Disclaimer: I, as I'm sure you expected, do not in any way own Klonoa or any related characters. The Klonoa series is owned by Namco.
At long last, here is the fourth chapter! Be forewarned, this is a long installment (about 14 pages on my Microsoft Word).Chapter Four:
"Marris?" Aquette called out as she turned the corner towards her friend's bunk. She had yet to see him this morning.
How odd... It wasn't like him to sleep in.
Everyone else was in the galley, finishing up the last bits of their breakfast – strange, he was hardly ever late for anything involving food!
She hadn't been worried up until recently. After all, yesterday had been a bit rough – perhaps he was in fact just tired. But all the same, enough was enough! Aquette had decided that it was time to wake him.
"Marris?" She called again as she approached the door to his room, tapping on it lightly. Still no response. How deep of sleep was he in, anyway? "Marris, are you in there?" She yelled aloud, trying to jolt him awake. The words merely echoed hollowly around the hall of the ferry. "Marris! Come on – get up!" She called out once more, raising her voice yet again. Silence, nothing more.
Now she was becoming a little uneasy. Surely she would have woken him by now…
Aquette knew she shouldn't just barge in, but she had to make sure he was all right. She slowly twisted the knob of the polished wooden door, and was a bit surprised to find that it wasn't locked as she'd expected. The startled leopard-like girl lightly pushed it aside on its hinges, peeking in towards the bed.
Empty. The blankets were ruffled, as if he'd gotten up at one point, but now the room was vacant.
For a moment, her heart went numb. Where else could he be? If he was in fact awake, then why wasn't he at breakfast? And why had no one seen him?
An icy cold shiver shot down her spine as she turned and bolted toward the galley, the door still hanging open.
She had known Marris since they were young, and they'd lived close by each other all their lives – she didn't like this. Please let him be all right! She begged silently to herself as she ran.
Lolo quickly set down her empty plate on the counter with the others, only to retreat straight back to the lone chair near the wall. At least she felt better now – she'd been starving all night after abandoning dinner that evening, but a large breakfast of eggs, bacon, and pancakes had cured that. Nonetheless, the other problems created last night in the galley still lingered.
She had hardly spoken to anyone that morning. Theo had passed her a morning greeting, but she just wasn't in the mood to talk. Her eyes traveled to where Friedole sat, still stuffing his oversized face with far more than his share of waffles and blackberry jam. His words still hurt.
Klonoa was sitting by himself as well, near the opposite corner of the room – absent-mindedly running his fingers over the surface of the ring he held in his hands.
Lolo had thought about going over to see if he was back to his old self after another night's sleep, but his dour expression told her enough.
She missed the "old" Klonoa terribly – she still didn't understand what had happened to him that evening before last. True, it wasn't that long ago – it still made sense that he might just be going through some weird phase, but… It was odd, when she was near him his presence felt completely different – almost as if he wasn't Klonoa at all. She wondered if he would ever be like her old friend again. She hoped so, but… It was almost as if the person she'd known had died…
And either way, she was too humiliated to talk to him, after what had happened last night. She wondered if Friedole would really make him mentor her later. And for crying out loud, she hoped not!
"Lolo?" Theo's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. "Hmm?" She lifted her head up toward the white creature. "I…I was wondering, would it be okay if I came with you today, when you leave?" He spoke with hesitation.
Oh, right… He was supposed to be leaving that afternoon.
"What do you mean?" She questioned, confused – was he saying that he didn't want to go home after all? "Well, the truth is I don't have much of a home to go back to… I live in Mira-Mira, but…I don't have a family or anything." He admitted sadly. "Oh, really? You don't?" She was quite surprised. He shook his head. "No. And my friends…well…I told you what happened. This quest or whatever that you're on sounds slightly more purposeful than my lonely daily-life, and I think I could be helpful – I'm good with a sword! Please, can't I come?" He looked at her hopefully, pleading with his eyes. For it was very important that he convinced her.
She sighed. "Well, it's fine with me of course. But I'm afraid that I'm not the one you should be talking to. The thing that I was in charge of was with who got to board the ferry. If you want to come with us once we dock, it's Friedole you need permission from, not me."
Theo looked down, disappointed. "Yeah, I figured, but I was hoping that maybe you had some say in it. Friedole doesn't seem very fond of me…" Neither do a few other people… Lolo thought to herself, thinking again of Klonoa.
"We'll be docking pretty soon wont we? I suppose I should go ask him, then…" Theo finally concluded before turning to walk away. However, after a couple of steps he looked back once more. "Umm, by the way, are you feeling any better this morning than last night?" She smiled. "Yes. Thank you." He returned the smile before continuing his nervous approach toward the over-stuffed leader.
