Home Sweet Home

"Okay, people, let's get going," I announced as I arrived at the foot of the stairs. "I have a fairly basic plan outlined for exactly where to go, if you want to hear it. Or you could just follow me and not ask any questions; either way, all is good."

Halting their conversation that they were engaged, Rand and Katt looked over at me. "Sure, Ryu," Rand said. "I'll hear what you have to say, and I'm sure Katt will too. I just hope it's something I like."

"Eh, it might be, it might not be. Okay, here it is. We head out from here over to Mt. Fubi, to the southwest. There's a path there that was cleared recently, so the journey from one side to another is fairly easy. On the west side of those mountains is a little shack that belongs to an old man. I saved that old man from death by cockroaches not too long ago, but that's another story. Anyways, my best friend is over there right now, helping that geezer with his house repairs. Last time I was there, it was in terrible disarray, and he needed a lot of help. Well, right now, the old timer's only got my pal, Bow, and no one else, and Ladon knows that boy's a terrible worker. Basically, I want to go check up on him, see how he's doing, and all that good stuff. And from there, I plan to return to Hometown, and ask some people around about the thief I'm searching over. They thought Bow stole this rich dude's treasure, even though he's innocent, but now that a little time has passed, they might believe differently. Tempers might have died down, you see. So yeah. Once I'm there, though, I don't really know where I'll go if I have no leads. I might just chill for a bit. You all are welcome to join me there if I stay. I have a room I'm renting, and it's plenty big enough for three.

"I'm going to say up front, it might turn out to be very dangerous, or it may all just be one long time for goofing-off. If we end up staying in town for a while, I doubt anything exciting will happen. But of course, if I get a plausible lead, we will probably hoof it into the wide world, and I know and you all know that it can be a rough place out there. So, I know you already said you're with me, but I'm giving this time to think your decision over. I'd hate for anything adverse to occur to you guys on account of me, so if you don't want to go, that is just fine with me. I would not blame you if you wanted to stay here, seeing as how Coursair is almost certainly safer than the lands outside, now that Augus is gone. So, for the final time, what do you say?"

They both paused, each looking as if they had something to contribute but holding it back. Rand placed his massive hand on his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. Evidently, he wasn't quite so gung-ho now. Katt stood stock still, in the same position as before, except now her tail was twitching some now and then. Eventually, she broke the silence. "We'll do it with you, Ryu," she volunteered. "I personally have nothing better to do, and as I said earlier, I'm been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time, so I might as well go, danger be damned. And I know Rand still wants to go, right Rand?" She gazed up at him, a steely glint in her eyes.

Rand eyed her warily. He was probably still afraid of what she could do to him. "Uhhhhh, yeah," he said slowly. "I should be able to handle anything nature throws at me, so I'm with you, Ryu. Count me in."

I sighed. "Whew. Great. I thought maybe you guys might chicken out or something after I mentioned the danger, but I guess I'm traveling with hardened veterans. Goodie.

"Well, then. Let me officially welcome you to my party. Rand, welcome to the group. I hope you enjoy yourself. I'm praying we have a heck of a good time together." He bowed his head in thankfulness.

I turned to face Katt. "And you, Ms., are also welcomed into my little tribe. I sincerely hope you have a good time on this trip. It'd be a shame if you don't like it."

"Oh, I think I will. I haven't a vacation in such a long time, thanks to me being champion for such a long time. It'll be good for me to get out and stretch some, right?"

"Right. Oh, hey, Katt, I've been meaning to ask you something since I met you. I've already asked Rand, but he couldn't help, so I figured I could ask you. Okay, here it is. Have you, by any chance, ever seen a woman with blue-blackish hair and a pair of bat-like wings on her back in any of your travels recently?"

Katt put a finger to her mouth and glanced upward, no doubt digging deep into the recesses of her mind for the answer. I waited expectantly for her to say something positive; I did not want to be disappointed again.

