Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-36570662-20190114194829/@comment-34572969-20190129080314

AT LONG LAST! I'm done with my part! And yeah, go ahead with the post DSL.

Katina

I spent the next day scouring my map, again crossing off places where he wouldn't be and figuring out where he was. I had even invited Nick over to come help.

"Okay, so... where do we begin?" he asked me. I rolled my eyes.

"You're the adventurer out of us, you tell me." Nick huffed in frustration. I laughed at his child-like antics. "Kidding. Anyway, I figured out from the map you gave me of the overworld-"

"Overworld? And- I didn't give you any map!"

"Gave it, stole it, same thing. Anyway-"

I went on explaining which places I crossed off and why, with Nick pointing out other places and inconsistencies. It was only until a few hours had passed when I heard a knock on my door.

It was Isla. "Hey Kat! Freygair wants us to meet up later. Some new Guardian to replace Ar, or something." I saw another familiar face looking curiously over her shoulder, Michael to be exact.

A flash of recognition flashed in Nick's eyes. "Whoah... you Jer's little brother?"

Michael tensed up at being addressed. "Uh...yeah?" he replied. "How do you know him?"

"Hey, big brothers know big brothers." Nick draped his arm around my neck, which I quickly brushed off.

"Not your sister..." I mumbled. I looked between the three, who were looking at me expectantly. "Right...uh, Nick, this is Isla, a fellow Guardian and her boyfriend, Michael."

The two blushed furiously at me mentioning their so-called 'relationship' as Isla playfully mouthed to me, "I'm gonna kill you!"

I laughed and rolled my eyes at her as Nick leaned over to me. "Seriously?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding." I looked back at the others. "And you guys, this is Nick." I turned back to the map. "Tell Freygair I'll be there."

Isla and Michael soon left, leaving me and Nick alone once more. I sat down at my desk, almost immediately redirecting my focus onto the two sheets of paper laid out in front of me: one of the Hidden World and the other for the overworld, as I liked to call it. Nick peered at the pieces of parchment over my shoulder.

"You are seriously dedicated, aren't you?" he questioned, his voice straining a little since he was looking over me. I answered, not even looking up from the maps to speak.

"Of course I am, the man is my father. He's alive, trust me."

He hummed in thought, but replied with nothing. We stayed silent after a while, until I finally spoke up.

"So...wanna check out the training grounds?"

"Hell yeah!"

We went to the training grounds after that. Sure, we weren't technically allowed to be there, but it was like one of those school rules that no one obeys until the teacher is nearby.

We tried out the equipment, found out that Nick would suck as a Guardian, and tried out some archery. He also sucked at that.

I laughed at his attempts and tried demonstrating myself, with Nick commenting on my each and every move.

"How in the name of Thor are you even supposed to work that thing?" he asked in bewilderment.

"I thought you didn't believe in Thor?"

"I... your father's been rubbing off on me, I swear."

I giggled. "To quote Isla from one time, "Just believe you can and anything is possible! ...Well, apart from human flight. And superpowers. And raising the dead. And- OW!""

Nick jumped at the last word. "...Was that part of the quote?"

"Yup. She was walking across these training grounds and hit herself on part of the equipment. It was hilarious."

We trained a little more, talked some, until a question rose to my mind. I initially shrugged it off, until it began eating away more and more at me. Nick was in the middle of trying out the bow and arrows again when I asked him.

I sighed, readying myself. "Dad's not really disappeared, has he?"

This caused the boy in front of me to jump in shock of the sudden question, with the arrow flying straight into the trees above. I whinced.

Mental note to get that later.

"Wh- wh- what? H- how? I mean- wh- why- what makes you say that?" he stuttered out. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes again.

"Nick, I have literally known you since I was so young I used to think you were my actual brother. I can see a lie from a mile away." The boy cast his gaze downwards as I continued. "Dad. He's not gone. You'd be so much more upset if you knew that he was."

Nick sighed. He knew he had to say something about this. From further away, I heard Aidan calling my name.

"Katina! C'mon, it's time to meet the newest Guardian!"

I turned to him, then back to Nick.

"Please. I need to know about him," I pleaded. The boy paused.

"Let's just say...he's been dabbling in some pretty bad stuff up there," he stated. The Guardians continued to call me.

"That's all I can say about it."

I soon found myself with the others and Freygair, ready to meet the newest addition to our group. We surrounded the new kid, with Freygair's hands on his shoulders. The boy shuffled nervously.

"Guardians of the Hidden World, I am pleased to announce the newest addition to your group," Freygair declared.