The Golden Key

After taking the rescued people with them, Jaden and the others flew to the north-west. Their destination was a walled off large city called Flowershade, which was located on the side of the planetoid controlled by the grand empire of Afallan.

When they arrived near the city hexagonally arranged walls, Talkid informed them that the front gates had guards that would not let them pass. So, their best bet was another way on the back walls.

"So, we gotta fly along the walls?" Eugene asked.

"Yeah, all the way!" Talkid replied with pure excitement.

As the ship soared above the it, Eugene and the others gathered near the window to take a glimpse at the city while it was still possibe. Their eyes widened as they took in the stranged vibrance of the walled off city. It looked to them as though it was a giant flower standing in the middle of the desert.

"This is—the city..!" Julia exclaimed.

"Flowershade..!" Petra's eyes widened.

"This is the first time I've seen it from above!" Lara said in an awe.

The rest of the rescued people were mesmerized as they gawked at the city from above. After all, it looked massively majestic.

"Alright, I found a good spot." Jaden announced. "We'll be landing shortly."

It wasn't long before the ship landed safely on a flat solid ground near the back walls.

"Ahhh, How I love me a sweet peaceful landing.." Eugene smiled while relaxing his shoulders.

"Dude, you have a problem.." Petra muttered sarcastically.

~Land!

Once they were on the ground, Jaden and the others led their passengers outside gradually; making sure nobody got left behind.

"I guess, we're all here." Julia confirmed.

"Now what?" Eugene sighed, shifting his gaze towards the gigantic wall few meters to his left.

Jaden then walked with Talkid towards the walls. "They must be here, somewhere.." Talkid scaned the walls top to bottom. "There!"

Jaden looked at what the little kid was pointing at. It was an empty exposed large pipe. "That's the way in?" he asked.

"Yup!" Talkid nodded.

Jaden and the others walked near it. As they were getting closer, the pipe started to appear in its true size. It was more of a tunnel than a pipe. When they looked inside, there were multiple piles of junk, and burnt out metals. Most of it was fully incinerated and melted together that it obstructed most of hollowed space.

"It looks dirty.." Petra stepped back in utter disgust.

"But that's our only way in." Jaden said.

"Okay, let's suck it up, and just get in—" Eugene tried to say, but Petra interjected.

"Hell, no!" she refused. "A place like this could be dangerous!"

As they continued arguing, Julia asked the two little kids, "You two use this tunnel often, right?"

Both Talkid and Lara nodded in unison. Julia then, came up with a new plan. She suggested that they along with the rescued people, walk in a line led by Petra.

"Wha?! Why me?!" she exclaimed.

"You have ranged weapons." Julia explained. "If anything comes out from the front, you can take care of it."

She further arranged to put Eugene in the rear to fend their back. Jaden and her would walk among the others.

After agreeing to the plan, the group began walking inside the small tunnel. It was narrow, dark, and muddy pipe with very little space to turn around inside. Mold and dirt had lined the interior wall. Jaden witnessed as Petra went gasping every time they step on something squishy.

"I think I might die before we reach the end.." Petra grumbled.

"C'mon, Noor! It could've been worse, y'know.." Jaden replied.

"Stop saying that! That's bad luck!" she shouted back.

Few minutes later, as she was leading the infelteration, Petra glimpsed light at the end of the tunnel.

"We made..!" she froze in shock for a second before charging liberatingly. "Oh God, yeah!"

Petra hastened her way forward. Getting closer towards the light until she was engulfed fully. The moment she reached the edge of the pipe, she realized it was few meters above the ground. When Petra dropped herself slowly down to the floor, she swtiched her gazed to her new environment.

The approximated buildings of odd geometry, the narrow crowded walkways, and the busy marketplace before her eyes, made Petra feel overwhelmed, but at the same time interested. The unique architechture that reminded her of old-Arabian cities mixed in with something fantastical. Although she was covered in dirt, Petra lost touch with reality for a moment.

"Yay, we made it!" yelled Eugene as he pushed himself out.

"Wow..!" Julia's jaw dropped.

