Episode 1: The stranger in the Mist.

It was a misty night in the world of Weyard, and a young girl screamed as she ran through the forests of Kolima, trying to scape her pursuers. Three men followed her, not too far away, tracking her scent with what seemed like heightened senses, At last she came to a halt in front of a great tree, and she tried to hide, climbing its giants branches. Suddenly, they appeared.

They were tall and muscular. They were surely not humans, for they wore strange clothes and had great fangs. Calming her breath she tried to listen to them.

"She's not too far away" said one of them. She was sure that he was the leader, as he talked to the others in a superior way.

"You, look over there, and you go with him; there's no way she can escape this time".

As he said that the others did something strange. She saw them walking on all fours, and snifing the air as a dog or wolf would. They said something to the leader, but it sounded like a growl. He must have understood, for he nodded and looked away. Then they left, running like beasts.

"You can come down now", he said almost in a whisper, "I will kill you here and now if you don't".

She could see him looking directly where she was even covered by many branches and leaves. She tried to hide behind another branch, but it let out with a crack. As she fell, however, he suddenly leaped and caught her. Landing easily, he tightened the grip in her throat and said calmly.

"You cannot say I didn't gave you the chance. Now I shall enjoy killing you, finding it, and then eating you slowly, part by part" and as he said that he touched her forehead with a long hairy finger, going down her cheeks and slowly to her neck. He grinned.

"This is good-bye, my dear" but suddenly he let out the most terrible howl she had ever heard, releasing her. She crawled to the base of the tree and hid behind one of the roots. There she saw a strange sight.

The were-wolf turned around to see a young man with short red hair and red eyes. They were calm ("almost too calm" she thought), like a mask that has been weared for too long, and did not reflect any emotion. He held a two-handed sword in his hands. It was dripping, and she saw the werewolf grabbing his side.

The werewolf grinned and said "You are a brave but foolish young man, my friend. We cannot be hurt by something so simple as a sword". And as he said this his wound was healing. In almost an instant his back and side were clean again, and soon there was no trace of a scar.

"So you would fight to protect her. Are you sure you can protect even yourself?" As he said that two huge wolves appeared behind the red-haired man. One of them attacked him quickly with a giant claw, but he evaded the attack as easily as if he was expecting it. The attack was soon followed with another and soon he was evading and parrying attacks from both wolves.

It was then that the girl noticed something strange. Even when he was in the midst of battle, his eyes were so calm as if staring at a mirror. He evaded one more and then she saw a roaring fire growing where his sword was. The wolves, not expecting this backed for almost a second, but it was enough time for him to get close to one of them, and he attacked with that flame that had been a sword to it's chest. With a terrible roar it felled backwards in the floor an she saw that the wound was open, not regenerating like before. The other noticed this, and ran away, but the man jumped a great distance and landed in front of him. Not doubting for a split second he cut the other wolf's head and it fell near the leader, who was at this point shocked, and as he saw the look of terror in the eyes of the now bodiless head he ran and grabbed the girl.

"You are an Adept, aren't you? Go away or this girl's done for!" He held his claw to her face. But the red-haired man just raised his hand and a red light emanated from it. The girl suddenly screamed as she saw that the werewolf was burning, flames emerging from the ground all around him. She looked away, trying to protect herself, but suddenly she felt everything calm down and go quiet. As she looked again there was no trace of a werewolf, only scorched earth and ashes.

Then she heard him getting close. She looked at him, and those eyes gave her that exact same look. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but there was a strange strength in those eyes. It made her feel uneasy, but his voice was caring and soothing.

"Come" He said. "I'll take you home"

Then she followed him. There was something about that man that made her feel calm, and with him at her side, nothing could go wrong.

………………………..

After going out of the forest they camped for the rest of the night. She spent most of her time looking at his face, looking for some change in those strange red eyes. Hours passed but she couldn't sleep, the terror still too close in her memory. She saw that he did not (or could not) sleep. He just lay there, resting against a stone. She wanted to talk but couldn't find the words. Finally she said quietly:

"Thanks."

No Answer. She tried again:

"You're not from around here are you?"

He turned to see her and then back at the ground. She decided to try one last time:

"They wanted something from me, you know, but I couldn't give it to them. My mother told me to guard it from evil, with all my strength. But then again he's….."

She quickly fell silent, realizing that she had maybe gone too far, but she finally caught a glimpse of emotion in his face. Almost like surprise. Then she said "What's your name?" But He whispered "Shh… they're back. Keep out of sight".

Then he stood up, high and proud. She could hear the growls and steps of many wolves and crawled behind the rock terrified. There she heard one of them (surely the leader of the pack) say:

"So you're the one that killed my scouts. I can smell their blood on your sword. You shall die now, and we'll feed with your innards!" She looked at the scene, trying to stay hidden, and the she saw many werewolves that jumped against the man, but he just scoffled and said calmly:

"You cannot defeat me. Attack me and you'll die".

There was something about his voice that shook her. It was not caring and soothing as before, but filled with majesty, and many of the werewolves doubted. But then the one that spoke before (a huge black wolf) shouted: "Kill him!"

They attacked from several sides surrounding him, but then huge flame appeared at his feet; blocking their attack. Many were burned to ashes; others were wounded fatally. The rest looked with horror as he wiped out half of their numbers with relative ease. Then the man said to the rest:

"I warned you. Now you'll die. Pyroclasm!" Then many volcanoes appeared at their feet and they erupted so fiercely that the ground was shocking with their might. There was nothing left when it subsided, only the Leader, who was now lying in the floor, with half it's body scorched. Struggling to talk he said:

"Who are you, Adept?"

The red-haired man walked over to him and said calmly:

"They call me a djinn hunter. Now it's your turn to die"

One fireball later there was nothing left of the werewolves.

………………………….

That morning when the girl and the red-haired man reached the city of Kolima, she said to him:

"I still don't know your name, stranger. Please, tell me your true name"

Looking down at her he said, with a face that almost (almost) looked like a smile:

"My name is Joe. You know the rest"

"Yes, one of the legendary djinn hunters. Please have this" As she said this she held out a bracelet with a single ruby in it. "This is Corona. My mother will be pleased when she knows that I kept him away from evil". Suddenly the Djinn appeared before them, and she said:

"Corona, this is Joe. He'll take care of you from now on" The djinni nodded and began to spin rapidly, and its body dissolved in many fire orbs that flew high into the sky. Seconds later the fire orbs appeared and seemed to melt with Joe. A powerful red aura now surrounding him.

Joe looked at his bracelet. He now had five rubies in it. The newly found djinn glowing with a faint red light.

When Joe left town the words of the little girl still ringed in his ears.

"Good-bye, Djinn Hunter. May your future be filled with happiness".