---

Hearing Pyrrha give orders to everybody else Leon scowled. "Hate to break it to you Fire Pit but the only one who would be fighting those rats up there would be me. Asking Rain Drop to try is like asking her to commit suicide." He said with a more of a collected tone before continuing. "Also it would be a suicide mission either way we don't know how many there, we also have to consider that they're small and fast, and from experience unless you know their movement pattern anything that is hard to hit means just wasting time." He added watching Pyrrha grab Zephyr before taking off saying something about him being easier to carry then Cron 'I'd says she's wrong there but that'll just get me burnt again and not by flaming rats.'

Looking around Leon watched as the two Gaiamancers began doing their work only to remember the wall he suspected need some kind of key, he had found not but a few minutes ago. Upon this realization Leon ran to the chamber Zephyr had passed out in. "I wish Air Head wouldn't play with stuff he has no clue about." He sighed grabbing the bag Zephyr had dropped when he fell unconscious before going back and making a beeline to the strange wall.

'Let me see will any of these work.' Leon thought rummaging through the bag pulling one item out after the other and tossing them aside before pulling the eyeball pendant from the bag and staring at it. "That not creepy at all but let's see if it works." He said to himself ripping the eye off the chain it was attached to and setting it into the small indent.

Kicking up dirt, dust, along with a few cob webs the wall began to slide open revealing a small passage leading to an upward angle. "Well it may be eerie but at least that accessory got the job done." Leon said waving away the dust cloud that the secret door kicked up when it opened. "Hey I found something! Not sure if it leads out of this place but it does look like a tunnel that goes up!" He called out walking over to the center where Roland to the others were with a slightly raised incline and slinging Mei's arm around his neck while lightly pulling him from Roland's grip and carrying him back to the entrance of the tunnel he had just found. "You guys can do that if you'd like I'll take the mad scientist and meet you out!" He called out stepping into the tunnel keeping a keen eye out for any trap.

Keeping up a good pace Leon was able to get out of the tunnel dragging an unconscious Mei along with him where he was greeted by guardians running around. "There's two survivors here!" the one closest to him called out. 'Guess we're really in trouble this time." He said pointing to the tunnel he just emerged from with his free hand. "There are some more down there one is barely able to stand let alone walk." Leon pointed out carrying Mei along with him to the entrance. "We'll explain everything once we're all safe and had time to recover." He added turning back shortly and continuing on his way.

Once they got out Leon handed Mei over to another guardian before looking them square in the eyes. "Mind if I ask there were two others who went a head of every one else in our group one would be unconscious and the other is a red haired girl fairly short have you seen them where would they be now?" He asked sitting himself on the grass breathing somewhat heavily letting the adrenaline rush leave his system before continuing. "As I told the one's I passed earlier we'll tell you everything when we're all out of danger and have had a chance to recover from this whole event." He said before laying back into the grass and looking at the stars waiting to hear that every one was able to get out safely.

---

---

Marina struggled to maintain her balance as the temple shook. She nodded at Pyrrha as she picked up Zephyr and soared on ahead. She stood back doing her best to keep Cron upright as Anton and Roland worked to clear a path out of the temple. She saw Leon use one of the objects that Zephyr had pilfered to unlock a passageway which he used to take Mei through. She nodded at him as he took off.

"If you find anyone, be sure to tell them where we are!" she called after him not even caring that they'd get in trouble. She didn't follow after him mostly because she was intimidated by an unknown temple that could very easily collapse on them. Mari didn't care that there were two Gaiamancers with her. A thousand tons of rock and ground seemed a bit too much for them to handle. She looked at the ground and saw the artifacts that Leon had haphazardly tossed around when searching for one to open the tunnel. She picked them up and sighed. She really wanted to leave them, but they came this far so there was no point. Plus, Zephyr would whine to no end if they got left so she shoved them back into their bags and pulled them over her shoulder.

Marina pulled Cron along going as fast as she could chasing after the two Gaiamancers who were creating a path forward dodging debris, and trying not to think about how the path behind them was collapsing preventing them from turning back. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, their makeshift path opened up to what looked like one of the main passageways. She almost cried in relief when she saw one of the Guardians. It wasn't just any Guardian, however, but her eldest brother Maxian.

