"Good morning, Macy," I greet my cousin as Drake and I enter the kitchen, where she's preparing a hearty breakfast for us. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay," she looks at us. "You two look like you're ready to go. Not planning on staying for breakfast?"

"I'd thought we were going in first thing," I tell her. "But after Drake and I did our morning sex, he told me he could smell you cooking. We figured you were probably making something for us, too, and we weren't going to be rude and tell you 'no, we'd like to go now'."

"Okay," she chuckles. "Give me about five minutes, and I'll be done."

"Alright," I say as Drake and I sit at the table. "By the way, the party we met yesterday are probably going to come down here first thing. They may show up while we're eating, they seemed impatient."

"The party that didn't believe you even after you claimed to be my cousin?" Macy asks.

"Who else?" I roll my eyes. "If they show up, I'm pulling the hood back up."

"Got it," she says. "Going to keep that mysterious aura with them, then?"

"Yeah," I answer. "What are you going to tell them? You said only one party could be in the trial at a time."

"I've got an idea," she tells me. "If you're here when they show up, you'll get to hear it."

"Okay," I say.

"So how did you two sleep?" She asks.

"Pretty well," I answer. "The feel of the magic here is rather comforting, though the feel back on Granny's island is more so. I slept easily."

"I'm not surprised," Macy smiles, putting food on the table. "The island feels of the forest, rather than the wind itself. It's more suited to you than here."

She's right. While I don't mind the wind and even enjoy it, it's the forest that calms my soul, that brings full peace to me. Because of that, it makes sense that I'd feel more comfortable in an area filled with forest-attuned magic than in an area with wind-attuned magic.

Further conversation goes on hold as the three of us begin devouring breakfast. Surprisingly, breakfast actually tastes good. I remember when I was little, Macy complained about not being able to cook breakfast properly. I guess she decided to work on that skill of hers, since she lives alone and needs to feed herself.

My cooking's better, though.

"Macy," I say as I start piling seconds onto my plate. "Granny gave me an additional quest, before I left."

"She did?" Macy asks. "In addition to accompanying Drake in saving the world and your own quest in finding a treasure of immense rarity, you have a third quest going on? Your life seems to be planned out, Nate."

"This is one I can do while journeying with Drake," I shake my head, then look at Drake. "Granny's insight must be deeper than we though. I think she knew about the truth of the Elemental Crystals, even though you didn't mention them until last night."

Drake frowns for a moment, holding his fork in his mouth after having shoved some eggs in, then his eyes widen and he swallows, pulling the fork out.

"You mean that?" He asks.

"Yeah," I nod. "That."

I put a couple of more sausages on the plate, then pour some syrup onto the pancakes, letting Macy wonder for a few seconds longer. My second serving of breakfast ready, I look at my cousin again.

"You know how people who grow up in Wind Shrine Town," I say. "Have increased magical power and mana amounts if they link into the System?"

"Yes," she answers. "We also have an easier time with casting wind spells. We Wind Guardians have a tome describing how to cast the Wind Mage Skills that have been learned, even. It's not easy to learn how to do that, but it allows us some more flexibility if we need it. It's the influence of the Wind Crystal, right?"

"Yes," I nod. "The fact that the Wind Guardians have already broken down the Skills and figured out how to cast them as spells will make this easier. Granny asked me to ask each of the Crystal Guardians to begin training people from their area in spells."

"To help with the charge," Macy says. "The more people who rely on their own abilities rather than the System, the better."

"Yes," I nod. "Over the generations, they'll produce more powerful children, and if they train well enough in natural magics rather than simply using the Skills of the System, they can even pass it on to their descendants."

"Like with the Oracle and your father," she says. "I know he's able to see an item's history by touching it."

"Not just him," I tell her. "My brothers and I each inherited something as well. I can sense things. Granny says if I train it and build up my magical power, I'll even develop other abilities from our bloodline as well. If it goes too many generations without training or use, though, the bloodline will fade away."

"Okay," Macy says. "I'll make a note of this for future Wind Guardians as well. So I just need to pick some of the townsfolk and train them in magic?"

"Yes," I answer. "The more, the better. It'll probably be difficult at first, due to the cost of casting spells and the difficulty of learning magic."

"So it's best," she says. "If I train people with access already, who went with a Mage Class. They'll have an easier time with more mana and magical power. I'll try to pick a couple of younger ones as well."

"Thanks," I tell her. "We'll have another thousand years before the situation gets bad again, but as long as the Crystal Guardians do this for enough generations, and they train their own children and so on, it should spread enough to not be a problem."

