Virginia frowned as they met again in front of the SandCat Inn. She glanced around at her at her friends.
"So… anything?" Everyone shock their heads.
"I think that the other two masks are located in other parts of the world." Clive said. "I've no idea how we get to them though…" Virginia frowned.
"How about the sand sea? If we could find a boat…"
"The dune creatures aren't happy." Interrupted someone from behind her. "They lend no ear to the plight of ships." Virginia turned to find a sailor standing behind her. He shrugged. "Sorry to interrupt, but I overheard you talking and I thought I'd better stop you making a mistake. My names Dennis." He held out his hand. Virginia shock it hesitantly.
"What would you suggest then?" she asked. Dennis frowned.
"These days, land routes are more practical then sea ones. It's safer to take a train. Midland station is to the northwest. Ever since monsters started showing up, they can't repair the trains quickly enough, so right now they just go west. But long ago, that place was the central junction for railways form, all over Filgaia."
"Thank you." Virginia glanced at the others. "What do you think?"
"Sounds more comfortable then risking the sand oceans." Gallows said and shrugged.
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There was a hiss, as the train slowly pulled into Westwood station. Virginia hopped down onto the platform, followed by the rest of the group.
"Now, where so we go?" asked Gallows. "We don't know where to start looking for the next mask."
"I think we should ask the station master," Clive replied, "he should know where the nearest village is."
"I'll ask," Virginia said, and walked over to the ticket station. "Excuse me."
"Lots of people today…" the station master was musing to himself. He glanced up. "Oh, hi. What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering… Rick," Virginia said, noting his name tag, "where the nearest town is?"
"Well…east of here is the village of Claiborne. It's a nice place to visit if you don't mind the long walk."
"Thanks!" She turned back to the others. "Come on guys, we're heading to Claiborne."
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Virginia rolled her eyes as she listened to Jet's muttering. It was pitched at a level apparently designed to be difficult to hear, and very annoying.
"I would be faster by myself; it took ages to get here from the station." Virginia finally decided to interrupt him.
"So this is Claiborne… I wonder if we could get some horses here? It would sure speed up our walks across the wasteland."
"Bu-But…" Jet stuttered, "that would use up most of our money!"
"Its better then having to listen to someone complain all the time." Jet turned and muttered something. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that. What did you say?"
"I'll shut up alright! Where are we going next, anyway?"
"I suggest we split up and ask around, someone's bound to find some possible information." Clive said. Virginia nodded in agreement.
"We'll meet in front of the Horse Theft Saloon in a few minutes time, okay?" Virginia walked off, towards the stables in the east of the town. She only got a few feet before a young girl stopped her
"Are ya a Drifter? Gosh, Ah envy you. The names Becky by the way," she said and sighed. "Ah wish Ah could travel 'round freely. So, what brings ya here, anyway? There was another group of Drifters askin' 'bout the Serpent's Coils ruins just a while ago… Are they with you?"
"The Serpent's Coils?" Virginia asked, "where are they?"
"Oh, it's the ruins east of here. Bit of a maze, but there's supposed to be some kinda valuable mask in there, or somthin'."
"Thanks!" Virginia called back as she ran towards the Inn.
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Virginia stepped into the ruins of the Serpent's Coils. It was pretty dark, and the passages beyond the next room seemed to twist considerably. She groaned, and turned to the others
"Be on your guard, everyone. If the shield that seals the Eternal Sparkle is located here, and what that girl Becky said is true, there's a good chance that Janus might be in here, too," she said.
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"I don't see a switch anywhere." Virginia said, glancing around the level. So far, they had managed to make it through the maze, but this door didn't seem to have any way of opening.
"It's down here!" Gallows called. Walking over to him, Virginia spotted the switch, on the next floor down. There didn't seem to be a way back up.
"Great." Jet said, shaking his head. "You mean, after all that, we have to jump down and redo it all over again?"
"If you'd prefer to stay here of course…" Virginia said, and hopped over the edge, followed by Gallows and Clive. She heard a fourth thump as Jet finally dropped down behind them. Virginia stepped on the floor switch, and heard the door open overhead.
"Why, thank you. I never imagined a rival Drifter would be so cooperative." Virginia looked up in surprise. There was an unknown group walking along the top floor where Virginia and her friends had just been. It consisted of a blonde girl in a red dress, a dark man in a suit holding some kind of staff, a young kid and a…winged cat?
"It's not Janus…" Virginia decided, "but still thugs, nonetheless."
"Was she referring to me?" the suited man asked in surprise.
"This lass needs to get out more," the girl Virginia was already naming 'Blonde' mentally replied.
