“Wha…what is that…the sun? Oh, I must have fallen asleep,” thought the boy on this bright, sunny day. Caleb Crowsnest, a 12-year old human, slowly rubbed his eyes and sat up in the middle of his small sailboat. Technically, it was a small wooden canoe with a makeshift sail consisting of a rope, a white sheet and a wooden pole, but that was just a mere technicality. He had been out on the ocean for...four weeks now? Five? His normally pale white skin had tanned, his white shirt and tan pants smelled like salt water, and his short black hair had grown down to the top of his ears. And rummaging through his potato sack, the boy discovered he had run out of food. But that wouldn’t stop him!

He glanced around to get an idea of where he was. Maybe there’d be a nearby island or something. Ocean water, ocean water aaaaaand more ocean water. They didn’t call it the Big Ocean for nothing. And he had lost his map trying to patch a hole in the boat; literally, he had patched the hole using his map. Next time he’d have to bring spare wood and some tools.

Caleb then pulled out the only things in the bag; an iron short sword, a compass, a pair of binoculars and a clay jug for drinking water. It was too light, but there was still some water left. Just as he was about to take a drink, Caleb noticed something in the corner of his eye; it was too blurry to see with the naked eye, but he grabbed his binoculars to get a closer look, and what he saw was...

Nothing.

Of course that nothing would be there. It had been the same song and dance for the past few weeks. Had it even been weeks? Caleb wasn't entirely sure anymore. Time mostly moved in a standstill, if it had moved at all, save for the storms that hit here and there. Those were scary. He'd often duck for cover in his small sailboat with closed eyes and could only hope that he would be alright. Whatever deities were out there were especially merciful to him. Or so he thought anyway. He was still alive and filled with endless optimism, for the most part, as he hummed to himself on a near daily basis. He was sure that they would reach their destination soon. And by "they", he was referring to himself and the friendly gull that landed on his sailboat at some point.

"Flower" was the name that he decided on for his companion. He was inspired by the trend of his village where people would name their livestock and pets after nature. Speaking of his village, there was rarely a day that went by where he hadn't missed it. The village elder insisted that sending a twelve-year-old out to find a cure for the mysterious ailment that inflicted their settlement was far too dangerous. Caleb disagreed though. He knew swordsplay and he was very slowly learning magic as well. He was brave and he would be strong someday too. He wanted to be like the knights that sometimes came through the village on their way to the city. That's why he shook only so much when lightning touched down next to his sailboat! At least there were clear skies today. Or so he thought with a slight sigh just as the mist began to roll in much to his surprise.

His voyage was still rough at times, however. Even he had to admit that much. At least Flower brought him gifts on occasion like pieces of fabric that it found floating in the water and once it even dropped a fish right on Caleb's head! It was wet, slimy, and still moving yet it made for a satisfying meal. Even if it was raw, smelled terrible, and did not pair well with potatoes. He needed more water too as it wouldn't be long before he ran out of that too.

It was lucky for him that he spotted something forming in the mist not too far off, however.

For a moment he could only squint to guess the rippling form emerging before his eyes, as it undulated toward him in frenetic rhythm, a small yet haphazard mass of a murky shadow rapidly growing in size and clarity. The early morning sunlight, try as it might, could barely pierce the veil in little more than a haze of shimmering Sea Green light. Caleb clasped desperately to the bow of the boat, hand at his hilt, nerves steeled for any sudden surprises...
. . .
. . . ..."FLOWER!?"

PHWOOMPH! Like an arrow the gull shot out through the green mist, whipping past its surprised sea-side companion and just about knocking him off his sea legs in the process. Caleb struggled to regain his balance against the sudden turmoil he'd caused to the shaky wooden vessel, then his eyes snapped back towards the bird. Round and round it flew in a dizzying dance of loops and arcs, crying out a screech of delight at its quarry. Like the rising sun, a gleeful smile beamed across Caleb's face:

There, in the seagull's talons, hung a Cherub-Twig -- the succulent and pulpy volume of it betraying only the best of signs...LAND! Despite the mist and murk surrounding him, the sea-tanned boy spun about on his heel--

--and promptly slipped and tumbled flat onto his ass--

--But was back up again just in time to wince through the pain and behold the silhouetted fore-shore-form of his salvation! There, just as the gleefully screeching gull at his back had done not a moment earlier, peeking out through the eerie fog arose the crisp shape he had been searching for; in fact for a second, a whimper of homesickness almost upset the boy's stomach - but no, he had to steady himself for this. He'd made this journey to prove to the others that he was Strong, strong enough to become a Knight like all those that'd passed through on their way to...well, frankly more important places - but STRONG, STRENGTH, and now was the time to prove it! HERE, at THIS PLACE, with the JANKY OLD WOODEN PIER, and the CROOKED LAMP-STRUNG TREE...and...and the Chipped Church Belltower. . .

As the boat slowly bumped to a standstill against the familiar moss-covered pier, the scent of pipesmoke drawing close stung at Caleb's senses. His nose twitched and his eyes watered up at the acrid smell, so much so that he could only hear the sudden arrival of heavy footsteps plonking down along the creaking wooden boards stretching out into the sea:

"...Crowsnest...Is That You? Where in the World have you been dear boy?!?", "she" inquired with surprise and anger.

...Home. Now he wished he hadn't plugged that map after all.

"Uhh, yeah, it's me. I think I kinda got turned around a little," Caleb said sheepishly, intentionally avoiding the question. "But it's good I landed here. I'm almost out of--"

SMACK!

The woman slapped Caleb upside the head, glaring down at him. "Merciful fate, boy! We thought you were dead! Just taking off like that, and just look at that sorry dingy you set sail in!" She stared aghast at the makeshift canoe, bobbing gently in the waves beside the grimy dock. "It's a wonder the sea didn't snap it right in half!"

Caleb flinched at the scolding. It certainly wasn't the hero's welcome he was hoping for. Sure, he hadn't completed his quest, but it seemed like he was the only person in the village trying to do something about this plague. He looked defiantly up at the woman, but her stern gray eyes battered whatever fighting spirit he had left into the deepest corner of his soul. "Sorry, Miss Ardia," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry indeed! Now come along!" Miss Ardia grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the village like a dog on a leash. Her grip was as firm as ever, yet somehow, her vice-like grasp never hurt any of the children. Her graying brown hair was tied up into a tight little bun and the creases in her face exuded disapproval. A few years ago, Caleb would have been scared. But now, he could only laugh. "And just what is so funny, Crowsnest?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "It's just good to hear you yelling at me again. You know out in the Big Ocean I only had Flower to talk to, and those were kinda one-sided conversations."

"Oh, we'll talk about you setting sail all on your own in good time. But for now..." Miss Ardia plucked a strand of seaweed out of his hair. "Get yourself cleaned up. You smell like low tide." And as she finished her sentence, they approached the Red Twig Orphanage.

