Everyone's Focus and A Secret Revealed.

Deacon and Sigardus

Sigardus ran alongside Deacon though the mountains. Ran is a loose term for intermediate jogging while the King's right-hand man yelled at him to go faster.

This training was only day one, and Sigardus already wanted to quit.

"Keep running. It's only been two hours, and you are already looking like your ready to give up. Too bad, you can't. If you do, then you will always need others to protect you. Is that what you want? You want your girlfriend to do all your fighting? Or, do you want to get stronger, faster, and smarter?"

Sigardus had boasted on his physical fitness when he met Deacon in the morning. Deacon had made a jest at him about having a little warm-up run to a special place to train. He had told Sigardus it was a short jog, and they would be coming back for lunch.

Sigardus had boasted that he would run warm-up laps around him. Sigardus was no longer laughing, as his lungs burned, and he had shooting pains in his side from the run. As angry as he had been, Sigardus knew Deacon was right and picked up his pace to match.

"That's better. The place is just up ahead."

Within five minutes, they had arrived at a place tucked into the mountain. Three pools, all different boiling colors, sat at three points and a square platform of stone in the middle of them. As the two men walked into the cavern-like area, they could see each spring was evenly placed like a triangle.

"Woah, what is this crazy looking mystical place?" Sigardus asked.

"This is The Phenoix Springs, One of Utravenna's great secrets. The three pools have special effects that will help you and your Shyft rise to new heights."

"First is the Red Soul Spring. This spring will open all channels of your body, allowing your body to absorb magic and movement. After one minute, you both will get out and perform these exercises," Deacon informed Sigardus and now Kira in a one-piece bathing suit and water-wings.

" One push up, one crunch, and one squat."

Sigardus and Kira both just blinked at Deacon at this remark.

"That's it?" The little girl's voice of Kira asked as her helmet slid down, covering her eyes.

"Yes, but don't get too excited," Deacon laughed heartily as Kira pushed her helmet back up.

"The second pool is The Blue Repeater Spring. While in this spring, any action you have taken from the time you leave the Soul Spring till you get into the Repeater Spring repeats ten times every second."

Sigardus and Kira had no color left in there expressions as Deacon continued.

"You both will spend one minute in the blue pool before going straight to the final spring. The third Green Sealing Spring helps heal your destroyed muscles and seals your magic back up. You will still hurt, and tonight, you will relax in the healing springs. You will both repeat this every day until you can sit for 1 hour."

Both of them were crying in each other's arms on the floor as Deacon finished.

Dalphia and Titania

"Are you sure your ok to be teaching me so soon?" Titania asked Dalphia.

They were back in the cavern they used yesturday. There was a stian where Dalphia had landed. The memory gave Titania chill as she thought of the dragons immense power.

"Yes, I'll be fine. You are the one who will be sweating soon. You have great control and have a good relationship with your Shyfts, but you all lack actual combat experience."

"But I have combat training," Titania tried to protest.

"Oh, I know the combat training FAE uses, and I have even tried it. Nothing can substitute real-life experiences and independent thinking. The A.I. they use aren't A.I. They each use a specific set of tactics that can be learned. In real life, minds can change, and the smallest bit of chaos can turn the tide."

As she finished, Dalphia walked to the stairs and turned around. Glowing eyes and growls came from the lava all around the island. Lava Drakes began to rise out of the boiling magma.

"After you finish here, we will go eat, and then I will show you the library," Dalphia said, turning back to the stairs.

As she did, the barrier sealed the gap, separating the two women. Lava Drakes were able to push through the barrier somehow, and they came for Titania. She called to Sora and Verta, preparing to fight.

Ollie and Liam

When they met earlier in the morning, Ollie hadn't talked. Instead, he had made a 'follow me' gesture to Liam. Not much of a talker, so this didn't bother Liam.

The Destination was the Healing Springs. Once there, Ollie would teach Liam a different fighting stances and have him do different balancing positions.

Every forty-five minutes Ollie would point to the springs. This pointing meant Liam would have to sit for fifteen minutes, while the water rejuvenated his body. With each soak in the spring, Liam could feel his leg become stronger.

