Hoshi no Guu (Star Piece Quest) (M)

[Gildarts]

Adventure, it set in the course of his veins and sprung forth at every challenge. With Guu by his side, not much seemed to have changed but there was a taste in the air of something coming, something neither of them could quite see. The Malefactor wrestled with Gildarts consciously and subconsciously, making him more absent than normal, while challenges approached with heavy footsteps, and were stomped down by the princess herself. Well, at least the trick part.

Guu warned Gildarts of the trap, that they were expected, and that this whole town was in on the con to take them out. A boat, or rather, ferry, had been mounted on by the duo, and Gildarts seemed unnerved, by the water, by the unsteady gears shifting in the engines, by the noises of ship and the overhead blue sky that appeared to be descending on their shoulders. A gulp formed in his throat, and the Malefactor stunk up his mind with clouds of negativity, in response, Gildarts focused on the lucid action that was going on around him. A smart-looking woman in a business attire sat next to the two primes, trying not to look up at them too much through her square frames. She coughed. Guu eyed her, already reading what she was going to say through the glasses that accentuated her eyes.

Gildarts however, heard the words afresh, “Hi there, have ever been to this town before?”

Gildarts blinked, the question was directed at him and not Guu, “Uh, no...” the mage replied in an almost monotone, perhaps he was ‘acting’ too, but this was not his idea of fun.

“Oh! Me neither, I’m here on business, but my conference is tomorrow, I’m excited to see the town, and... Oh, is that your daughter?” she inspected Guu with an antagonistic gaze.

Gildarts, had he been drinking water, could’ve spit it all over this woman’s squeaky looking shoes, “Oh uh, no...” He was careful not to offer up any free information, though by what Guu had said previously, they probably knew it all.

“Then who is she?” she pried, waiting for conversation, as though it was her next cue in the part of this show they were putting on.

“That’s... None of your business?” Gildarts said, or rather asked, as he looked down to Guu for her expertise in these situations. Gildarts preferred blunt challenges, these tricks were not his forte, and nor were they his taste. This showed on his face with the clench of his jaw and the tenseness of skin above his brows.

The woman edged closer now, inches away. The scene spiraled around in the forefront of Gildarts’ mind, and he analyzed every stitch that surrounded him. The Ferry was open to the sky, they were on the main deck, and it wasn’t too far from the town that was their destination. The boat was sizable, but no cruise ship, like Gildarts had once been promised, two Omni years ago. Now, he was standing in the sun, basking in it, almost, while he felt the turmoil surround him, and his instincts began to kick in and thrive. The boat chugged to a gentle and seamless halt, someone yelled “Just a little engine trouble, we’ll be up in a few moments!” While other people, instead of panicking or looking aggravated, for having to delay their day plans, looked more focused than ever.

Slowly but surely, eyes began to follow the two people on the boat who had no script, but were expected to improvise. Guu was good at it, and made a quick remark at the same time as a knowing smile formed on her adorable lips, “Oh, Gildarts, I guess this is our cue!”

Gildarts straightened his stance, dropped a little lower to the ground, and within a blink, they were surrounded. Like some of the best fighting movies of all time, Guu and Gil were back to back, against the enemies who they were more than ready to face.