A/N: (sound of trumpet blowing) Thanks to my friend Ka-tay's Mind for motivating me to write this chapter faster. Hehe. If it wasn't for her, I think it might has taken twice as long for me to update. :/
Chapter 11: Frost and Flare
"Here we go," Naomi whispers as we walk out of the station.
"Yeah, probably brings back loads of memories, right Naomi?" I ask.
"Yeah, sure." She says warily.
We step into the greenery of Ellinia and I can hear Naomi holding her breath. The greenery here is way different from Leafre. I've only been here a couple of times before.
"Well, we can take a cab over to Henesys, or we could just hang out here for a bit." Layla suggests. After her day with Annabelle, she seems a little different.
"No way am I staying for any longer than needed in this hell hole." I hear Naomi murmur.
"Nah, I'm just going to stop by the department store and then we can head off." I reassure her.
We took off to Orbis this morning at about eight just to catch the big blue bird. And then after chilling at our (Cheryl's?) place for a bit we boarded on the ship to Ellinia. Which is where we are now, I guess. We're pretty jet lagged at the moment.
"Ooh, could we get some lunch first? I'm starving…" Layla whines.
"It's only noon. And we already grabbed a bite before taking off." Naomi snaps.
"But that was only a measly sandwich." She continues.
"Enough," Naomi huffs, picking up her pace. "I'll let you guys hang around for about half an hour, okay?"
Layla squeals happily. "What about you, Naomi?" I ask.
"I'm going to visit…A family member. It'll just take a bit. We could meet up at the taxi stand over there, okay?" She says slowly.
"Okay then. Half an hour." I nod before dragging Layla off to get some food. I didn't even know Naomi had family members she would willingly visit. Every time I mention Ellinia she seems to shudder to herself a little. Strange.
We walk around aimlessly, lugging our heavy suitcases over the greenery.
"Ooh, that one!" Layla points at this little pink hut, sandwiched between two giant trees. Or vines? I can't tell. Ignorance is bliss.
"Uh, I don't think you can get food there, Layla."
Layla just ignores me and walks towards it. "Don't be stupid. Has to be some food in there!"
Today probably wasn't the best day for me to wear open-toed sandals. There wasn't much of a heel, but I can still feel my feet sinking into the ground a little, the dew coated grass brushing against my toes. Even Naomi thought ahead and wore red sneakers.
Layla knocks the pink wooden door three times before turning the metal doorknob.
"Layla, this isn't a restaurant!" l hiss, pulling her hand back.
"Don't be ridiculous, Shirley. It's okay, I knocked!" She says, before turning the doorknob again and pushing it open before I manage to stop her.
The smell of chicken soup hits me and I feel my tummy rumble. I'm even hungrier than I realized.
"Come on!" Layla steps inside, bending her head a little to fit into the narrow doorway. "It smells sooo good."
I peer in and the lights are turned off. "Layla? I have a bad feeling about this." I whisper into the darkness.
"It's okay. I can hold your hand for you." She says, grabbing my hand and pulling me.
I suddenly feel a strong wind blowing against us. I turn around just as the pink door slams shut.
"Layla, let's get out of here!" I whisper into the darkness. "Layla? Layla?"
For a moment I just stand there, frozen. I can't hear Layla, I can't hear anyone. It's complete darkness. I can't even see my own fingers.
"Layla? Don't bullshit with me! I'm not joking!" I shout. I hear my voice echo and bounce off the walls I can't even see.
Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap. I turn around and try to feel for the door, but I can't feel it at all. It seems like I'm just in endless darkness. I swore there was a wall right there, barely inches from me a minute ago. I can feel my heart thumping in my chest. I can't see anything. I can't hear anything….
Wait, that smell. Chicken soup! Yes, I can smell it. And it's coming from….
