Chapter 28

"Heropon Riki be proud!" declared a Nopon, and Riki danced in front of him.

"Heropon Riki tough guy!" shouted another.

"HEROPON RIKI BESTEST!"

"Look at him," scoffed Reyn. "Didn't do the heavy lifting and he gets all the praise."

"Oh, let him have this one," responded Sharla, looking at her friend.

Who will definitely become something more important to her.

"A few days ago the villagers wouldn't give him the time of day," she continued.

"How do you know that?" I asked, leaning against a piece of wood and groaning at how much I hurt from bruises.

She shrugged. "He told us, you know. On the way back."

"Did he?" I wondered.

"He did," she confirmed. "Besides... won't you miss the legendary Heropon... just a bit?"

"I guess so," admitted Reyn. "Kinda fun to have a Nopon along for the ride."

"Chief Dunga!" spoke Riki, as he suddenly stops dancing and turns to the older Nopon.

"Riki beat Dinobeast! Does Riki still have debt?"

"No, Riki," responded Dunga. "Your debts are repaid."

"Yay!" cheered the Heropon.

"However!' continued the Nopon chief. "While you were gone, your littlepon eat like ravenous Orluga! It set Chief Dunga back quite a bit."

Riki looked horrified as Dunga continued. "NOPON OF FRONTIER VILLAGE!" called Dunga, turning from the Heropon.

"A new prophecy has been told! Our Heropon, slayer of Dinobeast, will further his legend by accompanying the Hom Hom on their travels!

"And bringing peace to the lands of Bionis!"

"Oh...! Riki never hear this!" exclaimed Riki.

Dunga turned back to him. "It was prophesied many years ago," he whispered.

"Chief lying!" declared Riki, as anger flared through his face and voice. "Chief make up prophecy one minute ago! Oh, Riki mad!"

"Riki!" declared Dunga, waving his arms for reasons. "Go with these people. For the sake of the village, you must go.

"My instinct is never wrong."

Riki let out a long groan, looking at the ground.

"Do not worry, Riki," spoke Dunga. "Your littlepons will be taken care of... ho ho ho..."

"What?" I mumbled.

From the side all of Riki's children came closer, and he turned to face them.

"Dadapon! Stomach rumble!" declared one of his little Nopon.

"Dadapon, need food!" spoke up another.

"Dadapon, need food now!"

"Dada?" exclaimed Reyn. "Riki, what on Bionis is going on?!"

Riki turned towards us. "Friends... meet Riki wifeypon and littlepon."

"You have got to be joking!" spoke Reyn, as everyone but me flinched back.

"Wife... and children?!" gaped Shulk. "Riki, how old are you?!"

"Riki have 40 years!" he declared. "Heh heh... oh, friends look puzzled."

"Not puzzled," replied Shulk. "Just... surprised!"

"Riki!" The Heropon turned as his wife came closer and looked at him. "Oka borrow monies for littlepon's food!

"Chief Dunga know best! Riki must work hard for littlepon to have good life!"

"R-r-r... Riki will!" He turned from his wife, probably a bit scared. "Okay, Oka!"

He looked at all of us. "Riki happy to join friends!" he declared.

"Reyn happy too," smirked the Homs. "Come on, furball."

"Now you can return with your head held high, my dear!" spoke Dunga, looking at Melia. "Heh heh heh..."

"Indeed," agreed Melia. "Thank you, Dunga. Thank you for your gracious help."

"Not at all!" replied Dunga. "Peace has been destroyed to the Makna region! On behalf of all Nopon... thank you!"

"Chief Dunga is very fond of Melia," noted Sharla.

Reyn turned towards her. "Same Hom Hom, different world," he spoke. "Not fair if you ask me."

Melia gazed over the party, where Riki was dancing. "Chief Dunga," she spoke suddenly, turning back to him.

"Will you grant these Homs passage to Eryth Sea? It is my promise to them."

"Without question!" declared Dunga. "These Hom Hom fought valiantly in aid of our village!

"And a request by you, my dear, cannot go unanswered. Thus, I shall inform the villagers at once."

"You are too kind," spoke Melia, bowing to the Chief.

Melia walked back towards all of us. "The Chief has spoken," she declared.