"Madam, we must press on…" the cat said
"I know, I know." Blonde glanced at the boy, who was probably a relative. "Is it still responding on the radar?" The boy nodded. She turned back to Virginia. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
The question was so far out of context, that Virginia could only manage a startled "Huh?"
"Did I stutter?" Blonde asked. "I'm sure you're just looking for the shield, anyway, Okay then, here's another question. What makes you think you can find your way around the wasteland? What is it that supports you, which lets you think you can make it?"
"What are you talking about? I'm just, me! Stop talking such nonsense!"
"Sounds like you're just another one of those people, who roam the wasteland unprepared and clueless." Blonde shrugged. "It's posers like you that give female Drifters such a poor rep. I can't stand it! One of these day's you're really gonna hurt yourself by pretending to be a Drifter. I suggest you turn back now." Blonde and two of her companions left, leaving the boy on the top level by himself.
"Pretending?"
"I'm sorry," the kid said. "My sister always speaks her mind. That often makes her come off as harsh." He quickly turned and ran after the others."
"I know I'm just starting to take flight," Virginia muttered angrily, "but still… The nerve of her!"
"Come on," Clive said, pushing his spectacles up his nose. "The best way to prove her wrong is to beat her to the shield…"
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Virginia walked along the next corridor. So far, the maze had practically caused them double their tracks several times, and Maya's interference wasn't helping. The had passed through the same room, one with several doors, and she was…
Virginia's train of thought was abruptly derailed as she realized which room they had walked into, yet again. "Guardians, dammit!" she yelled in anger.
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Virginia dived through the next door, bringing her ARMs up to cover the room. She spotted Blonde and her group, who turned to face her.
"You are such an eyesore!" Blonde said. "Who do you think you are, anyway?"
"I may be inexperienced…" Virginia replied, keeping her weapons aimed at the other women. "But I'm doing the best I can! I'm not pretending, okay? I'm not gonna have you laugh at me when I'm trying my best!"
"You really crack me up!" Blonde grinned. She spun out a ARM of her own, and got off a shot, missing Virginia's ear by millimeters. "Then why don't you prove just how far your best will take you!"
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Virginia ducked, as a blaze of fire from Blonde's long-barreled, revolving ARM flew over her head. She quickly returned fire, blasting the ARM out of Blonde's hands and knocking her over, accompanied by Blonde's startled "Huh?" Even as Blonde climbed back to her feet, Virginia noticed Blonde's brother take out some kind of radar. She turned her attention back to Blonde, as she spoke up.
"You are tenacious… and stubborn!" Blonde admitted, pulling a book out of her pocket. "But let's see if you can handle thi…"
"Uh… Sis? Sis!" The boy said, interrupting her.
"How dare you interrupt me…" Blonde said, startled. "Since when have you gotten so bold? Anyway, what is it?"
"Sis, the radar's reacting. I think the team that went in ahead of us is making its move." Virginia watched, startled, as they both put away their items.
"Sorry to spoil the party, but we don't have time to play with you anymore. Ta-ta… Don't hurt yourself." She start to run for the door out.
"Wait!" Virginia called, startled by Maya's sudden change of actions.
"The name's Maya Schroedinger." Blonde…Maya said. "And we are the renowned Schroedinger family. Don't you forget it. It's a name you'll be chasing for a long time."
"I'm… Virginia Maxwell!" Virginia replied.
"I'll remember it for the time being." Maya shrugged. "But, listen… Once I turn my head, you better be right behind me. Or else I'll forget it real quick" Maya continued through the door.
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Virginia carefully glanced around the room. It was identical to the room in the Ruins of, except that it was the top shield of the triangle that was real, and was colored red.
"The shield!" Virginia said, "I think we're the first ones here!" She hesitated, gripped by a sudden doubt. "Wait, where's Maya and her team? Well, better make the most of this opportunity!" She walked over to the wall, and tried to grab the shield. She groaned as she realized that she couldn't reach it, even on tiptoe.
"You won't be able to reach it like that. Would you like some help?"
"Yeah, can you…Huh?" Startled, Virginia turned around.
"Hi there." Janus said, and grinned.
"Oh, man…" Gallows complained. "Are they the team Maya was talking about?"
"Apparently…" Clive replied. Jet just rolled his eyes.
"Geez… Why does everyone hate us?" Dario asked petulantly.
"Well bro…" Romero replied. "We have no social graces, just like the boss…" Janus slammed the butt of his Bayonet ARM into Romero's nose, causing Romero to hunch over in pain.
"I just choose to work efficiently," Janus said, and shrugged. "And when others don't like it, they make a fuss… But the truth of the matter is, everyone's just sore they were outwitted!"
"Now, I get it," Virginia said, shaking her head in anger. "You feel no pain when you stomp all over other people because of the way you think."
