Chapter five: Helping Hand
Ever since she heard of Shabon's abduction, Nei had stayed in her room at the Inn, sobbing her heart out. It felt like a piece of her heart was torn from her, as she had felt pain she had never experienced before. Nothing like this had ever happened to ANY of the three musicians.
Toppo however, while he still cried, was more furious than upset. He was partly furious at himself for letting it all happen. He had looked after Shabon for years and nothing had ever happened. But when he turned his back for an hour to go on a date, Shabon was kidnapped.
Toppo sat on the edge of the fountain, staring at Shabon's tambourine he held in his right hand. In his left hand, he held a juggling ball. Toppo stared down at the tambourine, only one thing on his mind. Thinking of what Shabon could be going through fueled Toppo's anger even further. He gripped the ball in his left hand so hard that his knuckles were turning white. He swore to himself right there that if he ever found out where Shabon was, he'd march all the way to where she was, beat the living snot out of the vermin responsible and save her himself if he had to.
Toppo was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a loud 'pop'. He stared at the ball in his left hand and found a large hole the shape of his fingers in it, all four of his digits minus his thumb shoved into it. Toppo had grown so angry that he had crushed the ball in his hand.
The juggler sighed as he looked into the sky. The news of Shabon's abduction had spread throughout Budehuc Castle, and everyone had chipped in the join the search for her. Toppo's party had come up with nothing and returned to Budehuc first. Hugo, Futch and Franz had sent Fubar, Bright and Ruby to search from the sky while they went out on foot to search elsewhere. He hoped that someone would come up with something soon.
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Fubar soared through the skies easily because Hugo wasn't riding on his back. The griffon searched the forests to the north of Budehuc Castle, looking for any sort of clue to where Shabon was. Truth be known, he was just as worried as anyone else in Budehuc, and was searching as hard as he could.
After a few minutes, Fubar spotted something. He saw a young man dressed in council garb being chased by three black clad soldiers with swords. Fubar cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the young man. He looked somewhat familiar.
Fubar knew that the young man was in danger, so he abandoned his search for a little bit to swoop down to save the man.
The griffon let out a high-pitched screech, getting the attention of the fleeing attendant. As Fubar touched the ground, he gestured for the attendant to hop on. The attendant quickly complied and hopped on Fubar's back.
As soon as the attendant was on his back, Fubar spread his wings and lifted off the ground. The black swordsmen were quickly approaching, but Fubar proved superior, taking off in the blink of an eye before the swordsmen had time to attack.
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Several of the castle residents was gathered in the courtyard of Budehuc Castle, waiting patiently for Fubar to come back. Lilly's team was the last to arrive, and no one had found anything. Nei was still in her room, although she had cried herself to sleep. Even Bright and Ruby's searches had turned up nothing. Everyone could only hope that Fubar had found something.
Suddenly, a loud screech pierced through the silence. Hugo's ears perked up as he look up at the source of the sound. Everyone else did the same. They saw Fubar flying overhead, preparing for a landing.
Hugo quickly shouted to everyone in the area. "Get out of the way!" The Flame Champion shouted. "He needs space to land!"
Some people quickly complied to Hugo's orders, getting out of the way so Fubar could touch down.
As soon as Fubar's talons touched the ground, Hugo rushed over to his friend. "Fubar! Did you find anything?"
Fubar nodded as he looked at his back and let out a soft 'kweeee...'. A figure sitting on Fubar's back slowly got off and set foot on the ground.
Everyone in the area gasped as they saw who the person was. Cecile pulled up her spear and shield. "It's that council member!" She growled. "He's here to take over!"
The attendant quickly turned to Cecile and waved his hands in front of his face. "No! I swear I'm not a member of the council! I'm just an attendant!"
Hugo tilted his head, thinking that he recognized the man. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Hey! You're the attendant I gave the peace treaty to when I first came to Zexen territory!" He exclaimed.
The attendant sighed as he looked at the ground. "Yes. That was me." He said.
Hugo looked at Fubar. "Where'd you find him, buddy?" Fubar let out a few quiet screeches. Hugo raised an eyebrow in confusion. "He was running through a northern forest being chased by a few black swordsmen?"
Ace folded his arms and stared at the attendant. "You have some explaining to do, buddy."
