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| - "So this is Oakvale?" Leo said as they walked into the town and Zane looked around. "Can't believe it's here again" Zane said as they passed a woman who gasped and turned around. "Wait!" She called. "Yes?" Zane said turning to the young woman. "Hello! I remember you! We thought you'd died in that awful bandit raid all those years ago, so where you been all this time?" she said as Leo noticed Zane shaking having a flash back of fire, screams and blood flood his mind as the woman before them turned into the little girl from Oakvale the one who lost her doll Rosie, "you do remember me, don't you? I was looking for Rosie, my teddy bear just before the raid." "Zane?" Leo said. "After that day my parents moved to Bowerstone, but I never really lived it there. Er, are you all right?" Emily asked. "Yeah! I'm fine" Zane said shaking the flashback. "I think I lost you there for a second. Anyway, I have to go now, but it was great to see you again, bye!" Emily said walking away. "You okay?" Leo asked. "Yeah I'm fine" Zane said before spotting Maze in front of the tavern and approached him. "Ah there you are, I thought maybe you were getting too famous to be seen round here" he said as they started to walk down the road. "Have you heard anything about Theresa?" Zane asked as they followed. "I'm afraid I've heard nothing more of your sister, and there is a little else I can do there is hope yet though. A blind seeress lives among Twinblade's bandit Clan. She may be able to tell you about your sister" Maze said as they walked onto the beach. "I've heard of her it's said she Twinblade's other eyes and can predict all their enemies attacks" Leo said as they reached the docks. "The seeress stands next to the Bandit King himself. And it's no coincidence the Bandits have been doing so well lately. Have you heard of Twinblade? He was a hero once" Maze said. "He was?" Zane asked. "Yes, giant of a man. He had little patience for the Guild though. He left and brought together a dozen bandits factions. I always suspected he was behind the attack on your home. This could be your chance for revenge" Maze said. "Where is he?" Zane growled. "The camp can't be far from here. The village is often under attack. I have left a Quest Card at the Guild with the details" Maze said before vanishing. "First thing first let's deliver this letter than get that card" Leo said as they began to look around town and ran into a man. "Oh, heroes! I could really use your help sirs!" "What is the problem?" Leo asked. "I run a harmless little chicken contest down on the beach, but I'm having a bit of ghost trouble." "Ghost?" Zane said. "Some deceased chicken-fancier no doubt. The thing is, he's scaring all my punters away. You couldn't, you know...work some of your hero magic and get rid of him, could you?" "I doubt it's a ghost but we'll see what we can do" Zane said as they headed down to the beach where they did indeed see a ghost on the beach. "Well I'll be damn he's real!" Leo said looking through the ghost. "Aaah! At long last, a kind soul who doesn't flee at the sight of me." "What are you doing here?" Zane asked. "I have paced this forsaken beach for so many years. Could it be that you be sent by the gods to lift me from my fierce torment?" "Try a man up on the hill but how can we get you too…you know move on?" Zane asked. "My spirit dwells at the bottom of the seam gar, and my poor wife is left destitute and grieving, Gar." "A pirate?" Leo said. "She thinks I was but a simple fisherman, and still be somewhere lost at sea. It may shock you to learn dear friends, that I had a small side-business in piracy. Gar!" "No really?" Zane said trying to act surprised. "I hid my sinfully plundered treasure next to the jetty on the western beach. If you were to use a spade to dig it up and give it to my wife, I will reward you with plentiful riches, ye old sea dogs" he said as Sparky growled. "We'll work on it" Zane said as they made their way to the western beach where they saw a woman looking out to sea. "What are you doing miss?" Leo asked. "I often stand out here and look out to sea. My dear husband was lost to the waters years ago. He went on a fishing expedition and never came back. I haven't five up hope of seeing him again one day" she said. "Let's find the treasure then give it to her" Leo said. "Right" Zane said as they headed down the beach and by the docks they found the 500 gold and returned it to the wife. "Your husband left this for you, he's been saving it for you with his extra job as a..." Zane said. "Tour guide! Taking tourist on his boat!" Leo quickly said. "Oh my goodness! This is from my husband? You say he saved it up by taking tourist out on his boat?" she said as the two smiled and nodded, "yes, I do remember seeing him take people on board. They looked like bandits from a distance, isn't that silly?" "Yeah..." Leo and Zane said. "I knew he really cared for me. He was such a good, honest man." 