Chapter 1 A voice in the distance "Help!" A voice shouted. Ladaroth drew his sword and ran toward the sound of cries in the distance. The more he ran the more determined he grew. Ladaroth was a shy, cowardly knight that hated war. But this time, he was sick of being a coward. He had to save the person in need. Finally ten minutes later, he reached the man in need of help. A Huge, fat, man-eating dragon was tossing around the man. "Unhand him you beast!" cried Ladaroth in his manliest voice. The dragon dropped the man and started toward Ladaroth. With his sword firmly grasped in his hand Ladaroth swung the sword missing the dragon. The dragon seemed to be laughing. "Oh no!" cried Ladaroth. "What can I do?" The dragon swung his tail at Ladaroth fortunately missing him but unfortunately hitting the sword. Ladaroth's sword flew into the pond near by. Ladaroth had given up all hope, but just then the man that he had saved dove into the pond and grabbed the sword without the dragon noticing. The man crept up behind the dragon and dug the sword into his back. The dragon yelped loudly. "Who's yelling now?" Called the man. The dragon immediately died after those words. Ladaroth walked up to the man. " Does thou have a name?" asked the man. " My name is Ladaroth." He said. "What's yours?" " My name is Glaciel." he said. "Its nice to meet you." Ladaroth said. They both shook hands. "For having the courage to come save me I will buy you a drink." Glaciel said. The two men walked into the bar and sat down to talk. "What does thou do for a living?" asked Ladaroth. " I am a knight for good King Marcel the third." Ladaroth began to get nervous. Ladaroth worked for King Fortez the enemy of King Marcel the third. He was afraid if he told Glaciel who he worked for, he would want to fight. Ladaroth did not want to lie so he said, "I work for King Fortez!" Hearing this, everyone in the bar looked over. Then, Glaciel's eyes lit up with fury. "What!?!" Glaciel shouted. Glaciel drew his bow and arrow and aimed it at Ladaroth. Right when Glaciel was about to shoot, the owner came out and told them he would that none of that in his bar. He kicked them both out. "I'll pretend this didn't happen!" Glaciel said. Ladaroth appreciated his kindness but he didn't dare utter a word. Glaciel then walked away. Chapter 2 The attack The next day Ladaroth awoke and started his chores around the castle. He could not get Glaciel off his mind. There was just something about him that was weird, something special. Ladaroth tried to just get on with his life. Then, one of the messengers called Ladaroth from down the stairs. Ladaroth walked down the flight of stairs to the messenger. "Yes?" he said. "We have just gotten word that your mother has died in a fire. I'm sorry" Ladaroth couldn't listen anymore. He had heard enough. The messenger went on. "King Marcel's troops burned the city down." He said. "They burned down my hometown!?!" He screamed. Ladaroth remembered Glaciel. Hatred came over him. Ladaroth couldn't sleep for nights. He would remember his mother and how she used to cook supper and always make his favorite meal. And how she used to always find a way to play with him even if she was busy. Finally, one night Ladaroth had a dream. He was walking through a forest with no weapons. He ran into a girl with a bow and an arrow. The girl looked up at him and then vanished. He always woke up sweating after that dream. He did not know what the dream was about or why he kept having it over and over again. A few weeks after Ladaroths mother passed away, he awoke from bed to the sounds of battle. He ran to the window. King Marcel's men were attacking the castle! Ladaroth got into his armor and ran down stairs. That's when he saw him. He saw Glaciel laying on the floor wounded. He ran over to him. "What happened?" He asked. Glaciel was too weak to answer. Even though Ladaroth was still furious at King Marcel and his men, Ladaroth picked up Glaciel and brought him upstairs to his room. Ladaroth took out his first aid kit and got some bandages out of it. He patched up Glaciel's leg. "Why are you doing this?" Glaciel finally gained the strength to ask. Ladaroth didn't answer. Then, one of Ladaroth's friends came running in the door. "What are you doing?" He asked. Ladaroth was speechless. Chapter 3 The Death Sentence Ladaroth's friend yelled out traitor! Many men ran to the Ladaroth's room. They all drew their swords. Ladaroth knew he would be killed. He was taken to the dungeon. The knight that took him there said he would die at sunset. Ladaroth started to think. Why did he save Glaciels life twice? Why was there something special about that man? Did Glaciel burn down his hometown? If so, why? The sun was setting. A man came to get Ladaroth. He led him to the King. "You have betrayed us!" The King said. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he asked. Ladaroth didn't say a word. "Take him away!" The King yelled. Ladaroth was taken where people were hanged. There he saw Glaciel ready to be hanged too. The rope was tied around Ladaroth's neck. Just when they were about to be hanged, two arrows cut both of the ropes around their necks in two. A man swung down onto the platform they were standing on. Knights started to attack the platform. "What do we do?" Glaciel asked loudly. The man ignored him and drew his sword. He fought off every knight that came on the platform. Then the ground fell from below them. "I installed a trap door on this thing last night." The man said. He shut the trap door locked it. Chapter 4 On the way to Forbid Land They were in a tunnel of some sort. "My name is Faley." He said. "Its nice to meet both of you" "I'm Glaciel and this is Ladaroth" Glaciel