Chapter 3
Moses returned to his camp in front of the lighthouse. "Csaba! Boys, I'm back!"
"Moses!" Csaba called.
"What's up, Csaba?"
Csaba approached Moses with a long white box. "Someone sent a package for you."
"For me? Looks like somebody loves me after all!" Moses opened the box and pulled out a bouquet of pink and purple flowers. He then looked at the tag that was attached.
TO: Moses
FROM: Jay
"Aw, ain't that sweet! Jay sent me flowers!" Moses took a sniff of the flowers. "Auggh..."
"M-Moses!" Csaba cried. "Are you all right?"
Moses dropped the flowers, letting his arms and head fall limp. "Feels like somebody just glued my eyes shut. Csaba..."
"Wh...what is it?" Csaba asked, uncertain.
"I'm gonna go lay down for a bit. Take care of Giet and the boys, hear?"
"Sure."
Moses dragged himself into his tent and lay down in the grass. He pulled the brown blanket over himself and closed his eyes, quickly sinking into the spiderwebs of sleep.
Csaba peeked into the tent, gazing down at the sleeping bandit. "There's something about those flowers, Giet. I know that Jay and Moses like to do some weird things to each other...but would Jay really do something like this?"
Giet only whined in response.
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The next morning, the remaining members of Senel's party met at Will's house as planned.
"All right, is everyone ready?" Will asked.
"We're all here," Senel said.
Jay closed his eyes. "All except for a certain stupid bandit."
Senel looked it around. "That's strange...where is Moses?"
"We'll find him later," Will said. "I haven't been able to find anything concerning the flowers. How about you, Jay?"
Jay shook his head. "Nothing."
"Wait a minute!" Chloe exclaimed. "What about the package that Norma got yesterday? Do you think it could have been those flowers?"
"Hmm...now that you mention it, it couldn't have been just a coincidence," Will said. "I'm going to go check on Norma."
"I'll go with you," Senel said. "I'm a little worried about her now."
"And I'll look for the stupid bandit," Jay said.
There was a slight pause as they waited for a certain remark about Jay and Moses being lovers...but since Norma was not present, the remark never came.
"I'll try to find the man who delivered the package to Norma," Chloe said. "If nothing else, he'll be able to give us some answers."
"That's a good idea," Will agreed.
"I'll go with you," Shirley said.
Chloe gave her a surprised look. "Shirley?"
"Is something wrong?"
Chloe shook her head. "No, nothing."
"All right, let's go," Will said.
The group nodded, then left the house. Senel and Will took the route to the inn, while Chloe, Shirley, and Jay went in the opposite direction. Grune stepped into the yard and stopped.
"I wonder where everyone is going?" she asked herself. "I wonder where I should go?"
She pondered for a moment, then turned to the garden to her right. "Oh well. La, la, la..."
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Senel and Will arrived at the inn and went into Norma's room. There, she was still sound asleep in her bed.
"She's still asleep!?" Senel exclaimed in shock.
Will went to her side and shook her. "Norma, wake up!"
"Ahh...kiss me..." Norma muttered.
Will backed off.
"Okay, something is definitely wrong," Senel said.
"Yes...there's nothing we can do here, so let's try to find that delivery man."
Senel and Will left the inn.
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Jay knew that the first place to look for Moses was at the bandits' camp. As he arrived at the camp, Csaba immediately greeted him.
"Jay! I'm glad you're here! Something's wrong with Moses!"
Jay raised an eye. "Really?"
"Yeah! He went to sleep after smelling the roses that you sent him, and he hasn't woken up since."
Jay's face soured. "I never sent Moses any flowers."
"Huh?"
"I wouldn't be caught dead sending any flowers to Moses."
Csaba picked up the flowers and handed them to Jay. "Here, look!"
Jay looked at the tag, confused that his name was indeed on it as the sender. He then sniffed the flowers...and wished immediately that he hadn't.
"Ugh!" Jay dropped the flowers and covered his face. "I see what you mean..."
Csaba gasped. "Jay! Not you, too!"
"It's just as I thought..." Jay muttered. "I understand now...it's all a plot!"
"A plot?"
"I...I..." Jay stepped over to the tent and went inside. He barely managed to catch a glimpse of Moses sleeping on the ground. "M...Moses..."
He then collapsed to the ground next to the bandit. Csaba went to his side and shook him.
"Jay, wake up! What kind of plot is it!? Jay!!"
Csaba paused when he realized that Jay wasn't going to wake up. "A plot...we'd better find out what's going on, Giet."
"Woof!" Giet responded.
Csaba stepped out into the camp again and stomped on the flowers. "Damn these flowers!!"
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Chloe and Shirley's search took them to the fountain plaza. They looked around, and then heard a voice behind them.
"Chloe Valens!"
Chloe and Shirley turned around to see the delivery man with two more long boxes.
"I have a package for you two," he said, handing both of them a box.
"Wait!" Chloe said. "The package you gave to Norma Beatty...what was in it?"
The man shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I just deliver the packages. I haven't the slightest idea what's in them."
"I see...can you at least tell us who the package was from?"
"If I remember correctly, it was some guy named 'Teach.' I have no idea who that is, though."
Raynard... Chloe thought.
"Okay, thanks," she said.
"Sure...but why all the questions?" the man asked.
"Oh...we were just curious."
