Underground town - banquet hall - morning

Through a door screaming style and high-class, we enter a grand hall, chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and candles burn brightly to illuminate this fantastic banquet hall. It has the same Victorian-style decor as everything else here. There Four long tables are lined up in rows, each one can probably seat more than 40 people. Saying this place and the Kingdom’s castle are on the same level is like saying water is wet, or ice is cold.

I suck up air into my lungs as I puff my chest out. “Echo!” My voice travels across the hall. “Sick!”

“Echo!” Vella shouts into the room. Her voice resonates inside the massive hall. “Wow, that is fun!”

“Exactly! Richard, do it too.”

He gives me a strange look. “I don’t feel like it.”

“Why not?”

“It’s kind of childish.”

“And? We’re still kids, you know.”

“Well…”

“Echo!” Alex’s voice booms throughout the hall, catching me off guard. “...You are right, this is fun.”

“Yep, it is! Let’s--”

Marie hits me and Alexander on the head. I was too slow to evade it. “Stop acting so immature!”

Damn, that really stinks. Damnit, why did she have to hit me!?

“We’re sorry for them,” she apologizes to Vezra, who is acting as head hostess.

“It’s not a big deal. I love kids with energy; they’re just so cute.”

“I’m not cute, I’m a badass who’s armed and dangerous,” I add a hint of edge to my voice.

“He’s just so adorable. Is he your little brother?” Vezra asks Marie.

“Nah, but ain’t he the cutest thing?” She said that just to make fun of me, and that face that’s mocking me proves it. She’s an evil woman, mark my words! Now I can see why Richard didn’t want to join in. “...However, shall we get seated? Sit anywhere you’d like. We’ll have you all served in a short moment.

With our escorts, we head over to the table on the far left of the room. I sit with Vella, Richard, Nunnalé, and their escort, who are as young as us. Chip, Gil, and Alex take a seat in front of us with their escorts. While Chip and Alex’s are slim, beautiful women, Gil’s is a girl who isn’t too tall, but she’s packing some muscle; I’d say it’s on the same level as Elizabeth.

Zeal and Zell take a seat with theirs as well. Zell seems as composed as ever. Zeal, though, he’s sitting with his head hung low, averting his gaze away from his escort.

“Yo, Zeal, what’s wrong?”

“N-nothing! Shut up!”

“Shit man, I was just asking?” He didn’t have to yell at me like that. Though, he sounds tense. “Anyway, ignoring this grump, does everyone want to introduce their escorts? I’ll go first, this is Vella.”

She bows her head. “Pleasure to meet you all.”

“I’m Chip, pleasure to meet ya.”

“And I’m Gilhart, it’s nice to meet you.”

“My, you two look awfully suspicious,” she says without any filter. Although, she makes it sound like a compliment.

“You think,” Chip says, leaning forward.

“I am not suspicious! My late friend always told me you’re only suspicious if someone catches you stealing their shoes.”

Oh yeah, I forgot that guy had a weird-ass friend like that. Though, weird doesn’t cut it.

“Have you ever been caught?” Vella presses

“No, not really.”

“Ah, then you aren’t suspicious.”

That’s all it takes to steer clear of suspicion?

“What about you, mr. Chip? Do you steal shoes?”

“Nah, I used to steal bigger game. That’s how I went to prison.”

The girl next to Chip gasps. “Prison, I didn’t know you went.”

“Yeah, Gilhart and Proxy were in jail with me. Heck, even blondie was there. Ain’t that right?”

We face Alex, who’s talking with his escort. “...So you can juggle these cups?”

“Yes, though, I’m still a novice.”

“You have to show me.”

“Are you sure? What if I drop one on you by accident?’

“Do not fret, I have a head of iron, thanks to my sister.”

On the other side of the room, someone sneezed...

The escort fidgets as she takes her eyes on and off Alex, who is eyeing her like a kid who wants to go on a rollercoaster.

“O-okay, I’ll do it. May I borrow a cup?”

I give her the cup in front of me. She puts both of them in the palm of her hands. Her breathing goes silent, it’s steadier than it was before. It’s a vague feeling, but I feel as if she’s slipped into a state of zen. I hold my breath, mimicking her state of stillness.

