Chapter 2

(James POV)

*KRACKOOOOM!* "Wah!- what the?!" I woke with a start as my room was flooded with a blinding flash and a deafening rumble.

Ugh, a storm must have started over night...

After being jolted awake by the sudden commotion it was basically impossible to fall back asleep.

After tossing and turning for a while I eventually gave up and decided to just watch the light show unfolding outside.

I made my way out onto the balcony outside my bedroom. The storm hadn't really hit yet but the lightning was definitely growing closer with each flash. I sat down in a chair, gazing at the spectacle unfolding in front of me.

Each bolt of lightning would illuminate the forest surrounding my property, casting shadows that danced around the yard. I felt each rumble of thunder and stared, captivated by the powerful storm that was forming around me.

If only I could harness this power...Use it for magic… I bet i'd make a better grand templar than that Trace guy. Who does he think he is, basically declaring war on Keidran...

As the wind picked up the storm grew more and more . Each burst of light would now show the mountainous clouds that were forming over my house.

Haven't had a storm like this in a long time.

I watched as the trees swayed and bent every which way. Ok… maybe it's time to go inside now… But as I began to enter the house, I was startled by a noise that definitely was not from any normal storm.

*FWoOoOoOm!* I turned around just in time to see a strange blue ring of light emanate from the center of the storm. "What in Mekkah?!" I watched in confusion as a very soft whine could be heard in the clouds.

The whine continued to grow louder and louder as I covered my ears to try and block out the now deafening scream. I look up and my eyes widened.

Against the now distant flashes of lightning, I can see a strange object falling out of the sky.

It tumbles toward the trees with two small… Are those people? And if so how are they flying?! following slowly behind.

*BOOOOM!* I jump back from the gigantic explosion, trip over the bottom of the door frame, and fall through the doorway, into the house, and onto the ground, slamming my head against the hardwood floor.

Oww…

I felt my eyes flutter as I groggily regained consciousness, sitting up while lightly rubbing the back of my head.

I opened my eyes and took note of my surroundings.

What in the gods names am I doing on the ground?

I could vividly remember events of last night but it was as if my mind was in a fog.

I pushed myself up, putting my feet below me and standing.

Oh...that was a mistake.

I immediately regretted it as my world began spinning and I fell against the wall.

Well I must have banged my head pretty hard. I painfully thought as my head began pounding.

I waited until the pain subsided and braced myself against the wall.

Ok, let's try that a bit slower.

This time I very slowly and carefully pushed myself up and, heavily leaning against the wall, put my feet under me again and stood.

Ok… good… now where did I put those healing herbs…

My stomach dropped as the answer slowly crept into my fogged mind.

It's downstairs… Shit…

After almost falling down the stairs on multiple occasions I managed to make it to the first floor of my modest home. Continuing to use the wall as a brace, I hobbled my way to the kitchen still pondering about what had happened last night.

Could I have been dreaming? If so, then how did I find myself on the floor… Ah! Sleep walking! That's it.

Settling on that answer, I opened the cabinet, observing the many jars across the shelves and grabbing the one labeled 'Healing Stones'.

I unscrewed the cap lid and held the stone up to my head. I concentrated and let the warmth that seemed to emanate from the rock and spread through my body.

Soon the headache went away and I was able to stand on my own, but the stone still hadn't cleared the fuzz from my mind.

I decided to brush it off and make up my room since I wasn't exactly able to earlier.

I made my way back up the stairs and into my room, deciding to start out on the deck since the winds had thrown the furniture everywhere.

So there was a storm… I thought to myself grabbing chairs from across the balcony and returning them to there various places.

As I fixed up the deck, something caught my eye. I looked up and my eyes widened as they laid upon a black pillar of smoke rising from somewhere in the distance.

What is tha-... It was as if the fog that had filled my mind finally lifted as I recollected the events of last night.

"Oh…" Should I go...check it out? It's only about an hours walk from here. And I'm sure

My curiosity got the best of me and I went downstairs to grab my cloak and shoes. I sheathed my sword and slung my pack over my shoulders.

Just in case…