"Looks like everyone is having fun." Kyra looked at a man coming who said these words. He wore a crisp white high-collar shirt, buttoned neatly up to the neck. Over it rested a fitted dark brown vest that added a sharp, formal touch to his look. His trousers were dark and slim, tucked neatly into long socks that reached just below the knees. A simple dark belt secured his waist, carrying small tools or items he might need. Completing the outfit were polished black shoes with buckles, giving him a precise and professional appearance. But on a closer look, you could see lots of stains and dust on his outfit.
Kyra's eyes focused like a tiger hunting saw the man coming, but she retracted her gaze immediately, trying to untie the boys from the mess. The man gazed at them and ignored them as he went away toward the Queen.
"Greetings, my Queen. I have done the routine check and found no abnormalities in the machine, but I did feel something lacking in it." The man said as he fixed his glasses, his slightly bald head shining mysteriously.
The Queen's eyes shrank, but she said calmly, "Thank you for your hard work, Stein Mateo. It is very helpful for me since you came here and decided to work for little money, only asking for a shop for yourself." The Queen properly thanked him since she knows how much people can ask to work as a Heart Machine Technician.
"Hmm, no need, Queen. I am just doing what I like," Stein said while giving her the report for the machines.
"Hey, Mr. Tool Guy, how are you doing?" Natalia said while playing with the little Princess.
"Hmm, my name is not Tool Guy. What's with everyone here? Most of the people here have simple yet weird nicknames," Tool Guy complained.
"Hmm, not everyone has it, though," Princess Natalia said, now focused on Tool Guy.
"Hmm, that weird girly kid has one. It's Gloomy, right?" Tool Guy pointed at the still-fighting boys.
"Hmm, yes, because he is gloomy. That's why it's Gloomy." Everyone tilted their heads, telling him there was nothing wrong with that.
"What about Queen Mother?" He pointed at the Queen, who shy away as if someone had found her secret.
"Hmm, because she is Queen and a mother for everyone. Same for me—I am Mother Veny!" She thumped her own chest to tell Tool Guy not to bother asking.
He sighed and then said, "Then her—Little Princess. No one clearly remembers her name." Tool Guy smirked.
Seeing this, Little Princess roared, "Hey, Mister Tool Guy, why are you making fun of me? Look at yourself—can't even make a single proper tool!"
"Huuhhh!" Tool Guy's mind broke as he also roared. "What are you talking about? Here, check this out! My new super-duper invention! With pressing one button, you could make this metal plate move, making air out of nowhere. It works because of this little guy who, somehow mixing three types of materials, can help it move." He showed a drawing to Little Princess, who, seeing it, just—SNAP!
"Miss Emmy!" Little Princess said with a deadpan expression as Maid Emmy came out of nowhere and opened a window from which lots of wind came and blew away some hair from Tool Guy's head. Tyra also jumped in from the window and landed on the Queen's head, looking curiously at the commotion.
"Guhhh! Fine! Now this—my ultra-super-deluxe cooking equipment! Without using any energy tool, you can burn fire and cook food in this! It was an accidental discovery. I slipped into the animal waste outside the boundary while doing some research and found out that I could use the gas coming from it to burn things brighter. Then, with lots of research, I created this tool where with just one spark you can get a continuous amount of stable fire for cooking!" Tool Guy confidently thumped his chest. Everyone looked at him weirdly as they increase their distance from him.
SNAP! Little Princess again snapped her fingers as Maid Emmy brought a similar tool—just turned the valve and fire, small, efficient-looking, rather than that big diagram on the sheet.
"I know, I know!" He turned his pages while slight tears on his eyes and showed one more. "Here, look at this! The new super-modern ultra-super-ultra best tool of all time, for which I failed a thousand times! Here, see this—a weird-looking glass object with something inside. See this? The inside glows bright when it's heated to a certain level, then bloom—you get lots of light! Isn't it amazing?"
SNAAAP! Maid Emmy brought a glowing globe. "Agh, so bright! Fine, fine, I give up!" Tool Guy sighed in complete defeat.
Seeing this, everyone laughed as the Queen suddenly asked, "Hmm, Stein, can those—"
Before she could finish, Tool Guy said, "No, my Queen, they are not really useful. Their material is way more expensive than these tools. I was just playing around with them. It has lots of problems in it, whereas energy tools are very good, clean, and efficient. Only top Crowns can afford to just play with it. No future at all." Tool Guy just rejected her thinking as he closed his notebook, making her slump down.
