**Author's Email**gohankun@hotmail.com

For a Friend
Andrew Glasco
gohankun@hotmail.com



Night had not long cast it's shadow down upon the Denadoro Mountains when the sound of battle
cries unevenly broke through the tranquility of night. The sounds of clashing weapons were
swiftly followed by the sounds of the swords cutting air. Something was dreadfully wrong on
this fateful night.

Glenn fell to his knees; unable to find the strength to stand from the wounds he had suffered.
He looked over at his friend in battle, his black eyes filled with fear and evident concern.
Yet, he could not find the strength to rise to his feet. His knees trembled as he looked over
at the evil, yet powerful sorcerer known as Magus. Glenn watched the battle silently, at a
complete loss.

Cyrus flung his legendary sword, the Masamune, through the night air swiftly at Magus' chest,
only to have it parried by Magus' scythe. Cyrus leapt backwards, glancing at the Masamune
briefly with a look of pleading in his eyes. Magus held his scythe in his right hand at ready,
anticipating an attack by Cyrus. Magus ignored the gloating Mystic next to him known as Ozzie;
he had far more important matters to attend to. Magus dashed at Cyrus quickly with an arching
thrust of his scythe towards Cyrus' abdomen. Cyrus' sword met Magus' scythe before it could
connect, locking their weapons in a stale-mate. Magus' cold, red eyes filled only with amusement
as he looked into Cyrus' determined eyes. Magus grinned as his weapon began to glow a blackish
hue. Cyrus noticed the glow and Magus' grin, redoubling his effort to push Magus back, however,
it was to no avail. Cyrus was taken totally off-guard as Magus let off the pressure in the clash.
This caused Cyrus to stumble forward as Magus spun his scythe in one smooth motion at the
Masamune's hilt. Cyrus was unable to retain his grip on the sword, as the scythe connected, and
watched in horror as the the Masamune flew into the air.

Cyrus stood defiantly still, despite having no weapon to resist. Ozzie began blurting out taunts
of triumph, however, no one was really listening. Magus turned around to look at the landscape
below the cliff; his magnificent cape and flowing blue hair blew magnificently in the night
breeze. Magus seemed to have disregarded Cyrus altogether, only focusing on the scenery below
him. Cyrus' look was one of defeat. However, he knew he could not give up. For the sake of all
those that depended on him and looked up to him. He could not allow himself to die here! Cyrus
was snapped out of his thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Cyrus...I'm...a goner..." Glenn managed, his voice trembling with pain and fear.

Cyrus turned around to look at his battered friend, seeing the evident fear on his face as he
immediately. Cyrus' mind raced. He could not let his best friend die. Glenn was one of those
people who looked up to him. Glenn was more than that though. He was Cyrus' best friend. They
had shared love and hate together. They had shared happiness and sorrow together. Cyrus knew
that he had no power to defeat Magus, but he was determined to save his friend; no matter the
cost.

"Glenn, escape while I hold them at bay!" Cyrus said, his voice filled with a new confidence,
all traces of fear or discontent vanished in an instant.

Glenn looked up at Cyrus, his expression now one of surprise.

"B-but...!" Glenn protested weakly.

Magus turned around, holding his cape in front of him menacingly.

"You'd better worry more about yourself, Cyrus!" Magus smirked, his eyes filled with an eerie
delight.

"Glenn, go, now!!" Cyrus commanded, a new strength running through him.

Cyrus charged at Magus, punching towards the dark wizard's face wildly. Magus threw his hand
thrust his arm out from the inside of his cape, tossing it swiftly over his shoulder, and
smirked. The wizard thrust his hand outward towards Cyrus' head. The fierce backhand connected
with Cyrus' protected skull, causing electric currents to run throughout Cyrus' body.
Instantly, Cyrus flew backwards, sprawling, and landed only a foot from Glenn.

Glenn crawled over to Cyrus and kneeled over him. Cyrus closed his eyes as the pain overtook
him, knowing the end had come.

"G-Glenn...r-run...the queen...take care of Leene..."

With that, Cyrus' body fell limp as his body ignited in flames from Magus' magic. Glenn looked
at Cyrus' lifeless, burning body in disbelief.

"Cyrus...!?" "Cyruuuuuuus!!!" Glenn yelled out in anguish and despair.

