Mint stared at the tall person in shock so long before Prima could blurt out "ROD?
"Hey, Mint. Prima Doll. Elena!" Rod said (*). "Nice to see you guys."
"Nice to see you?! What on earth are you doing here?" Mint cried, finally regaining her composure. "I thought you said Pinto can't run in the desert!" The reason Mint and Rue went with Klaus' family in the first place was that Rod couldn't render his service to them, saying that Pinto's engines can't handle the sand, despite it s nine cannon balls attached to it. Mint knew that Rod loved that boat as much as the woman who gave it to him, so she knew that he will never leave it behind. She could assume that he brought it along somehow.
Whatever warmth the vagrant swords master felt right now to see his three friends again almost instantly disappeared. "I TOLD you don't EVER call it Pinto!" he seethed. "It's the Pulsar-inferno…"
"Typhoon Omega." Mint finished for him. "You didn't answer my question."
"Oh. A few days after you two left for Klaus, I ran into someone by the river. Helped me fixed my baby's engine and upgraded it for desert travel. Knowing you'd need my aid somewhat with the Ephlesia ruins, I thought I'd drop by to say hello."
"We could use your help, but not about the boat." Prima piped in. Before Rod would turn to him and rant, Elena grabbed the tall man's sleeve.
"We need your help to find Polly." Elena said, looking genuinely worried. "We lost him in the streets awhile ago."
"Polly?" Rod looked at the girl blankly, a bit lost.
"She meant Rue." Mint explained to him. "We can't find him anywhere."
He chuckled. "Oh boy, Mint. You could be a very irresponsible baby-sitter for once, you know that?"
"Call me a baby-sitter again and I WILL hurt you." Mint fumed. "Are you going to help us or not?!"
"That bad, huh? Well you're lucky, I happen to know these streets like the back of my hand." Rod said, getting serious. "As long as you can remember where you last saw him…"
"Elena?" Mint turned to her friend, the last person who saw Rue.
"Well, I think I saw him near a small flower shop. There is a brown building with red curtains at the windows nearby." Elena said, her brow furrowing in concentration.
Rod paused, thinking. "Well, there IS a flower shop around here, but it's not anywhere near a brown building. Are you sure?"
Elena shook her head.
"Well, it's better than nothing!" Mint said. "What's the building she was talking about?"
"Red curtains? It's most likely the Building of Trade a few roads from here." Rod said. "The flower shop Elena was talking about is actually around that corner over there." He pointed that direction. "It's crowded as heck in that place, though. I was planning to buy some flowers before you came along."
"Flowers?"
"Never you mind. I thought you want to find Rue as soon as you can," Rod reminded her.
"Fine, so I guess Rue got lost between here and the Building of Trade. At least it won't take us that long. Here, Elena." Mint gave her the map. "You and Prima check out the flower shop. If you can find him or not, meet us in the Hero Monument. I'm going with Rod to the building."
"Alright. Be careful."
*****
"Who are you?!" Rue cried out in anger as the shadowy figure stepped from the darkness, Arc Edge ready in his hands. The figure still swapped in its dark and torn folds of its cloak, its face still hidden from view, but made no other move, studying its adversary almost curiously. "What do you want?" Rue looked over his shoulder and saw that a black wall, lightning coursing all over it, was barring him to the alley. He was trapped, and talking to the figure should at least help him buy some time to think a solution out of this dilemma.
"You are probably the third doll who asked the same questions." The figure said a hint of annoyance in its voice. "Frankly, I am getting tired of explaining myself all the time. But if you insist, you may call me Shadow." Suddenly Shadow was a few inches away from Rue, and the latter took a step back
"Shadow…the third doll…? How do you know I'm not human?" Rue demanded.
"Because all the dolls that Valen created concerns me greatly." Shadow said. "And besides, you resemble the others. Valen made no effort to make his creations look different physically."
"You're wrong! I'm not Valen's creation any more!"
"Do you really? Your brothers said differently."
"My brothers? What do you mean? What have you done to them?!" Rue's concern for the other Valen dolls overcame his fear. He took a threatening step towards the dim figure.
"Still in their boxes, so to speak." Shadow said. "But you should worry more for yourself if I am you. Since it is you, specifically, that I want dead above all else." With a snarl, Shadow lunged, a sword in his hand. Rue was an experienced fighter, however, and blocked Shadow's attack with ease using his axe. To his horror, he realized that Shadow has a hidden strength behind his frail appearance. And Rue found himself staggering back against the weight despite his efforts. His enemy seemed more upset, though, than pleased.
