Luminous' black Mary Jane shoes walked the dirt path alone in the forest of really talk beanstalks. Her puffy light blue dress stopped around the top of her white stockings. She didn't think about how she got here, or why she was smaller than all the colorful mushrooms around her and the beanstalks.
She stopped when she saw a tall bright blue callapitter sitting on one of the stalks blowing on a pipe. The callapitter blew an array of colorful bubbles that passed by the top of Luminous' big white bow that sat on top of her short blonde hair, and into the soap film sky.
Luminous lay down on the ground mesmerized by the colorful bubbles that joined the sky. She sat up when she suddenly saw something gray and fury moving around in one of the bubbles. Reaching up Luminous popped the bubble. The little mouse in the red vest landed in the palm of her fair hand.
"Master Mouse! You're alive!" Luminous' light blue eyes lit up. "How did you escape the Hall Monitor? Do you know where the prince and Chasm are? Please tell me they're okay!"
Master Mouse held his skinny finger to Luminous's pink lips shushing her.
"Listen up, the walls they talk, my time ticks on the till. The eyes they gawk, the path you walk is being marked by them still. Beware the flowers garden grown, easily they fright. Bluest meadows, bluest eyes, bluest of the night."
"Bluest... flower eyes?" Asked Luminous. "Master Mouse, what's going on? Are you okay? Master Mouse?!"
Knock! knock! knock!
Luminous jolted sitting upright in bed. Her messy short blonde hair sticking up all over the place. The green bed covers falling to the wooden ground as she turned towards the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Wa..what's that?" Asked Luminous groggily.
"I'm going to take an educated guess and say that it's someone at the door." Said the Dawn of Fate, who was in his sheath hanging on the bedpost next to Luminous.
Luminous rubbed her blue eyes before her white socks touched the wooden ground.
"I saw Master Mouse again last night..." Said Luminous turning towards the sword.
"Kid, you were only dreaming."
Luminous bit her lip, looking down at the chickens on her shirt.
"Oh, right..."
Luminous opened the door to see Barrett leaning on the door frame on the other side, her eyes landing on the big bandage that wrapped around his abdomen.
"Barrett?! Concord said that it would be another day until you could get out of bed. Are you, I didn't mean to make you...I mean how are you feeling?" Asked Luminous her eyes shifting to the ground. "I feel bad for putting you in danger like that..."
"Quit shouting, I'm feeling fine." Barrett rolled his rosewood eyes. "Concord is just overreacting like usual, I don't even need this thing." He pointed at his gauze that wrapped around his muscular abdomen. "I got to hand it to you though Luminous, never thought anyone would be stupid enough to try to fight a giant for a bratty kid they hardly know. I can't tell if you are brave or stupid."
"I'm glad you came after me. But I'm even happier that you're alive." Said Luminous looking down at her socks. "I became worried about you ever since we got back."
"I'm not the one you should worry about. I can handle myself." Said Barrett with a wave of the hand. "You're the one with no fighting experience and an ill-fitted sword trying to fight off a giant."
"Hey, who are you calling an ill-fitted sword?" Scoff the Dawn of Fate. "I'm the one stuck with training the newbie here!"
"Anyways, Concord left me to run the shop while he gets more herbs for my wounds." Continued Barrett. "Told him I could just do that myself, but he insisted I stay inside for the time being. So I'm watching over the Tavern Den for now, and I uhh... made us breakfast...you know..." Barrett's eyes shifted to the floor, his hand rubbing the back of his spiked brown hair. "In case you were hungry."
"You made me and Vainglorious breakfast?" Asked Luminous walking down the hall behind the tall hunter, his red hood dusting the wooden floor behind him.
"Screw that little twat, Vainglorious can get his own food. I was just... thinking of you.." Barrett kept his blushing face hidden as he walked down the stairs.
"Aww look at you, you're sweet on her." Tested the Dawn of Fate.
"Shut it sword!"
The dining area was just as bustling as it was when she first met Barrett about two days ago. The smell of cooked meat was just as sweet and wafted into every room as it was then to. Barrett sat Luminous down at one of the empty tables then brought out a plate full of eggs and sausages for them.
"You know I don't usually eat so many eggs." Said Luminous staring at the plate packed full of eggs in front of herself.
"Well you should, eggs help with growing bodies. They're also packed with protein which helps build muscles and keeps one feeling full throughout the day so you don't overeat either. Keeps you from getting too fat."
"You hear that short stuff, dog breath says you have so much junk in your trunk." Said the Dawn of Fate.
