Heroic Adventurer

His hands were cuffed, and the guardsmen led him into the heart of the village, where a huge pole stood erect. Tied to that pole was a man with a mane of silver hair and closed eyes. His crown of exotic feathers lay crooked atop his sharp skull--he was the village priest.

Jason could not help but turn away; the man's bare chest were streaked with crimson stripes, glistening in the noon's sun. Redirecting his thoughts, he asked himself: Where were Elfin and Neptune?

The guards threw him roughly onto the sandy soil. The harshness of the sand stung his cheeks.

"So you're the boy Master Griephon has told us about. You don't look so threatening!" laughed a black guard.

Jason shifted himself to face the man, saying, "Traitor! Backstabbing your people to serve a demon!"

The guard stopped laughing, his expression hardening. He used the butt of his spear and whacked it into Jason's side, where his armor failed to protect. Jason let out a muffled yell and rolled to his side in order to get a good view of the man who had struck him. The black guard scowled, the fine scar on his temple creasing as his eyes narrowed. Spitting at Jason, the man walked off.

Jason wiped the saliva off on the sand, stinging himself yet again. He saw that a group of guards had his sword with them, the red glow turned off.

"Damn it!"

"You there," came a agonised voice softly, "why they take you?"

It took awhile for Jason to realise that these people were not exactly very literate. "I don't know."

"These people...evil...come for our women..."

It was then that it dawned on Jason, that these people weren't here because Griephon sent them, but because of their own male needs. The flame of hatred burned stronger.

"Don't worry my friend," said Jason reassuringly to both himself and the tribesman, "I'll get you out."

The man's weak eyes became questioning. Jason ignored him and felt around the sand, hoping to find a piece of sharp rock or glass. Just then, another guard approached them, bringing with him a young woman, who was struggling to break free of his hold.

"Anashta!" cried the imprisoned man.

"I'll taint your daughter right in front of you old man!" spat the guard. He then grabbed the woman's bare shoulders and tossed her to the ground. Her loose loincloth dropped below her hip and her bare chest heaved as she sobbed in anticipation of what was to become of her.

Jason had seen enough. He beckoned with all his might for his enchanted sword as the guard tried to get on top of Anashta. Somehow he knew that the blade could hear him.

Anashta's father was roaring in his own native tongue. With all his willpower, Jason reached out for his blade. Suddenly, the guard who was holding it and watching his comrade do his dirty work, gave a small jump. His sadistic laughter turned to a small yelp as Jason's blade grew red in his hand. As it dropped, it sped towards Jason, cutting him free.

"ARGH!" The dragon slayer grabbed hold of his prized weapon and swiped at the guard, who was halfway atop Anashta. The guard screamed.

Heart slamming with pure fury, Jason lunged again and again. Over and over again. Every stab to ensure that his target would perish. He didn't even feel the other guardsmen grabbing hold of him, neither did he feel the stab wound at his side.

*** *** ***

Jason fell heavily onto the ground. The pain that the other soldiers had inflicted upon him finally sank in. He could feel the stab wounds at his side and arms stinging in a distant pain. His vision wavered and his eyes flickered shut.

"He's down for the count," hissed a pitchy voice.

*** *** ***

"Elfin?"

"Not now Neptune!" snapped the mage.

Neptune watched as Jason struck again and again at the already-dead man. He felt his heart thump when he saw the other guards striking him with their gleaming daggers.

"Elfin?" he said again.

Elfin didn't reply. The large bush they were hiding behind rustled. Jason took another hit in the side, yet he didnt stop stabbing.

"Elfin!" spat Neptune as he saw the dragon slayer fall.

"Okay, NOW!"

Jumping out of from behind the bush, Elfin launched a series of electrical bolts at the many guards while Neptune pulled out another handy dracomancer tool--a Fire Stormer. The device shot volts of red-hot flames equivalent to the power of a dragon's breath.

The guards were downed easily.

Elfin rushed up to Jason immediately, muttering some healing spell, while Neptune went to free the imprisoned man.

The man didn't thank them, instead, he rushed to his daughter, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

*** *** ***

"We thank you, brave people who saved our home."

