Zendric was feeling rather paranoid tonight. For some reason, every shadow seemed to move and the slightest creek startled him. In an effort to calm himself, he grabbed a book from the wall of his study and began to read. However, not even this would calm his nerves.
Perhaps his nerves were on edge because today is the anniversary of the day he killed that demon. A day one does not forget, even after twenty years. Just thinking about it made the scar on his back throb. He lost many friends that day. Most people who live in Cortson believe the greatest threat this city has ever faced is the demon seal breaking. They have no idea how wrong they are.
Suddenly, Zendric heard a sudden crash and dashed down the stairs to his classroom. Every few years or so, Zendric finds someone worthy of learning the secrets of magic. So, he made a single level of his tower into a classroom. He did his best to keep it nice and clean. You would never guess that if you were looking at it now.
All the desks were flipped upside down and books had been tossed on the floor. At least a dozen pots were broken and the flower that had been in them were crushed on the floor. There was a horrible smell in the air because of the potions that had been thrown at the walls. It did not take long for the old wizard to become furious. Just a few days ago, some ugly brute had destroyed and now it had happened again! Whoever did this would pay, that was certain.
Then Zendric heard a "bang" noise, coming from the next room. In the blink of an eye, the wizard in the room where the noise originated. There, a figure wearing a pitch-black robe was about to grab his Spiritkeeper, a magic tool capable of separating one's soul from their body and holding that soul. Something Zendric became all too familiar with the last time it was stolen. Without hesitation, Zendric used magic to make the Spiritkeeper fly into his hands. The orb moved too quickly for the intruder to react in time. Zendric was greatly relieved when it landed in the palm of his hand. No way he was having his soul put in an owlbear's body again.
"I don't know who you are, but you have made a grave error in trying to rob me!" Zendric shouted.
"The error is yours." The intruder replied in a hiss. "I did not want to fight you. I even went to the trouble of using a silence spell. So I could retrieve what I came for without any struggle, but it seems I will have to dirty my hands."
"What do you want with the Spiritkeeper?!" Zendric demanded.
Red smoke began to surround the intruder. Suddenly, Zendric felt something strange from this intruder. Something dark, disturbing, and evil. And this feeling was continuing to grow stronger. Now the red smoke was spreading to all corners of the room. For the first time in years, no decades, Zendric could feel something he hoped never to feel again.
Fear.
"What are you?!" Zendric asked, literally forcing his voice to sound calm.
"I am the Dark One." The intruder replied with a laugh.
Meanwhile, some friends of Zendric were approaching his tower. Their names were Zellach, Driskoll, and Moyra. A few days ago,they saved Zendric's life and exposed a corrupt priest. To reward them, he made the three of them official Knights of the Silver Dragon, even though they are still kids. Now, they had the authority to do things they never could (or rather, were not allowed to do) before. Like leave their homes after dark. This was a big deal in Cortson, because night is when demons roam the streets. There is a patrol that deals with these demons and protects any citizen foolish enough to be out. The three of them were walking with a new knight. His name was Max. It was easy to tell he was a newbie because he kept looking over his shoulder and talked a lot. Mostly about how he wanted to be a cook, but his father forced him to become a knight.
"So, are y-you kids sure you wa-want to bother Zendric s-so late at night?" Max asked.
"Absolutely." Zellach said calmly.
He is Zendric's latest and only current apprentice. His hair is long and blonde and he wears red wizard robes. He is very self-confident.
"Man, this must be one important spell." Moyra said.
Moyra is the only girl that Zellach is friends with. She wears gray-plain clothing to better blend-in. Any pick-pocket needs to blend-in. If it were not for her cloths, Zellach would say she was pretty. Also, he admires her daring personality.
"Why couldn't we simply have waited until morning?" Driskoll asked with a yawn.
Driskoll is Zellach's younger brother. He can be cowardly and a crybaby at times, but you can always count on him in the end. Like Zellach, he has blonde hair, but he has no talent for magic. He wears a plaid shirt and a green coat. Since they became knights, he started carrying a knife.
"No." Zellach replied. "Besides, we are now official Knights of the Silver Dragon. What is the point of having such a title if we can not go out at night?"
"He does have a point." Moyra said.
Before Driskoll could reply, Zendric's tower exploded. The entire top of it burst into flames. Rubble fell from the sky like rain in a storm. Everyone was frozen, except for Zellach; he created a dome of golden light around them, to protect them from the debris. People opened their windows to see what had happened. One man even came outside. Zellach looked up at the tower and saw someone tossing Zendric of the top, like he was trash.
In a fraction of a second, Zellach dissolved the barrier and focused in slowing his teacher's descent. It took great concentration and energy. He could feel himself begin to sweat and his body become very warm. However, he continued to try and he did succeed. Zendric landed gently on the ground, and the children ran to him. Max did not follow because he fainted. The great wizard looked like a mouse that barely escaped the claws of a hawk. His arms were broken, along with his left leg. He was bleeding from three giant cuts across his chest and both his lip and his right eye were swollen.
Driskoll, unable to stand the sight of so much blood, fell to his knees and puked-out his dinner. Moyra stifled a scream. Even Zellach was trembling. This is impossible! That thought filled all their minds. Zendric had fought horrible monsters and evil sorcerers that could destroy entire cities. No one should be able to wound him so severely. Put him so close to Death's door. Just what sort of demon had attacked him.
After Zellach took a moment to collect himself, he quickly applied every healing spell he could think of. It was exhausting, but necessary. When he had finished his fourth spell, Zendric regained consciousness.
"Stop." He said with a weak voice.
"No, you need to be healed quickly or, you might-" Zellach found he could not finish his sentence.
