Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Five - Time to Hit the Books

    "So... what do we do now?" I asked as I leafed through the fairy tale book. There were a few illustrations here and there that caught my eye. Monsters sometimes, and then knights in all-black armour that were usually depicted helping people.

    Amaryllis frowned. She was staring at the book as well, but I had the impression she wasn''t actually seeing it. "I don''t know," she admitted slowly. "I feel like we need to take some sort of action against Rannewt, before he carries out whatever plan he has, but ... that feels like playing into his hand."

    "I feel similarly," Caprica said. "Rainnewt would only give us hints and clues if doing so serves his interests. He doesn''t seem like he''s had a change of heart, so we can''t ascribe any altruism to any of his actions."

    "Indeed, I have no doubt that this villain still bears a heart as black as coal, and therefore his hints are undoubtedly laced with poison," Desiree said. "But surely he must know that we will deduce as such, so what is he hoping to accomplish?"

    "As a distraction?" Amaryllis proposed. "Or to waste our time with needless speculation."

    "I guess," I said. "It feels like we should be doing something though. We flew most of the way around the entire continent only to come back here, and now... well, now I''m not sure what our next step even is. We were here to help Booksie, but I don''t think she needs it anymore, right?" That last was aimed at Booksie herself.

    She smiled kindly. "I think I''ll be good for a while, yes," she said. "As for what you should do next... is there any harm in actually investigating this myth? It might involve some amount of travel, but I don''t recall you being averse to that."

    "I suppose," I said. "I guess we could train up a little too. I feel like I''m pretty close to hitting the next big tier, and that''s supposed to be a big deal, right?"

    "You levelled up with the wedding?" Amaryllis asked, and I realized that we hadn''t really talked about it. "Good. And yes, pushing into a third class would be a big deal. There are more feathers in my wings than there are triple-classed people in a city the size of Port Royal. If all of us could climb up to that distinctive height, it would earn us significant respect and influence."

    "Well, I was thinking less about respect and more about how cool it would be," I said. "But I guess there''s that too."

    "Why not train and try to solve Rainnewt''s riddle at the same time, then?" Booksie asked. "Becoming stronger seems like a lofty enough goal, and discovering whatever Rainnewt was pointing at might be a trap, but I feel like there might still be something to it."

    "It could be fun!" I said.

    "We don''t even have a direction to start in," Amaryllis gripped.

    Booksie giggled. "I really have to sit down with you one evening and just chat about your homeland, Desiree," she said. "It sounds fascinating. Ah, but that will have to wait for another time. I was meant to only stop by for a few minutes, and it''s been well over an hour."

    I laughed too. "Yeah, that happens when you stop to chat with a friend sometimes," I said. "Time slips by. Lets escort you to your guards?" I stood up and patted down the front of my skirts and Booksie did the same.

    Of course, letting her go wasn''t as easy as just saying goodbye. A proper send-off took a while, and it required lots of hugs.

    Who knew, I might not be able to see Booksie for a long while! This would be my last chance to give her a proper hug for weeks! I wasn''t about to let her just leave without getting my fill and then some.

    "Stay safe out there," I said.

    "I feel like I ought to be the one telling that to you," she said. "Aren''t you the ones usually flying into trouble?"

    "Yeah," I agreed. "How about we both agree to stay safe, then?"

    "Deal!" Booksie said. "If you''re staying in Port Royal for a few more days, then keep an eye on Cholondee for me, would you? For as much as she and Rhawr bicker, I think she''ll be a little lonely without him to bully."

    "I''ll pay her a visit," I promised. "And you fly safely, okay? That means lots of blankets to keep warm in the air, and good, sturdy straps. Don''t forget to check them for chafing. And maybe invest in a parachute."

    Booksie raised her arms for a seventh goodbye hug, and I squeezed her for all she was worth. "I''ll miss you," I said in a low voice.

    Her ears collapsed onto my head, like a warm pat. "I''ll miss you too," Booksie said. "But I''ll be back soon enough, promise! And when you stop by Port Royal again, I''ll be right here to say hello."

    "Okay," I said. It was a promise!

    Booksie made the rounds, saying goodbye to everyone, and as a group we escorted her out to the main deck and then off the gangplank of the Beaver.

    I was going to miss her, but there were more adventures to be had!

    ***