Silence screamed.
Beatrix slowly drew Save the Queen, her eyes never leaving the man ahead of her. The sword gleamed in the light, reflecting the magic held inside it.
"You will remain here, Blank," Beatrix said without looking at him. "I’ll be damned if I’ll face Fratley alone."
"Ha!" Blank retorted. "Don’t count on me helping too much. I’ve seen this guy fight, Bea. Frankly…we’re screwed."
Suddenly, Fratley leapt over to join them. The Dragon Knight had drawn his spear and was holding it in front of him defensively.
"Well?" he said. "I always allow my opponent the first strike. Wilt thou accomidate me here, Lady?"
"Of course not," Beatrix replied simply. "I do not wish to fight you, Fratley. Leave here and return to Lindblum if you value your life. Otherwise…Alexandria is home to some excellent healers."
This only served to anger Fratley. He brought his spear down on the floor of the palace, and the stone cracked with the force. Blank stared at the rift in the floor, wondering what exactly that move would do to a human being.
"I wish a fight, and thou shalt give me one! I wish to see which of us is the better, and we shall reach that conclusion today!"
Beatrix took a step back. "I told you, Fratley. I will not fight you. There is no reason behind your request. Now return to Lindblum and find something else to do with your time!"
That was it. Blank jumped at Fratley, attempting to grab him. But the Dragon Knight was too quick. He leapt away and onto a higher floor, a hearty laugh echoing through the halls of the palace. Blank, frustrated, began climbing the outside wall.
"I take this road, you take the stairs!" he said. Beatrix was ready, sprinting toward the palace staircase. She reached it, hastily looked around the bending stairwell, and ran upward. On the way a few of her soldiers took a spill, one or two offering to help Beatrix with whatever had her in such distress, but she ignored them.
Two floors up, she heard the sound of metal clanging. She readied a spell and dashed out of the stairwell to see Fratley and Blank, spear and sword interlocked. Blank was straining, and his blade was giving off a deep aura. Fratley must’ve been augmenting his abilities with dragon magic.
Well, Beatrix thought, I can do something about that.
She raised her left hand, closing her eyes and feeling the warmth she called Seiken flow through her veins like her own blood.
Light raced from her fingertips, coursing through the air toward Fratley. It hit the Dragon Knight with fierce impact, knocking him to his feet and sending his lance flying through the air. The weapon landed a few feet away from Blank, and he ran to retrieve it.
"Ha!" the redhead taunted. "Got yer weapon, mousy. What now, eh?"
Fratley stared up contemptuously from the floor. He stood, slowly; Blank and Beatrix jumped in anticipation of an assault.. The Dragon Knight held his hands out in front of him lazily.
"Tis disgraceful, but I give up. Prithy, do with me what you wish."
Blank and Beatrix exchanged puzzled glances. Neither wanted to move for fear of the unexpected, but they couldn’t just leave Fratley standing there.
Then it happened.
"Beatrix, my love! I am here to resuce you!!!"
Steiner came bounding up the stairs, his eyes glued to Blank’s skinny frame. The captain rushed the thief, both falling over in a tangle of fur and rusty limbs. Beatrix simply sighed in frustration.
"Both of you get up. Steiner, Blank is not here as an enemy, he’s come to retrieve Fratley here. So ge—"
Too late. Blank had dropped Fratley’s lance, and it had been snatched up, the Dragon Knight leaping to safety.
Beatrix grunted in anger. "Look what you did, Steiner! Now we have to chase him around for gods know how much longer!"
Steiner got up hastily, staring at Beatrix like a child who’d just broken the neighbor’s window. "I…I apologize, my dear. I simply thought that…Blank was…"
"Ya thought wrong, Rusty," Blank replied, now standing and brushing himself off. "I came here ta get ol’ Iron-tail back, cuz Lady Freya left him in our care. He’s still got head troubles and he wants a showdown with Bea, over there. I figured I’d help her out…NOT slit her throat. Got it?"
Steiner looked to the floor, wary of Beatrix’s wrath. "Got it," he said.
"Good," Beatrix responded. "Then you can help us find Fratley and apprehend him. Round up your knights of Pluto and give them the order. The search for Iron-tail Fratley is on."
"Yes, my love! I shall notify them at once!"
Steiner ran off down the stairs, giggling like a little boy. Beatrix turned to face Blank.
"I apologize for him. You know how he can be."
Blank waved it off, kneeling to retrieve his sword and finding it bent beyond repair.
"No problem, Bea. It comes with the territory, dealin’ with Rusty when I’m here. Just let’s not forget why this is hapennin’. We gotta find Fratley fast."
She nodded, smiling. "Yes, and we will now that we have more manpower on our side. He went off in the direction of the city again, Blank. Care to join me for a stroll down the main street of Alexandria…?"
