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Despite the King's Curse slowly spreading throughout Vaugarde, the Defenders haven't been particularly busy.
You're never busy, actually, so that's not saying much, but even the usual problems of cats in trees and drunken brawls seem to have dried up. On the one hand, not having anything to do can make you feel a bit stir-crazy, but on the other hand, it's nice to be able to hang out with Dorien for once. You rarely see him outside of work, even though he's probably your closest friend, so you're happy to spend your day with him.
"Hey, man, did you hear about the Housemaiden?" he says to you as you walk in.
You raise an eyebrow. You had met a few Housemaidens at one of the Houses in Jouvente when you went through your Change, sure, but there have to be at least fifty in that House alone, never mind the Houses in the rest of the city. "Which one? Do I know them?"
"No, no, the Housemaiden." At your confused look, he elaborates, "You know, the one from Dormont? The one everyone says was blessed by the Change God?"
Oh, you know who he means! After Dormont's House was frozen, news began spreading of a Housemaiden immune to the King's Curse. The papers hadn't been very specific, but they mentioned something about a journey through Vaugarde in order to open the House. You have a reputation to uphold, though, so instead you just say, "Uh…maybe?"
Dori smirks. "Oh, Change, you haven't heard, have you? Do I have to tell you everything, Isabeau?"
You pout. "Hey!! I use my brain for other things!!"
"Like what? Puns?"
" Yes, actually. A pun- ch of them."
He rolls his eyes. "Crabbing terrible."
"Well, what's the news, then?"
"Heh, it's just a rumor, so you can't go spreading things around, buuuuut…" Dorien leans in conspiratorially, glancing around to make sure no one is listening in. "…I heard from the Chief that she might be coming here."
"Whuh…to Jouvente? But we're days away from Dormont!"
"Yeah, but apparently one of the Orbs is hidden here, so they have to pass through the area."
Wow. "So…we could meet them? Like, in person?"
Dorien grins. "Ooh, someone has a cru-ush~"
"Dori, I don't even know their name or what they look like." You sigh in exaggerated annoyance. "Besides, they probably have bigger things to worry about right now."
"Eh, I guess." He brightens slightly. "Oh, hey, they might ask the Chief for help finding the Orb."
Oh!! "Nice! Maybe then we'd actually get to do something."
"Nah, he'll never approve it. You know how they are."
You make a face. “Aw, c’mon, this is about the fate of Vaugarde. You really think Chief would—”
Dorien bursts into laughter. “Man, are you serious? The biggest thing that we ever deal with is…what, a robbery? Helping to save the country is a bit above our paygrade.”
“…Well…well, yeah, maybe,” you mumble, thrown off by his casual apathy. Sure, maybe the Defenders tend to be a bit more for show than anything, but when it comes down to it, the job is about protecting others—helping them! It’s why you became a Defender in the first place!
But Dori…well, he’s not exactly a model Defender, is he? Chief Basile is always getting on him for one thing or another—he has a habit of shirking his duties so he can go off and read, or chat with people. It’s just like him to not want to deal with anything…well, big. You’re sure that if this Housemaiden needs the help of Jouvente’s Defenders, everyone will step up in a heartbeat.
After another half hour, both Sibylle and Alain arrive for their shift, which alleviates your boredom somewhat. You’re chatting with them when the door slowly opens and a young woman walks in.
She’s about your age, you think, with dark, poofy hair. You can tell right away from the uniform that she’s a Housemaiden, but you’re almost certain she isn’t one of Jouvente’s—her boots are scuffed and flecked with dirt, so she’s definitely been traveling, and you’re sure you’ve never seen a Housemaiden with such a distinctive brooch before. So, could this be…?
Your thoughts are interrupted by Chief Basile giving the woman an easy smile. “Ah, hello there! I’m Henry Basile, Chief of Jouvente’s Defenders. What can I do for you…?”
She jumps slightly at his expectant gaze, and you notice the dark circles under her eyes, her unkempt hair. “A-ah, I’m, I’m Housemaiden Mirabelle Chevalier! I’m from the House of Change in Dormont.”
The mention of Dormont immediately kills all conversation in the room. Chief Basile’s smile looks much more strained, and Mirabelle’s face falls just a little bit.
It’s a nice name, you think. Doesn’t her surname mean “knight?” The Housemaidens aren’t usually described as knights, but if she’s trying to save the country, well…
“Housemaiden Mirabelle!” Thankfully, Chief recovers quickly. “What can we do for you?”
“Well, I…I…” She takes a deep breath and wipes her hands on her dress. “Now that I have the blessing of—of the Change God making me immune to being frozen by the King’s Curse, and that he’s taken up residence in Dormont’s House, there’s a solid…um, there’s a path to ending the Curse! All that needs to be done is to find the Orbs that will unlock the House’s Gate, and then we can enter the House and defeat him once and for all!!”
“You make it sound so easy,” mutters Dori. You glare at him.
