Faris was quick to rise, her loud voice waking the other three.
"Rise and shine, dullards!" she shouted, an over exuberance of enthusiasm in her voice. "Time's a wastin'!"
There was a collection of groans as Lenna sat up from her small blanket pile to take in her surroundings. Bartz had rolled back over in his pile, pulling most of them up over his head, and Galuf lay on his back with his hand to his face. They were exhausted and a few piles of moth eaten and damp, old blankets they had found in some crates were not exactly a good night's rest.
Lenna took the time to study their newly discovered female of the group. A lot of things made sense now, things that had seemed odd before. The structure of her face, although she had a sharp jaw, she had a petite and elfish nose and soft, round eyes though they were hard to determine under the harsh glares she spared. Her lashes were longer than any man's she had ever seen and her figure, though well hidden by her long captain's coat, if one looked long and hard enough, they could see that she was not built like a man.
She tried to hide it, and she did it well. Late the night before, when Faris thought everyone had fallen asleep, she climbed out of her blanket pile and walked over to the fire. Lenna, who was very much a light sleeper, was awakened by the rustle of cloth and the soft sound of footsteps. The princess quietly turned in her own pile and pulled a blanket up to her nose, watching the woman in the dim firelight.
Faris shuffled around the fire for a few moments, completely and utterly enchanted by it, but then finally stopped. Lenna watched, holding her breath, as the captain shed her coat and laid it out carefully in front of the fire to dry. The coat was beautiful, dark in color with shiny baubles and medals and ornaments hanging off it. It was gleaming and big and Lenna wondered what it felt like.
Then, much to her surprise, Faris grabbed the edges of her shirt and quickly tugged it off and over her head, wringing it out next to the fire. Lenna would've gasped, if she had not already been holding her breath, and stiffened at what she saw.
There stood Faris without any undergarments, yet she had bandages upon bandages wrapped around her chest, compressing anything she had there. Lenna's eyes widened at the realization at what she was looking at and tried to turn back over as quietly as she could, the sound of her blankets alerting Faris.
Lenna tried to steady her breathing but instead she felt lightheaded. She had just witnessed a very private moment that had been meant for no one's eyes. She had broken a moment of peace that did not belong to her and she felt scandalized and ashamed all the same.
She heard what had to be the captain putting her clothes back on and then the creaking of the floorboards as she made her way back to her blanket pile. Lenna squeezed her eyes shut but couldn't fall asleep until she heard snoring from the other woman.
Now that they were all awake and in the somewhat lit room, Lenna, in a very childish way, could not look at Faris without blushing profusely. She decided she wanted to avoid any unnecessary attention, or the expected questions as to why she was blushing, and deemed it was better to stay away and keep to the other two's side. The captain seemed oblivious to her sudden in change in character though, going about as she usually did, barking orders as she went along.
It took three more hours for the group to finally reach actual land and Lenna nearly cried out in relief as she hopped off the last of the shoals and onto the rocky shore. Galuf laughed at her contentment and sat himself next to her.
"Finally," Faris sighed, also taking a spot on the sand to rest.
Bartz still stood, a pensive look on his face as he stared at the area ahead. Lenna followed his gaze to find what looked to be a cave. She shivered at the thought of having to travel through another. She was tired and hungry; the last time she had eaten was the day before, when they had found the last of the pirate's rations below the deck.
Bartz turned his gaze down to them, his eyes finding Lenna's.
"Something's fishy about this place, and it ain't cod."
There was an unearthly silence, no waves and no wind, as soon as he spoke, a bright light and a pop sounded from near the cave, startling all of them. Lenna and the others quickly stood.
When the light faded, what was left was a familiar woman; someone Lenna had seen in a dream. She looked sad and ghostly pale, she wrung her hands in a worried fashion as she looked around like a lost child.
Her eyes finally stopped as they set their sights on Bartz and she let out a relieved breath of air. She held her arms out to him and called out to him.
Lenna looked over to him, his face changing from confused to one of sadness. He clenched his hands into fists then released them, going back and forth between frustration and longing.
