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"And so, that's how it started".....

The tavern was mostly empty, but for the group at a table at the back of the bar.

"As soon as I got into the cell..."

The group was mostly some towns folk and the others were just some travelers.

"Guards were all around us....."

The bartender was keeping an ear on the conversation. The bartender was a good sized being standing at about five, eleven, almost six even. He looked like he'd been in some fights, but the only way any one could tell that he had been is if they had looked into his eyes. As he was listening to the conversation, he also was wiping down the bar. The bar was spotless and he kept it like that.

"Fire shot from his finger tips..."

They were on the edge of their seats, taking in every word that the story teller was saying.

"Looked like no way out"

The Story teller was now standing up to show with his arms how he was trapped.

"Then as I looked at the only way out...."

At that moment the door to the tavern opened and the bartender looked up.

In walked to him, what looked like mage guards. They were dressed with the finest silk, red robes. The hoods covered their faces so the barkeep couldn't get a good look at them. As the guards walked in they stood at the sides of the door, and in walked a sight for the barkeep.

Jhoan Whelp the second best mage in the Land of Magi, one of the five kingdoms.

Jhoan looked not like a mage, for he was not to tall, standing at about five-eight and brown hair and his eyes were not that of the color of a mage who had studied all of his life, his eyes were that of a light brown and the gleamed like a little kid who's dreams were coming true.

As Jhoan walked in, he moved like he was walking on air, his feet barely touched the ground. When he reached the bar he spoke his voice sounding like the water flowing from a pure stream. "Excuse me." The barkeep looked up at Jhoan and spoke "Yes sir? What can this old barkeep do for ya?" Jhoan looked at the barkeep; a little shocked and replied "You know of me? I rarely set foot outside of the Land of Magi, and when I do, I'm always in disguised." The barkeep looked at Jhoan and gave him a warm smile and laughed, "Well you might not know of me, but I of you indeed. You were quite young when I first heard of you. And when I first saw you too, for you see I have fought against your king once and saw you in battle." Jhoan grinned at the barkeep "Why old man surely you jest. For if you say that you know me, you must know that I look nothing like the age I am. And I would like you to tell me what year I must be." With that the barkeep just laughed. "Well you must not be over the year of one hundred and forty." The barkeep just smiled as Jhoan's jaw dropped.

As the barkeep was talking to Jhoan the crowd in the back was laughing. "So then she sat on my face...." the crowd in the back was in an uproar. They didn't see Jhoan walk in, and if any of them did, they didn't care. "....fell and landed in shit...." More laughter came from the back and now some of the guys were crying from laughing too hard. "Well look at the time...Sorry guys but I got to leave. I hope that we can meet again sometime." Said the story teller as he rose and was shaking hands. With that the story teller walked up to the bar.

"My, I must of not heard that last one Matt." The barkeep said looking at the story teller.

Matt smiled at the barkeep. Jhoan looked at Matt as he walked up to the bar. "Matthew eh?"

Matt looked over at Jhoan and laughed. "Ah Jhoan right?" The barkeep looked at Matt with a puzzled look. "You know Jhoan?? Matt?"

"But of course." Said Matt "I over heard you say his name too." Matt said with a smile.

"Matthew." Said Jhoan looking just a little ticked off that he was getting kicked out of the talk. "Matthew I have come from the Kingdom of Magi to..." But before Jhoan could finish Matt interrupted him saying "You can tell your king that I will not sell my lands, nor with I pledge with him. For I am my own Kingdom and that it shall stay." With that Matt said good bye to the barkeep and walked outside. "Matthew!" Jhoan yelled at Matt, who had followed him out side. "What do you want now Jhoan?" Asked Matt "You know where I stand and I will not move, and you can try to threaten me all you want, but remember I still have your ring from the last time we had this talk...." Matt razed an eyebrow "You want to try for it now?" Matt said to Jhoan smiling. Jhoan, by that time had his two guards by his side and they were about to step forward, but Jhoan stopped them saying "You guys want to get killed?"

"New help I take it?" Matt said grinning. "Must never heard of me... oh yeah that's right I'm not that well known, because I want it that way."

"Yeah but I do know you...thief " Jhoan said to Matt. "I am not a THIEF!!" Yelled Matt

"Just because you lost some things and I was there does not mean that I am a thief" Matt said looking at Jhoan a little cross. "You can tell your king that I will be making an appearance at the City of the Magi and if he wants to see me then he can see me there." After Matt spoke he turned around and started to walk off. The guards at Jhoan's side teleported in front of Matt to block his way. "If you value your life you WILL move now." Matt said not even looking at them. The guards made no movement and Jhoan spoke "We have come here to bring you back with us and that's how we ARE going to go."

"Have you forgotten about the last time that we met like this Jhoan?" Asked Matt who still wasn't looking up. "As I recall you lost your ring to me and you had to get new guards."

With that Matt turned around and faced Jhoan. "Call your dogs off, and it will be just you and me if you think that you can win."

"Its not the question if I can win, because I know that this time I will triumph over to you."

Jhoan said to Matt with a smile.

Matt took to a knee, and with his water sash that was at his side, he poured it on the ground making mud. From the mud he made a little mud doll, said a little chant and gave a breath life into it. The little mud doll lifted its arms in a stretching motion. It then took its place by Matt's side. "Ok then, if you can defeat my little friend here then I will fight you." Matt said grinning.

"You must take me for a fool." Said Jhoan looking at the doll.

"I will crush it like a fly." He said giving a laugh.

With that the little mud doll walked toward him, as the doll was walking Jhoan started chanting and the sky around him got dark. The doll was about five feet in front of Jhoan when it was struck with a lightning bolt. As it was hit, it fell to the ground, and then Jhoan saw the weirdest thing. The doll picked itself up and took another step forward, with that step Jhoan felt his power draining from him. The doll again took another step forward, and with that step Jhoan fell to a knee. His guards ran up to him, and the doll retreated to Matt's side. The guards saying nothing helped Jhoan back to his feet. "As you know when ever I win, I like to take something from the person." Matt said to Jhoan, "You cape will do fine." He said with a smile. "Fine..." As Jhoan took off his cape and threw it at Matt's feet.

Matt bent down and picked up the cape. As Matt looked at it he saw that it was a nice crimson red and finely made to fit some one of high class. "Red is a nice color, but it isn't my favorite color." Matt chanted a few words and watched as the cape turn from a crimson to a nice dark blue. "Like I said before you had to go and challenge me, I am going to your home town. So you don't have to wait up for me." With that Matt turned around wearing his new blue cape and walked off. The guards made a move to stop him but Jhoan stopped them,

"Let him go." he said to them. They watched him walk off in to the distance and Jhoan thought as he saw him walk off "He just waved to me, that bastard."

It was about midnight when Matt reached an inn, He had been walking for about six hours and he was a little tired. "Well why not I could use the rest." he said looking down at his mud doll that he had made. The doll looked at Matt and shook its head in agreement to what Matt had said. The inn was nothing special just a two story inn with a sign that had something written on it, but Matt couldn't make out the words due to the wear on the sign.

As he entered the inn the innkeeper looked up from the book of names in the inn. "Looking for a place to rest your head traveler?" Asked the innkeeper.

Matt looked at him and thought for a moment, then said "yes, do you have any rooms open?" The innkeeper turned around and took a key from the wall while handing it to Matt said "Here ya go. Number five and it's the last room at the top of the stairs." Pointing to the stairs. "Oh and that will be five coppers." The innkeeper said as Matt took the key.

"Well here ya go." Said Matt as he pulled five coppers from his coin pouch.

"Thank you sir." replied the innkeeper as Matt gave him the money. Matt then turned to the stairs and walked to his room. When he got to his room the mud doll jumped on to the bed and sat on the edge looking at Matt. "Now now..." Said Matt to the doll "I cant have you jumping on every thing that we come in to contact with, so down..." The doll looked at Matt as if to say "but why can't I?" Matt was looking at the doll as he took of his "new" cape and set it down on the chair that was by a desk in the room. "Ok tell you what." He said to the doll "how 'bout you can stay on the table over there huh?" The doll looked at him with agreement and hopped of the bed and went over to the table. "Ahh" thought Matt " a window" He walked over to it and opened the shutters. As he looked out, he saw where he had come from and where he was going to be going first. There was a forest in the direction that Matt was going. "Home" though Matt as he looked into the forest. He then closed the window shutters and went to the bed "Damn I'm just a little more tired than I though." he said to his doll, that was sitting on the desk now. Matt then kicked off his boots and fell on the bed. "Sleepy" he though and with that he was out like a light. The night passed on to become day, and as the sun crept in through the shutters the little mud doll got up.

It looked around the room from where it was at and saw nothing was out of order. It then jumped down off the table and walked to the door. All this time Matt was sleeping like a log and didn't notice his doll was wondering around the room. The mud doll tried to open the door, but the door didn't budge due to being locked. The doll looked around the room again, this time going to where Matt slept. It jumped up on the bed and walked up to Matt's face.

