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(Coronet) *-* One year ago... *-* "Where is the black bag mom?!" the young boy screeched from his small room. "Tuta, quiet down honey, you are going to scare all the fish away. Did you try looking under your bed yet?" Renee replied from the deck she was sitting on. Today was the day Renee, and her husband, Takeshi, had been fearing ever since they promised their young son two years ago that he could leave for Muse on his tenth birthday. For having such calm parents, Tuta was very rambunctious in comparison, and he always knew what he wanted. Takeshi and Renee made a living by selling the fish they caught in their own backyard to the other citizens of Coronet. Both had hoped that their only son would follow in their footsteps, but young Tuta had different intentions. "My savings!! Where is my SAVINGS?" Tuta screamed again. "What did you mother just say to you? Keep it down" Takeshi sighed. "It is in your bag, honey," Renee laughed. Tuta snatched his black bag from under the bed and quickly opened it to see his savings of one thousand potch hidden safely in an inner concealed pocket. **Thank goodness!** It had been Tuta's dream, ever since he was eight years old, to trek to Muse and find a job. He had been inspired when a merchant from Muse made a stop in Coronet. The merchant seemed to be very well of and had a wide variety of items for sale. Tuta imagined that Muse was the city of prosperity, and that by leaving his hometown on the shore, he too could have a life of wealth replace his current mediocre financial status. Tuta closed the door to his room and walked outside toward his parents. "I am ready… to go," he said, and looked down at his feet. Although he was greatly looking forward to finding his fortune in Muse, he was still only ten years old, and of course he would miss his parents severely. Even though Coronet was in fact the closest town to Muse, it still was a fairly lengthy trip. Renee and Takeshi put their fishing poles into their stands, and stood up to wish their son farewell. "We are going to miss you, son," Takeshi frowned as he rubbed his hand in Tuta's hair. "Make sure you go straight to city hall, they are expecting you to show up tonight, and don't get lost on the way, and don't forget daddy will visit once a month when he has to deliver the fresh fish, and also make sure you remember to send a letter once you find a place to stay," Renee rambled as her son interrupted her. "I know, I know… I am big enough, remember?" Tuta smiled. "Yes Tuta, you are big enough," Takeshi replied. The three of them had one last group hug, and with that Tuta grabbed his large black bag and exited the house. Renee and Takeshi stood at their front porch waving to their son until he reached the entrance of Coronet and took one look back them. *-* Still one year ago… *-* "Let's see," Tuta said, as he looked up at the sun and then at his shadow, "I have enough time to get there before dark." He then placed his black bag on his bag and brought his arms back to hold it there. This left Tuta is a hunchbacked position, so he was forced to look down at the floor instead of straight ahead, and he would only periodically lift his head. Hours passed on, and then suddenly the grass around him began to sway as a result of a strong breeze coming from the north. **I don't need this.** He pushed on ahead and realized the more he walked, the strong the breeze grew. **What is going on…?** He then slowly looked up from the grass to see a horde of Sickles charging in his direction. "NOOO!" Tuta screamed at the top of his lungs. The Sickles began to circle around Tuta so quickly that it appeared he was in a round yellow room. He then opened his black bag in search of his fishing spear. "Oh no… NO… where is it," Tuta said in fright. He then looked around for something to attack them with, and all he could find was a pebble. Tuta picked it up and threw it towards one of them. Just as it was in mid-air, another creature teleported in the way and was hit smack in the middle of his forehead. Tuta look at the creature and it turned out to be a young kobold, around his age. "Watch it!" the kobold yelled. "Sorry, sorry, are you going to kill me too?" Tuta said with tears filling in his eyes. "Don't worry little girl, I got something to take care of this," the kobold said as he raised his right hand into the air, "Fire rune, show us your powers, FLAMING ARROWS!" With his hand raised in the air, several arrows were emitted from the rune with streaks of fire as tails, and they all split off to one Sickle each, knocking them out. "Thank