Jason, Neptune and Elfin bowed as garlets of flowers were placed over their heads. Jason smiled as he realised the woman doing so for him was Anashta. She mouthed the words "Thank you" and backed away to stand beside her father.

That night, after a big feast, they rested in some guest huts. When the sun rose the next morning, they left before anyone would miss them.

Such is the way of the heroic adventurer.

A New Team

Only those who face the dreaded perils of the sea have a story to tell. Only those who braved the storm can survive. Those who don't live with nothing and are trapped by their own fears.

It was an old Piscian saying, a long one, but old nonetheless.

*** *** ***

Jason awoke, coughing up water over and over again. The light of the forest greeted him as soon as he opened his eyes.

Across the patch of green wild grass, a wateyr blue was splattered, like a touch of shading on painting. Jason immediately recognised the light as Neptune's shadow. He got to his feet, legs trembling.

"What happened?" he asked, rubbing his throbbing temple.

Neptune turned, for he was looking out through the clearing at the golden sun, and said, "I've been banished."

"What!" spat Jason, the memories of that horrible battle flooding back to him. "How could they? You saved them all!" His hands at his sides, Jason clenched them into fists, creasing the gloves of his drenched armour. Suddenly he remembered his sword, and glanced about frantically. He let out his breath in one slow drag as spotted them by the lake, balancing dangerously on a rock.

As he picked it up, another realisation struck him.

"Where's Elfin?" he practically yelled it out. Neptune pointed towards a body lying across some tall grass, flattening it. Again, Jason was utterly relieved. Where would he be without his elf friend?

"So," he started again, "why were you banished?"

At this, Neptune's fists were brought up to his head. He punched both into each other, crying out in pure anguish, "They caught me! I'm a dracomancer!" He then directed another punch into a tree trunk. There was a soft 'crack'.

Jason had heard of dracomancers before on his journeys with his old warrior mentor. They were a rare guild and practiced the arts of summoning dragons by offering an artifact or special item. That was what Jason had seen when they were fighting Gonar; Neptune had offered his Dragon's Torch to summon Leviathan.

"Oh..." muttered Jason, still not understanding.

"You see..." Neptune said in a half-whisper, "in my world such an art is...forbiddened. They're AFRAID!" He roared out the last word, his mystical watery voice shaking the lake's surface. Jason watched as the blue figure sank to his knees, knowing exactly how it felt to be torn from family and home.

Later that day, with Elfin awake, they went into a small clearing that Neptune had discovered during his usual hikes into the forest. They built a fire (it was easy when you had a mage with you) and sat around it. Jason filled Elfin in on the latest happenings.

"So, you're a dracomancer? Interesting..." mused the elf as he stroke his chin. "That was some display of power there."

Laughing, Neptune replied, "I don't even remember it. I've never summoned anything that powerful. Must have been the situation itself that allowed it." His mood seemed to have improved.

A short pause of silence ensued, broken only by the rythmic crackle of the fire.

"So, where are you two heading for after this? And what is the point of your travelling?"

Elfin turned to Jason, and vice versa. At last Elfin sighed, signalling to Jason that the Piscian could be trusted.

"We're going after Griephon. We're gonna rid the world of his evil," answered the dragon slayer. If he thought about it, it would be ironic for a slayer to be with someone who summoned the things he slayed.

Another silence. This time it was longer, and Jason could guess what Neptune wanted.

"Would you like to join us, Neptune?"

The Piscian, whose head had been down, suddenly looked up, and even though he had no visible eyes, his whole face seemed to lighten up. Like an eager child he nodded his agreement, so glad to have found a new family.

That's what they were, a family.

*** *** ***

As the three heroes moved on out of the forest and into the dying beauty of the oubacks' plains, they started to grow more comfortable with each other's company and friendship. They learnt to work as a strong team, defending each other against demons and the like.

Soon, Jason, Elfin and Neptune marched straight into trouble. In a nearby village, a raid was being conducted.

"Damn it! It's Griephon's men!" hissed Jason through gritted teeth. He moved closer to the edge of the cliff to get a better look.