"Bartz," his mother cried, her hands beckoning him towards her. "Won't you come closer?"
Lenna heard a whimper and she turned back to face Bartz. Much to her disbelief, he looked ready to cry and he said softly; "Mom?"
The woman smiled at his voice and he suddenly took on a new emotion, or the lack of one. His face went completely slack; his eyes shut half closed, his lips parted, and his head lolled a little as he started to walk towards her.
No one else said anything, they were all too confused. They watched as the man walked, like a machine, towards his specter of a mother.
Then he stopped and stumbled, placing a hand to his head. He tried to step back, teetering like a drunken sailor but his mother spoke again.
"Come, Bartz," and with that, he went slack again and reached for his mother. Lenna opened her mouth to speak, to shout, to scream, to do something, but she was stopped by another flash of light.
She snapped her head at the sound of a voice, sweet and calming like nectar. She had wanted to hear his voice for so long, the only comfort she craved.
"Come here, honey," he cooed. It was him; he was there, right in front of her.
"Father," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke up her dream would fall apart right in front of her eyes.
She suddenly felt in a foggy daze as she took a step towards him. She was tired, so, so tired and she was sure her father was the rest she needed. Her eyes were heavy and it felt like she was moving through molasses again, dragging her slow body while her mind raced to get ahead.
She moved towards him and suddenly she was pulled from her dream as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped her head to find Faris standing there, a look of concern on her face.
"Lenna?" she asked, but she was quickly dealt with as her eyes widened at the sight of King Tycoon.
Lenna fell back into her dreamy trance and that's when the whispers started to fill her head.
Promises of safety and comfort and love all took their place in her mind and it made the vision of her father all the more appealing. This was everything she had ever wanted.
Strangely, Faris followed her lead, an enchanted look also on her face as she took a spot next to the princess. And when Lenna turned to look, she wasn't there, but in her place was her older sister, five years old again.
The little girl looked up to her and smiled, that big toothy smile, and grabbed her sister's hand.
"We're together again!" she exclaimed, giving her hand a squeeze.
Lenna just smiled, taking in how wonderful everything seemed to be at that moment. She was content and safe and reunited with those she loved most. Nothing could be wrong, not ever again.
Another flash of bright light that Lenna barely registered took place in the background of her happy moment. She heard more voices but these ones seemed more real, more tangible. She looked up when she heard Galuf shouting.
There in front of Galuf was a young girl, no older than fifteen, calling for him.
"Grandpa!" she called out, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
Galuf shook his head in confusion and mumbled to himself. What was he doing?
Lenna looked back to the figure in bewilderment, but she was interrupted by a splitting headache. She screamed and covered her ears in vain as she heard a shrieking noise. She dropped to her knees.
She felt like her insides were being torn apart in every single direction as her, what she guessed later, soul was being ripped from her body, from her mind, from her heart. Her temples pounded and her body had started to fail; she fell forward onto her face, unable to keep herself upright.
She struggled to keep herself breathing, but a sinister voice had now entered her mind.
"Just let us have your soul," it cried. "Become one of us!"
Screams, screams swam through her mind as her breaths became short and labored. A less than soothing lullaby, she started to shake, violently, and she felt like she was ready to vomit. She refused to open her eyes as the screams became louder; she was scared to see what was waiting for her when she did.
There was a sudden shout that broke through the screams, though it was duller and sound muffled.
"Open your eyes!" Lenna caught.
No, she refused to. Surely whatever was screaming would be much worse when she opened her eyes.
She was scared and starting to feel a metallic cold creeping upon her, but that was soon replaced by a sharp stinging feeling across her face. Finally her eyes snapped open.
The screaming stopped as she saw Galuf standing above her, his hand raised. She flinched as he brought it down, stopping inches from her face.
"Galuf?"
"Stand up!" he ordered as he grabbed her arm and hoisted her to two feet. She swayed, her mind still swimming in a cloud of confusion. Her ears rang from the dying screams and her vision was blurred from squeezing her eyelids so tight. She gasped for breath as she stood there, clutching onto Galuf's sleeve.