Her eyelids shoot open, focusing her sight onto the cups. A simple flick of her wrist sends the cups upward. The moment they touch her palms, she sends them back up into the air, shifting them towards the other hand. This process is repeated as she picks up the speed of her juggling. The cups are circling each other as they’re being pushed up. It’s amazing, even if I can do better. But I don’t care to brag about it… Yep, I don’t feel the urge to show off, none at all…

The cups land on the palm of her hands, closing her juggling act. We clap to celebrate her performance. Not the flashiest way to do it, but still damn good.

She places the cups back onto the table before taking a bow. “Thank you for watching. I hope it was to your liking.”

“That was awesome!”

“It was truly amazing, thank you for the display.”

The escort blushes from our praise. Now that we’re starting to have a bit of fun, I might as well keep it going.

“So, now that’s out of the way, why don’t we talk about something cool.”

“What would that be?” Alex asks.

“Hmm… How about where me and Richard come from.”

Chip lets out an annoyed grumble. “Ah, not this again.”

“Hey, us being from another world is cool as hell. Don’t diss our origin story!”

“But we heard it several times at this point. Give it a rest.”

“I never tire of the story,” Alex comes to my defense. “...It’s wondrous to know there’s another world.”

“I agree, I wanna go and see it someday,” Gil chimes in with a charming, yet natural smile.

Would Legion even let us take Gil to our world? Dude, I can’t imagine what that would be like if he did come back with us. How would he be able to live there?

“What are you guys talking about?” Vella pops into the conversation.

“Nothing,” Chip quickly says, attempting to steer away from the topic.

Okay, maybe I told this story a bit too much at this point, so I’ll just put it aside for now. Besides, the girls are barely speaking, so we should shine the spotlight on them. Starting with Gil’s escort. She’s been tight-lipped since we sat down.

“Hey, umm…”

“Vran… My name is Vran.” Her voice is softer than I thought. I’m not saying I expected her to sound like the main character from the Foot of the South constellation, but it’s much more delicate than Marie’s and Elizabeth’s, that’s for sure.

“Nice to meet ya, Vran. I’m Proxy, you probably already know that.”

“Of course, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Tell me, if it’s not a problem, can I...can you show me...it?” She tucks her head as she twiddles her thumbs.

“It what?”

I ask this, but I already have a good idea of what it is…

“Your...your… Your muscles!” Knew it! “...I know we just met, but if it’s not a problem, may I see them?”

“Wow, that went differently than expected,” Chip expresses his surprise while keeping it subdued.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Yeah, I guess this can be chalked up to a misunderstanding,” Richard adds.

What the hell are they talking about? Is it strange for a girl to want to see a guys-- Oh, now I get it...

“You guys have dirty minds,” I tell them.

“Shut up, I don’t need you to tell me that,” Chip bites back.

“How is it dirty,” Alex, whose face screams of innocents, asks us.

I am not going to be responsible for tainting his mind. “It’s nothing, nothing at all.”

“Are you--”

“Positively!”

The girls laugh while covering their mouths. Do they think it’s bad manners to laugh out loud or something? “Hey, why do you guys cover your mouths when you laugh?”

“It’s rude to laugh aloud. A proper lady needs to conduct themselves in a well-kept manner. This is what the elder taught us.”

Speaking of, we never got to see her. Maybe she’s cautious of strangers? Then why treat us to this feast…? Maybe she was busy?.

“What’s the elder like?” I ask Vella.

“She’s a wise woman, the most beautiful of them all, and is as kind as they come.”

All I can picture is a nice old lady, but the beautiful comment has me wondering what her age is.

Catching a glimpse of Richard, he seems to be bothered by something.

“Buddy, you okay?”

He jerks his head at me, seemingly surprised. “What? Sorry, I was spacing out. Did you need something?”

“It’s nothing important, you just look bothered.”

“It’s nothing…”

Well, if he says so, then who am I to complain.

“...Don’t feel down,” Richard’s escort says. “...You should enjoy yourself.”

She pulls him towards herself, catching Richard off guard.

“Oh, um, t-thank you, however, you’re too close.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, I am your escort after all.”

“That’s just…”

Nunnalé puts her hands between them, separating them with little effort. “My master is uncomfortable. Please avoid personal contact from now on.”

“Oh, sorry… Did you call him master?”

“Yes, he is my mast--”

“Ahh! Stop, you’re making it sound bad!”

Vella leans to me, putting her head closer to mine. “Why did she call him master?” she whispers.

