[Nanglow]

CHAPTER 1: THE PLANNING MEETING

"All right!" Hreena slapped a pointer briskly down on the desk.  The resulting thwack made the others jump.  

"After dividing the keystones we got from the sale of our last artifact, we net a pretty sizable fortune."  She beamed unexpectedly and Liiloo started to cheer while Elq squeaked excitedly.  Hreena let the reaction sink in for a moment before snapping the smile off her face and replacing it with a thick scowl.

"TO PAY OFF OUR DEBTS FOR THE VAN LEKKI WRECKED!"

[Nanglow]

Professor Lekkington "Lekki" Thropsworth jumped guiltily.  "I hadn't the faintest idea that mechanical transportation had advanced so greatly!  I'm used to clouds, you know.  I had no idea the acceleration on the '87 Illa Brumsmobile would be so impressive!" he stated defensively.

He now drew himself up to his full height of exactly 2' 1" -- small even for a Meji and puffed out his chest.  His well-cut suit and wand, issuing sparks threateningly at one end in an unconscious echo of its owner's mood, made him an oddly impressive figure.  "In any case, we'll make it up with our next expedition.  For which I have an excellent target."

[Nanglow]

Holloughey coughed and snapped his jaws lazily, making sure to make a flicker of acid spit just miss the Professor's neatly polished shoes.

"Of course," he said sardonically.  "Prof's got a plan.  Maybe we'll split as much as a dozen damn keystones on our next piece of loot."

He stretched out his muscles, clearly enjoying uncomfortably reminding the others that he was the largest things in the room by far, even outstripping the couch and the bookshelves.

"Well do tell, my love," he drawled.  "If I wanted to waste my time, there's a lady I left waiting last night at the bar who's in want of a call."

[Nanglow]

Hreena gave Holloughey a flinty glare, unimpressed.  "As Lekki said," she said loudly.  "We've got a good lead on our next target."  

She flipped off the light-switch and turned on the projector.  

"SO THIS IS NOW A PLANNING MEETING."

Off-key music began playing from an old audio reel and a very vintage, very sepia-tinted film began to flicker to life on the screen.  Hreena nodded towards it in the bad light.

"The Caverns of Charken Village."

She was greeted by a loud collective groan.  

"C'mon!" groused Holloughey.  "It's just peasants and farmers there, nothing to make us rich.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" she roared over the din.

She now nodded towards Lekki.  "His contact Sona said that there've been raids and plunders .  If we can get to that area in a few days, there'll be a good reward PLUS what we find in the caverns after cleaning it out."

She looked at Liiloo next.  "I'll need you to gather supplies and food for a 2-week-long expedition.  Hopefully it won't take too long."

"Holloughey," she said pointedly.  "I'll need you to lose weight.  We'll need you for transportation AND to fit into the caves."

Suddenly she frowned in irritation and slapped at her ear.  Elq buzzed in her ear insistently and she sighed.

"After the Professor's done with his little shopping expedition here.  I'll need someone to accompany him while he raids the shops to make sure he doesn't go off too much and waste our time."

[Nanglow]

Elquhart chittered excitedly and wheeled around Hreena's head in a figure-8 before flying back to dance tauntingly in the air in front of the glowering Professor's face.  He knew it'd be worth it to dish the dirt on the Professor's nocturnal activities, such as sneaking off to go shopping instead of poring over the lorebooks like he was supposed to.  He wondered what was the point of the Prof even doing that, but Elq wasn't that much of an asshole.  It wasn't really up to him to question why people felt the way the felt.

Now he wandered towards a window before the Prof had time to slap him back into his vest pocket.

[Nanglow]

Bruma raised a nonchalant paw.  "I'll go," she said.  "Since that's where I have to go anyway to do the shopping."  She scratched behind her ear lazily and yawned.  "Oh crap I'm shedding again.  Man, it's getting pretty hot in the summer."

[Nanglow]

CHAPTER 2: THE SHOPPING EXPEDITION

Wood Meji

Glacial Bruma

I love shopping!  So many treasures to acquire!  A wonderful new artificial mille-feuille shop opened!  I wonder how much those cake replicas cost!

Lekki imagined writing this in his diary as he skipped along, keeping up with Bruma and her stride.  For her part Bruma poked her nose at a bread store and did some calculations in her head.

At this point, Lekki had run ahead so far, Bruma was now having trouble catching up with him.  Suddenly Lekki came to such a complete stop, Bruma nearly trampled him.  

Lekki had come to a screeching halt in front of a store with a fancy display of whirling, clacking, mewling, barking, flipping toys in the window.  He was looking at it with eyes agog.

"Toys and Trinkets," he breathed.  "DO YOU KNOW HOW VALUABLE THEIR GOODS ARE?"  He bolted inside, with Bruma ambling along.  "You're lucky I'm the one who decided to come along with you," she remarked.  "Everyone else would be sick of it by now."

Inside Bruma found Lekki cradling a tiny toy mouse at the back of the store.  She peered doubtfully at it before settling down on the floor with a *whump*.  "Yeah...I'm not seeing the value to be honest."