He frowned and pried his arm from her grasp, carefully taking her by the shoulders.
"Lenna," he said sternly, a fatherly tone in his voice. "Get a hold of yourself. Listen to my voice; you're here in the real world."
Lenna knew she was in the real world; those noises were loud enough and hurt enough to have to be real. She shook her head, squinting through her haze to try and find Galuf's face.
"Galuf, I-"
"Stay here," he commanded, releasing her from his grasp.
She doubled over, clutching the sides of her head as she watched him move over to another wriggling figure on the ground.
It was Faris. The woman moved about spastically, her body moving and contorting in uncomfortable positions as she cried out gasps of mercy. She was heaving; her chest rising and falling quickly, her eyes squeezed shut. She convulsed feverishly, like a demon had possessed her.
Lenna watched in horror as Galuf squatted in front of the captain then raised his hand once again. He brought it down quickly and swiftly, the noise it emitted from the contact it made with her face made Lenna cringe. She rubbed her own cheek, guessing that that was how Galuf had snapped her out of her own feverish episode.
Faris's eyes flew open and the convulsions suddenly stopped as the hand hit its mark. She gasped from the shock and rolled onto her back then sat up. She tried focusing her eyes as she searched for the assailant. She frowned, her recovery much quicker than Lenna's, and snapped her head towards him, her own hand striking his face.
Galuf recoiled and fell onto his butt; he placed a hand to his cheek and sputtered, a stunned look on his face.
"What the-"
"What is wrong with you, old man?!" she shouted, her hand poised for another slap.
"Hey! I was just helping you! You looked like you were having a seizure or something, that witch was doing things to your mind!"
Lenna, whose vision had finally cleared, and Faris, who had lowered her hand a little in confusion, both gave him a questioning look. What witch was he talking about?
"That was rude," a melodic voice interrupted them.
They all turned abruptly to the source of the voice. There in front of the long forgotten cave was the most stunning woman Lenna had ever seen. She was tall and lean, a billowing skirt hanging from her hips and blowing in a nonexistent wind. Her golden locks were pulled back in a braid, all the hair pulled away from her sharp face. Her nose was long and narrow, and her mouth was pulled into a firm, straight line. She looked at Galuf with disdain in her cold, dark eyes.
"Who're you?"
Once again, Lenna and the other two turned to another voice. Lenna felt relief as she looked over to see that it was Bartz, standing upright with a look of disgust.
The woman scoffed and raised a brow; she was amused and very much so. She pulled her braid over her shoulder and idly played with the ends as she took a seat on the ground, crossing her legs.
"Your friend here was immune to my song."
Lenna looked on in confusion at the strange sight in front of her; a beautiful woman sitting on the jagged shore of a ship graveyard talking about songs?
"He seemed just completely dumbfounded when I showed him my illusion," the woman complained. She placed her head in her hand and her elbow on her knee. "And then he had the audacity to go and wake you from my spell!"
Lenna saw Faris cross her arms in annoyance, staring the accused witch down. The woman smiled faintly back at her and tugged at her braid.
"You haven't answered my question," Bartz intoned from his side of the shore.
"And that was…"
"Who are you?"
The woman's smile turned down as she threw him a look of chagrin, sitting up straight and crossing her own arms across her chest. She let out a huff, the air from her mouth blowing a stray piece of hair from her face.
"Well if you don't know already, maybe I shouldn't tell you," she answered.
Bartz clicked his tongue in dismay, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Faris was the one to answer.
"She's a siren."
Bartz scrunched up his features into a scowl. "A what?"
"A siren," she said again, meeting his gaze. "They use their songs to lure people into traps. They show you what you want to see. Why do you think there's a ship graveyard here?"
Bartz blanched and looked back at the siren. He took a step back, as if it would help him escape her song. "So she sings…and we see things?"
The siren groaned and stood, placing her hands on her hips. She flicked her finger towards Bartz and waved it wildly. "You're not very smart are you, kid?"
