Somewhere Else
Chapter 16
Knock! Knock! Knock! Phoebe rapped upon the door quite hard. The house seemed to be almost empty, for every time Phoebe knocked, they could hear the sound echoing through the house from outside. They waited and waited there. bobody seemed to be coming to the door. Phoebe knocked again. Knock! Knock! Knock! Still nothing. Finally, Mint moved in front of Phoebe and banged on the door very hard. Bang! Bang! Bang! The door flew open. Phoebe almost got whacked in the head, but luckily she saw a small snail on the doorstep, and had walked away from the door as it quickly pursued her. There was a man standing on the opposite side of the door. He had a uniform on, and he was holding a gun at his side.
"What is your business here?" He asked superiorly.
"We are here to see Mañana." Mint told him.
"Very well. Come in."
He held out his arm, and the three of them slowly strutted into the room. Phoebe gave the man an angry look, just for the fun of it, and The Cluemaker scrunched up his nose in disgust. The man smelled as if he had drenched himself in fish oil, vinegar, lemon peels, swamp goo, pollen, and that strange smell you get inside your nose when you have the flu. It was not hard to notice, and the three of them clearly showed it. Mint held her nose tightly shut with her fingers. Phoebe did the same. The Cluemaker tried to only breathe through his mouth, so he would not have to smell the stenchy man. They were lead down a long hall way with many doors on either side.
They continued on through the hallway, and eventually ended up at the end, where there was an enormous door. The man opened the door for Mint, Phoebe and The Cluemaker, and they walked inside the room. It seemed to be a bedroom of some sort, for there was a large bed right in the middle of the room. The bed was covered in golden silks, and it had sparkling fabrics draping over the top. The pillows were silky as well, and were a gorgeous cream color. On the bed was a beautiful woman, wearing a long, silky nightgown. She smiled at the three young adventurers.
"Good day." She said.
"How do you do?" Mint said politely.
"I'm doing quite well, thank you."
The woman sat up a little more, and looked at each of them. She smiled and said,
"You are here to find the way to defeat Nuit, am I wrong?"
They all nodded. But then shook their heads, for they thought she would think they were saying yes to her being wrong.
"That's not quite clear." The woman said in a soft voice.
"Yes, miss Mañana." Mint said, "We would like to know the way to defeat Nuit."
The woman stood up from her bed, and walked over to them. She looked at The Cluemaker,
"Is this not The Cluemaker?" She inquired.
"Yes, I am." He replied.
"Then shouldn't you be able to tell them how they can defeat Nuit?"
The Cluemaker shook his head.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. It seems, that for some reason, Figgleous is a bit unorganized, as it were..." He seemed a bit embarrased.
"Oh, I see." She said. "Well, then I shall tell you how to get rid of her."
She walked up a short set of stairs onto a low platform where she sat at a table on a long golden chair. She beckoned them to come to her, and they did so obediently. In front of her was a ball of glass, which was being held by a golden circle. She put her hands on it, and rubbed them all around. Suddenly, the ball began to glow, and huge beams of light shot out of it. Light rays covered the room, and Mañana looked at each of them.
"You know what this is telling us, right?" She asked.
They all shook their heads.
"The only way to defeat darkness is with light. But how would you do that?" Mañana stood up from the chair, and walked over to a large chest in a corner of the room. She opened it with a exoctic looking key, and took out a bow, but no arrows.
"This bow captures light in its very essence. Just pull back the string, and light comes shooting out. Once the string is released, the light will penetrate any darkness." Mañana explained. "Do any of you know archery?"
They all shook their heads again. Mañana looked concerned. She walked over to Mint, and looked at her deep in the eyes.
"You will learn how to shoot an arrow, then you can practice with a light beam. Light beams are much harder to , but with enough practice I am sure you could do it." She said.
"But, why me?" Mint asked.
"You have archer in your blood. I can see it in your eyes. You get it from your father, do you not?"
Mint nodded. She was very much like her father. Proper, well-mannered, and quite intelligent. The only difference was she was not nearly as strict as he was. Phoebe, on the other hand, was like her mother. She was fond of the impossible, and was very silly. The sisters were very different, but they still loved eachother very much.
"So, where can I find a place to train?" Mint asked.
