Another Hero's Journey: Promises

     A wooden stage adorned with flowers had been set up on the grass, along with an impressive arch of roses and ribbons. The rows of chairs in front of the stage, which had been divided into two groups by a path marked off with blue, gold and white velvet cord, were slowly being filled by Neopians – many of them Meridellian. He spotted an elderly White Blumaroo in the front row waving at him, her grey curls done up in a flawless bun, and waved back sheepishly.

     A Red Kyrii in a deep blue gown and matching cloak hurried toward Reuben, hitching up her flowing skirts while the breeze played with her voluminous sleeves. Her mane was pulled back into a golden circlet with blue flowers and a silk veil.

     “Andrea,” the White Blumaroo said, his voice coming out a hoarse rasp. He cleared his throat. “What are you doing here? I thought you were talking to your family.”

     “I was,” she answered, tucking a strand of her mane behind her ear. “I…well, I told them I needed some time alone. She laughed nervously and wrung her hands. “Because, you know, in an hour…ah…”

     “It’s okay,” he assured her, smiling sheepishly as he took her hand. “I feel the same way, but I did promise you – and I’ll be promising you again later – that I’ll be with you, every step of the way. On the next great adventure of our lives.”

     “Thanks,” Andrea whispered, laying her head against his broad shoulder without a care for the potential damage to the flowers in her circlet.

     “Speaking of adventure…” He scanned the faces of the guests. The Blumaroo shook his head. “Should’ve known. He’s not here yet.”

     Andrea looked up. “Rohane? He probably got pulled into a last-minute mission. But you know him. He’d never miss this.”

     “He wouldn’t. He promised.”

     * * *

     A schooner with black sails and flying the flag of a Weewoo skull with crossbones was moored in the mouth of a sea cave by a bay. The waves broke around it, causing it to rock gently in the water.

     Aboard the ship was a Pirate Hissi and a Pirate Lupe, the two of them propped up on crates and leaning against the mast. Between them was a smaller crate with two empty tankards. The Lupe’s eyelids were drooping when he heard a thud against the port side. He got up, kicking the crate he had been sitting on aside, and peered over the deck.

     There was no one on the beach, but a crossbow bolt was quivering in the woodwork. The Lupe pulled it out and squinted at it before sniffing the shaft.

     “Whassat?” the Hissi asked groggily, slithering over to his companion.

     “Someone’s shootin’ at us,” the Lupe replied, holding the bolt up. “Someone…from the knights of Meridell.”

     “Look out!”

     The Hissi pushed the Lupe against the deck as another bolt sailed over their heads to land harmlessly on the floor. Swearing, the Hissi kicked the bolt and said, “Well, what’re you waitin’ fer, Ryder? Go see who’s shootin’ at us!”

     “What? I ain’t goin’ there alone! They got crossbows!” Ryder scanned the shoreline and the cliffs but could not see where the bolts had come from.

     “Crossbows ain’t much use if they’re chopped t’pieces,” the Hissi reasoned, drawing his cutlass. When Ryder reached for it, he pulled away and added, “Get y’own, barnacle-brain.”

     “Yours is better, Every!”

     “Well, y’can’t ‘ave mine. Fine, the Cap’n would ‘ave both our ‘eads if anythin’ happens t’the Sea Weewoo. Dunno why it’s called that. Whatever. C’mon.”

     Every picked Ryder up, and the two of them flew down from the ship to land on the seashore. The waves broke over Ryder’s boots and Every’s body. But as they immediately took off toward the direction from where the crossbow bolts had been shot, they didn’t notice two knights emerge from their hiding place from a palm tree grove and head for the cave, treading carefully on a rocky outcrop connected to the cave until they were closer to the schooner.

     “Okay, we sink the ship and capture those pirates Oakley lured away, just like we planned. You’ll make it to your brother’s ceremony just in time,” a Yellow Lupe said as he pulled out a bright red potion crackling inside a corked bottle from his pack. “Ready?”

     The White Blumaroo behind him had a similar potion at the ready, but unlike the other knight who was dressed in a simple shirt, vest and pants, he wore a black doublet over a neat long-sleeved white shirt, a belt with a shield-shaped buckle as well as a sword and a dagger, and breeches tucked into his boots.

