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Chapter One

YASUO

"Goddess I'm SO late! If only you could've mastered your teleport magic sooner Yasuo old boy!" I gasped for air as I ran down the streets of the floating magic city that is Vane. I was late for my final exam at the magic guild. I was SO close to making the elite class, I could taste it... Okay, maybe that's an over exaggeration on my part, but I HAD been studying my magic using bum off, and I couldn't afford to blow it all now by being tardy.

"Move it! Get outta the way!" I hollered to some people in the way of my beeline to the guild entrance. One thing most peculiar about the guy and his blue-haired, female, companion was their pet; a white flying cat that was running off at the mouth. I couldn't really stop to investigate; I was beginning to forget the answers to some of the test questions I had memorized.

That wasn't the last I saw of them. I was getting ready what was needed for the exam, when the guy and the winged cat waltzed right into the class! I was momentarily surprised, but tried to pay them no mind. They went around talking to everyone in the room... what a bunch of weirdoes or what? I mean, come on! Who just barges into a classroom and then talks to everyone when it's plain to see that we're about to have a MAJOR test! They finally left after talking to a fellow classmate by the name of Klyde... I guess anyone would be scared off by his "dedication" to his Mia Fan Club. Yes, Mia was a beauty, and I'd had my crush on her at one time, but the whole Fan Club thing was a bit too much in my opinion.

Later, after the exhausting three-hour test, I made a mental note to get a new alarm clock. This was THE last time I was gonna be late, and okay, staying up half the night reading manga instead of studying wasn't a good thing. I barely had time to look over my notes before the exam had started... it didn't help that I'd totally forgotten about my Fire Spirit essay.

"...Some friends of Nash I believe." Another classmate named Portia was saying. My attention was caught. Nash was the apprentice of the greatest mage in existence, Master Ghaleon. But I was planning on remedying that... No! Not become greater than Ghaleon! Who could? Me? That was about as likely as Lemia Ausa turning out to be of a male persuasion. Becoming Ghaleon's new apprentice WAS within my power and nothing was going to stop me. So I had to keep up with the news on those two consequential Vane citizens.

"I hear they're from that hick town called Burg, north of Saith. They'd help Nash in some way and he brought them here to learn magic. Hah! That's a laugh! Anyway, they were told they could roam around, I'm surprised we didn't hear Nash all the way on this side of the guild, that guy - Alex I think his name is - wandered right into Mia's room!" Everyone let out a whoop, but quickly became silent again, as the teacher's evil eye looked their way. Portia's such a gossip and normally I couldn't muster a care for half the things she said, but this was somewhat amusing. After all, Dragonmaster Dyne had been from Burg hadn't he? Maybe this Alex character was to be the next Dragonmaster! "- To Lann."

Damn! Great time for mental speculation! I had completely missed the last thing Portia said. Just as well. These three were probably nothing to worry about.

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Later that day at the library, I heard that Nash had gone with those Burg people to Lann, to check out some possible Dragonmaster imposter. What nonsense! An EVIL Dragonmaster? Not likely. But I still couldn't wait for them to get back and hear what happened.

"Ouch! Hey! Watch it!" Came a cry from below.

"Portia! I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed. I'd been so totally lost in thought standing on one of the library ladders that I hadn't noticed that I'd knocked a book off the shelf.

"You can best bet you are! What are you doing here anyway? Looking for another essay to plagiarize? Believe me when I say I'm NOT surprised." The golden-haired beast girl answered smartly.

"Hey! I DON'T plagiarize! I DO have a brain you know! But I guess that's not something YOU'D be familiar with!" I yelled back as I stepped off the ladder.

"What is going on here! Yasuo! Portia! This is a library for Althena's sake! NOT a bar in Meribia! Now contain yourselves and settle your differences or shall have to ask you to leave!" Mr. Dai whispered fiercly and left to continue his work... or whatever it was that the librarians were doing when they stood around all day.

"Look," I began before Portia had a chance for her retort. "I really am sorry. No, I'm not here for school. I'm here because I'm curious about something. So if you'll excuse me I'd like to get back to doing so and save myself from your relentless bashing of my character." I snatched the fallen book from her hand and went back up the ladder... with a smile on my face at the disbelieving look on hers.

I went back to looking up books on Dragonmasters, trying to ignore her presence. Portia wasn't a bad person... just really opinionated and I didn't care too much for what hers were of me. Now, that's enough of that. I've got to learn more about this Dragonmaster business. My specialty was in magic and I was fairly deft at welding a sword, so no, being a Dragonmaster wasn't for me... but for some reason I had to see what this was all about. I'd heard quite a bit, but even still. Something urged me to do this; it was as if... I had no choice...

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Hours later, the sky was a soft purple and blue from the setting sun, I yawned and placed another history book back in its place. There was SO much more than I'd even imagined written about the Dragonmasters of Lunar's life. Simply mind boggling. The question I was still asking myself though was, why? Why did I have such a strong desire and undying need to know more? All I wanted was to take Nash's position as Ghaleon's apprentice. Nothing more, nothing less.

I rubbed my eyes and took a seat by a nearby window, looking into the darkening sky. I could see the outline of the Blue Star as the light faded. Now there was something that didn't have much of a history. Just a desolate star, occupied by a lone tower, the Blue Spire. Some say that the people of Lunar had once thrived there. But that was thousands of years ago.

"I can't believe you're STILL here!" I flinched, and turned around. "Hey! Don't give yourself whiplash! I know I'm gorgeous but don't over do it!"

"Yes Portia, I'm STILL here. Don't you have some place to be? Something else to do besides badger me?" I turned back to looking at the sky.

"Hey, I just got finished with MY Water Spirit essay. How long ago did you finish yours?" Oh that was smooth. She never ceases to amaze me with her prying! But as she stood there gazing at me with her violet eyes, I couldn't assemble an answer. "Uh."

"Uh? I can see it's taken its toll on you. You look really tired." Portia said taking a seat beside me.

I grunted. "That's just a nice way of telling me I look like hell. Thanks."

She looked almost offended. Almost. But I knew better, she was spoiling for a fight. "Don't put words in my mouth! Can't I be concerned?"

"Why would you be? You hate my guts. Never enough gossip for you to dig up on me. Why don't you go make up something and get back to me later." The words just spilled out, and I immediately regretted saying them. Especially, at the sincere look of hurt on her face, before she fled from the library.

"Damn." I turned and rested my elbows on my knees and ran my fingers through my midnight shaded hair.

"Just one of those days huh?"

"Wha? Who are you?" An attractive blue-haired girl stood before me. She could've been mistaken for the girl from Burg. I'd never seen her in Vane before, probably a new student. Yet a bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh just another magic user trying to make a life here in Vane. It's so much nicer here, more so than Black Rose Street in Meribia."

Ok, so she didn't want me to know who she was. Fair enough I suppose. Along with this bad feeling, I was curious. "So, Lady from Black Rose Street in Meribia, what brings you to the library?"

"Books, my friend. I was hoping that you could help me find..."

"Sorry, but I'm not a librarian," I interrupted; I wanted to get out of there. At once. "But I'm sure that Mr. Dai.... Could...help-" I said with a forced grin, even as I stood unbalanced on my feet. The shelves of books, the girl before me, everything swirled and wavered to and fro, as I broke out into a cold sweat. Suddenly, I was engulfed by a pain that could quite possibly make one go insane...

Then, nothing but darkness...

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