Kevin knocked quietly on the door to Trenton's house. "Tony, you mind if we come in?" Kevin asked before peeking in.
Tony and Cindy were standing over the table with their backs to the door. Tony turned around and smiled at Kevin. "Yeah, come on in everyone," Tony said.
Kevin pushed the door open wide and stepped into the dwelling. Sharon and Trenton followed him in.
"Feeling better, Tony?" Kevin asked the bull as sat down in his chair.
Tony shrugged. "A bit." Addressing Trenton, Tony added, "Thanks for the advice back there. I appreciate it."
Trenton bowed slightly. "Anything for a young valiant warrior like yourself."
"So, what were you two talking about before we so rudely interrupted?" Sharon asked Cindy, stepping up next to her at the table.
Cindy swept her hand over the map. "We were just discussing features on the map. Planning for the next few days, you might say."
Kevin and Trenton joined them around the map on the table.
"So, about how far is it from here to Kyther's domicile?" Sharon asked Trenton, indicating the clearing where their cabin was.
"Why from there?" Trenton queried.
Sharon looked surprised by this obvious question. She had forgotten that, according to what Trenton knew, there was nothing but a clearing and a few trees there.
Luckily, Kevin was able to come up with a quick answer. "We have a few friends meeting us there in a few days," he responded.
Trenton nodded hesitantly. "But I thought you had said that you were new to this area. How would you know about that clearing?" A thought struck him. "Were you the ones we spotted there the previous night? Some of the villagers had noticed a flash of light there two nights ago and a fire on the beach last night."
Sharon sighed. She looked at the other three. "Looks like I let the cat out of the bag. Shall we tell him the whole story?"
"Well, if he knows a bit more, he might be able to help us even more," Cindy replied. Kevin and Tony nodded in agreement.
"Tell me what?" Trenton looked thoroughly confused.
"Cindy, you wanna start?" Sharon suggested. "It's probably best to start from the night before the spells."
"We're new to this area," Crystal admitted to Tressa. "So, we don't know much about its history. Still, I'm confused. Did you just say King Paul?"
Tressa nodded. "You sound like you know about him."
There was a knock at her door. "Come in!" she called. The men who had gone to pick up their backpacks came in and dropped the bags near the door. Tressa thanked them as they left silently.
"Now, where were we?" she asked, turning her attention back to the five.
"We were talking about the person you know as King Paul. We know a guy named Paul," Lisa said. "In fact, we're looking for him. But, how about you tell us your story first?"
"Okay, I can do that," Tressa acknowledged.
She started the story:
"Thirty-five years ago, King Lester Danure died after a serious disease engulfed him. The king's death left the young prince, Paul, on the throne, reigning over this whole valley kingdom. However, the young prince was only nine years of age at the time. Therefore, his mother ruled as regent in his place until he was fourteen. His mother was a kind woman, always generous to the people in the towns in the valley, and she instilled this generous and kind ruling philosophy in her son.
"As her son grew up, she hired a mage to tutor the boy in the magic arts. The boy was a quick study and quite a natural with magic. When he reached the age of twelve, however, he had learned all he could from his mentor. His mother, upon noticing this, hastily dismissed the old tutor and hired a new one to keep teaching Paul.
"When the new wizard arrived and gauged Paul's potential, he started training the boy quite strenuously. Paul responded to the instruction very well and was soon renowned throughout many kingdoms as a very powerful master of magic. His confidence swelled as he continued learning both magic and other academic subjects.
"When he turned fourteen, his mother stepped down from the throne and he became king in his own right of this valley. Paul ruled much like his sweet mother had for the five years previous. The people in the valley prospered for at least four more years before the king's disposition suddenly changed for the worse.
"King Paul began sending out armies to each of the towns to place them under martial law. Needless to say, the townspeople were a little disturbed at this action, and a congregation of elders from the valley towns went to the castle to talk with Paul.
"Paul, however, was not a kind man anymore, not by any stretch of the imagination. He was plain evil. The elders asked him what had happened to cause the sudden change in personality. Paul responded with a flame spell that killed them instantly. Any delegations that were sent after that never returned. Paul's armies continued tightening their grasp on the towns in the valley.