Caleb was pushed into the orphanage club by Ms. Ardia. He was greeted by his friends. They all wanted to hear about the trip he rushed to. But, before he delivered his victory speech the old hag, Ms. Ardia, yelled authoritatively that no one was allowed to fool with Caleb because he felt sore and hurt. Then, he shifted the entire scene. He jerked away from his surrogate parent and fled from the building out into the wilderness.

Ms. Ardia was outraged. Rule number one was violated. Running away fit under a zero tolerance policy. She was highly disrespected, but did not take long to compose herself. She went to calm the kids, and after they were accounted for and commanded the orphans sat on their beds to color and do word search puzzles. After the Red twig kids obeyed the mistress, she ran out the door hollering and screaming at Caleb, who was nowhere to be found. He was slowly running to the top of a small embankment where the weather was nice and no one would ever be.

The bank was made up of dirt and sand and wire bushes and trees. He avoided the wire bushes but smiled at carved memories in several trees. His friends would bring small and big knives and cut their initials into the trees, which they also tried to articulate colorful half-beat designs. It took away some of his frustration to think about playing with the looney friends he always loved.

He was still staring at a tree when a dog saluted him. He jumped after he heard the dog behind him bark. He looked at it, and he wanted to kick it, and then the mangy animal spun around a couple of times and then sat and barked. Suddenly every thing was not terrible. He tried speaking to the dog, and moved forward to it but the dog snapped and sat back down. So, Caleb kicked and hissed at the mutt and it took off.

He moved back to where he was a took a seat on a huge stone and started to rest. Then, the dog returned barking some and then sat about ten feet away from Caleb, who admittedly was charmed. "Do you do anything besides bark and follow me around.? Do you want to be my friend? Can you bite good?" Caleb smiled observing the black and white pointer dog that would or would not become his best friend.

The dog inched forward, ears back and tail thumping hesitantly. She skittered back when Caleb moved but didn't go far. He crossed his arms sullenly across his chest as he studied the animal. She was thin, but not malnourished. Dirty, but not diseased. Now that he was taking the time to truly look, he spotted a dirty, weathered ribbon around her neck. He suspected he had once been red, or maybe pink, but now it was dingy brown and the ends were fraying into nothing.

"Someone use to love you, didn't they?" He asked softly. He held his hand out towards her, but she jumped back once again. For a moment a surge of disappointed flared deep in his chest. Caleb forced himself to settle. This was his fault, he'd scared her with his earlier burst of anger and careless kicking. He wouldn't have hurt the dog, but how was she to know that? Caleb forced his voice to sound calm, like the way Ms. Ardia would speak when the littler kids -not him, he was always brave- were frightened by a loud storm. "Come on, dog, I'll be your friend. I can name you, you don't have to be alone."

"She has a name." A voice sharp in tone and high in voice rang out from somewhere lower on the embankment.

Caleb couldn't decide if he should sound defensive or friendly. He chewed his lip as he mulled over the proper way to respond to the voice. The dog seemed nice enough, and if the dog was with this person, then surely the person would be nice as well. But the voice sure hadn't sounded particularly eager to be friends.

"I know you're not mute, I've been listening to you talk." The owner of the voice finally appeared, popping up onto his little safe haven. Caleb stared dumbly. Whoever this stranger was, they weren't human.

No, this stranger wasn’t human at all. Caleb wasn’t sure what this new thing was, but it certainly wasn’t anything the boy has ever seen, read about or heard of. This new male (his tone of voice was definitely masculine, despite how high-pitched it was) was maybe half as tall as the dog, with a bright lime green humanoid body and bright purple eyes. However, instead of hair, this guy had what looked like a little rabbit ear sticking up perfectly straight from his head. He also wore what looked like a purple jumpsuit, matching his eyes. He couldn’t have weighed more than 20 pounds, but yet he sounded older than Caleb by many years.

After a long pause, Caleb finally asked “wha…what are you?”

“Nono, don’t ask for Ribbon’s name,” the little creature responded disdainfully, adding “that’s the dog, in case you didn't get that. Just...you know what, never mind.” The thing shook his head, “we don’t have time for this.” Shifting to a more matter-of-fact stance, he said “I’m Rainbow. I got shipwrecked on this weird place like you did and now these crazy dwarves-“

“Wait,” Caleb interrupted, “shipwrecked? My boat is fine! And I know these-“

“Ugh, we really don’t have time for this,” the little guy, clearly disdainful of Caleb, butted in, “your current vision here is an illusion created by a magical mist based off of your memories blah blah blah dwarf cultists want to sacrifice us to their stupid fake god blah blah blah.” And with this, the green man made a little finger gun in the boy’s direction using his hands and shot a little bright purple speck of light - not any bigger than a fingernail - at him.

Caleb wasn’t hurt at all, but suddenly and immediately, his perspective changed - they were no longer at his favorite embankment, but on top of a dull brown rock. The wooden pier changed to a rocky shoreline, the Red Twig Orphanage changed into the (derelict looking) Temple of the Almighty Bear, and the mist that had been present disappeared.

Rainbow sighed, turning to a more conciliatory tone as he saw the surprise on Caleb’s face, “I know all of this is new and sudden to you. By sheer luck you found an okay hiding spot, but I’ve been hiding from these nuts for more than two years. We need to work together if we’re going to beat them. Look for yourself,” he said, making another finger gun that caused Caleb’s binoculars to momentarily flash purple as a way to draw attention to them.

Maybe it was the hunger. Maybe it was the newness of it all or maybe he was just dreaming, but the boy did as he was told and grabbed the binoculars and looked around the island. Thankfully they were in a good spot for it. He saw an older lady looking around nearby, but instead of Ms. Ardia it was an unknown elderly dwarf lady with a bear tattoo on her face. From this distance he couldn’t tell what she was saying, but he could tell that she was livid and yelling about something. And instead of his fellow orphans, Caleb saw a number of dwarves with bear tattoos on their faces setting up...something.

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t back home, and that was kind of sad. But Caleb now had the change to be brave. To be strong! He knew he could get through this - whatever “this” was - and resume his search for a cure, but he had a question.

“Okay, Rainbow...so if you can make me see all this and can make stuff glow and stuff, why not just win yourself?”

This question caused Rainbow to become angry again, but this time it was at himself. “Because, kid, while it looks like I can do a lot, I’m really just a novice," he said with a sigh. "What I’ve shown you is the extent of my power. Unlike me, you look like you can actually fight.”

At this, Caleb’s sword flashed purple.

“Follow me,” Rainbow said, mounting onto Ribbon like a human would a horse, “we need to go somewhere safe where we can plan. And besides, I know where your bird is.”

"You know where Flower is?"