The village was located just below that cliff, its straw huts messily placed all around. It was a wonder why Griephon wanted to raid such a place, for the people were backward, wearing nothing but cloths around their waist and living on nothing but water from the river Constance and raw honey.

"It'd be better if we didn't get seen, Jason!" snapped Elfin, grabbing onto his legs in a vain attempt to pull him back. Jason kicked off his grip.

Standing up, he announced, "That's it, I'm going in!" Neptune laughed, while Elfin merely sighed, fist pounding the sandy cliff in frustration.

Jason ran to the far end of the cliff, got a running start, and jumped off! The wind rushed at his face as his two companions watched, stunned at his actions.

Just as Jason was about to hit rock bottom, he plunged his glowing blade into a crevice of the rock wall, breaking his free-fall and allowing him to stabilize himself. He then kicked off from the wall, pulled out his sword and landed noiselessly on the ground.

A trap. Iron bars shot out from the sand, which flew into Jason's eyes, tempoarily blinding him as he fell on his behind. More iron bars came forth, forming a cage.

"Argh!" shouted Jason, irritated by the sand in his eyes. When he finally got it out, he wished he couldn't see again.

Four armour-clad men surrounded his cage, dangerous spears pointed threateningly at his chest.

Gonar and Leviathan

"A Piscian?"

The blue figure nodded. His head was diamon-shaped, with two sets of fin-like structures sticking out, forming ears. There seemed to be no eyes.

"What's a Piscian doing in the middle of the forest?" questioned Jason, eyebrow raised.

"Why," came that mystic, watery voice, "I live by the lake at the heart of the forest."

"The lake?" Elfin silently asked himself. That must have been why the river flow stopped so suspiciously.

After a few quick introductions, Jason and Elfin followed Neptune to the large lake. It was many yards wide and beautifully clear. Neptune dived in, and Jason was about to follow suit when Elfin stopped him.

"Piscians never invite other's to their home."

"I know. I suspect a trap too," replied Jason.

Elfin's expression was one of confusion. Throughout their many weeks together, he had learnt to trust the young man, but this was way too risky.

"You know what Piscians do to prisoners right?" Elfin whispered into his ear. Jason nodded, and jumped in. Sighing, Elfin dived as well.

*** *** ***

The cool water hit them like a refreshing breeze. Elfin cast an underwater spell to allow them to breathe in water. Meanwhile, Neptune was waiting just below the surface, signalling them to follow.

Jason felt himself unable to move. He had read about Piscians before, but this was amazing! The lake went in so deep that darkness clouded the depths of it. Beautiful, giant bubbles housed the many glowing bodies of blue. The bubbles circled a center bubble which was far bigger than the others. It was green and blue and gold all at the same time.

"That," said Neptune, obviously seeing Jason staring in awe at the bubble, "is the Power Sphere. It keeps the homes of the Piscians alive."

"Why'd you bring us here?" Elfin asked, his voice nearly lost in great awe.

Before he could get his reply, a pair of Piscians swam towards them, grabbing their wrists. Both Jason and Elfin, shocked at the sudden change of situations, tried to struggle, but underwater, their bodies were not as agile. The Piscians had obvious advantage.

"What're you doing!?" roared Jason, the underwater spell allowing his voice to travel even in the water. Jason trashed, but topped, eyes wide with horror as his sword was ripped out of its holster and thrown into the dark depths of the sea.

If he hadn't been bound, Jason would have punched his way through the Piscian holding him. Elfin was luckier, for he hid his staff in his Inventi before placing an invisibility spell upon it. If it meant any comfort to either of them, Neptune had also been bound.

*** *** ***

"Aquaea, quos quion kloree?" (My Lord, what's the meaning of this?) Neptune questioned frantically, trying his best not to shout. After all, they were in the king's personal bubble.

"Neptune, quintas gloo sree?" (Neptune, why the outsiders?) snapped the king. His crown of color-changing corals glowered in the light his translucent body emmitted. His voice was like thunder.

"Kloquomo, Aquaea...hilquoo..." his voice trailed off, and he kicked off with his legs towards the king, wanting to whisper. The guards made a move to grab hold of him, but the king waved them off with his hand.

