Dej passed forward in the dark tunnel they trailed through, and Luz warily followed him. Their footsteps were the only things to guide them as they passed through, and only faint passes of light illuminated the tunnel as they moved into the next stretch. A warm red and gold light burned from the end of the tunnel. Some idle chatter echoed from within, and Dej halted right in front of Luz before he pushed Luz aside and shushed the others.

Luz resigned himself to flattening against the walls, and an ear perked up as he listened. He didn't exactly enjoy the idea of meandering about, but maybe, just maybe, whatever these cyclopes talked about could give him some insight into where their leader was—and in turn, where Fintster was.

"So, why does this dude want us to find this Oracle guy, anyways?" asked a kind of hoarse voice from the other side. A silhouette of someone waving a half-eaten chicken leg stretched in shadows along the tunnel's side, and that voice gulped. "Isn't he just a legend?"

"That's what I thought, but the queen seems pretty dead-set on it," replied another, shriller voice as they stifled a chuckle. "I heard from some of the palace guards that this guy got so banged up, he had to send his butler to do the negotiations for all this, but I bet he's just a chicken!"

"Like this?"

The hoarse voice waved their chicken leg around as they made some squawking, cawing noises that vaguely sounded like an awful imitation of a chicken. It seemed that it was good enough, for the two voices bellowed into shrill, gut-busting laughter, their shadows fell over, and flailed their legs while their cackles echoed around the room.

The laughter died and one of the shadows propped up. "Well, whoever this guy is, I gotta admit, his little collection of Arkeyan robots gave us quite the upper hand!" the shrill voice proclaimed before it chuckled. "I wouldn't mind keeping a few of these babies myself!"

"Wait, an outsider providing Arkeyan robots? One who was so beat up that he couldn't even meet them face-to-face?" Dej whispered. He lowered his head, his black curls framing his face. He rubbed a hand along his chin as he hummed with curiosity, lifted them up and winced. "You don't think Arkilles is behind this, would you?"

"Eye wouldn't be surprised," Eye replied. He flew off of Brawl and met Dej eye-to-eye. "He's not exactly one to give up easily."

Luz grimaced and pushed himself a little further, perking his ear up to get a better listen.

"For that matter, what's with that weird pendant the commander's been wearing?" asked one voice.

"Not sure. I heard the commander scored it from some dig site or something?" replied the other.

Luz's eyes leaped up in shock, his ghostly body now chill as a winter wind. Just the thought of his brother, weak and powerless in that cyclops commander's grip, left Luz's blood boiling and his heart cold. A raging winter storm and a burning wildfire of emotion both swelled in his chest all at once, but he stilled himself. Stepping forward, Luz poked around the corner, and turned himself invisible with a snap of his fingers.

His eyes turned towards the owners of the voices: two cyclopes in cruddy armor who sat at a table and shared drinks. Luz's scowl grew wider, deeper with rage. They idly chatted about this commander and how stronger he grew with Fintster in his grasp, how he controlled the shadows with just his fingertips…

Luz wanted so badly to jump in, to cry out that those powers were Fintster's, not their stupid commander's! That commander of theirs had his older brother, and used him for every ounce of power he could while Fintster suffered! Luz couldn't risk blowing cover, so he just sat, and his eyes glared with heat that he hoped burned into their hearts and souls.

"Anyways, where'd you say the commander went?" asked the cyclops with the shrill voice.

Luz gasped, and crawled in further. He was careful not to ram himself on the assorted weapons and armor pieces haphazardly scattered along the base's floor. Even if he was a ghost, he couldn't risk making a fuss.

"Dunno exactly," replied the other cyclops, "I just know he went on ahead ‘cause something was wrong with that pendant or something. He was muttering about how something was messing with it."

"And that's all I needed to know," Luz whispered.

Staggering to a stand, Luz gripped his shield, swung it up and smashed it right atop the first cyclops's head! The cyclops wailed before he slumped out of his chair and fell at Luz's feet. The other one screamed in turn—but only for a moment. Luz flung his shield right at the second cyclops's face, knocked him right into the back of his chair, and the second cyclops fell straight on the floor with a bruised face and lolling tongue.

"What, what cute little birdies," the second cyclops mumbled as his eye ran circles in his face.

Luz huffed as he turned visible with another snap, and turned his gaze to the closed doors ahead. He made his way over, prepared to open it, but the doors opened for him instead!

"Ugh, what was that noise?" groaned a tinier cyclops decked to the nines in armor as he stumbled in. "Don't tell me…"

The cyclops lifted his head, and his eye focused on Luz for only a second before he screamed!

"Intruder!" the cyclops wailed as he jumped back.

Luz grunted and rushed for him, swung his shield as the cyclops screamed—but the cyclops was so small that he ducked right underneath Luz's swing! He growled as the cyclops slid between his legs and rushed away, and Luz changed his pace. He dashed after the cyclops as he yanked his arm back, preparing a swing.

"I knew we shouldn't have made Quick Draw the guard!" the cyclops wailed as he ran with his head ducked. "All that idiot cares about is Skystones!"

The cyclops wailed and screamed as Luz's shield swung right ahead. The cyclops ducked his head even further as he ran—right for the other hallway, right where everyone else was!

Luz gasped, and with a single jump, he lightstepped forward; he went from a full sprint to just inches behind the cyclops in seconds. Luz yanked the cyclops up by the foot in that instant, or at least, he tried. The lightstepping spell ended as the dark of the halls reached them, and both Luz and the cyclops planted face-first on the floor.

The cyclops lifted his head first, groaned as his eye fell on the others, and he screamed yet again!

"Even more intruders! How did these guys even get here?" the cyclops cried! The cyclops grunted as he tried to push himself up, but the massive weight of his armor pinned him down to the ground. "Gotta, gotta get up and warn the others! I've, I've gotta, urgh…" The cyclops groaned as his stick-like arms trembled like shaking leaves underneath the few gaps in his armor. "Why's, why's this armor so heavy?"

Luz grunted and reached out further, ready to throw a blast at the cyclops—but before he could, a massive breeze slammed against him and the cyclops flew overhead! Luz turned around as the clamor of denting metal came from behind, and the next thing he knew, that cyclops he reached for was now embedded in the wall behind him.

A glance ahead showed Vaayu in the front, drawing his hands back. The others glared at him, and Vaayu only scratched his head.

"Sorry," Vaayu said. "I panicked."

The whoosh of the sliding doors opening sounded once more, and Luz jumped back to his feet. Ahead of him, the doors laid open while cyclopes poured out from the ranks in droves. They all dressed in shiny red and gold armor, and some had Arkeyan weaponry or robots at their side, but they all looked pretty angry, going by the scowls on their faces.

"Well, looks like Quick Draw was slacking off again," groaned the cyclops that headed the group as he withdrew a mace crackling with electricity.

The cyclops banged the mace against the palm of his armor, its electricity bouncing off and crackling like embers, and he growled as he set his eye right on Luz.

"Sorry, but this is as far as you go!" The cyclops hefted up his mace, and its lightning sparked and crackled like it itched for a fight. "The commander didn't want any unexpected visitors!"

That commander again! Just hearing this, just the sight of his smug face as he held Fintster in his grip flashed back in Luz’s mind, and Luz's rage seized him. His vision turned red as he swept his shield off the ground, and he screamed as he charged forward! The whole world burned red like aestival heat as he lightstepped forward and raised his shield.

A grunt came, some screams and screeching sounds rang with the blood in Luz’s ears, and when he came to, he faced all these cyclopes.

The one who led their group now laid on the floor with his mace's staff dented firmly in half and its sparks weak. He groaned a little as blood trickled from his mouth, and a massive bruise showed from underneath his disheveled helmet.

The cyclops that led the group groaned a little more as he turned to the other cyclopes, and the other cyclopes gasped before they turned their eyes towards Luz!

Their momentary shock turned to rage as they raised their weapons and swarmed Luz; their weapons jabbed and swung for him with such fury that he could barely see them. Luz's body moved on its own, swinging around his shield and bashing it against their weapons. There were so many of these guys, and he was in such a fury that he could barely comprehend what was around him!

All he heard was the furious buzzing of an angry crowd's shouts, and all he saw were their forms blurring together in a blobby formation that jabbed and poked at him with sparks of color. One of those sparks rammed into his chest, and Luz flung back into the crowds the next. He hacked, and his head spun as they smacked him onto the floor. Something else slammed into his back next and his face smashed into the floor!

Luz’s rage replaced with swelling, burning pain as he coughed further. The blood rushed to his head from his ears, and left the whole room spinning around him as those red and gold blobs all closed in on him. It was then that a shrill, sharp sound came as they thinned out! A few screams came to Luz over the ringing in his ears, and something golden orange streaked above him as it knocked down those red and gold blobs!

A wave of icy cold water washed over Luz next. It dampened his ghostly form, but woke his mind back up, and Luz gasped for whatever air he could as his eyes cleared. A glance aside showed those blobs—no, cyclopes—now drenched and washed up on the side of the ground. The long trail of water that stretched across the floor led his eyes to Gill Grunt!

"We'll handle these tin cans!" Gill Grunt proclaimed as he hefted up his cannon and brought it to his narrowed eye. "Just get to your brother!"

Luz's eyes flickered, but he ultimately nodded and rushed away. His body moved on its own once more before his mind could even comprehend what went on. His feet rushed before he could even plan his steps, and piloted his body towards an oncoming wave of cyclopes.

