PART V
Vivli hadn't been able to sleep that night, mainly because she kept having the image of spiders crawling all over her. She wondered out into the town, and down to the docks. The full moon glowed in the air, reflecting gently on the water. Wow, Olose was right, she remarked in her thoughts as she surveyed the moon. It was a beautiful site. Shame he's not hear to share it with me. Suddenly she felt very embarrassed, despite the fact she only thought that. Stupid Bootus, making me think romantic things, she mentally grumbled. She hadn't even thought about Olose in that way before, but now Bootus had mentioned it, it was all that came up when she thought about him. That galka's to blame for everything.
The only romance their quest had ever shown originated from Voldos and his stupidity. This reminded her he had been missing ever since he wondered off earlier that day. She sighed, looking up at the moon. She must be the only girl who went on an epic quest to save the world and stayed single. What happened to all the fairy tales where the beautiful girl would end up with some great hero? She pondered her choices, and then understood why. Zinkata? Voldos? Bootus? She laughed to herself as she mocked them in her head. Not the kind of thing she'd ever say to them (except to Bootus), which is why she enjoyed the fact she could get time to think to herself at times like these.
Of course, she felt immediately guilty about these thoughts afterwards. After all, these were the guys who had saved her life more times than she could count. She owed everything she had, and some things she didn't have, to them. It was easy to forget that among all the bickering and arguing.
An airship approached the dock, flying down in front of the large full moon. Now that was a sight. She wished to herself somebody was around to paint it so she could keep it with her. It was at this point she decided that thoughts like that were a signal she was getting ridiculously tired, and turned around to find the inn and go to sleep.
She startled awake with a scream, her heart pounding in her chest. She had been dreaming of being covered in spiders, just before a gigantic one came down to eat her. Her reaction was understandable. She looked around the small room in fear for a moment, before being glad she had managed to get a private room so there was a minimal of mocking. Until she heard Bootus thundering on the door. She sighed.
He threw the door open (locks didn't do much when it came to galkas) and marched in.
"I heard you scream." He explained. "What's the matter? You have a bad dream again?" The patronising tone in his voice was unmistakable. It definitely wasn't concern.
"Shut up." She got up. "What's the point in having privacy if you just barge in anyway?"
"I'd never pass up a good opportunity to mock you." He replied, smirking.
"Where are the others?" She sighed.
"Zinkata's downstairs. Ain't seen Voldos." Bootus told her.
"Where did he get to? He can't have actually…" She trailed off, looking for the appropriate word, "…got friendly with a mithra, could he?" She finally finished. Having been brought up in a monastery, she had been taught not to say things like that explicitly, so she usually ended up saying things along those lines.
"Voldos? Not in a million years." Bootus grumbled. "Probably got himself into trouble."
"Hey, that's my job!" Vivli protested sarcastically.
"Yeah, but I bet he can take care of himself." Even when Vivli mocked herself Bootus could still make some comment to upset her.
"I can take care of myself!" She gave in response. Bootus burst into laughter, laughing harder just to irritate the white mage. "Oh, shut up." She sighed. "We had better grab some food, and then go see the chieftainess."
"For somebody so small, you're awfully obsessed with food." Bootus remarked.
"Yes. Fancy eating. What was I thinking?" It was times when Vivli was that sarcastic that she considered she had been around Bootus too long.
It seemed to Zinkata that the heroes had forgotten their secondary reason to be in Kazham. They hadn't asked about the abductions at all and had no evidence to go on. He didn't want to interfere with Vivli's own quest however, he knew it was important to her. He had never known his parents himself, and knew he would never pass up on a chance to find them, so neither should Vivli.
He had noticed she had been unusually energetic that morning. She was clearly very excited about the prospect of discovering who she truly was. Zinkata walked over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"Viv, you do realise this is a long shot?" He said as tactfully as he could. "They might not find anything, you realise this?" Vivli suddenly stopped, looking a little upset. Zinkata felt quite guilty. "I don't mean to ruin it, but don't get your hopes up too high."
