Chapter 21

"We'll Find her if you want" Offered soaryn although soaryn wanted to, aerd was a different story.

" I don't want to go into the cramped tunnels" Aerd complained as he dragged himself through the front door. He already knew he was going, complaining or not. Twisting and turning through the stone labyrinth of tunnels they soon came to find themselves on top of a very high ledge… peering down over the edge soaryn notices a horde of monsters surrounding a figure who seemed to be fighting for their life.

Aerd watched as soaryn backed away from the edge.

"What afraid of heights?" Aerd joked .

"Nope, Just getting a running start" Soaryn said grinning like a fox.

"What do you mean" Aerd questioned but before he could get his answer soaryn was already running. Aerd looked ahead of soaryn and saw the cliff then it clicked.

"You better not, you are going to aren't you?" aerd whispered to himself as he watched his best friend hurl himself off the cliff. Aerd shrugged "If you can't beat them join them" and with that he swan dived off the cliff.

Quickly Catching up with soaryn he yelled over to his partner.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING RID OF ME THAT EASILY"

"DANG really i was kinda hoping it would be" soaryn joked back there laughter cutting through the air. As they sailed down the side of the cliff the size of the hoard seemingly grew more apparent as the hoard spread out for what seemed like a mile in all directions.

"Aim for over there" Soaryn pointed at the center of the hoard.

"Sure if you have a death wish" Aerd yelled back only to see soaryn with a cheshire grin and two thumbs up. Aerd smiled

"See This is why we are friends." and with that dove faster

to the rapidly shrinking open space between the hoard and the

fighter. Soaryn smiled aerd just turned it into a race. With that they both crash into the small circle. THEY BOTH GROANED as they picked themselves up. The horde of monsters just stared and blinked at them some even looking up wondering if any more humans were going to fall from the sky.

"Sorry for Dropping in uninvited" Soaryn said proud of the pun he used.

"Bro I love you like a brother, but that was bad" Aerd stared sympathetically as if to say I am sorry for your stupidity.

"Hey it wasn't that bad" Soaryn defended "WAS IT" SOARYN ASKED. LOOKING AROUND HE SAW BOTH THE FIGHTER WHO TURNED OUT TO BE Raethien and the horde of monster all nod in agreement.

"Anyways, YOur father is worried about you" soaryn talked calmly still ignoring the fact they were surrounded by flesh hunger monsters. A monsters who seemingly didn't like being ignored launched at soaryn. Before it got the chance to bite him soaryn had already drawn his blade and stabbed the creature through the chest.

"Can't you see the grownups are talking" Soaryn said in a cool tone. Looking around the room for acknowledgement he was met with aerd raethien and who seemed to be the chief of monsters holding up scoring cards. Raethien Gave him a 5 Aerd gave him a 3 yawning into his palm and the chief gave him a 7 all in all he was disappointed with his score. He gave a small whine and grumbled something about stupid best friends who are supposed to be on his side.He thanked the Monster chief for his kindness who surprisingly said you're welcome before pulling back his army and leaving the group alone.

"I don't understand what just happened" AERD STATED AS HE RECALLED WHAT HE HAD JUST WITNESSED.

"Don't question it" Soaryn said also confused how the plan evolved into what it had become. The walk home was silent no one uttered a word as they slowly made their way through the tight dark tunnels.

"So Why were you out here?" Soaryn questioned breaking the silence like a baseball through glass.

"I was training" raethien huffed still upset about being caught. This answer shocked the boys although they had seen her fight it was still odd to hear that this bubbly loud girl was training to be a silent assassin. The rest of the way to Reevus's home was silent.

The forest after the morning rain was sleek and damp. The crisp cold air that flowed with every breeze rustled the leaves of bushes and trees. Small whimpering could be heard as a small girl laid in a small den built under a tree. She has been there since she could remember. the small girl sneezed soon after the forest seemed to freeze morning due floated in the air frozen in time as birds stopped soaring and leaves stopped falling.another sneeze brought the forest back to life like nothing had ever changed . The little girl slept as eyes watched her from afar red cat like eyes.

The small group of 2 were slowly making there way up the crude rock stairs. They had thanked reevus for his kindness and told him they had to go.

"Well that was useless" aerd grumbled.

"What do you mean?" asked soaryn not understanding why aerd had said it.

" Well we traveled across the desert, Fought a horde of monsters and we didn't even achieve our goal." Aerd complained raising his voice with every thing he listed off.

"What was the goal again?, I don't remember"Soaryn Asked, Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Aerd began to stare.

"What do you mean you don't remember!" Aerd screamed his voice echoing off the walls of the cave.Opening the old door at the top of the stairs soaryn reminded him "a lot has happened aerd and the goal kinda changed for every event"

"The goal to find another Group member" Aerd said quietly he hated the stairs they were as cramped and musty as he remembered. "Oh that Goal" Soaryn realized "I got that one covered though" soaryn stated grinning Madly.

"really? " aerd was surprised "who"?

"Me" Said Raethien she was standing at the top of the stair hands on her hips.

"You guys Take forever you know that?" She stated tapping her foot on the floor.

"Well sorry we aren't always hyped up on a sugar High" Aerd grumbled but raethein had heard him.

"Hey sweets are the foods of the gods" she soon after struck a weird pose and the boys just stared. Why were they always a magnet to weird people?

Traveling through the dessert wasn't like the first time. They had prepared and had new company Raethien although weird and energetic at times was very good company. They had only come across a few scorpions each one beaten the same way. Soaryn and Aerd Defending while raethien Sneaks onto the scorpions back like her father. It didn't take long before the group finally sat down to rest when aerd asked a question that was on his mind.