Once they reached the back of the tavern, the two friends noticed that the delegation included a dozen carts. These rectangular heaps of scrap metal were called carts, and at first glance, they didn't seem to be able to move.
They had no wheels and looked more like containers than anything else. Danaël approached, still striding, and entered the first cart, followed by Dod.
The interior was much more presentable than the exterior, although the velvet floor was obscured by the various cardboard packages present.
Danaël stooped down and squinted, trying desperately to make out the shapes under his eyes in the gloom that engulfed the machine.
"Hey, Dod, I think we've hit the jackpot here! It's full of foodstuffs over here", exclaimed Danaël, opening several boxes.
"Let's set sail (Ordinal expression for: let's go) as soon as possible, then, do you know how to fly these things?"
"We'll see right away", replied Danaël.
The carts were powered exclusively by fantastic energy. Approaching the dashboard, Danaël inspected it and the steering wheel. Danaël sat down in the driver's seat and observed that:
"We've got a little problem, Dod."
Dod approached and leaned towards Danaël, who pointed to the huge indentation in the steering wheel.
"Don't tell me we have to put fantasia in this thing! Not only do we not have much left, but we don't have any this size", complained Dod.
"No choice, there must be a crystal lying around here, let's look for it."
Only at that moment, both boys heard a simple sound, thin and yet so distinctive, CLICK! Someone behind them had just removed the safety from a revolver.
Danaël was certain of this and barely had time to cast a frightened glance in Dod's direction before the person addressed them.
"Freeze! Put your hands where I can see them!"
Danaël made a quick assessment of the situation. The person standing behind them was a girl, a fairly young girl. Secondly, and this was perhaps the first thing the boy noticed, the girl's voice was trembling severely; she was frightened.
Finally, Danaël understood that she didn't want to make a fuss and bait the whole cavalry; she had issued all her instructions to the two boys in an extremely low voice, almost in a whisper. Danaël raised his hands very slowly.
"Hurry up! Come on, you too can do like him!"
The girl was now addressing Dod, who hadn't moved a muscle. The girl began to grow impatient, and Dod and Danaël could feel her nervousness soar.
Danaël took a deep breath, his hands clenched, and he felt an immense itch attacking him at that very moment. It ran down his spine, up to the back of his neck.
The boy's movement was sudden and extremely swift. He grabbed the last fantasia at his disposal and, with a clean, clear gesture, threw it into the air.
The crystal smashed into the ceiling of the vehicle, producing sparks so dazzling that the girl lost her balance and, as a defensive reflex, fired two shots, PAN! PAN!
The projectiles, burning with fantasia, luckily landed on the ceiling, exactly where Danaël had thrown his crystal. Dod turned in a flash before launching himself at the girl who had just fallen, Boom!
As she fell, she was greeted by a pile of cardboard boxes strewn across the floor. In the semi-darkness, it was impossible to tell exactly what she'd landed on, but the nerves in her back transmitted a sharp message of pain that caused her to let out a slight groan.
She was within reach of Dod's hands, which he deployed in her direction, the boy simply trying to restrain her.
The girl showed excellent reflexes and avoided Dod by rolling to her right before bending her arms so that both hands supported the underside of her head.
Her muscles tensed, and in a well-timed effort, the girl lifted her lower body and managed to push hard enough with both hands to land on her feet.
Dod didn't let her breathe for a moment, pivoted slightly, and launched himself back at the girl, who this time greeted him with a kick so clean it cut off his breathing. BANG!
Dod landed against the wall, still standing and slightly out of breath. Danaël, who had taken advantage of Dod's attention, picked up the fantastic revolver she had dropped on her first fall.
"Not so fast!" Danaël warned.
Danaël was now pointing the weapon at the girl's temple. A slight vein throbbed there, and the girl let out a sigh, her jaw set and teeth clenched; she admitted defeat and raised her hands.
Danaël breathed back and pointed his weapon in the direction of the cockpit at the girl, who was struggling to catch her breath.
The girl walked slowly, too slowly for Dod's liking, who approached her and gave her a slight push on the back. Danaël sat her down in the driver's seat.
"Start the cart", ordered Danaël curtly.
The girl nodded and reached into the back of her jacket for an object. Danaël hastily thrust the weapon against the girl's temple.
"I'm warning you, one wrong move and I'll blow your brains out, capiche?" (Understand?)