Kingdom of Magic

"What is the matter?" groaned Gryph. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes which were barely open.

"This little girl wont shut up." said Guss. He glared down at his leg and into the child's tearful eyes. The girl looked back at him adoringly, almost like how a daughter looks to her father for support.

"Have you tried talking to the child?" said Gryph. He knew full well of Guss' ignorance and lack of social skills.

Guss scratched his head; "I told her to get off my leg?"

Gryph sighed and crouched down to make eye contact with the girl; "It's ok little one. What is your name?" She looked at him stupidly in silence. She had stopped crying but she still didn't want to talk, "What is the matter child? We mean you no harm. Wont you tell me your name?" The girl pointed to her ears. Could she be deaf? Guss wasn't as quick to notice but Gryph realised immediately and was surprised he had not noticed it sooner.

"What's the matter now?" sighed Guss.

"I think she is deaf." explained Gryph.

"That would explain a lot I guess." said Guss. He knelt down to the girls level and looked into her frightened little eyes. He flicked her head with his finger and she laughed when she fell back in the dirt.

"Seems like you have a way with children, Guss."

"Not really." he replied, "My father used to do it to me when I was a kid."

"I think you should take this child under your wing Guss." Guss sighed, stood up, and walked to the well that was just outside the building that Gryph was sleeping in. He pulled up the bucket and checked it's contents. The bucket was bone dry but the metal was slighty rusted, so it was evident that there had been water at one point. Gryph dropped the bucket back down the hole and rested his head in his hands. Him look after a child? He could barely look after himself let alone a child! It wasn't a choice though, Gryph never gave a choice, it was a direct order not just a request.

"If I must," moaned Guss, "She's too young to fight and it appears that she can't talk. She is just going to be a burden to carry around."

"You have broad shoulders," laughed Gryph, "You should teach her how to talk."

Grpyh laughed sarcastically, "She's deaf. How the hell can I teach her to talk if she can't hear me?"

"Figure it out," smiled Gryph, "I am going back to bed and I advise you to do the same." Gryph closed over his door and Guss turned back to the girl. He waved her to follow him back to the building he was sleeping in. An old shack of a home with little roofing and no door.

"It's not much but it's home for now." he laughed and then realised that the girl was deaf. What was he going to do about it? He didn't consider him the father type and that was to ordinary children, this girl was deaf, how would he be able to teach her and raise her if she is deaf? He spread out a bed and pointed for her to settle for the night; then he sat in what must have been the livingroom floor, he thought long and hard about his next move, this wasn't what he wanted, he wanted to find and kill the Sadn Demon, not babysit a child that is not even his own!