Beginning Chapter Stats:

Heart:

Level 6: 9 atk, 7 def, Physical spd: 5 and health: 125

Sword bonus:+3atk and 2 def.

Inventory: Sword, Ash’s homemade stew (one serving), Two red health potions (Can be bought for 5 silver, sold for two sliver). Health potion can regenerate (20-30 points of health instantly). Coin: 50 gold, 5 Silver, two cooper.

Ash:

Level 7: 10 atk, 5 def, Casting spd 8, MP 7, health 100.

Staff bonus:Half casting time for spells, +10 health.

Inventory: 1 Water (Chance to regain 1-5 stamina points), 1 Fruits or vegetables (One serving gives 1-5 health points), 1 stew, 1 homemade stew. Coin: 5 silver and 5 cooper. Seeds: 6 big seeds, 3 small seeds, 4 flat seeds. Staff. 6 Clothing items (shirts, pants, etc) 2 Damaged clothing items.

Spells: Low Healing. (15-25 Possible points per heal) Basic attack, and basic fire both deal 9 attack.

Relationships> Friendship: +2/ 100.

Relationships> Romance: +1/100.

Heart was feeling oddly smug today, mostly because this was his first day jogging back with Ash to the town - and he was pleased to find the other had no speed at all. Turns out ‘spd’ for Ash meant how fast he was at casting spells, so by the time they reached the town he was a puddle of boy elf on the dirt with Heart wondering if it was possible for the other to have a heart attack and die. “Ash, you know that I really don’t live that far from Littlebell right?” He asked, though there was smug amusement in his voice. If he had any bars appearing over his head, he swore it would read ‘+1 delinquency’. After letting Ash catch his breath again he helped him stand and dusted him off, then the pair started to head off through town together. “But look, you’ve.. Nearly gotten plus one speed..”

Ash had taken out his water skin, drinking it down thirstfully as he only spoke again when he had finished it off. Tucking the bag away to refill later. “..I’m not a warrior Heart.. I don’t really move that much.” he pouted. Though Heart could still see his rosey cheeks, and faint sweat on his normally clear face.

“But you should.” Heart told him with a smile and a nod. “You don’t know when speed might come in handy. Think about it this way - we’re in the middle of battle again, only this time you’re able to dodge attacks while still holding focus to cast spells. You might not think it is useful, but in the heat of battle it could mean being able to cast one more spell or losing your arm.”

“...I could heal it back.” he pouted before sighing. “I don’t even know if my class can dodge.” he pointed out now. Though.. He supposed that getting speed might help that. Only.. it was like pulling teeth for his body with the mage class on. “..Maybe I should just switch to warrior to get the speed up.” he smirked a little.

“That’s cheating.” He hit him on top of the head. “But you know that if you do that you’ll have no magic at all right? And in the end I just kept running everyday to build up my speed so you’ll still be doing that. I’ll show you some tricks to it when we make the run back to the house.”

“Maybe.” he mumbled, though he swatted Heart away. He got the feeling he was still pouting at running at all. “Either way.. What are we going to do first?” he hummed, pulling out an apple to chew on it. His sweat beginning to disappear, though he would need a shower later on.

Heart smiled at him a little and felt like he needed to make it up to him now, lest he be dealing with a pouty elf all day. “How about the library? Now that I can finally go in that area it would be smart to expand my knowing about the land and what we might encounter.”

Ash perked up a little now and nodded. “I think we could buy some books too. Add to your library, I added my books, but it was still pretty empty.” He walked along and said “I checked out your map and books, but the green one and a blue one was completely empty..?” he asked now curiously.

Heart thought for a moment about what he meant. “Ah, well the blue one I don’t know about. We haven’t unlocked whatever it is that it covers. The other filled up when I learned about stuff. The green one on the other hand.. That one must be for my use only.” Though he suddenly became tight lipped about what it was used for.

Ash blinked at his sudden reaction before smiling. “Hey, it’s okay, I have a diary too.” he grinned. Though he didn’t know Heart could actually read his. He patted his back as they entered the library now. So many book around as Ash smiled. “Do you wanna split up? Gather some books, buy them and take them home to read?” Though Heart got the feeling that if he gave Ash the option to actually sit and read, they would be here all day.

