Chapter Nine: Too Many Complications!

"Almost there!" Bumblebii exclaims with Chuutou on her shoulder. She was getting a lot heavier in those two weeks.

Ané groans and closes his eyes in gratitude, "Thank ye gods, I c'nt take more of this blasted singing!"

Hika continues to blare out her song, unconcerned of any possible hearing damage it might cause, "ANY ANY ANYWHERE THE WIND BLOWS..."

Oomlaut pauses for a moment, "Isn't this the town were Flute lives?"

Bii pauses for a moment while Junip, Gia, and Ané are puzzled about this mysterious character, "Yes...it is...." This was great. She'd forgotten about Flute's home town. This would not be fun since they came unannounced.

Velare starts laughing as Junip inquires, "Who's Flute?"

Bii smiles and replies to him, ignoring Velare. "A friend..."

'Mitrii snorts, "A really hot friend..."

Ané whirls on the laughing Velare, "Why do you laugh, sah?"

Velare stops laughing, "What did you call me?"

Junip's eyes narrow slightly, “Then why are you laughing?"

Bii ignores Junip's question, threatening her brother, to Hika's amusement. "You know, if you weren't flying I'd smack you..." She really hated it when he made stupid comments about her friends. No one could talk like that--alright, why was Chuutou so heavy?

Velare suddenly bursts out with a random comment, "YOU MORONS!" In reality he was just yelling at them for all the times they missed his point, which happened far too often.

Ané cocks his head. "Called ye sah, wot?"

Velare twitches with irritation, not that accent! He mutters, "A Brit..."

Gia is the first to recover from Velare's outburst. She turns to him, confused, "Excuse me?"

Sachie nudged her gently, "Um...it's short for British." He was hoping she had missed the point of the moron comment and wasn't going to ask. Haha.

Ané sighs in frustration, "A brit? An' wot in the name o' t'gods is that?"

Velare replies in the lofty way of his, watching the annoyed Ané with great amusement, "Someone with an accent like yours."

Gia turns her head slightly, the green of her other cloak shading her face, making her look much like a shadowed nymph, "I meant, why did Velare call us morons?"

Sachie shrugs, "Everyone missed his point. Like always."

Junip raises an eyebrow, "What's the point of the joke if it's not funny?"

Ane bounces around in his stupid adolescent manner, "'Leastaways ye get my jokes!"

Oomlaut shrugs slightly, "I actually understood for once."

Velare shook his head at their apparent stupidity, "You missed it once again!"

Gia growls slightly. "So bite me."

Velare ignores Gia, and begins to complain, "How much longer?"

Bii turns about, "Almost there!"

Velare, using the moment to make a nasty comment, "Good...otherwise my dear old brother would die..." He had to take his frustrations out on someone, his brother did make fun of him constantly.

Offended, Junip snaps, tired of being tortured by Hika, Ane, and Velare day and night, and sick of hearing Velare insult his haken, "Die of what? Having no one to torture?"

Velare Itome twitched a few moments, suppressing his anger. Why did that man Junip act stupid one moment and act normal the next? Velare closed his eyes and tightened his grip on Sachie.

Ane then chooses that moment to poke Junip, "Can I go hunt? I'm hungry."

Junip mutters silently, knowing the others couldn't hear, "Do us all a favor and eat Velare."

Sunil announced that they were one minute away, while Fumei answered Junip, "He'd commit fratricide." Of course he was talking to Velare.

Gia remains silent. Making Sachie a bit uneasy.

Ane responds to Fumei, thinking he was talking about Ane killing Velare, "I think you're right, ol' chap!"

Fumei was about to say something, but is interrupted. A horse flew past them in a blur, Bii yelling in surprise, "What the?"

Ane, not knowing where the horse was, leapt off, right onto the back of the horse. "If I don't go eat I'm goin' t'kill him. Tootles! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Oomlaut shouts a warning, and thanks to her they all get out of the way as the horse stampeded through, Ane giggling on the back. The woman on the horse, catching a glimpse of Ane, yells in surprise, "What on earth?"

Ane bites the horse, knowing it would make the horse slow down and likely buck, all the while yelling offensive names at the horse and rider, "Slow down, ye ould gallopwhompher! Ye kin run over Velare but no' me!"

The horse rears high, Ane clinging to the back, Gia calming it with telepathy. Once the horse settled, the woman yells at Ane while clutching her breast wide eyed, "NEVER BITE A HORSE!"

Junip growls slightly, "HEY! Leave the haken alone, Miss!"

Using the opportunity, Ane scrambles off the horse, bumping into Junip's mount and shinnying up. The woman's cheeks flush with anger as she vented, "He almost had me killed, Mister..."

Junip snaps back, his nerves frayed away from the entire journey with maniacs, "He's barely a month old, how could he know?"

