Chapter -158: Take My Herb

Justek caught up to Sarajin's fleet feet soon after and upon seeing where they were, he deduced the obvious the same as he had, "This must be the Titan's domain."

"Two guests?" The curious remark of the boy atop the knoll drew Justek's attention towards them.

The boy, Carmine, laid an arm along his legs and stared at the two boys, as the plant life rustled below him.

"Is an invasion about to begin?" He remarked, and much like his fellow men of the forest, his tone was subdued. Which made the subsequent giggle punch a little harder than it would, "I'm kidding. Two visitors don't equate to an army."

"Is this boy supposed to be the Titan?" Justek muttered.

"As I just said, I am not." Carmine's sudden answer caught Justek by surprise. This plant boy had ears sharper than a bat's.

He curled a smile and closed his eyes, "But I can understand the assumption. Cause, as you already determined from your visit, the appearance of our Titan is not known to many."

Sarajin admitted, "Well, we thought we'd find them by coming here."

"Following the Tale of the Blue Moss?" Carmine said with a smile.

"Yeah! How did you know?"

Justek leered his eyes at the boy and mumbled, "Yes, how DID you know that?"

Carmine gently hung his head as he began to lay back upon the hill, "I hear a lot of things from atop this hill."

As he put his arms behind his head and became absorbed into the plant life around him, he continued with a slightly more playful, "But you know what I HAVEN'T heard yet?"

He lifted his head enough for the eyes to be visible, "Your names. And your reasons for seeking our Titan."

Sarajin quickly went into a bow and hastily spat out, "I-I'm sorry, sir! My name is Sarajin Stratos!"

"'Sir'? He's the same age as us you dolt." Justek muttered

Sarajin peeked out from the corner of his eyes and whispered, "I-I know, but he looks so sagely!"

"And I don't?" Justek huffed out in scorn before facing the boy atop the hill and nudging his glasses up, attempting to present himself with grandeur, "I am Justek, and as you should know, I am presently the smartest person in this forest."

Carmine leaned his head back and dully remarked, "Is that so?"

Justek arched his brows in a huff and crossed his arms together.

Sarajin then raised his head and declared, "Anyways, Carmine, the reason I'm looking for the Titan-!"

Carmine raised his head with both hands on his ears, remarking in a softly polite tone, "Tone down your voice a little, please?"

And as he laid back down he said, "Thank you."

Sarajin planted a hand over his mouth briefly then peeled it back with a softer voice emerging behind it, "The reason I'm looking for the Titan is because I was told they have a very powerful herb that can help anyone who is sick."

"You heard correctly. I'm guessing you have a family member who is ill?"

"Its my mom, Carmine," Sarajin's expression slowly became drained of its vigor as he looked directly where Carmine's face should be and told him, "Your leader told me that, in order to get the herb, I would need the Titan's permission."

"I know I'm not a villager of Tanglefae, but I was really hoping that I'd be able to convince your Titan to let me have one herb. That's it, that's all I want." He ended this plea with a strong bow and his hands on his knees.

Carmine poked his head up and then sat upright, looking like he was being lifted by the roots of the plants in the hill.

He then laid his arm back on his legs and nudged closer, leaning his head in far enough as to not go tumbling off the hill.

"That's a good reason, but unfortunately, the Titan you're looking for isn't here right now," And before Sarajin could be saddened by this news, Carmine restated, "And I emphasize 'right now'."

Sarajin's brows perked up and he listened carefully as Carmine closed his eyes and explained, "In fact, the Titan is a lot closer than you'd expect. So just be patient a little while longer."

Sarajin nodded and told him, "I can do that."

Carmine smiled and let gravity gently carry him back to the ground comfortably. He then patted an open space of the hill to his right and remarked, "You're welcome to nap with me until they arrive. It's nice and comfortable up here."

"Sure!" Sarajin ran up then climbed the hill, trying to avoid hitting the plant life. He then spun around and began to rest.

The surface of the hill was brushy and soft, like a pillow, but there was a hard surface beneath it all. Not solid like compacted dirt, but closer to the feeling of stone.

Sarajin patted the ground beside his hips and then let himself plop onto his back, wiggling his frame into the dirt and grass, and resting his hands behind his head.

All those giant flowers acted as an almost see-through roof between them and the sky. The sun was setting but it still beamed plenty of warmth down to this exact spot in the forest. And it was the perfect temperature. Just warm enough to get the body into the groove of napping.

