Armin: The Beginning

      Armin happily lay down on his back after seeing his world still there, remembering his wonderful dream. He had had the nerve to tell the cute red Bori in his class, Wendy that he liked her and she had liked him back! Armin happily smiled at that memory, wishing it might someday come true.

      Just then, Armin heard a loud snore and a sigh. He turned around to see two tiny Boris, one blue the other white, sleeping next to each other. The blue one was six-year-old Chen and the white three-year-old Mariah. They were the yellow Bori's younger sibling and he prided in calling them that; they were sweeter than the pie Armin's mother made in summer. Armin then turned to the right wall of the cave to see his blue and red parents sleeping near each other happily. He loved his parents very much and he knew they loved him and his siblings back.

      Armin lay back down on his back, feeling suddenly very tired. Knowing protection and loved ones were all around him, he fell back asleep.

     ****

      Armin awoke to a shrill alarm blaring. His parents and siblings were already up, so he knew he had slept through the first few minutes of the alarm. His mother was picking up a fire and ice blade and his father a rainbow gun; Armin figured out this alarm was for an attack.

      "Mom, is there any way I can help you?" Armin asked, walking up to his mother.

      Armin's mother stared at her son for a few minutes before saying, "If something happens to me, all I ask is you take care of your brother and sister. Now, the children are all gathering outside the mountain; take Chen and Mariah through the secret passage to get there."

      Armin nodded and hugged his mother, tears forming in his eyes. He then hugged his father who whispered in Armin's ear, "Be brave, Son."

      Armin's parents ran out of the cave, giving a last wave to their children. Armin and Chen stood watching them leave. Little Mariah walked up to Armin and held her arms up in a way that meant she wanted to be picked up. Armin happily picked her up, feeling her tiny arms wrap around him, trusting he would not drop her.

      "Where is Mommy and Daddy going, Armie?" Mariah asked in her cute baby way.

      "Mom and Dad are going on an adventure; just like we are going to. Listen, guys, we're going to go through that passage I took you in once, Chen. It is very important you do not make a sound and stay by the walls till we get to the tunnel; there are some bad guys out there. Do you understand, Chen?" Chen nodded. "Mariah, do you?" Mariah hesitated a second before nodding. Armin put Mariah down. "Alright; let's go."

      Armin walked quietly out. He then poked his head into the cave, "Stay there until I say the coast is clear," Armin whispered.

      Armin looked to the right where he could hear the fighting going on. About six Boris were fighting, two of which were his Mother and Father. Armin saw his Mother fall down; he was glad Chen and Mariah weren't there. Armin then looked to the left and saw no one. That was the way they had to go to get to the passage. "The coast is clear," Armin whispered.

      The blue and white Bori came out of the cave, and followed Armin as he made his way down the icy hallway. Suddenly, Armin heard Mariah fall behind him. He turned around and saw Mariah lifting her knee to look at it. There was barely any blood, but any sort of cut was able to make a three-year-old freak out. Mariah did so; she screamed so loud it echoed.

      "Mariah, be quiet!" Armin frantically whispered, glancing at where the Boris fought, hoping the enemies hadn't heard.

      But the enemies had. The four that were left, a Mynci, Skeith, Kougra, and Lupe, turned and looked at them.

      "Look, kids, we could kidnap them and ask for a ransom," the Kougra said with a chuckle.

      "Great idea, Steve, let's get them!" shouted the Skeith.

      "Chen, Mariah, run!"

      Armin ran, making sure he could hear his sibling's footsteps close behind him. Armin ran faster than he had ever run before, even faster than the time he tried to impress Wendy by winning a race at school. Armin turned a corner and saw the passage way out of the mountain come into view. He didn't make it out.

      Just as Armin was about to dive into the passage he felt an arrow sting his leg. At first it didn't hurt, but after a few seconds Armin felt drowsy and dizzy, and fell onto the ground. His vision wavered, but he saw the Skeith run up to him.

      "Pick him up, Steve," the Skeith ordered.

      "Not so fast," a familiar voice said; it sounded like Armin's father.

      The blue Bori stood over Armin and in front of the passage. Armin's father put Chen and Mariah down on the ground; Armin guessed he had been holding them the whole time. They both ran into the passage and out of sight. Armin hoped they stayed safe.

      "Move away, old man," the Skeith said.

      For a reply Armin's father picked Armin up and started crawling through the passage. The Skeith and the rest of his gang followed. Armin's father jumped out as soon as he got to the end and started running. Unfortunately, Boris really only depend on intelligence and their living areas alone to protect them, so the Mynci, Skeith, Kougra, and Lupe were instantly on them. Armin's father and Armin lay in that spot, only half-conscious. He saw the Lupe battle his father through a haze. He saw in a fog his father drop, never to move again. Even in Armin's groggy mind, he knew he had to move to live.

      The Lupe dropped his sword victoriously and looked for the kid. He was not there.

      "Tim, the kid's gone!" the Lupe shouted frantically to the Skeith.

      "What do you mean he's gone? He was there a minute ago!"

      "He just vanished! Like, like, magic, maybe!"

      Tim slapped the Lupe hard on his mouth.

      "That's also magic; come on, you idiots, we've got to find that kid!"

      The four villains ran off, running by a small hole in the ground that housed a sleeping yellow Bori.

     ****

      The first thing Armin felt when he woke up was coldness. He had been cold before; there was no heating in the mountain, but there was always someone you loved you could snuggle up to, or a hot cup of tea to drink. This was beyond cold. It was like Armin had gone into Ice Ridge; the frozen wall in Terror Mountain that was gone into only for research. Armin was completely numb and felt like he had frost on his nose. He wriggled out of his hole and started searching for wood for a fire. He found a few good pieces of wood and rubbed them together like he had learned in school. Within minutes, he had a small fire blazing. Armin went as close to it as possible without getting burned.

      Then Armin felt hungry and thirsty. His thirst was quenched easily by a few handfuls of snow, but the hunger he had to search for. Armin set off after taking a piece of wood and making a torch to keep warm. He stumbled upon a bush of berries so close to the fire he could still see it. After making sure they weren't the kind of berries that were poison, Armin ate a few and put some in his pocket for later. He then headed back to the fire to decide what to do about his predicament. As Armin was walking he stepped on something that felt like a Neopet's back. Curious, Armin dug in the snow to find an unconscious Usul. Armin put down his torch and picked up the Usul; she was surprisingly light. He took her back to his fire and laid her down. Armin then sat across from her, staring curiously at his find.

     ****

      The Usul woke up much later and looked around in confusion.

      "Where am I? This doesn't look like the Lost Desert!" she shouted.

      "You're on Terror Mountain," Armin explained calmly.

      The Usul stared curiously at Armin.

      "What kind of species are you?" she asked.

      "I'm a Bori."

      "So, how did someone as young as you come to be alone on Terror Mountain?"

      Armin told her the story; it almost surprised himself that those things had happened to him as much as the Usul.

      "Miss, you look very hungry. Eat some snow; it helps for thirstiness and I have some berries."

      Armin handed her some berries and she gratefully accepted them.

      "Thank you very much, Little Bori. Since you were so kind to tell me your tale and take me in, I'll tell you mine."

      Armin listened with great interest to the Usul's tale of pirates and treasure and of being betrayed in the Lost Desert. She showed him a mark on her arm that looked like a sun after she finished.

      "That's very interesting, Miss. Miss, if you don't mind would you tell me your name?"

      "Of course I don't mind. My name is Hannah. What is yours?"

      "Armin," he said with more pride than Armin had ever had in his short life.

      "Well, Armin, I think we are going to be great friends."

The End