Around A World: Equus

by Dragon Shimmer


Into Equus

Gargles are coming from the ring and many students are playing in front of the museum without hearing it. The teacher uses a speaker and shouts. "Now students, you all have to line up here, or else you won't have lunch." The students are lining up and shivering. The teacher sighs. "All right, everyone. Welcome to the history museum."

The students are excited and rush into the gate but a shield prevents them from doing that. The teacher giggles and opens the gate. Inside the museum, there are many tools, weapons, and other books, but they are all rusty. The teacher starts introducing the tools and the stages of the world. Also, she shows them many tools in old age.

At a nearby stage, which is very close to the present. Students are excited when they see the heroes statues. Four statues are shaped like them, except the last one. The teacher rolls her eyes and smiles while the guard struggles to keep them away from the statue. The teacher claps her hand. "Attention, everyone. I will show you many things that belong to our heroes."

The teacher shows them a sword, a white staff, a gun, and a wooden staff. Students laugh at the wooden staff. There is a comment in decry from one of them. "Who is using this staff? I believe one of the heroes is fake."

Another one adds. "Yeah. Whoever grabs this weapon. He or she is maybe the weakest hero."

The teacher giggles. "This staff contains a very dangerous spell. Do you want to know its name?" 

A student guesses. "I bet it is a support spell. I mean, we can't use this wooden staff much."

The teacher pats his head and answers. "It is 'Absolute Zero'."

"No way." The student disagrees. "Who can imprint this spell on this staff?"

"This belongs to a hero named Black Mage." The teacher asks the guard to take out the wooden staff, then turns to her student. "If you don't believe me, We will demonstrate what this wooden staff can do."

The students are excited about the show as the teacher sighs in relief. After 30 minutes of preparation, the show begins as the students sit down behind the window. 

As soon as the guards begin plugging the wooden staff into the ground, they hide behind the shield. After a while, the ground around the staff started freezing, then it exploded. The students are amazed when they see the show and clap their hands.

When one of them runs to the heroes' statue, he sees that the 'Black Mage' statue is only a cape with a staff. The teacher picks him up and giggles. "The Black Mage's face is still a mystery to us. No one knows what her face looks like."

The student asks. "But if you don't know her face, how do you know that Black Mage is 'she'?"

"You can hear her voice." The teacher puts the student down and claps her hand. "All right everyone. Time for lunch. We have a lot of things to do."

The students are running to the cafeteria at high speed. The teacher sighs as she can't follow their energy but tries to follow them.


On the mountain near the Maple Jungle. There is a house with two floors. Suddenly, the door crashes and a man with golden hair is flying out of the house. The girl with orange hair is glaring at him. "How many times do I have to tell you, Matt? Do not STEAL stuff around."

Matt tries to retort. "But... this is our book, so..." The door is being adjusted and closed. Matt sighs. "Another day on the streets. That's great."

A black cat with moon eyes flies to him from the roof and sees the situation, then she shakes her head. "Stealing stuff again? Not even me can handle your vice, Mr. Stealing."

"Not fun, Diana." Matt stands up. "Now I will go to the Fantasy Guild and sleep there again."

"The guild has already banned you for being annoyed." Diana pulls out the banned paper with Matt's face on it. "Luckily, Lance and Anna are visiting their parents, so you don't have to see this again."

"Then what about your kid? Do you have anything to do instead of coming here and teasing me?"

Diana takes the book. "Noleg and Amelia are heading out on honeymoon. They are bringing our kids so I'm fine."

"Whatever."

Matt grumbles and stands up. He heads into the jungle with a broadsword on his back. Diana taps her feet. "Since when will you and Natalie be married?" Diana asks, stopping Matt. "You two have been acting like a married couple for 5 years already, after the Arkon incident."

"Gah, who cares about her?" Matt waves his arms in the sky. "She just literally kicked me out of the house too many times."

"Then stop hoarding." Diana throws a book. "Not even Sunset can accept your stealing."

"Don't talk about that lizard right now. I'm tired of this." 

Matt starts running into the jungle and yells into the sky. Diana shakes her head and flies to the living room to watch TV. The TV is showing a movie about heroes. Diana sighs and takes the popcorn. "I hope they won't be shocked when the swordsman hero likes to steal stuff."


