Chapter Five: Three Mages

It was nighttime once the pair reached the shores of Dessara. The desert sands could be seen for miles and miles, dune after dune. As they reached the shore, Uchi spotted a bright, white light. They decided to land there. As they got off, they saw that the light was shining from a white staff, placed into the ground. A teenage boy laid face down, sleeping and snoring loudly. He had short black hair.
"Um…should we wake him?" asked Uchi, whispering.
"I guess. Maybe he could tell us the way to the capital city?" Dan replied, also in a low voice.

Uchi poked the boy with a stick. He stirred a bit, but didn't wake up. She poked again, harder. Once again, the boy didn't wake up. She swapped her stick for a medium-sized rock and tossed it at the boy, it hit him in the head.

"Huh? Who? No! Don't come any closer!" The boy had reacted so quickly, the pair barely saw him. In a moment he was up and clutching his white staff. Uchi laughed.
"What are you planning on doing, heal us to death?" she smirked.
The boy seemed to realize that she had a point.
"Uh… maybe…" he said uneasily.

"Relax," Dan said. "We're not here to hurt you… We were actually wondering if you could lead us to the capital city of Dessara?"
At these words the boy's face sunk, and he looked down at the ground.
"It's not there anymore." He said quietly. He sat down and cupped a bit of sand in his hands. "Fiends. Everyone was separated."

Uchi and Dan looked at each other, before deciding to speak again. Dan crouched down and looked at the boy in the face.

"I'm sorry… Is there anything we can do?" he said softly.
"How about rebuilding a town?" The boy said, then smiled. "No, I don't think there's much you can do… But thanks anyway."
"Listen, kid," started Uchi. "What's your name?"
The boy looked up at her for a moment. "Kevin." He said.

Before Uchi or Dan could respond, a huge blast illuminated the area.
"Kevin, eh? I guess I missed one… Well I can't be blamed, it's kind of hard to keep your eyes on all of those roaches when you're exterminating them." This came from a cold, raspy voice. They all followed the sound, and saw that they came from a man in a black robe, with silver shoulder pads, holding a black book illuminating with energy.
"Who are you?" Uchi asked, fiercely.
"My name is Atta, and your name is Uchi. That skinny one over there is Dan. Now, if you excuse me, I have a bug to kill." The cold man laughed at this, and drew power from the book.
Uchi and Dan immediately drew their weapons. Kevin got up, looking overcome with rage, and held his staff tightly.

"Do you know how to fight?" Dan asked him, nervously.
"I know how to heal…" Kevin said.

Atta released a cold, sinister laugh.
"'I know how to heal'" He says. That healing didn't do your friends and family very good, did it?" Atta smirked.
Kevin seemed like he was about to run at Atta, but held back.
"No more words." Atta said. "Just action."
The spell hit them all with lightning-fast speed. They were knocked off their feet. Uchi reacted quickly, getting to her feet and charging at Atta with her spear. Dan got up, dazed, but suddenly felt incredible. Kevin had used a curing spell. He followed Uchi's example.

Uchi dealt two good blows, and then jumped away at incredible speed just in time to avoid a dark blast of energy that came out from Atta's hand.
"Oooh, the girly knows how to play." Atta said.
Dan rushed Atta, and attempted to strike him with his sword. Atta dodged the slow-moving weapon, and, had it not been for Kevin's reflect spell, attempted to shock Dan with another jinx. Atta hovered out of range, and read a few pages of the book. Suddenly, the ground turned into black mud, and started swallowing the three fighters. Atta laughed.
"It's funny, how you thought you could even match me." He said.
"FIRAGA!" Screamed a voice. A girl's voice. Maria's voice.

The spell hit Atta square in the chest, and the dark mud disappeared. Maria grabbed Kevin and told Uchi and Dan to grab onto her staff. They obeyed, and soon they were surrounded by a bright light.

Maria had teleported them a safe distance away from Atta, saving them for the time being.

"I had to follow you guys…" She said, embarrassed. "I hope you don't mind?"

"Of course not!" Dan yelled. "We owe our lives to you, once again."
Maria smiled.

"This is Kevin." Uchi said, pointing at the white mage.

"Hi…" said Kevin, nervously.
"Hello, there!" Maria said, cheerfully. "That was some excellent magic you worked back there."
"Thanks…" Kevin said, bashful.
The group of four friends decided to stick together. Kevin thought that since he had no home to speak of, his powers were better at the hands of the group. He never told them how grateful he was. Maria decided that aiding them in the name of her country was right, and was thoroughly angry with her father. Dan and Uchi were thrilled to have these two on their side. The heroes set off to the East, where the kingdom of Planaphew was. They would try to find help there, from the forest-dwellers.

Not far away, Atta was steaming with anger and licking his wounds. He would have them soon enough. He would have help next time.