A Thief's Story
Chapter 8-Forced Wishes
"Palo, ho!"
"Mmm…" Hawk woke up.
Already?... Hawk thought groggily. I expected the ship to arrive at high noon…
The group, slept when they left Jad, didn't expect the ship to arrive at Palo's harbor in the morning. Hawk sat up in bed and stretched out his arms and neck.
Either the route changed, or the crew really knows how to get to a place fast.
Tiffany woke up also.
"Mmm… (Yawns) I guess life as a hero isn't all about comfort and free time, huh?" Tiffany said when she saw Hawk.
"No, but spend more time, and something good will come at least."
"Umm, shouldn't we wake Carlie?"
"Could you do that? I got to do something."
Hawk walked out of the room, leaving Tiffany alone with the deep sleeper, Carlie. Tiffany sighed, then walked over to Carlie.
"Carlie? Carlie, wake up." She shook Carlie.
What should I do? She thought questionably.
Maybe you should do the Heath imitation. Faerie said out of nowhere.
(Gasps) Faerie? What are you… what are you doing in my head?
I was curious, so I decided to be in your mind for a while. Not a lot to see, judging from your condition.
(Sighs) Yeah. I wish… I just wish that I could remember… everything.
I could help you, but I can't. I don't have… the power of the Goddess anymore.
I guess we all want something, huh?
But sometimes, we never get them.
Well, that what hope's for. It helps you get going, making sure you never lose your sight. It's just… very hard to have hope for such things.
Funny, I used to say that to Hawk, Carlie, and Lise. I guess it's my time to have a hard time keeping hope.
Me, too. Faerie?
Hmm?
I'm not sure about me being from another world. Especially where Spiratin and Zable Fahr came from. I don't think I came from such an… evil world.
I'm sure there are good people there, too. Where there is darkness, there is light.
Maybe you're right. I'm not sure of anything right now. Good thing Hawk was there when I need help.
Ah, he helps anybody. Sure, maybe he's not serious at the most inappropriate times, but he stays loyal to anybody to the end.
(Giggles) He certainly is the best, isn't he?
(Laughs) I'm not sure if the best. Some things he does are not his finest hour. But he's just that.
They both laugh mentally in Tiffany's head.
Shouldn't you wake Carlie up already? Faerie said after a while.
Oh, right. Tiffany looked at Carlie.
Use the Heath imitation.
"Carlie, this is Heath. Wake up." Tiffany said in a singsong voice.
Carlie was still sleeping, despite what she heard.
I think she knows we're not in Wendel. Tiffany said to Faerie.
(Sighs) She wakes when she wants to.
Tiffany then began to try to wake up Carlie with everything she can think of. From poking to opening eyelids, she tried to wake Carlie. Finally, she resorted to hitting Carlie with a pillow.
Come on!... Tiffany started to tire after a while. Will nothing wake this girl up?
Hmm… so, apparently, the crew rowed along with sailing. Hawk reviewed after talking to the captain. He was right outside the room. No wonder we got here so fast. They were just trying to get somewhere asquickly as possible.
Hawk walked in, surprised that Tiffany was baffling Carlie with a pillow.
Huh?... Oh… Well… If only Carlie was Lise. Now that is when I strike gold. Hawk closed his eyes and tried to imagine it.
"All right, all right. That's enough, Tiffany." Hawk said while opening his eyes. "Carlie doesn't respond to roughness in her sleep."
"Well, what will she respond to?"
Hawk sighed, then walked over to Carlie, where she was resting without a care.
"You'll be amazed at what, or, better yet, how she wakes up to."
Tiffany put her full attention to what Hawk was about to do. Hawk put out his hands, stretched them for fullness, then leaned back. Hawk dived at Carlie. Tiffany just stood dumbfounded by what Hawk did next.
Carlie laughed out loud a second later. The reason why is that Hawk, when he reached Carlie, tickled Carlie with all his might. Carlie, all woken up, tried to squirm away, but Hawk just tickled her back in the opposite direction for more 'torture'. Tiffany, snapping back to her senses, started laughing, too.
"All wight! All wight! Carlie's awake! Carlie's awake! Stop!" Carlie managed to say through her laughs.
"It's never boring just to wake you up." Hawk said after he stopped. "You're just this little girl who happens to be ticklish and wakes up at the very touch."
"Aww, I'm not little. I'm fifteen."
"You're… fifteen?" Tiffany was even more dumbfounded.
"Yeah, didn't I tell ya?" Hawk looked up. "Carlie is half human, half elf. Her elf side allows her to live much longer than humans. Because of this, being a fifteen-year old is pretty much being an eight-year old in our terms."
"I'm not eight! I'm fifteen! I'm 'merter'!" Carlie scolded.
"I'll assume you mean 'mature'. Being mature means that you shouldn't giggle and taunt when I'm talking to Lise alone."
"Nhe nhe nhe nhe nhe nhe nhe nhe nhe." Carlie tried to imitate in an annoyed way.
"See? Another example."