"Maxi! Over here!" she choked out. He heard her and called for some other Guardians to follow after him to tend to Marina and the others.

"Mari! Oh thank the gods! When the Temple started collapsing and we heard you were in here, we were scared to death!" Maxian pulled her tightly to his chest ignoring the falling debris and fleeing monsters around him.

"There's no time for this! Did you find the others? Pyrrha and Zephyr? Leon and Mei?" she pulled back frantic.

"Yeah, we got word through telepathy not too long ago that the other squads picked them up. Speaking of which..." Maxian closed his eyes for a moment to send out the word that everyone has been found and to retreat immediately.

"We have no time to waste. Let's get out of here!" Maxian took Marina while the other Guardians helped Roland, Anton, and Cron, and quickly fled from the Temple through a makeshift tunnel made by the Gaiamancers. As soon as they were out, another earth-shattering earthquake shook the ground causing what was left of the Temple to completely disappear underground. They would find out later that five Guardians had lost their lives in their efforts to rescue them.

---

Later that day........

---

Zephyr woke up abruptly shouting and in a cold sweat only to be met by a vicious migraine. He moaned and collapsed back onto the bed. He felt as if he had lived a horrific nightmare. He wished it was only a nightmare... But the memories slowly came flooding back. From infiltrating the Temple all the way till the moment he touched the ethereal orb. It had happened. All of it.

"Zeph! You're awake! Thank Aztune!" Marina cried. Zeph glanced over to see the blue-haired girl with bags under her eyes and quite a bit shaken, but relatively unharmed. He grimaced at her still not quite ready to give his voice yet. He cast his eyes downward; guilt flooding his expression. This was too big of a screw up for Zephyr to take all the blame this time. His friends were surely going to suffer just as much as he was... Then he noticed the mark on his arm.Long spiraling black marks twisted up and down his forearm. He hadn't noticed it in the Temple, so where did it come from?

"We got those marks as soon as the orb shattered. We didn't notice till we were out of the temple, but all eight of us have them. The scholars are trying to decipher them, but they have nothing to go off of. No one knows what they are..." Zephyr nodded in understanding still not trusting his voice. Marina shifted uncomfortably before clearing her throat.

"So... As soon as you woke up I was told to take you to the Council room.... The others are already there." she offered a weak smile. She didn't want to deal with this either, and although she could cast all the blame on Zephyr, she didn't. She chose to follow him like she always has and for that she held no grudge.

"Oh joy..." he whispered voice cracking. Zephyr cleared his throat and stood up. Someone had taken it upon themselves to replace his previous clothes with a fresh set. Without further ado, he followed Marina to the Council.

The Council room was a large room with a large half circle table positioned in the back for all the clan heads to sit at. Zephyr spotted the rest of his friends already waiting in the center looking uncomfortable. Not that he could blame them. Almost everyone here had a family member on the Council. Marina took her place with the others and winced when she saw the exasperated expression on her father's face. Zephyr gave his friends an insincere grin and a wink before coming to a halt right before his grandfather, the High Elder.

"Hey Gramps, fancy meeting you here huh-"

"Cut the crap Zephyr. This is not a time or place for your antics." Ouch. Harsh.

"We need you to explain, in GREAT detail, what happened in the Temple. Go." So explain he did. Zephyr told the whole story giving all the details he could remember with the others chipping in here and there, and ended with his taking of the artifacts and his experience with the glowing orb. The Council was silent as they absorbed everything they were just told. Including the part about others entering the Temple before. Zeph braced himself fully expecting to get banished or lynched, but was shocked instead by what his grandpa said.

"It seems that this incident was going to happen one way or another. My only regret is that I couldn't have more clearly foreseen it. In any case, there is no turning back now. Allow me to explain the gravity of your mistake. Although many of the legends have been lost, the Council does know what was sealed within the Temple: Manara. Tens of thousands of years ago, our ancestors sealed away the whole of Manara from Astrasis because of the evil certain Mancers were committing. But now, you have unleashed it once again on a world that has long since forgotten its origins.."

