This morning I awoke with the rays of the sun cutting through the mist on the beach. I rose, dressed, and made my way to the entrance of the shrine. While munching on a sweet roll I broke the seal on the scroll and unfurled it. Written on the scroll was my task. It sounded easy enough, but had to be completed while the tide was low. I really lucked out - the tide was on its way out at that moment. My first was to activate an ancient magic bridge to a second island in the area.
     ‘Find three round stones that are flat as flat can be and three deep tide pools in a triangular pattern. Place one stone in the center of each pool.’ the scroll read. Well, that would be a little harder than I thought, since all of the stones were at the water’s edge. I decided to take my boots off and roll up the legs of my pants to keep them from getting wet. Hiking along the water’s edge I found assorted shells and interesting stones, and after a while I found the three flat stones I required for my task. I found the three tide pools a short way off, very close to the edge of the island. I waded into the first pool, my teeth chattering since the water was ice cold, and I found it going up to my knees. I bent over and placed the first stone as near the center as I could. The stone glowed red as it neared the center, and then turned green when I got it right on target. Once I placed the first tone I moved on to the other two pools.
     The second pool was much like the first, except maybe an inch or so deeper. I placed the second stone much in the same way that I placed the first, and once it turned green and was in place I waded my way out. The third pool looked much like the first two, except when I touched my toe to the water a large carnivorous fish leapt towards me. I struck it with my sword, which deflected the fish back into the water.
     “Damnit!” I cursed, “If only I had something more powerful.”
     The answer to my prayer came in the form of a spear, which landed next to me. I looked up to see who had thrown the spear, but found nobody. I resheathed my sword, picked up the spear, and brandished it like a skilled lancer. The fish came back around for another chance, and when it leapt I held my breath and lunged. There was a sickening THWACK and the weight on my spear increased in such a way that I nearly fell into the pool. When I looked at the end of my spear there was the fish, impaled neatly on the spearhead. I dropped the fish onto land and as I removed my spear a crystal orb much like the first fell from the monster’s inside. This I picked up and put with its brother in my pack. Entering the pool I placed the third stone in the center and waded out to find a switch of sorts. I stepped on this and a bridge of sorts formed between the two islands.
     I crossed the land bridge before I unfurled the scroll again. This time I must find five shells and five pools in a pattern like the points of a star. The shells, though, had to be the most beautiful ones on the beach. I set to work with my task, scouring the water side to find the most beautiful shells while the tide began to roll in. I needed to work fast, and if I had worked any faster I would have over looked the conch shells near where I stood. I picked up a couple of these, a couple of large moonsnail shells, and a piece of pink coral I found washed up by the tide. Not far from where I found the coral is where the tide pools were. The water in these was much warmer, due to the prolonged exposure to the sun no doubt.
     The first pool I waded into I placed one of the conch shells, which glowed golden when I got it centered. In the second pool I placed a snail shell, which also glowed golden when I centered it. Moving to the third pool I placed my second conch shell, and in the fourth pool my second snail shell. This left the final pool, which probably had some sort of guardian. Touching my toe to the water of this pool I found myself swept up in a jelly like substance. In the center of this mass I couldn’t breathe, and motion was limited. I managed to reach my sword and draw it. Charging it with energy I executed a spin move that slashed me free of this slime monster. The slime decreased in size from my attack, yet continued its onslaught. I repeated what I did the first time, striking it with an incredibly powerful attack and wrecking havoc on the slime’s system.
     After many such attacks I defeated the slime, a small orb like the first two I recieved dropping at my feet. This one I picked up and put with the first two. I then entered the tide pool and placed the coral fragment in the center of the pool. When I stepped out of the pool I noticed a switch plate much like the one I found after my first task. I stepped on this switch and a bridge formed to the third and final island. This I crossed.