"Well, Hawk tickled Carlie!"
"That's because I have to wake you up from your sound-proof sleep."
Carlie struck out her tongue, then turned her head away.
"Oh well, shouldn't we all get going? We really don't have time to waste. We got to get up the mountain." Hawk turned to look out the circular window.
Once the group got ready, they made their way out of the passengers' floor to the deck. Once they reached there, they behold a beautiful sight. The city of Palo was unwavering in its beauty by the ocean. People everywhere were constantly doing something. Coming in and out of stores, selling and buying from makeshift stalls, taking care of their houses, gossiping around tables, working in buildings and on ports, every little to big things the three can think of.
"This is Palo?" Tiffany said after she absorbed in the scene.
"Yep. Fishing Harbor Palo. Home to the best fishermen, seafood, sea transportation, and the 'rest' city before going to Rolante." Hawk responded.
The group got off the ship, and decided to do a little exploring. Hawk showed Tiffany where the city people lived when the Navarre army took over the city.
"So that's the room where a girl was resting 'cause she was injured. Upstairs is where there was this waitress was, serving one of my mind-controlled guys some whiskey. Only when Lise got close enough did this waitress notice her, and told her she was Eliza and was a spy monitoring the army's movement. She told us to go up the mountain to this hideout near meadow that I was going to show you." Hawk explained.
"I see." Tiffany said.
The two stopped by the inn.
"Why are we here? We just slept." Tiffany asked.
"Just wait… ah, there it is." Hawk pointed at a rectangular pot next to the innkeeper.
"What's that, a… pot?"
"Not just any pot. Remember when you went over the gap in the Cave of Waterfalls?"
"Terribly, yes."
"I got myself an Item Seed from that Treasure Chest."
"You're… going to plant it in that pot?"
"Yep. 'Use freely' Magic Pot." Hawk walked up to the pot.
Tiffany curiously watched over Hawk's shoulder as he pulls out the Item Seed earlier.
"All right. You get a seed from the Treasure Chest from a dead monster." Hawk began.
"You then dig a hole in the dirt of the Magic Pot." Hawk dug a good-sized hole.
"You plant the seed in." Hawk shoved the seed in the hole.
"Cover the seed up." Hawk put the dirt back.
"And then?" Tiffany waited.
"You wait."
"Well, it's going to take forever then. And what's so important about this seed?"
"You wait and…"
A blue plant spurted out of the dirt right after Hawk said his sentence. It kept on growing rapidly, until it was taller than Hawk. It produced a pink flower, then the plant exploded into yellow sparkles, leaving behind a round brownish-yellow nut. The nut cracked open and spitted out a Magical Rope. Hawk caught it in the air.
"Uh…" Tiffany began, dumbfounded by what she saw.
"Basically, planting these kinds of seeds in this here Magic Pot will give you a random item. Different types of seeds give you different types of items. There are Magic Pots like this all over the world. Plain and simple." Hawk explained.
"Uh-huh…"
After that, Tiffany went with Carlie to the Weapon Store, while Hawk went off to the Item Shop.
"Carlie, I don't know." Tiffany paused before walking through the door.
"Ah, Tiffany needs some better weapons! It's good for Tiffany!"
"(Sighs) All right."
The storeowner looked up when the two walked in.
"Ah, you need some weapons?" the storeowner greeted.
"Uh, yes." Tiffany nodded.
"Ah, we have very good weapons." the storeowner waved his arms toward the weapons behind him. "What would you like?"
"Uh, hammer… hammer…" Tiffany finally found one. "Umm, that… Tempest Hammer will do?
"Yes. It's been so long since anybody brought a hammer."
"Umm, how much…" Tiffany couldn't remember the name of the currency. Carlie stood on her toes and whispered in Tiffany's ear. "Lucs! (Laughs sheepishly) Oh, um, how much Lucs?"
"490 Lucs, ma'am."
Tiffany paid the cost, while the storeowner lifted the Tempest Hammer off the table display. He grunted, then carried it over to Tiffany. He took a deep breath, then received the Lucs from Tiffany.
"Whew! You sure you can handle that? It weighs like a ton!" the storeowner said after he took the Lucs.
"I can, thanks." Tiffany nodded.
"Whatever you say. Come again."
Amazed by what it looks like, Tiffany put her hand on her new hammer's shiny surface after she and Carlie left the store.
"You think Hawk would agree to me spending some Lucs?" Tiffany asked Carlie.
"Ah, no worries! Hawk's a thief. Hawk always managed to have Lucs on his hands." Carlie grinned. "Hawk wouldn't mind."
"That's good to know."
They both found Hawk standing near the entrance to Path to the Heavens.
"Hey, you two. You girls sure take some time with shopping." Hawk shook his head. "I'll never understand girls and their shopping habits."
"Yea, yea. Anyway, Carlie and Tiffany are done." Carlie did her sidestepping waiting stance.
"All right. I just replenished our supplies. Better be careful up this mountain. The monsters are stronger, now, ya hear?"
"I've got a new weapon." Tiffany said.
