NOVEL FROG Chapter 77: The Heartaches
After entering the castle, Crisis had to wait inside to help set up everything for the party, so while they were stuck in there, Priscilla and some of her guards headed down the city to receive the guests. Most of the city had gathered around the fountain at the base of the mountain to see their heroes arrive, and despite looking for Crisis for a while, EchoForce joined the audience to watch as well since it seemed like another festival was taking place. Cookie and the rookies got a spot at the front to watch the event, while Groovy and Bones had to continue working to cover for the guards that accompanied the princess. However, they all had to wait a long time for the heroes' arrival, which only gave the people more time to set up decorations and write signs for their favorite heroes of the “Heartaches” group.
Eventually, the rookies got bored of waiting and returned to the commercial streets, taking advantage of the lack of traffic in the shops to entertain themselves. But just as they left, the gates of the large wall at the front of the city opened, and as soon as the guests arrived, they were surrounded by all of their fans, making it impossible to see them from the back. Not even the princess got a chance to greet them properly, but she allowed every person to approach their heroes and offer their praise and some gifts. But due to the large number of people waiting to see them, the Heartaches could only take a few steps a minute, slowly approaching the fountain and making their way up the main road.
While the heroes didn’t seem to mind the overwhelming welcome, a few minutes turned into hours. The citizens of Rysemery had more love to show for them than they had for the princess, as the improvised parade for the Heartaches lasted ten times longer than the one for her. She couldn’t stay out of the spotlight for too long, and after seeing that the only thing her people wanted to do was greet their heroes, she returned to the castle to wait for them with Crisis, alongside all the other party attendees that had already gotten the chance to greet the Heartaches.
As they were only halfway through the city when the sun was already setting behind the mountain, the Heartaches drew the attention of the rookies once they decided to join the crowd again. They got to see the heroes multiple times, but they didn’t get a clear view since the fans were obstructing the view and making it hard to distinguish who were the actual ones they were praising. But from the few glimpses the rookies got, they noticed that the Heartaches consisted of a fairly small group of warriors, and by the looks of it, they were just like the regular citizens of Rysemery, maybe even a bit younger as well.
At the castle, the rooms on the left wing of the castle were completely full, especially the main one at the very end of the hallway. It was a hall half as big as the throne room, but it had a similar structure with the way a few tall pillars connected the marble floor to an arched ceiling with chandeliers hanging low. It had access to the second floor, which could be seen from below as the pillars supported walkways on the sides of the walls, allowing the chandeliers to reach the floor below and provide enough lighting to avoid complete darkness, though it was dimmer upstairs and created a cool mood.
But the main area of the hall was the one at the bottom, where, just like the entrance, there was a direct path connecting the doorway with the back of the room, where instead of a throne on a platform, there was a small stage with a big chair, similar in design to the princess’ throne but suited for a different position. Priscilla had already claimed her seat as she waited in the chair with the rest of the attendees, though she ordered everyone to stay at the sides of the hall to clear the way for the guests. But with the Heartaches taking much longer to arrive and already half of the city coming into the castle, the party was forced to start in order to keep the people pleased during the wait.
The event was put into motion when the servants began offering food and serving drinks. All of the attendees had to split into groups and claim the various round tables scattered around the hall and the rooms nearby. Some of the decoration was moved to this room since no one was waiting at the entrance of the castle, and a carpet was rolled out to connect the stage with the princess and the doorway leading to the left hallway. As to the guests, they all seemed to be acquainted with the princess in some capacity, as the vast majority were families belonging to the upper class, although there were no children or teens present, like anywhere else in the city.
The first hour served as a grand dinner for everyone to chat before the focus of the party shifted to the princess. She found nothing better to do than greet her people and share gossip with a few important figures in the city, leaving Crisis to keep a close eye on everyone else outside the hall as the attendees had spread throughout the west wing to enjoy their drinks and admire the castle. The squad didn’t have any formal attire, so the men tried complementing their casual outfits with coats, and the girls changed into blouses and wore skirts that the princess provided for them to look the part. Thankfully, they blended more with the regular citizens, as the princess was constantly surrounded by luxury and fancy clothes.
But despite being able to somewhat match the looks of the other attendees, the squad was completely lost at this party, and most of them weren’t comfortable or were nervous to talk to other people. Saint and Kiwy just stood in a corner of the hallway to monitor the traffic while their teammates socialized, but even they didn’t say much. Panda and Frost reserved their words for the people who approached them, only returning a few fake smiles when needed as some people looked at them strangely. And while Frost looked the most natural as he already wore a coat and only had to put on a white shirt, Panda stood out everywhere, so he had to stay close to his chief to not draw much attention.
