"Eeeee!" Stripe squealed in a mixture of pain and joy. His balloony body was slightly deflated as it was lay on the grass. "It's him, Metaphor. He's the one we've been waiting for."

"Calm down, Stripe. All your waiting will be for nothing," Metaphor scolded the momentarily childish liquiform. She struggled to apply her healing expertise on Stripe as he vibrated like child on sugar. Stripe's gashes and leaky wounds began to close as the magic from her hands flowed into him. Several strips of cloth braced Metaphor. They stopped the trickling of viscous red blood from flowing out her veins.

"This is a cause of celebration, Metaphor! This must be told to everyone. This is no time to laze around," Stripe replied, even boldly trying to stand up. His half-healed wounds reopened with the jerking. Metaphor promptly slapped him to make him lay back on his back. This caused an offensive banter to arise.

Hero's Prophecy knelt before Buddy, tending to his gaping wounds while the other two engaged in banter. He bandaged Buddy's wounds with white cloth strips. He fastened tight the knots with his delicate touch.

Hero's Prophecy was a unique creature. All over his body grew curly wool. His arms was like that of an orangutan, and his body and legs was stout like that of a bear. His feet was the thick, taloned, and scaly feet of an ostrich. His sharp head and idle tail was alike a wolf's.

"Could you be... him?" The red wolf asked which the bear could only answer "Who?"

"Him." Buddy continued with more fervor. "The hero of legend that will slay the Devourer."

"Tell me more of it later. We should get you to somewhere safer," Hero's Prophecy said. He lifted himself from the ground. Buddy followed him afterwards.

"There. All healed. It should stay that way now, until some gang of monsters decide to ruin our day more," Metaphor remarked as she wiped sweat off her forehead. Stripe stood up, somewhat shakily but all right.

Stripe immediately jumped towards Hero, and began pulling on his arm. "You sir, must come with us. Save us, sir!"

"Hey. If you really want to save the Imaginarium, you as well bring home these dandelions. Can't get the town go hungry, you know." Metaphor slung a bundle of dandelion stalks to her back. She looked at Stripe with an angry glare, pointing the dandelions they've bundled.

"Right." Stripe resigned, and moved toward the bundles. He took one of the bundles, and moved toward Metaphor to get ready in moving on. The weak, and injured Buddy slid under a bundle, and began carrying one.

Hero's Prophecy took the weighty bundle off Buddy's back, and carried it along with another. "You should rest your body. Weight wouldn't help it heal," he advised, which Buddy only replied with a weak smile.

They began to walk back towards home. The bare slopes idly rose and fell as they travelled through Hillland. A light breeze caressed the peaceful land. The travel went without incident, and no monsters came to attack, but possibility nonetheless made them anxious.

Soon, Townston came into view. The bleaching beightly colored walls of plaster loomed all around the bare unkept streets. This side of town was devoid of life as many of its once inhabitants have been taken away or have moved away. Only the light wind stirred a semblance of life.

They eventually came to a town square where some other signs of life came to view. Some houses all around had pillars of smoke rising out their chimneys. Several folk are wandering the streets, peddling their services and presence onto other residents, but upon seeing Hero's Prophecy, many of them fled indoors.

"Guys, this guy is not dangerous," Metaphor shouted without effect. The people were doubtful, and refused to even peek through their curtains.

"He's going to help us all. He's the Hero's Prophecy. He's going to save Townston and the world just like how he saved us," Stripe added, which the people believed a little bit more.

The brave ones began to come out of their dwellings to show themselves, and inspect the hero. The residents were of various shapes and sizes ranging from the humble mouse to the great ambulatory spruce tree; some were of flesh and bone, some were of iron and copper, and few were of ice and fluid. Their colors ranged through the colors of the rainbow.

A certain small and curious creature crawled to Hero's Prophecy. It was a violet gecko with amber glass for eyes. It was very small, the size of an apple slice, and it gazed with eyes glimmering with hope at Hero's Prophecy who towered above it like a flagpole or church steeple. The tiny creature then spoke up with a squeaky high-pitched voice, "Mr. Prophecy, will you really help us?"A certain small and curious creature crawled to Hero's Prophecy. It was a rocky gecko with violet glass for eyes. Beneath its brown rocky shell, crystalline amethyst could be seen comprising its flesh. It was very small, the size of an apple slice, and it gazed with eyes glimmering with hope at Hero's Prophecy who towered above it like a flagpole or church steeple. The tiny creature then spoke up with a squeaky high-pitched voice, "Mr. Prophecy, will you really help us?"