He would have a hard time getting permission, many still didn't approve of her choice of letting him come for the ride in the first place. She hoped he'd convince Friedole though, she rather liked him. At least he'd speak to her once in a while, something that seemed hard to come by recently… Nevertheless, his behavior last night still seemed a bit strange. She still didn't understand why he had cared about what they said – what did he know? – She hadn't even met him until earlier that same day! And yet, he'd acted as if he'd known her for quite a long time…
She was startled out of her thoughts again as the sound of doors slamming open echoed through the room.
"Is Marris in here? " A voice called out. Shivers shot done Lolo's spine at the tension in the words. "Please, tell me someone's seen him!" Everyone turned to look, Aquette had burst into the galley through the secondary entrance. She looked upset, and her worries were beginning to translate into tears.
"You mean he wasn't in his room?" Vioris looked toward her in disbelief. Aquette shook her head. "But he has to be!" Eneste insisted. "No one's seen him all morning, where else could he be?" Aquette didn't answer, but the expression on her face was enough to say that she didn't know. A wave of apprehension spread through the crowd. Something didn't feel right, and for a moment, no one said anything – their lips sealed with death-like silence. It was a few moments later that the beginning of a sob escaped from Aquette's mouth.
Friedole got up from where he sat. "I guess we had better go take a look and see if we can find the lad, I can't imagine where he could have possibly gotten to…" Aquette preferred not to think about that…
The whole group followed Friedole and Aquette out of the galley and up the stairs as they began their search.
Only one person hesitated, remaining in the room. Theo. Images from a dark memory danced in his mind, his whole body beginning to shake. Please…no – it can't be! Not again… He forced himself to look toward the stairway, but Klonoa had already disappeared from view. After a few more moments of stillness, Theo flashed back into action and motion returned to him. He hurried after the rest of his companions.
No one talked much, though occasionally someone would yell out the name of the missing traveler, only to be greeted by silence. It didn't make sense why anything would have happened to Marris, but, though no one could put their finger on it, something was definitely wrong. They were all eager to find him, hoping to prove themselves mistaken and have their nerves eased. But it was at the front deck of the ferry that the whole group finally came to a stop. Bitter gasps filled the air as every eye caught glimpse of a ghastly sight. Blood.
The railing of the ship was severed and snapped in half, the remaining pieces of it severally bent. The dull gray metal was covered in crimson liquid, dried black around the edges.
Everyone knew it, but no one dared speak the words aloud. Marris was dead.
He had been murdered. Thrown overboard over the railing… It must have been sometime during the night, while everyone else had been sleeping soundly in their beds…
Lolo's face turned pale, her mind frozen. She felt a confusing mix of things: horror, sadness, and perhaps, most of all, confusion. She looked around at her remaining companions.
Klonoa's expression was strange, he looked upset, but his eyes told a different story. Everyone else was in silent shock, no one moving, and only the shadows in their own eyes betrayed their terror. Theo's head was down, his whole posture slumped. Intense sorrow and regret painted his face.
Aquette was the first one to utter a sound. She fell to her knees, tears spilling down her face as wailed in grief. Lolo felt sorry for her, she didn't know her well at all, but she knew that Marris and Aquette had been friends for a long time.
Friedole slowly walked up to investigate the grisly scene, along with a solemn Leorina. Several other travelers went over to Aquette, in an attempt to console her, though they remained silent.
"What…what happened?" Eneste asked sadly, the first person to speak. "Marris has been thrown over the railing…" Friedole answered simply, regret in his voice. "But the only people on this boat are us and a couple of trained workers, who would've…?" Icarus wondered aloud.
"Theo!" Klonoa suddenly burst out. "Don't forget about him – he was onboard too!" The Dream Traveler looked toward the outsider in mock horror. "What?" That pulled Theo out of his slump. "No! I…I would never do such a thing!" Everyone just stared at him. Lolo's mind reeled – Theo?
"Stop it! Don't even look at me like that! I'm not a killer!" "Liar!" Klonoa insisted. "Who else would've done it, certainly none of us ever would, and the workers on the ferry are monitored by the law force! Stop denying it – you sick murderer – you think you can just come with us and kill us off one by one? You're probably Ussannis' right-hand-man! –" "Listen you!" Theo interrupted. "I don't know who you think you are, but I'm innocent and you know it! What's wrong? Have to put the blame on someone don't you!" Theo looked absolutely furious, the anger he'd been harboring against the Dream Traveler had practically boiled over now. "You're the one that's doing all the lying! You bastard!" He turned toward the rest of the astonished group, all of them mesmerized by the confrontation. "Why would I have done something like this? I didn't really even know who he was! Besides, do you think I'd have the strength to do that kind of damage even if I wanted to! Just shut up and leave me and everyone else alone!" He screamed, turning back to Klonoa, his face showing red through his fur. They both stood completely still, their breath coming heavily – claws un-seethed and fangs bared. Their eyes shown with a savage light. For a moment, Lolo was worried that they were going to rip each other apart.
