Chapter 16 is finally up yay! The Cedon Caravan finally makes it to Moschet Manor =)

Disclaimer: I don't own ffcc

Caravan Tale

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A few days later the Cedon caravan's nerves had calmed down. They had other important things to focus on, like breaking into Moschet Manor.

Tobias looked up and down at the great wooden doors, "I've never been able to come here before."

Lora jumped to peek into the keyhole, "And why is that?"

"Oh you'll see."

Lora pulled out a dagger from her boot, "Boost me up so I can pick the lock."

Tobias helped Lora onto his shoulders and she began to pick away. Mog was hovering above the two with the chalice, "Don't be too loud, kupo!"

A sharp click in the lock announced Lora's success, and she quickly hopped to the ground. Tobias unsheathed his sword, "Be ready for anything, Lora." She nodded in reply as she wielded her racket.

Tobias and Lora pushed open the door a crack so they could slip in. They both looked in awe at the expanse of a courtyard, but a distance away they could see two feline coeurls still unaware of their presence. "Quick, head to the room to your right!" Tobias said as he led the way. All three stopped in front of an emblem on the ground. Tobias looked at Lora, "This is why I haven't been here. Give it a minute and it should change to the selkie symbol. When it does step on it and we're into the room."

Lora kept her eyes on the emblem, "You can't step on a clavat or selkie symbol?"

"No." Tobias chuckled bitterly, "Apparently I'm my own race."

Lora wanted to look up at him, but knew she had to watch the emblem. All she could do was let him know what she thought, "That's not fair!"

Before Tobias could reply the symbol changed and Lora hopped onto it. With a loud creak the door opened and the three trespassers ran inside. Before their eyes adjusted to the light, Lora felt a brush of air and heard a thwack! She looked to her right to see a giant meat cleaver stuck in the wall. Lora and Tobias dodged the next attack as it was aimed straight for their heads.

"Hurry, get the chefs!" Tobias yelled as he charged forward. Lora followed instantly and they began attacking the two tonberry chefs. Tobias slashed at the chef's head but it ducked and instead he cut through its hat. The chef jabbed Tobias in the stomach with a rolling pin which sent him to the ground, dropping his sword. The chef came at him with a steak knife at which Tobias rolled over towards a giant frying pan and slammed it into the chef's face knocking him unconscious.

Lora walked over from the dead chef she was standing on and helped Tobias up. He picked up his sword, "I really wasn't expecting that rolling pin."

Lora just smirked, "I thought you said, be ready for anything."

Tobias nudged her, "Come on, you. There are more rooms to go through."

They went through two more rooms fighting off more and more tonberry chefs. Each room had such an assortment of large furniture. Lora had heard the stories of Jack and Maggie Moschet, but she never believed it until now. It wasn't until the fourth room that they made an error.

"I really hope the tree is in here." Lora said to Tobias as she stepped onto the selkie symbol once again, "This is getting tiring."

The door opened and Lora and Mog ran inside, but as Tobias quickly followed the door shut too fast. "Damn!" Tobias cursed loudly. He was stuck near the courtyard alone. As he leaned his back against door dreading what would happen next he heard a muffled voice, "Tobias!? Are you alright?"

He put his ear up against the door to hear Lora, "I'm fine. Is the tree there?"

Lora looked around and then she saw her. Maggie was busy admiring herself in front of her mirrors. "No it's not! I'm in Maggie's room. I'll be out once the symbol changes."

Tobias cursed again. Lora would be in trouble if Maggie realized she was in her room. He looked down at the emblem, and with a groan, he knew it was going to be a few minutes before the door would be able to open again.

Lora looked at the symbol for the Lilties. It would be awhile before it changed back. Lora hoped the coeurls in the yard hadn't noticed Tobias. As she looked around the room, something else caught her eye. The giant table she was standing by had an open jewelry chest on top. Lora's eyes began to sparkle at the sight of it and then she looked at Mog, "Let me know when the symbol changes."

Mog suddenly became anxious already knowing her intent, "Lora! Don't! You're going to get caught, kupo!"

