On this fine evening, an old man wakes up from his afternoon
slumber. The beautiful blue sky radiant with it's warm sun have moved
on to bless another part of Krynn. This old man streches his bones so
that he doesn't fall back to sleep. He's been memorizing spells before
he dozed off for you see, this particular old man was once a powerful
wizard of the white robes. His name is Fizban and he's a little clumsy
in his old age. Although a great source of information, you must first
get the information out of him and he has a way to drag conversations
foward. Every afternoon and night, before going to bed, he tries to
study his old dusty spellbook. Over the years a few pages have crumbled off
and he lost some of his most valuable spells. He has but a few spells
left and he always has a hard time trying to memorize them, he falls
asleep while he reads them. This night announced itself to be another
ordinary night, but little does Fizban now that an event will happen
that will change his life forever.
He is sitting on the side of the road with his back on a tree. He
looks up at the last ray of the sun as darkness starts engulfing the
world around him. The stars came out and he starts looking at all the
beautiful constellations in the sky. Feeling a little hunger, he opens
his bag to grab a loaf of bread. Searching with his hand, he doesn't
find his rations. He looks inside his bag to find it empty of most of
his possesions. Looking around him for maybe a few clues of the crime
commited against him or his lost object that he could have dropped
through the hole in the bottom of his bag, he sees a burn mark on the
ground beside where he was lying. Looking closely, he notice that the
marks are recent and that the inhuman thief mustn't be far away.
Leaving doubt and fear out of his mind, he sets it on finding this thief
before he commites another horrible crime. Listening hard to the sounds
of the woods, he hears whistling coming from deep inside. Marching
through the dark and gloomy forest, he brings to mind his favorite and
the only one that he had time to study spell, Fireball! Dark shadows
looked at the passing mage, ready to feast on his remains once his bones
are sucked dry by their master, Kabel, an evil lich that was once leader
of the black robes. Fizban walking around without any idea of the danger
he's in, tracks the crook to a small black pond. Looking around, he sees
nothing but two little dancing lights.
"Where is the thief that stole my bread" he yelled to the tree towering
over the pond.
The little globes of dancing lights changed colors from blue to purple
to
red then yellow. They whislted in a strange cheerful sound as they loomed
over the black water.
"Are you the ones that stole my bread" Fizban said to the little balls.
"We didn't do it, but the one that did lives in the water, you should go
see. it's really safe, honest" said a one of them through telepathic means.
The other flashed white and hid behind a tree fearing the dark water.
"What's the matter with him?" asked Fizban to the wisp.
"Oh him, nothing. He doesn't like the water, in fact he's scared of the
water. He was caught in ond once and fell in the water which hurt him
because, we are made of a fire substance. But don't worry it won't harm
you." He replied.
"Huf! what's my proof that you're telling the truth. For all I know the thief
could have changed himself into the tree over here." Said Fizban.
"No I'm telling you, the water is really safe. And look, there's a few
jewels in it too, see!" Said the wisp changing his color to a bright red.
"Yes I do, but what would black water want with my beard?" He said.
All of a sudden the other wisp flew throught the air towards his companion. He
started whislting very quickly and the other wisp responded. Both were in a
deep discussion flashing between colors as they went on.
"Excuse me, but what are you saying?" Fizban asked.
"Nothing, he just though a shadow tried ot grab him." Said the wisp.
The fearful wisp changed blue and went into the high branches of the tree, hiding
from Fizban's sight.
"Now, look. I'll prove to you that the waters are safe. I'll fly over it." said the
wisp
Sounds of more whistling was heard in the tree but stopped almost as soon as they
began. The couragous wisp flew over the water to prove that it was safe. Unluckly,
the dark water saw it's prey and spewed forward black tentacles grabbing the helpless
wisp and dragging him under water. Fizban took his staff and strated betting on the
tentacle telling him that he's been really bad. All was finished in a matter of
seconds. The wisp gave it's last rays as it went under the dark water. The other
wisp flew towards the water paniced by the sudden events.
"I'm sorry, but their was nothing I could do. It just happened so quickly." Fizban
said to confert the little light.
It made it's way to fizban, setting himself on his mouse colored hat, sad and tired
from the experience. It's light dimmed and it started to shift lightly.
"There, there little one, don't be sad. Everyone must leave this world sometimes. Hmm,
I wonder what you'll do once that you can be around your companion. I know, I'll be your
companion, but you'll need a name. How about, light bright? No, too casual. Night's eye?
No already taken by that moon. Light ball? Dancing light? Yew spring? Would you please
help me find you a name." He said thinking deep and hard.
"What about these, Death Ball? Crystal? Magicer? Furrball, well you don't have any furr
so forget the last one. Hmmm, Fireball? - take a pinch of ash and - oh sorry, where was
I? Oh yes, your name. Dragon Ball? Eyes of newt? Puffball?"
The wisp jumped in the air, flashing many colors at the same time and whistling.
