"Moonbrook ahoy!" Kiel called from his perch on the top of the mast, looking ahead. "And it looks like they're hailing us."
"Hailing us?" Ameko frowned, climbing up the mast as well and peering out at what Kiel was looking at. She could see a human-shaped figure on top of the wall, waving, and others that were clearly not monsters were moving around the walls, making repairs to the damage sustained in the Ozwarg's initial attack so long ago. "What's going on here," Ameko muttered to herself. "What happened to the monsters there?"
"Think it's an illusion?" Kiel asked her.
"Not over this sort of distance. Alex!" she shouted down as she slid back down the rope. "Let's make a landing near Moonbrook."
"What's in the castle?" he asked her, Nikado looking up from his work on some ropes.
"People, apparently. It's got me real suspicious," she said with a frown. "Let's go find out what's going on."
"You think it's a trap?"
"I don't know what to think. It's suspicious, to say the least." She shook her head. "How could people be there?"
"Perhaps the monsters have moved onto greener pastures."
"But Hamlin's still standing," Nikado pointed out, gesturing behind them. "What else could there be?"
"I don't know." Alex shook his head. "We'll find a spot near the trees. It should at least partially camouflage us, though it seems they've already seen us. Kiel, bring up the sails, we're navigating by oars now."
"Gotcha," the man called back down, starting his work on furling the large white sails.
Landing the ship among the trees, the group next considered their course of action. "Kiel, you stay here. Be prepared if we have to make a quick getaway." The man pouted but nodded. "Ameko, Nikado, let's go check this out. We'll go under cover as far as we can."
"There are tunnels," she offered. "Do we want to get inside?"
"Let's assume they may have looked for them after we got in last time. We'll check out the outside of the castle first." Alex nodded to Kiel, who saluted brightly. "Let's get going."
Ameko led the way, making a path through the overgrown underbrush, keeping her eyes on the castle which was getting closer. As they neared, they could make out the figures of humans atop the walls, calling out orders cheerfully as if there had never been monsters in the castle. "This is suspicious," she muttered to herself. "What's going on here?"
"It's hardly that suspicious," came a woman's voice from behind her. "Now all y'all move nice and slow, and stand up, mmkay? We don't want any violence. That'd be awkward, after all."
The trio did as instructed, turning to face the voice. The woman who was standing behind them with several men, all with weapons drawn, smiled as she saw them, waving a hand. Obediently, the men put their weapons away. "Sorry for the caution, but I think you'll understand. We just didn't want you jumping around all over the place, after all."
"Anko!" Nikado said in surprise. "That was your name, wasn't it? You work with Talira."
She grinned and leaned in, patting him on the cheek. "That'd be it exactly, princeling. I'm so pleased you remembered me, darling. How about you lot come with me? We'll roll out the royal carpet," she added with a wink.
Ameko frowned. "Is that Talira's gang up in Moonbrook Castle?"
"Got it in one, sweetie." Anko motioned for them to follow, and they did, the men around them redrawing their weapons, watching for monsters. "We decided we wanted a new base, so up we came and took it. Hope you don't mind," Anko added. "'Lira said the first thing we would do is bury the dead and make headstones for those we knew of. No sense in causing grudges from the great beyond, you know?"
Ameko frowned, but said nothing as they approached Moonbrook Castle. The doors creaked open, Talira standing behind them as she waved cheekily. "I thought that might have been you in the tacky-looking ship. No one else is dumb enough to send a ship around here in monster-infested waters."
"Hello, Talira," Nikado greeted, feeling a bit awkward given their blood relationship and their previous departure. "So where's Rehanin?"
"Out working on the back wall with some of the boys. Want me to go fetch him?" she said, gesturing over her shoulder with a thumb. "I'm the one that wanted to see the lot of you, after all."
Ameko paused, then shuffled around in her bag, pulling out the Wind Cloak and tossing it to Talira. "Here," Ameko said with a nod. "That's what you wanted, right? We're done with it, we don't need it anymore."
Talira blinked, then laughed as she realized what the cloth was. "Oh, that. I almost forgot about it. Thanks, I guess. Though, it wouldn't be fair to take something for nothing, you know. We're trying to become a trading group here."
