The Quest (Story)

Kiylo took the book and scrambled to get it open to the healing uses for the herbs. Her eyes narrowed as she took the pen out and did as she was taught to do less then twenty minutes ago. The pen scanned the pages as she flipped through the book until the end of the chapter. She was done in a matter of moments, not taking more then 5 seconds on each page.
She closed the book quietly and placed it back in its spot before turning to Kotori. "I'm done. Let's get out of here." she said as quietly as she could. She felt as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Adrenaline rushed under her skin, making her ready for any running they may have to do in the very very near future.

"Okay then, we need to get out of here. Hurry, before a guard comes!" he said as he led her to the rear exit. He opened the door just enough for them to get out and shut it quietly. "Turn off your belt as we run past the front of the school so Tink can see us. If we leave him there he will get caught," he said. So He turned off his belt as he ran past and yelled, "TINK!"

Kiylo nodded sharply before turning off the belt. Suddenly she could see her hands on her hips, and she was glad that whatever she did worked. When your hands are cloaked and you can't see them while you are trying to operate a belt that was also invisible, it was hard to do some guessing.
She ran behind Kotori, her footfalls light, but loud in her ears as she saw everything that was happening.
Oh, how she hated violence, and it was a shame that it was the only way to cure this world of its ruler. She hated the sight of blood and what weapons could do. She hated to see the dead bodies laying on the ground, and thinking about their final breaths and cries to help them.
She choked back a sob as she remembered the woman with the knife and her mother and father laying on the floor with blood pools under them. She wanted to collapse onto the ground and just go invisible right then and there, but she forced herself to run faster, knowing that she had to do something. But what? She knew it had to do with Kotori, but just what was it?

"TINK! RUN! WE CAN'T STAY HERE! LETS GET OUT BEFORE THE GUARDS PARALYSIS WEARS OFF!" he yelled as loud as he could. He knew Tink could hear him the first time, but he was swept up in the heat of the moment. They needed to get out of there before the guards could see where they went. If they were seen, they would be followed.

Tink looked up.from the stunned guards. He leaned over, picked up his amplifying box, shot the guards again for good measure with his Stun Rod through the box to get a good spread on the ray. For any that groaned or twitched, he shot them again with the rod as he dashed after Kitori and Kiylo. "That was fun, eh?" He smirked as he opened his watch putting the newly modified picture box away.

"I take it by the pace you were either seen or simply have no head for anything resembling calm stealth. You get what you were looking for while in there? I hope so with all the running and not using the belts." He looked to Kiylo, "The recording pen help?" Looking at her he offered his hand. "Don't worry, it will be okay. We'll keep you safe."

"No we used the belts we just need to get out of here as fast as possible. We need to get the healing potions and fast I fear that all that we have been doing will make the guards mad and start attacking the towns people. We must hurry before the guards paralysis wears off or they might kill innocents," he said as they ran toward the place they were about twenty minutes ago. When they reached there they all stopped running and sat down. " Okay, what ingredients do we need to make some health potions?" he asked Kiylo.

Kiylo nodded at Tink, her eyes still enlarged with fright. She took his hand, glad to have some kind of hold on the real world. Glancing at back at Kotori, she listened to his question. With one hand, she held up the pen and shook her head. "I won't know until I get some empty pages." she said over the loud rushing of blood in her ears.

"Here, I grabbed a notebook while you weren't looking," he said as he handed her the notebook, "This is where you should keep all the recipes and other stuff like secrets and clues in. And to make it safe, after you are done writing in it, give it to Tink so he can put it in his storage thingy. And Tink, if you find stuff lying around that looks like parts for a storage thing, please pick it up so me and Key can get one okay? that way you do not have to carry our stuff,"

Kiylo took the notebook and began to scan everything into the notebook. It only took up five pages and it was filled to the brim with notes. She turned off the pen and nibbled on her lip as she handed it back to Tink. Reading over the notes, she read aloud the recipe, but none of the things they were looking for would be here in Agnarokon.

Scrunching up her nose, she sighed and shook her head, sighing. "We can't find those ingredients here..." she said quietly. I will have to tell them. I'm going to have to tell them. she thought in fright.

She didn't want to use her gift, and if she had to, she would be asked to help the wounded and the wounded make her want to cry. Working in the nurse's office was different then healing in a war, her mother told her that much when she was alive. It was one of the last memories the girl had of her mother.

