Neo reaches out his hand to find the Sloothe way. As soon as Neo steps into it. The wind becomes visible a plum of six colours. It twists him up into the sky bypassing several large floating islands. Val pulls Ajax back Neo slows now stuck in a Sloothe way. He waits for the young couple.
"Ajax please It's too dangerous for you...A kings float is more than just a fertile land. The dangers are as abundant as leaves of grass," says Valerie.
Ajax shakes his head both in refusal of Valerie's request and to the thought he just had. In his hearing, the words she just spoke came through as a threat. A threat from Valerie is not impossible. Ajax just feels she is trying to make her point to him more than actually threaten him. "Valerie my guy, who else will ever give me this chance."
"You will die, I'm telling you that you will die up there." Valerie is holding his hand tight close like never before. The waters in her eyes coming. Ajax knows it's dangerous a kings float is something he would never in a million years try to go. His first idea of buying a mating pair of Gaint Dogs can go out the window. No need to raise them until he has a pack of twenty rank F monsters. If he can get even a C rank monster it will make their dreams possible. Ajax grits his teeth and does something he knows she can't win against. He needs this to happen more than anything else right now.
"Not as long as your with me I won't." Says Ajax his words meant to envoke his and Valerie's time together. Above all else, they saved each other whether it's from grief or despair, hunger or thirst even from fellow hunters. Together they have saved each other from becoming a victim of the new world order where might is right. She puts her down bites her lip. She sniffs a little and kicks him in the sore leg at least below his knee and they move towards the Sloothe way together.
Neo relaxes which then makes him move up the Sloothe way bypassing a Jack Island floats and the Queens. Landing on the Fertile lush luminous Forest of the Kings' Float. The trees are taller and brighter than normal. The fruits they hold plump and succulent. The sound of fresh crystal clear water dancing through the Kings' Float. Ajax can't believe his eyes it's like a botanical forest that has been put together by the most gifted landscaper. At every level, there is life, colour and sounds.
"Dude what are doing its beautiful." Says Ajax to Neo who has out some kind of weapon. The staff is as long as Neo. Neo starts to beat a down on a plant.
Squeal! An eardrum piercing noise echoes throughout the Kings Float Forest. Several Hunterbirds shout back with air slashes. Neo turns to Ajax and says, "Boy get your mind right. Those godforsaken birds would have killed us dead for sure."
"So guy, you just decide to beat a plant." Ask Ajax he is unclear why the loud plant had to be a victim.
"Val be a doll and help an old man out I can't be explaining every little thing dear I need my focus up here." Says Neo having glossed over on the conversation they had earlier.
"Ajax, he is right you know, Slitters are no joke. They hang out in groups of ten and when startled by, bypasses they unleash those attacks you just saw...and the name is Valerie I won't tell you again old man." Says Valerie to the stubborn Ajax and the unhearing. She wants to kick him again but she knows they can fight later today it's about keeping him safe from Neo and whatever other dangers are on the King Floats.
"Okay Hun, but the plant he beat," asks Ajax he wants to collect as much information as possible. Plus the Weeping Hydrangea had a wonderful yellow colour to it. He was going to pick it to later analyze. It is why he has been picking up anything he thinks might be of any value for his evaluation skill to grow. Neo pretends he didn't hear the last part. He walks deeper into the forest.
"To startle the birds and announce our location." Says Valerie her words also make Neo smile. He is swatting at the dense radiant flora all around them clearing a path. The scent in the air a mix of flowers fresh crushed herbs and saps. They are all sweet. Ajax follows Neo since Valerie is making sure he doesn't get too far ahead of them. Valerie knows from personal experience what happens when hunters get separated.
"Announce our location why would we do that." Asks Ajax his eyes looking for any monster. He knows they won't come because of the totem but he can hope.
"The monster we want is at least a C rank otherwise he would not be doing that." Says Valerie the use of Weeping Hydrangeas coupled with his Dragon head repel monsters up to C rank, if not b. Higher rank monsters tend to move towards danger not away.
