prologue 1: A dark place

A young man runs frantically shouting. His eyes darting left and right. He was looking for something or someone.

"Vice Captain Morgan Melendez!! Vice Captain Morgan!!!" The young man falls on his knees, out of breath.

"Well? What is it? I was busy here." A big man looks at the young man. He is covered in scars, clothed in expensive clothes. He creases his beard and mustache. He sits next to some other men, too busy playing poker to even look at the young man. Most seemed to be wearing expensive clothes as well. One built man sitting next to him on his right seeming pissed and another man on his left, more lean and fiddling with his tie, tapping his foot loudly, and looking very focused on his cards.The big man laughs out as both of them throw their cards down in defeat.

"You fucker! You cheated Morgan!!" The lean man yelled, gripping down on the table. The wooden table cracked a bit.

"Oh shut it Daniel. You're too loud, damnit." Morgan said, taking a drink from a guy behind him.

"How do you win anyway?" The built man on the right side.

"It's not hard to beat Daniel." The big man laughed out in a low chuckle.

"But you, you're too damn smart. I was just lucky I guess. Or you should get a better poker face." Morgan smirks.

"Sorry Jamison! But I've known you for centuries and you haven't changed one bit!!" Now laughing out loudly at Jamison's shocked expression. The man's eye twitching.

"Ha!! See, I'm not the dumb one now!!! Am I Jamesie?? Haha!!" Daniel rolls over laughing.

"Why you god damned punk!!" The two men start fighting over the table. Both bickering and shouting.

"Anyway, what did they say, kid?" Morgan's mood, now serious and threatening.

"He- uh they said no deal sir." The younger man's voice, just enough for the other to hear.

"Damn, really? Ha! Those fools! Looks like we got to put them in their places!!" Jamison interjects,

"How dares to defy our great ruler?!?"

"Those ideas!! Let me take care of them!!" Yells Daniel.

Then a cart tipped over. The things on top of it, scatters and flys.

"Ow, that hurt Jessie!!!" Yells a little boy with dusty blonde hair.

"It's not my fault, you dumbass Victor!!" Yells a little girl with jet black hair.

"I'm not a dumbass!!! You are!!!" The kids start to fight and argue with each other. Not noticing that someone was now behind them, looking down at the two.

"Ok now, I think that's enough, my young lords. I believe it's also past your bedtimes, too." Both kids slowly turn to face Morgan and stair. The boy, Victor, was shaking a bit. The girl, Jessie, stands tall and stairs down the big man.

"No! We're not tired and I want to hear what you guys talk about!" The three men all look at each other, knowing that when the girl puts her mind to something, she will never give up.

Jamison tries to help Morgan. "But my lady-"

"No! I'm not you 'lady'!" That now earning a few snickers from Daniel, who decides to speak up.

"Well my young lord, we just want to take care of all the dumb and useless stuff, so then you can take care of the important matters." Daniel said with a kind and caring smile, even though he's lying through his teeth. The girl, Jessie, stairs him down now. Daniel can't help but feel a bit uneasy about the stair.

"hm! Ok then. . ." She pouts, now looking away.

Her brother on the other hand doesn't know what to say or do. But it wasn't his fault. He didn't even want to be here. All he wanted was to be asleep by now, till sometime tomorrow. But when he saw his sister sneaking out, he knew he had to go to help her. Even though she acted strong, he saw what his sister was really hiding. She never showed anyone, but he saw only a handful of times. Times she was so sick that she couldn't get out of her own bed, let alone her room.

"Well, how about we go out tomorrow for some ice cream and maybe go to the park down the street, too?" Morgan tries to convince the girl to go back to sleep and to go where they both don't have to see the darkness the three work in. Jessie nods her head. Victor holds out his hand for his sister. Now grabbing her brother's hand, they both start to go back up stairs. Morgan walks up with them, so nothing else happens and so they don't cause trouble.

At a big set of double doors the two kids stop, looking at Morgan.

"Would you like a story this time?" Both kids look at him with stars in their eyes.

"YES!!" Causing the big man to chuckle a bit.

"Ok then, what story would you like to hear? The one of the foolish hero hunter? Oh, or the one of that brilliant mage? Or-"

"No!" The children knew what story they wanted and so did the man. It was the only story they would always want to hear.

"The one about papa!!" The kids cried out.

Both jumping onto the bed, ready to hear the story again.

"You two have heard that story a hundred- no, a thousand times! Maybe more. Are you sure?" Morgan only teases the two. He, himself loved the story. The story of his boss, his master. The man that saved him and his people.

"Yes, we're sure!" Jessie said.

"Yeah! Papa is the best!"

Morgan knew the story wasn't fit for ones so young, but it made the two so happy.

"Ok ok then."