The five walk cautiously onto the hermit's porch, and Nya bravely knocks on the door, just hard enough for it to echo through the small house. "Hello? Mr. Wu? Are you in there?" she called through the door. Silence replied to them, and she knocks again. "Please come out," she says. "We mean you no harm."

"...that's what they said...before..." a voice spoke gravely. "I am not letting you in. Get off my porch."

The five raised their eyebrows, surprised the hermit even answered them at all. Then Jay spoke. "Please, sir," he said. "We need your help. Something is after us, and we need your protection. Please let us in."

"No." the Hermit called. "Get out. Before I make you."

"We'll trade," Kai said, and the four turned to him in confusion.

"With what?" Jay whispered. "We have nothing to give him."

"We have food." Zane offered. "A hermit like him must need food if he doesn't get out if his house. Let's give some of our supplies to him in exchange for his shelter. We need it if we are to survive Night."

"Zane's right." Nya tells her companions sternly. "We have to." Then, she turns back to the door, and calls, "We are willing to trade you some of our supplies in exchange for your protection. Mr. Wu, do you take it?"

The silence lasted almost two whole minutes before Wu finally answered. "Fine. But if you try anything, I will fight. I may be an old hermit, but I can kick."

The five smiled in relief.

"Thank you," Jay finally spoke up, ushering in his brother along with the rest, and closed the door behind him.

Wu's eyebrow arched as the five children made their way into his house. They seem rather young to be alone at Night...especially with what's out there. he thought.

He reluctantly gestured to his ratted couch for them to sit, showing grudging respect. "Sit." Wu said with a grave and ratted out voice. "Tell me about yourselves."

Replying to their confused expressions, Wu continued, "I must know you before I accept you into my house,"

"But we agreed on a trade," a teen boy with messy brown hair said. "We're going to give our supplies-"

"I don't want a trade." Wu said, almost sharply. "I may be a shrunken hermit, but I can be generous if I want to. You do, in fact, need help. Night is very dangerous, you know."

The five sarcastically chuckled, meaning they did know what the old man spoke of. Immediately, Wu knew that they had told the truth; the creatures were after them.

"Now," Wu said. "Tell me your names."

"Well, I'm Kai, " the boy with messy hair said, then gestured to the girl sitting next to him. "This is my sister Nya,"

"I'm Jay,"

"I'm Cole,"

"And my name is Zane, sir."

The children in turn introduced themselves to the Hermit, who gave a slight nod to them. "How do you kids know about me, and where I live?" Wu asked curiously. "I haven't been off of my porch for over three Nights. Who told you about me?"

"Our parents, sir," Kai replied, and Wu shook his hand suddenly.

"First, no need for 'sir'" he said. "It makes me feel old."

"Continue."

"Well," Kai said. "Our parents were the ones who told us about you, and how you never leave on the boats for Night, and anything that comes to harm you, you kick them out."

"Literally." Cole chuckled, who was held in his brother's lap. Jay ruffled his hair.

"And it wasn't until Jay, Nya, and I went to the pond, and I saw your hut by the path. You were sitting on your porch, in your chair."

Then Nya spoke up, but it was slow and cautious, as if careful not to upset the elderly man. "You...looked like you were looking into the woods," she said. "But you didn't see us. What were you looking at?"

Wu was quiet for a few moments before clearing his throat and replied, "I did see you. I just didn't want to acknowledge I did at the time." Then he stood up so slowly, that the children rushed to help him, but he waved them off, that he got it.

"You all get some rest. I'll explain everything when you wake up, including the creatures that are haunting you." Wu said, and excitement ran through their spines. They were finally going to get answers.