A Quest for the Stars

Moments before

"Thanks for coming along, Caesar," Lenoria whispered. After Alistair had gone to speak with Demetrio, she decided to sneak away along the trees and undergrowth of the outer perimeter of the town square, where everything was taking place.

"Not like you gave me a choice," Caesar protested. "You know Al is counting on us to get you to safety, right?"

The two eventually settled down on the eastern fringe of the forested area. They were closer to Eleanor and the orphans; Lenoria had noticed something in Eleanor's body language earlier and decided to help her out however she could without interfering with Alistair's plan.

"I'm not letting him do all the work, you know. I feel brave whenever I'm close to Al. It kinda makes me want to be just like him, you know?" Lenoria set down her bag on the ground and rummaged through her belongings in search for something. "I need a disguise in case something happens. I want to help him without doing something stupid."

"You plan to obstruct their definition of 'justice' by helping that woman and her children get away from here. Technically speaking, you're already doing something stupid."

Lenoria narrowed her eyes at the pirate captain. "Are you gonna help or whine?"

Caesar grinned after placing his hand on the pommel of his sheathed blade. "Don't worry, this is just like a heist, which is right up my alley. What's the plan?"

"I have a bad feeling about that guy, so take those children and that woman to the Argo Navis. You have a spare gas mask, by chance?"

"Sure do. But even if they make it back to the ship, I can't guarantee their safety. And let's not forget Al's got a reputation with those people. If they find out you're friends with him, who knows what'll happen if you pull this stunt."

"That's what the disguise is for, so they don't find out." Lenoria smiled when she found what she was looking for: An azure cloak. "This is what I call taking down two stones with one bird." She gasped. "The kids are coming this way. Are you in?"

Caesar snuck away in the direction of the ship after handing over a gas mask. "Leave it to me."

----------

Present time

The children had gone inside the forested area after catching sight of Lenoria, who whispered to them to follow the man with a black hat. Her eyes then met with Eleanor, who was sneakily making her way to the trees as well with Lisa in tow. Nodding with reassurance, Lenoria beckoned the woman to quicken her pace before she was noticed.

"...Whatever you do, don't let go, okay?" Eleanor made sure she had a firm hold on Lisa. "The Arrow must have sent them to help us. I knew he wouldn't abandon us..."

"Okay," the young girl answered meekly.

"Looks like we got help," Eleanor whispered. "Quickly now, children! Follow them!"

Unfortunately, she was not quick enough. The bull man got her, causing the children to flee in terror.

Lenoria had little time to mourn the woman's passing when Demetrio ordered his forces to spread out. She hid behind a tree just as Asterion ran past it as he gave chase to the children that ran away. Lenoria loaded her pistol and aimed at their pursuer when she noticed the large bull man raising his fist on Lisa. She begrudgingly let Asterion run away - believing Caesar would keep the children safe - and switched her target to the bull man.

KER-POW

With the bull man's face wounded, Lenoria then proceeded to throw a jar on the ground, spilling some greasy liquid. "I'm counting on you, Caesar." Adjusting her cloak and mask, she came out of her hiding spot in full view of everyone else.

The village was already in a state of panic due to the Count's men breaking and entering into their homes. With his knights and Asterion gone, Demetrio was left with a cuffed Alistair. The Count faced Lenoria with a stern look, all signs of amusement finally gone.

"Lenoria," Pearl said telepathically, "if you were to brawl with that minotaur one on one..."

"Not a chance." The girl would have felt more confident if it was a cave giant like back in Helix. A minotaur, however, was a different story; they weren't the smartest creatures, but she knew they were naturally cunning. Their heightened sense of awareness allowed them to see any attack coming, and the only reason Lenoria's bullet even hit its mark was because he was too slow to deflect it.

"Please tell me you have a plan." Lenoria's lack of response made Pearl even more worried. "H-hey, answer me! Do you even know what his power is?"

"Is it super speed?"

"No, it's super-" Pearl blushed and stopped once she processed what Lenoria said. "How did you know?"

"There's skid marks on the ground next to him, and there's steam coming from his feet. You don't leave tracks when teleporting, so I just assumed he moved really, really fast."

Pearl nodded. "Very good. That's pretty much the power of the Lepus Soulstone. Do you have a plan to counter it?"

"I might."

"Ser Loin," Demetrio addressed his henchman. "Looks like we found our rebel. I should have known targeting the child would have flushed her out."

"I'm not a rebel!" Lenoria posed like a crane, raising one leg and stretching her arms to the sides. "But going after children? Unforgivable! Your time has come, evildoers! The Order of the Blue Jay will not stand for this!"

Alistair's jaw dropped and Lenoria was sure everyone else must have had a similar reaction. Demetrio simply raised an eyebrow. "The Order? That gaggle of cowards? It doesn't surprise me those troublemakers would join the rebellion."

