All standard disclaimers that I have already used so far with any of the various stories that I now have on will apply. For your information, all of the characters that you may not actually recognize well enough in this story are original characters of mine, unless otherwise stated, in fact. So please don't steal my original characters from this story or any others, for that matter.

Now without any further ado, let's get on with this story again, if that's all right with you here, readers. And I really hope that if you've read this series up to this point here, you've enjoyed what you've read of its story series so far. And this part of the story is actually going to be the tenth chapter of this second story here, in fact, readers. That's so that all of you people on who've followed the story and its related story series well enough, and often enough, will be able to eventually read the whole related series of stories here, of course. Please do read, review, and enjoy, if at all possible, quite naturally enough, for all the obvious reasons, readers!

Meeting the Menace

A The Chrysanthemum Chronicles Series Story

An Inn In Womeru

Womeru, Kuzaruno, Ozotov IV

September 14, 986

Meanwhile, as Queen Beryl was meeting with assorted Negaversers or doing other possibly not-so-good things, it was dawn or later in the Womeru area. And by the time that it was an hour or two past local dawn, Rolando and Darien had woken up from their beds in the inn, as had Sylvia. But Sylvia had slept about ten or so minutes longer than either or both Princes had, more or less. For when they'd all gotten to that inn, she'd been a little more tired than the Princes had been then.

First, Darien woke up. He bathed and dressed rather quickly, after doing that. After doing those other two things, he knocked on both of his companions' doors. About twenty minutes later, at most, then, Rolando left his room, and went to find Darien.

After Darien ate his breakfast, he went to Sylvia's room, and knocked on her door again. She answered him seconds later, and said, "I'll be out shortly, Darien. I'm just making sure that I'm presentable enough with my appearance, of course. I'm already out of the bath and dressed. But I'm just finishing checking myself over fully at least one more time, Darien. Give me about five minutes, and I'll be out, I think."

"Five minutes, then, Sylvia. Then we're going to have to hit the road again shortly. It seems that a Yonishikian patrol's now looking for me, at least. For they learned that I'd somehow sneaked out of their country without them knowing it at first. The local authorities don't know that yet. But even if they did, they'd not likely be able to do much to stop the Yonishikians looking for me. So we're likely going to have to run rather quickly, before too many more people find out about us. If we can make it across the Kuzaruno border with Muramiskayo by dark near it, we should hopefully be in the clear. And we'd not have to worry about them at all. Or at least not very much at all, I think. For I really don't think that the Yonishikians will be stupid enough to send at least a hundred people after us. Especially when we're going to be using the Murakuza Corridor to cross the border. The Murakuza Corridor usually rises quite far above much, if not all, of the surrounding terrain. And it's not very wide at all in most places where it runs between here in Womeru and the Muramiskayon town or city of Mackeledo. Then it also continues past Mackeledo to Amazuru, before it crosses the river of the same name on the way to Stramesville. Which is also in Muramiskayo, as a matter of fact."

"How wide is it?" asked Sylvia, from the other side of her door, without opening it at all.

"Not usually wide enough to allow four riders to ride side by side on it on horseback, at least. Three riders or less, maybe, but not often four or more, can ride side by side on it at a time. So if they're all going to chase us, they'll all likely have to change their pursuit formations accordingly. And this corridor's like a wooden bridge on Earth. It's that way, it seems, in that it's not normally able to hold a lot of weight at a certain time. It can, I think, normally support about 25 tons of weight, at most, at any particular time. That's depending on the then-prevailing conditions in the corridor's area, Sylvia. We should be able to make it easily enough across it, I think. That's if we all hurry fast enough here, of course. And if we can do it well enough before they can also cross the border to come after us. They're apparently within ten miles of the border. And they're traveling about four or five miles an hour, I think, toward us all. So we really don't have much time to kill before we get out of here. We have to get out of here before it's too late. You're supposed to ride with Rolando, it seems to me. I'll lead us away from here. But I'll still need you both to follow me just as quickly as you possibly can. And you'll both need to not look back, or to stop, until I say otherwise."

"Understood. Anything else?"

"How good are you at shooting bows and arrows well enough?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Someone may have to cover our backs while we get out of here."

"Oh. And you want to know if I can shoot bows and arrows quite well while I ride on horseback?"

"I suppose you could probably say that."

"I can often down a moving deer at fifty yards."

"And other animals?"

