The trip lasted another hour, the sun was still low in the Eastern sky while Julius drifted back to sleep cradling his head, using his arms for makeshift pillows. His right leg was draped over his left while a bubble kept in his left nostril kept getting bigger and smaller with every breathe he took.
Angelica was very tempted to pop it while she held her chin in her hands and watched her fiancé's sleeping face with a smile plastered on her own face. Erica kept taking quick peeks at Angelica's back and the almost out of sight sleeping prince while she kept the designator needle centered making sure that they were still heading in the right direction.
A small floating island with an even smaller town cradled within its borders came into view. Angelica got to her feet and carefully stepped over Julius in order to sit down on the prow of the small airship, she adjusted the strap of her AR making it a bit tighter before she slowly leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at the small town that was even more sleepy looking than Julius was currently.
Erica lowered their altitude while she made minor adjustments to their course and speed. She noticed a small clearing that would make for the perfect landing spot, so with another small turn of the wheel she made for it.
Angelica bent down and did pop the bubble emanating from Julius's nose. He awoke with a start and he even grabbed the grip of his Sig. "What the fuck Ange," Julius eyes snapped open for an instant before he relaxed, removed his hand from the pistol grip. His now droopy eyes were only half opened while he tried to glare up at her beaming face. "Did you really have to wake me up like that?"
"I couldn't help it," Angelica's smile broadened a bit more, her ruby eyes shut tight while she giggled. "You're face was just too cute and I really wanted to burst your bubble!"
"Bubble," Julius's eyes fully opened along with a yawn. "What bubble Ange?"
Erica also started giggling making Julius both annoyed, but curious at the same time. "Whatever," he cried while vigorously rubbing his head, really disheveling his already unkempt hair in the process.
Julius helped Angelica and Erica down off the skiff making them blush and giggle once again when he grabbed the two of them by their waists and placed them both down on the firm ground.
A stiff wind brushed by them making the two woman's skirts fly up giving Julius a grand view of their panties. Both women shoved their respective skirts back down and glanced at Julius who, only sighed and rubbed his really disheveled hair.
His nonchalant attitude made Angelica and Erica puff out their cheeks and get red in the face. I should have worn a nicer pair, they both thought.
Julius chuckled to himself while he walked behind the two pouting women. Angelica's wearing white ones with strawberry prints and Erica's are a black lacy pair… he thought. Hmmm… Angelica is only twelve so that fits… but Erica… I didn't know that she would wear something like that… it was rather… stimulating… in more ways than one. He sighed and shook his head. We're heading to a dungeon after we pick up Olivia, I would think that my secretary would want to wear something more appropriate. Julius eyed Erica then Angelica. Their armor reminded him of Saber from the Fate Stay Night series. Their chest-plates were of course made out of mithril, their bracers, small pauldrons, knee high boots and even their belt buckles were all made out of the super hard metal. They also had their katana like swords in their scabbards at their sides and their Sigs on the opposite ones while their rifles were slung over their backs. Their magazine pouches also lined their backs.
Julius was wearing similar armor that the two ladies were wearing, but he had on a pair of black cargo pants not a combat skirt like the ones that they were wearing he also had a dark blue shirt under his chest plate. Julius patted his Sig on his right hip while he adjusted the strap on his own AR his three magazine pouches where attached to his belt, behind his back while his own katana like sword was on his left hip.
All set, he thought. Now we only need to retrieve our healer and we'll really be good to go!
Several people eyed the two ladies and Julius while they wandered the back streets. The strange looks that they were receiving made Angelica bring her AR from around her back and had it in front of her in a low ready position.
"Calm down Ange," Julius commented behind her. "I don't think that these people are going to pick a fight with us."
"I don't care," Angelica stated while her ruby eyes kept darting at all of the windows that had people looking thru them. "These stares are making me nervous."
"You should get used to it lady Angelica," Erica calmly told her, but Julius noticed Erica's emerald eyes darting about in a very similar fashion that Angelica's were. "You are nobility after all so the glances of the masses shouldn't unnerve you so."
Speak for yourself, Julius thought, but he also had closed his eyes and frowned. I really don't like all of the stares, is it going to be like this the entire time that we're here?
The three of them let out collective sighs of relief when they made it to the main street where there were a lot less homes that had windows with prying eyes. Julius took the lead and headed toward the northeast part of town where the few inns and hostels were located.
