Chapter 48: Quincy

Anais: “Well that was easy.”

Anais clasped her hands together and looking around at the five bodies spread around.

Iris: “I really wish, you would let me join in as well.”

Anais: “If you did, they would have all been obliterated, all that mana would draw attention and he be mad at us.”

Anais and Iris continued to converse, while Nathan got rid of all the Lillaby he had grown. With a wave of his hand they all retracted into the ground.

Nathan: “Don’t make me the bad guy.”

Anais: “Oh, trust me, I know you’re not.”

Nathan: “Okay I get it, if they show up to attack us again, you two can do as you like.”

Anais crossed her arms and ceased her nagging, it wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but it was close enough.

Iris: “Ah, there someone coming.”

Nathan: “Then we’re leaving, I finished cleaning up the Lillaby. Wouldn’t want people falling asleep, everytime they come through here.”

Anais: “I don’t feel like walking, how about we take this cart, its better then walking?”

Iris: “Certainly not, we cannot have Master stealing.”

Anais: “What are you talking about, he took all thAMMMPH!?”

Iris: “What?”

Nathan: “Nothing, nothing. (Whisper) Anais, don’t mention that I’ve stolen anything to Iris. Think about how she will react, it would be catastrophic.”

Anais: “That only applies to you.”

Nathan: “Just shush.”

Anais: “Fine, whatever.”

Nathan: “Iris, we leave somewhere they can retrieve later, right now we have to look the part like we weren’t the ones who cause this. The people coming could very well be someone they know, better to look inconspicuous.”

Iris: “I suppose.”

Anais: “Alright its settled, hop on.”

Nathan and Iris hopped up on the cart and Anais grabbed the reins.”

Anais: “Giddy up, Quincy.”

Quincy: “Kweeeh!”

Quincy didn’t move an inch, no matter how many times Anais flipped the rein, he just stared at her.”

Anais: “What the hell’s wrong with this bird?”

Quincy: Kweeeeh(There is nothing wrong with me.)”

Nathan: “……You can talk?”

Anais: “You picking a fight?”

Nathan: “Not you, Quincy.”

Quincy: “Kweeh (Oh, ho, you can understand me, it not often that people can speak our tongue.)”

Nathan: “See, he just did it again.”

Anais: “I not hearing anything, maybe it’s like the time with Celes. You’re the only one who can speak to him.”

Nathan: “Quincy isn’t a plant.”

Iris: “But, you speak to Anais and her mouse form all the time.”

Nathan: “You don’t understand her?”

Iris: “No, all I ever hear are squeaks.”

Nathan: “I didn’t know that.”

Anais: “Anyway, if you can hear what its saying, ask why he’s not moving?”

Quincy: “Kweeeeh(I don’t mind taking you where you need to go, but only if you place my masters on the carriage. I will not leave them behind.)”

Anais: “What did he say?”

Nathan: “He said, we hafta bring them with us.”

Anais: “What, no way!”

Nathan: “Either that or we’re walking.”

Iris: “Someone’s getting closer.”

Anais: “Awwwww, dammit.”

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The wheels of the carriage, creaked as it made its way down the road. Anais pouting after giving in and letting Beatrice and company back on the carriage.

Anais: “This suck, you know they tried to capture and sell him off right, yet we have to bring them along.”

Quincy: “Kweeeeh.(I deeply regret my masters put you through, on their behalf I would like to apologize.)”

Nathan: “He’s apologizing for them.”

Anais: “Apologize, well we don’t accept. I won’t forgive them, you shouldn’t either.”

Iris: “I concur, because they failed in their negotiation, they used my Master as a bargaining tool.”

Nathan: “I don’t forgive them, I meant what I said, if they come after us again, you both can do what you want.”

Quincy: “Kweeh!(My Master, way of life has cause them to terrible things, things I’m sure they did not want to do. However, we Kwiey, don’t choose our Masters, nor do we question their lifestyle. We simply take them where they need to go. It is a small purpose, yet one I’m am proud of.”

Nathan: “Kwiey?”

Quincy: “Kweeeeh(It what we call ourselves, Aveon is what you humans call us.”

Nathan: “Ah, make sense. Hey, why are you being so nice to me, I just knocked out your masters, don’t you want to attack me or something?”

Quincy: “Kweeh!(Lets’ be honest, since the fight started you had no intention of actually harming them. If so, you would have let miss Iris take care of things.)”

Nathan: “You can see her.”

Quincy: “Kweeh!( Oh yes, who wouldn’t notice someone playing around on their head. She a fairy is she not, with a wave of her hand, she could have obliterated all of my masters. You told her not to, I should be asking you why you didn’t, even if you didn’t kill them, your actions are that of a saint.)”

Nathan: “I’m not so noble, I just think too much."

Quincy: "Kweh?"(Think too much?)"

Nathan: "Except from what i seen or what they told me, I don’t know much about them. Do they have friends, are these the only members in the party, they could be part of a bigger organization that’s waiting for them to return. If I was to outright kill them, I could have in entire group of people, I know nothing about gunning for me, gunning for them.”

Anais: “We can take care of ourselves.”

Nathan: “So can I, but that didn’t stop “Her” from doing what she did, did it?

Anais eyes shot in surprise, realizing who he was referring to. It wasn’t too long ago and the event was still fresh in his mind. She hadn't realized, because Nathan was always upbeat.

Iris: “Master.”

Quincy: “Kweh.( I’m sorry, did I say something I shouldn’t have?)”

Nathan: “No, no, I’m sorry, its nothing. Basically, why take a chance when i can avoid it."

