then started to have a dream, a type of dream that is too familiar for them and is having a dream reminiscing of Gale's past, of his home village in the south-west in Devandia that was thriving in it's golden age when Gale was only in his teen era. But soon one day meeting a valiant knight that is wearing bulky armour but is still agile enough to fight and a skilled fighter no matter the circumstances and normally rarely show their face to anyone only towards close friends and Gale was able to become great friends with the knight. burning buildings scattered around them.
However the situation Gale is in with the knight warrior was more drastic than the knight's normal encounter situations dealing with a caster welding multiple magical abilities, and terrorizing the town Gale was living in with the other residents as Gale couldn't fight back then and thus can only watch from a far witnessing the heroic warrior battling it out against an army of ogres, undead warriors, and many more that were summoned by the multi-caster.
Defeating all the sorcerer's minions then began to head towards the sorcerer herself ready to slay her but was not aware of how many elemental abilities the sorcerer had in her disposal creating a barrier around herself to deflect the attack from the knight towards a distance away from each other. Elsewhere Gale was watching from a distance and wanted to help but didn't have the experience to help fight off away any minions, but instead of fighting, they needed to help the residents in Gale's home village towards a safe location away from the fight. But then a huge fireball was cast towards Gale coming straight towards them, as they get hit by the fireball suddenly it all became dark. Gale felt a jolt within quickly waking themselves from their dream dream.
Memories so driven and horrified to think as it became a mental block within Gale, too traumatic to even remember of their former friend. But feeling a bit dizzy after the spell casted from the great mage suddenly wakes up and sees themselves chained up and armor still intact as it hasn't been touch.
"Hello? Ralian, Jin, Captain anyone there"
Gale tries to look around their surroundings trying to look for their friends and sees Ralian across the next cellar.
"Ralian are you there"
"Of course Gale I'm here"
"How long I've been out for"
"A few hours. Some guards try to pry open your armor but couldn't, but they took our weapons"
"That's an invasion of privacy"
"Invasion of privacy? Gale look at the bigger picture here the Great Mage took the others in his lair"
"How do you know that?"
"I listen to the guards"
"Okay then well can you activate your magic?"
"I afraid I cannot"
"What how come?"
"These darn chains has a binding spell. Meaning I cannot active my spells".
Gale, seeing the themselves in chains, tries to break free but to no avail but as they soon took a quick glimpse at Ralian to see if she's looking at them. As she is not but feels defeated, noticing Ralian is not paying attention to them. Gale takes a deep breathe as they then manipulates their body, changing every parts of his body till they are small enough to get out of the armor as it was now nothing but an empty shell, then Gale walks out of their armor as Gale had turned into a simple small rat.
"Sorry Ralian I need to be out for a moment. I won't be gone for long" as they think to themself.
Running through the hallways in the dungeon Gale as a rat tries to look for the keys to the cellar as they see a guard, drunk and seems to be unconscious but has the keys on his waist. But not only the key on the sleeping guard's waist, but onto the table were Gale's and Ralian's weapons, as it was carelessly placed onto the table.
"This feels to easy" they think to themself.
Then suddenly Gale hears someone coming from the restroom, quickly Gale hid and sees another guard.
"Hey wake up" the guard tried to wake up the drunk guard but the guard couldn't wake the sleeping guard
"Fine be that way be prepared to get a harsh payment cut later" being easily defeated by that sleeping guard, the guard was about to leave the sleeping guard he was met with a mighty swing knocking him out instantly. Gale quickly looked up to see who punched the guard only to their surprise to see a familiar face Ezrael Fendrick.
Feeing nervous Gale attempts to sneak away "you don't have to hide from me changeling" as Gale was caught instantly by Ezrael.
"How did you know I was even here" Gale speaking though more high pitch while being in a form of a rat.
"Your aura was easy to identify not to mention I had sense a huge powerful energy all the way from Rawardia. I had my suspicions that you were needed"
"My aura was that recognizable?"
"Never mind that, but if you don't want to show your true form that is fine. However, you still have a job to do, and it's to help your friends" Ezrael then grabs the key from the sleeping guard and gives it to Gale.
"Now go forth the ones who honors their friend's name. We'll shall meet again, when I myself face my own conflict and to be in my aid when the time comes"
Then Ezrael leaves Gale suddenly vanishing off from a distance thanks to a puff of smoke emitting from his feet. With the key in Gale's clutches, Gale quickly ran back towards their cellar and first checking on Ralian if she heard they're conversation with Ezrael to only see her lying there still feeling defeated. Quickly Gale ran back into their armor as Gale reform they're body back into its original form and unlocks all the chains from their body and then unlocks his own cellar door.
"Hey Ralian are you still there" Gale trying to get her attention banging on the bars of the cell as she finally looks at Gale
"What is it Gale" Gale then shows the keys
"Wait... how did you get the keys?"
Then Gale proceeds to open the cell door and frees Ralian from the chains "no time to explain. The Crusaders need our help"
As Gale helps Ralian gets up putting back onto her feet, but they are still missing their weapons "can you still use you magic?" Ralian quickly tested out his vines incase the binding spell was still affecting her, but she managed to create a vine from below giving Gale a nod showing her power. Then unshackling themselves from the chains that were latched onto their legs they quickly run out of the dungeon but they quickly stopped by the two unconscious guards they got back their weapons, as they are needed to save The Crusader from the Great Mage. However now need to be even more wary from their surroundings as they could be watch from any moment they enter from, being cautious is the only way for them to succeed.
(End of chapter 11)