Chapter three: The Miner

It was so quiet when I thought I still had to wait for years until I could taste the outside air. But soon enough, the quiet condition became so noisy and disturbing. I was lying down on the cold stone, until for the first time….I heard the humans' voice.

First, Spirit of Fire showed me his bad feeling. Then, I started to be aware. They were talking unclearly. I got up from the huge stone, and started to check the situation. I walked steadily to the voice's source.

"This is gonna be good for the gold mine,"

"Yeah, I think this place is reach enough,"

"Let's have a party tonight. I treat you drink,"

"Good idea, Pal. Now, let's check this place first."

"Oh my God, it's just perfect,"

They were chatting happily until they saw the boy living there, Hao.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Friends, look at here!" one of them shouted

"What is it? Don't shout like that, you look childish, you know…."

"Besides that, we're happy enough now to find many gold nuggets here. THOUSANDS! We will be rich here! RICH!"

'What? They want to find gold here? They must be kidding,' Hao mumbled in his heart.

"Um…you better see this, Guys. There's a boy here! A boy living here! Oh gosh…" one of the looked shocked.

They were three, Hao thought.

One of them, walked over him carefully, looked at him like he was a monster.

"What?" Hao asked them confusedly.

"Oh my! Oh my! It's a real boy! He is not a ghost!" the man yelled at his friends.

'Ghost? They thought I was a ghost? They are CRAZY!' Hao grumbled in his heart.

All of those three guys looked surprised and they had to calm themselves first.

"So, what's your name?" one of them asked.

"Me?" Hao pointed at his nose. His voice was husky, because he seldom talked that time.

"Yes, who else's? Or…there still someone here?" he responded slowly.

"I'm Hao. I'm lonely here. What are you doing here?" I asked them back.

They were snapping each other before they responded.

"Okay, we decided to be honest. Because I'm sure you've heard our conversation before. We are the gold miners, trying to struggle from this cruel world. And if you don't mind, we are sure that your…er….home is one of the greatest gold mine," he muttered clearly.

Hao nodded.

"Aaa….I see…so, you came here to find the gold, and in other words…destroy my home?" Hao uttered dangerously, even he knew that he had lost his power, but still need his aura to scare those disturbers.

"Well…of course there will be the compensation for you. Don't worry,"

"Really? So, I have to barter this peaceful place with your compensation? May I know what kind of compensation it is?"

"House….the more normal one….you're gonna like it…"

"Well, let me think for a while. I'm gonna stay here tonight, tomorrow, I'll decide it,"

Hao spoke arrogantly, and came in into his cave again, left them alone.

The night was closing in. Hao still lay on his 'stone bed'. A part of him wanted to be free, to feel the outside breeze anymore. But, another part of him didn't trust them, as he had been betrayed by the people he trusted. He was still thinking their words .

"If you were me, Spirit of Fire, what will you do? Oh gosh, I am so confused now," Hao uttered. 'Follow your heart instruction, Master," that was the spirit's advice. "My heart voice? Don't be kidding! I have two heart voices, they confuse me well. I don't know what to do," Hao mused.

'May be being outside is not bad, Master,' Spirit of Fire spoke now. Hao turned his head, stared at his spirit. "But….have I been strong enough? And if I keep staying here, I'm gonna be rotten. Oh shit. May be you're right, Spirit of Fire. I should go outside. This is my chance,"

And Hao, then felt so sleepy, "Uahh….." he yawned. "Thinking about this tire me well, Spirit of Fire. I'm so sleepy and tired. I guess I'm gonna sleep now, and move tomorrow. Uaahh…..Good night, Pal. Wake me up when they prepare to enter this cave," Hao ordered her spirit, and right after that he fell in sleep. 'Sure Master, sweet dream,'

For a moment, Hao opened his eyes suddenly after heard his spirit's words. "What did you say?" Hao glanced at Spirit of Fire. 'Did I say something wrong?" Spirit of Fire back asked his master. "NO! Just repeat what you have said," Hao snapped. 'Well…sweet dream?' Spirit of Fire repeated his words unsurely.

