Okay, another chapter coming right up. Thanks again for reviews, and thanks Tim100 and Dashing Blazze for adding this fic to favorites. As a refresher, " means spoken word, ' are thoughts, and _ indicates a lapse in time or change in character point-of-view.
Disclaimer: I do not claim responsibility for the development of DQIX, that was Squaresoft's work. I only own my OCs and their pasts.
Chapter XIV: The Desert Kingdom of Gleeba
Arianna and her team woke the following morning to go to the docks where the Pride of Bloomingdale is docked after shopping for some cooler clothes for the trip to Gleeba. Though they had retrieved the fourth Fygg on their quest and learned of Marion Bloome's death, Arianna had elected not to tell Randolph or any of the other Villagers of Bloomingdale the truth about Marion and Marionette, but figured that they might eventually get suspicious if Marion didn't return for a long time.
"Well, looks like we're going out to sea" said Alicia with a smile.
"I'm looking forward to it myself" breathed Conrad.
The old man by the docks addressed Arianna"Hey there, Miss Bloome gave you six permission to use the Pride of Bloomingdale, right? Good luck on your voyage."
The violet haired Celetrian thanked the man, and led her group to the deck of the ship. The vessel was an impressive sight, for it had been kept shipshape and clean, despite not having been used for some time. The sails were a brilliant white, and the deck was a light brown. To the group's right was a door, which Arianna presumed led inside the cabin. A set of stairs in the center led below the deck.
"I can see the ocean from here, it's so beautiful" breathed Alicia.
"You've never really seen the sea, either? It sure was pretty, I'll admit that. Now, Gleeba is somewhere west of our current position, right?" inquired the Celestrian.
Sasha nodded"Yes, though it might take a while to get there. Also, lately the ocean has been somewhat treacherous from what I have been hearing about it. Formerly docile creatures are turning hostile, I suspect that perchance the quake has affected more things then we'd originally expect."
Arianna shrugged, then addressed her team"All right, then, let's get ready to ship on out. Conrad, we'll need someone to keep an eye on our surroundings on our voyage, you can handle that, right? Trent, there should be a way to steer the ship as we set sail. Raymond, you and Sasha know how to get this ship working?"
The Martial Artist replied"I've never traveled by water before, but my father did tell me a few things about ships. That wheel-like device near the bow is called the Helm, which is used to pilot large vessels like this one. The Anchor is used to hold the ship in place after docking at certain destinations. Naturally the wind blows right into the sails, affecting the speed of the ship, depending which direction we're facing and which way the wind blows."
The group looked around the ship a bit more, until Raymond spotted a rope dangling off the front-right side of the ship and said"The Anchor's there, we just need to pull it up to get the ship going, right?"
"Not without someone at the helm, we shouldn't. Trent, take the wheel, I'll help with the navigating" said Arianna.
The blond Gladiator walked to the helm and inspected it"Well, I've never steered a ship before, but it dosen't look tough to steer. Sasha, Conrad, Raymond, can you handle the Anchor so I can get us moving?"
"No problem" grinned the male brunette, as the three went over to the dangling rope and worked together to pull up the rope with the anchor attatched.
"All set?" inquired Trent.
Arianna nodded"Let's sail north-westward to Gleeba. Trent, we should use Sasha's map to identify certain landmarks so that we know we're heading the right way."
The group slowly shoved off from the coast of Bloomingdale to the vast, open sea. The ocean itself stretched in all directions, as Arianna and her team sailed the Pride of Bloomingdale away from the town. Trent sighed as he steered the ship"Man, this view is even better then the one we got back at Slurry Quay, Arianna."
"You think so? Yeah, it certainly is a nice view of the ocean. Traveling by sea is new to me, but I must say that blue is my favorite color" murmered the Celestrian.
The Gladiator flushed"Really? I kinda like green, and my sister likes all colors to an extent."
"Hey, you're not making a move, are you?" smirked Conrad, who was monitoring the starbard deck.
"Oh, be quiet. Sheesh! Why do you guys get the wrong idea?" sighed the Gladiator.
Arianna interjected"Would you boys knock it off? If I have time to think about love right now, I have time to concentrate on my duty. Don't get me wrong, I think of you guys as my friends, but I think some of you get the wrong idea".
"Denial" muttered Conrad, earning himself a disapproving thump from Sasha, who was studying the map and glancing around for possible landmarks.
