A Quest for the Stars

"It's been arranged, then?"

The sun had started to set as new winds blew in the forested village of Hammer's Reach. The newly freed villagers, inadvertently cowed by Starflower's methods, hunched their backs and lowered their heads in silence when he inquired about his morbid request.

The bodies of Spark, Valerie, and Chet had been placed in coffins and taken inside a wagon. The stench of rot had already set in, and minimal effort was made during the embalming period to ensure it wasn't as bad as it would normally be without it.

"Yeah. I just don't get it," Lewis said. "Why go through all that trouble for these demon worshippers? They nearly doomed our village to damnation, and here they are on their way to get a proper burial."

"The world must know what happened here. The reason they isolated you from the rest of the world is to keep their terrible actions hidden. They fear being exposed because they rely on the ignorant to back them in the event someone is wise enough to see through their crap and try to expose them."

"Here's your letter," said the newly arrived elder when she held out an envelope. "As you requested, it's addressed to the Constable and sealed with my own stamp. They shouldn't stop Lewis when he arrives at the police station."

"And the details," Starflower asked.

The elder sighed. "Yes, I even included just how loving the lovely couple were with each other. It's kind of odd for a situation like this, but I'm not about to question the man who saved us."

"Very good. I pray the city shows leniency for your part in this debacle and feeds your village."

"I better get back to work, then. We scrounged up some of the Order's belongings and we managed to salvage some food. I'm hoping it lasts until help arrives." The elder excused herself and left Starflower and Lewis.

"All set, Dad." Allie shouted from the driver's seat. "It's kinda stinky, though."

"Coming." Lewis shook Starflower's hand. "I better get going as well. Our trip to the city will be long and boring, but we'll be safer once we start our lives there."

"I wish you the best of luck." Starflower stopped Lewis after seeing how the orc male limped away. "Excuse me, Lewis. How did you get that limp, anyway?"

"It's an old injury. I took treatment for it, but it came back. I haven't had time to see a doctor, but I know healing potions won't do jack."

"Definitely a disease. Gangrene, maybe. I'm surprised he's been alive for this long if that's the case." Starflower clapped his hands together. "I see. Wait for just a moment." Starflower grabbed his scroll case, from which he pulled out a scrolled parchment. He unrolled the parchment and spoke words of incantation. "Füttere und heile Vater und Tochter." The scroll then burned to ashes and in its place was a platter of cured fish with a side of bread. Starflower gingerly handed it over to Lewis and took his leave. "An old dwarven friend of mine loved cold cured trout. It was his favorite meal because it reminded him of home. The bread is an elven recipe, so you'll get the best of both worlds. Be sure to share it with your daughter; the two of you are in for a trip."

"Hmph. Weirdo." Lewis sniffed the food on the plate. "It does smell great, though. We'll eat it on the way."

"You certainly earned it. It was you, after all, who took me in when I had nowhere else to go. I won't hide that this is a low point in my life, yet out of everyone here, you're the one who treated me humanely." Starflower quietly waved as he walked away from Lewis. He glanced at the villagers of Hammer's Reach, some who were wary of him after seeing the injuries the Order of the Blue Jay had sustained, while others bowed with gratitude. He quietly acknowledged every single person and went on his way to the northern exit.

Then, he heard the sound of wings flapping on the trees nearby. "Valentine, I recently learned that revenge isn't the answer. I will bring down the Order of the Blue Jay, and after that I'll wander the realm for a while. But you don't need to live the nomad's life if you don't want to."

The eagle simply remained perched on one of the tree branches, listening to Starflower.

"I understand you loved Thomas very much, but life is too short for you to mourn him forever. Why don't you stay here for the time being? You can live a peaceful life in the forest."

The creature made a shrill cry, flapped its wings, and flew away. Starflower knew little about animals, but enough to know that they displayed affection differently from humans. At least he got an answer from Valentine, and it was better they parted ways now.

After all, she must never know the hand he played in Thomas's murder.

***

"Egh. I'll never understand how elves love this crap." Lewis munched on a piece of the bread Starflower had given him and Allie as he steered the wagon on its way to Helix City.

"I like it. It's mixed with nuts, oats, and blueberries." Allie scarfed down everything in sight, alternating between the bread and the fish. "We haven't eaten this much in days. I'm glad Mr. Starflower came to the village."

Lewis shrugged and took a bite of the cured trout. "Hey, not bad. I guess he meant well, even if he's a little, eh, gruesome with his methods." He remembered seeing how the corpses of the Blue Jays looked like. He was glad the coffins were nailed shut by the time Allie was ready to depart. As for Old Man George, his fried body was buried in the outskirts of town.

