<Hero Stories> a guy that you may hate...

Chapter 1: Rogue Jack

Once upon a time, there was a naughty boy named Jack. He and his mother lived in a poverty-stricken village.

Some of the village's inhabitants had gathered, making an organization of thieves. Everyone talked about thefts and who to steal from, exchanging information with each other. Jack, having grown up in such a village, quickly learned how to steal. His innate talent helped him acquire a powerful arsenal of skills that helped him steal from difficult targets with ease.

He even stole from other thieves. The villagers' loot would be there one moment and gone the next. Cursing this mysterious thief, they named him Rogue. No one really knew who Rogue was, no matter how much they tried to find out his identity. The villagers used to suspect Jack, but they lost interest in him - there was no evidence to prove that Jack was the culprit...

Chapter 2: Enchanted Horse

Although Jack succeeded in making fools out of the villagers, he was still bored.  He decided to leave the village and steal things from the outside world. It didn't take that much time before his thief name was spread throughout Oz. Soon enough, the rich realized the importance of being protected against theft. The new rules they made gave the citizens a sense of security, but wiped all thieves aside from Jack. It didn't matter what happened - whatever Jack wanted, Jack got.

One day, Jack heard about the king's enchanted horse. It was said that the horse could take its master anywhere, sea or land or air. Wanting to steal it, Jack gathered information on the horse. Making his way to the palace, Jack rolled up his sleeves - he was ready.

Chapter 3: Copper Horn

Jack disguised himself as a messenger from a faraway land. He quietly crept up the the gate, but as soon as he got to the entrance, a copper horn started to blare. It was too late for Jack to run, so he decided to cut his own arm and lay on the floor. When the guards came, Jack told them that there was a mysterious assassin that had knocked him down and gone in. Believing Jack, the guards let him into the palace.

There, Jack snuck into the king's vault, where all the king's treasures were kept...

Chapter 4: Gold Crow

While Jack was searching for a way to enter the vault, he heard a crow outside squawk. Confused, he paused for a moment, and then heard footsteps pace down towards the room he was in. The crow sang every hour, and the king asked his servants to check on the crow every time it sang. Nowhere left to run, Jack hopped into the king's bed, covered himself, and pretended to be the king during his afternoon nap. His false snoring fooled the servants, who found no issue with the sleeping figure. Soon after the servants left, Jack found a switch that opened the vault gate. Seeing the skill with which it had been crafted, Jack's eyes widened...

Chapter 5: Beanstalk Saga

Jack couldn't wait to ride on the horse, but he couldn't. He'd spent half the day trying to figure out how to hitch a ride on it. Finally, he found a nail on the horse's side. After pulling it out, the horse started to shake violently. Frightened, Jack got off the horse just in time for it to launch itself into the air and disappear out of sight. Confused, Jack scratched his head and snuck back out of the palace.

Then, Jack went to the Fairy Forest, planning to see the sights and steal some things. He didn't find any fairies, but he did see an old man casting spells. Seeing a pouch on the man's belt, Jack took his chance and stole it away. And thus, Jack's adventure with the Wonder Stalk began...