This is From the Grave, an independent story that, yes could be classified as a fanfiction but is actually just a good idea. I created this story, when trying to think of an idea for a "Hero's Journey" narrative for my eighth grade language arts class. I jotted some notes down, typed a few things into Microsoft Word, and badda bing, badda boom I had a story that got so much positive feed-back I got into writing up a sequel on my own time, and it exploded into the "Less than Infinity" series you see before you.

So what do I mean by fan-fiction you ask? Well a couple of years before I wrote this story, my mother and I found and played a great game by Sony Online Entertainment called Free Realms. The characters and events in the story I created myself, but the places they live in and certain aspects of their lives were originally created by SOE. I won't go too much into detail, but I will say that the entire concept of "relics" was taken from the old CW 4 Kids show "Magi-Nation". (The concept, not the relics themselves.)

You can't find and play Free Realms anymore because it was shut down early 2014 due low to play-rates. Personally I think people stopped playing because they implemented user created content, and things just went haywire, but that's just me. You can however, find Wikipedia, Wikia, and related sites giving you more than enough information about what went on in this game during its life.

This story, its sequel, and prequel series, are just my take on some very interesting events that if you think fifth-dimensionally actually happened. The characters live in a magical world called the "Sacred Grove". They're all free to choose their own professions, and life is almost never stressful. Some jobs you'll hear about in the series in general are wizard, fisherman, miner, warrior, postman, pet trainer, blacksmith, and adventurer. Another thing that gets a bit out of control in this story is the use of magic spells, but you'll learn about that as we go along.

And on that note, without further a due: From the Grave.

It wasn't too lonesome in my home in the town of Lakeshore in the realm of Sanctuary.

There were my two dogs: Tessa, and Dukey, the three friends: Bambi, Thumper, and Flower, and me.

Of course no one in Sacred Grove has ever heard of a car, or plane, we all have our mounts.

Me oh I've just got my surfboard that generates water directly beneath it no matter where I am. (That comes in handy) Josh Phantomblade, a good friend of mine, has that crazy horse that always eats my briarmelons on the farm. I myself was around twenty five when the events you'll soon read occurred. 6.5, near 220lb, with brown hair and blue eyes. Josh was 6.7, around the same weight, with black hair and purple eyes. So, down to it then.

Josh was gone for a trip to the nearby town of Wugachug one week to pick up some tasty chugaroot brews for the upcoming Snow Days festival. I don't know why he even tries though because you can never get a straight sentence out o' those trolls we call the Chugawugs. (Always drunk on their own "poison".) Anyway, while he was away I had two farms to take care of, and unfortunately for me he had a gopher problem. It was a tough week, but when he came back it got even tougher.

"Ho, ho, those guys are a hoot, and a half. Oh, Dominic, I have something for you here. Now where is it…here?" He said as he rummaged in his big leather bag. I was excited to see what someone had sent me since I didn't really get mail that often. But when I opened and read the letter he gave me, my heart sank as if to the bottom of the river. You see the postal system had been wildly askew for weeks before, so the chugawugs had received a message addressed to me from the heart of Blackspore Swamp. My father, Nathaniel Starwave had been missing for five years until the past month.

My friend, Dominic

We've encountered some strange activity in Cracked Claw Caverns recently. The constable sent a few men in there to investigate, and only two men came out saying they saw a man calling himself "Nathan the Shadow-Stalker". Dominic I am so sorry, but from what I can tell that's your father down there, and he's been infected with dark manna. That's not even the worst part though, it's spreading. As we all know: Dark manna is pure concentrated evil. Well it's become airborne. There's a large cloud of it that won't stop growing, and by the time you read this it will be too late for Blackspore.

Sincerely, Madame Mayor, Caroline Rose

By the time I had finished reading the letter Josh had the most curious, most worried look on his face a person could wear. I slightly crumpled the paper as I shoved it into his hands. "Take that!" He read it over as I walked away, then ran after me feeling just as badly as I did. My voice echoed in the large house as I stomped up the stairs. "My father was a coward, and a cheat when I knew him. Who knows how much worse he'll be now?" "Dom, if you think you have the farm to take care of, I'll tend the crops and feed your pets. Even if he was a coward; he's your father.

