James

We got to Birchwood a little over an hour later, surrounded only by the noise of the forest. I was refusing to talk to 283 on account that she left me in the dust when the bandits showed up. I didn't blame her, but that didn't stop me from denying her something she seemed to enjoy. On the other hand, I couldn't just stay in an angered silence, so I figured I would talk to her when we got to town.

My mind kept wandering back to the boy that had saved me from that sticky situation. I was curious about how he fought like that. I've never seen anything like that. You could think he was a Royal Guardsman, but he wasn't wearing a uniform, and given the amount of work it takes to become one, I'm certain that he would be wearing it if he was. That meant that he was alone, and I could hire him. I did have permission to get a bodyguard, but the problem wasn't my superiors. The problem was that I never saw his face. I kept thinking about it until we got into town.

Birchwood was tiny, but it definitely had a feeling of friendliness. Even though it was early morning, people were already walking the streets, going to venders, speaking to neighbors. The air smelled of tree sap and was filled with the noises of life. It was already getting warmer and it seemed like the entire world was drenched in the orange of the sunrise. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice me or my talkative companion. If they did, they just didn't seem to care. I was supposed to perform this task with upmost secrecy, and a Herald and an End surely would have brought a very bad kind of attention to the mission.

"Hey, 283?"

Her "name" was clunky sounding in my mouth. Maybe I could come up with a nickname or something.

"Yeah?" She answered, seemingly surprised at my sudden willingness to communicate.

"Are you hungry? Since we're in town we might as well grab something to eat."

It turned out that she was. This could be our last chance to eat something besides my admittedly disgusting travel rations. Hunting was a possibility, but, once again, I couldn't hit the broadside of a tree with my bow. Not to mention that I was a terrible cook. The idea was too good and we entered a restaurant: The King's Crown. I, of course, had to wonder why it was called that since His Majesty doesn't even wear a crown. I can't even think of any of our kings that wore a crown. Maybe I could ask the own-

Because I got a bit distracted with the prospect of recording new in my journal, I didn't notice the young man carrying a tray full of dishes. We rebounded off each other and fell down as plates and bowls scattered around us. The warm conversations of the patrons were suddenly replaced with silence. My face only got redder and redder as one final plate rolled to a stop. Hoping that everybody would hurry up and get on with their lives, I began to pick up dishes and set them back on the tray.

The worst part about it was how the silence was broken.

"Andrews! Get in here, now!"

The boy, who had since grabbed all the other dishes and put the tray on the counter, looked me in the eye. His almost black eyes seemed to show a mixture of annoyance and "It's not your fault. I'll be fine." It was the first time we even made eye contact, and I knew.

It was him.

I don't exactly know how I knew, but it had to be the guy that saved me. He got up and walked past the counter to a back room where the yelling originated, setting the dishes on the counter in the process. The silence lingered a bit longer before people began to talk, mostly about what had just happened. Words like "Again?" and "Poor kid." seemed to echo around the small building. Guilt settled in my stomach. It was my fault that this had happened and he was going to get in trouble. I knew what I wanted to do.

A few minutes later, I was standing outside the door in the back. 283 went to pick up some supplies for the trip. With the Employees Only sign in front of me, I waited. And waited, and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, someone finally came through the door. It was him, but it looked like he had ditched the dishwasher apron. He only looked mildly surprised at my presence.

"Oh, it's you." He spoke first, before I had even come up with something to say. Oh well, first things first.

"I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!" My face was getting warm as I stuttered out the apology. "I'd also like to thank you for saving me."

That surprised him. "How did you know? I've never told anyone that."

"Truth is, I don't actually know. I guess it was just a feeling. But that's beside the point. I actually have a proposal for you."

"Alright, I'll listen."

I explained my mission: to deliver a package to the Frozen. I also explained what else had happened on this trip, from traveling with an End to being attacked by bandits. He was paying close attention, nodding and asking the occasional question, which I answered to the best of my ability. Once I had finished, he sighed.

"So you want me to travel with you and an End to the most dangerous place on Minecraftia, all so you can deliver a package?"

"Yes."

He grinned. "Sure, why not. It seems like quite the adventure."

Remembering one important detail I had forgotten earlier, I stuck out my hand. "My name's Mia."

He shook my hand and replied, "James, James Andrews. "

Sorry for not updating in so long! I swear I'll do better this year! Thanks to King James10158 for James Andrews!