soul Taker free set in deeper, and they felt more shame the longer the vigil continued. With the rush of guilt and deep emotions they were feeling they both knew how important it was to succeed. Hunter felt the most guilt out of anybody, though he was the one who saved them all. The vigil only lasted half an hour, but to Hunter and Mark, it felt like an eternity.

At the end of the vigil, the elders directing the vigil lit and released five lanterns, each attached to a balloon that floated away into the starry night sky, before becoming one with the indefinite bright dots scattering the black canvas of the sky. After the balloons were no longer in view, the crowd stood back up and started to return to the castle. After the somber ceremony had been completed, Hunter and Mark had a new objective in their mission. Their mission started out as simply stopping the Soul Taker, but from that day onward they both strived to save and protect the forest in its entirety.