"Whoa, back up. So, the rest of the world can't harness Manara? Why can we then in Caelfall?"

"Is it not obvious? To protect the Temple. Keep people from doing what you have done today. Although, to be fair, I don't believe our forefathers ever anticipated one of our own to unleash the seal... In any case, you have undoubtedly caused what may very well be the destruction of the world. It is up to you to fix it. There are four sealing grounds across the world. I believe those artifacts you pilfered from the Temple hold the keys to those seals. It is now your duty to go out and reseal what you have unleashed. You must go forth, leave the village, and not return till you have restrengthened the seal on Manara. The Council went into an uproar with many frantic parents voicing their opinions. They died down when Tehrest Maelstrom began speaking.

"Fath-High Elder. You can't be serious. These are children! OUR children! What they have done is unforgivable, but do you honestly believe they can fix this catastrophe?" Zephyr had never seen his father act with such emotion before. Not since mom died. For a rare moment, he was speechless. The other Council members were agreeing with Tehrest and were also shouting their outrage before Mavrik Maelstrom projected his voice.

"SILENCE! Enough! What choice do we have? We have no other options! They're Guardians! They can take care of themselves and each other. No more discussion. You have till tomorrow to pack up and prepare any necessary supplies. The young Guardians leave at dawn." Everyone was stunned silent. Mavrik never raised his voice.

"The meeting is dismissed. I suggest you use your time wisely." With a prolonged look at Zephyr, Mavrik left the room and slowly but surely, everyone dispersed to begin preparations.

While Pyrrha wasn't proud to admit it, she had fainted from Manara-exhaustion only seconds after she had called out to the other party. Even now, hours later, the world still seemed to be spinning slightly around her. It was due to this that her reaction to the verdict was muted.

Either that, or shock. She didn't really know what to blame.

She separated from the group without a word, and went to her home. A place she wasn't likely to see again for a long time.

Finally an emotion managed to make it through her dazed mind. Her face twisting in anger and self-loathing.

The plaster on the wall that she hit cratered.

She hadn't wanted to go in the first place, why had she gone along with it? why hadn't she protested harder?

Why? Why? Why?, the word reverberated through her mind endlessly. Tears started to run down her face. Nevertheless, she ignored them, knowing that it was their own fault everything had gone to hell. Nothing to blame but their own stupidity.

She laid everything she thought she would need out on her bed, and started to pick out the things she truly wouldn't be able to do without according to her guardian training. But that was based on having a base to return to. Ofcourse she wouldn't be able to take all of it with her on her journey.

In the end, dawn came, and with one last look at the empty house behind her, she left everything that she knew behind.

It didn't feel good. None of it, nothing did. The whole meeting was just a blur, one full of crap he didn't listen to or even really register. It didn't make sense, any of it. Start to finish. A seal on Manara? All the other crap. It just..Didn't add up. It didn't penetrate into his thoughts either, not really. He was far too busy being blaming himself. He was older. He was supposed to be wiser. It was only because of him that anyone bothered to follow Zeph in the first place. If he had just known better, or kept his mouth shut, or..Or...

The meeting was pretty much over and Mavrik was nearly out of the room but Cron called out anyway. His voice wobbling and raspy."It should be me!" He paused without realizing it, taking his eyes off his feet for the first time in days. He looked around the room, catching the stares of everyone and clenched his fists hard enough his non-existent nails dug in. "It should be me," he shouted again, this time without the wobble, "It should be me that's exiled. Me that has to fix things, not the rest of them." He couldn't bring himself to call them friends. How could they be friends after what he did to them all..It was my idea to go in the first place, I just talked Zeph into it..And it was my fire that broke the statue. If it wasn't for me..Nothing bad would've happened.."

He sighed and looked back down, blood dripping from his palms. "You don't have to punish anyone else, Elder. Just me.."

Roland walks over to here Cron is making a scene and slaps him hard of the back of the head, almost falling onto the ground, only staying upright from Roland holding his arm. "You can barely stand, let alone talk. We all knew what would of happened if something went wrong. It's not solely on you. We're friends, we lean on and help each other. So for once. Keep your talkative mouth shut until you feel better." Letting go of Crons arm Rolands makes his way to the door and leaves with his uncle.