Mirabelle flinches slightly, and it’s clear she heard him. “I—well, it’s obviously going to be difficult, and I can’t pretend it won’t be dangerous, but, um…”
“So…what exactly are you asking from the Defenders?” Chief asks after a moment of awkward silence.
“I—I need whatever aid you’ll give me. I may be immune to the King’s time freeze, but I…well, I’m barely able to handle Sadnesses on my own, much less an opponent like the King…this isn’t a journey I can complete by myself. So, whoever, whatever you can spare, I’d—I’d be really grateful…!”
You smile brightly at her. Of course you’d be willing to help! Sure, this is way bigger than the stuff you usually do, but being a Defender is about protecting the city, and there’s no way to protect it if it’s frozen in time, is there? You open your mouth, about to voice your enthusiastic agreement and offers of support, but Alain speaks up before you have the chance.
“Housemaiden…I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to ask.” They fold their arms, their expression impossible to read. “Do you actually know the location of the Orbs? Or would we be going on a wild goose chase?”
“N-no, I know where they’re all located!! One is here, right outside Jouvente, but the others are in a few different places—”
“But not near here, right?” they interrupt.
“Um, well…no. One of the Orbs is—it’s a few days outside of Bambouche?”
“Woah, that’s the other side of the country!” blurts Dori. “We can’t—”
Alain lets out a hmf. “Traveling to acquire these Orbs sounds dangerous, and that’s without the whole ‘fighting the King’ business—”
“And who knows what is protecting some of these Orbs? We could be killed!” Sibylle interjects, tapping out a nervous rhythm on the desk.
Mirabelle seems to deflate even further. “I—yes, well, I can’t pretend like it won’t be a dangerous journey…”
“Hey, woah,” you cut in, frowning. “We’re Defenders, guys! Our job is to, y’know, defend people!! There’s no harm in—”
“Isabeau, c’mon, this ‘journey’ is practically a suicide mission,” snaps Alain. They don’t look angry, though—just afraid. “We have our families to worry about, as well as the rest of the city—”
Sibylle won’t meet your eyes when she says, “I…well, we could at least help with the Orb that’s around here, I suppose, but more than that would be…”
“Yeah, as if we’re equipped to handle that ,” Dorien scoffs.
Sibylle sneers, an unfamiliar expression on him, but before she or anyone else can interject, Chief Basile cuts everyone off with a wave of their hand. “That’s enough! Housemaiden Mirabelle…we cannot spare the people or the resources to assist you in such a dangerous mission. Our focus is on Jouvente, and with the King’s Curse spreading, we are busier than ever. We have to focus what we do have on helping the people here, not on a quest around Vaugarde that risks getting our people killed.”
What a bunch of crab! You’re not anywhere close to busy, for one thing. “Hold on! Chief, she clearly—”
“My decision is final, Isabeau.” His voice is mild, but the look in his eyes is anything but. “I’m sorry, Housemaiden, but we aren’t able to offer you our help. We all wish you the best of luck on your quest.”
“R…right, right, of course, I understand,” Mirabelle mumbles, practically a whisper. She looks so much smaller all of a sudden. “Um…okay, um…bye.” Without another word, she scurries out of the building, and the door slams shut behind her.
No one says anything for a few seconds before Dori eventually asks, “Isabeau, man, are you crabbing stupid? Or do you just have a death wish?”
“Guys, I know this is a bit above our paygrade—”
Alain rolls their eyes. “It’s a lot above our paygrade! I take care of my mom and my little brother, so I can’t exactly drop everything and leave to—”
“ Yeah ,” you snap, glaring at them, “and if Mirabelle fails and the King’s Curse keeps spreading, they’ll be frozen in time with the rest of the country!”
“Look, Isabeau…” Sibylle’s voice is soft, placating. “I get it. I think we could’ve at least spared people to help with Jouvente’s Orb. But what the Chief says goes. You know that. He’s trying to make the decision that’s best for Jouvente.”
“With all due respect, the decision that’s best for Jouvente would have been to help her! It’s not like Jouvente will even exist if Vaugarde is frozen in time!!!” Your hands are clenched tightly into fists, practically ready to attack.
Chief Basile sighs. “And what if we did, Isabeau? What if we sent out Defenders, and they all died at the King’s hands? What will the rest of Jouvente do? With us here, there’s at least the possibility of evacuation, or a way to devise some sort of protection against the Curse.”
You grit your teeth. “You can make all the excuses you want, but…but you’re just cowards ! And that’s the opposite of what Defenders are supposed to be!”
The room falls silent. Your coworkers look…hurt. Angry. You don’t feel bad about it.
“Pretty audacious of you to call us cowards when you’re just acting like a colossal crabbing moron,” spits Dorien.
“Dori, I’m—”
“Save it, Isabeau. You’ve always been…airheaded, and that’s fine, but don’t act like it makes you better than us, okay?”
