The Unitarian Guards flanked around the enemy’s fire zone with jumps and rolls. It wasn’t just anchors that were dropping, but heavy gunfire from the 3 galleon ships. Their massive vessels loomed inside the cold, hair-striking sky. The forest below was bombarded with Energun blasts, bullets, rockets, and lasers burning lines through the greenscape. The front-line Unitarian Guards shot their Energuns upward at the spiraling enemy units. It was the same assassins Amara and I encountered. Though there were different kinds of assassins this time. 

“Deploy shields and return fire!” Keegan called out. Some of the Guards threw blue orbs which bounced over to the center of our position. The orbs flashed and constructed an energy sphere that formed on top of us. 

“What the, what’s happening?” I looked closely at how the sphere began locking itself in various electric chains. The chains sparked once the sphere solidified, blocking all enemy fire. Energun bolts and bullets bounced off the now-deployed shield. 

“Don’t worry, it's just an anti-air shield. It should buy us some time.” Amara stood up next to me, who also glanced up. You could hear the enemy’s gunfire echo just outside. 

“Keep that shield up! Prepare counter-offensives!” The Sky Pirate Galleons looming over us halted their gunfire. The hell rain they hammered down vanished in bright, glowing streaks. Every Guard on the ground noticed as they clashed weapons with the Sky Pirates’ swords. It didn’t take long for things to get even more chaotic. “Shit,” Keegan said after two orange fire bolts soared high over the ships. 

They stopped for a moment, looking down at the guns blazing. Next, reaching out to draw their weapons, they unleashed a fire wave together as a spiraling firestorm. The firestorm swirled violently and struck the shield. 

“Whoa!” The ground shook beneath us. “Are you sure it's going to hold?” I asked Amara.

She readied her taser sticks along with arm guards. “I know what I said. Stay behind me no matter what.” Amara took a fighting stance with both taser sticks in a blocking position. She looked as serious as ever. It was honestly scary how she could switch from a concerned classmate to a battle-ready warrior. Though that’s what made her amazing in my eyes. 

The sphere shield’s electric orbs began popping one by one from the heat. Cracks soon followed on the solid inner layer. “Watch yourselves!” Keegan yelled just before the whole shield exploded with shattering glass. The firestorm vanished, revealing the two bolts that had crashed through. Smoke covered the entire area, and it was harder to see again. “Show yourselves! Hands where I can see them!” I heard Keegan shout, but there was nothing other than smoke, fog, and dim fire in the distance. 

“What the heck is going on?” I glanced around, feeling my breath quicken. I was way out of my element here. “What do I do? What do I do?” Amara wasn’t here either; it's like I was taken to a nightmarish dimension. And that feeling was creeping in my chest again. “Damn it, pull yourself together, Jake,” I told myself. 

Get down! That one voice echoed in my mind. 

“What?”

A brown hooded figure with no face and glowing white eyes emerged from the smoke and jumped at me. “Oh crap!” I jumped out of the way. When I turned around, there was no one there. “Another assassin?”

Move again!

I jumped to the side for a second round when the voice said that. This time, I caught a better look at who I was dealing with. He must have been one of those Sky Pirates coming in. His entire appearance, much like how Keegan was different from typical Guards, echoed high rank. “Uh oh.”

Run!

I picked myself up with both hands and ran as fast as possible. The Elite Sky Pirate rolled after landing on the opposite side. He started running and chased after me. I didn’t know where to go, so I just dipped out in a straight line. Leaving the shattered shield dome where the fighting was.

“Jake! Jake! Where’d you go?” Amara yelled while dueling with both Sky Pirates and pyro Enhancers. “Hey!” She scoffed when another Sky Pirate surprised her from behind. “Get the fuck off of me!” Amara squatted and sprang herself high up in the air. She quickly dove backwards, and head slammed the Sky Pirate foot soldier. “Serves you right!” She hopped using her hands and landed on her feet gracefully. “Wait.” She remembered catching someone running off while in the air. “That has to be him; they went right!” Amara picked up her taser sticks and charged through the smoked field.

