Black Sheep - Devious Darren and the Magic Discs

Chapter Five

Bard woke to find himself tied up. His clothes and hair were still damp. He examined the area carefully until he spotted a young man lounging in a chair.

“Excuse me,” Bard said softly.

The man turned to him and said, “What?”

“Um, why am I tied up?”

The man raised an eyebrow at Bard’s question. “You sneak into a shrine and ask why you’re tied up?”

Bard sat there dumbly. How should he respond to this stranger? Could this really be Calvin Zaldivar? There was only one way to know. “Are you Calvin Zaldivar, keeper of the Magic Discs?”

“Who else?” Calvin asked impatiently. This guy was asking too many questions. “What do you want?”

“I came to warn you that Daren the
Devious is coming for the discs. I’m willing to help you guard them if that’d be helpful.” Bard explained.

“Ha!” Calvin began laughing. “Ha hahahahahaha! What a joke! You’re stupid or desperate to think I’d fall for that!”

“It’s the truth!” Bard protested emphatically. “I’d never lie about something so serious.”

Calvin’s smile quickly faded into a scowl. “Yeah right, I know you’re just after the discs.”

Just then, the conversation was interrupted by a gruff voice. “Calvin”

“Huh, well look who it is. To what do I owe the pleasure, Dorian?” Calvin sneered.

“I’m tracking the last of the forest monks from the Floran Forest.” Dorian explained. “I guess you found him first.”

“Huh, a monk eh?” Calvin replied. “You can have him.” He added with a shrug of his shoulders.

“W-wait!” Bard protested. “You need to heed my message! You need to be ready to protect the discs from Darren the Devious!” Bard cried out as Dorian approached him.

Dorian paused upon hearing the monk’s warning. “Is this true?”

“Yes, the Tide of Time never lies.” Bard answered hastily.

Dorian stood pensively for a minute before answering. “If what you say is true, then I must delay my mission. I’ll wait to take you into custody until Darren the Devious is defeated.”

“You believe him?” Calvin jeered. “You must be all brawn and no brain. Seriously, he’s just an artifact thief.”

“He’s clearly a forest monk.” Dorian countered. “They don’t steal.”
Calvin just shook his head in exasperation. “Do what you want.”

“I shall do just that.” Dorian acknowledged.

Bard sat there silently listening to the brothers dispute his reputation and future. He now began to understand why the elder advised him to prepare for a long excursion. His destiny was to protect the discs as Dorian’s captive.

“Don’t try to escape.” Dorian warned while untying Bard. “If you do, I’ll cut off your limbs.”

Bard gulped and shivered. Truly, the world was cruel. It seemed that despite the beauty of nature, human nature wasn’t so pretty. His fellow monks were right after all. He now started to know the darkness of this world which left him longing for the light he left behind.