#i don’t go to hollow knight but from what i’ve heard they have it infinitely worse | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

agent-cupcake · 4 years ago

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Cupcake!! Do you listen to music while writing? If yes what kind?

Yes! I absolutely do! I really love music, I’d say it’s secondary to literature as far as my choice of creative input so this is also just my personal recommendations regarding music as a whole with explanations and unwanted commentary because I’m dumb and this is one of my favorite things to talk about.

Firstly, my ongoing(ish) story Beastie and the Bard is musically driven so here are some songs I have on my playlist for that. I tend towards pieces that are melancholy but melodic. Entrancing, perhaps.

Lolita by Ennio Morricone - Contextually, I realize this is a bizarre (even tone deaf) pick given the source material, but... Whatever. This song, in general, just reminds me of Dimitri. Although a heavy, militaristic march might suit him better, the heart rending sound of this song just works for me when I think of him. The piano sets the tone immediately, lingering on some notes in a wistful, sad way. And it is sad, the cello and flute join in to make that clear. But, at a certain point, the instruments begin to dance around together, opening up and almost seeming like they want to resolve the song and create something happier, or at least something bittersweet, only to be drawn back into the uneasy tragedy of the main motif. I dunno, for me, it just absolutely aches like betrayal.

Shallan’s Lullaby by treefin / Black Piper - This music box rendition of Shallan’s Lullaby from Stormlight was the melodic inspiration for my bootleg lullaby that reader writes for Dimitri (perhaps not the first part as much as the way it shifts around 1:07). It’s haunting.

Isabella’s Lullaby from The Promised Neverland - Pretty self explanatory, I think. This one hits the sweet spot of beautiful and sad, from the harp to the vocals it just fits.

Howl’s Moving Castle Merry Go Round of Life original and the cover by the Grissini Project - Both versions are incredibly special pieces of music and I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard this theme before, very good for the more whimsical parts of the story (not that there’s gonna be any more of that).

Shadows of the Lowlands from Xenoblade 2 - While I’m about to recommend this entire soundtrack, this vocal piece is stunning. This guy’s vocals, no joke, sound like a Tolkien Elf. We Are the Chosen Ones is done by the same vocal group and soloist so it’s also making this list although the tone is def a bit different.

Okay now I’m just gonna point out my favorite soundtracks. For all of these, I have COMPLETELY LEGALLY downloaded most of these from other sites, I’m linking youtube just based on superficial searches to hopefully give you a taste and maybe encourage you to NOT BREAK THE LAW and acquire these soundtracks on your own

Fire Emblem Three Houses - This is obvious and I’m sure you’ve all heard it, but go have a listen if you haven’t. but first, is anyone else disappointed about the Three Houses official release soundtrack? Considering the delay I guess I kinda expected more. Granted, the soundtrack IS phenomenal. Not so much in its entirety, which is emblematic of the game as a whole in some ways, but the set pieces? Unforgettable. This soundtrack is a case study in how powerful a small pool of musical motifs and set-up/pay-offs can be. The little promise of God Shattering Star at the very beginning of the game, Those Who Sow Darkness giving a taste of Shambhala, and then the use of the main melodies of Season of Warfare (Main Theme) and Song of the Nabateans. For the most part, both melodies are used in dramatic songs, creating this unbreakable musical connection between Edelgard and Byleth. Or, if you think about it, Edelgard and the Rhea. For example: the thunder version of Funeral of Flowers doesn’t have the game’s theme, but the rain version does (those two songs were WRITTEN to be layered I stg). And then there’s that somewhat bastardized version of the main theme in At What Cost, highlighting the intended twisting of the usual heroic take on that melody. I do have a potentially unpopular opinion, however. The Apex of the World is boring and tonally dissonant with the final battle in Azure Moon. A lot of people really like Edelgard-Dimitri likes Edelgard! There’s very little heroism in that mission, at least to me, and a song like At What Cost would have fit SO MUCH BETTER. I mean, that is also Edelgard’s theme so hearing that being twisted up into this decidedly more dark song would be thematically appropriate to her ultimate choice. The title also just seems like it suits her and Dimitri. Edelgard claims that she has weighed the cost of war, she believes she is capable of taking on the cost of victory without really knowing what it would be. Dimitri's whole story was him trying to find revenge no mater what the cost and now that he has it, he’s fully understanding what it will cost him. I understand why they would use the traditional hero song to cap the route, but it seems weird that they’d be willing to subvert so many other aspects of tradition while holding to that for a song that, in my opinion, is the least interesting of all the final battle songs. As you can probably tell, At What Cost is a song that is very tonally inspiring to me. I also love Funeral of Flowers (Thunder and Rain separately and layered together), The Long Road, and Roar of Dominion for getting hyped to write.

