Remembering

It was a great relief to be out of the desert. A small unnamed town opened up before Jason Pendragon and Elfin, its arching gates like the doorway to a sweet haven for the two adventurers.

This part of Grimland, known as the Outbacks, were filled with deserts and abandoned plains. Due to the high magnitude of demon attacks, slayers were always welcomed in such towns. However, this was different.

As soon as the pair stepped into the town's square, many of the locals started running off, some turning back occassionally. Jason could see the fear in their eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked Elfin just as a small kid brushed past him. An older woman pulled the boy away, muttering some crude language and finally rushing off in the direction of the quaint cabins surrounding the square. Elfin merely shook his head.

"I guess these people don't like a mage and a dragon slayer stepping into their town."

"You got that right," came a gruff, male voice. Jason and Elfin turned towards its source, only to see a green-clad dwarf glaring at them. He was tall for his species.

"Why aren't you running away?" Elfin spoke, cutting off Jason, who looked like he was about to curse.

"Cuz' I ain't scared of no no-good mecenaries sent by Griephon!" spat the dwarf.

Elfin's left eyebrow, which had been up questioningly, finally slackened. He replied, " We aren't mecenaries my good man. In fact, we're here to gather more information about Griephon."

"We're here to kick his butt!" Jason cut in. Elfin glared at him.

Laughing, the dwarf said, "Kick Griephon's behind you say? Well I ain't heard of no one talking like that about Griephon before. Name's Greenothumbos, but folks here call me Greeny."

"Pleased to meet you," said the adventurers in unison.

"Wait here while I get the locals to come outta hiding..." muttered Greeny. He stalked off, his large tummy bobbing with each step. Jason couldn't help but laugh.

*** *** ***

Slowly, household by houshold, the townspeople appeared from their cabins. They went up to Jason and Elfin, asking questions and staring in awe at the "heroes", as quoted by the people themselves.

Greeny, meanwhile, was standing with them, enjoying part of the celebrity treatment as well. Fortunately for Jason, who had a growling stomach (Elves could go much longer without food), the locals offered them food as well as free rooms in the town inn.

Black Sacks, a name derived from a mythical artifact said to be able to summon demons, was fairly hospitable. It had a toasty fire burning in the small guestroom, bringing some light to the gloom. The beds were warm and soft, with a single pillow on each. Despite the smallness of the rooms, Jason was grateful. He had not slept on a proper bed for more than five years.

As he laid down that night, he thought of all that had happened. That night when his father was murdered by one of Griephon's men--the same night he found out his mother died. That was the night he vowed revenge. After the short battle was over, he returned to the temple and got the few remaining monks to teach him the skills of combat. In return he did chores for them.

The monks taught him all they knew, and he grasped it all in just six months. However, Jason needed more. When he and the other children were told they could leave the safety of the temple, he headed to Haven Tower to enhance his knowledge of combat. It took him two years. While he was there a warm-hearted warrior also taught him the basic skills of sword-fighting.

When the warrior left the tower, Jason went with him, learning from him as an apprentice. He kept his sword's special powers a secret, and as soon as he thought he had learnt enough, he left the warrior. As he travelled alone he heard rumors about Elfin and how the mage had single-handedly taken down twenty demons in a fit a rage when he saw them killing his lover. The demons belonged to Griephon.

So now here he was. He did not know what all this would lead him to, but he knew one thing.

"I will avenge you, Father...and you too, Mom."

The Green Omen

It seemed like many moments later before Jason's feet touched solid ground. He looked around, sword drawn and ready, and saw nothing but black mist surrounding him.

Nevertheless, Jason told himself to stay alert. He crouched low and and started walking through the thickening mist, everystep producing not a sound.

Suddenly, he felt a cold vice-like grip clamp onto his right ankle. He struggled but whatever that held him was extremely strong. It yanked, and Jason fell harshly. His sword flew out of his hands and fell soundlessly a few feet behind him.

"Hello, Jason Pendragon."

The thick voice of Black Magic filled whatever environment Jason was in. He appeared before Jason, a black shadow materialising from the ground.

"Release me!" spat Jason.

Black Magic shook his head and said, "It isn't me who is holding you."

He pointed to Jason's foot, and the dragon slayer saw that what was holding him was actually a rotten and decaying hand. He did his best not to wretch.

"Now watch as I perform my magic!" said the shadow goblin, who raised his hands into the air; this motion seemed to thicken the mist further.

The decayed hand shivered, sending shivers up Jason's spine, and from the mist a skeleton appeared, its arms attatched to the hand. Its empty sockets were glowing a horrid red.

"Fireball!"

A ball of fire shot through the black mist, whipping it up with its speed. It crashed into the zombie, and the undead creature released its hold.