"I do?!" Bushed Luminous jumping out of her seat and grabbing her behind.
"I didn't say that!" Yelled Barrett.
"Ya, he said if your butt gets any bigger it'll be as big as your gigantic boobs." Said the Dawn of Fate.
"He did?!" Asked Luminous.
"Shut up you dumb sword! I didn't say anything like that!" Yelled Barrett slamming his hands on the table.
After everything calmed down, Barrett sat at the table watching as Luminous ate. He looked at the colorful bandages that he helped put all over her cut-up fair skin.
"So, how are you feeling? You already had a ton of cuts all over your body when you came to me. I did everything I could so they wouldn't scar, but only time will tell I suppose. Tch! I don't even know what kind of monster would cut up a little girl like that. To be honest, the kind of state you were in was troubling so..." Barrett picked at his plate with his fork. "Are you okay?"
"Ya, actually ever since I've gotten some sleep I feel a lot better. I'm just really glad you and Vainglorious are okay." Luminous smiled. "Thanks for being there, you know when I really needed you."
"Are you kidding, I should be thanking you." Grinned Barrett. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you're giving me 400 boon for this job. I can now afford my grandma's medicine, it's actually a relief to not be in debt for once."
Luminous felt her heart drop to her stomach as she swallowed, she almost forgot. She owed him 400 boon, 400 boon she didn't have. Luminous' inner panic didn't go unnoticed by Barrett who picked it up with his nose. He glanced at her, but she kept eating her eggs looking down.
"You have the 400 boon right?" He asked, leaning into Luminous his rosewood eyes raking her up and down. "I didn't just go out of my way for nothing, when I could have spent all that time on a job that was actually going to pay me, right?" His deep voice sank into Luminous' heart.
"I..uh.." Luminous choked back the tears brimming her blue eyes. "I promise I'll pay you as soon as I can!"
She turned to look at the tall hunter. But had stopped short when his face had an unreadable pained emotion to it as he stared back at her.
"Barrett, I swear when I save my kingdom and this is all over..."
But Luminous' words were drowned out by everyone around them whispering to themselves while glancing at the two arguing.
Barrett whipped his head around, his braided brown hair going from side to side. Everyone's eyes and whispers sticking to his light tan skin like glue. Barrett might have looked all brawn, but he wasn't stupid. He knew if he let Luminous walk all over him like this, it would be the beginning of the end. Everyone will begin to do the same. He can't show himself getting soft, he had to nip this whole ordeal in the butt and quickly before he lost his reputation.
"Like hell, I'm falling for that joke again!" Barrett wrapped his strong hands around Luminous tiny throat, picking her up and slamming her against the wooden wall. "I should have known you were nothing but a dirty liar! You should know what I like to do to people who think they can just walk all over me!"
Luminous squirmed under the bigger teen's grasp, her tiny legs kicking out as she gasped for breath. Her eyes watered with tears, but when she looked down at him Barrett only glared back at her. His reddish-brown eyes became redder and redder.
"Look at you squirm." He smirked. "Maybe I'll let you off easy this time if you apologize for wasting my time by licking my boot clean." He said squeezing tighter around her throat.
Luminous looked down, her cheeks all puffed out as she spat into his eye.
"Dha!" Barrett yelped in surprise.
But the surprise was quickly taken over by anger. He threw Luminous across the tavern. Her back hit the wooden table, the tavern patriots leaped up from their seats as their drinks spilled all over her.
"Eww, I feel all sticky and sore." Said Luminous squinting her eye as beer dribbled all over her face.
"Uh, short stuff, Punch the armor button!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate. "Dogface coming in hot!"
Luminous' eyes opened wide when she saw Barrett seemingly flying through the air towards her. His red hood fluttering up above his spiked up hair making him look ten times bigger. His greatsword raised above his head ready to strike down on her.
Luminous punched the heart-shaped armor button on her shoulder. Her pajama top and shorts were changed out for her red armored breastplate with the pink leotard underneath. She held out her silver arm guards blocking, just as Barrett brought the back edge of his greatsword down on her. The table snapped in half from the force of Barrett's swing.
Luminous' back hit the wooden floorboard underneath. Her back arched in pain, her mouth open gasping for breath.
"Are you seriously going to use my own armor against me!?" Yelled Barrett, lifting his great sword above his head for another strike. "You know I made that thing! So bring it, you stupid wench!"
"Doge!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.
Luminous rolled to the side avoiding the strike. Barretts' sword hit the ground as wooden chips splintered off of it.
