The Sword In The Tree

'The Rising...'

Athena's giant red lion came to a sliding stop at the top of a hill as it suddenly exploded into a smoke of dark red cloud and began to change.

Davi, who now held Athena's stuffed animal once again as well as, a crying Athena, and an Oliver, who was holding Jakey in his arms, and attempting to calm Athena down, all landed on the top of the hill and looked around.

All they saw was dead grass for miles. No insects, or water, or anything. The sky around the area was completely blank not showing any clouds in the sky for miles. At the very bottom of the hill rested a small simple looking village that was lacking almost any color and looked so depressing.

It looked so sad, and dead...

"My tree!" Athena sobbed.

"Shut up Dawn," Davi said hitting his fried over the head.

"Owe! You devil!" She yelled smashing her fist into Davi's face knocking him to the ground, flat on his ass.

"Are we gonna do something to help?" Oliver asked holding his hand out and helping Davi back up to his feet. "I mean... A village can't go on living like this right? These kinds of conditions are terrible."

"Probably not." Davi shrugged.

"W... What!"

"I mean what exactly would we do to help?" Davi shrugged. "The Shining Sentinels, are in charge of the district of the Country now that I think about it... Any Quests would go to them, so if there is a problem they'd handle it. Unless they drop the quest and don't care, but I don't see why they would do that? And the Shining Sentinels are one of the greatest Guilds in this Country so I'd rather just sit back and leave it to them."

"So... If they have the Quest why aren't they doing anything about it then?" Oliver frowned staring down at the quiet and sad village. "I mean this village needs help. I don't understand why a Guild isn't saving them."

"I dunno. How about we find out." Davi shrugged.

"Yes!" Athena announced already running down. "I'm gonna solve whatever problem there is!" She yelled. They followed after her. She was farther ahead of them and already entered the village. Jakey's nose kept twitching as he looked around wildly.

"That reminds me." Davi thought stopping. He threw Athena's lion into the air as it glowed. "Relic Awaken! Second Form! Blood House!" He called out as her Lion glowed and began to change. The lion changed becoming a large red metal house. "Why don't we leave Jakey stay in there while we check this out," Davi suggested. "I don't know what the curse could do to him, and this place rots and shuns, those kinds of things. Animals I mean. He's a Devil-Beasts so the curse might not affect him but there's a chance it could so better safe than sorry."

"O... Oh. Good idea." Oliver said. He opened the door and set Jakey down. "I'll return." He promised setting the black wolf down as it entered the large red building.

They both turned away once more and finished their walk down to the village. Oliver continued gripping the handle of his new staff that he stole as he nervously looked around. As they entered the village they noticed a large crowd of people, that must have been the villagers, all in the center of the village. Sada was nowhere to be seen, but they heard everyone in the crowd cheering.

"Oh, are they throwing a festival?" Oliver asked confused.

"I highly doubt it..." Davi muttered. "Yo!" He grabbed on the villagers by the shoulders and turned him around. "What's up?"

"What do you think!" They yelled in anger.

"I dunno?"

"You knew here or something?" The man asked eyeing Davi up and down. "Those are some freaky teeth ya got there. You must be one of em, Demi I heard about right?"

"Yeah. We just got here." Davi shrugged. "And yep! I'm a Shark Demi!" Davi grinned opening his jaws with his fingers and showing his rows, and rows, of razor sharp teeth making Oliver, shiver at how many there were.

"Oh!" A voice said from behind Davi, and Oliver. The two turned away and saw an elderly man walking towards them. He must have been the village leader or something? He pointed his cane at Davi and smiled. "That symbol on the back of your jacket! Are you the member of a Guild!"

"Nah. Not yet. But I plan on joining one soon, and I'd say I'm a pretty good mage." Davi said saluting.

"What guild are you planning on joining?"

"Phoenix Flight."

"I don't recognize that one..." The old man mumbled. He shook his head grappling Davi's hand and dragged him into the crowd. Davi quickly grabbed Oliver by the back of his coat and dragged the boy with him. They entered the center of the village and finally saw a pissed off looking Athena.

A tree rested at the dead center of the village. It looked dead and rotten. Rotten apples were coming off of it and they smelled awful. A golden sword was impaled into the tree, up to the very hilt. Athena stood in front of it and had her hands on the sword apparently intending to remove it. Everyone was cheering her on as she gritted her teeth and used all her might to try and raise it out of the tree.

"C... C... Come on..." She growled as waves of lightning covered off of her body.

"Our Village was visited by an Arcane Knight..." The elder muttered. "She was the one who stabbed our Relic, and cursed these lands."

"Why would an Arcane Knight do that!" Oliver said with wide eyes.

"Probably from the Shining Sentinels guild, explains why they aren't down here. Plus... Those guys are all elite noble assholes." Davi muttered. "So you said 'she' visited your village. Guess it ain't Athena's dad. Unless he had a sex-change we don't know about. And joined a Guild. Nah. Can't be him. He'd just slaughter everyone in the village not just put a mild curse on them." Davi stared at the sword for a moment as realization entered his eyes. He let out a groan. "Gold sword... Ahh... God Damn it. It's her sword. That Bitch actually came to this village!" He said with wide annoyed eyes.