"Yeah. What were you doing in a forest north of here?" Emily asked.
The attendant sighed again. "I'll tell you everything. My name is Pablo, and I'm an attendant for the corrupt men that used to work for the council." He said. "Ever since he lost to the staff of Budehuc, councilor Julian has been wanting revenge. Recently, someone invited all of the fired council members to an abandoned castle. I tagged along, but I didn't know why. When we arrived, the person who invited us said he could help the council members get revenge. His plan?" He looked towards the back of the small crowd. "Kidnap the little girl known as Shabon."
Toppo, who was too busy thinking of Shabon to pay attention, snapped his head up when he heard her name. Toppo quickly pushed his way to the front of the small crowd and stared at the Pablo.
Pablo continued. "The man demonstrated his power by creating hundreds of foot soldiers, three of which were the ones chasing me through the forest. The reason that caused me to turn on the council is because those guys are just becoming too corrupt. I ran off, but Julian sent three soldiers on me, telling them to kill me." He turned towards Fubar and gently stroked his head. "And they would've succeeded had your griffon not arrived."
"So, this castle north of Zexen territory is where Shabon is being kept?" Borus asked.
"That's right, sir Borus." Pablo nodded.
"Well, I say all of us storm that castle and save Shabon!" Mel shouted. A few people agreed with her.
Pablo quickly shook his head. "No! The castle is so heavily guarded, someone will die for sure! If we send six people, two on each of your animals here, the guards won't see you coming and you'll have a better chance!" Pablo quickly turned to Hugo. "Noble Hugo, I am aware that you bare the True Fire Rune. However, that's what this man that invited us is after. Your true rune. In fact, he's after True Lightning and True Water as well. If he got his hands on all three, you wouldn't imagine what could happen!"
"...Yes, we could...." Samus muttered, remembering the whole ordeal with Luc. He said it quietly enough so no one could hear.
Chris stepped over to Pablo. "I think I get what you mean." She said. "If we send a small enough group, they won't be spotted as easily, which would raise the alarm for the rest of the soldiers!"
Pablo nodded, then turned to the young castle master. "Master Thomas, is there anyone else inhabiting the castle?" He asked.
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "You kidding? What you see here isn't even half of what we have."
Pablo grinned. "Tell everyone to meet me here in ten minutes. That should be enough time for them to get ready."
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Ten minutes passed. Thomas, Hugo, Geddoe, Chris and Pablo stood in front of the main building of Budehuc, overlooking the rest of the inhabitants, whom took up the rest of the courtyard and some of the 'front yard' by the Rune Sage and Inn. The only one absent was Nei, whom was still sleeping in her room at the Inn. Everyone stared at Pablo with rapt attention as he told them everything.
"Now you all realize what's going on and know where Shabon is being kept. Fubar, Bright and Ruby will transport the team to the castle, and I need six people to go. The reason Hugo, Geddoe and Chris can't go is because their true runes would be in danger." He looked around the crowd. "Who here would like to be the captain of the team?"
The crowd remained silent for a few seconds before a calm 'I'll do it.' Came from somewhere on the right. Everyone turned to the voice and saw a brown-haired knight in silver armour walking through the crowd and emerge at the front with the Flame Champion and co.
Chris' eyes widened. "Percival..."
Percival held up a hand, cutting Chris short. "Don't try to stop me, Chris." He said. "I've made my decision."
Pablo bit his lip, thinking of the consequences if a Zexen knight died during the mission. After a few seconds, he turned to the rest of the crowd. "Very well. I'll need five people to accompany sir Percival."
Toppo narrowed his eyes, thinking about what he could do to the council if he ever got his hands on them. Without looking, Toppo spoke to the person beside him. "...Roland..."
The elf knight turned to Toppo with wide eyes. The juggler had never addressed Roland by name. "What is it, Toppo?" He asked.
"...Take care of Nei while I'm gone." Toppo replied.
Without giving Roland so much as a second to reply, Toppo pushed his way through the crowd, marching towards the front. He got to the front and stood beside Percival.
Pablo nodded at Toppo and again turned to the crowd. "The team needs four more people."
Everyone quickly heard a reply come from the crowd. A lone figure pushed through the crowd until he emerged at the front. Everyone instantly recognized him. "I'm the only fighter who can pilot Ruby with no problem." Franz said. "I'll do what I can." With that, he walked up to Percival and Toppo and stood with them.