"The remaining elders knew something had to be done to stop Paul from continuing his unexpected reign of terror. They hired a group of adventurers to capture or banish Paul. They were under strict orders not to kill him. The elders believed that Paul was deranged and they wanted to at least attempt to cure him if they could.
"Disguised as a new group of negotiators for the towns, the group gained entrance to the castle and were able to talk to Paul alone. After a bit of talking, though, Paul turned on the party and attempted to kill them. The heroes battled Paul, but he was too powerful to capture safely. He told them that he would rather die than be captured. The wizard in the group then prepared a spell to banish Paul from this world while the others protected him from Paul's attacks. The spell worked and sent Paul off to another world, erasing his memory in the process. The memory erasing part was added to the spell by the wizard to make sure that Paul didn't threaten the world he had been sent to.
"That battle happened about twenty-five years ago. Since that time, no one has assumed the throne, leaving the villages in the valley to fend for themselves. We have enjoyed nearly twenty-five years of nearly continuous peace since that fateful day the last of the Danure family was banished from our world."
Crystal interrupted, "Last of the Danure family? What about Paul's mother?"
"She disappeared right before Paul's rapid change of demeanor. She was never found and was assumed dead."
Rich was shaking his head in thought. "Can you give us any more information about the Paul in your story?"
"Like what kind of information?" Tressa asked.
"Physical appearance, for example?"
"I'm sorry, but I never actually ever saw him with my own eyes. The only thing I heard about his appearance was that he was quite tall."
There was a moment of silence as those in the party collected their thoughts.
Tressa broke the silence. "You had mentioned that you were searching for someone of the same name. Why?"
Crystal looked at the other four. "Well, do we tell her about our journey?"
Rich nodded. "Might as well."
Scott and Lisa both added their agreement. Crystal looked toward Doug. He looked like he was lost in his own thoughts and probably hadn't paid attention for a few minutes now. She decided that four votes out of five was good enough.
"Well, Miss Tressa, the truth of the matter is that we aren't originally from this world," she started.
Trenton scratched his head. "You're telling me that you are travelers from another world..."
All four nodded.
"...who were teleported here in a house in that clearing..."
Another nod.
"...by a friend of yours during a game you were playing?"
The party nodded again.
"And this friend's name is Paul Danure?"
"Yes. That's an accurate recap of our current situation," Kevin replied.
Trenton shook his head. "You're sure about the name Paul Danure?"
"Yeah, we are," Sharon told him, slightly confused. "Have you heard of him?"
"Yes." The guard shook his head in obvious disbelief. "But could it be the same one?" he asked, mostly to himself.
"Excuse me, but what do you mean by that?" Kevin inquired.
"I'm sorry. Remember the story about the king I told you before?"
Tony nodded. "Yes. Why?"
"His name was Paul Danure."
"You can't be serious!" Sharon exclaimed.
"Unfortunately, I am," Trenton responded. "But there should be no way that he could be back here." He hesitated for a moment before starting a new thought. "Anyway, Kyther would know more about how to get you back than I would. You really should ask him for help and additional information."
"We will do so, Trenton," Cindy replied. "But for now, we should probably get supplies for our journey before the sun sets." She looked out the door, where the sky was turning a deep cerulean blue.
"Don't worry about supplies," Trenton stated, standing up. "I will help you gather them, and for discounted prices, as thanks for your help today."
"That's very kind of you." Tony nodded his thanks toward Trenton.
"It's my pleasure," the guard added, holding the door open as the party left his house. "I will pay the innkeeper for rooms for you travelers tonight. Consider it my gift to you."
"Now you understand why we're searching for our friend Paul," Scott finished.
Tressa nodded. "While what you've told me is a bit hard to believe, you don't seem to be lying."
"It is true," Lisa spoke up. "I have trouble believing it myself, and it happened to me."
Tressa pondered something for a moment, staring at one of her candles. "Well, from what you've told me, I have to wonder if your Paul and our banished King Paul are the same person," she said, looking at Crystal. "If they are, that might explain the recent attack on our village. Also, if they are the same, our valley might be in danger again. However, we are not sure that they are the same person. And even if he is, we are also not sure how much he recalls of his previous experiences here. Either way, I can help you very little in the search for your friend."