'Pirate' Zane and Leo thought. "Thank you so much. I will still pray to see him return safe one day. Right after I've done some shopping" she said. "Good luck" Zane said as they headed back to the other beach. "You get rid of that ghost yet?" the man asked. "Almost!" Zane said as they ran down to the beach where the ghost was waiting. "Avast, yet've been a trusty seadog, ye have! Perchance now I can finally enjoy my death but before I leave, I shall keep my end of the bargain, gar! The rest of the swag be buried under the axe of a statue in the local graveyard. If it still be there, yer welcome to it. Now thank ye, and goodbye" the ghost said before vanishing. "Great to a cemetery than" Zane sighed as the two went back to the chicken man. "You get rid of that ghost yet?" "We have" Zane said. "You have? Why, capital news! Come down and pay me and the chicken a visit if you like!" he said walking off. "Let's find that treasure" Zane said as they headed into Memorial Garden. "There the statue!" Leo said as the went up the statue with the man holding an ax to see someone had already dug up the treasure. "Someone dug it up!" Zane said as they heard a whistle and looked over to see a Mercenary in black with a mask over her mouth holding up a key and had a Obsidian Greataxe slung over his shoulder. "Looking for theses?" "HEY! How did you get those?!" Zane asked. "Easy I overheard the ghost mention commentary, treasure and statue so I came here to get it" the Mercenary said. "Listen merc! Hand over the stuff or you will get my blade in your neck!" Leo growled. "Oh the big scary assassin so scary-AHHHH!" the Mercenary screamed as he was hit by a shock spell and fell over. "Nice shot" Leo said as they took their treasure. "Was that will?!" the Mercenary asked. "No you were just struck by lightning" Zane said sarcastically. "That'-that is SO COOL!" he yelled getting up. "Excuse me?" Zane said. "You're a hero from the Heroes Guild right?!" he asked excitedly. "Uh yeah?" "Take me with you!" "Excuse me?! You're a low down common thief and killer wy would we want you with us?" Leo asked. "Because I'm going to be a hero!" the man said. "PFFFT! BWHAHA! This gringo lost his marbles!" Leo laughed. "It's not funny! I will be a hero!" "You're a thief! That's what you are" Leo said. "Look I just need to make money to make a trip to the Heroes Guild so they can train me. I'm not a killer I am with the Oakvale Mercenaries we don't hurt innocent people we only take jobs for people who are bad." "You good with a weapon?" Zane asked. "I work best with axes!" the man said removing the bandanas from his mouth and head to reveal a blonde man around their age with a goatee growing in and blues eyes. "Sure" Zane said as both Leo and the man spoke at the same time. "WHAT?!" "REALLY?!" "Zane are you out of you mind?!" Leo said. "I have a good feeling about him Leo I think he make a good member of this team of ours" Zane said. "I'm Ace!" the blonde smirked. "Zane, this is my dog Sparky and this is Leo." "Look We can't just bring a merc with us!" Leo said. "I brought an Assassin with me and I'm still alive so a Mercenary won't make a difference. The three of us could be the greatest heroes in Albion" Zane said. "The three of us? Like team?" Ace asked. "Yeah like a team just like the founders. Let's make an oath here and now" Zane said. "An oath?" Leo said. "Yeah a promise we will all keep I think I know how to start it! Go for the glory!" he said holding his hand out. "Find our destines" Leo sighed putting his hand on Zane. "And become heroes!" Ace smirked putting his hand in as Sparky put his paw in. "Let's make this official" Zane said. Later Zane walked out of a tattoo parlor looking at the tattoo of a guild seal on his shirt arm as Ace and Leo walked out with their own on their arms. "Why the Guild Seals?" Leo asked. "The mark of the heroes" Zane said pulling his shirt down. "Let's get this letter to that lady" Leo said. "What letter?" Ace asked as Zane gave it to him and Ace read it before bursting out laughing "BAWHAH! Who wrote this rubbish?" "Someone who was high on a blue mushroom" Zane said. "Blue mushroom huh? Man that stuff can give you such a buzz!" Ace said. "You know from experience?" Leo said giving him a look. "I may have had one!" Ace said handing Zane the letter. ~Later!