Chapter 6, It's all wrong!
"Birds can fly much faster," Kevin pointed out, frowning again.
Lise wished that he wouldn't do that, he wasn't himself when he frowned. But she couldn't exactly ask him not to frown.
"Yes, but the winds around the mountains can be very treacherous," she said, "it's too dangerous for birds that aren't used to it."
'And it would give you an excuse to join us,' the princess thought, 'Kevin, I know you just want to help, but…'
It wasn't hard to see that the half blood was uncomfortable with the situation. He refused to meet her gaze, sitting on the other side of the table with his arms resolutely crossed.
"We'll be alright," Hawk said, trying to sound encouraging, "you don't have to worry about us, Kev, we're warriors too."
Kevin shook his head without looking up.
"No feel good about leaving friends," he grunted.
"It's not easy for us either," the thief admitted, "but we do this because you're our friend and we don't want you to be hurt in our trials."
Very slowly Kevin finally straightened up.
"Not right," he snarled though.
Lise shook her head, now when he looked up unable to meet his gaze herself.
"No, you're right about that. But it's better that you don't get pulled into it if we can avoid it."
They had been trying to have dinner for quite some time, but the food had grown cold long ago. Meanwhile the sun was sinking outside.
The day had passed, and they had spent it differently. Hawk had stayed on his room, checking through his simple equipment several times out of growing tension, Kevin had been on the golden road ever since the talk with Lise (I'd rate him a 14-17 leveler after those hours of beating all the puny monsters around that area… but on the other hand there's no levels in this fic ;) author's note).
And the princess of Rolante had been in the harbor, fruitlessly looking for anything departing in at least the right direction. But people had heard about the invasion of the Wind Kingdom by now, rating that area as pretty insecure. The captains of few ships had been planning on going to Palo, but they had changed their mind after hearing the news.
Just as Lise had been about to give up a captain of a smaller ship had come over to her and carefully asked if he had met her before somewhere. By his accent Lise easily detected his origins.
So she had found a captain who had grown up in Palo, and without telling him her real title Lise had reached an agreement with him.
He told her that he had been one of the ones who had recently fled Jad, and hadn't got anything special planned before Lise showed up. Being from the fishing town and also slightly worried, he'd agreed on taking her and Hawk there.
At least they had a ship. It was so ironic that it was in Maia, because if it had been in Byzel instead the sail would have taken at least two days less. But the trading town was closed for foreigners for the moment due to the turmoil in the area, and anyhow there might not have been a ship willing to take them to Palo there.
They would leave in the morning.
And Kevin was still frustrated. Ever since he had returned from his battling against the inhabitants of the golden road he had been grunting more than usual and hardly spoken at all.
The whole meal, no the entire situation was pure torture for all of them. None of them knew how to repair the cut in their friendship.
"You're not gonna believe this!"
The three warriors almost jumped to the roof by the sudden shout and sound of a slamming door from the other room.
"What?" the voice of the innkeeper said.
"Somebody blew up the bridge over the ravine on the way to Forcena!" a man's voice puffed, the same voice that had busted in with a shout.
"What!?"
"And that's not half of it!" the news-bringer said and suddenly laughed a bit, "I heard some freaks needs to go to Forcena so badly that they're willing to use that canon Bon Voyage made!"
"What?" the innkeeper said again, laughing as well, "have I missed the show?"
"No, hardly. He needs gunpowder, so the old madman sent those morons to find the dwarves in order to get some of that. Ha!"
"Too bad, I would have loved seeing somebody actually volunteering to that idiocy…" the innkeeper smirked.
Lise didn't care much for the discussion out there; she was staring at her hardly even halfway emptied plate, trying to think of something that could break the ice.
It was a relief to go to bed later on, but it took several hours before she managed to fall asleep. And she had a feeling that her friends didn't sleep too well either.
Kevin stood on the pier for a long time, watching the ship disappear in the distance. Now he felt guilty for merely grunting a "Good-bye" without even meeting his friends' eyes when so. Not a good parting, not for a good reason.
