Typo Alley~O Part Two

I arrive back at camp to find everyone lounging around. RP claims he is on watch while Borin and Aiey are "thinking". Aiey tried asking the Author for advice, but he gave none. We are own if we are ever going to stop Sebler and his cohorts. As far as we can see, Cros is our only asset. He's still asleep.

I take the opportunity to think. While I sit beside Wet I realize something; Wet has hardly moved or said a word this entire time. Something is wrong with him. He appears be in a trance. He's looking out on the ocean as if it is the answer to all our problems. I wish it was.

"What are you thinking?" I ask. He looks toward my with a lifeless expression. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," he says, sounding sullen. "I can't help but feel guilty, like I've failed my countrymen. I did almost nothing to help them. I even stood in the way of the thane. I know he wasn't the nicest man but. . . ." We stops talking and sighs.

"You're sorry for them because they lost their king and you were too busy gallivanting around the world to care."

"More or less. But it is not only that. I sometimes wonder if what we're doing is worth it. Maybe we should be at home starting families instead of saving the world. I can't help but think we're wasting our time on a lost cause."

"It's not lost until we're all dead or we simply give up on it. If the Author is confident enough to trust us, who am I to hold back or give up."

Wet smiles at me and nods, but I can tell he is still not quite sold on the idea. Then again I'm not too, though I can't tell you why. Perhaps it's because I still don't have utter confidence in the Author, though that's only part of it. There is something else, and it's much deeper inside of me. I'm afraid to die.

I catch a sudden movement and see Cros sitting up. He looks startled like something is the matter. I watch Aiey and Borin rush to his side and help him stand up slowly, but Cros seems almost oblivious to them.

"Is he okay?" I ask. I jump up and run over to him and look at his face. He looks like he might be sick.

"I don't know, yet," Aiey says.

"What can I do to help?" I ask, concerned.

"Don't panic," is Borin's terse reply. I walk alongside the other typos with Wet trailing in the rear until Aiey and Borin set the old wizard down on a convenient log.

"What happened?" Cros asks. "I remember there was an army of men rushing toward me and then after that my memory is fades." Aiey and Borin share a concerned look. I'm afraid they've seen Cros behave this way before, and it isn't good.

"You helped us hold back Sebler's army, remember?" Aiey says patiently. "You were wonderful. I think using all that magic drained your energy. If it weren't for the help of RP you may have collapsed on the field."

"How did I get in that hole?" Cros asks. Aiey pauses for a moment before replying.

"You used magic to blow the dirt away. You collapsed into it immediately."

"But I didn't go into a rage or do anything crazy?"

"No. Thankfully, you were just tired. We were worried you had gone into a coma or worse."

Cros furrows his eyebrows as if he is thinking hard. I look around nervously, hoping Cros is okay. He looks better than when he first woke, but he looks older and more pale, almost like someone who is dead. Finally he opens his mouth to say something.

"I'm glad to know that the rest of you are safe. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect the rest of you for very long, however. If I collapse like this each time I can't keep it up."

"But how are we supposed to survive?" I ask. "I know you can't necessarily do all the work, but there isn't much a simple elf like me can do in a situation like this."

I wish I had remained silent. I'm not really in the place to make demands, but I am frustrated. I guess we all are to an extent.

"I'm sorry, Racen. I know you probably don't understand. If I use magic it can be draining. It's hard to explain, and I don't feel like spilling it out right now. But putting forth the effort I did today is exhausting, just like fighting in hand-to-hand combat with armor on. It also can lead me to want to exercise my powers in evil, terrible ways. It's really a battle of the head mostly. I hope you understand."

"I do," I reply. Cros relaxes and I turn away. I didn't really mean that. I don't understand. Not at all. I don't understand any of this. It feel like I just got thrown into the cage of a lion expecting to fight it, but then unexpectedly landed in it's mouth.

