It took a while to get his head out of the fog bank it was in. Jason finally became aware of someone shaking him. He was always running late for high school.
“Ok, Mother, I’ll get up.”
“Mother,” snorted an irritated male voice. “I think not.”
Jason opened his eyes to see the man in grey was standing over him. “Where am I, why am I here, and who are you?”
The three looked at each other, waiting for the other one to speak. Finally the wizard spoke up. “You are in the land of Zebadon. It is an old land. We are Zebadonians, or just Zebs if you prefer. I am Hederan, my friend here is Salwise and his wife Jeness.”
Jeness pleaded, “Please, Sir, our land is in peril. Our enemy tries to get past the ice wall. If he is able to, he will unleash his hordes against us and we have no way to fight him. Will you be our Hero?”
Jason’s heart softened with her simple plea, but he was also worried. “Tell me more about these hordes?”
Salwise turned red again, “He doesn’t even want to be our Hero! He’s a coward. You brought over a coward for our Hero.”
“Just wait a minute,” Jason said defensively. “I did not say I wouldn’t do it. I just want to know what’s involved.”
“It’s simple,” Hederan replied. “You have to cross the frozen wall, kill all of the fire makers, break into the castle of Stone’s End, slay a thousand of the enemy, overthrow the king and then come back over the frozen wall with the golden orb.”
Jason just stared at him for a moment. When no one smiled he knew it wasn’t a joke, “Get me out of here. Send me back. You people are insane. I want to go back now!”
Hederan shook his head. “I’m sorry, I will not have enough magic to send you back for fifty years, or until I get the golden orb.”
Jason leaned against the wall and then slowly sunk down to the ground. The three Zebs watched him.
“He’s gone again,” Hederan said, while looking down at Jason’s limp body.
“I don’t think this is going to work,” Salwise commented.
“It has to,” replied Jeness. “He is our last hope.”