“You really had to say something so dumb? You had a free ride to your goal and now you have to walk again!!” Snickers criticized Max.
They sat in front of a destroyed building, that a couple of hours ago was an inn. People around them worked on cleaning the streets, finding survivors, and fixing everything that was fixable.
“What do you mean I have to walk, WE have to walk!”
“Well, about that…” Snickers said.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of leaving me!” Max was actually surprised, and sad, that Snickers wanted to leave him. Anger turned into sadness when he realized he might lose his best friend, and he will have to travel alone from now on. “Is it something that I’ve done? I know we encountered many problems on our travels but, we are so close to our goal.”
“To your goal Max, not our goal,” Snickers responded. “I really had fun, but I don’t think you need me in Kingsport. What am I going to do there? You’ll be training with Merlin if he accepts you after what you’ve said to him today, and I have nothing there.”
“But what will you do? Where will you go? Will we see each other again?” Max felt heartbroken.
“Of course, we will see each other again!” Snickers said. “I got an offer here to stay and work in this inn,” he looked at the rubbles of the inn.
“How? When did that happen?”
“Well,” Snickers began explaining. “When you went right and I went left, I somehow ended up here in front of this inn, or what was left of it. A lesser demon was attacking the innkeeper and his daughter, all I did was attack it from behind and that gave enough time to the innkeeper to escape with his daughter. After that, I ran away, and the demon chased me with a dagger in his neck, he didn’t die of course, and I just kept running until I also got away behind some of the soldiers that were defending the town.”
“Hey, you two!” someone called Max and Snickers. “Can you give us a hand to move this beam?”
Max and Snickers stood up and went to help the men. They grabbed one end, while the two unknown guys grabbed the other end.
“So I took my dagger when the soldiers killed the demon and went back to check on them, I don’t know why, your dumbness passed on me I guess,” Snickers giggled a little bit. “They were safe, and they were out, that’s when Merlin showed up so everyone stood out and watched him fight. After the fight finished, the innkeeper thanked me for saving his life and offered me to work in the inn, that is to help him rebuild it and then work for him. He offered good pay and a place to stay, and I’m really thinking of accepting his offer.”
“But, are you really sure about it, you can also find a job in Kingsport as well!” Max said.
“I’m not sure about that,” Snickers answered. It was clearly visible that he felt uncomfortable and sad the same way as Max. “I-I would never leave, or in this case stay, without your permission Max. When we first met I told you I’ll be loyal and for almost a year while traveling with you I think I was more than that.”
“Yes Snickers, I agree,” Max said. “You were and still are my best friend. Not only in this world but in my world as well.”
“Thank you, you are my best friend as well Max. And I am thankful for our friendship, but I want to stay here, until you finish your business and come back for me. I’ll wait here, save some money, maybe learn something new, a new experience for me.”
“Yes Snickers, you should stay here. When I’m done I will come for you and we can continue our journey!” Max gave a faint smile.
They hugged, and around them was quiet, they didn’t say anything.
“Uhmm…” one of the guys spoke up. “I don’t mean to ruin this moment for you guys, and it is cool with your friendship and such but you dropped this and we can’t move it alone.”
“Oh shit yes,” Max and Snickers grabbed the beam once again. “Sorry guys, we kinda got all sensitive and stuff.”
One of the guys wiped a tear under his eye with his shoulder while carrying the beam. “It- it is okay. You guys are something!”
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Are you perhaps lovers?” the other guy asked.
“NO!” Snickers and Max yelled together. “Just very good friends,” Max said while Snickers nodded his head.
“Oh, my bad! Don’t take it too personally, it was just a question.”
“Boorg, coming through! Ugh!” the big guy carried 8 wooden beams with ease over his shoulder, his steps big and firm.
“That guy is an animal!” someone said.
“No… Ugh… Human!” Boorg pointed his finger at himself.
“It’s just a saying big guy,” the guy responded.
“You make Boorg dumb? Not funny, Boorg tears your head off. That teach you a lesson.” Boorg dropped the beams on the floor and followed with a big BANG and dust spreading everywhere he started approaching the guy.
“No, Boorg. He’s not making fun of you!” Max said dropping the beam and standing in front of Boorg.
“It is you! Friend!” Boorg hugged him, and Max screamed in pain. The big guy didn’t have any sense of how strong he was.
“Y-yeah,” Max somehow said, fighting for air. “Friend!”
Boorg let him go, Max started breathing heavily trying to suck in all the air he was deprived of moments ago.
“And your lizard friend!” Boorg said approaching Snickers.