I walk forward, dragging my suitcase close to me. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just walking aimlessly towards the lingering smell of food. I hear my tummy grumble again. Great. I'm trapped in a suspicious pink hut in a town I'm not even familiar with, one of my team mates are missing, the other probably down town arguing with someone from her past and all I can think about is food.
The smell suddenly disappears, and I see a bright light ahead.
"Layla, is that you?" I shout, walking quicker than ever.
"Shirley!" I hear Layla shout. Her voice seems so far away.
I decide to ditch my suitcase for now and break into a run. "Layla, I'm over here!" I shout.
I stumble and nearly trip in my stupid sandals so I strip them off and continue running. The floor is hot and feels like sand.
"Shirley! Hurry up!" I hear Layla shout again, and her voice sounds even further.
"W-Wait," I shout, panting. I can't run this far. Wherever I'm running to, it seems to get even further.
I start walking again, and I feel the sand turn into water. I walk even more and the water gets even deeper, almost to my knees. I pull up my jeans and keep going. The strong wind blows again and suddenly the lights turn on.
"What the freak?" I yelp, as about two small kids suddenly jump at me and grab my arms, restraining me. "Let go!" I shout, struggling.
My eyes finally adjust to the light and I realize that I'm surrounded by people, in a bright pink room. Among those people were the little kids grabbing on to me, their grips surprisingly tight for their little hands, Annabelle, Griffin, and Layla.
"Layla!" I shout. One of the little kids – with a striking fuzz of red hair on top of her hair- punches me in the stomach and I stop resisting. That's going to hurt in the morning.
Layla is standing behind Annabelle - that classy hooker with neon pink hair – while crying. Annabelle seems distressed, whispering to Griffin.
"Griffin, what the hell are you doing?" I ask, my voice filled with rage. This was all him! Him and his stupid Scarlion posse!
He smirks and nods towards the funny looking kids and they let go of me roughly.
"If I were you, I wouldn't move, okay babe?" He says sweetly, walking towards me slowly.
"Like I would ever listen to you." I hiss.
He shrugs and twirls a strand of my hair around his fingers. "You haven't changed much, Shirley. Still so naïve. And cute." He whispers. His face was only inches from mine.
"Move the hell away." I whisper, disgusted. I haven't felt like slapping anyone this badly. Not even Cheryl. Not even Naomi.
He backs away, hands raised like he was surrendering. "Now, now. Don't need to get hasty, do we?" He grins.
I don't even know why I ever thought I liked him.
"Shut up." I say, feeling bolder than I've been in a long while. "Come on, Layla. We're going."
I glance at Layla, and she's still hiding behind Annabelle, crying softly into her stupid pink hair. And their holding hands, too.
"Layla?" I whisper. She just looks away and sniffles. "Don't tell me you're with them." I say angrily.
"I-I'm so sorry, Shirley. But…A-Ambi said…" She says between sobs.
"Excuse me? You're listening to her?" I say, raising my voice. "Are you going to listen to her or to your own teammate?"
She goes quiet for a moment before shaking her head.
"Look, Shirley, Layla already picked which side she'd rather be on, okay?" Griffin cuts in. He snaps his fingers and the two kids join his side quickly. "I wanted you to meet a couple of my new friends."
"I don't care. How did I get here? You know what, don't tell me. Just send me back." I snap.
Griffin just carries on as if I didn't interrupt him at all. "This is Frost and Flare. They're twins, naturally." He says, pointing at the kids as he introduces them.
Frost had very pale skin, short dark blue hair and calm blue eyes. Flare, his sister, I guess, had dark pink hair and blue eyes the same colour like Frost, only a bit more evil. They were dressed in matching suits, and if I didn't know they're with Griffin, I would have thought they were adorable.
"So now you're abducting little children, too?" I snarl.
Griffin laughs. "Actually, they're the ones who approached me. And, they're 12, only a year younger than you, so I wouldn't say that they're 'little children'."
"I'm fourteen, Griffin." I say through gritted teeth. "Why am I here? If you're thinking I'd give you information about Ariel, don't bother. I'll never tell."
