Pen, Paper & Sugar

2011: Day Four to Five

2011-11-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

‘What are you looking for?’

Cedric jolted in alarm as a hand rested on his shoulder. He turned quickly and gasped.

‘Caleb?’ Cedric saw a flash of his brother before his eyes. But soon, the image faded away, and he found himself looking into a pair of electric blue eyes framed by black, layered hair. Cedric realized that it was an Alchemist who approached him. The man had a cozy air about him.

‘Oh, good evening, sir,’ Cedric recovered quickly as he turned to smile at the man. ‘I was just looking for a friend… is there anything–’

‘Ah, nothing, I was just curious. You seemed like you were lost so I thought I would ask…’ the man ended sheepishly, his blue eyes were scanning Cedric from top to bottom. He pointed at the badge that was sitting on the clasp of Cedric’s cloak. ‘Nelock?’

Cedric was caught by surprise, looking back down at his that had a picture of a seedling growing from the earth. He quickly nodded, hoping that the man would not ask him anything related to the Alchemist Union. Just by fate, he had to run into another person from the same faction, as the man pushed his cloak off his hip area, revealing the same badge of the Nelock faction.

‘You know, the badge is supposed to go on your belt, near your pouch and potions and stuff,’ the man commented casually with his arms crossed, eyes rolling off into a distance as he grinned. Cedric snapped the badge off hurriedly and replaced it on his belt. He was afraid that the team’s lack of attention to such detail may have drawn suspicion onto himself.

‘Don’t worry about it, you’re doing a pretty good job disguising yourself as an Alchemist. Keep it up,’ encouraged the man with a thumbs-up, winking an eye and chuckling as he did so. Cedric was uncertain of how he should react, but he was confident that this man could be trusted and that he was not a foe. Despite having a clear seniority over Cedric, the man seemed like he would blend in with a group of kids easily with his approachable, childish antics.

‘Why are you here at the Al de Ball as an Alchemist anyway?’ questioned the man. Cedric flinched, trying to think of ways to construct his answer without making the act of trespassing sound malicious in nature.

‘–that mad man’s at it again! Using Heart pieces on live specimens.’

By reflex, Cedric hushed the other Alchemist at the sound of the word “Heart”. Leaning his ear in every direction, he tried to pick up where the gritty voice was coming from, but all he could hear were laughs and the thumping noise of his heart. When he wanted to eavesdrop into the conversation, the people around him decided that this was a good time to be chattier.

‘Where does he find these Heart pieces from anyway? Black market?’

Cedric heard it again, chasing the voice that was ten feet away, the Alchemist following him closely behind. Cedric managed to find the owner of the voice standing near a stone sculpture of a regal dragon. He was a stout man dressed in a Sage’s outfit, tipping the contents of a champagne glass into his mouth.

‘Not so loudly in public, fool!’

It was a creamy voice of a female that came after. Quickly, Cedric hid with his back against the conveniently placed sculpture while grabbing a skewed kebab off the plate from the waiter who was conveniently passing by. He figured that occupying himself with food can make him seem less suspicious. The Alchemist stood in front of him, helping himself to a cocktail. Cedric tried to look over to identify the female who was speaking to the stout Sage.

‘He has his sources… the Republic is hiding many things. And naturally, he would have a share in those businesses, considering his influence…’ although it was a delightful voice, the creamy female had an authoritative tone to her words. Cedric could only see her back and a silk veil was covering her hair from sight, but it was obvious from her transparent shawl, intricate embellishments, rather skimpy dressing and slender figure, that she was a Dancer. Her voice had started to fade in the background music. Although he had a pang of guilt for snooping around, Cedric had a feeling that their conversation was going to lead to something big and important. Curiosity growing, he shifted his position, drawing closer to the Sage and Dancer, and also the mouth of the stone dragon.

‘And you brought up this topic because…?’

‘Ahah… can’t hide anything from you, eh?’ the stout Sage chuckled. ‘He sent me out for a task – a hunt. He needs the right candidate.’

‘What happened to that forest girl he adopted?’

‘She’s fine, but there hasn’t been any progress for years now,’ the Sage lamented with a sigh. ‘She has been rebellious… so he decided to work with a new person. Instead of starting with a raw, rough gem, he’s looking for someone who’s matured. Someone with a talent, who’s well-trained and strong enough to endure through the process.’

‘I’ve met someone who might fit the bill…’ the Dancer responded thoughtfully. ‘He’s an interesting boy. Broken, maybe, but it makes it all the more delicious after we fix him.’

‘That’s wonderful! Shall we meet him–?’

‘No,’ the Dancer interjected sternly. There was a short pause, then she started turning her head to look at her surroundings. Cedric quickly pretended to drop his kebab, bend down and started cleaning up the mess. The Dancer crossed her arms and turned back to the man. ‘We should speak about this somewhere else. It’s a little too crowded here, and it’s starting to get chilly in here…’

The stout Sage hastily unclasped his cloak. ‘Oh…? Would you like to have this–?’

‘No,’ the Dancer repeated sternly again, a slight sound of disgust surfacing. There was another short pause. ‘It doesn’t match my outfit. Let’s just get out of here for now.’ With that, the two walked away from the dragon stone sculpture. Leaving his fallen kebab alone, Cedric tried to tail them.

---
Current Word Count: 1,575 (incredibly slow, I know!)

2011: Day One to Three

2011-11-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Author's Notes: Pun in the title! One Two Three, teehee! *shot*
---
Cedric was standing in front of a great building with fancy decorations, red carpets flowing out of its entrance to welcome the guests of the Al de Ball. Little did the red carpets know that they would be receiving uninvited visitors, namely Cedric himself. He started to review their motives for party crashing again.

‘Find leads on Caleb, learn things about Ymir’s Heart…’ Cedric muttered before his concentration was broken by a nudge from Hirei.

‘Jeez, Ced, would you relax a bit?’ said the cheerful white-head. ‘We’ve already went through the trouble of getting these disguises. For whatever it’s worth, let’s just enjoy ourselves at the Ball, okay? If we pick up any info on the way, that’s our fortune!’

‘Hirei’s right. Besides, there is other valuable knowledge to be gathered from the crowd that’s here. Look at all the bright scholars and skillful warriors around!’ Aalaiyah added reassuringly, and Cedric simply smiled. ‘Oh, that’s where we’re headed…’ she pointed at the counter that read “Mages”. ‘Would you really be fine on your own, Cedric?’

‘No problem. We’ll just have to regroup again when we get inside,’ said Cedric, his eyes scanning for the reception table that was for the Alchemist faction he was a member of for that night. Finding the counter that was labeled “Nelock”, he nodded in the direction and left with a goodbye.

‘See you later!’

Joining the queue, Cedric heaved a heavy sigh, adjusted his Alchemist’s cape and checked that his sword was safely hidden from view. Ahead in line, an Alchemist balancing a box of vials with unidentified liquid peered over her shoulder, snatched a quick glance at Cedric and smiled. He returned the gesture nervously, crossing his arms closely and hoping he would not draw too much attention to himself.

‘Welcome to the Al de Ball. Faction?’ said the receptionist at the table. She was efficient at her job as it has not been a minute since Cedric joined the long queue. Yet, it was clearly something she was accustomed to through repetition, as she has not raised her head to look at Cedric even as he presented the imitation Nelock badge. She flipped through her thick book of records and pointed at the quill on the table. After signing his name in the book, Cedric was ushered into the hall.

Cedric was amazed by the sea of people in the hall. Besides the flood of Alchemists, there were Priests, Crusaders, Blacksmiths, Bards… He found several renowned warriors scouring the place and his excitement grew in hopes to see some famous figures and Knights that he adored.

First of all… to find Rei and Aalaiyah… Cedric refused the drinks served by the waiters, moving quickly through the crowd to find his friends while trying to keep his actions unnoticeable. He saw the guests exchanging laughs and stories while the Alchemists seemed busy fondling with their gadgets and potions. While walking, Cedric could not help but overhear bits of conversations.

‘The snowstorm in Lutie’s crazy! I thought–’

‘Thanks! It’s a new powder I got from Louyang–’

‘-secret about the Airship. Apparently it’s powered by forbidden–’

---

Current Word Count: 613

Racing Again!

2011-11-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Looks like I've actually decided, just two days ago, that I'll make an attempt at NaNoWriMo again this year! Even with my finals going on for two weeks, and I'll be going down to Singapore for a weekend, and I'll be pretty much caught up with my Cosplay preparations. Woohoo!

And I'll be continuing The Eminent Guardians too!

This will really test my timing and writing skills, since I have a tight schedule, and I haven't tried writing anything beyond the Al de Baran plot. So this time, I would really need to just keep typing and not look back!

Also... I've decided to kill off Penelope. Not kill as in murder, but to scrap her off. I realized that she was making things too cliche, and she doesn't really serve a purpose/relate closely to the plot. So some info that I may write in this continuation might not tally with what I wrote before (not like anyone read the whole thing though lD). After all is done with, I will revamp the whole story with the new changes, for the 83745th time.

So... wish me luck! I'll probably need to pull through a 10k words day one day, hehe...

Rewriting Fate - The Adjustment Bureau

2011-08-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Zamagawd! New post after forever!

I'm now doing South Australian Matriculation, the Australian Year 12. There's a subject called English as a Second Language Studies. I had a assessment last week called Creative Writing where we had references such as movies and music videos to write an essay. And we only get 300-400 words to work with! D:

My class was given two movies: Blood Diamond and The Adjustment Bureau. My teacher stopped both movies at cliffhangers to give us room for creativity. I decided to write a sequel to The Adjustment Bureau - the cliffhanger given to us was where David and Elise were cornered on the rooftop and they started kissing.

So, here's my sequel!

Harry arrived at the rooftop to find the lovers disengaging from their passionate kiss. He sighed for their regrettable ending as he lifted a pristine white bowler into the air, the Intervention Team coming to an attentive halt. ‘The Chairman offers you a deal, David,’ said Harry. ‘Face a Reset, or join the Adjustment Bureau and Elise may leave with her memories of you erased. You will be forbidden to communicate with her.’

David gazed into Elise’s sorrowful eyes; they knew what must be done. ‘Promise me you will wait for me forever,’ David panted. ‘Trust me.’

‘Always,’ Elise whispered in return, and they kissed once more before everything faded to black.

Yet, it was not over. David resolved to outsmart the Plan. He spent 20 years understanding his job, 30 years gaining the Bureau’s trust, another 30 years unlocking the secrets behind the Plans, 60 years locating the Vault of Plans amidst the thousands of doors and rooms in the Headquarters, and 80 years finding Elise’s and his own Plan from 6.93 billion blueprints of the World’s citizens.

While David carried out his plan and job, he silently observed Elise’s rise to fame each day. He witnessed his lover’s wedding and funeral. Later, he finds her soul in a Chinese named Lee Ming Na and watched her life’s story unfold. He did the same for Marielle in France and Nadirah in Malaysia.

Finally, after 200 years of adjusting other lives, David was prepared to adjust his own Fate. He clutched on to the retrieved Plans tightly, watching a charming woman step out of a hovercraft. David approached her with Ceres Deauxnim’s Plan opened, ripples forming across its words. With the special quill in his hand, he slashed out all the words, replacing them with “together with David, forever”.

‘Elise…’ David uttered as he stood before the woman.

Ceres’ eyes widened. ‘Have I met – ’

David pressed his lips against hers, recollecting the hidden memories of their life 200 years ago. Tears trickled down Ceres’ rosy cheeks.

‘Always,’ she sobbed. She might be a different person, but she was the only woman who held the other half of David’s heart. David opened his own Plans, clean from his aimless service to the Bureau. In its blank pages, he wrote “free will”.

200 years may seem long, but for an angel who had its wings unclipped, it was worthwhile. With a hand on his fedora and Ceres’ wrapped around his arm, David turned the doorknob clockwise, the two vanishing into a place where no ripples will form from their actions; where love conquers Fate and Time.

2009-12-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

I might've missed the rewards from NaNoWriMo, but I did receive an award for my efforts after all.

That's my High Priest, Persephone44 from the Ragnarok Online private server I'm playing at, Rebirth RO. It's a present from my very owhsm guildies from the owhsm guild of OMEGA. Thanks so much guys for supporting me all the way, whether or not you guys have been reading the story or not. This means so much to me and it honestly made me feel a little teary. xD

Thanks Danh, Dal, Kang, Niels, Terminera, Allan, and all the other cool people from the server all across the globe. You guys rock my socks. 8D I'll keep writing this and make sure you guys get a part in it. xD I promised! :3

The Verdict?

2009-11-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's finally December! The end of NaNoWriMo! So how did Suzanne do?

From the Word Count Widget on my sidebar, it says I'm a winner at 50,126 words. Yes, I made it till the 50,000 word count mark! I wrote almost 10k words on the last day itself!

However... On the NaNoWriMo website, all that wouldn't matter. Verified winners would have a purple bar, which I don't have. I've been typing like crazy all day yesterday, 12 hours straight, 5 hours of sleep the night before. You see, I only submitted my work at 11.55pm, which was a huge mistake, because I had no idea what I was doing. I finally got it, submitting my 50,090 word novel and waiting anxiously for my purple bar to appear and they would take me to the winner's page. But the NaNoWriMo robots(the machines that counts the NaNoWriMoers word counts) updated my word count so I must've been in time, but unfortunately they didn't update me as a winner in time as it was December, 12am already. Yeah, I missed it by seconds.

My mum was pretty unhappy about it(on my behalf, but she wasn't making matters better =/), saying that I worked so hard and lost it just because of the seconds. But really, what matters was how I got there, right? The extra cookie is boasting rights, of course. But since now I'm a "half-winner", I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to my friends. xD I just really really hope that they wouldn't laugh about this thing, saying I'm a loser or what not(ebil lifeless people DO do these stuff, sadly). Although I'm not an official winner, I made it all the way and for that, I'm proud of myself, and I know that it was my own mistake for doing all these last minute things.

It's been a crazy 30 days for me, and a really good time spent with Cedric, Caleb, Hirei, Penelope, Aalaiyah and all my other characters and the Ragnarok Online world. Thank you to everyone who supported me all this way, who has been reading my stuff or just keeping track of my progress(although the latter should really start reading my novel :3). It has really given me a lot of encouragement and the push I need through the month. It's because of you guys that I make the effort to update everyday, or procrastination would win through. I'm really sorry if I've disappointed you guys in any way, if it's about not winning or the plot or my style of writing. I'm a little disappointed with myself for letting my last minute-ness get to me. I was working with old materials too, so it was a pretty easy ride for me this time around. I'll push myself harder the next NaNoWriMo. Probably not next year, darn SPM. @__@

For now, I'll be spending some time editing my work before I keep writing. So stay tuned and keep me kicked if you want to read the continuation of The Eminent Guardians. =)

Thirty

2009-11-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

Year 1489, Sograt Desert

Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah along with their new company, Nellie and the fresh Assassin who revealed his name to be Arsen, were wandering in the Sograt Desert for days now. Al de Baran was still a great distance away and they have a little over a week left to reach the city in time for the big event. Penelope insisted that they should move a little slower and fight the monsters on the way to train their skills and to collect more loot. The sun was heartless and never rested to bring torture to the people in the desert. It has gotten to the point where Hirei was tired of complaining about the heat.

‘How far are we from Prontera?’ asked Nellie, panting from the long walk. ‘I think we need to drop by the city to stock up on some items and sell our loot.

‘A few more days I’m guessing, at the pace we’re going,’ Cedric said with the map of Rune Midgard in his hands. Having experience travelling through the desert from Payon to Morroc, he estimated that they needed almost a week to get to Prontera too. Thinking of Prontera, he pursed his lips. ‘Must we drop by Prontera? I’m… not very keen of going back. I might get caught up and stay in Prontera a little longer than we plan to and delay our journey.’

‘Ced, Penny and I are from Prontera you see,’ Hirei explained to a confused Nellie, both his hands placed casually behind his head. He then gave a pat on Cedric’s back. ‘But don’t you worry Ced! We’re here with you, and we’ll make sure you don’t get sidetracked.’

‘Uh… would it be alright if I request that we take a little detour?’ asked Arsen abruptly, his tan cloak still wrapping his body tightly. ‘It’s just on the way. There’s actually this little debt I need to repay.’

‘Huh, what is it?’ Cedric asked while Arsen moved forward to point at a location on his map. ‘Isn’t this place… the Ant Hell?’

‘What would you want to do at the Ant Hell?’ came Aalaiyah’s voice as her brown head peeked through the papers from Nellie that she was holding in her hands. She had been studying them since the left Morroc. ‘There are just insects down there, aren’t there? Other than that… oh no… you aren’t planning to…?’

Arsen smiled but Nellie was suddenly not amused. ‘You’re going to try slaying the horrible monster that lives in there, aren’t you,’ she said. ‘That pink creature with a long tongue, Phreeoni. It’s dangerous without a proper party, don’t you know?’

‘My mistress has weakened the creature a long time ago. Not mentioning the hundreds of attempts others have taken to hurt it too.’ Arsen continued calmly as if they were asking about the weather. ‘It’s still alive, but is now vulnerable than it used to be.’

‘Isn’t that one of the valuable monsters on the King’s hit list?’ Penelope stammered. ‘Are you sure we’re fit for such a challenge? Cedric, Aalaiyah, Hirei and I have only just passed our first job tests. And it was just barely a month ago that we were just Novices!’

‘But the creature is weakened already, isn’t it? Let’s give it a go!’ Hirei said, all fired up as he held his fist tightly, his face lighting up. ‘I’m sure Ace – Arsen knows what he’s doing.’

‘I’m not sure about this…’ Cedric frowned. ‘I’m sure we can get to Al de Baran in time, but this sounds like a huge risk to the party…’

‘Awwh, come on! I’m with Arsen this time. Let’s just try it out. I wanna see the valuable monster with my own eyes,’ said Hirei. ‘We can run away if we get in danger. I promise to flee this time, alright?’

‘I hope you know what you’re doing, Arsen,’ said Nellie as she stared at Arsen with doubt. ‘Just so you know, I haven’t completely trust you yet even though the four of them took you into their party.’

‘I’m flattered, but you don’t have to worry so much,’ Arsen replied. ‘It’s because of such thoughts about Thieves, Assassins and Rogues that I’m dedicating myself to change.’

‘Good luck with that,’ Nellie said coldly as she turned away from Arsen.

Eventually, the party found themselves walking towards the Ant Hell in a silent agreement of Arsen’s idea. Aalaiyah was mumbling to herself, recalling the facts she had learned about the Phreeoni. Hirei was taking the lead, skipping eagerly forward with his bow in his hands while he turned back occasionally to ask if they were walking the right way. After an hour or so, they found the pit that was the entrance of the Ant Hell. It was evident where the dungeon has gotten is name, as colourful ant-like creatures roam the desert that surrounds it.

‘Remember to keep an eye on our item, alright?’ Nellie warned as they approached the pit. The yellow Andres, green Pierres and red Deniros were looters just like the Poring family.

‘Who says we’re going down there?’ said Arsen when the party prepared to take their step into the Ant Hell. ‘The Phreeoni has been wandering into the land above the Ant Hell for awhile now. Not many know of this fact, that’s why it has taken so many lives of unsuspecting travelers. Now… let us just take a stroll across the dunes until we happen upon the Phreeoni, shall we?’

They circled the Ant Hell, scanning the area with their eyes for the large, pink creature. They happened across several headhunters who had set up their tents to rest, tending to their wounds from the battle. Penelope offered a few waves of Heal to ease their pain.

‘You kids are hunting for the Phreeoni too?’ exclaimed the female Blacksmith in astonishment when they told her why they were here. ‘Oh well… good luck I guess… It’s harder than they say it is…’

They continued on their way, reviewing their techniques and strategies when they would face the Phreeoni. Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah could not help but notice that hidden under the mountains of sand were several skulls and bones of humans, a memento of those who failed to endure the cruel desert. It gave the four fresh adventurers a chill seeing the reality of the harshness they would face on their journey, and possibly a similar fate they might meet.

‘Shhh, I think I see something coming…’ Hirei hushed suddenly as he crouched down on the ground behind a large stone, already setting his bow with an arrow from his quiver. They followed Hirei and hid themselves behind the stone too, Arsen concealing himself with his Cloaking skill, disappearing completely from sight.

‘Is that it – oh… how horrible!’ Penelope whispered softly, pointing ahead of them. Approximately a hundred meters away, a large creature was hopping about the desert, accompanied by its mob of worm like Hodes and Sandmen. It had a pair of bat like arms extending from its side with short claws at its tips, flapping about with a jelly like consistency. Four eyes sat upon the crown of its egg shaped body that had no divisions for an abdomen or thorax except for a pair of short legs that supported its stout figure surprisingly well. The lack of proper body segmentations was taken by a human sized jaw with a terrifying set of teeth that it was not shy to flaunt. They could see the legs of ants and unidentified scraps of meet stuck between its teeth and was releasing a foul odour that could be smelt from afar. There were many arrows stuck on its thick flesh an green antennae that branches out like a tree on top of its body along with a long sword that was pierced through the side of its body and did not seem to hurt the creature. Clearly, the Phreeoni was a tough monster that does not practice grooming.

‘It doesn’t know we’re here, right? It doesn’t even have a nose…’ said Cedric as he started to shiver slightly, keeping a grip on his Tsurugi.

‘It’s best to keep up our guard,’ came Arsen’s voice from an unseen source. They could hear his voice going further from their hiding place. ‘Remember the strategy we’ve planned out earlier. I’ll lure the monster.’

All the rest could do now is to anticipate the attack as they had no way to track Arsen’s path. Nellie was filling her pouch with gems from her backpack. She took out a number of vivid red ore that was glowing with an orange yellow light. It was an elemental enchanted stone and was blazing with a fire property. Nellie started to read an incantation, the ores bursting into flames and its light swallowed all their weapons.

‘Flame Launcher!’ she whispered, their weapons suddenly turning hot with a fiery energy. ‘I’ve just endowed your weapons with the fire element. It won’t have much effect on the Phreeoni, but it’ll be helpful to fend off its slaves.’

They were interrupted however, when the footsteps grew louder. The Phreeoni was hopping dumbly in their direction with its arms held high in the air like a chimpanzee, chasing after the concealed Arsen, the skill cannot fool an insect’s senses. Quickly, Hirei got on his feet and stroke his arrows on the stone, sending it ablaze before aiming for the Phreeoni. His sniping skills were worthy of praise, hitting his target with accuracy. But it was not enough to weaken the Phreeoni as it continued its pursuit.

‘Let’s go!’ yelled Arsen as he stripped away his disguise several yards away from the hiding place. He switched his double daggers for a pair of katars, holding them in his arms that were crossed in front of his chest, prepared to dodge the attacks of the creature that towered over him, making their tallest team member look like a child. Aalaiyah immediately sent waves of Fire Bolt on the Phreeoni, concentrating her spirit energy at the tip of her wand.

‘Sonic Blow!’ Arsen cried as he sent a series of eight fast strikes against the Phreeoni. It staggered backwards, but was still grinning widely as it swung its arm violently at the Assassin. Arsen did a back flip, dodging its attacks skillfully as they had planned earlier. Receiving a cue from Arsen, Cedric ran forward with his sword high in the air, focusing his energy which set his sword on fire.

‘Magnum Break!’ Cedric yelled as he hurled the fiery sword against the Phreeoni’s slaves. Nellie crushed a yellow gemstone and scattered its dust on the ground while she prepared her spell.

‘Volcano!’ Nellie chanted. The land that surrounded their battle started glowing in a bright red aura, further amplifying any Fire elemental attacks cast in its vicinity. Nellie then proceeded to join Aalaiyah in Fire Bolting the enemy. Hirei continued to shoot the Phreeoni from afar while Penelope kept her distance to provide support to the party.

‘Are you alright, Cedric?’ Arsen asked during an interval after he dodged a strike from the Phreeoni. He was slightly scathed from the clash, but was still standing and keeping the Phreeoni busy with his evasive skills.

‘No problem, you should worry about yourself!’ Cedric answered quickly as he parried an attack from a Sandman while loosening the cap of his orange potion. As he downed the contents of the potion, he felt his body replenished with energy, as well as a strong aftertaste of herbs in his mouth. With another slash of his sword, the Sandman was crushed and returned to the ground as regular, unanimated sand. However, Cedric’s job was far from done. The Phreeoni stood still for a few seconds, summoning another army of Hodes and Sandmen.

‘Will this ever end?’ Cedric said through his clenched teeth, blocking a head thrust from a Hode that threw itself out of the ground with his buckler. The impact sent his shield flying ten meters away. Quickly, he side stepped from harm’s way, only to receive a slap from another Sandman who had been cloaking and waiting for an opportunity to avenge its brethren.

‘Throw Stone!’ Arsen bellowed, swinging a stone from his arm at an amazing speed, hitting the monsters which were currently assaulting Cedric. He continued to attack the other slaves in an attempt to steal their attention, provoking them to attack him instead. Cedric took the time to recover from the attack, Penelope running forward to cast a few healing spells.

‘Thanks Penelope. My shield please, and Caleb’s gift too,’ Cedric said quickly as he pointed at their hiding spot where he had left his rucksack. He had a feeling that it would come in handy, just as it did during their Novice Test against the Mandragora.

‘Don’t push yourself too hard, Cedric,’ she said worriedly, returning him his buckler he slipped earlier, along with the long, wrapped object Cedric had requested for. Cedric nodded thanks and armed himself once again, carrying the wrapped object across his back with a sling he had attached on it. Cedric then dashed forward swiftly to assist Arsen who was facing a hard time dodging the attacks of all eight enemies. He kicked himself off the ground and tried to land on top of the Phreeoni’s head, sharpen katars still in his arms. But while he was still in midair, the Phreeoni took an unexpected leap upwards, expanding its huge mouth and throwing out its long tongue, whipping Arsen with a stunning and soaking lick. Arsen was thrown higher into the air and fell flat down on his back, a loud cracking noise ensued.

‘Arsen!’ Cedric yelled, their main player knocked out on the ground. As he started to run to the rescue, Penelope beat him there first, her chain held high with the chain ball spinning rapidly, her eyes brimming with a fearless stare.

‘Take that!’ Penelope cried, throwing the weight against the Sandman. She turned along with the momentum of her weapon and sent another downwards strike, sending the Sandman into nothingness. Quickly, she opened her palms and transferred her spirit energy into Arsen to repair the damage. The Phreeoni now sensing a new prey changed its target and was now chasing Penelope greedily. Nellie and Aalaiyah’s quick magic spells stunned the enemies and gave Penelope enough time to make a horizontal swing at the feet of the Phreeoni, sending it out of balance and tripping it to the floor. She took this opportunity to carry a sluggish Arsen away from the battle and back to safety. The Phreeoni, enraged by the humiliating attack, casted a spell on Penelope while still on the ground. A dark light enfolded Penelope and suddenly, she ceased all movements, a blank look on her face and her body turning stiff. The Phreeoni made a deafening cry, hungrily pushing itself onto its feet with the help of its tongue and arms.

‘It’s Stone Curse! Cedric, you’ve got to help them!’ Nellie shouted as she ran out of the hiding spot, digging into her pouch for something. ‘Gosh… of all the times… Where are my yellow gemstones!’

Feeling an adrenaline rush running through his body, Cedric darted forward, his eyebrows furrowed and determination rising. He stabbed the Phreeoni with one swift movement of his sword, throwing back thrusts with his legs to fend off the slave monsters. The Phreeoni and Cedric entered a yelling match, both with a war cry that pierces the ear. The pink creature started falling into a deeper shade of red, all four eyes with a stare that kills. It used the same licking technique from before on Cedric, who dodged it effortlessly by slipping through the small gap between the Phreeoni’s feet. Cedric pushed himself off the ground and pulled out Caleb’s gift he had strapped on his back. Before the Phreeoni could turn around, Cedric used the sword he had stuck into the flesh of the Phreeoni as a ladder to thrust himself into the air, hurling five rapid hits from afar with the long object, throwing the monster back on to the ground. Cedric landed on the Phreeoni’s back with a bounce, retrieving the Tsurugi stuck on its back.

‘Ugh… finally… Dispel!’ Nellie threw the crushed yellow gemstone at Penelope, a green light negating the curse casted upon her. Penelope’s eyes came back to life as she suddenly took a large gasp of air, oblivious to what have happened to her own body during the duration of the Stone Curse. Arsen finally came back to his senses, standing on his feet weakly as he tried to balance his own weight. Far ahead, they could see the Phreeoni recovering faster than it did before, its movements hasten and strength intensified by a mysterious energy that was surrounding it like an electric current.

‘The Phreeoni is far from dead, we have to retreat now!’ Nellie announced, a quick agreement was expressed by each party member. Cedric was confounded by the attack he did earlier, much like the situation back in the Novice Training Grounds. Nevertheless, he ran quickly to join his friends to safety. However, the Phreeoni was pursuing him tirelessly, throwing its plump body onto Cedric for a body slam. Cedric slipped and was pressed against the rough surface by the weight of the monster.

‘Cedric!’ Penelope cried as she sprinted to help him. It was a thoughtful move, but she had not enough strength to pull Cedric out of the tremendous pressure. In seconds, Arsen appeared before both of them with a smile and placed his arms each on their shoulders.

‘Back Slide!’ Arsen muttered as the three of them reappeared five meters in the opposite direction instantaneously as if their bodies have been pulled backwards by a large string. Arsen repeated this move several times and eventually, the Phreeoni went out of sight.

‘That… was insane…’ Penelope whispered, panting heavily as she fell on her knees. Arsen however, released his grip from their shoulders and dropped sideways with his face on the sandy ground, exhausted from the dodging, injuries and depletion of his spirit energy. Soon, Cedric, Penelope and Arsen were rejoined by Hirei, Aalaiyah and Nellie who had been left behind when Arsen used back slide to flee from the battle.

‘Is everyone alright?’ Aalaiyah asked with concern as soon as she arrived. She bent down and hugged Penelope tightly, glad to see that she was alright.

‘Wow… that battle was just… wow…’ Hirei mumbled, dumbstruck as he helped Arsen to get back up. Everyone was tired and sweating greatly, but no one was in such a bad shape as Arsen, who was almost at the brink of losing his consciousness. The bandages that wrapped the Assassin’s body were torn, the bone on his elbow was noticeably out of its socket and blood was seeping through the fabric of his clothes.

‘I guess I’m not… ready yet…’ Arsen murmured as Penelope casted her healing spell on him and started to tend to his wounds. ‘I’m sorry to have… brought all of you through so much danger.’

‘Don’t be,’ Cedric snapped. ‘You’re the one who made the most sacrifice. It was a good experience, I’m sure everyone would agree.’

‘Yeah, that move there with your wrapped object was crazy, Ced!’ Hirei piped as he nudged Cedric from the side. Cedric cried in pain as having his freshly strained body poked was no fun, and Hirei stepped back, apologizing for the gesture.

‘I still have no idea where it came from. That fast strike back there and the vault back in the Novice Training Grounds,’ said Cedric as he pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘But you know, this thing that Caleb gave me has proven to be pretty useful. I think it’s probably a weapon wrapped in this thing. You know, like a long sword or a spear…’

‘Why don’t you open it to see?’ asked Nellie curiously.

‘I… promised my brother I wouldn’t open it until I became a Knight. It’s just one of the things he asked me to do,’ Cedric explained as he tightened the bonds that held the ragged cloth against the object wrapped inside. Cedric recalled that his brother was always wielding a short blade, often prioritizing his attack speed over the strength of his attacks. ‘I’m guessing it’s a long sword. Caleb never really liked using spears in the first place.’

‘Anyhow, we should set up for camp now. It’s almost close to sunset now and Arsen doesn’t seem like he’s a good shape for travelling at the moment,’ said Nellie as she looked at the Assassin with a hesitant gaze that was trying to be uncaring, yet gentle. ‘Shall we continue tomorrow?’

‘Yes please, and thank you for your concern,’ Arsen answered with a smile. ‘I’ll be well by the next sunrise. Wouldn’t want my bones cracking as we walk and risk them breaking, would we?’

***

Just as they expected, they have arrived in Prontera after a few more days, with less than a week left to traverse the Mjolnir Mountains up north to Al de Baran. The later days were an easy stroll, as they finally exited the harsh conditions of the Sograt Desert into the peaceful Prontera Fields. It has been a long time since Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah were away from the grasslands and into the desert, even longer for Nellie and Arsen. They decided to spend only two hours in Prontera to replenish their stock and unload their loots. Cedric vowed to himself not to approach the residential area, and instead waited at the North Gate of Prontera into the Prontera Castle. The Prontera Castle was opened for public entry as the King was fond of visitors and adventurers with curious tales and items to show. However, it has been a long while since they saw the King sitting in his throne room due to his very busy schedule. Hirei accompanied Cedric as they waited for the others. Penelope and Aalaiyah were wandering through the city together, Arsen was minding his own business and Nellie was speaking to the scholars and picking up notes of interest for her studies, even finding the time to take a quick read in the Prontera Library near the centre fountain.

‘Oh… hey, you’re Spencer right? Caleb’s little brother,’ said a Knight with a commanding tone and was approaching Cedric and Hirei. Cedric recognized the brown haired Knight as the one who asked him if Caleb was getting a promotion soon from all his secret missions. The man was accompanied by another younger Knight who was pulling a Peco Peco behind him by the reins that Cedric did not know.

‘Yes, sir,’ Cedric replied. ‘You’re Caleb’s friend in the Prontera Chivalry aren’t you? Frodner?’

‘Yeah, that’s me. Sharp kid eh?’ said Frodner. ‘Listen, could you tell me where Caleb’s been? There’s something urgent we need to speak to him about.’

‘Caleb? But I don’t know where he is,’ Cedric answered honestly. ‘I know that he’s out of town for some work. Classified, he told me.’

Frodner turned to his partner, both of them exchanging doubtful looks. ‘Well… I guess that is that then… We’ll just have to catch him elsewhere,’ said Frodner as he shrugged. ‘Oh, and congratulations on becoming a Swordsman! On a journey of your own now?’

‘Thank you sir. Yes, I am,’ Cedric answered happily. ‘It has been a month already. And it’s really an eye-opener.’

‘That’s great to hear! We’ll look forward to your participation in the Prontera Chivalry as a Knight and hope that you’ll be much better than your brother. Or at least, just as good as he is,’ Frodner smiled in return. ‘We’ll take our leave now. Please do inform us if you have any news of Caleb. May Odin bless you on your journey.’

‘Same to you, sir,’ said Cedric in return as he nodded his head deeply, the two Knights leaving for the castle. As the Knights disappeared from sight, Hirei let out a loud sigh.

‘How pompous,’ Hirei frowned. ‘What business do you think they have with your brother?’

‘No idea,’ Cedric said without a clue, only wishing that the rest of their party members would appear soon and they could be ahead on their way. It was a long wait until everyone was finally at the meeting spot, Penelope and Aalaiyah being the last to return.

‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ said Penelope. ‘I went back home to say hi to mum, and then took a visit to the Prontera Church. Are we ready to go now?’

And so, Cedric, Hirei, Penelope, Aalaiyah, Arsen and Nellie took a walk through the Prontera Castle until they reached the North Gates of Prontera to exit into the second half of their journey to Al de Baran.

***

The Mjolnir Mountains were lush green fields with a rocky terrain. It was filled with many beautiful and unique flora, specifically the large, colourful flowers and man eating Floras, animated plants just like the Mandragora. They had many encounters with overgrown insects as well such as the millipede Argiope and spider Argos. Soon, they came across a barren land with a swamp in the middle of an island linked with two bridges. One, to the land they were walking from, and another to the gates of Al de Baran.

‘Finally! After such a long trip from the south!’ Hirei cheered as the gates open to welcome them into the city. The ground was tiled with pristine white bricks and a quaint environment that reminds them of Izlude. However, Al de Baran was comparatively bigger, and had a beautiful canal that surrounds a clock tower that sits proudly in the middle of the city. Being the city that borders both the Rune Midgard Kingdom and Swartzwald Republic, Al de Baran has garnered many visitors from all across the world, not to mention the coming of the big event Nellie has been talking about. Al de Baran was also the home of Kafra Corporation’s Main Headquarters, as well as the famous Alchemist Union and more elusive Super Novice Guild.

‘I should be meeting my sponsors now. I guess this is where we part,’ said Nellie as they came in front of the great clock tower. ‘Thank you so much for helping me out. It has been great meeting you guys.’

‘Won’t you be joining us, Nellie?’ asked Aalaiyah.

‘Oh, no… I can’t. I’m a researcher and I’m pretty much married to my job,’ Nellie chuckled. ‘Just keep reading the stuff I gave you. You’re brilliant enough to figure them out on your own.’

‘Coming through!’ yelled a man and they quickly took a step back. He was pushing a cart of wine hastily. A few workers followed his lead, moving bottles of wine from a ship that had anchored nearby onto their carts.

‘Excuse me please… just step aside, real quick,’ another man shouldered his way pass Hirei, throwing a red carpet on the floor.

‘Hazardous chemicals, move aside before you get a dose of it!’ another man dressed in an Alchemist’s outfit walked by, balancing a handful of test tubes filled with various liquids and were kept in a transparent box.

‘Whoa, the people here are getting really busy, huh,’ said Hirei.

‘Oh, which reminds me, the event should be on tomorrow, if I’m not mistaken,’ Nellie explained. ‘You could ask a Kafra staff for information, I guess.’

‘Thanks a lot for joining us offering your services,’ said Cedric gratefully. ‘We’ll see you in the future then.’

‘Same to all of you,’ Nellie smiled. ‘If you ever need me, you know where to look. Good bye now, and all the best!’

With that, Nellie left the party and was on her own way. Arsen then turned on his heel and was about to leave, too.

‘Hey! Where are you going, Arsen?’ Hirei inquired as he stopped Arsen with an arm on his shoulder.

‘Just some snooping around. Things that you don’t need to know about,’ Arsen replied curtly. ‘There are some things about me that are not worth your worries.’

‘Could we at least ask the Kafra staff about the event though?’ said Cedric carefully as he tried to suppress the tension between the two. ‘That’s what we’re here for, aren’t we?’

‘Hullo hullo, did I hear you calling for a Kafra staff?’ came a voice from over Arsen’s shoulder. The girl in the brown Kafra dress took a step forward and bowed, Arsen frantically pulling his tan cloak closer to himself. The girl was petite and had two, long ponytails bouncing from either side of her head. She was much younger than the other Kafra staffs they had met before. She giggled in a child-like manner with a sweet voice, apparently loving her job a lot.

‘Oh, hi there!’ Penelope smiled cheerfully. ‘We wondering… could you tell us about the big event that’s happening here?’

The Kafra staff gasped loudly, her white gloved hand covering her mouth as she jumped animatedly. ‘Oh, you’ve come here, but you don’t know anything about it? Hmm, that means the party’s really that famous! You poor souls, let me tell you about it!’ the girl cleared her throat, spreading her arms open in a welcoming manner. ‘Every year, the Alchemist Union would organize a big gathering where the Alchemist would share their thoughts and ideas. It’s also the time for them to show off their skills and present their research findings. Alchemists are pretty much like Wizards and Sages, with lots of researching and reading and experimentation and all.’

‘Eventually, this gathering started to grew in popularity. The Alchemist Union then started inviting scholars from Geffen and Yuno so they could have a bigger talk between the smarties. Soon, more big shots from different guilds across the land attended the gathering too. Then the Alchemist Union thought “Hey, why don’t we make this a social event and invite more people to see the wonders of Alchemy?” And so today – tomorrow, actually – we have the Al de Ball!’ the Kafra staff ended with a spin on her feet and an adorable pose at the end. Sensing an awkward silence, she hopped back on her feet and cleared her throat once again. ‘Anyway, the Al de Ball – also known as the Alchemist’s Ball or Al de Baran’s Ball, get the pattern? – is a grand event and everyone is welcomed to join. But the Ball has grown so big that the real event would only be open to those on the invitation list. You’ll have to be pretty important to get an invitation, or else you’ll just have to waltz around outside the main hall where there would be a large monitor showing what’s going on inside. It still attracts a lot of people though, as it’s a really good opportunity to share interests and talk to people from different places and guilds, as well as getting the hottest news about the guilds, especially the Alchemists.’

The Kafra staff took a breather as she scanned the party with her little eyes. ‘No questions?’ she asked sadly after having to give such a long explanation.

‘Um, could I ask if Nadleeh Wingstaff is coming for the gathering too?’ asked Aalaiyah timidly. She was a fast thinker, and was wondering if she would be able to meet her father at the Ball.

‘Oh, you mean the Chief High Wizard of Geffen? I believe that he and his wife would be making it for the event. He’s been a big supporter of the Ball for many years now,’ answered the Kafra staff smartly, proud of all the facts she had been able to relay. ‘I heard that they have a daughter. But we haven’t seen her any where before. The Wingstaffs has never brought her to the Ball before so I’m guessing that the possibility of her making it is pretty low.’