Lewis had slowly distanced himself from the old man after Allie confessed just how much he had been harassing her. Thankfully, it was nothing physical, and to some, just showing her a bad rash to get her disgusted reaction seemed innocent enough. Lewis did nothing per Allie's request, but when he decided to deny the old man entry to the Drunken Chef, George turned violent against him. Lewis had no choice but to pummel the old man before kicking him out. A rather easy task, much to the disillusioned old man's dismay.

In hindsight, this may have been the catalyst that made him reach out to the Order of the Blue Jay. Good riddance to him, all the same.

"Eat up, Dad," Allie told her father.

"I'm full, Allie. I'm surprised there was enough for both of us."

"Are you sure? The plate still looks full to me." The two of them looked at the plate of food, which was still full. "It's like we didn't grab anything yet."

And then, POOF. The plate vanished along with the food. At that moment, the wagon rolled over a bump on the road which quickly dislodged one of the wheels. Allie held on to her father while Lewis steered the startled horse to a stop so he could assess the problem.

"I hate it when these wagons are so high up. Stay here, Allie." Lewis carefully grabbed on to the seat as he carefully set his good foot on the ground. But his hand slipped from the wagon, and Lewis shouted expletives as he landed on his back.

"Dad!"

"Stay there, Allie." Lewis groaned as he sat up. "Damn it! That-" But something felt off. His bad foot didn't go off like it normally would whenever he would bump it on a table or any conveniently placed rock on the road. In fact, he didn't feel any pain at all. He slowly stood back up and stepped on his good foot first, then gradually applied all of his weight on his bad one.

Nothing.

"It's as good as new..." Lewis jumped in place like a young boy. "Allie! My foot feels great!"

"Really? Any idea why?"

"I don't know. I-I think it's from the food we just ate!" Lewis smiled and laughed as loudly as he could. "Just hang tight for a moment. I'll fix this wagon in no time!"

"Okay, Dad!" Allie went back to her seat and softly cried tears of joy. "Thank you, Mr. Starflower..."

***

~Lenoria~

The climb to the summit was near its end.

Now that the group had grown in a matter of hours, not everyone could fit in the wagon. Instead, they settled on a convoy; Melodious Aquamarine would take the lead with Mr. Horsey while the Celestial Compass crew would stay on the Argo Navis - their floating galleon - and take the rear. Caesar manned the rudder while Cecilia stood on his shoulders, surveying the land ahead.

Alistair, Lenoria, and Clara would stay in the wagon sandwiched between Mr. Horsey and the Argo Navis. It would almost be dark. The sun was almost set, and the temperature had dropped to an even lower level. Clara had wrapped herself with two winter blankets and went to sleep. After the day she had, Lenoria and Alistair felt it was best to leave her alone and let her nap on the back of the wagon.

"We'll be arriving soon, Lenoria. Once we take the cable car, we'll exit Helix and cross the border into Thule." Alistair looked over at Chestnut. "I wonder what their policy on animals is. I know merchants take their own wagons with cable cars all the time, but I wonder if there's a fee for any furry friends."

"Maybe," Lenoria answered despondently, not bothering to look. She rested her elbow on the armrest and gazed through her side of the mountain trail. "We'll figure it out when we get there."

Nodding sadly, Alistair kept his eyes on the road. "She hasn't said much since Caesar broke the news. I don't like seeing her like this."

Lenoria was usually okay with small talk, so seeing her like this was a first for Alistair. He knew she most likely wanted a hug or just wanted to be left alone, and given the status of their relationship so far, it was likely the former. This alone scared Alistair, since it involved physical touch. But he also disliked the idea of leaving her alone to her thoughts. She was so happy over the course of the trip despite the obstacles they faced together, but all it took to make that mound crumble were the news of Starflower's escape.

Alistair had heard a fair amount about Starflower from Gabrielle. The noblewoman had described the man carried himself well for the most part, until a lapse in sanity turned him hostile against her despite being his superior. Had Beau not been there to neutralize the man before he could cast a spell, things may have ended a little differently.

Perhaps he never would have seen Lenoria again.

W-will I see you again?

Alistair recalled the last words she had spoken to him before they met again at the start of their trip to Thule. Ever since she woke up in his arms, he couldn't stop thinking about her. To think she liked him at first sight...

"Even now, I find it hard to believe she sees something in me. But she does, and for this alone, I cannot disappoint her now. There's got to be a way to cheer her up. What would Lord Beau say at a time like this?" The young paladin rummaged through his past conversations with Beau Bisset, who'd often give him words of advice.

