Excursion

Chapter Eleven - The Flying Pig

   As soon as I finished helping the sailors tie their boat to the docks and unloading all of my belongings from the cabin, I walked up to the closest 'Wanted' paper to study the girl's face. She was scowling – her thick brows nearly obstructing her bright amber eyes - and her fiery red hair cascaded down her square shoulders. She had a prominent nose – one that reminded me of a disapproving aunt – and her lips were slightly pulled back from her teeth, making her appear more akin to a wild animal than a human. It was a disturbing image. I then read the print below:

  WANTED: YVETTE REYNA BARENTINE

  Under charges of: Stealing, murder, treason, and attempted assassination of the Premier.

  Last seen: In the town of Kakka, on Faljin 42nd at 15:24 PM.

  Reward: 1,000,000 Lapis

  Faljin the 42nd... I had no idea when that was, but regardless, I wondered how this Yvette had gone unnoticed for even a day with all these posters fluttering about. I shivered. Not even the Magnicum Region could be free from the threat of criminals.

  "Don't worry, Nomen," Esis remarked.

  I jumped, for I hadn't even heard him walk up behind me.

  "I'm thinking some of the antics listed here are exaggerated. The Premier has a team of highly-trained guards surrounding her palace at all times; there's no way even an invisible assassin would be able to get beyond the main gate."

  Now I was certain that Esis was the one exaggerating, but I kept my mouth shut, and instead hoisted my bag further up onto my shoulders to wave goodbye to Holly and her crew.

  "So, where to?" Salandil breathed as he wandered up to us, a huge smile spread across his face. "Goodness gracious, this place is beautiful."

  I was so distracted by Yvette that I didn't fully appreciate how remarkable this new region was. It was as if I had just stepped out into a fairyland. Trees of every shape and size lined the world in front of me, obscuring my vision so much that I could hardly see the start of the path we were about to embark on. Small pools of water dotted the ground nearby, while a river trickled gently into the ocean. Flowers of red, orange, blue, green, and colors that I didn't even recognize bloomed all around – some of them so strange that I was unsure if they were even flowers - and from every direction, I could hear a cacophony of wildlife.

  "I say we go to a restaurant and get something to eat," Esis broached, discarding some of his food on the side of the road as he spoke.

  "A restaurant?" I echoed.

  "Yeah. You know... a place where you get food."

  "Oh. Oh, right."

  "And if you guys are amazed by this place, just wait until we get to Wilpindur. You won't be able to put a name to any of the things there."

  "Didn't you want us to be in Magnicum, though?"

  "Yes, the region is called Magnicum. Wilpindur is a town, silly."

  "Where does Nova live?" Salandil asked, curiosity lighting up his features.

  I thought his question was rather blunt, considering how we were told that our guide was in love with the girl, but Esis only smiled and replied, "In Lazuli. If we start moving now, we should make it to that city within two days."