The Kafra staff might have to review her possibilities again as she did not know that Nadleeh Wingstaff’s daughter, was standing right before her. Aalaiyah quickly turned around to hide the fact that she was blushing.

‘Do you know any other famous people who are coming?’ Hirei asked with a hint of curiosity, crossing his fingers behind his back for his idols to make an appearance.

‘We’ve got the Head Biochemist here with us of course! Along with that, we have the other top Alchemists from the noble Alchemist families like the Guldens, Hyssops and Nelocks. Hmmm… and from outside of Al de Baran…’ the Kafra staff crossed her arms as she started tip toeing, her mind deep in thoughts. She punched her fist into an open palm as she got back her train of thoughts. ‘Oh, there’s going to be many Dancers and Bards coming too! I look forward to their amazing performances! They left everyone speechless last year, I bet it was unforgettable. The Priest’s Order is going to send their High Priests, along with that whiz kid Blanchett. Not to mention the really hot Blacksmiths and Knights, and even the Monks! Mmm… I remember my seniors telling me about this really charming guy from the Crusader’s Legion who came last year too, but I kinda slipped his name out of my mind… All I can tell you is that almost every single individual with a high post in their organization is invited to the Al de Ball! It really is worth coming to!’

‘How do we attend this Ball again?’ Arsen spoke softly out of the sudden, surprising the rest of the party by his sudden interest in the ball when he was rushing to get away earlier. If he was indeed rushing off for an appointment, it must have seemed less important to him right now.

‘Only those with special invitations get a place in the main hall where the event really happens,’ the Kafra staff answered gladly. ‘For commoners, there’ll be a large, empty area to mingle while you watch the happenings of the main hall, live. It’ll be held at the building of the Alchemist’s Union at the southwest corner of the city.’

‘Thanks a lot for your help, miss. I’ll be off now,’ said Arsen with an abrupt bow as he walked off without his party’s opinion.

‘We’ll see you around then. Thanks again!’ Cedric said quickly as they chased after Arsen, puzzled by his sudden actions.

‘Um, what do you plan on doing, Arsen?’ asked Aalaiyah politely as they followed behind him closely.

‘We’ll be in the main hall of the Al de Ball, my treat,’ said Arsen with his trademark mysterious smile, being secretive of his plans and not willing to share his thoughts as usual. He was following the trail of the red carpet which was leading to the ballroom at the Alchemist Union’s building.

‘I thought you weren’t interested in this ball thing,’ Cedric mumbled softly.

‘I changed my mind,’ Arsen continued to smile confidently.

‘Jeez, I wish he stopped being so indecisive, making his own decisions whenever he likes and walking off like that,’ Hirei whispered loudly so that Arsen could hear. I just hope he doesn’t get us into any trouble. That’s my main concern.’

‘Shhh, stop saying that so loudly,’ Penelope frowned as she defended Arsen. ‘He’s been pretty helpful so far. And although he has many requests, he always asked us before he went on with his plans. He’s really responsible too. It’s just that he might’ve moved a little too fast this time around. Besides, wasn’t it the four of us who wanted to see this Ball?’

‘That’s not the only thing! I can’t stand that goody two shoes attitude of his,’ Hirei continued to state his displeasures of Arsen.

‘I personally don’t have a problem about it though. I think he’s quite a gentleman,’ Aalaiyah giggled as she looked at Hirei. ‘Maybe you’re just jealous.’

Cedric could sense that Hirei was unsatisfied and was still a little doubtful about the Thief they just met in Morroc joining their party. Yet, Hirei was so excited and supported Arsen’s idea of hunting down the Phreeoni with great enthusiasm. Then again, Cedric reminded himself that it was Hirei they were talking about, and that he too, was indecisive.

They arrived in front of a large, elegant building with a stylish gray roof. It was decorated partially with banners and a colourful draping. The building was completed with a large double door adorned with leaf like decorations around the body of the building.

‘The Ball’s tomorrow, you know,’ scoffed Hirei.

‘The education I received may be scarce, but I know very well of the days in the week, and that the sun above my head means that it’s noon. Thank you anyway, Hirei,’ Arsen replied calmly, his eyes concentrated at the doors of the building. ‘You know what… would it be alright if you guys go on ahead without me first? Get an inn or something. I’ll work on getting us an invitation.’

‘How are you planning to do that?’ asked Cedric.

‘When have I ever let us down?’ Arsen smiled as he brushed his flaming red hair neatly, walking bravely into the building of the Alchemist Union.

Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah found a place to stay for the night after walking through the city for their usual sightseeing session. The city was bustling with activity with the Al de Ball just a night away, and even the inns had limited space. The five of them had to cram into a small little room that came with one toilet. They sat in their room, wondering if Arsen such a genius to get them special invitations and then track them down in one of the many lodgings in Al de Baran.

‘Hello, could you open up please?’ Arsen’s voice appeared along with a knock on the window. He was suspended upside down with his head visible from the window. Cedric slide open the window and Arsen helped himself into the room.

‘How did you manage to find us?’ asked Penelope in awe.

‘It’s an Assassin’s secret,’ Arsen smiled cunningly. ‘And you don’t need to know how I got us invitations into the Al de Ball’s main hall either.’

‘Wow, you really did? You’re amazing,’ Cedric said as he gave Arsen a rewarding pat on the back.

‘It wasn’t much. This is what I specialize in after all,’ said Arsen. ‘Alright, before we sleep tonight, I’ll have to clear some things up about the Ball tomorrow.’

‘What is it, table manners or codes of ethics? I’m sure we know that better than you do,’ Hirei muttered, his back against the wall.

‘First of all, I’ll have to explain that we’re going to be attending this thing under cover. Or in a more blunt manner to say it, illegally,’ said Arsen, paying little attention to Hirei’s mockery. ‘I’ve done some tweaking around with the records so that they’ll have our name in it. We’ll be in disguises too.’

‘Why do we need to get disguises?’ asked Penelope.

‘We don’t have a genuine invitation, so we need to make sure that we do not cause any suspicions. I’m an Assassin, and the rest of you are first jobs, so it’ll be too obvious. I’ll prepare our disguises tomorrow,’ Arsen explained. ‘I reckon that it’ll be quite a havoc, and they shouldn’t be able to catch us. But just to be careful, try not to attract too much attention to yourself. And now… let’s get some sleep, shall we?’

Arsen then pulled a chair that was facing the dressing table and went to the corner of the room. He sat on the chair and crossed his arms, pulling his Assassin’s mask over his mouth and closed his eyes to sleep.

‘Remind me why I dislike him again,’ Hirei moaned.

***

It was morning and Arsen requested them to wait for him in the rundown, brick building nearby the Alchemist Union’s headquarters. While Arsen was away looking for the appropriate disguises, Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah continued their little conversation as they watched the busy people of Al de Baran run pass the rundown building unsuspiciously.

‘You know, Arsen’s a really intelligent person,’ said Penelope as she looked over at Hirei nervously, meaning this sentence for him. ‘You can’t deny that he’s really street smart. If he didn’t say he was a Thief who lived all his life in Morroc, he could pass of as a Wizard from a prestigious magic academy in Geffen! I mean, the words he uses are just so intimidating. And he’s as cool as ice!’

Cedric glanced back at Hirei to anticipate his reaction. However, it seems that Hirei had nothing to add or was simply lost for words, crossing his arms as he made faces with his mouth unconsciously in an attempt to release the tension he had against Arsen that was stuck inside.

‘But still, I wonder what made Arsen so keen on going to the Ball all of the sudden,’ said Aalaiyah as she was bouncing her index finger on her cheeks as she rolled her ocean green eyes in deep thoughts. ‘But then, I’m glad that he did and that he was helping us out. I could get a chance to meet my father!’

‘Do you think that Champion Geno will be coming?’ Penelope said excitedly towards Aalaiyah as she had her hands over her mouth in a hush-hush manner. ‘I heard from the Acolytes and Priestesses at the Prontera Church that he’s a really cute guy.’

‘R-Really? But wouldn’t he be old? I mean, since he’s already a Transcendent,’ asked Aalaiyah curiously, her interest piqued.

‘That’s the best part! He’s not old at all!’ Penelope giggled. ‘You see, he’s a Rebirth. He’s only –’

‘Girls…’ Hirei sniggered as he rolled his cinnamon brown eyes, rolling the sleeves of his shirt higher. Cedric laughed in response.

After more giggling and gossiping, Arsen appeared at the entrance of the building, a large rucksack in his arms. ‘Come on, let’s get changed now,’ he whispered as he ushered them in with a wave of his hand. ‘Inside.’

Penelope and Aalaiyah followed without any objections. Thankfully, Hirei followed suit willingly, and there was no struggle. They stepped into the house, dark and gloomy. They could hardly see anything.

‘Cedric, that’s my leg,’ Penelope’s voice issued from the darkness as a masked Arsen locked the door with a click. Cedric quickly leaned against the wall, not wanting to bump into anyone or do anything wrong.

‘If you want us to change, then you should at least get a lamp or some candles,’ Hirei piped next to Cedric. ‘There’s no lighting here at all.’

‘That’s not a problem,’ said Aalaiyah from a hidden corner of the room, who started chanting an incantation that she had memorized during her free time. The magic circle flashed from her feet as an aura started to circle her body. It lit up the room for a moment, and then it was dark again when the magic circle disappeared.

‘Sight!’ Aalaiyah yelled, the aura bursting into red wisps of flames that was harmless, dancing around her and significantly illuminating the whole room. They could see their surroundings clearly now, finding themselves in a sort of warehouse that only had one single large room. There were broken chairs and dusty crates scattered across the room, cobwebs finding their place on all corners of the ceiling. Penelope seemed uncomfortable in the small restricted place.

‘Um… How are we supposed to change here… like this?’ Aalaiyah asked shyly. ‘It’ll be quite inappropriate with you guys around right… if you know what I mean.’

‘You won’t be changing into a disguise, Aalaiyah. You don’t have to,’ said Arsen, who suddenly appeared from behind a table. As he came closer to the light source, they noticed that he had already changed out of his Assassin’s garb. He was dressed in a brown outfit with an earth tone, a blue cape worn over a dark brown robe that reaches his thighs and a belt over his waist. He wore a pair of matching long brown pants along with coffee brown shoes. It was a different, fresh new look of Arsen compared to his tight, purple Assassin’s garb and the casual, beige Thief’s outfit. Another unusual sight was his long red hair that had been teased flat with gel, slick and tied neatly into a ponytail. He was also wearing a pair of stylish glasses, adding to his scholar look.

‘That’s the Alchemist’s outfit?’ asked Penelope as her emerald eyes scanned Arsen from top to bottom.

‘Yes. Except that I threw in this pair of glasses. It was too charming to resist. Besides, Assassins like me require more disguise. There’s a lot of things we need to keep secret, you know,’ said Arsen as he tipped his glasses playfully and nodded his head, having save Penelope a second question.

Aalaiyah stepped forward, wanting to inquire about his previous statement. ‘Um, Arsen… What did you mean before? About –’

‘Your name was on the invitation list already, Aalaiyah,’ Arsen said as he started to empty the rucksack in a Santa Claus manner, shoving clothes into Cedric, Hirei and Penelope’s arms one by one. ‘I have an idea of your identity. But I have no interest knowing. If you don’t feel like sharing, you don’t have to.’

Aalaiyah nodded her head in thanks, grateful that Arsen respected her privacy.

‘So, refresh me again about the plan,’ asked Cedric, wanting to confirm that the plan was foolproof.

‘Well, the outfits I have passed each of you were that of Alchemists, just like the one I’m wearing right now. There are many factions in the Alchemist Union, so I’ve picked out a few of the catchy names for us to choose from. We should be able to hide ourselves pretty well because there are thousands of Alchemists at this Ball,’ said Arsen as he peered down at a crumpled paper from behind his glasses. ‘Here we go… Mancenga, Gruyere, Nelock, Hyssop, Gouda, Gulden…’

‘I’ll go with Nelock,’ said Cedric quickly, confused with the many names. ‘Does Hirei have to with a different faction?’

‘He could, but he doesn’t have to. If you both are from the same faction, then I guess it should make things easier. I’ll be roaming on my own though, so that I’ll keep my troubles to myself. I’m Arthur Lutz from the Alchemist Union, by the way,’ said Arsen. ‘Oh, and try not to have too much smart conversations with others. You might give yourself away. So Hirei, have you picked your poison?’

‘Ugh… Nelock too… I guess…’ Hirei muttered, puzzled. Penelope seemed to have a hard time picking out a faction name too.

‘Oh, Penelope, you won’t need to choose a name out of the list too,’ Arsen continued as he raised his right arm to open his cape and threw the paper back into his pocket with his left arm. ‘You’ll be disguised as a Wizard so Aalaiyah won’t look out of place. If we’re ready, then you guys should start changing now. It takes time to get used to these long capes. Trust me, it’ll bother you slightly.’

‘Uh… so… how are we supposed to get changed again? There are no separate rooms here or screen where we can hide behind at,’ Penelope brought up Aalaiyah’s question from before.

‘We can take turns,’ Cedric suggested. ‘One will stay behind, unless they would like company. The rest can wait outside until they are done.’

The boys then found themselves watching the door as Penelope was the first to change, having Aalaiyah with her inside to accompany her.

‘They are taking rather long, eh? It’s just an outfit…’ Hirei said impatiently as he tapped his feet. ‘I bet they are gossiping inside there or talking about Penelope’s new outfit. Girls…’

‘Don’t you live with three sisters?’ Cedric counted with his fingers while he swished a thick tree branch in his hand like a wand. ‘That’s four girls under one roof including your mum, isn’t it?

‘I know, I’m very clear about that, thank you,’ Hirei moaned as he smacked his head with the back of his hand. ‘Thinking that all three of them would grow up to become like Penelope and Aalaiyah… Thank goodness I’m away from home right now. Too bad for otosan though, having to juggle four girls at home alone, hehe. It will be imoto’s tenth birthday soon. Okasan would make a really big feast for our birthdays. I really miss her cooking…’

Cedric leaned against the brick wall, thinking of his own family. Ever since he was little, the only relative he knows of was his brother. He never learned anything about the background of his parents, and learned not to ask too much. What would it be like if he had parents who lived together with him and Caleb in their little home at Prontera? Cedric could not imagine the difference, having no experience in such things before. As he leaned back harder, he felt the long object pressing against his body. It reminded him of the start of his journey where he and his brother parted ways. He could not help but smile as he felt Caleb’s gift slung across his back, knowing that one day they would meet again, both of them as Knights. But right now, Cedric had to wear the outfit of an Alchemist.

‘Don’t worry, we won’t be sidetracked from your journey and ambition. Just take this night as a break away from your quest,’ Arsen spoke with a reassuring smile. ‘Besides, this is an opportunity to talk to some of the prestigious people attending the ball tonight. Who knows? We might be given missions by some of them. We might even bump into a new recruit for the party. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’

Cedric had a feeling that Arsen was capable of mind reading. He would always somehow be able to answer your unquestioned questions. And the answers he gave were always relieving and helpful.

‘Thanks a lot, Arsen,’ Cedric smiled. Whatever that mind reading power might be, it is Arsen’s gift.

‘The name’s Arthur, don’t forget that,’ said Arsen as he brushed his red hair backwards, keeping them in place.

At that moment, the door behind them swung open. The familiar looking Aalaiyah walked out first, followed by a stammering and not so familiar Penelope. She was wearing a revealing purple garment that was hardly meant for summer, even more so for winter. This was thankfully backed up with a long and furry cape worn over her shoulders. Her clothes were decorated with a swirl pattern which can be found even on her knee high boots and the insides of her cape.

‘Stop staring at me like that,’ said Penelope, her peachy cheeks blushing and were much peachier than before. ‘You guys should change now and you guys will now what I’m –’

‘Stop moving around so much Penelope,’ said Arsen as Penelope stopped immediately. He approached her and started to brush her ebony black hair outwards which was pressed under her cape. He then adjusted her cape so that it was neat.

‘There you go, now you’re prim and proper,’ Arsen smiled as he turned and walked away with his calm demeanour. Penelope’s cheeks were now redder than Hirei’s Archer clothes.

Snap. The branch held in Cedric’s hand broke into half without Cedric realizing. The broken half fell onto the ground and bounced onto Hirei’s foot. Hirei let out a cry of dismay.

‘Oh, uh, accident!’ Cedric apologized quickly, his eyes still on Penelope. At that moment, he released his clenched fist. The remains of the tree branch fell out of his hand, not before it has been reduced to dust.

‘Ced… Do you have something against me?’

Cedric looked downwards to find the white head of Hirei staring up at him. Somehow, the dust had made its way on to Hirei’s head while he was tending to his foot; the brown wood crumbs were stuck in the forst of Hirei’s spiky hair.

‘S-sorry!’ Cedric apologized once more as he hastily brushed Hirei’s sleet white hair with a violent sweep of his hand.

‘Ah yes, yes, you’re forgiven but please spare my hair, you’re messing up the spikiness!’ Hirei pushed Cedric’s hand off as he edged away from the Swordsman in a mocking way, a smirk spreading across his face. ‘You’re scaring me, Ced. I better go get changed, alone!’

Hirei disappeared behind the door. Cedric followed quickly, hiding himself from Penelope, Aalaiyah and Arsen, pushing the door that was unlocked. Once he got inside, he could hear Hirei’s sneering voice.

‘Shut up already, Rei!’ Cedric exclaimed as he threw the Alchemist’s attire into Hirei’s face, missing it as the room was dark once again. Hirei picked it up from the floor but still would not stop laughing.

‘Gosh, you’re so hilarious!’ he cried as he wiped his watery eyes, holding his abdomen as if worried that his stomach would fall out. ‘I mean, crushing the poor twig into dust?’

‘I don’t know how it happened, so keep quiet already,’ Cedric stomped off the opposite direction from Hirei with his set of clothes in his hands.

‘Well, I definitely know what happened. I mean, it’s obvious that you-’

‘YOU’RE CHANGING LIKE A GIRL SO STOP GOSSIPING ALREADY!’

***

‘You guys change like girls, huh?’

Cedric and Hirei were finally changed and finished with their bickering, walking back out into the bright outdoors to face two giggling girls and a guy who was hiding his laughter behind his hand. After taking a step out of the dark and stuffy room, the pair finally had a good look at their outfit.

‘Neat!’ Penelope smiled as she approached the new Alchemists.

‘Thanks,’ said Hirei as he flicked his hair and swing his cape back. ‘Guys like me are always the centre of attention.’

‘You shouldn’t be,’ said Arsen bluntly as he took the empty rucksack out of the room, except that the rucksack was not empty anymore as it was filled with their own clothes.

‘What did you say?’ Hirei retorted as he raised his eyebrows.

‘Have you forgotten what I said before? What I mean is, you shouldn’t try to attract too much attention,’ Arsen revised his sentence. ‘Simply wearing a uniform doesn’t make you a Wizard or an Alchemist. If one might ask for evidence if we are, then the party would be over. Try to understand the situation we are in. We are disguising, we are not invited, except for you Aalaiyah. Even so, it doesn’t mean we can cause Aalaiyah difficulties. Her father might be there too, so it is advised to avoid trouble.’

‘Understood,’ said Cedric as he nodded. Arsen had thought of all the possibilities and took the necessary precautions. He was serious about it and Cedric knew that they could trust him.

‘We still have lots of time before the ball starts,’ Arsen said. ‘So before we leave, there are a few things the three of you must keep in mind to make sure that everything goes smoothly.’

‘What is this now after yesterday’s table manners and codes of ethics? “Sneaking With Arsen 101?”’ Hirei sniggered. When the response was cold, he tried to put on a serious face. ‘Fine, so this is important or else we’ll get caught. So, what are the tips to master disguising?’

‘For the last time, it’s Arthur.’

The sun started to set but the hustle and bustle of the city was only starting up. The streets started to fill with people from all across the lands, not including the townspeople of Al de Baran. Arsen was now leading the group, doing their best to fight their way towards the ballroom which was still a distance away. Arsen led them into the narrow and secluded alleys. It seemed like an Assassin’s thing to be able to sneak into the back lanes of a city to make it to your destination when Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah failed to do so back in Morroc. The shortcuts, despite being daunting was worth the effort as they made it in front of the ballroom in no time without having their elbows colliding with others.

“In a worst case scenario, never reveal the identity of the party which would endanger our members,” said Arsen for the seventh time of the day while briefing the team with do’s and don’ts. “It might sound selfish, but you don’t want anyone else to be caught in your mistake, do you?”

There were hundreds of people flooding the registration area for those who were on the invitation list. There were ten different counters with ten different Alchemists stationed at each of them. Many of the Alchemists attending the ball had brought along all kinds of peculiar machines, prepared to make their debut. Some had their servants balance vials of chemicals.

‘We shall be parting ways here then. The two of you girls should be heading that way,’ Arsen pointed to one of the tables labelled “Mages, Archers and Merchants” after observing the area. ‘As expected… none of them says “Thieves”. Cedric and Hirei, you’ll have to sign up at the counter that has your faction name on it. Well, I will be leaving. Remember to stay low. Meet at the brick building after the ball ends.’

‘See you soon!’

With that, Arsen left the group as he walked towards the counter reading “Hyssop and Soldium”.

‘So… shall we move along?’ said Penelope as she pulled her cape closer, still trying to get used to the Wizard’s garment. ‘We’ll meet you inside then.’

Cedric nodded as Penelope and Aalaiyah left for the counter for Mages. Cedric and Hirei both walked down the small lane until they spotted a counter that read “Nelock and Gouda”. It was a short queue with some Alchemist already standing in line. The receptionist in charge was very efficient at their job. Within minutes, Cedric and Hirei was at the front of the line.

‘Welcome to the Al de Ball. Faction?’ said the bob haired receptionist without even lifting her head to look at them. She seemed very busy as she flipped through the pages of a fat record book.

‘Um... Nelock,’ said Cedric, forgetting his confidence.

---

Current Word Count: 50,090

Twenty Nine

2009-11-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

‘Come closer… Hirei…’

I leaned towards Midori, her face was paler than ever. She had the most beautiful and extraordinary eyes I had ever seen along with her sleet white hair. While I was examining her features closely, Midori quietly planted a swift kiss on my lips. I was dumbfounded, clueless to how to respond. The only people who would ever kiss me were okasan and otosan. Midori’s lips were turning purple and they felt so cold, yet the kiss made my whole body feel so warm. She forced a smile on her face as in twisted my eyebrows in a questioning manner.

‘That’s to settle the bet…’ Midori explained, closing her eyes silently as she started to give in to the poison. ‘In the end… you could say the Ninjas beat the Samurais… after what they did… to me… And whatever you do… don’t shave your head bald… your hair is too beautiful… I was just joking… when I said that…’

I willed myself not to cry, holding my body down from trembling. I gritted my teeth as I looked down at Midori, trying to come to terms with the reality that she would not hang on any longer. Everything she said and did flash through my mind like a thunder.

‘Midori…’ I whispered, hugging her tightly that her head was resting on my shoulders. ‘I… I really like you… I love you so much, Midori…’

‘Why’d you… only say that now? After everything I’ve told you… about not regretting…’ Midori shushed with a playful, angry tone, throwing her fist against my back feebly. ‘But then… I have to say the same… about myself. Some things are just… harder to say huh… Hirei, I…’

Words failed to escape Midori’s mouth. She would never speak and laugh with me anymore, her gentle soul having left the body I held tightly in my arms. The villagers who ran to Midori’s rescue along with okasan would then find out that it was too late to change the Midori’s death which has passed behind us. Our only way ahead is to live in the present, the here and now.

***

It has been two weeks since my fifth birthday, and also two weeks since we Midori’s death. We buried her at our favourite spot by the small lake with the bridge under the sakura trees, their blossoms covered the earth like snow. The accidental murder of Midori, a young, innocent girl, has caused a lot of discussion. It seems that the Ninjas and Samurais had a rivalry that we could not comprehend. They wanted to eliminate the opposing force, fighting in the fields at dawn and sneaking underground of the Amatsu Castle at dusk. The people of Amatsu started to rebel against the nature of the Sibling War, calling for peace in their village. The lords of Amatsu reviewed the ethics of the Ninjas and Samurais, and decided to declare that the fields north of Amatsu be free from war, the underground cavern to be made the official battlefield of the two guilds and the Amatsu Castle to be strictly off-limits to all commoners. The Amatsu Dungeon that housed the cavern and underground shrine were sealed away from those unrelated from that day on.

It was a painful two weeks for me to have such a great friend taken away from me. I stayed at home in my room most of the day, needing some alone time just as I always did before meeting Midori. Thankfully, I had Mini Hirei to accompany me, who was becoming less of a nuisance and more of a blessing. For two weeks, Mini Hirei has been making a lot of effort to get me to become more on an extrovert, just like Midori always wish I was.

“Isn’t it easier to just listen to me in the first place?” Mini Hirei boasted. “Let your real self out of that shell! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for years now.”

Today, two weeks after the incident, my family and I will be heading off to Prontera in mainland Rune Midgard. The Kyohana family had decided to cancel their transfer to Prontera due to Midori’s death, and instead, was helping my family to move earlier than what my parents had planned to. They bought boat tickets to Alberta and even Kafra Transportation tickets, a service offered by a renowned corporation in the mainland and was said to be the fastest means of transportation, from Alberta to Prontera for us without notice.

“Please, take this,” said Mr. Kyohana while handing the tickets to otosan days after Midori’s death. “Thank you for being such a good friend to Midori, I’m sure she would be very happy wherever she is now. She would want the three of you to have this, to live in Prontera and away from the mess here in Amatsu right now. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine here.”

We walked out of our home, sealing its front doors. Some day in the future, another person who fall in love with Amatsu’s beauty and decide to live here would occupy this small straw hut that used to be our home. We took a detour from the wharf, walking up north to pay our last respects to Midori before we leave. As I walked down the dirt path Midori and I always took towards the lake for the last time in a long while, I recalled the time I ran away from the school bullies, timid and a loner, hiding by myself. It was only a few months ago, but Midori has brought countless changes to me. We stood by the tombstone that marked Midori’s resting place, fresh flowers alongside the fallen sakura blossoms decorated the area. We bowed deeply, holding our palms together as we prayed for her soul to rest in peace. I bent on my knees, cutting a lock of my white hair and wrapped it in a green speckled handkerchief, leaving it by the fresh flowers the others had left.

‘Thank you, and good bye,’ I smiled, brushing my spiky white hair that I will never shave bald.

***

‘Here we are, Hirei, the capital city of the Rune Midgard Kingdom, Prontera,’ okasan announced happily after we warped miles away from Alberta to Prontera in just seconds. We met up with the local real estate agent, who led us to our new home in the southeast corner of the town. Prontera was completely different from the little village of Amatsu. It was probably as big as the island, but everything in Prontera was bigger and more concrete. The population here was probably five times it is back in Amatsu, not including the many merchants and adventurers who flock the area. Surprisingly, I did not find all the noise and commotion disturbing anymore, partly because no one was bothered about my white hair which was one-of-a-kind back in the islands. The buildings here were all made of bricks and looked much sturdier than its counterparts in Amatsu. The one thing I would definitely miss is the lack of trees and greenery here, more specifically the sakura trees. Okasan and otosan thanked the real estate agent for his help and started to move our luggage into the house. I opted to stay awhile outside the house, noticing that a pair of siblings was staring at me from afar. The elder one with blonde hair, dressed handsomely in a Knight’s outfit was nudging the younger one who was about my age with a similar messy, dirty blonde hair, with strawberry streaks through his hair. The younger boy then marched up to me bravely, smiling sheepishly.

‘Um, hello there! You’re the new kid in our neighbourhood right?’ the boy said while I nodded in return. ‘I’m Cedric Spencer, it’s nice to meet you!’

‘I’m Hirei Kusano, from Amatsu,’ I answered while lowering my head curtly as a formal greeting.

‘My brother was the one who asked me to come over to say hi. He said neighbours should be nice to each other. And since we’re neighbours now, let’s be friends!’ said Cedric happily. ‘Oh, Amatsu, isn’t that really far off the east coast of Rune Midgard? Does everyone have white hair there like yours? It’s really pretty.’

‘Oh gosh, this kid’s such a… kid…’ Mini Hirei whined. ‘And don’t you think that his hair is a little too –’

I hushed Mini Hirei silently, asking him not to continue and disturb the train of words that had appeared in my mind, waiting to be spoken. Mini Hirei laughed proudly.

‘You’re ready now, aren’t you?’ Mini Hirei smiled, sighing deeply. ‘I guess I’ll be leaving you now then, since you won’t need me anymore. Take care, big guy.’

Mini Hirei disappeared from my shoulders, and would never be there anymore. Although he was just an imaginary entity only I could see, I felt a large burden leave my body as he left me. However, I know that he would never truly be gone, because ever since the beginning, Mini Hirei was the manifestation of the real Hirei I had always hid inside of myself, the voice inside that always wanted to break through. Now, I am not afraid to show the real me. I am not afraid to let anyone mock me and my white hair, because this white hair is the gift from the Gods to me, and together I will bring peace. I took a deep breath of relief, feeling a smirk spread across my face.

‘Thanks, my white hair is special,’ I said. ‘What about your messy blonde one? I think you’ll need lots of gel or water to hold that down.’

It was probably not the best first step to finding peace, but it was a good step nevertheless. Well, Midori always told me to speak out my thoughts without regretting what I said. But she never told me what to say and what was better left unsaid. I guess it will stay that way, huh?

***

---

Current Word Count: 40,354

Twenty Seven and Twenty Eight

2009-11-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

The days after that just got better. At the start of each month, Midori would share with me the latest issue of “Bullseye!” she collects from the merchants. We would lie down at our secret corner near the little pond and bridge, spending the whole day reading and studying its contents in full detail. We even attempted to fletch our own arrows of trunks and feathers following one of the articles in the magazine.

After being convinced by Midori, I presented the idea of me leaving Amatsu for the Rune Midgard Kingdom to become an adventurer to my parents. Surprisingly, they agreed instantly without me having to argue about it.

“Your father and I have actually thought about it before,” said okasan. “Once upon a time, he even had a dream of becoming a Bard.”

“Although we agree with your idea, we won’t allow you to take part in any of the guilds or start your training yet,” otosan continued. “You’re only turning five, Hirei. We’ll wait until you’re older, alright?”

Fortunately, my parents took this plan seriously, spending much of their time researching more about the Rune Midgard Kingdom, inquiring about situation at the mainland and making plans for our family to move to its capital city, Prontera.

‘So, when will you be moving to the mainland?’ otosan asked one day when Midori was joining us for dinner after another day of fishing. Okasan used some of the fish we caught and made then into sushi, a traditional delicacy here in Amatsu made of vinegar rice rolled with various ingredients, such as fish, along with nori – thin, edible, paper like seaweed.

‘Itadakimasu!’ we cheered loudly before grabbing our chopsticks and munching away. It was an Amatsu tradition and strangely, my favourite part of the meal as I get the chance to shout without feeling shy or awkward about it.

‘So Midori, is your family confirmed to be leaving for Rune Midgard?’ okasan asked and Midori nodded in reply. ‘When will that be?’

‘Some time after Hirei’s birthday, I think,’ Midori answered, discreetly flashing a smile at me to remind me of her wish.

‘Oh, that reminds me. We’ll be having a celebration for Hirei’s birthday,’ otosan added. ‘Would you like to come over to join us, Midori?’

‘Definitely!’ Midori answered hastily as she leaned forward from her seat. ‘Even if you don’t invite me, I’ll crash the party. Oh no… that means I need to get Hirei a present too, doesn’t it? Gosh, I can’t think of what to get you.’

‘It’s okay, Midori, you don’t have to get me anything,’ I said. ‘I’ll be happy enough if you come.’

‘We’re so lucky that Hirei met you, Midori. He has changed so much since,’ said okasan as she stroked my face lovingly with her hands. ‘It’s your fifth birthday, and it’s a big occasion! I thought that we could visit the water shrine to thank the Gods for blessing you, but the fields up north are still being used for war so we won’t be able to go again this year. I guess we’ll have to go to the little shrine at Lord’s House again this year like the last time you turned three. You can wear the new yukata Mrs. Yamada made you. Then we’ll come home and have feast, we’ll pick you up then, alright Midori?’

And so, I started marking down the days to my birthday. I told Midori not to get me any presents, but I secretly wished that she would, and I looked forward to what she might be preparing. The night before my birthday, I could not get any sleep. Unfortunately, the sakura trees were not in bloom yet.

‘Miracles happen,’ said Midori as she patted my back. She pointed daringly at the tree, smiling widely with confidence. ‘You! You will bloom in twelve hours in time for Hirei’s birthday, alright? For me and Hirei! And you –’ Midori continued on, pointing at me instead. ‘Should go home and get some sleep. You have a long day ahead. Happy birthday eve Hirei!’

I do not even know what exactly I was wishing for. Surely, I would love if the sakura trees bloom and prove that Midori was right. I wanted to know that things would get better for me. Yet, deep inside, I did not want the sakura trees to bloom, then Midori would stay in Amatsu with me for at least another year. I flipped about on my bed, restless and nervous from all the thinking. Eventually, I fall asleep and the next thing I know, okasan was jerking me awake before the sunrise, otosan was hugging me “Happy Birthday”, I was walking into my bathroom in a zombie state. It was only when I was served with breakfast that I realized that I have already changed into my brand new yukata. Okasan and otosan were both dressed for the occasion too. Once we were finished, the three of us headed out to the Lord’s House which was just a little north from the commoner’s residence and by the stream that surrounds the Amatsu Castle.

‘What’s that?’ otosan asked suddenly as we approached the Lord’s House. He was pointing at a motionless body that was lying on the dirt ground, its bright white surface stained in red and reflecting the gleam of the morning sun in a beautiful, yet eerie glow. My brown eyes widened in suspicion, my body finally fully awake from my slumber, my heart racing across the street before my feet followed its lead. When I came closer, I realized that it was someone lying face down on the floor. I could tell it was a someone I know, a someone who had the same white hair as I did.

‘Oh lord… Midori!’ okasan cried behind me. I dropped to my knees and turned Midori’s limp body upwards. Her skin was pale and trickling with a mixture of sweat and blood, her red eyes slipping out of concentration. Her left arm had a horrible blue-black tinge from a wound that held a small kunai in its place. I could see that Midori was fighting hard to maintain her consciousness.

‘Hey… Hirei… Happy birthday…’ Midori muttered weakly. She had her eyes looking beyond my face, unable to focus them properly.

‘It’s poisoned…’ otosan said tensely as leaned forward to inspect the wound. ‘It’s a Ninja’s kunai… Midori, what were doing near the Ninjas, near the battlefield?’

‘I… wrong place… wrong time…’ she said forcefully, coughing up a clot of blood onto my dark yukata. ‘I wanted to pray for Hirei… for the Gods to take care of him… and that the sakura trees bloomed. I heard… there was an underground shrine deep below the Amatsu Castle. So I went… to check it out.’

‘Why… you didn’t have to do that!’ I retorted fiercely. ‘Your body’s ill… you shouldn’t be walking around so much!’

‘That’s not all…’ Midori wheezed tiredly, involuntary tears rolling down her cheeks. ‘Below the Amatsu Castle… a bigger secret… There’s a cavern down there… Ninjas and Samurais battling in that cavern… I saw them fighting… I…’

Midori started choking from the blood in her mouth, rendered breathless by the poison. She gasped deeply as otosan extracted the poison kunai from her body and apply pressure on her wounds with scrap cloth from tearing his yukata sleeves.

‘It’s strong Ninja poison…’ exclaimed otosan, holding the poison kunai carefully in his hands. He tied Midori’s arm tightly with another piece of cloth and started to suck out the blood from her wound, along with the poison. He spit out the blood onto the ground, asking okasan to find help from the villagers, preferably one familiar with Ninja techniques and poisons.

‘Midori… stop putting so much stress on yourself!’ I implored, terrified for her life. ‘It’s so dangerous… and the Ninjas… how could they do such things to an innocent girl? How heartless –’

‘No… war is heartless…’ Midori carried on speaking in a soft tone, resisting the pain. ‘When I reached the cavern… the Ninjas took me hostage… knowing who I am. The Samurais tried to talk… and then my Samurai relatives… they took advantage and attacked the Ninjas. They retaliated and…’

Midori breathed in deeply, managing a small titter in between. ‘Funny isn’t it? I always say I’m unafraid of death… knowing that it’s coming… And now it’s here in a way I never imagined it to be. I always thought I’d die peacefully, out of breath, on my bed with my parents crying by my side.’

‘No, Midori! You’re not going to die! Right, otosan?’ I cried, holding onto her tighter than ever as I looked over at otosan. He looked back at me with a grim look in his face telling me that her chances were slim and I refused to believe it. I turned back to Midori, my eyes so close to hers that I could count the number of fine white hair that made her bangs. ‘You’re going to be okay… we’re getting help… You said my white hair’s not unlucky, you had faith in me, you can’t take it away! Please… I need it…’

Midori laughed again. Every time she laughs or speaks before this, it would take the heaviness away from me. But as Midori and I exchanged stares in her beat up state, it only made things worse for me. I lowered my head and tried to cover my face with my hair as my eyes started to become watery, my sight of Midori becoming blurry as my tears fell onto her face. Slowly, she pushed herself up to wipe the tears off my face, a green speckled handkerchief in her hands.

‘You’ll always have my faith, even when I’m gone,’ she smiled brightly. She raised her hand and pointed into the air. ‘Look…’

I pushed my neck up to see what Midori was pointing at, what I saw has made me lost for words. It was unbelievable, but there it was right before my eyes. I finally understood the exotic beauty of Amatsu that have stolen the hearts of many adventurers. As the sunlight shone on the sakura trees, the atmosphere was cheered up by its pinkish-white glow. For four years, the sakura trees never bloom. But today, all across Amatsu the sakura trees would carry their proud blossoms once again.

‘I told you, didn’t I?’ said Midori, her eyes flickering as she sustained the remaining strength left in her body. ‘But now that I’m like this… I guess that Rune Midgard trip… have to wait…’

‘No… you have my luck, you won’t die,’ I persisted. Midori ignored me, now jabbing her backpack which was on the dirt ground by her side. I took the backpack which seemed to have been tattered during Midori’s struggle underground, and found a beautiful composite bow that was a little larger than I was, but would be the right size for a teenager. I hugged it closely in one hand, feeling the weight of both our wishes to become and Archer.

‘Happy birthday Hirei… thank goodness I could pass you my gift… there are so many favours I owe you that I must finish right now…’ Midori continued, the sakura scattering in the wind as they fell onto the ground, all over their hair and clothes and into Midori’s open palm. ‘Life is like the sakura. It’s so brief, yet so beautiful… Don’t fear anything, Hirei, not even death or the end. Remember… what I always told you?’

‘Live in the here and now…’ I said softly, remembering all the times I spent with Midori when she would teach me so many of life’s valuable lessons. ‘…without any regrets.’

‘Great… You remembered…’said Midori, her voice sounded weaker with each passing moment. ‘Please Hirei… never forget to do everything you ever wanted to do, and don’t delay. It’s time for you to come out of your shell and not bother about what others think. Do it for the both of us… the white haired ones from Amatsu. It’s my last favour I ask of you…’

---

Current Word Count: 38,678

Twenty Six

2009-11-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

‘Hey, Hirei… Have you ever wondered what’s out there?’ said Midori after a moment of silence as I looked over at her while maintaining my hold on the fishing rod. ‘You know, like what weird creatures are there, how big the plants are, how green the grass is… Wouldn’t it be nice to go an adventure and see all these sights?’

I simply shook my head. I have always been on Amatsu and have never dreamed of leaving the island even though it was tough to be here. In truth, I was even more afraid of going somewhere I was unfamiliar with. I then realized that Midori was looking forward at the sea with a focused look on her face, unaware of my replying gesture.

‘No,’ I said loudly as she blinked and turned her attention to me. ‘I haven’t really given it any thought, but I guess I do wonder how it’s like sometimes.’

‘Well, my biggest wish is to sit on a boat off to Alberta, the Rune Midgard Kingdom!’ Midori announced ambitiously. ‘I heard that the Rune Midgard Kingdom is really huge with many cities larger than Amatsu! They even have really cute creatures there, like animated jellies and plants! There are dangerous monsters there too. And the best part about it all is that a lot of people would train to fight under different guilds like the Ninja Guild and Samurai Guild here, then leave their homes and go on adventure across the land, even when they are just teenagers!’

‘How could that be possible?’ Mini Hirei butted in, startled. He has moved back to my right shoulder when I had a haircut after Midori’s fainting incident. ‘Imagine yourself learning Ninja moves eight years from now and running around Amatsu five times a day seeing different things, fighting off bad guys.’