"Good. Increases your chance of surviving by 1."
There's always a reason why people should listen to Hawk. He's what a person would say, "an adapter to anything." He knows what to do and how to make the best of it. That's what he was doing on the Path to the Heavens. A Needlebird tried to peck him, but Hawk evaded the attack easily. He then managed to pull it down on the ground, then stabbed it in the back. The Needlebird screeched out loud, squirming a bit, then stopped. Blood gushed out where the dagger went in. Hawk, convinced that it's dead, pulled his dagger and looked at his Tiffany.
"They always aim for the head, Tiffany, so keep an eye on their attack movement." Hawk looked back at the dead Needlebird. "Their weakness is when they're pinned to the ground."
"Uh, thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Tiffany looked away from the dead corpse.
They finally reached an area where there are two caves on each side of a bridge. Hawk pointed to the left one.
"That's the cave where Jinn lives, who we're going to convince him to travel with us later. The cave that we are supposed to go to is over there on the other side of the bridge. That will lead us to the Wind Kingdom Rolante."
"At the peak of this mountain?"
"No. The summit is way past beyond the kingdom. We can't go there 'cause Lise wanted the pathway to the summit closed to, and I quote, 'to preserve the Daughter of the Winged Ones so she can continue to watch over the virgins of Rolante, and to uphold the famous honor the Amazonesses of Rolante stand by'. Oh well." Hawk shrugged. "Virginity is the sign of strength to the Amazonesses. You just got to hand it to them."
After pasting by powerful Zombies in the cave, the three emerged to a castle that stands brightly in the sun. The former 'Castle That Never Fell' stood magnificently on the mountain, keeping its beauty in true form. The wind that blew around the castle flows like a soft breeze that made Tiffany closes her eyes and relaxes while the wind welcomes her.
"Here we are!" Hawk turned to Tiffany. "The Wind Kingdom Rolante! Home to the best-trained women in the world, who are called Amazonesses. Also home to the (imitated a trumpet) new queen, Lise! Which I'm not sure if she received the crown yet."
"Rolante. Home to the Amazoness." Tiffany looked up at the castle, then at Hawk. "I heard from some people that it's 'The Castle That Never Fell'?"
"Was 'The Castle That Never Fell'." Carlie corrected Tiffany. "Navarre raiders took the castle. Stopped the wind, then invaded. But Hawk, Carlie, and Lise took it back, wight?"
"That's right." Hawk nodded. "My guys may have grabbed the castle, but hey, we got it back to the Amazonesses."
"Carlie wonders how Lise is doing."
"Well, let's go!" Tiffany yelled before taking off.
Tiffany ran up the stairs, only to be stopped by the two Amazoness guards.
"Stop! Who are you?" the first guard questioned. "What's your purpose here?"
"Uh, (Laughing nervously) I don't… want to… cause any trouble…" Tiffany was stuck. "I just wanted to see-"
"Are you a spy!" the second guard questioned with force.
"No! I'm not-"
"Hey, ladies! Go easy on her!" Hawk walked up.
"Sir Hawk!" the second guard said surprisingly.
"Just Hawk, okay? This lady here's a friend of mine. She, me, and Carlie are up here to see Lise, or is it Queen Lise now?"
"Her Majesty has not received her initiation as a queen yet, Sir Hawk." the first guard answered. "We are performing it tomorrow."
"Oh, all right. Well, let us in to see her."
"Yes, Sir Hawk." the first guard ran inside the gate to inform, then reappeared a second later. "Oh, and who's this new friend of yours, Sir Hawk?"
"Tiffany. And it's just Hawk, okay?"
A little while later, they were called into the castle. Tiffany was still mystified by the surroundings inside.
"So this castle protected by the wind?" Tiffany asked.
"Yep. Only those the wind 'accepts' can past through it." Hawk answered.
Once they were inside the throne room did they notice that Lise wasn't there.
"Where's Lise?" Hawk asked the Amazoness nearby.
"I believed out on the balcony practicing Her Majesty's skills, Sir Hawk."
They were outside again, on the balcony, but no Lise. Hawk walked up to another Amazoness, who was breathing a little hard and had sweats rolling down her cheeks. She was resting on her lance.
"Hey, you've seen Lise?"
"Her Majesty just left after one of our guard told us you came. Her Majesty said she was going to her room."
"Great. In and out again."
With directions, the three made their way toward the outside of Lise's room. Two guards stood outside. Before they reached the guards, a kid ran by their path. Hawk grabbed the kid by the collar and pulled him up to him.
"Hey, let me go!" the kid yelled out, kicking and punching aimlessly.
"His Majesty!" the guards nearby shouted.
"Don't worry, ladies! It's me, Hawk. Just messing 'round with 'His Majesty'!"
"Okay, you have your fun!" Eliott shouted out. "Now let me go before I kick your butt!"
"Heh heh. Always wants to do things on your own, doncha?" Hawk dropped Eliott on the floor. "You gotta learn when and where to take such responsibility."