Final Fantasy VII Remake - Ever since I got this soundtrack, I’ve been addicted. I really don’t have much to say on this one other than just to recommend you give it a listen if you’re even passingly interested in orchestral video game music. There’s some misses for me (specifically the Wall Market stuff and anything that gets into the weird electric guitar/techno stuff) but it’s overwhelmingly fantastic and can work for active listening music and for background music while you write. I’d follow up recommend you get ahold of the Acoustic Arrangements soundtrack. I can’t link you on this one but it’s worth the extra legwork to procure it COMPLETELY LEGALLY.

Final Fantasy Distant Worlds - I was actually able to see the Distant World’s tour when it swept through Houston and at that point I had no idea what the fuck a Final Fantasy was. At all. However, seeing One Winged Angel live is not something I will ever forget. Ever. This soundtrack is great for some background listening and although it is often too upbeat for my usual tastes, it’s good when I need something easier. Okay. Real talk. I was about to recommend to you a bunch of FFXIV music (the MMO), choice selections from FFXV, and try and dig up some songs that are only available in live recordings. If you like Final Fantasy music, I recommend all of these things. The games are a clusterfuck but the music is even moreso and it’s worth your time if you like this kind of thing.

Xenoblade 2 - See? Told you I was gonna recommend this. Actually, ranking wise, I would say that I like it more than Final Fantasy. This soundtrack is magical. I cannot stress that enough, there is a level of whimsy and beauty that went into this soundtrack that all at once draws upon the genre and being it’s own thing. Like, I get it, there’s a lot of misses. The electric guitar is jarring and annoying. Listen to Sea of Clouds, like, actually listen to it. Listen to Desolation. Pay attention to the motif used in connection with Elysium and then the other songs that its used in. The Power of Jin. This is a sometimes sad but mostly beautiful and whimsical soundtrack that is good for listening and for using as background music.

Xenoblade 1 - I don’t have as much to say about this one, I don’t feel as if it’s as emotionally resonant as my other recommendations. BUT it is gorgeous. The area themes are wonderful and perfect for setting tone.

Hollow Knight - Hollow Knight’s soundtrack takes one step back from the drama of the others and revels in its depressive simplicity. There are songs with a more cheerful tone, and the magical whimsy of Xenoblade 2 is very much brought to life in many of the pieces, but for the most part the soundtrack is as gorgeously melancholy as the game itself. One of my favorite things in music is when songs are given new life through new context and the White Palace --> Pale Court transition is haunting.

Diabolik Lovers - OKAY I KNOW I KNOW hear me out. This soundtrack has no right to be as gorgeous, emotional, or quality as it is. This song, Lovers, is the younger sibling of Lolita’s theme, okay? Thematically, that’s kinda hilarious, but I mean it. If you like that song, give a few of the songs from this OST a chance.

BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite - BioShock 1&2 are different from Infinite. A lot more grungy, a lot more angry and discordant, the strings buzz and there’s a lot more horror to it all. Infinite, on the other hand, is very pretty. Infinite’s soundtrack is about the characters and their journey and feelings. The first two game’s soundtracks are about the ruined city of Rapture. It depends on what you’re in the mood for. I write using Infinite’s music more often, but there’s pieces in the first two that capture this empty, yearning feeling that is good for setting mood.

Pathologic - “Half Life’s soundtrack directed by Genghis Khan.” It’s bizarre. It’s grungy.

Void (Typrop) - Basically the same deal. I dunno man, I like being inspired by horror.

Outlast - It’s an orchestral horror game soundtrack. Like the game itself, there’s a lot of horror movie inspiration.

