Helping Hands
"And the hidden Passage leads – to another forest! Great. A change of pace would have been nice, you know? Haaah…"
Luxu kicks a stone against another tree and sights.
"…Well. At least the trees aren't the kind that respond to being hit…"
He looks at the tree for a moment, expecting to be proven wrong. After nothing happens, he starts walking. But it only takes a few steps until he has another idea.
"Maybe there is another door I can go through, back at the clearing?"
He turns around to look for the entrance he has just gotten through, but it is nowhere to be found.
*Great. Juust great.*
He thinks to himself, as he inspects the tree where it should have been, but there is no hint of the tree being more than average.
*I'll just take it as a sign, that I should be moving on.*
Luxu looks up, towards the sky.
*I mean it's brighter than in Halloween Town for sure, but I still can't see any sign of the sun. What is this place?*
Thanks to his experiences in Halloween Town, he is now able to discern the surrealness of his environment a little better than before. There is also a fog surrounding him. It isn't very thick. Just enough to make it difficult to see places that are more distant. Luxu has also gotten used to not knowing where he is going: He has simply choses a direction and now tries his best to stick with it without walking in circles.
After a while Luxu notices, that someone is watching him. But in accordance with his training, he treats whatever it is like a Darkness and ignores it. He continues to walk a straight line without letting his course be altered by the creatures around him.
Not too far away, an owl is sitting on a tree. Despite the fact, that it is daytime, the owl is wide awake. After all, someone has barged into its territory. The owl doesn't feel any ill will from the black-robed person, but that isn't comforting at all, as it normally can feel the intent of anyone – no matter who it is. Also, this place isn't something anyone could just barge into. It is her domain, and she isn't keen on sharing it.
The owl leaps from a tree, just to fall towards the ground. But just before hitting it, it changes into a fog cloud, that quickly melds together with the rest of the fog. Suddenly a few feet away a wolf steps forward from behind a tree. Its' eyes are just as fixated on Luxu as the owls' and it slowly walks towards him. Walking behind another tree, the wolf vanishes and out comes a weasel, that sneaks even closer.
Realizing, that ignoring it is pointless, Luxu stops.
"Come out whoever you are! I am lost and could use some directions."
Hoping, that it isn't a monster coming after him, Luxu tries to sound as harmless as he can be. He is feeling a strong force surrounding him, so he doesn't know what to expect from his observer. Even more so, because he can't make out the creatures' position, which makes it difficult to look into its heart.
Suddenly, before Luxu can react, a bright and golden light appeares in front of Luxu, casting away all the surrounding mists.
"WHO DARES TO SNEAK INTO MY DOMAIN AND COMMAND ME TO DO HIS BIDDING!? SHOW YOURSELF OR YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!"
Startled, Luxu immediately throws back his hood and tries to apologise.
"I'm deeply sorry! I didn't mean to sneak anywhere! I went here through an old door and before I realized, it vanished, I swear!"
While Luxu is talking, the light starts to fade, and he can make out a woman in yellow robes stepping forward.
"Hmm, now that I can perceive your heart, I know you are telling no lie."
The woman starts walking around him, while observing his every move. It seems his words – or rather revealing himself – has calmed her down a bit. Or so Luxu thought, but what comes back forward from behind him, isn't a woman but a wolf.
"But for someone who can hide his intentions as well as you, it might not be difficult to make his own heart a lie. And what oath can I trust from a person I have never seen before?"
"Hiding me is the coat's power, not my own! I use it to escape the eyes of dark forces, so I can slip past them. And if it's an oath you want-"
Luxu takes out the Device he carries as a necklace
"-I swear on this, that my words are true!"
The wolf comes closer, intrigued by the white shimmer the Box gives off.
"I can indeed feel a strange power emanating from it, but by no means does it-"
The wolf falls silent as if it has noticed something. Meanwhile the light of the Device starts pulsating.
"…It's strange. It's as if this thing is reflecting my own …heart? No. Not reflecting it. It is even purifying it, creating this pure white light!"
The wolf stares up at Luxu, as if it ponders over something. Luxu hopes it isn't about what its next meal will be. Looking as if it has made up its mind, it turns around and while it walks away, fog gathers around it. Before long it becomes a woman again.
