"Just where has he gone? He said he will be gone for a couple of hours at most..."
"Could it be, that he feels too uncomfortable to be at home?"
"Can Brother ... Still not remember?"
"...It's just been a day, honey. It will take some time for him to remember."
"The sun has set already... that's it. I will go look for him!"
"Me too, maybe... Yes, maybe he can't remember the way back home! That must be it! Kiana, you wait for us here, okay?"
"No! I will come with you!"
Sona, Robert and Kiana sat in the living room of their modest home, worrying thoughts plaguing their minds.
Their son, who has recently lost his memory, didn't come home even when nightfall had already painted the sky in a pitch black.
The parents cursed themselves for letting their amnesic son wander around in unfamiliar surroundings!
Robert stood up and went for the door with wind-like hurry. The other two imitated him and followed right behind. He grabbed the door handle, pressed it down, and when he wanted to storm out, he gasped in surprise instead.
...
Spark was in front of the door with his fist hanging in the air, looking like a mimic pretending to knock on an invisible barrier. He jolted back a bit when the door suddenly opened.
But what was more curious than the mimic doing mimic stuff, were the horde of young men behind him. Four young boys ... and a brown-golden Ape? Even more suprising was their neglected and scrawny appearance. They were unwashed, muddied and dirty without exception.
Robert was lost for words, but his wife pulled herself together way faster.
"Spark, you're finally back!" she exclaimed in a sweet voice.
"Brother, there you are!" Kiana shouted in a mixture of sullenness and joy.
"Hello everyone," Spark greeted his family and smiled kindly.
"Son, hello," Robert nodded and pointed at the group behind him, "who are these boys?"
"A long story is what they are. But first, they are in dire need of a hot shower... Well, me too. We can arrange that, right?" Spark chuckled satirically while stepping into the house.
"What?... Y-Yeah, of course," Sona answered in a confused manner.
"Ok, kids. Step inside," Spark motioned all of them in. They cautiously looked around the house in awe. They looked like farmers visiting a city for the first time. Borza especially, looked like it was a first for him to see such a neatly build house from the inside.
The snotty-faced kid from before 'ohh'd' in surprise, "Big Bro Spark, is this where you live?"
"Yes, Koor. This is where I live," Spark responded lightly.
Kiana couldn't contain her curiosity anymore and blurted out:
"Bro... Who are these boys? And ... Apey?"
She and the kids were similar in age, so she was extremely curious about it.
She took a step forward and without hesitation, stood in front of the group.
Borza matched her action– also without hesitation– and took a couple of careful steps back, his scrutinizing yellow eyes analysing the situation.
Spark chuckled and explained tersely:
"Borza is a shy one. Don't mind him ... "
"These, are the kids Joey and me rescued today, but let's save the minute details for later. "
"Wh-What? Rescued?"
His family was stumped when they came to hear such unforeseeable news.
"Their names are Leonard, Koor, Sogel, Heel and Borza."
Spark pointed out each figure before addressing them.
"And they will come with me now, so I can show them the shower."
While walking the way home with utmost concentration as to not embarass himself for a second time, Spark has learned everyone's names and called them in order of age to him.
Well, the human boys at least. He couldn't quite tell how old Borza was exactly.
"The youngest goes first. Leonard, here's the towel. A bar of soap is on the sink. I'll pick out some fresh clothes in the meantime."
Spark said before turning around to head for his room.
As soon as he entered, his head sticked out the doorframe again.
He realized that some extra help wouldn't be bad in this troublesome matter.
"Mother... Could you come here real quick?"
Sona jolted awake and gently smiled while hurriedly making her way to the group.
"Oh–... coming!"
...
With the help of his mother, everbody received clean garments, and after a short while all the boys were cleaned and dressed up.
Without the tattered rags, the awful smell, and dirt covering their figures, they looked like normal human beings again.
Even handsome to a degree! Borza's golden fur especially shone with bright luster and swayed in the glimmer of the oil lamp which brightened up the living room.
Spark finally exited the bathroom with a towel hung over his shoulder, which he used to dry up his unkempt black hair.