Curious eyes glanced back at the rocky shoreline before Caleb allowed himself to be led away by this strange thing. Rainbow was allegedly his (its?) name. The adventurer had read about such creatures in books before. Ones that were short, had slimy green skin, and lived somewhere across the Big Ocean. They were called goblins. None of the pictures that he had seen of them matched Rainbow's description though. There was nothing about ears sticking out at the top of their heads anyway. At least the height was relatively accurate -- "Is that what you call your gull?"

"Well. . He's not really mine, but yessir." They were headed further and further into dense vegetation by now. The small boy hadn't even noticed that he was lightly trembling as their trek took them deeper into a jungle. Sea salt carried by the wind was sharply replaced by humidity and hanging vines. A seagull immediately began to flutter away from one of them and just above their heads. There was an odd sigh of relief from Caleb. Even if things were a little scary right now, he was glad to know that Flower had made it through alright. "What is this place?"

"This island doesn't really have a name and the civilization is christened in a Dwarven tongue." Wildlife seemed surprisingly barren in the jungle from what could Caleb see. By now, the creature was dismounting from its noble steed. Ribbon's tail was wildly wagging as Rainbow reached to rip away what appeared to be a rock covering a hole that led deep into the ground. "In we go. It's a tight squeeze, but don't worry, there's more room on the inside. I've already taken the liberty of clearing out all the snakes too."

"Snakes?!"

"Yeah. They've already been taken out though, so don't worry. I'll even go first if that makes you feel any better." Caleb had barely a moment to respond before Rainbow plunged into the darkness of the ground below. Flower settled on a vine just above the rock when Ribbon lowered its head and slid in as well. How uncomfortable. There was a nervous sigh from the young boy as he clenched the hilt of his sword.

Then, with his eyes closed, he too, plunged forward.

By the standards of his many practiced and flawlessly executed hurdles from various tree-branches, rooftops, and improperly balanced ladders, the descent down was surprisingly short - in fact it barely gave him time to properly brace up in anxiety before he'd reached the bottom. He landed on his feet with a heavy thud outside a squat, arched cavern entrance, the inviting gleam of some purple aura emanating from within. As he ducked inside, he could immediately make out the rag-tag assortment of "living conveniences" tucked away along the smoothed dirt walls of the cave - a motley assortment of twig-&-nettle "sofas", burnt plate-chunks of otherwise glossy green metal serving as makeshift tables for various knickknacks, a rather large and jagged shard of a mirror leaned just up adjacent the entryway, several melon-like fruits with what *appeared* to be Rainbow-esc faces carved into them, a few expertly stacked metal crates and chests, and tying it all together, a luminescent purple lantern of some sort pulsating dead-center in the room. Everything was surprisingly neat and tidy for a cave...

"Woah...", Caleb gawked.

"Yeah, real luxury - feel free to take a seat when you're finished playing in the dirt though." At that, Rainbow shot an irritated snap of his fingers over toward a "sofa" nearest his dumbstruck companion, and in an instant it looked like just about the most comfortable pillow he'd ever laid eyes on; Ribbon immediately brushed past him at the door to take dibs on their newfound convenience.

"...Or...stay where you are - anyway, I could give you all the background on the when-what-whys of our current predicament, but chances are it'd probably fly over you at this point. So instead I'll just say this: "

Rainbow paused for a moment, clearly trying to think of the simplest way to phrase his climactic statement.

"...N o t h i n g here is as it first seems."

...

. . .Ribbon took the opportunity amid the brief interim to scratch a flea; Caleb considered the same, but decided against it - this weird li--er, "Rainbow", was clearly upset.

"...Uh-huh."

Rainbow clapped his hands together for no apparent reason, and shortly continued with: "Great! Now that all the nitty-gritty backstory stuff is out of the way, let's outline what matters here: I've been stuck on this rock for two whole years amid a clan of mouth-breathing idiots with a penchant for zealotry, You just got stuck here with me, and of the two of us, you look like you'd stand more than 5 seconds in a fight - now, how experienced are you with Guerilla Tactics?"

Caleb attempted to look as composed as he'd ever been before answering: "...-- Glue-what now?"

The rising frustration in the creature's face was visible enough to practically be its own lantern.

"Can. You. Fight. With. That. Thing?"

He nodded over to the hand-me-down hunk of ir--the noble blade hanging at Caleb's side, prompting the also-increasingly-flustered boy to sputter: "O-oh that - no-yeah I've...practiced with many competent sword-Knights back at home, Heaps: They come through my village all the time."

Rainbow crossed his puny arms in an otherwise unnerving level of disbelief, putting a finger over his mouth in contemplation. For a moment the room entered another phase of nerve-wracking silence, and Caleb considered easing in aside Ribbon in the hopes of not completely losing his cool. He suddenly had the trailing realization that he looked *nothing* like the armor-clad heroes he'd idolized (and occasionally perturbed) as they stopped in from longer travels. His arms were too scrawny...well frankly, his Everything was too scrawny. And he had a girl's neck. And his hands were small with five "plushy" (as Mrs. Ardia had once called them - boy was he glad that nickname hadn't stuck longer than a few months) fingers protruding out of each of them...

...he didn't even own a helmet; E v e r y Knight had a Helmet...

It was at that moment that he realized the creature was pointing its finger at *him.*

S N A P! In an instant a wash of purple light enveloped him, toppling the boy over in his yet latest moment of complete unprepared-i-ness, landing him flat on his back, eyes glued to the upside-down mirror behind him.

...What...in...?

Caleb sat up slowly, gingerly. He wasn't really certain how to move with this new form. How were you suppose to stand when you weren't you, much less be able to fight. Everything about this was wrong. "Can you undo it? Please?"

"Of course I can." Rainbow answered comfortably. He picked up an odd looking fruit - or maybe a vegetable, Caleb couldn't be sure - from a nearby bowl. He took a bite out of it. He was half finished with the thing before the boy realized he wasn't going to continue.

"So, will you?"

"No." Rainbow smiled happily.

"Why not?" Caleb's voice was whiney. He tried to harden it as he pressed forward. "I don't wanna look like this. You didn't even give me anything cool. I just look weird and I don't have, like, sword hands or flaming hair, or anything!"

"Do you want me to set your hair on fire?" Rainbow appeared to be contemplating that idea just a little too hard for Caleb's liking. "I don't think it would be comfortable for you, but it's an idea with merit nevertheless."

"No flame hair!" Caleb backed away. "Changed my mind!" Rainbow nodded, so Caleb relaxed. He looked around the small home slowly. From his new height, he could see over even the tallest of the furniture. It had been a tight squeeze before, but this was just uncomfortable. His head brushed the ceiling if he moved wrong.

Gingerly he felt his face. Nothing really felt incorrect, but it didn't feel right either. Some part of him was convinced this was his natural shape, and yet he knew that was wrong. Was that a wart above his eye? Caleb shuttered. "Change me back, I don't like this." Ribbon snored softly from on top of her pillow. Rainbow cackle. Caleb thought he might cry.

