AC: Here's chapter 9. I hope you like it.
Curse of the 5 halos
Act 1: I live until I stop dancing
The holy kingdom is located at the highest location of the world. The Capital of the holy kingdom, Diligence, is located at the south part of the kingdom for easier communication with the other kingdoms of the land. The Cathedral is located to the east of the Capital. Our heroes march at the direction of the north, where one of the god of old reside and can guide them to the Halo in the high sky of the land.
The Holy kingdom is vastly composed of a plain where Diligence is. The East and West has mountain around it, making it hard to attack from those locations. The north is a zone with large and dense forest with a road passing at the middle of it. It is a place where everything is calm. One of the greatest interests of this kingdom is that not a lot of dangerous predators lived there. It is relatively safe to travel in this kingdom. The danger of the predator's attacks is low...But bandits reside in the forest, mostly Kig-Yar and human bandit are another thing.
Opening theme: Progress
I was so afraid of the days long ago
Now I realize that I never did know
Now days have changed; they're complex and sad
Missing all the days that I once had
I don't really think that I'd want to return
Today may be hard, but I live and I learn
My heart believes; I don't think that it's wrong
Then it shouts that I have been just right all along
Now is the time for our fate to connect
Believing in the same future, we intersect
All of the tears we have cried yesterday
Let's dry them up and keep smiling on today
We are a team; we share all painfulness
But yet we also share all the same tenderness
As long as you stay right here next to me
I will stay strong for tomorrow; you will see..
I've been fighting on, and I'll never back away
Hoping I can reach all my passions someday
All in my past shows who I am right now
You will never see me backing down
Lately I have asked why it is that I still try
Wouldn't it be just easy to say goodbye?
I won't forget, and I'll never quit
All in my past; now I am ready to face it!
All of the days where we had freedom fade
Still we move forward on this path, never to be swayed
Maybe the innocence will not return
Or happy days; all the times for which we yearn
We still move on growing stronger each day
Not even sparing us time to fall down and pray
As long as we keep believing inside
Our bonds will grow, and will never come untied
Now that we've traveled so far
I hope you can find out just who it is you are
You'll see; we'll reach all our dreams
Forever a pair; an unstoppable team
All of the days where we had freedom fade
Still we move forward on this path, never to be swayed
Maybe the innocence will not return
Or happy days; all the times for which we yearn
We still move on moving forward each day
Not even sparing us time to fall down and pray
We are a team; we share all painfulness
Changing the pain to live on tomorrow in happiness..
Woah whoa whoa
Whoa whoa yeah
Chapter 9: The march
In the Castle of Diligence: Prophet Room
The high priest entered into the room of the prophet a little worried and uneasy. It's late in the morning and the prophet didn't give any sign of life and he didn't hear anything for a while. He entered and he looked inside. His uneasiness increase when he saw that everyone is still asleep. He saw nothing that gave sign of life in the chamber. He walked silently in the chamber and he walked at the direction of Yumil bed. When he was close enough, he saw a march on the sheet of a knife. The eyes of the high priest got smaller and he immediately took off the sheet and he saw pillow under it.
"...Thank the gods...She wasn't there." Sighs the high priest calming down and very relief.
He then said nothing. He looked at the window and he saw nothing at the horizon.
"Guess she has help this time...Last time was the work of a total newbie...Bartus...When I catch you I'll...Hum..." San'Ganjy said. He noticed that there is something under the pillow. He took the pillow and he saw a paper with something writing on it. "That's...The prophet writing...Yumil...Let's see..."
San'Ganjy read the letter.
"...What have you done...Hum...Yumil...You decide this on your own...You are going to the ring again...She...She is so stupid...Only the 2 of them...But...The rings seals are...I guess it's time for me to use my old body." Said San'Ganjy. "If the killer is among us...I cannot bring anyone with me for now...The traitor cannot know my intention...I also...Have to find out which ring she goes...I taught her well. Ironically...She tells me where she is going when she escaped." He added with a small smile.
He walked out of the chamber and prepared the orders, after destroying the letter.
On the plain, near the road
"...Hum..." Bartus slept on his back and he grunted a little.
The sun is covering his face and his eyes started moving. After a few minutes, it was too much annoying for him and he opened his eyes.
"Dammit...It's morning already." Said Bartus. He then felt something on his stomach, pressing his gut lightly. He looked at the source and he saw Yumil sleeping, her head on his stomach, like a pillow. Bartus grunted a little, but he noticed some hint that she moved by herself during her sleep. "She is not used to sleep on the road I guess." Some of his fur was on her nose and the left cheek. Bartus didn't want to wake her up now. They have walked for long and she didn't complain during the night. They didn't sleep for long when they were out.
He then felt something moving and he saw her hand passing over her face and moved the fur away from her nose. Eventually, a sound woke her up, the Jiralhanae stomach is empty, calling for food. The grunting was loud enough to wake her up. She opened her eyes and she saw white fur, after a few seconds, she realised that she is resting against Bartus gut. She pressed on his stomach to sit down and away from him.
"...Oh...Sorry...I don't know how I got there." She said.
"No worry." Said Bartus. "I cannot blame anyone for moving during their sleep."
"Yeah...Hungry?" Asked Yumil.
"Yeah...We have food in our bags...I have some money for the city...That Unggoy is still knock...Not anymore." Said Bartus. "Too bad...I enjoyed the silence."
