I give you a filler chapter, if only to provide a moment for Star and Zan to be awkward together. ;D
Also, I apologize if you got the wonky upload of this chapter. The file wouldn't load, so I tried copy-and-pasting instead, but evidently it didn't work so good. Whatever, it seems to be working now. If anyone else has any issues, just let me know. :)
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Chapter 11: Little Conversations
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It was hard for Thora to keep from wringing her hands, or from glancing nervously at every clock she passed. She usually liked knowing exactly what the time was, which was why she had a clock in every room of her house. In this instance, however, it only served to frustrate her. It was well past midnight, now, and none of her favorite young people had returned from their latest mission.
The rest of squad C-57 had returned ages ago, and were now scattered around her house. The only one of them she could be sure of was Zamiel, who had cloistered himself on the third floor. He was still waiting to hear from Zan, who had failed to contact him as he said he would. The last anyone had seen of the Crusaders, they had been sprinting away from the Central Dungeon—with Zizi and a Maris named Iris in tow. What had become of them since then was a terrifying mystery. All that was known was that they had been heading back to the sewers, through the slums, to meet with a pirate captain named Keids.
None of this was comforting, even if they had made it where they were going.
Thora was now doing her best to reassure her guests that all was well, especially when they asked where the man of the hour had gotten to. None of them had seen Zan in nearly two hours, even though they had all come to this party to wish him well on his 16th birthday. So far, she had made polite excuses that he had stepped out of all the excitement to share a toast or two in private with the rest of his squadron and closest friends. When the squadron had returned without him, or Star or Forley, some of the cleverer partygoers had become suspicious.
Because, of course, most of the partygoers knew that they were the infamous Crusaders. When she had made excuses on their behalf, some of them had mockingly played along and winked knowingly at her, guessing that they had gone on a last-minute adventure to help someone in need.
If she was honest, Thora preferred that they believe this. After all, it was hardly far from the truth. A young woman really was in desperate need, and only the Crusaders could have helped her. Thora could only hope that the mission had gone well, since Zan still hadn't made contact since leaving the dungeon and running with his friends for their lives.
Thora was puzzling furiously over the pirate captain she had heard so much of when one of her guests approached her with a look of fright.
"Ma'am," the man whispered, "someone is at the door, looking for you."
Thora frowned at him, unable to help feeling annoyed when she was so worried. "Who is it?" she demanded.
"General Azan," the man answered slowly.
Now Thora was alarmed. "What does he want?" she asked, her heart thumping.
"He seemed to want one of his salves back—June, I think. He has more business here than that, though, I'm sure of that. He would have sent someone less important to collect her, otherwise."
Thora glanced back toward the nearby staircase, knowing very well how a conversation with the general would go. She would of course offer to go fetch June from the third floor, herself; but if Zared Azan was here to spy on her, he would politely insist on doing it himself and kindly saving an old woman the climb. She could see what needed to be done, and that there were mere seconds to do it all.
"Go upstairs and warn our friends to make themselves scarce," she told the young man. "I will deal with the general on my own."
The man nodded shortly and darted as casually as he could to the stairs. Once he had gone, Thora composed herself and walked toward her front door. The walk felt like it took ages.
There he was, waiting impatiently inside her foyer, checking his pocket watch as if it had taken her hours to find him. The general was out of uniform at this time of night, but his normal clothes were disgustingly fine and perfectly pressed. All the same, he looked imposing as always in a bright red shirt and polished boots, and his spectacles made him look cultured and intellectual.
All of which was a lie, but Thora knew better than to scoff at it like she wanted to. She greeted him instead with her usual hospitable smile and a gracious nod of her head.
"My lord general," she said politely. "I understood you were looking for me."
The general sniffed and put his watch away. "More to the point, I've come looking for my precious June," he answered. "The hour is late, and she has lessons in the morning. She needs her rest, if she is ever going to make me richer."
"Oh, of course," Thora agreed with a bow. "I understand completely. I will find her at once."