"Indeed," she says. "By the way, if you're still hungry, you might want to resume eating. Drake might eat everything before you finish. Including what you put on your plate."

I look at Drake, who's in the process of shoveling more sausage into his mouth, and his face turns bright red as attention is drawn to the fact that he's apparently eaten nearly everything that was left while Macy and I were talking.

"It's fine," I look at Macy. "He's a dragon, after all. I'm sure after the workout I gave him after we woke up, he needs the food."

From the corner of my eye, I see Drake's face turning even redder as my cousin laughs.

"Making up for how unlikely it is you'll be doing those workouts once you go into the trial?" Macy asks. "Since you two will probably be more than exhausted?"

"Well, he will," I tell her. "I'm not going to be doing much other than helping navigate through traps and possibly picking any chests we come across. I might get exhausted from avoiding being hit, though."

"His attacks are that wild?" She asks.

"Nah," I answer. "He's actually somewhat competent, even with only a little bit of training. But that doesn't mean the monsters focus on just him."

"Right," she chuckles. "If someone else is closer and they're not already engaged, they'll go after them instead, most often."

"Yeah," I nod. "It's somewhat frustrating. I can fight, but definitely not against things that strong. They kick my butt rather fast, then Drake has to come and save me."

I smack his hand away as he tries to skewer one of my sausages with his fork, and he pouts at me. Ignoring that, I start eating because it does seem he's rather hungry, and if I don't start eating my seconds, he'll eat them for me.

As we finish eating, a chime sounds through the air, and Macy gives me a stern look.

"That echoes through the temple," she tells me. "Apart from certain sections, when someone uses the knocker, Nate. I'd have heard and come had you used it."

"We had to make sure you did," I tell her. "And we didn't know about the chime. I'll keep it in mind next time I come to visit."

If Drake's with me, I'm totally going to ask him to knock again.

"That's probably Jennifer and her team," Macy says. "I'll be back in a few minutes. They'll be with me."

"Got it," I pull my hood up as Macy leaves.

I manage to finish eating my breakfast before Macy returns with Jennifer and her team, and lost only a single forkful of eggs to Drake. After checking to make sure my face is hidden in the deep cowl of my hood, I tilt my head down a little as well, for added measure.

"You're already here?" Jennifer asks.

"We came here last night," I state. "Macy allowed us to stay the night."

"My great aunt would have words for me next time I saw her, if I didn't," Macy chuckles.

"Your great aunt?" Jennifer asks.

"Yes," I answer. "Her great aunt. Our grandparents were siblings. Macy, remember what I said."

"I remember," Macy tells me, then addresses Jennifer. "My cousin has informed me of your quest and the issue with Hovering Heights. I've received word from the Oracle to allow your entry into the trial."

"Why aren't you allowing it?" Jennifer asks, and I can feel the gazes of a few of her teammates on me. "Normally, I mean. He said you're not permitting entry, should someone wish to undergo the trial and charge a Crystal of Power."

Drake pulls an apple out of his Inventory and takes a bite, the crunch of the crispy apple catching the attention of more than a few of the party members.

"It's related to the same thing that's causing the situation Hovering Heights is dealing with," Macy states. "The Elemental Crystals are going into a temporary dormancy state. They are what supports the life of our world, and with this temporary dormancy state, everything is growing weaker. They need to recharge, and it shouldn't be more than a few years before things return to normal. This isn't the first time it's happened, and it likely won't be the last, it seems to do it in cycles."

This is the story we agreed upon last night, after Drake dropped the news on us about the reason the Elemental Crystals are weakening. It's much better for people to think it's just a natural thing which occurs every now and then rather than for them to know that having so many people linked into the System is what's caused the weakening state of the Elemental Crystals.

With or without Drake here to fix things, the panic would be bad. People would probably start killing adventurers when they could, to decrease the number of people linked in. Some places would probably hire adventurers to kill others.

That's one of the last things we need – a crusade against those linked into the System. The last one which happened is barely mentioned in history books, but from what's noted down, it supposedly nearly wiped out humanity on the western continent.

"If the Elemental Crystals are going into a dormant state," Jennifer says. "To recharge, wouldn't it be bad to draw more power out of them to charge a Crystal of Power?"

"Yes," Macy says. "However, the Oracle said it's okay for you to charge yours. It will not affect things too much, and your home is one of those affected the most by this."

"Thank you," Jennifer gives her a slight bow. "Wait. If he only spoke to you about us last night, how did you already speak with the Oracle?"

"It is well-known her eldest grandson can teleport," Macy tells her. "She had him bring her to me last night, after my cousin and his friend went to bed."

