Phunfernikle

"THE KING?" The girls cried is unison, their eyes opened wide and questioning. It made sense, Raeshel thought, now taking in the view more closely. Castle, beautiful town, of course there was a king somewhere, controlling all of this, this- mayhem.

But why on earth would the king be missing?

Emaline was jumping up and down with excitement, following without question behind the two misfit partners, already arguing about where they should look first. Everyone was certainly looking, everywhere, there wasn't a single spot in the courtyard or surrounding town, as far as Raeshel could see, where there wasn't a soul sweeping. Women, Men, even the young held their mothers hands and upturned anything they could get their little fingers on.

Raeshel didn't noticed just how far she was being left behind until Emaline suddenly grabbed her hand, having ran back to her with a smile to break her from her gaze. The red head had said something, but Raeshel still wasn't quite broken from the spell. She was eying a little girl, thumb in her mouth, kneeling on the ground with her mother and overturning rocks.... like, the king could be...

The moment the leprechaun had started to say something, grumpily having to walk all the way back to where he had started, Raeshel interrupted him.

"What, is the king short or something?" She asked, checking the ground before every footfall just in case as Emaline finally brought life to the legs of her friend, dragging her along since the leprechaun and the unicorn simply didn't feel like waiting. Raeshel's mind conjured up the image of an ant-sized king, dressed in microscopic robes and jewels scurrying around nearly being stepped on at every turn. His squeaky, almost unheard voice screaming in the terror of almost being flattened every other second. She smiled to herself, how weird this place was...

So- different.

"No, no. He's not. Actually, he is just the opposite!" They unicorn beamed, finding some sort of pride in discussing his king. "He is the tallest king we've ever had!"

Emaline suddenly lit up to an immense volume. Tall? OH! How perfect! She couldn't help throwing an excited glance of approval towards her friend.

Raeshel smiled at her, but her heart wasn't in it, shaking her head as she realized that Emaline was falling for the king already, and she didn't even know him yet. She adverted her attention elsewhere though, as they came to the end of the city, approaching a huge, monstrous, spectacular gate. Both girls were once again caught in sheer shock.

How did they not noticed that before? Surely- surely they must have seen it from the sky! But, Raeshel racked her brain for anything, it's memory simply wasn't there. She hadn't saw it... Not even Emaline seemed to be looking at it for the first time as well.

They hadn't seen it...

They did now, though.

"Woah..." Emaline breathed, her smile fading into astonishment, large doe eyes fixed upon the monumental fortress, guarded by this equally astonishing structure that blocked half the view.

Her hand slipped away from Raeshel's as she followed closely behind the unicorn who occasionally gazed back at her and laughed quietly. The gate was golden with mile high look-out towers, it seemed, with ants that must have been men in suits of armor peering out the windows and over the edges. Were they looking too? The towers themselves, bathing in the sunlight that made it out from behind the trees that were too high to let the sun brighten much of anything else in the town. Though, the towers, they were so blinding, they themselves lit the rest of the should-be darkened village like suns themselves. There were large flags, too, but they were so far away up in the air, it was impossible to make out their designs from here, let alone colors as they reflected light as well. Everything was so high up it was dizzying just looking at it, and Raeshel had to advert her gaze in a hurry, breathing slightly off.

"Come on, lass! Ye holdin' up the search! Get up 'ere now!" The girl snap out of it, enough to move forward and follow her company. Everyone was searching for the King inside the gate as well, calling out for him or simply looking under every rock. Men and women where on their knees, combing every blade of grass and crease of every cobble stone, it seemed. It was a wide space, the street they were now walking lined with guards, all looking the same height- except one. The unicorn nodded to a single soldier standing at the end of the line near a cart in straw put in the corner of the wall. He looked like he was extremely misplaced, being so short compared to the others dressed in armor, his suit being obviously way too big and the helmet he wore was constantly readjusted so the guy could see out of the slits, along with everything clanking more than necessary as he pulled up his staff to let the odd group pass.

Suddenly, the little soldier gasped, the leprechaun rushing to take the runt's mouth in his own tiny hand.

They were the same size...

"Hey! What are you doing to him?" Emaline rushed over, suddenly concerned for the two struggling, one trying to scream, the other, more annoying, angry thing, throwing around threats and insults as well as limbs.

Suddenly all three had left her and were huddled around the scene, trying to pry off leprechaun from his death grip on the soldier, leaving the shorter girl on the stone road with strangers near her, carrying on their search. They disregarded her, even when they ran into her, like they didn't know she was even there. She could have been just a statue, misplaced on the main road, forgotten.

Raeshel felt misplaced there, alone, but ignored them just as equally, her attention being taken from her without permission for the millionth time that day.

Only a few steps away there was a garden, and a gorgeous one at that.

The colors and life that was anchored there, it was enough to make Raeshel stare in wonder for some amount of time. She wanted to go over there and smell those flowers, those certain flowers that had caught her eyes to begin with. That color was, breathtaking. They were- beautiful and alluring for some strange, unknown reason. This feeling went through her and she instantly wanted to run over there and just- just be there. Everything was so red, so yellow...