"I see what you mean now. It is difficult to imagine the carrier of such a Device as someone harmful. After all I can feel, this Device has great power to do good, but not to do bad. Come now, follow me. While you are here, I can offer you a place to sleep. People call me the Enchantress by the way – so what is your name?"
Luxu follows behind her.
"I'm Luxu and thank you for your offer. I'll take you up on that."
They continue their conversation while walking for a while.
"Honestly, if it wasn't for my ability to see a persons' heart, I would never have accepted the Device as an oath. You might be lucky to still be alive, if things went badly."
Luxu smirks at the words of the Enchantress.
"Well, I knew about your ability. After all you have the same look I have, when I look at someone's' heart."
The Enchantress, who is still walking in front, looks back at him with a surprised look on her face and Luxu continues.
"It's another ability I got from the Device. Thanks to that I could also see that you wouldn't try to take it once you knew what it was. Even after your loud entrance."
The Enchantress turns back forward again, and they become silent for a moment.
"…I'll take that as a compliment. Now tell me again, where did you come from? And where are you going?"
Luxu is at a loss at how to best explain his journey so far, as he himself doesn't quite understand what is going on.
"It's difficult to explain… I was at a place with no sun, like this one, but it was much darker. Well, at first it seemed like that, but in contrast the people there were extremely bright… After finishing my task there, I continued through a door and ended up here."
"It feels like you're trying to leave out some details there, but I won't pry any further if you don't want to say it. But what was your task there, if I may ask?"
A conflicted look appears on Luxu's face. He doesn't want to talk too much about this, as he might needlessly scare people. And panic doesn't really help with his task.
"To activate the Device here. It will cast a spell, to protect the Land from a Storm, that is coming."
The Enchantress smirks at him and Luxu is glad to see that she is still calm and collected.
"You are awfully honest."
"It just feels like it would be useless to try and lie to you."
"You're right, it would be useless, but in my experience normally people would still try. Anyways we're here."
Luxu is trying to make out what exactly 'here' is, but he only sees branches that are crudely formed like different furniture.
"What? Did you expect a castle or something? Why would I bother with something like that? Sit down over there, I will make you something to drink."
Unsure what to say, Luxu sits down on a chair-like tree-branch and waits for the Enchantress.
"Now, that we're here, I can finally get a closer look at you. Here, your drink, now wait a second… Also, how about you hang that coat up over there?"
After giving Luxu a cup of some kind of potion, the Enchantress turns into a raven and points at a clothes tree with her wing. Luxu is unsure, what she is up to, but sees no reason distrust her for now. He takes off his coat, sits back down to drink the potion.
After finishing the cup, he starts glowing, and steaming from his skin. The vapour forms many different streams around his body. Many of them flow between him and the Device. But even more flow around Luxu alone. The vapor only moves at a slow pace, but what it lacks in speed it makes up with being so murky, that it seems almost solid. The fact that it constantly changes shape and glows faintly makes a different impression though.
"What is this?"
Luxu looks down on himself and tries touching the fog, but it's always changing shape, and so he is always a finger-width away from grabbing it. The raven hops onto his shoulder and bends down to look at the Device attached to Luxu's necklace.
"Interesting… I have never seen so many enchantments on a single person before… Many of them seem to bind you and the Device together. Others, however, were cast on you alone."
The enchantress hops off Luxu's shoulder towards the ground and turns into a wolf again. She starts sniffing the fog, which doesn't seem to be bothered by her.
"I think I understand now, how you reached this place. Someone cast a multitude of enchantments on you to change… your fate. But it would need at least some form of medium. And it's not the Device… Did anything special happen, when you found the door? Can you think of something? It could be an animal that walked by, or even a part of your body that felt different from usual."
"No, not really. I simply recited the…"
Luxu opens his eyes widely as if he just has realised something,
"…prophecy."
He looks at the wolf.
"Is that possible? My master made me remember a lot of prophecies. Can they be the medium?"
The wolf sits down and ponders over Luxu's question.
"Hmm, quite possibly. But it takes a lot of skill to manage that. Even more so, if you didn't even notice yourself… who was your master again?"
"You wouldn't know him I think; he came from a place far away. He never told me his real name either."
