Chapter 3: Goals and Dreams

"Uh, Mekai you alright buddy?"

Ari had a concerned look on her face as her statement of wanting to explore the Null Plains sent Mekai into a state of shock she didn't know what do as she had tried everything to get him back, until she had an idea.

"If you can hear me, sorry" Ari immediately stepped back and begin to windup up a potential slap

"Sorry Mekai don't hate me" Ari immediately delivered the most thunderous slap she had ever given

"WHAT THE GONK ARI" The slap immediately snapped Mekai out of shock and slightly angered him

"You wouldn't snap out of it, Only thing i could do"

Ari said to Mekai with her signature gremlin grin, Mekai decides to forget about the Slap, even though it hurt like hell he still had to question Ari.

"Never mind that, what do you mean you want to go to the Null Plains?"

"I didn't make it clear enough? I wanna go to the Null Plains simple as"

With a smile on her face, Mekai wonders why she would want to go there wasn't she listening to him about how dangerous it is? What had happened to Maximus?

"Ari were you listening to me?" Mekai asked

"Yep" Ari replied with a smile still on her face

"You're sure?"

Ari's smile faded, she began moving closer to Mekai and started circling him, She stopped face to face to him looked him in the eyes with her smile reappearing

"Mekai, why are you asking me this?"

Mekai feeling awkward with Ari being to close to him could only let out a light chuckle, backing away from her slightly

"Ahem, I clearly told you what the Null Plains are no?"

"Yep, you did"

"SO WHY DO YOU WANNA GO THERE"

Mekai couldn't believe why Ari would wanna go there, Ari had always been on the wild side but her actively seeking out danger was perplexing to him.

"Eh, Sounds fun" Ari said nonchalantly as she brushed off Mekai's worries,

Mekai looked dumbfounded as he couldn't fathom what to say to Ari

"Wa-... I me-... You kn-... The confli-... The contine-... Maximu-...*Sigh* Forget about it, I'm going home"

Mekai stood up and was going back home

"Mekai, wait up" Ari got up and chased after Mekai but not wanting to deal with her anymore he started to speed up his walking

"Didn't you hear me I said wait up!" Ari caught up to Mekai and socked him right in the shoulder for ignoring her

"OW, You gotta stop hitting me man" Mekai annoyingly told Ari

"I told you to wait up dummy, Anyways, You still haven't told me how we're gonna do it"

"How we're gonna do what?"

Mekai was beginning to get annoyed with Ari's vagueness, She had been very straightforward person but this level of ambiguity was getting to much for him

"What I'm saying is how are we gonna become Adventurers"

For what was like the 12th time Tonight, Mekai had been sent into shock from Ari's change of thinking, This wasn't the same person who was trying to stop him from downplaying Lagosa, This wasn't his friend that didn't care to learn about Manidis world history. These were all thoughts in his head as he zoned out from shock.

"Welp"

Ari had began to wind up another Slap to bring back Mekai

'WAIT I'M UP, I'M UP"

After the last time Mekai's instincts have trained him to re-awake at the sense of her windup, Mekai could only be impressed at his adaptive nature and thankful for his life

"You seriously wanna become an Adventurer?"

"Yeah, How else am I gonna reach the Null Plains?"

Mekai had almost forgot about Ari's deranged goal but to spare his sanity and not ruin his hard work of 9 years to try and Interest Ari in life outside Lagosa. He chose not to question it

"Well, Adventurers aren't as loose as before so traveling to the Null Plains might be hard"

"What do you mean not as loose as before?

"Adventurers before the existence of the Null Plains were once people who obtained riches and explored various uncharted territories, they would travel and visit each continent without a care in the world, but due to the appearance of the Null Plains, Each continent saw adventurers as their best way to claim the plains for themselves as Adventurers were both skilled in Combat and Navigation. Due to that every adventuring activity is to the aid and betterment of the continent".

Ari looked on starstruck she couldn't believe what she was hearing from Mekai, The duties of an Adventurer and how they served their continent where inspiring to her.

"WOAH THAT SOUNDS PIPING AWESOME, why didn't you tell me being an Adventurer was this cool?"

"Because it isn't Ari"

Mekai's mood dropped to a solemn one and Ari noticed it.

"Uh, Mekai you okay?"

"Ari it's still my goal to be an adventurer, Its still my goal to be visit different continents and experience their culture, It's still my Goal to become the greatest Manidis has ever seen but to do that..."

Mekai puffed out his chest and with a loud roar

"I'M GONNA RESTORE ADVENTURING TO WHAT IT ONCE WAS"

Ari looked at Mekai and couldn't believe what she saw, she was inspired by Mekai's Dreams and Goals.

"Count me in" She said

"Huh?"

"I'm gonna help you accomplish that goal and achieve your dreams"

"Wait seriously?"

"Yep, I can't reach the Null Plains if adventuring ain't fixed can't I then"

Mekai touched by Ari's intent to help him couldn't help but hug her

"-Yeah get it all out buddy-" She whispered to Mekai

Mekai continued to hug her tightly

"Uh, Getting too tight their buddy"

"Oh sorry sorry my fault haha"

They both chuckled at each other and got silent

" *Yawn* I'm snagged, I'll see ya tomorrow Ari I'm going back home to sleep"

"Yep me too, see ya later"

Both had felt they were forgetting something but where too tired to remember what it was until It immediately came to Ari she forgot to ask Mekai how

"Wait Mekai, you still haven't told me how we're gonna become Adventurers"

Mekai still walking away answered her

"Oh yeah! My mom has that sorted"

"So where are we going?"

Mekai blossoming a smirk on his face turned around to face Ari.

"We're going to Axial City Ari"