Julius's navy blue eyes widened when he looked upon a woman that was an older version of Olivia. Her blue eyes were the same color as her dress that was partially covered by a white apron. Her long blond hair made her really stand out. Julius watched her water the flowers that where in the two big flowerpots front of their entrance, she placed the water can down and picked up a broom and began casually sweeping the front of the inn.
"Good morning," Julius called out to her when he got close enough.
The woman's pair of ice blue eyes widened when she saw the boy with an accompanying blond haired ruby eyed girl and a very beautiful neon green haired emerald eyed woman coming towards her.
She forgot to breathe and even dropped her broom when the three people stopped in front of her. The blue haired boy gave her a rather goofy grin while the girl snickered, and the woman even cracked a small smile, but quickly coughed into her fist in order to hide it.
"I'm sorry," the woman bent down and picked up her broom off the ground. "We don't usually get many adventurers, like yourselves come thru our little town."
"Hmm," Julius nodded. "Yes, we are adventurers, but we've actually come here for a different reason."
"Really," the woman went really wide eyed with worry. "If you're not here to check in then what are you here for then?"
The little bell on the door charmingly chimed while a very young Olivia poked her head outside to see who her mother was talking to. Her own ice blue eyes widened when she saw Julius, Angelica and Erica all decked out in combat gear and they were all focused their attention on her.
"Mom," Olivia stammered. "Dad wants you to come back in and help him in the kitchen… he said that he needs to go and get more eggs… apparently some of the ones that farmer Gillus gave him… hatched during the night… we now have a bunch of baby chicks peeping and trying to escape the box that they were in."
"Oh, dear, oh dear," her mother gasped and handed the broom to Olivia who smiled when her mother ran inside.
"Olivia," her mother cried from inside. "Could you please see what our adventurer guests want?"
"Yes mom," Olivia yelled back, then the door closed she became even more nervous when she realized that she was alone with the three adventurers. "Hhh... owww… how can I… I… I… heeellll… Help you?"
Julius smiled at her. "We've actually come here to fetch you… Olivia Cambell… the Saintess and protector of the Kingdom…" Julius spoke before giving her a slight bow and he even bent his right knee slightly while he was at it.
Olivia went really wide eyed before she stumbled backward slaming her back against the door.
"Saintess…" Olivia stammered. "What Saintess? Me? Why…"
Even though Erica was enjoying this little show more than she'd like to admit stood in front of Julius and gave the very disturbed girl a disarming smile.
This woman seems more like a saintess to me, Olivia thought while looking up into Erica's gleaming emerald eyes. I think that this boy has made some kind of mistake…
"May we please come in and speak to your parents," Erica politely asked. "Miss Cambell?"
"Yeeessss," Olivia stammered once again, before she just seemed to give up on speaking altogether and simply nodded her head before opening the door for them to come in.
The small inn was quaint, but well decorated making it seem a lot more welcoming than several others that they passed by on the way.
Olivia led the three people into a small part dinning, part sitting room where several men were seated at the bar near the kitchen while a family of three were seated around one of the four tables. Julius, Angelica and Erica were sitting on the one couch in the room while the people eating were gawking at them between bites of food. The three men were taking very liberal glances at Erica, who glared at the three of them with such hostility that they all quickly turned back around and focused on their half eaten plates of food.
A rather tall man wearing a white chef style cap, tan pants and a white shirt with rolled up sleeves came in while he dried his hands on the very stained chefs apron.
"Olivia told me that you think that she's some kind of saint," the man said while eyeing the three of them with his big brown eyes. After he had finished drying his hands he removed his cap and ran his hand thru his rich black hair before placing it lopsidedly back on his head. "Now please tell me what this is really about?"
Olivia's mother came into the bar area carrying another crate of eggs, these ones weren't peeping like the chicks in Olivia's hands.
"Listen," Julius eyed Olivia's father with a frown. "What I said is true, Olivia," he glanced at the girl who eeped before ducking behind her mother while she continued to hold on to the baby chicks that she wouldn't let go. "She really is the saintess and if she doesn't accept that then our Kingdom will…" he frowned, slumped forward and sighed.
"It won't be good," Angelica piped up in Julius's behalf. "We need Lady Olivia to come with us so that she can start gaining the experience she needs to save our Kingdom!"
One of the men at the bar got up and glared at them, his cold dark green eyes narrowed while he slammed three copper coins on the counter. "If ol' Jack here's daughter really is the saintess as you claim," he spat more than spoke. "then this country is doomed!" He billowed. "That brat can barely cook and clean, yet you claim that she's a saint?"
