The breeze was chilly on the deck of the S.S. Pandora. The waves of the ocean were gently pounding against the side of the simple transport boat. Birds could be seen flying over the calm ocean towards the beautiful sunset.
Etzel was pacing all over the deck. His heart was racing with the anticipation of following Zephyr. He had no idea where he might have been taken to, but decided to place his trust in Luna’s wisdom. The white mage could be seen at the head of the ship, slowly turning the wheel of the vessel.
Etzel couldn’t help but question her guidance. He never liked white mages. They always seemed too cocky and “above the rest”. He couldn’t deny that they were smart…but he still was having trouble believing her. He walked over to her in a huff. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he rudely asked her, “I know you’re…super smart, or whatever, but Zephyr’s in trouble. We need to make sure we’re going the right way—“
“Etzel,” Luna turned her head slowly toward him. She looked as calm as the waters they were sailing on. “Need I remind you that if it wasn’t for my foresight we would have no clue where our long lost friend? Without my wisdom, we would not be on this quest to find our mercenary? And since I seem to know where he may be, it would be best if you waited patiently until we arrive at the Western Continent.
Etzel knew this would happen. Luna had an answer to everything. He tried to interrupt. “Yes, but—“
“We are on a mission,” she continued in a serious tone, “and it would be best if you trusted in my reasoning.”
Etzel scowled and returned to his corner of the deck. He was raised in the deserts of Mysidia, where answers where typically simple and clear. Black mages never fiddle around with “long answers” or whatever Luna was doing…GAH, I wish we would just get there already…He opened his palm, and made a flame dance on his palm. Ever since they had left Luna Pandora, he had been itching to practice his magic techniques. Maybe I could have used my powers to protect Zephyr before he was captured…he thought deeply to himself.
He wondered why Zephyr would have abandoned them. If he had stuck with them, he would have stood a better chance of not getting captured. Why would Zephyr leave the group, when they had such an important quest to conquer? He shuddered at the thought of the rising of Formotiis…
“Why did Zephyr leave our trio??” Etzel said aloud, “the three of us were so awesome and powerful!” A voice from behind Etzel shouted, “Three of us? Four! Four! Four of us!”
Etzel rolled his eyes. He closed him palm, putting out the flame. The voice continued, “Flame bad! No flame on ship! Burn! Bad Etzel! No burn!”
“Will you please go away, Hasufel?!” Etzel impatiently shouted, “I don’t have time to babysit you!” Hasufel was a young warrior from the Ancient Village of the Lochi Tribe. She joined Zephyr, Etzel, and Luna when they came to the village to consult her father. The four of them were on a quest to prevent the Demon King from rising up again. Hasufel had the heart of a young doe, the courage of a lion, and the brain of a child. She jumped down from the ship’s mast. “Why we no there yet? Zephyr in danger! Need help Zephyr!”
Etzel was trying hard not to lose his temper, which was especially hard for him. Hasufel pounced over to the edge of the ship, and looked out across the horizon. Her eyes widened and she jumped up and down with excitement. “Land! Land! I see land!”
Etzel ran to the front of the ship. The Western Continent could be seen, coming closer and closer to their boat.
“At last!” he cried, “now we can save Zephyr!”
“Oh, I sincerely doubt that.”
Etzel jumped with surprise and turned around. A man stood there, if you could call him that. He had huge leathery wings, and eyes as red as blood.
Luna abandoned her post. “Xelius…why are you here?” “Etzel was confused. “W-Who is this guy??”
“Allow me to introduce myself,” he snarled in a raspy voice, “I am the eldest of the Drago Brothers, the leader of the Demon King’s army, and bearer of the Sorceress’ blessing. I have been ordered to eliminate any threat to my lord’s plan. So, if you would excuse me…” He outstretched his wings, ready to attack.
Luna pulled out her rod. Etzel reached down and grabbed his magic tomb. Hasufel cracked her whip.
“Well,” Etzel said, “I’m afraid you chose the wrong trio to challenge.”

“Hurry!” Sapphire called out behind her. Zephyr followed as fast as he could, trying not to trip over the roots of the forest floor. Arrows whizzed past him, skimming his ragged clothes. He glanced ahead, making sure not to lose sight of the mysterious ninja. They seemed to have been running for hours through the jungle, trying to lose their pursuers.
Sapphire finally slowed down to a stop, She looked around, checking to make sure that they lost their chasers, then walked over to Zephyr, who was still panting from their long flight.
“I think we’re safe here,” she said, “so long as the monsters don’t catch up to us…” Zephyr seemed paranoid about their pursuers, constantly checking behind them.
Sapphire sat down on a log. She didn’t seem out of breath in the slightest. Are all ninjas like this?  Zephyr thought to himself. Being a traveling mercenary, he had met a lot of warriors and heroes, but never a ninja. After a long pause between the two, he decided to speak up.
“So…why did you rescue me?” he asked her thoughtfully, “you could have just left me, and you probably would have been better off.” This had been bothering Zephyr ever since they left the monster town.
