Chapter 12: Plan

Last time you'd have to suffer through several pages of pointless dialogue now we're getting to something of a plot.

XXX

A few days later Simon noticed that there was a crowd around Main Street, and some other streets leading up to the palace. He walked over to the crowd and tried to look over them, he plowed himself through the crowd getting: "Hey watch it!" and "Well excuse me!" He apologized as he went through, he flung himself onto the street then backed back into the front of the crowd. He saw an automobile with men standing around it on platforms, the windows were down, Simon couldn't see who was inside the vehicle because the men were blocking it, he could only get a glimpse of red hair. Another vehicle drove by with soldiers marching in front of it and behind it, the cover was open exposing the man with slicked back dirty blonde hair and a handlebar mustache, next to him was a woman with shoulder length green hair, and an eyepatch over her left eye, bother wore black uniforms and a red armband with a black symbol he couldn't see. He heard a mix of concerned babble and cheers, he assumed that the man in the closed vehicle with body guards surrounded was Cademeca's president, while the man in the black uniform was Sakriny's chairman. He followed the vehicles through the crowds, trying to keep their eyes on them. He followed them until he ran into Luke for the first time in a while.

"Luke?"

"Hello, Simon, could you please stand back and may I have your sword?" Luke greeted, Simon nearly forgot the rapier around his waist. He unbuckled it and gave it to Luke. Then he followed Luke.

"What are you doing? Why do you need my sword?"

"I'm doing my job." Luke said bluntly.

"Okay, so what does taking my sword have to do with anything?"

"It's a weapon that could harm President Lanvaldear and Chairman Reltih." He said not turning around and quickly checking people

"Do you think that I'm here to harm them?"

"Man you ask a lot of questions! It's just a job. I'm not particularly happy about protecting Chairman Reltih but it's a job."

"Why not?"

"If you have to serve a man that's starving a country to death you wouldn't be to thrilled about it either. If it were up to me I would let any one with a pistol shoot the man." Growled Luke, controlling his volume.

"I know someone else that feels the same way." Simon muttered to himself. "By the way, who's the woman with Reltih?"

"That's Josephine Nilats," Said Luke, still not turning his head, "She's Reltih's right hand man. Now if you excuse me I have a job to do, I'll return your sword later." He left Simon behind, Simon walked the other direction behind the vehicles. He came to a stop when he saw the president of Cademeca stepped out of his automobile. He was an old man, though still standing straight, with graying red hair and a mustache, unlike Reltih, he wore a suit. The king came out and greeted the two before they disappeared into the palace. A while later, after the people anticipating something extraordinary, the crowd left. Simon almost got himself caught in the crowd when he shoved himself out onto the middle of the street.

"Oh! Simon!" He heard a woman say, he turned around to see Cheria behind him. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Same, what are you doing here?"

"I'm just seeing a friend close to the military base and you?"

"I was seeing what was going on around here and I need to get my sword back from someone."

"From one of the guild members patrolling the streets?" She asked, Simon nodded. "Well I'd better be on my way." Simon nodded his head and got out of Cheria's way. He rummaged through the crowd for Luke, until he found him talking to someone and giving up a pistol. He tapped him on the shoulder.

"You want your sword back don't you?" He sighed turning around, handing back his rapier.

"Uh … yeah … how did-" Simon began.

"You were gonna come back for it eventually." Luke shrugged, "See ya around." He left Simon standing in the crowd. Simon felt like he for got something.

'That's right! If I don't ask this now Kanonno and Marianya are gonna kill me!' He thought. He ran after Luke, calling his name.

"What is it now?" Luke said, rather annoyed.

"I was wondering, What day and time do you guys leave for Cademeca?" He asked.

Luke crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow, "Why do you need to know?" He asked. Simon was silent for a moment, figuring out what to say.

Finally he spurted out "Me and a few friends are refugees from Sakriny we've been looking for away to Cademeca without much luck and we don't have any visas or passports and since I saw your ship flying by we figured that we could sneak on to get there so I was asked to befriend you to get the information so we can hide on your ship." Luke hardly caught what he said.

"So let me get this straight, you're a refugee fearing to return to Sakriny so you want to go to Cademeca through our airship?" He figured. Simon nodded, "You wanted to get some information from me so you can sneak on right?" Simon nodded again. "Has it occurred to you that one of us would be kind enough to smuggle you on board?"

"Ah … well …" he began, Luke did have a point, "No …" Luke smirked.

"Meet me close to the outskirts of the city with your friends tomorrow morning." He ordered, "Got that?" Simon nodded, "Good, make sure no one follows you."

XXX

"I don't know why you needed us out here, Simon, does it really have to do with us getting to Cademeca?" Kanonno complained.

"Trust me, getting to the outskirts will get us out of here." Simon tried to persuade, knowing very well that Kanonno, Marianya, and Laurel don't know any of the guild members. Kanonno crossed her arms, and glared at him. 'I should've gotten her drunk.' He thought. Marianya and Laurel were just as skeptical.

