AN: Edited more. I've added more text.

He woke quite suddenly, not knowing where he was, or, for a moment, even who he was. He moaned, reaching up to cup his head in his hands. Bracelets jingled softly on his wrist, making him open his eyes to frown at them before the light forced him to quickly shut them. What had happened to him to give him this horrible headache? He cracked open his eyes again to see several people staring down at him. He realized he was laying on the ground, outside, under giants of trees.

"Who . . . ?" He had to lick his lips, his mouth was so dry. Still, his head pounded.

"That's what we would like to know,” a woman said, her accent thick. “One of our own is missing, and, in her place, in her clothes, you appeared." The woman was giving him a look as if he were the strangest thing in the whole of the world she had ever seen.

He sat up, ignoring the look. He was used to it, after all. "When . . . ?"

"Not an hour ago. You have been out ever since." She took a step back, allowing him room to breath. He glanced about the empty area. Where was he? "Who are you?"

"Hum? Oh, I am . . . I am Eriol." He slowly stood and gathered his wits. What happened? He held his hand to his head, trying to remember. The last thing he remembered, he had been in his mother's old house. It had been empty for several years, gathering dust. He had only planned to stay there for the night, but then . . . He awoke here. Wherever here was. He had been so tired at the time, still, he knew that he never should have slept. He always regretted it, after.

Stumbling a few steps, he caught sight of water. A river. Grateful, he went to the river and washed his face, hoping to clear his head. After wetting his face, he gazed at his distorted reflection, his eyes tired.

The missing girl . . . Who was she? What had she done with her time in this life?

Suddenly, he realized that something had been bothering him. He realized that all noise in the surrounding forest ceased, there were no birds, no little critters making a ruckus. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Moving only his eyes, Eriol took a quick glance around.A hunter . . . A human hunter seeking after him. But why? Calmly, he reached for another handful of water. He was in the trees, above the small group on the ground. 'Listen to his movements. Don't let him know you know that he is there. Wait for it...'

His eyes slid closed, deep in thought. He splashed the water over his face and ran his fingers through his short blond hair. Was there a bounty on his head? Was he to pay for something that the girl had done?

The hunter moved slightly, giving way his position. Eriol too shifted, relaxing all of his muscles. 'Any second now, he will attack. What weapon will he use?'

Eriol scratched behind his ear, glancing at the people still staring at him. His eyes narrowed upon one woman's eyes. As far away as she was, he could clearly see the reflection in the dark pupils. Nothing. The next person. Nothing. In the third person's eyes, he could see the hunter, well hidden that he was.

Tall, lithe. Long black hair was tied back and tucked into his tunic. Long, thin fingers held a small baton in his right hand. A sorcerer? Truly...?

Why would a sorcerer be hunting him?

The attack came.

'Through the air, gaining the advantage of height and gravity. He is right-handed, so move to the far right. He’ll have to twist to reach me.'

Eriol nimbly shot to his feet and out of the way of the charging baton, with only one step. The dark haired hunter's eyes turned to his face, only inches away. The blue gaze widened, shock clear in the dark color. He knew he was at the disadvantage now. Eriol didn't move. Realizing Eriol wasn't going to attack, the hunter’s eyes narrowed and he attacked with another swing of the thick baton. Eriol caught the baton with a flick of his wrist and wrested it out of the sorcerer's hand with one swift move.

'Get him off balance. Keep him unfocused.'

The hunter quickly returned with a chop aimed at Eriol's mid-section, his stance belying his training in the martial arts. Eriol knocked it off-course, using the baton against the man’s wrist. The man spun with the attack, bring his other hand to catch Eriol's elbow, taking him down. Eriol rolled away from his attacker and to his feet little over a yard away. The hunter charged him, spinning about on one foot, his other raised in a kick aimed toward the blonde head. He ducked under the kick and back several more feet.