Klonoa opened his mouth to yell a rebuttal, but before the Dream Traveler could speak, Friedole ran up and pushed his way between them. "That's enough! We don't know who's to blame yet! Calm down and act civilized, both of you! Rest assured I will be keeping my eye on Theo, but first things first – we must report this to the captain." He turned toward the others. "Icarus, would you inform the workers of what has happened, and tell them that I wish to speak with Captain Lukas." The bat nodded and hurried off. "The rest of us should go off to the main room. Stay where I can see you for now."
Everyone hung back a moment, their eyes hanging over Theo. The white-creature was still panting, covered in both sweat and tears. He seemed to have calmed down, but beneath his fur his face was still red. His heart ached; the stares he was receiving were full of hatred and anger. Aquette struck him a gaze as cold as ice as she passed by, prompted on by Vioris and Eneste. She looked like she wished she could kill him herself. But I didn't… Theo thought helplessly to himself. He wondered if he should have told them about… – No! That would've ended badly! He'd almost said too much as it was. He though of his confrontation with the 'Dream Traveler' – if only he could get his hands around that fiends own neck. Why had he had to do this? Was this kind of thing all just fun and games to him? He felt cold with his own personal fury. Lolo's eyes were blank as she looked at him doubtfully. He felt like crying.
Eventually everyone slowly walked along after their leader, as if in a trance. Their hardened eyes still hovering around Theo as the remaining members of the group descended down the stairs and into the main hall of the ferry.
It was about twenty minutes later when Icarus walked through the same, creaky doors. Friedole had gone up to address him privately, after which he had announced that he was going up top to speak with Lucas, who was not only the captain, but also the owner of the whole ferrying business.
At first, he'd seemed hesitant to leave the others alone. He had considered dragging Theo along with him as a precaution, but had decided that he wanted to talk with the captain without other listeners. Aside from that, it seemed reasonable to think that if the murderer was still on board, which actually seemed quite likely, that he or she would probably be lying low for a while, now that everyone was on their toes. Besides, he had to act calm, otherwise everyone who was depending on him might panic.
Lolo didn't say much. No one did. Everyone merely sat quietly by themselves in one of the many red velvet chairs that were scattered neatly around the main hall. Unless it had been a wayward worker, chances are that the killer was in that very same room. The thought chilled the hearts of those present, as they scrutinized those that they had once thought trustworthy.
Theo. That name played over and over in Lolo's head like a broken record. It just didn't make sense. She could find nothing about him that marked him as suspicious, in fact she had thought him quite the opposite, but Klonoa had been right when he had wondered who else the murderer could possibly be. Surely none of Marris own companions would have committed such a crime… And with the employees monitored…
But it couldn't be! Her palms sweated even though her whole body felt cold. She could only pray that Klonoa had been wrong in his accusation. …For if he was right, then didn't it mean that she was partly to blame for Marris' death as well? She was after all, the one that had allowed Theo onboard, if it turned out that he was the one… No! Theo couldn't be a killer, it had to be someone else. Perhaps Ussannis had sent someone to do the job, but then…how had the assassin gotten on and off of the boat in the middle of the ocean? And just a few of the magician's puppets would be too weak to be dangerous, but he wouldn't have been able to send many because the others would have been woken by all the noise they made. And why Marris? She shivered, unable to find any other explanation. Then, did that mean it really was someone that was within eye distance from her? But, how…
She sighed miserably. Nothing at all made sense! Absolutely nothing!
Lolo kept her head down, afraid that some people might already be holding her decision against her. She could still Aquette's terrible weeping and, at times, cursing, from the opposite corner of the room. It had been on purpose when Lolo had found a chair as far away from the distraught girl as possible.
On rare occasions, she'd steal a quick glance upwards, wanting to see what was going on while she remained lost in her own world of desolate thoughts. Eneste and Vioris had remained beside Aquette, the vixen keeping a hand on the shoulder of her grieving friend and leaning over to whisper something in her ear. They were near sobbing as well, for the two had known both Marris and Aquette long before they were assigned to this quest.
She let her eyes travel quickly over to Theo, finding him alone near her far left. The expression on his face still looked dazed, and the feelings flickering in his eyes were too difficult to decipher for her to even attempt. He was careful to keep his gaze to himself, nervous of what the others might do with him. He was obviously in pain as well, not to mention that he had also lost any chance he'd ever had at coming along with the group.
Klonoa never had sat down, he just hovered on the outskirts, watching the others. He shuffled continually as if he wasn't quite sure of what to do with himself.
He was acting strange again.
The Dream Traveler somehow just didn't seem as shaken as all the others, despite his outburst earlier. But he must be upset! Lolo thought as she watched him, how could he not be? Maybe she should try talking to him again, she wondered. But… No. He had made it obvious that Theo was already guilty in his eyes. Then he must be mad at me too… She admitted sadly. She let her gaze droop down again, and let her eyes slowly close until she once again heard the voice of Friedole; vanishing again into her private place of dark feelings.
