Ch4-7: Three's A Crowd
“Didya check it out?”
“What?”
“It was like… BOO-YA!”
“Palom… you’re not making any sense,” Porom frowned from behind the large sack she was carrying. Being very careful not to slip up on the steep incline of the airship ramp, she turned her attention back to her task with a hint of irritation.
Her brother was carrying a stack of tall boxes, which balanced precariously in his arms. It was all too obvious that he was trying to tote far too many at once… but for the sake of showing off, Palom would go to any length.
“I’m talking about King Edge, man…” the boy chortled, shifting the weight of the boxes in his arms.
“What about him…?” Porom grumbled. “Palom… come on… move up. This sack is heavy!”
“Hey, I’m trying here!”
“Serves you right for picking up more than you can carry.”
“Hey, I can handle it. No sweat.”
“Right…” she huffed. “So what about King Edge?”
“Heh… I knew you were interested.”
Porom huffed, “Not really. But since he’s going to be one of my traveling companions, I think I should know.”
“Excuses… excuses… face it, you just love a good gossip!”
“That is not true!” she gave her brother a sharp nudge in the back. “You started talking about it first!”
“Eh! Eh! I’m gonna drop one, Porom! Don’t do that!” Palom gave a quick glance over the railing of the ship.
“So..?”
“So… well… Edge. It’s like night and day with him. Didn’t you see?” the Black Mage smirked. “Ever since he found out that Rydia was in trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters… I heard Cecil was about to pull his hair out trying to get Edge to agree to any plan that had anything to do with Golbez.” The boy chirped, making kissy faces, “As soon as Edge found out that Rydia was in trouble, he was so totally ready to be out the door. Golbez or not.”
“Heheh… really?”
“It must be looove, I tell you!”
“Yeah, that’s so romantic!” she sighed.
“You would think so,” the boy grumbled.
“Though, I didn’t know King Edge had such reservations about working with Master Golbez,” Porom mused quietly.
“Hey, don’t you?” Palom scowled.
“Well… I don’t know. I really haven’t met him.”
“Porom! Does it matter? The guy’s a scum – Cecil’s brother or not!”
“The scum that happened to personally heal us… and create the artifact that would heal the rest of the Mysidian population of the wounds the Water Crystal made?” she noted. “Not to mention he was the one who King Cecil himself said aided him in defeating the Elemental Dragon that attacked us?”
“Well…” the boy paused, leaning the weight of his boxes up on the railing for a moment of rest, “Just because he does a couple so-called good things doesn’t mean he’s really not just bad-guy scum. I don’t really trust him… and I hate it that you have to be around him… when I can’t go to make su—“
“Paaaalom,” the girl rolled her eyes. “We’ve been over this before… how many times?”
“I know… I know. They need you in the party cuz you’re a White Mage,” he grumbled. “But why couldn’t I go too? I’m a Black Mage! I could help…”
“They already have a Master Wizard… that’s why,” Porom informed him.
“Yeah, but what happens when your Master Wizard turns on you an–”
“Palom!” she grated.
“Just saying…”
“You have no trust in anyone, do you?” Porom huffed. She plopped the sack down on the ship’s planking, near the door to the storage compartment.
“Not in Golbez. No.”
“I’ve seen him here and there in the castle. He doesn’t seem so bad,” the girl frowned. “Besides, don’t you trust King Cecil’s judgment on the matter?”
“Dude… Cecil can make mistakes too. This is his brother,” Palom rearranged the boxes, trying to make it easier for him to carry.
“Yes, and..?” she brushed a stray lock of brown hair from her eyes, blinking up.
“For all we know, he could just be treating Golbez this way out of wishful thinking.”
“Huh?”
“You know… like Cecil really wants his brother to be a good guy… so he tries to turn the tables that way. Even when Golbez really hasn’t changed at all.”
“Palom! That’s terrible. You’ve been reading too many of those silly comic books!”
