Bishoujo Slayers Muyo
Part Three
 
    Tenchi, Amelia, Minako, and Makoto trudged east. After walking in silence for ten minutes, an open grassland stretched as far as they could see ahead.
    "We have to walk all the way through that?" Amelia slouched over.
    "There's no way I'll survive this time period," Minako whined, "No burgers, no cosmetics, no malls, no brand name fashion shops...and worst of all, I didn't bring my hairbrush!"
    Makoto patted the sobbing Minako on the shoulder and tried to convince her that everything would be okay and that they'd get her a hair brush in the next village.
    Tenchi sighed, "I wonder if we could rent horses or something. I don't think anyone could last that long way out there..." Tenchi shaded his eyes from the bright, mid-morning sun.
    "Oh, you're right! But...what's a horse?" Amelia asked innocently.
    The other three looked back at her in disbelief.
    "Never mind. We can rent some land beasts to ride. It would be much faster and easier!" Amelia continued.
    "Whatever...but let's get going," Tenchi crossed his arms and waited for Amelia to lead the way.
    She peered back the way they had come, then sniffed the air. Amelia stomped back down the road, "We passed a stable a while back!"
    Makoto remembered, "Oh yeah! Wait...you mean those huge chickens!? You ride those things?"
    "Feathers make me sneeze!" Minako rubbed her nose just at the thought of it.
    Tenchi shrugged and went along behind Amelia. Makoto and Minako, a little less enthusiastic this time.
    "Does this mean I'll get a hair brush?" Minako pleaded at Tenchi who happened to have the cash.
    Tenchi grew a sweat drop and didn't answer.
    Anyhow, they quickly mounted up and headed out to the plain.
    "So how long did we rent these for?" Makoto sat precariously atop the bird because her height made it difficult to find a ride to accommodate.
    "We have three days," Tenchi trotted along with ease, even though it was only a brief lesson from Amelia.
    "ACHOO!" Minako exploded, clinging tightly to the beast in fear of falling.
    Amelia chuckled a bit, "The sea isn't too far. A few hours and we should be able to see it."
    They eventually arrived at a village by the seaside. Actually, it was more like a row of shacks and it stank like animal passings (in more ways than one). Minako nearly passed out along with Amelia who deliberately breathed through her mouth as they neared the very small settled beach. The people were amazingly well dressed and clean-looking, but the stench could debate otherwise. Some friendly villagers waved and smiled as the four trotted in on their land beasts. They dismounted, tied their rides outside and entered a small, filthy restaurant. They sat down at an empty table, carefully inspecting the chairs before they sat down. A smiling waitress in a new-looking yellow dress dropped off the menus and departed after placing some ice water in a clean jug on the table along with four crystal clear glasses.
    "This is teally...interesting..." Tenchi muttered, observing the contrast between the people and their environment.
    A man sat down at their table and all eyes landed on him, "Say, are you guys travellers...just visiting?" he asked.
    "Um, yeah," Amelia looked at him.
    "Phew!" the man exhaled and leaned in closer, "I finally have someone to verify this place!"
    "What? That the people are clean and the village isn't?" Makoto looked back at the menu.
    Minako's eyes were blood shot and itchy from riding the bird. She was rubbing them as the man nodded.
    "I've been here for the last three days...they won't let you leave."
    "Huh?" Minako burst.
    "That's right, they won't. You try and you'll see...you are now official members of this society, of Vaire," the man got up and left the restaurant.
    Tenchi ordered and their meal came, "That crack pot needs help. Sure, this place is kind (chew) weird, but (swallow) hah...we can't leave? That's ridiculous!"
    "M!" Minako nodded viciously in agreement.
    "Hey!" Amelia flagged down a waitress.
    "How may I help you?" she smiled sweetly.
    "Is there some kind of...shrine around here?" Amelia spat out quickly and smiled back.
    "Sure, but if you want to see it, you need to go that way," she pointed out across the ocean.
    Tenchi, Amelia, Minako, and Makoto sweat dropped.
    "Yes, the shrine to the almighty Lord Peanut!" with that, all the village folk inside the restaurant clapped their hands three times in unison.
    Minako couldn't help herself, "HA! HA!" she let out in bursts, "Pea Nut!!"
    Makoto giggled, nearly choking on the chunk of vegetable in her mouth. Tenchi scratched his head, "Peanut? Some lord..."
    The waitress glared at them in disbelief and ran to the back of the restaurant and spoke to a big man, pointing at Tenchi's group.
    "Uh oh," Tenchi stood up.
    "I don't see what's so funny," Amelia looked at them.
    Tenchi slapped some coins onto the table and grabbed the laughing Minako's and Makoto's hair, pulling them with great difficulty to the door. The other restaurant customers slowly rose, anger spreading across the room.
    The villagers backed them toward the water's edge.
    "Blankety-blank!" Makoto looked behind her feet where the sand was wet and her sneakers sank in.
    Most of the people in the village had joined the hoard, forcing them closer to the water. The big man that the waitress had spoken to broke through the front of the crowd, "The almighty Lord Peanut will judge you and decide your punishment!"
    Minako burst again and desperately reached for something to hold onto, which happened to be Amelia's cape.
    The big man growled in his throat and with a mighty shove, he forced all four to fall backwards. A ripple formed on the water as they landed. Makoto, Minako, and Amelia screaming and Tenchi just generally freaking out. It was solid.
    The multitude of villagers vanished. They couldn't see the shacks that had once lined the shore.
    "Where'd they all go!?" Amelia shrieked, jumping up and down, forgetting she was on water. She landed off to the side, one foot solid, the other...
    SPLASH!
    "AAAAH!!" Amelia screamed and grabbed Tenchi's shirt, nearly pulling him in, "My boot...is...soaked," Amelia held up her foot, dripping water onto the nonexistent platform upon which the group was standing.
    Small ripples formed where the droplets impacted the surface.
    "It feels like glass," Makoto was bent down, stroking the ocean's top side.
    They turned away from the beach and looked out across the water. Tenchi nearly toppled, Makoto only gasped, Minako didn't say anything while Amelia shrieked, "Where'd that come from!!??"
    Minako rubbed her eyes just to make sure she still wasn't suffering from pink eye side effects or something.
    There sure was a temple!
    It reached into the clouds, lined with gold ribbons and trims, the white building sat upon the water by some sort of strange magic. Amelia tested the water in front of them and inched along while everyone else followed in single file, using worth while caution.
SQUISH
STOMP
SQUISH
STOMP
    Amelia continued with her wet boot.
 

Tsuzuku...