Tides of Twilight - Chapter 2: A Generous Offer

Congratulations. You are officially a big part of this mess.

You have decided that it would be best to run away from the King Behemoth with Nael. 

Both of you begin making your way down an alleyway opposite from the one you had emerged out into the scene from.

Nael: (Running ahead of you) You had me worried there, newcomer! I saw you eyeing that weapon on the ground... but you made a smart move. (Turns  briefly as he runs to give you a nod of approval) You dying within minutes of your arrival would make one doleful article!

The alleyway shakes as you feel the force of the King Behemoth's weight crashing against the narrow spacing. It watches you two run through it, roaring in frustration before moving away from the alley and out of sight. You can still feel its heavy footsteps rumbling the ground. 

You: That's fortunate for your article, Nael, but I think the Behemoth is trying to cut us off! (Looking ahead at the path that leads to a left turn)

Nael: (Stopping to look back towards the other end you two had ran in from) Oh? Maybe. Or perhaps it just lost interest in-

ka-BOOM!

 The wall from the building to your right breaks apart as the two large protruding horns belonging to the beast emerge in between you and Nael. It swings them around sporadically, attempting to widen the hole most likely to make room for its head. 

The King Behemoth uses Gorge... but misses.

You & Nael: AHH! (Falling back against the ground on each respective ends) 

Nael: (Jumping up to his feet and backing away) Alright, I wasn't expecting that! Hey, buddy! Roll under the horns! Quick! 

You: (Getting up quickly and lowering your self) Th-The horns...? 

You jump back against the ground once more as those sharp set of chompers emerge from the widening hole and clamp down like a scary booby-trap. 

You: (Backing way up) Um, bad idea Nael! Hey... hey! (Looking over the beast's emerging head as you see Nael jotting down something on his journal) Are you seriously writing right now!?

Nael: (Holding up his index finger as he writes) Just a sec! If I don't write this down now, my details won't be as "tasteful" later on! Gotta live in the moment, aye? Alright! (Shuts the journal and stuffs it back into his jacket pockets.) 

You: (Giving him a distasteful look) Oh, I'm sorry, you done? 

Nael: Yep! Let's get the hell outta' here. (Points behind you) You run that way, and I'll run this way. (Points behind him) 

You: Genious! Why didn't I think of that? (/sarcasm) Where will I even go? 

Nael: (Already making his way down the left at the end of the alley, waving at you without looking back) The Square is our best bet. Take this thing back to the Brigade!

You: (Turning around to run) Guess I have no choice... 

The King Behemoth's horns disappear as it pulls away from the building. You can only pray that it doesn't greet you outside of the alley.

As you take a right down the narrow passage and then another right further down, you bump straight into Nael who had appeared out of nowhere from around the corner. 

Nael: (Rubbing the back of his neck and grinning) Heh, hey again. I forgot this was a closed alley. Let's just go back the way we came, yeah? 

You: (Words escape you. But you agree without saying anything and run back out of these god-forsaken alleys.) 

The both of you emerge back out into the trashed square, only to look up and see the King Behemoth looking down at you from the roof tops. It roars and jumps down to ground level, its large claws sinking into the concrete. 

Nael: (Jumping back in surprise) Damn thing's rather taken with us, yeah? You don't have something to do with this, do ya?

You: I just got here!! Now what do we do?

Nael: Hm. (Pulling his journal and pen out) 

You smack the damn thing out of Nael's hands.

Nael: Augh!  (Rubbing the back of his hand, giving you a shocked look)

You: (Glare) We're about to get eaten alive and you decide to narrate it? Give me a break! 

The King Behemoth readies: Gorge

You & Nael: AHHH!

~*~

Somewhere in the lush western wing of Eden, an area known as the Windward District.

A young and pretty monkey-hybrid known by most as Okina has lunch at a food stand with two of her good friends. They are currently oblivious to the mayhem going on in the Town Square, due to not having brought their Brigade-issued communication pearls.

Okina: (Munching on one of various little meat cubes kabobbed on a toothpick) Nmm-nmmm! And this one is dalm meat!(Swaying her head, causing her blonde hair's side-ponytail to swing with her movements as she smiles in delight)

Lillian(Girl with lengthy pink hair): (Giggles as she keeps her eyes to her nails) That's so cool! You really are an expert on food, Okina! (She lifts her hand up and curls her fingers in front of the monkey girl, showing off her freshly painted nails) What do you think? Too cutesy? 

Okina: (Still munching as she looks the pretty designs on Lillian's nails over) Mm-mm! (Shaking her head and giving a thumbs up)

Ben(Tall young man with dark hair): (Not really paying attention. Just enjoying a nice big steak and raising a brow as Lillian runs her nails playfully across his cheek) Hmm?