"I know." Vivli sighed. "It's just-"
"Yeah, I understand." Zinkata said before she could finish.
"See, if you were born a galka, you wouldn't have this whole 'parent' problem." Bootus laughed.
"Yeah, but apparently I'd also be rude and obnoxious." Vivli replied.
"You're that anyway." Bootus taunted.
"I am not!" She screamed, and Bootus burst into laughter, getting the exact response he had been expecting.
A mithra guard marched up to the three as they sat around a small table, enjoying what they could find for breakfast. Vivli was enjoying her food (mainly because it was all tailored for mithra), so was a little disappointed about this.
"Vivli?" Inquired the guard. "The chieftainess has requested yourrrrr prrrrrresence. She has some imporrrrtant news." Vivli jumped up with excitement, forgetting her breakfast completely. Bootus however, did not.
"Can't we finish eating first?" The galka grumbled.
"Come on!" Vivli cried with a beaming smile, and ran off. Bootus picked up his plate, and followed, eating along the way. Zinkata sighed and got up, walking after them.
Vivli's exitement was replaced by humiliation as she heard the guards sniggering about her. Apparently the story of what had happened at the trials the previous day had spread, and a lot of mithra found it very amusing. She sighed and walked on in to the chieftainess's hut. Bootus and Zinkata followed. This time nobody attempted to stop them.
"Vivli." The chieftainess stated. "It was not easy finding out who you werrrrrre. You don't even have a surname for us to track."
"That wasn't my fault." Vivli said, before realising the chieftainess had set 'it was not' meaning they had found out. "Wait?" She cried. "You mean you know?"
"It is possible, but we arrrrre not cerrrrrrrrtain." The chieftainess told her. "You see, you don't seem to have an arrrrrtefact that would confirrrrrm our suspicions."
"Is this artefact a shard of crystal, by any chance?" Zinkata asked.
"Yes. Yes it is." The answer came. "How did you know?"
"Because we used to have four." Zinkata answered. "They shattered, a million years in the past." The chieftainess gasped.
"Then it is true. You are the Light Warriors." The chieftainess seemed amazed. "Where is the fourth?"
"He's around." Zinkata laughed.
"So what does that tell you about me?" Vivli asked.
"Urm. It's not easy to say, so I'll just come rrrright out and say it." The chieftainess paused. "If I'm corrrrrrrect, you are our princess."
Bootus roared with laughter and Vivli froze. She didn't have a reaction. She had been prepared for pretty much anything, but not that. She simply didn't have a way to react, her brain couldn't find one.
"That explains so much." Bootus said, wiping away tears of laughter.
"I don't underrrstand." The chieftainess sounded confused.
"Why she's always getting in trouble!" Bootus explained. "If stories taught us anything, it's that all princesses do are get in trouble."
"Hey!" Vivli snapped back to her senses. "They're trained to rule the kingdom as well!"
"That's a point." Zinkata decided to bring some logic to the conversation. "This isn't a kingdom. How can she be a princess?"
"Mithra royalty disbanded almost three hundred years ago." Vivli explained. "I know my history."
"Not well enough, it seems." The chieftainess took over. "The royalty did not disband as such continue in secret. They had no real power, but held onto two sacred artefacts."
"The crystal shard." Zinkata guessed.
"That was one, yes. That is why rrrrroyalty continued. It was prrrrrrredicted that the mithrrrrran royal line would one day give birrrrrrth to one of the new Light Warrrrriors who would be destined to save the land. The crrrrrrrrystal shard was dull, completely blank, until the birth of who we now know to be Vivli. When she was born, the crystal sharrrrrrd began to glow."
"That's how they figured out I was a Light Warrior!" Vivli cried.
"Yes." The chieftainess confirmed. "People from the monastery came, and persuaded your parents to let you be put into protection. Before my time, but I hearrrrr the chieftainess of that perrrrriod wasn't happy with the implication that we couldn't take care of you."