When Matt awoke, he awoke to his doll's face looking at him. "AHHH!!!!" screamed Matt.

"Don't do that!" He said to the doll. " You gave me a start....What do you want?" He said to the doll while rubbing his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The doll looked from him to the door and back to Matt. "So you want to go outside eh? Can't wait to continue on the walk back home eh?" He said to the doll yawning this time. The doll just shook it's head.

"Well least let me get something to eat ok?" He said laughing at the doll. The doll shook it's head in agreement and hopped off the bed. As Matt got out of bed, his mud doll looked at him impatiently, it was tapping it's foot. He put on his boots, grabbed his dark blue cape and walked to the door, unlocked it and went out. As Matt walked down the stairs the innkeeper asked, "did you have a good night sleep?"

Matt looked at the innkeeper and said "yeah, and it was a nice room, say do you know where I can get something to eat"

The innkeeper looked at Matt and said "sure you can there is a tavern about a ten minute walk up north from here." Matt thanked the keeper and walked out of the inn, his doll followed him like a little puppy right at his side. The day was just beginning to come, the sun was already up and the dew on the grass was gleaming like gems. He could see the tavern from the inn, it didn't look like it was too far. As he was walking he got the feeling that he was being watched, but he had already picked up on that last night, right before he had got to the inn. Matt stopped half way in-between the inn and the tavern. "It isn't a secrete I know you are there so just come on out." He said out loud.

Off of the ground mist started to gather and form. Matt tilted his head a little and thought "Mist???....Where have I seen that." The mist, continued to form, growing wings and growing taller than eight feet tall. The being took its form as a smaller version of its self.

"Ah mighty dragon...Of the Kingdom of the Dragons am I not right?" Asked Matt who was amazed at him. For it was amazing for a Dragon to set foot out side their kingdom, and for the most part of it even rarer for a person to meet one out side of their kingdom aside from seeing them in the Kingdom of Magi.

"No I am not from the Kingdom of Dragonsss." He said with the sound of time in his voice.

Now it was not uncommon for the beings of the kingdoms to mix and go where they wanted to go, though they usually stayed to their own, but as the times changed the younger generation got more curious about what was out side of their own towns and kingdoms, and some would leave. The dragon stood tall and proud, as some of the smart ass dragons would.

Mainly the younger dragons, now the age differs from humans and beasts. So their young would be at least one hundred and fifty years, but there have been some know cases where a human did out live a dragon but its all just stories and folklore. "So if you are not from the Kingdom of Dragons...Then perhaps the Kingdom of Thieves?" Asked Matt sizing up the dragon. As far as Matt could tell the dragon was a fog former. He was standing at about eight-five, his scales were that of the color of the fog, a nice light gray, and he wore the standard uniform of the spies of the Thief Kingdom. Black.

"Yess that iss where I hail from." The dragon said trying his best to speak with out hissing.

"Ah and still a pup too eh?" Matt said laughing at the dragon. One of the things you never want to do to a dragon was make it look stupid or dumb and Matt knew that, but this dragon still being a pup knew that it was just a joke and just hissed a laugh. "Beassst you make me laugh." The dragon said to Matt. Matt just smiled as he spoke to the dragon. "Well at least that's a good sign. So dragon you have a name?"

"Yesss, it iss Ssscelatshea and might I ask of your name beassst?"

Matt just smiled "Its Matthew but you can call me Matt." Matt put out his hand shaped paw and Scelatshea looked at it for a second, then took it in his own, and shook it. "So Scelatshea..." Matt asked "Why were you following me?"

The Dragon looked at him for a little while trying to think of the best answer, then spoke

"I saw you in battle yesterday and was intrigued by the way that you fight."

"Why thank you." said Matt. "But I think you can tell me the real reason that you were following me." Matt said with a grin. All this time Matt's doll had made its way behind the dragon and was waiting for Matt to decide whether or not he was going to try and attack.

"But I did tell you why I was following you." Said Scelatshea getting a little scared.

By now Matt could tell that he was lying to him and that he was a little frightened by him.

"Let me guess..." Matt said taking a step forward, the dragon didn't know what to do when Matt took a step toward him, so doing the most natural thing when frighten, he prepared to fight. "You were on your first mission right?" Matt continued to speak "To steel something from a traveler and not be detected right?" By now not only had Matt guessed right but was right in front of the dragon. "Ssso what of it beassst?" Scelatshea said to Matt with fear in his eyes. "Well yes what of it Scelatshea?" Said Matt trying to hold back his laughter. His doll knew that he wasn't going to attack the dragon so it went of to the side and watched as Matt was talking to the dragon. "Pleasssse don't make me hurt you beasssst." Scelatshea said trying to act tough but getting nowhere. "You hurt me??!!" Laughed Matt "I've never taken on a dragon before and I don't want to anytime soon." Matt had just lied to Scelatshea but he knew the dragon couldn't tell. Scelatshea looked at Matt puzzled and asked "But I was going to sssteal from you and you were not going to fight me?"

"Ho!" Laughed Matt. "I knew that you were a new thief and its been tried before on me."

Holding up the dragon's coin pouch Matt waved it. "You missing this?" Matt asked smiling at the dragon. Scelatshea looked down at where his pouch had been and looked back up at Matt. "B...b...b...But how?" He asked Matt. "Magic." Smiled Matt "Normally I would take something from you but 'cus you are new and this was your first time I won't take anything, But if I ever go to the Land of Thieves I'll look for ya and then I can teach you some of my tricks sounds good?" The Dragon just nodded with out saying anything and watched as Matt threw his pouch back and walked off, his little doll following him at his heel. It was times like that, that made Matt like the life he lived. He really wished that he'd of asked the dragon for a ride but thought not of it. As soon as Matt reached the tavern, he stopped, something didn't feel right. He looked down at his little doll and asked. "You want to go and check this out...It doesn't feel right." His doll looked at him and nodded at him.

Matt cracked the door open a little bit and the doll walked right in. What the doll saw was nothing to shocking, there was no one there and it was all too quiet. The doll walked to the middle of the room, looking around and seeing nothing out of place. It was too quiet, the doll rubbed it's head. It then walked around to where the bar was. The bar its self was clean and nothing was on it. No bottles, mugs or anything else was out. Every thing was in order, clean and not even used. The doll seeing nothing wrong then walked back out to where Matt was.

"So did you see anything in there?" Asked Matt to his doll. The doll shook it's head. "Well that's great, that's just great." Matt said shaking his head, he looked down at his doll. "So you say that its ok for me to go in there?" The doll shook its head yes, and with that Matt walk on in. The door swung open and the sunlight lit the room. As Matt's eyes adjusted to the lighting of the tavern he saw nothing. He walked to the back of the bar and looked at where the cook would have been. Nothing. "What the hell?" said Matt to him self. He sniffed the air. "Sulfur." He said to his doll. "Demons." He said, his doll looking up at him.

"Lets just walk away, walk away and not look back." Said Matt shaking his head. It wasn't the first time that he had come across a demon and he had hope it was his last, but as he knew that it wouldn't be. As he and his doll walked out of the tavern, he turned around and chanted some words and watched as the tavern went up in flames. "God rest those poor souls who were there when they attacked." Matt whispered. Matt knew that the demons had marked the building and it needed to go. "God damn it all...and I was soo hungry." Matt whined. He sighed a "oh well" and walked toward the forest.

It was a while but Matt finally saw the clearing and a nice little two story cottage.

"Ah home." He said out loud. As he came up to his home he looked at the two stone statues the seemed to guard his house. As he looked at them, they came to life and took a knee right in front of him. "Master" They both spoke. "Welcome back."

"How many times have I told you two..." Matt sighed "you don't have to call me master."

They just looked at him. "But we were told to always speak to you like that master."

Matt just shook his head not wanting any trouble with the gifts that were giving to him by a conjuror. "What ever." He said under his breath. The two statues stood back up and took their place back at the front of his home.

As Matt entered his home he looked around to see if anything was out of place.

Due to his guards outside, he knew that nothing was going to be missing. He walked in to his living room and sat down on his couch, his doll jumped up on the couch and looked at Matt.

Matt just looked back and said nothing, he wasn't going to argue with it plus he didn't care.