"Damn it! Where did that come from?" roared Black Magic.

Jason scrambled to his sword, but again fell as the zombie caught his lower tigh. Angry, Jason kicked back hard. But the undead creature couldn't feel pain.

Flashes of light shot through the darkness a little far back from Jason. He turned his head and saw that Elfin was throwing Instanlite at Black Magic. The artefact burst into a halo of blinding light when it breaks. Elfin had a limited amount of it.

Jason then realised his captor was not moving. Black Magic was too distracted to give it further orders.

"Elfin, throw an Instanlite here!" he cried out. Elfin spotted him, down and on his belly, and did as he was told. Jason closed his eyes.

A bright light engulfed the whole place, and the zombie seemed to groan, yet no sound came from it as it had no vocal chords. Indeed, light was its natural foe. The undead's body broke into pieces. Then fragments. Then dust.

"ARGHHH!" a blood-curdling scream erupted, and Jason, whose eyes were still closed, stuffed a finger into each of his ears.

When Jason opened his eyes, the mist was gone, Black Magic was gone. They were back in the desert. A green glow was cast onto the sand, and he looked up into the sky.

The shape of a hand, bathed in green light, very much like the undead's, was splayed above him. Jason found his breathing difficult. Then, slowly, one by one the fingers closed. The index, the middle, the ring, the smallest, the thumb...

At last it was gone. The green hand burned away. Jason turned to look at Elfin.

"What the heck was that?" he asked quietly, as if his voice might evoke a sand worm attack.

"An omen," whispered Elfin in the same way. "An omen of disaster..."

Of Fire and Sand

The burning house was eventually put out by a strong water spell cast by Elfin. The poor mage looked at his home, now nothing but embers, and sighed.

"Don't worry, Elfin, I'm gonna get that Black Magic guy..." said Jason sympathetically.

"I think the real question is, who is he? Where did he come from? Who sent him?"

Jason admired Elfin's spirit. Inspite of a very great loss (literally) he still could look on with determination towards his mission. Jason could only nod in response.

"C'mon then, no use moping over spilt milk..." Elfin turned to pick up his fallen Inventi. Sighing, Jason followed the elf out of the compound and into the now-quiet streets. A group of kids, elves and humans, had gathered to steal a peek. They had probably seen the smoke rising from the mansion.

As they exited the gates of Elvinio, Jason could not help but feel as if they were being followed.

*** *** ***

The desert at night was as cold as a winter snowstorm. The giant winds threw sand and dust into their eyes as Jason and Elfin headed east, where Griephon's main operations were being held.

"I think we should stop!" cried Elfin over the roar of the wind.

"No!" snapped Jason loudly. "If we stop now we're dinner for sand worms!"

"We're getting no-ARGH!"

Elfin's scream was cut short as a gigantic worm burst forth from the earth. It was yellow and had large, circular jaws lined with rotten, triangular teeth.

The worm slammed its body, seemingly at Elfin, but the mage had created a force field to protect himself from the blow.

"Elfin!" yelled Jason. His voice was nothing compared to the loud winds. He drew his blade and dashed for the sand worm. The red light glowed in the night sky. Jason leapt just as he was within range. He couldn't see, but sand worms liked to roar. He knew exactly where the monster was.

The sword pierced soft, sticky flesh. A deafening screech erupted in Jason's ear-drums as he dried to withdraw his blade. Next came the shaking. Jason dug his fingers into the worm's moist skin, feeling sick. The worm was trashing in pain. The stab was nothing, but the magical red glow was causing damage along with fireballs from Elfin's side. Jason could feel their heat.

Finally, the trashing stopped. The sword and Elfin's spells had done enough damage. The worm sank back into the sand. Jason grabbed his sword and jumped off just as the monstrosity was sucked into the earth.

"They have a weird way of dying," said the dragon slayer. Elfin merely nodded and looked around. The winds had stopped.

"What the-"

A black shadow, darker than any part of the sand around them, had suddenly appeared below their legs. Before Jason could finish his curse, he found himself falling. He turned to see if Elfin was beside him.

He no longer was.

Black Magic

"Where to now?"

"You're the adventurer. You tell me."

"Yeah well my first priotiy after training up the past ten years was to find you...then I suppose get more allies and kill Griephon."

Elfin shook his head. Obviously Jason had little of a plan. They were still at the mansion, stocking up. Elfin would put his house under tight magical security while he was gone, and if he were to die finding Griephon, the house would be sold and the money given to charity.

