Baljeet grinned and gave her the thumbs up while Buford shrugged. "Pretty nifty, I'll admit," he said. "Can you shoot arrows?"
"My uncle owns an archery practice field on his land in Mexico," Isabella replied. "He let me practice whenever we went to visit him." She set the bow aside and placed her hands on her hips. "So… is anyone other than me still thinking this is some kind of dream?"
Baljeet raised his hand like a school boy. Buford nodded. "Yep, I'm still trying to decide whether to pinch myself or not," he said. "If I don't, I'm stuck in this medieval-fantasy world with no way home, but on the plus side, I've got no school."
"This could just be one of those dimensions that time passes by faster than in ours," Baljeet pointed out. "You know; like one minute on Earth is like a week here or something."
"You know, if you just stuffed it, maybe people wouldn't call you a party pooper."
Isabella rolled her eyes and studied the room. "I just hope our parents aren't wondering where we are," she said. "My mom would be worrying her head off by now." She looked at Buford again. "It just seems so unreal. That the video game we've been playing for the past week or so just so happens to be based off of an actual dimension and events. And the creators don't even know. I mean, think about it."
"No, you know what I still find unbelievable?" Buford complained. "That Dinner Bell decided to keep this whole thing a dang secret from us."
"What does Phineas have to do with it?" Baljeet wondered.
"Everything, duh. I mean, this whole time, he knew he was the Seer, but he never even told us! Can you believe that?"
Isabella frowned. "Buford, considering Phineas hates drawing attention to himself, I think he had a right not to tell us," she said.
Buford rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible before setting his chair down properly and standing up. "Where are those two dweebs anyway?" he groaned. "If we're invited to some stupid banquet, I want to get first dibs! I'm starving, for cryin' out loud! If anyone can remember, that stupid rock teleported us here right before lunch!"
Just as he spoke, the doors to the bedroom moaned softly as they were pushed open. Baljeet and Buford looked up in curiosity; Isabella turned around and raised her eyebrows. "Oh, wow," she muttered.
Ferb walked in, completely in tunic and armour. Save for the upper part of the black pants he was wearing, the dark sleeves over his arms, the leather gloves and his dark boots, the teenager was covered in beautiful silver armour. From his shoulders to his waist, his knees to his ankles, silver metal with gold edges fit snug against his body, though loose enough if he needed to battle. Over his shoulder plates was a light pink pearl which resembled the stone Phineas had found.
But what made Ferb look even more impressive was the beautiful sword that hung in its sheath on his side. The blue and gold handle had enough space for two hands to grab it, and at its tip sat a white diamond, sharp enough to leave a mark in battle.
"Holy-cow-call-me-insane," Buford gawked.
Ferb cracked a grin.
"They turned you into King Arthur, Dude! What; are they trying to keep you here on purpose or something?"
Ferb placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Hardly," he replied. "Though the sword is a nice touch."
"What did the armoury look like?"
"I don't know; I didn't actually go in it. I was only allowed in the shop part to get my body measured for the armour."
"That sucks."
Isabella walked up to Ferb as the boys spoke and inspected his armour. "It's beautiful," she muttered, walking around him. She stopped by his chest and knocked against it. "Sounds tough."
"According to the blacksmith, it's covered in a coat of diamond iron," Ferb replied.
"Diamond what?"
"It's a metal here. The Dwarves forge it. It's the strongest metal in Cantoria."
"Gee whiz, they gave you the best of the best."
Ferb shrugged and looked down at his sword. "Probably because… it's my duty to protect the Seer…"
The sentence sounded awkward not only to him, but to the others as well. To divert their attention from it, Ferb grabbed his sword and pulled it out quickly, holding it up before him.
"Oooooohh, woooowww!" Baljeet said in awe.
"That sword looks brand new!" Buford exclaimed.
Ferb swung the sword weakly and held it up a little higher in order to study it. "They were putting it together while I was measured and clothed," he replied. "Apparently, it's a tradition to give every Knight a new sword when beginning this sort of quest."
"Did they name it?"
At these words, Ferb, Isabella and Baljeet gave Buford a sceptic look.
"Well, you know; in most books and movies, the swords have names," Buford added with a shrug.
Ferb turned his eyes heavenward. "Sword," he said while lowering the weapon. "I called it Sword."
Buford shot him a glare. "Hardee har har," he mumbled, making Baljeet giggle.
Ferb grinned back before swinging the sword with both hands, attempting to imitate the Knight he played as on the video game. "It's light, which is perfect for swift movement," he commented, "But I've never really battled with a sword before."