As he sat there he rub the fur on his chin, and looked at his paw. "Damn I'm just little bit dirty here..." He got up and walked to the stairs leading to his room. As he walked up his stairs his doll just looked at him, then laid back down on the couch. Matt's bed room took up the whole upstairs and was not the cleanest room in the world. His clothes were all over the room and his bed wasn't made. "Ahhh" he sighed as fell down on his bed and looked over at

Himself in the mirror on the wall. He was a beast no doubt about it. The fur on his body said so. Yes he was a beast, but not from the Kingdom of Beasts. He was only half beast and half man. You could call him a were beast, but his beast side was the dominate side. But the good thing about it was that only a beast could tell, well a dragon could tell too but they really didn't care what you were. His fur was a nice light brown with a white stripe on his muzzle, which he always dyed blue, his ears had a black tip and so did his tail which was the result of a little magic battle that he had a long time ago. He waged his tail for a little bit after letting it free from his pants. "God that feels good." He thought. Meanwhile down stairs the doll was getting restless. It jumped up and walked to the front door and open it, walking out side to the statues. The statues sensing something took to their feet and looked down at the mud doll. "What are you doing out side little one?" they both asked in a booming voice. The mud doll looked at them and made a little ring in the ground. "Oh so you just want to explore eh?" Both of them said at the same time. The little doll shook its head. "Well I think that one of us can go with you." They both looked at each other and then the one on the right said "I will go with you." With that he put his hand down and the little doll climbed up on it. When the doll was on he lifted his hand up, and stood up. "You like the view little one?" The statue asked the doll. The mud doll shook it head in agreement. "Well lets look around then." And with that the statue began to walk with the doll in his hand looking out and over the lands. "This forest is our masters and he loves to take walks in it." Said the statue "It also is a gathering place for energy and the mages want it badly, but our master won't sell it." The stone giant said after walking a little came to a part of the forest where it seemed like it just got dark. "Here is where he trained a little bit to master running through the darkness with out hitting anything....the thieves would love to get a hold of this and have tried to, but with us here to no success." The statue let out a little chuckle as he moved through the darkness with ease. He then came to an area were the sun shone down and there were no trees at all. The statue went to the middle of the field and sat down. "This is were the Kingdom of Knights come in to play. They want this place because it is the calmest place in the five kingdoms." The doll looked up at him as he spoke this.

"But the beasts and the dragons want this place because it over looks the whole kingdoms... I guess they all want it because of that." He said rubbing his chin. The sun was now setting and it was getting a little darker out. "Well little one you want to head back?" The statue asked the doll, who in turned shook its head. Matt had just came out of his home to see the one statue coming back with his doll. "So..." Matt said to the statue "The little one wanted to see the lands eh?" The statue let out a laugh and came down to a knee. "Of course he wanted to...." Matt said to the doll. "I'm going to have to keep an eye on you." He said laughing. "Well thank you for looking after it." Matt said to the statue, who in turned replied "It was nothing mas..." but before he could finish speaking Matt interrupted him "How many times to I have to keep telling you guys...You don't have to call me master."

The two statues just laughed at Matt and the one took its place back at the door after the doll got off his hand. Matt then turned to the house and walked back in his doll following him.

"Well we will stay here for the night." Matt said to his doll. "Then tomorrow we can leave for the Kingdom of Magi." The doll looked at Matt and shook its head in agreement.

Matt made his way to the kitchen. For a cottage, he had a really nice kitchen, it looked like it was out of a home of a nobleman, though Matt indeed was no noblemen, just a Jack of trades. With that he went crazy in his kitchen, cooking up a feast. After the war in his kitchen was done, and he had eaten Matt looked at the mess. "Damn guess I was too hungry." He muttered. He left the mess in the kitchen and walked to his room. His doll followed him to his room and stopped at the door and looked at Matt.

By now nightfall had come and Matt was done packing for the trip to the Kingdom of Magi.

Matt looked at his doll, who had slumped in the doorway. "You know that you didn't have to wait in the doorway." His doll looked up at him then looked back down at the floor.

"Fine sleep there, but if I happen to step on you in the morning don't blame me for it."

Matt shook his head and walked back to his bed and fell on it and was out like a light.

"You like this place don't you Matthew?" The voice said and Matt sat up and looked to where the voice was coming from. "We knew that you would, some day this will be yours, all of it." The voice said again. "Who are you?...Show your self." Matt said into the darkness. "Nothing good will come of this." Matt looked around and tried to see where the other voice came from. "Matthew?" The first voice said. Matt looked at where it came from "D...dad?" He said to the darkness. "Matthew... I want you to keep this land the way it is."

"M...mom?" Matt said.

Then in a flash of light he saw what had been hiding in the darkness. Red. Voices again coming out of no where. "YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS LAND!"..."It's a gift."

..."Give it to us and we will stop attacking."..."Look around you...Beautiful and relaxing isn't it?"... "Matthew? You come out here all the time... just be careful and don't hurt your self."... Matt was getting attacked by all of his memories, stuff that he kept hidden down in the depths of his mind. "Mom? Dad?" He saw a little boy walking out into the room.

"No." Matt shook his head trying to forget. "Mom?" The little boy said again still getting no response. Matt turned away only to be facing the little boy. "You sir." The boy asked Matt

Matt looked at the boy surprised that they boy could see him. "Y...yes?" He asked the boy.

"Have you seen my mom or dad?" The boy asked looking a little scared. Matt just looked at the boy. "Sir?" The boy asked Matt again. "No sorry I haven't seen them." He said to the little boy. The boy then disappeared and left Matt in the room alone. "What..."

Matt said looking at the room. "This can't be..." He muttered, a tear forming in his eyes.

"No...This can't be." He said falling to a knee, putting his face in his paws... "No...no...no." He was sobbing now, his life was his nightmare. The beast who feared nothing, no one, and yet he feared now.

"Mother...Father..." He sobbed. The room growing smaller and smaller.

Soon it was just him in the middle of nothing floating in a vast void. He yelled out "MOTHER!!!" And then softly cried out "Father..."

He awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily and tears in his eyes.

"Mother...Father...I miss you." He whispered, wiping off his tears. He looked through the window to the outside world, it was morning and the sun was coming up.

It had been three days when Matt had left his home. As he was walking along the road he saw in the distance a ridge, he looked down at his doll that was walking with him and said "you want to rest up there? Pointing at the ridge, his doll looked at where he was pointing and shook its head "yes". As they walked to the walked to the ridge, Matt could hear the noise of the busy city. When they came up to the to the ridge, they both looked out and over the landscape taking in the sight. What they saw was breath taking. The city was surrounded by a huge wall, they were facing the entrance to the city, and the gates Matt remembered were the talk of the city. The gates them self were golden snakes, that weaved in and out. A wonder of wonders. Inside the city were lots of towers, fountains, trees, and the main tower that stood in the middle of the city was the biggest of them all. That's where Matt was headed "But first." he thought "I might want to explore around and see what has changed here" He looked at his doll, "Shall we?" He asked the doll, who in turn just went running down the ridge. "Hey wait up for me!" yelled Matt who, after seeing his doll go running off with out him, started to give chase. The guards at the gate saw this sight. A beast running after a what looked to them like a little doll. Down the ridge. The Guards thought that the sight that they were watching was funny and they were laughing when Matt tripped and started rolling down it.

For Matt that was the best thing that could of happened to him, he was cursing as he was rolling down the ridge. By the time that he had stopped rolling, he was if not most, then all of the way down the ridge. His doll slowly walked up to him and poked him in the arm as if to ask if he was ok. "Ow.' Matt winced as his doll was poking him. "Stop that." Matt said swatting at his doll. Seeing that he was ok his doll moved away from the hands that were slapping it. Matt got to his feet and dusted him self off. One of the guards had made his way to where Matt was now standing. "You there." said the guard to Matt. "Yes?" Matt replied to the guard. "Are you the one named Matthew?" Matt just looked at the guard. He knew that they were instructed to take him in to the jail... and after that to see the King, Kiltor Nor. "Nope sorry." Matt said shaking his head. "Oh well then have a good time here, and don't get into any trouble." The guard said to Matt looking him over one last time.

With that Matt and his doll walked into the city.

There were lots of people, beasts, and dragons, walking about, going in and out of stores and shops. Matt was in awe of this mighty city, he had always been fond of big cities and loved going to them...he just couldn't fathom living in one. He was still standing inside the main gate, the people passing him left and right. His doll pulled at his pant leg and he looked down. "You want me to carry you?" Asked Matt. The doll shook its head. Matt took to a knee and picked up his doll and started to walk through the main gates. As he passed the gates, he saw the snakes on the gate were moving and twisting. "Wow." He muttered under his breath. "Well since I'm going to be here for a while I think it might be a good thing to check in at an inn." Matt thought while walking and looking for an inn.

He walked along the main road in the city, People, knights, mages, thieves, beasts and dragons pasted him by going about their business. Peddlers were on the streets selling their wares. Matt walked past them looking for a inn, when a tavern caught his eye and he walked on in. The tavern was three stories high and doubled as an inn. The bar was crowded and there was a lot of stuff happening. In one corner a bunch of mages were casting little spells. In another there were a bunch of thieves look giving looks to the others in the bar, from knights and beasts to dragons, were all in this bar laughing and showing off. When Matt got to the bar he was met with a friendly paw. "What can I do for ya?" Asked a tiger, who was behind the bar. "Well?" He said. Matt looked at him for a little bit longer than he had thought. "So do you speak? Are you from around here?" The friendly tiger behind the bar asked Matt. "Huh?....Oh um no...nope I'm not from around here." Matt said to the bartender. "So then what can I get you." the bartender asked Matt.