"Hey!"
"He's a bit slow on the uptake."
Galuf cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Will you just let us through?"
The siren laughed a good and hearty laugh. "Let you through?"
None of the others joined in on her merry laughter, they just stood there. This lady was getting weirder and weirder.
Her laughter died down after a moment more. She wiped a tear from her eye. "You may be the first to survive my song, but you will not be the first to make it past me."
Lenna watched as Bartz drew his sword and shouted "Agro!", that thick mist surrounding him to reveal the warrior.
The siren raised her eyebrows at the impressive feat and threw her braid back over her shoulder. "I had heard that something had happened to the wind crystal, I didn't think I would meet the ones responsible for its demise."
Lenna gulped. They weren't the cause of the shattering of the crystal; it was like that when they got there. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder: if she never left home would any of this have ever happened?
The siren whipped her head towards Lenna, that creepy grin on her face. "I sense your doubts, princess. You don't think it was you?"
Lenna stopped breathing when she was addressed; this woman knew who she was, what she desired, and what she feared. And she had every intention of using everything against her.
"Well it doesn't matter if you believe it or not, you'll all be dead soon enough."
There was a moment of silence as they all stood still. The waves washed up behind them, the would be high tide now looking much lower than that of the low tide.
Then all at once they all sprang into action.
Lenna heard Galuf and Faris call upon their respective crystals as she pulled out her own. She held it close to her heart and prayed, a silent prayer, then raised it to call out.
"Deidre, I call up you."
Though she was still wearing the white mage robe from the fight before, she felt reenergized as her new powers ran through her body. Her body temperature raised and she felt lighter on her feet as she threw her hands together in the familiar triangular shape. Her finger tips tingled and her tongue felt electric as her mouth moved faster than her brain, the spirit of the crystal doing the job for her. She cast a healing spell, for whom, she did not know, and the others stood there waiting for the siren to make her move.
"How cute," she sneered, "you think you're little warriors now? Hah! You have no idea what those shards are doing to you."
Lenna opened her mouth to question her but was thrown backwards into the sand with the sweep of the siren's arm. She groaned, scrambling to stand back up. She would not be the weak link; these people needed her to keep them alive.
Bartz ran forward with his sword, moving to the right side of the siren. Lenna watched in a daze as he stabbed, eliciting a yelp from her. The siren clutched at her side and snapped her head in the direction of the knight. She swung her arm towards him this time and he too flew back towards the sand, creating a wake.
Galuf held his hands in the triangle; an exciting and intoxicating aura surrounded him. He chanted the spells that were much different than Lenna's own. He drew the power from within his crystal shard, his mind much sharper and clearer than it has ever been, his only focus needed to be his spells. The words; the pronunciation and articulation were precise, he never stumbled. He couldn't stumble.
He cast one of the most basic of spells; fire. Flames encased his hands as he outstretched them towards the sea witch, the arc hungrily searching for its opponent.
The siren smiled as the flames simply flew past her, not even coming close to touching her.
Galuf gave an exasperated sigh, throwing the black mage's hat to the ground. The siren laughed.
"She's immune to magic?!" he cried, pulling his hands down his face.
"Keep trying!" Faris yelled back, finally taking some action.
She had called upon the grand monk, her outfit resembling an ancient civilization Lenna had once read about with her tutor. A high neck silk shirt and matching pants, she stepped towards the siren.
The siren looked on in confusion as Faris leisurely strolled up to her, placing her hands on her hips as she swaggered forward.
The siren scrunched her eyebrows together as she grew closer and the captain smiled devilishly.
"You're quite the brave one," she told Faris, preparing to strike her.
But as she raised her arm, Faris dashed forward, tackling the siren to the ground. She held a position above her and flung her fist towards the siren. She hit her mark; a cry came from the siren as she was struck in the jaw. Faris hit again, then again, and again and again until she was panting, sweat dripping down her face.
The siren then threw her head back as Faris stopped for just a moment to breathe. She opened her mouth, letting out an ear splitting scream, causing all to cover their ears in pain.