The sorcerer landed, glaring at Eriol. His right hand shot up to his left shoulder, two fingers extended strait up. In one fluid motion, he swung his arm down to his side, his fingers leaving a light glow in their trace. He grabbed the line of white light and a sword formed. He swung the sword and again charged Eriol. Eriol watched avidly. He’d not seen a sorcerer in action in a long time.

The people that had been gathered around, now moved away from the two fighting men, one woman screaming at them to stop. Neither fighter spared them a glance. 'Do not get distracted.'

Eriol sidestepped the oncoming sword. He reached out and caught the man's wrist.

"Fool, doing the same move twice," the sorcerer snarled. He stopped his forward movement and pulled sharply back. Eriol lost his footing and fell onto the hunter. The two men tumbled to the ground. As they fell, the sorcerer twisted Eriol's arm about and pressed him into the ground with a knee to his back. Eriol cried out at the piercing pain dancing up his shoulder.

'This isn't good, get loose!' He shifted his shoulders, trying to escape, but the hunter's hold was unbreakable. 'Wait, how did he jump that high into the air to start with?' There had to be something he could use...

Eriol closed his eyes and relived the last few moments in his mind, analyzing every detail. The sorcerer had been sitting in a tree, crouched on a branch before jumping straight into the air. 'How did he do that?' Eriol replayed the scene in his mind again, slower this time. The sorcerer had spoken a few words, an incantation. As he watched in his mind, Eriol repeated the words out loud.

With his one free hand, he slammed the flat of his palm to the ground, sending both of them several inches into the air. Startled, the sorcerer lost his hold on Eriol. Eriol was instantly on his feet and spun about to face the other man, an almost delighted grin touching his lips.

The sorcerer’s eyes were wide as he faced Eriol, full of surprise, yet again. Slowly, he reached for his fallen sword. Eriol watched him, moving only his eyes to follow his movements. When the sorcerer held the sword in his hands and was standing upright once again, Eriol finally did move. He raised his right hand to his left shoulder just as he had seen the sorcerer do before and created a similar sword.

The sorcerer took a startled step back. "You," he breathed. "You are not a sorcerer, yet . . . How can you do this?"

Eriol smiled. "I do what I must to survive." His head tilted to the side. "Why are you hunting me?"

The sorcerer returned his grim smile, mocking him. "Easy prey." Then he attacked.

'From the right. Next, underhanded.' Eriol blocked each swing of the sword aimed at him. 'His swings are sure. His aim is true. He's light on his feet. He's good at what he does.' Eriol felt overwhelmed. He was not a warrior and would surely loose a sword fight. He had to end this as quickly as possible.

Eriol suddenly swung about, knocking the sorcerer's last strike off. As he came about, he aimed the hilt of his sword at the hunter's head. The mystical metal hit with a dull thud. Caught unawares, the sorcerer went down, his eyes rolling up.

Eriol jumped away, dropping the sword. "We must leave here, before he awakens." He spun on his heel and dashed out of the clearing, not really caring if the others followed him. The hunter wasn't after them, after all.

Eriol ran through the forest, paying no mind to the low branches slapping at his face. He had to get as far away as he could before the man woke up.

What had happened while he was out? Why could he never remember?

He slowed to a trot and pressed a hand to his heaving side. Where could he go? From behind him, the others caught up. Several fell to the ground when he stopped, trying to catch their breaths. He glanced over them.

"Who are you people?"

"We're from the city," spoke the same one as before. "These are my students. We were in class when suddenly we were teleported to the forest and you took the place of one of my students, as I said before."

"From the city? That's so far away. Why?" Why were they teleported here?

He dwelled on that though only for a moment before he pushed it away. There was no time for that now. He had to get out of here. If the hunter wanted him here so bad to actually teleport him there, Eriol wanted to be as far away from that spot as he could.

"I don't know why. I don't even know where we are."

He turned to the woman. Her hair was mussed and her eyes were tired. Her chest heaved as she put her hands to her chest, trying to catch her breath. Long lines of blood marked her otherwise flawless face. She was a teacher from the city, not meant for this sort of thing. He sighed. Going home would have to wait until he took these people back to the city.