     Almost from the moment I set foot on the third island I was under attack from man - fish, bubble bats, and other assorted monsters. I fought all of these creatures with great effort, switching between the sword and the spear in hopes of finding a way to defeat those who dared to opose me. The sword was particularly effective against the man - fish, since they were on the same level as I was. For the bats and other airborne pests I used the spear’s greater reach. At one point I felt a great rush of energy and in a flurry of motion I vanquished all of the monsters around me.
     With an end to the attackers the passageway to a shrine became visible. I climbed the steps into the cliffside, and with great courage stepped into a large chamber. Sitting in the center of the chamber was an egg, which hatched into trouble, namely a Mander, a mythical creature I heard could use its whip like tongue to wrap up intruders, swallow them, and drain their life. I knew I had to outsmart and outfox this thing, but how?
     The Mander got the drop on me and lashed out with its tongue, striking me in the arm hard enough to leave a welt. I gasped in pain, then shouted in anger as I rushed and struck it several times swiftly with my sword. The Mander counter attacked, catching me in the left shoulder. Thankfully I wore my armor, which absorbed the brunt of the attack. I clipped the swrod to my back and utilized my spear, piercing the thing’s tongue before I whipped it about the room. The Mander wound up being smashed into a wall, where it coughed up an orb before disintegrating. The wall next to where I slammed the critter opened a moment later, revealing a passageway. I added the orb to my growing collection before stepping through the doorway into a room like none I had ever seen. An alter stood in the center of the room, surrounded by torches of blue flame. I approached the alter to find a pool of clear water before it. From that pool came the water spirit, Undine, who resembled a mermaid since she had a fish’s tail and a woman’s top half.
     “Thank you brave warrior,” she said, bowing before me, “I shall give you the ability to summon me at any time during battle to use my magic spells.”
     From behind me came, “What about me?” I turned around to see the girl who had saved me from the Doom Blossoms on the previous day.
     “You have arrived also, oh great Mana Mage,” Undine said, bowing to the girl, “and in record time as well. I expected you to arrive at some point, but not this soon.”
     “I forgot to thank you yesterday,” I said, approaching her.
     “I can’t let the Mana Knight die before his time,” she said, smiling at me. “My name is Kristie, and you’re welcome.”
     “I bestowe upon the two of you the ability to use my magic,” Undine said, calling us back to reality, “For the Mana Knight, my special attack magic, and for the Mana Mage my support and recovery magic.”
     Rays of light engulfed us, and when they passed I felt different, more powerful. Apparently Kristie did as well since she looked herself over to make sure she hadn’t sprouted anything unwanted. This was when she noticed the marks on my left arm from where I had been attacked by the Mander. I tried to tell her it was nothing, but she insisted on trying her new magic.
     “Healing water,” she said. A water drop formed and dropped onto my wound, cleansing it, removing the pain, and healing it. With my wound gone I thanked her again and she blushed.
     “You must return to the water palace and tell Lucca of your success,” Undine said. Kristie and I left right away, whacking anything tha tgot in our way with magic or our weapons. Kristie became quite proficient in the use of the spear and the sword and I learned how to use the brass knuckles.
     When we returned to the water palace Lucca practically flew down the steps and embraced us. She was thankful that we had learned to use Undine’s magic and even had a victory meal prepared for us. I must have been hungry since I ate most of what was on the table.
     After dinner Lucca gave us another scroll, this one sealed in golden brown wax with the impression of a rock. She then told us that tomorrow we were to embark on a quest for the Dwarf Village in Gaia’s Navel, where there was a blacksmith by the name of Watts who could refit our weapons. This was when we learned that the sword, spear, and brass knuckles were three of the Mana Weapons, and that the orbs I picked up would allow the weapons to be refitted and upgraded. This surprised me, since our weapons would be increasing in power after every upgrade.
     Tonight we shall rest and rejuvinate our strength. Tomorrow we head for Gaia’s navel, the center of the world. I wonder what we’ll encounter on our trek to Gaia’s Navel and the Dwarf Village. Now to sleep...