In the complete dark of the small cave we sat catching our breath. After my breathing steadied I pulled a torch out of my bag, which I never went anywhere without, then lit it so we could see. The girl was sitting against the stone cave walls while Ryan was sprawled across the floor.
"Ryan?" I said trying to get his attention. The girl looked over to Ryan, moving closer. Holding the torch in my left hand, I hurried over to my friend and leader, hoping he wasn't hurt.
He was breathing, it came out raspy but steady. I sat him up against the wall with the help of the girl.
"So," I began after we sat in awkward silence for a while, "Who are you, and where did you come from?"
"Oh, I'm Aurora, and I'm from, er… well, not exactly a faction..." she said looking at the gravel wall that stood between us and the mobs.
"A village?" I offered, glad to be carrying a conversation with our real voices, distracting from the mobs outside. She nodded, but the expression on her face suggested the name didn't quite fit.
"I- I know this seems unlikely," I said looking at her closely, "but, I did have a dream where I saw you both leaving the End. Have you heard the legends before, about it?" I asked her, not moving my eyes from Ryan who was looking a little pale in the torch light.
"A dream about the End?" she asked looking at me. "I've- uh, I've heard of the place before."
"Yeah, I normally don't dream, so this of .all things is very strange."
"Yeah, it kinda is…" we sat in silence once more, the only sound being the groaning of zombies outside of the small cave.
"All in all, I'm just glad to have our leader back." I finally commented, smiling at Ryan.
"Your leader!?" Aurora exclaimed.
"Yeah," I said looking at the girl, "He didn't tell you?"
"No, he didn't," she replied looking slightly offended.
"Don't take it personally, we never say our ranks until we know the person fairly well." I said, thinking of Naomi. "It's just a matter of security."
"So what's your position in your faction?" she asked me.
"Classified," I replied, biting my cheek so that I wouldn't smile.
"Oh come on, please?" she begged.
"I was just kidding," I said stifling a laugh, "I am general Luna. Pleased to meet you, Aurora."
~*Time Skip Time*~
I pushed some of the gravel away from where it had covered the entrance. Ryan was blinking in and out of conscious which was worrying me. Aurora said she gave him a pain pill before they set off that kept him from using the chat, and that was why he hadn't contacted me when they first got there. I just hoped that it wasn't what was causing his condition now.
As I moved one of the rocks, sunlight hit my face causing me to stumble backwards. I normally didn't go to the surface, let alone be there at sunrise when it was shining right into my face- as it rose right between two mountain peaks.
"Are you okay?" Aurora asked me as I shielded my eyes. I noticed she did the same, but I passed it off as her reaction to sitting in near-darkness all night long.
"Yeah, I'm good. Come on, let's get Ryan out of here and into Gold faction," I said as I cleared more of the gravel away. Soon, we could get through.
Aurora and I held Ryan up by wrapping his arms around the backs of our necks while we held them there, or if he was feeling more conscious he could help us. Aurora had explained he had a crutch, but it would be useless if he wasn't awake enough to use it. It would be hard walking across a plain, let alone up a mountain. Even so, I was surprised she was doing so well for such a young girl. We were just out of sight from the guard tower so I didn't have to fire an arrow, good thing too. I didn't think I could have made it if my life depended on it, which it does.
Of course, that was a weakness in our defenses. But it was helpful in this one very specific situation, which would hopefully never happen again.
Once we got to the tunnel entrance, the night guard- who was just ending his shift- came rushing over. When he saw Ryan I could tell he was about to ask a million questions, so I answered them in one sentence.
"Ryan needs medical attention, I will explain everything soon," he nodded and let us pass into the tunnels with the guide that stayed up there 24/7.
Traveling the tunnels normally was hard enough, but try doing it with an unconscious person slowing you down. The guide tried to help, but couldn't do much except hold the torch.
Every so often a bat would fly over us, and every time Aurora would squeal in fright. The first time she did it, she let go of Ryan and him and I fell to the ground. With Aurora apologizing like nuts, I had to wonder where she was from. People, even kids, just weren't like she was around here.
As we entered the main area, every person we passed just about fainted, and one actually did. I was about to join him, seeing as I was exhausted. I had stayed up all night while Aurora had gotten at least a little sleep, as far as I could tell.
The second we stumbled into the med-bay I about fell flat on my face. I would have too, if it wasn't for Rose, who was standing by Naomi, awake and alert.
Luna, is that Ryan?! Dragon exclaimed in the chat as she rushed over to us. B- but, how?!
I tried to say something, but all I could manage was a nod. Yes, this was Ryan all right. Rose helped me to one of the beds as Dragon did the same with Ryan, who was feeling a little more awake it seemed. I wanted to tell them about what the heck happened, but I passed out from exhaustion before I could say anything.
Groggily, I sat up rubbing my head because of a dull ache pounding through it. I looked around what I thought was my room only to see it was the med-bay. Great, I thought, one would think they'd put me back in my room.
I felt more awake when I saw Ryan, sitting on the edge of his bed. He hadn't noticed that I had woken up yet, but the girl- er, Aurora, sure did.
"How're you feeling?" she asked out loud which was beginning to bug me. It was one thing to use your voice as a distraction, it was another to use it for no purpose at all.
I'm fine. I replied in the chat, but only heard my voice bounce off her and come back to me. She didn't even seem to notice that I had tried to message her, but was instead looking at me expectantly.