"One day I'll beat you up!" Eliott stood up. "What're you doing here? See Sis become queen, on the day the Spring Equinox begins?"
"I gotta talk to her about somethin'."
"You always have to talk to her about something. Always all alone with Sis. Ha ha! Lise and Hawk, sittin' in a tree…" Eliott started to sing.
"K-I-S-S…" Carlie started to sing along with Eliott.
"Whoa!" Hawk clamped both of their mouths. "Carlie! Eliott! That's enough! Geez!"
"Okay!" Eliott tore his mouth away. "Look on the bright side, Hawk. You get to be called 'His Majesty' if you marry…"
Hawk clamped Eliott's mouth shut again. Carlie laughed out loud.
"Goddess! Be more mature! Geez, your sister needs to teach you some manners!" Hawk looked over to Tiffany and just grinned.
I guess there's a thing between Hawk and Lise. Tiffany grinned back.
"If you want to know where Sis is, she's taking a bath in the springs." Eliott tore his mouth away again and then did the 'eyebrow'.
"Eliott, let me tell you somethin'. It's NEVER EVER going to be a good life if all you think about are things like that." Hawk walked away.
"Heh heh. Whatever." Eliott turned toward Carlie. "So, how you doing?"
"Okay. Boring 'cuz I have to study to take Grandpa's place when he goes to Heaven with Ma and Pa."
"Same thing here. Got to practice my skills to become King. I just hate it." Eliott then turned toward Tiffany. "Who are you?"
"I'm Tiffany." Tiffany introduced herself.
"… Heh heh. I don't know what Hawk is thinking these days." Eliott shook his head.
"Hmm?"
"(Laughing in a small tone) Oh, this WILL be the funniest initiation this castle will ever seen."
"Okay…"
"Oh, geez. Oh well, I'm Eliott. Feel free to explore the castle."
Tiffany nodded, then walked toward the nearest corridor on her left.
Tiffanywalked around the castle, just looking at paintings, talking to some people, and enjoying the scenery outside. Eventually, she got lost.
"Oh! I don't know where I am!"
You're in the corridor next to the castle's old extensively long throne hall. Faerie replied to Tiffany's question.
Faerie! You scared me!
I sorry.
That's okay. Being alone gives me the creeps. Why are you in my head again?
I… don't want to be in Hawk's head when he sees Lise.
Oh… I understand.
Mmm.
You know it's Fate that brought them together.
I know, I know. I just didn't want to accept it.
It's okay.
(Silence)
Something's disturbing me, though. Tiffany said.
What's that?
Eliott's personality. It… reminds me… of somebody…
A memory?
I… believe so…
Well, at least you're kind of remembering something.
Yeah. At least I'm getting better.
Tiffany sighed and looked down.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Tiffany looked up, seeing an Amazoness front of her.
"Oh, I'm okay. Thanks for asking." Tiffany tried to smile.
"You welcome. You must be…"
"Tiffany."
"You're the new one, right? My name's Merci. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Same here."
"Hey! Merci!" a voice called out behind Tiffany.
Tiffany and Merci both turned around to see another Amazoness.
"What is it, Eliza?" Merci answered.
"Where's Lise… Oh, you must be the new person that Hawk with. You're Tiffany, right?"
"Mmm-hmm." Tiffany nodded.
"My name's Eliza, and I see you made yourself known to Merci. Good to meet you." Eliza turned back to Merci. "Merci, where's Lise?"
"In the springs bathing, why?" Merci answered.
"Oh, I guess this will have to wait, then. But… (Sighs) I must get to her." Eliza walked off.
"I have to get going, too." Merci was heading toward the opening on Tiffany's right. "Nice to meet you!"
"You, too!" Tiffany looked down again.
Well, at least two more people to help me remember.
Hawk, asking a few Amazonesses, finally found the springs. It was found behind the castle, almost leaning out toward the sky. Hawk found two Amazonesses that served as guards and 'bathing servants' near the natural-made entrance. He was about to walk in when the two guards stopped him.
"Sir Hawk, we cannot allow you in the springs right now." the left guard said.
Although he knew why he couldn't go in, he just couldn't resist blurting out.
"Why not?" Hawk asked innocently.
"Her Majesty is in here, taking a bath."
"Yeah?" Hawk almost couldn't contain his smile from developing.
"Sir, you do know that we cannot jeopardize Her Majesty's virginity?"
"And why's that?"
"If Her Majesty's virginity is pure, then she is pure. She must be pure until her initiation. Only then can she decided if she wants to choose suitors or not."
"Okay…"
"I suggest that you leave here immediately."
"Okay, okay. I'll leave." Hawk put his hands up, then left.
Hmm. I don't know. Suffer my moral's wrath for a glimpse? I don't know. Do I really to see Lise again, this time in the nude, in a sorta a long time? Hawk put his hand on his chin.
"Hawk! How do you do?" an Amazoness out of nowhere said to him.
"Huh?" Hawk snapped out of thought. "Oh, hey, Eliza."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay."