"So he was right. It is you after all." Shadow, whispered, almost as if he was talking to himself. "I would slay you where you stand, and take what is rightfully mine. But that is not what we wanted. If you wish to see your brothers again, look for me in the ruins. We will talk more." With a suddenness that Rue could not remember, Shadow threw him easily against the wall of dark lightning. He felt his body jolted by thousands of small electric currents and unyielding pain but he refused to lose consciousness, his eyes never taking off Shadow.
"I don't understand how you managed to survive all this time." His enemy said bitterly. "You of all beings deserve to die."
"To die? Why? What….What have I done to you?" Rue wheezed, still confused with this turn of events. As well as the anger and hatred that was directed at him.
"In time, Rue, you'll find out."
"WAIT!" Rue shouted as Shadow disappeared quietly, but the black walls remained, in fact it reinforced. Rue' weak knees can no longer support him from the damages he'd taken from the lightning magic. He fell forward, sprawled on the floor, feeling himself growing weaker every second. He wondered if he was going to die in this forsaken place, knowing that Shadow is threatening the lives of the other Valen dolls this very moment. He also wondered if Mint is coming for his aid, as she had done so in the past. She seemed to be gifted with the knack of helping him out in a nick of time.
"RUE! Don't be such a wimp! If you wanna live, dammit, get your lazy butt up and do something!!" He could almost hear Mint say these words right now, bossing him around in such a situation. Smiling grimly, Rue forced himself to crawl away from the magic wall. To his surprise, he felt his strength returning to his heavy limbs, and realized that the wall was guilty for it. He began to crawl away from it as fast as he can.
*****
"What is that?!" Rod demanded as he and Mint turned into an abandoned alleyway and found a black wall barring in their way. His companion was sucking on her finger where the small lightning burnt her trying to get nearer to it a while ago. Now the two of them surveyed the area anxiously, giving the wall a good distance though, knowing that Rue was likely inside.
"It's some form of cross energies between black and yellow magic, used as a defensive shield." Mint said, "I never saw anything like this before." With a look of determination in her face, she readied her own magic.
"What are you doing?" Rod asked in alarm as he saw her readying her rings.
"What do you think? I'm gonna blast the wall open!" Mint replied, annoyed at Rod for asking such a loaded question if she had ever heard one.
"You can't do that! Using magic in New Ephlesia is forbidden!"
"What are you talking about?! Klaus never said anything like that before! Besides, we had a magic wall here. If it's forbidden, where are the local enforcers? "
"Klaus never said anything because that law was just recent!" Rod said. "And for your second question the council said the use of offensive spells is punishable by death! That wall is just a defensive spell, if what you said about it is true, so no enforcers. If you use your magic, we'll be in big trouble."
"Dang! You've better be kidding, Rod."
"No, I'm not. Would I even try to talk you out of it?"
Mint cursed. She wanted to help Rue, but not so that they'd end up in jail. She scanned the wall, trying to find a solution somehow. Then she noticed the tall brown wall from the Building of Trade, part of the alleyway that was cut off from. "Rod, how do you get up to the roof?"
"Huh? We head to the building first and use the stairs." Rod said, getting annoyed that Mint asked such an obvious question.
"I know that, you moron! I meant if you could use from the roof to lower yourself in the alleyway?"
"What? That's dangerous! And besides we can't just enter the building without permission…" then he did a double-take. "And what do you mean me to lower myself in the alleyway?"
"If Rue is unconscious and we can't find a way out of that place, you could use a rope to get yourselves out (**). A magical barrier protects the magician, but not completely. He is vulnerable from above. I'd bet the energy is at its weakest there." She looked at Rod who seems to be unsure with her plan. "And besides, I thought you had heart for rescue missions?"
"Fine. I'll do it." Rod said. "But if I get killed trying to get in there, I'm gonna haunt you, got that?" he looked at the building, "We might need a rope, and I already told you we need permission to enter the building. Any ideas how?"
"No. But I'm open for suggestions."
"I do. I can't help but overhearing your conversation, I hope you don't mind." A female voice said from behind. Mint did not recognize that voice, but Rod suddenly straightened up and looked at their intruder in confusion. "Milady!" he cried.