The wolf walks towards a chair in front of Luxu, turning into the Enchantress, that seems to brood over something.
"And your… master prepared all this to send you on your mission? It must be quite a task."
"Yes… I'm just starting to understand how lacking I am. If it wasn't for masters' and others' help, I would have been lost already."
With a pained expression on his face, the Enchantress feels she has to say something.
"And, still your master trusts, that you will manage all of it, otherwise he wouldn't have cast these many spells on you."
She looks into the distance as she continues.
"I on the other hand struggle with casting a single one…"
"What do you mean?"
The Enchantress looks back at Luxu and smiled.
"It's nothing. You don't need to concern yourself with the ramblings of an old woman. Now, where were we… Ah right, that task you have and how you need all the help you can get. Well, as a fellow sorceress I understand how important it must be, for your master to go to these lengths. So, I can offer you a small enchantment of my own, if you like. I mean, one more doesn't really matter at this point, right? But it's less than an enchantment and more like a simple protective charm."
A conflicted expression can be seen on Luxu's face again.
"I don't like being in other people's debt, if I'm not sure whether I can ever return it… But at this point I should start counting my blessings… So, yes. I would appreciate your help."
"Good then hold still for a moment and let me see that Device of yours."
The Enchantress takes out a Rose from her garments and bends forward, to reach out towards the Device.
"What's with the Rose?"
"This? I got it from an acquaintances place. Don't worry, I can get another one any time I want. I'll use this as my medium. When I'm done it will be so tightly connected to the Device, you won't even notice it's there anymore. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate."
The enchantress closes her eyes and moves her mouth in a silent prayer. The Rose starts giving off a golden glow as it slowly wraps itself around the top of the Device, where it connects to the necklace.
When the spell is finished the Enchantress opens her eyes again.
"…It's done. It won't hold as long as your other spells, but it will keep you away from danger for a while."
Luxu looks at the Device, with its new attachment.
"My enchantment is kept alive through the emanating light of the Device by the way. It's just a little, so there shouldn't be a problem."
Looking up again, Luxu asks the Enchantress.
"You actually use the power of the Device? Can you teach me how to do that as well? Sometimes I really wish I could control it better, if I want to hide it for example. I thought about using runes, but I don't know how I could make it work…"
"Runes? I can't help you with those directly, but if you really know something like that, you might be able to come up with something yourself, if I try to explain my enchantment… If we're lucky, we might manage, before time is up."
"What do you mean? Do you need to be somewhere?"
The Enchantress shakes her head.
"No, it's you who are going to be somewhere. Wherever you've come from, this place isn't where you're headed. As this is my domain, I can clearly see, that you aren't exactly here. You could say, that you're still going through that door you talked about before. I don't know if it was also your master's doing, or simple coincidence. But having seen his work, I doubt that there is much, that he leaves to chance. What I can tell you is, that you've come from a distant past. Where you are going to, I cannot say though, as I have never perceived any place like it before."
Hearing the Enchantress' honest opinion, Luxu gets disheartened a little. He has always considered it a possibility, but all the enchantments on him leave no room for doubt anymore.
"…So I really am just dancing in my masters palm, aren't I? Me and the Device are all the same to him, just tools to be used…"
The woman in front of him gives him a sad and knowing smile. She herself understands best, how easily these kinds of powers can destroy another person's life.
"…You are quite lucky you know? The spells your master cast on you, aren't shackles to tie you down. They do not force you to take the path he foretold for you. You can ultimately choose to ignore those prophecies any time they come to you. That is not how it usually is with enchantments. I almost envy the skill needed for such a feat, but I can only imagine how much effort he must have spent on them. If you really are a tool, then you are one like no other, with a lifetimes worth of work spent on you."
Luxu thinks about her words and eventually looks to the ground, a bit ashamed to so easily doubt his master, like a child blaming its parent for things it has no power over.
"…It almost feels like I'm talking to my master. Just the part, where he's always making bad jokes is missing."
Her sad smile becomes a bit warmer now.
"You telling me that, makes me feel like I saved at least some face. As an old lady I mean. Seeing the work of that master of yours, I was taken back to my own humble beginnings. It seems like there is much to learn. And on that note, we should get right to it."
Luxu stands up, ready to get to work, and bows.