Glenn's eyes moistened with tears. A single tear fell onto Cyrus' magnificent, burning knight
armor. Glenn held his head in his hands silently, willing the tears to stop. Cyrus would be
ashamed, Glenn thought.

"Hah! Pathetic! How about it, Magus? Why not give this weakling a more suiting form?" Ozzie
grinned with glee.

Glenn turned around to face Magus and Ozzie, his face still holding fear, but now mixed with
anger. Glenn knew it was too late to run, even as he tried to move, he found he couldn't. It was
as though he were frozen in place.

"Why not? There's always time for a little fun," Magus said coldly, a smug grin playing it's way
onto his lips.

Glenn couldn't even stumper out any words. His throat burned, and he found it impossible to form
any words. Magus brought his hand above his head, holding it there for only seconds before
lowering it to chest height, pointing his index finger straight at Glenn. A rainbow colored bolt
from the sky struck Glenn violently. Glenn's body illuminated with the same colors as pain tore
violently through his body. He cried out in agony, rising shakily to his feet in panic, he
stumbled backwards. It felt as though his flesh itself were hardening, it felt as if his blood
were running cold, and it felt as though his head would burst. He could not even see, and so, he
tried to move. He had to escape! He had to escape the pain! It was unbearable! It didn't matter
how, but he had to escape or he felt that he would go mad! Suddenly, he felt the ground under his
feet vanish. A moment later, he realized that he must have fallen. He knew it was the end, but at
least the pain would end. Magus had slain him and Cyrus, and escaped unscathed. He had one final
regret: That he could not avenge his friend, Cyrus. Suddenly, his vision instantly was black.

Everything was dark. He could see nothing. However, he could hear the sound of running water. It
was a gentle, peaceful sound, he would have liked to stay and go back to sleep had his head not
pounded so. Glenn opened his eyes and saw a gently flowing river. At that moment, everything
came flooding back to him. He could not believe he was alive. Was he given a second chance for
Cyrus? As he was wondering these things, something caught his eye. It was medal of some sort.
His eyes widened in surprise.

"The medal...The Hero Medal...?" Glenn asked in disbelief.

Glenn picked up the Hero Medal, gazing at it for several moments before solumnly putting it into
his pocket.

"Cyrus...why did you...?"

After he spoke those words, he heard a croaking sound. He could swear it was coming
from...himself. It was then that he raised his hand and looked at it. Not a human hand...it was
the limb of an amphibian.

Glenn nearly cried out in horror. "Magus...!" Glenn muttered, as though it were the foulest of
curses. Glenn croaked once more. Croaked. Like the frog that Magus had made him into. Glenn
clenched his fist as he looked at it in disgust. He suddenly felt dizzy and faint, leaning
against the mountain's side for support. Glenn held his head between his hands as though it
would contain the extreme pounding sensation inside his head. He stumbled a bit, struggling to
keep his balance. Glenn shifted his entire weight against the mountain with a heavy sigh. He
stayed that way for several minutes, until the pain died down. Once Glenn recovered his balance,
he pushed his weight off of the mountain and began to try to clear his thoughts. He remembered
Cyrus' last request.

"Take care of Leene..."

Glenn remembered it all too well, the tone of Cyrus' voice, and huge piercing feeling he felt in
his very soul that he would never again see his best friend, Cyrus.

"Cyrus...I shall carry out your request." Glenn vowed quietly, though he knew he would get no
answer.

With that, Glenn walked down the mountain, knowing he had no place in his village anymore, he
headed for a nearby forest to call home.

* * *


[Several months later]


Glenn walked through the rather small Guardia forest, his destination, Guardia Castle. He had
changed his lifestyle so that no one would suspect he was the Glenn whom had left with Cyrus. He
dressed in armor now, and he changed his speech completely. Also, he now was known as "Frog"
rather than Glenn. He neared the castle with Cyrus' final request in his mind. He was determined
to protect the Queen, no matter the cost. Frog approached the castle gates, and thought briefly
of the last time he had left these walls with Cyrus. He knew that he could let no one know about
Cyrus' death. Too many depended on him for strength. Without Cyrus, people's hopes would fall.
Even the Knights of the Square Table's resolve would plummet should they hear of Cyrus' demise.
Frog knew it was a secret that must be well kept. All these thoughts in mind, he reached the
castle gates.

