Welcome To Paradise

    "Welcome To Paradise", Abrie yelled out with his arms spread wide. This made Bastian cringe, while the tall man self consciously chuckled. 

   People turned and stared for a moment. But just a moment. Soon they got back to what they were doing. Bastian looked around. The people here looked strange. Some had long hair, some had short hair. No ones hair was like Bastians. The people here were all different colors. You could probably make a rainbow of skin if everyone layed on the ground. 

   "This way", Abrie said pointing. He then moved elegantly into a youthful skip. 

   "He's a very energetic kid, that Gatz is", the tall man said speaking to Bastian though he didn't look at him. Bastian was confused. Shouldn't this man hate him? They were on opposing sides at the skirmish in the castle. Yet no resentment was heard in the man's voice.

   Bastian then took a closer look at the man. He looked to be older, maybe 40 years of age? He was broad and muscular contrary to Abrie. His skin was also different from that of Bastian and Abrie's. His skin was a dark brown, like that of a delicious chocolate. The mans hair was close to non-existent other than a thick braid coming from the back of his head. The mans mouth was full of crooked teeth and spots where there should be teeth but there wasn't. 

    The man was wearing a shirt with no sleeves. Bastian was unsure if this was due to the missing arm, or to show of his muscular physique. Another thing Bastian noticed was the smell. The man smelled good. He smelled like the garden of the castle. It was clear this man cared about his presentation. 

   "So um your arm", Bastian said. As he said this he felt like he had done something wrong. An emotion all to new to him. He believed it was guilt.

   "What about it", the tall man said. His voice was deep and soothing. Bastian didn't know why but he felt that this man had a beautiful singing voice. 

   "I'm just sorry..I think", Bastian said. He wondered if this was the appropriate use of the word. Before he had always said the word sorry automatically, whenever someone had been mad. But this time he truly felt a sense of guilt. 

   "No biggie", the man said. He smiled. His smile was ugly but it was extremely sincere.

   "Hey come catch up foods done", Abrie shouted from roughly 40 feet ahead. 

    The two caught up to the energetic boy who had skipped to the food preparation area. On his way there Bastian saw stalls and stands. And people were running them. There seemed to be some sort of economy here. Economy is something Bastian was educated on as he had to sit through lessons with the prince.

   The two caught up to Abrie and waited in line for food. Abrie as well as the tall man were given their portions for no cost, but when it came to Bastian there seemed to be an expectation that he would pay. Nervously he stood there, ready to go hungry as he had many times in the castle when the prince was ill. 

   "Put it on me Agnes", Abrie said smiling. The woman whose name was Agnes smiled and agreed. 

    The three sat at a table of sorts where they were being blasted by the sun. Bastian was the only one who seemed to mind though.

   Bastian looked at his food as the other to began to eat theirs. It was some sort of stew accompanied by bread, certainly something that could be produced in mass amounts. It seemed to be a dish of a different culture. Likely that of the western countries. 

   "Sho any queshtions?", Abrie said while chewing on his food still. 

   "Yeah, um what is this place?", Bastian asked. 

   "The resishtance's paradishe", Abrie said his words barely understandable due to the bread he had been shoving in his mouth.

    "The resistance?!", Bastian said shocked. 

   "That's us", the tall man said proudly.

   "We try to make things right in this world", Abrie said clearly due to the fact he finished his bread. 

    "Wanna join", Abrie squinted his eyes and smiled as he got in my face. 

    "Why would I? You kidnapped me", Bastian said. 

   "Woah Woah, kidnapped is a strong word. We might have taken you without permission but we didn't kidnap you". As Abrie spoke he pointed his spoon in my direction. 

   "Anyway we saved you", the tall man said after swallowing his food. He ate elegantly while Abrie had crumbs everywhere. Bastian thought they were a good duo. 

   "Saved me?", Bastian asked. Confused and accepting. Bastian had grown accustomed to this bizarre unfolding of events quickly. Abrie chalked it up to the 'mind reset' as he labeled it. 

  "Yes, you are a bohemian", the tall man said. Bastian took it that bohemian was a nicer way of saying invalid. "Did they not discuss the 'invalid crisis' with you?", the tall man whispered that part. 

   "No?", Bastian said intrigued. 

   "It'sh the plan to kill ush", Abrie said. He was now eating the tall man's bread. 