“Crap, crap, crap!” I jumped over a large tree root with Scorpion tail-shaped razors hurling at me, followed by a fire blast. “Are they trying to steal the tag? Why are they after me?”

Just keep running! I’ve got a plan!

“And who are you anyway?” I asked while panting, my ribs hurting from exhaustion and the kick I got earlier.

Just trust me, all I want is to help you out of this mess. 

I ran down the treeline, glancing back every couple of seconds to see where this guy was. The Elite Sky Pirate wasted no time catching their breath. They sprinted like crazy, almost as fast as Amara. “Shit! They’re catching up!” I turned around to see them right in my face. They looked like a dark giant ready to crush me. I swung my arms in front of my face, and a cluster of sky crystals erupted from the grass and pushed the Elite Sky Pirate upward. “What was that? Was that me?”

Perfect, you’ve got enough power to construct now. Keep running forward for now, though.

“What do you mean I have enough power to construct? Who are you?” I shook my head before the skull tag began glowing underneath my shirt.

You can just think of me as a friend. When the voice spoke in my mind, the skull tag glowed brighter in sync. It was unbelievable; the tag around my neck talks!

“You can speak? Are you alive or something?” I took it out of my shirt and held the tag in my palms. 

It's hard to explain right now. And there’s no time. Look, I’m not trying to hurt you. 

“You were choking me earlier!”

I know, and I’m very sorry about that. When you found me, I was basically awakened and didn’t know where I was. It was a misguided reflex, and I couldn’t control myself properly. But now I can sense clearly.

A misguided reflex when I found them? What were they talking about? “How, how can I hear you in my head?” I held my forehead while the fog around us began dissipating, but it got really hot all of a sudden.

Something’s wrong; start running again!

“Is he back?” A gust of wind pushed me to the side before a huge, blue, blazing scythe tore through dozens of trees. “What the hell, where did that come from?” I glanced around and spotted another enemy walking through the fog. The massive scythe spun around the forest like a boomerang until it returned to its wielder. 

“Wow, you’re kind of jumpy, huh kid?” The new enemy chuckled and held the scythe over their shoulder. 

I started stepping back carefully at the sight of this person. Why were all of these guys so scary looking? They’re like real-life demons out for revenge. “I, I don’t want any trouble!”

What are you doing? Don’t talk to them! We have to run!

Even though the new enemy wore a full-on headcover mask, I could tell they were smiling and laughing at me. “Ha, sorry, no can do kid! You see, my bitch ass boss needs that pretty necklace there. So stand still for me while I rip it off you!” They laughed out loud and swung the scythe around their body really fast. A flaming slash was unleashed and soared straight at me.

Quick, dodge!

I jumped over to the side but nearly tripped over my leg. “Oh no, crap!” Another gust of wind blew and straightened me up. 

Watch your footing!

“Are you doing this?” I got back up and ran off through the forest fog. I still wasn’t sure where to go, but the voice was sort of guiding me. 

Just barely. Listen to me, I’m sure you’ve noticed something’s different about you. Those crystals you created are Sky Crystals. A manifestation of the Sky Pirate King’s power. 

My shoes slid across the grass from the sudden stop. “What do you mean, the Sky Pirate King’s power?” My hands trembled, and I covered my mouth in shock. It was just one thing after another.

I know it's a lot to take in, but please just listen to me.

“I, I still don’t know who you are! How can I even trust someone I can’t see?” Silence fell over the dark forest scene like a dead leaf landing. I waited for a response, but the voice didn’t utter a single word. 

Let’s head back to the river; I want to show you something. Keep heading straight.

“I.”

You have every right not to trust me. But please, hear me out first.

I took a deep breath, trying to relax my shoulders. “Okay.” I took off again, my footsteps tapping the dirt through the treeline. The voice kept guiding me as I ran across the fog plain. There was nothing visible ahead aside from trees nearly slamming into me. It took almost ten minutes to reach the river basin. 

Stop here!

