Lian's Peculiar Journey: Starlight Paladins
Chapter 16
"Goddess Hera" Cassie
Lex sighed as he ran his hand across Lian's forehead.
The princess breathed slowly and lowly as she lay on the inn bed. Her face was covered in sweat and her general demeanor displayed discomfort.
"She has been cleansed by the Pyre." Sarah informed as she pointed to where the wound was, "However, she will still need time to rest."
"I'm sorry, Lian, I don't know what came over me." Zhin mumbled.
"It was not your fault." Lex told him, "That enemy stand could control anyone it had the misfortune of setting itself upon." He patted his back.
Zhin nodded.
"I'm fine…" Lian groaned, "we need to keep moving."
"No, Lian, you need to rest." Sarah scolded her.
"You're not my mother." Lian growled and crossed her arms.
Sarah sighed and looked at Lex.
"Stop acting like a child, Lian." Lex responded and pointed at her, "You will get some rest before we depart."
"I'm fine!" Lian sat up and pushed her caretakers aside, "See?" she stood up and walked around.
Sarah breathed in deeply and used the Pyre to look into her soul.
"Wow… What amazing vitality." She murmured.
"What do you mean by that?" Moji asked.
"She's not hiding any pain. She's very well, actually." Sarah informed, "I don't see anything wrong with her."
"Now I still haven't eaten my lunch." Lian told Lex, "And I know you were going to take me before our little misadventure."
Lex gave out a deep sigh.
"Very well, I trust Sarah's word that you are well." He walked up to her, "Let us go, and I will get you what you want."
"Yes!" Lian chuckled.
Zhin sighed and shook his head, "What are we going to do with those two?" he asked as the two left the room.
"What can we do?" Sarah shrugged her shoulders, "At least Lex is a nice man."
"What are you two talking about?" Moji asked.
"Uh…." Zhin looked down, "You'll know when you grow up. That is if you aren't already…" he looked at the leipori.
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Lex and Lian strolled down the town streets as they ate.
Lex was eating some beef jerky while Lian bit on a sugar cane.
"Mmm… I absolutely adore these." Lian said as she licked her lips to pick up the wet juices of the cane, "My father brought them to me when I was young. He had conquered the lands of some jungle savages and this is what they gave him as tribute. Ever since then, I loved these succulent plants."
"Interesting." Lex noted as he ate a piece of beef jerky, "I always have to eat these. It's the only meat that doesn't perish on long journeys."
"How long have you been a Lawman, Lex?" Lian asked as she maneuvered around an old woman.
"10 seasons."
"That's a very long time." Lian responded.
"How long have you been a princess?" Lex spoke, but then noticed how foolish his question sounded.
"Well ever since I was born, so…. 24 seasons?" Lian pondered, "But what an odd question to ask, even for you, detective."
Lex sighed and then saw a small wooded area ahead.
"Hmmm? What is this?" he asked as he saw a group of people huddled around a fence.
The two walked to where the people were huddled and saw that it was the wooded area he saw.
"Wow! Here it comes!" one of the people at the fence called out and pointed to something behind the trees.
A large wooly elephant appeared and grabbed a melon from the ground and ate it.
"What kind of place is this?" Lian asked as she walked up to the fence.
"This is the Mayor's Mansion." A local told the princess, "He was an extremely wealthy man, so he has a menagerie of exotic animals on his property. His daughter continues running his estate."
Lex saw the large manor a good distance away.
"Neckras." He pointed to a long-necked animal similar to a giraffe appear to their left.
"What a sight." Lian said in wonder, "Perhaps I can bring some animals like this to my palace garden." She pondered.
"They look like they need huge tracts of land." Lex informed as he saw the size of the property.
"Castle Aico is much larger than this." Lian scoffed, then saw a large armadillo creature eat some fruits in front of them.
"I'm sure we can hold something more than-" she stopped when she saw a figure walk in front of them.
It was a large long-necked dinosaur, who passed by to eat some star fruit on a tree.
