You see before you, a man of average height and build. Totally nondescript, you could have seen this man virtually anywhere on any number of occasions. Yet, there is something odd about him, though you can't quite put your finger on it.
When he awoke, which was in itself a wonderous thing, he found himself in a harsh wasteland, surrounded by sand and more sand. The next few days were
almost pure hell. With dodging the small bands wandering nomads, lack of rest or sustenance, and the scorching heat he was beginning to think that maybe he had died and this really was hell.
He was walking dazedly toward what appeared to be a group of tents, but was more likely just another mirage, when all of a sudden he was tossed into the air like a little doll. The impact with the ground knocked the wind out of him. He shook his head to clear it only to see the instrument of his impending doom. The thing that threw him was a gigantic, purple worm bursting up from the ground. He looked on, still a little stunned, as the worm drew nearer, opening its maw to display an impressive array of razor sharp teeth. Knowing that there was no escape from death this time, Musashi merely closed his eyes and hoped he at least gave the thing a bad case of indigestion.
When next he awoke he was in much pain. While better than being dead, the chains about his wrists and ankles quickly diminished his elation. His rescuers/captors were seated nearby around a fire eating thier supper. He opened his mouth to ask for water, but the only sound that emerged from his parched throat was a weak croak. Apparently it was loud enough, as one of the nomads rose and brought him a some water.
The next few weeks were somewhat of a blur as Musashi and his fellow captives were marched through the desert. They were loaded onto a small boat and taken upriver, to emerge finally in a dark forest where they disembarked. Over the course of the next few days, they travelled through the forest, stopping occasionally to sell some of their captives. By the end of the week, only Musashi remained to be sold. The nomads were in the midst of discussing whether or not to cut their losses and just dispatch the boy when out of the
forest came a small man wrapped in a silver cloak. The man walked over to the nomads and began haggling. In a short time, Musashi was turned over to his new master and the nomads began to break camp. Wordlessly, the man took hold of Musashi's chains and began to lead him away.
As soon as the nomads were out of sight, the little man turned to
Musashi and said 'It is fortunate for you that I happened by, I really have no need of a servant right now, but I couldn't let them kill you.' He waved his hand over Musashi's wrists and the chains fell away. 'So, you are free to go your own way. In the future, try to avoid similar situations, as you may not always be so lucky.'
Musashi just stood there, rubbing his wrists to get the circulation
going. He was free, but in a strange world with not even a clue as to where to go. The man, upon seeing the fear in Musashi's eyes, closed his eyes and gently sent his mind towards Musashi's. Musashi, having no clue what was happening, tried to push back with all his will-power. The mans eyes shot open, and he let out a startled shout. 'My, My,' he said, 'It seems I got more than my money's worth with you.' Now, Musashi was utterly confused and a little frightened.
'Okay, you can stay with me awhile, but you must earn your keep. I'll have
no free-loaders living under my roof.' And with that, the man turned and walked down the road, with Musashi following closely behind.
Musashi spent the few several years tending the man's house by day. While at
night, he learned to read and write from his new master. Over time, he began to learn what little his master could teach him of sorcery and magic. But it
was enough, as time grew on Musashi grew in power and strength. Soon enough, the day came when the master could no longer teach Musashi anything new. There was much sorrow the day when Musashi left his master's home to explore the world and learn what new things he could. Armed with nothing but the clothes on his back, and a map of the nearby town, Musashi struck out on his own again.
He spent his days travelling the world, learning what he could. After learning of a school for wizards and magicians hidden deep in the forest of Hoan-Doar, he quickly set out to find it. After spending weeks lost and wandering in the
shadow grove. It was during this time that he travelled across the universe, observing the stars and constellations until his meandering finally led him to that elusive tower.
It was apparent from the beginning that he was not entirely welcome here, and
that was probably for the best, as there were few in this place who could
actually match what knowledge he had already accumulated. So it was only a brief time that Musashi stayed among the wizards at the Tower of High Sorcery, and no one was at all displeased when he had learned what he could and departed.