Dishonored 1 and Dishonored 2 - This is mostly background music. It’s a stealth game so it’s kinda uneasy, but I think there’s something really unique. Maybe the instruments? There’s a lot of weird sounds used.

Higurashi - This is a compilation of horror themed songs from the anime soundtrack, but the VN soundtrack and the non-horror stuff is pretty good, too. Michishirube is my favorite.

Madoka Magica Rebellion - The main anime soundtrack is gorgeous. The bells, the strings, the drama... I’m recommending Rebellion specifically because it’s the more cohesive and story-driven soundtrack. This one is not as horror-ish and weird than the others, it is very beautiful and nice to listen to. Sad, in some parts, too.

Code Geass and Resurrection - Brass? Got it. Dramatic strings? Got it. Bombastic set piece songs? Triple got it. This soundtrack oozes style. In some ways, that makes it not good for writing, but in others it can. Depends on what you’re writing. I think the melodrama can be incredibly useful for getting my mind in that frenzy state.

Okay I’m done. Thank you for bearing with me.

If we’re talking what songs inspire specific things, the Ferdinand piece was accompanied by a lot of the Diabolik Lovers soundtrack and Final Fantasy. When I wrote my sad Felix piece, it was all about Hollow Knight with a spot of Bloodborne and Dark Souls.

#personal #wow it's four pm and i have done nothing with my day #what a distraction #i love music

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abakersquest · 8 years ago

Text

CHAPTER ELEVEN – LOOMING DARKNESS

Everything was blurry, even smells and sounds. The air that filled his lungs carried heat and fuzzy edges that made him feel dizzy and hollow. Shapes appeared in the corner of his vision, and there was something oddly comforting about them he couldn’t quite place. Something scooped him up, and feeling so very tired, it was a welcome sensation. There was something in his hand, he knew he couldn’t let it go no matter what, so it hung there at the end of his arm as whatever it was that picked him up maneuvered him to a resting place, he remembered his mother in that moment before everything went dark.

Hector kept a keen eye on the charred remains of the Princess as he carefully lifted Wally off the ground and rested him on his back, arms crossed behind him to make the tired wallaby a small perch. As his feet cracked along the burnt soil to bring Wally to safety, a small thought danced to the front of his mind. If Wally could do all this with a weakened Stellar Flare, just how powerful was this sword when his father carried it?

Wistea and Rozzi kept Hector in the periphery of their vision, focusing as much of their attention on the Thorned Princess as they could. “This lot can bounce back from some nasty hits now,” Rozzi said cautiously. “She starts movin’ we hit her with the best we got, yeah?”

Wistea nodded once as she corralled her thoughts. There was no time to wonder about the new array of spells that had come to her as fast as breathing in and out, or the fantastic show of force from the now exhausted Flarebearer. But there was something she couldn’t ignore, something incessant on having her attention in full. It was a noise, a low rumbling that resembled nothing she’d ever heard before. She shot a quick glance toward Rozzi and saw her ear twitch ever so slightly, apparently hearing it as well. Then something else changed, Hector had frozen on the spot, his eyes turned skyward and his expression one of total disbelief.

The rumbling grew louder and louder with each passing second, from nuisance, to disruption, to deafening roar. It brought with it a growing gale that blew away what remnants of fog that still lingered, bringing a brief glimmer of long forgotten sunlight to the marshlands before replacing it with an enormous dark shadow.

All three minds scrambled to make sense out of the enormous thing that now loomed over their heads. Shaped like an iron hulled boat, it belched white smoke from enormous stacks that no doubt lead to whatever massive furnace powered the metal monstrosity. Four pillars held the thing aloft as gigantic propellers at their tops created a ceaseless gale of wind and noise keeping the enormous thing in the air like a steel cloud. It was one part fortress, one part ship, and all parts imposing. On its side, large enough to be seen at any distance, was the unmistakable symbol of Kota’s army, an orange eye within a black triangle.