Alistair, women like it when you display dominance, and a sure sign of dominance is leadership. Take her by the hand and lead her where you think she wants to go while pretending that's where you wanted to go. Trust me, this will turn them crazy.

"I'm already escorting her to Goodsprings. What else?"

The best way to cheer up a woman when she's feeling down is to feel her up. You either get a slap to the face or you skip several steps in your relationship. Either way, you win.

His face beet red, Alistair pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's terrible advice, but knowing Lenoria, that has a high chance of going horribly right." The young man already pictured how this would go in his head.

"Alistair, the doctor says we're going to have quintuplets! Y-you'll take responsibility while I work for Lady Gabrielle, right?"

Admittedly not the worst outcome, but Alistair snapped himself out of it before things got crazier. "Next."

If a woman's father refuses to give you his blessing, challenge him to mortal combat. If he pusses out, you become the new dominant male, and if he accepts, well...you better be ready to kill him. How do you think I won over Grunhilda, warrior princess of her orc tribe?

"Isn't there anything useful you could actually contribute to this conversation, Lord Beau?"

Well, you could always kill her greatest enemy and present his corpse as the dowry for the wedding.

"Isn't that a little too extreme?"

It will make her feel protected. Think about it; killing the greatest threat on her life means there's nothing harmful left that can stop you and granting her that level of security puts you well above any other man. If you can do that, you'll be able to have any woman you desire.

Alistair had doubts at first, but based on what the girls had told him, Starflower was a respectable and powerful magician. He, perhaps more than anyone else, was the greatest threat on Lenoria's life and the current source of her anxiety. If Alistair made sure the wicked headmaster no longer was a problem in her life, Lenoria would be a lot less anxious, and he would most certainly earn her love.

"Wow, Lord Beau. That's...honestly very insightful. Thank you."

No problem, Alistair. Uh, you do know I'm not actually here, right?

"Right..." Alistair snapped out of his thoughts to look back at Lenoria. The girl was still lost in her thoughts, gazing at the side of the road without looking at anything in particular. "Um, Lenoria..."

"Yeah?"

"I-if that Starflower fellow does so much as get within smiting distance-"

"Al," Lenoria began as she took her elbow off the armrest and straightened her posture, "you don't have to get involved. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Don't worry about me; if I feared getting hurt, I wouldn't have trained to become a paladin."

Lenoria scoffed. "Al, this is serious. This is no time to act all macho-like..."

"I am serious. Back when we defeated the giants' father, you told me not to be scared to approach you about anything. Well, I want to help you."

"I said that because I was hoping you'd hit on me sooner or later..." Defeated by her own words, braced herself for the incoming topic and resolved herself to make it quick to get it over with. "There's no stopping you, is there?"

"No. I asked you and Miss Clara to watch my back, and the two of you have done so without any complaints. That bugbear didn't see you coming, and Miss Clara saved our lives earlier today. The least I can do is return the favor." Doing his best to contain his rage, Alistair firmly gripped the reins. "If Lord Beau was able to manhandle that madman, then I simply have to get stronger to match that level of strength. But even if I can't do so in time, I promise I won't let him lay a hand on you."

"Al..."

"I meant what I said back at the tunnel exit. I will be there beside you."

Lenoria visibly deflated and relaxed her shoulders as she leaned against Alistair. The volley of negative emotions she had suffered throughout the day were taking their toll on her, and she could feel her energy return only after Alistair snaked an arm around her and under her arm so he could still use both of his hands to hang on to the reins. "Thanks, Al..."

***

26th of Cobre, 7:30pm, 1659

Welcome to the CCC - Ragnarok Station.

Please make use of the available facilities before departing. Remember to have your ticket ready for the attendant when boarding the cable car.

The sun had set, starting the cold night at the bustling Ragnarok Station. Lampposts with everburning torches had been scattered across to keep the entire area illuminated, while merchant stalls had been set up to sell food and souvenirs to arriving and departing tourists.

Lenoria's mood had quickly improved, giggling as she pointed at anything Alistair was curious about once they got off the wagon and moved forward at walking speed. They roused Clara from her nap, who groggily walked alongside them while staying wrapped with her blankets. Chestnut, now walking with a light load, kept up with his master and companions just fine. Aquamarine slowed her pace so she and Mr. Horsey could walk with them while Caesar parked his floating vessel off the path outside the station.

"Funnel cakes! Get your Ragnarok Funnel Cakes here," shouted a man wearing a chef's apron and hat.

