Episode 6- Quest for the Wish Orb? Let's Go!
"So, where does our quest lead us next?" asked Sirrus, looking around the scenic Pepper Town.
Kindro smiled as he sat down on a bench and looked at the cloudy sky, where the bright sun lay
hidden under folds of air. "The mountain you see in the far distance is known as Dark Mountain.
It is said that high up near the peak, there is a large and strange castle where a powerful wish
stone is hidden. As I told you before, the orb can grant any wish."
"Good. I'll wish myself something to eat," replied Sirrus.
"How are you feeling, Zaki?" asked Nago as he sat next to her on a bench on the sidewalk as cars
whizzed down the road.
Zaki looked at him. "I'm a little less mad," she said. "I'm still pissed that you left me there,
though."
"We weren't thinking straight. And Sirrus promised he wouldn't do that anymore."
"Well good. You know, now that I know you a little bit better, and now that I have some clothes
on, you're a sweet kid, Nago."
"Thanks."
Kindro looked up at the tree above him and saw that it was full of apples. "Man, I could sure go
for an apple."
Nago smiled. "Okay," he said, pulling out his staff. The staff elongated at a rapid speed, hitting an
apple in the tree and knocking it into Kindro's hands. Kindro stared at Nago as the staff returned
to normal size and he stuffed it back on the side of his backpack.
"How did you do that?"
"I didn't do it. This was my dad's staff," replied Nago.
"Oh," murmured Kindro.
------------------------
Within an hour, the group was headed toward Dark Mountain once again, each of them eager to
see this treasure. Kindro took up the lead with Nago walking beside him, while Sirrus and Zaki
trailed behind. Zaki whispered to Sirrus. "Sirrus... do you really think we can trust him? I mean,
he was a criminal."
Sirrus looked at the girl. "Yes, but I too have heard tales of magic in these hills. Believe me, if he
had wanted to ditch us, he would have done it a long time ago."
"Kindro, how long until we reach the mountain?" asked Nago.
"It won't be a quick trip, kid. I'd imagine about three or four days at the least."
"Why don't you fly up there?"
"While I can fly, the ability to fly coincides with my endurance to withstand the pull of gravity and
all that other stuff. This means that I can only fly for a limited amount of time. The longest I've
ever flown was about ten minutes."
"So if you get stronger, then maybe you can fly longer?"
"Yes, that's the idea."
Nago stopped walking and looked at the trees and bushes to the left of the forest path. They
rustled, then quieted down. Nago pulled out his staff, prepared to fight, while the others all turned
to see what was making the noise. Suddenly, a huge creature bounded out of the brush, startling
the travelers and knocking them to the ground. Nago flipped over and landed on his feet, waiting
for the monster's next move. The beast was huge, and stood on two furry hind legs. Its mouth
was filled with teeth that inched out from the monster's head, set low on its back.
"I AM TROG, THE GUARDIAN OF THE FOREST. ANY WHO WISH TO PASS MUST
FIRST ANSWER MY QUESTION. IF THEY SUCCEED, THEY CAN CONTINUE ON. IF
THEY FAIL, I SHALL EAT THEM!"
Zaki screamed and fainted in Sirrus' arms. Nago stepped forward, staff in hands. "I will accept
your challenge."
"I DANCE WITH THE SUN, HOLD HANDS WITH THE MOON, TURN MONKEYS TO
MEN, AND CAUSE VOLCANOS TO EXPLODE. I'M UNSEEN BY THE EYE, AND MOVE
FAST AND SLOW, AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME."
"What?" said Kindro, looking at the creature. "I don't get it."
"Dammit, I hope Nago knows what he's doing," uttered Sirrus.
Nago stood in the center of the forest path, thinking. He stared intently at the sun barely
penetrating through the ceiling of leaves and branches. His mind traversed itself. Then he spoke
up. "Time."
"WHAT?" asked the beast.
"The answer is time. Time causes it to turn from day to night, causes evolution through the ages,
and can cause volcanos to explode. It can't be seen or touched, and can be perceived as fast or
slow. And no one can stop time."
Everyone stared at the beast. The beast looked at Nago. "AARRRRRHHHHH!!! HOW DID
YOU KNOW?! I MADE THAT ONE UP MYSELF! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU FIGURED IT
OUT!"
"Well, it was pretty hard. Does that make you feel any better?"
"NOT REALLY. NO ONE HAS EVER FIGURED OUT MY RIDDLES. I ALWAYS WIN,"
replied the monster, sitting down on the ground. Nago patted it on the back.
"Hey, you tried your best."
"WHATEVER. YOU GUYS WIN, GO ON AHEAD."
The group scooted uneasily past the giant upset monster. Nago looked at it. "Maybe telling
riddles and eating people isn't your destiny. I'm sure you have other qualities that make you
individual."
"WELL, I AM A PRETTY GOOD COOK."
"See? We don't have enough cooks in the world anyway. I bet you could revolutionize the field of
cooking as we know it."
"MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT. THANKS, HUMAN. I THINK I'LL GO HOME AND PRACTICE
RIGHT NOW!" said the monster, running off into the forest.
Nago turned to the others. Kindro just stared. "You sure have a way with evil beasts."
"Well, I knew he was nice on the inside."
Sirrus sweatdropped. Zaki walked over to Nago and draped her hand around his shoulder. "Well,
I think what you did was very sweet," she said, kissing him on the cheek. Nago blushed.
Kindro muttered. "Come on, you guys, let's get moving. I don't have time for this."
Nago and Zaki rejoined the others and they continued on their journey for the mystical orb.