Rich frowned. "Can you direct us to someone who can help us?"
"Yes. Kyther the mage should be able to help. He was the wizard who cast the spell that banished Paul. He is generally knowledgeable of most happenings in the valley. Many elders in the neighboring towns and villages visit him for advice. He is the closest thing we have to a ruler in the valley, though he does not act like a king and claims that he is not one."
"Where can we find him?" Lisa asked.
"He lives east of here, about a few hours journey, in a hut atop a small hill to the north of the lake." Tressa paused for a moment. "But enough about all this," Tressa stated. "You came here to get information and supplies. Let us go out and get your supplies."
She opened her door for the five to exit, adding as they set out toward some of the local stores, "Also, you are all invited to our spring feast that we are holding tonight. Please try to attend."
Normally, the sun shining in his eyes wouldn't wake Tony up. However, the cold embrace of the atmosphere sucked out all the sleepiness left in his body. Tony, barely awake, pulled his blanket more tightly around his cold shoulders and turned over, facing toward Kevin's bed. The cat was still fast asleep, snoring lightly. The sun shone through the single window, dust particles floating and glistening in the morning light.
He sat up, slowly because of the protest his body sent his brain about the cool air in the room. Soon, though, his body was used to the slight chill, and he hopped out of his bed. After some morning stretches, he went over to the desk and mirror at the foot of his bed. Pouring a bit of water from the ewer into the ceramic basin on the desk, he washed his face, looking at his reflection in the mirror. His own face looked strange to himself.
I still can't believe that I'm here, he thought to himself. This whole situation feels like a dream. But I know it isn't. That poor creature I killed yesterday.... I know I shouldn't feel bad for what I did, but that's little comfort. It was trying to kill me, for no reason, it seemed. And after me, it would have tried to kill others. The bull sighed softly.
"I have to stop worrying about this," he told his reflection quietly. "Trenton was right. If I worry too much about it, it'll eat me up inside."
"Then stop worrying about it already."
Tony turned around to see Kevin sitting up in bed, watching him.
Kevin continued, "Trenton was right, and you know it. We need you, buddy. We need you at your peak."
Tony grabbed the towel on the desk and wiped his face dry. "I know, Kevin. But I still have trouble with killing." He sat down on his bed, staring at the floor. "How come you were able to do it so much easier than me?"
Kevin smiled. "Well, even for someone as heartless as me, it never was easy." His smile disappeared. "Seriously, though, I just did what I needed to do. That one goblin had the jump on you. I killed it before it could hurt you. To me at the time, I could either watch you get hurt or even killed or I could do something about it."
Tony's glum mood continued for a moment as he kept thinking. Slowly, though, his disposition improved. He looked over at Kevin, who had gotten out of bed and was looking out the window. Tony stood up quietly, wet his hand from the half-full basin, and sneaked up behind the preoccupied feline.
"Wow, there's a bit of frost out there this morning," Kevin was saying. He turned around. Tony was standing in front of him.
"Mister Heartless Thief, prepare to meet your doom for calling me slow yesterday," Tony declared. He sprayed the cat's face lightly with the water on his hand.
Kevin's ears laid back on his head as the small drops of cold water spattered on his face. He glared at a chuckling Tony for a moment before he plopped down on his bed, wiping his face with his blanket.
"Thanks, Tony. Next time, though, you might not be so lucky," he threatened. In one very swift movement, he pulled out a dagger from under his pillow and whipped it at Tony's feet, where it hit the wood floor with a solid thunk and missed Tony's right foot by a mere inch.
Tony jumped backwards slightly, looking at Kevin with wide eyes. "Perhaps it would be in our best interests to call a truce?" Tony ventured, sticking out his dry hand.
Kevin accepted. "Truce," he said, shaking hands. He chuckled. "Pretty good throw, huh?"
"Yeah, just a bit," Tony agreed. "You know, I'm hoping for Brad's sake, that you don't remember how to do that when we get back to our world." He indicated the dagger still in the floor.
Kevin grinned wickedly, rubbing his hands together. "I don't know. I think it would be LOTS of fun!"