Matt thought before he spoke. "Do you have any rooms open?" He asked the Bartender, and with that the bartender spoke. "Why yes. Yes we do." Matt looked around the bar as the tiger was speaking to him. "You want the third floor?" He asked Matt who turned around and was again looking at him. "Yes that would be fine." he said looking back to the mass crowd. "So how many days are you going to be staying here?" ask the tiger as he got the key to a room on the third floor. Matt looked back at him and spoke "well I don't know how much per day?" The bartender thought about it for a moment and said "Well I'll give you the room for four coppers a day. Sounds good?" Matt smiled at him and shook his head in agreement, while digging in his coin pouch for some money, which he gave to the bartender.

The bartender looked at the money that he was handed and as Matt was leaving to his room spoke "Hey you gave me enough for a week!" Matt looked back and spoke "Yeah I know, I'll let you know if I'm going to stay longer." With that Matt turned to walk up the stairs to go to the room that he was given. When a lovely dragoness came walking up to him from behind. She looked like she was a little angry with him, as if he had done something to her.

When she came up to him, she picked him up and turned him around and was in his face.

"Coy I knew that you where here. You can't just keep leaving me." She said baring her teeth at Matt. Matt now who was scared as hell spoke "Um... who's this Coy you speak of."

She looked at him with a little anger in her eyes. "Coy you cant fool me. I know that this is you." Matt who was gaining his confidence back, looked into her eyes and said with a little shaky voice. "I am not this being Coy." With that the dragoness looked at him again and got this sad look in her eyes. "Oh, but you look so much like him." She whimpered. "Well what does he look like?" Matt said to her trying to comfort her. She looked at Matt and spoke.

"He looks just like you." With that Matt just smiled and gave a little chuckle "Well that helps...I guess." Matt now was able to get a better look at the dragon in front of him.

She was tall and beautiful, her scales were a dark color and it looked like she had flames on them. She was wearing a nice dress that seem like it was just a part of her. She also had on a bracelet and a necklace, the necklace caught Matt's eye. It was a diamond, but it had two colors dancing in it. The colors that were dancing were a dark blue and a crimson red.

The diamond was hanging from a blue chain from her neck, she noticed that he was looking at it. "You like it?" She asked him looking over him again trying to see if he was the one she had been looking for. "It looks lovely on you." Matt said looking back up at her, almost bumping his muzzle into hers.

"Could I at least buy you a drink for what I did to you, to say sorry?" She asked him almost wanting to kiss him. "How could this not be him?" She thought. "I got this weird feeling that it is him, but...it just can't be true." She walked with him to a table and sat down.

The bar maid came up to them and asked "What can I get you folks?"

The dragon said. "I'll just take some Amber Nectar, and..." Matt spoke up interrupting her "Just some ale please." With that the maid walked away.

"So dragon, you have a name?" Matt asked her with a smile on his face.

She just looked at him, she still could believe that she had made a mistake. "Oh...my name is Sundance." She said still looking him over, and as she was looking him over, she was holding the necklace in her hand turning it over and over. "You must like that." Matt said to her as he was watching her turn it in her hands. "Yes it was a gift from him but he just took off after giving it and a massage to me." She replied to Matt still not sure if Matt was telling the truth. The barmaid came back with the drinks. "Here ya go." She said.

Matt took his and Sundance took hers. "So..." Said Sundance "You haven't told me your name." She looked at him. Matt took a drink. "My name is Matthew." He smiled at her, "But you can call me Matt." He took another drink. She sipped at her drink and smiled back at him. "Well I was going to check out my room and then look around town... would you like to join me in walking around this town?" He asked her trying to be as friendly as possible. She gave him a look and thought about the offer. "Sure I'd be glad to join you for a while." She said after drinking the rest of her drink. Matt then got up from his seat at the table and walked to the stairs to the third floor. Sundance looked at him as he got up and turned away from her to walk to the stairs. "Its him. I know it is." She thought.

She got up from where she was sitting and followed him upstairs. When she got upstairs she saw him walk into a room and leave the door open. She thought for a minute "Well he left it open." With that she walked slowly to the door and peeked in. Matt was just looking at her when she peeked in. "Well aren't you coming in?" He asked her grinning.

She gasped as he said that and blushed for a bit, then she walked in.

"I'm sorry...I still think that you are the one I'm looking for." She said as she walked in.

"Well I'm flattered that you would think that I am, this Coy wasn't it?" Matt asked

"Yes. Coy is his name." She said back to him still looking him over.

She shut the door as she walked into the room and sat down on the bed.

Matt looked at her with smile and looked down at his feet where his doll had been all the time. The doll looked up at him and shrugged its arms. "Oh my that's a cute pet you got there." Said Sundance looking at the mud doll. "Well its not a pet but I am keeping it around." Matt replied to her saying "Pet". "You look a little tense, would you like to come with me and look around town?" Matt asked her looking at her face.

"Sure that would be nice." She said as she rose to her feet and started to walk to the door, making sure that Matt got a good look at her back side. Matt did get a good look at her when she walked passed him. "Mutther" He whispered under his breath. He got to his feet after getting that good look and walked to the open door, his doll started to follow him. He looked down at his doll and spoke "I'm sorry but I want you to stay here for now...but I will take you out later and see the town too ok?" His doll looked at him and turn around and walked to the bed trying to look sad for not going. "Hey I won't be gone for too long." Matt said to the doll trying to cheer it up. But the doll didn't look. Matt then shut the door and locked it, turning to Sundance and spoke, "Shall we?"

She looked at him and nodded.

They both walked out of the tavern, the city was still busy and bustling with people all trying to get some where. It was about noon and the sun shown bright that day. Matt looked around the city, sometimes casting a look at Sundance. She could tell that he was looking over her, and she made no point to catch him in the act. "Why should I...I'll let him make the first move...then I'll catch him." She thought as she walked with him. As the people passed them on both sides Matt dropped his pace and slowed down letting her distance gain, soon he slipped away in the shadows of an ally. Sundance looked to her side, "Matt?? Matt??!!"

She said calling to him, but he had already disappeared into the busy city. "Damn that beast!" She muttered under her breath. She turned around and started to walk back to the tavern that she met him at.

Matt had waned to see some one that he hadn't seen for the longest time in his life in this town. He walked the ally ways for what seemed for forever till he got to the street in front of the school of the Magi.

"Man...its been a long time." He thought. And indeed it had been a long time since he had gone there and taught there. "Teaching was never a strong suit of yours wasn't it?" Said the Dean of the school who had been standing outside of the school and looking right at the ally that Matt had just walked out. Matt just shook his head and laughed at him. "No...no it wasn't, but you could never get me to try full hearted could you?" Matt replied to the dean.

The dean just shook his head and lifted his wings a little bit into the air. Dean Igneous was a griffin beast. He had the typical looks of a griffin, wings and bird top with a lion bottom, his feathers were that of a nice light brown and his bottom half was colored with a nice dark brown fur. He stood about six feet-eight and had a nice scar on his face from a battle a long time ago. "You know that you are wanted in this Kingdom, don't you Matt?" He said to him opening the doors to the school to him and offering a hand to Matt. Matt took his hand into his. "Yes I know, I had a run in with Jhoan." Matt tried to say with out laughing at the name, but to no success. The dean just looked at Matt.

They both walked in to the dean's office and Matt took a seat just as the dean made his way around the desk in the room, his desk. "So how have you been." Matt asked Igneous.

"Well lets just say that we have yet to see another teacher or pupil like you in a long time."

The dean replied with a smile. "So, calm then eh?" Matt said laughing at the comment.

"Yeah you were such a hell riser, literally." The dean said, a smile coming across his beak.

"If it wasn't for you we would of never stopped that demon...I can see why you left too."

Matt just looked down at his feet. "You know I never meant to hurt any one when that happened, and I'm still sorry that I did that." The dean nodded when Matt said that.

"Yeah but if it wasn't for me, the demon wouldn't had been summoned here." Matt just said to Igneous showing no smile, no laughter. It had been a long time indeed for Matt.

"So..." The dean asked breaking the silence. "What brings you here?"

Matt looked up from the ground and smiled at the dean.

"They want my lands." The dean just laughed at that. "So they want your lands eh?"

He replied to Matt " I know as well as anyone else that you are never going to give it to them." The dean laughed. Matt got up and looked around the office. "You will never change will you old man." Matt said smiling. "Just like you...old man." The dean shot back.

"DON'T CALL ME OLD!" Matt said almost yelling at the dean, then laughing at what he said. "Well its almost time for dinner, would you like to join me?" Asked the dean to Matt.

"Yeah haven't eaten in here for a long time." Matt said with a smile. "Oh well I was hoping that we could eat at my place tonight." Said the dean looking at Matt with a little smile.

"There is some stuff that I would like to show you...we found them after you left."