"You've done fencing, haven't you?" Isabella pointed out.
"Yes… but that's not exactly the same. A sword is much larger and can do much more damage. If I do not learn how to manoeuvre it properly, I can cut someone's head off."
"Eeee, then stay away from me in battle too!" Buford exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his head. "I don't want to have a monk and a tin man slicing my body to bits, thank you very much!"
"I am not a monk!" Baljeet cried out.
"Oh yeah; and a Rope Maker is a big difference?"
Once the two had finished arguing, Isabella sighed and crossed her arms. "You know what I just realized, guys?" she said, catching their attention. "We've all seen each other's outfits on our players in the games, but we've never actually seen what the Seer wears."
Baljeet gasped as Ferb and Buford looked on in revelation. "That is right!" he said. "The Seer always had a cloak on because it shielded his identity from everyone. Apparently, because they are so rare, Seers wear a different material." He looked at Ferb. "And they have their hoods on most of the time because it shields their faces from Snitches, Warlocks and Watchers."
Isabella shrugged her shoulders. "I wonder what Phineas' outfit will look like?" she said thoughtfully. "I wonder… what a Seer is supposed to wear?"
The other three boys pondered this as well, suddenly finding that they were each curious as to what Phineas would be wearing. But hardly a moment had gone by for them to think when a voice caught their attention:
"Apparently, I'm supposed to wear this."
Buford and Baljeet raised their heads and looked over Ferb and Isabella's shoulders. Their eyes immediately went wide and their jaws dropped in amazement. Curious by their looks, Ferb and Isabella turned around to see what was so interesting; what they saw caused them to give the same awestruck look on their faces.
Phineas walked towards them, dressed in a beautiful blue uniform. The material it was made of caused it to glisten in the light like newly brushed silk. Its edges, like the robe of the Sage, looked as though it was sewn from blue light. Both the pants and the shirt matched, with a slight difference in the shade of blues. On his feet was a pair of white boots with blue stripes and silver buckles. Around his neck, now attached to a silver chain, was the very same stone which had transported them to this dimension.
"Holy Toledo," Buford gaped.
Phineas stopped next to his brother, and to everyone's surprise, he was smiling his usual cheerful smile. After looking at everyone, he said, "I guess I win the Who's wearing the best cosplay costume contest, huh?"
"That uniform is the most beautiful uniform I have ever seen in my life!" Baljeet cried out.
"Thanks, Jeet," Phineas said gratefully. He held up an arm and studied it while turning it over. "I personally like orange a lot better, but blue's a good shade too. Isn't as sharp, you know?"
"Is that the same stone that brought us here?"
"Yep. Apparently, it's also the Seer Stone. That's why I was the one who found it."
As he spoke, Isabella walked up to him and looked at the beautiful material. Reaching out, she placed a hand over Phineas' arm and stroked the material. Her action caused Phineas to stop speaking and look at her.
"It's… so soft," she whispered. She raised her other hand and stroked with it as well. "It looks like it would have been sewn from light, but it feels so smooth and silky…" Realizing finally that Phineas was staring at her, Isabella pulled her hands away and placed them neatly behind her back. She stared at hers and Phineas' feet while blushing. "You look… very handsome, Phineas," she added.
Phineas looked at her with gentle eyes before grinning in appreciation. "Thanks, Isabella," he added just as softly. "You… you look pretty good in your uniform too."
They locked gazes for only a moment before Phineas turned away and looked at Buford when he spoke:
"So, you're the dude we have to protect, huh?" the football player announced.
Phineas said nothing.
"I told you you'd make a good Seer."
Phineas sighed and looked away. "I'd rather not talk about that right now, okay?" he said. He looked at his friends again and grinned. "But you wanna know what I think is pretty sweet? The fact that you guys are all dressed as the characters you played in the game. I mean, how cool is that?"
"I am a Rope Maker," Baljeet complained, making Isabella giggle. "That is not special."
"Come on, Jeet, you heard what the Sage said; heroism comes in all shapes and sizes."
The Indian teenager shrugged his shoulders, but smiled timidly, thanking Phineas for his encouraging words. Phineas nodded in reply before looking at his stepbrother. "Whoa, King Arthur all over," he said, as though noticing Ferb's armour for the first time. He walked around his best friend while whistling. "Dude, you look awesome! Way better than what your Knight wears in the video game, man!" He leaned back and studied his brother while rubbing his chin. "Totally bodyguard material, too."