The cyclopes all growled and shouted as they lifted up their swords and maces, and readied their guns. Luz smacked his shield, and flung it out as light formed at its core. A bright aurora of light burst forth, and its waves crashed down in a colorful flare that burned away the whole room in its light! It left only the unconscious cyclopes in its wake as it faded.

Luz hopped over one, and bolted forward so fast that the entire world around him blurred. Maybe that was his mind fading away and growing numb from the adrenaline and the anxiety all at once. Either way, everything blurred out as Luz's head grew heavy, even though its only thought was on one thing.

Find Finster, get him out of here, find him right now…

Those words repeated in Luz's head, the one thing that propelled him forward as the ground beat and chimed underneath his feet, the metal pinging underneath his footsteps. His breath grew heavy as he took another step, expecting the chime of light metal.

It didn't arrive.

Instead, his foot landed on little more than empty air, and he barely caught himself before he toppled over. His blurry vision cleared some as the churning of gears of pulling of chains rang in his ears, and what greeted him were boxes!

A whole bunch of boxes all pulled up, and dropped down in a slow, mechanical motion by large chains. They looked big enough to fit at least maybe two or three particularly small beings, and they could probably hold him. On the other hand, the way they rattled and shuddered every time the chains moved didn't really inspire a lot of confidence in how stable they were. Not to mention how slow those chains went; they chugged up and down at a snail's pace, so slow that there would be no way Luz would get there before word reached that commander of his base being crashed.

Luz's eyes drifted down to the left, where the boxes descend, and then to the right, where the boxes ascended to the next floor. The individual boxes formed a sort of zig-zag pattern as they trailed up and down.

If I just lightstep from box to box, Luz thought as he clutched his chin, I could probably get up there in seconds!

That is, if they were even stable enough for that. The boxes rattled as Luz glanced them over, as if they mocked him, taunted him with their instability. They clunked and rattled as if they would slip over with the slightest upset—and lightstepping was far from slight.

Hey, Luz! You wanted to see how we pick the apples around here, right?

Luz shook his head, and the world around him shifted! Everything around him grew bigger, and eclipsed his form with their height as a cool breeze rushed in his hair. The sights of the metal fortress traded off in favor of wide-open fields filled with tall apple trees.

One tree in particular, the tallest of the bunch with crisp red apples, lush green leaves, and tons of shaking branches, stood right before him, and in front of that tree stood Fintster, the same kid Fintster that haunted him this entire trip.

Fintster chuckled, waved at Luz one more time, and turned around as he gripped hard into the grooves in the tree's bark. He climbed up with surprising speed before he reached out for one of the branches, and flipped on! The branch rustled underneath his weight, and Fintster cried out as he flailed his arms, his footsteps stumbling back and near slipping from the branch.

"Be careful, Fintster!"

He rushed forward—but stopped immediately as laughter came to his ears.

"I'm fine, Luz!" Fintster cried back. Regaining his footing, he turned up to the next branch and chuckled. "I've done this like a billion times!"

Fintster hupped as he hopped onto the next branch, and the branch afterwards in a zig-zagging pattern. Each one he stayed on for only moments, just enough time to pluck an apple or two from the branches' stems. He disappeared into the canopy of leaves for a few moments…

And then, Fintster truly disappeared, and the world returned back to normal.

Once again, Luz was back in the present day, and still stuck in front of the churning boxes as they moved so slowly and shakily. Wait, that tree's branches were just like that: thin and weak, just barely able to hold the weight of one being! Fintster moved so nimbly and quickly on them, so quickly that he could get what he needed without even worrying about falling.

"And that's what I'm going to do!" Luz cried.

The light boiled in his blood, and warmed his entire body as he leaped onto one of the boxes. What he heard wasn't the clang of its metal, but the rustling of tree leaves and the creaking of its branches!

Once again, he found himself back in his childhood fields, standing atop the branch. He glanced down at how it creaked underneath him—and the mighty fall that laid below—and Luz squeaked as he hopped off to the next branch. The apples below shuddered a little, and he plucked one off before he hopped up a bit.

Fintster's laughter echoed from the canopy of leaves above, and Luz chuckled as he hopped up, traveling branch to branch. The breeze blew in his hair, tickled his face along with the leaves. Luz couldn't help but giggle along with Fintster as he chased him up the tree, snatching apple after apple along the way.

"Wait for me, Fintster!" Luz called, his voice tinged with youthful cheer.

With one last hop, Luz launched himself into the tree canopy—and exited on the top of the platform.

Luz's eyes fluttered, and he glanced back to find the rattling boxes before him, still churning away as always. The ringing sound of his and Fintster's laughter stayed in his ears still as he turned ahead. For just a moment, he saw him and Fintster as kids, and how they carried as many apples as their arms could carry while they laughed and talked and ate. Yes, he remembered that day all too well…

"Man, I just know the harvest today's gonna be great! I'll have to tell Gramps!" Fintster chuckled between bites of apple.

Luz chuckled back, but his smile faded as he glanced back at the armfuls of apples he carried. They were all nice and crisp, true, but something egged at him a little.

"Why do you need these many apples, anyways?" Luz asked.

"Well, for one, we're the main farmers for this entire place! The whole town gets their fruits and veggies from us." Fintster kicked open the door and hopped in. "But, you'll see the other reason when you get inside."

Fintster disappeared within the door's dark crevices, and Luz gulped as he followed Fintster inside. The whole hall was dark at first, lit only by the faint light of a distant lantern, but then, Luz passed closer to the light, and found Fintster's form before him as he said something Luz couldn't quite make out. The sounds of cheering, shouts, and questions from what seemed like other kids' voices drowned out Fintster's own, so Luz crept in closer.

The moment Luz entered the room, he met with tons and tons of kids that all surrounded him in the center of a round sitting room! Most of them looked to be around his age, others younger, and a tiny few slightly older, but none any older than Fintster was. They all wore simple tunic, dressers, and trousers like Fintster did, some more worn than others. They all looked at Fintster with equal attention—and now, Luz as well.

"Hey, who's that?" asked a smaller kid at the front of the group.

Fintster turned around and chuckled. "There you are, Luz! I was just talking about you!" Fintster cleared his throat and turned back to the crowd of kids. "Luz, these are my little sibs!"

"Your, your siblings?" Luz asked, turning to the group and Fintster in short, quick motions. "You, you sure have a lot, and, they all look so different."

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Fintster chuckled again, but his smile seemed to have dimmed, turning down slightly.

"You see, my Gramps takes in kids who lost their homes and families, one way or another." Fintster lifted his head, turning back to the kids. "Wardiya was the only one who survived when her family got really sick, Pepi was an orphan all his life before we found him, Eurybiades was living in this really awful place where they could barely take care of themselves and their parents abandoned them… Gramps just couldn't bear to see 'em like that, so he took them under his wing."

"Now what's all this racket?" an elderly voice shouted. "Fintster, is that you?"

The stairs at the back of the room creaked, and Luz turned his attention to them right as someone crept down. That someone was an old man! He was all wrinkles and white hairs, dressed in well-worn robes, and held the railing in one hand and a cane in the other. His movements were slow as he crossed down the steps and turned to the group, but the moment he laid eyes on Fintster, he picked up the pace!

"Fintster, there you are, my boy!" the old man cried as he made his way through the swarms of kids. "Did you get the market runs taken care of?"

"Just like you asked, Gramps!" Fintster replied, nodding his head. He parted away, and nudged an elbow towards Luz with a chuckle. "Also picked up a new kid on the way!"

"I was wondering who this little sprout with you was."

Gramps chuckled a bit, and leaned down as Fintster moved away, giving Luz a face to face look with him at light. His deep brown, almost black eyes shone with twinkles like stars in a night sky, and his smile was visible even in spite of his thick, bushy beard and mustache. In fact, that smile of his reminded Luz of Fintster, almost. A family resemblance, he thought that was called? Either way, he gave Luz sort of a warm feeling, enough that Luz smiled right back at him.

"So, what's your story, little one?"

Luz winced and backed away, his heart pounding a bit faster. The memories started to spill in: the crashing of machinery and the sounds of war. Luz's head pounded…

"I found him in the alleys when I was coming home. He said he had to flee his old village because of the Arkeyans, and he lost his family and home and has nowhere to go," Fintster said. His voice was serious and clear as he addressed Gramps. "So, I was hoping we could take him in."

"Is that so?"

Luz's memory faded and he clutched his shield tighter. He couldn't dwell on the past, not when Fintster needed him. He pressed forward into the halls ahead as they grew cold even for this fortress's standards, and the rooms around him dimmed. The lights overhead grew sparser with every step Luz took.

A whisper brushed into his ear. On instinct, Luz pushed his shield forward, but all that met him were thick, dark churning clouds that blocked the way ahead! What did they hold? A secret trap door? A long drop? A dead end? An ambush? Whatever it was, the way they churned and bubbled didn't make it seem good.

Luz's legs locked up, and his body went next as he trembled a bit. Just the sight imposed over him all the possibilities of what they held, and most of them weren't pretty. That mysterious, unknowing dark, what did it hold?

Luz brushed his fingers against the rim of his shield and bit his lip. Those clouds, they reminded him a little of the ones Fintster made whenever they needed a convenient out: a fear-inducing mist that left anyone within quaking in their boots! Surely, that commander would have made it, and that meant Fintster was close!

"Hey, Fintster, do you remember when we were little, and I used to be scared of doing the midnight chores because I was scared of the dark?" Luz asked as he lifted his shield. "But then, you showed me there was nothing to be scared of at night."

