Welcome to Gaia! ::

There was a loud, annoying rapping at the door.
A groan came from the figure lying on the bed. "Nngh... who is it?"
"Guess!" A frustrated voice was heard from the other side.
"I don't wanna guess, I wanna sleep!" Wa-Ta whined, flinging a pillow at the door. He buried his face deeper under his soft, warm covers.
"Come on, Wa-Ta! I don't have time for this!"
"Go away, sis, it's--" Wa-Ta peeked out from his comfortable niche. The sun's rays barely touched the rooftops of the village.

"It's still morning..." Wa-Ta's voice trailed off, as he turned back to face his room, though, in fact, it wasn't his room. It was a hotel room. The village was not his village, it was the village of Mung Da-An. The girl who stormed angrily through the door was not his sister, but--

"Jackie," Wa-Ta remembered. He still woke up from time to time, forgetting the extraordinary events in his life were not dreams, but a painful reality.
"Yeah. It's Jackie, stupidhead. And I barely know you, so I'm uncomfortable with you calling me 'sis' as a term of endearment," the blue haired girl said.

Wa-Ta detected a strange tone in her voice. A knowing tone.
"Jackie... what are you doing here? The sun is barely rising!"
"And? It's tomorrow! Let's go!" She said, grabbing the covers of the bed and flinging them off Wa-Ta's body.
"Don't..." Wa-Ta whined, groggily tucking his legs into his chest. "Why'd you do that?"
"Didn't you hear a word I said, Wa-Ta? You gotta get up! We gotta go!"
"Go?... Go where?"
"Anywhere but here! We're wanderers now!"



"... Jackie? Are you sure this is what you really wanna do?"
Wa-ta was finally forced out of bed... under protest of course... and began to change into a fresh set of clothing. He insisted Jackie go back to her room while he performed this task, but as the duo had now learned, the walls were thin enough so as to be able to talk through fairly clearly.

"Of course I'm sure. I was sure today, I was sure yesterday, I was sure the day Jiyama took over the inn. I'm sure. Why, is there some kind of problem?"
"I'm just... surprised at this, you know?" Wa-Ta said, shimmying into his pants. "I mean, I guess I can understand your eagerness and all, but why now? Why did you choose to go with me?"

There was a pause before Jackie replied.

"Well, there have been many times that an opportunity has presented itself to me, you know? You're not the only traveler who's ever been to Mung Da-An. I've seriously considered going with others, or by myself even."
"Well, why haven't you?"

Another pause.

"I don't know... I was... s-scared, I guess. I didn't know anybody or anyone, or what to do. I'd probably end up somewhere worse than here, if that's possible."
"You mean you couldn't trust anyone?"
"Right, I couldn't trust anyone. For all I know, whoever I traveled with could be some kind of psycho murderer!"

Wa-Ta couldn't help but smile. If a murderer was ever alone with Jackie, Wa-Ta would probably feel more worried for the murderer.
"Hey, Jackie, then how come you chose to go with me?"
"Ehh, you don't seem like much of a threat to me."
Wa-Ta felt he had heard that phrase somewhere before...

"Seriously, though?" Jackie continued. "There's something about you, Wa-Ta. I could feel it the moment I met you. There's something very special about you."
Wa-Ta shook his head. This all sounded so familiar...

An image of Joshua appeared in his mind.
"It's like, I know I can trust you. You're full of honesty and sincerity!"
Wa-Ta sighed. "Seems like I'm the perfect person for you to take advantage of, then."
"No, you stupidhead. Well, yeah I guess I'm sort of taking advantage of your situation, but someday along the road, somebody is going to seriously underestimate you, and that will be their downfall!"

The green haired boy didn't know what to say.

He leaned back against the wall. This girl was something else! Now he was positive there was no one else alive he would rather travel with. She was his companion.
"Hey, are you all dressed, or what?" she asked.
"Uh yeah, but, don't bother to--" Wa-Ta could hear footsteps pounding to his room. "... The door's locked!" he said, moving to get up and open it for her.
With a few strange clicks, the door swung open, and Jackie stood in front of him again. She wiped the toothpick off on her shirt, and placed it back into her mouth.
"... What?"
"... What would I possibly do without you?"



"So, can we go now?" Jackie said, after they had finished their morning meal in the inn's dining room. It was still very early in the day, but Jackie was determined as ever.
"Well, okay. I guess I better go pack, then." Wa-Ta said, getting up to head back to his room.
"You mean you haven't already?" Jackie said, raising an eyebrow.
"You mean, you HAVE already?" Wa-Ta was surprised. No wonder she was making so much noise yesterday.
"Yes! You said tomorrow, so I assumed you meant tomorrow, and now it's tomorrow, isn't it?"
"Of course, and it still will be for another 15 hours," Wa-Ta said, flushing. He felt bad now. Jackie was all ready to leave, and it was he who was lagging behind.
"Well, it's getting more and more into tomorrow, so hurry up!" she said, ushering him up the stairs.

