Satrox's eyes narrowed as Colin and Rita spoke.
"And then," Rita said, her face white, "they just grabbed him. They kicked his Comrades until they couldn't move, and they carried him away. He struggled, and everyone was running everywhere, and then they were just… gone."
There was a short silence as Satrox and Colin heard for the first time what had happened.
"Gone." Satrox frowned. "Have you seen him since then?"
"No." Colin said. Rita shook her head too.
"Well… you've no idea what happened once he was taken, do you?" Satrox asked.
"No, and I'm not sure I ever want to find out." Colin said. "But we thought you should know what happened to him."
"Well…" Satrox frowned. "The thing is, I already know."
Colin and Rita jumped. "WHAT?!"
"I know he'd been taken." Satrox said. "I just don't know what happened while they had him."
Colin and Rita exchanged glances. "How did you find out?"
"Henry told me." Satrox told them, blinking. "When we woke up the next morning, he told me he'd been taken away by some guys in green armor."
"When you woke up…" Colin stared. Then he smacked his head. "Of course! You're his brother!"
"Exactly." Satrox said. "What I want to know is what happened when he'd been taken."
"Didn't Henry tell you?" Rita asked.
"He would if he could, but for some reason…" Satrox shook his head. "Henry doesn't remember."
***
{It was happening again. Again! Another boy disappears… and does not remember what happened to him.}
"Colin?" Rita was looking at him worriedly.
{Is that what happened to me?! When I disappeared for three hours… and nobody knew what happened… and not even I remember… was that what happened?!}
{Was I taken by the Green Men also?!}
{Is it ME they're after?!}
"Colin!" Rita shook him. "Snap out of it!"
Colin jumped. "Huh?"
"Are you all right?" Rita asked again. "You looked… weird."
"I'm… I'm fine." Colin said, waving her away. "What about Henry? How is he?"
"Henry?" Satrox mused. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"
"Huh?" Colin blinked.
"Haven't you even tried to call him?" Satrox questioned.
"Um… not really, no." Colin admitted.
"Try it." Satrox invited.
Colin and Rita exchanged doubtful glances.
And then a familiar voice spoke from within the tent.
"Don't bother, Colin."
Colin and Rita stared as the familiar figure with glasses crawled out and waved to them.
"Sorry for all the trouble, guys," Henry said. "But I'm fine."
Rita started crying.
"Henry, you IDIOT!" She hit him on the shoulder. "Why didn't you TELL us?!"
"Uh…" Henry winced.
"We were worried sick!" Rita shouted at him. "We all thought you were kidnapped and tortured and…"
"Um…"
"Rita was really worried, Henry." Colin told him. "She looked like a ghost when I met her tonight. She was afraid of everyone and everything."
"Err…"
"You idiot… idiot… idiot…" Rita went on punching him, but she was crying too hard to hit hard.
Henry looked to his brother for help, but Satrox just held up both hands and took a step back. This was Henry's mess, and it would be up to Henry to fix it.
"I just…" Henry trailed off.
Rita cried into his shoulder for a bit, then turned around and ran away. Her Comrades ran after her, leaving Satrox, Colin and Henry staring at her back.
"I'm… sorry." Henry said, slowly.
"Tell her that." Colin told him with a sigh. He sat down and just fell over backwards. "All my efforts… after everything we've been through…"
"I'm sorry." Henry said again.
Satrox poked him. "I think you should go after her."
"{Now}?" Henry winced.
"Yes, now. Before she goes too far away. It's dangerous for someone at her level." Satrox said. "Bring your Razorhawk."
"Right." Henry held out his hand, and a metallic bird landed on it. Satrox and Colin watched him go.
"Where did he get that?" Colin asked, tiredly.
"When those green men brought him back last night… before we Woke Up…" Satrox said slowly, "there was a guy who wore a different sort of armor, green with yellow stripes. He kept apologizing for taking Henry away, and returned him to me saying how sorry they all were, and to please accept some gifts in apology."
"Gifts…" Colin held his head. "Is that Razorhawk one of them?"
"Yes." Satrox said. "He left money and items too. Colin, Henry was a Green Badge when they left him with me. I asked him about it, but he didn't move or say a thing until after we both Woke Up."
"Green…" Colin glanced at Henry and his Razor Hawk. "That bird must be strong."
Dreamers with Comrades on Nakama World all wore badges. These badges recorded their accomplishments and provided a general idea of how strong they and their Comrades were.
Everyone started with white badges. They needed at least 3 Comrades at a total of 25 levels to get yellow. Colin didn't know what it took to get to the next badge stage, but he did know that the next stage was green.
"They left him three Tames, Colin. He bonded them all." Satrox said. "They're each above level 25."
"Scrap." Colin said in awe. "That's not fair."
"It's not." Satrox agreed. "He can't even control them properly. I had to teach him a lot during the day and earlier tonight. He's a Blue Badge now."
"BLUE?!" Colin choked. That was the next up from Green.
