A Quest for the Stars

----------

~Clara~

“Are you sure about this, Miss Clara?”

“No worries, Alistair.” Clara went through her belongings to choose an outfit to wear. “Over the years, I learned that monsters like three things: women, elves, and crushing womanly elves.”

“You mean elves who are also women?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“My point is that I can grab their attention, and with the song Lenoria chose, I may be able to keep their eyes on me long enough for you to run away.” Clara posed confidently with her hands on her hips. “Just be quick on your part!”

----------

Clara, Mrs. Hunter, and the pirates climbed a metal ladder to the roof of the warehouse. The light had faded from the building, and it was only a matter of time before true darkness settled in. The elf could hear at least two of the pirates reciting a prayer for salvation or a quick death and Mrs. Hunter huffing with every step she climbed.

Lenoria's plan of action...was a musical number.

The pirates masqueraded as a treasure hunting traveling band and Mrs. Hunter hired their services not too long ago. Their first adventure together just so happened to be to search the abandoned compound they were in, and the rest was history. It was thanks to their masquerade that the tools for their salvation were available to them from the beginning.

The pirates, plus Clara and Mrs. Hunter, were to climb to the roof of the warehouse and put on a performance. The pirates' wagon, inside the warehouse, contained the musical instruments necessary to perform an exhilarating rhumba that Mrs. Hunter had composed during her term as a music teacher. They couldn't risk practicing, lest they alerted the giants of their plan, and their best move was to memorize the music sheet and hope for the best.

Mrs. Hunter's job was to lead as the composer. The pirates would need help remembering the sheet, so it would be up to her to help them remember by giving them musical cues. It wasn't much but giving them a visual tell instead of just telling them "Hey, this is your part" was better help than nothing at all.

And Clara? She was to dance and sing the verses from a poem she memorized from a book in the Celestial tongue, the language of the angels and other divine creatures of good. She didn't know the language herself, but Lenoria helped her translate it to the Common tongue and from there Clara wrote it down on her own notebook and memorized it. The poem itself was named "Colors," which talked about crayons in a box.

It sounded childish, but a poem about how every person was like a crayon along with music that encouraged dancing would be a sight to behold.

“I heard Lenoria came up in third place, yet she has ideas like these." Mrs. Hunter stopped climbing to catch her breath. "Starflower was wrong, though. The girl is no mongrel, she is more like a badger.”

Clara stopped climbing. “I would appreciate it if you avoided that word; it's derogatory for mixed families, you know. If you want to return to the Guild, that’s a habit that definitely won’t be tolerated.”

Clara didn’t see it, but there was a look of remorse on the music teacher. “I know. Truth be told, I just don’t know how I can thank her for trying to save us. If I stick with what I know, we can at least avoid an awkward conversation.”

“Honesty is the best policy, Mrs. Hunter.” Clara continued her climb. She wasn’t sure if she could believe her former teacher, but at least she didn’t sense any malice. “Lenoria went through a lot. One time, she even hated my guts just because I was an elf. But just last week, she rushed inside the school to save me from a fire. I’d do anything in the world to see her happy, and that’s why I'm traveling with her.”

“Clara, with all due respect, you should focus on yourself a little more. Do you know what I’ll do when I get out of here?” Mrs. Hunter waited for Clara to answer, but once she realized the elf had nothing, she continued. “I’ll reapply at the Guild and continue teaching. Anything is better than hiring a band of pirates to loot an abandoned compound. I’m grateful the little mon-, I mean, Lenoria, is helping us, but I will never devote my life to her just because she saved it. And I don’t think she’ll expect me to.”

“Ma’am…”

“Is that the only reason you’re traveling with her? You should focus more on your wants and needs.” Mrs. Hunter let out an exhausted breath. “What about…your hopes and dreams? I’m not saying you should abandon your friend, but you can’t let your devotion keep you from experiencing what the world has to offer.”

There was no rebuttal from Clara. She climbed and climbed but kept her thoughts to herself. Mrs. Hunter ended her argument there, and the pirates anxiously climbed after her.

When Clara reached the hatchframe of the ceiling, she looked down at everyone else. “It’s time. Once I go up there, we have to hurry and start the music as soon as we can! Remember your roles and leave the rest to Lenoria!”

