AN- I realize it has been a small while since my last update. Hope no one is too upset. As you remember, last time we ended with Klyde meeting the lovely and daring White Mage, Amber, as they put an end to the reign of bandits in Provoca. And James is still sitting on the hill, waiting for Klyde's signal. Here we go.

Biggs looked around the mayor's room nervously. It had been too quiet for the past hour. He jumped out of his seat and dashed to the window. "W….where are the patrols?…" He scanned the streets wildly as he looked for any sign of his pirates. The sound of the doorknob rattling brought all of his frightened attention around in a heartbeat.

"Who…. who's there?"

The door suddenly burst open, and Klyde grinned as he walked in. "Good afternoon, fruity!"

Biggs fell to the floor, and a high-pitched squeal escaped from his lips. "Who are you?…"

Klyde bent down next to him, bringing his face next to Biggs' and smiling. "Its really not that important. What is important is that I was hired to kick the hell out of you and your men."

Biggs managed to give Klyde a menacing look. "What have you done with my men?"

Klyde stood up and shrugged. "Don't worry. Most of them will live. But they will be severely disinclined to attack anymore helpless villages." Klyde pulled out the Aeolus in a slow motion, making a drawn-out scraping sound. Once the sword was free, he pointed the blade at Biggs' throat. "So now I have a question for you. Why should I let you live?"

"AH! I'm sorry! Please! Don't kill me!" He got to his hands and knees and groveled at Klyde's feet.

Klyde stroked his chin as he contemplated the issue. "Tell me something. How did you guys get here?"

Biggs' eyes went wide. "No! Not my ship! Anything but my ship!"

Klyde dropped his sword down to Biggs' crotch. "Anything?"

Biggs hung his head. "Fine…" he muttered in a defeated voice. "Take it, just leave."

Klyde put away the sword and nodded. "Sweet. Now I'm going to let some of the villagers in here, and they may not be so forgiving. Enjoy!" Klyde waved over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Several of the villagers walked in, locking the door behind them. Biggs' eyes went wide with terror.

"Wh….what are you going to do?… No!… no!"

Klyde chuckled to himself from behind the locked door. He turned to Amber and smiled. "Hey, listen. Thanks for the assist back there. I've never seen a weapon like the one that pirate had. What did he call it again?"

Amber shrugged. "I think he called it a gun. I've never seen it either."

There was an awkward moment of silence as the two avoided each other's eyes. Then they both spun back around, speaking at the same time.

"Listen, I was wondering if…"
"I was kinda thinking…"

They both stopped and grinned at each other. Klyde rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry. You go first."

Amber began to blush slightly. Noticing it, she growled softly to herself and shook her head, clearing the redness away. She put on a nonchalant face and coughed. "I was, uh… wondering where you would go from here…"

Klyde smiled. "That's easy. We head back to Corneria to report to the king."

Amber raised an eyebrow. "We?"

Klyde's eyes shot open. "Oh crap! I forgot!" He turned and dashed toward the city gates. Amber, unsure of what was going on, gave chase.

Meanwhile, outside the city walls, James sat on the same hill, having an argument with himself.

"Should I go in there? … But what if he got captured? … Well, then I should go help him… But what if I get captured? … Maybe I should go get help…"

He was interrupted as Klyde ran up the hill. "There you are, numbskull!"

James stood up and gave Klyde a puzzled look. "You mean, you're not dead or captured?"

Klyde nodded. "Ummm. Yea. I'm fine."

James smiled. "Well, that's good. But, uh, why didn't you come tell me?"

Klyde grinned sheepishly as they began to walk back. "Well… I uh, I kinda forgot."

"You forgot about me? How the hell could you forget about me?"

Amber had just exited the city and was walking towards them. Klyde put his arm around James shoulder and smiled. "I was just getting to that part. Her name is Amber. If you'd have met her first, you woulda forgotten you too."

The sea air had a much different smell than the normal stuff. For one thing, it was much saltier. Klyde grinned as he took in another lungful. Man, I could get used to this stuff…Sailing hadn't been as hard as he had expected. He had appointed himself captain, and sailing turned out to be as simple as yelling at James until he got the damn boat going. Now he was sitting on the deck, sipping a small glass of beer. The townsfolk of Provoca had been nice enough to give them supplies for their journey. Now the castle Corneria could be seen over the horizon. They were almost home.

"Hey, Captain!" Klyde was pulled out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Amber with her hands on her hips.

