CHAPTER EIGHT NO WEIRD GLITCHES OR MY STUPIDITY THIS TIME I HOPE
CHAPTER EIGHT THE LAST ONE WAS REALLY SHORT AND KINDA BORING SORRY …..
As soon as they reached the port, Iodine pushed Mercury into the water. Mercury fell into the depths of the freezing-cold water, flailing her arms around wildily. She was already loosing feeling in her toes and fingers. As she bubbled ot the surface, she shouted a spew of curses at Iodine, who was doubled over, laughing. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!!!" Mercury screamed, and Iodine laughed even harder. Nox leaned over the edge of the wood to offer Merucry a hand. As he pulled her up, Iodine had sank to the floor while laughing, clutching her stomach. "Its not funny!" Mercury hissed, and Iodine laughed even harder. Mercury grabbed her sword and poked Iodine with it. She was completely drenched, but the strange material that nox had gotten her was drying out quickly. "How about you take a dive too? The waters very cold." Mercury grumbled. "Okay, lets go! we are now at the trading port of Cricket, in the southern trench. Oh, and we should be careful, because apparently the government officials are still going missing." Nox said spiritedly, and Merucry groaned. "Should we grab something to eat first?" Iodine suggested.
An hour later, Mercury, Iodine, and Nox walked through the streets, each munching on a plate of fried fish. "So? What should we do now? ask around about the assassins, maybe?" Mercury suggested, and Nox nodded. "I have a feeling the missing government officals have someting to do with it." he muttered, and Merucry turned to him. "SO, what is going on anyway?"
"No idea. they just keep disappearing, and then their bodies are found later." wordlessly, they all split up down the street. "Meet back up where the horses are in an hour." Mercury amended, and the other two nodded. Mercury whistled as she walked down the street, suddenly turning in a 180-degree angle to glare at a shopkeeper. The shopkeeper flinched under her gaze as she walked up, and said, casually, "Uhm, so… do you know anything about some black hooded figures… around…. this tall?" Merucry said, holding her hand up above her head. The shopkeeper stared at her for a minte, and thenspirtedly shook his head. Simply from his demanor and reaction, Mercury could tell he was lying. She let it go, though, and walked off. As soon as she asked everyone else, they had the exact same reaction. After an hour of asking around, Mercury's feet were sore and her vocal cords were too. However, with no new leads, she decided to grab some cake and sit down at a bench. As she sat on the worn-out plank, she felt bony fingers tap her shoulder. Surprised, she grabbed her sword ad whirled around to aim the sword at her attackers neck. Instantly, it became slightly longer to press the tip of the blade into her sttaekrr's neck.
"Ack! Im so sorry!" The voice whimpered, and Mercury put the sword down. It was some poor child - no threat to her, defiently. The kid, was, at most, 12 years old, with cascading blonde hair and large, light green eyes. She was beautiful, but possessed a light, airy feel about her, like a strong gust of wind would carry her away. She was also very thin and dainty. "No, im sorry for pointing my sword at you like that. Are you alright?" Mercury asked, and the girl nodded hesitantly. "Well, what is it?" Mercury said, and the girl looked around, then came closer to whisper into Mercury's ear. "The people you were asking about, Ma'am… They killed my parents."
Mercury jerked back and looked around again. Then, she said, "Im so sorry….Who are you living with currently, then?"
"Oh, here and there. On the streets, I mean. But thats not important. I want to help you catch them.`" The girl said, and Mercury studied her. She was, quite literally, just bones. Her skin was thin and gaunt, and Merucry feared for a minute that she would starve. "I can't make any promises… but, yes, If you help us catch them, ill give you some coins as well." Mercury ammended, and The girl nodded politely. She was quite smart for her age - it appealed to mercury. "So, what do you know? their hideout, or something?" Mercury asked, walking down the street, holding one of the girl's miniscule hands. She was a bit afraid she might break one if she held on too tight.
"Yes… its over there, somewhere." The girl said, pointing down the street. "Oooh, two bird with one stone! Our horses are over there, too~!" Mercury said, and suddenly the girl tripped, collapsing onto the cobblestone path. Having tripped herself one too many times, mercury stopped to help her up. "Owww." The girl said, sliding back her dress to reveal her badly bruised knee. Mercury sucked in a breath and stood up. "Hold on, wait here." she said. Luckily, there was a medics store right behind her, so she quickly grabbed bandages and ointment and rushed out, leaving the shopkeeper befuddled with coins in his hand. "Here! I got bandages." Mercury said, appearing right next to the girl. She crouched, and then grently bandaged the wound. As soon as she was done, she helped the girl climb on in a piggyback ride. As they walked down the street, they soon neared the pen where Penguin, sky, and Lillypad were happily grazing. Nox and Iodine were feeding them grass while chattering. "Hey, guys!" Mercury said, and they both turned around. 'Mercury! hi! who's that?" Iodine said, and Mercury looked up. "Oh, yeah! who are you?" Mercury blurted, and Nox grabbed a dagger out of his belt. "My name is Flourine."
"Right-o! So, this is fluorine. Shes gonna help us with the assassins." Mercury said, and Nox stared at her, then put his dagger back. "But…. she's a kid?" "Like were some old badgers. We're kids too, technically." Mercury replied, and nox groaned. "WHy do you always have to have the last word?!"
"I never learned to loose." Mercury huffed, and Iodine laughed. "Anyway, you good, kid? Do you need any food?" Iodine asked Flourine, who shook nodded. Iodine handed her a large wolf, which she promptly wolfed down. "So…. where are they? Should we make a plan of attack? You know, in case there are more than 50? we can't take them if theres more than 50!" Nox said, pacing in a circle. Mercury sighed. for some reason, he always overthought things, and she always didnt think enough. "Nox! relax. If there wre more than 30 of them, they would have showed up again to finished us off, once and for all. So, we should just ram into the problem headfirst!" Mercury cheered, and Flourine nodded. "See! See! the kid agrees!" Mercury said, poining one finger and Flourine, who just looked at it with the large, pastel-green marbles she had for eyes.
"Erm… okay, then. When do we set off?" Nox said, and Iodien grinned. "I have an idea, guys! We can also see what their up to."
"Well, whats the plan?" Mercury asked, and Iodine leaned in to whisper in her and Nox's ear. "Nox! I think we have a genius standing next to us!" Mercury said, and Nox grinned. "The genius, being me?" He suggested, and Merucry instantly shook her head. "Nope, its iodine." she said, and Nox frowned. "You could have at least pretended to consider the fact that I was a genius." he moped, kicking at the grass.
"Alright! lets go, team!" Mercury said, Fluorine still on her shoulders.