Azan gave her an odd look. Somewhere between confused and uncaring. "I was expecting my captain to return her some time ago. It has been two more hours than we had agreed on, and I must confess that I had become worried about them both."
Thora shrugged. "They have enjoyed themselves tonight. It's been a delightful party, and June has brought my guests a deal of added joy. Perhaps they simply lost track of time."
Azan hummed over this. "The added time is more than Zamiel could afford just now. It isn't like him. I won't cover the cost for such carelessness, you know."
"Don't worry yourself over that, my lord," Thora insisted. "I will cover the added cost myself. It's a small price to pay, when my guests have enjoyed her dancing so much."
"Where is Zamiel, anyway?" the general asked abruptly. "And the rest of C-57? There were… Problems elsewhere in the city earlier tonight, and I would like to know where all my people are just now."
Problems, indeed. Thora knew all about it by now, and she knew far more about it than the general did. But perhaps he suspected that something was amiss somehow. He would find his squadron here, as he had expected, but explaining that Zan was missing would be difficult. Especially when he was missing from his own party.
All she could do was answer with the truth.
"Most of them are around here somewhere," she said. "They had all stepped out a while ago, just to escape the noise; they had treated Zan to a few rounds at a pub somewhere, I believe. The rest of them returned, but Zan stayed behind with his friends for a while. He isn't used to so much fuss on his account, of course."
"Did they happen to say which pub?"
"No, I don't think so. I could be wrong, also; it was only something some of my other guests had supposed."
"And with his friends, you say? You mean that brother and sister—Brahna and Mahna, I shouldn't wonder. He is always skulking around with them, it seems."
"Well, they have grown rather close. They get along well, and it is nice to see my Zan making friends. I don't mind those two in the slightest. Such good young people, they are, never causing problems or getting into trouble."
The general rolled his eyes. "Very well, then, I shall just have to accept that for now. I'm still waiting for the day he tries to buy those two from someone, so he can see them whenever he wants. It would be the sensible thing to do, in my eyes. And he fancies that girl, mark my words."
"He's just such a modest young man. He hates to admit having a weakness."
It was strange to agree with the general on anything; but it was a bit funny to find that they could both see Zan's true feelings from a mile away. It was amusing enough to make her charade a little easier.
As it was, the general was nodding in vague agreement and brushing past her. "I will see about June myself, if you don't mind. The child must be exhausted by now. Don't worry about payment just now; you can Zamiel can pay me for her services in the morning. Consider it my treat on this important occasion."
"I thank you for your graciousness," Thora answered plainly, bowing as he went on his way. The people of the west wouldn't have called it gracious for anything; but in this place, Thora knew that it truly was.
All that mattered at the moment was that the general had believed her and hadn't questioned her too deeply. Thora only hoped that the rest of the squad had agreed on a clever story for when he inevitably asked where their youngest member was. If the details of their answers were different in any way, their master would be very suspicious.
We don't give that man enough credit, I think, she thought, feeling uneasy all at once. We always count on him fancying himself too much to suspect us of treachery, but I suddenly wonder how wise that has been all along. Zared Azan is worried; his haughtiness can't hide that. He knows something is wrong somehow, and he is determined to find out what it is. Perhaps he has begun to count up all the oddnesses that have come into his way, and has guessed at their connection.
We shall have to be even more careful than ever…
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Meanwhile, Star was behind a screen, changing into the dry, borrowed clothes Keids had promised her. The captain had mentioned it to Sheila, who had run off squealing to all the other pirates that one of their guests needed a change of clothes. Within minutes, a pile of odds and ends had been collected, donated by nearly every member of the crew.
It had taken Star a while to go through all the items, searching for pieces that would actually fit her. There had been shirts and trousers, dresses and jackets, and also accessories like belts and shawls and jewelry. Someone had even offered a knife with a jade handle. She had also found a rough shirt with a note pinned to it, just begging her to sign and return it to someone named Skippy. But the pirate crew came in all shapes and sizes, and even the things offered by women were mostly too big for her. One silky shirt she tried on was so big that it kept slipping off her shoulders, no matter what she tried to do with it.
