Sheling, it is of course a colorful place lots of fire words. It's very beautiful. We reached the entrance and a man came and greeted us. "Welcome to Sheling." The man said with a smile bowing to us. His face then turned serious. "That'll be 20 buck per person to get in here." He held out his palm.
We all looked shocked then Mingi stepped forward, "Oh, Kannuki." Mingi said with a smile removing her hood. "You're still the same as you were long ago when you were a child."
Kannuki grew wide eyed and happy at the sight of Mingi. "Mingi!" He held out his arms for a hug. "Come in! You're all coming in for free. My treat."
We all stepped inside. "Mingi, why don't you introduce me to your friends."
Mingi turned to us all, she started with me. "This is Angel, Celes and Cecil." We all bowed at the call of our names. "I want you guys to meet a stubborn yet funny old friend of mine, Kannuki." He bowed to us.
Kannuki then noticed something, "Old!?! You call me old?" He reached out and touched Mingi's hair. "Look at you! You're the one growing grey hair not me."
Mingi then made a face and smacked his hand from her hair. "Please Kannuki." She playfully punched his shoulder. "I wasn't growing grey hair 12 years ago. I'm growing old."
Kannuki rubbed his arm. "Those armlets are a big pain. They give you extra strength?"
Mingi straightened the armlet around her right arm. "Yes, you didn't know?"
"Not really." Kannuki scratched his head. "I've never seen you with them on." He then faced the rest of us. "Please come with," he gestured us to follow. "We have a wonderful carnival in today. The show is about to begin." We all followed him to a huge tent, we could hear music playing from the outside. Kannuki drew back the entrance curtain. "Ladies first." Me and Celes entered first, but when Mingi was about to enter Kannuki gave Mingi a funny smirk and ran in before she could. Mingi gave him a shocked look. "I didn't say old ladies." He laughed.
We took our places on the wooden benches that became higher the farther from the center ring. Drums rolled and lights danced around the room. The ring master then entered and all the lights shined on him. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to our wonderful show..." The ring master continued to talk, but I found it quite boring. I turned to the others. Celes was busy talking to Cecil and Mingi to Kannuki. I of course had no one else to talk to. How great, no one for me.
For a long time we watched clowns and jugglers. People in shiny clothes doing tricks in the air. Lots of other things. Drums rolled yet again. "And now, for our grand ending of our show we introduce you to the talking wolf! Not only does he talk he does tricks as well! Ladies and gentlemen, please give a hand to Taleko!"
The clown clapped at the entrance of Taleko. A pretty woman in some skimpy clothes brought him in a leash. Yes, the wolf talked and did tricks, he even sang to the crowd. But for some reason he looked sad. Like he didn't want to do any of this stuff. "You!" I heard the ring master scream. Lights then shined on me. "Come on down here pretty lady." The crowd clapped, I hesitated a bit before heading down to the center ring. When I came close the ring master held my hand. "You look like you're not enjoying this wonderful show. Why don't we have Taleko cheer her up with a kiss." I made somewhat of a disgusted face as our backs faced the crowd as we headed towards Taleko. The ring master then whispered silently, "Meet me after the show through those curtains." He snapped his head to the direction of where he entered the ring from. "I'll be waiting." We then faced the crowd while the pretty woman brought Taleko closer to me. The woman and the ring master back away.
I waited for a bit then kneeled closer to Taleko. I grabbed Taleko's head in my hands he then whispered to me "Help me." I felt my breath rush a little and I lightly kissed his wet nose. The crowd cheered and headed to my friends.
Celes and the others smiled "Listen up." They didn't smile anymore by they way I said the words. "That talking wolf just asked me for my help." I looked them over for a second. "The ring master also asked me to meet him after the show. I'm gonna help him. So you guys wait for me."
The ring master then ended the show and winked at me before exiting. I got up and started to head to the curtains. "Wait." I heard Celes call. "I'm coming with, just in case."
We heard the others call good luck as we crossed the ring to the curtains.
As we entered the curtains the ring master greeted me with a rose. "I see you brought a beautiful friend." The ring master kissed Celes's hand. "The names Aezundo."
Celes let out a weird sounding giggle, then shrugged at me. It may have been something I didn't want to do, but I did it anyway. "Aezundo," I said sounding like those I-Know-Everything kinda girl. "I want to see that talking wolf."
"Why of course my beauty." He said kissing my hand. "Anything you want."
Celes followed behind us to a cage where Taleko was caged with some iron lock over his mouth. Me and Celes took turns saying mushy stuff while the other would tell him our plan. "Don't worry, we're here to help." Celes finished.
We stood up and turned to see that Aezundo held a wine bottle in one hand and three wine cups just to this side of him on a carton. It took him a while to pull the cork out with his teeth, but he got it and poured a small amount into each cup. Me and Celes gave each other a smirk as we gracefully walked over to Aezundo.
Celes made the fist move chanting words throwing her ribbon that wrapped around him. I then threw a couple of punches and kicks before his eyes rolled back and his head fell. Celes chanted more words and the ribbon wrapped back around her nagitana.
We then walked up to the caged up Taleko. Celes used her nagitana to break the lock. Taleko then stepped out. "Do you know where the key is?" Celes asked Taleko. He shook his head.
"Well I don't want to break it off with my sword." I said and Taleko's eyes grew wide.
"I have a way." Celes said putting her hands close to the lock around his mouth and chanted words. The lock then fell from his mouth.
"Oh," Taleko said with relief. "It's so great to have that thing off." He licked around his mouth. "First of all my name is not Taleko, it's Fenrir. Aezundo kidnaped me from my home land and caged me as a slave to make him money for his disgusting shows."
"Well Fenrir, let's get you out of here before Aezundo awakes." Celes said pulling her cloak off wrapping it around Fenrir and carried him out of the huge tent. We met up with our friends. "Let's get outta here." Celes said. We hurried outside the gates of the village.
We gathered around as Celes unwrapped Fenrir from her cloak. Celes shook the fur off before putting it back on. "Thank you so much for saving me." Fenrir bowed. "I may have nothing to give you only my thanks."
we all introduced each other and anything else we had to say. Fenrir and Kannuki both agreed on traveling with us. "Happy to have the extra company, Angel." Kannuki smiled. "Great way for me and Mingi to catch up on our years."
"Are you sure you won't miss your job?" Mingi asked Kannuki in concern.
"No problem." Kannuki laughed. "It was a horrible job any ways."
Nice to have the extra company. Great chance of us beating anything powerful we run into. And maybe help Fenrir return to his home land. Fenrir looked to be pretty powerful. Brown fur with grey and white streaks here and there. Through his fur you could see his powerful muscles and when he talked you could tell his jaws were able to tear and arm off as well as sharp teeth to pierce the flesh.
"We should head east to the nearest village." Kannuki pointed east. "Ling-Sho village. It's very beautiful over there."
"Wow," Celes said happily. "Can't wait to see it."
Smiling Cecil put his arm around Celes who didn't seem to notice and we all headed to Ling-Sho.