Blog Post

Blog Post 60: The Adventure Shop: Part 27

7/13/24

Dahlia breathed in and out, trying to calm her nerves. She knew adventurers got up to some questionable ventures, but this was her first time with something that could be considered criminal. She hoped all her tricks worked, and Mistral would not have trouble using them. Based on the information discovered  by listening to guards talk at the local pub, Aster and another person were held in a separate cell.

On the other side of the prison. 

She rolled her eyes at the inconvenience and focused on the task at hand. Dahlia kissed the little bird’s head as she sent it off again to warn Aster that today was the day. 

Brawn caught her attention and Dahlia nodded. It was time. 

Mistral, still very bright blue and sparkly, attempted the hardest thing she would ever do.

Sneak into a prison looking flashier than a king at his coronation. 

Internally huffing, she placed the vial behind one guard at the front gate and placed another before darting inside.

Ducking into the tiny gatehouse, she placed a yellow cube suspended over a glass of water with a carefully balanced spoon. Hopefully, with the amount of ruckus, it would fall in as they had planned. Moving past the gatehouse, she moved into the prison as she placed a jar above a door, perched to fall as the next person entered.

Mistral worked through the prison, leaving little traps and trinkets. That would, hopefully, go off at the right time. If their information was correct. 

“You. Blue person. What are you doing?” 

She turned to see two guards standing behind her and looking inquisitively at her bag. 

In a split second, she thought of her only chance to get out. But banking on the fact they never had been outside of the town was a long shot. 

“Blue person? I’ll have you know that I am a Nymph! And I’m also the repair woman, not that you asked. They sent me about the jail cell that needs to be fixed,” she said in a voice she remembered her Gran using with her. Mistral hoped it made them as uncomfortable as it made her. 

“I thought Nymphs were green,” one guard loudly whispered to the other, “And not shiny.”

“Have you ever seen one?”

“No, have you?”

“No.”

Mistral huffed. “Are you done? I have work to do.”

The guards looked at each other and then Mistral. They both seemed unsure of what to do. It was obvious neither were anywhere close to being in charge. 

“Well? Are you going to your captain, or shall I continue to waste time while you figure out what color a Nymph should be?”

The guards looked at each other and answered, “We’ll be right back. We’ll get our commander.” 

Mistral rolled her eyes as they both left her and walked off. They were either new or very inexperienced. She continued and found the area where multiple prisoners were held.

“I’m here for the Adventure Shop Crew,” she whispered. All the prisoners began asking about Dahlia, Aster, or someone called Jubair. She counted the prisoners but was not sure who to trust and who actually knew Dahlia since there were ten prisoners inside.

“Young lady, we all are here for Dahlia. The others have not met her but risked themselves for this venture. I assume she sent you to rescue us?”

A guard approached in armor as Mistral froze. 

“Do you have the authority to be here, Miss Sticky Fingers?” the guard asked. 

Mistral turned. “I’m here for maintenance.” 

The guard shook their head, as the metal helmet clanked. “No, you aren’t.” 

Mistral protested when the guard laughed. 

“Dahlia?” A big warrior in the prison asked.

The guard, Dahlia, nodded and shrugged. “I know we should hurry, but I’ve never gotten to do this before so it seemed fun.”

Mistral shook her head, getting her tools out as Dahlia prepped her final gadget to find Bart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A little flower floated out and into his outstretched hand as he tucked it carefully into his coat’s breast pocket. It was time. 

He, Xaxol, and Brawn set off the minor explosion in front of the prison and made their way to save the two leaders on the other side. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The point of view in the prison.

An explosion sounded as the guards out front jumped back, breaking jars that shot liquid all over them. Dying their armor and the guards themselves in various colors as they shimmered as brightly as the sun. 

Inside the gatehouse, the explosion rumbled, causing the spoon to plop a little cube that grew as it soaked up the water. 

It moved towards the guards and continued forward as it slowly discovered its surroundings. It slowly chased a guard into a doorway where a bucket dropped liquid on the guard and he shrank till he was the size of a mouse. 

As he ran away to the guard’s lounge room, shouts of “Rat! It’s a rat!” rang throughout as his counterparts tried to swat him with a broom. The frightened guards jumped, causing sparks to light, creating smoke throughout the room. As they bumped around, jars were knocked over creating explosions of pinks, blues, oranges, and greens.

Chaos continued to ensue as the ten prisoners looked at the thief and their shopkeeper. 

Crashes, screams, shrieks, shrills, thumps, and crashes could be heard as Mistral’s well-placed gifts from Dahlia created their symphony.

“We don’t have time to gloat. Come on,” Mistral said as she shook the smile off her face and concentrated on the lock. The others waited with silence surrounding the mixed crew as the thief worked her magic. 

I cannot wait for a bath. And I hate how it smells in here.” Everyone shot a look at the ornately dressed figure.

“Laz, she is trying to work,” a woman with a head covering, hissed. Dahlia thought an introduction of new faces would be interesting, to say the least. With a loud clank, the lock opened and Mistral pulled the door wide.