Nikado raised an eyebrow. "From bandits to traders?"
"At least toward humans. Monsters that want to try their luck against us are still fair game," Talira said with a shrug. "The old man was complaining. Anyway, I happened to come across something during a trip to Hamlin that you might be interested in." She dug something out of a pouch on her belt, holding it up between a finger and her thumb.
Ameko blinked, then picked up the Echo Flute. "That's one of the elemental's crests!"
"So the old man said. He said you'd come looking for it eventually." Talira tossed it up in the air, tucking it back in her belt. "The cloak should make a good down payment on it."
Ameko sighed, glaring over at the direction of the ship where Kiel was. "Why does everyone want a price for these things?"
Talira laughed, waggling a finger. "Don't be so uptight, princess. I'm not asking for much. I just want you to join me on a little expedition. That's all. It'll be to the benefit of everyone. Come on and join me inside, and I'll tell you all about it. Anko, can you send Rehanin to me when he's available?"
The woman with the multicolored hair saluted. "Got it, boss."
Talira waved a hand, leading the way. "Then after me, if you please, lady and gentlemen."
"You must have a lot to do on this castle," Nikado observed as he saw several workers swarming over the hole where he had fallen through the roof with Ameko. His leg throbbed suddenly in remembered pain.
"Not so much a castle as a fortress, and that's why we like it. We took the monsters by surprise and got a few tactics that took them by surprise, but once they reorganize and come after us in force, we'll be in for a hard battle," Talira said, her face serious. "We don't have a priest out here, so we can't put up a barrier yet. What's here, these walls and our swords, is all we have. Although I do prefer the claws," she added, flexing a hand.
The bandit leader led them inside to a room that had been mostly cleaned up, Talira offering them some shabby chairs. "Best I can do for now. Our focus has been on maintaining these outside walls and getting them up and operational. By the way, I'd like to apologize," she added. "We sort of took over your home without asking, but you weren't exactly around to ask. Still, I apologize for storming your home."
Ameko shook her head. "It's not really home to me anymore. Everything that was Moonbrook was dead. If someone can make use of this old shell, I welcome them to it."
"Glad to hear it," Talira said, nodding as Rehanin entered the room silently, standing by the door. "As I mentioned, we drove the Ozwargs and their cronies out. The Ozwargs aren't dead, though. The pair of them are hemmed up in Hamlin."
"In Hamlin?" Alex asked with a frown. "How did they get inside the barrier?"
"Technically, I don't think they are--yet, anyway. The tunnel they're camped out in is underground. However, the underneath is the weakest part of a priest's barrier. They could get in. The only thing stopping them from razing Hamlin is a locked gold door. I've tried sending people after them, but we can't get at them in that tunnel. I need to surprise them."
"So you need the gold key," Alex said. "What makes you think we have it?"
"A little dog mentioned it to me," she said with a shrug, causing Nikado to sit up straight. "At any rate, the key isn't as much what I need you for. You're stronger than any fighters I have here. You've also got more experience battling against monsters, particularly tricky ones like the Ozwargs. I need your help," she said frankly, sitting back and folding her arms. "Without Hamlin regaining its feet, this place can't survive being isolated at this time. And Hamlin can't survive if the Ozwargs get into Hamlin. Help me with the Ozwargs and I'll give you the seal and anything else you require."
"We'll do it," Nikado said softly. "What's the plan?"
"I'm going to play decoy," she stated, "and charge them from the tunnel, like we had been doing."
"By yourself?" Ameko shook her head. "That's practically suicide."
"They won't know you lot are here. None of you can come with me, and my strongest fighters are also my best right-hand men. I need them here. Trust me, I'm well aware of the risks," she said, a smile tugging at her lips. "It sucks, to be sure, but it's the best we got. While I distract them, the lot of you get in though the gold door and nail them from behind. There's an old man in Hamlin that can instruct you as to where it is. Once you depart here, I'll give you two hours of a head start before I head down the tunnel. That will give you plenty of time to get to Hamlin. I should be through the tunnel and attacking one hour after that. Is that clear and dandy with everyone?"