"Yes. But I've never tried to hit anybody before with arrows from my bows, Darien."

"I understand that, Sylvia. But do you think you could, if you absolutely had to?"

"I'd prefer not to, but I think I could. I'd prefer someone else to take that position, Darien. Have you talked to Rolando about this?"

"He's apparently not a very good shot, Sylvia. At least when it comes to using a bow and arrows for hunting or for self-defense, if what he's told me about himself so far is accurate enough. He wishes that he was a better shot, but he apparently isn't. And I'm not much better, if at all, it seems. I don't often fire bows and arrows at things. I often throw roses."

"Let me guess, if I may. Your parents in Kyoto have recently made you start doing that as part of your royal training." Sylvia then exited her room, and with all her current things in a sack on her waist. Because she knew that she'd most likely be riding a horse again very soon, she'd dressed herself as lightly as possible. She was wearing somewhat tight clothing, but not too tight, of course, when she exited her room. She wasn't wearing a dress. But she was wearing a doeskin tunic, buckskin trousers, and rabbit fur-fringed moccasins made of more buckskin.

"You could say that. But Serena didn't like it very much at all when I sent a rose toward her and her mother quite some time ago."

"One of your friends from the Moon?"

"Yes. If you know of 'Operation Cocoon,' you must also know about Serena and many other people from the Moon Kingdom."

"How much do you care for her, and how much does she care for you?"

"Very much on both our parts. Especially on her part of things. And if she ever finds out I told you that I threw a rose toward both her and her mother, she might get very mad at both of us. Especially me, I think. So you aren't to reveal that I did to anyone at all, if you can possibly avoid it, Sylvia. I don't want to see any trouble for anyone at all, if it can possibly be avoided. For I happen to think you're a really neat girl. However, I'm still not the guy for you."

"I know that. I think I'm now beginning to like Rolando, though, Darien. Can you keep that just between the two of us? At least for the time being, anyway?"

"If you can do the same with what I just told you about Serena."

"Agreed. Let it be so, then, Darien."

Then Darien took her things from her, and carried them to the horse which she and Rolando would be riding as they left the Womeru area.

They soon joined Rolando near their horses, as he was preparing them for traveling again, of course. Darien then handed her things to Rolando. And Rolando secured them in the proper manner to the saddle of the horse he and Sylvia would then be riding.

The innkeeper's wife handed Sylvia a rarely-used, but still rather new, suit of armor. That suit of armor was quite fortunately in Sylvia's current size. And that suit would hopefully protect her well enough, if they'd encounter at least a little bit of trouble as they made their way to the Kuzaruno-Muramiskayo border. This full-body suit of armor was constructed in such a manner to allow it to be worn easily enough by a female about Sylvia's size. Whether they were from Ozotov IV or not, in fact. The suit of armor was shaped in the appropriate enough ways for someone of their shared gender, of course. Sylvia nodded, eventually, at her recent hostess from the inn. Then she let the innkeeper's wife help her put it on here. This she did, as Darien and Rolando settled the innkeeper's bill for their stay at his inn. As Darien and Rolando settled that bill, the innkeeper and his wife then surprised the three Terrans quite a bit by providing them all with at least one sword and/or at least one shield apiece. That was if any or all of them didn't already have at least one sword and/or shield in their possession. When Darien offered to pay the innkeeper and his wife for those swords and shields, they said, somehow, almost immediately, that they didn't want payment for them at all. In fact, they quite ardently refused to accept payment for them. Then, as soon as Sylvia called them both back to her side, they rejoined her there. This they did as Sylvia received at least one bow and at least four or five quivers that were quite filled with arrows. Sylvia had Rolando secure the bows and quivers of arrows to the saddle of their horse, at least for the time being, as well as their new swords and shields. And then she suddenly embraced her recent host and hostess. For she was often quite impulsive in her nature. As had often been proved whenever she'd hidden from her parents in order to get on ships on trading missions to distant ports elsewhere in the Israelites' known world. After she did that, both the innkeeper and his wife soon smiled back at her. For they weren't often hugged by total strangers that they'd meet in their lives anywhere in Ozotov IV's Womeru area.

Then Rolando soon mounted his horse, with a little help from Darien. For the nearby ground was a little damp. And there was a small mud puddle near his horse, at the moment. Then Darien had Sylvia climb on his back briefly, so that her suit of armor wouldn't get too dirty, if at all, as he helped her get on Rolando's horse. He soon had her safely on Rolando's horse.

