Nothing wrong in the lovely town of Venati

The journey was long, but we had a lot of food and water from the people of Starcourse. Agnes Stein was leading our group with a map in her hands.

“I think there is a town before Deep Green. Venati? Girls, I think we might be lost. Does anyone want to read the map?”

I gave the biggest smile I could.

“No.”

“I’m not very good at reading maps,” Rita Fiori answered.

“Are we the worst group of Heroes ever?”

“No way, Agnes Stein. Look! I think there is the town!”

In between the grassy fields we saw a beautiful town, not as big as the capital, but expansive. The most incredible fact about the town was that its streets were connected by canals. It was a real city over water, with people walking on bridges and boats going through the canals.

“This is the most beautiful town I’ve seen. We need to explore it!” I ordered and took the lead of our group.

“When I’m the most responsible person in the group we know we are doomed,” said Agnes Stein defeated behind me.

We went on a boat ride watching everything around us.

“What about you, Rita Fiori? What do you like to do?” I asked.

“Me? I don’t know… I guess I like doing things for other people.”

“You talk like a true Water Stanza user,” Agnes Stein stated.

“Really? Is that what you like to do the most? So can you scratch my back?” I asked and Rita Fiori promptly did it.

We ate sweets that I asked Rita Fiori to buy, we watched swans that I made Rita Fiori chase, and we bought new clothes that Rita Fiori helped me to wear.

When we were resting in a park I asked Rita Fiori to find a perfect round rock for me and, for some reason, Agnes Stein was… angry?

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m making Rita Fiori very happy! She wants to do things for others, so I’m asking her all that.”

“You can be so dense sometimes! She likes to help people with things they need! You are treating her like your personal servant!”

“Oh, that was not my intention… I’m sorry.”

“You have to say that to her, not to me! Hey what the f…”

“Okay, I will, no need to use these words.”

“It’s not that, look!”

The girl pointed to the other side of the canal where I could see a woman with long red hair hugging a man.

“What is the problem?”

“That is Ember! Markus’s girlfriend!”

She was too close of that man for our liking. I just remembered how in love Markus Terracota was when he talked about his girlfriend. And she was in this lovely town dating other people?

“We need to talk to her!” I said and Agnes Stein agreed.

We started crossing the park in the direction of the nearest bridge to talk to her when we started to feel an enormous pain in our heads.

“What is happening?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but I feel…”

Then the world turned black.

(…)

I tried my best, but there was no perfect round stone for Nina. I was afraid how sad she would get if I didn’t find it when I noticed the two of them walking away from the park. I still wanted to find the round stone, but I followed them when I noticed something was wrong. They put their hands on their heads and were clearly in pain.

As I was getting closer to them, I felt what they were feeling, an enormous pain in my head and a force trying to control me. With my own Stanza, I could resist it and soon the pain was over. But I was worried about my friends. They turned to me, but there was something wrong with their eyes.

“Agnes? Nina? What is happening.”

“You resisted?” asked Nina, but she was not herself.

“It’s those Water Stanza people. No matter, we will bring her to Matteo.”

“What are you talking about? What is happening?”

They extended their hands in my direction and kept looking ominous.

“This lovely town doesn’t need fights. Came with us without making a scene,” stated Agnes or whoever was talking trough her.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew I couldn’t let them take me. So, I turned my back and started to run.

Of course I was the slowest, and quickly Agnes grabbed my wrist.

“Every Stanza user in this town has to obey Matteo, or be locked in the dungeons.”

I knew I couldn’t defeat them, but in this town, I had an advantage over my friends. Although my specialty is not using my element, I controlled a bit of the water from the canal and threw it on Agnes. That didn’t hurt, but distracted her enough for me to get free and jump on the water.

I swam away, hoping that in the water I would be able to escape them. When I was almost out of air, I went to the surface and left the water, going to a dark alley to hide.

“This is terrible! They were taken! What can I do? Maybe return to the capital and ask Gengis for help. Yes, this is it! Just need not to be found…”

“You are not doing a good job hiding yourself.”

I jumped when I heard the voice behind me. The girl was on the wall of the alley, wearing green and black clothes looking like a ninja. Her hair was dark purple covering one of her eyes and she looked the same age as Agnes and Nina. Once I started to scream, she jumped from the wall and held my mouth shut.

“Do you want them to find us? Shut up!”

I obeyed. She was very rude but didn’t look like she had her mind taken over.

“You were with Agnes Stein, right? I know her, but apparently all Stanza users in the town have their mind controlled by Matteo.”

“Who is Matteo?” I asked.

“Matteo Di Steffano is the ruler of this town. He used his mind control powers to get this position. He might even try to become the king.”

“That is terrible! But I know the Eight Paladins, let’s go ask them for help!”

“There are a lot of reasons you can’t do that. First, we don’t have time to travel. Second, my master ordered me to solve the problems of this town. And third, the son of the king, Prince Nikolay is also under the control of Matteo in his palace.”

That was too much for me and I just wanted to hide my face and let other people solve this.

“You are going to help me,” the girl said with the same authority Master Gengis usen when talking to me. “Your Stanza protected you just like mine, we are the ones who can do something about it.”

Even though that was too much to ask I knew she was right and at least she appeared to be powerful. She guided us through the city in the direction of the palace, and she was very good at not being seen.

“You could defend yourself against this Matteo because you are also a Water Stanza user?” I asked even though she didn’t look like one.

“No, I have the Alchemy Stanza. When I felt my mind being taken over, I remember that the Paladin of Alchemy could influence people’s minds with his Stanza and I tried to do the same to protect mine.”

“That is incredible!”

Not only was she inspired by my master, but she could also imitate a part of his signature. That was a rare ability, and normally one could only use what they interpreted from their Stanza.

“Oh, I still don’t know your name.”

“I’m Kurohana Hiyoku. Now focus on the mission!”

I hate to generalize about Stanzas but she talked a lot like Gengis and that actually made me a little surer of the mission.