Lillian: What do you think babe? Do these nails look good on me? (Smiling and holding her hand up to her face while looking at Ben)

Ben: (Speaking with his mouth full, giving a shrug) Nnnyup. Cntyou see mmeating?

Okina: (Taking another little cube into her mouth and closing one eye in thought as she contemplates the flavor of this one, which doesn't take long) Oh! (Pointing at her cheek) This one's harab meat! 

Food Stand Worker: (Sulk) Ergh! How is that even possible? There's no way you could possibly know the flavor of every meat variety! I mean, so many of these animals taste the same when cooked! Especially with the sauces we use here... 

Okina: (Gives a happy smile and shrugs) It's too good to just eat! You need to appreciate each and every little change in flavor that goes into your mouth... and all that stuff! And you need to appreciate the animals that went into them. (She clasps her hands together and bows her head at the little entrée of cooked and assorted meat cubes in front of her) Thanks for the food, tasty animals!

Food Stand Worker: (Sigh) Uh-huh. Whatever it is you do, keep that secret to yourself. I'll be out of a job if people find out how to do that! 

Ben: (Pointing at his now empty plate) Well, bro. Looks like my meal was free again. 

The food stand worker nods reluctantly with a crooked smile, looking over at the advertised sign above his stand that refers to the little challenge of his involving those meat cube samples. If the challenger can guess what specific animal each six respective cubes came from, they win a free steak of their choice. It's a lot harder than it sounds, considering there are over fifty varieties of animal meat this stand sells. Okina enjoys it for the game itself and because she'd rather have the multiple yummy tasting samples than one same-tasting steak, so she lets Ben have them. 

-Limit one per customer 

Okina: (Giggling) Sorry! It's your own fault for making it so fun... Huh? 

Her ears suddenly twitch and her coiled monkey-like tail unfurls for a brief moment, causing her to turn around and look off into the distance.

Lillian: (Blinks at Okina and looks in the same direction) Huh? What's up? 

Okina: Um... I could have sworn I just heard what sounded like... Nael screaming. 

Ben: (Spinning the empty plate like a disc on the table) Guy's always getting himself into trouble. He brings that crap onto himself, if you ask me. He probably snuck into the Mayor's place again to try and "unravel the mystery behind the identity."

*Trivia: Since the opening of Eden, no one has ever really seen what the Mayor of the city actually looks like. He is always behind closed doors, making announcements through his assistants.

Okina: Hmm...

~*~

 While the King Behemoth was about ready to finally drive you and Nael through the ground with its horns, the rude elf-eared man from before decides to jump into the picture!

He grabs the beast by the horns at the last minute and somehow manages to hold it back, if only a little. What immense strength! 

Vero: (Grunting and struggling against the beast, gritting his teeth) Grrr...!

Vero readies: Ire

Vero uses Ire! Strength has been increased.

His arms give off a bright red hue, but even so finding it hard to hold the struggling beast back. His boots skid across the floor as he turned to look at you and Nael with furrowed brows.

Vero: Why didn't you stupid idiots stay in the... grrr... fountain! 

Nael: Heya, Vero! Sorry about that. I, uh... I kinda wanted to get a closer look, you know... to get a better angle and stuff for a good speedy sketch. Here, uh... (Puts a hand on Vero's back, hardly pushing against it) Just... 

You: (Looking at Nael in disbelief) What are you doing...?

Nael: (Moves hand away) Heh, I thought I could help but... I guess not. 

The King Behemoth roars, pushing its horns hard against Vero's grasp.

Vero: JUST RUN YOU FOOLS!

Nael: Alright you heard the man! (Leading you out of there by the shoulder) S'go! 

Annie, Flint and Mel run past you two to aid Vero. 

Vero: Flint! Get a lock on its horns while you still can! Mel, help me stabilize this thing with Freeze! Annie, scream at it or something, woman! 

Annie:    Very funny, Vero. (/sarcasm)  (͡๏̯͡๏)

Flint: I'm on it! 

Mel: (Preparing her spell) Just a little longer! 

The three come quite close to bringing it down, but the King Behemoth breaks away from Vero's grasp at the very last second, sending him slamming against the wall and just barely dodging Flint's bullet. It gets ready to go on another rampage!

However, just as everything was put back to square one, Okina's voice breaks through the air. 

Okina: Hiya! (Waving from the roof top) Why didn't anybody tell me there was a parade!? 

Annie: (Looking up at her and giving an angry pout) There's a monster on the loose and you're disappointed about not seeing the parade...? 

Vero: (Looking up at Okina while stuck against the wall) Where the HELL have you been!? Why aren't you carrying your Comm Pearl? Are you stupid? No, scratch that. You ARE stupid! 

Okina: (Looks at Vero, appauled, then points furiously at him) Nuh uh! YOU'RE stupid! 

Mel: Okina! Save it for later, okay? Right now you need to get down here and steer the King Behemoth back into its den! 

