Hey, my name's David. Most of you probably don't know much about me. Truth is, there's not much to know. I'm pretty much just your average college student. I'm from Springfield, Missouri, and I live in an apartment with my brother, Adam, whose also in college. I'm going into Computer Technologies, but I'd prefer a career in writing if I can get it. I sell knives for a company called Vector Marketing, and some people find that kind of creepy. I write stories and play RPGs with friends for fun. I also train myself in martial arts, as well as with a few close-combat weapons. I prefer the sword, but I train with the staff, as well.
Oh, and I have a little, green marble that gives me powers that most people can only dream of.
Did you do a double take? Yeah, thought so. So did I, when I first found out. Actually, it was more like, "No way! There's no way this is really happening! I've got to be dreaming!" Ever try convincing a left-minded person that he had just practically stepped into a video game? Ask my friends, it's not easy! You're probably wanting to know what happened, right? Well, maybe I should go back a couple of weeks…
Most of the others got theirs as gifts from people who cared about them, or earned them, somehow. Me, I found mine in a ditch. Don't laugh. It was raining hard, and there was an awful wind, one of those that threatened to pick you up off of your feet and blow you away. I guess the reason why it caught my eye is because it was the only thing that wasn't covered in mud. It stood out like a beacon amid the drab scenery around it, seemingly refusing to be covered. When I picked it up, it came out clean, without a touch of dirt on it. At the same time, the wind seemed to die down, as well. That was strange, but nothing that couldn't be blamed on chance.
The marble, itself, was pretty big, about the size of a golf ball. It was a glimmering green, and seemed to shine with its own inner light. It was beautiful, and I felt sorry for whoever lost it, but I was in the middle of nowhere at the time, and there was no way of knowing who had lost it, so I stuck it in my pocket and took it with me. I had no idea that it was the one who had lost something – me. Or whoever had it before me. I also had no idea what kind of change just picking up that one little marble would have on the rest of my life.
Though I always carried it with me, I really didn't think much of it. I didn't dare leave it behind because I didn't feel right without it. It was just supposed to be there, it with me and me with it. Then, when I went up to Kansas City to visit a good friend of mine, a girl by the name of Tia, destiny decided to throw me a little curve ball.
Tia had insisted that we go to the mall, and we were taking a break at a coffeehouse for lunch. It was a nice place, with good coffee. It even had a souvenir table. Or, it did, until all chaos destroyed the place.
Someone screamed from the far side of the room, and Tia and I snapped up, along with everyone else, to see a troll plow through the wall.
"I can't be seeing what I think I'm seeing," Tia cried. "I'm losing it!"
"That depends," I answered, not moving my eyes from the great beast as it crushed six tables into splinters with a wide swing of its club. "Do you see a big, ugly monster that just took out half the store in one swipe?"
"Yeah."
"Then you're still sane."
"Great. Thanks. Now, at least I know that if I stick around here, I'm not going to be crushed by a figment of my imagination." Her eyes widened as the troll picked up a whole counter in its great arms, and he brought it back to throw it. "Holy…" She was cut short as I tackled her to the floor and the counter crashed into the wall behind us.
As soon as the pieces stopped falling, I rolled off of her. "Tia, get out of here, and get as many people out with you as you can! I'll keep Beauty busy!"
She looked at me in shock. "Are you nuts? He'll kill you!"
I didn't look at her. I knew she was right, but I also knew it had to be done. "If I don't, he'll kill me anyway, and everyone else, too. Now, go!" I physically hauled her to her feet, and pushed her toward the entrance. She looked back, but I couldn't back out now. Too many people were at stake. "Go!" I yelled, and she did.
There was a barrel of walking sticks that had been knocked over by the monster's onslaught. I went over and picked out the longest one I could see, looking it over from tip to tip. Well, it wasn't a staff, but it would have to do. I ran over to the troll, where it had cornered Tia as she and a group of others had tried to get away.
"Hey, ugly!" I yelled, getting the thing's attention. "You want them? You're going to have to tangle with me, first!"
