Chapter Three: The Red Bell
Hikari wiped her brow with her glove, smearing dirt on her forehead. She huffed in frustration. Farming was difficult, but she loved it. Even though the soil didn't bare the desired fruits of her labor, she loved that she was doing something for herself. Making her own living, and creating life through farming. She finished weeding and slowly stood up, stretching to ease her sore muscles. Now all was left was to milk her cows. She walked into her barn and stroked each of the beast's flanks as she moved to gather fodder. She fed and brushed them and spoke soothing words to them. She then walked up to her prize cow, Lemon. The black beast mooed softly at her approach as Hikari bent to milk her. "Morning girl." When Hikari finished she sealed and shipped the milk, her chores done.
"Hikari!" Finn screamed. "What?" She said, while dusting off her clothes. "We still have to get the ores for Ramsey! The bell is still stuck in the chimney!" Hikari pulled the hammer from her rucksack "Fine, fine. Let's get busy." Hikari jogged up the path to Garmon Mine and stopped before the caves entrance. She walked inside and paused when she noticed the other passageway was lit. "What is down there?" she asked Finn. Finn danced about nervously, seeming reluctant to answer. "Finn." Hikari prompted. "Well… it's the upper Garmon Mine." Finn noticed the glimmer of curiosity in her eyes, which was never a good sign. "But it's really very dangerous; you can't go in there just yet!"
"Alright." Hikari said as she headed toward the lower mine steps, but her eyes still lingered on the gently lit hallway. Hikari spent the rest of the day pounding rocks and finding the occasional red or yellow wonderful. It was a slow process finding ores, and no matter her effort she couldn't find any gold. "Finn it's getting late…" Finn shook his head in mute defiance. "We have to keep trying Hikari!" Hikari threw her hammer down in frustration. "Look Finn. I am the one who is breaking my back in order to break these rocks. I can't do this all day!"
Finn dropped his head and he didn't say anything. "Finn I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I'm just really tired and I can't find that last stupid ore…" Hikari rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. Then a thought struck her. "I have one bodigizer left, that should last me another hour, but what are our chances of finding gold in the upper mines?" "But it's dangerous Hikari…" Hikari opened her hand out for Finn, and he slowly fluttered to her. "Come on Finn! I promise I'll be really careful, I won't go too far up." Finn rubbed his very tiny hands together. "You promise?" he asked. Hikari nodded. "Ok then let's go!" Finn flew off to the lower mine steps and began to ascend, Hikari hurried to keep up.
Finn waiting patiently in the hallway for her to arrive, Hikari followed him down the lightly lit corridor. The entrance was low and narrow. Hikari squirmed her way through the cramped passageway to spring out to a wide cavern. The stones were a light blue hue that glistened with moisture in the dim light, and the ceiling was higher than she's ever seen. "How many floors are there?" "Forty five I think," Finn said casually. Hikari's curiosity only intensified. "What is at the very top? Does it lead to the mountain's peak?" Finn flew toward the stairs without answering. "Finn!" He turned to face her. "Do you want to get that ore or what? We're wasting time!" Hikari clambered after him. The first few floors had a few rocks and suspicious red mushrooms, so they kept going up. Hikari counted 14 floors in all and still nothing. "Let's try another one." Finn said. Hikari grunted in response and climbed the stairs. The light was very dim on the 15th floor but Hikari could make out a few glittering rocks in the distance.
As she walked closer, careful to avoid pitfalls, the glittering masses exploded into dozens of crystal abruptions. She gaped in amazement. "Imagine how many wonderfuls are in here…" Finn fluttered into her vision. "We are here for ores Hikari, ores!" Hikari shook her head. "Of course, your right. Now where should we start?" Finn flew slowly over the rocks that dotted the cave. He paused over one and beckoned Hikari over. "You see that?" Hikari bent her head to examine the rock. It was like every other rock, except there was a shining yellow protrusion coming from the corner of it.
Excitement unfurled through Hikari and she hefted her hammer. Finn escaped her swing with an "Ahhh!" And Hikari struck the rock. Hikari cleared away the debris and picked up a decent sized gold ore. "And you said not to go into the upper mine!" Finn gave her a flat stare as she beamed at him. Come on we should get to Ramsey before the shop closes for today!" Full of renewed energy, Hikari walked towards the stairs. "Hikari look out!" She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and she opened her mouth to ask Finn what he said. Her foot struck a crack; the ground around her began to crumble. It all happened in a split second. A choked off scream escaping Hikari's throat and Finn rushing towards her. Blackness engulfed Hikari and her stomach heaved as she fell through empty air. Engulfed with fear, Hikari blacked out.
"Hikari! Please wake up Hikari!" Finn cried. Hikari slowly opened her eyes to see Finn's orange hat bobbing in her face. She slowly sat up and rubbed her aching head. How am I alive? Finn flew into her face sobbing his thanks to the Goddess for saving her. Was it the Goddess who saved her? She didn't feel the soft energy of the goddess when she fell. She felt heat, like the hot summer sun on a cloudless and breezeless day. "I am so sorry Hikari I should have told you sooner!" Finn sniffled. Hikari cradled him in her hands. "It's alright Finn," she said soothingly. "It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention." Hikari looked around her." Where are we?" Finn wiped his nose and looked around to. "I think we are on the first floor."
Hikari stood slowly, testing her arms and legs. Nothing broken, in fact she didn't even have a scratch. This is just weird. "We should go get this ore to Ramsey." Hikari walked to the steps that led out of the mine. She stopped for a moment and looked behind her. "Hikari, what is it?" She shook her head and smiled down at Finn's worried face, "Nothing, just a bit dizzy." Hikari descended down the stairs and left the ominous mine.
The Harvest King was sleeping as normal, but thoughts troubled his dreams. He'd barely sensed the disturbance in his physical domain. Just another life form that he disregarded. But a flare of absolute terror had rang through his energy, nearly shattering his darkness. He'd directed his energy without thinking, saving the creature whose life was in danger. He'd caught her in her fall and laid her on the bottom of his domain. It all only lasted a few seconds, but it's angered him. The creature was a human. He saved her though, he had to. But her interference had stirred him enough to actually send part of his being into the physical world. He turned back into his self. He would not be woken again. He refused. With this he drifted back into oblivion.