"I can heal myself." He replied. "You must stop the Dark One."
"'The Dark One'?" Zellach repeated. "Who is the Dark One? Is that who attacked you?"
"Yes, and she is unbelievably dangerous." Zendric said, then coughed. "The Dark One is a being of pure evil, more powerful than anything in this world. I always thought it was just a story my master told me so I would practice my incantations harder."
"But if you could not defeat the Dark One, what chance do we have?!" Driskoll asked.
"There is someone who can help you." Zendric said. "My master told me of a sorcerer named Merlin, who fought the Dark One for nearly a millenia. You must find him."
Driskoll looked to his brother. He could tell that Zellach had never heard of Merlin or the Dark One before tonight. With so little knowledge, how could they hope to succeed?
"Do not lose hope children." Zellach said. "There is another way to defeat the Dark One. The sorcerer Merlin used magic to bind the Dark One to a dagger. Whosoever holds the dagger has complete control of the Dark One."
Driskoll still felt terrible helplessness in his heart. This quest would almost certainly be be their doom. However, they had to try.
"What must we do?" Zellach asked.
"Follow her." Zendric said. "And may the Gods be with you."
Then the sorcerer once again lost consciousness. Without hesitation, Zellach pulled a white hair out of his pocket. He said the incantation and that hair became a horse. Both he and Driskoll climbed on, but Moyra hesitated.
"Zellach, are you sure about this?" Moyra asked, very concerned. "Zendric is badly hurt. What if he dies?"
"He said he can heal himself." Zellach replied in a flat tone.
"What if that was a lie so we wouldn't worry about him and go chasing after what attacked him?!" Moyra shouted. "Look at him! Does he look capable of doing anything right now?! We can't leave him!"
Zellach turned to face Moyra. What she saw shocked her. Tears. Never once had she seen Zellach cry, other than when his mother died. He was always so strong willed and full of pride. The sorrow he was feeling must have been powerful. The moment she looked into his eyes, she knew he was thinking the same thing, but he wanted to honor his teacher orders. Especially if it was his last. Before Moyra got on the horse, she bent down and whispered "good-bye" to Zendric. Then the three of them rode away.
"Any ideas where to look for the Dark One?" Driskoll asked.
That was when they heard an explosion in the distance. Smoke was rising into the sky in from where the north gate was located.
"I'm guessing that way." Moyra said.
Zellach used his magic to increase the horse's speed. Soon, if he continued use magic, he would pass out. He would have to get an energy potion from the guards at the gate. When they reached the gate, there was practically nothing left. The once great wooden door had been broken into splinters and the stone walls around it were totally destroyed. All the guards were either unconscious or dead. However, they did not have time to help the wounded. Instead they took what they needed from the fallen. Zellach grabbed some potions, Moyra took some knives, and Driskoll took a sword. In the distance, Moyra could just barely see a horse running away. She pointed it out to her companions and they sent out after it. After following the Dark One for a few minutes, their destination became clear.
Long ago, in a time when few demons roamed the Earth, priests built a temple to honor the great god of the sun. Everyday, the believers would leave offerings there and everyday the offerings would disappeared. People did this for protection and good fortune. Why the Dark One was headed there, the young knights did not know. When the Dark One reached the temple, Zellach stopped the horse. The three of them got off and he turned it back into a white hair.
"We will go on foot from here." He said. "We can not allow ourselves to be noticed. That would mean certain death."
"Okay." Driskoll said, trying to keep himself from trembling.
As stealthily as possible, they made their way into the temple. In the moonlite parts of it, they were able to see carvings and faded paintings on the wall. Every one of them were of flames and the sun, as to be expected. Even though there were many hallways and corridors, they were able to find the Dark One. The hood she had wore lay discarded on the ground, near a pillar at the center of the temple. If she were not evil, Driskoll would say she was pretty. She had long blonde hair and wore a black-and-red outfit. Zellach and the others watched her from behind pillars around her. The Dark One opened her palm and the Spiritkeeper appeared in it.
"You can come out now." She said.
None of them did. Terror kept them paralyzed. After a few seconds and a few deep breaths, Zellach came out, along with Moyra and Driskoll.
"You knew we were here?" Moyra managed to ask.
There was something terrifying about just being around her. It was as if fear emanated off of her. She looked at each of them for a moment.
"Of course." She said. "I need you for what comes next."
"Which is?" Zellach said, trying to sound tough.
"You'll see in a second." She smirked.
Then she placed her palm on the pillar closest to her. Suddenly, it began to glow with a red light, and soon after, the other pillars did as well. Their color slowly changed from red to green to blue. Right before the pillars turned white, the young adventurers found their courage. Driskoll charged at her with his sword, Moyra throw knives at her, and Zellach began an incantation. The Dark One swatted Driskoll aside like an insect. When the knives were three feet from her, she used magic to turn them into roses. Before Zellach finished his spell, she said a single word and he was thrown into a pillar by an invisible force. He got back to his feet, she said another word and chains burst out of the shadows around them and restrained them.
"Now, now." She said. "Let's not be rash. You are all about to take a trip to distant worlds."
"What?!" They all said at the same time.
"You will understand soon enough." She replied.
Next she raised her hands into the air and began to chant. Driskoll turned to his brother and friend. Both of them looked back at him, and together they fought to break their chains. However, they were not able to, and when the Dark One finished chanting, there was a flash of blinding white light.
Suddenly, Driskoll was free of his chains, but he was no longer in the temple. Instead, he stood on a road in a forest. Neither Zellach nor Moyra nor the Dark One were anywhere to be seen. He called out for them and ran down the road. After his throat began to hurt, he saw a sign on the road.
It read, "Welcome to Storybrooke".