THE MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE

A long time ago, there was a young man,

He was a strong lad, and was brave of heart,

however,

He wished to know the art of the Mage

He took all of his earnings, and went to the Hermit who lived on the Mountain

"Teach me to read the language of the Dragons and of the Magicians?" he asked

" I will give you all the silver and gold I have"

The Hermit laughed and let him into the hut

He tested the young man, mentally and physically...

The young man wanted to learn so badly that he passed all but a few of the tasks.

The Hermit was very impressed that he passed ANY of them.

The young man lived at the Hermit's house, learning all he could from the man

He lived there many many years, until one day, the Hermit Passed away......

he was an old man... and had no sons of his own,

so he willed all he had to the young man..... who was now middle aged

This included a magical staff that was an ancient artifact of legend,

but the young man didn't know its purpose.

He only knew what the Hermit had told him

so he took the staff and went to the top of the highest mountain peak

He held the staff up high and called upon its powers.....

" DRAVINIOUS KOLORNUM!" he shouted

nothing happened.....

until he felt a warm breath on the back of his neck...

He turned around slowely, and there... in the clear mountain air... stood a large Silver Dragon

"ohhh..My..." he said softly

He looked at the dragon closely, then the Dragon Spoke:

"Where is the Hermit who lives here? Have you killed him and taken his staff???" It growled

The man shook his head severely, "No! He was my Teacher! He passed away only a few days ago... He did not tell me what this staff did... Please forgive me!"

The dragon looked deep into the man's eyes

"You speak true..." he said

"It is a very sad day, this! My Kin will be alerted to his passing. Thank you young Man. The staff you can keep, it is to summon one of us if the need ever arises..."

The young man was so overcome with relief, he almost collapsed

The dragon disappeared in a puff of mist, and the young man went back to his hut

Only in dire needs did the young man every call upon the Dragons of the Staff... and that was when the land was threatened by invasion by a Marauding Horde

The invaders numbered in the tens of thousands... and the ground shook with their marching feet

The Hermit's apprentice was the first to see the sight, and the first to respond...

He sent many messages to the cities below, warning them of their coming doom...

but he knew they couldn't fend the horde off

so he took the staff to the top of the mountain, and called out to all of the dragons who's names were etched in the wood

the air was filled with the large creatures, and they immediately saw what was happening

The man told the Silver dragon that the cities were to be doomed... if no help was recieved

so the dragons burst into action

Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Stones, all hailed from the sky. Dragons swooped down upon the Horde,

and scattered them to the corners of the land.....

For this is the reason why there was a Hermit Mage on the mountaintop in the first place

to keep safe the cities below, with his Staff of Dragons

Every generation, there is one chosen to take the place of The Hermit

and that new Hermit is told only on the deathbed of the previous hermit, what the staff was for, and what it would do....

and to this day, the cities below the mountain are safe from any invasion.