After all that long discussion, the party left Lybia. They were on their way to the Lost Forest, hoping to make it to the lands beyond in order to find clues about the whereabouts of the other weapons from the Arsenal of Light.
As they set up camp in some barren land about a quarter of the way to the Lost Forest, Legend wanted to work on his fighting techniques, so he spent some time training on his own.
Since the integration of Jonas into his awakened consciousness, it was a little more difficult for him to coordinate his skills. Jonas wasn't athletic at all. He just needed to work on getting adjusted. Meg saw him and decided to go talk to him, inviting him to use that hilt he had on him ever since Gowzer's castle.
Meg: Since you're training, why not work on your sword tech?
Legend: First of all, this here is only the hilt of a sword. It looks like I just have a very expensive souvenir around my waist. Second, I don't know a thing about swords! Zarbin never believed in using weapons. Be the weapon is what he used to say. So I honestly don't know what to do with this thing.
Meg: I'll ask Richard to help you train later. But for now, it's time you learned what that hilt really is and how to use it. Things will only get more difficult and dangerous from now on.
Legend stopped what he was doing. He looked at Meg with curiosity...
Legend: So tell me, Meg... how would you know how this thing works? Come on! Aren't you a pigeon? Unless that's only some sort of a disguise... Who are you? Really!
Legend was just as puzzled as Richard about the true identity of Meg. He simply knew too much... Beast men have a humanoid form... so he clearly wasn't a beast-man... Maybe he was cursed by a powerful mage to become a pigeon... or maybe he was a vessel of another, speaking from somewhere else... Whatever the case, he clearly was no ordinary bird.
Meg: Let's just say that I'm older than I look... And with age comes wisdom! – Meg boasted while he replied, trying to steer away from Legend's real question.
Legend: With age comes wisdom… yeah, right… Doesn't wisdom include self-control? Looks like you never learned to control your temper...
Meg: Say that again, you bird-brain!!
Legend laughed out loud while Meg was throwing a fit. After a moment of laughter, he turned serious all of a sudden.
Legend: Hearing you talk is so surreal... You've got to understand, Meg... You and I were close back in my world. So interacting with you like this is kind of like a dream come true... I guess that's why it was so easy for me to accept your company even when I hardly knew you.
Meg was looking at Legend with a serious expression on his face. It was obvious that all this was hard for him to process. The good thing was that speaking to Meg was the one thing that kind of made him feel at home.
Meg: It's time to focus. I'll only teach you this once, Jonas. Pay close attention.
Legend: Uhhh... Just call me Legend... Jonas is way older than I look. Besides… it'll just confuse the others. As long as I know who I am, it's all fine. I like the name Legend, anyway... I always thought it sounded cool!
Meg: Alright, Legend. The Sword of Light is a two-handed weapon. If you want to take advantage of its power, always hold it with both hands. Try it.
Legend held the hilt of the bladeless sword with both hands, but nothing happened.
Legend: Nothing's happening. What am I doing wrong?
Meg: The sword is a living being. You must communicate with it. The language it understands is will. If you have the will to fight for justice, to defend an innocent, to vanquish evil, the holy sword will heed the intent of your heart. It will interpret your determination, and transform your will into power. This means that the more determined your will becomes, the more powerful the Sword of Light will be. And Legend... the power of that weapon you're holding HAS NO LIMITS.
Legend was so shocked that he couldn't believe what he held in his hands. It even felt exciting for him to know that he had such power in his grasp.
Legend: So it's kind of like the ring of power from the Green Lantern core, huh?
Meg looked confused after hearing that.
Meg: The what, now?
Legend: You know... the ring from the Green Lantern core... it's a weapon controlled by the power of will. It's a comic book and a TV show... they also made a movie out of it.
Meg: Please, don't... - Meg rolled his eyes and started looking annoyed again.
Legend saw Meg's face and laughed nervously.
Legend: Ok... Just willpower, right? Doesn't sound too complicated... All I've got to do is will my will... heh, heh... will my will... that's funny...
Meg: Focus!
Legend: Right!
Legend closed his eyes for a moment. He concentrated. As he opened his eyes, trying to maintain focus, he kept looking at the hilt. At some point, he looked like he was straining. Everything was silent around him. He started sweating. Legend then started to realize how silent everything was, and that led him through an entirely different rabbit hole. A fly passed by him and he attempted to follow its trajectory with his eyes. In the end, after all that focus gained and lost, nothing happened.
Meg: There's no need to force it. You'll get the hang of it eventually.
Legend: Hey, Meg... You never did clarify what's the curse or downside of wielding this sword... I think it's fair for me to know about it before I make up my mind. I'm not sure I even want to stay here in the Arkana… This all seems like a dream come true in a sense... to be on this epic adventure. But I miss my mom and dad... my friend Maurice... I miss being home... the real world! Not that this world isn't real... you know what I mean!
Meg: I understand, Legend... You're right. I'll let you in on a little secret. The story of the previous owner of the sword.
Meg told him the story of a warrior of old.
"This warrior had mastered the power of the Sword of Light and accepted its curse. The Sword of Light is arguably the most powerful weapon of the Arsenal of Light since its power is based on the essence of Holy magic itself... it is capable of firing beams of light on a scale that's not even possible for the human mind to comprehend... The previous owner of the sword knew this and used this great power. When the focus was great enough, he could even bend time itself, even if it was only in a very limited manner. The use of the sword forbade him from leaving this dimension. So whosoever wields the Sword of Light, can never leave the dimension where its power was activated. This is the curse the Sword bestows upon its user. It is called Dimensional Lock."
Meg: So yes, Legend. If you choose to wield the power of that sword, you will never be able to return home to your world again.
Legend was lost for words. He was beginning to get excited for this great adventure... for being a hero and potentially saving the world. But this new information put things in a whole other perspective. It seemed like an easy choice, though. Who wouldn't want to go back home? But Jonas always believed in a higher calling... A greater purpose... And he was definitely chosen for a great task.
Legend now had to make a very important choice. Find a way to go back to his world (Midgard) or stay in the Arkana and face unimaginable foes and risk his life in order to fulfill a higher calling… despite the stark difference between both paths, it was no easy choice for our young hero.
Legend: Thank you for telling me, Meg.
Legend's excitement had drifted away. The sadness in his words was obvious. Legend liked the idea of being a hero. To think that he was chosen for this task made him feel special. It was frightening because it was no game. There were very real stakes involved. But not being able to ever return home was an unexpectedly high price to pay for this epic adventure.
Meg: As you said, it was only fair that you know about this – Meg paused while Legend looked like he was being taken away in deep thought… - I want you to know something very important...
Legend: What is it? – he curiously asked, while Meg was looking like he was about to say something really important.
Meg: I believe in you. In your potential. Your strength. In the future that many will enjoy thanks to you and that sword. Don't ever doubt your power. Don't ever doubt that you're special. The moment you start believing, there will be no limit to what you can do. Don't ever forget that.
Meg flew away to allow Legend to think about these things.
Legend: {A pigeon says that I'm supposed to save the world... It's so ridiculous I almost feel like laughing out loud. But this isn't even my world! Why should I risk my life to save another world? Should I really? I... I don't know what to do... I guess this entire time I've been just waiting to wake up from this dream... this delusion... it's like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone!
But... what if it's all real? What if I'm not dreaming... and all of this is a chance to become a true hero... What if it's my destiny to wield the Sword of Light? Everyone else who held it has been turned to stone... but not me... I am supposed to have it... Right?}
Legend spent a good while thinking about everything Meg had told him. Little did he know that he was moments away from making a choice that would alter his destiny forever.