"Oh. For a moment, I thought you were going to peep at Lise while she bathes."
"Me? Nah. I'm not that type of guy. Perverts can look at her all they want. I'm more of the romance type."
"Okay." she left.
Whew! I almost got caught there. Hawk put a hand to his forehead. THAT would have ruined me forever. Hmm. Maybe a peek at Lise's legs. They're so tender and to die for.
Hawk went outside again, dodging the eyes of the guards. He looked around, surveying the entire place. The area beyond the entrance looks like a crater, with what seems like a garden around the center of the crater, spread out on ridge.
Nice place to wash yourself off.
Hawk found a good ridge that was well out of sight of anybody in the assumed spring in the center of the crater. This ridge provided good view of anything without being seen. The ridge was situated to the left. He just needs to climb the rocks behind it. Hawk pulled himself up to the uppermost rock before ducking behind it because of voices.
"Fiona has the sleekest arms I've ever seen in my life."
"But, Monica... SHE has the BEST slender stomach that LOOKS SO SEXY. AND she has those BREASTS I want to touch SO badly."
"I don't care what all of you think. I think Her Majesty is the best of us Amazonesses. She have legs that are so tender and to die for."
Hawk, hearing this, slowly inched his way up the rock. On top, he saw four Amazonesses laying down, looking at the others in the spring.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. Hawk mouth dropped. I guess these ladies really haven't seen guys in a long time or in their life. Resorted to themselves. Lesbians. You just gotta respect them. I think I oughta leave them alone and go back inside.
Hawk shrugged. He stealthily jumped back down the ridge and traveled back inside the castle, making sure he doesn't get spotted.
What else in this world is out of the ordinary?
Hawk and Tiffany were waiting outside of Lise's room for her to return. Carlie was outside picking flowers, while Eliott was in his room.
"Where were you when you walked off?" Tiffany wanted to know.
"To see Lise." Hawk replied.
"Lise? Wasn't she in the springs bathing?... You weren't…?"
"Peeping? No. Something there just… made me eliminate any thought of that."
"So you were thinking of looking at her…?
"Uhh… for… a brief moment… not that much to desire when I thought about it."
"Oh…"
"I said it to others and I'll say it to you. I'm not a perverted type of guy. I'm a romance type."
"Okay..."
Moments pass…
"Damnit! Where is she? She's never this late." Hawk was tapping violently.
"I'm sure she's taking her time." Tiffany said to calm the mood.
"Hey, y'all!" Carlie came in with a bundle of flowers.
"Hi, Carlie." Tiffany waved.
"Nice pickin', Carlie." Hawk looked at the bundle.
"Lise not back yet? Aww. Oh, well. Look!" Carlie held up her flower bundle. "Carlie has enough for all of us to give to Lise!"
Hawk and Tiffany took their share.
"(Sniffs, then looks) Wow! These flowers… are so lovely!" Tiffany said.
"Well, it is the beginning of spring. The Amazonesses should be gathering flowers tomorrow morning for the Spring Equinox and Lise's initiation." Hawk looked at his bundle.
"Well, good for Carlie to take some before all gone!" Carlie smiled. "Carlie thinks we should put these in vases!"
"Good idea."
"Carlie will go get some."
"Let me come with you, Carlie." Tiffany said to her.
"Okay!" Carlie yelled out when she ran off.
Tiffany went after Carlie, leaving Hawk to himself. Hawk began to tap violently again.
(Low growl) Where is that girl? You can't take a bath and expect it to be this long.
More moments pass…
The same blood vessel that appeared before in Wendel was making a happy reappearance on Hawk's head.
One hour has past since I waited here. Hawk thought after he asked an Amazoness nearby. I can take oh SO much time. My patience level is about THIS close to making me go berserk.
Tiffany and Carlie came back, holding vases with their flowers in them. Tiffany was holding an extra one.
"Here your vase, Haw…" Tiffany was about to hand Hawk his vase, but stopped. "Lise hasn't come back yet?"
"Nope." Hawk shook his head.
"Carlie don't know whether to worry or think everything's okay…" Carlie shrugged.
Even more moments pass…
Tiffany and Carlie, perfecting their flowers, looked up at Hawk. Hawk, with his eyes closed and his arms crossed, didn't even move. Hawk stood still, seemingly untouched by time. A butterfly, which flew inside the castle because of the flowers Tiffany and Carlie has, landed softly on Hawk's shoulder. A little while later, some doves flew in the window and landed on the perch. These doves looked at Hawk for a while, then flew and landed on Hawk's shoulders, arms, and head. Hawk didn't even stir when the doves landed. Tiffany and Carlie were surprised when they saw that Hawk didn't do one thing. They just blinked.
"You think we should…" Tiffany began.
"Carlie wouldn't do anything. Leave Hawk in his anger in his mind." Carlie cut off Tiffany.
They both went back to their flowers.
Yet even more moments pass…
"There! Flowers perfect!" Carlie held up her vase and smiled.
"Here's mine." Tiffany showed hers to Carlie.
