Strena The Voyage Part Three

 A Battle For Tickets 

They soon entered the City Kingdom. It was lively with an energized crowd walking to and from. Strena suddenly was reminded of Jotellen, just this place did not have a dark shadow about the place. No, this place was a very light and bright place. Her eyes darted about the place, looking at the bright and lively colours with people having happy smiles like none had a care in the world. Then she saw families and children laughing and playing.

Suddenly she looked away as she felt a pain in her heart. It suddenly hit her, she had forgotten the last time she played like that and she never will know nor have a chance to know. No, in fact, she hardly remembered the last time she was even allowed to be a child! On top of that, she was going to be an adult soon. It seemed like as soon as she could be a child she had to put away all childish things. To her, it seemed to be a joke!

She then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back to see Cerpheres too close to her face. He smiled and rubbed the side of her shoulder with his thumb.

“Come on!”

“Where are you taking her?” Zaryb, Bash and Chashathrophogh asked.

“To get her a violin of her own! Don’t worry! It won’t take too long!” He sang as he led her away.

“Just don’t be too long. Or this will kick in!” Chashathrophogh warned, shaking his cuff.

“What?”

“Don’t worry, the cuffs won’t kick in unless you have no intent of returning. So we have an hour at tops!”

Chashathrophogh looked down at her sternly.

“If he does anything to you, report it!”

She nodded.

“Alright. Also, I can defend myself!”

“Aww! That’s adorable!”

“Shut it! Also, I will get some materials for my writing and cleaning. I can tell that all your weapons need it!”

They all looked at her both shocked and impressed.

“What? I always clean Darkector and, now, Orion regularly.”

He smiled and placed a hand on her head.

“Alright girl, you’re on weapons cleaning duty!”

“Alright! I’ll do my best!”

“You better! Or I might have to punish you!” Chashathrophogh spoke jokingly.

“Was that a threat?” She asked.

“Better not have been!”

“Do you want a good spar?”

“Sure!”

He chuckled and shook his head playfully before Cerpheres grabbed her by her hand before Zaryb and Chashathrophogh started fighting.

“I don’t think you would have wanted to stay there for that!” He commented.

“And why not?”

He let out a chuckle.

“That’s what men are like, we usually bond over fighting. Now, let’s see… Ahhh! Here it is!” He purred as they turned a corner.

“Tell me, have you thought about our little chat?”

“Yes.”

“Aaaaand?” He asked with a dark smirk.

She looked down as he leaned in closer.

“Strena?”

She looked up at him with fire in her eyes.

“I will do my best not to feel any sense of false guilt over my father and what he did. After all, I am not him nor did I choose to be his daughter. Just like I didn’t choose to be a Bounty Hunter or an assassin for that matter or a slayer or a Dark Lady. So, why should I pay for things that are not my fault?”

He patted her on her back.

“Good answer!” He sang as they arrived at the music shop. There Strena’s jaw dropped the moment she saw all the different kinds of instruments of all shapes and sizes. Some were other types of stringed instruments that looked just as beautiful and highly decorated as a violin. Others were wind type instruments of different sizes. Yet there were other types that she just could not help but wonder how those were even plaid.

How many are there?! She wondered as Cerpheres looked in the violin section. He soon spotted a black violin with golden strings. Then he looked at her.

“This ought to be of your taste. Black wood, with strings and bow made of unicorn hair strings!”

Her eyes narrowed.

“And why is that?”

“You want one easy to play and that looks good on you. After all, Darksun wood is of the Desert Planes but this wood is far better for you and gold unicorn hair is the easiest to use! Yet the violins made with the combination of white dragon scales and silver unicorn hair are the hardest to use. Even though they’re the ones that sound the best.”

He soon handed the shopkeeper the emerald and Ruby coins and left. Then Strena bought more cleaning materials and soon rejoined Bash, Zaryb and Chashathrophogh, who had a few cuts and bruises.

“How did you beat him?” Strena asked, completely amazed.

“We have been fighting each other for a long time. Also, he was distracted. Now come on. We need to buy our tickets.”

“Right.”

They all made their way to the ticket booths. Then, to their utter dread, they found that it was not just crowded but over crowded!

Looks like it’s going to be a struggle to get to the booth.

They walked on and soon were in front of the crowd. Knowing that none of them had time to waste or wait, Strena gave her bag to Zaryb. She ducked and dived from left to right and then left again. She was soon bashed in the temple. Yet the next ones came close. She looked back as Chashathrophogh for a moment.

I think that I’m far enough now so he won’t see.

She looked on and used her magic to make the crowd jerk away from her. She continued to dive from left to right. One hit her in the temple again. She willed him to go to sleep. She then went to another and placed her palm to him and willed him to go to sleep. Then she was hit. She looked up to see a man that was looking down on her with the same look as the gang of men that she killed did.

“Are you lost, my lady?” He asked cupping her cheek.

She slit his throat, now knowing what all that meant. She then moved on to another member of the crowd and he was soon asleep. She moved in and out, putting more and more to sleep. She kept this up until she felt a strain in her body.

“Use the ring!” Orion told her.

She looked down at the ring that she got before making her vows to Lok, which she had long since forgotten about.

How?

“Reach out with your magic and connect them.” Darkector told her.

She closed her eyes and reached out with her magic and felt a surge within her. She then was able to put more and more to sleep. Soon she reached the ticket booth.

“Five tickets please!” She panted, almost throwing him the emerald coins.

“Where to?”

“The Desert Planes!”

“Alright.” He yawned as he took them out and gave them to her then gulped down his coffee. 

“Thank you sir!” She called before she returned. “Here!”

“Good girl!”