"Simon, you've been acting a little off, are you planning to kill us?" Marianya joked.

"Why would I kill you, what could I possibly gain from it?" Questioned Simon.

"Hm … it would be very out of character." Marianya admitted, "I'm having a hard time imagining you murdering anybody." Simon looked around for Luke close to the outskirts, Luke wasn't too clear on where he in the outskirts he needed to go.

"There you are Simon." He heard a voice say. He turned to see Luke behind him with a crate, with holes on the top, on a small cart. "These are your friends huh? My aren't you popular." He said with a smirk.

"It's not like that! We're …" Marianya exclaimed.

"It's platonic." Kanonno stated.

"I can't get near him without him sneezing and coughing." Laurel sighed.

"I'm just joking." Said Luke,"You guys want to get out of the country right?"

"Where did you get that?" Kanonno asked.

"You're friend here told me that you're trying to get away from Sakriny. With the political situation and the extermination of various people I think I can understand why you need to get away." Said Luke, "As for wanting to go to Cademeca, it's far from Sakriny's boarders, and it wants nothing to do with Sakriny, so it's considerably the safest place for a refugee. Am I right?"

"...Yes…" Said Kanonno.

"Though the problem is, there have been restrictions placed on immigrants, particularly the ones coming from Sakriny." Stated Luke, "So we might as well smuggle you guys in." He said patting on the cart.

"It's a nice idea but doesn't someone check if people are being smuggled in?" Marianya asked.

"I plan to hide you some where on the ship, if I can't you're probably gonna end up sharing the crate with engine parts and tools." Luke shrugged.

"Is there a catch to this?"

"No catch, just get in the crate." Said Luke.

"All four of us? Right now?" Simon asked nervous.

"Yes all four of you, and right now. I'm leaving tomorrow, so I might as well sneak you onto the ship early so no one gets suspicious." Said Luke.

"But what about-" Marianya began,

"It's a work in progress, get in the crate." Ordered Luke.

"This plan is filled with holes." Said Kanonno.

"I know I said that I'm working on it, get in the crate." Luke persisted.

"Do we have to be in the crate?" Simon asked looking over to Laurel.

"Yes, get in the crate." Said Luke sounding irritated.

"But…" Simon began,

"Now …" Hissed Luke.

"All right!" cried Simon opening the crate and crouching in. The other three looked at Luke skeptically. Luke took a deep breath.

"I'll let you out at night if you have any … "business."" Promised Luke. The two women and the flying cat looked at each other, shrugged and followed Simon into the crate. "Try not to make any sounds while I'm getting you onto the airship, got that?" He said closing the crate.

"Shit." Murmured Simon.

"What was that Simon?" Luke asked.

"Nothing at all." He lied feeling a tickle in his throat and nose. Luke pushed the cart to outside of the city. It wasn't long until Simon started sneezing and coughing.

"Will you keep it down?" Luke growled pounding the crate.

"Sor-atchoo!" Sneezed Simon, which was followed by coughing, "Al … al … altchoo! Allergies."

"To what?"

Simon coughed until he spat out "Cats!"

"Oh lord …" Moaned Luke, he took off his gloves, tied them together to form some sort of mask. He opened the crate and gave the glove mask to Simon, "Hopefully this will lessen your symptoms." Simon put it over his nose and mouth like how one would use a handkerchief.

"Thanks." Said Simon with a raspy voice. The sneezing and coughing somewhat faded after a while but now Simon was worrying his watering eyes. Luke had to cover his coughs as they went past the military on the landing platform. He also made excuses about the crate. The four felt like they were going up a ramp then it leveled out. Then Luke pushed them off the cart.

He opened the crate and offered them to get out and stretch, Simon popped out and hung over the edge of the crate like a dead cat.

"No one should be on the ship right now, so you can get out of the crate. I'll be returning cart. Don't leave the ship's hold, or the ship." He ordered.

"Feels like we're being held prisoner." Muttered Kanonno crossing her arms.

"Well we can't do much about it." Shrugged Marianya. Simon looked up from his position and noticed a smile on Luke's face, either that or it was his tears blurring his vision. When Simon's vision cleared he went back into the box.

"Are you all right?" Marianya asked.

"I will be until someone closes the crate again." Said Simon.

"I can move out and hide somewhere else on the ship." Laurel suggested.

"No, don't it's fine, I'll just use this, though I'm not sure how long this will last." Sighed Simon, waving up Luke's glove mask. 'Though why put the crate here a day before? Am I going to die from my allergies by the time we get there?' Simon sighed not looking forward to the days to come.

XXX

Well that was short … relatively speaking. Trying something new. Next time on Tales of the World: New Age Mythology:

"What do we have here? Stowaways?"

"We can let you stay if you're willing to work for it?"

Please review I would like to have feedback, hell this fic takes anonymous reviews! Now I'm sounding like a little weaboo who craves attention. Though in all honesty I could use the feed back.