Quincy: "Kweeh.( Thinking of the future oppose to instant gratifcation, youth today, are much mature then my day.)"

Nathan: "I was just thinking, you talk like an old man."

Quincy: "Kweeh!" (And blunt as well.)

Nathan: "You don't seem to dislike them, even though you know they do bad"

Quincy: “Kweeeeeeeeh(I have no reason to, they always taking good care of me. Despite their actions, they are very good people.)”

Nathan: “Yeah, as long as you aren’t their target.”

Quincy laughed squawked out loud, he was laughing at Nathan.

Quincy: “(Ha, ha, ha, I really wished things had not turned out the way they did, even if you did not travel with us, the times we reunited, I believe I would have enjoyed your company.)”

Nathan: “I sure I would enjoy yours as well, but we can’t go back to that.”

Quincy: Kweeh!(I understand.)”

Quincy, begin to slow to a stop, right up ahead was a fork that split the road.

Quincy: Kweeh!( We have reached our destination.)”

One path leading down a curved road, while the other took you over a small hill. Nathan hopped out of the cart and look stared down each path.

Quincy: “Kweeh(The path to the right will take you to Loegrey, my masters has some business to take care of in Borice, I’ll be taking them that way.”

Nathan: “Thank you very much for the ride Quincy.”

Quincy bent down and nuzzle Nathan cheek, he in return petting him.

Nathan: “They should wake up, in about a day, by then we should be in Loegrey and out of their reach.”

Anais: “Come on let’s go, I had enough of being around them.”

Nathan: “Alright, alright, see ya Quincy.”

Quincy: “Kweeeh?(Actually, I know I have no right, but I have a request.)”

Nathan: “Oh?”

Nathan followed Quincy’s eyes to the cages on the back of the carriage.

Quincy: “Kweeh.( I ask that you set the two in those cages free.)”

Nathan: “Won’t that be bad for your masters?”

Quincy: “Kweeh(Not at all, the deal they made, cannot be completed without you. Right now, they are unnecessary baggage. It would be worse if the ones they took them from, were to catch up.”

Nathan: “If you’re sure, hey Iris, take those cages off please.”

Iris: “Understood.”

Iris quickly floated both the cages to the ground, which Nathan went to unlock.

Nathan: “Actually Quincy, you should leave, the things you captured might have a grudge against them and have no intention of protecting them, if anything happens.

Quincy: “Kweeh(Yes I will do as you say, thank you very much for sparing them, somehow, I feel as though you are much more capable then you let on.)”

Quincy bowed his head before taking off down the path, turning into a bend and outta sight.

Anais: “What was that all about?”

Nathan: “Apparently whatever’s in here, isn’t worth anything anymore and he want me to set them free.”

Anais: “How are you going to open it, without a key?”

Nathan: “Iris.”

Iris waved her hand and the Alssein eye appeared. Opening any lock, was child’s play, with a wave of her hand, each lock was removed. To open the cages now was as simple as turning a lifting hatch.

Anais: “I wish we could see inside before, we open this thing, but these cloths won’t come off.”

Iris: “The cloths have mana running through them, only those designated can remove them, as were those locks. If not for the Alssein Eye, we would have to chase down Quincy.”

Anais: “Whatever’s inside, could be dangerous.”

Nathan: “I don’t think Quincy would leave us and not say if they were dangerous.”

Iris: “If they were able to catch it and we beat them, doesn’t that make us stronger then what’s inside?”

Nathan: “One way to find out.”

*Ka-chink*

Nathan opened the door and peered inside.”

Nathan: “A girl?”

Before Nathan could inspect further, the girl leapt out of the cage. She was a small thing, no bigger than Anais. Short hair, like white gold, that match the color of her eyes. Lizard like scales ran down her neck, disappearing behind the cloth she had wrapped around her body.” She stared at the three of them, a fire in eyes, a feeling of rage protruding from every inch of her body.

Nathan: “Uhm?”

Before Nathan could get a word in, the girl turned and bounded away, disappearing into the trees.

Anais: “What the hell, she was a kid?”

Iris: “Despicable, I feared the worse, but, that was just awful.”

Nathan: “Well, she’s free now, let’s get the other one.”

Walking over to the second cage, Nathan un did the latch.”

*Ka chink**Crash*

Nathan was smashed in the face with the cage door and knocked to the ground by the force.

Iris: “Master!?”

Iris flew over to Nathan who held his face, rolling on the ground.

Nathan: “Ow, ow, ow, that hurt!”

???????: Scoundrels!?”

Through his fingers, Nathan looked over to find yet another girl stepping out of the cage. She was much older, and much more endowed then the first girl. Long black hair, and eyes a hazel brown. Her skin Scarlet red, made her seemed as though she was on fire. From each side of her head, horns protruded and curved towards her forehead, giving the illusion of a crown.

Nathan: “Scoundrels?”

????????: “YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR DISCEAT!?”

The girl leapt high into the air, higher then Nathan had ever jumped, barreling down right towards him. Nathan move out of her landing spot, easily avoiding her, having her smash fist into the ground.

*SMAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSH*

Nathan: “Whoa!?”

As her fist collided with the ground, the impact shook the area, Nathan, grabbing Anais quickly jumped away, as the ground caved in beneath them. When the shaking subsided, a massive crater had formed where the girl struck. In the center the girl rose up and turned to Nathan. An anger in her stare, same as the girl before.

Nathan Looked at the crater, the girl made with her fist.

Nathan: “Oh, boy.”