Daryl kept thinking about the face Cindy was making when he scooped her off the ground. Those three seemed to be really pushing her for something. And that mocking laughter filled his mind, boiling his blood. Deep breaths like the billows of a furnace beat a rhythm. Cindy’s silence was noticed as they two walked.

Daryl knew the look on Cindy’s face was when she was thinking about something. To the exclusion of everything else. He had once been able to hand her a dozen things last time she looked like this without her noticing a single thing. Right now he could guess there was no world around Cindy, just her thoughts.

Marilyn always said not to disturb Cindy when she was like this. Instead Daryl scanned around them as they made their way down the path to the quarry. Off in the distance he could see groups of hunters take on the turtles of the plain slowly pulling them out and fighting them four on one.

The sky was that perfect blue it always seemed to be. With the fluffiest of clouds in wild shapes that hinted of the very monsters of the world around them. This Gaia place was strange in how it functioned. Like someone was trying to make something stay exactly the same, fighting against everything that worked to change it. That didn’t sit very well in Daryl’s gut. Things were too ordered, too controlled. Like something had an iron grip on everything and wasn’t going to let go.

The way the ground stitched together, no blood flew to stain the ground. Things regrew nearly instantly. If not for the people here it would be unchanging. It seemed the only thing that could be changed was limited like the farm. Skills, abilities, all of it was sternly forced to be one way. It was so strict. Almost like a prison of reality.

Daryl wouldn’t talk to Cindy about this though. She was too young to understand. The order of it all probably appealed to her mind greatly. Especially against all the changes that had been happening at home. All of this roiled in Daryl’s mind like a storm.

Silver linings my love. That’s what Marilyn had always said. Stay calm. Instincts though, they could not be helped. Spending a lifetime honing them in martial arts built someone that was ready for danger at every turn. This world felt dangerous, and not just the monsters. He wanted to meet Gaia, who had only presented herself to Cindy. A desperate little girl full of grief. His teeth creaked as he clenched unconsciously.

The ground was eaten up with every step as Daryl kept on guard, letting his daughter be lost in her mind until he could not stand it anymore. The words of his wife kept flooding his mind no matter what he did to push it aside. It was almost insidious. Calm down.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Daryl stopped and kneeled. This was getting to be too much. Cindy seemed to snap out of her reverie and looked at her father with worry. “Dad?”

Closing his eyes he focused his mind, “Hold on Badger. I just need a moment.” Years of meditation and practice came to him. Clearing his mind, emptying his worries and pulling out only the facts around him. Distraction was going to get them hurt. Something around the world seemed to be pushing against his mind as he pulled himself together. Pushing away everything that didn’t matter in the moment.

Something is trying to change me. Daryl thought. I must be the rock for Cindy. She was lost in the hurricane of her circumstances. Focus on her, nothing else. He opened his eyes and looked over at his worried daughter and smiled. “See, just needed a moment. Now, which way do we need to go?”

Cindy sighed and pointed down the trail, “There is a fork in the road a little ways away. We will head north from there towards the mountains. That is where we will find the quarry.” She clung to him as he stood.

“Are there monsters we have to worry about while we are there?” Daryl asked, locking his mind in place with the walls he had built. A focus coming to him.

“Well, a lot of the monsters we have been fighting are earth based. Think about it, stone apes, sand serpents, I’m assuming that the mines will be more of the same. I couldn’t find a guide to the area that would update our help menu.” Cindy didn’t seem to be pulled into her thoughts again as she stroked her chin. “Now, I think we have to worry about more statuses. Things seem to be getting more abilities, like the burrowing and leaping. I’m worried we might actually need more party members. Orin seemed to help a lot.”

Daryl did think that was a good idea. “Another ranged and melee person would be good if we could manage it. But I’m just not sure about how long we will be able to take anyone into our group without having a revolving door of team mates.”

Cindy nodded, “I guess not everyone will believe we are trying to save the world. I don’t even think they know they’re in danger.”

Sighing Daryl looked at the sides of the path. There were no signs of there ever being carts or heavy travel through these roads. Still though, they were clean, well maintained and easy on the feet.

Cindy grew bored as they walked and started to climb up the side of Daryl’s head to perch on top. The helmet provided good foot and handholds. The vine keeping it together seemed to still pulse with life. She sat cross legged on the very tip of her Dad’s helmet. She was able to drape her legs into the slot for him to see through, the visor being pushed up but she was able to balance without it.

“Dad, you said it had been a week since I disappeared right?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah, about that long. But you said it had been longer here.” Daryl was careful to keep his head still as he walked, not wanting Cindy to take a tumble and hurt herself.

“In Isekai there is often a lot of time difference stuff. I guess that is happening here. Aren’t you worried we are missing something at home?” Cindy went on.

With a heavy sigh, which seemed to be common that day, “I was mostly worried about you Cindy. The rest of the world can wait. We will get back home, it might just take a bit.”

Cindy felt sleepy with the rocking of Daryl’s movement. The sun was warm, and the wind was soft keeping her the perfect temperature. “Too bad we can’t nap. I’d fall right off. Plus the stone armor isn’t too comfortable.”

“Sorry Badger, we need to make sure and get there before dark. See what is going on there. Then we can rest for the night and start early in the morning. We will be set soon enough.” Daryl promised before they lapsed into a comfortable silence.