The door creaked open almost 45 minutes later, most of the pathetic group turned to stare at their leader expectantly. Sadness came over Friedole himself as he gazed out at what remained of his troupe, all their faces stained and solemn. With a sigh, he informed them that they'd be docking soon, and that afterwards they would continue on their quest as normal, leaving forces of the law to look into the murder. He told them to keep an eye out, and if they saw anything suspicious to report it to him immediately. He noted that thought he couldn't rule out an attack by Ussannis, he thought it unlikely (for much the same reasons as Lolo).
He also mentioned that since it was to early to know the identity of the murder, that everyone was to be treated as innocent until charged. Lolo doubted that would happen.
"But what about Theo?" Asked Klonoa accusingly. Friedole shook his head. "Don't start this again… We have no proof that he did or did not commit this act one way or another. We cannot take action against anyone until we have proof."
"So you're just gonna let him go? After what he did to Marris?" Aquette looked at her leader in disbelief, tears still running down her cheeks. "Actually." Friedole paused for a moment, as if thinking over his response one more time. "The captain and I have decided that it'd be best if he comes with us while the investigation is finished, under my supervision." He turned toward the desolate creature, who had looked up when he had first heard his name. "Otherwise, he will be arrested. Again, there is no proof he's done it, and it is wrong to assume. But as a suspect, he cannot leave on his own." Friedole was, in his own way, a well-respected member of the force itself, so it was perfectly legit for him to keep Theo under custody.
"What is your choice?" Now he addressed the person in question. "I…I want to come! Please." Theo looked up pleadingly toward the groups' leader. He simply nodded. "Very well." So Theo had gotten his wish after all. In spite of it all, Lolo almost couldn't help a smile.
"What!" Aquette exclaimed. There were similar, outraged cries erupting from various places all through the room. Friedole held his hands up for silence. "I am the group leader, and a member of the force. This is my decision, and I have been allowed to make it. I promise, I will make sure you are all safe."
"Just like you made sure Marris was safe?" Asked Vioris spitefully. Friedole simply pretended not to hear, but…was that a flinch?
Lolo felt their glares baring into her the whole rest of the trip. If they weren't angry before, they were now. None of them were happy about Theo coming with them – most would rather have seen him behind bars. The only person with a look of sympathy on her face was Leorina, who hadn't spoken a single word since the incident. What could she possibly be pondering for so long? Did she not blame Theo? Even it that was true, it was only her against all the others. Lolo wondered what was going through all her companion's minds as they scrutinized her, watching her and Theo's every move, their faces distraught with disgust.
She blushed in self-consciousness and shame. Now she wished she'd just left the white thing back at the port…
Lolo stepped carefully off of the ramp that connected the boat to the wooden planks of the old dock. She shivered – it was freezing here! Though the noon sun shown brightly above her head, the place was still unnaturally cold. Snow already began to gather in her hair and dampen her clothes as she stood back and waited for the others, her pink dress becoming speckled in white.
Theo skirted out quickly and scampered to the side, trying to avoid getting in anybody's way. There were a few moans and groans as the rest of the group exited the ship, but for the most part their hearts were still too downcast themselves to notice the chill. Aquette was the last to disembark, flanked by Eneste.
For a moment, the leopard-like girl looked as though she was about to turn back, but the vixen held her tight and spoke some gentle, soft words – too quiet for Lolo to make out what she had said. After a moment, and some more prompting, Aquette finally nodded, and Eneste smiled warmly.
Aquette had almost decided not to continue. However, in the end, and after much encouragement, she had resolved not to quit – despite her grief. She detested the idea of traveling with the prime suspect for Marris' murderer, but she admitted that it was not proved to be Theo. Besides, it seemed only right to finish what she had started, for Marris' sake as well – he had left with the same goal, she'd have to complete it for both of them now.
When everyone was out, the group slowly trudged up toward the town. Lolo could hear the whistle of the ferry sound and its engine start up as it prepared to start the journey back. The forces of the law would be waiting.
In fact, some investigators had already boarded at this dock as well. A few travelers had been questioned as the group left, but most were still reluctant to talk about the horrid events they had discovered that morning.
The town, though, was beautiful and peaceful. It was almost hard to feel sad at the sight of the cozy, wintry village. The citizens were out merrily darting between the cobblestone streets from one store to another – adorned with knitted gloves and hats, and large, puffy coats that made them look twice their size. White 'Christmas' lights lit up the rims of the rustic wood and brick buildings, while warm candlelight shown out through the dusty windows, from which odd trinkets and goodies of all shapes and sorts could also be seen. Sweet scents drifted to Lolo's nose from the open doors of the shops, tempting her senses. And everything was frosted in soft-looking powder, it was difficult not to want to run off and see all the village had to offer, but in reality, no one was in the mood for that – nor did they have the time.
Following their leader, the whole group walked straight through town on the main path – there would be no sightseeing.
Friedole pointed out the mountains in the distance; a tall peak nearly directly ahead of them was their destination – the place where Ussannis was keeping himself. They were to trudge their way to the base of the peak, where they would stop for the night. There, depending on the conditions, they would form a plan for the next day's attack on their enemy.
