Today, the usual hike up the hill to Ace's house felt harder to Jack for some reason. The sun was stinging his skin differently, and the stinging of his eyes from lack of sleep seemed to mock him. He was nervous, but it didn't feel right to be in negative anticipation. He should be excited. Did it always take this long to reach the house? The porch was empty. Jack was hoping to see Tenny sitting there to break the ice and bring a sense of normality.

Stella ran up to the door and knocked three times before entering. Empty. They wondered if he left already, but he said next week. Jack's emotions were mixed. He was glad for the time to prepare himself but was also hoping to just jump into where this decision would take him. Jack apologised to Stella for keeping her back, but really tried his best to not get her to leave. It wasn't long before they saw the pointy ears rising over the bend.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here. Were you waiting long?" Ace said dripping with sweat and keeping his distance. Every time the wind brought his scent towards them, they were grateful for his decision.

"No, we didn't want to come too early anyway in case you were busy. Seems we were right, just a bit off," Stella said in a happy tone. She was curious to hear what they were planning.

"Oh great, if you don't mind waiting, I'll throw something on the fire, just let me clean up." Ace waited on a confirmation. Jack waited patiently on the porch with the door open to ensure no hazardous smells arrived from the kitchen. Tenny got Stella to chase him around a bit while he kept bragging about how no one is a match for him. It wasn't long before Ace snuck up on Jack lost in thought.

"How can I help you guys?" Ace sat down next to Jack as the other two gathered around.

"What did you tell my dad?" Jack's tone was serious.

"I just explained to him the same situation I did to you guys, with a little fluff so it wouldn't sound too dangerous." Ace awkwardly made his way through the sentence.

"So, he knows that he is sending me off to potentially fight the most dangerous threat in the world, but it isn't dangerous?"

"Yea I was clear on that part. I don't think you guys should worry too much about it. If everything goes according to plan, it will be a piece of cake." Stella and Jack knew it couldn't be that easy. If it was then they probably wouldn't have been up all night.

"What is the plan exactly?" Stella questioned.

"Well getting stronger is all about experience and having a path to follow. I was thinking we travel the world and gather allies and tools until the time comes. We should also see as much as we can see, since strength also comes from knowledge. If we stumble on a way to avoid the fight, then we can look at that avenue. There really isn't any structure besides letting me train you guys."

"Oh, I still won't be joining you. I was just a bit curious." Stella just pieced together the misunderstanding.

"About that," Jack chimed in, "since it is just about training. I want to help find Stella's sister first. We can train while we are looking, but I would like that to be a goal as well." Stella's eyes widened. Was this why he insisted she waited around?

"No Jack. We never talked about that. Ace has a serious mission as well. You shouldn't take his request as something that can be side tracked," Stella replied with the most hostility the trio heard from her since. How much more could they do for her? She was getting tired of this guilty feeling she had from being around these two.

"I thought about it yesterday. I didn't want to say anything because I was worried that I would be overstepping. I think it is a genius idea. Miss Stella, do you think it would be okay if we join you for the time being and then you can decide if to help us?" Ace stared directly in her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was the sincerity or the complete surprise, but she felt flustered.

"Are you sure? I feel like you both are trying to make this work for my sake," Stella stated finally letting the guilt show in her voice. "You really don't have to."

"You worry too much. We can do it all, but I do have a slight request to make," Ace chippered. "I have some stuff in the village I have to sort out, and I want to give Jack some training to catch up to you, so if you can continue the search and give us word when you find a lead. Do you have much more places to check?"

"Well, this is only the second village I have passed through in this area. I have heard that the mercenary group that took her all those years ago operates in this region, so I have a couple more villages to hopefully find a lead."

"Jack, are you okay with this?" Ace questioned.

"That sounds like a solid plan. Especially if we are going to have a run in with mercenaries."

"I am not sure she is still connected to them in anyway, but it is the only lead I have."

"Well, can you stay one more night? We can help you sort out a route and I'll pack some food for your travels," Ace offered.

"I would hate to take away from anything you need, but I really don't want to turn down those meals." Stella blushed.

"Perfect!" The enthusiasm in Ace's voice gave them all a wave of cheer. The rest of the day was spent planning and laughing, and the night was another sleepless one. Jack thought of tomorrow as the starting point. How strong can he become? Would he actually be a hero? How did he even end up in this situation? Questions of the future that he really couldn't wait to answer. He should get some sleep, but between his own mind and Mathias's snoring, it was a difficult first challenge.

***

Meals packed and a plan in hand. Stella jumped on a wagon to the nearby Torrs Village as her new friends waved her goodbye. Jack was holding a spare sword from the workshop and a small shield that someone never picked up, mounted on his gauntlet. His eyes sparkled as he waited for Ace to stop waving and meet his gaze.

"Oh yea, we aren't doing that right now." Ace chuckled while scratching his head again. The sparkles in Jack's eyes dimmed and his bottom lip rose.

"What are we going to do now?"

"Well, I wrote down some notes on mimic training. It's on the dinner table at the house, so you will go brush up on that while I go into the town and finish some errands. Trust me you will be glad for the break, because this section will be a drag to go through."