"What the hell are they saying?" spat Jason. Elfin raised an eyebrow and shook his head in response.

The little private conversation had ended, and the king ordered his guardsmen to cut the weed that bound the three captives. Jason rubbed his wrists; the weeds were not at all pleasant to touch.

"My friends from the surface, Neptune here has told me of your amazing fighting skills. I have a little...proposition," said the king, his voice echoing through the whole bubble. He had paused to hestitate before the word "proposition".

"I sorta knew that was coming," Elfin muttered cheerily to Jason, who snorted sarcastically.

"We Piscians, have a little 'aquolem'--meaning, problem--and we were wondering if you brave warriors would accompany dear Neptune here to settle it," the king announced. At this, Neptune spun round to face his ruler, saying something that sounded like 'huh'.

"What's in it for us?" Jason, eyes always on the prize, jumped on the oppurtunity. Beside him, Elfin rolled his eyes.

Bursting with a baritone laughter, the king gasped, "Let's just say, if you don't agree to it, we have a torture bubble that hasn't been used in a long while!"

"That sucks..." murmured Jason disappointedly.

*** *** ***

They were led to a different bubble by several guards. Jason realised that the guards held spears and had green sashes tied around their waist. Neptune was rubbing his temple, obviously realising that his little deal with the king had backfired.

Lined against the curving walls of the bubble were weapons of every kinds: axes, swords, hammers, whips, spears and Piscian tools neither Elfin nor Jason recognised.

"Suit up, and prepare for the battle of a lifetime," ordered the guard, before giving out a laugh of sadistic humour.

"Battle?" Elfin turned to question Neptune. "Just what did you tell that king of yours?"

When Neptune didn't reply, Jason slammed him against the wall, causing an axe to fall onto the ground in a clutter. Elfin didn't stop the enraged man, and Neptune didn't bother to struggle.

"In the depths of this lake we live in, a horrible serpent dwells. It's called Gonar, and it's said to be unstoppable."

Jason's expression wavered.

"We're gonna face something unstoppable?" His hands dropped from Neptune's chest, and he sank onto his knees in despair. Before he even got to take a hit at Griephon, he was going to die.

Moments later they left the bubble and were brought through a dark cavern. Magical energies danced around it, somehow stopping the water pressure from crushing their lungs.

The guards left them there, and swam away fast. Elfin had his staff with him, Neptune his Dragon's Torch and Jason a longsword. He had picked it out from the weapon's bubble and it was much heavier than his magical scimitar.

All of a sudden, the earth shook and the cavern's walls seened to shriek, heralding the coming of something very, very powerful.

From the seabed burst forth a gigantic creature that resembled a sand worm, except it had flippers and a segmented body. It's jaws were lined with feet-long teeth and bone-crushing mandibles protruded from the side of its mouth. The creature--Gonar--didn't have eyes, for it didn't need them. The cavern, besides the small beams of blue light the walls emmitted, was devoid of light source.

Immediately after Gonar had emerged, the three unlucky souls sent to face it swam away, trying to get a better opening for attack. Jason dropped his heavy weapon and cursed loudly in frustration. The battle had already begun.

Elfin, staff high above his head, shot sharp blocks of ice at the beast, which howled irritably. It lunged for the mage, but Elfin was prepared.

Gonar let out another anguished howl as it's left mandible broke in two; it had gone straight towards a force field. Not wanting to let this chance slip by, Neptune took out his tool, only to realise that fire couldn't really work underwater.

"ARGH!" screamed Elfin in agony. Gonar had slammed its powerful tail at the force field, breaking it and sending the mage into a spasm.

Without his sword, Jason was useless in the battle, and Neptune didn't seem to be doing so well either...or did he?

A bright halo of white light suddenly engulfed the cavern. Jason spun round to see Neptune burning with intense energy, his Dragon's Torch between his stretched out palms. Gonar, sensing the warmth of the light, stopped its attack to turned to face the sudden outburst of magical energy.