The bag where Zazak was is now moving in the bag and making high pinch noise.
"Don't move!" Ordered Bartus.
The bag stopped moving.
"Are you going to eat me?" Asked Zazak.
"You're too heavy on any stomach with your smell and your taste." Replied Bartus.
"...Should I be glad or not?" Asked Zazak.
"Don't know." Said Yumil not understanding everything said.
Bartus opened the bag and the Unggoy got out.
"Hum...Where are we?" Asked Zazak lost after looking around.
"We are on Virtue road at the direction of the Sky city." Said Bartus.
"What? Us 3...Like that...By ourselves..." Said Zazak.
"Yes and-" Yumil was cut.
"Wait a second...I mean what are we even doing here? Why did you drag me? Why did you escape the chamber and go for the ring?!" Shouted Zazak.
"Because it is my duty to go there right now...My dream told me." Said Yumil.
"But...You don't have to do something because you're dream said so!" Shouted Zazak pulling his pipes by the stress. "I once dream that a female Unggoy told me too...Euh...Never mind." He stopped pulling his pipes.
"We have to go Zazak." Replied Yumil.
"But you cannot go! It's not safe and if I let you go...The high priest is going to kill me!" Shouted Zazak panicking.
"If you refuse...I can kill you." Said Bartus putting his hand on his hammer.
"Well...Euh...N...Never mind." Said Zazak, admitting that he has lost. Even so, he pulled the pipes once again. "What about methane? I need this too."
"Do not worry. I have brought the methane in this bag." Said Bartus showing it.
Zazak calmed down.
"I am in so much trouble." Said Zazak.
"We eat and we keep moving. I don't want to transport you any longer." Said Bartus glaring at Zazak before he tried to oppose.
"...Alright." Said Zazak.
They took a quick diner and they continued walking at the direction of the city. The marched was long and uneventful. The sun rose higher in the sky as the day advance. It was a boring day but Yumil didn't complain from the walk. She felt completely free, even if she was doing her mission.
"Look at that." Said Yumil.
She walked out of the road and she looked at a beautiful yellow flower blooming near a tree. She smelt it and the pleasant odor entered in her nose.
"I know...It's a flower...You have seen one of those before...Right?" Asked Bartus.
"Yes...But never one outside like this one." Said Yumil.
"We should keep going...We cannot stop at any flower we see." Said Bartus. "You are the one who asked me to bring you out."
"Alright." Said Yumil.
She returned by the side of Bartus and they keep walking. They stopped for a while to eat before continuing for the rest of the day. When the day started to end, the sun slowly moved down.
"We approach the forest." Said Bartus. He opened a bag and took out a map. "We are around here...On the field...As you can see...We have to pass the forest there...It is a dark place and can be scary for those who are not used to pass the forest alone...With the sound."
"I pass there without trouble." Said Yumil.
"But you had an escort...There's dangerous beast there...Also bandits and criminals...And we are only 3...3 easy prey." Said Zazak.
"If you can fight...It's not that hard. I pass there a few times for mercenary business...Finding bandit and killers...Not such big deal." Casted away Bartus moving his hand like it's no big deal.
"So...Where do we stop?" Asked Zazak.
"We can continue until we reach the forest." Said Yumil.
Bartus was taken by surprise when he was about to say the same thing.
"But...Are you sure?" Asked Zazak.
"The forest has his average Zazak." Said Bartus. "We can hide in the trees where it is hard being spotted. There is a lot of place to take cover...We can escape by anywhere and there are some place we can fight without being encircle by the enemy."
"...But...How do you know all that?" Asked Zazak.
"Because I know this stuff...I've gone in the forest before and I have experience in this." Said Bartus annoyed.
"More like ape experience." Said Zazak.
CRASH!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Screamed Zazak with his highest pinched voice that hurt the ears of Yumil and Bartus.
The hammer of Bartus landed one foot near Zazak.
"Never call me ape!" Shouted Bartus. "Next time...I will aim you."
"Okay! Okay!" Said Zazak with his high pinched voice and putting his arms over his face. He also felt so little right now...Or felt that Bartus seemed much bigger than he really is. "I won't say it...again...Don't need to throw the hammer like a...Never mind."
They continued walking for a while and Zazak pulled his pipes once again. They continued and they enter into the forest when the light was slowly disappearing.
"Alright...We have nothing for camping...So we can do a campfire or sleep in the trees." Said Bartus.
"How do we do campfire?" Asked Yumil interested.
"*Sigh*" Remember...She knows nothing...No use shouting at her...Thought Bartus. "First...We need some woods and-" Bartus was cut by a scream.
The sound of the scream was a beast attacking something...But it was also the scream of pain coming from a beast.
"Something is wrong over there." Said Bartus pointing to the source of the sound.
Yumil stood up and she moved at the direction. Bartus took her arm.
"Where do you think you're going? When you heard a scream, you hide?" Said Bartus.
"What if someone is in danger?" Asked Yumil.
"It's a bandit...So-" Bartus was cut then Yumil freed her arm and started running.
"WAIT!" Shouted Zazak running after her. He drew his beam bow in case of an attack.
"Dammit...We have to get in trouble that fast." Said Bartus following them with his hammer ready for a fight.
AC: End of chapter 9.
Chapter 10: The samurai.