Julius narrowed his own eyes back at the loudmouth when he saw her father Jack turn and glare at the man too.
"Bren," Jack turned his hands into tight fists. "I thank you for your many years of patronage, but this is going to be the last time that I offer you any hospitality…" Jack there was noticeable fire in his brown eyes when he stomped over to the stubbly, ugly faced man with bad teeth. "Now get out and don't bother coming back here!"
Bren balked at Jack's threat, while Olivia had a very noticeable proud gleam in her eyes while he threatened Bren.
Bren frowned. "Bahhh, fine then, your breakfasts were trash anyway," he spat while heading for the door. "I can get a cheaper meal at Ryan's place!"
"Ryan's prices are cheaper for a reason," Olivia's mother spoke softly, but with real conviction. "He always uses food that is about to expire, thus getting them for a lower cost!"
"I'm actually surprised that, that cheapskate is still in business," another of the men at the bar came to their defense a wide smile adorned his tanned face. "And I'll be glad that I won't have to sit next to your smelly ass anymore Bren!"
"Ai," the fellow next to him cried in agreement. "I've always said that Jack's food be too good for da likes of ya, Gren and now I don't got at sit next ta your smelly ars neither!"
"Well said, Myles," the first man slapped the tanned man's back making him grunt,
"You too Leon," they both laughed when Gren seeing that he was outnumbered only muttered curses while he stormed out the front door and slamming it behind him making the little bell angrily chime when he did.
They all noticed that the air did indeed smell much cleaner after Gren left. Jack and his wife Aurora made Julius and his party wait until after their guests finished their breakfasts so that they could talk. Olivia sat in a chair across from the three adventurers and continued to play with the baby chicks that she had placed in her lap.
The two men Myles and Leon who were sitting at the bar left for work, though they both stopped and tipped their hats to the trio on the sofa before leaving. The two families that were apparently staying another night remained in their seats to see how this would unfold, their curiosity getting the better of them.
Jack returned from the kitchen devoid of his chefs cap and apron, his wife followed right behind him.
"Now," Jack took two of the chairs out from under one of the free tables and set them down beside their daughter who was looking more and more nervous. Jack and Aurora stared at Julius. "What is it that you really want from our daughter, mister adventurer?"
"Please just call me Julius," Julius gave them a very knowing smirk when all of the people that where in the room gasped and a few of them even slid out of their seats to land rather hard on the wood floor.
"If your majesty is here for our daughter,"— Aurora gaped at Julius while holding her hands over her face, she glanced at Olivia who was very wide eyed and she almost let one of the chick she had in her lap fall off from her, she barely caught it and brought it back to the center of her lap with the other one. —"then she really is the saintess?"
Julius nodded before smiling at Olivia. "Tell me, Olivia can you use healing magic?"
Jack and Aurora gasped again when Olivia tried to hide her face, but slowly nodded.
"I've only used it a few times," Olivia squeaked. "I healed our neighbor's cat Vicky's, broken leg… and I even healed a small bird that had fallen out of its nest…" she had tears in her eyes when she raised her head and stared back a Julius. "But I've never healed any major injuries… and I really didn't want my parents… or anyone to know that I could use magic…"
"Emm," Julius nodded his head. "If I was born a commoner and if I could still use my fire and lightening magic I'd probably keep it a secret myself…" he smiled at her making her blush. "In all honesty Lady Olivia, I didn't want to drag you into this until you entered the academy…" he sighed. "But I really need that healing power of yours sooner rather than later!"
"Why," Jack cried. "Why, prince Julius would you burden my daughter before she's even of age… couldn't you have at least waited until she was a bit older?"
Julius shook his head. "I need to get her levels high enough so that she can use full heal before the month is out… or else…"
"Or else what prince Julius," Angelica asked with trepidation, especially when she noticed the pained look on his face.
"Or else people will die," Julius made a very grave face making all of the people pale. "People that I need…" He crossed his fingers and partially hid his face from view behind them, making him look rather ominous to the Cambell family. "so Lady Cambell," he eyed Olivia who swallowed hard. "Will you come with me?"
Angelica and Erica were rather confused because neither of them knew who it was that Julius was talking about, but considering the stern, yet desperate look in his eyes and the graveness of his tone they knew at the very least that he wasn't kidding.
Jack and Aurora noticed the sweat forming on their daughter's brow, they also noticed the way that she was fiddling with the pair of chicks in her lap.