"Yes, of course! Pleas teach me!"
"Not so fast, let me think for a bit first!"
Luxu sits down, looking as if he wants to say something. But then decides to just wait, as she has asked.
"…Hmm. I think the spell the Device is most compatible with, would be a forgetting-spell."
Luxu couldn't quite follow.
"A forgetting spell?"
"Because if my hunch is correct, the light of the Device stems from the wish to protect something, am I right?"
After Luxu gives her a confirming nod, she continued.
"The wish to protect someone can be quite easily reshaped into the wish to make someone forget something bad that happened. It's at least easier, than the transforming spell – the other spell that I'm good at. With the time we have I think we should focus on that. Is that alright?"
"Yes of course! Something like that would be quite useful I believe."
With that the Enchantress finally gets up.
"Please remind me afterwards, that I already showed you."
"What do you-"
Suddenly the Enchantress punches a tree without holding back.
"Argh! Good, that hurts."
A little teary eyed she heals her hand, and then continues to grab the Device hanging on Luxu's chest. Realising what she meant, he watches closely, as the Device's light is channelled by the Enchantress. It envelopes her head and her expression becomes somewhat blank. After the Device falls out of her hand again, she starts talking again.
"Please remind me -"
Luxu reaches out his hand to stop her fist this time.
"-That you already showed me. You did, thank you."
The Enchantress gives off a relieved sigh.
"Oh, good. I really didn't want to do this. I hope you looked closely, as I erased my memory?"
Luxu nods.
"Yes I did, but just as you said it will take a while until I can make sense of it and use it for my own runes… I hope you would be able to guide me a little longer."
The enchantress answers with a satisfied nod.
"That's what I intended to do all along. There's not much else to do here anyways."
They continue their training as time flies by. But Luxu barely notices as there is no sun or clock to tell him.
"…Alright this should be enough. It's time for you to sleep. You can barely hold your eyes open!"
It is true, that Luxu would fall asleep the moment he stops forcing himself, but he doesn't want to let this chance slip by.
"There is nothing I can teach you for now anyways. The rest you'll have to do yourself."
Luxu sights.
"Haah, ok, I believe you. I'll go to…"
Luxu falls as he closes his eyes and is caught by the Enchantress.
"I wondered when it would happen… You exhausted yourself way too much, during the training."
She carries him to a bed made of branches.
"Now, you at least got the method down. To improve it, you'll just have to train a bit more."
After putting him there, she transforms into a wolf again to lie down and thinks to herself.
*You'll have to go the rest of the way yourself, I'm afraid. Part of me wishes that you won't have to use the Rose I gave you… But with a path ahead like yours, you will need it I'm sure. Something tells me we will meet again… Is it the enchantments by your master? That would mean, that even I am just part of the story he had spun… Well, there is no point in overthinking it, so I'll just let this go…*
Luxu wakes up, not in a bed, but on wet and grassy ground. For some reason he wears his coat again, that he has taken off previously. When he looks around, he could see that he has slept next to a track meant for carriages. Some trees are scattered besides the path, but not to a point, where it could be called a forest anymore.
If he hadn't talked with the enchantress about this, he would have thought his meeting with her has just been a dream. Then again, he has even learned a little bit more about how to use the Device, so he might have considered that the meeting could be real.
Luxu gets up and notices that he feels strangely full of energy.
"Did she do something after I fell asleep? Looks like she is really keen on putting me in her debt."
Luxu is smiling as he checks if anything else is different. After finding nothing special, he stretches for a moment and takes the path in downhill direction.
"No way will I go up if I don't have to."
While jogging he soon comes across a horse-driven carriage driving upwards. It is made of wood with a cloth covering most of it. Steering it is a bearded middle-aged man who doesn't let Luxu out of his sight as soon as he notices him. Luxu throws back his hood and tries to be as inconspicuous as he can when he asks the coachman.
"Good morning, unfortunately I'm lost. Could you tell me which direction I am going right now?"
The coachman gives him a suspicious and stern look.
"Lost, eh? How can ya not know the way towards London? Ya betta' stay away from me carriage. I got no time to deal with vagrants like you!"