"It has its risks," Alex spoke up, "but if you're willing to risk yourself, we'll trust you. You've done battle with the Ozwargs more than us."
"That I have, and don't you forget it." Talira gave them a grin. "How soon can you go?"
"It's better if we leave sooner than later," Nikado said with a nod. "We don't want the Ozwargs any closer to Hamlin."
"Then get on the road within ten minutes or so," she instructed. "If you need anything, ask Rehanin. I'm going to go gear up." With that, she rose, leaving the room.
Nikado watched the door for a long moment before turning to Rehanin. "She's changed," he said slowly.
Ameko rose, gesturing to Alex to follow. "We need to get a message out to Kiel so he doesn't panic. Come on, Alex. I want to see what they've done to the place."
He nodded, following her out. Nikado shook his head, smiling in amusement. "I didn't say they needed to leave."
"You did look like you wanted to speak to me. About Talira." Rehanin folded his arms, resting against the wall. "She charged in here mostly to give the monsters a hard time and to prove that she could take the place, but she's discovering the hard way that holding a property is more difficult than taking it."
"Her manner seems more calm," Nikado said.
"She's grown up a little, but I'd hardly say she's calm about this. The Ozwargs have killed several of her best fighters, her good friends. She's probably scared to death," Rehanin said with a shake of her head. "She's also not used to hiding her emotions for the sake of others. It's another skill she's gained recently on her own."
"Just because she came here?"
"I think you would understand, prince. She has the same bloodline as you. I think she's finally coming to accept it and understand her role. The idea of becoming a properly decorumed queen frightens her, but a leader...That she can't deny that she can do. And that's a heavy curse as well as a gift."
"A curse?"
Rehanin nodded. "There are people that have died because of the orders she's given. And no orders are so good that no one dies, in a time like this. You understand that, don't you?"
"No," he said firmly. "I don't want to be in a place where people would die no matter what. I want to find a way to save everyone."
Rehanin smiled slightly at that. "You're still a child."
"So I keep hearing, but I see no reason to change that if becoming an 'adult' means accepting that," Nikado argued. "My sword, my strength, are not for only protecting some people. They're for protecting all people. I can't accept that way of thinking."
"That's the way your father thinks," Rehanin said seriously. "It's why he sent your sister away."
"I'm well aware of the way he thinks," Nikado said, a bitter note creeping into his tone. "I will never accept that."
Rehanin sighed. "Some day, you'll have to."
"I will not." Nikado put a hand to his sword. "So if I save the world, if I protect both of them, and the people here, and the other people I've met, then will you accept my opinion? I'm not going to sacrifice anyone. That's not the way. That's not the way. The world is meant to be enjoyed by all that live here. I'm going to save everyone I meet that's in trouble. That's how I do things. I'm tired of being told to distance myself from everything and act like a prince. That's not the only thing that's in my blood, in her blood. We have the blood of Loto. He didn't sacrifice anyone."
The former royal guard let out a long sigh through his nose as Nikado stood, turning on his heel and leaving. After a bit of asking, he found out where Talira had gone and made his way there, knocking on her door.
"Shoo, Anko," came Talira's voice from the other side. "I don't have time for games right now."
"It's Nikado," he replied quietly, "and I'm not here for a game."
There was a pause. "You can come in," she said after a moment. "I'm decent."
He opened the door softly, closing it behind him. The woman was putting on some leather armor, flexing her hand around a set of claws. "When you get there, make sure you don't hit me," she said. "I'm going to keep myself between them so they can't use their magic. I'm not an archer or long-range fighter, so I'll have to get in close to keep their attention."
"Why don't you bring along an archer?" he asked.
She tightened the gauntlet on her arm. "Because I'm not getting anyone else killed. This is my fight."
"It's not your fight anymore," he reminded her quietly. "You have us to rely on. Me and Ameko and Alex."
"Believe me, I'm planning on it," she told him, bracing a leg on a chair as she worked on a boot. "I'm glad you happened around here when you did. I don't like the idea of leaving the Ozwargs that close to Hamlin any longer than necessary. It's my fault they're there. Because we drove them out of here." She shook her head. "We didn't have any need for this castle."