“Make sure you follow the path I created,” she noted as they began to leave the cell.

“What path?” Pertanix asked.

Mistral pointed up and soon enough all the lanterns and wall-hung torches were extinguished. A blue, glowing line lit up on the floor. Dahlia had to stifle a laugh as Mitral glowed like a shiny blue galaxy next to it. Petanix shook his head before heading out first, following the blue line.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At the beginning on the other side:

“Did you hear that?” Aster asked as an explosion in the distance sounded.

“Yes. That sounded close. Think that was for us?” Jubair responded looking down the hall to see if there was any commotion.

A bird floated through the bars of the tall ceiling window as Aster held out his hands for the little creature.

“Hello, little friend.” Aster smiled when he saw the note from Dahlia. “It is for us and it is time to use this,” he noted holding up the purple little cube.

Jubair held out a rusty cup that his ration of water was in. The purple cube grew as it fell from the cup and landed on the ground with a splat. Shaking itself awake, it then seemed to look around as it continued to grow. 

“I’m now thinking that we should have placed it outside of the cell,” Jubair said as he backed up. The purple cube paused as it hit the bars of the cell before pushing its way through. As it made its way through, the bars began to erode quickly, leaving a decent square hole for them to escape through.

“Well, that is intimidating. That was made by your shop girl?” Jubair asked.

Aster nodded, thinking intimidating was certainly one word to describe her and her inventions. They followed the block as it ate its way through the base. To Aster and Jubair’s horror, eating a few guards with it. But as they watched, the first naked guard slide out of the cube, they saw it was eating the metal armor and leaving the living beings unscathed. The cube continued down a hall that seemed to be leading somewhere other than out. The one way they actually needed to go.

Pausing, they heard singing coming from one side of one of the other hallways.

Aster felt compelled to follow the noise. He looked down one hall the purple cube had entered. The other sounded like it held a world of misery as shrieks and breaking items rang out. And the final path was the singing, beckoning them forward.

They wandered down the hall with the singing as they felt compelled to and found themselves in a storeroom surrounded by shelves full of food and supplies. 

“Hello, boys! Dahlia sent me with her greetings.” Out of the shadows stepped a pirate with a smile that could cause trouble. Aster felt a twinge of jealousy that he sounded so familiar with her. “Our exit is this way. We will meet the others out front,” he said moving through a door that looked like it was used to haul in and out large items. Outside the door stood a tall, muscular man who seemed to be guarding the exit. 

“Where is Xaxol?” the pirate asked. Aster’s ears perked up at the familiar name.

“He is guarding the entrance for the others to come through. They should be on their way now if Mistral and Dahlia’s timing is on track,” the muscle man answered.

Aster wondered how many new friends Dahlia had made while they were apart. 

“Jealousy is not a good look on you, my friend,” Jubair whispered as he pointed to the spot on his own forehead between his eyebrows.

Aster checked his expression and unfurrowed his brows while they made their way to the front. 

As they rounded the front of the prison, little explosions went off as the large wooden gates fell. Amidst the lights from the explosion walked Dahlia with a blue woman next to her, and the rest of the thieves and adventurers. Behind them billowed smoke as they were followed by a yellow and orange cube.

Stumbling out in less than fine circumstances were the guards. Some missing armor, others all sorts of colors, and a few with both. The men laughed at the sight and Aster smiled. 

“If this is what your Dahlia is capable of, I am not sure she needs your help,” Jubair said with admiration as he admired the chaos.

“Your Dahlia?” the pirate asked. “I didn’t know she was taken.”

“She isn’t.” Came the answer before he could say it. He turned to the voice and gasped as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Dahlia lunged into his arms and they hugged and she finished saying, “At least not yet.” 

She stood back and said softly, “Hi.” 

“Well, finally! We’ve been waiting for you!” A wispy voice called out. They all turned to see Aislin with a small creature sitting on her shoulder. “We have the music box and prepared food as well as transport for the journey.” Aislin perused the crew and began to shriek as her gaze landed on Dahlia.

Everyone covered their ears to soften the excited shriek as Aislin stole Dahlia from Aster’s arms. “Dahlia! Beautiful, alive Dahlia!” she cooed, hugging her friend and inspecting her for any injuries.

Jubair looked behind them and addressed the group, “I suggest a swift exit and introductions on the road.”

“I second that motion.” The pirate nodded in agreement as the guards started to collect themselves.

Dahlia began to lead the crew as Aster saw that something had changed. She didn’t seem as frightened or unsure of herself as she was before. She laughed brightly, and he wondered what Aislin and the blue Gnome next to her said. 

They all got to the wagon and began to settle in as Hazel was handed the music box. After a few moments, her eyes lit up and she ordered everyone onward. They had a trail, a direction, and a team of–well interesting if only one word could be used–a group of individuals closing in on Dahlia’s magic stealer.

And hope to help get their shopkeeper her life back. If only the rest of the adventure moved smoothly–which seemed more like a whispered prayer than what would occur as their journey continued.