“Where are you?” Bebe muttered to himself, walking back and forth nervous in the long hall of the Castle. Then the clock hit twelve, the clock drowning out Bebe’s sigh.

  “Hey Bebe.” Bebe jumped so high he hit the ceiling of the first floor, then fell back down to the ground like a leaf.

  “D-don’t scare me like that, Walwo!” He yelled. Bebe’s face was a tomato. “Well, what took you so long?” Bebe’s feet tapped against the ground.

  “Oh, nothing much, just slept in.” A slight oink left his mouth. “Why, did ya miss me?” He teased, making Bebe more mad as they walked up the stairs.

  For a few minutes there was only silence and the sound of their footsteps. Before Bebe opened the large door to the next hall, he looked at Walwo, “No. The answer is no.” Then they kept walking.

  “N-No fair! You cheated!” Bebe and Walwo looked down through the second floor window.

  “Wanna say hi to him, Bebe?” Walwo asked, already starting to open the window. After the window was open Walwo yelled out the window, “Meko! Hey!” He yelled. “Bebe says hi too! Wanna come up for lunch?”

  Meko looked around, not seeing them until he looked up. “O-oh…” He whispered to himself, then looked up again at them. “O-Okay, I’ll be up there.”

  “See ya then, dude!” Walwo smiled as he shut the window. “Isn’t he part of the royal family as well?” He looked at Bebe silently, with his question still hanging in the air.

  Bebe turned around and quietly marched down the hall. “Yes.”

  “So what does that make him to you?”

  “Cousin.”

  “Cousin, huh.” Walwo repeated, then shook his head aggressively. “How come you guys aren’t, like, close?”

  “Don’t live near each other.” Bebe pushed the door open, and walked towards one of the small tables.

  “I’m gonna wait for Meko.”

  “Whatever.” Walwo sat by the open door, hearing the people inside the royal cafeteria, but not really listening to anything. He was waiting for Meko.

  I wonder what’ll happen to Bebe once the King steps down, I should probably bring it up, but then again. He’s come to me when he really needs to talk. I’ll wai-

  “H-Hey Walwo, sorry I’m so slow. Hopefully, you d-didn’t wait too long.” Meko whispered, though Walwo could understand him easily, Walwo’s dealt with a ‘whisperer’ before.

  “No worries. Bebe already sat somewhere, let’s go find him.” Walwo walked in front of Meko. “So, Meko, you heard about the King stepping down?”

  Meko nodded, then saw Bebe sitting at the table. “I um. I think Bebe’s over there…” Walwo led Meko to the table, and pulled out his chair, and Meko sat down. “Thanks.”

  “Did anyone attend the Grand Sage’s speech?” Walwo asked.

  “No.”

  “Um. Well, I did, but it was just more um. Well, it was really about magic and stuff…” Meko had to talk a little louder than he liked, the cafeteria wasn’t the most quiet place. “Do you plan on going into the magic business?” Before he could say anything, the lights went off. The Grand Sage walked up onto the stage, his single eye staring out into the crowd.

  “May I have everyone’s attention please?” The place was dead silent, as he continued, “Thank you. Now, I have some… Unfortunate news, the King…” There was a long gap between his words. His eye shut for a long moment, then he kept going, “The King has been murdered.” Everyone sat there, the tension was so thick, you could probably cut through it with a sword. Then the Grand Sage looked around at the crowd of shocked nobles and members of the royal family. “If you all would accompany me to the ball room, it would be greatly appreciated.” Bebe, Walwo, Meko, and everyone else, besides the mothers, went to the ball room, where the king was in his casket.

  “He looks… Gray?” Walwo whispered to Bebe.

  “So, he doesn’t look different at all.” Bebe said flatly. Then the Grand Sage stood behind the casket.

  “Due to him having no true, or stated heir. It is up to me who gets put in the auction for King, but instead of randomly picking, I’ll put in as my main vote for King, and a side reward for whoever can find and prove who killed King Rey.” Bebe side-eyed Walwo, unsure if Walwo would mind Bebe being the new King. Bebe stepped up to see King Rey’s dead body.

  “How was he found?” Bebe looked up at the Grand Sage, not addressing him.

  “Just like this.” The Grand Sage said, to Bebe. “He did have this mark on him, though I do not know if you recognize it. I have the Royal Guards on the lookout for anything that has any resemblance to this symbol.” The Grand Sage handed Bebe a small paper with the symbol on it. Then he was called away to make preparations for the public of the King’s death.

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  “I’ve seen this symbol before. I just can’t remember where…” Whispered Bebe, “I think I might have it written down in my room.” Bebe started walking towards the main door, out to the hallway, Walwo and Meko tried to keep up, Bebe was just a fast walker. One turn here, one turn there, and before they knew it, they were in front of Bebe’s home door, of course it was located inside the castle, but it was like a house. As Bebe opened the door, he heard his mother and father scrambling around, looking for something. Oh. Great. They lost something. Again. Bebe yelled straight faced inside, “I’m home!” His mom stopped everything, a bird flew out of her hair, and she clung to her baby. “Yes, yes, hello mother.”

  “Oh how’ve you been, have you been brushing your teeth, oh oh, have you found a girl yet?~” She kissed his head, as Bebe’s father came in, he pulled his wife off his child. He didn’t say anything to his son.

  “Hello, father.” Bebe said without looking at his father, then his father smiled, and bear hugged his child. “D-Dad” Bebe choked. “You’re gonna… Kill me.”

  “Oh, sorry son, but I must agree with your mother, it has been way too long!”

  “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lanaboo.” Walwo said, while Bebe’s father shook his hand.