Finally, at lunch, Ollie broke the silence, but only a little bit. More like her bumped into silence that almost knocked it over.

"In three days, we will join Sigardus at the Phoenix Springs."

Pandrea and ???

As they walked into the kitchen, a melody oh mouth-watering aroma's hit the girls. Several large pots cover the stoves, and Pandrea could smell baking bread as they passed the ovens.

"When do we get to eat?" Aquina asked, looking around the kitchen, starry-eyed and drooling.

"As soon as we find Miss Thune," Pandrea told her.

"Did I hear my name?" Came the rich and robust voice of a large woman in a red apron.

Irella Thune stood in front of one of the stoves, idly stirring multiple pots periodically. She turned with a stern expression that Pandrea could feel she didn't want to be the reason that caused it, but the firey stern look melted away. Irella wiped her hands on her pants with tears in her eyes and walked forward.

"You're so big now, Pan," Irella spoke through choked sobs as she wrapped Pandrea in a hug.

Pandrea was shocked first at the woman's tears, then at her familiarity in her comment and now the hug. Something felt familiar about this woman, and Pandrea hugged Miss Thune back. Soon Irella calmed down and held a puzzled-looking Pandrea at arm's length.

"I'm sure you have a million questions, but you need to eat. So let me dish you two up some soup, and we can talk."

Miss Thune filled two bowls with hot creme soup and brought them over to a small table where the girls sat waiting. Aquina almost stood up as the soups were set down in front of them. Miss Thune sat down and started to explain her reaction while to soup cooled, but she stopped to watch the little woman covered in blue braids.

Aquina leaned forward and blew softly on the bottom of the bowl of her steaming soup. Her breath caused ice to crystalize on the bottom of her bowl, and the steam began to slow as the soup cooled. Then, Aquina drew in a breath, and she sucked up all the ice. Leaning forwards with her spoon, Aquina smiled as she tasted the soup.

"Well, you have quite the partner, but back to what I was trying to say before. I knew both your parents very well, and when they would come to visit, I would get to see you, less than a year old. Your parents visited even before you were born, and your mother and I spent a great deal of time together."

"You knew my mother? What was she like?" Pandrea tried to flood Irella with questions, but she put up a hand to stop her.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise for you, but what I can tell you about is Lunora of the Golden Moonlight, your mother Il'Rena's Shyft. A betrothal present from King Primos, Greyson's father, and your grandfather."

Pandrea felt Calimus stir in her mind at the mention of Lunaro, and the name is echoed longingly by Calimus.

They talked more, and once they were finished eating, Irella gave the girls directions to a house in one of the far corners of the city. Pandrea and Aquina thanked Miss Thune as they left the kitchen. The girls headed out of the castle to find their new mystery trainer.

"Who do you think it's going to be? A hero? A god? Or a...space invader?? What is that?" Aquina asked as Pandrea covered her face with her hand, shaking her head.

"I call space what everyone else calls The Expanse."

"Ahh! I see that makes more sense now!" Aquina pounded her palm as she spoke.

After getting lost multiple times and chased by a pack of two-headed dogs, the girls show up to a small shabby looking house pushed up against the black city walls. The place wasn't horrible, and the note Miss Thune had given confirmed the address as Pandrea held the letter up in line with the house numbers.

"This is kinda a spooky-looking place," Aquina trembled and grabbed Pandrea's hand as they got closer to the house.

As the two reach the door, Pandrea's hand rose to knock on the door that had white paint peeling off it. Before she could, a melodious metallic voice called out from inside the house.

"Come in, my dear."

Confused, Pandrea opened the door and walked into a mudroom with a woman standing in the next room. As Pandrea closed the door, Aquina, and her walk into the next room.

The woman standing there was different from anything Pandrea had ever seen in her entire life before. Light purple hair cascaded down and around a metallic silver face. Green lines flowed and moved across her skin like a living circuit board. Two small red horns stood an inch out of her forehead in stark contrast to her silver skin.

"Who are you?" Pandrea asked in awe.

"My name is Ki'Rena, and my sister was Il'Rena, your mother," Ki'Rena smiled, stepping forward to Pandrea and grabbing her hands. "I am your aunt and new trainer."