Sgt. Joe stood somewhere in the middle of the crowd, his head lowered. The only thing on his mind was Shabon. He remembered how much she loved playing around him, and the sergeant had even gone as far as to come up with a combo attack with her. While every time they did the combo attack, Sgt. Joe would become dizzy, but truth be told, he loved it every time. Shabon had accompanied the sergeant on so many missions in the past that he had become almost like her second guardian, Toppo being the first. The mere thought of what the council members could be doing to Shabon brought tears to his eyes.
The sergeant narrowed his eyes, knowing what he had to do. Tears rolling down his beak, Sgt. Joe looked up and silently marched towards the front of the crowd.
Hugo stared in surprise when he saw a teary-eyed duck emerge from the crowd. The sergeant looked at Hugo and read the expression on his face. "It's for Shabon, Hugo." Sgt. Joe said. "I'm going."
"Me too!" Another voice shouted. Everyone turned to see an older Karayan emerge from the crowd.
Pablo nodded as Sgt. Joe and Beecham stood with the rest of the team. He turned to the crowd. "Anyone else?"
Cecile approached Pablo and stood to attention. "I was in the same area as Shabon when she was abducted." She said. "The least I could do is come along."
"Very well." Pablo said as Cecile walked to the team. "These six will be taken to the castle north of Zexen by Fubar, Bright and Ruby." He turned to the team. "I'm sorry, but I don't know where in the castle Shabon is being kept, so you'll have to search."
"Understood." Percival said.
"Now, Fubar is the only animal who has an idea on where the castle is, so he'll be leading during the flight." Pablo continued.
The team agreed as Fubar let out a screech to agree.
Pablo sighed. "You six will be leaving in a hour. If you have any loved ones, say goodbye while you can. Because some of you might not get another chance."
The six members of the team slowly nodded as Pablo turned to the crowd. "Okay. The meeting is adjourned."
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Toppo watched as Percival and Franz were saying goodbye to Chris and Iku. As he saw the two couples embrace, Toppo walked off to find Mio. Roland was probably busy comforting Nei, and Toppo didn't want to disturb them.
Toppo slowly walked through the castle, towards the Infirmary. When he arrived, he slowly knocked on the door and patiently waited for someone, hopefully Mio, to answer. Luckily, the door was quickly answered. Even luckier, it was Mio who answered the door. When she saw Toppo, she smirked weakly.
"Hey, Toppo..." Mio said.
"...Hey." Toppo replied. "I'm just...Here to say goodbye."
"Oh..." Mio said. "Well, goodbye."
Toppo suddenly noticed something clear running down Mio's face. He held a hand to her face and wiped away the tear. "Don't cry, Mio...I'll come back alive."
Mio was silent. She managed to look at Toppo. "I know you will."
Toppo gently wrapped his arms around Mio as she did the same. He didn't want the moment to end, but he knew he'd have to let her go if he was to go save Shabon.
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Beecham stood in at the Blacksmith, waiting for Peggi to finish sharpening his weapon. Beecham didn't have any loved ones, so he figured he'd use the time he had to increase the power of his weapon.
"Um...Beecham?" A feminine voice came from behind him.
Beecham turned around to see a familiar figure slowly and shyly approaching him. "Chief Lucia? What is it?" Beecham asked.
Lucia looked up at Beecham, tears staining her face. "Beecham, I just wanted to say goodbye."
"Oh." Beecham said, his eyebrow raised at the fact Lucia was crying. "Well, goodbye."
"I hope that you'll come back in one piece." Lucia sniffed. "If you died out there..." She drowned herself out in her own crying.
Beecham stared at Lucia with a concerned glare. Even Peggi stopped hammering the sword to stare at the Karayan chief with wide eyes.
"C-Chief Lucia, why are you crying?" Beecham asked, grabbing Lucia's shoulders.
Lucia stared up at Beecham for a few seconds before lunging at him and throwing her arms around him. "Because whenever you go on a mission without me, I worry about you." She sobbed into Beecham's chest. "I've never been this upset because we've never faced anything like this before." She paused for a couple seconds. "You've been so protective to me, and I've never found a way to return the thanks."