Sapphire looked over and smiled. “To be honest, I’m not sure.” She turned back toward the deep woods, as if she was watching something in the darkness. “I…I guess I’ve just never had a friend. I’ve always been a loner.” She stared into nothingness for a minute or so. She reminded Zephyr of himself.  After what felt like an hour, she turned her head toward him. “You’re the first human I’ve seen in a long time. Besides, even I am going to need help where we’re going.”
Zephyr sighed and put his face in his hands. “And WHERE are we going?” Sapphire laughed. “I already told you. We’re going to stop the Demon King!”
Zephyr couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He left Etzel, Luna, and Hasufel because he knew they didn’t stand a chance against this “Demon King”.
Sapphire got up from her log and sat down next to Zephyr. “So…why were you in that cell?”
Zephyr looked up from his hands. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to confide in a complete stranger what he had been doing before he got captured. She saved my life, he thought, she deserves an explanation. He decided to tell her everything. “I was traveling with three others. We were on some impossible quest to stop the Demon King before he rises again. I left because there was no chance of survival. I got captured by these monsters. End of story.” He turned away. He didn’t know why he was so angry as of late. Of course, other than the fact that he’d almost been killed by horrific monsters.
“So that’s why you were hesitant about coming with me,” Sapphire said, “uou don’t think we stand a chance.” “Well,” he said, “to be honest, I don’t think we do. Do you think the two of us can defeat Formotiis?” Suddenly she perked up, as if she heard something. Zephyr grabbed his dagger, ready to fight if need be. But she simply smiled. “No, I don’t think we’re going to do it alone.” Just when Zephyr was questioning her sanity, he heard scuffling. A pair of footsteps was running toward them…no, not one pair…three pairs… Zephyr saw three people heading right for them. He leaned forward and focused his eyes. He recognized that orange cloak, that white robe, and that ancient tunic.
“Etzel!” Zephyr called out, “Luna! Hasufel!” He didn’t expect it, but he felt overjoyed at seeing his long lost friends. But something was wrong. The three of them had a look of panic on their faces. Sapphire seemed to know what was going on. She grabbed a katana in each hand and ran as fast as lightning in the opposite direction of his friends. A hundred yards away, she called out to Zephyr. “Come on! Let’s go!!”
He grabbed his dagger and bolted toward her. He constantly looked back, making sure his friends were okay. Luna looked as if she had been fighting this “thing” that they were running from for hours. Hasufel seemed as if she had all the courage in the world, yet was too tired to use it. Etzel looked terrified. Zephyr didn’t know what they were running from, but figured it must be something utterly terrible.
After a few minutes of running, he turned to look back again, and his heart skipped a beat. No one was there. He called ahead to Sapphire. “They’re gone! We need to go back for them!!” Sapphire, who was about two hundred yards ahead, called back. “We can’t! This thing is far too dangerous!”
Zephyr knew what he had to do. He stopped in his tracks and ran toward where his friends used to be. He yelled behind him, “Go on without me!” He didn’t care if he died here. He knew this was the right thing to do. These guys are my friends, even if I did leave them. I’ll do what I can to save them, even if it means—“
“ZEPHYR!!” He heard Hasufel’s cry. He looked toward the sound. To his left, he saw Etzel and Luna fighting off something huge. He saw Hasufel struggling to her feet, pain in her eyes.
He ran toward Etzel and Luna. They saw him, and Etzel cried out, “No! Zephyr!” Zephyr didn’t care. He jumped in front of the two of them, ready for anything. And then he saw it. A giant beast stood upon two huge, dark legs. It had hands the size of boulders, and claws as sharp as dragon’s teeth. Its face resembled that of a boar, with two large tusks that looked prehistoric. 
Zephyr knew what this thing was. It was a Behemoth. Huge creatures of old, they once served thousands of years ago under the Demon King. He also knew that they killed anything in sight. It roared, and charged right toward Zephyr. He rolled to the right, barely dodging its huge palms. It rammed into a tree, but turned around, looking unscathed.
“We just need to dodge! Once he passes us by, do whatever you can to—“ The behemoth smacked Zephyr with one of its hands. He went flying into the air, and then landed on the ground with a thud. A sharp pain went up his spine. He couldn’t move. He felt paralyzed.
He looked up and saw Etzel combating the beast with all sorts of different magic, but Zephyr knew he wouldn’t last. He had to get up; he had to drive his dagger into the beast. A behemoth’s hide is tough, but his weak spot was his front side. But how could he do it, when he couldn’t move a muscle?
Suddenly, he felt cured. He winced as he moved his legs, wondering what happened. He looked down at his legs and saw Luna using her white magic to heal his paralysis. That’s right! He remembered, Luna is a white mage! She has the power to heal. He stood up, feeling strength in his limbs. He nodded thanks to Luna, who smiled and charged back into the fray. Etzel was casting a giant fireball at the behemoth when he too was smacked down by the beast.  Zephyr saw Hasufel finally get up and crack her whip. Birds of all kinds flew out of the trees and rushed towards the behemoth. Zephyr remembered Hasufel had the ability to communicate with animals. He knew this was his chance. The behemoth was preoccupied with the birds, trying to knock them out of the air.