"Well, sorry to say, Ryu, I have never seen anyone like that in my life. Whatcha looking for her for?"

"Oh, it's just that she stole something, actually a bunch of somethings, from a rich guy over in Hometown, and she fled the scene before she could be caught. But the bad thing is, my friend was in the house at the same time as her, because he was retrieving something for some other dude. And of course, when the guards came, she had already split, and he was still there. He managed to get away, but they saw his face, and now they think he stole Trout's things. So I had to take him over to Mt. Fubi and dump him off at someone's house (this is the same guy I mentioned earlier). And I promised him I would go off looking for this girl so I could clear his name. That is why I am looking for this person."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I hope you find her soon. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help."

"That's quite alright. She's bound to turn up eventually. A girl like that is easily noticeable. Anyways, welcome, both of you. Now, let us leave this crap town, and go forth to a crap house. Onward!

-------------------

"Whew!" I gasped out. Finally, we had arrived back at Niro's. The trip had taken far longer than usual, for I was not traveling alone anymore. Trips always take longer when more people are tagging along, I've noticed.

When we were first starting out from Coursair, I had politely asked Rand to try to take us by his little rolling technique, and he had said sure. But whenever Katt and I got on, and he started going, he almost immediately threw us off. His speed was incredible, and seeing as how we were unaccustomed to going at such a fast pace, we were unable to hang on. Following that, I decided that it was probably in our best interests to walk over there. And so we did, and after approximately two hours, or about an hour and a half longer that it would have taken had I been alone, we had arrived.

Man, I hated traveling with people. Sure, they provided someone to talk to, but solitude is the way to go, I say. And since that's usually all they're good for, having Katt and Rand tag along was near pointless. All they did was drone on endlessly about how hot it was, how they hated the field monsters, and other such trivial things. But I had to realize the truth. Having them come along now would likely be good for me later. And after all, if all went well, I would be traveling with those two for quite a while. So, it would probably be a good idea to get used to them.

Anyways, as I was saying, we had finally completed our mini-journey and arrived at Niro's shack. As I looked around, I was slightly disappointed to see that the house didn't look too much from last time. Of course, I understood that Bow was alone in working on it, so I didn't really mind too much. It would have been great to arrive back and see it complete and furnished with all new everything, but I realized that was way too unrealistic; after all, I had only been gone a couple of days. Maybe I should really consider leaving Rand here with him; Katt was plenty tough enough by herself, and with me by her side, we would have no problems with any rogues. It would be tough to part with the big fellow, but it might be necessary. But if it wasn't, I would surely take him along with me. I made up my mind to ask Niro if he needed him before I left. But right now, I wanted to just catch up with my pal, and not worry about what might or might not happen.

"Hey, Bow," I called out weakly. "Hey, man, I'm back! Get out here!"

I heard a crash from somewhere inside. "Ryu! Is that you?" Bow's voice called out. "Hey, come on in. I found a few chairs yesterday, so you can take a seat there in the front room. I'm up here on the roof; wait a sec and I'll be right down."

"Okay." I moved forward into the house, motioning for Rand and Katt to follow me inside. They did so, but hesitantly, no doubt concerned about the large piles of debris strewn everywhere.

As we walked around, I took a look around. Well, it didn't look too much different, but, as Bow said, there were now a few seats arranged around the tiny dining table. That was a start, albeit a fairly insignificant one. But, with a house in this bad a state of disrepair, anything that contributes to its improvement is a step in the right direction, I suppose.

A loud noise brought my attention to the back of the house. There, a ladder leaned up against the frail walls, and Bow, Niro above him, was descending it with a toolbox in his hand. Both of them were very sweaty and dirty, and I suddenly felt hesitant about introducing them to my pals. I had wanted them to make a good impression, but I shouldn't have had my hopes so high. But seeing as how I couldn't just get up and leave, I waited for them to come our direction.

"Ryu!" Bow shouted out, a big grin on his face. "Welcome back to our humble abode. Any news on the thief yet?"