“Ah, no buying.” He told him with a slight pinch to his cheeks. “We need to look for anything about the forest around here. To see if maybe we can get an idea of what the boss is like. As well to figure out the weakness of the monsters too.”

Ash pouted before smiling. “Fine fine, I’ll focus.” he hummed. He was like a child in a candy shop after all. “Okay, I know where the forest section is.” he pointed out, moving away now to guide him deeper into the library. Going up into the second floor as Heart could see Ash wave his hand before five books began to glow a little. “These should be the most useful. Do you wanna sit and read?”

“For a bit..” He didn’t know how well he’d focus on it though. He sat down across from Ash as a book landed softly in front of him, opening it a little. He glazed through it slowly but nothing was really standing out to him. When he had gone through the whole book he hadn’t felt like had learned anything useful. “I’m going to look around for a little bit Ash.” He said as he started to stand.

Ash was in a book, lost in it really happily as he hummed. “Hm? Sure.. I’ll be here.” he said thoughtfully. He got the feeling that Ash wasn’t going to move unless he made him. Wandering away from the male, there were plenty of other books in the library, separated by categories.

Heart walked slowly among the rows of book, but this library wasn’t the biggest one - or.. So he thought anyway. It was as he was exploring that he found a painting, pausing to look up at it now. “The Hero.. and the Demon King..” He said softly as he looked up at the painting. It showed a simple looking hero going against something that barely looked human. A legend perhaps? Only the more Heart looked at it the more unease he became, almost as though.. There were strings around the pair.. Why did the hero fight the demon king? What was there to really gain? For some reason he strongly disliked this painting..

It was as he looked away, it was on the edge of his vision that he saw something briefly. The demon king having a blurry face, pink hair? Though when he snapped back to it, the painting looked the same. Seemingly unchanged, but he couldn’t help the feeling that something had changed for a brief moment. Turning away from the painting now, he spotted something in a corner. A hooded figure, they were bent over in the corner, pulling a book out, and pushing it back in repeatedly. As if in a constant state of indecision as they didn’t move from there at all. Just repeating the same action over and over.

There was.. Something.. Heart couldn’t seem to focus on him, as though he was always just a bit blurry and yet he knew he was standing there - wasn’t he? “The hero.. And the demon king fight.. And the winner gets a wish..” Heart said but he wasn’t sure if the worlds were something he said or from someone else. One step forward.. Another step.. Getting a little closer to the hooded figure. Memories were twisting and pulling in his head - New York was a dream - no this world was a dream - which was real and which wasn’t anymore? “Who.. are.. You?”

“Wishes..” the voice seemed to echo. “What are wishes but desires?” The last word echoed in his head, like a headache forming. “Tell me.. Which do you desire to be the dream?” he asked softly, more memories flashing. Of his former family, new york, favorite meals- and then memories of his time here. Ash smiling, eating meals together, the fairies, and monsters he had come across. Which one did he desire more? Which one was more real?

Heart sank to his knees, it hurt - it hurt so much. Which did he desire? What was his wish? The headache was becoming so bad that tears of pain were forming in his eyes. “What.. is this? What are you doing? Desires? Wishes?” He whispered softly. “Why.. do I have to have a wish? Why do I have to make a wish?”

The figure stopped. There was a pause before saying “Wishes are a choice. If no choice is made, then a choice is made.” he said simply. Pulling out the book he had been holding one final time before tossing it at his feet. It was a book that had the forest’s name on the title before the figure turned and walked away. Disappearing from his sight as his body had been frozen from following him, so when he finally regained control to run after him, he was gone. Out of sight and as if he had never been there in the quiet library.

Slowly he lowered his head to look down at the book, picking it up a little. If no choice is made then a choice is made? The headache was still there, faintly, and he felt like he needed a nap now as he worked his way back slowly to Ash. Nothing seemed out of place here, Ash was still right where he had left him still eating away at the books. He lowered the one he had been reading and placed the new book in his hands, sitting down across from him and lying his head on the table. His face, white and sickly.

Ash blinked at his appearance and at the sudden book as he got up. Frowning as he touched his forehead. “..Heart? What’s wrong? Are you having a negative status effect?”

“It’s called being sick Ash..” Heart muttered softly. “Not everything is a spell.” Maybe. “Read that book, I think it is the one that we need. Least it seemed promising..”