"You need to learn. You can probably adapt to them changing things around you, though we'll have to practice with that too. More importantly is if you can fight!" Rainbow's eyes gleamed as he leaned forward. "It's good to fight in one form, but what if those dwarves use another illusion on you? I can't have my prize winner getting himself killed because he didn't know what to do with an extra leg," Rainbow laughed again as Caleb's eyes snapped down to confirm he still only had two, "or a tail," Caleb spun around and knocked his shins on the table, "or maybe arm length horns on his head." Caleb slammed his hand into the ceiling in his haste to pat down his hair to check for horns.

"Owwww."

Rainbow shook his head. "You're no good at illusions at all." His face lit up. "It's a good thing I'm here to teach you! You'll be able to fight despite them soon enough!"

And so he did. After waiting a few hours for the cultists to go to sleep (as there was no way any training could be realistically done in such a small space), the pair went outside where Caleb was trained in the art of illusions. Maneuvering (if you could call it that) in different forms, perceiving what is and isn’t real, and so on. Rainbow wasn’t actually powerful enough to create powerful magic like the mist that enveloped the whole island, but he knew a great deal. If there was an Illusions 101 course at the King’s College back home, Rainbow would be a shoe-in for the professor job there. It also helped that Caleb was a quick learner once the initial shock of it all wore off, plus Rainbow’s illusions wore off once the target knew they weren’t real.

After five hours or so of training, the two took a break back in Rainbow’s home, eating those weird fruits and conversing.

“...so, what you’re saying is that we have to attack tomorrow morning because it’s the one day a month where the cultists rest for their god, so we’ll have the element of surprise?” Caleb asked.

“Yeah Caleb, exactly,” Rainbow responded, “we got lucky. If you had arrived on any other day, we couldn’t have trained out in the open like we did. They’d have been hunting for you like wild dogs. And I don’t wanna risk my meat shield getting killed in the next month.”

“Well it’s good to know you care so much about me,” Caleb retorted sarcastically, “but I do have another question. How did you get here in the first place?”

At this, Rainbow looked genuinely uncomfortable. He sadly looked over at Ribbon - who was still asleep - then back at Caleb as he began his story “Two years ago, back at my home island, we were visited by a merchant ship from Thorn City.”

“Thorn City?” Caleb asked.

“Big city ran by the druids to the west of here across the Big Ocean” was the response.

“Oh.”

“Anyway,” Rainbow continued, “I wanted to leave the island because...well, that’s not important right now. But I joined their crew and we set sail east to head to Northgate. That’s the capital city of some backwater human kingdom.”

“I’m from that kingdom,” Caleb replied indignantly, “and our knights are strong. Last year they repelled a force three times as-”

“Jeez jeez, sorry,” Rainbow interrupted, “Let’s move on. Anyway, our ship ran aground on some rocks right by here. We saw an island and thought we could get some materials, fix up the ship and be on our way. Unfortunately, those damned cultists tricked us, and slaughtered almost the entire crew.”

“You were the only survivor?” was the boy’s next question.

“Ribbon also survived, thank you very much,” Rainbow stated with derision, as if it should have been obvious.

“Oh, right,” Caleb responded “But if you were there at the start, why didn’t you see the illusions and warn everybody?”

“Because I wasn’t smart enough!” Rainbow snapped, before settling down. “It took me two years to train myself in illusions, and even now those damned cultists are still ten times better than I am. Caleb, I...I can’t do this by myself,” Rainbow stated sadly, “it took the captain’s dog for me to realize what was going on, but by then it was too late for everyone else. I’d like to get her back to her home to repay her kindness, but I can’t do it without you.”

Caleb nodded, saying with certainty “we can do this, Rainbow. You made a good plan and we have the element of surprise.” Plus, Caleb knew he would be strong.

“Thanks Caleb,” Rainbow said sincerely, “you should get some rest. I’ll wake you up at dawn in time for our attack.”

Falling asleep that night was difficult.

Ribbon was Caleb's sole source of comfort in such an unfamiliar place. He was brave, but he was also starting to feel homesick. There was something about Rainbow's story that rang true for him. He missed Ms. Aradia and he missed some of his friends too. He also missed the local knights that came by, the older kids that taught him swordplay, and the elderly ladies that would stop by the orphanage with cookies and cakes. These memories seeped into his mind as he managed to finally fall asleep. He was counting waves in the Big Ocean in his head and curled against Ribbon when he dozed off. His dreams started pleasant though they took a sickening twist at some point. There was blood, there was fire, and there was screaming. It came with the startling realization that he didn't want to hurt anyone. Even if they were the bad guys and they were threatening his life. Even if they had slaughtered Rainbow's friends and Ribbon's owner. Knights were just, sure, and they protected the weak, but killing? Was that ever truly just?

"It's time." Rainbow's voice eventually sliced through the darkness. It was salvation to a long night that had kept Caleb awake, anxious, and on his toes. He was glad that it was over, but he was equally tired as he was nervous for what was to come. Vague memories of him twisting in his sleep became apparent as he sat upright and opened his eyes. "Get up. Meet me outside when you're ready."

Caleb was still-half asleep when he slowly nodded in response. With a little push from Ribbon, he realized that there was no going back and forced himself to his feet. He couldn't back down or go back in spite of his fears. That's not what knights did. They fought through any fear pr foe and that probably included dwarves that were half their height and had scary illusion magic. Caleb mulled over this as he finally crawled out of the hole with Ribbon closely behind him. He, too, had begun to understand Rainbow's motivations. Ribbon deserved to be brought home. Maybe, once they were off this terrible island and after Caleb had found a cure for his village, he'd help Rainbow with his quest. "Good morning. I would ask if you slept well, but I already know the answer to that question. Are you at least ready to fight?"

"As ready as I will ever be."

"Good." A flutter was heard from a vine just above them to indicate Flower's presence. There's a whistle leading the dog to Rainbow's side. It wasn't long before he had climbed onto her back once more. Caleb could only wish that he had a horse as he followed behind his newly discovered companion. "Now keep quiet and follow me. Looks like your gull is still following us."

"Yeah." Caleb was mostly quiet as they began to venture through the dark jungle. The sun had began to slowly peek over the horizon though it would still be another half an hour at least before full sunrise. "So, um. . Let's do this."

It was an eerie walk they took, silent as they had to be to avoid detection. The jungle loomed around them in a motley web of twisting vines and tangled roots, and Caleb couldn't help but *feel* like something was watching them, somewhere, even though the space was silent; unnaturally silent, he noticed, even for such an early hour. As they passed beneath the latest in a series half-fallen branches, curiosity got the better of him, and softly as he could utter the words, he whispered:

"...w h y i s e v e r y t h i n g s o...y o u k n o w...q u i e t ?..."