"Well of course," Janus said, apparently confusion. "I'm the one doing the stomping, so why should I feel the pain?"
"Calling you a thug is much too flattering… You have absolutely no moral principles." Virginia angrily pointed her ARMS at Janus. "You're nothing but a scumbag!"
"Scumbag…?" Janus sneered. "That's an understatement!" Virginia glanced around. Her friends had their ARMs pointing at Janus' group. It was a Mexican stand-off. Before the part of her mind that refused to focus on what was happening, could wander who was 'Mexican' and what stand-off he was involved wit, she spotted the Cat thing, Shady, that was with Maya's group fly over and grab the shield. It quickly flew back, causing Dario to look up.
"Hey, Boss!" Dario said as he stared in shock. "A cat's got the shield and it's takin' off with it!"
Janus backhanded Romero with his ARM again.
"Ow! What did I do?" Romero complained.
"Idiots!" Janus shouted. "What are you doing standing around? That's no ordinary cat! It must belong to a Drifter!" Maya strode into the room, and took the shield from Shady.
"We had already confirmed that there were two other teams within these ruins in search of the shield," Maya said, and grinned. "And oh, how easily we were able to snatch away the goods from both of you. I was a little disappointed how the notorious Cascade couldn't live up to his reputation. A little anticlimactic, I must say…"
"Tch…" Janus said in annoyance. "Since when did women begin losing their modesty?"
"Oh?" Maya shock here head. "Women have been living proudly for a long time now. You just need to date more."
"The Eternal Sparkle is sealed by three shields. Rumor has it that a female Drifter is in possession of the Crio shield. Might that be…you?"
Maya grinned. "Bingo…" she said. Janus and his group prepared to fight, but…
"Looks like the odds are against us today," he said, and shrugged. "But I want you to know that we're not giving up on the Eternal Sparkle. Have you been to Claireborne? Southwest of there, by the tip of the peninsula, stands an ancient tower. It's called Ka Dingel. It was constructed by humans a long ago in an effort to reach the heavens, seeking power. That is where the Eternal Sparkle is sealed. Sealed by the power of the three shields."
"Why, thank you kindly for the information." Maya politely moved aside, allowing Janus and his party a clear shot to the exit.
"I choose to work efficiently, that's all. Even if I am just buying time…" He fired into the ceiling, causing the unstable ruins to shake.
"Stop right there!" Virginia yelled, and ran after them as they left. She felt Jet grab her around the middle and yank her out of the way and pulls her out of the way as a piece of the ceiling fell down where she had been.
"Whoa…" she heard Maya's sister Alfred comment in surprise.
"I said, stop!" Virginia yelled. She climbed up, only to find Maya standing in front of her. She felt a stab of pain as Maya slapped her face.
"You're the one who needs to stop what you're doing," Maya said. Virginia stared at her with a feeling of shock and bemusement.
"But why?" she asked. "They're…"
"They do have a bad rep." Maya shrugged. "That goes to show how good they are. That's the way it is in the wasteland."
"But…" Virginia tried to interrupt. Maya put a stop to that by grabbing Virginia's front and hoisting her up to eye level.
"But what? You think that they're bad guys? Then what is you're definition of bad? Just now, you did something extreme and endangered your comrade. So, by being imprudent and risking the lives of others, doesn't that make you a bad guy, too? This is exactly the kind of thing that makes me think you're just pretending to be a Drifter!" Maya shrugged again and dropped her. Virginia could feel a hole opening in her world view.
"No, wait…! You're not going to that tower, are you? It's a trap, I know it!"
"Of course it's a trap. It's so obvious. So it'll be worth the risk to take them up on their proposal. And the Eternal Sparkle is sealed there. The stage would be complete." Virginia collapsed, feeling too numb to be shocked or scared at the way Maya had turned her world upside down.
"What was it that I wanted to accomplish as a Drifter? I have no idea… My wings are in place, yet I have nowhere to fly."
"This is a hurdle people face when they wander into the wasteland with some romantic idea in mind." She tossed the red shield at Virginia's feet, causing her to look up at Maya. "Just bring the shield and head southwest to Ka Dingel. There, you'll find neither good nor bad--only the truth about Drifters Once you find the truth, you'll find you're answer. Okay?"
"Are you sure, Milady?" Todd, the final member of Maya's group, asked.
"Yes, she'll be fine." Maya replied. "Once she faces the truth, I'm sure she'll stop pretending to be a Drifter. All right everyone. Lets get going."
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Legal Notes: Wild ARMs 3 and the associated charactersand storybelongs to Media Vision/Contrail. I have no intention of gaining any money from this document.