In the end, she had settled on a heavy embroidered tunic that still fit her a bit loosely, and a pair of trousers which had surprised her by fitting perfectly without a belt. She had also picked a scarf that didn't clash too badly with the tunic to hold it in place, and another scarf to tie her hair back.
It made a much more practical outfit to run around the city in, even if none of the pieces quite went together. She had done her best to make it look presentable, but it still seemed an outlandish mix of garments. With a dissatisfied sigh, she began to tug everything on as quickly as possible. Even if no one could see her behind the screen, it felt terribly awkward to be standing in her underthings in a strange place, with people she didn't know chattering about her just beyond that small shelter.
Someone knocked gently on the screen, and she couldn't help a cry of shock. She couldn't think of entertaining a stranger like this.
"Star?" came Zan's voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I only meant to check on you, but I can leave you alone if you want."
Star laughed away her surprise and shook her head at herself. "Oh, it's fine," she answered. "I was afraid you might be another admirer, trying to pester me while I can't get away. But I'm always happy to talk to you."
"You've been in there a while, now. Is everything alright? Do you need anything from us?"
"A shirt that fits properly might be nice. I've tried on seven, easily, and this one is just… At least it looks nice."
Zan cleared his throat nervously before continuing, "The captain has gone ahead forming a plan of attack. Since you left, Iris has agreed to his offer."
Star stopped with her head halfway into her tunic to gasp in surprise. "She made up her mind that fast? I'd think a decision like that would take a Maris some time to settle."
"Well, she seems to understand that her only other choice is to remain trapped here in the sewers and out of sight for the rest of her life. Captaining a Zebak crew for only a week or two would be preferable to a lifetime spent with all of us to any Maris, I think."
He sounded terribly bitter about this, and Star didn't blame him. She would have been bitter, too.
"Keids said he's had this plan in place for a while," she said. "What do you know of it?"
"That there is a vessel called The Skiver anchored in the harbor right now, which is the target. It's a smaller ship, meant more for speed and stealth than head-on attack, which will suit the purpose of this adventure. It's also an older ship, which Keids remembers from his days in the navy; and so he recalls its capabilities and such. Under the right conditions, it can sail 15 knots in under an hour."
"I have no idea what that means, but I assume that's a great distance in very little time."
"I'm not sure how far or fast that is, either; but Keids says it broke a record back in his day, so I also assume it means good time. Since the crew will be mostly children who have never seen the sea before, he hopes that the wind and tide will guide the ship more than the crew itself."
"When does he expect we will have the 'right conditions', exactly?" Star asked uneasily. "There's a storm every other day this time of year, and there's one going on right now."
"By his famous intuition, the worst of this storm will be passing at about four o'clock this morning. He has decided that we will go then, and have Iris and the children on board in time to miss the most danger, but to still take advantage of the storm winds. The gales are notorious for their high winds; and if Keids is right about this ship's speed, these winds will be strong enough to speed it out of reach in a few short hours."
Star shook her head again. "It sounds terribly risky. How can he be so sure of this plan? So many things could go wrong in the blink of an eye."
She heard Zan huff to himself. "Like you, I believe he just knows."
Still unsure, Star gripped the Sigil, searching her own deep knowledge for a sign of warning. Instead, a sense of calm came over her, and a feeling of strong faith rose up from her heart. For all the apparent dangers there were, she suddenly couldn't think of questioning Keids' brilliant plan.
Keids had no deep magic of his own; but Star remembered from her father's story that to see the Great Serpent and live was a powerful charm. Perhaps the Dragon of Water had given him more than just a second chance, when they had met at sea on that destined morning so long ago. And he was Zebak, heir to the powerful, magical bloodline of another great Dragon.
So, really, Keids did have a bit of deep magic, after all. He just knew how to use it, was all.
"What does he plan for Iris to do, once they are at sea?" she asked.