“They have a protector and protectee type of relationship.”

“That sounds strange.”

“No kidding…”

As Richard tries to explain their situation, a thought clicks in my head. Vella never told me anything about herself.

“Hm, something the matter, Proxy?” Vella asks.

“Yeah, I never got to ask about you.”

“That’s it? You don’t have to worry about me, I’m not too interesting. I’m just a typical girl.”

“Come on, there has to be something.”

“No, there really isn’t anything.”

“Nope, I don’t believe it. You gotta have something.”

I’m probably pushing her to speak, but I don’t want to go on about myself and never hear anything about her; it’s only proper to make good conversation with people who aren’t trying to kill you.

“Dancing, I’m good at dancing.”

“Really?”

“I know, it’s not a great skill or anything amazing, huh?”

“No, dancing is amazing. It’s a form of expression, just like art.”

“Form of expression?”

“Of course it is, you didn’t know?”

“I guess not. I just thought it was fun to do, is all.”

I get that. When I first did art, I just wanted to draw some cool shit, but after a while, I got better at it, then I was able to put my feelings into it. I’ve been ignoring it lately, I better draw up something when I get the chance.

“Ah, our food has been prepared,” Alex points out, giddy for it to be placed on the table.

A row of girls come out of the kitchen with plates of food and pitchers in their hands. With a level of grace, they place them on our table, going from the beginning to the end of the table. To say that the food looks exquisite would be an understatement. Each meal has been prepared with a touch of elegance, seeing how each plate is set up meticulously. A couple of other girls hand out some plates and utensils for us.

“Let me serve you up.” Vella picks out some food and puts it on my plate. She picks up a piece of sliced meat with a fork. “Now, say ‘ahh’.”

“What are you doing?”

“Feeding you.”

“I...don’t need you to do that.”

“Don’t worry, just close your eyes and say ‘ahh’.”

“No way, that’s just too embarrassing, right, Richard?”

Going to him was a mistake. His escort and Nunnalé are trying to feed him as well. He turns his head to me and mouths, “help me”... I can’t.

Meanwhile, the guys are letting the girls feed them. What the hell is wrong with you guys!?

“Do you not want me to feed you?”

“Sorry, but that’s just too weird to me.”

“But the others are okay with it.”

“They’re just weird.”

I take the fork from her hand and put the food in my mouth. It has a juicy, tender texture that makes it satisfying to chew on,

“This is delicious!” I continue to eat whatever is on my plate, relishing every bite. Vella is just watching me eat with that smile on her face. It’s kind of off putting. Is she hungry? “Want some of this?”

“I’m not hungry, so go ahead and engorge.”

“Kind of hard to do that when you’re watching me eat.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll try not to look.”

She turns away from me. Well, now I can eat normally. As I take another bite out of my meal, I see her looking at me from the corner of her eyes. Okay, she’s either messing with me, or she’s hungry. Finishing my food, I pick out the same thing I just ate. I place the plate in front of her.

“Go on and eat.”

“Are you sure?”

“You were staring at me eating. I’m guessing you’re hungry?”

“It would be improper to say so.”

“Who cares, you get hungry when you get hungry, so just eat.”

She eyes the food as if it’s something she’s never seen before. Eventually, she picks up the fork to stab the food on her plate. She carefully puts it in her mouth as if eating it wrong would kill her...

Her eyes widen from the sudden juicy sweetness. “It’s good!”

“I know, aren’t you glad you ate it now?”

“Yes!”

The lights go off, catching us by surprise. A single person stands on a stage that’s facing the other end of the table. Four girls walk on the stage, each one just as pretty as the last. They’re wearing see-through sleeves that are strapped to their biceps, as well as their thighs.

“What’s going on,” I ask Vella.

“They’re going to start a performance.”

“A performance? Awesome!”

Without any cue, signal, or whisper, they start dancing. Their moves are fluid, yet vibrant; flowing, yet wild. It's mesmerizing to watch them move as they seamlessly dance around the stage. They're completely in sync with each other as one of the girls sings with a captivating voice.

"This is great! Did you know they were going to do this?"

"No...I didn't. But they're amazing."

For a moment there, she sounded sad. Does she want to dance too?

"If you want to dance, then you should go do it."

"What? No, I don't want to," she politely turns down.

“Nervous?”