"You should depart for Eryth Sea at once. Prepare your things and meet me when you are ready."

With those words she moved away.

"Are we going to head there right away?" I groaned to Shulk, heaving my body from the ground.

He looked at me. "Are you okay, Andrew? You... seem really tired."

"You could say that," I yawned. "Geez... like... four fights... and no sleep..."

"It's pretty late at night now," mused Shulk. "Oh... Chief Dunga. Could we all stay here for the night?"

"Of course, Hom Hom friends!" responded the old Nopon. "For slaying the Dinobeast, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish."

"Thanks," nodded Shulk. "Listen... you guys get ready to sleep. It's been a long day, and..." A loud yawn came from the Monado's wielder. "Ugh... I'll... I'll talk to Melia... tell her we're staying here tonight..."

"No, Shulk." Dunban stood from where he had sat down. "I'll go. You look exhausted, and you should rest."

"Are you sure, Dunban?"

"Quite sure. Now, you go rest and I will talk to Melia." The now one-armed swordsman then moved away.

I groaned. "Wait... where are we gonna sleep?"

"Hm... I'm sorry, Hom Hom friends, but the only spot where you would be able to sleep among yourselves would be at the top," spoke Dunga.

"At the top of the tree?" groaned Reyn, who had his helmet in his hands.

"Oh, cheer up," spoke Sharla. "It'll be fine."

I dragged my lead-covered body after everyone, and to the top of the tree.

"Awesome view from here," grunted Reyn, setting down a sleeping bag from somewhere in his suit of armour.

"Sure is," agreed Shulk. "Huh... wonder where Melia went..."

"I wonder if she'll join us..." murmured Sharla.

"Her choice," I mumbled, tiredness overwhelming me. "Wait... where did Riki go?"

"Oh, he's staying with his family for the night," spoke Shulk, setting up his own sleeping bag. "It'll... probably be a long time before he can go back to them."

If he ever will return, I thought. And thoughts struck me in that moment. Which I have thought before.

All of these people... all of them have... or had... family. Shulk lost his parents, but he has Dunban, Reyn, and... well, Fiora, but he doesn't know that right now.

Reyn has Shulk, and in time, he's definitely gonna have Sharla at his back... but he's lost his parents too...

Dunban... he's lost his sister, and Dickson is going to be a douche and betray everyone...

They all have a story of lost, of some kind. Where does that leave me?

I... haven't lost any close family members, but I act so dark.. why?

Shulk yawned, interrupting my thoughts. "Anyway... get... get some rest, everyone."

"What about you, Shulk?" mumbled Reyn as he settled into his sleeping bag, taking off his armour.

"I... I'll wait for Dunban and Melia," he managed, seeming to drift off before snapping awake again. "Ugh..."

"Sleep... ugh. Sleep, Shulk," I groaned. "I bet you've used Battle Soul to manage to keep on using the Monado's abilities, but that really tires you out."

He blinked. "H... how... do... y..." Before he could finish the question he fell asleep, snug in his sleeping bag.

I stood with a grunt. I didn't have a sleeping bag, but I would be fine without one.

"Heh... good night, Shulk. Andrew... you gonna be alright?" asked Reyn.

"Yeah," I replied, though Sharla looked at me. "What?"

"Andrew... what happened with that spearman who took you away? All we saw when you and Shulk came back was that you were covered in blood and injures. So what happened?"

I sighed. "I killed him," I replied. "Shulk only came at the end, when I was about to kill him."

Sharla's eyes widened. "Are... are you telling me that you killed a man?"

"I did," I responded. "I did it because otherwise he would kill me. Don't lecture, please. I'm tired and..." Another yawn escaped me, despite my attempts to not yawn. "Ugh..."

She yawned, herself. "Unh... alright..." She lay in her sleeping bag and fell asleep.

I looked out over the water. Didn't Riki say that in the village, if the Nopon want to get married, they have to jump from here into that water? I thought. And a Nopon dies doing it, so the Nopon he would've married... commits suicide.

I winced. "That's not a good," I muttered.

"What is?" asked Dunban, as he walked in with Melia.

"Just thinking," I responded. "Sh... should... we keep guard?"