“Sorry.. I'm so used to thinking for spells..”he mumbled but sighed and moved over to the book. Flipping through it now quietly to say “Would you like some water or food?”

“I’ll be alright in a bit.. I’m just going to rest my head here for a little.” Heart told him softly as he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of Ash flipping through the pages slowly and the sound of people walking. If no choice is made.. A choice is made.. Did that mean if he did nothing it was a choice in itself? Or that if he did nothing a choice was made for him? He was looking too far ahead right now for something like that though. After a few minutes Heart felt a little better and stood, resuming looking around the library again - though he stayed far away from the area where he had the encounter and where the picture had been. When he returned it was with another book but this one was more of his own interest. “Look Ash, the Guild to Cooking in the Wild. For people like us.”

Ash hummed as he finished the last page, smiling at the sight of the book now. “Oh that is amazingly needed. Especially in our soon to be travels.” He stood up now and flipped the book open now. Pointing to a flower sketch of a wolf as he smiled. “I found out who the boss is. Some old strategies to try and beat it.. but I couldn't find anything on someone actually beating it.”he hummed softly.

Heart looked at it closely now, leaning over Ash’s shoulder. “It’s strong and fast by the looks of it, and it says that it has special attacks too. Makes sense. Three huh..” He frowned as he sat down now, his face thoughtful. “If we go in recklessly we could end up dead.”

“...Well that's why we were going to level up as much as we can.” he hummed softly. “...I think I could try and learn a new spell too.. but it would take some time too.” he said thoughtfully.

“... There is something else.” Heart said, looking at him now. “This morning I checked out the house while you were showering. The house.. I guess knows that you’re living here now, so I have a new upgrade we can get. It isn’t for my class so all I know it is a potion shop opened in the back of the house, in that empty storage area. I think you can learn alot from that if we unlock it, but we need special items for it. Wood, coins and something I don’t think we can get in this area - called ‘Witch Glow’. I don’t know what that is and it isn’t in my books. Maybe we should ask your mother about it?”

“Oh.. I see.” he frowned a little in thought before nodding. “We can ask her when we leave town later on if you'd like. Her potion shop is amazing, very expanded and detailed.” he hummed, though starting out, it wouldn't become as grand without upgrading.

“Sure. Let’s spend today making a plan and work toward it.” He said with a nod, smiling at him. “I need to go take care of something now, will you be alright - and not spend all our money - if I leave you here?”

“Fine fine, I won't open my poor coin baggie.”he smiled softly. “I'll study up some more too in the meanwhile. About plants, herbs, monsters and whatnot. I can add notes to your library.”

“Look, when I come back, have a stack of them and we’ll pick which one we’ll buy.” He said as he messed up his hair now before heading out. He headed to the blacksmith which wasn’t as far from it, entering into the shop to find the woman from yesterday still there though there hadn’t been any noises from the blacksmith itself. “Hello, do you remember me from yesterday?” He asked, coming to the counter.

“Of course.” she smiled happily. “Bought some of my top weapons for yourself and your friend. Have you come back for another one?” she asked knowingly. As if knowing Heart still had his eye on the red jeweled sword.

“I do, I won’t lie about that. But it’s going to have to wait. Can I make a special request for a weapon?” He asked her now. He still planned to buy that red jeweled sword, but right now he had another idea in mind.

“Oh? What type of request?” she smiled. “My husband can do some upgrades and requests, depending on what the nature of them are.”

“I want to have two daggers made. They don’t have to be big or fancy, in fact it is better that they aren’t. I want them small enough that they can be hid in our clothes but easy enough to pull out when needed.” He told her, giving her a rough size. “But they have to be sharp, strong enough to cut through human skin.”

The woman blinked at the..very specific request. “...Weapons are usually used to fight monsters, young adventurer.” She said as if confused. “Is there a specific reason why you are requesting daggers such as this?”

“Monsters aren’t the only people out there.” Heart told her now, his face set. “If we should happen across some unsavory people attempting to rob us by holding one of us, we need something to break out. Something that doesn’t have us pulling up our menu in order to get. Say like this, if someone came up behind you, arm around your throat and the other pinning your arms down, how would you get out?” He asked.