***

~Alistair~

Lenoria and Alistair had their own role to play. The two of them sat on Chestnut’s back while Caesar stood by to open the double doors once he was given the signal. Alistair had brought up a concern as the group made their plans, and since Lenoria had to account for every possibility, she had to listen to what he had to say. Best case scenario, he was wrong and there was little to worry about. At worst, they'd be ready for whatever surprises the giants decided to bring.

----------

“Raiding parties typically involve every single member for the raid to be successful. But these giants are treating this like a warzone.”

“Meaning…?”

“I fear not all giants will show up. The commanding officer of any army always hangs back somewhere to plan every attack. You know what this means, don’t you?”

Lenoria had a hunch, but she still asked. “We run for our lives?”

“No. It means if Miss Clara is successful with the distraction, it’s up to us to find the leader.” Alistair fed Chestnut a sugar cube. “I don’t know what we’re facing, but we must be ready for a fight regardless. I just hope the rest of the giants don’t give chase.”

“Have faith in my sharpshooters,” Caesar interrupted. “And in me, while you’re at it. We’ll keep the giants off your ass, and you better hope there’s no leader to worry about. But if there is, you better keep them off our backs, too.”

“The plan falls apart if either side fails.” Alistair sighed. He realized there was no point in worrying. He had to be mindful of the plan, but he must always expect the unexpected anyway and plan accordingly.

He still didn’t trust Caesar, but the pirate didn’t have to reassure him. For now, he had faith everyone will at least do everything they can to survive.

“Thank you, Caesar.”

The pirate captain shrugged. “You can thank me by agreeing to let my men go when this is over, but I don’t think that’s in the cards for a goody-two-shoes like you. Just do your part.”

----------

And then they heard Clara’s voice. It was faint, but the song had just begun.

“It’s starting,” Lenoria said. “Oooh, she’s still got a wonderful voice. I swear, she should have been a bard.”

“Plenty of time to discuss career choices later.” Alistair fixed his eyes on the doors. “Get ready!”

***

The giant patriarch knew his children were missing a few screws, but he didn’t expect them to march right into the compound.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET BACK HERE BEFORE OUR NUMBERS ARE GIVEN AWAY!”

***

~Clara~

Clara’s group positioned themselves. The two halfling pirates - named Charles and Cecilia - lied face down on the cold concrete roof and prayed they wouldn’t be spotted. The canine couple - named Wulf and Vanessa - held instruments; Wulf held a trumpet while Vanessa had a set of drums. The half-orc, named Temuulen, carried a trombone, and Mrs. Hunter stood ready with a tambourine in one hand and a conductor’s baton in the other.

And Clara? She was dressed for the occasion. A vermilion long-sleeved blouse decorated her torso and bared her midriff, while the black slacks she wore were tight enough to shape a slight curve around the hips without discomfort. Her black dancing shoes made tapping sounds with every step on the concrete roof.

“Do your parents really approve of you dressing up like that?” whispered Mrs. Hunter.

“They always said I must dress for every occasion,” Clara confidently retorted. “Look, here they come!”

Three giant silhouettes were spotted coming from the south, west, and eastern walls. The east-west walls were broken through, a small feat for a giant. All three of them had gray skin, but each individual appeared different; a bald male had its skull caved in but seemed to operate normally; another male had shoulder-length greasy hair and had a club ready; and a female had pigtails that went down right below her shoulders.

All three wore rags to cover the bare minimum, had tusks protruding from their lower jaws, and walked in a perpetual stoop. Their height on average was around ten feet, just eight feet short of the warehouse height. And they all had their eyes on Clara.

“Mrs. Hunter!” Clara called out to her former teacher. “Lights, please!”

Mrs. Hunter hurriedly moved her baton around, casting a combination of spells. An orb of light hovered above Clara, drawing the giants’ attention to her. When she gasped at the giants’ approach, her voice had increased by several decibels. Shaking her maracas gently, she began with an extended “la” sound at various levels. This was the cue for the other instruments to get ready to play. It was all up to a single roll to make this a believable performance.