Lolo had a hard time concentrating, between the aesthetics and the memories. She couldn't help but think of the last time her and Klonoa had been here, a few years back when they had been gathering the 'elements'. They hadn't spent much time in the village, her having ridden 'in' Klonoa's ring as he snowboarded down the slopes with a hover-board that Popka had stolen.
She couldn't help but smile, it seemed like everyone was so much happier in those days. She looked over at Klonoa now, his face straight and solemn as he padded dimly through snow like all the others – she still couldn't believe that that was the same person that resided in her fond memories…
It was already getting dark by the time they reached their stop, but the trip had been smooth. They had braked once or twice to rest and eat, but that was it. Just lots of walking.
Lolo brushed aside the snow on a nearby log and plopped down, exhausted and freezing. Everyone else sat themselves down somewhere as well – at a fairly good distance from both Lolo and Theo – except for Leorina and Friedole, who took out some dry wood and scratch paper from the pack Friedole had been carrying and began to set up a fire to keep the group warm.
At least now she could relax. Lolo walked over, grabbed one of the small blankets from another of the packs, and wrapped it around her shoulders before sitting back down. She heard Leorina cry out a disgusted curse as she burnt herself on a match, but she quickly pulled out another of the six remaining, struck it, and held it's burning point against the small branches and paper. The birth of a fire began.
Lolo let her frozen muscles un-tense as best she could, closing her eyes and huddling in her blanket, waiting for the fire and its warmth to grow. She only looked up when she heard Klonoa's voice – the first time in while. Friedole was speaking to him, the Dream Traveler's expression reflecting annoyance and slight distaste. She was pondering what they could possibly be discussing when Friedole suddenly turned and padded up to her. Her tired eyes gazed up at him blankly.
"Klonoa is ready to help you with your skills now." He said simply. "Go practice for a while, you need to sharpen your skills for tomorrow." "What?" She had completely forgotten about the promised training session during the day's earlier events.
"But…no! No! I'm too tired!" She sputtered out, completely flustered. The idea still didn't appeal to her, especially not after walking through snow for hours. Klonoa was watching her with a look of both irritation and impatience. She blushed slightly.
"I…I don't need any help!" She announced defiantly, embarrassed. Friedole let out an exasperated sigh. "Lolo, you don't understand… You're not ready for tomorrow as you are now – in reality you should never have been allowed to come on this trip at the level you're at." She hung her head, ashamed and disheartened – she didn't have it her right now to be angry. Friedole shook his head. "But there's nothing we can do about it now. Just…just go train and see what you can do." He commanded, and with that walked off – watching from the corner of his eye to be sure she got up.
With a groan, Lolo reluctantly left behind her blanket and stood up, facing the Dream Traveler. He smiled a weird grin as she walked toward him – he looked severely frustrated with her for causing him to have to go play teacher, but at the same time he looked slightly amused by her embarrassment.
"Come on. We'll go off to that clearing there and see what we can do with you. Let's just get this over with." Without saying another word, they scurried off through a thin layer of trees, out towards the dimly lit, snow covered, field.
Theo watched them go, anxiety in his eyes.
"No! Not like that!" Lolo lost her balance and fell down face first in the cold snow, Klonoa's harsh words startling her out of her futile concentration. They'd been out practicing for nearly an hour now. A long, freezing hour. But still they were getting nowhere. Lolo didn't understand, she'd done better than this before at home. Perhaps it was just the fact that Klonoa was her mentor that made her nervous.
"Come on – get up!" The Dream Traveler impatiently nudged Lolo's side with his shoe as she lay pathetically in the powdered ice. She groaned as she got up slowly to her feet. Both her and Klonoa were extremely frustrated.
"One of your Priestess things involves making some sort of shield doesn't it? Why don't you give that a try?" He suggested, trying to hold in his irritation. "But this time, please, get it right so we can go back!" He added pleadingly. She wasn't sure whether to wallow in self-shame or kick him in the face. She understood why he would be getting annoyed, but at the same time, he was seriously ticking her off as well; though she didn't happen to be one to show her temper.
Nervously, Lolo closed her eyes and held out her hands, trying to summon up what she had learned. "Free your mind of everything else." Klonoa couched. "Just focus on what it is you want to achieve."
Pah! He made it sound so easy! It must be simpler for him – he didn't have any incantations to remember either! All he needed was that stupid ring!
She struggled to remember the words her mentor back at home had taught her, but they once again eluded her mind. It was no use. At last she sighed in defeat.
"What? What's wrong now?" Klonoa's voice sounded strained and exasperated. "Don't tell me you can't remember these words either! Surely you must know something! I mean come on, that's what you spend practically everydaypracticing, is it not?"