It was all wrong.
He growled at the thought, again.
'Wrong! What if they get killed?!'
The tension was painful, which made him even more frustrated.
Looked like the monsters of the trading path would face another hard day after Kevin had checked on his feathered friends.
And a couple of hours later that prophecy of the author (big surprise!!) showed to come true. While the three birds kept a fascinated eye each on their humanoid friend's battling, the monsters of the land gave proof of their lack of studying.
Kevin was too busy and far away to see the same three warriors he had noticed the day earlier leave the very same cave he had seen them enter.
However he heard the explosion twenty minutes later and became puzzled enough to head back to town. It wasn't too hard to get the news; everybody was talking about the same thing.
"Would you believe it? He actually found someone who wanted to use the canon!"
"Yeah, now the question is how well those poor fools manage to collect their limbs when they finally land. And the goddess knows where that'll be…"
Kevin just shrugged at the whole excitement, drawing a line between the talk at the inn yesterday and today's big thing. It didn't matter to him, he had other things on his mind.
As the son of the Beast King went back to terrorizing the monsters still dumb enough not to catch the message, Lise and Hawk were on the ship that would bring them to Palo. But both of them were feeling rather miserable, keeping from talking with each other and the sailors who were busy enough in any case.
By dinner the first day the captain of the transporting ship came to see his two passengers. He found them idly trying to eat some soup, not speaking with each other. But he found it rude to ask if anything was wrong between them.
On the other hand… he looked closer at the young man sitting on the other side of the floor secured table, facing the blond amazon. Wait a minute…?
"Hey, aren't you from Navarre?" the ol' seadog asked before considering it.
The young man looked up and down again with a sigh that sounded like a "here we go again…".
"Yes, he is," the amazon said with a failed attempt of a smile, "but don't get the wrong idea. He's not on the crowd's side."
"Ah."
The captain nodded and didn't push the matter further. Instead he unrolled the map he had brought, and placed it on the table. The young couple put their plates aside and paid full attention to the elder man as he spoke.
"I've been thinking," he began and pointed at the peninsula known as the place where Jad was located, "the beastmen are probably still here, and I guess you know about their transporting abilities, right?"
"Birds," the Navarre turncoat said with a peculiar, slightly bitter smile, "yeah, we know."
"Well, it's rumored that those warriors can't stand the sea very well, but I wouldn't risk my neck for a rumor. I think we should try to sneak by Jad while it's night, since they tend to transform and pay less attention to the rest of the world while being more of animals."
He couldn't know that his last remark cut into the souls of his passengers, but they said nothing.
"So, if it is to work we'll lose a full day, I'm afraid," he continued and pointed at the coastline to the southwest of the town, "if we leave from around this point after sunset we'll have passed the town a couple of hours before sunrise. However we won't reach this area before early in the morning tomorrow, so then we'll have to take down the sails and wait for the sun to move far enough for our next part of the trip."
"I understand, captain," the amazon nodded, "I agree that it would be unwise to take any risks."
"I'm glad that you understand," the captain nodded with a smile, "I wish you good night."
After the man had left, Hawk and Lise sat in silence again for a moment.
"It'll be around the place where we rested while we fled, right?" Lise finally muttered.
"Yeah."
Hawk sighed.
"It's the right thing," he lazily said.
"I try to tell myself that…"
Another silence followed. Suddenly Hawk's fist hit the table, almost causing the remaining soup to spill out.
"Animals!?" he growled.
He took in a deep breath and leaned back on his chair.
"Sorry, but it just…"
"I feel the same," Lise muttered, frowning, "I don't like beastmen but that included Kevin."
"Funny," Hawk said in a low voice, "only a week ago I could have agreed on that those hairy bullies are nothing but animals with a little more intelligence, but…"
His voice trailed off, and Lise said nothing.
Because both of them knew that the anger really only held one shared thought.
We shouldn't have left him behind.
Five days later they arrived at Palo.
No ninjas guarding the harbor, the fishing ships laid peacefully in the docks in the sun's lowering rays. The houses looked whole at least in the distance.