"Guys?" she looked over at the young men before staring down at the ground. "We don't need any potions... I'll just go and help. I'm a healer..." she said quietly, her voice barely a whisper.

"Wait, so we went through that for nothing? Well, it is no biggie to me. This is great though. You have a gift. But, we must take care not to abuse it or we might just have you might die from exhaustion. Now, we must hurry, I fear the guards are clear and they are pissed after what we just did. And when they are pissed they start killing for no reason so we must act fast. I think we should just fight our way in. At this point there is no sneaking in. They know our tactics and the guards will suspect us now. We just have to get in there and try to get Hegoror to join us. But, there is no time for debate we must go!" he said as he started walking toward the tower.

Tink laughed, he couldn't help it. He smiled at Kiylo, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "That is great! Having a gift like that. So useful." He suppresses the urge to wrap her up in a big bear hug. Some women don't like that. "You should be proud of such a thing. Very proud. It takes someone with a very strong heart to be able to wield the gift of healing. You are lucky. I mean you could just have a small head stuffed with big brains like me- not terribly useful in the long run."

As Kitori rushes off he sighs, giving a shake of his head. The boy was impulsive and had no tactics for the guards to determine except dogged straight forward charging. Of course they were going to figure them out. If he didn't know better, he would say the boy was an idiot. Actually, he didn't know better- he just met him a couple of hours ago. He was certain there must be a brain under there somewhere. Maybe he just wanted everyone to think he was dumb. Someone with a good heart like his couldn't be completely brainless.

Than again, Tink remembered that he tended to be a lot smarter than those around him. He could see things and understand things other couldn't. Well, he had to keep hot-heads out of trouble with his cool, overly pensive head. "Kitori, wait up. At least take a better weapon if you want your tactic to be 'rush in the front door and fight'. You prefer shooting weapons or bladed weapons? I'd guess bladed if I had to- you seem like an up close and person sort of guy." He looked to Kiylo, "What do you prefer? I also have shield weapons."

"I prefer blades. Oh,and I forgot to ask, If we find parts along our journey for you to make me and her a set of storage things can you pick them up and see if you can make a pair? Not now since we do not have time. But, What type of bladed weapons?" he said. He thought that the others didn't quite think like him about fighting. So he said, "I understand that rushing in isn't always the best plan but, when innocent lives are at risk you can't think up a plan and let their clock run down in the process. Like right now peoples clocks of time left are running down quick and we must hurry so please give me a blade!" he said quickly.

Kiylo picked her gaze up and saw Tink's reassuring smile. She felt a bit more relieved when she realized that what she had done to hide her gift was a little overdone. She wouldn't be used for things she didn't want to be used for, and it was definitely very tiring for her to use her gift.

"Kotori, calm down." she said quietly. She understood his rush, but they had more time then they thought. "We can't charge in. You can't charge in, because you will die." she explained. "They have many fighters, and many weapons, and there is only one of you. And a part of war is loosing people- I have learned that from my mother." she placed a hand over her chest where her heart was.

"We must gather more people to help us."

"No we have no time for that nor is there anyway to get more people without leaving and we cannot do that. We MUST go. In fact I do not need a weapon. I can get one of theirs as I go. Just watch, I can do this. I know I may not seem like much but, you do not know me. I have more power than what you think," he said.

Kiylo felt her eyes well up before she brought her teeth back down on her lower lip. She felt bad for doubting him, but she had to. You should never overestimate people, and underestimating was just as bad.she thought, remembering what she once read in a book.

"I'm sorry Kotori, I was just worried." she said quietly, looking down. "I didn't want to say that, its just that the normal person can't do what you claim you can do, and I've only known you for a little more then a hour." she looked back up at him, her eyes begging for an apology.

Tink had avoided the question of making another carrying device. To be honest, he wasn't exactly certain how he had made it in the first place. Serendipity more than anything he guessed. It was special and it was his. He had tried to make another- but the laws of Space and Time and Matter are not so easily broken as many would like to think.

"Now you're just being foolish and cocky. Those are things that get you hurt...or worse, killed. I don't care how strong you claim to be; being hot headed, brash and overconfident is never a good thing. And it hurts your friends and family who worry about you. If you were alone, it would be one thing, but you're not. Just look at Kiylo, she obviously cares about you and is worried for your safety. Be considerate of her feelings." Tink opened up his watch as the trio walked toward the tower, pulling a blade from it. The blade was about the length of an arm, curved much like a scimitar. It was made from a shiny metal that wasn't quite steel and wasn't quite silver or anything else easily identifiable. "Here, take it. There is a button on the pommel, press it and it will add juice to your attack by adding a bit of an electrical kick. You should get about 4 good jolts with it before it needs to be recharged."