"Hi, Rod. I've been waiting forever! Where are the roses you promised?" The woman said, smiling widely. Mint could tell that the lady was of nobility, much taller than Mint but an inch smaller than Rod. She was wearing an expensive looking dress specifically made for walking, her white boots in her small feet. Her golden hair tied neatly by a hair net covered with a blue sun hat. She was holding an umbrella in her gloved hands, to ward off the late morning sun. Her merry blue eyes seemed to look at Mint curiously.
"Ah, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot you were waiting for me!" Rod was saying, reddening as he took off his hat. "It's just I'm helping a friend here to…."
"Err, Rod, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Mint asked.
Rod looked more embarrassed as he faced Mint, whispering. "Look! This isn't the time for this!"
"What? How could you say that, Rod? Any friend of yours is a friend of mine and you should know that. By the way, my name is Lucine." The young lady interrupted, offering her open hand to Mint. "I'm so pleased to meet you!"
"Mint," the princess said absently, taking her hand. Then she stared at her in surprise. "Lucine? You're Lucine? You're the one who gave Rod the Pinto??"
"Pinto? That's such a lovely name!" Lucine exclaimed. "I never get to christen the ACV anything before I gave it to Rod. We met again recently and he never told me he already named it."
"I'm sure…" Mint gave a sly smile to Rod who was glowering. "Anyway, you said you could help us?"
"Yes. My father is one of the guild members of the building. The guards won't question anything as long as I'm with you." Lucine suggested.
"Great, we need to reach to the roof as soon as we can," Mint said, deciding that she is beginning to like this girl, who seems to be unconcerned for bending the rules to her benefit.
*****
True to what Lucine said, the trio reached the roof without incident. Rod had managed to swipe the rope along the way and was tying its end to a sturdy-looking post. Mint looked over the edge almost anxiously. It's quite a drop, she thought with a sinking heart, they were probably eight stories high from the ground. If she was wrong, Rod would likely end up getting himself killed, and she or Lucine would have no way of helping him. She was beginning to have second thoughts about her plan.
"Err, Rod, maybe we should think of something else." Mint whispered.
"No way! I can't back off now that Lucine's watching!" Rod whispered back. "Besides, I've climbed mountains before. I can handle this."
A few minutes before, you thought it was a crazy idea. Mint shrugged. Well she tried, didn't she?
"Take care, Rod." Lucine said as Rod swung his huge legs over the ledge, the other end of the rope tied around his waist.
"See ya," was his short reply as he began to lower himself.
******
Rue managed to sit up at the opposite side of the wall, catching his breath from the exertion. The magic wall is still sapping his strength even at this distance, though, and he was thinking if there is any way he can ever get out of here when he heard something scraping at the wall above him. Quickly the boy looked up, wondering what Shadow had in store for him.
But it wasn't Shadow at all. Rue gaped in surprise to see a familiar person penetrating the "roof" of the magic barrier to land right in front of him, a rope tied around his waist.
"Rod!" Rue shouted, very relieved.
"Long time no see, Rue. I heard you're in trouble." Rod puffed. "Geez, that magic took some wind out of me. Mint didn't tell me about this."
"She's here?"
"Yup. She's with my friend up there, though. But let's exchange pleasantries later, I have to get you out of here first." Rod said. "Can you stand?"
"A little. But at least I can still move."
"Then I'll tie the rope to you. We have to get away from this creepy place as soon as possible."
*****
Rue was looked over by a local doctor nearby, who was knowledgeable of herbal medicines, in which she gave him some green-looking soup he was ordered to drink it all up. His physical injuries were cured by Mint's water magic (her healing potion was left at the inn), but could not revitalize him. Lucine eventually asked the three friends to spend a few more hours in the Building of Trade for Rue to regain his strength, while Rod volunteered to go to the Hero's Monument to instruct Elena and Prima Doll to return to the inn as soon as they can. Rue was dozing off quietly, and Mint didn't try to pry any information from him, in fact she was quiet ever since Rod and Rue emerged from the wall (in which it disappeared entirely after they did, which unsettled her). She figured that Klaus can do it for her.
"How's your friend?" Lucine asked as Mint sat down on a chair tiredly.
"He's a tough cookie. He'll live." Mint said. "He took a pretty good beating, though, I've never seen injuries like those before."
"I know. I studied a bit of magic before. I tried to tell the guards nearby that there was an unsanctioned use of magical energy in the area, but they wouldn't call the enforcers. It's probably because it's non-offensive."
"It is." Mint remembered she used her healing magic on Rue, and they were not challenged for it. "Anyway, who made that rule anyway?"
