* Hero of Time *

Authors notes;

Wow, that was a bit more positive feedback than I expected. The second chapter was already scrambling around in my brain, so here it is. As the story progresses, the chapters will hopefully grow longer. We need to set some tones first though.

Bare with me!

Chapter 2

Sandover Village

An infinite blue sky stretches as far as the eye can see. In one direction, the sea lays clear, with the horizon far, far away, holding nothing but the promise of adventures. In the other direction, a huge mountain ridge rise towards the sky. At its feet, a sprawling green and shadow filled forest lays. Beneath the forest and the cliffs lays a long beach, with golden sand which in the bright sun shines as if it was real gold.

Between the beach and the cliffs a small village has taken shelter. A windmills sails turns slowly in the breeze from the sea. As if backing up against the cliff wall to hide from the imminent seas, which today seem at peace tough, the villages' houses stand alongside the cliffs side.

There are one house which does not seem to feel the need to shelter it self. On a small rock, just outside the waters edge, a house grows up, as a big green mushroom. The house does not look as it has been built, it looks as if it has grown there. At a closer look, you can almost see the trees growing through the house, supporting the roof.

On the beach's golden sand lies a young boy, not older than six years old. He is content with him self, lying in the sun, enjoying the salty breeze from the sea. He have spent the day exploring the village, and the beach. It was not that many days ago that he arrived at this place. Although, the memories of where he came from is starting to slip away from him. He remember being scared, but he also remembers feeling protected. There had been a bright light, a light that felt as if it shone through his entire body, through his very soul.

A seagull screamed, as it sailed through the air, on a current moving upwards, towards the village. The boy followed its flight with his gaze. As it landed on the top of the windmill, still creaking slowly round in the wind, the boys gaze shifted focus. Down the path from the village a small figure was making its way towards him. The boy could almost make out who it was, it was a familiar figure, someone he knew. He sat up in the sand, letting his hands play with a small, smooth seashell.

He recognised the figure as Samos. Samos was his, well, the boy realized that he didn't actually know what his relation to Samos actually was. He did know that he trusted him. He felt that the green old mossy little sage would look after him. As Samos came closer, which didn't go very fast as the Sage made his way through the loose sand, the boy could see that there was an even smaller figure than Samos walking along his side.

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Damn all this sand! Samos was not a happy Sage, not one bit! Of course, he understood the important place he would have to play for the balance of the world in the coming years, but couldn't there at least be some decent roads at this place?! It was so much easier being the Green Sage, guardian of nature and balance, when you lived in a city. A city with decent roads.

He could see the boy, lying in the sand. At least he had not had any real problems adapting to the new scenery. That was a bit of a relief, as Samos would rather not have to deal with any childish tantrums. He sighed. Maybe he had bit of more than he could chew this time, he thought as he gently dragged the tiny little person in his hand with him.

"Jak!" Samos yelled at the boy as he got close. The boy got attentive, and got up on his feet. It hadn't been hard at all getting the kid used to the name Jak. That was also a relief for Samos, but maybe it wasn't really that odd. Jak, as Samos was trying to getting used to calling him, which was giving him a bit of a headache, had been called nothing but "Boy" and "kid" for several years. Having a name, any name, must be a real treasure for him, Samos thought.

But he would still not utter a single word.

"Come here Jak! I want you to meet someone!" Samos said as the met at the middle of the beach. The same seagull that Jak had watched just a couple of minutes ago screamed again as it circled over them.

"Jak, this is my daughter, Keira." Samos gently pushed the small girl holding his hands forward. "I am her father and sole custodian as of now, and I hope that you two can become friends."

Boy, this was unnerving for the Sage. And Samos did not enjoy being unnerved. This was something that made him angry, and he did not enjoy being angry. A Sage of Balance can't go around being angry! Suddenly he snapped back to reality, where Keira still stood holding his hand. She was looking at Jak with a curious stare.

"Keira, you can go and play with Jak, if you want to. Jak, promise me to keep Keira safe, do you hear?" Immediately, the two kids ran of along the beach, chasing each other.

"No shenanigans, you hear?!"

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Jak smiled with his whole face. This could be the best day ever. He had a friend. For the first time he really could remember, he had a friend. They ran along the water, every now and then chasing after seagulls who were hacking in the seaweed for interesting food. As the kids ran towards the birds, they laughed and screamed. Well, at least Keira did.

She wasn't more than maybe a year younger than Jak. But she hadn't actually said a word to Jak since they met some hour ago. Not that it mattered, they would be friends forever, Jak thought to himself. Words weren't something that was all that important to Jak. You could usually get along just fine without them. Some people talked to much, Jak thought.

"Hey! What are you doing playing with HER?!" Jak looked around him in chock, stopping dead still. Where did that voice come from?

On the top of a rather large rock, that Jak and Keira had been chasing each other around, sat a kid. It was the smallest, most orange kid Jak had ever seen. He stared at him, not understanding what this boys problem was.

"You can't go around playing with GIRLS" the small boy said, as he jumped down from the rock. "You'll get COOTIES!" The boy stared at Jak, looking dead serious.

Keira and Jak stared at him. He was indeed a very small boy, almost shorter than Keira. Then, they looked at each other. Then back at the boy. Then Keira laughed, and Jak rolled in the sand in silent laughter.

"Hey, don't laugh! I know a lot of things about this sort of stuff!"

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When they first arrived, Samos had been worried that the villagers living here would be hostile and all too curious about the Sage and the young boys' origin. Alas, he had not had to worry. The people of Sandover were more than happy to welcome a Sage to the village. Apparently, as the Mayor had explained, Sandover was the only village as far as he knew that did not have a Sage.

Samos did not care much for the Mayor. He seemed much to eager to control the daily doings of the villagers. That was not what a Mayor ought to do.

That was Sage-work! Samos muttered to himself. At least the blasted Mayor had welcomed them, and been nothing but happy to let Samos move in to the old look out-post standing on a rock rising from the sea.

Samos had at their arrival at the new home encouraged the small trees growing between the floorboards to grow big, to become strong, and to take root, just as he planned to do. The Sage shuddered. He was standing in his window, looking at three small figures running around at the beach.

He sighed. He sighed a lot these days he realized. It was unnerving knowing what the future hold. He tried not to think about what he knew. He was certain that the divine Precursors would guide his actions to the right outcome, if he didn't try so hard. It was that divine interference that had told him to adopt the small girl as his own, he told himself.

She had been playing under a table at the mayors' house when he had been there to visit today. As he talked to that retched man, something had taken off his shoes. He had been furious! You do NOT remove a Sages shoes! As he bent down to look under the table for the shoe thief, a small face with an enormous smile had looked right back at him. And he knew, right then, that this was his daughter, and he would love her.

"Who is this little one then?" He had asked the mayor, anger all gone and forgotten.

"This is Keira. She's an orphan, living here with me. We all help out taking care of her, since her mother died."

It had taken a bit of argumentation from Samos end to convince the Mayor that Keira should live with Samos. But in the end, Samos was the Sage of the village now, and the Mayor knew better than to argue with a Sage. People who could absorb and control the elements usually got what they wanted.

Keira had crawled up in Samos knee, still holding his wooden shoes. She had looked at him intently. Then she had hugged him, and it was decided. He was her father, and that was how it would be.

Once again, Samos sighed. He felt that things moved so fast. How could it feel that way, in a place that was clearly so incredibly slow? Sure, he was used to being the coolheaded and tactic man in a fast and bluntly aggressive city. Here, he was the fast and aggressive man in a peaceful and calm village.

"This is a good place to grow old at. And to grow up at, isn't it?" he asked the air.

A small bird landed in his hair.