Ferb forced up a smirk at these words while the others giggled; he had noticed, unlike the others, Phineas' fake smile. He knew Phineas hated being upset for too long, but he could tell by the look in his brother's eyes that the red head was putting up a false grin.
Phineas looked Ferb over a little longer before his eyes fell upon the sword. "Oo, he comes complete with a blade too," he said in awe. He held out his hands. "May I?" he asked politely.
Ferb handed him the sword and only let go once he knew Phineas had a good grasp on it with both hands. But no sooner had he let it go did Phineas yelp in surprise as the sword dropped to the floor, nearly dragging him with it. The tip of the blade fell with a clang on the floor.
Buford threw his head back and laughed as loud as he could while the other three covered their mouths or attempted to keep their shoulders from shaking. "Oh-ho, that's rich!" the football player laughed. "That's even more pathetic than Baljeet with a sword! HA, HA, HA!!!"
Phineas groaned while looking up and grinning wryly. "Gee, thanks," he said. He tried holding it up on his own but found it to be much heavier than he had expected it to be. "Holy crow, I didn't think it would be this heavy," he groaned, holding the sword up with great amount of difficulty. "Why is it so hard to lift this thing?"
Ferb came over and took the sword away from his brother. "That's what you get for being the Thinker half of the duo," he replied.
"Oh come off it, I build too," Phineas replied as he straightened out. "Your arms aren't that much more muscular than mine, computer geek." As Ferb put the sword back in its sheath, Phineas looked over his shoulder at the open doorway. "Anyway, the banquet is going to begin soon," he said in a much quieter tone. "You guys can stay for a few minutes longer, but because of my position, I need to make my own special appearance with the Sage…"
"You mean, you won't be sitting with us?" Isabella asked.
"I'm not sure. All I was told was that I would need to be lead out some other way." Phineas looked down at his Stone for a moment before heaving a heavy sigh. "Better get a good look at me at the banquet, guys, because after that, I need to wear a hood over my face…"
"Are you saying that we won't even be able to look at you?" Isabella said, again in disbelief.
Phineas looked up at her. "Only when we're somewhere safe," he replied. "It's too risky for a Seer to show their faces; Snitches, Warlocks and Watchers can sense when one's near, but they can only pin point one if they see their faces." When Isabella looked away disappointingly, Phineas grinned again and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, Isabella," he reassured her. "It's not like I'm going to disappear…"
Ferb noticed that his brother seemed to end his sentence there, even though it was meant to be finished at another point. But he decided not to question it.
"Phineas, if you do not mind me asking, when did you find all of this out?" Baljeet asked aloud. "You know, about you being the Seer and about Cantoria and the Labyrinth existing?"
"Yeah; how long have you been hiding this?" Buford added suspiciously.
Phineas looked at them as they spoke before raising a hand and holding the stone around his neck. "Since yesterday," he replied.
"… Seriously? Just a day ago?"
"Yeah. It… kinda started when I was doing homework. Ferb texted me, saying that my cell wasn't working. So I called him, and he said I was cutting out, and then the line went dead." Phineas looked at Isabella next. "Then, Izzie and I played some video games, and the lights in the house went out. And then the video game did as well." He looked at the Stone. "That's when the Stone started talking… The Sage was communicating with me through it, and once he mentioned that I had been chosen for this special mission, the Stone just started floating in midair.
"It was really weird; it felt as though a whole heap load of info was being poured down into my brain. I was instantly given all the history of Cantoria, all its provinces and peoples, and every single route that could lead to the Labyrinth. It told me the roles each of you guys were going to play and how I would be transported here along with everyone…"
Phineas fell silent here again. He let go of the stone and turned away. "You know what, I'm just rambling on about stuff that's already passed," he said. Looking up again, he smiled. "So instead of dwelling on the past, let's just get ready for the big feast we're going to have in a few minutes. I mean, travelling between dimensions makes one hungry, right?"
"Does it even bother you that we're in a world that isn't supposed to actually exist?" Buford said with a frown. "I mean, what if we don't get back home? We're just kids, for Pete's sake. I hate school as much as the next person, but I am way too young to move out of my mom's house. What if we're stranded here forever?"
Phineas looked at him silently for a moment before looking away again. "You won't be stranded here, Bufe," he replied. "You'll… all go home after this is through." His voice trailed off, leaving everyone in an awkward silence.
Especially Ferb. The more his brother explained, the more concerned he became about their situation. Or, to be more precise, Phineas' situation. Something felt uneasy about the way Phineas was acting at that moment; his cheerfulness was just a cover up this time. Ferb knew he was not really feeling that happy.