A small movement in the hull as something the size of a door slid open caught Hector’s eye, and from it dropped a dark black figure with a rope of some kind attached to its back. It fell with incredible speed and hit the ground a few feet from the Thorned Princess, kicking up considerable dust as it impacted with all the force of cannon fire. He watched as the debris cleared and felt a sharp jolt of fear rock his whole body when it did. Before them now stood something he’d only envisioned as a child, inspired by letters home from his father about Kota’s army and the power it wielded, he knew down to his bones what stood before him was a Black Rock Knight. Exactly as the late Sir Hammond described, the bulky armored figure appeared to have been hewn from the darkest and heaviest stone, and moved with all the weight and impending dread of a tumbling boulder. Each footstep shook the earth around it when it approached the scorched statue. As it did, the thick layer of char began to crack and fall away, revealing a tarnished and damaged Thorn Princess.

“Damn… You…” She spoke, clearly pained and furious. “How dare you… Pitiful nothings… How dare you harm me?!”

She glared daggers from her strained eyes as the Black Rock Knight scooped her up in one arm, using the other to tug the thick black cord attached to it, which then pulled it back toward the enormous ship above. As the three on the ground watch the Princess be pulled to safety, Hector’s eyes caught another sight from the hull, the unmistakable muzzles of massive cannons, sliding out of hatches.

“RUN!” He shouted as cannon fire tore through the din and exploded the earth scant feet from where he stood.

The craft turned in the air as they ran, the massive impacts of cannon balls exploding to their sides and rear as they scrambled down what quickly became a narrow corridor of shot after shot, the cannons quickly adjusting for range with every volley. Finally one shot blew them all off their feet and scattered them to the ground.

Hector did his best to roll on impact, Wally slipping off his back as he did so. Dizzied and desperate, he scrambled to his feet as fast he could and drew his sword. The air around his body soon sparked with white flashes of electricity. His adrenaline surged and demanded his limbs not complain at the oncoming strain. He faced the ship that terrorized from on high, spat the copper taste of blood from his mouth, and tapped into whatever reserves of magic his body had for this one and only bid for salvation. A surge of furious voltage enveloped the blade of his sword as he held it high above his head. Above him, the sky grew dark. In an instant, black clouds gathered from the ether. The words of his spell were lost as cannons fired directly at him and a colossal bolt of lightning struck his sword, but through the cacophony its name was audible to all ears, “CELESTIAL JUDGMENT!”

His sword cut through the air with a blinding flash that shone in all directions. The gathered ionic force instantly shot toward its target, destroying the fired cannon balls in its path. The ship shook on impact and arcs of electric light danced along its hull. It slowly began to list to one side as one of its powerful rotors locked in place and began to smoke. The flying warship turned away from them at last, and then began to fly off.

When it did, Hector fell flat on his back and bellowed out a triumphant shout.

Once Rozzi managed to stand she helped Wistea do the same. “You know…” She began speaking to Hector before walking toward where Wally had landed. “You knight boys don’t do anything half way.”

Hector laughed, “I was told it was part of the job, win or die trying.” Hector barely managed to sit up with a pained grunt. “But I wouldn’t call that a win…” The three looked around at the damage done to the marshlands, the dead trees, the dried earth, and the scars of battle. “It took everything Wally had to just wound Kota’s General… And everything I had to barely hinder that flying fortress… Even with all that, we weren’t able to save this place from whatever the Thorned Princess was doing.”

“Then,” She huffed as she turned Wally onto his back before she checked him for any serious wounds. “What’s with the smile and laughs?”

“We’re not dead. We were the candle in a hurricane and we’re still lit. That might not be a total victory, but it’s something to celebrate in my book.”

Wistea tried rubbing the soreness out of one of her arms as she looked over the ruins of the Silent Marsh around her. She tried to take what Hector said and buoy her spirit, but found it lacking in the face of all the damage done. She sighed mournfully, closed her eyes and whispered a blessing she’d heard as a sprout from her grandfather. When she opened her eyes again she gasped at the sight that awaited her.

All around the warriors stood the smoky silhouettes of Planaetians. They drifted a few inches from the ground and the afternoon breeze rippled their gaseous like forms. As she stared in fear and awe, Wistea could just make out their expressions. No sorrow or pain, but the somber smile of a being at the end of their days, happy with what came to pass. Slowly the spectral figures sank into the dried and broken earth, and from where they entered began a sprawl of green. New grass and flowers sweeping over the devastation, and even some promising sprouts that may someday grow to become new trees, with the old growth cleared away by violence and dark deeds, the lost Planaetian souls found the chance to settle at last, seeding the marsh with life once more, and finding a long sought after peace.

