A/N: Hi! Here's the next chapter. Yep, this'll be two updates! This chapter and the one before this one ^^ ya, you can thank me later~ *smacked*
Anyway, this chapter'll be Labyrinth questing! Yaay *dances**shot*
Right then, let's get this started!
Warning and Disclaimer is in the first chapter! Can I please stop writing this now? *smacked*
Enjoy~!
Chronicles of the Drowned City
C.18: Of bees and letters...
When the three arrived at the Butterfly Bistro, the place looks as crowded as ever. They walked up to the counter, Missy greeting them with a bright smile.
"Ah, welcomings to you! Just in time, too! I have some questings here for you!" Missy then handed them some papers, listed with three quests: One asking them to gather some Amber Bee honey, another asking them to participate in a fish hunting festival, and lastly a quest coming from the clerk at the inn.
Well, more of a favor really...
"Ok, so I guess I'll go and take the clerk's quest," offered Guad.
"That leaves just us for takin' th'honey." Guad nodded. They then told Missy which quest they'd take.
"Your not going to take the fish one?"
"Nah, we'll take that one later," said Rudollf. They both then went off in their separate ways.
Guad leisurely walked around town, heading towards the inn. He took in the fresh air, and for once, let his worries drown for a while and enjoyed this brisk refreshment.
He wondered though, how the others are doing in the Labyrinth. Are they doing alright? Hopefully yes.
He then unknowingly found himself right in front of the inn's entrance. Entering the building, he noticed that the clerk seems to be as busy as ever, handing keys and answering questions at the same time. Guad wondered how the kid could still smile like that.
Noticing Guad in the front door, the clerk beamed a smile at him.
"Come on in!" he said. Guad did just that.
"So, you filed a quest at the bar for us?" asked Guad. At this, the clerk's attention snapped fully at the Farmer.
"Yeah, that's right? You took it?" Guad nodded.
"Oh, that's great! See, I found this letter inside a bottle while I was at the beach. Isn't it wonderful how a letter from the outside world reached here?" said the boy excitedly.
"Yeah, it is. So, what was in the letter?" asked Guad.
"Well, a girl named Elly wrote this letter. She said that she's a fisherman's daughter." Nodding, Guad let the boy continue.
"She really loves flowers. She wrote a lot about this flower field she can see from home!" A slight pause,"well, that's all there is to the letter, really. I really have a hard time trying to think of a reply, so uh... can you help me?"
"Well yeah, of course!" answered Guad,but his shoulders fell slightly after that statement.
"Though I uh... really don't know what you should write for her..." he then lit up again,"maybe I could ask people in town?"
"What? O-Oh, sure!" said the boy.
"Alright! Be back in a minute!" Guad then stormed out of the door, heading into town.
The first place he headed to is the Firm, though he had this feeling that asking the Firm's owner-which he later found out goes by the name Edie- is a bad idea.
"What? You want to ask what a good reply for a letter would be?" Guad nodded.
"Well, why don't you just talk about this new crossbow I have in stock?" Edie then noticed the scowl on Guad's face.
"Oh, come on, don't give me that look! I was just joking!" Sighing, the girl continued.
"Why not just have him talk about what he does at the inn?"
"Hmm... yeah, I guess that sounds good... Alright, thanks!" Guad then stormed off to the front door, exiting the Firm as fast as he came in.
"*Sigh* You could've bought something..."
"Hmm? Oh, hello! Your that Farmer from Guild Zephyr, right?" Guad nodded.
"Can you help me with something?" Missy nodded, letting Guad continue.
"It's about the quest from the inn." He then proceeded to explain everything to Missy.
After he finished, Missy fell quiet, deep in thought.
"Well," she began after a long pause,"she did write about her family, right? What was that phrase again? 'Turnabout is fair play?'" Guad raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Maybe he could write something about his family!" said Missy, snapping her fingers.
Taking her advice in mind, Guad thanked her and went off.
"...Huh? A letter?"
"Yeah."
The Guildmaster fell silent for a moment, stopping everything he's doing, before sighing.
"I'm not one to ask, boy... but..," he heaved another sigh,"I'll give you an answer." Guad nodded, looking at the man in anticipation.
"If it were me, I'd talk about my goals. A man's passion shows his values, you know?"
"Umm..."
"Right then, is that all? If it is, then I'm getting back to work. Hope your explorations are doing well, by the way." The man then turned away from the boy, continuing his busy day at work, Guad slowly walking out of the Guildhouse.
"A reply for a letter?" Guad nodded.
"Hmm... well, why don't you write about your hobbies? If she doesn't know, it's always good to learn. And if it's something she knows, then it's relatable!" said the captain.
