Mynara looked around the clearing, searching for anything out of place, before going in and waking the younger girl. "Myst, it's morning, wake up."
The brunette stretched, yawning and blinking, rubbing away the sleep from her heavy lids. "Sleeping in a cave, much less fun than it sounds when told by merchants." She mumbled. She sat up and pulled her arm above her head before remembering the redhead across the floor. She hissed, stiffening and ran out into he bright morning light. "Damnit! Why is he still here?"
"I said he could stay until he had the books he needed, really, it's fine. I watched him all night, he means us no harm." Mynara tried to calm her friend, holding her hands and looking her in the eyes. "He's sticking around for a while, doesn't mean you have to like it, heck I don't. But he had a point last night, he's older than both of us and probably a lot more experienced in the ways of fighting and perhaps protection."
"Just as long as we don't let slip who I am, fine. I don't want him dragging me back to that gods-awful palace." she shuddered.
"I promise you, even if he tried I wouldn't let him." Mynara squeezed her hands, hugging her. "Come on, let's pack and go."
"So what exactly was it you were looking for?" Mynara questioned him as the three of them walked along the path.
"Uh," Axel pulled out the list given to him by number six and looked it over. "Naughtingale's studies and notes on scarlets; Hurmnuster's- Harmunister's- something like that's jibble studdies, Reinhart's compenduim, science and studies mostly." He had much trouble pronouncing the names.
"Give me that," Mynara swept the slip of paper from his fingers and looked it over. "These are studies on heartless, why is your friend studying heartless?"
"Heartless?" Myst froze, staring blankly ahead and then turning towards Axel. "Why would anyone even KNOWING someone who is studying heartless be a good guy?"
"Good question," Axel found the cold blade against his neck again. "Why don't you answer that?"
"You ever heard of a nobody?" Axel choked, chuckling slightly. "We have some trouble with them around our 'club' for lack of better explanation. There's me and twelve others, actually thirteen now, but we have a bit of a heartless problem at our base. The science nerds, the doc and the one that gave me that slip, are trying to get rid of the problem." True enough, he thought.
Mynara glared at him. "Fine." the knife disappeared, slipping with a cold 'shwip' sound into the leather pouch at her waist.
They continued in silence.
"This is Mykenae, can you find those books here?"
"Let's see," Mynara followed the tall man into the bookstore, Myst following closely after.
Axel set the slip of paper down on the counter and motioned a man over to them. "Do you have these in stock?" He asked.
The man looked them over. "All but one, we don't have the Reinhart's anymore, someone came in and bought the last copy about a year ago, haven't found another since. You might find one in cocoon, though."
"That's all the way in, damn, not another corridor," he mumbled. "Okay then, give me the ones you do have."
"Right, sir." The older mad walked off and disappeared into another room behind a column. Mynara watched him lumber about and raised an eyebrow as he came back with a pile of four, heavy-looking books. "Ugh, here you go." He named each one, making a note on a piece of parchment, and then a quick math problem. "Four-humdred munny, sir. These are high-quality and very old books and scrolls here."
Axel grinned and handed over the munny in a pouch, waiting patiently while the man counted his payment. "Thanks for the books," Axel said, picking up the heavy pile without effort and walking away.
"Is that all?" Myst asked untrustingly.
"Nope, one more to get in Cocoon and then I'm set to go home. In the meantime, could you wait a few minutes while I send these back?" He walked off behind the building.
"Huh? Send them back where?"
"I don't know," Mynara shrugged. "But I don't think he's using the postal service."
"How are you getting to Cocoon?" Mynara asked, tugging on Axel's cloak.
"By a portal, how else?" Axel smiled, swatting her hand away.
"I don't know, that's why I asked." Mynara laughed, running a bit off and throwing her feet into the air, swinging her head up and running back towards them on her hands. "This is more fun than I thought it would be! Thanks, Axel!"
"No problem." He laughed too, flinging out a hand to catch The girls foot. Next he took Myst's hand and swung his arms back and forth.
Myst giggled, her face getting pink as she ran with them.
"This should be about right," Axel said, stopping. He held out a hand. "Should I open the corridor? now?"
"Sure!" Mynara stood beside him, watching.
"Stay close to me," he warned and then extended his arm a little further. A dark gaping hole formed before them, bits of black creating patterns around the edges like the frame of a mirror. "Let's go."
The other end was a bright and beautiful town just half a mile away, the tall buildings and roads were amazing and Myst giggled in excitement and awe.
"He must be very powerful to open a portal like that," she whispered to Mynara.
"Yeah, no kidding. I can't open a portal across a river yet, let alone across worlds, wow!"
"Now, where did you girls say you were going?"
"I don't know, anywhere!" Myst giggled, running a few feet away and spinning in circles.
"She needs new clothes, her robes won't do well in a world like this, it's too modern." She looked down at her own garb. "And I could use a new outfit myself. Maybe a few t-shirts and a pair of jeans..."
"Well, I know just where to look for that book, and I have a few friends in this town so, why don't we meet up somewhere in say, an hour or so?" He grinned, rubbing the back of his head.
"Sure, sounds good." Mynara nodded.
"Okay then, get yourselves some new clothes while I go get what I came for. Oh, and take this I won't need it." He took a small handful of munny from a large pouch on his back. He slipped it into his pocket and handed the rest to Mynara. "The boss won't know it's missing, besides I don't need much myself."
"Thanks, I won't use too much, only what we need."
"Perfect, so where do we meet, here?" Mynara nodded. "Okay, we meet back here in an hour, right now it's" he looked up, shielding his eyes and examining the big clock on the tower in the center of the city. "Two so we meet back at three or so. How does that sound?"
"Perfect, see you later!"
They parted ways, both girls running for a clothes shop and the man for a book store.