He looked so hopeful I hated to have to dash his feelings. I sighed deeply and began, trying to sound as sad as possible. "Unfortunately, Bow, no such luck. This whole time I've been gone, I was after a coliseum fighter who I thought might be able to help, but she couldn't. And speaking of her, I'd like to introduce her to you, as well as this other person here with me. Bow, this girl here is Katt, and the big fellow's Rand. Katt and Rand, meet Bow, my best buddy since childhood."

Bow walked over to both of them and shook their hands, being careful not to stare at Rand any. I was glad to see he at least hadn't become uncivilized while working out here. Once he was through introducing himself, he wandered back over to where Niro was standing.

That reminded me. I couldn't forget to introduce the old timer. "Oh yeah, and that man over there, Katt and Rand, is Niro. He's the owner of this house."

Niro gave a little wave to the both of them, and they returned it. However, he didn't go over to shake their hands, which some might have considered rude, but I it understood perfectly. He was old, after all, and he had just been working hard.

"Okay, well, that just about takes cares of the introductions," I said. "And now, it's time to talk. How's it hanging around here, Bow? Getting a lot of work done?"

I was being slightly sarcastic, but I don't think Bow could tell. He shook his head slowly. "No, man. To tell the truth, we have gotten squat done. It's a lot of work, and two guys probably won't cut it. I have a feeling I'll be here a long time. My apologies to you that I won't be able to assist on your quest. Or have you stopped it?"

"What? Oh, no. It's hasn't been cancelled, but it is on hiatus right now. Like I said, my best hunch led to a dead end, and for now, I'm planning to head to Hometown and rest there for a little while. Most likely, I won't find any clues there, but at least I can get a little shut-eye and not be disturbed. You know what I'm saying, man?"

"Yeah, I hear you Ryu. I haven't had any sleep whatsoever since I got here, and, although that's only been a couple of days, it feels like a month. I mean, wow. It's real tough doing repair work on a house; I've never fixed anything before in my life, big or small: I always gave whatever I had broken to the maid. So now, I'm learning the hard way that I shouldn't have spent so much time on my arse growing up and should have been working a real job. That ranger stuff we did (I guess we're technically still employed) is nothing compared to this. So yeah, in a nutshell, it's tough, and I don't know how much more of it I can stand. Listen," and here he pulled me aside, away from the hearing range of my companions. "That Rand fellow looks plenty buff, and we could really his help. A 70-year old and a guy who's never done manual labor in his life are pathetic at this job. I know he's your companion right now, and you have every right to refuse my request. But I'm going to ask: Would you mind parting with Rand for a few days, weeks, even months (though I doubt it'll take that long) so that he can assist us here at the house? I imagine with him helping, our work output could be tripled, or quadrupled, even. And then, we can get it done real fast (hopefully), and I can go help you find our thief! We'll be the Ryu and Bow team once again! How about it, meister? What do you say?"

I knew it. It had happened just as I had predicted. But that was cool. I had made up in my mind a few minutes before, that if Bow or Niro had requested Rand's services in the reconstruction of the house, I would comply. I had been thinking about it earlier, but I had decided now. I had to do it. For the sake of Bow, and me. I could make it for a little bit with just Katt by my side, especially since I wasn't planning on doing anything dangerous in the future.

I nodded to my friend. "Bow, I would not normally part with my friends like this, but in this case, I will make an exception. If it's all right with him, Rand can work here for as long as you need him. I realize that this house's repair comes before my needs, and I have no problems with that. I'll ask him later on, and if he says yes, then he'll stay here with you and Niro. If not, he'll come with me, I guess, and much as I would hate to do it, I would have to leave you to work by yourself. So, I hope he does say yes; that way, you all can get this place cleaned up in no time. Maybe you can even make a separate house or something for you, me, and my companions. That's just an idea, though. Don't do it if you don't feel like it."

He bowed his head. "Ryu, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you."

