The rest of the time she was sitting near me she was just crying without being able to say anything. I didn''t know what to think, what was I supposed to do? Wasn''t she an adult? I can''t just hug her, that feels weird. I didn''t want to hug someone who looked like Elle anyways.


    That entire conversation confused me, she went from defending Elle to crying about how life was unfair. Was I supposed to forgive Elle because she cried? I don''t know, maybe. When she left to go talk with the others she changed entirely. Only a few moments had passed before she was laughing and joining in on the argument between the king and the one that like like Reynold which was somehow still going on.


    Even I wouldn''t argue with Reynold that much, there''s just not enough to say. Well, if the king came here after he died he''s probably been here longer than I''ve been with Reynold. He seems annoying. Maybe that''s why he looked like Reynold to me.


    I hadn''t thought about why these people looked like Reynold and his friends or the teachers because the king just looked like himself. Did I ever ask for any of their names? I''ve just thought of them based on whoever they look like.


    Well, it doesn''t matter now. The one that looked like Elle said the squiggly line will probably be back soon, so even if I learn their names I don''t think I''m ever going to meet them again.


    Some of the other people came over and talked to me for a bit, but they didn''t say anything that meant a lot to me. The one that looked like Reynold told me to "Ensure that your betrothed does not flee." Other than that he was just complaining about the king and how I shouldn''t think about him in a good way. The king himself came back over to talk about how much he hated the one that looked like Reynold. I told him who that person looked like to me and he broke into laughter, after that he left. He didn''t give me any advice.


    The one that looked like Mister Savard told me to "Ne''er indulge yourself in beverages of an unknown origin." What have these people gone through to give me advice like this? Everyone else either came over just to say hi or didn''t come over at all. I kind of wished that the one who looked like me would talk to me for a bit, maybe I could have figured out why he looked like me.


    I didn''t want to sit alone, so I got up from the cloud and walked over to the rest of them. The argument between the king and the one that looked like Reynold had finally stopped after he punched the king and jumped back while screaming in pain.


    I sat down next to the one that looked like me. This seat wasn''t as soft as the cloud, and I could see it. It looked like a fancy couch. I mean it probably was a fancy couch, but I couldn''t say for sure. All of their voices started to sound similar, maybe it was because they were all talking. I just sat there and listened to them rant about, wait, what were they ranting about?


    "None of your tales compare to mine, methinks."


    "''Methinks''? Are you a court jester on your own time?"


    "Do not be presumptuous, I am sure he is a court jester professionally."


    "Will you let me speak? All of you must be anticipating the opportunity to respond with a tale of your own."


    "If you must ask to be heard, do you truly deserve to be?"


    "I pray you will forgive my courtesy, then, killer of children."


    "When have I become a killer of children?"


    "Well, I suppose a killer of children would despise common courtesy."


    "Only a killer of children himself would know how he truly thinks."


    "I concur."


    "I too concur."


    "I three concur?"


    "I believe "as well" would suffice."


    "I three as well?"


    "I will cast you into the depths."


    "I beg of you to. You are far colder than that place in any event."


    "All of you, we have been led astray by this killer of children who wishes to tell us about when he killed children as a young child. I certainly wish to hear his defense for his actions."


    "I do not care for the defense of a filicidal bastard."


    "Now hold on, even if I were to murder children, which I have not admitted to in any right, when did I specify that they would be my children?"If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "I suppose you just seem the type."


    "Only a ki-"


    "No."


    "I expected more of you."


    "That must be a lie."


    "No, it is true. I knew you were undeserving of our respect but I never took you for a plagiarist."


    All of them started laughing loudly. I looked at the king. He didn''t look like he was hurt, he was the only one not laughing but he was grinning from ear to ear.


    "You all have had your fun, now I will speak."


    "Where has your courtesy gone?"


    "Now, when I was a child-"


    "In the sewers."


    The one that looked like Reynold was quickly shushed. He put his open hands up by his head and didn''t say anything else.


    "When I was a child I would always run away from my house. Any time I argued with my father or screamed at my brother I would always dash through the door, and before I would leave I would always take whatever there was of value from the dinner table as a way to provoke their anger. On some occasions, I would lie down in the nearby fields and take a nap, and often I would walk through the town and ponder on what I would do when I returned, however every single time I would misplace whatever item of value I had stolen from my father, and every time I stormed out I would come back in through the door later begging for forgiveness."