Beecham didn't know what else to do other than return the embrace. "It's my job to protect you, chief Lucia." He assured. "Besides, nothing really BAD has happened to me."
Lucia instantly pulled away and stared at Beecham. "Beecham, you got that scar because of me!" She cried. "Since then, I've wanted to show you how much I care!"
Beecham stared at Lucia with wide eyes. Did she just say that she liked him? Beecham quickly wrapped his arms around Lucia again to comfort her. "It's alright, chief Lucia. I promise I'll come back alive."
Lucia pulled away from Beecham and looked at him. "Thanks, Beecham." She said. Then, much to Beecham's surprise, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye." She said before turning around and running off.
Beecham stared off into space, feeling his cheek. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a snicker come from behind him. He turned around to see Peggi grinning at him. "What?" He asked.
With a sly, toothy grin, Peggi handed the sword back to Beecham. "She likes you." He said.
Beecham thanked Peggi, sheathed his weapon and walked off, thinking about what Lucia had said.
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An hour later, the team of Percival, Toppo, Franz, Sgt. Joe, Beecham and Cecile were gathered at the front of the castle with Pablo, Fubar, Bright and Ruby. Everyone else stood away from them, giving the animals room to lift off when it was time. Pablo was giving the team instructions.
"Now, be careful when to come across the guards at the gate." Pablo said. "They're the toughest soldiers that were created."
Percival grinned. "That shouldn't be a problem. Most of us have offensive runes."
"Very well." Pablo said. "Remember that once you find Shabon, get the heck out of there. Once the soldiers know that you're inside, there's no escaping."
After Pablo finished, he wished the team good luck. The team said their final goodbyes to everyone before climbing onto the animals. Beecham and Sgt. Joe sat on Fubar, Franz and Toppo on Ruby, and Percvial and Cecile on Bright.
Fubar and Bright let out a screech as all three animals lifted of the ground.
However, as the animals were starting to take off, everyone failed to notice Koroku charge from the crowd, leap into the air and grab hold of Bright's tail. Luckily for him, Bright didn't seem to notice.
With that, all three animals took to the skies, everyone on the ground silently wishing them luck in the mission.
To be continued...
Ever since she heard of Shabon's abduction, Nei had stayed in her room at the Inn, sobbing her heart out. It felt like a piece of her heart was torn from her, as she had felt pain she had never experienced before. Nothing like this had ever happened to ANY of the three musicians.
Toppo however, while he still cried, was more furious than upset. He was partly furious at himself for letting it all happen. He had looked after Shabon for years and nothing had ever happened. But when he turned his back for an hour to go on a date, Shabon was kidnapped.
Toppo sat on the edge of the fountain, staring at Shabon's tambourine he held in his right hand. In his left hand, he held a juggling ball. Toppo stared down at the tambourine, only one thing on his mind. Thinking of what Shabon could be going through fueled Toppo's anger even further. He gripped the ball in his left hand so hard that his knuckles were turning white. He swore to himself right there that if he ever found out where Shabon was, he'd march all the way to where she was, beat the living snot out of the vermin responsible and save her himself if he had to.
Toppo was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a loud 'pop'. He stared at the ball in his left hand and found a large hole the shape of his fingers in it, all four of his digits minus his thumb shoved into it. Toppo had grown so angry that he had crushed the ball in his hand.
The juggler sighed as he looked into the sky. The news of Shabon's abduction had spread throughout Budehuc Castle, and everyone had chipped in the join the search for her. Toppo's party had come up with nothing and returned to Budehuc first. Hugo, Futch and Franz had sent Fubar, Bright and Ruby to search from the sky while they went out on foot to search elsewhere. He hoped that someone would come up with something soon.
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Fubar soared through the skies easily because Hugo wasn't riding on his back. The griffon searched the forests to the north of Budehuc Castle, looking for any sort of clue to where Shabon was. Truth be known, he was just as worried as anyone else in Budehuc, and was searching as hard as he could.
After a few minutes, Fubar spotted something. He saw a young man dressed in council garb being chased by three black clad soldiers with swords. Fubar cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the young man. He looked somewhat familiar.
Fubar knew that the young man was in danger, so he abandoned his search for a little bit to swoop down to save the man.