It was too late; Lora's mind was set on the jewelry. She quietly hopped up onto the table and grabbed a handful of bracelets, rings, earrings, and pendants. As Lora put them in her sack, she noticed some of them were her size. Maggie must have taken them from caravans that had stopped here and failed. Well this was one caravan the Moschets couldn't beat. Lora hopped back down on the platform to see the symbol had just changed to selkie. As the door opened Maggie had turned around to see Lora and Mog rush out with jewelry hanging out of Lora's sack, "THIEVES!" she screamed as she followed the intruding selkie girl into the courtyard.

As Lora ran out she saw Tobias trying to fight off the coeurls. She was about to run and join him when she heard Maggie come charging out of her room screaming at her. Before Lora could decide on what to do there was a loud deep angry yell and a rumbling. Jack Moschet came running out of the kitchens, "MURDERERS!"

The felines slinked away from Tobias as Jack came out to the courtyard and joined Maggie. "Thought you could steal from us without getting caught little caravan? ho ho ho!"

Lora and Mog quickly joined Tobias's side as Jack and Maggie towered over them, their weapons ready. Maggie looked down at Lora, "Not much for talk dear? Just you wait, soon monsters as you like to call us will rule over this world! It's a shame you won't be alive to see that day." Maggie's comment sparked a rage in Lora's body. She instantly charged at Maggie, bashing her in the side with her racket. Maggie screamed in anger and lunged at Lora but missed. Lora quickly nodded at Tobias alerting him to their plan. If these two were separated enough, they wouldn't be able to assist or heal each other.

Maggie scratched Lora's arm, "Well aren't you a clever little brat! I won't lose to a thief!" Lora winced but ignored the pain and blood rushing from her arm and sent a double power attack at Maggie, hitting her head on. Maggie tried to regain her balance but Lora was too fast and used her opportunity to hit Maggie as hard and as fast as she could, causing Maggie to lose consciousness.

Jack, distracted by Tobias looked over to see his Maggie lying on the ground and Lora running towards him, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" he yelled as he casted a fire ring which burned everything surrounding him, including the coeurls. Tobias had just missed it, with the top of his hair singed. Lora and Mog joined his side, "Glad to see you two again!" Tobias headed back to attack Jack again. Lora quickly pulled out her magicite and loaded it to her racket, "Gravity!" she yelled as a purple orb shot out and hit Jack in his legs, causing him to stay on the ground. Tobias began slashing Jack with his sword as he dodged Jack's powerful swipes. Tobias was beginning to get worn out, "Lora! Hurry up!"

Lora loaded up another magicite, "Fira!" A burst of flame shot out aimed directly at Jack's face. It hit him in the eyes and Jack screamed in agony. At that moment the gravity had ended and he ran screaming for water.

Tobias ran over to Lora, "Come on I saw the tree!" Lora followed him as they sprinted to a hidden side of the courtyard and there was the myrrh tree, healthy and full of myrrh. Lora placed the chalice on the platform and all three watched as the tiny drop of myrrh fell into the chalice, filling it completely. Lora dropped to her knees with relief; it was finished for the year. Tobias picked up the chalice and placed it in front of her, "Look at what you did!"

Lora smiled and rubbed her misty eyes, "No, what we did."

Tobias looked at Lora's arm, "Ouch. Maggie really does have a nasty temper." He took Lora's cure magicite and placed it against the cut. Lora felt the cooling sensation as her wounds closed up, "Thanks…but, ummm…Tobias, your hair is smoking."

"What?" Tobias felt the tips of his hair, "Aaah!"

Lora laughed and pulled out more magicite, "Blizzard!"

A gust of snow hit Tobias causing his hair to freeze almost straight up. Lora laughed heartily at Tobias's expression.

"Thanks, Lora." Tobias said sarcastically but then laughed too as he pulled an icicle from his hair.

As they were leaving the manor Lora quickly pulled out her dagger and ran over to the dead coeurls. Tobias looked over at her, "What are you doing?"

She turned back to him, "You'll see!"

A few minutes went by and Lora came back with the feline's skin, "Its coat is so nice, I thought I could make a jacket for my brother."

Tobias felt the fur, "Aw I want one too!"

"The rest of the fur was burned, but if I have extra I'll make you something."

Tobias smiled, "Good, Now let's get out of this place before Maggie wakes up!"

All three caravanners began to run out of the manor like good thieves before the day's exhaustion would catch up with them.

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Hooray for collecting the last myrrh drop! I wonder what will happen now in Lora's adventures??? Thanks for reading! =)