"You're just here so we can stall for time. You've been trapped here for almost twenty minutes already. We're actually after your teammate, Naomi Grayson." Annabelle pipes up.
"Yeah, and if I'm not mistaken, we have her back at Scarlion HQ right now." Griffin adds.
Oh my God, they have Naomi? The niece of Ariel, practically the closest person to the guild if not Ariel herself?
"T-That's impossible. Naomi wouldn't go down that easily." I say shakily.
"Your friend Layla assisted us with that, actually." Griffin says, tugging on a strand of Layla's dark auburn hair. "She's makes a great distraction."
I glare at her, my stare filled with disbelief and anger. Layla just avoids eye contact and continues sobbing while Annabelle squeezes her hand gently while smoothing her hair.
"So what are your intentions? Want to bring Ariel down so your guild can forever be the best?" I ask Griffin.
"I can't tell the enemy, can I?" He points out.
"No, but you might as well since you've already made out with me, dumped me, forced my friend to join your stupid army and kidnapped me. Keep your friends close, enemies closer, yeah?"
"Smart girl. Now be a good one and step out that Mirror of Dimension right there." He pointed behind me, towards the portal which just opened.
I walk towards the portal, my bare feet moving noiselessly against the cold floor. "Layla?" I ask, stopping about an inch from the portal. I can just smell the air from Ellinia from it.
"She's not going." Annabelle says sharply and I just step into the portal without even hesitating.
I step out of the pink hut before shutting the door gently behind me. The pink hut fades away slowly as I put my shoes back on.
Right now, I need to go to Scarlion headquarters. I need to go and save Naomi. But I have no idea how to get there. I know it's like on an island between Victoria Island and Ossyria, but how am I going to get there? It'll be ages till the next ship comes. And I don't know how to open portals. But I think I know someone that might…
"Cheryl!" I start shouting suddenly. The pedestrians stare and shake their heads and titter but I don't care. This is the only shot I have at this. I can't be bothered that I look like a lunatic. "Cheryl, I need some help here!"
I stand there for a few minutes, suitcase at my heels, waiting. She's not coming. I haven't seen her since my birthday. She was always unsure about Griffin. Of all times, why couldn't she be here for me?
"Cheryl!" I scream again. I shout until my voice sounds hoarse, and for a moment I just feel helpless, defeated. I open my bag and root around for my cellphone. I turn it on and call Naomi, my hands shaking as I dial the numbers. "Pick up, pick up, pick up…" I whisper.
"Hello?" Naomi says, her voice small.
"Naomi, are you okay? W-Where are you? Layla…she…" I ask hurriedly.
"Don't come for me, okay? Go back to the guild." She whispers.
"What? Where are you? I'm coming to get you."
"Go back." She whispers. She sounds like she's going to cry.
"Naomi?" I shout and I realize she hanged up.
Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. I redial her number but she doesn't pick up. I scroll through my contacts list, looking for someone I could call for help. I almost call Layla, but stop myself at the last minute. Don't want to interact with the enemy.
Oh, wait. Maybe she can help me…?
Scarlett picks up quickly. "Hey, what's up?"
"Hey, uhm, what are you doing now?" I ask awkwardly.
"I'm at the library at the moment. You sound…frazzled." She says.
Good, she's free. Well, kind of.
I clear my throat. "I need your help. Do you, uhm, know…where Scarlion HQ is?" She goes silent for a while. "Uh, are you there? Scar?" I say. "Don't hang up, please, don't hang up!"
"I'm here," She says. "Look, I don't think I can help you."
"Trust me, you can." I say hurriedly. "They got Naomi. And Layla."
"What? Shirley, where are you?" She asks.
"Uh…somewhere in Ellinia. Griffin and his friends took Layla…There was these portals…I'm not really sure what happened. But they have Naomi. I called her just now…she told me to go back to the guild, but obviously I nidda save her." I blabber.