A goblin chef holding a comically large knife cried out to tourist passerby. "Step right up and get some tasty fried spider legs! Tarantula, giant cave spider, even the dreaded Thule Goblin-eating Phase Spider! Fried to perfection and high in protein, it's a goblin delicacy that can satisfy the whole family!"

"You bastard," said an angry customer to the little green man as he held a suspiciously humanlike leg, "this is a human leg!"

"Look, pal. This is the leg of the Goblin-Eating Phase Spider, native to Thule. Their legs are shaped just like a human's, except they're pasty and a little sinewy, and like all phase spiders, it can disappear and wait for hours before it pops back out of nowhere when you least expect it. My brother was in the privy when it got him. Had a couple of suicide bombers from my tribe die just to bring this one down. The least you could do is take a bite before judging."

The angry customer calmed down, almost showing pity for the goblin. "Geez, I'm sorry for exploding on you like that."

Clara's face turned green with disgust and looked away from the stall. "I think I'm going to puke."

"Thanks for your patronage," said the goblin chef as he pocketed away some coins. "Hold on there, pal, you forgot your mayonnaise!"

"Excuse me!" Unable to hold the contents of her stomach any longer, Clara shoved Alistair and Lenoria aside and returned to the back of the wagon. Once there-

HURK!

"We better avoid caves once we arrive in Thule," Lenoria commented.

"Agreed," Alistair whispered back.

The third stall was something else entirely. Several dolls with a hairstyle similar to Aquamarine - as well as other dolls with red, teal, and purple hair - were hanging at the ceiling of the stall. A catfolk woman advertised the merchandise with an adorable pose. "Nya! Get your Melodious Aquamarine dolls here! Handmade with great quality, only 2 silver pieces each! Buy one now, and I'll throw in a Righteous Topaz or a Melancholic Nocturna for half off!"

"There are magical girls other than Aquamarine out there," Clara asked once she returned.

Aquamarine giggled. "Well, duh. You didn't think I was the only one who signed a contract with a mysterious creature from beyond the boundary of the Prime Material, did ya?"

"Do any of them have Soulstones," Lenoria asked.

"Nope, just me. Mr. Horsey and I are a special case."

"If I may interject here," said the floating spirit of Mr. Horsey, "I believe Melancholic Nocturna awakens once every month for an hour to bring untold destruction to evildoers before going back to sleep. Her power is special, too, even by the standards of magical children."

"That may be worth investigating," Pearl said. "Once our schedule opens up."

The group stopped at a railing, granting them the view of a long metal tube going through a dirt path beneath them. On top of the tube stood a vehicle about 10 feet in height and approximately 100 feet in length. Above the vehicle was a metal cable that stretched well beyond the station and into the mountain range itself, following the dirt road and the metal tube.

"I've never ridden a cable car before," Lenoria said.

Alistair shrugged. "Neither have I. I wonder how it works."

"I can answer that." The group looked behind them, then downwards to spot another goblin. This one had a gray stubble where a beard should be and wore thick brown overalls on top of his white shirt. His eye color could not be seen through his black-tinted goggles, but he wore a smile on his face. "The name is Lorak. You must be the kids Madam Bisset has been expecting; she told me to look out for a boy bearing the symbol of the Hammer matching your description." He grinned at Lenoria. "And you must be the girl of the hour. She told me you're one of the top graduates back at the Guild. It's nice to meet a fellow engineer."

Flattered, Lenoria gave the goblin a short wave. "Thank you, Lorak. What do you do here at the station?"

The older goblin thumbed his nose. "Hehehe. Glad you asked; I'm the driver of this here cable car. I used to steer ships for Madam Bisset until she got me this job here. Easy on the hours and makes a decent living, but it gets boring here in the mountains." He pointed at the cable car, then followed the tracks with his finger. "You were wondering how this works, right? It's quite simple. There's a machine on the other side of the mountains that pulls the cable you see above the car there. The cable car then moves along the tracks - that tube you see there - and keeps moving until it stops at your destination."

"Won't the cable break after enough uses?" Alistair was concerned more than anything, as he wondered if the car could hold the weight of his wagon and his animal companion.

"If it's made of any ordinary metal, it would eventually wear out and the cable would snap. But we used adamantine for both the tracks and the cable; that way, the car is strapped tightly, and the cable never snaps."

"Adamantine? That's the toughest metal in the world!"

"Very expensive, too," Lenoria added. "Veteran adventurers rarely travel without at least a weapon made out of adamantine."