Matt looked at the dean with a look of questioning in his eyes. "But I thought that I left nothing behind when I left." Matt said. "Well you didn't leave it, but after the attack on the school we found it, and I had to fight just to keep it in a safe place." The dean said walking to the door to his office. He then opened the door and Matt walked out of the room, waited for the dean to come out and lock his door and then walked to the front of the school and left for Igneous house.

"My that was some good cooking there." Matt said to Igneous while wiping his mouth with his paws. "Yeah, was a little home cooking that my mother taught me." Igneous said while also wiping his mouth. "So...what was this find that you wanted to show me?" Matt said leaning back on his chair. "Well after the demon had died and you left, we found a secret room...well half of the school had been destroyed, and that helped a little bit on finding it." Igneous said to Matt. Matt was taking in every word hoping that this may have been the cause of the demon attack. "Well in that room we found that some one or something had made a portal to their world, which the demon had come through. Sad to say the portal didn't make it." Igneous continued to speak "It wasn't you that brought it here Matt...we now think that you just awoke it."

"Well that's good to know now, but what did you find in that room?" Matt asked a little angry . "Well there were some books and all..." Said Igneous as he got up from where he was sitting and walked to his book shelve and took out a certain book with which the shelve lifted up and let a door be known to the world. "Follow me if you want to know more."

He said to Matt. With that, Matt got up and walked to where the door was. Igneous open the door and walked into the room behind it, Matt followed him at his heels. "You see there where some crystals that were left behind...I'm thinking that they are summoning crystals."

He said holding up a crystal... "and I think that the demon was in one of these."

Matt took the crystal in his paws and looked at it. "Well it would only be fair that I take at least one of these." He said to Igneous. Igneous just smiled at Matt. "I knew that you were going to say that...you know that I can't see every thing that goes on in my house."

Matt grinned as he pocketed the crystal in his coin pouch. "Thanks for it."

Matt said. "Thanks for what?" Igneous laughed at Matt. "Well I wish that I could stay longer and study this with you, but I think that I should get back to the tavern, I think that someone is waiting for me." Matt said walking out of the room and to the front door, Igneous following behind him. "Well have a good night Matt and I hope to see you again soon." Igneous said opening the door and waving good by to Matt.

It was already night fall when Matt walked into the tavern, and the barkeep looked at Matt as he walked in. "There is some one waiting for you in your room." He spoke smiling.

"Is it who I think it is?" asked Matt to the barkeep, who in turned just nodded. Matt just smiled and started to walk to the stairs. When he got to the top of the stairs, he thought "Should I, or should I just leave her there..." He shook his head and continued down the hall to his room. When he got to his door he stopped and hesitated, not wanting to open the door but he did anyway. Sure enough as the bartender said, she was there, sitting on the bed playing with the doll. She looked up from where she was sitting, "Hey Co.." but she caught herself and corrected what she was going to say. "Matt, why did you leave me?" She asked him looking at him with a little change in her voice. Matt went next to her and sat down on the bed. "Well there was a friend that I had to see here and I didn't want you to get caught up in all the stories about me." He said looking at her. "Well you could of just told me that you wanted to be alone." she sighed and gave Matt a sad look in her eyes. Matt at that moment wanted to grab her and give her a slow, passionate, deep kiss, but he restrained from doing it. "Its not me..." He thought "must keep control."

"What are you thinking about Matt?" She asked looking into his eyes. As Matt looked back into her eyes he could swear that she was starting to cry. He put his arm around her and gave her a hug. As he hugged her, she bent her head down to meet his and gave him a slow passionate kiss. Matt in turn was surprised at her kissing him but he let him self go with it.

He brought up his paw and placed it on her breast and started to rub slowly. She gave a little moan and broke the kiss. "You know how long I've waited for this Coy?" She slipped, but she didn't care. "For a long time I bet." Replied Matt, who slowly removed her dress. She let the dress fall exposing her nude body. She was sleek and sexy, also breathing heavily. "Come now Coy show me you body." She said with her eyes closed. She reached up and pulled off Matt's shirt and kissed his chest gently biting on his nipple. Matt shuttered and started to rub the back of her neck. As he was doing this, she moved down and started to pull off his pants revealing his sex. He was limp but started to get hard. The blood was running to his cock as she moved her hand down to it and started rubbing. He looked at her as she took him into her mouth, and gave a little moan as she slid his cock into her mouth. She wrapped her long tongue around it and started to jack him off with her tongue. All Matt could do was just gasp and moan a little as she was pleasing him. She gave a little pause and looked up him smiling at him. He looked back at her and gave a soft smile as she let go of his cock with her tongue and laid back on the bed, Matt's doll jumped off as it saw what was going on, it went to the desk in the room and jumped up on it sitting down and falling asleep.

Matt let out a little chuckle at his doll and looked back at the sexy, nude, dragoness on his bed waiting, and wanting him. He slowly slid in-between her legs and started to slowly lick the insides of them going up and down each leg and stopping at her pussy. When he got to her pussy she felt his hot breath on her and on each breath on her she let out a little moan of anticipation. Matt slid his tongue up and around her pussy and was teasing her with a finger sliding it just a little ways into her. He then stopped what he was doing and sat up looking at her.

"You know, as much as I like this and I know that you do too...I just cant make my self go on." Matt said, she in turned looked a little bit down and asked. "Why can't you finish what we've started." Matt laid down next to her and spoke. "I've got a lot on my mind and I would like to get what I came here for done first...then after that my mind will be at ease."

She just looked at him and took him in her arms hugging him. "You want me to wait...I can wait but I cant say that I'll be here for you though." He sighed in her arms, feeling the warmth that she was giving off. He looked in to her eyes and snuggled up against her, "for a dragoness she's pretty soft." He thought. The two lovers fell asleep in each others arms.

The night droned on into day and as Matt awoke in the arms of Sundance, he nuzzled up against her nude body. Wanting to stay like that for ever. "Why don't we just run away?"

He thought. "I have a lovely place, you'd like it." He looked at her sleeping silently, holding him still in her arms. He closed his eyes again and tried to go back to sleep letting her still hold on to him as if he was going to leave her. She awoke to Matt stirring around. As she looked down at him snuggling up against her and trying to get back to sleep as if he didn't want the day that had already came, come. "Quite the restless one eh?" She asked him watching his every move. He didn't answer her but just looked up at her and smiled.

She shifted her weight, moving him on top of her and he looked down at her from in-between her breasts. Smiling at her he gave her a slow kiss and rolled off of her, onto the side of the bed and looked out the window. The view was of the main street, and the town was just waking up to the morn. As he stood near the window looking down Sundance came up behind him and gave him a hug. He looked back and up at her as she held onto him.

"So.." He said to her smiling "You still think I'm this Coy you speak of?"

She looked down at him, who was still nude and made no point of dressing back up.

"No, at least not right now." She said smiling.

He turned around in her arms and looked deep into her eyes speaking slowly.

"Well then what will I have to do to keep it that way?" Before she could answer him, he pushed her back on the bed and gave her the pleasure that she wanted last night.

It was about mid day when Matt exited the room to go down to the tavern to get something to eat. He was walking down the stairs, when his doll came running down the stairs to him.

"Whaa?" Matt said out loud looking at his doll running down the stairs. He looked back up the stairs just in time to see Sundance coming down them too. "Ah so you're awake now, I see." She looked at Mat and smiled "Yes and I thought that your doll could come with too."

Matt just shook his head and continued down the stairs. As he walked down the stairs he saw the royal guards at the bar. They were asking where a Matthew was and he didn't want to get involved into the mess that was going on, but he thought about it and decided that it was best that he took care of the matter at hand. So as he walked to the bar the guards turned and looked at him . "Hey you." They asked "Are you Matthew?" Matthew looked at them and smiled at them. "Yeah what do you want?" He asked. The guards then made a cautious approach to Matt. "We are here to take you in, to see the king." Matt just looked at them still smiling at them. He then made a look at the barkeep. "Keep my place, I'll be back."

He said to the keep. "Matt..." Sundance said to Matt but before she could finish he just spoke "You can wait for me if you want. I wont be more than a day or two."

She looked as he then walked out the door with the guards. Knowing that she would probably never see him again.

"So..." said Matt to the guards " How glad is he to know that I have come back to his realm?" The guards just looked at him as they walked down the main street.

"So not the talkative type eh?" Matt said smiling at the guards.

"Maybe you guys need to get laid." He said laughing, the guards still acting like they were not hearing a word that he said.

"Come on guys at least tell me to shut up." Matt said whining and giving a sad look as he said it. One of the guards turned around after he said that and just gave him a look, almost wanting to tell him to shut up but holding back, remembering what he was told.

He then looked back continuing on the route that they were on.

Matt just looked a little happy when the guard turned around thinking that he was going to talk to him but as the guard turned back he gave a sigh. "Come on you guys I'm not going to do anything." Matt said whining again. "You guys are no fun." Matt said looking down as they were walking.

They entered the jail cell, it was just like the cells Matt had seen in his travels. Dark and damp, lighted poorly with candles. "Heh I see he hasn't changed THIS place." Matt said with a smirk. "You really think that these bars can hold me?" He asked the jailer laughing as he spoke.

