Tales of Legendia AU - "Treasure Hunting"

[everlastingsoul]

Her apprentice wasn't saying anything.

Norma Beatty cleared her throat, striking a dramatic pose and repeating what she had just said. "Look, it's the long-lost Shrine of Dharma!"

"It's a tourist attraction," intoned Walter in that quiet voice of his. He pushed a low-hanging branch out of the way, peering over the brunette's head to get a better look at the shrine. "I'm pretty sure that's a tour guide over there."

"So? That doesn't mean there isn't treasure in there!"

"Isn't that considered stealing?"

Norma swung around, arms akimbo as she glared at her unenthused apprentice. "Hey, who's the one calling the shots around here, Wally?" Walter just raised a brow, letting go of the branch. Norma kept him from walking away completely by stepping on his foot. "It isn't stealing if it's not something on display. You get me?"

"Norma, this isn't treasure hunting." It was fairly obvious to him what was coming next.

And there it was: her infamous flailing. "Yes, it is! Are you going to deny a cute girl her fun?"

The answer was simple enough. "Yes."

"C'mon, c'mon, Wally! You know as well as I do that we're running out of gald!"

"Then we can fight some monsters. We don't need to steal."

"It's not stealing! I just said it wasn't!" Their arguments were always like this. "You're being so difficult. We're going in, and we're going to look around."

"And if there's no treasure?"

"I dunno. Maybe we'll take the full tour? It looks kinda neat." Swinging around and marching out of the brush, Norma missed the flat look her traveling companion continued to aim at her.

"Norma." The young man's brow twitched as he watched her continue towards the shrine. "Norma." Now he was looking around carefully, half-expecting to see Crusand soldiers rush out to apprehend her. "Norma." His quiet voice didn't carry far, and it was already unlikely she heard him with the sheer amount of distance she had put between them.

When it became apparent that the girl wasn't going to stop and come back, Walter hung his head and followed after her.