Stephanie suddenly opened her eyes and looked around quickly. Then she let out a load groan, she hadn’t been dreaming. Nadene really had gotten them arrested. She saw a large stone archway not too far away now, they were arriving soon. She rested herself as far as she could in her seat and stared up at the sky, sunset had approached in the time she was asleep.
“So, what the plan once we get in?” She asked softly, “Guns blazing or stealth?”
“Actually...I think I got something” Nadene responded with a slight tone of pride, “I was thinking we get ourselves fake identities, there must be some calling card or set of clothes that belongs to a house of nobility or power here. If we can fake something long enough to buy ourselves some time we can probably get some place to hide from there...Any thoughts Aerith?”
Aerith, who still had her arms crossed, paused for a moment and thought, “It should work, but I’ll need more information on this place…”
“Got it” Nadene responded, she cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, “Yo Leo! Who do you work for?!”
“Work!?” Sir Leo became quickly offended, “You mere criminals reduce me to something as pitiful as work? No, I serve Queen Saria. However, in her absence I serve the figurehead of the current Saria, a mere replacement...I owe my full allegiance to her nevertheless. Now quiet down with the ignorant questions, honestly it’s like you’ve never even been here!”
Nadene sighed and crossed her arms with a smirk. Aerith only grumbled to herself, and crossed her arms, irritated.
“Well, if you must know this looks like the kind of world that would work. We could play the role of the noble foreigner if you so wish. I’ll limit my abilities for that much…”
“Great, sound like a plan then. Jake, copy the clothes the first couple of rich guys we see. You and Aerith can be the leaders while we are your humble servants”
“Ughh...even pretending to serve either of you makes me gag” Stephanie groaned over the side of the car.
The road to the archway was close enough to touch now. Sir Leo had already passed through, greeting two guards on either side of the gate. Both of the guards wore light amounts of armor on their shoulders and chest, with a large tunic fitting under it. The guards eyed the car intently, focusing on each and every passenger. Everyone was silent as the car was slowly dragged through fallen leaves. A tense sense of air sapped at the woods. By this point, most if not all of the ground was coated in an autumn blanket. Leaves were only brushed aside to make room for the extremely well kept stone brick path. Tall dim lamps alternated across the sides of the road, soon they’d be lit when the sun fell.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Old houses stacked several stories tall were neatly assorted across the road, the denizens wearing various different Witch outfits, tunics, and robes all doing various tasks and chores outside their house. One was hanging clothes on a string just by their window. Another was cooking something in a pot, smoke steaming from the top out into the sky. Leo came up to an intersection now, the road formed into a circle with a large well at the center. His horse came to a stop and he slowly crawled off the saddle. Then he freed his horse from the rope and slowly brought it back to the kids.
Nadene was the first one to hop out of the car. She glared up at Leo’s armored head, then dramatically brought a finger towards him.
“So it’s treason then!” She shouted as she slashed her arm through the air, “Sir Leo, you have arrested six sons and daughters of nobles from a very far off kingdom. Explain yourself!”
The Pen sprung to life and immediately draped the fanciest clothes it could on each of them save for Aerith after a coat of smoke. Jake received a long black coat. Layali and Stephanie black suits and Zackory’s outfit didn’t change at all. Leo backed up in surprise and immediately reached for the sword on his horse,
“What is the meaning of this...this treason!? Queen Saria tells me everything! You must take me for some kind of fool to think that some nobles would just so happen to show up. You yourself said you were a thief!” Leo stuttered
“A mere trick. It seems that the great Sir Leo is unable to decipher as much” Aerith added with a large flair of drama, “However, we’ll forgive this infraction if you grant us safe passage. If you still have your doubts, town of cobblestone, know that even someone as neuro-typical as you all could sense my power just from a small glance”
“Y-Yeah! You better back off and let us see the Queen, else’ she’ll be mad and fire you!” Stephanie added as she pulled herself out of the car. She felt like putting up her fists or saying a swear word, but she didn’t want to be too mean. Her legs were still a little wobbly after the ride and keeping herself in that compartment too, so she stumbled back and leaned on the side of the car. Though it wasn’t quite tall enough for her to do it, so she grumbled and sat on the rim of the windows. She ended up falling further in the car when she aimed wrong, however.
“Yeah, and I guarant—“
“I can assure you she’ll want to see us” Jake finished. Everyone in the town was staring at them now, frozen with their same still, blank, expressions in the middle of their tasks. Leo was visibly shaking in his armor, though the emotion behind it wasn’t quite clear. Light whimpers echoed through his helmet for sometime. Eventually he drew his sword out and pointed his sword at all of them, a slight glare visible through his helmet,
“It’s treason then…” He said solemnly
Nadene immediately backed up, “Well, fun while it lasted...Aerith” she called out. Aerith smirked and stepped forwards in front of everyone, she pointed the Eraser directly at Leo. The town around her didn’t react in the slightest to her surprise. Some of them had even moved on and gone back to work.
“No one’s asking for your opinion. Grant us safe passage in this town or we’ll grant ourselves passage...A passage in your town that is!” Aerith paused for a moment, waiting for some type of reaction, “A passage in your town that is!” She repeated. The girl looked down for a moment, partially in shame. Even so, she still felt the need to explain herself, “Because, y’know...I’ll destroy everythi—“
Aerith quickly rose her staff up in defense, Leo had swung at her. Before anything else could happen, a shard of blazing energy fell between them. It burned itself slowly until eventually fading out entirely with a soft burst. Aerith and Leo both looked to the source, directly in front of then now, was Saria. She had a hand on her hip and confidently walked forwards towards them, her expression smug as ever.
“Y’know...I was feeling real good about myself today…I take a walk through my town, hope to get some tea or something, and now the mongrels are trying to...” Saria stopped in her movement and her speech, she put a finger to her chin in thought, “Wait, what are you trying to do?”
“I’m trying to arrest these kids” Leo boomed
“We’re trying to find a place where we can think” Nadene sighed
“I just want out” Stephanie groaned, still sitting in the car
“Oh. Well, I can do two of those things...Come, the six of you. We’re going to prison!”