Adrian watched the time tick by on the large black wall clock, his only other interruption that morning was yet another person looking for the bookshop.

"I've only a few old books here," he said, holding up the leather bound book he had been reading.

The lady smiled at him. "Not exactly what I'm looking for." She turned back towards the front door.

"The next door along," he called out after her, and listened to the bell announce her departure.

At the same time it rang again, and he wondered if she might have forgotten something, but peering over the stacked piles of junk he glimpsed Joel. Not wanting another encounter over his supposed debt he sliped into the store room out back. Listening to Joel roaming around the shop, he very quietly closed the door as the other boy got nearer.

Nervously he waited, hoping Joel would turn around and leave. Maybe he would think he had left the shop, but no, that wouldn't work, he would wait. The door handle turned and slowly opened. Adrian held his breath...

"There you are," his uncle said. "What are you doing hiding in here?"

"I, uh... Did you see a boy in the shop?"

"He left as I came in. A friend?"

"No, not really."

"Did the parcel arrive?"

Adrian picked up the package and they walked back into the shop. He placed it on the desk in front of his uncle. Mr Chang carefully pulled apart the brown wrapping, peeling away the tape, and laying everything aside. He lifted the lid off the box and delved into the wads of tissue, removing an object which he held still covered by a layer of thin white paper.

"This is a family heirloom," he announced. Then he uncovered the object and held it out in front of Adrian.

The round medallion had what appeared to be a dragon carved in relief and bordered by a thin metal outline which might have been gold. It was that colour. The Dragon was curled, it's mouth reaching back towards the tail, the claws of the creature spread out as if gripping the rounded medallion.

"It's a fine object, is it not?"

Adrian stared at it and it seemed for an instant that the Dragon looked back at him. He blinked and looked again.

"I have one more errand to run this afternoon. I shouldn't be long. When I get back you can go home. Just about an hour."

Adrian nodded and watched his uncle go out the door. He looked outside into the street, checking in both directions. Everything seemed normal, there was no sign of Joel. He went back inside, sat down, and stared at the object lying on the desk.

His thoughts were disturbed by the bell and hurried footsteps stomping through the shop. Joel was standing in front of the desk, looking angry.

"I'll take my fifty dollars now," he growled.

"I don't have it," Adrian looked up at him.

"Sure you do. This is a shop, isn't it?"

"The shop is my uncle's."

Joel reached down and picked up the jade medallion. "What's this?" He studied the carved dragon.

"It arrived today," Adrian stood up.

"I'll take it." Joel closed his hand around the object.

"You can't!"

"Watch me." Suddenly Joel was juggling the stone in both hands. "Fuck! It's glowing!"

Adrian couldn't see what Joel was talking about. He felt sick that the boy might drop the medallion. Damage it. He froze, watching Joel juggling the stone from one hand to the other. The inevitable was about to happen.

He dropped it.

Joel jumped back waving his hands. The medallion fell.

Adrian lunged across the desk. Too late.

It stopped. The medallion was suspended. Hovering.

A faint green hue seemed to surround the edge.

The thing vibrated with little shaking movements, and stayed there. Suspended.

It wasn't possible.

"What the fuck!" Joel's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, his mouth opened and closed.

Adrian grabbed at the medallion, but as soon as he touched it the green glow expanded.

Rapidly.

Almost instantly the shop was filled with a bright glow.

Then it exploded.

It was dark when he woke up. Really dark. He could see nothing.

"What happened?" A familiar voice asked.

His head was fuzzy. He shock it trying to make some sense out of what just happened.

A light appeared. A little flame glowed in the hands of Joel. Adrian could just make out his face.

"I don't know," he replied.

"Where are we?"

Joel stood up and the tiny light followed him as he tried to see into the darkness. Adrian pulled himself up. "You okay?"

"You did this?" The little flame was suddenly in his face.

"Don't be stupid. How did I do it?"

The light went out. They were standing facing each other, but couldn't see anything beyond..

Footsteps were approaching. They echoed through the darkness, brining with them a bright flaming light. Both boys turned to look.

A figure dressed in full armour, looking like a mixture of a Samurai and a medieval knight, held up high a flaming baton in his left hand. In his right he held a long sword. This man towered over them, a long shadow forming a weird backdrop as it curved in an odd shape crawling up the wall. A wall that looked like a cave, or a dungeon, because Adrian noticed some man made stone work.

The armoured figure stood in front of them, legs planted firmly apart. He raised his sword, then in one swift movement, planted it securely in the scabbard.

"I've found you," the figure declared.

Neither Adrian nor Joel said a word.

"I am Zhovian, Champion of Xania."

Adrian's thoughts were spinning in his head. Am I dead, he wondered. Then he was reminded that Joel was there with him.

"What do you want?" Joel found his voice.

"Who is this?" Zhovian turned his gaze on Joel, moving the torch to light the boy's features.

Now he remembered. Zhovian was the warrior who would aid him to progress the quest. Progress the quest? Of course, but how can this have happened? Adrian needed some confirmation that he was right.

"I am Yuxia," he declared, "and this is Bo Sim."

Zhovian turned his attention to Yuxia.

"I defeated Bo Sim and crossed the River of Perpetual Darkness. Now he has joined me in the quest."

Zhovian seemed satisfied. "Then follow me. We must escape from here."

Adrian and Joel walked behind the knight in armour, their passage illuminated by the flickering light.

"What the hell happened?" Joel whispered.

Adrian glanced at his hitherto enemy. "I think it was the medallion. And I think we are inside the game."

"Inside the game?" Joel had an air of panic about him.

"Quiet!"

Zhovian stopped, holding up a hand. "We must avoid the patrols."

Joel again looked at Adrian.

"What are they doing?" Joel demanded.

"Looking for you," Zhovian declared.

"Why me?"

"Your companion has many questions." Zhovian frowned at Adrian, then returned his attention to Joel.

"Not you. Yuxia. But I found you first. Now be quiet."

They crouched down and waited in silence. Zhovian extinguished the torch. The dripping of water, the hoot of an owl, and the fading footsteps of the soldiers, were the only sounds.

"Forward!" Zhovian rose and raced for what must have been the entrance to this underground passage. The boys followed closely behind. After they emerged into the outside they saw that they were in the middle of a dense forest. A narrow track led away from the cave and disappeared between the tall trees.

Zhovian whistled. A sound which imitated a high pitched screech, not unlike a hawk. Adrian was surprised when he heard rustling from the forest and then a huge black stallion came charging to halt in front of them. The first horse was followed by a second slightly smaller. Zhovian wasted no time in lifting Adrian onto the smaller horse. He took the larger beast and hauled Joel up behind him.

They turned back into the forest and the darkness of the night.