Sarajin could already feel his eyes want to shut and that'd be ok with him.

But first, he lifted his head and asked his friend, "Are you going to join us, Justek?"

"And leave myself vulnerable by falling asleep in front of a stranger? Ha, no thanks," Justek wagged his hand up from his arms and turned his head aside, "I'll be fine right here."

"Oooook, you're missing out though!" Sarajin leaned back with an almost taunting smile. Even if he wasn't intending it to come off that way, he wound up making Justek peer at his comfortiness from the corner of his eyes and pout.

"...It DOES look comfortable." He mumbled under his breath, turning his back to the hill so that their temptation of relaxation would be out of sight and out of mind.

Sarajin laid back and enjoyed the scenic view above, but it didn't take long for his body to get antsy and his head to face other directions.

The vibrant colors of the forest were highlighted best in this area, looking their brightest and liveliest, and making it easier to see individual flowers among their groups.

He's probably told himself this enough times already, but to him, this forest was wonderful. He really didn't want to go home if given the choice.

"I just want to lay down and enjoy Nature. Everything's so bright and colorful, and there's so much to explore still!"

In a spur of the moment Sarajin turned his head towards Carmine and began to shout, "Hey Carmine-!"

Only for the boy to pinch his lips and hiss "Shhhhh", causing Sarajin to suck his lips in and watch as Carmine delicately cupped a hand around his ear and remarked, "Just sit back and listen."

Sarajin leaned his head back and stared up into the sky, with Carmine whispering only so he would hear him, "Now close your eyes..."

Sarajin did just that, the last thing he heard being a groan, likely from Justek.

Following that though, he heard a subtle breeze moving along the top of the canopy, causing the tree leaves to whistle a hypnotic melody that'd put most people to sleep.

But then that was followed by the buzz of many flying insects close by, their tiny wings carrying them to the plants they needed to pollinate or eat the petals off of.

The bushes were rustling. So many unknown creatures were galloping about, including one whose weight was just above a human's. Sarajin's eyes thrust open and in a haste he tried to look right in the direction of that sound, but all he caught was the brief glimpse of the hind end of a green four-legged creature covered atop with four-leaved plants.

"Was that the Titan...?!" Sarajin gasped, preparing to make his way off the hill.

"No, I imagine that was a Clovermare," Carmine remarked, "Lucky you, seeing one of those means good luck."

Sarajin's expression melted from the sheer awe weighing on his mind, "It looked...beautiful."

"Isn't it all beautiful?" Carmine said with a cheerful disposition to him. And once he got Sarajin's attention back on him, he continued.

"I've lived here all my life but I don't like Nature just because I'm supposed to. It's more of a..." He flattened his hands atop the hill and the individual blades of grass seemed to move between his fingers on their own, "Spiritual love."

"Spiritual love?" Sarajin said, tilting his head.

Carmine sat up and pointed at the sky, "You're from Arc Hurricanos, the Wind Tribe?"

"Yeah."

"Have you ever felt the wind wrap around your body like a blanket?"

"Sure, all the time!"

"Well have you ever felt the wind caress you...deeper." Carmine's eyes narrowed as he smiled.

"Deeper? I...don't think so?" As Sarajin scratched the side of his nose and mulled it over, Carmine continued.

"When I entangle myself among nature, I'm not just feeling it on my skin, I feel it in my soul. I wish I could describe it but I don't know how to someone who hasn't had an experience of their own."

"Does it feel that good?" Sarajin pondered.

"It's nature's nirvana." Carmine replied, his tone and expression melting away in utter bliss.

Sarajin, awestruck, proceeded to lay back down atop the hill and close his eyes, breathing in deep so he can become one with nature too.

Carmine raised his brows and chuckled, "You're a funny guy, Sarajin."

Sarajin peeked his eyes open and Carmine laid back down himself, "You won't connect with Nature through effort. The plants and trees and all the blades of grass have a voice and will of their own."

He closed his eyes and sighed as the grass continued to crawl up the sides of his body, "It will accept you if it wants to. You just have to treat it with respect."

Hearing these words helped Sarajin just relax into the hill a little more instead of forcing it to happen. He stared up at the flower canopy and whispered, "Nature's deeper than I expected."

"Heh heh heh..." Carmine giggled, "You're very interested in learning new things."

"I wonder if the wind can talk too?" Sarajin's mind wandered towards, "Oh! Or maybe the other elements can talk too?"