Rainbow gently nudged Ribbon to tiptoe around what looked to be a particularly tripwire-inspired twig fork, narrowly avoiding what would surely have been a crack like a bullwhip at this hour. "...w e l l...y o u k n o w h o w I m e n t i o n e d t h e n u t h e a d s l i k e m a k i n g o f f e r i n g s ?"

"...u h - h u h ?"

" s i m p l e", the pint-sized creature finished promptly, flourishing a hand in the air without so much as confirming his scrawny bodyguard had even seen it from behind. For a moment Caleb's mind flashed back to the cramped hole he'd slept in, specifically to the snakes that'd supposably occupied it. He wondered if Rainbow *had* actually forced them out all by himself, or if they just hadn't been able to understand their newfound company. At any rate, he still didn't know why the jungle was so dead quiet.

It wouldn't be much longer that he could hold onto that thought though, for all of a sudden the vines and shrubs became sparse and unpopulated, like they'd stepped into a completely different world. Here there were no hanging vines, no crawling roots; here there was no tussling thicket - only woodstumps, broken axe handles and discarded...fish. . .bones . . . ?

"...t h e r e...", Rainbow pointed out what appeared to be a rather carefully refined woodworking station at one end of the enclosed clearing, "...a n d t h e r e...", he continued, nodding to another. The scale was small, but organized - efficient...unnervingly so, frankly; it was like somebody had carved a swath of a chessboard out of the otherwise dense surrounding foliage. "...t h i s i s n ' t a n y o l d g a r d e n p a r t y -- t h a t ' s a m i l l , a n d t h e o t h e r ' s a j o i n e r y s t a t i o n..."

Caleb scratched his head again, the idea just hadn't sat right with him since he'd agreed to figure out if it was even real or not. If it was...well, it'd certainly be a fine ticket out of...wherever this was; but he couldn't understand how the "goblin" could be so sure it even existed...at least, in a useable state.

"...a s h i p i n t h e m i d d l e o f t h e j u n g l e...", Caleb pondered unbelievingly.

"...l e a v e i t t o t h o s e e a r t h - f o n d l e r s t o g e t i t a l l b a c k w a r d s . . . a n y w a y , l i k e I s a i d , i t ' s m o r e l i k e l y b u r i e d u n d e r g r o u n d t o o; t h u s . . . w e n e e d a K e y."

This had been the part the boy had been wondering about. It was some sort of special day of worship for the dwarves today...a day on which they didn't work, didn't go outside, didn't even eat (the fish carcasses must've been from the day or...days, prior). All day, today, they'd be locked up in that central forttress of theirs - and the keys they carried to get in would be with them. So imagine that Rainbow had just so happened to find a dwarf who not only just so happened to disdain this practice of theirs, but actively did so in secret, at the end of every week, and right out in the open. The chances had to be below those of finding a unicorn.

"OH Mighty One, are you pleased with me? Surely you who are the most cunning would look favorably upon your most cunning servant - KARRASS! Karrass who makes such beautiful carvings for you, Master, and do you not see how the others worship the work of Karrass as miracles of your own in his place? Karrass does not NEED the praise of others...of course, of course..Karrass is humble, and devoted to his god...but...if perhaps the Mighty Bear could bestow just a *little* sign of its affection upon him...why, Karrass would make A HUNDRED such assumed "miracles" in his god's name!

...or, a hundred more, that is...

...Praise be to the Mighty One...Karrass earnestly awaits your reply; As he always has; As he always does...Still."

Caleb froze. He hadn't even *n o t i c e d* the dwarf kneeling before the tiny figurine not fifty feet away - he'd been so still, and his clothes blended in perfectly with the sea of woodstumps checkerboarding the parched earth.

"...j u s t l i k e w e p l a n n e d , r e m e m b e r ?...", Rainbow muttered quietly atop his equally subdued steed.

With a flash, a brief wash of purple light passed over him, and Caleb could begin to feel his features *seem* to change. But he knew it wasn't real, this was all an illusion, he didn't Really look like this...

...the question was, would their newfound friend see things differently?

Caleb drew himself up as tall and as straight as he could. When one imitated gods, one walked with good posture. He didn't actually know if that was a rule, but he'd never met anyone pretending to be a god before so he hadn't had much of a chance to ask. It seemed like a good rule for a god impersonator to follow, though. With that thought in mind, he lumbered into the clearing.

Karrass leaped to his feet. He whipped around towards the intruder. The damp musty scent of the disturbed fish carcasses and ancient leaf-litter filled the air. Caleb wrinkled his nose against the invading scent. Karrass still stared at him in a decidedly nonagressive manner. Emboldened by the lack of immediate attack, Caleb pressed on. He avoided looking at himself as he walked forward. It was best not to think too hard about what Rainbow had done to him, least he accidentally undo the illusion.

"Y-" Karrass choked on his word the first time before he managed to spit it out, "you!"

"Me?" Caleb blinked.

"You!" Karrass seemed to be at a loss for a more meaningful word.

"Me." Caleb agreed again. His thoughtless answer last time hadn't gotten him killed, so it seemed a safe choice to repeat.

"You." Though he was repeating the same word again and again, Karrass sounded significantly more strangled this time. Before Caleb could answer with his obligatory 'me', Karrass was moving. He threw himself down at Caleb's feet, choking over the word 'you' again. This time he managed to form a full sentence. "You heard Karrass! You answered Karrass!"

Caleb awkwardly patted the sobbing dwarf on the head. "Yes, little cub, I have been sent because you were heard." It felt so weird to call a man at least twice his age 'cub'. Twice his age? Maybe that was wrong. Did dwarfs age the same way humans did? Did they show age the same way humans did? Karrass' voice had not sounded like an old voice, but what if that was how old dwarfs sounded? Caleb should have asked Rainbow more about the dwarfs. For that matter, was he even sure Karrass was male? He was fairly certain one of the older boys had said female dwarfs grow beards.

"Karrass knew his god would send a sign," Ah, that was right. Karrass referred to himself as male, that's how Caleb knew. "Karrass did not doubt the Mighty One. Karrass is the most loyal servant, the most humble. Karrass shall make a thousand miracles in his god's name."

"Very good, Cub. The Mighty One is pleased with his devoted one's devotion." Caleb could almost feel Rainbow roll his eyes behind him. "Take me to the others, so that I might tell them of your loyalty. The Mighty One has sent me as a messenger, so all might know of you."

Karrass stood at once. He patted down his clothes as he answered. "Karrass shall be honored to escort the Mighty One's Messenger. Oh yes, Karrass has waited long for this. Karrass always knew he was the most worthy. He is the best servant." His hand slid into a hidden pocket somewhere in the folds of his shirt. From within the brown cloth he pulled out what he had been searching for. He cradled the key cautiously to his chest. "This is the way, great messenger."