"Hey, people pay to travel through these mountains, and their money is no good if we all go off track and fall to an untimely death. That's why your safety is our number one priority." The goblin operator posed confidently. "Don't worry; our slogan goes 'We get you to your destination alive or your money back, guaranteed!'"

"..."

"Sounds like a deal to me!" The newly arrived Caesar broke the silence as he and the rest of the pirates stopped at the railing. Lenoria noted that the Argo Navis was no longer on her line of sight. "Ahoy. You operate this vessel, then?"

Lorak gave Caesar a toothy grin. "Aye, ain't no man-o-war, but it does the job right, even when waist deep in grog and clap of thunder."

"Sounds like a good time, for an old seadog, anyway."

"You speaking ill of me, landlubber? I can still pillage like the rest of them."

Neither man refused to stand down; they watched each other's movements carefully and stared each other down while everyone else stood dumbfounded by what they just witnessed. Cecilia stood in front of them as if to keep anyone from interfering, and relaxed her shoulders once Lorak and Caesar broken into laughter.

"If it isn't 'Shark Bait' Lorak. What are you doing so high up in the mountains," Caesar asked.

"I'm flattered you heard of me, lad, but those days are behind me. The mountains be rough sometimes, but if you have a better way to get a beautiful rich woman to pay you to work for her, I'm all ears."

Caesar leaned his chin against a hand, intrigued. "Beautiful and rich, you say?"

"Don't even think about it," said Alistair defensively. "Lady Gabrielle is off-limits."

"Can't blame me for thinking about it. If she's some sort of forbidden fruit by the bigwigs in Thule, then I just have to meet her." Caesar looked at the cable car as he leaned on the railing. "Don't you need a crew for this sort of vehicle, though?"

"Glad you asked!" Lorak whistled at the sky. In a matter of moments, the group heard the pitter patter of several feet from a distance, the sounds getting closer and closer until eight goblins in similar outfits like Lorak's stopped right behind the operator. The eight goblins bowed politely, and Lorak decided to introduce them as he continued with his exposition. "Everyone, meet the rest of the band. They are Flimsy, Stinky, Murky, Muddy, Grouchy, Noisy, Stabby, and Morgan. They take care of maintenance and all other kinds of dirty work."

"Hi," said all eight goblins simultaneously.

"Hello," said Lenoria, who was astonished as just about everyone else. "Looks like we'll be in your care when crossing the border."

One of the goblins, having mud stains on his overalls, gave Lenoria an infatuated look. "You smell like the flowers my mom used to steal from the neighbor."

"Hehehe," Lenoria forced a chuckle and a smile, "t-thank you. Where can we put our things?"

"We got a platform we can attach to the cable car." Lorak pointed at the tracks. "Just head on down to the docking part of the station, and the gang there will be sure to load your things there."

"I'll take care of the loading," Alistair said. "Why don't you ladies take care of our seats? I'll join you shortly, once I get Chestnut on the platform. I'm sure he'll enjoy the view."

Chestnut whinnied in agreement.

"Okay, Al. I'll meet you back here so we can board the car together." Lenoria watched as the goblins escorted Alistair down a ramp to a lower section of the station. Once he was out of sight, she looked over at Lorak. "How did Gabrielle assign our seats, anyway?"

"Originally, it was just going to be you and the boy, right?" Lorak flipped over the pages of his clipboard. "But then you got the pretty elf girl here. And now you have all of your new friends there. You aren't trying to take advantage of the lady's generosity, are ya?"

"N-never! I can pay for the extra seats if you have any available! I just didn't expect our group to grow in size, is all."

"Alright. Well, you, the boy, and the pretty elf get in for free, and you can help yourselves to the congratulatory cheese and wine she had us save up for ya for making it this far. We have the seats for everyone else, but that'll cost you seven silver coins, fourteen if you're extending food service to them."

"That's it?" Lenoria rummaged through her coin purse to see if she had the exact amount. Having nothing but gold pieces, she sighed and flipped two coins to the goblin operator. "Good enough for you? Get your guys some drinks while you're at it."

Lorak caught the coins with his greedy little hands. He bit both coins with his sharp teeth before giving Lenoria a toothy grin. "Miss, you're an angel from the Upper Planes. Thanks to you, now we can get us a pint of sweet potato and durian liqueur."

"You...you do that." At least now Lenoria could cross off 'meeting friendly goblins' off her list. She knew the importance of a cold drink at the end of a workday, but the thought of consuming something as stinky as a durian fruit made her lose all of her appetite. "So, he worked for Gabrielle, huh? I wonder what other colorful characters we get to meet in Thule..."