Then he soon mounted his own horse, after he also secured his things to the saddle of it. He looked one last time at the innkeeper and his kind wife. As soon as they indicated the route that the Terrans should take at least one more time, and which route would hopefully lead them all safely enough out of Kuzaruno, he prodded his horse forward. The innkeeper and his wife did that here just in case the Terrans had actually forgotten which route was which at least a little bit, of course. And Darien soon led the way out of the area of the inn.

Then the three Terrans hurried as quickly as they could to the nearest Kuzaruno-Muramiskayo border. They got on the Murakuza Corridor as quickly as they could. Even as Sylvia watched their backs with at least one bow and at least a few arrows. But fortunately, she didn't have to fire any arrows. Or at least not before they were within a mile or less of the border, if at all, by the time that they got there. They paused for a moment, about a thousand or so yards from the border. They did that in order to make absolutely sure that nobody was laying in wait for them, if they possibly could do that well enough, here. Sylvia and Darien soon slipped silently off their horses, and scoped out the area, as Rolando covered their backs with another bow and other arrows. Even while he tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, by getting as close to his horse's back as he possibly could, and still be able to cover his current companions. Rolando guided his horse behind a large rock. He did that so that he and his horse wouldn't likely be spotted by anyone else who didn't know it was there already. But not so far behind it that he'd not be able to cover either Darien or Sylvia with his fire from his bow.

Darien checked his supply of roses. And he also made sure that if he had to use his sword or cane in the very near future, they'd both be quite readily available to him. While he did so, he also kept at least one of his eyes on Sylvia whenever he possibly could do so.

He saw several dozen Yonishikians, at least, just inside Kuzaruno. And he saw that they were laying in wait about two hundred yards from the border, when he sneaked up the side of a hill they couldn't see him on. He secretly motioned to his companions to let them know where the Yonishikians all were waiting for them near the border. And he soon got replying nods from them, after he did so. Sylvia hid behind another hill, in such a manner that she'd not be easily seen, if at all, by their enemies near the Kuzaruno border. She and both Princes with her in the area waited in their current positions near the border for at least a while. All while hoping that their likely opponents would better reveal themselves to the three of them. And that they'd get within sufficient range for them to fire at those Yonishikians, if the need ever arose for any or all of them to do so here and now.

Of course, they all really hoped that they'd not have to engage them. But they realized that might not be possible for all of them. Especially Sylvia, mainly because of the quite simple fact that she was a girl. She'd killed before in her life. But she'd never yet killed a sufficiently sentient being in her own life. For she'd not yet ever had a good enough reason to do so. However, that could change at any time. Especially if beings from the Negaverse ever became involved to a sufficient enough degree in her own life. Or if they ever became involved enough in the lives of those people closest enough to her in it.

Eventually, at least one or two dozen Yonishikians started toward her general area. That was because they'd just seen a sudden streak of light barely glance off her full-body suit of armor. They tried to sneak up on her as quietly, yet as quickly, as they could. She held her fire until they got within about a hundred yards of her current position, at least. That was just in case they'd be distracted by something else or someone else before they got within their normal firing range of about fifty to seventy yards with bows and arrows. She could hit a target about the size of an average Terran male at about ninety or so yards at least half the time. And a target about three feet high at least half the time at a distance of about sixty or so yards. In which case, she could maybe hit a target about 6'4" tall at about a hundred yards at least sixty or so percent of the time. Most Ozotovian males, at least on its Marzotekan continental landmass, were about that tall, if they were adult males of average size and weight on it.

She waited until they were about forty yards away from her, after backing down the side of the hill she was on away from them a few yards. She poked her head barely around the nearest edge of the hill, so that she'd not be caught totally by surprise by them. As she did so, Darien and Rolando covered her, of course. When the first arrows started to fly toward the three of them, then, Darien silently waved to Sylvia. And she began firing arrows as rapidly as she could at any Yonishikian she could fire her arrows at with her bow. This she did as Darien threw roses at them, and as Rolando also fired arrows at them.

