+++++++++++++++++++++++++++ IV ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
At Water Town's prestigious bath house,Shantae was enjoying a very relaxing soak.Soon enough,
every ache she recieved on the way slowly dissolved away.She had rarely felt so good in her life.
She then glanced at the crystal she had set aside,the one she brought with her,the one Mimic had
found in the desert near Oasis Town.Shantae knew that as soon as she had finished soaking,she
would have to find someone in Water Town who might know something,anything in fact,about such
artifacts.Right now Shantae was in no hurry.
Once outside,Shantae began to look around.It was then that she heard a not unfamiliar voice.
"Hey!"
It was Bolo.Clad in a yellow headband and sleeveless suit,olive-green short trousers,open-toed
sandals,two pairs of white bandage strips,each pair forming an 'X' on each knee,as well as wrist
and leg cuffs,he seemed more awake than was usual for him.
"What brings you to Water Town,Shantae?"Bolo said,scratching his head,his fingers running through
his dark hair.
"Well,Bolo,"Shanate said,"if you must know,I'm on a errand for Mimic to bring this
crystal here."
As Bolo gazed into the crystal's design,all he could utter was "Whoa . . . "
After a while,Shantae snapped her fingers at Bolo,trying to get his attention.
"Hello,world to Bolo,"she said.She began to grow more and more exasperated.
"BOLO!"
That shook him to his senses."Hey,Shantae,nice crystal."
"Never mind all that,"Shantae said."Is there someone here who might know anything at all about it?"
"It's your lucky day,Shantae."Bolo said."I do know such a person.Follow me."
Bolo led Shantae to a building where a rather dignified gentleman seated.He was bald with a white
mustache and wore a white tunic with blue trim.He also wore black slippers.This was the keeper of
Water Town's archives.The archive keeper noticed the crystal Shantae carried.
"I believe I saw that design somewhere.Let me check . . ."
So saying,the archive keeper took out one of the books that he had on the nearby shelf.Shantae and
Bolo looked at each other,wondering if he knew something.After a couple of minutes . . .
"AHA! I knew I recognized the design!"Turning to Shantae,he said,"My dear girl,this crystal,you see,
was intended to be a wedding gift by a local merchant to his bride over thirty five years ago."
"Was she pretty?"Bolo asked.
"If you must know,my boy,she was quite a beauty.According to the archives,this merchant,a nice
looking fellow by the way,went to Oasis Town to find a wedding gift.He managed to purchase a
beautiful crystal with an intricately engraved design.However,according to the archives,as he crossed
the desert,he was assaulted by a band of bandits whose leader wielded a sword.Those bandits stole
everything the merchant had.It's likely they would have killed him if Oasis Town's guardian genie had
not come to the rescue.Unforutnately for the merchant,the bandit leader made off with the crystal and
was never seen again."
"What happened to the merchant?"Shantae asked.
"Well,after a while,"the archive keeper said,"the merchant managed to return to Water Town where
his story spread like wildfire.That's how it got to be in the archives of course.For a time,he was real
despondent,for he was afraid that he would never get married to the girl he loved.Anyway,to make
a long story short,she loved him so much,they got married anyway.They live to this day on a small
house not far from the archive building.If you like you can deliver this crystal to them."
"Well,"said Shantae,"what are we waiting for?"
So saying,Shantae and Bolo left the archive building.
At Water Town's prestigious bath house,Shantae was enjoying a very relaxing soak.Soon enough,
every ache she recieved on the way slowly dissolved away.She had rarely felt so good in her life.
She then glanced at the crystal she had set aside,the one she brought with her,the one Mimic had
found in the desert near Oasis Town.Shantae knew that as soon as she had finished soaking,she
would have to find someone in Water Town who might know something,anything in fact,about such
artifacts.Right now Shantae was in no hurry.
Once outside,Shantae began to look around.It was then that she heard a not unfamiliar voice.
"Hey!"
It was Bolo.Clad in a yellow headband and sleeveless suit,olive-green short trousers,open-toed
sandals,two pairs of white bandage strips,each pair forming an 'X' on each knee,as well as wrist
and leg cuffs,he seemed more awake than was usual for him.
"What brings you to Water Town,Shantae?"Bolo said,scratching his head,his fingers running through
his dark hair.
"Well,Bolo,"Shanate said,"if you must know,I'm on a errand for Mimic to bring this
crystal here."
As Bolo gazed into the crystal's design,all he could utter was "Whoa . . . "
After a while,Shantae snapped her fingers at Bolo,trying to get his attention.
"Hello,world to Bolo,"she said.She began to grow more and more exasperated.
"BOLO!"
That shook him to his senses."Hey,Shantae,nice crystal."
"Never mind all that,"Shantae said."Is there someone here who might know anything at all about it?"
"It's your lucky day,Shantae."Bolo said."I do know such a person.Follow me."
Bolo led Shantae to a building where a rather dignified gentleman seated.He was bald with a white
mustache and wore a white tunic with blue trim.He also wore black slippers.This was the keeper of
Water Town's archives.The archive keeper noticed the crystal Shantae carried.
"I believe I saw that design somewhere.Let me check . . ."
So saying,the archive keeper took out one of the books that he had on the nearby shelf.Shantae and
Bolo looked at each other,wondering if he knew something.After a couple of minutes . . .
"AHA! I knew I recognized the design!"Turning to Shantae,he said,"My dear girl,this crystal,you see,
was intended to be a wedding gift by a local merchant to his bride over thirty five years ago."
"Was she pretty?"Bolo asked.
"If you must know,my boy,she was quite a beauty.According to the archives,this merchant,a nice
looking fellow by the way,went to Oasis Town to find a wedding gift.He managed to purchase a
beautiful crystal with an intricately engraved design.However,according to the archives,as he crossed
the desert,he was assaulted by a band of bandits whose leader wielded a sword.Those bandits stole
everything the merchant had.It's likely they would have killed him if Oasis Town's guardian genie had
not come to the rescue.Unforutnately for the merchant,the bandit leader made off with the crystal and
was never seen again."
"What happened to the merchant?"Shantae asked.
"Well,after a while,"the archive keeper said,"the merchant managed to return to Water Town where
his story spread like wildfire.That's how it got to be in the archives of course.For a time,he was real
despondent,for he was afraid that he would never get married to the girl he loved.Anyway,to make
a long story short,she loved him so much,they got married anyway.They live to this day on a small
house not far from the archive building.If you like you can deliver this crystal to them."
"Well,"said Shantae,"what are we waiting for?"
So saying,Shantae and Bolo left the archive building.