So purple.

A flicker of gold that did not belong near so much violet caught her eye as it went across the ground...

Raeshel's eyes grew.

"He wasn't going to do anything and you know it!" Emaline fumed, holding the squirming midget in her arms as he tried to get away as she walked back to her abandoned friend.

"I jus' ad to make sure the little runt didn't make any stupid moves! Tha's all! Now let me go!" Emaline released him, sending the short man to the ground with a thud. She still looked pretty mad at him, the unicorn perhaps fueled with twice as much anger, but nowhere near looking as terrifying as Emaline did, the leprechaun jumped back up, dusted himself off, and gave them each an innocent 'what'.

"You didn't have to hit him, you know." The red head growled. Crossing her arms and glaring down at the tiny man, who now looked somewhat guilty and defensive.

"B-but he bit me first!" He counter attacked like a child trying to get himself out of trouble with a mess of 'blame game'. With Emaline, being the mother figure of this whole scenario, standing along side the unicorn who was trying to look just as menacingly as the girl did.

"You jumped him." She accused.

"He was going to yell! I had to-"

"Hey guys." Raeshel jumped in again, pulling Emaline's arm to get the girl closer to her, Raeshel smiled. "Shouldn't we be looking for the king?"

"QUITE RIGHT!" The leprechaun agreed enthusiastically, taking any chance he could get to escape from his scolding and running with it. "You girls search the gardens! We shall search the west grounds!"

The little man was gone before the Unicorn could even sigh in annoyance, shake his head and turn to follow.

Emaline stared down at her capture, wondering what she was doing. Raeshel didn't meet her friend's eyes to answer till both creatures were gone and most of the villagers were either far away or occupied.

"Come on." She whispered, turned and guided the red haired girl close behind her, being very, very course and sparse of an explanation until they were out of sight. She practically ignored Emaline's questions, even if asked in a whisper, there wasn't time, it seemed. Raeshel's eyes transfixed on that one spot. That one spot that held something golden, like everything else in this world.

She did finally stop, however, and addressed her friend when they were well away from sight.
She was standing by the bush herself, Emaline a step away and eying the shorter girl who was glancing around just to make sure they were alone.

"What is it?" Emaline asked, concerned about their sudden game of run and hide.

"I found something." She answered in a hushed whispered, looking once more behind Emaline to satisfy her paranoia. "It's behind the bush. I think, I think it's a- well. Look at it!" Raeshel pointed at the tiny thing, hiding effectively behind the leaves of a flower bush.
It was golden, and it was small... practically camouflaged with all the same shade of bright metallic yellow buds pouring around it, like the small item was a flower itself, perfectly placed.

But it wasn't moving... and, even though considering what it was, that seemed odd- for it not to move. The thing sparkled, somehow, in a way, that just made the little thing seem alive. Even if that was a silly thing to think.

"A- statue of an elephant?" Emaline asked. She knelt to the ground and squinted at it, fingers grazing before she gently picked it up in her hand. They both studied the thing as she brought it closer to both of their faces.

"Maybe someone dropped it?" Emaline breathed, mostly to herself. The gold was so...

Unique, maybe?

Raeshel glared at the thing, she had been sure that it had ran to the bush earlier. Ran, not rolled, or thrown, or dropped.

Ran.

But it was just as Emaline had questioned it to be. A little golden stature of an elephant, standing proudly in the palm of Emaline's hand, trunk raised as if to waved, touching it's forehead, and two little green gems for eyes.

"It's- weird. Don't you think?" Raeshel asked, caught in a staring contest with green, tapping her finger on the trunk. Constant, definite thuds in the metal over and over and over-

"Be careful!" Emaline pulled it back a ways so that Raeshel's next tap hit her friend's palm instead. She looked up with question at the girl beside her, but Emaline didn't return the gaze at all, she, instead, was stroking the tiny golden thing, as if to sooth it. "I think it's beautiful."

Raeshel hadn't meant that she didn't like the tiny creature. It was a pretty object, but it was.... odd for some reason.

"HEY!"

Both girls turned in shock at being spoken to so suddenly, so forcefully.

Emaline pocketed the figurine in one swift movement, so quick, even, that Raeshel hadn't even noticed.

There was a man in front of them now, standing and gazing at them with blank shadowed eyes, breath unsettled. He had been running.

The stranger was dress in somewhat normal clothing, considering the ridiculous outfits the girls had been met with outside the gates, and even on the road inside. This was the first time they had seen just a regular, plain, white shirt with long sleeves that were rolled up to his elbows, the collar laced with shimmering string, deep ruby pants tied around his waste with an elaborate rope of sorts. Golden.

His hair was tussles of golden locks, all perfectly placed and laid, and now, suddenly, a smile grew across those lips.

The only thing that seemed odd about him clothing wise was the lack of shoes or socks.

Raeshel didn't know what to think about him, let alone what to say. Though, Emaline, returning the smile to some extent, greeted the stranger.

"Hey! Who are you?" She asked innocently, Her smile reaching her eyes.