The voyage lasted for another three hours before the group arrived vessel at a desert island. The very shore and most of the rest was yellow, the only sign of life is what looked like a castle town in the very center. Trent was taken aback"Gleeba's just ahead, right? What exactly is the name of this island?"
Sasha replied as she studied the map a little more before rolling it up and putting it in her bag"It's commonly known as the Djust Desert Island. My father told me that the previous monarch of Gleeba, King Aqeus built an expensive aqueduct to supply water to Gleeba. I'm not so sure about his daughter, who was just a kid at the time. It's very warm at Gleeba, we should change our clothes."
Alicia nodded, then said"Trent, you boys will need to change out here while Arianna, Sasha and I go put on our other outfits in the cabin. Arianna, do you have the outfits you bought at Bloomingdale?"
"Of course" the Celestrian pulled out six sets of summer clothes from her bag and distributed five to her allies. The clothes in question were shorts and leather T-shirts.
As the girls went to the cabin, Sasha turned to the male members of their party"No peeking, guys, or else. I'm looking in your direction, Conrad."
Conrad grumbled a bit as the three men doffed their armor and started changing"Man, I wasn't even planning on invading their privacy."
"We don't want to send the wrong idea, girls can get a little scary when mad." said Raymond, pulling on his cooler shirt.
Before you can say Pride of Bloomingdale (actually it took a bit longer), Arianna and the other two female members came back out in the rest of the outfits that the Celestrian bought. Trent glanced at the purple haired Warrior"Wow, you look great in that."
Arianna strugged to keep from blushing"You think so? I'm unaccustomed to not wearing my Celestrian attire. But anyway, we should take our weapons along, just to be safe. The rest of the discarded outfits we store in the bags until we get back."
The group disembarked and marched on to Gleeba. They marched northward through the hot desert until they ran into a gold golem.
"Our first encounter, eh?" said Conrad.
Raymond burned the golem with Frizze, melting it slightly. The golem charged, only to be intercepted by Sasha's multi-punch. The monster stumbled back just before Arianna hacked it with her sword. The Gold Golem crumbled into dust. Trent addressed his teammates"Everyone all right?"
"Yeah, let's head on until we reach Gleeba" said Arianna.
The rest of the trip to the town was uneventful, no other monsters attacked. When they got to Gleeba, they saw that the town was roughly similar in color to the desert. One of the people at the entrance approached the six"Hello, welcome to Gleeba."
Trent addressed the citizen"Hey, my friends and I are looking for a yellow fruit with a green top. Have you seen anything like that?"
The townsperson replied"No, but you could ask Queen Voluptua about it. Thing is, she's a tempermental ruler, and somewhat selfish. The defense force recieved no investments from Queen Voluptua, and she's spent almost all of the taxes we've given her to build a private bath, or so I heard."
"Regardless, we wish to speak to her" said Sasha.
The townsperson responded"The Mirage Mihal Palace is up ahead, you can go there if you'd like. But I doubt she would want to meet with anyone."
Arianna and her group moved from the town entrance, unsure on how to approach the queen. Trent sighed"Sounds like they have a tyrant problem, I wonder."
"Don't say that, there might be a reason for her to act like what we've heard, but it's really none of our business" responded the Priestess.
The Celestrian shook her head a bit, deep in thought'From what Sasha said, the king was probably a benevolent ruler. If this queen is really that bad, surely there must have been some trauma or something in her past'.
"Let's do some shopping and meet up at the palace" said Alicia.
"Agreed" said the Celestrian.
The group spent another hour shopping for whatever they can afford before going to the palace.
The Mahal Mirage palace was a tall yellowish building, a short distance from the main town. The roof was a spectaculer dome, and the outside of the palace grounds was lightly guarded. Alicia was apalled"Stornway had better security then this. Does this Queen Voluptua care nothing at all about her kingdom, or even her safety?"
"Let's just go in and request an audience from her" said Arianna.
The inside of Mahal Mirage Palace was a magnificent sight as the heroes stepped into the entrance hall of the palace. The walls were around the same color as the outside"Now that's not very colorful" sighed Conrad. Sasha shrugged, not expecting much from a kingdom created mostly from sand"Okay, now what?"
Arianna addressed a nearby guard"Excuse me, could you direct us to the throne room? We'd like to see your queen."
