Alright! Many words are waiting for you, this time!
If you are liking the story so far, please send in a review!
Gradually slowing down, Mirii stepped on each step of the stairs made in stone. The man was wearing a red Samurai Gear, missing only its helmet. Behind him, a large front door made in wood, with long plates of iron on the edges.
On his left a handle, followed by a long cover.
"Good morning, sir." Mirii bows down, as her eyes closed for a moment.
"Good morning… Mirii." He frees his own arms.
The girl slightly jumped, as her eyes were wider.
"Excuse me?!" Her jaw dropped.
"No need to act all surprised: I said your name correctly." The man walked backwards a bit. "But please, get under the roof and took off your mask."
She stood still for a little while.
"Sir, I would like to hear the source of your knowledge concerning my name." Her head rose.
"I will… once your face doesn't have a mask in front of it." He coughed once, then folded his arms.
The girl let out a sigh, as her irises went to the right, resting on a wooden box with a line-shaped hole vertically positioned. She walked two steps, then her hands pulled out her mask.
"I accomplished your request." Both her hands were holding the mask down. "Now, I shall expect faith from your promise."
"You'll have your answers, Mirii." He closes his eyes. "Ever since you entered inside the Forest of Meditation, I had to immediately stop you and ask you questions."
The girl left her mouth open.
"Sir, do you happen to be the responsible for all those visions I had, during my journey here…?" Mirii turned her back, seeing the fog getting thicker.
"Yes. That was me."
She twisted quickly forward.
"What?!" She frowns a bit, thrusting forward. "Inconceivable! What kind of technology would you ever use to deceive the honest eyes of an Inkling?!"
"Technology? Tsk…" He shakes his head, while his eyes were closed, grinning a bit. "I figured you would throw out such ignorant answer." He reopens them, just to increase his grin. "After all, you are just another Squid coming from the more sweeter waters."
The girl frowns a lot, as her hands were pressing her mask.
"How dare you throwing insults over a client?!" She shows her teeth. "In such sacred place, kindness is a priority!"
"Hey hey…" He folds his arms again. "I was just playing. Or should I say…" He turns his head down-right. "… testing."
"Testing?" Her posture lifts.
"Yes." His face looked directly over her eyes. "All the visions you met were supposed to test your personality. Especially the guardian event should have examined your entire attitude. Too bad you blasted it out, with your logic…" He sighs silently. "Even this small test I did from pure improvisation can't be used to judge you…"
"There's no need for such formalities." Mirii rose her head a bit. "I'm Mirii Hanache, agent of the Inkopolis Security Team. I came here to receive the benefits of the Inkling Hot Baths, ever since I had an unpleasant incident, just yesterday."
"Bah!" His left foot steps forward. "It's all great saying that… but can you prove it?"
Mirii lowers her head, frowning.
"And why I should prove you the truth of my words?"
"Because no one was supposed to walk around the forest, at this time of the hour!" His arms stretched down, with his left hand particularly positioned on the handle. "The guide isn't with you, which according from your testimony, his vehicle was stuck inside the mud and you had to get here with your feet."
"Correct." She nods. "I suppose the Inkopolis Security Team talked with the Shrine's owner about my arrival."
"Again, they claimed you'd arrive here with a guide… and yet, you are all alone!" He snorted faintly.
Mirii kept watching his eyes, as her mouth sealed.
"I don't understand… why this man is doubting my statement? I must press more on this matter." She breathes silently, once. "Sir, did the IST told the Shrine about my name and surname?"
"Mirii Kelpshell. The staff told me that early in the morning." He folds his arms. "But you said that your full name is Mirii Hanache."
Mirii expanded her eyes, as her irises shrunk.
"You don't suppose"
"That's another reason why I'm very skeptical about your intentions…" He grins. "… looks like you didn't do your research well enough."
"False! Completely false!" She frowns a lot. "I asked their Privacy Office to cover my real surname, with the one you just heard multiple times!"
"Ha! Likely story!" He chuckles a bit, shaking his head some more. "If you think that fancy words are going to work, then"
"I have an ID card!" Her left hand stood on her left side. "Please, let me"
"No." His left hand grabbed the handle. "You are not authorized to show anything which provenience is from the sweeter waters."
"The name is Inkopolis, you ignorant!" Her left foot stomped the ground.
"Whatever." He shrugs, as his eyelids lowered to the middle. "Because of your contradiction, I have the power to block this sacred Shrine's entrance. Be gone, now!"
"I refuse your orders!" Her hands were pressing her mask. "Instead, I request a talk with the owner!"
"Request rejected." His right thumb turned down, as his mouth downturned. "You can't enter inside this Shrine, no matter your improvised reasons!"
Mirii snarled silently. A vein popped out from her vein.
"Ridiculous! I can't believe that surname keeps haunting my perfect performances, even to this day! I-I can't walk away, just because I don't have any evidence to support the veracity of my words! What can I do… … hmm…"
The girl smiled. She puts her mask down, taking off her bag.
"Hey!" His left hand grasped the handle tightly. "What are you doing?! Don't try to pick anything from that bag!"
Mirii frowns a lot, as her eyes were directly on him.
"Behind me, there is rain. If I proceed opening my bag under the rain, my items would turn unutilized."
"What do you need to pick up from your bag?!" He grits his teeth, as his eyes were squeezing a bit.
"My smartphone." She nods. "If I desire to leave this place, I can't venture once more inside this mazy fog."
"A smartphone? What's a smartphone, exactly?! A secret dagger?!" He growls, gritting his teeth even more.
The girl giggles a bit. She unzips the bag, as her right hand immersed right through. Mirii pulls out her smartphone, while her left hand zipped her bag. She thrusts the device forward, over the man.