Bii's face lights up with sudden recognition, "Flute!"

Ane grins slightly. "Apologies, ye ould gallopwhompher!"

Flute looked from Bii to the haken to Junip. That man was pretty handsome but he seemed...heart broken and torn apart. The longer she looked at his the face them more she was attracted to him, Flute mentally smacked herself. Then she turns back to Bii, nodding. "Bii...and what is it talking about?"

Junip, slightly embarrassed at the haken's insults, keeps him quiet, "Ane, shush up. Don't call her that." He turns back to her apologetically. "Sorry, Ané's a little disrespectful."

Velare snaps back with his attitude, "He might be one month old but he should know better."

Flute raises an eyebrow, "If that's a haken..." Okay the red thing looked a little bit like one but the blue one was a nice stretch.

Junip glares at Velare, "You know, we're not all rocket scientists and he's never seen a horse moving at a pace like that..."

Ané swipes at Junip to shut up. "Hey, sah, shush up. I did a doozy an' I'm sorry. Now, who are ye, marm?"

Flute coughs a little, these people were not the type Bii would hang out on a normal basis, but she replies to all the questions regardless, "Well, it's nice to see you and 'Mitrii again. I see you have some new friends...My horse was bred for speed. It's Flute. Call me anything else and die."

Ané whispers to Junip, "Am I facing her?"

Junip whispers back quietly. "No, you're facing the rump of another horse. A touch to the right, there you are..."

Ané then comically bowed to her, "Very nice to meet ye!"

Bii snorts, then giggles, "Heh. Did I mention the haken that hitched a ride is blind?"

Ané looks her, the picture of perfect innocence, "Purely accidental, I assure you..."

Flute looks a little taken back, "No...but I figured as much..." She pauses for a moment, turning back to Junip, "Oh! It's nice to meet you!"

Bii grins innocently, "Did I mention she's single?"

'Mitrii mutters, "That was really smooth sis," before smacking his forehead.

"And the silent one over here is Gia, the scoundrel that jumped you is Ané, and Hika's...well, Hika." Junip turns to Bii, confused, "And that has to do with anything because?..."

Flute growls, "I don't need help finding a man! Let's just get into town!"

'Mitrii gives them all a signal to move on, and they soon appeared at the edge of the town, The town seemed quite ordinary in every way, with no stoning villagers, but half the streets are missing. Sachie is the first to react, "What happened here?"

Flute shakes her head sadly, pronouncing a deathly sentence upon the scene, "Earthquake." (So I lied...it wasn't that dramatic!)

Junip shivers inside, but remembered how he was supposed to act, "Hum, sounds like fun..."

Hika, who has defiantly never seen an earthquake, yells, "Bounce, bounce, bounce!"

Flute blinks at Junip's comment, "Is he being funny?"

"Spare me."

Gia looks over at Junip, "I'm not quite sure..."

'Mitrii sighs angrily, "Let's just find the gate and send these people home." He was getting on there nervures and they were getting on his. Good.

Gia withdraws into herself again, Junip too involved in his own inner battle to notice anything else. Finally, he bursts out dreamily, keeping up his appearance. "To be warm again..."

'Mitrii twitched a bit.

Oomlaut looks over with great concern from 'Mitrii to Gia. "Something wrong 'Mitrii? And Gia, you're pretty quiet."

Gia edges closer to Sachie, trying to cover up the true reason she was remaining silent, "Nothing..."

"Heh, I don't think that's true and Dmitrii answer me!"

"Let's just say if I was a girl I would have a right to be upset. I'm just in a bad mood okay?"

"And I don't wish to cause any unnecessary attention.

"You two are such bad liars."

Junip looks over, "I'm confused."

Bii begins to rub her temples, "Stay that way. It's so much easier." Thankfully they weren't that far away from the gate.

"I think I will."

Note to readers: This is where co-writing was screwed over and it went back to KoL and Miss Narrator. AKA The RETURN OF SILLINESS!

Flute smacks herself and groans, “Let’s move I think that the gate you’re looking for is in the castle.”

Bii, being close to the young woman, tugs on her hair lightly, “How do you know that?”

“Call it a feeling?”

“That’s it!” Dmitrii shouts like he has come to a huge revelation, “She’s one of the chosen!” He suddenly went starry eyed.

“O....kay let’s.....just....go!” she tapped her horse so it went off in a blur.

"Wait up!" almost all of the company yelled at once.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS TO ME!" Fumei fumes in a corner...as a male human. "Stop pouting and get over it. They wouldn't let dragons in the castle," While speaking Dmitrii was having a battle with his hair....he lost. Miserably.

"Need some help 'Mitrii?" Sunil, also human, sits in the corner of the small inn room they have paid for.