Gripping his shield tight, Luz spun it around a few times. The shield screeched as a bright burst of light beamed out! Its golden path stretched along the mist, and cleared it out to reveal a perfect hallway ahead!

"I just need to shed some light on things!"

Luz clenched his teeth and rushed forward, even as the mist lapped at his heels and tangled around his feet! Their cold grip faded and grew around him, but Luz flung his shield around, scaring off the mist with his light beam! The beams unveiled near-identical paths of metal floors and walls, but no sign of any other rooms, or anything else. Luz turned his light ahead, and found nothing but a dead end!

Luz narrowed his eyes, snarled as he drew his light back, and turned it back on the clouds. "I know you're there!" Luz cried as he flung his light aside. "Give my brother back!"

A low rumble sounded and Luz turned his light to the left, but the mist cleared and he found nothing. A cackle sounded next, and Luz brandished his shield to his back—but right as he did, the shadows moved once more! The cackles grew louder, crawled up the back of his neck, and left chills in his ghostly body as they brushed against him with an icy touch.

"Oh, here to play the hero, are we?" the commander asked. The shadows masked his voice a bit; they turned it deeper and much more ominous, but Luz could tell who it was from that sickening confidence. "You're awfully stubborn to have come all the way here, but I'm afraid your little trip stops now!"

A shriek sounded from behind and Luz turned around quickly, but not quickly enough. Something cold and hard sucker-punched him right in the face, knocking him back into the mist! The cold clouds seeped into him, leaving him coughing from both their smoke and the blow.

Something yanked him up in his moment of weakness, and smashed him into the ground! Luz shielded the blow with his shield right before it made contact, but it didn't do much to stop the stinging, numbing aches that came from hitting cold steel grounds.

Luz gritted his teeth, turned himself onto his back and yanked up his shield. His shield’s light dimmed some, enough that it wasn't exactly a functional flashlight anymore, and definitely not of use against this guy as he bounced within the shadows. After all, he moved so fast, and the clouds were so thick that Luz could barely make out their shapes! His head pounded as another blow knocked him into the wall, and Luz lost enough consciousness that he phased through it for a moment before he yanked himself up.

"Remember, Luz, if you see something weird or scary in the fields at night, just shed a little light on it!"

Luz grunted and gripped onto his shield. "Shed… A little light…"

Luz turned his shield the best he could with his aching, tired arms. The clicks of his shield came slowly, but their familiar sound revived him, and gave him enough energy that he flung it right in front.

"That's right!"

Golden sparks sputtered and spurted from the shield's core as its light gathered. Its light shot out in one huge flashbang, bathing the entire room in solid gold! The cyclops commander shrieked underneath the shriek of the shield's light, and when both shrieks faded, the clouds were gone! All that remained was that cyclops commander, who was unconscious with a hand around Fintster's wheel as he laid on the floor.

Luz gasped, jumped to his feet, and practically tripped over them as he dashed to the commander. He collapsed over the commander in an instant, and practically crushed the commander's hand in his own as he dug his fingers into the commander's. His fingertips brushed against the cool crystal of Fintster's wheel, and Luz grunted as he pulled and tore against the commander's hand—but the commander's death grip wouldn't budge, no matter how hard Luz pulled!

Luz leaned forward and panted; his hand slipped just slightly for a moment, and a cold, cobalt glow brushed against his face. Luz glanced down at the commander, but the first thing that met him was a blast of energy directly to his chest!

He slammed back into the walls, and a heavy ache entered his body as he slunk down. His ghostly body cried out, begged him to move, but he was so tired that all he could do was look up as the commander got back to his feet and chuckled.

"Got you~" the commander crooned as he stepped forward. He held up Fintster's glowing wheel, and his already-snide smile grew thinner and smugger.

Luz snarled and pushed himself up a leg, but he immediately fell to his knees, hacking and coughing! A throbbing feeling came from his side, and he glanced to find a stream of sparkling, solid white magic pouring out from him. Wait, his magic energy! Luz grunted and patched the wound with his hand, yet the throbbing feeling grew stronger, forcing him on the floor.

His shield slipped from his grip, rolled down to the commander's feet, and the commander chuckled as he kicked the s out of Luz's way. "I'd stay there if I were you," the commander sneered as he flicked the pendant, its glow flickering for a moment. "It seems to me like you're in no condition to fight."

Luz pushed himself up just to collapse again. The room chilled around him in turn, and turned even colder as his body ached further. Those dark misty clouds swirled up again as they took the form of massive beasts! They were tall enough that their heads nearly hit the ceiling, and they all had their eyes on Luz!

"I knew this thing would be powerful, but I didn't think it would be strong!" the commander’s snide voice oozed with spine-chilling glee. "I knew there was something special about this strange little wheel! I had the right idea, snatching it up when I did!"

Luz's head grew heavier. The rage and pain both forcing him down even though he wanted to fight so, so badly. He wanted to get up, to grab his shield and blast away those monsters, to do anything! But, he couldn't even move a muscle. All he could do was lay there as that smug commander laughed in his face, as those monster closed in on him.

"Give, give back, Fintster," Luz croaked.

He reached forward in a sluggish crawl. The world around him grew blurrier as the monsters came in and the commander laughed…

And then, it went completely dark.

Luz groaned, and opened his eyes as he rubbed his throbbing head. He couldn't quite recall what happened, or even what went on now. His head hurt so badly, and the rush of blood melded with the screaming, and the sounds of crashing and destruction that echoed from those around. Wait, screaming? Luz shook his head and the blood relentedjust enough.

He could make out terrified screams, and his vision cleared to show that he was back in his home—but, no, it was nothing like it should've been!

The whole place was in shambles: buildings stood alight with fire, and the smells of smoke, blood and oil polluted the air. In front of him, beings he only barely recognized fled in horror, and clutched their belongings or younger family members while others tried to pull the injured from the wreckage. Some flash of red and gold burst forward, and the screech of metal rang in the air as some knight-looking thing with a mace slammed into an aged elf's gut, knocking them on the ground. Wait, red and gold, those were Arkeyan colors! Did Arkeyans storm the town?

"Luz, we've gotta go!" Fintster cried as he raced in front of Luz, sweat pouring down his face. He grabbed Luz's hand with surprising strength, and yanked Luz right off the floor and onto his feet. "The Arkeyans are here!"

The Arkeyans were here. The Arkeyans were here. The Arkeyans were here.

Those words cawed in Luz's mind as Fintster dragged him down the streets, down to the alleys where Gramps and the rest of their siblings huddled in the safety of the darkness. The younger kids' eyes were all red and full of tears, but not a single wail came from them as they clung to the older kids. The older ones, they tried their hardest to keep a strong face; some smiled and reassured the younger kids with shaky voices, and others bit their lips the hardest they could to keep from crying.

"Don't cry, Eury," Gerdie cooed as she cradled them in her arms. "The Elder Elementals will be here any moment now! They'll save us!"

"The Elder Elementals?" Luz asked, turning to Fintster.

"They're the ones fighting against the Arkeyans!" Fintster proclaimed, and his voice raised with glee. "They'll send those Arkeyans home crying to their stupid emperor in no time—"

"Fintster, keep it down! They'll find us!" Gerdie scolded as she got up. "Now that's everyone's here, we need to hurry and get to the safe houses!"

The faint scent of smoke and screaming rose in the air, yet the screams around Luz warped slightly, sounding familiar in a blood-chilling way. The smell of burnt grass mingled with the smoke, and Luz recalled his old village: the screams, the forest, the battles, and, and everything! Luz fell to his knees, and the world around him warped back into the sights of his old, ruined home. His eyes stung from the smoke that filtered in front of him, or so he thought, but then his face turned damp and he realized he was crying.

Why, why did they come back? Why were they taking his home away from his again? He already lost his home and his family once, and now he would lose them all again, all because of these Arkeyans! Luz collapsed without thinking, and his whole head numbed as he fell down and sobbed.

"Luz, look out!"

Something pushed Luz back onto the cobblestones, and his head hit the ground, knocking him back into reality. Once again, he was in the alleyways, now forced on his back as he pushed himself up.

Everyone else strung themselves out of their little group, yet all eyes stared in horror of what laid in the center.

Gramps laid in a slump to the side. Blood stained his clothes while tears in its fabric revealed that bruises formed on his old, wrinkled skin. His breathing turned shallow as blood trickled from his mouth, and he shuddered and groaned with every pained breath he took, as if just breathing took all his effort!

A couple of the older kids rushed to Gramps' side and shouted at each other as they tried to hoist him up. One turned to Luz, shouting something at him. What was it they shouted about? Luz's head was so numb from the shock of what laid in the center that he couldn't even hear.

For in the center of it all, there laid an Arkeyan robot dressed in red and gold knight's armor. Its eyes glowed as red as the blood that stained the round mace it held. Low, shaking sounds almost like breathing came from it as it stepped forward and raised its mace.

Its eyes fixed on Luz and Fintster, yet, Luz could only stand there, frozen in fear.

His whole body locked up as the robot drew closer and closer, raising its mace by the second. Visions of that other robot, the same one that sent Luz into hiding flashed back to him. It took the place of the robot that stood before him now, and Luz's breathing grew shallow. It was coming, that thing that destroyed his old home, who killed everyone else, it was coming to finish the job! He wanted to scream, to cry and run away, but he couldn't! All he did was sit and stare as the mace swung down…

But it didn't hit.