Justek was off to the side rolling his eyes, but Carmine giggled some more.

"I wouldn't know, you're the first experience I've ever had with another element user." He said.

Sarajin closed his eyes and remarked "Really?" to which Carmine nodded.

"Well, I only came here to help my mother, buuuuuuuut, can I be honest with you Carmine?" Sarajin nervously looked at the boy beside him.

"You have been so far." Carmine said with a lax shrug.

Sarajin bit down on his teeth and stared up at the sky, holding his hand high above him, "I've always wanted to explore the surface. And now that I've seen just how much there is to see in this place alone..."

He clenched his fist and pounded it down onto his chest, where he could feel his heart racing, "I don't know how I can ever stop! I want to keep going, explore new places and meet new faces! But..."

His expression briefly soured and with a sigh he let his hand fall limp by his side. Carmine glanced aside at him for a moment and then let out his own, longer sigh.

"I think I understand. I do love Nature, but there has always been this...tingling inside my chest, an urge to go explore new places on my own. I've just never really answered the call of my soul, because..."

He froze on the answer, knowing it but not wanting to admit it. Yet when Sarajin looked him in the eyes, he could just decipher the cause of his hesitation instantly.

"Is it your parents?"

Carmine shook his head and sat up, "No, nothing like that. I just feel it'd be...dangerous for me to leave the protection of the forest."

He turned his head and grinned, "It's a sentiment everyone in the village shares."

"Well..." Sarajin put his hand down atop Carmine's and looked him in the eyes, "I understand how scary it is to leave home. But, if you're not brave enough to see the world like I am, then that's fine, I can fix that!"

Sarajin laid a hand on his chest and remarked, "Your people have been very welcoming! So, I'd like to give something back too. And what better way to do that than teach you how my element works, and what our culture is like up in Arc Hurricanos?"

Carmine raised a brow and had a bit of a blush on his face as he remarked, "It's almost like you're asking me to be your friend."

"That's EXACTLY what I'm asking, Carmine!" Sarajin declared.

"...Huh." Carmine muttered, briefly taken aback. He returned the declaration with a smile and put his hand against Sarajin's to give it a shake. Though, he just sort of...wiggled the hand around daintily.

Sarajin giggled and applied a gentle grip to the hand, then helped shake it proper.

Carmine itched the side of his head and chuckled, "I...hate to admit it, but you're actually my first human friend."

Sarajin looked at him with a bit of surprise, and Carmine blushed some more. The two withdrew their hands and Justek spoiled the moment with his need to snark.

"Unsurprising, given his penchant for talking to plants," Justek smirked and after nudging his glasses up he rolled his shoulders dismissively, "Talking to the 'soul' of flowers and grass, how absurd."

Carmine propped his arm up on one knee and glanced at Justek, while Sarajin looked at him to say, "Justek, that's rude. Why don't you believe him?"

"Says the one who believed him on the spot!" Justek emphasized by swinging himself to the left and scoffing, "The cold hard facts are that plants are plants. They dig their roots into the ground, suck up nutrients, grow, wither, and die, and then it REPEATS."

He confidently slammed his arms against his chest and declared, "THAT is the truth! None of this silly spiritual stuff."

"B-But the plants here are different. They're infused with the elemental energy of the Titan. Maybe that gives them the ability to speak?" Sarajin remarked with not even half the confidence Justek could muster.

"It makes them healthier, that's all that Mos man said," Justek was being drained of his will to speak the further this went on, "You can argue what your emotions tell you, but the cold hard facts state otherwise."

"You say that because you believe only what you've seen and heard, not experienced." Carmine stepped in, his tone stern and careful in what he had to say.

Justek leered at him out the corner of his eyes, "Yes, a plant has never talked to me before in my life. Because that would be ridiculous."

"Is magic ridiculous?" Carmine retorted.

"Of course not! Magic can be explained!" Justek said, swinging his arms out.

"So it's absurd that plants talk because it can't be explained? Or rather...because your books DIDN'T explain this to you?"

Justek's glasses slid off his face from the sheer weight of his flinch then and there. He caught them midfall and put them back on, gritting his teeth in a scowl.

"Then if your plants are as chatty as you claim, then tell me what they're saying right now!"

Carmine gave a close-eyed grin and remarked, "I would but they're too busy laughing at you."

