The Boots Drama

“HEHE,” Miki laughed from near Idalec’s tent,

“Where are they!” Luna hissed

“I took my boots back~” Miki had a muffled giggle,

“Let’s settle down. Please, Luna, let’s go to sleep; we wouldn’t want to disturb Idalec.” Prix said from some distance away

"Nyehhh!"

“You'll be dead before you see the first light.” Luna hissed in a low tone as she moved around,

“All purr, no claw! HAHA!” Miki laughed,

Idalec heard Luna jumping up on the shack before he was able to finally go to sleep. ‘Those were tomorrow's problems…’

It was a moonless night; a beautiful sunrise followed, and Idalec dreamed of his youth, of Caesar Leviticus; those were the days. A scene played in his mind as he grappled with the young man before he rose to being Caesar; Vazove was already in his 50’s- Idalec opened his eyes, but the sound of a tussle nearby didn’t end. Idalec stepped out of his tent, finding an interesting composition before him.

Luna was holding down Prix against the ground, a paw pressed against her mouth as she was aggressively licking the princess's hair, which the princess was pitifully resisting; above those two was Miki holding on for dear life, slowly asphyxiating, one shirt sleeve tied around her neck and the other to the branch of a tree that was ten meters off the ground. Prix started trying to motion to Idalec as soon as she spotted him for help.

“Yes?” Idalec asked motionlessly, putting a Pure Shield under Miki’s feet so she would be able to stand. Idalec then walked over to Prix and Luna.

“She started this, Idalec!” Luna said, peeling off Prix while keeping her paw over Prix’s mouth.

“And-” Idalec yawned, “-what did she start?”

“She was in a cabal with that thief.” Luna pointed angrily up at Miki. “I’ve had enough of her smugness." Luna then went back to licking Prix’s head.

“It’s unsightly.” Idalec commented, ‘But is that the moral reason it’s wrong?’ Idalec wondered, looking up at the sky with Miki in the way. ‘Unsightlyness describes the aesthetics of a place. Aesthetics is order, and order is good, so it’s a moral reason to get her down.’ Idalec concluded to himself, “Get off her, Luna.” Idalec ordered. Luna hissed but slowly got off Prix, and once she took the paw off Prix’s mouth, she let out a scream.

“Idalec, you have to order Luna to take Miki down.” Prix pointed up. “She wouldn't be able to hold on much longer! Please!”

“I helped her first,” Idalec said, looking down at the disheveled Prix. Her white and orange outfit was now filthy, covered in dirt from the trip,

“Di-” Prix said with a shaking voice, “Did you le-let her die?”

“No. Death is evil.” Idalec commented as Luna, Prix, and Idalec started floating upwards, “You see she’s fine.” Idalec stopped them once they were on Miki’s level.

Prix moved her head as little as possible while remaining completely frozen, as if moving would cause her to tumble down to the ground ten meters below. “This is a nice shirt,” Idalec commented while tying the makeshift knot around Miki’s neck; it had been tied with a maroon and orange long-sleeve canvas shirt which had a nice rough texture to it. Miki collapsed to her knees, remaining suspended midair. Floating up a little higher, Idalec untied the knot connecting the shirt to the branch before floating all four of them back down. “I was having a good dream as well.” Idalec folded up the shirt and handed it to Prix, its likely owner.

“I didn’t really want to kill them, but next time I’ll make sure they don’t make a pip.” Luna apologized,

“What! Idalec, please get rid of this killer!” Prix begged, “I only came out because I saw her pulling Miki up the tree, and when I said I’ll tell you, she started to lick me! She’s nearly as bad as the candidates."

“I’m not selling Luna.” Idalec said to Prix, “And Luna, don’t kill anyone in our party.” Idalec said pointedly to Luna,

Luna scowled. “But Miki stole MY boots!”

“Miki, where are the boots?” Idalec sighed,

“I didn’t steal them.” Miki was holding her neck, tears rolling down her face,

“You confessed yesterday!”

“Where did you last leave them?” Idalec asked, wondering over to the shack Luna was lying in, and there inside, stood the boots. “Are these yours?” Idalec asked, lifting them,

“Yeah.” Luna shrugged. “... Well, liars deserve to be hanged anyway.”

“That doesn't feel right, but what do you think about Prix? Should liars be hanged?” Idalec asked, ‘I wouldn’t think they do, but maybe they should?’

“You should just apologize if you lied, and it was more of a joke than a lie.” Prix stood up as Idalec handed over the boots to Luna. “Those are Miki’s boots in the first place, so Luna should give them back to Miki.”

“Miki probably stole these. A thief has no right to stolen goods. Nyehhh!” Luna pulled her eyelid down, sticking out her tongue at Prix.

“It’s too early. For this.” Idalec waved as he walked back to his tent. Miki darted back into Sato’s tent while Prix gracefully walked back to hers.

Idalec got a little more sleep until Sato and the rest were moving outside. At which point Idalec stepped out.

“-To set some rules for our party-” Prix continued,

“Why is drama always where I’m not, and where I am there is no drama?” Sato asked Idalec,

“Yeah,” Idalec said, seeing that Prix had pulled out a map,

“Ok I’ll explain the plan now that we're all here,” Prix said, taking a look at Luna, who was eating some kind of fruit a little further from the rest of the group.

“We’re about here-” Prix pointed to a road between Letin and a small dot called Easetan. “Where going to try and travel this way-” Prix moved her hand right through a swamp, putting in effort to avoid every single town, village, and outpost along the way. “Once we’re over here-” Prix said once her finger was out of the large swamp. “We’ll go directly towards Rome.”

“We're marching on Rome!” Sato said excitedly,

“Sato, I already told you this?”

“Grok, is this true… Sorry, force of habit.”

“After we take Rome, we can move on to Sigfire Castle, where we have information on where the calamity will be and where we will fight it, and most likely four candidates.” Prix moved her hand north and a little east.

“Light work.” Sato laughed,

“Except we’ve only made it this far,” Prix complained, moving her hand to the capital Minho, which is a day’s walk up to Roux, before then moving her hand over to Letin.

“What’s this?” Sato asked, pointing to a large tree drawing towards the corner of the map,

“Elf Tree.” Prix read off,

“I need an elf girl,” Sato said, hypnotized,

“We- No, it’s more than a month’s travel in the opposite direction of Sigfire Castle.” Prix rejected the idea,

“Come on, don’t you think it’s a good idea?” Sato turned to Sunya and Miki,

“Yes, Master, it’s a great idea~” Sunya nodded,

“Yes, master.” Miki was looking spaced out

“Three people are for and one against, so we’re going to the Elf Tree,” Sato said smugly,