On his way back, he encountered a land filled with dragons and their distant kin. While talking with the king of these people, he learned of his next
destination. The king told him of a place far to the south, past the frozen
wastelands, high up in the hills. The king had an aquaintence there, the ruler of a village of minotaurs, who had in his employ a talented wizard, as well as an overly pious priest who could probably teach the lad a thing or three. So it was with some enthusiasm that Musashi began his journey through the frigid areas to the south.
He spent a winter entertaining the powerful ruler, Mahn-Tor, and learning what he could from the mage, Amyrok, and his cohort, . They told him of an evil
mage, with powers in excess of theirs far off, on the other side of the world. And so Musashi decided he would set off to find the Castle of that great, evil mage as soon as the weather cleared.
He travelled north, through the city of Midgaard, over the plains spread out
to the north of that bustling city. It was then, that he reached the mountains that bordered those plains. He set out to find a pass through the range of peaks. Up he climbed, well past the point where trees no longer grew. He encountered strange beasts and met some of the Gods of old. He dallied there a while picking up a few new tricks and generally unimpressed with the diminished powers of the long forgotten deities.
It took days to find the pass through the mountains, but at last he had
crossed the range. From here he could see the towering spires of the castle that housed his next teacher. He was just about to reach out to open the door of the castle when he was stopped short by loud growl behind him. Musashi spun to find himself face to face with the most hideous gargoyle he had ever seen. The beast glared at him, wielding a wicked looking curved sword. Unlike many of the beasts he had previously encountered, this gargoyle actually wielded his weapon with skill. It was not long before Musashi was bleeding from more than a score of cuts, courtesy of the gargoyle and his ice-cold blade.
Musashi was forced to retreat, but he would not give up. If he could not best the guardian, perhaps there was a way around him. He dressed his wounds and gave his body a little time to recover, then cast a spell to make him invisible. Thus cloaked, Musashi crept past the guardian and entered the castle.
He could almost feel the evil in this place. It was right then that Musashi
decided that he did not need to know the twisted magics that the denizen of this castle could teach. Furthermore, the continued existence of such a vile being, could only be an affront to him and his fellow wizards throughout the realm. It was with much determination that Musashi proceeded to banish all the demons and spirits that he encountered during his search for the source of this great abomination. It took weeks to cleanse the castle of it's evil occupants.
He gradually worked his way upwards to the upper levels of the castle, vanquishing the evil beings conjured up by Magus. It was on the third floor where Musashi finally met face to face with the embodiment of evil power that was Magus. It was a long and fierce battle. Musashi feared that he was
outmatched by this evil sorceror, but was determined that he would either destroy this evil foe, or die in the attempt.
In the end, Magus' power proved the greater. Musashi writhed in agony as
Magus showered him with bolts of lightning and great blasts of various elements. Musashi heard the evil laughter of his foe, as his body reeled from the onslaught.
Musashi awoke feeling strangely disoriented. Something didn't quite
feel right to him. He was weak, and he had trouble remembering much of what happened before. After awhile he stood and flexed his great wings. Wings?!?! Where the hell did I get wings? He quickly looked himself over and discovered that his body was in fact NOT his body. He was now in a gigantic body, he could feel the strength and power in his limbs. But it would probably take some getting used to. How had he come to inhabit the body of a Dragon?
Was this the doing of Magus? Magus... He still had a score to settle
with that villain.
He decided now was a good time to take stock of the situation. He was in a room with no visible exits. On a nearby table he saw a beautiful, blue rose.
As went to pick it up, he noticed the note it was lying on.
'I applaud your determination. Magus is a worthy adversary. Though his
power was far greater than yours, you courageously sought to rid the land of
this evil menace. You have now learned that you will need much more power than you had previously wielded to defeat such a strong foe. This body should provide you the means and potential to allow you to grow strong enough to rid the land of this evil threat. You have been deemed worthy of a second chance. Do not squander it!'
Musashi put down the note, picked up the rose, and left to begin his
journey. There was much to do in preparation for his next meeting with Magus.
