The Beginning of an Adventure

He stood clutching at his Father's sleeve and looked out across the yard to behold a quite intimidating sight. Or rather, it was intimidating from the point of view of six year old Hershel Layton. The yard was filled with hundreds of screaming children. There were children stood a circle playing childish games that involved on person in the middle, while the rest skipped around them; there were children on the climbing frame swinging across the bars like hairless monkeys; there were even children in the trees being scolded at by teachers below. But no matter where he looked they were always screaming. And shouting. A lot of shouting... Hershel hated it.

"Pa?" He began in a questioning tone, tugging at his father's sleeve, "Pa, I don't think I'm ready for big school yet. Can I please go back to my old class?"

Mr Layton looked down into his son's pleading eyes and smiled, reassuringly.

"I'm afraid not my dear boy," He crouched down until he was eye-level with the pouting pre-schooler.

"You see, all your old class are moving to the big schools as well. And we can't just pack up and head back to London. We belong here now, in Stansbury. Do you understand?"

Hershel hesitated before giving a slow, but sure, nod.

"That's my clever boy."

"Get down from there Randall! You're going to fall!"

Randall glanced down, ready to make up an excuse for the teacher, as to why he was in the tree. Fortunately, it turned out not to be one of the teachers shouting up at him, but instead a petite, blonde girl in a long red cardigan. He remembered seeing her in his class at some point but he rarely spoke to her. She seemed too practical for a daring little boy such as himself. Angela was her name. After seeing that she had no authority over him, he stuck his tongue out and proceeded to climb.

"Get out of here Angie! This area's for adventurers only!" He swung up a branch and put a hand on his hip, smirking at her. In his mind he was a confident, young explorer, like in the movies, and was on the verge of discovering the lost treasure of the trees. Probably something golden and monkey shaped. Or at least a lost kite.

To Angela he looked like an idiot. And although she wasn't one for telling tales on others, her practicality told her that she had to do something.

"My name is Angela. Not Angie! And if you don't come down in the next thirty seconds, I'll come up there and drag you down."

For a brief moment, Randall looked at her in shock. She was obviously smarter than she looked. Not many other children could hold out in an argument against Randall without tearing their hair out and crying for a teacher (that and the fact that she knew how to count to thirty already! Randall was not very good at maths at the time. Dratted age puzzles!). Quickly, he resumed his over-confident grin and jumped up to another branch, showing off his tree-climbing skills.

"Alright, Angie. I'll come down with you," Angela began to smile in relief but her scowl instantly returned at Randall's second comment:

"But you'll have to catch me first!" And with that, he hopped like a frog to the neighbouring oak. Angela gave a small huff of irritation and began searching for a foothold.

After the first few hours, Hershel was beginning to regret not trying harder with Pa. The lessons weren't so bad: he'd been able to answer quite a few questions that other people hadn't know the answer to. Unfortunately, this did not help with making friends. As a latecomer, he found out that everyone had already made friend groups and he was too shy to introduce himself to so many people at once. He wandered around the yard like a lost puppy until he finally decided to settle down near the border of sycamores that surrounded the asphalt. It was quieter there, as most of the children preferred to hang around the centre of the yard. (Probably the best spot for their obnoxious shouting.)

Hershel took off his brown parka and spread it on the ground, to sit on. Then, once he was comfortable, he took out a book, drowned out the noise and became engrossed in the pages before him.

Randall waited. And he waited. Then, just as Angela's hand reached out to grab him, he swung around to the other side of the trunk. This caused a scream of outrage from Angela, as she had been close to catching him for the last half hour. Not to mention being up this high gave her a terrible feeling of guilt: her parents had strived to give her a practical upbringing yet here she was, so high up that if she fell, she wouldn't even be around to apologise.

Randall rejoiced in her anger. Soon enough she'd give up and then he could carry on his adventure in peace. He was surprised that she'd even got this far.

He climbed up another level of branches and peered down at his pursuer. Then his face dropped and a look of worry replaced his usual, unwavering smile. She was nowhere to be seen.

…Maybe she gave up… Randall thought to himself doubtfully. He began a descent in order to search for her.

"Angie?" he called out questioningly. No reply. Fear welled up inside him as he scanned the ground below. He couldn't see any signs of blonde, only a small brunette with his nose in a book. He began to cry out her name, this time more desperately.

"Angela…! Angela where-?!"

Suddenly a small hand came from behind and yanked off his purple ascot.

"Gotcha, Randy!" She gave a triumphant grin, waving the prize above her head like a banner.

Randall, however did not share in her self-celebration. He was not going to be bested by someone so inexperienced. (And a girl, no less!) He lunged out for the ascot, both arms extended, fury blazing in his eyes.

