MLHM- Part 3

This is the third Part of "ML:HM",
It was released on 28.01.2024.
== Plot ==
Sophia manages to keep her head cool and fight to protect, all while under pressure. Even though the dark ones are doing their best to throw her under the chains of terror, she refuses to give in to anything.
However, her work is still far from over. Though she managed to save a large amount of people from meeting their imminent demise, her desire to help eventually leads her away from the rails, finding herself in the middle of a wild goose chase. Ella- a young elven girl- has managed to break free from a secret lab and is now trying to warn the authorities about what the freaks did to her. She is being chased by Kyle- one of the lead scientists- and his team of crazed lab coats. 
And if Sophia does not hurry up, the poor girl is going to get the jab. Maybe even the stab, depending on how her captors are feeling about her.
At the same time, she experiences an emotional reunion with her own best friend and comes face to face with a figure that claims to be a righteous paladin. With those dubious characters, she forms a ragtag team that is sure to cause more pain than the villains themselves.
Will Sophia be able to make everything right once again?
== Story ==
As Sophia frantically rushes toward her destination, her watch beeps again. Jeff's hologram appears and looks at her, clearly worried about her well-being. After all, the two of them have been friends for a long time. And he is right to do so, due to her current predicament.
"Hey Sophia."- He says- "What is it this time?"
Sophia looks down at her watch.
"Jeff, I can't talk right now."- She says- "A poor girl's got herself in a real pickle. She's screaming and running from a bunch of crazy scientists."
Jeff raises his eyebrow, surprised and (very slightly) amused.
"Wow."- He says- "That sounds like something that would happen in a movie. Are you sure it's not just some kind of wild animal."
Sophia shakes her head.
"Stop being such a joker, Jeff."- She says to him- "The girl looked terrified. She had the eyes of a soul, tortured for millennia. Those scientists could be anything, ranging from some deranged madmen to actual dangerous entities. I can't just let this slide!"
Jeff's usual calm demeanor turns much more serious. Thanks to Sophia's words, he finally sees how dangerous this task truly is. Even though he can do little to help his friend, he is willing to extend his powers and do what he can.
"In that case, allow me to help you out again."- He says- "My hologram has a valuable addition- a tracking device. If I direct it with my mind, we can find that girl and intercept the freaks before they could hurt her. Does that seem good enough for you?"
Sophia is surprised by Jeff's sudden idea. Sparks dance in her eyes as they start to light up.
"So you can do that?!"- She exclaims- "Well, what are you waiting for?!"
Jeff sighs.
"Your command, m'lady."- He says- "I can't execute this command without your verbal permission."
Sophia nods.
"If that's what is stopping you, so be it."- She says- "Just be quick. We need to find that girl as soon as possible."
Jeff grins.
"Gotcha, kitty cat!"- He exclaims- "Thanks for trusting me!"
With the help of Jeff and his pathfinder, Sophia makes her way through a nearby path. However, she is forced to take a detour not long after, crashing into a large bush and nearly hurting herself. And then, as if that wasn't enough, the pathfinder leads her into another bush. And this time, it is a spiky one.
Licking her many little wounds, Sophia reprimands Jeff for leading her into the wrong place.
"Jeez. Someone's being impatient."- He says- "Give it some time. It might not function properly at first, but that's just its way of saying that we're on the right path."
Sophia smiles.
"Yeah. I will give it some time."- She responds ironically- "Until I end up in a bigger bush!"
Jeff shakes his head.
"There's no time to horse around."- He says- "Look. We're getting somewhere."
Sophia hears the girl's screams much better now. Somehow, Jeff's magical pathfinder actually works. She lets out a sigh of relief, knowing that she might be able to confront the girl's abductors.
"Finally."- She says to herself- "That poor girl's screams have been getting lower and lower. It's almost as if she's losing her desire to escape from those freaks. Had we arrived moments later, it might have been too late for her."
After a bit more pathfinding, Sophia discovers a secret path between two of the bushes. Apparently, it was hidden well by the forest hunters, to hide from their oblivious prey and wait for it to get closer. She is disgusted by the ways of the human race, but decides to use it, in the hopes of saving someone why truly deserves mercy and salvation.
"It gives me the chills, knowing that the spirits of the slain animals might be watching us."- Jeff says- "Have you ever believed in something like that, Sophia? Did it ever come to mind that the deceased might be watching us from above?"
Sophia sighs.