Once again, the door shut behind him, and he was left to pack his things.
"Heh, some girl she is..." Wa-Ta mumbled as he gathered what little possessions he had and stuffed them into his small knapsack. Grabbing the last thing, a black and white striped scarf, he threw it around his neck and headed over to Jackie's room.
"Jackie? You in there?" he asked, knocking lightly on the door.
"Yeah... come in, it's unlocked."
Wa-Ta opened it slowly and walked in.
Jackie was sitting on her rickety bed, looking at the piles of books and items that were there. Wa-Ta sighed. Of course she wouldn't be able to take them all with her. The only book they really needed was the guide to reaching Gaia

"... Are you okay, Jackie?"
"Huh? Yeah... I'm fine... it's just that..."
"You'll never be able to read the books again?"
"Well, not really that, no. I've memorized most of them, but... I'm worried."
"Worried? Why?"
"Once I'm gone, what will Jiyama do with these books? I sort of feel like I was here to protect them, like I'm the guardian of these secrets. Once I leave, she might try to get rid of them! Do you understand? Someone's life went into these books... and Jiyama could well destroy it! Erase someone's existence!"

Wa-Ta nodded his head. "... I see what you mean." He walked over and gently patted her on the shoulder. "But, I wouldn't worry about it. From what you've told me, these books can take care of themselves! I'm sure Obrius went through great lengths to make sure nothing could happen to them."
"Obruis? Who's he?"
"Oh, well..." Wa-Ta scratched his head. "Earlier on in my travels, I was looking for him, but he died a while back. If I'm not mistaken, though, he left these books here with the previous innkeepers to be watched over."
"... oh!" Jackie said, shrugging. "That's interesting... small world."
"A-yup. But, anyway, Obrius seemed like the type of guy who knew how to keep his secrets well protected..."

There was a moment of silence.

"So, are we ready to head out?" Wa-Ta asked.
"Really?"
"No time like the present."
"Okay... oh, wait! There's something I have to get first." Jackie got up and walked to the back of the collection of books, plucking a fairly thick one from the pile, and wiped the dust from it.
"What's that?"
"Oh, it's a blank book. There's two or three of them in the pile. I'm gonna start a journal of all our travels! You don't think Obrius would mind, do you?"
"No, I'm pretty sure he'd be pleased with that. It's a good idea! Let me see?"
"Sure." Jackie tossed him the book. The first few pages had some writing on them, but the rest were blank.
"Hmm. I guess he never finished this one."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Come on, let's go, before Jiyama finds out what I've done."
"If she does, she'll probably be happy..."

"Looks like a couple o' travellin' urchins, boss!"
Wa-Ta heard another voice over near where Jackie was.
"Sound asleep like babies... stupid babies!" The man holding the knife traced it across Wa-Ta's back.
"Wot shud we do with 'em, boss?"
"Well, seeing as they're alseep, we could probably just--"
Wa-Ta was quickly attempting to asses the situation at hand. His martial arts skills were a bit rusty, but he had a feeling the would be coming in handy very soon now. But then, there was Jackie. It was hard enough taking care of himself, but now he had to protect Jackie and the books she carried with her. It certainly wasn't going to be easy--
"Well, I say we slit their throats, just in case!" he suddenly heard the leader speak. Now was most likely the best time to move.

Swiping his leg out, to where he guessed the mysterious man was standing, he felt his leg catch an ankle, and with a grunt, the man fell over backwards. Quickly hopping up, Wa-Ta began to approach the second man, taking him by surprise.
Unfortunately, he wasn't startled enough for Wa-Ta to take advantage of it.
"Hold it right there, you sneaky brat!" the man snarled, holding a knife to Jackie's throat.
"No!" Wa-Ta stopped immediately. What the hell was he going to do now? He could feel the leader getting up and approaching from behind him, but he didn't dare turn around.
"P-Please don't hurt her, mister! I'll do anything you want-- ungh!" a powerful fist caught him in the back, and he was sent tumbling forward.

"Stupid urchin brat! That's teach you to try and trick the Hammer!"
Pain exploded through Wa-Ta's back. The man was a lot larger than Wa-Ta had guessed.
"Hehe, good one boss!"
"Wh-what do they call you... the weasel?" Wa-Ta grunted angrily.
"... oy, how did you know that?!" the thinner man said, frowning.
"Forget about it, you louse! Alright, no more fun and games. Hand over the goods now, and I promise to kill you both quickly." The large man smiled wickedly, looming over Wa-Ta's body.
"PLEASE! DON'T KILL THE GIRL!" Wa-Ta shouted at the top of his lungs. "DO ANYTHING BUT KILL THE BLUE HAIRED GIRL!"
"Hey, hey, shut up!" the Hammer commanded, digging his heel into Wa-Ta's shoulder. "What's all your yelling about?"

Jackie's eyes snapped open. She was shocked at the scene before her. A large man was hunched over Wa-Ta, who was lying on the ground... and something cool was at her throat... a knife! She glanced quickly to the left and saw a thinner man, watching intently at the two others.
Dear god, what had happened? She had dozed off, and somehow... Wa-Ta was lying still on the forest floor. Had he been killed? A wave of emotion swept over Jackie. How foolish of her to have fallen asleep! This might never had happened if she wasn't so lazy. Now her only friend had been killed--
There was no way she would allow herself to die like this, now. if anything, she had to....

The Hammer heard a whizzing noise, and a THWACK!
"Oy! what's all the commotion--" The Hammer turned around to see what was happening. The girl was nowhere to be seen, and Weasel seemed completely knocked out.
"What the hell's going on around here--OOF!" Wa-Ta swiped his leg out in a kick, toppling the big man yet again. He quickly jumped up; his planning seemed to have worked! He managed to wake Jackie up with his shouting, and somehow she had escaped... but where was she now?
"Jackie? Jackie! Where are you?" However, he was distracted by the Hammer's groaning.
"Oooh, you're going to pay for that, you little b*****d!" he reared up to his full height, and with a mighty roar, charged at Wa-Ta.
Another strange whizzing noise was heard, and the Hammer stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed to the ground for the last time.