     “Reuben is going to kill me if I’m late, Tuffold. I promised.”

     “Trust me, Rohane, you won’t be late. On three?”

     “Count us down, then,” said Rohane, drawing back and preparing to throw the potion toward the ship.

     “One…two…three!”

     Tuffold and Rohane hurled the potions with all their might. The bottles struck the ship and shattered, spraying the red potion everywhere. And wherever the potion sprayed, fire started.

     “And now, the finishing blow!” Tuffold announced grandly as he produced a small black item shaped like a bulb and marked with red and yellow stars. “Kayla said she was proud of this one!” Then he lobbed it at the ship.

     “Leave it to Kayla to come up with an Insta-Burst Explosion in a Ball,” said Rohane as he and Tuffold watched the bulb sail in a graceful arc before landing on the deck of the ship. Then he grabbed the Lupe and the two of them immediately hurried away from the cave, skidding on the slippery, mossy rocks. “Hurry!”

     “Almost wish I could watch it.”

     “Watch it from far away!” Rohane yelled as they placed as much distance as they could between themselves and the schooner in the cave. Just as the White Blumaroo managed to throw himself behind a large boulder and cover his ears, the ship exploded in a loud bang and with a fiery blaze, raining smouldering debris as what was left of it began to sink under the waves. When the explosion was over, Rohane peered cautiously from behind the boulder at the smoke, the ruins of the ship, and some stray, splintered bits of wood.

     He stood up slowly. “Mission accomplished, Tuffold. Now we just need to – Tuffold?” Rohane glanced to his left and right, his hand flying to his sword hilt.

     “I’m right here!”

     The Yellow Lupe was behind a large palm tree and beckoned Rohane over to him. “Now we just need to grab Oakley and bust some pirates.”

     * * *

     “Did you hear that?”

     Andrea watched as Reuben turned away from her, gazing in the distance.

     “It sounded like an explosion.”

     “Look!” Reuben pointed to a plume of smoke rising from a cave in a cliff and the drifting wreckage of a ship buffeted by the waves. There were figures scurrying on the seashore, and it looked like someone was being dragged by them toward the cave. The White Blumaroo frowned, stroking his chin. “Hmm, Rohane did mention that there has been an uptick in pirates raiding the Meridellian coasts.”

     The Red Kyrii sighed. “I’m sure he wants to be here, but…”

     “I know. But he’s got a job to do first. And it’s good for us – those pirates could crash our ceremony.”

     “Not that we’d let any pirates crash our ceremony.” Andrea nudged Reuben lightly, a smile playing on her lips.

     Reuben grinned back. “Never.”

     * * *

     Tuffold held up a shattered crossbow and an empty quiver of bolts.

     “I got a bad feeling about this,” the Lupe mumbled as he looked up and jogged toward Rohane, who was by the shore and near the ledge leading to the cave. “Have you seen him?”

     With a grim expression, Rohane shook his head. “There’s only one place we haven’t looked, and that’s…” He pointed to the cave. Over the sound of the debris-littered waves, the two knights could hear the faintest echo of a laugh.

     “No.” Tuffold clapped his hand to his forehead. “Please, no.”

     Nevertheless, he allowed Rohane to tug him toward the ledge so they could walk it toward the mouth of the cave. The rocks had always been slicked with seawater, but this time, the waves broke and washed over their boots as they went. The White Blumaroo gritted his teeth as the knees of his breeches were sprayed, and the two knights pressed their backs against the walls of the cave to keep from falling into the sea. Rounding into the cave entrance, they saw a couple of pirates trying to fish detritus from the water. A few more were busy surrounding something – or someone.

     “The knights of Meridell did this?” a Speckled Usul asked grimly, holding up a broken and half-charred plank of wood. “You sure, Ryder?”

     “Aye!” the Pirate Lupe next to the Usul cried. “Them crossbow arrows…them’s the same!”

     “Then we’ll leave them a little present before we go.”

     A Silver Gelert clad in a smart navy-blue jacket over a raggedy shirt and black trousers stood up from where she had been crouching down at a tidal pool fed by the sea that swirled into the cave. Chest deep in the pool, with his wrists tied to rocks on either side of him, was a short Striped Kougra with a roguish grin.