"You're going to regret that you ever thought you could cross me and get away with it!" Barrett lifted his sword to strike again.
Luminous lifted her silver arm guards to block.
"Watch ou...!"
The brutal hunter quickly changed direction striking her in the back of her armored breastplate with the back edge of his sword before the Dawn of Fate could warn her. Luminous was sent flying into the bar counter leaving a dent on it.
"Umm short stuff did you forget that you have a sword?" Asked the Dawn of Fate. "May I suggest using me before you turn into minced meat?"
"I can't, if I use a sword on him, it'll hurt him..." Said Luminous, breathing getting heavy.
"And?!" Asked the Dawn of Fate.
Barrett came running at Luminous with his sword drawn. The only thing keeping him in focus was his glowing red eyes.
"And I don't want to hurt him!" Yelled Luminous.
Barrett slammed the back edge of his sword down on her. Luminous held her arms in front of herself to block. His greatsword collided with her silver arm guards. Her arm guards glowed from the impact. Barrett's eyes widened as he jumped back bracing himself for what she was about to do next.
Luminous crossed her arms together sending the shock energy back out towards him. The energy released from them sending the tall hunter skidding backward. But he quickly adapted, crouching low to the ground, and putting all his weight onto his heavy combat boots to keep from moving. Barrett held out his greatsword in both his leather fingerless gloved hands. The wind blew around his red hood ruffling the top of his spiky brown hair, wooden chairs, and tables scraping by his light tan cheek passing by his braid before hitting the wall behind him with a crash.
The wind stopped, Barrett stood in the center of the tavern, the other patterns gathered around curling them, watching Luminous' and Barrett's every move.
"Come on Barrett! Can't you go essay on her? I mean she's a...her." Shrugged a partially lanky brown-haired hunter.
"Box his ears with your paws!" Yelled a female brown bear over the concerns of the lanky hunters she stood next to. "Then push him over to his back and bite his neck!"
Sweat beted down from Luminous' crossed eyebrows, across her fair flushed face, her chest heaving heavily and out of breath as she kept her focused on the slender yet muscular man in the center of the room. Barrett smirked up at Luminous as his sword began glowing, sending shivers down her spine.
"He..he's smirking..." Said Luminous.
"No kidding short stuff, I can see that." Responded the Dawn of Fate.
"What's wrong, scag? Did you already forget that I made that armor for you?" Asked Barrett holding the glowing sword in front of himself. "What made you think I wouldn't enchant my other stuff?!" He yelled, releasing the bottled up shock energy from his sword.
The wind blew around the tavern, even the other patterns hung onto something so they wouldn't blow away with the other stuff around the tavern. Luminous held out her arm guards to try to reasorp the shock energy when her silver gauntlets began to crack.
"What's happening?!" Yelled Luminous the wind blowing her short blonde hair around.
"I knew this whole thing felt strange." Said the Dawn of Fate. "His sword has a bigger output than your gauntlets, isn't that right dog breath?"
"Smart observation sword!" Barrett yelled over the wind. "Where you gauntlets put out ten times the energy back out, my greatsword puts out twenty-five percent more power!" The wind stopped and Luminous looked down panicked at her silver gauntlets with hair cracks all over them. "But, all the same, you can store energy, kind of like blowing up a balloon, that air has to go somewhere, and if you blow it up too much..."
Barrett swung the back edge of his greatsword at Luminous.
"...kaboom!" He yelled, colliding with her silver gauntlets.
The hair cracks grew going from one end of the gauntlet to the other.
"No! Stop! Stop using your gauntlets!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.
"What am I supposed to do then?!" Asked Luminous, dodging another swing from her angry opponent.
"Hit him back!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate. "That's what you do with bullies, you knock their teeth out so they don't mess with you anymore!"
Barrett swung his sword at her arm guards hitting them really hard. The shock absorption made more hair cracks in her gauntlets. Luminous went to cross her arms to release the energy that's overflowing in the gauntlets when the Dawn of Fate shouted out.
"Don't do that!"
"But they're going to break if they take anymore!".
"Forget it! Kid, if you do that the knockback will be so great it'll affect you too!."
Luminous bit her lip looking down at her cracked arm guards that were about to burst.
"I..but, if Barrett hits the gauntlets anymore and they absorb the damage all that extra energy will break out.!" Yelled Luminous crossing her arms.
"Don't do it!" Yelled the sword.
The energy Luminous had conserved into the arm guards from taking hits from Barrett burst instantly. Everything around the tavern blew around, nothing was spared as tables, chairs, bottles, food, and even people were blown around the upside-down ship turned tavern.