“Not that, I just don’t feel like it…”

I want to say there’s something else to it, but I know when to mind my own business. However, I can’t help but wonder why she won’t…

Victorian town - Guest lounge - afternoon

After the feast and dancing, we were shown where we would be staying. Screw mincing words, this place is swanky as hell. Its place is big enough to house an entire town. Richard and I just got out of the show, which is big enough to fit most of the guys. Of course, Nunnalé is with us.

The rest of the girls were taken somewhere else, so it makes things less awkward when we have to use the bath.

The others are still out with their escorts. Vella took off, saying she wasn’t feeling well. Probably has something to do with the dancing.

“Earth to Proxy,” Richard snaps his fingers, bring me out of my thoughts.

“Huh? Sorry, you said something?”

“I was asking what you thought of the dancing? Is something wrong?”

“I’m as cool as a cucumber. It’s Vella, she was acting strange.”

“I noticed. Her words felt off when you compare her exterior expression.”

“What does that mean?”

“It was a jumble of emotions; jealously, anger, sadness, and grief.”

“Are you sure? Not to doubt your ability, I just can’t see it… Though, it’s not like everyone expresses how they are all the time.”

Going by experience, I can say that with confidence.

“Yet, these emotions seemed to be drowned out pretty easily.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, it happens when someone is able to cloak their emotions.”

“How does that work?”

“My ability is to read the true meaning behind words, not what people are thinking. If they don’t have any other meaning behind them, or is able to hide them extremely well, then I can’t read it. That’s what I learned from being able to use this ability for the majority of my life.”

“Damn, that must be cool, being able to tell what people really mean.”

“Actually, not really… I was in Elementary school when I was able to use this ability. It was difficult trusting people since I knew what they really meant when they spoke to me. Some thought I was a difficult child because I was distant from others, some thought I was damaged from my mother’s death and thought of me as a pitiful kid, and others didn’t see anything past me being good at schoolwork; because of that, they thought I was a know it all who was better than everyone else… Being friends with other people was hard, downright impossible. So I gave up on trying…”

I smack my forehead. I’m a freaking idiot, why didn’t I think about it before I said it. “I’m sorry.”

“W-why are you apologizing!?”

“Cause I said something stupid. It’s my bad.”

“I demand you to apologize with more sincerity,” Nunnalé, with a vicious look on her face, demands.

“I am!”

Richard turns away from us, chuckling to himself.

“What is funny, master Richard?”

“Yeah, you find somethin’ funny?” I ask using a Brooklyn accent.

“No, no, it’s nothing... It’s just funny, looking back, I never thought I’d be able to make friends. But one day, I met Proxy, and all that changed. He was the first person, besides my brother, who I couldn’t read. Lauren and Birch I can read, but they always mean what they say. Then you also come along, Nunnalé.”

“What about the others?” I ask.

“Of course, I can read them, but they’re all good people. Marie comes off a little strong at times, but she does have a kind and caring side to her. Alexander is too honest with his words. The others I can read, but it’s harmless at best. So, I think you’re all the only ones who I’m able to call friends, even though I still have this ability So, thank you, for being people I can trust.”

“No problem, buddy. You can always count on me!”

“Me, too, master Richard.”

“Thanks, both of you... I’m glad we found the book, we wouldn’t have been able to meet so many great people.”

“Totally!”

Without that thing, we would still be in school, learning stuff I could care less about, not to mention going on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Man, aren’t we lucky?

As we continue to walk down the hall, Nunnalé mutters something to herself.

“What is it?” I ask.

“It’s just… Master Richard, may I inquire something?”

“What is it?”

“This question has only come to me from the mention of you finding the Grimoire.”

“No need to build up suspense, just say it,” I tell her.

“Excuse me, then I’ll cut to the point. Where did you get the book?”

“Proxy found it in the library of NewPort. It was in a…”

Richard covers his mouth as his eyes widened. From the look on his face, he just realized something.

“Something the matter, dude?”

“Nothing, it’s just… Something doesn’t add up. The way you found it…”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“It’s just...odd.” He goes silent again, thinking to himself. Then, his eyebrows stretch up as he’s in awe. “Proxy, can you go get Quincy? He’s near the entrance of the guest lounge.”

“What’s going on?”

“I want him in on this. I have a feeling that we’re going to need his insight on this matter...”