Instead, the clang of metal sounded and brought Luz back to reality. There, Fintster stood in front of him, and breathed heavily as he clutched a dented, dulled metal bar. The robot stumbled back in what seemed like shock. Its own mace was unharmed by the blow, but the robot was seemingly taken aback that someone was willing to fight it.

The robot knelt forward and a low, husky growl came from it, and with a running start, it went back towards Fintster and Luz! Fintster grunted and swung his bar once more, knocking the side of the robot's head. The robot stumbled back and its grip on its mace's handle slipped a little, but it quickly caught it back and swung at Fintster once more.

Fintster swept underneath it before he slammed the robot in the chest. "Everyone, run! Get Gramps to the safe houses! I'll keep this guy distracted!"

"Fintster, what are you doing?" cried one of their brothers. "You can't take that guy!"

Fintster jumped away as the mace slammed into the ground, and ducked as it swung a second time. "I might not be able to take him, but I can distract him!"

Fintster ducked down, but instead of fighting, he ran! He sprinted down the darker parts of the alleyway. The robot made chase after him, its own metal clanking drowning out the sound of his footsteps…

And then, Fintster was gone, and Luz was alone. The whole world around him blurred, dissolved even, and he could only sit there.

His older brother, the one who swept him off the streets that day, the one who was always by his side when he was scared and worried, the one who always laughed with him over dumb jokes as they ran errands and did chores, who always looked out for him…

Was gone. He was distant, growing further away from the second. His family, they were all gone but him, and his own consciousness slowly faded as the image of Fintster grew more distant.

But, then, Fintster turned around and cried out one thing.

"Luz!"

And just like that, Luz sprung back awake! He lightstepped away before he could even really comprehend what happened. He sprung over the paws of a large, shadowy monster that lunged for him, and landed right where his shield laid. Sweeping his shield off the ground, Luz flung it up and shielded another blow from the monster's paws! A numbing, stinging feeling ached from his side, but Luz pushed it aside as he sprung up once more, propelling himself right above the monster. The monster gawked up at him, and Luz flicked off his shield, shooting it like a disc aimed right for the monster's neck!

The shield slashed right through the monster's neck in a clean cut. It fell to the ground in a mass of melting shadows, but the shield just spun forward, aiming right for the second monster! The second monster roared and batted at it, yet the shield swerved underneath its paws before it jutted up, slashing its body in half! The shield returned to Luz with only slight specks of darkness staining its exterior. Luz flicked them off as he glared at the cyclops commander—or more accurately, the pendant of Fintster's that rested on his neck. The pendant's glow dimmed a bit, and Luz stepped forward in turn.

"You, what do you think you're doing?" the commander cried as he backed away. "You're in no condition to fight, not with injuries like that!"

A sharp pain came from Luz's side and he limped down a little, but he quickly forced himself back to full height, and closed his eyes…

And Luz was back in the alleyways, all small and frightened as that robot chased Fintster further and further into the dark. Fintster, his older brother, he was going to die! He may have acted tough, but he couldn't take on an Arkeyan soldier like that! He, he was going to lose his older brother, and then he'd lose his family and his home again, just like before!

Luz fell to his knees and sobbed, but right as he did, a clatter sounded from behind him. His crying spell forgotten, Luz turned aside right as a sharp, metal disc dropped down from a pile of metal garbage and rolled in front of him. It was a bit rusted in some places, dulled in others, but its rim was shiny and sharp, enough to easily cut a wooden block! Or perhaps, perhaps even… An Arkeyan soldier?

Luz gasped, flipped the disc over, and grabbed it by a leather strap on its inner side. This, this was a weapon! He had a weapon, but he, he didn't know how to fight!

But, that didn't matter.

Hoisting the disc up like a shield, Luz ran as fast as his shaking legs could carry him into the alleyway. He was guided only by the clanking footsteps of the Arkeyan soldier, and the mocking shouts of Fintster ahead of him. The dark passage started to rise, and from the minimal light ahead, Luz could just barely spy a shape of red and gold!

With the shadows as his shield, Luz sprung forward and screamed as he bashed the disc right against the Arkeyan soldier's head! The Arkeyan soldier stumbled forward from the blow, exposing a metallic neck. Luz slashed the sharp rim of the disc against the exposed neck! Sparks flew out from the gash as Luz collapsed.

He barely spotted more sparks vomiting out in front of the soldier as it jolted and spewed out garbled, mechanical noises. The soldier collapsed on its front, and all that met Luz was Fintster! His mouth dropped in shock as the pipe he held slipped from his grip.

"Luz, what are you doing?" Fintster cried as he rushed forward and grabbed Luz by the shoulders. "You shouldn't follow me, you need to go to the safe houses! These guys, they'll kill you!"

"And if I didn't, they would've killed you!" Luz cried back. He thrust out of Fintster's grip and hoisted his disc in front of him like a shield, a barrier between the two. "I already lost my first family and my first home to these guys, and I'm not letting them take my big brother from me, or anyone else in my family, either!"

Hearing this, Fintster just stood aghast, his jaw clenching with his fist. He and Luz just stood each other off in quiet, tense silence, but Fintster chuckled and knelt down.

"Alright then, we'll protect our family together!"

Fintster snatched his pipe from the ground, hoisted it over his shoulder and turned ahead. There, the flames of war and the ravaging of the town laid barren before them.

"Come on, Luz! We'll keep these guys busy!"

"Alright, Fintster!"

Luz breathed in, and the memories of Arkeyan soldiers and burning flames faded to the present.

Before him, the commander yowled as he yanked Fintster's pendant from his neck and held it up as high as he could. The pendant’s own wheel was completely obscured by the thick masses of shadows that churned from it. The shadows leaped out. They grew bigger and thicker as they formed into the shapes of massive dragons, of hulking beasts and winged monsters!

All of them blocked off the world ahead as they yowled and cried for Luz, and Luz cried back as he sprung forward and rushed ahead!

He leaped up and slashed through a dragon's chest with a quick slice! A faint flash of when he slashed through an Arkeyan robot with that worn metal disc came to him, and he jumped up as the dragon snapped its head down after him!

Another memory came to him, this time of how Fintster leaped up and bashed down on that same robot with his pipe, and Luz sprung himself forward. He shot with the power of light, and moved faster, fast enough that he tackled right into the dragon's head! His shield smashed into it first, rammed its head in, and shot a beam of light that slashed right through the dragon's body.

The dragon erupted into plumes of cobalt smoke. The other monsters growled as they closed in and parted the smoke.

That ache in Luz's side throbbed a little harder, forcing Luz's eyes shut as he cringed…

Luz bit his lip. His eyes drifted down to where one of the Arkeyan soldiers grazed his side and left a stinging cut on his chest, but he shook his head. Instead, he turned it up towards the Arkeyans that circled him. He stepped back, and the Arkeyans raised their weapons, fully ready to swing—but a harsh creak sounded and one toppled over on its own feet!

"Try picking on someone your own size!" Fintster cried.

All eyes turned to where Fintster stood behind the downed Arkeyan. The other robots sprung for him, and leaped over Fintster the way a lion leaped over prey.

Luz grunted and flung his disc forward! The disc warbled as it flew through the air, and whipped up currents that propelled it forward with even further speed! The speed and power melded together as it burst into the Arkeyans, slashing through their necks and beheading them in a blink!

The disc itself twisted around and returned to Luz's side. He snatched it out of the air right as the beheaded bodies collapsed on the ground. Their heads fell after them and dented as they hit the floor.

"That was awesome, Luz!" Fintster cried as he hopped over the bodies. "You hit them like it was nothing!"

Luz blinked, chuckled and glanced down at the disc. Even though he didn't know the first thing about fighting, the moment he picked up that disc, it was like he was one of those super-fancy soldiers out fighting with the best! He wasn't sure how or why, but it was like the disc was a part of him, and bent to his will.

For that matter, Fintster fought super well with that pipe! It was like he was a knight who rode into battle with that as his sword! They both grinned as they loomed over the broken robots they destroyed, but then, the ground shook, and they turned around…

And Luz growled as his eyes narrowed. They fixed on the commander with no care for the melting, dispatched corpses of the shadowy beasts he summoned. The commander sputtered out pleas and half-hearted warnings as he dangled the pendant in front of Luz like some kind of taunt, but Luz only screamed as he rushed forward!

The commander threw out his hands as blasts of solid darkness came forward, but Luz tossed them off with flings of his shield. The ground below him shuddered, and turned shaky and unstable as his vision blurred and his footing slipped. He stumbled down for a few moments, but pushed himself back up.

The ground below him shook and Luz dropped his shield in an instant. He cowered by Fintster's side as he glanced at the massive shadow that cast over the town, and the beast that cast it.

Before him laid the biggest Arkeyan robot he had ever seen! It was as tall as two large houses stacked atop one another, no, even bigger than that! Its red and gold metal shone with polish against the flames around it, its eyes glowed white with a tranquil fury, and its whole body shook the ground with every step, every movement! It smashed through houses and tore down the mightiest trees with only a sway of its hand, as if to demand respect for its presence.

"What is that thing, Fintster?" Luz whimpered as he clutched Fintster's tunic.

Fintster quivered a bit, yet his shaking subsided as he realized Luz clung to him. "I don't know," Fintster whispered back as he thrust himself closer to Luz, putting his body in front of Luz's own. "I've never seen a robot that big!"