Even Barrett was blown across the room hitting his already bandaged up back on the wooden wall.
"Dawn, I can't control it!" Yelled Luminous, the escaped energy knocking her around from wall to wall.
"This is why I told you not to release it!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate."Dang nabbit! Why didn't you listen to me!"
"I know!"
"If you know then stop doing it!"
"Make it stop!" Luminous then pointed her arm guards down at the floor.
She saw her silver boots lifted her off the ground. She flew up until her back hit the ceiling with such a harsh thud she could taste the copper blood in her mouth.
The wind from the energy finally stopped, Luminous felt herself falling and in a quick panic grabbed the wheel that was on the roof beside her.
"Oh, come on, you're not done yet are you filthy scag!" Yelled Barrett.
A ringing began in Luminous' ears that persisted. She shook her head to try to get rid of it, her short blonde hair didn't move much as it stuck up all over the place with sticky beer dried up in it.
"You have until the count of three to come down! Or else I'm going to come up there myself!" Yelled Barrett. "One! Two...!"
Luminous still held on tightly to the roof wheel, her eyes followed his hand down to his jean pockets and he pulled out something round and green. Luminous' eyes widen.
"Is that? He wouldn't!" Yelled Luminous when she saw the grenade in his hand. "What do I do Dawn of Fate?!"
"I don't know, are you actually going to listen to me for once?" Asked the sword. "You've been ignoring me this entire time and it's really pissing me off."
"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll listen, I promise!"
"Okay, short stuff listen up carefully because I'm only going to tell you once..."
"Swing over to that shelf and..."
"Three!" Yelled Barrett throwing the grenade.
".... jump!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.
Luminous swung her short legs forward, the wheel spinning as she let go. Barrett's grenade exploded as it clashed with the base of the upside-down wheel. Luminous' silver armored boots landed on the top shelf as the wheel fell cracking the wooden floorboards in the center of the tavern.
Luminous glanced over towards Barrett who was panting hard. His red eyes glared back up at her sending shivers down her spine.
"Come back here you hag!" He yelled.
"Uhh..." Luminous stared speechless as Barrett reached into his pocket for another grenade.
"Run!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.
Luminous jumped from shelf to shelf as the grenades exploded toppling shelves and blowing up books and nicknacks all over the place. Luminous got to the last shelf panting and looking around.
"We're out of shelves!" Yelled Luminous.
"Okay, next phase." Said the Dawn of Fate. "Next when he throws his little grenade you're going to aim that boot right in his face and knock him out cold. Can you do that?"
"Uhh..."
Barrett threw the next grenade at the bookshelf; it exploded and the bookshelf snapped in half and began toppling over.
"Kid!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.
Luminous jumped off the shelf as it fell, her silver boot pointing directly at Barretts' head. Barrett turned towards her, his now messy braid falling over his shoulder. Her foot was about to connect with his face when Luminous' armor disappeared, turning back into her pink top and black shorts. Barrett grabbed her bare ankle slamming her to the wooden floor.
Luminous went to sit up when Barrett stomped his heavy combat boot on her face pinning her to the ground.
"Suck. My. Boots. Wench!" Said Barrett sticking his tongue out and wiggling it around.
Barrett pressed his boot down on Luminous face until her tongue came out of her mouth. Her eyes became wider as his muddy boot came closer to her mouth.
"Grinnin!"
Barrett stopped steeping on Luminous' face and turned towards the young mint green-haired tavern owner.
"Grinnin?" Asked the Dawn of Fate.
"Tch! I told you my first name out of confidentiality you know." Barrett turned to the floor blushing.
"Wait, so you're telling me that your full name is Grinnin Barrett!?" Laughed the Dawn of Fate.
"Grinnin, when I told you to watch the shop I didn't mean so you can terrorize the customers." Pouted Concord crossing his arms. "I mean, what were you thinking? The place is in shambles. I'm surprised that the door is still intact." Then as if on cue, the resounding sound of the door falling off its hinges to the ground echoed around the tavern Startling everyone. "This is going to take me forever, with a lot of boon to fix. . .oh Grinnin what happened?" Concord closed his cyan eyes rubbing his gloved hands on his temples.
Barrett looked around at everyone in the tavern, their eyes looking at him. He then looked up and spotted Vainglorious sitting on the stairs smirking down at him. He glared back at him bearing his teeth at the smug boy on the steps remembering that he couldn't even report him for any wrongdoings that he does ever again, and it's all because...