She pushed Faris off her and stepped back, growling with and intense anger in her eyes.
"This ends now!" she screamed.
And then things got worse.
As Lenna hurried to pop off small healing spells, the siren started spastically screaming in short bursts, her chest heaving and her back hunched. She looked like an agitated dog having a seizure, and quite frankly, the sight made Lenna frightened. If she was not scared before she was definitely scared for a lifetime now.
The siren screamed again and flung her arms out behind her as she started to glow an eerie yellow. Faint cracks appearing in her skin, her hair started graying then falling out and finally she was engulfed by light.
Lenna was too startled to feel that fraction of a second of relief that the others had felt when the fiend was gone from sight. But the light faded away to reveal an all the more horrifying creature.
Out of the light came the new siren, or rather she looked old. Extremely old. So old she was dead; the undead. Lenna caught a whiff of the smell of death and gagged, pulling her robe sleeve over her hand then covering her mouth and nose as her eyes started to water. The siren laughed manically.
Her laughing was soon stopped as Galuf completed another fire spell, but this time it hit its mark. She screamed, causing them to once again cover their ears. The flames licked at her clothes and hair, the strong smell of death becoming even worse as it had now become the strong smell of burnt death.
She screamed, a habit Lenna was starting become more annoyed than afraid of. This crazy woman would just not shut up!
She watched as Bartz ran forward again, swinging his sword above his head and slashing it down with such a force, it knocked the siren down with a shriek but seemed physically unharmed. She let out another cackle.
Bartz scrambled out of the way as she swung her arms wildly, their speed causing an intense wind to blow, whipping around their hair and clothes. Lenna gasped for breath.
But the wind quickly stopped with another shriek and the smell of smoke; Lenna looked up from her spot, uncertainty taking a place in her mind.
Galuf threw his fist in the air in triumph as the siren's flesh burned, her body and bones and clothes all melting into the rocky shore. What was left of her gurgled and bubbled, her former vessel seeping through the sand. She cried out.
"This isn't over!" she wailed, her voice no longer sweet and melodic. "We will get you! You won't succeed!"
And then she was gone, all that was left was a bronze chest plate where she once was.
Bartz looked a Galuf, a look of relief and appreciation on his face. "Galuf, you saved us. I owe you my life."
Galuf shrugged but smiled as he said: "Eh, don't sweat it."
"Ah, you're blushing!" Bartz teased, and that's when Galuf punched him in the arm, his face turning even redder.
"I'm doing nothing of the sort!" he denied.
It was silent for a moment, then Lenna giggled, causing Faris to snort which caused Bartz to laugh until they were all laughing and clutching at their sides. It was weird; they had just fought a battle, yet here they were not even minutes later, laughing like there was no tomorrow.
Finally, much to Galuf's relief, the laughing subsided and the tears were wiped and Bartz walked over to the bronze plate. Carefully, he picked it up.
"She must've been wearing this," he said, a light airy tone still in his voice. He let out a light laugh. "Who wants it?"
No one spoke up but Bartz made his way over to Faris, holding it out to her. "I think you should take it," he said, her hands carefully taking it from him as she gave him a placid look. "You deserve it; you went pretty ham out there."
She twisted her face into something of confusion and disgust, but nonetheless gave a quiet "thanks".
Bartz stood there for an awkward moment as if he were waiting for her to ask something, but instead she turned towards Lenna and placed the plate over her torso. She turned her side towards her.
"Help me, will ya?"
Lenna blinked, comprehending what was being asked then hastily started to fasten the plate.
"Thank you," Faris told her, seeing Bartz frown then walk towards the cave with Galuf.
Lenna blushed, thinking of what she saw the night before, something so intimate that was ever meant for her to see. She quickly finished her job.
"Anything else you need?" she asked. "Any injuries you need tending?"
Faris smiled, a small smile, and she her head. Lenna nodded curtly and left her behind to catch up to the other two- and to catch her breath.