Wa-Ta was taken by surprise. He stood alone in the little clearing of the forest, with two unconscious bodies on the floor near him. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he caught a flash of blue.
Jackie appeared from the shadows, quietly nodding at him.
"Jackie!" Wa-Ta leaped into the air and charged at her, his arms wide.
"What--" Jackie tried to back away, but it was too late. The young man's arms were thrown around her, lifting her into the air.
"Jackie, you're okay! I was so worried-- I thought they had..." he gently put her down on the floor again, his face brimming with happiness... but Jackie didn't look so happy.
"What's the matter Jackie?! Are you hurt--"
"Wa-Ta! Stop it!" she yelled, tears forming in her eyes. She pounded her fists against his chest in anger. "Stop making me feel more guilty about myself!"
"What--"

"You know this is all my fault, Wa-Ta! I-I didn't listen to you and I fell asleep-- I thought they had killed you! I thought I would never be able to forgive myself..." Jackie turned away to hide the salty droplets on her face.
"... oh, that." Wa-Ta stopped smiling. his eyes shifted to the floor. "Jackie..."
"Don't! Don't say anything, okay?! I get it if you don't want to travel with me... just take me to the port village and I'll--"
Wa-Ta placed a hand on Jackie's shoulder. "Jackie, of course I still want to travel with you! I need you!"
Wa-Ta only received sniffles in reply.
"I didn't even care about what happened, Jackie. I was more concerned for your safety than anything else... I'm only glad that you're alright!" he checked around to see if all of their belongings were still intact. "You-- you are all right, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'm fine, you stupidhead!" she said, knocking her fist on his chest again. Something silver dropped from her hand onto the ground.
"What is this?" he said, picking up the object... her yo-yo.

"I-- I used it to escape when the thin guy wasn't looking."
"What do you mean?"
Jackie demonstrated. Taking a step back, she flung the yo-yo out expertly. It snapped against a tree, breaking some of the bark off.
"It just sort of came to me, you know. I remembered the first time we met, when I... you know."
Wa-Ta smiled again, and threw his arms around her again. This time, Jackie didn't pull away.
"Come on, let's get out of here!"

They ran, blindly. They knew not which way they were really going, but their bodies did. On the drive of hunger and passion, their souls flung them to the port. The port of Gourney.
"It's a miracle! It's a damn miracle!" Wa-Ta screamed, racing down the hill to his salvation. "We're gonna liiiiiiiive!"
Jackie breathed heavily with excitement as well. Somebody out there had an eye on them, that much was sure.

Soon the hill began to level out, and the pair was at last in the outskirts of the tiny village.
"Now, if we can just head to the docks to get the information we need--" But Wa-Ta paid no attention to his blue-haired friend. He could feel saliva dribbling from the corner of his cheeks as he gazed up. There was a sign there, sticking out of the side of a door. It read 'Big Bubba's Gourney Tavern.'
"F... Fooooood" he said, his feet leading him to the tavern like an undead thing.
"Wa-Ta!" Jackie frowned, heading in after him.

Wa-Ta burst through the large doors before he knew it. The tavern had a warm, homely feeling. Soft music played on in the background, and candles lit the room up with an orange glow. The tavern was full of lively people, laughing and enjoying themselves... until Wa-Ta walked in. Now all eyes were on him and Jackie as they came into view.
But Wa-Ta didn't care. He searched for an empty table and found a small one available in the back. Jackie followed him silently, her face flushing as pairs of eyes followed them silently. Wa-Ta sat himself down and leaned back against the chair, heaving a sigh of relief.

Eventually, the group of people went back about their business, only glancing back at the odd duo occasionally. Jackie still felt incredibly embarrassed, but she had to admit it would probably be better if they refreshed themselves before they continued on their journey.
After a while, a young girl approached the table. She wore a plain dress and was holding a small broom.
"How can I help y'all strangers?" she said, smiling pleasantly.
"You're pretty," Wa-Ta said, grinning broadly. The young girl flushed red and turned her head away.
"Wa-Ta!" Jackie exclaimed, hitting his arm. "You'll have to excuse him, he's delusional from hunger--" Jackie felt something slipping from her fingers. Turning to look, she saw Wa-Ta holding the bag of money. He plopped it down on the table, allowing the gold to spill out. The young girl's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"How much food can we get for this?" he said, still grinning madly.
"WA-TA!" Jackie shouted, gaining the attention of the room again. Some people even saw the bag of money, and began murmuring among themselves. The girl squealed and ran off in some direction, leaving the table alone again.
"We're sure to get a lot of food now, huh, Jackie?" Jackie's hand struck quickly across Wa-ta's face. Those who were still looking at them chuckled or gasped. Wa-Ta stopped smiling, and stared at his companion dumbly.
"You are such an idiot, Wa-Ta! We need to lie low here, and now you've caught the eye of-- you know what? No. Come on, we're getting out of here..." she said, pushing out her chair and standing up. Turning to face the door, something got in her way.

