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Inka moved over to the table and gently picked up the book, "Blood doesn't come from nowhere I suppose. And even in ever myth there is a seed of truth they say." She flipped through the book and payed close attention to the pictures and descriptions. She did not mind that the boy had a katana, in fact she expected that he would have some kind of defense. She closed the book and set it down on the table once again. "Hopefully the thing you saw was the only one around," she doubted this, "As for the fighters, now that's something interesting but I've heard of people being able to focus energy supposedly." She did not want to believe anything like that was around anymore, but both their experiences stated otherwise. "Maybe you two should come into the city for the night. And in the morning we can see if those demons are still around?" Inka asked, she'd feel guilty leaving the boy and his mouse out in the forest alone.

"You've never been to a city?!" Inka blinked looking at them both in disbelief. "Well a city is like a place with lots of people and cars and building. And there are lots of streets and lights," she couldn't really explain it any other way. "Most people live in cities, and cities can be safer since no wild animals like wolves come into the city." And this was the number one reason why Inka was NOT a teacher.

Inka nodded, "We'll have to make it back to my motorcycle though, its too far a walk on foot." She debated taking home or to go ahead and ride through to Cliffside. "Well, you and your... brother there have a choice, we can go back to my home in Aquaria or we can go ahead and go through to Cliffside City." Inka walked across the room and to the door opening to peer outside. The moon still washed down over the yard and sprinkled thorugh the forest branches. "If this is a dream, then don't think about bad things or bad things might pop out of nowhere."

"He truely is a strange boy," Inka thought watching him bid to the graves a farewell. "We need to get back to where I found you. I remember the way so we shouldn't get lost. From there I can take you back to Aquaria. It's not a typical city though. let's go then," Inka motioned for Oric to follow her.

*skips ahead about 20 minutes*

She was actually suprised, her motorcycle was right where she left it. She walked around the side, mounted it, and turned on the motor. "Don't worry, its perfectly safe," she told Oric and Muchie, sure it was just a little lie.

(( g2g, x.x school tomorrow, I'll try to get on tomorrow too ))

((continued from Forest to the East))
The red haired teen's green eyes opened up and looked up at the clear blue sky. He squinted his eyes due to the bright sun. It was noon.
"Wh-where am I?"
Oric sat up very slowly. His back hurt so much. He felt the ground and realized he was on a river bank. He looked out and saw the small river flowing through the forest.
"How'd I get here?"
Oric's clothes were all soaked. He tried to stand up, but a sudden surge of pain corsed through his body, forcing him to sit down.
"I need to move slower."
Oric very slowly rose up to his feet and looked around.
"Hey this is the river I get water from near my home."
Oric looked further into the forest behind him and knew exactly where he was.
"Why am I here?"
Oric slowly walked through the forest, using his steathed katana as a walking stick to brace himself as he walked. Soon enough he made it to his cabin and smiled. He began to walk faster but the pain reminded him of his condition and he resumed to walk very slowly. As he entered his house his mind began to race with questions.
"What happened? How'd I end up at the river? Why does my body hurt so much?"
Oric took off his clothes and looked at his badly injured body.
"Wha- WHAT HAPPENED? My body... these cuts... bruises. Did... did I fall in the river and get beat up by tyhe currents?"
Oric tried to remember what happened but his head hurt and he decided he should attend to his wounds first.
"Muchie."
The mouse popped out of the boy's hair and looked around before squeaking up a storm.
"Muchie calm down, I can't understand you when you talk like that."
The mouse stopped and took a few deep breaths.
"Now listen, I don't know what happened, but right now, that's not important, what is important is tending to my wounds."
The mouse nodded in agreement looking at his friends battered body. Oric hobbled to the desk and picked up a closed sea-shell. He opened it up and revealed the green cream inside it. The boy rubbed his finger in it and rubbed the green cream on his wounds. He inhaled sharply as he applied the stinging paste to his cuts. Once he finished, he was surprized to see that shell was almost empty. He didn't think he had that many wounds. He turned to his rodent friend.
"Could you get the wounds on my back?"
The mouse nodded and Oric laid down flat on his stomach on his bed. The cream filled shell laid open on his neck and the mouse ran up an stepped in the cream and rubbed his tail tip in it. The mouse turned to look at the back and squeaked in surprize to the gnarly wound on his back. It was like a bear slashed him in the back.
"What is it Muchie?"
The mouse reassued him that it was nothing, not wanted to worry his friend. Muchie began to rubbed the green stuff on the large wounds. As Oric winced through the pain, he tried to recall what happened?
"How did I wind up down the river covered in wounds?"
Oric began to recall the last few days. The trip through forest, the river, the fight with the bear, then things began to get weird. Fighting demons, super fighters, the lady, the metal horse, the big cabin apartment thingy, the fire, the demon ready to kill him. He thought about it long and hard as his mouse buddy tended to his back. He finally came to the only reasonable explaination he could think of.
"I guess I got these cuts fighting the bear, then I musta fell in the river and got beat up as it carried me down stream. The rest must have been a dream."
Muchie knew that it wasn't a dream, but he didn't have to heart to tell his friend the truth.

