Memory Game 3

Of Streetlamps And Spiders

It took a while, but they eventually exited the forest due west. Luckily for them, they came across a kindly farmer headed in that general direction. He allowed them to ride the back of his coach, the thief and the princess taking to the right side while the fayri took the left. Before they had approached them, Sūraja had turned her scarf into a headdress, covering her ears from view.

Setting their gear at their feet, the trio took a moment to relax. Eventually though, as the carriage started to pull away, Petricia began to get restless from the silence. She nudged Alicia in the rib, nodding her head in Sūraja's direction. "Ya gonna do it?" She asked with her eyes. Alicia nudged back with a blink of her eyes "No! You're the one who's known her longer!" This led to a back and forth that evolved from gentle nudges to full on shoves.

"So what exactly is that you wish to ask of me?" They stopped their antics, to see Sūraja  watching them with a slightest of smirks. She waited demurely, waiting till one of them actually spoke up. Seeing as neither would, she decided to ask them herself. Finally Alicia gave into the pressure from Petricia.

"I was wondering about your reaction from my birthmark from earlier…" Alicia asked, folding her hands into her lap. Sūraja's mouth formed an O at the statement!

"Ah! It is not something you should be too worried about! Know that what you carry on your body is something very rare among people of your character." Neither of the two would never really know just how hard it was for them not to cast a sparring glance at the other at that very moment. They did notice, however, their fayri companion had altered her wording a little, most likely to not give anything away.

"As you both know fayri and humans alike are able to utilize magic through the physical and mental chakras in the body." Well, actually Alicia had learned that being able to cast magic was because of the rapidly firing synapses in commonly unused sections of the brain. The extra energy these parts expelling through the body and causing various reactions within the atmosphere when combined with multiple trigger words, similar to what Petricia had displayed earlier with changing her dagger into a bracelet. The amount of magic cast by a user was based on their brain activity and physical prowess. But really, why bother with specifics?

"Fayri are more naturally adept to the mystic arts, most probably due to their connection to the Spirits. Due to this, they can release a sort of seal that direction connects a human to its Spirit Guardian. The mark is a sort of enhancer of magical and physical attributes throughout the human body, utilizing energy from their Guide."

"Your mark obviously indicates that your guide is the rabbit. What physical properties that might entail, I do not know. That is for you to discover on your own. I can tell you what affinity your magical properties will affect because of the color though and I believe you can as well." It was the color black, the element of stone. "What interests me the most is what circumstances were that allowed you acquire the mark, seeing as fayri only give it to those that they deem trustworthy." Alicia felt Petricia wince beside her, the blond sliding a hand into the auburn's own.      

"I'm not too sure to be honest. I've had it as long as I can remember. I can't recall an instance where it wasn't there for all to see." The princess went silent as she attempted to go through her memory, but nothing that came to mind reflected her being given the mark by her fayri guardian.


"Well then ya have any idea what yer pal Chester was going on about when he mentioned this Spider-Teller person?" Petricia asked her offhandedly, her attention on the passing scenery. The girl shook her head, the phrase brand new to her. She had never once heard of such a thing.

"I believe that I can help with that inquiry!" chimed in a male voice. The farmer looked over his shoulder to make sure he had their undivided attention. "The "Spider-Teller" can't be anyone other than Zanazike, the Wise."

"He's a living legend in these parts, a fayri that's supposed to be able to read the great circle of life itself. Even the Queen of Dekarea sends her soldiers to visit him periodically, because of the great accuracy of his predictions. I'm heading to his city right now actually." The three of them couldn't believe how the Spirits had blessed them! To be able to come across such a person who—"I just need to get past this pay toll and we'll be on the bridge connected to the mainland. I wonder why there are so many guards at this checkpoint."

Sūraja wasted no time as they approached the toll bridge, grabbing her companion's hands and chanting "Mē'āpuhc Ārahēc Ārēt!" to change face. A duo of 6s halted the carriage, a lowly 3 ordered them in case the people they were looking happened to be boarded. Instead they found three children, all who appeared to be the man's three daughters by their features.