On the walk home home, Roland and his uncle said no words, the two stoic men needing no words to pass between them to exchange their words. Olaf knowing that if this was meant to be his nephews path, then this is what it is, and he won't stand in his way.

Reaching their house, Roland braced himself for the oncoming onslaught as he opened the door and was immediately tackled into the ground by the twins, Rivus angrily yelling at him while Amnis just cries heavily, all he can manage to do his hug the two tightly until the eventually go quiet after wearing themselves out. Olaf smiling to himself walks inside and continues with his metalwork.

Awaking a few hours earlier just after dusk, Roland looks around his room as it occurs to him that he won't be back for a long while, Carefully getting out of his bed as two not wake the twins, who after persistently complaining to stay with him until he left. He walks through the house taking in every sight and smell, hoping to remember it all when he's gone.

After spending hours quietly to himself, and managing to get all of the supplies he'd think he'd need, he finally goes back to bed, to await the oncoming dawn, and his final easy day. With a smile on his face, he falls asleep not long after midnight, knowing that he might finally find the answer to his question.

---

Entering his room that he saw more as a glorified prison cell Leon went around grabbing his clothes and tossing them into a small bag. "No need to leave anything here I doubt we'll have a chance to return." He said closing his bag and exiting slamming his door shut before running to the end of the hall and leaping out the window and grabing an out stretched branch that allowed him to swing down landing safely on the grass below. 'That trainer would have a fit if he saw me do that not that it matters now he won't be seeing me for afew years.' Adjusting his clothes Leon made his way to where every one would meet.

---

---

Marina's father after the meeting immediately had pulled her into a bear hug that could bend metal. She was expecting him to be furious, but was rather met with tears and relief over her safety. She was met by similar displays from the rest of her family. Even her mother and older sister were choked up from the prospect of her departure. This made packing very difficult because the twins were firmly attached to her legs and her older brother had his arms wrapped around her shoulders. Fortunately, her mother had already done all of her packing, and with dawn approaching on the horizon, she was handed a pack with standard traveling gear and a fully stocked medical kit equipped with even surgical supplies. With one last tear filled goodbye, she headed off to the village gate.

---

Zephyr had dragged his feet as much as possible when heading back to his home even to the point of hesitantly waiting outside the front door of his house. He really didn't want to do this. Maybe he could sneak into his room and get out before-

"Stop delaying the inevitable and just get in here Zephyr." came the tired sigh of his father. Zephyr flinched and sheepishly opened the door. Inside the main living room sat Granny, Gramps, and his dad. All had quiet solemn expressions on their faces, but Granny looked a bit more disgruntled like she had just lost an argument. Zephyr stood and stopped before them and shifted from foot to foot before breaking the unbearable silence.

"Uh, hate to cut this family reunion short, but I gotta go pack so..."

"Already done. Your bag is by the door including the artifacts you picked up. I put in some money, a change of clothes, some traveling rations, flint, water, and a bottle of Maelstrom sake. I also threw in your current tome you were reading as well as a journal if you wanted to write in it. You'll notice a brand new short sword and a set of fresh leather armor as well as a new cloak. That was your Guardian present that we had intended to give to you before... this." His father stated. Zephyr was speechless.

"Dad... I...-"

"What you did was extremely stupid. You will be remembered as the biggest idiot our village has ever known. But... at the same time we feel this was destined to be your path from the beginning. So go. Go and make us proud Zeph. Become the master Aeromancer that saves the world." For the first in what felt like years, Tehrest smiled at his son. A wave of emotion tore through Zephyr and he clenched his teeth in order to bite back the tears. With goodbyes from his grandparents, and an extra knock upside the head from Granny, he left his family and headed to the gate. He found the others waiting with their own bags and weapons. With a nod, he led the way though the gate into the awaiting Shrouded Forest.

The group traveled quietly for several hours before the trees began to thin and they came out into the rolling foothills at the base of the mountains. Zephyr stopped for a moment taking in the scenery of the plains around him not having seen anything except sheer cliffs and tall trees.

"Well, this is different. Why don't we take a break and eat lunch yeah? Anyone pack anything tasty? I got sake!"