"What's the matter, first mate?" Klyde had dubbed her first mate because… well, you can probably guess why. And yes, he was grinning when he did so.

'First mate' Amber shook her head. "The swabbie got himself caught up in all of those ropes again."

Klyde laughed softly to himself. "I guess some people just aren't cut out for life on the water." He patted the empty chair next to him. "He'll work it out. Come on, take a seat, have a drink."

Amber rolled her eyes. "Someone has to make sure the ship lands safely." She said as she stalked off.

"Why can't the swabbie do it?" He yelled after her. But she was gone. "Damn." He shrugged, took another sip of beer, and leaned back. It sure is lonely at the top…

"Well, once again, the two of you have succeeded fabulously. Marvelous work!" The king of Corneria clapped his hands together with a warm smile on his face. Amber cleared her throat. He turned his attention on her.

"And you, young lady. You have my thanks as well."

Amber nodded, gave a small curtsy and turned toward Klyde and James. "So, what's next for you two wonder boys?"

James stepped forward and scratched his head. "I was thinking… the old witch that helped us… maybe we should give her a hand."

Amber frowned. "What old witch?"

Klyde nodded. "There was an old witch we ran into on the way to Provoca, and if it wasn't for her, we would have never made it in time to help." He shook his head, frowning slightly. "But that map thing makes it hard to sleep. Every time I close my eyes I see that damn map."

Amber tried to hide and grin and turned back to James. "Well, what does she need help with?"

James crossed his arms and sighed. "She's blind. Apparently, someone known as Astos took her eyes."

King Corneria sat up, his ears twitching to attention. "Did you say Astos?"

James nodded. "I'm pretty sure. Something like Astos. Why?"

King Corneria stroked his beard. "There was someone named Astos living in Elfland a while back. But he put the Prince of the elves to sleep with some sort of advanced magic. The rest of the elves branded him 'the Dark Elf' and exiled him."

"So where is he now?"

The king shrugged. "I have no idea. Perhaps the prince's retainer, Teresse, could hint you in."

James furrowed his brow. "Teresse? I've heard that name before…"

Amber smiled. "That's a name I haven't heard in years. She's an older elf. The most powerful elf alive. She's the one who taught me how to use my powers. She teaches most mages."

Klyde scratched his head. "You mean most white mages, right?"

Amber shook her head. "Nope. All mages in general. She has the power of both white and black magic."

"Can that happen?"

"It is possible. A rare fraction of gifteds are born with power over both forms of magic. They also can use swords with a decent amount of skill. Sort of a jack of all trades. They go by the title of red mages."

Klyde grinned. "Really? Sounds like those guys are invincible!"

Amber brushed her brown hair out of her eyes. "Not quite. They can use both types of magic, but their power is considerably weaker than either a black or white mage. And while they can handle swords, they aren't amongst the best. They can do anything, they just aren't the best at anything."

Klyde nodded. "I see. So this red mage elf that taught you is the one we have to go see?"

"Yep. It would seem so. Elfland is across the ocean to the south."

James clapped his hands together and smiled. "Awesome, when do we leave?"

The young black belt shook his head as he struggled with several ropes on the sail. Me and my big mouth. Couldn't we have at least waited a night before we left? Klyde had decided there was no time like the present. Easy for him to say… he just sits on the deck and drinks… I have to do all the work. Jerk…

Several hours later found the three heroes docking at the ports of Elfland. The town itself was surrounded by thick forest, and the woods were surprisingly quiet. At one point Klyde caught a glimpse of movement to his side. When he turned, there was nothing. Amber followed his field of vision.

"Elven hunters patrol this forest. That's why we haven't run into any monsters or bandits. The forest keeps the elves close to nature, and doubles as a defensive wall for the city. We're being watched by a hunter right now. They make sure no aggressive forces get through. If they think you're a threat, you'll never make it through alive. These guys know this forest like the back of their hands."

Klyde made a mental note to not cause any disturbances during his stay at Elfland. Guess that means no trips to the pubs… damn.

The prince of Elfland lay on a decorated bed, his eyes locked closed in an eternal sleep. The great mage Teresse looked down upon her charge with a great sadness. For several months now, Prince Zarhan had been held in a deep magical sleep. His face had an unnatural paleness to it.

"I can save him! Allow me to quest for the great herb!"

A younger elf, wearing a red hat with a large white feather in it growled as he slammed his fist into the wall. He had a flowing black cape and a red suit on, and there was a rapier sheathed on his side. His hair was a silvery white, despite his young age. The effect was one of elegance, but that was shattered as his temper flared. Teresse shook her head and turned toward the younger elf.