And something about the last few words he said was disturbing.
But he did not have long to dwell upon them; a few seconds had passed before a knock came on the doors. When the teenagers looked up, Edwin the Light Elf was standing in the doorway. Bowing, the creature said, "The Sage has requested your presence on the main floor for the banquet now. He would like you to all be dressed in your uniforms for the event." When he straightened out, he looked up at Phineas. "You may accompany them to the banquet hall, though you are instructed to wait outside until the Sage comes for you."
They all stared at him silently until Isabella sighed and walked towards the exit. "Let's get this over with so that I can practice my arrow shooting on Buford," she muttered.
Baljeet giggled and followed her, closely trailed by the football player. "Hey! I was the one who said you looked good in that outfit!" he snapped.
Ferb watched them leave before looking at his brother again. Phineas did not return the look. Instead, the red head smiled weakly and followed the others out.
Ferb was more than certain that something was scaring his brother.
The banquet was incredible. Light Elves and Faeries, Mages, Sages and Wizards were all gathered in the giant, gold coated hall when the teenagers stepped in. Lord Kelinor, the Ruler of the Elves of Cantoria, was also present at the banquet. Ferb, Isabella, Baljeet and Buford were given seats at the head table. They were introduced one by one, and then Mortimer the Sage of Colornia stepped into the room, accompanied by Edwin and, of course, Phineas.
Phineas was seated at the right of the Sage while Ferb and the others dined at the man's left. Lord Kelinor was seated on the other side of Phineas and took this opportunity to ask him quiet questions about himself. While the others spoke, Lord Kelinor also whispered words of advice and wisdom in Phineas' ear, words Ferb guessed to be guidance for the Seer; words Phineas never repeated to anyone—not even Ferb.
Those present took turns asking the teenagers what their dimension was like, which in reply Isabella, Baljeet and Buford would give eccentric responses. Eventually, they were so amused by the people's interest and curiosity in cars that they began enjoying the feast and nearly seemed to forget about the situation they were all in.
But Ferb never spoke. He hardly even touched his food. When he looked over to Phineas, the red-head did not seem to be enjoying the party too much either. All he did was answer questions calmly when asked and smiled as much as he could.
Forced smiles. And the more he noticed them, the more Ferb became uncomfortable.
Had he suddenly become the only one who could not shield his fear of what lay ahead?
Once the banquet had finished, Edwin led the students up to their quarters. Once he had left, Buford and Baljeet watched Isabella practice shooting arrows at a target that was placed on the wall. They made a game out of it and drew pictures of people they despised at school—Irving being one of them—and hung the pictures up on the target to see where Isabella would hit them. Often times, the arrow would land somewhere that would make them all laugh.
Phineas sat near one of the windows, looking on. He admired Isabella's amazing aim, and laughed softly every time his friends did or said something silly. If there was one thing he loved seeing more than anything, it was seeing people laugh and have fun.
"Try aiming for his family jewels," Buford said, pointing at the image of their Geography teacher.
"That is only funny if she does it by accident," Baljeet pointed out. "Hey, Bella, think we can blindfold you?"
Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Want me to shoot you by accident?" she said flatly, making Buford chuckle.
"No."
"Then no, you can't. Just enjoy whatever shot I dish out." She held her bow up, pulled her arm back with the arrow and released it. The arrow whizzed through the air until it had slammed into the picture, right in the figure's right eye.
"OOOOHHHH!!! Buford laughed. "That's sweet! Mr. Magnesium's gone blind in one eye, ha! I'd die if this was all voodoo!"
Phineas chuckled softly as Baljeet and Isabella laughed along with Buford until the girl was ready to shoot again.
Ferb, who had been sitting on one of the beds removing his armour, walked over to his brother while the others enjoyed themselves. Beneath the plates of silver, he wore nothing but a black tunic and dark boots. Unlike everyone else, without his armour Ferb looked quite ordinary.
Phineas continued to watch the others until Ferb came to a stop next to him. Then, he looked up at his stepbrother.
Ferb looked at him in confusion and concern. "Why are you smiling?" he asked softly.
Phineas did not reply right away. Once he turned his gaze onto his friends, he said, "Why shouldn't I?"
Ferb rubbed his arm. "Well, it's just… you know, our situation," he pointed out. "We don't know what's happening back home, we're not sure of what the future holds, and we're embarking on a journey in a world that isn't, you know, supposed to even exist. And to top it off, you've been given the role of the Seer. And here you are, smiling…" Ferb shrugged questioningly. "I mean, aren't you afraid, Phineas?"