"Look at all of those vendors..!" Eugene added.

"This place is so lively..!" Jaden was trying taking in all of the new scenery around him.

It's like a large city in a high fantasy setting game!, he thought to himself.

~Vohoom!

At that moment, an engine sound echoed all around them. Julia noticed a large shadow casted down at them. And we she looked up, a large ship was hovering in the sky, and flew passed them.

"That's a ship..?" Julia wondered.

"This place is really strange..!" Eugene stood still.

"Oh, look!" Lara pointed. "The water fountain is running today!"

"Wa—ter..!" Petra shook herself off, and hurried to the fountain.

~Splash!

"Ahhhh, it's water! It's really water!" Petra cried as she cleaned herself with fountain water.

Eugene and the other soon followed suit, and splashed themselves with the refreshing water. The rescued adults were shying away at first, but Lara and Talkid had successfully persuaded them to join in on the fun.

"All right," said the woman. "Where are we supposed to go now?"

"Yeah, Talkid. You said, you'll take them to your grandpa, was it—right?" Eugene asked.

"Sure! He lives in the Underground City—" Talkid was interrupted by some sudden approaching noise.

~Trumpits!

"Uhh, Talkid—is that..?" Lara pinched his shirt.

"What's going on?!" Jaden looked around.

"It's the new Council!" Talkid stormed away. "Everybody, come on!"

"Talkid, wait up!" Lara followed him.

"Huh..?!" Julia was confused.

"So, now—we're seriously running after the kid..?" Petra complained.

"Like we have a choice.." Jaden started running in the same direction with his friends and the rest of stranded people catching up.

After running through the hindering crowd, Jaden was able to catch up to Talkid and Lara. They all ended up reaching a large stadium-like plaza. There were guards in full midevial-styled silver armor, scattered around in all directions.

"OVER HERE!" Lara waved to Jaden and the others from on top of the staircase of the audience.

Once they took their seats, Jaden was curious about the gathering. Who is this new Council? And why Talkid was so eager to see them?

It hadn't been long before the all the stairs were filled. There were even some people who went on rooftops to be able to see the new Council in flesh.

"Man, it really is hot in here!" Petra complained.

"Even some of the locals aren't putting much clothes on.." said Julia.

"This planetoid is weird.." Eugene looked around him.

"Hey, hey! The Council has arrived!" Lara pointed out.

In the middle of the stadium, a clustered group of armored guards holding spears came forth. They then, stepped away, and amongst them emerged a distinctive bright man. His hair was black, long, and straight; with one side flipped to overlap the other. His face was sharp and dry. And he was wearing some sort of flashy blue royal outfit that had bunch of meddles.

~TRUMPITS!

"His excellency, Lord Gundolf Eins Eisenhaur, the new Council of Flowershade!" a guard announced.

The Council got up to the podium as the crowd went clapping like their life depended on it.

A window in Jaden's UI had put him to a shock. He couldn't believe what his [Oracle Scan], the skill that enables him to look into other individuals' stats, was making him see.

"Huh..?! That can't be..!" his eyes widened.

He's level 9999!, he couldn't believe what was on his profile. How could a human reach this level?!

When the claps wore out, Gundolf began, "Thank you, citizens of Flowershade."

As he just uttered those words, a faint voice amongst the massive crowd shouted something obscure. According to the force of their screaming, it was obvious that it wasn't coming from a big fan. Lord Gundolf, however, didn't show any sort of reaction toward it, but a sigh had managed to escape him.

"When I was informed at first—that I shall be assigned to govern this city, I had a bit of a dreading fear." Gundolf spoke. "Holding on—the dreams and desires of the people of Flowershade is something I am delighted to bear. It is not meant to be a simple task. Because it's the future that always excites me and motivates me to give!"

Gundolf then shifts his body to address the other side. "But there's those who are yet residing in the past." he said. "Holding onto the hurt, pain, anger, and rage.."

"If you are one of those, let me ask you something." Gundolf continued. "All are your feelings towards Afallan— because it conquered your home? Do you hate the Empire because it invaded Deranna?"