My head ached as I rang the door-bell at my Cousin Elizabeth Skylark's house. It'd been almost four years. "Kailey I told you I'm coming to… oh. You know after Uncle Nathan left things got really deep."

I took these words and thought for a good long moment only to say: "Well fortunately I'm not here for sentiment."

"Then why did you come?"

"To pick up a few relics I think will be of use. After all this time he's finally popped up and I'm going after 'im." I said as I headed through the house that she and I were once roommates in. After four years, I still remembered how to get to the basement. Without looking I could tell she was very confused. "Alright, you know how messed-up the postal system's been lately? Well when Josh…" I gave her the whole spiel as I walked downstairs, mumbling about what I grabbed as I went along. Since Blackspore Swamp is home to many breeds of venomous toads, I swiped a health potion and a swamp saddle. The place is also home to many of Sacred Grove's graveyards so life traps were a must. Suddenly I felt a tugging on my feet. I looked down and I was literally rooted to the floor.

"You didn't think you'd be going alone did you?" She asked rhetorically from behind me.

"Actually I did. I'm sure you've trained very hard to perfect your skills and spells but I am going alone." I felt the roots at my ankles tighten, blocking off my blood-flow.

"I'm going to see my uncle, evil or not or you lose your feet!" She declared.

You can imagine how I took that. So we gathered a few more relics and headed south-east on what might be a day's trip. Elizabeth's house was on the outskirts of Lakeshore so it actually didn't take that long to reach the small, ground level tunnel that lead through a long mountain range to the swamp. The century's old moss that had grown on the tunnel walls had turned grey from life-drain, and almost blended in with the dark stone walls. "Whoa." I said as I took one large step.

"Hold it!" Elizabeth said with such command I froze in my tracks.

"What is it?" I said, a little irritated.

"Look up."

And as I did, I saw it: the largest, darkest cloud you've ever seen. I looked behind me and saw her frantically flipping through the thick journal she recorded all her spell casting knowledge in. "Sutcetorp suria!" she chanted, and piece by piece I saw a bubble of the very light around us refract and solidify into a movable force field.

"Double whoa." I said simply amazed by what she had just done.

"I've been practicing." She said with a little too much pride in her voice.

"I can see that!" I exclaimed, my voice slightly echoing in our new bubble. And so we slowly moved along through the short passageway leading to what could've been the center of all evil in Sacred Grove at the time. When we emerged, we passed by the warpstone that used to teleport people across realms, but was now disabled and shielded thanks to a light spell its original creator had cast. It was so dark that without the force field I wouldn't be able to see my hand in front of my face.

"The Sanctuary public records said there wasn't much difference between day and night but this is ridiculous!" I exclaimed.

"Lucky for us: I swiped a wish compass as we left." My genius cousin stated as she reached into one of her large pockets. She pulled out a small, iron dish with a red indicator in the middle protected by glass. She held it up to her mouth and said "Cracked Claw Caverns".

The red indicator spun around several times slightly glowing until finally landing on the direction in which I reluctantly assumed was the path ahead of us. I felt uncomfortable having to traverse the entire swamp. So I spoke up. "You know, I don't really trust wish compasses. Maybe we could adjust the warpstone to…"

"It's disabled remember. And no one knows the incantation to take down that shield because the sorcerer who set them up died years ago. Besides, it's a smart spell going by the logic that as long as there is dark manna anywhere near that warpstone the bubble stays up."

"Because if the shield went down and the magic enabled the dark manna would seep through everywhere else. I understand now."

Warpstone

A warp stone is a magical "Rune" that when

touched will teleport you wherever you think.

When dark manna is near a warp stone a smart spell

cast by their creator disables, and shields them until

safe.

Just as this conversation ended a grave elemental rammed the bubble from the side. I'd only read of these, so I took a good long look before using a life trap on it. The base was a large grass-toped chunk of dirt with a spine clearly protruding from the bottom, a skull on the front where the head would be on a body. Similarly: Two gravestones were at the shoulders, two gloves floating at arm's length from said gravestones, and a ribcage where such would be jammed into the chunk of dirt. I recoiled in new-found fear as the second I saw it replayed in my mind.

"I hate those things." Elizabeth said eluding to the fact that she'd seen them before.

"How many times have you been here again?" I asked, knowing the answer like the back of my hand.