"Great! Carlie likes!"
"Hmm. It certainly been a long time since Lise went to take her bath. You think something happened?"
"Carlie don't know. Tiffany would think Lise would care about her friends."
"I wonder how Hawk's doing."
They both looked up at Hawk. Squirrels now arrived and were planting flowers and leaves on Hawk. A whole flock of doves is now perching on Hawk. Butterflies are fluttering around and landing on the flowers the squirrels brought. What Hawk was before is now an object of nature.
"Hawk's okay." Carlie shrugged.
"He looks like a…" Tiffany was figuring out.
"A tree?"
"I guess."
An Amazoness walked toward 'Hawk', carrying a watering pot. She watered 'Hawk' all over, then walked away.
Carlie shrugged. Tiffany blinked, then shook her head. Just then, two guards walked down the corridor on their right. They both kneeled down when they reach the end. There, walking down the corridor was Lise in a blue bathrobe. She was trying to get the guards to stand up.
"Please. I'm not a queen yet. All of you don't have to do this for me."
"Your Majesty, we're not honored to do so." the guard on the left said.
"(Sighs) Oh, great…"
Lise look down, then up. She gasped when she saw Carlie.
"Oh, Carlie!" Lise look at herself frantically. "I don't look proper. If I knew all of you were waiting here, I would have brought my clothes to my bath."
"Ah, no worries! We're girls, right? Hawk isn't looking, anyhow." Carlie pointed at 'Hawk'.
"Oh, my. He… sure has a thing with nature."
Lise looked at the left of Carlie. When she looked at Tiffany, she felt a surge of discouragement through her heart.
Oh, this… is Tiffany. Hawk's… new friend.
"Uhh, you're… Lise?" Tiffany asked nervously.
"… Hmm? Oh, yes. You're… Tiffany?"
"Yes." Tiffany bowed.
"Oh, don't do that. Any friend of Hawk and Carlie is a friend of mine."
Lise walked up to Tiffany and held out her hand. Tiffany took a deep breath, then shook her hand.
"Don't look so nervous. You're a friend of mine, now. Relax." Lise smiled.
"Heh… heh… (Deep breath) Okay." Tiffany smiled back.
"See? You like me already. We'll get along together more than fine."
"Lise! Lise! Look what Carlie and Tiffany made for you!" Carlie held out her vases.
"Aww. That's so sweet. I always love flowers." Lise took Carlie's vase.
"Umm, here's mine." Tiffany held out hers.
"You, too? Thanks. That's really nice of you." Lise took Tiffany's vase.
"You welcome." Tiffany said.
Lise smelled the flowers.
"You two… my flowers? (Giggle) Oh, well. Any flowers will do."
"Hawk would want to give you flowers, too." Tiffany gestured toward 'Hawk'.
"Really?" Lise's almost swore to herself because she felt her heart jumped up and down, making her feel hot inside.
"Umm, first of all, I think we have to 'denaturize' him."
Tiffany, Carlie, and Lise walked up to 'Hawk'. Carlie poked him, but no reaction occurred.
"Have you tried talking to him?" Lise asked.
"He wanted to be left alone, to wait for you. I guess he contained all his impatient rage in his mind." Tiffany replied as she looked around 'Hawk'.
Lise put her mouth next to 'Hawk's' ear and cupped with her mouth.
"Hey, Hawk? It's me, Lise. Don't tell me you hate me because of my lateness." Lise whispered.
'Hawk', hearing this, opened his eyes and turned his head toward Lise. This scared off any animals on him and near him.
"Well, that's pretty hard not to do. What girl takes more than…" Hawk found a clock nearby, "two hour to take a bath?"
Hawk shook off everything that was brought by the animals.
"I'm sorry. I guess… I was nervous… since I'm becoming queen." Lise put her head down, then up again. "But now, I have you guys to get me through it. I would love it if you can stay for my initiation."
"But of course! What kinda friends would we be if we didn't see you become 'Her Majesty'?"
"Just Lise for all of you."
"Same trouble as me, huh? Don't like the fancy names?"
"Yeah." Lise nodded.
Hawk laughed, then noticed Tiffany nearby.
"Oh, I haven't introduced you to Tiffany."
"I already did. She's very sweet."
"Really? Glad you got a good insight of her. After all she's been through, she needs some friends."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you about it. But first… (Wolf whistle). Don't you look nice in that bathrobe?"
"Uh… Umm… (Blushes)…" Lise walks to her room. "Hmph!"
"Hey, Lise!" Hawk immediately shoved his flowers into his vase. "Catch!"
Hawk threw the vase toward Lise. Lise, with her quick reflexes, managed to catch the vase even though she's carrying the other two from Carlie and Tiffany.
"You're as carefree as ever." Lise said before closing the door to her room.
"Hey, what did I tell ya?" Hawk turned toward Tiffany. "Lise is down-to-earth."
"I see."
"Aww, Hawk shouldn't make fun of Lise! Lise is like sister to Carlie!" Carlie put on her angry face.