His eyes swiveled over towards Luminous who sat up on the wooden ground, her button-up pink pajama shirt ruffled. Panting her eyes locked onto his. Barret's blood boiled, his once warm caring feelings towards her turned to dust as he realized she's the one who hustled him into looking for someone he hated, only for the 400 boon he was going to use to help his sick grandma to be a big fat lie. He felt tears brimming his rosewood eyes.
"You know Luminous, I was beginning to really feel like I..." A lump choked him mid-sentence. Shaking his head he clenched his fist tight. "Screw you!" He snapped pointing at Luminous. "Screw you!" He yelled pointing at a smug Vainglorious sitting on the stairs. "Screw you! And you! And You!" He kept pointing at each tavern patron. "And screw..."
Barrett stopped, his finger pointed at Concord. The tavern owner frowned slightly, his eyes holding a soft sorrowful expression. He put his finger away as his eyes shifted to the ground.
"...I'll start paying you back for all the damage I've done."
Barrett Picked up his backpack off the ground leaving the tavern through the busted doorway.
"Grinnin? Where are you going?"Concord asked worriedly."Grinnin! You can't leave yet I haven't fully healed you! You'll hurt yourself! Grinnin!" Shouted the young tavern owner running after the tall hunter.
Luminous sat on the floor a sticky mess as she stared after Barrett like a lost puppy.
"I...I feel...really wrong inside...Like I have a sinking feeling in my stomach."
"Ya, that feeling is called guilt." Said the Dawn of Fate. "And the reason you're feeling guilt is that you did a scummy thing lying to that guy."
"But I didn't mean to hurt Barrett or his grandma by lying."Luminous felt tears brimming her eyes. "I just needed to find Vainglorious so I can save the Red prince and Chasm from the crow king. I had to do it."
"Well what's done is done for now we should report the song of sloth to the magic counsel...." and if a sword had eyes or ahead the Dawn of Fate's eyes would be popping out of his head. "Wait! Where is the song of sloth?! Did he just walk off with the song of sloth?!"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Yes dagnabbit! It's a very bad thing! Something that powerful should be reported to the magic console immediately!"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Said a boyish voice behind them.
Luminous snapped her head up to see Vainglorious standing over her, his young boyish features contorted into a smirk.
"Barrett may act like some sort of bad boy punk who doesn't give twice a thought but be reassured he's a good dog who always follows orders. He will especially bark for the magic consul." Vainglorious scrunched up his pointed nose.
"Vainglorious? Have you decided to help me rescue my friends?" Luminous jumping to her feet.
"Pff, how daft do you think I am?" Asked Vainglorious rolling his grey eyes. "I know you lied to Barrett. How do I know you're not just lying to me?"
"I'm not." Said Luminous. "I mean, I have the talking sword. Right Dawn?"
"Oh, no short stuff, don't you drag me into...wait, did you just call me Dawn?"
"Alright since you seem so confident, how about we pinky promise to it?" Vainglorious said grabbing a dagger out of his navy blue trench coat and cutting his pinky with it. "I'll help you save your friends, and you introduce me to whoever enchanted your sword to talk." He said extending his pinky forward to Luminous.
Luminous stayed sitting on the wooden tavern ground, sticky drinks dripped from her short blonde hair over her fair skin and across her colorful badges.
"Pinky promise?" Asked Luminous crossing her eyebrows at the young white-haired wizard boy who held his finger out to her.
"Don't do it!" Yelled the huge vermilion sword strapped to her back. "Pinky promises are binding, and if you break them a curse will fall upon you!"
"It's not a big deal if you hold onto your end of the bargain." Said Vainglorious scrunching his pointed nose at her. "And I know I'M more than capable of holding MY end of the bargain."
Luminous thought about what her sword the Dawn of Fate told her the other night. It's been over a thousand years, and not even he remembers who created him, or if his creator is still alive. She bit her lip looking towards the ground. But if the powerful wizard Vainglorious comes with her to defeat the crow king, then maybe she'll have a chance to save the red prince and the knight chasm from the crow king's clutches.
"Tch, that's what I thought."Vainglorious saw her reaction and stuck his tongue out. Luminous then remembered Chasm and how brave he was when protecting the prince. He would do anything to protect her and the kingdom."Don't waste my time if you're just going to..."
Luminous cut her pinny with the same dagger and hooked it around Vainglorious' tinny pinky so roughly that she accidentally pulled the young tween forward a little bit. Vainglorious blinked, taken off guard. Luminous then took a deep breath before speaking.
"I pinky promise I'll introduce you to the guy who enchant my sword."