Section 9:

     It was tempting to let the little glossy spheres go -- they pulled hard in his grip -- but Steve didn't want to let go of and possibly lose even one. So, he just held onto one as it pulled his arm forward. At least the magical orb made it easier for him to walk...sorta.

     Steve had decided to leave early, too excited to sit back and wait another minute! The pain had subsided by then anyways, so why let the adventure wait?!

     Over the rolling hills, he climbed, across rivers and around sand dunes. An excitement bubbled inside as he traveled. So far he was able to recognize most of the land marks he passed. It wasn't unusual. He had explored A LOT in the past.

     Nearing the end of his first day of travel, Steve was getting really hungry again. Since he had already eaten all he had packed, he had to stop for the time being to go hunting.

     It was a beautiful place he had stopped for a quick rest in. Nestled between miles of sand and miles of swamp, a couple small hills rose from between the two harsh environments. The sun was kind to this place, which enabled a plethora of all kinds of flowers to flourish. Bees flew happily, their hives tilting under the weight of so much honey. A calm warmness inside his heart, the human decided he would stop here for the night.

     He made a quick shelter with spare oak logs, a make-shift door doing a decent job at protecting the interior. Pleased he now had a place to run to were the setting sun to catch him by surprise, Steve wandered about the flowers as he searched for a hearty meal.

     Two chickens. A pig. And a sheep. Plenty of food for the day.. Might even last him a couple more. As he was returning back to his temporary house, something caught in the corner of his eye. Something white.

     Spinning his heels through the grass, Steve stopped at the sight of a dandelion... That was it. A flower. The white fluff which carried their seeds, glided carelessly through the air. They flew through the sky... The image of his past friend flicking a flower just like it entered his mind. There wasn't another memory like it.. Nothing that could replace the memory of his friend.

     "W-wait! No. Wait- waait! C-come back!!" The human's arms extended out desperately reaching hands in an attempt to grab one of the fluffs that soared away from him. He managed to grab one, but not before losing his balance and rolling down the hill. Steve held onto himself tightly, seeing no use to fight against gravity here. Falling into a dead bed of leaves, the human released his legs and fell flat on his back. No harm had been done. Nothing more than maybe a bruise and a lightly pulled muscle.

     Quickly, Steve sat up on his knees, unclenching his tight fist to see if the little piece of dandelion he had caught was alright. It was..n't... For the human's own hand had crushed the poor, innocent thing. Sitting there on his knees, hunched over his own lap with the dead flower in his hand, tears began to pool in the man's eyes.

     Watching his shaky palm and the crushed fluff inside, "I'm...so sorry.. little one... So..so...so-so...sorry." His breath trembled as he pulled the little fluff in closer to his chest. With teary eyes, he continued to look down upon it with regret.

     The wind whispered over his shoulder sweet nothingness. Leaves, dead and sad, glided past him in the wind. The world carried on silently behind him.

     As the sun was setting over the desert sky, just in front of the man, the human finally looked up. Shades of burnt oranges lit up the dead horizon. Shakily, Steve's quivering hand left his chest, holding out to the world the fluff that had been broken in it. There, he rotated his wrist, letting the delicate little thing fall into the earth.

     ...He wasn't ready to move on... Not yet.

     Sniffling the last of his tears, the human headed back for the village right away. He traveled through the night, wandering like a zombie. He was nearly mistaken for one by a small group of villagers and a ravager, which had been riding his trail. His tear filled eyes were glad to see such familiar faces again, falling onto the first among them, hugging the green robed one he hardly knew tightly. Awkwardly, the green robed villager patted the human's back, leaning away a little in hopes that another villager would take care of this.

     As a group, the squad guided Steve the rest of the way back to the village. Even just being a shoulder to cry on was enough for the human at the time. Though his excitement for another life of adventure had built within him...he still was having a hard time letting go of the life that came before..

Section 10:

     Rain covered his shoulders. There was dull, grey atmosphere all around him. Like the trees nearby, the human was soaking wet. His hair stuck to his scalp and edges of his face. His little beard captured but failed to hold all the rain which dripped to his chin.

     Eyes only half open, mouth tightly clenched, Steve stared down at a little pile of stones poking up from the earth. Before the pile, a still fresh mound of now damp earth rested. Only now was the grass around it beginning to call dibs. A dark grey fog rested over the earth, welcoming the constant stream of rain. In front of Steve, the strong, still standing, stone wall stood only a few blocks away. To the right, a much older grave stood covered in moss.

