Chương 31: Welcome to Mooresville

Moments passed, The group was packed and heading to the train station. Zeal led the way, his stride purposeful and brisk. Each of them carried their belongings, Zeal's bag was neatly packed and slung over his shoulder, Amelia carried a compact satchel, and Ace had a sleek black duffel bag. Mochi, of course, carried a massive sack stuffed with who-knows-what, slung lazily over his shoulder. The sheer size of it made several pedestrians stop and stare. Zeal sighed loudly, shooting Mochi a withering glare.

"What is that bag?"

"It looks ridiculous..."

"What?" Mochi replied, feigning innocence.

"I'll have you know this is my special bag, I bring it on missions with me.." Zeal didn't bother responding and simply kept walking, muttering something under his breath about patience. The train ride to Mooresville was smooth, the soft rhythm of the wheels on the tracks creating a soothing background noise. The cabin they'd secured had plenty of room, and Zeal wasted no time going over the plan once they were seated.

"Alright, everyone.. listen carefully.." He began, leaning forward slightly as his serious gaze swept over each of them.

"Dr. Hogsthawt's speech is scheduled for 3 PM at the central plaza. We'll wait for him to finish, then attack immediately after once we get him in a secluded area... Your job is to overwhelm him as quickly as possible.

"The less time he has to react, the better."

"And of course, we want to keep civillians out of it too.." Amelia nodded confidently.

"Understood we got it..." Ace leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms.

"That's good enough for me..." Thomas folded his arms"Although that sounds good on paper..."

"We're basically assuming this Hogsthawts fellow is doing this solo.."

"How do we know he doesn't have a guild like us?" Zeal calmly replied"Well just in case... we'll have dismantle the guild piece by piece before taking on Hogsthawt.."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him if he acts up, we'll be force to take him on directly." Finally, he cleared his throat and raised a hesitant paw.

"Uh… I don't think I'll be much help. Actually, I think I might be coming down with something. Stomach bug, maybe? Yeah, definitely a stomach bug. Might take a week to clear up." Ace immediately sighed..

"Nice try, just say you're a coward at this point." Tony's fur stood up as he stammered out a denial.

"That's not true! I just.. uh.. I just think someone should stay behind to guard the base we're at. You know, for tactical reasons." His sheepish laugh did nothing to convince anyone. Amelia, ginned.

"It's fine, Tony. Just stay close to us. We'll handle the fighting if it's too much for you to handle." Tony nodded quickly, clearly relieved the attention was off him, though he still avoided making eye contact for the rest of the journey. Then realization hit him..

"Wait a minute.."

"ARE YOU TEASING ME AREN'T YOU!?" He raised a paw in fury.. Amelia gave a quiet giggle Tony pointed a finger..

"YOU ARE AREN'T YOU, HOW DARE YOU!!" Later... The train pulled into the station on the outskirts of Mooresville, the group gathered their things and stepped onto the platform. The town stretched out before them, a bustling mix town indeed.. Narrow cobblestone streets were flanked by tall buildings, and the air was filled with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares, the clatter of carriages, and the chatter of townsfolk. Mochi stretched, his gaze sweeping over the lively scene.

"Finally, we're here! I was starting to get bored." Amelia's eyes were wide with wonder as she took in the sights.

"This is amazing… I've never seen anything like this place before." Zeal, standing at the head of the group, turned to address them.

"Yes, this is Mooresville, it's a small but comfortable living area to live if you prefer a rural life style..." Amelia looked at Thomas with pleading eyes.. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Hey, mr Thomas.. do you think we could explore the town a little bit?"

"There's so much things I'd like to see?" Thomas folded his arms, thinking to himself..

". Well... we kinda have a mission to complete no?" Zeal checked the clock tower"Don't worry, we have time before Hogsthawts speech.."

"If you all want to feel free to explore but you must be at this location in around 2 hours.." Zeal put his hand into his pockets as he got a map out..

"Use this map, it should lead you to out hotel room which I had booked.." Amelia's eyes widened"Woah, you have rooms, how did you know we were going to be here too?" Zeal replied saying"I was simply guessing that Mochi had made friends since our last visit, that's all."