"He wants her to sail south from here, keeping well away from the shoreline as much as possible," Zan answered. "There will still be storms along the way, but they will be far less than what we are used to. Their goal is the western coast of Deltora, where there will be ports to meet them right away."
"Deltora?" Star blurted out. "He's really sending them to Deltora? That's wonderful!"
"Yes, it is," Zan agreed with a smile in his voice. "Most of the children are unmarked, so they will be able to blend in with the people there easily. The only part that worried Keids is the journey south. They will have to sail along the rest of Habaharan province's coast without being spotted, but that is largely just empty wastes. What bothers him is them sailing along the coast of the Shadowlands. He wishes them to keep land in sight to guide them the whole way, but he dislikes the idea of his little ones being so close to that place. Tales of its evil are as bountiful as tales of Deltora's goodness, and certainly just as true."
"He will have to trust Iris to keep that balance, then. And after all that's happened to her tonight, I think she can be trusted to be a little more careful than usual. How long does he think the voyage will take?"
"Perhaps a week, maybe a few days less if the winds blow as he thinks they will. He also says that the two countries are divided by mountains, which will help. As soon as Iris sees those mountains, she can bring the ship closer in to search for a harbor. Once they have landed and the children are safe, she can find a trading ship to take her back to Maris. Of course she would have preferred to sail for Maris first, but that would be all but impossible."
"Agreed. Even sailing white flags, Maris would launch an attack at once if they saw a Zebak ship anywhere on the horizon. Also, the children would be left without a captain."
"It's a one-way journey," Zan commented thoughtfully. "Keids has been anxious to have this done for a while, but he's been hesitant because of the issue of finding a captain. There are only two others here with any knowledge of ships, and they are Mavis and Kito—the other survivors he mentioned before. They have been together a long time, and are about as close as you and I and Forley. Separating like this would have caused many problems for the whole crew, but it's become clear that they couldn't put the plan off much longer."
"Why not?"
"Brax and Lillo are the oldest of the children. They are both 14 this year, and already a pair of restless little hotheads. I know, because I bumped into them a few minutes ago; and believe me, they are somehow worse than Vivi. Keids is concerned that if they are cooped up down here much longer, they will do something rebellious and get everyone in trouble. Winter is the season to have this done, and waiting a whole year to try again will only lead to trouble. Besides, Keids loves the whole lot and hates to think of them languishing here longer than they have to."
"How many children did he say there will be?"
"Seven in all, anywhere from 13 to six. Luckily, only Brax and Lillo are marked. One or two of them were born here in the den, but mainly they've been rescued from around the city as babies or toddlers. I can't blame Keids for wanting them out like this. It isn't fair to them to have live like this. I don't think the youngest of them has tasted fresh air before in her life."
Star wrinkled her nose at the idea. "That is truly unfair. She deserves better. All of them do."
"In the meantime, he has suggested we go back to our own base and explain it all to our families," Zan explained. "Of course I haven't bothered asking if I could contact my brother from here, so everyone is probably beside themselves. Also, it will comfort Iris to see her other friends and at least try to relax before embarking on this journey. Heaven only knows when she last slept, and this isn't to be done with a frazzled mind."
Star hummed to herself as she finished dressing. "This was all foretold in my prophecy," she commented. "Let them breathe free air at last. The drifting lost will soon be found. It's all happening, and it all meant so much more than we ever could have guessed, as usual. But there's one line I'm still unsure of."
"Which one is that?"
"The one that went, Remember, too, the journey, dear, and all you see and do and hear. Something about that feels strange to me. As if it was spoken by a different voice. When the words say dear, I don't think they were speaking of me, somehow. The Sigil has never spoken so personally to me before. It was almost… Affectionate."
"Why shouldn't it be affectionate to you? It's yours now, and you've handled it well. Also, didn't you say once that it seemed to like you more than your father lately?"
"I don't know… It reminded me of how my mother used to wake me in the mornings. Almost like a parent encouraging a child to do something she doesn't really want to do. But for some reason, I don't think it was meant for me."
