So, just to make things clear, Chapter 1 was Year 1 of Project HERO. The Chapter 1 here is the book Amanda's reading.

ONWARD!

Amanda made herself comfy on her sofa and took a cookie from a plate on the coffee table. She opened the book to the first page.

Chapter 1: The Abduction

Brandon walked slowly down the cobbled street, kicking little blocks of gravel as he went. The pack over his shoulder hung heavy with iron and gold, even a few diamonds. The teen gave a nod to the iron golems as he passed, scuffing lightly between a pair of village children. The sun rode high in the sky when he neared his destination.

A villager in a black apron pounded heavily with a large hammer at a glowing crimson blade on slabs of stone. He did not look up as Brandon passed him and set his supplies down on the table inside. Brandon did not mind, and went to get an apple from the chest. One never disrupted a working blacksmith.

The brown-haired teen watched from the window a traveler who was sitting down to feed what looked like at least six dogs, and probably rest his feet as well. Brandon had grown up in the village all his life, and had never tamed a wolf himself. They were quite rare. He had met many miners underground though, and crunched the juicy apple thoughtfully as the man separated a pair fighting over a pork chop. Brandon had always liked dogs, they were loyal and amazing zombie killers. It boot it all, they were cute, although he'd never admitted that to another person. He had an image to maintain.

"Brandon, my boy! What do you have today?" He looked up to see the smith, Gustav, enter and hang his apron on a peg in the wall.

"Almost three stacks of iron, one stack of gold, and thirty diamonds." The teen listed as Gustav poked around in his inventory bag.

"Quite impressive, my boy. You're getting better at this." Brandon cringed at the reference to his first outing in the mines; he had returned sorely beaten and with little less than fifteen iron ore. He didn't like to think about it. Gustav paid no heed, turning to an innocent-looking wood plank. He lifted it from the floor to reveal his carefully guarded material stash; the chest in the corner was just for show, and to tide thieves over when they came looking. They always came looking.

"I'm willing to pay… ten emeralds for everything you've got there." Gustav grinned with a warm, soothing smile-one he had mastered in order to continue his existence as a cheapskate.

"Fifteen." Brandon bartered.

"Twelve."

Brandon merely raised an eyebrow.

Gustav lost his smile and replaced it with a look of steel. They both held each other's gaze until the smith's eyelid twitched.

Brandon grinned wickedly.

"Twelve and a fresh iron sword. Sharpness II."

"Deal."

The two shook and Brandon took his emeralds, new sword and left.

"Don't forget to visit, boy!" The smith called as he walked the way he came.

"I'll even bring Lila with me!" Brandon joked.

"You let that cat anywhere near here-" The teen didn't hear the rest of the threat; he was jogging down the road as the sun began to slide down the sky.