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The Dragon 'Nega' near Starwind city had been slain. It was a very enormous beast, and took some of their best men to take down. Many lives were lost, carnal damage was inflicted that not even a White Mage could mend. Yet they had emerged victorious, and it was all thanks to a Bard.

A Bard as a hero? It was unthinkable, everyone knows how useless they are. Nobody ever wanted to bring along a Bard, but they came along anyway...singing their songs. Many people even thought that they had no magical powers whatsoever! Truthfully, it was Jakob's abilites that saved the day...one of his harps has the power to soothe a dragon's mind and make them attack less often. It wasn't much and you couldn't really see the change, but it was the sole difference between Starwind's life and death.

The Bards of Gaia feel crucified like the Gods. Punished just for who they are, their power unrecognized by fools everywhere. Jakob now had to sit in a ceremony in some smelly audiotorium while everybody in his party got rewarded except for he. You see, he was part of a faction that protects the entire city. Almost every person in Gaia attends school and receives a class, but only the best of the best actually use the knowledge they acquired to truly become 'heroes.' Every major city in Gaia has what is known as the 'Faction of Heroes.' Every faction has a special name, and Starwind's faction was named the 'Starlight Angels.' There's sixty people to every faction, and about 100,000 people in every city. So people in factions were very rare and very special.

"We are pleased to announce a new reward for this year's ceremony, honoring some of the more....peculiar classes of the Starlight Angels. After all, we don't want anybody feeling left out..." Archbishop Daniel Simmons spoke on top of the podium. Jakob's ears perked up at this. Was he finally going to receive the respect he deserves?

"...Even though Warriors and White Mages are obviously better, haha" the crowd of 20,000 people chuckled at that. Everybody except the only Bard in Starlight Angels, Jakob. It just wasn't true...the Bard's melodies saved the day. It was just difficult to notice...but if they would just look closer, they would see that true power comes not from the body or mind or even the spirit, but from music itself.

"And the 'best effort' award goes to..." Jakob's eyes watered. Best effort? Best effort rewards are for the truly weak, the people who are just plain inefficient at what they do and don't know how to play their class. Jakob wasn't crappy, he was a damn good Bard...why should everybody else's problems punish him? ..."Malinda Sights, Starlight Angels' assistant tactical consultant!" A few people clapped, but more people clapped a little too forcefully, mocking Malinda as she walked up to the stage. People could be so cruel...

Jakob sighed in relief when he discovered that he hadn't been called up. Well, truth was the reward did fit Malinda. She was, in fact, a mediocre Green Mage that worked harder instead of smarter. He remembered her plain as day, during the battle at top of of the crimson mountian overlooking Westbourne Hills. She kept casting spell after spell even though dragons are obviously immune to her trickery. She would have been better off grabbing a spare sword and actually doing some damage, but she tried hard...as dull as she was, and it showed.

After a few more rewards, it was finally Jakob's turn. "And the 'best Bard' award goes to...Jakob Patterson!" Best Bard...best bard? He was the only Bard! Truly, he deserved the highest honor...not the kiddie awards at the end of the ceremony. Instead of going up to reclaim his 'prize', which was no doubt some silly copper trinket that was made in a sweatshop factory by the unclean Classless, he stormed right out of that audiotorium in a stream of tears. Nobody could hear the aching song in his heart...the way the chords and notes were twisting inside his soul. He was hurt. He wanted to be loved, to be touched...and knew that as long as he stayed in Starwind, that would truly be a fairytale.

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She moved from the step she was sitting on and moved down to one below Jakob, her body turning as she rested her back against the stair case concrete siding. She looked to his face, her left hand moving forward and wiping the blond locks from his face. "Doll, I doubt you mean that..." She sighed and looked up towards the sky. "They tried hun, they really did... It's just they think about the politics and the public, and forget about you. Thats why I think you should show them just how useful and powerful you are." She glanced back at his as she spoke. "So, instead of letting this infection spread, lets find a remedy?"