Something tells me that Macy's speaking the truth. Granny was here last night.

"However," Macy says. "Only one party may be inside of the trial at a time. You will need to wait until my cousin and his friend exit it."

"You were planning on going through the trial, even though you knew she was blocking it?" Jennifer asks in an accusing tone.

"My cousin and his friend," Macy says. "Have other reasons for doing the trial. You judge them for their age and my cousin's abrupt attitude and hidden identity, Jennifer. Please keep in mind that Hovering Heights isn't the world, and your people aren't the most important. I may just decide to refuse you entry. Period."

"We're here," I state. "To inspect the Wind Crystal in relation to the situation. I am a specialist who studies the ancient texts regarding the Elemental Crystals, and Drake is my bodyguard. Ignore the misleading expression on his face, his enjoyment of the apple has nothing to do with his ability to kill everyone in this room."

"But-" Jennifer begins.

"In order to enter the true Wind Shrine," Macy says. "Where the Wind Crystal is located, you need to have the Seeker of Wind Title, which you're only granted after completing the trial. Your people will manage to survive waiting a few extra days. My cousin is looking into the situation to see if there's a way to speed up the recharging and what the estimated damages will be across the globe, and I consider that more important.

"Now," Macy addresses me. "It is time for you and Drake to be off, little cousin. Jennifer, I ask that you and your party await my return, it shouldn't be too long."

Drake and I rise, then we follow Macy out of the kitchen and through the temple, until we reach a wall set with an arched stone slab engraved with the emblem of the Wind Crystal.

"By the power granted to me," Macy speaks in a clear voice. "By the great Wind Crystal, I unseal thee."

The crystal engraving glows, then the slab disappears, revealing another chamber beyond, with an access ring similar to the one for Crystal Dungeons within, another 'door' on the back wall, identical to the one Macy just disappeared.

"Entry," Macy says, then follows us inside, and when I look behind me, the entry is still there. "Don't worry, once it's passed through by the Wind Guardian, it closes. However, those of us inside can still leave. I can see why you don't like Jennifer, she really does seem judgmental of you. She made a couple of comments under her breath about you on our way to the kitchen, actually."

"Can't win them all," I shrug, then step into the access ring, and Drake follows. "Thanks for telling her the story, Macy."

"No problem," she smiles. "I've read the texts about the crusade, and the more people who know the truth, the more likely a second one will occur."

"Yeah," I nod. "Drake, it's your quest, you do the entry."

"Okay," he says, then looks at Macy. "You didn't lie. I could smell the Oracle."

"Wait," I look at Macy. "She really did visit?"

"Yes," Macy smiles. "She said that she wanted to confirm what you said to me in-person. She's having your brother take her to the other Crystal Guardians as well, just to be sure."

"That should make things a little bit easier," I nod.

It would be even easier if Calvin could teleport us to each location, but he has his own things to do that, while aren't world-saving important, are still important. Then there's the fact that Drake definitely needs to do Dungeons and gain Levels to ensure he can complete later trials, since they're more difficult with each one completed. Drake also needs to improve his combat skills to help with that. I need to become a Healer and bolster that as well, to ensure I can support Drake in the later Dungeons.

All of that combined means us traveling around is necessary. Theoretically, we could just have my brother arrange a stronger party for Drake to work with, making all of that irrelevant, but something tells me that's not a good idea.

I'm not sure what it is that's telling me that, and can only assume it's some of the power I inherited from Granny. Whatever it is, though, it tells me that we need to do this journey, or something bad will happen. If that's true, then we'll eventually find out the cause of this feeling I have.

"Good luck," Macy tells us. "When you finish, you'll be able to go through the next door and into the true Wind Shrine, where the Wind Crystal rests."

"Thanks," I tell her. "See you when we return."

Drake places his hand on the access stone, and a few seconds pass before we're transported into the arrival room for the first floor of the trial.

As with most Dungeons, the room is sixty feet on each side. Much like the rooms in the first stage of the Crystal Dungeon for the trial for the Crystal of Power, we're standing on white stone with fluffy white clouds surrounding it and making up the walls, the sky above us clear and blue, no trace of the light of dusk or dawn we saw before. I'm sure we'll see it when dusk comes and tints the clouds and stone, though.

"It's like the first stage of the other trial," Drake says.

"Yeah," I tell him. "And all twenty floors will be like this, so remember, I don't have scales that draw and disperse lightning."

"Yeah," he nods, then looks at each of the four entries into other areas. "Which way do you think we should go first?"