Okina: (Shaking her head) Nuh! Not until Vero apologizes for calling me stupid! That was mean!

Vero: WHAT!?

Flint: We're dead. 

The King Behemoth tears away the ice from its feet that Mel had cast and looks at Vero plastered against the wall, growling lowly as it prepares to show its aggression towards his handling of its horns earlier. 

Vero: Come on!! 

Okina: Just apologize! 

Annie: Oh, Vero, just apologize! It's either that, or death! 

Vero: I CHOOSE DEATH! 

Nael: (Watching from the distance, writing in his journal) Hooo, amazing! 

You: ...

Okina: (Pouting and stomping her foot in irritation) Ooooh, fine! I'm coming!

In true monkey fashion, the young woman somersaults off the edge of the roof and swings down a series of pipes and banners, landing on top of the beast's head and tugging its ears back hard. 

This brings the King Behemoth to pull back to a sudden halt, giving a deepened yelp and kicking about in a panic as Okina begins to steer it- or tries to. 

Okina: (Can't help but laugh in enjoyment) Okay! Come on, boy! Easy come, easy go! 

Flint: Everyone move out of the way! (Swinging his hand in the air) 

Mel: Good job, Okina! Take it straight to the den!

Holding on effortlessly, Okina drives the beast out of the Square and down a wide stone path known as Victorious March, where the parade had previously been taking place before things went bad.

Vero: (Pushing himself off the sunken wall and landing on the ground with a hard thud)

The other Brigade Elites follow behind her, revitalizing Bear in the process who had been launched across the area during the battle.

~*~

You: It's over... (Slumping down on the floor) It's finally over... 

Nael: (Closing his journal and putting it away with a smirk) And that's that! (Turns to point at you) You, my friend, let me tell ya... are good luck! We need to hang out more. Someone like you would do wonders for the Tribune! I mean, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have gotten involved in that mess! That was fun, right? My readers will find it fun too! How would you like to be my outside voice?

You: What!? (Jumping up to your feet) That wasn't fun at all! (Thinking to yourself, "Maybe just a little...") And what do you mean 'outside voice'? Good luck? What, what, what? 

Nael: Oh, believe me. I know a top contributor to my article when I see one. And believe me... trouble follows you in your wake, my friend. Oh, and by outside voice, I'm saying that my readers would love to get into the mind of an outsider! Don't get me wrong, Eden has its share of colorful people, but... I want to know what you think, newcomer. I'm sure people will be walking up to you as well, just dying to meet ya. 

You: Um... I dunno... I could have been killed. If I help you with your article, can you tell me more about the Brigade? 

Nael: No sweat! I'm well acquainted with most of them, actually. A perk from my job, heh. Anyway, where will you be staying? I need to be able to reach you easily, buddy.

You: Actually... I don't have a place to stay. I just got here and I used up all my money to travel here. 

Nael: Oh, really? Well, that's not good... you're going to need a job asap if you plan on living here. (Scratching the side of his head) Hm, this won't do... okay, well, I have an idea. You can always come to my place. I have a few extra rooms I don't use. That way, I don't have to worry about looking for ya to get started on my next article, right? (Grin) 

You: Wha? You'd really let a stranger stay with you? 

Nael: Hey! Nobody's a stranger to Nael. That's a fact. Nah, I'm kidding. You're no stranger to me, though. Not anymore. But hey, if you're not cool with that idea, that's fine with me... just don't let anyone else know you're broke and jobless. Won't do you any good. 

You: Well...

Nael: Up to you.

Nael proposes a generous offer in exchange for helping him with his article. But what will you do about finding a place to stay? It is certainly illegal to sleep in the streets here. Perhaps you can find a quick odd job to pay for a temporary stay at an Inn?

1). "A few extra rooms?" I bet Nael has a nice place. Sign me up! (2 votes)

2). Eh, I can take care of myself. Plus this guy is nothing but trouble...

               **Results have been tallied.

~*~

To be continued...

(Leave your choice in the Comment/Review section below)

Author's Note

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Reviews

[The XYZ Writer]

Lol, I'm so stupid. I just realized my votes don't really count. Oh well, I'll "vote" anyways, just to express my opinion. ^-^
Nael's kinda annoying (in a funny way) and his place seems to be the most sound option. I would go there.

And good chapter. :) I kept wondering what was gonna happen to me, and laughed at the humor in the story. Good job. :)

[Anniejuran]

damnit I didnt even get to vote D: and lol my character's face xD

[Buddha]

dammm vero is a BA holding the monster back with his hands

the face anie did made me laugh also when we slap the journal from naels hands lolol

i pick choice 1. nael is nosy as hell but in a funny way

[okina]

1.
living with Nael sounds like it might be fun ;] sign me up hehehe

Im loving the variety of characters in this story so far! They're really all so unique