A deafening roar was then unleashed, and whatever energy was building up inside Neptune exploded in yet another halo. Everything stopped, even Gonar. Jason felt his breath leave him.

The roar came again, and, in the same way as Gonar had, a powerful and awe-inspiring beast exploded from the ground. The waters swirled and Jason was thrown back into a stone wall, his armour saving him from a broken back. A red glow caught his eye from the bottom of the wall. He swam down to pick up his trusty sword, turning just in time to see what other monster had erupted into battle.

It was a dragon, a water dragon. Of the many dragons in the world, there were five most talked about. Overlord King of the Wind, Skyguard King of the Skies, Incendius King of Fire, Patronus King of Light and Leviathan King of the Seas. This was the fifth.

It let out its defeaning roar, a roar that gave Jason courage. He didn't notice, nor remember, what happened next. All he knew was that the next minute, he had his sword buried deep within Gonar's body. The creature tumbled onto the seabed, causing the sand to swirl and shimmer in the glow of the waters.

The Fish in the Forest

"Jason, lad! He's awake! The mage's awake!"

Jason hurried over to the couch and stood beside the much shorter Greeny. Elfin's eyes fluttered open slowly.

"What happened...?" he asked softly. His voice was devoid of energy.

"We dunno, Elfin. I opened the door and next thing I know you were passin' out all over me floor!" answered Greenothumbos. Jason shook his head, signalling that he should take over from here. Greeny shrugged and walked off to greet a guest who had been ringing the counter bell for the past five minutes.

"Elfin, you okay?"

Sitting up, the mage replied, "I've had better days." Jason couldn't help but laugh.

Elfin didn't respond to the laughter. Instead, he looked at Jason with grim eyes. The young man knew something grave had happened, or was about to.

"I saw Spellophia...going into war. It's been five hundred years since the End. And now that it's been rebuilt, it's going to face more trouble..." Elfin's voice trailed off.

With a sigh, Jason said, "That no good Griephon...don't worry. We'll get him."

"It's not Griephon," cut in the elf. "I saw the man's face. The one who will invade Spellophia. It was dark; purely evil. Jason, I fear we have dug in way too deep this time. Griephon might not be our only problem."

They stared at each other in silence, Jason's jaw hung open.

"Well I've got your things down. Have a safe trip you lot," came Greeny's voice, breaking the silence. Jason and Elfin both looked up and saw that the dwarf had taken the liberty of bringing their bags down. Jason took his small backpack and Elfin his Inventi. Thanking Greeny, they left the Short Stalkers.

*** *** ***

Using the river Elfin had followed the night before, the pair headed towards the forest. The tree spirits there would help them get more information about Griephon's location. Having split up, they met together at a small lake where the river flow mysteriously stopped moments later.

Most of the tree spirits shunned either of them, but some offered helpful hints as to where Griephon might be hiding. A majority mentioned Siege Island, a place said to be a realm all on its own. The entrance to Siege was through a portal previously locked in the heart of the outbacks. However, Griephon had ordered the portal moved to his base of operations.

There was something else that nearly all the spirits who bothered to speak talked about. The many inhabitants of the forest were being oppressed by a ferocious beast sent by Griephon himself to capture powerful spirits.

"We should help them!" said Jason strongly. Elfin nodded, smiling.

Together, they ventured deeper into the forest, so deep that, even though it was noon, the sun's rays seemed to dim. As they neared a suspicious-looking cavern, a mind-blowing sound knocked both of them to the ground.

"SHREEE_ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!"

"What the heck is that!?" bellowed Jason, but his voice was lost in the horrible sound. Elfin decided not to waste the effort. He held up his staff, one hand on his left ear, and tried to utter a Silencing Spell. However, the screech, or roar or whatever it was made it hard to concentrate.

Then, as sudden as it had began, it stopped. A weird silence permeated in the woods.

"What the heck was that?" said Jason again.

"I do believe...I don't know," muttered Elfin. Just as he finished his sentence, a body of black skin stepped out from behind the cavern. Whatever it was, it had an extremely large mouth which hung open rudely, and blood-shot eyes. Two arms extended from either side of it, and its powerful feet were lined with two claws each. Pipe-like organs stuck out from its forehead and back, forming a tail.