I wish I had never said those confident words to Wet about how we aren't fighting for a lost cause. We are not only fighting for a lost cause. That cause never had any chance to exist. Cros was really the only one who ever had a chance of stopping Chaise or Sebler, but here I am hearing him say that he can't help us in the way I was hoping for. It's all very upsetting.

Wet walks up behind me and rests a hand on my back. He's too short to reach my shoulder. I look down on him and he smiles. I flash a smile back, but secretly I wish he would just walk away and leave me too my misery. Perhaps that's the way I made him feel earlier when I talked with him.

"Racen, I know what you're thinking. Just know that in my experience I've found that heroes often come from unlocked for places. Don't lose hope, yet."

"I'm not going to believe in a false hope when there is no hope," I reply.

Silence. A dead silence. After a minute, I detect a subtle sound of something being dragged on the ground and spot Wold as she emerges from the forest with a large animal of some kind. It looks like a gigantic monkey of some kind. I have no idea how Wold was able to drag it down, but I'm certainly glad she did.

"What is the big ball of fur?" RP asks.

"I'm not sure," Wold replies, "but I'm pretty sure it's edible, and that's all that matters."

"I'll keep watch while the rest of you eat," Aiey says. "Make sure you keep an eye on Cros,

Borin."

"Right," he replies.

"I'll cut some of this monster up with Báuräc," RP offers.

"Isn't that thing a tad bit big for this work?" I ask

"I don't think so. It doesn't have to be precise, and this really isn't a full sized sword."

I stand awkwardly off to the side. Without anything to do, it seems rather strange just standing around. I observe Cros as he converses privately. I recognize that look from somewhere. They're up to something. It looks like they are making plans. I'm intrigued, but at the same time I'm afraid I know what they are talking about.

Knowing Cros, he'll probably say that he won't be able to fight much, but he will help us as much as he can by giving us advice. I'm not quite angry with Cros, but I wish he would have warned us about this week's ago. Now it's too late to plan around a weakness like this. Cros let the team down.

"When did Cros wake up?" Wold asks.

"Just a couple minutes ago. I'm worried about trying to make this mission work without him running at full strength. I'm not exactly sure how he's feeling right now, but I'm getting the impression he isn't going to be able to do much at all."

"We should have seen it coming. Whenever we broached the subject, it seems like he brushed us off or told us he doesn't like to use magic much. He never told us so outright, but I think he knew all along that we would basically be on our own in this fight."

"If so, why not just tell us so?"

"I'm not sure. But the last time I talked to the Author he said something cryptic which I didn't understand at the time. I think I'm finally beginning to see what he meant. He told. Me that sometimes heroes come from unlikely places."

"Wet just said the same thing to me earlier. You think that someone will unexpectedly help us. Perhaps even Chaise?"

"I hope so, Racen. All we can do is give this mission our best. I'm certain we will find a way to win this fight."

"Right now it's looking more like a war. Speaking of which, guess who's back."

"You are having a feast and you didn't invite me?" Sebler said. "Tsk, tsk. Such poor manners. You do know there's a fee you have to pay to eat food from my island. You have to feed me a meal."

Everyone eyes him with interest. He still wearing the same mad scientist outfit from before. Sebler flashes a smile and walks over to the same log Cros is sitting on.

"Are you sure you're okay, friend. I heard you collapsed right after my brothers stopped bothering you. You need to take better care of yourself, especially at your age." Borin snorts.

"You're one to talk. You're the oldest one here," Borin replies.

"Which also makes me the wisest," Sebler said, grinning like a madman. "If I were you, I would get out of here as fast as possible. I know I blew up your boat earlier. I realize that was a little unwise, but I can make up for it by lending you a boat to the next island. It's uninhabited. People are too afraid to be so close to a dragon, you know. I can help you by showing you what you can and can't eat, and then I'll leave you there. You'll be alive, and I can arrange for a ship from Gothriande to come pick you up within the next year or two. How does that sound?"