From his watch, he pulled another weapon. It looked much like a crossbow, but with a place that looked like it held balls instead of bolts. He handed it to Kiylo along with a bag of round, glass balls of various colors. "Just put a ball here and pull the trigger- you don't need to pull it back or anything. The red balls are sleeping gas, the blue ones are freezing chemicals that will create an endothermic...err...it will freeze things solid," He paused, going for a common definition instead of launching into a long dissertation about chemistry and thermo-dynamics, "The green ones are a corrosive acid for destroying armor and the yellow ones are explosives. You can also just use rocks or ball bearings in it." He smiled at Kiylo, pulling his stun rod from his belt.

Kiylo took the weapon and stared at it with wide eyes. They expected her to use this? The most klutzy of of the three and she had to use this? She took the bag as well, attaching it to the bag that hung from over her shoulder. "Red- sleep, blue- freeze, green-acid, yellow- exploading, and I can use rocks or ball bearings in it." she confirmed, trying to commit it to memory.

She pulled her eyes from it and looked at the two, her eyes still wide from fear. "I-I... Oh, nevermind..." she said quietly, forgetting what she was going to say when Tink smiled at her. She looked forward at the tower they were nearing and couldn't help but feel her heartbeat in her temples.

Oh, what did I get myself into? she thought desperately.

He took the weapon and put it on his belt . He noticed that out of the corner of his eye a guard ran inside the tower and suddenly a loud noise that sounded like a High pitched howl. "I think they know we are here. I don't think we have time to wait, we have to hurry," he said as he led them toward the open door of the tower.

Tinklington secured his goggles in place, holding his rod at the ready. He hated the idea of killing anything. In his mind true heroes didn't do that- true heroes could win without killing. It wasn't chivalrous. On the other hand, Chivalry demanded that he protect Kiylo and to do that it might involve having to kill- or at least seriously incapacitate attackers. He stepped in front of her and smiled, "Stay by my side, I will protect you."

Like the Knight he wanted to be (and knew he wasn't), Tink patted Kiylo's back in a reassuring manner as they walked toward the door. "Just take a deep breath and think positively. If you get too afraid, use the belt and hide, alright? It is okay to hide if you are afraid. You can still shoot things if you are hidden." He followed Kitori, his Stunning Rod at the ready, trying to keep Kiylo by his side so he could at least buy her time to activate the belt and escape should things go wrong. "Into the Maw we go..."

Inside the tower there was a map hung on the wall, Kitori took it down and looked it over. "Okay," he said, "We are on the bottom floor, we need to get to the Sixth Floor. This map has icons on it that show traps so Tink look at the map and memorize the places where they are. I have a feeling you can tell us where they are by recalling from memory. Here is the map, when you have memorized it and call recall where the traps are tell me and we can continue,"
He saw an unlit candle on the wall on a dish and took dish and candle. He then got out his only thing that reminded him of his dad, his lighter. http://lighterpros.com/wp-content/up...aab4114b73.jpg He used it to light the candle which lit up the rest of the hall.

Kiylo nodded sharply, her head now rushing with adrenaline once more. She took in a shaky breath and pulled her lower lip under her teeth, keeping an eye on her surroundings.

"Thank you." she said quietly to Tink, her voice small, wavering and very not confidant. Her eyes reflected the fear in her heart, and her hands quaked as if she hadn't slept in days. Walking was something she had to think through, step-by-step. Without her current state of mind or Tink's reassuring comments, she'd probably be frozen outside still.

With Kotori in the lead, and Tink by her side, they walked into the tower that she feared so much. The place where they had entered was dark and it made her skin crawl. It was a place of nightmares to her.

Tink snorted slightly. People always assumed that if you were smart you must have some sort of photographic memory. What a crock. He was simply smart- he understood things deeply, he didn't memorize them. He knew how to apply knowledge, understood what it meant. Certainly he had to memorize some things, but once you understand something, memorization is unnecessary.