‘T-That is incredible!’ I answered hesitantly, partly unconvinced and partly impressed. ‘How do you know about all of this anyway?’

‘The merchants who frequent Alberta tell me all sorts of tales! On that note, did you know that there’s even a Merchant Guild training warriors, too? Also, I’ve been reading this!’ Midori forced her fishing rod into my hand as she hopped onto her feet, digging into her bag for something. She grinned widely once she had found it, throwing what seemed to be a thin book onto the ground. I leaned forward to take a better look at it. The front cover was a picture of a green haired man in a relatively furry outfit with a bow and arrow in his hands, accompanied by an elegant, brown feathered eagle perched obediently on his shoulders. There was a large headline smacked right across his hair, along with smaller texts that were scattered around the page.

BULLSEYE!

Marks the Spot for the Hottest Bow Tricks!

Zhen Maruti

Delve into the Life of Rune Midgard’s Newest Sniping Hearthrob

Dress to Kill

Learn How to Gear Up in Style

Phantasmic Arrow

The New Trick to Shoot Without Arrows

Hode Hunting

An Old Sport Made New

Bows and Music

Why Dancers and Bards Should Keep Sniping

I turned looked up at Midori curiously, interested to learn more. She laughed after realizing that I did not have a free hand to browse through the book, sat down and flipped through it slowly for my convenience.

‘This is called a magazine from the Rune Midgard Kingdom printing press. It’s like a book, but it contains articles about different topics and is published on a regular basis. And this one’s all about archery! The Archer Guild of the official guilds there, and is one of the basic jobs an adventurer can choose,’ Midori explained eagerly, showing pages of Archers striking monsters with their bows and arrows. ‘Archers are skilled at marksmanship, and can upgrade themselves to a Hunter and a Dancer or a Bard. They’re really interesting! If I do get to Alberta, I’ll go to the Archer Village at Payon and train to become an Archer.’

‘You… You’re planning to leave Amatsu?’ I asked timidly.

‘Why not? My parents don’t mind helping me realize my wish. Not forgetting that I have relatives who are Samurais,’ Midori beamed. ‘It’s not that I don’t like Amatsu, I just think that the world is so big that’ll be a waste not exploring its wonders. I’ve been here for eight years already, I think it’s high time I experience something new.’

‘Midori… if you don’t mind me asking…’ I started hesitantly, biting my lips as I went. ‘You say you’re going to die young but… when exactly?’

Midori crossed her arms, her left hand under her chin in a thinking position as she rolled her red eyes. ‘Um, well… I reckon that I have a few more years to go? If I take good care of my health, I’ll be fine. But I won’t be able to live pass thirteen,’ she answered coolly, unbothered by her grim fate. ‘If I leave by next year, I guess I’ll have about three or four years of exploring. But before I leave Amatsu for the big world, I wanna see the sakura trees bloom!’

My heart sank as my eyes fell to the two fishing rods in my hands, my fingers fiddling with them nervously. I could tell what the hidden meaning behind her words was – she was confident that the sakura trees would bloom again during my fifth birthday, even after they have lost its glow for four years.

‘I can’t… I still can’t be as cheerful and positive as you are, Midori. I’ve been trying my best, but I always have doubts about myself.’ I said with a frown. ‘Aren’t you afraid of making aspirations like that? Aspirations that rely on something or someone that is not certain to happen. Especially someone like me, who can’t seem to do anything right.’

‘All you need is my faith, right?’ Midori smiled brightly, placing both her hands on my shoulders. Her red eyes were resting heavily on mine, yet I felt a certain lightness in my body. ‘I believe that your white hair is a symbol of peace. I believe that there’s nothing unlucky about you. And because you have my faith, the sakura trees will bloom on your birthday, and I’ll be able to realize my dream, and you’ll be just fine!’

I nodded slowly, a promise to Midori that I will be myself to do the best I can. She lifted her hands away from my shoulders, took her fishing rod back and sat herself down quietly on the ground once more.

‘You know what? Just for fun, why don’t we make a bet on which side would win the war?’ said Midori. ‘That would also mean that you’re betting that the side you’re betting for will be able to make their guild official.’

‘Can I just bet for a draw?’ I asked innocently.

‘Of course not, you have to choose a side. I call dibs on the Samurais!’ said Midori as I gapped my mouth in dismay. ‘No, I’m the only one that can bet for the Samurais, for obvious reasons. You’ll be on the Ninjas side, alright?’

‘Huh… Whatever happened to the part about choosing?’ I sighed, the both of us ended up in laughter. ‘What are we betting for anyway?’

Midori tapped her feet on the surface of the water as she thought hard, forming ripples that went further from her feet. ‘We’re not betting any material items, of course. If I win… well, you’ll have to shave your head bald and give me a lock of your hair!’

My face cringed while Mini Hirei was applauding the suggestion. ‘Please do, please do, it’ll make my stay on him a much pleasurable job,’ said Mini Hirei as he patted my shoulder with his little palm. ‘Sorry big guy, I’m rooting for her to win.’

‘Ooookay… That’s just… weird…’ I answered apprehensively. ‘Then what happens if I win?’

Midori giggled, staring interestedly at her feet. She had a sly smile on her face, which made me feel uncomfortable thinking of what ideas she may come up with. She turned to me and raised her right hand into a fist, her pinky poking out into the air. ‘If you win, then I’ll give you a kiss. Promise?’

My fishing rod almost slipped out of my grips when I heard the idea, Mini Hirei responded with a playful whistle. ‘W-What kind of bet is that?’ I asked, puzzled. Somehow, my face started to grow a little hotter, but I did not understand what was happening. Surely, she is not going to just give me a kiss when I win while I was putting all my hair on the line?

‘Don’t ask, just promise, okay?’ Midori smiled as she nudged her fist forward. I sighed in defeat, knowing that it was pointless arguing. Nodding back in agreement, I raised my right fist, linked our pinky fingers together and sealed our promise.

***

---

Current Word Count: 36,424

Twenty Five

2009-11-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

Midori was skipping back and forth of the bridge until she suddenly dropped sideways onto the floor, her hands spread eagle. I laughed at her antics and approached her on my knees. Maybe I should try it her way in the future… I thought. I peered over at her, her face was pale and her red eyes were wide open with a blank expression. Her chest was rising and falling slowly at an abnormal pace. My breath stopped suddenly as a placed my hand over her face; it was cold.

‘M-Midori? Please don’t frighten me like that…’ I mumbled softly, not knowing what to do. I pushed her body lightly, but she had no response. I was shaking uncontrollably, my breath was choking my throat and lungs as my eyes started to tear up. My mind went blank all of a sudden, an image of a dead Knight on the battlefield flew into sight. Flash. Mr. Yoshinobu’s family members were weeping as they stood by his bedside at the clinic, his legs were permanently handicapped. Flash. I was crying over Midori’s dead body, the village people were pointing their fingers violently at me, calling me names and blaming me for all the bad things that happened…

‘Please… stop all of this…’ I pleaded. A dagger appeared by the side of my feet, my hands unconsciously grabbed onto its hilt. I never learned how to use a knife before, but I knew how to bring the blade to my neck, and to steadily make a cut.

‘Hirei! Snap out of it!’

I blinked, finding myself back on the bridge over the little pond, kneeling over at Midori’s motionless body. There was no dagger in my hands, no blood down my neck, no dead Midori. It was just me, unconscious Midori, and Mini Hirei who was hanging down the edge of my fringe.

‘Stay strong, kid! You’re the only one who can help Midori now,’ said Mini Hirei sternly at the tip of my nose. ‘There’s only the two of you in this secluded area. Bring her to the centre of town, shout, get help or something! Prove that you’re not worthless and unlucky!’

Mini Hirei then used his free hand to wipe the tears off my eyes before I could do it myself. I had a sudden surge of gratefulness for Mini Hirei, carrying him up with the back of my hand and placed him on my left shoulder. ‘Thanks, little guy… I’ll trim the hair on the right side for you.’

I pulled out all my hidden strength to carry Midori up. I placed her arm over my shoulders and had my arm around her waist to support her. As I slowly heaved her down the bridge, I breathed in deeply and yelled at the top of my voice.

‘Please help! Anybody?’ I shouted. I took another mouthful of air before attempting to call for help. It was taxing on me as I have never carried a person before, nor cried louder than the time I used to be a baby. I have always walked this way whenever I wanted some alone time at the bridge. But as I walked with Midori’s weight resting on me, it seemed as if the path became more rocky, more distant, more harder for me to return back to the centre of the village.

I can’t do this… I’m too weak… too useless to anybody to help at all…

‘Oh, stop having such negative thoughts!’ Mini Hirei barked angrily. ‘You can do this, trust me! You’re much better than you think you are. You just have to do your best!’

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. Once I was ready, I pushed myself once again to its limits. Eventually, I managed to attract the people’s attention. A few of the worker’s at the Lord’s Residence ran towards me to assist me, carrying Midori off my shoulders before I keeled over and lost my consciousness.

***

I felt myself coming back to my senses as I slowly forced my eyelids up. I found myself resting at home on my warm bed, Mini Hirei slowly materializing on my abdomen.

‘Oooh, it’s so good to be back,’ Mini Hirei stretched his arms as he yawned. He crawled up to my face and gave me a bright smile. ‘I’m proud of you that you managed to go through that! Don’t forget what you promised me two days ago!’

Two days? I’ve been sleeping for two days now? I pushed myself up into a sitting position, and then I was taken into an embrace, a curtain of fine white hair caressed my face.

‘Oh Hirei, I’m so glad to see that you’re alright!’ came Midori’s voice, her hands around my shoulders. I gave a sigh of relieve knowing that Midori was alive and fine. ‘I’m so sorry to have frightened you the other day. I’m okay now so you don’t have to worry.’

‘I’m just happy that they managed to save you,’ I replied weakly as we came apart, Midori looking at me closely with her red eyes to confirm that I was alright. She scowled and pushed my forehead lightly at my statement.

‘You moron! You were the one who saved me!’ said Midori, Mini Hirei drawing an imaginary question mark for me on my sheets. ‘If you weren’t there, I could’ve been comatose, or even lose my life! Don’t you understand? Your white hair killing people, that’s not true! After all, you’ve just saved my life.’

Midori heaved a sigh, holding my hands tightly in her cold, nervous ones. ‘I thought that I was prepared for death, that I wouldn’t mind dying the next minute,’ she said. ‘But now, I realized there are so many things I still want to do before I leave, like, getting to know you better and to be your friend. I’m thankful to still be breathing today, and to able to speak with you now. All this because I’ve met you two days ago. Thank you…’

Midori’s words made me realize that I was not just “the Unlucky White Boy”. I was capable of achieving more than I imagined. I have saved someone’s life, and better, I have made someone’s life worth living. After our chance encounter that day, Midori and I became friends, my first one ever. It became the talk of the town, how the two white haired children met, how “the Unlucky White Boy” saved the girl’s life, and that they were both inseparable. The people started gossiping more, throwing us deadly glares when we were together. But with Midori around, she would defend us in a comical manner and it made me feel, literally, light-hearted. It was also easier for me to be myself and converse more than I usually would, much to Mini Hirei’s pleasure.

‘Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Kusano!’ said Midori as she bowed deeply to my parents at my doorsteps one day. She was holding a bucket with fishing bait and two homemade fishing rods.

‘Hello there Midori,’ smiled otosan as he scanned her equipments, okasan on the other hand pushed me out of the sliding door, throwing my backpack over my shoulders. ‘Are you bringing Hirei fishing today?’

‘Yes sir! It’s just an idea I thought of when I saw the Samurais carrying off some fish to the battlefield. I think it’s supposed to be rations for their army,’ said Midori, my parents finding the last statement worrying. ‘Oh, don’t worry! I didn’t get into any harm. Two hands, two legs, see? I have relatives with the Samurai Guild actually, so I’ll be fine.’

Midori paused for a moment with her finger on her lips, suddenly feeling that it might have been the wrong thing to say. She threw her hands in the air, disregarding the thought and made a little noise before pulling my arm, dragging me towards the wharf. ‘Well then, Mr. and Mrs. Kusano, ittekimasu!’ she yelled.

‘Come back early and we can make sushi and sashimi with your catch!’ okasan called back while I waved her goodbye. ‘Itterasshai!’

It was just a short walk from my house to the wharf that faces the vast seas. There was a number of fishing boats along the horizon, still making a living even during these times of trouble. After setting up our fishing equipments, we sat around the edges and dipped our legs into the cold water, patiently waiting for any movements from our fishing rods.

---

Current Word Count: 34,969

Twenty Two, Twenty Three and Twenty Four

2009-11-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

I couldn’t have killed the Knight, right? All he did was touch my hair… But I would never kill anybody! I picked myself up from the puddle of mud; I couldn’t stand being around them any longer. I wanted to run away, but one of my seniors, the biggest bully of the bunch had pinned me to the wall. I closed my eyes tightly, expecting the worse.

‘Leave him alone!’

I opened my eyes, startled when there was no impact. I found a curtain of beautiful, long white hair in front of me. The white haired girl being paled skin dressed in an apple green dress and was gripping the bully’s fist tightly. The bully pulled back his arm forcefully, staggering backwards.

‘It’s that sick white haired girl…’ he mumbled, apparently intimidated by the girl. She was standing with her arms akimbo, eyebrows furrowed and was glaring at the bullies with her bold red eyes.

‘Yes, I am. If you come any closer, you might die from my contagious disease and his horrible luck,’ she added sarcastically. The crowd started to disperse, afraid of the girl who seemed to be a few years older than I am. The girl then turned to me and gave me a smile. She had a more gentle look than I expected, judging from the way she had spoken to the bullies. She offered me her hand and a green speckled handkerchief.

‘Do you need some help?’ she asked kindly. My heart started racing as I side stepped away from the tree and away, not in the mood to speak to anyone right now. There were too many things running through my mind and I just needed to be alone. I dashed away from the girl, running as fast as my feet could bring me towards the northeast corner of the village. It was my secret spot, a bridge across a small lake, surrounded by sakura trees. The sounds of war was louder here because it was closer to the battlefield up north, and everyone was afraid to approach this area, which was better for my case. I sat on the bridge alone as I always do, hugging my legs and hiding my face between my knees. Thankfully, Mini Hirei was kind enough to know when I needed some quiet time.

Whatever the bullies said might have been true… those who were too close to me were struck with misfortune. Okasan and otosan had such a hard time with me, the Knight who simply touched me was killed at war, Mr. Yoshinobu broke his leg when walking me to school, the kid who lent me his eraser at school was bullied… If my white hair was supposed to be a symbol of peace, a gift from the Gods, why are they doing this to me and everyone close to me? I did not want that white haired girl to be in trouble, nice people should not be hurt because of me. Maybe… I was fated to live all by myself, without by my side.

‘Hello there, did you know that it was rude to run off from your savior like that?’

I raised my head to find that the white haired girl was crouching down by my side, my eyes and mouth widened on its own. ‘Aren’t you scared of being so near to the battlefield?’ I asked. ‘It’s dangerous out here, innocent people get hurt by the battle.’

The girl seemed amazed by my speech, her red eyes blinking slowly. Mini Hirei did a somersault onto my spiky white hair, striking a victorious pose that I have finally spoken.

‘Firstly, nope, I’m not scared, especially not of dying. Secondly, it doesn’t bother me, my house is just over there,’ said the girl, pointing at the houses nearby. ‘Lastly, you’re out here, near the town exit too, aren’t you? Why should you be allowed to sit here and yet, you’re questioning me for being here? And I had to help you out earlier too…’

I turned away from her and stared into the lake. ‘Wow, what a cute girl! She’s coming onto you, it’s your chance to go for the kill mate,’ Mini Rei babbled on as he slide down my hair and landed on my shoulders once more, getting excited over meeting someone as talkative as he was. Oh, wouldn’t you just keep quiet? I thought hard, attempting to send silent warnings to him.

‘You’re not talking to me already?’ asked the girl, frowning as she adjusted her dress and sat on the wooded floor. ‘You had such a sweet voice too, you should talk more often.’

I could not help but laugh at the compliment, a light feeling lifting my heart. I stopped and tried to remain my quiet demeanor, reminding myself that I should not get too close with anyone else before they get in trouble.

‘You don’t have to worry if you think you’ll bring me bad luck,’ said the girl suddenly while she brushed her white hair, as if able to read my mind. ‘I’m really ill, and I’m going to die soon anyway. That’s the meaning behind my white hair.’

I stared at her, confused at what she was trying to say, or if there was any hidden meanings behind it. Is what she said true? She had the same white hair as me, so she must have been through many hardships like I did. And she knew she was going to die too, how could she still stay so cheerful? I am not dying and yet I am…

‘I’m sorry to hear that…’ I said, not knowing how to respond. She simply smiled again and shook her head, not troubled by the topic.

‘I really don’t mind anymore. All that matters is that I live life to the fullest, right? No regrets!’ she said as she punched the air enthusiastically. ‘White haired people like us should stick together. We must be pretty alike. What’s your name anyway?’

‘Hirei Kusano,’ I replied hesitantly, still unwilling to converse.

‘I’m Midori Kyohana, nice to meet you Hirei!’ the girl introduced herself without being asked. ‘Hirei… is that what those feng shui people from Louyang named you?’

‘No… they didn’t get a chance to,’ I said as I recalled what my parents have told me. ‘My parents insisted that they’d give me a name they had chosen. It’s one of the reasons why they blame my family for all the bad things that was happening.’

‘Wow, your parents are so cool! It must be hard for you and your parents though, since you were born during a terrible time. I had it easy because it was peaceful back then, so they never really took noticed about my white hair. And then you came a few years after that and they shifted all the attention to you…’ said Midori sadly. ‘They did call the feng shui people over a few days after I was born though since I didn’t look too well. They said that I would have major health issues, which was true. And they named me Midori, because I lacked “earth” element in my name, and something about adding more “colours” to my name. They made sure I wore bright colours on myself like today. It’s supposed to reduce the effects of the white in my hair, and remedy my situation. But no matter how much we try to remedy it, it doesn’t change the fact that I will die anyway. I’m just doing this for my parents. I personally think that this feng shui thing is really funny… pretty weird philosophy.’

‘I could relate,’ I sighed. ‘I don’t know why, but it seems to make people feel better to make me miserable for having white hair. Humans are weird sometimes… like the Ninjas and Samurais. Aren’t there more peaceful ways to settle their indifferences?’

‘Wow mate! I’m amazed by how much you’re talking now!’ said Mini Hirei, beaming proudly. I paused for awhile, surprised by myself too. I reorganized my thoughts, looking nervously over at Midori and wondered what she thought of me as she had a suspicious looking smirk on her face.

‘I’m sorry if I sounded too serious… they always said that my thinking is too matured for my age,’ I added quickly.

‘Oh, don’t worry, that’s what I think too! It’s nice to see someone my age thinking like an adult, they say the same thing about me too,’ Midori giggled as she surprised me by patting my back like an old friend.

‘Aaaah, don’t you feel glad to have found someone that shared so many similarities with yourself?’ said Mini Hirei teasingly as he lie down on his stomach. ‘You’ve only spoken to her for a short while, and yet the both of you understand each other like you’ve met since you were babies.’

Sometimes, I cannot help but agree with what Mini Hirei says. He must have some sort of link to my thoughts to know what I was feeling. While I was still deep in my thoughts, Midori stood up suddenly and leaned against the railings of the bridge.

‘But I always like to think that I age fast and think like a child. That must be why I talk like an old woman and that I’m going to die so soon. And no matter how matured my thoughts might be, I always want to act like a child. Not being childish and innocent, but speaking my mind all the time and curious about everything I see,’ she said casually as she looked at her surroundings dreamily. ‘You know, I always liked it here. But I always wonder why the sakura trees never bloom anymore. They say it’s been like this for four years, right?’

‘It’s because of my birth…’ I said grimly, the sakura trees having lost their pink glow on my one year old birthday. The season for the sakura trees was supposed to be around my birthday, but they too, have left me. Suddenly, I had a stretching feeling on my cheeks.

‘Oh gosh, cheer up!’ said Midori who was pulling my cheeks sideway so my mouth would form a smile. ‘You’re being too pessimistic, that’s what people want you to be. What you should do is let everything inside you, out. You’re keeping it in too much! Talk more, laugh more, enjoy yourself more!’

‘She’s right, y’know. I’ve been trying to tell you that for years,’ Mini Hirei chipped in as I brushed him off my left shoulder (Mini Hirei still found my right shoulder to be spiky). I pursed my lips and looked up at Midori, whose red eyes were staring at me gently.

‘I’m scared…’ I whispered softly, the words coming out of me from a fear I never knew existed. ‘I’m scared to express myself. I don’t want people to think badly about me. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.’

‘Trouble is the meaning of life! If you stop being so careful, you’ll be happier, trust me!’ Midori laughed softly as she released my cheeks from her fingers, spinning on her feet cheerfully. ‘You’ll want to do everything without caring what happens next, and never looking back. You never know when you’ll be leaving, so do everything you ever want or think of doing so you’ll never regret. Live in the here and now without regrets, that’s my life’s philosophy!’

---

Current Word Count: 33,706

Must... Keep... Typing!

2009-11-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've still been slacking lately... On top of that, it's the last stretch of NaNoWriMo, with only 6 days left and 16,000 words to go! I'll need almost 3,000 words per day, starting today. I've been having a bad writer's block, as I haven't written this far back when I was writing the original "The Eminent Guardians". From this point on, if my writing isn't as interesting as before, please forgive me! The top priority for now would be quantity, just like what NaNoWriMo always tells their participant.

Please keep kicking me on the butt, I really don't want to disappoint anyone, especially myself.

50,000 WORDS!

Twenty One

2009-11-21T13:52:00.000-08:00

Fifteen years ago…

‘Please… hang in there,’ said the brown haired man, clutching his wife’s hand tightly in his hands as she yelled in pain. A few of the village women had come to offer assistance and support while she was bringing her first child to the world. Amidst the excruciating cries of the woman, there came a knock on the wooden door. An elderly man walked in, his face pale from fear.

‘The Ninjas and the Samurais are at it again…’ he panted nervously, trembling helplessly while holding himself up with his walking stick. ‘They are serious this time, and they are planning to engage at daybreak! We need everyone to stay indoors and keep low. I don’t want any of our villagers in danger.’

‘But she’s still in labour! The child needs close attention once it comes!’

‘H-He’s here…’

After hours of anxious anticipation and agonizing suffering, the newborn baby’s cry echoed as the first sunlight of the morning crept through the windows. The village women exchanged uneasy looks when they first laid eyes the child, wrapped in a sleet white blanket.

‘Congratulations, it’s a healthy boy,’ said the village lady to the couple, safely carrying their baby in her arms. As the people drew closer to take a peek at the baby, they all expressed their surprise, soft whispers and opinions issued around the room about him.

‘His hair… it’s so bizarre!’

‘It’s all white! We never see that around here.’

‘At this time of crisis too. It must be an omen!’

‘I think that –’ the brown haired man spoke suddenly, taking the child from the woman into his arms as he smiled blissfully. He brought his baby boy closer to his wife, the baby’s hair although bare was visibly sleet white, clean and pure against his yellow skin and the white blanket that covered his body. ‘– white is a beautiful colour.’

‘He’s my baby… he’s a gift… This white hair must mean hope and peace… a gift from the Gods,’ the mother uttered with tears of joy as roars and sounds of clashing swords were heard from the nearby forest, signaling the start of a long war.

***

It was the year 1473 and it has not been peaceful for the island of Amatsu. It has been one year since a sibling war broke out between the Ninjas and Samurais who fought because of their contradicting beliefs and conduct while proving the supremacy of their own kind. The right to protect the royal family was also at stake, the organization that earns this will have their guild officially recognize by adventurers worldwide and indirectly determining the propagation of their teachings. However, this affair had been extended too long, bringing unwanted suffering to the people of Amatsu.

It has not been a peaceful year for the Kusano’s either, even with the arrival of their first son. It should have been a cause for celebration for the villagers, as everyone were closely knitted on the island of Amatsu where any matters would not go unheard of, especially when in the ears of the housewives, who would pass it to the children and their husbands, who would pass it to anyone else who was uninformed. It was a joint effort, which became the reason why Amatsu never had any need for the printing press. This remained true until the curfew was imposed on the villagers the day of Kusano’s first son’s birthday, which also became the mark of the Amatsu Sibling War. Their son’s birthday was only celebrated on a small scale with some of their close family friends in their little home situated in south Amatsu near the wharf and the sea.

Four days after their son’s birthday, the Kusano’s were graced by the visit of the village elders, who were very disturbed by their son’s hair colour. It was not only unusual to find a child with white hair in these parts, but also for the islanders, white held a symbolic sign of misfortune. Many villagers found the birth of Kusano’s white haired child to be a bad omen, especially when a war broke out right after he was born. There were those who were ready to stand behind the Kusano’s and defend the child, asserting that the misfortunes that followed the child’s birth should not be tied together.

“Mr. and Mrs. Kusano, we have invited feng shui experts from Louyang to help us with this situation,” said the elder who was tall and had a pointed nose, speaking for the Amatsu majority who were superstitious. “They will study your son’s ba zhi and see if we can remedy this bad luck. We would hope that you name your child only after listening to their readings and advice, I’m sure it’ll be helpful to the situation in Amatsu.”

“But the little boy has nothing to do with this!” said the woman who was the white haired child’s midwife. “We shouldn’t believe in this feng shui thing, village elders. We can only try to stop the Ninjas and Samurais from continuing this war.”

“Um… village elder sir…” Mrs. Kusano interrupted softly from her bed, her baby sleeping sounding in her arms. “We have already given him a name yesterday.”

The village elders were displeased by the Kusano’s and their casual behaviour even after bringing in what they claimed as a bad luck charm to Amatsu. Everyday after then was filled with war cries and the sounds of battle, inflicting panic into everyone in Amatsu. On many days, every week for the whole year, Mr. Kusano would need to leave his wife and son at home in his neighbour’s care while he dashed to the centre of the village, bringing himself closer to the battlefield up north to retrieve household supplies, just like many of the other men in the village. However, Mr. Kusano had found himself in tight spots on many of these occasions, often being insulted for fathering “the Unlucky White Boy”, giving him enough bad memories of war to last for a lifetime. Even then, the Kusano’s had been very loving to their son, making sure that he was always in good shape and insisting that his unique white hair was a gift from the Gods, and was a symbol that peach would come.

Today, the current king of Rune Midgard, King Tristan the Third decided to intervene in Amatsu, sending his Knights from the Prontera Chivalry to control the situation. Rune Midgard and Amatsu were trading allies, and King Tristan the Third had found the need to inspect the state of their trading ally. Because of grandeur of the event, the Ninjas and Samurais made a mutual agreement to cease fire for that day, and all of Amatsu would flock the streets to welcome the arrival of the Prontera Knights. This was no exception for the Kusano’s, who brought their son out to the wharf. As expected, they received negative reaction from most of the villagers, staring at their son’s white hair in disgust.

‘It’s that “Unlucky White Boy”!’

‘Aaaah! Don’t come close! You’ll bring me bad luck!’

‘I used to like you, Kusano. But you should’ve done something about that kid.’

The Kusano’s had grown numb by the pointless comments the villagers had about their son’s white hair. They remained in this discussion even until the village elders had brought the Knights down on to shore from the ship that brought them from Rune Midgard’s Port City, Alberta. The Knights were dressed in a chain mail that guards their body and neck under a silver armour, the proud emblem of Rune Midgard decorated their chests. Some of the Knights were mounted on Peco Pecos, giant bird-like creatures with a large beak and colourful feathers. There were those who preferred to travel on their foot at a moderate pace too. The Knights, males and females, were all curious and awed by the exotic beauty of this strange, war torn land.

‘Uh, let’s take a look in my handbook… hajimemashite everyone!’

‘Oh look at the people, they have a yellowish tinge in their skin.’

‘Hey, where are the cherry blossoms they were talking so much about? The trees that’s all pink?’

‘Sir, it’s not yet season for the sakura trees to bloom,’ the pointed nosed village elder explained to the Knight who was on a Peco Peco while the local tour guide pointed out notes of interest about Amatsu. The Knights continued to look around in excitement, trying to enjoy the breath-taking surroundings before heading over to the Amatsu Castle, also known as the Lakeside Castle for it is surrounded by a stream of water. Some of the Knights had even started to mingle with the locals, sharing stories about their own lands.

‘Oh… this is an Amatsu child…’ said a dark haired Knight on his feet. He had a faint blue aura around him and was carrying a spear along his back, approaching the Kusano’s who were standing innocently near the front doors of the weapon shop. He smiled at the couple, and with his hand he caressed the soft, white hair of their son, sending gasps amongst the villagers.

‘Sir, please don’t do that!’ a plump village elder snapped quick. ‘That child is unlucky, white hair is a bad omen in Amatsu.’

The dark haired Knight laughed, maintaining a tender look at the baby with his blue eyes that had a similar tone as the ocean pendant that hung from his neck. ‘It’s alright, little kids always bring luck,’ said the man. ‘This white hair… it’s beautiful and pure. Both of you must be really fortunate to have him. What’s his name?’

‘Hirei. Hirei Kusano, sir,’ Mr. Kusano replied after lowering into a bow, which the dark haired Knight responded in the same way.

‘Hirei… It sounds like Ray, like a droplet from the sun,’ the dark haired Knight laughed heartily once more, contagious enough for the Kusano’s to join in as well. ‘I have an affection for little kids lately. I’ve only had a baby girl a few months ago, you see. She’s a little smaller than Ray here.’

‘Oh, congratulations!’ Mr. Kusano said. ‘Hirei is almost a year old now. His birthday is around the corner now.’

‘Wow, will the both of you be celebrating his first birthday?’ the dark haired Knight asked. ‘If you are, I’d love to come to your house then. Would that be alright?’

‘It’ll be an honour, sir,’ said Mrs. Kusano happily, touched by the fact that someone had appreciated the beauty of Hirei’s hair just like they did. ‘We’ll welcome you with open arms.’

‘Hey, Darian! We’re heading to the Amatsu Castle already,’ yelled a female Knight with a red scarf tied at her neck to her colleague. The dark haired Knight waved back upon being addressed to, and said his goodbyes to the villagers and the Kusano’s.

‘Be good, little boy,’ said Darian to the baby Hirei before he left. ‘May Odin protect you, and that your white hair will prove that it is a sign of peace.’

***

Four years later…

‘Hey “Unlucky White Boy”! You forgot to finish my homework!’ yelled one of my schoolmates at me while I was walking towards the school gates after the bell rang. Amatsu was still in a middle of a war, but the villagers decided that we should still carry out some activities, like schooling for kids like me at the south side of Amatsu where we are far from the battlefield in the Amatsu Fields.

And by “Unlucky White Boy”, they are referring to me. For some odd reasons, they probably find it more fun to say something with five syllables instead of “Hirei”, an old-fashioned, not so interesting and potentially harmful two syllable name. The children liked teasing me, and had a weird theory that by bullying me, they could reduce the apparent “bad luck” that I bring. It is the kind of thing five year old kids would do to a five year old who did not act childish like me. It was made clear to me that no one would become friends with the boy who was a bad omen, said to have brought about the Amatsu Sibling War. Other than some of the adults who pitied me and my family, I have never had the chance to interact with kids my age before. You could call me anti-social in a way; I am always alone in silent areas, where I start to become fond of. I did not like talking much either and try not to bother with their insults as I hate to get into trouble, although there’s this conscious inside me that keeps talking and disturbing my peace. He is like this mini version of me that sits on my right shoulder, nagging on and having an opinion about everything and anything under the sun. Just the other day, he shifted over to my left shoulder and complained that the spikes on the right side of my head were too long and sharp and that I needed a haircut soon. And right this moment, he is asking me to run towards the boy who is threatening me right now and stomp over his homework.

I lowered my head and pulled my brown bag closer to myself, running off quickly before the boy called his friends to gang up on me. I did not want to pull too much attention to myself, but with my spiky white hair, and the fact that I had just slipped into a puddle of mud when turning out of the school compound, I always seem to do the opposite. The kids were laughing at me now, cheering that my bad luck has only been affecting me.

‘Haha! Clumsy little Hirei!’ a bespectacled boy jeered as he clapped his hands happily. ‘See what happens after you bring bad luck to other people? You know what I heard from my dad, that Hirei killed a Knight who touched him on his one year old birthday!’

Oh, come on Hirei! You don’t have to keep it in! Just give that kid a good one two! Mini Hirei was at it again, and was insensitive to my feelings. I could not remember the Knight they were talking about, but okasan told me that a really kind man from Prontera said that the colour of my hair was beautiful; I always loved it when okasan and otosan say that my white hair was beautiful. The Knight said he was going to celebrate my birthday for me that year, but he died in the war on that very day.

---

Current Word Count: 31,802

Nineteen and Twenty

2009-11-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah started to look around, searching for the source of the voice but they saw no one. Eventually, they noticed Ace kneeling down on one knee, his golden eyes planted on the wall of a building nearby where the shadows on the wall started to shift and materialized, an outline of a human started to gain its colours as the light finally caught its figure and allowed others to see its owner, a cloth-like veil dispersed into the air before revealing it to be an elder and more matured woman. She leaned backwards with her short brown hair pressed against the wall and her arms crossed casually, opening her eyes to show a pair of blue eyes. The woman had an abnormally, unhealthy tone of pale white skin and was dressed in a dark, tight outfit wrapped in bandages along with shoulder pads, recognizably the outfit of a female Assassin. Cedric unsheathed his sword and took a step in front of his friends, wary of the newcomer. He was nervous, being his first time face-to-face with an assassin, said to strike swiftly from the shadow, but he was prepared to fight for his comrades.

‘Mistress Cecilia Thyride,’ said Ace with his head bowed down. ‘You’ve heard, haven’t you.’

‘Of course I heard, silly. What do you think I’m Cloaking here for, watching the Merchants spit over their products?’ said the Assassin in a surprisingly upbeat manner, who seemed to have Ace’s respect. She looked over at Cedric and the others who stood behind him, armed and ready to defend themselves. She laughed. ‘Oh gosh, what a bunch of quick-to-move kids you found here. Haven’t I proven that I’m Ace’s master? I shouldn’t be any harm, right?’

They withdraw the weapons, but were still keeping a close eye on the Assassin’s movements, somehow an amusement to the latter. She turned back her attention to Ace, tapping her feet impatiently on the ground. ‘So, the day you decide to abandon your Morroc life and the Thief Society has finally come, huh?’ she said. ‘You’re even gonna leave me, your dear master, who took you under my wing for so many years.’

‘You have been too kind to me, Mistress Thyride, too kind compared to the masters and mistresses the other Thieves,’ Ace said simply, his voice never faltering. ‘I’m fortunate to have met you. I’ll forever be indebted to you, and I’ll definitely repay you in the near future.’

Cecilia sighed, a cheeky smile spreading across her pale face. ‘I guess you could say that I’m one-of-a-kind, huh?’ she said cheerfully. She then raised her gloved arm, beckoning Ace towards her with her long fingers. ‘Come closer, would you? You know I’m not a fan of sunlight.’

Ace stood up obediently and approached his mistress, who wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer into a hug. ‘Aaaah… I’m gonna miss you so much, Ace. You know I’ve already approved of your departure long ago. Just don’t die before I do, although that’d be a pretty hard feat,’ she laughed jokingly once more before shifting her attention. ‘Before I’ll allow Ace to join the four of you, I’ll have to borrow him a bit for an errand, alright?’

Cedric raised his eyebrows, taken aback by the master behaved more childishly than her apprentice and had just asked for the permission of a group of strangers to get the assistance of her own student. To all this, they simply answered with a nod.

‘Good, Ace will see you tomorrow at the North Gate when the sun rises, that is if you trust him and me, and still want him in your party,’ said Cecilia, dragging Ace off by his shoulders, waving one arm in the air with her back facing them. ‘So long kids!’

Hirei ran forward to chase Ace and Cecilia as they made a turn behind the building, but they had went out of sight and disappeared into the shadows.

***

‘Shall we wait a while more?’ asked Nellie who was holding tightly to her baggage and documents she had spent the whole night packing up. Thankfully, they had dropped by at Nellie’s place to inform her about their new plans before heading back to the inn last night, as the room was still in a horrible mess and she needed their help for her preparation to Al de Baran the next morning. She managed to make it to the North Gate on time where the other four had been waiting, but their party was still missing of their newest member.

‘That Thief guy better show up,’ Hirei muttered as he fiddled with his bow. ‘I hope we weren’t wrong trusting him. I don’t want him to take our money and run off half way through our journey.’

‘Don’t worry Hirei,’ said Penelope as she smiled silently. ‘I’m sure we can put our faith in him. He looked sincere enough, and he had a nice mistress too.’

‘But come on, don’t you think that they’re a bit odd?’ Hirei reasoned, partly out of boredom. ‘I mean, Ace tried to steal our money the day before yesterday, and he has this big wish of changing everyone’s bad impression of Morroc Thieves. And then his mistress is just this weird character, and she’s an Assassin too! Aren’t Assassins dangerous and shouldn’t be trusted?’

‘Oh hush Rei,’ said Cedric. ‘Aren’t you a pretty shady character yourself? With your weird white hair and huge mouth, especially unusual for you people from the islands.’

‘I think white hair is fine. It’s a beautiful and pure colour.’

Hirei rotated his head in surprise and delight, looking for the person who had complimented his hair colour. Everyone shook their head or waved in denial, sending everyone in confusion.

‘Aaaaaah!’ yelled Aalaiyah as she saw a red-haired head wrapped in a ragged, coral scarf that was floating in the air. With her telekinetic powers, she started sending the bits of debris on the ground to attack the strange head.

‘Hey, I’m not gonna attack you. It’s alright, it’s just me,’ said the red head, a pair a hands shielding it from the sand and stones. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the red head was attached normally to a body which was suspended upside-down by its legs. The hanged man did a flip and landed cleanly and silently on his feet, brushing his scarlet red hair which covered his golden eyes. The man was draped in an Assassin’s garb similar to Cecilia’s, bandages wrapping around his upper arm, calves and torso. He nodded in acknowledgement, exchanging looks with Nellie as they made a silent greeting.

‘You came, it’s you!’ said Penelope in a happy tone, scanning the man with her emerald eyes, jaw dropping as she went. ‘You’re an Assassin now! That’s the errand your mistress wanted you to carry out, isn’t it.

Ace signature smile widened as he nodded. ‘I never break my promises, especially to sweet girls like you,’ he said, sending Penelope’s cheeks flushing in red before he threw his old tan cloak over his body. ‘Let’s leave before the Society learns of my departure. It’ll cause too much unwanted trouble for us and Mistress Thyride.’

‘Definitely, we can introduce ourselves once we get out of Morroc. But before that, let’s finish something I haven’t been able to do yesterday,’ said Cedric, walking forward towards Ace as he extended his right hand. ‘Welcome to our party, Ace!’

The Assassin took Cedric’s gauntleted hand gracefully with his gloved ones. ‘My “Ace” days are over now,’ said the Assassin, shaking his head playfully as he smiled. ‘My name is Arsen.’

***

---

Current Word Count: 29,206

Back Home, Must Stop Slacking

2009-11-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get back my pace now that I'm home and on holidays. Give me some time, and I promise you that I'll be typing like crazy again. (Thinking back, I've only had less than 9k at this point last year. 8D)

Before I post up my short update for day Nineteen and Twenty, I want to inform all readers that I'll be inserting character one-shots at certain points of the novel as a side story to the particular character's background, history, and some flashbacks of their past. These side stories are like a break from the main story and acts as a more in-depth look to the characters, but are still closely related to the plot, so I won't be revealing them at one shot.

Obviously, I'll be writing the first character side story after Cedric and co. leaves Morroc, so stay tuned!

P.S: To make sure it happens, remember to give me comments. I liek comments and they keep me fuelled. kthxbai. :D

Seventeen and Eighteen

2009-11-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

They left for the inn when the sun had already set, Nellie requesting them to return to her place again tomorrow to check on her, reminding them to prepare all their required supplies for the long trip north. They walked towards the southeast corner of the city, the street lamps that lined the walkways were glowing in a faint light, complimenting the sky which had been dyed in midnight blue. Some merchants were keeping up their wares and retiring for the day. There were less people on the streets now, but it was never quiet as the people start to fill up the inns and pubs, drinking and laughing into the night, some still wandering the streets suspiciously and others were picking verbal and physical fights with each other. Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah tried to avoid all the commotion and took a more secluded road back to the inn. It was a bad choice, as the people hanging out in these alleys looked dodgier and potentially more dangerous than the foolish ones who just wanted to flash their fists at each other but would never dare to cause havoc under the street lamps in the open. There was a young girl sitting against the wall while sharpening her knife, a man staring at them with his bloodshot eyes, an elderly woman begging for money, drawing too close for Hirei’s comfort as he ran ahead of the group to avoid her from touching him.