"Just back off!" She flushed completely red. "I can't think when you're right there yelling in my ear! Besides, you can't really talk – you don't have anything you have to memorize like I do!" "It's not my problem if you weren't born as fortunate as me, and the fact that your memory sucks is not my problem either." His words were matter-of-fact and condescending as he watched her struggle. She turned and looked at him, shocked by the tone in his voice. "And don't think that it's me forcing you to do this, that's Friedole! I couldn't care less! I'd much rather be sitting by fire right now than trying to help someone who has no hope anyway!" Now his face turned scarlet as well – his patience was spent.
"What?" Lolo took a step back, stung. "But don't forget that it's because of you that I'm here anyway…" For a moment, he looked bewildered, as if he didn't know what she was talking about, but then he remembered what Friedole had said at the dinner. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, in regards to something that he in fact had never done. But he was also reminded how amusing it was to watch this girl think her best friend had turned against her. He just sighed. "It's a good thing you're cute. You know that?"
Now she was more confused than ever. "Cute?"She repeated the word aloud. What was that supposed to mean? All the time she'd known him, he'd never said a thing like that to her before, and the way he'd said it now… She felt anger creeping up her spine. She didn't understand – he had wanted her to come, he'd asked the High Priestess and Friedole specifically – why was he talking to her now like she was trash?
Klonoa smiled wickedly. "Yes, cute. Face it, that's about all you're worth – a pretty face! And you certainly don't top the charts there either."
"But if that's what you thought, then why did you ever ask specifically for me to come along to begin with? I'm not nearly as pretty or strong as all the others. … I…I just thought that you wanted to be with me…" Her heart ached, and she regretted the last sentence as soon as it left her mouth. She wished she could grab it back with her fingers and swallow it again.
Klonoa just shrugged, almost laughing at the suggestion that he had actually wanted her company. "How gullible you are! They're just too perfect, those others, just dolls on a string. You and your blunders are much more entertaining." He grinned, obviously enjoying himself very much.
"You mean the whole time you've known me it's been a lie? You've never cared about me at all?" She tried to keep her voice steady, but it still trembled terribly. "Not particularly. No." He answered simply. But how could that be? It just didn't make sense. And why would he have put up with her…a completely worthless wannabe…for so long just for entertainment? "I…I don't understand…" She stuttered, severally hurt. "What's not to understand?" He shrugged, struggling to recall the stories he'd heard about the real Dream Traveler and the feats he'd done, trying to twist them for his own personal use.
"Klonoa, what's happened to you?" Lolo looked him right in the eyes, hurt. "Happened to me? Why, nothing! …Face it – I used you! You were a tool to help me raise my own status, by cleaning up after your messes and saving you over and over again I was able to gain a reputation – a girl as weak and trusting as you turned out to be perfect for such a job. I guess you could say that I needed you. That's all." Coldness and cruelty blazed on his face.
She just stared at him blankly, completely shocked and appalled. She felt like a knife had just been stabbed through her stomach. Water began to well in her eyes, betrayal sinking into her heart. In the end, she just shook her head in dismay, and all at once quickly turned to dart away.
"Aahhh!" Her squeal echoed over the vast snowy plain – she felt the Dream Traveler's hand grasp her around the neck, his pointed claws digging into her skin. She screamed in terror, but the sadistic creature only tightened his grip on the struggling girl.
He leaned over to whisper something in her ear. "And don't you go telling a word about what I've said to anyone, understood?" She defiantly yelled out a cry for help, but he moved his right hand over her mouth and held her tight against his chest, his left arm pushing against her throat. Her breath came in ragged, nervous gasps as he continued speaking. "You've seen what I can do, now you'd better keep quiet if you know what's good for you and everyone else!" He was only answered by terrified panting. "Understood?" He shook her slightly. She yelped and nodded quickly. He let her go.
Lolo bolted. Her feet carried her away faster over the glittering white surface than she'd ever ran before. She didn't know were she was going, or whether he was following her or not – she didn't care! She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of hearing her weep.
Theo paced nervously from left to right in front of the camp, near the place where Lolo and that thing had vanished into the trees.
"Calm down, Theo. I'm sure they'll be back soon, and Klonoa's perfectly capable – you don't need to worry." Icarus commented as he shuffled aside, Theo having almost walked straight into him. To be honest, the white furred creature was a bit surprised that someone had spoken to him at all, especially the quite one of the group.
Theo shook his head. "But they've been for a long time now, I think maybe we should go look for them. We still don't know who killed Marris either, how do we really know that they're safe?" There was an awkward pause, Theo wondered if that had been the right thing to say, after all, he was suspected more than anyone else. Icarus opened his mouth to speak, but just then Friedole's voice piped up, apparently him having overheard.
"Perhaps you are right… Maybe it was unwise to leave them alone when we still don't know the truth about last night…" Friedole got to his feet, actually looking a bit nervous, but at that very moment Klonoa came trudging out of the woods and into the camp. Theo's heart skipped a beat when he realized that Lolo wasn't with him.
