With his eyes half closed he drew a cross in the ground. Under it he etched a small Church house with stick figures dancing around it. His new friend was still asleep, cuddling his baby spider to death. They were exactly the same and different at the same time.
      "Emeryl! Emeryl!"
      In the distance he could see people scaling the boulders and rocks but they didn't notice him. Horrified they stared at the ground where Emeryl had landed, spreading pools of blood. It took them a few more yards before they noticed the burnt out fire and the white boy.
      "You? Where's Emeryl?" the one wearing the bright greens and blues darted to him urgently. He noticed the snuggled bundle of blankets and Emeryl sleeping peacefully in them.
      "Emeryl, get up! Are you ok?" Eric dropped next to him, shaking his shoulder vigorously.
      "Huh? I'm up! I'm up!" he threw the blanket away and muddled with the spider.
      "Eee!" Prism toppled back at the sight of the spider being so close.
      "What? He likes you!" Emeryl shoved the spider in Prism's face. Screaming, Prism scrambled away and ducked behind some rocks. The spider looked hurt as it climbed back on Emeryl's head.
      "Look, these are my friends." Emeryl turned to the white boy. He popped to his feet, closing both eyes and smiling politely. Without a word he spun the other way, dashing into the horizon.
      "Wait!" Emeryl shouted, somewhat surprised.
      "Wait a minute! I know who he is!" Prism crawled out of hiding.
      "Huh? Who?" Emeryl asked.
      "Bentora, do you remember the village priest?" Prism queried.
      "Yeah, at the town meetings he used to dance with me. Or, at least, I stood on his feet and he showed me how to dance." She replied.
      "I remember him too. He used to dance around town. His name was... Father Maskini, but everyone just called him Maskini." Prism recollected slowly.
      "So, he's a priest too?" Emeryl blinked.
      "Yeah, just like you. But I don't know why he's acting this way." Prism nodded.
      "I..." Eric disrupted them, "I recognize him too... but... I can't think clearly..."
      "It's ok, we already know who he is." Prism comforted him.
      "Wait, one, two, three... What are you doing here?" Emeryl pointed at Blake.
      Prism jumped between Blake and Bentora before they could start, "He's coming with us!"
      "Going where? We just fell, who knows how far..." Emeryl tilted his head up.
      "My former village is near here. You came in the front way, which has been destroyed thanks to you. But if we pass by some villages it's possible to climb back out the other way." Blake explained.
      "Where do we start?" Prism asked. Recalling his surroundings from over a decade ago, he pointed past Emeryl.
      "There should be a Hobbit's village. It's probably burnt down by now." He wrinkled his nose.
      "Burnt down? Why?" Emeryl queried.
      Strapping his fingers around the neck of his hood, Blake silently eyed Emeryl. It took several tense moments before they moved on.

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