The ground shuddered underneath as the robot stomped, and Luz and Fintster separated as the tremors knocked them both back. The shadows grew as the robot stomped further and further towards them, yet Luz and Fintster scrambled back to each other in turn.

They both embraced each other, prepared for the end, but a heat brushed across their back! It was warm, but not in a painful way. No, this one was welcoming, almost gentle in its touch as it swept them off the ground!

Luz opened his eyes, and found himself staring at a tall, kind of grizzled and tanned man with tired eyes and fiery red hair! His burgundy cloak fluttered in the breeze as he dashed off with such speed that a trail of flames burned behind him, but it quickly extinguished as he came to a stop.

"You two get to safety," the man said as he dropped them behind some boxes and well out of the robot's sight. He tapped his heels, and flames ignited as theyate away at the bandages wrapped around his sandals. "Just leave the fighting to the adults."

He was off like a comet! The sizzling trail of fire stretched behind him, and lit up the darker depths of the alleyways as he ran!

Luz blinked a bit as he crept out of the boxes' safety, just in time to catch the flames as they extinguished. He knew that man told him to stay hidden, but his curiosity got the better of him. A couple of footsteps from behind showed that Fintster was intrigued as well. The two of them crept back through the alleyways, following the ashy trails left behind by the man's footsteps.

Once again, they were at the mouth of the alleyway. They propped themselves behind some stray barrels, their eyes peeked over the barrels' rims, and what they saw was beyond explanation!

That mighty titan of a robot, the one that lorded itself over the village, and crushed it like sand just moments earlier… It was held back!

All sorts of mighty titans, from a burly ent to a golem made of solid lava and fire, fought it off like nothing else! Their flames and beams of light stripped away the solid metal of the robot. It tilted off-balance while comets of bright, solid light in all sorts of the colors smashed into the robot's other leg! It stumbled a bit, quaking the earth once more, but with the energy of the fight, Luz barely even noticed!

"Who are these beings?" Luz gasped, his voice barely even a whisper. "How can they fight like this?"

"It's the Elder Elementals! I knew it!" Fintster cried, and his smile went wide as he shook his fists. "Go get 'em!"

So these were the Elder Elementals Fintster talked about? Luz gasped, and glanced back to where their fight continued.

The world grew unbearably hot from the flames and the burning lights that danced along the fields, yet Luz didn't even break a sweat as he watched. The way they fought was strong and swift. The remnants of their magic ate away at the robot's armor like it was mere kindling, and slashed through it like leaves! That Leviathan of a robot, the one that towered over the ground and shook the entire world with just its footsteps, it collapsed to the ground with a mighty thud! It laid slunk over, and its eyes dulled while sparks shone from its chest in a flurry!

Some shout of some kind came from the ent as they all crowded around the robot's front with weapons drawn and ready to fire. They lifted them up, but lowered as the sparks flying from the robot's chest burst out in a fiery fury. They backed away as the light from the robot's chest grew thicker, brighter, almost like a sun.

A sharp, cracking sound, one so loud it practically blew out Luz's eardrums, burst next. The world around grew bright, so bright that the heat burned into him. He and Fintster cowered behind the barrels—not that it mattered, for some strong blast lashed against them next! It smashed the barrels to splintered bits and blasted them across the alleyway.

The hard stone tore at Luz as he tumbled across. It left him sore and barely able to register his own existence one moment, and only able to cower and shudder so furiously that he was sure his body would come apart the next. Somehow, the pain subsided enough that he could stand up, just barely.

The world shuddered and spun around him as he stumbled through the alleyways' depths. His ears rang so badly that he couldn't hear a thing, and his vision was so, so, blurry, enough that all he could make out were the shadows on the walls.

His vision cleared just a little as he found himself back at the alleyway's gaping mouth. It was clear enough that he could at least make out the faint shapes of those Elder Elementals and some smaller figures. They stumbled and ran about as that massive robot stood back up and stomped once more! It shook the world and knocked Luz back on the ground…

A sharp blast knocked the side of Luz's head, and what he hit next was cold, hard steel. He nearly phased through it, if not for how his pendant knocked against the floors. He grunted and pushed himself up; his head throbbed and pounded, but not enough that it blocked out the commander’s goading laughter.

"What did I tell you?" the commander crooned as he summoned another blast of darkness and stroked it like a precious gem. "You're far too weak to even dream of getting your brother back!"

Luz gritted his teeth. He wanted to cry in protest, but his head numbed again. His blood rushed so quickly into his ears that he could only barely make out the sights and sounds around him. That throbbing feeling in his side returned, and this time it spread from his hip to his chest. It washed over him in a strong, numbing wave.

He fell to his knees as the commander strode closer to him, or maybe he was still far away, and the way his vision warped made that commander seem closer. The commander drew closer, raised a hand charged with darkness, and as he did, the cobalt glow that beamed from his chest faded just a little. A pained whimper hit the air from a voice Luz recognized all too well…

And Luz sprung to his feet, finding himself safe in the alleyways once more. Before him, those Elder Elementals and those strange people still fought against the robot, but their attacks were shaky, disoriented, even. They constantly missed as they stumbled about, or hazily scattered out of the robot's way. The robot slammed the ground with a searing hot laser, and a blow of fire from the Elementals' group meant for the robot’s head swerved aside!

Luz cringed, but a soft hum from beside him drew his attention to Fintster. Fintster seemed almost contemplative as he watched the battle, so transfixed that he even parted his bangs to reveal his deep brown eyes.

"Fintster, what're you thinking about?" Luz whispered.

Fintster hummed again, held out a hand and pointed towards the robot's shoulder. "Look over there! That robot’s smoking and stuff!"

Luz peered up to where Fintster pointed, and found that Fintster was right! The space between the robot's shoulder and neck was clouded by thick plumes of gray smoke. They billowed out into the skies, and were only barely disguised by the smoke and fire from the destruction all around it. That wasn't the only part smoking, either! Its other shoulder smoked as well, and so did the spaces between its knees! The smoke there may have been thinner, but it was there!

"You see it, right?" Fintster chuckled when Luz nodded. "I'll bet that big attack that robot did took a huge toll on it! Those parts are probably its weak points now!"

"So if it gets hit there…"

"It'll do a whole lotta hurt!"

Fintster chuckled a bit more, but his smile faded. "But, that robot's so busy attacking that I don't think the Elder Elementals know that yet…"

Fintster grinned and snatched Luz's hand.

"So, we're gonna help them!"

Luz blinked, shook his head and yanked his hand from Fintster's.

"Us?" Luz cried. He gaze snapped from him and Fintster, to the lumbering, colossal robot before them that gave even the Elder Elementals a run for their gold, in a state of almost disbelief. "But how? That thing'd squash us!"

"We don't have to fight it. We'll just distract it a little! If we get its attention, the Elder Elementals will realize its weak spots in no time!"

"But how would we even get to it? There's no way it'd spot us all the way down here!"

Fintster frowned and rubbed his chin. "You do have a point. Maybe, if we climbed the rooftops…"

A strong, cool breeze blew across Fintster and Luz, and left them both shuddering. Something cold, here? When everything burned up? Where would that even come from?

The breeze blew again, and Luz turned to find a collection of winds so solid that their azure light shone against the flames. Their winds roared like lions, propelling themselves in the skies. Now that Luz thought about it, he could’ve sworn that he saw one of those humans with the Elder Elementals flying around the skies like a bird with that same glow. Did that person make this?

"A wind current, perfect!" Fintster cried. He snatched Luz's hand with one hand, gripped his makeshift sword with the other, and turned to Luz with the utmost of steel seriousness. "I've heard of wind currents like those! They're magic ones that can take you super high up! The Elder Elementals would use them all the time when they fight, so that's what we'll use!"

Luz bit his lip, and glanced over at the robot as it shook the earth once more. By all accounts, he should've ran off, should've taken cover, should've trusted every instinct in his gut to run. But, when he was with his brother like this, saw the confidence in Fintster's eyes, and had him safe in his grasp, it was like all that fear went away!

So, Luz nodded, and the two of them ran. Their bodies still ached in places and begged to rest, but somehow, the pain they felt only barely registered as they bolted towards the wind current! The ground rumbled below them, tossed their steps off-balance and left them stumbling, but their small size meant these little fumbles were hardly a concern.

The robot didn't even see them, and instead focused on fighting the Elder Elementals. The cry of lasers shot, shouts of pain, and frantic orders barked rang in the air.

Luz only barely glimpsed behind at the ongoing battle before the lash of cool winds grew closer! He turned around, and the wind current roared its loudest as he and Fintster came within inches of it!

They two of them bent down, leaped in, and before they knew it, the winds launched them right into the air! There was nothing underfoot, nothing around but his brother, and the entire town stood eclipsed underneath them as the fires spread. Luz's head spun at the sight, but a quick hand squeeze from Fintster brought him back to his senses.

Thus, Luz turned his attention to that robot, the one that now rested just a few feet below them. The robot hadn't noticed them yet, nor did it notice the growing amounts of smoke from its limbs, or even the few sparks of flame that burst from its joints. It was still too preoccupied with the Elder Elementals, still so set on bashing them in and burning them to a crisp!

"If we just shoot down and hit it from here, that'll distract it for sure!" Fintster cried. He grinned and turned to Luz. "You ready, Luz?"

Luz gulped and slowly, hesitantly nodded. "Ready when you are."

The two of them nodded and leaned down. Their eyes locked on the robot as it swung its fist. They breathed in, out, and with a single pump of their legs, they shot off like rockets!

