The tall grass got shorter. The big mountains slicked and became hills. Rivers became part of the landscape. The sun was high above them in the sky. "We're walking slower again." said Rui, trying to break the silence that was between them all the time. Noe nodded and stared to the sky. "It's noon. Let's eat." She suddenly stopped walking and put herself on the ground. Rui looked surprised to Noe. "Are we going to eat here?" Noe opened her bag and held out a sandwich for Rui. "I'll take that as a yes." said Rui. He grabbed the sandwich and put himself down near Noe. Noe grabbed another sandwich and started to eat. When did she make this sandwiches anyway? "We're almost halfway, I think. We must be close to the town Flaris." "Flaris..." said Noe. "The place where everything is born." "That's right." said Rui. "All humans were born here." "I was born somewhere else." said Noe. "I never heard of someone born somewhere else than Flaris." Rui laughed. "You really want to be different, don't you?" Noe looked to Rui. "I really wasn't born here. I've never seen such a bright open sky like here." Rui was surprised, again. She was serious. "Why is the sky so bright here?" asked Noe. "Cause there is so much happiness here." "I want to visit this town." "We can't Noe." said Rui. "We have to get moving." He grabbed his bag and took out a bottle of water. "I'm going to refill this bottle at the river. After that we'll have to continue walking." Noe nodded. Rui disappeared over a hill.
Rui sighted as he put himself near the river. Sometimes it felt like Noe was joking with him, like she was making all this things up to seem interesting. But every time Rui looked to Noe's eyes he couldn't even think about not believing her. Her eyes didn't seem to lie, they were honest beautiful eyes. Rui shook his head. "Beautiful eyes?" He sighted and put the bottle in the river. The bottle slowly filled himself. "Just as Noe is filling my head full with thoughts..." "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" A scream. Rui jumped away from the river, to Noe. "Noe, hold on!" He climbed over the hill and saw Noe attacked by a... small purple monster. "W-what?" Noe glared to the small monster that flied around her. "What's wrong?" asked Rui. "That thing BIT me!" said Noe. Rui smiled and walked slowly off the hill. "This thing is called an Aibatt, it's a monster. I suppose you tried to pat it?" Noe blushed. "Don't ever try to pat a monster." said Rui, he laughed. Noe her face became red. The Aibatt flied away. "Let me see your hand." said Rui. Noe hesitated but reached her hand to Rui. Her finger was bleeding. The Aibatt seemed to have bit Noe pretty hard. Rui took a small box out of his bag. "What is that?" asked Noe while she tried to figure out what he was going to do with it. "It's a first aid box." He took out some bandage and wrapped Noe her finger. "There, it will stop bleeding now." Noe stared to her finger. "What did you just do?" Rui laughed. "What do you mean?" "Why did you wrap my finger like that?" The smile of Rui his face disappeared. "I wrapped your finger in bandage so it'll stop bleeding." "Why would you do that?" Rui didn't know what to say. "Tell me, Rui." Noe stared to Rui, then she stared to Rui his bag. The totem pole took her attention again. She stooth up, grabbed the pole and waved in the air. Lights surrounded her once again. "I think I don't need this bandage." She unwrapped her finger. There was no blood on it. Noe let the totem fall and grabbed to her head. "W-what is this..." "Noe!" screamed Rui. Noe fell on the ground. "Noe!"
Noe opened her eyes. Rui his eyes stared into hers. "Oh, Rui." Rui looked worried. "Noe! What happened to you?" "I... I touched that totem pole again, didn't I?" Rui nodded. "I shouldn't do that too much." said Noe, and she smiled. Rui smiled too. "Let's go, Noe. I don't want you to be too late in Darken."
The crowd screamed. The Hero smiled. "Go NeocroHero!" The kids reached with their hands to the Hero dressed in white. The Hero kneeled and picked up a child. He lifted her in the air. The girl screamed of joy. The crowd applauded. He put the girl down and waved. The crowd kept applauding. "I'll be back soon!" said the Hero as he disappeared into the cave.
NeocroHero sighted. Finally he had left the crowd behind. He took off his bright white jacked as he walked more and more into the darkness. "Hi, NeocroHero." NeocroHero shocked and looked around him. A girl was sitting on a mushroom that grew on one of the walls of the cave. She jumped off. "Today, I'm going with you!" NeocroHero was shocked. "With... me...?" The girl nodded. Suddenly he recognized her. "You are that girl from last time, in Saint Morning. What are you doing here?" Noe squeezed her hands around the totem pole that she helt close to her. "You didn't give me the chance to talk to you last time. I want to talk more with you." NeocroHero started to get nervous. "Please, leave." Noe stared to the Hero. He seemed troubled. No, not troubled. There was something more. "I can't let you go with me. It's too dangerous. Go back to where you belong, girl." He turned his back to Noe and walked to the deep shadows of the cave. Noe started to get furious. This Hero was not kind at all. "No. I'm going with you. You can't hold me back." "Graah!" screamed the Hero. He waved his arms in the air. Something covered Noe her feet. She couldn't walk anymore. Noe made fists of her hand and noticed the pole in her hand. She closed her eyes and waved the totem pole slowly trough the air. The weight on her feet disappeared. The Hero was already gone, into the shadows. Noe ran behind him. "I'm following you anyway!" said Noe. The Hero looked shocked behind him. He trew himself on the ground in a dark corner. "Go away, please!" He covered his head with his arms. Noe came curiously closer. Was this a Hero? That thing that was hiding in the corner of this filthy cave? Was this the person the people admired so much? Noe stared to the white appearance on the ground. The Hero hold his breath. His brown hair became gold. "W-what?" Noe looked surprised to the transformation of the Hero. Suddenly a flame appeared and burned his white clothes. Filthy clothed covered in dirt appeared. The Hero got up and turned himself to Noe. His eyes were closed. "I told you to go back..." He opened his eyes. Noe shocked as she saw his bloody red eyes. "Y-you..."
Noe sighted. "If my parents would die now I would know the word fear." The Hero stared shocked to the little girl that was standing in front of him. "Who are you..." Noe walked to the Hero and shook his hand. "I'm Noe."