"Uhh. You know who that sword belongs to?" Oliver asked with wide eyes. "And uh... Language?"

"Yeah... I know who that sword belongs to... God Damn it..."

Athena's hands tightened around the blade as lighting began to crackle off of her. "I got this!" She announced. She pulled back and the cheering got even louder as the blade began to shake. "I am the best!"

"It hasn't down that before!"

"Can she actually remove it!"

"Good! Go for it weird, scary lady!"

Athena gritted her teeth as the blade moved an inch out. Her eyes went wide as the blade began to glow and she let out a yelp letting go. Steamrolled off of her hands, which had become red and blistered. She growled and pulled at it again moving it another inch but once again it glowed and she let go.

"Oww! Damn it hurts!" She screamed jumping away. She stuffed her burning hands into the dead dirt burying then in an attempt to cool them off. She pulled them off which were still rolling with rows of steam and were badly blistered. She slowly licked out and began to clean her wounded hands much like an animal would as she frowned. "That hurt..."

Davi walked towards it and placed his hand on the blade feeling it for a moment. He closed his eyes as his veins seemed to light with a blue glow. "Demi Magi Blue Vein." He said calmly as he felt the blade. A few seconds later and let go of the blade as his veins stopped glowing. "Damn it. I was afraid of that..." He sighed kicking the sword out of frustration.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"The reason those Shinning Sentinel guys aren't here. One of their members is the one who caused this for sure. They aren't letting go of the Quest or coming to solve it themselves because their member, who's a total bitch, by the way, wants to teach them a lesson for not living up to her damn near impossible standards, because she doesn't understand that, that's not how things work and sometimes you don't get your way, but she can't get that through her sick skull! Worse yet she put a curse on her damn blade. A curse stronger than I can dispell with my raw magic alone... Anyone who moved it an inch shall be smited with the power of the sun itself because she's a total bitch!"

"Why would an Arcane Knight do that!" Oliver cried out. "And... Why do I feel like you know this woman..."

"You'll come to find that not every Guild, is for the general public... Some believe only the Nobles are worth being in a Guild, and a Guild should only protect the Nobles..." Davi muttered. "That's why it's so hard for Athena and me to join one. We aren't Nobles same as you..."

"If that sword isn't removed we're done for!" The village elder bemoaned. "There must be something you can do Guild members."

"We'll figure something out," Oliver said cutting Davi off before he could speak. "I promise!"

Davi shot the boy a dirty look but was interrupted by a good laughter. A figure walked past Davi and placed their boot on the tree. It was a young ten-year-old boy. He was laughing and seemed to be wearing an outfit extremely similar to Davi's minus the Guild mark.

"Ha! This sword would be nothing if my dragon friend was here!" He announced loudly.

"Dragon?" Oliver frowned.

"If my dragon friend was here he would pull the sword out in no time!" Davi's eyes lit up as the boy talked.

"He isn't talking about Drake is he..." Davi hummed.

"Oh, Ash!" One of the villagers called out. "Why the hell would you say something like that! It's your fault we're in this mess!" They cried out.

Ash recoiled slightly. "But. But it's the truth!"

"Just shut up! You're only making things worse."

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"S... Shut up!"

"Don't talk to us that way!" A rock flew forward flying past the boy and Oliver. It hit Davi in the face making the teen's eye twitch slightly.

"Why did it hit me? Is their aim that crap?" Davi shook his head and stepped forward wrapping his arms around the boy who was apparently named Ash. "Secret Move! Child Kidnapping technique!" He lifted the boy up off the ground and sprinted out of the woods headed towards the large red building that rested in the distance.

"Hmm. I guess he was right. Those forbidden techniques the Master taught him did come in handy." Athena nodded.

"W... What kind of Master do you have!" Oliver asked taken aback.

"The kind that kidnaps Children."

"What!"

Athena ignored the question placing her hands on the sword hilt. "Damn it... I'll be able to remove it eventually... But not all at once." She looked down at her hands which were both blackened and smoking. "Two inches did that to me... Gesh it hurt."

Oliver frowned. "I... I feel so useless..." He looked back towards the old man. "Hey? Elder man. What was up with that Child? And uhh? Why did Davi kidnap him?"

The old man hummed staring at the direction Davi had taken the boy. "He really isn't a bad kid... He was just so sad when his friend left, and when that Girl, insisted our home..." He sighed. "It's just that-"

A loud bang echoed out as everyone turned towards the front of the village. A carriage pulled up led by horses that looked extremely sick and dying, no doubts the effect of coming into the area. The door opened and several guards all walked out all with smug looks on their faces.

"I know those uniforms..." Athena muttered quietly. "Those belong to the Oleander Guards... Capital of this Country. That's where the Shinning Sentinels Guild is..."

"What..."