It almost, but not quite, reached down to his shoulders, leaving the white shirt he put on mostly dry. Wet strands covered his eyes partly, not managing to fully obscure the light grey-green glimmer they reflected.
Spark slicked his hair back, brushing it away from his eyes, and glanced at the figures discussing around the table and the spotted old couch.
Well, it was more of a wooden bench draped in plush fabric, with cotton softening the hard properties of the wooden skeleton.
Judging by the partly somber atmosphere, the stern expressions of his father, the puffy eyes of his mother and snotty daughter listening to the oldest boys Sogel and Heel recount their stories, it was obvious they knew about the underground cellar and kidnapping by now.
"Son! It's good that you are safe... And these boys too."
Sona turned towards him with a complicated expression. She knew that the slaves weren't freed without a fight, and was very grateful her son stood amongst the winners of the altercation.
"This Uncle Joey, is it Joey from The Shelter?" Robert asked thoughtfully.
"You know him?" Spark asked, not very surprised.
"Well, yeah ... I'm not too much of a drinker, but I heard rumors that the Bartender of the Outskirts is secretly a Peak Body Foundation Artist!"
"That's not quite true," the son answered freely, "He is not at the Peak of Body Foundation."
Robert sighed and nodded his head.
"Yeah, I also thought the rumors were overexaggerated. What is a man of such caliber doing in a bar in the Outskirts? It's groundless."
Spark chuckled, understanding Robert's sentiment. He himself didn't quite understand at first. But it probably had a deeper story behind it, which Joey hadn't wished to share as of now.
"No, no, you misunderstood. He is not in the Peak Body Foundation Realm anymore because he broke through. He finally awakened to the Qi Realm," Spark cleared up with a confident expression.
Sona and Robert gasped in utmost surprise.
Qi Realm Artists, awakened Cultivators.
This is what every person on this planet wishes to achieve. Due to the fact that mana existed, various plants and wondrous organisms moulded into existence.
Human Beings here, are stronger, live longer and healthier than the residents on Earth, and that was caused solely by living in environments rich in Mana.
...But that is the case for every other living being on the face of the planet!
Even the Beasts!
Reaching the Qi Realm was a difficult endeavour for the average Human Being... It truly was the first big hurdle in the Road of Cultivation.
Hearing that someone managed to do it, here in the Outskirts where resources were scarce and knowledge was shallow, was quite the shock to his parents. Without the neccessary preparation it was virtually impossible to achieve.
"So he had found an opportunity, at last," Robert couldn't contain his grin after recovering from his initial daze.
Robert seemed to have a kind disposition, therefore it was wonderful news to hear that someone made it into Cultivatordom.
Also, Joey had a good reputation in the outskirts!
"You said you two rescued the kids?" Sona picked up on what Spark had said earlier, "From whom?"
"A terrible guy really," Spark sighed, "I never imagined that some neighbourhood gangster trash would go as far as partaking in kidnapping, until I met him... He was beyond scary... truly horrifying," Spark shuddered while recounting his memories.
"Scary neighbourhood gangsters?"
Sona pondered before she froze, when a guess came to mind.
"You don't mean the Mad Dog Celas, do you!"
Spark nodded, not missing the gasp and breathdrawing reaction of the opposites.
"Yes, that was what he was called. Quite the fitting nickname, if not a bit mild."
Robert was angry all of a sudden.
"You fought that Demon? Do you know what a cruel and terrible reputation he has?"
Spark noticed the change in his parents behaviour in midst of the conversation. Suddenly he felt like having shared too much detail.
"No. But I can very well imagine..."
Spark sighed, and tried to reassure them:
"No need to worry, Joey resolved the situation safely! Also, where's danger, there's opportunity. Without taking the risk, we wouldn't have saved the kids, and neither Terry nor Tali would have met a good end."
"...Oh right, you still don't know the whole story."
"Let's talk more later. The kids need to sleep first. Everyone is tired after such an intense and exhausting day."
Spark pointed at nine-year-old Leonard almost nodding off at the edge of the sofa.
"O-Oh ... you're right. Let's do that. We will need to procure enough beddings first."