‘Ugh!’

Hirei ran right into a young man wearing a tan cloak, both of them falling backwards onto the sandy ground. The young man’s hood fell backwards to reveal a head of flaming, scarlet red hair tied lowly in a short ponytail and a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

‘Sorry,’ said the young man shortly with a deep, cool voice as his face glittered in the night with his charming smile. He pushed his hood back up and ran off quickly before Hirei could say anything. The young man might have disappeared, but left behind a panting Penelope and Aalaiyah who were blushing madly, Cedric thought. But the man did not only leave something behind, he took something else as well.

‘That guy’s a thief!’ Hirei yelled furiously as he turned the way they came from, the young man in cloak had vanished. He moved backwards to rejoin the group when the elderly woman started to reach out her boney fingers towards him. ‘He took my money bad when I bumped into him!’

‘W-What? He’s a thief?’ Penelope gasped as she snapped back to reality, running forward to see Hirei emptying his pockets, the brown satchel she had entrusted to him that morning was no longer there. ‘Oh no… our money…’

‘But you guys only bumped into each other for a short moment!’ said Cedric in disbelieve. ‘It was so quick… Did you lose anything else?’

‘Just our money,’ said Hirei as he sighed heavily. ‘How could I lose it just like that? That thief, if I see his red head again I’ll let him taste my arrows!’

‘Relax, Hirei, none of us wanted it to happen, we can’t do anything about it now anyway,’ said Aalaiyah. ‘We’ll just have to be thankful that Penelope split the money, and we’ve just finished shopping too. At least it wasn’t too big of a lost as it could’ve been.’

They decided never to wander into dark alleys anymore, especially in Morroc. They scurried out of the area and rested peacefully in the inn, much safer and more comfortable than most of Morroc.

***

The next day, the four slept in late, the blazing Morrocan sun hanging at the highest point before they decided to roll out of bed for branch. They treated themselves to some Steamed Desert Scorpians near the bazaar after being convinced by the innkeeper, a scorpion dish of scorpion tails, nippers and meat cooked using the heat of the desert sands. It was not the first thing they would yearn for when they were hungry, but the cuisine turned out to be appetizing, the colours of the vegetables alongside the red scorpion meat and the strong spicy smell lured them to sink in their teeth. Eating it confirmed its status as one of the four best dishes in the Sograt Desert; sweet, bitter and spicy flavours melted in their mouths. It was even more a luxury alongside a bottle of Morroc Fruit Wine, a sweet and sour juice that was invented by a merchant from Morroc.

‘Aaaaaah! That’s what I call a feast,’ Hirei leaned back on his wooden chair, his hands behind his white spiky hair. ‘So, where are we headed after this?’

‘No idea,’ Cedric said, downing his cup of fruit wine, his insides cooled down at once from the heat. ‘We could walk around Morroc some more, or take a look at the Morroc Ruins.’

‘Would it be alright if I go north from Morroc to find someone?’ Penelope asked. ‘I heard from the Church that an ascetic is living there. I’d like to visit her.’

The four then left for the north exit of Morroc, avoiding the bustle of the bazaar at the centre of the city. Along the side streets of Morroc, there were many Dancers and Bards making a living by performing, dancing gracefully and singing with the rhythm of the music. Some of the passer-by requested for a song of their liking, some others offering tips by tossing zennies into a hat that lay on the ground.

‘Psst, over here,’ came a female whisper. Cedric felt a tap on his shoulders and turned around, finding himself face-to-face cloaked figure, a dark violet gleam shining from the person’s eyes under the hood.

‘What is it?’ asked Hirei as he scanned the girl with his little brown eyes. The girl laughed, stepping backwards and lowering her hood to reveal a long, dark hair tied in a side ponytail to the right.

‘Don’t worry, I mean no harm,’ she reassured them with a soft, shadowy voice. ‘I’ve been watching you guys for awhile, and I think I have something that might interest you.’

The elder, mysterious female extracted a worn out scroll from her cloak, bitten at its edges and was tied up neatly with a shabby red ribbon. ‘This here is a very old scroll I came across while venturing deep inside the Sphinx, guarded by a few Anubis and horrible booby traps I wouldn’t like to detail. I asked some Wizards to decipher this for me, they told me that it’s an ancient scroll that holds some secrets to the Heart of Ymir,’ she said, smiling as Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah reacted positively to her statement. ‘I know that the four of you are on a search for the Heart. Well, you’re in luck because I’m trying to find a new owner for this scroll, someone who would appreciate this more than I do. I just don’t have the time to chase after some mythical relic.’

‘So, you’re trying to sell this scroll to us?’ asked Cedric.

‘Ah… smart boy aren’t you? I need to make some money out of this too, don’t I. Can’t live on tattered scrolls and nose rings from the monsters underground. I’ll make you an offer, just 10,000 zeny,’ said the cloaked female, twirling the scroll between her fingers. ‘The Wizards are even paying me to read this, but I wouldn’t let them.’

‘It’s a good offer, but asking us to pay for something which we don’t know what the real contents are is irrelevant,’ said Penelope wisely. ‘We’ll pay you 5,000 zeny first, and if the scroll is genuine, we’ll pay you the other half.’

The cloaked female looked unconvinced. After giving it a little thought, her eyes rolling back and forth as if trying hard to maintain her coolness, she shrugged and replied. ‘Fine, it’s a deal then. I’ll tell you, it’s worth it.’

Penelope made a satisfied smile after successfully displaying her haggling skills once again, and Cedric turned to the others. ‘So, will we buy this?’

‘It’s worth a bet,’ Aalaiyah nodded in excitement. ‘If it turns out to be a scam, we demand a refund!’

The dark-haired female then stepped forward with her hands outstretched, one hand holding onto the scroll tightly and the other empty to collect the money. Penelope placed her hand into her pouch bag to search for their funds which was all stored away in her leather bag.

‘It’s gone…’ Penelope uttered slowly with her hands over her mouth, a fearful look in her eyes. ‘All our money is gone…’

‘W-What?’ Cedric exclaimed in shock, running forward to inspect Penelope’s pouch bag. Just as he approached Penelope, he tripped over what seemed to be nothing and fell face first onto the floor.

‘Oww!’ Cedric yelped as he bit his lip, biting some sand in the process. Somehow, he was not the only one who cried. Cedric found himself lying on top of a bundle of cloth.

‘Cedric! Are you alright?’ asked Penelope as she helped him up. She gasped in surprised when the bundle of cloth started to move. ‘You fell on top of someone!’

‘When did he get there?’ Hirei pondered aloud. A head of bright, scarlet hair pushed itself out of the bundle of cloth, its owner being a young man who was wearing a beach coloured jacket and a pair of dark pants. The young man sat upright and brushed his long red hair off his yellow eyes before massaging his arm with his hands. He remained seated on the ground, looking upwards to flash a charming smile at his onlookers.

‘Isn’t that our money bag?’ Aalaiyah pointed out, turning everyone’s attention to the leather money bag that lay by the unidentified male’s side. As she bent down to recover their money bag, the young man snatched it swiftly and leapt onto his feet.

‘Greetings, and I’m sorry young lady,’ the young man said coolly as he tossed the money bag in the air and grabbed it tightly in his fist. ‘This’ll be mine now.’

‘That moron! He’s a Thief!’ Hirei snapped angrily with his fingers waving threateningly at the man, bringing them to realize that he was wearing the outfit of the Thief’s Society. ‘And the same one from yesterday who stole my money!’

‘Oh Ace, can’t you just leave me alone?’ said the cloaked female in annoyance, dropping her air of mystery as her voice became harsh and loud, withdrawing her arms along with the scroll. ‘They were supposed to be my catch!’

‘Well, isn’t it nice to see you here, Jasmine. Small town,’ said the male Thief who seemed to be called Ace. ‘Since when did you put your name on their money? Besides, if it was the matter of stealing targets, you should rethink that statement, since they have met me before you offered them that scroll.’

‘They are acquainted?’ Cedric said as he slowly came to a realization of the situation, staring at the cloaked female with a hostile glare. ‘Then… you must be…’

Cedric could not continue his sentence, as the female known as Jasmine tossed the worn out scroll at his forehead, the scroll rolled open upon impact to release a burst of grey gas.

‘P-pepper gas!’ Cedric gagged and sneeze as the cloud of gas surrounded his face, drowning his eyes in tears which trickled down his cheeks. He choked, rubbing his eyes frantically with the back of his hand as his face started to burn in red, immediately wishing that he had a bottle of Morroc Fruit Wine stored in his rucksack.

‘Ace, we’re splitting that prize, 50-50!’ Jasmine yelled to her Thief friend while throwing her cloak at Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah, hindering their chase. When the cloak was thrown aside, they could see Ace running into a dark alley with Jasmine tailing behind him, also garbed in a beach coloured jacket and a pair of brown pants of a Thief. Without any questions or gestures, the four raced after the two Thieves to retrieve their lost possession.

‘Make way, make way!’ Hirei called out to the people in the alley, some dragging themselves sluggishly away from harm’s way and others did not budge at all, delaying them in their pursuit. ‘We can’t lose them!’

They raced as fast as their legs could take them, trying their best to keep the Thieves in view. Cedric visualized his brother running in front of him, just like how they would race to the old Swordsman Guild. He could only see his brother’s back, his cape fluttering behind him. Clenching his teeth and using that visualization as motivation, Cedric started to run faster than before, partly thanks to the supportive spells Penelope had cast on the whole party while they were still running down the streets. They ran out of the alley into the main streets of Morroc, catching up after Ace and Jasmine.

‘Decrease Agility!’ Penelope chanted with her Bible opened in her arms, her palms stretched forwards with a blinding light. She directed the energy towards the two Thieves, weighing them down upon contact and slowing down their movements. Cedric reached out his hand, drawing closer to tap his brother’s shoulders. Pulling out all the energy in his body, he sprinted forward and was standing in front of the Thieves’ way. Jasmine turned to Ace with an anxious look on her face, the latter responded by stopping in his tracks altogether when faced with the pincer attack, both his hands in his pocket.

‘Giving up now?’ asked Cedric as he cautiously took a step forward having surrounded the Thieves. ‘At least you’re wise enough to know when to stop.’

‘Never make assumptions too soon,’ said Ace he pulled out a small bag from his pocket and flung it in the air. ‘Sand Attack!’

An infinite amount of sand poured out of the small bag, much more than a merchant’s cart could even hold. Cedric staggered backwards, receiving the unexpected attack face on, the sand got into his face and eyes, effectively blinding and stunning him for the moment. The Thieves took this opportunity to flee.

‘I’m not gonna let you trick me again! We need that money for Al de Baran!’ Hirei yelled as he set nine fire arrows on his composite bow and pointed it to the cloudless sky. ‘Arrow Shower!’

A burst of energy pushed the arrows high into the air as he released the string of the bow. The fire arrows lined up neatly in front of the Thieves before bursting up into a wall of flames, obstructing their way.

‘Man, I can’t believe I took her move,’ Hirei mumbled as he ruffled his white hair. The Thieves tried to escape through a different way until they realized that a magic glyph was rotating around their feet – a target for a magician’s spell. All of them turned towards the Mage, a deep blue aura was bursting from her feet and wand which she raised in front of her, her brown hair fluttering in the mystical air.

‘Don’t try to escape now,’ Aalaiyah spoke softly, her eyes glaring with determination. ‘I won’t hesitate to unleash my cold bolts on the both of you.’

Ace sighed in a rather relaxed manner, his smile never fading from his face while he raised both his arms at shoulder height, their money bag in his fist. Jasmine did the opposite, crossing her arms and shuddering in aggravation. The money bag started glowing in an eerie aura before it levitated into the air by an invisible force and flew into Cedric’s hands. Aalaiyah took a deep breath as she lowered her wand and the magic circles a blue aura disappeared at once, feeling the strain from focusing her magic and using her telekinetic powers at the same time.

‘Ace, you owe me lunch tomorrow,’ said Jasmine angrily, eyebrows furrowed. ‘If you would’ve just stayed out of my plan, we wouldn’t have ended up like this! There, you’ve gotten all you stuff back now kids, happy?’

‘No, they haven’t,’ said Ace suddenly as he dug his hands into his jacket, taking out a familiar brown satchel and returning it to a confused Hirei. Hirei opened the satchel and started to run his fingers through all the zennies, confirming that none of their money was missing.

‘Uh… thanks,’ said Hirei with a stunned face, not sure if he understood what was the meaning of this.

‘Now, may I ask you a question?’ Ace spoke again, his face seem to be concentrated on a thought in his mind. ‘Are the four of you travelers, and are headed to Al de Baran after this?’

‘Hey, how’d you know that – oh… I mentioned it earlier didn’t I…’

‘Yeah, we’re traveling across Rune Midgard, and Al de Baran will be our next destination,’ Cedric replied. ‘We’re in search of –’

‘Ymir’s Heart, am I right?’ said Ace, finishing Cedric’s statement. ‘Jasmine and I have been spying on you. We know you’ve been seeing that researcher in the inn east of the bazaar.’

‘Yeah… way to break a Thief’s work to commoners who would never understand our way of living,’ Jasmine said boringly as she pursed her lips, tapping her fingers on her crossed arms.

‘But stealing is not a way of living!’ Penelope retorted. ‘Why don’t you both get a job and earn money the right way? You can correct yourselves from your old ways and repent!’

‘It’s different when you’re orphaned in Morroc. There are far too many of us and the society here is pretty much a mess, scientists and treasure hunters flocking to our city and occupying it from the locals. The only choice we have is to be a thief,’ explained Ace stiffly as he smiled bitterly, Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah had a sudden sympathy for them. ‘In any case, I did not ask the question so that I could earn pity from you. It is my personal wish that I could change this fate of mine, and dispel this horrible impression the masses have of people like myself.’

‘What are you trying to imply, Ace?’ Jasmine stared at Ace in equal confusion as Hirei, having no idea what her friend was trying to achieve with his talk. Whatever it was, she did not like the way it sounds.

‘I’m trying to ask if, just if,’ Ace said, clearing his throat before he continued. ‘Could this mere Thief, Ace, join your party in your journey across the land?’

All of them were flabbergasted except for Ace, whose smile remained on his handsome face. Even with Hirei’s loud mouth and I-don’t-care-what-you-think attitude, it was not one of the foursome who made the biggest reaction.

‘Ace! What are you thinking?’ Jasmine bellowed as she yanked Ace by his shirt, their faces were only inches away from each other as she gritted her teeth. ‘We are the proud Thieves of the Thief Society, of Morroc! These pompous brats deserve to be robbed. First you messed up my plan, then you returned them the money you stole yesterday, and now you’re planning to leave Morroc and go journeying? What will you do next? Shave your red head bald and join the Monastery?’

‘I know fully well what I want to do, and I don’t have to answer to you,’ Ace answered calmly as he raised his chin fearlessly. ‘I want the people know that not all Thieves are ill-mannered and that we do have ambitions and hopes for our own future. I’ve always planned to leave Morroc, you just never knew.’

‘What a load of Willow leftovers!’ Jasmine jeered with disgust. ‘Even if you ran off, how positive are you that they would take a Thief into their party? Everyone knows that Thieves are like a Condor in a flock of Peco Pecos. Birds of different feathers don’t flock together, Ace!’

‘We’ll take him in,’ said Cedric, breaking the tension momentarily between Ace and Jasmine. He turned towards the others, who approved of Ace’s participation. Even Hirei, who did not like the idea of the Thief who once stole from them joining their party, was persuaded into an agreement. ‘There you go Ace, we accept your offer, under the terms that you would not steal from us and run after that.’

This sent Jasmine into a deeper rage, pushing Ace aside and pointing fiercely at all of them. ‘You… all of you… are crazy!’ she yelled, throwing her dark hair into a state of mess. She gave Ace a deadly glare, her violet eyes widening. ‘You disgusting scum. I never thought you’d be like this. Fine! Turn your back on the Thief Society! Your deed won’t go unknown, and don’t you ever try returning to Morroc! I’d like to see you try answering to your mistress! And don’t you even expect any help from me.’

‘Jasmine –’

‘Don’t you call me by that name!’ Jasmine barked back violently. ‘I am a proud Thief! You don’t deserve to call me by my codename! Heck, you shouldn’t even be carrying that stupid “Ace” name anymore! If it went my way, I would’ve banished you right this instance!’

Ace had his eyes closed shut, maintaining his calm demeanor. He wet his lips and took a deep breath before he started again. ‘Jill –’

‘Shut… up…’ Jasmine hissed venomously, her fist shaking badly. With one last glare at Ace and the foursome, she turned away and disappeared into the crowd.

‘What an ending eh?’ said Hirei in an awkward attempt to break the silence.

‘Thanks a lot for accepting my participation so swiftly,’ said Ace gratefully. ‘After all, we’ve only just met through a theft, with me being the robber.’

‘Same to you,’ Penelope laughed softly. ‘It’s not very surprising, after you who thieved from us returned our possessions.’

‘What made you suddenly so interested to join us?’ asked Aalaiyah. ‘Does it have to do with Al de Baran?’

‘I have my reasons,’ Ace smiled, obviously the type who would not kill and tell. ‘My thoughts and problems are insignificant for you to worry about. However, I will promise that I will not cause us any trouble, and that I will be a great asset as a Thief, not limited to my thieving skills.’

‘In any case,’ Cedric beamed happily, stretching out his hand. ‘Welcome to the –’

‘Not yet,’ said Ace as he raised a hand in the air, his yellow eyes wandering around, his mind still concentrated on a different thought. ‘Before we do anything else, there is someone I must see before I leave.’

‘There’s no need to go anywhere, Ace,’

---

Current Word Count: 28,050

Fourteen, Fifteen and Sixteen

2009-11-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Without being asked to, Nellie went on about her discovery of four element crests in the four directions of Morroc which contained a mysterious power she has not identified. She explained the significance of the Pyramids in the Morroc Ruins, and how Mage Knight Thanatos played a large role in the founding of Morroc. Aalaiyah was listening intently, chipping in a few comments and questions based on what she studied as a child in Geffen while Penelope was trying to take part in the conversation. Cedric attempted to sound interested, but failed after the tenth minute while Hirei found himself engrossed with the patterns on the sole of his boots, trailing them with his fingers like Nellie illustrated she did to the ancient runes and scriptures written on the walls of the Sphinx outside the borders of Morroc.

‘So… What about Ymir’s Heart again?’ Hirei interrupted indifferently after deeming his boots to be boring. Nellie gasped, sliding down her comfortable armchair with guilt.

‘I’m so sorry! Oh, please, if I side tracked from the topic and rambled on too long, you must stop me immediately,’ Nellie giggled. She then ran a hand over her chest to calm herself down before raising her head with a serious look on her face. ‘All right, let me tell you a little about how the legend of Ymir’s Heart began. It was said that at the beginning of time, there was a great giant called Ymir. He was killed by the three sons of Borr, who then used his body to create our world. Ymir’s blood became the seas and lakes and his bones became the mountains. From his teeth and bone fragments stones were created and from his hair trees grew. One of Borr’s sons, Lord Odin, placed Ymir’s brain in the wind to become the clouds, while Ymir’s Heart was placed upon the highest clouds to watch over this new creation. Of course, some scientist would tell you that’s all rubbish, but one thing that has been proven to have existed since the beginning of time is a substance that we now call Ymir’s Heart. It used to be a large object, almost the size of the town of Izlude, which glows with a green, unearthly light. It sits in Valhalla, the place closest to the heavens, protecting the peace of the world. But due to some events thousands of years ago, Ymir’s Heart split into many small pieces – we don’t know how many – and spread to all corners of the world. Reports say that they are now mechanical objects emitting the same green light that keeps a piece of the Heart within, some as small as a jellopy, and others as big as a Hydrolancer – you know, that dragon-looking monster that’s almost three times bigger than a man.’

‘Caleb always talks about it being some powerful item,’ said Hirei as he glanced over at Cedric, who nodded back. ‘It sounds more like a mythical object. What does it do anyway?’

‘Relax, I was getting there,’ Nellie smiled as she took a breather, enjoying herself. ‘Even though these Heart pieces are much smaller than the actual thing, it still packs a punch. It can generate energy and manipulate the flow of energy. It absorbs energy from its surroundings and has the ability to convert it to the specific energy required. When a normal person like me and you uses magic or skills that require energy, the conversion of energy is not complete and unnatural, creating impurities in the process, which is why many objects, even the human body has a certain limit before they are exhausted. With the Heart of Ymir, pure energy can be achieved and modified in any way the user wishes it to be, and many impossible things can be made possible. It is the reason why High Wizard Nadleeh looks younger than he really is.’

Nellie turned to Aalaiyah as she nodded. Cedric, Hirei and Penelope were all confused by this statement. ‘What do you mean younger?’ Hirei started, speaking up for the three who were curious. ‘How old is your dad anyway, Aalaiyah?’

‘Well, my father told me before that he’s a Transcendent who’s been to Valhalla and back, that’s why he had a prolonged life,’ explained Aalaiyah, attempting to avoid the age question. But Hirei’s stare was too hard to ignore, and so she continued on. ‘I’m not really sure how old he is. But if I’m not mistaken, my father came back from Valhalla twenty six years ago, and they declared then that he was fourteen years old. So this year, he’d be fourty years old by name. But his biological age is… um… eighty nine years old.’

‘What?’ Hirei expressed his surprise aloud as Cedric’s eyebrows twitched and Penelope shrieked. ‘B-But he looks kinda young!’

‘It’s true! High Wizard Nadleeh has been around since my grandparents were alive. And that says something since both of them are not around anymore,’ Nellie clarified while tapping her jaws. ‘Just a little side info for you guys on Transcendents. A Transcendent such as High Wizard Nadleeh was a person; a hero who had mastered the art of their profession. Their courage and achievements had been recognized by the Valkyries, the female warriors of the god Odin. These Transcendents have read the Book of Ymir and found the forgotten path, led by the Valkyries to the Hall of Honour, Valhalla. It is there the Valkyries will grant the Transcendent with new wisdom and a fragment of the power of Ymir’s Heart. Before the Transcendents are returned to their homeland below the skies, their bodies which are exhausted are regenerated with energy, restored to their youthful selves to serve the world with their abilities again. That’s why High Wizard Nadleeh has been in our world for such a long time, but has not aged much as how you saw him in Geffen. He used to be his old self before he went to Valhalla, and as Aalaiyah said, he came back with a body of a fourteen year old, his memories and knowledge still intact. The Heart of Ymir has also granted him a better manipulation of energy, which is why his magic skills are incomparable to a normal Wizard.’

‘But didn’t you say earlier that we do not know where the fragments of Ymir’s Heart are?’ asked Penelope. ‘Yet Chief Wingstaff inherited its powers.’

‘I haven’t got the chance to explain that, have I?’ Nellie laughed cheerfully, finding pleasure in sharing her knowledge. ‘There are two ways to acquire the power of Ymir’s Heart. One would be to get your hands on the genuine Heart piece, the other would be to become a Transcendent and be rewarded with its power by the Valkyries. However, the latter does not grant a person the full potential of a genuine fragment of Ymir’s Heart. But it’s powerful enough for a human to acquire the power in such way. For researchers like me, it becomes our wish to get our hands on a fragment of Ymir’s Heart to learn more about it and utilize it in a large scale. Magicians can use them to increase to proficiency of their spells. Even fighters would be able to use them to fuel their bodies with immense energy and stretch them beyond their limits. It’s because of the wonders the Heart of Ymir holds that it has become an object of desire for everyone, whether or not they understand its abilities. Even King Tristan the Third has popularized it and offered fame and wealth, and that is the significance Ymir’s Heart hold to most of our people. If you ask me, I have no idea why Ymir’s Heart is said to bring peace to the world. From what it looks like now, everyone is fighting over it and there’s no peace at all.’

‘Maybe we would only have piece if mankind could search for all the fragments and put them together,’ said Penelope thoughtfully.

‘Then, do you have any clues where we might be able to find them?’ asked Cedric while Nellie was taking a gulp of water from a cup by her desk.

‘There’s no exact place or site where you can find the pieces of Ymir’s Heart. But I believe that you’ll have a better chance finding them in Swartzwald or Arunafeltz.’

‘Why so?’

‘First of all, I’m positive that the other two nations already have their hands on it,’ said Nellie in a hush-hush manner with her hands over her mouth. ‘We haven’t heard of anyone in Rune Midgard finding one, right? Otherwise, the King would have proudly announced it to everyone already. I used to chase after the Heart’s trails and had some leads, but…’ she paused to sigh with regret. ‘I couldn’t keep up with it. The places I needed to travel to were too dangerous for me alone, no one would join me in my search. After having little success from my work, my sponsors threatened to leave me. I can’t do anything without funds, so I gave up my search for Ymir’s Heart and pursued a different type of research here in Morroc. Anyhow… from my old documents, ancient people used to worship individual pieces of Ymir’s Heart, and some buried them. If we must look in Rune Midgard, I reckon Odin’s Shrine, Morroc and Umbala would hold some clues.’

‘Would it be okay if you shared with us all your research data?’ Aalaiyah requested. ‘I could ask father to have his wizards look into it, if you don’t mind. Or maybe, Penelope, Cedric, Hirei and I can continue your hunt for them. We’ll let you have the glory for the findings.’

Nellie gasped and jumped up from her armchair, almost dropping the cup of water in her hand. ‘Are you all serious about it? Almost everyone has failed in their efforts to find a fragment of Ymir’s Heart. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack! You either need Freya’s luck or huge excavation projects to have even the slightest chance of finding one.’

They nodded back without hesitation, almost sending Nellie into tears. ‘Oh… you don’t know how much this means to me! I’m putting all my hopes and faith in you guys by entrusting my unfinished work in your hands. First… I’ll need to clean this mess up and compile all my files and make copies of them before I can pass them down to you. And for you, Aalaiyah, I’ll throw in some of my other goodies which would be helpful in your general Mage training and studies.’

Aalaiyah clasped her hands together happily and they took turns to thank her. ‘Sheesh, I should be thanking you, this means a lot to me – oh, you don’t have to help,’ said Nellie as Penelope started to clear up some of the papers on the floor. ‘I like working this way. And there are some work like cleaning up my documents I would prefer to do alone.’

‘So, what should we do now?’ asked Hirei to no one in particular.

‘You guys should take some time looking around Morroc, it’s a really interesting place. Just wandering around the bazaar would take a whole day and trust me, you would want to. There’s tons of nice and affordable hears there if you could spot out the cons and get a good bargain. See, I got this really adorable blue hair tie from there by just trading a few pieces of yellow gemstones!’ Nellie boasted as she pulled out a little blue ribbon from her drawer and threw it on her bun to prove her point. Hirei made a soft, throat-clearing noise and Nellie quickly turned back to them, hiding the hair tie behind her back.

‘Anyway, you must be really careful while in Morroc. It is the home of the Thieves and Assassins here, and there are many of them in disguise to earn quick zennies from the curious travelers who flock here,’ Nellie warned gravely. ‘Other than that, just drop in tomorrow to check on me. But I’ll just warn you beforehand, I might take two days just clearing up this space.’

‘No rush. Thanks a lot again for today,’ said Cedric. ‘We won’t bother you further then. See you tomorrow!’

***

They spent the whole evening finding for a suitable and trustworthy inn to stay at for the next two days. There were many choices of inns in Morroc, but many of them were full and the other half looked horrible or was crowded with bad company. Finally, they settled down in a quiet inn near the weapon and armor shop at the southeast corner of Morroc. When the sun rose, they took Nellie’s suggestion and took a trip to the bazaar.

‘I’m going to put all of our money into four separate bags for the each of us,’ said Penelope, handing out brown satchels of money as they approached the stalls. ‘In the case we do get robbed, we could minimize the loss. Please take extreme care with it!’

They ventured into the bazaar with their arms hugging their body closely, cautious of the presence of everything they were carrying. Cedric stared warily at the woman who had a red hair like the tone of his own red streaks in a black cloak, who looked back at him suspiciously. They brushed against each other lightly, sending Cedric into a frenzy to check if any of his items were missing. Thankfully, nothing was stolen and it was only Cedric being paranoid. They walked down the large walkway where the stalls were neatly lined up, extending until the castle which was surrounded by the lake of water. There were smaller paths of stalls branching out of the main walkway of the bazaar to accommodate more merchants.

After a few hours of browsing and bargaining, Penelope finally bought a good quality Chain at a cut-throat price to replace her old Mace, much to Hirei’s dismay(‘Now she’s even more menacing than before. We better not mess with her at all,’ whispered Hirei unhappily to Cedric). Cedric could not decide whether or not to get a one-handed sword with a shield or go for a more damaging two-handed sword. Considering his attack speed, he opted for a Tsurugi and two second-hand Bucklers for both Penelope and himself. Hirei stocked up on his arrows, deciding that it was not yet time for a bow updgrade. Aalaiyah bought nothing as Edel had prepared new upgrades for her before she left Geffen. As the sun began to set, their money bags were lighter than before.

‘It’s lighter in a good way,’ Penelope announced gladly while proudly swinging her new Chain when she had confirmed that none of their possessions were lost. They then returned to Nellie’s place, only to find her being carried away from reading her old documents with a tinge of nostalgia shinning in her eyes. She quickly cleared up the space at once and started to compile her files.

‘Where will you guys be heading to next?’ asked Nellie as she poked her grey head out of the cupboard.

‘Well, we haven’t really decided on that yet,’ said Cedric. ‘Maybe we could visit all the cities in Rune Midgard while searching for Ymir’s Heart, then go to the Swartzwald Republic and Arunafeltz States, or even the smaller islands off the coast of Alberta.’

‘I support that last suggestions,’ Hirei piped hastily. ‘I haven’t been back to Amatsu since the sibling war ended.’

‘Definitely, I’d like to see that hometown you’ve been bragging about so much. Pink trees, cute girls and all right?’ Cedric laughed. ‘And after that, we can traverse all sorts of dungeons once we’re stronger. I bet Rei would like to go back to the Payon Dungeon and give those Soldier Skeletons a good beating.’

Penelope and Aalaiyah tittered softly, but Hirei was not amused when he thought about the enigmatic huntress they met. ‘Oh, and Cedric, shouldn’t we be searching for your brother too?’ Aalaiyah said. ‘He must know a little something about the Heart of Ymir. Besides, isn’t it always your hope to be on this journey with him? It’s our original plan to have him along, and I’d really like to meet him too.’

‘Oh yeah…’ Cedric murmured sadly as he thought about Caleb, the letter his brother left behind was still kept safely in his rucksack. ‘I almost forgot about that.’

‘For your next trip,’ Nellie spoke suddenly, placing a dusty box of envelopes on her table. ‘Why don’t you head for Al de Baran? There’s a huge event there in a two weeks, I heard. The city will be full of activity then.’

‘Al de Baran?’ said Hirei as he pursed his lips. ‘Isn’t that the northern-most city in Rune Midgard? Like, really far away northern-most?’

‘If you leave in the next few days, you should be able to make it in time,’ said Nellie. ‘It’s good training, right? On top of that, if you decide to go, I would tag along until we get to Al de Baran too!’

‘Really?’ Penelope gasped excitedly. ‘You’d do that for us?’

‘Well, that’s kind of a yes and no. I’m supposed to be meeting my sponsors there during the event, that’s why I suggested Al de Baran in the first place,’ said Nellie as she grinned sheepishly. ‘So technically, you’ll be doing me a favour if you travel to Al de Baran with me, or me with you, oh, it doesn’t matter. It’s a win-win situation, right?’

‘It sounds like a good idea. Sure, we’ll do just that,’ Cedric smiled as Nellie thanked them again happily.

---

Current Word Count: 24,269

Unfortunately...

2009-11-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

I was wrong. There isn't much things to do here in Malacca, but there's no computer or internet for me to do nothing. So I had to update my NaNoWriMo in my little red book by hand, and it's really slow since it's the hand and I couldn't do my research on Ymir's Heart and all... I just so happens that there's no computers or internets around in Malacca. I'm only able to get on because I borrowed my cousin brother's laptop, whose house had no internet, and I'm at my aunt's house, which has no computer but has internet.

I might only be able to update tomorrow... Hopefully with 5k+ words or something... .___.

FORGIVE ME! *cries*

A Little Note

2009-11-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

First of all, I was really busy today, so there's a high possibility there's no update for day fourteen. I'm still writing, so don't worry, just having a hectic day and a writer's block. xD I'll come back tomorrow with more words, since I'll be in Malacca, and there isn't much to do there. :P

And also, there will be an edit regarding the Transcendents. I won't be changing the definition or anything, just that Nellie will be doing that explanation instead to flow with her part as a know-it-all(so to say xD). So, the part explaining about what Transcendents are will be taken out of part nine once I get my latest update. :X

Keep keeping me motivated plox. I'll need it.

Thirteen

2009-11-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah were walking aimlessly through Sograt Desert, attempting to navigate themselves to the desert city of Morroc with a compass in Penelope’s hands and a map of the Rune Midgard Kingdom in Cedric’s. The scorching sun and the cloudless sky caused a searing heat that pierced their skin. The sharp cries issued from the cactus-like Mukas and frequent barking from the Desert Wolves were annoying and did not help in their situation. It has been a long journey due to the frequent rests they had to take and were weary from travelling under an intense environment. Thankfully, Penelope had stocked up enough water and food for their long walk to Morroc and was very particular about how much they consume each they to make sure that there was enough for tomorrow.

‘Are we there yet? I’m getting dehydrated!’ grumbled Hirei as he dragged his feet, mouth opened as sweat trickled down his face. ‘We’ve already passed Ant Hell a couple of days ago right? We couldn’t be far off…’

‘Close your mouth, talk less, and you’ll be fine,’ said Penelope curtly as if trying to save her breath. She handed Hirei one of their half full water bottles, which Hirei snatched greedily like a Thief Bug. ‘Don’t finish that.’

Hirei raised the water bottle in the air and tipped it to his mouth, fresh water flowing down into his throat, temporarily relieving him from the heat. Just then, a yellow Drops hopped onto his arm, swallowing the water bottle into its translucent body and ran away.

‘Stop there you looting jelly!’ Hirei raised his bow and shot an arrow through the Drops, a relative of the also looting Porings, reducing it to little yellow fragments which evaporated under the heat. Hirei retrieved his water bottle triumphantly, bringing the rim of the bottle to his mouth once again for another drink.

‘BLEH!’ Hirei choked as he started to spit out sand back onto the ground. It seems that the water inside the bottle had been replaced with sand when the Drops stole it. Wiping his mouth furiously, Hirei threw the bottle onto the jelly remains. ‘Man! If we stay here any longer, I think my brain’s gonna be fried like an egg before it starts getting crazy and decides to brandish a frying pan like a Magnolia.’

‘I think your brain already went crazy…’ said Cedric cautiously as he scanned his best friend from head to toe. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

‘No need to worry now, look!’ Aalaiyah said as she pointed at a desert fortress, guarded by tall, sandy walls. They had to strain their eyes to spot the structure through the dusty dunes.

‘That’s Morroc!’ Cedric announced happily. They continued to hike their way towards the massive gates of the frontier. They entered the city littered with tents and buildings all around the large sandy compound, the people wrapped in tan cloaks to shield themselves from the sun and dust. Almost everything in Morroc was tan except for the diversity of colours in hair and clothing the people chose, the wares the Merchants were selling and the deep blue water which surrounded the castle of Morroc in the middle of the city. There were more goings-on in Morroc compared to Payon, Geffen and Izlude, the city somehow giving him an odd feeling of familiarity. Jewelry merchants, food sellers, item collectors all line the brick streets of the city, those in the bazaar not afraid to raise their voice to haggle.

‘Um, excuse me, do you know where this place is?’ Cedric asked a Kafra Staff in brown dress after having a quick look around the bazaar, showing her the piece of paper.

‘Oh, you just have to follow the road down south, and then head a little to the east until you see an inn near the corner of the street,’ said the girl as she waved her gloved hand. She then took out a map of Morroc and an adorable pen with Poring decorations. ‘Let me point it out for you on this map… Here, you can have this!’

Cedric thanked the Kafra staff and started to study the map thoroughly. ‘What was that for?’ asked Hirei as he tiptoed over Cedric’s back, his height giving him an advantage while Cedric tried to reposition himself so that the map was not in Hirei’s shadows.

‘It’s an address Edel gave me before we left Geffen,’ said Cedric. ‘He said that he had a Sage friend who might be able to give us some hints about the heart fragments of Ymir. I guess we might be staying some days here in Morroc.’

‘At least the weather in the city is less extreme than the harsh conditions of Sograt Desert,’ said Penelope as she recalled having sleepless nights due to the chilly weather during bedtime all while the sand kept colliding into their tents in the wind, distracting them while they tried to catch some Z’s. ‘So, we’ll be looking for this Sage now?’

Cedric turned to the rest of his party for opinions, getting a shrug from Hirei and two nods from Penelope and Aalaiyah. ‘We could look around Morroc as we walk, come on!’

They started walking away from the bazaar, but still had to push their way through the crowded streets. Hirei was walking in front while Penelope and Aalaiyah were behind him, holding onto each other closely. Cedric was concentrated on his map, making sure that they do not lose their way in a foreign land. Just then, he bumped into a girl in an elaborate outfit with a large, brown bow below her chest. Cedric lost his balance, slipping backwards before being caught by the same girl who he noticed had her sweet amethyst shaded hair slightly tied in the style of two ox horns on her head and the rest of her long hair left loosely below her shoulders.

‘T-Thanks,’ said Cedric as he nodded his head in appreciation. The girl’s small grey eyes seem to smile at him as she nodded too and walked away in the opposite direction.

‘Welcome back, sir Knight. Watch your back and stay alive until then, would you?’

Cedric stood there, stunned for a moment as he tried to figure out what had happen. He turned around to look behind him, but the girl who bumped into him and left him the cryptic message had disappeared.

‘Hey, Ced, stop dreaming there would ya?’

For the whole day, Cedric’s thoughts would be tortured by the strange encounter with the amethyst-haired girl, and it would not be the only strange occurrence he would come across in Morroc. He swore that he was starting to feel a little queasy, the girl’s grey eyes kept floating into his mind along with the words she said, reminding him of the time he was almost knocked out by a Poring’s water attack when he was little. Could he have known the girl from somewhere? He started to come back to his senses when a blue glint of light shone into his eyes through Penelope’s necklace.

‘This is the place, isn’t it?’ said Penelope as she opened the door and took a peep inside, revealing a well furnished inn, confirming her statement. She walked to the desk and asked for the Sage they were looking for, and they were pointed to the second room on the right up the stairs. Knocking on the door, they heard loud footsteps, followed by the door banging open with a girl panting at the entrance. She was wearing a Sage outfit, very similar to that of a Mage’s, but had a more intricate design to it.

‘Y-Yes? How may I help you?’ she asked as she casually tied up her grey hair into a loose bun with a pencil she had in her hand.

‘Nellie is it? Hi, my name is Cedric. We’re here to ask you for some help on the mystery about Ymir’s Heart,’ said Cedric as he flashed the paper with her name and address written on it. ‘Edel from the Wizard Council recommended us here.’

‘Oh, Edel Claphire? And you’re interested in my research? Please, come in and make yourself comfortable!’ said Nellie gleefully as she swung her door open, inviting them into her room. It was a standard size room with a large bed that could fit two people, but the whole place was drowned in papers, research notes and all sorts of apparatus, much like Nadleeh’s workspace, leading Cedric to adopt an impression that all Magicians were just the same. Embarrassed, she quickly cleared the floor and pulled out four chairs from the corner of the room. ‘I’m so sorry it’s such a mess in here. I didn’t expect to receive any visitors, so I never bothered to clean up.’

‘It’s alright,’ Aalaiyah said softly as she sat on the low stool Nellie provided. Nellie did a double take and leaned forward to take a better look of Aalaiyah.

‘Oh, aren’t you Chief Wingstaff’s beloved daughter?’ said Nellie cheerfully. ‘Edel told me about you. So you’re all traveling together? At such a young age too! I’m impressed.’

‘Yeah, we’ve been around for almost a month now,’ Cedric said, hesitating for a moment. The four of them started looking at each other and realized that they had been away from their homes for a month. It was that long since the day they became Novices and travelled to Prontera, Izlude, Geffen, Payon and now Morroc together. ‘We’ve been kicking stuff together for… a month already…’

‘Wonderful. So, how is it that you guys are interested by the legends of Ymir’s Heart? I’d understand if the Chief’s daughter was fascinated by these mysteries, but a fresh Swordsman, Archer and Acolyte? You guys must really have a good grasp of what you want to pursue.’ Nellie inquired in a reporter-like way, pausing for awhile and started laughing at herself. ‘Oh, I’m sorry if I’m too talkative or sounded too aggressive. Researchers like me don’t really get to sit down and talk often. And I’m really excited to be able to share my findings!’