"..Oh, I hate you.." Jaden heard Talkid whispering with his jaw clenched. "..I hate you so much.."

"If that is what you truely believe, then I will not object. I will not run. I will take your hatred upon myself. I will carry it! And I will protect Deranna!" Gundolf raised his voice. "This is MY ATOMNTMENT!"

~Cheer!

The crowd seemed to like that speech. And soon enough, began to share their opinions.

"Wow!"

"Such a man!"

"This is Council Eisenhaur!"

"He's young, but seems serious."

"Flowershade seems to be in good hands!"

On the other hand, Talkid spited the showcase. His mouth had soon caught up to his restlessness."Even though the empire started the war..." he grumbled. "I hate this.."

"Did the empire truely invaded your country?" Eugene asked him.

"Didn't you hear that Council blabbering about that?" Petra puffed out her cheek.

"Yeah." Lara replied. "Around two years ago, Deranna lost the war, and we became part of Afallan."

"...War, huh...?" Jaden whispered to himself.

And here I thought humans were only fighting the forces of Darkness, he thought.

"What about the Axiom? Didn't they try to stop that?!" Eugene asked.

"They did nothing..." Talkid stood up angrily. "We kept waiting on them, but they let the empire have it.."

The little irritated boy pushed himself between the crowd, and walked away.

"Hey! Aren't you going to take us to your grandfather?" asked one of the rescued people.

"Yes, sorry.." Lara walked the rest away from the plaza, and into the city's street. "Hey, Talkid! Wait up!"

As they all walked with the two kids as their guide, Jaden kept on grasping his surroundings.

The streets are varryng in width, but still very crowded, he thought. There're no vehicles in this city. The closest thing resembling that is a wagon.

"Uhh, Lara," Julia said. "Where are you guys taking us, again?"

"Oh, we're heading to see grandpa! He lives in the Underground." she replied happily.

"He'll give you all food and a place to stay for a while. But then, you all better start earning your meals if you want to settle, or he'd get nasty." Talkid said with sharp tone.

"Don't worry about that. Not all of us wanna stay.." Petra sighed.

"Huh? Then, why did you come here?" Lara asked.

"We're lookin' for something." replied Petra.

"What's that?" Talkid gazed back at them.

"A key." Eugene winks. "Special one."

"«The Seven Keys of Azerrak».." Julia finished.

"Hmm—that sounds familiar..." Lara mumbled.

Jaden noticed Talkid averting his gaze abruptly.

"You've heard about them before, haven't you..?" he asked.

"Well, I heard—grandpa mentioning them once or twice.." Talkid muttered.

Talkid and Lara continued leading the group through the city. They walked across two districts. One was the residential area which was much more calm compared to the travelers' district, that was filled up with inns and busy hotels. People marched around the streets, going about their lives. The air in Flowershade had a distinct character. Jaden felt as though there were sand in the air that sort of irritated his nose.

After several minutes, the group reached a metallic door at a dead-end.

"Here we are.." Talkid said.

"So, this is..?" mumbled Eugene.

~Creak..

The large metal gate slid down, and disappeared into the ground, opening a new path. Both kids walked in immediately, with Jaden and the others following them.

The Underground area was a city under a city. There were streets and walkways lined with black cobblestones. The busy marketplace was full of merchants and customers alike. Beems of light were infelterating the Underground from small windows near the ceiling.

"Whoa. This place is something..!" Petra uttered.

"So, this is—the Underground.." Julia muttered.

"Didn't expect it to be this big!" Jaden looked around him as he walked.

"—And crowded!" added Eugene.

"Are we still in Flowershade..?" Julia asked.

"The Underground is a part of the city." Lara replied. "But this area is much more affordable. The people with little money usually settle down here."

So, the rich live on top and the poor live down here, Eugene thought. Even this planetoid suffers segregation, too.

After turning near a corner, the group stopped at an enterence covered by thick curtains.

"We're here!" Lara smiled.

The moment they step inside, a group of middle aged men jolted. One of them even drew a sword out. But once they noticed Lara and Talkid, their expressions relaxed.