     “I’m sure they’ll send you a thank you note,” the Kougra piped up. He bared his teeth and added, “Personally.”

     “We’ll see about that.” The Gelert beckoned her comrades toward a rowboat just big enough for all of them moored in the middle of the schooner’s ruins. “Every, you said you saw a gathering just west of here, yeah?”

     “Aye, Cap’n, I did!” the Pirate Hissi said, saluting and nearly slipping all over the rocks.

     “Then hurry up and lead us there, you twit!” She shoved him toward the boat as the other pirates hurried into it, taking up the oars. The Speckled Usul reached out to grab more floating supplies and a soaked length of rope before they shoved off and started rowing out of the cave. A huge wave rolled inside, nearly pushing them backwards. The water in the tidal pool rose toward Oakley’s shoulders.

     The Gelert spared only the most fleeting glance toward the Striped Kougra as her crew frantically worked to row themselves out with the incoming tide. As they emerged, Rohane and Tuffold hurriedly backed away, hopefully out of the pirates’ line of sight, and remained still as they possibly could until the boat had rowed farther away. It was becoming more difficult to stand on the ledge; it was now under an inch of seawater. Perhaps more.

     “Oakley,” said Tuffold, his eyes wide. “We can’t leave him.”

     “Who said we’d leave him?”

     The two knights picked their way gingerly over the rocks and into the cave, which was already filling with more water. They splashed toward the sunken pool, where Oakley was struggling against his bonds. Despite this, his eyes lit up at the sight of Tuffold and Rohane.

     “I knew you wouldn’t leave me!” He tugged at the ropes tying him to the stalagmites growing up out of the edge of the pool. “Thanks, but I have another problem.”

     “What?” Tuffold asked.

     Oakley inclined his head slightly downward. Tuffold and Rohane traded a wince when they saw that even the Kougra’s ankles were secured to the bottom of the pool with more rope.

     “They took you shooting their ship seriously, didn’t they?” the Yellow Lupe remarked grimly. “Okay, we need to free Oakley – “

     “Untie his wrists,” Rohane ordered Tuffold automatically.

     “But what about his – “

     Rohane didn’t say anything else. Instead, he took a deep breath and dove into the pool. As he swam toward where Oakley’s ankles were tied, he reached for the dagger at his belt and immediately set to work cutting through the rope. It fell to the sharp blade before long, fibres swaying uselessly in the water as Oakley moved his right foot. Then he set to work on the second rope, and the moment it fell apart, he kicked off from the bottom to the surface, gasping.

     “You did it!” Oakley yelped as Tuffold sawed through the rope on his right wrist and the Striped Kougra grabbed hold of the edge of the pool. “Oh no, Rohane, your doublet…”

     Rohane shook his head as he climbed out of the pool – but noticed that the water was already rising past his knees anyway as he stood back up. “It’s fine, much better than leaving you to drown.”

     “It’s high tide,” said Tuffold grimly, watching the waves rush into the cave. “Looks like we’ll have to swim for it.”

     “They mentioned a gathering west from here.” Rohane slid his dagger back into its sheath. “If that’s my brother’s…”

     “We’d better get going.” Oakley shook his wrists.

     “Well…at least my clothes are already soaked.” The White Blumaroo threw his hands up resignedly. “They can’t get any worse.”

     Meanwhile, the Striped Kougra was already wading into deeper water, Tuffold next to him. “On the bright side, he could forgive you if you stop those pirates from ruining his special day?”

     * * *

     After consulting his pocket watch, Reuben looked over at Andrea, who was deep in conversation with a Purple Lupe and a White Kyrii, and at his mother, who was talking to Elder Corus of Trestin, the Brown Elephante who was to preside over the ceremony.

     He turned away from them to stare out into the distance, at the sea – and tensed when he saw a rowboat stop on the shore some distance from them, whose occupants were brandishing not a few bladed weapons. The White Blumaroo stepped behind a palm tree to watch them and narrowed his eyes when he saw that they were walking toward the direction of their ceremony. Then he wove through the groves of trees before reaching Andrea again.