At least a dozen roses and at least three dozen arrows later, about forty Yonishikians were soon dying, if they weren't already dead. This was because they'd either been hit by Darien's roses or arrows from Sylvia and/or Rolando here. If not both roses from Darien and arrows from either or both of Darien's current companions in the area, for that matter. Then, when their opponents got too close to any, or all three, of them, as the case might be for each of them, Darien unsheathed his sword. And he had his companions each grab both a shield and a sword. He then told them to cover his back, and give no mercy to their opponents. For their opponents were apparently not intending to let them get into Muramiskayo, if they could possibly avoid it at all. Mainly because he himself had earlier been in their country without their consent to be there sometime before.

Sylvia and Rolando quite readily agreed to do so. Especially her, of course. Darien also grabbed a shield from his horse, and hid it behind his cape and on his left arm. This he did as easily as he possibly could while he held his sword named "Loyalty" quite securely, of course. He put his shield between his cape and his scabbard, and he also held his sword in his right hand. He was barely able to do this before the first of their remaining opponents got close enough to him to engage him in hand-to-hand combat.

He wasted no strokes of his sword against any Yonishikians that engaged him, if he could avoid it. He quite adeptly blocked all the attempted strikes against him by those Yonishikians. Either with his sword or with his shield, if not both. And he soon had at least another dozen Yonishikians either dead or dying. He gradually led them into a small cave that had a medium-sized jagged crack in its ceiling. While Sylvia and Rolando covered his back, even while they all entered it one at a time. Sylvia soon hid behind one side of the cave opening, and Rolando joined her in the cave, soon hiding behind the other. And they both waited for Darien to back into it as well. When he was safely in it, then, they began striking their opponents in it from all possible sides as often as they could. Opponents soon began falling in the middle of the opening left and right as they did so. And those opponents soon were either dead or dying. When they'd each killed at least another dozen of them apiece, they soon learned that there were no more opponents that they had to face before they'd be able to cross the Kuzaruno border with Muramiskayo. They soon exited the cave, once all the opponents that they'd faced near its opening had all been confirmed to definitely be dead, without any shadow of a doubt. They made their way to where their horses were waiting for them to show again. They counted their fallen foes as they did so. And by the time that they all reached their two horses, they'd counted at least one hundred Yonishikians that were now dead near the Kuzaruno border with Muramiskayo, if not more.

They used old rags of theirs to clean all their swords and shields to the best of their respective abilities. They did that after finding water they'd not seen before they'd had to fight all the Yonishikians they'd just fought. They did the same thing with all their arrows they were somehow able to recover from their opponents' corpses. Of course, they couldn't necessarily do the same thing with all the roses that Darien had just thrown. So they collected all of those roses, and soon burned them, just as soon as they found some way to burn them easily enough.

That done, they soon set off again. But only after making sure that any Kuzarunon military personnel who might possibly enter the area, at least any time in the very near future, would likely be able to tell that any number of Yonishikians had earlier come into their own country. And without likely getting permission to do so from the necessary people, before they did so. Even though those Kuzarunon military personnel might not actually be able to punish the Yonishikians militarily, at least. They might, however, be able to make sure that their rulers would be able to make the Yonishikians pay. And pay quite dearly, for that matter, for their likely intrusion, without sufficient prior permission from the proper Kuzarunon governmental authorities, into Kuzarunon territory, somehow. Though just how the rulers of Kuzaruno might be able to accomplish that somehow, Darien and his current companions didn't yet know, if they ever would.

That done, they eventually set off again down the Murakuza Corridor. And soon afterward, they all were safely across the Kuzaruno border with Muramiskayo. Hours after crossing that border then, and just about an hour before local dusk, they were all safe and sound in Mackeledo. And they were all safely lodged there, at least temporarily, in an inn about as large as the one they'd spent the previous night in. Which had been elsewhere on Ozotov IV's Marzotekan landmass, and most specifically in the Womeru area of it.

Of course, they each took one room in it apiece, for all the obvious reasons, when they did so. First Sylvia went to her room in it, and then her fellow Terrans went to their respective rooms in it. But it took both Princes at least a little bit longer to get to their respective rooms in it. Simply because they had to attend to their horses first, quite obviously, in fact.

I suppose that I'd better stop here now. For this will be where the next part of the story will take up from, in fact, readers. I hope that you have so far enjoyed the story, if you've gotten this far, and that you'll continue to read it, once I put more of it up here on I don't know how long it will take me to get each story in this series up fully on But it might take a while for each story in this series, just the same, readers. Until later, then, this is "The Universal Storyteller" signing off here. Happy reading, and God bless, and all that, of course, readers! Over and out!