said. "Why did you save our lives?" Ladaroth asked. " A girl asked me to send you a message." Faley said. He handed Ladaroth a note. It read: Dear Ladaroth, I am queen of Forbid Land. I have watched you battle many times. I also saw how you saved that man's life in the forest a month ago. I need your help in saving Forbid Land. Please say you will come and help me. The man I sent to save you name is Faley. He will guide you to Forbid Land safely. Signed, Queen Albanacko Ladaroth was puzzled. "How does she know my name"? He asked Faley. " I don't know I'm just the messenger" He replied. "Glaciel would you like to come along too?" Ladaroth asked. "What? You're going? I thought you wouldn't want to go. Oh, very well I will join you." They started toward the end of the tunnel. Finally, they reached the end. " Finally!" Glaciel yelled. They came about a huge grassy plain. "What a beautiful day this is!" Faley announced. Ladaroth could tell that Faley was a nature kind of person. "So which way do we go?" Glaciel asked. "We go north from here." Faley responded. "Then lets go!" Ladaroth said. As they walked they got to know each other better. Ladaroth told them about how his mother died and how he got to be a knight. He explained to Faley about how they were about to be hanged. Faley seemed fascinated. Next it was Glaciels turn. He said that his mother died recently too. Faley told them about how he loved the outdoors and how he usually sleeps outside. " The queen promised a horse to any man that helps her out." Faley informed. 'Really?" Glaciel asked. "Yea." Faley replied. After awhile they reached a forest with a path through it. "We're getting close to Forbid Land." Faley said. "We have to be careful. It's really dangerous around here." Faley said. "What do you mean?" Glaciel asked. "Dragons." Faley informed. They all got quiet when they heard a sound. They all looked ahead. There one was a ruby dragon. The dragon turned around and looked at them. The dragon started toward them. "We don't have our weapons." Ladaroth told Faley. "Uh� well, I do! I'll take care of it." Faley replied. Faley drew his sword. The dragon went over to Faley and bit the sword in two. "Uh oh!" Faley yelled. Just then, an arrow struck the dragon in the head and it fell over dead. "Who's there?" Glaciel yelled. A girl jumped down from one of the trees. "My name Kayla." She said. "Thank you for saving our lives" Faley said. "It was nothing" She replied. " Where you guys heading to?" Kayla asked. "We're going to Forbid Land." Glaciel said. "Want to come along?" Ladaroth asked. "I got nothing better to do." She replied. Finally, after a full day of walking, they made it to Forbid Land. Chapter 5 Forbid Land "So, this is it?" Glaciel asked. "Yes." Faley replied. Small houses and people running around everywhere surrounded them. "Up ahead is the castle where Queen Albanacko lives with her daughter.' Faley informed. They started to walk up the street and they finally made it to the castle. Faley told the guards why they were here and they let them through. The castle was huge. Every where you went in the castle you saw fancy decorations. Ladaroth then remembered the castle he once lived in. Faley led all of them to the queen. Faley bowed down and the others followed. " Welcome to my castle" The Queen said. " I see you have brought the man who you saved with you. And you brought another friend of yours." She said. "Yes your majesty this is Glaciel and this is Kayla." Ladaroth said. "Will you be joining Ladaroth on his journey?" The Queen asked. "Yes." They both said. "Very well. Then I will show you to your horses." "I love horses!" Kayla announced. The Queen led them to the barn and told each of them to choose one. Ladaroth got the brown horse with the black mane, Kayla got the pure white one, and Glaciel got the black one. "Get to know your horses so they can get comfortable with you." The Queen said. "Now I shall tell you why I need your help. Come with me. Leave your horses in the barn." The Queen led them to a room and shut the door. Chapter 6 The history of Forbid Land "It all started 30 years ago when I lived at home with my mother. An evil girl sorceress was born next door to my house. Now at the time we all had no idea that there was any magical powers within the baby because all it did all day was crawl around the house and get into things, just like a normal baby would do. Five years after the baby was born, I became the queen. That's when strange things started to happen. My husband died in his sleep even though there was nothing wrong with him exactly a year later after I became queen." "How did you know the girl did it?" Kayla asked. "I didn't" The Queen replied. " I cried for days after he died. Ten years later, I got a message in my dream. It told me to go to the well in the middle of the city the next day or I would pay. So I did. I waited and waited. Finally at nine o' clock, a girl walked toward me. " Good evening." She said and sat down. I was the one who called you here. "You are going to listen to what I say or you regret that you were ever born." She said to me. She told me to set fire to the whole city and then she walked away. I didn't know what to do. I decided I wasn't going to burn down the place where I was born and raised. The next day after I refused to burn the city down, my dog I had since Kingarden died. I didn't know what to do. The sorceress came in my dreams again the night after my dog died. She told me that she was the one who was born and lived next to me. She also said that in exactly fifteen years she would burn down Forbid Land. That's why I need your help. You need to track down the sorceress and put her to her grave!"