“What happened?”

“Where is he?”

“Check under the table!”

Luke, Ave, and Ash jumped to their feet. They scrambled around the room.

“I don’t see him anywhere.”

“Eins?”

“Eins?”

“Did he disappear?”

“Eins?”

“What was that smoke?”

*Stomp*Stomp*Stomp*

Belbuk jumped down to the bottom of the stairs.

“What in the wide world is wrong with you wang wranglers!? I said that you could stay here. I didn’t say that you could have a mental breakdown in my living room!” she shouted.

“Belbuk. It’s Eins. He disappeared. We can’t find him.” Luke pleaded.

“The dog vanished during dinner time? I don’t believe that.” Belbuk raised an eyebrow.

“It’s true. There was a puff of smoke and now he’s gone.” Ash added.

“We can’t find him.” Ave said.

“And what were you all doing when this happened?” Belbuk asked.

“We were, that is, the garden trowel, it…” Ash trailed off.

Luke, Ave, and Ash looked down at the ground.

“What’s wrong? No more shouting? Nothing to say now that a real adult is in the room?” Belbuk pursed her lips.

“It’s all my fault.” Luke shook his head.

“You’re trying to take credit for this too?” Ave snarked.

“Why do you care? You don’t believe me.” Luke shouted.

“Of course I believe you, you idiot. I was there.” Ave shouted back.

“Here we go…” Belbuk sat down at the table. She started serving herself from the remaining plates.

Ave continued. “I was in the room when the three most powerful people in the kingdom asked you to summon the most dangerous creature our world has ever known. And do you know what I was doing? Nothing. I was standing in the corner, waiting, in case someone needed a drink refill. And you.” She pointed at Ash. “Your friend traveled halfway across the kingdom to beg you for help and now you say that you don’t believe him?”

Luke gave Ash a pleading look.

“I don’t. Because I don’t want to.” Ash hunched his shoulders.

“Do you really not trust me that much?” Luke implored.

“No! It’s not that. It’s… I don’t want to believe that you really are the most important person in the world.” Ash tugged his sleeve.

“Huh?”

“I don’t want to believe that the most important person in the kingdom could need my help. I’m nobody. What can I do?” Ash pulled at his shirt collar.

“Ash. That’s not true. The truth is I envy you.” Luke rubbed the back of his neck.

“You envy me?” Ash looked up.

“Of course!”

“Why?”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Because you always know what to do. You never let anyone push you around. Whenever we get into trouble you always have a plan to fix it. I wish I was half as confident as you are. Why do you think I came all this way to ask for your help?”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” Ash exclaimed.

“What?” Luke said in shock.

“I’m the one who is envious of you!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look at you! You went off to the Capital. You lived in a castle. You got super strong. You were famous.” Ash slammed a hand down on the table.

“Yeah but I didn’t do anything to deserve it. I didn’t earn any of it. It was all luck.”

“So what? Look at me. I never did anything. I never went anywhere. I was never good enough, or lucky enough to accomplish anything.” Ash threw some mashed peas at Luke. They splattered against Luke’s shirt.

“Accomplish? I was tricked into summoning a world ending monster because I was too scared to say no. And then I ran away without even trying to fix it.” Luke threw some back.

“That’s what I’m talking about. Even your mistakes are so much more impressive than mine. I would love to have endangered the world. Even once!”

Mush sailed across the table, back and forth.

“You can’t blame me for not giving you an opportunity to destroy the world.” Luke shouted.

“Well you can’t blame me for wishing for an opportunity I didn’t have.” Ash exclaimed.

“What?”

“What?”

“I don’t know anymore!” Luke threw up his hands.

#

“They are starting to throw the food. I shouhd eat faster.” Deus said with its beak buried in a pot of gruel.

“No rush.” Belbuk remarked. “This food might be better on the floor. It would add some flavor.”

#

“And you!” Ash pointed a sticky potato covered hand at Ave. “Why won’t you let us help you?”

“Excuse me?” Ave puffed out her chest.

“You’re clearly the smartest one here. And the most capable. But you never ask anyone for help. You almost seem to like standing behind everyone else in the background.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Ave shrugged.

“It is a big deal. You’ve been doing the laundry for weeks. And taking care of Eins. And cleaning the leftover dishes in the sink.” Ash pressed.

“How did you know?” Ave asked.

“Luke always forgets. He’s used to having servants. And I didn’t want to say anything… because you do it better than me.” Ash hunched his shoulders.

“Also you broke your foot fighting a Shadowbeast inside a Dungeon and never once complained.” Luke added.

“I was, it wasn’t important at the time.” Ave let her hair fall down in front of her face.

“It was important! Luke and I aren’t the smartest people.” Ash stated.

Ave looked over at the two boys covered with mushy peas.

Ash continued. “So when something is bothering you, you need to tell us.”

“We don’t want to ignore you Ave. But if you don’t talk to us we won’t know if anything is wrong.” Luke fiddled with his bangs.

“Are we still angry or are we complimenting each other now?” Ave snorted.

“I can’t tell! I have completely lost track of my emotions!” Ash shouted.

The three of them sat down at the table.

#

“Is there any more bacon-fish?” Honked Deus.

#

Ash turned to Luke. “Listen. You’re my best friend. No matter what happens I will always trust you. Even if what you say sounds unbelievable.”

“Thank you.” Said Luke.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Squawked Deus.

“Give it a rest Deus.” Belbuk elbowed the goose in the chest.

“I am being perfect and serious. To behieve someone forever without thought or consideration is absurd. Everyone has a secret. Everyone hides truths. Everyone spins fabrications. And forever… is a great stretch of time.” The goose tisked at them.

“But you, you said, that I was…” Luke stuttered in anger.

“Sweet skunk scrotums, how dense can you kids be? Did you really take advice from a talking bird?” Belbuk put her feet up on the table.

Ash looked out the window. “We didn’t… it wasn’t like that…”

“Really? So nothing he said bothered you?” Belbuk looked around the table. “He didn’t inspire you to prove yourself? Or make a confession? Or assert yourself?”

*Silence*

Deus shrugged. “Do not bhame me. It is your stupid monkey brained psychohogy that’s causing you to be so upset about everything. A noble bird wouhd never be bothered by such trite observations.”

Belbuk put a hand on Deus’ beak. “Listen to me you absolute children. Deus is a thousand year old oversized seagull. It has no understanding of human emotions. Believe me.”

“Nonsense.” Deus clucked. “My advice, as much as mysehf, is ghorious. Honk, honk, honk.”

Ave brandished a fork. “I’ve had enough of that damn bird and, oh crap! Eins!” She jumped up. “He’s gone!”

Belbuk waved a ladle lazily in loops. “Everybody relax. Eins probably isn’t gone.”

“But he disappeared. Right in front of us.” Luke spoke up.

*Sigh* “Deus. Where is Eins?” Belbuk put the question to the goose.

Deus paused. The goose lifted its chin, then pointed to the bedrolls in the corner. “Over there.”

Ave, Luke, and Ash jumped up. They rushed over to the bedrolls. Luke and Ash lifted them up. Ave knelt down. There was a small white lump just under the covers. Ave reached to grab it.

“Oh Eins. There you…” She grunted as she picked up the lump.

Ave held up a small dog shaped stone statue in her hands.

“Holy moonbeams! What happened? Is he dead!?” Ave screeched.

“Take it easy. Eins isn’t dead. It takes a lot more than teenage hormones to kill a spirit.” Belbuk prodded Deus with a boot. “Trust me. I’ve been trying to kill this guy for a while.”

Deus raised a wing. “Yet I whive. Honk, honk, honk.” Deus chuckled.