Pearl did not fail to notice Lenoria's blue cloak, which had a bird embroidered on it. "Is that a cape you pilfered from the Order?"

"Hey, that bugbear wasn't using it anymore. It's so snug, too!"

"Are you done whingeing, Ser Loin? Your new order is to eliminate that meddling bird." Demetrio pointed at Lenoria. "We don't need her alive in order to question her. We could use more intel on that annoying bunch."

Ser Loin shifted his eyes between Demetrio and the child at his feet, the latter who had started sobbing. "Lord Demetrio, what about the kid? I can give it a quick death and make those rebels suffer!"

"Are you defying me?"

The minotaur jumped at the threatening inquiry. "N-no, sire. Y-your will be done." With a heavy snort, the minotaur's eyes locked on to his new target. "You little hamster. You knocked half of my teeth out with that little firecracker of yours. Now how am I going to impress the spotted babes back in my tribe?"

"Not like you had a chance to begin with," Lenoria retorted.

The minotaur growled. "Mock me all you want. I'll crush that scrawny little body!" He slid his hoofed foot back over and over again, preparing a charge. The amulet containing his Soulstone glowed with a grayish pink light and soon afterward he disappeared completely.

What he failed to realize was that Lenoria was ready. "There!" Lenoria kicked her feet towards her left side right before the minotaur appeared again. He lunged his head forward, but his feet slipped on a greasy surface which made the trajectory of his attack to go off course. Instead of Lenoria, a lone tree became the target of the bull man's impalement, his horns lodged deeply enough to protrude on the other side.

"Don't tell me you planned that far ahead," Pearl asked.

"Something that big going that fast is gonna have a hard time stopping. Simple physics, Pearl. Besides that, I noticed his Soulstone activating right before he attacked that first time. I figured if I timed it right, I could dodge his attack."

"You're insane. Anything else you want to surprise me with? I'm curious to see if a spirit like myself can die from a heart attack."

Lenoria grinned behind her mask. "You won't wait long. Now we run!" Instead of going north, Lenoria sprinted off directly to the west to where the young girl had been dropped on the ground. The child's tearful eyes gave Lenoria a hopeful look once she arrived, and did not resist when the young scientist lifted her off the ground. "I'm here to save you."

"Please...protect...her..." Eleanor's dying words made the child sob once again. She exhaled a breath of relief before closing her eyes with a smile on her face.

"I will," Lenoria solemnly said. All that was left now was the Count himself, though she wondered if Alistair would attempt to stop her now that she openly opposed Demetrio's actions. The weight of her actions finally set in for her, and whether or not she did the right thing, her new alias had become a wanted woman. She had to ditch her disguise once she was away from prying eyes.

"Alistair, I command you to stop her," Demetrio ordered.

"My apologies, my Count, but I believe your order was to go home and not interfere." Demetrio was surprised by Alistair's defiant words. "As you can see, whether I leave or stop this criminal, I'm pretty much useless thanks to these manacles your men have placed on me. And it appears your men have left with the key."

Demetrio seethed furiously. With Asterion still not back from rounding up the children, his Ruby Knights scattered across the village causing a panic, and Ser Loin stuck in a tree at the moment, he had no men left to send after Lenoria. "Worthless, all of you."

Lenoria used this opportunity to head to the northern path. Alistair did nothing to stop her, but he also didn't follow her. "Know this, Blue Jay," the boy said, "once I'm free of these bindings, I will look for you. You have no idea the trouble you put yourself in."

Lenoria knew Alistair was likely doing this to keep up appearances, but his eyes and the tone of his words sent a chill down her spine. If nothing else, he had promised her he would look for her once he's free from his bindings. To her, this meant they would reunite in Goodsprings if everything played out perfectly. "I'll come back for you if I have to. I promise." Not wanting to stick around any longer, she held the child close and darted off to the northern path.

"If you want something done right..." The Count had summoned another glyph, and his hand once again took on a skeletal appearance. Baleful green energy gathered at the tip of his finger, which he then aimed at Lenoria with. "...you have to do it yourself."

The spell was interrupted as the Count's feet wobbled and his vision soon panned sideways. He felt his face hit the soil and gravel, which had been chilled to freezing temperatures.

"A sheet of ice? At this time of the year?" The Count's hand slipped on the slippery surface and landed back on the ground chin-first. He raised his head just in time to witness a blue-haired girl stick her tongue out at him as a mocking gesture before running after Lenoria. "More Blue Jays? This is absurd!"

***

"This is the most uncoordinated rescue mission I've ever been in," Aquamarine complained as she and the girls made their exit from the northern Norwich gate, which had been devoid of guards just as Cecilia had guessed. Lenoria led the way on the back of Chestnut with Lisa on her lap, while Clara - now wearing a blue cloak of her own - was carried by a flying Tsukuyomi. Aquamarine, bringing up the rear, rode on the back of a polymorphed Mr. Horsey, who had assumed the form of a hippocampus and galloped just a few inches off the ground.

