Chapter 2
Recap
Steve and Ashley walked down the stairs. Marina and her mother sat at the counter, waiting for customers.
"Marina, could you come here?" Ashley called.
Relinquishing the counter to her mother, Marina walked over to the two boys. As soon as she reached them, Ashley turned back to the visitor.
"All right, kid. Spill it."
"Sure. Just don't call me kid,'" he replied.
"Here's the short version of my story. I come from a world with no magic, aside from my sword, me, and a demon that had just broken free from it's prison. I then had to fight him and his minions. Sigh I ended up casting a spell to take my life. So I died, basically."
Marina was shocked by what she had just heard. She was unsure of what to say but managed a "You're a ghost?"
"Well, not in the undead sense. At least I don't think. I still seem to have some of the holy powers that I once had. You don't see too many ghosts with holy powers, you know. Anyway, back to the story. So, I died, and then found myself in another dimention. On a world called Lunar. I ended up convincing two people to finally tell of their feelings for each other. I helped the magic guild take care of a bully. I thought I found a way out of that dimention, and back home, but I ended up here instead. Now I need your help in getting home."
Neither of the two knew exactly how to respond to the boy. He seemed too easy going evil. He didn't seem to be crazy either. Maybe a little strange, but not crazy. The boy also didn't seem to be lying either. It was quite a yarn but there was just something about him.
It was Marina who finally broke the silence. "Why do you need Ashley's help?" she asked. "I'm sure that there is someone else who could help you."
"I'm sorry, but I need someone who has an extensive knowledge of this world. There are few who know more of Filgaia's secreats than Ashley. Strangly enough, some of them are his friends."
"Ashley, aren't you going to say something?" Marina looked at Ashley. He cast his eyes to the floor. "Ashley?"
"Marina, I want to go," he murmered.
"What?!" she asked.
"I want to help him."
"Uh, oh," came Steve. Marina's eyes were stained with hurt at Ashley's comment. This was not going to be good for anyone.
"Fine! If you want to go off and get yourself killed, then go ahead." Marina ran up the stairs, crying. Ashley just stood there. He knew that he was in deep, but there was nothing he could do.
"We'll leave in the morning," he said
Steve was shocked at what he had just heard. "You want to risk your life for me and hurt Marina's feelings in the process, and you're not going to fix this?!" he almost shouted. "Are you just trying to screw yourself over or what?"
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Ashley. I did it for Nash and Mia, and I'll do the same for the two of you. You'll be in that happily ever after' stage, or I'm not Steve Talaski, the Holy Knight."