Cinnamon Bun - Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Five 

Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Five 

“So... what do we do now?” I asked as I leafed through the fairy tale book. There were a few illustrations here and there that caught my eye. Monsters sometimes, and then knights in all-black armour that were usually depicted helping people. 

Amaryllis frowned. She was staring at the book as well, but I had the impression she wasn’t actually seeing it. “I don’t know,” she admitted slowly. “I feel like we need to take some sort of action against Rannewt, before he carries out whatever plan he has, but I’m also tempted to not play his games.”

“I feel similarly,” Caprica said. “Rainnewt wouldn’t give us hints and clues like this in order to help us do anything, unless that thing would inadvertently help him. He doesn’t seem like he’s had a change of heart, so we can’t ascribe any altruism to any of his actions.”

“Ah, but in that case, why give us any hints at all?” Desiree asked.

“As a distraction?” Amaryllis asked. “Or to waste our time with needless speculation.”

“I guess,” I said. “It feels like we should be doing something though. We flew most of the way around the entire continent only to come back here, and now... well, now I’m not sure what our next step even is. We were here to help Booksie, but I don’t think she needs it anymore, right?” That last was aimed at Booksie herself.

She smiled kindly. “I think I’ll be good for a while, yes,” she said. “As for what you should do... is there any harm in actually investigating this myth? It might involve some amount of travel, but I don’t recall you being averse to that.”

“I suppose,” I said. “I guess we could train up a little too. I feel like I’m pretty close to hitting the next big tier, and that’s supposed to be a big deal, right?”

“You levelled up with the wedding?” Amaryllis asked, and I realized that we hadn’t really talked about it. “Good. And yes, pushing into a third class would be a big deal. There are more feathers in my wings than there are three-classed people in a city the size of Port Royal. Having many of us hit that distinction would certainly garner us a certain amount of respect.”

“Well, I was thinking less about respect and more about how cool it would be,” I said. “But I guess there’s that too.”

“Why not both, then?” Booksie asked. “Becoming stronger seems like a lofty enough goal, and discovering whatever Rainnewt was pointing at might be a trap, but I feel like there might still be something to it.”

“It could be fun!” I said.

“We don’t even have a direction to start in,” Amaryllis gripped.

Booksie tapped her shin, then glanced out the window. “Ah, I’ll have to head out soon, but I don’t quite think you’re right, Amaryllis,” she said. “You know that you’re looking for stories that are mythological in nature and that date back to some time ago. I don’t have many books on that subject in my shop--I mostly deal in fiction--but there’s a library in Port Royal and if that doesn’t work, then you can broaden your search. Mattergrove has a few old libraries as well, and I bet you could gain access to some of the old archives in the Nesting Kingdom and Deepmarsh.”

“Awa, there are some pretty big archives in Mattergrove,” Awen said. “In the capital, I mean. The country is kind of small, but it is also rather old.”

I couldn’t help but grin. That sounded like an excuse to travel a bit to me! Training and travel, smushed together! That sounded genuinely fun.

“Alright,” I said. “Then we’ll start here first, since that’s where we are, and then we can expand our search. We haven’t been to Amaryllis’ home in forever, and I never visited the capitals of Deepmarsh or Mattergrove before.”

“Getting permission to access Deepmarsh’s records might be complicated,” Caprica said. “But we do have contacts in the Exploration Guild who might be able to help.”

Calamity raised a hand. “I know some folk in the guild need to poke around in old papers and the like sometimes. Overheard some of them complaining about it. If nya need to find out where some long lost dungeon’s tucked away, the best spot to learn it might be some dusty old archive.”

That was three avenues to look into, then. Deepmarsh’s archive, the Nesting Kingdom’s, and Mattergrove’s. I considered it for a bit. Deepmarsh was closest and probably the easiest to get into. I was sure some of our grenoil friends would lend us a hand in looking. 

The Nesting Kingdom was a little further out, but not that much so. And Amaryllis was a noble from there. I wasn’t sure if that would help her get permission or not, but I was willing to bet it wouldn’t hurt. 

And then Mattergrove. Awen’s family was from there, and she was a noble too, but I don’t think she had quite as much sway as Amaryllis did. I also had the impression that we might not be quite as welcome there.

“There’s the Trenten Flats too,” I said. “But they might not like us snooping around. And Caprica’s home too. Can’t princesses ask for someone to check the records?” 

“Oh, certainly,” Caprica said. “When said princess isn’t currently on the run. I think if they send any reply to my request it might be delivered with a battalion of worrywarts and a few royal paladins besides.”

“You’d get to see Bastion again,” I said sweetly.

Caprica shot me a glare, but it didn’t have very much heat in it. What did have some heat were her cheeks which warmed up with a pretty blush. “As... enjoyable as that may be, I’ve come to also enjoy the peace of not being beholden to my royal title so much.”

“Being on the run means you get all of the advantages of rank and none of the responsibility,” Amaryllis said. It made Caprica sniff, but I think she might have been a little bit right. “In any case, all of that aside, I think we’ll have to start aiming for something. Sitting here and looking pretty will get us nowhere. There’s a real danger in hitting a plateau and then just remaining there.”

“I believe that there might also be some danger present in extending eternally onwards,” Desiree said. “I recall several cautionary tales about clever foxes who want too many tails for no reason more than to that a greater number than others.”

Booksie giggled. “I really have to sit down with you one evening and just chat about your homeland, Desiree,” she said. “It sounds fascinating. Ah, but that will have to wait for another time. I was meant to only stop by for a few minutes, and it’s been well over an hour.”

I laughed too. “Yeah, that happens when you stop to chat with a friend sometimes,” I said. “Time slips by. Lets escort you to your guards?” I stood up and patted down the front of my skirts and Booksie did the same.

Of course, letting her go wasn’t as easy as just saying goodbye. A proper send-off took a while, and it required lots of hugs. 

Who knew, I might not be able to see Booksie for a long while! This would be my last chance to give her a proper hug for weeks! I wasn’t about to let her just leave without getting my fill and then some. 

“Stay safe out there,” I said.

“I feel like I ought to be the one telling that to you,” she said. “Aren’t you the ones usually flying into trouble?”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “How about we both agree to stay safe, then?”

“Deal!” Booksie said. “If you’re staying in Port Royal for a few more days, then keep an eye on Cholondee for me, would you? For as much as she and Rhawr bicker, I think she’ll be a little lonely without him to bully.”

“I’ll pay her a visit,” I promised. “And you fly safely, okay? That means lots of blankets to keep warm in the air, and good, sturdy straps. Don’t forget to check them for chafing. And maybe invest in a parachute.”

Booksie raised her arms for a seventh goodbye hug, and I squeezed her for all she was worth. “I’ll miss you,” I said in a low voice.

Her ears collapsed onto my head, like a warm pat. “I’ll miss you too. But I’ll be back soon enough, promise! And when you stop by Port Royal again, I’ll be right here to say hello.”

“Okay,” I said. It was a promise! 

Booksie made the rounds, saying goodbye to everyone, and as a group we escorted her out to the main deck and then off the gangplank of the Beaver.

I was going to miss her, but there were more adventures to be had! 

***