    He paused for a second and grinned even more.


    "Now my father was a forgiving man, but every time this occurred I would be burdened with some duty to the house, some chore or other obligation that would usually be finished by my mother. I would always believe I was some charismatic genius, the old man let me off the hook for losing bullion more than he gave mercy to my brother for placing his elbows on the table when we would eat! I had these disputes often. Every time there would be valuables to take with me on the way out, every time I would misplace them, and every time I would get away with house duties after begging for forgiveness, or so I thought."


    He looked around at everyone before continuing again.


    "Now, one day, on the natal day that would mark my transformation into an adult my father brought me into the cellar of our house, and he opened a door that was hard to see in the dimly lit room. Behind this door was a chest, and when he opened the chest it was filled with valuables. Bundles of gold coins and jewelry that appeared untouched, scattered across piles of other bullion. Before I could open my mouth to question my father, he put his hand on my shoulder and I remember the precise words he used, and I likely will until the end of time."


    Everyone was leaning in and staring at the king. Even the one that looked like Reynold wasn''t interrupting or moving around at all while sitting. When the king spoke again he forced his voice to be lower and more raspy.


    "Son, I have tried with most struggle to leave you with lessons during your childhood that will leave you a better man, and this day shall be the day of your most important lesson yet. When we arrived here in this town, I was made aware of a renowned thief who lived with his family in this town. When I introduced myself to him, I presented him with a lucrative offer. I told him that my son was a man impervious to failure and that without reprieve he would leave his home to wander about the town or nearby fields every few dawns with valuables to accompany him. I invited them to steal from you, and I told them that if you were to ever leave the house without an item of value, or if you were to cease your pattern of leaving the house, they would not only be able to keep all of the valuables they had stolen up to that point but that I would give them my entire fortune, but if you were to persist with this tradition until the day of your adulthood that I would be promised merely twice the amount that had been stolen from you. I had a signed agreement with these terms there ready for him, and of course, he accepted this wager. When you returned two dawns ago, with your head down and your confidence amiss, I told you that you would not receive any reprimand, as I had to leave the house for my own purposes. You likely thought yourself unfathomably lucky, but I thought myself a genius beyond compare, and this notion was confirmed when I received the items that you view now in this very chest before you. This is the lesson I leave you with, son. You are a fool."


    Everyone immediately started laughing. It was so loud that I had to cover my ears with my hands. The king was now grinning from ear to ear. I didn''t get what was so funny, but I didn''t really understand what he was saying.


    The laughter didn''t last too long though-


    I heard another explosion, but instead of last time, I wasn''t hurting all over. I had closed my eyes and ducked with my arms over my head, and when I opened my eyes again I looked around and saw that everyone was frozen. I looked at where the sound had come from and I saw-


    The statue of Phrosus? It looked like the statue but I mean it obviously wasn''t, he was moving.


    "Well, I''m sure she would love to be here right now. It''s a shame that nobody knows her anymore."


    "Phrosus?"


    "I see it was the right choice to send me down here. When Judge Judy told me you were from Articulago I assumed you''d be a follower of mine."


    "Judge Judy?"


    The king wasn''t moving, but he was able to speak.


    "Phrosus. Has the information I sent served you well?"


    "Yes, Venio. You don''t need to worry, your time here will not expire just because the most powerful of us is not there to personally watch over you. Most of us can handle him anyway."


    "Very well. I merely wished to provide a show of good faith, I wished to remind you all that your goodwill has not been forgotten."


    "Yeah, we get it. Stay silent for a bit, I need to take this kid back up."


    "What are you guys talking about?"


    "Don''t worry about it. Anyway, I''m here to take you home."


    "Home? Where is the squiggly line guy? He said he''d come back and take me up."


    "Squiggly-? Oh. Yeah, we worked it out. He''ll be a bit late but that doesn''t matter since I''m down here now. Come on now."


    He reached out his hand, he clearly wanted me to take it.


    "You really want to stay down here? I mean I can make that happen but it''s pretty bad."


    "No, I- I want to go. Are they going to be okay?"


    "Hm? Them? Yeah, they''ll be fine. They''d be worse right now if I didn''t take some measures before coming down here. Now, let''s get going."


    I stood up and walked towards him. Just as I grabbed his hand, I felt like I was thrown up into the air really fast. The wind was blowing in my face, my head was spinning and-


    I woke up on my bed that was now in between piles of rubble.