A large man stood before the two. He had a thick, curly beard and a wide belly.
"Hello there, you two! Is there anything I can help you with?" he said in a deep, rolling bass voice.
Although Jackie was feeling intimidated by the stranger's presence, she wasn't about to let it stand in the way of her bad mood.
"I'm sorry if we've caused any trouble. Come on, Wa-Ta!"
"Whaaat? But they didn't bring the food yet!"
The big man tucked his thumbs into his belt and chuckled as she tried to maneuver her way around him. "Don't be in such a hurry, little missy! Nobody wants any trouble."
Jackie rolled her eyes. "I certainly have enough trouble at the moment, in case you haven't noticed..." she said, gesturing behind her at the delusional green-haired boy.
"So I see," The man replied. He inched forward, smiling lazily, and Jackie stumbled backward into her seat again...
"My name is Big Bubba. I own this here tavern. My daughter and I were just feeling a little curious about your current situation." Jackie noticed out of the corner of her eye that the young woman who had waited on them before was timidly hiding behind the big man.
"... curious?" Jackie raised an eyebrow.
"Of course, curious! Wondering how a couple of teenagers managed to end up in Gourney. A couple of teenagers with a lot of money"
"Hey! This money was BORROWED!" Wa-Ta piped up. Jackie quickly gave him the cold eye.
"Ignore him... he's just a little deprived of supplement...."
"By all means!" Big Bubba replied. "Go on, Sally, get these two kids something to eat." Sally rushed off in an instant.
"Now, back to where I was, wouldn't you mind telling me your story?" he said, grabbing a nearby chair and setting down on it.
"Again, thanks, but we really don't have time, we've gotta--"
"We wandered into town, silly, cuz we're wanderers!" The delusional spoke up again.
"Wanderers?" a soft, squaky voice pitched in. it was Sally, the waiter, who had returned with two plates of hot, steaming soup. "You guys are wanderers?" she said, her eyes gleaming.
"You better believe it, pretty girl..." Wa-Ta snatched away the soup and gulped it down in no more than three seconds. "Oohhhhh... good soup!" he said, nodding in satisfaction.
"WA-TA." Jacke said, her face red with anger and embarrassment. "We're leaving. NOW."
"Hold your horses, little sheila!" Big Bubba said, his big belly jiggling with laughter. "Now you two said you were a couple of wanderers. There's no need to be embarrassed! We can help you out!"

Jackie's eyes widened as the large man flashed her his wrist. She gasped as the glint of a red bracelet caught her eye.
"No way... you're a--"
"That's right. I'm a host. There's no need to worry!"
Jackie relaxed a little bit. "I see..."
Her much more sober companion spoke up softly. "Jackie, what is he talking about?"
Jackie turned around to face Wa-Ta "A host or a helper is someone who aids out wanderers during their travels. Usually gives them some cheap food, or even a room for the night. The old innkeepers back in Mung Daal used to be hosts. They wore a red bracelet on their left hand so other wanderers would know."
Wa-Ta nodded, soaking in this new information. Turning back to Big Bubba and his daughter, he smiled appreciatively. "Well, listen, thanks for everything! I guess we ought to pay you up and leave now--"
"Nonsense! Nonsense! Any wanderer who stops by the tavern is paid for!"
"Really!" the couple said, smiling broadly.
"Absolutely! That is... if you can prove you two are wanderers."
"Wh-What do you mean?" Wa-Ta stuttered.
"Well, any wanderer in the world is sure to know the wandering oath. Just recite it to me and the meal is completely free!"

Wa-Ta could feel his heart jumping into his throat as Jackie turned to face him. "The wandering oath?"
"Uhhh..."
"You know, the one every wanderer takes when he's sworn into taking the roaming path..." Bubba said, grinning wickedly.
"Wa-Ta, you never told me about an 'oath!'" Jackie whispered to him.
"I-I didn't think it was important!" Wa-Ta said, his heartbeat increasing with every passing second. God help him, but he couldn't remember a word of the oath. "Besides, didn't you read it in your books or something?"

"The wandering oath is a complete secret to all outsiders. Only a true wanderer knows it by heart. So how about it, greenie?" The large man smiled wickedly.
"U-Uh... I-I can't quite remember... s-something about following your heart, and... a crescent moon?"

For a moment, it seemed like time had stopped. Everything went silent at once. Bubba's large, beady eyes stared straight into the depths of Wa-Ta soul, searching for something Wa-Ta feared he didn't have.
Things were moving by him, slowly, but clearly, and yet, he couldn't understand a word of it. People's mouths moved, but nothing made sense. Blurs of people, another stranger stood by him, grabbing his arm fiercely.

"Take them away. We've caught the thieves of Riffwood Forest!"

Wa-Ta rushed to the map in front of him, his eyes greedily taking in the information.
"What does it say?" Jackie said, quickly at his side.
"Hang on, hang on!" He hushed, scanning the area. "I think... this definitely has some answers for us."
"Why, what do you mean?"
"Look for yourself!" Wa-Ta said, gesturing at the map.
"See, here? This is a map of Gourney..." he whispered urgently, pointing to the center of the map, where there was drawn a small cluster of buildings.
"I know that, genius! But... what's all this forest?... Riffwood?"
"Yeah, isn't that weird?! I think..." he scanned the area. The foliage surrounding the village was clearly labeled 'Riffwood Forest' with a small subnote: "Beware! Thieving territory"
"So, all along we were in another forest?" Jackie said, raising her eyebrows.
"No, that can't be it. I think we were in a small piece of it, near the edge... down here." His fingers followed the forest as it trailed down along the edge of the map, and finally out of view.