Frog took hold of the huge knocker attached firmly on the door and clashed the door with it
three times. The gates opened quickly and in the doorway stood 2 guards. They looked at him in
shock, his appearance leaving them speechless.

"Greetings," Frog said politely. "T'would it be possible for me to converse briefly with the
Queen?"

The soldiers stood firmly, yet their faces showed evident a mix of confusion and fear. "Uh, who
are you?" One guard questioned, glancing down at the sword at Frog's side a bit nervously.

"Thee may address me as Frog." Frog said firmly.

"Frog!? That's the st-..." The guard was cut off.

"Finest name I've ever heard!" The other guard blurted quickly, pointing inconspicuously as
possible at Frog's sword.

The other guard understood and changed his attitude.

"Yes, sir. Please enter. We will try to get you an audience. Please be patient as it may take
some time." The guard smiled nervously.

Both guards then quickly ran off into the castle. Frog sighed. He knew that earning the royal
family's trust would not be easy, especially for a suspicious character such as himself. After
several minutes of waiting silently, Frog saw the guards approaching again.

"Please enter, Sir. But we will have to take your sword..." One guard said to Frog, careful of
his wording.

Frog did not hesitate, quickly pulling his sword from the seath and turning the hilt towards the
guard, he handed it over. A slight look of relief crossed over the guard's faces as they moved
off to the side and allowed Frog to enter. Frog looked around as he entered. There was a
staircase straight ahead, leading to the King and Queen's throne, no doubt. He remembered it
well. At the top of the staircase was another large door. Frog looked to the left. To the left
there was a pathway that curved out of sight to the right. Frog looked to the right. To the
right was the opposite, a pathway that curved out of sight to the left. Frog then walked up to a
guard in front of the staircase.

"This path to the Queen's throne, I presume?" Frog questioned.

"Indeed, sir." The guard answered. "You may enter now."

Frog nodded and walked up the stairs a bit hastily. He reached the top and as he did, two guards
opened the large door in front of him. Frog nodded his thanks to the guards and walked through
the doorway. He immediately saw the King and Queen, sitting on their thrones, awaiting him. The
King on the left throne, the Queen on the right. Frog walked forward several more feet and then
knelt down on one knee, bowing his head in respect. He then raised his head, staying on his knee
to show his respect.

"Your Majesty, I hath traveled from the woods south of Zenan Bridge. I hath come to show my
respect and loyalty to thee." Frog stated, his voice just loud enough for them to hear clearly.

Much to his dismay, after he made that statement, he made a croaking noise. He noticed the looks
he got from the King, Queen, and surrounding soldiers.

"What are you saying? You wish to become a knight?" Frog closed his eyes and gave the great
knight Cyrus, his best friend, a silent prayer. Frog opened his eyes after a few moments and
looked over at the Queen.

"'Tis a final request from a friend that I protect thee. I wish to assist Your Majesty in any
way possible. However, nay, I hath not the right to be a knight." Frog said, remembering his
cowardice on the Denadoro Mountain. "Please, allow me to be of assistance, Your Majesty..." Frog
bowed his head before them once again, wanting nothing more than to carry out Cyrus' final
request.

"As whom should we address you as, sir?" the Queen asked, intrieged. She had never seen anyone
like him, someone who came at the request of a friend, with that alone, she decided he was a
loyal 'person' with a good heart. She wondered who this friend was, but decided that it would be
rude to ask and disregarded the question.

Frog did not raise his head, but answered. "Frog, please, Your Highness..."

The King and Queen looked a bit surprised, but did not question it.

"Very well then, Frog," The King said, his voice calm, yet powerful. "Very well, Frog. You may
assist the Knights. The Knight Captain will inform you of any tasks in which you may prove
useful. Thank you for your devotion, on behalf of the royal family of Guardia!"

Frog bowed his head once more before rising to his feet and hopping quickly out of the room.

