To Regain What Was Lost

Chapter 10: Lost

The sun was rising up, casting a golden light on an elf and a human as they pushed their way through the dark green pine leaves of the trees surrounding them. 

"So, um, do you think we're going the right way?" 

Grimaldo offered no reply other than pushing aside a low tree branch and quickening his pace. 

"How much longer do you think we have to walk?" William asked cheerfully, hoping to start a conversation. 

Shooting a glare at William, Grimaldo quickened his pace and walked into a tree. 

"Are you all right?" William asked in concern, running up to Grimaldo, who laid on the ground, blood coming out of his forehead. 

The glare Grimaldo shot William froze him in his tracks and he didn't move a muscle until Grimaldo deftly jumped back onto his feet and stalked away. 

Only when Grimaldo was almost out of sight did William start walking again, muttering, "Well, someone is in a bad mood..." 

There were two loud, threatening growl that cut through the crisp forest air uncomfortably close to the two. William and Grimaldo's heads to swivel around, looking for any immediate danger. 

The growls didn't come from any horrid creature, as they had thought. The growls just happened to be their stomachs. 

"How about we rest now and eat something?" asked William, already clearing out a spot beneath a tree. 

Glaring, Grimaldo turned his nose cholerically, and flounced away. 

Shrugging, William got up and followed Grimaldo again. "That's a 'no', I guess..." 

After several more minutes of uncomfortable silence, William clapped his hands cheerfully. "How about some conversation, eh?" 

Silence. 

"Or a story!" 

More silence. 

"Okay, story it is!" 

Flipping open the small book he was holding, William cleared his throat. "Okay, this is the part where she stalks a kitty. It's amazing. I was rereading this part before all the crazy stuff happened to me," he explained. "...so, you're ignoring me. Well, carry on. I'll read. I'm sure you'll find it more interesting than me telling you about what I was reading before a event you are completely unaware of happened to me. So. Uh, yeah. Reading...now. 'Pay attention to me!' the man shouted, brandishing the knife. But alas, he was completely ignored by the girl following the cat in a mesmerized haze. 'Kitty...' she cooed, unaware of her surroundings." 

Pausing, William glance at Grimaldo who wasn't showing any expression whatsoever. "Perfect. I think he likes it," cackled William, silently celebrating over his victory. 

"The kitty continued to walk away, out of the city, and into the forest. Actually, you won't be able to appreciate this moment if I don't start from the beginning. Oh, and you need to know all the myths and lore and head-canons surround this to fully appreciate the tale. For an example, there was this one theory I read in a fan-fiction about how the cat was actually a mystical time-space traveling magical kitty who travels through time-space to help those in need." 

He paused. 

"For the small things. Not for the big things, like traveling back in time to fix the great wrong or something. The kitty only helps small things, like if you were a second late in catching the bus." 

There was another pause as William processed a thought. 

"Unless it'll lead to paradoxes, missing fate, character development, or the event will make you wiser because you learned a lesson like 'never wake up late and decide to drink orange juice because the bus will leave without you and the magical time-space cat won't help you so you can learn this lesson, and will never help you so this lesson will stay with you forever and always'."