---

Current Word Count: 21,327

Eleven and Twelve

2009-11-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

The next morning, they woke up to the strong smell of herbs, lemons and sweet sauce. The innkeeper had cooked them a breakfast of Herb Marinade Beef with the loots they have contributed, the dish of tender beef was apparently a secret Payon recipe.

‘Hey, did anyone see Hirei?’ asked Cedric as he entered the dining area, both Penelope and Aalaiyah already enjoying their meal.

‘The innkeeper told me that he left us a message,’ Penelope said as she laid down her cutlery. ‘He’s taking the Archer test right now, and asked us to meet him in the Archer Village at noon.’

‘Gosh, that impatient guy,’ Cedric laughed. ‘And I here I was hoping that the beauty of Payon had stopped him in his tracks. I guess nothing will slow him down from his dream of becoming a renowned Hunter and gracing the covers of “Bullseye!”.’

They set out for the Archer Village after their meal, heading down the dirt path leading north. Reaching a gate, they asked the guard on duty for directions to the Archer Guild. They reached the fork the guard spoke of and took the middle path of the three. Eventually, they reached two buildings at the end of the road. Both buildings were traditionally built with mostly wood, vines and leaves creeping all over the building, making them one with nature. After identifying the headquarters of the Archer Guild from a small wooden sign at the front, Cedric pushed open the sliding door and took a step in.

‘Hirei Kusano?’ the man at the counter looked up as they asked for Hirei’s whereabouts. ‘Oh, you must mean that white-haired kid. He left already. I said if his friends were looking for him, he’d be down the other fork at the Buddha statue.’

And so, they thanked the man and were on Hirei’s trail again. They backtracked to the fork and took the path heading southeast until they reached a large statue of a man sitting peacefully on a large lotus flower, his legs crossed and his eyes closed calmly. This must have been the statue of Buddha the man at the Archer Guild spoke about. But where exactly is Hirei?

Just then, an arrow came flying down from above, landing precisely and inch away from Cedric’s feet. Looking above, he saw a frenzied boy in a mahogany outfit with blue pants, wielding a bow while crouching down dangerously on a tree branch. He leapt into the air with a warlike cry, his hands spread out and ambushed an unaware Cedric with a body slam, causing him to fall onto the ground while his face was covered with sleet white hair, as if trying to force Cedric to eat them.

‘Oh gosh, Hirei! Must you make such an entrance?’

It seems that the apparently barbaric person was just a Hirei in a new outfit. He was wearing the Archer’s outfit, his long sleeves rolled up to his shoulders with an arrow quiver hanging across his back. Hirei and Cedric both laughed when they straightened themselves up, congratulating Hirei on his achievement.

‘We’re all first job now!’ Cedric cheered as he flashed a bright grin. ‘What shall we do now?’

‘Well, this calls for a celebration!’ said Hirei who smirked suspiciously with his fingers on his chin. ‘And a good idea of a celebration is to test out my new archery skills by traversing Payon Dungeon!’

‘You mean that cave with undead monsters lurking in it?’ asked Aalaiyah uncertainly. She seemed frightened by the idea of entering a spooky cave with beings who were supposed to be dead.

‘Since we’re here in Payon, I think it’ll be nice to just take a look at the dungeon and challenge ourselves,’ Cedric nodded before receiving an eye signal from a concerned Penelope. ‘But of course, if Aalaiyah doesn’t want to, we could always look somewhere else or start our journey to Morroc.’

‘No, it’s alright. I’d like to try it out too,’ Aalaiyah spoke out with a hint of courage in her voice. She did not want to let down the party, and figured that if she wanted to learn, it would be best to encounter as many types of monsters as she can.

And so, they returned back to the fork for the second time, and went down the left path that they have not taken, bringing them in front of the entrance of a spooky cave, weird moaning and sharp bat noises could be heard from the outside. They agreed to try out the first level of the dungeon, and if faced with danger, will escape together immediately, safety being their top priority. Aalaiyah gripped tightly onto Penelope’s cape as Cedric led the way into the cave with a lamp in his left hand to illuminate their way. The cave’s surface was bumpy and moist, dimly lit with oil lamps that hung from the walls of the cave. There were green Poporings, creatures similar to their pink Poring counterparts, but armed with poison and were more dangerous. Aggressive Farmiliars were widespread, but were easily dispatched by the foursome. There were undead Skeletons as well, but they did not cause any trouble as they were unaggressive. However, their presence was disturbing as they hop across the cave with their bones clanking, all bones and no skin.

‘Something’s coming,’ Hirei said suddenly, his keen ears alerted. He put his bow forward and mounted an arrow on it, prepared for enemy encounter. Cedric stepped forward of the rest with his sword drawn, being the only melee attacker of the group it was normal that he is always in the frontlines. Penelope and Aalaiyah both took out their Bible and spell book respectively, ready to cast any spells if needed.

‘Undead, medium-sized monster, weak against Holy and Fire property. Walks slowly and has a poison attack. I-It’s a Zombie…’ said Aalaiyah, trembling when she saw the real thing. It looked like a wrinkled up human with sickly purple skin, a pair of dull red eyes like a dead fish, brown matted hair, wearing just a loincloth, releasing a foul odour from his mouth and attracting flies all over.

‘Heal!’ Penelope cried with her palms opened forward, a bright green light emerging from them. The Zombie staggered as it was hit by the healing spell, dealing damage to its undead body. Yet, it continued to walk towards them with its hands outstretched.

As Penelope continued to strike the Zombie with Heal spells at a steady rate, Cedric concentrated his spirit energy in his sword to prepare for his skill. Before he could land his sword on the enemy, Aalaiyah had completed the incantation of her spell from her spell book which was floating in front of her in midair, a red aura bursting from her feet and her wand. ‘Fire Bolt!’ she yelled boldly with a swish of her wand. Balls of fire formed from above, bolting the Zombie mercilessly until it dropped on its knees, its life force leaving the already rotten body.

‘Wow, great job girls!’ said Hirei, impressed. ‘Both of you killed it before we could do anything. Aalaiyah, did you just use your telekinetic powers on your book?’

‘Um, yeah, it was just a sudden inspiration to do so,’ Aalaiyah said as her spell book landed softly into her outstretched arms. ‘I got excited by that thought that I think I forgotten my fear for the Zombie. Wow, I’m pretty good with my telekinetic powers now!’

They ventured further into the cave, battling several more Zombies until they reached the end of a small path which had a stairs leading down, deeper into the second level of the dungeon. Hirei walked straight on forward cheerfully, but was stopped by Penelope.

‘I thought we agreed to go this far?’ said Penelope. ‘The undeads down there might be too strong for us. I don’t want to take the risk and have any one of us badly injured.’

‘I’ve heard that there are Soldier Skeletons and Archer Skeletons down there…’ said Aalaiyah as she fiddled with her wand. ‘Maybe we should backtrack out of here…’

‘If you haven’t seen it, how’d you know?’ Hirei piped stubbornly. ‘Come on, let’s go down there!’

Before Cedric could stop him, Hirei had run down the stairs and went out of sight. ‘That stone headed Hirei, we got to go down there and get him back out. Quickly, they dashed after Hirei and found Penelope’s judgement to be correct, unfortunately. To their dismay, they found an army of Soldier Skeletons, dark and boney undead creatures which are nimble whilst handling two daggers, crowding the entrance of the second level of the dungeon.

Without thinking twice, Aalaiyah whipped out her spell book and wand, magic glyphs circling her legs as fire bolts rained down from above, striking the army of Soldier Skeletons.

‘Move back, you pile of bones!’ Hirei shouted as he reloaded his bow with arrows. He focused his spirit powers on the string of his composite bow before striking. ‘Double Strafe!’ he yelled, unleashing two arrows at once, destroying a Soldier Skeleton into a heap of bones.

Cedric leapt backwards after casting Magnum Break, his sword burning in flames as an after effect. Remembering Aalaiyah’s words that fire property was strong against undeads, he took advantage of his currently fire endowed weapon and followed it up with another skill he had learned. ‘Bash!’ he roared, running forward to attack the wave of enemies. He attacked the remaining skeletons normally until the flames on his blade died out. He let loose his spirit energy for another Magnum Break attack, but the Soldier Skeletons kept coming. Just when Cedric needed the extra boost, Penelope casted waves of healing and supportive spells from behind to support her fellow team members.

‘There’s… just… too many of them!’ Cedric said through his gritted teeth, parrying the double bladed attacks from the Soldier Skeletons with his sword.

‘Hirei, behind you!’ Aalaiyah gasped in warning during the intervals of her spell casting. While Hirei was reloading his bow, a Soldier Skeleton had crept up behind him, dagger in the air and was ready to strike him. Even after being alerted, it was too late for Hirei. As he turned around, the Soldier Skeleton was already swinging its double daggers across his face. Hirei fell backwards helplessly, closing his eyes tightly and expecting the worse.

Crack.

The Soldier Skeleton collapsed into a heap bones without a spirit, its daggers fell onto the ground with a clank before reducing to dust. Hirei breathed deeply as he opened his eyes slowly, walking closer to inspect the now dead Soldier Skeleton. There was a sharp arrow with a poorly straightened shaft and a somewhat unappealing fletching, making for a rather effective arrow but with misshaped looks. They raised their heads in the direction of where the arrow came from, finding a silhouette of a slender female Hunter with a bow in hand on a higher platform. She could be seen with short hair and was accompanied by a beautiful falcon, but they were unable to see her face clearly as it was too dark. She released another wave of arrows, effortlessly defeating a handful of Soldier Skeletons.

‘Leave,’ said the Huntress softly as a cold, dry voice escaped her thin lips. ‘This is not a place for newbies like you to wander in.’

‘What newbies are you talking about?’ Hirei retorted without thinking as he only cared to defend his pride. ‘You expect us to leave you here alone to fend of these things?’

The Huntress responded cynical laugh which echoed in the cave. ‘So, shall I expect you, who I had just rescued to destroy this army? You don’t know where you are standing, Archer boy. For a person who was just saved to worry about their savior, how amusingly ironic.’

Hirei was furious by the Huntress’ remark, immediately forgetting how he had put the whole party in trouble in the first place. He wanted to prove the Huntress wrong, reloading his bow quickly. However, he was too slow for someone who had more experience in this field, as the Huntress had made her move by striking an arrow swiftly against the cave wall. The friction caused a flame to ignite the metal head of the arrow, which she used to light up a bundle of arrows. At that moment, the fire lit up her face, revealing that the Huntress had an unusual teal hair and had a black cloth draped over her right eye. Before Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah could further examine the details on the Huntress’ face, the fire arrows were already sent flying into the air.

‘Arrow Shower!’ the Huntress howled valiantly with her bow pointed towards the ceiling. Fire arrows were shot in nines upwards, falling neatly in rows in front of Hirei and his friends. In a split second the arrows burst into flames, forming a wall of fire between them and the army of Skeleton Soldiers along with the Huntress, effectively blocking their path.

‘I won’t let her say that about me, that arrogant Huntress!’ Hirei bellowed as he waved his bow in the air, struggling to get out of Penelope’s grasps and was trying to run towards the fire.

‘Rei, stop being so ignorant, you can’t do anything about this!’ Cedric shouted back as he assisted Penelope in restraining Hirei. With much effort, they finally retreated out of the cave, leaving the mysterious Huntress in there to fight off the undeads. Fortunately, they escaped unscathed, but with a part of Hirei’s ego injured.

‘What were you thinking?’ Cedric bellowed as Hirei tried to complain about the event again. With Cedric’s scolding, Hirei remained silent, his mind still flaring with the Huntress’ insults.

‘First, you ran down to the second floor alone without the rest of the party, even after we said we’re only trying out the first floor. Then we were ambushed by an army of Soldier Skeletons. Then you had to start opening your big mouth after being saved, even trying to risk your life to prove your point to the Huntress for insulting you? Haven’t you realized that it’s your mistake? She’s much more skilled than you are, and you know it deep down, you just don’t have the guts to admit it.’

‘Alright, alright, I got your point!’ said Hirei angrily as he dropped onto the ground, tired and filled with shame. ‘Just… enough with that already. You know that I know that I’m a… a sore loser…’

‘At least you’re clear enough to know that,’ said Cedric as he smiled, a mutual understanding and forgiving sparked between the two friends as he bent down and pat Hirei on the back. He did not mean it in a sarcastic way, but of relieve instead. ‘Come on, let’s go and get some dinner now. We’ve had enough adventure for a day.’

They returned back to the lodging house for dinner and a well earned rest. The next morning, they checked out of the inn and decided the head west in their journey of learning and search for Ymir’s Heart piece, a part of them will always be left behind in Payon and its friendly people, the beauty of the mountain village and the lessons they learned in the dark dungeons.

***

---

Current Word Count: 19,633

Slacking?

2009-11-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

I guess no one noticed I didn't update for day 11, but then again, I'm not sure how many people reads this. :X But for those who are sticking around(Thank you Anthea and Amelia!), I'm trying to catch up with all my writing debt. I'm at 18k+ at the moment, when I'm supposed to have 20k. Orz. And by tomorrow, I'll have collected a 3k+ writing debt, which I promise all of you I'll finish up. D: Just keep giving me feedback so I get fueled, and kicking me in the butt to get going. 8D

For day 11 and 12, the update is coming soon. :X

Thanks again for sticking around! I'm almost halfway there. NaNoWriMo, I SHALL CROSS TEH FINISH LINE.

Ten

2009-11-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Nadleeh’s voice was stiff and commanding, his speech was constructed in a way that was an order that could not be opposed, and yet did not impose a feeling of dissatisfaction. Instead they had a sense of pity and desire; they knew that Nadleeh was just trying his best to protect his precious daughter. Clearly, it would be useless to object Nadleeh’s wishes of Aalaiyah staying back in Geffen. She lowered her head, her ocean green eyes brimming with tears as she nodded in obedience. Edel swept forward to console Aalaiyah, using his gloved hands to wipe her watery tears. He placed a comforting arm across Aalaiyah’s shoulders, her brown hair running down her forehead untidily, covering her sad face.

Nadleeh turned towards Cedric, Hirei and Penelope. ‘Thank you again for being so kind to Aalaiyah. You are welcomed to return to Geffen whenever you like. I’m sure Aalaiyah would love that, and we will do our best make your stay here be worthwhile. Edel, please lead them to the exit of the tower.’

‘I am sorry…’ Edel said miserably as he opened the door and slowly led them out. They did not even have the chance to say goodbye to Aalaiyah. What if their paths would never cross again?pot As the doors closed in on them, they took a quick glimpse at Aalaiyah for one last time before leaving, smiling back at them bitterly.

***

The uplifting trip had turned gloomy for Cedric, Hirei and Penelope. They rested and washed up in an inn before preparing to leave Geffen the next morning. As usual, Penelope would sell their loot for zeny to replenish their supply of food, potions and other gears. They spent some time looking at the sights around Geffen with Penelope as their tour guide, but not even Thor’s magical flames could cheer them up right now.

‘So… how should we get to Payon?’ said Cedric as he analysed his map. They were sitting around the fountain area, discussing about their departure. ‘It would take us about two weeks by foot.’

‘We’ve got to go back the way we came eh? Going through Prontera and heading further southwest.’ Hirei chipped in as he flipped through the newest issue of “Bullseye!”. ‘Man, what a pain. Can’t we get to Payon by the Kafra teleportation services?’

‘That is an option,’ Penelope nodded after counting all their money and putting them back into a leather pouch with a “Z” and a vertical line through it, the symbol of their currency, zeny. ‘We have enough money for the three of us, but that’ll make us broke. We simply can’t afford the luxury.’

‘Maybe I can help.’

Penelope gasped at the voice, dropping her money bag onto her lap. Standing before them was Edel, dressed in his long cape. Peeking out from behind his back was a girl with brown hair, two braids hanging from both her shoulders. She was wearing a cream, short cape over a revealing Mage outfit. She walked forward towards the trio, pulling the cape closer to herself as she smiled.

‘What are you all staring at?’ said Aalaiyah, blushing.

‘Aalaiyah, it’s you! You’re a Mage now!’ cried Penelope as she dashed forward and hugged her friend tightly. ‘Oh, we’re so sorry we did not say goodbye! Aren’t you staying back in Geffen?’

‘Don’t worry, Chief Nadleeh has reflected on his decision and concluded that he shall be letting Aalaiyah go,’ Edel explained quickly with a warm smile. ‘He only asked Aalaiyah to stay back to take the Mage test, and will be passing down his magic personally through the magic scrolls he has given her. Aalaiyah is allowed to follow you, only on the condition that she attains the knowledge she spoke of and become a Wizard we will all be proud of. Otherwise, you three will answer to the Chief.’

Cedric laughed, excited with the quick turn of events. ‘Definitely! This is great, Aalaiyah!’

Aalaiyah smiled cheerfully, the row that happened before was left in the past. ‘So, are we still heading to Payon? Because here we have –’ Aalaiyah took out four pieces of the strange looking papers that Cedric recalled being used by Pavienne when she teleported them to the Novice Training Grounds. ‘– four free tickets for Kafra Transportation!’

‘Oh, Aalaiyah! You’re a lifesaver!’ Hirei said as he hopped off the bench, ready to leave for Payon. They packed up their stuff and headed to the Kafra employee nearby.

‘Cedric, I heard from Aalaiyah that one of your quests is to search for the Ymir’s Heart pieces, yes?’ Edel inquired, receiving a nod from Cedric as an answer. ‘I have to say that it is a very ambitious goal. If you are headed to Morroc after your trip to Payon, you could look for a friend of mine, Nellie there. She’s a Sage, an elite from the Schweicherbil Magic Academy of Yuno. She does many researches on this legend, and maybe, you will learn something from her. Here, let me write you my recommendation and her temporary address in Morroc…’

Edel took out a scrap piece of parchment from his pocket and scribbled an address neatly with a pen. ‘Thanks a lot, Edel,’ said Cedric as he took the paper, excited by the extra information. While Cedric was still arranging his equipments, he saw Edel bending over and speaking to Aalaiyah, handing her a gorgeous wand with wing ornaments coiling around the rod, a dull, glass blue orb fastened at the top. Aalaiyah nodded, and hugged the wand tightly before keeping it in her bag.

‘Alright, are we ready?’ asked the Kafra employee, holding the tickets given to her by Aalaiyah in her hands. The four nodded in return. ‘Thank you for using our services! We will start with you then, Miss Wingstaff.’

Aalaiyah raised her hand to stop the lady from bowing. She nodded in Edel’s direction, smiling in graditude. ‘Thank you so much, Edel,’ she said. ‘I’ll treasure your gift, and I will miss you a lot!’

‘Same to you, take care!’ said Edel in return before the Kafra girl raised one of the tickets at head level and stamping it onto Aalaiyah’s forehead. The paper started glowing, emitting a swirl of light which surrounded Aalaiyah, and swallowing her into a vortex. In a blink of an eye, Aalaiyah had disappeared into the thin air, jumping across miles in space towards the city of Payon. Cedric and Hirei were both wowed by the new sight, being complete strangers to this form of teleportation. Just as Cedric wanted to open his mouth to speak, the Kafra girl stamped the second ticket onto his forehead.

‘Cedric, take care of Aalaiyah please. I’m counting on you,’ said Edel with a smile as Cedric felt faint from the swirling lights, losing his senses at the tip of his fingers, his arms, his shoulders, his legs… closing his eyes and just like Aalaiyah, disappeared like a magic trick.

***

Cedric fell on his knees onto the soft, lush green grass. He shivered at the weird feeling running down his spine as his senses returned to him slowly from his feet upwards. He opened his eyes slowly, finding himself opening his mouth in awe at the scenery. Everything in Payon was mostly green, otherwise, a calming earth tone of brown and cream. The village was surrounded by thick forests which swayed in the wind, bringing a fresh scent and a cooling breeze in the air. The river was flowing steadily from the mountains up north, the sounds of the water streaming at harmony with the still silence of the village. The atmosphere was cool and serene, Cedric felt that he could lie down on the grasslands all day and throw all his worries aside to truly experience the gifts of nature. Aalaiyah helped Cedric get onto his feet and soon, they were joined by Penelope and Hirei who appeared with a flash of light.

‘Wow… this place is wonderful!’ said a breath-taken Hirei. ‘You know what… could we just walk around Payon Village all day? I’ll just take my Archer Test tomorrow. I feel like I’m in heaven.’

And that was exactly what they did. They were welcomed warmly by the locals of Payon, inviting them into their homes with opened arms. Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah had the chance to learn about the cultures of the people in Payon. They even learned how to process fruit juices and cook a few local delicacies with simple ingredients. They went to the forests west of the town of Payon to stock up on potatoes from the Smokies there.

---

Current Word Count: 17,076

Nine

2009-11-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah were into day six of their journey to Geffen. Using a map given by the Kafra in Izlude, they headed northwest towards the Mjolnir Mountains. Cedric had a chance to test his skills against the new creatures they meet during their journey. Aalaiyah had proven herself to be a walking encyclopedia of monsters, too.

“Rockers!” said Aalaiyah on day two during their encounter with the large, human-sized grasshoppers wielding guitars. They were a loud bunch, making noises as they skipped across the Prontera Fields and strumming on their guitars tunelessly. “Medium sized insect class monsters, earth elemental. Magnum Break would do great against them.”

“Magnum Break!” Cedric landed his sword onto the ground where he concentrated all his spirit energy at. A burst of flames shot out from his sword, reaching to the two Rockers that were in close reach, pushing them back at the impact of the attack. The Rockers, now fuming(and on fire), strike Cedric with their guitars. Hirei ran forward to assist Cedric in the assault while Penelope stood back, Bible in hand to cast supportive spells on her team mates, boosting their agility and attack powers. It was an easy battle where eventually, the Rockers swung their guitar backwards and fell dead on the ground.

“Wow, Aalaiyah, you know your monsters really well,” praised Penelope after looting the legs of the Rockers.

“It’s nothing, really. I’m glad I could help with my expertise,” Aalaiyah smiled. “I’m only good at theory stuff. I’ve been learning about monster properties since I was little. It’s how they usually train us Mages. Especially girls like me, we don’t get a lot of chances to test out our knowledge.”

Aalaiyah showed that her years of education did not go to waste, when on the night of day four, the party was almost ambushed while sleeping soundly in their tents. She heard clicking noises and identified that there were Horns approaching their tent sites, excited and probably feeding on something nearby. It appeared that the beetles were munching away on their apples Penelope had bought from the Izlude Market. If Aalaiyah had not alerted the group, they would have little food to eat today.

‘We’re really close to Geffen now!’ Aalaiyah announced eagerly, her chocolate brown braids bouncing off her shoulders as she ran down the hills. ‘Look! We’re already out of the Prontera Fields and Mjolnir Mountains. Shamrock green grasses, it’s the Geffen Fields! We’ll reach Geffen in a few hours, bearing west!’

‘Really?’ Hirei leapt onto his feet after slashing off a mob of Hornets, cheered by the fact that the next town was nearby. Cedric and Penelope were both happy to hear the news too, feeling tired with the increasing load of loots and the diminishing stock of food. ‘Chop chop, let’s run for it!’

Soon, they came across a river, and across it were magnificent walls barricading a city of houses and buildings. In the middle, the pride of Geffen was spiraling up into the skies, housing the kingdom’s best Mages and Wizards. It became a foot race between the four, ignoring the little critters scattered across the unfamiliar fields towards the gates of Geffen.

‘Welcome to the city of magic, Geffen!’ the guards opened the gates to reveal a city of grey hues, carrying an air of mystery and magic. Aalaiyah’s smiled broaden as she was finally home and Penelope was no exception as the city had been her home for twelve years. Cedric and Hirei were just amazed to be in a place so different from Prontera, trying to take in the new environment and enjoy the surroundings.

‘Geffen hasn’t changed much!’ Penelope cried. ‘But it just feels more magical than before!’

‘Come on, let me bring you to the Geffen Tower!’ said Aalaiyah, hand-in-hand with Penelope as she led the group towards the centre of the city. As they walked down the brick paths, Cedric started to realize that the people of Geffen a quiet bunch compared to those in Prontera. There was less merchants around and not much activity going on. However, he noticed that the pedestrians were stealing glances at Aalaiyah, some cuddling close to their partners and were whispering into each other’s ears, others bowed shortly as she walked by.

‘You know, Aalaiyah, I was wondering…’ Penelope spoke out of a sudden as they arrived at the doors of the Geffen Tower. The tower was a massive structure with lights hung diagonally around the building, precious stones adorning the entrance and two bright blue crystals floating at the tip of the tower. ‘Sakda seemed to be addressing you with great respect. Even the people of Geffen seem to know you. Are you a noble?’

Aalaiyah had her hands and eyes on the doors of the entrance, anticipating something behind the door as she simply forced a smile on her pursed lips. She pushed the door open, revealing a beautiful lobby, Mages and Wizards in full length cloaks sweeping across the floor, some balancing papers and books, some carrying supplies of wands and magical gemstones. At the creaking noise of the door, they took short glances at Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah before returning to their work. A few of them stumbled to take a closer look at Aalaiyah, their mouth widening into an “O”.

‘Isn’t that Miss Wingstaff?’

‘She has returned!’

‘Welcome back, Miss Wingstaff!’

All of them, at the sight of Aalaiyah, lowered themselves into a bow. Cedric turned to look at Hirei and Penelope, exchanging looks of awkwardness and three of them left to wonder about Aalaiyah’s real identity.

‘Thank you everyone, but please, you can get up now and resume whatever you’re doing.’ Aalaiyah blushed in embarrassment. They listened obediently and continued to look busy while holding short discussions with each other as they walk by. A young Wizard with sleek, dark hair approached Cedric, Hirei, Penelope and Aalaiyah. He had a pair of captivating, dark blue eyes with warmth that went beyond his silver rimmed glasses. He placed an arm across his chest as he did a curtsy in front of Aalaiyah.

‘Welcome back, Miss Wingstaff, your father has been very worried about you,’ said the young man. ‘

‘I noticed,’ Aalaiyah spoke softly, lowering her head, cheeks reddening. ‘And I have warned you time and time again, address me as Aalaiyah!’

‘Ah, sorry, Aalaiyah,’ the Wizard laughed warmly, a smile spreading across his face. He turned towards the others and nodded at them, who straightened up and exchanged smiles with him. ‘So these must be the friends you have met at the Novice Training Grounds, the ones that gave you many fun experiences? Sakda informed me. I hope you have not been mistreating Aalaiyah.’

‘We wouldn’t dare to!’ Cedric answered hastily. Each of them then introduced themselves to Aalaiyah’s Wizard friend, who listened intently behind his glasses.

‘My name is Edel Claphire,’ the Wizard said after hearing their names. ‘I am the second generation of Claphire who serve under the Wingstaff’s. I have taken over my father’s job to assist the family in various matters, more specifically to watch over young Aalaiyah. In other words, I am Aalaiyah’s personal assistant.’

‘Wow!’ Hirei gasped in astonishment. ‘You must be pretty important to have two generations of servants under your wing, Aalaiyah!’

‘They are not servants!’ Aalaiyah snapped back strongly, surprising Hirei and even both Cedric and Penelope. ‘They are friends… subordinates who are working together with my family, that’s all.’

Edel seemed grateful by Aalaiyah’s reaction over the matter. ‘It is alright, Aalaiyah. The fact is that we are your helpers. It does not bother me if I am seen as your servant, as long as I am of assistance to you. Now, I must bring you to see your father. If you could all follow me upstairs…’

Edel lead the group up the stairs, ascending higher in the tower. The windows allowed just enough light into the building for the people to read and carry out their daily routine, the blue skies outside were simply breath-taking. Finally, after climbing three flights of staircases, Edel stopped in front of a door. He opened the door, not before knocking lightly on the wooden entrance and announcing their arrival.

‘Chief High Wizard Wingstaff, Aalaiyah and her friends have arrived from Prontera,’ Edel said, lowering down onto his knee. A middle aged man wrinkled with lines of wisdom on his handsome face was standing behind a work desk filled with documents, newspaper articles and a collection of strange monster drops, overflowing until they had to cover the area around the foot of the desk as well. He had Aalaiyah’s brown hair, and was wearing a dark and red exquisite cloak of a High Wizard.

‘Thank you, Edel. Aalaiyah, welcome home!’ said the man as he walked forward to embrace his daughter. A flabbergasted Penelope who stood by Aalaiyah covered her mouth as she gasped, her eyes widening at a surprising discovery.

‘Chief High Wizard of the Wizard Council, the ruler of the Magic City Geffen… A Transcendent who was chosen by the Valkyries and has been to Valhalla… This is… Sir Nadleeh Wingstaff, Aalaiyah’s father!’ Penelope exclaimed, the High Wizard was exhilarated by Penelope’s information about himself. ‘That’s why I always thought Aalaiyah looked familiar; she was the Chief High Wizard’s daughter!’

‘Why, thank you for that introduction, young lady. You must be a local, I presume,’ said Nadleeh with a voice that carried ages of wisdom and knowledge. ‘And I thank all of you for taking care of Aalaiyah for the past week or so.’

A Transcendent such as Nadleeh was a person, a hero who had mastered the art of their profession and their courage and achievements had been recognized by the Valkyries, the female warriors of the god Odin. They have read the Book of Ymir and found the forgotten path, led by the Valkyries to the Hall of Honour, Valhalla. It is said to be the place closest to the heavens, and it is there the Valkyries will grant the Transcendent with new wisdom and a fragment of the power of Ymir’s Heart. Before the Transcendents are returned to their homeland below the skies, their bodies which are exhausted are regenerated with energy, restored to their youthful selves to serve the world with their abilities again. (moved to part fourteen, fifteen and sixteen to flow with the story)

‘Father… I’m sorry about not returning to Geffen earlier than I should have,’ Aalaiyah said softly, as if in fear of her father. ‘I hope you would understand. I really enjoyed myself with my new friends. They taught me so many new things and treated me nicely. Even back at the Novice Training Grounds when we were still strangers, they so kindly offered me their help when my telekinesis powers went out of – ’

Aalaiyah’s words trailed off until she came to a silence. Nadleeh was alerted, and did not seem pleased by this. ‘I am relieved to hear that you are in good company, but you know the graveness of your powers going out of control,’ said Nadleeh with furrowed eyebrows. ‘I cannot allow this to happen again.’

‘But father, I’m sure I can learn to control it!’ Aalaiyah retorted. ‘I used it once to beat off a Mandragora! I can be in charge of my powers, all while traveling with my friends and learning new things. I have already gathered so much knowledge and new skills in this short time!’

Nadleeh maintained a calm tone as he attempted to reason with Aalaiyah. ‘You can travel with our capable Wizards from Geffen after you have furthered your studies at home. There are too many dangers in the outside world you do not know about. Aalaiyah, you’re my only daughter and the sole heir of the Wingstaff’s. It is my duty to see you grow into a well trained Wizard.’

‘I can learn on my own, Father. Knowledge gained from the outside world, from real life experiences are much more valuable than those absorbed by memory from the Geffen Library, or even those in Yuno. All these knowledge from books are just words and pictures, but how could I apply them when I’m really standing in front of a Baphomet? Would I concentrate my attacks on its head, or simply start bashing all my magic at its slaves? This journey can give me real knowledge, father, true wisdom that I see with my own eyes.’

‘Aalaiyah, are you claiming that everything that our ancestors learn from our great library is nothing compared to your one week road trip with your friends? Are you challenging the way we Wizards study and learn?’

‘That’s… that’s not what I’m trying to say. Father, you must understand that the knowledge in the Geffen Library is limited. They are theories and words of the wise ancients. But we must also learn how to apply these in the world we live in. Theory and practical must come together. And this world… it changes with time, everything, you, me, the words that are recorded in books, everything! We can’t just work like dictionaries, father. Wizards are supposed to be able to know how things work with their own logic. I want to be like that too. But I can’t do that if you decide to lock me up in this tower and protect me from all the dangers of the world. It won’t help me, father, it’s harming me.’

Cedric, Hirei and Penelope help their breath throughout the whole intellectual argument. Inside, they were yelling Aalaiyah’s name, supporting her in the stands like a Poring Ball competition. They were amazed by Aalaiyah’s firm judgement, and had a new impression of her.

Aalaiyah continued, smiling as she recalled her memories with them. ‘All the Porings Hirei slayed on the way here, all the loot Cedric collected, all the zennies saved as Penelope bargained with the merchants… All the little things mattered, they were all so meaningful to me. I just want to keep following them on their journey, because I’ll never know if our paths will cross again.’

Nadleeh still held a stiff expression on his face. ‘Aalaiyah,’ he started dryly. ‘I am very proud of how much you have grown, and that you are now making your own judgement. For that, I insist that I would teach you my magic personally at home. And my decision is final.’

---

Current Word Count: 15,636

Eight

2009-11-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

(I wrote less than 1,000 words today as I was at the temple all day and there was no available computers when I got back. I'm off my quota by a huge margin now! D: By hook or by crook I'll write 2,000+ words on day nine!)

Cedric tried standing with the support of his sword, biting his lips tightly. ‘Bear with me, all right?’ he pleaded his leg, as if hoping that they would be able to listen and obey. He then started to look at his surroundings and figure out where to go next. It was magnificent that they would build this cavern under the Swordsmen Guild just for the Swordsmen Test. It was not just creepy and scary, but inhabited by aggressive Fabres and Chon Chons too. Cedric tried to avoid combat as he did not want to hurt his leg further, and was comforted by the fact that he has not come across any corpses or skeletons. Finally, he found a staircase leading to a higher level. Climbing it, Cedric found himself back at the second checkpoint, Kyle waving back at him at the ending point of the test.

‘I forgot to tell you to be careful!’ Kyle yelled cheerfully. ‘It’s dangerous if you fall down there!’

Slightly annoyed by Kyle’s statement, Cedric braced himself as he stepped onto the metal bar once more, lifting his left leg slightly to exert less pressure on it as there was not enough space for him to use his sword to support himself again. Slowly, he walked towards the other side of the room, dodging arrows as they came. Cedric was halfway there, until an arrow threatened to hit his torso, causing him to make a quick step forward to evade it. It did not help his injured leg, and Cedric slipped off again, desperately clinging onto the metal bar to avoid another fall into the caverns below. He panted rapidly, his stamina pushed to the limits as he strained his arm to push his body up.

‘Cedric, don’t strain yourself!’ Kyle called out, evidently worried about Cedric’s beaten up condition. ‘You could take a rest if you want!’

‘I… promised them… I’ll be… quick…’ Cedric wheezed. His vision was deteriorating and his arms could not take it any longer. His efforts were to no avail as he loosened his grip to meet the creepy crawlies below again.

***

‘No, I’ll sell them all to you for 1,200z, or no deal,’ Penelope asserted firmly to the item collector in the Izlude Market. The man was tugging onto his blue shirt, face twisting oddly as he ran out of ideas to haggle with this determined girl. Eventually, a sack of Penelope’s loots consisting of jellopies, shells, clovers and others switched hand with a bag of the merchant’s zeny. They then left the shop happily with their money bags a little heavier.

‘Gosh, Penny. If we never knew better, I’d thought you were a merchant in disguise,’ said Hirei in amazement, Penelope laughing at his imagery. ‘Anyhow, I wonder if Cedric’s done yet. It’s been hours now… Should we go check up on him at the Swordsmen Guild?’

‘There’s no need to.’

They turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. Standing in front of them was a young man with a muffler and the garment of a Swordsman, equipped with an arm guard and steel greaves, the proud emblem of the Swordsmen Guild sitting on his chest, an eager expression worn by face of Cedric Spencer.

‘Wow, Ced! Congrats!’ Hirei ran forward to congratulate him, wrapping his arms around his shoulder, hurting Cedric unintentionally as he moaned in pain. It was only then they realized that Cedric was wrapped up in bandages at his limbs and covered with bruises at almost every inch of his body. There were blood stains seeping through the surfaces of some of the bandages which were made of towels and scraps of Cedric’s old clothing.

‘Oh gosh, Cedric! You’re wounded all over!’ cried Penelope as she extracted her Bible from her bag. She stood in front of Cedric, flipping through the pages of her Bible until she reached a marked page. She started chanting softly, a magic circle appearing at her feet as she gently rested her glowing palms, gathered with spirit energy on Cedric’s wounds. ‘Heal!’

Penelope released a calming green aura around Cedric’s body. At that moment, he felt all the pain in his body lifted into the air, his stamina returned to his body and bruises disappearing significantly. The cuts were all still there, but Cedric felt much better than before.

‘That was wonderful magic, Penelope,’ said Cedric as he blinked faintly, almost in a trance with the feeling of lightness running through his body. ‘Thanks a lot.’

‘It’s all I could do to help,’ said Penelope, smiling. ‘We’ve been to every corner of Izlude while you were away. I think we should be ready to leave now. Are we headed to Geffen next? To see Aalaiyah’s parents?’

‘Yeah… I guess we are,’ an unhappy Hirei sighed, feeling the arrival of the Archer Test slipping further away from him. ‘Geffen and Payon are two really different routes. I guess it’d take a week before I can change into the Archer’s garb.’

Aalaiyah felt a pang of guilt, Hirei unaware to this. ‘I’m so sorry Hirei… for such inconvenience,’ she apologized, Hirei only half paying attention as he was still down at the thought that he was going to be the only Novice in the group after Aalaiyah turns into a Mage. ‘We could travel to Geffen on foot if you’d like to save on the cost, then I could get my father to prepare a warp for us, straight to Payon. Would that be better?’

‘Nah, it’s not all your fault. That’ll be nice, thanks,’ Hirei said lazily, lost in his own thoughts and depression. Penelope glared at Hirei, crossed at his insensitivity which had thrown Aalaiyah into a deeper state of guilt by what he said.

Cedric decided that he should take the lead, walking towards the exit of Izlude. ‘Alright then, let’s move on to our next destination: Geffen!’

***

---

Current Word Count: 13,241

Seven

2009-11-07T08:59:00.001-08:00

‘Where will we be heading next?’ Penelope asked as she let the tap water rush down onto her hands and bounce off the basin.

‘Izlude,’ Cedric smilled back. ‘The satellite city of Prontera, and the home of the Swordsman.’

‘And after that, we can get us to Payon,’ Hirei chirped. ‘I can’t wait till I get to start shooting things! I’ve been training secretly all year with the bow.’

‘Hey, what about Aalaiyah?’ Penelope retorted, a hand on her hips and another holding a wet cloth. ‘She was supposed to return back to Geffen. Shouldn’t we accompany her there to at least inform her family that she’ll be joining us?’

Hirei’s jaw dropped, wanting to say something in defense. After a moment of hesitation, he flailed his hand as a gesture of giving in. But deep down, Hirei was intimidated by the cloth in Penelope’s hands, not wanting to be on the other end of Penelope’s wrath after witnessing her maneuver of the mace.

After breakfast, Cedric cleaned up his home with everyone else’s help, keeping his personal items away in his bedroom and taking a few meaningful ones along with him on his travels. The Kusano’s will be watching after his home during Cedric and Caleb’s absence, kindly offering to clean up the house once in awhile to keep it spick and span. Cedric felt fortunate to have stumbled upon Amatsu-native Hirei who has just moved into Prontera one day ten years ago. Cedric was playing with his wooden sword one day when he saw a white-haired kid, along with his parents moving into a vacant house nearby. Cedric approached Hirei after being told by his brother to be nice to their new neighbours. Cedric was often put off by Hirei’s then blunt and down-to-earth behavior, often causing them to bicker with one another. Eventually, the two separated their differences and became inseparable. The Kusano’s had been family friends with Caleb and Cedric since then, and have been a great assistance during times of trouble.

‘All packed up?’ asked Penelope as Cedric shut the doors to his room, turning over the “Welcome to Cedric Spencer’s Room” sword-shaped wooden sign hung on his door to reveal the blank side of it. Caleb would always do the same for his room when he was out of town, and this became one of the odd, tiny little wish Cedric had since he was little. He nodded back at the others, triggering them to rise from their seats and carrying their luggage out of the house. With one last glance at his home, Cedric walked out and locked up the main door of the residence.

***

‘Welcome to the Satellite City of Prontera, Izlude!’ said the friendly Kafra staff as the foursome reached the other end of the bridge from the Prontera Fields south of the city. Cedric took in a mouthful of the fresh air, tasting the scent of the sea as the breeze carried it inwards to the island. Izlude was just like Prontera in many ways. The design of the houses were similar, the pavement was of white blocks. However, Izlude was a much smaller area which sat on a cliff, having less residential areas and has less activity but significantly more green trees and grass.