Neo snaps his fingers in confirmation of her theory, and says "It's is an Araby trick that we use." Valerie tenses up at his words pulling on Ajax's arm. She manages to catch herself before she stumbles.
Ajax also grabbing at he says, " Are you okay?"
Valerie says, "Yeah it was a Geoff" Ajax looks at Valerie. A Geoff refers to danger. To him it means she must have sensed something but he can't ask her directly since the Geoff password is only for danger.
Ajax points at the only the one thing he hopes she us not referring to. His hand points at the old man ahead of them clearing the way.
Valerie says, "Unfortunately." She is already preparing her spells as a space mage her escape magic needs a lot of magic power. She doesn't it in a way that it only seems she is healing her self.
For the next hour they travel, undisturbed towards the king's nest. Neo is following a route he prepared before. Valerie the moment she sees Crowns Grass brings them to a stop. Ajax pick the grass even he knows the value of Crowns Grass for new born monsters.
Ajax says, " Neo, why are going to the nest you know that Valerie is not a combat mage so a rank b monster is too much for us especially since we are here to carry only." Ajax is going to back down. he understands the danger of the Float as Valerie explained but he now he is almost at burst towards Neo.
Neo massages his back, Stretching backward a few cracks can be heard from his stiff back. He puffs what smoke he can from his pipe and with a gleeful smile says, "There is a Rainbow egg in his nest."
Valerie should jump for joy, a Rainbow is a treasure that a hundred thousand men would give their lives just to see. Her thoughts race this would make them famous. She says in a low acusatory voice, "Why did you choose us."
Ajax is hold his staff in his hand ready to fight for a chance for Valerie to escape. She puts a hand on his shoulder a faint glow of a rune appears on Ajax.
Neo leans on the tree next to him and says, " We are almost there just on the other side of this tree and it's there." Valerie's head shoots into the sky. At rank only a dragons descendent would have Crowns Grass grow next to their next. Usually Crowns grass can span a two kilometer area around a kings nest. It's serves as both a warning and a reward. The sweet bright green and yellow grass. Ajax is tense he doesn't know what he could but he will do it. " Please you can have the egg after all he is the only that can do it. "
Valerie doesn't believe any sane will person pull let a rainbow egg go. " Why would do that? You should know that egg will bring you a fortune."
Neo puffs his pipe again and says, " I'm dying unless I bring something of value my elder they will let me die."
Ajax a little dumbfounded says, "Why don't you want the egg." Neo smashes his hand on the tree. A few leaves dance in the wind as fall to the ground.
Neo says, " Of course I want it but I can't get in I'm too powerful the barrier here is old and has never been disturbed. I have tried it all for a whole year I'm out of time. If you can give me some of the treasures in the nest it should be enough to save my life." Is trying to shift the their suspicions to him. If they believe him they are less likely to realize what he is really after. His plan is already ruined he planned to pretend to be surprised when then they arrived but these kids are much sharper than he thought.
Valerie says, "Ajax let's leave now that we know where the nest we come back on our with people we trust." Neo rubs his head it's obvious he is in a tight situation.
Neo says, "You can't i...even.....why do you think the Kingis not here. This opportunity will not be available in future." Neo has sent the Packers Party on a goose chase he paid a kid to say that he heard an old talk about a rainbow and pint him out to them. Then they followed him in a week ago. With out the Sloothe ways they had to climb the hard way and are currently raiding the Kings outer float. They have attracted the Kings attention because Neo used a beast bag made from a rank c monster.
Ajax moves Neo has given him everything he needed to hear. They could talk around in circles but if he makes the egg his pet. There is a high chance of success and with the king occupied he won't be in danger until he starts to bind the egg. Valerie and Neo both bounce off the barrier surrounding the nest. being a rank f Ajax doesn't trip the protective barrier.