"Then who was it meant for?"
"…I don't know…"
Zan paused for a moment and cleared his throat. "Star, we've been through a lot together this last year or so, much of it insane and dangerous. I like to think we've come far, as friends."
Star felt her cheeks beginning to burn. "I like to think so, too. It's strange to recall a time when we were always furious with each other. I'm glad that time has passed."
"It's a struggle to remember a time when I didn't trust you with my life. I used to think my brothers and the rest of the squad were the only people I could really trust like that. It… It means more to me than I had realized before…"
Star was fully dressed by now, but stood still, waiting for him to finish. "…Before what?"
"Just, before tonight, I suppose. For the first time, I looked up and realized just how much has changed. I rather like the way it looks. I wish I had been able to see it sooner. Star, can I be perfectly blunt with you?"
"Um… Of course. Whatever is the matter?"
"Earlier tonight, when we were in Brenna's house and her father had a knife to your throat, I…" He had to take a deep breath before continuing bravely, "I've never been so terrified in my life. What seemed a simple task spiraled out of control faster than I could blink; and before I quite knew what was happening, some thug from the slums had my best friend at knifepoint, threatening her life if I didn't obey at once. We've done our best not to think about it… but that man was going to kill you. He would have done it out of spite and thought nothing of it. If you had acted a second later than you did, we would have lost you."
Star glanced at her torn dress, neatly folded and set aside, and shook her head at the sight. "Yes, I've thought about it in here. It was a very close call. It's shaken me, too, but our mission is far from done yet. We can think more about it later, when we have a few minutes to ourselves."
"How can it be so simple to you?" Zan nearly demanded. "What happened makes me furious, just thinking about it, and I wasn't even the one the man was threatening. Aren't you angry? Even a little?"
"I'm not entirely sure yet," Star answered slowly, rubbing her arm. "It was all so close and so sudden… Mostly, I'm just happy that it's over. Maybe I'm a little sad, a little frightened… I don't know what one would call it. But I do feel it, and I don't take it for granted. Perhaps I will cry over it later, just to get it off my heart; but right now, I need to think with my head."
Zan sighed slowly and said in a low voice, "You've always been so stubbornly practical like that. And I've always admired that about you."
"What was that?" she asked, pulling the screen aside at last. "Zan, you're mumbling again. I know you must be tired of me asking, but are you sure there isn't something going on with you? You're starting to worry me, if I'm honest."
Zan stared at her for a moment with wide eyes, and then quickly looked away into a corner. Before tonight, Star would have guessed that he was shocked by the odd outfit she had pieced together, that perhaps it was too ghastly not to stare at; and she would have good-naturedly laughed it off, insisted that his rudeness was no trouble, and carried on as usual. How foolish she felt now…
"I'm fine. Really," Zan insisted, for what was perhaps the fifth time that night.
"That's not true," she said gently, standing tall enough to look him in the eye and placing her hands firmly on his arms. "There is clearly something bothering you, more and more all the time. I wish you would tell me what it is, if you trust me so much."
If only you knew, I already know exactly what it is, she thought. I already understand. And I wouldn't be able to help returning the feeling. If only you would say something!
Instead of really answering her, the bashfulness fell from his face and a teasing smirk took its place. "Perhaps when we have a few minutes to ourselves."
Exasperated and a bit disappointed, she laughed and smacked his arm. "Why, you sly devil! Fine, have your way and keep your secrets secret, Lion Man. But this is far from over, mark my words."
"Well, just look at you," Zan drawled, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "This place is already going to your head. Not an hour here yet and you're already dressing like a pirate, and now you're sounding more and more like one with every word. All you need now is a few mismatched earrings and an obnoxious accent like all the others."
"I'll take all that as a compliment," she smirked back. "How badly do you think I'll shock my mother, coming home like this?"
"I think you should worry more about shocking Leah. Not only did you ruin the dress she made for you, but you've changed into clothes that reek of rum and smoke. She'll have a heart attack and die at the sight."
