Arthur gently roused Ghost from his slumber, softly calling his name. "The ship is waiting for us. Let's return to the Stoneheart Kingdom, our homeland."

Bruce stirred at Arthur's call. They had planned to head back to the Stoneheart Kingdom, although Bruce was still unfamiliar with the place, he trusted in the adventure ahead.

As Bruce looked at Arthur, he couldn't help but notice the anticipation in his friend's eyes, a reflection of the deep love he held for his homeland. Arthur had frequently spoken about the kingdom and expressed his desire to introduce the village's hero to his family.

"Are you truly leaving?" Annie, a young girl who had formed a special bond with Bruce, asked with a tinge of sadness. "Can't you stay? We can always play, and I'll lend you my toys. Please don't go."

Bruce gently patted Annie's head and offered reassurance, "I'll come back, Annie. Don't worry; there are plenty of children here who will play with you. And here, I have something for you." He handed her a wooden doll he had carefully crafted, saying, "You can play with this and share it with your friends, alright?"

Tears welled up in Annie's eyes as she responded, "But I don't want this doll. I want to play with you."

Bruce embraced the young girl, understanding the pain of her parents' loss in the battle, leaving her alone. "Annie, be strong, okay? I'll visit you."

He then sought out Ben and said, "Take care of her. Bring her to your church. I'll visit her there."

Ben nodded, their prior agreement to look after the orphans left behind by fallen soldiers. "Don't worry. If I find work in the Stoneheart Kingdom, I'll provide funds. They won't go hungry."

Bruce turned to Annie, wiping away her tears, "Always eat your meals and get enough sleep, alright?"

Annie nodded, her eyes filled with tears.

"It's difficult to leave them." Bruce admitted. "These people have become important to me."

Arthur chimed in reassuringly, "We've already sent a request for soldiers from the Stoneheart Kingdom to defend this village. Six hundred soldiers are on their way. We'll meet them at the bay."

And so, they embarked on their journey towards the ship bound for the Stoneheart Kingdom.

Bruce found himself moved by the heartfelt farewells of the Pearl Village residents. Their cheers and gratitude filled the air, and Bruce couldn't contain his emotions. Tears welled up in his eyes as he waved goodbye and smiled, knowing that he was leaving a place and people who had touched his heart, bound for a new chapter in the Stoneheart Kingdom.

As they approached the ship, they observed a group of soldiers descending upon it. Their conversations were far from complimentary regarding their mission.

"Why on earth does the Queen want us to protect this Village?" one soldier grumbled.

Another soldier joined in, saying, "This village is utterly insignificant. I can't believe it's the first time I'm hearing of it."

A third soldier chimed in, "Yes, I've heard that the initial group dispatched here suffered heavy casualties. It's practically a suicide mission."

"And you know what else I heard? Commander Kilos bit the dust. That's what you get for trying to impress the royalty. He was so full of himself; he led himself to his own demise."

"He genuinely thought he was some kind of a hero," someone said, followed by a chorus of laughter.

Arthur struggled to contain his anger, coming close to confronting the soldiers, but Bruce intervened, advising, "It's not worth it, Arthur."

Arthur, who had almost resorted to giving them a piece of his mind, managed to regain his composure.

However, Bruce couldn't resist a mischievous prank. He discreetly tossed a pebble in the direction of one soldier's head. When the soldiers turned to investigate the commotion caused by the airborne pebble, they all began to whistle innocently, trying to deflect attention.

The soldier approached Bruce and demanded, "Did you just throw a rock at me?"

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

"What rock?" Bruce feigned innocence. "We didn't see any rock."

The soldier confused and turned around, another rock found its mark, striking him in the head once more.

Bruce and Arthur maintained their innocent whistling act as if they were nothing to do with the situation.

"Are you messing with me?" the soldier, now infuriated, asked as he closed in on them.

As the soldier advanced, Bruce discreetly pointed upward, causing the soldier to look in that direction. Before he could comprehend what was happening, another rock struck him on the head.

Arthur couldn't contain his laughter, and this proved to be the final straw for the soldier. Fueled by rage, he threw a punch at Bruce, who deftly ducked and spotted a gleaming rock in the sand. In one swift move, Bruce stood back up, delivering an unintentional but effective hit from his head to the soldier's chin.

The soldier was knocked out cold.

Seeing their comrade fall, other soldiers rushed over to help and confront Bruce and Arthur. But the mischievous duo had one more trick up their sleeves. Bruce once again pointed at the sky, and the soldiers, in their curiosity, looked up. This time, however, it wasn't rocks that rained down on them; it was a barrage of sand that Bruce and Arthur had hurled at them.

Blinded and disoriented, the soldiers stumbled around, making it easy for Bruce and Arthur to make a swift escape to the safety of the ship before the soldiers could realize that they had been pranked and that the two troublemakers had already fled.

"That was a blast," Arthur exclaimed.

"Check this out," Bruce tossed a pouch filled with coins to Arthur.

"What's this?" Arthur inquired, perplexed.

"I stole it from the soldiers," Bruce replied with a sly grin.

Arthur burst into laughter, amazed at Bruce's nimble fingers and his ability to snatch the pouch from the soldiers without anyone noticing.

As the ship began to pull away from the shore, Bruce waved to the soldiers and shouted, "Thanks for the coins, you knuckleheads!"

The soldiers, overhearing Bruce's taunt, frantically searched for their missing pouches, only to realize they had been outwitted and the pouches were nowhere to be found.

