With a small number of strangers in the same bedroom as you are in, wanting to know what kind of story would the writer read out. One of them started swearing and cursing the author harshly. Such a pity that the author is late, the curser must have waited for a very long time.

At that precise moment, the door lock starts to shift and turn, the wooden door opened to reveal a familiar face. "Where the heck have you been!" the girl, who leaned on the wall in front of you, starts to approach the surprised author who drops his file, papers and a book, stammering and shakily pointing his finger to everyone in the room, "Ho…how do you all come inside my room?"

"That is not important, Muazzam!" another person starts to pipe up in a corner, "Why don't you come, tell us your 'wonderful' story or even give us any news at all of your progress!"

"Well," the author answers, frowning and bending down to scoop up his things, "Not only I am cut off from the internet the whole time since the last news I post, I also are in the process of moving to a new home and school works didn't help much at all! That's not all; my e-mail is also gone for good, so any messages sent except for the first message from AJ Chimaera for the splendid tip!" No one in the room break the terrible silence so he continued. "At least I got more time to work on my first chapter and perfected it. The second chapter is on its way so don't worry." The writer pulled up the chair and sit down, taking out the book from the disorganised pile in his hand. "Sit or stand anywhere you please (Hey you! That doesn't mean you can stand on my bed!), the revelation of my epic will start now…"

Chapter One – How it all began…

So eerie but yet so tranquil. So still and cold yet so calm and peaceful. That is how she describes the very night which will haunt her memories for the rest of her life forever.

A young teenage girl, wearing a simple dress of cream and maroon, steps out of the sanctuary of the church and into the darkness of the night in Prontera. Situated right in the centre of the continent, Prontera, the capital city of the Christian Kingdom of Rune-Midgard, houses the only official church in the whole kingdom.

The acolyte-in-training turns to her back and start to chain the main entrance. Ignoring the state of her hair (much of them stuck out of her single hair bun due to her hectic day at work), she takes a few steps back and admire the highly-decorated entrance with a tired smile. She still remembers the time when she locks the gigantic door from the inside. Before, she had gotten permission from Father Eadgar to sleep in the church on a cold and solid-hard wooden bench when she was homeless not so long ago. Now she managed to take refuge in a small house of a recently acquainted best friend, Xiang Lu.

As she started her journey to a few hours sleep on a REAL bed, she started wondering about the things that some of her fellow acolytes and priests friends did. The BAD things. At first she thinks about Brother Francis. Yes, the very person she caught making off with the donation money given to the church for the poor. She starts imagining a male acolyte with spiky brown hair, his arm deep inside the donation box near the entrance. Well at least he promised to repent and stop stealing. At once Brother Francis morphs into Sister Katherine and Brother Mao. They are kissing and hugging very passionately in the storeroom, during a mass too! They may never have noticed her presence, but still the very thought about knowing a secret like that is exciting! She giggled quietly as she steers herself into a dark alley. "Oh no! What am I thinking!" she said as she shakes the naughty thoughts away and repents again and again in the name of the Holy Lord.

Suddenly, as she lowers her head, repenting and walking at the same time, someone stumbles into her at a corner. She and the cloaked figure falls back as a second cloaked figure stops abruptly nearby to catch her breath. The acolyte opens her eyes to see a bearded man (his hood fell off his head), heavily injured, and wincing as he rubs his sore shoulder and a tired woman, her hood still on, carrying a bundle of clothes.

"Oh my God, you poor soul!" she exclaimed and instantly healing the injured with her magical skills before any of them said another word. The man's wound healed greatly, the bruise shrinking and the visible cuts grows smaller as his skin starts to reattached at the ends. "You are very fortunate that I concentrated on my 'Heal' skill far more than any other skills that I have learned…"

"Thank you for healing my husband, Izumi," the young cloaked woman says gratefully as she helps him up with her free hand.

"Wait a second! How do you know my -!" asked Izumi.

"That is not important for now," the male says urgently as he pulled his hood back up, "We have agreed to give her to the first kind soul we met."

"Yes, you are right, dear," the hooded woman motioned sadly, giving the bundle of clothes to Izumi.

Izumi curiously take the bundle of clothes only to see a baby girl sleeping cosily under a pile of lovingly-made quilted blankets. As she gazed at her milky soft face, a clattering of metal armour and steel can be heard at a distance…

"We don't have much time, please look after our baby," the mother requested desperately pulling her husband with her, "and make sure she is safe." The couple took flight into the night leaving the baffled acolyte behind.