Sona already contemplated on how to manage to do that. They didn't have enough beds here, but futons and blankets would be possible to find.
Spark faced the children.
"As planned, you guys will camp at Joey's for the night and we will come up with a better solution tomorrow."
"Would you like to join us?"
Spark asked with his look trailing onto his sister.
"O-Ok, I'll come with you!" she said with little hesitation.
The demeanour her brother showed differentiated vastly from before, but her trust and affection hasn't diminished.
"Alright, let's do it that way..." the parents agreed, still a bit ovewhelmed by the situation.
"Sogel, Heel!"
The boys jolted awake, "Yes!"
"Here!"
The oldest boys stiffened up when being called out. But compared to before, their usual character shined through more clearly, now that they were clean and dressed in unspotted longsleeved cotton shirts and self-sewed trousers, with thick winter socks warming their feet.
Heel, the oldest, was about 15 years of age. A pair of clear, dark brown eyes coupled with a rough, brown complexion, and a sharply contoured face a solid look.
Heel's hair was on the shorter side, messily cut, presumably by himself. His hairstyle featured shorter hair on top, and longer hair on the side. He was in vital need of a haircut.
The boy seemed to listen well, judging by his trusting and revering looks toward Spark.
Sogel was more timid and reluctant, but his intelligent green eyes indicated a deeper thought process happening inwardly. He looked to be 13 years old and had black, shoulder-long hair, similar to Spark, rocking left and right when he straightened up and quietly replied.
"Help carry the bedding."
"Borza, you too."
Spark said softly, as to not sound too crass and and commanding with miscalleanous matters such as this.
Borza nodded slightly with a weird sound of agreement.
"Let's go then. Leonard wake up, hey, wa-... Oh.... he's asleep..."
"Well, whatever..."
Huup!
Spark let the littlest one, who fell asleep in the middle of the talk, continue to sleep, and positioned him on his back, gently carrying him back to the tavern.
It was an exhausting day, filled with major outbursts of a myriad of emotions, so he'll let him doze for a moment.
When doing this, unnoticed by him, Kiana glanced at him with meaningful, longing eyes, which continued to subconsciously leap towards the sight along the way.
Sona took Koor by one hand, and Kiana by the other, while Robert, alongside with Sogel, Heel and Borza carried plenty beddings which they partly borrowed or bought from some neighbours they were friendly with.
It costed them a couple silvers in total, which Spark vehemently urged to spend, saying it was a trivial expense.
Just a dozen minutes later, the boys arrived at the tavern. Noticing loud laughter and screams from within, made the new arrivals curious.
Spark opened the door leisurely, shifting the weight of Leonard onto one hand to create leeway for the other, and opened the door to step into the frame.
Instead of a greeting, he was instantly met with a soft item hurled deeply into his face.
A pillow smeared across his shocked expression and slid to the floor with a soft thump. The noise died down a little when the door opened, and the girls saw Spark get pillow-slapped upon entry.
An unbridled loud laughter of careless volume came from a burly man standing in the middle of the room, who coincidentally recovered from a throwing motion.
"GAHAHAHAHA, DID YOU SEE HOW I GOT HIM!"
Joey was roaring, surprised at his sharpshooter skill.
"YOU SEE HIS FACE? I GOT HIM AHAHHA."
Tears formed in his eyes when little Lily joined into the laughter, trying to imitate the loudness of his voice.
"Gahahah, we got Big Bro Spark real good, we got him gahahah."
His laughter exploded into an unstoppable, breathless whining.
The torrent of laughter was like an infectious disease, latching onto the other girls and Jessie, who were dressed in nightgowns and sleeping garments, which then evolved into an avalanche of joyeous levity.
It seemed that the girls... plus Joey, had a pillow fight while Spark left with the boys.
'Aren't you a little too old for this?'
Spark screamed inwardly with an incredulous expression painting his face.
But witnessing the jolly atmosphere, he felt at ease and light, which softened his scowl considerably. Such fun was neccessary to unburden the traumatized children, and it made Spark feel utmost respect for Joey and Jessie.
