"How are you doing knucklehead?"
Pheo went in where Ryu rested. He was laying down on the rocky floor.
He turned around to see Pheo give him his meal. "Great" Ryu smiled, "Three more days or so and I can go back to beating you at everything again" he said before gnawing down at his food.
It made Pheo have a warm smile, even though he went through something that tough was still as lively as ever.
"Three more days and that extra bit of bread of yours gets revoked" He sat down and looked around.
Ryu got a bit of special treatment, having his own room during the time he recovered.
It isn't enough
Pheo thought to himself. The room was still dirty, still infested with bugs, and dust that makes breathing feel as thick as ever.
It was no condition for a patient, much less a child, but it should barely be enough knowing Ryu.
"What's your dream?" Ryu asked Pheo.
He chuckled, "What's with the sudden hard talk?" He went around stomping the bugs in the room, trying to find something to do before going back.
"It's not that hard" Ryu argued, "everyone's got a dream don't they?"
He moved to face himself looking up, "Like exploring the unknown, maybe getting super rich or being immortal"
Pheo got a hold of a centipede while listening, it's movements distracted him for a bit. He threw it out the room before answering.
"Well, tell me yours and I'll tell you mine"
"Thats the problem" Ryu sat himself up, "I don't know"
Pheo looked at him confused, "So you're asking me when you don't even know what yours is?"
"Well, it's not like there's a time limit" He tried explaining himself, "It's just, I never found anything worth fighting for"
Ryu had a serious look on his face, he had been thinking of this for a while now.
"So what's yours?"
"I guess it's to help my mom" Pheo thought back to his family, "She's stuck somewhere right now"
He remembered that purple elixir his dad shoved in his throat, it made him think of why he was in the hole in the first place.
Was I sold off?
The thought only fueled his hatred for his father. He was sure that the only person who would take care of him now was his mom and no one else.
"Family, huh" Ryu remembered, "Wonder what my family's doing right now"
What Ryu said made Pheo curious, "How did you even get here in the first place?"
He wanted to switch the topic to something else, there was nothing good with him looking back at the past.
"I actually wasn't abandoned or kidnapped" Ryu thought for a bit before responding, "I was at this new place, and this street performer caught my eye"
"Before I knew it, everyone with me was gone" he explained, "So I asked Narfius for directions"
"What?" Pheo looked at him in disbelief.
He laughed hysterically moments after, "So you got here because of some magic tricks?"
Ryu nodded, already knowing that Pheo would tease him for it. It took a while before Pheo stopped laughing.
"You finally done?" Ryu asked Pheo once he calmed down.
"I'm sorry but that's just so you" he wiped a joyful tear off his eye
"Since I said how I got here, you might as well share your story"
Pheo's expression glitched a bit, but Ryu was right.
"I was probably sold, not really sure" He wanted to skip the topic but he knew he had to talk about it eventually.
They began to talk back and forth about what they've gone through so far and what they would eventually do in the future.
After a while, Pheo stood up. "Alright I think I've had enough of you for today"
Ryu tried to get up as well, but stopped midway from the pain.
"Same time again?" Ryu asked before Pheo went off.
He took a moment, "How would you even know what time it is here?"
They both laughed at the question's stupidity.
"But yeah, same time" Pheo said before leaving the room.
Pheo then went to Don, who stood waiting for him outside the room.
"Are you done talking?" Don asked him.
Pheo nodded his head, "Lets go"
Don handed him the pickaxe and led him to the mines. There was something that Ryu didn't know, something that convinced them to let Ryu rest.
He started to mine by himself, with Don watching him just in case.
"You should know that what you're doing is admirable"