"This object is utilized to call from great distances." Her hand brings her smartphone near her face, as her right thumb presses a button.
The man grumbled, as his left hand trembled.
"Th-that thing must be a shuriken box!"
Mirii's eyes were on the monitor, as her right thumb presses on it in different points, rapidly.
"Is that a box capable of throwing the worst curses known to Squid?!" He gulped vaguely.
The girl giggled once more, as her right hand brought her smartphone on her ear. A beeping sound bounced out, fading into the air, for at least three times.
Hello?
"Hi Tonna. Do you have a minute? I need your help." Her left hand grabbed her right elbow.
Mirii, look… I'm searching Hun for almost an hour and the darn scientists can't stop calling me every three seconds! I bet that right now, they are about to call me again just to know where he's!
Mirii rose her eyebrows, as her irises bounced left and right.
"Tonna, calm down please…"
Yeah, easy to say! You are so lucky to get anywhere near those relaxing hot baths… ever since you mentioned them, I seriously can't stop thinking to stay for hours inside those baths, forgetting all the sufferance I had in those days!
"I perfectly understand." She nodded two times. "Speaking of the Inkling Hot Baths… I have a problem."
Silence fell for a moment.
What problem?
"The guard refuses to let me inside the Shrine."
WHAT?! ARE YOU SQUIDDING ME?!
"Tonna!" She frowns a lot, as her right ear whistles loudly. "Don't shout, please."
Oh no… OH NO! Why the guard doesn't let you take a hot bath?! I thought the guide would explain everything clearly!
"Well, speaking of the guide"
Yeah, pass the smartphone to him. I really need to have a long discussion with him…
"Unfortunately, he's not available for a dialogue."
Another silence fell down.
"You see…" She coughed once, closing her eyes for a moment. "His car dived inside a pile of mud. I had to walk all the way, passing the Forest of Meditation."
… fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.
"Tonna, listen"
Like if the day didn't start that great already! Do you think I have the time to solve your problem, Mirii?! If I don't find Hun for lunch, they are going to destroy my whole career! Why in the world you want my help in a time like this?! Do you think I can get you out of trouble every time?!
Her head rose, as her irises went up seeing the ceiling.
"Tonna, the solution for this problem should not take a great quantity of your time. All I need is an agent and the guide, who certificate my words and let the guard finally trust me."
Yeah, sure… great solution! Like, I can just go over an agent and ask "Hey there, buddy! Would you like to get over the Inkling Hot Baths and help out another agent in need?". You know what's going to be their answer? "Tonna, I have work to do. How about you do it yourself?" Yes, because it's always me that I have to solve others problems and finish up their incomplete tasks! ALWAYS ME THAT CAN'T JUST TAKE A DARN VACATION FOR AT LEAST
Suddenly, silence followed by. Mirii tilts her head down-right.
"Hello? Tonna? Can you hear me?"
Yes, sorry. I… I actually got an idea…
"Perfect." Mirii smiles. "What do you have in mind?"
… yes… that could work really well, indeed…
Mirii frowns a bit.
"Tonna, could you please explain yourself?"
Certainly, Mirii. You see, your presence over the Inkling Hot Baths is permitted because you need medication… in other words, you must visit the Shrine mandatorily.
"Correct." She nods.
Now, you said that the guardian doesn't believe in your words… and I bet he doesn't believe you, even if he talks with the guide himself.
"Really?" Her irises moved to the left side.
The Shrine is a sacred place, Mirii. If you are seen as suspicious, nothing can change their minds! Unless…
Mirii stopped breathing.
Unless there's an agent who controls your actions. Unfortunately, none of them are available at the moment… except me.
Suddenly, Mirii's eyes expanded.
"Wait a minute… you don't mean"
Aaaaah, yes! Yes! YES! I can request a visit for the Inkling Hot Baths, so I'll come directly myself and let you inside the Shrine! The guide will surely come, this time!
Mirii's heart beats faster. Her forehead was full of sweat, as her eyebrows skyrocketed.
"Tonna, please hear me out!"
Ihihih! Can't wait to talk with the chiefs! They will surely grant me the visiiiit!
Her sweat dropped down, as her left wrist drenched it.
"Tonna, wait! Your idea can't be executed! Because… because…" Her eyes were on the guardian. "The guardian is changing his mind!" Her irises fell down-right. "He's claiming to finally believe in my statements!"
"What are you talking about?!" His left hand grasps the handle. "Do you want to see my katana slice in a half your magic box?!"
The girl bites her lips.
Mirii, just one more thing.
"Yes?!" She swallows silently.
The chiefs are going to call you, just to make sure I wasn't playing around. Try to yell a bit and claim that you absolutely need to use the baths. They would not hesitate into giving me permission!
"But they would spot my lies!" She mumbles something.
Don't worry! They never joke about any Rangers' health. A scream is enough to make them dash around the room! Come on, is not that hard doing a small, little yell…
"Tonna… th-that's ridiculous! This will never work!" Her left wrist drenches her forehead, again.
It will! Trust me on this one, ok? I'll call you again, once the chief wants to hear your words.
"No! N-no wait, please!" Her mouth opens wide, her eyebrows rose even more.
Catch you later!
"NO, TONNA!" She grits her teeth.
A clicking sound, then multiple beeps were coming from the smartphone. She brought the device in front of her eyes: her heart skipped some beats. Her face rose, seeing the guardian: he grinned widely, while folding his arms.
She inhales loudly with her nose, frowning a lot.
"Curses, curses, CURSES!" She stomps the floor, as she grasps her smartphone tightly.
The guardian let out a small chuckle, grinning even more.