"My cousin William once did. His mother and father died shortly after he was born. He felt as if they were watching him. Guiding him. Advising him. Every step that he took, he felt their light and warmth."- She says- "I can't say that I'm much of a believer myself. I haven't lost anyone important to merit such a belief. However, I draw a similar concept when I'm far away from my living loved ones. I miss them a lot, but I know that they're watching over me. And I know that they're proud, no matter what happens next. Even during those dark times when I feel like a failure, I am quite special to them."
Jeff raises his eyebrow.
"Then why did you leave your hometown in the first place?"- He asks her- "You had such a nice life over here. Your mama and papa love you. You have money, wealth and power. Isn't that enough for you?"
Sophia shakes her head.
"Are you kidding me? Of course I don't need it!"- She exclaims- "What's the point of having big amounts of wealth if you can't, or won't, share it with anyone else? That's why Robin Hood has always been right. I came here because I wanted people to understand one thing- even the rich and tormented souls can be kind, if they're willing to put themselves at risk and understand their problems. Something that my parents have never done after I was born."
Jeff looks at her.
"Maybe they were just too preoccupied with taking care of you."
Sophia lets out a dramatic sigh.
"Taking care of me? Oh please. My parents never actually took care of me. Uncle and aunt were the ones who helped me understand the concept of the world, making sure to fill in the parental role as me and my cousins grew up."- She retorts- "Have you ever heard of the ghost parent concept, my dear Jeff. Because this is how I feel like right now. All that fake love, it's like poison to my heart. It chips away the fragments of my soul and leaves nothing more than an empty abyss."
Jeff smiles.
"That was awfully poetic of you."- He says- "Have you considered signing up for acting? I heard that they pay good money for talented people like you."
Sophia shakes her head.
"I don't care about the money, but I do care about my possible future in acting."- She says- "Making people feel entertained's my greatest reward."
Sophia is about to go into another monologue. However, just as she begins, Jeff catches the glimpse of a girl's skirt in the distance. He looks closer and, much to his surprise, it belongs to the elven lady.
"There she is, Sophia!"- He exclaims- "Stop acting like a fool, and start acting like a hero!"
Sophia grabs a discarded pipe, possibly from a former construction project, and sighs.
"You don't need to tell me twice, my friend."
As Sophia tries to approach the girl, she shies away from her, as if she is going to hurt her too. This gives her captors the chance to get closer, pushing Sophia out of the way as they surround her.
"Please! I don't want to be a monster!"- The girl exclaims- "I just want to go back to my people! I'll never trouble you again, I promise!"
The lead scientist, a short but imposing figure, steps out of the group and grins. In a very evil way.
"Well, would you look at that. Looks like the rabbit's not very good at hopping. after all."- He says- "You do know what happens to escaped subjects. Right, missy."
The girl nods, quivering in fear.
"I'd bring you back to the lab to have you tested. However, I think that the result would be the same if I did it all here."- He says- "Apprehend the young rabbit. Her suffering will be over soon enough."
As two scientists move closer to the terrified girl, Sophia takes the chance to push the lead scientist away. Then, she grabs a nearby guardsman's glaive and throws it at them, piercing the head of the first one, killing him on the spot.
"What in the name of the photon gods?!"- The lead scientist yells and turns around- "Who are you?!"
Sophia glares at him.
"Your worst nightmare. That's who."- She responds and points her pipe at him- "Did you really think that I'd let you hurt that girl, you psycho? Just because she's one of your "subjects" doesn't mean that she has no free will of her own!"
The man, seeing potential in the young warrior, grins.
"Excellent. Another foolhardy fool to add to my master's collection."- He says- "We've been looking for folks like you, lady. Folks who are capable of exhibiting high amounts of free will. Your molecular levels are substandard and your appearance is most sublime. I wonder if you'll still be beautiful once we mutate you."
Sophia takes a brief step back.
"Pipe down."- She says- "You're going to mutate me? What for?"
The scientist nods.
"The world's a place where order and chaos are always present. No matter how hard we try, nobody can deny their existence. However, it is chaos that makes us who we are. It's the power that allows us to run free, to be what we want to be."- He says- "So, me and my masters found a new way of spreading the chaos. We plan to use a dangerous mutagen that we discovered in an abandoned lab on Sucia Island to evolve the human race, turning them into powerful and mercurial beasts with no free thought of their own. Once the entire world's taken care of, we can govern it and use our power to make the galaxy see how powerful we, human beings, can be."
Jeff shakes his head.