Clara

Like crayons in a box

We're all so different

Some purples

Some greens

Some crazy extreme

Not a one in the box

Is the same thing

We're all only crayons

Non-toxic

Clara’s voice was gentle, almost angelic. Certainly, a sharp contrast to the nearly guttural tone from Mrs. Hunter’s “Hit it!”

Cue the symphony! The entire compound booms with the sound of a trumpet, drums, a tambourine, and Clara’s maracas. The band was small, but Mrs. Hunter’s magic increased their effectiveness at least fivefold.

The giants were mesmerized by the change of ambience. The balding one was the first to be entranced, followed by the second male just moments later They moved their shoulders to the beat and followed that up by tapping their feet. If the music didn’t keep them in place, Clara’s struts and calculated hip movements definitely helped.

***

~Lenoria~

The enhanced volume of the singing could be heard through the warehouse walls. Caesar stayed in place, ready to open the doors, but he was smiling now. Lenoria swayed her head back and forth, and nearly burst into laughter when she caught Alistair doing the same.

"1-2-3 giants here, dance and don't pout! Is this really all we have, guess we'll find out!

“That’s the signal!” Lenoria stopped swaying and had to smack Alistair in the back of the head to get him to stop and realign his focus. “Open the doors!”

Caesar removed the iron bar and pulled the doors open. “Now’s your chance!”

“Thanks! Now go up there and get to safety!”

But a cutlass was already on Caesar’s hand. “No. I’ll cover your escape!”

A horrified Lenoria wanted to argue, but Chestnut dashed on ahead. “W-wait!”

“You’re a good man, Caesar!” Alistair shouted as he steered Chestnut out of the warehouse. “A fool, but a good man!”

“Heh.” Caesar watched Alistair ride off with Chestnut and Lenoria. “I could say the same about you two.” He peeked outside the warehouse to look at the giants, and one of them had already spotted Chestnut exiting the compound. “Time to earn my pay!”

***

~Clara~

Meanwhile, the performance has been successful thus far and the giants danced to their hearts’ content. At least the two males were; the sole female of the group was not buying it, and she had been searching for an opening to climb on the warehouse to reach the band.

And not a moment too soon, she noticed a couple of humans leaving the compound on horseback.

“Wake up, you two! The humans have tricked us!” The giantess growled when her brothers continued dancing. “Thrak! Mohk! Why aren’t you answering?!”

“Pretty elf dance good,” exclaimed the balding sibling.

“I’m just happy to be dancing,” said the other giant.

Shaking her fists in anger, the giantess nearly pummeled her brothers when she decided it was better to give chase by herself.

This was a possibility, but Clara struggled to keep her cool all the same. “Lenoria!”

The prone halflings, however, seemed to have picked up on Clara’s anxiety.

“Don’t count us out just yet,” Cecilia whispered. Nodding to her fellow pirate, the two then fire from their small crossbows, having carefully aimed for the giantess’s back beforehand.

Cecilia’s attack, however, released a cloud of powder upon impact.

Lenoria's instructions echoed in their minds. "If the giants give chase, try to stall them! You guys got anything to blind them? ... Great! Use that!"

“W-what is this?” The giantess’s eyes watered profusely. “Pepper! I’m blind? I don’t have time to be BLIND!”

Enter Caesar, who slid through the gravel into the scene with his cutlass in hand.

“There’s a reason I’m captain of this motley crew!” The pirate captain launched the sword just inches away from the giantess’s feet. Trailing right behind was a glowing blue rope that, once the knife was planted on the ground, came alive and wrapped itself around the feet of the giantess.

Unable to see, the giantess was unaware of the rope and came tumbling down. The impact caused a loud thud, a quake Caesar could feel from being so close to her.

“HELP ME, YOU LOUTS!”

Caesar readied himself when the giants turned to him, still dancing. At the sight of this, Clara’s anxiety returned. Whether or not he was ready for this, the elf still felt a sense of guilt for what horrible fate awaited the pirate.

And thus, in moments of stress, it was natural to blurt out the first thing on your mind.

“Conga line, everyone!”

The giants stared at Clara, puzzled by her new command.