"Oh…there you are." Friedole started, a bit surprised. Theo came bounding up to the returning Dream Traveler. "Where's Lolo? Why isn't she with you?" He demanded, his voice filled with worry. Other's came up to hear his answer as well, but Klonoa just shrugged. "I don't know. She wasn't doing very well with her skills, and got really upset. I tried to calm her down, but she just ran off! I looked everywhere for her, but…"
A bolt of fear hit Theo's heart – what had he done to her? "Nice job, Klonoa." He spat the word with such bitterness and spite that those around him couldn't help but to be slightly alarmed.
For a moment, Theo almost was unable to contain his fury, but he bit his tongue. It would do no good, and this was not someone you wanted to make angry.
Friedole scrutinized the Dream Traveler, as if trying to come to some internal decision, but in the end he just sighed. "It's getting dark, we had better get a party to go and look for her." He gazed around the group, looking for those strong enough for the search. Aquette was definitely out, and so was Eneste – an otherwise fit choice, but right now her grieving friend needed her by her side. So that left… "Errm…Vioris, Icarus, and Leorina, why don't you see if you can find her." Leorina nodded, eager to make sure that Lolo was all right. "And don't forget about me!" Theo suddenly burst in. "I want to help look for her as well!"
"What? He's coming with us?" Vioris' voice was full of distaste. "No." Friedole answered simply, before Theo could say a word. The odd white creature looked up at him, stung. "I'm sorry." Friedole told him. "But you are under my custody, I cannot have you out of my supervision."
Theo frowned as he watched the search party leave without him, but he knew it was useless. He turned at sat at the opposite end of the camp without making any additional comments, but he soon grew impatient of waiting. Was anyone paying attention to him? He scanned the camp.
The few members remaining in camp were all sitting sleepily by the fire, talking about their plans for tomorrow – they were waiting for the other's to return before they came up with the final result though – he wasn't missing much. But no. No one was watching him. He got up and quickly tiptoed off into the woods. Surely no one would notice if he went to look for just a bit?
The sun was just vanishing down below horizon as evening drew to a close. Theo's mind swarmed with worry, almost afraid of what he would find – after what that fiend had done to Marris… No! He wouldn't think about that!
He wanted to cry out for Lolo, but he was afraid that someone from the search group would hear. If he was caught, he'd be in big trouble. If anyone realized that he had been missing he'd probably be sent straight to jail, at least temporarily. He shivered from the thought, or maybe it was from the cold – the flakes were falling more than ever now, and the chill of the night was settling in.
He'd been looking for her for about forty-five minutes now to no avail, he knew that he really should be getting back. Perhaps the other's had already found her…
But just as he was about to turn around, his ears picked up a faint sound in the distance. A feeble sobbing. Lolo! He picked up his pace and darted quickly in the direction of the noise.
He came to a halt for a moment when he glimpsed a sodden silhouette sitting dejectedly beneath the lower hanging branches of one of the trees. The figure was lightly frosted by the fresh falling snow, and was pressing its knees to its chest, its head bent into them as it wept. One of its hands rested lightly on its neck, as if it hurt. Yes, that was her!
Relief flooded into his heart – at least she was still alive!
He approached her slowly, so as not to startle her. "Lolo?" She jadedly lifted her head to look up at him at the sound of her name. He noted the lightly bleeding claw marks now visible on her neck as she moved her hand away.
"Are you alright?" She nodded slowly. "Yes…I'm fine." She didn't look very fine. "What happened? Did he do this to you?" Theo asked urgently. No answer – he took that as a yes.
"What did he say? Did he hurt you?" He didn't notice any injuries besides the scrapes on her neck, but she sure looked shaken. She looked away, still keeping silent. "Come on! Please, tell me what happened!"
"Don't worry about me… It's getting late, just go back Theo – I'll return to camp after a bit."
"Not until I know what happened! – I'm staying right here." He resolved stubbornly. She sighed, and the words caught on her tongue as her emotions began to escape. "I…I just don't understand it!" She yelled out so suddenly that Theo was almost startled. It looked like there was more she wanted to say, but the sentences were stuck in her throat. She panted heavily, fresh tears running down her cheeks. "I hate him. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" She cried out hysterically, unable to contain her feelings any longer, despite what Klonoa had told her. They had to be let out now, it didn't matter who she was talking to. Theo just stared at her, eyes wide. "Who? You mean…?"
"Klonoa. All this time I…I trusted him, but…" She tried to wipe her eyes. "He lied to me. It was all a game to him, the whole time, ever since we first met. He used me! …He used me to make himself look good. I just… I can't believe I ever thought of his as my friend!" She broke into full blown sobbing again, her previous attempt to dry her eyes put to waste.
For a moment Theo looked slightly taken aback, if not hurt. "That…that's not true!" He sputtered before he even realized what he was saying. She just looked at him blankly. "Yes, it is. He told me himself…before he grabbed me around the neck and told me not to tell anyone…" She sighed, her words dry. "I don't want to see him again, ever. …I can't believe I fell for it all these years. What a fool I am…"
They both were silent, Theo didn't know what to say, almost feeling tears about to fall from his eyes as well. Lolo was to upset to notice the expression on his face.