The guard shifted uncomfortably as she replied"She's very occupied in the bath up ahead. But if you have business here, go to the throne room upstairs. Take the stairs at the center of the main hall up ahead."
Arianna and her group followed the guard's instructions as they headed through the palace. Trent had a feeling that things won't go as smoothly as he'd like. Conrad addressed Sasha"How did you know about the Gleeba Royal Family, anyway?"
"My father and I visited Mirage Mahal once, did I not tell you that?" replied Sasha.
The group ascended a set of staircases, which led them to a large chamber with blue carpeting in the middle, the throne stood vacantly at the back. A middle-aged man was pacing in front of the throne, as though he were troubled by something. Arianna addressed the man"Excuse me, my comrades and I are here for an audience with Queen Voluptua."
The man stopped his pacing to address the newcomers"Hm? Oh, did you need to talk to the queen about something? She's been spending much time in her private bath downstairs. What's more, her majesty's pet lizard, his Dryness Drak, went missing not to long ago. Queen Voluptua's handmaiden, Misslei, was distressed. If she dosen't find his Dryness, the queen will be very upset."
"Oh, that can't be good. Want us to lend a hand?" said Trent.
The older man replied"I appreciate it, and I think her majesty would, too. Misslei is on the balcony just outside the door over there."
Arianna nodded, then went with her group to Mirage Mahal's terrace. On the balcony was a woman with dark purplish hair, standing with her back turned to them. Arianna addressed the woman"Are you the queen's handmaiden?"
The woman was surprised as she turned to address the Celestrian"Hm? Oh, hello, I'm Misslei, one of the queen's attendants. You see, I was put in charge of the queen's pet lizard, who ran away. If I don't find his Dryness, I fear the queen will let me have it."
Trent spoke up"My name is Trent, my partner's name is Arianna. We're helping right now to find the queen's pet."
"Oh, thank you. I think Drak is outside, hiding in the shadows of the walls of this palace. Please, if you find Drak, show him to the chancellor, I should like to think that the queen would be grateful. That is if she isn't in one of her moods, Drak is yellowish, reptile-like with a bow on it's head" said Misslei.
Trent and his group spent the next hour looking for Drak, when they returned to the castle grounds. Sasha glanced at the shadows to the left of Mirage Mahal's entrance, where she spotted a hole"You wait here, guys. I won't have much trouble locating Drak."
"I can help" interjected Conrad. Sasha nodded.
The two brunette members of Arianna's party walked on westward to that side of the grounds, until Conrad spotted a hole near the entrance. Sasha shrugged"Leave it to me, Drak might be hiding here."
Conrad nodded, then Sasha stepped forward towards the hole, and lightly clapped at it. In response, a yellow lizard with a small pink bow around it's head emerged, the Martial Artist immediately took it tendarly. Conrad was astonished"How'd you know what to do?"
"Not too hard, this little guy was definately trained, but I imagine that Misslei wasn't looking when he ran away from her. Besides, how else do you get it's attention without going too rough?" said Sasha.
Arianna, Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Alicia and Raymond took the lizard, Drak back to the throne room and showed it to the man, who is the chancellor of Gleeba. The chancellor smiled"Oh, you found his Dryness? I shall have someone let her majesty know he's been found."
A few minutes later, Misslei had joined them in the throne room with a dark haired woman somewhere in her mid to late twenties with a dark brown complexion and regal white clothes. Sasha assumed who she might be, but she'd only visited Gleeba once before with her father while the High Drator, Aqeus was governing Gleeba.
When Drak was handed to the woman, she nodded, then said"So, Misslei, you were very careless."
"Um, I'm sorry, your majesty" said Misslei.
The queen of Gleeba's eyes narrowed as she coldly addressed her handmaid after hearing what happened"How could you lose sight of my Dracky-woo like that? You irresponsible fool, get out! You are fired!"
"F-forgive me, Queen Voluptua" stammered Misslei.
"Just get out of here!" snapped the queen.
Misslei was ashamed of her failare, but left without shedding a tear. Sasha was taken aback at the queen's words towards the handmaid'She's very different from the previous monarch, I wonder what's happened'.
The Queen of Gleeba addressed Arianna's group"What do you want with me?"
Arianna replied respectfully"We came here in search of a yellow fruit with a green top, have you seen one?"
