《The Nonpareil of Resh [A Science-Fantasy Isekai]》


 1 - Prologue

    Gwyn groaned as the alarm suddenly began to belt his ears. It was the latest pop song; from some band he would never bother listening to if his radio station alarm didn¡¯t play it. He quickly, or as soon as he could after waking up, rolled over and shut the alarm off.


    Then, he lay in his bed for several minutes before finally sitting up. He sat still for a few moments until he finally swung his legs out and pushed himself up. Sounds of distant cars could be heard as others began their days. Gwyn had no desire to get started as quickly.


    He slumped across his room to an old dresser. It was beaten and worn after many years of use, but he thought it had looked quite lovely in his youth. It stood near a box that he had never bothered to unpack, that acted as a stand for a small tv.


    With a pull, the drawer of the dresser moved. It was more of a sudden jerk. Several items fell off the dresser¡ªa textbook, an old running trophy, some cheap knockoff figure of an anime character, and a pamphlet for his school. He chuckled to himself. He had not meant to, but in the last few weeks, he had knocked everything that sat on the dresser to the floor. He stared down at the pile of junk. It would be a simple matter to pick it up, he would rather have the stuff in its proper place, yet he once again pulled out some worn clothes and left the room.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have the energy now¡¯ is the excuse he echoed through his mind as he slid on an acceptable enough shirt and pants.


    Without stopping his zombie-like walk, he grabbed a prepared paper cup of hot coffee from its automatic machine and slumped to his apartment door. His relatively short walk to school was about to begin, but he realized he had forgotten his phone as he exited the place.


    Gwyn let his head fall as he walked back into the apartment to retrieve it. Once he had his phone in hand, he could finally start his day.


    He wished he could have spent a minute longer in bed. He might have had an exciting dream; going to school was boring.


    The sun warmed his skin, and a gentle breeze swept through his golden-red hair. He smiled, though it was a small smile, as he sipped his coffee. The morning struggle had passed, and he was starting to feel a little better about starting his day.


    The surrounding area of his apartment was various shades of grey buildings and sidewalks, with the occasional small half-dead tree placed here or there. The street beside the sidewalks was a pothole-riddled blacktop, and banging from cars passing through indicated just how deep the holes were.


    He took another sip of his coffee and pulled out his phone. A text had come through at some point during the morning routine. His mother was asking if he wanted to come down to see the rest of his family over the weekend.


    Gwyn made an audible ¡®hmm,¡¯ as he thought. It was loud enough for a passerby to hear, and they turned to look at him, though he paid no mind to them.


    After a moment of thought, Gwyn typed his response.


    ¡®Sorry, I think I¡¯ll be busy.¡¯


    He was not sure if he would be busy. The idea of seeing some family he hadn¡¯t seen in a while seemed pleasant as well. Yet, he had no desire to go anywhere and simply felt lazing around might be more desirable. Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to do, but he sent the text all the same.


    He shrugged to himself. The weekend was a couple of days away, and he could always change his mind later. For now, he would just let the day and people carry him like a leaf on the breeze. It was undesirable in some ways, but it made it easy for him to move through days.


    As he continued his walk to school, Gwyn swiped on his phone. He stopped at a crosswalk and looked up. An old lady was making her way across the street. She was hunched and used a cane with every step she took. He looked up at the light; it indicated not to cross.


    ¡®Crazy old woman,¡¯ he thought to himself as the lady continued to make her way across the street. He decided to ignore it and lifted his cup of coffee to take another sip.


    Loud honking caught the attention of Gwyn and the old lady. They turned in the direction of the sound. A large semi-truck greeted them with more honking as it barreled down the street. Gwyn thought the whole thing odd for a moment, but it quickly became clear that the truck would not stop.


    He didn¡¯t have time for another thought. His phone and coffee smacked against the ground as he sprinted into the street. The truck seemed to honk more intensely as Gwyn began his charge.


    As quickly as he could, the young man scooped up the old woman. She was surprisingly light. He continued his sprint forward without missing a beat. A second slower, and he might have been too late. A misstep and he would have fallen. But Gwyn didn¡¯t worry about the possibilities as the truck continued to move behind his back. He let the old lady down to her feet.


    The truck continued its out-of-control rush into the distance. The news would later circulate that a truck had sped through several intersections after the brakes had mysteriously gone out, even though they remained in perfect condition. Videos later spread on the web, which ranged from simply reporting the story to conspiracy theories about it. Though Gwyn never checked to see all the mystery surrounding it.


    ¡°Thank you, sonny. I could have been in a real pickle there,¡± the old woman said with a slight cackle as she was gently set back on the ground. Her tone indicated a lack of concern, which Gwyn figured was due to her not comprehending how much in danger she was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Gwyn said as he looked for more traffic. When he saw none, he ran across the street to retrieve his phone. His spilled coffee was beginning to form a small stream that drained into the sewer, and his smartphone didn¡¯t fare any better.


    It had a large crack across the screen, which made his face look shattered when reflecting his appearance. The screen didn¡¯t turn on, no matter how many times he pressed the button. He sighed and slid the likely broken phone into his pocket.


    Gwyn picked up the now empty cup. There would be a trash can on his way, so he could dispose of the paper cup there. He shook his head and took a step forward back to the street.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    It was at that moment he noticed the old woman standing directly in front of him.


    ¡°How?¡± Gwyn suddenly yelled as he stumbled back. He had thought he had left the woman on the other side of the street.


    She had thin grey hair and a long misshapen nose, and her smile showed she was missing a few teeth. She was short, about half the height of Gwyn, though she might have stood taller if not for her hunched posture. Her eyes seemed to have a pinkish tint on the irises, and they stared at Gwyn with surprising ferocity. As if she was sizing him up for some odd reason.


    ¡°Tell me, sonny, where are you going on this fine day?¡±


    "Just to class,¡± Gwyn shook his head to forget the strange moment before. He hadn¡¯t had enough coffee yet, is what he settled on to explain her sudden appearance in front of him. It was the only thing that made logical sense to his tired mind.


    ¡°Class? Ah, a student. What are you studying?¡± she asked with an odd interest in his personal life.


    ¡°History,¡± he replied in a bland tone.


    ¡°Why history, my boy?¡±


    ¡°Started in electrical engineering, but I didn¡¯t like it. I was already going for the history minor, so I just decided to switch it. I¡¯m just trying to finish with a degree of some kind at this point,¡± Gwyn rattled off his usual prepared response. It was ordinarily good enough for the people that spoke to him.


    ¡°A history minor with engineering? Do you enjoy learning about the past?¡± she asked. Gwyn was surprised she bothered to ask more, but as he saved her life, he figured she was trying to be nice.


    ¡°I suppose you could say that. My friends and family always say I get too interested in it, well, except for my father.¡± Gwyn pulled out his phone to check the time, but the screen still did not come on. He was planning to not pay attention in his classes that day, but he still didn¡¯t want to be late.


    ¡°How interesting, say have you ever considered going on an adventure?¡±


    Gwyn closed his eyes for a moment. He had no idea what the old woman was thinking, but he just figured it best to excuse himself politely. He opened them back up and looked at the old woman who seemed to eagerly await his reply.


    Adventure was an odd word, but he figured the old woman was a little off. She had been unaware of the oncoming truck and seemed blissfully in her own little world.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I think it would be best to call and report that runaway truck. Then, maybe visit your doctor for a checkup. That was a lot of sudden movement, after all,¡± Gwyn reasoned. The old woman didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°That truck¡¯s already been reported ten times over, and you need not worry about my health; I¡¯ll live forever!¡±


    Gwyn shook his head. The old woman wouldn¡¯t budge. He would just have to excuse himself bluntly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to run. I might be late for my class.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad we were fated to meet this day. You saved my life, sonny!¡± She gave up quickly, and Gwyn thought it best not to point out her ¡®living forever¡¯ statement from earlier.


    ¡°Glad to hear it, but as I said, I think I might be late if I don¡¯t go now.¡± The crosswalk light switched to indicate that he could cross. He did not wait a second longer and broke out into a sprint. He was confident the old woman would not be able to catch up.


    Gwyn made as friendly of a wave as he could as he ran to his class.


    ¡°Have a fun adventure, eh!¡± the old woman yelled back, but Gwyn was already too far away to hear her final words and cackling laugh.


    Gwyn got to his class a minute before it started. He sat in a seat in the middle of the room and let out a deep breath. He leaned his head forward and pulled out his cracked phone. When it didn¡¯t come on, he slid the shattered device back into his pocket and relaxed his posture. All he had to do was go on autopilot now, and the day would be over before long.


    The professor came into the room and began his lecture. Gwyn didn¡¯t bother listening at first. He was content with sailing through the class without a thought but tuned in a little later as the professor got on a tangent about the disappearance theories of a colony in the late 1500s. The rest of the attendees eventually diverted their attention as the class was supposed to cover math.


    The class quickly ended from the professor¡¯s perspective. To the students, it had droned on and on. Even Gwyn had eventually tuned the professor out completely when the discussion didn¡¯t go beyond what he had read on his own. Many of them quickly began to shuffle out as soon as the time came to leave.


    Someone grabbed Gwyn by the shoulder on his way out. He looked back to see one of his friends.


    ¡°Hey man, we¡¯re planning to have a party just outside town tonight. Want to come?¡±


    Gwyn just shrugged. He enjoyed a party as much as anyone else but wasn¡¯t sure if he felt like going to one on this particular night. Though, some part of him wished he would have the energy to go.


    ¡°Same place as always?¡± he finally asked. Doing so would be enough to satisfy his friend, and he could see if he was in the mood to go later on.


    ¡°You know it!¡± with that, his friend ran off.


    Gwyn was present physically at the rest of his classes for the day, but he stayed lost in idle thought for the majority of them. When the last lecture was finally over, he slumped back to his room and fell stomach side on his bed.


    He debated what to do: homework, games, manga, or the party. In the end, he just rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling for a long while.


    Eventually, he decided he should do something and quickly stood up off his bed. He slowly made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge.


    It was devoid of a good meal, at least of a meal that Gwyn wanted to eat. He reached for his phone; he would have to order for the night.


    Unfortunately for him, the phone did not come on. The morning events and odd woman replayed through his mind, and he had to shake his head to rid of the thoughts.


    "I guess I¡¯ll go get something to eat,¡± he muttered aloud.


    Gwyn left his small place and walked to the parking lot. With a click of a small remote, his car unlocked.


    It was not a spectacular vehicle¡ªan old beat-up car that was at least two decades old. His parents had bought it for him before he left for school. It was a going-away gift so that he would be able to get around.


    Fortunately, he lived close enough to walk to school most days, so he didn¡¯t need to drive it all too often. This arrangement worked out for the car, as it likely didn¡¯t have too much longer in it as well.


    Gwyn pulled out of the lot and onto the street. He contemplated where he could go. If he was already going out, he could go into a drive-thru. However, he recalled the party that had been mentioned earlier. While he had not planned to go to that particular party, he knew free food would be there. He also hoped that the party¡¯s atmosphere might be a good change of pace.


    Gwyn guided the car from the town¡¯s streets to the highway. They always had their parties at the next exit, where someone had a place. It was a little out of the way, but no one complained since they could be as loud as they wanted.


    Gwyn could have weaved through the city, but he liked to hop on the expressway to make it there. He accelerated onto the freeway ramp as the streetlights began to flicker on for the night. The moon was starting to rise in the sky, but the stars were invisible in the town.


    Gwyn relaxed in his seat and switched the signal he was about to merge. He looked in his side mirror and turned his head for a second to see if anyone was in his blind spot. Then, he looked in his rear-view mirror just for good measure.


    He almost lost control of the car as a face appeared from his back seat. It had large pink eyes and an alien complexion. Long hair seemed to flow from its head, but Gwyn didn¡¯t care to pay attention to any other details.


    The car swerved, and he tugged on the wheel to keep from spinning off the road. He looked back at the seat behind him, but no one was there. Though his heart was pounding, he made a sigh of relief as he turned back to the road.


    What greeted him was not the road, however. Gwyn¡¯s vehicle drove into a large volume of purple and blue-tinted energy. He pushed the gas and jerked on the wheel to escape, but it was no use. His vehicle began to sink into the mass of energy. In no time flat, it began to rise above his windows. The engine roared loader as he tried to escape, but his car was engulfed moments later.


    Then the energy dissipated. It was gone with a small burst, and only a clean road was left behind. A couple of days later, the school news would run a story on Gwyn Black, a student aged 21, who had mysteriously disappeared. He had vanished without a trace.

 2 - The Princess of Aquia

    On a distant world, in a country known as Aquia, down a castle hall, a girl was running. She wore a decorative dress of frills and sleek space-age fabric. It hung down to her ankles, making her sprint difficult, but it did not stop her completely. She, in reality, had no desire to stop as several of the castle guards, two in total, chased after her, or so it seemed as they also ran from a cloud of green smoke.


    "Princess!" one of the guards shouted in fear.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t think that would blow up!" the girl shouted from in front of the other two.


    "The button was labeled with ''do not push''!" the second guard shouted.


    In the hall''s distance, some other castle guards had noticed the plume of smoke with its three targets in front of it. They sighed as the smoke began to take the shape of a vast beast and swiped at the back of the guard the furthest behind the sprinting trio.


    A large door in front of them began to close. While the two guards with the princess shouted out for help, the other castle guards simply looked away. The large door shut tightly.


    "What do we do now!" the guard closest to the princess shouted.


    "We fight!"


    The princess reached the recently closed door that now made the hallway a dead end. She spun on her heel and faced the smoke beast. It had continued to take shape and collected into a more solid creature. Its skin was green, and its eyes a fearsome yellow. It had round ears like a rat and a tail equally similar. The rest of the beast would be best compared with a feline. Not that any of the inhabitants in this strange world were familiar with rats or cats.


    "We fight? We can''t beat¨C" One guard began to complain in a whiny voice.


    The princess chuckled.


    "That is where you are wrong! We were indeed helpless in its smoke form, but once solid these beasts can be knocked out just as well as anything else!"


    The guards looked at each other after the princess made her claim. The first guard shook his head to indicate they shouldn''t go along, but the princess fired up the second. He drew a chrome blade from a sheath at his side. The reluctant guard sighed and pulled a matching blade from his sheath. The princess simply held up two fists, one of which wore a yellow, mechanical gauntlet.


    In a flash of red light, she appeared on the other side of the green beast. The creature hastily looked around the hallway. It finally spun around to see the princess running down the hallway the way they just came.


    "You should be able to knock that thing out now that it''s distracted! Good luck!" she yelled to the guards as she waved goodbye.


    The reluctant guard swiftly moved next to the creature. He smacked the hilt of his blade into the creature''s head with as much force as he could muster. The beast only looked over to him with a look of mild annoyance.


    "Yeah, I figured that might happen..." the reluctant guard sighed.


    "Don''t let it get you!" the eager guard shouted as he smashed his hilt into the beast''s side.


    The ensuing battle would be talked about for several days to come within the castle, with both guards narrowly knocking the beast unconscious and escaping with matching scars on their faces, albeit on opposite sides.


    The princess kept running through the castle halls. She turned several corners and ran through many more corridors until she finally stopped in front of a large window that overlooked a central courtyard. As she stopped to catch her breath, she stared out the window. Light gleamed off her light sapphire blue face as a gentle wind shook the trees.


    She reached down and brushed out the wrinkles that had accumulated on her dress, then smoothed out her silky jet-black hair.


    Isn''t it about time to get going? A mechanical voice echoed in her head.


    "Not yet; I think we can wait a little longer," she softly answered before beginning to walk away from the window. "Let''s see what else we can find today."


    Just don''t go pushing any strange buttons again.


    The princess ignored the comments that echoed in her mind and began to walk around the castle some more. She passed by some sleeping quarters and exited into the main hall filled with towering pillars.


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    "Princess Fiona!" someone shouted as she entered the hall. She sighed as she looked at who called to her. One of the King''s advisors, she didn''t know his name, but he was tall and slender with purple eyes and a mint alabaster skin that shined with no hair on his head.


    "Oh, hey. What brings you here?" Fiona asked as she tried to seem casual.


    "Your father sent me to find you, your beyond late for the assembly!"


    "Oh, am I... sorry...." Fiona feigned innocence, which was abundantly clear to the advisor. He sighed and rubbed between his eyes.


    "Please, just come with me," he said through exasperated sighs.


    Fiona let her head hang and walked after the advisor. Now that she had run into someone so close to the king, she could not expect to get away so easily.


    She was taken straight from the main hall through several corridors to the throne room where a royal assembly was to take place. Two overly large doors slowly and automatically swung open to grant her entrance.


    A vast and empty throne room awaited Fiona. It was a wide expanse that gave an awkward feeling opposite to claustrophobia. Round, spiral columns filled space throughout the room, and the two thrones were against the wall opposite the door. Several lights lined the walls but did not give off enough light to brightly illuminate the whole space.


    The thrones sat on a platform high in the air and were fashioned out of large, chrome-colored frames. To an unknowing observer, it would seem the thrones hovered in midair with no support. The platform had some lights underneath it, but they served more for decoration than practical purposes.


    Fiona walked up to the throne next to three others and dropped down on one knee. They were all blue like the princess, and each had some gauntlet on one of their arms. The advisor who had brought her slipped over to stand next to others who stood on the side. Some of the other advisors like him had a green complexion, while others were shades of blue. The people were about the only splash of color in the otherwise dark and chrome throne room.


    "You summoned me, father, she said.


    Fiona''s father sat on the left throne from her position. He leaned his elbow on one of the throne''s arms and his head on his balled fist. A mechanical-looking bird sat on his right shoulder. He sighed when Fiona addressed him but didn''t say anything more. Though he had heard about the beast incident released in the castle, he didn''t have the time or concern to scold her for it.


    Fiona''s mother, the queen, elbowed her father in the side, prompting him to sit up straight and clear his throat. He looked around the large room. The four directly in front of him were his children, and around the room stood a small crowd of other advisors.


    "With the conference just around the corner, it is time to delegate the tasks you all will be doing. I expect we have guests arriving here in Quenth in a matter of days."


    "Dast father!" the four said in unison.


    "Donn, you will be in charge of entertaining the military heads."


    "Of course, father, I take it the recent expedition and capture would be a suitable story to tell?" the eldest of the four answered. He was the tallest of the four siblings with broad shoulders and an impressive build. Donn''s silver hair was spiked in a fashion that should have been considered messy, but for some reason, it never came off that way.


    "Very good. Hermina, I''d like you to take care of greeting the guest as they arrive and seeing them off, but don''t strain yourself too much."


    "I will be careful, father," The second oldest answered. She had long black hair, much like Fiona, and a slender build. Unlike the rest of her siblings, Hermina was sitting in a chair that hovered above the ground.


    "Fiona... just stay away from as many guests as you can. I''ll find some busy work for you later."


    "Dast, father," Fiona said with a slight frown.


    "Asha, I am putting you in charge of the servers."


    "I will make sure everything runs smoothly." The youngest of the four siblings said. In comparison to his siblings, he was the shortest of the bunch. His hair was silver like his elder brother''s, but unlike Donn''s, Asha''s hair stayed neatly combed.


    The king nodded. He was about to wave his hand to dismiss his children but was suddenly interrupted as purple energy appeared right behind the crowd of advisors.


    The advisors naturally scattered away from the growing energy. They ran to different corners of the throne room and looked back in terror. The princes and princess all stood up from their bows, and the siblings slowly moved farther apart from each other. None took their eyes off the suspicious energy. The King also stood up and held out his arm. The mechanical bird flew out of the shadows and landed on it. In a flash, the robotic creature grafted to the King''s arm. In the end, it looked like a similar gauntlet his children all wore. He looked down from his high platform with a furrowed brow.


    A machine that none of them recognized burst through the energy. It swerved and scraped along the side of one of the many columns spread around the room. The side got scarred, but it did not stop. Instead, it continued its out-of-control path directly at Fiona.


    "Fiona!" Donn yelled out, but she reacted before he could do anything. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared in a red flash. The machine harmlessly flew past where she had stood and directly collided with one of the columns. The front of it wrapped around the column, and from within, large bags suddenly inflated. In a blue flash, Fiona appeared next to the window and looked in. The large bag of fabric was deflating, and the driver was unconscious.


    "It''s a Netzian; he seems to be out cold!" she yelled to the others in the room.


    The king took a slow seat down and shook his head.


    "Of all the times, what are they plotting now?" the king said to himself.


    Donn walked up and peered into the window as well.


    "Father, I think we might have a different problem on our hands than what you are thinking."


    The king stood back up from his throne. He stepped off the platform and landed on the ground with a thud. The impact did no damage, and he walked across the room, his mechanical arm still at the ready. His children took a step aside so he could look inside the machine as well.


    The king''s big eyes grew larger, and his face turned a paler shade of blue. He stared for a moment before shaking his head and regaining his composure.


    "Fiona, I have a new task for you. Take this one to the infirmary, and when he wakes, make him tell you everything. If he doesn''t, kill him."


    "Dast father," Fiona said with an unenthusiastic sigh.

 3 - Welcome to Resh

    Gwyn groaned as he emerged from his slumber. He rubbed one hand over his eyes as he tried to reach for his phone with his other. His hand found nothing but air, and he kept searching for the nightstand where his phone sat. It took him a few more moments before he remembered what had happened on the highway. He sat up in a flash and looked around.


    He was sitting in a small room on a bed. The room appeared to be more elliptical. An array of equipment took up much of the floor space to his left, and to his right were several chairs. Someone blue was sitting in one of the chairs, apparently reading on what looked like a stone tablet. A light could be seen radiating off the top, similar to the tablets Gwyn himself was familiar with on closer inspection.


    Gwyn turned away. Thoughts swirled around in his head like a hurricane. His best guess was that he was in some sort of hospital room. Thinking back, he had remembered that he was driving when something happened. A portal of sorts, but to where? He shook his head. He would have to think about that later. Taking a deep breath, he looked back to the chairs that sat on his right.


    The creature or person was still sitting while focused on the flat tablet. She had not taken notice of the fact that Gwyn was awake. Her face showed a somewhat dissatisfied look. That gave him more time to think.


    The person sitting in front of him was blue; that was the most obvious thing. The shade was a light blue, close to the sky more than anything if Gwyn was to make a comparison. The light bounced off it like a gemstone and seemed to sparkle even if she made a slight movement. Her hair flowed down to her shoulders with a sheen that looked like it could be silk. The purple irises in her eyes seemed more prominent than a human''s. If she had whites in her eyes, Gwyn could not tell. Other than that, the form was mostly similar to that of a human.


    She wore clothing that almost seemed like a costume. It was very sci-fi in feeling, with a form-fitting white suit with some shiny-looking space-age black fabric material forming a skirt over the top. Smooth yellow boots went up to her knees, and a matching short-cut jacket hung over her shoulders. The jacket had no right sleeve to cover her arm, and her blue skin showed from her right shoulder down to her hand.


    Gwyn considered what he should say. He didn''t know if this person or creature would even understand him in the first place.


    "Um," was all Gwyn managed to get out. The blue person tapped the front of what she read and looked at Gwyn.


    "Oh, you''re up?" she said in a tone that was neither surprised nor interested. "Do you understand me?" The person, after a long moment of silence from Gwyn, asked in a slow voice."


    "Yes, yes, I do." Gwyn realized he had been lost in thought and shook his head. "What happened?"


    "That''s what I''d like to ask you? You suddenly burst into a meeting and almost ran... someone over with your strange vehakul."


    "Oh... are they okay?"


    "Who?"


    "The person I almost hit...."


    "Don''t worry about it," she said with a sigh.


    They fell into silence again after that. Gwyn pondered his next question. He most wanted to ask what she was, but he couldn''t come up with how he ought to phrase it.


    "Tell me, Netzian, what is your name?" The girl asked.


    "What?" The unexpected word in the question threw off Gwyn.


    "Your name, the thing that people call you by," she answered with a serious tone.


    "I understood... never mind," Gwyn stopped a moment to formulate his subsequent response, "Isn''t it customary to give your name first when you ask a question!" Gwyn smiled to himself as he figured he might throw her off with his retort.


    "Fiona Whitlock," she answered sharply and with no concern.


    "Gwyn Black," he sighed his reply.


    Fiona tapped on her tablet and made a couple of swipes. Her eyes moved back and forth as she read what was on the screen. After a moment of silence, she put her tablet down and ran one hand through her silky hair. It fell behind a blue ear that was slightly pointed with two peaks.


    "Tell me, Gwyn, where do you come from?"


    Gwyn considered giving a sarcastic answer like ''my mother,'' but he decided to hold his tongue. He was in an unfamiliar place and was sure he did not fully grasp the situation at hand.


    "Come from, in what sense?"


    "Hmm," Fiona pressed a finger to her chin for a moment before answering, "what do you call your home world?"


    "Earth?" Gwyn answered though it was in a questioning tone. He was starting to suspect why she was asking such a question. It was apparent, but he was still trying to deny it somewhat.


    "You''re not on earth anymore," she said in a slow and gentle tone. She was trying not to break the news too hard.


    "Isekai!" Gwyn said rather enthusiastically. His denial immediately melted away, and his lips began to curve in a goofy smile as realization began to hit him. His sudden outburst surprised Fiona. She jumped slightly in her seat as he shouted.


    "You''re... taking this rather well? I figured you would have never seen an Aqueenian before. Shouldn''t you be more surprised?"


    "Uh-queen-ian?" Gwyn said in a confused voice. Fiona pointed at herself. "Ah, I see...." Gwyn said as he thought back to all the fantasy and sci-fi stories he had read in the past. Would all he learned in those stories finally pay off?


    Gwyn jumped to his feet from the bed. He stumbled a bit as his legs were a little wobbly.


    "Don''t get up," Fiona jumped to her feet, "you just had a collision!"


    "I didn''t notice it before." Gwyn was surprised as he took a step forward.


    "You''ve been out for a day, and your face was burned. You can''t be in the best condition. Even with medical treatment, you should at least wait a few hours before trying to move around again."


    "My face? Gwyn began looking around the room for a reflective surface. He managed to find one in the frame of the bed and took a look at his face. "It looks fine, though?"


    Fiona shook her head.


    "We treated it. Now, lay back down already!"


    She said matter-of-factly, but Gwyn was shocked by what he saw. As far as he could tell, he saw no physical signs of an accident. Either the crash wasn''t as bad as he had assumed, or the medical technology was more advanced in this world. He pressed his hands against his face and smushed it together. There was no unusual pain that indicated the treatment was only cosmetic.


    Fiona sighed and looked at her tablet. There was a list of questions on it that she was supposed to ask. She shrugged and threw the device aside. It wasn''t like her father would read her report anyway.


    "You know what, why don''t we step out?"


    *****


    "Why did you come to our world anyway?" Fiona asked as she and Gwyn stepped out of his room. The door automatically slid with a soft hiss as it shut. Gwyn began to look all around as he walked alongside her.


    "Wasn''t trying to... Hey, what''s that?" Gwyn pointed to an illuminating object sitting on the floor. It had a spiral shape as it rose from the floor and ended in a point.


    "A lamp."


    "A bit oddly shaped, isn''t it?"


    "Maybe to you... getting back on topic, you have no idea how you came here?"


    "I think I recall some substance; it seemed to encase my car... and the next thing I remember was waking up in the bed. Hey, what''s that?"


    "Never mind that...."


    They turned a corner and began down a new hallway.


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    "Say, where are we going anyway?" Gwyn asked as they walked past some Aqueenians dressed in what he assumed were doctor''s clothes. They waved to Fiona and Gwyn but began muttering about them as soon as the duo had walked past.


    "I was just walking randomly; do you want to go somewhere?"


    Gwyn thought to himself for a moment while he walked.


    "I don''t know," he finally replied, "What is there to see?"


    "Well, not too much in the hospital, to be honest. However, we have plenty to see all over the city. There''s a marketplace not too far from here, you could go on an art tour, and we have the best coliseum on all of Resh!" she said with unmistakable pride.


    "So is Resh the name of the city?"


    "No, this city is called Quenth; Resh is the whole world," Fiona answered.


    Gwyn nodded as he understood. He was piecing things together but still had several more questions.


    From what he had put together, Aqueenian was the name of the species that Fiona was. He had thought they were all blue aliens, but during the walk, he had passed several green Aqueenians as well as some turquoise ones.


    They were the species that lived in this area of the planet called Resh, but there were at least one more human-like species. Gwyn tried to recall the name, but he couldn''t come up with it. He figured it would come back to him later.


    "So, what do you guys do for fun around her anyway?" Gwyn said after looking around the hallway; they walked down some more. The shapes of the rooms and hallways seemed to favor curved and intricate shapes, but the overall d¨¦cor was lacking. They passed a couple of lamps with odd shapes, and any benches had legs that resembled ribbons flowing in the wind, but Gwyn saw no pictures hanging on the glossy, white walls.


    "This is a hospital; I''m not sure what you mean by fun."


    "I meant more generally, on this planet...."


    "Oh, well, it depends on the person."


    "I see," Gwyn answered, "So, can we go somewhere out of the hospital?"


    "We probably shouldn''t; it might cause havoc... actually, yes. We certainly can!" Fiona answered with a devious smile.


    "Could you repeat that first part?" Gwyn asked, but Fiona was already happily running ahead and leading the way while waving for him to follow.


    She peered around a corner while crouched down as Gwyn caught up.


    "I don''t see anyone; once I give the signal... we make a break for it!"


    "What exactly are we making a break for?"


    "The front door. If you take this hallway straight down, you wind up in the central staircase. There are two winding staircases and a large window that goes from the ground floor to the ceiling of the fifth. We run and charge down the stairs and make a break for the front."


    "And what purpose will that serve?"


    "It will piss off a lot of people, especially my old man," Fiona said while giving Gwyn a thumbs up. Gwyn groaned. He was going to get in trouble as soon as possible in this alien world.


    "Is your father some big shot?"


    "He''s something like that...."


    "Is it wise to use me to annoy him?


    "You might get beheaded."


    "Beheaded?" It took Gwyn a minute to process, but he ended up shouting rather loudly in shock.


    "Yeah, it''s when they sever your head from your body."


    "I like my head on my body!"


    "Would you rather lose another part then? I can probably convince them to take off an arm instead. Maybe the left?"


    Gwyn took a step back and shook his head.


    "How about we don''t do anything that would cause me harm."


    "Hmm, then we should probably sit you back in the hospital bed. I''m just joking, by the way."


    Gwyn sighed, and then he chuckled. He didn''t know what else to do.


    Fiona stood up from the corner but continued to peer around it.


    "Are you two planning to go anywhere," a deep voice asked them from behind in a hushed whisper.


    "We are planning to run, but I keep seeing nurses and doctors pass from time to time," Fiona answered.


    "This is a hospital; you''re going to run into nurses and doctors," the voice answered.


    Gwyn turned to see who was speaking to them.


    A giant Aqueenian stood behind him. Not only was he tall, but he looked like he could wrestle an ox to the ground with one arm. Gwyn took a step away from this giant figure, mainly as a defensive measure. The Aqueenian smiled at him with bright, yellow eyes.


    "Hello, you must be our otherworldly traveler," he said in a deep, booming voice.


    The voice caught Fiona''s attention, and she turned to look at the newcomer.


    "Yes, I am... I think..." Gwyn stuttered.


    Gwyn''s back faced Fiona, so he could not see her waving her hands at the newcomer as she tried to indicate the massive Aqueenian should leave.


    "Nice to meet you; I''m Donn, the crown prince and Fiona''s older brother!" Donn put out his large left hand in front of Gwyn. Gwyn stared blankly at the hulk of an Aqueenian. "Oh, don''t you do handshakes on your world?" Donn asked quizzically.


    Gwyn, meanwhile, was putting some dots together based on what Donn had said. He blurted out his conclusion, though it came out more scrambled than he might have wanted it:


    "Crown prince... That means... Fiona... and her father... the king?" He turned to Fiona, who was looking away and whistling.


    "You didn''t tell him, Fiona?" Donn said without withdrawing his hand, "Hmm; I guess there was no need... Anyway, my friend, are you going to leave me hanging here!" he boomed, though there was no malice in his voice.


    Gwyn slowly greeted Donn with a handshake. It was awkward as Gwyn was already not left-handed, and Donn''s grip might have well as crushed it. Gwyn resisted wincing in pain as they finished their greeting.


    "Brother, would you mind telling me what you are doing here? Surely you are busy with the conference preparations!" Fiona interjected as Gwyn turned away from Donn and shook his hand rather dramatically.


    Donn just laughed.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to interfere with your information gathering. Our father already got wind of our friend waking up and asked me to bring him to the throne room."


    "He could have just sent me a message...." Fiona said without a hint of care in her voice.


    Donn sighed.


    "You know how our father is... why don''t we just get going."


    Gwyn was awkwardly looking back between the two as they spoke. They turned and waved that he should follow. Fiona took the lead in leading where they should go, and Donn walked next to Gwyn.


    "So, is there something between her and the king?" Gwyn whispered to Donn without thinking. He regretted it immediately, and he figured he should not get too involved in their family matters. Surprisingly, Donn answered anyway.


    "Our father considers her to be a little different from the rest... but she should tell you on her own. So, tell me, what kind of training have you had?"


    "I''m just an ordinary human...."


    "Don''t be so modest; you came from another world! I suspect you might be a great warrior!"


    Gwyn spent the rest of the walk trying to convince Donn he was not someone with extraordinary powers. He failed.


    The trio weaved through an underground passage. Gwyn had not even realized they had reached the castle until he arrived in front of the two large ornate doors that marked the throne room entrance. They slowly opened automatically as Fiona and Donn walked forward. Gwyn slowly followed behind while looking at all the details.


    Across the room, the king sat on his raised throne. He drummed on the arm of his throne while the queen next to him was slowly lowering her head. She suddenly shot back upright but only started to slowly droop again in a repetition of the pattern.


    A mechanical bird suddenly flew around Gwyn''s head and screeched at him. He jumped back as it got close to his face, and he instinctively tried to swat it away. The bird retreated and flew across the room to its resting place on the king''s shoulder.


    "You''re late," The king boomed across the room as the large doors began to shut behind them. Gwyn looked back as the doors sealed shut.


    "Forgive me, father; we took an unexpected detour," Fiona said as she kneeled in front of the throne. Donn followed suit.


    Gwyn looked at the two and then at the king. He shrugged and kneeled in the same manner as the other two.


    The king let out a heavy sigh.


    "No matter, I summoned you here to tell you what I have decided to do with our unexpected Netzian visitor."


    Fiona and Donn both quickly stood to their feet.


    "Father, I haven''t even given you a report yet," Fiona protested.


    "Father, I humbly ask you don''t do anything rash."


    Gwyn also stood to his feet and looked to the king. He took a step back and looked around the room for a place to run should the need arise. The doors were the only manner to run, and he wasn''t sure how to open them.


    I guess I''ll just see how this plays out, he thought to himself.


    "I have decided the intruder shall be executed," the king continued as if no one in front of him had said anything.


    Fiona and Donn were silent. They knew once he set his mind to something, the Aqueenian king was unlikely to change it.


    "Wait, dear," the queen suddenly seemed to break from her cycle of almost falling asleep and waking up as she spoke to him. The king turned to her to listen. "From another world or not, it might look bad simply executing him before the conference."


    "You make a good point; what do you recommend, my dear," the king said as he rubbed a small white goatee on his chin.


    "Are they going to talk like we aren''t here?" Gwyn whispered to the other two.


    The bird cried out and flew from the king''s shoulder. It quickly dove onto Gwyn''s head and repeatedly pecked him. He struggled to shake it off.


    "Instead of execution, why not a spectacle!" the queen suggested while excitedly smacking her hands together in a single clap. She had a smile painted on her blue face.


    Gwyn managed to push the bird off of him. It hovered in the air and made an unexpected hissing sound before flying back to the shoulder of the king. The king turned back to his audience of three.


    "I have changed my mind," he said with a wicked grin, "I will respect your wishes, my children; our visitor will be slated into a match at the coliseum tomorrow. Should he win, I will grant him citizenship."


    The siblings didn''t bother protesting; they knew there was no way to convince him otherwise at this point. Fiona simply sighed as she gave up, and Donn''s eyes darted around the room as he tried to think of some retort.


    The doors behind them began to open slowly. Gwyn thought he might be able to take the opportunity to run, but when he turned around, he quickly realized it wouldn''t be that easy.


    An Aqueenian, who was a knight, walked into the throne room. He wore a suit of armor, though it appeared to be made out of plastic than metal. The suit was different from one''s Gwyn would be familiar with, having odd details molded into the armor''s surface, but it was still clearly a suit of armor. The figure had a large sword strapped to his back. He lifted the cover on his helmet to reveal a primarily perfect emerald green face, save for a scar on the right side and clear blue eyes.


    "You called, your majesty?"


    "Ah, Colton, please escort this Netzian to the arena."


    Colton looked at Gwyn with a puzzled expression but simply replied with a:


    "Yes, my lord."


    "Father, I must protest," Donn spoke up. He began to say something else. Though his lips moved, no sound came out of them. Donn''s face made a frustrated glare at his father, but the king ignored it with a wave of a metal-covered hand. Gwyn couldn''t help but notice that the bird had disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Colton waved for Gwyn to follow. Gwyn looked around the room at the other faces. Fiona and Donn had sorrowful expressions; the king seemed excited, the queen seemed bored, and Colton seemed confused.


    Gwyn gave in and followed Colton out of the room. It wasn''t until the massive throne room doors closed that the soldier spoke up.


    "Sorry about all this; I can''t go against the king''s orders, though."


    "Honestly, I''m not a hundred percent I know what''s going on. I get the feeling it''s not good?" Gwyn asked as he kept pace with the soldier.


    "Hmm, well, we have a coliseum here in Quenth. We usually schedule lots of fights; I expect the king will have you fight against a criminal with both your freedom on the line."


    Gwyn didn''t bother saying anything in reply as they kept walking. He just sighed and gave in; his adventure was about to end rather abruptly.

 Aqueenian Legends - Jolon Whitlock the Great 1

    The Birth and Childhood of the Great


    On a cold chilling morning, the great was born. To his mother and father, it was a delight. They could tell immediately; their son would rule over all of Quenth and all of Aquia one day. They named him Jolon, and he was the first son of the Whitlock family.


    At this time, the Aqueenian King, Soren Whit, ruled over the land. He was a wicked king from a wicked family that committed wicked deeds. Quenth had grown poor. Aquia had grown tired. Yet King Soren pushed the nation into conflicts they could not hope to win.


    The Whitlock family would not hold back their disdain for the king. As an offshoot of the Whit family, they felt a moral responsibility to protest Soren Whit''s rule. It was in this environment that the great was raised. His parents would often leave him to his studies and protest the king as he sat on his throne.


    On the evening of the great''s fifth birthday, his parents were executed for treason. He wept bitterly that day. Perhaps due to the greats sobbing, or perhaps due to brief exhaustion of wickedness, Soren Whit spared the young boy''s life. He was taken into the king''s family and given new siblings, the eldest daughter, Keres, and the youngest son Bayard.


    The great would spend the next several years studying and learning under the care of Soren. It was at this time where the name Whitlock was changed to Whit for the great.


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    On the evening of the great''s tenth birthday, he was officially inducted into King Soren''s great Army. Whether by fate or ill intent, it was also on this eve that war was declared on the neighboring Hobusian empire.


    The nation of Hobz had expanded and recently established the towns of Ian and Ino in Aquia territory. The wicked king would not accept such a move, and his armies were sent to march with the great in tow.


    The fall of Ino


    King Soren was wicked, but he was also intelligent. Terrifying as the combination might be, he would lead his army with precision and efficiency. He knew the town of Ian would be well guarded. It was the obvious first choice for an army to march to, despite Ino being closer to the Hobusian capitol.


    On the morning after the Great''s tenth birthday, he would be ordered to march with the rest of the army to march dy (west). The large Calli mountains stood between the wicked''s army and Ino, but that would not stop the army.


    An army of 20000 set out that morning. Days later, they reached the mountains they would have to traverse. An army of 10000 emerged from the other side.


    The great was barely holding on as the army continued their march. Yet, the other soldiers knew he was great. He exuded the quality of greatness. Whenever he would stumble, the soldiers gladly laid down their lives to keep the great living on. More time passed, and the army would arrive at Ino with 100 less.


    The Hobusians in Ino were unprepared for such an attack. As they scrambled for weapons, the wicked army descended on them. In short order, the town of Ino was destroyed and has not been rebuilt even to this day.


    It was in this vicious struggle that the Great was fully recognized as such. He emerged from the battle with more honor and valor than any mere soldier could have hoped to achieve


    On the eve of his 12th birthday, the great was given the king''s army''s second command role and a simple goal: win the war.

 4 - Arrival of Guests

    In another part of the city, a flag ship was landing at the port of Quenth. While Aqueenian cities and vessels were often built with swirling and ornate architecture, this ship resembled nothing of the style.


    The ship was a wide vessel, with a sharply pointed bow and an almost rectangular shape around the rest. Its solar sails were equally square, and the figurehead on the front was of a beast known as a Japhinth. It had a mammalian head that could be best compared to a rat for someone not on Resh. The body was serpent-like, and two large wings sprouted out of its back.


    These beasts were reasonably dangerous when encountered in the wild, but to Aqueenians, the beast was especially detested.


    The ship, which hovered slightly above the water''s surface, came to a stop at the port. Two long gangways extended from the port and pressed against the ship.


    Hermina was the first to get to the dock. Her floating chair settled on the ground in front of the gangways as a crowd began to disembark.


    The crowd coming off the boat was not Aqueenian. They were short with a grey complexion. Their builds were thick and muscular, and on every forehead was a unique bony structure that was grown from their bodies.


    Hermina approached one of the crowd. He had a metal crown sitting atop his head awkwardly placed to avoid the bone structure, and he wore a long, fluttering purple cape.


    "King of the Hobusians, welcome to Quenth," she said in a friendly tone.


    Hermina''s tone was only a front, however. She was annoyed that they had arrived a day earlier than agreed upon. The Aqueenians were not ready with the preparations, and she knew the early guests would take every opportunity to gripe about it.


    "Ah, Hermie, was it?" the king asked her.


    "Hermina, your majesty."


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    "Of course, it''s good to... see you again...." The Hobusian king attempted to exchange pleasantries. He struggled to think of any more words to say.


    "May I ask who we will have here this year for the conference?" Hermina asked while pulling a tablet out of a pouch that hung on her chair. The king jumped on the opportunity to talk about his entourage.


    "Of course! Starting, we have three from my family of Fio. Myself, my eldest son Avon, and my second son, Odell. From the Aio family, we have the second daughter Cecilia and the world''s strongest, Platon; from the Cren family, we have the eldest son, Adonis. From the Klan family, we have that eldest daughter Ailsa. From the Prev family, we have the eldest son, Cam. From the Han family, we have the eldest daughter, Celyn. Lastly, from the Aquee family, we have the eldest son Alair. In addition, every family member had their normal staff. In total, we are well over a hundred in number!"


    "Dast, now will one member of every family be attending the conference?" Hermina asked as she casually entered the information on her tablet.


    "Dast!"


    "Election year sure is rough, huh," Hermina said in a light tone.


    "It is unfortunate the conference aligned with it this year. It is a bit pointless since Avon will be winning anyway!"


    "Good to hear," Hermina said as her chair spun around in the air. She had not been listening to the king. "Well, let me show you to your rooms."


    The large crowd that emerged from the ship followed the Aqueenian princess as she led them from the dock. In the streets, cries of excitement began to ring out.


    "What''s that about?" King Fio asked.


    "There will be a battle in the coliseum tomorrow morning. Our father is offering citizenship to an other world Netzian that appeared recently. You are welcome to join if you''d like?"


    King Fio laughed.


    "That old fool, we get an other worlder after so many long years, and he wants to kill him. Tell me, did your guest interrupt an important meeting?"


    "I am afraid I cannot comment on any more."


    The king let out a belly laugh as the Hobusian entourage continued to follow him and Hermina. That was, except for the king''s second son, Odell, who stepped away from the crowd and headed down a different path.


    He didn''t get far in his attempt to sneak away before Cecilia called out to him from the crowd.


    "Odell! Where are you going? We have to go this way!"


    Odell turned back around and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head while making a goofy smile.


    "Sorry, guess I got confused," He shouted back to them. As he returned, his head and shoulders slumped.


    He had hoped to get away and avoid all the annoying bureaucratic talk. The second sun had not yet set, and he wanted to see some of the city. Instead, he rejoined the crowd and followed to their accommodations.

 5 - The Coliseum

    Gwyn found himself sitting in a new, tiny room. He turned to Colton, who only nodded before closing the door.


    The room itself was plain. Three of the walls looked like they might form a square, but the last wall was curved ever so slightly, preventing the shape from being formed. The walls were white, and the curved section of the wall had a rather large window covered by two long, cream orange curtains that offered the only color in the bare room. A single bench was set in the middle of the room. It was long enough to be sat on or laid on, but neither position was very comfortable.


    Gwyn sat down on the bench and thought to himself. Colton hadn''t offered much on their walk, though it was something of a spectacle for him. They had exited what he assumed was the castle and walked down a long street through the city. There were Aqueenians as far as the eye could see, and they all stared at the odd human being directed by a soldier. Some whispered to themselves as he passed by.


    Gwyn didn''t care about any of that, however. He was distracted by all the new sights and sounds as he walked through the city. The city was laid out in a way he would be familiar with on earth. There were clear streets for hovering vehicles to move along, sidewalks, streetlights, etc. At the same time, it all appeared very alien to him. Everything was made chrome or white and had a swirling and ornate design, even where it was impractical. He could make out what some things were and had no idea about others. Any attempts Gwyn made to talk to Colton were answered with a simple ''sorry'' by the Aqueenian soldier. Gwyn soon gave up pressing for information when he realized he wasn''t going to get any answers.


    Soon they arrived at the coliseum. Gwyn imagined a roman looking place by the description, but he soon realized that he was mistaken. The stadium was a giant oval shape, but the walls seemed to curve out as they went up. It was almost like someone stuck a giant funnel into the ground with the point downward. The outward curve only got more extreme at the top and began to jut out parallel to the ground. The building seemed like it should fall on them as they walked underneath.


    The inside contained curved hallways that seemed to spiral around the building. Colton guided Gwyn around the corridors until they reached the room he was now locked inside.


    Gwyn stood up and pulled the curtain to the side so he could look out the window. The glass was tinted somewhat. He figured it was one-way glass since he had not seen any windows on the outside. Out in the distance, the streets were busily buzzing with Aqueenians moving to and fro.


    "Well, I had a good run," Gwyn said while forcing a smile on his face. He let the curtain fall back in front of his view. The day had quickly made him tired, and his eyes became focused on the bench. He laid down and fell asleep rather quickly.


    A sound in the distance made Gwyn jump. He was up to his feet and quickly spun around to face whatever he heard, but the room was empty.


    Another sound echoed in the distance; this time, he was able to recognize it as rattling. It was coming from the ceiling. Upon closer analysis, there was a simple grate built in the top. Its purpose was for venting, but Gwyn wondered if they ever let things into the rooms through it. The rattling sound got louder and louder, and Gwyn took a step back from the grate in the center of the room''s ceiling. His back pressed firmly against the curtains.


    After a few more seconds of rattling, the sound finally stopped. Gwyn made a sigh of relief, but he made it too soon.


    An object promptly fell out of the vent and landed on the floor. It made a loud thud and bounced slightly in the air before crashing back down on the ground.


    Gwyn took a slow step over to the object when it suddenly sprung up and began to shake. The shape could be best described as a dragon, a wyvern to be precise. It had a body about the size of a housecat with two broad bat-like wings. The face ended in a point, and it lacked any horns or similar sharp features, except several rather large-looking talons on its two feet. The creature looked clean and smooth with a metallic blue sheen. It shook its head, then rubbed its wings over its head.


    "I should have taken a right turn, I suppose," it said aloud in a silky-smooth but also mechanical voice. It began to look around the room and settled on Gwyn, who had slowly been walking to it. He froze when their gazes became fixed on one another. The creature had bright orange, mechanical-looking eyes.


    They stared at each other in silence for a moment. The creature stood still while wondering what Gwyn would do, and Gwyn pondered what the beast was. His mind went back to the bird that had attacked him in the king''s throne room. It had been mechanical as well.


    Now faced with a similar creature and impending doom, Gwyn had no concern for any danger. He was only left with morbid curiosity.


    They stared at each other a moment longer, then Gwyn lunged forward with his hands out. The creature took to the air as the human slid harmlessly underneath, narrowly avoiding getting grabbed in the process.


    "Woah, hey, calm down!" the blue dragon-like beast yelled.


    Gwyn jumped back to his feet and tried to grab the creature out of the air. It flew in circles around the room, avoiding every attempt as Gwyn chased after.


    "What are you?" He yelled to the creature while trying to grab it.


    "Calm down, Netzian!" The creature flew to the ceiling and hung upside down from the grate. It was just high enough that Gwyn could not reach it even as he jumped in the air. That did not stop him from making several tries before he gave up and sat down on the bench. "Hahahaha," the creature laughed while pressing the tips of its wings to where the hips would be located, "You thought you could best me, but I am far mightier than that!"


    "Whatever, it doesn''t matter anyway," Gwyn said while crossing his arms and looking away from the creature. The dragon-like creature finally settled down from its laughter. It swiped a wing under its eye as one would with a tear, though there was nothing to wipe away.


    "So, what are you doing here anyway. Never thought I''d see a Netzian in the Aqueenian arena," the creature asked.


    "I think I''m waiting to die."


    "That''s a given; I meant, how did you get in Quenth?


    "Some portal energy thing."


    "Oh, so you are the other worlder! That''s amazing!" The creature let go of the grate and fluttered down to the bench. It did not make a graceful landing on the bench, stumbling a little and having to catch itself with its wings, but both the creature and Gwyn decided not to bring it up. "I go by the name Persistent Memory; what name do you go by?"


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    "Gwyn Black."


    "Fascinating! Tell me, what do your parents go by?" Gwyn gave a confused look to the creature that seemed to have an eager expression, despite being some mechanical creation.


    "If I''m answering questions, then shouldn''t you as well?" The creature nodded to confirm, and Gwyn continued, "James Black and Himari Black. Now tell me...." Gwyn pondered his next question; he had many but probably didn''t have enough time to ask them all. He settled with a, "What are you?"


    "Ah, I guess you would be confused. Ahem," the creature called Persistent Memory stood up straight and appeared to make a motion as it coughed into its wing. "I am a Needaimus; we are an artificial support created by the Ancient Ones to enhance society!"


    "That just gives me even more questions, Mem."


    "I suppose it would; I like the nickname, though, well each was created with a different ability meant to aid a partner. When partnered, my ability can do things like change a liquid to solid and back again! No heat required!"


    "Why?" Gwyn asked.


    "Why, you ask! Just picture the uses! Metal could be switched into a liquid without needing to heat it, reshaped, and turned back into a solid! Making castings becomes safer and easier with an ability like mine!" Mem seemed rather proud of his ability.


    "Why are you here and not in a factory then?" Gwyn asked.


    The Needaimus tapped the tips of its wings together slowly as it gave the reason.


    "Well, I got in a bit of trouble, and I''m sort of on the run, so I don''t get melted down," Mem said softly. Gwyn laughed. "Don''t laugh at me! You don''t seem to be in a great situation either!"


    "Sorry, I guess we''re both in trouble, huh?" Gwyn said.


    "Well, one of us is more in trouble than the other; I can escape through the vents!" With that comment, Mem fluttered back up to the grate and pushed its way through the holes.


    "Wait!" Gwyn called out. He had gotten a sudden and likely lousy idea. Mem answered by poking its head out from the vent.


    "I can''t stay too long; I need to run!"


    "If you have some sort of power, maybe you can help me?" Gwyn stood up as he asked. "The king said I''d be a citizen if I won, so maybe I can vouch for you afterward?"


    Mem began to laugh so hard it fell out from the grate. This time, Gwyn caught Mem before contact could be made with the ground. The Needaimus was surprisingly light, despite the metal-looking exterior.


    "I''d hate to tell you, but when that king offers that, there is no way the fight will be fair," Mem said through laughter. Gwyn set it on the bench and sat down again.


    "Perhaps, but if we are both sentenced to die, maybe we can work together to get out of it?"


    Mem stopped laughing and shook its head.


    "Let me tell you what will likely happen; you''re going to go up against some vicious beast you have no chance of beating. Then it will eat you. If I go with you, I will end up eaten as well!"


    Gwyn thought to himself. He had thought he would have some gladiator-type opponent, but the chances of winning were slimmer against some animal.


    "Well, maybe..." Gwyn started.


    "It won''t work; why do you want my help anyway?" Mem interrupted.


    Gwyn thought to himself for a moment before giving his answer.


    "I thought I was doomed, but with some power, I might be able to fight back."


    Mem sighed.


    "So, you think you would have a chance with my ability?"


    "I don''t know, but perhaps our meeting today was meant to be!" Gwyn happily said. He wasn''t convinced of that himself, but he hoped it was enough to persuade Mem.


    "I''d hate to tell you, but I just ended up in the vents by a powerful gust...." They stared at each other for a moment longer; then Mem shook its head. "Fine, if you can find a way to sneak me into the arena, I''ll help. Beats being on the run and getting melted down later anyway...." The Needaimus said.


    "Sneak you in?"


    "I''m not large, but I''m not small either," Mem spread out its wings as if to show Gwyn, "They will not let me enter the arena with you, so you have to hide me somewhere." The task would be difficult, and Mem knew that. It did not plan to accompany Gwyn, and even if the Netzian could find a way to hide it, Mem planned to run at the first sign of trouble.


    Gwyn rubbed his chin and looked around the room. His eyes settled on the orange curtains.


    "Do you think they care about those curtains?" he asked with a grin. It was a grin that gave Mem a brief second thought. The kind that made the Needaimus want to see where things might go out of morbid curiosity.


    "They might, but I want to see what you have in mind," Mem answered. If it could grin, it would have as well.


    *****


    Fiona rushed through the halls of the coliseum with Colton just barely keeping up with her.


    "Wait, princess!" the soldier shouted to her, but she ignored it. She had found out what room they had Gwyn in, and she didn''t have much time before he got carted off for the fight.


    I don''t know what you intend to do when you get there; a voice rang in her head.


    "We won''t know until we try, Sun," she shouted back at her mechanically covered hand.


    "Princess!" Colton cried.


    Fiona reached the door and began to bang on it.


    "Gwyn, Gwyn, I''m coming in!" She wasted no time after unlocking the door. It smoothly slid open as Colton finally caught up. He put a hand on the princess''s shoulder as he was breathing heavily.


    "Princess, please, there is nothing that you can...." Colton''s voice trailed off as the door finished sliding open. Gwyn stood in front of them. He had torn the curtain off the wall and had it draped around himself like a cloak. At least, that is what Gwyn had intended. Instead, the curtain wrapped around him and hung down from his neck to his knees. It looked more as if he was keeping warm with a blanket. On the top, he had torn it, so there was enough of a tassel to tie into a knot.


    Both the princess and the soldier stared at him with a dumbfounded expressions.


    "What are you wearing?" they asked in unison.


    Gwyn coughed and cleared his throat; then, he put his hands on his hips.


    "I figured if I was going into battle, I should wear something a little cool!" he said with a red face.


    "I think that would just make you get overheated," Fiona answered; she shook her head, "Never mind that your fight''s about to come up. Don''t worry, if we run, I think we can escape. I have prepared a boat at the dock that will take you as far as Nun."


    Colton shook his head.


    "Princess, the guard presence in the city, is exceptionally high due to the conference. Even with your Need, you won''t be able to escape so easily."


    "We won''t know until we try," she balled a fist and swung her arm in a motion to show that she was ready to go.


    "We do know, Princess, people have tried escapes around the conference many times thinking security would be lax. You would have to be exceptional or have support to get past all the guards. Plus, as a guard, I am obligated to stop him as well."


    "You aren''t going to help me, Colton!" Fiona was shocked.


    "Of course, I''m not!" Colton snapped back.


    Gwyn cleared his throat to get their attention.


    "As much as I appreciate the idea of help, I''ve already talk¨C thought over the idea of escaping, and it won''t be possible."


    "But Gwyn!"


    "I do appreciate it, Fiona. Don''t worry, though; I have a plan!"


    "And that plan entails wearing curtains as clothing?" Fiona asked with her head tilting slightly.


    "Something... like that."


    Fiona opened her mouth to protest some more, but Colton gently pushed her away from the door.


    "I just got word from the king that his fight is ready; I''ve been ordered to take him to the arena."


    Gwyn nodded and stepped forward out of his room. The curtain he had draped around him fluttered dramatically as he walked. Colton held back a laugh at how dumb it looked and waved for Gwyn to follow.


    "Maybe the curtain wasn''t the best idea," he muttered to himself quietly while his head fell low. He shook his head and looked forward. He intended to carry on with his decision, no matter how he looked.


    Fiona was left standing in the room. Her expression grew cold, and she sighed.


    "Well, if he had escaped, that would have put all the officials in quite a huff," she said as she sat down on the bench.


    It''s for the best; I don''t think your parents would have tolerated his escape. Even if you called it a prank or joke after the fact, her Needaimus said.


    "That''s fine by me. Maybe they''d disown me," Fiona sighed as she stood up from the bench and walked out of the room. She took one last look at the window that had been stripped of its curtains. As she pondered if Gwyn was intelligent or not, she took no notice of something, flying far in the distance, which was much larger than a typical city bird.


    She walked away from the room and down the hallway. It was long, open, and empty. She paced around for a while until an official spotted her and called out her name.

 Excerpt from World Exchange! A novel by K.A. Natos 1

    I sighed a deep breath as she stared at me with big blue eyes. I pushed her to the side and walked up to the structure referred to as a guild building. It was a quaint little place with a stony exterior and several decorative flags dotted along its roof. In the front, several apparent adventurers were chatting. I briskly walked past them, not bothering to slow down when they saw me.


    "Is that an elf?" I heard one of the adventures say.


    "No, they have pointy ears. He must be a half-elf!" Another commented. I didn''t bother to listen any further as I stepped inside the building. It had become evident that the denizens of this world did not have familiarity with anyone of Aqueenian origin, much less a mix.


    "Wait for me!" my undesired traveling companion shouted to me as she chased me into the guildhall.


    She ran in front of me as if to stop me and pushed some orange hair around one of her ridiculously pointed ears.


    As I stared at her, I couldn''t help but wonder where the confusion was between how I and this so-called forest elf looked similar.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Please, Mina, I told you already. I''m going to see if this adventuring guild has any information on my homeworld," I calmly explained to the elf woman. She just frowned at me and shook her head.


    "And I told you, the only place that could have information like that is the Grand Library!"


    "You also told me that was a legend...."


    "People coming from other worlds is a legend as well, yet here you are in all your strangeness."


    I sighed. There was no getting anywhere with this elf girl.


    "What do you suggest I do then?"


    "Let''s put a party together and go on an adventure!" she gleefully replied.


    I groaned.


    "And what does a party entail?"


    Mina pressed a finger to her chin.


    "Well, we will probably want about two other members to accompany us. A healer, and maybe a mage to round out the group since you seem like a melee fighter with your strange ability and metal arm."


    "It''s called-" I began to speak but was interrupted.


    "I think I see a dwarf and an orc in could fit the bill. Oh, and there is a rather intimidating sorceress over there! Oh, maybe we shouldn''t stop at four. Maybe six! Or even seven!" the elf girl began to scout other adventures in the guildhall. I would have to put a stop to this soon, or we would bring all 20 or so people here with us by the time she was done.

 6 - The "Unkillable" Beast

    Gwyn found himself following Colton on a long winding path through the coliseum. Fiona stayed back in the room, and Colton silently walked in front of him the whole time. He was taken through a practical maze of hallways and corridors. They turned in every direction and went up and down several inclines. There was no chance that Gwyn could have remembered how to get back, and though he was not aware, that was the point of the roundabout path.


    They walked into a large open room. It was dark and difficult to see in and gave the impression of a vast expanse. Unbeknownst to Gwyn, they were right under the arena itself. The room was high and large enough to fit a five-story house inside, though the dim lighting made it unclear, and Gwyn simply followed Colton in the low lighting. Eventually, Colton stopped and pointed to a large metal plate on the floor.


    "I apologize for this, but I''m going to need you to stand on that."


    Gwyn looked at the plate and back at Colton.


    "The arena is above us; the floor we have combatants fight on is a thin, robust metal that we can open and close. We have a series of rooms underneath that house various fighters and beasts before the fights," Colton continued talking even though Gwyn had not asked for an explanation.


    Gwyn silently did as he was told. The plate shook, then began to rise off the floor. Colton saluted him by placing his right hand on his left shoulder. Gwyn ascended into the ceiling, which was slowly opening and letting light pour in from the outside. It took quite a minute to ascend to the arena, which only made the unwilling gladiator feel uneasy as he slowly got closer to the light.


    Gwyn gulped as he finally entered the arena. Cheers of a large crowd greeted him. It took a while to adjust to the light, but he laid eyes on the scene before him once they did.


    The arena itself was a massive, flat field. The ground appeared to have some loose sand laid out, and the whole space could have easily fit a battleship. From outside the arena, a stadium of seats rose to the coliseum''s highest point. The seats were packed with Aqueenians; it looked like a sea of green and blue, who were yelling out all sorts of things he could not make out.


    "Well, we are here!" Mem said from under Gwyn''s makeshift cloak.


    "Indeed, say how good of a chance do you think we had to escape with Fiona''s help."


    ".002% chance of succeeding, you made the right call."


    "I see." Gwyn looked around at the empty arena. Next to where he had come up, there was an assortment of weapons on a rack¡ªa sword, spear, shield, flintlock rifle, etc. He walked over and looked at the weapons closely. As he was looking, an announcer''s voice began to ring out loud enough for all the stadium to hear:"


    "Welcome one and all! I present you with a most special fight brought on by his majesty this day! Today we will see the power of someone from another world!" The announcer stopped for a moment to let the crowd cheer. "Will the legend turn out to be true, or will we see him die this day! No one can know for sure!" The announcer stopped to let the crowd cheer again.


    "Is there a legend?" Gwyn asked the Needaimus hidden under his cloak.


    "After the first Netzians arrived, a legend arrived that one more would come who would shake the world. Most researchers think it just arose from fear at the sudden arrival of people from another world."


    Gwyn wanted to ask more, but he had no time to as the announcer began to speak again.


    "And on the other side, we have our traveler''s opponent!"


    The stadium floor began to open up. Two large doors in the ground slid open, but nothing rose as the doors slowly and quietly moved. A metallic sound echoed in the arena as the doors finally stopped. The hole was dark like it was the opening to an endless abyss.


    The crowd became hushed as a guttural roar rang out from below the stadium. A giant clawed foot reached out from underneath. It was scaly and about the size of an elephant. Another equally large foot rose from beneath the hole. The claws from the feet dug into the ground and made a scratching sound on the metal surface. The legs made a motion as if the beast was trying to pull itself up.


    The scaly legs stretched out as they got closer to the top. Soon, a serpent and tiger-like head emerged. The head was wide and had a series of spikes that looked practical for nothing except tearing things apart. Two twisted horns came out of the top of its head and ran down its back. It had bright red reptilian eyes that looked around the arena separately before focusing on Gwyn.


    The crowd and announcer had fallen silent as the beast continued to emerge from the dark hole.


    It pulled its hind legs up and took a step forward. The beast let out a large breath; it became a gust of wind that nearly toppled Gwyn over. He barely remained standing as the beast looked down at him. In total, the beast was as tall as a four-story building. Its front looked more reptilian, but the back half seemed more mammalian by comparison. Though it was large, a lack of tail made the overall length seem shorter than it should be.


    "What is that?" Gwyn finally asked after surveying the quiet and shocked crowd''s expressions.


    "Its name is a little hard to pronounce, but a direct translation is Unkillable...." Mem said.


    "Is that just a choice picked as a joke or something more descriptive?"


    "It is a bit histrionic, but it stems from legends about the beast."


    The beast took a position like it was going to lunge at Gwyn; he began to run and barely avoided the giant foot smashing down on top of him. Gwyn fell to the ground and tumbled as the beast slowly turned its head to him.


    With some quick movement, Gwyn managed to push himself up and broke out into a sprint before the beast made another move. It watched as he put distance between them.


    "Use words I can understand, please!" Gwyn yelled at Mem, "Or better yet, just get to helping me with your power!" The beast made a rumbling sound that resembled a purr, like a cat before toying with its prey.


    "Alright, alright. Are you right or left-handed?" Mem asked as Gwyn continued his sprint.


    "Why does that-"


    "Just answer!"


    "Right-handed!"


    The beast let out a roar and began to walk after the sprinting Gwyn lazily. Its large size allowed it to close the gap between them quickly.


    "Alright! Uncover the skin on your left arm and hold it out," Mem instructed.


    A shadow began to grow over Gwyn. He didn''t have to look up to know what was happening. With as much might as he could muster, he leaped forward and somersaulted on the ground as a massive foot smashed behind him. The blow was barely avoided, but Gwyn managed to break from his roll and move back into a sprint to the other side of the arena.


    He stopped and spun around so that he could see the beast. His back pressed against the wall that divided him and the raised seating of the crowd. The unkillable was looking at its foot as if it expected to see a smear on it.


    Without hesitation, Gwyn pulled off his makeshift cloak and threw it to the ground. The crowd gasped in surprise as Mem quickly found its way to Gwyn''s left shoulder. Gwyn held his arm straight to the side and tore the sleeve off to expose the whole bare arm.


    Mem wasted no time and began the process. In a matter of seconds, its body seemed to break apart. A series of several large spikes dug into Gwyn''s arm. The nerves were the first thing tapped into, so he would not feel pain for the remainder of the process. With the pain shut off, Mem''s body unfolded more and began to graft itself to the arm from the shoulder to the hand. The inside was turned to mush and replaced with the mechanical body of the Needaimus to complete the process.


    The whole thing happened so fast that Gwyn was unable to perceive any of it. The next thing he realized, his arm wore in what looked like a metallic blue gauntlet. The body and wings had formed around his arm, and the head seemed flat on his hand. The only odd remainder was Mem''s tail which hung off Gwyn''s shoulder and moved freely like an extra appendage.


    "Huh, cool." Gwyn mused as the beast realized he was standing across the arena. He opened and closed his mechanically encased fingers to see if there was any resistance. The movement was smooth.


    *****


    Odell groaned as he walked through the coliseum vendor area. His father proudly led the way, though he had no idea where he was going in reality.


    "Father, do we have to come. Actually, did I have to come?"


    "Of course, we must make some effort to attend a big event like this when we are in town!"


    "Couldn''t Avon have come with you?" They turned a corner and found themselves facing a dead end.


    "Nonsense, Avon is far too busy preparing to take over the throne!" King Fio said confidently.


    Some Aqueenian citizens walked behind the pair and whispered to themselves about the foolish Hobusians. Odell shrugged and gently turned his father, so they were walking in the opposite direction that they had come.


    "I''m pretty sure that the royal viewing seats are this way."


    "Ah, yes, I knew that, of course!"


    Odell didn''t bother answering and led his father to their destination, a special booth set aside for the royal family and their guests. Naturally, Odell nor his father were invited, but they intended to invite themselves in. King Fio knew that they would be allowed to enter since it could be a diplomatic issue if some random guards refused them.


    Sure enough, the guards stepped aside as soon as they saw the duo approaching from down the hall. King Fio burst through the door and announced his arrival.


    "You old fool!" he shouted while pointing to King Whitlock. Despite his tone and demeanor, the Hobusian king had a goofy smile on his face as he waited for a rebuttal. The Aqueenian king sat on some raised chairs behind four seats for his children, three of which were occupied. The queen sat next to King Whitlock and gently poked him.


    "Dear, that troublesome King wants your attention."


    "Just ignore him, my dear. The fight is about to begin; look, the Netzian is coming out now."


    Odell broke away from his father, who was staring daggers at the Aqueenian king and made his way to the window.


    "What is he wearing?" Odell shouted out.


    That caught the attention of the others in the room, and all turned to the arena. Asha burst into a fit of giggles.


    "He wrapped himself in a curtain! Does he think that would give him the edge in battle!" he shouted as he slapped on his knees.


    "Now Asha, perhaps he... has something in mind...." Hermina said while trying to be sympathetic.


    "Hahaha, when faced with his death, the fool has just gone mad!" King Whitlock roared in synchronized laughter with Asha. Donn quietly rubbed the hair on his chin.


    Before anything more could be said, the announcer began his speech. At the same time, the door slid open, and Fiona was escorted into the room. She immediately broke free from her guides and ran up to the window where Odell stood. She looked out at Gwyn and sighed.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Friend of yours?" Odell asked. Fiona jumped and turned to the Hobusian.


    "Oh, hello, Odell!" Fiona had not noticed him before, "He''s not a friend, but I am supposed to be responsible for him, in a way...."


    "That''s an apt description!" Asha chimed in, "He''s going to turn out just like that house plant you were responsible for as well!" he continued to giggle.


    "Asha! We have foreign guests here!" Donn snapped. Asha calmed himself, but not before glaring at the crown prince.


    King Fio made a small chuckle before turning to King Whitlock with a somewhat severe expression.


    "Are you sure it is wise to execute a traveler before the conference and in such an over-the-top manner?"


    "You manage your internal affairs, and I''ll manage mine. I have a bad feeling about this one," the Aqueenian king said without turning his gaze away from Gwyn in the arena.


    "Hmm, well, I''ll just enjoy the show then." King Fio said with a shrug.


    Out on the field, the arena was opening up, and the unkillable was climbing out. King Whitlock smirked, but the rest of the room was painted with shocked expressions.


    "Father, don''t you think that is a little excessive?" Donn asked with a groan.


    "Hahaha, he''s as good as dead!" Asha shouted.


    "Oh dear, this will be over quickly," Hermina muttered in shock.


    Fiona balled her fist and lightly smacked the glass in front of her. Her father won this one.


    "Man, your dad is serious, huh? The poor fool. Where did you guys even catch that thing?"


    "Donn led a successful hunting party in the Lethno Mountains not too long ago; we were able to catch such a fine specimen during that trip!" King Whitlock bragged.


    "It''s a bit small. Did you catch the runt of the litter!" King Fio said with a chuckle.


    King Whitlock didn''t get a chance to reply. At that moment, the unkillable charged across the arena and smashed its foot where Gwyn had been standing.


    "Guess that''s it," The queen said with a shake of her head. Everyone began to turn their attention away from the arena.


    "Hold on; he avoided that!" Odell shouted. The room immediately fell silent as focus returned to Gwyn. He was sprinting across the field while the beast was lazily chasing after him.


    "He has good form with his run; I would expect he did some kind of training on his homeworld," Donn mused as he rubbed his chin. They watched as Gwyn narrowly avoided another stomp.


    "Haha, this guy is great!" Odell laughed.


    "It won''t matter, though...." Fiona said with a sigh. She turned away from the window and planted herself in one of the seats. She had lost interest in the match as the outcome was a given.


    Gwyn dramatically threw off his makeshift cloak in the arena.


    "Oh, now he''s doing something!" Odell shouted. He had the most fun of everyone in the room. "He''s got a Needaimus with him!"


    "What!" King Whitlock roared and jumped up from his throne. He charged over to the window next to Odell and smashed a fist against the glass. There was enough force to cause a couple of small cracks in the robust window. He was tense for a moment longer, but his shoulders soon relaxed, and he took a deep breath. Then, the king let out a laugh. "He managed to partner with that troublesome one; no matter, they can die together! Two nuisances are taken care of at once!" the king snickered as he made his way back to his seat. He leaned back into it and awaited with glee for when the unkillable finished off its prey.


    *****


    Gwyn looked at his arm for a moment longer before he broke out into another sprint. The beast had only just noticed him, and he wanted to make sure to keep as much distance as possible.


    "So how do I use my powers!" he shouted as the beast began to walk in his direction.


    Do you want the good news or the bad? Mem''s voice rang in Gwyn''s head.


    Gwyn looked back at the beast as it was crouching down like it was going to pounce. He changed directions and began to run to the wall of the arena.


    "Just tell me!"


    Well, your compatibility is at 1% currently....


    "In a way that I can understand!" Gwyn shouted. The beast shot forward in its strike and landed just behind where he had sprinted from. The shock almost knocked Gwyn off balance, but he managed to catch himself and keep running.


    In short, you can only use the power at a small point right now, like the tip of your finger, and it has to make physical contact.


    Gwyn spun around and pressed his back against the wall. The beast was slowly turning its head to him. Gwyn looked around the empty arena. His eyes laid on the rack of weapons that had been there when he entered. All the shaking had knocked the rack over, and the weapons were lying on the ground. They were clear across the arena after all the running he had been doing to escape the beast.


    "Fine, can I liquify the things legs or something?" Gwyn spat while trying to catch his breath.


    The ability doesn''t work on living things... that would be gross.


    Gwyn took a deep breath and began a sprint across the field to the weapons. The beast watched him the whole time. It had gotten tired of the chase and was studying Gwyn to determine the opportune time to strike.


    Gwyn reached the weapons in no time; he instinctively picked up the gun and pointed it at the beast. A beam of light shot out when he pulled the trigger. It was not what he expected, but he didn''t mind the results. Gwyn pulled the trigger again, but nothing came out.


