Author's Note: Okay, chapter two will not be as long. I will apologize deeply for the length of chapter one. ^_^; I hate introductions and stuff, so I tend to try and rush passed them otherwise I will lose interest in writing. I will lay off of the rushing, as I planned to in this chapter, and he probably won't meet everyone in this chapter. Due to a suggestion, Brendan will not be paired with Anette, and due to the same reason in the suggestion, he will also not be paired with the Irises. Serious romance(As in confessions and stuff) also might not happen for a few chapters. Please continue to review, and I promise I won't make a chapter that long again. ^_^; Or rush through things.

Chapter Two: Failing

The sun awoke me in the morning, and my thoughts automatically started racing. Where was I? What had happened? My eyes widened, and I sat up, and examined my surroundings, and everything, well, the past day, came back to me. I was in Trampoli, and I had been asked to stay here. I was supposed to take over a farm land, but I was in the Sunshine Inn, waiting for Kross, a carpenter, to fix my house and monster barn.

I swung my feet over the bed, and my eyes fell to the clothing that was on the floor. It was caked with dirt and what was most likely blood. How long had I been walking around like this? I let out a sigh that made my head pulse and rolled my eyes. When I did this, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror of the vanity that was in the room. In general, I didn't look much better than the clothing on the floor.

My hair, black, was covered in dust, and had a bad case of bedhead. My eyes were dark purple, as Lara had said, but they were tinted red, and faded circles were under them. I had muscles on my torso, but my attention was drawn to the scars and cuts that decorated my entire body. Some were deep and wide, while others had almost faded. There were a few wounds on my upper right arm that had dark, dried blood caked around them, there was also a cut on the right side of my torso that looked the same.

I wrinkled my nose at my appearance. "I've got to ask them about bathing..." I mumbled to myself, making a note inside my head.

I plopped back down on the bed and began to redress, when I heard a knock on the door. I froze, debating on whether or not the door was unlocked. I couldn't remember locking it back, so I said, "I think it is unlocked."

The door opened slowly, and Eunice walked in.

"Hello..." She spoke in a soft voice, averting her eyes as she noticed that I hadn't put my shirt on, yet. I thought I noticed a pink tint to her cheeks, but I wasn't sure.

I slipped my shirt on, and stuffed my gloves into my pocket. "So, what's up?"

"Uhm... I was just checking to see if everything was okay. Kross came by earlier and said he was finished with your land, and Anette came to see you, but neither I nor Mom could wake you up," she looked at me for a moment, worry in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... What time is it?" I asked.

"It's almost noon. You've been asleep for a long time. We all thought that you were sick or something," Eunice now sounded worried as well.

"No... I feel fine, I'm positive. I guess, I just overslept. Tiring day, yesterday," I said, in an assuring voice.

"Okay. That's good. I'm glad that you are okay," Eunice smiled brightly now.

"Eunice, I have to ask this. Uhm, what means of bathing does the inn have?" I felt embarrassed for asking, but it was needed.

"Oh... Everyone here uses Melody's bathhouse, the Laga Springs. It's just a small walk east from here," Eunice explained.

"Okay, thank you," I stood up now, and stretched.

"Also, you need to go to your farmland today. The bathhouse does not open until three," Eunice explained.

"Okay, I'll do that," I nodded.

"You'll be checking out now, correct?" Eunice asked. "Would you like to eat something first?"

I thought about eating. I wasn't hungry yet, and I had a lot of stuff to do. "Nah, thanks for the offer, though," I smiled.

I followed Eunice downstairs, returned my key, and as I was about to push open the door to leave, I heard Rita's voice.

"Here, take these," Rita handed me a stack of clothing and an old looking book when I turned around at the sound of her voice.

"Uhm, thanks," I said, having no idea how to respond.

"If you want more boots and gloves, and things of that nature, you can talk to Rosetta and have them ordered, or you can buy some books from the library and learn how to make them yourself. The book I've given you is a beginner's cook book. It might come in handy when you get hungry."

"Okay, thank you, Rita," I smiled, and after telling everyone that I would see them around, I left.

My house looked better than it did yesterday when I had landed in front of it, but it still was nothing to look at. It had all of its windows now, and no holes in the roof, but it was obvious where the repairs had been made.

I was proud of it all the same. I had somewhere to live now, and it was now pretty much confirmed that I would be living in Trampoli. I entered the house to see that it didn't have too much furniture in it at all. There was a small bed, a table with one chair, a storage chest, a bookshelf, and three small stations; a kitchen, a forging area, and what looked like a lab. It didn't look like too much could be done in any of them.

There was also a calender on the wall, and a note on the storage box. I walked over to the box, and read the note.

The villagers have been kind enough to leave you some tools that you can use.

~Kross

I smiled at the kindness of the people of Trampoli and opened the box. Inside was a hoe, a watering can, a sickle, an ax, a hammer, a fishing rod, a brush of some sort, a small sword, and something that I wasn't so sure what it was. Every item had a note on it.

The hoe and watering can were from someone named Mist, the sickle was from someone named Eric, the ax was from Stella, the fishing rod was from Cinnamon, the brush was from Kross, the sword was from someone named Ganesha, and the hammer was from Melody.

The thing that confused me was apparently a harvester, given to me by Candy. It was used to distribute something called "Runeys" and it was used to get products, like milk and eggs, from monsters that I had tamed.

The brush was for taming monsters, the note said.

"Huh..." Under everything in the chest, there was a bag of turnip seeds. "So I guess I'm expected to plant these... In Spring," I frowned at the fact that the bag was green, and had the word "Spring" written on it.

All of the tools seemed slightly worn, but they would do, and I was also proud of them, though I felt bad that villagers that I didn't even know were giving me items.