"Wow." Lian's eyes opened.
"This must have been a very wealthy man." Lex commented, "He has creatures from the Ancient Lands."
"He was a very wealthy man." The local from before added as she leaned on a nearby lightpole, "Though he never let that get to his head. He loved the town and its people very much, he even paid for a forest to be preserved!" she pointed to the distance, where another patch of woods lay.
"Don't worry, there are no critters there." She brushed back her long red hair.
"I suppose we can go see it." Lex looked at Lian.
"You have to make sure to check the statue by the old oak tree." The woman told them and walked away.
Lian nodded and started to walk towards the park.
"Hold on!" Lex ran to chase her, "You're like a child, Lian!" he groaned.
"I am a Princess." Lian chuckled as she avoided people.
The two ran and reached the entrance to the wooded park.
"I'm guessing that's the old oak tree." Lian pointed down the dirt trail to a massive oak tree in the center, "And that must be the statue."
"Don't you dare run a-" Lex sighed when Lian sped off.
The two ran towards the statue of what appeared to be an old hermit with a cane.
"Dedicated to Joseph of the Star Family." Lian read the inscription on a bronze tablet nearby.
"What's this?" Lex looked at a red eagle mark on the pedestal holding up the statue and touched it.
"It doesn't appear to be new." He saw that his fingers had no red paint.
"But it doesn't look like it's part of the statue." Lian also touched it.
The two shook their heads.
"Regardless, look." Lex pointed at a clearing in the forest a good distance away, "Perhaps we can relax for a bit before we head back."
"Never took you for one to relax." Lian chuckled but traveled to that area regardless.
The red eagle mark on the pedestal disappeared right after they left its vicinity.
Lex and Lian walked down to the clearing and lay on the ground.
"What a peaceful day." Said the princess as she took off her boots, "The grass is so soft!" she felt the grass run through her toes.
"The weather is nice." Lex nodded and laid down, "I almost wish to take a nap." He stretched out his arms.
"So do I." Lian yawned and did the same, "Hmmm?" she felt something touch her hand.
Lex looked at his hand and saw that it was her hand touching him.
"Hoh." He said and looked at her delicate fingers.
"Cmph." Lian coughed lightly.
"Apologies." Lex looked away and retracted his hand.
"No no." Lian shook her head, "It's alright. It was an accident." She looked away too.
Lex sat up and looked at his gloved hands, then raised the one that touched Lian's hand near his face.
A fragrant scent of sugar cane and perfume.
"Lex." Lian sat up.
"I am dedicated to the Law above all… Even you, Lian." Lex responded, "I cannot have such intentions plague my heart in these times."
Lian sighed and looked down at the ground.
"The fact that you are a commoner also brings the same reason to me. I have a throne to pass on, and my advisors would dissuade me from choosing one from among the people." She spoke.
Lex set his hands to the side but landed over Lian's hand.
Lian turned to face him.
Her stern pale face radiated in the noon light.
Her pink lips stood out as much as her feminine features, which hid so cleverly behind her royal red silk clothing.
Lex reached out to touch her face.
"Lex…" Lian reached for his chin.
Their faces came closer together.
Then lips-
"BLAGH!" Lex gagged.
"What the hell was that?!" Lian yelled as she scrubbed her lips with her hand.
"What was that!?" Lex did the same and looked at his hand, then saw insect legs on them, "What th-" he saw the remains of a beetle splattered over Lian's face.
"Was that a bug?" Lian said, then saw Lex reach for her face and grab it.
"It appears to have been a beetle of some sort." Lex wiped away the bug remains and then caressed her hair.
"What a pity."
"Yes, it was…" Lian looked at him with loving eyes, then those same eyes widened, "Lex!" she screamed and pointed at his thigh.
Lex looked down and saw a snake slithering on him.
"Hah!" he gasped and jumped up, "What!?" he saw another snake climbing up on his other leg, "Get o-"
A rabbit was hopping towards Lian.