    It needs time to cool, and you''re not going to defeat this beast like that. Mem chimed in.


    Gwyn picked up a sword in a sheath and slung it on his back; then, he grabbed a one-handed ax. He had expected the weight to be an issue, but he found the objects surprisingly light, even with the arm not fused to Mem. He shrugged off his curiosity and faced the beast. It looked at him with a plain expression. Had Gwyn not been in the arena, the unkillable would have been taking a nap at this time.


    Gwyn charged across the field to the unkillable. The beast slowly moved its head to keep him in view but did not do anything else otherwise. He was able to charge halfway across the field and chuck the ax with all his might. The weapon flew across the air and smashed into the side of the beast. It harmlessly bounced off and hit the ground. The blade was bent and cracked to pieces from the impact.


    "Is this thing made of rocks?" Gwyn gritted his teeth and pulled the sword off his back. He held the blade in both of his hands, then shook his head and slid it on the sheath. He realized that hitting the beast with the sword would be a waste of his energy. Gwyn slowly began to back up so that he could keep the beast in view. He pinched his shirt with the arm that Mem covered.


    The ability was easy enough for him to use; it seemed to come naturally without putting much thought into it. The parts of the shirt he held suddenly turned liquid and began to soak into the rest of the shirt. Gwyn found the process rather strange, but he decided not to dwell too much at the moment; he had more important things to worry over. He rubbed his fingers over the wet portion of the shirt, and it turned back to a solid. A hole was left where the shirt had been tested.


    Gwyn nodded and looked around the arena. He understood the ability, but he wasn''t sure what use he could make of it in the current situation. There were the arena walls, the floor, the weapons laying around, and the rack the weapons sat on.


    "Mem, how deep does this ability reach right now?"


    About a quarter of a hand! Mem cheerfully replied.


    "That is not helpful...."


    If you''re thinking of making a hole in the wall to escape, that won''t work. The wall is at least half a fathom thick at best.


    Gwyn shook his head.


    "How much is that if I have a centimeter?" Gwyn held two fingers as close to a centimeter apart as he could.


    The thickness of the wall or how much your ability reaches?


    "Never mind!" Gwyn said with a shake of his head. He looked around the arena again. He had not been planning to escape through the wall but now had some understanding that he couldn''t even if he wanted to. The unkillable, having gotten bored of waiting, was slowly walking close to the pair. Gwyn smiled and shrugged. "Guess I''m dying," he said apathetically.


    Don''t just give up that easily! You may not care about your life, but I''d like to see a sho¨C support you to the very end!"


    Gwyn chuckled for a moment and shook his head.


    "I have an idea, but I don''t know if we can pull it off... It would require some planning that I couldn''t begin to layout even outside of this situation." Gwyn scratched his chin as he stared at the slowly approaching beast.


    Please leave it to me, partner! Any odd layout, plans, or calculations are a Needaimus specialty! Just tell me what you''re after, and I''ll help you get it done!


    "You sound like a sketchy door-to-door salesperson, but I don''t have much of a choice but to trust you," Gwyn said with a laugh. He began to relay his plan to Mem.


    In the royal viewing section, only Odell and Donn had kept any interest in the fight. Fiona had gotten distracted by a casual conversation with Hermina, Asha had fallen asleep, the queen was knitting, and the kings were locked into a dull conversation about trade arrangements.


    Odell was still up close to the window as Gwyn failed to damage the beast with the gun or ax and was now eagerly watching Gwyn look around the arena.


    "You know, Odell, you are blocking some of the view," Donn said as he walked next to the Hobusian, looking out the window. His tone was not malicious, so Odell just shrugged it off.


    "The rest of them don''t care what''s about to happen," he retorted to the crown prince.


    "Haha, well, I think our guest did the best he could. It''s a shame; I think with a little training, he could have become a great hero for Quenth... but my father had made up his mind."


    "Hahaha... a pure Netzian being the hero for Quenth! I think I know a few people that would take issue with that."


    Out on the field, the unkillable had begun to smash on the ground again. Gwyn jumped out of the way, barely avoiding the blow. The creature had gotten tired of watching and just figured it didn''t need to understand Gwyn''s movements to kill him.


    Gwyn stumbled on the ground and pushed himself back off with a thrust of his arms. A moment later, the beast smashed its foot into the ground, and Gwyn jumped leaped out of the way. This time, Gwyn used the free tail which stuck out from his shoulder to keep himself from falling on the ground. The point of the tail struck the ground, and he quickly changed the direction of his sprint by pushing off with it.


    The unkillable began to stomp on the ground furiously, and Gwyn narrowly similarly avoided each blow as before. He was starting to grow accustomed to using the tail as an additional appendage that he could use to catch himself.


    "He''s really trying not to get stomped on, but he will run out of energy eventually...." Odell commented.


    "Hmm, he''s trying his best," Donn added.


    "You''re still paying attention to that?" Asha interrupted with a yawn. He stretched out his arms and smoothly rose from his chair. Donn and Odell paid no mind to him as Asha strode over and slapped each of them on the back of their shoulders. "It must be exciting waiting for that fool to die," he said as he peered past the shoulders of the other two.


    On the field, Gwyn avoided another blow and sprinted around the creature in a circular motion. The tail from Mem was dragging on the ground around him as Gwyn ran. The unkillable was not able to turn as quickly while Gwyn sprinted behind it. He skidded to a halt from behind the beast. Then he took a half step to his left while the beast continued to turn and face him.


    "Looks like he''s given up!" Asha shouted.


    Gwyn kneeled and placed his hand on the ground.


    "Father, what is that rogue Needaimus'' ability again?" Donn asked while he rubbed his chin.


    King Whitlock didn''t bother answering and just waved his hand lazily to dismiss his son''s question.


    Gwyn stood up from the ground and began to take a few steps back slowly. The unkillable raised its foot and snorted angrily. It smashed it into the ground as Gwyn leaped backward. He was careless and ended up landing and sliding on his back.


    No one paid attention to Gwyn, however. As the unkillable smashed into the ground, a loud cracking sound began to fill the arena. It grabbed everyone''s attention. King Whitlock jumped from his seat and stormed across the room to the window. His children and Odell slid out of the way.


    From under the foot of the beast, cracks began to appear and spread. They followed a line as if they were connecting points in a shape around where the unkillable stood. The beast didn''t realize what was happening until the entire floor underneath it opened up, and it was swallowed into darkness.


    The crowd cheered as the beast disappeared out of view.


    "A... amazing!" The announcer, who had been silent for the fight, finally chimed in. "I think, given the challenge, we can call this a victory!"


    King Whitlock balled his hand into a fist and smashed the glass in front of him. The shattering sound echoed around the arena loud enough to grab everyone''s attention.


    The king made a friendly smile.


    "Well, I must commend you for your accomplishment; however, this is a fight to the death. If you don''t bring the beast down, you cannot be declared the winner," King Whitlock''s voice echoed around the arena for all to hear. He shrugged off a series of boos that echoed from the stadium.


    Donn shook his head but didn''t say anything. From inside the hole, the unkillable roared.


    Gwyn rubbed the back of his head.


    "Well, what do I do now?" he asked himself as he looked up at the king.


    I think this is where you die. Mem chimed in.


    "You''re not helping... but your right...." Gwyn''s shoulders slumped. He took a deep breath in and looked at the hole as the unkillable was climbing its way out. It snarled and flashed its teeth at Gwyn.


    I hope you don''t mind, but I might need to take my leave here. Mem echoed in Gwyn''s mind, but he did not pay attention as the massive beast looked down directly at him.


    Neither Gwyn nor Mem had a chance to say anything more. The beast''s red eyes suddenly glazed over with a misty purple-blue and charged from the hole at Gwyn. Its beast opened its mouth and slid on the ground; Gwyn didn''t bother moving as he entered the beast''s mouth. He couldn''t have moved even if he wanted to; the beast had suddenly increased in speed. However, Gwyn was the only one who noticed.


    The beast stood up and swallowed. It shook its head and began to look around the arena. It examined the crowd with red pupils. They all became uneasy in their seats as the beast attempted to reach over the arena wall. An invisible barrier kept the crowd just out of reach, and they all collectively sighed in relief.


    The beast made a hissing sound as it turned away from the crowd and began to walk around the arena. It briefly looked into the dark hole that Gwyn had opened but had no desire to go down in it.


    Donn sighed and shook his head.


    "Well, father, you got what you wanted, but how do you plan to contain the beast?"


    "It''s nothing you can''t handle, son!" King Whitlock happily chirped.


    "Somehow, I expected you to say that...." Donn stepped out from the broken window. He landed directly in the arena as the invisible barrier opened just enough for him to pass through.


    The beast took notice immediately and turned to the prince. Donn balled the fist connected to his Needaimus and punched it into his free flat palm.


    The beast charged at Donn and swung its arm. Donn gracefully ducked under the arm and ran forward to the beast. He jumped high in the air and pulled back his fist, and punched the unkillable in the face. The beast reared back from the blow as the Aqueenian prince landed back on the ground.


    The unkillable shook its head then glared back at Donn. He took a stance and readied for the creature to charge.


    Instead, the beast began to make a sound that resembled gagging. Donn lowered his arms. The beast continued to gag and stammer around until it finally fell over with its mouth agape. Gwyn stumbled out with the sword that had been on his back in one hand and covered in blue liquid and goo.


    He fell onto his back and stared at the sky. The sword fell to the side.


    "Ugh, I think I got some of it in my mouth," he said after spitting, "At least it''s dead now...."


    Unfortunately, a little internal bleeding won''t stop it. It''s just napping. Mem explained.


    "Don''t tell me that." Gwyn groaned as he fell unconscious.

 7 - Waking

    Gwyn opened his eyes. He was lying on his back and staring at a plain white ceiling. He turned to his left to see an array of familiar-looking equipment. To his right was a set of chairs with an Aqueenian patiently sitting in one. Deja-vu is what Gwyn thought to himself as he sat up.


    This time, the one waiting for him to wake was Colton. The soldier was too engrossed in whatever he was reading, he had a goofy grin, and his face was flushed dark orange in what Gwyn assumed was similar to a blush.


    Gwyn ignored the soldier and looked around the room. It was identical to the room he had woken up in the first time. He was not even sure if the room was the same one or merely looked the same.


    On the far end of the room, a birdcage was hanging from the ceiling. Behind bars sat Mem in its draconic form. Mem turned to Gwyn and waved a wing like one would wave a hand.


    "Goyura, glad to see you''ve woken up!" the Needaimus loudly proclaimed. Colton jumped and fumbled as he tried to shut down his tablet and slid it in his pocket. Colton stood up and made an awkward cough into his hand when he managed to get the device away.


    "Hello, Nonpareil... I''m glad you have finally come to,"


    Gwyn didn''t say anything and only stared blankly, so Colton kept talking.


    "You must have lots of questions, I''m sure. After you successfully rendered the beast unconscious, the king was forced to declare your victory by the conviction of the crowd."


    Gwyn just shook his head. He moved his left arm to pull off the blanket that covered him. His brow furrowed as the movement was strenuous. Mem turned and covered its head with both its wings.


    "That''s odd," Gwyn mused for a moment.


    "About that..." Colton started to say something, then paused. The silence was long and awkward as the soldier mulled over which words to use. "Since you bonded with a Needaimus without any preparation... your left arm from your shoulder to your hand has been... damaged." Colton''s words caught Gwyn''s full attention as the soldier finished explaining. "We were able to repair it... but you will not be able to move it the same way you did before...." Colton winced as he waited for Gwyn''s reaction.


    Gwyn faced his left palm and slowly tried to close his fingers. They moved slowly, and his whole hand shook as he attempted the movement. When he was about halfway into making a fist, he gave up and laid the hand on his bed. Gwyn stared at the ceiling.


    "Well, that sucks..." he said with almost a chuckle.


    "You''re taking this well!" Colton tried to offer some encouragement.


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    "He''s too shocked to react properly. Don''t push your luck!" Mem not so silently whispered across the room. Gwyn fell back on the bed and laid so he could see the ceiling.


    "Well, we prepared your right arm to be compatible... oh and we were able to destroy some abnormal cell divisions while we were at it.... Oh, and your plan to weaken the arena floor so that it would collapse was brilliant, though the repairs are going to be.... I''ll just give you some space...." Colton gave up on trying to encourage Gwyn and quickly fled the room. The door sliding shut was the last sound made for a moment.


    After a while, Mem, who was still turned away and hiding its head, broke the silence.


    "Hey..." Mem said while cautiously peeking out just slightly from under a wing.


    "I''m... not going to blame you." Gwyn moved his right arm over his eyes to block out the light. He was not sure how to react. Since he was the one who asked Mem for help, he was trying not to blame anyone else. It wasn''t easy, as he thought about what he would have done if Mem warned him of this consequence in the back of his mind.


    "Really! That''s the most superlative outcome!" Mem jumped to its feet and turned to Gwyn from within the birdcage. "I felt like the walls were closing in on me there."


    "Mem, I think I''m going to go to sleep for a while."


    "Sleep! You''ve been asleep for a whole day already!" Mem flailed so much for dramatic emphasis that the cage shook.


    Gwyn sighed and sat up again. He looked at the Needaimus.


    "Okay, what do you suggest I do?" he asked with no genuine interest to hear the answer.


    "Why don''t you tell me about your world! We can leave this tiny space and go talk about it!"


    Gwyn shook his head and turned to the blank wall of his room.


    "There''s not much to talk about," he said solemnly.


    "Ah, come on. What was a typical day like?"


    "I get up, go to lectures, study, and sleep...."


    Mem sighed and shook its head.


    "Well, there is a vast world for you to explore now! Why don''t we get going!"


    "Come to think of it, why did they spare you, Mem?" Gwyn asked suddenly.


    "Huh," Mem feigned ignorance and turned away.


    "You said you were being chased, did you not? And if I remember correctly, you were about to flee before we were eaten."


    "Oh, that... my charming personality and rugged good looks were able to get...." Mem stopped when it saw Gwyn''s look of dissatisfaction. "Alright... I couldn''t get away, so I may have told them that we were a team, and you could vouch for me once you woke up....."


    Gwyn stood up and stretched his arms; at least his good arm was able to stretch. He began to pace around the room while looking at everything around him.


    "Do you know what happened to Fiona in the end?" he asked as he sat down on the bed after finding nothing of interest.


    "That Aqueenian princess? I can''t say I do; she never came by after the fight. She probably has her own things to worry about... I get the feeling she''s like a tobi in a cage...."


    "I see," said Gwyn, who guessed a tobi was like a bird.


    "Hey partner, if you haven''t noticed, I''ve been subtly suggesting that you let me out of here..." Mem spat out while shaking the cage.


    "Have you?" Gwyn sincerely asked. He had not noticed. Mem sighed.


    "Whatever, just let me out, and let''s get out of here!"


    "Where are we going to go?" Gwyn asked as he stood up and began to walk across the room.


    "Anywhere but here, I don''t trust that king. He might change his mind about me... er... about us and try another execution!" Mem explained as Gwyn opened the cage. Mem immediately hopped out of the cage and onto Gwyn''s right shoulder. It wrapped its tail around Gwyn''s arm as not to fall off. "Alright, let''s do this!" the Needaimus happily shouted.

 Excerpt from Gwyns Journal - Introduction and Aqueenians

    They have given me what they refer to as a tablet, so I suppose I will record some notes of this world on it. As I have not figured out how to use the keyboard, if there is one, I will be trying the speech to text. Hopefully, it doesn''t end up too rambly.


    Where to begin? I suppose with a small introduction. I am Gwyn Black, a human that has somehow been whisked to an alien world called Resh. All I recall is a portal of some kind opening up. At the time, it looked like a large mass of light and energy, but as I ended up here once I went through, I can only call it a portal now.


    I seem to have wrecked my car, and I woke up in an Aqueenian hospital.


    I should probably elaborate. Or maybe I shouldn''t since anyone on this planet be familiar.... I''ll do it anyway. Hey, tablet, erase the last few lines. No, stop typing. Ah, whatever.


    The first person I met on this planet was an Aqueenian named Fiona. It wasn''t until later that I realized I was in the nation of Aquia that the Aqueenian people first established many years ago.


    How to describe them? They have the forms of a human, though they are slenderer. At least most of them are. I have seen at least one that was very muscular, but he seems to be an exception. They seem to be about the same height as people on earth as I have not seen a very tall or very short Aqueenian.


    Their faces look fairly similar to a human at first, though with notable exceptions. The first thing I noticed is that they seem to have larger eyes. I guess larger eyes isn''t enough of a description as the whole eye doesn''t seem that much larger than a person. Instead, their iris takes up most of their eyes. I''m not sure if they have whites in their eyes, I think they might, but I can hardly tell for sure, without awkwardly staring at least. They don''t seem to have pupils as well, but there is a faint hexagon shape that seems to contract and expand like a pupil. As far as eye colors, I have seen purple, yellow, orange, pink, red... it''s a wide array of colors.


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    Their hair seems to come in a set of colors like black, white, and silver. I think I saw some yellows and reds, but it looked like they might have had roots of the normal colors. I suspect they were dyed. Other than the colors, their hair seems fairly normal at a glance. However, it is very smooth. This is apparently by default, but their hair feels like smooth silk to the touch. It also has a very natural sheen that seems to match what you see on silk. Apparently, their hair is very delicate, and they have a whole process they go through when washing it, but I do not know much more details than that.


    A lot of Aqueenians seem to wear their hair rather long. It at least goes over their ears. However, there are some exceptions. From what I''ve seen, it looks like their ears come to points at the tops. It''s nothing as exaggerated as a fantasy elf''s ears, but they are just a little longer than a human''s ears and come to twin points on each ear. If they didn''t come to such sharp points, they wouldn''t be noted as anything different.


    Aqueenians also have very bright and shiny skin. They seem to come in an array of blue and green shades. I thought I saw an Aqueenian person with a different color as well, but I can''t be sure. For now, I will just say they are blue and green. The colors are just a small note, however. It seems like each Aqueenian''s skin is extremely smooth and shiny. When light hits them, they resemble a well-polished gemstone. It looks like they should be solid, but their skin is surprisingly soft to the touch.

 8 - Exploring the City of Quenth 1

    The door to Gwyn''s room slid open, and he peaked out, so only his head was exposed. He looked to the left of the door and then to the right. The hallway was empty.


    "Is this necessary?" he asked Mem as he took cautious steps outside of the room.


    "Did you not forget the battle with the beast you just had? For all, we know that king has an assassin in waiting to finish us off!" Mem cried out from atop Gwyn''s shoulder.


    Gwyn wasn''t sure if Mem was right, but he figured he didn''t have to take any chances as well.


    "So where are we going?" he asked as he picked a direction and began to walk down the hallway.


    "To see the city! Quenth happens to be one of the six great capital cities on Resh. There should be many sights to see!"


    Gwyn''s head hung slightly as he walked.


    "So, you just want to sightsee?"


    "Of course! I''ve been on the run so long that I thought I would never get this chance!"


    "Weren''t you worried about the king earlier? Why is walking around in the city less concerning?" Gwyn asked with a blank expression.


    "Tsk, Tsk, partner, you have no idea how famous we have become while you were asleep! Out in public might be the safest place for us! We can''t get assassinated while in a crowd."


    "I''m pretty sure we can, but I''ll just go along with your plan." Gwyn didn''t want to admit it, but he was curious to explore the alien city properly.


    The duo turned a corner and became face to face with Colton. He had a tray with some food in his hands and a surprised expression on his emerald face.


    "Quick Partner, run!" Gwyn immediately turned away from the Aqueenian soldier and broke out into a sprint in the other direction. Colton took off after them, with the tray still in hand.


    "Hold on, you two!" he cried as the distance between him and Gwyn slowly grew.


    "Why are we running?" Gwyn finally asked as he quickly maneuvered around a sharp corner.


    "You two can''t go out without an escort!" Colton cried out from behind him. He was starting to pant as he fell behind.


    "We don''t need an escort that works for the king!" Mem yelled back to the soldier.


    "I think I''m starting to see why they wanted to execute you.," Gwyn sighed as he turned another corner.


    "Quick partner, we can hide in an empty room!"


    Gwyn rounded another corner and slid into the first room that he could see. The door took a moment to slide open and shut, but he had gotten enough distance from Colton that the soldier had not seen where he went. Colton ended up running past the door as Gwyn let out a breath and sat with his back pressed against the wall. He let his head hang down as he tried to catch his breath.


    The room was much like the one he had left earlier, except the lights were off as it was unoccupied. Gwyn caught his breath and looked up and forward. He simply stared as another person had also taken refuge in the room.


    A Hobusian sat with his back against the wall. Gwyn did not recognize the species, so he stared in shock. He had grey skin and yellow eyes. His clothes were green and looked like they were made from wool or something that closely resembled it. Both arms were longer than humans were, and the right arm had a Needaimus already bonded to it.


    On his forehead, stretching above his hair was an ornate bony structure. It resembled a flame and had a golden tone to it that contrasted his grey skin. This was known as the Hobusian crown, a feature all members had that was unique to each individual.


    The Hobusian, Odell, had come to meet Gwyn, and he stared back in equal surprise.


    "Hello... do... you... understand me?" Odell asked slowly.


    Gwyn nodded.


    "Great! I''d like to introduce myself properly, but we need to stay quiet for now!"


    "Are you a type of Aqueenian?" Gwyn asked.


    "Wha- no way in kolas, figures they wouldn''t tell you anything... wait... shhh, she might hear us." Odell tied to make sure Gwyn was quiet, but he was the louder of the two of them.


    Gwyn opened his mouth to say something but was immediately interrupted.


    "Oo-d-eee-ll," A voice echoed throughout the room. It reminded Gwyn of the way a ghost might moan.


    Sure enough, the face of a girl phased through the wall. She had popped out from close the ceiling as if she had floated through. Cecilia, one of the Hobusians that came with Odell, looked down at the two sitting in the room. They both screamed, though for entirely different reasons.


    Neither of the two wasted any time getting out of the room. Odell didn''t even bother waiting for the door to slide open. He kicked his way through it and began to barrel down the hallway. Gwyn was close behind.


    "Wait, Odell, marry me!" Cecilia yelled as she finished phasing through the wall. She floated after the two as they ran.


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    "I think she''s talking to you!" Gwyn yelled to Odell.


    "I''m not marrying you!" Odell yelled back.


    "Who is she?" Gwyn asked.


    "My fianc¨¦, though it was arranged!" The duo turned a corner and found themselves running past Colton, standing still and looking around the area. After they ran past him, he continued his chase by running alongside the floating Cecilia.


    "It may be arranged, but I love you! If you don''t love me back, I''ll have to kill you and then myself!" Cecilia yelled at the duo in a manner that would have been fitting in a metal song.


    "Nonpareil, sir, we really shouldn''t be getting involved in Hobusian political matters like this!" Colton also cried out.


    "Nonpareil, what can your Needaimus do?" Odell yelled to Gwyn. They turned around another corner and almost crashed into some nurses having a casual conversation as they ran through. The nurses yelled profanities at the duo as they ran. "Hey, I''m talking to you!" Odell yelled.


    "What? Me? Um, I can make things liquid, but only at a small point right now! It won''t help us right now...."


    "We will have just to outrun our pursuers then!" Odell said in a bold voice.


    "You know, I think this wouldn''t be an issue if you just married her...." Gwyn said in a distant tone.


    "Hahaha, never!" Odell boldly yelled as they continued running down the hallway.


    "We are getting close to the entrance; if we can get out in the city, we can probably lose them!" Mem shouted from Gwyn''s shoulder.


    "You''re not helping at all, Mem," Gwyn shouted at the Needaimus.


    "The entrance is still too far away, but I know another way out. Nonpareil, can you swim?"


    "Yes, and just call me Gwyn!"


    "Well then, Gwyn, follow me!" The duo exited the hallway into a large open area. There were a series of staircases going down to the main lobby and a series of stairs going up to other floors. Odell did not go down a staircase but instead began to run around the balcony and straight to the giant glass wall that connected from the ground floor to the ceiling.


    "Hold on; I don''t like where this is going!" Gwyn shouted as he ran alongside Odell.


    "It''s too late to back down now, my friend!" Odell shouted. He put his long arms in front of his face and crashed through the window. Gwyn followed behind and leaped in the air. As they fell, Mem climbed from Gwyn''s shoulder to the middle of his right arm. In no time at all, The Needaimus was wrapped around Gwyn''s arm.


    They plunged into a rushing river at the base of the building.


    Odell was the first back above the water''s surface; he treaded the water and let the current carry him while looking back up to the broken window where the pursuers continued standing. Cecilia was letting out a guttural scream while Colton was panicking that he might be fired.


    "So long, Cecelia! I''ll never marry you!" Odell shouted as Gwyn came up above the water as well.


    "Sorry, Colton!" Gwyn shouted as well.


    The current swept the two off into the city.


    Quenth was the Aqueenian capital city, built next to what was known as the flooded chasm. It was a massive section where the continent was split apart in the shape of a ''V.'' The city had been established at the chasm''s tip. Many aqueducts were laid out in swirling patterns starting from the dock and circling all around the city. The city itself was built on top of the complex waterways, and many decorative bridges were dotted around it. An essential feature of the aqueducts was that water only flowed in from the flooded chasm. That way, anyone unfortunate enough, or stupid enough, to fall in would not be swept out into the channel. They also functioned to direct sea life in one location to optimize the process of fishing.


    It was on a less than average morning when a lone Aqueenian fisherman got a heavier than average catch on his line.


    "It''s a big one, help me out!" he called out, and his fellow fishers gathered around and helped him pull.


    Out from the water came a Hobusian and Netzian. They landed on the dock and began coughing.


    "Darn pollution in the water," one fisher spat, and the group dispersed to cast out new lines.


    Gwyn and Odell managed to recover from their swim and laid on their backs. Odell began to laugh, and Gwyn couldn''t help but join in.


    "You''re crazy; what did you say your name was?" Gwyn asked.


    "Odell, a Hobusian, I''m here since the Aqueenians are hosting the conference this year."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, but good to meet you, Odell," Gwyn said while sitting up. He looked around, expecting to see one of their pursuers. "How come that floating girl couldn''t chase after us?"


    "She doesn''t like to get too close to water; it''s the one thing she can''t phase through," Odell answered while also sitting up. The Hobusian began to push himself off the ground, and Gwyn followed suit.


    "So, what do we do now?" Gwyn asked while looking around.


    "You can start by getting off our dock! I don''t care how many beasts you''ve wounded! You''re scaring away everything!" the fisherman that pulled them up began to yell. He shook his fishing pole at the duo, particularly at Gwyn. They obliged and began to walk off the dock and into the city.


    "So, what parts of the city have you not seen yet?" Odell asked.


    "I have hardly seen any of the city," Gwyn replied as he wiped some water off his forehead.


    "You haven''t seen anything!" What were they doing?" Odell practically yelled while they exited the dock area and entered one of the city''s main roads. Crowds of Aqueenians were walking to and fro up and down the streets. Some turned to see who was shouting but only sighed and continued their way when they saw the Hobusian and Netzian.


    "They were trying to kill me," Gwyn said in a much quieter voice compared to Odell.


    Odell laughed.


    "That makes sense. Well, not to worry, I know this city in and out!" he said proudly while putting his hands on his hips. Gwyn made no comment but couldn''t help but notice that Odell only was up to his chest in height. As far as he could tell, the Aqueenians were about the same height as a human. He wondered if the Hobusians were all short or if it was just Odell. At this moment, he wished he had paid more attention to how high Cecilia was while she chased them. He closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and nodded. The next time he met another Hobusian, he would have to pay more attention.


    Odell tapped on Gwyn''s shoulder while his eyes were still closed.


    I know you''re lost in thought, but I think he wants your attention. Mem chimed in.


    "Oh, yeah, let''s go see some sights!" Gwyn addressed Odell.


    "Right! We are, in fact, a short walk away from some good stuff!" Odell spun around and began to lead the way. Gwyn stopped and looked at his right hand that Mem covered. He watched as he closed and opened his fist, then he shook his head.


    "What are you doing? You''re falling behind," Odell shouted. Gwyn sprinted forward and matched Odell''s pace.


    The first sight was a small marketplace in the city. While most of Quenth was filled with towering, swirling skyscraper buildings, this portion in the middle of the city was filled with a ground-level market consisting of tents and hastily set up booths. The ground was left as dirt with shiny gravel pathways to direct traffic.


    The duo ended up not buying anything, as neither carried any money with them.


    Gwyn and Odell walked through and looked at some of the sights. Aqueenian salespeople were selling all manners of ware, many of which that were entirely foreign to Gwyn. There were some items he did recognize, however. Swords, axes, flintlock-looking rifles were recognizable enough to him. He was also able to identify what looked like cookware and cutlery.


    "Well, that''s all there is to see here. Honestly, I just wanted to cut through to get to the next place," Odell explained as they continued their walk to exit the market.


    "Is there something you wanted to see?" Gwyn asked.


    "Naturally! This time of the year, there is a vehakul show! Lots of custom jobs and other exciting builds!"


    "What''s a vehakul?" Gwyn asked, but he received no answer as Odell continued leading the way.

 Excerpt from Gwyns Journal - Hobusians

    I talked so much about Aqueenians that I feel like I should talk about the rest on this world. I suppose the next to talk about is Hobusians, at least in the order that I met them.


    Hobusians are short and stout, and if I had to make a fantasy comparison, I would say they remind me of dwarfs in that way. Except, I have yet to see a Hobusian with any kind of beard.


    They all seem to have a strong face and jawline. Their mouths are wider, and many of them have a visible fang. Due, perhaps to their wide mouths, they have wider faces at the bottom as well. It gives them somewhat of the appearance of having puffed-out cheeks at a first glance.


    They do seem to have hair on their heads, but it is short and rough. I don''t know how much they have to cut it, so I don''t know if it is naturally short or just is kept that length. If it is intentionally kept short, I can see why. At the top of every Hobusians head is what is referred to as the crown. It is a bony-looking growth that might be comparable to a rhino''s horn or a deer''s antlers.


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    It seems like they grow out as they are a child until it settles into a final shape. After that, the shape will not change, and if they are broken, it will slowly grow back to the original shape. The so-called crowns can apparently take an assortment of unique shapes.


    Although they have a short stature, their arms seem longer and hang down a bit farther. I think they would reach to their knees, just hanging normally. Their hands seem more dexterous than a human''s as well. They have six fingers on each hand and can move it in an assortment of unique ways.


    Hobusian skin is rough and grey. The color and texture are reminiscent of a stone. A species with softer skin, like a human or Aqueenian, would have to be careful just brushing up against a Hobusian. It is possible that they could break skin just that easily. A human would probably get a simple scrape, but an Aqueenian might get a rather deep gash. Of course, this is just speculation as I have not yet seen it happen.

 9 - The Aqueenian Princess, Fiona

    Fiona appeared behind a column in a flash of blue light. She peered out from behind it and looked at some guards lazily making their rounds. They walked in the opposite direction of where she was looking out from and


    I don''t think this is a good idea... The voice of her Needaimus echoed in her head.


    "Shut up, Sun; I need to concentrate," she said as she stared at a door at the far end of the hallway. The hallway split into two directions at the door in a ''T'' shape, and the door was to the castle''s kitchen, where meal preparations for the conference were already in full swing.


    You already saw your father lose it at the coliseum. I don''t think you need to push it anymore.


    The Aqueenian princess ignored her partner and stared at the door.


    After Gwyn had emerged from within the beast, her father had not kept any guise of calm. Though, he still tried to hide the fact due to the foreign representatives in the room. His brow had furrowed, and several veins bulged out of his forehead so much that it looked like they might explode.


    Fiona couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight. Fortunately for her, the Hobusian king Fio laughed much louder.


    To make matters worse, for King Whitlock, Donn checked Gwyn''s condition and spoke brief words with Mem. He called in a medical team and leaped up to the announcer''s booth. The king didn''t react before the crown prince declared Gwyn the victor and the new Nonpareil.


    A familiar Aqueenian tale spoke of the Nonpareil. An Aqueenian warrior who fought off Hobusian invaders after a tragedy known only as the schism wrecked the land.


    Giving Gwyn such a name was the last straw for the already angry king. He exploded, and a screeching sound overtook every other sound in the arena. Everyone was helplessly holding their hands to their ears, save for Donn, who only disapprovingly looked at the area where his father sat, and Queen Whitlock, who gave the angry king a gentle embrace.


    Fiona only had recovered from the sound in time to see her father waltz out of the door.


    She broke free from her recollection of the events just as the door finally swung open. At the exact moment, the guards were turning the corner to go down another hallway.


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    A chef came out from the kitchen door. He stopped and held the door open a moment longer than usual as he thanked the guards for their hard work. Then he let the door go and began walking in the opposite direction from the guards.


    Fiona pulled out a spyglass from a pocket under her yellow jacket and extended it to look into the kitchen. She knew the kitchen layout and targeted what she was after¡ªa shelf with space to hide behind.


    She locked on the shelf and, in a blue flash, appeared behind it before the door had not even closed.


    Fiona looked out from behind the frame; the chefs hurriedly prepared the meals that all the world''s prominent leaders would expect for the coming event.


    "So, what should we do?" Fiona asked, only soft enough for Sun to hear.


    You need to plan better. Just... don''t start an international incident.


    "What do you take me for?" Fiona was genially surprised.


    Need I remind you of the occurrence at last year''s conference.


    "Ha-ha, my father was so mad."


    Fiona began to spy around the room for something which with she could interfere. The five main meals being prepared were out of the question; she could start a war if something got too messed up. The side dishes were also out of the question for the same reason. The chefs were working diligently, and she didn''t want to disturb them too much.


    She sighed and crossed her arms.


    "This is hard. Why is it that I only cause trouble unintentionally?" she whispered to Sun.


    Perhaps you should take it as a sign from Crenussal and try to change your ways.


    "What if I joined the staff under the guise of helping... but since I''m such a bad cook, something will go wrong!" Fiona said in a not-so-hushed whisper.


    You admit you''re a terrible cook with such pride...


    "Oh, Lady Fiona. What brings you here today?" One of the chefs had noticed her peering out from behind the shelf. Fiona jumped and made a disappointed face.


    The chef that had spoken to the princess was new, and she was not aware of what the other chefs knew. Upon hearing Fiona''s name, they turned her way, and the princess was bombarded with a feeling of intense malice.


    "She''s here, sound off the alarm!" One chef yelled. Loud ringing began to fill the air, and the two lazy guards came running in through the kitchen door. When they saw the princess, they sighed.


    "What''s going on!" the chef who had originally addressed, Fiona yelled out in shock. One of the senior chefs pulled her away.


    "That girl is cursed; every meal she has tried to make in this kitchen has ended up in disaster!" he explained to the new chef.


    The new chef was about to object that the princess couldn''t be that bad, but a tear rolling down the senior chef''s face as he reminisced convinced her otherwise.


    Fiona broke into a sprint through the kitchen past the guards to exit.


    "And don''t come back!" some of the chefs yelled.


    "Wait, Princess, we were ordered to escort you to your room if we saw you!" One of the guards yelled.


    Well, you heard him, are we going to stop? Sun asked.


    "You already know the answer." Fiona charged down the hallway while the two guards tried their best to keep up with her from behind.

 10 - Exploring the City of Quenth

    Gwyn yawned. He shook his head to try to keep himself awake. He was standing next to Odell as they looked at a vehakul. It was a small vessel that could fit up to four people and hovered slightly above the ground. At this show, s sat out, and the engine, or what was equivalent, was shown in full view for visitors.


    "This is just a car show!" Gwyn had exclaimed after the duo had entered, but Odell was either not listening or didn''t care enough to respond as they began to walk by and look at everything on display. The whole process moved at a snail''s pace.


    Now, he was almost falling asleep as he stood in place while Odell spouted off some incredible fact about how the block in the cycle let it travel across a league in a matter of seconds. Gwyn zoned out for most of what Odell said.


    When he finished explaining, Odell waved to indicate to Gwyn that they were moving to the next display. They ignored the confused and angry glances from some Aqueenians at the show and continued on their way.


    Odell was so happy he walked with a visible spring in his step. Meanwhile, Gwyn was slumped over and struggled to keep up.


    They walked past a few more of the alien vehicles while Gwyn yawned behind him. He briefly considered slipping away but had no idea how to navigate the city alone.


    Odell commented on a couple more of the cars before stopping to admire a huge one. Gwyn stopped and looked as well. It resembled something like a 15-passenger van, but also something like a tank. Though it hovered over the ground, it was armored and looked like some kind of weapon could be mounted to the top. The vehakul''s paint job was a desert-like camouflage texture, and the windows were a cool, tinted blue.


    "Incredible!" Odell said with glee, "that is the Ali-442! It is the latest model of Aqueenian troop transport, which is capable of carrying a small unit and supplies across the continent with ease!"


    Odell continued to go on about the Ali''s top speed, armor capabilities, weapon attachments, and other technical things that Gwyn didn''t care to hear. He stared off into space as he looked around the venue. In the distance, something caught his eye.


    A series of vehakuls had been into a separate section to the side of the venue. Each brightly showed wild paint colors, and Gwyn was drawn in close like a bee looking at a flower. As he got closer, what the cars had on them became apparent.


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    Cartroony forms of Aqueeninas decorated the sides of the vehakuls along with several other species. The forms had been stylized and the characters dressed in manners very different from any of the citizens Gwyn had seen around the town.


    A hand grabbed Gwyn''s shoulder; he turned to see Odell.


    "What''s that over there?" Gwyn asked.


    "Oh that, some people like to show off paint jobs of their favorite characters. The vehakuls sadly don''t have any special specs like the others on display here," Odell explained, "Now come on, I heard there are some ones with custom parts that way!" Odell happily led Gwyn through the rest of the show.


    It wasn''t until many hours later when they emerged from the show back onto the city''s streets. Gwyn was very tired but tried his best not to let it show. There was one thing he was sure about; he could not let Odell choose the next location.


    "Hey, Odell, is there anything more historical around the city? After all, I am new to the planet."


    "Hmm, well, there is a museum not too far from here...."


    "Really? Lead the way then!" Gwyn finally had something that sounded interesting and did not want to let the chance pass. Odell crossed his arms and furrowed his brow for a moment while he thought.


    "All right, let''s go check it out!" He became less stiff once he made his decision and happily led Gwyn.


    They reached the museum without much incident. There were a couple of strange looks from some of the Aqueenian citizens, but no one bothered to say anything to them.


    The museum was a long and wide building with a matching long, wide staircase leading up to the front door. The structure of the building had the same swirling Aqueenian architecture, which more suggested the building might hold art over historical artifacts.


    In the front was a statue on a pedestal. It appeared to be a creature Gwyn did not recognize; it stood about half a meter taller than any of the Aqueenian he had seen and had two large wings coming out of the back. The face was hard to view but appeared to have a profile different from either of the two species he had seen on the planet. The statue looked as if it had been carved in an angry pose. One fist was held to the sky as if the figure was shaking it and the other hand held a drawn sword tightly in its fist.


    "What is that?" Gwyn asked while pointing to the statue.


    "Hmm, oh, that is a depiction of Crenussal, one of the ancients. He was the superior, or that is how the myth goes," Odell explained without much enthusiasm in his voice. He stepped on the first of the stairs to make his way up.


    Gwyn nodded and followed behind. He rubbed his hands together with excitement.


    Something you are happy about, partner? Mem asked.


    "I''m interested to see some history! It was my major back on earth," Gwyn explained.


    "What was that?" Odell asked. He stopped and turned around.


    "Oh, sorry, I was talking to Mem," Gwyn explained as he tried to point at his fused arm with his damaged hand. When he couldn''t shape his fingers to point, he just waved it to gesture.


    "I see... keep in mind no one else can hear what it says when it talks."


    Gwyn just nodded to confirm that he followed. Odell shrugged and waved to indicate he wanted Gwyn to follow him into the museum.


    Before they could make any progress up the stairs, someone called out to them.


    "Odell!"

 Legends - Crenussal and The Sleeper

    The wind howled, and the rain poured.


    The cold night wouldn''t end anytime soon.


    Crenussal walked. And walked.


    A torn arm that he used to call his right.


    A fractured state that could no longer hold in his cries.


    The washing would not stop.


    His face and body drenched in the mix of rain and tears.


    Then, on his left, he spotted a cave.


    It was a humble shelter with a small opening.


    Still, Crenussal smiled. His dedication finally rewarded him.


    His body pressed through the cave''s mouth.


    Difficult as it was, he still found his way inside.


    The cave greeted him with not a closed space.


    Instead, it opened a path deep inside it.


    One that Crenussal would not hesitate to follow.


    So, he went deeper.


    The depths grew darker, and the walls grew closer.


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    Still, the ancient would not falter.


    He continued until finally an opening.


    A large room within the cavern''s dark depths.


    A single old man stood in the center.


    Crenussal approached with reckless abandon.


    Then the old man spoke.


    ''What brings you here to these depths?''


    ''I wish to take shelter from the rain,'' Crenussal answered.


    The old man shook his head.


    ''What brings you here to these depths?''


    ''I wish to explore this vast world,'' Crenussal answered.


    The old man shook his head.


    ''What brings you here to these depths?"


    ''I wish to gain power beyond imagination,'' Crenussal answered.


    The old man nodded his head and stepped aside.


    ''Then continue down; your answer will be found.''


    So, Crenussal continued.


    He ventured further down.


    He faced all manners of beasts and monsters.


    He slew an army of totes that blocked his path.


    Finally, he emerged in a new chamber.


    Upon a table lay a sleeping ancient.


    Golden strings seemed to flow from her hair.


    Glistening light seemed to reflect off her body.


    Crenussal greeted the sleeping one.


    He pulled a single knife out of her chest and spoke.


    ''Arise and help me create a new world.''


    And he beckoned her to awake.


    The sleeping one''s eyes burst open.


    They were black as the starless night.


    She greeted him with a hiss and a growl as she rose.


    Her body creaked and cracked.


    It was the first time in centuries that she had moved.


    The first time in centuries that she had seen another.


    ''Have you come to take my power?'' she asked.


    ''No," answered Crenussal.


    ''Why have you disturbed my sleep?''


    As a show of trust, Crenussal tossed the cursed knife to the side.


    He reached out a hand.


    An offering to assist the sleeping one from her table.


    ''I have come to show you this world.''


    ''I have already seen the world.''


    ''You have not seen the careless that stamp across it.''


    You have not seen the pollution they have wrought.


    You have not seen the children left to cry.


    I have not merely come to show you the world.


    I have come to show you a world different from the one you knew.


    I have come to show you a world that needs saving.


    By my hands, I can do nothing.


    But with you, we can save it,'' Crenussal stated.


    The sleeping one thought for a moment.


    She nodded.


    ''Very well, I will look upon this world with you.''


    It was on this day that Crenussal would begin down a path to be the superior of all the ancients.

 11 - Continuing to Explore Quenth

    Fiona appeared outside one of the castle''s windows in a flash of red light. She was a story high over the main drawbridge that connected the castle to the rest of the city. As she fell near the ground, the princess started a flip that turned into a somersault which broke her fall. From her roll, she stood back up and started to sprint into Quenth.


    "Lady Fiona!" Some guards yelled as they pushed the window open. She ignored them as she ran. "Just don''t get into any trouble!" the guards added, having thoroughly given up on the chase. They began to walk back into the castle with their heads slumped.


    Fiona did not hear what the guards yelled at the end and kept running. The bridge she ran across was the largest in Quenth. It had large swirling pillars that decorated the ends but still looked typical of any other bridge. It would split apart in the center, and both halves would retract to their respective sides. The feature would connect the castle, which was alone in the center of one of the waterways. The bridge in time had become known as Lover''s bridge. The name started due to many relationships coming together at the spot, but later the name became satirical when relationships breaking apart became the norm.


    Fiona did not stop her sprint as she reached the end of Lover''s bridge. She instead locked onto a building and disappeared in a blue flash, only to reappear on the building''s top. She similarly teleported across several buildings, and the castle was far behind her in no time at all.


    When she felt she had gotten far enough away, Fiona finally stopped and sat down at the top of the building that she currently stood on. Her feet dangled over the edge as she looked down at the busy city. All the while, she worked to steady her breath that was short after the sprint away from the castle.


    You''re overtaxing yourself, be mindful of how your abilities drain your stamina, Sun warned, but Fiona ignored its comments as she put a hand over her eyes, like a visor, and looked all around the city.


    Her eyes eventually locked on an odd pair of a Netzian and Hobusian walking through the city. She pulled out her spyglass and aimed it at the duo, only to drop it when she realized who they were. In hindsight, Fiona figured she should have expected as much. She barely caught the spyglass before it fell off the building on the street below.


    "What are those two doing in the city," Fiona asked herself as she aimed the spyglass back at the duo.


    You can ask them. Sun chimed in.


    Fiona hummed to herself as she thought about it. In the end, she realized she was overthinking and let it slide with a shrug. She easily locked in on the duo and appeared behind them in a blue flash.


    "Odell!" She said happily to great the Hobusian in front of her. He jumped slightly at the sound of his name but turned around with Gwyn to great the Aqueenian princess.


    "Ah, Princess Fiona... what brings you out here?" Odell asked.


    "Chased out of the castle again, what about you?"


    "Ran away from Cecilia again."


    "I think she would chill out a little if you married her already," Fiona commented in a laughing tone.


    "She has a point," Gwyn added as he jumped into the conversation, "At the very least, please leave me out of future chases."


    Odell frowned as he tried to formulate a response. Fiona looked away from Gwyn. She hadn''t given him much of a thought since the coliseum. Now she wasn''t sure what to say to him.


    While everyone tried to think of the next thing to say, Mem popped off Gwyn''s right arm and rested on his shoulder.


    "You''re that Aqueenian that tried to help us escape!" it yelled out. Several Aqueenians passing by turned to see the Needaimus yelling then began to whisper among themselves as they continued walking.


    Fiona''s mouth was agape, and Odell was pulled out of his thoughts at the shock.


    Gwyn was staring at his right hand and slowly opening and closing it while Mem spoke.


    "I never saw you come to the room while Gwyn was asleep!" Mem continued.


    "Gwyn shut it up!" Odell said in a not-so-hushed whisper.


    Gwyn only answered the Hobusian with a look of confusion.


    "Wha?" he asked.


    "It''s taboo for a Needaimus to talk to other people than their partner!" Odell explained.


    Odell looked at the mechanical-shaped dragon on his shoulder; Mem looked back at him.


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    "What can I say? I like to talk!" Mem said with what looked like a shrug.


    "Fair enough." Gwyn just shrugged; he didn''t see any issue with it.


    Odell and Fiona exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.


    At the same time, the Needaimus on Fiona''s arm and Odell''s arm both popped off. Each jumped off their partner so they could deliver a blow to Mem''s head. They smacked the draconic Needaimus and gracefully landed on the ground without making a sound. Mem was not so lucky as it fell off Gwyn''s shoulder and hit the ground with a solid thud.


    Fiona''s Needaimus was called Impression Sunrise. It was yellow. When detached from her arm resembled something with the body of a bull and the head of a snake.


    Odell''s Needaimus was called Calaba Jester. It was green. When detached from his arm resembled a dog with large, round legs and a small head. The snout barred large saber-tooth fangs.


    Both Needaimus jumped high in the air to connect with their respective partner''s arms. Mem followed suit without any protest. After a moment of silence from the trio, Gwyn finally spoke up.


    "Well, let''s not wait any longer. We should go see some history!"


    "Is that what you were doing here?" Fiona asked.


    "What else would we go to a museum to do?" Odell asked.


    Fiona shrugged off Odell''s comments.


    "All right then, well then have a good time, I suppose," she turned away and began to walk away.


    "Wait, why don''t you join us!" Gwyn yelled from the top of the museum''s stairs; the other two had remained at the bottom. Fiona looked around as she tried to think of an excuse to decline.


    "Why not? I''m sure they haven''t given you anything to do for conference preparation," Odell added.


    Fiona sighed and nodded in agreement. She joined Odell in the ascent up the stairs.


    Gwyn was eager as they entered the museum. It was so much of a personality switch that it surprised both Fiona and Odell. As soon as they paid for entry, Gwyn ran forward and began to examine the first piece of architecture on display. He was like a kid in a toy store as he gleefully inspected the artifact.


    The museum shape resembled that of a giant circle. The people entering would first head to the right, where the exhibits of early Aqueenian culture were on display. As visitors went around the circle, they would travel through Aqueenian history until they reached the modern-day.


    Fiona had no interest in the museum; she had gone through several times more than needed in her lifetime. It was common practice for every Aqueenian school within Quenth to visit the spot once a year, and the royal education was no exception.


    Odell also had no interest in the museum, though for different reasons. However, since he had dragged Gwyn along with what he wanted to do, he avoided complaining.


    Gwyn was already far ahead of the other two. His enthusiasm overwhelmed his companions, the museum staff, and many visiting school children who stood in the hallway with him. They all gave him odd looks as he closely examined a set of armor and series of tools from the early days.


    When finished examining the armor, he took several half steps to his right to look at the following exhibit. Then, he took another half step to view the display after.


    "We''re going to be here forever," Fiona groaned only quietly enough for herself to hear it. She ignored the chuckles from Sun that echoed only in her head.


    Gwyn was several exhibits down the way when Odell and Fiona made their way over to him. He was staring at a large tapestry. With his good arm, bonded to Mem, he pointed and traced some of the wavy lines on it.


    "Hey, Fiona, what''s this tapestry depicting?" Gwyn asked.


    Fiona turned to the tapestry. It depicted a famous battle in the past, though she could hardly remember the name.


    "Um, it''s an old battle, when the Aqueenians and Hobusians first went to war sometime in the past...."


    "Hmm, interesting!" Gwyn concluded. He looked to Fiona as he prepared a slew of questions about the war, but once he noticed that she appeared to be already racking her brain for more information, he decided to move on.


    Gwyn examined a couple more exhibits while the other two followed behind him. Odell yawned, and Fiona looked like she was still struggling to recall what she had failed to listen to while in history classes.


    They walked through the years of history around the museum. Most depictions seemed to show the Aqueenian development of Quenth and wars with the Hobusians. It wasn''t until Gwyn walked into the next marked area when he saw something different.


    There was a diorama set out in the middle of a large open space. The events on display were of an apparent significant battle, and a placard on the side displayed with the words ''Battle of Old Quenth'' written on them. It gave a brief description of the side of the events.


    Gwyn read the card then peered over to take a close look at the battle.


    "What''s all this? He asked while pointing to some of the miniatures." Fiona looked closely at the miniatures. The battle was famous for starting the first world war on Resh and notably involved every group on the planet at the time. Gwyn was unfamiliar with two groups, and he had chosen to point at two miniatures of species he had not seen who were locked in a deadly dual.


    "Bentulousians and Zenototes, they were involved in this battle as well," she explained.


    "How many species are on this planet," Gwyn wondered aloud. It was mainly to himself as he rubbed his chin as he spoke. He looked closely at the miniatures to try to make out the details molded into them. All he could make out was one appeared to have scales, and the other appeared to be covered in fur.


    Fiona went into deep thought as she tried to come up with an educated guess for the number of creatures that inhabited Resh.


    "Hobusians, Aqueenians, Zenototes, and Bentulousians are the four native speaking species to the world. Then the Netzians came afterward," Odell explained.


    "Wait, there''s more than that, though... I''d say maybe a million or so if I had to guess...."


    "If you count all the plants, animals, and bugs, yes maybe, but I think he was wondering about ones that can speak."


    "That was meant to be rhetorical, but thanks...." Gwyn said. The other two looked equally shocked. "Sorry," Gwyn added as he rubbed the back of his head and looked down the way. "Hey, is that a place to buy food! Let''s go; I''m starving!"


    Gwyn waved for the other two to follow him as he charged ahead.


    "Hey, wait, you shouldn''t run in the museum!" Fiona yelled to him as she chased after.


    "You''re running as well!" Odell pointed out as he ran behind her.


    The trio continued on their way until a museum staff member finally shouted at them


    "Stop running!"


    They came to an abrupt halt and walked the rest of the way.

 12 - Arrival

    The eldest Aqueenian princess, Hermina, found herself heading to a radio room at the docks. She sighed as her chair floated down the hallway, which would take her to the room.


    They just had to come at the same time! Hermina''s Needaimus echoed in her head with a laughing voice.


    "This is no laughing matter... ugh," Hermina ran her hands through her long, silky hair as she continued down.


    When she finally entered the radio room, it was in chaos. The operator had headphones on and was stammering as he spoke into a microphone; meanwhile, the others were shaking in their chairs as they awaited what might happen. Out in the distance, the source of the problem was visible through the clear windows. Two ships were floating by the dock where they would disembark. There was enough room for both boats to fit along the dock and even more for another. However, neither ship made an effort to come in any further.


    The shipyard boss entered the room and surveyed the group before looking at the princess as she silently shook her head.


    "It''s a real mess here, huh," The boss asked. He was a burly Aqueenian with peridot green skin and a bald head.


    "You''re telling me," Hermina groaned. Then she waved to the speaking operator to get his attention. When he noticed her, she waved to indicate he should bring the microphone and headphones over. The operator happily obliged and handed the devices to the princess.


    She put the headphones on and was greeted with a barrage of yelling that was so intense she couldn''t make any words out.


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    "Shut up!" She yelled into the microphone; the rest of the radio room jumped in surprise. The voices quieted down on the other lines.


    "Who might we be speaking to?" A female voice asked. It was deep and rough.


    "The Aqueenian princess Hermina," she answered.


    "Ah, are you the one that always causes trouble, or the older one?" a different voice asked. It was a female''s voice and spoke slowly and without emotion.


    Hermina gripped the mic tightly.


    "Could you explain to me why you have started this argument?" she calmly asked while ignoring the last question.


    "It''s rather simple; we will not let the Zenototes disembark before us!" the rough voice answered.


    "And we would not like the Bentulousians disembarking before us," the calm voice answered as well.


    Hermina sighed and let her head hang. She had expected as much but hearing it in person was still disappointing.


    "How about we have whoever arrived first...."


    "That would be us!" the rough voice said.


    "Lies, we arrived first." The calm voice added.


    "Okay, how about us...."


    "Princess, I ask that you do not favor the Bentulousians today," the calm voice interrupted.


    "Don''t you go acting like that!" the rough voice yelled.


    Hermina cleared her throat loudly enough for the others on the line to hear.


    "How about this, you send two of your best minds here, and we will play a game of Czaric. The winner will disembark first!"


    There was a moment of silence over the radio.


    "We agree to these terms!'' the rough voice answered.


    "We also agree," the calm voice added quickly after the Bentulousians gave their answer.


    The radio room team cut the line, and all let out a sigh of relief.


    "Good going there princess, I thought they might start a war right here!" the boss said while wiping sweat from his brow.


    "Do we have a Czaric set? We need to get one immediately!" Hermina said while taking a deep breath of her own.


    "Oh no! We don''t!" The boss didn''t say another word as he ran out of the room to get the game they would need to play.

 13 - The Aqueenian King and Queen

    King Whitlock sat on his throne, slumped over and with a frown. He occasionally would look over to the queen, who was knitting something to pass the time.


    "What is it, my dear." The queen finally asked without looking away from her needlework.


    "It''s just that Netzian, I can''t help but feel like he is trouble."


    "Dear, you agreed to make him a citizen if he won."


    "But he didn''t win! That beast recovered in an hour, and it was so angry it gave our guard a harder time containing it!" The king almost jumped from his throne as he exclaimed. He ended up sitting more upright as a result.


    "Dear, in the eyes of the people, he won that duel. You will have to find a more subtle way to kill him now if you want him dead," the Queen casually said without taking her eyes off her knitting.


    The king crossed his arms and slumped back down on his throne.


    "I can''t kill him now; Donn would be suspicious. For whatever reason, he''s taken a liking to that Netzian."


    "All our children have taken an interest in him in one way or another; he is from another world. That''s what you get for not giving them enough entertaining things to play with while they grew up."


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    "I''ve bought them everything they ever wanted! They should have plenty to entertain themselves," King Whitlock grumbled.


    The queen set her needlework down on her lap and turned to the king.


    "Dear, how about this, after the conference, I will send the Netzian on a mission during which he will surely die. Will that make you happy?" She asked.


    "It''s nothing but a dream at this point. If you send him, people will just think I told you too." The king whined as he slumped in his seat even more.


    The queen sighed and shook her head. She thought a moment before responding.


    "Don''t worry; I don''t think anyone will think that way."


    "Do you really think so! Then while we''re at it-" The king perked up but was interrupted by the queen.


    "Hold on, dear, we should just take it one step at a time," the queen said while turning back to her knitting.


    "You''re right," The kind slumped back down, but this time with a smile. "At least we''ll be rid of him; I get the feeling he will be a lot of trouble..." he added.


    "I agree with you on that; he will certainly get in the way in the future. I can''t help but think he was sent here by some outside force...."


    Queen Whitlock turned to the king, but he had suddenly fallen asleep. She sighed, then smiled.


    "Guard!" she shouted to the front door. The giant throne room doors slid open, and a guard peered inside.


    "Yes, Ma''am?"


    "Please send word to the chefs to prepare the king''s favorite meal for dinner tonight!"


    "Of course!" the guard answered, and the door slid shut.


    The queen turned back to her knitting as the king happily snoozed away.

 14 - Castle Tour

    "And this is the main hallway of the castle!" Fiona explained after gesturing to a large open hallway where she, Odell, and Gwyn stood at the entrance. It was long and wide, with two rows of spiral pillars dotted down the path in a manner that seemed to divide the space into three hallways.


    Odell simply nodded at this sight; he had already seen it many times before. Gwyn, on the other hand, was curiously looking around the room at what he saw. He carried two bags in his right hand with the logo of the museum on them. He had bought many items, financed by Fiona, including museum logo clothes, which he had changed into almost immediately. They were a white shirt and pants that had a space-age gleam to the fabric. In the top left of the shirt, the museum logo sat over the location of the chest. The logo also showed up on the sides of the pants as well.


    After they had left the museum, Odell got a call to meet his father at the castle. Fiona had figured she should get back as well, so the trio set out to return to the castle. Somewhere along the way, Odell had suggested Fiona give a tour of the castle. She was initially reluctant, but by the time they finished crossing Lover''s Bridge, she had apparently changed her mind as far as Gwyn or Odell could tell. The princess had been against the idea but ultimately decided it would be more fun to show Gwyn around than anything else. She had begun her tour as soon as the front gates opened.


    They walked down the castle''s main hallway, and Fiona gave brief descriptions about what each doorway led to as they passed by. From one entrance, some Hobusians took notice of Odell and called out to him. His shoulders slumped, and he waved goodbye to the others as they headed in their direction.


    Fiona continued her tour, taking Gwyn all around the Aqueenian castle. He eagerly listened to her explanations. Some of the guards, staff, and others within the castle whispered to themselves as they walked through.


    She walked Gwyn through many chambers, kitchens, quarters, and past rooms he was already familiar with, such as the throne room. She couldn''t take him to some other locations at risk of getting punished by her father, so the tour went much quicker than the size of the castle would suggest. Eventually, the two of them reached a balcony on the far side of the castle, relative to Lover''s bridge.


    The balcony overlooked the waterways below and stared out at the shining city of Quenth across the path. The water was clear, and the reflective buildings seemed to refract onto the water with a kaleidoscope rainbow pattern. The sea life under shined with glowing and spectacular scales.


    "Well, that''s about all I can show you...." Fiona said with a sigh as she leaned back against the balcony railing.


    "Thanks for the tour; it was insightful," Gwyn replied. He leaned over so that his forearms pressed against the railing as he looked out to the glowing scene in awe.


    The two stood in an awkward silence after that. The conversation topics had quickly run out. Both ran through a couple of questions to ask in their heads to break the silence.


    "So, was it your plan to get eaten by that unkillable?" Fiona finally spat something out before Gwyn came up with anything on his own.


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    "That? No, it just ate me, and I happened to have that sword still on my back...."


    "You got lucky that it swallowed you whole and that the sword didn''t fall off your back!" Fiona laughed.


    "I guess you''re right," Gwyn said with a chuckle. Fiona turned around and matched Gwyn''s pose to look out at the city.


    "I guess I should thank you, you wouldn''t believe how mad my father was that day!" she said with a goofy smile.


    "Your... welcome, I guess?" Gwyn replied.


    "What are you talking about, Sun!" Fiona shouted at her mechanical arm. It made Gwyn jump slightly as he was not expecting it. Fiona sighed and kept talking, "I guess I should apologize as well. I didn''t have your best interests in mind when we met... trying to escape was a bad idea on my part...."


    "Why would you do that?" Gwyn pushed himself off the balcony railing and began to look around at some of the architecture. It was silver and white with a swirling design. He focused his attention back on Fiona when she replied, but he remained looking at the architecture.


    "That''s..." Fiona stopped and sighed before continuing to speak, "For... certain reasons... my father has always seen me as a disease within the family. I like to pay him back whenever I can, I guess!" She ended with a cheery and non-serious tone while turning to Gwyn with a smile.


    Gwyn debated on whether he should press the issue further but was interrupted before he could say anything.


    "Nonpareil!" the familiar voice of an Aqueenian guard called out to them. In no time at all, Colton found his way onto the balcony. With his eyes welling up, Colton grabbed Gwyn by the shoulders and shook him rather intensely.


    "How could you just leave me like that! My position was almost in jeopardy! I''ve been looking all over for you!" he cried out. Gwyn pushed the soldier''s hands off his shoulders and took a step back.


    "Sorry about that," he replied while rubbing the back of his head, "I kind of was swept up at the moment..." he finished his apology with a smile to decrease the tension, but Colto''s face showed no amusement.


    "Please never do that again! I understand everything is strange to you, but my job was on the line!" Colton''s voice had switched from nearly crying to fury. Gwyn had no reply and simply nodded to agree with him.


    Fiona cleared her throat to get Colton''s attention.


    "Ah, Princess Fiona! I''m sorry you had to see such an ugly scene."


    "It''s okay, Colton, you''ve been through a lot lately... why don''t you go get some rest, and I''ll keep an eye on our guest for the time being?"


    Colton broke out into sudden tears; he put one arm over his eyes to hide them.


    "Princess Fiona, I don''t care what the others say about you; you''re such a sweet lady! I''m sorry for ever doubting!" he shouted through tears.


    Fiona''s smile briefly became a frown before she replied.


    "Dast, please take the rest of the day off; I will take any responsibility."


    Colton nodded, while his arms still covered his eyes, and turned around to walk out. Fiona made a sigh of relief as she leaned back against the balcony railing.


    "Taking it a bit easy, Fiona?" A new voice shouted out almost immediately after Colton had left.


    Fiona jumped at the sound, and Gwyn silently wondered how popular the balcony location was in the castle.


    Hermina floated onto the balcony with a smile.


    "Hermina, I hope you have been well? Fiona asked. Her face looked to her sister, but her eyes were drifting off to the side.


    "Relax, I''m not going to scold you about anything you''ve done... yet. Rather, I am looking for the Nonpareil." Hermina looked to Gwyn as she replied. Both he and Fiona didn''t hide the shock on their faces.


    "Why?" Gwyn cautiously asked. He wasn''t sure who he was speaking to as they had not met.


    Hermina sighed.


    "It''s really been an awful day," she began. Fiona sighed and slid down to a seated position on the ground. She gave Gwyn a look to express that this would take a while. Gwyn looked from Fiona to Hermina. The eldest Aqueenian princess rested her fingers from the arms without her Needaimus on her cheek and leaning slightly. She stared out into space as she began her explanation. Gwyn figured it would be best to follow Fiona''s lead and sat down next to the younger Aqueenian princess.

 15 - The Human and the Netzians

    "And so, I convinced the Bentulousians and Zenototes to compete in a friendly board game to figure out who would disembark first," Hermina had gone at length about her morning routine and daily activities and finally was reaching the root of why she had sought out Gwyn. Though, he had no idea where she was leading to and figured this was yet another tangent in a long line of tangents she had gone on in her explanation.


    "They sent over their smartest members on a small ship we sent out to pick them up. Meanwhile, the dock''s boss, Braxen, I believe, was scrambling to find the pieces we needed to play Czaric. Turns out he had a board and most of the set at the office, but they were missing the pivotal Czar piece for the red side. Apparently, they had a wild office party not too long ago."


    Gwyn turned to Fiona, who appeared to be nodding off, as Hermina went into detail about what she had been told about the office party.


    "Fiona, don''t fall asleep," he said with a yawn.


    "I know, she''ll get to the point eventually...." Fiona answered with a yawn.


    "But luckily, one of the team was sober enough during the party, so when Braxen came back with the almost complete set, he was able to remember where the missing piece was. He ran out to get it and came back just in time. The representatives were already ashore and heading to the office to play. The Zenototes surprised me in particular with their representative. She was rather young and would be considered very ugly by their standards, not that it made a difference to me, of course. Oh, and the Bentulousians sent exactly the lady I thought they would."


    Hermina continued to stare off into space as she recounted the story of her day. She went into detail about every move each player had made, from what piece they moved to the space it went it and how every person in the room reacted to the play. Gwyn''s head began to slump for a moment, but he suddenly shook it side to side to keep from nodding off.


    "Then that Harlan made such an unexpected move! It threw everyone off; even Banner was confused. I couldn''t believe it myself!"


    Gwyn had almost nodded off when she gave the names of the opponents, but he was worried how long the story would be if he stopped her to clarify who was who.


    "Would you believe it, though, just as she was going to make the winning move, the Netzians ship just came barging in! They went right through the two and headed to the shore. That wasn''t the end of it, though. The other two shot off after the Netzians, and they all began a race to the shoreline. Need I remind you, the location is plenty big enough for all three to fit comfortably!"


    Fiona perked up and tapped on Gwyn''s shoulder.


    "I think she''s about to get to the point."


    "That was such a mess. I managed to stop the three ships before they could crash into each other by the shore, but the Netzians managed to take the lead and started disembarking first. It''s probably going to be the most talked-about moment of this year''s conference, for better or worse," Hermina stopped to sigh before continuing, "Anyway, the Netzian leader headed right up to me and asked to see you immediately. So, after I got all the matters settled out at the shore, I headed out to find you!" Hermina finished her story and turned to Gwyn with a happy smile.


    "Why do they want to meet me?" Gwyn asked.


    "Well-" Hermina began.


    "Never mind, let''s go meet them!" Gwyn shouted as he jumped to his feet. He sensed if he let Hermina talk, he might be on the balcony a while longer. Fiona simply nodded as she realized Gwyn was picking up on the fact that her family was already acutely aware of.


    "Great! I''ll take you there now!" Hermina waved for Gwyn to follow and began to float from the balcony back into the castle. Gwyn looked to Fiona, who had also stood up. She began to walk with him as they followed.


    "What are the Netzians, exactly?" Gwyn asked.


    "You, you''re a Netzian," Fiona explained.


    "In the museum, it seemed to show a specific day they arrived on Resh, but there was no explanation of how they got here," Gwyn sped up as he realized Hermina was moving faster than the two of them. Fiona followed suit.


    "That was a long time ago. Even if the Netaians knew then, they don''t know now," Fiona explained. "I would guess that it was in the same way you arrived."


    "But I don''t know how I arrived...."


    "Then you didn''t cast a spell to come here?" Hermina asked as she led the way in front of them.


    "Spell? Like magic?" Gwyn asked.


    "I take it that''s a no," Hermina concluded. She began a long muttering to herself about Gwyn''s possible origins.


    Gwyn pondered what she had said as they rounded a corner. They were standing in front of a door in one of the castle''s many hallways in no time flat.


    "They asked for you to be alone; Fiona will wait for you in the hallway; I, unfortunately, have some other things I need to get done before tomorrow''s main event. You see.... Oh dear, look at the time; I''m sorry, I really must be going!"


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Hermina quickly left Gwyn in front of the door and Fiona leaning on the wall across from it. Her hover chair zoomed down the hallway and was soon out of sight.


    "Do I knock?" Gwyn muttered to himself. As if on cue, the door slid open, and a Netzian greeted him.


    She had the face of a human, but her neck gleamed with green scales. The scales seemed to stretch down her body since they also came out from under the sleeves of her shirt and went down halfway on her forearm. The rest of her arm and hand were clearly humans. Her face was dotted with freckles under her eyes.


    She eagerly looked at Gwyn from top to bottom with yellow eyes that had slit pupils. Then she smiled a sharp, toothy grin at Gwyn before pulling him into the room.


    The door slid shut behind Gwyn as the lady that had greeted him finally let go. He took a step back to observe the scene.


    The room was clearly Aqueenian in nature with a curved design and housing a swirling pillar. Several beds had been set out in the room in a manner that resembled a hotel room. On one of the beds, a guy that looked very human sat with his arms crossed and an unpleasant look on his face. He had emerald green hair and more prominent than normal pupils, but otherwise, he would seem like any other human.


    A second man was leaning against the wall. He was short and wide with an apparent oddly shaped bone that made up his forehead, as a shape seemed to press out under the skin. His eyes were closed as he rested on the wall, and Gwyn could not tell if he was awake or asleep.


    The last person in the room was a young girl. She had snow-white hair that dangled down her face and two short animal-looking ears on her head. She shyly stood in the corner with a stance that seemed like she was prepared for Gwyn to attack in some way. She was turned slightly to the side so that he could only see one side of her. Her eyes didn''t lose sight of Gwyn as he walked through the room.


    "It''s great to meet you!" The lady with reptilian features said as she greeted Gwyn by grabbing one of his hands with both of hers and shaking it excitedly. Gwyn awkwardly accepted her fierce greeting. She gave him a goofy grin that showed sharper fanged teeth than an average person would have.


    The lady let go of Gwyn''s hands and took a step back. She placed her hands on her hips as if to show off childlike confidence. Her nature was jarring for Gwyn as he would guess this woman was likely in her 50''s if he only had her appearance to judge.


    Contrasted to the other 3 in the room, Gwyn guessed that she at the very least might be the oldest by a considerable amount.


    "Feya." The wide man with the odd forehead spoke up, and the lizard woman seemed to collect herself in response. She made a coughing sound in a balled fist as if to clear her throat. At this point, Gwyn noticed that she did not have a Needaimus attached to either arm; instead, it was fused to her leg.


    "Well, we should first start with introductions. As you heard, I am called Feya, and I am the acting Dare. That big, grumpy-looking guy against the wall is Draco. The guy brooding on the bed is Hal, and the girl hiding in the corner is Ingrid," Feya said with a beaming smile, "Now, we only know you as the Nonpareil. What is your name?" she finished with an enthusiastic question. She clearly had no poker face as she eagerly awaited his response.


    "Gwyn," he answered slowly.


    "Gwyn!" Feya shouted as she repeated him. "Fascinating, tell me, what is the home world like!" Without missing a beat, she had already moved on to another question. Gwyn couldn''t help but notice that she had inched closer as she asked the question.


    "It... is big... and blue... and round..." Gwyn had never thought about how he would describe the planet he hailed from before.


    "I know all that; tell me what it is like? How does it compare to Resh?" She once again inched closer as she eagerly awaited the response.


    Gwyn first thought to reply that there were no Aqueenians or Hobusians on earth, but he hesitated when he thought she might respond with another ''I know that'' as a reply. He tried to come up with another comeback. Fortunately for him, their conversation was interrupted before he had to think of something.


    "Feya, we didn''t invite him here to talk about the home world," Draco snapped.


    "Indeed, Milady, such is a mere wind that whistles past the ear. It shall not enlighten us any further," Hal chimed in from the bed. However, Gwyn wasn''t sure what he was trying to add to the conversation. Ingrid silently nodded in agreement with the other two, though only Draco took notice.


    Feya let out a deep sigh that was forced to show her dissatisfaction.


    "Fine!" she groaned as she rolled her slitted eyes. "Well, Mr. Gwyn, we would like to invite you to join us formally!"


    "Join you?"


    "Why yes, we would like you to become a Netzian citizen! After the conference, we would like to take you back to the capitol!" she seemed unable to keep her energy under control as she spoke.


    Gwyn was taken aback for a moment, but then he collected himself and put his hand to his chin as he entered thought.


    He had no idea what he ought to do. He had already had an attempt on his life with the incident in the coliseum, and he couldn''t be sure that there would not be another one. However, he was wary of trusting people he had just met, though if the Netzians originated from earth, he could understand why they welcomed him.


    "Um, hello, resh to Gwyn," Feya chimed in to break Gwyn out of his thoughts. Gwyn focused back in on the people in the room. "So, what do you have to say!"


    Gwyn opened his mouth, though he had not decided and had no idea what he should say.


    Don''t be too hasty; you can ask for more time to think! Mem chimed in from on his arm. Gwyn jumped slightly as he had already forgotten the Needaimus was there.


    "I''m sorry, could I have some time to think about it. I haven''t been in this world very long and still need to get my bearings," Gwyn said.


    Feya had a noticeable frown at his reply. Her shoulders slumped for a moment, but she soon shot back up straight.


    "No problem at all! We will be here for the conference for the next couple of days anyway! Just come see us before the end!" she chipperly replied.


    Gwyn only nodded. He took the moment to excuse himself out of the room where he met back up with Fiona.


    Once the door had slid shut and the trio outside would have been long gone, Draco spoke up.


    "I am still against bringing him to the capitol. Pure Netzian or not, we can''t trust him so readily."


