Bounty Hunters Part II: The New Era

"I don't drink or smoke and I'm even a virgin! Do I have decorum?" Eric asked, raising his hand.

"So what's got you down? Want to talk?" Eleanore asked, walking by Serah.

"More than anyone else on the team." Jack mused. "By a significant margin."

Serah only shook her head. "It's nothing."

'Nothing? I can hear you screaming... oh wait that may be someone else...' Mark telepathed trying to force his way through the thoughts, 'eomeons dinm gelpinh em dtans pu?

Mark was just lying there helpless on the floor. He kept trying to dispell thoughts but they'd only come back again.

"Jeremy, be quiet." Marisan pointed otu to the boy coldly. "They are our guests."

After everyone had gotten adjusted in their room and Sakura had given Mark some mental treatment they met ina large dining room oen of the upper floors of the palace. "Okay you're mostly okay, but it seems like using telepathy a lot is starting to put a risk on your mind." Sakura pointed out towards Mark. "It's a good way of communicating but you shouldn't overuse it when your mental capacity isn't that strong."

'You calling me stupid? Besides the only other ways I can talk are sign language which is too slow, and by doing...' Mark telepathed.

"This" Mark said telekinetically forcing hsi vocal cords to move, but it was painful and a terribly gruff and weak voice.

"I'm not calling you stupid." Sakura pointed out cordially. "The fact that you use PSI makes you smarter than normal people, but each PSI user has in turn a mental capicity, basically it's like a life bar for PSI users." she explained. "The fact that you can only use basic PSI means that you need to develop that capacity which in turn puts a damper on using telepathy for communication, sorry but I'm just doing my job if you want to complain then find someone else."

"You're right sorry." Mark admitted, "though it will take getting used to ta get into speach again."

Sakura took out a notepad from her pocket and gave it to Mark. "Why not try writing, besides I'm not telling you to stop completely like...use the notepad for the rest of today and I'll check you again tomorrow to see how it does."

Mark took it and scribbled something down.

Sure why not.

The group walked into the dining room and were treated to the sight of a large dining table filled with plates of food, from saladas, to fish and meats as well. "It all looks tasty." Klay drooled.

"That's good." Klarise smiled before gently drinking from her glass of wine. "Ove here we drink a little bit of whine before we start eating, just a sip." she lowered the cup and turned to the dish in the center of the table. "And the main dish is our famous grilled Bull Dragon."

"No offense miss, but isn't that waste of dragons?" asked Brine, "Don't take that the wrong way though, I'll still gladly eat it." Brine sat down at the table and picked up the wine glass, "I may be a beer and nuts man myself but I still know my wine," Brine sniffed the wine and took a sip, "Mmm, fruity with an oak taste and a vinegary scent. I'm gonna guess a west continent, gourmet town, between the 50s-60s. Am I right or wrong?"

Jeremy stood stoically to the side of the Queen's chair in a trainee's dress uniform which had an assortment of medals on the right breast that he had earned in training and a ceremonial sword, though his preferred weapons, his tonfas, were still strapped to his back.

"The wine is actually from here." Klarise stated. "However, people from Gourmet Town come here when the fog clears up and we let them take some." she explained.

"I'm not really used to alcohol." Klay said while looking at the whine before frowning a bit at the taste. He then heard his mom chuckle.

"I guess I figured." she nodded her head. "So you guys came here to climb the Tree of Knowledge."

Jakku wordlessly drank from the glass, sitting down.
He nodded.
"Good vintage."

Shimo rolled her eyes.
How can he know wine...? He spends all his time drinking rum from a hipflask..!
She murmured to Sakura.

"Well who knows." Sakura shrugged and sipped from her whine. "So we were wondering if we could get a guide that can take us to the tree."

"Yeah, we can arrange for that." Klarise nodded her head before cutting a piece from the meat and putting it in her mouth. "Will you be climbing it tomorrow."

"Yes." Klay nodded his head. Even though he had finally met his mother he still didn't know what he should do or how he should act around her, especially if they were in such a rush.