Prologue

He panted as he sprinted toward the big, black building. He was late, and his master did not take too kindly to tardiness. He ran in, and took the third door on the left. It wasn’t a room, really. It was more of a closet. He took the third torch, twisted it upside-down, and muttered the incantation. The wall of the room slid back with a grinding, crunching sound of stone being scraped across metal. He checked to make sure no one had heard the noise, and he descended into the deep, dark passageway. He entered into what would be a big, underground Dungeon. There were about 20 different people, all dressed in the same black, flowing, nondescript clothing, just as he was. He was about to take his place when he heard a big, deep voice.

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry, Master!” Taking an elaborate bow and muttering some hurried excuse, he ran to his seat and sat down.

“ Now, I’m sure you all know why we gathered here today,” A man, bulkier with an aura of leadership and darkness, got up and stood in the center, looking at all the others. “It has been seventeen years to the day since we last met. I am also sure you remember why we gathered seventeen years ago. That was the birth of the Chosen One. Now, seventeen years later, we gather again,” He paused, looking around the room at everyone, then finally said, “we gather again, to organize his death.”

He pulled out a glowing, luminescent orb, the only sense of light in the dreary, evil room. It showed a young man, lying in the grass of a small hill somewhere, enjoying the sense of freedom.

“We must eradicate him immediately,” the man said. “We need someone to go to earth and bring him here. You can then dispose of him, and the dimension door will finally be revealed. We will finally be able to conquer Earth.” He turned to the man who had been late.

“Elderok, since you were late, and you are the one I can trust the most, you will go, fetch the boy, and bring him to Elteria.” There, you can kill him, and bring me back his aura, which I will use to open the dimension door to Earth.”

“B-b-but…Master, why me?” Elderok asked.

“Because you fear me so much, you wouldn’t dare to try to betray me and steal his aura. You also know more about dimension traveling than anything else.” He replied. “Now go, Elderok.”

“S-s-sir…what if I am incapable?”

“It is a simple mission!” He yelled, and Elderok cringed back in fright. “All you need to do is bring him here, and then kill him! The only weapon he will have is the sword, and he is not learned in the art of sword fighting! Besides,” he said, “I will give you…a gift.” He produced a fine sword, richly adorned with jewels of all kinds. “If you complete this mission, you will have the opportunity to wield this as your own.”

Elderok looked at the deadly weapon in awe. For the first time, a slow murmur went about in the dungeon, wondering at the generosity of the gift of the sword.

“Of course, it has many magical abilities, and should be more than enough to destroy that useless human in one sweep. It shouldn’t even be a challenge.” He laughed for the first time in a long time. “Remember, Elderok. If you fail me, you would be better off dead. You cannot fail this mission. Now go.”

“Yes, master!” Elderok said. He sprinted back up the stairs, through the secret door, and out of the big black building. It was only then did he stop for a breather. He admired the sword for one last time, then, in a long sweep of his arm, cut a hole through the fabric of his dimension and stepped through.