Chapter 8

Little Cloud

"Grey!"

The girl had quite fond memories of their first conversation and had gone out to the forest to find him again. Who would have known in a single day so much would change? Monsters and adventurers all over the place. Parts of the forest blasted to pieces. The mountain had turned strange and dangerous overnight.

"Ah," said Grey surprised. "What are you doing here ragged kid?"

The girl let go of him, her head a few inches taller than his, and shook her head sniffling. "You still call me that? My name is Sho. You are rude. To not even ask for my name last we met."  

She pretended to punch his cheek. "There! Now we are even. Your older sister forgives you."

"Who is my older sister?" giggled Grey. He reached out and poked her back on the cheek. "This extra layer of meat here? Did you eat a big chicken last we met? If anything you should call me older bro, and I should call you little sis."

Sho puffed her cheeks. "Y-You! You are making fun of me!"

"Haha. Who can say?" laughed Grey, hiding behind Baylee.

"Come back here! Calling me a chicken. Then you must be an egg! Let me crack you open!"

Sho chased after Grey. Her hand raised to whack his forehead. Swoosh! She misses! Grey runs around Baylee followed by Sho. They spin round and round like a pair of rabbits! Baylee stood still watching the whole thing admirably but now this was too much. Using her like a tree. This kind of thing is too silly. She lifted her robes and sent both kid's flying into the air. She snapped her fingers and softened the earth and both children plopped head first into the ground like a pair of bean sprouts, their legs sticking out of the ground.

Baylee plucked Grey from the ground and whacked him in the head.

"Ow!"

"You silly kid. To use your teacher in your silliness. Taste the end of my staff. Let me crack your egghead several more times."

Whack!

"Ow! I'm sorry teacher!"

Whack!

"I feel really bad!"

Whack!

Grey covered his head and looked at Baylee with pleading eyes. The ultimate weapon of a kid! Puppy eyes!

Whack!

Baylee dropped Grey to the ground.

"You clever little punk. You think you can move my heart with those tricks! Puppy eyes! Bah! Didn't you forget I used to be a kid too. Reflect!"

"Okay," Grey nodded solemnly, rubbing his head.

"As for the other one."

Baylee walked over to Sho and plucked her out of the ground.

"You!"

Sho trembled with her eyes closed! She didn't know this woman! And now she was about to get hit by her!

"Are not even fat. Stop taking things so literally."

Baylee tossed Sho into the air and spun her round and round.

"Ahhhh!"

"It doesn't feel so good does it! So stop spinning around people!"

She gently set Sho down to her feet. The girls eyes were swirling in circles. Her feet wobbling. Baylee took her staff and then bonked Sho on the head. Sho fell backwards onto the ground. Defeated.

"That's what you get silly kid number two."

Dane smiled and shook his head. "Sis? Don't you think you are being a little too mean to your juniors? By the way who is that little kid you brought?"

Baylee scoffed. "Who is mean? This boy is my apprentice. To act so silly in front of people, he needs to be taught a lesson. That little girl too!"

"Haha," laughed the chubby mage. "Truth be told I have been trying to find the family of that little girl, but she insisted on staying in the mountain because she was waiting for someone. If I am not blind, I see that person is your little friend."

Baylee turned amusingly towards Grey. "You little fellow. What have you been doing behind my back? Have you done this and that with this girl?"

Grey's face turned red. He shook his head. "T-Teacher!"

"Ho, Ho, Ho. " Baylee chuckled.

Sho sat upright. Her head slowly going back to normal. "Grey what does she mean this and that? Did you mess with me some more when I was waking up?"

"Shush! It's an embarrassing adult thing!"

"What is an embarrassing adult thing?"  

Dane, the chubby mage, and Baylee looked at each other and laughed to themselves. These little kids. One was smart, but silly. The other was just silly. Both made a good pair.

"Now, now. Let us old fellows leave these little ones alone," said Dane, smiling. He walked up to Sho and helped her to her feet.

"Was my sis too mean? Do not worry I will tell you her embarrassing secret. Then she will not bully you so."

"Che," waved Baylee, dismissively. "Who has an embarrassing secret. You want to be left alone in the dungeon?"

"Haha," Dane leaned in and whispered. "She has a funny mark on her face. It's right here between her...."

?!?

Dane's eyes all of a sudden seemed to dilate with shock. He quickly leaped back so suddenly that it put everyone on guard. What had happened?

He pointed in surprise at Sho's forehead.

"Those are?! "

Scales! The chubby mage gasped in surprise. Everyone's eyes suddenly turned cold and distant. The warrior drew his large broadsword on his back. Grey could sense something was wrong and leaped to her defense, running in front of her.

"Stop! Don't hurt her."

"Little kid," said Dane, his voice suddenly menacing and unkind. "Get away from that girl right now."

Grey looked to Baylee. Even her eyes were ice cold.

"Silly kid. Move aside."

