Oh! Sorry! Sorry! And a thousand times SORRY! I hadn't updated... And it took me a long time to do so... I know I don't haver any excuses... but I kind of had a writer's block... or maybe it was that I had an idea for another story and decided to develop it a little bit... Anyways, I'm sorry for making you wait too much. And I hope you like this chapter.
Me: By the way... leirbag10... Do you really think I would kill Zeph... again??? Come on! I wouldn't dare to do that.
Ztal: They say that what is done once may be done twice...
Me: Umm... Ztal, who asked for your opinion? Anyways, no I didn't kill him. Zeph just disappeared because montokios cannot be outside for a certain period of-
Serya: Do not mind him. He is about to spoil something from the story. Well, it is not a really bad spoiler, but I guess you still do not know it... But you will know it later.
Me: Thank you Serya... So, what matters is that NO, I didn't kill Zeph... again. And for today's disclaimer... let's call Kupo!
Kupo: Kupo kupo! Disclaimer: Kupo, kupo kupo. Ku ku, po po po po. Kupopo. And Kupo... Pokupoku.
Me: If you don't have an idea of what he just said... you might want to return to the last chapter and read the disclaimer. Now, on to the story.
What to think?
"Oh, thank you so much, cousin" Bianka thanked me. "If it wasn't for you and your caravan, I don't know what would have been of us".
"You are welcomed, cousin. Really, I did this because I know how important it is to find myrrh for the town. And I would have done it even if you were not my cousin" I answered with a smile, after I decided to go around the town, until the situation would calm down a little.
If you were wondering, we have rescued every participant of the caravan of Tipa. All of them had some scars and bleedings, but nothing was an almost to death matter. They just need to get some rest, they need to recover.
"Well, we are going now, cousin. We need to find more drops of Myrrh" I bid farewell to my blood realated.
"Hold on Serya!" Bianka called me. "I want to give you something for your help... You may take our extra caravan and use it on this continent. If you go back to your continent, then you should leave it here, in Tipa".
"We accept!" yelled Kiomi, which was at my side. "Oh thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!"
"Well, I'm glad that you agree, now the caravan is waiting for you at the exit. Let Marya guide you to the correct path. Go on and save your town" Bianka wished for our succes.
As we went to exit Tipa, the townspeople wave good-bye to us. It was like a small carnival, in which there was no music at all, but they were throwing flower buds at us. I felt like in home. I remembered the castle and the guards, and how the castle was rearranged when there was any kind of celebration... But then again, I remembered the opression there was with the servants of the castle. They were not treated as they were supposed to be treated... They were treated as if they were mere puppets... That was all thanks to my grandmother (the mother of my dad). She brainwashed him every second she could... No, I don't want to think more of this.
"Serya! Hop in!" yelled Viktor from inside the brand new caravan.
"I am going" I answered back, in my mind thanking him for taking me out of those bad thoughts of mine.
"Princess! Wait!" Ulysses came running towards me.
"Ulysses, you know that you should not call me by princess. It would bring me peril" I told him in a really low voice.
"I'm sorry... Serya. I was going to tell you that all of the myrrh trees in this piece of land have been taken by us. You have to go past the Miasma Stream. There should be some trees with myrrh left beyond".
"Thank you Ulysses. And, you may stay calm, I am heavily protected" I told him, so he would reamain calmed. He nodded.
I sat inside the caravan and relaxed a little bit.
"Have any of you seen Kiomi?" Ztal asked us from where he was supposed to drive.
"There she is" Nanta pointed to the center plaza.
Kiomi was there talking with the Xyques, a not so common race among the world. I did not know what she could be talking of. But, later I understood what she was telling him, since Cypros has been accepted in the Caravan, but I feel there is someting more between those two. Well, I am sure that I will not stick my nose in bussines that are not mine. That is rude.
The path to the road was silent. Too silent for me. Most of the caravanners were sleeping and I was waiting for someone to talk to me. Then, the caravan stopped.
"Does anyone have an idea of where to go to?" asked Ztal looking at the inside of the caravan.
"I think we should go to Shella. Maybe we can get some information there about the remaining drops of myrrh in the trees" I answered his question.
"Then Shella it is!" he exclaimed, turned back, and started to ride the caravan once again.
Since Ztal would drive, and everyone else was taking a nap, I decided to take a rest myself. I somehow felt I would need it.
.
Dra cgo femm dinh tyng, mayjehk hu cekh uv mekrd,
'I have heard this song before... But where?...'
Pid, vnus dra crytufc, dra cyjeun femm ymekrd,
'Why cannot I understand it?'
Lycdehk rec rumo nyo ra femm pakeh dra vekrd
'Ray of light??? What does it mean with that?'
Yht ajano nyla femm ghuf fryd'c nekrd
'What is wrong here!? Hero?!? What hero?! A Hero of... for what!?!? If we need a hero then that means... But no! It was sealed away by our ancestors a long long time ago! I just... just... Want to open my eyes!'
"You can let go of my hand now" the figure of Strike said.
I let go of him, scared of what could have happened. Everybody was looking at me. I was ashamed. And I wanted someone to change what was happening.
"So..." Ztal said, still driving the caravan "why didn't you tell us you are a princess, Serya. Or should I say, my lady?" he asked, making me want to return to the complete silence there was before at the caravan.
"I do not like people giving me special treatment" I told him the truth. "And if they knew I am a princess, then they would not allow me do dangerous activities, such as this one, myrrh gathering".