Luxu doesn't want to push his luck so he steps out of the way, as the coachman spurs his horse to ride faster. He sights and continues to jog downhill. Whenever he comes to a fork, he chooses the bigger street leading downwards. He might be able to blend in better when there are more people around.
A while later he can hear some noise behind him, and the desperate screams of a young man can be heard.
"Out of the way! I can't control the horses anymore!"
Luxu jumps and a second later a carriage rushes through the place where he has stood before. The carriage this time looks more elegant as the last one. It is made from metal, with a space meant for transporting people inside, that can be accessed through a door on the side.
Seeing the black man, desperately struggling to regain control over the horses, who are apparently running in fear from something, Luxu decides to help out.
He uses an ice spell to create a sheet of ice he can slip down on, slowly catching up to the carriage. The horses look at him in fear when he catches up to them, but they can only run straight ahead. The coachman on the other hand has a baffled look on his face, and just stares at Luxu in disbelief.
Luxu himself jumps onto the back of one of the two horses and uses the light of the Device to erase the memories of the horses, to calm them down. They stop their sprint and become slower until they eventually stand still.
"What just…!"
Before the man can continue, Luxu jumps towards him and erases his memory of 'magic' as well. As long as Luxu doesn't know about the situation of this place, he doesn't want any extra attention. Due to Luxu's magic, the excitement on the man's face is replaced by thankfulness.
"…happened…?"
He looks as if he is trying to piece together everything he knows.
"It was you! You calmed the horses down! Thank you so much! Are you okay!? How did you even get on them!? Oh, no!"
The man looks shocked as if he just has forgotten something important. He jumps off the carriage and runs towards the door as he shouts.
"Mr. and Mrs. Greystoke! Are you alright!?"
A woman's voice answers him from inside the carriage.
"Yes, we're alright, it was just a bumpy ride, that's all!"
While the coachman hastily opens the door, another voice, that seems to be even more panicked than the coachman's, questions the woman further.
"Are you sure!? I'll have James get the doctor here! You just sit and wait!"
The woman has no intention to listen to his request though.
"Oh come on, darling it will be fine! We're almost at the town, no point in making it more difficult than it is. Thank you, James."
With the help of the coachman, who is apparently named James, a young pregnant woman steps out of the carriage.
"But-"
Mrs. Greystoke looks back inside the carriage, to interrupt the source of the voice.
"No 'but's! We'll just rest here for a moment and drive on later. I'm getting hungry anyways."
Another person appears at the door.
"Oh, alright. But as soon as you feel something, you tell me! And James would you be so kind as to introduce us to our saviour here, before preparing lunch?"
James has already been on the way to the back of the carriage, but quickly turns around.
"Yes, of course! I would have almost forgotten!"
Luxu has just stepped down the coachman's spot, when James comes towards him.
"Sir, could you spare a moment to meet the people you just saved?"
Without waiting for an answer, he grabs Luxu by the wrist and takes him in front of Mr. and Mrs. Greystoke.
"May I introduce to you: John and Alice Greystoke, the famous explorers!"
John steps forward and extends his hand for a handshake.
"Just call me John. I can't have my saviour be formal with me!"
Luxu grabs his hand and replies.
"My name is Luxu, it's a pleasure."
James can't hold still anymore and start praising Luxu.
"You should have seen him! When I had already thought we were finished, he jumped on top of a horse and managed to calm them down! It almost felt like I saw a miracle with my own eyes!"
Alice comes forward as well. With one hand she holds her stomach and extendes the other with a smile on her face.
"And my name is Alice, it seems some thanks are in order."
"Don't mention it. I just got lucky."
John answers instead of Alice.
"That might be, but not many would have tried to help at all in this situation. So, I insist, that you eat lunch with us! James, we do have enough for four people, right?"
"Ah, of course. There's no problem!"
James looks at Alice's stomach and gives her a wink.
"But I'll make enough for five."
Alice smiles while putting a hand on her stomach.
"Please do."
With that James makes his way to the back of the carriage. John observes and after James is gone, he goes back to Alice.
"Hey, maybe I should ask James to teach me how to cook, while we're still travelling together. How about it?"
Alice answers while he wraps his arms around her.
"Oh, honey. It's cute when you worry, but there's no need for that. I like you the most, when you are brooding over work. And isn't it me who should worry, that you fall so in love with his cooking, that you can't eat mine anymore?"