Theo bit back the lump in his throat. "We…we should be getting back. It's almost completely dark now…" She nodded slowly and hesitantly got to her feet, stiff from sitting there like that so long.
Another sigh. "I…I really was going to go back by myself…" She said, a bit embarrassed that he had come all the way out there to look for her. "I just wasn't in a hurry, I assume he'll be there too…" "It'll be okay, he can't do anything in front of Friedole…" They started walking. "…You have to act like I never told you anything…If Klonoa finds out I told, he'll…! – " Theo nodded. "I know. Don't worry."
Suddenly Lolo stopped walking. "…Theo, did you just hear something?" He stopped and listened. "Like what?" She was about to reply when out of nowhere they both felt something slam into them, knocking them into each other and sending them falling to the ground.
It was hard to make out the details in the darkness, but they looked up to see what looked like deformed fairy-like creatures riding on huge monsters that resembled vicious, snarling dogs – presumably what had pounced at them. They were colored black, red and purple; the saliva spilling from the dog's angry faces a sickening bright green, giving off a glow in the darkness. The hauntingly empty eyes of both the dogs and the other creatures emitted a glow as well – a brilliant blood red.
Lolo and Theo stared up at the terrifying creatures in horror. "They must be some of Ussannis' puppets…" Theo realized, whispering to Lolo. "How can that be? They look so…" She spoke with her eyes still watching the monsters that were still glaring blankly down at them. "Our magician friend has been practicing, apparently…" Theo got up very slowly, trying not the rouse the so far still puppets.
Lolo tried to stand up as well, but just as she got to her feet she was met with a savage growl from one of the canine-like monsters – she let out a shriek and fell back to the ground.
Howling rose from all around the circle of monsters, and from other places in the forest as well. A dark chant came from the voids that were the mouths of the riders. They had only a few seconds to run.
Theo was dragging Lolo at first, until she somehow managed to scramble to her feet; the magician's lifeless demons hot on their tail. They swerved to the left to avoid a silhouette emerging from the shadows towards the right – the dark puppets were everywhere!
"Damn it! – This isn't good!" Theo cursed, hating himself for not bringing along some sort of weapon.
Lolo let out a gasp, pointing straight ahead of them. "Look there!" They came to an abrupt halt – a new group of monsters had assembled before them. The two turned to retreat, but came face to face with the pack of beasts behind them. Theo looked around frantically, panic gripping his soul with icy hands. They were surrounded.
"Lolo! Is there anything you can do about this?" He turned toward his terrified companion. But she didn't answer, her eyes coated in fear. Her whole body shook as she stiffly backed up closer to him – toward the middle of the deadly circle.
Theo didn't feel much better off himself – though he knew their attackers were soulless, un-thinking puppets, it almost seemed as if they were laughing at him, mocking the two stricken travelers with their silence.
He gulped as several of the ghastly riders began to disembark from the larger monsters. Though they were smaller, the fairy-like puppets were just as terrifying – sharp, pointed fangs protruded from their mouths and red and violet markings were drawn all over their thin, semi-solid black bodies, their four wings torn in violent tatters.
They formed another, smaller circle around their shivering prey, spreading out about evenly. Two monsters directly across from each other lifted up one hand each, a blazing yellow stream of light shot between, just missing the faces of Theo and Lolo – the two remained un-moving, though their hearts skipped a beat. There was nothing they could do. This process repeated on their opposite side, and another thin beam shot by.
Eventually, the creatures created a square of light around them, bars shot out from both the top of bottom of the beams, and slowly a cage was formed – the light solidified, and they were trapped.
Lolo put her hands on the still-warm bars, looking out desperately. What did they want them for? And why?
One of the fairy riders lifted up the cage; it's magic, artificial body not bound by the normal limits of strength and muscle. It walked over to its 'dog' and pulled out a rope from a pack on the creature's back. It tied to rope to a hanger on the top of Lolo and Theo's cage, and in turn fastened it around the middle of the canine puppet.
The rider mounted its beast and the group of monsters was off, their unfortunate captives dragged along in the bouncing cage hanging from the side of one of the soulless creatures.
Lolo watched the dark, snowy lands fly by around her, the white surfaces reflecting the pale light from the night sky. It was crowded in the rattling cage, and she was pressed uncomfortably against Theo's back, she felt sweat covering his shaky body as well. What a sad situation this was. Was everyone at the camp safe? She wondered. Or had they all been captured too?
She didn't officially know where they were headed, but it wasn't hard to guess.
A sinking feeling bit at her from inside – I never should have gone off by myself…I should have returned to camp while I still could… Is fact that Theo was captured my fault too? Oh Goddess Claire – what fate are we headed to?
Finally, we come the end of Chapter Four! Things we'll be really heating up in the next chapter, and all secrets will be revealed! Reviews would be appreciated.