[@Ashifili][@WaddleDaisy]

"[color=fff79a]W-w-wait!? Are you really leaving? What about safety in numbers?[/color]" But it was too late; the other two kids had already left, leaving poor Joel all alone. This was something that he was completely unused to. Back in the coal mines, everyone was a fervent practitioner of the buddy system, no one alone, due to how dangerous it could be by yourself. Down in those mines, whether or not they liked each other, those boys were all in that hell together, so they had to look out for each other. In fact, Joel couldn't even remember a time when he had been completely and utterly alone.

At least down in the coal mines, he was in familiar territory. Here however, everything was strange and new. He didn't know about any of the dangers in this place, or even the signs to look out for. So despite having achieved his life long dream of finally seeing the sky, Joel was feeling far more vulnerable then ever. "[color=fff79a]I suppose now that I've seen the sky at last, I could die happy...but big brother would be mad at me if I let myself be satisfied with just that[/color]" Taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage before running to the castle at full speed.