    "Oh hush, that is why we brought Ingrid with us!" Draco sighed at Feya''s dismissal as she turned to look at Ingrid.


    The girls'' white ears on the top of her head perked up once Gwyn had left. She walked out to one of the beds and gracefully sat on it. The arm she had kept out of Gwyn''s view was bonded to a Needaimus that was as snow white as her hair. The other three waited for her to speak up; in Feya''s case, it was more like she eagerly waited.


    "He has had too many confusing things happen in such a short time. I could barely get a read on him at all," the girl softly admitted as her Needaimus popped off her arm. She gently pat its head, and it seemed to relax from her touch.


    "Such is the fate of the woefully inexperienced," Hal groaned as he flopped onto his back. He folded his arms behind his head and stared at the plain ceiling. Ingrid looked down and clutched her skirt tightly.


    "Don''t mind him at all!" Feya was next to Ingrid in a flash. "You''ll have plenty of opportunities to get a read on this Gwyn character!" Feya reassured Ingrid with a gentle pat on the back.


    "If there is a next time," muttered Draco in a manner that was only loud enough to be heard by him.

 Excerpt from Gwyns Journal - Netzians

    Moving on to Netzians, they are one of the more boring-looking species I have encountered. That is due to the simple fact they are humans that somehow in the past have ended up on Resh. Though, I have no idea where they came from or when they came here. My guess is that it was quite a long time ago.


    They seem to be the ones that brought English to this planet. Apparently, at the time of the Netzian arrival, there were debates for a common language among the other four major species on Resh. A long war had just ended, and they were trying to push for a new era of peace. From what I understand, each species has a classic language and did not want to part with it in favor of a group that they had previously been at war with. They ultimately decided to take the newcomers'' language, as it had no history on Resh, and each species got to choose several words from their own language to incorporate into it. It seems it was also easy for the natives on Resh to learn.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Back to the Netzians themselves. I omitted a detail before that is probably essential. While they are normal humans from earth, they came in a small number. Due to that, there has been mixing with other species on Resh over the years, and many Netzians hold features that are no longer human. Some changes can be as sudden as less natural hair colors becoming natural, but there can also be changes in ears or being covered in scales.

 16 - Procession

    Gwyn was given a room to stay in the Aqueenian castle that night. It wasn''t until he fell on the bed that he realized how tired he actually was. Though Mem tried to carry a conversation with him, Gwyn was asleep in no time.


    Morning came far too quickly for him, and he awoke with a solemn groan. He rubbed his eyes and sat up on the bed. It took him a minute to recall where he was as he was slowly becoming more awake.


    "Well, goyura!" Mem greeted Gwyn.


    "Good... morning..." Gwyn muttered as he shook his head in an effort to be fully awake.


    "You must have been exhausted, I tried making all sorts of loud noises to wake you up, and nothing worked."


    "You did what?"


    "Do you have any plans for today?"


    Gwyn stood up from out of bed and stretched his arms.


    "I just got up; of course, I don''t have any plans." After he finished stretching, Gwyn walked over to the room and looked at some neatly laid-out clothes for him. Fiona had told him she would have someone prepare some clothing for him to wear, but he had not bothered looking at it before he had gone to sleep.


    Before, Gwyn appeared to be white pants with a black fabric hanging off and a white sleeveless shirt. In addition, there was a piece of clothing that looked something like a cloak.


    The color of the cloak was a familiar shade of orange. It had been clearly inspired by the curtain that Gwyn had wrapped around himself to hide Mem. While he got dressed, Gwyn pondered whether it was a tongue and cheek decision, as if whoever prepared the clothing was laughing at him in some way.


    He slid on the clothes and wrapped the cloak around him. It left his right arm exposed and draped down on his left side.


    Once Gwyn finished getting dressed, Mem leaped across the room and bonded to his right arm.


    "Is it common for you to be attached to my arm all the time?" Gwyn asked as he slowly opened and closed his right, now mechanically encased, hand.


    Sometimes in official meetings, but the more we are linked, the higher your compatibility will grow.


    "You mentioned that before."


    Yes, the higher the compatibility, the more you can do with your ability. Using power increases the rate faster, but just being linked will provide a passive increase of up to 50%! It also helps you start with higher compatibilities should you ever partner with another Needaimus. Mem explained.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Gwyn shrugged and began walking to the door of his room.


    "So, what happens after 50%? Should I assume you have to use the ability to get to 100?"


    Dast! 100% is the natural max compatibility and the goal to reach! Right now, you are sitting at 10%; you might have a talent for this! You should be able to liquify a small sphere of space now wherever you touch.


    The door slid open, and Gwyn stepped into the hallway. The castle hall was empty and quiet. It split into three directions from where his room exited. He looked at his left and right a couple of times before settling on going straight.


    "I''ve meant to ask, but is Dast supposed to be like saying yes?" Gwyn asked out loud.


    Do you not have that word on your planet?


    "No, I do not."


    Hmm, well, it can be used that way, but it also can be used as a general affirmative... I''m sure you''ll figure it out!


    Gwyn sighed as he realized Mem was not the right one to be directing language questions.


    Gwyn continued aimlessly wandering the hallways for a moment until he came across a crowd that was walking through the halls. The hallway dead-ended into a "T" in the path in front of him. Walking down the perpendicular hallway was a procession of giants. They were tall, standing easily above 2.5 meters, from what Gwyn could tell. The clothing they wore looked smooth and well-kept. It reminded Gwyn of a military uniform, and it was clear who was more important in their procession from the decoration on their attire.


    The crowd was a species he had not yet seen, at least in person. In addition to their height, they had feet that resembled cloven hoofs with shoes that seemed to add a large platform between the feet and the ground. They were bipedal, but their heads resembled more of an animal than some of the other species Gwyn had encountered, looking like a cross between a horse, a kangaroo, and a human. They were covered in short fur that looked like it came in the same kind of variety one might expect from the patterns on cats or horses.


    Gwyn watched in silence as the group slowly marched on. The way they walked and the manner of facial expressions gave him the impression that they were doing some sort of ritual, though he had no idea why.


    The last of the line was the least decorated, from what Gwyn could tell. She simply followed behind and carried a large flag over her shoulders. The top of the pole almost scraped against the ceiling, but no one in the procession paid it any mind as they walked through.


    In a matter of minutes, they were out of sight, and Gwyn continued on his way. He looked down the hallway to the group, who were not too far in the distance. He went in the opposite direction.


    "Who were they," Gwyn finally asked when he felt he was out of their earshot. He recalled images that looked like them from the museum but could never pick up which group was which.


    Bentulousians! Mem happily explained.


    Gwyn hummed to himself as he continued down the path.


    Unfortunately for him, he was only out of earshot enough for a human ear. At the back of the procession, the flagbearer turned around to look at the odd, oblivious Netzian as he walked away with an unguarded back. She pondered for a minute who he could be, then remembered the rumors of the other worldly traveler.


    Had she not been taking part in the procession, she might have greeted the stranger. Instead, she returned to her duty and held the flag up high as they continued the march.

 17 - The Odd Aqueenian

    Gwyn continued to walk down the castle hallways aimlessly when someone suddenly pulled him into a room. The door slid shut, and the person who grabbed him by the arm not so quietly whispered:


    "Shhhh," Odell said as he cautiously looked around the room.


    "Running from your fianc¨¦ again?" Gwyn asked while shaking his head.


    "No, this time, it''s worse. I''m running from my father!"


    "Does your father chase you while flying through the air as well?" Gwyn asked while not being sure what answer he should expect to get.


    "Wha- Dant, he wants me to attend the conference!"


    "What conference?" Gwyn asked. He had heard about it in passing but was starting to wonder about its importance. Quenth was clearly an Aqueenian city, so was it rare to see so many other species in it? He was not sure, nor did he get an explanation. A moment after asking his question, Fiona appeared in a flash of blue light.


    Gwyn jumped back in surprise, but Odell had been expecting it.


    "There is a secluded balcony that overlooks the city on the Lover''s Bridge side. We should be able to get some peace there... oh, hey Gwyn, are you joining us?"


    "Shouldn''t you be involved in this conference?" Gwyn asked.


    "My father doesn''t like me involved in those sorts of things," Fiona said with an odd smile.


    Neither Odell nor Gwyn replied as Fiona waved for them to follow. She poked her head out of the doorway and looked in all directions. When she saw the path was clear, she crept out and began to tiptoe down the hallway. The other two followed in an equally sneaky manner.


    "Why are we moving like this? Couldn''t she just zap us there?" Gwyn asked.


    Odell furrowed his brow in confusion, so Gwyn rephrased, "Couldn''t she use her powers to get us there?"


    "She cannot," Odell explained after making an expression that would often be paired with the image of a light bulb over his head, "She can lock onto an object and move to it, or farther from it, she had me as the target to return so we have to walk there."


    "I see," Gwyn said as he pondered what Odell said. He looked at Mem, who was still bonded on his arm as he thought. When neither of them said anything else, Gwyn considered another subject to talk about as they continued to creep along.


    He thought about asking why Fiona seemed so disliked by the king, but as he pondered it, he figured it would not be best to ask Odell something personal about someone else.


    They continued quietly moving along. Fiona would stop them at every turn with a silent hand gesture and peer around corners. They had to hide behind a pillar or odd furniture a couple of times as some guards made their routine rounds.


    It took far longer than it should have and far longer than necessary as none of the guards would have stopped them, but they reached the spot Fiona had mentioned. The trio let out a sigh of relief, though for different individual reasons, and sat down on the balcony.


    The balcony overlooked Lover''s bridge, which was drawn back to prevent any unwanted people from entering. It was not meant to be stood on, as the trio had to open a window to get out on it, but a series of railing contained the space anyway. King and Queen Whitlock had often escaped to the secluded spot to get some peace and quiet in their youth. As such, the railings were added by Queen Whitlock''s younger brother, who also knew of their excursions.


    The shining city beyond the bridge had a unique calm that Gwyn had not seen the earlier day. It was still very early in the morning, though he was unaware of that, and most of the city was still asleep.


    "So, what is this conference about?" Gwyn asked after a moment of silence.


    Fiona shrugged and gave him an answer.


    "It''s an annual peace conference between world leaders. We hold it once every year at a different capital. They discuss boring things and what they are going to do differently, or something."


    "I see," Gwyn answered.


    "This year is a special one; it happens to be the hundredth conference held since the event started," Odell added.


    Gwyn nodded to show that he understood. His head was filled with questions he could ask to follow up. Why did the conference start? Have there been any clashes since it started? What is the conference like?


    Such history had not been on display in the museum they had visited the previous day. The last event recorded in the museum that he could recall was the Hobusian and Aqueenian war that took place just slightly over 100 years ago. He was beginning to wonder if the war and the beginning of the conference were related.


    Though he didn''t get a chance to ask about it, Odell spoke up to start a different conversation.


    "Gwyn, I heard you arrived in some sort of vehakul!"


    "Yeah, my car... what did happen to that?" Gwyn asked as he looked at Fiona. She simply shrugged.


    "I was not involved with that, but I would think that they would have taken it to the lab to dismantle," Fiona explained.


    "Dismantle?" Gwyn repeated in shock.


    "Can they put it back together? I wanted to take it apart!" Odell added.


    Fiona sighed and ignored the responses from the other two, and looked out to the city. That is when she noticed something interesting.


    Over the quiet city, a large, winged creature seemed to be heading in their direction.


    "Do you have giant birds on this planet too?" Gwyn asked while taking notice of the thing that was headed their way.


    Neither Fiona nor Odell answered, but both rubbed the Needaimus on their arms as if to double-check they were attached.


    The figure came into view more clearly as it flew closer. Soon a humanoid shape formed under the two large wings. In a matter of seconds, the form became distinct enough to make out.


    It was an Aqueenian girl with an erinite green complexion. She wore a white dress with a laced front and frilly, short skirt; that dress had light black highlights that accented the waist and end of the skirt. The top of the dress was strapless, and the back, though the trio could not see it, was open. A snow-white Needaimus covered her left arm.


    The Aqueenian gracefully landed on a lamp post at the city end of Lover''s bridge. Two large wings furled behind her back as she pushed snow, white threads of hair away from her face. Her hair was all white, save for a black color that covered just around her roots. Her left wing was made of black feathers and resembled a bird''s wing. Her right wing looked as if it was covered in a silver coating, but it was clear that the wing was a mechanical prosthetic when looked at closely.


    The Aqueenian unfurled her wings. Fiona shuddered like a chill went up through her back as the newcomer took to the sky. With her wings outstretched, she put her hand over her eyes like it was a visor on a baseball cap. She began flying over the water while looking all around the castle. It wasn''t long until her gaze settled on the trio that was staring at her.


    The odd Aqueenian stopped in midair and hovered in place with her flapping wings. The trio and she stared at each other for a moment. Then, she smiled, tilted her hand, and made a friendly wave. With a sudden flap of her wings, she suddenly shot to the left and began to fly around the castle.


    Gwyn was about to ask about this odd newcomer, but Fiona suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light. She instantly appeared in front of the winged stranger and grabbed onto her. They began to fly around the sky in a hectic manner as the newcomer tried to shake Fiona off.


    "What''s going on?" Gwyn asked Odell as he stepped onto the ledge of the balcony.


    "She''s trouble!" He simply said as he leaped off the balcony. He didn''t make a strong push with his legs, but he went flying through the air like a rocket regardless.


    "Wait! Why is she trouble!" Gwyn shouted out as Odell shot out over the water.


    The winged Aqueenian quickly changed directions once she had noticed the other''s gaze.


    You were not to let anyone see you! Her Needaimus echoed in her head.


    "Don''t worry about it, X!" she spoke in a playful tone but tried to get away from the three that had spotted her as fast as possible.


    She didn''t get very far before Fiona suddenly appeared in front of her in a flash of blue light. Fiona grabbed onto the winged Aqueenian with a bear hug, wrapping around her arms and her back. The Aqueenian princess had meant to catch her opponent''s wings but was somewhat unable, and slightly unwilling, to reach far enough to grab them.


    "What are you doing here!" Fiona shouted as loud as she could.


    "Oh, you must be a fan, I know I''m huggable, but I''m afraid this isn''t a meet and greet!" she playfully answered before frantically flying around to shake her new opponent off. Fiona held firm and continued to yell out.


    "You should know the guards won''t let you in the castle!" she yelled.


    The winged Aqueenian stopped struggling and hovered in the air. She could see Fiona would not give up so easily. A different tactic would be needed; fortunately, the newcomer had plenty of options. The odd Aqueenian began to repeat the saved information her Needaimus was now echoing through her mind.


    "Fiona Whitlock, the third child of the Aqueenian royal family. You love sweet things, but pretend you like sour meals to seem more mature. You get pretty good grades in school, but despite that, your father has excluded you from most events, such as the conference. Your ability is to teleport in a radius around a target you set, and you can freely change the targets. At least, that is how you apply it," she told Fiona. The princess was wide-eyed and shocked; her grip loosened for a moment. The winged Aqueenian was waiting for the opportunity and took it to push Fiona off by moving her arms out.


    Fiona came back to her senses and was able to teleport behind her opponent in a blue flash.


    The winged Aqueenian was not paying attention to Fiona, however. She had just taken notice of Odell flying to her. With a flap of her wings, she flew up into the air just out of Odell''s trajectory.


    Fiona, however, was not so lucky and Odell went crashing into her. Fiona began to fall, and Odell seemed to float down slowly.


    "Well, I sure am popular today!" The winged opponent mused as she looked to Gwyn. He was still standing on the balcony. His good hand gripped the railing, and his bad hand just rested on it.


    He wasn''t in any of the files; we better be careful, her Needaimus, X, said.


    "Oh, you worry too much!"


    Fiona appeared next to Odell. She grabbed his arm and spun in the air to throw him at the winged opponent whose attention focused on Gwyn. He shot through the air at her and delivered a heavy punch right on her back, directly between her wings.


    The winged Aqueenian cried out, but it was mostly in shock. She spun around and grabbed Odell''s arm before he could pull it back. At the same time, Fiona appeared in the air above them and tried to kick the opponent in the head. Instead, the winged Aqueenian grabbed Fiona by the leg.


    "Now, now, you can''t go kicking beauideals in the face!" she said in a friendly tone and with an angry expression before doing a flip in the air and throwing the two of them down to the water. Fiona disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared on the balcony. Odell started falling quickly but suddenly slowed to an almost stop. He spun over and glared at the opponent.


    "Now, since you are apparently unaware, I will tell you who has so graciously appeared in front of you!"


    Don''t! Her Needaimus shouted in her mind, but the warning was ignored.


    "Yes, you have been greeted by the number one beauideal in all of Nun, the amazing Dia Mond!" The winged opponent shouted as she flipped her hair back.


    You actually told them... X sighed.


    Dia spun in the air with her left hand raised after just announcing herself. She stopped and held her open hand out to the duo on the balcony, though they showed no indication that they were impressed.


    Fiona instead appeared by Dia again and grabbed onto her. Dia tried to duck out of the way, but Fiona was able to grab onto her left arm and hold it tightly.


    "This again?" Dia said with her tone suddenly turning from chipper to bitter. She shook her arm, but Fiona wouldn''t let go. "What do you plan to accomplish anyway?" Dia asked back in her cheery tone.


    "I just need to keep you in one place," Fiona said as she looked up. Dia followed the princess'' gaze, and her eyes became wide.


    While she had been distracted by Fiona on her arm, Odell had slowly floated in the air above them. He suddenly began to drop rapidly. Fiona disappeared in a red flash as Odell shot down with both his feet targeted at Dia.


    Before he could make contact, Dia reached out and grabbed Odell but his ankles. She gracefully pushed to redirect him. It happened in a straightforward motion that went by so fast the two observers were unable to see. Odell appeared to fly right next to her and continue plummeting down.


    "You missed?" shouted Fiona from the balcony where she had retreated.


    Odell started floating in the air again and looked up at Dia.


    "She''s tougher than she looks," Odell shouted back, "We should call for help!"


    Fiona responded by pulling out her tablet. She tapped on the screen, but no connection was made.


    "Tsk, Tsk, you three really are trying to be trouble. Too bad for you; we have already had any communications within the castle under our control!"


    Fiona tossed her tablet to the ground.


    "Fiona," Gwyn tried to say something but was cut off as she disappeared in a blue flash.


    He looked back out to the fight where Fiona had once again appeared next to Dia. Odell was beginning to float above the two Aqueenians, and Gwyn banged his hand on the railing. He couldn''t do anything but watch this battle in the air.


    Fiona once again latched onto her opponent. Dia rolled her eyes as the Princess was only able to grab her leg. It didn''t take too much effort to shake her off and avoid another falling strike from Odell. As Odell suddenly slowed to a stop in the air again, Fiona appeared next to him.


    She grabbed the Hobusian by the arm and spun to throw him at Dia. Just before Odell made contact, however, Fiona reappeared behind Dia and finally was able to grab her mechanical wing. Dia was distracted just in time for Odell to give her a heavy punch to the stomach. She and Fiona flew away from Odell as if they had launched from a cannon. In no short time, they began to plummet to the water.


    Dia struggled as Fiona held tightly to her wing. The princess planned to teleport away right before they hit the water and had already locked onto Odell in preparation. Odell continued to float in the air, watching them as they fell.


    Dia, however, had other plans. From under her dress''s skirt, she produced a short dagger. She moved her wing so that it was next to her side, and by extension, so was Fiona, and plunged the blade at the princess'' chest. Fiona tried to avoid it but still managed to get a slit across her arm. She cried out, and the beauideal seized the moment to throw her off.


    Dia expanded her wings and managed to break her fall in the air right above the water. With a strong push of her wings, she changed direction and began to fly low above the water. Fiona, on the other hand, kept falling in as she held a hand over the cut. She plunged into the clear Quenth water, and in a matter of minutes, a flash went off under the water, and Fiona was in the air over Odell. She looked to the balcony and appeared there quickly before even another second had passed.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Dia flipped the blade through the air and then slid it back under her dress, where she had a sheath strapped to her leg. She proceeded to run her hands through her long, white hair then looked back up to Odell with a smile.


    Odell gritted his teeth.


    Meanwhile, Fiona was breathing heavily on the balcony and holding her hand over the slash. She was drenched head to toe, and water dripped down to a puddle that she teleported with her. The princess dropped to a kneeling position as she began to catch her breath.


    "Fiona, are you okay?" Gwyn asked as he frantically looked around for something that could be used for first aid.


    Fiona tore a piece of her jacket and began to wrap it around her cut.


    "It''s alright; battle scars are impressive, right?" she said in a forced tone of happiness as she tightly secured it around her wound.


    With a large flap of her wings, Dia came in close to where the castle base met the water. She began to fly up alongside the wall. The balcony was clearly her target.


    "She''s coming here. What should we do?" Gwyn shouted. He looked to Fiona, but she was too busy tying her makeshift bandage to react in time.


    We need to stop her! Mem answered in Gwyn''s head.


    Gwyn put his hand on the railing and liquified a small section of it. Before it turned completely liquid, he pushed it off in the direction Dia was flying up in. She quickly drifted to the side to avoid his falling hazard.


    The beauideal flew over the balcony, flapped her wings, changed directions to fly over their heads into the castle. She quickly landed and began running down a hallway that was slightly too narrow for the impressive wingspan.


    Fiona gave her bandage one last pull and stood to her feet.


    "Hey, don''t forget about me!" Odell yelled as he continued to float out above the water.


    "Gwyn, chase after her; we''ll catch up to you!" Fiona said as she turned to lock onto Odell.


    Gwyn took off in a sprint as he followed Dia down the hall. Had he more time to think, he would have pondered what he was doing and who this person was. At the moment, he was focused on chasing the strange Aqueenian.


    She was still visible as she neared the next turn, so Gwyn pushed to run as fast as he could. He slowly gained distance on the winged Aqueenian as she rounded the corner. He turned to chase after her while continuing to close the distance.


    Dia looked over her shoulder at Gwyn. She turned forward again and shook her head.


    "You''re pretty quick on your feet, huh?" she yelled out.


    "It''s the one thing I was good at back home!" Gwyn shouted back as he was getting close enough to reach out and grab one of her wings. He reached out with his right hand, but just before he could grab Dia, she suddenly sped up and began to pull away from him.


    "Wow, this is fun; I don''t think I''ve ever ran this fast before! Thanks!" she chirped in excitement.


    Gwyn clenched his fist as she began to pull away from him.


    "If only I could liquify the floor in front of her..." he muttered.


    "What was that? I didn''t catch it." Dia shouted back to him as she continued to get farther away. They rounded another corner, and Gwyn spotted one of the swirling lamps a short distance ahead. That was when he got an idea.


    As they ran past, he held out his Needaimus covered hand so that it would collide with the lamp. Instead of knocking it over, he liquified just the edges of his current radius limit so that he could catch and hold onto a chunk of it within his hand. The rest of the lamp fell apart behind them as they continued to run.


    With the strongest throw he could muster, Gwyn tossed the chunk of the lamp, just before he turned it liquid, in an underhand manner. It splattered on the floor right at D¨ªa''s feet, and she slipped almost immediately.


    The winged Aqueenian went rolling on the ground, and Gwyn continued sprinting after her, making sure to leap over the place where the liquid lamp was on the floor. Dia pushed herself up, but Gwyn grabbed her tightly before she could start running again.


    Unfortunately, he could not grip as tightly with his left arm and hand, and Dia noticed immediately. She grabbed his left arm and twisted it so that he flipped over her shoulder and landed squarely on his back.


    "Gwyn!" Fiona shouted from down the hall as she and Odell ran down to them.


    Dia sighed and began running down the hall away from them.


    Gwyn pushed himself off the ground and shouted to the duo.


    "Don''t slip!" His shout came just in time as Odell and Fiona were able to notice the puddle and jump over it without losing speed.


    Gwyn hopped up and joined the other two as they chased after the beauideal.


    "What is she after?" Gwyn shouted to the other two. They had temporarily lost track of Dia and were now frantically running through the hallway to chase after her. Fortunately, the path was clear to both Fiona and Odell.


    "She must be planning to do something at the conference! We need to hurry." Odell yelled forward to the other two. Despite not knowing exactly which way to go, Gwyn was the fastest and led the group with Fiona on his heels and Odell only keeping up with the assistance of his Needaimus ability.


    "Turn left here!" Fiona yelled to Gwyn, and he turned the corner. They exited that hallway into the grand entrance that made up the front of the castle. It was long and wide, with two rows of swirling columns running down to make it seem like three hallways.


    The columns were equally spaced and had the light fixtures hanging out near the ceiling on a thin pole with a large decorative light hanging on the end of each.


    Dia sat like a witch on a broomstick on one of these fixtures while examining a hand-drawn paper map. She rotated the map 180 degrees in front of her, then spun it back the way she had it.


    "I''m telling you; we should have made a right back there," she said out loud from her perch as she tried to find the way. "No, I''m not lost!"


    The trio could not hear her Needaimus, but they all knew to who Dia was currently speaking. Fiona started to run into the room but was caught with the back of her shirt by Odell. He held up a finger to his lips and shook his head.


    Gwyn nodded to Odell and began to tiptoe over to a column. He slid behind it and peered out from behind, but Dia was still preoccupied with her map.


    Odell suddenly began to float just above the floor. He pointed from himself to Dia while looking at Fiona. Then he made a couple of hand signs.


    "I don''t understand; just spit it out," Fiona said in a quiet but pressing voice.


    "I should have the advantage in this room; just support me," Odell hissed back as he pushed off the floor with all of his might. He went back to the wall, then he spun in the air like a gymnast and propelled himself off the wall with a mighty push.


    His target was a column that Dia was not on, which he pushed off similarly to the wall. Then he bounced off the ceiling, and then he bounced off another wall.


    He began to ricochet around the room before Dia took notice of him. At that point, it was too late. He flew next to her with one arm held out, she was unable to react as it smashed into her, and she was knocked right off her perch. Odell continued to fly forward and bounced off the next wall.


    Meanwhile, Dia flapped her wings but was not able to fully break the fall. She hit the ground while managing to tumble so that the impact would not be as harsh. However, Fiona was ready to go as she zapped next to Dia and swept under her legs. Dia, who had not fully regained her balance, stumbled even further in the direction where Gwyn was.


    "Get her, Gwyn!" Fiona shouted.


    Gwyn stepped out from hiding.


    "What am I supposed to do!" he shouted back as the beauideal was starting to regain her balance as she headed his way.


    "Just give her a good knockout blow!" Odell shouted as he went from his ricochet to the ground behind Dia. He kicked her in the back, so she headed to Gwyn and bounced away without missing a beat.


    Gwyn balled a fist but stood still like a statue.


    He had not ever been in a fight, nor had he thrown a punch at someone. He wasn''t sure how to do it properly or if he grasped the situation enough to join in this fight. Gwyn contemplated how he might be able to restrain her instead.


    This hesitation was noticed by Dia, even as she was knocked off balance, and she smirked. She jumped forward to Gwyn to get out of her stumbling and spread her wings. Odell bounced in for another blow, but she simply spun in the air and let him fly right past her.


    She took to the air right over Gwyn''s head and flew around a column to avoid another blow from Odell.


    Fiona tried to teleport in Dia''s way, but the winged Aqueenian was already expecting it and punched Fiona out of the air with a hit right in her core. The princess hit the ground hard as Dia began to fly to the door.


    Before she could make it through, Odell landed in front of the door. The ground cracked underneath him as he slowly moved his arms out to block her. Dia flapped her wings to stop midair then retreated up to the ceiling. Odell bent down like he was about to jump again, but before he could, Dia pointed a single finger at him.


    A beam of energy shot from the tip of her finger. As soon as he saw the flash, Odell gritted his teeth but could not do anything more as he was blasted.


    "Magic too?" Fiona muttered as she sat up while holding her stomach. Odell fell to his knees as the spell drained him. He paused for a moment as he tried to fight it but ultimately fell facedown on the ground.


    Gwyn steeled his resolve and balled his fists as he watched Odell collapse.


    "Odell!" he yelled out.


    Calm down, partner; that spell didn''t kill him.


    Gwyn didn''t listen. He charged ahead at Dia, who was descending in the room. She landed just behind Odell and began to walk out of the main castle hallway. Gwyn ran past Odell with his good fist raised. He threw it at Dia, who had her back turned. It was clear that he had never punched another person before by his form. It was sloppy with a weak arm and weak wrist. He was likely only to hurt his hand if it landed.


    Dia spun around and caught Gwyn by the arm. The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. Dia smiled and winked as she pointed a single finger at him. The tip glowed like it was hot with energy.


    "This might sting a little," Dia said in a sweet voice.


    Before she could fire the shot, Fiona appeared next to her and pushed Dia''s arm in the air. The magical energy shot to the ceiling, but this ended up with Fiona in the same position as Gwyn. Dia sighed and walked away from the three on the floor. She smacked her hands together as if to shake off the dust.


    *****


    Fiona and Gwyn were able to get up quickly after Dia left. Odell, on the other hand, was down for the count.


    "Odell?" Gwyn shouted to him while shaking his shoulder.


    "Mmm," Odell managed to mumble.


    "He won''t be getting up for a while," Fiona explained. She looked down the hallway where Dia had gone.


    Gwyn rubbed the back of his head.


    "You say that like I should understand it."


    Fiona waved her hands for Gwyn to follow. He looked to Odell and back to Fiona.


    "He will be fine, but she will be an issue if she keeps running loose," Fiona said.


    "Mmm," Odell added from the floor.


    Fiona didn''t give Gwyn a chance to reply; she just began to run off. Gwyn sighed and ran after her.


    "I don''t like leaving him in the middle of the floor!" he protested as he caught up with her.


    "She is a dangerous person," Fiona started to say.


    "I picked up on that!"


    "I don''t know what magic was like in your world, but using it on Resh is... rare. If she can use a spell, she is a real danger! We need to warn the guards as soon as possible!" Fiona clenched her teeth. She did not like how serious everything was at the moment.


    "There was no magic in my world!"


    Gwyn could tell that Fiona was not listening as he chased after her.


    They ran through a couple of corridors and finally exited into a large hallway. It was similar to the main entrance but only had one rather large and wide column in the center of the room. Around the column sat several faux trees, and artificial grass filled up most of the room. It appeared to be a park within the castle. Gwyn had not seen the room before as it was one of the ones Fiona did not show him. He looked around and tried to squash his curiosity as they ran through the room.


    On the other side of the giant column, there was a door that rivaled the throne room''s in size. Several guards were standing in front of the door, four in total. One of them was Colton, who made a lazy yawn as he stared off into space.


    "Hey, Colton looks like the princess is running this way," One of the guards said.


    "Ahahaha, she had to come on my shift," a second guard said.


    "You have the worst luck, Colton; the last guard chimed in.


    Colton sighed and shook his head.


    "It just has to be when I am in charge," he muttered as he made steps to the princess and Gwyn.


    "Colton!" Fiona yelled as she finally broke from her sprint to a halt. She struggled to catch her breath and spit out her next words.


    "Come on, Princess Fiona, the conference is underway now; please don''t go trying to do anything," Colton groaned. He looked to Gwyn, "And you shouldn''t go along with her like this, Nonpareil."


    "There''s a cursed Aqueenian coming here! She took down Prince Odell with the spell of weakness!" Fiona yelled out.


    Colton''s eyes grew wide for a moment, then he closed them and sighed.


    "I respect your tenacity, but that one is a little in poor taste, Princess Fiona," he replied as he rubbed the back of his head.


    "She seems to be dangerous!" Gwyn chimed in when he saw Colton was not listening to Fiona.


    "I don''t know what she told you, but you don''t have to play along. She tries to do things like this all the time," Colton explained.


    "But!"


    "Please, princess, we can''t have too many distractions today."


    Fiona shuddered as Colton turned his back and began to walk back to the giant door.


    Gwyn looked back and forth between the two as he tried to comprehend why Colton wouldn''t listen. It didn''t take him long to figure it out; he had picked up on how Fiona was viewed.


    Gwyn gritted his teeth, he didn''t quite understand the danger Dia presented, but Colton''s initial reaction suggested he would act if he took Fiona''s words seriously.


    "Colton, wait!" he yelled out to the guard.


    Colton waved to Gwyn but did not bother turning back to look at them.


    "There are some royal baths in the castle; you should be able to relax there for a while!" Colton yelled back to the duo.


    Gwyn looked back to Fiona, who had slumped down on her knees. Then he turned to Colton, who had begun a nonimportant conversation with the other guards. They laughed as they talked.


    On the other side of the ample space, Dia had entered. She was still concealed to the other''s view by the large column that sat in the middle of the room.


    "We''re finally here!" she chirped as she stretched out her arms.


    We would have gotten here sooner had you not played around before. Her Needaimus added.


    "Hey, Vance drew a poor map!"


    Master Vance drew an excellent map; it was your inability to follow a simple path and your insistence on fighting those three that made us so late. We are low on time now. Additionally, you showed that trio all of your available skills prior to arriving here. Should they come before us, they will be able to inform the guards of your capability fully. X lectured as Dia began to walk around the column.


    "Oh relax, I left those three so far behind they couldn''t possibly-" Dia stopped mid-sentence as the guards, and their company came into view. The four guards were still off in their conversation, and both Gwyn and Fiona had their backs turned to where Dia stood. She slipped behind the column. Her wings shivered. "They beat me here! What do I do? They probably told the guards everything!" she began to stammer.


    Relax, we only need to carry out the mission.


    Dia took a deep breath. Then she waved and winked to fans that were not presently watching.


    "Your right; I''m not the number one beauideal in Nun for nothing! I can take some guards and people I already wiped the floor with earlier!"


    Her wings grew outstretched as she prepared for her attack.


    "Fiona, Nonpareil, you are welcome to leave now," Colton said in the politest tone that he could muster. The two of them had stared at the guards for several minutes as they chatted and laughed with each other.


    "They''re not very impressive guards, huh?" Gwyn asked Fiona in a whisper that was deliberately loud enough for Colton to hear.


    "The real guard is hidden behind the door; they are just here for show," Fiona whispered back in the same loud manner.


    A vein on Colton''s forehead popped.


    "Even if they believed us, could we trust them to stop Dia?" Gwyn asked.


    Fiona hummed to herself before answering.


    "We probably shouldn''t, but they''re not totally incompetent."


    "All right, you two, it''s time to leave," Colton said with a sigh as he walked over to the duo and began to wave his hands to indicate that they should leave.


    He didn''t get very close to them when Dia came flying around the giant column. She started up at the top of the column and glided downward. Colton drew his sword and his fellow guards instantly shaped up.


    Two of the guards drew their weapons. They were known as the sky twins, Maxon and Jaxon. Each had a similar light, faintly blue complexion and white, cloud eyes. Both were bald, and each wielded a heavy compound bow. Of the twins and Colton, none had a Needaimus attached to any of their limbs.


    The last of the guards did have a Needaimus wrapped around his arm. His name was Lieutenant, and he was often teased for it as it did not reflect his actual rank. He had a jonquil yellow complexion and jet-black hair.


    Dia crashed into Gwyn and Fiona, or more accurately, she outstretched her arms and used her momentum to knock them down. The two that had come to warn the guards fell, and Dia landed gracefully on her feet. She winked at Colton with a big, yellow eye. He shuddered and pointed his blade at the new opponent.


    "There are no fans here," Dia said with a sigh and a shake of her head.


    Colton responded with a charge at her; his blade pointed at her throat. The sky twins each fired off an arrow from their bows at the same time.


    Dia effortlessly ducked under Colton''s blade and grabbed him by the clothes. Before he could react, he was thrown onto his back. Then, she gracefully spun on her toes as the arrows harmlessly flew past her. She stopped her spin so that she faced the twins. Her wings suddenly grew outstretched, and the twins jumped back. They were promptly knocked to the ground as Dia quickly closed the gap between them.


    Lieutenant sighed and closed his fist that the Needaimus was attached to. His hand began to glow a steady blue color, and he charged at the winged Aqueenian.


    Dia was prepared and easily avoided the punch from Lieutenant. He was flipped over and thrown on his back before he even realized what had happened.


    Dia sighed and shrugged.


    "You''re not going to stop me with this effort. It''s hardly entertainment! Try calling someone who could be more of a challenge!" she chided at the guards, who all laid on the ground.


    Before anything else could be done, Fiona flashed in front of Dia and threw a punch at her face. Dia quickly leaned back and let the fist sail past her head. At the same time, she reached out to grab Fiona, but the princess disappeared in an instant.


    Gwyn was next to strike, and he broke into a sprint at Dia as he pushed himself off the ground.


    Dia chuckled to herself slightly as he ran to her.


    "We''ve already done this before!" she yelled out to Gwyn. "Not even the dumbest fan would bet on you!"


    Gwyn ignored Dia and grabbed one of the twin''s bows as he ran past. He reached Dia in no time and swung the heavy crossbow up in the air. She confidently stood her ground but put one arm up instinctively to defend herself. As Gwyn brought down the heavy weapon, it liquified. At the same time, he tried to grab her second arm that was not prepared to block his blow. He planned to put both hands by each other, but he could not hold her free arm with his bad left hand.


    The liquid crossbow splashed around Dia''s defending arm, then turned solid in an instant. Had both her arms been close by, they would have been bound like she was in cuffs. Instead, only one arm was encased. She frowned and kicked Gwyn back. Dia tried to shake the heavy, misshapen former bow off, but it was molded tightly to the shape of her arm.


    "That bow was a family heirloom!" Maxon yelled out from the ground.


    Dia glared at Gwyn for a moment, then her gaze softened, and she sighed. She stopped shaking her arm and shrugged.


    "What a boring ability, or perhaps you have no sense of entertainment," he said. She flapped her wings and took to the air. Fiona flashed in front of Dia but was immediately batted away with the encased arm. Dia had swung it like it was a club.


    "We need help," Colton coughed from the ground. Gwyn turned away from Dia to look at the guard. He had thought Colton was just talking out loud, but the guard was speaking into a device.


    Looking away from Dia proved to be a bad idea, however. Dia plunged downward to Gwyn while doing a corkscrews spin in the air. Her encased hand smashed into Gwyn''s side, and he was immediately thrown back.


    Dia gracefully landed on her feet after the impact and looked to the door. As she had expected, the true guard emerged while phasing through the door. It was a Hobusian man. He was tall, for a Hobusian, and stood at the height of Gwyn.


    His shoulders were so broad he might not have fit through some doorways, and his skin was an ashen grey. His eyes looked almost dark and sunken. The crown on his forehead split into three thin sections that curled over his head, and a bright red Needaimus lit up his arm. His muscles twitched as he prepared his strength for the fight.


    The Hobusian looked around at all the fallen on the ground.


    "You''re a disgrace," he said in a deep and even tone voice.


    Dia spun on her toes and threw her hands out in gesture at the Hobusian.


    "What an honor! The strongest in the world, Platon, has come to greet me!"


    Platon settled his gaze on Dia.


    "A jewel with wings, that''s a new one," he said, a voice that had a hint of a sneer.


    Dia simply smiled. She grabbed the misshapen crossbow and pulled it off her arm with one simple motion.


    "I have to thank you; I didn''t know how I was going to get that off!" Dia chirped as she shook her previously encased arm.


    Platon didn''t say anything and simply charged at Dia. The ground shook under his heavy footsteps. Dia followed suit and charged forward. Gwyn and the others were merely watching from the sidelines. The two clashed together as American football players might. It appeared that Platon should easily knock Dia over, but instead, she began to push him back.


    Platon tried to escape when it became clear the small and thin Aqueenian was overpowering him, but Dia only lifted him just above the ground and carried him through the air. They were on a collision course with the large door to the conference venue.


    Platon gritted his teeth and prepared for impact. He figured they would collide with the door, and he could get the better of Dia afterward. He had not been cautious with her ability, but it seemed to give her some strength, as far as Platon could tell.


    They did collide, then the giant metal door broke open like it had been made from cardboard, and they went through. The impact was strong enough to render the strongest Hobusian unconscious.


    Dia threw Platon to the side and took to the air. The crowd in the venue all took their own time to register the threat.


    Gwyn pushed himself up and ran to the now open door. He was greeted by a sight of Dia plunging her dagger into the chest of King Whitlock.

 18 - Regicide

    The room the conference took place in was known as the war room. It was an oval-shaped room with seating that resembled the layout in the coliseum. There were three levels of the coliseum seating and a ceiling that was dome-shaped up to the sky. A bead of light wrapped around the wall right under where the curves for the domed ceiling started. Due to the lights, it made it look like the walls and ceilings were two separate sections.


    At the bottom of the seating, a flat floor was equally as oval-shaped as the rest of the room. It was connected to the entry door by a single, wide staircase that cut through the seating. A simple table sat at the center of the oval. It was shaped like a pentagon with equal length sides. Each leader had a chair placed at one of the pentagon''s points. However, the table''s "points" were, in actuality, short, straight edges to avoid someone leaning forward and stabbing themselves on the corner.


    A common question for visitors to ask was whether the table was a pentagon or a decahedron, as the flattened "points" were significant enough in length to be considered sides on their own. The question had been asked many times after the war room began to be used for peace talks. It had become taboo to ask about the shape of the table.


    A perch was sat behind each leader''s seat, allowing any person''s particular Needaimus to sit in plain view for the other leaders.


    The conference room had grown awkwardly silent for a moment. The leaders had just finished arguing about trade routes, and no solution was in sight. Many sitting in the observing seats silently wished for something interesting to happen as the lull grew over the whole room. They had not noticed that Platon quietly exited only moments prior.


    The Netzian, Hal, yawed and slipped out his tablet to look at the time. Draco elbowed him. Hal rolled his eyes and slipped his tablet back into his pocket.


    Donn, on the other hand, was hyper-focused on the meeting between leaders. As the eldest in their family, he would be next in line for the throne. He always responsibly paid attention to meetings such as this, even when there was a lull in the conversation.


    It was at that moment that Dia burst through the door while using Platon as a battering ram. The giant, for a Hobusian, was thrown off to the side and crashed into empty seats in the viewing area. As she let Platon go, Dia unfolded her wings and glided down over the staircase. Her direction was locked onto the table, and she moved with grace and speed.


    Fiona flashed into the broken doorway and then onto Dia''s back. She attempted to grab the beauideal''s wings, but Dia reached back and grabbed Fiona by the arm. With a simple flick of Dia''s arm, Fiona was thrown across the room, into the wall under the lights, without Dia losing any speed.


    Some others stood up and prepared to intervene with Dia, but she passed over the table. In a quick movement, Dia pulled out her hidden dagger and plunged it into the chest of King Whitlock.


    His face grew pale blue as he stared at the winged Aqueenian in front of him. Donn was the first to act from the crowd. As Dia turned to King Fio, she was tackled off the table and to the ground by Donn. He flipped her onto her stomach and twisted one arm back to hold her down. At the same time, the other leaders were fusing with their Needaimus. Fiona teleported next to her father and shouted to him.


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    King Whitlock didn''t respond. He looked to Dia, who Donn was restraining, then to Fiona. He looked down at the knife that remained lodged into his chest. He then looked around the room until his eyes settled on his wife. She looked directly at him with wide eyes and two hands covering the lower half of her face. That was the last thing King Whitlock saw.


    Dia began to move her arm, and Donn tried to hold it in place. However, she was too strong and quickly threw the Aqueenian prince off of her. Donn was smashed into the ground as Dia broke free from his grip. She flapped her wings and took to the air, stopping only at the top of the room. All eyes were on her as everyone in the room armed up.


    "Careful, she seems as strong as Platon!" Donn yelled out to the crowd as they all contemplated their attacks on the intruder. They were more worried about interfering with each other, and starting an incident after the event, than attacking Dia. Donn''s words also made many worry, especially of the Hobusian group that had attended. Several attendees looked at the unconscious Platon with faces that made no effort to hide their concern.


    A Bentulousian ran across the room to the unconscious giant Hobusian. She was the flagbearer for the traveling platoon that had attended the conference. The large flag was still hanging on her back and fluttered behind her as she ran. Dia watched the Bentulousian but did not dare make a move with all other eyes on her.


    "I will remove him from the room!" the flagbearer yelled loud enough for others to hear. Dia made an audible tch, but it did not carry far enough for others to hear. The flagbearer lifted the large and heavy Hobusian with ease and slowly walked him out of the room. The others in the room waited in silence. Some were confused by the flagbearer''s actions, others came to an incorrect conclusion, and the rest reached the proper determination and locked their gazes on Dia.


    With a bit of struggling and grunting, the flagbearer reached the top of the stairs and carried the unconscious Platon out of the room, walking past Gwyn, who just stood in silence. Dia laughed as she exited the room. She made a small applause to the Bentulousian who had set Platon down.


    "Well done! Was that a lucky guess, or have you figured out my ability?"


    "I was already familiar with the beauideal Dia!" the Bentulousians replied in a gruff voice.


    Dia could not hide her surprise and almost missed a flap of her wings. She fell slightly but regained her composure and managed to get close to the ceiling again.


    "Everyone, her ability is to be the best at something in the room! She was temporarily stronger than Platon, but now that he is removed, her strength will not exceed that of an average Aqueenian.


    "This isn''t looking good, X," Dia muttered at the ceiling of the room. "When are we supposed to get out of here?"


    In one minute, 27 seconds. I will put a countdown in your field of vision. X echoed in Dia''s head. A countdown appeared that was only visible to Dia. It started large and in the center of her vision but quickly shrunk down and slid to the left lower side of where she could see.


    Dia sighed in relief.


    "So, they only need to be entertained for a little longer. We sure cut it close, though!" Dia cleared her throat and shouted down to the room: "Well, you got me there! I never expected a fan to show up! Unfortunately, I have to go, but would any of you like an autograph before I leave?" In the air, Dia mimicked the action of signing a piece of paper.


    She did not amuse the others in the room. Cecilia suddenly burst out from the ceiling at the top of the dome where Dia had retreated. She phased through the ceiling and grabbed onto Dia from above. Dia was shocked as the Hobusian girl latched onto her and started to pull her to the ground.


    "Very good, Cecilia!" Avon, the eldest son of King Fio, yelled out from the crowd. He ran his hand through long, luscious hair as he called out to the girl. Cecelia rolled her eyes as she piledrove Dia into the floor.


    Donn was up and lifted the wing Aqueenian off the floor. She shook her head as he restrained her arms.


    It was at that point that the countdown reached zero. Dia suddenly vanished from Donn''s arms. Everyone was still on high alert and looked around the room. It didn''t take long for them to realize someone else must have teleported her away.

 Excerpt from Gwyns Journal - Bentulousians

    I had seen artistic renditions of the Bentulousians, and the Zenototes, in the museum before. Even with that in mind, I was not prepared for how genuinely imposing a Bentulousian was. They are tall, very tall. When I first stood next to one, I couldn''t help thinking back to when I was a child standing by any adult.


    However, it seems that the impressive height is exclusive to the females of the species. The males, I have been told, are actually much shorter. They even dwarf a Hobusian, if that can be believed.


    From what I have seen, the Bentulousians have short hair in various colors that cover their bodies. It could be a solid grey, brown, white, etc., or tiger stripes or calico. I don''t know the vast difference in patterns for their fur, but it seems to be endless.


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    They have a humanoid appearance, but their legs seem longer, and their feet look cloven. They seem to have long hair on their heads, and they have tails with a color that matches their hair.


    Their faces are very different from humans. They are more elongated, and they have more prominent noses. Their ears are pointed and on top of their heads. Their eyes seem to be smaller but come in a variety of colors and shades.


    As for their clothes, Bentulousians seem to all wear what looks to me like military uniforms. More so than any of the other groups I have encountered, they all have badges and various levels of decoration.

 19 - After

    The conference ended for the day for an undetermined amount of time. Each leader rejoined their respective group and shuffled out of the war room. Queen Whitlock was left to direct the Aqueenians remaining in the room. She slowly walked over to the late King Whitlock, who had been left undisturbed while the other leaders had left.


    Hermina had pulled out Fiona and Asha as the last few to leave the room. Only Queen Whitlock and Donn were left in the room as some castle staff put up a temporary curtain over the large hole in the door.


    Gwyn, likewise, was also escorted away from the event.


    "Wait! Odell was left on the floor!" Gwyn had shouted to some of the newly arrived Aqueenian guards who not so gently tried to push him back to his room.


    "That is something for the Hobusians to deal with," was the sharp reply he was given.


    Gwyn quickly found himself back in his room and the door shut behind him. He let out a sigh as he walked across the room. Mem popped off his arm as Gwyn sat on the bed. He rubbed his hands over his face as Mem settled on the bed next to him. Then, Gwyn flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.


    "Don''t beat yourself up, partner; that Dia would have been sent here knowing there were lots of strong opponents. As a novice to such things, you wouldn''t be expected to have beaten her," Mem tried to reassure Gwyn.


    "That''s not it," Gwyn said with a loud sigh, "I was just thinking I have gotten wrapped up in events that are over my head."


    Gwyn continued to contemplate in silence.


    Since he had arrived, the whims of others had swept him into what felt like a never-ending storm. His ideal adventure would have started with a grand welcome by the royalty, then a granting of powers to him, and finally, setting off with a party to some faraway place.


    Instead, he had been eaten by a beast, spit up by said beast, swept up in an assassination plot, and then failed to stop said scheme.


    Gwyn reached for his pocket, where he kept his phone, but the device had long since been lost.


    He groaned and sat up. Leaving Mem on the bed, he walked over to the door. It slid open in response to him, and two guards greeted him. He did not know the duo, and they only spoke with a lack of interest in their tone:


    "Nonpareil, we must ask that you remain in your room for the time being. A castle-wide investigation is being conducted currently." Gwyn let the door slide back shut without giving a response. He contemplated asking ''where the lazy guards were during Dia''s tour of the castle,'' but he held his tongue.


    He walked over to the window and looked out of it. He was high up, but there appeared to be a ledge that could be shimmied on. If he wanted, he could liquify the wall and escape, but Gwyn didn''t know where he might be able to go.


    Gwyn thought about the idea for a moment as he paced the room. He shook his head and sat down. He ultimately decided to put the thought on hold. While he might be able to get away, especially in confusion, he felt guilty about leaving Odell and Fiona. They had at least shown him some kindness since he arrived in the world.


    "You sure like pacing, huh?" Mem asked while stretching on the bed. It walked in small circles and settled in a laying position on the bed.


    "I was thinking," Gwyn answered.


    "Well, don''t think too hard; you might get hurt."


    "You seem awfully calm about this; a world leader just died," Gwyn said.


    "A world leader that tried to kill you with a show and melt me down. We might be better off without him."


    Gwyn had no rebut and instead scratched the back of his head while looking off into space.


    "If I decided to run away, do you think we would make it with your ability?" Gwyn instead asked.


    "Right now, we might. However, I surmise that you are just entertaining the thought."


    "You don''t think I would do it?"


    "I do not, however, remember the Netzians gave you an offer to go with them. I feel like the guards can''t stop you if you ask to see them."


    Gwyn rubbed his chin.


    "I don''t know...." Gwyn said. He wasn''t sure going with the Netzians was any better than staying with the Aqueenians. Still, he stood up and nodded his head. "Yes, I think I''ll talk to them again." If it gave him an excuse to leave, it was better than remaining trapped.


    Mem didn''t reply but just jumped up and bonded to Gwyn''s right arm. He walked back over to the door and watched it slide open.


    This time, however, Gwyn was not only greeted by the guards, but a new face he had not seen before.


    The easiest way to describe the being was a lizard. Gwyn had seen some from afar in the war room and in models at the museum, which made up the image he had in his head when he thought of a Zenotote.


    Up close, it was a little different.


    The one in front of him was undoubtedly reptilian; she was covered in green-yellow scales from head to toe. The feet and hands were thin and had sharp claws on the ends of the fingers and toes that came in sets of three. She had what appeared to be hair on her head at first, but on closer inspection, it would resemble the folded portion on a frilled lizard.


    The body was humanoid in shape, but she had a lizard tail. Her eyes were green with slits down the middle, and her face was as flat as a human''s would be. Gwyn was not as aware, but typically Zenototes had faces resembling a dragon with a pronounced snout that could vary in lengths depending on the individual.


    She wore an odd set of robes. They were teal blue with an orange centerpiece that resembled a large, wide tie that flowed from her neck to her waist. The robes were cut short to allow for more effortless movement and Needaimus bonding. A satchel was hanging from her shoulder down to her waist, and an orange Needaimus was bonded to her left leg.


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    "Can... can I help you?" Gwyn asked as the stranger silently stepped into the room and up to him. She was slightly taller than Gwyn and stared at him directly in his eyes.


    She silently looked up and down at Gwyn closely. She grabbed his unbonded arm and pinched his skin. Then she pulled a strand of hair from his head. With Mem on his arm to dim pain, it felt like nothing more than a slight tingle, but he still protested.


    "Hey, what''s the big idea!" he said while throwing his hands out to his sides.


    "Samples, there are no longer pure Netzians on this planet," she replied in a cool, calm voice. With that, she turned to try to leave. Gwyn grabbed her on the shoulder.


    "You can''t go taking samples without giving your name at least," he spat out. His tone reflected his frustration from everything that had happened to him, in addition to this strange Zenotote intruder. Though the words he spat out were not what he wanted to say.


    "My apologies, I am not used to dealing with intelligent subjects. I am Harlan, junior science officer for the Zenotote Absolutism, and may I ask for your name in exchange?" she answered in a calm tone that sounded very uninterested.


    "Uh, Gwyn. I was... am a history major and... wait. Why were you allowed out of your room?"


    "I simply told them I would help with the investigation of the cursed Aqueenian."


    "And I am part of the investigation?"


    "No, I just wanted to get some samples of a pure Aqueenian while I had a chance," Harlan answered bluntly. Her tone was neutral, but there was a hint of deviousness in her eyes. Gwyn snatched his strand of hair away from her. It quickly escaped his grip and fluttered down to somewhere on the floor.


    "Hmm, pure Netzians don''t like parting with their hair. I will have to remember to write that down later," she muttered to herself.


    Gwyn took a deep breath but didn''t bother retorting to her. Harlan seemed to give up and began to walk to the door. As it slid open, Gwyn got an idea.


    "Hey, wait, I''ll help you with your investigation!" he shouted and walked out of the door with Harlan. The guards gave him suspicious looks, but they let Gwyn accompany her since Harlan did not object.


    "I did not think you had an interest in the investigation," Harlan said after they had gotten out of the earshot of the guards.


    "I don''t; I just didn''t want to be trapped in there any longer," Gwyn admitted.


    Despite Gwyn''s ulterior motives for joining Harlan''s investigation, he quickly proved to be a valuable resource. He was able to take Harlan to where Dia first appeared and somewhat recall where she had come flying in from in the city. He was also able to walk her down the path they had pursued the winged Aqueenian through the hallways.


    Gwyn, in the end, became a little happy that he could do something. As far as he was concerned, he had been useless in the fight against Dia before.


    This assistance led to the investigative duo stumbling on a single black feather that had fallen off Dia''s wing at some point in the chase.


    "This is a most valuable find," Harlan said with a calm nod. She dropped to her knees and began to dig through her bag. From her satchel, she produced an object that, to Gwyn, resembled a microscope. When she placed the feather on it and began to look at it, he bent down next to her.


    "Do you see anything?" he asked.


    "Traces of sugar and syrup. It seems she had spilled some dessert on her wing and could not get it out. I would guess it is the kind of sticky food that you would see at a carnival or similar event."


    "Interesting, but that doesn''t help us. Does it?"


    "No, not at all," Harlan calmly replied as she slid her microscope and feather back in her satchel.


    Gwyn let his head hang a moment before standing back up and following Harlan down the hall.


    They ended up walking back in the main hallway where Dia had taken down Odell. If one didn''t know better, it would seem as if nothing had happened.


    In one corner of the room, there was a pair of Aqueenians doing their own investigation into Dia. They looked at the other investigative duo for a moment before shaking their heads and whispering to themselves.


    "Based on the account, it seems like she had a map of sorts for the castle," Harlan said.


    "Yeah, it seemed like she had trouble reading it, though."


    "It is most curious that she would have a map though, it suggests someone with knowledge of the castle aided in her infiltration," Harlan said while rubbing her chin. "However, maps can be input into a Needaimus, so it would have to have been a last-minute thing she picked up...."


    "It seems she had help within the castle, is what you''re trying to suggest?" Gwyn asked.


    Harlan did not get a chance to answer. Across the room, the Bentulousian flagbearer and one other entered the room. The flagbearer had a light brown fur and cream orange hair braided down into a ponytail and a similarly colored tail that flowed down to her ankles. She wore a burgundy and purple military uniform.


    The other Bentulousian was a head taller and had white fur with black stripes, or perhaps black fur with white stripes. Gwyn couldn''t help thinking of a zebra when he saw her. She wore a similarly colored uniform to the flagbearer, but with the addition of many decorative patches that went down her arms and covered the right side of her chest.


    Harlan''s neutral face made one of disgust when she saw the Bentulousians. Though it was only for a moment, and Gwyn wasn''t sure if he saw it correctly.


    When the Bentulousians saw the duo, they waved and walked up to them.


    "Ah, the Nonpareil. It is good to meet you," the striped Bentulousian said while bending down and grabbing Gwyn with her massive hands. "You may call me Zenith," she said as she shook his hands. Gwyn only nodded as she towered over him.


    Zenith stood back up and took a step back. The flagbearer then stepped forward and did the same to shake Gwyn''s hand as well.


    "Good to meet you; I am Rheba," she added.


    "Good... good to meet you as well," Gwyn responded.


    Both Bentulousians made no effort to address Harlan. They stood so that they were slightly turned away from the Zenotote while they spoke to Gwyn.


    "I see that you are conducting your investigation into the matter as well," Zenith said. "If you like, we can provide you good company as you search."


    Gwyn kept his mouth shut and nodded.


    "I find it very odd such a warmongering species is doing an investigation," Harlan chimed in with her calm and neutral tone. "Why don''t you rest in your room, and we can call you if we need to knock a wall down."


    Rheba and Zenith turned to eye Harlan.


    "I find it odd a lizard is doing such an investigation. Do you find it a good way to escape the confinements of your room? Or perhaps you were commanded that you should investigate?" Zenith replied.


    "Perhaps she thought it best to follow the Nonpareil. While he does an honest investigation, she latches on for her own amusement?" Rheba added.


    It was the opposite, but Gwyn could feel the tension between the two groups and didn''t want to jump into the argument between them. He took a small step back and looked around for anything else to focus on.


    In the corner, the Aqueenian researchers were looking at the brewing conflict and chuckling to themselves. Gwyn could not hear them, but they were making bets to which side would throw the first blow.


    Gwyn noticed them chuckling, however, and sighed.


    "Hey..." he said meekly. The attention of the other three was drawn on him. He froze up at the sight of their intense glares.


    After a moment of the group patiently waiting for Gwyn to finish, he spoke up again.


    "Maybe you should... wait for later... I think some others believe this is some kind of show..." he weakly added while pointing out the Aqueenians. The team turned away from the brewing conflict as soon as Zenith, Rheba, and Harlan all looked their way.


    "It would be unbecoming for us to pick a fight with such a weak fighter, especially if it would become entertainment for others," Zenith said with a sigh.


    "You are correct, ma''am," Rheba agreed.


    Harlan bit her lower lip but didn''t add anything else.


    "I would like to meet you later, properly, but for now, we shall go."


    With that, the Bentulousians waved goodbye and left to go down another hallway. Gwyn let out a sigh of relief.


    "They sure were interested in you," Harlan commented after Zenith and Reba had left.


    "Pot, meet kettle," Gwyn said after a sigh of relief. He was starting to wonder if he should have stayed in the unkillable''s stomach.


    They stood in silence for a moment.


    Before anything else could be said, they were interrupted by a voice calling out to Gwyn.


    "Nonpareil!" The voice was familiar to him; it belonged to Colton.


    Colton ran up to Gwyn and Harlan. He took a moment to catch his breath before speaking again.


    "Queen Whitlock has called for a meeting in the war room. She has requested that all visiting parties and you attend," Colton explained.


    "No, thank you," Gwyn quickly replied, but he didn''t have much of a choice as Colton grabbed him by the wrist to pull him to the war room.

 Excerpt from Gwyns Journal - Zenototes

    The last of the groups on Resh is the Zenototes. The easiest way to describe this group is simply as reptilian. They have a humanoid enough appearance but look like they are wingless dragons that began to stand on two feet.


    In a way, they might not be as interesting to describe. They so closely resemble the kind of lizardfolk you see in fantasy that I have trouble describing them as anything other than that.


    They are covered head to toe in scales. It seems while green certainly shows up, they can have a wide variety of colors and patterns seen in reptiles on earth. I have heard that some are able to change colors in a sort of camouflage way, but it is considered more of a gimmick as clothes do not camouflage with them.


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    The heads are best described as draconic. Some have horns, some have fangs, and there are plenty of other features and shapes that their heads can take. Their heads also come in a variety of elongations. While all the heads have a reptilian essence, some are flatter than others. Apparently, the flatter a Zenototes face, the uglier others see them as. However, this only applies within the Zenotote society.


    Their hands have three fingers with sharp claws at the end. Their feet have three clawed toes out front and one in the back, which makes their shoes look odd. Due to this, they all walk in a manner that seems odd at first.


    Their eyes are how one would expect at first, being reptilian, and their teeth are sharp. They seem like they might be rather violent, but on average they are usually calm and collected. There are exceptions of course, usually referred to as the hot-blooded of their species, but the vast majority of Zenototes I have met speak in a calm and neutral manner.

 20 - The Plan

    Gwyn found himself back in the war room. He was seated in the stands by the staircase. It happened to be next to Fiona, who was nervously looking around the room. All other major parties were sitting back in the room. Each group was sitting behind their respective leader at the five-pointed table. Gwyn and Fiona happened to be isolated from the other groups.


    "Do you know what''s going on?" Gwyn asked with a whisper.


    "No idea; I never thought I''d be invited in this room," Fiona whispered back.


    At the table, all the leaders had reconvened. Except, this time, their Needaimus were firmly attached. King Fio sat at the table for the Hobusians. Gwyn was able to tell right away that he was Odell''s father. They were the largest crowd and took up a wide swath of seats. He had a bulky, blue Needaimus on his arm.


    Feya sat at the table for the Netzians. Her group was the smallest and consisted of the other three Gwyn had met. Her Needaimus was hidden under the table as it was bonded to her leg.


    Zenith sat at the table for the Bentulousians. Her group consisted of the all-female procession that Gwyn had witnessed before. A crimson Needaimus was attached to her arm.


    The Zenotote leader was someone Gwyn had yet to see. He was covered in bright red scales and had a head that looked draconic. Gwyn might have thought he was a dragon trying to imitate a person if he had wings. The Zenotote leader sat with a green Needaimus attached to his tail.


    Queen Whitlock was sitting at the table for the Aqueenians. The chair her late husband had used was removed and replaced. She had her Needaimus attached to her arm and King Whitlock''s bird-like Needaimus resting on her shoulder. Once everyone had settled into the room, she spoke up.


    "Thank you all for coming here; I apologize for the disturbance before," she started, "As of now, I believe it is in our best interest to consider this conference concluded." Queen Whitlock paused for a moment as she anticipated what would happen next.


    The Zenotote leader banged a balled fist on the table.


    "This is ridiculous! I can understand delaying it but concluding it all together?" he yelled in a hoarse voice.


    "Though I am not one to agree with Leader Mixolydian, I do think it is unwise to end this year''s conference," Zenith joined in. She had a face that suggested she might have eaten something nasty as she backed up the Zenotote leader.


    The other leaders nodded in agreement. Queen Whitlock cleared her throat before beginning to speak.


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    "I understand that the decision may seem rash..."


    "Rash? Jolon probably hasn''t even gone cold yet!" King Fio butted in with a loud exclamation.


    "King Fio, I understand that you and my late husband were good friends, but please wait until I finish," Queen Whitlock calmly said. "As I was saying, I understand the decision may seem rash, but we do have our reasons for doing so. The first will be to arrange a proper funeral for my husband. Of course, any of you that wish to attend may stay in Quenth until the day arrives.


    Sadly, we lost such an extraordinary leader, and we would like to prepare a grand event to celebrate his life. This, unfortunately, has led to a massive amount of conference resources getting rerouted."


    The other leaders nodded in understanding.


    "The next reason is due to some of the information we have uncovered. We have found that the Dia Mond who invaded the castle has a career as a beauideal in Nun. We have contacted the city mayor, but he refused to respond to our calls. I would not like to jump to rash conclusions, but I believe this may have been a conspiracy by Nun to topple our nations."


    Her comments got the leaders riled up, but no one said anything. They all wanted to rebut her claim, but none could think of a reasonable explanation that would do so.


    "What''s Nun?" Gwyn whispered to Fiona as the Queen spoke.


    "It''s a neutral city that sits in the center of many of our territories. A collection of people from all nations have gathered there over the years. It is the only place on the planet to not go along with the other groups in the conference," Fiona explained.


    "I understand that we do not want to suspect Nun," Queen Whitlock continued, "But the fact remains that the threat originated there. I know some of you might not realize, but an Aqueenian would never be allowed to keep a cursed wing in Quenth."


    Fiona frowned as her mother spoke.


    "I have decided that we would send an initial search party to Nun. They will investigate and report back to us here with their findings. I believe this Dia character is only a small pawn in a larger organization that Nun has started."


    "And who do you propose we send on such a mission?" Mixolydian asked with a roll of his eyes.


    "Surely you don''t intend to volunteer members from our nations for this task?" Zenith asked.


    "Of course, I will not ask other members of the conference to send their people on such a mission if they do not want to. As for us, I plan to send our own Princess Fiona and the Nonpareil." Queen Whitlock gestured to Fiona and Gwyn as she spoke. Everyone turned to the duo that sat isolated in the seats.


    Donn jumped up from his seat on the other side of the room. He had discussed the mission with his mother before but had intended to go to Nun independently. The other leaders were turned away, so they did not see Queen Whitlock turn and motion Donn to sit back down. He quietly obliged with his mother.


    "They don''t seem like much," Mixolydian said with a snort as he turned back to the table.


    "They might not, but they were the first ones to engage with Dia when she invaded the castle. Had the intruder not been prepared, I suspect that team would have defeated her." Queen Whitlock replied.


    "I know for a fact Fiona has not had much combat experience, and I suspect the Nonpareil has never even been in a fistfight. If they get into a conflict, they will get hurt at best and die at worst. I''m against this." King Fio said while crossing his arms.


    "I have to admit, it does seem reckless," Feya added.


    Queen Whitlock sighed.


    "If you have issues, then please provide your own valid warriors on this mission to support them," she replied sternly. The room fell silent as the leaders began to think.

 21 - A Team is Assembled

    The other leaders looked around the room. Each waited for another to speak, which made an awkward silence.


    "Let me clarify, I''m not opposed to sending a team, but we should be a little more practical with it," King Fio said after a moment. "We all have more experienced warriors to send."


    "I agree with King Fio''s assessment. We will gladly offer up a member of our own, but you should send an Aqueenian with more experience," Zenith added.


    The other leaders nodded in agreement.


    "I am sorry, but I have faith in those two in carrying out the task I wish them to," Queen Whitlock said sharply.


    King Fio rubbed his forehead, then let out a sigh.


    "Fine, I will send someone to join them, but they will not be responsible for what happens to the other two." He turned to look back at the large crowd he had brought with him. The practical solution would be to send Platon, who held the title of the strongest in the world. However, Dia had already overwhelmed Platon once, and personably King Fio wished to have the strongest by his side, just in case. "Any of my people may volunteer; I will not send you on this mission against your wishes." King Fio declared to his group.


    It may have sounded benevolent, but King Fio had upcoming Hobusian elections in mind. Every member of his crowd was the head of a Hobusian electable family back home. Going on such a dangerous mission would be more favorable in the public''s eyes, and he did not want to send anyone who might hurt Avon''s chances to win. He was unwilling to force his sons, as they might get hurt if they were not up for the task.


    To King Fio''s surprise, Odell was the first to stand up in the crowd.


    "Wait, Odell! What are you doing?" Cecilia, who had been hugging Odell''s arm moments before, cried out.


    "Father, I would like to accompany Fiona and Gwyn!" Odell declared to the whole room.


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    King Fio couldn''t hide his smile. His younger son often shirked his royal responsibilities to build things in the castle''s garage. He never thought his son would volunteer for such a mission, but King Fio was willing to be confident in Odell''s abilities if his son was up for it.


    "Very well. If it is your decision, I will not stop you. Fight well, my son." The king tried to hide tears rolling down his face as pride swelled up within him.


    Odell walked away from the Hobusian crowd to where Fiona and Gwyn sat. Cecelia only could let go without protest as she could not stop her fianc¨¦ from doing something so important. He planted himself in the seats behind them and put a hand on each of their shoulders.


    "She got the better of me, but I will do my best to support you in the future," Odell said with determination.


    "I never thought something without an engine would get you so excited!" Fiona couldn''t help exclaiming. Odell cleared his throat and turned away.


    Zenith turned to her crowd as well.


    "Ladies, you are all skilled warriors; if any of you are willing, I''d like to send you to support our allies on this mission."


    The crowd of Bentulousian looked back and forth at each other and mumbled to themselves. It didn''t take long for the flagbearer, Rheba, to stand up.


    "Goliath Zenith, I would like to request being sent on this mission," Rheba requested with a polite bow.


    "As you wish," Zenith replied. Rheba left the crowd of Bentulousians and joined the trio in the seats.


    "Don''t think you can outdo us Bentulousians!" Mixolydian almost spat as he shouted. If he were human, his face would have been as bright red as his scales naturally were. He turned to his own group and quickly looked at them all. "Harlan, support them!"


    "As you wish," Harlan calmly replied. She gently stood up and walked over to the rest of the group.


    "And I''ll go with them as well!" Feya shouted out while almost leaping out of her chair.


    "No, you won''t! You''re supposed to be the Dare!" Draco shouted from the Netzian side.


    Feya crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at Draco as she slid back down in her seat.


    "Fine," she said in a tone that resembled an ornery teenager. "Hal, would you be a dear and go with them as well?" Hal simply nodded and walked over to join the team.


    Queen Whitlock smiled.


    "There we have it; this team will journey to Nun and investigate what has just happened. I will provide a room for them tonight, and we will send them out first thing in the morning. Please take the rest of the day to get to know each other; you will have a long adventure ahead of you!"


    A guard came by to escort the team to their accommodations for the night. They silently followed the guard out while the leaders continued their discussions and plans for the future.

 22 - Meet and Greet

    The newly formed group found themselves promptly escorted to a vast room with several beds laid out and nothing else. Even those with a regular room in the castle were brought to this new location.


    The door slid shut, and the six were left to stare at each other in silence.


    "Well, if no one else is claiming beds, I''m getting the one in the corner there," Odell finally broke the silence. He eagerly walked over and sat down on his newly claimed bed. His Needaimus broke free of his arm and settled onto the bed next to him as he sat down.


    "Ahem, while claiming sleeping arrangements are important, should we not discuss what our plans will be?" Rheba asked.


    In response, Harlan walked over to another bed and pointed at it.


    "I''m taking this one," she said in a calm voice.


    Rheba did not hide her disappointed sigh.


    "Why would mother do this?" Fiona finally said as she rubbed her chin. She would never have expected to go on an important mission, and she was worrying that she would not be up to the task at hand.


    Gwyn sighed and walked over to a bed close to Odell''s.


    "I believe it would be best for each of us to introduce ourselves properly," Rheba suggested as she rubbed her temples.


    "Like an ice-breaker?" Gwyn muttered as he sat on the bed. "I''ll start. I''m Gwyn. I came from another world, I have no fighting experience, and I''m not sure what I''m doing here." He said while blowing off some steam. Gwyn liked the idea of going on some adventure, but as far as he could tell, he was being forced to go along with it.


    "We should probably explain our Needaimus abilities as well," Odell suggested while not picking up that Gwyn was displeased by the situation the Queen had put him in.


    Gwyn let out a deep breath and tried to push down his frustration with the Queen. The others in the room were forced to go on this adventure just as much as he was.


    "I can make things liquid or solid," Gwyn explained.


    "And I''m Odell; I''m the second son of King Fio but don''t worry about that. I enjoy mechanical things, and my ability is to change my weight to be lighter than air or heavier than a mountain!" Odell happily explained.


    The others all found where they would sleep for the night while Odell spoke. Then, they looked at each other while silently determining who would speak next. Rheba ended up going.


    "I am Rheba. I am a junior officer and was able to win the role of Flagbearer for this trip. My Needaimus allows my words to carry more weight."


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    "I''m not sure I follow," Odell added.


    "I''m afraid I can''t explain more," Rheba replied.


    Odell shrugged at her reply and looked to Fiona next. Fiona picked up on his silent hint and spoke up.


    "Fiona, daughter of the queen. I can teleport," she broke free of her silent pondering to give a short reply. Then she went back to thinking.


    "I am Harlan... my ability lets me evolve things...." Harlan replied. Her voice remained calm, but her demeanor suggested shyness while speaking to the whole group. She remained looking down at her knees as she spoke and didn''t look back up until attention had turned to the last member.


    Hal rolled his eyes and laid down on the bed so that his back faced everyone else.


    "Hal," was his only reply. He fell silent after that, and it didn''t take long for everyone else to realize that he was not going to say anymore.


