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The following novella was written as a collaborative effort between myself and Dragonatic for the People. Project started March 2010. All characters and content are copyright to their respective owners.This series will only be made available for reading in its entirety for a limited time only, with parts released periodically!! All comments, critiques, and criticisms are welcome.

Once Donichus pushed through the mass of impoverished people crowding the streets of the outer ring of Bern, the guards lost him in the sea of humanity. He used this time to slow to a brisk walk to catch his breath, and continued on his way out of the city to where he'd hidden his supply stash with his supplies for the road. Upon reaching the spot, marked by a tree on which he marked with an arrow symbol. Setting the boy down, he removed the rocks at the stump of the tree that revealed a small den-like area, which contained bags of clothing, supplies, food, and extra money. Also hidden within the hole was a bow and quiver of arrows for hunting and other distant targets.

As Donichus gathered his stuff together, Jaquaran began waking up, groaning a bit. After strapping his bow and quiver to his back, Donichus looked over to him. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Wha... wha 'appened...?"

"Tell me what you last remember, and I'll explain from there."

"Wait... why am I out here?" demanded Jaquaran.

"Look," explained Donichus, putting his packs on his back, "I couldn't bare to see you get beaten up like that. It just... went against my principles to just let this happen. I'm going to leave you here, but I recommend not going back to Bern. The nearest town is down that road, and eventually, you'll get to Zurich," he continued.

"But... but why?" Jaquaran inquired, looking very confused.

"I can't afford to feed more than one mouth, Jaquaran. I really can't. Plus, Talos will want both your head and mine considering what I did to him. I can't stay here. I need to get as far away from Bern as I can," concluded Donichus, "and I advise you to do the same."

With that, Donichus started walking off towards Switzerland's borders, headed the other way, to France.

He didn't get too far when he realized the huge mistake he had made. How could Jaquaran possibly know how to survive out in the wild like this, if he'd lived a good portion of his life being a servant in a well-off house? Doubtful a kid like Jaquaran could handle that for more than a day before scurrying off back to Bern. You idiot! Donichus cursed at himself, Why, why did you have to do that? Not only did you get on Talos' bad side, but you also stole both the black magic and his servant! And now the servant can't survive on his own!

Donichus put his head in his hand. It was clear, then, what he had now forced upon himself.

He turned around to the jaguar, who still looked confused and saddened by what had just happened. Donichus sighed. "Would it be correct for me to believe that you wouldn't know where to go other than Talos' house?"

Jaquaran nodded.

"Not even a family?"

He shook his head. "I don't know where they are..." he explained, hesitating, still sounding nervous. He clearly had no idea what to think about this sudden turn of events.

Donichus bit his lip. "Come with me," he said, adjusting his backpack again, "I'll take you with me. You need to learn to be self-sufficient if you don't want to go back to Talos or someone like him."

With that, Donichus turned and headed for the French border. After walking a few paces, he turned around to make sure Jaquaran was following him.

Jaquaran hadn't moved.

"Well?" he inquired, "are you coming, or not?"

Later that night, Donichus had set up two makeshift beds by a campfire to keep them warm and relatively safe from wild animals. Jaquaran was sitting against a nearby tree, his arms wrapped around his knees, sort of curled up into a ball, in a way. If this was his way of showing that he was scared, or nervous, or something, then Donichus couldn't blame him. He was, after all, suddenly removed from a familiar environment and thrust into the usually harsh world of a wandering vigilante.

Donichus finished putting together Jaquaran's bed, and looked over to him. "You should get some sleep," he said, motioning to the bed he had just finished putting together, "we need to get up early tomorrow. Getting to the French border should put us well out of the reach of Talos."

The kid shuddered a bit at the mention of Talos' name. Again, Donichus could understand why. Donichus, too, had as much reason to be afraid of Talos as Jaquaran did, considering he basically stole one of his servants, and actually stole a vial of black magic that he originally agreed to pay for. A black mage, as rare as they were, were not the kinds of people one would want to voluntarily get angry.

Donichus sighed. "Don't worry, Jaquaran," he consoled, "I'll stay up and guard the area. Just get some sleep."

Slowly, Jaquaran uncurled his legs and stood up to walk over to the small cot Donichus set up. He attempted to smile at the kid, but the most he could come up with at the time was a slightly sympathetic facial expression. Jaquaran, however, didn't seem to take much notice of it, and walked right up to the cot and lay down. Donichus took another look around the area, drew his bow and held it in both hands, ready to draw an arrow if he needed to. He crept off to a darker area of the campsite, as he was most effective in an attacking an enemy who's unaware of his presence. If Jaquaran was anyone's target, he'd get a foot-long, flying, metal-tipped surprise heading towards him.

