“ALERT! INTERUDER IN THE COURTYARD! ALERT!”
The door to the balcony slid opened and out stepped a large bulky man. He was dressed in a green tunic and brown pants. Slung across his back was large claymore in a black sheath. “What the hell is going on?” he roared.
Next to him a shorter black hair man jumped. He turned and saluted. “Chief Roland!” he greeted. “We’re not sure how he got inside, but there someone got into the courtyard, chief.”
Roland scowled and looked down into the stone courtyard. Standing in the center was a man wearing a large black crooked wizard hat that obscured most of his face. He wore long brown duster coat, a black shirt and pants. In his gloved hands was a long wooden staff. Surrounding him were thirty men, armed with various weapons of swords, clubs and bows.
“Who are you?” Roland demanded. “How did you get in here?”
The man looked up, revealing grey eyes. He smirked and said, “Just a wandering traveler. Not a concern to a bunch of dirty thieves.”
Roland’s blood began to boil. “Dirty thieves? DESTROY HIM!” he ordered. With a roar, the men leapt into actions.
The traveler raised his hand up into the air. It began to grow brighter as ball of yellow-white energy began to form. It crackled like lightning, spiking and jagged. “Try and keep up,” he said smugly. He threw the ball of energy at the men in front of him. “Thunderball!” The ball of energy burst, shocking ten men. They dropped to the ground like dead flies.
“H-he’s a wizard,” the man next to Roland said breathlessly. Roland gripped the wooden railing of the balcony. It splintered under the pressure. Wizards were far and rare in this country. Weak ones often were doctors in larger villages but powerful wizards went on to serve kings as advisor. A wizard could help them. He leapt over the ledge of the balcony, landing in the courtyard with ease.
The traveler tilted his head, smirk still wide. “Oh the big dog has come out to play?” he teased.
Roland ignored the words. “You’re just a traveler. No affiliation to the Kingdom of Paix?”
With a shrug, the traveler answered, “Not to my knowledge.” His eyes narrowed. “Why does it matter?”
Roland extended out his hand, a sign of truce. “Join us then. We could use a man like you for our cause.” With a wizard their victory would be secured.
“Which is what exactly?”
“The King of Paix is a fool that is leading his country into destruction. His decisions have cost the people greatly. We will rise up against --- WAIT! Where are you going?”
Near the door of the courtyard, the traveler looked back at Roland. “Not interested,” he replied in a bored tone.
Roland ran up to him. “But with your magic we can stop the King! Will you ignore the suffering of countless people?”
Before the traveler could answer him, a loud ‘ho-ho-hoo hoo hoo’ was heard. Roland looked up into the sky to see a large great horn owl flying toward him. The owl barrel roll before making a dive. Roland scrambled out of the way as it raced toward him. Just before it would have impacted with the traveler, it glowed a bright white transforming itself a small card. The traveler snatched it out of the air and turned it over to read it.
A smirk appeared on the traveler’s face again. He snapped his fingers, burning the card to ash. “Change of plans then.” He walked over to Roland, giving the bald chief a rap on the head with his staff. “I’m Ruru and congratulations, you’ve just earned a favor from the Challenger.”