Night has covered the house and Diana is sitting on the roof and stargazing. Suddenly, a rope is wrapped around her and Diana is being pulled, but the cat manages to pull the rope up and sees Matt holding the rope. Matt smiles nervously. "Eh... Just some practice."

Diana picks up the phone. "Hello, I am reporting..." but Matt prevents her from contacting the police. The black cat pushes the swordsman away. "I thought you were going to stay in jungle for 3 days."

"I..." Matt is sitting next to the black cat. "I just miss my adventure."

"How so..."

"I don't know. Just..." Matt holds his chest. "I just don't know what this feeling is?"

Diana gives him a smirk. "What is it like when you're kicked out of your house and have to go back because you missed someone?" Diana throws a rusty antenna at Matt, who stares at her in disbelief. "I know you too well."

"That's not what I meant." The swordsman throws his arm in the air. "Since I stopped you and your sister from destroying the world, there are not many foes that I can push all of my strength." Matt sighs. "I just miss that feeling."

"Oh sure, but you will have an adventure right before your eyes?"

"Oh... you mean you will take me to Sunset's world?"

"No. Your brand-new adventure is Natalie. You two will be staying in a house in the future."

"Natalie. Psst." Matt shook his hand. "Natalie is not my adventure. She is more of a burden to me when I can't do anything I want."

"Uh huh. And she is the one who comes to the police station and gets you home." Diana sips coca. "Nice going, Matthew."

"Stop talking like that, okay? You are annoying me."

"Sure." Diana points behind the swordsman. "You have a very capable opponent behind you."

Matt looks behind and sees the orange hair girl trembling. Matt quickly leaps away from her as the orange hair girl summons her staff. Many ice spikes are shot at the swordsman. Matt is running away from him. Natalie rides her staff and chases him. Diana just watches as the swordsman suffers at the hands of the mage.


Diana wakes up and stretches her body. The black cat wants to know what happened to the swordsman last night. She decides to fly to his room to check. Suddenly, a cage locks her in. Diana feels amused about it.

Matt smiles. "Finally, I can escape Natalie."

Diana folds her paws. Matt starts shivering. "You know I can teleport her here, right?" he asks.

The black cat demands. "What do you want?"

Matt answers. "I want to travel to Sunset's world." 

Diana facepaws and sighs. "Is that it?"

"Don't worry. Natalie agrees with this." Matt smiles. "I just miss adventure so the outside world is a suitable choice. I can get the old feeling when I'm there."

"Oh right, if you insist, I will open the portal to take you there but I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"After you finish your journey, marry Natalie for me." Diana points outside. "She is waiting for you."

Matt is stunned by the condition. Diana opens the cage and steps out of the room. Within 30 minutes, the swordsman had prepared the boardsword for the journey. The black feline stares at him in armor. Matt raises his hand. "I agree."

"Never break this promise, or else you will be a werewolf forever."

"Actually, that's cool to be a werewolf." Matt raises the broadsword. "Anyway, open the portal. I want to wander around that world."

Diana spins her paws and a portal appears. Matt quickly jumps into the portal. Diana follows him as a swordsman to Equus. 

Matt feels dizzy when the portal keeps spinning him around. Diana falls on his head as the swordsman hits the ground with his face.

 

Matt quickly gets up and looks around. Trees, bushes, fruits, and many things that he could see. The swordsman knows that he is in some kind of jungle. Diana lies on his head and relaxes. The swordsman makes a mark and decides to go west. 

After 2 hours, he sees nothing except trees and bushes. Matt decides to take a rest and asks the black cat. "Where am I?"

"Everfree forest." 

"So which way to go to a town or village?"

"You are asking a blind cat."

He glares at her. "Stop playing around. I hate that."

"Now feel the hopelessness." Diana grins. "I am not your map."

"Fine."

The swordsman continues his journey. After 3 hours, he sees the mark that he just made. Matt sighs in frustration but he does not give up and wants to go to the East. Suddenly, a wolf leaps out of the bush. The swordsman analyzes it and finds that it is completely made of wood.

Matt takes out the broadsword and wants to kill it but 5 more wolves are jumping out of the bush. The swordsman slowly takes the sword back and turns around, then he runs away from them. The wolves start chasing him at high speed. "I hate this place."

"I like this scream." Diana just relaxes on Matt's head, despite being chased by the timberwolves. The journey has just begun