‘W-wow! I-Is that an airship?’ Aalaiyah squeaked in fascination. Surely enough, a large, tan-coloured blimp encrusted with the emblem of the Republic of Schwartzwald was floating in mid-air. It was much larger than the market at the centre of Izlude, loading passengers and their goods on board the airship.

‘One day, we’ll sit that airship together and travel to the Schwartzwald and Arunafeltz!’ Hirei asserted. ‘But for now, let’s get Cedric into a Swordsmen attire!’

Cedric laughed. ‘Well, you guys could walk around Izlude later while I’m taking my Swordsmen test,’ he suggested. ‘You guys can take a closer look at the Airship and visit the Izlude Arena and boats. I’ve been here tons of times, so I’m not missing anything much if I don’t join.’

‘Look at the professional speak! He’s sneaked here since he was seven, but fainted after being squirted by water from a Poring in the Prontera Fields,’ joked Hirei, not receiving a positive reaction from Cedric.

They walked towards the Swordsmen Guild at the west of Izlude, sounds of clashing swords could be heard even before they entered the building. Cedric lead the group through the wooden double doors, arriving in a small main hall with a seasoned Swordsmen standing behind the counter.

‘Good afternoon Mr. Mare!’ Cedric greeted enthusiastically. ‘Ready or not, because I’m finally here to take the Swordsmen test.’

The dark-haired man laughed. ‘Wonderful, Cedric!’ he said heartily. ‘But please, just call me Kyle. All right, let’s cut to the chase. Please follow me to the next hall. Would you be the only one taking the test?’

Cedric nodded. Once again, they cheered him on while he followed Kyle to the left doorway. Cedric had no idea what the test would be about, but promised them that he would be finished with the test quickly.

‘If you want to join our ranks, you will have to pass our test of endurance,’ said Kyle as he walked into a dimly lit, empty chamber. Cedric felt his heart thumping against his chest, threatening to tear it apart. Sure, Cedric must have prepared for this for a long time, but when faced with the real situation, he could not handle his nerves. Navigating their way and walking down a large staircase, they reached a large chasm underground, standing on a small area of concrete.

‘The rules are simple, just reach the other end of the room without killing yourself,’ Kyle smiled. ‘Now hurry along!’

Cedric was hesitant when asked to begin his test – simple instructions must mean trouble. He could see a staircase leading upwards on the other end of the chasm. It did not seem too tough, the ending line presumably 100 metres away from the starting point, but between them were paths that did not seem to connect with each other. The whole floor was covered with holes, with certain points linked with metal bars and wooden planks to the other side of the floor.

Cedric walked down the first part of the path with ease; the ground although scattered gaps had a wide space for him to move freely. Once arriving at the checkpoint before the second third of the test, he noticed that the path was much narrower, the floor slippery and gaps bigger. Cedric reminded himself to stay focused and cautious, taking his first step off the first checkpoint. There was a shift in the air, and a sharp sound was whizzing his way. Cedric crouched at where he was standing, seeing that an arrow had been shot at him deliberately while he was maneuvering himself through the course. Alerted, Cedric continued the path in the same manner, dodging more arrows coming from both his left and right.

Finally, Cedric arrived at the second checkpoint onto the final part of the course, barely missing a few arrows from the path before. Cedric analysed the path ahead of him, starting to worry about his own safety. The third part of the course was only connected to the third check point by metal bars and wooden planks which seem to bend in different directions and cut off at certain points. It was hard enough trying to balance himself on such a narrow area, but on top of that he had to make his way through the maze and not be hit by any arrows. Taking a deep breath, Cedric walked onto the metal bar, legs started to tremble as he looked down at his feet which scarcely fitted the width of the bar, and into the deep chasm. What was down there? What would happen if he fell?

‘Ugh!’ an arrow shot past Cedric’s right ear, causing him to lose his balance. Quickly he drew out his sword to help maintain his stability. Far behind, he heard a satisfied snigger from Kyle. He slowed down his pace, taking it one step at a time to make sure he does not miss his footing.

Another arrow misses his shoulder. Cedric was now faced with a fork, needing him to study the path further ahead to decide which bar would lead him the right way.

‘Argh!’ an arrow hits his leg, and Cedric keeled over, falling off the bar. He swung his sword onto the bar, trying his best to grab hold onto anything he could, but he was falling down into the dark depths.

It was a quick fall until he dropped on his back on the rocky ground. Cedric noticed that he was in an underground cavern, dark, slimy and unappealing. Cedric tried to stand up, sending a horrible sensation down his left leg, an arrow pierced through his calf. His breath was racing through the Al de Baran Turbo Track, his body shaking involuntarily. Still lying on the dusty cavern floor, he tried reaching for the end of the arrow, and with a careful but swift movement, extracted the arrow out of his calf. Cedric screamed in pain, blood gushing out of the wound, staining his brown baggy pants.

Cedric had to treat his wound, the unsightly way or not. He started recalling the practical lessons they took during the Novice Training Program, digging through his rucksack he took out a towel and some red herbs Penelope had given him from the loot they collected. Cedric folded up his pants, taking a look at the nasty arrow injury. He threw the red herbs into his mouth, chewing it finely with his teeth before spewing it back out to be spread on to his calf. Tearing the towel into a longer strap of cloth, he used it as a bandage to wrap his wound.

“Just take any scrap of bandage, cloth, leftovers, anything!” Nurse Nora told the class during their lessons, with Cedric being their test dummy. “It must be clean, of course. Take some herbs, crush them up, and spread it around your wound. Dab a little like this, and there… There you go! Isn’t it easy? It’d be effective if you let some of your spirit energy flow into it too. Like this…”
‘First Aid!’ Cedric whispered feebly, a gentle, blue light emitting from his palm onto the bandage that wrapped his wound. The skill had drained some spirit energy from him, but it helped ease the throbbing, returning Cedric’s ability to stand and not fall.

---

Current Word Count: 12,257

Six

2009-11-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

Penelope stepped forward without hesitation, her emerald green eyes brimming fearlessly. ‘Yes, Father,’ she said slowly, pressing the bible given to her by the church tightly against her abdomen. ‘I seek to become an Acolyte.’

‘Do you truly wish to become a servant of God?’ the man asked. ‘Will you, with all your abilities, strive to help those in need and bring peace?’

‘Yes, I will Father,’ Penelope answered, her voice full of determination.

‘I accept your will to become an Acolyte. However, we will require you to prove your will. I believe you must’ve already been prepared for the trial of penance,’ the man said. Penelope nodded in return, the man smiled gently at his young disciple. ‘Very well, Penelope. Please follow me.’

As the man lead Penelope towards another door at the back, she turned around to take another glance at her friends, who gave her thumbs ups and words of motivation. Cedric watched as Penelope turned her back towards them, her long silky hair bouncing gracefully behind her as she disappeared behind the door. He could feel her air of resolve still lingering in the room, somehow uplifting his spirit and leaving him feeling at ease.

‘She’ll make it through,’ Cedric smiled. ‘I’m sure of it.’

The remaining three of them decided to give Aalaiyah a tour of Prontera. It was heartening to see Aalaiyah fascinated by every little thing they showed her. She ocean green eyes would light up as they turned at every corner, revealing a much bigger walkway than before. Hirei reckoned that Aalaiyah was from a wealthy family who were overly protective of their only daughter. Cedric on the other hand, had other things on his mind rather than speculating how much fortune Aalaiyah might have.

‘Are you sure you’re alright, Ced?’ Hirei asked, annoyed that his friend has ignored him since they bought some ice-cream from the market area near the centre fountain. ‘You want to look for your brother, right?’

At the mention of his brother, Cedric raised his head from his half melted ice-cream, leaving a trail of vanilla down his lips. Hirei smirked mockingly, but offered a tissue to his friend. ‘You know, you should have reminded us earlier. You can always go back home and check out on your brother,’ said Hirei, who took the ice-cream from Cedric’s hand and helped wipe the cream off his cheeks. ‘I’ll walk Aalaiyah around town. We can meet back at the Prontera Church and wait up for Penelope later.’

‘Thanks buddy!’ Cedric leapt and gave Hirei a big bear hug. Waving goodbye, he ran towards the residential area where his house was located. He used to race down this street with his brother since he was little, and the first one reaching the training court yard of the former Swordsman Guild would get a bigger serving of Mrs. Kusano’s homemade ramen. His brother would always be in the lead, being twelve years older and much fitter than he is. However, due to Cedric’s persistence, he would never allow Caleb to take him easily or offer handicaps during their races, which resulted in him having to eat a smaller bowl of ramen while Caleb and Hirei both enjoyed larger bowls(he insisted). He never complained about this though, as Caleb would always offer Cedric his fishcakes, making the lost worthwhile. Cedric’s adrenaline was rushing even as he ran alone down the quiet street, feeling as if his brother was right ahead of him.

‘Caleb!’ Cedric busted through the door of their single storey home, their ordinary furniture were sitting suspiciously in their original places. Cedric’s eyes darted back and forth, his heart beating faster. It was always silent in the Spencer’s residence, but the stillness and lack of Caleb’s presence sent stones down Cedric’s throat. Slowly, he walked into the dining area where a paper sat innocently upon the table, weighed down by a strength amplifying ring. Struck by panic, Cedric took the paper and read the familiar, tiny writing of Caleb’s.

Dear Cedric,

By the time you read this, you must’ve already become a Novice. Congrats! You’ve finally accomplished your childhood wish! I wish I could’ve been there to see you in your new outfit.

You must be wondering where am I. I am deeply sorry, Cedric… At this moment, I might not be in Prontera anymore, maybe even far away from here. I have received an assignment from the Chivalry and was asked to leave immediately. I cannot spare you any more details, as this is a classified assignment. I might be away for a very long time – months, maybe even years. I could not bring myself to tell you about my departure. I don’t know when I will be able to see you again, but do know that I’ll always be thinking and praying that Odin will guide you on your journey of Knighthood. Do not worry about me, and allow your friends to care for you. Cherish them, for they will be important in your journey. I can rest easy knowing that you will be in good hands. I have faith in you, and we will meet in the future. Don’t forget our promises, because I’ll return and join you on your journey.

I’ll miss you Cedric. No matter what happens, you’ll always be my little brother.

Love, your brother,
Caleb.

Cedric slipped down onto the floor, mouth gapping, all breath taken out of his lungs. He could not give his brain enough time to digest the contents of his brother’s writings. However, Cedric could not bear to read the letter again. He was always understanding when it came to his brother’s actions, and it was not the first time Caleb was leaving home on a mission. But this time, he knew it was not the same; he could tell that Caleb was hiding something from him, and even if the blessings of the letter were genuine, not everything in it were truths.

Caleb was never a good liar when faced with Cedric; Caleb’s colleagues would always use Cedric as a lie detector when they want to dig into his personal affairs. “Cedric! Ask him if he’s with that Kafra girl!” or “Do you think your brother likes short-haired or long-haired girls better?” they would ask him. A part of Cedric have seen this parting coming, since his brother gave him the brown, wrapped object before he left for the Novice Training Grounds. He could tell from Caleb’s speech, from Caleb’s face and eyes. Cedric had just simply decided to stay naïve and ignore it. He suddenly wished he was not able to tell if Caleb was being untruthful, then he would not have to be weighed down with the thought, or to have to act in denial just to protect the great image of their brotherhood. Cedric curled up on the freshly cleaned kitchen floor, cowering and hiding as his eyes started to tear up, half wishing that his brother would barge into the house and told him it was all a joke, and then his warm laughter would fill up the room, and they would dine out to celebrate Cedric becoming a Novice…

***

‘Cedric?’

Cedric was awoken by Penelope’s angelic voice. He had to use all his effort to open his tear-filled eye, finding himself facing the ceiling, three worried looking faces overlooking him. Quickly, Cedric wiped off the sweat and tears from his face and sat up straight. It seems that he had fallen asleep for almost three hours, Penelope already wearing a cream and pink garment of the female Acolytes, a muffler resting delicately on her shoulders a cross decorating the clasp. Cedric apologized for his disappearance as Hirei started throwing him questions. Cedric tried his best to explain the situation to them in the least words possible and without risking his brain exploding from thinking about it.

‘Is that it?’ Hirei frowned, disappointed. ‘I’m so sorry to hear that, I wished Caleb could’ve joined us. It’d be nice having a Knight with us.’

Cedric shook his head and smiled bitterly. ‘He wouldn’t want us to worry like this. He’ll be fine, and so should we.’

‘I’d really like to have met your brother, Cedric,’ said Aalaiyah. ‘But all that matters now is that you’re okay.’

Cedric did not want to discuss about it further, as all that needs to be discussed has already been said. ‘Hey… It’s already night now. Why don’t we eat out and celebrate us becoming Novices and Penelope passing her Acolytes test? Then we could sleep over at my house and leave tomorrow morning.’

Hirei, noticing where Cedric is heading, tried his best to lighten up the mood and change the topic of conversation. The rest had no objections, and they carried on with their celebration and ended the night over at the Cedric’s house, all these with one less Spencer with them.

***

‘Have you gotten all the stuff we need?’ asked Hirei the next morning while polishing his stiletto. Aalaiyah was attempting to make them toast with Penelope’s help as Cedric had just came in through the door, balancing a large basket of potions, fly wings and other needs.

‘I sold all the loot Penelope collected for us,’ Cedric said, laying down the groceries beside his rucksack. ‘We might have to raise more money though, depending on the distance of our travels.’

‘Penelope has already gotten some funds from her mum – oh, thanks Aalaiyah,’ Hirei said while Aalaiyah laid down a plate of toast on the table. Hirei grabbed one(‘Itadakimasu!’ he cried) and chomped it up, looking happy with its taste, spreading a satisfied grin across Aalaiyah’s face. ‘I’m gonna go home and pack up some of my other stuff later. Probably get some zennies from okasan too.’

---

Current Word Count: 10,495

Five

2009-11-05T07:45:00.001-08:00

‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Sakda snapped back abruptly. ‘She’s going to become a Mage, just like Sir – ’

‘I’m from a family of Wizards you see,’ Aalaiyah interrupted calmly. ‘It’s tradition that I become a Mage too, then return home and continue training myself to become a Wizard.’

‘You mean you weren’t given a choice?’ Hirei raised his eyebrows.

‘No, no! Don’t misunderstand,’ Aalaiyah defended her family quickly. ‘It is my fate to become one, but I made the choice too, I like what I’m doing. Besides, I’ve never really thought much about the job choosing thing, so I really do not mind much about it.

‘Are you from Geffen by any chance, Aalaiyah?’ Penelope inquired. Aalaiyah laughed and nodded, Penelope smiling in satisfaction. ‘I knew it! I was from Geffen too until I moved to Prontera for my Acolyte training. Although I do remember seeing you, but I don’t recall where or when.’

‘Hey, Rei, Penelope,’ Cedric started. ‘After we become Novices, and join our own guilds, do you think we could travel together, along with my brother? We can visit different cities, meet different people and fight different monsters together! Finding Ymir’s heart fragments, training ourselves, fighting for peace… it’s all on the same path! It’s better to have a big party, right?’

‘You know I’d always be there for you buddy!’ Hirei patted Cedric on his back. ‘But yeah, Penelope, would you like to join us?’

‘It was my intention from the beginning to join a party and travel after I become an Acolyte,’ Penelope smiled. ‘Sure, why not?’

‘Alright, we’re here already,’ said Sakda out of the sudden, the group having moved away from the hall to a small room without them realizing. The room was empty and silent, the grey tiles on the floor arranged in a peculiar pattern in the centre. They could only hear their footsteps echoing throughout the room as they walked behind Sakda, followed by the sounds of Aalaiyah’s deep breaths after they stopped in the middle of the room. ‘We will finish up the Novice test by making your status as a Rune Midgard adventurer official. Your temporary identification cards, please.’

As soon as the four of them handed over their cards, the lights in the room turned off. A flash of light shot out from a small point from the ground, a regal, aged man with a luxurious crown and purple cape appeared as the light dispersed. He was glowing brightly, the light that hitting their faces and allowing minimal sight of each other.

‘Congratulations new Novices,’ said the man steadily with a booming voice, amplified further by the enclosed room. ‘You have taken the first step into committing yourself to improving yourself in your art and to protecting the peace of Rune Midgard.’

‘K-King Tristan the Third!’ stammered Hirei. Hurriedly, he fell onto his knees and lowered his snowy white head. He tugged on Cedric’s shirt to get him on the ground and glared at him, menacing even when shrouded in the darkness. The King continued to speak as steadily before, as if it was a recording put on play.

Sakda tried to hush Hirei. ‘It’s just a hologram, silly,’ he explained, his arms crossed and still listening to the hologram’s words. ‘The King doesn’t have time talking to every single common person here. Anyhow, would you get up from the ground now?’

Hirei loosened his grip from Cedric’s shirt, embarrassed. However, he stayed firmly on the ground and shook his head in return.

‘Let him be, he’s really persistent when it comes to things about respect and culture,’ Cedric explained.

‘– may join any guild of your choice,’ the King went on in his steady pace. ‘Once again, I am deeply grateful and proud that you have taken up my offer. Good luck in your journey, and I pray that you will achieve whatever you set your minds to, and bring pride to the great kingdom of Rune Midgard.’

With that, the hologram King faded into the darkness. The beam of light grew stronger like water rushing out of an open faucet and filled every corner of the small room. Cedric, cupping his eyes with his hands, was overwhelmed by the blinding light which seems to be bouncing off the walls made of mirror and magnifying.

‘Wow, we really done it!’

Cedric opened his eyes slowly, the blinding lights having disappeared and the room was lighted by the lamp hanging from the ceiling. First, he saw Hirei running towards him, and then he was on his back, tackled to the ground.

‘Ced! We’re Novices now! Look!’ Hirei cried gladly, spinning on his feet to flaunt his new outfit, an asparagus top and a shiny breastplate completed with baggy brown pants. ‘Come on, get up, look smart!’

With his hands, Cedric pushed himself up of the ground. As he did, he looked down and saw that he had magically changed into the Novice outfit too, a shiny Novice insignia sitting on his shoulder. He flashed it Hirei, who smiled and pointed to his shoulder too. He saw Penelope and Aalaiyah applauding each other, both wearing a cute pink shorts and a white top, also with a breastplate.

‘Congrats guys! You’ll need this when you travel around as a Rune Midgard adventurer,’ said Sakda. He returned them their identification cards, now with their picture and information written on it. Cedric took his from Sakda, a half-body Cedric in Novice outfit smiling up at him.

‘I guess it’s time I sent you guys off,’ Sakda said. ‘I’ll open a portal back to Prontera if you’re ready. And Miss – uh, Aalaiyah, we will send you back to Geffen, there will be your people there waiting for your return and –’

‘I don’t want to go back,’ Aalaiyah said fervently. ‘I want to follow Penelope, Cedric and Hirei to Prontera and join them on their journey.’

Sakda staggered backwards, stunned while the rest were equally shocked. ‘B-but Aalaiyah! Your father… he’ll be worried!’

‘I’m sure he’ll be fine, I’ll explain to him when I get back to Geffen, don’t worry,’ Aalaiyah answered confidently, determined with her decision. ‘I really like being with them, I learn a lot. I want to follow them and look for the Ymir’s heart fragments, and discover new lands, and better myself! Unless… they don’t like having me around?’

‘No, never!’ said Penelope nervously. ‘We would love to have you in our party. Thanks for wanting to join us so much. I just hope that your dad would be okay with this…’

‘Uh, okay then… yes, Prontera…’ Sakda stammered, feeling a burden of risk weighing down on him. He took out a small, blue gem and raised it above his head. He started chanting, a magic circle circling under his feet. He crushed the gem in his fist and threw his palm downwards, the blue dust scattered on the floor. A bright flash of light spewed out of his palms where the blue dust gathered, forming a circular portal as the magic circle under his feet disappeared.

‘This is it then,’ said Sakda as he stood up and moved out of the way. ‘This portal will lead you to Prontera. It has been nice knowing all of you. I pray for your safety and hope our paths will cross again in the future.’

‘Same to you, Sakda,’ Cedric smiled gratefully. Hirei gave Sakda a high five and exchanged blessings. Turning to Penelope and Aalaiyah, they both nodded back at Cedric and walked towards the portal.

‘Together on the count of three. One, two, three!’

***

Once again, they floated involuntarily in the bright space within the portal. Cedric somehow enjoyed this feeling of weightlessness, until he made a bad landing and fell, face first into the dark, concrete floor. Cedric straightened up immediately when he heard Penelope laughing from behind, glad that she was not the only one who lands improperly from a portal.

‘Welcome back, and congratulations!’

Cedric noticed that they were back in Prontera at the place they had taken the portal to the Novice Training Grounds from. Pavienne smiled and welcomed them back, receiving cheers and thanks in return.

‘See you guys soon!’ Pavienne said when they were about to leave. ‘All the best!’

As the foursome walked out of the building into the busy streets of Prontera, Aalaiyah made a squeak like a Yoyo in a banana plantation.

‘Wow! This place is crowded!’ Aalaiyah squealed, fascinated. ‘Back in Geffen, it’s always so quiet and the streets are tiled in grey. It’s so bright and lively here! And the buildings here are all so huge. Back home, only the Geffen Tower stands high over the city. And all the buildings there have roofs like wizard hats.’

‘I’m glad you like it here,’ said Penelope happily. ‘So… where should we head next?’

‘We could follow Penny to the Acolyte Job Change Test,’ said Hirei. ‘It’ll take awhile, wouldn’t it? Meanwhile, we can walk around town with Aalaiyah! The sun is setting soon, I suggest dinner at Lisa’s! They have wonderful Bomber Steaks there!’

‘Yeah, we could escort Penelope to the church first,’ Cedric agreed. ‘I’d like to go down to the residential area afterwards to look for my brother.’

Together, they walked towards the Northeast corner of the city. Aalaiyah was excited as they came across many peculiar trinkets Cedric, Hirei and Penelope has already grown accustomed to, along with the unique people who flocked to streets. They stopped for awhile by the river to listen to a wandering minstrel.

After listening to the Bard play them some song(Cedric felt refreshed after listening to the music, and thought it tasted like apples), they finally arrived at the oak doors of the Prontera Church, a magnificent cross guarding the entrance. Penelope walked forward and pushed against the doors, revealing a beautiful sanctuary inside. There was an aura of serenity and peace in the Prontera Church, and the priests inside were warm and helpful. Penelope greeted each of them with an equally gentle voice. She brought them to the room on the right, arriving before a man in a dark priest robe. He smiled warmly at them as they approached.

‘Welcome, young ones,’ he spoke. ‘And welcome back, Penelope. Have you returned to take the Acolyte’s test?’

---

Current Word Count: 8,864

Four

2009-11-04T08:15:00.001-08:00

‘I… uh… It’s nothing, really,’ the girl answered nervously, looking down and apparently more interested in the design of her shoes.

‘That was nothing?’ Hirei interrupted, disbelieved.

‘Shhh, Hirei…’ Penelope snapped back sternly. She turned back to the girl, her face soften. ‘It’s alright if you don’t feel like telling us. I’m Penelope by the way, nice to meet you!’

‘I’m Cedric, and that guy over there is Hirei,’ said Cedric as he offered to help the girl stand on her feet. She allowed him to do so after collecting her knife from the ground.

‘My name is Aalaiyah, nice to meet you,’ said the girl, looking much less terrified than before. ‘Thanks for helping me, and I’m so sorry I troubled all of you back there. I’ve been here since this morning, I’m all alone and I’m really not good at this…’

‘You’re welcome,’ Cedric smiled. ‘You could join us to the exit. Four is better than one, after all. I’m sure everyone wouldn’t mind.’

Penelope was most pleased by the idea, Hirei had no objections. So the trio became a quartet, and they started to set up camp as the sun started fall below the horizon. Hirei unpacked his items onto the bare ground, potions, towels, garments, medications… you name it, overflowing from his backpack. Aalaiyah helped him pitch up the tent intently, wanting to pick up skills she lacked. Meanwhile, Penelope was trying to prepare dinner from the materials they had at hand.

‘We got a fire!’ Cedric announced gleefully, his hands soiled by the soot from the burning branches. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, standing back to admire his work. Quickly, they managed to boil themselves some drinking water Hirei collected from a river nearby and roasted some Lunatics to fill their tummies. The boys were not shy to chomp up on the meat, Aalaiyah hesitant about the idea of eating freshly cooked game took awhile to convince. Penelope said a prayer, thankful for the Lunatic’s sacrifice.

‘I still can’t believe there was actually a flowing river in here. We’re still in the Novice Training Grounds!’ said Hirei, poking the rabbit meat at the end of his stick. ‘The building’s not that huge, and yet it could house such a big forest like this.’

‘It makes me wonder how big this forest is…’ pondered Penelope. ‘But I think we should be able to make it to the exit if we keep going on tomorrow.’

From the illuminating light from the fire, they could see Cedric staring down at the ragged cloth, wrapping his brother’s gift in it. He was concentrated in his thoughts, his serving of Lunatic was half in his mouth, half on the stick.

‘Thinking about your brother?’

Cedric jerked forward, as if waking up from his sleep. He rubbed his jaw with his hand, having hurt it accidently with the stick when Penelope spoke to him. ‘Oh, uh, yeah… I kinda wished he’d be here, watching me do all these stuff. I’m sure he’ll be proud,’ Cedric started scratching his dirty blonde hair, gritting his teeth excitedly. ‘Ah! I just can’t wait till I become a Swordsman and join him in his work and travels.’

‘I wish I had siblings…’ Aalaiyah mumbled quietly. ‘I was always the only one growing up, and well… my dad is always so overprotective over me. That’s why I haven’t had much chance learning about things outside.’

‘You know… I keep feeling that you look awfully familiar to me…’ Penelope started, chewing on her fingernails softly. ‘Have I met you from somewhere before?’ Aalaiyah simply smiled in response.

‘Anyhow, we should be getting some sleep soon,’ Hirei yawned as he stretched his arms in the air, rising up from the log of wood he used as his seat. ‘Ced and I can watch the fire and sleep in the sleeping bags. You girls can take our tent.’

‘But that’s your tent!’ Penelope retorted, uneasy about taking someone else’s sleep place. ‘And… wouldn’t it be cold outside for you guys?’

‘Nawh, don’t worry about us, we insist,’ Cedric continued for Hirei as he threw his sleeping bag close to the fire, then laying his gift on it. ‘Rei and I are used to camping out. We just lie around the Prontera fields throughout the night on the weekends just for fun.’

‘Thanks so much,’ Aalaiyah said gratefully. ‘The man at the Training Hall was right… I didn’t come prepared.’

‘We learn from mistakes,’ Penelope smiled. She too, had to cover her mouth as she yawned. ‘Aaaah… I guess we should all tuck in to bed now. We’ll start early tomorrow!’

***

The next morning, they were awoken by Penelope’s morning call. She had already prepared a simple breakfast of baked beans she had brought along with her for the test. After cleaning up the campsite, they left towards north again. It was the same routine of hack and slash, collecting of loots and navigating their way through the dense forest. At noon when the sun was hanging high in the cloudy skies, they saw the boy with olive green hair from before.

‘The exit is just over there,’ said the boy when questioned by Hirei, pointing at the direction behind him. ‘I’m just staying back here to train myself a little more.’

Before they could say thanks, Hirei had already sprinted towards the exit. Feeling the adrenaline rush, Cedric chased after his best friend while keeping an eye on the two girls. They walked through a clump of younger trees, soon arriving in a large opening where they found…

‘Guys! Don’t come too close!’ yelled a busy Hirei, tackling a large, overgrown plant with a purple flower on the top of its mouth-like lid. It was writhing around too much to be considered a plant, its pink vines lashing out wildly and entangling Hirei tightly at his ankles and arms.

‘Mandragora!’ Aalaiyah gasped in fear. Penelope drew out her mace, but griped by shock to make any movement. Cedric threw his rucksack on the floor and ran towards the monster, his sword over his head. Swiftly, he landed three strikes behind the Mandragora before being whipped by the sharp vines surfacing from the ground. The Mandragora, excited at the arrival of a new victim, shifted its attention to Cedric, the pink vines now crawling up Cedric’s leg.

‘Get off me!’ Cedric bellowed, slashing at the vines before it could wrap itself around any of his body parts. After being overlooked by the Mandragora, Hirei, now released from the binds thrust his dagger into the body of the plant. Aalaiyah, trembling and emitting a strange aura, started sending stones from the ground towards the enemy, not doing enough to hurt it. Penelope fought her way forward and tried her best to assist the boys.

‘Penelope! Throw me my rucksack!’ Cedric called out, struggling to keep his hand on his sword. Penelope nodded and lifted Cedric’s rucksack from the floor and threw it into the air, the gift from Caleb spinning towards him. With his free hand, he caught the long object, using it to sweep the Mandragora away from him. Then, he stuck it onto the ground, vaulting himself into the air and landing the sharp edge of his sword right through the opening of the plant. It seemed to do the trick, the Mandragora’s vines released themselves, its flower withered and the lid was left hanging backwards.

‘T-that was incredible!’ Hirei cheered as he patted Cedric on the back, amazed by his feat. ‘Where did you even learned that?’

‘I… I dunno,’ Cedric breathed heavily, taken aback by his own skills. ‘It just came to me and I did it…’

Penelope, hoisting an exhausted Aalaiyah joined Cedric and Hirei near the remains of the Mandragora. ‘Are you guys alright? Aalaiyah seems a little tired… Maybe she had a shock.’

‘I’m alright… It’s just a weird ability of mine,’ said Aalaiyah weakly. ‘It’s like telekinesis… that’s what happened yesterday when I couldn’t control it. I’m not really good at it… Please… don’t let anyone know…’

After regrouping and salvaging anything they could get from the plant, they headed towards the exit, where another hall awaits them. They were glad to see that Sakda was there to welcome them back into the building.

‘You guys made it! Did you guys kill that Mandragora?’ asked Sakda. They nodded and Sakda mouth gapped, impressed. ‘That was amazing. You weren’t exactly required to kill off the Mandragora too, it was just meant for distraction, and we were fully prepared to help any new people to fend it off. Heh, now I guess we’ll have to get a new Mandragora from Prontera.’

‘Gee, you do know it was dangerous right?’ Hirei retorted. ‘Thank goodness we had a bigger group. Imagine what I’d do without Ced, eh?’

‘Ah, Miss Wingstaff, you have returned too!’ Sakda turned towards Aalaiyah, his tone gentler than usual. ‘We were getting worried you might not make it. We were given orders to – ’

Whatever the orders were, they never find out as Sakda stopped in his tracks when Aalaiyah looked at him apprehensively. ‘Anyways, congratulations again! You have completed the practical test, and with that, you have passed the Novice test!’

Cedric and Hirei gave each other a high five, laughing gladly over their achievements. Aalaiyah heaved a sigh of relieved while Penelope gave her a hug. ‘Usually, we would give you guys job advices at this point,’ Sakda continued. ‘We offer a personality quiz for those who are undecided too. Have you guys given a thought about it?’

‘Definitely!’ Hirei flashed a thumbs-up towards his chest. ‘Ced and I have already decided this long ago. I’m gonna be an Archer and Ced’s gonna be a Swordsman. You should’ve seen him back there just now with the sword and stick, magnificent.’

‘We already know that I was training under the Prontera Church,’ Penelope answered. ‘Which reminds me… what about you, Aalaiyah? We haven’t heard about which profession you’ll be choosing after becoming a Novice.’

---

Current Word Count: 7,146

Three

2009-11-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

The man collected the completed forms from the trio and scanned them with his tiny eyes. Once satisfied, he whipped out a rubber stamp and chopped on a seal of approval on each of the forms. From the desk of his workplace, he rummaged around until he got his hands on three plastic cards.

‘Alright, Hirei, Penelope and Cedric,’ he read slowly, handing out their personal identification cards to each of them. It light and bendy, a chipped slotted at the side and their names printed across the center of the card, otherwise it was blank. ‘We’ll be starting your test immediately. You can rest or prepare yourself if required. You guys do know that the test would last for a few days, right? You need enough food and other supplies for the practical part of the test before you begin. It can get pretty tough, you know.’

The three of them nodded in reply. ‘No problem man! We’ve prepared ourselves long before this!’ Hirei declared smugly. To prove his point, he threw his backpack on the floor, which landed heavily with a loud thump. There must have been a Bigfoot hiding in there, as the green backpack was almost tearing apart. ‘Let us at it!’

‘Whoa, that’s the spirit lad!’ the man chuckled, seemingly more enthusiastic than before. ‘Haven’t seen any participant as prepared as you are all day. Geez, I’ve been standing here, watching kids run into the Fabre Forest, and then crying their way to the infirmary because of some Picky peck. Kids these days, naïve and bigheaded for their own good. They have no idea what’s out there. Anyway, enough with that, let’s get you to the theory part of the test! Follow me!’

The man introduced himself as Sakda, speaking comically about his job at the Novice Training Grounds, his hometown in Ayothaya(‘That makes us pretty closely related, huh? Coming from off the coast of Alberta,’ said an excited Hirei) and life as a traveler. Soon, Sakda brought them into a large hall filled with other Novice candidates, sitting at individual chairs and desks, papers scattered on their table. They seem to be in the middle of their theory examination, an air of anxiety exuding from the participants. A stern woman stands at the front of the hall, peering down at the papers in her hand, marking them with a red pen. A boy with olive green hair stood in front of her, restlessly waiting for her response. The woman turned back to the boy and nodded, saying something to him(it looked like “I like cheese burgers”, but Cedric honestly couldn’t read lips) and returning him his identification card.

‘Oh yeah!’ yelled the boy as he punched the air. ‘On my way to becoming a Super Novice! The answer for question 11 is C!’ The boy raced out of the door, brushing against Cedric and giving him a wink before the woman could do anything to him. Now noticing Sakda’s presence, the woman beckoned Cedric, Hirei and Penelope to the left corner of the hall, where several desks lay vacant. Sakda gave three of them a thumbs-up(and even threw in a heart-warming pat on the back for Hirei) before leaving them to face the first part of the test. Cedric sat at the desk closest to the large window overlooking a garden with lovely vegetation, Hirei sitting at the desk beside him and Penelope in front. The woman distributed a pile of papers to each of them, containing the questions they need to answer on their own. After given the cue to start, Cedric turned his papers until he found question 11, analyzing it, and finally drawing a loopy circle around C.

***

‘So, how did it went?’ Sakda asked the trio after they returned to the main hall, concerned as Hirei seemed to be carrying a long face.

‘Well, she made it seem easy, she finished before any of the existing exam-takers did,’ Hirei frowned at Penelope, whose cheeks in turn fell into a darker shade of red. ‘The questions were soooo tricky! But the main point is… all three of us passed!’

Hirei could not hold his excitement inside any longer and burst into laughter of triumph. Sakda, glad for them as well, congratulated them. ‘Great! That means you’ll be heading off to the practical exam. It’s the second part of the test, and it’s also the final and hardest one.’

‘Are you kidding me? Bring it on!’ Hirei punched his chest bravely. ‘Ced and I have been waiting for this all year! Penny too, of course.’

‘Aite, I’ll bring you to the Fabre Forest then,’ Sakda lead his troop towards the extension hall and towards a steel arch that leads back outside. ‘This is the entrance to the Fabre Forest. There are many common critters you might find lurking around your town in there. Fabres, Pickies, Spores… just to name a few. Some of them are aggressive, some more dangerous than the other. I’m sure guys already received some briefing about field combat. Are you guys using your own weapons?’

Cedric brandished his sword he had sharpened the night before, Hirei flashed his stiletto while Penelope heaved a spiky mace into the air. She swung it over her shoulders when the boys looked at her uncertainly, proving that she was fully capable of handling a weapon.

‘Alright, if that’s that, you may go off into the forest!’ said Sakda happily. ‘Your objective is to find the exit, which is directly North from here. Expect to set up camp for the night. There are gears and potions you may like to help yourself to on the table there. Just take one set each, alright? Good luck!’

Upon entering the forest, Cedric was surprised by what he saw. Clumps of tree populated the area, providing more shade with their leafy barks than needed. The forest floor was filled with undergrowth, providing no specific path for them to thread on. Green, squishy Fabres could be spotted crawling in between the plants, doing what worms do. It was unbelievable that the Novice Training Grounds could house a forest of this scale.

‘Watch out!’ Penelope cried in warning. Hirei yelped in surprise, Penelope having sent a blow onto a Fabre which was creeping up Hirei’s shoe. The worm twisted and squirmed under the pressure of Penelope’s mace, a sickening liquid oozed out of it, clearly lifeless. Cedric face twitched and Hirei continued to fuss over his shoes, which was now covered in a revolting consistency of green goo. Penelope felt disgusted by the sight, sucked it in and managed to collect the loot from the dead Fabre, much to the boys’ amazement.

‘They are worth zennies you know, we need all the money we can get,’ Penelope explained as she stuffed the fluff into a clear, fresh plastic bag. Cedric and Hirei had a whole new impression and admiration for Penelope.

For the next few hours, they navigated their way through the forest with a compass provided, slashing their way through any Fabres that had the nerves to approach them(Hirei would occasionally challenge the Chon Chons because he enjoyed using his dagger) while Penelope continued to harvest the spoils.

‘Maaaan, how big is this place?’ said Hirei impatiently as he hacked his fifty second Willow. ‘It looks as if we haven’t made any progress, and it’s almost dusk already!’

‘We’re probably already half way through…’ exclaimed Cedric, half trying to comfort himself. ‘We are expected to camp for the night after all. Let’s keep going until the sunsets, alright?’

‘Fine,’ grumbled Hirei, trying to find something else he could fiddle his stiletto with. ‘I wished there was something more interesting in here though.’

‘Aaaaaaaah!!!’

The trio was alerted by a scream of distress nearby. Hirei started to find the source of the noise, excited that his “interesting thing” was happening. They ran down the trail and arrived in a glade, finding a Spore harassing a young girl who was crouched down on the floor, her dagger lying at the end of her feet. She was throwing her hands randomly in the air, attempting to shoo the mushroom-like creature.

‘G-go away… please!’ she murmured timidly, her face growing pale. Cedric felt the ground around them starting to shake, as if reacting to the girl’s uneasiness. Hirei stepped forward and skillfully, he aimed his stiletto and the Spore and hurled it at his target, his accuracy unquestionable. The Spore felled backwards onto the floor, its tongue sticking out of his small mouth as it wriggled to death.

‘Are you alright?’ asked Hirei, who extended his hand to the girl after retrieving his dagger from the carcass of the Spore.

‘Please, don’t come near me… don’t hurt me!’ the girl cried, still flustered from the Spore encounter. The ground started to shake more vigorously. It was not an earthquake; but it was not something natural either. It was extraordinary as the land and trees around them started to shake, little stones from the ground floated eerily into the air, no strings attached. There was no time for questions, as they had to shield themselves from the attacking stones which had flung themselves in their direction.

‘W-what the heck?’ Hirei dodged a large which threw itself at his knee. ‘What sort of magic is this?’

‘Please calm down! Listen, we’re just trying to help, we mean no harm,’ Penelope said gently as she slowly made her way towards the girl amidst all the floating twigs and branches, which had joined alongside the stones. Penelope managed to wrap her arms around the girl’s shoulders and brown, braided hair, seemingly calming her down. ‘You’re safe now, everything is alright.’

The stones, twigs and branches suspended in mid-air. The girl looked at Penelope with her teary ocean green eyes, lips quivering. After a few moments, she seemed convinced and the rubble fell back onto the ground, returning to their unanimated state. Penelope smiled sincerely and helped the girl wipe off her tears.

‘There you go… Could you tell us what happen there?’

---

Current Word Count: 5,465

Two

2009-11-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

‘Oh, hi there Penny!’ Hirei called out.

Cedric, who had his eyes fixed intently on the girl called Penny, turned his head so rapidly at that moment the he could have snapped his head off his shoulders. His eyes widened at his friend Hirei, who responded with a cheeky smile.

‘When and how do you even know her?’ Cedric whispered demandingly at his friend. Before Hirei could answer, the girl had already made her way towards the boys.

‘Hey there Hirei,’ a pleasant voice escaped the lips of the girl. ‘I didn’t know that you were taking the Novice test today.’ Cedric found himself mesmerized by her being, and interested in the blue pendent that adorned her neck.

‘Sure am!’ Hirei piped. He then elbowed Cedric, who snapped back to reality. ‘I’m taking the test with my best buddy here, Cedric.’

Cedric found himself contemplating over how he should react. He pictured himself introducing himself confidently in a masculine tone with half of his brother’s witty talking skills, followed by the girl blushing, swept off her feet by Cedric’s charming demeanour. But no matter how many times or how many different ways he pictured the scene, he ended up with one reaction.

‘Um, hiya,’ said Cedric lamely, almost forgetting to flash a smile. ‘I’m Cedric Spencer, and this is my brother, Caleb.’