"Darling, there's no way I wouldn't eat something you made!"
He looks down on Alice's stomach.
"Except, of course, if this little guy here is hungry."
Not wanting to bother the couple, while they are in their own world, Luxu follows after James and asks.
"Can I help you with something?"
James is startled for a moment, as he hasn't noticed Luxu coming, but quickly gives him an understanding look.
"Ah, yes. It's difficult to talk to them, when they're like that. And yes, can you set up the chairs over there? James insisted, we'd take some with us, while Alice is still pregnant. We can't have her standing all the time…"
"Alright, will do!"
Luxu, immediately gets to work and when James sees, the speed at which he sets up the chairs he starts working faster as well.
"Well, I'll be damned! If you're so fast, I'll have a hard time keeping up, haha!"
Before long, the chairs are set up, and lunch, in form of delicious looking sandwiches, is ready.
John and Alice come over and sit down. John starts talking as he sits down.
"Thank you, James, as always. And it seems you had competent assistance. I wasn't even able to offer my own help."
John winks at Luxu.
"So thank you once again."
James answers while distributing the sandwiches.
"Oh, it's nothing. As for my part: See it as trying to make up for the ruckus I caused earlier. I think I heard you swearing over some documents, that flew around the cart, when the horses started to go wild."
"And I'm glad to help."
John takes his lunch as Luxu replies as well. Everyone takes a bite, before John continues.
"Come to think of it. What did happen with the horses?"
James shrugs.
"Beats me. I didn't see a thing, when they suddenly neighed. They got pretty riled up, and then they started galloping as if their lives depended on it."
Luxu has a bad premonition and chimes in.
"None of you felt anything, you say?"
Alice answers him.
"Well, at the same time, the little guy became restless… But he calmed down, when we started to move quicker."
Luxu sees his fears confirmed.
*So it's true. These are the first signs of a Storm, aren't they? But didn't the enchantress say, that he came from a distant place? Why is the Storm here now? I mean, it doesn't change much. I'll have to do as I always do, right? Let's just hope there is enough time before the real thing starts.*
"While that is indeed strange, luckily we were saved by little Luxu here. All's well that ends well, wouldn't you say?"
Luxu is torn out of his thought by John.
"Ah, yes. I'm glad I managed to react in time."
"Well, we were lucky you were close by. Speaking of which, what are you doing, travelling around here? Are you going anywhere specific?"
Luxu tries to think of an answer, that doesn't sound like a lie.
"Ah… I'm not going anywhere specific, actually. I'm just travelling around the country for now."
John starts grinning broadly.
"You just travel around? You're also an explorer at heart, I see!"
James continues instead of John.
"You see, Mr. Greystoke here is a famous explorer! He has been to the deepest parts Africa several times already!"
"And my next expedition will be my biggest one yet!"
John stands up proudly as he says this, but then reprimands James.
"But didn't I tell you to just call me John, when we're not on official business?"
James snickers.
"Well, sorry! I thought it was!"
John scratches his head as he answers.
"We are? I don't know what you-Ah. I didn't even realize… Well, looks like you got me there, James!"
John laughs as he directs his gaze at Luxu. James warns Luxu.
"I'd be careful if I were you! I you're not you might end up working for this guy for the rest of your life!"
John makes an offended face.
"Well, if there are competent people, of course I'd want them to work for me! I mean, you've been here for two months at most, and you act like you've been a secretary your whole life! I'm not sorry for asking!"
"Haha, don't worry, I see it as a compliment! If I didn't have family back home, I would have said yes for sure."
While the two are distracted, Alice asks Luxu.
"As you just heard, we are going on an expedition sometime after I give birth. We are still looking for people to join us. We'll make sure to give you favourable working conditions, so how about it? It's a long journey, but that's all the more reason for a traveller to join us, right? But you don't have to answer right away. We'd love it if you came with us to London for now. You can still decide there."
Luxu thinks about it for a moment, and when he answers, the other two listen as well.
"Yes, I'd love to travel with you. I can't say anything about an expedition yet, but if you can give me a ride to London, that'd be great."
John stands up again.