Indie was the most silent of them all, only walking around the hall and checking every room subtly instead of staying close to the team, though Nitro was more focused on eating, and Candy chatted with her sister for a while before joining the princess in a conversation. But all the small talk in the world wasn’t enough to keep the party from boring everyone. Once drinks stopped being served, the attendees lost interest in sticking around. But it was not until the Heartaches finally arrived at the castle that the citizens regained excitement and instantly assumed positions at the entrance and hallway. Despite most of them already greeting their heroes, they were eager to see their reaction to the surprise party, but the princess had to calm them down as she took the stage to address the audience.
–There they are! Please give it up for our brave heroes!– Priscilla announced enthusiastically but was drowned out by the clamor of the Heartaches’ fans, who were just as obsessed as when their heroes showed up a few hours ago. Even when they had all greeted them, the Heartaches were still surrounded immediately, and though Crisis tried to approach, they had to wait at the end of the hallway until the guards stepped in to handle the ecstatic crowd.
–Clear the way, let them come here…– Priscilla ordered with more impatience, and even though she wasn’t heard much, the Heartaches were able to make their way into the hall with the help of the guards. The people opened a path for them, but they followed right behind as they took the carpet directly to the stage. Everyone returned to their seats, with some going to the second floor to get a better view of their heroes from above, but they kept distracting the Heartaches as they basked in their fame. But once the team got on stage with the princess, Crisis finally got a good look at the members of Rysemery’s mini army.
In total, the Heartaches consisted of nine warriors, with the captain being a tall woman with long, dark brown hair, shifting to a reddish tone at the tips, and a mature face and body that made her look significantly older than the rest of her team. All the other Heartaches looked like teens, but they were even younger than Scott or the rookies by a couple of years. The eight younger warriors varied in height, hair color, and even race, although they displayed distinctive youthful features that caught Crisis’ attention. However, they didn’t get to see much of them, apart from the woman at the front, since they all formed a line next to the stage as soon as Priscilla stood up to speak to a much more attentive audience.
–The Heartaches just completed another successful mission! And you all know the rules by now… Let’s thank them for their efforts and praise their courage and will to risk their lives for us!– Priscilla saluted to entice the audience to do the same, and without hesitation, the hall burst into applause and cheers of joy. And while everyone rejoiced, she greeted every one of the Heartaches with a hug and a kiss on the forehead before giving some of them medals, as well as posing with them for the fans to admire.
Crisis was the closest to the stage, so now they got to take their time getting a good look at each member of the team. And even though they couldn’t hear much with the constant and loud cheering and clapping from the audience, the squad got to make out a few names every time Priscilla greeted the young heroes, which they were able to match with the ones written on the signs all around them. So, one by one, they got to meet the warriors, starting with the woman, who was the general of the group and named Agnus. She had a steadfast demeanor, sharing a look similar to Indie’s, except she was more emotionless, only looking back at the crowd a couple of times without smiling.
Behind the general, a tall guy with long, spiky hair and a cocky expression, named Kayden, received the most praise, which only fueled his confidence. He seemed older than his peers, as well as more of a frontman for the team than the general, and he made sure to be assertive on stage to reinforce the idea. But his moment of fame was cut short as another guy followed, one with a similar build to Scott, except he stood out more thanks to his short white hair and blue eyes, but even his name, Zayn, drew attention from most of the squad. He wasn’t nearly as cocky as Kayden, instead remaining modest as his fans cheered his name, only managing to get an embarrassed smile out of him that made him break character.
But with the three receiving medals as they appeared to be the higher ranked members, the other Heartaches had only a brief moment to themselves on stage, and their reward was limited to a hug and a kiss, though Priscilla wasn’t as eager with the rest. The fourth in line was a slightly taller than average, slim, elven girl named Pan, whose short, dark ginger hair was plain in comparison to the rest, like Ryu, who was around the same height, but his red, curly hair stood out, even when it was mostly covered by a cap that he was wearing.
The sixth member was a tall guy named Ignatius, who looked a bit shy on stage, and since he had a buzz cut on his gray hair, he didn’t draw much attention from the audience. The same was the case with Faye, an elven girl almost as small as Kiwy but with long, almost completely white hair, with a tint of light blue mixed in subtly. She was only on stage for a brief moment as she was overwhelmed by the attention, giving more time for the last two members to show off.
The eighth and ninth members appeared to be twins, brother and sister, and since they shared the spotlight, it was easier to compare their appearances. They were both blonde and elves, with Nolyn, the brother, only a couple of inches taller than Jay, her twin, who was as pretty as the princess but as reserved and stoic as Frost. They seemed to be close, though, as they posed together without having to force a smile like some of their teammates. But with them being the last ones to be greeted and applauded, the princess gave them the stage once again to then turn to the Heartaches and allow them to receive a standing ovation as a group.
