Yes. A word that could change his life forever. A word he had never been able to say to his unconscious brother, when he was asked yes or no. Nobody asked his opinion anyway, and it hadn’t bothered him much. But now he had the chance to choose his own life. And he would say yes, even if it meant to step into the unknown, to a place or situation alone or together.

Asco blinked against the rays of the burning sun as the reins he held made a clinking sound, with a mix of horse’s hooves and wagon wheels against small rocks. He rode on, looking around curiously, since he had never been in this part of Elvendore before. Behind his shaded back, a lady covered in blue and hidden from sight kept whispering furiously to him, telling him directions to a place he had never been before. Ridiculous, his old self would say, helping strangers to a place he didn’t even set foot on before, the unknown secret place of what they called “master’s hideout”.

But did it matter? He was to be a great hero, someone mentioned when the evil king who ruled his homelands had been cut of from life. Of course, he had doubts, for he knew the people that guided him could trick him, and he could be executed by the king himself. He sighed, taking hold of the reins harder, trying to keep out of his curious mind questions. He knew he was guilty of leaving his family alone, when he was the wisest in his family, after his father, which he did not want to talk about right now. Because after his death his family suffered too much, failing the things his father had always done, which kept the family from begging for scraps that none would give.

His family’s village had kept the eye of the king after all; because he took all the strong men from the village and killed the cowards, leaving young mothers alone and people starving because he took the crops. But he was their king, and after all, in the scared pledge the king have demanded to be heard from every citizen had said so: “I shall save the life of the king, even if my life is wasted in the end”. Stupid rules, why can’t the king set a single rule for himself then? Stupid, reckless, ungrateful brat that king was. Except nobody dared to say that in front of his face while he was present.

Along the road, his mind settled back into getting to the destination of the hideout his “new friends” had said about. But his mind wouldn’t obey, for he saw at the roadsides were families huddled together, great business men walking past without giving them a thought, just like his older brother who thought about beer all day long. The wagon rattled silently as they rode on, his heart aching to give them something. But he shook his thoughts away once more, focused on the gateway a few meters away.

His heart drummed. Beyond the gates was the unknown. Beyond the gates was adventure.

Part of him wanted to turn around and run, but part of him wanted a taste of adventure. He pulled the reins tightly, hearing Kayla’s soft chatter with Ashwa growing softer. They had asked him to drive the wagon he and his older brother took to the forest to the short-cut that Kayla knew, easier than the forest trek. He had first protested because a nine-year-old boy couldn’t possibly control a horse. After a long minute of commands by Kayla, he finally learned how to drive. At least slowly.

“We’re past the gate!” he heard Kayla’s friend say. His heart thumped against his ribs, but a smile finally came into his mouth and eyes.

The trio rode on, until the sun was swallowed by the dark night.

Asco stopped by the trees as he rested, eyes weary and half-closed. Kayla had said that tomorrow they might make it, if he rode in the night. But he was way far too tired, and didn’t want to risk sleeping while driving. So, he suggested Ashwa to wear his cap and use his deep accent if they met anyone in the dark, since she had slept for the most of that day’s journey. Then Kayla the elf lady would take the reins and Ashwa will be asleep along with him, and continue the cycle until the next morning for breakfast. But they would get a jet lag for that, since they slept and woke at different times.

“Wake me up later, Ash,” Kayla said. Asco saw Ashwa flinch, probably by some bad memory she didn’t want to remember. Kayla sighed.

“I’m sure Lao is okay. Master said so.”

“I don’t know,” was Ashwa’s reply.

No more time to listen to what they were going to say. Whoever Lao was, Asco felt pretty sure the two had a special connection between each other. But he said nothing, and fell asleep.

“Kayla, are you okay? Kayla!” somebody screamed. Asco’s eyes flickered open and he was inches away from a hooded person’s glinting dagger. He started to scream but the guy shut his mouth with his gloves. Then Asco knew: They were caught, and about to die.