The griffon let out a high-pitched screech, getting the attention of the fleeing attendant. As Fubar touched the ground, he gestured for the attendant to hop on. The attendant quickly complied and hopped on Fubar's back.
As soon as the attendant was on his back, Fubar spread his wings and lifted off the ground. The black swordsmen were quickly approaching, but Fubar proved superior, taking off in the blink of an eye before the swordsmen had time to attack.
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Several of the castle residents was gathered in the courtyard of Budehuc Castle, waiting patiently for Fubar to come back. Lilly's team was the last to arrive, and no one had found anything. Nei was still in her room, although she had cried herself to sleep. Even Bright and Ruby's searches had turned up nothing. Everyone could only hope that Fubar had found something.
Suddenly, a loud screech pierced through the silence. Hugo's ears perked up as he look up at the source of the sound. Everyone else did the same. They saw Fubar flying overhead, preparing for a landing.
Hugo quickly shouted to everyone in the area. "Get out of the way!" The Flame Champion shouted. "He needs space to land!"
Some people quickly complied to Hugo's orders, getting out of the way so Fubar could touch down.
As soon as Fubar's talons touched the ground, Hugo rushed over to his friend. "Fubar! Did you find anything?"
Fubar nodded as he looked at his back and let out a soft 'kweeee...'. A figure sitting on Fubar's back slowly got off and set foot on the ground.
Everyone in the area gasped as they saw who the person was. Cecile pulled up her spear and shield. "It's that council member!" She growled. "He's here to take over!"
The attendant quickly turned to Cecile and waved his hands in front of his face. "No! I swear I'm not a member of the council! I'm just an attendant!"
Hugo tilted his head, thinking that he recognized the man. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Hey! You're the attendant I gave the peace treaty to when I first came to Zexen territory!" He exclaimed.
The attendant sighed as he looked at the ground. "Yes. That was me." He said.
Hugo looked at Fubar. "Where'd you find him, buddy?" Fubar let out a few quiet screeches. Hugo raised an eyebrow in confusion. "He was running through a northern forest being chased by a few black swordsmen?"
Ace folded his arms and stared at the attendant. "You have some explaining to do, buddy."
"Yeah. What were you doing in a forest north of here?" Emily asked.
The attendant sighed again. "I'll tell you everything. My name is Pablo, and I'm an attendant for the corrupt men that used to work for the council." He said. "Ever since he lost to the staff of Budehuc, councilor Julian has been wanting revenge. Recently, someone invited all of the fired council members to an abandoned castle. I tagged along, but I didn't know why. When we arrived, the person who invited us said he could help the council members get revenge. His plan?" He looked towards the back of the small crowd. "Kidnap the little girl known as Shabon."
Toppo, who was too busy thinking of Shabon to pay attention, snapped his head up when he heard her name. Toppo quickly pushed his way to the front of the small crowd and stared at the Pablo.
Pablo continued. "The man demonstrated his power by creating hundreds of foot soldiers, three of which were the ones chasing me through the forest. The reason that caused me to turn on the council is because those guys are just becoming too corrupt. I ran off, but Julian sent three soldiers on me, telling them to kill me." He turned towards Fubar and gently stroked his head. "And they would've succeeded had your griffon not arrived."
"So, this castle north of Zexen territory is where Shabon is being kept?" Borus asked.
"That's right, sir Borus." Pablo nodded.
"Well, I say all of us storm that castle and save Shabon!" Mel shouted. A few people agreed with her.
Pablo quickly shook his head. "No! The castle is so heavily guarded, someone will die for sure! If we send six people, two on each of your animals here, the guards won't see you coming and you'll have a better chance!" Pablo quickly turned to Hugo. "Noble Hugo, I am aware that you bare the True Fire Rune. However, that's what this man that invited us is after. Your true rune. In fact, he's after True Lightning and True Water as well. If he got his hands on all three, you wouldn't imagine what could happen!"
"...Yes, we could...." Samus muttered, remembering the whole ordeal with Luc. He said it quietly enough so no one could hear.
Chris stepped over to Pablo. "I think I get what you mean." She said. "If we send a small enough group, they won't be spotted as easily, which would raise the alarm for the rest of the soldiers!"
Pablo nodded, then turned to the young castle master. "Master Thomas, is there anyone else inhabiting the castle?" He asked.
