Chapter X
Setting off down the bluffside, Dave recalled another aspect of Noki, ‘Awww… I’m gonna have to find a few diamonds while I’m here aren’t I? As well as a key?’ “Dangit!”
He hushed himself and glanced around, as his previous encounters had taught him to always be on the lookout for unexpected dangers. ‘Good. Nobody around.’ He thought silently while his eyes probed the dense rock around him, looking for signs of stress, markings of any sort, or any diamond streaks or rub marks.
Finding none, he continued his perilous descent. Two hours later, the clouds about him that had formed earlier that day finally broke, and he was granted with an astonishingly beautiful panoramic view of the West Cirrus Ocean.
‘Marvelous.’ He thought. ‘Purely marvelous.’
So saying, he returned to the brutal decline and hiked his way down a few more ledges before squatting down and taking a breather. “Whew this is killing my feet.” He wheezed out loud, then, having heard a crack of a twig- he spun around with his makeshift dagger-like shiv in hand.
“Who’s there?! Show yourself!” He yelled into the surrounding air.
Nothing stirred and the area remained devoid of any life save the natural entities of nature and Dave, himself.
“I’m warning you!” He shouted, less confidently this time.
Suddenly, out whirled Adz- embracing him in a bear hug! Completely caught off guard and semi embarrassed, Dave said, “Oh, come off it Adz! You coulda got stabbed! I didn’t know it was you, why didn’t you just say so?”
“It was you who was in the real danger.” Adz replied. “I’d been hearing sounds all morning, coming nearer and nearer to where I lay, so I made some traps. You’re lucky you didn’t stumble into any of them…”
So saying, Adz took a stick- went over to a pile of fallen rocks that Dave had taken no notice of before, and prodded them gently. Suddenly, leaping to the left a bit, Adz let loose a warning as a small barb whizzed by, just over Dave’s right ear.
“See?” He asked.
Visibly shaken and counting his blessings, Dave just swallowed and nodded.
“It’s good to have you back Adz.” He said.
“Oh, trust me- it’s good to be back together again, Dave. Good to be back…”
Having met up again and not having to constantly worry about each others’ well being, the dynamic duo headed off into the sunset, not knowing where this sojourn would take them, but hoping it at least led them closer to their homes…
Revised Edition 7/2/13