The Dwarf held his key aloft and shouted a phrase that Caleb could not comprehend. From seemingly no where a large door appeared. Karrass pressed his key against the center of the door. It sprang open.

Caleb drew a deep breath and against all instincts followed the dwarf into his lair.

The subterranean Temple of the Mighty Bear was a feat of architectural brilliance, carved through the generations from rock and wood by clever dwarfen hands. Built to dwarfen standards more importantly, and not with the personification of the Mighty One’s messenger in mind. Rainbow might’ve been considerate to shaved off a foot or two in his illusion crafting, for although Caleb surely towered over any dwarf in a presence of intimidation, he was forced to bend his knees and crane his neck to stuff himself in the temple’s entrance hall.

Sensing Caleb’s discomfort Karrass bowed so low his beard brushed the well swept floor saying. “O’ Mighty One, woe upon Karrass, and all those foolish enough not to have foreseen! Your devoted servant would have all the ceilings raised so you might stand at ease.” He seemed really distraught by his lack of foresight, and for a moment Caleb almost felt sorry for him, but then he saw the stone knife sheathed at Karrass’ hip, and recalled what they’d done to Rainbow’s crew, and what they had almost done to him.

“This displeases the Mighty One.” Caleb rumbled, or at least tried to rumble. His voice sounded far too tenor to belong to a bear.

“Yes, yes this will never do.” Karrass agreed, but he looked hopeful. “Karrass knows of just the place, deep, deep below in the Hall of Sacrifice where the rock is thick and strong, we built the arches to stand twenty meters high! You might stand and leap and never touch the roof. This should be where your devoted servant will summon all to hear you O’ Mighty One.”

Caleb concurred this would be acceptable. “Lead on loyal cub.” He thought the dwarf might turn at once and lead him further beneath the ground, down into the stilted, oppressive air and darkness. Instead Karrass despite standing before his idol possessed the presence of mind to close and lock the entrance behind them. Caleb gagged, Rainbow would still be trapped outside, unable to aid or follow. Did the little goblin’s magic have a range to it? He had never mentioned it, only that he was limited in his powers. Caleb glanced down at his hands, they were paws, real flesh and blood and fur, whatever illusion Rainbow cast was not yet broken.

“Wait!” Caleb commanded as the dwarf prepared to turn. Karrass stopped at once, bowing low.

“Yes O’ Mighty One?”

“The door should be left open, I uh, desire it.”

This certainly confused Karrass, Caleb could tell at once he had surprised the dwarf, but for what reason he could not imagine. All he had asked was that the door remain open, surely this was not so foreign to Karrass. The dwarf stuttered, and scratched at his tattoo as if thinking his god was testing him.

“But, but the Ados Koarah, Karrass knows it by heart! To leave one’s door ajar behind one is an anathema, for this blatant disregard surely displeases the Mighty Bear… But if you command it, your devoted servant will not disobey.”

“That was written out of context.” Caleb stated, grasping for straws, and wishing he were cleverer. Rainbow would surely be grinding his teeth at how badly he was spoiling things, if he had not already given up on Caleb as a lost cause and gone home that is.

“…Written?” This gave Karrass pause and the dwarf seemed lost in thought, his eyes glinting with, was it more confusion or was that suspicion? Caleb inched his hand towards the hilt of his sword ever so slowly, painfully aware of the knife the dwarf possessed. He might have longer arms, and perhaps equal or greater strength, but he could not hope to dodge or maneuver in this cramped environment. Every second felt a lifetime to Caleb, though in truth it was probably no more than a moment’s time. Karrass shook his head, a smile upon his lips.

“Karrass would not question the wisdom of the Mighty One’s Messenger.” He bowed, and then retrieved his key, allowing the entrance to spring open once more. Fresh air flowed down into the entrance hall giving the illusioned boy renewed hope. Caleb suppressed a sigh of relief, the illusion held, and now Rainbow could follow, everything was going to plan.

“Follow Karrass O’ All Knowing One, he will show you. Karrass is loyal, Karrass is cunning, Karrass will lead you to the Hall of Sacrifice, O’ Mighty One.”

Rainbow watched and listened to (the ear wasn’t just for show) Caleb act as the bear messenger with a combination of satisfaction and annoyance. Of course Caleb would almost mess this up over something as simple as a door. Maybe it was stupid to count on a 12 year old to kill almost a dozen cultists. But Rainbow had made this plan, so he knew he should see it through to the end.

“Stay here, Ribbon” the small green...thing whispered to the dog, then he cloaked himself invisible with illusion magic and followed Caleb inside the temple.

---

Karrass did indeed lead Caleb to the Hall of Sacrifice. It was a barren yet distinct place, with various wood carvings of bears and murals of bears made out of fish bones. In the center was a pit stained red and filled with decidedly human skeletons. Near there was a wooden pulpit and a golden throne large enough for...well, a bear; surrounding it all were wooden pews, like in a church.

“Karrass is honored to invite you to sit on our glorious throne, O’ Mighty One,” he said with a bow, “Karrass will now gather the others, as to hear your glorious wisdom.”

“Thank you, loyal cub, but please leave your dagger outside the sacrifice hall. Today is a day of rest, after all” Caleb requested at he sat down.

“Yes, of course, O’ All Knowing One!” the dwarf stated with a bow, then scurried to find and gather the other dwarves. It wasn’t subtle. Caleb heard him yell “Come to Karass, true believers! The Mighty One’s Messenger has answered Karrass and wishes to speak to you all! Follow Karrass or the Almighty Bear will smite you!” What the boy heard next was presumably dwarven muttering, followed by certainly understandable praises of the Bear and his messenger as they sat in the pews. The elderly lady who had almost tricked Caleb was the last to arrive; unlike the other 10 dwarves who were there, she looked more confused than estatic.

Karrass rushed back to the stage, noticeably without the dagger. “O’ Mighty One, Karrass has gathered all 11 members of your sacred sloth! Please give us your commands so we may fulfill your every whim.” At this, the dwarf bowed and sat in a nearby pew.

“Okay, Caleb,” the boy thought, “they’re all here. Time to get this over with...but should I? Is this ri-“

The elderly dwarf lady walked up to the pulpit and interrupted these thoughts, saying with a bow “O’ All Knowing One, before we hear your wisdom, would you lead us in prayer?” She seemed to be closely examining the messenger as she said this.

Caleb got up, walking towards the lady in his messenger form. He saw Ms. Ardia in her eyes. She had been like a mother to him, the only parent he had ever known, and these dwarves would use that bond to kill him? And how many others had died because of this deception? He realized now that he had to be brave and he had to be strong, or others after him would die as well. He knew what he had to do.

Just like he had practiced at home, Calvin swung his sword, aiming for the dwarven lady’s neck. And like the training dummy back home, the lady’s head came clean off of her body and fell onto the ground.

