Chapter 3:

The Final Decision

Last Good-byes

Disclaimer: I also don't know how to get vowels with apostrophes over them, so if anyone can tell me how to do that, that would be great because the "e" in Dema is really the "e" with the apostrophe over it.

That night, the boys were sitting in their little house talking it over. "I think we should go. We could look human," Yopu said, but Dema objected, "At what cost? We could risk our lives doing something like this. But, we would be putting their lives out of harms way." Then Cujak agreed with Yopu by mentioning that looking human is better than laying in a ditch for the rest of eternity, and Dema mentioned living is better than looking human, so the only reason for going is safety.

"Still, I don't want to be remembered as the most feared person because of some horns poking out of my head. I say we go for it," Cujak added. Then they heard silent foot steps coming outside the door. They faced the door to see Miru in her usual white dress with a platter of food. "Dinner's here boys. I hope your hungry," she said as placed the platter on the ground in front of them. Cujak and Yopu thanked her and began eating very quickly, but Dema wasn't eating as fast. Instead he sat their slowly eating and with a depressed look on his face. Miru faced him and asked what was wrong. "It's nothing, I was just thinking," he said, and Miru asked if it was about leaving the village and he told her, "Yes."

She sat next to Dema and she stared at him for awhile. The room fell silent, except for Cujak's and Yopu's consumption, until, "I don't think you should go," Miru commented in worry. Cujak and Yopu looked at Miru and Dema, and Cujak said, "Well I feel this maybe a need for some privacy, so, we'll be outside if you need us." With that, both Cujak and Yopu left Miru and Dema alone. They stared at each other and Dema disagreed with Miru, but he mentioned that if they didn't leave, they could put the entire village in danger. "But, if you leave, I may never see you, Cujak, or Yopu again. And I don't want to lose you."

"And you won't, we'll be back. I promise you that."

"But, what if you don't? I could never forgive myself for letting you do something so dangerous."

Dema took a moment to think, then said, "You're a very caring person Miru, but we can't stay like this forever, you know that. Eventually, the soldiers could take us and sacrifice us against Roras' will." She then looked shocked, and thought about it. They could take them in the middle of the night and kill them.

She paused and closed her eyes for a minute. Then, a tear rolled down her right cheek and said, "Then you should go, and save yourselves. But, if you do, remember that you will come back. And promise me you will be careful," she said and placed her hands over Dema's left hand. He stared down, then looked at her and nodded. "I will, and don't worry. We'll be back."

She cracked a smile and said, "Good, because I love all three of you like brothers. The three of you and I, we're like a family to me." "That's right, and families are always together." She then rested her head on Dema's shoulder and closed her eyes. Then, Cujak and Yopu entered the room again, looking at Dema, who then stared at them. Cujak asked, "Well, have you decided yet?" Dema stared at Miru for a minute and said, "We leave tomorrow morning."

The next morning, the boys and Miru stopped at the Lord Roras' and told him they accepted. "Good, now we must get you well dressed," Roras said and the boys looked confused, because they had no idea what he was up to. He approached the trunk where he pulled out the weapons, and this time, he pulled out three sets of clothes that looked the same, black tunics, gloves, boots, and long pants. "These wardrobes will be necessary on your journey. As well as these." He then pulled out three bows and quivers. "I believe they well prove useful to you."

The boys willingly took them and belted them on their backs. They then took the clothes and changed, everyone else was looking the other way. After awhile, they finished up and Roras said, "Oh, I almost forgot." He then pulled out three helms, and not the kind that have a visor. These ones had only eyes for seeing, and little slits just below the eyes for breathing. Each helmet was different.

Dema's helmet was flat on the front, Cujak's had a nose shaped like a boar's, and Yopu's had what looked like a bird's beak on it. "These helmets will protect your faces, for no one else must find out who you really are," Roras stated. He then began to explain how he forgot to mention about stabbing the vital points in order to get the essence back into the colossus.

With that, Roras gave each of them horses and they said their good byes to Roras. Next, they turned to Miru, and Cujak began to say, "Miru, you've helped us a lot. Now it is time we handled this on our own." Then Yopu, "We thank you for all the years you've helped us, now it is time we returned the favor." (If you're confused, he means getting rid of the horns). Finally, Dema, "You've given us something that no one in this village has ever given us, love. Even though this isn't the way to do it, but it is time we gave it back."

Having said these things, Miru thanked them and wished them good luck. Afterwards, she gave each of them a hug and a quick kiss on the lips. Then, they dawned on the helms, mounted their horses, but before they could leave, Roras told them when they reach an arch where the bridge used to be, turn left and follow the trail to the valley below (This he knows because he men did some scouting for him, and they had no idea what he was planning to do with the path).

Now, they rode off after agreeing to take the left, out of the village and into the wide world.

It took them many days to ride out of the woods, through the mountains and back into a forest, where they first got a glimpse of the temple itself. They stopped their horses for a brief second to see the tower, and they continued. In the next few hours, they reached an archway with two towers, and like Roras told them to do, with made a left turn and proceeded to the path that would lead them to the colossi, and path to a normal human life.