"I won't lie, Lenoria, this isn't exactly our proudest achievement," Clara added.

"I know, but my prediction was almost completely accurate." Lenoria tightened her grip on the reins. "I couldn't just let that guy kill the children. I hope Caesar got them to safety."

"Yeah, that's what we need," Aquamarine said sarcastically, "instead of orphans, they get to become pirates. I can't believe we became fugitives after being in Thule for an hour. That has to be some sort of world record."

"We didn't exactly have a lot of options at the time, Aquamarine." Clara sighed. "Maybe this isn't so bad. If we become fugitives, maybe we can find or build a cabin in the woods. I could forage for fruits, Aquamarine could provide the water, and Lenoria could hunt for meat. We could arrange meetings with Alistair so that he isn't incriminated, and Caesar could probably plunder from the greedy and provide for us since we'd already be criminals. I'm an adult even by Elven standards, so I could claim to have adopted the three of you if people ask questions. Yes, I can see it..."

Aquamarine narrowed her eyes at her summoner friend. "You thought that far ahead already?"

"Well, yeah." Clara blushed. "Don't you guys make contingency plans for the worst-case scenario?"

Lenoria smiled at her friend's thoughtfulness. "I appreciate it, Clara, but we're all wearing disguises. If we lay low, they don't find us. Let's head to Goodsprings and plan things from there."

***

It took a few minutes, but Ser Loin managed to dislodge his horns from the tree he impaled. He snorted angrily as if he had seen red, darting his eyes back and forth looking for any sign from the girl who slighted him.

"You okay there, big guy," Alistair asked.

"Yeah, little punk caught me off-guard. Guess I was off my game."

Alistair sighed. His own plan had gone awry, and as upset as he was that Lenoria disobeyed him, he was thankful to her for having done something he failed to do. "They must be at least a mile ahead by now. Please stay safe, Lenoria. I'll make my way over as soon as I can do so without raising suspicion."

"Slacking off, are we?" Demetrio asked. "There's still an important matter. You know, for when you have a chance. I do recommend you get on it as soon as you can, Ser Loin, because THEY'RE GETTING AWAY, YOU BIG LUMMOX!"

Seeing his master irate was enough to make the minotaur jump. "A-at once, my lord!" To Alistair's shock, the bull man sped off towards the northern path at blinding speeds. An air current ruffled his hair and brought dust to his eyes. "GRAAAAAAAH!"

***

Having a chance to rest while on horseback, Lenoria gently tapped the shoulder of the child on her lap. "Are you okay, sweetie? I hope we didn't scare you."

"I-I'm fine." The girl looked down sadly. "But Miss Eleanor...and my friends..."

"I know, we're sorry." Eleanor's words still fresh on her mind, Lenoria tried her best to smile for the girl. "What's your name?"

"L-Lisa."

"Just Lisa?" Lenoria's heart raced. "Crap, I forgot she's an orphan. Of course she wouldn't know her surname."

"Y-yeah. I never knew who my parents were. But Eleanor was always nice to me." The girl sobbed. "She...she..."

"Shh, shh." Lenoria gently patted the girl's head. "Everything is going to be okay."

"But Eleanor...and my friends..."

"Your friends will be fine. I have a friend looking after them right now, and he knows where to find us. You'll see them again soon."

"R-really?"

"Really, really. I promise that those mean people won't get you or your friends." Lenoria sighed. It was a heck of a promise, and the reality of taking Lisa away was setting in for her. "I can't hide her forever, but she has nowhere to go. Did we really do the right thing here?"

Pearl's spirit suddenly popped up beside her partner. "Lenoria!"

"Gah!" Lenoria shivered from fright before glaring at Pearl. "I told you not to do that!"

"Never mind that. We have trouble! It's...the minotaur. He's on his way here and will soon catch up to us! I can sense him!"

"Pearl, are you sure?"

"I'm sure. He'll be here any second now. Get ready!"

Pearl's announcement alerted Clara and Aquamarine as well. Little Lisa remained oblivious to the imminent danger and Lenoria had no idea how to break it to her. Unfortunately, there was little time to think about it when everyone felt a gust of wind blow past them. Chestnut, Tsukuyomi, and Mr. Horsey stopped in their tracks immediately at the sight of the hulking bull man ahead of them. Snorting angrily, he barred their path, leaving them nowhere to run except for the path they came from.

"You're crazy if you thought you could outrun me. The Count's angry with me because of you, so I'll be bringing all of your heads on a silver platter!"

"Damn it, he caught up to us..." Lenoria lowered her hand to her waist where she had concealed her firearm. Lisa had resumed her crying at the sight of the monster before them, who gladly took a menacing step forward.

"That's right. You're all going to the slaughterhouse. And don't think I'm not ready to throw down, because my life's on the line, too!"