The jailer just laughed as Matt laughed, "HO Thief!" Matt gave him a look of hatred "But you are not going into there." With that the guards pushed Matt into the wall next to the cell and to Matt's amazement he went right through the wall. As he was sucked into the wall he felt his body being ripped from time and space and thrown into another world. When he awoke he looked around him trying to get a grip on where he was. The world that he was thrown in was that of a maze. Stone walls where everywhere before him stood a beast. Matt tried to get as good of a look at the beast in front of him but due to the light all he could make out of the best was that it was a him due to the build, and it was a were fox.

The fox stood in front of Matt and was talking to someone "But who?" Matt thought.

Then he realized that it was him that he was talking to. Matt shook his head and slowly sound came back to his ears... "...ok?" the fox looked at him. "Huh? Matt said to the fox looking a little dazed. "Are you ok?" the fox asked again. Matt looked up at the fox and shook his head again. "Yeah I'm ok I guess...so how long" Matt asked the fox.

"Well you've been out for about a day I guess, though I really can't tell time in here, there are others in here but you can't trust the lot."

Matt slowly got to his feet and looked at the fox. "Well then how can I trust you?"

The fox just looked at Matt thinking about the question that was asked. "You can't" he answered. Matt smiled and held out his paw to the fox, it turn the fox took it in his own and shook it. "Names Lain." The fox said to Matt as he shook his paw. "Matt" Matt replied.

Lain was wearing a dark robe much like the one that Matt was wearing.

And though he didn't look like it Matt sensed the he could use a little magic.

"So Lain, what did you do to get here...and I don't remember this being in the jail cell here." Matt asked Lain while looking around the place.

"Well for one..." Lain said while sitting down, leaning ageist the wall "It doesn't help to be a thief in this town...but THAT'S what they accused me of being, I didn't steel anything... I was just here to study magic...but its like they say once a thief always...you know how it goes. Oh and this place was built oh about thirty years ago." Lain said looking down at his feet. "So how bout you? Huh? What's your story?" Lain said looking up at Matt.

"Well I guess you're right about the thief part..." Matt smiled at that thought.

"One is that I fought against the king and was one of the few that got past his royal guards, let me tell you those guys didn't go down with out a fight. Another thing is and well they can't prove it but they claim that I stole something dear to the king...but well that just a little of what I think I've done to get thrown here." Matt said with a smile growing on his face.

"Wait you said that you fought against the king, but the Mage War was like over a hundred years ago." Lain said staring at Matt. "Well there are some things that just don't come out and that's one of those things." Matt said looking stern at Lain.

"Right right I got it." Lain spoke softly "Well are you going to show me around?"

Matt broke the silence with a smile on his face as he said that. Lain got up slowly and took a good look at Matt. He was not sure if this guy that got thrown here was some one that he should be hanging around with. Matt was still smiling at Lain. "This guy is crazy or something." Lain thought "How can I trust him?" He thought while shaking his head back and forth. "Well like I said this place is a maze but there's a small...I guess that you could call it a town, in the middle of this place." He said walking down one of the hallways "You coming?" He asked Matt as he was walking. Matt started to follow.

Coming into the town in the Maze Matt got a good look around. The city was bigger than Matt had though that it would be. To him it looked like it stretched as far as the eye could see. There were buildings like he had never seen in his travels. He saw that this Kingdom didn't care for any one by the looks of the people that were in this city. As he looked up at what would have been the sky he saw that it was brick, but it was lit some how by magic.

He turned his attention to a fight that had just broke out it was a couple of mages, it looked like, fighting a dragon, of course the dragon had the upper hand but from the looks of it the mages were winning. People were just walking around it and some were looking, others were taking bets. Matt then looked at Lain. "This kind of stuff goes on in here, there are some amazing fighters here, and that I think of it some that are better than the king himself."

"Yeah it dose look like there are some." Matt said still watching the fight.

After it look like the mages had won the dragon got up and walked off into a building Matt guessed that it was a tavern or something like it.

"Well we could go into that one." He said pointing to the building that the dragon went into.

"Oh you mean the tavern?" Lain said to Matt while walking to the building.

Upon entering the tavern Matt saw that is was alive with music and shouting. He saw the dragon that was in the fight buying drinks...for of all things, the mages that he had fought.

Matt then turned his attention from that back to who was all in the tavern.

Every one that he could see was doing something, talking, fighting, drinking, and even sleeping. This was a place that he could get to like "Na" Matt thought.

Lain led him to a table were an elf came up to them and asked "So a new one here eh Lain?"

Lain looked at the elf that had asked that, and in doing so Matt looked up too.

"Yeah just got thrown in today." Lain said smiling at her.

"Well then what can I get you guys?" She asked Matt and Lain.

Lain looked at Matt, "You buying?" He asked looking at him.

"But I thought that this was a town here...don't you work here? There hast to be a way of making gold here." Matt said to Lain not thinking properly.

"You forget where we are don't chya." Lain said looking down at Matt, "I just try and steel to stay alive." Lain said trying his best to hide something that he didn't want out.

Matt saw how Lain was sort of looking down when he said that and thought that it was best to drop it. "Um I'll take just an ale...no wait give me just some water, just to be on the safe side." Matt said looking at the elf, who turned to Lain and was looking at him.

"Oh just give me what I always have." He said to her.

With that she left.

Matt took the time to take in more of the tavern. Looking around he lost track of time and was watching a fight break out and head outside.

He looked back at Lain and caught him stealing some coppers off the guy behind him.

Matt just shook his head at Lain and laughed.

"What?" Lain asked Matt as he gave him a weird look.

"Nothing, just thinking." Matt said back to Lain

The elf came back with the drinks and Matt paid her for them and gave a tip too.

While taking a sip from his drink, Matt took another look around the tavern, keeping an eye out, he knew that this place was going to be a place that he would have to watch his back.

"Man you are acting jumpy." Lain said to Matt "you know you just need to relax."

He said while drinking.

"Yeah but there's people here that I think would love to fight me... and I wouldn't know how it would turn out." Matt said looking back at Lain.

"Man if you fight here you wont die they just want a drink...or a little something that... well you know." Lain said laughing at Matt. "Yeah I know, and that's what I don't want to happen." Matt said giving a little chuckle. With that he finished his water and got up.

"Where do you think that you are going?" Asked Lain.

"Huh? Oh well I was going to look for a place to rest." Matt said heading to the front of the tavern. "Wait for me!" Lain said while trying to finish his drink.

Matt stopped and turned facing where Lain was just getting up to run to him.

"You...can I hire you?" Lain said as he was trying to catch his breath.

"What?...Why do you need to hire me, and for what?" Matt said to Lain.

"Well..." Lain started to say while looking down, "I'm tired of this place and what goes on in here." He said looking back up at Matt. " Matt I want to hire you to protect me. I will pay you when I get out of here, you have my word, and I wont cheat you."

Matt looked down at Lain as he said this, "You ask me if I will protect you, One how do you know that I cant take care of myself? Second there's a good reason that you are here and if you can't take care of yourself then that's your own fault."

Matt said stern to Lain. Lain look back down and started to turn away, "I just wanted help, I cant take any more of this." He thought tears starting to form in his eyes "I just cant take any more of this." he whispered He started to walk away when he accidentally bumped into a dragon that was having a bad day and was drinking to try and rid himself of the bad day.

Matt had just turned around as Lain bumped and spilled the dragon's drink.

"Sorry I didn't see you there." Lain said to the dragon with as much respect that he could give. The dragon looked down at Lain and grabbed him taking him in his claws.

"YOU..." The dragon said to Lain almost breathing fire or so thought Lain.

"YOU SPILLED MY DRINK." Lain knew that his wish was about to come true, because this dragon wanted blood, Lain could swear it. "I...I...I...said I was sorry, w...w...w...would y...y... you l...l... like me to buy you another one?"

Lain said scared half to death. "NO...YOU WILL PAY WITH SKIN."

The dragon said smiling at Lain with an evil grin. To the dragon he thought that maybe just maybe this would perk his day up. "N...N...NO!" Lain said to the dragon. "ITS ONLY FAIR, YOU SPILLED MY DRINK." The dragon said back to Lain chuckling "I THINK THAT YOU WOULD MAKE A PERFICT BITCH." Matt had heard the commotion as he walked out of the tavern. "What the hell?" he thought as he turned around and entered the tavern again.

In side he saw the fight that was sort of one sided breaking out between Lain and the dragon

"Man what am I doing?" Matt thought as he walked up to the dragon who was holding Lain.

"YOU THERE!" He said to the dragon who in turn looked down at Matt. "YES...YOU, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LET ME HAVE HIM." He yelled at the dragon pointing at Lain. Lain who in turned gave a look of relief upon seeing Matt.

"THIS DOSE NOT INVOLE YOU, PLUS HE'S MY BITCH NOW."

