A PARTY OF FOUR
By Isamare B. Waswerebeen

I long to see. My life is darkness, nothing of importance, all mere trivia in the cosmos. But, this is what drives me. I shall see! I must see! Nature's cruelty shall soon be put to an end; I shall become divine, and cure the world of Nature's tyranny. No more shall we become deaf! No more shall we turn dumb! I shall stop it all, and become revered! Going down in history, I shall save my species!
You. You must think me insane, my thoughts mere fantasies of impossibilities. I am not mad. I am not insane. I am simply blind. Blind, and determined to end it. Oh, how I long to see! To observe Gaia's bounty, and... and... no. I must not dream. I must do. I must! Ye chimeras that plague me, you inhibit my body, but I shall conquer, for I am Glagolitic Cyril, and I will defeat Nature itself!

Malthair, a young, blue wizard, wandered the woods cautiously, careful not to disturb the wildlife.
Where could it be? he thought, slightly worried. I've searched and searched, but I still can't find it! Now I'll never know what Shadoof was speaking about!
Malthair began to panic. He was always afraid of this. His greatest fear was being lost. Now, he was not only lost but lost in the legendary Forest of Svante, supposedly home to the ghost of Svante the Great. Remembering this, Malthair began to run around in circles, trying to think desperately of what to do.
“Well well, what do we have here?”
Malthair turned to face the voice and wished he hadn't. It was the notorious bandit Ales and his gang, called the Gards. To join the Gards, one had to have killed at least twelve-times, a victim for each month.
And, according to the bounty posters, Ales had seventy-three and counting.

I can sense it. Danger approaches! Oh great fantasia, leave my mind so I may survive to live it!
Ah, ‘tis him Ales and the Gards. I shall enjoy this, for they are in my way.
And those in my way must be destroyed!

“How much do you have?' Ales asked Malthair menacingly. “If you have about... oh, a million qatars, I might feel guilty about killing you.”
“Hahahahahahaha!” laughed the Gards, knowing death was certain should they fail to humor their leader. “Might feel guilty! Good one!”
Malthair held out his staff, a custom Emerald made for a novice magician. “S-stay back! I c-can use magic, and I'm n-not afraid to, either!”
“That so?” Ales asked, smirking while drawing his sword. “Well, so did the others.