A New Friend For Bit
Bit ran all the way to the next town. Once there, he ran to the general store. "I need help! An imperial patrol and an imperial caravan were turned to stone by a monster. All of our Softeners were crushed when the beast died. I need to purchase some Softeners, but I don't have any money. So can you accept an IOU from the caravan leader?" he asked.
"Say no more," said the manager, "I'll be happy to go there myself. We'll just take all of the people to the clinic in town. Come with me, I'm going to get help to bring them all in." He then went to recruit some townspeople to help.
* * *
A few hours later, all of the people in the caravan were getting treated in the clinic. Bit was standing by Scott's side, trying to help his friend in anyway he could. Scott was no longer a statue, but he was still sleeping. Bit was beginning to worry about his best friend. He turned towards the doctor, and inquired, "When will he get better?"
"It'll take a few more days," replied the doctor, "These people are still weak from the petrifaction. They need to rest and relax."
"But I need to get back to the capital!" yelled Bit.
The doctor sighed. "Just take the road you came here on. It shouldn't take more than two weeks of traveling to get there."
* * *
What Bit hadn't realized that the road split into two about a day later. He couldn't remember which road the caravan had come from, as he'd been asleep at the time. So he figured out where to go by using the age- old secret.
"Eeny, Meny, Miny, Mo. Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. Eeny, Meny, Miny, Mo," chanted Bit. In the end, he landed on the right path. Then, he turned right, and walked down his chosen path.
* * *
A day later, Bit came to an old fortress. It looked like it had been burned down recently. Since he knew he might have been asleep at the time he passed it before, Bit couldn't tell if he'd taken a wrong turn. So he passed by the fortress and continued onwards.
Soon, Bit felt as if the ground was covered with dry brush. It also felt as if he was standing on air. Before Bit could figure out what was going on, the ground dropped out from under him. He fell down a hole, and landed at the bottom of the pit.
As Bit tried to assess his situation, he heard a woman's voice from above. "Well, well, well, look at what I caught in my hunting trap. A foolish imperial soldier. Maybe now dad and Leon will treat me with some respect. Come up now, I'm taking you back to the capital."
She lowered a rope, and Bit climbed up. When he saw the girl, he was quite amazed. She was about sixteen years old, and was wearing a bright yellow sleeveless dress with what looked like golden threads mixed in for the effect. Her eyes were an ethereal violet shade, and her hair was short and magenta colored. Adorning her head was a red jewel with two golden marbles and a pair of purple sticks magically orbiting it. A black choker rested on her neck. In her hand, the girl held a rod like the kind used by sorceresses. The girl studied Bit. He wasn't wearing the traditional armor of an imperial soldier. It looked too worn for a soldier on patrol. And under it wasn't the typical royal tunic and breeches, but ragged clothing like that worn by a poor man. In fact, the only thing that looked like wealth on him was the jeweled collar on his neck. Even his sword was battered.
"Who are you?" she demanded, "You don't look like an imperial soldier, but you came from the direction of the empire."
Bit replied, "I'm a slave in the imperial palace. But the caravan I was working on was attacked by a monster, and I'm the only one whose sill healthy. I'm trying to find my way back home. But I guess I took a wrong turn. Sorry to bother you miss." He turned to head back the way he came in order to return to the fork in the road and go the other way.
The girl grabbed Bit's arm. "Don't go. You're just a slave in the empire. You can come back to Jatiran City with me and start a new life for yourself."
"But I don't know what freedom is," confessed Bit, "I've been a slave ever since I was an infant. How can I life without someone to direct my life."
The girl told him, "I can help you. My name is Leena Toros, the daughter of one of the richest families in all of Jatiran. My father wants me to get myself a bodyguard, and I can hire you. You'd have a direction in life, but would also be able to live free."
Bit considered her offer. The young girl did seem like a nice person. Also, Bit had always wondered what "freedom" was like, albeit he didn't want to betray the people who had raised him. He had also heard stories about slaves who showed such loyalty to there masters-by saving their lives when they very well could have escaped slavery-that they were granted their freedom. What Bit had done seemed to fit that bill, so he was technically free now. That meant that him going with Leena wouldn't be betraying his master.
"I've just one thing to say before I go back with you," he replied, "My name is Bit Cloud. I'm sure we'll get along great together."
Leena smiled. She wanted a bodyguard who'd be able to act like a friend to her. Bit seemed like he would do this for her. As well as help her with a little problem that she'd been having for some time now. Only he could keep the problem under control.
- - - -
So what is Leena's problem? And what will she tell her dad about her new bodyguard? These answers and more in the next chapter.