"Puffball? You want me to name you puffball? Ok, but I think it's a little silly name."
Fizban said.
Puffball turned red, hot red looking real mad at what Fizban just said.
"Well, Puffball it is then. Oh I'm Fizban. Why can't you talk like your friend of your's.
Oh sorry, you must be to young for that ability or something, so you're like a kid or
something?" Fizban said.
Puffball flashed blue white, a little annoyed at being called a kid and turns his back on
Fizban. Unluckly, it forgot that it doesn't have a back.
"Ok, I'm sorry. I'm certain you're much older than that. Now, I seem to be lost in this
forest, do you know of a way out? I new I should have marked my way. Well maybe the person
that lives in that house over there. Now that's a big house to be in the middle of the forest.
I wonder who lives there?" He said looking at a mansion located at about half a
mile from his location.
Neither knowing the answer to both question, made their way towards the house. They were
never bothered by the other inhabitant of the forest, for they all knew that doom was apon
both. They arrived at the house and Fizban polity knocked on the door. It opened without a
sound. They entered the dark and dusty halls of the mansion.
"Hmm, Hello!" Yelled Fizban coughing a few times.
Puffball started glowing bright blue and continued even brighter untill it suddenly it turned
white. It then wiped itself on Fizban's robes.
"May the gods bless you." said Fizban.
Looking around and seeing nothing, they decided to head back outside. As they turned around,
the door closed. The only light in the room was Puffball. It stayed close to Fizban fearing
for his life. A deathly voice then spoke a few meters in front of them.
"Good Eeeeeevening. What are you doing on my property?" It asked.
"Well, finaly you show up. You know, you could have dusted this place a few times after the
cataclysm. You gathered quite a dust collection. Oh, well we're looking for the way out of
the forest and decided to ask a local, namely you. Can you help us?" Fizban asked.
"None that enter my private grounds may leave them alive." It replied. Fizban listened a
his strange mumbbling, remembering his youth and the words that the unknown individual was
saying.
"Puffball, duck!" He yelled out.
Unluckly that is exactly what happened, Puffball was transformed into a duck. Fizban had
unknowly cast a spell and transformed his friend into a bird. The lucky turn of events was that
with the light source gone, the master of the grounds missed his spell.
"I'm sorry Puffball, I'm certain I know the counter word somewhere. What was it, igloo? Hik?
Norkma?" Fizban said moving from one spot to another, following the quakes that were heard.
"Insolent fools, you now you will never survive this. You might as well give up while you
can" said the dark voice.
"I'll show you a word or two. I have this great spell I can cast on
you. What's it call again,
Jujuball, Furrball, Firebonds, linorlak?"
The last word removed the spell on Puffball giving him back his normal body. He was standing
right beside the master who is easily indentified as a lich. Seeing the light so close to him,
he cast the first spell that came to mind, Darkness. Puffball started panicing as he did not
see what was in front of him. The darkness he had never seen scared him as he flew from one
side of the room to another. Words of magic were screamed in the air by the lich, casting
powerful spells of evil magic. Fizban had sliped on his robes and avoided all those spells
without ever knowing they were cast. He then started saying his own spells, which consisted of
Fireball and, well, that's basically it. He casted the spells where the sound of the voice was
coming from. Hearing the scream of his victim as the fire bursted on him. The lich did not know
where Fizban was hiding and had no choice but to lift his darkness. Once lifted, he saw the
mouse colored mage lying on the ground, cought in his robes. He prepare one of his best spells
to rid himself of this pest. Concentrating real hard, he never notice the attack. Puffball rammed
into the lich's belly, breaking his consentration. He then flew straight up into his jaw, knocking
it on his back. He continued to hit him as the lich tried to fend of the attacks. By that time,
Fizban had gotten up and prepared another spell. Whistling in a few high pitched notes, he started
casting his spell. Puffball made his way back to Fizban bearly avoiding the lich's hand. Fizban
let loose his fireball that hit the lich square in the stomach, destroying it for all the
moment.
"you know I could have never done it without you Puffball. I'm so glad that we meet. Now, shall
we leave before he comes back with another body? Oh, what's this" Fizban said as he bend over to
look at a strange little box. He looked at it from all angles wondering what it was. He dropped
it after saying a few words written on it. Puffball touched the box after Fizban had open the
door. The box started glowing red and eminating a strange sound. Puffball dashed out of the house,
catching up to fizban that started walking down the path they took to come to the house. Puffball
settled himself on the bent hat, liking it's delicate fabric. They were half way back to the road
when they heard the big boom from behind them.
"Wonder who let the dragon out early." Said Fizban as they walked back
to the road ready to find
another adventure.
The End.
Well, I'd like to Thank Tracy and Margaret for inventing Dragonlance and Stig the manager of the
puffball compaign. Hope you had fun reading this.
Jullanathalsan
The Wandering Bard
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