Justek's eyes sprang open faster than a fly on lift off and he let out a loud "Hmph!" before crossing his arms against his chest and declaring, "Ridiculous!"

He then thrust a glance at Sarajin and told him, "You, hurry up and get your herb so we can get out of here already! These plants have tried my last nerve..."

He tried to sit down on the nearby log but as he descended, the log suddenly rolled a few inches back, causing him to land butt first into the fresh soil below.

He didn't even say anything. He just sat there crumpled up in a grumpy heap, mumbling inhuman noises to himself as Sarajin had a chuckle at the event.

Carmine then leaned in beside his ear and whispered, "Nature has a bit of a sense of humor, you'll come to find."

Sarajin gawked at that tidbit and left Carmine to withdraw back to his hill, resting down on his back comfortably like before.

Though this was a fun experience overall, the daylight was burning away. Now looking past the flower canopy showed the sky slowly turning orange with shades of purple.

But Sarajin didn't want to go home. He was making friends and having a fun time. Why DID he have to return?

"...Mom." Was as simple of an answer as he needed.

Carmine poked his head up and commented, "...Sarajin, now that we're friends, I feel there's something I should be honest with you about."

Sarajin looked over his shoulder and asked, "What is it?"

"The herb you're looking for..." Carmine patted the grass, "It's right here."

Sarajin glanced down with a look of shock, "O-On this hill?!"

"Yes. Any plant with medicinal properties is an 'herb'. Even grass can fall under this category," Carmine sat up to get a better look at Sarajin's face, "And this is very potent grass."

Sarajin stared at the grass longingly as Carmine smiled and whispered, "Take some of this grass, and it'll help your mother get better."

"B-But what about getting permission from the Titan?" Sarajin had his reservations, even if the offer was tempting.

"Do you really have time to sit around and wait for them to arrive? Your mother's condition could be getting worse right now."

Sarajin's heart skipped a beat and his skin's color went pale. He stared harder at the grass, his hand beginning to stretch out towards it all on its own.

Carmine patted the specific patch of grass beside his hip and remarked in a soothing tone of voice, "Take a nice handful, just to be safe."

Time felt like it was slowing to a crawl as Sarajin's hand edged closer to the grass. He bit his teeth down and paused for a moment, asking himself "It's just a little bit of grass. That'd be fine, right?"

"A few blades out of an entire forest. I just need enough to help my mom feel better...I'm sure the Titan will understand."

The only outside noise he heard is his heartbeat, pounding heavily against his chest. That, and a gulp.

His hand hovered an inch away from the grass. All he had to do was grab it, and pull it up, and that'd be it.

"...I-I...!" Yet, at the very last moment, he snatched the air in his hand and tugged his fist back into his chest, shaking his head vigorously, "I can't do it!"

Carmine remarked, "But your mother..."

"I-I know!" Sarajin's hands were shaking, until he clutched them even tighter and declared, "She could be in pain right now. But it'd hurt her more if I stole something to make her feel better."

"I can wait..." Sarajin laid his hand gently on the hill and rubbed around in circles, "And get the Titan's permission first."

Carmine closed his eyes and hummed, then turned away, glancing up to his left, "What do you think?"

Sarajin raised his eyes and looked around, "What do I think?"

Carmine nodded and smiled, "Yes, I think you're right. He can be trusted."

"Are...you talking to me or?"

Sarajin confusedly pointed at himself while Justek sat idly by and commentated on this insanity, "No, he's talking to his chatty, catty little plants."

Carmine turned back with a sincere expression unclouded by insanity and resumed as though nothing was off, "I want to apologize for being dishonest, Sarajin. The Titan's been with us for a while now."

"They have?" Sarajin's head started to swerve around all over the place and got Carmine to laugh.

"There's no single place you'll be able to spot them. Because the Titan isn't some creature of the forest..." Carmine patted down on the hill and without warning, Sarajin had to hold on tight as the ground began to shift beneath him.

"It IS the forest."

Those were the last words he'd be able to get out before his whispers were drowned out by creaking and cracking of wood beneath the hill. The hill rose, separated from the rest of the ground, with dozens upon dozens of white roots tangled up underneath it, bound into four legs.

The tree at the back of the hill began to move very slowly, the top rearing back just enough to reveal a muzzle head lacking in eyes, though the wood was warped around the spot where they should be.

As the tree craned its head back, the flower canopy began to part ways, opening up a clear view of the sky and its sunset hue, which the hill rose higher and higher towards.

