Monster

Goodbyes

This time Hero fell asleep by the mysterious Tree, which appa Grake showed him several times in the last few months so he remembered the way. There were always many sweet berry bushes nearby, so it was a good place to collect them for trading.

He took a break after his fourth basket and went to sit by the Tree, where he always felt strangely peaceful and strong. The sunlight shone softly from above, and the air was pleasant and warm. Lulled by the comfortable feeling, he fell asleep in the roots of it, laying his cheek on his folded hands.

He woke up in strange ruins. He sat on the edge of a cliff, below which everything fell away into white mist. In that mist, large islands floated at a great distance, making their enormous shapes seem to sink and disappear, all details vague except for the numerous trees crowding upon their surface with long roots and leafy green vines falling down along the sides. Some even had small streams falling off into space below, somewhere towards the other islands far below.

"Hero?" A familiar voice spoke with surprise.

Turning around, Hero saw the familiar villager, who last time told him that he was his atta Beor, looking at him with slight disbelief.

The villager suddenly smiled. "Asleep again?"

Hero thought about it for a moment and remembered sitting down by the tree, where he began to feel drowsy. He uncertainly nodded.

"It's all right. I am sure glad to see you." The tall villager said with gladness. His face gained a hopeful expression. "Did you tell anyone about what happened to me?"

Little Hero blinked and then his mouth opened in a little "oh", before he gave his uncle a guilty look and shook his head.

"I... I forgot." He admitted, frowning as he wondered how he could have forgotten so important as this dream. "Is this a dream?"

"It is. But it is also real. This..." The villager gestured to the rocky place around them. "Is really happening to me. I am lost... I just wish... You remember enough when you wake up to tell my brother... and Margol and Tnul and Grandpa Grake that I am still alive..."

Hero frowned even more and sighed, sitting down on the edge of the cliff next to the villager, as he cautiously glanced to the mist below.

"I will this time, atta Beor." He told the villager and Beor sadly nodded.

For a moment they just sat on the edge of the cliff together, and then Beor smiled lightly as he ruffled up Hero's hair.

"Come on. I'll show you around this place." He offered and extended his hand, helping the little boy to get up.

Together, they walked away from the edge of the cliff with its floating islands in the mist to what seemed like a strange village. Now, in the light of the day, Hero could see it much better. He saw the small camping site where he and Beor had been last time. A thin number of trees surrounded it. Beyond, lay the tall houses made of stone, their smooth roofs painted red and bright beneath the noon sun. Hero wonderingly looked at them all.

"I picked this one to live in. It has a bed and everything ready within it." Beor smiled and pointed at the smaller house on the edge of the strange village. The emptiness inside it worried the eye somehow and Hero felt a coldness run through him.

Atta Beor must have been so lonely living here all by himself. He thought and gave the tall villager a sympathetic look. He couldn't imagine living somewhere alone like this...

Hero followed Beor into the house and looked around. It was roomy and he could almost smell the freshness of fields and trees, coming in through the wide-open window. It even had curtains on it. Beor gave it all a wistful look.