In a cell in the dungeons of Castle Landen, Prince Rhys was pacing around impatiently. He had no idea why his father had told him to 'cool off in the dungeons'. He only got angered after Princess Maia was kidnapped by the dragon. A guard ran up to the barred door and caught Rhys' attention.

"Prince, there's a Layan in the dungeons! A Layan, and a really nasty one at that!" the guard gasped in panic. The Layan he had been talking about rounded the corner. He was a tall, well-built man, and he was wearing a brown vest, a pair of grey pants and black boots. He had long, bright green hair that was tied in a ponytail, and his fringe was very wayward. He had a simple white cloak clipped around him by a silver clasp. He was holding a staff with an emerald on top in his right hand.

"A Layan? What Layan?" the man asked.

"You, of course!" the guard replied. The man snickered.

"Alright, you win. Yeah, I'm a Layan. But I heard you guys locked your own prince in the dungeon! You daft bunch!" the man said, waving his staff at the guard. A fireball shot out of the staff and hit the guard squarely in the chest.

"Ack! A powerful Foi Technique!" the guard groaned. For information's sake, techniques are the equivalent of magic in Samesina. The Foi Technique is a basic attack technique that throws a fireball. The power of the fireball depends on the ability of the caster.

"Yeah. But that's what you get if you lock up your own prince." the man said quietly. The guard yelled about the fact that there was a Layan in the dungeon. Rhys, in his cell, got the man's attention.

"Are you going to rescue me?" Rhys asked.

"Yeah, I am. I saw that King Nathaniel wasn't too happy with you going after Maia." the man replied. He tapped the lock on the cell door with his staff. There was a click as the lock released. As Rhys exited the cell, there was a rhythmic pattering of feet approaching the twosome.

"That other guard got their attention! You have to get out of here!" Rhys panicked, pushing the man in the opposite direction of the pattering noise.

"Yeah, and so do you! If they see you've escaped, I dread to think what they'll do. Your dad doesn't seem like the sort for mercy." the man said, grabbing Rhys' arm. Just then, the guards of Landen Castle had entered the dungeons. One of them pointed at the man.

"There's that Layan! He's kidnapping Prince Rhys! After him!" the leading guard shouted. The man pulled Rhys away from them, and then the twosome began to run.

"This way!" the man yelled, bounding up a staircase. Rhys followed, and the twosome found themselves in the Landen Technique Shop, which sold wands, potions, spellbooks and scrolls to do with techniques.

"They've gone into the Technique Shop! Quickly, get them!" the leading guard shouted when he reached the bottom of the staircase. The other guards darted up the stairs and into the Technique Shop, but they were too late. Rhys and the other man had got away.

Meanwhile, Prince Rhys and the strange Layan man had escaped from Landen and were now in the main area of the Chalst Province, the central province of Samesina. The twosome had stopped in a forest to catch their breath.

"Thank you very much. But, who are you?" Rhys asked, panting. The man cleared his throat and took in another mouthful of air.

"I'm Lyle. I come from Shusoran, in the Helskiz Province." Lyle replied. The Helskiz Province was a province that was situated northwest of the Chalst Province. Rhys had noticed that Lyle had a sophisticated air around him, yet he had a very common way of speaking.

"In that case, Lyle... I am Prince Rhys of Landen. But why would you rescue me? I am Orakian, you are Layan. Orakians and Layans are enemies."

"I'm completely sick of the whole enemy thing. Just because someone's Orakian or Layan doesn't mean that they're a bad person."

"You're right, Lyle. But I must rescue Princess Maia from the foul beast that took her!" Lyle looked at Rhys thoughtfully.

"OK, I'll come with you." Lyle said, and Rhys accepted. The twosome decided to head for the Helskiz Province to try and find some clues on the whereabouts of Princess Maia.