"I could ask you the same question. Don't you know where you are, miss...?" He asked, some sort of charm radiating from his grace as he stuck out his hand and captured the taller girls, raising it to his lips.

Emaline gasped, and, uncharacteristically, tore her hand from his grip in an instant as he came forward, and she held her hand to herself, a glare sweeping away that smile that had been there only seconds earlier.

The stranger's eyes widened, but soon his calm, friendly look came back as he straightened himself up again, watching.

Raeshel could only stare, confused.

"My name is Emaline, I have yet to get yours, sir." Emaline's bitter tone only mad Raeshel gawk more at her friend's unusual mood. What had happened? He had smiled, like a regular nineteenth century gentleman, took her hand and bowed, asked her name politely... called her miss. Everything Emaline practically wished up to be a perfect boy... so...

What in the world happened?

"Ah, yes, lovely name, truly. My name is Du." He had paused. Slightly, but it was there. He had paused when he said his name, but... maybe Raeshel was just imagining things again. Yes, that must be it. It seemed to be happening a lot today.

"Well, Du. Next time you can just ask. You don't have to go and try to steal it- like a pickpocket." Emaline glared, her hand now pushing into her pocket and bringing out the little figurine that Raeshel had forgotten about.

Wait... what had happened?

"True. But isn't that what you were doing, stealing it, I mean?" Du laughed uneasily, gazing longingly at the golden thing still being held in Emaline's fingers, she was still glaring at him as that smile of his glowed away, shining like suns in blue skies.

Raeshel, in her moment of confusion, could only keep adverting her gave back and forth between the two, staring each other down. One light and calm, Emaline a little more annoyed.

"No." Do spoke again. "Perhaps that's too harsh. I'm sure that was not your intention. I supposed that I just simply didn't think you would notice my advances. My apologies, my dear Emaline." He chuckled again, this time a tad more easily. He held his hand up, waiting for the trinket to be placed in his possession. "Though, may I have it back anyways, please?"

Emaline stared hesitantly down at his flesh, not quite ready to let go of the thing the girls had found.

"Maybe you should, Ema-"

"Is it yours?" She cut Raeshel completely off, not breaking her eyes from his hand. Her features were softening, though, Raeshel noticed.

She probably already knew for fact the thing belonged to this man.

"Sure is. It- I must have dropped it there, I'm awfully grateful for it's return."

What. A. Lie.

And oh, how Raeshel wanted to tell that to Emaline as she placed the golden animal in the hand of the blonde man before them.

She had seen the thing run, it had been alive- somehow...

"OH! Thank you so much!" He gleamed at it's return, like it meant everything in the world to him. Maybe it did, but then, wouldn't he have been more careful as to it's whereabouts? Considering how he 'dropped' it. His excitement ended abruptly, mood going back to just a pleasant smile as he cautiously moved the elephant to the pocket of his pants. Raeshel didn't notice those eyes that studied her darkly for just a second as the man's fingers grazed the gold. "Now." He addressed the girls again. "What are you doing in the King's private gardens?"

"Private?" Raeshel asked nervously, getting a nod from Du and he confirmed her question. "We didn't know that they were private."

"Ah, I see. Then what has brought you here, miss Emaline and- "

"Raeshel." She answered, filling in his sentence as he turned around to face the golden walls, arms held behind his back, chest raised.

He did all this, and then faltered for some reason, moving to a more relaxed position like before.

"Raeshel, then." She heard the boredom in his voice, feeling a wave of- annoyance?- wash through her...

When Emaline had said her name...

"Why are you here?"

With his back still turned, he waited.

Soon enough, though, he glanced back to eye one girl who still had a surprised expression, and one that was emerging one.

His face softened.

"You are in no trouble, I assure you! Curiosity is no crime!" He smiled wholeheartedly at Emaline, and then, turning to Raeshel. His smile twitched and those eyes grew cold. "Nor is the lack of knowledge."

Now Raeshel was seriously doubting her senses today. Had that been directed at her?

Personally?

What had she done?

"We are in search for the King." Emaline spoke first, but hesitantly.

Had she noticed too?

"AH! How wonderful! As am I!" He shifted to Emaline's side slipped his arm around hers, took her hand and held it in both of his and smiled greatly. "I shall join you, then! The greater the numbers the greater the chances, yes?!"

Raeshel saw how Emaline threw a look to her, confused and embarrassed.

Du was still smiling, but when his eyes fixed upon Raeshel and met her own, those eyes held something else inside.

As Emaline was suddenly being pulled away, Raeshel found herself being left behind for the third time since they landed in this stupid, unfamiliar place.

Had it been hatred in his golden, piercing eyes?

She couldn't help that feeling again, surrounded by walls and roses and color, being stared at, glared at by some stranger's, who didn't even know her at all, golden eyes.

She felt like she didn't belong, even when Emaline called for her, she wasn't sure if she was going to listen. It didn't feel right, but her feet decided for her, eyes straying to the flowers blooming from the leaves that surrounded her as she followed. Everything the same color as towers and flowers and little figurine elephants...

The same color as eyes.

How Raeshel already hated the color gold...