Incha POV

The fields were dangerous, full of pit traps, small dragons, and other assorted running monsters.

We already knew this, and yet, here we are, running through the field, not sure if we’re tracking ShadowStealer or another monster, but it’s going straight.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

“No, but this trail hasn’t changed, it’s two chocobo sized creatures making a mad dash as well a bunch of the little dragons that were following behind them."

Ruekra is an excellent tracker, but this is a new territory to us, so she can only guess.

“Food… Food… Food…”

“Monsters incoming.”

The spirits are really good scouts, they say everything they hear, meaning monsters yelling ‘food’ are about to attack us.

“Run!”

“What’s that?”

Ahead of us was a wall, bigger than the trees in the forest and spreading wider than any mountains I’ve seen.

“There’s a gate.”

He pointed to the door that’s only smaller than a big dragon.

The door opened, “Hurry, get inside!”

So we do.

“Thank you mister, we were almost dragon food.”

We all are breathing hard as we’ve been running for multiple hours, not that we care much.

“No problem, but I haven’t seen you around here, do you have any identification?”

The man was a dwarf, I saw one when I was younger pass through, but the long-legged tribe discriminated against him, it was kinda sad.

“I’m sorry, we’ve been living in the forest, and we came out to look for our Chocobo’s, they ran away.”

“Chocobo’s? Are they a little guy with red feathers with black feathers along the edges along with three black feathers on his forehead?”

“Yes that’s him! Where is he!?”

She went up to him and took his hand and gave him googly eyes.

“I’m sorry, he’s been gone on a mission and is gone, for now, I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“A mission?”

“Yes, while he was here he became an S-Class adventurer, has been killing a lot of Dragons and such, almost makes me not want him to be in the guard.”

“That sounds like him, is there a place we can stay while we wait for him?”

“Do you have any money?”

“Money?”

“So you don’t, you could stay in the stables, though if you’re caught messing with the animals you’ll be kicked out of the town.”

“We can do that, just stay away from the animals.”

“I guess, though you can’t stay long, just till you get him back.”

“Got it.”

“You don’t talk much, do you lass?”

It took me a minute to realize he was talking to me, “No sir, ummm, I have trouble knowing, umm, what to say.”

“Just picking on you, you don’t have to be so nervous, loosen up.”

“O-okay.”

“There you go, you're in Convictoni, make some money and then I suggest the Pasta, it’s really good and only cost five cinds at The Jodes Inn.”

“Okay great, thank you.”

He takes us to the stables, a smelly place full of Filolials and horses.

“Ohh Freeloaders… they should just make money… ohh Freeloaders… just leave the city… they should just make money… ohh freeloaders… just leave the city… they should just make money…”

It’s hard to understand when different spirits repeat lines they heard, jumbling everything up.

“You good?”

“Yeah, just umm, they’re making fun of us.”

She then put my head on her chest.

“Just focus on my heartbeat, don’t focus on them.”

She always knows what calms me down.

Night.

“Wait, why are they here…Wait, why are they here…Wait, why are they here…”

I think I’m dreaming and don’t do anything.

“Maybe they came looking for us master…Maybe they came looking for us master… Maybe they came looking for us master…”

A dream about Sholl, of course, I miss her.

“Should we ask them for help…Should we ask them for help...Should we ask them for help…”

Of course, ask for anything.

“Incha, wake up.”

“Incha, wake up… Incha, wake up… Incha, wake up.”

“Ughh, five more minutes, I’m having a nice dream.”

“Look who came back.”

Still thinks it’s a dream, “Who?”

“Sholl and Shadowstealer!”

I open my eyes and then rub them, it’s still dark so my eyes have to adjust a little bit.

There they are, a completely black Chocobo, and a gray one.

“Sholl!”

I get up to hug her, but trip.

“Oww.”

“Don’t go so fast, you know you act like you have a hangover in the morning.”

“Nice to see you master… Nice to see you master… Nice to see you master…”

“Sholl, why did you run away, it’s expected of Shadowstealer, but why you?”

“I wanted to make sure the stupid master survived, because no one would be able to stop him…3x”

I translated.

“That’s noble, but we could stop him with a chain.”

“Not the way he was, he would have fought you master to find his son… 3x”

Translated again.

“Speaking of that, we were told that he’s on a mission and will be gone for a couple of days, so we just need to wait to see him.”

“He doesn’t want to come with us… 3x”

“What does that mean? Shadowstealer?”

Surprisingly my stutter didn’t act up.

“What did he say, Incha?”

“We met up with him, he wanted us to leave him alone… 3x”

I translated again.

“We have to get him back, he’s FlashFires child.”

“He’s my child too… 3x”

“Who cares, he’s part of our family!”

“SHUT UP, LET ME SLEEP!!! 3x”

It was a flame bull, a very angry flame bull.

We quickly left so we didn't burn down the stables.

“So what are we going to do, we have to bring him back.”

“I’m going to fight him… 3x”

“Do you think you can win?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, but I have to try… 3x”

“You should be able to do it, if you have the same stats, then the experience should give you a clear advantage.”

“I don’t think so, he has way too many skills, that might completely destroy my advantage… 3x”

“Do you have a chance then?”

“Yes, to poison him and then run away… 3x”

“That’s it.”

“Yes it’s simple, but it’s my best option… 3x”

“Okay, do you know where he is then?”

“No… 3x”

“Then we’ll look for him tomorrow morning, for now let's get some sleep.”

“That sounds great.”

I walk in and lay on the ground and then pass out.

ShadowStealer POV

“What do you want to do?”

It’s been a while since this has happened, the sloth title is talking.

“I’m going to fight my son.”

“You won’t win.”

“A battle is never decided before it starts.”

“This one is.”

“You’re talkative today.”

“I asked pride, he will destroy you, he deeply hates you and your tribe.”

“If he hated us then why doesn’t he try to kill us.”

“It goes against his morals, something the other world instills in its inhabitants.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“I can help you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Why do I need your help.”

“You have nothing going for you.”

“I have experience.”

“He’s passed you in that.”

“How, he’s not even a year old?”

“His thinking is of a sixteen-year-old, and he’s fought many more enemies than you.”

“That’s because he fought against hundreds of goblins.”

“There is no difference, he will beat you.”

“Okay, whatever, I’ll think about it.”

“Do you know the price?”

“Yeah yeah, a single day of doing nothing.”

“No, a week.”

“What, but you said a day makes me ten LVLs stronger?”

“He is more than seventy LVL’s stronger than his LVL, and the only way to overcome his experience is to completely overpower him.”

“I think that’s a little extreme.”

“You won’t.”

“Alright let’s make a bet, I’ll give you two weeks for the price of one if I need to use it.”

“What do you want if you win?”

“To be able to keep my stats once I win.”

“That’s simple, it will be done.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, wake up.”

And then I did.

I was the first one awake, but it was just past breakfast time.

Then I get up, and walk out.

Better start my search now, maybe he’s an early waker.

(Kwehzalcoatl is still asleep at home and won’t wake up for two more hours.)

I walk around for a little while, but no one seems to care, maybe they’re used to Kwehzalcoatl walking around.

I see a building labeled guild hall, they said he was on a mission, so maybe he’s here.

When I walked in, their eyes didn’t even glance at me.

“Excuse me, bird, are you the little birds father.”

I look at her questioningly.

Little bird, she could be talking about Kwehzalcoatl.

“Freakishly strong bird, could take down LVL one hundred monsters even though he’s only an adolescent.”

I nod my head yes.

“Did he run away from home?”

I nod again.

She then had a creepy smile.

“Thank you, I’ll show you his home, then you can take him back to wherever you came from.”