"So I wasn't kidnapped!" Gasped Vivli. "They let me be taken away."
"And the other artefact?" Zinkata inquired. "You said there were two."
"Ah." The chieftainess sighed. "That is why you cannot meet your parents." She said to Vivli. "It is complicated."
Vivli took a heavy sigh, and prepared to be disappointed.
"Are they still alive?" She asked, a little worried.
"Of course they are!" Bootus roared. "Or else you wouldn't be a princess, would you? You'd be a queen."
"Shut up!" Vivli countered, realising she'd been a little stupid.
"The second arrrrrtefact is an unusual glowing orb that had been prrrrresented to the royalty at some point in the mists of time. It had no purrrrpose we can tell of, but recently rogues and beastmen alike have been attempting to steal it. For the prrrrrotection of the king and queen we sent them into hiding." There was a pause. "But things got worrrrse. Now bandits all over the land arrrre kidnapping mithrrrra to find them."
"Wait?" Zinkata said with a slight laugh. "So the mithra the bandits are searching for; it's Vivli's parents?"
"Yes." The chieftainess replied. "You have encounterrrred them?"
"You could say that." Zinkata sarcastically replied. "That's a bit of a coincidence, isn't it?"
"Very little in this worrrrld is coincidence." Warned the chieftainess. "I am sure this you will discoverrrr."
"Why would they want the orb?" Vivli asked, still slightly confused.
"I do not know." The chieftainess replied. "But we felt with the bandit activity, it was safer to bring them back to Kazham. So we sent out their daughter to find them."
"Urm, no you didn't." Vivli muttered. "That's me."
"No, their other daughter. Your sister." Vivli jumped. She hadn't been expecting that either.
"I have a sister?" She cried in shock.
"Herrrr name is Dedji. We sent her out two weeks back. She was headed to Windurst. We believe your parents are hiding therrrre." Vivli, Bootus and Zinkata exchanged glances.
"How could you not recognise your sister?" Bootus yelled.
"I
don't know!" She cried back. "Maybe because I didn't know she
existed!"
"You rrrrrrrran into Dedji?" The chieftainess
sounded surprised.
"Urm. Yes." Admitted Vivli.
"Then she must not have found them." The chieftainess paused. "I do not know why the dark forrrrrces of this worrrrld want the orb, but if they want it, we must prrrrotect it."
"We'll head to Windurst." Zinkata decided. "We'll look for them."
"Thank you, herrroes." Purred the chieftainess. "With you on our side, I know this matterrrr will be resolved." The four turned to leave. "Good luck, Princess." She wished to Vivli.
"Don't call me that!" Vivli protested. "It sounds strange."
The three gathered outside.
"We need to find Voldos." Vivli decided.
"Whatever you say, Princess." Bootus replied mockingly.
"Stop that!" Vivli snapped.
"I apologise," Bootus said, "Your Highness." He added with a grin.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Vivli yelled.
"If that is what you say, your worshipfulness." Oh great, now he's making up words Vivli thought.
"Trust you to ruin what could be a good thing." Vivli grumbled.
"Not my fault you're a princess, Princess." Bootus laughed.
"But
I'm not. Not really. Not like the royalty here do anything. Their
entire purpose was to make sure I was born, and I was. So no
worries." Vivli said with a shrug.
"Suppose not, Princess."
Bootus replied. Vivli let out an angry growl.
"That means you can stop calling me that!" Vivli yelled.
"I know what it means, Princess." Bootus laughed.
"Sweet Chaos, you are so annoying!" Vivli screamed.
"Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess." Bootus smirked. Vivli marched off angrily. Zinkata was still in a bit of a daze at all the information they had just received.
"Urm, guys?" They suddenly heard Vivli call.
"Coming, Princess!" Bootus yelled, running to catch up with her. Vivli shot him an angry glance.