With no evidence that their targets were with this farmer, they let him pass. Further down the massive structure, Sūraja released the mirage. Her breathing was heavy; her skin paler than it had been only moments before, bags evident under her eyes.

"Sūraja , are you alright?" Instead of responding, the fayri started leaning over to one side of the carriage towards the boxes stacked beside them. Alicia rushed to catch her, the princess shifting so that way she was sitting on the other side and let the girl's head rest in her lap.

"She's fine, Bundie, just exhausted. Used up too much of her in a span of 24 hours it seems. Probably put too much anger into that explosion spell she did earlier and then having to camouflage three individuals? She may have a larger reservoir of magic, but it ain't unlimited. Just let her rest."

"Alicia, come and look at this marvelous view!" She jerked awake, finding that the fayri was no longer in her lap. She found that her friends were on their knees as the leaned on the back of the driver's seat, looking out before them. Climbing up after them, her eyes grew wide at what they were seeing. The stars in the night sky seemed dull in comparison to the port-side paradise.

The land seemed to stretch off into the far off horizon. They were now surrounded by a multitude of other carts and strange horseless carriages that emitted a water vapor into the air. As they finally entered the city, they found fancy gentlemen and urban teens running the streets as the lamps burned away midnight oil. The farmer's horse trotted along the cobblestone road, until he stopped in front of an inn by the name of Dreamaway Lodges.

The three of them climbed out of the carriage—"Are you absolutely sure that you do not need us to volunteer assistance in setting up your stand in the morning? Those boxes are quite hard to move, after all."—just as a woman in a pale blue dress and white apron rushing out of the building to greet him. Her hair was in an up-do, the single loose strand a silver-grey curving downwards as it bounced.

"Donald, you crazy goose, don't tell me these are more strays you done picked off on your way here!" The woman put her fist on her hips as she gave a small kick of the man's large wooden wheel.

He only tipped his hat at her before moseying along towards the city's market circle. "Thank you kindly, Ms. Mini!" His voice called from down the road.

She huffed, shaking a fist with sigh. The woman's face eased up with a smile. Oh the things she did for her husband's old friends. One of these days she was going to have to learn to say no. She gave a small shake of her head before turning to survey her new arrivals.

"You need some of my magical crab soup, a cat nap, and maybe a cola bath." She pointed as she strode towards Sūraja.

"You need probably the softest bed in the joint and a massage to get those stress knots out, waving at Alicia.

"And you," Stopping in front out Petricia, noses almost touching as she looked the brunette eye to eye. "Need not to steal all my silverware or from any other guests that stay here. There is no safe or secretly hidden treasure box, so don't go looking. The name is Gemini McLane and I run this establishment." The girls looked after the lady as she entered the building before glancing at each other, following behind a sliver of a black tail.

"I also happen to run a small yet fairly popular restaurant called Double-Eye Diners.  I expect, seeing as you are old Gestone's pickups that you work there in the morning, no later than 7 a.m. Deary me after what happened with Rosalind, he just can't sit there if a fellow fayri is in trouble! She only lost a finger! And it's not like she didn't grow it back the next morning!" McLane said this last part to no one in particular, sliding behind the front desk, going up to the key holder and picking 413.

"Fourth floor, east side, right hand corner. You each get your own beds (Green eyes, yes, you. Go for the one closest to the window, it's the fluffiest), a larger drawer, and a bathroom with a tub."

"I expect a gold piece from each of you humans later tomorrow and depending on how well you work tomorrow morning, the price might go down the longer you stay. You, honey, can stay for free as long as you try not to bite my son, no matter how sweet of a rascal he his. "

The three blinked in complete confusion, as the mouse eared innkeeper shooed them off. A golden key was pressed into Sūraja's hand, as McLane started going up the stairs behind the front desk to her own apartment. "Welcome to Dreamaway Lodges, ladies, hope you enjoy your stay." The girls followed her directions, heading towards the eastern wing on the fourth floor.

Upon opening the door, it expanded into a fairly large, golden painted room. Three identical king sized beds with curtained wooden bed frames lay along the left wall with their own nightstand and miniature clocks, a black tinted patio door going out to a stone and concrete balcony. On the right side the room stood a large dresser drawer, a fully body vanity mirror one side, the doorway to the bathroom on the other.