As she stopped next to Galuf at the entrance of the cave, Bartz emerged from the darkness with a grin on his face.
"Well," he began, wiping his hands on his armor. "The cave is pretty small, the exit is close. We should be out and on the other side to Walse in no time."
Lenna clapped her hands together, hopping up and down on the balls of her feet. She was elated, things were looking up!
Galuf took in her excitement, his own smile forming on his face. "Well then, shall we go?"
He got a nod from both Lenna and Bartz, followed by Faris who finally joined them.
He nodded in return and lead them, plunging into the darkness.
0-0-0-0-0
It took the rest of the day to finally make it to a small town by the sea, on the opposite end of the cape they had emerged from. It was not Walse, as Bartz had so nicely told them, but instead it was Carwen, a port town whose main export was exotic fish.
Lenna was ecstatic as they entered the town, barely able to contain her excitement. It was beautiful, even more so than Tule. The main entrance of the town was a big stone courtyard with trees and shrubbery lining the tall brick wall. An interesting mosaic depicting a translucent fish was in the direct center; people were standing on and near it, milling about and chatting with one another. On each side of the courtyard were vendors and booths, many different people selling fine wares and food and little trinkets and baubles. Lenna was thoroughly enchanted.
Bartz led them through the courtyard and up a set of huge stone stairs, promising Lenna they would come back later to see all there was to see. Reluctantly, she agreed and followed him and the other two to the inn.
The inn was directly at the top of the stairs. It had a shining red roof and a wooden outside, its sign swung lazily in the setting sun's light. It was odd, but Lenna was excited for a night in the inn; she hadn't really gotten a good night's rest in the ship graveyard.
They got two rooms, the men in one, the girls in the other, and they met in the hall.
"Done packing already?" Galuf asked as he closed the door to their room.
Faris frowned and Lenna realized something with a stomach twisting start.
"We don't have anything to unpack," she told him, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she had her pack.
Bartz laughed as Galuf scowled.
"We're just lucky I kept the money safe," he said, patting his trouser pocket.
"That's all good and dandy," Faris intoned from her spot next to Lenna, "But can that money buy us some food? We haven't eaten in days if you recall."
Bartz chuckled, walking down the hall and down the stairs, leading the way out the inn.
He led them to the courtyard; night had fallen and it was much busier now. The shouting was louder, the lights were brighter, and the people had increased in number. Lenna felt her excitement grow again.
Bartz dispersed the money between them; he offered to show them around but Galuf rolled his eyes and wandered off as Faris threw him a frown and walked away. Lenna opted to stay with him; she was once again in a foreign place- everything outside the castle was foreign to her- and he nodded his head towards the bustle.
They walked around for a bit until Bartz found what he was looking for; a pastry cart. He watched with amusement as Lenna's eyes lit up at the confections and sweets, her stomach grumbling.
"Bartz?" the woman behind the cart asked. He looked up and a smile lit up her face, the wrinkles around her eyes crinkling with joy. He returned the smile, eager that she had remembered him, and picked up a small cake.
"Matilda," he said, bringing the cake up to his nose. "It's been awhile yet, your cakes smell just as sweet as they did the first time."
The woman smiled warmly once again then turned her head towards Lenna who was busy ogling over the sweets.
"See anything you like, miss?"
Lenna looked up, pulled from her distraction and nodded. "All of it looks delicious."
"Take what you want," Bartz said, nudging her in the shoulder. "I'll pay for it."
She frowned at his generosity. "It's okay Bartz; I can pay for my own."
"No, no," he insisted. "I got it, just this once."
With a hesitant hand, she reached out and took a pastry. It looked like a regular bowl of bread with powder sugar on top, the substance sticking to her fingers and making her even hungrier. She pulled a piece off and stuck it in her mouth. There was cream in the middle, light and whipped. She rolled in the euphorically sweet taste.
"Just this once," she told him, taking in a deep breath of the warm dessert.
"That's all you're gonna take?" he asked, plopping the cake that was in his hand before into his mouth. He wiped his hands on his pants, then grabbed another off the table, reaching into his pocket for the bag of coins.
