Ch24: The Charmless Brat
Once we got out of the castle with Charmles in tow, I told Medea in mind chat that, under no circumstances, was she supposed to talk for the next few hours. But we knew that Charmles certainly wouldn't keep quiet. "Okay, you lot, I feel the need to ask you this now before we set out... WHY THE BLOODY HELL WOULD YOU RESORT TO BLACKMAIL?!" Charmles exclaimed at us. "Heh. It worked out, didn't it? Besides, we're only doin' this to get a magic mirror to stop a murderer, so we don't like this anymore than you do," Jess frowned at him.
"Hmph! Well then, let us be off to the Royal Hunting Grounds. The sooner we get done with this rabble, the sooner I can live life freely again and the sooner I can marry Medea," Charmles said as he handed us some Lizard Humor and I simply put it in my purse for later. "Argon Lizards are extremely sensitive to human smell and they will run the moment they smell human scent. So in a sense, we need to smell like them to fight with them," he said.
"Sounds fun! Let's go then, mates!" Stella smirked as she fluttered about and landed atop Prince Charmles's head, making him a bit ticked off. "Are you the idiot peon that sent that lizard at me?" he asked Stella, which made her very ticked. "Don't you dare call me an idiot peon again, or I'll flappin' tell the goddess to turn you into a fish!" Stella growled as she then flew off his head and onto mine. "Wait a minute... a fairy that knows the goddess?... Surely the fairy tale of Stella the fairy can't be true, can it?" Charmles gawked. "It is truer than the fact that you venture out of the kingdom to gamble," I smirked, which made him angry as well. "Now let's go to the hunting grounds. We'll put the lizard scent on before we go inside," I smirked.
Once we arrived at the Hunting Grounds, I took the Lizard Humor and Stella kindly sprinkled it all over our party, except for the scent of herself and Angelica. "Aren't you going to cover your scent too?" Charmles asked. "Mm... My scent is a drug to almost all monsters, the only exceptions being those filled with evil or demons," Angelica smirked. "And as for me, goddesses and fairies don't have any smell on them," Stella smirked.
Our group then went into the Hunting Grounds and saw our first victim. A big Argon Lizard standing right in front of us, its back facing us. I quietly tiptoed up to it with the others and, once we were right on it, Angelica strummed her harp and, just as I expected, the Argon Lizard got all googly-eyed when it turned around and smelled her scent. "Now's our chance!" Charmles smirked as he rushed forward and punched the lizard in the throat, the result being him coughing up a small red gem. "There that's an Argon Heart!" Charmles exclaimed as he got the gem and then frowned at it. "Oi... It's too small though. If we're going to prove my bravery, we'll need a bigger one, the biggest anyone's ever seen!"
"Um, Charmles? Don't you think that your father is a good king too? He seemed perfectly content with a small one on his ring," I said to him. "I need to prove my worth to my father! Now shut up and let's continue onwards to find a bigger one!" Charmles exclaimed.
We ended up doing the same thing to 2 other Argon Lizards before the sun above us started to set. "No, no, no! We need a big one and all of these are tiny!" Charmles exclaimed. "Wot kinda kingdom would want 'im as a king?" Yangus asked me in secrecy. "Well, I say that we camp out here and continue our hunt tomorrow!" Charmles said with a frown on his face. (Is this man really just a big immature child? Now I see why I never wanted to marry him), Medea frowned in thought. (Just remember not to talk at all, no matter what happens), I frowned at her back in thought.
Our group then fell asleep on different sleeping bags provided by Charmles and we all had a decent sleep... that is, until I woke up to hear a sound I dreaded. It was Charmless trying to ride on Medea. "Come now, horse! Ride like the wind!" Charmless exclaimed as he held onto Medea and she kept braying and bucking, not even trying to speak. But then came something I didn't expect.
