Diego guided us inside what I thought was a hotel earlier. Maybe it was, but the bottom floor had many tables and chairs, with a small number of people having a drink. Behind the counter (if it should be called that) stood an old man, who upon seeing Diego immediately raised his voice.
"Don Diego." he said, "How nice to see you this afternoon."
I frowned at that. Why does this Diego seem so popular with the people?
Diego smiled: "Would you mind bringing me and my guests some wine?"
"I don't drink." Saya snapped at Diego.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"Wine, I mean." she quickly added.
I rolled my eyes, as I had a pretty good idea of what it is that she does drink.
"And neither does he." she pointed at me.
My face froze, as I feared her drawing attention to me might make people wonder why I was rolling my eyes.
"Yes, I thought you two looked too young for that." Diego said.
"I'm sorry I cannot allow kids in my tavern." the old man said.
"Surely you mean you cannot allow them without some adult supervision." Diego interjected.
"Well, I've come of age seven years ago. Is that good enough for you?" Merlin told the old man.
The old man looked at Merlin. The way he looked at Merlin, with those squinted eyes, and tight jaw, I knew he didn't fully trust Merlin."
"If it makes you feel better, I'll vouch for him." Diego added.
"Say yes, so we can finally drink." Garcia almost sounded like he was ordering the old man to do so, but quickly changed his tone when he added: "Please?"
"Alright, you can stay." he told us.
"Excellent." Diego replied, then pointed at something, "There's a table where we can sit."
Diego moved his hand too quickly for me to see it, but I saw him march toward a table. It had only four chairs, but we could always pull up two extra ones.
"Please sit down." Diego told us.
Merlin was the first to take a seat, smiling as he did so. Saya kept that angry look on her face, but she sat down anyway, opposite Merlin. I could tell she didn't like having to make friends with the locals. I guess it was easier for her in the last world we were in, since most of the people we met weren't even human. But here, where everybody is human, as far as we could tell, of course she wouldn't feel right about being in this village. I took an extra chair, so I would sit at the head of the table, between Merlin and Saya. Diego sat himself next to Merlin. Garcia wanted to take the seat next to Saya, but one look from Saya made him change his mind. Like me, he took an extra chair, so he would sit at the other end of the table, closer to Diego, who then pulled Bernardo's sleeve, pretended to drink from an invisible glass, then pointed at the counter. Bernardo nodded, and started toward the counter.
"So... Merlin." Diego started, "No relation, I assume?"
Merlin sat up straight when he heard that: "Relation?"
"Well, you know." Diego explained, "From the legends."
Merlin, looked at us, wide-eyed. He didn't know what Diego was talking about.
"It's just a name." Saya told Diego, "Think nothing of it."
"Oh." Diego smiled widely, "Well in that case, I won't inquire any further."
"So if you're not friends with Senior Kyrano," Garcia brought up, "why are you in Los Angeles."
Even if I could talk, I wouldn't know how to explain to these people that we're from different worlds, and that we're looking for people who are as well. Looking at Merlin, his face told me he felt the same way. And Saya... she didn't change her expression at all, but the fact that she didn't try to explain told me enough.
"Tell them you're travelers, seeking out the strange and unusual." Murphy suggested.
Merlin repeated after Murphy, to which Garcia said: "Then you have certainly come to the right place."
Bernardo arrived with our drinks, just when Diego asked: "How do you mean, Sergeant?"
"Come on, Don Diego." Garcia replied, "Senior Zorro, of course."
"Zorro?" Merlin sounded very interested in this person.
"He's an outlaw." Garcia explained, "A man who defends the weak, and help the helpless."
"He sounds like a great man." Merlin replied, "Where can I find this Zorro?"
Garcia sighed deeply: "That is just it. Nobody knows. We don't know where he lives, what he looks like behind his mask, or even how he knows when people are in trouble."
"Oh now, Sergeant, you really shouldn't be saying such things." Diego told him.
"Why not? It is the truth." he replied.
"It is." Diego didn't deny that, "But you might make them want to hunt down Zorro. Everyone who tried only returned disappointed."
Why did Bernardo cover his mouth when Diego said that? Was he trying to hide the fact that he was laughing? What about?
"Oh, don't worry." Merlin assured Diego, "We'll just wait until he shows himself."
I heard the door open. I looked in its direction, and saw a man come in. He wore the same suit that Garcia wore, even had the same sort of mustache, and carried that stick-like gun. Garcia turned around to look.
"Corporal Reyes!" he shouted, "Come on over here."
"Yes, Sergeant." he said, and marched over to us. Literally. I knew his uniform was military, but I would think even military people would relax every now and then. Especially in a tavern.
When Reyes had arrived, Garcia spoke: "Have you met our new friends here?"
"Yes, Sergeant." was his reply, which didn't sound much different from when he first said it.
"I'm not your friend." Saya snarled.
Garcia nearly fell back at the sound of that.
"Maybe she's just not as quick as you are to call people friends." Diego suggested.
Garcia's mouth formed an "O", as if he understood, then he turned back to Reyes: "They came here especially to see Zorro. Can you believe it?"
"Yes, Sergeant."
Diego smiled, but Garcia looked worried. It would seem as if this wasn't how Reyes usually acted.
"Corporal Reyes." Garcia's tone changed to less friendly than before, "You're a baboso."
"Yes, Sergeant."
While this seemed to shock Diego, Reyes didn't seem to mind being called names.
"Alright, Corporal." Garcia seemed to sink down, "Go on, do... whatever it is you came here to do."
"Yes, Sergeant." Reyes said, before he left us.
"Man of few words, is he?" Merlin asked, though he sounded like he was joking.
"Now now, Sergeant, that was hardly fair." Diego said.
"I know, Don Diego." Garcia agreed, "But..."
The pause he left made us all curious. Especially Diego, who asked: "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Garcia answered, "Some of the lancers have been acting strange lately."
"How strange?" Diego asked.
"Usually, when I give them orders, they would complain, or hesitate to follow them, or maybe even ask me why they should do what I order them to, even if they knew they should never question my orders." Garcia said, "But nowadays, it's like one by one, the lancers became obedient servants, never question anything I say, never complain. Even Reyes just now, he didn't show any sarcasm when he said 'yes Sergeant'."
Merlin and Saya were looking at each other. Whatever they were thinking, the way they looked at each other, told me they were very interested in Garcia's story.
"When did they start acting that way?" Merlin asked.
"When?" Garcia needed some time to think about it, "Quite a while, I think. Days. Maybe even weeks."
"Weeks?" Diego questioned.
"I didn't think anything of it at the time." Garcia replied, "It is not unusual for lancers to suddenly realize they are soldiers of the king, and that they should never question or complain. But now... I'm worried there's something going on here that I know nothing about."
"Tell me." Saya brought up, "This wouldn't have started at the same time as when this Kyrano arrived?"
Garcia laughed nervously, but stopped abruptly: "Now that I think about it, that is exactly when it happened."
I could see Bernardo pulling on Diego's sleeve. Diego turned to look at Bernardo, who pointed at something. Diego then turned back to us: "You will have to excuse me, I eh... need some fresh air."
"Well of course, Don Diego." Garcia replied, "By all means."
Diego got up from the table and walked to the other side of the tavern, Bernardo following him. I had to turn around in my seat to see where they were going. There was a door at the back, which they were heading for.
"Merlin, Saya, distract the Sergeant." Murphy told us.
"So, Sergeant." Merlin immediately reacted, "What does a soldier of the king do?"
Garcia's high-pitched voice told me he gladly answered that question. As he was answering Merlin's question, I followed Diego and Bernardo.