I sat on the edge of the bed, and pondered what I had to do now. Bathhouse. By time I walked there, it would be time for the bathhouse to open.

I hopped up, left the house, and began my walk to the bathhouse.

"Welcome!" I was greeted by a cute girl who had dark eyes, light pink hair, and who wore a red wizard suit. "You're the new farmer in Trampoli, aren't you?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess I am," I said. I really didn't think of myself as a farmer, but in all truth, I lived on farmland, which did make me a farmer.

"My name is Melody! Are you here to enjoy a relaxing bath today? It will be ten gold," she had a cheery attitude, that made me smile, but she reminded me of a little kid, even though she was probably around my age, since she was running a bathhouse.

"I'm Brendan, and yes, I would like a bath," I smiled. I gave her ten gold, and with my clothing(which consisted of a white long sleeved shirt and dark jeans) tucked under my arm, and I went in the direction that she pointed me to the men's bath.

After leaving the bathhouse, something kind of odd caught my eye. There was a giant beanstalk leading up to what looked to be a whale-shaped rock in the sky. "Wow..." I breathed. I could climb the beanstalk, I knew it.

"I'm gonna do it," I narrowed my eyes. I had carried my tools with me, and I was now thankful for this. I might need the sword since I didn't know what was on the rock.

I headed for the beanstalk, taking note of the clock tower where Cinnamon, Candy, and Kanno lived, and noting that there was a building that I needed to visit later.

The climb wasn't a short one, but it didn't take nearly as long as what I thought it would, and that baffled me, though I didn't dwell on it.

I set foot on the grass, and I nearly fell off of the rock when a voice spoke to me.

"Hello, visitor... I am the Whale Spirit of Whale Island, may I ask your name?" the voice spoke.

I took out my sword, and steadied myself. "M-My name's Brendan. Wh-Where are you?" I stammered.

"I am a spirit. You cannot see me... Have you finally came to help me?"

"Uhh..." I was now confused. Helping something I couldn't see? How could I do that?

"There is a rune on my back that keeps me afloat in the skies of Trampoli. Lately, that rune has been growing weak... I need help to revive that rune or I will fall, and tragedy will strike."

"How do I revive the rune?..." I asked, my voice far from steady. I wasn't even sure what a rune was, though something told me that I had heard of them.

"I am not sure. Something is taking its magic away. There is a soul that lives here, but she does not know what it is, either... You must find what it is Brendan, before it is too late..."

"I will try, Whale spirit. Do you have any idea where I should start?"

"No. You're a pure spirit, you're here to help. It will come to you in time..." The voice faded away, and I knew that the Whale spirit was gone.

"Dammit..." I mumbled to myself. I was already tired of hearing that I had came to help Trampoli, and all of that, and no one telling me where the hell I was supposed to start.

I let out a tired sigh, and locked my eyes on the cave that wasn't that far away. That could be a place to start.

I ran for the cave, and as soon as I entered two goblins that were the same as the ones I had killed yesterday ran at me. I also noticed a portal of some kind, but I didn't have time to think about it because one of the goblins hit me with the small knife he had. Pain shot through my side and I growled at the green monster. I swung my sword, hitting both of the goblins.

They were knocked back by the hit, but they didn't die. They both lunged at me, one tackling me and knocking me down, and the other slicing my arm with his knife, barely making a cut.

My sword was now out of my hand and out of reach, and I was still pinned by the green goblin. Magic was now my only answer. My body heated up, and fire burst from me, and the goblins were finished. I rolled, grabbed my sword, and was back on my feet.

The portal glowed now, and two more goblins appeared.

"DAMMIT!" I snapped. I was running out of energy fast. I had to destroy the portal before I destroyed the goblins. Dodging the swings of the goblin's knives, I ran for the portal and slashed at it repeatedly with my sword until it shrunk and was gone. I then turned around just in time to stab a goblin that was jumping at me. He disappeared, and then I hit the other goblin twice before he disappeared.

I crossed my arms over my chest, proud that I had managed to kill the goblins just that fast. I felt weakish, still, but I was satisfied.

I was about to turn around and continue my trek through the cave when a sharp, burning pain shot through my back. I turned before falling to my knees to see an orc with a bow and arrow.

It had a smirk on its face, and it ran towards me now, and shot another arrow, which hit me in the side.

I let out a cry of pain, and winced as I pulled myself to my feet, only to have my knees collapse under me. I was finished. I was supposed to save Trampoli, but only this fast had something managed to defeat me.

"Nyahhh!" I heard a battle cry of a goblin, and I saw one of the green things running towards the orc. He stabbed the orc repeatedly before the orc took off running in the other direction, letting out distorted cries of pain.

"Thanks..." I mumbled, though I knew now the little thing was going to finish me off.

It ran towards me, but before it could get to me, the orc archer was back, and it fired two arrows.

The first arrow hit me in the side that wasn't injured yet, and the second arrow landed right beside the goblin.

"Nyahhhh! Nyah!" The goblin charged at the archer but I couldn't see the fight as my vision blurred and my head began to spin.

"Oh, damn... I don't want to be in this cave anymore, and I definitely don't want to die..." I mumbled, wishing that I was back home in my bed. "Don't. Want. To. Die..." Those were my last words before everything dimmed, and went black. The last thing I saw was the goblin running towards me.

Author's Note: I believe this chapter was a bit better, though I think it might be too short. I hope it was better though. Also, if I get the name's of any people, places, or monsters wrong, please tell me, I won't mind. Also, I know that Orc Archer's aren't at the beginning of the Whale Island Cave, but I was making it like one ventured that way or something. The dungeon monster layout will not be exactly the same in any of the dungeons. The next chapter might be a bit longer if needed, please tell me if it is needed.