The Plan

A few days passed and Alerian and Eliza were at the wall circling the city from beasts and attacks from other kingdoms.

"This is it Alerian its time for us to go see what's outside!"

Alerian patted her head, "You forgot the shovel."

Eliza hit her head against the wall, "I did, didn't I… Let's go ask mister Jarvis for his shovel!"

"And what's the reason you're going to give him hmm?"

"We're digging for water? That could work"

"Yeah, I'll just go ask someone else. Honestly, how do you forget the shovel!"

"Well, I had a busy morning okay! I thought you would bring yours!"

"You said you would bring it!"

"Blaaahh! Let's just go ask someone else."

"I bet you don't even remember the plan"

"Yes, I do!", she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"We are going to dig a hole under the wall small enough for us to go through and then spend a few hours in the wilderness and looking at whatever we find and then come back, fill the hole up, and head home after jumping in the river". Eliza smiled.

"You remember that but not the shovel", Alerian snickered covering his mouth.

"Hey!", she smacked him on the shoulder, "You shouldn't be so mean"

Alerian rubbed his shoulder, then looked at the spot they were going to dig at.

"Fine… let's go ask mister Jarvis."

Lucy opened the door to the guild's armory. She enjoyed looking at the clean, taken care of weapons, that the members used, with each weapon being held close to their hearts. Lucy walked around, sliding her fingers down the blades of swords, appreciating the metalwork of the blades. She felt content, a whisper of relief in her soul as she took a sword from where it hangs. Heavy was the first thought she had, and then she began swinging it, at first like a child who was playing with a stick. Then with a little more force and skill, with a smile on her face. It felt like an extension of her. She had control. Freedom. Unlike the appendages the came from her back. She hated how she couldn't control what they did, whether they swung or pierced. She hated the headaches that came from every use. She hated that she had them. She hated herself.

She frowned. She didn't want to think of whatever's inside her. Whenever she thought of them, she hated herself even more. She put the sword back where it was and walked around, eyes scanning the number of bows and arrows that were left, traps used to capture Fafnirs, and then finally settling on a scythe. Her eyebrow raised.

'That's new…'

As she walked out to it, she felt its handle, she felt the wood covering the metal on the inside, the blade glimmering with the light. She took it off the wall and felt its weight. Heavy. But light enough to swing easily at her age. She swung it.

THUNK

It pierced the wood, the tip dug deeply into the wall. She liked it. A mix of slashing and piercing. As she pulled out the weapon from the wall, she spun it around. A smile formed on her face. Then it flew out of her hands crashing into the swords. Loud clattering was heard throughout the guild.

"Crap!", she rushed over quickly and started to put the blades back where they were.

Meanwhile, Alerian and Eliza walked into the guild.

"Mister Jarvis!", Eliza shouted.

Alerian sighed, "You don't have to shout he's right in front of you Liz", he facepalmed.

Jarvis was reading over papers he needed to sign in the common room with the other guild members, discussing with them which deals they should take, taking mind the more financial side of the deals.

Jarvis looked up, "Oh it's you two…what brings you here to the guild?

The other members of the guild continued to read over the papers. To Alerian and Eliza, they seemed like they needed time.

Eliza spoke up first, "Are you, busy mister…? You seem like it"

"Bah you don't have to worry about those, that's guild business. So, am I going to get an answer to my question kids?"

Alerian cleared his throat, "Could we borrow your shovel? We need it for uh…something"

Eliza bounced just a tad, "Yeah please!"

Jarvis raised an eyebrow, "I assume you're going to dig a hole somewhere. But where is the question."

"We're going to try to dig up water to get rich", Alerian lied quickly on the spot.

Jarvis laughed, "Well I don't see why not. Alright then let me just- "

A loud crash echoed throughout the guild. All the members tensed up ready for combat and to protect the children in the room. Some with their hands already on the hilt of a dagger.

"Stay here you two." Jarvis stood up and walked towards the sound of the crash.

Alerian and Eliza looked at each other and both silently agreed, 'Yeah we're following him'.

Jarvis headed forward to where the crash came from. The armory. Eliza and Alerian followed feigning innocence to the other members. Jarvis wonders who got in the armory without anyone noticing.

As Jarvis opened the door Alerian and Eliza try to peer into it from the sides.

"Lucy what are you doing in here!"

Lucy jumped and laughed nervously, "Hi mister Jarvis…"

"Lucy! What are you doing in there? And what did you drop?"

"U-Uh I didn't drop anything! I was just practicing my swing! Yeah! Uhhhh…"

Eliza stared at them as Lucy explained and defended herself.

'She's able to use the swords in there…? My parents would never let me…tch…fine! I'll see the world just like you do soon! I'll go outside and explore too! I'll see what happened to my old home! I'll be a better you than you can ever be!'

As Jarvis took Lucy out of the armory, he looked at Alerian and Eliza, "Sorry about that you two, let me get the shovel then."

Lucy mumbled, "I just wanted to see…"

Eliza grabbed Alerian's shoulder tightly.

"Ow hey…!"

Alerian noticed the quiet seething anger in her eyes. He grabbed her hand and patted her head.

"You don't need to break my shoulder. Let's get the shovel and dig. It'll be fun!"

Lucy crossed her arms, "Dig? What are you digging for? Gold?"

"You don't need to know", Eliza sneered.

"Who even are you two? Do I know you?"

"I'm Alerian and the angry small girl is Liz"

"My names Eliza…only he calls me Liz"

"Well at least you have a nickname, Liz" Alerina chuckled.

Jarvis soon came put holding out the shovel, "Here you go you two"

As Alerian took the shovel Eliza looked at Lucy one last time before she thanked Jarvis and left with Alerian.

"Well, that certainly was something."

"They seem weird…and I think that Eliza girl has problems."

Jarvis chuckled, "My aren't you intuitive."

"Do I have to still go to mister Silverman for school? I don't really want to right now…"

"Speaking of school…"

Jarvis had yet to make up his mind about Ozer's proposal. It would certainly help his adoptive daughter, however, the risks that come with it rested heavily on Jarvis's shoulders. She would be one of the very few women to go to a school that advanced, let alone she would be one of the common people, making her even more of a target. But the benefits of free education on that level, all covered for free is too good to pass up on.

"Lucy, we have to talk about your education…after I finish up this meeting, we'll discuss it. Its…very important."

"Okay mister"

'What? He's going to do something new…' she thought.

Alerian and Eliza made their way back to the gate wall.

"Alright let's start digging that hole!", shouted Eliza.

"Woohoo"

"At least show some enthusiasm about it now! We got the shovel!"

"You do know we have to return this by the end of the day, right? And that this will probably take more than a day. Better not forget the shovel tomorrow alright?"

"Blah…fine I won't forget it"

"Good! Now let's get to digging"

And with the shovel being plunged into the ground, progress began on their hole, each switching out when one got too tired to keep digging. The small hill of dirt slowly started to be made. They thought about this for a long time, doing it around an area where most of the citizens won't see them, and for the ones who would see them, they would think they were just playing.

After the sun started setting the hole was nearly complete.

"Alright let's get this back to mister Jarvis…we can finish tomorrow!"

"Okay…Okay!" Eliza took labored breathes being the one to take the last turn.

"Tomorrow we see the incident area"

"Right! Tomorrow!"

As they went back to the guild to give back the shovel to Jarvis Eliza felt a flutter in her heart.

The freedom of adventuring was close, and it called to her.