"Neither did they. There was no reason to take it from the people of Moonbrook," he told her. "But they did it anyway. Sometimes, you can only meet force with force. I don't imagine we'll be talking to Hargon when we meet him. Most likely, we'll have to kill him."
"I'll leave that to you. Running off and being a hero isn't in my blood," she stated.
He smiled slightly. "You don't have anything I don't have, Talira."
She looked over at him, and raised an eyebrow. "I can think of one or two things."
He put a hand to his face, embarrassed by the sudden rush of blood to his face. She grinned at his reaction. "So, I take it you two haven't slept together yet?"
"What?"
"You and the princess. You're an item, aren't you?"
"No," Nikado replied seriously. "I'm in love with both of them."
She looked over at him, then laughed abruptly. "So you like both sides? Don't blame you for that, I don't mind a little action either way. Sometimes I wish I'd been born a guy, too, for the biological perks, but women have their advantages."
Nikado frowned. "How did we even get on this topic? I came down here to see if you were all right over this plan of action."
"I thought it up, didn't I? I'll be fine," she said with a nod. "I've been fighting since I was a kid. If there's one person that can survive an extended engagement with the Ozwargs, it's me. I know all their tricks."
The prince nodded, watching as she laced up the other boot. "You've become a good leader."
"I haven't become anything," she stated. "Nothing I wasn't before. I've just had to get a bit more serious. You have to get tougher to go after the big bait. If the Ozwargs are defeated, we'll have this region under our control. From there, we can go out in force, dismantling their hordes and making them submit to us. We can take this area back."
"What made you decide to do that?" he asked her curiously.
"The fame and money, of course," she said, turning to look at him with a grin. "I'm big stuff, didn't you know? I'm not a two-bit nobody hiding up in the mountains. I'm going to make the world sit up and take notice of me." She turned away from him, pulling on her chestplate. "So...you think those dingbats in Lorasia would notice?"
He stopped, recognizing the sudden emotion hidden in the casual question, and debated the answer. "No," he said at last, hanging his head. "Nothing is worth their notice, unless it's something they don't want. Don't bother with them, Talira. It's not worth your while. Keep your people here. They're all good and they see you for what you are and respect you for it. No one does that back there. I'm not sure that I even want to go back ever again."
She turned back toward him, raising her arms for help with the breastplate, and he obliged, helping her tighten the straps. "Then why bother? If you get bored, you can always come back here. It'd be nice to try my claws against your sword sometime. That sword's traveled the world, I'm sure it's picked up a few tricks here and there."
Nikado smiled, then put his arms around his younger sister, giving her a gentle hug. "Thanks, Talira. I'm glad I met you. Don't be afraid down there, we'll take care of everything. After this is over...I want to see you again."
"Stop getting all mushy on me," she said with a cough. "I'm not that type of girl." Picking up a long-handled torch, she gave him a nod. "But thanks."
Rehanin had lent them horses procured from Anne, and the trio rode swiftly to Hamlin, making good time. "We should be there before she starts attacking. Should we wait until she's started?" Nikado wondered.
"We'll have to," Alex said, keeping his eyes on the city ahead as they neared the gate. "We'll need the benefit of surprise to at least take stock of the situation. Are you all right?"
He nodded. "She is from one of the houses of Loto...We could revive her if worst came to worst, right?"
"In theory, yes."
"Put it out of your mind," Ameko told him sternly. "Don't even consider the possibility. That way, it won't come true. Anyway, I know of the door they're talking about, so we won't need to ask the old man. It's the door to the old jail."
"How do you know that?"
"Remember, I used to live here. We came into Hamlin all the time. The old jail went out of use many years ago, before the curse on the doors went into place. It stopped around the time the tunnel to Moonbrook was completed in secret. It was designed when the monsters started getting restless, just in case something like today's situation happened. The old jail was used since the new one had already been completed. We'll also need the iron key," she realized. "Since they're probably behind the bars. The tunnel leads in there from the last cell, it has a hole in the floor where the tunnel starts."
"Do you think they'll be in the tunnel, or the cell itself?"