The roots pulled towards the center until the legs were fully formed, the rest of the roots remaining planted throughout the ground.

Justek was sent tumbling back over the log and onto his back, watching agape in awe as the hill now looked like the back of a beast, and the tree its head and neck.

Carmine sat comfortably on the hump while Sarajin bent over, almost falling off in his attempt to see how far off the ground they were.

The beast was a good thirty-five feet tall, its head just high enough to soak in the sun's last rays of light, and let out a majestic moan that would echo across the canopy of the entire forest.

Once it stood fully erect, and the dirt finished being shaken from its body, the mighty creature creaked its neck head around and gazed upon Sarajin.

Sarajin stared up and with an awe that surpassed what he felt gazing at stars, he could feel the creature's love and kindness beaming from its eyeless face.

The creature's neck creaked, bending to put its face nearer to Sarajin's, but did so without sacrificing the integrity of its illustrious form.

Sarajin's heart was racing so much he didn't even have it in him to speak. Why try anyways? He wasn't smart enough, wordy enough or experienced enough to capture this encounter into words.

The beast moaned with a soft, gentle rumble throughout its body, then briefly nestled its smooth, wooden muzzle against Sarajin's face. Just the nose alone was bigger than most of Sarajin's body sitting down. And the beast was loving, so much that had it pushed its love onto him any harder, it would have sent him tumbling back to the ground.

The beast backed its head away, right onto the hand of Carmine, who rubbed the side of its head gently and smiled at his bewildered friend.

"Say hello to Ividae, the Titan of Tanglefae." He said, introducing them fondly.

Sarajin's body instinctively wanted to reach out and touch the creature's nose, but he stopped midway through and looked at Carmine with a nervous grin.

"Is it ok to touch them...?" He whispered.

Ividae nudged its nose onto Sarajin's palm and rubbed up against it, leaving the boy stiff in place as the Titan had its fill of Sarajin's palm.

Sarajin grinned so wide and glanced over the side of the beast down to Justek, who had been thrown onto his back with his glasses knocked off the side of his face.

"Look, Justek! They are real!"

"T-That's great...Lovely..." Justek said, too frazzled to stand.

Sarajin got more comfortable just petting the Titan's head on his own and it came as quite the shock that they were receptive to his touch. He had expected this powerful and majestic creature to stand head and shoulders above all others, projecting wisdom and power in all aspects of its being.

But really...Ividae was just a big pet wanting to be loved.

Though one thing didn't make sense to Sarajin, which he spoke of to Carmine, "Mos told me that Ividae doesn't like to reveal itself to its children."

"Mos says...quite a few things about my friend," Carmine remarked with a sigh, "But it's true that Ividae doesn't normally reveal itself like this. It prefers to be unseen, but sees us all through the eyes and ears of the plants it grew in the forest."

Sarajin immediately thought back to when the bushes pointed the way to the forest's entrance, and with a fond smile he rubbed Ividae a little firmer and whispered, "So that was you..."

Ividae gave a subtle nod and then raised its head back up a ways.

Sarajin then hung his head a bit and murmured, "Does that mean, Mos knew where you were the whole time?"

"Don't think lowly of him for it. He has his reasons for not saying anything," Carmine said, launching a quick defense of his leader, "As did I, until we could trust you, at least."

Sarajin glanced aside and muttered, "Why do adults always hide things?"

Carmine seemed to ignore that and commented with a more cheery tone of voice, "Regardless, Ividae feels comfortable entrusting you with one of its potent herbs."

Ividae nodded and let out a tiny moan, followed by Carmine looking at it then back to Sarajin, "Just so long as you promise not to let anyone but your mother use it."

"You have my word!" Sarajin said, putting a determined fist against his chest.

Ividae then began to rear its head back, its white horns glowing like moonlight. Sprinkles of green dust rose out of the middle of its back, and Sarajin watched as from nothing, grew a mint-blue leaf that radiated with a pale green light. Its veins were a faint shade of white.

Once fully grown it was as big as Sarajin's hand and it had split out in three directions. It then plucked itself from the Titan's back and floated up onto the boy's extended palm.

"This is Medilae. Eating this will help improve anyone's health, even if they have a lowered immune system." Carmine explained.

Sarajin tucked it away in his pocket for safe-keeping and then got on his hands to bow to the Titan, "Thank you for doing this for me, Ividae."