"Okay. Enjoy your package!" The man turned and left the plaza.
"So...it looks like we were wrong after all," Chloe said.
"Yeah..." Shirley agreed. "So the package wasn't the cause of this..."
They both opened their packages and pulled out the same flowers, then checked the tag.
"Oh, these flowers are from Senel!" Shirley said.
"My flowers are from Coolidge as well," Chloe said.
"Really?"
"Oh well...I guess we can't complain about getting flowers."
"You're right. They really are beautiful."
Both Chloe and Shirley smelled the flowers, then immediately felt the effects.
"Ah...Shirley..." Chloe groaned. "Do you feel...?"
"Chloe..." Shirley stammered. "Suddenly, I..."
Before they could realize was was happening, they both collapsed to the ground.
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Back at Will's house, Grune had resorted to watering the garden, singing her favorite song.
"Let us take a little seedling, plant it gently, water it well. Oh little seedling nestled in the ground, grow up safe and sound..."
"Excuse me, miss!" a voice called.
Grune stood up and turned around. The delivery man was standing on the doorstep with another long white box.
"Yes?" Grune asked with a smile.
"I have a package for Mr. Will Raynard," he said. "Could you hand this to him when he returns home?"
"Sure."
The man handed her the box, then left. Grune looked down at the box.
"I wonder what's in here?" She opened the box, pulled out the flowers, and looked at the tag. "To Will...from Harriet. Oh, how sweet. They're so pretty."
Grune smelled the flowers, then dropped them to the ground and stretched out her arms. "Ah...I'm going to take a little nap now."
She reclined gently on the ground and nodded off to sleep. "Goodnight, little seedling..."
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A red soldier raced onto the bridge to deliver a report to Commander Vaclav.
"Good news, Commander," he said. "The Gadorian knight and the Merines have fallen victim to the spell, as well as that clueless woman. Only Senel Coolidge and Will Raynard remain."
"Excellent," Vaclav responded. "It's only a matter of time before the last two fall as well."
"I have to hand it to you, Solon," Cashel said. "You sure know how to come up with a wicked scheme."
Solon grinned. "Yes..."
Cashel turned to Vaclav. "Commander...after all of them are under the spell...what next?"
Vaclav stroked his chin. "Hmm, a fitting question..." He turned to face the soldiers now. "Keep a close eye on the city. When Senel and Will fall asleep, bring them all to me!"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded in unison.
"One more thing: We will move to Mirage Palace for this operation."
The Terrors threw him a look. "Mirage Palace?"
"Yes. The bridge is well known as our base right now. We'll be less vulnerable in Mirage Palace."
"Ah yes, good plan," Cashel agreed.
"Now go!" Vaclav ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers turned and left the control room.
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Senel and Will continued to search Werites Beacon for any clues they could find, or at least any sign of the other party members.
"I wonder if Jay has found Moses yet?" Senel said. "We haven't heard anything since we split up."
"I'm sure they're fine," Will said. "They're probably searching the city like we are."
They arrived at the road leading to the plaza and noticed a large crowd had gathered around.
"Hey, something's happening at the plaza!" Senel pointed out.
"Well then, let's take a look."
The pair went over to the plaza. The crowd parted for them, and they found Chloe and Shirley in a heap on the ground.
Senel gasped, kneeling beside Shirley and shaking her. "Shirley!!"
Will checked on Chloe. "It's no use; they're out cold."
They spotted the bouquets nearby and picked them up, then smelled them.
"Argh..." Senel dropped the flowers. "So Jay was right after all...it is the flowers. Anyone who smells them falls asleep..."
Will grabbed Senel by the shoulders. "All right, Senel, we have to keep moving."
"Move...where?"
"Back to my house."
"Wh...why?"
"No time to talk...let's go..."
They left the plaza with uneven steps. They could both feel their eyes drifting closed, and they repeatedly shook their heads, trying to stay awake.
"Argh...I can't take much more..." Senel grumbled.
"Don't give up..." Will said. "Just a little more..."
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached their destination and spotted Grune sleeping in front of the garden with a bouquet of flowers next to her.
"Damn...looks like Grune got a whiff of those flowers, too," Senel said.
"All right...we're here." Will opened the door and stepped inside, only to hear a thud behind him. Senel Coolidge had fallen asleep.
"Senel!" Will tried to wake him up, but it was no use. Thinking quickly, Will went into the house.
Harriet came downstairs to greet him, and immediately noticed the drowsy look on his face. "Welcome home...Dad? What's the matter? You look like you're about to collapse!"
"Harriet..." Will ran to his bookcase and grabbed the first sheet of paper and writing utensil he could get his hands on. "I need you...to do me a big favor..."
"What?"
Will scribbled a short message onto the paper and handed it to Harriet. "Take this to...to..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed to the ground unconscious.
"Dad!?" Harriet shook him desperately. "What's going on!? Where am I supposed to take this to!?"
She took a glance at the note. The writing was unusually large and sloppy. "I can't even read this thing! Hey, I know! I'll take it to Musette! She'll know what to do!"
With her plan in mind, Harriet ran out the front door, only to trip over Senel's unconscious body. Harriet was about to get up and kick him, but given the fact that both her father and Grune were sound asleep on the ground, she knew that something serious was going on. Harriet jumped to her feet and ran down the road to report to Musette.