“Whoa!” I stopped all of a sudden, facing the edge of the river. “Jeez, I almost fell in again.” 

Take a closer look, but be careful, of course.

I slightly leaned forward and kept my feet steady. The water was still raging, not as much as before, but it was moving rapidly. Then I couldn’t believe my own eyes. Was this really real? Was I actually seeing the water come to a stop? After the rapids calmed down, the still water changed from my own reflection to that of a black cat with blue eyes. “What?”

Hey there, Jake Knight. It's nice to meet you face to face.

I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn’t losing it. Then again, at this point, what wouldn’t surprise me? “A talking cat? How can you talk?” I moved my head to the side gently. 

It's a lot of explaining to do. I just wanted you to be able to see me.

“How did you stop the water from moving?”

It's a trick I know, and it's one you can learn too. Now, I need you to pay close attention to what I’m about to say. Jake Knight, thank you for finding my Skull Tag. It's been a long time since anyone has worn me. But I’m already feeling pretty great with you. 

“When I found you? Wait.” I remembered something; it was a hazy vision. A dark vision, like I was looking hard into a window. “There was water, and skeleton hands?” Why did I remember something I didn’t experience? Or at least, I thought that I didn’t?

So you do remember something? It's okay if you can’t catch all of the details. Though yes, you fished me out of this very river. I don’t remember why I was there, but I guess we were both lucky then, huh?

I looked across the river, then glanced back down at the black cat reflection. “You saved me from that gas attack then?”

Right, that was pretty scary though. I almost thought I would lose you, but thankfully that's over with. 

“Thank you then, for saving me.”

Don’t mention it. Besides, now that your body has gotten used to the Skull Tag, it's accepted you. So you and I are connected now.

“Connected, so, does that mean?”

It's pretty obvious, isn't it, Jake? You’re an Enhancer now. A special one at that. As the new Sky Pirate King, you've come into possession of the strongest transformative Enhancer power. My power...

The skull reverted to the black cat’s face. The water shifted before fading. Yeah, it's complicated.

“My friend sacrificed himself to save me!”

Damn it, those two are coming again. Look, I know you have more questions. I promise I’ll answer them. But remember what I told you before. DO NOT TRUST ANYONE IN THIS BATTLE! Get ready!

“No wait!”

Two explosions erupted deep in the forest, followed by figures emerging out of the smoke screen. Trees were blown away, along with dirt and plants flying around. The fog cleared, only for a wildfire to begin to form. “Jesus Christ kid! Making us look around for you like idiots! What, were you about to swim or something?” Said the Elite Sky Pirate with the scythe. 

“Come quietly, and hand over the Enhancer relic.” The other Elite Sky Pirate, the one with the scorpion tail-shaped daggers, approached slowly as well.

"There's two of them; what am I supposed to do?" I was beginning to panic and got that feeling again in my stomach. The enemies were closing in fast, and I was cornered by the river's edge. I glanced back at it, the waters were raging on again. 

“Well, I think we’ve reached the end of the line then, kid. When you get to the other side, take a great pic of me from the afterlife!” The Scythe wielding Elite Sky Pirate chuckled and swung their weapon in front. The Scorpion like Elite Sky Pirate slid out more of those tail daggers from their pockets. 

3v2 them. The black cat’s voice sounded in my head once more. 

I felt like jumping in the river after hearing the most random, absurd suggestion ever. “Excuse me, what?” Why were they talking like that?

 “No, I can't fight Enhancers or Sky Pirates! Plus there’s only two of us.” Well, I thought that at first anyway.

A horizontal bolt of lightning flashed, and Amara zapped her dropkick at the Scythe wielding Elite Sky Pirate. I heard crunching sounds as the momentum blasted the enemy far back. Trees were torn through when the enemy crashed into them. “Hey, your fight’s with me!” Amara yelled out.

“Damn Unitarian Guard!” The Scorpion Dagger Elite Sky Pirate swung a sword that exploded near its target. Amara deployed an arm shield to block it and jumped backwards next to me.