Lekki stroked the soft fur of the tiny mouse lovingly.  "Everything in this store is impeccably crafted.  They only make 15 of these a year.  That's one of the reasons it's so rare.  Another reason is that this is stuffed with moss growing from the bark of the Gong-gong tree, which only grows horizontally from the cliffsides in the Sa'fir Coast and can only be reached through tricopter on days over 90 degrees.  Otherwise, 5-legged Dupreean bats will still be out hunting on cooler days and swarm you over.  The moss is extremely springy, making this mouse a joy to squeeze."

"And look," Lekki added.  "This fur can only be gathered by virgins in the moonlight of from the branches of wratheltorn vinebushes in the Vast Plains.  It's actually the down from baby beak-headed stallions; they often brush against the bushes following their parents.  You can't kill them, otherwise the soft down dries up instantly."

[Nanglow]

"And over here!" Lekki exclaimed, rushing over to a display of top hats, "are top hats that are actually blocked and felted not from silk!  But from the fibers of the Meruuheenaheena plant!  An extremely dangerous carnivorous plant found in Tengel -- it ate Meruuheenaheena himself you know -- but when you dangle the drumstick of the Ahuna bird over it, it'll go for the bird and you can steal some leaves to make beautiful Meeru batiks!"

He sniffed a candy top hat and beamed.  "I"m fairly sure that's licorice made from the Rankae liquorice plant, also carnivorous.  They fight, and sometimes interpollinate with the Meruuheenaheena."

[Nanglow]

Bruma, who was normally the most patient with Lekki, and had the most placid temperament in the group, now yawned and looked at a giant watch on her wrist.  "That's greaaaaaat Lekki, but I really should be getting on with my own shopping now."  She patted her giant belly wistfully.  "I think I'll start with buying some ingredients for jam rolls.  I"ll leave you here.  Don't move and don't buy out the whole store.  I'll be back in 45 minutes."

She left Toys and Trinkets, trundling her way to the Herb's Gourmet Mart.  One of the good things about having Holloughey as a pack horse of sorts, was that she could basically buy anything she pleased.

"Let's see," she murmured, nosing along a shopping cart half her size.  "Veggies for Lekki and Hreena, fish for me, meat for Holloughey..."

She bought a nice selection of trout and kippers for herself, some cucumbers, spinach, and carrots for Lekki and Hreena, and lots of big bloody steaks for Holloughey.  Enough for a good 28 meals, which frankly was good enough for anyone for 2 weeks.  They cost a pretty keystone, but as she headed back towards Toys and Trinkets, her head swam with visions of the spinach loaf topped with sweet carrot puree she could make, and the beef sausage with spices she could grind for Holloughey.

[Nanglow]

Wood Meji

Glacial Bruma

Inside Lekki had barely taken note of Bruma's absence and he continued to babble on as Bruma picked up by the scruff of his neck with her teeth and set off for home.

"The links on the watches are made of poured adamanithrilium!  Exceedingly rare, only a few grams are mined a month!  The dolls are made from the finest farmed Purine Gyrraptor feathers, the softest combed Pekkawar sheep wool, and stuffed with the soft leg hairs of the Antellama!  Any music boxes inside are exquisitely tuned by the musicians of La Isla de Bon, master mechanics and with a fine tradition of liturgical music celebrating their god Snorlax!  The plushes are even plusher than the dolls!  They contain double the stuffing, and the softest regurgitated pellets of Bramsee owls -- they only eat the softest animals.  As for the fedoras and pirate hats," he paused to take a breath and sigh dramatically.  "I have a case for the fedoras already set up!  I'm all ready to start my collection!  They are made from the finest Wormsworn cotton, where Olleworms tunnel underneath the earth to make the cotton plants even finer!  The pirate hats are topped with feather from the Bird of Glory!"

Lekki beamed.  "Are they not the finest in haute couture clothing and life accessories?"

"Mrfmorphkh," replied Bruma.

[Nanglow]

From the alley next to No. 42, Holloughey sourly watched them come down the lane.  Hreena had really busted his balls during the workout she put him through in the backyard, shouting and shrieking all the way.  In the end, she grudgingly admitted that he might be ready to bear the pack load for them and serve his regular bodyguarding duties.  

He flexed his sore shoulder muscle grumpily.  What the hell did Hreena know about being a soldier anyway?  He'd always done his damn job, and he sure as hell wasn't out of shape.  He poked at his gut.  Not flabby at all!  That sadistic little bag of fur just wanted to test him, clearly.

[Nanglow]

CHAPTER 3: SETTING OFF

Imperial Rengosett

Void Carpetfang

Wood Meji

"Time to go!" Hreena yelled as the Golde DIggers of 1589, Inc. bustled about one sunny morning 2 days later, packing bags and tying last minute things into place.  "Sora won't wait!"

She prodded Holloughey sharply with her cane.  "Hold still as Bruma's loading you!"

"Get off me woman!"

"Hold on!  I need to load my collection of compasses!" Lekki shouted.  

"We don't need all of them!" Hreena yelled, and they promptly got into an argument over Lekki's penchant for hoarding.  In the end, Lekki was allowed to bring ONE compass, ONE map, ONE atlas, and ONE globe.

"Why on earth we'd need a damn globe is beyond me," Holloughey muttered.

In a thrice, the food, bedding, and tents were packed.  Lekki absolutely insisted on packing the entirety of his wardrobe, and even though Hreena fought hard with him on this, she had already secretly planned to give in, because she knew she would gain traction in another argument later if she did.  

They were on their way.