"That's one ugly-ARGHH!" Jason was cut off as the creature unleashed yet another screeching roar. Admist the chaos, a jet of red flames, skilfully shot, blasted right into the creature's back. It stopped its sound attack and fell on its face, (or mouth, which was still wide open) struggling to get up.

"What the heck was that?" cursed Jason for the third time then.

"No more chit-chat and let's finish off the monster!" spat Elfin, who immediately cast his Silencing Spell. The sound beast had gotten up, and tried to unleash another sound attack. It was puzzled at first, but Jason sprang forward to relieve it of its bewilderment. His sword made a graceful arch, and that was that.

"Now, what the HECK was that!?" Jason yelled, frustrated at having asked the same question so many times.

"That was my Dragon Flare, and I'm sorry if I scared you two," said a cool, watery voice. Jason and Elfin looked around, but saw no one.

"Show yourself!" shouted Elfin. He gripped his staff harder.

A rustle of leaves, and out from the thick bushes came the blue, translucent body of a Piscian, in his hands a torch of some sort.

"Hi, my name's Neptune. Please to meet you."

The Revelation

Elfin dreamt.

The hand, that green omen in the sky, kept appearing. He couldn't understand why, but he knew something was going to happen, something bad. He saw that skeletal hand close again, for the fifth time that night, in his head. He saw it burning in the eerie green light. Finally, it exploded, and Elfin the mage jolted from his sleep.

Sweatdrops were slowly trickling down from his temple. He wiped them off with his sleeve. Looking up into the ceiling, he slowly sat up.

Their friend Greenothumbos, whom they had met again while on the road, had offered to give them some shelter in his very own inn. The Short Stalkers was situated in a small plain, devoid of towns. It was meant for travellers and wasn't very big. But one dared not be picky when roaming in the outbacks.

Elfin took up his staff and headed out of his room. The guest lounge was empty, and the roaring fire had dwindled to fading embers. Greeny was snoring behind the counter. Quietly, Elfin pushed open the front door, silencing the bell with a simple spell. The cool air of the plains were very refreshing.

Even in the outbacks, paradise was present. This was the other reason Elfin had agreed to join Jason on his quest. If Griephon were to take over, the small fields of wild flowers and fresh grass would be turned into breeding havens for his demons.

In the breeze of the cool night, Elfin clenched his fist, promising to vanquish Griephon and avenge his beloved Ayla.

*** *** ***

In the darkest reaches of the outbacks, a dark, spiral tower stood majestically. Winged demons hovered around its tip, roaring and shooting out different coloured bolts of energy.

In the uppermost floor of the spiral tower, a mutant demon sat on a grotesque throne. His wings were folded around him like a cape, and his clawed fingers were coated with metal that made his claws only more deadly. A dark shadown crept towards the throne silently, but nothing escaped Lord Griephon's ears.

"What is it, Black Magic?"

"Master..." came a voice raspy with weakness. "Master I have failed...failed to kill that elf. Have mercy master...he was with someone else, a boy..."

Griephon shifted his body, so that his metal claws could be seen in the dim light. He spoke in a deep voice, "You mean you lost to a meer boy?"

"No master!" squeaked Black Magic. No one could imagine his voice to hit such a note. It was pure fear that allowed it. "I didn't mean that master! That boy...he spoke of revenge against you! He wishes to defeat you!"

Griephon merely laughed. "Then let him come! Many have tried, and their efforts lie wasted as their bodies hang, rotting in my dungeons!"

The laughter echoed in the dark throne room, and Black Magic shuddered.

"As for you, puny shadown goblin. Defeat is not an option, I have no use for you now!" Griephon raised a claw. The goblin pleaded, but his soft squeaks were never heard. The claw dropped, and a scream echoed.

Moments later, a hunched imp entered the room. He whispered into Griephon's ear, as if the walls would overhear them.

Griephon dismissed the imp and pressed a knob on his throne. Four cylindrical tubes rose from the ground. In each was a Keltic, sleeping soundlessly in some green liquid.

