Prologue

Prologue
It had been a beautiful day. It started with a sky full of ominous clouds, but as the sun rose, it melted away the thick cloud cover. The sun was shining so bright, that just its feel on his head made his headache. That was ok though, for it was days like these that he thrived on. It was as if the very sunshine itself, gave him energy. It emboldened him and made him feel indestructible. On a day like today, how could he be expected to go to school?
So, using this rationalization, he didn't. After all, what does it hurt to miss one day? And how could he really allow himself to miss such a beautiful day? After his mom dropped him off at school, he quickly ran to the edge of the school grounds. Just past the fence, there was a bush that was just his size. After hiding there for about fifteen minutes, he snuck a peek and saw that everyone had gone. At last, he was free, and he meant to make the most of that day.
It didn't take long for him to question the idea, because within twenty minutes of that, he was just bored. So, he took a short walk into the forest. There, his imagination began to run wild. He imagined he was an ancient Knight, hunting down the dragon, ready to slay it with his mystical and magical sword. On the way, he ran into a lot of the dragon's minions, but none of them were tough enough to down this battle-hardened hero. He had a quest to complete, and nothing would stop him from saving the fair lady.
Not that he really wanted to save her. At the age of nine, he was still engrossed in the cooty phase. After all, just touching a girl could cause instantaneous death of the worst kind. But, since all the Knight books he had ever read involved the knight saving the princess, he figured he had no choice. Just then he was pulled from his thoughts by a deep growl.
“That must be the dragon!” he thought.
So he set into a fast sprint, not even thinking about how heavy his plated armor was or how the sun seemed to make the armor so hot. He had a dragon to fight, and that was all that was on his mind. As he pulled into the clearing, he was pulled from his daydream to find that the sound was no dragon; it had come from a passing train.
“Too bad,” he thought, “I was looking forward to slaying the dragon.”
Just as quickly as he had been pulled from his dream, he was back in it. It truly was a pity that the fierce dragon ran away in shame, but then again, it wasn't the first dragon to run from his courageous demeanor. The hunt continued, and so he looked for clues on the direction the dragon went. He searched for clues for what seemed like hours, but actually it had only been about thirty minutes. But, he had found the dragon's trail, and ran to follow it, except that his right foot wouldn't move. It was caught in something; maybe a tree trunk. As he looked down, again, he was pulled from his dream, to find his foot, stuck in the railroad tracks.
“Don't worry, its no reason to panic,” he thought to himself, “After all, the train just barely passed, so I have plenty of time to get free.”
Just then, he heard that roar again, except this time, he could only wish it was a dragon. The panic billowed up his chest until it restricted his vocal chords. He tried to yell, but he couldn't make any noise. He began to pull at his leg, but it was no use, he was in trouble, and he knew it.
His life began to pass before his eyes, and he wished he had not ditched school. After all, what good is a beautiful day, if you are not alive to enjoy it? Then he heard a sharp crack behind him. He tried to turn, but the stuck foot inhibited his movement. Then, just moments away from the passing of the train, he felt his body lift, and he was free. He landed on the other side and looked to see a woman with dark brown hair. It came down to her waist. Her clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen. They were so white that he wondered if even clouds could be so white. Also, she had wings of some kind, but they were even whiter than her clothes. Her face was the softest and kindest he had ever seen, and he couldn't help but think that she must be the purest person he had ever met. Just as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared, in a blinding flash of light, and a sharp crack, much like the sound he had heard just a second ago, when he had guessed that she had just appeared.
He thought to himself, “Was it an angel? Was it somebody dressed real weird who just happened to be at the right place at the right time? But if it was that, how did they make such a bright light and disappear?”
He thought about it the rest of the day. In years to come, he heard many explanations of what had happened. Some people said it was his guardian angel. Others said it was a mental breakdown and that his mind had simply got the best of him. Still others claimed that it was purely a lie, meant to gain attention. After all, he was always seeking to be the center of attention. No matter what the explanation though, he never could figure out what happened, or who that woman was. Too bad that nobody had ever told him about vagabonds.