The girl smiled delightfully, stretching out her hand towards Cedric. He took it gently and they shook hands in a friendly manner. She then did the same to Caleb, who nodded and expressed his pleasure at meeting her.

‘My name is Penelope Shader,’ she revealed. It seems that “Penny” was only a nickname given to her by Hirei. Somehow, Cedric was taken aback by the thought of Hirei and Penelope being acquainted. However, Cedric might not have had the chance to meet Penelope if this was not the case either.

‘I met Penny near your house the other day you were at the Culverts,’ Hirei explained, answering Cedric’s previous question. ‘I’m surprised you never met her, I mean, she lives just down your street!’

‘R-really?’ replied an astonished Cedric. He has never seen Penelope before. If he did, he would have remembered someone like her. He paused for awhile, digesting Hirei’s answer. ‘Wait a sec, is that why you were late that day? I had to collect the worm peelings on my own.’

‘Hey, you went off by your own because you couldn’t wait for me,’ Hirei defended himself quickly. ‘Besides, didn’t you say it was fun and exciting on your own?’

While Cedric and Hirei bickered between each other, Penelope laughed. In some way, Penelope found their conversation amusing(again, to Cedric’s astonishment), and Cedric thought she had an angel’s laughter.

‘Say… what Novice Training Program did you sign up for?’ asked Cedric in attempt to keep the conversation rolling. ‘We must’ve seen you if you if you passed the program and was allowed to take the test. After all, the Omega Course is the only one in town.’

‘I was training under the Prontera Church,’ Penelope replied. Usually, an aspiring Novice would have to attend a Novice Training Program like the Omega Course in Prontera. However, some may choose to train under the guild of their choice and receive recommendations to the Novice test from there.

‘Oh… an Acolyte in training, huh?’ Cedric guessed aloud. Penelope responded with a nod. She took out a copy of the Bible and smiled, pressing it against her chest.

‘I want to fight like my father. I want to fight for peace,’ said Penelope, hope brimming in her eyes.

‘That’s a great cause,’ Cedric smiled. ‘I want to become strong like my brother and discover the Ymir’s heart fragments with him.’

Cedric turned to his brother and lightly fisted his chest as a sign of determination. ‘I can’t believe you actually remembered that,’ Caleb said, impressed by his brother’s ambition. ‘I thought it was just something you said casually.’

‘Hey, I always keep my promises,’ Cedric claimed proudly as he crossed his arms. ‘And I promised that I’ll join you in your journey.’

‘Isn’t that just a legend, Ymir’s heart fragments – parts of Ymir that are scattered all across the land, said to grant great strength and bring peace to the world?’ Hirei raised his thick eyebrows in query.

‘Well, I believe in it. I know it must exist,’ Cedric said boldly. For many years, Caleb has been researching about the existence of Ymir’s heart fragments while being part of the Prontera Chivalry, keeping peace under the orders of King Tristan III. There were occasions where Caleb would be dispatched away from Prontera for a period of time, leaving Cedric home alone. Cedric wished to join the Prontera Chivalry so he could work alongside his brother, his only family he knew and adored.

‘Aheeeeem, are you gonna leave me waiting here?’

The Kafra staff standing behind the counter started tapping her fingers against the table. She had pale lavender hair accented with a lace headgear. She was wearing a clean, white apron atop a brown dress, the standard uniform of all Kafra employees. The Kafra Corporation is a company that offers assistance and services to adventurers all across Rune Midgard Kingdom, the Republic of Schwartzvald and the Arunafeltz State. One of their most wanted services is the teleportation service, able to transport one to most cities in the region. This particular Kafra is the only one in Prontera who is able to warp adventurers to the Novice Training Grounds.

‘Sorry to keep you waiting, Pavienne,’ said Caleb as he walked forward towards the counter. He bowed briskly and Pavienne did the same.

‘Ah… long time no see Caleb,’ she spoke softly. ‘I see that your brother and his friends are ready.’

‘I guess we should go off now, bro,’ said Cedric as he and Hirei joined Caleb by the counter. ‘Penelope, will you be following us?’

‘Definitely,’ she smiled.

‘Time flies,’ Caleb laughed weakly. ‘It’s already your turn to start your own journey. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself and your friends. You tend to act rashly sometimes, learn to heed other’s advice. Behave yourself, and – ’

‘Bro! I’m not little you know!’ Cedric flushed, hushing his brother from giving the remember-to-change-your-underwear speech. ‘You sound as if you’re sending me off somewhere far away and that we’ll never see each other again.’

Caleb knelt on his knee and reached his hand on Cedric’s head, messing up that Ymir’s handful of dirty blonde hair Cedric spends all morning to make neat. By this action, Cedric looked at his brother annoyingly, yet affectionately. With his free hand, Caleb shoved the long, wrapped object he took along that morning into Cedric’s hands.

‘Take this along with you, and don’t lose it,’ Caleb continued. ‘Open it only when you’ve mastered yourself as a Swordsman, you’ll know when. Promise me, alright?’

Caleb took his hand off the object, letting Cedric carry all its weight. It was unexpectedly light, despite the size and hard feel of it. Cedric stared intensely at the ragged cloth; he almost expected to be able to see through the cloth and see what was inside if he looked hard enough. He raised his head to look back at his brother and nodded slowly. ‘I promise.’

‘I trust you, Cedric,’ Caleb smiled as he tugged Cedric’s head towards his shoulder with the hand already on his head. With the other hand on Cedric’s back, Caleb hugged his brother tightly. At this distance, Cedric could see Caleb’s face clearly, the tone of his cerulean eyes, the lines and dark circle under them, and the scar that ran down his chin. He must have imagined it, but Cedric thought his brother, although with his profound eyes, looked tired and exhausted, maybe even a little gloomy. After what seemed like a long time, the brothers separated from each other and Caleb stood straight up.

‘Thanks for tagging along, Caleb!’ said Hirei cheerfully.

Pavienne ushered the three young teenagers towards the brick wall behind the counter. She stuck a strip of strange looking paper and tapped the wall in an odd rhythm. It seemed to have work, as the wall started shaking and a beam of light shot out between the bricks and the paper, concentrating at a point on a ground, forming a swirl of bright aurora.

‘This portal will bring you to the Novice Training Grounds,’ said Pavienne in a formal tone, bowing deeply. ‘Thank you for choosing Kafra services and we hope to see you again. Till then, have a nice day!’

As Cedric, Hirei and Penelope stepped into the portal, Cedric took one last glance backwards at his brother. He waved his hand frantically and cried. ‘We’ll see you soon then, bro! Next time, as Novices!’

Caleb smiled back and watched his brother and his friends disappear in the light, lowering his head, he said softly. ‘Soon… hopefully.’

***

The trio were sucked into a vortex in the bright portal. Cedric could feel his body floating in nowhere, his eyes blinded by the light. He felt himself spinning around for moments, until he touched a soft, grassy land with his feet. They had materialized on a lone island surrounded by water in an unfamiliar area. Feeling a little numb, Cedric opened his eyes slowly to find a suspended bridge in front of them, leading to a massive castle-like building which must be the Training Grounds.

‘Wow! That’s the Training Grounds?’ came Hirei’s voice by his side, who was shielding his eyes with the back of his hand. ‘C’mon, let’s go!’

‘W-wait, Hirei!’ Penelope called out, helping herself to stand after having a bumpy landing from the portal. She turned to Cedric, who shook his head and laughed at Hirei’s impatience. They chased him down the bridge and into the court yard of the Training Grounds. They must have been in a land near Prontera, as the grasslands were yellow-green and pear, the architecture of the building was a spitting image of the Prontera castle. Walking through the great steel arch, they found themselves inside the building, gleaming walls and floors, scattered with young hopefuls just like themselves.

Far ahead, they could see a figure waving at them. ‘Hey, over here!’ he yelled. Cedric could tell that it was Hirei by the sheepish look on his face and the sleet white hair off his head. Cedric and Penelope walked towards the centre of the hall to join Hirei, their attention then turned to the large man standing next to him. The man had messy black hair and a chiselled face that seemed too small for his buffed body. He had a don’t-mess-with-me look on his face; his muscles prominent with his crossed arms.

‘Welcome to the Novice Training Grounds, where normal people become new adventurers,’ said the man in a deep voice, evidently trying his best to sound interested. ‘So, you’ll be taking your Novice test today, right? May I see your recommendations?’

Cedric and Hirei both took out their certificates from the Omega Course, while Penelope showed the man her Bible, which seemed to be a unique copy granted to her by the Prontera Church as it did the trick to serve as proof of her recommendation.

‘Alright, I see that you are qualified, could you please fill up this form?’ the man continued, handing out a piece of paper and pen to each of them. ‘Once you’re finished, we can get started.’

Cedric looked down at the paper and started filling in the blanks. There were the usual fields that needed to be filled in, along with a box at the bottom labelled “for representative’s use”. He could hear the scratching sounds of the pen from Hirei and Penelope. Quickly, he completed up his form.

The Novice Test Application Form (please enclose a copy of your recommendation)
1. Personal Particulars
Name : Cedric Spencer
Age : 15
Gender : Male
Current Residence : Prontera
2. Guardian’s Particulars
Name : Caleb Spencer
Age : 27
Relationship : Brother
Occupation : Knight – Prontera Chivalry
3. Extra Information
Novice Training Program : The Omega Course
Profession of Choice : Swordsman
Weapon of Choice : Sword
4. For Representative’s Use

---

Current Word Count: 3,786

One

2009-11-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

After the long gruesome war between the Gods, Humans and Demons... Scarred in the dangerous moments of battle, and avoiding total destruction altogether, the Humans, Gods and Demons entered a long truce.

The 1000 years of fragile forged peace...

In the land of Rune Midgard, the existence of peace eventually led the humans to erase their memories of the scars and the hardships of the war in the past. Not remembering the faults of the past, a culture was spreading throughout the land - selfishness, corruption and arrogance.

Then one day, strange events started happening, breaking the balance that once existed in Rune Midgard. There came a strange howl from the boundaries that divided the Humans, Gods and Demons; creatures begin attacking; increasing earthquakes and hail and...
The mysterious legend of demons...

As the fragile peace begin to fall apart, stories about the parts of Ymir, protecting the peace, begin to spread among the adventurers. Forgetting the true nature of it, people set out to seek each of the pieces for their own selfishness, and the wealth that would come with it...

Years had past. Still, no one had ever sought Ymir, nor enter the Demons’ lair, to bring the Human's world back.

***

The sunlight finally found a breach in the defense and squeezed through the gaps between the drapes. It has discovered his weakness – a dose of morning sunlight after a sleepless night. He cursed softly as the sun teased his lazy being with a beam of ray on his youthful face. He pulled the sheets over his dirty blonde head and attempted to return to slumber land. At this point with sloth holding the fort, he would have traded anything he had just for sleep, no thanks to his excitement from the night before, sharpening his sword which must have shrunk by an inch. His conscience tried to fight sloth but failed miserably until…

‘Cedric, are you up already? It’s today sleepyhead! Your Novice Test!’

As if struck by hot iron, he shot out of his bed and fought against his heavy eyelids. As the sun hid behind the clouds after accomplishing its infiltration assault against sloth, his azure eyes squinted and it wandered towards the wall where a large calendar of the Kingdom’s greatest Knights sits. There many little red crosses running across the faces of the Knights, the Peco Pecos and the grand structure of the Prontera Castle. The crosses counting down the dates ended at the knee of the dark haired Knight with a spear. Instead, the date was circled with red ink, followed by loopy words of encouragement which overflowed from the box given to the date. In bold black ink was the words “Novice Test today”. It must have been one of Cedric’s undiscovered super powers as he leapt out of his bed, dashed for the bathroom and got into his clothes in literally seconds. He crossed out “Novice Test today” on the calendar and grabbed his rucksack of gears before he raced to the kitchen.

‘Didn’t get enough of sleep?’

A finger poked Cedric on his forehead as he moaned in reply. The young man responsible for eliminating sloth that morning(just like the day Cedric registered for the Novice Training Program) stood before him. He possessed the same blonde hair with less streaks of red, and he had allowed his hair to grow beyond his ears and was almost touching his shoulders. Cedric took a seat at the table as he looked at his brother with a keen and envious gaze. The silver outfit and Knight emblem that adorned his brother has been his source inspiration since he was little. The Spencers grew up in Prontera, the heart of the Rune Midgard Kingdom - a land which earned a reputation of discovering many brave adventurers. Almost a third of its population was a member of a guild, specializing at a certain job class. Cedric aspired to be that third of the population and has already taken his first step by attending a Novice Training Program. The Novice job – the start of every adventurer’s journey – was the most basic job which offers its members basic skills needed to survive in real life situations in the strange world of Rune Midgard.

‘Chew up before we leave. And do it slowly, we don’t want you to choke before the test, do we?’ said Caleb, laying down a plate of omelettes on the table, gesturing him to eat them. Although they were already geared up and prepared for their adventure, Cedric chomped up the eggs obediently, knowing his brother would not allow him to leave before doing so. Cedric and Caleb live together in the quaint little house in the streets of Prontera. The siblings were without parents, or at least, that was the impression given the Cedric as their parents were not with them since he was little. They were left to fend for themselves, Caleb being the breadwinner with the help of their neighbours as he was the elder of the two. Cedric idolizes his brother, making him the role-model in anything he does, even in making the choice of his future profession.

‘Done, let’s go now,’ Cedric said shortly after clearing up his plate. Caleb laughed at his brother’s excitement as he reached for a long object wrapped tightly in thick, brown cloth.

‘What’s that?’ Cedric pointed out, never ever seeing the item in his brother’s possession before. Caleb simply answered that he would find out later and opened the door to the outdoors.

Prontera was a large city bustling with activities; the sight of merchants haggling was widespread. Knights, Priests, Crusaders and many different adventurers from all over Rune Midgard Kingdom often gather in its capital for various causes. The Spencers navigated their way through the crowd as they headed to the center fountain to meet up with Cedric’s friend who would be taking the Novice Test along with him.

‘Good afternoon sir! Could I interest you to some of my armour?’ came an eager voice from a merchant who had walked to the front of his stall as he saw Caleb walk by. ‘I have many affordable and handy armours for a Knight like you. Here I have a Full Plate, heavy, but offers great defense.’

‘Oh, thank you very much, but I must pass,’ replied Caleb as he waved his hand. ‘I specialize in agile-fighting you see, I’m afraid I won’t be able to carry this armour. I’m satisfied with what I have on me right now, and I trust them with my life. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a buyer.’

The merchant nodded gracefully and thanked Caleb for his time. Immediately, he turned to the Crusader who was wandering nearby. Cedric beamed in admiration for his brother who displayed such patience and wise-speech.

‘Do you reckon I should train on my agility like you do, bro?’ asked Cedric after walking away from the stall.

‘It’s your decision really,’ Caleb replied as he turned his deep cerulean eyes to his younger brother. ‘There are different pros and cons to whatever aspect you wish to specialize. I prefer hitting fast over brute force, so I chose light weapons and equipments. It lets me dodge attacks well.’

‘Maybe I should do the same then,’ said Cedric smartly.

‘Well, you have a long journey ahead, you still have a lot to experience before you decide what’s best for yourself,’ Caleb added. His attention wandered off for awhile before continuing. ‘Anyway, since when did that food joint appear? Wasn’t that shop owned by Leslie’s Jewelleries?’

‘Gosh, bro, you haven’t been in the outdoors for a long time now,’ Cedric crossed his arms in amazement. ‘Leslie sold his shop last week and that food joint was there since last week already. The world doesn’t stop turning while you slack at home, you know.’

Caleb lowered his head and pursed his lips, upset by what his brother said. ‘Hey, I had things I needed to do at home, alright,’ he raised his eyebrows. When he looked forward, he realized that they have arrived at the centre of the town. ‘We’re here at the fountain already, where’s your friend?’

Cedric shrugged in reply as he scanned his surroundings for his best friend. He looked down at his watch to check the time; they did agree to meet up here and now.

‘Well, can’t really trust Hirei to be here on time,’ Cedric sighed. ‘He’s always late for classes and all.’

‘Cedric Spencer! Take that back!’

Before he could attempt to turn to the speaker, Cedric received a blow to his ribs from the side. He staggered backwards and frowned at his attacker, a boy of his age with spiky hair in an attention grabbing shade of snow white. The boy’s facial features were clearly different from mainlanders. He had a roundish face, a slight yellowish-tinge in his skin and small cinnamon brown eyes.

‘Rei! That hurts you jerk!’ Cedric cried as he held his stomach in pain. He regained his composure before nudging Hirei who was standing arms akimbo.

‘I was here much earlier than you were,’ Hirei stated proudly. He smiled and waved at Caleb, who returned the gesture. Hirei then turned back to his friend. ‘Anyhow Ced, all that matters is we’re here now! Let’s go to the Novice Training Grounds! The faster we get this over with, the faster we become Novices!’

‘Yes, yes, yes,’ Cedric replied boringly. ‘We’re gonna get a warp to the training grounds from Kafra, right?’ Caleb nodded in approval when Cedric turned to him.

‘It’s in that building right?’ said Hirei excitedly, pointing at a building down the road. ‘So what are we waiting for? Let’s go!’

Cedric, Caleb and Hirei left the centre fountain a walked a little further south before entering a building facing the inner street with Caleb leading the way. Upon entering the front door, they saw the Kafra staff positioned behind the counter, engaged in a conversation with a customer. Cedric’s heart gave a Taekwon-class leap as he rested his eyes on the figure speaking with the Kafra staff – a beautiful young girl dressed in a lovely turquoise dress. She had a unique belt across her waist, a darling pendent hanging from her neck, shimmering in an ocean glitter. Her silky black hair extends below her chest; her fair complexion augmented by her peach pink cheeks. She turned around at the sound of the door, her glowing emerald eyes examining the newcomers.

---

Current Word Count: 1,751

ZOMGWTHSTFUBBQ!!! spazz

2009-10-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

ZOMGNANOWRIMOINTWOHOURSZOMG *dies*

I can't believe it's here! Here I am, getting excited over it and all. I finished my exams yesterday(GOSH! I don't even remember I finished them yesterday...), then slept over at my friend's house. And tomorrow, I've gotta start typing my story! Whoopie!

I haven't unpacked my stuff yet, so I have to be off now. At least, I'm making progress at my work(I did two cross-stitches in two days!), hopefully my procrastination mode is sleeping now and I can get writing. I'll be updating The Eminent Guardians daily, my Ragnarok Online fan fiction. Please stay around the read my Novel!

Some Work Finally?

2009-10-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

As usual, I haven't been working much. On top of that, I'm having my exams at the moment. Sadly, there wasn't anything interesting that I wrote this time around for my language exams, except for my English Essay, titled "Secrets", where I wrote some cheesy teenage story. Yes, yes, it was just a split second thing.

On the other hand, I'm glad my exams are coming to an end! And that's at the end of October! And that means November is coming along with the holidays! And that means... oh crap... NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month is held in November every year. National meaning the whole world. In this month, NaNoWriMo participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Yes, FIFTY THOUSAND WORDS! You'll be cracking your brains and writing tons of crap. The goal of the project is quantity, not quality. To push yourself to the limits and achieve the unachievable. You have to ignore all mistakes and force yourself to write at least 1,667 words per day to achieve this goal.

The website is here: http://www.nanowrimo.org

For all those who were following me, you would know that I have attempted this in 2007 and 2008, and was the reason why I made this blog last year. And for all those who really really knows me, you know that I have procrastinated and utterly phailed at both attempts, the former, 9,000 words and the latter, 12,000 words. :D I'm not planning to do 15,000 words this year, I'm planning to go for the 50,000.

I haven't had any big ideas or brainchild yet, but I'm planning to do this year rewriting my Ragnarok Online-based fiction story which has been in planning and production for YEARS now. Hopefully, this project will help me make a progress in it, once and for all. :D

So, please, please, PLEASE. Gimme input, comments, criticisms, and lots of kicks on the butt. I really hope I'll get it this year. So watch out this space!

Still not Working?

2009-07-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

As you can guess, I didn't complete the Scholastic Essay after all. :D

I just finished my Grade 8 Practical Exam, so I've got quite some time on my hands. For the past week, I have been replanning the Eminent Guardians, which is my Ragnarok Online fan fiction. I made the plot much more awesome with my new Ragnarok Online knowledge. Yeahman! I just started to rewrite my characters' biographies.

As for any other literature-ish stuff I'm doing now... There's this poem writing competition between USJ 13, USJ 4 and USJ 12 as part of the RIMUP program. Obviously, the title is "Perpaduan". I'm needed to write a four paragraph poem, free style. But obviously, I haven't gotten the inspiration to start writing yet. :D Suggestions and help, anyone? (then again, no one reads this blog, sigh)

Just for giggles, I'm posting up my answer from my mid-term exam paper. It's just so hilarious how I came up with such random stuff in less than an hour. I'm rather proud of the awesomeness I wrote. Up till today, this is my most enjoyable exam essay experience. Read on, you'll find out why. xD Everything written below is exactly like what I wrote for my exam, except for some edited spelling errors. One is in English and the other is in Malay. Enjoy!

(I forgot the question, but it's something like going on a trip to the jungle with your school club and you getting lost. The essay is a cerpen(short story) about your "lost" experience until you being found. :D)

'Ya Allah, apa yang boleh kita buat sekarang?'

'Shh, jangan merungut lagi. Tak ada faedahnya,' aku balas dengan sejuk. Aku tahu betapa takutnya Aina yang pertama kali menyertai ekspedisi. Sebenarnya, aku terasa aagak cemas juga. Tetapi, tak kanlah aku menunjukkan perasaan takut aku di depan David.

'Cis, kalaulah saya dalam kumpulan Adam dan Gopal, tak perlulah aku menjaga dua adik-adik di sini,' sindir David sambil meneguk air daripada botol yang diagihkan oleh Cikgu Nurul tadi. Nyata sekali bahawa penyertaan David dalam kumpulan aku bukan pilihan kami. Kami dan 27 orang ahli Persatuan Pencinta Alam dibahagikan kepada kumpulan sebanyak tiga orang mengikut arahan cikgu.

"Rika, tolonglah jaga David itu. Pastikan dia tidak menganggu peserta ekspedisi yang lain, okay?" Demikianlah permintaan Cikgu Nurul kepada aku pada pagi itu. Aku sudah mula menyesal bersetuju dengan cikgu.

'Pasal awaklah yang kita tersesat ni,' aku memarahi David sambil mencari jalan balik ke denai yang sepatutnya kami mengikuti. 'Buat apa nak tangkap tupai tu? Cari pasal aje. Ayuh, aku rasa jalan ni yang betul. Ternampak tapak kaki kita dari awal tadi.'

'Baik, pengerusi aku yang kecil hati,' ujar David dengan senyuman yang sinis. Mukanya ingin aku tumbuk bertalu-talu. Lepas itu, aku akan tendangnya dengan kemahiran taekwondo aku.

'Ah, Rika. Mukamu dah merah lagi,' bisik Aina yang menggenggam tanganku dengan kuat. Dia merendahkan mukanya yang berseri dengan rambutnya yang hitam seperti abu. 'Maafkan Aina. Buat kamu resau sahaja.'

Aku tersenyum. Walaupun Aina anak emas keluarganya, dia tahu bertimbang rasa. Tak seperti David yang manja itu. 'Tak apa, Aina,' aku terus senyum. 'Aku amat gembira Aina sudi menyertai ekspedisi menjelajah hutan persatuanku.'

Aku dan Aina berjalan di depan manakala David sedang membetulkan begnya di belakang. Di tangan kirinya ialah telefon bimbit terbaharu dari Samsung dan dalam tangan kanannya ialah beg kain berwarna kelabu yang melompat-lompat. Di dalamnya ialah tupai yang ditangkapnya tadi.

'Cis, tak de talian di sini pula,' kata David kepada dirinya. Dia menyimpan telefon bimbit dan berlari ke depan aku. 'Hei, pengerusi. Dah dua jam kita tersesat di sini. Betulkah jalan ni?'

'Diamlah,' aku kata dengan tidak sabar. 'Kata cikgu kalau kita tersesat, jalan ke arah timur. Kan matahari di arah itu?'

Aku menundik jariku he arah matahari. Walaupun pokok-pokok di hutan besar dan tinggi, muka matahari yang terus bersinar dengan ceria dapat dilihat bersembunyi di belakang daun-daun yang lebat.

'Hai, pengerusi aku yang bijaksana, tidakkah awak tahu yang sekarang ni dah pukul tiga petang?' David ketawa kecil. 'Matahari petang di sebelah barat, kan?'

Aku terhenti jalanku. Aku tidak percaya kata-kata David tadi. Tetapi yang membuat aku terkejut ialah aku telah membawa kami lagi dalam hutan ini. Muka David itu memberitahu aku bahawa dia telah tahu kenyataan ini awal lagi.

'Apalah awak ni! Dah tahu awal-awal lagi tapi tak cakap pun,' mukaku terus merah dengan kemarahan.

'Jadi awak mengaku yang ini adalah kesilapan awak?'

'Awak ni...'

'Rika, berhati-hati!' jerit Aina dengan tiba-tiba. Aku menoleh ke belakang dan ternampak suatu lembaga yang besar. Bentuknya tidak serupa dengan manusia. Terdengar juga bunyi hembusan nafas yang kuat. Hatiku terlompat keluar apabila ternampak seekor singa yang berjalan ke arah kami.

'Cepat lari!' David kata dengan muka yang pucat. Dia berlari ke arah bertentangan. Singa itu pula mengikutnya dengan mencuit hati.

'David! Buangkan beg kain itu!' Aku arahkan. Aku menarik Aina ke arah timur sambil meletakkan pendangan aku di atas David. David terangguk-angguk kepalanya, seolah-olah memahami maksud aku. Dia melontar beg kain kelabu itu dengan sekuat-kuatnya. Tupai yang ditangkapnya tadi terjatuh di atas lantai hutan, tidak mengetahui bahaya yanh dihadapinya. Singa itu melompat ke arah tupai itu. David pula berlari ke arah aku. Kami tidak menoleh ke belakang.

Apabila kami sudah sampai ke sebatang sungai, kami terhenti untuk menangkap nafas kami.

'Ah, cemasnya aku tadi!' David bernafas dengan kuat. Aku menolong Aina untuk membasuhkan mukanya dengan air sungai.

'Hei, pengerusi,' David kata dengan perlahan. Mukanya yang nakal itu digantikan dengan senyuman ikhlas. 'Terima kasih.'

'Sama-sama,' aku ucapkan. Tiba-tiba, aku telah maafkan David. Yang pentingnya, kami selamat.

'Hei, Rika, Aina, David!'

Aku ternampak seorang yang melambai-lambai ke arah kami. Di belakangnya ialah lembaga murid-murid yang lain.

'Insya-Allah, Cikgu Nurul!' Aina jerit balik. Kami lari ke arah cikgu yang di sebelah sungai itu.

'Terjumpa juga kamu bertiga. Ada tercedera kah?' kata Cikgu Nurul dengan lemah lembut.

'Tak cikgu, tetapi banyak cerita yang kami ada,' aku balas. Aku, Aina dan David terketawa terbahak-bahak.

(67/100)

(Section B: Continuous Writing. Write a story beginning with: "He hurried home quickly. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky...")

He hurried home quickly. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky as bolts of lightning were thrown across the sky. He ran as if it was the 100m sprint competition, except that he had never done well in it since he was in high school. He felt the first drop of rainwater on his tan skin. His home was still a distance away and at this rate, he would never make it. He hailed his suitcase and placed it strategically on his head, sheltering his jet black hair. As he slowed down his steps, he darted his brown eyes around his surrondings. He spotted a lone shed sitting conveniently near an industrial area, as if built for the many people who took this path and needed shelter during the rain. He darted towards the shed before the rainwater started to crawl into his socks.

It was empty except for a few pieces of wood and a large cloth with an unfinished design of a Kit Kat advertisement on it. He wiped his face dry with a tissue his wide had prepared for him. It was supposed to be a normal day - he was supposed to drive his Proton Saga to work, meet his client, return home to a normal wife who prepared a normal dinner. Today was not normal, and he should have expected it since he crashed his car into the telephone pole. Or maybe, it was when he decided to act all macho and walk home from his colleague's home. Or perhaps, when he decided to stop and fill in a survey form and realized he was picpocketed. Either way, it was not his day.

He folded his pants, now wet and mud-stained. He wanted to call his wife until he remembered that he lost his handphone. He gave up doing anything and decided to sit and agonize about the day. Just as his thoughts were running to the part where he penned down his age on the survey form, his attention was stolen by a shuffling noise. His heart did an Olympic-worthy somersault as he starred blankly at the suspicious looking wooden planks. He thought he saw a figure.

'Who's there?' he spoke in a confident manner his father always had. He grew up thinking that all man should adopt such mannerism. A flash of light shinned into the shed as a thunder roared in the heavy rain. He knew he was not seeing a ghost. It was a perfectly normal man. The man stumbled out of the Kit Kat advertisement. He had a shaggy head of black hair and a dirty outfit. The man stared at him with his pair of profound, brown eyes.

'Matthew?' the man whispered back uncertainly. Unintentionally, Matthew released the tissue from his hands and shot straight into a standing position. He gulped as his logical mind started to form possibilities of what might happen next, some not so pretty. His mouth, however, came with an illogical answer.

'Brother?' Matthew said, shivering. The shaggy man help Matthew in an embrace. Maybe, all that happen that day was fated. The unordinary day turned out to be extra ordinary.

(48/50)

Finally Working!

2009-04-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Whees! I'm actually writing something now! It's not much, but I finally wrote 300+ words for my Scholastic Essay Competition. It's reaaaaaaaally cheesy, but that's what I was trying to do. xD Comment and critique please?

Ding.

The silver door parted, along with it my blurry reflection. I limped silently into the small elevator my apartment had to offer. The doors closed on me, reflected once again before me was what I tried so hard to run away from. That familiar face from my bedroom mirror; that long silky black hair I preserved for 3 years; that slender figure from skipping lunch for 2 years… all these cease to mean anything anymore.

I ran my finger down the panel of buttons. Twenty numbers flashed as I dropped onto the dull elevator floor. I looked around me through my teary eyes and cluttered bangs. The silver sheen of the unwelcoming elevator walls ran shivers down my spine.

Ding.

The doors to the eighth floor opened. I never liked elevators. Its confined space makes any broom closet look better. I would opt for the stairs at any time of the day. Except, this time was the last time, and I could not heave out anymore energy to climb the stairs. Not to mention the injury on my foot. Even at the end of my life, and all the other times before that, I had to rely on something I detested.

Ding.

I wished I were a bird. I pressed my burning cheeks against the cold steel walls. Small traces of ink and spray paint were spread across the elevator. My puffy eyes caught a scratch pattern on the wall near my feet. “W&S Forever”, it read. A feeble laugh escaped my mouth. They were so foolish. In this world, nothing lasts forever, especially not love. A man’s heart was fickle, they flew wherever and whenever they wished, leaving their woman lost behind. I should never have trusted it. It was so unfair that girls could not play the same trick on these unfaithful men. Perhaps, it was only I who was powerless to do so.

Ding.

Three Time's the Charm?

2009-04-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Very very veeeery obviously again, I never came around to finishing the Long Way Home essay. Nor did I take part in the MPH essay competition. So, this time, I'll be attempting the Scholastic essay competition. And I only have less than a week to write this essay. Woohoo!

There was three essays to choose from. Two which were "Hero for a Day" and "If I were a...". I never do things from the norm, so I chose "If I were a...", and will be writing a suicide story! Hmm, how does that link up you ask? I'm a genius, so there. =D

Wish me luck? When I actually finish it, I'll post it up, for whoever who actually reads this blog.

Procrastinated... again

2009-02-27T01:06:00.000-08:00

It seems that I have procrastinated, and obviously, I have not been able to pass up the Commonwealth Essay thingy... UGH. It was supposed to be due 1 March, and it's 27 February already, and I only have 200+ words... o___o No time for the teachers to read it, even less time for the Datin to approve it...

Anyhow... there's another short story competition by MPH... It's in one month, and if I ever wanna join it, I vetter start now, as I'm gonna be busy for the whole of March. And the theme, Staying and Leaving! UGH! It's so... abstract... .___.

Oh well, I'll see how. Here's the 200 words from the Long Way Home essay, slightly edited, for whoever who actually reads this... Enjoy... however you'd like.

Clink. Clank.

The chiming sounds of coins meeting the ground stirred his mind. It annoyed his senses, as he did not lay out his coat on the cold, unfriendly floor without due cause. Nevertheless, he grinned like a shaggy dog, nodding obediently as one would do when his owner tossed him a dried bone. The coins on the ground were then scooped up and introduced to the stack of coins and notes resting comfortably on his coat, safe from the damp floor.

He then fumbled his boney fingers, reaching out for his ash black guitar. It was the only thing he does best. When aliens would invade Earth and cast a “wit-dimming” spell on humankind, he was positive he would still be able to play his guitar with perfection. When humankind would ask for him to offer firewood, he would rather die of chill than to sacrifice the guitar.

Despite the years the guitar has gone through with him, it was almost flawless, unlike his dull, worn-out clothes which was a favourite among housewives for housekeeping purposes. The guitar in question was his first and only guitar he had. He could remember spending restless nights lying on the bed he could hardly remember, drawing out names to match his handsome guitar.

He recalled the time he received his baby guitar. It was given to him by his… As a figure appeared before his eyes, he dispersed the person with an imaginary wave of his hand. He never wanted to go back there. If it meant living on the streets with his guitar, it was fine by him.

He started strumming his guitar slowly. As the unpleasantly cold breeze blew by, he picked up pace. It is astonishing that no one has admired his talents for what it is worth.

Meep

2009-02-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

Yes. I noticed it has been forever since I last posted here. And it's kinda obvious I never came around to finishing the 50,000 words novel. Sigh... Well, there's always this year! And this year is a new year! I shall succeed!

At the moment, I'm not specifically working on any of my works. However, I'm working on a 1,200 - 1,500 word essay for the Commonwealth Essay Competition. I got this last November, but only started to work on it today. I'll be working on the title "The Long Way Home". So uh, stay around to give me some comments? :3

Here's the first 100 words though:

Clink. Clank.

The chiming sounds of coins meeting the ground stirred his mind. He did not lay out his coat on the floor without due cause. Nevertheless, he grinned like a shaggy dog, nodding obediently as one would do when his owner tossed him a dried bone. The coins on the ground were then scooped up and introduced to a stack of coins and paper.

He then fumbled his boney fingers as he reached out for his trusty guitar. It was the only thing he does best. When aliens would invade Earth and cast a “wit-dimming” spell on humankind, he was positive he would still be able to play his guitar with perfection. On top of that, he would never give up the guitar to rediscover fire. The guitar in question was an ash black classical guitar.

Day 12 - 21

2008-11-21T07:08:00.000-08:00

A dark portal appeared as the lady faded into it. Immediately, she reappeared right next to the bridge. She started fiddling with the paper fan in her hand. With a twirl, the paper fan turned into a shade of silver. She then started tapping the metal fan on the rope of the bridge in a mocking manner.

Kairi gasped. She seems to have discovered something. ‘I think she’s going to cut the rope… She’s going to bring down the bridge!’

‘What?’ Sora exclaimed.

‘See you then,’ she smiled. With a stroking movement, she ripped the ropes which bounded the bridge to the cliff with the now sharp fan. Unable to suspend itself in the air, the bridge started to tear apart, bringing both Mulan and Shang down with it.

‘You be good now,’ the lady said as she waved at Sora, the darkness wrapping her as she disappeared from the area.

‘Come back here!’ Sora ran forward and slashed the darkness with his Keyblade, catching nothing but the air.

‘Sora, don’t bother! We’ve got to help them!’ Riku called out as he ran to the edge of the cliff. Mulan and Shang were hanging on a thin thread. The bridge was unlikely to support the weight of two grown person with its worn out ropes.

‘You can do it girl!’ Mushu yelled out words of encouragement as he peeked down the cliff. ‘We’re gonna get both of you up, so just hang in there!’

‘Hang on, we’ll get help soon,’ Mulan wheezed as she hanged on dearly to the broken bridge. She was holding on to Shang’s arm with her other hand to keep him from falling.

‘I can’t reach them…’ Riku muttered as he leaned forward and tried to stretch out his hand to Mulan.

‘I… I will find another way!’ said Sora as he started searching through their items for something they could use to pull Mulan and Shang to safety.

‘Mulan, let go of my hand,’ Shang requested.

‘No!’ Mulan snapped back, her eyes widening. ‘I’ll never do that! How can you say such a thing?’

‘Mulan, you and I know that this bridge cannot support the two of us,’ Shang continued. ‘Please…’

‘Then we’ll both go down together,’ Mulan said stubbornly. ‘I’ll never leave you, Shang.’

The bridge started creaking as it started to break apart. Shang hesitated as he bit his lip. He looked up and gave a sad smile to Mulan. ‘Mulan… keep on living,’ he whispered before shifting his arm, loosening Mulan’s grip of his hand. With one last jerk, Shang fell down into the deep valley.

‘Shang!’ Mulan cried with all that was left of her voice. She could not believe that she had allowed her lover to save her life at the cost of his. She turned away as a silent tear ran down her cheeks.

Sora snitched a long sword which was sitting nearby. He passed it to Riku, who extended the weapon down the cliff, allowing Mulan to hold it and climb up. After Mulan was safe, no words were exchanged. Even Mushu, who is known for his fast paced mouth, knew not to say anything. Kairi helped comb Mulan’s disheveled hair back into place to show her stunning facial features, yet revealing a sad face. In her hand, she was still holding onto the long sword Sora had found. She held it close to her body even as they walked, as if finding security in doing so.

‘So… General Shang is deceased…’

Mulan and Mushu along with Sora, Riku and Kairi had returned to the Palace to report back to the Emperor about what had happened. As they spoke of the chain of events from the encounter of the mysterious lady, to the battle between Mulan and the lady, and to the broken bridge, and Shang’s death, the Emperor nodded, his expression changing at times, but nonetheless, calm.

‘This girl…’ the Emperor started.

‘Her name was Xiaolu,’ said Mulan as Sora listened intently, catching up on information he has not learned about. ‘I believe she is from China, from the way she looks. She’s very skilled in fighting. I don’t know what her motives are, but…’

Mulan trailed off as she stared down at the sword in her hands. She took a step forward and knelt before the Emperor, presenting the sword she had brought from the site. The Emperor pursed his lips as stood up from his throne. He walked towards Mulan, stretching out his hand and stroked the sword she was holding. The Emperor sighed.

‘He was a brave man,’ the Emperor spoke. ‘He has done great things for China. This will be a great lost to our country. He will be honoured and remembered by the people.’

Mulan lowered her head, evidently trying her best to hold back her tears. Sora now understood why she had clung onto the sword. The sword was once in the possession of General Shang and was something that she would treasure. The weapon which was used in wars was now an object of comfort to Mulan.

‘I will send out a search team to reclaim his body. You need not worry, Mulan,’ the Emperor continued as he lifted his hands off the weapon. ‘As for General Shang's sword... You may keep it.’

Mulan's eyes brighten up for once in a long time. She lowered her head once again. ‘Your Majesty, this means a lot to me,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

Mulan hugged the sword closely as she smiled silently. Suddenly, the sword started flashing with an odd light. At the same time, the tip of Sora, Riku and Kairi's Keyblade started shining. Mulan released her hand from the sword as it floated into the air. As the sword continued to shine in mid air, a beam of light appeared and revealed a large Keyhole.

‘This is...’ Sora started as he waved his Keyblade.

‘The Keyhole,’ Riku nodded, raising his Keyblade in front of him.

‘The key to open the path to the other worlds,’ Kairi resumed as the three of them pointed their Keyblade into the air. Together, their Keyblades shot a large beam of light towards the Keyhole, unlocking it.

After the Keyhole disappeared, Mulan retrieved the sword as it fell gracefully back into her arms. ‘Is that the same Keyhole as before?’ Mulan asked. ‘Does this mean you’ll have no go now?’

‘I guess…’ Sora nodded as he turned to his friends. Riku gave a positive reply. But as Sora looked at Kairi, she seemed slightly concern about Mulan. Slowly, she nodded as well. ‘We’ve got to check out the other worlds too.’

‘Good luck young warriors,’ said the Emperor.

‘Thanks,’ they smiled in return. As they walked out of the Throne Room, they took one last look back to see Mulan waving back at them. Mushu peeked out of Mulan and gave a thumb up. After Sora, Riku and Kairi left, Mulan turned back to the Emperor, her face stern with a more pressing matter at hand.

‘Your Majesty…’ Mulan started. ‘How do you plan to settle this matter?’

‘What matter are we speaking of, Mulan?’ the Emperor asked.

‘The forging of the alliance,’ said Mulan as she shifted her eyes to the side. ‘I stand by my words that I will not allow Your Majesty’s daughters to be wed to the neighbouring kingdom.’

