"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Screamed the Grand Wizard Jarnamros. Jarnomros had been sent on a mission by the great Aranketi and Ortenos to investigate the sudden appearances of dangerous monsters a week ago, and many of his colleagues were beginning to wonder what had happened. Jarnamros had never left The Forest of Magic for this long before. In the Caves of Endaria, where Jarnamros was hiding from the evil mercenary leader, Ogruk, he had found a small spring, and decided to contact his mentors. "Aranketi, you may not be able to hear this, but tell Ortenos that the White Crow has landed on the Rock. He'll know what it means!" Screamed Jarnamros into the pool of water, feeling his strength weaken dramatically. "Damnit, I shouldn't have tried to scry Aranketi or communicate with the Rider's Gift. It takes too much ener- Shit! They're here!" Back in The Forest of Magic, Aranketi conveyed the message of Jarnamros to Ortenos, who screamed in fury. "DAMNIT! We shouldn't have sent out best man after the Bestias Erinys, it would have been easier just to kill him ourselves!" "Calm, Ortenos." Aranketi whispered to calm Ortenos. "You know Jarnamros is better than you or I." "Yes, Aranketi, this is true." After Ortenos had calmed down and Aranketi was done recruiting new people with magical potential, they tried to scry Jarnamros. "What the hell is that?!?!" Jarnamros screamed, back in the caves. He had just felt a sudden disturbance in the air. "I know you're out there somewhere, Ogruk. Come and get me while I'm weak and easy." Ogruk, the leader of the monsters that had ambushed Jarnamros, ran screaming into the hall. "Nocere Abscondere-Retro!" Which translates to "Harm Leather-Back!" As Jarnamros had encountered these creatures before he knew their name in the magical language of the Dark Ones. By saying "Harm Leather-Back" instead of "Kill Leather-Back", 1trueJ was able to alter the amount of harm according to his energy. Jarnamros heard something behind him and whipped around... Too slow. Ogruk was behind him, and had survived the magical attack. With his energy already lowered, Ogruk took a sword and smashed the hilt in Jarnamros's face. As Jarnamros crumpled to the floor, he thought of one word. Scutum. This word means Shield in the language of the Dark Ones. It protected him, but the energy required to shield from Ogruk knocked Jarnamros out.



"Ho there, stranger! Who might you be?" As Jarnamros slowly rose from the bed, he realized that when he opened his eyes, no image came into his brain. "Where am I?" He asked. "Get back down there, Stranger. You've been out for a long time. I found you passed out in the woods, with unnaturally... white eyes." Jarnamros realized what had happened. "By the Dryadeles... I'm blind!" "What's your name, Stranger?" "No time! Duck!" As the man who owned the cabin ducked, a knife flew off the counter. "By God, Man, you just saved my life!" It was then Jarnamros learned what he had recieved in exchange for blindness. "I can see... into the future." "What's your name... Seer?" the farmer asked with a combination of fear and awe in his eyes. "I am Jarnamros. You?" Jarnamros groped blindly for the wall and stumbled outside, looking upwards sadly, remembering the days he spent as an apprentice. The days filled with fun and adventure, the days when he struggled to throw a stick with magic. "Well? I asked your name." Jarnamros inquired. "Oh, sorry, sir. The name's Dante, and this house is my study. Truthfully, I'm glad that you'll be gone soon. It's hard enough sleeping on a hay bed, much worse on a brick floor." Jarnamros grinned, and thought of Donstenar, the blacksmith back in Pater Nanum. He thought for a moment, and realized how much Dante reminded him of Donstenar. "Excuse me, Dante, but what is the name of this place?" Dante appeared to think for a little, and replied with "Ah, this, my friend, is the wonderful abode of Pater Nanum!" Jarnamros's mouth dropped open in shock. His mind raced back and he realized that the Caves of Endaria were more than a thousand miles from his old house in Pater Nanum. "Do you happen to know Donstenar?" Jarnamros quickly asked to get his mind off this trouble of distance. "Know him?" Dante replied, "I'm his son!" Jarnamros's mind raced around. I can't believe this. Jarnamros thought. How long have I been away from Pater Nanum? Donstenar was nearly ninety-two when I left... Finally, Jarnamros worked up the courage to ask Dante what year it was. "Why, it's the 27th of Iter. What did you think it was?" "Jesus Christ," Jarnamros thought. "When I left it was the 73rd of Urtarriliren... seven years ago..." "Is Donstenar still alive?" Jarnamros asked frantically, only know realizing how much time he had spent away from home. "Yes," Dante replied, "But he is weak, and condoned to bed. If you want to meet him, you'll have to do so quickly!" Jarnamros stumbled through the once familiar streets, running into a child. "Where's the hospital?!" Jarnamros screamed at the boy. The boy, obviously terrified, started to run. "Manere et loqui!" Jarnamros screamed, stumbling to the road. The boy was drawn back to Jarnamros because of the language of the Dark Ones, in which Jarnamros had screamed "Stay and Speak!". "Th-th-that way, s-s-sir." The boy said, sticking his finger in the vague direction of the hospital. "Thank you, boy. Inkal." The boy, released from the spell, ran as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. As his mother shrieked in protest, Jarnamros stumbled along. Eventually, he found the hospital, and asked an attendant to lead him to Donstenar. "Donstenar, is that you?" he called out, determined to find him and say goodbye. "Jarnamros..." an old man moaned in a somewhat cheery voice that Jarnamros recognized instantly. "Donstenar!" Jarnamros called, happy to find him. "I can heal your wounds, Donstenar, I've learned with the wizards at the Forest of Magic! Just let me come close..." "No, Jarnamros. I am an old man, and this is my time. I was blessed to live to this ripe old age, anyway." "I'm sorry, master." a lone tear rolled down Jarnamros's cheek, and soon he was weeping in front of the bed. For, once Jarnamros had found something he couldn't conquer with magic. Death. 