     This tradition of burying the dead had puzzled the villagers. They always cremated their lost and hid them away in vases under the church. But this tradition only felt natural to Steve. He didn't know why, nor where... But to him it was as if somewhere... he had memories hidden away of this very same instance happening over, and over, and over again.

   His emotions were unreadable. Steve questioned whether he even had them anymore. They would be nowhere for the longest time, then, suddenly, they would all spike up like a terrible trap hidden under leaves! Catching him off guard when he needed them the least... At this moment, Steve felt hollow, empty. He knew he had to move on. And now, he knew where to move on to! But, he questioned whether he would actually be able to.. Maybe...in time...he would..

     Billy's monsterus form hobbled over, stopping beside Steve to stare at the grave with him.

     "...Huuhh.." The friendly beast groaned. He didn't know why that was the thing to cause it, but, suddenly, Steve was filled to the brim with emotion. Stinging pains like nettles poked at his steaming eyes. His breath drew shorter. And a part of him was ashamed to be trembling before his old friend. Billy only stood there peacefully, with longing eyes wishing he could hug the human. Billy shuffled a little closer, nudging Steve with his large, stone textured shoulder. Steve faked a smile, patting his friend delicately.

     "I...'m alright.." His voice trailed to a whisper as his eyes stuck to nothing but the blank wall in front of him. The rain was cold..yet soothing. It helped the human not feel like his skin could catch on fire at any minute. By then his burns were mostly healed. Just some dead, numb skin remaining on them. The big one on his side was still tightly wrapped. His shirt was the same as before, but now there was some slightly lighter blue patchwork added to it.

     Standing firm in the grass, Steve thought of his past friend. The fun times they had spent together. And...even a couple memories relating to his death. It was easier now to look back at these memories. As long as he didn't dwell on emotions....he was fine.

     He had just arrived back at the village last night. Already, he was restless. Tired as he was, he just couldn't go to sleep. He had just wandered around the village, checking the gates...as if.... he was half expecting his old friend to come back..

     Finally, Billy stepped away from Steve. The human thought he was leaving to escape the rain. But, instead, heard the roots of the very grass they were standing on being torn up. Curiously Steve turned around. What he saw was a curious sight. The ravager had dug away a large patch of grass to reveal just damp soil. The rain graciously splutted onto this new topsoil, gleefully splashing small particles of earth into the air. The template all set, Billy stuck out his front right foot, scraping it into the mud. Conscious of the minimal space he had with such a large treestump-like foot, the grey one carved into the dirt one sloppy word.

     ' "Sorry" ' It read. Not wanting to make any assumptions, Steve nodded and let Billy scrape over the first word, starting a new with another one. ' "for , your , loss." ' The wait was worth it. Steve half smiled up at his friend.

     "Ohh.. you don't have to apologize for anything.. You helped me a lot...and, I really thank you for that.." Billy's large mouth curved into a small smile. Then, he took to writing again.

     ' "We , are , still , here , for , you." ' He eventually said. " "Just , ask . We , can , help." '

     "Thanks... But I honestly don't know what I need now..." The man half chuckled, somewhat awkwardly since he genuinely had no idea what to do about the feelings inside.

     After a pause, Billy wrote again. ' "Come , to my , house , to dry." ' Thinking it over slowly, Steve eventually nodded, and the two headed in a slow pace over to the ravager's big barn sized house.

Section 11:

     The warm light from inside welcomed the two soaking adventurers. As they entered through a large, unique door just for Billy, Steve realized there was something different. His usual pile of hay was still in the opposite corner, and some other usual things of his laid around, but now there was something new.

     A line of signs, swerving around like a snake in the center of the room. It was a curious sight. On them, words were written. Words Steve could understand without having to translate! Awed, the soggy Steve walked up to and knelt down in front of the first sign.