Ividae moaned, Carmine acting as its voice one more time, "It said 'You're welcome, child of the sky'."

Sarajin sat up and remarked, "So if you don't mind me asking Carmine, how are you friends with a Titan?"

Carmine nestled his arm atop his legs and exchanged looks with Ividae. The two seemed to be smiling together as Carmine mentioned, "I'll tell you that story another time, if you promise to come back and see us."

"Ok! That's a promise too then!" Sarajin nodded and then kicked his feet towards the side, leaping off the Titan without a second thought, and using the wind to cushion his landing.

Before he took one step forward Carmine remarked, "Oh before you go."

Sarajin gleaned back over his shoulder and saw Carmine hunched down to see him off, "You should know that Ividae also patched up the broken slats on your poncho while you were napping."

Ividae brushed the side of its head against Carmine's like it was annoyed, and with a hearty laugh Carmine remarked, "I told you, Nature is whimsical."

"Heh heh!" Sarajin gave a big old grin and then waved his hand up to the two, "Bye Carmine! Bye Ividae! I'll see you again soon!"

He then went on over to Justek, who was starting to finally pick himself up, his eyes wide as can be towards the looming Titan.

Sarajin made him flinch with a pat on the shoulder, "Come on Justek, we can go now!"

Justek stared at Carmine flashing him a subtly smug smile and then, pushing his glasses back onto his face with one finger, muttered under his breath "R-Ridiculous..." and then turned around to follow Sarajin out of here.

With their company gone, Carmine laid back atop his friend as they sank back into the ground, which didn't look any different after they settled back into place.

"I hope you aren't jealous that I made a new friend, you silly mare." Carmine said as a tease.

Ividae shook its branches to shed some of its white bark onto Carmine's face. Carmine closed his eyes and chuckled, brushing the bark right off.

Ividae moaned gently, leading Carmine to remark, "Huh? The boy's name? Sarajin Stratos, I believe he said."

Ividae's neck cricked as it faced forward and moaned softer.

"Why, does the name mean anything to you?"

Ividae nodded, and Carmine stared up towards the sky with only a curious comment of, "Really? ...Fascinating."

Meanwhile, Sarajin and Justek made their way out of the forest, with the Titan seeming to provide them an easy route without dealing with the plants in the way.

By the time they got back to the entrance of Tanglefae the sun was just a blip over the horizon, and the sky above was turning pitch black to make way for the lights of the numerous clusters of stars above.

Sarajin gazed up high at the sky and smiled, "Nighttime already?"

"You should probably get back home then," Justek commented, leaning a hand against his hip and chuckling, "Though I don't have the faintest how you plan to do that without crashing on your face again."

Sarajin puffed out his cheeks a little and then looked at Justek with a smile, gesturing at his poncho, "Well thanks to Ividae my poncho is fixed now. So all I have to do is create an updraft to carry me high enough and then glide back home."

Sarajin rubbed the back of his head and laughed some more, "But this time I'll control the wind to avoid disaster."

Justek sighed and then after tucking his hands into his pockets he shrugged and remarked, "Well this has been a riveting experience but I guess this is where we part ways now."

"I guess it is, huh?" Sarajin extended his hand out and said softly, "Thanks for helping out, buddy."

Justek's stare lingered on the hand for a while, and he responded by raising his own and shaking it around dismissively, "Oh don't think anything of it. It's the duty of geniuses like me to help those in need of guidance."

"Yeah. I probably wouldn't have found Ividae if it wasn't for your guidance," Sarajin had no qualms admitting. Then, with a hearty grin he turned around and hollered, "Well! See you later!"

Justek flinched and then stuttered, "L-Later?"

"Yeah! I want to go exploring the other Tribes now, and I'd like you to join with me!" Sarajin hunched down and upon seeing the blank look in Justek's eyes he told him, "We can talk about it more later! Gotta go, bye!"

He then took off, a mighty burst of wind propelling him far up into the sky, to the point that he barely registered as a dot in Justek's eyes.

Justek craned his head back and squinted, until he could no longer even see him moving around.

"Hmph, what a strange and ignorant boy..." Justek turned and began to make his way home. And with the solitude that the boy's departure provided, even he could safely admit to himself, "Still...I suppose I could squeeze a little more entertainment out of his misadventures. Heh...!"

And thus the two made their way home. But little did they know, their long journey had only just begun...

Next Time: Home