"..." Jackie sat back down on the floor.
"So, then... we really weren't deep into Riffwood... no wonder, the thieves..."
Wa-Ta pushed himself off of the floor, and began pacing from wall to wall.
"Riffwood is full of thieves... and of course Gourney is a target, it's a big center for trade since it's located near a river."
"And the forest is completely surrounding Gourney! It's so difficult to get out or in through there..."
"Those thieves are pretty smart!"
"Well, that's just brilliant." she said, crossing her arms and scowling."What the hell are supposed to do now?"
"No food or water..." Wa-Ta rolled his eyes, moaning as if losing a loved one.
"Quit your whining Wa-Ta. It was you who got food back at the inn, not me! And I'm certainly not gonna have you turn delirious on me again, or so help me, I'll give you a good whopping with my--" Jackie paused. She felt around her person, her hands slapping her body as if being attacked by flies...

"They're... they're..."
"What's the matter, Jackie?"
"My yo-yos! they aren't here. I must've left them in my knapsack..." her voice trailed off as her eyes lingered to the door. A moment of silence penetrated the room. Wa-Ta didn't speak; he was almost afraid to. He could feel a tense aura from his companion. He knew, without her most prized possessions, the tiniest thing could throw her off the edge.
Suddenly, it came. The snap, the break, the big bang. Wa-Ta scrambled out of her way as the blue-haired girl tore for the prison door. Wa-Ta almost believed, with only her wrath, the young woman could break it down.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU SCOUNDRELS! YOU DOGS! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHINGS! GIVE 'EM BACK TO ME, GIVE 'EM BACK!"
But there was no answer. After about five minutes, exhaustion took over her small body, and she shrunk to the floor, miserably empty and quiet.
"We've gotta get out of here." Wa-Ta said, as if reading her thoughts. Something about those Yo-yos was very important to his friend. He didn't know what it was, but one day, he knew he would find out.

Jackie's Journal entry 2: (entered at a later time)
We spent that night in cold misery. There's something about that cell we were in. It was just an empty block of cement sheltering us, but it really made me think about my life. No doubt, Wa-Ta was very contemplative himself. He shared his story with me in there. It was really horrible to know what had happened. I think I've grown a lot of respect for him, even though there's now way of knowing whether his story is the truth, but I can see it in his eyes. He spent the rest of the night mumbling nonsense to himself. I think he was trying to remember something. Words someone had once spoken to him. It's difficult to tell. I left him alone.
They took away my twin yo-yos. They were in my knapsack, with all my other things. I feel lonely without mom and dad beside me. They were always there to comfort me whenever I needed help, those lonely miserable nights in the old inn with crazy lady... but I think I'm comforted just the same, because now I have a brother with me. A real one.

"Ding dong! Wakey wakey, little ones..." a sinister voice crept through the cell in the morning. Jackie's eyelids opened slowly, as she distastefully took in the bleak surroundings of the jail.
"Ugh, what do you want now, you filthy leech!" her groggy voice echoed off of the gray walls. "Haven't you done enough by throwing us in this horrible place!"
"Oh, you'll be getting out soon enough..." the jailkeeper's voice sounded back, mocking her words. "... soon enough..."
"What the hell do you--" Jackie gasped as her eye caught the sliver of green in the corner. It was Wa-Ta's unconscious body, bruised and battered from God knows what he was doing. His fingertips were bleeding, and there were small marks of blood all over the wall around him. She took a closer look at the wall. It seemed to have cracked and given way, just the tiniest bit. A thin stream of light peeked in through the hole.

He was trying to get us to escape... so desperately... why? Jackie's eyes narrowed as she took in the horrible sight. She rushed up to Wa-Ta, cradling his near lifeless body and pressing it to her. She could barely make out a heartbeat.
"You've got five more minutes. Better make 'em good, cuz they'll be the last ones you'll ever have!"
And with that, the not-so sober Jailer went laughing down the hallway again.
"Wa-ta~" she whispered, burying her face in the green head of hair. She could feel blood trickling from it, as well. It smelled like a dark wine, vile yet sweet. Jackie could suddenly feel tears dripping down her cheeks, tears for the only friend she had ever had in her life, and now he was nearly lost.
"J-Jackie..." a moan erupted from his dry lips. Jackie started at the sudden noise.
"Wa-Ta, you're alive!" she said, grabbing his shoulders and shaking them.

"Of course I'm alive... I was just sleeping... stupidhead." He smiled at her, not caring that it was incredibly painful when she shook him.
"Wa-Ta, what the hell happened to you?! You look like you've been beating yourself all night!"
"Well, I have... sort of. I've been trying to get us out of here."
"Well, why are you in such a hurry?"
"Jackie, they're going to execute us in the morning..." he said, his voice quivering at the words.
"Wh... what?" Jackie gasped, nearly dropping Wa-Ta's head from her grasp. She looked out the tiny crack in the wall, observing the morning rays just beginning to flow through.
"I didn't want to tell you... I thought I could get us out before time ran out..."
"Wa-Ta..." Jackie sighed, shaking her head. She glanced up at the stone wall. Maybe there was still time... if she could--

"Alright you, two!" the Jailer came in, followed by the officer who had arrested them before.
"Still won't talk, eh?" The police officer said, placing hands on him hips. "Don't even think I've got a smidgen of sorrow for youse two, you--"
"You b*****d!" Jackie hissed, throwing him the coldest glance ever set eyes on by mankind. "What do you think you're doing? You're going to kill two innocent people! We've done nothing since we've come top this town, and before we know it, you lock us up and want to cut our heads off! I hope you live with guilt forever until you pass away. I never believed in an afterlife until now, but I swear I will haunt you all until--"
The Officer was unmoved. "Haunt us? I don't think so, little wench. After all the pain and torture you've inflicted on this village, the very sight of your ghost would be a celebration to all of us! And who says we're gonna lop your head off? We aren't the violent sort, you know."
Jackie trembled. "Wh-What? But... the jailer said..."
"What did the Jailer say?" The officer turned around and stared down at the Jailer. "Have you been drinking again, Blime?"
"I swear it ain't true, sir... uhhh, I just wanted to scare 'em a little bit, is all!"
"You pig! What the hell do you think you were doing? God in Heaven, look what you've done to them!"
"Well, in my opinion, sir, it's the least punishment they get for what they did to my Rolf! I ain't never seen 'im again in the forest after he left, and then my Bertha done run away to-- They really ought to be executed! Burn them on a stake right in Central Square!"
Oily tears began to leak from his small, beady eyes.