     ' "You inspire me to never quit fighting. -Tim" ' Steve was amazed. We're these... We're these for HIM?! Turning to Billy quickly, Steve's face asked the same question he had in his mind. Laying down on his large pile of hay, as to not disrupt anything, his old friend nodded with a smile. The human's eyes were brightening already. ALL of these signs...for HIM? He moved with wonder to the next. ' "I am glad you are okay. -Drake...the green one." ' ; ' "When you are by the village, I feel safe. -Quancie" ' ; ' "I love your hair. -Mrs. Tierson." ' ; ' "You saved my wife all those years ago. For that, I am forever in your debt. -A friendly farmer" ' And on and on they went, each thanking or complimenting Steve. And with each one, he felt the tension around his heart slowly soften up. By the end, happy tears filled his eyes, making it hard for him to read the last one. ' "I couldn't ask for a better friend... -Hokeson/Billy" ' He was sitting on his knees when he read the last one, pulling the collar of his blue shirt up to dry off his smiling eyes. He hardly knew what to say, but for the first time in a long while he felt happy.

     It had always been a weight pressing on his shoulders that the villagers secretly disliked him. That, or he feared they only let him stay out of pity. But now, all of that had been washed away. His already wet wrists attempted to wipe away more tears of his. Just as he began to wish he had something dry to use, a fluffy white towel made with lamb's wool entered the corner of his eye. Looking up slightly at it, he saw none other than the little villager holding it. Tim smiled, now seeing eye to eye with the human. The villager was nearly shocked to see all of the emotion, mainly joy, practically spewing from the man's face! With gentle eyes, Steve thanked the little one, grabbing the towel from him. He used it to dry his hands, then his face, and then his hair and arms. When it was sopping, Steve placed the towel to the side to dry. Then, he noticed Tim was at the door, with a smile asking for him to come outside.

     The human questioned whether he should, since he had just dried off not a full minute ago! Seeing his confusion, Tim pulled out a stick that had been latched to his side, and, pushing up the strange cloth and tight wires, a canopy unfolded over the stick. With amazement, the man wondered if this strange contraption could actually block out things like heavy sun and rain. He didn't have to ask. The little villager showed him by holding it out under the still pouring rain. Amazingly, the cloth was so tightly knit that the rain water just slid off of the circular surface held up by nothing but a stick and wires. Amazing.. Glad Steve was taking notice of his latest creation, Tim pulled out a second one just like it but smaller. Kindly, Tim gave Steve the bigger one, keeping the smaller one for himself. Then, the little one in blue robes stepped out into the wet outdoors, the human close behind.

     It was a lot darker, Steve noticed. The sun was probably only a few minutes away from vanishing completely. But, as the rain still fell at a steady pace, lamp light within each of the houses glowed beautifully.

     Tim lead Steve to the house just across the street. Knocking on the door, Tim turned, looking up at Steve excitedly. Steve was a little confused. But then, the door opened. Inside were two elderly villagers. They both appeared happy to see him, inviting the short distance travelers in right away.

     Instead of talking to each other in the language Steve couldn't understand, they all sat together around the small table in the house, each given a sign and feathered pens. That way, the three villagers could communicate in a way that Steve could understand too! They wrote in their own language, but he at least knew those symbols better than their verbal speech! This meant Steve could interject his own thoughts into the conversation too, allowing him to actually be able to sit down and have a casual conversation with a group of villagers. He was awkward and on some level terrible at talking in a group, but that didn't stop him from trying. And after some getting used to it, he actually got better at it!

     They talked about the day Steve had saved the farmer's wife. It was a heartwarming tale, and the human was even able to tell his side of the story as well. When the simple conversation was coming to an end, Steve thanked the villager for the sign he had written for him, hugged them both quickly, and moved on.

     Tim then lead him on to another house. That one was a little bigger. It HAD to be. Three families lived together in it, all living in triple decker bunk beds which reached the ceiling. All of the kids and even some of the adults were sat down a little further away as the human and Tim entered. The children remained quiet, watching the human from afar. They had all, it appeared, been given a slice of cake each and a couple puzzles to work on quietly.

     Steve was offered some cake, which he kindly accepted, and he smiled when they too had signs they used for talking. They didn't talk as much, but that was alright for Steve! What he did notice, though, was that one of the bunk beds looked rather dangerous. So, wishing to return the favor, he set to fixing any loose boards and straightening the ladder. It wasn't exactly what the villagers had planned, but they let him do it with their help. He appeared happy anyways, being able to help them. When the beds were fixed and the cake eaten, Steve side hugged each one and even stepped over to the kids to see if they wanted a high-five. The little ones' eyes widened with excitement, gladly taking the opportunity to slap the man's big hand.

     His cheeks were starting to hurt by how much he was smiling, so it was a relief to be back outside where he could rest them. He wasn't taken to every houses but he was taken to a couple more.