"I'm smart, not eidetic. Why do people assume they are the same thing? I'm not a savant or anything. It takes me just as long as anyone else to memorize pictures." He reached up and simply pulled the map from the wall. "This is faster and easier...it's not like we're planning on anyone else needing it again are we?" That is what smart is about- finding a solution to the problem.

He looked at Kiylo, noticing her shaking hands. He offered his own out to her, "It's okay to be scared. It takes a great amount of courage to overcome that fear and be here anyway. You should be proud." He looked to Kitori, "Shall we then?"

"Ok, I understand. Follow me, according to the map we have to get to the fifth floor to reach Hegoror. The map says this hallway has no traps and is just a straight forward. So lets go," he said as he led them to the stairs at the end of the hallway up to the second floor. The second floor was darker than the first floor, the floor was hard to see and it looked like there were spikes in blank spots of the floor. "Follow me, I have the candle. As long as you can see the floor you are okay. Watch your step. Kiylo, if you want help getting across get on my back. I can carry you," he said. He knew she would be awkward under pressure as she has been so, she would have awkward walking.

Kiylo took Tink's hand, confidence slowly coming back to her. Walking was a bit difficult for her, her steps falling un-rhythmically against he stone floor. In other circumstances, she would be blushing or socially awkward, but she was more freaked out then insane.

The tower's stairs seemed to go on for an eternity, for each good step she took, there was a trip or a stumble that equaled it out. She had no coordination in the dark, but just barely enough to make sure that she didn't bring Tink down with her.

When they got to the second floor, it was even darker. Her stomach tightened and forced the contents into her throat. She was getting really freaked out, and it was hard to think straight now. Her breathing was even more uneven then it was just moments ago.

"I... I can't see..." she said quietly, her voice squeaking very much like a mouse's.

"Tink you got anything that can make this place brighter? We can barely see!" he said. Even his candle wasn't doing much, and didn't feel like dying today.

Tink looked at Kitori through his goggles, suddenly remembering that just because he could see, didn't mean everyone else could. "Yeah, I got things to help you see." he shrugged, "Sorry, didn't think about it since I'm not having trouble."

He pulled out his pocket watch again and turned the winder a few times. Pressing it down the back opened up and he retrieved two pairs of goggles. They were different from his own- not nearly as fancy. "You should be able to see with these and they will keep your hands free." He handed a pair to each of them. "I also have some Chem-Lights. Really interesting blend of chemicals that produces a phosphorescent glow. I made them by accident one day while reading on the chemical properties of ...well, never mind, not important. The goggles are far more interesting. Special film I developed on the lenses."

Kiylo reached out blindly for the goggles he spoke of. When her fingers touched something cold and metal, she was sure she had her grip on them. Slowly lifting them to her face, she was able to see once again. A relieved sigh passed by her lips and she was fine again.

"Luminol and Hydrogen peroxide? To make it glow?" she asked, her voice starting to stop wavering. She remembered reading about this in her studies. With something else to focus on, she calmed even more, being able to navigate the room even better then she was a while ago.

"Something like that. I found- well brewed- a lovely flourophor that reacts with the hydrogen in simple water to glow. It would work with hydrogen peroxide as well obviously...but I figured I didn't need the extra oxides hanging around. I started off using zinc sulfide and a caboxyl group- but those needed sugars, so I derived something that reacted with hydrogen instead of sugar. Works much better." Tink smiled at Kiylo. "You have studied chemistry? I have studied many books on the subject. I find it helpful in my inventions. It was how I made some of those lovely glass marbles for your your weapon."

Tink offered his hand back to Kiylo, scanning the area for guards and traps, his other hand ready with his Stun Rod.

Kiylo nodded sharply, her goggles sliding down her face. She gasped quietly and pulled them back up, now able to see once again. Taking hold of the hand that he had offered for her, she walked closely with Tink.

"They call a kitchen a science lab... Its chemical reactions for hungry people." she explained quietly, keeping her voice down. She was almost back to her normal self, but adrenaline still rushed furiously through her veins.

"What is over there?" she whispered, pointing off at a figure. It was hunched over, as if it were sleeping. Kiylo stiffened and her open hand went over the weapon that was attached to her shoulder bag.

He took the goggles and put them on and then, threw the candle into the pit of spikes. "Don't touch the man," he said. He walked through the path and went over to him. "He is chained up and he is dead. He has a key on him. I think we will need it later," he said as he took the key on the dead mans body.