"No problem, Bow. Now, how about we go back and join our companions? I think they're getting worried about us."

"Yeah, you're right. It's my fault. But I had to ask you now, or I would have forgotten. You know how I am."

"Indeed I do. But no matter. Let's go."

We wandered back over to where Rand, Katt, and Niro were sitting. They were chatting about something, but whenever we approached, they quit and looked up at us.

"So, what's the deal, boys?" Niro asked us. "Are you going to stay here with us, Ryu, or are you going to keep looking for that thief of yours? And are you going to go off with Ryu, Bow, or stick with me here?"

"Well, actually, sir," I began. "There's something that needs to be done first before I can answer your question. It's a request to Rand."

My friend's ear twitched at the sound of his name. "What is it, Ryu? I have a feeling I know what it will be, but go ahead anyways."

"It's like this, Rand. This house, as you can no doubt see, is in terrible condition. My friend Bow over there, as well as Niro, has been working on it a little while, and no real improvement has come about. Granted, they haven't been working on it a very long time, but whatever. The point is, it's quite a challenge mending anything, let alone a house, with such a small work team, as I'm sure you're well aware of. What I humbly ask you, and I really hate to have to ask at all, is this: Will you be willing to stay here at this house and assist Bow and Niro in mending it? As I explained to you and Katt earlier, it will likely be very boring staying at Hometown, which is what I plan on doing for a bit. So, I'm giving you the opportunity to get to work in here, where your services would be greatly appreciated by all. And once ya'll are finished with the repairs, which shouldn't take an exorbitant amount of time, you and Bow can rejoin me in my quest. What do you say to that offer?"

Rand paused for a few moments, contemplating. No doubt it was a very difficult decision to make. I, as well as Bow and everyone else, waited with bated breath to see what he would end up saying. Much hinged upon his decision.

"All right," he said after a long period of silence. "I'll do it. Just for you, Ryu. But," he added with a half-grin, "you owe me big for this."

"Wow. Thanks a lot, man. I'm sorry if I pressured you, but I had to ask. After all, it's nearing time for me to head home. Don't want to wait until it's too dark to see, you know?"

"I hear you, man. And don't worry about it. I was figuring you were going to ask for my help in some way, shape, or form sooner or later. What with my size and all."

He didn't try to sound it, but I could tell he was slightly disappointed in not being able to accompany me. But, after all, it would in all likelihood be boring, and I didn't want him to get disillusioned with the whole "epic quest" thing by sticking around a horrendously lethargic town with nothing to do. So, in a way, I was doing him a favor (but I didn't feel it wise to express this thought verbally).

I bowed my head in gratefulness. "Again, thanks a lot for understanding, Rand. I hope I won't be gone too long, so that we can continue our quest.

"And now, guys, Katt and I have to be heading out. I'm really sorry that this visit of ours lasted such a brief time, for I have looked forward to it for a while. But I need to go catch some Z's over at Hometown. It's been a pretty hard day for me. So, again, my sincerest apologies to all of you for not being able to stay longer."

They all nodded. "We understand, Ryu," Bow offered. "We know you've been working your arse off these past couple of days trying to locate that stupid thief, and we, well, more like I, appreciate it sincerely. Go take your break. You've earned one, and you sure could use it. And anytime you're ready, you go ahead and continue in your search. Take as long as you need. In fact, it would probably be better to take as long as you can; that way, we can have the house all fixed up when you return. Now, go, good sir."

"I'm going, Bow. I'll try my best to find our thief and bring her to justice. And then, we can do whatever.

"So, later to all of you. Rand, thanks a lot for staying behind. I know it's gonna suck, but I'm sure you can handle it. Enjoy yourself."

He nodded. "I'll try, Ryu. I'll try."

"Good. Well, then, good-bye Niro, Bow, Rand. Have a good work time."

They all waved. I returned the gesture, then turned, and with Katt at my side, headed out the door and onto the plains once more.