You wait, expecting someone to rebuke him. The silence stretches for a few seconds, ten, twenty.
No one…
No one is coming to your defense.
If this were a novel, you would give a big speech that would inspire everyone to change their minds and join Housemaiden Mirabelle’s cause, and it would be super inspirational and awesome. But this isn’t a novel, so you don’t say anything inspirational or convincing or even clever. Instead, you remove the badge signifying your Defender status, drop it on the ground, and head for the door.
Just for good measure, though, you slam it as hard as you can. It rattles in the frame.
Fine. Maybe your coworkers are a bunch of crabbing idiots. Do they really think you’re not scared? Anyone would be scared!!! Of course you’re scared of the King, of dying!!! But you can’t just not help someone because you’re scared!!! You thought the Defenders understood them!!!
Well, you don’t give a crab. Maybe they aren’t willing to help, but you will.
Thankfully, Mirabelle hasn’t gone far, and even on the bustling street corner, it’s easy to spot her sitting on a bench. She’s looking through her pockets, clearly distraught and on the verge of tears, and you let out a sigh of relief. Trying to find someone in a city this big would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
“Hey!” you say as you approach her. She jumps, and you wave, hoping you didn’t scare her. “Uh, I just—”
“O-oh, you’re one of the Defenders, right…?” Mirabelle looks wary. “I, uh, I don’t think I got your name…”
“I’m Isabeau Moineau! And, uh…I’m not really a defender anymore, heh…”
She bites her nails. “Huh??? What??? How??? Did I get you fired??? Oh, Change…”
“No, no!!” you hurriedly reply. “I quit!!! Because I want to help you on your journey!!!”
“…Huh?” she squeaks.
“I-I mean, if you’ll have me, of course!!” you add. “I don’t wanna pressure you into anything! But you…well, you clearly need some help, and I did become a Defender so that I could help people in need! So what kind of guy would I be if I didn’t at least offer some help, y’know?”
Suddenly, Mirabelle starts crying. You flinch, thinking you’ve upset her, but then she smiles. “Really? Really ?? Oh, Change, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I, I really appreciate it!!!”
“Of course!!” You grin. “Do you have a specific plan in mind? For the Orb?”
“Oh! Right!” She clasps her hands. “Well, it’s guarded by a really strong Sadness. Since a lot of the Sadnesses around here have been Scissors type, it’s been harder for me to handle them…”
Well, that’s something you can help with!! “Heh, good thing I’m a Rock type, then!”
Her face brightens. “You are? Oh, that’s a relief! I’m…I’m actually a dual Craft type user, so I know both Scissors and Paper Craft!”
“Crab, really?” That’s, like, 4% of people, isn’t it? ”Wow!! That’s cool!! And now we have all three Craft types on hand!!”
“Oh! That’ll definitely be useful!” She beams, and you smile back. “So, um, should we…?”
You nod, but then you realize something. “If we’re gonna be traveling across all of Vaugarde…I should probably pack some stuff, right?”
Mirabelle stares blankly at you for a bit before she giggles. “Oh!! Yes, yes, definitely!! I completely forgot!”
“Okay!! My apartment is right around the corner, so I’ll only be a few minutes!” You take a few steps away, then stop. “Uh…is there anything I should bring, specifically?”
“Hmm…” She thinks for a moment. “Um…do you have any tonics? I, uh…May have used all of mine…”
You don’t think you have much, but it won’t hurt to check. “Sure!”
The walk to your apartment isn’t far, but it’s just long enough for you to reconsider your decision. Are you crazy, Isabeau? Two young adults on the quest to save the country…Maybe the other Defenders were right. Maybe you’re just being an idiot.
Once you get inside your apartment, you start looking around. Your wallet, a map of Vaugarde, some cooking equipment, a change of clothes. You only have one sour tonic, but a few Crafted Waters and a couple bottles of thyme juice. After about ten minutes, you’ve packed a bag full of everything you might need.
Your hand is on the door handle when you hesitate. It’s not too late to turn her down. You don’t need to help her, you know. It’s not cowardice, it’s just self-preservation.
No , you think. That’s not an option. She needs someone’s help!!! If no one else will step up, then it might as well be me.
You consider letting Régine or Clotilde know that you’re heading out, but you decide against it. Why keep Mirabelle waiting? Besides, even though you talk to them the most out of any of your siblings, you’re not exactly close , so they probably won’t even care. You think, anyway.
So you make your way down the street to meet up with Mirabelle. It’ll be fine!! You’re traveling with someone blessed by the actual Change God!!! That’s a good sign!!!
On your way to acquire the Orb, she looks at you, clearly nervous, and says, “Um!!! I, I really appreciate your help with getting this Orb!! And if you change your mind, and you want to stay here, then—”
“It’s okay, really!! I want to travel with you, and help you defeat the King!” you say, without a second thought, and smile.
And even though you can still hear your coworkers’ discouraging comments, you mean every word.