"Then, let's not waste any more time! We pack up and start moving again. Alice could give birth anytime and I really want to see her with a doctor, when the time comes."
And, as John commands, they get ready to move again, and Luxu finds himself sitting inside a cramped room with John and Alice, as they explain their journey to him. Luxu manages to act like a country bumkin who knows nothing of the world. Apparently while John is an explorer, Alice is a biologist and together they have made it their goal to explore as much of Africa's wildlife as they can. And also, James is a cook they recruited in a place called New Orleans.
"Ugh, I feel like it's starting soon."
Alice holds her stomach, while groaning. John has already noticed Alice's complexion for a while and becomes nervous.
"Really!? Hey! James, how long until the doctor!? I think it's time for a full sprint again!"
They have just reached London and there is more traffic now.
"Don't! I want to get there in one piece! I can still handle this."
Despite Alice's words, the carriage becomes a little faster. It doesn't seem too fast for Luxu, but Alice rolls her eyes.
"Ugh. Men."
They eventually reach the doctor unscathed, and Alice is immediately transported inside the house, with her sweating and panicking husband following right behind her. In the meantime, Luxu help James with the carriage and horses.
"We sent word to the Inn right across the doctors place before we came here, so they should still have a place open. You can stay with me for the night. I'm don't think James will leave Alice's side anytime soon."
Luxu is a bit surprised.
"We're not going to Alice?"
"Well, I think it's better if we wait for tomorrow. They are going to be pretty exhausted for now."
Luxu is somewhat bummed out about it but understands where James was coming from.
"Alright."
Luxu and James are sitting inside a bar, both with a drink in their hands. There aren't many people present, besides them. But a few of those who are, are giving them weird looks. As if to deflect the looks they get, James talks a bit louder than usual.
"So, Luxu. What do you think about Mr. Greystroke's offer? I can assure you, that you won't get a much better one around here."
Upon hearing the name 'Greystroke' the people around them whisper for a bit but eventually continue to mind their own business again. Luxu is relieved, that it seems like they can continue talking without being disturbed.
"Well, I'm still not quite sure actually. I hope I can give an answer after sleeping over it a little."
In the back of his mind, Luxu has had a bad feeling for a while now. But he decides to push it away for now, until he is alone.
"You still got time, don't worry. After all we'll stay in London for a while longer, so Alice can recover, and our ship and crew aren't ready yet anyways."
"Good to hear, that I have a little longer to decide. Now, come to think of it. I heard from John and Alice, that they recruited you as well, but how did that happen anyways?"
James smiles upon hearing Luxu's question.
"Oh, so you want to know about that? If it helps you make your own decision, I'll gladly tell it!"
After taking a gulp of his drink, he continued.
"You see, back in my hometown I had a bit of a problem. No matter where I looked or what I did, people weren't keen on hiring a black cook. In the end no restaurant liked it, when customers started saying their meal tasted funny. Funny thing is that such rumours always only started after someone started noticing that I was the one cooking…"
James sights before continuing.
"Where was I? Ah, right – I couldn't find a job, but luckily enough my wife got us by, by working as a Tailor."
"You have a wife!?"
Luxu sounds more shocked than he intended to, but he hasn't even considered the possibility so far. After all James is miles away from home as far as he knows.
"Yes, I do! Here, I have a picture of her! Isn't Eudora the most beautiful woman on earth!?"
Luxu looks at a black and white photograph of a dark-skinned woman. James himself is also inside the photo, wrapping his arm around her waist. Then he points at a child that stands in front of them. Both James' and Eudora's hands are resting on her shoulders.
"But my little angel is going to beat her to the first place soon enough."
James' eyes are already lost inside the photograph, and he falls silent while looking at it with a smile.
"…You miss them, don't you?"
James looks up, a little teary-eyed, when he answers
"Ah, yes. But this is for the best…"
He takes a deep breath.
"You see, when the money-problems got worse, John came to me, while I was cooking for the neighbourhood. He was pretty shocked to hear that I had no job, so he made me a once-in-a-lifetime-offer.
All our problems would be solved if I joined him on his next expedition! Can you believe it? For a simple cook like me, he went through all those lengths! Well, his wife was already pregnant by then, so he probably just couldn't ignore me and my family. He had even offered to let me take along my wife and child, but we had to decline…
I might act like an explorer right now, but my home is still New Orleans. With the money I get out of this I plan on opening a restaurant there."
