I awoke with the start, the sounds of screams of pain shook me as if an ogre was violently tossing me around. I got up with a start and poked my head outside of my �guest� hut and saw something that terrified me and sickened my greatly. In the middle of the village was a figure, dressed in a black robe. He held a staff that was made of two long sticks twisted and gnarled together from the base all the way to the top where a small skull sat. I could hear this maniacal laughter from where I stood. I then noticed the guards posted at my hut were dead as a doorknob. Lightning bolts sprang from the wizard�s fingers, the targets were a group of children. One thing I can�t stand is senseless murder, but on top of it all, I cannot stand idly by and watch someone kill a group of defenseless children. I could feel the rage building up inside of me.
Words of magic came to my mind and is suddenly sprang out of my hut and clapped my hands together, pointed towards the children, called out �Barrier Shield!� And a magical wall of force appeared, shimmering with a rainbow hue.
I concentrated heavily on my magical barrier I had erected, I had to protect the children. The wizard spun around and looked at me in surprise, obviously he hadn�t expected a magic user to appear and save the children, or even be here at all. He turned to face me fully as I eyed the children to run. When I knew they had escaped safely I lowered the barrier and returned to look at the wizard who had intended on killing those children.
My red robes fluttered around me as the soft wind rippled through them. My soft brown hair swayed in the gentle wind as well as we both met eye to eye. We stood staring at each other, analyzing each other, for what seemed to be an eternity.
Finally he spoke in a deep, dark voice, �Who dares stand in the way of the Great Valmar! Give yourself a name before I destroy you with my magic!�
I coolly responded, �I am Darkin, the sole Wizard of the Future! By my magic I will not allow you to keep on destroying this village and the people of this village!�
Valmar sneered and replied with, �I do as I wish. As for you, the �sole Wizard of the Future� you do not stand a chance!�
Valmar raised his hand and in it glowed a purple sphere of energy. I readied myself for the spell, my power is significantly weaker because I do not have my staff, the item in my possession that allows me to channel magical energies through, and all magic users have some item or another. In the case of wizards, the item is a staff and for clerics, usually their holy symbols. It took most of my energy to create the shielding for the children so I knew I couldn�t erect another barrier without the aid of my staff. My only choice is to avoid the attack. And the next thing I found myself doing was jumping out of the way of the purple orb that was shot towards me. I was sent crashing into another hut and I lay on the ground dazed for a moment. Once my senses had returned to me I scrambled to my feet and looked for a back exit. Unfortunately there was none, other than the hold I made through the side of the hut. However, I did find something which could possibly level the playing field�I found my staff. As I picked it up I heard a rumbling and another purple flash as I went flying once again through the other wall of the hut and out again into the open. I was in a lot of pain, but I wouldn�t let that stop me, now that I got my staff back.
I swung around to face him once again, he had almost prepared another purple treat for me when I then spun my staff out in front of me and stamped it on the ground. I whispered �Force Orb� and an orange ball appeared in front of me and I sent it hurtling towards the evil wizard.
At the same time the purple orb went hurtling towards me and our two orbs collided in the very middle of the positions where we stood. We both struggled to overpower the other with our Force Orbs and for the longest period of time, we were deadlocked. I was beginning to feel the sweat trickle down my brow. I gritted my teeth and gave it all I got. Slowly and surely my orb slowly began to make ground. I was leaning on my staff and I finally cried out as loud as I could and my orb broke his and then slammed into his chest. Valmar was sent flying into the air.
He cursed at me as he slowly stood up. But I didn�t give him a chance to fully recover. I wrapped my hands tightly around the shaft of my staff and I softly began chanting a spell.
�Doka nai rhan voli manos � FireBall!� I whispered. The jewel on my staff glowed bright with orange as a huge massive ball of flame formed in font of it. The evil Valmar stared at it in horror. He hastily began trying to chant a counter spell but due to lack of time and his haste, my FireBall blasted forth and his spell fizzled because of a miscasting. All that was left of him was a smoldering crater. I gritted my teeth as I slowly fell over onto the ground in exhaustion. My staff fell to my side and rolled to the feet of Blaze.
Apparently the entire village watched from a safe distance away, my battle with the evil Valmar. Blaze helped my up onto my feet and carefully carried me back to my hut and bed. There he laid me down on my bed and then looked at me with a distant look on his face and then left the room. Minutes later he arrived again with my staff and leaned it up against the wall near my bed and as he began to leave, he opened his mouth to say something but then stopped and left the hut. Apparently he had decided I was to exhausted to listen to anything. He was right, I was down right exhausted and now I closed my eyes and sighed. Having magic felt good.
Later that evening, after the dead were buried, there was a feast held in my honor, which I insisted was unnecessary but they held it anyway. I suppose that the fact that Valmar was no more was a reason to celebrate, I was just glad I was able to prove myself to the people of this village. Blaze and the village chief both looked at me with approval as I sat down at the large table. I smiled back at them and looked at the food before me. The feast was amazing, I had never eaten such well-prepared food in my life. After the eating and the entertainment was over, and the people were heading back to their homes to retire for the night, the village chief, Merin, motioned me into his hut.