"Now, Lee. You understand that we don't know where the great herb is located. If we knew, we would have obtained it and awoken the prince already. You must exercise patience!"

The young elf known as Lee growled again. "We cannot afford to be patient any longer! There are rumors of an old wizard hiding out in an old castle to the north. He claims to be able to wake the prince!"

Teresse sighed. "There is no proof of that. Chances are he is nothing more than a babbling old fool."

"But there is a chance! I'm going to find out what this old man knows!" And with that, Lee stormed out of the room, stopping to give Klyde an icy glare as the group entered. Klyde shrugged it off and approached the old elf mage. She smiled softly and bowed her head.

"My apologizes, travelers. He means well, but he finds himself incapable of any action. He clings to hope. But I do not mean to burden you with our troubles…"

"Teresse!" Amber ran forward, giving the older mage a large hug.

Teresse gave her ex-student a warm smile. "Oh my…. Young one! I haven't seen you for ages! How have you been?…"

"I've been well. What just happened back there?"

Teresse's smile faded into a troubled frown. "Lee is a promising young warrior. One of the better ones we have now. His brother was my prized student Tewks."

Amber stared at her teacher with wide eyes. "He is the little brother of the great Tewks?"

"Indeed. It is something that has overshadowed him his entire life. He always finds himself struggling to prove himself without using his brother's reputation. It is rather unfortunate. The only thing that keeps him from rising above his shackles is his own self-esteem."

Klyde crossed his arms and frowned. "If this Tewks guy is so great, where the hell is he?"

Teresse let out a deep sigh, obviously reliving some sort of painful memory. "He, too, left to look for the great herb. If it is not found soon, all of the prince's muscles will atrophy. Lee may have been speaking rashly, but his thinking is correct. We no longer have any time. Now we must hope that he succeeds where his brother has so far failed."

Amber's face was devoid of the vibrant energy it normally held. Now she wore a mask of quiet contemplation. She seemed to come to a decision, took Teresse's hand, and gave her old teacher a small smile.

"I shall help find it. If I catch up with Lee, I may be able to lend support."

Teresse closed her eyes, and felt Amber out with her magic. After a moment's examination, she opened her eyes and nodded. "Your magic abilities have gotten stronger. You may be able to help."

Amber nodded to herself, and then turned to Klyde and James. "I hate to ask, but could you guys…"

"Yes!" Klyde cut in. James turned to him with his mouth hung open.

"Yes? But… what about our goal? I thought we were gunning for Astos?"

Teresse focused on them and frowned. "You seek the dark elf?"

James nodded. "He has something we want returned."

"I see. If you two accompany Amber, I will lead you to your prey."

Klyde smiled. "There. See? We save sleeping ugly, and we get our info. Sweet deal all around!" And I get to help out the mega-hottie. Sweet deal indeed!

James cracked his knuckles. "For once, we agree." He turned to Amber and bowed his head. "We shall accompany you, and we'll do what we can to assist this Lee."

Amber's face broke into a grin. "Thanks, guys! With you two wonder boys, we should be able to help Lee and save the Elven prince!" With that, she ran out of the room, eager to be of some help to her former master.

Klyde and James began to follow suit, and James shook his head. "It still feels like something big is starting… like the makings of a legend or something…"

Klyde frowned and turned to his partner as they stepped into the sunlight. "And you're still an idiot. We're just going to help out a hottie. It's not like it's the fate of the world or anything."

The town of Elfland surrounding the castle was normally full of life and activity, but the mood in the air was a somber one. Without their leader, the proud elf race felt no joy for the everyday. The rare elves that wandered from their homes walked slowly and quietly, as if in no particular rush to reach their destination.

Amber was waiting for them at the entrance to the town. "Well, according to the woman at the item shop, Lee left to the south, muttering something about a cave of marshes. Sounds like that's our destination."

Klyde nodded. "Well then, let's check it out!"

Klyde and Amber left the town, and James stopped. "I still can't shake this feeling… this is gonna be something big…" He muttered as he began to follow.

AN- Yay! New chapter completed! Took me a little while, as I just finished my final week of college. Now I have to focus my energies on a big move, so I may be away from my fics for a small while. But don't worry, loyal fans! I won't give up. A new chapter will be up as soon as I have a free moment. Leave me reviews so I know what you guys think! Enjoy!