Cannon Fodder To Villainess

🏮12. Finding Nova (Part Three)

Amber looked around, but didn't see anyone nearby.

[It's me, silly.]

"Me?" Amber said.

[Tsk! Me! Ena!]

"Ena?"

The shadow pixie rolled her eyes and tugged on Amber's hair. [I'm the shadow pixie sitting on your head! Did you happen to not notice?]

"Oh, your name's Ena, but how are we talking? I assumed we couldn't communicate except through your memories."

Amber stood up while holding onto the little fox and continued to look around for the orange haired man.

[Since you're my master now, I can communicate with you telepathically.]

"Pardon?" Amber said.

[I'm speaking directly into your mind. You should also know that I prefer staying invisible. Currently we're both invisible. I'm not really that strong of a shadow pixie, so I won't be able to spread out my shadow fog much further than I already have. If you give me more mana water and other nice things, my strength will level up, and I'll be able to do more things for you.]

"So if someone else could see me, I'd look like a crazy person talking to myself?"

[Pretty much. Although with the way things are right now, they'd probably mistake you for a ghost. Even though I'm not that strong right now, you should feel grateful that I chose to become your familiar. Shadow pixie's rarely choose to have a master. Humph!]

"You've chosen to become my familiar?" Amber said.

[That's what I said. Don't even think about being dissatisfied with me. Humph!] Ena pouted and looked down at Amber while tightened her little fists in Amber's hair.

"I wouldn't dream of it, I'm quite satisfied." Amber reached up and gently patted the top on Ena's head. Ena's face turned bright red in a blush that nearly reached her toes. [Tsk! Enough of this! Have you spotted that orange headed creep?]

"Not yet." Amber looked back over to the man who had the electric stick and noticed that he was walking to the wagons nearby.

["Let's follow him,"] They say in unison.

Amber walked after the scarred man as quietly as possible while hoping to not alert him of her presence. When her foot snapped a small stick, he looked back towards her. She held her breath as his eyes scanned the surroundings. When he didn't see anything, he continued on. He frowned to himself, while a creepy feeling ran up his back. He felt like he was being watched, but continued on anyway.

"Must be the wind, creepy weather tonight or something. I probably need a vacation or a good rest. Bad luck earlier too, misplacing my zap-rod and bumping into it somehow," he mumbled to himself. Blasted fox escaped somehow. The manager won't be happy with me when he finds out. Said he found that fox running after a wagon belonging to the 'Vermilion Pavilion.' Why a fox would be chasing after a wagon owned by a house of ill repute, I wouldn't know. All of this nonsense is giving me a headache. Perhaps it's for the best that the fox got away. If Vermilion owns that little fox, I wouldn't want to be seen selling it. They are not people to be messed with, unless you're a paying customer." He chuckled to himself.

"Where's Vermilion's wagon?" Amber said.

The man quickly turned around and went pale when he didn't see anybody there. "I've gone loony."

"You're not loony. I'm standing right here," Amber said.

His eyes widened. "A ghost! There's no need to haunt me. I'll tell you anything you want. Just please go on your way once you have your answers."

"I'm not...Alright, you've convinced me. You answer all of my questions and I'll release you from my haunting," Amber said.

[Pfft!] Ena propped her head up on her hand and looked down at her new 'ghost master' interrogating this silly man with a thoroughly amused look on her face.

The man shook his head yes, to the point where he could perhaps sustain some sort of injury.

"Where's the Vermilion wagon? Are you not going to answer me?" Amber said.

The man's eyes widened further. "Th...They just left." He pointed past himself at a dark red wagon, quickly heading down the road.

"I'll need to borrow your wagon. I'll bring it back after I'm done with it," she said while rushing past him.

He took a deep breath and exhaled in relief. "Well, as long as I'm not going to be haunted and my wagon comes back," he said to himself.

He started to walk back to the market while waiting for the ghost's return and then paused midway. "Why does a ghost need a wagon? Maybe if I can gather enough courage before she comes back, I'll ask. Although I wouldn't want to offend a ghost."

Amber sat in the front of the wagon with the little fox laying down beside her. At the front of the wagon was one giant boar the size of a rhino. The huge pig had multiple tusks down the center of its head and more tusks along its jaw.

"What is that thing?" Amber said.

[It's an Erymanthian Boar. You don't want to see what happens if you make it angry. Just tell it where to go and it'll probably take you there without too much fuss. I definitely wouldn't suggest zapping it.]

"Mr. Pig, would you mind following that red carriage quickly?" Amber said.

The huge boar looked back and snorted before looking forward and bending down to nibble on some little snack it found.

"I have much more tasty things I could give you, but we have to catch up to that red carriage ahead," said Amber.

The huge boar's ears perked up and it glanced back at her sideways, while debating on what it wanted to do.

"Either that or you could be my dinner. I do like to eat pig." She smiled maliciously and when the boar's eyes met hers, it knew she was serious. "Run," Amber said.

The huge boar turned its head facing forward and took off at full speed towards the red covered wagon. Amber fell backwards off of the seat and landed on her back, inside the wagon. Ena giggled while looking down at Amber trying to struggle to get off of her back. Amber reminded Ena of a turtle flipped onto its back. The wagon shook violently with the effort of the boar's rapid pace. Whenever Amber started to push herself up, she quickly got knocked back down.