Chapter 20
Walking for what seem like hours the small group of three soon came upon a small town.
"Where is everybody?' questioned soaryn after noticing the deserted streets.
"They are in the city" the man stated matter of factly. The boys seemed to stare at the back of the man's head.
"HE'S INSANE" WHISPERED AERD CAREFUL NOT TO LET THE MAN HEAR.
"AGREED" WHISPERED BACK SOARYN. THE MAN SUDDEN STOPPED IN FRONT OF A LARGE HOUSE. AFRAID THE MAN HAD HEARD THEM THEY GOT READY TO TURN AND RUN.
"WE ARE HERE" THE MAN SAID
"Where is here exactly?" asked soaryn with a confused look on his face.
"Why at the entrance of the town of course" and with that he march though the doors of the house disappearing into the darkness the house held.
"Why not...it's only a dark and vacant house, what could go wrong" Aerd said in a flat sarcastic tone.
"Let's find out" said soaryn taking amusement in the horrified face of aerd as he walked toward the house.
"Your not serious right, Come on man stop playing around" Aerd's face seemed to lose color with every step Soaryn took.
"I HATE YOU FOR THIS" HE WHISPERED AS HE RAN TO CATCH UP. the interior of the house looked mid victorian or what seemed victorian in the dark. The only thing in this house was a stairway leading down.
"That's odd" soaryn whispered.
"Yep now can we go, Come on we aren't going to follow a strange man to a dark and ominous basement are we?" Aerd didn't like the look on soaryn's face when he didn't answer. Soaryn slowly started to descend into the dark ignoring aerd's desperate pleads not to. The stairway went down for a few hundred steps but finally they came to a door it was old that was for sure. Careful not to break it on the way in soaryn pulled open the door and let out a surprised gasp at what he saw.
There beyond the door was a large cave that spanned for miles. What had really surprised soaryn was the large village built into the cave. Walls held houses and the flooring held ponds and grassland where animals would grow.
"Beautiful isn't it" said a voice to their left. It was the man from before. He was standing at the top of some stair leading down to the town.
"magnificent " Soaryn spoke with an awed tone. Aerd silently agreed only nodding his head still fascinated with the cave.
"Follow me" the man called back to them already half way down the stairs.
"Oh and by the way my name is Reevus Tankard" the boys gave their names and followed silently. Reaching the base of the stairs Reevus led them through some tunnels expectantly to the his home. As they approached the end of what they had hopped to be the last tunnel soaryn finally broke the silence.
"So, Reevus" soaryn question awkwardly.
"Hmpf" Reevus grunted in acknowledgement to focused on the tunnels ahead to fully answer.
"How did you disappear like that…With the scorpion I mean?" Aerd not liking the small space the tunnels provided, quietly let out a small agreement.
"All scouts can do it, it is what allows us to hide so
easily" A look of recognition crossed the boys face.
"Your an assassin?" soaryn yelled excitedly.
"Assassin?, is that what they call us now?" Reevus questioned, the boys only nodded.
"As for your question, I used to be one though i have retired from all that."
"I am simply just a teacher now" a wistful look crossed reevus's face probably remembering the 'old' days. Coming up to a nice little home in the wall reevus came to a stop.
"Be warned I have a daughter about the same age as you, she can be quite….energetic" As Reevus finished his sentence there was a loud crash in the house. Worried Reevus burst open the door to find the house torn apart. Their in the middle of the small living room the house held was a silver haired girl about the same size as soaryn maybe shorter. Sprawled out on the floor with her hair covering her face.
"What happened in here" Reevus said with a awed and slightly angry tone.
" two words dad, Sugar Overload" Said the girl as she just layed there staring at the slowly spinning fan
"Raethien...Did you take cookies from the cookie jar?"
"Who me?, Couldn't be" As she chuckled at her little joke she slowly slipped out of consciousness into a peaceful sleep.
THe boys just stared in both interest and confusion while reevus groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"I don't suppose you boys could help me clean this up?" Reevus question with hope in his eyes. Only to look back as the two suddenly found the ceiling and tea cabinet very interesting.
"Would you look at all this fine tea" Soaryn said staring at the one box of cheap 3 dollar tea in Reevus's cabinet in hopes to ignore reevus.
"And the ceiling and Flooring are marvelous" Aerd said in fake awe staring at the bland white tiles and blank ceiling. Reevus felt like crying as he grabbed the broom and miserably started sweeping. 30 minutes later and the house was spotless "thanks for the help" Reevus wheezed through struggled breathes.
"Hm, You say something?" both boys questioned in union as there eyes seemed to twinkle with mischief. On the inside both boys we both rubbing their hands manically and giggling to themselves. Reevus glared daggers at the young boys whose smiles threatened to split their faces in two.
"Anyways" said reevus cutting the tension and silence like a warm knife through butter.
"What were you to doing in the desert to make you almost scorpion food anyhow?" the boys seemed to cringe at the memory of their most recent failure. Aerd Spoke up first and retold their adventure up to the point of meeting him.
" so you are looking for a team huh?" reevus though already knowing the answer questioned.
" yes sir" Soaryn replied while nodding his head slowly. Just when reevus opened his mouth to respond a loud crash was heard as the kitchen door swung open to reveal a once again sprawled out Raethien. Getting up slowly she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head with a large smile.
" Sorry dad it's just i woke up in my bed and heard talking and I well.." Raethien trailed off not looking her father in the eyes.
"Ugh… It's ok dear just… Please don't make it a habit." sighed reevus he had become used to his daughter's antics. Reevus then look towards the to boys and told them he will think of something but for know to go look about the town. With that the boys got up and headed for the door.
"wait "
"I will be your Guide" Raethien volunteered as she pushed past the two.
" Why is it that everybody we meet has to be Mentally insane or have some weird quirk?" Aerd complained to soaryn.
"Luck?" Soaryn offered as he walked off down the path Raethien had taken.
"Odd, I don't feel lucky" Aerd grumbled to himself in a snarky tone. Soon he to left the house and jogged to catch up with the duo there was no way he was going into the cramped dark tunnel alone. The town was fairly small for such a large cave but soon they learned why. It was on the border of Audine and tasanmi. At the edge of the village sat a large ocean of lava it was no wonder where the heat of this place came from. On their walk the boys asked few questions but stuck mostly to silence. Before they knew it they were back at Reevus's house. It took them a while to register the small rock house before following Raethien inside. Soaryn was worried about accommodations but reevus calmed his mind when he uttered a single sentence "You boys can stay in my home if you like."with that the boys fell asleep to the sound of silence. THough it didn't last long as they were woken up to the sounds of reevus shouting. Reevus although calm when the boys met him was worried pacing back and forth when the boys found him in the kitchen. Soaryn soon asked what was wrong and they found out. Apparently in the night Raethien Went out and now she is missing.