"What is-" Zinkata began before trailing off. Voldos was hanging in a bamboo cage.
"I'm innocent!" He cried. "Innocent I tell you!"
"Shut up, prrrrisoner!" A mithra guard cried, hitting the edge of the cave with a spear. The three adventurers walked up to the cage.
"What did he do?" Vivli asked.
"He's under arrrrrest for peskerrrrring our chieftainess last night." The guard growled. Vivli let out a giggle and Zinkata sighed. Bootus rolled his eyes.
"What did you do, Voldos?" Vivli asked angrily.
"I simply told her she had a beautiful body!" The elvaan protested. "And a few other beautiful things as well." He added after a guilty pause. Vivli sighed in disbelief.
"Hence, he is under arrrrest until the chieftainess has judged him." The guard explained.
"Voldos! How could you get into this situation?" Zinkata cried.
"I only did it because I thought she would be unable to resist my charm! I swear!" Voldos's defence was fairly weak. "How was I to know she had some kind of superhuman ability to resist my incredible chat up lines?"
"I think every girl has that ability." Vivli sighed.
"No one else talks to the prrrrisoner!" The guard snapped. "Now get away before I have to arrrrest you to." Bootus leant down to Vivli's level.
"Hey, Princess, I bet you could free him with your royal powers." He suggested.
"Shut the hell up!" Snapped Vivli angrily.
"Well, exuuuuu-" That was as far as he got before Vivli slapped him.
"That's not actually a bad idea." Zinkata said, who had overheard. Vivli sighed and stepped forwards.
"Okay." She grumbled. "What about approval from the royalty? Would that let him off?"
"I suppose so." The guard muttered. "I mean, unless the chieftainess objects. She still has last say. The royalty are just pathetic weaklings there for show."
"Hey, she knows you!" Bootus said to Vivli. Vivli ignored this.
"Urm, so can I command you to free him then?" Vivli said nervously.
"What?" The guard suddenly snapped to attention.
"I'm Vivli." She said. The guard looked confused. "Princess Vivli, I guess." She was uneasy saying that. "Check with the chieftainess, I was taken into protection as a baby, but have returned."
"Vivli?" Repeated the guard. "Oh! I know you!" The guard burst into laughter. "You're that girl who couldn't manage the trial yesterday!"
"HEY!" Vivli screamed. "I passed that trial!"
"By cheating." Bootus interjected.
"I did not cheat!" Vivli yelled. "Go talk to the chieftainess!" She suddenly took a commanding tone of voice. It didn't sound right coming from Vivli. "I am a princess and I order you to release him!" The guard chuckled to herself.
"Fine." She said. "I'll go ask. But only because I want to see the look on the chieftainess's face when I tell her you claimed that."
Of course, the truth was found out, and Voldos was freed. The chieftainess had been unimpressed with the guard's ignorance, but Vivli had admitted it wasn't exactly a common event, so she escaped punishment. Vivli explained Voldos was the fourth Light Warrior, so the chieftainess freed him without a second thought.
"Perrrrhaps you should keep him on a leash." She suggested.
"I think we should." Zinkata laughed.
"Hey!" Voldos protested. "I was gonna escape…."
"We need to catch an airship to Jeuno, then." Zinkata told the others. "We'll get moving right away. As soon as we find Dedji, we can get on with the search. And with any luck find out just who wants the orb and why."
"Aw, do we have to leave the paradise full of scantily clad cat girls so soon?" Voldos whined.
"Shut up, or I'll arrest you myself!" Vivli cried.
Author's Note: I doubt anybody noticed, but the line 'well, excuuuuuuse me Princess' is from the old Legend of Zelda Saturday morning cartoon. That said, Bootus adopted it as his catchphrase for whenever you tell him he's done anything wrong, and hence this entire plot formulated. Yes, this entire plot has been created purely around that line. I'm sure something's wrong with my writing methods when things like that happen.