Unlike back home, Caleb’s illusion had worn off, revealing the 12 year old boy who had somehow managed to escape them the day before. Gasps were heard. “Seize him!” Karrass yelled, his face almost as red as the blood stains on the ground at the embarrassment of letting this interloper enter their church and slay their priest. Caleb took a defensive stance, ready for whatever the dwarves would do next.

“Nope!” was what he heard next, followed by dwarven screams from the pews. Rainbow was now following his part of the plan; waiting until Caleb got their attention, then stabbing cultists with a knife in the ankles to cripple them. There were some advantages to being small, after all. In all the confusion, the boy was able to fatally slash Karrass with his blade.

Caleb and Rainbow were doing good so far, but it was still two against nine. The fight wasn’t over yet.

Dwarves were swarming the duo and Caleb could only keep his sword steadily pointed in their direction. Rainbow continued to slash his way through kneecaps whereas Ribbon could be heard barking from somewhere in the back. A quick glimpse into the frenzy revealed her to be somewhere in the distance. She could be heard viciously snarling as she snapped back one of the dwarves' arm. There was an outcry in response to a crack! that caused Caleb to temporarily freeze in place. "Stay focused, Caleb!"

"Huh?!" A sword was quick to parry a ceremonial dagger that had been hidden beneath one of the pews. What kind of religion was this?! Surely one that had taken rejoice in slaughter and warfare. Why else would they have murdered Rainbow's fellow crew members and Ribbon's owner? It was the memory of his conversation with Rainbow from last night that guided a stab forward. One that was filled with anger, adrenaline, and maybe even hatred. "Get back!"

Caleb wasn't sure if the stab was fatal or not, but he barely had the time to check. It wasn't long before he was ducking to avoid an arm that went swiping towards his head. The sword was pulled loose and he lightly kicked his victim away. There was a cry as the dwarf fell to the cold floor leaving behind a puddle of blood in his wake. The young boy was nimble on his feet as he leapt back from another clumsy punch that had been thrown in his direction. The grip on his sword tightened as he took a deep breath. One glance towards Ribbon was all it took before another head was sent flying across the floor. His fighting style had been accompanied by a nervous shake, but there no denying its refined manner. He was taught by a knight, by several knights, and all Rainbow could do was look on in awe as another dwarf was knocked off of its feet in the background.

"Not bad, kid! We still have some of these earth-fondlers left though. Keep going!"

There was another deep breath before Caleb readied himself for another strike. Blood was pounding in his ears and there was a metallic taste in his mouth. He was practically covered from head-to-toe in crimson by now. In any other circumstance, he would have been mortified by his own actions and by how much blood he had spilled. These dwarves, evil as they were, were mostly unarmed. This was slaughter, but even still, he gripped his sword and pointed towards another approaching member of the cult. "R-Right! I. . I've got this!"

Without warning, a second dwarf came bounding in from the side towards the boy, cutting in front of the first with a look of murder, his whole face contorted into a monstrous rage. He screamed, leading the now dual-dwarf foray with a gutteral battlecry: "FOR THE MIGHTY BEAR, HEATHEN!!!" Caleb took a step back, skidding a little on the aftermath of his previous work - the shock tripling his heartrate and accelerating his response to a purely instinctive level; the dwarf charged, Caleb swung wide AND--

--Missed by a mile, the infuriated cultist hadn't even arrived at the spot!

Cold fear serpentined down the boy's frame at the sudden realization of just how exposed he was. For an instant his aggressor's livid expression twisted into a vengeful, jagged-toothed grin, the pair locking eyes in a moment of realization between hunter and prey. The predator, arm outstretched and screaming victorious - the quarry, limbs squeezing every muscle they could to stop themselves from recoiling any farther. Instinct kicked in, or perhaps it was inspiration from all those hours of watching better knights train with the older kids, or those few of being trained himself: A flick of the wrists inverted the blade's momentum, suddenly rising the point directly on line with its target; a weight like a boulder knocked Caleb down onto his knee - the dwarf hung confused and limp, panting with hoarse breaths, self-impaled down to the hilt.

Without even hesitating, imitating the movements he'd seen a thousand times before, Caleb rammed an elbow into his opponent's stomach, half-sworded the blade around its edge, unsheathed the bloodied iron from his foe's belly and promptly jabbed a warning-shot from the point into his second attacker's eye. She SCREAMED, recoiling with a mouth agape of sharply filed teeth.

Ribbon and Rainbow had made surprisingly good use of their initial ambush, weaving in and out of the vicious mob as easily as Flower sailed across the fresh sea air - those dwarves who remained clutching onto their wretched lives were quickly coming to regret it. Ochre mixed with scarlett beneath the flickering of candlelight as the blood of the dead and the dying scrawled a massacre across the sanctuary floor.

The battle was over. They had won...

. . .

...Caleb just felt sick.

Caleb staggered his way back up past the pews. He'd had some pretty intense training sessions before, but nothing ever like this. As he realized that things were over, his body began to react. His arms were trembling, shaking nearly too hard to keep a cautionary hand on his sword's hilt. His legs could barely hold him up and he staggered like Taylor the town drunk. Everything about his body ached.

Rainbow frowned at him. "Well, you did alright, for all that you nearly ruined."

Caleb didn't have the energy to answer. His reply came in a much more crude manner. His stomach rolled and he heaved.

Rainbow leapt back. "Ugh! Do you mind!?"

Caleb ignored him. His knees throbbed from hitting the floor so hard. He braced one hand against the ground, his other arm wrapped around his stomach. He heaved again. Ribbon whined and shoved her nose in his face. Slowly Caleb draped himself around her shoulders, his arms about her neck. She laid her chin upon his shoulder and whined again. Caleb buried his face against her soft fur to cry.

Rainbow's boot thumped into his ribs. "We don't have time for this. Get up before you get us killed."

Caleb dragged himself to his feet, tears still coursing down his cheeks. "I killed them." He'd killed animals before, of course, but it was nothing like this had been. Ribbon, significantly more sympathetic than Rainbow, shoved her head under Caleb's hand.

"Yes," Rainbow sounded exasperated. "And if you don't get moving, you're going to kill us."

"I took off her head, I stabbed them, I-I-"

"Brag later, let's move!" Rainbow reached up and grabbed the front of Caleb's shirt. As the little man moved forward, he dragged the boy along behind. "Alright, now remember, we're looking for the central crystal. Once we find that, we'll be able to initiate phase two!"