"Ah!" Lian yelped when the rabbit jumped on her and clung on.
"What is going on here?" Lex said as he saw some beetles from the nearby trees fly over to them!
"I guess I finally caught you two love birds." A voice came out.
It was the red-headed local from before, who removed her cloak to show off her green outfit.
"Huh?" Lex looked at her.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Lian yelled as she felt snails crawl on her legs.
"I guess I should be nice." The woman said, "I am Cassie, and what you are witnessing now is the power of my Stand granted to me by the oracle Seris… Its name is HERA'S SYMPHONY."
"Seris? That's the enemy we are planning to face." Lex looked at Cassie, "She doesn't look like the rest of the felons we have encountered."
Cassie had an innocent aura around her, unlike the other enemies they had faced.
"The Oracle Seris had granted me the favor to leave my home to help fight the magistrate, I can only return it by fighting the people that are trying to kill her." Cassie said.
"I'm coming to get you!" Lian yelled and walked to the woman, "Take- WAH!" she yelled when a deer came out of the woods and ran into her.
"This will only continue until you are trampled or surrender!" Cassie pointed at them.
Lex gasped when two more does appeared from the woods and tackled him.
"It seems all these animals are attracted to us." He growled as all the animals rubbed themselves on them, "We need to get out of here!" he said.
"Alright!" Lian said and called out Power Khan to push the animals away from her.
Lex did the same with his stand, and the two bolted.
"Wait! You can't leave me!" Cassie called out, "If they get out of my range, my stand will no longer affect them. Oh… If I just had Zigs with me…" she groaned and ran to follow them.
Lex and Lian ran out of the park.
"Looks like she's still following us." Lian turned to see Cassie pressing on behind, "She must want to watch us b- WAH!" she was tripped by a racoon that came out of a trash can.
"Lian!" Lex yelled and was going to help her before two cats jumped on his shoulders.
"I'm getting tired of this already!" Lian groaned as a large dog rubbed itself on her back.
Lex grumbled as he took out his stand and made it aim at the dog.
"You can't!" Lian said, "These animals are doing nothing wrong! It's that stand that's controlling them." She pleaded and took out Power Khan.
Power Khan lifted the dog and set it somewhere else.
"I never took you as one to love animals." Lex said as he did the same with the cats and the racoon.
"I love animals." Lian responded as the two darted to avoid a pack of stray dogs coming straight for them.
"It's best to give up now!" Cassie called out, "The longer my stand stays with you, the more powerful your lure to animals will become- Wah!" she avoided a cat that was chasing her targets.
"I think she's right." Lex growled as he saw rats and cockroaches coming out of the sewer and ran straight for them.
"This is disgusting!" Lian groaned as stray cats ran out from an alleyway to follow them.
"Hey!" a nearby civilian walking her dog screamed when it yanked itself loose and joined in the chase.
"We can't stop running!" Lex told Lian.
"I wasn't planning to!" Lian looked back at the mass of animals chasing them, "Oh!" she narrowly avoided some pigeons swooping down from the buildings.
"Damn it!" Lex was hit by a crow, "They're gaining on us!" he said as the animals pressed on their heels.
"I hate how I'm so damn slow!" Lian stumbled on her bare feet, "I forgot my boots at the park!"
Lex grumbled and got behind the princess, then swooped her up in his arms and carried her.
"What are you doing, Lex?" Lian asked, "You're going to get slower if you carry me! Not that I weigh a lot…" she mumbled.
"You don't look like it." Lex shook his head, "You have a very fine figure…. Carnally speaking, of course."
"I'll take it." Lian nodded and chuckled, "Watch out!" she pointed at some racoons that appeared from a trash can.
"Damn it!" Lex growled and jumped over the animals, "That was close…" he sighed, only to have his head struck by another crow.
He stumbled long enough for a dog to tackle his leg and knock him down.
"Oof!" the two fell and were immediately smothered by all types of animals.
