"Thought you were going to fall? we're all on dragons, don't forget" Said Yume.

"AH, I can't believe I thought I was actually falling," I looked around, "man the view here is real beautiful"

The sky was a sharp violet colour, and from above you could see a tropical coloured village full with all sorts of plant life.

"This is called Blue Valley , all the fruit and most vegetables are grown here, the people are hardworking and friendly" Said Ayumi.

We sailed down from the sky, landing near the port of the village.

Each of our disguises were good enough that Ayumi wasn't spotted to be the princess.

Huge ships traveled in and out of the port, each boat was decorated with the look of fish scales.

"We should be safe here, they really would rather underestimate me" Said Ayumi.

We moved away from the crowd of fishermen and sailors to discuss things further.

"They said they wanted to bring you back home, what did they mean, Ayumi?" Asked Yume.

"A long time ago my father married a woman from the Solari, and she had a child and named her Ayumi, he took me back to his Kingdom and his castle and left my mother with a choice to abandon her people or come stay with him, she chose to stay with the Solari people" Said Ayumi.

"The Solari people are a people who wish to take control of all of Alderon through means of force" Said Ayumi.

"As much as I want to see my mother again, it is said she's been behind all the raids and supposedly behind the death of my father, I need to find out if this is true, but I don't know when's the right time to do it" Said Ayumi.

We started to walk away from the docks, as we carried the harness of the dragons in one hand we moved them in the direction that we wanted them to go.

"Aren't you worried about the Solari coming back for you when they notice you're nowhere to be found?" I asked.

"If they do—" Said Yume.

"It's okay, you don't need to worry , Yume" Said Ayumi.

"Why, aren't you worried?" She asked.

"That portal is a random portal so they'll go to a random city throughout Alderon, and their chances of finding me right away are slim to none" Said Ayumi.

"Mhmm, okay" Yume said.

"That's a relief, then" She smiled.

"Have you ever seen one like it?" Ayumi said as she took out a blue crystal.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? it's a Blue Mana crystal one of the rarest you can find in the known world" Said Yume.

"He isn't from here, Yume, I think you're forgetting tha—Hey!! , you stop that's my crystal" Ayumi said as she chased down the fleeing thief.

I ran right behind and so did Yume.

"Let's split up from either side of these arches" I said.

"Okay" Said Yume.

I look in my magical abilities as I bring up the interface—containment magic, this should work.

I run and I run until I see her coming my way.

Here goes nothing.

"Circle of flame" I call out but I accidentally encircled Ayumi instead.

"Dammit" I said.

The thief looks back for a second then runs with true speed—I won't let her get away with this!

Looks like that spell took up a lot of Mana, a high level containment spell like that...I'm still trying to get a hold of how this magic thing works.

From what I understand each spell has a level, I used the level three version of circle of flame and it goes up to five levels of difficulty.

I wonder what that Blue Mana Crystal is for and why it's so rare.

I have to get it before it falls in the wrong hands, as it might already have.

I started to pick up my pace , and from the corner of my eye I see YUme running along where the thief was playing to get away, up the wall and onto the roofs of the buildings.

Yume got out her gilded spear and began to charge, I soon caught up.

"Water sphere" She said as she pointed to Yume, it was a weak form of magic because it popped soon after but it managed to buy her some time to try to get away.

"Looks like I can cast one more high level spell with this Magica.

"Inferno belt!!" I said as I point to the thief.

Sigh, "I did it" I said.

I begin walking toward the thief, of had a blue scarf on to hide their identity.

"Who are you and why did you try stealing that bBue Mana Crystal?", I got out my crimson cross and she started speaking, "I work for one of the denizens of this realm, I owe a debt to him and if I don't find a way to pay him my brother will be killed" She said.

"Oh that's terrible" I said.

"But you should give the crystal back and we'll find a better way to pay back this denizen guy" I said.

"YOu would?" She asked.

"Of course" "Even though I tried to steal from you?" She asked.

"Even if you tried to steal from us" I said.

"You're not from here so you'd help me, anybody else just watches me steal things and then blames me for all the wrong that happens in this village" She said.

"But it looks so happy this village" I said.

"It may look like that, bright and colourful,but there are people being sold into slavery contracts bound as a summons, and among other things" She said.

Yume came my way and Ayumi was behind her.

I waved to them both and they stopped when they made it to me and the inferno band surrounding the girl thief.

"It's okay" I said as I undid the magic spell"

"That's a lot better, I don't particularly like fire to much because I'm a water caster, I take it your a fire caster" She said.

"Ah, I guess I am" I said.

"You didn't know?" She asked.

"T Hat was a high level spell... just who are you" She asked.

"You don't need to know the details" I said.

"Long story, I could tell you later, tales of another land that sorta stuff" I said.

"So we're agreeing in helping her?" Asked Ayumi.

"I don't know about this" Said Yume.