"I made him a promise, Colin." Satrox sighed. "When he reached me at Hot Sands, I'll teach him things and give him things. Breeding was the last topic I had to cover with him, and Meek was right there when I needed an example. He's learnt all the basics I have to teach – from now on, he'll have to learn from experience."
"But… BLUE?!" Colin spluttered.
"Yes." Satrox said softly. "I told him that when he finished his training, I'll give him my collection of Lynxmice here."
Colin stared. "Satrox… the reason I came to find you was because Larissa asked me to say 'hi' when I came here."
"Is that it?" Satrox laughed. "She should have called me."
"Well… yeah." Colin paused. "Satrox, she said you had fifty Comrades."
"I did." Satrox agreed.
"And when you said you left your collection of Lynxmice here to Henry…" Colin trailed off.
Satrox gave him a slow nod.
"That's right, Colin. I gave him the Lynxmice. All but the last one, which I'll be taking along as I start to Travel again. Henry now has exactly sixty Comrades."
{Sixty Comrades on his second night… Three of them above level 25…} Colin groaned out loud. "That's totally unfair."
"Maybe." Satrox said. "But I've been promising him those things for over a year, now, and I keep my promises."
"The whole army…" Colin stared. "Including the one that defeated a lion."
"Yes." Satrox agreed. "That one and some of his children and grandchildren, all of whom will be stronger than he is."
"Scrap…" Colin said, and leaned back down with a groan.
Satrox chuckled. "You look like you've done quite well, yourself. I've never seen a white wolfcat before now."
"Michi gave him to me." Colin said, closing his eyes.
"Michi? What number is it? M-4?" Satrox offered Shiro his hand. Shiro shook paws with him solemnly.
"M-5." Colin said.
"Nice to meet you, M-5." Satrox told Shiro. "Hey, Colin… what do you plan to do after this?"
"Probably go round to some tournaments. Sunshine Town is having a solo one, isn't it?"
"Is that so…?" Satrox mused. "You know, Colin, I'm going to start Traveling all over again. Larissa and Michi are based in Sunshine's Comrade Home, aren't they?"
"I think so." Colin agreed.
"Well, then, why don't we go together?" Satrox suggested. "It's a dangerous road to and from Hot Sands. I'm going to look for May. Maybe you can help me."
"Sure." Colin said.
He called Katrin as Satrox and Rita were getting packed.
"Hey, Colin! How was your trip?" Katrin asked.
"The trip was fine. It was what happened here that's giving me a headache." Colin groaned.
He told her about it, everything from the color of May's hair to what it felt like to be stuck in a house filling with water. Everything except that weird dream or nightmare.
He also told her about Henry. "Maybe I should have just let them catch me."
"Colin…" Katrin said, and she sounded much quieter than she had before. "Those green men scare me. Something's bad about them. Very bad."
"They seem nice enough. They're not like Lady Scarlet, destroying whole villages like that. At least they gave Henry some pretty neat stuff in apology."
"Henry, yes, but it seems he's not the one they're after." Katrin asked. "What if they're really after you, or me?"
Colin felt a chill despite the heat of the desert. {Maybe I AM the one they're really after…}
The more he thought of it, the colder he felt.
"I don't know." Colin said at last. "So I'm not going to let them catch me. And you shouldn't either."
Katrin sighed with relief. "That's good to hear. Colin, be careful of Lady Scarlet."
"Why?" Colin asked. "I have nothing to do with Hot Sands."
"Maybe not." Katrin said. "But you were the one who spotted that plant, and May knows it."
"So what if I did?" Colin frowned. "It's not like I ruined her plans or anything."
"Maybe not." Katrin said again. "But be careful anyway."
Coming from anyone else, Colin would have shrugged it off as being pompous, but this was Katrin… someone who was willing to give her First Comrade to save him. "All right. I'll keep an eye out for her."
Katrin's voice grew small. "How's… Raiki?"
Colin eyed the blue kitten. Raiki glanced at the watch where Katrin's voice came from and did not turn away.
"I think she misses you, Kat." Colin said. "She's been getting better, but she's still very sad."
"Raiki…" Katrin sighed. "I miss her too."
Raiki's ears twitched.
"I wish she were here." Katrin added. "Oh… but don't tell her that! I don't want her to worry about me."
Colin winced, but Raiki moved closer to his watch, ears twitching again.
"Raise her strong, Colin." Katrin said softly. "Raise her stronger than I ever could. She deserves to run free, and Travel the world, and have adventures with you. She deserves to grow as strong as she possibly could. She'll never do that with me here on the farm. And the only ones I've ever seen who seems to understand her are Shiro and you."
"Kat… don't you think you should tell her that?" he asked.
"Maybe." Katrin said, and her voice sounded very soft now. "But I think she hates me."
Raiki's tail twitched.
"I don't think so." Colin said, gently. "Why don't you talk to her the next time we drop by the Farm? We're going to Sunshine Town first, but we'll come after that."
"Um… maybe." Katrin said once more. "Maybe."
Colin smiled. "We'll see you soon, Katrin."
"Yeah…" Katrin said, slowly. "I'll see you soon."