They flew so fast that the winds burned and lashed at them. It stung Luz's face and numbed his whole body, but not once did he let go of Fintster's hand. They came in closer, and shot towards the robot as it slowly turned around and creaked.

Luz raised up his disc like a makeshift shield. The closer they came in, the bigger and scarier that robot looked! It loomed over them the way a lion loomed over hapless lambs. The robot stepped forward, raised its hand to strike, and Luz gulped as he held up his makeshift shield. It all happened so fast, from them rushing in to the robot coming to kill, and he didn't know what to do!

But, he knew one thing: he wanted to protect everyone. He wanted to protect his home, his family, in the way he couldn't do back then! Even though the rest of his body went numb, he could still just barely feel Fintster's hand in his, and that tight grip showed him that Fintster felt the very same way he did!

"We're not scared of you!" Luz cried as he raised his shield. His eyes narrowed and focused on the burning, bright light that emitted from the robot's eyes. "Come on! Hit us with all you've got!"

"Yeah!" Fintster cried beside him. "We're not gonna let you ruin our home!"

The robot whirred. Its eyes burned their brightest as laser light gathered together, and the light shot out right for Luz! Luz held his shield up the best he could, in hope that somehow it would dampen the blow.

The blow never came.

The light split as it hit his shield, and instead wrapped around him and embraced him like warm sunlight. Not once did his body burn or melt underneath its blanket, nor did he himself ache; it was just as comfortable to him as sleeping outside in the aestival season! Something cold brushed against his hand, and when he turned aside, he found that Fintster was gone. Instead, a large cloak of shadows draped over him, and hid everything but the hand he gripped Luz with from view!

Their light and darkness merged together as they came in closer to the robot. They both cried out as they pivoted aside and slammed right into the robot! The light and darkness consolidated in the front, rammed into the sparking, smoking shoulder joint, and exploded!

It boomed across the area and flung Luz and Fintster back! The echoing boom had blown out Luz's ears, and the dizzying fall numbed his eyes and his head, but as he and Fintster collapsed, Luz smiled.

Right before him, the goliath of a robot that once towered over their village stumbled backwards and collapsed onto the ground!

Luz shook his head. The heat faded from his face, and his senses cleared as he stood back up. Before him, the commander slammed into the end of the halls, slunk down and panted heavily as he tried to stand. Luz grunted, grabbing his shield. Just one more blow, that would be enough to knock this guy out and take back Fintster.

Luz grunted as he ran his fingers against the shield's spiky rim, and the numbness spread to Luz's head, pushing him to the floor once more! Luz hacked, his coughs rattling his body as he struggled to stand. Another cackle rang from the commander as he stood. Luz growled, for he wanted to stand so badly, to do anything, but he was pinned. His body was too numb, and the world around him spun as he aimlessly patted around as he tried to get a grip on his shield.

"Well, looks like you're down for the count!" the commander sneered as he drew closer. "Not surprised. This is what happens when kids like you try to play hero—you get burned!"

The commander cackled, his laughter ringing in Luz's ears. Luz gritted his teeth. His whole body felt like it faded away and prepared to give out on him, but the sight of his brother fading as he laid imprisoned on that commander's neck, the sight of this commander as he goaded over Luz… It caused the pits of anger to burn within him, and Luz finally pushed himself up as he snatched his shield from the ground.

"Give… Him… Back…" Luz hissed.

The commander raised his brow. "What was that again?"

Luz hissed out hot air and slammed his shield into the ground, tearing through the metal floors. The air around him heated up. It burned up further as Luz planted his hands on his shield, and spun it with every ounce of strength he had left. The familiar shriek of his shield grew shriller, faster, higher with every labored, pained spin. It glowed so bright that its light spilled over its rim, and Luz fell to his knees and panted.

"GIVE. BACK. MY. BROTHER!"

Luz slammed his whole weight into the shield, and every bit of light charged into its heart vomited out! It shot all across the room and coated it entirely in hot, harsh light! The commander's pained screams only barely registered above the shriek of light.

Amid the blinding white and yellow, Luz barely caught that commander's shape collapsing, and Fintster's wheel falling from his neck and rolling away! Luz stumbled out from his shield, ran forward, but collapsing on the ground right as he met with Fintster's wheel. He snatched it off the ground as quickly as he could, gasped as he brought the wheel to his eyes, but then he himself groaned and collapsed.

The wheel slipped from Luz's hands, and rolled for a moment before it collapsed right in front of him. It was so, so dark, for only the faintest cobalt light pulsed from it in slow, faint beats like a dying heart. Surely, all that attacking must have drained Fintster dry of all his magic energy. He probably barely hung on.

Though Luz didn't look back at himself, he knew he was in the same position. Half of his body laid crushed together, the other half spilled out of him, and the whole world was blobby and unrecognizable. He could barely keep his eyes open, and just breathing squeezed his chest so badly that his ribs dug into him. He, he was dying for good, wasn't he? They, they both were, weren't they?

Luz whimpered, but forced himself to crawl closer, just enough to shield Fintster. Just those little crawls took so much energy that he completely collapsed, but at least he and his brother were together again.

"Hey… Hey, Fintster…" Luz croaked. His voice was so weak and hoarse that it was barely a whisper. "It's me, your, your lil' brother Luz…"

Luz sniffled, and his head collapsed, falling to the floor.

"Hey, do you remember that day? The one where those Arkeyans came to… To our place?" Luz gently brushed his finger around Fintster's wheel. "I, I bet you were thinking about it too, huh?"

Luz sniffled. His head throbbed enough that it forced his eyes shut…

And he opened them once more. He found himself in the safe houses' halls, where that distinct scent of herbal medicine and blood reeked in the air. He had to cover his nose so he wouldn't pass out, but then he removed his hands. His eyes now laid on the bandages wrapped around his arms. A small cough came from beside him, and he found a similarly-bandaged Fintster, who hacked as he fanned away dust.

"Man, those nurses gave us an earful, didn't they?" Fintster scoffed as he crossed his arms. "If we hadn't knocked that thing out, they probably wouldn't be standing here!"

"Yeah, but, that was really dangerous," Luz replied as he crossed his arms. "If that windy guy hadn't caught us before we fell, we could've died!"

"But we didn't!"

Luz rolled his eyes. He felt that Fintster was a bit obstinate, but with the somber air of the area around, he wasn't exactly in the mood to protest. Instead, he just peered into the room beside him, wincing at the sights within.

Amid others, Gramps laid bandaged from head to toe in a bed, and all of Luz’s siblings choked out the room as they surrounded Gramps' bed. The oldest ones offered Gramps food and water that he rejected with only a raise of his hands, and they only held their heads as they left it on the stands. Gramps, he looked like a ghost! He was all wrapped in white and so small-looking without those baggy robes he always wore. He might've become one for real, if he and Fintster hadn't intervened!

No, Luz reminded himself as he bit his lip. If those Arkeyans hadn't come here in the first place, if they hadn't torn the whole place down, none of this would happen! Nobody would have to rebuild, everyone would be alright, and, and…

A hand rested on Luz's shoulder, and he peered up to find Fintster, who stared at him with a sort of somber tone.

"Hey, Luz," Fintster started, "what do you think those magicians meant?"

Luz blinked, and rubbed eyes stung with unshed tears. "Meant by what?"

"When they said that we were like them, what do you think they meant by that?"

Oh, right. Luz only barely remembered how those humans with the Elder Elementals said something like that before they brought Luz and Fintster to the safe houses.

"Those boys… Could they be like us?"

He was sure that the lady with the purple hair said that, actually, but what did she mean? Were they also beings who lost things to the Arkeyans, or did they mean something else? For that matter, Luz still wasn't sure what went on with that weird attack he and Fintster did to that robot. He was glad they pulled it off, but, how did they even do it in the first place? They weren't magical, not like them!

"Luz, Fintster!" called a voice from within the room, a familiar, aged voice they knew well!

Luz and Fintster shot one glance at each other, gulped and entered their Gramps' room. Getting closer now, Luz got a better glimpse of Gramps. He spied the bloody cuts and nasty bruises underneath Gramps' bandages, and he nearly passed out. In spite of that, Gramps just smiled and laughed with that same, hearty laugh he always had.

"What's with that face, Luz? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Gramps chuckled.

Gramps continued laughing, yet, Luz couldn't find any of this funny! He sniffled a bit, tried to hide his tears so badly, but then Fintster burst forward crying and Luz completely broke! The two of them rushed right to their Gramps' side and hugged him tight. They sobbed their eyes out just from seeing him!

A couple of the younger kids started sobbing behind them. The older ones panicked as they tried to hold back their own tears and comfort the little ones, or scolded Luz and Fintster for crying so much. But, Luz didn't care! Everything that happened today finally set in, and he could barely keep himself together! He nearly lost his home again, he nearly lost his family again, he fought a bunch of those weird Arkeyans, may or may not have weird powers, and it was just too much!

It was all he could do just to hold Gramps and sob his eyes out, his tears staining the blankets and Gramps' robes. A wheeze came from Gramps, and Luz immediately jumped back as Gramps coughed again. Had, had he hurt him? Luz gasped and covered his mouth, but Gramps cleared his throat and smiled back at him.

"Don't worry about me, Luz, just a bit of a cough," Gramps said. His smile turned somber as he folded his bruised, wrinkled hands, and then he pursed his lips.

"What you boys was really dangerous. You know that, right?"

Luz gulped. A lump formed in his throat and kept him from speaking, but he didn't need to.