Staying up all night allowed Donichus to reflect on what had occurred throughout that day. What had happened? He went in to Talos' place, chatted with him for a while, spilled a drink, which caused Jaquaran to come in to clean it up. Then... he lost his temper after hearing about a punishment worse than being slapped silly later that night, so he punched out Talos, grabbed Jaquaran and the vial of black magic, then ran like crazy. And he thought he stopped thieves...

No, his mind beckoned at him, really, do you think anything else you do is considered legal? "Probably not..." he mumbled at himself, glancing at Jaquaran, "but it is what's right."

Exactly, went his mind, just because it's illegal doesn't always mean it isn't right.

"But... why him? I could've easily stayed under the radar and done nothing... I mean, sure, what was happening to him was unjust, but... why did I save him and not that tall raccoon servant, too? Talos clearly mentioned that he did the same stuff to his other servants, didn't he? Then why take just Jaquaran?" he asked himself, "what's so special about him...?"

The night passed uneventfully, and Donichus, little affected by the full night he had spent without sleep, was ready as ever to get going as soon as Jaquaran woke up.

"Sleep well?" he inquired as the younger jaguar rubbed his eyes.

Immediately, seeming as if he had forgotten the epic escape fiasco that had preceded his arrival to this remote stretch of road, he jumped, and then mouthed something that looked like he was saying something about a dream. "I... guess so," Jaquaran replied, "you said something about... going to France. W-what will we be doing there?" he inquired with a not-so-subtle pang of anxiety.

Donichus crossed his arms, and his eyes pointed upwards, thinking about what he should tell him and how to say it. A minute passed, and he came up with an answer. "I'll tell you along the way. First, just help me pack all of this."

Before long, about half the time it would've taken Donichus to pack had he been alone, the pair were heading along the road for the French border. True to his word, Donichus explained in as much detail as he felt necessary what the two of them were to be doing in France.

"First off, I'm going to be teaching you what you need to know about living outside the confines of a place like Talos' house. You'll need to learn how to hunt, gather, fight, and converse with others. Remember, you're not anyone's servant anymore. You'll need to at least seem like you never have been so you won't be taken advantage of. And believe me, that's more likely than you think."

Jaquaran bit his lip, probably thinking, in a typical adolescent state of mind, that he wasn't going to be like that, that he was going to be different. He'll learn soon enough, he told himself, in this world, one either learns, or dies trying.

Throughout the day, Donichus demonstrated many of his techniques of survival on the road, ranging from gathering edible fruits, plants, and roots, to how to navigate when one is completely lost. When they stopped for nightfall for supper, Donichus introduced young Jaquaran to the art of sparring, although by starting out with unarmed combat. "Trust me," he explained, "there will be a time when you'll be forced to fight on the spot, without any weapons on you. In addition, unarmed combat is the best place to start, as fighting with a sword is made much easier when you know the basics of unarmed combat."

After the sparring lesson, and a bit of supper, the two of them again went to sleep, although Donichus had managed to get some words of conversation out of him, unlike the previous night. Having felt like he had accomplished something decent after the fiasco at Talos' estate, Donichus got some sleep.

After a few more days, Donichus and Jaquaran had crossed the French border. In that time, Jaquaran had, to a reasonable extent, memorized most of the edible plants in the region, and learned enough unarmed combat to defend himself from the common thug in city streets. It made Donichus confident enough in the boy's skills that he decided to take them into a nearby town to stay for the night. The boy deserves it, he thought, after all I've taught him, he's caught on quite quickly. Perhaps it is his young age that helps with this...

As they entered the town, the two were greeted not by the throngs of beggars that made up the exterior circle of Bern, but rather by lively vendors, men declaring things, singers, and minstrels who roamed the town, playing for money. It was a welcome relief for Donichus, but confusing to Jaquaran. "I've never known people this joyus..." he mused to himself.

Donichus didn't know if he should chuckle at his sheltered life showing through or feel sorry for him, but he decided upon a more neutral course. "Come," he said, "we'll get a room at the tavern over here," he said, motioning to a tavern labeled as "The Blue Dragon."

Inside, it was nothing unlike about any other tavern that Donichus had seen in other places, except for the coats of arms unique to the families of this town and blue dragon decorations throughout the walls. "Ah, good day sirs!" exclaimed the bartender, a very heavyset stallion who clearly enjoyed the ale as much as his customers, "Might I interest you in a pint of our finest ale?" he asked, "or perhaps, if you want more exquisite taste, a bottle from the Champagne region?"

"Just a room, for now," Donichus replied, "and preferably one with two beds, if possible."

"Ah, weary travelers! I certainly have a room you require Monsieur...?"

"Donichus," he answered, "and this is Jaquaran," he added, motioning his head to the jaguar.

"Ah, an apprentice, I see! What craft might you be instructing the boy in?"

"My trade is not of your concern. Could you just get us a key?"