"Sucia Island was once one of the world's biggest research centers. A powerful sect, simply known as the Shapers, secretly commanded it and used their newfound power to create new, dangerous experiments."- He says- "The place was barred after the rest of the world realized that their new tool- a pool of absolute power known as the Geneforge- would give them absolute power and dominion over every living creature. Eventually, the place was forgotten for decades, until your grandfather unknowingly rediscovered it. Since then, all kinds of strange individuals have been visiting the place, wanting to savor its power. And it seems like our friend got the biggest slice of cake."
The scientist grins.
"The sentient ectoplasm's right. This is our pride and joy. A gift from the scientists of the past, given to the ignorant human race that always neglected them."- He says- "We, as the new world's scientists, took matters in our hands. With the power of Sucia's secrets, as well as the mutants that we created along the way, we can create a new Geneforge. And then, nobody would dare to mock us! Ever!"
Sophia develops a fighting stance. She clearly wants to stop the mad scientists from fulfilling their "sacred" mission.
"You have the eyes of a true madman. The soul of a wretched snake, dressed in lab coat and thinking highly of itself."- She says- "You're the epitome of humanity's biggest sins. I can't allow to corrupt the world any further."
The scientist smiles.
"I thought that you would say that."- He says- "But once we're done, you'll be nothing more than a shell. A mindless construct. Even the golems, mindless as they are, will have more sentience than you ever will. Provided that you come along quietly, of course."
Sophia smiles.
"Do you really want to know my response?"
The scientist throws his hands in the air.
"Please!"- He exclaims- "Enlighten me!"
Sophia nods.
"Well, I'm not just your everyday girl."- She says- "Do you want to add me to your victim collection? Well, you have to break me first."
The scientist laughs.
"That's so naive of you."- He says- "We broke down many humanoid creatures. Orcs. Giants. Even the unbreakable titans were easy prey for our absolute might. Our vials turned them into perfect lifeforms. And soon, you shall be strong like them."
As the guards draw their weapons and prepare to attack, Sophia disappears into the passage between the bushes. Her captors wonder how she did that, but barely have any time to think about it as Sophia whacks one of them in the head and knocks him out.
The other guard attempts to slice the bushes with his glaive, Sophia uses the man's own weapon against him. The moment she manages to grab his weapon's handle, she drives it back and manages to pierce his chest. The man collapses, quickly perishing from blood loss as Sophia jumps out of the bushes and throws her pipe at the two nearest scientists, killing both of them on the spot.
Angered by the girl's persistence, the lead scientist decides to take matters in his own hands. He rifles through his bag and pulls out what looks like an energy blaster. Then, with unerring accuracy, he starts to blast Sophia with all of his might.
"Well? How does that feel, rebel girl?"- He says and laughs- "You're not so mighty, are you?!"
Sophia attempts to leap closer, but a single energy blast wounds her right leg. She is forced to stumble back as she continues to fight for her life against the madman and his group of equally dangerous goons.
However, just as it seems that she has to abandon the battle and run for her life, a miracle occurs. As the lead scientist continues to blast away, a white sword flies forward and slices his energy blaster in two, shocking him. Then, before he could even have the chance to react, a well-dressed man jumps out of a nearby bush and pushes him into a sharpened tree branch.
"Are you alright, m'lady? Did that fiend hurt you?"- The man says and kisses Sophia's hand- "Do you want me to teach him a lesson that he'll never forget?"
Sophia shakes her head.
"I appreciate your help. However, I could have done the same thing myself."- She says- "Still, having actual help is quite invigorating, to be honest. From the looks of it, I might nee everything that we can get.
The man frowns.
"My deity says that we should always be grateful for the help that we receive, even if we're able to deal with a problem ourselves."- He says- "I don't appreciate your views, but I'll try to help you out. For now."
Sophia rolls her eyes.
"Yeah. Whatever."- She says- "Just try to be genuinely useful instead of filling my mind with useless trivia."
The man raises his eyebrow.
"And what do you consider "useful", young maiden?"
Sophia smiles.
"Well, you can try to introduce yourself first."- She says- "That would be a decent start."
The man bows to her apologetically.
"Oh! My apologies! I completely forgot what a true paladin should do!"- He exclaims- "My name is Zander. I hail from a land far away. I am the embodiment of light and justice, the epitome of goodness, the-- "
Sophia rolls her eyes.
"Blah, blah and blah."- She says- "Just try to be brief, please."
Zander glares at her suspiciously.
"Is this how you treat heroes back in your city, maiden?"- He says- "Well, I'll be. You're one of the rudest ladies I've ever seen."