    "Is that it?" Odell asked, but he got no response. Instead, Hal rolled onto his back and made a quiet snore. He had already fallen asleep.


    The rest of the group gave up trying to get any more information out of Hal.


    "Well, it will be a pleasure working with you all in this investigation," Rheba said while crossing her arms and giving an approving nod.


    "Aren''t you worried that some of us will be useless in a fight?" Gwyn asked while looking at his left hand.


    "Not at all, Nonpareil! I would hardly expect us to do much fighting if we were going to investigate anyway. If there is a fight, however, I will support you the best I can!" Rheba happily replied.


    "Yeah, hey, you can just call me Gwyn, by the way,"


    "You don''t like having a title befitting of a hero?" Rheba asked.


    "I''m not a hero...." Gwyn replied. The past events he had experienced ever since coming to Resh made that clear.


    "Bahahaha, that might be true. He''s more like a guy who''s in over his head," Odell joked.


    "Don''t be that way, Hobusian! Uh, Odell. We all get to be adventurers who get to cross the world!" Rheba added.


    Fiona, who had been contemplating if her mother had some reason for sending her on the quest, finally decided to give up and stop thinking about it. She leaned back on her bed.


    "Hey, maybe this thing might be like one big vacation! I hope we can stop at a beach somewhere," she mused.


    While I understand your desire, Princess Fiona, I don''t think we will have time to relax like that," Rheba replied.


    "Ah, don''t be so stiff," Fiona replied.


    "I am not being stiff, am I?" Rheba asked Gwyn and Odell.


    Gwyn just shrugged.


    "I hope they let us ride in a nice transport, something I can pull apart in our spare time!" Odell, on the other hand, was lost in a daydream.


    "All Bentulousian warriors are too serious," Fiona replied to Rheba.


    Harlan silently nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t be ridiculous! I may be a warrior, but I know how to relax as well!"


    "She did say she was a beauideal fan back they''re in the war room...." Gwyn threw out to the conversation.


    If Rheba''s face were not covered in short fur, it would have turned red with embarrassment. Even without that indicator, her ears flopped back, and her eyes went looking to the floor. Gwyn had assumed a beauideal was just another word for celebrity, but he was not aware that fans of them were often stereotyped as extreme, overbearing, and a little on the strange side.


    "Non... Non... Nonpareil... please don''t go blurting that out to everyone!" Rheba finally managed to spit out. Gwyn sat in confusion until Odell walked close to him and whispered an explanation to Gwyn. He nodded that he understood once the explanation was complete.


    "I apologize if I embarrassed you."


    "Don''t worry about it; I''m just now realizing that I made that declaration to the whole conference! Zenith must be planning to have sharp words with me when we get home!" Rheba held her hands over her face to hide her embarrassment.


    "The absence of sleep weakens minds and bodies!" Hal suddenly shouted from his bed. The group had not realized, but their talking had gotten louder and woken him up. They decided to turn in for the day.

 23 - The Journey Begins + Volume 1 End Summary

    The morning came all too quickly. As it turned out, both Odell and Rheba snored rather loudly while they slept. This led to the others not getting as much sleep through the night. Gwyn and Fiona, in particular, only fell asleep right before the morning wake-up call came.


    They were greeted and woken by some of Queen Whitlock''s guards, a pair of Aqueenians in clean armor and similar shaded turquoise faces. The call was much to the chagrin of all but Rheba and Odell, who had slept rather soundly. The two most awake led the group as they were escorted through the castle. Hal and Harlan followed closely behind them, making all attempts to hide the fact they had not gotten much sleep. Gwyn and Fiona straggled behind the rest. It was clear from how they swayed that they didn''t care if people could tell they were tired.


    "Fiona..." Gwyn muttered with his eyes only half-open.


    "Yes?" Fiona responded in her own half-asleep way.


    "Are we not getting a good night''s sleep ever again?"


    "I don''t think we are getting one any time soon."


    They both groaned in unison while they struggled to keep up with the rest.


    The group navigated through the many castle halls to an oversized, open underground garage. It was a space that connected to many of the underground tunnels within the city.


    The garage was considered one of the castle''s most secret rooms. It was where many royal-sponsored "mad scientists" gathered to build some of the most unique and dangerous tools that Aquia used in their military. Though most items constructed were just prototypes held together by flux tape, Resh''s closest equivalent to duct tape.


    On the far side of the garage sat Gwyn''s car, or what was left of it. It was far from being put together, between crashing into the column and the Aqueenian scientists'' disassembly. Still, enough was left there that Gwyn could recognize it.


    Yet, it was Odell that noticed the strange vehicle and ran over to it first. The guards could barely protest as he was gone in a matter of seconds.


    "What is this? And this?" Odell helped himself to examine the components of the engine that had been laid out on the table. Most of the front was smashed due to the crash, but the Aqueenian scientists had still carefully and skillfully taken the entire engine apart.


    "It seems to work on some kind of combustion system," a nearby scientist happily began telling Odell about what they had found. He had given the speech to a bored King and Queen Whitlock only days prior and was happy to have someone eagerly listen now.


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    Gwyn followed Odell''s lead and began to get a close look at the remains of his car. He picked up a sparkplug in his hand, examined it a moment, then tightly clutched it before setting it back down.


    "Fascinating!" Odell shouted as the Aqueenian scientist drew a crude diagram of the engine on a digital board that sat near the car. He didn''t get much more of a chance to learn anything else as the group''s escort grabbed Odell and Gwyn by the back of their shirts and pulled them away from the vehicle.


    "We don''t have much time left!" the escort snapped at them.


    "Gwyn, you have to tell me all about your vehakul!" Odell eagerly said.


    "Um..." Gwyn muttered. He had deliberately avoided learning about cars in the past after his father had sent him on an errand to pick up blinker fluid, so he didn''t know what he could tell Odell. He ended up settling for a simple, vague nod.


    Odell and Gwyn ended up getting dragged to the end of the garage while the rest of the group walked freely. What sat waiting for them was a vehakul that Gwyn should have recognized and Odell for sure did recognize. They had seen it at the car show earlier when they walked around Quenth.


    "An Ali-442!" Odell shouted with glee as he broke free from his escort and ran up to see the vehakul.


    The particular model was sterling silver with purple-tinted windows on all sides. Inside, there was a driver''s seat and passenger seat in the front. Another four seats had their backs facing the walls. Every seat in the Ali was capable of folding down and becoming a bed and having a small table fold up to it.


    "This is a special military vehakul that we will be loaning you. It is equipped with a custom engine and off-road stability," one of the escorts coolly explained.


    Rheba leaned over and looked into the Ali. Her Bentalousian standing position stood higher than the vehakul.


    "Surely you don''t expect me to fit in here?" she asked one of the escorts but got no reply. Instead, they handed her a small tablet.


    "We have equipped that device with a map and other important military information; don''t let it fall into the wrong hands."


    The Ali roared to life before anyone could say anything else. Odell had already climbed into the driver''s seat and started it up. It made a gentle but powerful hum and floated slightly over the ground.


    "What are you all waiting for, lets take this thing for a spin!" he shouted out the window while pointing to indicate the group should also enter.


    "Have you forgotten our mission?" Rheba asked.


    "I call shotgun!" Gwyn suddenly shouted before anyone else could speak up. He got curious and confused looks as he claimed the seat next to Odell''s. The rest of the group decided to give in and piled into the back seats of the Ali. Rheba had to fold her legs in an uncomfortable position awkwardly, but the others had no issues getting comfortable.


    "Why is it shotgun?" Odell asked while the others got in.


    "I think it comes from armed guards in front seats of coaches...." Gwyn said as he tried to recall what he had once read.


    "Oh, so you''re going to be my guard?" Odell happily asked.


    "Uhh, sure," said Gwyn, who only wanted to sit in the front.


    One of the escorts cleared his throat to get the attention of the others.


    "There is a radio with a secure connection under the passenger seat. Please give daily updates."


    Rheba nodded to the escort to indicate someone understood; the others made no effort to show they had paid attention.


    "Very well, may Aiossas be at your back," the escort said while making a gesture that had him put a cupped left hand over the right side of his chest.


    With the final words said by the escorts, Odell decided to see how fast the Ali could move and immediately accelerated forward.

 Aqueenian Legends - Hero of Aquia

    In the days after the schism, war shook the land. Violence reigned as the two species fought to determine the worthy successor.


    The Hobusians, with their mighty crowns and dedication, sought to build a city that reflected that. They hauled the heaviest and bulkiest stone they could muster. Towers were raised that looked like giant hammers. While the bases were small and the tops large, they would prove difficult to topple.


    The Aqueenians, with their beautiful complexion and beautiful nature, sought to build a city that reflected that. They hauled the cleanest and smoothest stone they could muster. Towers were raised that swirled and danced in the air. With a steady foundation and gleaming surfaces, they would prove difficult to topple.


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    While both structures proved challenging to bring down, both sides were determined to show the other design''s folly.


    Cities were attacked, but buildings would not fall. Armies were called on, but neither side backed down.


    The royal family of Aquia retreated back. The warriors would hold back the filthy invaders while they constructed a new city. A grander city. They named it Quenth, after the Aqueenian word for beauty.


    From this beautiful city, a new hero would emerge. One unlike any other. His skin was an orange color that resembled a rare shining sapphire. A new beacon in the war to come.


    When he came of age, that beacon lit up the battlefield in a new light. With one arm bathed in the light from a golden gauntlet and the other holding the Aquia flag high in the air, the hero descended into conflict against the Hobusians.


    And their towers fell for the first time. The other warriors simply marveled at the feat. As such, he was given the title of Hero of Aquia, defender of beauty, the nonpareil.

 24 - Leaving Quenth

    It didn''t take long for those that were unable to sleep the night before to enter into slumber. Between the gentle hum of the Ali and the swaying of it as it hovered, all but Odell and Rheba were soon asleep.


    Odell piloted the passenger van lookalike down a long, dark underground passage. It was wide and had two strips of light running along to fashion a lane. Despite the impressive speed Odell was driving at; the ride was so smooth that anyone inside wouldn''t be able to notice.


    "This thing is great!" Odell said to himself as he twisted a knob to accelerate the vehakul faster.


    "I take it that you are enjoying this?" Rheba asked from the back. She had sat in the next closest seat to the front, which was right behind the passenger seat where Gwyn was currently fast asleep with a goofy smile on his face. She shifted some to change her posture, but her long legs prevented her from getting comfortable.


    "Absolutely!" Odell said as enthusiastically and as hushed as he could. A smile lit up his grey face.


    "I don''t think you should be expecting this to be fun and games," Rheba softly added.


    Odell tightened his grip on the steering wheel for a moment.


    "I don''t," he replied.


    "It doesn''t seem that way. Why did you choose to come?"


    "Maybe it doesn''t, but had I not failed before, I may have prevented the death of a major world leader and a friend to my father," Odell said firmly.


    "You are very determined," Rheba replied.


    Odell, however, was not as concerned with his failure before as he led Rheba to believe. He could have simply worked out more once he returned to his home in preparation for the next battle. In reality, he had seen Fiona and Gwyn getting unwillingly chosen by Queen Whitlock to go on such a journey, and he was frustrated.


    He wanted to support them somehow, and when his father had asked for volunteers, he agreed to help them without a second thought. It wasn''t until he walked around the seats of the war room that the second thoughts finally set in, and he regretted his rash decision.


    There was no going back after he volunteered; such actions would shame his father and his whole family. They might be able to recover it some other time, but even Odell wouldn''t risk damaging their reputation in a year when his entire nation was wrapped up with who was most deserving to be the next elected king.


    "Yeah, I guess I am," Odell quietly answered Rheba, "What made you decide to tag along?" Odell asked.


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    "Well, such a mission would reflect well on my record when promotion time comes up."


    "Just for promotion time?" Odell asked; he was most unfamiliar with Bentulousian culture, but he knew enough to know that the time of the year when Bentulousians were assigned new ranks had just passed a few weeks before the conference had begun.


    "I suppose I also was interested in what kind of Hero the Aqueenians Nonpareil is as well," Rheba added as she looked with curious eyes to the sleeping Gwyn.


    Odell chuckled.


    "Hate to disappoint you, but he seems to be more interested in museums than being a nonpareil."


    "You may say that, but Prince Donn thought he had some hero potential when he gave him the title," Rheba argued.


    "I think he just wanted to annoy his father; that seems to run in the family," Odell mused.


    The Ali began going up a short incline. At the top, light could be seen peering in. It didn''t take long before the speeding Ali exited the tunnel and emerged on the surface of Resh. It came out in an empty field of short and wavy grass.


    As the Ali sped away, a giant door slid shut to cover the hole from which they had emerged. Once it snapped shut, a holographic projection of grass appeared overtop, effectively hiding it from all.


    "Where are we?" Rheba wondered aloud as she looked out to the plain. It didn''t take her long to spot the city of Quenth in the distance behind them. Its sparkling buildings reflected under Resh''s twin suns. It almost appeared as if it was a city of lighthouses that only shined during the day.


    "Somewhere in the Quenth plains," Odell answered Rheba as he fiddled with a screen on the dashboard. After a minute of trying to navigate the Aqueenian interface, Odell managed to get a map to show up on the screen. He turned the Ali slightly once he could see the map. The vehakul weaved over the wavy grass of the plains.


    "You are planning to go to Qu?" Rheba asked as she looked over Odell''s shoulder. The map laid out the significant coastline Aqueenian cities that dotted their way to Nun.


    "Might as well just follow the coast; we can rest in Qu, resupply in Jeneth, and catch a ferry from Aqui to Nun," Odell said as he traced the path through the Aqueenian cities.


    "That seems logical," Rheba replied as she traced the path of cities across the map with her eyes.


    The nation of Aquia was the home to the Aqueenians. It comprised of 5 major named cities and hundreds more named and unnamed villages and towns that collected under the rule of a monarchy stationed in Quenth.


    The nation took up most of the middle of what was considered the southeast, or Noan, continent. The trip to Nun would take them west, where they would have to weave around the Calii Mountains to keep along the coastline.


    Both Odell and Rheba agreed that passing through the major cities would be the best plan, and since anyone who could object was asleep, Odell steered the Ali to the first stop in Qu.


    The plains continued to be wide open and filled with the short grass that had greeted them as soon as they left the tunnel. Occasionally a small animal would run and hide from the speeding vehakul, but the occupants inside were unable to notice as the scene blurred past them.


    Rheba looked back to the gleaming city of Quenth, which was quickly getting too small and out of focus to see even on the open plain.


    "Have you ever been to Nun before?" Odell decided to ask after a moment. He wanted to break up the silence that had fallen between them.


    "No, it will be my first time. Have you?"


    "Yeah, I once went for a technology show. I had to sneak out of the castle with my uncle to do it," Odell answered. He began to chuckle, "My father was so mad afterward."


    Rheba made no reply, and the two fell in silence again. A few moments later, Gwyn began to groan as he woke up. Both Rheba and Odell made sighs of relief as they hoped Gwyn could come up with a conversation for the long drive they had ahead.

 25 -The Road to Qu

    Gwyn woke up and yawned. He lazily looked around the Ali until his gaze focused on the plains outside his window.


    "Well, gobuda!" Odell greeted Gwyn with a midday phrase.


    "I suppose..." Gwyn muttered while still half asleep. He stared out the window for a moment longer before speaking up again. "So, were really going to this Nun place, huh?"


    "Where else would we go?" Odell asked with a laugh.


    Gwyn sighed and shook his head. He continued to look out the window, the city of Quenth was no longer in view, and all in sight was a long, seemingly endless plain. A herd of odd animals was visible standing at a watering hole on the open fields, but other than that, the fields appeared to be nothing but grass. It looked like they were an odd cross between an ostrich and gazelle to Gwyn.


    "What''s that?" Gwyn asked while pointing to the animal.


    "A tobosell. They are fairly tasty but difficult to catch," Rheba answered.


    "Hmm, so they aren''t going to attack us?" Gwyn asked as he recalled dangerous wildlife in sci-fi stories that he had read.


    "Do you want them to?" Odell asked in shock, but he continued to keep his eyes on the path ahead.


    "Not particularly," Gwyn answered.


    Odell looked over to the herd for a brief moment before looking back to the plains in front of him.


    "You know, we will need rations for the trip. A little dried tobosell goes a long way," he said.


    "Absolutely not; I would never let you dry out the meat!" Rheba suddenly blurted out. Gwyn jumped from the sudden outburst, and Odell only shook his head.


    "I was only joking... mostly joking... I know we would never be able to agree on how to prepare the meat anyway," Odell said.


    Gwyn looked back and forth between the two. He shook his head and left the explanation to be cultural differences between the Hobusians and Bentulousians.


    Rheba made a cough to clear her throat before speaking again.


    "I apologize; I let myself get out of hand," she said calmly, "We should not be arguing about how to prepare meat before going on this important mission."


    "Well, I''m not sure about the mission, but you are right about not arguing. It wouldn''t be good for the team if you lost a debate," Odell happily replied.


    Neither Odell nor Gwyn could see it as they stared forward out the window, but Rheba''s brow furrowed, and her pointed ears fell back. She took a deep breath and restrained snapping back at the Hobusian prince.


    "So, how long of a drive do we have anyway?" Gwyn asked.


    "At our current speed, we should reach Qu by nightfall!" Odell happily reported.


    "Qu? I thought we were going to Nun."


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    "There is a couple of towns along the way; we can rest there and get supplies," Odell explained.


    "I see; how many days until we get to Nun?" Gwyn asked.


    "I would expect us to take 6 or 7 at most before we make it. If you don''t mind me going fast, I can probably make it 4 or 5, though," Odell said.


    Gwyn quietly groaned and slumped in his seat. He looked out of the tinted window and stared at the grassy plains.


    There was silence for a moment, and Gwyn used that time to get lost in his thoughts.


    He wasn''t sure what he wanted to do. He figured with Mem''s help, he might be able to get away from the group at their next stop. However, Gwyn wasn''t sure what he would do after he left or if he should abandon the group in that manner. The only thing he knew for sure was that he did not want to fight in any more battles. He had had enough.


    With that determination, Gwyn silently nodded to himself. He would stay with the group, but he would let the others do the fighting. He shook off the feeling of fleeing to himself as he considered it might be cowardly and steeled his resolve in his goal not to fight.


    Gwyn scratched at an itch on his left arm to distract his thoughts. The spot felt rough like it had become calloused. He brushed it off as a side effect from fusing with Mem back in the arena.


    It was at that moment; he also noticed that Mem was nowhere to be found. He started looking around for the Needaimus by his legs and around his seat.


    "Do you need help finding something?" Rheba kindly asked.


    "Just looking for Mem," Gwyn explained.


    "Your Needaimus is in the back," Odell interjected as he pointed behind him with one of his six fingers.


    Gwyn turned and saw the six Needaimus huddled in the back of the van. They were in a small circle like a sports team might make before a big game. No sound or body language indication was made that they were talking to each other, but Gwyn assumed that might be the case given the way they sat.


    He shrugged and changed his view to continue looking out the window. At that moment, Fiona was beginning to emerge from her own slumber. Though she didn''t say anything, Harlan had also woken mere moments before.


    "Goyura," Fiona lazily said as she began to rub her purple eyes.


    "You''re a little late to say that! Odell happily chimed from the front; the day was already getting closer to being over than beginning.


    Fiona waved off Odell''s comment and stretched her arms so that her hands were close to the ceiling of the Ali.


    "Where are we now?" she asked once she had finished stretching.


    "Still heading through the grassy plains. I expect we should break out of them soon," Odell answered.


    "What''s after the grassy plains?" Gwyn asked.


    "More plains, but they''ve been converted to farmlands," Fiona answered with obvious unenthusiasm in her voice. Gwyn, however, was curious.


    It took a while longer, but the Ali eventually broke free from the plains and set down to hover over a dirt pathway.


    The grassy plains slowly disappeared behind them as the sights opened up to the farmland. Unlike ordinary farmland, where the fields would be square, the farmland was wavy. Several fields had been artificially raised on top of each other with stone borders.


    At the tops of the raised sections, water flowed out from a starting point in the center of the field. They flowed randomly around the fields and down the raised sections in small waterfalls. The water eventually drained into a grate at the bottom, where it was processed underground and pumped back to the top.


    However, all that was visible to the viewer was an ornate and wavy field and irrigation.


    The view intrigued Gwyn for a moment, but he soon noticed something else that took his attention.


    "Where are the people?" he asked.


    Though the water was flowing, and houses could be seen dotted around, the soil was empty, and there were no signs of farmers.


    "They are tending different fields this year," Fiona explained, "This is considered one of three great farms of Quenth. Every year the farmers move to a different location to grow."


    "That seems... impractical...." Gwyn said aloud.


    Odell laughed, and Rheba tried to contain her own chuckles.


    "Well, the Aqueenians like to eat a certain crop that makes the fields barren for a year and a half!" the Hobusian prince said through his laughs.


    Fiona frowned but didn''t protest. Odell''s laughter died down in a short moment, and the Ali was again filled with silence.


    The silence did not last long. In a matter of moments, the soft hum from the vehakul suddenly turned to loud clanking and grinding. The Ali shuddered and began to slow rapidly.


    "Well, that can''t be good...." Odell said as he brought the vehakul to a stop.

 26 - Campout

    ¡°Do you want the good news or the bad news?¡± Odell asked as he walked up to the group.


    After the Ali had started to sputter, they had stopped and exited to sit in one of the barren fields. The sleeping members woke, and all five of them sat and watched as Odell opened the Ali and began to examine its engine.


    Odell fiddled with the components for several hours as some of the group became lost in meaningless banter. It wasn¡¯t until the first sun was beginning to set that Odell finally returned to the group with his report.


    ¡°Just tell us, Fiona said with a sigh.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can fix it well enough to get us a little further, but I¡¯m not sure if we will make it to Nun like this¡­.¡± Odell reported.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this vehakul brand new? Why is it having trouble like this?¡± Rheba asked.


    Odell rubbed the back of his head and looked off in the distance. Having looked at the engine for several hours, he concluded that Aqueenian science was not the best in the world. He held those comments back and said:


    ¡°Must just be bad luck.¡±


    ¡°The torment of travel, now compounded with the agony of halting. Shall we ever reach the land we desire?¡± Hal muttered with a snide tone. He got a couple of looks in his direction, but no one bothered replying. Hal rolled his yellow eyes and looked away.


    ¡°Perhaps, I can assist with the repairs?¡± Harlan quietly suggested.


    Odell shook his head.


    ¡°This is more of a one-person job; you would just be standing there and watching,¡± he said. In reality, the extra help might have been helpful to him. However, he did not want anyone to see what he was going to do to the engine to get it to work, as he knew the final result would be embarrassing for someone who claimed to have a lot of mechanical know-how, such as himself.


    ¡°That may be for the best; I doubt the Zenotote would be much help with anything mechanical,¡± Rheba said as she stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, my main area of research is in mechanical supplements to natural components,¡± Harlan replied with slight frustration in her calm voice, almost giving off a slight hiss. The frills on her head shuddered slightly, but it was too subtle for the others to notice.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Gwyn whispered to Fiona, but the Aqueenian princess could only shrug as she was equally confused.


    ¡°She makes mechanical prosthetics for arms and legs, and such,¡± Odell explained to the other two. ¡°Well, I should probably get started. You can just hang out here¡­ it might take through the night¡­.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I shall collect firewood. Rheba said as she looked around the empty fields.


    ¡°Some of the houses should have wood; I¡¯ll help you,¡± Fiona said as she stood up to join Rheba.


    The duo set off to collect wood, and Odell found his way over to the Ali to begin working on it. He looked in all directions to make sure no one was watching, then reached in with a roll of flux tape to start his work.3eHe


    Gwyn was left sitting next to Hal and Harlan. Neither seemed in the mood to strike up a conversation.


    ¡°Hey, partner!¡± Mem broke up the silence as it flew over to the group. The other Needaimus joined them, save for Cal, who joined its partner, Odell, and began to shoot a beam of light where the prince was working.


    Hal and Harlan looked at the draconic-looking Needaimus in shock as their own walked to them and bonded with their limbs.


    ¡°Since we have some time, maybe we could get a demonstration of your abilities!¡± Mem happily said to the other two who sat with Gwyn.


    Harlan shyly looked away, and Hal shook his head in refusal.


    Gwyn shrugged.


    ¡°Why not,¡± he said as he held out his arm to Mem. The Needaimus jumped for a moment then slowly bonded with Gwyn¡¯s arm.


    I meant for them to show theirs, Mem explained in Gwyn¡¯s mind. Gwyn ignored it and looked around for something easy to use with his ability. He figured if he had no intention to fight, he should know who else had the strongest power he could rely on.


    Gwyn settled for a small stone that he picked up. He held it in his hand so that the other two could see. In an instant, the rock turned to a stony-colored liquid and began to drip out of Gwyn¡¯s hand. He turned it solid in the next second and sat the now oddly-shaped stone back on the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it,¡± Gwyn said to the other two. Harlan sighed and reached a scaly hand down to her leg. Two long parts of the Needaimus broke off and formed what looked like a sci-fi gun in her clawed fingers.


    She began to look around for some way to demonstrate her ability. Some small bugs were buzzing around, known as pleafs, but she did not like using bugs unless there was no other option.


    A small tobi began to fly over the fields, and she aimed her blaster at it. A beam fired off and hit the creature. In a flash, the tobi was suddenly larger. Its wings had grown out, and it had obtained a longer neck. It flew down and landed on Harlan¡¯s arm.


    Gwyn jumped back as the newly transformed creature settled on Harlan¡¯s arm.


    ¡°The effect lasts a couple of minutes, and the shape depends on a couple of factors I apply,¡± Harlan explained before letting the creature take back to the sky. She allowed the blaster to reconnect to her Needaimus on her leg and shyly looked away from the other two. ¡°The beam also can be shot from the leg if needed.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± was all Gwyn managed to say as he was still shocked by seeing the creature transform.


    After a moment, Gwyn¡¯s brown and Harlan¡¯s green eyes focused on Hal. The Netzian rubbed a hand through his emerald green hair for a moment as he thought. When he finally concluded, Hal groaned and reached out one hand. The hand seemed to disappear into a void, and he pulled out a sword. Then he put the blade back and pulled out an ax.


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    ¡°Satisfied?¡± Hal muttered as he put the ax back to the invisible void.


    Gwyn just nodded. He had more questions but could tell Hal was not planning to answer them.


    The trio fell into silence. They sat a moment longer until Rheba and Fiona returned with bundles of wood.


    ¡°Shall we start a fire?¡± Rheba asked as she set the wood down.


    ***


    ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡± Fiona yelled over Gwyn¡¯s shoulder as he spun a stick back and forth over the logs. It was pressed between his flat palms, and his bad hand prevented him from holding the stick securely enough to do anything productive.


    ¡°This works, I¡¯m telling you!¡± Gwyn shouted back as he vigorously tried to get a fire to start.


    ¡°The principle may be right, but I think the way you go about it¡­ is wrong¡­.¡± Harlan calmly and quietly interjected.


    Gwyn only sped up his stick spinning, but nothing seemed to change on the log.


    The group had tried to brainstorm ways to start the flame, and after several failed attempts, Gwyn gave his best shot.


    ¡°Odell, can¡¯t we just hook some loose wires to the wood and use the Ali?¡± Fiona asked.


    Odell, who had continued working on patching their transport the whole time, took a moment to look out to the group.


    ¡°This is a delicate piece of machinery, not a lighter!¡± he shot back.


    ¡°Is that a no or a maybe?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a no, but I almost have this!¡± Gwyn responded.


    Hal let out a heavy sigh, stood up from where he sat, and walked to the logs. He pushed a surprised Gwyn to the side with a simple motion and knelt in front of the logs. He grabbed in the air, and two small tools appeared as he pulled his hands out of the void.


    A small flame suddenly burst to life on the assorted logs Rheba and Fiona had collected. Hal moved back from the growing blaze with a smug look on his face and tools in his hand. Little did he know that the act would solidify his expertise in starting fires. They silently agreed they would have him handle any future campfires without exchanging any words.


    Hal didn¡¯t say another word and walked away from the blaze. The tools disappeared in his hands as he sat down in front of the new fire.


    ¡°Well, I guess that did it!¡± Rheba happily said as she took a seat near the fire. She hunched down low so that her whole tall body could feel closer to the warmth. The others joined around the fire as well, save for Odell, who pinched one of his sixth fingers in the Ali and was shouting a series of expletives only natives to the planet would recognize.


    The second sun of Resh was beginning to set, and the sky was dyed crimson. Everyone looked awkwardly at each other as no one knew what to say next.


    ¡°Should we get the tents?¡± Rheba finally asked after Odell had finished shouting. The sun was continuing to set.


    ¡°We have tents?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Yes, it was on the list of supplies,¡± Rheba explained as she pulled out the tablet that was handed to her by their escorts in Quenth, ¡°it says there is a supply area in the floor where they put some of the things we need. The rations are there as well. Didn¡¯t you wonder where the food was located?¡±


    Rheba¡¯s question was only answered with the sound of a stomach growling.


    Hal quietly looked away from the group while placing his hand over his stomach. He was the hungriest of the group but didn¡¯t want to say anything as it may have appeared weak.


    ¡°I will obtain sustenance,¡± he grumbled as he stood up. The darkness of the setting sun helped hide the slight red on his face as he walked to the Ali.


    ¡°Should I grab the tents?¡± Rheba yelled to Odell, who had the top half of his body inside the engine.


    ¡°Yeah, this is worse than I thought; I¡¯ll have to finish at first light!¡± Odell yelled back with his voice muffled by the spot. Rheba pushed herself off the ground and walked over to Ali as well.


    Hal moved aside with several rations in his arms to allow Rheba to reach in and grab the folded-up tents.


    Fiona groaned.


    ¡°Is there an issue?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too excited to sleep in a tent,¡± the Aqueenian princess replied.


    Harlan silently and shyly nodded in agreement as Hal and Rheba walked over.


    ¡°In Benlou, we sleep outside all the time,¡± Rheba remarked as she set the tents on the ground, ¡°you should appreciate a communion with nature more often.¡±


    ¡°Those of us with countries in a more civilized era prefer sleeping indoors,¡± Harlan said too quietly for anyone but Rheba to hear. The Bentulousian warrior glared at the Zenotote scientist but settled to take a deep breath rather than start a fight.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to sleep outside either, right, Gwyn?¡± Fiona tried to plea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­ unless there are monsters that attack people in the dark,¡± Gwyn began to frantically look around at the shadows that grew from the setting sun as he recalled many of the movies he had seen in the past.


    ¡°Why would there be monsters? Your world must have been a terrifying place,¡± Rheba wondered as she began to fiddle with the tent.


    ¡°Well, there was a giant beast in the arena!¡± Gwyn shouted.


    Most unkillables live deep in the mountains. You won¡¯t see any just roaming around here. Mem chimed within Gwyn¡¯s head.


    Harlan slid close to Gwyn.


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely any animals would come too close to an area that tends to be populated, much less any dangerous ones,¡± she quietly said to him while gesturing to the fields.


    Hal silently began eating one of the Aqueenian provided rations. His pale face became distorted by the first bite, but he was hungry enough to choke it down.


    He threw the remaining rations to the group so they could eat as well. Fiona was the only one who was not bothered by the flavor.


    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Rheba said as she stood back from the first assembled tent. She picked up one of the rations from the ground and began to eat it while looking at her work. After a moment of examining the newly-built tent, Rheba slumped down in a manner that made her massive stature seem ever so lower. ¡°There¡¯s no way for me to fit in that,¡± she lamented.


    Once they had finished eating, Gwyn and Fiona assisted Rheba in putting the rest of the tents together. As they completed their work, the second sun finished setting.


    Odell finally walked away from Ali. He brushed off his hands and shook his head with a frown.


    ¡°That Ali sure needed some work,¡± Odell said with a sigh as he settled by the campfire and opened a ration.


    ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Gwyn asked while Odell struggled to choke down his meal.


    ¡°Aqueenians have a particular sense of taste. It gets horrible in rations,¡± Odell managed to say between his difficult bites.


    ¡°Odell, he was asking about the Ali,¡± Fiona interjected, ¡°You were, right? she added to Gwyn.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Gwyn answered. He had meant the Ali, but he wasn¡¯t about to disagree with Odell¡¯s assessment of the ration. He decided to let it go and leaned back. A moon was beginning to rise, and stars lit up the sky, though something seemed off. ¡°Where are the rest of the stars?¡± Gwyn asked as he pointed in shock to the sky.


    The others looked up, but they had no concern nor worried, as Gwyn did. It was a typical sight to see in an open sky for the time of the year.


    Roughly half of the sky was lit up with stars, while the other half was an empty black. The divide was not a straight line or in any manner of uniformity. The stars were dotted as randomly as they might be ordinarily, but it appeared as if some invisible boundary prevented them from going further across the sky.


    ¡°There are no stars past Resh¡¯s suns,¡± Odell explained as he managed to swallow the last bite of his ration. He took a drink of water and relaxed his posture. ¡°


    ¡°So, you see this all the time?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Of course not; the stars move with the seasons. Soon we will have a full sky,¡± Odell said. He yawned. ¡°I am tired; I think I¡¯ll turn in for the night.¡±


    Fiona answered with a yawn and a nod.


    The group seemed to agree that they should go to sleep, and all split up to go into individual tents. All, save for Gwyn, who was still sitting at the fire looking at the odd sky.


    ¡°Does that mean you have a time of the year where the sky is dark?¡± he asked Mem while roughly tapping on the Needaimus. Mem slid off Gwyn¡¯s arm and settled next to the fire as well. It shook itself off before replying.


    ¡°Careful there, I¡¯m delicate, you know.¡±


    ¡°Mem,¡± Gwyn replied while gesturing to the sky.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see your interest, but yes. We have a time in the year where the moons are the only light. Now, you should get some sleep as well!¡±


    Gwyn sighed but didn¡¯t protest. He stood up and walked over to the last open tent. Everyone else had settled inside their tents, except for Rheba who¡¯s legs were hanging out of the tent¡¯s opening.


    The ground was uncomfortable for him, but eventually, Gwyn drifted off into sleep.

 27 - Dreams

    Fiona¡¯s Dream


    Fiona was tiny, like a child, but her form continued to look as she currently did. She was trapped in a cylinder of thin bars. The bars curved as the cylinder went up above her, so they closed together until they sealed off the top into a point. The shape was something that Gwyn might call a birdcage. There was no way she could fly out of such a prison.


    Fiona spotted an opening in the bars. They had been burst open and were hanging out in a frayed manner. The ends were sharp, but she shimmied her way through anyway. Her back became sliced as a bar slid across it, a clean cut on the left side down the shoulder. She paid it no mind and burst out of the prison.


    Suddenly, the scene changed. The cage was previously surrounded by darkness, but now she stood by a table and fallen vase within the castle corridors. It had shattered; she remembered this moment. Her form had reverted to how it had been as she was a child. She began to put pieces back together with her tiny hands frantically.


    Her father happened to walk down the hallway as she struggled to put the pieces back together. For the first time in her life, he spoke to her with emotion in his voice. His screams echoed down the hallway.


    The scene melted away again. It formed back into another moment. She had grown again, now resembling her age right before graduation. She looked out to the crowd. Donn and Hermina waved back; no one else was with them.


    She sighed and pressed a button she hid under her clothes. An explosion of smoke filled the arena hall, and everyone ran for cover.


    Her father had taken her aside for a lengthy lecture. Except it was now in the war room, which had never happened. The realization got Fiona¡¯s attention for a moment, but it was not enough to break her out of the dream.


    As her father screamed, he began to fade. A knife hung out from his chest, but he paid no mind to it. His voice shrunk along with his fading form until he had entirely disappeared. She was suddenly standing next to the vase. It was sitting neatly on the table.


    Fiona kicked it over and watched it shatter. She waited, but no one came.


    The wound she got from the cage felt more intense as she stood. It gushed like a river, it grew wide, and she collapsed to the floor. She felt no pain, but it ached in a way she could not describe. Then the dream ended.


    Gwyn¡¯s Dream


    Gwyn was back on earth. He sat at a table with his family. His mother was on his left, and his father was on his right. Across from him sat his little sister.


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    ¡°Well, son, did you have a nice trip?¡± His father asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± Gwyn answered as he cut into a piece of chicken. ¡°I met lots of interesting people and even fought a giant beast!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t that big of a beast,¡± his sister groaned as she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°No, no, it was huge. It stood taller than our house and¡­ and¡­.¡± Gwyn stopped talking and took a bite of his food.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just glad you got back to us safely. We were so worried when you left without saying a word,¡± his mother said.


    ¡°Sorry about that¡­.¡± Gwyn answered solemnly.


    ¡°Well, we are just glad you are back,¡± Gwyn¡¯s father said. The others nodded in agreement, and the family began to eat their food silently.


    Gwyn went to cut a slice of chicken, but his fork fell out of his left hand and hit the floor. His eyes squinted as his hand began to shake. Suddenly his other hand turned blue, and he dropped his knife. At first, it was the same color blue as Mem; then it faded into a duller blue.


    He jumped up from his seat and looked around the room.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Gwyn¡¯s dad asked.


    ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± His mother added.


    ¡°I¨C uh¨C er,¡± Gwyn stammered.


    Outside the window, many eyes were peering in. It was dark outside, and only the eyes could be clearly seen for some reason. He saw Aqueenian eyes, Hobusian eyes, Bentulousian eyes, and Zenotote eyes. They all stared at him and watched his movements as he ran across the room.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gwyn¡¯s sister asked with growing concern in her voice. His parent''s faces began to furrow with concern as well. Hands of the different species began to press against the window next. They became clear and in focus, and they were all left hands.


    Gwyn looked at his left hand, but it was gone. His entire arm had gone missing, and he stumbled back. He fell onto the ground into a seated position as the hands began to beat on the glass.


    Gwyn¡¯s right hand was the next to disappear, followed by his left leg and then his right.


    Finally, the glass shattered, and arms began to reach in. Then the dream ended.


    Odell¡¯s Dream


    Odell was happily walking down a long path. He paid no mind to how long it was, nor how he seemed to get nowhere as he walked. He just hummed to himself as the path continued.


    Finally, someone called out to him. He turned back but didn¡¯t stop his walking. His childhood friend, Adonis, ran up and matched his pace. They talked about nonsense for a while until someone called Adonis from a distance. The childhood friend waved goodbye and ran forward. He disappeared into the endless hallway.


    Odell continued his even pace as he continued to move nowhere. He smiled and began to hum to himself once again. The hallway was starting to repeat itself as the prince walked past, but he paid no mind to it.


    His father called out somewhere in front of him. He only slowed his pace at the words. His father continued to yell for him, but he only shook his head and kept humming to himself.


    Cecelia, his fianc¨¦, ran up to Odell from somewhere in front of him. She beckoned him to join her and grabbed Odell¡¯s arm. She tried to pull him forward, but he shook his head and pulled his arm away.


    Cecelia began to scream bloody murder, but Odell tuned it out as his slow pace continued forward. Finally, Cecelia gave up and ran ahead out of Odell¡¯s sight.


    Another person approached from behind. This time, it was Gwyn. Odell¡¯s brow furrowed as he questioned why Gwyn was in the Hobusian castle. Gwyn didn¡¯t answer but was joined by Fiona next. The two newcomers matched Odell¡¯s pace and began to talk with him. They spoke about nonsense for some time. Then the dream ended.

 Excerpt from World Exchange! A novel by K.A. Natos 2

    I grunted as I gripped my sword tightly. I dropped to my knees and looked up at our foe.


    So, this was what they called a dragon. I could see why the townsfolk had been so fearful of it. It barred its giant fangs at us and stretched out two mighty wings. I turned to the side to look at my party.


    The elf, Mina, was breathing heavily as she slowly drew a string back on her bow. The dwarf, Basil, wiped the sweat from his brow and lifted his mighty war hammer over his shoulder.


    ¡°We are in a tight spot here, eh?¡± Basil said with a chuckle as he brushed his hand down his long beard.


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    ¡°Foul beast!¡± Mina shouted as she let her arrow fly free. I turned my head to watch, but it did nothing. The arrow harmlessly bounced off the dragon¡¯s hard scales.


    Then the dragon laughed. It was recognizable and disturbing.


    ¡°Foolish mortals,¡± it spoke in a deep and gargling voice. ¡°You thought you could defeat me?¡±


    I gritted my teeth and stood up. I pointed my sword at the beast.


    ¡°We will,¡± I shouted back.


    ¡°Lavan, that was not a very good comeback¡­.¡± Mina said with her long, pointed ears drooped and a disappointed look on her face.


    ¡°Indeed, you should think of something cleverer,¡± Basil agreed.


    ¡°Shut up, you two,¡± I shouted. My face must have been flushed.


    My sword turned into a viscous liquid as I activated my ability, and I began to let it flow around my body. I tightened the fist that my blue Needaimus was bonded to and looked back at the dragon.

 28 - A Stop at Qu

    None of the group got to sleep very much. In the middle of the night, a rainstorm came in from nowhere, and they were forced to take shelter within cramped Ali for the remainder of the night. It wasn¡¯t until it cleared up sometime in the early morning that Odell was able to complete his so-called flux tape repairs, and the group glided out of the farmland back into the plains.


    The path remained much of the same open plains the group had seen at the beginning of their journey, and they drove with little conversation.


    Several hours passed when the scene began to change. Out in the distance of the plains, a city was starting to come into view. Like the capital, Quenth, the buildings were made of swirling and ornate architecture. However, unlike Quenth, the buildings were shorter, wider, and appeared to be made from a painted stone rather than the chrome exteriors of the capital city.


    This was the city of Qu. The first stop for the group before they would reach Nun. It was a small town relative to the capital but still bolstered a reasonably large population. The wider buildings housed many factories and manufacturing plants, and the Aqueenians who lived in Qu were often thought of as ¡°rougher¡± than their compatriots from Quenth.


    Through great luck, or perhaps great misfortune, the Ali gave out as soon as it entered the manufacturing town.


    Odell banged on the dashboard for a moment as he tried to fire the vehakul back up. When it became clear that the Ali would not move, he looked back to the passengers to deliver the bad news:


    ¡°Someone¡¯s going to have to push.¡±


    A trio of Gwyn, Hal, and Rheba was quickly elected to push, and they found themselves shoving the Ali through the streets of Qu. Odell remained in the driver''s seat to steer and keep the Ali hovering over the ground.


    ¡°Hey Rheba, didn¡¯t you lift that big guy back in the war room? Is it possible to do something like that now?¡± Gwyn asked through a heavy breath as he pushed the Ali. He vaguely recalled watching Rheba lift the heavy Hobusian, Platon, and hoped she could still apply some of that strength.


    ¡°That was with the aid of my ability; I cannot use it here,¡± Rheba answered as she applied her force.


    ¡°Talk is for the wind. Strength of body is required here,¡± Hal grumbled to the other two as he put his effort in.


    They managed to get the vehakul to a garage, where Odell quickly got into an argument with the mechanics about how repairs ought to be conducted. The group''s remaining members spread out among the garage lobby, and they looked for things to stave off boredom.


    Fiona quickly fell asleep in a corner where some chairs sat. Gwyn curiously flipped through some magazine equivalents set on a table. Rheba sat on the floor and entered a meditative state. Harlan began to determine a formula to estimate how many speckles were in the ceiling tile, and Hal stood with his arms crossed, staring out to the city.


    Odell had assured them that repairs would only take a moment. They agreed that they would wait for him.


    The Needaimus, like their partners, did not have anywhere to go and quickly found a corner where they could discuss amongst themselves.


    Mem let out a sigh.


    ¡°Is such secrecy necessary?¡± it asked in the least hushed whisper of the group. The blue Needaimus was quickly knocked over the side of the head with a double smack from Sun and Cal, Fiona¡¯s, and Odell¡¯s Needaimus, respectively.


    ¡°You really are trouble,¡± Harlan¡¯s orange Needaimus, that went by Mirror, spoke up while shaking its head. Being separated from Harlan, it looked like some sort of lizard creature with rabbit ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± Mem muttered while folding its wings across each other like they were two arms.


    ¡°Have you learned nothing from past history?¡± This time Hal¡¯s red Needaimus, No. 5, spoke up. It was red and resembled something like a swordfish with long legs.


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting your breath with this one,¡± Rheba¡¯s purple Needaimus, Mini, chimed in. It was purple and resembled a humanoid shape with four arms and four legs.


    ¡°Technically, we don¡¯t breathe,¡± Mem chimed in with a chuckle. That prompted it to receive several more blows to the head.


    ¡°I worry for your mortal,¡± Sun said with a shake of its head.


    ¡°Indeed, Gwyn found himself a troublesome Needaimus,¡± Cal added. The others, save for Mem, nodded in agreement.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine! I¡¯m sure he will get along just fine,¡± Mem said as it began to open its wings. With several flaps, Mem took to the air over the heads of the other Needaimus.


    ¡°You really intend to leave?¡± Mini asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the city!¡± Mem declared.


    ¡°What if you aren¡¯t back before we leave?¡± Sun asked.


    ¡°It will be fine!¡± Mem said to the small crowd.


    Unfortunately, the best-laid plans of Needaimus often go awry. As Mem was pushing itself out the window, a stray ball from some children playing smacked the mechanical creature in the head. It didn¡¯t hurt, but Mem jumped back in shock with two powerful flaps of its wings. It overshot and flew into a ceiling fan.


    After spinning around for a moment, Mem was thrown out, ricocheted off a wall, and promptly landed in a surprised Gwyn¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Ah, Mem!¡± Gwyn shouted as he almost threw the magazine out of his hands.


    Mem sighed as it got in a comfortable position.


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    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just stay here longer,¡± Mem said as it curled up into a sleeping position


    ¡°I swear, you¡¯re like a cat¡­.¡± Gwyn grumbled as he turned his attention back to the magazine.


    The other Needaimus curiously looked out the window at the children.


    ¡°Did you see that curve! That was incredible!¡±


    ¡°I told you I could do it!¡±


    ¡°No, that was the wind!¡±


    The children all yelled to each other as they retrieved their ball and continued playing.


    At the same time, Odell emerged from the shop area of the garage with a satisfied look on his face.


    ¡°We have reached a solution, and the Ali should be ready before midday,¡± he told the group. Gwyn and Fiona, who woke up briefly solely for Odell¡¯s announcement, groaned in unison with the declaration they would have to wait longer.


    ¡°Thank you for the update, Odell. We appreciate all your hard work.¡± Rheba replied without breaking from her meditative pose.


    ¡°Gee, thanks!¡± Odell almost shouted back with great enthusiasm. He returned to the shop to begin the repairs.


    With Odell''s timetable confirmed, the rest of the group set out to buy some needed supplies in the City of Qu.


    Harlan and Hal were tasked with purchasing medical supplies, while Gwyn and Rheba were tasked to buy ration food. Fiona remained at the garage in case Odell needed assistance.


    Since Fiona knew Odell would never ask for mechanical assistance, even if he needed it, she opted to fall back asleep.


    The group of Harlan and Hal turned left as they left the building. The path was straight, with stony and ornate buildings dotted along either side.


    Neither of the duo said anything to the other. Hal walked with his head high and his shoulders held firm. His face had a slight frown, and he only kept his eyes on the path ahead.


    Harlan, on the other hand, walked at a slower pace. She stayed a step behind Hal primarily due to an unwillingness to match his serious stride. Her green slitted eyes looked shyly at the path before her, paying no mind to the scenery formed to fit the Aqueenian sense of beauty.


    Several times Harlan considered conversation topics. She could ask about Hal''s past, his family and siblings, even the weather. None seemed like good options to the Zenotote scientist. She looked over to the green-haired Netzian soldier several times, but when no words came out of her mouth, she settled on looking back to the ground.


    Silently, Harlan wished she was back in her lab, running a test on some animal subject. She had no issues talking with subjects since they could not talk back.


    They did not exchange any words as they gathered supplies and returned to the garage.


    Gwyn and Rheba, on the other hand, were engaged in conversation as they continued their walk.


    "Wow, look at that one!" Gwyn said as he pointed to a random building on the street. It was painted blue and looked something like a stony tornado with its design.


    The duo walked shoulder and shoulder, though Rheba''s towered above Gwyn''s. Each had their Needaimus riding on their shoulders, and many passing Aqueenian''s stopped to look at the odd pair.


    "Gwyn, with all due respect, I don''t see the appeal to the buildings," Rheba answered.


    "I guess it wouldn''t seem that interesting, but I have always found looking at architecture a fascinating way to learn about a culture."


    "Do you enjoy learning about cultures?"


    "Our Nonpareil here is a big fan of history! He probably is wondering how certain sensibilities formed with the design of buildings!" Mem chimed in from Gwyn''s shoulder.


    Rheba didn''t reply to Mem but instead cleared her throat before addressing Gwyn again.


    "We will have to be careful about what food we buy. Aqueenians prefer bitter preservatives for their long-lasting foods, as you found out in the rations."


    "Can''t we get some dried meat or something like that to last?" Gwyn asked.


    Rheba made a brief face of disgust, though Gwyn did not see it.


    "Dried meat is... not an option. Ahem, anyway, Aqueenians only eat meat on ceremonial days.


    "Really? Has it always been like that? What brought it on...." Gwyn was about to bombard Rheba with questions, but as he looked up to her face, he could tell she did not know the answers, "Never mind, I''ll try asking Fiona about it... or maybe Hermina. Would go into more depth...." Gwyn began to ponder to himself as he talked.


    They stopped in front of a shop as Gwyn quietly wondered to himself. The shopkeeper''s eyes grew wide, even more so for an Aqueenian, and he looked up and down at the odd duo that greeted him.


    "What can I do for you?" he hesitantly asked as he eyed the Bentulousian military patch on Rheba''s shoulder.


    The shop was set up, so a counter faced the outside. The counter had a clear glass with various foods set up on display, and the owner stood behind it. It was typical to any deli Gwyn had seen before with a particular Aqueenian spin on the sides. Over the owner''s head hung what looked like meat at first, but on closer inspection seemed more like a type of bread.


    "Excuse me, good sir, we are requiring some food that is long-lasting for a trip," Rheba explained.


    "I see; I have some umaread that should be good for a couple of weeks," The shopkeeper explained. He held up what looked like a loaf of bread as an example, and Rheba leaned in slightly and took advantage of Bentulousians superior sense of smell. She was not a hundred percent sure on the umaread, but she decided it was probably the best bet.


    "That will do, thank you," Rheba answered, "I''ll take several loaves."


    The shopkeeper quickly prepared the food and handed Rheba several bags. Then the duo went back to the garage.


    Rheba pulled off a small piece of the bread to taste test it. She frowned as she chewed, then made a slight nod.


    "Is it okay?" Gwyn asked.


    "It will suffice," Rheba answered.


    "That means it''s bad, but she won''t complain compared to the rations," Mem added.


    Rheba made a deep sigh but didn''t say anything. She pressed forward, and without realizing it, sped up her pace. Coupled with her impressive stride, Gwyn was forced to jog to keep up with the Bentulousian warrior.


    It took a few minutes before Rheba realized Gwyn had trouble keeping up. She slowed back down to better match his pace.


    "Apologies, I sped up without realizing."


    "No problem," Gwyn answered.


    Their conversation fell into a silence that remained until they returned to the garage. Odell was outside, standing next to the Ali with the group''s remaining members. He waved to the duo as they approached.


    "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" Fiona asked in a low tone after the newly purchased food had been placed inside the vehakul.


    "Good, I guess," Gwyn answered with a confused expression painted on his face.


    "Fiona, I told you it would be okay," Odell interrupted and began to explain, "I was able to repair the Ali well enough, but we are going to break down again by the next town. They were missing some parts in the garage that come from a small mining village in the mountains.


    "So, we will continue to break down like this?" Rheba asked.


    "Is there any chance the next town will have the parts?" Gwyn added.


    "Dant, they will not have parts in the next town; however, we can take a detour through the mountains to get to the village that makes them," Odell said.


    "That is where I told him that was a bad plan; we shouldn''t cut through the mountains," Fiona interrupted.


    "Why is that Princess Fiona?" Rheba asked, "The mountains should be suitably laid out with roads for us to travel on."


    Fiona sighed before she explained.


    "Those are the Calii Mountains; there are many stories about groups entering those mountains and encountering trouble. Like the one about the adventuring party that perished there...." she explained.


    "Those stories are just legends; we should be fine," Odell said with a casual tone.


    "I agree with Odell. We should not have to worry," Rheba agreed.


    Fiona looked around for an ally, but the others seemed okay with making the detour. Her purple eyes settled on Gwyn and made a pleading expression.


    Gwyn rubbed the back of his golden-red hair before speaking up.


    "Legends usually are made to offer some wisdom; we should be cautious if we trek through the mountains," he said.


    The others seemed to nod in agreement, save for Fiona, who realized they were going to make the detour. She gave up and followed as the others entered the Ali to continue the trip.

 29 - Mountain Tunnel Battle

    The trip from Qu to the mountains went rather quickly. After exiting the city, the Ali sped through a well-laid road directed to the mountain range. Fiona spun her index fingers around each other as they approached the looming Calii mountains.


    "How big are these mountains?" Gwyn asked as the peaks grew higher and the road ever shorter.


    "The range is rather large, but the village shouldn''t be too far buried in," Rheba explained while looking at information about the village on the tablet. "Looks like it is a small unnamed settlement formed around some mining spots. The population is maybe 200 or so based on the last census," she continued to read.


    "Will they have the part we want?" Gwyn asked.


    "Dast, the mechanic told me the part we are after is the same kind they use in their mining vehakuls; I might have to make some small adjustments when we are there, but there should be no issue!" Odell explained.


    The Ali was beginning to enter the mountain range. The road below it started to curve upward slightly as they made their ascent. A metal track was lined on the road and seemed to hug against the mountain wall, which the Ali effortlessly hovered over. They traveled up for a moment, with the Ali sputtering and grinding as it struggled to move. Eventually, they turned a corner, and the incline became shallower as it curved around the mountain pass.


    The ground below and Ali were divided by only a little excess road. The vehakul side by the mountain face only just missed creating significant scratches on the silver side with a small pocket of air dividing them. There was no room for the Ali to move left or right, and Odell had to focus intensely on the road to keep steady on the path.


    "One mere slip and gravity shall take us to an early grave," Hal said while glancing out the window at the ground, which continued to grow farther away. He directed his comments at Odell, but the Hobusian prince was too focused on the path to pay any mind.


    "That would be unfortunate," Gwyn replied to Hal in the friendliest tone he could muster. The Netzian only rolled his yellow eyes and continued to look out the window.


    "Please do be careful, Odell," Harlan whispered too quietly for anyone to hear. She looked out of the window down to the ground, which grew farther away. It was only for a brief moment, then suddenly, she closed her eyes and turned her head so that her gaze would be directed to the floor.


    The Ali continued to convey its struggle with a sputtering noise as they slowly turned around the mountain face on a patch of road.


    "This path should have been made wider," Odell said with a nervous laugh as they cleared the bend and began to head upward on an incline once again.


    "It was made for walking and mine transport, not a wide vehakul," Fiona said with an uneasy sigh.


    The Ali continued going further up with many of its passengers on the edge of their seats. It, at last, reached a tunnel, and the ground leveled out. The tunnel was wide and straight, with small lights dotted every so often. It served as the main road into the mining village. The metal tracks split to run alongside the walls.


    The tracks went straight to the ends of the tunnel and repeatedly forked to connect with several smaller openings on the sides. Mined goods would be brought straight down the tunnel in small minecart-like vehakuls. The side tunnels weaved directly through the mountain to the mines and served to bring the mine carts out for expedited delivery.


    Odell took the opportunity to speed up significantly, and the tiny lights seemed to zoom by the vehakul.


    The crowd in the Ali seemed to sigh relief all at once, except for Odell, who was rather pleased with how well he navigated up the mountain pass.


    "That was a bit of fun!" the Hobusian prince happily said while wiping some sweat off his face.


    "Fun?" Fiona exclaimed. She was going to shout more but settled on taking a deep breath and calming down.


    "I share Princess Fiona''s sentiment; that maneuver was rather risky," Rheba added.


    "Oh, come on, we made it up just fine thanks to my expert handling!" Odell retorted.


    "Hey, how do we get back down?" Gwyn said. His question was sudden to the others, but the thought had run through his mind as they had ascended.


    There was silence for a moment.


    "Maybe I''ll beef this baby up, and we can just jump off!" Odell said with a laugh.


    "Dant!" the crowd shouted in unison, save for Gwyn, who went with a ''no.'' Even Harlan joined in the crowd''s yell, though her voice was the quietest of the group.


    "Calm down; it was just a joke. I don''t have the right tools to make a modification like that," Odell explained.


    "It was not a funny one," Fiona said while shaking her head.


    "I am inclined to agree," Gwyn added. He and Fiona got several nods of agreement behind them, even from Hal.


    Odell sighed and continued to drive forward through the dark tunnel. A light at the end promised a break from the monotonous darkness. Still, with the end in sight, Odell slowed down.


    "What''s that?" Gwyn said as he squinted his eyes to focus on the end of the tunnel. Some figures were standing and blocking the entrance to the Aqueenian town. They were just silhouettes, but the forms suggested a Bentulousian and Zenotote greeted the team.


    Odell stopped the Ali just before they left the tunnel. The window on his side opened up, and he stuck his head out.


    "Hey! Get out of the way!" he shouted.


    The silhouettes began to walk forward. They exited the light from outside the tunnel and walked up to the Ali. Odell turned on a spotlight to shine on the duo.


    The first was a Bentulousian. She was tall, standing at least a head over Rheba, with a pattern that resembled a calico cat. In particular, her head was black on the right side, orange on the left, and white from her neck to her nose. Two yellow eyes glowed in the reflection from Odell''s light.


    The Zenotote looked tiny next to his Bentulousian companion, though he was of average height. His scales were a dirty gold, and his eyes a crimson red. His face was long, with several spikes at the end of his nose that might have resembled piercings.


    Both members of the duo were dressed in simple black and grey outfits. They were loose-fitting and plain, and each had cloaks that dropped down to their knees. The cloaks were sleeveless, each on the right arm, and each arm had a Needaimus on it.


    The Needaimus had been painted black, and only minor scratches from past fights revealed the colors they had once been. The Needaimus were also oddly bonded to each arm. The ends of each mechanical creature appeared to grow like roots up the arms and necks of the newcomers.


    "Who are you?" Odell asked after a moment of staring at the odd duo. In the back of the Ali, the others were quietly discussing to themselves.


    "I thought this was an Aqueenian village," Rheba said slowly while reaching out her arm to her Needaimus.


    "They must be visitors," Fiona speculated in a hopeful manner.


    Harlan shook her head as her Needaimus, Mirror, bonded to her leg.


    "You may call be Flora, boy; now you owe me. Please jump out of that vehakul," The Bentulousian answered Odell in a firm but friendly voice.


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    Odell immediately did as asked; in a flash, he flung the door open and leaped out of the Ali. He made several rolls on the ground before he could break free from her command. His eyes were wide with shock.


    The others in the Ali jumped at the sudden movement from Odell. However, before any more actions could be made, each member in the Ali and the Ali''s doors were suddenly covered in a series of tiny, waxy wings. They dotted along the bodies randomly like a series of insect bites. The wings took flight, and the remaining team spilled out onto the ground outside the Ali. They were forced out of whatever door was closest to them and ended up on all sides around the vehakul.


    "Honestly, Flora," the golden Zenotote shook his head. With a wave of his hands, the sprouted wings dragged the team forward, and they floated in a straight line just above the ground. Wings grew on Odell, and he joined the team in their capture.


    Odell and Fiona flailed around. Gwyn tried to shake off the wings. Rheba tried to force movement with a test of strength. Hal watched with disinterest. Harlan cautiously examined everything; she was the only one who had managed to bond with her Needaimus.


    "Well, well, well. What an interesting little group we have here!" Flora chirped as she eyed the collection of Resh''s species," Look, Icarus, there is even one that can be your wife!" she elbowed her companion as she eyed Harlan. Though, the attention was truly on the Needaimus bonded to the yellow-green Zenototes leg.


    The Zenotote called Icarus sighed.


    "Would you please stop trying to marry me off! I''d never wed one that hideous anyway," he spat in a similar manner to someone young when teased.


    Flora just laughed and then began to pace in front of the team.


    "Now then, what shall we do with this group. We have a couple of strong ones that could work in the mines, well expect for this one," Flora stopped to eye Gwyn''s skinny arms and smooth hands for a moment before continuing. "But before that, I''d like to get to know you all. What brings you all out here? Why do you have a Needaimus with you? Why don''t you tell me everything?"


    "Villain, we will tell you nothing!" Rheba spat as she suddenly jerked her arm to escape. The small wings attached jerked her arm back to where the duo wanted.


    Flora frowned.


    "So serious, you must be directly from Benlou with that attitude...." Flora mused.


    "Flora, mind the time," Icarus chimed in as visible beads of sweat began to roll down his face. Some of the small wings on the struggling Odell and Fiona dissolved, and their movement was increased, but they were not set free.


    Flora sighed.


    "I suppose our time here has been cut short, but we will have plenty of time to catch up in the mines! Now why don''t you all come this way," Flora said with a slight wave as she turned around.


    The team began to slowly float forward outside of the cave as they were dragged by their captors.


    Back in the Ali, the other Needaimus had gone unnoticed. They quietly discussed amongst themselves.


    "What do we do!" Cal, Odell''s Needaimus, shouted as it began to panic.


    "Calm down!" No. 5, Hal''s Needaimus almost shouted as much as the hushed volume would allow. It ended up coming out as more of a hiss.


    "Wait, Ga-Mem can fly; we can secure an escape yet!" Mini, Rheba''s Needaimus, chimed in with a sort of ah-ha tone.


    The others turned to Mem, who promptly looked back as if they were looking at something behind.


    "I can''t help you; my partner''s ability won''t help against that foe," Mem explained after making a sort of sigh and shrug movement.


    "But you can carry one of us," Cal suddenly said. If the Needaimus could make expressions, it would have worn a smile.


    "Who goes, though?" No. 5 asked.


    The Needaimus looked back and forth for a moment before a volunteer appeared.


    "I''ll go," Sun, Fiona''s Needaimus, chimed in.


    Mem peaked out the window to see the team starting to get pulled away. The dragon-like Needaimus shook its head.


    "We have to be quick then," the Mem answered.


    Mem flew over Sun and grabbed the yellow bull-like body with two large blue claws. After a couple of flaps of blue wings, Mem took to the air with the other Needaimus in tow.


    "You sure are heavy," Mem commented.


    "Excuse me?" Sun said in shock as the blue Needaimus finally made it through the threshold of one of the opened doors. The flight was slow but quiet enough that the captors did not hear anything odd.


    Mem reached the team in no time and dropped Sun onto a surprised Fiona''s arm. The bonding of the Needaimus caused the wings over Fiona''s arm to disappear. She quickly used her free arm to rip the wings off her other arm, then the rest of her body. The action was noticed by Icarus, who promptly spun around to watch the freed princess softly land on the ground. He thrust his hand out to her, and more wings appeared on her body.


    At the same time, Mem bonded with Gwyn. Like Fiona, his right arm was freed from the fusion process. He reached for a wing and tried to pull it off, as Fiona had quickly done. At the same time, he activated his ability. The wing melted in a manner that resembled wax or plastic in his hand.


    Gwyn took a moment to focus, then applied his ability across his body. Every wing liquified at once, and he was quickly free. He fell to his knees and tried to catch his breath. Icarus noticed right away, but his attention was focused on the Aqueenian princess who had just teleported out. The tiny wings that had just reappeared on Fiona fluttered to the ground where she had stood.


    Icarus looked around frantically, but Fiona had appeared right behind him. She gave him a solid kick in the back, and the golden Zenotote stumbled forward. He turned around and glared at Fiona with fury in his red eyes.


    Flora sighed and grabbed Fiona suddenly from behind. Her yellow Needaimus arm was twisted into a hold behind her back.


    "You are trouble, aren''t you?" Flora mused to the Aqueenian princess. Fiona didn''t respond and simply disappeared from the calico Bentulousian''s arms. She reappeared in a blue flash on top of the Ali and faced her two opponents, who quickly focused on the flash of light.


    After catching his breath, Gwyn quickly began to melt the wings on the other team members. The other Needaimus spilled out of the Ali and began to dart across the ground to their respective partners quickly.


    The opponents watched Fiona closely as they split up and began to circle the vehakul on opposite sides.


    Don''t waste time fighting these two; you need to get everyone away. Sun echoed in Fiona''s mind. Fiona frowned but kept her mouth shut as she looked back and forth between the two opponents. She had wanted to protest to Sun; fortunately, the Needaimus already had an idea of what she would say.


    I''ve told you before, even if you reach 100% compatibility, it will not matter if you don''t use your abilities properly. Look, I''ve done some echo surveys and identified two of those side tunnels that would make a good escape route.


    On the cue of Sun''s words, two markers appeared in Fiona''s vision. If she looked at the openings, a red line along the floor would appear to lay out the path clearly.


    Fiona shook her head and zapped next to Flora. She threw her fist at the Bentulousian warrior''s stomach. It made contact, but Flora just stood in place with a smile. Fiona''s arm was quickly grabbed, and the Aqueenian princess was thrown over Flora''s shoulder.


    Fiona landed squarely on her back and let out a grunt. Flora turned away from her downed opponent and looked at the rest of the group. They had all been freed from the wings, and each had a Needaimus on their arm. The calico Bentulousian frowned.


    She looked over to the other side of the Ali where Icarus stood. The golden Zenotote wiped some sweat from his brow as he faced the opponents. Two large wings appeared on his back, and he began to hover above the ground. He moved his head so that his neck cracked.


    "Some trouble sure rolled into town today," Icarus said with a small laugh.


    The team had their backs facing the tunnel exit, save for Fiona, who slowly pushed herself up from the ground behind Flora. Only she, and the opponent duo, saw a new figure approaching from outside the tunnel. The figure remained only a shadow, but Fiona felt it might be trouble.


    "Everyone!" she shouted, but her cries did not reach them in time.


    The shadowed figure leaped into the air and flew into the tunnel. A Hobusian woman came into clear view as she exited the bright contrast of the sunlight.


    Like the majority of Hobusians, she was short, with a thinner than average frame. Her crown was only a small horn shape in the center of her forehead, and it appeared as if it parted her lengthy, black hair as it flowed down around her face. She wore simple black clothing like the duo that engaged the team, but no Needaimus was bonded to any limb.


    Instead, she wore what looked like a giant glove on her right hand. It had a bulky, square appearance and four tubes that seemed to come out of the glove and arc back into it. Two of the tubes looked like a blue fluid was running through, while the other tubes appeared to have a yellow liquid.


    The Hobusian from the air tapped on Rheba''s arm as she got in close. The tap had been only an instant, but Rheba''s Needaimus, Mini, suddenly was thrown off her arm. Mini flew up in the air and was caught by the new opponent, who promptly chucked the Needaimus to Flora. The rest of the group all began to react, but the newcomer moved swiftly as she targeted Hal next. At the same time, Flora and Icarus started to move in close to the group.


    As Hal tried to block the quick Hobusian, Odell reacted by getting in close to Gwyn and Harlan. Hal''s No. 5 was broken free from his arm at the exact moment Odell gave a heavy push to his companions. He angled it slightly upward so that they flew up through the air, right over Flora''s head.


    Almost immediately after they had been pushed, the new opponent quickly removed Odell''s Needaimus from his arm.


    "Run, you three!" Rheba shouted as Flora quickly brought her down. Icarus brought down Hal.


    Harlan gracefully landed on her feet and helped Gwyn, who had not landed so well, up.


    "But..." Fiona managed to yell back to the remaining team as the other two continued to get their bearings from Odell''s push.


    "Just go, or we''ll all be captured!" Rheba shouted back.


    Gwyn shook his head and began to step back to the team members who were being restrained, but Harlan caught his hand. With a strong pull, she moved Gwyn in the opposite direction. As she ran by Fiona, she grabbed the princess'' arm and began to lead her as well.


    "Wait, Harlan!" Gwyn shouted as he looked back to the team, but the Zenotote calmly pulled the other two into one of the side passageways.


    "Shall we give chase?" the new Hobusian enemy asked as she pushed Odell flat on the ground.


    "No, Savvy, we will take these three in first. The others won''t make it long in the mines anyway," Flora answered.


    The opposing trio began to cart away the three captured team members and Needaimus.

 Nun Legend - The Calii Mountains Adventurer Party

    In the year 1357, just after the discovery of the Needaimus hidden across Resh, a party set out to explore and catalog the Calii Mountains. Up to this point, the range that almost cut across the No continent was primarily only renowned for disaster. The Aqueenian legends told tales of where the Nonpareil had met his final fate and where he was buried.


    The party that set out was formed from the newly established guild known as Sideshow. They were a hearty crew that sought adventure and glory. They had picked up a Needaimus just on the edge of the mountains and suspected that more would be found within.


    They set out during The Heating for their endeavor, at the point where the night sky was considered the brightest. Though the temperature was hot, they would not falter. The party consisted of four members whose names have long since been lost. An Aqueenian with a beautiful crystal complexion, a Hobusian with a crown said to double his height, a Bentulousian with brilliant orange and black striped fur, and a Zenotote who was said to have blue scales and breathe fire. They made up the best of Resh, the best of Sideshow, and no one thought they would fail.


    They entered the mountains as the first of Resh¡¯s moons disappeared in conjunction with its regular cycle. The promise was to return before the second moon vanished from the sky.


    It is said they traversed the whole mountain range, learning all of the peaks and all of the valleys, in total discovering one hundred Needaimus hidden within the range. It was at that point that they decided to return. As they were stationed in a small encampment, which would later develop into a whole village, they made one final discovery.


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    The range had a heart, a core, something more to explore. The adventurers couldn¡¯t help but be drawn close, similar to the way insects are attracted into the killing light of a zapper. They descended into the core of the Calii mountains, and they were lost forever.


    A memorial was built within the Sideshow guildhall to remember the lost heroes, and it stands to this day. Many more have sought the core of the mountains, and they have been lost just as well.


    Let this tale be told to all who are foolish enough to explore what they cannot hope to understand.


    *Translation provided by Dr. Feilding of the Nun Institute of History.


    Additional Notes by Dr. Feilding


    This is one of the earliest pieces dating from the Needaimus Rush period in Resh¡¯s history. Not much is known about the legend''s origins, but it is believed to be a tale told between adventurers of that day. We believe that the story was meant to serve as a warning for the new danger-seeking professionals, which served to tell how much they ought to risk in their explorations. Many accounts from the time show that various superstitions kept quite a few adventures alive where mother nature, so to speak, would not have been so merciful. Needless to say, the Calli mountains, or any place spoken of in legends, does not hold a profound mystery, and any attempts to research it would only result in an inexperienced team dying in some deep, dark cave.

 30 – The Mines

    Harlan pulled the other two through a network of mazes for what seemed a very long time until Gwyn finally broke his arm free. He stopped running and Harlan, with Fiona in tow, stopped to turn back to him.


    Gwyn was looking back from where they had come. He considered running back, but they had taken several turns, and he no longer knew the way. He took a deep breath as he tried to calm down. It occurred to him that he would not be any match for the trio anyway, but he didn¡¯t let that occurrence stop him from speaking.


    ¡°Why did you make us run?¡± he asked Harlan with a tone that the shy Zenotote was not prepared to respond to. Fiona broke free from her hand and walked closer to Gwyn.


    ¡°We had no chance of winning that encounter,¡± Harlan replied calmly,¡± And if I may be so inclined to say. I believe you had no desire to engage in any combat when we left, she added with a slight sting in her usual calm tone. It went unnoticed by Fiona, but Gwyn felt her words at his core. He gritted his teeth.


    ¡°We¡­ we could have done something¡­ we can¡¯t just let them get captured!¡± he spat out a rebuttal as best he could. His words were minced, and his face prevented him from hiding any sense that his thoughts were coherent.


    Harlan shook her head.


    ¡°We would be best inclined to make a tactical retreat. Even if we bested those three, we have no idea what waits for us after. We are still far away from reaching our true destination at this point.¡±


    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t think we should leave them here and continue to Nun?¡± Fiona asked with a worried tone.


    Harlan thought to herself a moment before replying.


    ¡°It would be best if we left this town, and we contacted support as we got to the next. A proper army could retake this village, and we can continue without worry,¡± she replied.


    Gwyn turned away from Harlan and began to walk down the mine shaft. Fiona sighed and followed after Gwyn. Harlan stood in silence for a moment, contemplating where the flaw in her logic was before she ran down to catch up with the other two. She stayed several paces behind them with her head down as Gwyn aimlessly led the way.


    I¡¯d hate to agree with her, partner, but she does make a point. We have no idea what we are facing here; Mem echoed in Gwyn¡¯s mind. Gwyn shook his head as if to shake the thoughts off.


    It would be a couple days hike to the next town; then, we could contact the soldiers living there. I¡¯m sure they have no idea the village''s state right now.


    Gwyn ignored the Needaimus and turned a corner. He stopped at the edge of what looked like a giant, open cavern. At the bottom, lights and tools were laid out. Minecart-like vehakuls were full of rocks that glowed with a sparkling light even in the dim lights of the cavern.