Mañana smiled, "I know of a person who can help you. Her name is Astrid. She works a mile South of here. She is a professional warrior."
The beautiful woman handed Mint a map leading to the battle ground of which Astrid worked. After looking over them for a short while, Mint thanked Mañana for all her help, as did Phoebe and The Cluemaker, and they set off to find Astrid.
"What is your business here?" He asked superiorly.
"We are here to see Mañana." Mint told him.
"Very well. Come in."
He held out his arm, and the three of them slowly strutted into the room. Phoebe gave the man an angry look, just for the fun of it, and The Cluemaker scrunched up his nose in disgust. The man smelled as if he had drenched himself in fish oil, vinegar, lemon peels, swamp goo, pollen, and that strange smell you get inside your nose when you have the flu. It was not hard to notice, and the three of them clearly showed it. Mint held her nose tightly shut with her fingers. Phoebe did the same. The Cluemaker tried to only breathe through his mouth, so he would not have to smell the stenchy man. They were lead down a long hall way with many doors on either side.
They continued on through the hallway, and eventually ended up at the end, where there was an enormous door. The man opened the door for Mint, Phoebe and The Cluemaker, and they walked inside the room. It seemed to be a bedroom of some sort, for there was a large bed right in the middle of the room. The bed was covered in golden silks, and it had sparkling fabrics draping over the top. The pillows were silky as well, and were a gorgeous cream color. On the bed was a beautiful woman, wearing a long, silky nightgown. She smiled at the three young adventurers.
"Good day." She said.
"How do you do?" Mint said politely.
"I'm doing quite well, thank you."
The woman sat up a little more, and looked at each of them. She smiled and said,
"You are here to find the way to defeat Nuit, am I wrong?"
They all nodded. But then shook their heads, for they thought she would think they were saying yes to her being wrong.
"That's not quite clear." The woman said in a soft voice.
"Yes, miss Mañana." Mint said, "We would like to know the way to defeat Nuit."
The woman stood up from her bed, and walked over to them. She looked at The Cluemaker,
"Is this not The Cluemaker?" She inquired.
"Yes, I am." He replied.
"Then shouldn't you be able to tell them how they can defeat Nuit?"
The Cluemaker shook his head.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. It seems, that for some reason, Figgleous is a bit unorganized, as it were..." He seemed a bit embarrased.
"Oh, I see." She said. "Well, then I shall tell you how to get rid of her."
She walked up a short set of stairs onto a low platform where she sat at a table on a long golden chair. She beckoned them to come to her, and they did so obediently. In front of her was a ball of glass, which was being held by a golden circle. She put her hands on it, and rubbed them all around. Suddenly, the ball began to glow, and huge beams of light shot out of it. Light rays covered the room, and Mañana looked at each of them.
"You know what this is telling us, right?" She asked.
They all shook their heads.
"The only way to defeat darkness is with light. But how would you do that?" Mañana stood up from the chair, and walked over to a large chest in a corner of the room. She opened it with a exoctic looking key, and took out a bow, but no arrows.
"This bow captures light in its very essence. Just pull back the string, and light comes shooting out. Once the string is released, the light will penetrate any darkness." Mañana explained. "Do any of you know archery?"
They all shook their heads again. Mañana looked concerned. She walked over to Mint, and looked at her deep in the eyes.
"You will learn how to shoot an arrow, then you can practice with a light beam. Light beams are much harder to , but with enough practice I am sure you could do it." She said.
"But, why me?" Mint asked.
"You have archer in your blood. I can see it in your eyes. You get it from your father, do you not?"
Mint nodded. She was very much like her father. Proper, well-mannered, and quite intelligent. The only difference was she was not nearly as strict as he was. Phoebe, on the other hand, was like her mother. She was fond of the impossible, and was very silly. The sisters were very different, but they still loved eachother very much.
"So, where can I find a place to train?" Mint asked.
Mañana smiled, "I know of a person who can help you. Her name is Astrid. She works a mile South of here. She is a professional warrior."
The beautiful woman handed Mint a map leading to the battle ground of which Astrid worked. After looking over them for a short while, Mint thanked Mañana for all her help, as did Phoebe and The Cluemaker, and they set off to find Astrid.