"Uh, yes, certainly," replied the bartender, suddenly losing his very welcoming persona, and fished his pocket, which eventually produced two keys. "One for you, Monsieur Donichus," he explained, handing one to Donichus, "and one for you, Monsieur Jaquaran. Second floor, room 3, on your left. Enjoy your stay," and with that, he went right back to his bartending duties.

Without another word, Donichus lead Jaquaran up to the room indicated. The room wasn't luxurious or anything, but it did, as requested, have two beds. Donichus took the one by the door, while telling Jaquaran to take the one next to the window. Not too long after they set up their temporary lodging for the night, Donichus took Jaquaran back to the bar to get them supper for the night. There, he told Jaquaran how to use money, how to spot an unreasonable price, and a bit about bartering the price down. But, otherwise, it was uneventful.

However, what Donichus had the most tension about was what he intended to do later that night: reveal to Jaquaran exactly what his line of work was. Once the two finished eating, and the two of them returned to their room, Donichus sat Jaquaran down on his bed.

"Listen," he began, "I'm sure you've been wondering what I do, and I think it's time I told you, because I believe you would be helpful in my endeavors."

"Well... what is it?" Jaquaran inquired.

"In essence, I go to where there is injustice, and I put right what is wrong. I head to a major city in France to oust a corrupt noble so his next of kin, a much kinder man, can replace him and set right what his older brother has been doing wrong."

Jaquarn gasped. "You're one of those vigilantes that Talos incessantly rants about!"

Donichus bit his lip. "Yes, well... that's a blunt way of saying it."

Silence ensued.

Jaquaran broke it. "Then... why were you buying from Talos?"

"He... had something I needed. Don't get me wrong, I really didn't want to purchase from him, but I had little choice. An upcoming mission cannot be done without a pure source of black magic. Of course, since it's illegal, I had no other person to buy it from than a more... reputable dealer such as him," he explained, "but please, understand that this was the first, and I hope the last time, I'll ever have to resort to such measures."

Jaquaran sat there, seemingly unsure as to what to think about this. Donichus, for the most part, couldn't blame him. Even to himself, it sounded a bit contradictory. A vigilante, who knowingly breaks a bunch of laws in order to do what he believes to be just, buys a highly dangerous and illegal vial of pure black magic from a wealthy dealer of such things that he had supposedly sworn to destroy in one way or another. He honestly felt ashamed of that decision, but thinking back to what he needed it for, he again convinced himself that it was one necessary sacrifice he'd have to make.

"So..." Jaquaran began, "what is the vial going to be used for?"

Donichus thought a moment, wondering if it would be a good idea to tell him just yet. Though, after going over the scenario in his head, he decided not to.

"I'll tell you when we get closer to the time. This next mission of mine won't require it. Right now, I need to focus on this upcoming mission, and I need to know, Jaquaran... will you come with me on this mission? As much as I could use the help, I have taught you enough to get around in a town like this without being taken advantage of as you were back in Bern, and it would go against my better judgment to make a young lad such as yourself do this if it is against your own will. So, again, I pose the decision to you. Just know that if you agree, you'll need to go through a considerable amount of much more strenuous training. You will face life-threatening situations, you almost certainly will have to fight opponents who are likely better armed and armored than you are, and therefore you will need to be trained to deal with those situations, which will, quite often, come up unexpectedly."

Jaquaran remained silent.

Donichus sighed. "I'm sorry... was that too mu-"

"Give me the night to think it over," Jaquaran replied, rather flatly, "I'll let you know in the morning."

The raptor nodded, inadvertently curling up one of the corners of his mouth. "Fair enough," he replied, "I'll go get some food. Is there... any sort of food I can get you?"

Jaquaran went from surprised to deeper thought rather quickly. Apparently, he hadn't had much of a choice when it came to food back at Talos' estate. "Uh... just... get me whatever you're having," he finally replied.

I'm going to have to introduce him to some culture in the future Donichus mentally noted, giving Jaquaran a small smile and a nod as he left the room.

The following morning, after Donichus and Jaquaran awoke, the two broke fast over a small meal in the sparsely populated tavern. It started out rather silent, until Donichus broke it. "So," he began, "did you come to a decision?"

Jaquaran nodded and finished chewing before he answered. "I believe that joining you would be a better idea than any other option I have now. I will go with you, Mister Donichus."

Donichus stared a bit at the boy. "Are you sure you thought this over?" he asked, "This won't be a very easy path to take, Jaquaran. I can't fully guarantee safety, and I can't always provide plenty of food, but I can provide enough, although it's likely to be barely enough food to get by."

"Anywhere is safer than Talos' house. The servants there live in fear of their master who sees and hears all," he explained, "at least you have a chance of getting away with what you're doing, and it's for a just cause. Talos spies on us with his dark magic all the time. If we so much as think of anything negative against him, we're... punished... very personally..." he stammered, "You... don't want to know how."