you," Tuta said as he rose from the ground, "I am not a girl though." "Oh, don't worry little girl. Girls can be cool, don't be ashamed. You can have this thing I found as a present… I am not sure what kind of rune it is though," the kobold said, and took out a pearl colored rune from his pocket. "By the way, my name is Raeko, I am a ten year old kobold," he added. "I could tell," Tuta replied, "I am Tuta from Coronet, a ten year old boy… BOY." "Sure, whatever floats your boat," Raeko laughed. "Where are you from though, and how did you get here?" Tuta asked. "Well I was born in the Kobold District of Two River City… but no one wanted me there since I like magic and stuff. The only person I can trust from there is Emily, Sir Ridley's wife… she was always very nice to me, but she couldn't change the minds of other citizens," he replied, "And now, I don't really have a home, but I have been hanging around the Winger District and the forest north of Two River." "Wow, I have never been to those places ever… but how did you get here to save me?" Tuta asked again. "I am not really sure…" Raeko answered as he scratched his head. "I was asking the elder of the Winger District what she thought this rune was," he then said, pointing to a pale yellow rune on the band of his left wrist, "I have had it for a really long time, but I never knew what it did. Sometimes is glows a little bit, but not as much as it did today when I was with the old lady." "Maybe it sent you here?" Tuta suggested. "Yeah, but it isn't a Blinking rune, I know for sure… I have seen Blinking runes before. Lots of people have blinking runes," he sighed, "Except me." "Hmm… well, that other one is a Fire rune, right?" Tuta asked. Raeko simply nodded and told Tuta the short story about how Susu, the elder of the Winger District, gave him the rune once he expressed an interest of magic. "Anyway, where are we right now?" Raeko asked as he looked around the green plain without a town in site. "Right between Coronet and Muse, where I will be getting a job today," Tuta smiled proudly. "A job? You are just ten, why do you want a job?" Raeko questioned. "So I can have lots of potch… to buy stuff with," Tuta replied. "Well, in that case, I will go with you because there is probably someone in Muse who can tell me about the rune… it is a really big city, ya know!" Raeko cheered. Tuta then looked down in his palm and stared at the pearl colored rune Raeko gave him. He then asked the kobold what it was. Raeko explained he found it just this morning, but that he can't figure out how to use that one either. "Okay, okay, I think we should get going. We should make it there before dinner," Tuta said, placing his new rune into his black bag and then placed it on his back. *-* Yep… still one year ago… *-* "So this is Muse, eh?" Raeko said, as the two they reached the entrance. Tuta nodded and started to walk towards the main gate. Then, just as he entered the town, Raeko disappeared without Tuta even taking notice. He walked down the main street of the city for a few feet, and noticed Raeko was no longer behind him. Just as he realized his new kobold friend was gone, another kobold came running towards him. "*huff* *huff* Excuse me *huff* Captain Gengen *huff* miss…," the kobold said, gasping for air. "Sorry, Miss, Captain Gengen was running after you, was the kobold you were with Raeko?" he asked Tuta. "I am a BOY, not a MISS, Captain, and yes, he was named Raeko," Tuta said angrily. "Gengen thinks you better stay away from him, you'll be safer, because he is trouble, big trouble" he suggested. "Thank you, Captain Gengen, I'll remember that" Tuta said, as he lifted his bag again and walked around the Muse, looking for city hall. He knew his mom had told him where it was, but after today's events, Tuta could hardly remember the difference between his left and right hand. As Tuta walked down the street, he noticed a young woman sitting on a bench looking closely at a sky blue colored rune in her hand. "Excuse me, I am looking for city hall, I am here to get a job," Tuta asked politely. "I see… you are quiet young to be getting a job, but perhaps I can help you instead," she smiled, "You usually have to pay a fee at city hall anyway. By the way, my name is Sajra, Muse's runemaster." "Runemaster? Oh then you can help me! A kobold gave this to me today, and we both weren't sure what it was," Tuta shouted in excitement as he took his rune out of the black bag. Sajra looked at it closely and then proudly stated, "A Medicine Rune… and I know just the job for you."
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