I feel like I really should be in a police box at the moment; with this weird tunnel like effect swirling around me. I can't see any of the girls at the moment, nor even my own body. It feels like I've been ripped from reality entirely. But there is an odd warmth to my clasped hands...
"/5 !7 >/0u? Vv1!/ yo^ 83 T!n3 0N3 vvln0 54V35 U5?"
What? Was that a voice?
I don't have time to ponder further about this, though, as my ears pop, my stomach turns, and I'm almost overwhelmed by a flash of garish colour and light.
I feel a huge sense of deja vu, as, with swirling magical effects around me, I land on one knee into what is clearly the castles summoning chamber.
However, this time, I am landing in a pentagonal formation with four lovely young girls, and it seems we have a welcoming entourage of twelve burly men pointing crossbows our way...
One of them fires at us. Still disoriented from the teleportation, I barely have time to register that a bolt is about to drill into my skull, and this time, even precognitive evasion is caught off guard. Death taps me on the shoulder and asks for a curry.
But I'm still not out of plot armour quite yet, it seems. The bolt stops a mere inch from my face, making me break out in a cold sweat. It then lurches in mid-air and slams into the shoulder of the portly man who fired it, making him squeal in pain and drop the crossbow. The other men almost fire at us in reaction, but...
"DO YOU MIND NOT FORCING ME TO CAST A SPELL DIRECTLY AFTER LEYGATING! I AM THE SAGE OF THUNDER! DO YOU MEAN TO CROSS ME?!" Seria shouts, her voice a literal storm that blows the men back half an inch and cows them.
"HALT! Cease fire!" A woman’s voice shouts from the other side of them. Fortunately, the ballisticians are nothing if not disciplined, and they drop their crossbows and stand to attention, besides the man crying on the floor.
"You imbeciles! You nearly shot your own princess!! Wedge, I've warned you how many times about not firing early?! HOW... MANY... TIMES?!" The rant continues.
The woman who the voice belongs to appears from between the men. She is tall, stern, and distinguished looking, in a white over-coated uniform and tyrian-purple cloak, with chainmail, that accents her impressive chest. Two bastard swords are slung over her back, and she has a full head of pale green hair in a bunched ponytail. A serious warrior woman if I ever did see one. She promptly kicks the already downed man in the stomach with her greaved foot, making him squeal further and bend into a '>' shape. The other men have looks of pity.
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"Nee-chan!?" Kiku exclaims.
So this is Kako? Cripes...
Kako looks to our group, blinks, and then looks back at the men with a vicious smile.
"And apparently you ~also~ nearly shot my cute little sister AS WELL. Oooh, you lot are going to have some ~very~ special training tomorrow! Vicks, carry Wedge to the infirmary. You're dismissed!!"
The men all swallow and grimace, but salute and march out. The bolted man is thrown over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes, still crying. Even though that guy nearly made me go all King Harold, I almost feel sorry for him...
As they leave, Kako instantly goes down on her knees in front of Aria.
"I cannot apologise enough for my foolish men, your majesty. Please punish me for their failings if..."
"There is no need for that. It is, if anything, the Sage of Thunder and the Etranger you should apologise to, Ser Arnas." Aria says.
"Oh... o-of course... please accept my apologies." Kako says.
It's a pretty strange thing, having a voluptuous knight woman on her knees apologising to you...
"No... It all turned out fine. These things... happen." I shrug. I'm not a vindictive sort.
"Hmmph... well, if the boy is satisfied, then I guess you got off lucky, girl. I'll turn a blind eye this time in deference to him and your sister. You had best take us to the King however." Seria adds.
Kako stands up, giving Kiku a strange expression. I guess that's not surprising. The sage basically just declared she owed Kiku a favour.
"Of course, I shall take you to his majesty immediately. Let us go." Kako begins to lead us out, and Kiku dashes up to her side and grabs her sleeve.
"Um... it's nothing much, nee-chan... I didn't..."
"She only helped save my life and all, and then cooked me a fine meal!" Seria exclaims from behind.
I almost get the impression that the meal was the more important of those two from Seria's intonation. I... I'm just hearing things, right?
Kiku looks crestfallen as if she's done something naughty. Kako stops and blinks repeatedly. These two sisters have a weird relationship. Given what little I've seen of Kako, I feel as though she is only capable of providing tough love... poor Kiku.
"It... it sounds like... you've done well, Kiku." Kako seems to almost struggle to say this.
Nevertheless... Kiku fidgets and looks radiantly happy. How cute!
Well, I guess it’s time to see King Legato again before we move on to other errands.