Donichus' eyes widened at the description. He clearly wasn't off in his thinking back at Talos' place when he heard about being "punished tonight" and subsequently nodded, and finished off his beer. "All right, then," he concluded, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "we shall leave at once! I have much to teach you along the way, so there isn't a moment to lose!"

The two of them stood up, Donichus paid for their meals, and they immediately headed out. Jaquaran walked faster to keep alongside Donichus. "So," he began, "where are we to start with training?" he asked.

"Well," Donichus explained, "we should start out with improving your combat skills. If anything, you will need to know that if you're ever in a dire situation. Your fighting will shift to the more military style, now. We'll be dealing with armored soldiers, guards, and possibly Knights as well."

"I understand, sir. When does this begin?" he asked.

"As soon as we leave the town. Though, first, we need to stop by the smithy..."

The two stopped at a small shop with a sign hanging from it, depicting two swords crossed behind a shield. This would not be a cheap gift, either. Donichus knew of this smith's wares, and how much love and care he put into each item he created and sold. He slowly opened the door to the shop, and found a black bull, bulking with muscle, with his back faced to the door, working at a forge. The bell on the door rang as it was opened, and the bull put down what he was doing and turned to face them. Not unlike the flag of the Swiss canton Uri, he had a large ring pierced between his nostrils, though this one appeared to be iron. "Ah, a familiar face," he noted, smiling a bit, "I see you've got company on your hands, as well," he added, looking at Jaquaran, who, although trying not to look intimidated, still showed it.

Donichus smiled back. "Nice to see you're still in business," he continued.

The bull laughed, "ah, everyone loves my wares!" he exclaimed, motioning his arms to all of the weapons, shields, and armor pieces lining the walls and stacked up on the tables throughout the room, "and you also know, my friend, that this isn't all I sell. That, I must say, never loses interest among anybody..."

Donichus bit his lip and tried to redirect the conversation before it could get too off-track. He had forgotten, up till then, the various "services" that were sometimes provided on a discrete level here. He didn't want the boy's mindset changed from learning to fight. "We... just need a sword for the boy, that's all," he quickly stated.

"Ah, fair enough," said the bull, dropping the tone he was using a moment ago, and walked up to the boy, grabbing a random longsword on his way. "Here," he said, presenting the sword to Jaquaran, "see if you can hold this."

Jaquaran, without hesitating, picked up the sword with relative ease, and examined the blade. "It's a bit heavier than I thought," he commented, "but I know little about swords and how they should feel, so I don't know if I'm the best judge of this..."

"My boy," said the bull, putting a hand on his shoulder, "the best judge of which sword is right for you is you. Nobody else. You just need to try out a few more swords you like around here, and decide for yourself which one feels just right."

Jaquaran looked at the bull rather quizzically, but nodded and went looking around.

This is a good idea, Donichus thought to himself, my spare swords won't be nearly as helpful to him as one that he picks out himself. Right? Of course! I chose my swords because they felt right for me! I can't know if they'll feel right for him. It's only logical... The word "logical" echoed through his mind a few times until a clink from Jaquaran putting down a sword on the table snapped him back to reality. Jaquaran was examining a shorter sword with black gripping on the handle and a strange symbol at the circular bottom of the hilt. He inquired the bull as to what the symbol meant, to which the bull replied in a whisper into Jaquaran's ear, for some reason. Donichus raised an eyebrow to it, but shrugged it off. I'll ask him about it, later, he thought.

"Then I believe I've made my decision," stated Jaquaran, holding up the sword and examining it more closely, "this one feels right for me."

"It is a fine sword, Jaquaran," Donichus told him, "I believe it should serve you well."

Jaquaran smiled almost giddily as Donichus approved of his choice, and then looked towards the bull, who agreed with the raptor's verdict. He clutched it tightly and began swinging it around a bit.

"Hey, careful," the bull urged, "there isn't that much room in here! Try swinging it around outside, all right?"

"OK!" Jaquaran exclaimed, "Thanks, Donichus!"

"It was no problem," he replied, smiling.

Jaquaran immediately went outside. Donichus pulled out his pouch of coins and loosened it open. "How much is that one?"

The bull smiled, "I'll give you a discount, my friend," he replied, "since you took advantage of my services in the past, I'll deduct the price to two hundred gold coins."

Donichus blushed a bit at the mention of the "services" but wasted no time in pulling out the coins and put them into the bull's hand. Upon counting them, he raised his eyebrows. "This is more than two hundred..." he commented.

"...It's been a while."

The bull paused, trying to understand what he meant, but then nodded, grinning a bit, "Ah... I see."

"But make it quick," Donichus urged. "Jaqaran. You stay here."

"Sir, what are you -"

"Stay here," the raptor affirmed more sternly. "And stop calling me sir!"

The bull motioned his hand towards a door behind him. "Right this way, then..."