"And what motivates you to do that, oh dear princess?" Rayne asked in an annoying tone.
"I have never liked my life as a princess, if that is what you want for an answer" I told her with the same arrogance she questioned me.
Then Kiomi passed up to the front, so Ztal could take a rest, and she whispered something in his ear. What is going on in here? This is not my mission... I am supposed to help them and not create conflicts beween them, such as the ones I have already done.
"Guys, wake up!" Kiomi yelled at us. "We're in Marr's Pass, and really, I want to sleep in a bed. So please let's stay here".
"I second her" Viktor said.
"Fine, I want my own room" Stricken said getting off the caravan and going into the inn.
Everybody kept going into the inn until I was completely left alone, watching the moon.
'I need to talk to someone. Please Selph, listen to my plead' I thought and a light emanated from my staff. Then he appeared. "You could have not appeared in a better moment" I said, wanting to hug Zeph, but I had realized a long long time ago that montokios were not meant for hugging.
A weird morning...
Next morning, some carnival band music was heard outside of the inn. And, as I went to the kitchen, I saw a multitude of people in line (you know, those lines that are supposed to be straight but aren't).
"What's the big commotion?" I asked as I took a seat in the kitchen.
"There's a tournament in the town for today" Rayne answered, eating her scrambled eggs. "And I'm going to be in it. Stricken, can you pass the pepper?"
Strike didn't say anything, he just kept eating his breakfast. Then the pepper container flew towards Rayne.
"Thanks Cypros, at least you're not like this jerk" Rayne got a hold of the pepper and when she was going to throw some on her egg, it turned black.
"You're welcome, princess" Strike said with a grin on his face, watching Rayne glaring at him. I just began to ignore them both.
"Right... So, what did Ztal say?" I wondered, since he didn't want to lose any time getting the two drops of myrrh we needed. at that moment, Kiomi slipped and all the glasses and plates she had fell and broke on the floor.
"A little help here!" she said, getting frustrated by the moment.
"She's been a little nervous since the dragoon guy talked with her" Cypros whispered to me.
"Nevertheless, returning to your question... He is irate at the moment. He cannnot interfere in her decision, though, all the exits of the city have been blocked" Serya, who was sitting next to Stike, answered. "That is why he is not here, he is still trying to convince some guards to let the caravan go out of town".
"But as you should know" Nanta, that was helping Kiomi cook breakfast, serve it, and clean the mess in the kitchen, "he still hasn't given up. Oh Kiomi, come on, take a break".
"Fine. Besides, I already finished" she said getting out of the kitchen and sitting on a couch in the living room.
Then I felt that there was really something wrong with her. She seemed too preocuppied and, worst of all, was serious. I left my breakfast on the table and went to talk to her.
"That was good" I lied as I sat next to her, and gave signals of 'take my dish out NOW' to Nanta.
"Thanks..." she mumbled and continued in her deep thinking.
"Okay Kiomi,I can't keep up with the silence. What's wrong?" I asked her.
She looked at me and then answered: "Nothing..." And once again she returned to her thinking.
Fine, so she won't tell. Should have known...
Ztall hadn't still arrived and it was time for the tournament, and Rayne was preparing herself, also like Strike and Cypros.
"Well guys, since we can't do anything but wait, let's go to the tounament" Nanta said, and then she whispered. "Maybe it will cheer Kiomi up".
We went to the so awaited tournament and took our seats, while Rayne the other two guys signed up for it. I looked at the stage, it looked somehow weird... and what's more weird of all of this is... that I still don't know of what is this tournament.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, and any other kind of thing. This is our annual All-around Torturement... Tournament I mean. In which all kind of races get tested in a variety of situations, either physical, or mental. We also have our new tramps... umh, situations, I mean. For the next two days we will be performing them. Thank you for your stupi- I mean, support." the announcer did his job, and I had a feeling that there was something wrong with the so called tournament.
"Guys, I'm going to take a walk before this starts, save my spot okay?" I asked them standing up, and Serya nodded.
As I went outside I saw Ztal still arguing with a guard.
"Can't you let us go? Come on! You know the life of our town depends of us" he told the guard, and I suppose it was for at least the fifth time he did.
"I tell you, I'm following some orders. Those orders say, don't let anyone enter nor leave the town. That stands also for caravanners" the guard told him angrily. "The best you can do is, either participate in the freaking tournament, or just get a hold of yourself and watch it!" the guard left.
"Jerk" complimented, but not as loud for the guard to hear him.
I just ignored the situation and went to the library, I knew two things:
1) That if I stopped to talk with Ztal I would stay all day helping him get us out of town. And...
2)That that Tournament was no tournament at all.. I just needed to find some good information, and what better place than the Tipa Peninsula Library & History Center?
I entered it, there was no one. I looked for a book that said, "All-Around Tournament Entries" and another one, "Travelling Checks". I knew I would find something with that... and just for you to know... I did.
(A/Ns)
Me: I'm going to point this part like this so you won't get confused with the this and the story. Now... That was it... I have to try not to make you wait for the chapters... I'm sorry... Anyways, please keep reading. I'll keep writing...
Cheers!
Strike: Wait! No geeky comment? What is wrong with him???
Rayne: Why don't we find out?
Serya: Good thinking.
Rayne: ...
Kiomi: Don't mind them it's a secret between him, Ztal and... I... And by the way! Woo-hoo for chapter 20! And c-ya!