"It doesn't look terrible, does it? I did the best I could, but I'm still not happy with it."
"You're not?"
"No. I feel ridiculous."
"Well… I think it looks nice," Zan said helpfully. "It's all… very colorful."
"Yes, I know."
"In a good way, I mean. I like it. It makes you look, I don't know… Wild—in a good way."
"Oh," she mumbled, looking herself over and feeling emboldened all at once. She couldn't help smiling at the idea. "Now that you mention it, it makes me feel wild. Like I could do just about anything right now."
"It would certainly be easier without that frilly skirt in your way. And you haven't been mobbed since you've come out, either. They don't seem to recognize you, now that you're dressed like the rest of them."
As if to prove his point, Sheila came wandering toward them, hollering at someone named Lucy. Only when the woman came closer did she stop and gasp in surprise.
"Oh! Why, 'tis only the Star child!" she exclaimed. "Beggin' yer pardon, miss, I thought ye were our Lucy, I did. Seen her in that shirt so many times, we have. Ah, she'll be just thrilled to see ye wearing it! Ye should show her before ye go."
Star nodded politely. "I'm sure I'll meet her, if I haven't already. And I really like this one. I'd love to thank her for it, and promise to have Vivi return it soon."
"Don't be sayin' such things," Sheila insisted. "Lucy would want ye to keep it. 'Tis a real treat to be helpin' ye tonight."
"Yes, so I've heard."
Sheila crossed her arms and sighed anxiously. "And I hear ye'll all be shoving' off here in a bit. Back to yer own den, I suppose?"
"A lot has happened tonight," Star agreed as politely as she could. "Our own crew will be worried about us by now, and we haven't been able to contact them in more than an hour. Also, Iris will want to rest a few hours before another adventure."
"Of course. It's been adventure after adventure for the lass all night, hasn't it," Sheila said slowly. "Mighty big of her to do this fer us. At a loss, we all were. Seein' as I'm not likely to see her again, I'll thank her before she goes."
Zan cleared his throat in his serious way. "We'll be needing Vivi and Zizi back, too. They're the only ones of us who know the way back. Also, there's a certain young woman at home who is nearly in a panic over Zizi. She won't be able to sleep until she sees for herself that he's alright."
"Ah, yes—Forley's sister, Leah," Sheila answered brightly. "'Bout all our Zizi talks about, she is. I think he'd just about marry her, he would."
Star and Zan laughed a bit at the idea. "I don't think Leah could find it in her heart to turn him down, either," Star agreed.
For the first time, scar-faced Sheila shared a real laugh with them. Though she clearly idolized them and all they did, she had never really been able to relax. Finally, they had something in common to revel in—their love for Vivi and Zizi, and how frightening it had been to have lost either one of them.
"The next time you see them, it will be completely by their choice," Zan told her kindly. "Where are they, anyway? I know Keids told them to get some sleep, but I can guarantee Vivi is running around somewhere."
"Nay, out cold, she is," Sheila said with a shrug, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "She said she was to stay awake a while, but we all knew it would be no use. That girl is all tuckered out, fer once."
"Well, I hope she has the spirit left for one more short trip," Zan teased, excusing himself with a nod of his head. "I'll go gather them up. Now that we have a new plan in place and Star has rejoined us, we'll need to be going as soon as we can."
Star shook her head after him as she watched him stalk off into the den. Sheila had an awkward look on her face, as if she wanted to say something but was afraid to.
"Never before have we had a guard here in the den," the woman said, definitely in place of what she had wanted to say. "What a night this be fer us all. We'll all be rememberin' it well fer a while to come."
Star gave her a smile. "We won't forget it, either."
"How long ye people been here, exactly?"
"A little more than a year, now. Have those two told you I have a brother now?"
"Aye, they told us. Imagine our surprise, when they come bustin' in here babblin' 'bout how they're bestest friends with Zeel Moakel! We seen all the papers an' read yer book by then, of course; we had been lookin' all over fer her, ye know, trying' to git her down to safe haven. So proud, we were. So proud, we are. An' they keep us well in the know, ye know."