"Hey, hey, Tool Guy, I will come to your shop soon to find a strong thing for a energy globe to be attached."
"Oooh! What globe?" Tool Guy asked.
Little Princess slowly brought out a grey globe. "This is Big Brother Zack's globe, he gave me as a present! I want something suitable for this to be attached as equipment or a jewellery," she said while gently holding it. Natalia also smiled, thinking of her own present which she also had yet to decide on how to keep it with her all the time, thinking on how Zack gave Sasha a locket, her eyes shine brightly as if making her mind to do the same.
"Oh, oh, that Zack kid had done it! Aah, I gave him so much globe, but he didn't give me back with this weird grey power, which I have never seen before." Tool guy took the globe and checked carefully. "Hmm, interesting. I could try some things with this. Hey, Little Princess, can I have this globe?"
Tool Guy asked, but Little Princess immediately snatched back the globe, saying, "NOOOO WAAAYY! Big Brother Zack entrusted this to me, so I am not giving you anything! Blehhh!" Little Princess stored it back carefully.
"Sigh, fine, fine. I will ask him myself. He hasn't come for a while, maybe I will give him more tools of mine to test it out in the wilds," he said while laughing evilly. "Heheheh."
Seeing this, Natalia pouted in anger and said, "Hey, Tool Guy, don't use Zack as a guinea pig! I will cut your remaining hair if you continuously make him test your weird tools!" Natalia said in irritation.
"Ooohhhh." Tool Guy smirked and said, "I forgot. I also made a potion that could entice LOVVVE FORRR SOMMEONNEE if given to him to drink." Tool Guy said as he saw Little Princess and Natalia's eyes focus, and they shouted, "SHOW THEM TO ME NOWWW!"
"Hehehe." Happy with reacting, he brought a colorful-looking globe. He opened it slowly as both princesses glued to the bottle, then suddenly—GLUP! GLUP!—he drank it in front of them and said, "YEAAAHHH, good taste! I like this alcohol a lot. It brings shivers down my spine." He smirked at the princesses, who, seeing this, pouted in anger.
Kyra, with a side eye, saw everything but didn't show any reaction when suddenly—TAKK!—her face was hit with struggling Gloomy hand. "Ouch! Hey, little kids, calm down, will ya!" The two, hardly separated, started again. "Grrrhhhh! Aacckk! Ouch! Aaah..."
"Did someone take out booze?" Grandpa came as he smelled the air.
"Hmm, don't you have anything else in mind, old man?" Leader Remek looked at Kyra as he came and kicked Alfie on the butt, who fell way ahead, rubbing his butt and glaring at Gloomy.
Grandpa also came and picked up Gloomy like a rag. "Hey, hey, don't disturb the lady, will ya? Sit properly in one place." He picked Gloomy like a rag and gave him to Kyra, who held him from his back and sat on the sofa while fixing Gloomy's hair. Alfie also sat down beside her, bickering with Gloomy.
"Hey there, Tool Guy, you got some goods for me?" Grandpa looked toward the colorful bottle.
"Ugh... here, you can try it," Tool Guy couldn't help but give it to him.
"Ooofff, heheh, this is the best!" Both laughed while drinking.
"Grandpa, don't drink in front of ladies and kids! And why did you throw Gloomy like that, huh?" The Queen complained to Grandpa.
"Right, right, that's what I told him," Mother Veny also vented.
"Hey, hey, this is the Land of Eirs, where winds blow 24/7. Nothing will happen even if you fall without clothes—just some scratches and you are good to go. Don't be so dramatic," Grandpa, getting drunk, just shrugged it off.
As they were complaining, Leader Remek asked the Queen to talk for a minute alone. The Queen nodded as she placed Tyra from her head to Mother Veny's head. At some distance, he saw Kyra Mills playing with the kids. He said, "What about her?"
"Hmm, what about her? She is my new friend, Kyra Mills. She would be staying with me for a while," the Queen said warmly, looking at her taking care of the two boys.
"But—" Before Leader Remek could say anything, the Queen cut him off. "Uncle Remek, I know you're worried, but I feel she's a lot like me. Her eyes are always sad even when she's laughing and playing. Whenever your mind gets free, the only things that come to it are worrying thoughts that make you both mad and sad. It becomes a continuous cycle—again and again—until you turn into an almost emotionless person. That's who she is: an emotionless soul searching for a way out of her darkness." The Queen said sadly, "Let her stay with me. She won't hurt anyone—of that I am sure." She looked at Leader Remek, and when he met her eyes he simply nodded in agreement.