"So, where does our quest lead us next?" asked Sirrus, looking around the scenic Pepper Town.
Kindro smiled as he sat down on a bench and looked at the cloudy sky, where the bright sun lay
hidden under folds of air. "The mountain you see in the far distance is known as Dark Mountain.
It is said that high up near the peak, there is a large and strange castle where a powerful wish
stone is hidden. As I told you before, the orb can grant any wish."
"Good. I'll wish myself something to eat," replied Sirrus.
"How are you feeling, Zaki?" asked Nago as he sat next to her on a bench on the sidewalk as cars
whizzed down the road.
Zaki looked at him. "I'm a little less mad," she said. "I'm still pissed that you left me there,
though."
"We weren't thinking straight. And Sirrus promised he wouldn't do that anymore."
"Well good. You know, now that I know you a little bit better, and now that I have some clothes
on, you're a sweet kid, Nago."
"Thanks."
Kindro looked up at the tree above him and saw that it was full of apples. "Man, I could sure go
for an apple."
Nago smiled. "Okay," he said, pulling out his staff. The staff elongated at a rapid speed, hitting an
apple in the tree and knocking it into Kindro's hands. Kindro stared at Nago as the staff returned
to normal size and he stuffed it back on the side of his backpack.
"How did you do that?"
"I didn't do it. This was my dad's staff," replied Nago.
"Oh," murmured Kindro.
------------------------
Within an hour, the group was headed toward Dark Mountain once again, each of them eager to
see this treasure. Kindro took up the lead with Nago walking beside him, while Sirrus and Zaki
trailed behind. Zaki whispered to Sirrus. "Sirrus... do you really think we can trust him? I mean,
he was a criminal."
Sirrus looked at the girl. "Yes, but I too have heard tales of magic in these hills. Believe me, if he
had wanted to ditch us, he would have done it a long time ago."
"Kindro, how long until we reach the mountain?" asked Nago.
"It won't be a quick trip, kid. I'd imagine about three or four days at the least."
"Why don't you fly up there?"
"While I can fly, the ability to fly coincides with my endurance to withstand the pull of gravity and
all that other stuff. This means that I can only fly for a limited amount of time. The longest I've
ever flown was about ten minutes."
"So if you get stronger, then maybe you can fly longer?"
"Yes, that's the idea."
Nago stopped walking and looked at the trees and bushes to the left of the forest path. They
rustled, then quieted down. Nago pulled out his staff, prepared to fight, while the others all turned
to see what was making the noise. Suddenly, a huge creature bounded out of the brush, startling
the travelers and knocking them to the ground. Nago flipped over and landed on his feet, waiting
for the monster's next move. The beast was huge, and stood on two furry hind legs. Its mouth
was filled with teeth that inched out from the monster's head, set low on its back.
"I AM TROG, THE GUARDIAN OF THE FOREST. ANY WHO WISH TO PASS MUST
FIRST ANSWER MY QUESTION. IF THEY SUCCEED, THEY CAN CONTINUE ON. IF
THEY FAIL, I SHALL EAT THEM!"
Zaki screamed and fainted in Sirrus' arms. Nago stepped forward, staff in hands. "I will accept
your challenge."
"I DANCE WITH THE SUN, HOLD HANDS WITH THE MOON, TURN MONKEYS TO
MEN, AND CAUSE VOLCANOS TO EXPLODE. I'M UNSEEN BY THE EYE, AND MOVE
FAST AND SLOW, AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME."
"What?" said Kindro, looking at the creature. "I don't get it."
"Dammit, I hope Nago knows what he's doing," uttered Sirrus.
Nago stood in the center of the forest path, thinking. He stared intently at the sun barely
penetrating through the ceiling of leaves and branches. His mind traversed itself. Then he spoke
up. "Time."
"WHAT?" asked the beast.
"The answer is time. Time causes it to turn from day to night, causes evolution through the ages,
and can cause volcanos to explode. It can't be seen or touched, and can be perceived as fast or
slow. And no one can stop time."
Everyone stared at the beast. The beast looked at Nago. "AARRRRRHHHHH!!! HOW DID
YOU KNOW?! I MADE THAT ONE UP MYSELF! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU FIGURED IT
OUT!"
"Well, it was pretty hard. Does that make you feel any better?"
"NOT REALLY. NO ONE HAS EVER FIGURED OUT MY RIDDLES. I ALWAYS WIN,"
replied the monster, sitting down on the ground. Nago patted it on the back.
"Hey, you tried your best."
"WHATEVER. YOU GUYS WIN, GO ON AHEAD."
The group scooted uneasily past the giant upset monster. Nago looked at it. "Maybe telling
riddles and eating people isn't your destiny. I'm sure you have other qualities that make you
individual."
"WELL, I AM A PRETTY GOOD COOK."
"See? We don't have enough cooks in the world anyway. I bet you could revolutionize the field of
cooking as we know it."
"MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT. THANKS, HUMAN. I THINK I'LL GO HOME AND PRACTICE
RIGHT NOW!" said the monster, running off into the forest.
Nago turned to the others. Kindro just stared. "You sure have a way with evil beasts."
"Well, I knew he was nice on the inside."
Sirrus sweatdropped. Zaki walked over to Nago and draped her hand around his shoulder. "Well,
I think what you did was very sweet," she said, kissing him on the cheek. Nago blushed.
Kindro muttered. "Come on, you guys, let's get moving. I don't have time for this."
Nago and Zaki rejoined the others and they continued on their journey for the mystical orb.