"Comes to show how much I know my brother.." Thomas smirked"Well, you guys heard him go odd and do what kids do these days but be back at the hotel With a few hours to kill before the speech, Mochi, Amelia, Ace and Tony wandered off into the streets. Zeal and Thomas went to the hotel.. Amelia found a stall selling handdyed scarves and spent a solid ten minutes debating between teal and lavender while Tony patiently held her bag.

"Uhm... Amelia when will you be done?" Amelia looked at the scarfs"Hold on Tony, I'm making a really difficult decision here.." Tony said flatly.

"It's just colors it can't be that serious..." Amelia turned around with great speed..

"Well.. that's where you're wrong!"

"Lavender is a nice color is soft and is aestically pleasing it's a beautiful color.."

"However..."

"Teal matches with my clothes but not in the exact way I wish they had gold though.." Tony tilted his head.

"They're scarves."

"Exactly!" Amelia pointed toward the lavender one.

"Lavender is soft, elegant, calming... it has this gentle feeling to it." Then she pointed toward the teal scarf.

"But teal is lively! It's refreshing, adventurous, and it stands out more!" Tony blinked.

"So... pick the one you like?" Amelia gasped.

"Tony!"

"What?"

"You're not understanding the gravity of the situation!" She picked up the lavender scarf.

"If I choose lavender, I'm embracing a more gentle and sophisticated appearance." She dropped it and grabbed the teal one.

"But if I choose teal, I'm showing confidence and energy!" Tony stared at her.

"... It's just a scarf." Amelia narrowed her eyes.

"You don't understand fashion." Tony sighed.

"I understand that we've been standing here long enough for Mochi to probably eat an entire meal." Amelia looked between the two scarves again.

"... Okay." She held one in each hand.

"Which one do you think looks better on me?" Tony paused. He looked at the lavender. Then the teal. Then Amelia. Tony pointed at the teal scarf.

"That one, the teal one." Amelia froze.

"... Why's that?"

"Because, although you say you like the lavender one."

"However, I have a feeling, you'll start complaining about the color pallete soon." Amelia looked down at the scarf. Then at Tony. Her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"... Oh." Tony grinned.

"See, problem solved." Over on the other side.. Mochi, predictably, made a beeline for a food cart advertising something called a "Mooresville Twist" a deep fried pastry the size of his forearm, dusted in cinnamon sugar, which he devoured in four bites and then immediately went back for a second. Ace stared at him in disgust..

"That's disgusting, why don't you eat it properly like a normal person.." Ace said, watching him. With his mouth full of food in his mouth Mochi replied"How about you stop complaining about the way I eat then.." Ace sighed, holding his temples"Man, I shoulda just tagged along with gramps back to the hotel.."

"This is going in my memoirs," Mochi announced.

"You don't have memoirs."

"I will. And this is chapter one." Later... Tony, meanwhile, had wandered toward a bookstall and gotten into a genuinely passionate argument with the vendor about the accuracy of a popular almanac's chapter on elemental theory, which ended with the vendor giving him a free copy just to make him stop talking. Tony raised the book smiling proud.

"Yay, I finally got it!"

"You know," Ace admitted, watching Tony walk away triumphantly hugging his new book..

"For a guy who says he can't fight, he sure doesn't back down from anything easily..." Mochi walked with his arms folded..

"So how long has it been?" Amelia replied..

"Well, I've done everything I've wanted to do so let's go to the hotel to check on Mr Thomas..." Everyone agreed.. As they made their way to the hotel with the help of the map Zeal had gave them. By the time they had made it.. The hotel they eventually checked into was as grand as advertised.. marble pillars, gilded accents, a lobby with crystal chandeliers and the scent of fresh flowers. Zeal returned from the front desk holding up a key card with a smirk.

"Oh, you guys are back.. I've just got the card key" He showed off the card..

"Being a Sage has its perks. This room's on me, but don't get used to it okay?" Before anyone could respond, Mochi snatched the card and bolted for the stairs.