"Probably the cell itself. That means that you should open it, Nikado. Alex and I will catch them by surprise and send magic at them through the bars. Once you get in, you can attack them directly. Sound like a plan?"
He nodded, and his face easily revealed what he was thinking; hoping for the safety of his sister. The city was quiet as it had been before, when he and Alex had originally come to the city, seeking out the princess that was hidden away here as well. If Ameko had any reactions on returning to the city, he noted, she kept them well hidden. "This way," she said, steering the horse. "What time is it?"
Alex checked the watch Rehanin had given him. "Just a few minutes."
She nodded, leading the horse through the streets, and came to a stop outside a small building, sealed with a gold door. "Be silent once we get inside," Ameko said. "We don't want to give ourselves away. Nikado, open it."
He nodded, carefully opening it to ensure the old door didn't creak or let in too much light, slipping around. Below him, he could see the dim flicker of a torch at the end of the hall and hear the sounds of fighting hanging in the damp, musty air of a building partially underground and exposed to too much water. Was that why the jail had fallen out of use, he wondered.
Ameko slipped in behind him, and Alex came last, the man shutting the door behind him. Nikado nodded, touching a finger to his ear, and both nodded in return. Letting the two magic users go first, Nikado pulled out the iron key, following.
Ameko and Alex let loose magic suddenly as they approached, hammering the two gremlin-like beasts trapped inside the cell. Nikado could see the torch sticking up in the ground, and after a moment spotted his sister, the woman hanging out of the hole, blood staining her hair red as she slipped back inside the tunnel. "Talira!" he shouted as he got the door open, Ameko and Alex moving past him. With a shout, he aimed for the nearest Ozwarg, trying to skewer it to the wall. "One of you go after her!"
"I'm on it," Ameko shouted back, disappearing into the hole, and the two princes were left against the two monsters, who sneered at them in unison. Deflecting a fireball with his sword, Nikado reminded himself that the pair probably had access to the Infernos spell, were probably the ones that used it on the people of Moonbrook. The thought alone was enough to get him going, and he charged them again, aiming for the one he had targeted before, Alex with the Sword of Loto drawn and a fireball in his other hand fending off the other. "I remember," one of them hissed. "I remember you two. You were with the princess. You burned down our comrades."
"Damn right I did," Nikado growled, taking another swing at the monster in the cramped space, trying to keep tabs on where Alex and the other one were. "What gave you the right to attack Moonbrook?"
"Master Hargon's orders. I don't see what it really matters to you." The Ozwarg, knowing he was beaten in the physical department, shot an Infernos at Nikado, the wind whipping around in the small area as the blue flame tore for him. Nikado jumped away, landing in a crouch with sword upheld.
"You have no right to do what you did. Hargon has no right. Moonbrook wasn't a threat to you!" Nikado shouted. Across the cell, he could see Alex glance at him quizzically.
"Quite the opposite. We were looking for something that is a threat to us," the monster sneered. "Lucky for us, it wasn't there. It's not in Moonbrook."
"So you destroyed those people for nothing. What were you looking for?" Nikado demanded.
The monster sneered again, and in a sudden flash of his blade, he had it pinned through the ground through its stomach, the creature letting out a squeal of pain. "Tell me, or I kill you."
The monster raised a hand to shoot another Infernos, the flame passing by his head narrowly and singeing his cheek. Even as the monster moved, he brought the blade up through its torso to its neck, watching the green ichor spurt out. "I was lying. I was planning on killing you anyway," he muttered, rubbing at his cheek. "Alex!"
The monster bolted for the tunnel. "Damn it! Talira!" Nikado shouted, grabbing the torch and following.
In the dim light, he could see the woman, who was on her feet. Ameko must have been able to help her, for from the blood on her clothes and armor alone, she shouldn't have been able to stand. "You will not pass," Talira ground out, raising her clawed fists.
The creature skidded to a halt, and in that moment, Alex tossed his sword through its head, sending the creature tumbling head over heels. Talira let out a little curse as it skidded to a stop at her feet. "By the gods, you bloody prince! What if you'd missed and hit me?!"
