Chapter 11

Past and Present

"Grey? Why do you want to become a hero?"

Two children sat on a hill underneath a starry sky. They had arrived a night ago at the adventurer's camp. The soft grass beneath their legs and a warm breeze in the air. It truly felt comfortable.

"I dunno," said Grey shaking his head. "It feels right. You help people. You travel the world. I hear so many wonderful things in books, but I never get to see them because I am in village. I want to see it all. Those amazing things that I can't touch, but can only imagine in my head."

Sho nodded her head playfully. The stars twinkling in the sky. "But is being in a village so bad? There is your mom and dad. And one day you grow up you'll take over the library and lead a peaceful life. Don't all people want that sort of happiness?"

Grey sighed thinking about his family. His father must be worried sick. And what of his mother? Her kind face and gentle hands. Baylee was a strong person. But his mother was the type to fret over the smallest thing. With him missing. Wouldn't her heart be broken? He should go ask Baylee to visit them once more before leaving the mountain.

"I guess so," said Grey, "But even so, don't you feel that feeling that you'll regret?"

His head turns to look at Sho. The moon lighting up her skin.

"Regret what you could be? What could happen?"

Grey reaches his hand towards the sky.

"I want to live without regrets. Can that be wrong?"

"It is not wrong," smiled Sho, shaking her head. "It's just when will it be enough? Even heroes have to return home. You can't be traveling the world forever. Is it not better to stay home and have your happy ending sooner?"

A little spirit mouse peeked out of Sho's hair and crawled down her arm to her lap.

"Oh, Little Cloud. You cute thing. I thought you were sleeping. What do you think? Is it better to stay or go off an adventure?"

The spirit mouse chirped and tilted its head.

"Haha," said Grey, "I want a happy ending, but....but I don't know. When I see my father with such a sad face some nights. I think about why he could be sad. My dad. I think he wanted to become an adventurer, but could not do it. If that is a happy ending then. I don't want it."

"I see," sighed Sho, "I don't even have a dad. So I cannot say anything about such things."

Grey looked at her with shock. "I didn't mean..."

"It's okay. You are not wrong. I am just picking a fight with you," said Sho, shaking her head. "It's just for me things were never so easy. If someone could tell me if I could live normally with people. Then I would..."

Tears welled up in Sho's eyes. "Then I would be very happy. That is what I think."

Grey felt a pain in his heart. He had hurt her feelings unknowingly. He thought deeply for a moment, then picked up a few pieces of grass from the ground.

"Hm?" said Sho, wiping her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"My mother taught me a few things. Here let me give you something."

His hands tied the grass together in a knot, flexing the stems into an elaborate shape. He folded the ends of the stems, and then broke the middle of the grass into a V shape. Sho watched with curiosity.

"Here," said Grey, placing it on her head. He brushed aside her long bangs, clipping them on with the grass. "It's a hairpin."

"This is?!"

"You don't look so ugly anymore. So it is okay right? To show off that round head of yours."

"You...." Sho didn't know whether to be upset or happy. Was Grey making fun of her again? She could not tell.

Grey noticed this and smiled. "You look quite nice. Maybe later you will be a famous beauty. If so, then know the first person to give you a gift was me! Grey! Hehe."

Sho grinned. "Then it is only right I keep you out of trouble in return. After all didn't your teacher say my talent was better than yours? Perhaps in the future it'll be me who is saving you!"