  "Hey!", the tall man said taking his bread back. Abrie smiled like a child who had just got caught doing something they shouldn't. 

   "Anyways the plan of the royals right now is to rid the country as well as their territories of  bohemians", the tall man went on. "We're not sure why but they've also been looking into the transferring of gifts." 

   "Transferring of gifts?", Bastian said. He then remembered something a lesson he had received at the castle. 

Many Years Ago

   "And now we will discuss gifts", the instructor said in monotone voice. At this the young prince had sat up in his seat. A young and unnamed Bastian watched. 

  The instructor went on. "Gifts are given the second of birth. Some are born with gifts, some are not. Some gifts are weak and have no true use. Some are overwhelmingly strong. People are born with 1 gift and have 1 true mark. A true mark is the maximum strength and potential one can reach. While it is predetermined how strong one may get, it is not guaranteed they will reach their true mark.

   This world has no special energy required for gifts or anything like that, one can use their gift as much as possible, though it will tire their body and can take a physical tool. Gifts are based on concepts, items, ideas, and things. Some gifts are common and some gifts are unique to one person or one bloodline. The passing down or passing on of gifts is not guaranteed most of the time, there are ways to guarantee it but those are well kept secrets. The origin of gifts is mostly unknown aside from the fact that they have existed for a long time. In this world there are ways to suppress gifts or to make them unusable all together.

One rule is always remembered with gifts: Gifts are not fair." 

Bastian noticed that the instructor was reading out of a book of some sort.

The present

  "Thats right it's possible, thought its kept under wraps", Abrie said. As he did this he tilted his bowl to get the very last bits of the stew to one side.

   "How do you know this and why tell me?", Bastian asked skeptically. 

   "Well first everyone here knows, it's their right to know", the tall man said in a serious tone. "And we know cus we're gonna do it."

  "You're going to do it?", Bastian asked. 

  "Yes, we're gonna transfer a gift, that's why we broke into the castle.", Abrie said. "You see there's an old man here, well there's A TON of old people. And a few of them have gifts, but some people here don't have gifts. So we're gonna try to take the old gift and give it to someone with no gift, you follow?"

   "I believe I do?", Bastian said. 

There was a moment of silence.

   "Can one have two gifts with this?", Bastian asked curiously.

  "Yes.", the tall man responded looking off into the distance. There was a certain look in his eyes. Like that of a soldier coming back from war.

   "Do you think they want to take the fits of bohemians?", Bastian asked.

   "Could be.. or couldn't be", the tall man said solemnly. 

   "Y'know what I think?", Abrie says once again pointing a spoon in my direction. "I think they're tryna make the perfect race of gift wielding soldiers."

    "Perfect Race?", Bastian repeated back. 

  "Yes, think about it. They recently changed the laws to label anyone without a gift as a bohemian. Now it's not just those who different from the rest of society but the ones who fit in  as well. That's why there is so many people here now", Abrie paused, got up and started jumping in place. Nobody batted an eye.

    Bastian took a moment to think while Abrie was jumping. This place, the resistance's Paradise, must serve as a sanctuary for bohemians. It'd have to right otherwise the royals would have them all arrested. 

   "Anyway", Abrie sat back down, "I think its gonna be a genocide of the bohemian's, that what master said would happen one day, he said one 'superior' race would try to rule them all". 

   The tall man's face saddened again at the word master.

   "A genocide." Bastian said to himself. "That doesn't sound lawful? no? good?". 

   "It doesn't sound morally correct", Abrie said.

   After they're talk and meal they went back to walking around. They passed a tall beautiful tree, it was decorated celebrating life. They walked past fields of crops. Then Finally they stopped at a building. It was made of wood with a stone base. 

    "Get ready to meet the Elder.", Abrie said.

   They walked in to find an old man. He spoke to the tall man in a language Bastian had never heard. Then Abrie and the tall man left the room. Leaving the Elder and Bastian alone. Bastian emerged from the building an hour later. Abrie was laying on the ground, balancing his scythe upright on his stomach. The tall man, which through the discussion with the elder Bastain had figured out his name is Canto, was doing pushups with his remaining arm. 

    Abrie sat up,"How'd it go?" 

   Bastian looked at him determinedly, something was different about him. 

   "I'd like to join your cause."

    Canto and Abrie smiled at each other. 

   "Welcome", they said in unison.