"He's in Melanor..." A coy voice said.

"After taking so long with that place. What should you say to make me trust you? It did see you after all. For all you know, they could've fled elsewhere before entering you cogglemite!" A more astounded voice chuckled.

"With all respect, I made it, I should know..." The coy one responded with a weak-spirited tone.

"Then you should be the one to retrieve it. If it's dead or alive, it matters not. It's about time this ridiculous mouse chase ends. Less we want to lose our heads like the others."

"Little worry, Amon. It's all running to plan... But uh... That woman, she's been there an awful long time you know..."

"What of it?"

"Ah, nothing, it should be fine... But, if I happen to fail, you'll kill them?"

A voice broke into a hearty laugh with echoing slams of hollow metal. "Yes! Of course, Feitor..."

"Well, good..."

"I'll see you soon, Amon..."

**************************

A door slowly croaked open with a lonely groan. As it bumped into the nearby wall, a subtle pair of light footsteps scuffled closer to a bedside.

An airy and muffled voice vibrated into a boy's ear, but it was just a whisper in his slumber.

His body rocked back and forth across the broad mattress but with no response.

Soon after, something blunt, almost electric, hit his side. When the white-haired boy jolted upright, he caught his scream into a yelp. Breathing heavily, he looked to his right. It was the girl. She was holding a long broom handle... As he attempted to control his rapid breathing, the girl mumbled down to him, "Well look, the creature awakes. Y'know, through the few people I've seen, not many decide to only wake up when getting hit."

Sat in silence, he observed the sunlight beaming through the window. The shock was clearly written on his face. Once he realized, he snapped his head towards the girl, then muttered, "You're not whispering?"

Looking back at him with a raised brow, she clicked her tongue, "You've been asleep for ten hours, so of course! If you couldn't tell, this room happens to have a window."

Watching him, it was as though she could see his brain turning behind his eyes.

"They didn't tell you?" she curiously asked.

Tilting his head, he squinted back at her with a furrowed brow muttering, "No? Why would they?"

Casually leaning her two hands on the broom handle, she rolled her eyes and said, "Right... well, they wanted me to come wake you up. They said they're leaving" She giggled, "Ah, the look on their face."

"Now?" His voice came out dry, and horse with widened eyes. She quickly replied, "You might want to-" Before she could finish, he threw his legs over the bedside and rose in a singular motion.

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As he stood for the few seconds he could, his vision slowly started to black. His head grew cold and his limbs started to tingle. Before he could react, a pressure that built in his head gave out making him fall onto the nearby wall. While he leaned his arm on the bed frame, the girl cackled. "That is why you don't stand up quick. Are you a baby?"

Readjusting himself, he asked timidly, "What do you want?"

"To leave," she responded monotone.

He quietly responded, "What are you talking about..."

"No one tends to believe us until they reach the village border. So you'll know when you get back."

"Shame those people have to be trapped here with us though."

"Elia and Garrick?" he asked.

Kicking out the bottom of the broom handle, it pivoted over her shoulder. She huffed, "Yes! It's not hard to see that those people are not here to take care of you."

Looking at him from top to bottom, she said, "As frail as you are, you're my age. Ten right?"

Counting his fingers, he nodded.

"Why would people like that be traveling with someone my age in such a poor way? You're not the first, this is a common route for smugglers. Although, they tend to die fast."

Spinning around on her heel, she approached the open doorway.

"It's not our place to intrude, and I don't want trouble."

"But, around here, the saying is. Fortune favors the bold. Aurin, I think you might be the only person that'll apply for in a long time."

Trailing out of the doorway, she echoed, "Don't forget it!"

Stood bathing in sunlight while the birds hummed a cacophony of sounds, he scratched the back of his head in confusion.

'How does she know my name?'

When he let his arm fall, he winced at the sudden stabbing pain under his tunic. Clenching his side, he lifted his shirt to see a reddened blotch churning to blue on his right pair of ribs. Gritting his teeth, he let his tunic drift down while he carefully lowered his arm. Moving out into the hall, he stood staring back into the room with a forced smile. His legs were still slightly weak, and his throat still felt like it was filled with sand.

As he started to descend the staircase, he heard the distant voices chattering behind the wall. He already knew it was Elia and Garrick, though, for an odd reason it made him feel ill. But once he reached the bottom, he glanced his head to the left. Both were standing beside the exit door, though; the other two were yet to be seen.

Frozen still, he heard the woman stamper out from the left doorway closest to him. In her hand, she carried a long leather waterskin. Pointing at him, she softly said, "Ah, she said you might want this." As he approached the woman, he hesitated when his hands wrapped around the bottle. "Don't be afraid to drink some here, Aurin." As she spoke, Garrick opened his mouth to speak but quickly paused when the woman glanced over.

It was the size of his head! Despite the notion that it may be relieving, he forgot the rustic, stale taste that seared his mouth. At that moment, he questioned whether using Aqavium would've been a better alternative.

While he screwed the cork on, Elia stated, "With that out of the way, I think we'll be leaving..."

With an unnervingly still smile, the woman said, "That you will..."

Looking back to the middle-aged woman, Aurin wondered how the both of them knew his name. Being lightly brushed forward by the woman's hand, he awkwardly stumbled forward with the waterskin clenched between his arms. Opposed to when the woman opened the door, when Garrick clenched the handle, it had a horrible rustic screech. Watching Elia's eye twitch, they passed through onto the street. And when they turned around, both the girl and woman stood in the doorway waving.

As they turned foot to walk down the street, the door behind them silently clicked shut. While Elia pinched her brow, Garrick glared down to Aurin with a stiff face and said. "Any last swigs?"

He stared blankly back up at him, 'Swigs?'

Rolling his eyes, Garrick reached down. Giving the waterskin a tug, it didn't budge. Looking down, with a dark expression, he sighed, "Kid what's the point?" He glanced behind to Elia. "Xyph, this is why we don't do this.

She was a good bit behind them, but he still heard her groan tiredly.

Hearing this didn't move him though.

Looking down at the road, he abruptly shut his eyes while shaking his head in response. The moment he did, the footsteps around him eerily came to a halt.

While the world he could see was black, the crunching of splinters and shattered bricks approached his side.

Before he opened his eyes, the echo of a sharp slap cut through the alleyways between each building. Flinching his hands over his head, he met with the resounding crash of a sack-like object hitting solid ground.

Soon after the dust-filled wind rushed by, It was silent...

End of Chapter 5