�Darkin, I would like to thank you formally for saving our village from the horrible wizard, Valmar.� Merin said in a merry voice. �You have proved yourself to the whole village that you are one we can trust, and I ask for forgiveness for the way we treated you yesterday when you arrived.�
I smiled and shook my head and said, �I probably would have suspected and done the same if I were in your position. My arrival in your village was truly unexpected and surprising.�
Merin laughed and said, �That it was my boy, yes that it was. Now bygones have been bygones, may I inquire why you arrived here in the first place. From the look of you yesterday and your sudden arrival, it seemed that you weren�t expecting to arrive here in this village.�
I took in a deep breath and sighed and then began to speak, �Well, would you believe me if I were to tell you I was from the time yet to come?�
Merin blinked and was silent.
�In other words, I am from the future�� I said in a casual voice.
Another voice spoke from outside as the owner of the voice came inside the hut, �Yes, I told you so.� The voice was Blaze�s.
I looked at Blaze and then Merin as I saw they were both looking at each other with uneasy looks. Finally one of them spoke and broke the silence.
�So the do you think he is the one, Blaze? The one spoken of in the legend?� Merin commented.
Blaze walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulders. Blaze was significantly taller than I, by at least one head was. He looked at me with his midnight eyes. He then looked at Merin and said, �Yes, I do believe he is, he has already fulfilled the first part of the legend and prophecy.�
I looked at both of them, completely confused. I had barely been here two days and they already are talking about prophecies and legends.
I opened my mouth to speak but Merin cut me off and said, �I see you are quite confused dear boy. Well let me explain��
This is the legend of prophecy that has been passed through our village from generation to generation, even before our village was founded�From a time yet to be, a great hero would appear in this land. Once the hero arrived, he would face many dangers and enemies who stand in his way of his ultimate goal. He would travel the lands and many friends would soon accompanying him and help him through light and darkness. But before allies come foes of all kinds. The hero�s first would be a magic wielder of great evil. The defeat of the first foe would then gain him his first companion. And eventually after all foes defeated and all friend collected, he may then finally complete his ultimate goal. With out them, he will fall.
I stared blankly at the village chief as I thought to myself, �The shoe fits. I do have a rather large goal and I did defeat the evil wizard Valmar. But why is there a prophecy about my arrival? Didn�t I plan this all on my own? It wasn�t my preordained destiny to do this, I chose to do this.� But suddenly I remembered something, I remembered this legend from a book in my parents library. I remember reading it over and over again as a child, fascinated by it. I remember time and time again dreaming of being that legendary hero who would gather companions and destroy the evil of the world. Now I was certain, the legend itself drew me here, from my subconscious, it was this legend all along that fueled my desire to travel back in time to save the world. How could I have forgotten that legend. Then I thought to my self had I fallen into some time paradox in which I had traveled to the past before and attempted to stop the War? All of this was making my head hurt.
Merin saw the concerned look in my face and laughed. He put his hands on my shoulders and said, �Boy, it is only a legend after all. Don�t get all riled up about it. I must admit the circumstances to point to you as being this particular person but remember this, you are who you make yourself to be. No prophecy or legend or even king can tell you otherwise. Blaze and I have discussed your wishes to stop the legendary Xen from their plot. In fact we are in full support of this and we are willing to give you anything we can to aid you in your endeavor.�
At this point Blaze stepped forth and kneeled before Merin and said, �I would like to accompany Darkin in his journey, he has proved himself to be a powerful magic user, but I am afraid of what would happen to him if his magic were to fail. It is known that all magic users must rest after over exerting themselves magically. I would like to accompany him and keep him safe when he is weak�plus, I must find out if the legend is true.�
Merin smiled and placed his hand on Blaze�s head and said, �The permission is not mine to give, it is up to Darkin if he wishes a companion on his travels.�
At this point both of them looked at me. I felt nervous, I never felt nervous before. I felt as if I was being giving a chance. I sighed and then smiled at Blaze and nodded my head, �Yes, I most humbly accept your aid, Blaze.� I then turned my head to the village chief and said, �And I would very much like to thank you for giving me that initial chance to prove myself to you. And I very much appreciate your offer. For the journey we will need many supplies.�
Merin smiled and said, �We will do the best to help you prepare for the journey ahead of you, whether or not you are the hero that is told in our prophecy.�
I gripped my staff and held it out in front of me and said, �I thank you, and if there is anything I can do, at any time I will gladly be of service.� After having said that I bowed and exited the hut of the village chief, Merin. I smiled on my way back to my hut. I soon found Blaze accompanying me. �We have a long road ahead and I am going to turn in. Good night my new friend and thank you.� He just smiled as I entered my hut and I heard a soft whisper, �No, thank you, hero of legend.