Jaux Ballad has always wanted to enter the realm of magic, but could not do so by regular means. In his desperation to become a magician he finds himself with more power, and more trouble, than he could ever have imagined.

*=+=*=+=*=+=*

They were trapped.

Eight little kids crouched in the corner of the cabin. Half of them were sobbing loudly, their tiny fist pounded against the wooden walls. Many of them cried for their parents. Desyi felt frightened as well, she was still handicapped by magic erosion. In spite of that, she displayed herself with a confident mask. In the face of inescapable danger, it was no use being scared.

There was only one young boy who didn't squeeze himself into corner with the other children. He was reaching forward, trying to run to the vampire standing by the doorway. Desyi held him back with her one free hand. Her other hand held a dancing orange flame that kept the vampire wary.

"That isn't your father anymore," she said to the struggling boy. "Keep back, please. Otherwise I can't protect all of you."

The little boy didn't understand. He bit hard into the arm that forced him back. Desyi winced, and the orange flame flickered away.

It wasn't even a second of darkness. Desyi relit her fire, but the vampire already closed the distance. The vampire's pale arms reached forth and snapped Desyi's arm like a hollow branch. The flames went out again as Desyi screamed out with agony.

Desyi froze a cast over her injured arm before the vampire could sink its fangs in. She let go of the boy, and engulfed her free hand with a dim red fire. Her scorching fist struck the vampire in the face. The vampire screeched as its cheeks burned. It staggered back, while swinging madly at the air.

"Go! Run kids, out the door!" Desyi pointed her flaming hand towards the cabin door. "Get into another home!"

The children scurried out of the corner, past the pale creature, and out the door. The vampire turned as the children passed by, its nose took a loud sniff. Desyi stopped the vampire before it could try to pounce. She bashed the top of its head with her frozen arm, which injured them both. The vampire's regeneration made sure it wasn't stunned for long.

Desyi formed a new ice cast over her arm, then leaned against the wooden walls. The pain in her arm was unbalancing her. The vampire turned around and lunged at Desyi. Its mouth tore open and flew at her exposed neck.

The ivory spikes almost hit their mark, but Desyi's flaming fist intercepted the vampire's neck. She held on tight as gurgling screams burst from the creature's windpipe. Pale arms lashed out at her, crushing her ribs and organs. Desyi refused to let go. Her blazing fingers melted into the vampire's soft neck, slowing digging towards the spine. The perpetual regeneration worked fast to regenerate the damage, but it only went as far as holding Desyi's hand in place.

The boy was the only child who didn't run away from the scene. "No!" he screamed.

Desyi hesitated when she saw the face of the horrified boy. In her moment of weakness, the vampire's hand pierced through and ripped past her heart.

In a twisted way, the sudden loss of so much blood helped cure all the pain.

Desyi pushed her hand forth one last time, so that her burning fingers beheaded the pale abomination.

Too late, Tricks charged through the cabin doors. There waited a paralyzed boy and a fallen companion.

=+=+=

Theema returned to life from the violet blaze. Bright beams burst from her eyes and struck the massive wooden eagle's wing. The beams pierced through, but that did not deter the bird. A rumbling shriek escaped from the eagle's beak to force back the black tendrils that were climbing up the tower.

While the eagle focused on the tendrils, Theema teleported to her fallen gauntlet, then reattached it to her right arm.

One of the crystals on Theema's gauntlet dimmed. Dazzling dragon wings grew out from the goddess's back. The eagle shrieked again, this time firing the sound blast towards the goddess herself. A silvery portal opened up in front of Theema, which ate up the blast. The sound escaped out of a second portal that formed behind the wooden bird.

The huge eagle fell towards the tower as it was knocked down by its own shriek. Theema closed both portals, then released a violet inferno from her mouth. The dragonbreath lit up the sky as it punched through the wooden bird's breast.

The massive eagle faded away from the mortal realm.

To those who could see the flow of magic, the remaining soul from the bird converged into Theema's violet arm.