"Maybe they overlooked it since it's so small?" the captain said as he stood by the stern of the ship, gazing towards his home town together with Lise and Hawk.
In his voice was a grain of doubt, however. An invading nation seldom leaves anything alone, even a sailor knew that.
"We can only hope," Lise said, frowning.
The captain glanced at her. The wind tried to throw her hair around, but the green ribbon she had tied around the last few inches of it kept the fine, blond threads in place. He knew that he had seen her before.
"By the way, Lise," the Navarre fellow said, "maybe you should find something else to wear than that armor of yours."
"Yeah, you're right…" she replied, absentmindedly.
Lise?
Oh wait… no… it couldn't be…?!
"Um, excuse me, but…" the captain said, rather sheepishly.
"Hmm?" the amazon said and turned to him.
Oh yes, that blond hair and the armor in a darker color than it normally should be, and with wider shoulder plates… he should have realized it sooner.
"You're the Lise, aren't you?" he said in a low voice.
She watched him for a moment, then she slowly nodded. He didn't see her friend, but could almost hear the young man clench his teeth in unpleasant surprise. The desert warrior obviously didn't think that it was wise not to deny it.
"Don't worry, Your Highness," the captain gravely whispered, "I won't tell anyone. But isn't it a little too dangerous here?"
"I have to try," Lise told him in a low voice, "I haven't got the power to free the castle, but Hawk has an idea that might help us all further."
"No details, it's better that way," the older man grimly said, "your secret will stay inside of my head."
He looked up at the approaching dock.
"Come on, we better find you a disguise just in case. Something is foul with old Palo."
The disguise found was a brown robe with a hood that could hide the princess' face well enough to make it safe.
"And you should take this," the captain told Hawk and offered him a white cloak, "it's the best I've got. Some traveling healer forgot it here. If your old friends are here they'll surely give you trouble, but in any case the townspeople might."
"Thanks a lot. But how can you forget your working clothes?" the thief thought aloud and tried the cloak on.
It was a little too short really, but not so that anybody would notice. And the design of it filled the purpose; it fell over his back and swept down from his shoulders to hide the rest of his clothing well enough. A couple of buttons by the waist and chest made it even more secure.
"You wouldn't believe what people forget when they're traveling," the captain chuckled, "so be careful not to forget each other."
Lise forced a smile, Hawk quickly nodded and then bent his head to secure the buttons of the cloak-robe.
"Thank you so much for your help," the princess said to hide the tension she and her friend experienced.
The captain smiled.
"Ah, miss," he said, "in the name of all rights I should really give you back the money you paid me too. You're going to be the queen of my home country one day, after all."
"I hope you're right about that…"
"I'm sure about it," the older man said, and by that Lise managed to smile.
"Keep the money, you need a living," she said, determined, "and now, let's go."
"Right," both Hawk and the captain said, almost simultaneously.
She smiled at that too, feeling a lot lighter at her heavy heart.
The three of them returned to the deck, while the ship was docking.
"Should we wait for you?" the captain asked, glancing at the silent town.
Seemed a little too silent…
Lise shook her head, and Hawk agreed to that.
"No, too dangerous," the princess said and pulled up the hood, "we'll figure something out, don't worry."
"If you're sure…" the captain said, a bit disbelieving.
"Yes, we are. Thank you for everything."
Hawk and Lise waved at the crew on the ship and then began walking towards the small town.
"One day I'll invest in anonymous clothes for travels," Hawk grumbled.
He was surprised but truly glad to hear Lise chuckle at that comment. She surprised herself too, and smiled at him when they exchanged glances. He smiled back.
Then he saw the ninja and almost jumped a mile. He hadn't seen the sunburned man, how could he have been so careless?!
Despite the robe she wore he noticed that Lise became tense as a bowstring as well. Oh, now he managed to note details again…!
But as the enemy warrior turned to the two travelers they saw that the man's eyes were as empty as a dry pond, staring straight at nothing.