"That's good," Star agreed. "A lot is happening up there, with the rebellion and all. If any of you wanted in on it, all you have to do is ask."
"A lot, indeed," Sheila said thoughtfully, glancing the way Zan had gone. "Them lil' ones never mentioned how bad that boy has it fer ye, girl."
Star stared at her with wide eyes, feeling her cheeks beginning to burn again. She was so embarrassed that she hid her face behind her hands. "It's not really that obvious, is it?"
Sheila shrugged again. "We all seen it from a mile away. So close, ye all be, some of us had supposed it might happen, eventually. That cagey Rey of ours even started a pool for wagers on it a while back. Looks like a few of these swabs owe me a lofty sum now!"
Star groaned and let her face fall deeper into her hands. "Oh, everyone has known for ages, haven't they? How could I have never noticed it for myself?"
"Ye haven't?" Sheila asked, sounding surprised. Star looked up to see the woman staring at her in disbelief.
"I've just been so busy… Becoming friends took such a long time, and I've grown so used to it, and… I'm just such a stupid idiot…"
"Don't say such things 'bout yerself, Star child," Sheila insisted, daring to place a kind hand on her shoulder. "Love does that to a body, don't it? Ye'd think it'd be easy, but it ain't. Ye ain't the first lass what was smacked in the face like this, an' ye won't be the last."
There was little time or space to ask more about that comment, but it seemed to Star that it had come from experience. For the moment, it was nice to just be on common ground with this person.
The moment ended all too soon, as Vivi suddenly came skipping around the corner. She was clearly trying to appear full of energy, as she always was; but the dark smudges under her eyes said otherwise.
"Sorry I dozed off, there. I sure missed a lot, too, didn't I?" she said cheerily, looking Star over in amazement. "You look great! I bet it feels good to get out of that stuffy old dress. Just try telling me it doesn't."
Star threw her hands up in exasperation. "I still think it looks ridiculous; but if the rest of you think it so marvelous, I have no choice but to believe you."
"Oh, of course it looks ridiculous. That's what makes it so great, silly. Zan said we're going home soon, right? It'll be nice, I guess—going to a home. I don't know why, but I'm real excited."
Star smiled as Vivi yawned without covering her mouth. "It's because you have a home worth going home to now. You always have. It's taken you long enough to see it."
"And I would really like to sleep in a bed for once," Vivi agreed, absentmindedly scratching her head. "What with all the adventure and danger and nearly losing my brother forever, I've never been so tired in all my life."
"Then maybe we can convince you to stay longer than usual."
"Like maybe… All the time?"
"I believe the word is forever."
"Forever…" The drowse cleared a bit from the girl's eyes, and instead they sparkled with delight. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Star was delighted, too. She pulled Vivi close and led her off to find their companions, also feeling that she had never been so happy to be going home.
Because now they both had a home worth going back to.
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Afterthoughts…
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Okay, that's enough filler for right now. This has to end. IT MUST END. I forget how long I've even been trudging through this one…
PJ Blindclown pointed out to me recently that the "good general", as I call him, shares his surname with one of the Pirans from the Shadowlands arc. This tickled me, as I knew I had seen the name Azan somewhere besides my notes, though I'm almost positive I had named this character before reading those books. I have a habit of that—naming people in this story after incidental characters from DQ who almost didn't deserve names, without realizing that I've done it. Iris is the same; it frustrated me so badly when I came across her name in Dragon's Nest that I nearly changed her name over it. Just…. Yeah.
I might do a sketch of Star in her new pirate outfit in a few days, because I think it looks pretty damn cool. More video game lore for when I'm in a bind, think of her getting an armor and weapons upgrade. ;D
In other news, I've settled into school and a new job, and will be at the beach for a chunk of next week. So maybe something of consequence will come together sooner than later. We get a Titan story next chapter, since each book needs its own; and Star's puzzling over those words she isn't sure about will be brought to an end. It's going to be great. 8D