Bit ran all the way to the next town. Once there, he ran to the general store. "I need help! An imperial patrol and an imperial caravan were turned to stone by a monster. All of our Softeners were crushed when the beast died. I need to purchase some Softeners, but I don't have any money. So can you accept an IOU from the caravan leader?" he asked.
"Say no more," said the manager, "I'll be happy to go there myself. We'll just take all of the people to the clinic in town. Come with me, I'm going to get help to bring them all in." He then went to recruit some townspeople to help.
* * *
A few hours later, all of the people in the caravan were getting treated in the clinic. Bit was standing by Scott's side, trying to help his friend in anyway he could. Scott was no longer a statue, but he was still sleeping. Bit was beginning to worry about his best friend. He turned towards the doctor, and inquired, "When will he get better?"
"It'll take a few more days," replied the doctor, "These people are still weak from the petrifaction. They need to rest and relax."
"But I need to get back to the capital!" yelled Bit.
The doctor sighed. "Just take the road you came here on. It shouldn't take more than two weeks of traveling to get there."
* * *
What Bit hadn't realized that the road split into two about a day later. He couldn't remember which road the caravan had come from, as he'd been asleep at the time. So he figured out where to go by using the age- old secret.
"Eeny, Meny, Miny, Mo. Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. Eeny, Meny, Miny, Mo," chanted Bit. In the end, he landed on the right path. Then, he turned right, and walked down his chosen path.
* * *
A day later, Bit came to an old fortress. It looked like it had been burned down recently. Since he knew he might have been asleep at the time he passed it before, Bit couldn't tell if he'd taken a wrong turn. So he passed by the fortress and continued onwards.
Soon, Bit felt as if the ground was covered with dry brush. It also felt as if he was standing on air. Before Bit could figure out what was going on, the ground dropped out from under him. He fell down a hole, and landed at the bottom of the pit.
As Bit tried to assess his situation, he heard a woman's voice from above. "Well, well, well, look at what I caught in my hunting trap. A foolish imperial soldier. Maybe now dad and Leon will treat me with some respect. Come up now, I'm taking you back to the capital."
She lowered a rope, and Bit climbed up. When he saw the girl, he was quite amazed. She was about sixteen years old, and was wearing a bright yellow sleeveless dress with what looked like golden threads mixed in for the effect. Her eyes were an ethereal violet shade, and her hair was short and magenta colored. Adorning her head was a red jewel with two golden marbles and a pair of purple sticks magically orbiting it. A black choker rested on her neck. In her hand, the girl held a rod like the kind used by sorceresses. The girl studied Bit. He wasn't wearing the traditional armor of an imperial soldier. It looked too worn for a soldier on patrol. And under it wasn't the typical royal tunic and breeches, but ragged clothing like that worn by a poor man. In fact, the only thing that looked like wealth on him was the jeweled collar on his neck. Even his sword was battered.
"Who are you?" she demanded, "You don't look like an imperial soldier, but you came from the direction of the empire."
Bit replied, "I'm a slave in the imperial palace. But the caravan I was working on was attacked by a monster, and I'm the only one whose sill healthy. I'm trying to find my way back home. But I guess I took a wrong turn. Sorry to bother you miss." He turned to head back the way he came in order to return to the fork in the road and go the other way.
The girl grabbed Bit's arm. "Don't go. You're just a slave in the empire. You can come back to Jatiran City with me and start a new life for yourself."
"But I don't know what freedom is," confessed Bit, "I've been a slave ever since I was an infant. How can I life without someone to direct my life."
The girl told him, "I can help you. My name is Leena Toros, the daughter of one of the richest families in all of Jatiran. My father wants me to get myself a bodyguard, and I can hire you. You'd have a direction in life, but would also be able to live free."
Bit considered her offer. The young girl did seem like a nice person. Also, Bit had always wondered what "freedom" was like, albeit he didn't want to betray the people who had raised him. He had also heard stories about slaves who showed such loyalty to there masters-by saving their lives when they very well could have escaped slavery-that they were granted their freedom. What Bit had done seemed to fit that bill, so he was technically free now. That meant that him going with Leena wouldn't be betraying his master.
"I've just one thing to say before I go back with you," he replied, "My name is Bit Cloud. I'm sure we'll get along great together."
Leena smiled. She wanted a bodyguard who'd be able to act like a friend to her. Bit seemed like he would do this for her. As well as help her with a little problem that she'd been having for some time now. Only he could keep the problem under control.
- - - -
So what is Leena's problem? And what will she tell her dad about her new bodyguard? These answers and more in the next chapter.