  “Wait, your name is Bebe Lanaboo?” Meko whispered.

  “Yes, Meko, my last name is Lanaboo…” Bebe grouched. Then Bebe’s dad looked at him, and questioned joyfully.

  “So did ya come to visit, or did you need something?”

  “Honey, let them sit down before asking ‘em questions!” Then Bebe’s mom looked at the three. “Come on you three, come on in and sit.” As they sat, Mrs. Lanaboo looked at Mr. Lanaboo. “Honey, go get them some snacks.” She whispered.

  “What about… the Thing?” He whispered.

  “We’ll find it later.” She whispered.

  “Mother, I just need to go to my room.” Bebe stated, as the other two followed. “We don’t need snacks anyway.” As Meko and Bebe walked towards Bebe’s room. “Don’t touch too many things, they don’t mess with anything, even though I don’t really sleep here, this is still my room.” Meko nods, and follows inside the room. It was plain, simple, the rugged floor soft enough to fall asleep on.

  “Um… Where is Walwo?” Meko whispered. Bebe was searching through his large book case. Not even looking at Meko while responding distractedly.

  “He’s probably talking to father and mother.” Then he found his study journal, and whispered to himself, “It’s been awhile, hasn’t it.” Then he opened the book, and searched through it, mumbling to himself as he read. After a minute, he smiles to himself. “Here we are. Hey, Meko, do you have the paper the Grand Sage gave us?”

  “Oh, I-I think…” Meko then checks his pockets, and looks at Bebe, like a deer in the headlights. “N-No… I think Walwo has it…” Meko then twirls with his fingers, as he backs up closer to the window.

  “Sure, okay, stay in the corner, just don’t break anything.” Bebe walked out to find Walwo and his father baking a second batch of cookies. Bebe then looks at the vile cookies that could probably make a demon run in terror.

  “Oh, hey son! Look at the cookies I made!” Bebe’s dad smiles, and holds the plate out for Bebe to try one.

  “They’re amazing!” Walwo said.

  Of course he finds it tasty. He could eat mud and still enjoy it. Thankfully, my parents are horrible cooks. Bebe thinks and takes a cookie and bites it, though he’d love to spit the garbage out and eat mud instead, he didn’t, lied, and finished the cookie. “Good job dad, it’s better than last time. Can I take the rest with me?” Bebe’s dad smiled and went to bag them.

  “If you keep taking all the cookies I make, you’ll be as big as a balloon.” He joked, as Bebe nodded and gave a half smile.

  “Yeah, sure. They're amazing. Anyway, Walwo, do you have the note that the Grand Sage gave us?” Walwo checks the inside of his vest, and then hands him the small paper. Walwo smiled as he ate a cookie himself. “Thanks, I’ll be in my room. I’ll come and get you when we’re ready to head out.”

  “Okay doki. I guess we'll just be eating cookies.” Then he pulls out the cookies.

  “Wait! I want a hug!” Cried Bebe’s dad. Then Bebe gave his dad a hug. “I love you, Bebe!”

  “Right back at ya, slick.” Then Bebe walked away, entering his room to find Meko staring at Bebe’s picture. When he looked up, he blushed seeing Meko.

  “Eeep!” He then dropped the photo case. “I um… I-I was just looking at this… erm… I’ll just put it back.” He whispered. “I uhh, didn't know you and Walwo were so close…” He stammered, while still trying to put the picture back on the lap table, but it kept dropping, making him get more flumbled.

  “Yup, he’s been following me ever since I went to public school.”

  “You attended public school?” Meko’s eyes were a little wider. I thought everyone had to go to private school. Or at least a private teacher.

  “For all of my middle school years. Then I was given the choice to have a private tutor. Which led to me getting my parents to meet with Walwo's parents, then before I knew it, me and Walwo got to go to the castle’s private school.”

  Meko stared at Bebe like he had cursed. Then Meko whispered, “I… But I thought… um…” Meko was flustered, Bebe stopped Meko’s stuttering with his hand up.

  “My family got him into the school as my personal guard. Anyway, we have been together since middle school.” Before Meko had picked up the fallen picture for what felt like the 9th time, Bebe walked over and picked it up himself, and gently placed it in his pouch. “Meko, you're a knight, right?”

  Meko looked up to Bebe, he had been staring down the lap table. “Oh… Uh, yeah. I am uh… More of a… Apprentice?”

  So a knight in training. Cool. I have a feeling we’ll need someone who has some fighting talent. “Well, if you’re a knight, where’s your sword?”

  “Oh… Um, it’s at… At home.” He stuttered.

  “Well, we’ve got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow, I think, so go home and pack up to travel.” Bebe didn’t bother giving any other information. Leaving Meko a little nervous, but Meko didn’t really have the guts to ask any questions.

  “O-okay.” Meko then quietly sneaked out of the house. While Meko was doing that, Bebe traveled his way to the living room, to find Walwo and his mom playing chess. His dad was playing a small game in the local newspaper, when Bebe’s dad saw Bebe coming in, he asked like a kid.

  “Are you gonna be staying the night? We can pull out the extra beds for y’all.” Bebe just nodded, and headed to the master bedroom, and into the closet where he had his dagger. Storing it by his side, he walked back to his room. He smiled to himself, as he was prepared. He threw on a new pair of clothes, his cape that hid his body, and his hat, then went to the mirror in his personal bathroom and smiled to himself.

  “Journal, dagger, cape, hat, map, water, and me picture.” He snickered to himself, as he walked out and laid on his bed. “Okay, once Meko comes back, we’ll rest for the night, then start our journey to Hufftail.”