    ¡°We¡¯re lost,¡± Fiona said with a sigh. Harlan silently nodded but didn¡¯t speak up to say anything.


    Gwyn grunted as he rubbed the back of his head and looked around. He let out a sigh and knelt close to the ground as if he was trying to get a better look below. Gwyn ran his hand through his golden-red hair in an agitated manner before stopping and relaxing his posture. His heart was racing less, and he could begin to think.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of these mines first, then we can work on contacting support,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to leave them?¡± Fiona asked in a shocked voice.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Gwyn said as he stood back up and took a step back.


    Before anyone else could say anything, a rumbling began to fill the cavern. It started small at first but quickly grew more intense. The rock where the trio stood began to shake as well, and they began to stumble from the vibrations. It was not enough to start a rockslide, but just enough for the three of them to lose balance and fall toward the edge.


    Gwyn reacted quickly, liquefying the ground under his feet and then solidifying it again to catch his feet in before he could go over the edge. He reached out for Fiona and Harlan, grabbing each by the arm with one hand. Fiona in his right, Harlan in his left. Unfortunately, the scaly Zenotote scientist quickly slipped out of Gwyn¡¯s bad hand and kept moving to the edge. She went over but barely caught herself on the rocks at the last minute.


    The vibrations stopped as a large vehakul settled at the cavern''s bottom. Many Aqueenians of different bright colors stepped out. They wore what was best described as mining clothes and wielded pickaxes. Their movements were slow, their heads hung low, but they still got right to work just the same.


    Fiona reached out to Harlan and pulled her back up to the ledge where they stood. Gwyn freed his feet from the makeshift catch by liquefying the stone again.


    They watched as the miners began to break up the stone. The echoes of pickaxes filled the caverns as the miners silently worked.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Mining Gwyn,¡± Fiona answered.


    ¡°I¡­ I know that¡­ why are they here right now? I thought those guys from before controlled the town.¡±


    ¡°I suspect they are being forced to mine against their will. There are several children and elderly included in that bunch,¡± Harlan said just loud enough for the other two to hear.


    One of the elderly Aqueenians suddenly dropped to his knees as if on cue. He was trying to catch his breath for a moment. Some of the other miners stopped what they were doing to support the elder.


    From the large vehakul, the front door opened. A new Aqueenian face stepped out. He had a pacific opal complexion and well-groomed hair. The clothes did not reflect that of the miners but instead looked like the dark soldier-like fashion of the group that had attacked the team only moments prior. He stood with a posture that suggested he was in charge.


    The new Aqueenian walked up to the elder and said a couple of words that none of the trio could hear. After a moment of talking, the one in charge slapped the elder. The old miner fell to the ground from the force of the hit. None of the workers did anything and simply got back to work. The elder quickly stood up and rejoined them.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Harlan watched the scene with indifference, but neither Fiona nor Gwyn could shake away their frustration as the old man struggled to continue.


    ¡°How could he!¡± Fiona said with shock. She immediately locked in on the leader.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Harlan hissed. She tried to reach out and grab Fiona, but the princess had already disappeared in a flash.


    Gwyn, at the same time, stood straight up.


    ¡°Mem, I¡¯m going to try something,¡± he quickly said as he moved to the edge of the ledge. He slid his hand over the ridge and liquified it so that the section he was on broke free. As the rock he slid on made contact with the cavern wall, he liquidized the path under it so that it would slide down like a water slide. He did not realize it, but he could make his makeshift slide without having to touch the rock. Mem would later explain that his compatibility had gone up to nearly 35%.


    ***


    The small Aqueenian village was an unnamed mining town. It housed a population of around 300, the majority of which worked in the mines. The rest of the population would tend to the town itself. They would manage the buildings, prepare meals, manage the work, and help ship off the minerals in weekly timeframes. The bulk of the people in the town was young and healthy.


    There was little room for the elderly, save for the few old miners that sought to rest their old bones in their final years. Likewise, there was little room for children, with the few exceptions of those born by the people within the town. The town was closed off, and the outside did not give much attention so long as the minimum goods still flowed out on schedule. There were hardly any people that entered and very few that left.


    In the small town, there was a lone Aqueenian that was thought to be best ignored. He had a reputation for being a slimy man, a reputation he had carefully built over his many years in the town. His name was Vidkun, and when an odd group of bandits strolled into town one day, he was the first to offer a hand.


    The town was quickly forced to produce more; many that did not mine were forced into them to meet an increasingly impossible quota, their safety a passing thought. Vidkun was placed as the liaison between the invaders and the townsfolk. He donned new clothes and exerted new power over the town, and he reveled in it.


    It was on a day like any other that the Aqueenian liaison was once again enjoying his power. He picked on a formerly retired miner known as Gus. Old Gus, as he was called, was struggling from two days of work without rest, but that did not stop Vidkun from forcing him back to work. As the old miner stood up and continued to break stone apart, the liaison made a self-satisfied smile.


    The smile did not last; however, Vidkun had turned his back to the hard at work miners and begun walking away. In one moment, he gleefully thought to himself what he would do later that day; in the next moment, he received a quick but forceful punch to the stomach.


    He looked straight forward to a light sapphire blue Aqueenian. She was much younger than him, a minute into adulthood as Aqueenians liked to say, with a yellow jacket and equally yellow Needaimus. Her eyes, ordinarily purple, appeared closer to a crimson red in the dim cavern light; and they stared like daggers at him.


    Vidkun did not have much time to contemplate the image before him. The pain took most of his attention, he was a delicate person, and a shout from a distance grasped the rest of his focus.


    Everyone within the cavern turned to look at the yelling. What greeted them was a Netzian with an orange cloak and blue Needaimus surfing a stone done the side of the cavern. No one said anything as the Netzian hit the bottom of the cavern and lost his balance. He fell to the side, but the stone kept flying directly at Vidkun.


    It didn¡¯t hit him directly; instead, it struck at just the right angle to slide past but delivered enough force to knock his face down on the ground. He was left with a rather large gash, but nothing that couldn¡¯t be walked off. The Aqueenian that had just stood before Vidkun disappeared in a flash and reappeared next to the fallen Netzian.


    ¡°Gwyn, are you okay!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Fine¡­ don¡¯t let me do that again,¡± the Netzian said with a grunt as he sat up and shook his head.


    The miners looked back and forth between the now unconscious Vidkun and the odd duo that had knocked him out.


    Old Gus was the one who stepped forward and cleared his throat.


    ¡°What brings you youngins around here?¡± he asked in a polite but firm voice. His pickaxe was held firm in his hand as he greeted them.


    They looked at each other and back to the old Aqueenian.


    ¡°I¡¯m Fiona, and this is Gwyn¡­ and we were just passing through,¡± Fiona said, introducing herself.


    Gwyn stood up from the ground and began to brush himself off. He looked around the cavern and then back up the ledge. Old Gus looked up and squinted his grey eyes when he saw a Zenotote standing at the top.


    ¡°Quite an interestin bunch you have,¡± he said slowly.


    Fiona chuckled, and Gwyn couldn¡¯t help but join in.


    ¡°It probably does look strange, doesn¡¯t it?¡± she said as it occurred to her how the miners might see them. Old Gus was not as amused.


    ¡°Anyway, come on down Harlan, I¡¯m sure these miners will be able to help us out!¡± Gwyn shouted up to the Zenotote.


    Harlan sighed and slid down the rockface. It was much like Gwyn had attempted, but she slid on the solid stone, and her landing was more graceful.


    She cautiously looked to Old Gus, who took turns eyeing each of them, one after the other. Of the trio, she was the only one who suspected the old Aqueenian was not keen on seeing them, but she kept quiet and let the others do the talking.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on in this town anyway!¡± Gwyn said, ¡°We were just driving in and ended up being attacked!¡±


    Old Gus thought for a moment before replying:


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯d like to know. We were just mindin our own business and ended up gettin taken over by some bandits.¡±


    ¡°How was it taken over? Surely there have been inspections by the capitol!¡± Fiona asked in shock. Her shock was genuine and sincere, and Old Gus¡¯s posture loosened slightly.


    ¡°Inspectors don¡¯t stop up here less there¡¯s trouble. They¡¯ve been careful not to let shipments stop to avoid that. Not to mention that one will act as the public face for any outside interaction,¡± he explained while gesturing to the unconscious Vidkun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we will go out and get help!¡± Gwyn said. Fiona gave him a glaring look as he said it, but it went unnoticed by the orange-clad nonpareil.


    Old Gus shook his head. He eased his grip on his pickaxe some as he got the feeling Fiona and Gwyn weren¡¯t trying to be deceitful.


    ¡°A bunch of kids like you won¡¯t get any help from nobody; they¡¯ll think it¡¯s just a tall tale.¡±


    Fiona ground her teeth together but said nothing.


    ¡°Gus!¡± someone shouted from the crowd. An Aqueenian lady stepped forward. She had long silver hair braided to one side of her head and yellow eyes. Her complexion was a green chalcedony. She was known to be well informed within the town and was one of the few who left the small village in her lifetime. The lady put her hands on her hips as she walked up to the older man and gestured to him to lean in close.


    He was a bit taller than her and had to squat slightly so that the lady could whisper in his ear. It only took a moment, but the old Aqueenian¡¯s eyes grew wide, and his pickaxe fell to the floor. It made a loud clang as he knelt.


    ¡°Apologies for my rudeness, Princess,¡± the old man said to Fiona. Fiona looked behind her; she half expected her sister Hermina to be somewhere in the cavern with them. When it dawned on her that she was being addressed, she made a fake cough into her hand and spoke:


    ¡°No need¡­ to bow¡­ raise your¡­ head?¡± Her sentence ended as a question, but the older man did as she said.


    The miners were beginning to mutter to themselves.


    ¡°Mamie, are you sure she¡¯s a princess!¡± one yelled from the crowd.


    The green Aqueenian known as Mamie turned back to the crowd with her hands confidently on her hips.


    ¡°Indeed, and she¡¯s come to save this town!¡±


    Fiona squirmed at the green Aqueenians words as she looked around to see the eager faces of miners. She wanted to protest but couldn¡¯t bring herself to raise her voice.


    Mamie¡¯s words were enough for the miners, and they let out a collective cheer that seemed to shake the cavern more than the vehakul had done.


    ¡°Shush, you!¡± Mamie shouted to quiet the crowd. ¡°Now bind up that traitor and hit your quota for today; I¡¯m going to go back with this lot and inform them of our counteroffensive.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± the miners happily shouted.


    Mamie left Old Gus to supervise the others, but he didn¡¯t have to do any work. The young miners happily surpassed their quota quickly after the group had left. The excitement of breaking free that day motivated them to mine just enough minerals to keep the bandits from suspecting anything would happen. They spent the rest of their time resting in the mines in case they were needed in the upcoming offensive.

 31 – The Bandit Leader

    The captured trio found themselves promptly thrown into a cell by Flora. Rheba was already standing up while the door slammed shut and locked tightly. The keys were tossed onto a nearby table, a spot that was close enough to see but hopelessly out of reach. She helped Odell sit up and reached out a hand to Hal; the green-haired Netzian pushed her hand away and sat up on his own.


    Flora chuckled as she looked at the three in the cell. Icarus and Savvy held the captive Needaimus tightly as they stood behind their calico Bentulousian ally.


    ¡°We should inform Grimes of what happened right away,¡± Savvy said in a low tone.


    ¡°He already knows we brought three prisoners here; it won¡¯t hurt to try and get some answers first,¡± Flora said as she pulled over a chair and sat into it. The metal chair was simple and square. It had three bars that went up the back of it, which complemented the bars in the cell. Although the room was a simple grey square with metal bars, it appeared as if someone with interior decorator sense had selected the furniture to complement it.


    Flora sat on the chair backward and leaned on the top of its back as she faced the cell. Due to her giant Bentulousian posture, she had trouble fitting, and the position looked more awkward than menacing.


    ¡°So, what brings you to this town?¡± she asked.


    None of the captured trio answered. They stared at her with refusal clear in their eyes. Flora sighed.


    ¡°Go ahead and take those Needaimus away; this will be awhile,¡± she instructed the other two companions. Savvy and Icarus pocketed the cell keys and left without another word. Once the door had closed behind them, Flora spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s not every day a group all wielding Needaimus wanders into a small nowhere village. Is something going on outside? We¡¯ve been here for a year or so now, and current events are hard to come by.¡±


    None of the trio gave any sort of answer.


    Flora sighed.


    ¡°Well, maybe when we capture one of your friends, we can get some answers from them. That is unless they don¡¯t starve in the mines. They are quite unpleasant to navigate if you don¡¯t have a guide,¡± she as she stood up from the chair.


    Flora walked to the door and stopped only briefly to offer a small wave before ducking under and leaving.


    It wasn¡¯t until the door closed when any of the trio spoke. Odell was first to say something.


    ¡°What are we going to do,¡± he hissed in a worried tone to the other two. Hal simply gave a nonchalant shrug and stared at the grey wall outside the cell.


    ¡°We have two options, we wait, or we try to escape,¡± Rheba answered.


    ¡°Wait for what?¡± Odell said in a slightly louder tone.


    ¡°Either a rescue or the army to arrive. If our companions are tactical, they will get support before attempting to face these foes.¡±


    Odell ran through the three that had escaped in his mind.


    ¡°I hope Harlan can talk some sense into the other two,¡± he said after his thoughts concluded.


    ¡°Those that are fools will live and die as such,¡± Hal said with a sneer as he stood up and wrapped a hand around one of the bars.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they would never consider doing anything too reckless¡­ given the situation,¡± Rheba said.


    Hal shook the bar he held. It made a slight creaking sound but no visible movement.


    ¡°What are you doing there, Hal?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°A cell made to house Aqueenians cannot hope to contain those that are not,¡± Hal replied.


    ¡°Come again?¡± Odell asked.


    Rheba reached over and grabbed a bar as well. With a slight twist, she felt the bar give way to her strength and large hand. It bent so that it bowed to the side but did not snap or make a hole of any suitable size.


    ¡°What good does that do? It barely moved,¡± Odell said.


    Rheba examined the whole array of bars that made up their prison. They formed an equally spaced uniform grey grid with the spacing barely allowing her arm to pass through. The grid of bars was a single wall surrounded by stone walls on all other sides.


    The Bentulousian warrior figured she could bend a bar slightly but not move enough to escape from an opened hole. In particular, her large stature meant a potential escape route would have to be much larger than needed for Odell or Hal alone.


    She put her fingers to her brown furred chin and began to think to herself.


    Odell looked around at the cell again. Escape seemed like a hopeless fantasy and rescue an impossible dream.


    ***


    Flora, Savvy, and Icarus all stood in front of two large doors. They were the largest set in the whole building and were tall enough for Flora to enter without ducking. Each door was the shape of a quarter circle and combined made a semicircle with a split down the middle


    On the split between the doors, Flora had placed her hand. She readied to push the door open, but Icarus had stopped her.


    "I''m telling you; we should wait to give our report at least until we have captured the other three. As it stands now, we would only look bad," he pleaded.


    Flora sighed.


    "It is fine; he will not get angry," she explained. Before Icarus could reply, Flora pushed the two doors open. They swung wide, letting out a loud creak before they finally came to a stop.


    The room was a long but narrow space. It had been mostly cleared out, but marks on the floor showed where tables, chairs, and other objects had once sat. At the room''s end sat a large and ornate metal throne, which had been formed out of the mine''s rarest metals. It was a sterling silver color with blood-red cushions formed into the seat, back, and armrests.


    The shape was jagged, and the back looked like several blades were sticking off it. A close inspection would reveal that the shape was intended, and every jagged edge on one side of the throne was symmetrical with an edge on the other.


    On the throne sat a lone Netzian man. He had a face that looked like it may have been chiseled out of stone. Long black hair ran down from his head, and a short beard hid his chin. Two black circles sat on his forehead. They were bony in texture, and he filed them every day to keep them flush to his skin.


    His eyes were a crimson red, and they were filled with a look of aged tiredness and scorn. Slight wrinkles around his eyes were hidden behind the hair that covered much of his face''s sides. He wore black clothes that only slightly draped over one shoulder and left much of his chest exposed. It may have looked like a roman toga to someone familiar with earth.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A crimson Needaimus lined the Netzian''s arm, and much like the other two, appeared to have roots growing across the skin. Unlike his companions, this man''s growth covered more skin, and his exposed chest was only visible in a small line between the toga and the Needaimus.


    He wore a frown before the door was opened but made a friendly smile when the trio of his companions came into sight.


    "What brings you three here today?" he asked in a gentle tone.


    Flora was the first to walk forward. Her tall stride allowed her to cross the room quickly, and she knelt next to the throne. The calico warrior leaned in and nuzzled the side of the Netzians face with her own before speaking.


    "Grimes, my love, we have come to follow up on those visitors you told us about," she explained as the other two got close and kneeled as well.


    "Oh, the visitors, you say?" the Netzian named Grimes replied with slight curiosity.


    Before Flora could reply, Icarus broke down in tears.


    "I''m sorry, boss, we let three of them escape into the mines!" he shouted as he fell from one knee down to two, bringing his long, scaled face close to the floor. He banged two fists on the ground as his head hung close to the ground.


    Savvy reached over and rested the hand without her glove on Icarus'' back.


    "Stay calm," she said in a tone a sister might.


    "How can I! I let three escape, and we didn''t get any information out of the three we caught!" he shouted through tears.


    "Stay calm, and look at our leader when you address him. Those others will surely perish," Savvy said in a calm voice.


    Icarus was slowly and gently raised off the ground by something naked to the eye. He found himself being moved back to an upright position. All the while, he did his best to stop his tears.


    Grimes made a friendly smile.


    "Oh, Icarus, I''m sorry if I ever made you feel worthless," Grimes said in a sincere tone. "It means more to hear your drive for success."


    Icarus nodded and wiped the remaining tears from his eyes.


    "That''s my love," Flora said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around one of the leaders and pulled herself in closely.


    "Now, tell me, what of the others you captured?" Grimes asked.


    "Of course, they were not receptive to interrogation. We may need to use more extreme measures," Flora said without loosening her grip around the leader''s arm.


    "It should also be mentioned that all six were Needaimus users," Savvy added.


    "All six!" Grimes couldn''t hide his surprise but contained it with a calm demeanor.


    "Dast, we have managed to capture three and identified two. The remaining mortal was a Netzian and only goes by the number assigned. I should mention that the group consisted of two Netzians, an Aqueenian, a Hobusian, a Zenotote, and a Bentulousian. Furthermore, I believe the vehakul they arrived in to be of Aqueenian in origin, though it must be a new model as I have not seen it before," Savvy rapidly explained.


    Grimes rubbed his beard with his free hand and sighed. He extended his ability out as he sought to find the missing trio.


    "The other three have already made contact with a group of miners; I suspect they will visit us shortly. As for the other three, I think it may be best to meet them myself," Grimes said in a friendly tone.


    "Sir, with all due respect, should we not engage the other three if you have found them?" Savvy asked.


    Grimes laughed.


    "They can''t do anything but struggle. Send a small search party as a front, but let them be for now. I suspect things will get entertaining shortly."


    He shook the arm Flora was wrapped around gently. She frowned but let go and stood up. The Netzian leader stood up from the throne and began to walk forward. Savvy and Icarus quickly bowed as he walked between them. Then, they stood up, and all three followed the leader outside the throne room.


    ***


    The captured trio sat in the cell, with their back to one of the three walls. They looked at the center of the cell as if something of interest sat there in plain view.


    "Greesoop," Odell said, and his yellow eyes darted back and forth between the other two. Neither Rheba nor Hal replied; instead, they showed a dissatisfied look. Odell had previously tried to start a word game so that the time would pass quickly, and they had flatly refused. "Opera," Odell sadly muttered as he continued to play the game with himself. "Raid... Iduoosmu..." Odell continued.


    "You aren''t supposed to keep switching languages," Rheba said with a sigh as she stood up from the wall and began to pace back and forth in the cell. Her tall legs made the pacing only take one step to cross the space.


    "There are no rules when you''re playing alone," Odell said with a smile.


    "Now is not the time for games," Rheba replied while slowly shaking her head. Hal nodded in agreement but didn''t bother to add to her comment.


    The Bentulousian warrior stopped her pacing and stared out to the door. Her tall ears on her head flicked.


    Odell was about to say something else, but she held out a hand to indicate that he should be quiet. A moment later, the group of four clad in black clothing entered the prison room.


    "Oh, a Bentulousian warrior. You must have heard us coming!" A Netzian none of the others had seen before addressed Rheba as he walked to the center of the room. "Nice to meet you all; I''m Grimes, and I guess you''d say I''m the leader of this ragtag group." The leader spun the metal chair to the center of the room and sat in it to face the cell. For the three captured, it had looked like the chair moved on its own.


    "Though ragtag might be a little misleading. We are a group that splintered off of Array; are you familiar with them? We left when things got to be a little too much," Grimes said with a laugh, "Anyway, we have about 30 members out and about in this little town."


    None of the trio said anything to Grimes. He chuckled and sighed.


    "Well, tough group. I suppose I would be the same if I were imprisoned.... Now let''s see, a Bentulousian warrior, though low ranked. A Netzian soldier, also low ranked, and...." Grimes stopped and squinted as he looked at Odell''s clothes," Hobusian royalty? Savvy, what were the others wearing?"


    "Dast, I''ve already sent it to you for viewing."


    The others could not see, but Grimes pulled up several pictures into his field of vision through his Needaimus. They were rough images taken by Flora''s and Icarus'' Needaimus in the earlier spat. He squinted and rubbed his beard.


    "Their company is interesting as well," he mused, "Sadly, I don''t think we will get anything out of these three. Station a guard outside this door. Their remaining members appear to be Aqueenian royalty, a Zenotote officer, ... and a Netzian in Aqueenian clothes.... When the Netzian is captured, have him brought straight to me. Once we have them all, I''d say some hard labor in the mines will be the best."


    Grimes stood up and carefully slid the chair back into its place without laying a single finger on it. He twisted his neck as if to loosen it, and it cracked a couple of times.


    "Well, it was nice meeting you three. I look forward to seeing your fruitful work!" Grimes happily addressed the three in the cell before turning to leave. The others of his group followed after him, and the door was closed with a loud bang.


    Odell frowned and looked down at his clothes. None of the group had any time to think about clothing before they had left on the journey and still wore the same manner of garb they had at the conference.


    "Perhaps we should have worn something less conspicuous for this mission?" he said to himself.


    Rheba rubbed her chin.


    "That may be true, but normally an average Netzian would not be able to tell the difference between civilian and military clothing for Bentulousians, and he could tell it for all of us."


    "Is that bad?" Odell asked.


    "The spirits of our allies may soon be crushed under the weight of this oppressive force," Hal said with a sigh and shake of his head.


    "I suspect they intend to break our spirits as well with whatever hard labor they have in mind. It sounds like, first, they want to capture the others. Does that mean we''re bait?" Rheba said as she began to drum her fingers across her long chin.


    They were silent for a moment as each trio member entered individual thought.


    Odell was the first to break the silence. He did it not with words but instead got close to the bars and bent it. It did not move as well as it had for Rheba, but the bar still gave way to him. The creak caught the attention of the other two.


    "I thought we decided that was of no use. What are you trying?" Rheba asked.


    "I came up with an idea, but it seemed like a bad one. However, if hard labor is the only option, it might be worth a try!" Odell said as he worked.


    The grey Hobusian prince bent the bar back in the opposite direction he had before. Then he continued to move it back and forth until a popping sound was finally made. The whole process took a while, but Odell had caused the bar to split. He bent the two halves away from the cell resulting in a relatively larger hole.


    He made a short hum to himself as he looked at Hal and Rheba. Some beads of sweat on his face indicated the process had been rather labor-intensive.


    "If we move the bars back and forth enough times, they should give way. We will probably have to do each bar individually... and I don''t know how long it will take to make a hole Rheba or I could escape from," Odell explained.


    Rheba''s eyes lit up.


    "Perhaps we do not need enough of a hole for us to escape from; rather, we can have Hal escape and return to us with our Needaimus!" Of the three, the green-haired Netzian had the smallest shoulder width.


    They turned to Hal with eager expressions. The Netzian closed his large yellow eyes and shook his head vigorously.


    "Escape is but a mere fantasy. Our toil shall be in vain," he said.


    "It will be fine; you just have to sneak around for a little bit!" Odell said. Rheba nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t worry, Hal, we will be able to support you as soon as you get back to us," she added.


    The two set out to begin breaking the bars in the corner of the cell with no concern to the wishes of Hal.

 Excerpt from Royal Report - Fionas Needaimus Progress

    Needaimus Instructor Report 16 ¨C Progress Status of Fiona Whitlock


    Fiona''s development status has proceeded in a far more negative way than the instructor had hoped.


    In a previous report, it was brought up that Fiona Whitlock was able to successfully use her Needaimus ability in an application that allowed her to move as the subject. This was reported in a positive light at the time. However, that previous positivity must be withdrawn in this report.


    It has become increasingly clear that the princess is using this application as the primary one. Though her compatibility has almost reached 100% at this point, she remains undeveloped in her application.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    At this time, it is the recommendation of the entire instruction team to remove the Needaimus ''Impression Sunrise'' from Fiona Whitlock''s care. The team would suggest a garku type be offered to the princess due to her current application and the simplicity of the Needaimus category.


    Additional Comments from Royal Office


    The office has read and taken into consideration the requests of the instruction team. Currently, no such garku type is available in the Needaimus vault. The remaining options were all deemed inappropriate for the princess when her initial selection took place. The only new addition since the selection is the Needaimus that was deemed ''troublesome'' and is to be melted down at a future date. It was decided that Fiona Whitlock would continue to use her current Needaimus for the time being.

 32 - House Party

    A floorboard began to push up in a house far in the town. Soon after being set to the side, Mamie''s green face emerged from below. Behind her followed the free trio of Gwyn, Harlan, and Fiona.


    They began to spread out in the room and look around while Mamie silently placed the floorboard back over the opening. It was a simple home, with a wooden floor and lightly painted walls. The walls were curved in a wavy pattern, keeping with Aqueenian architecture styles, and curvy light fixtures hung from the ceiling. Some furniture was set out in the room that resembled a couch, recliner, and table, and two doors led to other rooms.


    From one of the doorways, some tiny footsteps could be heard. It made the trio jump, but Mamie had no such reaction. Instead, her face lit up with a wide smile.


    "Mommy!" a green Aqueenian girl ran in. She had intended to embrace her mother as soon as she entered, but the sudden sight of the trio made the child freeze and hesitate. She stopped after just coming through the doorway and looked at each of the three. "Mommy?" she repeated.


    The girl backed up slightly. Her white eyes were alert to every tiny movement the three made.


    "It''s okay, Bonfilia, these three are guests," Mamie explained.


    Her mothers'' words were enough for the girl, and she immediately took off into a sprint across the room to hug her mother.


    "You can take a seat anywhere; I will get some refreshments," Mamie gestured to the furniture as she began to walk out of the room. Bonfilia followed her.


    Gwyn looked around and slowly found his way onto the couch. Fiona joined Gwyn on the sofa, and Harlan found herself in the chair.


    "What''s going on?" Gwyn whispered to Fiona.


    "I don''t know," Fiona whispered back.


    They had followed Mamie, hardly saying a word after leaving the cavern. Though Gwyn tried to strike up a conversation, the Aqueenian woman had simply said: ''We should get to safety first'' as a reply.


    "I suspect she plans for Fiona to lead some revolt," Harlan quietly added to the conversation.


    "Revolt?" Fiona stammered.


    "That is correct," Mamie said from the doorway. The other three had not noticed her enter and jumped at her words. She stood with a tray that had three cups sitting on it. Bonfilia hid behind and only slightly looked around at the trio.


    Mamie silently walked across the room and set the tray down on the table. She took each cup, one at a time, and handed it to the group. Steam was rising from the cups, and Fiona gently blew on it. Gwyn took a drink and quickly made a face that indicated he had burned himself. Harlan simply stared at the hot drink.


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    "I don''t know how long ago it was, but it was a cold morning when those bandits came into our village. My late husband, the mayor at the time, resisted them at first and requested troops from the capitol. However, that man you defeated in the cavern interfered and claimed it was a miscommunication. The bandits swiftly took over after that and killed... my husband," Mamie explained to the trio.


    Gwyn nodded to show his attention as he sipped on the drink. Fiona held her cup tightly as she looked down. Harlan continued to keep a blank expression on her scaled face as she attentively listened.


    "We have been silently planning a revolt since then, and what should happen several days before the planned hour? A princess of our nation comes to our town!" Mamie gestured to Fiona, who opted to look in any direction except for the green Aqueenian woman. "Crenussal has listened to our prayers!" Mamie added with joy in her eyes.


    Fiona fiddled with her hair as she tried to come up with a reply to the excited mother.


    "Is she really going to help us?" Bonfilia asked from behind her mother.


    "Wait¨C" Fiona blurted out. It caught everyone''s attention. They all turned to the blue Aqueenian princess as they waited for her to add additional words. "I... uh... I plan to save my companions... but lead... Gwyn''s the nonpareil, you know!" she ended her jumbled words by yelling out and pointing to Gwyn. He jumped.


    "Wait. Fiona!"


    "A Netzian has been named to be the nonpareil?" Mamie asked in shock.


    "He''s from another world!" Fiona added as she eased from the lack of attention. Bonfilia looked from behind her mother at the surprised human.


    "Are you really from another world?" she asked with curiosity in her eyes.


    "I... I guess I am...." Gwyn tried to reply.


    "Fascinating! A princess and the nonpareil. The moral for our ragtag troops will be astonishing!" Mamie said while clapping her hands together.


    Harlan looked down at her drink which had cooled down to a lukewarm temperature. She began to sip it while watching everything play out.


    "Wait, wait. I understand you have a plan, but we were going to get some reinforcements!" Gwyn said. Harlan nodded in agreement but said nothing.


    "So, you won''t help us?" Bonfilia asked.


    Mamie shook her head.


    "Bonfilia dear, why don''t you go play in the other room?" she said softly.


    Her daughter looked at the ground with a frown but did as her mother said. It wasn''t until Bonfilia left that Mamie spoke back up.


    "I''m afraid that plan won''t work as well as you think. We had three try to get out of the town for support before... none survived."


    "What happened?" Fiona asked in shock.


    Mamie just shook her head.


    "Their leader''s Needaimus ability is the cause. It has a grip on the whole town, but we don''t know more than that."


    "An ability that covers the whole town?" Harlan spoke out loud between her sips of tea. She had meant for it to be too quiet for the others to hear, but everyone still turned her way. She shyly looked down at the recliner arm.


    "The bandit leaders have overclocked their Needaimus," Mamie explained.


    Fiona and Harlan nodded to indicate they understood, but Gwyn was left confused.


    "Wha¨C" he began to say, but Mem interrupted him in his thoughts.


    It is called overclocked when Needaimus compatibility is forced to go over 100%. The abilities are expanded to new limits, but the Needaimus becomes fixed to the arm. If I had to guess, the growth you saw on our previous opponents was the beginning stages, probably about 125 to 150%. Honestly, it''s creepy to look at and rather unpleasant.


    Gwyn shut his mouth and looked at the Needaimus on his arm.


    "That is why you can''t hope to escape; we are all trapped here until their leader is defeated," Mamie added.


    It was clear to her that the information was a lot to take in for the trio. She sighed and nodded.


    "Take some time to think about it. I had hoped to strike in a couple of days, but I suspect the others will be too eager to hold back now that you are here. I will work on stilling their excitement, but I suspect they will want to attack this very night," she said. Then, she turned and exited the room¡ªleaving the trio to think.

 33 – Fiona Alone

    The free trio broke up and went to different rooms of the house to think about what Mamie had told them. Harlan found herself in a private study that had belonged to the late mayor. She pulled out one of his notebooks and began to read what was written. After flipping through a moment, her green slit eyes noticed a journal on the former mayor¡¯s desk. The Zenotote scientist slid the notebook to the side and began to read through what the mayor had written.


    Fiona found herself in a room that appeared to be a living quarter. It was similar to the room the group had entered in, but while that room had appeared to be more for meeting and entertaining, this room looked like it was more for lounging within. Furniture lined the room and faced a large screen that flashed pictures of a happy family.


    The late mayor stood proud in one as Mamie and Bonfilia stood before him. One of his hands rested on each of their shoulders. The following picture showed him hugging his daughter, and the next showed a goofier picture of the three making funny faces.


    The blue princess sighed and sat down on a couch in the room.


    Something the matter? Sun asked in her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind rescuing Odell and the others, but she made it sound like there would be people following us into the fray¡­ I can¡¯t risk having people hurt, right?¡±


    You are the princess of a nation. It¡¯s only natural the citizens want to help you.


    ¡°But it was different in the capitol!¡±


    Fiona threw her arms up with her complaint, even though the one she spoke to was attached to her arm.


    You weren¡¯t given a chance to be reliable in Quenth; this is your opportunity to prove to your family that you can be relied on. Sun insisted.


    ¡°What does it matter? I¡¯m sure father is buried by now?¡±


    Until all of his family has performed the ritual, he will not rest properly. Sun interjected.


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    The Needaimus spoke of an Aqueenian ritual known as ¡®final rest.¡¯ When someone passed away, it was the responsibility of the remaining family members to each perform the ritual close to a source of water. Otherwise, they would be trapped at the mouth of the underworld, forced to watch the remaining family members that lived.


    ¡°That¡¯s just an old superstition,¡± Fiona shot back.


    Sun sighed. The Needaimus wanted to comment about her being superstitious when it suited her, such as with the mountains she didn¡¯t want to visit. Sun decided it was best not to bring that up at the moment.


    That it may be, but when you fight, you may find it reassuring to know your father is watching your successes.


    ¡°Dant, that is just a creepy thought,¡± Fiona shot back.


    I suppose it is, Sun admitted.


    Fiona sighed.


    ¡°I will fight to save Odell and the others. It sounds like we¡¯re stuck due to their leader¡¯s ability. If the townsfolk want to follow me¡­ I guess that is their decision, but I will not be responsible for what happens!¡± she declared.


    I don¡¯t think you can ignore your responsibility like that¡­.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ignore what I was never trusted with,¡± Fiona said with a nod. She stood up from the couch with renewed conviction in her choice.


    It was at that moment that she saw Mamie had entered the room. Fiona jumped at the sight.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you,¡± the green Aqueenian mother said.


    ¡°Oh, that is okay¡­.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you will be fighting with us?¡± Mamie asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I guess.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! We only have one mortal with a Needaimus, so that the extra support will be most appreciated,¡± Mamie said with a smile.


    ¡°Dast¡­. I can¡¯t promise anything, though¡­. I¡¯ve never been much of a fighter; Gwyn and Harlan aren¡¯t much of fighters either¡­.¡±


    Mamie shook her head and stepped close to Fiona.


    ¡°Princess, no one in this town is much of a fighter, but if we don¡¯t fight, we will continue to live in this sorry state.¡± Mamie took another step closer to Fiona; the princess tried to move back but found her legs bumping against the couch. The Aqueenian mother got in closer and grabbed Fiona¡¯s hands.


    ¡°You may be worried about your role on the battlefield, but don¡¯t be. Just you being there will be enough to stir the hearts of our troops. To them, you will be a goddess of victory, no matter how things play out.¡±


    Fiona shook off Mamie¡¯s hands and stepped to the side so that she could walk around the mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I will fight with you¡­ but I don¡¯t intend on doing more,¡± Fiona said softly before slipping out of the room.


    Mamie sighed and looked to the screen that flashed images of a happier family.


    ¡°Dear, this battle will be a tough one. I¡¯m not sure how we will fare without you, but should we win¡­ I¡¯ll have Bonfilia do the final rest, then you can finally move on knowing we will be happy. And¡­ should we lose, we will meet you at the entrance¡­.¡± she said softly to the picture.

 34 – Gwyn and Bonfilia

    Gwyn quickly found that the house was more extensive than he expected. It was built of winding hallways and led to many oddly shaped rooms. At first, he found his way to a study, but Harlan was already deep in reading some books. He held back his curiosity of learning the differences between Resh and Earth books and moved on.


    Next, he found his way to a living room of sorts. However, Fiona was already sitting there in a pensive state. He opted to move on and not disturb her. He made his way upstairs and walked past an excessive amount of spare bedrooms before deciding to return down the stairs.


    He continued to wander around aimlessly in the halls until he found his way inside a kitchen. It looked a little odd at first, but objects resembling sinks, countertops, and cabinets confirmed that it must be a kitchen, at least to Gwyn.


    He took some time to open some doors and look at the odd ingredients inside.


    That is a little rude, Mem commented.


    ¡°No one is watching,¡± Gwyn replied as he let curiosity get the better of him.


    Someone is, in fact, watching, Mem confirmed.


    Gwyn jumped and spun around. From the corner of the room''s entrance, Bonfilia was peeking out, watching the nonpareil.


    Gwyn slowly and gently closed the cabinet door, cleared his throat, and waved gently to the child. She jumped and slid away from the corner.


    ¡°Oh, wait!¡± Gwyn stammered. He ran to the corner and stopped suddenly as he was rounding it. Bonfilia was still standing there. She jumped back and fell to the ground. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gwyn asked as he reached out a hand to the green Aqueenian girl.


    She looked at his hand a moment, then stood up without any help.


    ¡°Are you really the nonpa-el?¡± she asked shyly as she eyed his golden-red hair. In the light, it looked more orange that normal.


    Gwyn knelt and rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°I suppose I am,¡± he answered with a smile. Despite the alien appearance, Bonfilia somewhat reminded Gwyn of his sister when she was the same age. He couldn¡¯t help but let his guard down around the innocent girl.


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    ¡°Wow, have you fought any monsters?¡± she asked. Her shy demeanor quickly dissolved as curiosity took over.


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I fought this big scary monster that tried to squash me under its feet¡­ and an Aqueenian who had giant wings on her back!¡±


    Bonfilia¡¯s mouth was agape, but her eyes lit up after a moment of thought.


    ¡°Wow! Daddy always said the nonpa-el defeats lots of monsters!¡±


    Though, you didn¡¯t really defeat either of those two monsters,¡± Mem chimed in while using a voice that sounded like a chuckle within Gwyn¡¯s head.


    Gwyn was about to yell a retort to the Needaimus but settled for a cough when he realized Bonfilia would just be surprised by a sudden shout.


    ¡°What¡¯s your world like?¡± Bonfilia was quickly onto a new topic.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s big¡­ and blue¡­ and round¡­.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± her childlike wonder did not cease.


    ¡°And it is full of hu¡­ er¡­ Netzians¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow! So, there are no Aqueenians at all?¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Gwyn said with a chuckle as the Aqueenian girl looked at him with big bright eyes. He began to think of his sister, then his parents after. His mood may have dropped if the child did not ask him another question.


    ¡°Do you have any family?¡± Bonfilia asked suddenly. It was a random question born from childlike curiosity, but Gwyn couldn¡¯t help being surprised as he was just thinking of his own family.


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I have a mom and dad and a little sister¡­.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I only have a mommy!¡±


    Gwyn frowned slightly and bit his lower lip. He shook his head and tussled the girl¡¯s hair as best he could with his bad left hand.


    ¡°Well, no matter how many are in your family, make sure you cherish them while you can see them.¡±


    Bonfilia pondered for a moment before she made a smile and nodded.


    ¡°So, are you going to beat the bad guys?¡± Bonfilia quickly switched to a new topic.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ I hope we will!¡± he awkwardly said.


    I hope you will too. Don¡¯t forget you have a precious and delicate one bonded to your arm. Mem chimed in, but Gwyn ignored the comment.


    ¡°You can do it!¡± Bonfilia said with a pose that was meant to cheer Gwyn on.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Gwyn said slowly.


    ¡°Mommy says their leader is in Daddy¡¯s old mayor office. Make sure you go and beat him up!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Gwyn answered.


    Bonfilia¡¯s demeanor changed suddenly. She put her hands down and wrapped them together while looking to the floor. She wanted to say something else but had suddenly grown shy.


    ¡°And¡­ and please save my home¡­¡± she almost whispered.


    Gwyn stared at her for a moment while trying to think of what he would say. After a minute of silence, he took a deep breath and replied.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Bonfilia smiled a wide smile.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go play!¡± she switched her demeanor almost instantly as she put her hopes into Gwyn.


    ¡°What?¡± Gwyn replied, but Bonfilia had already grabbed his bad hand and gently tugged him along with her. He complied as she led him to a small room where many toys were laid out in a random arrangement that simply came across as a mess.


    Gwyn patiently listened as Bonfilia told him what each toy was, how it was played with, and any other insignificant detail that came to her mind at that moment.

 35 – Prep

    After a while, Mamie gathered up the separated trio and took them back into the mines. Bonfilia followed close behind the trio, and Mamie closed the floorboard behind them.


    They wandered through tunnels for a while until they reached a large cavern that the trio had not yet seen.


    It was wide open and very high, with several tunnel openings going in different directions out of it. Along one of the walls was what was best described as a command center. Several desks were laid out in rows with screens at each. A tall command desk sat in the back and overlooked multiple screens.


    Many Aqueenians already were seated at the desks with the illuminating screens making their colored faces sparkle like gemstones. Many more stood around the cavern in small groups chatting in various conversations. Each wore dark clothing like that of the bandits and goggles.


    When the trio entered the cavern, a large cheer erupted. At first, it was only the few that had seen them enter, but more and more joined in as they saw the source of the cry.


    ¡°Shut up, you fools!¡± Mamie shouted as she tried to silence the troops, ¡°We can cheer when we win!¡±


    She managed to get the group settled down and shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this lot; miners don¡¯t always have the best manners,¡± she said to the trio. The crowd laughed at her comments.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­.¡± Gwyn said. He wasn¡¯t sure how to reply.


    ¡°Now, get these three a change of clothes!¡± Mamie said. They were thrown some simple, dark clothes and goggles in no time at all.


    ¡°What are these for?¡± Gwyn asked while holding the goggles.


    Mamie nodded.


    ¡°We have some spies that have infiltrated the enemy; they pretended they were of the same mind as that nasty Vidkun. To be safe, every one of our uniforms has our symbol of rebellion drawn on the chest in invisible ink. The goggles are meant to show it, but your Needaimus should be able to take care of that for you.¡±


    With that, the group was taken to a private area, where they had put up some curtains to change. The trio emerged in matching dark grey uniforms. Their Needaimus quickly found the right way to show the invisible mark, and soon every uniform in the cavern lit up with a red symbol drawn on the chest. It was shaped like a circle, with an arrow bursting out of the side, and was clearly not designed by an artist.


    ¡°We have some time before it will be opportune to strike. Take the time to relax.¡± Mamie told the trio.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She left the trio with her daughter at her side, but they didn¡¯t get any time to relax. Several of the miners swooped in to speak to the group.


    The first to break through was a shorter Aqueenian with a sapphire blue hue. He had black hair on his head and a mismatching white goatee on his chin. On his left arm was a green Needaimus.


    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± the stranger reached out a hand to Fiona. She awkwardly accepted the handshake. ¡°Names Adan, I have a Saient type that can make all sorts of safety equipment¡­ I¡¯m not sure how much help it will do us in the battle, but I¡¯ll be happy to support in whatever way I can!¡±


    Fiona was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Happy to have your support!¡± Gwyn said happily as he lightly smacked Adan¡¯s shoulder. The Aqueenian miner nodded in reply.


    ¡°Princess Fiona!¡± a chorus of shouts rang out as three others ran up. They quickly pushed Adan out of the way and stood before Fiona.


    ¡°I¡¯m Simeon!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Siegfried!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Sinatra!¡±


    Each gave their name in order, then joined together to finish:


    ¡°And we¡¯re the founders of the Princess Fiona Fan Club!¡±


    ¡°A club that was only founded today,¡± Adan said with a sigh as he shook his head.


    ¡°You stop that,¡± Simeon shouted.


    ¡°We may have only started today,¡± Siegfried added.


    ¡°But our support for the princess will last a lifetime!¡± Sinatra finished.


    Fiona awkwardly looked at the three, then to Gwyn for support. He only shook his head and gave Fiona a look to say: ¡®This one¡¯s all you.¡¯ She frowned at Gwyn then forced a smile to the trio.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy¡­ to have your support¡­.¡±


    The trio cheered.


    ¡°We are most gracious!¡± they shouted together. ¡°In your time of need, we will gladly support you!¡±


    ¡°Than¡­ Thanks¡­ I¡¯m glad I can count on you,¡± Fiona said.


    ¡°Of course!¡± The trio continued to talk Fiona¡¯s ear off while she awkwardly listened. Gwyn and Harlan broke away and began to walk around the cavern. Gwyn quickly started up a casual conversation with the other miners. Harlan stood close but did not engage in any talking.


    After a short while, some more miners, including Old Gus, entered the cavern while dragging Vidkun behind them.


    ¡°You filthy miners! When Grimes hears about this!¡± Vidkun shouted to them.


    ¡°Shaddup, the first that fool will hear about this is when we knock him right in the kisser,¡± Old Gus shouted to Vidkun.


    The bandit adviser''s face turned a bright shade of orange.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll have you know that you have no chance of defeating these bandits!¡± he shouted. He didn¡¯t get much of a chance to keep shouting, as he was soon gagged and sat along the back wall of the cavern.


    ¡°Well, Vidkun. I guess you get to watch this all play out with me,¡± Mamie said to him as she slipped a headset over her ears. ¡°Can everyone hear me?¡± Mamie asked. Her voice echoed in the heads of the free trio as the Needaimus picked up the signal.


    The crowd cheered in response with a loud ¡°Dast!¡±


    Mamie chuckled to herself, then made a frown and shook her head.


    ¡°Your all fools, but I guess that means we¡¯re sure we¡¯ll annoy those tyrants! We outnumber them 3 to 1 but don¡¯t get too cocky. They have serious training and combat experience, and we¡¯re just a bunch of miners. The only thing we know for sure we could win at is a drinking game.¡±


    The crowd laughed at her criticism. Their ease helped Mamie calm down, but she kept her serious look.


    ¡°You lot better not die tonight. If it looks like they might win, turn around and retreat. My late husband has got to be tired of greeting Aqueenians younger than him at the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Dast!¡± the crowd shouted again, but this time they took a more serious tone to match Mamie¡¯s. Bonfilia looked around at everything with confusion.


    ¡°Alright. Let us get this festival started a couple of nights early!¡± Mamie finished. The crowd cheered in excitement with her.

 Excerpt From Mayor’s Notebook – Last Entry

    The Washing¡ª3696¨C3


    As typical with this time of the year, the weather has taken a turn for the worst. The amount of precipitation has already caused a minor mudslide on the Noan (Southeast) side of the village. I suppose I should be grateful it was only minor. We escaped with minimal injuries and now can work to fortify that portion before the washing truly gets underway.


    In much better news, the mines have been very productive as of late. Under the guidance of Gus, we found a new deposit that should provide for years to come. I¡¯ll have to show my thanks to him later. He took a brief step out of a well-deserved retirement to help us.


    I hope the younger of our miners took the time to learn from his experience. At the very least, it was reported to me that a youngster known as Adan seemed to have taken a liking to Gus. Furthermore, Gus himself told me this youngster shows a lot of promise in the future. Discussions have started to make him the safety leader for the mining team. This will fill out the long-absent role and give our Needaimus a long-needed partner.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Now, if I may take some time to gush about my daughter.


    Bonfilia has been growing so much lately! It breaks my heart that I have missed so many key moments over the years. She is starting to ask all the questions that children often do. My wife told me just today that she had questioned why it rains so much. An appropriate question for this time of the year, but then she added on a question about why it rains in the first place.


    My wife, of course, answered the question well, but I do hope I do not miss an opportunity to answer one of my daughters¡¯ pressing questions on my own. I think I shall take a week off soon to spend some much-needed time to rest with them.

 36 – The Invasion Begins

    The free trio looked all around the cavern at the cheering miners. Mamie¡¯s words had lit a fire within them, and they eagerly began to grab tools and pickaxes while singing a song of their impending victory.


    Mamie approached the trio while the miners were busy preparing.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t realize it, but they are more excited with you here than without,¡± she told the group. While she spoke, Bonfilia ran up next to her mother.


    Fiona nodded slightly to show that she understood but didn¡¯t bother saying anything.


    Bonfilia stepped forward and handed something to Gwyn. He awkwardly received the object then began to examine it. It was a string tied together with several beads on it. They were arranged in a repeating pattern of red ¨C blue ¨C green ¨C purple ¨C black around with only a little bit of the string exposed where it had been tied to a knot.


    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± Gwyn said, though he had no idea what he was supposed to do with the object.


    ¡°It¡¯s a protection necklace; I made them for all three of you!¡± Bonfilia said as she handed the handmade items to Fiona and Harlan. Fiona awkwardly fumbled with her necklace to get it over her head.


    Harlan, on the other hand, stared at the necklace. She was confused about why she had been given such a gift.


    ¡°Just a necklace for them, that hurts,¡± Adan said in a playful tone as he walked up to the group.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need one,¡± Bonfilia said as she stuck her tongue out at Adan. She was convinced that the safety officer was indestructible. Adan laughed and stuck his tongue out at the Aqueenian child.


    ¡°Come on, Your Mom probably needs to talk to these three for a little bit,¡± Adan said as he gently pushed Bonfilia away.


    ¡°Wait, Adan¨C Make sure you wear them!¡± Bonfilia shouted to the group. Harlan shrugged and slipped the necklace over her head. Gwyn tried to do the same, but his head was too large for what Bonfilia made. He settled for wrapping it around his left arm as a makeshift bracelet.


    Adan continued to escort Bonfilia away. Mamie made a silent ¡®thank you¡¯ to Adan with her lips as she turned back to the trio.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Now, I understand you have captured allies at their base. Our troops will be able to support you as you seek out freeing them. After that, it would be best to regroup and coordinate an all-out attack on their leader. His name is Grimes, and he¡¯s a Netzian with a severely overclocked crimson Needaimus,¡± Mamie said as she pulled out a piece of paper.


    ¡°Our group is dividing into four teams to infiltrate the stronghold. I would recommend each of you joins a different unit to maximize your search area. Adan will take up the last team. Of course, that is up to you.¡±


    Mamie looked at each group member individually while she waited for them to respond.


    ¡°It might be better if we go in alone,¡± Gwyn suggested. Harlan shook her head but didn¡¯t offer a response.


    Fiona pressed a finger to her chin. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she took a moment to think. After a couple of seconds, her large purple eyes popped open.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to go that way; if they want to follow along, they can!¡± she said with a confident nod as she pointed to a random tunnel.


    ¡°Princess dear, that tunnel goes back to my house. The tunnels you want are over there,¡± Mamie said as she gently pointed to a set of tunnel openings on the other side of the cavern. Fiona blushed and slowly turned her arm to point to a tunnel in the right direction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Princess Fiona, we will follow you everywhere!¡± the trio of the Fiona Fan Club shouted in unison as they seemingly appeared next to the group.


    Fiona slid her hands down and clasped them by her waist. She turned slightly to Gwyn and Harlan and whispered:


    ¡°What do I do about them.¡±


    Harlan shrugged.


    ¡°You need to show them your down to earth and relatable so that they don¡¯t try to praise you so much,¡± Gwyn said with a nod.


    ¡°Down to earth? Never mind¡­ I get the relatable part¡± Fiona turned away from Gwyn and Harlan and addressed the trio, ¡°I appreciate your support¡­ but feel free to drop the princess title.¡±


    ¡°We could never do something so disrespectful!¡± shouted Simeon.


    ¡°It goes against the oath we took when we joined this club!¡± added Siegfried.


    ¡°Wait, she¡¯s trying to tell us something instead!¡± Sinatra realized.


    ¡°I see, ¡®princess¡¯ isn¡¯t strong enough of a title to address her by!¡± Simeon shouted with an ¡®ah-ha¡¯ expression.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Siegfried added.


    ¡°It should be something more dignified, perhaps Lady Fiona!¡± Sinatra said.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± The other two shouted together.


    Fiona looked back to Gwyn and Harlan with an expression that begged for support. Harlan shook her head, and Gwyn could only throw his hands up to show he was out of ideas.


    The trio began to sing praises about Fiona as she tried to hide a very embarrassed expression.


    Mamie chuckled some at the sight before excusing herself. She returned to her command post and began to address the crowd.


    ¡°You lot look like you are ready to go,¡± she shouted, and the crowd replied with a hardy shout of their own. She didn¡¯t have to say a second word before the whole group of miners began to charge down different tunnels exiting the cavern.


    Gwyn, Harlan, and Fiona took off simultaneously so that they could keep pace with the crowd. Though Gwyn intended to join the others, they got split up as they caught up within the group. In the end, each trio member set off down a different tunnel in their charge to the enemy base.

 37 – The Great Escape

    Rheba held Hal in the air, with one hand holding the back of his shirt and the other hand holding the back of his leg. He flailed around, trying to escape her grip, but her strength overwhelmed his own.


    ¡°Unhand me!¡± Hal shouted.


    ¡°You said you would go,¡± Odell commented as he pushed the final few bars out of the way in the corner. There was now a hole just big enough for Hal to slip through to escape the cell. With the broken bars bent, he was at risk of getting snagged or cut if he didn¡¯t slide through carefully. He had tried to protest as such, but Odell and Rheba expressed that he ought to hurry.


    ¡°I agreed to no such thing. The whims of my fellow journeyers have simply taken shape on their own!¡± Hal shouted back.


    ¡°You might want to straighten your arms out, or they could get caught on the sharp edges,¡± Rheba said as she moved her arms back in preparation to slide Hal forward.


    Hal wanted to protest more but sensed that she would go through with it. He put his hands forward into a point like a diver might before jumping into the water.


    Rheba swung Hal forward while gently lowering him to the floor. He gracefully slid forward through the created hole, across the floor, and impacted the wall on the other side of the room. Since his hands were out, he could stop himself before his head collided with the wall as well.


    Hal stood up and brushed the front of his clothes off.


    ¡°Alright, now once you find our Needaimus, you can bring them right back here!¡± Odell said with a smile.


    ¡°Perhaps I ought to abandon you lot in favor of my own hide,¡± Hal said with a grumble as he continued to brush himself off.


    ¡°Thank you for all your hard work, Hal,¡± Rheba said with a polite bow. The emerald hair Netzian frowned and turned away.


    ¡°I shall return,¡± he said once his back was turned from the duo. He headed to the door and began to open it slowly. It creaked much louder than he, or the two in the cell, would have wanted.


    Fortunately, as Hal poked his head out, he saw no one in the vicinity. None of the trio were aware, but the guard stationed at the door left to report all the noise they were making. The guard was currently seeking some support to go quiet down the prisoners.


    Hal let out a sigh of relief before slipping out of the prison room. He shut the door gently and began to creep down the hallway with care.


    The hallway was long and curved gently as it went around the building. Hal rolled his eyes at the Aqueenian inability to make straight rooms and started his walk. As he passed by a window, he could see that the second sun had already set. The dead of night would be upon them soon, and that would make for the most suitable time to escape.


    The green-haired Netzian reached a fork in the hallway where he could go straight or turn. Hal opted to turn and go deeper into the building. If the Needaimus were still in the place, they would have them somewhere farther within.


    Hal continued to sneak around and examine the building. He slowly opened a door and investigated the room. It was an empty office, with paperwork still left on the table. The dates were from over a year prior, and Hal guessed it was left in a rush when the bandits took over.


    The next few rooms were in the same sorry state that the first was. The Netzian soldier sighed as he realized he was not getting anywhere.


    Hal continued to walk down a hallway and turned another corner. He came face to face with a patrolling guard. The guard was a Netzian that wore similar dark clothing to the rest of the enemy. He had brown hair that went down to his chin and two pointy Bentulousian style ears on his head.


    He stared at Hal with wide blue eyes.


    ¡°Your¡­¡± the Netzian began, but he was quickly kneed in the stomach by Hal. The green-haired Netzian collided his knee with the opponent''s stomach. The brown-haired Netzian let out a gasp, took a step back, and began to put his fists up, but Hal was quicker as he got in close and delivered a series of punches that resulted in a knockout.


    Hal quickly pulled his opponent''s unconscious body into one of the abandoned office rooms. He stripped him of his clothes, leaving only the undergarments, and put them on himself.


    With a change of clothes, Hal set out into the hallway once again; as he walked deeper into the facility. More of the enemy could be seen down the hallway, this time a set of two.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we have to go search the mines¡­.¡± one grumbled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just look around for a little and say that we couldn¡¯t find them,¡± the other guard said back.


    Hal made a salute to the duo as he passed. He pressed the thumb of his right hand on the right side of his chest. The palm faced downwards. The enemy duo awkwardly did the same as they passed.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± the first one said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, probably some new guy. Haven¡¯t seen anyone bother to salute in a while,¡± the second added as they went on their way.


    Hal let out a little sigh as the change in clothes had been enough to avoid suspicion. He continued down his way until he found a new room.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    As he entered, it was clear the room had once been a mess hall. There were still impressions on the floor from where tables had once sat, and some discarded, or perhaps thrown, food still stained some of the walls.


    The room itself had been changed from an eating room into a giant science lab. Equipment sat on the floor with odd devices and vials of substances lining some of the tables. Many metal coffins, which Hal guessed must hold equipment, lined the walls beyond the tables. Savvy, who fiddled with the anti-needaimus glove she had used in the tunnel, stood at the end of the room.


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t quite right. There is still so much more that I can do,¡± she mumbled to herself while being oblivious to the fact that Hal was standing behind her.


    The Netzian soldier, under normal circumstances, would have quietly backed out of the room and left the opponent that might recognize him alone. However, another sight in the lab caught his attention. Three glass domes were placed on the far side wall¡ªin front of where Savvy worked. Each dome held one of the Needaimus in suspended animation.


    Hal sighed to himself as he stepped forward into the lab.


    ***


    Rheba and Odell remained sitting in the cell after Hal left. They had stayed standing a moment after he had shut the door but chose to sit down once it became clear it would take a while.


    ¡°Do you think it will work?¡± Odell asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°This plan was your own; you should show a little more confidence in it,¡± Rheba replied.


    ¡°I suppose your right,¡± Odell said with a nod. They continued to wait for what seemed like a long time while Hal snuck around the base.


    ¡°So, if we run into their mortals, how are we going to defeat them?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°The Zenotote''s ability could be trouble; we¡¯ll need to think of a counter. The Bentulousian will be tough, she overpowered me earlier, and I suspect she won¡¯t go down in a one-on-one, and we must try to avoid the Hobusian¡¯s device once we get our Needaimus,¡± Rheba gave her honest assessment.


    ¡°She made something really nasty. I never thought I¡¯d see an anti-Needaimus device realized,¡± Odell said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Is it so uncommon? I thought there was a story about such a device in the Needaimus Rush,¡± Rheba asked.


    Odell shook his head.


    ¡°That was such a long time ago, and it¡¯s hard to say if that was fact or not. There has been a lot of research to create one ever since, but no one has succeeded. At least until now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, she might be a troubling opponent,¡± Rheba said.


    The two became silent for a moment, but their quiet was quickly interrupted.


    An explosion in the distance shook the building. The duo in the cell was immediately alert. Everyone in the building stopped what they were doing. The whole place came alive as everyone became mobilized. Grimes, who was asleep on his throne, woke up and made a lazy yawn.


    Inside the prison room, the guard and his backup came running in. He had just gotten someone to come to support him when the explosion rattled the building.


    ¡°Prisoners still inside the cell,¡± he reported to his radio-like device. He began to walk forward and eyed the duo. The second guard chuckled and followed after.


    ¡°It seems some of the locals are making a fuss. I¡¯ve been put in charge of watching you¡­ two¡­¡± The new guard stopped in his tracks. He reached for his radio but was not aware how close to the bars he was.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the second guard shouted as he tried to pull his ally back.


    Rheba lunged her long arms out of the cell and grabbed the unsuspecting guard by his shirt. In his shock, he let go of his radio. As it hit the floor, Rheba jerked the guard, and the second one who held on, in close and smashed him against the bars. He was out of commission.


    Before the second guard could escape, Rheba reached out with her second arm and drove him into the cell bars as well.


    ¡°Quick, Odell, see if they have anything useful,¡± Rheba said as she held the unconscious guards close to the bars.


    Odell began to rummage in their pockets until he produced a set of keys.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­.¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°He was sent to watch us after all,¡± Rheba answered.


    Odell fiddled with the keys in the lock until one slid in and clicked the door open. The guards were tossed aside as the duo became free.


    ¡°Huh, what did we make Hal do all that for anyway?¡± Odell asked as he slid the keys into one of his pockets.


    ¡°Now is not the time; we need to find our way out of here,¡± Rheba said as she pulled open the door to the room. They exited into the hallway and began to run in a direction.


    Though they did not know it, the duo had gone the opposite way Hal had. They ran down the hallway and around a couple of turns until they came bursting through a door into an open space. The room resembled an auditorium with rows of seats and a small stage that could be stood up to make announcements. In the space, all up and down the rows of seats and on the stage, troops dressed identically in black clothing were dueling each other.


    A side of Aqueenians was shouting while swinging heavy pickaxes around while the bandit troops wielded more conventional swords and other blades against their foes. The two sides clashed with fury and might. However, it was clear that even with the passion the Aqueenians held, they struggled with the skill and technique of their foes.


    Every bandit troop member was able to hold their own against even a crowd of the miners, and the Aqueenians were being pushed back. The bandits, however, were careful not to wound the miners too much as to keep the labor force intact. Though some miners fell, they were taken down with gashes and knocked unconscious.


    Rheba was the first to get a grasp on the sight she saw. She immediately lunged forward and picked up a bandit soldier from behind. The soldier had been overwhelming a trio that had clearly never fought a day in their life.


    The trio spoke to Rheba as she casually threw the opposing bandit over her shoulder.


    ¡°Could this be?¡± the first said.


    ¡°It has to be; she is clearly not with them,¡± the second added.


    ¡°We have aid at last,¡± the last finished.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lady Fiona¡¯s allies!¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°You know Fiona?¡± Rheba asked as she casually punched an enemy troop charging at her from the side. The opponent was sent flying while Rheba never looked at him.


    ¡°Do we know Lady Fiona?¡± the group said in sing-song unison. They might have continued talking, but Rheba ignored them and turned to Odell. The Hobusian prince ducked as an enemy swung a sword at him. The attack narrowly missed as it sailed over his bony crown.


    ¡°Odell, these Aqueenians are allies to the others,¡± Rheba yelled to him while he avoided another blow.


    ¡°I was starting to pick that up,¡± Odell yelled back as he ducked again.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Rheba asked the trio.


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± one said.


    ¡°We got split up when the fighting started,¡± the next added.


    ¡°And now we aren¡¯t sure¡­.¡± The third finished.


    Rheba nodded.


    ¡°Odell, let¡¯s support these guys for now and catch up with the others later,¡± Rheba yelled.


    ¡°Are you sure you can support us?¡±


    ¡°We heard you normally use Needaimus.¡±


    ¡°We can take it from here if you have to go.¡±


    ¡°We can handle the likes of these opponents without some Needaimus,¡± Rheba said with a smile. Another opponent tried to run up and slash her back, but she kicked him from behind without a glance.


    ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± Odell shouted to her as he avoided another sword swipe from the same opponent as before.


    Rheba shook her head.


    ¡°Hold on; I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    She leaped across the room and kicked the opponent that chased Odell into a wall.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Odell said through heavy breaths. He knelt low.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rest now; we have a room of opponents to take down!¡±


    Rheba leaped back into the fray. Odell, and the Aqueenian miners, slowly realized how quickly she would turn the tide of the battle.

 63 – The Great Escape 2

    Rheba and Odell remained sitting in the cell after Hal left. They had stayed standing a moment after he had shut the door but chose to sit down once it became clear it would take a while.


    ¡°Do you think it will work?¡± Odell asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°This plan was your own; you should show a little more confidence in it,¡± Rheba replied.


    ¡°I suppose your right,¡± Odell said with a nod. They continued to wait for what seemed like a long time while Hal snuck around the base.


    ¡°So, if we run into their mortals, how are we going to defeat them?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°The Zenotote''s ability could be trouble; we¡¯ll need to think of a counter. The Bentulousian will be tough, she overpowered me earlier, and I suspect she won¡¯t go down in a one-on-one, and we must try to avoid the Hobusian¡¯s device once we get our Needaimus,¡± Rheba gave her honest assessment.


    ¡°She made something really nasty. I never thought I¡¯d see an anti-Needaimus device realized,¡± Odell said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Is it so uncommon? I thought there was a story about such a device in the Needaimus Rush,¡± Rheba asked.


    Odell shook his head.


    ¡°That was such a long time ago, and it¡¯s hard to say if that was fact or not. There has been a lot of research to create one ever since, but no one has succeeded. At least until now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, she might be a troubling opponent,¡± Rheba said.


    The two became silent for a moment, but their quiet was quickly interrupted.


    An explosion in the distance shook the building. The duo in the cell was immediately alert. Everyone in the building stopped what they were doing. The whole place came alive as everyone became mobilized. Grimes, who was asleep on his throne, woke up and made a lazy yawn.


    Inside the prison room, the guard and his backup came running in. He had just gotten someone to come to support him when the explosion rattled the building.


    ¡°Prisoners still inside the cell,¡± he reported to his radio-like device. He began to walk forward and eyed the duo. The second guard chuckled and followed after.


    ¡°It seems some of the locals are making a fuss. I¡¯ve been put in charge of watching you¡­ two¡­¡± The new guard stopped in his tracks. He reached for his radio but was not aware how close to the bars he was.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the second guard shouted as he tried to pull his ally back.


    Rheba lunged her long arms out of the cell and grabbed the unsuspecting guard by his shirt. In his shock, he let go of his radio. As it hit the floor, Rheba jerked the guard, and the second one who held on, in close and smashed him against the bars. He was out of commission.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Before the second guard could escape, Rheba reached out with her second arm and drove him into the cell bars as well.


    ¡°Quick, Odell, see if they have anything useful,¡± Rheba said as she held the unconscious guards close to the bars.


    Odell began to rummage in their pockets until he produced a set of keys.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­.¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°He was sent to watch us after all,¡± Rheba answered.


    Odell fiddled with the keys in the lock until one slid in and clicked the door open. The guards were tossed aside as the duo became free.


    ¡°Huh, what did we make Hal do all that for anyway?¡± Odell asked as he slid the keys into one of his pockets.


    ¡°Now is not the time; we need to find our way out of here,¡± Rheba said as she pulled open the door to the room. They exited into the hallway and began to run in a direction.


    Though they did not know it, the duo had gone the opposite way Hal had. They ran down the hallway and around a couple of turns until they came bursting through a door into an open space. The room resembled an auditorium with rows of seats and a small stage that could be stood up to make announcements. In the space, all up and down the rows of seats and on the stage, troops dressed identically in black clothing were dueling each other.


    A side of Aqueenians was shouting while swinging heavy pickaxes around while the bandit troops wielded more conventional swords and other blades against their foes. The two sides clashed with fury and might. However, it was clear that even with the passion the Aqueenians held, they struggled with the skill and technique of their foes.


    Every bandit troop member was able to hold their own against even a crowd of the miners, and the Aqueenians were being pushed back. The bandits, however, were careful not to wound the miners too much as to keep the labor force intact. Though some miners fell, they were taken down with gashes and knocked unconscious.


    Rheba was the first to get a grasp on the sight she saw. She immediately lunged forward and picked up a bandit soldier from behind. The soldier had been overwhelming a trio that had clearly never fought a day in their life.


    The trio spoke to Rheba as she casually threw the opposing bandit over her shoulder.


    ¡°Could this be?¡± the first said.


    ¡°It has to be; she is clearly not with them,¡± the second added.


    ¡°We have aid at last,¡± the last finished.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lady Fiona¡¯s allies!¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°You know Fiona?¡± Rheba asked as she casually punched an enemy troop charging at her from the side. The opponent was sent flying while Rheba never looked at him.


    ¡°Do we know Lady Fiona?¡± the group said in sing-song unison. They might have continued talking, but Rheba ignored them and turned to Odell. The Hobusian prince ducked as an enemy swung a sword at him. The attack narrowly missed as it sailed over his bony crown.


    ¡°Odell, these Aqueenians are allies to the others,¡± Rheba yelled to him while he avoided another blow.


    ¡°I was starting to pick that up,¡± Odell yelled back as he ducked again.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Rheba asked the trio.


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± one said.


    ¡°We got split up when the fighting started,¡± the next added.


    ¡°And now we aren¡¯t sure¡­.¡± The third finished.


    Rheba nodded.


    ¡°Odell, let¡¯s support these guys for now and catch up with the others later,¡± Rheba yelled.


    ¡°Are you sure you can support us?¡±


    ¡°We heard you normally use Needaimus.¡±


    ¡°We can take it from here if you have to go.¡±


    ¡°We can handle the likes of these opponents without some Needaimus,¡± Rheba said with a smile. Another opponent tried to run up and slash her back, but she kicked him from behind without a glance.


    ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± Odell shouted to her as he avoided another sword swipe from the same opponent as before.


    Rheba shook her head.


    ¡°Hold on; I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    She leaped across the room and kicked the opponent that chased Odell into a wall.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Odell said through heavy breaths. He knelt low.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rest now; we have a room of opponents to take down!¡±


    Rheba leaped back into the fray. Odell, and the Aqueenian miners, slowly realized how quickly she would turn the tide of the battle.

 Excerpt from Needaimus Guide – Intro and Origins

    Congratulations! If you are reading this guide, it means you have just, or will soon, partner with a Needaimus. This is a big step, and we are here to walk you through it!


    There are many things to cover and much more that you will simply learn through experience. The purpose of this guide will be to introduce the basics for a new Mortal-Needaimus pair.


    Much debate has been made over what order the information should be presented. The writers of this guide believe they have picked the best way but are open to changing details in future editions of this guidebook.


    The Needaimus origin is somewhat of a mystery to the modern world, and many ordinary people do not consider the details to be of importance.


    The most prevailing theory is that the Ancients formed the Needaimus. This is supported by the Zenotote Absolutism, which claims that their species lived alongside the ancients before the schism. They assert that the Needaimus were created for Zenotote use, and that is why they are the only species that does not need preparation for bonding to limbs. (As a side note, bonding without preparation will result in the loss of function to a limb. Some Needaimus abilities can partially recover the limb, but permanent damage will be retained. Please consult a medical professional before any partnership is made.)


    Another popular theory is that the Needaimus are extraterrestrial and came to Resh on a ship that broke apart in the atmosphere many years ago. This theory did not have much validation until the Netzian arrival proved the existence of life elsewhere.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    There are many other theories about the origins, but none are as popular as the two listed before. The writers of this guide do not take a position on any theory and encourage readers to research independently.


    Moving on from the ancient origins, the modern Needaimus discovery was well documented and recorded. In the year 1212 PS, a Needaimus mine was discovered in the Lethvo Mountains.


    The following Needaimus Rush would go on for several hundred years with many forming parties and seeking adventure throughout the world. It is a time associated with sword, sorcery, and the spirit of adventure. Many stories were written during this time, and many modern stories will also harken back to the romantic aspects of the period. The writers of this guide recommend anyone interested to check out the stories but be forewarned that many fantastical elements fill the stories written at the time.


    Following the great Needaimus Rush came the Needaimus Dry Period. New Needaimus we¡¯re not being discovered, and many were coming to grips with the fact that there was a large but limited supply. This time lasted several more hundred years, with tension growing on all sides. It came to a cataclysmic end with the Aqueenian and Hobusian nations starting what was thought to be an ordinary war in 1855 PS. The Zenototes and Bentulousians quickly joined in, but all sides soon realized how devastating Needaimus could be in combat. This guide will not cover what became known as the Great War of Resh, but the writers recommend reading all literature on the subject.


    Following the Great War, Needaimus research developed into its modern form. It is from this research that this guide will begin to explain Needaimus.

 38 – To the Auditorium

    Fiona¡¯s mine tunnel swirled around and headed up to the streets above. She, and the miner force that accompanied her, emerged into a simple building constructed over the mine entrance. The group emptied onto the village¡¯s main street. It was a wide road, with houses on either side. Behind the miners and princess, the street led to the tunnel where the team had been attacked. In front, the road began to go up an incline to a large building. The building was the largest in town and built on the highest portion, with a round exterior and flat top that made it resemble a can of soup in shape.


    The structure was multipurpose in design. The bottom floor housed offices, dorms, cells, a mess hall, and an auditorium. The second floor housed several conference rooms and lecture halls, and the third floor included a library, an Aqueenian ritual green space, and the mayoral office. A grand swirling staircase in the center connected all the floors.


    Atypical to the building¡¯s usual appearance, spikes had been set out around the perimeter, and a large bandit flag was planted on top of the building for all to see. The flag gently swayed in the wind from the highest point in the whole town.


    Fiona¡¯s troops became quiet and solemn as they stared at the building in front of them. They gripped their pickaxes tightly and began to march forward. Fiona gulped and walked along with them.


    The second sun had set, and the streets were only illuminated by dim lamps and the half starry sky. Some citizens who would not participate in the battle came out and nodded to the passing miners to show their support.


    Adan, the miner''s safety officer, came up next to Fiona and matched her pace. She jumped slightly as she had not realized a second group had joined them.


    ¡°Guess we''re going in the front door,¡± Adan said with a forced laugh.