When she hears the loud footsteps coming closer and closer, she came back to her senses and hide somewhere behind a Pepeco water-trough nearby, carrying the infant with her. It was a tense moment. She can feel the chills creeping down her spine as she sits in an uncomfortable position pulling the young child closer to her chest, waiting, waiting and waiting dreadfully for the clanking sounds as it grows louder and nearer with every step. She peeked out of her hiding place and saw silhouettes of a group of knights and crusaders led by a paladin riding on a Pepeco closing in! She immediately sink back to her previous crouching position praying and praising God and embracing the infant even closer than before. She never stops her supplications even as the rider stops in his path and directs the large fowl he was riding to her direction. As the dark shadow edges nearer and nearer to her, closing the gap between the evil being and the helpless children who could do nothing but to hope for a miracle…

She closes her eyes chanting more feverously, with sweat dripping profusely from her brow, and a strong faith which is bigger than anything imagined, in something which seems impossible to happen, for her to escape this situation and to bring the innocent child cradling in her arms to safety away from this potential threat which could slice through them as easy as a heated knife through butter. Here she felt a full sense of regret, why didn't she try to learn how to 'teleport'? The paladin finally came to a halt in front of her. "I promise to donate all of my Zeny to the church, please God deliver us from this moment and protect us from harm," she whispered it out, closing her eyes and waiting for it to come… It never came. A small splash can be heard as the Pepeco's beak was dipped into the water trough to enjoy a succulent drink. The young acolyte breathes out a sign of relief, feeling deeply grateful that he hasn't found her yet.

"Excuse me sir, may I ask a question?" one of the knight begin to ask as he starts to sit down on the pavement to have a rest, "Who exactly are we chasing and what their crimes are?"

The Leader faces the knight who talked to him and answered, "These dangerous couple we plan to capture are traitors to the king, they plan to treason His Majesty, and stirring up a revolt to overthrow him." Sister Izumi gasps to herself.

"But they are out of sight, sir. How are we going to get them?" asked another one of the infantry who is leaning on his spear.

"One of them is hurt, they can't get too far! Let us split to two groups, Sir Gawain will lead one group and I will lead the other," the paladin replied as he pulled the rein to tell the bird to finish drinking, "and which person can catch them by tonight can have some 'fun' with the lady!" His men start to cheer. The acolyte feels angry with his comments (Who would have thought the honourable king's men would even portray such behaviour?), and thankful that she heals the father to the child she is holding right now. "Sir Gawain, I thrust you will lead your men to the east," the Pepeco rider ordered, "While I will lead my men to the west!" A stout man with thick moustache begins leading a group of men to the right junction, while the red-headed armoured paladin led another group to the opposite direction.

After making sure that they are gone, the tired acolyte steps out of her hiding place and stretch her legs, making sure not to wake the baby up. The teenager bow her head low and admiring the face of the infant she was carrying. She smiles heartedly, feeling very grateful, as she whispered gently to the unwary infant, "Looks like I owe the church some money now, right?" Then she looks up to the sky and spotted a beautiful crescent moon hiding behind a number of wispy clouds which dances around with the bright stars. Yes, she will never forget this beautiful moment. Not ever.

"So what do you think of my story?" Muazzam, the smiling story reader says happily, "Err, well?"

"I think we will post a review later," says a teenage boy, who sits cross legged on the floor next to you.

"Can you promise me it will be very constructive and polite, please?" author says excitedly like a kid who is eager to receive candy and sweets.

"We can't make promises, but we will try…" the person replied back slowly.

"Anyway, I would like to thank the audience, my inspiration, my supporters and my helpers (especially my English teacher and my friend, TyrantFlame) for getting me started. Oh yeah, before I forgot why don't any of you ask my characters or me about parts that wasn't revealed in the story at the time of the story take place, which means you can't ask future questions to anyone in the story (like asking to Izumi about her death, she won't know!)," the talkative author begins to rant, "but you can ask anyone about how that person feel or thinks about something, or about something they already knew (Md Muazzam: Izumi, what is your weight? Izumi: Do you think I would really tell you THAT!). The reply will be given by any person you request for, hopefully in the end of the next chapter I write. This feature will continue as long as I write, but I can't guarantee that the answer will be satisfying (it depends entirely on the character themselves). Give it a try!"

By now almost everyone is eager to leave. The little boy standing next to you is clasping his legs together with his hands on a spot just below his belt. THIS is definitely the TIME to leave! "Oh, it's getting late!" Muazzam exclaimed, "You are all welcome to leave… (A certain kid run out of the door in a tremendous speed) and goodbye everyone! Ma'assalamah ('Go with safety!'- A Muslim goodbye) and hope to see you all again soon in the next chapter."