“Dread said a friend is taking her to buy a beast,” Dirge relayed the message to Glory. The pair still occupied a table at the outdoor plaza. Glory undid her green bun, then gathered the thin strands of jade hair into a tight ponytail as she stood from her seat.
“Is Dread Unique also?” She asked Dirge while she turned her body to walk across the plaza, she kept her eyes on the dark-haired girl for an answer. Dirge nodded, causing her ringlet curls to bounce. She hurried from her seat to follow Glory. “Like you need a Unique instrument, Beastmasters need Unique beasts. There’s only one place to get them in the Schoolyard; it’s nearby,” Glory said. “I know she’s a Beastmaster, what about the rest of her character? Oh, and what Unique is she? Sorry. I’m not trying to be nosy; but, it’ll be easier to add her to a group if I know her character. Wanting to know what Unique is just curiosity; there are some Uniques around that take advantage of the fact that you attract each other.”
“She’s a Mermaid with a Tiger soul. But Dread can handle herself, she’s #42 La Calavera,” Dirge explained. Glory stopped in her tracks and turned to the girl beside her. She gripped Dirge on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “Did she say anything about her new friend? Think carefully, she might be in serious danger.” Glory’s change in demeanor surprised Dirge. She shook her head at the woman.
“Okay. I’m going to send her a group invite, tell her to accept it. The three of us will be able to Whisper among us. Let her know she’ll read me on her left ear,” Glory asked Dirge. The woman led the girl out of the plaza and down a side street. Dirge noticed she saw fewer players the further the pair walked away from the plaza.
[Group invite incoming. -Dirge] She sent the Whisper to Dread’s right ear.
[On your left. – Dirge] After she added the second part, Dirge felt a tingling in her own right ear. Her mind instantly knew the text of Dread’s reply.
[K. -Dread] While Dirge and Dread carried on their own Whispered conversation, Dirge watched Glory navigate her menu. Her hand swiped in various directions atop a small rectangle of frosted glass. Only Glory could see the text displayed on the menu, but the blank served to let other players know what someone was doing. Then she dismissed the menu but kept walking.
[party: Can you read me? -Glory] Letters tingled inside Dirge’s left ear. Her mind read the message, and she tried to reply to Glory.
[Yep! -Dirge] After Dirge, Dread also replied to the group.
[party: I’m here. -Dread] Dirge felt the message in her right ear, but it was followed by a second message in her left ear from Glory. She felt glad Glory knew where they were going. All Dirge had to do was follow, which allowed her to concentrate on the Whispered conversation.
[You did it wrong. -Glory] Dirge was not sure what she meant, but then Glory stopped walking and turned to talk to the girl. “Don’t reply to me,” she touched her hand to her chest. “Pretend there’s a character named, ‘Party’ and send the Whisper to her.” Glory smiled, Dirge closed her eyes and concentrated.
[party: Like this? -Dirge] Glory patted Dirge on the shoulder, then turned around to keep walking. Dirge opened her eyes and followed when she heard Glory’s steps traveling away. [party: You knew how to do it, Dread? -Dirge] she asked.
[party: Tutorial at Mundo’s. -Dread] [party: I thought you did it too. -Dread]
[party: Dread. Who’s your friend? -Glory] After the Whisper, she turned to Dirge. “We’re almost there, but don’t say anything yet,” she advised the girl. She looked confused but nodded.
[party: Haven’t asked yet. -Dread] [party: She’s nice though. -Dread] [party: Giant woman, red hair. -Dread] After Dirge received that Whisper, Glory halted again. She grabbed Dirge’s shoulder to stop her from walking also. Before Glory or Dirge could say anything, another Whisper tickled her right ear. [party: She’s a Calavera like me! -Dread] Glory looked Dirge in the eyes, and the young girl saw the woman’s green eyes turn dark. Her face fell, and her head shook slightly.
[party: DON’T ASK HER NAME! -Glory] She warned. Dirge flinched when the words felt like a needle through her ear, it surprised her that Whispers could be used that way.
[party: K. Why? -Dread] Dirge chuckled slightly, Dread’s willingness to go along with it didn’t surprise her. Glory took a deep breath, then she asked Dirge a question.
“Have you heard of Flutter?” She asked. Dirge nodded.
“Uhuh. My uncle Vegas told me to run if I see her. But I don’t know what she looks like,” she shrugged. Glory patted Dirge on the head, and the girl felt slightly offended, but she could tell Glory had a lot on her mind all of a sudden.
[party: Keep cool, don’t ask her name. -Glory] [party: And don’t let her take you anywhere alone. -Glory] After her message she grabbed Dirge’s hand and started running in the direction opposite from where they were headed. “We have to get something,” she said. Then, she began to glow with a golden light; Glory and Dirge began to run much faster than before. “Bard skill, speed buff,” she explained to Dirge behind her. “Pay attention and learn how it feels, because you’re going to need to use it soon.”
“What’s going on?” She yelled forward, her quick steps gave her voice a lilting quality with every impact on the ground.
“Giant woman with red hair, and a Skull? That’s Flutter. I didn’t say it in party, cause I didn’t know how your friend would react. I’ll leave that to you,” she said. They’d reached a part of town that Dirge began to recognize, she realized they were headed to Glory’s shop.
[party: Hey Dread, guess what? -Dirge] She Whispered her sister.
[party: What? -Dread]
[party: Remember when we visited Vegas?- Dirge]
[Party: Yeah -Dread]
[party: Red hair. That’s Flutter. -Dirge]
[party: Oh? Awesome. 😀 -Dread]