    ¡°Is that bad?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°Depends on your perspective,¡± Adan replied.


    Ahead of them, miners had reached the building¡¯s front door and began to plant something down. They quickly backed up and covered their ears with their hands.


    There was a moment of calm; then, an explosion ripped open the front of the building. Fiona jumped at the sight but kept moving forward to the building.


    ¡°That¡¯s my cue,¡± Adan said.


    As the explosion finished echoing through the village and building, the miners at the front made a battle cry. They all broke into a mad sprint to the door, with Adan quickly charging ahead of the rest.


    Fiona locked onto the safety officer and zapped behind him just before he went through the threshold. The sight she was greeted with was a long hallway with a barricade at the end. Beyond which was an ample, open circular space that led to other hallways. The barricade was metal with spikes jutting out the front and an enormous Gatling gun mounted over the top. A bandit pair of a Hobusian and Netzian were sitting behind the barricade in shock by what was happening.


    ¡°Get to the auditorium!¡± Adan cried as he ran to the barricade and pointed to a door on his left. The only break from the long hallway was a set of doors on the side which led to a large hall and stage. Multiple entries in the room would allow them to bypass the barricade, and they began to charge into the room.


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    The guards at the barricade recovered relatively quickly. One quickly jumped on the Gatling gun and began to turn a massive crank, while the other called on the radio for backup.


    Gear began to appear on Adan. He was quickly covered in a brightly covered safety suit, with padded coverings and a face shield. The suit was not meant for battle but rather working in harsh conditions. As he ran forward, regulation-compliant barriers and railings appeared on his left¡ªone in front of the other to make a thick wall.


    The Gatling gun opened fire, and Adan slowed down as he took the brunt of the laser blasts. The remaining troops ran behind the safety captain and used the barriers as shielding so that they could enter the auditorium. As the gatling fire tore Adan¡¯s suit, new gear appeared to replace the broken parts before damage could be made to the Aqueenian inside. Scraps of discarded gear fell all around to the ground as he slowly made his way forward. After only a few steps down the hall, Adan¡¯s suit was completely new in the front from all the heavy damage. His breathing was shaky, as he had never experienced anything like this moment before, but he continued pressing down the hall.


    In the auditorium, the miners swiftly ran into the bandit reinforcements, and conflict broke out before the troops could make it any farther.


    Fiona instinctively slid back as she laid eyes on the sight before her. Her breathing was uneven.


    Calm down, and take a deep breath; Sun chimed within the princess''s mind.


    Fiona nodded and followed her Needaimus¡¯ instructions. She closed her eyes for only a moment before opening them back on the sight.


    Adan was making progress to the Gatling gun, but he was getting slower. The weapon itself showed no signs of overheating as it continued to direct fire on him.


    Fiona took another deep breath and locked in on the gun. In a flash, she appeared behind it and the guards. The Hobusian guard on the radio was the first to notice the princess, but she swiftly delivered a high kick to his head. His bony crown shattered as he smashed into the ground, and Fiona quickly pulled the gunner off the Gatling gun. A swift knee to his stomach rendered the second guard out of commission. Adan made a sigh of relief down the hall as he let his battered gear fall to the floor and disappear. His sweat-covered face was the last thing to appear as the gear all dissipated away.


    ¡°Way to go, Lady Fiona!¡± the fan club trio yelled from the back of the hall.


    ¡°You three¡­ go help the other troops¡­.¡± Adan shouted, as best he could, through heavy breaths.


    ¡°Yessir!¡± the trio yelled before running into the auditorium.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Fiona yelled to Adan from behind the barricade.


    ¡°Dast. Thanks for your help, princess; I don¡¯t think I could have held out any longer,¡± Adan shouted back as he settled on his knees.


    Fiona didn¡¯t get a chance to reply. From behind, she was suddenly grabbed and shoved into the ground by the calico Bentulousian.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let your guard down so easily, dear princess.,¡± Flora said in a sly tone as she loosened her grip on Fiona.


    The warrior turned to Adan, who was still kneeling on the floor.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Adan said as he raised a shaky arm to point to Flora.


    ¡°Not good indeed,¡± Flora said with a disinterested tone. ¡°You ruined my whole night, you know.¡±


    Adan didn¡¯t get a chance to reply as Fiona suddenly zapped into the air behind Flora¡¯s head. She spun in the air and planted a kick in the side of the Bentulousian''s head. Flora frowned but was otherwise unaffected.


    She quickly grabbed Fiona¡¯s leg, but Fiona zapped out of her grip before anything could be done. Flora laughed as she turned to the Aqueenian princess.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been crushing so many ordinary Aqueenians; I forgot how robust a Needaimus could make you! No matter, it looks like you don¡¯t know how to fight a Bentulousian at all.¡±


    Flora charged across the room at Fiona before the princess could manage any kind of reply. She barely had time to zap out of the way before the impact came. The floor was shattered where Fiona had once stood.


    Flora looked back to where the princess had reappeared and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at running; I¡¯ll give you that,¡± she said as she turned back to Fiona. The two continued to stare at each other as each anticipated the next move.

 39 – Flora vs. Fiona

    Flora lunged across the floor at the Aqueenian princess. Fiona zapped away once again, but not before Flora grabbed her by the arm.


    As Fiona reappeared safely out of the calico Bentulousian''s grip, she shook her head as she focused on her opponent.


    ¡°Your teleportation is a nice ability, but I have defeated many garku types before,¡± Flora mused as she closed her hand into a fist. She lunged at Fiona again but at the same time grabbed one of the unconscious guards Fiona had knocked out by the leg.


    Fiona zapped to safety as Flora smashed her fist into the ground, but the Aqueenian princess was not prepared to be hit with the flung body of the bandit guard as soon as she reappeared.


    She was knocked to the ground and had to roll to the side to avoid Flora¡¯s next blow. The calico Bentulousians fist smashed in between the heads of the unconscious guard and Fiona.


    ¡°Princess!¡± Adan yelled from the hallway. He shakily stood up and took several steps to the fighting opponents.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± Fiona shouted as she teleported to safety.


    Flora stood up from her punching pose on the floor and began to stretch her arms.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a lucky throw earlier; I¡¯m starting to figure out your patterns. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you go down, little princess,¡± Flora said in a snide tone.


    Fiona gritted her teeth and zapped behind her opponent. She kicked Flora squarely in the back, but the Bentulousian was unfazed.


    Fiona tried to take a step back, and Flora quickly spun on her feet and grabbed the princess by the collar of her shirt.


    Before Fiona could get away, Flora brought down her fist like a hammer at the princess¡¯s head. A hardhat-esk helmet suddenly appeared on Fiona¡¯s head before the blow was made. Fiona teleported away to behind Flora, and the dented helmet fell from Flora¡¯s fist onto the ground. It made an echoing thud as the calico warrior turned to Adan. He stood from beyond the spiked barricade with one hand outstretched to the dueling duo.


    Adan was breathing heavily as he slowly began to walk to the barricade. All the while, his Needaimus shouted in his mind that he was overexerting himself. Adan simply shook his head.


    ¡°While I can still stand, I ought to defend my town,¡± the Aqueenian safety officer answered his Needaimus.


    Flora chuckled.


    ¡°I suppose you might be a little bit of trouble,¡± she said with a smile.


    Flora leaped across the room in the direction of Adan. Before she could make it across, she crashed into a safety railing that appeared suddenly in front of her. Flora grunted as she grabbed the railing and threw it back at the Aqueenian princess. Fiona quickly disappeared from her spot and reappeared next to Adan.


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    ¡°What are you doing!¡± she shouted to the Aqueenian that could barely stay on his feet.


    ¡°Fighting,¡± he answered as he made an enclosed helmet with a visor, similar to something used for welding, appear on Flora¡¯s head. She began to pull on it but quickly realized it was Aqueenian sized and stuck on her head backward. ¡°I¡¯ll support you, princess,¡± he added.


    ¡°Your clearly overexerted!¡± Fiona shouted back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I can keep up with you!¡± Adan replied as he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead.


    Flora ripped the helmet off her head and leaped over the barricade. A loud stomp echoed through the halls as she landed in front of the duo of Aqueenians. Fiona instinctively zapped away, but Adan was left to feel the brunt of Flora¡¯s fist in his stomach. He let out a gasp and fell to his knees, but he remained conscious.


    Fiona opened her mouth to shout out, but no words came out. She began to tremble as it dawned on her that she might watch Adan die, like with her father.


    ¡°I can¡¯t win,¡± Fiona finally said through her trembling.


    Fiona! Sun shouted in her mind. It was so loud that Fiona could not help but jump. If you want Adan to be saved, draw your opponent¡¯s attention to you! If you want to win this fight, think outside your usual box! Whatever you do, breaking down here helps no one! Sun added in equally loud mental shouts.


    Fiona shook her head.


    ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t win.¡±


    What did you come here for if you did not come here to win? I do not believe someone as annoying and troublesome as you would give up so quickly!


    Fiona took a deep breath and looked at Flora, who had Adan lifted in the air with one arm. The other arm was held back as the calico warrior readied her next blow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some strong words for you after this fight, Sun,¡± Fiona said.


    I look forward to it. The yellow Needaimus answered with a chuckle. Fiona picked up a discarded piece of the welding helmet and zapped above Flora. The piece of the helmet was dropped over the Bentulousians head, and Fiona appeared by the feet.


    The chunk of helmet hit Flora in the head and caught Flora¡¯s attention for just a moment. At the same time, Fiona swept the warrior''s feet to be knocked off balance and began to tumble.


    Adan was freed from Flora¡¯s grasp, and Fiona quickly appeared behind him. She grabbed him by the arm and teleported them both into the open space behind the barricade. Flora caught herself before completely crashing on the floor and stood back up straight. She turned to the duo as Fiona rested Adan against a wall.


    The Aqueenian princess had a self-satisfied smile as she had never managed to use her ability on another before.


    ¡°Alright, little princess, you have my attention,¡± Flora said before leaping over the barrier and sprinting at Fiona.


    Fiona stood up and faced her opponent. She disappeared in a flash of light just as Flora¡¯s fist sailed through the air. Fiona reappeared behind Flora and kicked her opponent in the back of the leg where the knee would be on the front. Flora stumbled, but she did not fall.


    The calico warrior quickly swung her leg around before Fiona realized what was happening. The blue princess was kicked out into a hallway different from the one she had entered. She quickly began to push herself up and looked back to Flora.


    Flora stayed in place and watched the princess with careful eyes.


    ¡°She¡¯s not coming this way,¡± Fiona said as she looked behind her. In the distance, the beginning of the building''s central staircase could be seen.


    Fiona made a friendly wave to her opponent then ran down the hall to the staircase. Flora gritted her teeth and ran after the princess.


    Adan stayed leaning against the side of the wall; he opened communication and gave a short message.


    ¡°We managed to move into the auditorium. Barricade was taken down. Fiona has engaged Flora, and they are headed to the staircase. I¡¯m¡­ going to be out of commission for a while¡­.¡± Adan lost consciousness as he finished his report.

 40 – Battle in the Lab

    Hal stood in the lab with a distracted Savvy, and the three captured Needaimus. The tables around them formed a ¡®U¡¯ shape, and beyond the ¡®U¡¯ sat the series of metal coffins.


    He took several cautious steps to the Hobusian scientist whose back was still turned. She was fixed on her work and completely oblivious to the approaching Netzian. Sparks bounced off the mechanical glove on her workbench as she began to brush a tool against it. As he crept through the room, Hal noticed a long object on one of the tables.


    At a glance, it looked like a pipe, an oval-shaped tube that was slightly longer than his forearm, but closer inspection revealed it was some sort of gadget amongst Savvy¡¯s many others that were laid out. Hal paid no mind to that, however, as he reached out and grabbed the pipe.


    The Netzian soldier readied the object in his hand like a club as he continued to move in closer. As the distance shrunk, some soft hums from Savvy became audible. Hal pulled back his arm as he readied to strike the blissfully unaware Hobusian in the back of her head.


    Then, an explosion in the distance shook the building.


    Savvy suddenly turned around before the building was finished shaking. She had intended to run out of the room and straight to the source of the explosion. Instead, she stared up at the emerald-haired Netzian who was poised to strike.


    Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly slid to the side before Hal could bring his weapon down. The pipe smashed into the ground. It made a metal clang with the floor as Hal turned to his opponent. She smiled.


    ¡°I see you managed to escape. Was that explosion your doing?¡± Savvy asked as she quickly moved behind Hal to avoid another of his strikes with the pipe. He spun around and faced his opponent. Savvy slid on a gauntlet she had laying on one of the tables as well as the anti-Needaimus one she had been working on only moments ago.


    Savvy punched her two metal fists together, and they lit up with energy as she looked at Hal with a confident smile.


    Hal didn¡¯t say anything as he took a step back.


    ¡°I must say, you did pick up a good weapon of mine! However, without knowing how to use it, it is no better than a stick,¡± Savvy chided as she took a step toward Hal. He sighed as he jumped back onto the table where Savvy had been only moments ago.


    ¡°You¡¯re just backing into a wall, you know?¡± Savvy said with a chuckle. ¡°Even if you use that weapon to break the glass, I¡¯ll just remove your Needaimus again,¡± She added as she held her anti-Needaimus glove out. Colorful sparks ran across her fingertips.


    Hal didn¡¯t respond as he swung Savvy¡¯s weapon behind him. The glass containing his Needaimus, No. 5, shattered. In a flash, the Needaimus leaped out of the capsule. Hal made a confident sneer as his red Needaimus wrapped around his arm.


    Savvy shrugged.


    ¡°You don¡¯t listen, I see, and you¡¯re a terrible conversationalist to boot.¡±


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    Hal lunged forward and smashed the pipe weapon into the ground. Savvy simply leaped back to avoid the blow as it made another loud clang. Before she landed, Hal¡¯s hand disappeared into thin air next to him. As he pulled his arm back, he pulled out a long spear. His opponent gritted her teeth as she landed back on the floor.


    Savvy jumped back once again to avoid Hal¡¯s strike from the spear. The metal point of the weapon made a scraping sound as it slid on the hard floor, as Hal looked at his opponent in the eyes.


    Savvy gently landed on the ground outside the range of Hal¡¯s spear. She pointed a fist at him with the second glove that was not Anti-Needaimus. The glove was a cool silver, and the metal looked like it had been formed out of small scales. The glove glowed a hot red, and a flash of energy burst out. A red fist of energy flew across the room, and Hal¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock as he leaped to the side. The energy fist destroyed the worktable behind him. He made a mental note that everything the Hobusian scientist made should be considered dangerous.


    ¡°Hmm, the intensity is still a little too high,¡± Savvy mused as she charged forward. Smoke trailed behind her from the glove as she got in close to Hal, who was still off-balance from dodging the blow.


    The Anti-Needaimus gantlet forced No. 5 to fly off Hal¡¯s arm with a simple tap. Hal slid a leg out to catch himself and swung the spear like a bat. Savvy used her red fist to break the long weapon in half. With her free hand, the scientist punched at his stomach.


    He grunted and took a step back, just narrowly avoiding the punch. No. 5 quickly recovered and leaped back on Hal¡¯s arm. Savvy put up her fists like she was a boxer. Hal¡¯s face was filled with fury for a moment as he looked at his broken spear. He set the half in his hand gently down on a table and slid Savvy¡¯s pipe weapon into his ability space.


    Both his hands emerged from the invisible storage with something that resembled fingerless, metal gloves, which contained more iron knuckles. He held his arms up and charged at his opponent. They clashed with a blow to each of their chins, though the impact phased neither opponent.


    What followed was a quick rapid succession of blows between opponents. Savvy used her heavy frame to stay in place and absorb impacts, while Hal used his swift movements to move around the Hobusian scientist and keep her unaware of the next strike. Whenever the Anti-Needaimus glove struck Hal, No. 5 was thrust off into the air. The red Needaimus would adjust and leap back on Hal¡¯s arm as quickly as possible, but Hal would have to focus more on avoiding blows from his Hobusian opponent while disconnected.


    Their rapid boxing match continued for several minutes, with neither opponent seeming to take that much damage. However, as the blows continued to trade, it became clear to Hal that he would lose the fight in the end. Once it occurred to him, he began to focus on the next moves he would make.


    He soon leaped back as Savvy threw a heavy punch. She stumbled forward, having not expected Hal to jump back. Hal put his gloves back into his space and pulled out two flintlock-looking pistols in their place. Savvy took a step back as she expected Hal to fire at her. Instead, Hal spun around and shot the two remaining glass pods, which contained the other captured Needaimus.


    It did not take the Needaimus long to figure out what was going on once free. They quickly jumped out of the pods onto the table Savvy had destroyed with her energy blast. Then, they jumped onto Hal¡¯s shoulders, where they hung on tightly. Hal spun around to face Savvy; the two pistols let off smoke as they cooled down.


    ¡°You got them free, now what?¡± Savvy asked.


    ¡°Strategic withdrawal,¡± Hal said. He quickly slid his pistols back into his storage and charged at the Hobusian. It was easy for him to leap over her in a single bound.


    As Hal landed on the floor, he kept charging for the door. Savvy sighed.


    ¡°Unlock protocol, operation: Hunt,¡± she suddenly shouted. From the side of the room, the metal objects that resembled coffins began to hiss and slide open.


    Hal looked back for only a moment to see a metal army emerge from the coffins. They locked onto him with red, mechanical eyes.


    Hal silently said the most profane curse on Resh under his breath as the mechanical troops began to chase him out of the room.

 41 – Staircase

    Gwyn¡¯s group quickly met with Harlan¡¯s as they exited the mines to the cool streets above. She simply nodded to him as they met up with each other, and their groups combined into one team.


    ¡°We will be approaching the side of the building. The other teams will be distracting the main forces while we sneak to the central staircase and head up,¡± one of the miners explained to Gwyn and Harlan; they nodded to show they understood.


    In front of them, the building they would invade was becoming larger and more imposing. Spikes were laid out around the sides, and the large bandit flag was flapping in the wind above.


    ¡°That flag¡¯s a little in poor taste, huh?¡± Gwyn said to Harlan in an attempt to spark a conversation. She simply nodded in reply.


    Gwyn frowned as he looked around the village. Some other citizens were coming out to view the group as they headed close to the door.


    ¡°We got ourselves wrapped up in something crazy, huh?¡± Gwyn said to Harlan. She nodded.


    ¡°I hope this is the most excitement we see on this journey,¡± she replied.


    ¡°You and me both,¡± Gwyn answered.


    As they got close to the building, a path through the spikes became visible; it was narrow and led to a small side door. Two of the miners came up from the back of the group with a giant battering ram. They slowly walked up to the door and readied for a strike.


    They held their readied position for a moment as they waited.


    A large explosion went off, shaking the building in the process. At that moment, the miners smashed the battering ram into the door. The door was busted in before the echoes from the explosion finished. The ram was thrown to the side, and the miners readied their pickaxes. They clearly wanted to let out a battle cry before charging in but held it in as stealth was a priority.


    Gwyn felt some eyes on himself and Harlan by the eager miners. He figured they were waiting for them to do something to start the battle. Gwyn quickly pointed forward to the door in a pose that resembled the Augustus of Primaporta, though he could not recall the name of where he had seen the pose before and mostly just did it on the fly.


    The miners grinned as Gwyn struck the pose and held their pickaxes over their heads while making a silent cheer within their hearts. They began to charge into the building with alarming speed. Gwyn and Harlan quickly rushed after. The small doorway led to a small pathway that served as an emergency exit. The pathway spilled out into a series of hallways that weaved into an open room with a large spiral staircase in the middle.


    Far in the distance, from a hallway on the opposite side of the space where Gwyn and Harlan were, sounds of battle echoed.


    The miners charged to the base of the staircase and pointed up.


    ¡°Their leader is on the top floor,¡± one explained to Gwyn and Harlan. Gwyn nodded and ascended the stairs with the small army chasing close behind.


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    The staircase was ornate and expansive, it easily fit the troops as they charged up, and the sounds of their boots echoed in the wide room.


    The second floor came into view quickly. The miners had intended to continue charging up the stairs to the third floor. Unfortunately, the plans were quickly changed.


    A group of bandits had gathered at the point where the stairs opened to allow access to the second floor. The Zenotote Icarus stood wide-eyed at the top as Gwyn, Harlan, and the miners came to a stop.


    Both sides were equally surprised to see the others there, and they stood in silence until the golden Zenotote spoke up.


    ¡°What is Flora doing?¡± he exclaimed. He shook his head and sighed; then, he pointed a single clawed finger at the group of miners. Everyone tensed up but soon realized that the opponent counted the group amount. Icarus slowly tallied up the miner troops while everyone on the stairs stood ready for what would happen. Once he reached ten, Icarus threw his hands up and groaned. ¡°There¡¯s too many, just get them!¡± he shouted to his allies.


    The miners responded first with a loud cry as they charged around Gwyn and engaged with the bandits on the second floor. Swords and pickaxes crossed as the miners struggled to keep the bandits at bay.


    ¡°We¡¯ll hold them here; you go on ahead!¡± one miner yelled to Gwyn and Harlan. Gwyn shook his head while he fiddled with the beads around his wrist. He took a deep breath and broke out in a sprint up the rest of the stairs. Harlan followed closely after.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we support them?¡± she yelled to Gwyn.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gwyn admitted as he continued to run up the stairs.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± Icarus shouted from the second floor. Large wings appeared on his back, and he took flight up the staircase.


    Gwyn and Harlan looked back as their opponent approached with alarming speed. Within seconds, the golden Zenotote landed on the stairs in front of the duo. The sounds of the battle were echoing up behind them as Icarus took a step forward to the pair.


    You can¡¯t let him stop you so easily, partner, Mem chimed in from Gwyn¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Gwyn replied.


    ¡°I cannot let you pass,¡± Icarus said, ¡°Our leader likes to sleep at this hour, and you would only disturb him,¡± he added.


    Gwyn melted off a chunk of the railing and threw it at Icarus. The Zenotote only stepped to the side to avoid the odd attack.


    Gwyn gritted his teeth together as he and Icarus stared at each other in the eyes. Harlan began to look around the room.


    Icarus took another step forward and came into range of Gwyn¡¯s arm. Gwyn quickly threw a punch at the golden Zenotote.


    Icarus quickly grabbed Gwyn by the arm and displaced the unexpected human¡¯s momentum so that he was flipped over his shoulder. Before Icarus could let go of Gwyn¡¯s arm, Harlan charged forward and spun a roundhouse kick at the golden Zenototes head.


    Icarus quickly let go of Gwyn and blocked the kick with his forearm. Her orange Needaimus covered leg was pushing against his arm in a struggle to overpower the opponent.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to try harder to defeat me,¡± he calmly said.


    Harlan made a smug smile.


    ¡°Gwyn, go on ahead; this fool has already lost.¡±


    Gwyn, who had only just sat up after being flipped, was going to protest. A shot of energy fired from Harlan¡¯s Needaimus. Both Gwyn and Icarus couldn¡¯t help but turn to see where it landed.


    A bug on the far side of the wall was sitting and minding its own business when the energy hit it from Harlan¡¯s shot. It was called a pleaf and was nothing spectacular compared to any other Resh species. An equivalent to the creature would be a simple house fly, and it was often treated as just as much a pest as one.


    As the bug began to transform and grow larger, Gwyn began to sprint up the stairs once again. He figured he could put his trust in Harlan.


    As he reached the top of the stairs, he was greeted by large quarter-circle doors. They opened to reveal a long room with a metal throne at the end. The leader was asleep with one cheek rested on a fist.


    Gwyn took a deep breath and stepped in, and the leaders¡¯ eyes suddenly opened up. They locked eyes with one another.

 42 – Harlan Vs. Icarus

    The pleaf began to grow in size on the wall. Its fly-like body quickly became about the size of a teacup poodle. Its wings split and grew into a set of four and then six. Sharp pincers grew from its head. Its eyes turned a crimson red, and the many wings became dyed a similar color.


    The wings began to move rapidly in a loud buzz, and the pleaf flew off the wall. It retained its impressive speed from before the change and was buzzing by Harlan¡¯s head in a matter of moments. She shuddered as the creature flew next to her. In the green Zenotote¡¯s field of vision Mirror, Harlan¡¯s Needaimus placed a countdown in the bottom right corner. It showed five minutes but quickly was dropping.


    Icarus took a step back and the sight of the modified pleaf. His slitted crimson red eyes were wide, and his golden scaled shoulders shuddered. However, it only lasted a moment, then he sighed and spread the two large wings on his back.


    ¡°Why did I get such a waste of a Needaimus,¡± he grumbled as he glared at Harlan. It was too quiet for Harlan to hear, and all she saw was her opponent glare and then lunged at her.


    Icarus thrust his fist forward at Harlan with his wings outstretched. She gracefully turned to avoid the blow, but his hand still scraped over the yellow-green scales on her cheek. The modified pleaf lunged at Icarus before he could pull his fist back. The pincers of the creature were opened and ready to snap at him.


    Two tiny feathered wings appeared on the pleaf, and it was forced to do a barrel roll. The creature was knocked off course and flew just past Icarus¡¯ golden face. He intended to exercise caution when faced with this unknown force. He didn¡¯t know, but Harlan had deliberately added the pincers to be something that was strong enough to puncture Zenotote scales.


    Harlan grabbed Icarus by his Needaimus covered arm and one of the large wings on his back and held him in place. At the same time, her modified pleaf tore off the feathered wings and changed course to aim back at Icarus.


    The golden-scaled Zenotote took off in the air. His wings did not move, but he and Harlan, who held onto him, took off all the same. She had not anticipated his wings not needing to flap and held on more tightly as Icarus began to spin midair. The Zenotote scientist made every effort not to look down as she held onto her foe.


    They began to fly up the stairwell past the third floor and to the ceiling. As they passed the third floor, Gwyn entered the large quarter-circle doors, though neither opponent was paying enough attention to notice.


    At the top of the building, there was a giant glass dome above the staircase. The dome was divided into sections with metal beams and colored with differently shaded glass. Icarus crashed through one of the glass sections, using Harlan¡¯s body as a shield. She grunted as they entered the night sky above them. The pleaf chased after as fast as it could.


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    Icarus stopped in the sky above the building and began to pull on the frills on Harlan¡¯s head with his free hand.


    She refused to let go as she looked down to the building below. Her grip tightened.


    At the center of the glass dome, where all the metal beams met, there was a place for a flag to be planted. It was at that spot where the bandit¡¯s flag was flying proudly in the night wind. Lights were placed around it so that it would be visible even in the dark. Another dome was set near the edge of the building, and the rest of the roof was a flat and open space.


    Down below from the ground level, smoke could be seen floating up from where the explosives had gone off, and a crowd of brightly colored Aqueenian townsfolk was seen congregating around to stare at the entrance.


    ¡°Let go,¡± Icarus grunted to Harlan as he continued trying to pull her off.


    She didn¡¯t answer with words, but a moment after he finished speaking, the pleaf closed its pincers on Icarus¡¯ free arm. He let out a cry and freed his grip from Harlan. The Zenotote scientist let go of her opponent and fell to the building below.


    The pleaf quickly let go of Icarus and found its way to Harlan¡¯s back. It grabbed her with multiple legs, and she began to fly across the rooftop. Icarus¡¯ red eyes glowed with fury as he swooped back down at his opponent.


    ¡°Biaskylo! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you get away that easily!¡± he cried with fury as he cursed at Harlan.


    Harlan paid her opponent no mind as she looked at the remaining time. There was only under a minute left until her ability wore off on the pleaf. She had to act quickly before she was out of time.


    As they reached the edge of the building, Harlan began to fly upward with the pleaf on her back. Icarus blindly followed straight up after Harlan. She shuddered as she thought of how high they were, but she pushed the feeling down.


    The countdown quickly reached zero as they flew up to the sky. The pleaf suddenly began to shrink in size and lose the added features from Harlan¡¯s modifications. It promptly let go of Harlan and flew off to continue minding its own business while it finished shrinking. Harlan continued to move upward for a moment as she lost momentum. All the while, Icarus gained on her as she slowed in speed.


    He was not ready for Harlan to suddenly drop down and deliver a kick into his face with her clawed foot. He grunted as they began to plummet together, but the blow was not enough to take him out. Harlan moved down and grabbed onto her opponent. She positioned his body so that he would take the brunt of hitting the ground.


    Icarus had no intention of colliding with the ground and began to fly forward along the side of the building; he tried to shake Harlan off but could see that she was not going to let go.


    With a hiss, Icarus changed course to a window on the side of the building. It was on the bottom floor and led to some random hallway. Before colliding, he spun so that Harlan would hit the glass first. They shattered through and kept going until Icarus drove Harlan into a wall opposite the window. She let go, and Icarus took the opportunity to land on the floor below. Harlan, meanwhile, slid down the wall. Her sharp teeth were clenched tightly as she looked up to her opponent.


    Icarus, on the other hand, was distracted. He had flown through a random window but was greeted by a sight of Hal, Odell, and Savvy¡¯s odd machines all staring at the duo that had just crashed in.


    The golden-scaled Zenotote sighed and pressed a sharp finger between his eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t catch a break,¡± he groaned as he looked back up at the new opponents. Behind him, Harlan was beginning to stand up as she prepared to continue the fight.

 Excerpt from Needaimus Guide – Classifications and Types

    Needaimus can be categorized into a variety of classes. The type cannot be identified by any distinguishing features and instead must be provided by the Needaimus. A project is currently underway to identify all known Needaimus and list their classifications in a database.


    The types of Needaimus are as follows: Surri, Garku, Saient, Tenmont, Iki, Kishop, and Oneur. Seven in total. Knowing which type your Needaimus is will assist in accessing the full range of abilities available.


    To briefly cover each type:


    Surri: From the Bentulousian word for war, combat, and fighting. This type features capabilities tailor-made for battle. Historically it was considered the most atrocious type in peacetimes and the most ideal type during strife.


    Garku: From the Zenotote word for travel and movement. This is an excellent type for salespeople and others who go great distances. It is often favored by civilian mortals but considered one of the weaker types by soldiers.


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    Saient: From the Hobusian word for construction, building, and manufacturing. This type was made for assisting hard workers in factory or construction settings. Having a mortal with a Saient Needaimus can improve production tenfold.


    Tenmont: from the Zenotote word for study and research. This type provides unique tools for inquisitive minds to enhance study greatly. Unfortunately, this type can be the most difficult to apply, and many Tenmont are difficult even to use in their intended application.


    Iki: from the Aqueenian word for cleanliness or shine. This type is great for at-home uses and is most commonly found among ordinary citizens. It tends to be the weakest one of all types by soldiers.


    Kishop: From the Zenotote word for medicine and healthcare. This type excels in hospital settings but has also found uses by medics in combat.


    Oneur: from the Zenotote word for odd, strange. This type is an open category in which anything that does not fit into other categories is placed. There is an ongoing debate as to whether more categories are needed to obsolete the Oneur or if the class should remain as is. This guide does not seek to participate in that discussion and recommends individual research.

 43 – The Auditorium Fight Ends

    Rheba and Odell, mostly Rheba, continued to support the fight in the auditorium. The Bentulousian warrior threw another of the bandits across the room. Odell continued to dodge blows.


    It wasn¡¯t long after the duo had joined that the tides began to turn for the Aqueenian miners. They were invigorated by the backup and motivated to keep fighting. They kept pushing on the bandits until all opponents were quickly taken down.


    Once the last of the bandit¡¯s forces fell, the miners let out a cry of victory.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry out just yet!¡± Rheba shouted over them; they looked up at her. ¡°This battle has only just begun! Save your cheers for when we take the final victory!¡±


    The miners let out another shout, but this time it was not one of victory, but one that showed the readiness for the next stage of the fight.


    ¡°I think you''re taking this a little too seriously, Rheba,¡± Odell said through heavy breaths as he walked over to the tall Bentulousian. ¡°They probably never thought they¡¯d get this far anyway. They should celebrate that.¡±


    ¡°Who is in charge here?¡± Rheba ignored Odell¡¯s comments as she addressed the force.


    ¡°That would be Adan or Lady Fiona, but both of them remained in the hallway!¡± a member replied.


    ¡°We need to go check on Lady Fiona!¡± another added.


    ¡°She should be fine; we should¨C¡° Rheba didn¡¯t finish before a trio of miners ran back out the door while shouting, ¡°Lady Fiona!¡±


    The other miners could not tell due to the difference between a flat Aqueenian face and an elongated Bentulousian face, but Rheba had a look of frustration. She struggled to keep her composure so that her body language did not betray her. After taking a deep breath, she spoke:


    ¡°Odell, go back the way we came with some troops. We never did run into Hal, and we need to get our Needaimus back. The rest of us and myself will head into the building and try to find their leader.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± someone in the crowd shouted as Rheba turned to Odell. She handed him a sword from one of the fallen bandits.


    ¡°Can you handle yourself if you get into a fight?¡± she asked to confirm.


    Odell gave a thumbs up.


    ¡°Once I get Cal back, I¡¯ll be good in any fight.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, in my culture, we say a warrior that relies solely on a Needaimus isn¡¯t a warrior at all.¡±


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    Odell grabbed the sword from Rheba and sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a warrior, just a prince,¡± he said as he turned to the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there weren¡¯t any opponents back where we came,¡± he added before running out of the room.


    Rheba bit her lower lip. She wasn¡¯t sure about sending Odell on his way, even if a couple of miners did clumsily follow after him. She shook her head to shake off the thoughts. The battle was more important, and it would not be won if she was impractical.


    Odell and three miners ran out the door he had entered with Rheba only moments before. They began to sprint down the long, quiet hallway. Only the footsteps of their running echoed through.


    ¡°I hate to ask this, but are you any good in a fight, Hobusian?¡± one of the miners asked Odell.


    ¡°Once I get my Needaimus, I will be instrumental in winning this fight!¡± Odell responded with faux confidence.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± was the only reply he got from the skeptical miners.


    They continued to run down the hallway and turned several corners. Odell looked around frantically, but he had no idea where he ought to be running to.


    They turned another corner without breaking their sprint and were greeted with a new sight.


    ¡°One of the bandits!¡± a miner shouted as he and the others readied their pickaxes.


    Odell, on the other hand, smiled. Hal ran down the hallway, with Rheba¡¯s purple Needaimus hanging on his right shoulder and a familiar green Needaimus hanging on his left. Behind Hal, chased a force of mechanical robots with thin but Hobusian-esque forms. Odell had never seen such machines in his life; they were purely a creation of Savvy.


    ¡°What are those! They look awesome! Oh, Hal, good to see you too,¡± Odell yelled to his ally. The Aqueenian miners relaxed some as Odell acknowledged the newcomer.


    ¡°I returned, but you had already escaped your confinement!¡± Hal shouted back to Odell. He pointed a pistol in his right hand back at the pursuing machines and fired blindly without turning to look at them. The laser shot sailed past the metal frame of the robots.


    ¡°Sorry about that; hey, can you throw me, Cal?¡± Odell yelled back as he looked around Hal to evaluate and admire the mechanical warriors. He was hoping he could examine the unique sight after the battle.


    Hal slid his weapons back into his space and grabbed each Needaimus off his shoulder with a hand. His yellow eyes moved back and forth as he examined each of the Needaimus he had with him. It had just occurred to the Netzian soldier that he did not know which was Odell¡¯s.


    ¡°Time is too short to contemplate,¡± Hal said to himself as he threw both Needaimus at Odell.


    Odell¡¯s eyes widened as the Needaimus came soaring his way like they were fastballs. The Hobusian prince stretched out his broad hands to catch each.


    Cal, Odell¡¯s green Needaimus, made contact first and quickly bonded to Odell¡¯s arm.


    Odell almost fell onto his face as he stretched out to catch Rheba¡¯s purple Needaimus. He managed to catch himself by sliding a foot farther out before completely falling.


    I can¡¯t believe you had him throw me! Cal yelled into Odell¡¯s mind. As carefully as possible, Rheba¡¯s Needaimus, Mini, made its way to Odell¡¯s shoulder. It seemed to sway and stars floating around its head would have made a fitting image to show how it felt.


    Odell ignored the comments of Cal, who was continuing to yell at him and steeled himself to fight their mechanical opponents.


    Hal reached Odell; the machines stopped in the hallway and spun around to face them. They began to compute that a second Needaimus mortal was facing them.


    The standoff was quickly disrupted as Harlan and Icarus came crashing through the window only moments later.


    Icarus was the first to recover as he looked around at the scene. The Aqueenian miners behind Hal and Odell readied their pickaxes as they stared down the new foe, but Icarus didn¡¯t notice them at all.


    ¡°I can¡¯t catch a break,¡± the golden Zenotote groaned.

 44 – Gwyn and Grimes

    The bandit leader, Grimes, examined Gwyn from top to bottom with a slight movement of his tired red eyes. One elbow rested on his metal throne and supported his head, while long black hair ran down in front of his face and slightly obstructed the view. He sighed and made a small chuckle before speaking. Gwyn couldn¡¯t help but feel immense pressure when facing the intimidating Netzian.


    ¡°And what are you supposed to be?¡± Grimes asked Gwyn


    Gwyn looked around the empty room before settling back on Grimes. It was long and narrow and had been cleared out of the furniture that once made the space a mayor¡¯s office.


    ¡°Are you the leader,¡± he asked, though he already knew the answer.


    Grimes tapped on his metal throne.


    ¡°I¡¯m not just the leader, boy; I rule this whole town,¡± he answered.


    Gwyn took a hesitant step toward Grimes.


    ¡°I need you to stop,¡± he said with a slight quiver in his voice. Grimes laughed again; it had a friendly tone.


    ¡°And here I thought you might make some kind of threat!¡±


    Gwyn took another cautious step toward the leader. Even with the welcoming tone of the enemy¡¯s voice, the Nonpareil got a feeling he wouldn¡¯t be able to talk his opponent into surrendering.


    Grimes sighed.


    ¡°Boy, if you take another step, you will be entering into a world you are not prepared to face,¡± the Netzian leader said in a tone that had no hint of malice. As he spoke, he pushed some of his long, black hair away from his face to look at Gwyn properly.


    Gwyn froze as his mind ran with thoughts. The Nonpareil hardly expected to defeat the leader, especially with an unknown ability under his control.


    Gwyn took a slight step back. He took a deep breath and began to speak.


    ¡°Why did you want to control this town?¡± he asked. Gwyn figured he could keep the leader distracted to stall for time. Rheba or Hal would be freed by the others, and they would all join him for a final brawl, he thought to himself.


    Grimes chuckled as he sat up straight on his throne. He put out his arms to stretch as he smiled.


    ¡°Well, boy, when you invade a town of any size, you have to be calculating and playful. It¡¯s something like winning a game of czaric.¡± Grimes stood up from his throne and slid his arms behind his back. His toga-like clothing slid smoothly as he began to pace back and forth. ¡°My former employers were a bit... much¡­ but they did know a thing or two about planning. You see, a takeover of a large city will be well noticed and well defended. However, a small, unnamed village will be easy to conquer. Then there is maintenance; a large city is difficult to maintain, especially if you don¡¯t want anyone outside to notice. We have to continue normal deliveries to the other towns to keep up appearances. Are you listening?¡± Grimes stopped his pacing and turned to look directly at Gwyn. The nonpareil was only half-listening to the leader''s monologue.


    ¡°You mentioned former employers,¡± Gwyn said to keep the leader talking. Grimes chuckled and began to pace again as he spoke.


    ¡°Very astute,¡± Grimes said, ¡°Yes, I used to be part of an organization known as Array. We had a little conflict of interest, and I parted ways with those loyal to me. We ended up traveling as a band of bandits after that¡­.¡± Grimes kept talking, but Gwyn became distracted by Mem.


    Partner, he is distracted. Now is the time to strike!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± Gwyn replied. Grimes held a refined pose as he paced and the overclocked crimson Needaimus growing across the leader¡¯s chest made Gwyn nervous.


    If you don¡¯t strike, we will never win! Mem said.


    Gwyn sighed as he balled his good hand into a fist. His bad hand ended up resembling a claw in shape. He looked down at the beads gifted by the young Bonfilia, wrapped around his left wrist, and took a deep breath. Stalling was not guaranteed to work, and he couldn¡¯t simply back down given the situation. Gwyn gathered up every little bit of motivation to fight he had. He thought of the happy child¡¯s face once they won.


    The Nonpareil shook his head. He had decided not to fight when they first set out, but he was facing down the leader of the whole group. Harlan had left him to take on the leader alone and fought her own fight. When the others were free, they would surely fight. Could he be the only one not to take a stand? The thoughts ran through Gwyn¡¯s mind, and he found no way to quiet them.


    His mind turned to the winged beauideal that invaded the castle. He had hesitated to even throw his fist at her, and she went on to kill the king. Gwyn didn¡¯t care about the king that tried to kill him, but he cared about enough people within the town. What would this callous leader do to them once he won, the Nonpareil thought. Fiona, Odell, Harlan, Rheba, even Hal¡ªthey would all certainly be treated severely in the aftermath. He gritted his teeth and looked at the small, beaded bracelet on his wrist as he considered what to do. With one last breath, Gwyn charged across the room at Grimes.


    The leader didn¡¯t break from his concentration as he described the time his gang of bandits invaded a farm and burned down their crops.


    Gwyn found himself suddenly thrown across the room. It felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Grimes didn¡¯t even turn in his direction, but Gwyn was suddenly slammed into the closed door behind him. He slid to the floor and got back up on his feet.


    ¡°So, then we found our way to this tiny little town. It turned out to be the perfect size for my range, so I said, ¡®why not conquer it.¡¯¡± Grimes continued his story of conquest with a casual tone and a light shrug.


    Gwyn looked around the empty room for something to use. He pressed his hand against the wall behind him when he could not find any objects. It began to liquify, and Gwyn threw the chunk of liquid wall across the room at the leader.


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    Grimes did not bother looking, and the liquid attack suddenly turned 90¡ã in the air to splash against a wall on the side of the room.


    ¡°You have no intention of listening any longer, do you?¡± Grimes asked with an almost sad tone.


    ¡°I have to defeat you,¡± Gwyn said while gritting his teeth.


    ¡°¡¯Have to¡¯ is a bit weak, boy. It sounds like you simply are carried by the desires of others. Where is your own drive?¡± Grimes replied with a sigh.


    ¡°I will,¡± Gwyn said in reply as he took a step closer. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was saying.


    Grimes laughed.


    ¡°After I teach you a lesson, I wouldn¡¯t mind you joining my crew,¡± he said as he laughed. He sat back down on his throne and leaned on the arm that was encased with the crimson Needaimus.


    Gwyn charged at the throne once again. He got halfway across the room before he was suddenly knocked back. He was pushed back and down and ended up rolling several times before crashing back into the door.


    Gwyn banged his good, Needaimus fused fist on the ground as he stood back up.


    Hey, don¡¯t take it out on me! Mem said.


    Grimes made a lazy sigh before smiling at Gwyn.


    ¡°What was that about taking me down?¡± he asked with a friendly smile and a tone that resembled someone sneering.


    ¡°I have to take you down,¡± Gwyn repeated as he gritted his teeth and took a more offensive stance. He eyed the beads on his arm before glaring at the leader again.


    Grimes frowned.


    ¡°Persistence will not win you this battle, boy; you ought to give up while you have a chance. However, I do admire this new resolve you have. I must ask again that you join my forces.¡±


    Gwyn was not listening to Grimes and had begun charging at the leader before he could finish talking. He was thrust back to the wall once again and crashed into the door.


    Every time Gwyn charged forward in the empty throne room, he was thrust back and crashed into the closed doors behind him. After the seventh or eighth, he leaned back against the door and contemplated his next move. Grimes simply looked amused as he lazily sat on the throne.


    We will never get anywhere if you keep charging at him! Mem shouted in Gwyn¡¯s mind.


    Gwyn shook his head and charged forward across the long and narrow room. Once again, he was thrown to the back.


    Grimes had changed the trajectory the Nonpareil was thrown every time to keep it interesting for himself, and on this occasion, he chose to throw Gwyn into the ceiling. The Nonpareil¡¯s back slammed into the ceiling, and he fell face-first onto the ground.


    You''re really taxing the limits I can keep you from feeling too much pain! Mem shouted. The draconic Needaimus began to consider breaking off Gwyn¡¯s arm and fleeing before things got too bad.


    ¡°Mem,¡± Gwyn said as he slowly began to push himself from the floor, ¡°Can you do anything to see if there is something in the air?¡± he finished in a hushed tone.


    Gwyn stood tall and looked at Grimes. In all the times he had been thrown back, he felt as if something had pushed him. It did not feel like a gust of air, nor did it feel like his body was moved.


    It will take a minute to run through all possibilities. Mem said as it began to scan the room.


    ¡°You''re pretty tough,¡± Gwyn said as he casually brushed off his bad arm. He realized he needed to stall a little longer.


    ¡°You may attempt to plot something with your Needaimus, but it will not do you any good,¡± Grimes replied


    Gwyn frowned.


    ¡°What makes you think¡­.¡±


    ¡°Boy, I can see you are whispering,¡± Grimes replied as he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are brash or stupid, but I applaud your effort, nonetheless. I will allow you time to formulate your plan, it is doomed to fail, but perhaps it will be entertaining.¡±


    Gwyn frowned.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he conceded. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me what you were thinking with that gaudy throne?¡±


    Grimes chuckled and tapped the metal arm of the throne with his metal Needaimus fingers. Then he reached back and slid his finger across one of the metal blades on the back.


    ¡°The town¡¯s mines house many metals, but there is one, in particular, that is very rare. It always retains a beautiful shine and never dulls when fashioned into a blade, or at least that is what the legends say. Naturally, a new leader must show his dominance, so I forced the miners to collect enough of this material to make it into a mighty throne!¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Gwyn began.


    ¡°Please do not bore me with idle words. I care not for whatever platitudes you wish to throw my way.¡± Grimes interrupted. He waved his hand dramatically, and Gwyn was forced a couple of steps to the side. The Nonpareil moved in a manner that resembled someone being punched in the face. He grunted and looked back to the leader sitting lazily on the throne.


    ¡°I thought you were going to allow time?¡±


    ¡°I am; I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t strike when you annoyed me,¡± Grimes responded with a sinister smile. The leader quickly changed it to the friendly smile he had worn only moments prior.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Gwyn mumbled as his eyes looked around the empty room for something else. ¡°Mem,¡± he whispered.


    A couple more minutes. If you could get him to strike you again, that would speed things up. The blue Needaimus echoed into Mem¡¯s arm.


    Gwyn shook his head and looked back to Grimes.


    ¡°So, doesn¡¯t all that mechanical growth hurt?¡± he asked while pointing to the crimson Needaimus that covered much of Grime¡¯s visible chest.


    ¡°It hurts, but don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t feel a thing,¡± the leader said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Why would you want to do that sort of thing?¡± Gwyn asked.


    Grimes sighed.


    ¡°Boy, I¡¯m sure you have felt tired after using a Needaimus ability intensely. That occurs when you push past your current compatibility percentage. You get out of breath and get covered in sweat. Breaking the limits, so to speak. Unfortunately, when you reach 100% and cap, you find the power is not enough. I was still weak, and I was still tired, so I sought more strength. That is just the nature of things.¡±


    I think I found something. Keep him going a bit longer. Mem blurted in Gwyn¡¯s mind.


    ¡°There is not enough power at 100%?¡± Gwyn asked.


    Grimes shook his head.


    ¡°You misunderstand, but that is okay. At this rate, you will not be in this world much longer.¡±


    Gwyn was struck in the back of his head and thrust to the floor. He grunted as he caught himself on the floor with his good hand.


    I¡¯ve got it! He¡¯s been using small spheres made from a specific, transparent material! I¡¯ll add a red tracer over them so you can see!


    Gwyn looked up from the floor. All around Grimes, small red orbs had become visible. They swarmed around the leader like an infestation of bugs.


    ¡°He¡¯s attacking me with marbles?¡± Gwyn quietly spat as he stood up and faced the leader.


    They are made from a special crystal that is very hard and nearly invisible! All the tablet screens use it to avoid cracking! The crystal was also used in weapons for a while but got phased out over time. Mem added.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually very interesting; why did they¡­.¡± Gwyn shook his head as he realized he got distracted by Mem¡¯s history lesson.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very focused. Shall I just dispose of you so I can go end this silly raid?¡± Grimes asked. He didn¡¯t give Gwyn a chance to respond as several of the glowing red marbles suddenly shot from Grimes at Gwyn.


    Gwyn barely managed to jump out of the way as the shots whizzed past him. He quickly turned around to see the red dots arcing to strike again. The marbles focused on the Nonpareil and picked up speed. Gwyn tensed as he put his good hand forward. He moved the leftover tail of Mem, which hung off his shoulder when bonded, with a series of rapid flicks. As the marbles came in close, Gwyn quickly liquified them. After which, he used the free tail to push the liquid to the ground, where he hardened it into the floor. The whole matter happened so quickly that Gwyn did not have time to think about anything else as he kept himself from being struck.


    Gwyn let out a sigh of relief when he was done and turned back to Grimes, whose annoyed face was hidden beneath the swarm of red dots.


    ¡°The jig is up; your ability is to control those invisible marbles!¡± Gwyn shouted to Grimes with confidence.


    Grimes glanced up at the ceiling for a moment as he sought to find ¡®the jig.¡¯ The leader assumed it may have been a part of Gwyn¡¯s ability, but only an empty ceiling was above him. He shook his head and smiled at Gwyn in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Shall I get serious then? Boy,¡± Grimes said with a laugh as he sat up straight on his throne. The Nonpareil¡¯s feeble efforts amused the bandit leader. Gwyn tensed and took a step toward his opponent.

 45 – Fiona on the Second Floor

    Fiona ran down a hallway with Flora hot on her heels. The calico Bentulousian warrior could close the gap between them, but the light sapphire blue princess would continue to zap out of arms reach before she was grabbed. They continued the game of cat and mouse until Fiona finally exited the hallway into the central stairwell.


    Sounds of battle echoed from the higher floor as Fiona zapped onto the stairs and began to run up them. Flora leaped into the air and reached through the railing in an attempt to grab the princess. Her furry hand came short, and Fiona continued to run up. Flora gritted her teeth and flipped over the railing in a manner similar to a gymnast.


    She¡¯s really persistent. Sun echoed in Fiona¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You''re telling me,¡± Fiona replied. She sprinted to the second floor. As she came close, she could see Harlan¡¯s yellow-green form tightly holding to Icarus. The two flew up in the air, in a corkscrew manner, and crashed through a domed glass section.


    On the second floor. A battle between the miners and bandits was in full swing. The bandit''s numbers were small, and the miners were full of passion. They slowly were advancing on the floor and pushing the bandits back. Fiona shook off her curiosity about Harlan¡¯s fight and continued onto the second floor. She ran behind her miner allies as Flora charged from the stairwell after her. Some of the Aqueenian miners that saw Fiona leading Flora away cheered for their princess, and they began to push on the bandits harder.


    Bentulousian fur-covered any bulging veins but had it not, Flora¡¯s face would have been a sight to see. The miner assault was close to taking the reserve troops on the second floor, and the pesky Aqueenian princess had just motivated the troops further. The calico warrior had considered stopping to dispatch the weaker miners, but she shook off the thoughts as the princess was the higher priority. She planned to catch Fiona and use her as an example to demotivate the troops.


    Fiona ran away from the battle as Flora pursued. They weaved through a network of hallways that each led to large, open conference rooms. The second floor was primarily made for meetings and conventions to be booked.


    Fiona ducked into one of the conference rooms and quickly spun around to face the door. The room had three curved double door entrances along the wall and some round windows opposite to that. If it were used for a meeting, tables and chairs would have been set up. Instead, they were neatly folded and stacked off to the side wall.


    Flora came in and let out a deep breath.


    ¡°Are you done running?¡± she asked Fiona.


    Fiona didn¡¯t answer but disappeared in a flash of blue light. She reappeared in a similarly colored flash in the air by Flora¡¯s head. The calico warrior didn¡¯t have a chance to duck as the princess swiped a leg into the back of her head. The blow was weak, but the location was optimal, and Flora grunted and took a step forward from the impact.


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    The calico Bentulousian quickly kept her balance by sliding her feet along the floor. She reached back and grabbed Fiona¡¯s leg before the princess could retreat. With a swift movement, Flora would be able to swing the princess¡¯s body like it was a club and throw her anywhere in the room.


    Fiona was about to zap away when Flora let go and stepped away. The princess gracefully landed on the floor and took a couple of steps back. Fiona¡¯s large purple eyes were narrow as she watched her opponent closely.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯re wondering why I gave up an easy attack,¡± Flora said with a sly smile.


    ¡°Maybe, but I won¡¯t look a gift nagtora in the mouth. Especially if it was from an opponent¡¯s mistake,¡± Fiona replied as she began to circle the Bentulousian opponent slowly.


    Flora made a wicked smile.


    ¡°It was intentional little princess. Now you are in my debt; why don¡¯t you stand still a moment to repay.¡±


    Fiona suddenly froze, and her eyes grew very wide. She shuddered, but she was unable to move from her spot. Flora didn¡¯t waste any time as she charged across the floor at the princess, her form lowered, and her arm came back as she readied to strike.


    Fiona tried to teleport away, but she could only make a flash of light without disappearing. Moments later, Flora¡¯s fist made a heavy blow into Fiona¡¯s stomach. The princess was thrown across the room and smashed, through the stacked-up tables and chairs, into the wall behind her.


    Fiona held her stomach and let out a gasp as she tried to keep conscience.


    Flora stood up straight and laughed.


    ¡°You really have no experience, it seems. You have no caution in revealing your own ability and no concern for finding out my own. That is why you lost here today.¡± Flora began to walk to Fiona slowly. The light blue princess''s face appeared even bluer as she struggled to steady her breath from the stomach blow. She began to feel dizzy and shook her head as if to shake the feeling away.


    Fiona looked around her area at all the tables and chairs. She tried to move them the same way she had accidentally moved Adan earlier, but her ability did not react.


    ¡°Lady Fiona!¡± A trio of familiar voices rang out in unison. Flora sighed as she turned to see the Princess Fiona Fan Club charge in through the door. They gripped their pickaxes tightly at the sight of their knocked-down princess.


    ¡°What now?¡± Flora muttered as the trio charged to her. She spun in a circle, whipping each of the three fan club members in the face with her tail. They fell to the floor instantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Fiona, we failed you!¡± one shouted.


    Fiona shook her head and pushed herself up. She took a deep breath before returning to a normal rhythm.


    ¡°That was enough to give me time to recover,¡± she lied.


    ¡°Lady Fiona!¡± the trio shouted from the floor with tears in their eyes. Fiona charged at Flora. The Bentulousian warrior sighed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know when to stop,¡± she muttered as she grabbed Fiona¡¯s arm mid-punch.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Fiona managed to say before she was thrown through one of the glass windows.


    The princess began to plummet down the building¡¯s side to a series of spikes set up on the ground. She zapped back up in the room and appeared behind Flora.


    Fiona put her fists up as she stood between the calico warrior and the Princess Fiona Fan Club.


    ¡°Little princess, you wish to die here today, don¡¯t you?¡± Flora asked as her face twisted with enough rage to show through the fur.


    The blue princess gulped as she clenched her fists tighter and stared at the giant before her.

 46 – Clash in the Hallway

    In a long series of hallways that connected the auditorium to Savvy¡¯s lab, among other things, the trio of Hal, Odell, and Harlan faced off against Icarus and a squad of military automatons. A slight breeze fluttered in from the newly shattered window, and shards of glass divided the two sides.


    The Aqueenian miners that had gone with Odell shrunk back at the sight of the robots. They had heard rumors that the bandits had a tech genius, but the rumors came from the unreliable betrayer, Vidkun, and they hardly thought them genuine.


    ¡°What are these machines?¡± Harlan softly asked.


    ¡°I would like to know myself; I fear our battle has become all the more difficult,¡± Hal replied.


    ¡°What fascinating machinery! I¡¯ll have to pull them apart and thoroughly examine them!¡± Odell added with no hint of seriousness in his voice.


    Icarus sighed as two new large, waxy wings appeared on his back. He didn¡¯t say anything more and simply pointed to the trio. All at once, the machines charged at the group.


    Hal had not taken any time to count the number of robots that chased him earlier, but now that he had a chance, he took a moment to tally them up. There were six in total, with Icarus making the seventh foe on top of that.


    Hal made a ¡®tch¡¯ sound as he reached into the space his Needaimus provided. His hand disappeared in the air for a moment. What was pulled out was a broad and heavy-looking sword that Hal had dubbed ¡®Shatter Will, the blade that breaks the hearts and minds of those that oppose.¡¯ It clanged on the floor as Hal tightened both his hands around its hilt.


    Though Hal¡¯s arms were not thin, they were not bulky either, and it did not look like he would be able to lift such an impressive-looking blade. Much to Icarus¡¯ surprise, the Shatter Will was lifted off the ground with ease. Five machines broke from their charge, leaving only one to attack. They had determined it would be best to observe the new weapon.


    The evaluation by the automatons was correct, as Hal quickly and swiftly swung his blade at the remaining one. The weapon cut into the machine''s body with ease. It got halfway through the automaton¡¯s torso before the force of the swinging blade threw the robot into the side wall. The machine was out of the fight. Icarus gritted his teeth as Hal dramatically slammed the tip of his large blade into the floor. The ground cracked as a slight boom echoed. The green-haired Netzian flashed a cocky smile.


    ¡°I hate to waste energy, but it seems it''s needed,¡± Icarus muttered before aiming his golden scaled and clawed hand at the trio. In an instant, tiny wings covered the bodies of the group. The sensation was familiar to them as the wings began to lock their limbs in place. They were lifted slightly into the air, just high enough that they would not be able to touch the ground with their toes. As Hal was raised, his hand was forced to twist in a manner that loosened his grip. The sword bounced on the floor with a clang.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of it! And with my abilities, I will defeat three at once!¡± Icarus said through his chuckles. He had won, as far as he was concerned, and sought to toy with his opponents before the automatons finished them off, ¡°Can you imagine how disappointing it is to get the ability to put wings on things? I couldn¡¯t even fly with them until I reached 80% compatibility. How useless.¡±


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    ¡°End us if you must, but please try not to bore us with idle speak,¡± Hal interrupted the golden Zenotote.


    ¡°Hal! Don¡¯t say that!¡± Odell shot back in surprise at Hal¡¯s sudden dismissal.


    ¡°He is easily defeated, I see, but I will not end you that quickly. You see, I need to explain in detail how you lost!¡± Icarus shot back with smug satisfaction. He smiled a sharp, toothy grin as he kept talking. The golden Zenotoe figured he had enough time to taunt them. ¡°You see, it was due to our leader, the glorious Grimes, that I was able to break free of the limits my ability held!¡± Icarus became excited and started to shout, ¡°He showed me the way to overclocking my ability so that I may reach new heights, and due to that, I am eternally grateful! I will dedicate my victory over you to him!¡± Several beads of sweat began to roll down the golden Zenotote¡¯s scales, and he quickly changed his tune.


    ¡°You now know how you lost; I shall let my machine allies end you.¡±


    One of the automatons had a blade slide out from its forearm, and it walked to the suspended trio. At that moment, Odell suddenly broke free of the wings and moved back to the ground. He did not land gracefully, even with only a small distance, as he smashed into the ground. A large crash reverberated through the hallway, and the floor shattered under Odell¡¯s feet. The machine could not react in time as Odell smashed his fist into it. Its exterior frame cracked, and it was thrust back past the surprised Icarus¡¯ face.


    The golden Zenotote barely managed to dodge the metal frame as it whizzed over his head. He looked back to see the crumpled body of the machine, then looked back to Odell with fear in his crimson eyes.


    ¡°What is that ability?¡± Icarus shouted.


    ¡°Weight change,¡± Odell said with a smile. He took a step forward, and the floor cracked under his immense weight. The Hobusian prince figured that since Icarus¡¯ wings could be torn off as they had done in the tunnel, enough weight should be able to free someone from the suspended position. With Hal¡¯s apparent surrender, Odell had decided to bet on that when the opponent made a move.


    ¡°I see, you used the fact I held you in the air and the new weight to pull the wings off¡­ very clever,¡± Icarus said as he processed Odell¡¯s ability, ¡°However, it will only help you once; I will just restrain you on the ground!¡±


    Icarus held up his hand and aimed the palm at Odell. At that moment, the Hobusian prince made a heavy clap with two cupped hands. The resulting boom shook the hallway and Icarus. It wasn¡¯t enough to do damage, but it was enough to throw off the golden Zenotote. Odell took the chance and charged at his opponent.


    More sweat was rolling down Icarus¡¯ face, and his breath grew heavy as he tried to restrain Odell again. The Hobusian prince did not slow down, and the wings were quickly ripped off as Odell maintained his momentum. Icarus was unable to respond as Odell forced his heavy grey fist into the stomach of Icarus.


    Hal and Harlan''s wings disappeared, and they landed softly back on the ground. Icarus tumbled down the hallway for a moment before stopping and letting out a heavy breath. He pushed himself up and banged his scaly palm on the ground.


    ¡°Even with the heights I¡¯ve reached, my ability is still this weak?¡± he shouted. Odell happily cheered himself on within his head for executing the plan so smoothly. He had even managed to hold back in order not to overdo the punch on his opponent. He was starting to see value in the royal training sessions he had once tried to avoid at all costs.


    ¡°The raw power of an ability is nothing; it¡¯s all in how you apply it,¡± a new voice echoed down the hallway. Savvy was making her way down the hall with her anti-Needaimus glove on one hand and her energy glove on the other. ¡°I was content to leave it to you when you met up with my machines, but now I have already lost two. They aren¡¯t the easiest thing to build, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Icarus muttered in a tone that did not show any concern.


    Savvy sighed. She removed her Anti-Needaimus glove and stuck it under her arm. Then she tousled Icarus¡¯ scaly head with her grey hand as a mother might to a child. The golden Zenotote rolled his eyes as she stepped forward and faced the trio who lined up in front of her. Hal had picked up Shatter Will, and Harlan had her fists up. Savvy shrugged as she stared down her new foes. The remaining four robots collected around her as she returned the Anti-Needaimus glove over her hand.


    ¡°Shall we continue?¡± she said to Hal with a smile.

 47 – Base of Operation

    ¡°We managed to move into the auditorium. Barricade was taken down. Fiona has engaged Flora, and they are headed to the staircase. I¡¯m¡­ going to be out of commission for a while¡­.¡± The sound of Adan¡¯s voice echoed in the cavern where Mamie stood in front of a console.


    ¡°Adan¡­ has lost consciousness; Princess Fiona is leading their commander Flora away,¡± Someone in the counsels in front said. Mamie rubbed her hands through her hair as she looked to her screen. A map of the building and floors were laid out, with dots representing all her forces showing in each location.


    ¡°The Nonpareil has just entered the room of their leader; he has visual now,¡± another shouted from their counsel.


    ¡°It is time,¡± Mamie said quietly under her breath as she turned to Bonfilia. Her daughter was anxiously looking around at everything.


    ¡°Mommy, are they getting hurt?¡± Bonfilia asked with concern in her voice. She had a vague sense that they were going to save the town but didn¡¯t fully understand the scale of the battle.


    ¡°Yes, dear. They are fighting just like Daddy did, and they will win.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± a sudden look of fear appeared on Bonfilia''s green face. She made a series of other faces ranging from deep childlike thoughts to sadness before she darted to one of the cavern''s tunnels. Mamie quickly leaped up from her counsel and chased after her. She caught up and no time and gently held her daughter in her arms.


    "Let me go! Let me go! I have to stop them!" the girl cried out to her mother, who only continued to hold her in place gently. "If I don''t stop them, they will die! Just like Daddy!"


    "Please stop; there is nothing more that we can do," her mother tried to say as softly as she could, but it still came out as a yell.


    "But it''s my fault! I asked them to save us!" the girl shouted in response.


    Bonfilia did not stop squirming; she had just realized that the odd people she met only hours prior might perish and be forgotten. Adan was already hurt, and she had trouble processing what was happening. Mamie did not let up; she held her daughter closely.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; if anything, it is mine,¡± Mamie said softly.


    Bonfilia did not reply; she only struggled and squirmed. She did not stop until some shouts from one of the tunnels echoed into the cavern.


    ¡°I heard something this way,¡± one voice shouted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with and go do something fun!¡± the second shouted back.


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    Two of the bandits had been sent on a reconnaissance mission before the battle above ground had started.


    Immediately Mamie looked to the cavern wall behind the consoles. A small force of miners had stayed behind for just such an emergency. Four of the older miners, not including Old Gus, leaned back against the wall with his arms tucked under his long beard. Vidkun was tied and gagged on the ground next to him.


    The traitor villager made a smug ¡®mph¡¯ to Old Gus at the sound of the approaching bandits. Old Gus shrugged and lifted Vidkun in one hand and his pickaxe in the other.


    A duo of bandits came running into the cavern moments later, and they froze as they comprehended the sight before them.


    The first of the duo, a Zenotote with bright green scales and beard, like what would be seen on a bearded dragon, charged forward with a sword in his hands. The second, a Netzian with purple skin and long silvery hair, stopped and began to pull out a radio transponder.


    Before the Netzian could use the device, Old Gus tossed Vidkun across the room.


    ¡°I believe this is yours,¡± he shouted as he blocked the Zenototes sword with his pickaxe. Vidkun crashed into the Netzian, and the radio device shattered on the ground.


    ¡°Useless!¡± the Netzian shouted as he pushed off Vidkun and drew his sword. The two bandits began to circle the old miner.


    ¡°Old Gus, no!¡± Bonfilia shouted.


    The duo of bandits charged at Old Gus, and each swung their swords at him. The Zenotote aimed for his leg, and the Netzian aimed for his head. The old Aqueenian miner smashed his pickaxe into the ground so that the Zenototes sword was blocked and bounced off. The surprised Zenotote stumbled as he became off balance. At the same time, Gus ducked and caught the Netzian by the collar of his shirt. The Netzians arm and sword still hung awkwardly out in the air as he never expected the miner to be so quick.


    ¡°I¡¯m gettin too old for this,¡± Gus spat before decking the Netzian bandit in the face. The bandit fell unconscious and to the ground as Old Gus released him. The old miner shook his hand to shake off the pain from the punch.


    The Zenotote began to back up and look around the cavern with a worried expression. The old miners who stayed behind quickly surrounded him, and he was restrained in no time at all.


    The two bandits were quickly tied up like Vidkun and tossed against the wall to wait until the battle ended. Old Gus smacked his palms together as if to knock off the dirt and looked to Mamie, who still held Bonfilia in place, though her daughter had given up struggling once the fight had begun.


    ¡°We will support you to the end of this fight, Mamie, so make sure ye see to the end of it as well,¡± he said before leaning back against the wall. Mamie nodded and loosened her grip on her daughter.


    ¡°Bonfilia, please go sit quietly with Old Gus. We will win this, I promise.¡± Mamie said. Bonfilia nodded, not sure what to think of everything. She walked over and sat next to the old miner. Gus smiled and tousled her silky hair.


    Mamie sat back at her console and took a deep breath.


    ¡°We have just confirmed that the commander Icarus took heavy damage. A trio of Princess Fiona¡¯s entourage, the Hobusian, Zenotote, and Netzian, are engaging him and Savvy in the hallway.¡±


    ¡°Princess Fiona is currently engaged in a one on one with Flora.¡±


    ¡°The Nonpareil is struggling with their leader.¡±


    ¡°Forces on the second floor are in heavy engagement. The first floor looks to be mostly clear.¡±


    A series of updates came from the crowd, Mamie took a moment to collect her thoughts.


    ¡°Order the troops on the first floor to help wrap up the ones on the second. Let Princess Fiona¡¯s group handle the commanders until we are sure we¡¯ve cleared all others. Send the status to any of the princess¡¯s group as well,¡± Mamie said with confidence. She turned back to the monitor and nodded. They would win this or die trying.

 Excerpt from Needaimus Guide – Application

    Needaimus function by bonding to a partner. That partner is referred to as a ¡°m.o.r.t.a.l.¡±, an acronym made up of words in the Zenotote classical language. The research by the Zenototes is the primary source for many of the Needaimus discoveries that this guide covers.


    Needaimus come in a variety of shapes and colors. At their core, they are mechanical creatures made to imitate lifeforms. They seem to run off a sophisticated AI that surpasses anything developed in modern Resh. While they can speak in any language, they do not talk much outside the partners they bond with. Some exceptions do exist, however.


    To bond with a Needaimus, a mortal must choose a limb to bond to. Typically, this is an arm, but legs and even tails¡ªwhere applicable¡ªare suitable options. Once connected, a mortal will be able to use the ability of a Needaimus. These abilities cannot be used by the Needaimus alone, nor can they be used by a creature with no language capacity. Why this is the case is still being investigated.


    An important detail to note for anyone who is not a Zenotote is that the limb must be prepared for bonding before a connection is made. In the past, people would sacrifice a limb to use a Needaimus. In the worst case, the limb is simply left to hang when the Needaimus is not in use. Bonding will reenable full use.


    Modern surgery has allowed those susceptible to damage to safely bond with a Needaimus. The surgery modifies the interior bone and muscle structure. Without that, the Needaimus will be forced to damage the limb to bond. Netzians and Bentulousians are most at risk of getting incredible damage.


    Once bonded, the Needaimus will present the mortal with a compatibility percentage. This percentage represents the amount of access a mortal has to the ability. The stated compatibility can be affected by a myriad of factors, but some of the important ones research has determined are species, previous bonding to a Needaimus, previous type bonded with, and specific training done beforehand. At 100%, a mortal will have full access to abilities. The percentage increase will stop at this point.


    Through the whole capability process, mortals can experience tiredness and exhaustion while using their abilities. Ordinarily, a Needaimus will temporarily limit pain and fatigue from the mortal''s actions.


    However, an ability being the cause of exhaustion is referred to as overexertion. This phenomenon happens when a mortal''s application of ability exceeds their current compatibility percentage. Under 100% entering the state of overexertion is often seen as a quick way to boost compatibility. This training method is not recommended as it is believed the compatibility percentage is in place to stop bodily or psychological harm from using an ability. That being said, entering an overexertion state has not been shown to cause permanent risk if done in rare instances.


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    After reaching 100%, the state of overexertion has still been observed. Though it is often rare, it had been seen in enough cases for some to theorize that the 100% cap is not the limit. Some mortals have tried to communicate with their Needaimus partners on the subject, but the creatures as a whole remain quiet on the details.


    Two methods have arisen from the fact of overexertion. The makers of this guide do not recommend a mortal participate in either. However, in the interest of presenting all available knowledge in a comprehensive guide, the decision was made to mention both.


    The first method is known as limit expansion. This method is often regarded as the most sensible, especially by its practitioners. However, risks do remain. The method acts in a manner similar to training for sports. The mortal deliberately enters a state of overexertion and will train their body to adjust to the feeling before increasing the intensity.


    It can be compared to steadily increasing weights when lifting. Please note that the method described is not the complete account of how to do limit expansion but rather a metaphor to explain how it causes growth. Entering a state of overexertion every day without the proper techniques will only introduce the risk of bodily or psychological harm briefly mentioned above.


    The second method is seen as the most abhorrent by many critics and even some practitioners. This method is referred to as overclocking. While the limit expansion seeks to improve the mortal''s capabilities, overclocking forces the compatibility percentage to rise above 100%. As a part of the process, the Needaimus becomes fixed to the mortal''s limb and will begin to ¡®grow¡¯ into the rest of the body as the compatibility percentage increases.


    The method uses the state of overexertion to define new limits. For example, a mortal may use their ability to a level that would be considered 112%. At that time, the Needaimus will set 112% as the new limit and make adjustments. When the adjustments are completed, the metal from the Needaimus will appear to grow across the body like a plant. The mortal will still feel overexerted while the calculation process is occurring, but once it is complete, they will reach the desired 112% without issue.


    As mentioned before, neither method of exceeding 100% compatibility is recommended by the makers of this guide. With that being said, the makers especially do not recommend the overclocking technique due to the permanent damage to both mortal and Needaimus. The method can be started by accident in extreme cases. If a mortal should ever notice their Needaimus beginning to grow into them, it is recommended to break the connection and not bond for at least one week. If time to reflect presents itself, it is recommended that the mortal think about how the overclocking started and take steps to prevent it from occurring again.

 48 – Battle in the Hallway

    Rheba stood next to the unconscious Adan. One of her long fingers was pressed to his neck. She and the miner force from the auditorium had quickly come across the out cold safety officer after exiting their last battlefield.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; he¡¯s out cold but still alive,¡± she told the other miners. They all gave a sigh of relief as she looked at the scene. The barricade operators had been taken out, and there were signs of a struggle with cracks on the floor, among other things.


    Suddenly a report echoed from one of the troop''s radios.


    ¡°Hello, is operator Shelly, can you hear me?¡± the sound came through clearly.


    ¡°Loud and clear, this is Rheba, flag carrier for the Benlou army,¡± Rheba replied as she grabbed the device from the miner''s shoulder.


    ¡°Oh good, I wasn¡¯t sure if this thing even worked¨C never mind that, the report. Three of your allies currently engage two of their commanders on the first floor. Princess Fiona is engaging another on the second, and the Nonpareil is currently fighting their leader. The remaining of our forces are engaged with the rest of their forces in the halls of the second floor.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fighting the leader alone?¡± Rheba asked with concern in her voice.


    ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t get a hold of him to confirm his status, but our tracking shows he has moved all over the third floor.¡±


    ¡°I will go support him,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°Wait! We actually would like you to support the group on the ground floor. They have your Needaimus and are facing against two commanders. Once they are dispatched, the four of you will be able to aid the Nonpareil against the leader together. Our remaining troops will support those still fighting on the second floor, then aid Princess Fiona.¡±


    Rheba took a deep breath as she debated her reply. She did not want to hurt any morale by suggesting that Princess Fiona and the Nonpareil were not very combat experienced. As she deliberated, the words of her favorite beauideal invaded her mind. She tried to shake the thoughts from the seemingly random interview, but they would not leave.


    It was an interview for the girl after a tough team fight; she had entered the stage-arena first when her teammate was late. When asked about it later, she simply said: ¡®sometimes you have to trust your allies.¡¯


    Rheba gritted her teeth and nodded, though Shelly could not see her.


    ¡°Understood, I will engage with the two commanders and then support the others.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll let Mamie, er, the commander know,¡± Shelly replied.


    Rheba waved goodbye to her miner allies as they moved to the second floor.


    It was ordinarily difficult for her to turn tight corners with her impressive running speed and giant body. To compensate, she would leap into the walls at bends and push off to quickly change directions in a manner that made her appear like a giant kangaroo. It was a typical maneuver taught in the Bentulousian military as they often had to expect to fight in spaces meant for smaller species.


    ¡°Hold out a little longer, everyone; I¡¯ll end all of this,¡± Rheba quietly said as she quickly headed to her destination.


    ***


    Savvy snapped her fingers in the hallway with Hal, Odell, and Harlan, and the machines all charged at once. Hal swung his heavy sword, Shatter Will, to cleave one of the robots in half, and Odell punched a second automaton to pieces. Harlan had to jump back to avoid a strike from one of the machines.


    The two remaining robots backed up near Savvy, and she sighed.


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    ¡°Never send a machine to do a Hobusians job,¡± she muttered as she stepped forward. She punched, and a fist of energy shot out at Harlan from her hand. The green Zenotote scientist was not prepared and took the brunt of the blow. She shook as if she was electrocuted and fell to the floor.


    ¡°Harlan!¡± Odell yelled as he ran to her. ¡°Ah, how to check for a Zenotote pulse?¡± he yelled as he poked around her neck with his grey six-fingered hand.


    Harlan weakly swatted Odell¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; the intensity is not high enough to kill. Just get her,¡± she muttered as she looked away.


    ¡°Tch,¡± Hal muttered. He slid his large sword back into his ability space and pulled out the pipe he had commandeered from Savvy¡¯s workshop. It was about the length of his whole arm with a flat oval profile. The metal was thin and white with a smooth finish.


    Savvy turned at the sight of her device, which is what Hal had intended.


    ¡°Ah yes, I need you to return that as well,¡± she said. The Hobusian scientist punched forward in the air. Her long black hair shook as a large energy fist shot across the hall to Hal. Hal ducked to avoid the blow, but Savvy anticipated that and quickly met him before he could react. She pressed her anti-Needaimus glove on Hal, and No.5 was forced off. Before the red Needaimus could react, Savvy shot a burst of energy at it, and No.5 flew across the hall, far from where Hal stood.


    ¡°Your gauntlet is a nuisance,¡± Hal sneered.


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± Savvy said with a smile.


    Hal swung the pipe at Savvy, but she ducked back to avoid the blow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hal; I¡¯ll get her!¡± Odell shouted as he ran in to give Savvy a heavy punch. She quickly knocked his Needaimus, Cal, off and launched it to the end of the hall. ¡°As soon as I get my Needaimus, just hold on for now!¡± the prince shouted as he chased after Cal.


    ¡°Is he a supportive ally or a thorn in my side?¡± Hal muttered.


    Savvy laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny guy. I guess I can humor you a little. You¡¯ve been holding that upside down,¡± she pointed to her weapon that Hal had grabbed. The Netzian soldier quickly flipped the pipe; as far as he could tell, each side was the same.


    ¡°Hal! I¡¯m coming back, and I brought back up!¡± Odell shouted. Both Hal and Savvy turned to see Odell and Rheba charging down to them. They had run into each other further in the hallway.


    Savvy took a step back as the Bentulousian warrior charged to her without slowing down. She tried to launch another energy fist, but Rheba sidestepped the attack and quickly ripped off both metal gloves from Savvy.


    ¡°I, uh, guess you got me!¡± Savvy stammered. Rheba rolled her orange-pink eyes and knocked Savvy out with a blow to the back of the neck.


    ¡°You had trouble with this one?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t an intimidating giant warrior with military training tailored to fight all species,¡± Odell said.


    ¡°I was moments from vanquishing her,¡± Hal said.


    ¡°Getting zapped was a part of my plan to draw her in,¡± Harlan quietly said as she slowly pushed herself up.


    Rheba sighed as she looked at the captured gauntlets in her hands. Hal recovered his Needaimus, and Odell helped Harlan to her feet.


    ¡°What should we do with these? Rheba asked as she eyed the remaining two of Savvy¡¯s automatons. They were frozen as they tried to process what to do with the existing data.


    Icarus slowly was pushing himself up as well. He began to back away from the group.


    Rheba turned her attention to the Icarus and the remaining robots. She tossed the gloves to Hal. As soon as he caught the anti-Needaimus glove No.5 was removed from his arm once again. He gritted his teeth at how frustrating the device was.


    Carefully he set the glove on the ground and reattached No.5. From the space of his ability, he removed a large cloth which he carefully wrapped around the device. The fabric was weaved with a special alloy made from the pods Needaimus used to be stored in when discovered during the adventuring age. With the layer of the unique material wrapped around, Hal could lift the glove without it affecting his red Needaimus.


    Icarus watched Hal wrap the whole glove up and smirked. He wiped some sweat away from his long lizard-like face as two large wings formed on his back.


    ¡°Machines, give me only a few moments!¡± he shouted.


    He took off down the hall at an impressive speed. In a flash, he snatched the wrapped glove from Hal¡¯s hands and flew out of the crashed window.


    ¡°Sorry, Savvy, but I¡¯ll make sure your magnum opus does not fall into enemy hands!¡±


    The automatons immediately targeted Rheba and Hal, as they were determined to be the most dangerous, and the two quickly smashed the robots to defend themselves. Icarus promptly fled into the night sky while they watched.


    ¡°Do you fly?¡± Rheba asked Hal.


    ¡°No, I suspect you don¡¯t either?¡±


    ¡°Not without using a lot of point¨C no, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Both Rheba¡¯s and Hal¡¯s shoulders slumped. Odell, however, confidently strode forward to the window. He stared at Icarus in the distance.


    ¡°Rheba, how far can you throw something as heavy as a stone?¡± he asked as he rubbed under his nose with his green Needaimus bonded hand.


    ¡°Far enough to hit him, why¡­ oh¡­.¡± Everything clicked in Rheba¡¯s mind, and she quickly picked up the Hobusian.


    ¡°Wait, we probably should have a plan first!¡± Odell shouted. He sensed Rheba would not listen and quickly adjusted his weight.


    ¡°No time, fight hard, Odell,¡± Rheba said right before launching him out the window at the unsuspecting Icarus. Odell soared across the sky as he prepared to meet the golden Zenotote.

 49 – Gwyn Struggles Against Grimes

    Gwyn rather gracefully moved to the side as a swarm of red dots flew past his head. After discovering that Grimes was moving clear marble ¡°bullets¡± in the air, it became easy to dodge blows. As each shot flew past Gwyn, he would liquify them and drive them to the ground to solidify in part with the floor¡ªusing Mem¡¯s tail to push them down.


    Through the course of the process, Gwyn was learning new things about his ability. He had some control of movement over the things he liquified, though it was not in an exact manner.


    Gwyn would force the liquified bullets to the floor with a solid tip remaining as a point with his ability. The point would puncture the floor, and he would move the liquid out beyond the hole before solidifying the whole thing. The end shape resembled an upside-down tree. Grimes could still attempt to move the bullets, but they were stuck in the floor due to the shape Gwyn made.


    Of course, Gwyn only had a vague sense of what he was trying to do, and Mem took care of all precise actions and movements.


    Within no time, Grimes had expended all his crystal marbles. He leaned back on his metal throne and laughed while he smacked his knees.


    Gwyn tensed up as he faced the leader. The intense use of his ability left his breath shallow.


    As the Nonpareil tried to catch his breath, Grimes stood up and reached to the back of his metal throne, where many blades were sticking out in a gaudy manner.


    ¡°You got farther than most; I will give you that. Unfortunately, you have failed to grasp the extent of my ability.¡± At once, all the blades flew off Grime¡¯s throne and began to circle him. He grabbed one out of the air and playfully swung it around as if to mock Gwyn.


    ¡°You can control everything in this room?¡± Gwyn asked after he gulped. Grimes laughed.


    ¡°I suppose I will humor you; then you can see how hopeless it is. This is a Surri Needaimus made to declare and control my territory, I can move anything as I please and feel everything move, and my territory is the entire town. Anywhere you run, I can hunt you down. Anywhere you hide, I can find you. This town is mine, boy.¡±


    Gwyn thought to the miners who cheerfully prepared for battle, his allies who were captured, and the little Aqueenian girl that, for better or worse, reminded him of his sister. He shook his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t accept that,¡± he said, though he wasn¡¯t sure how he ought to respond.


    Grimes laughed before dramatically extending his hand toward Gwyn. The blades shot all at once. Gwyn barely had time to jump out of the way, let alone think if he could disable the swords in the same manner as he did the bullets. They quickly arced in the air and returned to strike the Nonpareil.


    He managed to avoid another attack but could only partially liquify a blade as it zoomed past him. Gwyn gritted his teeth as the swords sailed around the room. They arced in the air once again as they turned to refire at Gwyn. He pressed his back against one of the room''s long walls.


    ¡°Can we melt those?¡± Gwyn asked.


    We can liquify anything, not living. You just need to keep it in your range of ability long enough to complete the process. Mem replied.


    ¡°So, the bullets were small enough to work with my range? How do I make the range larger?¡±


    You raise your compatibility. It won¡¯t do much good here, though.


    Grimes laughed as he circled the swords in the air in front of Gwyn. He strode across the room so that he could look at Gwyn in the face, with only the blades in between them. The leader smiled a friendly but wicked smile. He pushed some of his black hair to the side and began to stroke his short, black beard.


    ¡°Even a novice would know not to shout things out in a battle to their Needaimus,¡± Grimes said through chuckles, ¡°but that information won¡¯t serve you any in the future since you¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    Behind us, a scan shows a densely packed room, and his swords will be limited on movement! Mem told Gwyn.


    Gwyn didn¡¯t give it a second thought before he liquified the wall behind him and fell into the next room. As he fell back, the swords sailed over his head. Gwyn quickly jumped up and ran into the room.


    What greeted the nonpareil was a library. There was no mistaking the densely packed shelves with anything else as Gwyn slipped into it. The library was full of books, more than Gwyn had ever seen on earth, and the ceiling-high shelves were placed around the room in a sort of maze. Though the labyrinth was not intentionally built and merely due to neglect with storage as books were long obsoleted by tablet technology on Resh.


    Gwyn quickly found himself deep in the book maze, where he sat down and began to catch his breath.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± he whispered to Mem.


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    We run partner; we have no chance to win this!


    ¡°Even if we ran, I suspect he wouldn¡¯t let us get away,¡± Gwyn whispered back. He began to slide down to the end of the shelves and peered out down into the maze. Grimes was nowhere to be seen, but he could hear the distant bumps of the metal blades on the bookshelves.


    Gwyn slid back away from the corner as he tried to think of what to do next.


    ¡°There is not much use in hiding, boy. I know where you are in the maze; it is just a matter of time until my blades find you!¡± Grimes shouted from beyond the library. The leader could pinpoint Gwyn in the room, but his ability did not grant him perfect enough sight to traverse the maze quickly. Grimes sighed and sat on the ground at the hole Gwyn had made in the wall. He saw no reason to chase after his foe.


    It was only a matter of time before the invader was defeated by the leader¡¯s superior power, after all. Grimes chuckled as the thought ran through his mind.


    Gwyn took a deep breath before sprinting through the maze of library bookshelves. He cursed under his breath at whoever made the needless labyrinth, but he focused mainly on moving. Grimes had boasted that he could feel where everyone was in the territory of his ability, so Gwyn suspected he should not stay in one place for too long.


    Around the bookshelf maze, the blades began to bump into shelves as Grimes started to hunt him more ferociously.


    Before Gwyn knew it, one of the blades came around a corner and began to fly at him. Gwyn tensed up at first, then realized it was only one blade. He watched the sword come in close, and he jumped to the side, crashing into some of the shelves in the process as the blade sailed past him.


    The blade drove itself into the wooden bookshelf as it could not change course before colliding. It pierced through the shelf, and an idea quickly entered Gwyn¡¯s mind. He got close to the blade and liquefied it into a cylinder shape, and then he bent the shape into an imperfect ring before returning it to solid.


    The newly formed ring shook as it tried to free itself from the bookshelf, but the new shape prevented it from movement. The metal ring stopped moving in an instant as Grimes realized it was stuck on something.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think you are doing, boy, but you can¡¯t win so easily, you know!¡± Grimes shouted from beyond the maze.


    Gwyn ignored the comments and took a deep breath as he started to move through the bookshelves once again.


    ¡°There has to be some rules to his power, right? Like how I have a range and can¡¯t liquify living things?¡± Gwyn finally whispered to Mem.


    Yes¡­ but you aren¡¯t planning to continue fighting, are you? We need to run now, partner! You do realize how outmatched we are, right? Mem echoed in Gwyn¡¯s mind with a worried tone.


    ¡°I just need to stall him long enough for the others to come. If I can keep disabling his projectiles, Rheba or Odell should be able to knock him out in one blow,¡± Gwyn continued to whisper as he ran.


    You put a lot of stock in their abilities¡­ Those two were the ones that were captured, you know.


    Another blade came around a corner and began moving to strike Gwyn. This time, he made sure to stand in front of a shelf so that the sword would pierce it. He formed it into a metal ring and ran on his way. He continued trapping the blades as he ran around the library and talked to Mem.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who takes him down; we just need to stall for now!¡± Gwyn said a little louder than he intended. He covered his mouth with his good hand, but his voice was still not loud enough for the leader to hear while surrounded by all the bookshelves.


    Mem grumbled in Gwyn¡¯s mind for a moment before speaking.


    Fine, he must have a limit of what he can control; otherwise, he would have just restrained you. There also must be some limit to how his territory works. A Needaimus does not have a range that can cover a whole village without conditions. Mem explained.


    Gwyn quickly disabled another sword that had come around the corner before responding.


    ¡°That works, so once I disable all his swords, we might be able to come up with a winning plan?¡± he whispered.


    I can¡¯t promise that.


    Back at the newly formed library entrance, Grimes sat and sighed. He had split the blades up so that he could surround Gwyn and pierce him from all sides. What happened instead was each blade was taken out one by one.


    The leader shook his head as he stood up. He had one blade, which he held behind, float into his hand, and he tightened the grip around it. Grimes pushed a hand over the black, bony dots on his forehead through his long, lush hair. He shook his head and brushed off his toga-like clothing.


    His opponent was boring, and he could feel the tides on the floor below beginning to shift against his favor. His playtime was up, and Grimes knew he needed to finish things.


    ¡°I suppose sometimes you just have to get your hands dirty,¡± he said to himself with a smile, then he marched through the hole Gwyn had made and into the library.


    Gwyn burst from the maze of shelves and found himself at the entrance to the library. Some tables were set out, and two large doors marked the entry and exit.


    Gwyn took a breath and turned back to the library. He could no longer hear the bumping of the metal swords on the shelves, but he had no idea if he got them all.


    Gwyn liquified one of the tables and formed it into a bat. He gripped it tightly in his good hand while silently wishing his left hand was able to hold something as well. Gwyn slowly backed to the library¡¯s door as he faced the exit to the shelves. If he could get some distance between them, he would.


    The Nonpareil did not get far before Grimes emerged from the shelves. He only had one blade in his hand, and he threw his arms out emphatically.


    ¡°So many blades made of rare metal, and you turned them into earings for the bookshelves!¡± Grimes said with a laugh. ¡°I hope you have had your fun because my patience has worn thin.¡±


    With his words, the books on the bookshelves began to shake.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think?¡± Gwyn asked.


    Just run!¡± Mem shouted within his mind.


    All the books began to fly off the shelf like a swarm of locusts, and they aimed at Gwyn.


    The swarm quickly surrounded and began to batter Gwyn from all sides as he swung his new makeshift bat for defense. Grimes laughed.


    Gwyn slowly moved until his back pressed against the door. He liquified it and escaped into the hall. Across the door from the library was another door, which Gwyn ran through and slammed shut. The books began to batter on the door behind him as he pressed his back up to it.


    The Nonpareil looked around the new room. It was a green space that stretched across half of the third floor. Artificial grass carpeted the floor below, and glass domes opened to the night sky above. Several fake trees were set out next to flowing ponds and clean benches.


    Behind him, the books still began to beat on the door, and Grimes slowly moved close with confidence in his stride.

 50 - Fiona Finishes the Fight with Flora

    Fiona disappeared in a flash of red light to avoid another blow from the Bentulousian warrior, Flora. The calico warrior''s fist smashed into the floor where the princess had once stood. Her fist had some resistance as she yanked it from the floor. It had almost gotten stuck for a moment.


    Flora ground her teeth as she began to search around the room for where Fiona had gone. The conference room they were in was ample, and Fiona could use her abilities very well in the open place.


    Awkwardly to the side of the room stood the Princess Fiona Fan Club. The trio watched as Fiona appeared behind Flora and kicked her in the back before quickly disappearing to avoid the counterattack.


    "Lady Fiona!"


    "Is there anything we can do to help?"


    "We are ready and willing!" The trio shouted off one after the other.


    "Just get back and stay out of the way!" Fiona shouted back as she zapped behind Flora to deliver another kick.


    Flora angrily swung her long arm back, like one would do to shake off a fly, as she tried to strike the princess. Fiona disappeared in a flash of light before the blow could be made and reappeared in front of the trio.


    "But we can help!" the trio yelled in unison.


    "Go, I can''t have you hurt on account of me!" she shouted as she waved her hands to indicate they should leave.


    Fiona didn''t stay long and quickly zapped next to Flora''s side. She tried to strike Flora in the side just under the ribcage but misjudged the Bentulousian bone structure. Fiona shook her hand in pain and could not react to Flora''s palm thrust.


    The light sapphire blue princess sailed across the empty conference room until she crashed against what was equivalent to a whiteboard on Resh. The board fractured like it was glass as Fiona fell to the floor.


    "Lady Fiona!" the Fan Club shouted.


    "Quiet from the gallery, please," Flora snapped as she strode across the room to the fallen Fiona.


    Fiona coughed as she tried to push herself up. She focused across the room at one of the chairs.


    "Work, just once more," she pleaded quietly. One of the chairs suddenly disappeared in a blue flash. It reappeared over Flora''s head and fell on top of the unsuspecting Bentulousian.


    That''s it! Sun shouted in Fiona''s mind.


    "Not much good it does now," Fiona muttered as she pushed herself to her feet. She recalled the words she had first heard when bonding to Sun.


    ''Greetings, Princess Fiona, I am known as Impression Sunrise. You may shorten that if you like. I am a Tenmont type made to study the movement of objects in space. The application is a little difficult to comprehend for Aqueenians or any species for that matter, but I hope we will be able to work together effectively.''


    The young princess at the time could only awkwardly stare at a yellow arm that was two times larger than her normal arm at the time. All she could think was that she met the worst Needaimus the castle had to offer. She had been right; the royal family only gave her a Needaimus to keep with tradition.


    "Useless," Fiona found herself muttering as Flora was reaching down to grab her by the throat.


    "Lady Fiona!" The Fanclub could not keep quiet any longer and charged across the room with their pickaxes at the ready.


    Each drove a pickaxe into Flora''s back in the same manner they would drive it into stone. Between the tougher hide of a Bentulousian and the bonus durability from her Needaimus, the pickaxes did minimal damage; it was still enough to annoy Flora.


    The calico warrior decided to put Fiona''s defeat on hold with her fingers just about to close on the Aqueenian princesses neck and spun around to face the fan club.


    "No, run," Fiona weakly said as she leaned back against the cracked whiteboard. She focused on the trio as Flora raised her fist to strike one of the three. Each disappeared in one large red flash. They reappeared further back into the room just as Flora''s fist piledrove into the floor. Fiona zapped next to them and weakly pushed on the shoulders of one of the trio. "Go, I''ll fight her alone," she said coldly as she swayed.


    "We may not be much, but we will support you, Lady Fiona," one of the trio said.


    "Why do you want to help so much? You don''t know anything about me!" Fiona almost shouted as she tried to push the Fan Club Member harder.


    "You are the princess of our nation; it''s only natural," said one.


    "We want you to win your battles in a splendid manner," said the next.


    "And it is a huge honor to support you in that endeavor," finished the last.


    Flora struggled to pull her right fist from the floor as the four talked. She had intended to strike with enough force to squash one of the members completely to make an example of the others. Now, that was backfiring as she had embedded her fist in the floor.


    Fiona shook her head as she regained her composure.


    "No, no, you have no idea...."


    The trio spoke in alternating turns as they had done many times before.


    "Lady Fiona, everyone in this town wants to support you."


    "All the miners and your allies that came with you."


    "We just got here first."


    Fiona shook her head again.


    "We know you might not be the best warrior or an experienced leader."


    "You are younger than every miner in the town after all."


    "But we trust our princess, and we have decided to fight even if it means death."


    "Please allow the people that want to fight with you do just that!" the trio said all at once. Fiona took a step back and shook her head one last time. At that moment, Flora felt her arm finally begin to move from the floor.


    The Aqueenian princess was dumbfounded. She had grown up being the royal family''s black sheep and had gotten comfortable doing things alone. She had no idea how to react to what the Fan Club said.


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    A memory came to the princess in a flash. It was shortly after she had partnered with Sun. She was about as old as Bonfillia and could not use her ability at all. She had snuck to a far off corner of the castle to improve. There she had tried time and time again to move a vase from one side of the hallway to the other.


    It was late, and she didn''t expect anyone to show up. Yet, her eldest brother Donn was lurking through the hallways that night as well. He was cautious; everyone had been cautious of her since her birth, but he didn''t bother running away.


    "What are you doing here?" Donn had asked her.


    The small Fiona pointed at the vase and simply replied.


    "Practicing."


    The young Donn rubbed his fingers on his chin as he thought. It was such actions that had his teachers label him a prodigy at the time.


    "Well, maybe your issue is the mindset..." he replied.


    They went back and forth about her power and how Sun relayed it should be applied. After a while, Fiona had stopped caring about her ability and enjoyed chatting with her older brother. Donn, likewise, became less tense as he genuinely spoke to his little sister for the first time.


    The children had chatted in the hallway for some time longer and made many attempts to get Fiona''s ability to work.


    Then, just moments before the first sun rose, the vase disappeared in a flash of light. It reappeared in the air slightly to the left and promptly crashed into the floor. Both children had been dumbfounded as they stared at the shattered vase.


    Fiona quickly tried to piece the vase back together.


    "Don''t bother; we need to get one of the maids!" Donn had said before, running off to do just that. Neither of them realized that their father walked down the hallway on his daily morning stroll.


    Fiona was screamed at and locked into her room.


    Donn came by later that day.


    "Go away, you left me!" the small Fiona had said before refusing to speak again.


    Donn had tried to plead to his sister. He had tried to take the blame by confessing to his father, to no avail. He had tried to take the blame by confessing to his mother, to no avail. He tried to rally Hermina to back him up, but the middle sister was still wary of Fiona at that time. In the end, the young Prince Donn had decided to break his sister out of her room, but she wouldn''t reply to him at all. Donn sighed.


    "Okay, Fiona, I''ll go now. But, and I know it doesn''t seem like it now, as you grow, people will want to support you. When that day comes, don''t forget that I am counted among them."


    Young Fiona had laughed at Donn''s words and promptly forgot them. The first time recalling back to the moment was as she stared dumbfounded at the Fiona Fan Club.


    As Donn''s words echoed in her mind, she smiled. The princess could almost hear his ''I told you so'' that the older prince would most assuredly tack on as well.


    "Okay... tell me, what were your names again?" Fiona asked.


    The trio made faces that showed her question hurt far worse than any damage Flora could inflict, but they quickly recovered and chuckled as they replied.


    "It was quite crazy when we introduced ourselves, huh? I''m Simeon." An emerald, green Aqueenian said with a toothy white smile. His short hair was a light grey color and had been braided to look like a series of stripes that ran from his forehead to the back of his head.


    "You''re just forgettable is all. I''m Siegfried." A sapphire blue Aqueenian said as he chastised his fellow club members with a small laugh. His black hair had been pulled back into a tiny warrior''s knot.


    "You''re both hopeless. I''m Sinatra." A ruby red Aqueenian said as he shook his head. He had long white hair and a burly white beard that made him look more like a Viking than a miner, and had Gwyn spent more time with the fan club; he would have told him as such.


    Fiona nodded with a small smile.


    "Alright, I got it; I won''t forget."


    Flora yanked her fist out of the floor and shook it off.


    "Your little chat annoys me," she spat as she slowly closed the hand. It was broken, but she did not intend to let the four opponents realize.


    "Lady Fiona!" said Simeon.


    "Your orders, please!" said Siegfried.


    "We will do our best to follow them!" said Sinatra.


    Fiona thought of what she could say and settled on:


    "Don''t die."


    The trio chuckled.


    "We picked a difficult princess to follow, huh," Simeon chuckled.


    "I''ll say, but by the oath of the Princess Fiona Fan Club, we will carry out her wishes," Sigfried said through his chuckles.


    "Guys, Flora''s charging," Sinatra interrupted them.


    Flora quickly began to charge across the conference room. She swung with her unbroken left fist at Sinatra, but the miner suddenly disappeared in a red flash and reappeared just out of Flora''s arms reach. In what seemed like the same moment, Simeon and Sigfried appeared behind the warrior and struck her in the back with their pickaxes.


    Flora ignored the blows and glared at the blue princess who was watching the battle closely.


    You''re getting a good feel for it, but the way you move them is still stiff. Sun suggested in Fiona''s mind, but she didn''t know what to do with the advice.


    "Just help me move them around more rapidly," she said.


    Flora angrily charged at Fiona, but the princess quickly disappeared in a flash and appeared by Simeon and Sigfried. Flora came to a sudden stop and turned around. The calico warrior began to curse her weak Needaimus as she stared at her broken right hand.


    Fiona took a deep breath and zapped each of the fan club around Flora. They struck her at three different points, and Fiona zapped them out of harm''s way before Flora could land a blow.


    The Calico Bentulousian began another charge at the blue princess, but Fiona disappeared again out of harm''s way.


    Fiona quickly reappeared behind Flora and kicked her squarely in the back. At the exact moment, all of the trio appeared and began to strike the warrior as well. The damage they were giving was light, but it was slowly wearing the calico warrior down.


    What followed would look like, to an outside observer, a series of red and blue flashes around Flora. Each member of the fan club and Fiona herself would disappear and reappear around Flora and strike her as hard as they could. Meanwhile, the giant Bentulousian warrior recklessly flailed as she tried to fend off the attacks. The damage was starting to add up, and the continual flashes of light began to make her feel dizzy.


    The light show and moving opponents kept moving around Flora so quickly and precisely she had no idea if she would ever land another blow. That is until she grabbed Simeon''s right arm by sheer chance. Both he and Flora were unprepared, but she quickly reacted and snapped his arm like a twig before Fiona zapped him out of harm''s way.


    Fiona gritted her teeth as she put the shouting Simeon on the other side of the room. At the same time, she struck Flora''s back as hard as she could. The light show continued, but the other Fanclub members were thrown off for a moment, and a moment was all a trained warrior like Flora needed.


    In no time, Sigfried''s left arm was shattered. Then Sinatra''s right leg was broken. Both miners were zapped next to Simeon on the other side of the room, and Fiona quickly appeared next to them. Her heart sank as she saw them painfully hold their broken limbs.


    "Don''t worry about us; finish her off," Simeon said through his pain.


    Fiona turned back to the calico warrior. Flora was breathing heavily and trying very hard to stay standing up. The combined attack of the four had almost knocked her down.


    Fiona zapped in front of the weakened warrior with a blue flash and shoved her strongest uppercut into the warrior''s elongated chin. As far as Fiona could tell, Flora seemed unfazed by the blow, but after a moment, she fell straight back onto the floor and made a loud thud. The calico warrior was out cold, and Fiona let out a sigh of relief as well as a small laugh.


    Then Fiona''s purple eyes widened, and she ran back across the room to the fan club.


    "Are you three okay? What am I saying? Of course, you aren''t. I need to get a medical team, oh, but they are probably still fighting...." Fiona began to pace back and forth as she spoke.


    The fan club began to laugh in a loud and honest way.


    "Look, guys, I think the whole forearm is shattered. I bet this is the most impressive one!" Simeon gloated.


    "No, no, she got my upper arm and twisted it; I think I have the best wound here!" Sigfried added.


    "You''re both wrong; everyone knows a leg injury beats an arm injury any day," Sinatra finished.


    The fan club trio began to argue who''s broken bone was the most impressive of the battle as they sought to seek a ''winner.''


    Fiona stopped her worried pacing and shook her head as she looked down. She pressed her fingers to the center of her forehead as she lamented.


    "My fan club is made up of idiots," she said with a sigh.


    "Princess Fiona, don''t say that!"


    "That could be considered very rude!"


    "You should apologize to idiots right now!"


    Fiona looked back up to see the trio smiling at her with wide grins. She made a small chuckle and shook her head.


    "Just wait here while I get someone to treat your wounds."


    "Actually, you should probably restrain Flora first!" the trio shouted in unison. Fiona made an ah-ha expression and quickly ran to the unconscious warrior. She frantically began to look around for something that could restrain Flora in case the calico warrior woke up.


    The Princess Fiona Fan Club smiled as they watched the awkward princess tie Flora''s arm together with some rope that had been used to keep the chairs together. Moments later, shouts from the battle outside the room indicated the fight on the second floor had been won by the miners. Backup for Fiona came pouring in as they sought to take on Flora next. They were pleasantly surprised to see their princess had already won the fight.

 51 – Odell Vs. Icarus

    Mere moments after Rheba had launched the lightened Odell from the hallway in the direction of Icarus; a cheer began to echo through the whole facility. It was a cry of victory from the minors who had just taken down the last of the bandits. Though Icarus was unaware of it, only he and Grimes were left of the bandit forces.


    Still, the golden Zenotote had enough sense to run away from the facility with the wrapped up anti-Needaimus glove in tow. He knew it would be bad if any of the major nations got a hold of such technology; for the other nations and his former organization members. He still considered a couple left behind to be friends. Icarus smirked. He had left to follow Grimes, but he didn¡¯t realize he still cared some for his old companions.


    As Icarus entertained himself with idle nostalgia, he did not realize Odell was hot on his trial.


    Odell was closing the gap between him and the Zenotote opponent.


    ¡°Hey Cal, do you think I might be in a little over my head?¡± Odell asked as he approached his opponent. He had regained some confidence after getting his Needaimus back, but he thought Hal and Rheba were better suited for such fighting. All his father¡¯s words about proper battle training came back in a flash, and all his attempts to avoid such training returned as well.


    Are you just now realizing? Cal sharply echoed back. You¡¯ve been in over your head for quite a while!


    Odell chuckled.


    ¡°How long¡¯s a while?¡± he asked facetiously.


    How old are you again? Cal answered in an equally flippant tone.


    ¡°Hahaha, we¡¯ve been a team for quite a while, huh?¡±


    Odell reached Icarus before Cal could respond. The golden Zenotote was initially surprised by Odell¡¯s sudden voice but didn¡¯t react in time before the Hobusian prince wrapped his long arms around him.


    Odell kept his body light as Icarus began to weave around the sky.


    ¡°Let go, you fool!¡±


    ¡°You have two options, land and surrender, or I will increase my weight, and we both go down!¡± Odell shouted with faux confidence at the golden Zenotote.


    ¡°How about I just shake you off!¡± Icarus began to spin around the sky frantically as he tried to get Odell to let go, but the Hobusian prince would not give.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you just leave me alone! Grimes will take you all down anyway! You can¡¯t stop him!¡± Icarus began to shout at Odell, but the prince would not loosen his grip.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a fighter without my Needaimus, but I am stubborn! I will not back down; you have until the count of ten before I become heavier than a Hobusian dreadnought!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much that weighs, you fool!¡±


    ¡°ten¡­ nine¡­ eight¡­.¡± Odell began. Icarus quickly looked around and targeted the roof of the building he had just escaped from.


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    ¡°seven¡­ six¡­ five¡­.¡± Odell kept counting as Icarus flew high above the building. He planned to angle downward and fly close to the edge. He would position his body so Odell would smash into the building¡¯s corner, and he would fly free next to it.


    He¡¯s planning something. Cal echoed in Odell¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Four¨C three¨C two¨C one¡° Odell rapidly finished his counting faster than he had started as Icarus began to descend. Before the golden Zenotote could react, Odell suddenly increased in weight a massive degree, but not to the weight of the dreadnought that he had promised Icarus.


    Instead, he became just heavy enough to pull the duo down in a sudden jerk. Then, he lightened himself again so Icarus would over compensate as he tried to recover. Odell wrongly figured Icarus planned to smash his head in the ground many stories below and wanted the Zenotote to instead fly over the roof of the building.


    The plan worked, and Icarus soon overcorrected to hovered over the roof. Odell spun himself so that he was above the golden Zenotoe and quickly increased in weight. Icarus was driven into the roof, and the wrapped-up glove slid across the rooftop.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked!¡± Odell shouted as he cataloged the move in his head for a future battle.


    Less talk, grab the device! Cal shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Odell said with shock as he let go of Icarus and started to sprint across the roof toward the glove. As he ran, on the other side of the roof, beyond the large bandit flag, Gwyn was suddenly thrown through a glass dome by a swarm of books. Odell had many questions, but he pushed his curiosity down and focused on the Anti-Needaimus glove.


    Icarus pushed himself up and shook his draconic-looking head. He glared at Odell with fury in his crimson eyes.


    Just as Odell was leaning over to grab the glove, a series of wings appeared on his body and restrained him in place. Icarus breathed heavily as the overclocked Needaimus on his arm began to grow more to compensate for his technique. It appeared as if roots were growing from the Needaimus further under Icarus¡¯ scales.


    ¡°About time you raised the compatibility; I was getting sick of being tired after doing this move,¡± Icarus muttered to his Needaimus as he walked over to Odell. ¡°It¡¯s over, Hobusian; I won this fight. As Icarus approached Odell, the branchlike growth from the overclocked Needaimus spread up his neck and across his chest. It stopped as Icarus reached to grab the grey prince by the shoulder.


    Odell, still stuck and in a position that was leaning over, increased his weight so that he broke free from the wings and fell onto the wrapped-up glove.


    ¡°You can continue to struggle, but I can restrain you more freely now,¡± Icarus said with a confident laugh as he leaned over Odell. He produced a knife and prepared to stab Odell in the back.


    Odell chuckled as well. Cal suddenly shot off his arm, and the Hobusian prince quickly spun around. Icarus saw the anti-Needaimus glove, half and hastily unwrapped, on his hand but didn¡¯t fully process it until Odell placed the device on the golden Zenototes chest.


    Fear filled Icarus¡¯ eyes as he anticipated what came next. It seemed for him to last a lifetime, but it came very quickly in reality. The overclocked, permanently bonded, Needaimus was forcefully ejected off Icarus¡¯ arm. The extended root-like growths were quickly yanked out from him and looked like strings hanging on the end of the Needaimus as it flew away from the golden Zenotote. The arm underneath had lost all of his dirty golden scales and instead appeared as burnt-looking skin. As the Needaimus came off, Icarus felt all the pain the creature had endured from the overclocking process tenfold in his own body. Needless to say, he let out a scream that shook the rooftop before collapsing.


    Odell made a disturbed face as he witnessed the process.


    ¡°That was way uglier than I imagined it would be,¡± he said as he removed the glove and wrapped it back in its cloth.¡±


    Cal bonded back to Odell¡¯s arm once the anti-Needaimus device was secured.


    I told you it wouldn¡¯t be pretty, but you can¡¯t argue with the results.


    ¡°I suppose.¡± Odell shuddered as he took one last look at the unconscious Icarus. He shook his head and turned back to Gwyn. The Nonpareil had just clocked the leader in the face, and he was taking a step back.


    Should you help him? Cal asked.


    ¡°I was thinking of using the glove¡­ but I¡¯m not sure I want to see that again¡­ can you open up communication with Gwyn?¡±


    Certainly! Cal answered.


    Odell waited as his green Needaimus connected to Mem so that they could talk.

 Aqueenian Legends – Jolon Whitlock the Great 2

    The Great and His New Friend


    It was on the eve of the great''s 14<sup>th</sup> birthday, the day he would become an adult, that he would set out on a journey. He left the wicked¡¯s domain and marched clear across the continent. His destination would be the one and only Hobusian capital, in which they had only just made peace.


    The Hobusians were shocked as the great simply marched into their home. He had no care for their dagger stares or their wrathful sneers. The great marched past all the anger straight to the castle and demanded an audience with the king.


    Now, at this time, the Hobusians had begun their cycle of election. An event that happens once every 30 years. The great was unaware of this sort of event; the wicked would not let his people learn of the other cultures.


    Still, the Hobusians would not back down from a challenge. They squabbled over who to send out to greet the great, and Reinier, son of the Fio family, was the one sent out.


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    Their talk quickly escalated into shouting and then into a full-out brawl. But the great would not falter. Their duel lasted for four days and five nights. In the end, both fighters laid on their backs and laughed.


    This was the beginning of the bond between the Whitlock and Fio families that lasts until this day.


    A Plan to Defeat the Wicked


    Reinier of the Fio family was soon elected to be the new king over the Hobusians. That was when the great reached out to his friend. He had devised a plan to defeat the wicked and take rule over the Aqueenian nation.


    The plan was carefully sketched out, and support was gathered in both nations. Soon, the wicked¡¯s own children would conspire against their father.


    It was on the night of The Feast of First Harvest. The wicked had become drunk and gone to lie down in his chambers with three of his maids by his side. He fell asleep, and the three maids quickly opened the door to allow the great to enter.


    With his trusty sword by his side, the great severed the wicked¡¯s reign over the Aqueenian people. He drove the blade through the wicked¡¯s heart. Cementing a fate that he and every king after would also experience.


    The feast erupted into celebration as the wicked would no more be able to harm their people.

 52 – Saving the Village with No Name

    Gwyn ran around the green space on the third floor while the leader relentlessly attacked him with a swarm of books from the library. Grimes waved a single sword he held behind like a conductor¡¯s baton as the literature storm flew around. The leader had easily beaten his way through the door, and Gwyn was on the defensive as he did not want to damage any books with potential historical significance.


    ¡°I think I liked it better when he had the swords!¡± Gwyn shouted as he ducked from a fist formed out of the book swarm.


    Just liquify the books! I¡¯m sure they have been scanned! Mem shouted to Gwyn.


    ¡°It¡¯s more fun to read on the physical copies!¡± Gwyn shouted back as he avoided another book fist. ¡°Ah, why couldn¡¯t he attack me with modern art!¡±


    I don¡¯t know what that is, but I feel like you just needlessly insulted someone. Mem added.


    Gwyn shook his head and looked to Grimes, who had an angry expression. At that moment, a cheer echoed from the floor below. However, Grimes could already tell what was going on. Everyone in his force, except Icarus, who was outside, had been defeated.


    He gritted his teeth severely as a vein bulged between the black dots on his forehead. Grimes took a deep breath and shook his head. He forcefully twisted his face back into the friendly expression he usually carried.


    ¡°It seems I have wasted enough time with you fools. I will end this quickly,¡± Grimes''s face was still friendly, but his tone betrayed his expression. He ceased waving the sword around in play and focused on the attack.


    The swarm of books became more intense as it surrounded Gwyn. The only way out was up, and Gwyn leaped into the air as soon as possible. The books clashed together underneath him, and Grimes quickly changed the swarm¡¯s direction upward. Gwyn went flying to the ceiling and crashed through the glass dome at the top.


    Grimes suddenly froze as he realized he had made an error in his frustration. He shook his head and took a deep breath to calm down. Then he pulled a pile of books under his feet to float up to the roof.


    ¡°Hold tight there, boy, I will dispatch you quickly, " he grunted as he floated outside.


    Gwyn landed on the roof under the night sky. He quickly pushed himself to his feet and surveyed the top. The awful-looking bandit flag still flew in the center, and he could see Odell and Icarus across the roof. Gwyn was about to shout something to Odell when Mem interrupted.


    Ignore them for now; your opponent is heading up here.


    Gwyn turned to the cracked dome to see Grimes float up. He walked from his pile of books to the roof and began to attack the Nonpareil furiously. Gwyn was focused on dodging the blows of the book swarm, but he quickly realized Grimes was leading him to the edge of the building.


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to make me fall off,¡± Gwyn grunted.


    A scream caught everyone¡¯s attention, and both Gwyn and Grimes turned to look in the direction of Odell and Icarus. Gwyn took advantage sooner and sprinted across the roof to thrust the hardest punch he could muster into Grime¡¯s face. The leader took a couple of steps back but showed no sign that he was hurt. Grimes rubbed his face and looked at his hand.


    ¡°No blood, your punches are weak,¡± the leader said with a laugh.


    A swarm of books began to fly at Gwyn as they formed many giant fists, and he took several steps to avoid it. He kept dodging to avoid each blow with everything he had.


    Partner Odell is trying to call. Do you want to pick it up? Mem said.


    ¡°Call? I¡¯m kind of busy,¡± Gwyn said as he shielded his face from the book storm that was battering him on all sides.


    I¡¯ll connect you anyway. You may hear a buzz.


    Gwyn heard a buzzing echo somewhere in his head. After which, Odell¡¯s voice spoke much like Mem¡¯s did.


    Gwyn, are you okay! He¡¯s bashing you with a lot of books! Odell shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better. I wouldn¡¯t mind some backup.¡± Gwyn responded. Suddenly the book storm slowed down, and Gwyn quickly slipped out of the way. On the Nonpareil¡¯s request, Odell had crossed the building¡¯s roof and smashed into where Grimes had just been standing. The leader took several steps back to avoid the blow and stood just at the edge where the glass dome was broken.


    ¡°So, there are two of you now, no matter, I will have to defeat all of you anyway,¡± Grimes muttered. The book storm flew next to him and gathered into several large fists while the leader took a deep breath of the night air.


    ¡°He controls books?¡± Odell shouted as he backed close to Gwyn.


    ¡°He can move things in his territory, or so he says,¡± Gwyn said.


    ¡°How big is his territory?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°The whole village,¡± Gwyn replied.


    ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re in a lot of trouble, huh?¡± Odell asked for confirmation.


    ¡°We just need to hit him really hard,¡± Gwyn replied as he looked around the roof and village. Besides the roof itself, he didn¡¯t see much he could use his ability on.


    Odell smashed a fist into a palm and nodded.


    ¡°I like the simplicity; let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Gwyn continued to look for something he could try to liquify while Grimes lifted the shards of broken glass in the area and mixed the sharp pieces in the book storm.


    The Nonpareil¡¯s eyes settled on the bandit flag flying atop the building. His first thought was that he could reshape the flagpole into a sword or bat, but another thought echoed in his mind, and he simply said the word:


    ¡°Territory?¡±


    Grimes noticed Gwyn staring at the flag and gritted his teeth. It had been for the leader''s amusement before, but he realized he told the boy too much back in his throne room.


    A fury of book storm fists began to fire at the duo. Odell and Gwyn quickly ducked out of the way to avoid them. As the books bounced off the roof, Gwyn made a break for the flag. Grimes immediately diverted the majority of the book storm at the Nonpareil, only keeping a couple of books and shards of glass orbiting around himself.


    Odell watched as the storm of books began to close in on Gwyn. He took a deep breath and flung his instantly light body across the roof to his ally with a heavy push. Gwyn did not expect Odell to come behind him and give a strong push. The book storm crashed into Odell as Gwyn reached the flagpole.


    The storm immediately began to retarget Gwyn. The pole was welded to the roof, so he had to liquify it to break it free. The flag fell down and through the hole, Icarus and Harlan had created earlier in the raid. It fell between the spiral staircase and bounced off the first floor¡ªmaking a soft clang. The other allies on the second and first floors watched it hit as they headed up the stairs to the top floor, but none knew why it fell.


    In an instant, the entirety of the book storm aimed at Gwyn fell onto the roof. Odell pushed himself up slowly and picked up one of the novels that had struck him.


    ¡°A collection of dissertations. With books that dense, no wonder they hurt so bad,¡± he said with a laugh as he tried to shake off the pain of being bombarded.


    Save the lines for after the leader is taken down! Cal yelled in Odell¡¯s mind loud enough for the prince to jump.


    Both Gwyn and Odell looked to Grimes, who had several books and shards of glass orbiting around him. He began to laugh.


    ¡°So, you figured it out; I suppose you expect I ought to surrender? Unfortunately, I will not grant your desires!¡± Grimes shouted his last line making no effort to hide his mood under a friendly expression. He griped the remaining sword in his hand tightly.


    The leader suddenly ran across the roof at Gwyn. As he ran, the books and shards that entered his range began to get picked up and fed into a new but much smaller book storm that flew alongside him.


    Now what, partner? Mem asked.


    ¡°Now we hit him really hard,¡± Gwyn replied as he charged at the approaching leader.


    Gwyn met Grimes in the middle of the roof. The leader still had a small number of books and glass shards that had been picked up and a blade he had held in his hands since the library. His control range had been cut down severely without the flag, and the objects flew around Grimes with only about a radius, barely longer than he was tall.


    The Nonpareil charged somewhat recklessly into Grimes range. The leader swung his sword and battered Gwyn with his available projectiles.


    Gwyn responded by ducking to avoid the blade, liquifying the glass, and taking the brunt of the books. Grimes could no longer achieve the same speed of objects in his control, and the Nonpareil took advantage to throw a fist at Grimes.


    The leader leaned back so that the punch barely scraped his face and took another swipe at Gwyn with his blade.


    Gwyn backed off outside the range of Grime¡¯s ability and sword as the leader tried to cut him again.


    ¡°I thought he would just give up,¡± Gwyn muttered.


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    A battle isn¡¯t that simple. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to lead all these bandits if he was a pushover. Mem chimed in.


    ¡°I suppose your right.¡±


    Gwyn began to circle Grimes as each stared at each other¡¯s eyes. The leader''s crimson red eyes slightly bothered Gwyn, not due to their odd color but the anger that burned in them.


    ¡°Do you still mean to play, boy? Come close and fight me properly!¡± Grimes roared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give into his provocation, Gwyn!¡± Odell shouted from the sidelines as he slowly began to push himself up from the pile of books he had been slammed with only moments prior.


    Gwyn ignored the advice of his ally and charged into Grimes range once again. Grimes didn¡¯t attack Gwyn with projectiles and instead focused on slashing the nonpareil with his sword. Gwyn barely avoided the swipes but managed to recover and aimed his fist at Grimes¡¯ chest.


    In a flash, the leader blocked Gwyn¡¯s blow with a sudden shield of books that collected in front of him. The books quickly moved away, and Grimes aimed his blade at Gwyn¡¯s neck.


    The Nonpareil ducked to avoid the blade and fell into a seated position. He had to throw himself to the side and roll away as Grimes smashed his sword down into the roof. Gwyn quickly got himself outside Grimes¡¯ range and began to circle again. He tried to think of some plan but couldn''t come up with any quick way to win. Instead, he focused on the sword.


    He ran in again while watching the blade closely. As Grimes swung his sword at Gwyn, the Nonpareil held up a hand in the sword''s path. Before the sword made contact, he liquified a chunk of its center. Grimes finished his swing without slicing anything while the liquified sword splattered everywhere, and the solid tip flew off away from the duo.


    What was left of the sword was the hilt. Grimes threw it aside and began to punch at Gwyn with the ferocity of a heavyweight boxer.


    The Nonpareil was not prepared for the sudden change of tactics and proceeded to take a series of blows as he walked backward toward the glass dome where the flag had once stood.


    ¡°Once I take you down, I¡¯ll stop this pathetic rebellion and reestablish my rule. Don¡¯t think you have accomplished anything,¡± Grimes hissed as he beat on Gwyn.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gwyn; I¡¯ll back you up!¡± Odell shouted as he began to sprint across the rooftop. He balled his hand into a fist and targeted Grimes back. The leader simply put up a shield of the books once again, but he did not know how heavy Odell¡¯s punch would be.


    Odell¡¯s fist easily tore through the books and hit squarely in Grime¡¯s back. It was slowed down enough not to damage the leader too much, but the attack threw him off enough for Gwyn to break from the punches.


    Gwyn tried to uppercut Grimes on the chin, but the leader moved so that the blow only scraped his black beard. Grimes stepped away from Odell and Gwyn and began to walk around the edge of the glass dome. He looked down three stories to where his flag had fallen and gritted his teeth.


    Gwyn slowly began to follow as the leader walked away from him. They ended up going around the dome circle in an odd, slow chase as each thought of what their next move would be. Odell stayed in place and watched Grimes; he would wait for the leader to come around and attack once he got close.


    ¡°I suppose I should commend you; I expected my former employer would try to stop me but never thought a band of oddballs would do me in,¡± Grimes said with a laugh as he weighed his options.


    The miners and others from Gwyn¡¯s group were beginning to collect around the stairwell in the building below. They could see the pair of Gwyn and Grimes standing up by the glass dome against a sky that was starting to light up from the first sun rising.


    ¡°You should just surrender now,¡± Gwyn said to the leader.


    Grimes laughed.


    ¡°Boy, you have a lot to learn. As long as there is a way out, never give in!¡±


    Gwyn sighed. He began to sprint at the leader. Grimes collected half the books around him as a shield from Gwyn and the other half as a platform. He smashed some of the glass in the dome and floated down into the building. If he could replant the flag, he could regain full power.


    Books surrounded Gwyn for a moment, but they instantly fell as they left Grimes¡¯ range. The Nonpareil put both of his hands flat on the roof by the edge of the glass dome. In an instant, he turned as much of the roof and metal to a liquid as he jumped to the descending Grimes. The liquid trailed behind him as he maintained some limited control of its movement.


    Grimes looked up as Gwyn came flying in from the ceiling.


    ¡°You sure are reckless, boy,¡± he shouted as he put his fists up. As Gwyn came in close, he solidified the liquid into a ¡®U¡¯ shape and threw it around Grime¡¯s body while holding onto the end. Gwyn had intended to catch himself pull up to the book platform, but instead, the action swept Grimes off his feet, and both began to plummet. The platform of books collapsed and fell alongside them.


    ¡°That did not go as planned!¡± Gwyn shouted as Grimes angrily tried to maneuver to the Nonpareil. They reached each other in the air as they passed the second floor, and each tried to twist the other under them so they could be a shield from the impact. Grimes managed to get above Gwyn and locked his good arm behind him as he prepared to drive the Nonpareil into the ground.


    Just before he would make contact with the floor, Gwyn disappeared in a blue flash. Grimes was unable to react as he smashed directly into the ground floor. He remained conscious for a moment and managed to push himself up to look around. The miners were surrounding the leader. A confused Gwyn had reappeared next to a tired-looking princess Fiona on the second floor. Grimes ended up collapsing; he was out cold.


    Cheers echoed throughout the building as soon as everyone processed that the leader was down. Soon, the cheers began to fill the town as the news spread. The bandit leader was defeated, the town was free.


    Mamie let out a deep sigh of relief from her cavern base of operation as she relaxed her posture. She ran her hands through her hair before looking at her daughter.


    ¡°We won!¡± she happily declared, and the cavern filled with happy cries.


    ***


    The morning that greeted the town''s victory was also the eve of an Aqueenian holiday known as The Feast of First Harvest. It was a time when the first of the crops would begin to bear fruit, and the people would celebrate with a massive festival. In the modern Resh, where food was more abundant, it had become simply a time to set up stalls and eat lots of food that might not traditionally be grown at that point in the year.


    The quiet village quickly became bustling as the villagers eagerly prepared for their first free festival after a long while. They had planned their revolt against the bandits to coincide with the festival''s ending when they suspected the leaders would be drunk. As such, the festival preps were continued as normal to avoid suspicion. The excitement at the arrival of Princess Fiona and the Nonpareil had ended up causing the timetable to be pushed forward considerably.


    As the town began joyfully preparing for the celebration, Mamie was preoccupied with what to do with the bandits. Their weapons were taken, and they were restrained. Odell had explained what the anti-Needaimus glove did to an overclocked mortal, and he expressed a strong desire not to watch it happen again. Old Gus volunteered to remove the other Needaimus from Grimes and Flora, saying, ¡®I¡¯ve seen worse in my time,¡¯ and promptly removed the remaining Needaimus. Mamie remained to watch, feeling she had a responsibility for being in the room as the acting village head, but other parties were sent elsewhere.


    The bandits were restrained and tied to a fence as Rheba and Odell made the prison cell inoperable with their breakout. The injured members were taken to a hospital in the village, which quickly filled up. Many of the miners had received cuts and gashes that required bandaging. Several had broken limbs or concussions, but the number was small. The ones dismissed immediately went to help with the festival.


    Of the fighters that remained in the hospital for the remainder of the Feast¡¯s eve:


    Adan, the miner¡¯s safety leader, suffered from excess contusions and needed an extra day to recover. He was down for the count and fast asleep.


    The Princess Fiona Fan Club, with Simeon, who needed his right forearm put back together. Siegfried, who needed his left upper arm reconstructed, and Sinatra, who had a shattered left leg. None of the trio seemed to care about their injuries and instead wanted to help prepare for the festival.


    Fiona had been battered endlessly by Flora and was bruised in multiple locations.


    Harlan had smashed into a wall which tore off multiple scales from her back and left some bruising. It required bandaging until they would grow back in.


    Odell suffered several cuts and bruises from the glassy shard book storm Grimes had used. He had a part of a rib fracture, but it was quickly mended once identified.


    Gwyn managed to get away with some bruises and minor pains, and both Rheba and Hal had not experienced much damage.


    Most of the Needaimus users laid a bed as they recovered. Though some injuries were not as bad, as soon as the Needaimus was removed, all the excess fatigue and wear caught up instantly. The Needaimus ability to limit pain and fatigue was well known to have a bad side effect after intense use. Rheba was the only one who sat in a chair as she had mostly taken down minor bandits in the raid. She stayed behind only to support her companions.


    Hal stubbornly stayed sitting up in his bed to hide how tired he actually was. In reality, he was the best off of the rest since his training as a soldier included adjusting to the after-battle fatigue. Odell, Adan, and Harlan were fast asleep, and Gwyn and Fiona both laid awake and groaned.


    ¡°How is it that I¡¯m this tired from one fight!¡± Gwyn grumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember when you fought the unkillable? You were out for a day after that,¡± Fiona groaned back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there some sort of wonder drug for this fatigue?¡± Gwyn moaned back.


    ¡°If there were, we would have brought bottles of it,¡± Fiona sighed.


    ¡°If you two can complain like that, you are not as bad off as you think,¡± Rheba offered in the most friendly manner she could.


    ¡°Indeed, you pollute the air with waste, silence your pathetic groanings,¡± Hal snapped at the two as he rolled his yellow eyes.


    Although not for Hal''s sake, Fiona and Gwyn quieted their complaints, Mamie had just entered the room, and they thought it best to collect themselves.


    Bonfilia ran into the room after her mother and up to the beds. She frantically looked around at each of the beds and decided who to talk to first. She settled to run up to Gwyn¡¯s bed. The small green child stopped by the bed and looked down to the floor for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°For what?¡± Gwyn asked with genuine confusion.


    ¡°For making you fight,¡± the girl replied.


    Gwyn chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll be back up in no time!¡± Gwyn said with confidence. Hal rolled his eyes, and Rheba shook her head as they recalled his complaining only moments prior. The Nonpareil¡¯s words were enough for Bonfilia, and she nodded before running to Adan¡¯s bed. He was still asleep.


    ¡°Adan, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t make you a protection necklace¡­ I thought you¡¯d be okay¡­¡± the girl lamented. Mamie crossed the room and put her hand on her daughter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Dear, he just needs to rest. He¡¯ll be up and about by the festival tomorrow for sure. Why don¡¯t you go help with preparations?¡± Bonfilia nodded and wiped some tears from her eyes. She ran out of the room. After her daughter left, Mamie turned to the team and politely bowed to them.


    ¡°Thank you for all you¡¯ve done; I¡¯m not sure we would have won as easily without you,¡± she said to the group.


    ¡°We were happy to support you; in the end, you helped us just as much to win,¡± Rheba replied as she made a seated bow back to Mamie.


    ¡°We plan to build a statue of you all in the center of town as soon as possible!¡± Mamie happily told the group,¡± We would like an artist to meet with you before you leave; so we can capture your likeness!¡±


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s okay,¡± Gwyn replied.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t need a statue,¡± Fiona added.


    ¡°My form cannot be easily rendered in stone,¡± Hal backed up the other two.


    Rheba shrugged and nodded. Having a statue of oneself was considered bragging rights in Bentulousian culture.


    I must insist that we at least capture Princess Fiona and the Nonpareil at the very least. I understand the rest of you contributed just as much, but most townsfolk consider them the raid leaders.


    Gwyn and Fiona shook their heads to say ¡®no¡¯ in unison.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ leave me¡­ out of that statue¡­.¡± Odell muttered. The others turned to him, thinking he had woken, but he was only talking in his sleep.


    Mamie kept asking them questions about the statue until she finally got the group to agree reluctantly to a likeness of the six of them.


    ¡°Great!¡± she said, ¡°Now, I thought it would be best to inform you what we plan to do. We will send some representatives to Quenth to report on everything that transpired here. We will have them send troops to pick up the bandits.¡±


    The group had no objections to Mamie¡¯s plan and nodded to show their agreement.


    ¡°And now I must get going for the festival preparations, they are really excited about this year, though I can¡¯t blame them. We did find your vehakul as well, it seems like something was wrong with the engine, so we fixed it.¡±


    ¡°You did it without me!¡± Odell shouted as he suddenly awoke and shot up in his bed. He hazily looked around the room and fell back onto the pillow, out cold.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Mamie said before continuing with her update to the group, ¡°Anyway, we have everything prepped for you to leave, but we would like to ask that you stay here for the remainder of the festival and enjoy yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Fiona said. She had not realized, but she responded before Rheba could politely decline.


    ¡°Perfect, well, I¡¯ll let you rest.¡± Mamie made one more bow to the team and headed out the door. They were left to rest after the long fight.

 53 – The Funeral of King Whitlock

    In Quenth, several days after the team had succeeded in freeing the small mining village, the funeral for King Jolon Whitlock ¢ó was held.


    The Zenototes led by the red-scaled Mixolydian and Netzian representatives led by Feya had decided to return home with the sudden ending of the conference. The remaining Hobusians led by the ashen-looking King Fio and Bentulousian forces led by the black and white striped Zenith stayed to attend the solemn celebration of King Whitlock¡¯s life.


    On the morning of the funeral, thousands, or maybe more, of Aqueenian citizens gathered in Quenth¡¯s central streets in preparation for the funeral. The ceremony was to take place in the central plaza with the high-ranking personnel carrying the casket. Four streets led out from the plaza and three of which were left open for the citizens to gather and attend. The last street was left for the arrival of the funeral procession.


    Each citizen was dressed in ceremonial black clothing in which their colorful, jewel-like faces contrasted intensely.


    The Whitlock family rode in a special transport that carried them and the casket of their late father. They were dressed in ceremonial clothing like the citizens and were very quiet. Donn, the oldest son and crown prince was the first to break the silence as he read a report on a tablet.


    ¡°Look at that, Fiona and the Nonpareil saved a whole village from some bandits. I¡¯ll need to route supplies to the village so they can recover soon, and we¡¯ll need to give guidance for what to do with the captured bandits,¡± he mused as he finished reading. He started to type something.


    ¡°Donn, this is not the time to be working,¡± Hermina, the second oldest, said as she shook her head.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Donn replied as he slipped the device away.


    Queen Whitlock sighed.


    ¡°If you would like to work hard, it would be in your best interest to find a suitable partner,¡± she said to the prince. Aqueenian tradition was that a new king could not be placed on the throne until they were wed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ work on that, mother¡­.¡± Donn said as he looked out the window to the crowd. ¡°Lots of people came to father¡¯s funeral,¡± he added.


    ¡°He was beloved,¡± Asha, the youngest prince, chimed in with a voice that sounded like he was trying to hold in tears. They had completed the Final Rest ritual the day before, and Asha still was saddened about having to say goodbye to his father.


    ¡°I suppose he was,¡± Donn said solemnly as he looked out to the mourning crowd.


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    The funeral vehakul reached the central plaza, and the family exited to carry the casket. They were joined by King Fio and his eldest son Avon from the crowd in the plaza. The Hobusians walked next to the Whitlock family as they carried the casket to the central plaza.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you wanted to participate like this,¡± Queen Whitlock said to King Fio.


    ¡°Jolon may have been an ally at times and a thorn in my side at others, but above all else, he was a friend I could rely on. When I find who orchestrated his death, they will learn to fear the might of the Hobusians,¡± King Fio said.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing it,¡± the Queen replied.


    They set the casket down on a stand, and Queen Whitlock walked to a podium while the others found their seats in the plaza. The light from Resh¡¯s suns seemed to gleam off Queen Whitlock¡¯s light blue face, and the glow hid her expressions. To prevent such an occurrence, some of the funeral planning committee thought they should hold the funeral at a different time of the day or apply a shine removing cream. Still, the queen had insisted on doing it a certain way. The planning committee figured she did not want all the capital of Quenth and all the nation of Aquia to see her sad expressions as she gave her speech. Her voice echoed through speakers and screens across the nation.


    ¡°Friends, family, citizens, I thank you for coming to this most solemn celebrations. Today, we are here to remember the life and journey of our beloved Jolon Whitlock, who was the third to carry on the name of the great king we all remember hearing about in childhood stories. It was my great honor to stand by his side and support him in all his affairs and to experience the life he lived with him.


    Many of you may not know, but Jolon was a champion for peace in his youth. He desired to unite all of Resh and dissolve all the bloody history that keeps our species apart. Of course, he also sought to make Aquia a more beautiful country.


    Many of you know the projects he commissioned that created new buildings which decorate our streets even today. In fact, the facility to my left was one my husband personally oversaw the construction of,¡± the Queen gestured to a swirling building contained among the others on the outskirts of the central plaza.


    He was adept at seeing what was coming and somehow knew where we would need new construction long before the rest of us. This extended beyond beautifying the grand country and into many of the internal affairs he conducted. With great skill, he always was able to weave through any challenge and come out with success that would astound many.


    It is no secret that my husband¡¯s interference in talks helped prevent a fourth major war between the Bentalousians and Zenototes. He was always able to find good and bring it to the forefront. Often with a smile on his face. He will be missed dearly for this skill and attitude to life.


    There are many other things I would love to tell you, but going into detail would make this funeral last all day. I will keep it brief. My son, Donn, will be made the next king as soon as he is wed, he will resolve to maintain the wonderful country my late husband worked hard to build alive and well, and as long as I remain, Queen, I will resolve to do the same. Please remain silent as we begin to play the final song.¡±


    All at once, everyone in the crowd made sure to keep quiet. Those with hats on removed them. A beautiful song began to play over the speakers, and many cried as they waited for it to end. It was tradition to close out an Aqueenian funeral for a high figure with the nation¡¯s anthem.


    Queen Whitlock looked down as the song played and listened to the weeping of the crowd. The crying carried on after the song ended and was said to have continued through the day.

 54 – Village Festival

    The team was able to recover enough after a day¡¯s rest to walk around the village festival. Along the main street between the tunnel the group had been ambushed in and the building where the raid had taken place, many stalls for food and games had been set out.


    The white buildings had ribbons of various colors hung on them, and lights on ropes provided ambiance. The village had been put on halt for everyday functions, and everyone was in the streets enjoying the festivities as they ate and drank.


    Gwyn walked down the road, taking in everything he saw. He wondered about the significance of each thing in the festival. The clothes, the d¨¦cor, the food. He carefully studied it all until he accidentally drank too much sweet Aqueenian liquor and lost focus. He ended up breaking out in dance with some of the other miners.


    Odell and Rheba were greeted by some miners that they had helped in the auditorium as they tried some of the food at the stalls.


    ¡°Hey! We wanted to thank you for your support back there. We are not sure we could have made it out so easily!¡± One miner said to Rheba.


    ¡°It was reassuring to have a warrior like you at our side!¡± Another said to Rheba.


    They continued to shower Rheba with praise when Odell chimed in.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he shouted with a mouthful of sweet food, ¡°What about me? I helped take down the leader!¡±


    The miners looked at each other and laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we heard; we just have trouble picturing it with how you were running from those guys earlier,¡± one said with a laugh.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t have my Needaimus!¡± Odell shouted.


    The miners laughed as Odell tried to justify how good of a fighter he was with his Needaimus.


    Harlan had taken one look at the glowing festival and gone the other direction. She had quietly asked Mamie for access to the central building and began the extensive project of collecting all the books Grimes had thrown around to put back on their shelves while also reading what looked interesting in the process. Every book had come off, which worked in the Zenotote¡¯s scientist''s favor as she was able to implement a new classification system.


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    Hal stood in the middle of the festival with his arms crossed. He looked at each booth with an uninterested look in his yellow eyes. After looking, he walked over to a stall selling jewelry. They were simple shapes, circles, squares, and the like that had been quickly cast from Grimes melted down the throne. The booth hastily was polishing, engraving, and fashioning the shapes into necklaces in real-time as they got orders. Hal purchased 3 of the circle shapes with names engraved on them. Once he donned his Needaimus, No.5, he slid the jewelry into his abilities vault.


    It¡¯s nice of you to get gifts No.5 mused. Hal didn¡¯t bother answering.


    Fiona tried to enjoy herself at the festival but was showered with praises by everyone in the village who wanted to greet and thank their princess. She did her best to keep appearances the same way she witnessed her elder siblings Donn and Hermina do many times before, but it still came off as awkward.


    Whenever she thought she had escaped, she encountered more that wanted to greet her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shake the hands of everyone in the village at this rate,¡± she whispered as she finished talking to yet another group.


    ¡°Lady Fiona!¡± a shout came from the distance.


    The fan club happily strode down the street, except Sinatra, who relied on crutches to move. Each was bandaged as they waited for their repaired bones to set. Fiona met the group halfway down the festival rows.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you are all up,¡± she told them. Each of the group made goofy grins.


    ¡°We¡¯re happy to you as well!¡± they shouted in unison with enough exaggeration that they almost fell over. Sigfried and Simeon had to catch Sinatra. The trio began to laugh.


    Fiona made a small chuckle along with them.


    ¡°Anyway, Lady Fiona!¡± said Simeon


    ¡°We needed to tell you before we forgot!¡± said Sigfried


    ¡°We have decided to become knights in Quenth!¡± Sinatra finished.


    Both Simeon and Sigfried began to pull on Sinatra¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Hey, why did you get to tell Lady Fiona anyway?¡± they asked.


    Fiona made a small cough to get their attention, then smiled at them.


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. I look forward to seeing you again once I return,¡± she told them.


    ¡°Lady Fiona!¡± the trio shouted as tears ran excessively down their faces.


    Fiona made a nervous laugh as they showered praise on her.


    As the festivities slowed down for the first night, Mamie guided her daughter, Bonfilia, to a secluded section of the village. A small fountain in the village corner saw little attention even on days when the festival wasn¡¯t going on. To Mamie, however, the spot was special as it was where she met her odd husband doing paperwork out of the office. It was where he had eventually proposed to her, and the running water of the fountain made it the perfect place for Bonfilia to complete the Aqueenian Final Rest ritual. She walked her daughter through the process and let her carry it out. The small child seemed to dance with the flow of the water as she acted out the movements under the night sky.


    The festivities carried on for several days, with the team happily engaged in the activities. As things began to wind down, the group had finally healed enough to set out in the morning after the festival concluded.

 55 – Prior to Leaving

    Gwyn was the first to wake moring after the festival''s last day. He groggily reached from a bed he had been provided in Mamie¡¯s home and tried to grab his phone. The festival had been long, and everyone had partied hard on their way. On the first day, Gwyn had unknowingly consumed more of a unique blend of alcohol than he had done at any college party combined. Fortunately, the townsfolk realized what was going on and cut him off before too long, but the weird Aqueenian elixir had the rest of the festival to be a blur for the Nonpareil. His head was spinning, and he forgot where he was for a moment.


    ¡°Right, Resh,¡± he said when he couldn¡¯t find the phone. He stretched out his arms and yawned as he sat up. It took him a few moments longer to realize that he was being watched from beyond the room¡¯s door. She was peeking around the edge of the door frame.


    ¡°Morning, Bonfilia,¡± he said with a yawn.


    Bonilla had woken before and was eagerly waiting to talk to Gwyn.


    ¡°Nonpa-el, Mommy says you all are leaving today; is that true?¡±


    Gwyn rubbed the back of his head and sighed.


    ¡°Yes¡­ you see, we are actually on a super important and secret mission,¡± he told the girl. Her large eyes grew wide with curiosity.


    ¡°Really!¡± she said in surprise. Gwyn nodded in response. He couldn¡¯t be sure Bonfilia was the same, but he recalled when his younger sister was about the same age; she would cry when he or his parents left to go anywhere. He wanted to try to avoid that if at all possible.


    ¡°Oh, your up,¡± a voice with a lazy yawn came from the doorway behind Bonfilia. Odell had woken up and was dressed to leave with his Green Needaimus hanging on his shoulder. His yellow eyes were half shut, and his bony crown lacked a certain sheen. Though Gwyn did not know it, it was common for Hobusians to apply a wax polish to their crowns in the mornings, and Odell had gone several days without doing so. ¡°I¡¯m going to supervise the finishing touches on the Ali-442; just have everyone meet me there when they are ready,¡± the prince said before leaving Gwyn¡¯s view. He had worked in part with the miners to, at first, fix but later upgrade their provided transport. With encouragement from Gwyn, they had also installed the bandit¡¯s Gatling gun on a slide that could be raised out of the roof.


    Bonfilia quickly forgot about Odell and turned back to Gwyn.


    ¡°Is Princess Fiona going with you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Er, yes, we¡¯re all leaving. Would you like to say goodbye?¡±


    The small green Aqueenian nodded in response.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind¡ª¡± Gwyn began to speak, but Bonfilia ran to Fiona¡¯s room as soon as she heard what she wanted, ¡°wait! You should let her sleep longer!¡± Gwyn¡¯s words came too late as the small child was already opening the door and waking the sleeping Princess down the hall.


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    ¡°Princess Fiona, Princess Fiona!¡± Bonfilia said repeatedly.


    Fiona groaned and pulled her bedsheets over her head.


    ¡°Five more minutes, Hermina,¡± she managed to say somewhat coherently.


    Gwyn shook his head and looked over to Mem, who had curled up on a nightstand the night before. The Needaimus was still asleep or in a state that resembled it. He couldn¡¯t be sure how the creatures functioned and if sleep was required.


    Gwyn poked the blue Needaimus that somewhat resembled a wyvern, and Mem jumped up instantly.


    ¡°Wait, no, not the furnace¡­ oh, good morning, partner! I had one crazy dream,¡± it explained.


    ¡°Do you dream?¡± Gwyn asked as Mem flapped its wings and perched itself on his shoulder.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know, hehe,¡± the Needaimus replied. Gwyn rolled his brown eyes and walked out of the room. Fiona had been thoroughly awakened down the hall and was trying to entertain Bonfilia by answering all her pressing questions.


    ¡°What is it like in the castle? Do you get to eat cake every day? Do you have lots of servants? What are your siblings like?¡± Bonfilia carried on with questions with an unrelenting speed only capable of a child.


    As the green Aqueenian child carried on, the others also began to wake up. Rheba took special care to maneuver outside the door that was much too short for her. She began to tiptoe to the stairs. Harlan exited from a room simultaneously, and each reached the top of the stairs at the same time.


    ¡°Shorties first,¡± Rheba said with a wave to gesture Harlan should go down the stairs. Her tone had a slight sting as she spoke to Harlan. The scaly yellow-green Zenotote had a displeased expression but began her descent down the steps. Hal quickly exited his room and slid in after Harlan.


    Rheba turned to Gwyn and gestured for him as well.


    ¡°I can wait,¡± he told her. She shrugged and began a very slow and careful walk down. Her tall stature made it awkward for her to go downstairs meant for shorter beings. Ordinarily, she might forgo the steps and leap down instead, but the warrior thought it best not to do that in someone¡¯s home.


    Mamie was in the middle of preparing a large breakfast when Gwyn reached downstairs.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good to see that your awake!¡± she said as she moved what looked like a skillet from a stovetop. She put soft yellow food on the plate, which Gwyn assumed was eggs. ¡°Come stay and eat!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but it is probably best that we head out quickly,¡± Rheba said.


