Chapter 1: The Magic Book

Grayson Moore was getting more and more tired as he looked through the library's many boring sections for a book. He needed to find, read, and write a report about one by the end of the day for his school project. It had to be about a war in an obscure country so that people didn't cheat and copy off of other people's reports.

But as he searched, looking at the titles of the old, dusty, odd smelling books, he realized how boring each book was. He expected the books to be full of adventure and violence. For there to be chopped off heads and severed arms every other page. But no, they would just drone on and on about the financial and political impact that they had and how the reader could make a donation to help out the cause.He was about to give up when his eye caught something. There was a book called "Sun Meadow Parish". Now the name sounded just as boring as the other books, but this book's cover really looked cool, it had a man in full body armor smashing an ugly, goblin looking monster in the head with a hammer. He picked it up and was astounded to feel that it was exceptionally light. This was queer because it had a lot of pages.

"A light AND interesting book? Now this is what I'm talking about." he said aloud to nobody in particular.

He picked it up and was about to sit in a rocking chair when a man behind him said:

"Be careful with that book boy. It has magic in it that you can't even imagine."

Grayson turned around and saw an old man in purple tinted robes. He had what looked like an orb in his robe pocket and was rather porky.

"I think I'll chance it." said Grayson weirded out about the eccentric looking man.

He sat down and flipped to the first page. Excited, he began reading.

War brings out the best in ordinary people and the worst in the powerful people. It helps tie back old bonds and restore friendships. It can be beautiful, and terrible. One such town portrays this beautifully.

There was once a village in a distant land named Sun Meadow Parish. The village of Sun Meadow Parish had seen much change in the past, and its changes were for the best. Sun Meadow Parish was a medium sized village, nothing too big, but still working and capable. There was a meeting hall where the citizens could meet in the middle of the town, houses surrounding that and the market off to the side.

Everyone who lived in the village worked together and never quarreled. They wholeheartedly enjoyed the peaceful lives they led. Also, there hadn't been war for years, so it was well populated.

But to achieve harmony, there must have been war in the past, and this village was no exception. 102 years before this cushy lifestyle, the village had been under siege by an evil sorcerer named Lord Mortifur.

At the heart of the village, was a sky blue, sapphire. It was mined by Morde The Great, a miner, who later became the leader of the village, and the sapphire was deemed to have many magical qualities. To keep it safe, he kept it in a crate in the middle of the village and had stationed guards keep it safe.

Lord Mortifur was one of the few beings in the world who was blessed with the power of magic, and this made him very mighty. So, to complete his thunderous standing, he wanted the sapphire for his own.

He had strong allies. Dragons, goblins, trolls, and Gondras (strong, snakelike beasts that killed with a single blow from their long stingers) all gave their allegiance to Lord Mortifur. Even worse, Mortifur created a new race of being which he called Morgaras. These were crosses between goblins and trolls and were vicious, ugly, and humanlike with clawed, bony hands, grey skin, pointed ears, and a savage demeanor. They only responded to him because he created a language that they learned so he could talk freely on the battlefield without being understood.

Though they lacked in power and brutality, the villagers overcame that obstacle with skill and sheer determination. It was a fierce battle. Explosions here and there and bloodshed every four feet. The people let out war cries and stampeded to meet the foul monsters. The villagers fought fiercely, and valiantly, and finally the only attacker left was Lord Mortifur himself, up against Morde the Great. They fought, twisting and striking their weapons while what was left of the village's army watched.

Finally, after what seemed to be an endless bout of combat, Lord Mortifur stumbled and Morde, seizing this great opportunity, sank his blade into Lord Mortifur's chest. Mortifur was finished, and Morde was deemed the greatest warrior of the village.

Even a statue, made of solid gold, was created for him, with his trusty, ruby encrusted sword which he called "Evoker" displayed at the foot of the statue.

But what mattered most to him was not the statue, not the prestige that was bestowed upon him by his village, he did not think about how the remainders of the evil beings were escaping to the east. Not even the fact that they had defeated one of the most infamous and powerful sorcerers in the world was on his mind. His only priority was the safety of the sapphire, that after the death of Morde the great, was named the Infinity Sapphire. From then onwards, it was moved to a shrine in the heart of the village and worshipped by the people.

His story told everyone that to be great, you don't need to be talented at fighting, or grow up with weapons and shields. You just need to have grit, and fight for what's right.

Grayson was not disappointed. He had been this engrossed in a book before. They usually disappointed him, baiting him with cool visuals but just talking about politics and whatnot. But this book was the real deal.

As he read on however, he started feeling rather dizzy. His head was spinning and his whole body felt cold. He looked down and realized he was fading away. Panicked, he looked over at the old man who had told him about the book.

"Help!" he pleaded, starting to stumble.

But the old man just waved. Slowly, Grayson faded into nothingness.