Cocking my eyebrow I asked aloud, "Why don't you use the chat?" It was possible to completely ignore anyone trying to speak to you through the chat, I mean I managed to only hear people in our faction, but why would anyone do that? Or could she be… unable to use it in the first place? Sure, sometimes people talked aloud to distract from other noises, to get more attention, emphasis like that. But all the time? What if something happened to her, and she was gagged, hurt, or too far away from everyone else?
Ryan was now looking at me, so he answered for her, "She never learned how. It's not that she doesn't, she can't."
"Well that's annoying." I replied, rolling my eyes, "So I guess we have to talk aloud if we want her to hear us?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry." she said, looking at the floor in shame.
Sighing, Dragon, can Rose set aside some of her time and teach Aurora here how to use the chat?
Yes I'm sure she can. Right Rose? Rose nodded her head happily.
"Rose here is gonna teach you how to use the chat a little, at least enough so you can hear us." I told Aurora who seemed a little against saying yes, but she nodded after some thought.
Rose began to jump up and down in joy as she walked over to Aurora to get started. They were about the same age so I figured they'd get along.
Looking over to Ryan I asked in the chat, Can you use the chat now? At all?
Yeah a… a little. He replied facing me, So, what did I miss?
Well, lets see. We went on a five day search for you, only to find the portal to the End broken, after we figured out where you went. While we were heading home we came across a woman in need of help, her name is Naomi. She was hurt badly, so we brought her back here. That's her over there carving wood for no reason, I finished motioning, to the bed beside Ryan where Naomi was whittling away at the wood in her hands.
I'm sorry I ran off, he said, looking at the floor, to hide the slight smile on his face.
How about a little warning before you run off to another dimension? I joked.
He laughed, Yeah, will do.
We had always been like this- he does something stupid, I have to clean it up, and we joke about it later, or vice versa. I wasn't perfect. Some people in the faction thought we'd end up together, but I knew I'd never have feelings like that, especially for him. We were just really good friends, that's all.
I watched Naomi carve away at the wood as if it had done something to her mother. I was about to ask what she was doing, but Kyle, the head guard, chose that time to come running in with a letter in his hands.
What's up? Ryan asked, seeing the letter he was clutching in his hands.
Cobble faction, Horse faction, and Quartz faction all have called for a meeting in the hidden valley! Kyle exclaimed as he handed the letter to Ryan. I sprung up from my bed, and practically lept over to sit beside him and read over his shoulder like I always did. I acted mature when it's expected, but when I'm just around Ryan and Dragon, maybe Rose, I can bring out my childish side I never got to use as a kid.
Two days huh. Ryan mused, We'll need to head out at dawn if we're to get there in time.
Great, I sighed, We get back and right afterwards we have to go running off again. Well at least I'm not in charge of this journey.
Ryan laughed a little, but Dragon just sighed and looked over to Naomi.
What about her, Dragon began, looking over to Naomi who was trying her best to stay out of our business, which I was thankful for. We can't just leave her here.
I won't cause any trouble, promise. I'll help out, wherever, if you need it. Take it as my thanks for helping me. If I try anything, feel free to have your guards shoot me down or something, Naomi said, looking up from her wood.
Dragon didn't look convinced, but Ryan replied gratefully,We'd love the help. May I ask what faction you're a part of?
Factionless, if you'd believe it. I actually… she trails off, looking over to the door of Rose's room.
At that Rose and Aurora appeared from the room in question, where they'd gone to practice using the chat without all of us watching. Aurora was nervously fingering the straps of the strange contraption of sorts she was wearing on her back, and I offhandedly wondered what it's for. I'd have to remember to ask her later, as I'd seen nothing like it before.
I'll prepare the supplies for your journey. Will Aurora be going too? Rose joined in.
Ryan was silent for a moment, considering his answer, Yes... She'll just have to stick with a captain or they'll kill her the second you step foot in the valley.
I glanced at Aurora to see if she'd heard, but it didn't seem like it.
"Are you trying to talk to me again? You're making the same face you did last time," she asked me.
"Yes," I began, "but it doesn't seem you can hear me. It's okay, you'll get better with practice."
Aurora smiled before she asked aloud, "So, er, where will I be sleeping? T- that is, if you don't want me to leave right now. I've done all that I was sent to do, I can leave."
Ryan shrugged, so that left me to consider the options, "Well you could sleep here, or there are a few extra rooms we have set aside for when Jayde visits. Considering the fact you nearly died along with Ryan last night, I don't think it's a good idea for us to just throw you out. We'll have someone go with you for at least part of your journey, if you're not comfortable with them going all the way." I paused for a moment, briefly wondering why anyone would let a girl who looked to be barely a teenager go out on such a journey.
"I'll take one of the rooms f- for now, thank you. Um, who's Jayde?"
"Oh, Jayde is leader of Cobble faction, and Ryan's sister." I replied looking over to Ryan who was engrossed in Naomi's project.
Aurora nodded before Rose lead her away.
"Oh yeah!" Aurora exclaimed before she could leave, "I left my basket of things in the flower forest when we had to run from the mobs. Could someone maybe go get it? It's got my food and clothes and stuff in it." Who uses a basket instead of just a normal backpack? Well, her, apparently.
"Okay," I replied, "I'll get one of the mountain guards to go get it." She left with a smile on her face.
I called for a messenger to tell one of the guards to go get their things, and he ran off the second I finished speaking with a, Yes ma'am.
Sighing I stood up from the bed, and left the med-bay, saying goodbye to everyone in there. I stumbled to my room, still tired from the long night before. This time, I managed to take my armor off before I fell asleep, but didn't change into my pajamas.
Chaoter written by Author 1