Wistea fell to her knees as tears blurred her sight of the lush green erasing the devastation. She thought if this could be the last beautiful sight of her life, she could face death without regret.

---

The Black Rock Knight had been forcibly embedded into the wall when he arrived at the dispatch port. It was struggling to pull itself out without causing any more damage to the warship’s interior. He sighed, easily pulling it free with one hand and setting it down on its feet. “Patrol this floor,” He grumbled, sending the armored thing off to its duties.

At the end of the dispatch port, picking off remnants of charred flesh and burnt battle dress, the Princess grumbled and muttered angrily before she stopped and said, “Came a long way to see me in the altogether, Smithy.”

“I’ve asked you not to call me that.”

“The last time I checked that’s precisely what you were, The Indomitable Smith. I need a new battle dress by the way, would you be a dear?”

The Smith said nothing, he simply stood by and waited until she huffed in frustration, reached down into the remnants of her burnt of skin and armor and produced an hour glass shaped object that gave off an emerald light. The glass was shaped into a Mobius, the substance within flowing infinitely from one loop to the other, with only a small bead of white light to indicate it was in motion at all.

The Smith took it and examined it, “Why weren’t you in Arborledan, as ordered?”

“I couldn’t find the entrance to the Wellspring temple; it only opens in the presence of Planaetians anyway. So I sent one to do just that, and while he was busy doing that grunt work, I went to the Silent Marsh and got what we needed anyway. Win win.”

He looked at her silently once more.

“I succeeded, so you can’t complain.”

“Do not deviate from planned tactics. Had you encountered the Flarebearer in Arborledan, I would not have had to maneuver the Aegis to come and collect you, and we would’ve been able to bombard the city at range. Now, you’ve exhausted the protection spell Lady Kota gave you and the firing angles of the cannons have been disrupted and will require repair.” He handed her the hourglass. “Take one of the smaller transports back to the castle; I am taking the Aegis to Insicai for repair and preparations to fill the next Mobius Glass.”

The Thorned Princess rested her hands upon her hips and sighed. “Must you always be so dull, Smithy?”

The Indomitable Smith stood still for a moment before a sudden belch of flame filled the space between them. In his hands shimmered a brand new battle dress, in place of fabric was a scaled mail design and the formerly earthenware plating now replaced with polished obsidian. He handed it to her and said, “Try not to let this one be damaged. I won’t make you another.”

---

Rozzi carefully bundled some bedding under Wally’s head, still asleep from his earlier efforts. The group had made their way out of the Silent Marsh and, after finding an out of the way spot, set up camp for the approaching night. Hector had gone to bed early, the weight of his own magic use over the last few days catching up to him, leaving Rozzi and Wistea to watch over the sleeping knights.

The red panda walked over to the campfire and sat down across from her new acquaintance who had bundled herself up by the fire, watching it over her knees with her arms wrapped around her folded legs. It was a bit odd to her that such a tall thing could appear so small when it wanted to. She knew she had to say something to the young girl, something encouraging or friendly to offset everything that’s happened and get her talking and calm. After all, it’s not every day you’re facing imminent death at the hands of the most dangerous beings in the world. Well, for most it isn’t.

As she struggled for a solid opening sentence, she found herself looking over her shoulder to where Wally slept, as if somehow the words she needed would be hanging over his sleeping head.

“Ah… Um… Excuse me…” Wistea began shyly.

Rozzi turned back so quickly she thought she heard something pop in her neck.

“If you do not mind me asking… How long have you and the Flarebearer been together?”

“You know y’don’t have t’call him that, ain’t like he’d be offended… As for how long. Hm…” Rozzi tried to mentally catalogue the span of time she’d been in Wally’s company, lingering on one or two memories of her more favorite moments as she counted them off. “Been maybe a week now, I guess.”

It looked to Rozzi that something weighty lifted off Wistea’s shoulders. “So, then it is normal to feel as if I can truly trust him even if it has only been a few days?”

“Well, I don’t know that anything we’re doin’ would ever be called ‘normal.’ But Wally…” She resisted the urge to glance his way again. “He’s the kind of person you meet and just feel comfy with, you just fall in with them like a hand in a glove and everything works without tryin’.”