“Hey,” the boy grimaced. “It could happen, right?”
“I don’t think so…” Porom’s eyes narrowed. “You need some help with those?”
“Nah… I got it…”
“Really? You don’t look like you got it…”
“Bah… I’ve got–”
Just as the boy lifted the boxes, a miscalculation in balance sent the furthest one sliding off and toppling down over the airship rail.
“Aww, crap!” Palom hissed, stacking the rest of the boxes down on the planked floor.
“Was something breakable in there?” Porom was peering over the railing in dismay.
“I have no idea…!”
“Cecil’s going to have your head if it was…” she chided.
“Awww… hush, Porom!” the boy grumbled, taking the run down the loading ramp in great leaps and bounds. There was a half-frantic look on his face as he dodged around the crates and boxes that dappled the grounds near the belly of the great ship.
Porom followed after him at a slower pace. “If it’s fallen, it’s fallen. There’s no point in breaking your neck to run to it.”
Not heeding the warning of his sister, the Black Mage stumbled over randomly scattered ship parts and sacks, skidding to a stop as he rounded the corner of one last stack of crates. Porom came to an abrupt stop, giving a quiet yelp as she almost collided with his back.
“What is–” she began in protest. She stopped in mid-question as her eyes focused around her brother’s shoulder, on the fallen box.
It was in the hands of a little, sandy-haired boy.
He looked to be a good bit younger than they were – maybe 7 or 8 years old — and was dressed down in the simple garb of a Baronian page. It was hard to tell if the boy had caught the box… or had just picked it up. His strange, golden-colored eyes peered down at it with an expression of puzzlement before they turned to observe the twin mages with a blink.
Porom felt herself shiver.
For a moment, the three simply peered at each other. Finally, the strange little boy spoke.
“Hi… did you drop this box? I saw it fall.”
“Uh… yeah…” Palom replied. There was a slight edge in his voice that hinted his own wariness towards the child. “That’s mine.”
“Did it hit the ground?” Porom added with a tone of worry.
“Oh, no. It fell into the tarps over there,” the boy pointed cheerfully. Sure enough, there was a pile of rough-hewn cloth sitting next to the side of the airship.
“Shiva… what luck!” Palom gave a half grin. “I was scared I–”
“Hey… aren’t you…!” the little boy suddenly stuttered, face growing blank with amazement.
“Um…?” Porom squinted in uncertainty.
“You’re… … ..?”
“The Mysidian Genius, Palom? That’s right!” the Black Mage smirked, elbowing his sister. “See there, I told you that my name would get around in time! Famous… just like Master Tellah was!”
“I’m not sure you’d want to be famous in the same way as Master Tellah was…” she murmured.
“Noooo…” the boy shook his head slowly. “You’re the ones that Ben healed… up in King Cecil’s room!”
Palom’s mouth clomped shut with a put-out look.
“I’m afraid you must be mistaken… I was told that we were healed by Master Golbez,” Porom answered, perking forward in interest.
“That’s right,” he nodded quickly. “But his real name is Ben.
“Ben?” she blinked.
“Oh really? I never heard anything like that,” Palom frowned slowly. He reached out and took the box from the page’s hands.
“Have you ever talked to him?” the boy quipped.
“Well… no…”
“Then he never had a chance to tell you.”
Porom put a finger to her chin, “How do you know?”
“Oh, me? Well, I’m Ben’s page!” he replied with a hint of pride.
“Is that so..?” Palom didn’t look convinced.
The boy nodded.
“That’s right… I think I have seen you around before,” Porom blinked before nodding her head once politely. “I’m sorry… my name is Porom. And this is my brother Palom.”
“I’m Chase,” the boy smiled brightly. “And… You come from Mysidia, right? You’re the Twin Mages that traveled to the top of Mt. Ordeals with King Cecil!?”
“Ah ha! So you have heard my name!” Palom chortled.