"The Spellforce has been revived! Go my Keltics and destroy them!"

The glass cylinders shattered. Four Keltics sped down to Earth.

*** *** ***

Elfin followed the river course down into a small valley. He sat on the grass, stuck his staff into the earth and began to meditate. He felt himself rising off the ground as his thoughts cleared. Suddenly, a horrible picture emerged in his head. Elfin clutched his searing temple and began to scream into the night sky. No one could hear him.

He fell back onto the grass, his head burning. The pictures warped and changed, becoming like a mini movie in the mage's mind. Except this movie hurt.

He saw a group of children, each one of them fighting off demons of different kinds. He saw the once-great land of Spellophia, now rebuilt, going into war. He saw a girl, tossing in her sleep. He saw her lifeline cut in half, saw her die. Another girl, this one extremely striking, had a bolt of energy shot through her. Elfin saw her body dissolving, felt her spirit leaving. He saw the gates of New Spellophia opening. A dark face clouded this vision.

Then...blank.

Elfin staggered to his feet, still holding his throbbing head. He made it to the entrance of The Short Stalkers, but just as Greeny opened the door, he crumbled onto the floor.

The Power of Teamwork

They got up early the next morning, checking out of the inn and returning to the town market. Stocking up on supplies and some new clothings, they left the town before anyone could stop them.

"We're short on money," murmured Elfin as he was counting his gold.

"Well, we can always slay some demons and claim some cash prizes?"

They agreed on that, and proceeded to the next town, which was only an hour or so away. Greenothumbos had explained that the unnamed town they had just left used to be troubled by raids and attacks by Griephon's men. They would take anything they could find; valuables, food...sometimes even women. A human girl whom Greeny had taken quite a fancy for was just taken away not long ago.

The raids had stopped since then, but the people would not let their guard down.

"They would be disappointed to find out that we left...they were counting on us restoring peace to their town," said Jason quietly. His breath slowed, and Elfin knew that the hatred he had for Griephon was slowly growing.

Elfin stopped, and so did Jason. He said, "We'll defeat him Jason." The slayer nodded.

*** *** ***

Fortunately enough, the locals of Spar were having some problems--the demon kind. Jason agreed to slay the demons if he were paid fifty gold. The desperate Sparians tried to bargain at first, but eventually relented.

The backside of Spar was an ancient ruin. The people explained that it used to be a temple for clerics till Griephon's men came and burnt it down. Again, Jason let his anger burn. His sword glowed more menacingly than before.

Elfin pulled out a special gadget, shaped like a tube. He placed the object to his eye and twisted a few knobs. Jason knew what it was, for he had dreamt of using it when he was a kid. It was an X-visor, which allowed to user to see through walls and even clothes.

"There!" Elfin erupted suddenly, the X-visor still on his left eye. He pointed towards a rundown wall far off in the distance. The wall was painted in exotic colours.

Jason started running, and Elfin, after stowing away his gadget, ran after him. The pair caught up with each other and spotted a brown tail disappearing behind the coloured wall. Drawing his staff, Elfin muttered an incantation and the sands started to swirl. Immediately after that, something invisible shot through the troubled sand like a swift bullet. The "bullet" crashed into the wall, blasting it into debris.

They neared the destroyed wall, and heard a gag. The demon, a Peril Imp, had choked on sand and was now on its back, rolling about the earth.

Jason never stopped running. He sprang and leapt onto a pile of rubble, using it as a kick-off point. He shot off, sword flashing, and never made a sound.

However, Peril Imps had amazing hearing. The creature, got to its clawed feet, enlarged its wings, and took off. It was Elfin's turn. He plunged his staff into the sand, cried out an intelligible spell and watched as the ground exploded, throwing up sand and debris. The same invisible bullet crashed into the Peril Imp, but it didn't burst into pieces, just fell. Jason took his cue and threw his sword.

There was a muffled screech, and the Imp was dead.

"Alright!" cheered Jason, throwing his hands into the air. Elfin walked up to him as he pulled out his sword. It had struck the Imp right in the heart.

"We make a great team," said the elf. Jason could not agree more.