Wistea’s eyes drifted down to the fire again. “I have never met anyone like that before.”

Rozzi nodded solemnly. “They don’t come ‘round often, no.”

“Yes, I heard you say as much before in the temple when you took his arm… I had not realized you two were so engaged until that moment. Will you be marrying him once all this has passed then?”

Rozzi started to laugh, confusing the young Planaetian entirely. She forced herself to settle and keep the conversation going. “Now that’s putting the cart before the dynas and then some! What put that thought in your head anyway?”

Wistea shrugged. “I suppose I was just looking to talk about anything other than what actually happened today…”

“Yeah, but you’re holdin’ up pretty well considerin’. So don’t go sellin’ yourself short now.”

There was a soft smile on Wistea’s face, the praise putting her at ease. “You… Are considerably different from what I had assumed.”

“Hope that means y’stop makin’ those kinds of assumptions then, all that ever does is keep you from makin’ any friends.”

Wistea almost responded angrily, but thought better of it. Rozzi didn’t pry, but she could tell that the young Planaetian just remembered something that confirmed what she’d said.

“Well!” Rozzi stretched nosily. “No sense in the both of us staying awake anymore. Wanna play Rock, Bog, or Cloud to see who’s on first watch? These two ain’t gonna be up any time soon.”

Wistea shook her head. “I have absolutely no idea what that is, but I am content with being first on watch… It will also give me some time to prepare for tomorrow.”

“Why? What’s tomorrow?”

“Your first magic lesson.”

---

The band moved northward for a number of days toward the port town of Areca, a surprisingly bustling place filled with a mix of races from across the globe. According to Wistea, recent changes in Capital leadership have lead to a desire to increase trade and relations with the other nations, beginning first with Animana and followed by the Icthy Isles. As the Icthyites were sea fairing, they already had some relationship with the various other nations and brought along others with them when Areca became an open port.

On the way there, Wistea gave her new friends several detailed lessons on the nature of Magic. As Hector explained, aside from Insicai, every creature on Mondia could use some form magic, but what they didn’t know is that every person has a particular elemental attribute that limits the spells they cast to that particular element. She herself was Forest, Wally’s being Fire, Hector’s being Storm, and Rozzi’s being Air. She continued to say that all the attributes behave differently when they interact. Some are neutral, some are negative, and others, of course, were positive. This meant that two users of magic in cooperation could potentially boost the output of any spells they cast.

On the subject of spell casting, Wally asked why some of the magic they used required it and some didn’t. Wistea explained that the lowest and simplest spells simply required the direction of one’s own will. The stronger the spell the stronger the invocation needed to shape it, which was why the two spells Wally had used, called on gods and his own soul. Everyone guessed that, as the Flarebearer, Wally’s magic was naturally going to be the strongest of the group.

Now, as they sat at a small table in the corner of a pub in Areca the conversation continued over a midday meal.

“Okay,” Hector began with a mouthful, quickly swallowing before he continued. “I understand most of the elemental attributes on the Wheel of Creation. But what about Light and Dark, What do those do exactly?”

“Ah, yes.” Wistea began, in the scholarly tone she’d used to great effect the last few days. “First you must understand that there are two misconceptions between the two. One, that one or the other is necessarily good or evil, and two, that one exists without the other.”

Looks were exchanged before Wally spoke up. “So that means someone can have both Light and Dark?”

“Yes, some choose to specialize in the one that presents the strongest, but ultimately the other is there as well. Knowing that, I can answer your question, Hector. The nature of Light and Dark is exactly the same as in the world around us. Light represents the creation of energy, while Dark represents the absorption or denial of it. These are the more esoteric magics that can accomplish seemingly impossible feats such as mind reading, invisibility-”

“And being able to see the future!” Shouted Wally at the realization. “So Seer Cinera is Light and Dark… Which explains how she was able to, apparently, read my soul, teleport into my house, and make the sheath for the Flare out of my old aprons.”

“Wait…” Rozzi spoke up. “Elder Ygg could make plants and stuff like you, and a magic wall to keep himself safe.”

“Not to mention that defensive spell to destroy the spores,” Hector continued.