Oric woke up two hours later. He woke up with a big yawn.
"What am I doing up again?"
His stomach growled angrily.
"No way!" Oric cried in shock, only to bowl over in pain by his furious gut.
"Okay, Okay" Oric gave in and grabbed is katana and walked outside. He walked to a tree and a cut down the low laying fruits from the nearby trees, and ate them quickly, still not noticing how much his body had healed to allow him to walk normally and cut fruit down with no trouble at all.
"Why... *munch munch*.... am I so hungry?" Oric continued to eat as though he were trying to fill a void in his stomach. Eventually his belly stopped biting and rested peacefully,but it didn't feel... full.
"How is this possible, I don't eat this much in threes day. Who in the world eats like this?"
Oric saw the river nearby and smiled. He ran over to the river and saw the fish swimming in the river. After quickly catching a large fish, Oric began to walk back to the cabin, but he found some mushrooms along the way.
Muchie woke up to the sound of the cabin door slamming shut. Oric walked in with a large fish, a bunch of mushrooms, and a bucket of water. The mouse ran to the ledge over-hanging the fireplace and watched as the boy set the fish in the skillet and shish-kabobed the mushrooms and set them over the fire. Muchie was concerned that his human friend was up and active when his wounds were still rather fresh. As Oric's meal finished cookig, Muchie noticed something that seriously disturbed him. Just before Oric dug into his meal, he smiled and licked his lips, but as he did this, his eyes turned blue just for a second. Oric ate his fish and mushrooms with much delight. Finally, his was full. Oric grabbed a book after cleaning his mess, and began to write in the half empty book, he wrote about his 'dream" with as much detail as he could muster. Oric turned to see Muchie eyeing at him.
"Something wrong buddy?" The red haired teen asked. The mouse told him it was nothing, and Oric finished writing his dream. As soon as Oric put the book down on the desk, a horrible droziness took ahold of him. He walked over to the bed and fell asleep upon hitting the covers. Muchie ran to the same book Oric had been writing in and dipped his tail into the ink and began to write down a few things in the back of the book using his tail like a brush. The mouse closed the book and got to work cleaning his tail.

The sun began to rise to the east and Oric got out of bed. It was still dark outside, but there was enough light to see where you were walking. Oric made his bed and picked up his bag. He put on his martial bracers on his wrists, and attached his katana to his hip. Finally he grabbed a cloak out of the closet and put it on. He was ready to go. Oric picked up Muchie, and immediately the little mouse woke up.
"We're leaving Muchie. I have to stop these dreams and I know the only way is to go out into the unknown and see the world beyond this forest."
Muchie was surprised by the way his friend spoke and knew that his decision was resolute. The mouse willingly agreed and climbed up Oric's arm and into his hair.
"Now I'll just tie up the loose ends."
Oric made sure the house was sealed up. Any windows were now shut tight and locked. He went to the door and took one last look at his home. It might be a long time til he sees it again, and Oric knew this. With a deep breath, he closed the door and locked it. He walked around to the side of his house to a set of two graves.The boy kneeled down before the graves and looked to them for some sign.
"Well, I'm leaving. Mom... Dad... I hope you understand my reasons. You both always told me so many stories about the world and how amazing it is. I'm going out to discover this world. But don't worry, I'll come back. I promise to return, and hopefully I'll have stories to tell you."
Oric began to tear up. He gently wiped the tears from his eyes.
"I...I'll make sure that I'll keep myself save, and I won't be alone; Muchie will be with me. So you don't have to worry. I just ask that you watch the house while I'm gone."
Oric just sat there on his knees for a few moments.
"Thank you. I promise I'll make you proud."
Oric stood up and turned around. He took the first step away from his forest haven. As he walked away He turned around one last time.
"I'll come back! I promise!"
Oric turned around and choked back his tears. He had made his decision, and he had made his promise. As he left, the graves twinkled slightly and the area around the cabin glowed with a soft light that ensured no harm would come to this cabin while it was left unattended.
Muchie popped his head out of Oric's hair and squeeked a question.
"Where are we going? Simple Muchie. We'll head up river for a little bit, to the shallow point and then we'll cross and go with the sun. ((That means west, folks))
((continued in Forest to the East))