Blank grinned boyishly. "Sure thing, Bea. If ya don’t mind me borrowin’ a weapon from the shop fer my own purposes. I’ll return it if ya want, mind ya."
"No," Beatrix replied. "Steiner is at fault for your weapon being warped. He’ll foot the bill. Just…’borrow’ something expensive."
Laudo peeked around the corner of the building he was currently hiding behind. He spotted Dojebon running around everywhere, screaming for people to get out of the way, that he was on official business for General Beatrix.
"Yeah, that sounds perfectly normal, Dojebon. No suspicion there, and you really won’t have anyone rubbernecking once Fratley’s taken by us. Idiot."
The gentlest of the Pluto knights crept toward the mini-theater, aiming to while away the search for Fratley with some polite conversation with Ruby. Laudo didn’t feel like running this way and that in search of someone who could very well spit on his head and he’d never know.
Laudo headed for the stairs, and was distracted by a strange noise from his left.
"Gegh…bwaa….ARGH!"
Curiosity got the best of him. He walked some distance, toward the docks and the steeple house, to be met with a strange sight.
In front of the steeple house stood the royal cook, Quina Quen. He…she…IT held in it’s hand Mullenkedheim’s neck, squeezing the life from him, it seemed. Laudo approached calmly, so as not to scare the Qu.
"E-excuse me, Quina, but why are you strangling Mullenkedheim?"
Quina looked at Laudo, expressionless. Mull looked at him too, pleading.
"He insult my cooking. Not good thing do to Qu. We no like insults, only compliments."
This is ridiculous.
"Mull," laudo said with a smile. "If I get you out of this, promise me you won’t tell the captain I’m hiding in Ruby’s theater. Do we have a deal?"
Mull blinked twice. "Yeshfgg."
"Good," Laudo grinned. "Now…Quina?"
The Qu looked at him again.
"I happen to like your cooking very much. And I think Mull here was just trying to get around you somehow. You see, we’re searching for someone and it’s a very urgent matter."
"You looking for mousy man Fratley, no?" Quina responded.
Laudo blinked, and nodded. "Y-yes. How did you know that, Quina?"
"Quina no stupid. Act stupid, but no. I see Fratley jump across sky little while ago. He look mad. Maybe he mad at Mull for insult Quina?"
Laudo shook his head. "No, I don’t think Fratley has any clue what’s going on down here on the ground. But the fact remains he needs to be caught. So if you’d let Mull down I’d greatly appre—"
"Quina want to help! Quina been through many battles, many yummy foes, now Quina help."
The Qu released Mull, who fell to the ground gasping for air. Both he and Laudo stared at Quina in a mix of surprise and fear.
"But Quina," Laudo said, "you’re a civilian. I don’t think we’re allowed to let you help."
"Your commander big rusty guy, right?"
Laudo and Mull looked sidelong at each other. "Yeah…" Mull said.
"Then no problem!" Quina squealed. "Rusty man no care if Quina on the prowl, so long as Quina no take bite out of him. So we go now, to find mousy man! Follow Quina!"
The Qu grabbed each knight by an arm and proceeded into the steeple house. Laudo cursed himself out in his mind.
If only I’d ignored Mull choking to death…
Quina flung them both into the small space of the steeple and instructed them to climb the ladder.
"We go where mousy man go. We be only smart ones, no?"
"Uh, yeah, Quina," Mull said. "We know what we’re doing."
The Qu nodded. "Yeah! And we get mousy man, not Rusty and pretty lady! Now climb! Or Quina…eat you!!!"
Laudo stared at Quina a moment, then climbed for all he was worth. Mull did the same and ran right into Laudo’s rear.
"Hay!" he yelled up. "Hurry! I don’t wanna be some Qu’s snack!"
Laudo sighed. "I don’t think Quina meant what…what it said, Mull. Just slow down!"
"Erp! How can I when Quina’s right on my a—"
Thud. Laudo flew through the air and landed chin-first on the roof adjacent the ladder. He collected himself, stood, and saw that Mull had been flung a few feet further. Quina’s head poked out from the steeple, tongue flapping.
"You no move quick enough. Quina no like climbing ladders. No good mix."
"So why didn’t you go first?" Laudo snapped.
Quina looked at him, again, expressionless.
"…Quina never think of it like that. You smart guy!"
Mull’s face screwed up in frustration. Laudo sighed.
"okay, let’s get this over with," he said. "C’mon, Quina."
The Qu leapt from the ladder to the roof, a menacinf fork now in hand. "Yay! Quina have fun today! Fun sooo tasty!"
Laudo's hand went to his forehead. "Dear gods preserve us…"