"Dibs on the top bunk!"

"Mochi! Get back here!" Zeal took off after him, leaving the others behind. Thomas, who had been peacfully sat on the lounge chair from a distance the whole trip, ever the quiet watchful presence let out a heavy sigh.

"Those two really are two sides of the same coin." When the group caught up, they found Zeal holding his nose, clearly in pain, a muffled apology drifting from behind a slammed door. The room itself, once Mochi finally opened it, silenced the complaints high ceilings, a panoramic view of the town, a sectional couch the size of a small boat. Ace claimed the couch immediately, sinking in with a contented sigh as he grabbed the remote.

"Now this is what I'm talking about."

"They even got a TV too.." He grabbed the remote... Tony and Amelia entered Amelia gazed around the room"Woah.."

"This is such a beautiful room..." Tony nodded"You can say that again, it's frickin' awesome" Back on the couch, Ace began going through the TV channels Flipping through the channels, Ace's boredom deepened with every option. Melodramatic soap operas. Bizarre reality shows. A cooking contest where chefs screamed like their lives depended on seasoning.

"This hotel's fancy, but their TV lineup sucks.." he muttered. He paused briefly on a nature documentary, dolphins leaping through waves.

"Ugh, too peaceful." He flipped again. A man was yelling about a blender. And then Ace froze. On the screen, an elderly woman clutched her purse with trembling hands. Across from her sat a sharp looking man with back hair and an overenthusiastic grin.

"Madam! Today is your lucky day! For a small fortune, I will send you a sacred soup bowl, blessed by the ancestors, straight from the holy market stalls!"

"Only 2 Gold Gilm" Ace stared with a blank expression.

"What the hell am I watching?" The old woman adjusted her glasses.

"That seems awfully expensive.. I don't know.."

"Ah, but madam! This is no ordinary bowl! It is a one-way ticket to eternal happiness!" The man produced a shiny crystal from his pocket, holding it aloft.

"And since, you're new, you'll also receive this enchanted crystal, which will purify your soul and guarantee prosperity for life!"

"How do I know it works?" The man clutched his chest as though her doubt had physically wounded him. Ace recoiled.

"Okay, nope. I'm done. Who buys this?" He switched the channel, muttering about the creepiest thing he'd ever seen. The next channel caught his attention immediately, a bespectacled, wiry man behind a podium, gesturing animatedly to a crowd in some plaza. Ace narrowed his eyes. His eyes diverted to the banners in the background They read"Vote Hogsthawt for mayor""Hey, Zeal!" He called out, sharp now. Zeal, unpacking in the other room, sighed audibly.

"What's wrong?"

"Just come here. There's something I want you to check..." Zeal abandoned his luggage and strode over, eyes snapping to the screen.

"That's Hogsthawt, right?"

"I don't know what the guy looks like but judging by the banners in the back.." Zeal didn't answer right away. His eyes darted to the time..

"WAIT!?"

"What time is it?"

"14: 20." Zeal's eyes went wide.

"HE'S DOING IT EARLY?!" He turned toward bellowing,"Everyone, get moving! NOW!"

"Unexpectedly, the speech is early.. This is our chance.." Mochi yelped in surprise, tumbling off the bed. Amelia, midbite of a snack, nearly choked scrambling to her feet. Mochi nodded"He's early? Alright let's go then..!" Thomas slowly stood up"Alright then let's get going.." Mochi instantly stopped him"Hold on gramps..."

"If you go it will be too easy... I don't want to fight him knowing I have a safety net.."

"I wanna fight him knowing I could possibly lose my life.."

"Thats the thrill of being a voyager you know?" Tony gave him a shocked expression"Wait no gramps?"

"We really COULD die you know.. please Mochi re think that idea.." Thomas thought for a moment.. He sat back down folding his arms..

"Well.. it's your choice, do as you please" Tony said"Well if that's the case, Im sitting put, I love my life unlike the rest of you.." Zeal nodded"Very well then.. everyone else, lets go.." Moch, Ace and Amelia followed Zeal to confront Hogsthawt