10

"Everyone is fainting!" Farrow cried out to himself and Matrix.

Vladimir stared at his arms, busy touching the flesh. Erick raised an eyebrow, still confused on what had happened.

Vladimir had been trying to read Erick. Erick had felt anger wash over him yet again, and he used a spell to knock him out. Once Vladimir had come to however, he had a living body, and gave Erick weird looks, as if trying to see someone in him.

Vladimir stood up, his legs shaking. He moved his arms wildly, trying to stay balanced. When he balanced himself, he walked around, staring at the mechanicalness of his legs. "Vladimir, walking is not hard, you've been walking, right?" Farrow said, watching Vladimir fall in his face.

Vladimir sat up, wincing at the pain. "Yeah, no. I floated."

"How'd you fall in the mud before then?"

"It's possible to falter in floating you know. I faltered, lost concentration, and tumbled forward. I'm not exactly the best ghost at levitating."

Erick stood up and walked over to Vladimir. He held out his hand, and Vladimir grabbed it. He looked at Erick's eyes, then turned away, his face portraying no signs of anything useful.

Erick sighed, then walked back to the log he sat on. He sat back down and watched the next scene unfold.

Matrix held onto Vladimir's shoulders, and helped hold him up. As Matrix walked him around, fFarrow sat down next to him. "Alright Erick, let's make sure your still alright. Visiting Hell couldn't have been good for you."

Erick's eyes widened. Farrow realized what he said. Matrix and Vladimir were staring at him. "Great job at staying quiet Farrow.

Erick sighed. How did they know? Vladimir probably. "It was fine." He said, his voice hoarse from being unused.

Vladimir moved Matrix's hands off of him and walked next to Erick. "What did Heltic want you to do?"

Erick sighed, then explained everything except for the part about the leaders believing in him.

"So, Heltic wants us to go into Hell to get his daughter?"

Erick nodded. "Well, I'm out on this one!" Farrow said, putting his arms up in a surrendering pose.

"Farrow, he specifically said to guide you into the cave."

That was a lie, but Erick wanted to annoy Farrow and get him to be more brave. Besides, medics needed to go anywhere to help someone who was injured.

Farrow grumbled, then looked back up. "Alright, I'll go into Hell."

Vladimir and Matrix looked at each other, clearly surprised. "Let's get going then." Erick said, standing up.

"Like, right now right now?" Farrow said.

"Yes right now right now, what else do you think?"

Farrow mumbled to himself, then walked over to pack up some of his supplies. Erick started undoing the tent and packed it. As he was packing up the extra food, Matrix crept up behind him.

"Erick?"

Erick jumped. "God you scared me!"

Matrix smiled slightly. "Heh, yeah. Anyways, remember that sack we questioned you about?"

"Yes, of course I remember it."

"We know it holds the table."

Erick nodded. "Yeah, I knew you knew."

"What?"

"I figured you did, otherwise you would've hounded me over it after I was conscious enough."

"Fair enough. Why did you bring it?"

"So I can show people they belong with us."

Matrix nodded. "Never taught of it like that."

"Yes, but I'd rather not have any of the leaders find out."

"Why not? I'm sure they'd be glad to have the table."

Erick hesitated. Does he tell Matrix about him knowing the future, or does he keep quiet? He assumed it was best to stay silent, not wanting to freak anyone out. "I don't know, just a bad feeling about it."

Matrix opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. "Yeah, okay then."

Matrix stood up, bags in his hand. He stumbled a bit, but managed to carry them over to Farrow and Vladimir, who were busy packing the food. Erick sighed. He was certainly a weirdo.

Erick looked around the forest. The leaves of the trees were red, orange, and golden. A gust of wind whistled between the trunks, and knocked off some of the leaves. They swirled to the ground, and Erick shuddered. Something was going to happen, he could feel it.

"What was that? It was terribly cold."

Erick sighed. Vladimir had a lot to learn about being a living creature.

Erick continued on, watching the leaves swirl around him. He hadn't seen the levels change this quickly. It was barely summer.

"Erick, why are you just ignoring this? It's clearly a miracle to the world. It's hardly summer!" Farrow said.

Erick turned to glance at him. Farrow was holding some of the leaves in his hand, and Vladimir was busy staring at them. "I've never seen leaves turn this color before. They always just withered into dust whenever fall came."

"It's not fall." Matrix said. "It's still summer."

Farrow nodded. "We still have at least two more months of summer left, and leaves shouldn't change so rapidly like s. It's a miracle in all honesty! We should alert the fairies!"

"I think they already know." Erick said, pointing to a group of fairies hovering above a tree, busy gathering samples of the leaves.

"Oh no." Matrix said. "If they catch us..."

"We'll be sent back, our quest in complete."

Erick looked at them. "I may know how to get past them."