"You gotta take more than that!" Matilda laughed, placing her hands on her hips. "If the boy is treating you, you might as well take advantage.
Lenna felt hesitant; she didn't want to take advantage of Bartz, not after everything he's already done for her. The words that came from Matilda made her feel almost sick enough to put the dessert back down. Almost.
"C'mon, it's fine," Bartz urged her, handing Matilda the money. "If you don't want anymore, grab something for Galuf and Faris. I'm sure they'd appreciate it."
Lenna perked up at the names of her other companions. It was nice that Bartz had thought of them, something she hadn't bothered to do in all her excitement.
"Okay," she said as she grabbed two more cakes from the cart. "But I'll pay you back, I promise."
As Matilda bagged the extra cakes for her companions, Lenna turned to face the courtyard fully. A band had started to play in the center; the mosaic had been cleared for any and all dancers as the musicians picked up their fiddles and hand drums. They played a light and fun jig and it gonna Lenna bouncing on her toes.
She felt light in that moment, giddy like a young girl. She yearned to dance but her body still ached from having not rested for so long.
Bartz pulled up beside her, the bag of pastries in his hands. He watched the dancers with as much enthusiasm as Lenna did; a lopsided smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He sighed, a dreamy and airy sigh.
Lenna looked at him from the corner of her eyes, her body still facing the dancers. She watched as he ate another one of his cakes and she watched as he tapped his foot quietly to the beat of the music. His hair was tousled and his face was dirty and Lenna was sure she did not look any better.
Bartz just happened to catch her eye and grinned; Lenna snapped her focus back onto the dancers, their bodies moving effortlessly and free, like the waves at high tide. She was embarrassed at having been caught staring, but was not deterred nonetheless.
Her companion opened his mouth to speak but Lenna beat him to the punch.
"Let's head back to the inn," she suggested, taking another bite from her sweet. "We can wait for Galuf and Faris there."
She could've sworn that his smile faltered for just a second, however he agreed.
"Okay."
So they headed off, back through the courtyard back up the stairs back into the inn and finally through down the hall to where the bedrooms were.
Lenna walked into hers, and much to her surprise and embarrassment so had Bartz. He simply just walked into the room, sat in the chair next to the table, and threw the bag of sweets onto it. She felt scandalized; what was he trying to do? What if people got the wrong idea?
Bartz didn't seem to be worried about any of that as he was too involved with his third cake. He really seemed to love those. So Lenna ignored her thoughts, instead taking a seat in the chair opposite him. She took another bite from hers.
"How many of those did you get for yourself?" she asked, amused.
He looked up at her, then at the bag, then back to his cake. "Four or five."
He took another bite; she of hers.
"Eating so many sweets isn't good for you."
The cream inside her sweet was beyond euphoric at this point, it was a gods' send. Heavenly, divine.
"So they say, but I myself know that is not true."
He finished the cake, pulling out another. There was a moment of silence, then she spoke again.
"You've been here before." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
He paused, his cake halfway to his mouth, a sad smile on his lips.
"Yeah. I've been everywhere."
"Everywhere?"
"Maybe not everywhere." He stared at his cake for a moment. "My dad used to take me and my mom here every year for the harvest festival. It was always such a fun time."
"Harvest festival?" she asked. Another bite of her dessert.
He quickly threw her a glance. "Yeah, the harvest festival. Usually, at least once a year when the harvest comes in, they hold a festival to celebrate. A lot of towns do it."
"But Carwen isn't an agriculture town, is it? I thought this was a fishing village, what is there to harvest here?"
He laughed. "It may not bring in actual harvests, but it's known for its big festivals."
She scrunched her eyebrows together.
"You saw how fun it was out there tonight?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Well imagine their festivals like that, but a thousand time louder, brighter, and more crowded."
Her eyes widened. They certainly knew how to throw parties. These were events of fun and freedom, not like the parties of Tycoon's royal court with stiff formalities and brittle dancing.