"This?" Queen Voluptua pulled a fruit out of her pocket.
"Yes, your majesty" said Arianna.
"You think I should just give it to you? It fell right into my realm, and one of the servants brought it" inquired the older woman, raising her eye.
"Unfortunately, yes. I really need it." said the Celestrian.
Voluptua merely pocketed the Fygg, then turned and left the room with Drak to the bath chamber downstairs. Trent scowled"That son of a-"
"Don't swear, we can still get the fruit. The bath chamber could be a problem because she would likely have a guard stationed there" said Arianna.
"So how do we go about it? Better yet, how will we get that selfish hag to relinquish the Fygg?" demanded Conrad.
"K-keep your voice down, someone else may hear you" interjected the chancellor.
"Sorry" sighed the Thief.
The Celestrian addressed the older man"Do you know any other way into that bath chamber besides the door?"
The Chancellor replied"No, but may I suggest that you visit the terrace?"
"Worth a try" sighed the Martial Artist.
As Arianna and her group went back outside, the chancellor stood near the throne as he thought'To think Voluptua would turn out like this. I wish her father were still here to have harsh words with her.'
On the terrace, the six looked around, talking to some of the people there. Trent addressed the violet-haied Celestrian"So how would we go about getting the Fygg? Stealing from Royalty is a serious offense, even I know that much."
"We'll figure it out, I'd rather not have to resort to brute force, myself" said Arianna.
The six kept on looking, until they ran into an old man standing over what looked like a hole in the roof. Trent addressed him"Hey, does that lead into the bath chamber?"
"Hm? Oh yes. In fact, water pours from here into that chamber, which is about a half dozen feet below here" said the man.
"Interesting, I think I can get in there. Not to brag about my own luck or anything, but once I fell from a high waterfall and didn't suffer so much as a scratch" said the Celestrian.
"Really? That's quite a feat" whistled the old man.
"So what's the plan?" said Sasha.
Arianna replied"Mum's the word on this, I'm going to have to get my hands dirty if needed. You boys lay low near the bath chamber entrance. Sasha, Alicia and I are going to try to talk Queen Voluptua into relinquishing the Fygg, if something has not already been done to it. I don't wish to do anything drastic, but if the need arises, I'll have to rely on aggressive negotiations."
"Humor, Arianna?" smirked Conrad.
"If that passes for humor where you come from, Conrad, I'll have to question your tastes" said Sasha.
"Regardless, the last thing we'd want is to spark a war between Stornway and Gleeba, considering Trent's and my dad's legacy as a famed knight in our home country" sighed Alicia.
"I'm going" said Trent, marching to the makeshift waterfall which fell down the hole.
"Wait, let her fellow women try this first" said Alicia, holding her brother back.
Arianna shrugged, then said"Let's go."
While the three female members of their party jumped into the hole, Trent, Conrad and Raymond rushed back to the first floor of Mirage Mahal.
Inside the bath chamber, Queen Voluptua and her attendants were relaxing in the water, just north of the door to the bath chamber. The Queen had sliced the yellow fruit into bits and lay them about the water, she didn't count one what was about to occur within moments.
The women, except for the queen, let out a shriek as they heard someone splash into the water, nearby. Queen Voluptua glared at the newcomer, who happened to be Arianna"What is the meaning of this? How'd you even get in here?"
The violet-haired warrior addressed Voluptua"I really would've preferred that it didn't come to this, your majesty. For whatever reason are you obsessed with that fruit? It may be difficult to explain, but I don't think you understand or know about it's true nature."
"Such insolence, what nonsense are you on about? If this answers your question, I thought it'd enhance my own beauty. But frankly, I don't believe you should even be here" said the queen.
"What made you like this? The last time my father and I visited, I-".
Sasha's words were cut off as Queen Voluptua snapped"This isn't any of your business, now get out before I call the guards!"
Drak, who was swimming next to the queen, focused it's eyes on one of the fruit pieces in the water. Queen Voluptua addressed her pet"Dracky-Woo, were you scared?"
Before everyone's eyes, the lizard seemed to inhale the fruit, causing the other fragments of the Fygg to vanish. Without warning, Drak began to glow and magically grow larger.
"You've got to be kidding" groaned the blond Priestess.
