THE
LEGEND
OF
KING JASON V


by
Jason Vasquez


CHAPTER I

	IT WAS A FINE JANUARY MORNING.  CHURCH 
BELLS WERE RINGING WITH JUBILATION.  THE SCHOOL 
HALLS WERE QUIET AND EMPTY.  IT WAS FIRST YEAR 
DAY.  THOSE WHO WERE LUCKY ENOUGH, SAW THE 
PRINCE IN HIS HIGH CHAIR, SMOTHERING HIS FACE 
WITH CHOCOLATE CAKE AND ICE CREAM.  THE KING, 
KING MATTHIAS IV SAID TO THE CROWD, "MAY I HAVE 
YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION PLEASE.  TODAY IS A 
HAPPY DAY.  TODAY WE NAME OUR PRINCE.  FOR A 
YEAR OF HIS LIFE NOW, HE HAD NO NAME.  WE HAVE 
DECIDED TO NAME HIM JASON V."  THE CROWD 
RESPONDED BY SHOUTING, "ALL HAIL PRINCE JASON 
V!"  THE KING SAID, "PEOPLE OF PODER, SECTOR 1, 
AND THE ENTIRE WORLD.  THIS CHILD WILL GROW UP 
TO BE YOUR FUTURE KING WHEN I PASS THE GREAT 
BORDER, HE WILL THEN RULE OVER MY ENTIRE 
KINGDOM, THE ENTIRE WORLD."  THEN, A MAN OF 30 
PICKED UP THE ROYAL BABY, POURED SWEET NECTAR 
ONTO THE BABY'S FOREHEAD, AND SAID, "LITTLE 
PRINCE, YOUR NAME WILL BE RESPECTED ALWAYS.  I, 
NIGEL WILLIAMS, AM THE GRAND VIZIER FOR THE 
KING.  WHEN YOU ARE KING, I WILL BE YOUR VIZIER 
ALSO."  SUDDENLY, SHOTS RANG OUT.  MR. WILLIAMS 
COVERED THE CRYING ONE WITH HIMSELF.  HOWEVER, 
THE KING AND QUEEN PERPETUA WERE LYING IN A 
POOL OF BLOOD.  THE ASSASSIN LEFT WITHOUT A 
TRACE.  MR. WILLIAMS RAN INTO THE CASTLE WITH 
THE BABY.  HE CALLED TO HIS DAUGHTER, MARY, 
SAYING, "I WANT YOU TO TAKE THE WEE LAD GO TO 
HIS ANCESTRAL HOME AND RAISE HIM AS YOUR OWN.  
DO NOT TELL ANYONE, NOT EVEN HIM THAT HE IS 
KING.  WHEN HE IS OF AGE, HE WILL COME."  MR. 
WILLIAMS WENT TO A CABINET AND GRABBED THREE 
NEEDLES WITH DIFFERENT COLORS, AND STUCK.  HE 
THEN TOLD HER, "GO NOW, AND TAKE CARE OF 
YOURSELF AND THE HOPE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD."  
THE BABY WAS CERTAINLY SCARED BY THE GUNFIRE.  
HOWEVER, EVEN AT THAT AGE, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT 
KNOW WHAT, HE KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS GONE FROM 
HIS LIFE FOREVER.

	A YEAR EARLIER, AT THE SAME TIME THE 
ROYAL BABY WAS BORN, ANOTHER CHILD WAS BORN.  
THIS CHILD WOULD BECOME SO TRUSTED AND LOYAL TO 
KING JASON V, THAT THE TWO WOULD BECOME BEST 
FRIENDS.  THEY WOULD BE A TEAM, A TEAM THAT 
WOULD BE FEARED BY EVILDOERS EVERYWHERE.


CHAPTER II

	WHEN THE YOUNG ONE WAS FOUR YEARS OLD, HE 
CAME DOWN WITH A CASE OF THE CHICKEN POX.  HE 
DID NOT GO OUT SIDE BUT STAYED IN HIS BED 
LISTENING TO MARY'S STORIES.  ONE DAY SHE TOOLD 
HIM THE STORY OF KLOPU THE ZAGANOR.
	"IN THE TOWN OF ZOOMIC, LIVED MANY 
PEOPLE.  THEY LED SIMPLE LIVES.  HOWEVER, THEY 
WERE HAPPY.  ONE DAY THE EARTH SHOOK.  A GREAT 
MONSTER APPEARED COMING DOWN THE PATH.  THE 
TOWN'S PEOPLE EXCLAIMED, 'WHY IT IS AS BIG AS A 
HOUSE.'  THE MONSTER SAID, 'I AM HUNGRY GIVE ME 
ALL THE FOOD IN THIS VILLAGE OR ELSE I SHALL 
DESTROY YOUR HOUSES.'  THEY GAVE IT ALL THE 
FOOD IN THEIR CUBBORDS.  THEY EVEN GAVE ALL OF 
THE CROPS THEY NEEDED FOR THE COMING WINTER.  
WHEN HE HAD HIS FILL, HE ASKED YET AGAIN, 'I AM 
THIRSTY I NEED A DRINK OF WATER.'  THE 
VILLAGERS DIRECTED HIM TO THE NEAREST WATER 
SOURCE.  HE DRANK THIS DRY.  HE SPOTTED A LAKE 
AND DRANK THIS WATER TOO.  HE EVEN HAD THE FISH 
IN IT AS A SNACK.  AT THE END OF HIS BIG FEAST, 
HE LEFT THE POOR VILLAGE HUNGRY AND THIRSTY.  
THE END."
	THE YOUNG LAD NEVER FORGOT THIS SAD 
STORY.  IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING THAT HE DID 
TOO.