"Yeah. And I'm, like, the brother!" Hawk grabbed Carlie and rubbing her head hard.
"Stop! Quit it! Carlie doesn't like it!"
Hawk let go of Carlie. She struck out her tongue.
"Hawk's a mean brother!" Carlie said afterwards.
"All of you really are bonded together, huh?" Tiffany took the scene in.
"Guess you can say that." Hawk shrugged.
The three waited for a moment before Lise opened the door.
"All of you can come in, now." Lise gestured. She had her regular 'clothes' on, which is a very light green armor and Amazoness accessories.
The three made their way into Lise's room, which is not much. However, as she is royalty, she does have the greatest furniture and bed. Her room also has a window with a view of the world.
"Tiffany, this should be your first time here, if you haven't been sneaking inside." Lise glared at Hawk. "So, all I have to say is, this is my room."
"Certainly a nice room." Tiffany nodded.
Lise sat on her bed while Tiffany and Carlie found chairs to sit on. Hawk simply stood.
"Listen, Lise. I have to get this out." Hawk said worryingly.
"What is it?"
"Well, have you heard about Maia?"
"Yes. I heard pirates destroyed the city."
"What about Wendel?"
"Eliza came to me with the news on the pirates' assault on Wendel. The Priest of Light barely managed to repel the pirates."
"So that's what happened… Lise, how would you feel if, oh, let's say, you want to… fight another evil?" Hawk put on a smile of persuasion.
"Wha… another evi…" Lise began to turn red, then calmed down. "Excuse me for a moment."
Lise exited her room.
"Uh, Lise?" Tiffany headed for the door.
"Hold up, Tiffany." Hawk grabbed Tiffany. "You wouldn't want to go out there right now."
"Why?"
"Wait for it."
Just then, there was a loud and repetitive THUMP! outside the room. After five hits, there was a yell as something flew in the air and a CRACK! after that. A cat screech was heard after that. A rumble spread out throughout the castle as something fell through the floor. More THUMP! followed through.
"Three, two, one…" Hawk counted down.
Lise entered the room.
"Zero." Hawk smiled. "So, what do you say, Lise?"
"Sure. After the initiation, I'll help. Just tell me the story."
"Okay, I'll make it short. (Deep breath) New evil, from sorta parallel world, it's called Spiratin. Entered the Mana Holyland. Force Faerie out, now in my head. Spiratin stays at Mana Holyland. These same pirates work for this Spiratin. Captured me while going home, escaped. Found out Spiratin wants our pieces of the Sword of Mana. Went to Maia, pirates followed me, then destroyed Maia. Traveled to Jad by Bon Voyage's cannon. Found Tiffany, who has amnesia, in the Rabite Forest. We think she's from the same world as Spiratin. Went to Wendel, injured by fall. Talked to Light Priest, need to get all the spirits again to open gate to Mana Holyland. Brought Carlie. Found Wisp, inside rogue Full Metal Hugger. Traveled here despite attack on Wendel. Done."
"Will they attack here?"
"If they know where I am, yes."
"Great. (Sighs) I'll put more guards and patrols on duty."
"Don't mind if we stay here for safety?"
"Sure, if you stay for my initiation."
"Deal."
"Then, off to find spirits?"
"Yeah."
"Good enough. Anything else?"
"You can use all the Magic and Techs of all your available classes."
"Why?"
"Spiratin corrupted Mana, changed it. Gave us these abilities."
"Huh. Done?
"Done."
Lise and Hawk nodded.
"Should we help Lise out on something before Lise become queen?" Carlie asked.
"Wha… Carlie, be qui…" Hawk began.
"Why, how nice of you to think of that, Carlie." Lise smiled. "I have tons of things for all of you to do!"
Crap! Hawk smack his forehead.
"Hawk, you can help with the furniture. Carlie, you can make the beds that you, Hawk, and Tiffany are going to sleep in. Tiffany, you can help me decide on something."
"Okay, Lise!" Carlie ran out of the room.
"(Low growl) I came here to relax and be safe, not to work…" Hawk mumbled.
Lise and Tiffany giggled when Hawk closed the door.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Tiffany asked when the giggle fest stopped.
"Oh, I need you to help me pick a dress. My deliverer should be here any minute now."
"You have a deliverer?"
"Yes. I wanted to get the dress by myself, but… (Sighs) the law and tradition states I must stay here while a deliverer brings dresses for me to pick."
"You don't like all this royalty, do you?"
"No. It's too much for me right now."
"Why do you want me to help you pick?"
"Eliza is going to come over to help me, too. You see, it's so hard… to find girls around here who are my age. I don't feel confident with those not of my age… Lucky, Eliza is the only one who is. She's like my best friend, when we were little. And now… I'm luckier to have another friend who's my age and still a girl."
"Thanks."
"No, I should thank you."
"I guess we should thank Hawk for bringing me here."
"(Smiles) How did you meet Hawk?"
"I have amnesia, so all I can remember is that I was unconscious in the Rabite Forest, from a fall, I believe. Hawk found me, and so I asked him if I could travel with him. And you know what happened. What about you?"