Sophia shakes her head.
"Nope."- She says- "I just don't like people who think highly of themselves."
As the two of them begin to argue, the lead scientist pulls himself out of the tree branch. Still gravely wounded, he attempts to grab something from his back, only to be confronted by the same girl that he tried to turn into a monster.
"Not so fast, mister. Don't think that this is over."- She says- "What you did back there, I can't forgive it. You took me away from my family. Used me for your own selfish purposes. And now, you want to escape and do it all again? Fat chance, mister. It all ends here and now."
The scientist laughs.
"Oh yeah?"- He says- "You and what army?"
At this moment, Sophia joins the girl and glares at the madman. Dozens of powerful creatures do the same, surrounding the scientist with a strong, unbreakable loop. He tries to escape, but his constant efforts are met with total futility.
Infuriated, the man lunges forward, a green vial in his hand. He attempts to inject Sophia with it, but the young do-gooder kicks him in the hand, making the vial fly high in the air. When it finally falls to the ground, she swiftly crushes it with her foot, crushing the vile scientists's dreams alongside it.
While the scientist quivers in fear, Sophia leans close to him and whispers:
"In case you were wondering, this is the part where you start screaming like a little girl."
As suggested, the man lifts his hands in the air, curls into a ball and starts to scream. Like a child being denied candy, this grown man is acting like a useless and selfish coward. Which he probably is, truth be told.
"Please! I didn't want this!"- He exclaims- "My master, he's just too mad! We can't ignore him! Otherwise, he'll just put an end to all of us!"
Sophia shakes her head.
"Yeah, right."- She says- "I've seen how honest you truly are, scum. Your kind thinks that they own the world, but they're nothing more than a bunch of noble miscreants. And you certainly play your roles very well."
She points her pipe at him, with the intention of putting him out of his misery.
"In a normal situation, I would've let you go. I was going to give you another chance. Maybe you would've even realized the magnitude of your own mistakes."- She says- "But that's not the case here. You manipulated others to do your bidding. You infected innocent creatures, in the hopes of turning the world into a slaughterhouse. But the part where I drew the line... was the fact that you tried to turn an innocent little girl into a heartless monster. And I'll never forgive you for that!"
The scientist gets on his knees, pleading for his dear life.
"Please, spare me!"- He exclaims- "I won't be a nuisance to you anymore! I promise!"
Sophia raises her eyebrow.
"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't bash your fiendish head in."- She says- "And be quick. I don't have the time for idle banter."
As the man attempts to reason with her, Sophia immediately rejects his plead. She glares at him and shakes her head, knowing very well that he would never change his ways. Even if she did spare him, she would simply be releasing another monster in the world. And she would never condemn her fellw humans with such a foolish action.
"You know what's your problem, doc? It's clear that you're not a genuine person. And, from the looks of it, you've never been one to begin with."- She says- "The only kind of thing that I consider "honest" is that you always live up to your threats. You use your power and wealth to make people's lives miserable. And then, you act like you're sparing them from something much worse."
As the man quivers in fear, Sophia continues to glare at him.
"Have you ever heard of the tale of the fake samaritan? How he helped villagers and hunted demons, only to be a demon himself? Well, you're just like him."- She says- "People like you often use begging and bribing to get what they want. You exploit the sympathy of others and use it to further enrich yourself, using the feelings of others to commercialize your wicked beliefs. But you know what? I'm done sparing people like you."
The man attempts to crawl back, but it's no use. Enraged animals bare their teeth at him as he gets close to them. He has no choice, but to stay in one place and accept his fate with whatever dignity he has left. 
However, just as Sophia prepares to put an end to this villain's miserable existence, a large white sword pierces his back and goes through his heart, ending his life almost instantly. It does not take long for the young do-gooder to recognize it- it is the same sword that Zander used to save her from the wild scientist as she fought for her life.
"Why did you do that?"- She asks Zander- "I could've given him a more merciful ending."
Zander looks down at the deceased scientist and shakes his head.
"Criminals like him need to be punished as harshly as possible."- He says- "And paladins like me are the only ones who can properly execute them. Commoners like you, young maiden, are just there to help our kind. Try as hard as you might, but we're the real heroes here."
Sophia starts to argue with him, but is interrupted by the arrival of a new person. Panting, a familiar blue-haired girl with a big belly runs toward her, arms outstretched. She is clearly excited to see her.
