Chapter 114: Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Delivery System

While Qube was trying to think of a polite way to tell Sewer Bard and Definitely Bad Guy that they weren’t special, the party arrived at Cobbletown and Scaley-waley disappeared. Qube was rather surprised — she’d thought that they’d been heading towards the Light Temple. Although, given that she had no idea where the Light Temple actually was, it was probably a good idea for them to get some kind of directions. For some reason, A Gentleman’s Guide to the Seven Temples didn’t give the location of the Temples, only said:

 

“An explorer with a true gentleman’s soul will have nothing to fear in this place. However, those with darkness in their hearts will find they have to shatter their self-illusions to be free.”

 

Since Qube was not a gentleman, she was the tiniest bit worried, but she reassured herself with the knowledge that the Chosen One was, without a doubt, the best gentleman ever.

 

Probably.

 

The Chosen One ended his meditative state as they entered Cobbletown’s gate. The two guards greeted them (as per tradition), only to be ignored by everyone (also as per tradition). 

 

“We still need to hand in the stuff from the Shadow Temple,” the Chosen One said, even though no one had questioned his decision. “I forgot the last time.” He paused for a moment, looking at the group as the two guards in the background continued to inform him about where he was.

 

“If any of you want to go anywhere, or do anything, in this place, now’s the time. I’ll come find you all after I’m done,” he said. He looked at Qube. “Well, except for you,” he added. “You’ll have to tell me where you want to go.”

 

Definitely Bad Guy and Sewer Bard exchanged a glance, before the Bard stepped forward and gave an overly-formal bow to the Chosen One.

 

“Noble Patron,” he said, and Qube was relieved that he hadn’t decided to continue calling the Chosen One the Chosen One, “Definitely Bad Guy and myself have some research to conduct. You will find us at either the Royal Library, or in his tower.”

 

“Didn’t ask,” the Chosen One said cheerfully, “but good to know! Go on, then! Shoo!” He waved away the two men. Sexy Screamy Spider Lady popped her abdomen to the side.

 

“I suppose I’ll see you later, then,” she said to the Chosen One, lifting a shoulder. “When you want me, come find me.” She pivoted and stalked away towards the Royal Bestiary.

 

Squiggles looked up at the Chosen One and Qube with her little black eyes. She blinked at them a few times, then slowly rotated in a circle, her tentacles waving as she moved. Once her nose was pointed towards the Royal Kitchen, she stopped, and looked back at the Chosen One and Qube questioningly.

Quite how Qube had gotten so good at reading the facial expressions of a sharktopus she couldn’t say. Perhaps it was one of the perks of pet ownership.

 

“Go on, then,” she said to Squiggles with a smile. Squiggles rushed over to her, bonked her shin with her nose, and then raced off to the Royal Kitchen, where she would no doubt delight all of the staff to scream with her bombastic appreciation of their craft.

 

“You’ve gotten more used to trusting your party members,” Qube said to the Chosen One as she watched Squiggles slorp away. “I’m so glad! It’s important to trust your fellow party members. After all, we’re all here to help!”

 

“You know, you sound different when you say stuff like that,” the Chosen One remarked lightly. Startled, Qube looked away from Squiggles’s beeline towards the Royal Kitchen. Not that Qube needed visual confirmation of Squiggles’s location: she had only to listen for the shrieks of joy as the monster made her way through the streets.

 

“Do I?” she asked. The Chosen One was leaning against a brick wall, his eyes closed and his face tilted upwards to catch the first rays of the rising suns. As the pale light spilled across him, he smiled. It was the very picture of contentment, and it took Qube’s breath away.

 

“You look very pretty!” she exclaimed involuntarily.

 

The Chosen One jumped like a cat that‘d just had a bucket of water thrown over it. Qube laughed, as he pointed a shaking finger at her.

 

“Don’t you dare!” he spluttered. “I just got Ms Spider off my back, I don’t want to have to worry about you, too!”

 

“You never have to worry about me!” Qube said indignantly.

 

“I have to worry about you all the time!” the Chosen One shot back. “Why do you think I’m pushing everyone to become more independent? It’s the only way you guys will grow fast enough.”

 

“We don’t need to be apart from you to grow!” Qube replied, horrified.

 

“I think you do,” the Chosen One said. “I think that’s the key.”

 

“I’ve grown plenty while being by your side!” Qube snapped. The Chosen One grinned at her.

 

“Yeah, but you’re special,” he said. “Very special.” His smile slid away as he frowned, the morning sunlight emphasising the grooves in his forehead. “Maybe it would be better for you if you were more independent,” he said thoughtfully. “Maybe I’m stunting your growth, keeping you with me so much? But then, you’re right. You have changed a lot while with me, even if you do revert every now and then.”

 

Qube wasn’t entirely sure what the Chosen One was talking about, but she still felt offended. How could the Chosen One say she would grow more without him? Didn’t he know his place? It was right next to her place, which was behind him, supporting him as he saved the world! Which, physically speaking, didn’t make a lot of sense, but metaphorically was extremely logical!

 

“I’m extremely happy to help you on your adventure!” she ranted, stamping a foot. “It’s been my lifelong dream to leave the village and save the world, tee hee!~”

 

Qube was furious with herself. That hadn’t been what she’d meant to say at all! Granted, she didn’t know what she’d actually meant to say, but it certainly didn’t involve any tee hee-ing.

 

“And I don’t know why I say things like that!” she said sharply. “I’m going to go buy some books from Mr. Igma! Please give me some money! Thank you!”

