Stories from the Land of Kresa

The Road to Craso 1

Jagos woke up in a startled jolt. He looked around and saw his clock on the wall that read 8:38 am. He was going to be late for his job at Saco (a small, but popular blacksmith). Jagos ran to his wardrobe and slipped on his normal, old clothes. He had a red tattered tunic with black ropes around the waistline. The young adult walked down the path after exiting his house.

"Good morning, Mrs. Olivers!"
"Good morning, Jagos. Would you want any cookies?"
"Sorry, but I gotta get to work. The boss'll beat me if I'm late!"

    He started to run now and could see the blacksmith up ahead. Jagos busted through the door and fell to the ground.

"Mr. Winter!" Said Jago's boss, Kirk.
"Mr. Kirk, I'm sorry. I just woke up late!"
"Third strike, your out. I'm kicking you outta here!"
"B-but Mr Kirk, I promise it won't happen again!"
"Really? All you've been telling me is you've fought a dragon or you got lost on a river! The only thing I believed was sleeping in. I'm firing you, Winter!"
"Yessir..." Jagos said as he took off his uniform (not including the tunic) and walked out of the building.
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Two days later Jagos was still lying in his bed. His cat Reese kept on walking all over him. He pushed the cat away and rolled to his side to fall asleep once again.

He was almost asleep until a large bang and crash could be heard outside of his house. He ran out back to see a 20 year old girl (as that is what he thought how old she was) laying on the ground, passed out.

"Princess Anastasia!" Yelled someone from afar.
"W-what? Who are you?" He asked the girl, which was no point as she was asleep.
"You there! Step away as I take her!"
"Who do you think you are telling me what to do?" Jagos replied but the knight then picked him up and threw him to the side.
"I'm the one to take Princess Anastasia away. I will get the gold, not you!"
"Who's Princess Anastasia?" Jagos asked as he got to his feet.
"This young girl here. She is a prisoner to Prince Nightspear and is to come with me."
"Prince Nightspear? The prince of the Night Elves?"
"Correct, and if you dare try to stop me, I will annihilate you."
"Yessir, I would not care to get in your way."

     The buff knight, probably one of Prince Nightspear's servants, picked up the girl. Wings flapped out of his back and he flew away. Jagos knew he had a -00000.8% chance of killing that knight. It'd probably lead to something inhumane happening to him.

     He continued to stroll back to his house as he heard a loud shriek form the village. He ran as fast as he could to the nearest villager.

"Ma'am, what's happening?"
"Princess Anastasia has been captured! Without her, this land is soon to be doomed!"
"Is there any way I could help? It's been years, but I could be considered a hero."
"Talk to King Ghoul. He can help you."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Because...this happened before...for a different princess. Nightspear loves capturing princesses, as if it were some game. I was a hero on a quest for King Ghoul until I quit... now I am a disgrace to him."
"Ok, but where does he live?"
"Talk to Ultach, the tavern keeper on Main Road. He can help."
"Thank you, ma'am. And nice to meet you too!" Jagos waved goodbye as he ran downtown.

The tavern was just a block ahead. People were yelling "We're all going to die!" and "We need a hero!". That last one sounds like someone named Bonnie Tyler would make into a song. Jagos shoved through the crowd and stumbled to the door of the tavern. He pushed it open and saw nothing but a dwarf sweeping the floor.

"Do you need help?" Asked the dwarf.
"Yes. I heard that there's a hero needed."
"Ah, yes. I use to be one, but now I'm a trainer. Do you need to be trained to fight the school bullies?"
"What? No! I've been a hero for years, I'm just looking for someone named Ultach."
"Ultach...oh yeah, that's me!"
"Yeah, um, the Princess was captured and now I'm looking for someone to hand me the quest of saving her."
"Princess Anastasia? Oh no, I bet it's Prince Nightspear once again. If he gets her to use her power, this whole country could come to an end."
"So I've heard. Do you have any information how to get to King Ghoul's castle?"
"Yes. I have a map of the Hero's Road. It leads to Phanson, where King Ghoul lives, and all the way to Craso, the land of Nightspear. No hero has ever made it. And each diamond is obviously every kingdom. The grey line is the Hero's Road. It stops at every kingdom that contains some hero. I can see that it starts here, at Sago."
"If it starts hero, does that mean there's destined to be a hero hear?"
"Yes, most definitely."
"Um, you got any gear though?"
"Indeed, follow me."