"Sophie! There you are!"- The girl exclaims and hugs her- "I saw you on the train, fighting that big bad criminal. I wanted to say hi, but you ran away far too quickly. I'm glad that you're doing alright, though."
Sophia looks at the girl, very surprised.
"Bri! What in the world?!"- She exclaims- "I thought you were staying at home!"
Bridgette- Sophia's best friend in the world- smiles at her as her belly starts to vibrate.
"The doctor told me that I have to stay at home, but I had to keep myself active for the weekend. My caretaker gave me permission to go for a walk in the nearby town."- She says- "I also heard that you're rockin' them again, so I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to reunite with you."
Sophia shakes her head.
"Well, I'll have to be honest. That was very foolish of you."- She says- "Going for a "walk"? While your pregnancy is in its ninth month? The world's not a joke, Bri. People like you are vulnerable to all kinds of malevolence. What if this person tried to use you for his experiments? Both you and your baby were going to be turned into... ugh. I struggle to even think about that, truth be told."
Bridgette smiles.
"Oh, you don't need to worry. I might be a weak one, but my true weapon's my innate charm."- She says- "You know how I swooned many boys to my side when we were at school, right?"
Sophia sighs.
"Yeah."- She says- "And you left none for me."
Bridgette continues to smile.
"Relax, baby girl! I'm sure that you'll find the man of your dreams!"- She exclaims and looks at Zander- "Speaking of men in shining armor, who's the hottie? Is he a new one?"
Zander respectfully bows to Bridgette and kisses her hand.
"My salutations to you, gorgeous blue maiden. I am Zander- a noble paladin from a land far away."- He says- "I came here to slay villains and admire all the beautiful girls of your lands. And, if I may say so myself, you have many beautiful gems."
Bridgette blushes, awed by the way Zander (seemingly) treats women.
"Aww. You're such a sweetheart."- She says- "It's a shame that I already have a man, though."
Zander smiles.
"Are you talking about the little man in your belly?"
Bridgette shakes his head.
"Oh? No. Not him."- She says- "I'm talking about my boyfriend. His name is Qu-- "
Then, she takes a look at Sophia, who is watching her suspiciously. Quicker than the speed of light, she decides to change the tone of her voice, as if to avoid something she's been hoping to keep a secret.
"Umm! Quando!"- She exclaims- "That's right! His name is Quando!"
Zander raises his eyebrow.
"Quando, huh?"- He says- "Hmm. That's quite an unusual name for a man in those parts."
Bridgette smiles.
"His family are immigrants from a different place in the world."- She says- "He's a real charmer. Ever since I saw him, he had my heart in his hands. And now, I bear his legacy. His future. That makes me proud."
Sophia decides to interrupt the conversation, feeling that it would be best if they didn't linger around for too long.
"You know, it's much better to talk about this back in the train."- She says- "Not only will we be safe and sound, but we can also start planning our next move on the list. And there are still many of them left."
The rest of the team bedgrudgingly agrees with her. As they attempt to leave, however, the lead scientist reanimates and shambles toward them. Apparently, Zander forgot to pierce his skull after his demise. And now, they have to deal with him again.
"Even if we put him down, the rest of his team will discover him soon enough."- Sophia says to herself- "We need to wipe all evidence of this encounter. But how could we do such a thing?"
Sophia swiftly pushes the undead scientist away and rifles through his bag of unusual supplies. Much to her surprise, she comes across something that she recognizes- a Dark Matter Cannon.
"Umm, Sophie. What's that thing?"- Bridgette asks- "Is it... safe to use?"
Sophia looks back and nods.
"This powerful weapon is known as the Dark Matter Cannon. It's dangerous enough to tear holes through space and time, creating small black holes wherever the projectile lands."- She says and smiles- "But don't be alarmed. Even though this sounds like a doomsday device, it's nothing more than a way of dealing with your enemies faster. The black hole may be powerful, but if we get far enough, it will not affect us whatsoever."
Bridgette raises her eyebrow.
"You mean that weird gun thing that our science teacher warned us about?"- She asks- "But what will happen next?"
Sophia sighs.
"I guess we'll have to find that out."- She says- "Spray and pray, as they say."
Struggling to lift the weapon with her bare hands, Sophia stumbles back and prepares to launch a dark matter projectile. However, just as she's about to pull the trigger, a white bird flies by and briefly distracts her. When she looks back at her work, she realizes that she launched the projectile at the wrong spot.