     “Reuben!” she exclaimed. “Is everythi – “ She paused when he placed a finger to his lips.

     “What’s wrong?” the White Kyrii whispered.

     “Ben,” Reuben hissed urgently, “get everyone who can’t fight to the inn. Now. We’ve got pirates.”

     * * *

     Toting a chipped cutlass, the Silver Gelert grinned as she and her crew approached the site of the ceremony. Her smile faded like a candle blown out when she saw that most of the crowd had deserted the chairs in front of the stage – and those left were armed and waiting. At the helm were a White Blumaroo in a black and white cotehardie holding a glaive at the ready and a Red Kyrii in a blue cloak and gown, turquoise energy crackling at her fingers.

     The Gelert took a moment to compose herself. “Well, well. What a star-studded party we’ve stumbled into.”

     “And it’s invitation only,” said Reuben.

     “Cap’n, maybe we should…” Every flinched as the Gelert elbowed him in the gut.

     “I just lost my ship to the knights. A star-studded party means we can get back on track. Get ‘em.”

     The mention of knights gave Reuben pause, but he had little time to ponder that because the fight had already begun.

     Every and Ryder stumbled forward and was forced to dodge as Andrea fired sparkling blue bolts at them from her fingers. The Speckled Usul shrieked as he crossed blades with a burly Brown Lupe. And the Silver Gelert and Ryder, who had run to her side after escaping Andrea, were trading strikes with Reuben’s glaive. He swung the polearm and when the pirates dodged, he wound up felling and destroying several chairs.

     “Great. Look what you made me do.” He whirled his glaive toward the Gelert, who leapt up on stage while Ryder blocked the larger blade with his cutlass. She gave Reuben a razor-thin smile before shoving the rose arch toward him, but the arch exploded into a cloud of ashen flowers and singed ribbons, courtesy of Andrea.

     “Thanks, Andrea.” Reuben groaned as he stood up from where he had dropped and rolled to the ground, reaching out for his glaive.

     “Sorry about the decorations, though!”

     Ryder and an Aisha hedge witch menaced a Green Kacheek wielding two shortswords, while Every cackled as he slithered toward the direction of the inn, only to yelp when Andrea hurled bright blue fire at him.

     “Well,” she said as she cracked a whip made entirely of blue energy, “at least my jitters are gone!”

     “That’s grea – oof!”

     The Gelert captain had thrown herself on Reuben and had pinned him to the grass, his glaive clattering out of his hand.

     “If you just hand over all your valuables, we’ll leave. Peacefully,” she hissed.

     “How about you just leave?”

     Someone flung himself at the Gelert, and the two of them rolled on the grass, wrestling before he trapped her in a headlock that made Reuben grin from ear to ear as he retrieved his glaive.

     “Let me guess. Too much knight duty?”

     “Way too much.” Rohane said. He gasped when the Gelert elbowed him sharply in the side, causing him to let go, but he drew his sword and slashed at her, prompting her to block with her cutlass before sidestepping to avoid a chair thrown at her by the Brown Lupe and an arrow whistling from the nearest large tree. A Striped Kougra was perched in the branches, already nocking another arrow to his bow, while a Yellow Lupe brandished a sword at the foot of the tree.

     “What happened to your outfit?” Reuben squinted at Rohane’s rumpled shirt, doublet and breeches – and caught the faint tang of seawater and saw damp sand sticking to his boots.

     “I can explain. Later.” Two pirates rushed at them; one got punched in the stomach with the butt of Reuben’s glaive; the other was soundly disarmed by Rohane, their cutlass flipped away to the side.

     “Rohane! We knew you could make it!” Andrea waved as she brandished her whip. She bound the Pirate Hissi with her magical whip and flung him aside, nearly throwing him into the Green Kacheek.

     “Told you you’d be on time!” Oakley called from the tree. “Sorry Tuffold and I crashed the party, though.” He turned his bow toward the Aisha hedge witch.