"Of course it was, Gramps!" Fintster shouted back. His voice strained and cracked as the tears poured down his cheeks. He sniffled a bit, and took a moment to clean the tears from his face. "But I had too! If, if, if I didn't, then—"

"I'm not mad at you two, you know."

That single sentence shocked both Luz and Fintster into silence. The two of them glimpsed back at each other, and then at their Gramps. He, he wasn't mad at them? They were sure just then they were gonna receive an earful.

"Hey, why don't the rest of you go help out around here a little?" Gramps said, turning to the rest of Luz’s siblings. "I'd like to be alone with your brothers for a bit."

The older kids nodded and herded the entire group out of the room in hushed whispers. Their torn robes and clothing formed a mottled sea of color as they flooded out the doorway, but soon, even the last of the kids left. They closed the door behind them so that is really was just Luz, Fintster, and Gramps.

The room turned deathly silent. Its cold quiet grabbed Luz by the throat, and choked him so badly that he could barely breath through his snotty tears.

"Take a seat, you two."

Luz and Fintster both nodded as they took a seat on some stray stools by Gramps' bedside. They both gulped as they watched him, for they expected his tranquility to melt into anger any minute now—but, it didn't. Gramps just laid there with that same smile on his face as he watched Luz and Fintster.

"So, boys, what happened back there?"

Luz opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. He found himself gasping and grappling for air instead with not a single word slipping. He tried to say something, anything, but all those memories raced back to him, flooded his senses and washed him away. So, he just went silent; he buried his face in his hands and sniffled as his head spun instead. Something rubbed against his back, and he looked up to find an equally-shaking Fintstertrying some silent attempt at comfort.

"I, I'll start," Fintster croaked out, his voice trembling and quiet. "Well, after you all ran off, I got that robot to follow me, and…"

Luz gulped as Fintster recalled everything that happened prior: the fights, that giant robot and the Elder Elementals showing up, them going on and knocking that robot down… It honestly felt surreal to hear all that coming from Fintster like it was fact. It was like some tall tale, really. Two kids fighting off a whole swarm of Arkeyan robots like nothing, calling upon the power of light and darkness itself, andtoppling an Arkeyan the size of a building like a meager castle of sand.

And yet, it all happened. The memories played back in Luz's head with every word Fintster spoke, and Gramps seemed equally stunned, going by how his brows raised.

"And, after the Elder Elementals beat up that robot, that man that rescued us took us here, and, well, you know the rest," Fintster finished.

"… My, you boys went through quite a lot, then," Gramps said at last, his voice a bit shakier than normal.

"I, I still can't believe we even did all that, Gramps!" Fintster leaned forward, nearly fell out of his stool, but leaned right back and quickly regained his seating. "We just fought those things like nothing, and all that weird light and darkness stuff came out of nowhere, and, and, they…"

"They what?"

Fintster gulped and turned his head away. "They, I heard some of those magicians saying weird things when that man was taking us here, saying that we were like them, and I have no idea what it means and, and, and…"

Fintster's words turned to strained gasps as tears streamed down his face, but the streams shut off as Gramps chuckled and wiped them away.

"Luz, Fintster, remember those bedtime stories I'd tell the kids?" Gramps asked.

"The ones about those really powerful magicians who would protect Skylands from evil way, way, long ago?" Luz asked at last.

Gramps beamed and turned his attention to Luz. "That's right, Luz."

Drawing his hand away from Fintster, Gramps sat upright with his hands laid on his blanket.

"You see, even today, there's a lot of beings born with magic power unlike anything other. We don't know why, but if you ask me, I think beings like them are given that kind of power to protect those weaker than them, to help protect those that can't protect themselves from harm. What you boys did today was what those magicians do. They go around protecting others from the Arkeyans when they don't have the strength to fight back themselves."

Luz and Fintster both blinked and turned to each other with stunned silence. It was true, they did all this to protect their home and their family, just like how the Elder Elementals always protected others from the Arkeyans. So, did that mean that strange power that came to them was the same as the powers they held, too? They weren't sure, but, the look Fintster had in his eyes told Luz that he was entranced by this the same way Luz himself was.

Luz's consciousness came back to him at last, just enough to glimpse at Fintster's wheel. Fintster's light was barely there. It was just a tiny flicker that occasionally danced like candlelight. He, he wasn't gonna last much longer, was he? Luz's brother was dying for good right before his eyes, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it!

He could barely even move, his head throbbed so badly that he could barely process the world around him… There was no way he'd be able to get help at this rate, so he just sniffled and crawled over. Grasping Fintster's wheel in his hands, Luz sniffled and clutched Fintster close to his chest.

"Guess we weren't able to keep our promise to Gramps and the rest of them after all, huh, Fintster?"

His vision turned spotty again, so Luz collapsed as a single memory flickered back into his mind.

"You're out of your minds, do you realize that?" Gerdie cried. "Running off to join the free magicians? Do you realize the kind of danger they get in? You'll get yourselves killed!"

"Yeah!" Pepi protested as he clung to Fintster's cloak. "We almost lost Gramps already, and we can't lose you too!"

"I don't wan' you to leave!" wailed Eurydias. Tears and snot streamed down their face as they hugged Luz's leg. "Please, please stay!"

Luz and Fintster both backed away as their siblings all swarmed around them, their tears, cries, and shouts of protest ringing in their ears. Luz himself tried to raise his voice, but it seemed like every time he spoke a word, they all crowded him out! Beside him, Fintster attempted to peel Pepi from his cloak, but to little success as a few of their other siblings attached themselves to him.

"Everyone, calm down!" Fintster shouted. "I know this is a little sudden, but—"

"But what?" Gerdie shouted. "You must've gotten hit in the head or something if you think you're big heroes now 'cause you fought a few robots!" Gerdie's voice cracked, and tears streamed down her face as she clutched her dress. "I, if you die, I, I'll…"

"Everyone, calm down, now."

Gramps' voice rang loud and clear throughout the air, and the shouts drew to a close as all their siblings parted in time for Gramps to walk in. Though he still leaned into the wooden cane the medics gave him while he recovered, and he looked a lot smaller as a result, his presence still commandeered respect from all of them. His eyes fell on Luz and Fintster, and the siblings that clung to them released their grip.

"Luz and Fintster have already made up their minds, and stopping them won't do any good," Gramps said. "If they want to join the free magicians, that's their choice.”

"But, but Gramps!" Wardiya cried. "They, they—"

"They know what they're getting into." Gramps turned his eye to Wardiya, silenced her with a single glance, and smiled as he turned to Luz and Fintster. "Isn't that right?"

Fintster gulped and nodded.

"Ever since those Arkeyans attacked, I've been thinkingm" Fintster said. "We all thought we'd be safe from them, and we were too far away for them to get us, but then they came here and nearly took everything from us!" Fintster stepped forward and slammed a hand on his chest. "I, I don't wanna leave you all either, but, I don't want that to happen ever again!"

His siblings backed away with eyes wide, and Luz cleared his throat.

"Gramps told us that beings like us have these special powers so that we can protect beings who can't protect themselves," Luz said. "As long as those Arkeyans are still running around, none of you are gonna be safe! So, we're gonna go out there and fight them so they'll never hurt any of you ever again!"

With that, their entire crowd of siblings fell silent; their eyes and sniffles turned from the ground.

"But, but, I don't want you to go," sniffled Eurybiades.

Fintster sighed and fell to his knees.

"Hey, Eury, come here."

Eurybiades nodded, warily stumbled over and hugged Fintster tight. A few sniffles came from them, and Fintster shushed and hugged them.

"Luz and I are gonna be gone for a while, but, think of it like us going on a trip. We'll be gone, but once the Arkeyans are all gone, we'll come right back home!"

"You promise?"

"I do" — Fintster smiled and turned up to Luz — "and so does Luz. Right?"

Luz smiled and nodded. "You bet! Once the Arkeyan Empire falls, we'll come right back home!" Luz proclaimed, a smile crossing his face. "While we're gone, if you ever hear about the free magicians fighting the Arkeyans and stuff, just remember that's us, fighting for you all!"

Eurybiades nodded and drew away. They rubbed their tears from their face as they forced a smile. "O-okay."

Gerdie only huffed and crossed her arms. "You, you better not die out there, or else I'll never forgive you, you got that?"

With their siblings' voices rising in a crowd of goodbyes and well wishes, Luz and Fintster nodded and made their leave. Even though everyone called out for them, wished them well and promised all these things… Neither of them could find the words to say.

It felt almost wrong, hollow even to promise they'd come back alive, cause truthfully, Luz had no idea if they would, nor did Fintster. The free magicians got into all sorts of dangerous stuff, and that stuff didn't always end with a surprise being saving the day—and they'd been fighting the Arkeyans for years. Who's to say if he and Fintster would come back home alive, if the Arkeyans would fall?

It felt wrong to say anything, and it almost made Luz want to change his mind. But then, he remembered his old village as it was razed to the ground, he remembered the screams of his neighbors, he remembered Gramps getting hurt and his siblings crying and screams…

And right in that moment, Luz's mind was made.

Luz gripped Fintster's hand, and the two of them trailed out to the town outskirts, where the stone paths and houses made way for rich, thick forest. Gramps always told them not to go there by themselves, saying there were always monsters and stuff lurking there, but now, he didn't even say a peep. Had they grown up in his eyes?

"I'm telling you!" cried a voice, a deep, smooth one filled with rage. "I don't care how talented they are, they're only boys! We can't get children involved in this!"