"Several. You know, if you really don't trust wish compasses, I could split the field so you can find your own way there."

"Are you serious!? I'll go insane on my own. That's why I have five pets."

"You, pets, really?" She said with understandable confusion.

"How else do you think I keep from losing it in a great big house with three empty rooms?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe surf into the nearest town and talk to people. Maybe get a job!" She shouted not even comprehending we'd just stepped over a great big puddle into the entrance of Cracked Claw Caverns.

I gazed in, not knowing what I was looking at. Much like the outside swamp there was very little light. Even if it was "bright" the plain black cave walls wouldn't have helped.

"Iblwo Ibthgis!" Elizabeth shouted, startling me half to death. And in her eyes and mine the entire cave lit up like a Snow Days tree. I saw and seized an opportunity.

Cracked Claw Caverns

Cracked Claw Caverns is a large cave that houses

many breeds of venomous toad, and gets it's

name from the evil cray, Cracked Claw.

It was also once a diamond mine for the many

crystals found deep inside.

"Could you extend the bubble about fifty feet?" I asked.

"Okay, I know it's been a long time. But using that much magic at once is going to make me scream." She said with her usual dead-serious face.

"Trust me, it's worth it." She closed her eyes very tight and gestured her arms in a pushing motion in the immediate direction of the field's border. Her lips quivered as she held back a wail of great pain. I took out the swamp saddle, and a duplication relic. As the field passed over a large family of venomous toads, I lunged toward one.

As I slapped the saddle on the big beast it sent a message to the toad's brain to send out endorphins into the body and feel happy and submissive.

Elizabeth started to scream so I had to move fast. I tapped the toad with one end of the duplication relic, and the stone at my feet with the other end. And from the stone, a new toad formed with its own saddle. I then quickly herded them over to Elizabeth before she fell in place, and the force field returned to its normal, small size.

She made a weak attempt to stand and said, "That…was exasperating. And it drained me a lot." But as she looked up her face brightened a little.

"But I told you it'd be worth it."

"And you lied." She said a slight cough in her voice. We climbed on feeling relieved to not use our feet for a while. I was a bit confused in that from what I had read in the records, we should have encountered some cray by now. We marched past a cluster of crystals protruding from the dark walls that still glowed in the dark of this evil place. Suddenly, I heard a cry for help from a familiar voice.

"Someone, anyone, HELP!" As I quickly rode toward the endangered voice I passed the lair of the cray himself: Cracked Claw. He looked like some sort of humanoid crab that stood on three legs. And yes, his right claw was definitely cracked. As I rode, I unsheathed the blade I carry with me on almost every one of these little excursions in case I needed it. And as soon as I did the small orb at the center of its blade began to burn so hot it lit on fire. (That was normal)

"I'm coming!" I howled, hoping the presumed victim could hear me.

"Hey, what about me?" I heard Liz ask from behind me sounding much better.

"Yeah, her too." But even with the sight spell she'd cast, the way ahead looked very dark. I had to slow down and use the force field and crystals for light. But at this point I realized two things. 1(The force field had split, and Elizabeth was very far behind me. And 2(The man I was rushing to save had stopped shouting for help. Abruptly, I felt another tug at my ankles. But this time the aggressor was growing on me, literally. At this point, I corrected my first realization: Elizabeth had the original force field, and I had gone into harm's way to chase after what I knew was my father's voice. I felt some sort of goo creep its way up my body until I fell off my toad and passed out.

"Dominic? Dominic!" I jolted forwards in bed to see 'Liz, Josh, my father, and a nurse all standing around me.

"What happened?" I asked into the group. Not an idea in my mind what was going on?

"Lakeshore Town Clinic." the nurse said. Then Elizabeth started.

"When I caught up to you, you were covered in dark manna, and almost unrecognizable. I had to save you and Uncle Nathan here, and drag you both back here. Not to mention negotiate our release with Cracked Claw."

"What about the rest of the dark manna?" I said, struggling to sit up in bed.

"The Sorcery High council has quarantined the area until they've figured out what to do." Father said. "I'm just glad you're safe son. When I left all that time ago, I left to get more experience, to better my understanding of things so I didn't have to cheat people out of their money."

"You'd be proud of what I've done with the farm while you were away. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

The End