1trueJ turned away, eyes still red and swollen. He stumbled out of the hospital, a terrifying figure, for 1trueJ's pure white eyes were stained red, with liquid rolling down his unnaturally swollen face. As he stumbled in the vague direction of his family's estate, or what would remain of it, anyway, he felt ash. Jarnamros collapsed onto the ground, and screamed "Cur hunc mortuum?!?!" into the air. Suddenly, the air turned cold, and Jarnamros felt sickly. Without knowing it, he had tried to prevent death, but it had prevailed. Jarnamros gasped and tried to take energy from the plants, but he was too slow. As Jarnamros fell back, he saw a veil of mist, through which was the future sight he had possessed since the accident. In the faint picture, he saw Donstenar's body pale, and a sharp breath came from him. He started to rise from the floor, and then something crashed behind him. As he crawled to the side, a horrible pain came from his ankle. A shard of glass had pierced it, and he could not heal it in his state. He heard a voice he recognized as the boy's, but different. More cruel, and mature. "Who are you..." 1trueJ started to say. "Your worst nightmare." The boy kicked 1trueJ in the face, and 1trueJ screeched. "Wizards..." the boy started. "So messy!" The boy started to cackle again and as he walked away, 1trueJ thought My god... It was Dolo. I thought I killed him... until another sharp pain erupted in his side and he fainted.



"What is with you and passing out?" Dante murmured to himself standing in front of the still body of Jarnamros. "I mean, you were here a day and you've already gotten yourself into so much trouble!" Dante chuckled, realizing that Jarnamros was still out. He paced to the door and carefully placed a bucket filled with ice water on top of it. "Heh, if this doesn't wake 'im up, nothing will." Dante broke into a full laugh as he pounced on top of Jarnamros. "What in the name of Palendelliel are you doing?!?!" 1trueJ shrieked, waking up abruptly. Dante giggled and rushed out the door, carefully closing it. Jarnamros, blind, could not see the bucket and groped the door, swinging it open clumsily as the bucket fell. "Oh Christ," Jarnamros moaned as he suddenly saw a bucket falling on him through the future-veil. "Obviously..." Jarnamros grumbled as he lifted his arms in the air and tried to catch the bucket blindly. Suddenly, it fell unto 1trueJ's head and Jarnamros collapsed to the ground. "Not again..." he started to say some words in the Dark One's language, but it was to late. Jarnamros's body went slack, and he collapsed onto the floor. An hour later, Dante returned, interested that Jarnamros had not found him. "My god... Every time..." Dante muttered as he noticed Jarnamros's slumped figure and the bucket resting above his head. Jarnamros suddenly awoke, and he noticed that the room was rather dark. "Hmm, this room is rather dar- I CAN SEE!" "Really?" Dante asked, sounding unimpressed. "Jesus Christ, man! I get my sight back and you're asking me if I'm 'Sure'?!?! You're worse than my uncle, Pingue!" Suddenly, a booming voice filled the room. "You called?" Jarnamros recognized it instantly. "Uncle Pingue! How did you know?" "You think I wouldn't when my favorite nephew is back in town?" Jarnamros ran to embrace Uncle Pingue, then stopped as he saw a bear behind Pingue. "Uncle! Behind you!" He screamed, trying to warn him. "What? There's nothing behind me!" Pingue said, then turned around. "What the..." Jarnamros muttered as the bear flickered from his vision and disappeared like a hologram. Jarnamros decided that he needed some fresh air. "I'm out to take a walk for a while." "Alright," Dante replied, "Don't go for too long." As 1trueJ strode away, a hound nearing it's eight year ran out from the hill where 1trueJ's family mansion was. "Fortitudo!" 1trueJ yelled, brimming with joy. "I missed you so much! How have you been to Aunt Ignavia?" Fortitudo barked in happiness, and Jarnamros ruffled his ears. "I remember when you were just a pup. Uncle Pingue wanted to sell you, but I said no. How has he taken care of you?" Suddenly, Jarnamros realized something. "Oh, oh course! You can't talk like Ortenos! I feel so stupid for saying this." Jarnamros reached into the world with his mind. Suddenly, he felt a burst of loyalty and intelligence. He knew that he had found Fortitudo's mind. As he reached into it and comforted Fortitudo, he remembered lessons. In his thoughts he started asking questions in the language of the Dark Ones. As Fortitudo started to respond in the same language, which delighted 1trueJ. Now I know I can talk to him! This is perfect! 1trueJ thought.