Alicia followed their hostess advice and claimed the bed closest to the balcony as her own, Petricia taking the one in the middle, which left Sūraja with the one closest to the hall. They tested their mattresses in their own way (Alicia's was a face first dive into the pillows, Petricia sat on the side to make sure it didn't creak, and Sūraja had practically started her cat nap.) when there was a knock on the door.

Sūraja was left to open the door as her friends simply started at it. She was greeted by the sight of folded clothes being carried by a tiny person. Upon taking them into her arms, a small, whiskered boy with beige skin was found looking up at the fayri. He had the slightest blush on his cheeks, ears curled down.

"You look as sweet as possible, young one! I might just have to gobble you up!" The boy's eyes grew in size as she let her fangs show with a smile, before he bolted off crying for his mother, who they assumed was McLane. The cat girl gave a laugh, placing the clothes on her bed before shutting the door. Petricia hurled a pillow at her head.

"That wasn't funny, ya crazy feline! That kid's gonna have nightmares now!"

Alicia lifted her head from her pillow, looking at what was presented before them. "What are those?" Petricia unfolded the tangerine orange outfit, which turned out to be a pair of pajamas (the other pair were a cherry red and dark mint green respectively)! On the pocket on the top a white SP was embroidered in white fancy, curvy lettering. Sūraja lifted up the pants, which seemed to have a hole where bum would be. "You might want to get those fixed, Sūraja."

"Nonsense! This is perfect!" The fayri chimed happily, quickly sliding into the pants. "Lah Ātalac Ātap!" Her friends watched speechlessly as a caramel-beige appendage appeared to fill the whole, twitching back and forth excitedly. Acting as if nothing had just happened, Sūraja  quickly put on the upper part of the outfit and strode over to vanity. Their jaws dropped because it turned out that their friend had a tail all along.

"Okay, princess, it's time for you to join the world of the waking!" The loud, southern hilted voice of their current caretaker rang in Alicia's ear. She groaned as the early morning sunlight hit her closed eyelids, as the elder lady pulled open the patio door. Her body was stuck in the plushness of the mattress that she had no desire to move. "Do you want me to give a holler to your little robber friend?" Empty threats will get you nowhere mouse lady—"Hey,'Tricia! Your blond buddy is being a straggler!"

Alicia sat up as if she had been struck by lightning! Her hair seemed to agree with this analogy, flowing every which way from a terrible case of bedhead. McLane stood at the foot of her bed, arms crossed with a cocky smirk on her lips. "It's 7 in the morning, time to get to work! Both your companions are downstairs burning daylight, so you best get to work! And Katrix, if you don't leave this here girl alone I will personally wring your neck out or get Croquet to do it!"

The blond's head whipped towards the balcony to see an orange tabby looking after them, winking at the girl. McLane turned towards the animal and shooed at it, the cat jumping off the balcony to a lower ledge. Alicia all but scrambled out of her sheets to the plant covered veranda, hair whipping back as she was met with salty winds blowing from the water close by. The cat had disappeared. But what was more so, the hotelier knew something about Chester!

The princess turned around, hoping to possibly get some knowledge from the lady, but discovered that she had scurried down the stairs. "Hurry it up, doll! There are orders to be taken and breakfast to be served!" Alicia sighed. Once again she was given more questions than answers.

"Orrac." She yawned as she descended down the stairs, magically fixing her hair to make a fashionable braid, so she could tie a black bandana along her head. Her waitress outfit was a short sleeve, billowing bright red dress with black buttons along the collar, white ruffles skirting along the edge of the dress. A tiny black rabbit was icon on the left hand corner of the dress, matching the side with her mark.

Entering a door she hadn't seen there the previous night, Alicia entered a semi-crowded diner, people sitting along the front countertop or in the booths to the side. To her surprise, she found Petricia taking orders from her customers quickly before tucking the pen behind her ear and pacing off to the kitchen's wire lining.

The thief's own outfit was almost similar to Alicia's own, except that it was a peppermint green this time and the short girl had been forced to wear a black corset type piece and dress showed off a modest amount cleavage (apparently nothing was hidden from this Ms. McLane). Two little circles curled out into wing-like symbols on the back of the dress.
  