     “You’re late,” said Reuben, whirling his glaive and grunting when it accidentally snagged into one of the velvet cords on either side of the aisle. He yanked his weapon, which took a cord with it. Then the White Blumaroo took off after the Silver Gelert, who parried the glaive and tried to slide under it to trip him, but Reuben circled away, striking and jabbing with the blade as Rohane placed himself behind his older brother, back-to-back. “Or maybe, you were just in time.”

     Rohane ducked a wild swing from Ryder’s cutlass. He yelped when Ryder managed to hit his sword hand with the back of the cutlass but kicked out in response, causing the Pirate Lupe to stumble. The Green Kacheek immediately pointed his shortswords at Ryder’s throat.

     “Thanks, Devin!”

     “Little help here?” Reuben grunted as the Gelert lunged forward – too close for him to use the glaive. With an almighty yell, he heaved the glaive aside.

     “Watch it!” the Brown Lupe cried as the glaive landed just behind him.

     “Sorry, Omar!”

     Reuben drew two knives from his belt, concealed under his cotehardie. Together, he and Rohane worked like a well-oiled machine to hem the Silver Gelert in and against the tree where Oakley was still shooting at pirates, and with three blades levelled at her chest, she growled sullenly and dropped her cutlass.

     “Heh, my jitters are gone too,” said Reuben, grinning as he looked over at Andrea. She was helping tie up the rest of the pirates with the velvet cords, and she managed to wave back, giving him a bright smile.

     * * *

     “I promise on the moon and sun, that from now on we shall be one,” Andrea intoned, clutching a bouquet of colourful flowers in her hands as she faced Reuben on the stage. The decorations were ruined, and some chairs had met their untimely demise, but everyone, especially Reuben, was more focused on the Red Kyrii reciting her lines. Her vows. Her promises.

     “I promise on the sea and shore,” she added, “that we shall be together forevermore.”

     Elder Corus sniffed an incipient tear away and turned to Reuben. While Ben stood beside Andrea, Rohane was next to Reuben and gave him a subtle but encouraging smile.

     Reuben cleared his throat and glanced at his glaive propped up against the stage as though he believed he might have need of it again.

     “I…ugh, there’s no way I’m topping that,” he said, chuckling awkwardly. But he looked up at Andrea – at her circlet and veil, the flowers in her mane, the glitter sprinkled liberally over her eyelids, her flowing sapphire gown with a hem and sleeves rumpled and spattered with dirt and ash. She smiled too, and the way she smiled at him with her solemn blue eyes seemed to banish the Batterflies from his stomach.

     “Right.” He drew himself up to full height and thumped his heart. “Andrea, I asked you once if you would go on an adventure with me, for the rest of our lives. I promise, that on our adventure together, I will keep you safe, fight by your side, help you wrestle writer’s block and practice your magic…whatever you want to do, I’ll always come along for the ride. For richer, or poorer, in sickness, and in health…no matter what.” Reuben reached out and grasped her hands. “We’ll weather any storm, sail any sea…and always, always help you get rid of any jitters you may have.”

     Andrea beamed, and it felt like only she and Reuben existed in his world.

     Elder Corus said, “You have made your vows. I now pronounce you – “

     Reuben threw his arms around Andrea and lifted her into the air. He spun her around as she braced her hands on his shoulders, without a care for her circlet fluttering to the stage or the bouquet that she dropped. Elder Corus blinked back tears as he continued speaking over the applause of the guests – words that Reuben and Andrea heard, words that broke over them like a wave washing ashore as they twirled and finally stepped off the stage to cheers and shouts.

     “Told you I’d keep my promise,” Rohane whispered to Reuben, patting him on the shoulder and getting an enthusiastic hug from Andrea.

     “Yeah, yeah.” Reuben chuckled and looked out at the sea. The colours of a sky headed for sunset reflected in the water. “Hey, um, you guys go ahead. Andrea and I…”

     Rohane nodded slowly and disappeared into the throng of guests. Andrea took Reuben’s hand – scarred, callused, and solid - in her delicate fingers as they watched the sun begin to set. As the sea ebbed away, it seemed to be giving Reuben and Andrea this moment all to themselves.

     “Reuben?”

     “Hmm?”

     “I thought your promises were more beautiful.”

     “Heh, you did? Well, now I’ll absolutely have to keep them. I promise, on the sea and shore.”

     The End.