=+=+=

Suhara lay with her head buried in her folded arms. She hid in the wand shop ever since she heard about what happened out in the village. Tears ran down her cheeks and fell onto the glass displays. Regret tumbled though her stunned mind. Desyi was dead. All because of the Void Skies.

Raycern gently rubbed the girl's back. "It ain't your fault, lass."

"It is," said Suhara. "It's all because I came here. I tried taking what I didn't deserve. Now there's... all of this. I am to blame."

Raycern shook his heard. "This is all that goddess's fault. You were misguided, but these aren't the consequences of your actions."

"How can you say that?!" Suhara yelled, "None of this would have happened without me! Desyi would still be-"

"Enough, young lady," said Raycern. "This is needless sorrow. Mourn those we have lost, but do not burden yourself with the guilt from crimes of another. Even if you never came along here, that deity still existed. If not you, then there would have been another. Simple as that. What you should be focusing on is helping to end this. Not because you are at fault, but because you may have the means to stop it."

"But I can't stop it."

"Then it's damn good you have friends to help you. Go now, lass. Do what you can, and you'll have done what was best."

"... O-okay. Thanks, sir."

=+=+=

Suhara felt out of place in the meeting. She was surrounded by members of the administration and ace level students. Frey sat by her side and kept close. Helsfur talked about recent attempts to stop Theema. So far there had only been failures.

"Luckily," said the headmistress, "we have new information that may prove invaluable. You may enter."

The door behind Helsfur creaked open. Four people stepped into the meeting room. They wore green and brown robes, and the most extravagant one was worn by the blonde woman standing in front. The woman in front appeared to be the leader. She held a thick staff, which had a small circular harp embedded at the top.

"I am the Muse, High Priestess of Dirisel and Royal Saint of Eritea." said the woman, "The four seraphs of my holy realm have fought against the disastrous goddess, and we learned some key facts."

Excited murmurs rose, but Helsfur silenced them with a clap of her hands.

The Muse continued, "Killing the goddess may not seem to accomplish anything, at least not at first glance. After careful observation, we found that coming back to life always returns the goddess to her most basic form. Most stolen souls in her possession are bound in her gauntlet. We were able to separate her from the gauntlet near the end of the battle, and it stripped her of many abilities. Unfortunately, the two souls that allow her to remain do not depend on that gauntlet. Removing that gauntlets before killing her will give us an easier opponent, at least."

"So, the souls in Suhara's possession still remain in Theema?" said Hawkshire.

The Muse nodded. "That was what we concluded, yes."

"Suhara's priest connection to Theema is the key." said Rilane, "If we can somehow sever the connection, then take away that soul gauntlet..."

"But we've tried that, nothing seems to break their bond."

The door of the meeting room opened again. Syrus Raycern stepped in. "I have an idea, if you are all willing to listen."

"It has been pretty hopeless," said the headmistress, "any idea is welcome. What do you have in mind, Mr. Raycern?"

Raycern chuckled before he explained, "The Curahge's Forest of Gallain, where the trees of demon root staves thrive. If you bring the lass there, the forests may be able to drain away the spiritual bond."

"Gallain?"

"We've already tried draining magic, didn't we? It didn't work."

"I think the old man has a point. The power of Gallain's mystic flora may be more absolute than our magic."

"Miss Ballad would have to go alone. We won't survive exposure to Gallain!"

"If it does work, her immortality won't activate. She'll die."

"Might as well, it's her fucking fault we're in this-"

"Now wait just a second! The headmistress already prov-"

"Don't give us that! All of this was cau-"

The entire meeting room roared with the arguments between the different sides. Some wanted to protect Suhara, while others wanted her to perish. Not even Helsfur could regain control of the crowd.

Music abruptly filled the air. The Muse held up her staff, while the three others behind her were singing in harmony. A calming song ate away at all the spite in the room. People lost their misplaced hatred and sat back in their seats. The Muse's voice addressed the mob, "I think the girl has something to say."

Suhara was curled up in her chair and filled with anxiety, but she nodded. "Y-yes. I'll go to the forest."