Wistea smiled. “Ah, yes. Elder Ygg is an incredibly practiced sorcerer, with enough time and effort he learned to cast magic outside of his natural element. It took him over seven hundred and eighty years though and he still can only perform the most basic forms of Light magic. So we are not likely to encounter many who can accomplish such a feat.”

“Except for maybe Kota,” Wally concluded. He watched as everyone’s expressions turned pensive. “But then we don’t really know that much about her do we… The only person to see her head-on was Sir Hammond; everyone else only ever got glances before she started destroying everything around her. Even HOW she did that is a mystery…” He leaned back into his chair and a small flash of memory raced to his attention. “‘The best way to solve a problem is to be prepared for anything in the first place’. That’s what my dad always said. So, we’ve got four out of the eight attributes on the wheel of creation sitting here right now. I say, if we can, we should try to find people with the other four to come with us.”

Rozzi laughed. “Yeah? And what’s your recruitment speech? ‘Hi, I’m Wally; wanna come with me to face down the worst evil to ever walk the face of Mondia?’”

Hector crossed his arms. “It’s not a bad idea, but I think it should be a secondary objective. Our priority is getting the Stellar Flare up to snuff. If on the way we happen to meet some people who could be useful to our cause, we should see if they could join us.”

“I am not so certain there are many who would willingly face such dangers,” Wistea said, pushing food around her plate.

Wally smiled, “Well there’re already four of us, that’s two more than I ever expected.”

Hector nodded before he stood. “Well for right now, we need to book passage on a ship headed to Galaga Island, hopefully one we can afford.”

“I can help with that!”

The voice was feminine and cheerful, belonging to the young pilot fish Icthyite who was standing directly next to the table. Given she had bright silvery scales with the occasional black band and a broad fang bearing smile, it seemed impossible that the wiry lass had simply snuck up on all of them. Rozzi noticed the sizable dagger hanging off her hip and kept careful watch of her hands, which were clasped behind her back.

Wally was the first to speak to her. “Um… How much of that did you…”

“You need someone t’ take you lot out to Galaga? Right? Well my Cap’n needs him a crew, so I went out to look for some folk t’ fit the bill!” She reached for the neckline of her blouse and Rozzi tensed, ready for anything. She produced a small bronze spyglass on the end of a silver chain. She peered through it at everyone at the table, lingering longest on Wally. “Wooow… How’re you doin’ that then? Never seen anybody do that!”

He looked himself over, and then looked to everyone else who shrugged, unable to tell what the young Icthyite was talking about.

She tucked the spyglass back into her blouse then continued. “Cap’n’s gonna like you, you’re special, I c’n tell. The rest of you are good too but him? He’s got it more than you do.”

“… Got what exactly?” asked Wally cautiously.

“Dunno! But its pretty and there’s a lot of it, so it has to be good, right?”

“Sound logic,” Hector said flatly.

“Oh please,” she clasped her hands together pleadingly. “iff’n y’don’t mind just meetin’ the Cap’n I promise y’all will find whatcha lookin’ for. Him included.”

Everyone shared a series of speculative looks before Rozzi spoke up, “Whatcha think Wally?”

Wally rubbed the back of his head as he eyed the young girl carefully. The shining cheerfulness was covering up something, but it wasn’t anything dire. More a sense of desperation to solve a difficult problem she had no other way to solve than to beg for help. Wally’s thoughts suddenly turned inward as he began to question how on Mondia he could tell any of that just by looking at her. He’d always been a good judge of character, but to be able to detect hidden intent like that was a bit further. Maybe all this adventuring was sharpening his sense of people as well.

“Well… It couldn’t hurt to meet with him. I mean we’re going to be talking to a lot of sea captains on our way, might as well get a head start on it.”

“Settles the matter then.” Rozzi hopped to her feet. “C’mon thin fins; show us this ‘cap’n’ of yours, we’ll see if he’s worth his weight in salt.”

“Y’can be sure Cap’n Blackeye is worth any shipment of salt y’could ever think of!”

All four froze on the spot and turned quickly toward the young lady as they shouted in unison “CAPTAIN BLACKEYE?!”

<[Chapter 10]–[Index]–[Chapter 12]>

#A Baker's Quest #Writing

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