Using her superior fighting skills, she lunges at the undead scientist and bravely pushes him into the black hole. Immediately after he gets close to the black hole, his skull lets out a loud *pop* as the pressure shatters what is left of his brain, effectively putting him down. The rest of his corpse is consumed by the raging black hole as it starts to grow in intensity.
However, Sophia herself is also about to become a victim of the black hole that she created. The force of the anomaly is far too strong for a lady like herself and she is pulled toward the dark current. She tries to hold on to solid ground, but the pressure easily loosens her grasping finger, allowing the black hole to pull her even closer.
But, unlike the undead man who was consumed by this force of the universe, she is not entirely without hope. As she struggles for her life, the elven girl leaps forward and pulls her back, managing to fight back against the dark current and save her savior at the same time. It is a very surprising thing, as she is still quite young.
The four of them manage to get away from the black hole as it slowly consumes the lands around them, clearing the place of all evidence that the scientists were ever here. Then, just as suddenly, it pops and disappears from existence.
Sophia looks back at the elven girl, clearly awed by her powers. Then, she lets out a hearty chuckle.
"Wow, little missy! You sure are quite the fighter!"- She says, clearly impressed- "How did you get so powerful?"
The elven girl smiles.
"We of the elven race may be graceful and elegant, but it doesn't mean that we are weak."- She says- "I might not seem like much, but life made me very powerful."
Sophia nods.
"And it shows, my dear. You're quite the little enigma."- She says- "By the way, I didn't quite catch your name."
The girl smiles at her.
"My name?"- She says and laughs, a melodic tune that brings joy to the hearts of those who hear it- "It's Ella! Ella Eastwood!"
Sophia smiles back and pats her on the head.
"Well, my dear Ella. It's a pleasure to meet you."- She says- "I wish we didn't have to meet like this. But even the worst of circumstances could make the best of friends."
Bridgette nods.
"Well said, Sophie."- She says- "And, if I may say so myself, I feel glad that you're with us now."
Ella looks at them.
"Does this mean that I can stay with you?"
Sophia nods.
"Of course."- She says- "We're going to take care of you. Until we find you a new home, at the very least."
Ella jumps up and down, clearly ecstatic. She hugs Sophia as her eyes start to shine.
"Thank you, big sis!"- She says- "You're the best!"
Sophia chuckles.
"Aww. Don't mention it, kiddo."- She says- "I'm just trying to do some good. That's all."
Bridgette looks at her best friend.
"By the way, how did you manage to keep your brain intact?"- She asks her- "The living dead scientist's head clearly took too much of that energy. How did you make it?"
Sophia smiles.
"Good question. Maybe it's because I didn't experience enough pressure in my brain to feel any kind of pain."- She says- "Or maybe it's because the undead mind is so fragile that even a simple needle could shut it down."
Bridgette smiles.
"Well."- She says and hugs her- "Whatever it may have been, I'm glad that you made it.
Sophia nods and hugs her back.
"And I'm glad that all of you avoided the ensuing destruction."
Zander looks at the three of them, clearly pondering whether he should trust them or not. However, honor demands that he gives them a chance. After all, what they did back there is a sure sign that they're trustworthy. He decides to stay quiet, at least until he could decide what should be done.
"Well. How about we return to the train?"- Sophia suggests- "I'm sure that the good people there are really worried about us. We can't just let them worry further, can we?"
As the three of them prepare to leave, Zander places his hand on Sophia's shoulder and shakes his head.
"Wait."- He says- "There's... something that I want to do first."
Sophia looks back at him, genuinely curious.
"What is it, Zander?"- She asks- "If it's simple modesty, don't be shy. Those people are not going to hurt you. Or mock you."
Zander shakes his head.
"No. It's not about that."- He says- "You see, I have a little bit of... unsettled business. A feeling of dread that I wish to wash away, along with the sins of my past. Unless I get that over with, I am not worthy of travelling with you."
Sophia smiles.
"Well, maybe we could help you out."- She says- "We're free people. We live to help each other, so don't hesitate to ask for help. We'll always do our best to be useful to this world."
Zander sighs.
"Alright. If that's what you wish."- He says- "I wouldn't mind the company, anyway. I've been alone for too long."
Sophia nods.
"So, what are we going to hunt down?"- She asks- "Some kind of a dangerous villain? A crafty, no-good outlaw? Or maybe even a powerful dragon?"
Zander turns around and takes a step forward.
"I'll show you."- He says- "Follow me. I'll lead you to... to... "
He sighs.
"Let's just go."- He says- "I don't want to think about it. At all."