“Why, of course!” Chase looked at him with excitement, “All the pages in Baron know who you two are!”
“Heh… I think I like this kid…”
“I bet it was super-cool to be there when King Cecil become a Paladin!” The page leaned forward, making wiggly motions with his fingers, “Did you really get to see him fight a shadow of his Dark Knight self and a hundred and fifty deadly dark-specters?”
“What!?” Porom blinked.
“No way! Who told you that?” Palom put a hand on one hip. “There were no less than two-hundred!”
“Palom!”
There was a look in Chase’s eyes that spoke of sudden disbelief.
The Black Mage only grinned widely. “Okay… okay…”
“No, but it was very cool… King Cecil’s a great man,” Porom tilted her head. “He’s always been very kind to us. That’s why I hope I can serve him well on this journey.”
“You’re going with him?” Chase blinked up at her.
She nodded, “They needed an extra White Mage… I think King Cecil wants Queen Rosa to stay here and run the kingdom in his absence. So the Elder suggested I could go along… as part of my training.”
“Wow… you’re lucky…” the boy replied, face suddenly growing downcast.
“Yeah, I know! Isn’t she?” Palom grumbled.
“Why… what’s wrong?” Porom wrinkled her brow at the page’s expression.
“Just…” Chase blinked down, “King Cecil probably won’t let me… But… But, I have to go with Ben.”
Palom turned to look at the boy with a strange expression. Porom found her face mirroring her brother’s. There was something in the boy’s voice… in his eyes… that left prickles of importance over their skin.
When Porom next spoke, her mouth was dry. Why she did not think to challenge the boy’s statement, she didn’t know. But something inside of her was shaken by the light behind the golden eyes.
It was as if Chase’s words represented the unfaultable truth.
“Have you… talked to Master Golbez about it?”
“No…” the page looked down at his feet. “King Cecil is the one who picks who gets to go. And I wouldn’t want to start any trouble. Ben’s already pretty worried.”
Palom leaned back, tapping his chin. “Then, why don’t you just stowaway?”
Chase’s eyes grew round.
“Palom! Don’t fill his head with improper ideas!” Porom scowled.
“No… I’m serious!” the Black Mage spread his hands innocently. “Dude… check this! King Cecil won’t say yes. You don’t want to rock the boat with Golbez. So just pack your things and hide away somewhere on the ship! If you don’t come out till after it’s in the air for a long time… they can’t possibly send you back home, right?”
“Well… I…” the boy swallowed.
“I’m not going to just sit here and listen to this!” Porom protested.
“So cover your ears,” Palom snurged back at her.
“Hey!”
“Hey, nothing!” he retorted. “You heard him… he needs to get on that ship. So, tell me, do you got a better idea?”
“Well… no… but… he could get in trouble?”
“With Cecil?” Palom wrinkled his nose. “Come on… give me a break! Cecil wouldn’t do anything to a little kid!”
Chase’s mouth had turned into a little letter “o”.
“It’s true! I can tell you from experience!” the Black Mage smirked.
“I still don’t know if it’s a good idea,” she shook her head.
“Of course it is!” Palom pointed. “You know how those adults are! They never listen to anything until it’s too late.”
The page nodded slowly, face pleading, “It’s really really important…”
“I believe you…” Porom’s expression was troubled.
“And hey, if you’re that worried, then help him out!” her brother nudged her. “You’re gonna be on that ship, too. Right?”
Chase blinked at her, looking hopeful.
“Well, I… yeah…” she stuttered.
“So, there you have it!” Palom intoned victoriously.
“But… I don’t know anything about… stowing away?” Chase frowned slowly.
“Heeeey, no problem!” the Black Mage smirked, putting one arm around the page’s shoulders in a friendly manner. “Just come along with me… let the Master of Mayhem show you how!”
“Master of Mayhem?” Porom rolled her eyes. “Light help us…”
She reluctantly trotted after them, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach with each step.