"SCUM!" The Officer roared, knocking him back with one great swoop of his fist. "Gourney ain't never been one to fight back, and you know it! The prophecy says someone will go out and save us from the village themselves!"
"That's what my Rolf done set out to do, and he ain't never come back! That old witch is a filthy liar!"
"From what I hear, you ought to be in this jail with him, you coward! You and your brother Jimmy ain't done nothin' but rile up people in the wrong way..." the officer trailed off as he realized the two culprits were still in the room.
"Go on, Blime. Rope 'em up and tie them to the stave in Town square. I say these two peacocks could do with a little humiliation, and one last taste of the sun before we lock 'em down here forever."
"Wh-What?" Jackie said, still lost and frightened, not knowing what was going on at all.

***
Just minutes later, Jackie had her hands tied behind her back, unable to help support her battered friend, who slowly limped behind her as they were lead out of the cell.
"Alright, alright... go on youse two... and you!" The officer grunted, looking back at the Jailer who sneered at the two of them. "You're gonna take some time off."
"What do you mean?" Blime replied, glancing up from his cold glares. His eyes widened in terror as the officer shut the door behind him.
"What are you doing, you madman! You can't lock me in here!"
"You're the one who's mad, Blime. It was wrong what you did, and you're gonna sit there until you figure out the problem in your head.
"They're the problem, that's what!" Blime's voice became softer and softer as the trio walked away from the cell. "And besides, I'm the Jailer! I've got the bloody keys!"

Soon his shouts could not be heard, and as Jackie, Wa-Ta, and the Officer walked up the stairs from the dark prison, the officer spoke to no one in particular.
"He ain't been the same after what you two did to his son, Rolf. He designed this prison, Rolf did. Made sure there was no possible way to get out of here, except for these keys I've got. Even on the inside, you can't pick the lock with the keys. Rolf was a smart one. He thought he'd be able to put an end to you and your kind for good. I don't suppose you remember Rolf, you just killed 'em all, didn't you. But that one had a lot more promise than the others. A lot more."
With that, The trio walked out of the prison and into the light again. it hurt their eyes, and they squinted as they tried to look at their surroundings.

***

After a short while of walking from the steep hill the prison was built on, Jackie and Wa-Ta were lead into town square. As they passed the villagers by, they heard mumblings of "that's them," and endured dirty looks and fingers pointing at them from complete strangers.
'What have we done to deserve this?', Jackie thought to herself as they approached a long, tall pole that protruded from the ground. It was obviously used in ceremonies and celebration throughout the year, but it didn't seem to be used that often. Jackie grunted in protest as the Officer roughly tied her and her companion to the pole.

"Well, have a good look mates. Enjoy the sunshine, the sights, the smells, the nice taste of fruit while you can. You'll be locked up for the rest of your lives after this. I can't say I feel sorry for you, but it's really too bad. You look like a couple of young'ns to me, and it's a shame your life turned out this way."
The officer walked away and sat nearby to monitor the streets, and Jackie was left wondering. Wondering why and how this had happened, Wondering if she and Wa-Ta would get out of this somehow.
Wondering why the officer had mentioned the taste of fruits--
"Ungh!" Wa-Ta groaned as something thudded against his head. It rocked crazily to the side and drooped on his shoulder, as if his neck had lost the strength to support it any more.
"Wa-Ta! are you alright? A-Aaah!" Jackie spat as something red and soft splattered on her shoulder. She glanced around and noticed a group of youngsters, giggling maliciously as the tossed a small bag of rotten fruits and vegetables at the pole.
"Eat that, thieving scum!" a brave boy of about twelve shouted as he chucked another fruit at them, but missed. He howled and danced about his bag in great bravado for his companions.
"Get lost, you little runt!" Jackie yelled back, snarling. The boy almost tripped, as he didn't expect the convict to speak back to him. But he quickly recomposed himself, and and with great pomp, he puffed up his chest and spoke.

"Who are you calling runt, you good for nothing slime! My name is James Jules Venaculis, and what name have you for yourself? Who can call you a Queen of anything, or your King beside you, as you are tied to a pole!" He laughed and chucked a soft tomato at her, and it hit her squarely on her thigh.
"Hah! You wouldn't be talking so brave if I wasn't tied to this pole, boy. In fact, now that I know your name, you're the first person I'm coming after when I escape!" Jackie did not mean any harm as she growled at the group of children, but as soon as they heard her words, they went scattering in all directions, screaming and sobbing, with James at the head of the group. They were truly terrified of her and Wa-Ta. No wonder many hadn't even dared to approach them, for fear that somehow, they would escape and take revenge on all those who humiliated them.

