29 Chapter 29

The sound of chatter filled the streets as Luna looked around, her hands clenched close to her chest. Scarlet looked over at her. "You think she's alright, Gale?"

Gale turned to Luna, seeing her look around nervously. "Yeah, she is just nervous about failing, she's probably never chatted much to people. Letting Fang co most of the talking for her after she left her home."

Scarlet nodded as Luna caught wind of an injured child. She ran up to it. "Are you hurt badly?" the child looked at her shaking its head, Luna sighed looking over the injury. "You should be careful, not many people watch where they are going when it comes to children."

Scarlet smiled at her kind heart; she walked over. Handing the child, a flower. "Here, take this brave little soldier." The child's face lite up thanking Scarlet and Luna, as the child waved them in thanks. "I didn't expect you to go off and help that child, Luna?"

Luna smiled, "Fang did most of the talking to older folk, and I had my way with children." She snickers. "You should see Fang trying to interreact with them; it's quite funny."

Gale smiled at the thought. "Well, we best ask around." He looked around, seeing a café. "Let's try that café over there first." Pointing at it, Luna and Scarlet looked overseeing the café's sign. "We might find something out on that night?"

Scarlet nodded. "Good plan, let us go then before we get smooshed by the crowd like the kid." Luna nodded as they headed over.

AS they entered, they notice the child before slipping into the back, a woman walked up to them, "Hello there, what can I get you three?"

Gale turned to the woman, "Some nice tea would be nice your choice blend please, for all of us." Scarlet and Luna found a seat.

as they sat down, the woman brought their tea. "Is that all?" The woman smiled at them.

Scarlet started to take a sip as Luna looked at the woman. "Well, if it's not too much to ask, we heard that someone had stolen from the king's castle if you might have info about the incident?"

The woman thought about it. "Well, the only thing I remember is a man running from the Winter district with this weird pendant that had one jewel, but I could describe him though because he wore a ratty cloak and seemed to be heading to the slums just past the winter district." The woman bowed. "I'm sorry if I'm no help in telling you more."

Gale reached over to her. "You were more than a help miss, thank you." The woman looked up, seeing his warm smile.

"A-a, your welcome." The woman blushed at him, covering her cheeks. "I should get back to my work; I hope you enjoy the tea." She left flustered at Gale's warm smile.

Gale looked at Luna. "You handled that beautifully, Luna."

Luna smiled at him. "Thank you, but this means we have a starting point to start searching for—"

A commotion caught their attention; Gale left the coin for the tea on the table as they went to check it out. The child from before flew across as some men had kicked him. "Filthy brat, you dirtied my new jacket!" A man barked.

Gale was about to go when Scarlet walked up the man. "Excuse me, but what is going here, you oaf?"

The man turned to Scarlet and smiled greedily at her. "Well, I would feel better if a woman was in—"

Scarlet dropkicked him to the ground, stepping on his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Her eyes filled with disgust at him. "You dare talk to a Rosier, that way, boy?"

The man recognized Scarlet, his face filled with fear. "I-I'm sorry, madam Rosier! P-please, forgive—"

Scarlet lifted her foot, grabbing him by the collar; the man winced in fear. "Forgive you? Please don't make me make your life more of a living hell. You will respect others over your ego and." She let him go, the man fell back down. "if I ever catch wind of you doing this again, you will be hanged from your manhood. Am I clear?" The man nodded as he ran away, soiling his pants. Scarlet fixed her hair. "What a pig of a man."

Gale, shaken by Scarlet, went to the child, and Luna followed close behind. "Are you alright little one?" The child nodded. "That's good." Gale sighed in relief.

The woman from the café ran out, seeing the child, "Are you ok, honey?"

The child teared up at the sight of her. "Yes, sis, I'm fine now, thanks to these folk."

Luna smiled as Scarlet walked over. Whispers of Scarlet echoed around them. "Well, at least you're not hurt badly from that –"

"That pig." Scarlet cut Luna off as she looked around. "We should head back to the inn before the guards come sniffing." Luna nodded, saying goodbye to them as she joined Gale and Scarlet.

As they returned, they noticed Lovell entering the inn. Coming Lovell turned around to see them. "oh, your back, how was the search?"