"Good, then come. Let's sit and enjoy our time." The Queen reassured Leader Remek as everyone sat together.
Grandpa, getting slightly drunk, shouted, "Little girl Emmmmyyy, where are youuu? Is she gone?"
"No, Grandpa, I am still here. Please tell me what you want me to do?" Maid Emmy respectfully bowed as she came out of nowhere.
"Hmm, what are you doing here? Get outtt! I gave you meat to let the little ones eat. Go early and make them a proper meal. Go, shoo, shoo!" Grandpa looked at the Queen.
The Queen smiled and said, "Yes, you can go early today and have fun with everyone," she smiled.
Listening to this, Maid Emmy felt warmth as she bowed toward them and said, "I will do that. Thank you! I will take my leave then." Maid Emmy bowed and went away.
The Queen, remembering something, looked at the still-playing Kyra with the boys and said, "Kyra, why don't you bring your things here? The sun will set after some hours. We should eat together," the Queen said warmly.
Listening to this, Kyra said, "Are you sure, my Queen? I... I... I don't think it is a good idea. I have—" Kyra hesitated but still decided to speak. "I have a sick kid, and I don't think it is a good idea to bring him here with these little ones present." Kyra said as she closed her eyes, remembering her kid.
After some silence, Mother Veny and the Queen got up quickly, making the princesses thrown away like fallen rags as they walked in a hurried manner.
"What, what, what! You brought your kid here? Where is he? I mean, why didn't you say it sooner? Go bring him! I will call the doctor and let them have a look! What are you sitting around here for? Go!" Both ladies grabbed her by the shoulders as they shook her with strong force. In between, was Gloomy and Alfie present who went into darkness as huge shadows cast over them.
"Huh? I... how can I leave my sick child alone? I brought a maid who looked after him when I am not around," Kyra said as she released Gloomy and Alfie. Both, taking the chance, slipped away from this dangerous zone. She stood up and, with her head down, said, "I still don't think bringing him here will do any good. I had many people look at him, but they were only able to maintain his condition for now." As Kyra kept babbling, the Queen Mother—PATT—lightly patted her head and turned Kyra around. "No talking. Just go bring him with your things. If I don't see you here in an hour, then I will send my guards to bring you forcefully."
"Yes, yes, go, go!" Mother Veny pushed her, not letting her speak, as she was sent away.
"Siiighh." Both ladies stood near the entrance as they looked at Kyra as she went away with large strides. "She said she had looked everywhere for a cure but couldn't find anything. Can our little city help her?" Mother Veny said worriedly.
"I don't know, but we have to try. We have to keep trying until we could see the light. And who said our city doesn't have miracles?" She looked toward Mother Veny and smiled.
Mother Veny, seeing this, smiled. "Hehehe, that's true. We have our own miracles," as both looked toward the horizon, seeing the gigantic rocks in the far-away distance, feeling the wind on their bodies as the sun slowly started to calm down a little.
.
"Huh? What?" Fia turned around and asked the three others who were closing the door and chatting.
"What?" everyone asked curiously.
"Hmm, I thought someone called me. Well, whatever, let's go," as she looked ahead in her sleeveless dark top made of rough fabric, tightly fitted and slightly torn from use. A few leather straps and belts were wrapped around her waist and chest, giving a rugged, practical look. Her pants were dark and close-fitting, tucked into sturdy boots. Red cloth bands were tied around her wrists, and her outfit looked built for movement and survival rather than style.
"Hmm, let's go." Big Guy locked the door and said with Lurvi on his shoulders while wearing a cream-colored shirt with a lace-up neckline and rolled-up sleeves. Over it, he had a light brown tunic tied with a wide leather belt that had metal buckles. His pants were dark green and tucked into mid-calf brown boots. The outfit looked simple and practical, fitting for someone who works outdoors or on a farm.
"Hmm." Both Sasha and Zack nodded as they went toward the 4th rock to get their job done.
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END OF CHAPTER
Tool Guy's Emotional Damage Counter has reached critical levels. Between Little Princess's devastating finger snaps and Maid Emmy's instant win conditions, he's considering early retirement. The Narrator suggests he find some "mysterious energies for his lost causes" before his ego expires completely. Grandpa has volunteered to be his drinking buddy instead, which... probably won't help, honestly.