     The next house gave him the same treatment the previous two had, with the bonus of being handed specially brewed potions for all occasions. Invisibility, strength, swiftness, you name it! The human felt a little awkward accepting such great gifts, but they insisted. In the end, the two sides agreed that the gifts would be his ONLY if he helped fix their creaky door, which he did gladly. Tim carrying the bag of potions for the human as he left, Steve exited soon after giving each one a quick hug.

     The next, and final one, was back at Steve's own house. He entered, wondering if this meant the event was over or if there was more inside. Either way, he was glad to be back. As fun as that was, he felt absolutely drained! The other villagers scurried back to their places, standing in a strict line like soldiers ready for war. The human's curious brows contorted at the sight, but.. when he had a look around, he saw what the real gift was. The once raggedy old room coated in dust was now completely refurnished! Well...nearly. Everything was in the same place, but the chests were completely new and sturdier than ever. He hadn't even noticed, but turning back around, Steve saw even the doors were new! Even the floor had been redone so it no longer creaked and sagged. Everything was tidied up, and, looking in the chest, everything was sorted as well. At least a little neater anyways. Things were still close to where had left them, so there was no worry for confusion. The beds were also new; something probably everyone living there would be benefitting from. And though his bed looked the same, he could tell he had a brand new, thick mattress up there.

     Steve was amazed.

     When he was about finished looking around, all of his roommates patted him on the back before heading off to their own beds as if it had been planned. Soon, it was only Steve and Tim. Tim had taken the stick with covering from the human, signaling this was the end of their journey and placed the bag of potions on one of the chests. Steve's head spun back over all that had happened, honestly amazed at the amount of planning it would take to get all of that ready... And all for him.. His eyes began to water. No sting came with it.

     A light tap of something manmade against his hand grabbed the human's attention. His eyes fell to Tim, who, in both of his hands, held out a thick leather book that read "Tim's Diary" in villager language on the front. Steve was a little confused, so the young villager flipped through the pages until he reached the near halfway point. He pointed at the page. Steve was still a little curious, so the villager took a pen and wrote in small letters on the bottom right corner: ' "This is the story about how we saved you." ' It read.

"Oohh..." Steve mused, slowly grasping the book from the little one's grip. He assumed Tim wanted him to read the story. It was written in the villager's language, but, again, that was easier to understand than the "words" that came from their mouths. Jolting suddenly, Steve stepped past Tim to reach for the leather satchel he could just barely see on his bed. Putting Tim's Diary down for a minute, Steve searched through his own bag for his book. The pages were a little wavey and strange from being covered in snow and then later the snow melting onto it, but it was at least still readable and had a durable cover! Tim's eyes widened with wonder, as if surprised to see such a thing possessed by the human. Steve handed it to him quickly. "There you go.. heh.. trade." He chuckled, forgetting whether or not the little one could understand him verbally. Tim knew the basics, and so he let Steve know by nodding a little as he pulled the book from the man's hands. He was fascinated by the wear, tear, and even blood stains on the book! He could just tell that this was an important item. A very rare and fragile thing he best be careful with. The human chuckled at the sight of such curious eyes. Steve's book was much thicker than Tim's, and there were only a few pages left to be filled out! Flipping to the empty pages, Tim realized he probably shouldn't be snooping through this thing right in front of Steve. But, the human appeared to be considerate. "Go ahead.. I'll read yours... You read mine." He smiled. Tim smiled back with wonderous eyes! 

     Each then branched off to go to their respective beds. Instead of sleeping immediately, however, they dug into the story the other had written, reading the same tales but from another point of view. Tim was SO jealous of Steve's adventures! Uuntiiil he reached the parts which showcased all the times he got hurt, reminding him to stay safe and prepared while on his own adventures! Steve rather enjoyed the simplicity of Tim's tale, though it made him a little sad to read the boy had once hated him. It was also interesting reading how the villagers spoke to each other, finally getting a true glimpse into what life as a villager might look like. Both stayed up for hours just reading, listening to nothing but the flipping of pages and occasional chuckle.

     Though both at times wanted to commentate on the other's story by writing little notes, they restrained themselves. Steve had no pen and Tim didn't want to ruin the already fragile book.

     When finally both were so tired that the words blurred into one messy line, Tim before Steve.. closed their books and their eyes...and slept.