Drak transformed into a monstrous gold dragon-like creature, snatched the dark haired queen and vanished into a nearby well. Alicia was astonished"That was wierd."
Nearby, the door opened, and Trent, Conrad, Sasha and Misslei entered the chamber. Trent's eyes widened"Where's Queen Voluptua?"
"She's been kidnapped" said Sasha.
"That's awful" said Misslei.
"How'd you guys get in?" inquired Arianna.
Conrad shrugged"I paid the guard a small bribe just as the woman who Voluptua fired caught up. She helped us get in."
"Stay back, Misslei, we'll take care of this" said Trent.
The six heroes ran to the nearby well and jumped down before anyone could object.
Arianna, Trent, Conrad, Sasha, Raymond and Alicia came across a damp cavern beneath Mirage Mahal, Conrad sighed"Why are we risking our lives for someone like her? Surely, she had it coming."
"She can't redeem herself if we don't save her. But regardless, I somehow don't think Drak's new form would do anything drastic to the queen" said Arianna.
The group were surprised at how deep the depths led then as they traveled. In one room, they came across a mummy monster. Trent sighed"This shouldn't be too hard." The monster spewed poison, which Alicia cured with Squelch. Raymond burnt the monster to a crisp with Sizze.
In a square chamber in the second part of the depths, Arianna encountered the ghost of a man in regal robes. The ghost spoke to the Celestrian"Ah, and you are?"
"I'm Arianna, sir" said the Celestrian.
The man spoke"Oh, you can see me, huh? Well, hear me out, in life I was the High Drator, Aqeus."
Arianna was surprised"So you're Queen Voluptua's father?"
The man nodded"While I was alive, I built my kingdom's water source with this aqueduct. But regrettably, I was never there for my daughter. As a result, she did not know how to love others, Voluptua became very bitter as a result of my neglect. But be that as it may, please, you must save her."
Arianna nodded"We'll do what we can."
The six delved further into the Plumbed Depths, taking on several Ghouls and Diethons.
"Bang!" Raymond's spell struck down the Ghouls. The Diethons tried to bit at the heroes before being hacked down by Trent and Arianna.
Soon the group came to a large chamber, where they heard the queen's voice calling out. Trent drew his sword"They're not far, now."
"Let's teach Drak some manners" said Raymond.
The six hurried aroumd the corridor to find the Fygg-altered form of Drak: now the dragon, Grand Lizzier, who was standing over Queen Voluptua, who addressed Arianna"You, what took you so long?"
Sasha dragged the queen away from the transformed lizard, which turned to address Arianna"Ah, couldn't you have left us alone?"
"So it really is you, why did you eat the fygg?" said Arianna.
The Grand Lizzier snarled"I only desired to become a mortal, which I accomplished. Now Voluptua and I can really be together."
"You wanted to be human? Better go check a mirror, lizard-lips" jeered Raymond.
"I challenge you, you think you're worthy of the fygg's power?" snarled Grand Lizzier.
"KA-CRACK!" The mage's spell hit the monster, dead-on. Grand Lizzier countered by belching a flame at the group. Trent absorbed most of it with his shield, while Arianna charged. The Grand Lizzier knocked the Celestrian back with a swipe of it's enlarged claws, then belched another flame at the group. Conrad picked up a pebble and hurled it at the Grand Lizzier's eye, which it knocked from the air with it's claw.
"Multi-Fist!" Sasha launched a flurry of punches to the Grand Lizzier's chest. The monster launched another flame, which Conrad interposed by stepping in front of the Martial Artist. The impact blew him backwards into Sasha, who gasped"You all right?"
"Yeah, that thing is more bark then bite" gasped the Thief.
Arianna healed herself with a Heal spell before turning her attention back to the monster as she suddenly remembered which sword technique worked on dragons"Trent, distract it for a moment, I know how we can take him down!"
The blond Gladiator swung virtecally down at Grand Lizzier, which blocked it with it's claws. Arianna focused some of her inner energy into an ancient power, before charging and performing an upward slash at the Grand Lizzier. The monster roared in pain before launching another burst of flames.
"Multi-Heal!" Alicia had gotten back up and healed her teammates. Nearby, Sasha administrated a heal herb to conrad's burnt chest before performing a round-house kick at the dragon. The Grand Lizzier stumbled backwards, then slashed at the Martial Artist.
Trent glanced at Arianna"What was that skill?"