‘I understand your wishes, Mulan. And I will grant them,’ the Emperor nodded. ‘But I have not thought of a way to stop the Mongols from attacking China… Perhaps we will just have to send out the army.’

‘Perhaps, Your Majesty…’ Mulan gulped, as her heart took a leap to present her idea. ‘I could be wed to the kingdom of Qui Gong in place of Your Majesty’s daughters.’

Something started bumping against Mulan. It was Mushu, who was obviously taken aback by the idea. The Emperor had raised his eyebrows too. ‘Mulan… You do understand what you are speaking of, don’t you?’

‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ Mulan replied confidently. ‘For China, I would sacrifice my life. After all, Shang had…’

‘Mulan, this is a lifetime’s decision,’ the Emperor said. ‘I want you to think clearly again.’

‘Your Majesty, I have thought about this for a long time’ said Mulan reassuringly. ‘I will not have any doubts. I… don’t want to have any more regrets.’

‘Very well, Mulan…’ said the Emperor in defeat. ‘We will make immediate preparations for your marriage.’

Mulan nodded as she looked back into her arms where the sword laid silently. She kissed the sword as she mouthed the words “please forgive me”.

‘I hope Mulan is okay…’ Kairi muttered as the trio was walking towards the Marketplace, returning to their Gummi Ship. She placed a hand on her chest and sighed. ‘It must hurt a lot to lose the one you love.’

‘It’s awful, but I think she’ll be fine,’ said Sora as he placed his hands behind his head in a laid back manner. ‘She’s one tough cookie.’

Soon, they were walking down that same valley again. The brown, barren land seems even more uninviting than ever. As they took small steps, their thoughts were with Shang, whose time came too early.

‘Hey… Don’t you think those green trees there are a little suspicious?’ said Riku out of a sudden as he pointed at a clump of tall trees in a shade from afar.

‘What’s so suspicious about that?’ asked Sora. ‘They are just trees, right?’

‘Didn’t you notice?’ said Kairi. ‘The trees are in a place where it is hard to get sunlight. And those aren’t the local variety. It’s too… leafy. Besides, we haven’t seen any green plants around this empty area, have we?’

Sora’s eyes widened. Those thoughts never occurred to him before. He rearranged his mind before speaking. ‘Then… what are they doing here?’

Sora, Riku and Kairi exchanged stares. As if struck by a bat at the same time, the three of them hopped to their feet and was running towards the trees. They had a feeling that they would find something in the clump of trees. As they went closer, they could see some squashy, multi-coloured draping on the floor. It seems that someone has left them there on purpose, as the draping has a very beautiful decoration on it. The textile seems expensive, and would not be something that was accidently left behind in a weird clump of trees.

‘What are these here for?’ Riku wondered as he ran his hand through the cloth, a very silky texture to it.

‘What’s that over there?’ asked Kairi as she pointed to an odd figure curled up at a corner. Sora took a closer look to inspect. Suddenly, he could recognize it as human’s body. As he went closer, the human figure started to look familiar.

‘General Shang!’ Sora yelled. Riku and Kairi leapt to their feet and ran over to Sora’s side to see if it was true. Surely enough, the man was in a featal position, but his garment and hairstyle made him recognizable. His clothes were slightly worn out from the fall through the trees.

Riku bent forward to inspect the general as Sora and Kairi watched nervously. He placed his palms on Shang’s back, then moved his finger towards his nose to check his breathing.

‘He’s not injured badly... The trees and cloth must’ve broken his fall,’ said Riku as he turned around, smiling. ‘He’s alive.’

‘H-he is?’ said Sora gleefully, obviously excited with the news.

‘He’s unconcious now though,’ said Riku. ‘We probably should let him rest for a bit before bringing him back. Maybe cast a few “Cure” spells on him?’

‘I’ll do it!’ said Kairi, who had her Keyblade ready.

‘You learned how to do Magic?’ asked Sora.

‘I’m not that slow, you know,’ Kairi replied with a smile. She pointed her Keyblade into the air as she started chanting. ‘Cure!’

The tip of Kairi’s Keyblade started to sparkle. A green wave of light started wrapping General Shang’s frail body. As the wave of light dispersed, the body started moving out of is safe position. The man raised his head. There were fine scratches across his square, handsome face. His face was filled with dust and dirt.

‘Sora, Riku, Kairi...?’ Shang muttered, confused. ‘Where am I?’

‘You’re still with us, General Shang,’ Kairi smiled. ‘You’re still alive.’

‘I... I am?’ Shang moved his hands slowly towards his face. As he rubbed them against his face, he could feel the sense of touch with his hands. He shut his eyes and smiled. He has never felt so relieved to feel touch in his whole life. ‘I’m still here... I’m still alive... But, how did I survive?’

‘You must’ve landed through these trees,’ Riku explained as he waved around them. He then lifted the cloth on the floor. ‘And these cloth must’ve cushioned your fall too.’

‘How did all of these get here?’ Shang asked.

‘We have no idea. It’s odd, but you must be lucky to have survived from such a high fall,’ Sora replied. ‘Anyway, we should bring you back to the Palace. Mulan’s worried about you. She’ll be glad to know you’re alive.’

‘Oh... yes,’ Shang nodded. ‘We better get back quick.’

As General Shang stood up, he staggered and fell back onto the ground. Riku offered his hand as he helped him to stand up. The four of them then left the valley immediately. They were glad to have left the barren lands as they passed by a village area on the way to the Palace. The townspeople seem to be buzzing as a few housewives started gathering around as they gossiped.

‘Have you heard?’ whispered a plump woman as they passed by the Marketplace.

‘Is it about that China’s bravest woman?’ asked her petite friend. This woman’s statement had piqued the interest of Sora and the party. ‘She’s awfully brave to be doing such thing.’

‘If she was my daughter, I would be worried sick!’ a younger woman in orange added. ‘To be fighting with the army, and now to offer herself to be married to Qui Gong’s prince!’

‘What did you say, lady?’ said Shang in a demanding voice abruptly, his senses sharpened when he heard about Mulan.

---

Current Word Count: 11,547

Day 11

2008-11-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

‘Great move Mulan!’ Mushu spoke happily while Mulan was storming out of the Imperial Square. ‘That guy needs to be taught a lesson. See how insensitive he is? You should just dump that guy. The Fa family deserves a better son-in-law.’

‘Mushu, I don’t need to listen to that now…’ said Mulan. As she ran far enough, she stopped by a peaceful river to catch her breath and recollect her thoughts. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions. A part of her was filled with a strong sense of justice, able to do anything just to stop the arranged marriage of the Emperor’s daughters. Another part of her was filled with obligation, regretting that she had shouted at both the Emperor and General Shang and refusing to carry out her duties.

‘Hey Mulan, just forget about Shang already,’ said Mushu. ‘The pretty boy obviously doesn’t care about you. Look, he didn’t even come running after you!’

Mulan simply shook her head, refusing to speak. She did not know what to do next. Mushu sighed and started wandering around as Mulan continued to stare blankly into the river, catching her reflection.

‘Sheesh… I wish I could help her, but she’s not listening to any bit I’m saying!’ Mushu muttered with annoyance once Mulan was out of sight. He buried his face into his tiny hands as he heaved another sigh. ‘Mulan and Shang better not get together, or I’ll lose my job!’

‘Mulan…’

‘Shang?’ Mulan raised her head with anticipation, hoping to see her lover. Instead, she was faced by a strange girl with a pleasant smile.

‘How did you know my name?’ said Mulan, confused. ‘Who are you?’

‘I’m Xiaolu,’ the girl smiled as she raised her paper fan in the air. With a strong burst of light, the fan turned silver. With a twist of her wrist, she opened the fan, revealing a very artistic design. The fan started to glimmer as it reflected the sun’s rays. ‘And that will be last time you’ll ever hear someone utter your name.’

‘Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!’

‘Mulan?’ Sora stopped in his tracks when he heard Mulan’s voice. After Mulan ran out of the Palace, the trio has been searching high and low for her. Sora’s heart leapt with fear as Mulan’s yell did not sound promising.

‘Come on,’ Riku called out, bringing Sora’s attention back. ‘We’ve got to find her. She might be in danger.’

Sora, Riku and Kairi ran towards the source of the sound. It was hard to find their way to Mulan as she had only yelled once. As they ran past the river, they saw a tiny red figure.

‘Isn’t that Mushu?’ said Kairi. Sora stopped and took a closer look. He need not walk closer, as the little red figure in sight has suddenly grew larger.

‘Sora, Riku, Kairi!’ cried Mushu. It seems that the dragon had managed to dash towards the trio at a surprisingly fast pace. ‘Mulan… She…’

‘We heard her, where is she?’ Sora questioned. ‘Why aren’t you with her?’

‘I… it’s my fault!’ Mushu said grimly. ‘I shouldn’t have said all those things to her and left her alone. I didn’t mean to do it, but I wanted to stay as her family guardian so I tried to-’

‘Mushu, just bring us to her,’ Riku said sternly, not wanting to waste any time and putting Mulan’s life in jeopardy.

‘O-okay!’ the dragon squirmed. He then led the party down the stream. He was running as fast as his short limbs could take him. Soon, they found themselves climbing higher up the cliff. Eventually, they arrived at the same valley they were walking through earlier, except that they are on higher grounds now.

‘Mulan!’ Sora yelled when he spotted Mulan on the ground. The ground around her was filled with metal stakes and needles. There were even some needles pricking through Mulan too. She was grabbing hold of her sword as she struggled to stand up. When she heard her name, she was suddenly fueled with energy. Using what was left of her energy, she raised her head to see who it was.

‘Sora, Riku, Kairi… Mushu…’ Mulan uttered weakly as her head fell back onto the ground.

‘Mulan!’ Sora cried as he ran forward to help her up. But suddenly, a portal of darkness appeared. As the darkness faded, a pleasant young lady appeared. She dusted the skirt of her traditional Chinese outfit before raising her head to address Sora.

‘Stop calling her name,’ she said as she flicked her dark locks off her shoulder and smiled. ‘I’m supposed to be the last one who does that.’

‘You… you’re the one from the marketplace,’ Riku recalled. ‘She was the lady who said that there was nothing suspicious going on.’

‘Well, you’re the suspicious one!’ Kairi exclaimed.

Sora flung his hand backwards, summoning his Keyblade as he sensed danger. ‘Who are you?’ he spoke with a demanding voice. ‘Leave Mulan alone.’

‘Sora, right?’ the lady spoke without paying much attention to Sora’s demands. Sora responded with a flabbergasted look on his face. Before he could speak, the girl continued, pointing at Sora’s hand. ‘It’s the Keyblade. It’s not that hard to notice you. And behind you, that’s Riku, then Kairi. And the little one there…’

The girl simply smiled. Sora could not tell if she knew Mushu’s name or not. But he had a feeling that they had met before as Mushu had hid himself behind Riku’s leg.

‘You didn’t finish what I told you to do, did you?’ said the lady.

Mushu shook his head hysterically. ‘I shouldn’t have even started it!’

The lady shrugged. ‘Fine by me, it’s your choice and your problem if you don’t want to take my advice to break Mulan and Shang apart,’ she said. ‘Worst thing is that you’ll lose your place as the Fa family’s guardian. No job, no friend.’

Mulan’s eyes widen as she heard what the lady said. ‘Mushu… is that true?’ she asked softly. Mushu, who was still hidden behind Riku nodded briefly.

‘I don’t get it,’ said Sora with a question mark. ‘Why did you want to destroy Mulan and Shang’s relationship?’

‘If Mulan gets married to Shang, she’ll be a part of the Li family and have one of their guardians instead of me,’ Mushu explained bitterly. ‘And that would mean that I’ll have to leave my place of honour as a guardian because I’m out of the job. And you know I don’t wanna lose you, girl. All the times we’ve been together, I’d be lonely without you.’

‘That doesn’t matter now, Mushu,’ the lady said as she stretched her arms apart. ‘I’ll just have to do things my way now.’

Globs of darkness started appearing throughout the area. Heartless and Nobodies arrived through the corridors of darkness upon the young lady’s orders.

‘Heartless and Nobodies!’ Riku stated as he took out his Keyblade. ‘She’s with them!’

‘I knew something was fishy!’ Sora said angrily. ‘Mushu! Keep Mulan safe, we’ll beat these guys up.’

‘Right!’

Mushu was glad to be given a job. He ran to Mulan’s side and started to take out the needles stuck to her clothes and flesh gently. Meanwhile, Sora, Riku and Kairi battled the Heartless and Nobodies.

‘Is that all?’ Sora taunted as he defeated the last Heartless. The lady laughed tenderly in return.

‘Oh, if you think that was it, you are terribly wrong,’ the lady answered confidently. ‘I was just heating things up.’

Just as she was about to raise her hand which contained her paper fan, a yell from afar interrupted them.

‘Mulan!’

‘Shang!’ Mulan sat upright as she heard his voice. Bearing all the pain, she slowly stood up with the help of Mushu.

‘It seems that everyone just loves to call her name,’ said the lady as she pursed her lips. Right at that moment, a Dusk Nobody appeared from the darkness. It leaned towards the lady as if it was whispering something into her ear.

‘It’s General Shang!’ Kairi muttered, pointing over to the opposite direction. As Sora turned over to where Kairi was pointing, he could see General Shang crossing the bridge which was leading to the other side of the valley.

‘Shang!’ Mulan cried as she limped towards the bridge. ‘I’m sorry for yelling at you!’

‘Mulan, I need to apologize too!’ Shang responded, picking up his pace as he walked across the bridge.

‘Aww, how sweet!’ the lady smiled. Next to her, the Dusk Nobody returned back into the darkness. ‘But it’s just sad that I have to leave now. Should I make things sweeter before I go?’
---

Current Word Count: 9,169

Day 9 & 10

2008-11-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

It was quite a distance away, but they had to make it there on foot as there were very few transportation choices in the area. It was not surprising that their path was blocked by the Heartless and Nobodies.

‘The white ones are called Nobodies,’ Sora explained as they walked through a deep valley. He then started to illustrate Xigbar, Organization XIII’s Freeshooter. ‘Remember the guy in the black coat? The one with the eye patch. He’s a Nobody too.’

‘Oh…’ Mulan said, recalling the man who had put China in danger as she tried to digest everything. ‘So these Nobody beings… they don’t have a heart?’

‘Yup,’ nodded Sora.

Little did they know that the ones plotting against them were standing on a cliff which hung above them. On this cliff were two people, a man and a younger lady. The man was cloaked from head to toe, only allowing enough space for his eyes to see through. The dark haired girl was wearing a traditional Chinese garment, her cheeks rosy and eyes sharp like a phoenix.

‘What do you think?’ asked the young lady pleasantly.

‘Wonderful,’ said the man through his cloak. ‘The Mongol generals will be pleased.’

‘How could they not be?’ the young lady smiled. ‘With the Heartless and Nobodies under their command, it’d be easy to crush the Chinese army.’

‘That would be the case,’ the man started on a grim tone as he pointed to the group who were walking in the valley, led by China’s bravest woman. ‘If those people do not get in our way.’

‘The Keybladers, huh,’ the lady whispered as she took out a fan from the compartment in her sleeves. With a flick movement, she opened the fan and placed it in front of her cheek with an air of superiority. ‘I’ll handle that.’

‘Is that it?’ Riku interrupted politely after walking for some time. Standing tall before them was the Palace, the home of China’s emperor. Mulan led them into the Palace and right into the Throne Room. Sitting on the throne was an aged man in yellow, his white hair and long beard augmented his face which shined with wisdom. Standing by his side was a well-built man with dark hair, who smiled as Mulan approached.

‘Your Majesty,’ said Mulan as she lowered her head before the Emperor. Sora, Riku and Kairi followed suit, bowing in the sign of respect.

‘Rise, Mulan,’ the Emperor said in a deep voice. He then addressed Sora. ‘And you are Sora, the one who helped save China before, am I correct?’

‘Um, yes sir!’ Sora said nervously before a man of great respect.

The Emperor tittered softly. He then turned towards Mulan. ‘What is it that you’re looking for me?’

‘You Majesty, I’m here to report that the Heartless have returned,’ said Mulan. ‘Along with them are the Nobodies, a group of beings with evil purposes.’

The Emperor nodded as he listened to Mulan explaining the situation. ‘I have an idea on who might be behind this…’ he said as he stroked his beard.

‘You do?’ said Sora, excited to find a lead. As Mulan shot a glance at him, he cooled down and rephrased his words. ‘Uh… I mean, Your Majesty, who do you think is controlling all these Heartless and Nobodies?’

‘The Mongolian army,’ the man replied instead of the Emperor. ‘The Mongols have been hostile for awhile now. We have done some investigation work and we are quite certain that they are getting help from someone to control what you call the Heartless and Nobodies.’

The Emperor nodded. ‘Thank you, General Shang,’ he spoke. ‘Which brings me back to the task I asked of you many days ago, Mulan. Would you escort my daughters to kingdom of Qui Gong?’

‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty,’ Mulan said. ‘But I cannot agree on this matter. Your Majesty’s daughters should have the right to choose their husbands. They cannot be forced into marriage like this!’

‘Mulan, the Mongolian army is growing stronger and would strike at any moment and we need to ensure the safety of our people,’ Shang objected. ‘The Emperor only wishes to forge an alliance. If this is His Majesty’s wish, then we should carry it out.’

‘Your Majesty,’ Kairi spoke. ‘Are you planning to wed your daughters to people they haven’t met just to save your kingdom?’

The Emperor simply nodded and did not add any words. Sora, who finally understood what the argument was about, retaliated.

‘Arranged marriage isn’t the only way out,’ Sora retorted. ‘If I need to get rid of the army and the Heartless and Nobodies, then I’ll stand in the frontlines fight, not make someone do something they don’t want to. Especially marriage, nuh-uh.’

‘We have been through this before, Mulan,’ said Shang strictly. ‘We must carry out the Emperor’s task as his subjects. His Majesty has already spoken of the consequences. If the alliance crumbles, China will be destroyed.’

‘How could you throw your daughters to a foreign land?’ Mulan continued. ‘Do you not care about their feelings?’

‘They will be remembered as the women who brought China and Qui Gong together,’ the Emperor replied calmly but his eyebrows were furrowed. ‘They will be remembered as the women who saved China from the Mongols.’

‘You are betting them away without a second thought as if they don’t mean anything!’ Mulan cried. ‘Just because women are seen to be lower than men, does that give you the right to decide how they live their lives?’

‘Mulan!’ Shang yelled back at Mulan’s impoliteness. ‘That is enough!’

‘I will find another way to solve this,’ Mulan exclaimed confidently. ‘I will never bring your daughters to Qui Gong!’

With that, Mulan ran out of the Throne Room, her cheeks started to flush in red.

‘Mulan!’ Sora called out, but she never turned back. He looked at the Emperor and Shang hesitantly, and ran after Mulan. Riku and Kairi did an apologizing gesture to the Emperor before following suit, leaving only the Emperor and General Shang in the Throne Room.

‘Do you think I might have made a mistake?’ the Emperor asked.

‘No, Your Majesty,’ Shang replied. ‘Mulan… she has gone too far. She has acted irresponsibly.’

‘But General Shang,’ the Emperor continued. ‘Shouldn’t you be less harsh with her?’

The general fell silent as he looked at the ground. In his heart, he felt guilty as he chose between following the book and following his heart.

‘…Go,’ the Emperor spoke.

‘Your Majesty?’ Shang asked as he did not understand.

‘Have I not made myself clear? Go and follow Mulan,’ said the Emperor. ‘She is your bride-to-be after all, isn’t she?

‘What about Your Majesty’s daughters?’ Shang asked again. ‘And the kingdom? We need to forge the alliance!’

‘I will think of something else while you calm her down,’ the Emperor answered. ‘Woman should never be angered, as they are capable to do all sorts of unpredictable things. In my years, I have seen many ugly things in a marriage. General Shang, you have a lot to learn.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ said Shang with a deep bow before running off to chase his fiancée.
---

Current Word Count: 7,729

Day 7 & 8

2008-11-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

‘Why hasn’t she come home if she’s still around?’ asked Kairi.

‘We don’t know,’ said Aerith. ‘The only person who might now is Leon, since he is the only person she contacted.’

‘Are they good friends?’ Sora wondered aloud.

‘Oh, they’re great friends,’ Yuffie chirped. ‘Really close, inseparable.’

Sora wondered. What kind of girl is she to be so close with Leon? Sora had an image of a dark-haired girl, her long fringe hung over her dreamy eyes. She was wearing a dark outfit, almost like Leon’s.

‘I wonder if she’s alright,’ said a concerned Aerith. ‘Maybe she has her reasons why she hasn’t come back.’

‘It’ll be alright,’ Kairi said. ‘I have a feeling that she’ll come back. I know it. Even I have come back to Radiant Garden.’

‘You’re a local?’ Cid asked with a tone of surprise.

Kairi nodded. ‘But I don’t have a lot of memories about my time here. Ansem the Wise sent me to Destiny Island when I was little. But I’m still alive and I came back. So it’ll be alright.’

‘Thank you, Kairi,’ Aerith smiled.

They checked the list of worlds to visit once more. After deciding where they will be heading next, Sora, Riku and Kairi made preparations to leave.

‘Hey, take this,’ said Cid as he reached out his hand, a small device in it.

‘What’s this?’ Sora asked as he took the item.

‘It’s a communicating device,’ Cid answered. ‘Install it to your gummi ship. We might need to call you back here at any time, especially when the King comes back because he’ll have a lot to tell.’

‘Alright now, take care,’ Aerith waved.

As Sora and his friends left Merlin’s house, Aerith, Yuffie and Cid exchange glares stares again.

‘She… will come back right?’ Cid said hesitantly as he looked at the ground.

‘She has to, or Leon will never be himself.’ Yuffie nodded. ‘Besides, it has been a long time since we could call him Squall.’

‘Rinoa…’ Aerith uttered softly. ‘Please return home safely…’

---

‘Do you think Leon’s friend will be okay?’ Sora asked as he leaned back on his chair.

‘She will be,’ Kairi said confidently.

‘I have no idea how you know these kind of things,’ said Riku, who was managing the gummi ship.

‘I just know it,’ Kairi claimed. ‘It’s a girl thing.’

‘Hey, look,’ Sora said as he leaned forward, pointing out of the ship. ‘We’re here already. The Land of Dragons.’

‘I know,’ said Riku.

‘What, was that a girl thing?’ Sora poked, receiving a glare from Riku. Sora then remembered something. ‘Oh yeah… you were here weren’t you?’

‘Why do you say that?’ Riku asked.

‘When we were fighting off the Heartless, you were there, in the Organization XIII coat,’ Sora said. He nodded as the memories flooded back, more confident of his answer. ‘Yeah, it was you. The Emperor said that a guy in a coat gave a warning. And that he said “that three wise guys would take care of everything”. Then I knew it had to be you.’

‘I guess even my words can’t lie, huh?’ Riku sniggered. ‘Anyways, we’ll be landing here then.’

The gummi ship landed at a place Sora hasn’t been to before. It was a marketplace near a residential area. It was filled with the locals, all clad in traditional Chinese outfit.

‘I wonder where’s Mulan and Mushu,’ said Sora.

‘Let’s keep walking,’ Riku suggested. ‘We’ll find something eventually.’

As they walked down the marketplace, cries of the merchants selling their goods were widespread. The people bargained, carrying bags of items with satisfaction. There were performers doing acts to earn some money for a living.

‘Should we start investigating?’ Sora suggested.

Riku and Kairi agreed. They started spreading about the marketplace to collect information about recent happenings, especially regarding the Heartless and Nobodies.

‘Everything is peaceful here,’ an old lady said kindly.

‘Nope, nothing suspicious,’ replied a pleasant young girl.

‘The suspicious one is you!’ a cautious man said rudely.

Alas, they came together at the end of the marketplace. With no leads, they could wander around aimlessly while hoping to bump into Mulan. And as usual, they were not alone. Right at the moment they left the marketplace to a secluded, quiet area, the Heartless and Nobodies attacked.

‘I think we can figure out their pattern now,’ said Sora as he dashed towards the nearest Nobody with his Keyblade in hand.

‘They appear only when we’re around,’ Kairi spoke while panting deeply, keeping a distance as she tried to catch her breath.

‘But don’t you think it’s a little odd?’ Riku added as he parried an attack from a Nightwalker Heartless. ‘Their behaviour is just too orderly.’

‘Let me help.’

A gentle voice appeared from behind. A girl with short black hair was in a battle stance, a sword in her hand. On her shoulders was a small red dragon.

‘Mulan! Mushu!’ Sora cried.

‘Yeah, you better brace yourself because it’s Mulan and Mushu here!’ Mushu boasted rapidly. ‘We’re gonna kick your butts like you’ve never seen pain before!’

Together, they fought off the Heartless and Nobodies. Once the situation has turned peaceful again, Sora immediately started the round of introductions.

‘Nice to meet you, and welcome to China,’ said Mulan kindly.

‘Thanks, it’s a beautiful world,’ Kairi smiled.

‘Until the Heartless and the white ones came,’ Mulan frowned.

‘You mean they have been here for a long time?’ Riku asked.

‘Oh, no,’ Mulan shook her head. ‘They only appeared awhile ago. We fought them off. We thought that it was strange, since they haven’t been around for a long time. So we started looking around to make sure the people are alright.’

‘Just like the other worlds…’ Sora went into his thinking position. ‘We need to unlock the paths to the other worlds. Would you mind bringing us around again?’

‘Sure, it would be my pleasure,’ said Mulan. Then, her voice became a little softer. ‘But I’d like to see the general first, if things are as what you said.’

‘The general?’ Sora exclaimed with a question mark.

‘Oh, I haven’t told you,’ Mulan continued. ‘Captain Shang has been appointed a general.’

‘Wow! That’s awesome!’ said Sora in awe. Mulan nodded happily in return, looking excited somehow.

‘The pretty boy has us to thank,’ Mushi scoffed. ‘Without us, he’d be nothing but a walking fashion statement.’

‘Mushu…’ Mulan hushed the little dragon.

‘What? I’m saying what I’m thinking!’ Mushu retorted. ‘You’re China’s bravest woman! I bet the guy’s not even number 9876543210! …Are there even that many people in China? Anyhow, a butt-kicking girl like you should marry a richer and stronger man!’

‘Mushu!’ Mulan grabbed hold of Mushu’s mouth, muffling his words. She looked frantic as her cheeks started to redden.

‘Marry?’ Kairi asked. ‘Mulan, are you getting married to General Shang?’

Mulan nodded slowly as her lips started to widen into a smile. Her eyes was wandering around as she tilted her head towards the ground.

‘W-wow!’ Sora gasped, lost for words. ‘Congratulations!’

‘Thanks,’ said Mulan joyfully.

‘Hey, hey, who said you’re gonna marry that pretty boy?’ Mushu interrupted unceremoniously. ‘You’ve got to go through Mushu first!’

‘I’m sorry, he’s always… very energetic,’ said Mulan.

‘We can see that,’ said Riku. ‘It’s alright, we don’t blame you for that.’

‘Hey, what are you talking about!’ Mushu continued rambling as the others started to ignore him. ‘You don’t speak of an important family guardian like that! Show some res-’

‘Should we get going?’ Mulan asked.

‘Alright,’ Sora nodded, doing a great job in paying little attention to Mushu. ‘Lead the way.’

‘Hey, are you listening?’

They were headed to the Palace where the Emperor lives. According to Mulan, General Li Shang was stationed at the Palace.
---

Current Word Count: 6,531

Day 5 & 6

2008-11-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

‘The best time would be now,’ Leon replied. ‘Remember to report back here after checking in on two worlds. We need you to keep us updated, and we’ll be able to update you too.’

‘Gotcha,’ Sora nodded. He turned to Riku and Kairi. ‘You guys ready?’

‘Ever ready!’ Kairi responded positively.

‘Always,’ Riku smiled.

‘Hey, don’t forget me!’

A muffled voice issued out of Donald’s hat. As Sora took a closer look, he spotted a little green cricket climbing up Donald’s shoulder.

‘Jiminy!’ Sora identified.

Jiminy Cricket nodded as he tipped his top hat lightly. ‘You can’t possibly leave without me, right? I still have a job of recording your journey to do.’

‘Sure, hop on,’ said Sora as Jiminy leapt across. He opened the umbrella held in his hand as he took a soft landing on Sora’s shoulder. He slided down Sora’s back and took his place in Sora’s hood.

‘If that’s all, we’ll be taking a leave now,’ Sora continued.

‘Take care, Sora,’ said Goofy.

‘Don’t push yourself too hard,’ Donald noted.

As Sora walked out of the door, he was interrupted in his steps.

‘Sora,’ said Cloud suddenly. He paused as his eye shifted towards a corner. ‘Don’t ever lose sight of you light.’

Sora nodded, gave one last goodbye, and left Radiant Garden with two of his best friends by his side.

---

‘Wow, this is pretty neat!’

The three friends had collected their gummi ship, their vessel to travel to other worlds. Kairi was admiring the interior of the gummi ship as Sora started figuring the controls.

‘It has only been three months, but I don’t remember how to work this thing anymore…’ said Sora, confused.

‘Here,’ Riku stretched out a hand towards the control panel. ‘Let me do it.’

Sora scooted to the other chair as Riku operated the control panel skilfully. Sora turned to take a peek at Kairi, who was enjoying herself. He smiled at the sight before turning back to the front.

It was a hassle to face numerous Heartless ships as they battled their way to the next world. The gummi ship sustained some damages, but all was well.

‘Look,’ Riku pointed out after the army of Heartless have dispersed. ‘It’s a world.’

‘Olympus Coliseum!’ Sora cried. He could clearly see the two large warrior statues that stand proudly on both sides of the Coliseum Gates. Beyond the gate was the Underworld, puffing with purple clouds.

Without a command, Riku nodded and navigated the gummi ship to land at Olympus Coliseum. Soon, they were warped to the landing point in the Underworld.

The Underworld was dark and gloomy, just a Sora had remembered it. He could see the dark river, and across it, the Underdrome.

‘Sora, are those your friends?’ Kairi tapped Sora’s shoulders lightly as he turned towards the direction she was pointing at. Sora could see a buffed man in a gladiator suit. He had rows of pearly white teeth and a pair of bright blue eyes. By his side was a slender lady with long burgundy hair. The two of them were waving from afar.

‘Hercules!’ Sora called out as he ran towards his friend.

‘Hey Sora, haven’t seen you in awhile,’ Hercules smiled. ‘How are things?’

‘Same old,’ said Sora. ‘Fighting bad guys and all. What about you?’

‘Nothing much,’ Hercules replied. ‘Just making sure that Hades stays low.’

‘By the way Sora, where’s Donald and Goofy?’ asked the lady.

‘Oh, they are, uh… beating Heartless and Nobodies somewhere else,’ Sora answered. ‘By the way, these are my friends. This is Riku, and this is Kairi.’

‘We’ve heard a lot about you two,’ said Hercules. ‘My name’s Hercules.’

‘Call me Meg,’ the lady said.

Riku nodded simply while Kairi spoke. ‘Nice to meet you!’

‘Have you two by any chance seen any weird things happening around here?’ Sora asked. ‘Like the Heartless or Nobody?’

‘Nope,’ Hercules said. ‘Things have been really peaceful, other than Hades. Why do you ask?’

Right at that moment, the Heartless and Nobody appeared, surrounding them.

‘Not until now,’ Riku said as he whipped out his Keyblade.

---

‘Told you Santa was real,’ Kairi exclaimed proudly.

Riku heaved a sigh as they landed in Radiant Garden after their trip from Halloween Town. They had unsealed the path in Olympus Coliseum and Halloween Town, widening their reach to the other worlds.

‘Let’s go back to Merlin’s House,’ said Sora as he walked out of the gummi ship. The Heartless and Nobodies were still around as they made their way towards Merlin’s House.

‘Hey Sora, you’re back!’

Aerith led Sora, Riku and Kairi into the house where Yuffie and Cid were having a Sea Salt Ice-cream break.

‘Leon’s at the Postern,’ said Yuffie. ‘Didn’t you catch him on the way here?’

‘We landed in the Marketplace,’ Riku said.

‘What’s he doing there?’ Sora asked.

‘Beats me,’ Yuffie mumbled as she took a bite of the bright blue ice-cream. ‘So, what did you find?’

‘Heartless and Nobodies, as usual,’ Kairi said.

‘They seem to appear only after we arrive,’ Sora added. ‘Maybe they know that we were there, and they appeared when they sniffed us.’

‘Sounds fishy,’ said Cid. ‘Maybe they’re only targeting us?’

‘Anyhow, you should go look for Leon now,’ said Aerith. ‘I think he has some things to tell you too.’

‘Right, we’ll be off,’ Sora nodded.

The trio went beyond the Restoration Site which was still infested with Heartless and Nobodies. Soon, they could see the dark figure of Leon.

‘Hey Le…’ Sora stopped. As he went closer, he could see Leon reading a letter silently. An ethereal image of a butterfly surfaced from the letter. On his face, a rare smiled has appeared. This smile was different from before. It was filled with joy, with light.

‘Leon, what’s up?’ said Sora.

‘S-sora,’ Leon raised his head. As he saw Sora, Riku and Kairi, he started moving frantically. Quickly, he kept the letter. In a flash of light, he was back to serious and cool Leon again.

‘So, what’s up?’ he said after getting back his composure.

‘That’s what I asked you,’ Sora said, holding back his laughter. He looked back at Riku and Kairi to see their response. Riku was smirking and Kairi placed a finger upon her lips, asking Sora to keep the matter quiet.

‘Yes,’ Leon replied calmly. ‘I just came out for some fresh air… What did you find out?’

‘Oh, we went to Olympus Coliseum and Halloween Town,’ Sora said as he resisted the urge to question him about the letter. ‘It seems that the Heartless and Nobodies appear only when we were there.’

‘That is odd…’ Leon said as he closed his eyes, his arms crossed. ‘Donald and Goofy reported that Wonderland was the same too. It looks like some worlds are under constant attack, while others only received attack when we were there.’

‘Maybe they were only aiming for us,’ Riku answered. ‘Those with a good knowledge about the worlds.’

‘That could be it. We’re all connected or closely connected to the Keyblade,’ Leon pointed at the three of them. ‘Either that, or Maleficent really just wants to get back at us.’

‘So, we still don’t have much clues huh,’ Sora sighed.

‘It takes time,’ Leon consoled Sora. ‘At least we know that they are attacking us.’

‘But wouldn’t that mean we’re putting other people’s life in danger?’ said Sora worriedly.

‘Sora, as long as we’re there, we’ll be able to protect them, right?’ said Kairi.

Sora smiled. Kairi always had the ability to make things brighter.

‘Go back to Merlin’s House,’ said Leon. ‘They have the list of worlds to visit there.’

‘You’re not coming with us?’ Sora asked.

‘No…’ Leon replied softly. ‘I’ll stay here for a little while longer.’

With that, Sora, Riku and Kairi headed back to Merlin’s House. When they arrived, they told Aerith, Yuffie and Cid about what they saw at the Postern.

‘Leon? A letter?’ Yuffie said curiously.

‘Hmm, I knew it,’ Cid nodded.

‘You guys know about this already?’ asked Sora.

‘Leon isn’t very good at hiding this sort of things,’ Aerith tittered softly. ‘We caught him reading letters a few times too.’

‘But have an idea what it’s about,’ Yuffie smiled slyly. ‘Was he by any chance smiling suspiciously?’

‘Suspiciously?’ Sora raised an eyebrow. ‘If that’s what you called it… yeah.’

Aerith, Yuffie and Cid exchange stares. They smiled.

‘We think it’s an old friend of Leon,’ said Aerith. ‘Also… an old friend of ours.’

‘An old friend?’

Aerith nodded. ‘We weren’t the only ones from Radiant Garden. This other friend of ours, she was from Radiant Garden too.’

‘We were lucky to find each other at Traverse Town, and find our way home,’ Yuffie continued. ‘But she was alone, and we’ve never seen her ever since the Heartless took Radiant Garden.’

‘How sure are you it’s her?’ asked Riku.

‘The butterfly,’ Cid muttered.

‘Butterfly?’

‘The butterfly,’ Cid said, slightly annoyed. ‘Didn’t you see it? A butterfly coming out of the letter.’

‘Now you said it… yeah,’ Sora nodded.

‘That’s her symbol,’ Yuffie answered. ‘The butterfly.’
---

Current Word Count: 5,235

Day 3 & 4

2008-11-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

‘We’ve been doing some looking around at some of the worlds,’ Goofy explained. ‘The King wants to know if the situation here in Radiant Garden is the same as the other worlds.’

‘We just came back from Pride Lands. It looks much greener than before,’ said Donald. ‘And guess what? Simba and Nala have a new cub!’

‘Wow! That’s great!’ Sora cheered gladly. ‘They must be really happy.’

‘Everyone is helping out to check on the other worlds,’ Goofy continued. ‘We are trying to get some clues from the locals too. It’s important that we find out what’s happening and stop the bad guys from meddling.’

‘Wow…’ Sora said softly.

‘What was that for?’ Donald asked.

‘Goofy finally said “meddling” correctly!’ Sora smiled. ‘He used to say “muddling”, remember?’

‘Ahyuck!’ Goofy grinned sheepishly. ‘I do learn ya know.’

‘So, what new leads have you got?’ asked Leon.

‘We know that the Keyholes in each world are sealed. So there should be no danger to the heart of the world,’ said Donald. ‘The Heartless and Nobodies don’t seem to be looking for the Keyhole either. So their objectives have nothing to do with consuming the heart of the world.’

‘But after questioning the locals, we found out that the Nobodies and most of the Heartless only attack those who had connections with us,’ Goofy nodded. ‘Simba said he had to beat of the bad guys many times. But the other animals are safe and sound.’

‘It’s definitely Maleficent!’ Yuffie said. ‘She knows us and definitely wants to get back at us!’

‘That could be it,’ Leon agreed. ‘But we’ll need to report to the King first.’

‘So what do we need, exactly?’ asked Kairi.

‘We need to visit the other worlds and check in the situation,’ Goofy answered after some thought. ‘We are looking out for Heartless and Nobody activity. The locals give good information, so be sure to talk to them.’

‘Why don’t we go straight to The World That Never Was and look for Maleficent there?’ asked Riku.

‘You can’t,’ Cid snapped back. ‘Haven’t you heard that the paths connecting the worlds are messed up?’

‘What?’ said Sora in dismay. ‘How did that happen?’

‘We have no idea yet,’ said Leon. ‘Some of the paths are fine. But others lead to different places and some are disconnected. It’ll slow down the process a little bit, but you’ll have to unlock the paths again.’

‘Jeez…’ Sora sighed at the thought of having to amend paths he had already opened before. It was déjà vu again. ‘Hey, then what happened to our gummi ship?’

‘Oh, right,’ Donald smiled, looking a little happier to be delivering good news. ‘We managed to retrieve the gummi ship with the help of a special gummi block that Cid made.’

‘Did he make the gummi block we used to come here too?’ asked Sora.

‘Of course I did,’ said Cid proudly with a casual wave.

‘Thanks, Cid,’ Sora said.

‘No problem,’ Cid replied. ‘Are you still having it with you?’

‘Yeah,’ Sora rummaged through his pockets and took out the gummi block. It was orange, and still dull like before. ‘But it’s not glowing anymore.’

‘What do you expect?’ Cid shook his head as he shrugged. ‘It only has enough energy for one trip. After that you’ve got to leave it alone and let it recharge. Keep it with you, it’ll come in handy. Free trip back to Radiant Garden as long as you’ve got a vessel.’

Sora pocketed the gummi block again.

‘So, our task is to unlock paths and check out the worlds, right?’ Riku returned to the point.

Donald and Goofy nodded. ‘The King wrote out a list of the worlds we need to visit,’ Donald continued. ‘We’re going in two separate teams so we get this done with quickly.’

‘Two teams?’ Sora asked.

‘Our unknown enemies have been too discreet with the activities,’ said Aerith. ‘It’s too suspicious, and we cannot wait any longer.’

‘But… which are the two teams?’ Sora asked once again.

Donald and Goofy stared at each other before turning back to Sora and answering his question. ‘We have decided that Donald and I would be one team. You, Riku and Kairi can be the other team,’ said Goofy. ‘How does that sound?’

‘That sounds great, but…’ Sora started uncertainly. ‘We’ve been together all the time. It’d be strange without you guys.’

‘But you’ll have us, Sora,’ Kairi reassured Sora as she placed her hands on his shoulder. Sora’s eyes darted towards Kairi’s warm hands, then to Kairi, then to Riku. He smiled.

‘I guess change is good,’ said Sora happily. ‘So, when will be leaving?’
---

Current Word Count: 3,714