"We're back!" Talkid announced.

The inhabitants of the tent had soon switched their attitude. Once they realized the nature of the situation, they decided to welcome Jaden and the others. At least until their headmaster says something different. Talkid and Lara had successfully arranged a meeting between Jaden and his group, along with the rescued people, with their grandpa, the headmaster of the tent.

"They told me grandpa is inside the Deewan." Talkid led the way to a small sitting room.

Once they entered, Jaden and his comrades gazed straight at the sole thin person with dark skin and long white beard sitting on the ground with crossed legs, and smoking something similar to a hobble- bubble. Mado thought he looked like a sage.

"Aye, if it isn't my two favorite children!" said the old man with a big smile. "Where have you been all this time?!"

"...Hehe! Dude's funny..!" Petra whispered.

"We got kidnapped by evil Rulian criminals.." Lara lowered her gaze.

"They wanted to sell us as slaves!" Talkid punched his palm. "But we defeated them!"

"Yeah! Those people saved us!" Lara pointed at Jaden and his friends.

The old man shifted his sight towards them. "Hmm?"

"Uhh—you're Lara and Talkid's grandfather, right?" Jaden waved hesitantly.

Dammit, this will make things a lot more awkward!, he thought. Why does it have to be me who speaks for everybody?!

"Only figuratively." said the old man before sucking on the hose stretching from his hubble bubble. A gargling sound echoed all over the room. "You see, a lot of the people in the Underground are orphans. They have no family left, and no place to go."

So basically, this old man is a kind of the 'Godfather' or something like that, Jaden concluded.

"My name is Arahael Borg, the Keeper of Borg's Tent. This very tent." said the old man. "Since you people helped saving these two troublemakers, what can I do to repay you?"

In response to that, one of the rescued people who accompanied the group stepped forward to inform Borg about their circumstances.

"I see.." Borg stroked his beard, and then called for one of the middle-aged men. "Tareem!"

"Yes, grandpa!" Tareem came forth immediately.

"Uh..Did he just——call your grandpa 'Grandpa'?!" Petra joked.

"Everyone here calls him that!" Lara giggled.

"See as these kind people have a readied room and meals for a while." Borg ordered.

"At once, grandpa." Tareem bowed, and gestured for the rescued people to follow him.

Old man Borg noticed that Jaden and his comrades had stayed behind. "And now, what is that you require, dear travelers?" he asked. A slight smile drew on his face. "Settle down, first of all."

"..Do we look like travelers this much..?" Julia crocked.

Jaden sat down on the ground, and took a glimpse of his comrades before he started speaking.

C'mon, Mado!, he told himself. Keep it together. It's all you now..

"We're looking for the Seven Keys of Azerrak." he manged to utter. "Talkid and Lara here told us you might know something about 'em."

Arahael Borg squinted at Jaden as he leaned back, and filled his lungs with the pleasuring smoke.

"And why are you looking for them, if I may ask?" he replied.

Not being able to answer that question, Jaden gazed back at his comrades one more time, with a troubled look.

"We wish to find our way home." Petra said.

"Is it so..?" Borg replied playfully. "Well...I have never seen the likes of you before.."

"Wha—what do ya mean?" Petra asked.

Borg stretched his hand and pointed at her and then at Jaden. "You two. The Mana you project is blessed by Bahamut." he then, pointed at Eugene. "But this boy's Mana is blessed by Shiva."

"Huh..?" Eugene and Petra looked at each other.

What is he talking about?!, Jaden wondered. Could he sense our Mana? Or..does he use a UI..?!

"You see, I have this charm that allows me to look into the Mana coursing through others." Borg explained.

"Heeh.." Borg exhaled. "The Mana is an extention of the Life Stream. The gods who have ruled over everything had blessed that extention within our bodies in different ways."

"The Astrals..?" Julia wondered.

"Shiva's blessing created the Sacred Mana, and that brought up the Sacred Arts." Eugene added.

"Yes, correct, my boy." Borg said. "And the Mystic Arts came forth from the blessings of Bahamut, the god of war." Borg said.