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "You kidding? What you see here isn't even half of what we have."
Pablo grinned. "Tell everyone to meet me here in ten minutes. That should be enough time for them to get ready."
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Ten minutes passed. Thomas, Hugo, Geddoe, Chris and Pablo stood in front of the main building of Budehuc, overlooking the rest of the inhabitants, whom took up the rest of the courtyard and some of the 'front yard' by the Rune Sage and Inn. The only one absent was Nei, whom was still sleeping in her room at the Inn. Everyone stared at Pablo with rapt attention as he told them everything.
"Now you all realize what's going on and know where Shabon is being kept. Fubar, Bright and Ruby will transport the team to the castle, and I need six people to go. The reason Hugo, Geddoe and Chris can't go is because their true runes would be in danger." He looked around the crowd. "Who here would like to be the captain of the team?"
The crowd remained silent for a few seconds before a calm 'I'll do it.' Came from somewhere on the right. Everyone turned to the voice and saw a brown-haired knight in silver armour walking through the crowd and emerge at the front with the Flame Champion and co.
Chris' eyes widened. "Percival..."
Percival held up a hand, cutting Chris short. "Don't try to stop me, Chris." He said. "I've made my decision."
Pablo bit his lip, thinking of the consequences if a Zexen knight died during the mission. After a few seconds, he turned to the rest of the crowd. "Very well. I'll need five people to accompany sir Percival."
Toppo narrowed his eyes, thinking about what he could do to the council if he ever got his hands on them. Without looking, Toppo spoke to the person beside him. "...Roland..."
The elf knight turned to Toppo with wide eyes. The juggler had never addressed Roland by name. "What is it, Toppo?" He asked.
"...Take care of Nei while I'm gone." Toppo replied.
Without giving Roland so much as a second to reply, Toppo pushed his way through the crowd, marching towards the front. He got to the front and stood beside Percival.
Pablo nodded at Toppo and again turned to the crowd. "The team needs four more people."
Everyone quickly heard a reply come from the crowd. A lone figure pushed through the crowd until he emerged at the front. Everyone instantly recognized him. "I'm the only fighter who can pilot Ruby with no problem." Franz said. "I'll do what I can." With that, he walked up to Percival and Toppo and stood with them.
Sgt. Joe stood somewhere in the middle of the crowd, his head lowered. The only thing on his mind was Shabon. He remembered how much she loved playing around him, and the sergeant had even gone as far as to come up with a combo attack with her. While every time they did the combo attack, Sgt. Joe would become dizzy, but truth be told, he loved it every time. Shabon had accompanied the sergeant on so many missions in the past that he had become almost like her second guardian, Toppo being the first. The mere thought of what the council members could be doing to Shabon brought tears to his eyes.
The sergeant narrowed his eyes, knowing what he had to do. Tears rolling down his beak, Sgt. Joe looked up and silently marched towards the front of the crowd.
Hugo stared in surprise when he saw a teary-eyed duck emerge from the crowd. The sergeant looked at Hugo and read the expression on his face. "It's for Shabon, Hugo." Sgt. Joe said. "I'm going."
"Me too!" Another voice shouted. Everyone turned to see an older Karayan emerge from the crowd.
Pablo nodded as Sgt. Joe and Beecham stood with the rest of the team. He turned to the crowd. "Anyone else?"
Cecile approached Pablo and stood to attention. "I was in the same area as Shabon when she was abducted." She said. "The least I could do is come along."
"Very well." Pablo said as Cecile walked to the team. "These six will be taken to the castle north of Zexen by Fubar, Bright and Ruby." He turned to the team. "I'm sorry, but I don't know where in the castle Shabon is being kept, so you'll have to search."
"Understood." Percival said.
"Now, Fubar is the only animal who has an idea on where the castle is, so he'll be leading during the flight." Pablo continued.
The team agreed as Fubar let out a screech to agree.
Pablo sighed. "You six will be leaving in a hour. If you have any loved ones, say goodbye while you can. Because some of you might not get another chance."
The six members of the team slowly nodded as Pablo turned to the crowd. "Okay. The meeting is adjourned."
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Toppo watched as Percival and Franz were saying goodbye to Chris and Iku. As he saw the two couples embrace, Toppo walked off to find Mio. Roland was probably busy comforting Nei, and Toppo didn't want to disturb them.
