Glitched CH9: Seaside Glance

"We should recap again," Ronnie said.
"Let's not, and say we did," Arron replied.
"What are you two talking about?" Grace asked.
"Bad memory?" Tedd guessed.
"It's nothing," Arron answered. "What we wanna know is more about our new gear."

"Ok!" Grace said with a smile. "Well, the gauntlet and goggles, as you know, allow you to transform yourselves into a tiger and gecko, respectively. The transformations have a time limit of 24 hours, and can be kept, even if the items are taken off. But, you can revert back to normal by hitting the same button that transformed you. Also, until the time limit has passed, you can't transform back into an animal. And lastly, your clothes will NOT fit your new body's form, so it's a good idea to either change clothes or get rid of them entirely after you've changed."

There was another knock at the door as Grace finished her explanation. Tedd sighed and said, "Twice in one day? Kishidan must want you two badly. At least you two can introduce yourselves. Got nicknames?"
"I've got so many, I could loan Ronnie a few," Arron joked.
"No need, I've got mine," Ronnie told Arron.
Tedd opened the door, expecting Laru or a high ranking member to answer. Instead, there were two people dressed in blue suits with matching hats. He also noticed that the girl, or at least he believed she was, was a head taller than her friend. "Excuse me," she asked, "but are you costume makers?"
As Tedd talked to the visitors, Grace whispered to Arron and Ronnie, "I don't trust them. They give off a bad vibe. Leave through the back door." She handed Ronnie the red GBA and continued, "Take this, too. We upgraded it while Arron was...asleep." Ronnie nodded and left.
Arron hugged Grace and said, "Thanks for all of your help. If you need us..."
"We'll contact you," Grace interrupted. "Now get moving." Arron ran to catch up with Ronnie, soon disappearing from sight.

---New Guys' Spot---

Two people had been wandering around the coast of the Sea of Inconvenience (which didn't look at all inconvenient) looking for a bridge or boat. Anything to get them across. A green-haired girl, with a black jacket, tan jeans, and sandals, held up her map with a quizzical look. Her friend, who looked like a 3-tailed grey fox with a red shirt and blue jeans, was staring at the sea again.
"Hey, what's the hold-up?" she yelled. "I wanna be in Bowerstone by tomorrow night!"
"Remind me again, what is the rush?" the fox asked.
"Because, Mikey, they're having a sale on the Highwaywomen clothes!" the girl exclaimed. "And the sale stops the day after tomorrow!"
"Calm down, Jenny," Mikey replied. "You need to make sure you're reading the map right, anyway."
"I am, but I can't find any landmarks," Jenny muttered. She handed the map to Mikey, who examined it. After a moment, he shook his head.
"For the record," he said, "it's a good idea to know which way north is, Jen. Then we'd know the bridge is behind us."
Jenny chuckled nervously. "I guess you can be the navigator. You're better at it," she said.
Mikey looked over the sea's surface once more and sighed. How can that one fox fly with his two tails when I can't even make a breeze with my three? he thought to himself.

---Kishidan HQ---

"Sir, two people to see you."
"Send them in," Laru replied tiredly. In between training recruits, capturing criminals, and filling out paperwork, he rarely had time to take a break. If it's about that monster in the lake again, so help me I will snap, he thought.
A tiger and gecko walked into the office. The tiger, who wore nothing but a gauntlet and black pants, kept wringing his paws while the gecko, with goggles and a red hoodie, tried to balance himself on his tail. Laru blinked once. "How can the Kishidan help you?" he asked.
"Well," the gecko started, "I'm Rolto. The big guy to my left is my partner, Mason."
"And we're here on behalf of Foxhart Village," Mason added.
"I take it you want us to send another soldier to protect the village?" Laru asked.
"If you don't mind," Rolto replied. "Terror...wasn't the best choice after a while."
"I'm gathering information on what exactly happened from those who witnessed his death," Laru said. "Although, I think our bounty poster creator made a mistake."
"What, too low of a reward?" Rolto asked.
"Too many charges," Laru replied. "What the hell is jaywalking, anyway?"
"No clue, but I have a quick question," Mason said. "What'll happen to the guys who killed Terror?"
"Depends. If it was in defense, worst they'll have is a life sentence. Best is a slap on the wrist. Murder, however..." Laru didn't finish. Everyone knew what he meant.
"Well, we'd better be on our way, eh, Mason?" Rolto looked at his tiger friend.
"Yes, we've got other business to attend to," Mason replied. "We need to get to Bowerstone and see about trading with them."
"Then you'll need to cross the Sea of Inconvenience," Laru told them. "It doesn't look like much, but it'll cook you if you tried to swim across. Do you have a map?"
"We did, but we left it back in the city. We didn't think we needed it," Rolto muttered. He fidgeted with his goggles.
Laru sighed and reached into his desk. He pulled out a fresh new map and handed it to Mason. Laru then marked a spot. "That's where the bridge begins. There's been problems around there, though. Do you two need an escort there?"
"No need," Rolto replied. "We're quite capable of dealing with anyone."
"Very well," Laru responded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do."
"Thank you for your time, Captain," Mason said.
The two left Laru's office. Laru tapped his index finger on the desk. Something about them didn't seem right. "Diana, can you get Chen in here?"
About two minutes later, a gold-armored knight entered the room. "Yes, sir?"
"Follow our new friends," Laru ordered. "I don't trust them as far as I can throw them."
"By your command." Chen saluted the captain and left.