The dragon said not looking at Matt. "No he's my bitch and you are going to have to go through me be for you get him." Matt said no longer yelling at the dragon, "And why don't you come outside so we can talk about this, unless you are a pussy." Matt said knowing full well that this was going to piss off the dragon even more than he was. It was almost as if the whole town was outside, if they did care about this fight, the town was the way it was always people milling about as if the fight wasn't even happening, oh there were people watching and taking bets but this fight was just another fight. As the dragon walked out of the tavern he shifted to a humanoid form and stretched his arms and wings. He threw Lain down near his feet. "Bring it BITCH!" He roared, Matt turned reaching for his sword and took note that it wasn't there, seeing his chance the dragon threw a punch and hit Matt right in the chest, picking Matt up into the air and throwing him into a building, making the bricks push into the building. "Ooof" Matt said as he hit. Falling down to the ground, the dragon roared again in a fit of rage, and slowly walked toward him. Matt slowly got to his feet as the dragon approached him, cradling his sides Matt looked up at the dragon that was in front of him. "Never..." but Matt couldn't finish what he was going to say, for a fist had hit him in the face. "God I'm fucked." Matt thought as he went through the building.

His body went through the other side and slid to a stop on the ground. The dragon took to the air and flew to where Matt's body was laying.

Matt was trying to get to his feet when the dragon picked him up, stood him to his feet and wound up for another punch. Matt opened his eyes as the dragon's fist was arched back ready to come forward to finish the job. Matt whispered a spell, "ravail ar ay" and with that he vanished from the grasp of the dragon much to his surprise. The dragon was in awe that the beast that was just in his claws disappeared into thin air. He then took back to the air to see if he could spot the beast. As he was looking, he overlooked the building that he flew over and was hovering over. "Hey DUMB ASS!" Matt yelled and as the dragon looked down, Matt chanted a spell and where the dragon was hovering above him the roof of the maze started to collapse on him, but the ceiling had not changed a bit. Soon chunks of rock started to hit the dragon from every which way, pelting and smacking him through the air. Then after toying with him a big chunk fell and hit the dragon, taking him out of the sky and to the ground. Matt appeared in front of the dragon, and though he was hurting bad limped to him.

The dragon was trying to get up but to no avail. "You have got to a lot to learn." coughed Matt, spitting up some blood. "You've got a lot to learn." he then turned around slowly limped back to where Lain was laying, picked him up and walked to a building on the outskirts of the town right in front of the maze. The house was empty and looked that way when Matt opened the door. Inside the room that he had entered into was furnished to his surprise, He sat Lain who had passed out in a chair and then chanted a protection spell on the house that they were in, so no one could enter. Matt then sat across from Lain and then passed out due to his wounds.

When he awoke, Matt sat up in a start, quickly looking around the room ready to fight but soon calmed down after realizing where he was and what had just happened.

He looked at where he had set Lain, seeing that he wasn't there, tried to get up but fell to the floor in pain. Lain who was in the kitchen heard Matt fall in pain and came out to him.

"You shouldn't be walking, I'm surprised that you manage to carry me and made it here."

Lain said helping Matt up and back into the chair. "Matt I want to thank you for helping me out there, but I see that you just want to be on your own, but after this I owe you for helping me." Lain said after helping Matt into the chair. "Well I did say that you are my bitch, heh."

Matt said trying to wince a smile. "Don't move. How many times do I have to tell you that."

Lain said walking back to the kitchen, then after a while coming out with what looked like some green paste. "Here let me put this on your sides and face, it will make you feel a whole lot better." Lain said as he applied it to Matt's sides. Matt just let it take affect and fell back asleep.

When he came to he felt a lot better. His sides and face didn't hurt, he looked around for Lain. "Lain? Lain?" Matt called out for him.

Lain came from one of the other rooms and was looking at Matt as he called him.

"Yeah? What's up?" He asked Matt. "You ready to leave this hell hole?" Matt asked Lain.

"Yeah I sure would love to, but how are we going to get out of here, there's only two ways and one of those ways is almost like death." Laid said looking at Matt. "Well it sounds like we have only one way to go then, 'cus I don't want "them" to get me to see the king." Matt said standing up and walking to the door. "Wait...you want to go to the maze? That's death right there." Lain said following Matt.

Matt stopped at the door to the house, "Well you COULD stay here, 'cus I didn't ask if you wanted to come." Matt said looking back at Lain who in turn said "No no I'll go."

"That's what I thought." Said Matt smiling, and with that he left with Lain following him.

The entrance to the Maze was nothing more than a mere gate. "So this is the big bad maze, eh?" Matt said looking at Lain. "Well there have been some who have made it out..."

Lain said as Matt interrupted him "See some made it out." Lain looked at Matt, "Yeah but that was because they were in groups of about fifteen." Matt gave Lain a look. "So what could be so bad in there." He said this while walking past the gate, instantly he was attacked by a little demon. "Waaa!" Matt said as he threw it off of him. "See I told you so." Lain said watching him from be hind the gate, Matt jumped back to the other side of the gate.

"Well I think that I have something that could help us here." Matt said trying to catch his breath. "What could help us here, you need at least five mages to get just a little ways into the maze." Lain said back to Matt. "Well for one I think that they would need a demon to help them, which I just happen to have." He said as he pulled out the summoning stone from his coin pouch. Lain looked at the stone, "THAT'S A SUMMONING STONE?" Lain said in a loud whispered, "Not too loud, and yes that's what this is." Matt said patting the stone

"Well lets use it." Lain said to Matt. Matt knew that he was going to say that and with no cue he rubbed the stone and whispered a few words and the stone started to glow a faint glow, "Wow." Lain whispered. The stone started at first glowing a soft glow then it started to glow brighter slightly blinding both of the beasts, after the glow dissipated there in front of Matt was a small blob not a demon. Matt nearly laughed at the sight, and Lain spoke up, "So that's the big demon eh?" Matt took to a knee and put his hand on the blob, petting it like a puppy. "Well I guess its going to be a little tougher than I thought it was going to be but lets get going." Matt said looking at Lain. "We are going to die..." Lain said as he followed Matt through the gate. Just as the three of them crossed the gate the same demon attacked them, but before the demon got to ether of them the blob jumped up and absorbed it. "Huh. Well it looks like I picked the right stone." Matt said laughing. With that they continued into the maze. "So... do you know where we are?" Asked Lain. About a couple of hours later.

"Nope." Matt said looking back at Lain. He turned another corner and walked in to a room with a stairway in the middle of the room. "Well that was the easiest puzzle that I've had to solve." Matt laughed. Lain was going to say something but be for he could the stairway disappeared and a gate shut behind them closing off the doorway. "Well now this looks like its going to be some fun." Matt said getting ready for a fight. As Matt was getting ready for the fight he took in what was in the room, the room was all but full, the only things that were in the room were candle stands. The Light that the candles were giving off started to grow brighter and brighter, and soon a light elemental was standing in the middle of the room.

"Well to what do we owe you the pleasure." Matt asked the elemental, squinting at the bright being. "You want to leave." It spoke so softly "But before you can you must go through me." Lain slowly got behind Matt. "Well lets get this over with, because I know some one on the outside is waiting for me."

The element, fast as light came and hit Matt with as much power as the rays of the sun. Matt flew back and hit one of the four walls and landed next to one of the candle stands. The element turned around and threw a beam of light at Lain, who just barely missed the beam.

The beam hit one of the candle stands that was behind Lain, melting it and putting out the flame. The room shown less light, as that happened and the element looked a little less bright. "Matt..." Lain yelled to him. "Its power is in the stands." Matt looked at the three stands left. At the same time the element moved, but having only three fourths power moved just a little bit slower, picked up Matt and through him against another wall, this time closer to one of the still standing stands. Matt reached out and grabbed it and tossed it to the ground. The candle fell to the ground and rolled around but it was still lit. "Damn" Matt cursed. Lain who too saw that the candle was still lit chanted a spell and a wind started to grow in the room, the element felt the wind and turned to Lain, and tossed another beam of light at Lain, the blob that was still in the room jumped up and was hit instead of Lain the beam fried the blob and still went through but by the time that it hit Lain it was just like a beam of sun light had hit him. There was a strange smell of sulfur in the air, and the blob was gone. The wind grew stronger and the flame flickered, Matt added to the spell and the wind grew even stronger, the candle was rolling around, but the flame would not got out. Matt took his chance when the candle rolled near him, and hit the candle with all his power, putting out the flame, in doing so the room grew even darker, and so did the element.

"Only Two more to go!" Matt yelled to Lain as he got up and started to run to the other candle. Laid with out needing more to know moved with speed to the other candle and jumped kicked it, foot squishing it against the wall, the room growing even darker than before. Matt stood at the last candle and looked at the element. "You want to show us the way out, or do I put you out forever?" The element stopped and turned when Matt said that.