Cassie stopped a few meters behind.
"I have you now!" she pointed at the mass of animals, "Surrender! I will take you to the Oracle or you will die under all those an-"
"RAH!" Power Khan appeared and pushed all the animals away in a radius.
Lian and Lex emerged from the dogpile.
"That was the worse…" the princess groaned and removed a cockroach from her shoulder.
"Stop this at once!" Lex yelled at Cassie.
"Not until you surrender to the Oracle!" Cassie responded, "And you better do so soon!" she pointed behind them.
"Huh?" Lian turned, then gasped in shock when she saw an ox come running down the road with some horses behind it.
"Uh oh." Lex gulped.
"Run!" Lian and Lex sprinted once again.
"We need to find a way to defeat this stand!" Lian said, "It doesn't appear to have a physical form, or at least one we have seen!"
Lex pondered deeply.
"Perhaps that red eagle we touched back at the park was the stand!" he exclaimed.
"It's better than nothing!" Lian said as more oxen carrying wagons and horses carrying their riders joined in the chase.
"We need to get rid of it!"
The two ran towards the nature park and reached the statue.
"It's gone!" Lex said as he saw that the pedestal was cleared of any red eagle.
"What are we going to do now!?" Lian turned to see the mass of animals run towards them.
"Nothing you can do!" Cassie called out from the sidelines, "But surrender or die!"
Lian growled, then looked ahead and had a perfect idea.
"Lex, we need to split up!" she told the man.
"Do you think that-"
"We need to do it!" Lian said.
Lex nodded and the two split, causing the wave of animals to split accordingly.
"What are they doing!?" Cassie gasped, "I can't follow both of them!" she said, "Argh! He's the biggest threat!" she pointed at Lex and ran after him.
Lian grumbled and started to run away to the west.
Lex started running to the east but kept a close eye on Lian as he did so.
"It's that woman, maybe I can take a sh-" he was hit by a group of songbirds, "I can't concentrate with all these animals around!" he said as he kept losing his line of sight on Cassie.
Cassie continued chasing Lex as he went into the town and started running across the streets.
"That other girl is still under my stand's effects. I can feel it." She mumbled, "Why are they sticking so close together-" she saw Lian through an alleyway, "I have to stop one of them!" she cut the chase and ran down the alley.
Lian panted as her feet started to bleed from contact with everything on the roads and sidewalks.
"I don't think I can keep this up for lon-" she saw Cassie intercept her with a crossbow.
"Stop right there!" Cassie yelled and aimed her weapon.
"Hrrr…" Lian growled, "I can't stop!"
"One more travel and I end you!" Cassie added.
Lian continued pressing forward.
"Here go-"
"Over here!" Lex yelled from behind her, causing the red-head to turn.
"Power Khan!" Lian called out her stand, then used it to jump sky high.
"The Law! Retrieve!" Lex called out his stand and caused it to shoot Lian in the stomach, then propelled himself up to meet her.
"What?!" Cassie saw as the two embraced above her, "What-" she heard the stampeding of the animals closing in on her.
"NO!"
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Lex and Lian landed on top of the fence that blocked off the Mayor's Menagerie.
"At least we didn't attract these animals…" Lian sighed as she saw the massive beasts that lay within.
"I could imagine the damage caused by that." Lex mumbled, then noticed all the animals that had been chasing them returned to their natural personas and scurried off.
"It seems we have rid ourselves of the stand's curse."
"And I can see why." Lian said as she saw a trampled Cassie spread out across the sidewalk, battered and beaten to a bloody mess, but still alive.
Cassie panted and groaned as she looked at her broken arm with her bruised eyes.
"Not… fair…."
"Life isn't fair, girl." Lian jumped down and looked at the red-head, then kicked her in the head.
"Enough of that." Lex stopped her, "She's a mess, we don't want to go overboard." He stepped back with her.
Cassie grumbled in pain as she saw the two leave, then blacked out.