"This city belong to the country of Navarre," the ninja announced in a lifeless, lazy voice, "do not resist us and you will not be harmed."
The words sent a lightning bolt of rage through Lise, and she reached for her hidden spear with a growl. They dared to invade her country, attack her people, kill her friends and even give her orders?! Her pride as the leader of the amazon army revolted, as well as the agony she had fought back until now. She wouldn't let…
Hawk's hand landed on her shoulder, she felt it through the cloth by the swing of her shoulder panzer. As she angrily looked around he gravely shook his head.
"Not here, not now," he whispered.
He released her and slowly walked closer to the ninja, followed by Lise's pained gaze. The other man didn't react as the thief waved with his hand before the face darkened by many years' and generations' sun.
"Hypnotized…" Hawk hissed, "damn that Isabella!"
Lise came over to him, and they went into Palo with grim expressions.
There were more ninjas in town, all of them acting like sleepwalkers. The common people inhabiting the place were silent and more or less ran all the time, hurrying to do whatever they had to take care of. Just so that they wouldn't have to be among the eerie invaders more than absolutely necessary.
"They don't seem to oppose any real threat as it is," Lise muttered.
"But I bet that if they got an order it would get complicated," Hawk whispered back.
He looked around. The sun was beginning to sink more resolutely.
"Let's split up and have a quick glance around," he suggested, "these sleepwalkers won't attack us, they seem to be left only to keep an eye on things here. If that's the proper description."
"Okay, let's meet here in half an hour," Lise said.
They went in a direction each, Hawk to the eastern side of the small town and Lise to the western.
After twenty minutes of finding nothing interesting at all the princess felt as much done. There seemed to have been few casualties in the attack, since the ninjas had been obviously too strong the peaceful fishermen had realized that they as well could give up. It was bitter, but Lise was glad that few had been hurt. They had made it through smoother than the castle higher up on the mountain.
Light spilled out of an open gate located down some stairs in the very center of town. It seemed to lead into some kind of underground building or something.
Lise shrugged and went inside.
Inside she faced a choice. There was a closed door to the right on the wall ahead, to the left was a stair going up.
She took the stair and found herself in a small bar. Apart from a maid by the counter and an empty-eyed ninja lazily drinking a glass of something nobody was there. Still it was very warm. Lise pondered if she should leave at once, but as she was about to turn she noticed that the barmaid was waving carefully at her with a thoughtful frown.
It puzzled Lise, but she decided to investigate it. After all she had a little while left before she was supposed to meet up with Hawk. But if she was forced to push the hood backwards in order to stand the heat.
The frown disappeared from the barmaid's forehead, and suddenly she smiled in a way that seemed oddly familiar. Wondering, Lise followed the direction to the other side of the room, away from the ninja. Just in case, probably.
As she stood by the side of the bar desk the princess gave the barmaid a questioning look.
"It's me, miss!" the woman by the counter whispered.
The voice was familiar…?
Yes!
"Eliza!" Lise hissed, hardly able to hide her joy at seeing her friend from Rolante alive and well.
"Nice disguise, huh?" the captain whispered and swiftly touched her hair.
It had used to be blond, but now it had a fine blue tone. Almost like Hawk's…
The princess fought not to laugh loudly of relief; it could attract attention after all.
"Listen," Eliza whispered, "go to the flower garden on the plateau south of the castle, we…"
"Hey!" the ninja suddenly slurred, "give me more whiskey!"
"Coming right up, sir!" Eliza obediently said over her shoulder.
As she turned back Lise gravely nodded and hurried out of the bar, almost ramming into three new guests on her way out. But she didn't even look at them, neither did she apologize.
Little did she know that those three would help her greatly in a close future…
(Author's note:
I know that Lise doesn't wear any robe in the game, but admit that it really doesn't seem too smart of a princess on the run to walk around among enemies with her traditional clothing showing…)
Lise rushed out into the day that had begun to turn into evening and met Hawk by the harbor.
"The hood…" he began, but she grabbed his hand and made him run with her towards the path leading into the mountains.