"It's an ancient technique, commonly known as the Dragon Slash. It pierces the thick skin of dragons, inflicting extra damage, but now we must turn our attention back to the fight" replied the Celestrian.
Sasha managed to dodge most of the Grand Lizzier's attacks, while Raymond hit the transformed lizard with another Ka-Crack. Trent and Arianna launched a dual Dragon Slash on Grand Lizzier, while Sasha aimed a powerful Knuckle Sandwhich, knocking the monster back. Grand Lizzier spat another flame attack, which Trent countered with another Dragon Slash. Raymond seized the moment to cast another Ka-Crack.
"I think it's weakening" said Trent, prepping another Dragon Slash. Sasha took a moment to reflect on what is now going to happen'If we die, someone else may eventually take up the task of getting the rest of the Fyggs. But if the Grand Lizzier dies, Queen Voluptua may lose Drak, fate really has no mercy'.
Trent had connected the next blow to the transformed lizard, while Raymond cast Ka-Crack once again.
Just then, a voice cried out"Wait!"
To the group's surprise, Misslei had entered the chamber. Arianna turned to address the woman, Drak had also stopped fighting to see who entered the room. Misslei implored the violet-haired warrior"You musn't fight his Dryness any longer. If Drak dies, the queen will have no one to confide in or talk to."
Queen Voluptua gasped"Misslei, how could you help me after I've treated you so horribly?"
Misslei smiled"It's okay, I just wanted to help."
The queen sighed"I just never thought you cared, no one ever cared about me before, or so I thought. That's why I've been so horrible to everyone."
Drak shed a tear, seeing the touching display between his mistress and the handmaid"I see that I have been foolish, I believed I was the only one who cared about the queen. I loved her, even."
Arianna sighed"Well, it looks like things will be all right, after all. It all was just a huge misunderstanding, wasn't it?"
Sasha smiled as she approached the queen"Your majesty, I don't really expect you to know me, but I am Sasha. Master Johansan's daughter."
"Hm? Is that so? I see, did you know my father then?" inquired the queen.
The Martial Artist shook her head"My father talked about him in passing, but I think King Aqeas probably wanted to be with you, but couldn't find the time to talk to his only daughter. To be honest, I was honored to meet with you, even though you seemed like you were bitter and troubled on the inside."
"The honor is mine, now that I saw that you and your friends cared enough to come to my aid" said Queen Voluptua.
Drak addressed Arianna"I will now return to my normal form, I apologize to everyone. Arianna, is that your name? I wish you good luck on your quest."
The Grand Lizzier glowed and transformed back into a regular, small lizard. The Fygg materialized in front of Arianna's feet.
Queen Voluptua smiled at the six heroes"The Fygg is yours for helping me, I understand everything now. Now I know there are all sorts of people and creatures who care about me, I will make this up to my people. Sasha, you are welcome to visit Gleeba anytime."
Arianna put the Fygg in her bag with the others, then said"Your majesty, will you permit us to escort you, Misslei and Drak back to Mirage Mahal?"
"I am grateful" said the queen.
Another hour passed as the heroes returned Drak, Misslei and Queen Voluptua back to Mirage Mahal. The heroes bade a solem farewell to the three before heading out to the town. Alicia glanced at the sky"It's been a long day, we should rest up now."
Arianna nodded"Let's meet up at the inn after some last minute shopping. We'll decide there what our next destination should be."
Sasha checked her map"The only major locations marked on my map left that are accessible by boat are the Plains of IIuugazar, and Swinedimples Academy. I heard a lot about these places, in fact, Swinedimples is where my father first studied the art of Karate, they teach a variety of subjects there."
Conrad addressed the group"Oh, and about this morning. I guess I should apologize for my behavior on the boat."
"I already forgave that" smiled Arianna.
Sasha turned to address the Thief"By the way, you're still fine, right?"
Conrad shrugged"Yeah, but that flame almost killed me, why?"
"Let's give it a rest, we've made rapid progress on the Fyggs so far. We'll take the day off tomorrow, the day after that we set sail again" said the Celestrian.
"Agreed" said the blond Swordsman.
Sorry that took me a good eleven days to finish. As for the boat, I took a more realistic approach. After all, how would a boat be able to stop moving without an Anchor?
Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable, despite lack of action.
Please feel free to review.