"It'll be alright, see? "

The girl handed over the Blue Mana Crystal to me and I gave it to Ayumi for safe handling.

"I managed to get it taken from me last time, so I think it'll be safe with you, " She said as she passed me the crystal—there was an immense power in this crystal, I could sense it and it was glowing a cerulean hue.

"This is a lot of power, thankfully it is in the right hands" I said.

"Hey, I could've easily protected that Blue Mana Crystal," Said Yume.

"It doesn't matter, Yume" Said Ayumi, let's get going, night is almost upon us and it is now evening" Said Ayumi.

"SO you three, you're travelers, adventurers, tourists?" She asked?

"You could say that" I said.

"I meant pick one.." She said looking dumbfounded.

"We're all three of them and that's what makes our party unique." I said.

"Oh, cool, I always wanted to be in a party, doing dangerous things... it sounds fun, but my mother never let me go, she said that's not what girls are supposed to do and now look at me—I've become a thief" She said.

"What's your name?, we never got your name" Said Ayumi.

"Arulia" She said.

"SO...how do you suppose we get my debt settled," She asked.

"Lets go to this denizen and kick his ass" I said.

"He's way to dangerous, even for the three of you—I"m sure there's a better way" Arulia said.

"Oh okay, if you insist" I said, yawning.

"Didn't get much sleep?" She asked.

"NO, the opposite actually—I think I got too much sleep", who knew that getting too much sleep could make you tired" I said, combing through my dark brown hair.

"There's said to live an immortal sorceress who stays in an abandoned tower, there has to be things that are truly worth taking and if we can go by night, we might just find things to take that would please this denizen< only thing—no one has made it out of her tower and survived, and no one knows why either"

"Stealing...?" Said Ayumi quietly.

"It's our best chance" Said Arulia.

"You have to trust me"

She had a cute face, light orange hair and clothing that were all blue.

"Okay, what about everyone else, do we all agree?" I asked.

Ayumi looked uneasy, Yume looked pumped for going there but when she looked at Ayumi, she began to doubt her impulsive readiness.

"I don't know I mean..." Said Ayumi.

"Can you get us a moment alone as a group, Arulia?" Said Ayumi.

We all huddled together, ":I don't think we should trust someone we just met, I don't know much about this city either..." She said.

"How about we give it a chance, and if it doesn't work out to plan you can all blame me when we get into trouble?" I asked.

"Mhmm, fine" Said Ayumi.

"If you get to take the blame, I'm happy with that" Yume smiled with her hands behind her back.

"Okay, Arulia, it's settled we'll come along with you" I said.

"Lets get it our best"Said Yume.

***

The sky became a dark indigo, with almost black clouds looming over.

"It must be going to rain" Said Ayumi.

"It rains often here, I wouldn't be surprised if it did" Said Arulia.

""Have you lived here your whole life, Arulia?" Asked Yume.

"I didn't always live here, it became easier to lvie as a thief if my mother didn't know about it so I came here, this is like the thieving capital of all of Alderon, it seems like anyone from the other cities doesn't know about Blue Valley, but from the other kingdoms BLue Valley is famous for being a haven for theieves and..." Said Arulia.

"Where did you live before this,?" Asked Ayumi.

"I lived in Peach Cove" Said Arulia, I've been missing from home for around two-to-three years now" Said Arulia.

"How could you do that to your mother?" Ayumi" Said with a harsh tone almost, but then realizing she did the same to her mother too.

"Sorry, I don't usually...get upset like that" Said Ayumi.

"MY mother can't accept me for who I am, I don't like boys I like girls—and so she said she was going to kick me out of my home, and I decided to leave before then, pack my things and never come back" Arulia said.

"And what about your father?" I asked.

"Rumours he was lost at sea, I'm still trying to find him and when I bring him back I will finally be able to tell him how I truly feel as well" Said Arulia.—"That's a wonderful thing" Said Ayumi, I wish I could be so honest like you" She said.

"It's dark enough," Said Arulia.

"The sorceresses tower is this way," Arulia said as she lead away from the upper part that was lead up by stairs of the marketplace.

"IS this really the way.." Said Yume.

"Mhm hmm, just this way" Said Arulia.

"It's nice to make new friends" I said.

"I didn't have many friends where I grew up" I said.

"Hey Arulia, how about after this, what do you say about joining our party and following us on an epic quest to find someone and bring them home, and to stop a powerful rogue from whatever he plans to do?" I said.

"Mhm, I'll think about it" Said Arulia.

We followed a path which was dampened by darkened grass, old crudely patched up cobblestone and a feeling that we shouldn't keep going this way.

"She sure picks a place to live, an abandoned tower ,huh?" I said.

Yume sighed and we continued along, the darkness slowly getting blacker.

There was but a light in the distance, near the window of what could only be the tower that Arulia spoke about, the tower itself looked like a spooky face.

We went on our ways inside...