Phineas looked at him again before shrugging as well. "Of course I am," he replied.
"Then, why are you forcing up a smile?"
Phineas blinked before looking at his hands. "If I don't, Ferb, then who will?" he asked very quietly.
Ferb remained silent. After another moment, he let out a sigh and sat down on the windowsill right next to Phineas. He leaned over his lap and crossed his arms.
"I didn't mean to push you away, Ferb," Phineas apologized softly. "You know, since yesterday… I just really didn't want you to be part of this… Or anyone else to be part of this, for that matter."
Ferb looked at him. "Why?" he asked.
Phineas shrugged. "I just didn't want you to go through it, that's all…" He sighed and laid his head back against the wall. "Stupid; why did I have to go and touch that dumb rock? Seriously, if I could tame my curiosity even a smidge, I wouldn't be in this mess."
"Something is bothering you, isn't it?" Ferb guessed.
His brother looked up at him for a moment before looking away again. "Yeah," he said. "Just a… certain detail that was sorta mentioned indiscreetly to me when I got all this silly Seer knowledge yesterday during the blackout…"
"The journey to the Labyrinth? If it makes you feel better, I'm not all that keen on it either. I mean, we're all only sixteen years old and we have to embark on this crazy mission—!"
"It's… not the journey that's scaring me, Ferb," Phineas interrupted. He waited a moment before looking up at his stepbrother. "If you want to know the truth, I'm… almost excited. I mean, we're teens, about to save the world. It's a whole adventure on its own. We've got swords, bows and arrows, and axes as weapons. We're living a quest that should only exist in books, movies or video games. What sixteen-year-old gets to do that? And on a school night to boot? It's almost as good as inventing."
Ferb stared back at him in silence before opening his mouth. "Then, if the journey there isn't worrying you," he began, "… What is?"
Phineas's eyes suddenly glazed over. He turned away while blinking quickly in order to keep his tears from overflowing. "It's… the end result that scares the bejeepers out of me," he said very softly.
Ferb gave him a confused yet worried look. "Wh-what end result?" he asked nervously. "Did the Sage lie about us going back home afterwards?"
His brother shook his head. "No, no, he was telling you the truth," he replied. "Once the mission's been completed, you guys can go home if you want. He was being completely honest."
"Th-then, why is the conclusion frightening you? And why are you speaking about us returning home… as though you aren't including yourself?"
Phineas sighed as he placed his hands together and looked up at the ceiling. Tears made his eyes shine in the candlelight nearby. "Ferb," he said as his voice broke. After a short pause, perhaps to control his tears, Phineas looked at his brother again. "You know what happens to the Seer at the end of the game…"
It took a few seconds for the answer to register in Ferb's mind. Once it had, his eyes went wide with dread as he covered his mouth.
"It doesn't matter how this story ends," Phineas continued; "Good or bad, happy or sad, I'm not going back home." He looked away again. "Either the Dark Sorcerer will get me and control me like a weapon of mass destruction… or else I reach the Center of the Labyrinth, save the world and… sacrifice myself at the same time…"
He sniffed and looked down at his hands. "You, Isabella, Baljeet and Buford will be able to go home," he repeated as his voice broke again. His chin began to tremble. "… But I won't. Because I decided to be Curious Phineas Flynn again, I just had to pick up that stupid rock." His voice shook more and more. "Now, I'm not only playing the role I haven't wanted since I got the game, but I'm playing it on a real board game, where death is just a stab, slice or spell away…"
Phineas raised his eyes heavenwards again once he had wiped his tears over his sleeve. "That's what's scaring me," he whispered shakily. "Having to save the world but die in a dimension who knows how far away from ours… Without saying goodbye to Mom or Dad, or Gramma and Grampa Flynn and Fletcher, or Perry or…" He covered his mouth as more tears filled his eyes. He sniffed. "… Or Candace," he added in a squeak. Hugging himself, Phineas added, "It's not fair. I don't want to die yet. I'm only sixteen, I haven't gotten my full driver's yet, I haven't graduated from high school, I don't even have a girlfriend yet…. And I won't even be able to see my big sister get married. And to make matters worse, I won't ever be able to invent ever again. Why couldn't I have been teleported here with my sketchbook?" He buried his face between his arms. "I didn't want you guys to touch the Stone because I didn't want to come here. I wouldn't mind the adventure and may even enjoy it more if I didn't know what was going to happen to me at the end."
Дата добавления: 2015-09-30; просмотров: 30 | Нарушение авторских прав
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