***

"AAAAAH! THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE HERE!" a scream erupted into the afternoon air, and Jackie awoke from her uncomfortable slumber. Wa-Ta seemed to have recuperated some, and they both listened intently as cries of terror shot up in the village.
Wa-Ta looked over at the Officer. He was poised and ready for whatever troubles arose, but he too was unaware of what had happened. Villagers ran screaming past them, slamming the doors to their homes and turning off all lights.
"What the devil is going on?" the Officer asked a passing villager.
"Th-The rage of the thieves! A group of hunters had gone into the forest to eliminate the rest of the thieves, because without their King and Queen they would be helpless!" B-But... they were all killed! The thieves have heard about what we've done... and... now they must be coming to take their revenge! It's THEM!" he pointed a trembling finger at Wa-Ta and Jackie, them continued running blindly away from the town square.

"This is unbelievable..." The officer turned and gasped in surprise. Dark figures jumped from rooftop to rooftop, cackling and hooting madly, waving their arms around like dark crows.
"But they never come in the day--" The officer's voice was drowned out as a multitude of villagers ran by, screaming for help.
Wa-Ta was unsure of what to do. He knew something terrible was about to happen.

Suddenly he saw. There, standing on the roof, he was looking at himself. Another man that was his face upon the water. A reflection, but dark and twisted. And by his side stood Jackie. A tall, lean figure with ice cold eyes and shimmering blue hair. Those eyes caught onto him for just a second, and they raised in surprise.

Jackie felt the ropes slacken. She instinctively loosened herself from the pole, and grabbed Wa-Ta's arm. Someone gently grasped her hand and pulled her through the crowd of terrified villagers. She pulled Wa-Ta along with her, and together they pushed and shoved through the madness, blindly following whoever had gently taken Jackie's hand.

The village was empty and quiet. All of the villagers had taken cover, or had been possibly kidnapped or... Wa-Ta tried not to think about it.
"Jackie--"
"Not now, Wa-Ta, I'm trying to figure out a way to get us out of this bloody town." Jackie glowered, pacing deliberately towards where she imagined might be the edge of town.
"This just doesn't feel right, Jackie... I mean... hasn't this entire situation felt a little odd to you since the beginning?"
"You bet it has!" Jackie grumbled, still moving.
"No, I mean... this situation feels weird... like... like maybe we're supposed to help! I mean... couldn't it be fate that we--"
"I don't believe in fate, Wa-Ta! If I believed it fate, I would probably not be here, I would be sitting in some corner slashing my wrists, because fate is a b***h."
"What--"
"Was it fate that my inn was inherited by an old crone, so I was made desperate to get away? Was it fate that you went delirious and got us arrested? was it fate that a couple of thieves felt they might go and pillage a Gaul-Damn innocent village while we were there?"
Wa-Ta opened his mouth to speak, but stopped.
"Wa-Ta, was it fate that the ravenous slaughtered your whole family?"

Here Wa-Ta was speechless, but his thoughts were interrupted by a small cry for help. He turned his head in the direction of the noise, but it was quiet. He glanced over at Jackie, who had also heard it. They waited for near ten seconds, before hearing it again, very faint, in the distance... helpless.

Wa-Ta gave one long look at Jackie, who's face had screwed up into a complicated emotion of pain. Then, he turned, an ran to it.

***

James Jules Venacules was crouched over the young woman's body, which was crumbled on the floor in a tired heap. At her shoulder was a stain of blood which was quickly growing as her gash continued to bleed.
"J-Jimmy... ya have t'get outta here! Thos scoundrels could be back any minute, I tell yes."
"To Filgrenal with them! I'm gonna stay right here. right here..."
"Hay!" Wa-Ta ran towards the young couple, waving his arms so they could see him. James glanced up, saw the green haired figure in the distance, and his eyes narrowed.
"Yew wait right here, Sally. I've got some important business to settle."

Wa-Ta finally caught up to them, his chest heaving. "Oh, I'm glad I found you guys. I-- Hey!" He swiftly ducked out of the way as a small pocket knife slashed across where his neck was a second ago. The boy went in again for a jab, but Wa-Ta quickly caught his arm, did some complicated motions, and before the boy could think, he had tossed the knife some distance away and was caught firmly in Wa-Ta's grasp!
"Get away from me, you filthy muck! You are the spawn of the devil!"
"I didn't do it."
"You are lower than my dog's feces! You are nothing but... but a fart!" Helpless tears began to stream down James' face. He, of course, had always felt brave enough to die at any point in life, even now, without a care, but Sally....

Sally, at this point had, after much strenuous effort, managed to roll herself on her side in order to see what the sudden commotion was all about. She immediately saw the familiar face of Wa-Ta, who was at the moment holding Jimmy firmly in a position something like the chicken wing, and cried out as loudly as she could.
"D-Don't hurt him!"
Wa-Ta glanced up, and recognized the young woman from the bar. Hesitantly, he released James, and James, without a second thought turned again on Wa-Ta and started lashing out with his fists and feet. He was not match for Wa-Ta, when, once again, he caught James' fist and managed to wrestle him to the ground, pinned.
"I can't!" Wa-Ta said, grunting as he tried to hold down the youth. "H-He keeps fighting!"
Sally looked over at James, who didn't seem to hear the conversation at all, but kept struggling under Wa-Ta's weight.
"Jimmy, s-stop fightin against him, I tell ye! he's not the thief king! He's just a-trying to help us!"
James momentarily paused to hear, but still struggled a bit as he spoke.
"Are you mad, Sally? This guy slaughtered--"
"He's not the thief king, I tell ya! He looks just like him but it was a total accident b'cause they locked him an 'is friend up and...*cough*"
Wa-Ta was alarmed at the strange noises Sally's throat made as she struggled to speak. He threw James aside and headed towards her, trying to soothe to not talk.

