• Only a single light was on at the house of Elder Xen. He sat on the little porch attached to his small hut, rocking in his chair.

    “Noman, you came right on time. Tie Framaran up and follow me inside.”

    Noman did as he was told and followed the Elder inside.

    “GUYS?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

    Vina and Peter were waiting inside the house with the Elder.

    “They want to travel with you. Peter and Vina are not exactly trained to fight like you were, as you know, but the choice is yours.”

    Vina ran up to Noman and grabbed his cloak.

    “Please, Noman, we want to help you. I can use healing and defense spells, and Peter has been trying really hard to practice like you. We want to come with you and Decilia on your journey.”

    Noman paused before he began to speak.

    “No. Like the Elder said, you weren’t trained in battle like me. Decilia probably has healing spells she knows, and I don’t want you two in danger. You could die out there.”

    “I DON’T CARE!” Vina shouted, “I just want you to be safe.”

    She began to cry.

    “Vina… I’m sorry, but I can’t. Keep training; both of you. This village needs you more than I do. Help them out.”

    “But…” Vina tried to say, but Peter interrupted

    “I don’t like it either, Vina, but he’s right. We’re not prepared and this village needs us. I want him safe too, but there is nothing I can do about it. It’s his call, after all.”

    Vina bowed her head, but Noman raised it back up.

    “Don’t worry. I’ll come back more than a man you can be proud of. Take care till then.”

    Vina stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek.

    “Be careful, Noman. We’ll be waiting.”

    Noman nodded before Vina and Peter left the house.

    “I really didn’t want to do that, but their better off here than with me.”

    “I understand. It probably was better that you did. Now, follow me.”
    . . .
    “Where are we?” Noman asked

    “This is my secret storage room. It has not only the supplies that are needed, but also some of the secrets I’ve kept over the years. I have a few things to give you. I trust your father must have given up his best bow and your mother her grandfather’s spell book?”

    “How did you…?!” Noman began asking, but Xen cut him off

    “If you’re here, I’m guessing that they finally let you go. Those are their prized possessions, as much as you are to them. I remember their grandparents with those items. It helped them to survive in the world; they should do the same for you.
    Anyways, as I was about to say, I have a few things to give you. Wait here.”
    Xen disappeared behind a shelf. Noman took out both the bow and the book that his parents gave him and observe them carefully.
    My parents really must care if they gave up their prized possessions to me. I have a feeling that like Xen said, they will come in handy."

    Xen came back with a fairly large box in his hands.

    “Open it.” He ordered Noman

    Noman carefully opened the box. Inside was a rolled up piece of parchment, a dagger, an oddly shaped necklace, and another smaller box.
    Noman took out the parchment and unrolled it. By observation, it must have been a map of Glawdor, because right in the middle of it was a point that read his village’s name above it.

    “That map is as most resent as I could get. I got a map every year to make sure that it was updated enough for when you would have to leave. I put a spell on it to also track down the Dragon Spheres.”

    Noman rolled the map up again and put it on his belt.

    “Oh, I also put a spell on it so that way it could withstand water, fire, and any other condition regular parchment paper would not survive in, except if you lose it. Remember that.”

    “I’ll keep that in mind.”

    He next took out the dagger. The sheath was covered in colored jewels, which Noman guessed it had been forged by the Elves. The blade definitely stunned him, however. The blade was a gleaming red color.

    “Why is the blade red?” Noman asked

    “It was made that way. The red blades mean they are used mostly for hunting in the Elvin community. If I had given you a normal blade color, like a silvery color, you would be holding a human dagger. We Elves color ours for that purpose. I forged the dagger myself for when I was traveling, so treasure it.”

    He placed the blade back in its sheath and put it on his belt.
    He pulled the necklace out and observed it. It was the most beautiful necklace he had ever seen. It was shaped like the sun; its colors reflected as the colors of the sun, but it was not made of the Elvin glass like most Elvin things were made of.

    “This is for my granddaughter. Because you two will be traveling together, she’ll need something to defend herself. It will lead the way to the weapon this necklace is bond to. They are Ancient weapons; weapons that only the holders of these necklaces could use. They each have a specific power that the user is allowed to control with their weapon. This necklace was given to my family when the war was raging. We have never found that weapon, but I’m sure you two will stubble on it.”

    “I’ll give it to her right away.”

    He wrapped the necklace up and put it in a pouch on his belt.
    Finally, he took out the smaller box. When he opened it, it amazed him. A clear crystal sat in the middle of the box.

    “What is it?”

    “This is how we will be able to communicate. Just talk to it anytime you need to talk to me. Ok?”

    Noman nodded.

    “Very well, now you must be on your way. The sun is about to rise. Make sure you don’t make camp until you’re far enough from this village, so no one knows you left, ok?”

    “Yes, sir.”