~ The three approached a well where they found the woman Myra was at. "Do you think I'm pretty?" Myra asked. "Uh yeah you are" Zane said scratching the back of his head with a blush. "You are an attractive woman" Leo said simply. "You're hot!" Ace said. "I met this man at a party in the Guild Woods who says I am. I think...I think he might be in love with me. You haven't spoken to him have you?" Myra asked. "Here" Zane said handing her the letter as she blushed. "Oh, is this from you." "No baby it was from me-!" Ace began before Leo covered his mouth. "Keep quite or I will stab you" Leo said. "No this is from Cyril he's head over heels for ya" Zane said. "I don't believe it. He really dose love me! He says my eyes are like two glowing suns. I have to let him know I feel the same. Please, could you take this to him? Oh m I can't wait to tell Fiona about this!" Myra said giving her a letter. "Let's go guys" Zane said as he used his Seal to transport them to the Guild. "RAUGH!" Ace grunted throwing up in a vase. "Pansy" Leo said. "Is this the Heroes Guild!" Ace smiled looking around. "Don't touch anything" Leo said as they headed outside to the Guild Woods and gave Cyril Myra reply. "She really likes me! Oh and I bet she really beautiful...have this for your trouble. I have no more need for intoxicants, for I have found love" Cyril said giving them a blue mushroom. "That makes two" Zane said. "Let's take this Hobbe Cave Quest Card" Ace said picking up the card. "It's at Rose Cottage let's use the Cullis Gate" Leo said. "Oh man" Ace groaned. ~Later!~ "Okay here the place" Zane said knocking on the doors at Rose Cottage as they opened to an elderly woman. "James! Is that you?" "Sorry ma'am we're here about the Quest Card you requested" Zane said. "Oh...James is my grandson. You have to find him! He's the only relative I have left. Such a sweet, helpful boy...I don't know how I'd manage without him. I knew this would happen. He's gone back to those caves I just know. He got quite a scare with the things he saw down there last time, I can tell you. But he did bring back some gold." "So he went back to get treasure huh?" Ace smirked as Leo smacked the back of his head. "Oh, and he found something else while he was there. I don't know what it's for, but it might be useful. Here" she said giving them an odd hexagon piece. "Is this a key?" Zane said. "Could be, back then they used stuff like this" Leo said examining it. "Please find him! I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him." "Don't worry ma'am we'll go into those caves and find your grandson and be back in no time" Zane said as the three went on. "That's if he hasn't changed" Ace said. "What are you on about?" Leo asked. "Don't you know? Hobbes are really kids, tempted by the darkness and turned into those horrible vicious beasts" Ace said. "They're really kids?" Zane said. "Was kids, once they turn they are beyond help" Ace said. "Let's find him and bring him home to his granny" Leo said as they went on to the Great wood caves where they found the entrance to the Hobbe cave and by the entrance a pile of bones. "Well that looks welcoming" Ace said. "James!" Zane called but heard no answer from the darkness in the cave. "Come on" Leo said lighting a torch and headed in with Zane and Ace. "Help!" a man called as they ran up to a closed door. "Come on!" Zane said kicking the doors open. "Get me down!" a man in a cage hung from the roof yelled as a pack of Hobbes charged at them. "Inferno!" Zane yelled setting some Hobbes on fire. "Hn! Ha!" Leo grunted stabbing his sword into one. "AHH!" Ace yelled smashing the blade of his ax into the skull of one of the Hobbes. "Please let me out!" the man yelled. "Hold on!" Zane yelled shooting an arrow into a Hobbe forehead. "A bandit?" Ace said free the man from the cage. "Thanks, mate it was rather embarrassing getting caught by those Hobbes" he said. "What were you doing here?" Zane asked. "Me and the lads were searching the cave for treasure. Legends say it's full of stuff. Well protected too. They caught us and stuck us in cages. Been taking us away one by one ever since." "Ugh" Leo said looking at the bones all around the room. "Don't know what they did to the rest, but I heard screams that'd chill your blood but hey, less people, bigger share, right? So what you say we go looking together?" "Your call Zane but remember we already have a Merc and mutt and an Assassin" Leo said. "He can come but just till we all get out