"Fine..." It spoke softly "You have proven your worth." With that It waved its arm and by magic the room lit up again and the candle stands were back, all four of them, but instead of stairs in the middle of the room, opened a portal. "Through this you will find what you are looking for." It spoke softly, Lain took no time in jumping through the portal, Matt on the other hand slowly walked to the portal and before entering turned to the element and spoke.

"You know after I win, I like to take something from the other that I had beaten."

"I know..." said the element "And for this win, you can have my gift, you can summon me in a time of need, but be warned you can only do this if there is light."

Matt smiled and waved to the element before walking into the portal.

As Matt walked through he felt his body being ripped through time and space. He appeared in his room. Lain was there and so was Sundance, He was about to say something when he saw that he was on the ceiling, Lain was looking up just as Matt fell from the ceiling and on top of him. "Ooof" Lain said as he was flattened "MATT!!!" Sundance said as she saw him fall. "Could you get OFF of me!" Laid said squirming under Matt. Matt rolled off of Lain and slowly got up, dusting him self off. "Well that could of gone..." But before Matt could finish speaking Sundance pounced on him. "I'm sooo glad to see you." She said to him.

"Yeah same here, but I've got to finish something." Matt said looking up at her.

"You all are welcome to come with...I'm going to need some help." Matt said looking around at Lain, Sundance, and his doll. As so as it came to be Matt made that long walk to the palace of the king. He stepped out into the city with Lain and Sundance be hind him, his mud doll was there too. They slowly made their way through the down town madness. People were walking around them and the guards started to follow them about half way though town. "They are following us." Lain said to Matt, who in turned spoke "Let 'em"

They kept on walking, They soon passed the school and Igneous was standing outside, when he saw them pass. "You know, you are going to need more help than that ol' rag time group there." Matt stopped when he heard that. "And how do you think that you could any, Old MAN." The dean just laughed..."You my friend have a lot to learn, Old man." Sundance just barely caught that last part, but shook it from her mind. "Well it looks like you are going to need just a little more help here, so what the hell I'll just join for fun." the dean said. "Well just don't slow us down ok?" Matt replied to the dean laughing. Soon they were on their way again to the palace, and the guards kept their distance, but slowly catching up to them. "So are you going to do anything about them?" Sundance asked looking back at the guards. "Nope just let them follow." Matt said not even looking back. Soon they had reached the palace gates. The guards at the gate stepped forward, and Matt spoke "Ok guys we can do this the hard way, or you can just let me in." The guards turned around opened the gates, "Well that was easy." Matt said smiling at the guards.

Before Matt could walk though the gates Jhoan came walking out and stood blocking the gate. "Heya Jhoan, could you be a good boy and let us pass...I think that your king would like to see me." Jhoan looked at Matt shook his head and spoke, "You just can't stay where we put you, can you?" Matt laughed at that, "You still want to go at it again?"

Jhoan shook his head again, "No, its like you've said a long time ago, I've got a lot to learn, and well I'm here to walk you in." With that he turned around and walked into the compound. "Are you coming?" He asked, not hearing any movement behind him. Matt looked at the others then took forth and started walking behind Jhoan. As they were walking Jhoan turned around a spoke. "You know what he wants and you still wont move."

Matt looked at Jhoan as he spoke. "You know ever since you taught me, I thought that you,

That you would do what the King wanted of you to do." Matt smiled as Jhoan continued on.

"I've been to your home, seen your lands, and still don't know why he wants it."

"I'm loyal to the King and would never turn my back on him, but this is one thing that I just can't see, Why does he want your lands."

"Simple," Matt said smiling at Jhoan. "I happen to boarder all the kingdoms in this land...just more land and not only do I boarder the lands but you can just about see all the land from there." Matt stopped walking as did Jhoan. "You see I did know your king quite well, and this isn't him, he's changed, and for the worst." Matt started to walk again.

"Power my friend. I tried to stop him the first time and well you know couldn't with you there, you told me that I had to go through you to get to him, and as much as I could of, would of loved to, couldn't because I made a promise to not only your father to watch after you but felt that you would never follow the way of the king." Jhoan let them walk past,

And as he stood there thinking about what Matt had said to him Matt spoke up.

"You see Jhoan you would be a better leader than the king right now. He's mad and I do fear that this Madness is spreading and after this I must go to the other lands."

The rest of the group walked ahead leaving the two behind.

Jhoan looked at Matt. "Madness what madness are you talking about."

Matt looked down at Jhoan. "Demons..." and trailed off.

Jhoan looked surprised as Matt said demons. "Demons? But I thought that the only demon, that has ever set place here was the one that you brought up."

Matt looked up at that. "No that wasn't me, I only awoke it."

"Well what ever happened, you where there." Jhoan said.

"Yeah well, I think that because of that I found something that I wasn't spost to find, and now its coming out to get me, by any and all means. And sad to say I think that the king, Your king has fallen to it, had fallen a long time ago, I'm glad to see that You haven't yet, or you'd of tried to kill me by now."

Matt said with a sad smile and walked passed Jhoan into the throne room.

The throne room was huge and Matt couldn't help but stare, It was all gold and marble, but there was something amiss in the room, Matt looked around for a while trying to figure what was missing, The room was lit, but it seemed to be just a tad bit dark in the room.

About that time Matt started to feel that this was a bad thing, but something that he had to do. Lain who was sulking behind Sundance looked at where the king would have been sitting but wasn't there, looking around he saw no guards, nothing, not a goddamn thing.

"Hey Sun?" Lain asked Sundance in a whisper. She in turned looked down at him. "What is it?" Lain took a breath "Um...there is some one here I can't see 'em but I can feel 'em."

"Yeah me too and right now I'm thinking that it was a wrong idea to come."

The dean looked around only to turn back and watch Matt come into the room, and the doors closing behind him. "Well I'm here." Matt said to no one and every one in the room.

"I hope you're happy your royal crapyness." Matt said to where the king was spost to be sitting. "I said.." But before Matt could finish what he was going to say Jhoan walked in through the doors, just passing through them like they weren't there.

"May I present the one that you were looking for." Jhoan said looking at where the throne was. Matt was looking at the throne and started to see a body form, taking shape and color, "or lack of" Thought Matt. "Well what do I owe to you Vamps?" Ask Matt looking at the being before him taking in that the room had just gotten just a tad bit cooler.

Jhoan gave Matt a look as he said that. " You are to address him as King Nor."

"I will not address him as King, unless he was king of my nuts." Matt said again looking at the king sitting in the throne. "You should of died a long time ago." Matt said looking at the king. "I should have been the one that would of struck you down, you should feel lucky that your best mage here still has sided with you and you never had to change him."

Jhoan couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Did he just say that I was the best?" he thought. The King stood up and as he did Jhoan took to his side. "You..." He pointed a finger at Matt. "You have signed your fate and will not leave here."

"Da fuck I will!!" said Matt yelling at the king. "You act like you can just tell every body what they can and can't do. Its ok in your own kingdom but else where its not right."

At the sound of that the king raised a fist and the whole room lit up showing the true view of the room, as Matt saw the whole room for the first time. Bodies were hanging from the ceiling, dragons, beasts, humans, and it looked like there were some others that Matt didn't know what the fuck they were. Some of the bodies were nude some were not, others were just bone and some were skinless. Blood caked the walls and the marble wasn't white, and it looked like it hadn't been for the longest time. Lain who by now was scared out of his wits was huddled behind Sundance, who upon seeing the room and the bodies, mainly the bodies of the dragons grew mad and started to shift into her full size but was stopped by a thought.

"No do not do that if you value your life." She looked at Matt thinking that it was him, but as she turned back to looking at the king and Jhoan, she saw that Jhoan was looking at her.

"I'll help you guys out, I'm sorry that it had to come to this but I'll help." Jhoan sent that last thought to her. The dean moved up and was trying to calm Lain down upon seeing the sight. "You leave me no choice..." said Matt as he looked at Jhoan. "I'm so sorry that this had to happen, I knew that he had a spell on you, I just didn't know when the best time to show you the truth was." Matt sent that thought to Jhoan. "Its ok, I've known for a while now, and was just hoping that he would change back." Jhoan thought to Matt.

Before the king could say anything the group disappeared along with Jhoan.

When they reappeared, they where standing outside, no cities were in site.

"Where..." Lain started to ask. 'Its ok Lain." Matt said.

"We are far away from that place." Matt looked at Jhoan. "You know you can never go back right?" "Yeah I know, it pains me to know that I can't go back, I want to stop him badly now." Jhoan said looking at Matt, who was looking down at his feet.

"I guess I could go with you guys, you know to see if the damage has reached the other kingdoms." Matt looked up when he said that, "You know you don't have to. That was something that I was going to do but if you want to you can."

"Well it looks like I'm in it too now, so I can't turn my back on it now."

Jhoan said. Matt looked at the rest of the party and said, "That's goes for all of ya, you don't have to come, but if you want to you can." The rest of the party just looked at Matt.

"I think I can speak for all of us when I say that if its as bad back there its going to spread, we're in." Sundance said looking at Matt.