James smiles at Luxu.
"But this expedition isn't just a detour. I'm trying to learn new dishes to surprise my family with, whenever I can! And while we're on a boat, you could learn about sailing and navigating, if you want. I'm sure John wouldn't have anything against that. People need to learn while they're still young after all!"
"You're right, knowing how to sail could be useful at some point. I'll have to consider that as well."
They sit at the bar for a while longer, but soon enough they decide to leave for their rooms.
As Luxu lies down on the bed he finally gives in to the thought scratching the back of his head the whole day and lets it come to the surface. Just as he has guessed, it is a prophecy:
Two paths, you stand before.
One decision you can't ignore.
Will you travel to far off lands?
Or will you refuse the helping hands?
Your choice is going to lead you to a painful farewell.
Unfortunately, this is no place for you to dwell.
With misfortune for everyone who stays,
each must go their own dangerous ways.
Luxu is shocked, as the prophecy is even worse than he has feared.
*A painful farewell? You want me to just leave them? Wouldn't they be able to activate the Device? It glows fairly enough when James talked about his family, so it should be alright! There's still time! After all I haven't felt another Storm since the horses went wild. Also, James was right. I should try to learn whatever I can. Didn't the enchantress say anyways, that I can ignore the prophecies if I want? And what 'danger' is the prophecy talking about?*
Luxu lies in bed for a long while, going back and forth between the choices he has.
By the time James knocks on his door, he feels like he has got no sleep at all. After taking a while to get up, James and Luxu make their way towards the hospital.
"Good morning, may we interrupt?"
James knocks on the door and enters. He is instantly greeted with a hug by John.
"Ahh, good morning James! It really is a good morning; I have to say. And good morning to you as well Luxu!"
Luxu receives his own hug and can see the Device lighting up inside his coat, but he ignores it. Both John and Alice are too exhausted, and Luxu doesn't want to repeat the mistake he has made with Sally before.
"Morning, and I hope you're well Alice!"
Alice gets up in the bed and looks as if she is holding something in her arms.
"Ah yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired. Good morning, James, Luxu."
James gives her a nod, while John runs back to the bed.
"Alice, let me do that for you! You lay down for a while longer!"
He receives the bundle of cloth carefully from Alice's arms and slowly walks back towards James and Luxu. He proudly presents it to them as he spoke.
"Friends, may I present to you Thosfan Tazer Greystoke!"
While Luxu looks at the baby, who slowly begins to wake up, James starts to snicker.
"You really did it now, didn't you? Isn't 'Taser' from a book? You better not start complaining, when the kids his age start to mock him!"
"Well, so what if it's from a book!? My boy is going to be special and so his name will be as well!"
"Yeah, yeah. No need to get worked up over a small joke! Just let me see him as well!"
In the meantime, Luxu is lost in thought again. He understands that the prophecy tries to warn him from something, but at the same time he just can't just let them go. The Device works in such a way, that the surroundings will be protected, once it's activated. In some cases, it will also reach out to faraway places, if they have a special place in the activators heart. But Luxu can't be sure, that it will reach the expedition team if he leaves them now. And seeing John and Alice's child, he finally makes his decision.
"John, Alice, James. I also have an announcement to make."
Luxu looks the three of them in the eyes.
"I would like to go with you on your expedition."
Author's Gibberish:
God damn, did the chapter before this one end as a train-wreck. I totally forgot how I wanted to continue and now I had to… rearrange some stuff. But hey, I think I think the revised version will better than the original. Not that you could tell anyways. I also spent some time to fix the rest of the timeline as well. Now that I have that out of the way, I can start concentrating on each chapter by itself again without having to worry about how to continue it.
Also, from now on I will write Darkness and Device with a capital D, so it gets distinguished better.
And yes, my ramblings from before about the prophecies having powers themselves have just become part of the plot… in the future I'll try not to spoil my own story. Sorry about that.
But I still want to say one thing: The baby's name isn't just random. One thing is, that 'Tazer' comes from an actual book called 'Tom Swift' by Victor Appleton. But there is another secret to his name.