"Perhaps," mused Dunban. "I'll take the first w-"

"No," interrupted Melia. "There is no need. The Nopon are strong fighters and... quite friendly. There will be no need for guards."

"Alright." From his pocket Dunban revealed a sleeping bag. "Hm? Melia, do you not have one of your own?"

"No," she admitted. "But it will not be necessary." she spoke afterwards.

"You take this, then, my Highness," responded the swordsman, bowing to the princess. "I am quite able to sleep on the ground. It would be below you to sleep on the ground, I presume?"

A light blush snuck its way onto Melia's face. "Um..." She simply took the sleeping bag and lay down, facing away from Dunban.

"Heh." There was a smile on Dunban's face as he turned to me. "Sorry, Andrew. i only have one sleeping bag."

"It's fine," I replied with a yawn. "I've had a bit of experience sleeping on the ground too."

"Ah." He lay down. "Andrew... is something bothering you?"

I sighed. "You would say that. I was thinking... I don't think I'm skilled enough with a sword."

"Oh?" I could feel Dunban's eyes looking at my back. "So what do you want to try?"

"Uh... could... could you please train me?" I asked, looking at him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Hm... and you think a swordsman with one less arm than you is more capable with a blade?"

"Yeah."

I barely held out my sword in time to block his stab.

"Hm..." He grunted. "I'm sorry, Andrew. But all swordsmen must hone their skills on their own, because there is no right way to wield a sword. There are wrong ones, but no right ones."

"Didn't Shulk say you trained him?"

"That was when he was just ten years old." At his words sadness filled his eyes for a moment before it disappeared.

"You... you are skilled, in your own right. I wouldn't have anything to teach you. Just know that weak instincts dull your blade."

I blinked. "Alright... I thank you for trying," I replied. I yawned. "Ugh..."

Dunban smiled. "Heh... go rest, Andrew. Tomorrow will be a long day, likely as long as today was."

"Right," I muttered, before darkness swept over me.

...

"So that above us... is Eryth Sea?" I spoke, blinking. I felt energized, but still bruised.

"Indeed," replied Melia. I looked at her. Earlier she had told us she wanted to be our guide to Eryth Sea, but I had a feeling that some guards would arrest us regardless. Because watching a YouTuber play a game gives KNOWLEDGE!

"As well, no one may enter Prison Island without imperial sanction," she spoke.

"Imperial sanction?" repeated Dunban. "That means... we'll be needing someone to grant us entry.

"I've heard that Eryth Sea is home to an empire called the High Entia. They may be our best chance."

"You are knowledgeable for a Homs," mused Melia.

Dunban smirked, looking at her. "Heh..."

"Sanctions?" echoed Reyn. "Empires? Can someone help me out here?"

Sharla sighed, before she began explaining it to Reyn.

Then there was historic things discussed that if I mentioned in Socials class for an exam, I would probably fail the class.

"So... when do we get to meet these High Entia folk?" asked Reyn, slamming a palm to a fist.

"You are so... Forget it." Sharla placed a hand to her head with another sigh.

"First we must travel to the imperial capital," spoke Melia. Alcamoth!

Dunban nodded. "We'll see how easy it is to see this Emperor," he spoke.

"It was my promise to be your guide," reminded Melia. "I will not break it."

"So... how are we gonna get to Eryth Sea?" asked Shulk.

"We first have to talk to that Nopon." The High Entian stepped forward.

"Me can send you to Eryth Sea in a flash of light," declared the Nopon. "Are you ready to go?"

Shulk nodded. "Yes. Please take us there."

In the water emerged a pod thing that sent waters seemingly to the heavens, like a reverse waterfall.

"What is it?!" exclaimed Reyn.

"Friends, jump in ball!" declared Riki, doing another little dance. "All go to Eryth! Heh!"

"Jump?" repeated Reyn. "In that? You're nuts, furball!"

Melia turned to face the group of us. "You have nothing to fear," she spoke, loud, over the sound of crashing water. "This will take us to Eryth Sea."

One by one we all entered the pod of glowing stuff.

"Whoa!" I gasped, suddenly landing on the ground. "Ugh! Ow, that hurt."

Melia looked towards all of us, as we were all there.

"Welcome to Eryth Sea."

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