Marble Village

"Dad!"

Enryu screamed and ran into the arms of the travelworn man in the entryway to their house. Enryu's feet pattered against the marble floor as his pudgy hands lunged to grab his father's dark curly beard.

Enryu's father's olive skin crinkled around the corners of his eyes as he swept his son into his arms.

"Ah little tyke, how have you been"

"Fine! Fine! Tell me about the dessert! Did you find another spring?"

"No, if it were that easy to find springs they wouldn't be worth finding. But I did find something special for your tenth birthday, it's a big day for you, double digits. But of course, that's a secret until tomorrow," Enryu's father threw him a wink before fully stepping into the house, "run out and play, I have to catch up to your mother"

Enryu pouted before running out the still-open door.

***

Sunlight streamed through the second-floor window overlooking the small and isolated village made of marble, landing on the dark faces of Enryu's mother and father.

"I ran into Gigantes' scouts on my way back"

"Shit. Do you think they know?"

"No, if they knew about the Ladder there would be Plane's Born even among the scouts, more likely were simply unlucky and they decided to expand this way"

"What do we do?"

Not much we can do, hope they get distracted or lose interest before they find it or us"