Gale walked past him as Scarlet huffed to her room. Luna smiled sheepishly. "Well, we found out where the area to search, but we ran into some trouble."

Lance, Zephyr, Fang and Zero walked in not long after. Lance is hanging himself as he sat down. "I'm pooped."

Lovell looked at them, seeing that they had it rough. "What happened to you four?"

Zero dragged himself by. "Don't even ask any more than you have." Leaving with Zephyr and Fang to their rooms.

Luna walked over to Lance with Lovell. "Care to elaborate, Lance?"

"We ran into some kids that gave us a run for our money, literately, but they gave us back the money after we found them with an old man. The old man beat us to the punch in smacking some sense into them."

Luna snickered, "Sounds like they trying to help him or something to me."

Lance sat up. "Yeah, the old man was taking care of them, and then he got ill, so they turned to pickpocket. Zero gave them a pep talk afterwards." He stretched out as he turned to Luna. "Did you guys have better luck."

Luna nodded, "Yes, but we did get into trouble, and I think Gale learned not to mess with Scarlet."

Lance puzzled looked at Lovell then back at her. "Oh, what happened to scare him of Scarlet."

Luna closed her eyes. "Well, we helped this kid out earlier and went to this café. We asked the woman serving us and found out that a man with a strange pendant was seen by her leaving the castle from the winter district."

Lance and Lovell sat up at her "Really?"

Luna put her hands up as they spoke. "Yes, but shortly after this man kicks the child, we helped and well, Scarlet went scary all over him. Pinning him to the ground and making him soil himself before telling him off."

Lovell and Lance felt a chill as they listened to Luna's story. Lovell sat back. "Well, I had met the king earlier."

Lance turned to him, "What, really?!"

Lovell nodded, "Yeah, he was expecting us and sent someone he trusted to get me. Mind you, I had to disguise myself to get in."

Luna smiled, "At least we are getting somewhere."

Lance childishly leaned back, "True, but this is only the beginning."

Lovell agreed, "Yes, but things could also get harder even if we have six weeks to find the culprit." Lance and Luna nodded. "So, we need to keep vigilant. That weasel of a man in the castle has ears possibly on every street with guards and ordinary folk supporting him."

Lance nodded, "Right, and tomorrow we will search the area in the winter district for more info, well you might—"

"No, I'm going tomorrow with you." Lovell interjected, "I know that meeting the king two days in a row would cause suspicions."

Luna leaned back, "Makes sense, so, what's the plan then?"

Lovell smiled softly, "You, Scarlet and Gale will head to the shopping district in that area, while Fang and Zephyr will check the alleyways by the castle for clues." Lovell turned to Lance. "You, Zero and I will hit the slums and the border area of the commoner's section."

Lance folded his arms. "Sound like a plan to me I'll run it by Fang and Gale."

Luna stood up. "I'll get tell Scarlet and the twins then."

Lovell nodded as they left. "I'll be a while." They nodded as they left him.

Later during the night, Lovell sat at the window in the seating area of the inn's dining area. Marie walked up to him with a hooded man. Lovell looked at her. "You have time to talk, Lovell?"

"Yes," Lovell turned to the hooded man. "It's nice to see you, Orville."

Orville lifted his head, revealing his face. "I'm surprised that you noticed it was me."

Lovell smiled, "I knew you might come, so we found a lead already."

Orville sat down across from Lovell, as Marie leaned against the wall. "That's good."

Lovell leaned over the table. "Now, there is something I'm going to tell you, and it might be a big shock at first, but hear me out." The King looked at Marie and nodded, Lovell, leaned back. "My friends and I not including Fang and one other are the Ren-Ky warriors."

Marie stood up. "Wait you are a—"

Lovell nodded, "Yes, and the one other is her."

The King stared at Lovell. "BY the goddess, well, I know now what I'm going to do once this fiasco is dealt with."

Lovell tilted his head. "And what's that, Orville?" Lovell is trying to keep things off the books of who Orville was.

Orville turned to Lovell. "You will find out once you clear Ark and expose my advisor to the people."

Lovell smiled at him. "Very well then, you should get going before he starts sniffing around."

Marie nodded as Orville got up. "I hope for the best, then Lovell." Orville extended his hand.

Lovell gabbing his hand, "Likewise, hopefully with the culprit in hand and the truth."