Petra stared closely at her hands. "I have...Bahamut's blessing..?"

"You are a strange bunch, indeed." said Borg, and glanced at Julia. His eyes narrowed as he locked on her.

"Huh..?!" she stiffened timidly.

"But this young lady," he said while staring. "Your Mana is—spiteful.."

"Spiteful..?" Eugene parrotted.

Safi's strange powers erupted at the battle with Death Gun, Eugene thought. There was that giant monster that almost destroyed the whole of Maplewood. Could that be why..?

"But," Jaden interjected. "What our Mana has to do with the Keys? What are you trying to say?"

"Clever boy!" Grandpa Borg snorted.

Then he raised one hand in front of him. "The Mana sprout out of the Life Stream," and he raised his other hand. "And the Seven Keys of Azerrak forged from the soul of the Falling Queen."

Old man Borg then, clapped both hands together saying "Everything in your journey is connected."

Jaden and the other exchanged glances for a moment, and Eugene decided to speak.

"What does that mean..?" he asked. "Can the Mana in our bodies lead us to the Keys?"

"That is certainly not wrong," Borg replied. "As long as you know how.."

These words had been enough to send Mado's mind on fire. It wasn't something he could ever think of. This new information had shed the light to him for even more possibilities. So, he wanted to make sure.

"Umm..can we call you..Grandpa Borg..?" he asked him.

"Why not?!" Borg laughed.

"In that case, Grandpa Borg—can you explain to us how the Keys and the Life Stream are connected?" Jaden said.

Borg took few sips of his hubble bubble, and released clouds of smoke above his head for a couple of times.

"That is a long story that stretched for eons.." he finally said. "When the Empire of Solheim was living its final days.."

"Before the Split.." Julia said.

"Yes. For a time, god and Cetra walked together in prosperity. But as civilization peaked, they grew arrogant. And on the day of the Queen's assension, everything fell, and her soul was sealed away." he said. "In what would later be known as the Great War of Yore, Solheim died, and the gods had ceased, and retired into slumber."

Jaden and the others listened intently to old-man Borg's story. He further explained that humans are considered the Cetra's successors. But unlike their ancient ancestors, they could not access or even obtain the means to communicate with the Life Stream. Borg also inform them that the Queen's soul had been sealed away with the power of seven natural element that later forged the Seven Keys.

"If that's true, doesn't it mean that the Queen is the one who grants the wish?" Eugene questioned.

"Whether if she does or not is still yet unknown.." Borg shook his head. "There's still plenty to learn. In the end, we are merely humans. Our connection to the Life Stream is very limited."

"Yeah, let alone the Keys had only been gathered once.." Jaden dropped his shoulders.

"But," Borg uttered. "The Mana that runs inside of us keeps us thereby the Life Stream. Hence, the gods' and the Queen's blessing is still reaching down to us. Therefore—"

"The Mana is connected to the Keys!" Petra blurted out.

"Correct." Borg nodded.

Is that for real?, Jaden thought. If everyone's Mana is linked to the Keys, why haven't anybody tried to get their hands on them? Is it 'cause not a lot of people know how?

"If I try to ask you, why did you choose to come to this planetoid?" old-man Borg stroked his beard.

Petra, Eugene, and even Julia switched their gaze to Jaden.

"Uhh, it just...felt like the right thing.." he stuttered.

"It was no luck, my boy." Borg slapped Jaden's folded thigh in front of him. "It was the Mana within you!"

"Huh?!" Jaden's comrades exclaimed.

"Yes! If you listen closely to how it courses through you, you will feel the gush!" the old man waved his hands in excitement. "Just close your eyes, and think about the Key."

Jaden nodded immediately, and although he was highly skeptical about this theory, he shut his eyes. When he exhaled slowly, Jaden cleared his head, and shifted his focus inward.

What's this?, he wondered. Is it just my anxiety, or I can sense something. A disturbance..? Or maybe some irrigular energy that's making me restless. Not just restless, it's even...drawing me in..

"Ahh..!" Jaden opened his heterochromatic eyes.