"Don't you lay a hand on her, you-- ugh!" James threw himself at Wa-Ta again, but was stopped. He heard gusts of wind whizzing past his ears paired with occasional silvery streaks, and before he knew it, his body was constrained by some type of coils, tugging him away from Wa-Ta. He turned to see a flash of blue, and a very familiar prominent female figure standing behind him, her arms outstretched.

Wa-ta didn't even need to turn to see who it was, he only smiled to himself. The smile quickly faded however, when he saw the terrible wound on the young bartender's shoulder.

"Hey, how did this happen to you?" he asked her, gently.
"The... the thieves... they came and just... well all I saw was a flash, next thing I know I'm on the ground, bleedin.... Then James comes and sees me and starts crying for help."
"That's amazing. I can't believe the thieves wouldn't have seen you on the ground to finish you off! And what are the odds that Jackie and I would find you just as we left the village."
"I dunno. Must be fate, I guess." Sally smiled warmly. Wa-Ta felt uneasy.
"H-Hey... uh... Jackie? She's in... she needs medical attention really fast!"
"Hey, boy." Jackie snarled, tugging at her yo yo strings the way a master manipulates a puppet, turning James around slowly to face her. "That girl there needs a doctor. Care to tell us where we can find one?"
James, although still skeptical about the strange duo, finally decided to speak up.
"Well... shore, alright. My gramama Jahiva's the best medicine woman around. She'll get that sally fixed up right. I guess I'll tell you where she is--"

"No, that's alright," said Wa-ta, sullen. "We already know."

"What was it?" Jackie said, moments after the noise had been heard. She swallowed hard. Something about this forest... everything made her uncomfortable.
"I don't know... could've been an animal or something."
"I'll bet. But what kind?" she said, reaching for her silver yo-yos. A swing and a miss. Her stomach clenched up tightly, when she came to a horrible realization.
"Blast! My yo-yos... they're still back at Gully."
"What? I thought the old lady smuggled them out of the prison for you."
"She did, she did! But when we took the barmaid... I left them there. We have to go back!"
"Great, Jackie. Just great! Of all the times you had to forget--"
"Don't even start that--unngh!" something whizzed by Wa-Ta's head, and cracked hard on Jackie's forehead. She was sent toppling backwards.

"J-jackie!" Wa-ta moved to help her, but another rock flew by. He barely dodged it, but saw where the thrower was located in the bushes. Moving quickly, he dived into the foliage.
"Hey, what're you... OW!" the attacker felt very small and weak, and Wa-Ta had a hard time getting a hold of him.
"Alright, who are you?" Wa-Ta said, wrestling the body and throwing the boy into the clearing. He let up as he recognized the face.

"Jimmy, what are you doing here?"
The small boy was struggling to get back up. he hopped onto his feet, and took a gimpy fighting stance. "C-come on! I'm not afraid!"
"Jimmy, I'm not going to hurt you! What did you do to Jackie!?" Wa-Ta said, running up to the semi-conscious female body.
"I was... I was trying to get your attention. But then you attacked me! Dirty thief!" He charged at Wa-Ta, but his weak blows bounced harmlessly off of his back.
"Cut it out, Jimmy. You could have just walked up to us. Look, you've knocked her out!"
"I didn't throw that hard. Only a silly girl would faint from something like that."
"How about I throw a rock at your head, you scamp. We'll see how it feels... uggh." Jackie stirred, and Wa-Ta breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, now we really have to get you back to the old lady's place."
Jimmy spat. "No way. The police are crawling all over the village. You'd be caught for sure."
"It's fine!" Jackie protested, wobbling to an upright position. "We'll go on."
"But what about your yo-yos?"
"You mean these? Why do you need these toys?" Jimmy pulled out the two silver yo-yos from his pocket. "You left them at gramma's."
"Give me those!" Jackie said, snatching the from Jimmy. "These are deadly weapons, not toys!"
Jimmy looked at her like she was nuts. Jackie tried to look a little less crazy, and sighed.

"Look, kid, thanks for these. Now, go back to the village. This is a really dangerous place." Wa-Ta nodded in agreement. "This is a serious situation."
"Nuh-uh. I'm going with you guys. I promised Sally."
"What?"
"I promised Sally I would make sure you guys got the job done. That you would get her father back."
"Whatever. We'll get the job done. You need to go back home."
"No! Sally is hurting and it's all your fault!" Jimmy screamed, pointing an accusing finger.
"Now wait just a minute--" Jackie puffed her chest out defensively.
"You guys are so stupid! I hate you! You were probably trying to run away and leave us to rot, and if I hadn't come along you'd have been gone by now! I'm not going to let you do that!"
"Jackie..." Wa-Ta looked up, watching birds flutter up from the trees.
"Now you shut up, kid, and you pay attention! We made a promise, and we have always intended to keep that promise!"
"Jackie--"
"Quiet, Wa-Ta! Listen here and listen good. I'm am tired of your little-kid nagging. We are marching into these woods with the sole intention of putting and end to the stupid thief king and thief queen. N-Now if you will run home and-- sleece us I'll... I mean... If you'll just go home and leave us alone, were gonna--"
"Jackie!"
"What? I'm trying to compose a damn sentence here!"
"We're surrounded."