"I'll be fine. Why aren't you so angry?"

"The Oos have it worse then I do."

"Ah...I see."

Junip walks into the room slightly blushing with Flute right behind, "We're set to go."

"Okay then. Sachie! Bii!"

THUMP!

"Oi! I'll be there in a minute Bro!"

"What is your sister doing?" Junip raised an eye brow.

"I don't know and I don't care to know. Move." He brushed past him and Flute. It was just one of those days.

"So that's what the sound was," Sunil observes looking at a teenage Darkelf dragon.

"Would you not stare at me so? It frightens me," Chuutou was riding on a horse with Bumblebii. They were making there way to the castle under nightfall as musicians and such. The king was a sucker for that sort of thing.

"HAULT! WHO GOES THERE!" a voice came from above them.

Dmitrii looks up to see a huge tower that has come from no where. It was strange even in a place like this. A man's standing in the apparent look out tower.

"We come to see the king! We are travels who have heard of his great deeds!" Dmitrii yells up to him.

The man seems to consider this for a moment, "You seem trust worthy. Proceed.

"Thank you kind sir!" Dmitrii nodded and road forward.

Flute whispers to them all from her seat on Junip's horse, "They can see your true intentions here so you mustn't lie. Do you all understand, and no bickering Velare? Ane?"

"Yes."

"Yes marm."

"Good."

It wasn't before long they came to the open gates and dismounted. A tall dark skin man stood waiting there. He was the cheery type dressed in bright colors. With a smile he said, "I've been waiting for you all."

Everything seemed to stop. They had done it all in vain! They were going to be captured! Yeah. Right.

Oomlaut bounces up to the man, "Have we met?"

"You must be...Oomlaut! I'm your dad's friend...."

"Wait you're the king!"

"Yes...."

"Oh what a relief! I'm so happy to see you Murry!" She hugs the happy m--k--whatever.

Everyone almost fell over, it was just one of those unexpected anime moments.

"Let's get inside and have Flute open the gate. I wish to see my little sister once again."

"Little sister....me gate...I'm sorry I've been on a different page for the last half hour. What's going on?"

"I'll explain in due time Miss Flute, but please let us hurry a long."

What that they went into the marble castle.

In the center of the palace was a pure white room. A huge gate stood in the center of it. It was covered in carvings of swans, humming birds and other avian, the scene was purely beautiful. Flute stood there looking like an ant at it's foot. "How in TORO am I supposed to open this massive thing?" her question echoed through the great hall.

"Well," Sachie said quietly, "I think you have to touch it or something."

"It's your job," Bii shrugged along with Chuutou, "to figure the whole thing out."

She leans forward with her head on the gate's left pillar, "I don't want him to go." She whispers to herself so no one can hear it, even in the echoing hall.

With a flash of unnatural light the gate opened. A young girl was standing next to Flute now. She had dark skin, along with green hair, pink eyes and a nice long green dress to boot. With a wink she looked at Flute and said, "Thank you ever so much. Now your friends can go home, and your friends can continue the quest. I'm sorry for your new and sudden loss." she snapped her fingers and those who "had come from above" disappeared.

"You couldn't even let me say good bye?"

"I'm sorry but you and her where in great pain. Oh, yes and I must give Master Czatil a clue. Since the horrendous appearance of those people I'm afraid you have skipped a gate!"

Lani, as a rather short but dazzling human, pouts, "You've got to be kidding!"

"No, I'm not. Now here's the clue don't forget it! Write it down or something!"

"Just say it. I can easily memorize it."

"As you wish! Far beyond a lake and see sits a thing above the trees. Hidden? Yes, I do say so! Find the truth on land not below."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"We have to go over the Prae sea and find a hidden....?"

"Island. HEY!"

"I knew you would fall for that."

"I...oh just don't tell anyone you found out the rest from me. Now be off before the world decides to come to an end."

"Wait! What?!" Flute looked at the girl and nearly tackled her, but the girl decided to close the gate at the very moment. To sum it all up nicely, Flute had one nasty headache the next day.

"Oh...let's just go...." Sachie sighed as he gathered up Velare.

They were off on yet again.

"I told you we could have gotten here far earlier if we had use Sachie as a dragon. I could have flown here right behind you and--"

"Listen Miss Anti-social I admit it I was wrong! Happy?"

"Very."

"I have never heard you talk so much in any period of time until now," Oomlaut says semi spacing out.

She receives a simple glare from Chuu, "Can we please get a boat and go find this hidden island."

"Fine just....stop bickering," Bumblebii just pokes her in the side.

"As you wish."

The group sets off to find a boat. The adventure has now just begun. I truly hope you like the return to reality. I know I could stand the seriousness of it all any more. Huzaa! We are all back to normal! Good bye for now my friends.