"I didn't miss," Alex said, joining her in the tunnel and retrieving his sword. "You're alive enough to curse me, I see."
"Told you," she said, spitting out a bit of blood. "Too stubborn and stupid to die. The lot of you are fine?"
Nikado nodded. "They're both dead. I split the other one in two."
"Better burn the bodies, just in case," Talira said. "Gremlins are tricky, I would expect Ozwargs to be no less. Infernos is better, if you have it."
Ameko grimaced at the mention of the spell, but nodded. "That'll eliminate every trace of them. Let's do it quickly and get out of here. This place is depressing and Talira could still use some healing."
"I don't need no damn healing," she muttered, but let Nikado help her out of the hole, Ameko following. Alex stayed behind to light the body on fire, and then pulled himself up once he was satisfied that the corpse would not be doing anything other than blowing away on the wind. Nikado helped Talira out into the hall, Ameko pulling off her breastplate and getting at the wounds underneath. It looked like Talira's strategy had paid off in that the creatures hadn't fired any infernos at her, but she had made up for it with claw and tooth marks all over her body, even through the armor. "You better heal that properly, I don't want no scars."
"First you don't want healing, then you want perfect healing?" Ameko muttered. "You're positively obnoxious."
"Takes one to know one, sweetie."
Nikado shook his head. "Kiel was right about strong-willed women."
"You shut the hell up about Kiel," Ameko growled. "And no, he was not right. I just don't like her because she's obnoxious."
"Like I said, takes one to know one!"
"Honestly, you two!" Nikado shouted, then stopped as he noticed the two grinning at each other. "Unbelievable. I'll never understand women."
"You'd better learn fast!" Talira told him. "If you want to keep up with this one. Otherwise she'll have you whipped before you know it."
"Whipped...? Now hold on here," Nikado said crossly. "That's none of your business!"
"Less talking," Ameko commanded. "You need to rest so you'll heal faster. We'll take the aboveground route out of Hamlin, that okay with you?"
"That's perfectly fine by me. Boy, I can't wait to see the look on everyone's face," Talira laughed, shifting her weight as Ameko started on a new wound. "They'll never believe it. They'll think the lightning from the heavens itself struck 'em dead before they'll believe I went up against them and lived."
"If you don't stop squirming around," Ameko growled, "you won't live. Stop talking."
Talira stuck out her tongue as Alex emerged from the cell. "What should we do about this place?" he asked.
"Now that it's Ozwarg-free and the doors are opened, I think it should be put to the use it was intended for," Ameko stated. "A gateway between Hamlin and Moonbrook. That will help bring people to both areas. There's no sense in leaving it here and not using it."
Talira nodded. "That's going to take a lot of manpower. Too bad we can't recruit monsters."
"Why don't you try it?" Nikado asked. "Not all of them are bad. Why, there's a monster in that river running between the Tower of Wind and here that just loves ferrying people. You might be able to get some help out of him."
Ameko nodded. "You'd have to be careful with it, but not all monsters like being under Hargon's thumb. We met a group in Osterfair that was willing to work with humans, too. And the Gremlins in the lighthouse."
Talira considered. "It's an idea, I suppose. We can't afford to draw Hargon's attention to us directly by advertising for refugees, but... Hm. I'll make Rehanin do it," she said after a moment. "That sort of thing is right up his alley."
Nikado helped his sister up as Ameko finished her work, supporting her weight as she griped about it. "Guess this means I got new things to think about," she sighed. "You sure you don't want this drafty old castle back? I'm tired of it now."
"All yours," she said cheerfully. "I do have a request, though."
"Oh? What's that?"
"Can you...change the name?" Ameko asked after a moment. "Moonbrook is dead. It needs a new name to reflect its new people."
Talira thought about it. "Okay, we'll call it Taliratown."
The three all gave her a look. "You're right, you're right, it does sound kind of silly," she agreed. "How about Taliraville?"
"'Lira," Nikado sighed. "Even I'm not that much of an egotist."
"How about Lirastan?"
Alex shook his head. "The people of Lirastan are in for a rough time."
"See, I've got you using it already! I think we have a winner!"