"Never mind that, we have to move before it gets too dark to travel among the cliffs!" she hissed to him.
"What is it?" he asked, rushing up beside her.
"I met an old friend, she told me to go to the flower garden on the mountain," Lise hurriedly explained, "we have to hurry…"
"Wait, let's drop these traps we're wearing."
They stopped for a moment, just to strip out of the robes. The princess didn't find that a too bad idea, especially since she already had been close to stumbling on the cloth a couple of times while still in town.
"I met an old friend myself," Hawk grimly said as they began to hurry upwards again, "but he didn't recognize me… among a few others, but considering it their state was just as well. They're all cursed somehow, I guess…"
He sighed.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Lise honestly said.
"We have to stop Isabella."
"Indeed."
Now that the amazons weren't around to keep the monsters at an acceptable level there were a lot more needle birds and chibidevils roaming the mountain paths than there should be. But Lise was used to fighting those, and with Hawk's help they mostly waved the attackers aside, hurrying to reach their goal before it got dark.
Lise felt a blossom of excited happiness growing fast inside of her and allowed it to be there. Eliza's appearance had encouraged her greatly and given her strong suspicions that there were more survivors. And suddenly it didn't feel so awful to be back in the kingdom of the Wind even though her home wasn't completely freed. Once again she patrolled the paths she knew so well, the wind sang in her ears and danced around her. It had been moaning before she left, crying in fear as if its spirit Jinn knew the ninjas would come but couldn't do anything to stop them. The wind had cried with Lise as she had fled, and the anger was still there. But now the anger was different; filled with a will to right the wrongs. All of it bringing her new strength and hopes.
She led Hawk over the rope bridge separating the flourishing plateaus with the grim mountains. The wind was softer on the other side of the small cave where a goddess statue of silver had been placed to honor the creator of the beauty ahead.
Waterfalls coming from springs inside of the mountain gave life to the thousands of flowers growing on the shielded areas; the wind seemed to calm down and caress the greenery when it came here. In the sinking sun's golden light the fantastic scenery was even more stunning.
"It's beautiful," Hawk said with a surprised smile.
"You're romantic," Lise smiled back, "but I fully agree."
"Of course I'm romantic, I'm notorious for it!" the thief grinned and followed her as she walked into the sweet nature.
Notorious? Lise had to smile. She learnt something more about her friend every time they talked… it was a shame that they had been so depressed on the ship…
That thought dragged her mind back to Kevin, and her joy faltered a bit.
No, he shouldn't be here, it was alright…
But it didn't feel alright.
She walked on, trying to fight back her arisen bitterness. Not now!
Apart from what she already was fighting Lise got a feeling that she was forgetting something important, but couldn't figure out what it was. She tried to shake it off by talking.
"Eliza hadn't time to tell me anything specific," she said over her shoulder as she and Hawk climbed another natural stair to the next plateau, "a ninja came in between. So I guess we'll just sneak around a little and see what happens."
"Okay," he nodded.
He hadn't anything against being right there for the moment. The beauty around him helped him to forget all his troubles for a while, and he could only enjoy that.
And of course, as the hopeless romantic he claimed and was known to be he naturally appreciated the sweet setting. However it once more made him irritated that he couldn't concentrate on Jessica.
The sun was lowering even more and it was getting dusky. But at least there were no monsters around, and both him and Lise had their bedrolls. So they were prepared, if needed…
He suddenly felt a little sleepy and blinked.
"You know…" Lise mumbled and her steps ceased to continue on, "I feel so tired all of a sudden…"
"You too?" Hawk yawned.
The grass felt soft against his cheek even though he struggled against the sleepiness. Something was wrong…
"By the goddess…" Lise mumbled, her voice slurring of exhaust, "the sleeping flowers…"
Oh, goody…
The last thing Hawk saw was that his friend collapsed in front of him, her eyes peacefully closed. A warmly red flower waved by her cheek, fondly caressing it with a little help from the wind.
'She's so beautiful…' the thief thought before he fell asleep.