Borg gave a slight scowl, "You felt it, didn't you?"

Jaden's surprised face was obvious to every person in the room. He gulped before forcing the words out. "Grandpa Borg, how do you know all of this?"

The old man breathed in through the thin tube. "I am nothing but an old soldier to a land taken from its rightful people who worshiped the Archian.."

"The Archian..?" Eugene muttered.

"He means Titan, the god of lands." Julia replied.

"Yes.." Borg smiled whistfully. "This is Evalis—the very same land on which Solheim once stood."

"So, you don't believe in Shiva?!" Eugene exclaimed.

Talkid joined in on the conversation, "We didn't say we don't believe in Shiva! We just worship the Archian."

Borg cackled after hearing Talkid. "It is true, the people on this planetoid worshiped Titan. But there was one nation who chose to convert to the Almanac.."

"You mean—that Afallan..?" Petra asked.

"Yeah, they want the other nations to be like them by force." Lara complained.

"Other nations?!" Petra said.

"Not so long ago, there were five countries in Evalis." Borg explained. "Among them there were two nations larger than the others. The Kingdom of Rulia to the west, and the Empire of Afallan to the northeast. In their struggle against one another, the Empire has sought the aid of the Axiom, and started invading the smaller countries inbetween."

"And they ended up conquering your country, too.." Julia finished.

"Those evil killers.. They took away everything from us.." Talkid clenched his jaw in anger.

"Does that mean, they also took the Key?" Eugene asked.

"They will soon." Borg said. "The Key was last seen in the castle. It was our former princess's wedding gift from her newly-wed husband, the prince of Eudron. And since the Council has already arrived, it would be just a matter of time..."

Witnessing his friend in deep thought, Eugene asked "What are we gonna do now?"

Jaden exhaled slowly, and then said "We're gonna get into that castle and grab it first."

"Hell yeah, dude. But how?" Petra sighed.

"Grandpa Borg, you said you used to be a soldier, right?" Julia asked. "You have an idea where that Key might be?"

Arahael Borg squinted at Julia and the others for a second. "Well, you've gotten me off guard, young lady." he smiled. "But what I know may not be totally certain. The Key, most probably, would be in the castle's treasure room. It's basically at the heart of the castle."

"Oh, no.." Petra dropped her shoulders in disappointment. "That means we gotta fight our way in.."

"Maybe we can make it!" Eugene said.

"No, we can't! We'll need a plan to sneak in, first." Jaden replied.

"Oh, I can get you inside!" Talkid leaned forward. "My employer is a patron of the banquet. You can get in as his staff!"

"Really?!" Petra smiled brightly.

"Talkid, you're amazing!" Eugene shook the little boy's shoulders back and forth.

"But even if you made it inside, the treasure room is carefully hidden, and guarded." Borg waved at them with the tip of the hubble bubble's hose.

"Probably.." Julia crossed her arms.

"But you can help us with that, can't you..?" Jaden was able to look through Borg. The old man had something to offer, or he wouldn't have been concerned about warning them.

"As I said before, you are a strange bunch.." Borg nodded. He then got up, and grabbed something from the other side of the sitting-room. "This is the Light Stone. It's a Mystic Instrument that uses Mana to command things from afar."

So, it's like a remote, huh, Jaden held the Stone in his hands.

"This can open a secret passageway to the treasure room." Borg told him. "But as of now, it's empty. You need to get if filled with Mana to make it work."

"And how're we going to do that?" Jaden asked.

"Well, if you head to the Sahara to the East, you'll arrive at the Archian's grave." he said. "There, you'll find the Black Mystic Rock. It will charge the Stone, for sure."

This Light Stone is our way into the treasure room, Jaden stared down at it. And we've got us a way into the castle. But the situation in this planetoid is awefully unstable. It's in our best to not meddle. Get in, snatch the Key, and fly away fast!

Jaden stood in his place. Petra looked at him as her lips moved spontaneously.

"What's the plan, boss?" she asked.

Jaden gazed back at her, "We're goin' to the Sahara."