“No!” Caleb twisted out from Rainbow’s grasp, slapping the little goblin’s hand away. Rainbow yelped clutching at his bruised limb, looking quite a bit more stunned than hurt. For a long moment, the two only stared at each other, Caleb letting his tears fall freely. Saltwater washing away some of the gore that clung stubbornly to his cheeks. The hall remained eerily silent, except for the steady dripping of blood on stone, it echoed loud and clear around the carved amphitheater. Ribbon whined and Rainbow’s face contorted into a sneer. That, Caleb decided was the ugliest look he had ever seen on a person. It made him want to punch the stinking, green skinned rabbit eared worm right in his smug little face! Caleb drew his sword causing the air to ring. That made Rainbow take a step back, but Caleb had no intention of using it. He spun on a heel hurling the battle stained blade with all the force his exhausted body could muster. It made a graceful arc, scattering droplets until it came clattering down upon the empty granite throne. His act of defiance done Caleb sank to the ground, his back planted firmly against the nearest pew. He tried to wipe away the blood, but his hands seemed permanently stained. A mewling cry emanated from his heart as his vain attempts succeeded only in spreading it around on his clothes a bit more. Eventually he ceased his efforts, hugging himself and shaking as the adrenaline ran out and the battle shock set in.

“Get up Caleb.” Rainbow gathered his courage, seeing the boy disarm himself and looking hardly a threat to anyone now, stepped closer, nudging at the human’s leg with the point of his boot. He sounded and looked considerably more reserved, trying to show a bit of empathy, despite not understanding the child’s sudden mental breakdown. “We’ll die if we stay here, we need to leave. You’ve had enough time so let’s get moving.” Luckily for Rainbow he was nimble enough to spring out of the way as Caleb lashed out, his balled fist sweeping dangerously close to Rainbow’s cranium. “What is your problem you stupid human!” Rainbow yelped, angry now.

“What is my problem!” Caleb screamed, choking back sobs. “Leave me alone you- you horrible person!”

“What do you not understand about death?” Rainbow gritted his teeth, trying to imagine some way to reason with the boy. It was as if Caleb had transformed into an entirely different person, an angry, emotional person who outweighed and outpunched Rainbow quite considerably. “If we stay here we’ll die, I don’t know how much plainer I could make it. So, I need you to get over whatever it is you’re going through and move your stupid self.”

“What’s going to kill me?” Caleb sneered, not moving a muscle. “They’re all dead, I killed them. In fact, if anyone else does come down here, I’ll kill them too!”

“With what, your sword?” Rainbow gestured towards the discarded weapon, now resting on the seat of the giant throne. “It’s over there, and if you had half a brain, you’d notice your only armament is way to high up for either of us to collect. That oversized chair is to steep to climb, and I see no means by which to fashion a ladder or ramp. Even these pews would be too heavy to move, which means you are effectively defenseless.”

Glowering daggers at Rainbow, Caleb reached over and pried a ceremonial knife from a deceased dwarf’s death grip and hurled it clumsily towards the goblin.

Rainbow ducked. “Fine!” He roared, thoroughly irritated. He stalked towards the great stone doors, yelling over his shoulder. “If you want to stay here and cry your pathetic little eyes out and get mauled by a thousand angry angorok spiderlings be my guest. I don’t need you any more anyway. You’ve outlived your usefulness, and I couldn’t care less what happens to you. I’ll find the crystal center easier on my own, c’mon Ribbon. Ribbon?” Rainbow stalled his exodus, glancing back towards the hound, who had laid down next to Caleb, resting his muzzle on the sobbing boy’s knee. The dog whined, his dark eyes reflecting the child’s grief and confusion back upon his surrogate master. Rainbow sighed, his anger melting away. Gingerly he approached Caleb, until he stood just outside of the boy’s effective striking range. “Caleb… I’m sorry I did not mean any of that, can I sit down?”

Caleb made no answer, only turning his head away. Taking the child’s lack of violent outburst or denial as an affirmative answer Rainbow reclined against the pew alongside Caleb. Obviously, human children were not the most rational of beings, he would have to tread carefully if he wished to save them, and quickly. There was no saying when the beasts that lurk in the shadows would scent the spilt blood and come prowling. Shuddering at the thought if being eaten alive Rainbow went for the most direct tactic.

“You know, Caleb you did a fine job down here. You fought brilliantly, like a proper warrior. Or whatsit human’s call them, knights? Yeah, like a true knight.” Caleb made no response so Rainbow pressed on. “Some people feel sad when they kill, but we had every right. They would have killed us in a heartbeat if given half a chance, and not cared one iota. Honestly, you probably did the us, the island, and the whole world a great service in extinguishing them all. Imagine how many other innocent people these earth-fondlers might have killed if you hadn’t gotten them first. I understand you’re sad, but you shouldn’t waste tears over the likes of them.”

“I’m not sad for them.” Caleb argued. At least he did not sound angry, he seemed confused more than anything else. “I hate them, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.” He sniffed, rubbing at his nose.

Very carefully Rainbow reached up and rested a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. The boy flinched but otherwise did not resist the physical contact. Rainbow swallowed his awkwardness, his own kind were not so responsive to the touchy-feely stuff, but if it helped the child, he was willing to try. “Then what’s wrong? You’ve done a good thing tonight.”

“I don’t know.” Caleb whined, desiring to be left alone and allowed to cry. “It doesn’t feel good.”

“That’s good.” This comment caused Caleb to finally look at Rainbow, confusion prevalent in his dark eyes. “After all,” Rainbow explained. “It’d be worse if you did not feel anything, or heavens forbid enjoyed the slaughter. Killing is hard, but not something you should be ashamed of. I think your ancestors would be proud to know you were able to fight and kill when the situation demanded violent action.”

“You think they would?” Caleb did not know his lineage, being an orphan for the vast majority of his life, but he liked to imagine the Crowsnests were a line of seafaring heroes. He bit his lip until it bled, racked by doubt. “What must they think of me. A hero would not weep like a baby. They would be ashamed to call a weakling like me their own.”

“No, no I guarantee they are brimming with pride.” Rainbow pressed, realizing he had struck gold, or at least silver. Something valuable anyway. “I bet they’re stamping their feet and raising their goblets to salute your name right now. If you must cry so be it, there is no shame in tears. If the task gets done, and you keep your honor clean. What more could they ask for really? After all you’ve proven their posterity a warrior and a man.”

This little speech gave Caleb fresh heart, and he even smiled appreciatively despite himself. He stood and Rainbow rose with him. Wiping away the last of his tears the boy straightened his back like the knights he adored, glancing forlornly towards his sword. A knight never would have thrown his weapon, and he certainly should not have thrown it somewhere inaccessible.

“I lost my sword...”

“Yeah, that was stupid, but swords are replaceable.” Rainbow assured him. “We’ll get you a better blade, one made of steel perhaps. Iron is a poor material, to easily dulled and broken.”

Caleb breathed a little sigh and collected a knife off one of the fallen before turning his back on his victims. Unable to look upon their shattered bodies any longer. Thrusting the stone blade into his belt he nodded to Rainbow. “Alright, I’m ready.”