"Our ranks are lower than ever, Vatra!" cried another voice, one Luz recognized as that of the man who saved him and Fintster. "Our magicians have been dropping like flies, and we need to take on new apprentices if we'll ever have any hope of keeping up efforts! You saw those boys! They took down a Conquertron with a single blow!"

"A half-broken Conquertron, Vaayu! I don't care what you say—"

Passing a few bushes, Luz's eyes fell on where those two men from before stood. The two of them were deep in conversation; their eyes were tense as they shouted back and forth while a muscular man clad in blue awkwardly looked away. It sounded like they talked about Luz and Fintster, and Luz honestly considered shying away from how angry he seemed to make them—but Fintster cleared his throat, and Luz forced himself to look at them.

"Uh, hello?" Fintster started.

The two men's brows raised, and both of them gasped as they found Luz and Fintster! The windy man (Vaayu? Is that what that guy said his name was?) beamed the moment he laid eyes on Luz and Fintster, but the other man with him, the one clad in red, seemed less than pleased.

"Ah, you're the boys from the other day!" the windy man said as he knelt down to their height. "It looks like the stars have—"

"I already told you, Vaayu!" the man dressed in red shouted as he pushed the windy man out of the way. The man dressed in red crossed his arms as he loomed down over Luz and Fintster. "I don't know what nonsense he put in your heads, but you boys need to head back home. We're not taking kids into our ranks!"

Luz relented a bit as the man in red's fiery gaze burned in him, but Fintster didn't budge a bit. Figures, he was always the one who handled errands and stuff, so he probably had a lot more experience in times like these.

"With all due respect, mister," Fintster said, putting on his best respectful "talking to the adults" voice, "my brother and I have already made up our minds. We're going to fight those Arkeyans, no matter what!

"Yeah!" Luz shouted. "We, we almost lost our home and our family, and I don't ever want that to happen again! If I have to fight Arkeyans for the rest of my life to keep them safe, I'll do it! In fact, I'll do anything! I'll clean, I'll fight… Whatever it takes to keep those guys from hurting anyone else!"

"Yeah! We'll do whatever it is you need us to do if you take us in, and if you won't take us in, we'll just find someone else who will! We'll even do it ourselves if we have to!"

"Gotta admit, the kids have spirit," the man in blue said with an approving nod.

"I told you, Vatra," the windy man said as he got back to his feet. "These boys are just what we've been looking for! You said it yourself. We need to take on new apprentices if we want any hope at defeating the Arkeyans, and two prospective ones have practically fallen into our lap!"

Vatra frowned. A low, contemplative hum rumbled in his throat for moments as he scanned down Luz and Fintster. Finally, after a few moments that seemed like an eternity, he sighed and went down to his knees. He laid a hand on Luz and Fintster's shoulders as he looked them in the eye, and that burning feeling he gave off seemed… Sad, almost.

"I'll only say this: what we do isn't just some game. These Arkeyans are ruthless, bloodthirsty, and above all power-hungry tyrants. They won't hesitate to hurt you, or even end your lives just because you're children, and as much as I hate to say it, we won't always be able to guarantee your safety. Do you understand this?"

Both Luz and Fintster nodded, and Vatra lifted himself to full height.

"Come, follow us, then." Vatra beckoned for them as he turned around. "We'll take you back to our strongholds and discuss things further there."

Luz and Fintster glanced at each other with a feeling Luz couldn't discern, but both nodded as they followed Vatra down the forest path. Still, they sneaked one last glance at their ruined hometown before them.

The place were they grew up, the place where they spent all their time, was still half in ruins and ashes from the days prior. It wasn't the best picture to leave it on, but they both knew that once the Arkeyans were gone, it'd be the most beautiful place in the world! It would be beautiful, if only because they'd come back victorious, knowing they succeeded. At least, they hoped that would be the case…

But Luz knew it wasn't. He was half-dazed, and barely had a grip on his thoughts, but before he knew it, he’d rambled off everything to Fintster: waking up in Skylands, meeting that strange kid, learning of Arkilles's revival…

And now, this.

"Well, I know it's hard to believe all that time passed and all, but, it looks like they're all right. Ten thousand years came and went, and now, we've just got each other," Luz croaked, every word he said a knife in his throat. His whole body burned as if it would evaporate, and he sniffled as he clutched Fintster's wheel. "Everyone else probably died a long, long time ago, and I guess we'll be joining them soon."

Luz sniffled, his tears dripping down on Fintster's dimming wheel.

"Hey, Fintster. What do you think the afterlife's like? Do, do you think everyone's gonna be there, waiting for us? Do you think they'll be happy to see us? Will they hate us for leaving and never coming back?"

Luz's voice cracked. His words lodged in his throat, and made even crying a hoarse pain that burned away at his ghostly body. Just the sight of his brother dying before him without even getting a chance to break free, of losing the only family he had left… This, this was too much!

Luz collapsed before he knew it. His head planted to the floor as he sobbed his eyes out! The waterfalls of tears burned against his face; they ate away at his skin as he curled around Fintster, shielding him in his dying moments.

"I, I'm sorry, Fintster! I'm, I'm a terrible brother! I couldn't protect you when we died, I couldn't protect you now, and now we're dying, and, and, and it's all my fault! I, I said I'd protect you, I'd protect our family, but in the end I was too much of a failure to do anything!"

Luz’s tears clouded his vision as his throat strained. His whole body burned, ached, numbed, but it couldn't have been as bad as the pain Fintster endured right now! The world started to darken, and his head grew so, so heavy that even just keeping it on his shoulders felt unbearable. The rest of his body numbed so badly that it was like it wasn't there at all, and Luz could just barely see Fintster still.

"I, if we really do go to the afterlife, Fintster, please, make sure our family's there. I, I don't deserve to see them."

That unrelenting heaviness in Luz's head lightened at last, and he could barely speak anymore. Is this what death felt like? He barely even remembered the first time he died, for it all happened so quickly—so he guessed this is what dying was like, then.

Luz just closed his eyes, let his consciousness fade away, but something warm brushed against him! It was a familiar, warm embrace that he knew too well!

"Hey, what's all this about dying, Luz? You sure know how to make a fuss!"

Wait, that voice! Luz popped his eyes open…

And there before him knelt Fintster! Fintster, he, he was alive! Well, he was a ghost, but he was alive! His brother was here right before him!

His brown skin was free of cuts and bruises, and his black bangs cascaded over his eyes and his long nose while the rest of his hair trailed down his back. He was gangly as ever, but his cobalt tunic with its white and black-crossed belt and his black and white boots still stuck firmly to him with no cuts. Even his pendant, once dim like a dying heartbeat, sparkled with brilliant cobalt life! He smiled as he knelt before Luz and ruffled his hair, the same way he always did!

"FINTSTER!" Luz wailed, flinging himself into Fintster's arms.

Fintster grunted and nearly toppled over, but collected himself long enough to wrap Luz into his arms. Just the feeling of his brother's hug, so warm and welcoming, melted Luz down. He broke down sobbing before he knew it, and buried himself into Fintster's chest as he sobbed. He sobbed tears of joy to have the brother he nearly lost back, tears of relief that all this amounted to something, tears just to cry now that it was all over…

"Hey, calm down, Luz," Fintster whispered, though his own voice cracked a bit and betrayed his own relief. "It's okay, it's okay. I may not know what's going on, but we're together, and that's what matters, alright?"

Luz just whimpered, and shakily nodded his head before he held his brother tighter. He wanted to say something, anything, but after all this, he just couldn't find the words. So, he just opted to hug Fintster as tight as he could, and cried his eyes out till he was satisfied.

"Looks like we arrived just in time!" proclaimed Ninjini's voice from behind him.

The surprise voice was the only thing that broke Luz's concentration, and he turned around to find the rest of his team behind him! They were covered in scratches and reeked of oil, but, aside of that, they were alive and fine! Dej and Vaayu's eyes grew wide the moment they saw Fintster, but neither of them said a thing. They backed away as Ninjini floated over to Luz.

"You two were barely hanging on," Ninjini explained as she knelt down. "If I hadn't got to you when I did, you would've been done for, I'm sure!"

"Ninjini?" Fintster asked as he broke from Luz's grip and stood up. "Where, where are we? What's going on here, anyways? One minute we all fighting Arkilles, then the next I black out and Luz says a ton of time passed, and…"

"We'll get you caught up on the way." Ninjini turned around a bit, and motioned for Fintster and Luz to follow her. "While we were fighting those goons back there, we found out where the head of this operation is, and now we're going to stop 'em!"

Luz blinked, wiped away his tears and nodded.

"Whaddya say, Fintster?" Luz finally asked at last as he grabbed Fintster's hand. Luz cracked a smile, and a kind of bravery swelled in him, just like the very day they awakened their powers.

"Feels like bashing some bad guys' heads in, just like old times?"

Fintster frowned for a moment, and in the next, he smiled. His sword of darkness came to him with a flick of his hand, and with the other, he squeezed Luz's hand right back!

"You bet!"

Laughing together for what felt like the first time in an eternity, Luz and Fintster raised their weapons to the skies and rushed forward. They raced past the others' ranks and out the door.

"Follow us, everyone! We're gonna beat those guys' heads in!"

"Luz, Fintster, wait!" Vaayu called from behind. "You don't even know where you're supposed to go!"

But, neither of them cared. They just turned to each other and laughed, and their smiles brimmed with confidence as they held each other tight.