“Oh hell no!” Snickers to run off but Boorg was faster than he looked.
“Give Boorg hug,” Snickers’ eyes looked as if they would pop out.
“What are you doing Boorg? Helping the people to clean this place up?” Max asked, Snicers behind him doing the exact same thing Max did just seconds ago.
“Boorg helping! Then Boorg go!”
“Where are you going?”
“Kingsport! Boorg go!”
“That’s where you’re going Max,” Snickers said.
“You Max? You going Kingsport? You go with Boorg!”
“Uhm…” Max felt uncomfortable. He didn’t want to go with Boorg, but he felt bad if he’d declined his offer. “Yes,” Max finally responded. “When are you going? We could go together.”
“Boorg go tomorrow! Before shiny bright wakes up! Boorg happy he goes with another friend!”
“You’re traveling with someone else?” Max asked, thinking maybe it wouldn’t be so bad there was probably someone taking care of this big goof.
“Yes! You meet tomorrow my friend, my friend!” Boorg picked up all the beams of the floor and put them over his shoulder once again. “Boorg see you in front of the north gate.”
“And there he goes,” Snickers said.
“And I’ll get two new companions I guess.”
“Come,” Snickers pulled him by his arm, “let’s drink something before you go tomorrow, we won’t be seeing each other for a long time.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Max ran towards the surviving chairs and tables.
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
“Snickers! I’ll be late because of you!” Max yelled, grabbing some bread from the table and putting it in his inventory.
Snickers groaned as he turned around in his bed. “You won’t be late, it is still dark outside.”
“That’s because there is a huge pile of wood next to our window that blocks the sunlight!!”
“Oh shit!” Snickers jumped. “I forgot all about that! Run!”
Snickers ran right beside him, for one last time. If everything goes according to plan, Max will see Snickers in a couple of years. Will something change between them? Will Snickers join him then? Max had many questions popping into his head since last night after the third beer. He didn’t want to say anything to Snickers, after all, why should he? It was his decision that he wanted to stay, so maybe if Max said anything nothing good would come out of it. So Max decided to keep his mouth shut and just see what the future brings.
Next to the giant gate, Boorg was visible from a mile away. He was sitting next to it, his head lowered, snoring so loudly it sounded like a wild animal. “There he is!” Snickers yelled.
“The big guy didn’t go away,” Max said a little bit relieved that he had at least some company on his ending journey.
“His friend is nowhere to be seen.”
“Let’s wake him up.”
Max and Snickers shook Boorg but he didn’t even flinch. They tried shouting, screaming at his ear, flicking his forehead, Snickers even tried to fart under his nose so he would wake up, but nothing worked.
A small pig covered in mud was walking around them, a small flower on its head in the bigger piece of mud that stood there. Snickers grabbed it at some point and threw it at Boorg to wake him up that way, but the pig only squealed and ran behind Boorg.
“Well, what now?” Snickers looked puzzled.
“I don’t know, I’ll just sit here and eat this bread with some of the dry meat left. If I have to wait at least I’ll have breakfast,” Max said.
“Food!” Boorg immediately woke up, looking for something to eat. “Boorg hungry!”
“Mornin’ Boorg,” Snickers said.
“Morning Boorg, did you sleep last night here?” Max offered him a piece of bread and meat.
“Yes, so Boorg remembers where to go!” he took the bread and meat and ate it in one bite. “Yummy!”
“Your friend is still not here?” Max asked, looking at the sun slowly making its appearance.
“My friend here!” Boorg grabbed the pig that Snickers threw at him when he tried waking him up. “This my friend Piggy!”
“You must be shitting me,” Max couldn’t believe it, Snickers giggled.
“You had a kobold and an imp in your party and now they are replaced by a pig and…” he picked his words carefully because Boorg was there, he didn’t want Boorg to rip him apart, “… and Boorg!”
“It is what it is,” Max said. “At least I know that it won’t be boring.”
“Sure thing buddy!” Snickers laughed. “I wish you all the best on your journey, and I’ll see you when you come and get me after you’re done with Merlin.”
Max shook his hand, tearing up. “Just hug me, bro!” They hugged, both fighting the urge not to cry.
“I’ll miss you, Max, stay safe and be careful with those Fireballs.”
“I’ll miss you too, and be careful with everything else. Learn what’s right and what’s left!”
“Fuck you too!”
“Bye!”
“Bye!”
They waved to each other, Snickers staying at the gate while Max continued his journey with Boorg and Piggy, new companions, new adventures, the goal of about one month of walking.