So if Petrica was here where was—"Two orange breakers, a Cavity stacker, and a side of browns, is the correct order for table 10, yes?" The fayri was helping assist in the kitchen, her hands working fast as she created divinely good food. Her martial arts skills helping with speed and accuracy, the occasional spell working one or two cooking instruments as she moved from station to station.

"Ma'am, you aren't too distracted I hope? You might want to get started soon, so you will eventually cope." This man was wearing a simple black suit with light blue pinstripes and white tie, a monocle hanging over one eye. Alicia fumbled a little in getting out her pen and notepad from her apron that was stitched on her dress.

"Would it be alright if I started with you then?" The man smiled at her.

"That would be most appreciated. I'd like to have a blueberry muffin as if it were fated. Also, your best jasmine tea! Yes, that would most please me!" Alicia scratched down the request and bounded off to fulfill it. To her wonder, the order already seemed to be waiting for her arrival. Taking it to her first customer, he happily thanked her with another little rhyme.

She quickly got into the rhythm of things, chatting up everyone as if she had worked there for years, her and Petricia walking circles around one another. She'd occasionally circle back to the gentlemen, refilling his mug from a pitcher. He seemed to be waiting for someone, but she did her best not to question it.


The pair of them continued to do rounds, until the bell jangled several times. Alicia halted mid-word at the flash of silver that caught the cut of her eye, the familiar red jacket causing her to stop all together. Dekarean soldiers and the Ace herself had entered the restaurant. The black-marked princess back pedaled until she bumped into Petricia and yanked her towards the kitchen—"Hey! I'm busy here!"—also grabbing the fayri and pulling them towards the hallway of the inn.

"We have a problem!"

Petricia pulled out of the rabbit's grip, arms crossing over her chest indignantly. "I'll say! I was in the middle of somethin' and—"

"The Ace of Dekarea is currently residing inside our work place speaking with the strange gentleman to whom you first served?" Sūraja  said as she tipped over to the doorway Alicia had earlier, peering to see the threat not too far away from them. Petricia strolled over, her dress swaying back and forth as she walked.

"Are you Zanazike the Wise, the spider fayri?" They heard the Ace ask as she sat across from the man.

He responded by taking a long sip of his tea, checking his monocle before looking her directly in her eyes. His fingers tapped along the clay shell, a rhythm in eight beats.

"You come to me expecting a clue, but you don't know me as I do you. It seems the Ace is losing her edge because of a rabbit, one would hope it doesn't become a habit. The one you seek is close within your reach, but what kind of lesson would teach?"

"We looked all over for you, sir."

"I can only wonder why? Looking here first is always the best try. If you wish to speak about business to get your Queen's forgiveness, then we shall roam to my very lovely home." With this he stood up, sliding his hands into his pockets and stepping around the soldiers without touching him. They followed behind him, Maddigan giving the diner a sweep before leaving. The girls ducked out of sight, backing up into someone behind them.

"And what do you girls think you're doing leaving your post?" They looked in arrears to find their employer standing over them, her left hand tapping her right forearm impatiently. It was then that she looked through the doorway to see the sharply dressed man being followed by women in silver uniforms. "Did you cater to the man in the black and blue suit, bun hun?"

Alicia nodded, grinning and going into how kind the man was despite his weird little rhyming quirk. "That's just how old Zanazike is. And no, you may not rush out of here to go visit him once your shifts are over. Now get back to work!"

Alicia's jaw had dropped at the news that the person they were looking for had been her first client! Petricia shoved the shocked girl out into the field, Sūraja  walking around the mouse eared woman to get back into the kitchen. McLane chuckled under her breath as she watched the green and red dressed girls get back into the feel of things. "The one who sees for what it was, the one who sees for how it is and the one who sees for how it could be."

"Madam?" The mouse turned to see the cat watching her with a tilted head, ears fully pointed and attentive.

"Nothing to worry your pretty little tail about! Get a move on, little cub!" She then shooed Sūraja back into the kitchen, the girl taking up orders from the other cooks.