 

Why, even when she was trying to yell at someone, must she still be nice to them? Truly, her innate sense of politeness was the real curse.

 

“Of course,” the Chosen One said, trying not to laugh at her frustrated politeness. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small bag of coins. “Here you go. Maybe don’t put them in your inventory, I don’t know how that would go. Come meet me at the inn afterwards.”

 

Qube didn’t stop to ask him to clarify anything. Instead, she just (politely) stomped off towards Mr. Igma’s store.

 

She’d just stomped her way to Mr. Igma’s store and grabbed the three beginner’s guides to alchemy, cooking, and gardening, when she realised she had no way of asking him how much the books were worth. With a small growl, she threw the bag of coins onto the counter.

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“There. That’s probably a monster’s inner coins. That should be more than enough to cover the books,” she told the presumably oblivious storekeeper. Cramming the books into her backpack to read later, she stepped out just as dawn properly broke.

 

Only to see, marching down the street, looking as precise as a pin, Mr. Clockwork.

 

He looked exactly the same as when she’d last seen him in the village. It was him! It was really him! He must be doing his deliveries! Qube raced up to him, arms thrown wide.

 

“Mr. Clockwork!” she shouted, but he didn’t stop. Of course! The curse! Qube frantically looked around, but none of the other party members were nearby. She started running in little circles, covering her mouth to muffle her tiny screams of joy. He was here! He was here! He probably had a reply to her letter, and news from back home!

She started to race away from him to grab someone, anyone, who could see her, then hesitated as she noticed the speed with which the automaton man was moving. This early in the morning there was no one to distract him with gossip. By the time she found someone and brought them back, he might be gone! And then who knew when she would run into him again!

 

“Mr. Clockwork!” she cried, standing in front of him to try and block his path. But instead of running into her, he abruptly stopped just before he hit her, and looked around.

 

“Huh. That’s strange,” he muttered, before taking a step to the left and attempting to continue walking. Qube moved to block him. Mr. Clockwork once again halted, and looked around. “Someone’s playing tricks on me,” he announced to the thin air, before taking three sharp steps to the right and marching forward.

 

“Mr. Clockwork, no! Please, it’s me, Qube! Please hear me!” Qube said, grabbing and pulling at one of his arms as he went past her. “Please! I don’t want to use a spell on you without your consent! Magical ethics are very important to me!”

 

The clockwork humanoid reached the store, dragging Qube alongside him.

 

“Oh forget it!” she yelled, abandoning her ethics. “[Heal]!”

 

The effect on Mr. Clockwork was immediate. His tarnished body flared, his merchant backpack disappearing in the wave of golden light that rolled off him. There was a harsh whistling sound, and all his cogs started spinning at once, even the ones that didn’t appear to be connected to anything. The clock-face dials that were his eyes whirled, the minute and second hands moving so fast that Qube was afraid they would fly off.

 

Slowly, painfully, all the motion ceased. Those same clock-face eyes ground in their sockets as they moved to observe the one who had just done this to them.

 

The construct and the Companion looked at each other; neither moving, nor speaking.

 

A cog started spinning in Mr. Clockwork’s right temple.

 

“Mr. Clockwork?” Qube asked, her mouth suddenly feeling strange.

 

The cog stopped moving.

 

Qube took a few steps back, unsure if Mr. Clockwork was going to start flailing about, attack her, or explode. His eyes remained fixed on where she had been standing. She took another step back.

 

Several cogs started moving again.

 

“Ah, hello little potential Companion!” he said cheerfully to the cobblestone streets. “How are you today? You must be getting impatient to leave the village!”

 

“Mr. Clockwork,” Qube said gently. “I am the Companion. My Chosen One was Chosen. We left the village ages ago.”

 

Had no one at the village told him? Had he not noticed she was missing? Sure, everything must have been hectic, what with all the rebuilding, but how could he not know about the Chosen One being Chosen by the Golden Prophecy?

 

“Have you been to the village?” she asked, taking a tentative step forward. As soon as she did, his eyes swivelled, locking on to her.

 

Once again his cogs froze.

 

As she stood there, looking at the statue-like automaton before her, she felt an echo of wrongness that had overcome her when she‘d faced down the Evil Emperor. The same fixed stare, that unbridgeable distance.

 

But now, rather than drowning her, she breathed underwater, as she had at Lake Fear. She felt the flood of dread slam into her, but it moved past her. She could think, now, a bubble of fragile peace in the horror that something was very, fundamentally wrong.

 

So she took a few steps to the side, and moved out of his line of sight.

 

After a beat, the cogs at the corners of his mouth began to move.

 

“The village,” he said, mournfully.

 

“The Chosen One’s village,” she said quietly, hoping that just the sound of her voice wouldn’t cause him to look over to her.

 

“Oh Hero, it’s good to see you survived,” Mr. Clockwork said sadly to the early morning street. “Such a tragedy, what happened. So many lives lost. Truly, truly terrible. What would you be looking to buy today? I can sell you things directly, but I’m only here at 8am and 8pm. You’ll have to be punctual if you want to catch me!”

 

“What lives lost?” Qube asked, staring at the construct she’d known her whole life. His clock-face eyes, staring at nothing, winched themselves shut.

 

“Such a tragedy. To slaughter everyone in a peaceful village! He truly is an Evil Emperor. You must stop him, young man! The kingdom depends on you to avenge your friends and family!”

 

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