THE FINAL CHAPTER

	THE KING OF THE WORLD LIVED TO BE A 
HUNDRED YEARS OLD.  HE WAS LYING ON HIS 
DEATHBED.  HE SAID TO THOSE AT HIS SIDE, "I AM 
GOING ON A LONG VOYAGE, A VOYAGE TO THE OTHER 
SIDE.  HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT END HERE.  DEATH IS 
NOT THE END, BUT THE BEGINNING.  MAY THE NAME 
OF KING JASON V LIVE ON IN THE MINDS OF ALL."  
WITH THAT HE TOOK HIS LAST BREATH.  BEFORE THE 
KING HAD DIED, HE HAD ALREADY CHOSEN AN HEIR.  
HE HAD CHOSEN THE YOUNGEST GREAT-GRANDSON 
ACCORDING TO CUSTOM.

	IT WAS REPORTED THAT AROUND THE TIME THAT 
THE KING DIED, HIS FRIEND DANNUS DIED ALSO.  IN 
THE DAYS TO FOLLOW, THE GREAT-GRANDSON WAS 
CROWNED KING MATTHIAS V.  HIS FIRST DECREE WAS 
THAT A STATUE BE MADE OF KING JASON V AND 
DANANUS -SIDE BY SIDE- AND PUT THEM IN THE HALL 
OF GREAT PEOPLE.  THE STATUE OF THE KING WAS 
PLACED WITH HIS STAFF AND HIS RING.  ACCORDING 
TO THE BOOK, THEIR SPIRITS LIVE IN THE STATUES.  
THEY SHALL WAIT FOR THE CORRECT MOMENT COMES TO 
COME BACK TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING AT THEIR 
YOUTHFUL AGES, TO DEFEND DREMARIA AGAINST 
DARKNESS, TO PROTECT THE WEAK, TO LEAD THE 
KINGDOM INTO A SECOND GOLDEN AGE.


CHAPTER IV

	THE KING WAS OUT IN THE COURTYARD ONE 
DAY.  THIS DAY HE WAS TAKING ARCHERY LESSONS.  
SUDDENLY HOWEVER, HE DID NOT FEEL GOOD.  HE 
ASKED TO BE EXCUSED.  HE WENT TO HIS ROYAL 
QUARTERS AND LOCKED THE DOOR.  THE THIRD SERUM 
WENT INTO EFFECT.  HE WALKED TO THE SINK HE 
SPLASHED SOME COLD WATER AT HIS FACE, AND 
PATTED HIS FACE DRY.  THEN, HE WALKED BACK TO 
THE COURTYARD.  HOWEVER, AS HE WALKED, THERE 
WAS THE SOUND OF HOOFBEATS.  IGNORING THIS, HE 
WENT ON TO THE COURTYARD.  HIS INSTRUCTOR 
LOOKED AT HIM DUMBFOUNDED.  THE KING YELLED AT 
HIM, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!  STOP LOOKING AT 
ME LIKE THAT!  LET'S GET ON WITH THE LESSON!"  
HE SAID, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH OUR KING, 
CENTAUR!?"  "I AM RIGHT HERE .  ARE YOU ALL 
BLIND!?"  HE RESPONDED, "TELL ME WHERE THE KING 
IS OR YOU WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY."  
"WILL YOU PLEASE GIVE ME A FULL LENGTH MIRROR," 
THE KING ASKED.  WHEN THE KING SAW HIS 
REFLECTION, HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE CONFUSION 
WAS ALL ABOUT.  HE USED HIS POWERS TO BECOME 
NORMAL AGAIN.  WHEN THE TEACHER SAW WHO HE 
REALLY WAS, HE SAID, "A THOUSAND PARDONS SIRE.  
PLEASE FORGIVE ME."  "yOU DO NOT HAVE TO ASK 
FOR FORGIVENESS," THE KING REPLIED.  FROM THIS 
POINT ON, WHEN THE KING ASKED FOR THEM, HE HAD 
CENTAURS FOR TEACHERS.  THEY TAUGHT HIM IN ALL 
CENTAURIAN GAMES AND WEAPONS.  DURING THIS 
TIME, ACCORDING TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THEY 
WERE ENSLAVED.  CENTAURS WERE REGARDED AS 
ANIMALS AND NOT AS INTELLIGENT AS HUMANS.  THEY 
WERE SO MISTREATED AND LOOKED DOWN UPON, THAT 
THEY WERE NOT PERMITTED TO SET FOOT IN THE 
ROYAL CITY OF PODER, NOT EVEN A HOOF.  THE 
CENTAURS STAYED IN THEIR OWN TOWN THREE MILES 
AWAY FROM THE CITY.  THEIR TOWN WAS NAMED 
"ESPEROS" MEANING "HOPING."  THE ISSUE 
EVENTUALLY DROVE THE KING SO MAD THAT HE PASSED 
A BILL, THE CENTAUR RIGHT BILL.