Giving the idea some thought, Guad smiled at the man.
"Ok, thanks!" he said, and went off.
He then went to the Senatus to ask Flowdia, but she didn't have any ideas. So he went back to the inn.
"Oh, your back! So, do you have any ideas on how to reply to the letter?" Guad nodded and proceeded to talk about all of the ideas he's got in town. The boy gave each suggestions careful thought. Seeing the clerk's still confused face, Guad decided to share his pick on the ideas.
"You know, I think you should talk about your family! I mean, it's the easiest thing for Elly to relate to." Giving that idea some more thought, the clerk's face brightened up.
"Yeah... yeah, maybe your right. Ok, I'll go write my reply now! Hopefully I won't get caught writing it, haha! Thank you so much! I'll leave the reward at the bar! Oh, and I'll take 50% off your storage fees!" The boy then ran off, stopping in his tracks, turning back to Guad. "Oh, and please don't tell the other Guilds about this!" he then stormed off, Guad still standing there.
"Y-You... don't really need to leave a reward you know... it was just a letter..."
Inside the Labyrinth, both Ribu and Rudollf arrived at the fourth floor, where the client said the bees they arrived at a certain point in the map, they came upon a dead end, with a beehive hanging on a large branch, just in front of them, surrounded by translucent bees.
"Hold up a sec'," Rudollf paused for a moment,"how do we get th'honey without bein' stung t'death?"
"We... make fire on hive!" said Ribu. Rudollf stayed quiet for a moment, confused.
"Uh... ya mean smoke it?" Ribu, albeit slightly confused, nodded. Rudollf then noticed a block of wood on the ground, still dry despite this place's humidity. He rummaged in his pocket, taking out a small box of matches. Grabbing the wood, Rudollf lit it on fire, making a sort of torch with it, lifting it up to the nest of bees. The bees swarming the hive immediately fell out, dead, leaving the hive empty.
Ribu then climbed up the tree, getting a knife ready, before grabbing onto the nest and cutting it off the branch.
Jumping down, Ribu showed the nest to Rudollf.
" 'Ey, not bad there, lass." He then fished out an Ariadne Thread. "Alright, let's get on outta 'ere." Ribu nodded as Rudollf used the Thread to warp them back to the entrance.
As they got back to the Bistro, both Guad and Missy greeted them. Noticing the beehive Rudollf is holding in his hands, Guad's mouth immediately watered.
"Oh god, don't show that in front of me..." he said.
"Oh, right! Th'lad 'ere loves honey." Rudollf then quickly gave the beehive to Missy. As she was about to grab the beehive, Rudollf jerked it away from her a bit, surprising the bar owner.
"But... can th'lass have some too? I think he deserves it." Missy thought about the offer for a minute before smiling a devious looking smile.
"Well... the client did say it was just for a taste~." Missy then proceeded to cut up a not-so-small piece of honey and handed it over to Guad.
"Here you go!" she said. Guad looked at the honey offered, then back to Missy, then to Rudollf, with a look asking "you sure this is ok?"
"Just take it, lass! Ya deserve it." Guad noticed that Missy moved the honey closer to his face.
He hesitated, as a part of him said no, because hey, this honey's for a quest.
But the scent, the aroma, ugh, it's just so alluring! The honey looks so clear and fresh, and he's heard a lot of great things about the Amber Bee honey.
To give in, or not to give in...
...
...
...
Aw, to hell with it!
After all he's been through, Rudollf's right, maye he does deserve this. Heck, the whole Guild deserves this.
"Can you store that somewhere for now Missy? I think I'll give that to the whole Guild." Said Guad. Missy nodded.
"Alright, sure! So, the rest goes to Espierre. I'll get this delivered now! The reward'll be here when I get back!" The bar owner then proceeded to deliver the client's part of the beehive.
After a while of waiting, Missy came back carrying a pouch full of money in it.
"Alright, here's your reward!" Rudollf grabbed it and counted the money inside.
600 En.
Well, that was worth having to risk your ass getting stabbed by who knows how many bees. But hey, at least they'll get their share of honey too. And he's sure it'll taste better for them.
After all, all things taste better with a little blood, sweat and tears, right?
-To Be Continued-
A/N: Sorry if this chapter's short! I'm going to do the fish quest in a separate chapter, so yeah! Anyway, yay for the Zephyr Guild robbing their client! *smacked*
So yeah! Also, I want to make an EO2 fic as well... ugh, plot bunnies, I need to get them out, RRAAAGHH!
Maybe I'll do that in my own spare time, haha ^^
And now I shall go eat whatever *sneaks into fridge*