Jason was amazed at the different magical items Elfin possessed. There was a special bag that always remained as small as it was no matter what was placed into it. Elfin called it an Inventi. Other items included smoke bombs, dust that could explode, everliving-flame, summoners and so on. Elfin took as many things as he could. Of course, that would mean everything, for the Inventi never seemed to be full.

"Let's go," said Elfin finally. They were at the door when a sudden tingle of magi energy hit the mage. He signaled to Jason not to touch the door. Jason backed away slowly, sword drawn.

"Spellbinder!" announced Elfin, his staff pointed towards the handle. Immediately the door clicked open and burst backwards with immense force. Tapping the end of his staff onto the ground, Elfin walked out the doorway, warily looking left and right.

"We're being watched..."

Suddenly, a black ball came flying into the house, scraping Elfin's ear as he tried to duck unskilfully. The ball landed on the couch, and started ticking. Jason's eyes widened.

"Get outta here, Elfin!" he cried, diving onto the mage and pushing them out of the house as it blew into debris. Elfin's Inventi rolled onto one of the stone platforms of his pool, right next to a pair of black feet.

"Name's Black Magic, and I'm a shadow goblin," announced the creature as Elfin and Jason scrambled to their feet.

"Nobody asked!" spat Jason as he drew his sword and charged at the goblin. Leaping onto the stone platform, he took a quick swipe, only to find his opponent had disappeared. Cursing, he sliced the empty air in vain.

Elfin, meanwhile, was staring helplessly as his house became nothing but burning debris and smoke.

Shadow Zone

As soon as Jason's eyes adjusted to the light, he found himself surrounded by stone walls. Wherever he was, it was fairly wide. It had about the amount same space as the small oasis he had been resting in earlier on.

Instinct urged Jason to draw his sword, and he never doubted his instinct. The red light buzzed to life, yet it was not enough to overcome the darkness. Somehow the room was not totally dark; he could still see his hands when he held them in front of him. Readying himself, Jason crouched low, not wanting to accidentally trip over anything.

Experience told him that the room was booby-trapped, but as he began to recall what he had been doing just a few moments before, he let himself relax a little. This might just be a test from Elfin after all. Or maybe it the elf mage had been kidnapped, and his nappers had laid some sort of magical trap in the manshion. Jason could not help but feel stupid as his knowledge of magical arts was very limited.

A sharp sound, like metal nails dragged along a stone wall, pierced Jason so suddenly that the dragon slayer dropped his sword. Big mistake. No sooner had the sound stopped that a shadowy figure appeared from behind Jason, hitting him hard on the back. Jason fell, cursing.

Rolling over to pick up his sword, Jason jumped back up, summoning the red light to give him a quick look at his opponent.

It had green, greasy hair, falling all over its dark face. Its eyes were white with insane bloodlust and its jaws hung open, revealing a set of pointed yellow teeth. The two points on each of its ears were unmistakable; it was a fully-grown goblin.

The creature jumped atop Jason once more, but the swift man ducked aside before the goblin could land. Jason quickly brought his blade into position, ready for a finishing swipe. The dazed goblin got up, trying to shake its concussion away.

That was all Jason needed. With one fine stab, he let the searing light of his enchanted blade burn through the heart of his enemy. The goblin gave a sharp, defeated cry before toppling backwards onto the stone floor. Jason retrieved his sword.

Suddenly a violent tremor shook the room, causing the unprepared Jason to fall back. A quick step backwards prevented him from crashing onto the ground.

"Argh!" A stone had fallen from the ceiling, knocking Jason out.

*** *** ***

The first things he saw were those emerald eyes. Jason groaned and clutched his head, a loud throbbing ringing inside it.

"Jason Pendragon, famous bounty hunter and dragon slayer. Known for his superb combat skills and almost perfect balance. Age, eighteen. Goal: Revenge."

Jason sat up slowly, his ears buzzing.

"Yeah. Looks like you've done your research Elfin. Not many know about my purpose in life."

Elfin raised his eyebrows, saying, "Is is not the famous Pendragon family that died in the revolution against Lord Griephon?"

Jason nodded. He stood up, ignoring the pain.

"Then is it not the son who should seek revenge against the one who murdered his parents, leaving him an orphan for ten full years?"

Jason nodded once more. This time he was fighting back memories. And tears.

"Tell me your purpose in seeking me then," said Elfin, his eyes sparkling, his voice lowered.

Jason breathed in deeply before replying, "I've come to ask for your help. I know...know your loved ones died under Griephon's hands as well...I thought... " But Jason's head was still ringing. Suddenly he remembered the stone room and the ugly goblin. He wanted to ask how he got there and back. He opened his mouth to speak.

"You have passed my test," spoke Elfin, as if reading his thoughts. "I will be glad to go with you, Jason."

Jason tried to smile, but merely fainted.