"The Gift"

Jabrina arrived at the Steaming Sheep Restaurant looking ragged and dirty. I rushed to her and hugged her.

"Jabrina! Where have you been?"

"Am sorry I got lost." tears were falling down her cheeks.

"Next time don't keep wandering around by your self. This land is filled with danger. A young mage like you won't survive long out there."

"Am sorry, really, really sorry."

"It's okay I was just worried about you."

"I meet a wonderful man he took care of me. I think he knows you."

"Really? Tell me his name so I may thank him personally when I see him."

"Hmmmm he said to call him Mr. Icon."

"Icon?"

-O-

Jabrina, a female Mithra, 12 years of age is training to be a Red Mage. She lost her parents when she was an infant during a Quadrav siege of Bastok. The Galkas took pity on her and raised her as one of their own. She had this penchant of sneaking out of Bastok because in her own words she wanted to see the world. One time she was gone for three days and we found her in Selbina, staying at the Mayor's house, listening to wild stories about his youth. When I first arrived in Bastok, it was Jabrina who kept me company and help me adjust to new my home. Over time I have grown attached to her. She is like my little sister now.

-O-

"So where did you wander off this time Jabrina?"

"I went looking for the monument stone in Dangruf Wadi to make a clay tablet imprint for Mayor Grandpa."

Damn that old man in Selbina I thought. Jabrina has been looking for those stone monuments ever since he told her he wanted to revisit the places he went during his youth.

"I got lost inside Dangruf Wadi. The map I got was a fake I think. I used up all the prism powders I brought with me. Those goblins inside saw me and started chasing me. I was so scared when I saw them that I ran and got lost even more. I ended up in a place where I could see the bridge in North Gustaberg from down below. I tripped and those goblins caught up with me. I thought I was going to die huhuhuuuuuuuuu…"

"Now, now Jabrina stop crying. If you had told me you wanted to go there I would have gone with you. So what happened next?"

"A Hume male was fishing there and saved me from those goblins. Boy was he powerful. One wave of his hand a wall of flying stones sprang out of the ground and scared the goblins away. He had blonde hair and looked so handsome standing there but there was a sad look on his face as if he lost something."

Could it really be Icon? But he is dead. How could it be him?

He said to me "Hello little girl, why are you here all alone?"

"I was looking for the stone monument and got lost. I'm very scared right now, can you help me find it and get out of this place? Pleaaaaaaaaaaseeeeeeeeee."

"Sure little one. The stone monument is just up ahead."

"Stop calling me little. My name is Jabrina. What's your name? You look very handsome. I want to be a powerful mage like you someday."

"Oh stop that you are making me blush. You can call me Mr. Icon."

"So he took me to this cave up river and there the stone monument was. I got my clay tablet and he led me out of that place." Jabrina continued on. "I then pestered him that I wanted to go to Selbina to give Mayor Grandpa his clay tablet."

"You sure are a cute and pesky kid." Icon said to me and he pinched my cheeks. "I will take you to Selbina. Before we go there I will give you a gift to remember this day by."

"Really Mr. Icon? I love gifts! Yay!"

"So we ran to Valkrum Dunes. Along the way I saw Mr. Icon help lots of travelers who were attacked by beastmen. He is so brave and dashing sighhhhhhhhhhhhh. We stood near Whitebone Beach for quite awhile and I got bored."

"Mr. Icon? What are we doing here? This is no fun. I'm getting sand all over me. My hair is ruined."

"Ha ha ha. Little one, wait awhile it will come. If you want to be a mage you should learn to have patience. Well here it comes now."

"I saw a damselfly being chased by several people. It looked like any other damselflies in the dunes but it was very powerful. The people chasing were no match and had to run away. Mr. Icon stepped in and saved them from the damselfly. He said the damselfly was called Valkrum Emperor and these flies were special. They only come out once every few days."

"He cast a spell and made the fly unable to move. He then proceeded to blast it with magic spells. The damselfly didn't stand a chance. After the damselfly died, he then proceeded to the corpse and took something out from the part of the wing. He gave me this cute little hairpin which you see in my head. It's nice isn't it?" Jabrina pointed to the hairpin on her head. "He said it had magical powers that will help me evade physical attacks. He even inscribed something on it. Here take a look."

I took the hairpin and saw the inscription. "To Little Ms. Jabrina, Something to remember me by. Love Mr. Icon." I could not believe what I was reading. Is it really true he survived?

"Where is Mr. Icon now Jabrina?"

"Hmmmm after we met Mayor Grandpa, he escorted me back to Bastok. He left me several meters from the gates of Bastok Mines. I wanted to invite him in but he said he had pressing matters to attend to. He gave me a kiss on the cheek before he left and told me how cute and adorable I was. He told me if I ever meet a Galka named Tiny Heart to tell you that Icon said hi. Will I ever see him again?"

"Yes you will I promise you that. One day he will come back to this place he called home before."

"Huh? Home? He lived here before?"

"That's a story for another day my child. Come now, let us freshen you up."

Midnight. Bastok Markets by the fountain.

The water gushing out of the fountain seemed so magical at night with the backdrop of the night lights surrounding it. I was meeting Zeid. I had lots of question in my mind.

"You wanted to see me Tiny Heart?"

I turned around and saw Zeid. He always arrives like a phantom without you noticing.

"Did Icon really die in the Highlands that day?"

"Yes. I saw a large explosion when the magic bolts hit him. Why you ask?"

"Because of this." I showed Zeid Jabrina's hairpin. Zeid's eyes widened as he read the inscription.

"How could he have survived? I didn't get the chance to check his body at first because I was preoccupied with Karla's henchmen. Later when I got to the place where he fell, all I found were pieces of his tunic and the ground badly burned so I thought he got disintegrated."

I held the hairpin in my hands wondering if it was really him and prayed a silent prayer to Altana to keep him safe wherever he is.

-end-