As the ship set sail, the brilliant sunlight bathed Bruce and Arthur in its warm embrace. It heralded a new day and a fresh start, a peaceful beginning to a new chapter in their lives. The rhythmic sound of the waves, the invigorating scent of the sea breeze, and the gentle caress of the wind against their faces filled them with a sense of tranquility and contentment. Everything felt just right.

The ship made landfall at the bay of the Stoneheart Kingdom. The sheer delight in Arthur's expression was evident, his excitement sparkling in his eyes as he took in the familiar scent of the hometown air and exclaimed, "Yeah, I'm home."

However, Bruce, puzzled, couldn't see the grandeur of the kingdom that Arthur had painted in his stories. Instead, he noticed fishermen and locals peddling their wares.

Arthur, sensing Bruce's confusion, asked, "Why? Have you forgotten our hometown?"

"I'm not from here," Bruce admitted.

"What do you mean you're not from here?" Arthur pressed.

"This is my first time in this place," Bruce explained.

"What? Then why did you come? I thought…" Arthur began.

"You always spoke about your kingdom and, so I was curious. I also wanted to visit Commander Kilos' home and return his belongings," Bruce revealed.

"So, which kingdom are you from?" Arthur inquired.

"Just some kingdom you've probably never heard of," Bruce replied.

"So, you're not from this kingdom, and you're not from our village. How did you end up there, and why did you fight? I mean, no one would blame you for running away since it wasn't your battle," Arthur probed.

Bruce remained silent, grappling with the thought of fleeing but unable to reconcile it with his conscience. He couldn't bear the idea of abandoning those people.

"Where's the Stoneheart Kingdom? I can't see it," Bruce finally asked.

Arthur chuckled and responded, "We still need to walk up that mountain, and then you'll see it. Perhaps we'll reach it before the sun sets."

Bruce grumbled, "A long walk, and the sun is still rising!"

"Hahaha! Don't worry about that. Remember, we have money?" Arthur reassured.

Together, Arthur and Bruce arrived at a unique stable, which was unlike any Bruce had ever seen. It was home to not just regular horses but a menagerie of exotic creatures. Among them were horses like those on Earth, but there were also horse-sized creatures resembling ostriches. However, what truly left Bruce awestruck was the sight of a creature he could hardly believe – a dragon.

"Is that a dragon?" Bruce couldn't contain his amazement.

"Shh… Keep your voice down! If a dragon overhears you comparing them to wyverns, this place might be in for some trouble," Arthur cautioned. "Dragons have quite the ego."

"Sorry," Bruce whispered. "This is the first time I've ever seen a wyvern! It's incredible! Wait, did you just say 'dragon'?" Bruce was surprised.

Arthur gave Bruce a perplexed look, wondering, "What's wrong with this guy?" He then brushed it off and urged, "Stop teasing, Ghost. Let's keep moving."

A man named Nicolas approached them, introducing himself, "Hello, I'm Nicolas, the owner of this stable. Are you here to buy or rent transportation?"

Arthur replied, "We're here to rent. We're headed to the Stoneheart Kingdom."

Nicolas inquired, "What's your preferred mode of transportation?"

"We'd like to rent the wyvern. How much does it cost?" Arthur asked.

"That's an excellent choice! It's 5 gold for a one-way trip," Nicolas informed.

"5 gold? That seems a bit steep. Are you sure about the price?" Arthur questioned, his tone serious.

"I've already given you a 1 gold discount. If you can't pay, don't waste my time," Nicolas replied, sounding irritated.

Meanwhile, Bruce couldn't help but gaze in awe at the wyverns. He found it hard to believe that such magnificent creatures were being used for transportation. Concerned, he asked, "Are these creatures safe? I mean, they won't try to eat us, will they?"

As Arthur negotiated with Nicolas about the price for renting the wyvern, he reached a breaking point. Approaching Nicolas, he whispered something to him and revealed something that left Nicolas in shock. He stammered, "I'm sorry! It's free! Don't pay me, please. I have a family!"

Arthur nodded, satisfied with the outcome. "That's what I thought. Come on, Ghost, let's go."

"You sure about this, Arthur?" Bruce expressed his concern.

Arthur offered reassurance, "Yeah, I've ridden a wyvern many times before. Don't worry about it. Let's go."

With a nod, Arthur hopped onto the back of the wyvern, giving it a comforting pat and saying, "Be good."

Bruce was still feeling uncertain and apprehensive. This was his first time riding a wyvern, and the experience was vastly different from being in an airplane or a helicopter. He asked, "Where's the safety gear?"

"Just hop in. Don't be a coward," Arthur urged.

With hesitation, Bruce finally took his place on the back of the wyvern, and before he could utter another word, the only sound that escaped from his lips was a resounding, "WOOOOOAAAAAHHHH," as the wyvern soared into the sky.

With eyes tightly shut and a firm grip on the wyvern's back, Bruce prepared himself for the exhilarating journey. As the wyvern ascended into the skies, he felt the wind rushing past him, filling him with a thrilling sense of freedom. When he mustered the courage to open his eyes, all his worries faded away. Before him stretched an endless expanse of blue sky, with fluffy clouds so close he could almost reach out and touch them. It was a breathtaking experience, and in that moment, he felt a profound sense of wonder and liberation.

As they continued their journey through the skies, time seemed to slip away, and Arthur, with excitement in his voice, pointed downward. Below them, the magnificent Stoneheart Kingdom came into view. Bruce marveled at the sight, and it was easy to see why the kingdom was named as such. It was a breathtaking realm, nestled amongst an array of majestic mountains, with the heart of the kingdom resting at its center. The view was nothing short of awe-inspiring, and Bruce couldn't help but feel a deep appreciation for the natural beauty that surrounded the Stoneheart Kingdom.