"You can go with them if you want to," Jack got up from his chair and knelt down in front of Olivia, "If what Prince Julius says is true, that you can use healing magic and be able to save lives then I think that you should go…"
"Our Kingdom depends on it," Angelica firmly stated while she tightened up her fist and frowned. "We won't be able to defend our Kingdom from the Principality invasion if you don't."
Julius lowered his hands and sighed. "Again I normally would have simply had you attend the academy in another three years, but I am in need of your powers sooner than that!"
"Umm Prince Julius," Olivia used her index finger to stroke one of the baby chicks. "If I go with you will I really be able to save those people that you are talking about?"
"Of course," Julius smiled at Olivia. "Originally you would have been the one who saved them anyway, but ever since I regained my previous memories things haven't… gone in complete sequence than what I remember."
Now all of the people in the room, except for Angelica and Erica were all looking very confused.
"What do you mean previous memories," the boy at the table closest to the window yelled, his father and mother both swiftly placed their hands over the boy's mouth.
Julius gave the worried and fearful parents a dismissive wave. He told them all about the time when he got really sick four years ago and woke up with his memories from his past life, he didn't go into too much detail about where he was from originally, but he did inform them about several future events that he remembered happening.
Olivia, her parents and the two families that were listening to him went really wide eyed in wonder. More than a few times gasps and awed eeps were heard from the patrons that were listening to Julius.
Olivia stopped playing with the pair of chicks while she clenched her fists. She stared into Julius's eyes and after getting nods of approval and warm smiles from her parents she took a deep breath.
"Prince Julius if everything that you just told me really true," Olivia glanced at Erica who nodded, then she glanced at Angelica who also nodded. "Then I would like to join your adventuring party!"
Julius let out a sigh of relief while Angelica and Erica both smiled. Olivia's mother Aurora got up and told her that she'd help her pack her things, but Julius raised his hand to stop her.
"Don't worry," Julius gave her a smirk. "I've already gotten permission from my mother Queen Mylene that all of your needs would be taken care of, you won't need to bring anything with you… and…" he sighed again. "We've actually wasted more time than I was planning to… we really need to leave!"
Jack and Aurora Cambell gaped at Julius and the other two women as well while they all got to their feet as one and headed for the door. Aurora took the chicks out of Olivia's lap and kissed her head before returning to the kitchen and leaving out the back door. Jack bent down and hugged Olivia.
"You can always come back here if things ever get too tough," Jack spoke while tears fell from his soft brown eyes. "Remember that we love you!"
Aurora returned without the chicks in her hands a few moments later and she also hugged Olivia who started crying when her mom did.
"You can always come and visit your parents any time," Julius informed her with a rather conniving smirk. "And we really won't be needing you unless we're going to be clearing a dungeon, so you could actually remain with your parents until you turn fifteen when your enrolled in the academy…but…" His frown made the Cambell family very nervous.
"But what Prince Julius," Olivia squeaked.
"There are some in the nobility that don't like the fact that you even exist," Julius ran his hand thru his very messed up hair. "So you'd actually be much safer staying at the palace with us…"
What he said really made the people there all gasp, the two families all started murmuring amongst themselves while Jack and Aurora became very pale when their faces drained of blood.
"Are you saying that there are nobles who want to assassinate my daughter," Jack cried in a rage.
Julius nodded, "She's not the only one either…" his eyes fell to the floor, while Angelica and Erica both grimaced.
"No," Aurora cried before clamping her mouth shut.
"There are nobles who want to end your life Prince Julius," one the man at the table closest to them rose to his feet and slammed his palms down with a bang. "I'm a noble from a lesser house and I've heard nothing about this! Why, why have I heard nothing about this? Which house would even dare to raise their arms against the Royal family?" He yelled while his eyes were aflame and his breaths came in quick gasps.
"That is why I need Olivia," Julius turned to the very pale young woman. "I'm very sorry to have to drag another twelve year old girl into my problems,"— he glanced at Angelica who shrugged and smiled. —"but the reason why I need you is so that you can save the lives of my future vassals, they won't only be very powerful, but also very loyal!"
Julius is still hiding things from me, Erica and Angelica both thought. But if he tells me everything then that information might end up in our enemy's ears as well then they'd either find out who they are and kill them, or worse still turn them against us!
Olivia pressed her right hand to her heart and took a deep calming breath. "I believe you Prince Julius," she gave him the warmest smile that she could muster under the circumstances though she did look rather longingly at her parents, but they both nodded and gave her a smile in response.