Tears blurred his vision and he looked down at the crystal vial in his hands. This is what they had been searching for ever since they learned of her illness … Yet the moment it was discovered, was the moment it was no longer needed. Their search had been in vain; she had left before her time. And no amount of Ambrosian technology could ever change the sad, awful truth of...

Hershel was jerked back into reality by a scream. He looked around for the source but could not see anyone nearby. It had sounded so close. After a moment's hesitation, he dismissed the sound as his imaginative mind playing tricks on him. Another second later, he was on his feet as a second voice, this one more high-pitched, cried out. Despite the fact that the majority of children in the yard let out frequent screams, Hershel could tell this one was different: it was a cry of fear. Something familiar nagged in his memories but he couldn't quite latch onto it.

He scratched his head in confusion. At the same moment something hard landed in his thick hair. They were a pair of thick-rimmed, black, squared glasses. This puzzled the young boy even more. He cupped his chin his hand and thought things through. He'd learned early in his young life that he thought best in this position. The scream had sounded nearby but there was no one else beneath the trees. On top of that a pair of glasses had landed in his hair so had come from above. He knew both of these things came from humans, so that left him with only on conclusion.

He looked up.

A short, red-headed boy in orange, seemingly around Hershel's age, was dangling above him. Holding on to one of his hands was a little girl, who presumably the cause of the second scream.

"Help...! Ah!" The branch she was on jerked, as the combined weight of the children pulled it beyond its flexibility. Her eyes scrunched closed as she waited for the final drop. Luckily, Hershel was quite tall and extremely athletic for his age (Despite Ma's attempts to fatten him up with pastries and a comfy sofa). He reached the first branch with ease and began to pull himself up, higher and higher. Finally he reached the same level as the other boy.

"Stay calm and give me your other hand!" He was just in time. The girls grip weakened and the boy began to fall. Then, with an enormous amount of effort he was pulled up into the safety of a thick branch.

Randall looked at his fluffy-headed saviour in shock. Today, not only had he been bested by a girl, but he had also been rescued by a bookworm! Perhaps he should stop being so judgemental; he was turning into his father!

"Th-thank you…" He gasped out. He could feel his eyes running but was in too much shock to stop the tears. The other boy said nothing, but simply offered out his hand, which Randall shook.

Being the ever undaunted adventure fanatic, Randall recovered quickly and decided introductions were in order.

"The names Randall. Randall Ascot. Are you new here?"

The other boy also seemed to have got over his shyness.

"Hershel Layton. I've just moved with here with my parents. We're in the little cottage by Memory Knoll."

They let go of each other (He hadn't realised they were still shaking). Randall noticed Angie had climbed onto their branch. She had tears in her eyes and in her left hand she held out the ascot.

"I…I'm so sorry Randall. I should have been more careful…I should have held on...c-can you please forgive me?" Randall took back the ascot and gave her a smile. On top of being an amazing explorer he knew that he could be seen as quite a charmer when he tried.

"No harm done Ange! Hershel here caught me on time. You still held me long enough for him to get up here, so I'd say that you're just as much of a hero as he is! Right Hersh?"

"Huh? Y-yes! Yes you were very brave."

The blonde blushed and smiled sheepishly (and so, it seemed, did Hershel).

They sat in the branches, smiling and just appreciating the fact that they had escaped unharmed.

This happy moment was then ruined with an abrupt shout.

"What on earth are you children doing in a tree?!"

The three of them stood in the empty classroom facing the wall. Angela had never had a detention, nor had Hershel. Randall had. He considered this more of a time out than a detention. Part way through the teacher had been called out of the classroom for a few minutes on urgent business (At least it was urgent to children whom had called on her). Randall leapt at the chance to talk.

"So," he whispered to Hershel next to him "I guess this makes us partners in crime." Hershel smiled at this, although he tried to hide it; he knew getting in trouble was not something to celebrate. Still, it was rude to ignore a friend.

"I suppose so." Randall was overjoyed at being agreed with.

"That's settled then! You're officially my co-explorer. And this is just the beginning of the epic adventures of Randall L Ascot and his trusty companion, Hershel Layton! Together nothing can sto-"

Angela interrupted, not wanting to be left out. "Hey, Randy! What about me? Aren't I a vital character in this too?" She folded her arms and gave him a joking glare, daring him to answer.

Randall, however was not deterred. He gave her a cheeky wink.

"Ah yes… the Lady Angela…well, what's a hero without a damsel, awaiting him after every adventure?"

She giggled and the three shook hands.

Randall opened his mouth to give yet another stirring speech, describing his future fantasies.

"Mr Ascot! You should know by now that time-out means silence!"

Unfortunately, the villain of his next chapter had arrived just in time to spoil it.

...

Written ages ago, and recently found.

Thanks for reading