“Just do what I do!” To the rest of the band, she added, “Keep playing and form a line behind me! Follow my lead!”

“It’s too early for the-” Mrs. Hunter sighed in exasperation and cast a new command on the giant with hair. “You heard the girl! Do what she’s doing and head south!”

“I said HELP ME,” the giantess roared.

“Oh, and help the loud one up and take her with you.”

The hairy giant, still enthralled by the spell, started imitating Clara’s new dance: He took a few steps forward and swayed his hips to the left; he took a few more steps forward to the beat and swayed his hips to the right, and repeated the process as he made his way out of the gate in this manner.

His brother - obviously dim-witted, in Clara’s eyes - picked up his sister and placed her under his arm, then used his free hand to place it on his brother’s shoulder and imitated his dance.

“LET ME GO! THE HUMANS ARE RIGHT THERE!” The giantess tried to free herself but, being the youngest and the weakest, she couldn’t break free from the grasp of her stronger brother. Not even when her legs were freed after Caesar recalled his rope.

“That was intense.” The pirate captain dropped to the ground, panting heavily as he seated himself. “Last time I do a favor for a pretty face.”

The music continued playing for as long as the pirates could still play. Clara wiped the sweat from her forehead and held back the urge to cheer loudly.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Mrs. Hunter said.

“You know that’s never going to work again in a million years,” said Cecilia with a heavy-lidded stare.

“Don’t need it to!” Once Clara finished a short break, she continued dancing, this time to celebrate their victory. Deep down, however, she knew this wasn’t over. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and all she could do was smile.

For now, she celebrated along with the rest of the pirates. Two ravens circled overhead, along with Apus, who had crossed his wings and started a dance of his own.

***

~Lenoria~

Chestnut dashed out of the compound and took the road to the north under Alistair’s directions. The lad kept his eyes on the road, his irises shifting from blue to red and back to blue, and repeating the process as he watched the road, turned to one side, back to the road, then turned to the other.

Lenoria clung her arms tightly around his stomach and leaned her head on his back. Had the circumstances been different, she would have seen this as a date. Horseback riding was a pastime she missed for being so far away from home and meeting a boy who could ride a horse just as well as she could was a dream come true. She wanted to enjoy this moment, even if it could end at any time.

If only she could see Alistair’s face right now.

“Lenoria, we have trouble!” There was no sign of Pearl, but Lenoria heard her voice in her mind.

“Pearl? Ugh, she knows I can’t talk in front of Alistair!”

“We share a psychic link, you airhead. You can speak to me with your mind.” There was a pause. “Listen! Another Soulstone has been detected!”

Lenoria’s eyes shot open. “Another Soulstone? Where?”

“I can’t pinpoint its location; all I know it’s that it’s approaching fast! I can’t stress this enough but stay alert!”

Another Soulstone? Did one of the pirates have one and was making their way to them? No, not possible; Pearl should have detected it back at the compound if that was the case. Was there another Soulstone whose power detected hers?

Or…

“Alistair, any sign of a giant?”

“No.” Alistair pulled the reins on Chestnut. “Damn it! Where could it be?”

“You just found him,” said a guttural voice from above. Another giant - similar to the others, except with a broken tusk and a scar across his chest - had been tailing them in the sky. He held a massive boulder, which he soon lit on fire with a mere thought.

Alistair was shocked. “Oh-”

“-crap,” said Lenoria with a similar expression.

“Fee-fi-fo-fum! The Laester tribe shall dine on your entrails tonight!” The giant tossed the flaming boulder in their direction.

“Chestnut, dodge!”

The impact created a shockwave great enough to force Alistair and Lenoria to jump off Chestnut. The two young adventurers lied prone as the giant descended upon them, about twenty feet away from them.

With a wave of his hand, the fires that had spread in the forest formed a circle around them. To Lenoria’s surprise and horror, a maroon gemstone could be seen hanging from the giant’s neck.

“A cave giant.” Lenoria groaned painfully as she and Alistair got on their feet. “I wasn’t expecting your kind to travel above the surface.”

The giant bared his teeth in response. “You made a mockery of my tribe. Just know that I’ll enjoy this.” The giant conjured flames with his hands. “Your time has come!”