We had traveled all day, but there is not a sight yet of the duality plains. We had to set up camp. I had separated myself from the group and looked at a tree. I spawned my silver blade and twirled it around. After playing around with my sword, I threw it at the tree, and it got hit with a loud thump sound.

As I looked up, I saw the full moon. “Please, Haley, be safe, wherever you are. Maybe you are looking at the same moon right now. You should not have been here, we should have our life apart. The one we had, with the others. Perhaps, they are also looking at this moon, and wondering where we are. Maybe the place where Megan is, there is no moon. There is another Haley with Megan, one that has Alice has a mom. If Alice had another being inside of her, just like me, then I can see where she is coming from. Maybe she was struggling as well.”

Funk walked over to me, “Hey buddy, what is going on?”

“Just, this whole situation man. I am wondering if it had been better to die.”

Funk looked at me, “What do you mean?”

I shook my head, “Maybe, we should have fought back when the paradox dragons came to take us. Funk, you are a good friend, but I miss Riley. His stupid jokes, his goofy grin. I am sure you two could get along great. You both have the same kind of personality. Annoying.”

Funk chuckled, “That sounds fun. Where do you think he is?”

“I truly don’t know Funk if only I knew. If I could have one thing in life, it would be to have everyone back together, no matter the price.”

Funk nodded, “I understand, but sometimes life will not give you what want, but what you need.”

I looked at him, “Life needs me to get tortured on a journey I do not even want to go on? Life wants Haley to get captured and almost executed? Does that also mean, life wanted to get all of us killed on this journey? Because we have come damn close to dying. Except for Abby, she will come back.”

Funk sighed, “I see how you can see it that way. This journey might be needed for you to appreciate what you will have once it is done. Lory, Haley, your family that you lost, me and Abby.”

I walked over to the tree and grabbed my sword. “Perhaps you are right Funk, the journey does count, but how long will my journey be? You know I have been reluctant to go on this journey from the beginning. Going to another reality, it sounded like a way to start over. It seems I was very far from the truth. But, I met Lory. I think, she is my soulmate. Can we please close this chapter Funk? I want to get on with my life and leave this part behind me.”

He nodded, “We can travel through the night after we have some food. You might be a reluctant warrior Steve, but you have racked up quite a body count already. And your daughter is following in your footsteps, she is a lot less reluctant than you are, and she certainly does not mind killing if needed.”

I nodded, “I am not a pacifist Funk, I just want to call it quits. If I can avoid it, I will not kill.” He walked away towards the group.

Once we had some food, we packed up and continued walking over the dirt road. Lory beamed at me, “You look a bit gloomy in the moonlight, you still look pretty.”

I laughed, “Thanks for making me laugh. It is just, I hope Haley is fine. We already met a lot of dangers on this journey to the capital. Luckily, it has been quiet for a while.”

Abby yawned, “why are we not going to sleep again? Don’t you know how much energy I burn simply by walking around?”

Funk sighed, “We need to press on to get to the capital as fast as possible. Haley might be in trouble.”

Abby grunted, “Fine, just keep me fed, I have not had a decent meal in a while.”

Lory looked around, “This place is also very bleak.”

I pointed at a cliff pretty far in front of us. I looked around, “There is no way around.” Quickly I held up my hand, “Wait, something is going on.” I pointed at a giant rock, then we ran over and hid behind it. As we carefully looked at what was going on, I saw a human in the distance. There were two of them. One of them threw the other human on top of the cliff with energy. Then the other guy seemed to be throwing a rope ladder down.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Dark figures came out of the hills. They were clad in black samurai armor and wielded a very long katana. The human on top screamed out, “Hurry Clint, the demons are spawning!” Clint, the man down in the dark, started climbing. One of the three samurai ninjas grabbed his legs and started to pull him down. The man on top started firing at the samurai’s.

The man below got slammed to the ground, and it made a body shaped dent in the ground, the man on top screamed out, “Clint!” The guy named Clint tried getting up and stabbed the samurai.

He yelled towards his friend, “Run, I will hold them off, follow that road to the duality plains!” The man on top of the hill nodded and ran away. Clint got kicked and he rolled away. After he got disarmed, the samurai men’s mouth grew bigger and, no matter how much Clint struggled, he got swallowed up, head first. The Samurai all went back into the cliff.

Abby looked at me, “That is not natural.”

I looked at her, “You do it too.”

She pointed at the cliff, “No, not like that. I don’t eat humans, or you guys would have been a tasty snack.”

I sighed, “Just give me tips on how to get past those things.”

Lory looked at me, “What even are they?”

Funk looked at me, “It would come in handy if you could fly.”

I sighed, “My wing hasn’t grown back yet, and when it is back, I still need to learn how to fly. We could use energy to jump on top of the cliff.”

Lory looked at me and nodded, “That seems like a perfect idea.” She transformed into a wolf. “All of you get on my back.”

I shrugged and did so, the others jumped on her back as well. Lory made an oomph sound. Abby looked at her, “What was that for?”

Lory chuckled, “You are heavy Abby, what did you eat?”

She grunted, “I have not eaten a good meal in like four days or something.”

Lory infused herself with energy. “Alright here goes nothing, I am going to use those cliff pieces that are sticking out to get on top.” Everyone held on tight and Lory started running. As she got closer to the hill, the samurai’s came out of the hills again.

Lory jumped and the samurai’s started throwing silver stars at us. Lory jumped aside, and in one of the samurai I saw movement. In its stomach area. I sighed as Lory landed on top of the cliff. “Stay here,” I jumped off from Lory’s back and spawned my red blade. Funk looked at me, “What are you going to do?”

I grunted, “Something stupid, of course. That guy in there is alive, we can’t let him die like that.”

Abby looked at me, “Steve, you cannot save everyone.”

I gripped the handle of my sword. “But, I also killed a lot of people. How can I atone for that, if I won’t even try to save someone when I have the choice? Who knows when I might snap again and kill more people? Is it bad to let this one person die?”

Abby jumped off Lory’s back and looked at the samurai’s going back into the hills. “Those things are dangerous Steve. Even Mimic tells me I should avoid them. That guy is already dead, there is no one that can save him.”

Lory walked over and put her head against me, I petted her. I let out a very deep sigh, “We should get going.”

Abby nodded and climbed on Lory’s back. She stretched her hand out to me. I let my sword vanish and grabbed her hand, she pulled me on Lory’s back, who started following the road to the duality plains. In the distance, I saw snow, that must be the Northern Desert. Captain spoke up in my mind, “I could have saved him, not that I wanted to, you are a weak pussy.”

I let my head hang and ignored Captain, but he was right. However, Haley is more important now. Funk rubbed my back, “It is alright mate, you meant well. Perhaps, we can save the next person, and if you do snap, I will not bite your head off.”

Abby patted my shoulder, “Me neither. Bad shit can happen, if they harm Haley, they are fucking with the wrong person.”

Lory spoke up, “Indeed, if Haley is harmed or in perilous danger, then go all out Steve.”

“Thanks everyone, we are going to save Haley, and if Brent has harmed her, he will have to witness my fury, this time I will be ready.”