Then, Hao smirked. "Oh gosh, Spirit of Fire, since when you've been this sweet?" Hao uttered with a big smile on his face. 'Master Hao, since when you've lost the beautiful words too?' Then, they both felt nice. "Okay, I really have to sleep now. I can't open my eyes any longer. Good night Spirit of Fire. Sweet dream too," . After that, Hao really really really fell in sleep with angelic and innocent face.

The next morning, Spirit of Fire woke her master up at the right time. After Hao just finished preparing to accept his guests, when they came. The miners came in the right time too.

"So...good morning. May be we should introduce our selves first before starting this conversation. People usually call me Buj," said the man with Arabian face, and turban on his head.

"Buj….Good," Hao commented.

"And I'm Jig," said the man with long-blonde hair.

"I'm Heroin," the very thin man introduced himself unfriendly.

"I see…so, you will enter and destroy my home? I see…And, where will I leave after this?"

"You can stay with us,"

"Where?"

"In our tent,"

"Oh…." Hao was silent for a while.

"I will agree with some wishes. Would you like to hear it?" I murmured.

"Go ahead, little boy," Buj let him talked.

"First, I wanna be treated well, not as a servant. And you have to feed me, give me good place to stay, and complete my basic need. Agree?"

"It would be easy,"

"Good…The second one, after you get profit from this mine, I want you to buy me a flight-ticket to Tokyo,"

"Buj…for what we give this silly kid what he wants? It has no use," Heroin suppressed cruelly.

"Heroin…that's your name, right? Don't you ever forget what kind of power that I have to struggle here for years," I tried to intimate him.

And it worked. He was quiet after that.

"To Tokyo? It's okay. We'll have much money. A ticket to Tokyo is gonna be cheap for us later. Anything else?"

"Yes, the third one. The last one, no betrayal, okay? That's all I ask for you,"

"Agree. Now… you could get outside and take a rest,"

I nodded, stepped outside and went in to the tent.

I inhaled the night air as much as I could, until my lung were too crowded of the breeze.

I looked at the stars….

I forgot the hierarchy…But I wanted to see them

Where is the Big Bear….?

My big chubby and soft bear…come to papa…

And the Orion…the sign for farmers to start growing the plants….

Grow the spirit in my heart…

Ow….the Southern Gross? The little plushy one….where is it…Wait until I give you a hug…

Okay, I didn't remember all the names of my…um….loyal friends…but, Pleiades, Scorpios…..whatever…that's not important…I'm still gonna be the big cheese of this milky way ! Right!

"This is the new beginning, Spirit of Fire…this is the beginning…"

'Yes, Master,'

"I've seen the outside world now….it's delicious…"

'Of course, Master. It would be better if you take a rest now…we have to think about another plan tomorrow,'

"What plan, Spirit of Fire? What plan will rush us again! Give me the answer and I'm gonna hit you if your answer would not be : nothing, Sir'

Hao said that words scarily with bug eyes…

'Well, it's all up to you, Master. As you wish, nothing, Sir,"

For a moment, he calmed himself, bent down his head for a while, then stared at Spirit of Fire.

"No…no, I was wrong, I'm sorry…of course we need plans…no way without plans…I was so birdbrain…Well, I think I'm gonna sleep now…"

'Peachy idea…'

Hao went to the bed and lay there….

"Ohhh…I love being on bed….so cozy….so flexible here….ssssso wwarm! I'm lovin it!" Hao cheered happily.

And, after he felt the goodness of pillow, the coziness of the bolster, and the softness of the new spray, he just fell in sleep…deep sleep…

"O, good night, my nice spirit. I love you," Hao whispered slowly

For a moment, the spirit got confused until he recognized theat his lovely master had been so sleepy and drunk by the outside situation…

'nite nite' he responded

The new adventure with the miners had come…