"Haha," laughed Grey, imagining Sho carrying him in her arms. "Who can say?"

~~~

In a hole within a hole there lay huddled a group of adventurers and two children. Roy sat a while away from the rest of the group and looked bored as he wrote some notes into his book. His staff gave off a dim glow, enough to read, but not enough to make out the detail of the walls around them. The warrior sat and stared at the large boulder over their heads. The rogue nodded asleep. Grey and Mylene kept to themselves on another corner. It had been a few hours since they had fallen into this hole, having ran nearly three miles through intricate tunnels. The yelling and hollering of passing adventurer's could be heard overhead every so moments, followed by a rumbling of all sorts of creatures.

"So now what," mumbled the warrior, leaning on his axe. "We can't just stay here forever."

"Just wait James," said Roy. "Eventually either the rest of the folks will leave, taking the monsters with them, or the monsters give up and return to their spots. Since we are stuck here might as well get used to it."

"Yeah," muttered the rogue, half-awake. "Jump into the hole, he says. It's safe, he says. Safe enough for a boulder to drop on our face!"

"Shut up Xeria. I don't need to hear no trash talk from woman like you!"

"Oh, we are playing that game huh? How about I cut off your thing and we'll see who is the woman then!"

"Come now friends," said the James, raising his hands. "We are stuck in this hole. There are children here. Behave. Okay?"

"Tell that to the Mrs. Know-It-All over there," muttered Roy.

Xeria scoffed. "Well, tell stupid over there to open his eyes."

Xeria made an opening impression with her fingers.

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"Then maybe we wouldn't be running into all these monsters. How is it that every time we run down passage, there are like ten or like twenty of them. Did you get slapped as a baby?"

"Okay, that's it." said Roy, getting up.  

"Stop!" said James. His hand pushed Roy back down.

"What is it now? You want to fight too?"

"No, listen. I hear something."

A strange rumbling could be heard through the side of the wall.

Roy nodded. "I hear it too. What is it? It is getting closer."

The wall suddenly burst open. A large worm with several teeth opened its mouth! Xeria instinctively moved back to protect the children. Roy and James stood right in front of the beast, it's mouth glaring them in the face.

"AHHH," yelled Roy.

"AHHH," yelled James.

James pulled back his heavy gauntlets and punched the worm in the face. The worm roared! James swung again, sending an uppercut up its chin. The worm's head struck the ceiling of the small hole and it howled in pain, retreating back into the wall, leaving behind a large tunnel.

"Y-You punched it in the face!" said Roy astonished.

"Of course I punched it in the face," exasperated James, "It scared me. I punch things that scare me,"

"Hey," said Xeria, pointing at the hole. "There is our way out. Let's hurry up and move before more of those things come."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

A few hours later.

Roy furrowed his brow, wiping off his sweat. "Man, this tunnel goes up pretty high."

"The higher the better. Means we are getting closer to the exit," said Xeria, walking up the incline. In the last few hours, the tunnel had suddenly spiked up in a swirling motion, it was difficult  on everyone's legs, but it was better than getting chased by monsters. At the end of the tunnel, the group found themselves in another tunnel entrance, this time closer to the surface.

"What level is this?" murmured James. "I know we skipped some, but this must be."

A woman mage, a warrior, and a rogue stepped from the corner.

"Hey fellows," said Dane, seeing the group. His eyes cheery. "You have a good haul? We are just heading back up and?"

His eyes looked at the two kids on the rogue's shoulders.

"Uh..."

Behind him Baylee's eyes looked shocked and then furious.

"GREY!"

Grey's body shook with terror.

"Hi, master...."

"This fellow yours?" said Xeria, dangling him by his neck. "Okay have him. My back is tired."

Xeria tossed Grey and Baylee caught him with his staff. She slapped him in the face.

"What were you thinking?"

"I..." Grey thought to say something, but everything sounded like excuses. He should just take his punishment like a man.

"It wasn't his fault," said Mylene, climbing down from Xeria's shoulders. "It was mine. I am sorry. I fell and he was trying to help me."

These last few hours had seemed like eternity to Mylene, but even so, she knew it she had fallen alone. She might not have been able to survive. Grey had helped her. So she would help him back. It was right.

Baylee looked astonished at this girl. Then let go of Grey angrily. She turned away. Her face secretly pleased.

"Well thank you for saving them," smiled Dane. "This fellow is our mage's apprentice. Did you need anything? It is only right to return a favor with a favor."

"Water would be good."

Dane handed Roy a flask of water. A moment later, strange sounds could be heard from deep in the tunnel. And another group of adventurers came out completely ragged. Their ranger looked at the group and started to run up the tunnel, not bothering to say anything, the warrior, rogue, and priest did the same.

"Uh oh," mumbled James, his legs already moving in the same direction. "Guys!"

"It was fun, stay out of trouble kids!" said Xeria, running up.

"Here we go again," mumbled Roy running after them.

"What?" said Baylee.

Grey eyes turned fearful. "Master please start running up too."

"Why somethin-?"

Several loud roars could be heard from the tunnel. Dane didn't ask any questions and picked Mylene. Vernon hurried after him. Followed by Baylee.

"What did you do you silly kid!"

"Um, we ran a lot...and stuff chased us."

"How many stuff!"

"Like a lot...of stuff."

Vernon howled in laughter. "Haha, and those monsters started chasing other people too? How come I never thought about. Kid lets be friends."

Vernon grinned, stretching out his hand. Baylee slapped it away.

"Shut up Vernon," mumbled Baylee. "Like hell we are staying here. I'm porting us out now."

"Aww," murmured Vernon. "But that's no fun."

"What's fun about it? Let's go!"

Light flashed around the group. Grey could feel his body shoot up with incredible force. The world around him fade into a big bright yellow light. His head spun around and boom! The light dissipated and they were outside again. It was night, the moon glowing in the sky.

"I guess I better drop off our stuff," said Dane, heaving three large knapsacks.

Baylee shook her head. "I'll give you a good lecturing later, but first let's pick up your friend and drop off this lady."

Grey sighed. Though he was unhappy that Baylee was upset. He was happy to have gotten out in one piece. Having Mylene outside too. This made his heart feel accomplished. The group hurried to the adventurer's camp. The night was stirringly quiet. No movements or fires could be seen from the camp.

Baylee raised her hand. "Wait? There is something wrong."