As we approach the river, the morning sun creates a rainbow as if to welcome us. The excited twins charge ahead, jumping at the river. Alice follows them jumping right in as well. Michella takes her weapon and sits on one big stone, keeping watch, ready for anything that may appear. Me and Stone, we keep walking steadily and soon reach the river bay as well.
"Haa... I feel alive again..."
I take out my boots and dip my feet on the river, feeling refreshed as I enjoy the show.
"Here I go!!!"
Stone is more proactive and joins them directly by jumping from one of the tallest rocks, making a big splash in the water.
"Hey Plate!"
"Came join us!"
Lil and Tally waved to me from inside the water.
Should I join them? Should I not?
Well, there was no real reason to refuse and I had come exactly to take a bath, it was just the morning laziness that was holding me back when suddenly the World shifts and I fall in the water.
"Nice going Misha!"
"Yeah Misha, great job!"
"I told you to not call me that!"
The twins commemorate my misfortune while sneaky dog Michella makes a proud face as if saying "I'm the Queen of the Hill".
Her happiness doesn't last long as my revenge arrives quite fast, grabbing her feet and pulling her in as well.
We play for half an hour and just as we were getting ready to go back Alice notices something floating down the river.
"What is this?"
She approaches it and picks it up.
"Kyaaaaa!!!!!!!!!"
"Alice what happened!?"
""My Princess!?""
All of us turn to Alice worried and see her screaming while holding an elf's head.
As I run to Alice, Alice lets go of the elf's and jump in my arms.
"Papa! I'm scared! Papa, don't go! Don't fight! Run! Papa, run!!!!"
I hold Alice back and try to comfort her slowly.
"It's OK. Don't worry. Everything is all right..."
While I act my part comforting her, truth be told, I was quite shocked myself with the surprise. Maybe part of me was denying that the War was so close to us. Thinking it was still all right and that we had all time in the World. Only now it finally hit me that War was coming and there was nothing we could do.
Soon the water started turning red and other body parts started to appear, coming from upstream.
"Not good..."
I put my hand over Alice's eyes blocking her view and slowly lead her out the river, then I turned and lifted up, carrying her on my back.
"Let's go back."
Everybody just nodded in silence.
As we headed back, I started to reflect on my actions. What if instead of dead bodies, we encountered enemy scouts? Would I be able to fight them? Maybe one or two yes, but what if it was a squad or more?
This was completely reckless of me. It was a mistake, a big mistake. Luckily nothing happened but I should be careful to not make anymore mistakes like this. When something bad happen, it will be too late to regret...
...
As we arrived back the Dungeon entrance, I gave Alice who had fallen asleep to Michella, made an entrance to allow the two to enter. When the twins tried to follow, I stopped them.
"Hey you two, wait a second, I need to ask something."
The two just turned to me confused. If it was any other time, they would already be making jokes about marriage or love confession, but it seems the scene on the river also affected them enough to stop the jokes.
"Can you tell me more about this pulley thing? How do I make one?"
"Oh...that...its like this."
"There is a wheel that rotates and it was fixed in the tree."
"Then the rope passed through the wheel and because of that, lifting became a lot easier."
"...What?"
If the wheel is fixed, how can it rotate? Where do I pass the rope? Why would lifting be easier???
"Please, explain slowly in details..."
Stone who was at my side stepped forward.
"Can you two draw it for us?"
Nice going Stone.
"Hmm, ok. it's like this..."
This day I learned a valuable lesson, Lil sucks at drawing.
"Sis, let me do it instead!"
And Tally is not any better...
Well, after wasting a long time decrypting the twin's drawings, I was finally able to make the pulley system and install it on the trapdoor. I was really surprised by how something so simple was able to have so much effect.
Stone, who two skeletons could barely lift before, was now being easily lifted by a single skeleton and the same result was seen no matter if he was equipped with armor and weapon or not.
Truly a miraculous invention! This must be one of the legacies left by the Heroes...
And just as I was getting ready to close everything and get out of here, I hear the sound of steps coming in. It was Geo and his troops.
"Geo, what happened?"
"Plate! Great to see you here! We got a problem, the bridge is down."
"Which bridge?"
"The one leading to Blimery Mine."
And where the hell is Blimery Mine!? Damn, I should learn more about the places around here...
"Hmm... I... see... so, what can I help you with?"
"Do you have some tools to build a bridge? It should be faster than going around..."
"Hmm, as long as you describe it to me, I should be able to make some stone tools. As for better tools, it's impossible for now..."
"Well, then let's pray the stone tools are good enough..."
"All right then. Tell me what you need."
Half an hour later, with the tools in one hand and my war hammer on the other, I accompanied Geo and his group to help building the bridge.