“Why have you come here to our small little town?” Jech asked Tirinous as he sipped his cup of tea.

“This is the last outpost on the frontier to a greater evil. Our party is heading to slay the heathen God Zakum. Many people say they take miners and woodsmen to sacrifice to him, and it is true. Our leader Toushirou should be arriving soon with another company,” Tirinous explained as he gazed out the window to see tents being erected. He shifted slightly. “I also have a proposal for you Jech. My master Grendel has requested that I find an apprentice to study under me. Jech, i ask this of you to avenge your loss, and to avoid countless other losses to this town. I could teach you the ways of the Thunder Wizard, but be warned it is a hard path.”

Jech pondered on it as he stared at the crackling fireplace sipping his tea under his warm blankets. He looked up to see the travel weary mage looking him over intently. “I want to avenge my father,” Jech plainly stated. A look of content flashed Tirinous’s face as he stood up and said, “Very well, I will begin teaching you tommorow.”

The next day, Jech was rudely awoken by a shout from outside. He quickly dressed, grabbed a stick of jerky and rushed outside, only to bump into Tirinous.

“Whats’ going on out here?” Jech asked as he ravenously chipped away at the cured meat.

“Lord Toushirou has arrived, lad,” Tirinous replied as he watched the leader of his company (Carpaccio) approach the caravan. “Wait here, don’t go wandering into the camps. Some of the others can be real (insert really bad curse words here =P). Better yet, stay inside. I’ll try to be back as soon as I’ve spoken with Lord Toushirou,” he said as he trudged through the knee-high snow. But Jech couldn’t help his curiosity, he just HAD to see the other experienced mercenaries that traveled with Tirinous. He bumped into a strange fellow wearing dark, tattered clothes and a pirate hat. “Watch it boy!” the odd man sneered. Jech immediately appologized, and the odd man walked off into the crowd. Jech felt he had to follow this man, and soon he followed the man to a tent. Jech kept his distance from the man, but as he peaked inside, he saw a bunch of more cloaked men.

“I brought the money,” the odd man said as he handed several large bags of mesos to a warrior cloaked in black armor.

“Good, as you have requested, we shall kill Tirinous, and your friend shall take his place as Mage-General,” the warrior grinned. “At another cost, you will make sure Lord Toushirou is the next sacrifice to Zakum.”

“Yes, m’lord,” the odd man bowed in a strange gesture. Jech couldn’t help from holding back a sneeze, and he let it out. The people inside the tent drew there weapons and ran outside. Jech reacted as fast as he could and ran away into the labyrinth of tents.

“There he is! Get him!” Jech heard from behind him.

Sorry it took me a while to write this, but i had finals all week =P.