Zephyr ran forward with all he had, only to be stopped in his tracks. Suddenly, he was frozen in midair, as if time had suddenly stopped. The only things he could move were his eyes. He saw Etzel, Luna, and Hasufel frozen just like he was. How is this possible??  He thought to himself, who is doing this…
He looked to his left and saw a man, if you could call him that. He had huge, leathery wings sprawled behind him, blood-red eyes, and a crooked smile. He signaled to the behemoth to stop it from attacking poor Hasufel, and it immediately obeyed. The man walked over to Zephyr, seeming to enjoy this moment.
“Well,” the man said in a raspy voice, “What a surprise! Four travelers, fighting a full grown behemoth! How…hilarious.” He walked over to the frozen figure of Etzel. Even though he was frozen, Zephyr could tell Etzel would do anything to break free and tear this guy apart. The man smiled and looked around at Luna and Hasufel. “I thought you might have learned you’re lesson after our little discussion,” he said, “after all, who would have thought that you would challenge my pet after fighting the great and powerful me?” He walked over to Luna. Her eyes were filled with pain. Zephyr didn’t understand why, until he looked down at her leg. She must have cut it during the fight, as it was bleeding uncontrollably. Luna…always healing others when you’re the one needing the healing.
Who is this guy anyway? I guess he encountered Etzel and Luna on their way here... his mind was racing with the anticipation of finding a way out of this. He tried to struggle, but his body wouldn’t move a muscle.
“I’m surprised you were foolish enough to challenge a behemoth, Luna,” he said to her sneeringly, “you are the leader of Lunar Pandora’s Council. I didn’t think you would even consider—“
“We didn’t challenge the behemoth,” Luna interrupted, “YOU sent it to kill us after retreating from our battle aboard the S. S. Pandora, Xelius.”
The man apparently named Xelius smiled. “Retreated? I would not call it that.” He walked to and fro the battle-beaten forest floor. “The Demon King will rise up. It is inevitable. If you try and stop us—“
Suddenly he let out an exasperated gasp of pain. Immediately Zephyr could move again. Surprised, he looked around at his friends frantically. Etzel, Luna, and Hasufel were all unfrozen as well. Zephyr looked over at Xelius. A look of horror came upon his face. It took a moment for Zephyr to realize that a knife had been planted in Xelius’ back. A figure wearing a green cloak stood behind him victoriously.
“Sapphire??” Zephyr stammered, “what are you—“ She interrupted, “no time to talk, Zephyr. We’ve got this creep to take care of.”
Xelius let out a laugh. “You think you’ve won by defeating me? With a simple knife, you think you’ve stopped ME? You mortals…so pitiful…” He let out a surprisingly triumphant laugh, and then disappeared. 
“Don’t worry,” Luna said, “he won’t be back for a good long time.” “Uhhh…guys??” Etzel stammered, “I think we’ve got a bigger problem.” Hasufel jumped up and down. “Behemoth! Behemoth!”
Zephyr turned around. He completely forgot about the giant beast. It was a few hundred yards away, getting ready to charge at them. “Listen,” Zephyr told everyone, “distract him as much as you can. I think I have an idea…”
Etzel smiled, and ran toward the behemoth. “You got it. Nice working with you again, old friend!” Luna and Hasufel looked at each other, nodded, and followed suit. Sapphire whipped out her katanas. “Here’s goes nothing,” she said with a smile, and ran toward the foe. Its eyes glared with utter hatred, as if it couldn’t wait any longer, and finally charged at full speed toward Sapphire. She dodged nimbly to the side, giving Etzel enough time to cast a fire spell on the beast. He let out a howl, and then turned toward Etzel, just in time for Hasufel to summon more birds to distract it. Luna was standing at the sidelines, silently aiding her teammates with protection spells from afar.
Now’s my chance, Zephyr thought to himself, Aim for the heart. It’s his only weak spot. He prayed a silent prayer, and pulled out his dagger. He knew it was all or nothing. He ran toward the blundering behemoth. It tried to swing at him, but Zephyr was too quick. He ducked beneath it and, realizing he was right beside the beast, thrust his dagger into its heart. It let out a howl of defeat, and fell down to the ground, sending a shockwave throughout the forest.
All five of them looked exhausted. Etzel had a cut on his left shoulder, Luna seemed to be limping, and even Hasufel had some injuries. Sapphire seemed to be the only one untouched. Hasufel cried out, “Hooray! Hooray!” “We…did it,” Etzel said. Luna smiled. “We did it together.” Hasufel looked very happy, despite her injuries.
“Sapphire,” Zephyr stammered, “Why did you come back?” She smiled and said, “I couldn’t just leave you there. And besides, we’re partners now…right?” He smiled. This was the first time he ever felt…wanted. And not just by Sapphire. Etzel, Luna, and Hasufel walked over to them. This battle wasn’t over. All five of them knew what they had to do. The Demon King had to be stopped. -Fin