(There's a hilt at her back, apparently connected to a standard sized sword, yet when she pulled it out the blade showed to be much large. Her broadsword, Oblivion, revealed it's black bladed self. It was made of a black metal, with countless scratches upon it, and an onyx stone showing on either side of the bottom of the blade. The scratches didn't kill the beauty of the sword, at least not to her. Each scratch was a life slain by the sword, and each life slain gave the sword it's soft, blood-red glow. ~This is just for me for later, it's here for description though ^.^ And think "Deadly" lookin Onyx Broadsword.)

Iris shook her head with a smile upon her face, her eyes looked down and then returning to meet Jakob's gaze as she stopped. "I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do... But for your Jakob I will do this." Slowly she stood and brushed the concrete dust off of her bottom and extended her hand out to Jakob. "I shall be the sword that strikes everything down that stands in the way of your happiness, for you and I must stick together... But first we must set off to find a very powerful time mage, one that is either very trusting, or," Jakob was already on his feet and her hand moved fluidly from his to the hilt of her sword. She drew it from it's sheeth and her smile become dark. "One that is easily manipulated."

With that she twisted the sword in her hand so the blade jutted out backwards and made her way down the stairs. "We might as well check out the Magi Guild and hope some one there will help us, because I'm not too sure some one who protects the city would help us destroy it."

(4th time typing this up... My computer at home is being a pain again, so this post might not be as good as the third one that I had finished and ready to submit, then... Poof, right when I clicked the submit button my computer froze cry Computer, I love you, and yet you're so cruel.)

She loved the way he spoke to her, how he made her feel. A soft smile formed upon her face as she moved along with Jakob, following just steps behind and guided by the music. It face seemed peaceful, or at least not until the vender threw the bottle at Jakob, and her eyes shot open and she reached out and grapsed the bottle before it could have hit her friend. She glared at the man, and would have raised her sword if it wasn't for the fact she knew Jakob was handling this himself.

The peaceful look returned to her face as they walked, yet her eyes remained open. It wasn't until they came to a large tower that she stopped. Her gaze traveled up the building, then to Jakob. "There, up at the top, is where we'll find outselves a true mage."

"Watch your tongue brat!" She snapped at the boy and moved her sword infront of her. "Show some respect for your elders, for whatever you might think, I could kill you before anyone would have a chance to intervene..." She glanced towards Jakob, and saw the look on his face. Sure he was angrey, but few people condoned in the murder of children and since they needed a mages help, he didn't give her a look that meant "do it". She looked back at the boy. "So next time we meet, I suggest you hold your tongue, or I'll introduce you to Oblivion here." She ran the fingers of her free hand along the edge of her sword with a wicked smile adorning her face, then began walking towards the stair case.

She looked over at Jakob as they began ascending the stairs, her smile lightening up. "It'd be nicer if you fogot some of those songs and learned how to cast float." She chuckled.

She was breathing quite heavily by the time they'd reached the eleventh floor. "Maybe we should go back and see if I can't get that boy to give us a hand." Her sword was sheathed and she slumped up against the wall of the staircase. She took in a deep breath and yawned. She looked up at Jakob. "So... What if we can't get a powerful time mage to help us. I mean, it's not like I can scare some body of the power we need to do our bidding." She grinned. "I mean, I might be good, but I'm not that good."

Really, she was just worried. Not that they couldn't do this, but what would happen if they did. If everything worked out fine, he wouldn't be her Jakob anymore, she'd have to share him with the world. What if he forgot her with all his knew friends. While her might was not at ease, her face showed no emotion saying she was sad inside. She was going to help him with his dreams because she loved him, not hold him from them.

She stood behind him until he looked at her as if wanting her to say something. She took a step forward and smiled brightly, trying very hard to seem friendly. "My name is Iris Phox and I have come to request for your aid in an... experiment of ours. We wish to reverse time and let people see what would have been if the dragon would have won the battle against our elite. It will be a documentary that we hope we will be able to use to prove to people just what is needed to make our wars successes. When all is done we would have you return time to what it is now, and we will show people our tapes." She paused for a moment, allowing what she's said to sink in, then continued. "For after all, none of our elite will live forever, and if we can show our youth how effective powerful classes are, then they will strive to be the best they can be. You will help us bring an era where no one would be afraid, a wonderful, maybe even peaceful era." Her smile was still kind and warm.