Grey shook his head. "No! It is just a strange mark she got from birth. She is not a monster or something. I promised to protect her no matter what!"

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Baylee  eyes darted to Dane and then the chubby mage. She gestured for them to lower their weapons and then cautiously approached Grey. She kneeled down on one knee and placed her right hand on his worried face. Sho trembled behind him.

"Kid. Do you believe in this master of yours? Didn't you say you would help me fire or cold?"

Grey nodded.

"Good."

Baylee reached behind Grey and plunged her hand into Sho's head and ripped out a chunk of  flesh.

"No!"

Sho fell lifeless to the ground.

Grey shook Sho's shoulder but she does not move. She has been killed!

He turns to look at Baylee. His eyes full of anger and sadness. How could his master trick him so! To say such words so that she could get close enough to kill his friend!

"Ho, Ho, Ho." mumbled Baylee. "Those are some eyes silly kid. Try opening them wider. Your friend is not dead."

Grey looked at Sho and turned her face around. The scales on her head were gone. Her eyes slowly fluttered back to life.

"Alive?" Sho said, astonished.

"Ragged kid, I thought you died." said Grey, stroking Sho's forehead. If not to kill her why did everyone turn so vicious? Grey look to Baylee confused. In her hand the piece of flesh that she grabbed from Sho's head. The flesh moved as if it were alive and then morphed into a small little lizard.

Baylee nodded. "As I thought. This should be a Parasitic Dragon Spirit. A type of creature that feeds on its host magical energy. For this to be attached to you little girl. You must have some ridiculous talent."

Dane looked at Baylee with concern. She shook her head and stopped him before he could say anything.

"Do not worry old friend. Once you purifying a thing like this, it becomes a normal spirit that can even be a pet. Give me a moment and I shall have it looking cute."

She waved her hand over the creature. Her staff radiated with power. Magic seemed to gather all around her, surrounding her body in a glowing yellow light. A light like stars that fluttered and whirled about. Her right hand was the lizard. Her left hand her staff. She moved her staff up drawing a triangular seal into the air. Six seals in one. Seven in a circle. Divine Tribulation. Spirit Transformation! She swung her staff down and a lightning bolt appeared over her head, striking the lizard with tremendous strength.

Kaboom!

Dust rattled up from where she stood. The lizard's form shifted and dangled in the air. Its scales turned to fur. It's claws into feet. It's tail round and pale. The little lizard was now a little mouse! Fur as white as snow.

The little mouse looked up to Baylee's face. It's little whiskers twitching this way and that.

"Ho, ho, ho. So adorable."

She gently petted the mouse on the head with her finger. Dane and the chubby mage relaxed the grip on their weapons. The danger was now over.

Grey looked astonished at Baylee! What kind of magic was that!

Baylee looked at Grey smiling. "Haha, kid your mouth is about to fall from your head. Didn't your teacher say she was clever? Remember what I said and stop being so pig-headed. Your master knows right from wrong."

She gently tossed the mouse to Sho who caught it in surprise.

"Here! It was with you for the last few years. It's only right that it goes back to you for a few more. Give it a name so it knows what to call itself."

The mouse chirped and danced around in Sho's hand. Sho smiled. Who would have thought that thing on her head could actually be a cute thing? Now with her face fixed maybe no one will treat her so bad. She suddenly felt very grateful to Baylee. Sho politely bowed to Baylee.

"Thank you kind Ma'am."

Baylee shook her head. "No need to thank me little sister. It was only right to do so."

Sho smiled and shyly nodded back. That woman called her little sister. It was as if she had a real family.

Sho thought for a moment then looked up at the sky.

Clouds that cast a shadow in the sky and make the land turn a gray color.

"Ah!" she said, "I know! I shall name you Little Cloud."

"Little Cloud?" said Grey, tilting his head. "Sho. A mouse is kind of animal that lives near the ground. Why name it after something in the sky?"

Sho shook her head and smiled. "It's a secret! Maybe, when you start calling me older sister. Then I shall tell you."

The chubby mage, Dane, and Baylee look to themselves and smiled. This silly girl.

"Okay. Okay," said Baylee, clapping her hands. "No more exciting things today. Let this sister cook some good food for you all."

Dane shrugged. The chubby man chuckled. And like that this group of adventurers, two children, and a spirit mouse walked happily back to their camp.

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Author's Note:

When Grey says to Sho about eating a big chicken. He is using a wordplay/duel meaning on how she used to be a coward and now acting so brave, (being too chicken and running away) and that she looks like she got a little fat (plump like a chicken). I didn't know how to write this kind of language/culture thing that came in my head in the writing.

So in their conversation it was like he should be called older brother because even though she is a little taller than him (reason why she calls herself older sister) she is only taller because she is fat or something like that and since he was braver he should be her older brother (older brother protects younger siblings). Maybe, it did not come across in the writing so I put it here in the notes instead.

As always thank you for reading.