The Storyteller: The Greatest Adventure

1. The Little House on the Hill

Norman was getting old.

For the past four years he was beginning to feel his age of 72 years, and he hated it.

He hated wearing glasses.

He hated that he was beginning to like tea.

And he hated that it was becoming a struggle to get out of bed in the morning.

He remembered the days when he was a hip young professor, roalerskating through the halls of the Academy and drinking till dawn. He missed his youth and he could feel his carefree nature slipping away from him.

He knew his students would never say anything about his souring mood, well, everyone but Becca. All he wanted was to live the brilliant lives of the heroes from his stories, but for a Prophet, it was definitely too much to ask.

Longingly he stared at the poster of Rupert the Cruel as he sipped his chamomile tea from his 'bad bitch' mug.

Rupert had been one of his favourite heroes. An ass-kicking, name-taking six foot seven giant of a man who drank the blood of his enemies from their own skulls.

Norman wasn't a fan of cannibalism of course, but he was fascinated by the countless adventures Rupert went on before he passed away last year. Lung cancer they said. Years of smoking and inhaling all kinds of toxic fumes had finally caught up to him. He went peacefully, surrounded by his four children and ten grandchildren.

Norman shook his head. "All the great heroes are dying out."

From his kitchen window he could see Becca and Benjimen coming up the hill to his little home. He couldn't help but smile as he saw his star students. Both has shown so much promise, and both have a bright future ahead of them at the Academy.

Becca flicked a ball of glitter towards Benjimen and as the man scolded her and attempted to brush the infernal particles from his clothes and books, Norman wondered how much of the world they had truly experienced.

Norman had, of course, not grown up in the glitzy glamour of the city and had spent a rather boring childhood on a small farm in Wisconsin. It wasn't until he was fourteen that he was able to step foot in a big city, and the first time he saw a group of hippies, he was hooked. Gone was the reserved young boy, and in his place, the darling Norman everyone knew and love was born.

It was Becca who came bursting into his home first, her pin curls bouncing as she twirled her lean body around before striking a pose. "I have arrived."

"Dear lord Bumblebee." Benjimin huffed as he strolled in behind her and closed the door. "I told her to stop, I swear."

Norman waved his hand, finishing his tea. "It was better than last time." He thought with an internal wince as he recalled the sharp shattering of his favourite vase when her twirl sent her stumbling into the kitchen.

"You should have seen him last night Normy, he was wasted." Becca sang as she plopped down on the couch.

Benjimen was blushing furiously as he adjusted his glasses. "I had one glass of wine, and I made one joke."

"Wa-a-asted." She sung in a high pitched voice. 

Benjimen sat down on the opposite couch and produced Norman's planner from his satchel. "What do we have planned for today?" He asked, frowning when he saw Norman's longing stare to the world outside the window. "Is everything okay Professor?"

"Yes, yes." The old man pushed himself up and walked to the window, his floor length robe dragging behind him. "How about we go into the city? Grab a show, maybe go dancing."

The two students shared a look. "Uhm, are you sure you're okay?"

Norman sighed. "Did you know I've been doing this for fourty years? I've filled seventy seven books with stories, that's four more than the Dean." His eyebrows furrowed and he dragged his hand through his beard, wincing when his finger caught a tangle. "Do you think there's something more out there for an old man like me?"

Becca rose slowly, crouching next to him and glaring at the side of his face. "Is this a Gen X thing? Are you having a midlife crisis?"

Benjimen rose and came to his other side. "Perhaps you're ill? Would you like to rest?"

"For goodness sake!" He yelled. "Neither of you understand!" Norman was on his feet, growling in frustration when he felt a kink in his back. 

"Yeah okay, go dancing." Becca grumbled as she helped Norman straighten his back. "Professor, you know we love you, but this is totally weird. You aren't exactly been the hip, young professor you always were, but we still think you're cool." She looked towards Benjimen. "Right, Benny?"

Benjimen was still frowning at the professor, but quickly jumped and readjusted his glasses. "Right, super cool."

"Ben, Beccs, I want to go on an adventure." 

"Okay, now I'm concerned." Benjimen said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Professor, if I remember correctly, you scored a barely average on your last physical exam, and your mental health scores were fine. For you to even consider going on an adventure, you have to have a perfect score and that has to stay constant after three consecutive tests."

The other two were staring at him. "Have you been thinking about going on an adventure Ben?" Becca asked him with a raised eyebrow. 

The elf looked uncomfortable and avoided their gaze. "No, I-I haven't been thinking about it." He scratched at the side of his face. "I mean, I'm just an apprentice, I just write the stories, I don't live them."

The three of them sat in silence for while, contemplating their current predicament. 

Norman was hoping that one of them would speak up first, perhaps come to their senses that his desire for adventure wasn't as crazy as he felt it was at the moment. 

"Okay, let's go into the city." Becca said as she rose, brushing her hand over her sequence tube top. "We'll have a drink, see show, go dancing... It'll be fun. Right, Benny?"

"Right!" The elf exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"Alright then." Norman agreed.

The three of them began making their way down the hill towards the valley, for a moment, Norman felt the urge to look back. It was a strange feeling, like a cool shiver running down your spine before you feel the warmth of nostalgia. It felt like his world was about to change, and a strange thought crossed his mind; what if it was the last time he saw the little house on the hill?

As soon as he had the thought, he shook his head and instead focused his attention on his star pupils. 

It wouldn't be the last time he saw the little house, but perhaps he would be more okay with parting with it for a little while.