* * *
Frog reigned victorious through many battles, growing very strong. More than once he was offered
the title Knight, but refused, feeling unworthy of the title despite his countless achievements.
Frog was trusted by the King and Queen; perhaps even more so than they trusted the Knight
Captain. However, less than 7 years after Cyrus' death, the Queen was kidnapped. Frog heard of
this and quickly departed to find her. Not long after he began his search, he heard that she had
been found. He was very relieved and returned to the castle. Frog walked up the stairs from the
Knights quarters where he had been conversing with several knights about the kidnapping. When he
reached the top of the stairs, he saw Leene. He thought it odd for her to be near the entrance
of the castle, but he knew it was not his place to say.

"Highness!" He said in a tone a bit louder than a speaking voice as he lowered himself to one
knee in respect.

She looked over at him, and looked very surprised, like she had never seen him before. She then
waved quickly and hastily walked up the stairs to the throne room. Frog rose off his feet. He
knew that the Queen would never behave in such a way. He replayed the scene in his mind again
and again. The more he thought, the more he noticed differences. He noticed that she looked
slightly different. Perhaps even a bit younger than Leene. Frog came to the conclusion that that
was, in fact, not Leene. Realizing this, he left the castle quickly, without a word, not wanting
to cause any panic. Frog traveled through Guardia Forest very quickly. He then went into town to
see if he could find out any information about the Queen. He went into a cafe, winning him a few
stares, but he was used to it and didn't pay any attention. He saw a suspicious looking man in
the cafe, drinking. He walked over to the counter and sat down next to the man. Frog then looked
over at the man, noting that he looked like a traveler, he decided to ask him.

"Greetings, sir. May I question thee about the missing Queen?" Frog asked, trying to get right
to the point without being rude.

The man looked over at frog and answered. "Sure...if ya buy me a drink."

"Of course." Frog answered, trying not to sound annoyed as he handed over some gold.

The man grinned slightly and took the money. He then cleared his throat before speaking.

"Thanks. The name's Toma." Toma turned to the bartender. "Hey, gimme another one." Toma said none
too shyly.

The bartender nodded and took his glass and began to fill it as Toma turned back to Frog.

"Well, ya see, I heard that she was seen around the Cathedral with some rough lookin' guys, and
she didn't look to happy to be there either." Toma told Frog as the bartender put Toma's glass
in front of him, filled to the top.

"The Cathedral, you say?" Frog said as he already leapt off the chair.

"Yep, that what I heard anyway. A piece of advice...if you're going to rescue her, watch your
back. They were a rough lookin' group, I heard." Toma said seriously, turning back to his drink.

Frog turned around and looked at Toma for a few seconds before dashing out the door.

"Don't get yourself killed..." Toma muttered quietly.

As Frog approached the Cathedral's entrance, he heard voices inside. He tried to open the door
but it was locked...Frog then KNEW something was wrong. The Cathedral should be open. Frog
decided to listen for a moment.

"It's Guardia's royal crest!" A female voice said.

"Be quiet!" A male voice said much quieter, barely audible from the other side of the door.

Frog then heard a loud roar sound, followed by battle cries and weapons cutting through the air.
Frog then decided to find a way in. He hopped quickly towards the back of the Cathedral, he saw
a stained glass window high above. He decided that would be his entrance. He hopped very high
with his frog jumping ability and only had to climb about a foot to the window. He could see
shadow figures through it. A spiky haired person with a sword, someone with a large head with
some other mechanism that was firing something at their foes, and some kind of Mystic monster
that they were fighting. He saw the last Mystic they were fighting fall. He then saw one with a
big head speaking to the spiky haired one.

"That was close." The female voice said.

Frog then spotted another Mystic behind the one with a big head. He saw the creature slash her
arm just as he jumped through the stained glass. He drew his sword on the way down, aiming for
the creatures head, connecting directly a moment later. The creature cried out in pain as it
fell to the ground, dead. Frog turned around and looked at the ones he had saved. He saw it was
a female, she did not have a big head, but it was an odd helmet instead, she was dressed oddly
though, not in armor. Frog dismissed it as unimportant and looked at the other individual. It
was a male; he had fiery red, spiky hair, and was dressed oddly as well. Seeing them both
dressed oddly made him wonder a bit, but again, dismissed the thought. Frog decided he should
say something so as not to scare them away.

"Lower thine guard and thou are't allowing the enemy in."

Frog then croaked and smiled.