"Me? Heh heh… we met in the worst of places."
"Like?"
"Inside jail cells in Jad. Hawk was with Carlie in a cell next to mine. I managed to trick the guardsman and got myself and Hawk and Carlie out. We escaped on a ship to Maia." Lise then put on a thoughtful face. "Or did we meet in the Jad bar?..."
"So that's the beginning of your friendship with Hawk?"
"Mmm-hmm."
The door to Lise's room opened.
"Hey, Lise! Your dresses are here!" Eliza came in with many dresses.
14 fancy, heavy chairs in the main hall. (Groans) 196 more… to go. Hawk thought painfully as he lugged himself up to the storage room.
Hawk was assigned by an Amazoness to carry all the chairs in the storage room down to the main hall, which is the south side of the throne room. He was to put them in perfect order on seven long tables, including the main table (sideways to main hall's door, its backside facing the throne) where Lise and her most trusted Amazonesses will sit during the 'events' that will occur, 30 chairs to each table. The Amazoness explained that all the world-renowned nations around the globe are coming to join the initiation.
Damnit! Why are all of these chairs upstairs in the storage room? A storage room on the TOP floor! Who the hell puts a storage room on the TOP FLOOR?AND WHY THE HELL SHOULD I CARRY ALL THE CHAIRS UP THERE DOWN HERE, ON THE FIRST FLOOR FIVE STORIES DOWN?AND WHY, BY THE MANA GODDESS, DO WE NEED THIS MUCH CHAIRS? I'M SURE ALL OF THE NATIONS' ROYALTIES AND GUESTS THAT ARE COMING HERE DOESN'T ADD UP TO 210!
Hawk was so frustrated, he almost hit the Amazoness in the storage room when he got there.
"Oh! (Laughs nervously) Sorry, was this close to knocking you out cold, didn't I?" Hawk put his hand on his neck.
The Amazoness, still a little shocked, nodded her head slowly.
"That's… all right, Sir Hawk." she said nervously.
"So, um… back to our work?"
"Yes…"
The Amazoness backed away, then turned and walked out of the storage room.
(Sighs) I'm getting pissed off easier than a Gremlin that took a Holy Ball.
Hawk turned around and tries to find the chairs.
Great. Now I can't even remember where the chairs are.
Carlie was humming while she was preparing the second guest room. She was fluffing the pillows when she caught in her eye something dark that moved outside the window. She walked up to the window and looked down. She saw nothing.
"Carlie mus' be imagin' things." Carlie went back to her work.
Outside, the figure that was spying on Carlie moved silently to safety.
Have to report to Captain. The heroes have arrived here. The figure stowed away into the darkness.
"Hawk, are you done?" Lise asked him when she was finished with her decision.
"Well, let's see. This chair is no. 168., so no." Hawk said after he put the current chair down by the table.
"My Amazonesses can get all these chairs out here much faster than you can."
"Well, have you ever considered that they have each other to help? I don't have any."
"Well, you're making great progress here, so I'll leave you be." Lise started to walk away.
"Hey, got a question. Despite the attacks that just occurred, why are these nations still going to come here if they know something's wrong?"
"Most nations are deploying their soldiers to protect nearby cities, towns, villages, and hamlets. They are confident that they can hold off the pirates, so they see this as a minor threat."
"Yeah, but we know it's not a minor threat. Look what happen to Maia, and what about the assault on Wendel?"
"I know. But the pirates haven't done anything extremely drastic that will cause the nations to turn their attention to them, like doing a thing that confirms they're over the world. The nations really want to enjoy the peace and harmony and so they believed that attending my initiation is the first step they should do."
"(Sighs) I just hope that we're all ready for this. I don't want nations being thrown off guard again and suffer the consequences."
"We're trying our best to do that while making it seems like we're not at war with each other."
"Guess you're right. Maybe I'm getting too alert for my own good."
"This should be your room, Tiffany." Lise opened the third guest room.
"Thanks." Tiffany nodded.
"Don't mention it. You're a friend. And this is what friends do."
"(Giggle) I'm so lucky…"
"Mmm… time to pack in for the night." Hawk stretched. "Those chairs took forever. Oh well. G'night, girls."
"Good night, Hawk." Lise responded.
"Good night." Tiffany said, too.
"G'night, Hawk." Carlie's turn to say good night.
Hawk went into his room.
"I've got to get to bed, too. I'm so anxious about tomorrow. This is my last night as a princess. (Sighs) Good night, you two." Lise waved before going to her room upstairs.
Carlie and Tiffany said their good nights to Lise, then to each other before going off to their rooms.
Outside…
The same figure as before stood there, waiting for the candlelights in the guest rooms to go out. A ray of light reached him, reflecting something shiny next to his body. One by one, the rooms darkened as each resident blows their candles out.
Perfect. Captain will be please to know that everything is according to plan. Tomorrow will be chaotic. The figure silently laughs as he walks off into the darkness.