'I wouldn't be able to this' he chuckled.
Leonard, who woke up when Spark jolted up from the impact of the pillow, coupled with the volumes of vibrant laughter reverberating through the doorframe, whispered in a sleepy voice:
"... Big Bro Spark?"
He looked at Spark from the side, and thought to have seen an upward curve on his lips when he was put on his feet again.
Spark stepped inside the room and turned around to face the doorframe, a stern look on his face twisting into a mischievous grin.
"Listen up soldiers! We have been ambushed! Prepare for the counterattack!"
The boy's eyes started to shine at Spark's words.
They rushed and stumbled through the door and messily assembled into rows, hurriedly distributing pillows among each other. Even Borza understood what was about to happen.
"Warrior Kiana, desecrating your position is high-treason! Join the ranks immediately!"
Spark exclaimed in an exalted voice, addressing his sister who was still holding onto her mother's hand, hesitant to join the operation.
Hearing her brother call her out in this way made a hearty and cheerful giggle escape her lips, as she released her grip and ran toward the row.
Koor threw her a pillow and the ranks were complete.
Joey went along with the childish charade and lifted the morale on his side.
"Gahahaha! You stand no chance in this war! Our soldiers are trained and experienced veterans! Get ready to be obliterated."
Spark just smiled silently and pointed his finger forward.
"Attack!"
And thus, a big pillow fight began, of which Spark slipped away in a matter of moments. Beddings flew around, blankets were used as deterrents and vigorous noises echoed in the tavern.
"Golden Heavenly Net!" Koor shouted out, throwing his blanket at Berenya, who succesfully dodged its embrace and slapped her pillow across Koor's side, who then dropped to the ground, pretending to have received a serious wound.
Marianne, the oldest girl, the one they rescued from the first prison chamber, stood apart, watching the occurence while hiding her titters and giggles behind her hand, when suddenly a pillow suddenly hit her face from a long distance.
Borza shrieked happily when he saw his ambush work. His golden tail swaying around chaotically, reflecting his excited mood.
"You!" Marianne exclaimed furiously and charged at the monkey with a pillow in hand, which the agile animal dodged every swing of.
The young Laurel and Lily faced off with Kiana and Katie, who were all similar in age.
They indulged in a– give one, take one combat– style, giving birth to a comical sight.
"Take this! Hup! Ha!"
Anya and Ohna also engaged in a two way fight against Heel and Sogel, resulting in a slightly more sophisticated battle than the former battlefields, but was still limited to more or less successful dodges and obvious feints.
In the meantime, Spark had already introduced his parents to Joey and Jessie, who also slipped away, leaving the kids to have a vivacious play-fight.
They had a casual conversation of niceties, before diving a bit deeper into the happenings of the day. Because only Joey and him were aware of what actually happened, Spark directed the conversation at times and omitted the Cultivation Arts and other dangerous instances to prevent putting them at unnecessary risk, or worry.
Tali and Terry have already left for home. Considering the injured state of Terry, it was miraculous he could sit at all. He was stable for now, all thanks to his healthy body managing to stabilize the bleeding, but they would surely need to find a way to patch him up tomorrow.
Spark gazed at the cheerful atmosphere illuminated in the blue light of the looted moonstones, which of course weren't left behind.
Joey must have put them around the room to replace the candles and oil lamps. It was easy to deduce that the groundbreaking innovation of broad-network Electricity hasn't been introduced to this planet, yet.
'Is that only the case in the slums or everwhere? Seeing as they have showers and toilets already, their technology must be around the 19th-20th century, in Earth's standards.'
'Also, how is that fallacy possible if Cultivating strengthens the body and mind alike? Shouldn't there be geniuses everywhere?'
Spark ruminated and found himself flabbergasted. He had too little knowledge of Cultivation's effect on intelligence and creativity.
He silently decided to read books on Cultivation, history, geography, science and a lot more in the days to come. He needed to properly understand the situation of the planet he had been thrown onto.
Letting his thoughts trail for a while, he turned to the scruffy-bearded Bartender who was smiling next to him, before giving him a prod and whispering:
"Joey... for a word?"