Charmles had spurs on his shoes and he kicked one of them right into Medea's side. The result was Medea stopping her kicking as she seemed to be holding in a scream of pain. "Huh? Move it, horse!" Charmles exclaimed as he did it again in the same exact spot. Then the jig was up. "OOOOOWWWWWWW! ! ! ! ! ! ! !" Medea exclaimed in pain as she then started to buck and bray wildly to get Charmles off of her. "GET THE HELL OFF ME! NOW!" Medea exclaimed, shocking Charmles as he was sent flying and collided into me on the ground.
"W-What the..." Charmles gulped. "Your horse can freaking speak? What the hell is up with you lot?!" Charmles asked. Medea looked at Charmles with eyes and anger and I knew what she was thinking to me. (Permission to blab everything right now?!) she asked in anger. I smiled at her in thought and awaited what she would do. (Your the princess, so do what you wish)," I frowned.
Medea then began to cuss Charmles out and explain that what he had done was a grave mistake that he would never be able to walk away from. "What the hell are you talking about?! Your just a horse, aren't you? What kind of mistake could I have made by trying to ride you?" Charmles asked. "Are you really that fucking stupid?! You made Medea bl-" I said, covering my mouth after I said her name. "Wait... what name did you just say?" Charmless asked in confusion. "Medea! Princess Medea of Trodain! The one you were supposed to marry!" Jessica exclaimed, who had been looking on with the others in fear herself.
"Well guess what?" Medea asked with a frown. "I don't care about the promise made to me by my father and King Pavan! I don't ever want to be with you as a marriage and I don't ever want to see you again! Now let's get back to Argonia with the 3 Argon Hearts we have and you can explain to him after the ceremony that Medea had called off the marriage. But don't do it until after we leave, or you are going to pay for it," Medea growled in anger.
Charmles gulped and looked frightened now as Angelo grabbed the others and we were all warped back to the outskirts of Argonia, the bazaar not yet starting, but beginning to set up. "Now, remember what we said, Charmless," I said to him with a frown. "Either tell your father after we leave the place, or face the consequences of us ratting you out for being an immature brat who hurt Medea physically. Your choice," I frowned at him. "You really think anyone would believe you about your horse? Heh! You're jesting me, surely," he frowned. "Oh yeah? Let's test something then," I smiled as I took my sword and made a tiny cut on my pointer finger, enough for it to bleed. I then placed it on Medea and, just like with Trodain, we all were shocked by what happened.
Medea was coated in a cloak of light and then reappeared before us in her human look, which made Charmles gasp at her, as well as look stunned at how her bleeding puncture wound from the spurs was right there on her thigh, the blood staining her dress. "Now, why don't we all go in together, hmm?" I growled as I led our group into the castle with Charmles close behind. I simply removed my bleeding hand from Medea before we entered and she returned back into normal horse form. "So it appears your blood has the ability to lift curses temporarily... how very interesting," Angelica said. "Trode, Medea, you stay out here. We're going in here to talk to Pavan for the ceremony," I said with a frown.
Once the ceremony was completed, Charmles unwillingly went back to his room after he presented the one Argon Heart (as I had the other 2 in my inventory for safe keeping) and Pavan smiled at me. "You have done a great service to the kingdom! You are now allowed to take whatever you want from our treasury, the Magic Mirror included," Pavan smirked. "Thanks, Pavan. We were honored to have helped you," I said with a fake smile as our group went to the treasury to find the Magic Mirror... which didn't have a lot of magic left in it. Much as I thought.
"Wait... is that the Argonian Sun Mirror?" a single historian person said as he looked at it. "How very odd... it doesn't seem to have anymore magical properties... if I were you, I'd consult the Seer about this. Otherwise, this mirror is no different than any other household mirror," he said to me. "Dang that Dhoulmagus. Always one step ahead of us," Trode frowned out of nowhere. "COR BLIMEY!" Yangus exclaimed. "Oi... where does he live again?" I asked the man. "He lives in the woods to the west of the kingdom. I should know, since I've been his apprentice before," he smiled. "Thanks. We're off then," Red frowned. And once we were out of the castle and the kingdom, we could hear Pavan's scream all the way outside the walls. "Well, he held his end of the bargain," I frowned. "Now let's disappear before he sends out a cavalry at us," Angelo sighed.