"This is how it is every night," he sighed, his cake becoming less appealing and more repulsive. "They're just so carefree here."
Lenna shifted in her seat, her dessert gone, and also sighed.
"I guess I will just have to come back for the harvest festival someday then."
Bartz grinned. "I'll take you; I haven't been to one in years. I'm itching to go to one again."
Lenna smiled, opening her mouth to say thanks but the door had burst open, Faris and Galuf making their way into the room. Faris plopped herself onto the bed and Galuf stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"Well guess who has information on how to get to Walse," Faris laughed, pulling off her boots. Galuf frowned.
"She found the bar," he told them.
"Well," Lenna said, "tell us what you have."
Bartz had pulled out a cake and handed it to Galuf as Faris relayed her information.
"Walse is south of here, beyond the sea," she started, walking over to claim her sweet too. "They have some sorta machine thingy to amplify the power of the water crystal."
Lenna frowned. They were using a machine to draw power from the water crystal? They were literally draining the power from their sacred water crystal?
"We must stop it," she said, hopping up from her chair. All the worry that she had been pushing down for the night came back up to resurface.
"Hold it, missy," Galuf said, his mouth full of the food. "It would be a quick trip by ship but seeing as the winds are slowed and we don't even have one anymore…" He looked at Faris meekly; but she was too busy throwing a glare at Bartz to see it.
He held up his hands. "We didn't do anything!"
"We can't get there by land as the way is blocked off with mountains," Faris continued, her eyes lolled at the sweet taste of her cake.
Lenna looked down at the wanderer. "Bartz, have you any ideas?"
His mouth tipped down a bit at the sudden use of the formal language, but thought for a moment.
"No ships, so we can't go by sea…we can't cross the land either." He was hesitant to come up with an answer; he set down his remaining cake.
"But wait! There's more," Faris exclaimed. The alcohol really did a number on her personality, making her freer and open with the way she emoted.
"Some old maid down near the pub said that her husband had seen an old wind drake on the northern mountain, she didn't believe him so now he's washed up in the bar."
Lenna's eyes really widened at that. She hadn't seen her father's wind drake at the shrine when they were there. It couldn't be…it can't-
"That has got to be Hiryu!" she shouted, clasping at the pendant around her neck.
"He-what?" Galuf asked.
"My father's wind drake, his name is Hiryu. He wasn't there at the Wind Shrine so I just assumed he had flown off with him but…"
Bartz gulped. "Are you sure it's your dad's?"
Faris snorted. "You don't see many wind drakes flyin' around, Bartz buddy."
Lenna nodded in agreement. "He's the only wind drake I've ever heard of. The rest are either endangered or already extinct."
"Okay…" Bartz said slowly, drawing out the word. "Why is he on the north mountain?"
"Dragon grass grows there."
"Dragon what?"
Lenna rolled her eyes. "Dragon grass! It's a natural healer for dragon's when they eat it, but it's toxic to humans." She gasped, "Hiryu must be hurt!"
"So say we go up the mountain, find your dragon-"
"-Wind drake"
"And the dragon grass. What do we do?"
Lenna thought for a moment then realized the answer to their problem that the drunken Faris had accidentally solved.
"We use him to fly across to Walse!"
Bartz nearly choked. "F-fly?!"
"Yes, it's so plain and simple why didn't I think of it before?" she hopped up and down, then unexpectedly threw her arms around Faris. "Thank you so much!"
The pirate gently pushed the princess off of her, distancing the two. She looked a little grossed out.
"We'll leave tomorrow first thing in the morning," she commanded, quickly picking up the pastry bag and opening up the door. She stood next to it waiting for the men to leave.
All of her companions stared at her blankly. She rolled her eyes.
"Shoo, shoo," she offered, making a get out of the room! Motion with her hands.
Reluctantly, the men left, Bartz stopping in the doorway next to her.
"You're sure it's yours?"
Lenna offered him a reassuring grin. She nodded.
He stood there a moment longer, taking in her presence then left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
He really hoped it was her dragon.