"It's been quite recent, as it was approved by the Ephlesia's Council of Order. I'm not sure about the details but the head of the Council was attacked a few years ago by a magic spell. They later captured the assassin and had him executed, but not before the assassin's brother, a magic-user himself, killed the leader's family. Magic is from thereon forbidden, except used for practical purposes, like healing and watering the plants and the like."
"Damn, that sucks. But, hey, I'm impressed, that's a fine explanation if anything else. You're almost as knowledgeable as Klaus." Mint complimented her.
"Why thank you," Lucine said, "But I'd rather be a mechanic rather than a scholar like my father wanted me to."
"A me… You're a mechanic?!" Mint said flabbergasted, seeing this dignified lady in an expensive dress pursuing that profession is beyond her imagination.
"I don't look like it, right?" Lucine laughed, not offended at all. "Pinto is my finest work, actually. Unless Rod had said differently I didn't know about. Anyway, we met a few weeks ago in the river side, and I helped him upgrade the ACV for desert travel, since we are apparently going at the same direction. If you see it again you'll probably won't even recognize it anymore."
"Yeah, Rod told me about that." Mint said, "By the way, I'm kind of curious, what are you doing here so out in the desert? Rod told me you're in your hometown waiting for him to accomplish his promise with you."
"Oh, it's because my father is doing some business proposition to an old friend of his." Lucine said, getting sad. "And I want time to be with Rod as much as I can."
"What? Why for?"
"My father wants me to marry someone else. To the eldest son of his friend." This time Lucine made no effort to hide her unhappiness. Mint thought she couldn't be any more surprise than this. She was wrong.
"No...way! Did Rod know?"
Lucine shook her head. "Rod loves to exaggerate things. If he finds out, he may try to kill himself, or worse."
Man, she really does know him very well, Mint thought, "But you know you have to tell him eventually."
Lucine took a deep breath. "I know. I just…." She shrugged. "Mint, please promise me that you will not tell anything to him about this. I'm still trying to convince my father otherwise."
"Oh…alright." Mint said, almost reluctantly. Lucine took a hold on Mint's hands, looking genuinely relieved. "Thank you."
The poor bum, Mint thought of Rod as few hours later, helped carrying Rue back to the inn with her, as soon as they said their good byes to Lucine. Mint felt sorry for the pair, and found no voice to start a conversation despite her efforts. Fortunately, if Rod found Mint's uncharacteristic silence disturbing, he did not said anything. Soon Rue was saying that he can walk (or maybe because he was embarrassed to be carried around like a sack with people watching) for himself. And seeing that the Golden Sands were quite a few feet away, Rod said he was going to head back to Pinto and to Johnny Wolf, who was waiting for him at the city gates.
"I'm sure Mira could cook something for you," Rue was saying.
"Thanks, Rue, but no." Rod said, Mint finding it out of character of Rod to pass a free meal. A free meal Mira cooked(***). "I'm planning to spend the evening with Johnny Wolf, so he could adjust to the desert. Anyway, if you two are planning to head for the desert, look for me and the Pulsar-inferno Typhoon Omega."
Mint would have made a witty snide comment there, but kept her mouth shut.
"Bye!" Rod said cheerfully as he strode away. The two adventurers watched him disappear in the crowd for a moment then turned at the direction of the inn. A few minutes later Mint found herself walking ahead and Rue was lagging behind. She turned and found himself almost stumbling on his feet.
"Geez! I thought you just said that you can walk!" Mint said, annoyed and concerned at the same time.
"I am. I'm just getting a bit dizzy, that's all." Rue said. "Give me a minute."
Mint grumbled a bit under her breath but retraced her steps towards her companion. She slipped her arm under his, around his shoulders, helping him to regain his balance. Rue looked at her in surprise, but accepted her support gratefully.
"You are so undependable sometimes, Rue!" Mint complained, as the pair headed slowly to the inn. "If you faint and you drag me to the road, I'm going to dump you and leave you there. Do you have you any idea how heavy you are?"
"No." Rue admitted. "I never knew."
"Well you should seriously consider getting yourself a diet, and start by cutting down the venison stew Claire makes you. I swear, you're a lot heavier this time." (****) Mint said, cracking a smile, informing Rue she was just kidding.
And Rue chuckled.
------
*Insert Rod's obligatory theme song here.
** Rue is one heavy dead weight (but not really dead, OK?). Just ask Mint.
*** Rod loved Mira's cooking. But then again, I suspect everyone else did.
****AGH! Rue eats Bambi! Err, no, not really…..