–This party is for you. Please enjoy yourselves as much as you can! And that goes for everyone. Let’s celebrate!– Priscilla cheered, getting another wave of applause from the audience, who broke into jubilant shouts at the sight of their heroes standing all together in front of them, wearing big and proud grins on their faces for the most part. But as soon as the cheers died down, and the fans and attendees spread out to continue the party, Priscilla noticed Frost calling for her attention as he and his teammates stood next to the stage, trying to get closer to the Heartaches.
–Oh, right… Guys, I would like to introduce you to the New Savior’s main squad… Cri…. Uhh…– Priscilla said to the Heartaches haphazardly as she tried to reach out for them before they walked away. Crisis followed her to the other side of the stage, but as she stumbled over her words, both Kayden and Agnus managed to leave before hearing her. And while the rest turned around, they didn’t pay much attention to the princess, but Frost took that opportunity to step in and lead the conversation from there.
–Crisis…– Frost interjected assertively, glancing at Priscilla with a casual smile to fix her mistake but also drawing the Heartaches’ attention with his firm tone. They immediately showed interest, but only since the entire squad was waiting anxiously behind him and the princess.
–Right… They saved my life and kept the city safe during your absence, but they were very eager to meet you, so I thought maybe you could get to know each other…– Priscilla added, quickly regaining her cheerful demeanor, although she remained somewhat awkward when standing right next to Frost as she didn’t know who to look at. And after stepping back to let both teams meet in the middle, right in front of the stage, she watched as all the members gathered to attempt a conversation.
But from their initial reactions, it was clear there was a sort of divide between the two groups, especially with Frost at the helm, as he prevented the others from speaking. He garnered some attention from the girls while also receiving some respectful looks from Zayn and Ignatius, but he had to drop his usual attitude to captivate them. His teammates noticed he was keeping a rather emotionless expression, but he was so determined to give the Heartaches a good impression that he promptly switched his attitude to be as approachable and sympathetic as possible, even though it was visibly fake to everyone but the Heartaches.
–Yea, we came to keep your princess safe. She doesn’t get in much trouble, but we didn’t know she had so many crazy fans trying to murder her…– Frost replied playfully, turning to Zayn with a charismatic smile as he was the closest. The rest of the Heartaches were already getting distracted with other things, but despite him not being able to retain everyone’s attention, Frost maintained his casual and easygoing demeanor, which at least got Zayin to respond positively.
–Cool, it’s always nice to meet other heroes… And you’ll get used to that. It has happened to us many times, more than you know it…– Zayn affirmed with a friendly but assured smile, looking back at his teammates in a charming manner to get them to agree with nods. But as he also directed a teasing look at Priscilla, she excused herself and left the conversation after not being able to stop blushing.
In response, the rest of Crisis adopted a similar amicable attitude as they shared a semi-forced laugh, although they weren’t able to match the natural confidence of the Heartaches. They didn’t look like regular heroes; they were too young for those titles, so both Tricky and Indie were more discreet with their advances as they took a good look at each young warrior before trying to speak. Saint, Nitro, and Candy tried not to say much as well, so they only listened closely, unlike Panda, who stepped in right away to help Frost give a good impression.
–Yea, I wouldn’t say we are heroes, but we try our best to keep everyone safe…– Panda said humbly, with a lighthearted smile that was the closest to matching some of the Heartaches’ relaxed expressions. But as comfortable as Panda seemed when approaching them, it only took a brief second for the Heartaches to crack up and lose interest, although they kept it hidden behind Zayn, who remained cordial but was somewhat off-putting with his fixed smile.
–That’s what a hero is, saving people…– Ryu replied with a slightly mocking grin, getting a laugh out of Pan, Fay, and Ignatius, but not the blond twins since they already looked bored to be there. However, they were the only ones that didn’t raise any concern in Panda’s eyes since he stared back at the four that were laughing in confusion, only to crack a nervous smile, glance back at Tricky and Nitro, and then force a laugh out of them too.
–Right… Hey, I heard a lot about your stories. I would love to hear your experiences on the battlefield…– Panda awkwardly switched the subject after hesitantly sharing a laugh, trying his best to turn enthusiastic and holly again. But while the rest of the team also seemed to share his interest, they stopped trying to put up smiles and chose to stay silent and listen to Zayn, who seemed the most straightforward of the bunch. With all eyes on him, he took charge of his team and ordered them to form a semi-circle around them for both them and Crisis to begin bantering properly.