It looked over at me with its dull eyes, and dropped a girl it had been holding rudely on a table, turning toward me.
"That's right, you stupid freak," I continued, backing up as I threw a look to the people. As soon as they were behind them, they were all out the door, Tia helping the girl off of the table. "I'm the one you're interested in!"
I ducked as it swung for my head, then thrust forward with the stick, hammering it into the monster's stomach. It doubled over, and I took the opportunity to follow up with a few more attacks, but suddenly, it reared back and hit me with its huge fist, sending me flying backwards, and I landed on top of a booth. I pulled myself up just in time to jump to another table as its club came crashing down on the one I had been on moments before.
"Well, at least that's one thing I've got going for me," I told myself as I jumped to avoid another blow. "This guy's as slow as molasses in January."
Suddenly, the troll had an uncommon flash of brilliance. It faked out, tricking me into jumping, and it hit me with its heavy fist, sending me through the table I had just landed on.
There was a sound of a girl shrieking, and both of us turned to look. It was Tia. She had come back. "Darn it," I moaned as I watched in pain while the monster turned back toward her. "Why'd she have to come back? Now, she's in danger again!"
Something warm glowed under my shirt. When I moved my hand to it, I discovered it was my marble. It was glowing a bright green, and I felt new energy flowing through me, like nothing I had ever felt before. I stood up, and green flames surged around me as I started running toward it.
"You leave her out of this! You're not done with me yet!" I leapt into the air, higher than I ever thought I could before, and sent the stick through its skull just as it turned around, landing on the other side of him, beside Tia. The troll stumbled forward a few steps, then crashed to the ground, and disappeared into dust.
I suddenly realized that I was short of breath, and started panting. "Well, … I'm glad … that's over," I said, grimacing as I held my side.
Tia, however, looked at me strangely. "I'll say! How did you do that?"
"Huh?" I asked, returning her look, then remembering what I had done. "I don't know. I just did it."
She smiled, a beautiful reward in itself. "Well, if you don't know, then I guess it doesn't matter, does it? All that does is that you did it, right?"
"Yeah," I answered, smiling in return. "Frankly, though, I've lost my taste for coffee at the moment. Why don't I just take you back home for now?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. The way you're holding your side, I'd guess you could use some attention."
"This?" I asked, gesturing to the side I was holding. "Oh, I'm fine. I'm going to have a whale of a bruise tomorrow, but I don't think he broke anything."
We walked down the corridor outside the shops, and suddenly, a display in the window of a video game pawnshop caught my eye. It was a several-year-old game for the Playstation One called The Legend of Dragoon, and one of the images on the cover was of the staff-wielding knight, Lavitz, clad in his green Dragoon armor.
Suddenly, all of it fell into place, my "marble," the fight, and the way I had finished off the troll. I almost swore as it all hit me, but I turned to Tia, instead. "On second thought, where's the nearest library? There's an email I need to send."
When we got there, I wasted no time. I had to get hold of Chris. He knew more about the Dragoons than I did, since I only borrowed the game, and he owned it. He'd be able to tell me something.
The email I sent him read something like this:
"Hey, Chris! It's me, Ninmast! I've got a bit of a problem on my hands, and you're not going to believe a word of it! I'm here in KC with a friend of mine, and we were in the mall, when this troll attacked the store from out of no where. Everyone managed to get out safely, but that's not the most amazing part. For a while, I've had this green marble that I carry around with me for a good luck charm. Well, it came through for me. I think it's the Wind Dragoon Spirit! I know I probably sound like a nutcase, but when my friend was in danger, it started glowing, and I could feel all of this energy inside of me. Green flames came up around me, and I jumped what must have been 10 feet into the air, and sent the walking stick I had been fighting with through the thing's head! Then, it just disappeared in a cloud of dust! I'm not pulling your leg, man! It's the truth! Please, if you have any idea of what's going on, you've got to tell me!
Get hold of me as soon as possible!
Ninmast"