Scarlett huffs loudly. "Then go back. Come back to Leafre, Shirley. Naomi is a big girl – she can take care of herself. Layla, too. She's done crap like this before. At the end of the day she just wipes her tears and comes back."
I'm not sure what to say. "Scar? Are you kidding me?" I scream. I don't know why I feel so angry.
"Look, Shirs, I know you're concerned. I am too. But my brother is just a little brat. Eventually he just gives whatever bad he does up. Things like this, and this alleged kidnapping? For all we know, Naomi could be on her way back right now. And as I've said before, Layla isn't evil. Her tiny little brain just takes some time to different shape right from wrong. Go back to the guild." She tells me before hanging up.
I stuff my phone back into my bag and start walking again, wiping tears with the back of my hand.
"You're looking down in the dumps today." Cheryl grins..
I stay quiet for a moment, just daydreaming. Cheryl walks and twirls around me, her long white dress trailing behind her.
"Did you just come back from a wedding?" I ask dismissively. The little bird in front of me is planning on taking a crap. Lovely.
"Actually, yes! I was one of the bridesmaids." She grins. Her hair is all shiny and perfect, and her cheeks are all rosy. She must of spent a long while making herself up.
"Do I know the bride?"
"Actually, you do. But I don't think I should tell you. Not yet, anyway. I could ruin the time space continuum or something." She says cheekily.
I sigh softly. "Maybe,"
She sits beside me, so close our thighs are almost touching. "Griffin, yeah?" She whispers.
"Obviously you would know. I needed your help, but you never came." I whisper, my head in my hands.
For a long time we just sit together, whispering to each other.
"Do you know how to open up portals?" I ask her suddenly.
"Uhm…" She starts. "Not in your time. But I know someone who does. In your time, anyway."
"Who? At the moment, I'm pretty desperate." I admit.
I glanced around. I was sitting against a mound of wooden crates - some of which were slightly damp, if I may add –sipping half a strawberry smoothie. I don't even like strawberry. I'm waiting for the ship to Orbis to come. It's been nearly half an hour already. It'll be ages till I manage to get even close to Scarlion.
"Why are you going for her?" Cheryl asks softly, perched on the very top of the mound.
"Because…my intuition is telling me I need to." I shrug.
She looks confused. "Intuition, heh? I don't really remember anything about that."
I laugh. "Sucks to be us."
I lean back, soaking up the hot sun. I'm not sure if this is the way to Scarlion. I'm not sure why I'm even trying. Months ago, before I even joined Ariel, I probably would have listened to Scarlett. But now…I just feel like I need to go. Like, it's my duty. I've already messed up the bulk of my life. Ariel was supposed to be a new start for me. I can't mess things up again.
"This isn't the way to Scarlion." Cheryl tells me.
"What?" I ask stupidly.
"They're only three ways to get into their HQ." She says, holding three fingers up. "First one is to make an appointment with a guild master. Second, you could just get there with a Mirror of Dimension and hope you don't get murdered. Three, you could sneak onto the ship that goes there every month, transporting their goods. Take your pick."
"At the moment, I think the third one sounds way more appealing. That female guild master, the one with the black hair, doesn't like me all that much." I admit.
"Yeah, but you just missed the last one." Cheryl says, frowning. "It past yesterday. You'll have to wait an entire month till it comes back."
"A whole month?" I repeat. I feel like crying.
"Wait, wait, wait! D-Don't cry! I know another way you could get in!" Cheryl says quickly.
I brush away imaginary tears and tell her to continue.
"Listen up…" She whispers, pulling me closer to her. "I can only tell you once. I know for a fact this method works. But there are some…precautions you need to be aware of. Are you sure you want to do this? Is she – Naomi, worth it?"
I think for a moment.
"Yeah,"
Info: Check out my friend Ka-tay's Mind! Our stories are about two opposing guilds, mine Ariel and hers which is Scarlion.