then he can go do whatever but first thing first we find the boy" Zane said opening doors to the main entrance where a pack of Hobbes waited for them. "Let's put them out" Leo said drawing his sword. ~Later~ Upon inspecting the Caver Larder and killing the hobbes they looked around. "What is that smell?!" Leo said plugging his nose. "A putrid smell fills the air. Piles of bodies lie against the wall this is where they dispose of the bodies they won't eat" Ace gaged. "Ugh" Zane said stepping in some murky water and approached a chest, "I hope that's just dirty water." "Bet there's treasure in there" the Bandit said as Zane opened the chest. "Try a Will Master's Elixir" Zane said holding the bottle. "You can have that" the Bandit said. "Let's leave this room!" Leo said as they headed back to the entrance and went down the tunnel to the Main Chamber to see it filled with dozen of Hobbes and some treasure. "This got to be their main room" Ace said slicing his Ax. "Let's just make it quick and painless" Zane said stabbing his sword into a Hobbe chest. Later once all the Hobbes laid dead Zane approached one of the many chests in the room. "This one got 500 Gold" Zane called. "500 here as well" Ace said holding up the bag. "And a Flame Augmentation" Leo said. "Hey! I can't get his door open!" the bandit said trying to open the doors with an odd shaped keyhole. "Hmm" Zane said using the key the grandmother gave them as they heard the door unlock and pushed the doors open to the Moonlit Tunnel. "No Hobbes" Leo said looking around. "Shhh I hear something up ahead" Zane said as they reach the doors at the end of the tunnel and pushed them open and travel down the stairs to the Focus Chamber where their eyes widen to see in the center of the room stood an Old Kingdom artefact. "What is that?" Ace asked. "It's from the Old Kingdom! It's huge!" Leo said as they stepped into the water to approach it. "Look!" Zane said spotting a boyish figure in the center of a water made cage. "Hold on James!" Leo said as they heard giggling. "What is that?!" the Bandit asked as they all looked over to see a water Nymph come out of the water. "What do you want?" she spoke. "Were taking the kid!" Zane said. "You wish to take the child? I will not give him up! The sacrifice must proceed! Provide an alternative human and I may release him." "You may?" Zane said. "Give her the bandit" Leo said. "What?! No way! I am not being no sacrifice!" the bandit said. "No one sacrificing anyone! Shock!" Zane yelled striking the Nymph with the spell. "AHH!" she grunted before flying around and fired a water ball at them. "GAH!" Ace yelled being struck by it and held under the water. "Oh for the love of!" Leo growled diving into the water. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" Zane grunted firing arrows into the Water Nymph. "GACK!" Ace coughed as Leo pulled him out of the water. "Zane! The water!" Leo yelled. "Right!" Zane said as the Bandit and his allies got out of the water. "SHOCK!" Zane yelled hitting the water with the spell as the Nymph grunted. "GAAAHHH!" "AHH!" Zane yelled stabbing his sword into her before throwing her body into the water and the shield around the boy went down. "Did you see that thing?! I thought she was going to eat me" James said. "From what I gathered she was worshiping this Old Kingdom Relic and was having the Hobbes bring her sacrifices to this thing, let's be thankful there was only one" Leo said. "I'm out of here! You can keep the bloody treasure!" the Bandit said running away. "Come on James your grandma worried sick about you" Zane said. ~Later~ The sun way up in the sky when they left the cave and headed to Rose Cottage where the boy stopped. "Wait! You're not leaving me with her, are you? You think the Nymph was bad? My granny is worse! Whose idea did you think it was to go into those caves in the first place?" James asked. "She sent you in there?" Leo said. "Well I'm not standing for it much longer. First chance I get, I'm out of here! I'll have to pick up a few things first though and I suppose you want your reward. Don't tell her what I said though! Come on" James said as they headed up the hill where the grandmother was waiting. "Oh! Thank you for returning my grandson, Heroes! James come here and give granny a hug." "7000 gold?!" Ace said looking at their reward money. "Nice trophy..." Leo said holding up the Hobbe Head. "Hey! Why are you running away?!" Granny called as James ran out of the house with a bag, "Come back!" "Not our problem friends" Leo said as they left.
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