Chapter 4: The Two Visitors
You can never plan the future by the past.
Edmund Burke
Lindsey was quite surprised at seeing Danny and Alice back after only an hour gone. "Hello my lord. Nice to see you back so quickly" said Lindsey as she waved to the king and queen. Danny brushed her off and waited for Alice in their room. "I'm sorry Lindsey. Why don't you and the guards enjoy a night around town tonight? Is Lily okay?" "Um, yeah, my queen, but is there something I should know?" asked Lindsey confused. "Danny isn't feeling very good. We are going to talk a little bit. We'll be okay. I don't think anything will want to come in Noma tonight knowing how pissed Danny is" Alice laughed at her own comment, but Lindsey was still not convinced.
"Well, I'll tell the guard but I think I'll just retire to my room tonight. Good night, Queen Alice" Lindsey bowed to a knee and walked away. Alice also retired to her quarters, waiting to hearwhat Danny had to say.
Lindsey took a long hard breath of relief at being away from the tense atmosphere. She soon got really bored. But then Zaku's face flashed in her mind. She blushed. Zaku. True, he was a little creepy and hot headed, but he was so noble, so brave, and so handsome. He and Paul left Noma after the War of Chaos and she hasn't seen or heard from him since. See never got to tell him how she felt about him. She sighed. The jerk is so darn grumpy all the time that he wouldn't even get excited that I like him Maybe she should write to him. She took out some ink, a quill pen, and some paper and wrote a half page letter to Zaku. She kept it simple, and said nothing about her feelings. Just enough to hope that he would write back. She at least knew where he and Paul lived. The letter would make it there in by morning if she used the messenger birds. She bound the letter up and prepared to go to the basement, where the birds lived. She barely got out of her chair when she was surprised by a sandy haired girl, maybe only a couple of years younger then her. She was wearing extravagant robes that clearly could only belong to someone of someone important. "How did you get in here!" yelled Lindsey as she prepared to fight the girl. "Please wait. I just want to talk" she said as she held up her arms. Lindsey was not convinced she pulled a wire near where she was standing. She actually booby trapped that part of the room. A concealed crossbow shot a bolt at the girl. To Lindsey's surprised she actuallycaught the arrow.She then moved with incredible speed and reached Linsdey in a blink of aneye. Theworst part was that she was holding a pressure point on Lindsey's shoulder. If she squeezed, she would be knocked out. "You see, if I really wanted to hurt you, you would already be dead." That was enough. Lindsey let her guard down. "Thank you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sakura and I have something that I need to share with you…"
It was morning now. The early risers of Noma rose up, some doing exercise, some heading to make supplications at the graveyard at Ayane's tabernacle. Most likely, the loveable priestess was still asleep and would be rushed out of bed by Kanna, the gravekeeper, scolding her for being lazy and making the others wait for her. But there was one peculicur person who rose up early. She was a former amazon, exiled by the family for stealing from them to please a man. Her name was Mimi, and now she was older, more mature, and now used what little training she received from the amazons and the ladies from the old Shady Lady Tavern to become a monster hunter. She took her job seriously and was pretty decent at it. She of course, couldn't take on huge monstrosities like the king or the army, but she did what she could. She sometimes even managed to tame them so they wouldn't cause anymore trouble. Ayane and Kanna also paid her tokeep wandering ghost in check from time to time. She eventully became known as The Shadow Tamer. In speaking of army, she got wind that her old beau (and infamous brother of Danny), Jacob Chambers was coming down today. She even took the day off so that she would be able to be by his side all day. She still got dressed in her sexy work clothes though, hoping to seduce Jacob. She knew that he actually rejected her when she was younger, but now she was older and she was also someone of notable stature. He would defiantly give her a chance now. She wanted near Noma's gates. He was supposed to be there early. About an hour passed and he hadn't come yet. She was beginning to dread if he was really coming at all. But then, she saw someone rushing to Noma's gates. Mimi became really excited. "JACOB, MY LOVE, IS THAT YOU!" she cried as she rushed forward with open arms. The being approached her quickly. Mimi realized it wasn't Jacob and he wasn't slowing down. "Wait, stop! Who are you!" yelled Mimi as she shot her hand forth. It was well known that intruding into Noma, especially if you're a guy, was illegal. "MOVE WENCH!" he yelled as he punched Mimi and continued on his way. It was an even bigger crime to harm a woman of Noma. The king himself made sure you were dealt with, but Mimi wasn't going to take that lying down. She brandished her whip and caught the legs of the man, tripping him. "Stay out of this!" yelled the man as he scrambled up. Mimi was disgusted at him. He was very dirty, smelled and wore old tattered robes. Mimi remembered that ghouls used to wear those. "I didn't get let out of the shadow realm just so I can mess this up. I will blow this place up!" Mimi remembered now. This must be Terrall, one of Paul's old ghouls that apparently was banished to the shadow realm. But how did he get out?" The stranger pulled out a rather large shphre from his tattered robes. She had never seen a weapon like that but she was sure that it wasn't good. "See you all in hell!" yelled Terrall. He was almost going to push the trigger when someone jumped down and kicked it out of his hands. Without much pause, the assailent round housed him into the gut. "I return to Noma after all this time, only to see it being attacked by trash like you." The stranger then caught the sphere. "Give that back!" yelled the stranger. He pulled out what appeared to be a deck. "So you're a shaman" said the soldier. Mimi finally recognized him. "JACOB!" she yelled. He caught sight of her and gasps. Jacob, also matured it seemed. He joined the national army of Tornel, stationed in Flur some time ago after leaving the Dark Scorpians. Mimi was awed how handsome and strong he looked in his armor. "Mimi?" he said, almost losing his breath. "Now's not the time. Leave and tell Danny what's happening here. Get everyone away from here!" Mimi wanted to protest but Jacob gave her a stern look and she left with no more arugement. Once she went away, Jacob returned to confront the stranger. "I'll tear you apart with my monsters!" threatnened Terrall. "Not so fast, you must not know me very well, because I'm a shaman myself, and my guys can take yours out in a hearbeat" "Fine prove it then, if I win, I banish you to the shadow realm." "And if I win?" asked Jacob. "You won't" said Terrall with a toothless grin. Both shamans jumped on the shaman's dueling area that always mysteriously appared whenever an official duel was called between shamans. "LET'S DUEL!" cried both men.