Toppo slowly walked through the castle, towards the Infirmary. When he arrived, he slowly knocked on the door and patiently waited for someone, hopefully Mio, to answer. Luckily, the door was quickly answered. Even luckier, it was Mio who answered the door. When she saw Toppo, she smirked weakly.
"Hey, Toppo..." Mio said.
"...Hey." Toppo replied. "I'm just...Here to say goodbye."
"Oh..." Mio said. "Well, goodbye."
Toppo suddenly noticed something clear running down Mio's face. He held a hand to her face and wiped away the tear. "Don't cry, Mio...I'll come back alive."
Mio was silent. She managed to look at Toppo. "I know you will."
Toppo gently wrapped his arms around Mio as she did the same. He didn't want the moment to end, but he knew he'd have to let her go if he was to go save Shabon.
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Beecham stood in at the Blacksmith, waiting for Peggi to finish sharpening his weapon. Beecham didn't have any loved ones, so he figured he'd use the time he had to increase the power of his weapon.
"Um...Beecham?" A feminine voice came from behind him.
Beecham turned around to see a familiar figure slowly and shyly approaching him. "Chief Lucia? What is it?" Beecham asked.
Lucia looked up at Beecham, tears staining her face. "Beecham, I just wanted to say goodbye."
"Oh." Beecham said, his eyebrow raised at the fact Lucia was crying. "Well, goodbye."
"I hope that you'll come back in one piece." Lucia sniffed. "If you died out there..." She drowned herself out in her own crying.
Beecham stared at Lucia with a concerned glare. Even Peggi stopped hammering the sword to stare at the Karayan chief with wide eyes.
"C-Chief Lucia, why are you crying?" Beecham asked, grabbing Lucia's shoulders.
Lucia stared up at Beecham for a few seconds before lunging at him and throwing her arms around him. "Because whenever you go on a mission without me, I worry about you." She sobbed into Beecham's chest. "I've never been this upset because we've never faced anything like this before." She paused for a couple seconds. "You've been so protective to me, and I've never found a way to return the thanks."
Beecham didn't know what else to do other than return the embrace. "It's my job to protect you, chief Lucia." He assured. "Besides, nothing really BAD has happened to me."
Lucia instantly pulled away and stared at Beecham. "Beecham, you got that scar because of me!" She cried. "Since then, I've wanted to show you how much I care!"
Beecham stared at Lucia with wide eyes. Did she just say that she liked him? Beecham quickly wrapped his arms around Lucia again to comfort her. "It's alright, chief Lucia. I promise I'll come back alive."
Lucia pulled away from Beecham and looked at him. "Thanks, Beecham." She said. Then, much to Beecham's surprise, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye." She said before turning around and running off.
Beecham stared off into space, feeling his cheek. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a snicker come from behind him. He turned around to see Peggi grinning at him. "What?" He asked.
With a sly, toothy grin, Peggi handed the sword back to Beecham. "She likes you." He said.
Beecham thanked Peggi, sheathed his weapon and walked off, thinking about what Lucia had said.
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An hour later, the team of Percival, Toppo, Franz, Sgt. Joe, Beecham and Cecile were gathered at the front of the castle with Pablo, Fubar, Bright and Ruby. Everyone else stood away from them, giving the animals room to lift off when it was time. Pablo was giving the team instructions.
"Now, be careful when to come across the guards at the gate." Pablo said. "They're the toughest soldiers that were created."
Percival grinned. "That shouldn't be a problem. Most of us have offensive runes."
"Very well." Pablo said. "Remember that once you find Shabon, get the heck out of there. Once the soldiers know that you're inside, there's no escaping."
After Pablo finished, he wished the team good luck. The team said their final goodbyes to everyone before climbing onto the animals. Beecham and Sgt. Joe sat on Fubar, Franz and Toppo on Ruby, and Percvial and Cecile on Bright.
Fubar and Bright let out a screech as all three animals lifted of the ground.
However, as the animals were starting to take off, everyone failed to notice Koroku charge from the crowd, leap into the air and grab hold of Bright's tail. Luckily for him, Bright didn't seem to notice.
With that, all three animals took to the skies, everyone on the ground silently wishing them luck in the mission.
To be continued...