    Mamie shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not best to head out on an empty stomach,¡± Mamie said, ¡°Or stomachs?¡± she added as she vaguely remembered hearing a rumor about how Bentulousians had multiple stomachs.


    Gwyn shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see an issue with eating something,¡± he said.


    The others agreed, and soon, they were eating a plate of egg-like food and something that resembled beans. Fiona and Bonfilia came after and joined in. Gwyn quickly realized that the food only looked like eggs and beans in appearance and was something else entirely. The texture was chewier, and the taste had a slight bitterness that was incredibly overwhelming to Rheba and Harlan if expressions were any indication.


    Fiona seemed unfazed by the meal, so Gwyn assumed it was some alien dish he was not acquainted with and ate without making a complaint. Still, Gwyn silently wished for the flavor from the similar-looking breakfast on earth; it had been a favorite of his father¡¯s.


    He quickly finished the breakfast along with the others on his team. Though they hadn¡¯t noticed, Mamie had been eyeing her watch the whole morning. She did once more as they finished eating and nodded.


    ¡°Well, your vehakul should be waiting for you at the village entrance,¡± she tried to sound chipper as she spoke to them, but a part of her wanted the heroes of their town to stay a little longer. Mamie shook her head. ¡°Shall we go?¡±

 56 – A Name Before Departing + Volume 2 Summary

    Mamie escorted the group, save for Odell, who had left earlier, from her home to where the Ali-442 was waiting. They walked through the streets of the unnamed village, which were silent. Though the morning was already underway, they passed no citizens. Hal, Rheba, and Harlan took note of the missing people and speculated what was going on, while Gwyn and Fiona were oblivious.


    The speculating trio remained cautious until they reached the entrance of the village. It was an open courtyard with a fountain in the middle. The tunnel the team had been ambushed in was just beyond the courtyard, and the edges of the mountain stretched around from the tunnel as they surrounded the whole village.


    In the center of the courtyard was the Ali, sitting pristinely with a new paint job. The silver exterior had been painted a brown/green, and the windows were replaced with dark black tinting. The vehakul looked entirely new from the outside, and Odell would later attest to them that under the hood was changed.


    The miners had opted to remove the faulty existing engine system, which, to their eyes, almost looked like it had been designed to fail, and put in two of their own smaller engines which required some modification to the chassis. Odell would later try to explain to the rest of the team what the difference was and how it was accomplished but gave up when it went over their heads.


    However, the team never saw the modified Ali. Around the transport was the entirety of the village. They all cheered when they saw the team. The group jumped in unison at the surprise. As the crowd cheered, Odell walked up to them with a smile.


    ¡°I kind of spoiled the surprise for myself when I left earlier, but they wanted to give us a proper send-off.¡±


    Gwyn and Fiona made awkward waves to the crowd as Harlan shrunk behind them. Hal crossed his arms and looked down, and Rheba stood tall and at attention. Mamie quickly gestured to the crowd to silence them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the surprise, but everyone wanted to give you a proper sendoff. We had one request to make of you before you left.¡±


    The team listened as Mamie stopped to take a deep breath.


    ¡°It is Aqueenian tradition that a town would be given a name after a large event occurred. As such, we would like to request that you select one.¡±


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    The crowd remained quiet in anticipation. The team began to look back and forth at each other.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Gwyn asked in a hushed whisper.


    ¡°Fiona is the princess; she should name it,¡± Odell said in an equally hushed tone.


    Fiona shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not good with names!¡± she whispered back. ¡°One of you do it,¡± she added.


    ¡°If I picked a name, it would be something like Bob; no one wants a town called Bob,¡± Gwyn whispered in reply.


    ¡°It shall be named The DarkFallen, where dark ones fell as they were vanquished,¡± Hal whispered his serious suggestion.


    The others quickly shook their heads in rejection.


    ¡°Just pick something!¡± Rheba said to Fiona. She jumped and frantically began to think of a name.


    The town watched in anticipation as she racked her brain for a name. Her first thought was to call it something like ¡®Miner¡¯s Town,¡¯ but she knew the tradition usually picked a name in line with the event that prompted the process. That led her to think about battle, freedom, and the like, but all felt too vague as many towns were named with similar themes. She looked around at her team; and considered how strange of a bunch they were. Fiona took a deep breath and looked up at the morning sky. A good idea popped in her head, and the princess gave her suggestion:


    ¡°How about Horizon? Coming from words to represent the team here,¡± she pointed to the group, ¡°as well as where the sun was located when the bandit leader fell,¡± Fiona finished her explanation. She had pulled from the Aqueenian words for odd and hero, which when mashed together sounded close to the word ¡®horizon.¡¯ The reasoning escaped most of the group, but it was not lost on the Aqueenian miners. The word was echoed through the courtyard, and the townsfolk cheered in response.


    The team then began the slow process of trying to make it to the Ali as everyone wanted to say one last goodbye and thanks for their support. When they finally made it back into the vehakul, they found several ropes attached to the front, back, and all around. The miners had tied some of their own smaller mine vehakuls to the ropes which hung on either side.


    As they were escorted down the narrow path they came up in; the ropes were used to watch how far the Ali would move one way or the other. From one of the smaller escorts, Adan stood watching the team closely. If they swayed too much to the cliffside or the mountain wall, he would create a barrier with a cushioned face for the Ali-442 to course correct. With the extra protection, Odell could travel much faster down than he had up; however, the rest of the team remained nervous throughout the exchange.


    They quickly and safely reached a fork in the mountain path near the base. If they went one way, they would promptly exit the range and head back to Qu. If they took the other direction, they would go alongside the mountains.


    ¡°Just go that way,¡± the villagers instructed as they removed the ropes from the Ali, ¡°


    We¡¯re heading to Qu to give a long-overdue report.¡±


    The team waved goodbye and went their separate ways through the mountains. The path would take them straight through, and they would leave the range with one last Aqueenian stop before reaching Nun.

 Legends – Song of Nun

    a cold chilling night-


    calamity continually bites-


    could conflict stop-


    citizens call on hope-


    climbing the cliff atop-


    cries can¡¯t comfort or cope-


    a leader levied despite-


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    loses and lashes in sight-


    leaving teardrops-


    leveling the slope-


    laying the crop-


    leaden labor invoked-


    a carnival celebration dited-


    chairs constructed upright-


    charming cheers swapped-


    communication with jokes-


    construction of crazy shops-


    collecting creative folks-


    a luscious locale delight-


    laughter lambastes plight-


    lifted by Jaap-


    long life in the scope-


    land without slop-


    lasting and long hope-

 57 – Nun in Sight

    ¡°Alright, Aqui will be in sight shortly!¡± Odell said in a chipper voice as he piloted the Ali-442. The vehakul had just reached the top of a hill and as it was heading down, Odell made his declaration. The passengers within the Ali all let out a collective sigh of relief.


    After leaving the small village of Horizon, the group made their way down a path that cut through the mountains. They drove down a long, empty stony road for three days. The scene looked so similar that it became hard to tell whether the team was getting anywhere. They had started to bicker a little from being confined in the Ali for so long. It wasn¡¯t until they finally managed to break out of the mountain road and saw open hills ahead that they felt any progress had been made on the trip.


    The team sped through the hilly path until a new scene came into sight. Out in front of the group was a sprawling seaside town. It was Aqueenian in nature, the architecture aligned with the ornate skyscrapers in Quenth and the factories in Qu, but this town still managed to look distinct from the other two.


    The city sought to run along the coast rather than moving inward to land. It was long and seemed like it wouldn¡¯t stop stretching until the water that ran alongside it ceased. Its buildings were light and sandy colors, with bright red, purple, and yellow pastel roofs. Many green trees were placed strategically between the houses to add splashes of natural color wherever needed.


    The blue water alongside the town was divided by a bright, white sandy beach. The blue was a brilliant shade that could rival even the complexion of an Aqueenian.


    If one visited the town on a cloudy day in the past, they might have thought that the clear water was the ocean¡ªa mistake that could no longer be made in the current day.


    The water alongside the city of Aqui was a channel that divided the No continent, where the team was, and a section of land and islands known as Kent. The best comparison was the English channel on earth, which was slightly narrower than the sight on Resh.


    What sat on the other side of the channel from the Aqueenian village was what could only be described as a grand city. Its buildings towered in the sky and seemed to dance across the coastline. The architecture was not aligned with the Aqueenian style of swirling and ornate structures; instead, it was blocky, gaudy, and took on the appearance of a brightly lit carnival.


    Each building was covered in intense lights and different colors, which shined so brilliantly that a city like Las Vegas would be jealous. The light remained on at all hours, burning through the night and day¡ª the city was its own sun and its own stars.


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    The shining city was the team''s destination, Nun, and it was an overwhelming sight for anyone who had never laid eyes on it before. Gwyn immediately felt himself get distracted by the bright place before he even had a chance to admire the coastal town, which was their next stop.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Odell said as he steered the Ali down a road that would enter Aqui.


    ¡°How¡­ how large is it?¡± Gwyn asked as he traced Nun¡¯s skyline down the channel. It seemed like it would go on forever.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ big¡­.¡± Odell answered.


    ¡°It is said that it rivals some nations in size,¡± Rheba added. Gwyn¡¯s mouth hung open as he tried to imagine just how large the city was. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize he could not picture the large scale, and he moved on to the next important question, which had begun to burn in his mind.


    ¡°We have to search in a city that big? How are we going to find anything?¡± He realized that the mission they were sent on was going to be more involved than he could imagine.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy; there is a long road ahead of us,¡± Rheba said solemnly.


    Gwyn nodded and looked back at the city. He stared at it a moment before smiling.


    ¡°Well, whatever challenges face us, we¡¯ll take care of it head-on!¡± he said with a wide grin.


    ¡°You seem oddly excited,¡± Odell said with a laugh.


    Gwyn just shrugged. Throughout the mountain travel, the Nonpareil had time to think, and he was slowly beginning to realize that he had bested a formidable enemy in Horizon Village. The more he thought about it, the more elated he was to continue the mission. His world-traveling adventure had finally begun, and the Nonpareil wanted to see just how far his abilities could go.


    ¡°Forget all that!¡± Fiona chimed in, ¡°There¡¯s a beach! Let¡¯s go swimming while we have time!¡±


    Rheba shook her head.


    ¡°We have more important things to do,¡± the Bentulousian warrior said, ¡°We won¡¯t go anywhere without getting tickets for the ferry.¡±


    ¡°Then we get the tickets, and we go to the beach,¡± Fiona replied. ¡°We should have a little time to relax before the ferry leaves anyway.¡± Her purple eyes were alert and engaged as she prepared to make a case for some much-needed R&R.


    ¡°There will certainly be time to kill; she¡¯s probably right about relaxing a little while there,¡± Odell added.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we split up, Princess Fiona can go to the beach, and the Bentulousian can go to get tickets,¡± Harlan softly chimed in.


    ¡°What if Rheba wanted to swim later?¡± Gwyn asked.


    Rheba shook her head and rubbed the brown fur on her chin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like swimming for leisure, too much hair to dry,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Fiona chirped. ¡°Then Rheba can get tickets, and the rest of us can go to the beach!¡± She was adamant. The others did not know, but it was the first opportunity she ever had to go to a beach with friends.


    Odell shook his grey head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass; I sink like a rock,¡± he said.


    ¡°Zenototes don¡¯t swim,¡± Harlan stated in a short breath.


    Hal just shook his head without replying


    Fiona frowned and puffed out her cheeks for a moment. She looked at each of the team members. Gwyn sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Fiona,¡± he said.


    ¡°Really? Thanks!¡± the blue princess¡¯s face lit up upon hearing someone would join her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to get tickets for the ferry,¡± Rheba said, ¡°the rest may join me or do something else. Odell is likely correct that we will have to kill some time.¡±


    The group nodded in agreement as Odell continued to drive their vehakul to the beautiful seaside town.

 58 – A Winged Aqueenian Enters Nun

    Dia Mond, the top beauideal of Nun, had a simple mission. Infiltrate the Aqueenian capitol, Quenth, on the day of the conference. She would slip into the building and go along a simple path deliberately kept light on security. From there, she would meet up with an internal agent and get guidance to the war room, where she would kill King Whitlock, and King Fio if opportunity struck.


    A timer was placed on her with her ally¡¯s ability, which would teleport her to safety once the count hit zero. It would be difficult since she could not be too early or too late when she performed the regicide. Still, she wasn¡¯t the top beauideal for nothing and accomplished her mission with only minimal trouble.


    An unexpected trio was waiting outside and spotted her almost immediately. Not to mention her poor sense of direction almost used up all the available time.


    Nevertheless, the mission was accomplished, and Dia was safely teleported out once the timer hit zero. As to where she was teleported, she could not expect.


    After leaving the Aqueenian War Room, Dia immediately appeared over a large body of water. She was high up in the air and entered a freefall almost immediately. Her long white hair trailed upward, and her frilly white and black dress rustled in the fall. She spread her two large wings, the black-feathered left and the mechanical prosthetic right, and broke out of her fall. With a couple of flaps of her wings, the beauideal stabilized.


    Dia let out a sigh of relief as she used her arm to wipe a cold sweat off her erinite green forehead.


    ¡°The middle of the channel; I can¡¯t believe him,¡± she muttered as she looked around. Her eyes settled on the nation city rather quickly. Even the distance away she had appeared, there was no way to miss the massive glowing buildings.


    She flew in view of the city''s west side, referred to as Nundy, which was still under construction. The winged Aqueenian flew in low past all the heavy construction equipment and workers putting up buildings with the aid of Needaimus.


    Different species made up the ranks of construction workers below her. They were hard at work constructing the city''s expansion, but they still took the time to flash a smile at the celebrity as she flew past.


    We will have to get back soon; they will want a report. Dia¡¯s Needaimus, X, echoed in her head.


    ¡°What is there to report? I went to kill the king, and I did. What¡¯s the next thing on my schedule?¡±


    The white Needaimus on Dia¡¯s arm made a sound like a sigh in Dia¡¯s mind before replying.


    Very well. You will need to meet with your agent soon to discuss an upcoming show. He has been trying to call you for days, which you told me to put to voicemail, and had rescheduled this meeting on multiple occasions.


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    ¡°Great! Please put up the directions,¡± Dia responded. She stopped listening after X said, ¡®meet with your agent.¡¯


    X did not reply and simply gave directions. In the beauideal¡¯s vision, she could see a blue dotted line appear in the sky, which turned and weaved around the buildings. All she had to do was follow the line.


    ¡°Are you sure about that? I think this way is faster!¡± Dia said as she flew out of the west part of Nun into its center. The winged Aqueenian ignored the clearly laid out path and started weaving between Nun¡¯s tall buildings.


    Stop! Don¡¯t go that way! Turn around! Do you know how hard it is to recalculate when you keep making turns? X began to shout in Dia¡¯s mind, but she ignored her Needaimus.


    Down below, there were crowds of all different species and ages. They were dressed in bright, gaudy clothes that might look more suitable at a circus or a masquerade ball in any other setting. As the people below noticed the winged beauideal fly over their heads, they cheered for her.


    Dia happily smiled and waved to them as she flew around. She opted to make a couple of rolls and loops to give them a bit of a show.


    Since the beauideal ignored giving a regicide status update, she should have arrived at the meeting with her agent with several hours to spare. Instead, she ran into the meeting room 30 minutes late, panting and out of breath.


    The agent sighed as he sat at a long table with many chairs set next to it. He was a Hobusian with a light grey tone and a bony crown that resembled three mountain peaks. His hair was dyed blonde and ran down to his neck, and a large circular pair of glasses sat just above his nose.


    ¡°And where have you been these last couple of days?¡± he asked when he saw the panting beauideal.


    Dia put up a single finger to indicate the agent would need to hold on a minute. She took several deeper breaths before replying.


    ¡°Why is it that we need to have this meeting in such a tall building without an elevator?¡± she asked, ignoring her agent¡¯s question while taking a seat in one of the chairs. Her wings moved so that they were stretched outward to avoid sitting on them.


    ¡°Dia,¡± her agent replied.


    ¡°At least open up a window and let me fly in; I have to go all the way to the ground and then walk all the way back up! I would have been on time if I didn¡¯t have to do all that walking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all!¡± both Dia¡¯s agent and X spoke in unison, though the former could not hear the latter.


    Dia ignored his claims and began to rotate her chair back and forth impatiently.


    ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± she asked hastily.


    Her agent took off his glasses and wiped them with a forlorn look on his face. After a moment of silence, he placed them back on his face to reply.


    ¡°You¡¯re winning every beauideal face-off, and I¡¯ve started to receive complaints.¡±


    Dia laughed.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the number one beauideal in Nun for nothing! Whose complaining, I¡¯ll knock them down a peg or two!¡±


    ¡°Dia, please. If you win every time, the fans will begin to be bored. You could at least stick to a script,¡± her agent pleaded.


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny guy; I¡¯m glad you¡¯re my agent. Is that all you had to say?¡± Dia said with a laugh. Her agent sighed as he pulled his glasses off again.


    ¡°Yes, you may go,¡± he said in a defeated tone as he began to clean them once again. He had had this conversation many times before and thought letting her leave was better for his blood pressure.


    ¡°Great! I think I have an autograph signing to be at in a couple of hours! I better go now, or I¡¯ll be late.¡± Dia hopped up out of her chair and ran out the door. She stopped for a moment at the top of the stairs and groaned before beginning her descent.

 59 – A Town Along the Coast

    The Ali-442 hovered into Aqui. Almost instantly, the dull plains were transformed into a buzzing town on the coast as Odell navigated the vehakul down the street.


    Aqueenians of different bright colors went to and fro all around the road. They wore light and airy clothes made from sleek and shiny fabrics. Many small shops were set up on either side of the street with various aquatic-looking plants for shoppers to buy for dinners.


    The city''s citizens paid no mind to the Ali as it gently made its way down the road. Within the vehakul, Gwyn had his face almost pressed against the window as he curiously looked at all the sights. He wanted to ask a slew of questions, but he held back, settling only for mental notes of each as they drove past.


    Odell navigated the group through several streets and around many corners, all of which were alive with busy Aqueenians. After several more turns, Odell stopped the vehakul in front of a large building. A sign on the front had the simple word ¡®Inn¡¯ painted onto it.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s an inn. I¡¯ll go check us in, and then I think I¡¯ll do some maintenance on the Ali,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with it?¡± Gwyn asked with a hint of concern in his voice.


    ¡°Oh no, I just thought I¡¯d tinker a bit!¡± Odell replied with a grin on his grey face. His motives for skipping on the beach were coming through clearly.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t break anything¡­ or add any weird features,¡± Rheba said with a sigh. She began to shimmy her long legs out of the Ali. After exiting, she took a couple of steps forward and stretched her arms to the sky. The others followed suit and made their way out. The Needaimus followed after and hopped on the shoulders of each.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll go look into the ferry times and tickets. We will need to find one that can transport the Ali.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why can¡¯t the Ali just hover above the water?¡± Gwyn suddenly blurted out as the thought popped into his head.


    Odell shook his head.


    ¡°The seafaring hover tech is more expensive; designers usually avoid it for exclusively land vehakuls,¡± he explained.


    Gwyn nodded. He didn¡¯t understand what made a difference, but he figured it was likely credible if it came from Odell. The Nonpareil decided to let the matter go.


    ¡°I will catch up with you later. Have fun exploring the town¡­ but don¡¯t get into any trouble,¡± Rheba said.


    Odell chuckled.


    ¡°Rheba, you have a contradiction. Do you want us to have fun or not get into trouble?¡± he replied with a smile. Odell¡¯s father had heard the same line many times before. Fiona chuckled off to the side.


    One of the ears on Rheba¡¯s head flicked as she frowned, but she didn¡¯t reply. She simply waved and left to get the tickets.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the beach!¡± Fiona shouted. She grabbed Gwyn by the arm and began to pull him. ¡°Hurry before the suns go down!¡± Gwyn sighed and ran to match her pace as they headed into the town.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s just us for now,¡± Odell said to the remaining two.


    ¡°I shall venture into the city myself,¡± Hal said quickly before turning away and leaving.


    ¡°I have matters to attend to,¡± Harlan said softly. She made a small, polite bow before leaving Odell as well.


    Odell rubbed his grey six-fingered hands together as he looked at the Ali.


    ¡°And here I thought they would never leave! Now, let¡¯s see what upgrades and mods we can get for you in this town!¡±


    The Hobusian prince quickly got the team some rooms at the inn and then ran off into the city. He had high hopes for whatever he might come across.

 60 – Rheba in Line

    To acquire tickets to cross the channel, several items were needed. Due to leaving the Aqueenian nation and entering Nun, what was equivalent to a passport would be checked upon arriving in the grand city. Fortunately, five of the six nations on the planet had an alliance that allowed for a unified passport system.


    The documents were held in digital storage and could be freely accessed and accepted. Furthermore, since the team consisted of royalty and military, their respective nations kept all information up to date without any of them needing to be concerned with the documents.


    However, two problems were apparent to Rheba. The first was that Nun was the single nation that did not participate in the alliance; she would need to have physical copies of each member''s passport printed for their arrival to the grand city. The other problem was Gwyn, who, being a stranger to the world, had no documents proving his place in it.


    The tablet the group had been handed by the escorts back in Quenth had laid out all this information. Rheba had been the only one who read through the information on their drive. The instructions stated that, by the time they arrived in the coastal city, special documents for Gwyn would be put in the system, which would allow for quick processing. Rheba was skeptical it would go that easily.


    The giant Bentulousian warrior towered above a line of brightly colored Aqueenians as she waited just outside the door. The building curved, keeping with Aqueenian style, the line around its outer wall to its front door. Inside, a series of counters were set up, and each person was addressed one at a time.


    Rheba leaned down so that she could peak through curvy glass doors. There was still a row of Aqueenians in front of her. She sighed and stood tall once again.


    All around the tall warrior, the other Aqueenians in line were looking at her curiously. Seeing a Bentulousian in the town of Aqui was nothing new, the city on the coast was a popular vacation spot for many. However, seeing one stand in line for a license was not common.


    Rheba crossed her arms and looked up to the sky. She tried to ignore the eyes that were glued to her. With a couple of deep breaths, the tall Bentulousian tried to imagine herself shrinking down. It did nothing to help her.


    After a while, the Aqueenian man that stood next to Rheba began to chuckle to himself. He waved to the others in the crowds and line in a manner to suggest that they ought to mind their own business. The group slowly began to turn their attention away from Rheba.


    ¡°You sure drew some attention. Guess that¡¯s what happens when a warrior from Benlou shows up!¡± the Aqueenian laughed in a rough way.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Rheba answered in a composed tone. She looked down to see the Aqueenian that had spoken. Though Rheba couldn''t tell, he was tall for an Aqueenian and had snow-white hair. An equally white bushy goatee covered his chin. The man¡¯s medium emerald skin showed several wrinkles around his large yellow eyes as he smiled at the warrior.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen that kind of uniform. I was stationed in Benlou for a little while back in the day. Beautiful place, you know; I always loved how you worked with the forest to create your cities,¡± the man began to talk to Rheba like they were old friends catching up.


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    She made a friendly smile to respond but found the situation awkward.


    ¡°Were you in the military?¡±


    ¡°Yes indeed, I was a lowly low, ranked sailor in the navy. We often did joint training operations in the crazy parts of the seas; you know the ones.¡±


    Rheba laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories from that time; apparently, you saw some fish-people?¡±


    The man laughed.


    ¡°That dear is classified¡­. Or that¡¯s what I like to say, but it¡¯s nothing more than a tall tale spread by us sailors. A bit of fun we had on the people on dry land.¡± He chuckled to himself and shook his head.


    ¡°I see,¡± Rheba said as she peeked back into the building. The line had disappeared, but there was no free counter for her to go up to.


    ¡°So, what brings you here? Forget your documents for getting to Nun?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°In a sense. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have to renew the old boating license. I can¡¯t sail without it, and if I miss the date, the renewal price goes up. Not that it matters much right now,¡± the Aqueenian replied.


    Rheba was about to reply when an official from the building gently opened the glass door and tapped her arm.


    ¡°Miss, the next station is open.¡±


    Rheba peaked back in to see an Aqueenian at the end of the building leaving the counter.


    ¡°Well, nice meeting you,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, dear. If you¡¯re spending some time in this town, stop by my pub by the beach, I¡¯d love to hear about how Benlou has changed since this old man has left,¡± the Aqueenian said with a smile.


    ¡°Sure, where can I¨C¡±


    ¡°Stone¡¯s Pub, tell them you know the captain,¡± the emerald Aqueenian said as he smiled.


    The official made a cough to indicate that Rheba should get moving.


    Rheba politely waved goodbye to the strange Aqueenian and entered the license office. She made her way to the back counter and tried to make herself as least imposing as possible before towering over the Aqueenian behind the glass.


    The effort was in vain as the official behind the desk still jumped as she suddenly got close to him. He coughed as he collected himself.


    ¡°How can I help you today?¡±


    Rheba explained what the tablet had written on it, and he began to search through his computer. Fortunately, the proper documents were in place. Unfortunately, the office still took several hours.


    After concluding the long process, Rheba exited the agency with a packet of everything they needed. She held them close to her chest with a tight grip as if they were more precious than gold.


    The Bentulousian warrior made her way down the street where the ferry sold its tickets. She shook her head as she would have liked to buy the tickets as indicated to the rest of the team; they were all ignorant of the hours spent on the documentation alone.


    As she approached the ferry booth, the brown fur around her face curled up with her smile. There was no line for the tickets.


    She gleefully walked to the booth and made her request.


    ¡°I¡¯d like tickets to Nun for a ferry that can transport a vehakul,¡± she politely requested as she knelt to the window.


    The Aqueenian at the window looked at the giant with wide eyes. She turned to look deeper into the building where a coworker stood like a statue. The window worker waved to indicate her coworker should come up. The statue Aqueenian broke from his frozen pose to shake his head. He pointed to his coworker as if to say: ¡®you do it.¡¯


    The Aqueenian turned back around and gulped.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but ferry tickets aren¡¯t being sold right now¡­.¡±


    The worker at the window had been giving the news all day to all manners of people. Many had begun screaming at the poor bearer of news, and she was prepared for the intimidating Bentulousian to do the same.


    Instead, Rheba stood motionless for a moment. She blinked a couple of times before responding.


    ¡°Huh?¡± was all that came out from the shocked Bentulousian.

 61 – Hal’s Weapon Inventory

    Hal found himself in a lone park within the coastal city. No.5 wrapped the green-haired Netzian''s arm in a red metal encasement as weapons were laid out on a large tarp. Once Hal had laid out all his weapons, he pulled out a series of cleaning supplies from his abilities space.


    The Netzian soldier got to work as he carefully picked up each weapon, examined it, and applied the necessary treatment. Weapons he did not use in the last battle were the easiest to inspect. They were still in the pristine condition Hal had left them in¡ªhis checking of the weapons was more for his self-satisfaction.


    Hal slowly began to put back his weapons in their place. Two spears, several more swords, an ax, a rifle, and many more were placed back into the space for later use.


    The ability given by No.5 was one that provided storage. The space was limited and had a physical shape that resembled a sphere. There was no top or opening, and Hal could reach any point within to pull out what he needed, even in the sphere''s center as it was fully packed.


    He had to be mindful of how things were placed, as all space was valuable. He put each weapon back while paying close attention to a digital representation that No.5 set in his vision. He jostled his arm as he worked to put a spear in place. An outside observer would have only seen Hal sitting on the ground with half his arm missing.


    In the past, Hal had worked with No.5 to add phantom translucent images of the items for when they were not in the space. It functioned as a shadow board to keep the limited space orderly. When the spear he fiddled with lined up with the phantom image guide, he let go and removed his hand from the space.


    All that was left in front of Hal were the weapons he had used in the battle at Horizon. He picked up the wide and heavy-looking blade that had cleaved Savvy¡¯s machines and began to examine them. The weapon he had dubbed: ¡®Shatter Will, the blade that breaks the hearts and minds of those that oppose.¡¯ The blade had been dulled, though only slightly, and Hal quickly sharpened it to the fullest extent.


    The blade might seem too large for the Netzian to carry to an observer. However, Shatter Will was formed out of lightweight metal, and with the extra strength provided by No.5, Hal was able to move the blade with ease. He had surprised many opponents with the sword, and he reveled in the memories as he cleaned it.


    With Shatter Will¡¯s maintenance complete, Hal set out to work on the flintlock-esk pistols he had dubbed: ¡®Twin and Gemini, sisters bound by the fury they emanate.¡¯ He delicately pulled the weapons apart and laid the components on a towel he kept in his ability space for such maintenance.


    The green hair Netzian began to clean off some of the scorches in the barrel from the hot laser. Once the metal was thoroughly polished, he applied a light oil coating and reassembled the dual pistols. After which, he carefully laid them back on the towel.


    At this point, Hal would typically change the cores of the weapons, a source of energy for all guns on Resh. It functioned as a battery and could be replaced in a fire fight similar to a magazine. In shape, they looked like a dome that had been pressed in to give it two flat sides. The bottom, or top depending on how one thought, of a core, was a flat oval shape with several plugs to click into the matching gun.


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    Hal made a point to change the cores after every fight, even if he only shot the weapon once. Draco, who was the direct superior to Hal, often scolded the green-haired Netzian for doing so. However, even Hal understood that every shot counts in a travel situation. He gritted his teeth and slid the pistols back into the space.


    Next to his items were two metal, fingerless gloves that acted like iron knuckles, deemed ¡®Fury Fist, the gauntlets that crush the weak.¡¯ Hal had used them in a rapid boxing match with Savvy, and they were largely undamaged. He closely inspected the gloves and applied a light polish before returning them to the space.


    The last item on the tarp in front of Hal was the metal pipe that he had claimed from Savvy¡¯s workshop. In length, it was slightly longer than his forearm and hand. The shape was hollow but resembled more of an oval than a circle. It was made from metal, but the metal was a clean white that looked unnatural.


    Hal crossed his arms and stared at the pipe. All his cleaning and maintenance supplies sat next to him, but he had no idea where to begin on the item. He knew it was a weapon, Savvy had indicated as such, but how it operated was another question entirely.


    The Netzian nodded and picked up the pipe at one end. He thrust the weapon forward like a sword while expecting some kind of beam to fire out. Nothing happened, but Hal repeated the movement while moving around the park. He tried swinging it, twisting it, tossing it like a baton. The pipe did not react. Eventually, some Aqueenian children laughed as they walked by, and Hal ceased the movements.


    He laid the pipe back on the tarp and crossed his arms once again. After trying all the movements, he thought he might be missing another piece. Hal eyed the shape of the pipe once again. It was an oval that consisted of two parallel straight planes with rounded ends. He rubbed his chin as he thought of what it reminded him of, then the thought struck him.


    He reached into his ability space and pulled out a core. It was one larger than what would go in Twin and Gemini, as it was used in his rifle, but the shapes seemed to match as Hal had thought. The core was slightly larger, but the pipe seemed to be made to line up with the plugs on the power source.


    Hal held the pipe with one end pointed at him and slowly navigated the core to the bottom. Before connecting the two, he stopped and turned the pipe to point away from him. He shook his head as he recalled all his weapon safety training and then refocused on putting the core on the end.


    It clicked in place and locked. Hal ignored the sound, however, as at the exact moment, a sizeable fiery blade erupted off the other end of the pipe¡ªstarting just above where his hand gripped it. It did not resemble a beam of energy or a plasma cutter but instead seemed like a long and narrow campfire.


    Hal eyed the blade with his yellow eyes. Slowly, he began to slide his hand closer to the flame blade. It responded by moving up the pipe along with his hand; at the same time, it grew in size. Hal quickly realized that wherever he placed his hands on the hilt would change the blade from an average one-handed blade to a large two-handed blade.


    He excitedly began to swing the fiery sword around while trying all options the differences in blade sizes could offer. As the sword swung, embers trailed behind the blade


    Once he was done, he started the difficult task of figuring out how it was turned off. In the end, Hal just settled for unplugging the core. He cleaned the weapon as best he could and began to pack up the rest of his supplies.


    All the while, he thought of what he should name his new blade.


    As Hal finished neatly folding up his tarp, he settled on what he would dub the fiery weapon: ¡®Passion¡¯s Bite, the blade that truly came alive in the hands of a Netzian.¡¯


    He smiled to himself as he thought about the new sword.

 62 – Harlan at the Order

    Harlan made her way down the street through the coastal town. Her head remained low to avoid making eye contact with some Aqueenian passersby. She kept the ground in her sight while walking through all the beautiful views Aqui offered.


    After navigating through several streets in her closed-off manner, Harlan stood in front of her destination.


    It was a large building that seemed to contrast the Aqueenian architecture of the town. The building was square, with stone walls that moved in as they went up to the sky to create a steep incline. The overall shape resembled a pyramid made from several large trapezoidal blocks. A staircase in the center welcomed visitors up to a flat platform where a smaller building sat in the center.


    The center building looked almost like a box with two doors. It had a flat top and offered little aesthetic interest compared to the rest of the coastal town. Some swirling pillars had been added to the corners to provide Aqueenian flair, but the building largely kept with the blocky pyramid¡¯s architectural style.


    Harlan put her green arms forward with her palms facing each other. Her elbows were bent at 90 degrees, so her hands were close to her face. In unison, she pivoted both her forearms to her waist. Then, she rotated her hands so that they faced the ground. Many on the streets watched in awe as hardly anyone made the traditional sign before entering. She took a deep breath and began to ascend the stairs.


    The building belonged to the Order of Crenussal; the ancient said to lead all others. In Resh¡¯s past, the building had been constructed to perform various practices to honor the ancient. In the present, it had become a very popular tourist destination.


    At the top platform, many Aqueenian visitors were gleefully walking around the order and looking at statues and murals. Some stands sold various souvenirs at the order, and painted scenes were set up for families to take pictures in front of.


    Harlan walked past and up to the small building that stood in the center of the platform. The tourists largely ignored it as they were not allowed to enter. Two guards stood in front of the door. They were a blue and green pair of Aqueenian women who served as hetaira in the Order. Their clothes were similar to Harlan¡¯s, resembling a dress with a large piece of fabric running down the center. The hetaira''s clothes were partially translucent, allowing some of the blue and green skin to bleed through, with a large selection of the material cut out to reveal the stomach plainly.


    ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am,¡± the blue hetaira said as both stood at attention. They could tell the Zenotote ranked much higher than either of them.


    Harlan nodded to each as she walked past and entered the building, the inside of which was simple in appearance. It was an open room with curtains covering all the walls. In the center of the room was a large pit where a fire could be started.


    The fire was already in full force. Harlan walked up and made a slight bow to the flame before walking around it to the back of the room. She pulled the curtain to the side and revealed a door. There was a beep, and the door slid open to a small elevator.


    The green scientist walked in and descended into the structure.


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    The scene that the elevator opened to was much different than the temple above. It was a small room filled with screens and speakers. Many Aqueenian hetairas sat around the room doing various tasks on the equipment.


    ¡°Oh, good day, ma¡¯am!¡± one operator said as Harlan entered the room.


    ¡°Good day; where is Leader Mixolydian today?¡± Harlan said in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Hmm, I believe he is doing a routine inspection in the Order of the Hobusian nation¡­. I¡¯ll get someone to reach him; please just take a seat in that chair for the time being!¡± the operator said while gesturing to a chair at the end of the room.


    Harlan did as requested and looked at the headset, which sat in front of her chair. It was shaped for Aqueenian heads, and she pondered how it might fit around the frills on her own. She fiddled with it for a moment and settled on holding one of the speakers and the mic close to her head rather than create unnecessary discomfort.


    The operator waved to indicate communication had been established. Then, she gathered the other operators. They all crammed themselves on the elevator and went up; Harlan was left alone.


    ¡°Hello, Harlan!¡± Mixolydian yelled through the headset. Harlan winced at his loud voice. ¡°Hello! Hello? Can you hear me?¡± the Zenotote leader kept yelling.


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± Harlan answered in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Ah, good! You haven¡¯t called for days! I figured you would check in sooner!¡± the leader yelled.


    ¡°We ran into some trouble¡­.¡± Harlan began to explain all that had happened after the group had left Quenth.


    When she finished, Mixolydian let out a hearty laugh.


    ¡°To think, you would have so much happen! You seem to be having all the fun lately,¡± her father said through his laughs.


    Harlan frowned.


    ¡°Father,¡± she said. The leader continued to laugh.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough of that,¡± Mixolydian said after he finished laughing. ¡°It sounds like you are close to Nun. When you get there, be cautious. I believe the Mayor is planning to make a move of some sort.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Well, I should be going,¡± Harlan said as she began to put down the headset.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the leader shouted loud enough to be heard even with the headset away.


    Harlan sighed and moved the speaker closer to her head.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°About that Nonpareil. Does he show any promise?¡±


    Harlan thought for a moment. After the death of King Whitlock, her father had tasked her with ¡®investigating¡¯ the regicide. The pretense would allow her to gather information on several things, including the mysterious traveler from another world.


    The Zenotote scientist had also not missed the fact that her father chose her to go on the mission for the express purpose of gathering as much information as possible. She was raised to be fully aware of her father¡¯s motive. Harlan had made sure to pay attention to all her team members, especially Gwyn, knowing that the leader would want to hear about it.


    ¡°He can be a bit too impulsive at times, even when he knows logic should be focused on instead, but he seems honest and reliable. With time and molding, he could be a great asset to the Zenotote absolutism.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, keep observing for now. If he seems like he could become a threat, you know what to do.¡±


    Harlan paused for a moment. It was brief, so her father did not notice, but the pause was longer than it would have been before she left on the trip.


    ¡°Of course, father,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Oh, and make sure you put that Bentulousian in her place when possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course, father, goodbye,¡± Harlan said with no pause. She began to put her headset back down.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Mixolydian shouted again. Once again, Harlan put the headset back near her face.


    ¡°Yes, father?¡±


    The leader made a grumbling sound for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°Just¡­ make sure you stay safe out there,¡± he suddenly spat and quickly hung up.


    Harlan rolled her green slitted eyes and stood up from her chair. She made her way back upstairs, where the hetaira were all waiting. The scientist had intended to leave right away, but they began to beg her to sing a traditional song before departing. Harlan shyly tried to excuse herself but could not convince them. She gave in and began to sing.

 Excerpt from World Exchange! A novel by K.A. Natos 3

    The elf, Mina, pulled me down what was likely the busiest street in the capital. I wanted to pull my hand away from her own, but it was clear we would lose each other in the busy crowd. The rest of our party was already long lost, so perhaps it was best to stick with her for the time being.


    That didn¡¯t stop me from protesting, however.


    ¡°Mina! I¡¯m sure whatever you wanted to see can wait!¡± I did my best to raise my voice over the din in the streets.


    ¡°But, we will be late if we waste time!¡± she shouted back as she continued to pull me forward.


    The event the elf so badly wanted to see was a speech by the country''s queen. She was to give a rousing speech about peace and unity. Mina wanted to see ¡®history take place in real-time.¡¯ She put a lot of stock into this queen¡¯s words.


    I continued to protest our impromptu side quest until we finally stopped. We had come across a wall that blocked our path. It was not constructed of stone or metal, but instead, a wall of people prevented us from getting any closer. Off in the distance, I could see a platform that would have appeared very large up close. From where we stood, it appeared about the size of an ant. It seemed many others thought the same as Mina.


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    The elf next to me jumped several times as she tried to view the stage from over the tall shoulders in front of her. After a moment of leaping, she huffed and settled for listening with her long, pointed ears.


    It turned out to be a favorable plan. In no time at all, a loud voice carried across the city. The noisy crowd was instantly hushed as the Queen addressed them.


    ¡°It is fortuitous to see you all hear today,¡± the queen began. ¡°On this very day, our humble city was founded over one hundred years ago. It wasn¡¯t long after that war began. We have gone through many trials and hardships for many years, but that ends today.¡±


    The Queen began to go on with some fluff about the town''s history and neighboring nations, which I mostly tuned out. It wasn¡¯t until she got to her actual announcement that I paid attention again.


    ¡°And on this day, I can finally announce that peace will come to all our lands. We have officially signed a peace agreement for all neighboring nations.¡±


    The crowd, and Mina, clapped as the queen finished:


    ¡°A new age is upon us.¡± The declaration rang across the crowd, and everyone happily clapped along to the joyous news.

 63 - The Writer

    There were several businesses on the street that led to the sandy beach. A small restaurant, a bookstore, and many more shops were placed in what was clearly the tourist trap section of the city. On the particular corner where the street leading to the beach ended, a small swimsuit shop sold all manners of beachwear. Fiona happily led Gwyn inside this building.


    The sight the unsuspecting Nonpareil was greeted to was rows upon rows of minimal covering fabric. He picked up a small piece of black cloth, exchanged a confused look with Mem on his shoulder, and turned back to Fiona.


    "Don''t they have anything... with more cover?" he asked. Though he was not aware, Aqueenians often used the beach as a way to show off their colorful, perfect skin. The day-to-day clothes offered protection, but the beach was one of the few places the species would show off. Finding swimsuits with more fabric was possible but usually were only worn to hide imperfections or blemishes.


    "Sure, you just have to look," Fiona answered as she moved down a row of suits. There wasn''t much to look at. Each swimsuit was black, grey, or white with minimal decorations.


    Gwyn sighed and settled on a black swimsuit comparable to a speedo on earth. He quickly paid for it and pocketed the small piece of fabric.


    Fiona kept looking up and down the rows while muttering to herself. Her purple eyes darted all around as she examined everything on the shelf. When she was done, she moved to the next shelf.


    Gwyn walked up next to her and looked at the row the blue Princess was examining. It was full of fairly standard bikinis compared to what was on earth, but she passed by and moved on to another row.


    "Is the selection that important?" Gwyn asked while wondering if he should have taken longer to look as well.


    "Yes," Fiona answered in a short tone as she focused intently on the suits. She picked one up with a bit more cover and examined the back. She showed it to Sun on her shoulder, and the yellow Needaimus shook its head to indicate ''no.''


    "I''ll go wait outside then," Gwyn told her. She nodded, and Gwyn left.


    The Nonpareil stepped outside and looked at the buildings on the streets. He opted to lean back against the wall of the swimsuit shop and relax in the cool ocean breeze. He leaned back and took a deep breath. His bad arm began to itch, and he scratched at the spot. At that moment, he felt something like a brief heaviness in his chest, but he ignored the feeling and stared at the blue sky.


    Eventually, he grew tired of waiting and looked across to the other stores. The bookstore, in particular, caught his eye, and Gwyn made his way across the street.


    "Shouldn''t we wait for the princess?" Mem chimed in from atop Gwyn''s shoulder.


    "I''ll just look at the books outside."


    In front of the shop, there was a display for several series with bright and catchy colors that might draw readers in. It looked like a popup bookshelf with the books in question and a cardboard cutout standing to the side.


    The forms on the cutout quickly grasped Gwyn''s attention as he got in close. What was pictured was a cartoony depiction of a well-endowed elf and bearded dwarf straight out of the fantasy he had encountered on earth. Between the two stood what appeared to be a Netzian-Aqueenian hybrid that had a dejected expression.


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    "Mem, what''s that?" Gwyn asked as he stared at the cutout.


    "Some story characters that appear to be different variations of Netzians. Are you interested in this sort of thing?"


    "No, I mean these two... they are an elf and dwarf, aren''t they?" he asked.


    "I''m not familiar with those words, partner. They seem like something the author may have made up to have unique species in the story," Mem replied from atop Gwyn''s shoulders.


    Mem pulled one of the books off the display and looked at the cover. World Exchange! was the title of the novel and the characters appeared to do battle with some dragon on the cover. The elf had her bow drawn back, the dwarf had a large hammer, and the Resh native had a blue Needaimus on his arm. Gwyn curiously flipped through the book and skimmed over some sections.


    "Oh, are you interested in that book?" a voice came from behind the Nonpareil. He jumped and spun around.


    The person who greeted him was unlike anyone Gwyn had encountered on Resh. Her skin was blue, but unlike the bright blues seen on Aqueenians, the stranger''s tone was more of a grey-blue. She had something resembling the Hobusian crown on her forehead, but the bony ornament went from her forehead down and wrapped around her pink eyes like a masquerade mask.


    A set of grey spiral twintails danced from her head down to her shoulders. Her clothes were a red and black dress that looked more proper for a fancy party than walking through the streets of the coastal town. A grey Needaimus that resembled something like a monkey, at least to Gwyn, hung from her shoulder.


    The stranger smiled at Gwyn. He stared back, unsure of what to say. After a minute, the stranger frowned. She slid her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly.


    "Hello, sonny? Is that book interesting?" she spoke in a playful tone.


    "Oh... I just saw something that caught my eye, is all," Gwyn said as he flipped through the book. He landed on the about the author page and stopped. From what he had gleaned of the story, it was an isekai tale that depicted a fantasy like seen on earth. The Nonpareil was interested in at least committing the author''s name to memory.


    The book gave a blurb about a K.A. Natos with a picture of her. She stood in a flirty pose with her head turned to view the camera in the photo. Gwyn looked up at the stranger with a blank face. Upon seeing he was looking at the about author page, she opted to strike the same pose as the picture. Gwyn looked back and forth between the picture and the stranger. Upon each pass, he confirmed another comparison between the two.


    After a moment, the human jumped back and shouted something unintelligible.


    "Well, it took you long enough," K.A. Natos said in a nonserious tone as she broke from her pose.


    "You... where did you come up with these ideas!"


    "Oh dear, that''s the first thing you ask?" K.A. Natos said while pressing a finger to her chin, "Well, I just sort of made it up one day!" she answered with a flirty smile.


    "You just made it up?" Gwyn asked.


    "Indeed, but more importantly, why don''t you tell me about yourself?" the author said to Gwyn. She took a step closer to get a good look at his face. "You''re that Nonpareil that''s been all over the Aqueenian news, aren''t you?" she said with her face uncomfortably close to his.


    Gwyn took several steps back. He shook his head for a moment before responding.


    "You''re well informed... Ms. Natos...." Gwyn replied while eyeing the book cover for her name. She laughed in reply.


    "Just call me Kako, my dear," the author said through her giggles.


    "Gwyn, I found one!" Fiona happily shouted as she exited the store. The others turned in the direction of the blue princess as she made her loud declaration. She held a small bag in her hand, which contained the swimsuit.


    "Well, I wouldn''t want to interrupt you two. We''ll run into each other later," Kako said with a smile and a small wave. She walked away before Gwyn could say another word.


    "Who was that?" Fiona asked as she walked up to him. Gwyn held the book up.


    "Apparently, the author of this book," he replied as he held the cover up for Fiona to see.


    "Huh, are you into this sort of thing, Gwyn?" Fiona asked as she eyed the cartoony elf girl depicted on the cover. Her tone made it clear she was teasing.


    "It seems our Nonpareil has an interest in long ears... or perhaps...," Mem added while picking up on Fiona''s intent.


    Gwyn sighed.


    "Let''s just go to the beach," he said as he slid the book back on the shelf. Fiona and Mem chuckled as they walked to the sandy coastline.

 Excerpt from Gwyn’s Journal – Pronunciations

    In an effort to practice spelling out the names of the many words on Resh, I thought I would also write how they are pronounced. I suppose this is an unhelpful guide to most; the denizens of this world already know how to pronounce their own worlds, after all.


    Still, it¡¯s my journal, and I can do what I like.


    First up is Aqueenian.


    It is pronounced uh-queen-ian. It may be the easiest to write out since the ¡®A¡¯ is the only part that isn¡¯t plain on how to say.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Next up is Hobusian.


    This is pronounced ha-boo-sea-en. I thought it needed two b¡¯s in the center for a while, but fortunately, text to speech on this planet corrected that.


    Afterward is Netzian.


    The pronunciation is net-zee-en. I asked Hal where the word originated and why it would have replaced ¡®human,¡¯ but he didn¡¯t know either.


    Next up is Bentulousian.


    This is a tough one to write for sure. The pronunciation is bent-uh-loo-zee-an. It is also the longest, it seems, of all the species names on Resh.


    Last but not least, is Zenotote. I said Aqueenian might be easiest, but I would have to change my perspective by getting to this word. The first word is Zeno (Zee-know), like the philosopher and the second word is tote (towt), like the large bags.

 64 – At the Beach

    Fiona and Gwyn walked down the beach''s sandy shore. It was a clear and beautiful day, perfect weather for the location, and not one soul stood on the beach with them. Fiona took her bag to a changing booth while Gwyn stood outside and stared at the shining city on the other side of the channel.


    He spotted a small island between the two landmasses, but otherwise, the sea was smooth and uninterrupted.


    ¡°The view would look nicer without the giant city across the water,¡± Gwyn commented as he took in the scene.


    ¡°I think plenty of people within the town would agree,¡± Mem said from atop Gwyn¡¯s shoulder.


    They stood for a moment longer and waited.


    ¡°She sure is taking a while,¡± Gwyn said.


    ¡°Our Aqueenian princess is probably applying deshine,¡± the blue wyvern-looking Needaimus explained.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A sort of protective substance to keep skin safe from the sun, it dulls some of the Aqueenian''s natural reflection, hence the name.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, she¡¯ll probably be a while,¡± Gwyn said as he looked around the empty beach. He spotted what looked like a wooden building a short walk away. ¡°Fiona! I¡¯m going to see if that shack is selling anything!¡± he shouted to the changing booth before hiking down the beach.


    Gwyn peered inside the small building. It became apparent quickly that the place was made to sell food. A sapphire blue Aqueenian behind the counter jumped at the sight of the human.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± the shopkeeper asked.


    ¡°Swimming. Do you have anything to eat?¡± Gwyn quickly moved from his answer to a question.


    ¡°Swimming? Haven¡¯t you heard the news?¡± the shopkeeper replied.


    ¡°News?¡±


    Gwyn and the shopkeeper stared at each other while waiting for the other to say something.


    ¡°Hey, buy some fried root noodles!¡± a shout came from down the sandy coast. Fiona had just poked her head out of the changing booth to shout to the Nonpareil.


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    ¡°Um, I guess some of what she asked for,¡± Gwyn repeated to the shopkeeper.


    The sapphire blue Aqueenian got to work. He shouted to the back and fired up the stove while an older Aqueenian came out with some ingredients. The Nonpareil pondered why they weren¡¯t prepared in the middle of the day but let it go. At the same time, Fiona ran up to join Gwyn. She had changed into a white swimsuit.


    The swimwear was a one-piece suit with an opening that showed much of her abdomen. Around the waist, some frills made up a short skirt. The swimsuit appeared to have a choker around the neck, and a large section of cloth covered the blue princess''s back completely. Her bright yellow Needaimus hung on her shoulder.


    ¡°Does it look nice?¡± Fiona asked Gwyn as she questionably looked at the suit she wore.


    Gwyn shrugged and replied:


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a fashion expert.¡±


    ¡°Did you two really come here to swim?¡± the shopkeeper asked while handing the fried noodles to them.


    ¡°Of course, who comes to a beach and doesn¡¯t swim?¡± Fiona replied.


    ¡°So, you haven¡¯t heard¡­. The waters not open right now on account of a Japhinth,¡± the shopkeeper told them.


    ¡°A what?¡± Gwyn asked. He got a confused look from the shopkeeper.


    ¡°A giant beast that roams the oceans. They usually stay in the open seas but sometimes come into the channels by mistake,¡± Mem explained.


    The shopkeeper jumped from the Needaimus¡¯ words but nodded to confirm.


    ¡°Yes, it only just roamed in the other day. We are waiting for the royal army to send a force to drive it out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you go doing that! Levy did nothing to harm anyone!¡± the older Aqueenian who stood in the back of the shop suddenly shouted.


    ¡°Dad, I told you not to name the sea monster!¡± the shopkeeper shouted back. The old Aqueenian replied with grumbles and retreated into the store.


    ¡°Why Levy?¡± Gwyn whispered to the princess.


    ¡°Who can understand old people''s thoughts,¡± Fiona whispered back.


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the shopkeeper made a cough to get the duo¡¯s attention, ¡°so that is why you can¡¯t go in the water. If we provoke it too much, it might attack the town.¡±


    Fiona snatched the fried food from the shopkeeper and began to slurp the noodles down.


    ¡°Fine, if I can¡¯t swim, I¡¯ll just eat,¡± she grumbled and walked off. Gwyn awkwardly took the remaining portion of food and paid the shopkeeper before chasing after the princess.


    They settled in the middle of the sand and stared at the calm water while eating.


    ¡°I mean, we came all this way, and now we can¡¯t swim,¡± Fiona grumbled, ¡°I at least wanted to have a little fun before going into Nun!¡±


    Gwyn just nodded along as Fiona complained. He stared out to the sea once again, where the small island sat in between the two cities. After a moment, what had looked like an island suddenly sunk beneath the waves. What appeared to be a giant shadow in the water seemed to stir before settling. The movement resembled someone turning over in bed.


    Gwyn began to cough as he was in the middle of a bite of the noodles. Once he managed to choke his food down, he turned back to Fiona.


    ¡°How big are the Japh- things?¡± he asked.


    The blue princess saw the movement in the water as well.


    ¡°They make that Unkillable you fought to look tiny, at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard,¡± she said quietly.


    They quickly ate their food in silence and then retreated from the beach.

 65 – Group Meeting

    Hal was the first to make it back to the inn. He quickly found his way to the room Odell booked. The Hobusian prince was gleefully lying on one of the beds while jotting notes in a book.


    ¡°So, if I route power from the engine, I can do it, but the vehakul will slow to a crawl¡­ hmm,¡± Odell was muttering to himself and didn¡¯t notice the green-haired Netzian walk in. Hal paid no mind to him and laid on a bed, leaving Odell in his thoughts.


    Harlan was the next to come in and silently made her way across the room and sat on the bed furthest in the back.


    Rheba followed shortly after. As she ducked under the doorway, she let out a sigh that got the attention of the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say, I have bad news,¡± the Bentulousian warrior solemnly stated. ¡°It seems they are not selling ferry tickets. All passage from here to Nun is cut off for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really? Why?¡± Odell said as he suddenly turned his attention away from his notes.


    Before Rheba could answer, Fiona and Gwyn followed her into the room.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! A Japhinth and we came all this way!¡± Fiona was griping. She hadn¡¯t bothered to change out of her white swimsuit and simply threw her yellow jacket over top and her yellow shoes on her feet.


    Gwyn didn¡¯t answer the princess but looked at the group in the room.


    ¡°Seems there¡¯s a sea monster in the water or something,¡± he explained. However, the rest of the group was well aware of what a Japhinth being in the water meant.


    Rheba nodded.


    ¡°I heard they asked for a force from Quenth to drive it out, but it will be a couple of days before they arrive,¡± The Bentulousian warrior confirmed.


    ¡°Do we really have to go by sea? Don¡¯t you have planes or helicopters?¡± Gwyn asked as he sat down on a bed. He got blank stares from the others in the room. ¡°Uh, vehicles¡­ er¡­ vehakuls that fly¡­.¡±


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    ¡°You have vehakuls that fly?¡± Odell sounded like a child as he exclaimed.


    Hal sat up and rubbed his chin as he thought about the possibilities.


    ¡°Why would you have that on your world?¡± Harlan softly asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t people want to fly?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Anyone who wished to would have simply found a Needaimus that granted it,¡± Rheba explained.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Gwyn pondered for a moment, ¡°Say, where does the word vehakul come from?¡± he asked as well. It seemed random to the others, but it had weighed in his mind as soon as he said vehakul and vehicle side by side.


    ¡°It comes from an old, popular sci-fi novel,¡± Odell explained. ¡°Written by some Nakthosi person, I think,¡± he added.


    ¡°Enough of that! What are we supposed to do if that Japhinth is in the water?¡± Fiona interrupted.


    ¡°If we could procure a vessel, we could meet the beast in the sea,¡± Rheba thought aloud.


    ¡°You want to fight that monster?¡± Gwyn said in shock.


    Rheba shook her long head to indicate ¡®yes.¡¯


    ¡°We can¡¯t aggravate it from the shore, however,¡± she explained.


    ¡°I meant, what are we supposed to do about swimming!¡± Fiona shouted, but her cries were not addressed.


    Hal shook his head.


    ¡°Let the warriors come to fight; we shall stay and rest,¡± he said before laying down on his bed. He fell asleep in almost an instant.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably right; without the right equipment, we can¡¯t hope to defeat such a beast. Still, we should consider what we can do,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re waiting longer, I can do some more upgr¨C maintenance on the Ali!¡± Odell said happily.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a pool in this town; I¡¯ll settle for that,¡± Fiona said with a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see more of the town!¡± Mem said from atop Gwyn¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°That might not be so bad,¡± Gwyn agreed.


    Rheba shook her head.


    ¡°All of you seem to be forgetting we are meant to be on a mission,¡± she lamented. Her words were unnoticed by the others, who began to think up what they would do with the additional free time they had obtained.


    Rheba sat down and took a deep breath while she rubbed her stomach. She was starting to feel some hunger pangs.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s getting late, huh?¡± Fiona said as she eyed the time on the clock within the room.


    ¡°Perhaps we should get something to eat; I heard about a pub while in town today,¡± Rheba quickly added after Fiona¡¯s statement. She figured they could argue more about what they would do once they were fed.


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Odell said. The others nodded in agreement, save for Hal, who was out cold.


    They quickly tried to wake him, but the Netzian would not budge from his sleep.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get something to bring back to him,¡± Gwyn finally said.


    ¡°He¡¯s too young to drink at a pub anyway!¡± Fiona added.


    The others quickly agreed and left to find the pub Rheba had mentioned.

 66 – A Visit to the Pub

    The group, minus Hal, made their way down to near where the beach met the coastal town. A small pub sat along the street just before it descended down the walkway to the sandy shore. Unlike the rest of the city, which was starting to wind down as the first sun set, this small eatery was as lively as possible.


    Shouts and laughter echoed out of the street under a bright sign that read ¡®Stone¡¯s Pub¡¯ with slightly smaller text under the sign that added ¡®Who¡¯s asking?¡¯


    ¡°Is this the restaurant?¡± Harlan asked cautiously as the rowdy voices inside sounded like they were engaged in a playful barfight.


    ¡°It seems to be; well, shall we go in?¡± Rheba did not hesitate to step forward. Gwyn and Odell followed without a second thought. Fiona tilted her head for a moment before she waved to Harlan that she should follow in as well. The green-scaled scientist let her head hang as she entered the crowded place.


    The pub surprised Gwyn as it looked typical of what he expected. A bar lined the back wall with many bottles, and many circular tables were placed around the floor. There was a colorful display of Aqueenians drinking and making merry all over the space. They clanged glasses full of brightly colored liquors, of blues, reds, and greens, together while shouts and songs filled the air. Some wrestled, but there was no malice in their actions, and others cheered the wrestlers on to encourage the activity.


    Some eyes darted to the strange group that entered, but they quickly got over it as the merriment continued.


    ¡°Is something going on today, or is this normal?¡± Gwyn whispered to Fiona. She didn¡¯t hear him.


    The princess¡¯s eyes were lit up with wonder at its spectacle. From a young age, the royal education had taught that drinking, or any activity for that matter, should be done in a sophisticated manner. A pub was a place for commoners, or so she was taught. Had the princess not partook in the mining town¡¯s festival, she would have had sensory overload.


    Rheba politely made her way through the drinking Aqueenian patrons to the bar, taking care not to bump into anyone. A barkeeper behind the counter watched her approach as he shook up a drink for one of the customers. Behind the barkeeper was a face that the Bentulousian warrior recognized.


    ¡°Hey lassie, good to see ya!¡± the older Aqueenian she had met at the license agency shouted. He reached over the counter to shake her hand. She received his greeting, taking care not to crush his faintly wrinkled hand.


    ¡°Someone you know?¡± Gwyn asked as he and the rest walked up to the bar.


    ¡°They call me Captain Stone around these parts!¡± the older Aqueenian cheerfully declared, ¡°I met the lassie in the line for the license office, but that¡¯s enough talk. How bout a drink on the house!¡± Captain Stone happily said. It was clear to the group that he had already had a couple of drinks.


    The barkeeper next to him only shook his head and whispered:


    ¡°Stop giving away drinks for free!¡±


    ¡°Give me the strongest drink you got!¡± Odell shouted to the barkeeper, not wanting to miss the opportunity for the complimentary beverage.


    The older man laughed while the barkeeper turned to the captain and gave a look that indicated, ¡®are you sure? it¡¯s pretty strong.¡¯


    ¡°Let the young Hobusian have his drink! He¡¯ll see what Aqueenians are capable of soon enough!¡±


    The barkeeper shrugged and quickly slid a tall glass of a bright blue liquid. The captain''s whims were something he wouldn¡¯t start an argument over.


    The others sat down at the bar as Odell began to chug his drink.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take something good for hu-Netzians,¡± Gwyn said as he recalled the overly strong drink from the mining town. He was slid a drink that looked and smelled similar to a beer. After a sip, he figured it was safe enough for him to consume.


    ¡°Do you have any charponay?¡± Fiona politely asked. She avoided drinking in Horizon since they did not have anything suitable to her tastes. The light drink known as charponay, which was best compared to low-proof wine, was more to her pallet.


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    ¡°Nothing fancy like that here; we can water down and add some fruits to the good stuff if that¡¯s your preference!¡± Captain Stone said with a laugh.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Fiona said with a sigh. She quickly slid a mixed cocktail.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take what he has,¡± Rheba said, pointing to Gwyn, ¡°but don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    She was quickly handed what looked like a large stein that matched a 5-gallon, or 20-liter, bucket in size. It took a moment to fill up, but once complete, the Bentulousian warrior lifted the heavy glass with ease and began to sip her drink.


    ¡°Just water,¡± Harlan softly said.


    With all team members having their drinks, the barkeeper went to serve the next customer. Captain Stone put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Well, you have quite the odd group here! I take it you were planning to go to Nun but ran into that little issue in the water.¡±


    ¡°More like a big issue,¡± Gwyn said as the memory of the beast returned to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, I tried to go out this morning to fish, and they wouldn¡¯t let me!¡± Captain stone griped with a smile on his face. ¡°I told them I could handle a little Japhinth, but they wouldn¡¯t¡¯ have any of it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but it seems we have to wait,¡± Rheba said as she gently set her stein down. About half of the drink was already gone.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we just go beat it up,¡± Fiona said with a hiccup, ¡°We all have Needaimus for nothing?¡± She had only drunk about a quarter of her watered-down drink, but everyone could see she was a lightweight as she swayed like a branch in the wind. Gwyn gently reached over and slid the glass just outside of her reach.


    ¡°Yeah, a monster like that is nothing!¡± Odell shouted as he finished down the last of the pub¡¯s strongest drink.


    ¡°I like the way you lot think,¡± Captain Stone said while rubbing his short beard.


    Harlan shook her head and silently drank her water. She had a bad feeling welling up inside of her.


    ¡°Please calm down, you two; we shouldn¡¯t do something so reckless,¡± Rheba said.


    The captain laughed.


    ¡°Indeed, you would need a mighty good sea vessel to attempt something like that!¡±


    Harlan¡¯s shoulders relaxed as she finished her drink.


    ¡°Captain, such an endeavor would be risky,¡± Rheba said to the bar owner.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we just attack from the beach?¡± Odell asked as he swayed.


    ¡°It would risk the Japhinth damaging the city. You have to fight those beasts in their territory,¡± Rheba explained.


    ¡°Now, this is an interesting conversation,¡± a new voice said from behind. Those who were still sober enough, Fiona had fallen asleep, and Odell was beginning to sway and turned to look at the speaker.


    A familiar writer stood behind them.


    ¡°Hi, Gwyn,¡± she said.


    ¡°Uh, hello¡­ Kako¡­¡± the Nonpareil awkwardly replied.


    ¡°Someone you know?¡± Rheba asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s a writer I met in town,¡± Gwyn explained.


    ¡°A writer, huh?¡± Odell managed to break from falling asleep to engage with the conversation. He drunkenly spun around to face Kako. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite kind of punctuation?¡± he asked in slurred words.


    ¡°A semicolon,¡± Kako answered without missing a beat. She had a smile on her grey-blue face.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Odell muttered before spinning back around and passing out at the bar.


    Kako chuckled and made her way to the bar.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking of taking on that Japhinth?¡± she asked as she stroked the head of the Needaimus, which hung on her shoulder.


    ¡°That was the alcohol talking,¡± Rheba explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Kako said coolly, ¡°I thought I might tag along. Such an experience would be great for inspiring material, you see.¡±


    ¡°It would be outside of the necessary risks unless your Needaimus is a special one?¡± Harlan butted in to back up Rheba, though she loathed agreeing with a Bentulousian.


    Rheba felt the same but nodded in agreement with Harlan anyway.


    ¡°This little guy, I¡¯m afraid its ability is only to turn vague thoughts into a well-written and grammatically correct text. Great for my books, not so much for fighting. I can, however, do a little magic if that helps,¡± Kako explained.


    ¡°Ah, a witch! We have quite the force here!¡± Captain Stone laughed merrily.


    Rheba and Harlan shook their heads in unison to indicate ¡®no.¡¯


    Gwyn pondered the idea for a moment before speaking up.


    ¡°We defeated those guys in the village; why can¡¯t we defeat a monster?¡± he wondered aloud.


    ¡°We likely could defeat it, but we are between two cities while out on the channel, and there is the risk that one would get damaged. Without an expert in driving the creatures away, we wouldn¡¯t want to attempt such a thing,¡± Rheba explained.


    Harlan didn¡¯t like that Rheba seemed open to the idea but chose not to say anything while they were aligned on the issue.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve driven away my fair share of monsters in my youth! And I happen to have a favor I can call in as well,¡± Captain Stone cheerily butted in from behind the bar. ¡°All I¡¯m missing are some supporters on my ship that can handle a giant monster!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Rheba asked with curiosity.


    Harlan¡¯s green slit eyes grew wide as she realized what might be coming.


    ¡°Yep! I wouldn¡¯t be so quick to offer my boat up otherwise. Do you take me for a poor sailor?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose that is true,¡± Rheba said as she rubbed the brown fur on her chin.


    ¡°Sounds like we might be able to do this!¡± Kako happily said.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Rheba interrupted. She turned to the captain. ¡°Tell me your plan first.¡±


    Captain stone made a broad smile on his emerald face. He began to relay a potential plan to the group. Rheba, Gwyn, and Kako listened eagerly. Harlan did her best not to squirm as they developed their reckless plot. Fiona and Odell slept soundly, unaware of what would come the following day.

 67 - To Fight a Japhinth

    The following day came quickly. The first of Resh''s suns was only just beginning to peek over the horizon as the six team members walked down the coastal town''s street.


    "So, what happened again?" Fiona asked as she rubbed her temples.


    "We decided to go fight the Japhinth...." Harlan muttered to her.


    "Yes, yes, I got that. How did we get back to the room, though?" Fiona clarified.


    "I carried you; Rheba carried Odell," Gwyn explained.


    "I''m never drinking again," Odell muttered for the seventh time that morning. He more stumbled than walked with the group.


    "I wasn''t too heavy or anything, was I?" Fiona asked.


    "Light as a feather," Gwyn replied.


    Fiona frowned as she considered the idiom. She wasn''t too sure she liked it.


    "Please do regale us with how fighting a beast became our job!" Hal muttered in a snide tone. He had woken from a relatively peaceful slumber to the news.


    Rheba sighed.


    "We are capable and have the necessary expertise to take care of the beast. Why should we not seek to drive it out?" the Bentulousian warrior said. Harlan shook her scaly head in disagreement but said nothing.


    "We were not asked, nor does it serve us," Hal replied. Harlan nodded in agreement.


    "It is obstructing our goal in sight," Rheba added.


    "I don''t see what the issue is," Gwyn said," It can''t be any harder than taking down those bandits. We got this!" he confidently declared.


    "You''re right partner!" Mem said from atop Gwyn''s shoulder. The Needaimus that rode along with the other team members desired to shut Mem up but settled for just shaking their heads.


    Captain Stone was throwing some rope onto his ship, which had previously tied the vessel to the pier. The author, Kako, was eagerly waiting on the boat. She leaned against the team''s Ali-442 vehakul that had brought them all the way to the coastal town.


    "Ah," Odell broke from his stumbled state for a moment to address the sight. "What''s the Ali doing here? Who''s that?" he exclaimed.


    "After defeating the beast, we intend to sail over to Nun; Harlan brought the vehakul to the shore last night," Gwyn explained.


    "You... drove it without me!" Odell stammered at the Zenotote girl. She shyly nodded and took a step back.


    "You didn''t push any weird buttons, did you? Did it handle okay? How''s the steering?" Odell began to throw many questions at Harlan, and she calmly answered each.


    "Hurry up, lads and lasses, the daylights about to start burning!" Captain Stone shouted to the group. They made their way onto the ship.


    The captain''s boat resembled something like a flat bed truck. The front was made up of two sections stacked on top of each other. The top housed the helm, while the bottom had a kitchen and restroom. The rest of the ship was a flat space where cargo could be loaded for moving across the channel or seats could be set out for fishing. The captain used it for both. On the ship''s side, the name "Sea Spirit" was written.


    The ship began to shudder as the captain started it. The vessel floated to hover just above the water and set off into the channel.


    At the early hour, the water was still calm. The City of Nun shined brightly in the distance and looked as if it had never gone to sleep. The coastal town shrunk behind the vessel without ever noticing the Sea Spirit leave.


    The Needaimus of all members bonded to their limbs. Odell found himself sitting in a chair set up next to the Ali. Next to the chair was a small circular table and another chair to which Kako had decided to move. She shuffled and flipped some cards on the table while Odell held his six-fingered hand to his grey forehead.


    The hovering technology the ship had on its base reduced the swaying of the waves, but Odell still didn''t feel well enough to do much.


    "We will have good fortune in this battle," Kako said after a moment of card flipping.


    "Who are you anyway?" Odell asked. He did not recall meeting her the previous night.


    "Kako, my dear. I''m a writer. And a semicolon."


    Odell blinked several times as he wondered how the newcomer predicted the question he would ask.


    Rheba stood on the edge of the flatbed portion of the ship. She had a hand over her forehead and stared out into the sea.


    "There''s nothing out there yet," she said.


    "I don''t think you need to be that focused to search... when it shows up, we''ll know...." Gwyn said as he recalled seeing a portion of the beast on the previous day.


    "We must remain on guard otherwise," Rheba replied.


    They sailed across the water for several hours until the captain finally stopped in the middle of the channel. The ship was turned so that its front faced the channel, with both cities running along either side.


    The old Aqueenian sailor then ran from the helm to the room just underneath. He emerged with a sizeable cannon-looking object.


    The team watched as the old sailor positioned the cannon and fired it into the open sea. A ball of what could only be described as goo sailed across the early morning sky and plunked into the sea.


    "What was that?" Gwyn asked cautiously.


    "Some fantastic bait!" Captain Stone replied.


    "Be at the ready!" Rheba shouted.


    Her words came too late. The water began to churn and stir moments before she could shout. The calm sea instantly became rough as just under where the bait had been shot; the beast started to emerge.


    Its body resembled that of a snake as it climbed up into the sky. In mere moments, it rivaled the height of the skyscrapers in the distant City of Nun. The Japhinth looked down from the sky as it turned its giant head.


    The body was red and looked more smooth than scaly. Its head was long with a snout like a wolf. The eyes were black and beady and stared daggers at the group below. Small fins, relative to the beast''s size, sat by its head in a similar manner to some eels.


    Gwyn gulped and clenched his good hand tightly.


    The beast bared sharp fangs at the boat as they stared at one another.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ big¡­.¡± Odell said as he stared up at the giant beast from on top of the chair seat. He already felt too unwell to stand, and the sight of the ferocious beast just made his condition worse.


    ¡°She¡¯s a big one,¡± Captain Stone commented with a laugh. Of all the passengers on the boat, only two had laid eyes on the ferocious sea beast before.


    The Japhinth made an enormous roar that echoed across the clear sky. The waves seemed to tremble at its fury and woke many in the cities that surrounded the scene. Sirens that resembled the sound of an air raid fired off in the coastal town of Aqui. Meanwhile, the citizens of Nun that could witness the sight began to cheer for the excellent show that was about to begin.


    Rheba punched a fist into a flat palm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the plan!¡± she shouted as the beast watched them with beady eyes.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s my cue!¡± Kako happily chirped as she stood up from her chair. She gently pushed her twintails from in front of her shoulders to behind before waving her hands. Purple energy glowed around her palms.


    She waved them around a moment before thrusting them to Rheba. The Bentulousian warrior was suddenly enveloped in the purple hue.


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    ¡°How should I¨C¡± Rheba began to speak, but Kako quickly interrupted.


    ¡°Keep your mouth shut, or you might bite your tongue!¡± she said in a haughty voice.


    Before anything else could be said, Rheba was suddenly thrust into the air at the giant beast. Everyone else watched in awe as the giant warrior flew to the head of the even more enormous monster.


    ¡°Alright, you''re next dear!¡± Kako said with a wink to Harlan. The green Zenotote began to shake her head vigorously. She had not quite agreed to the plan, but she had not been bold enough to outright turn it down.


    Harlan¡¯s refusal was not enough, and before long, she too was sent soaring through the sky at the beast.


    Gwyn quickly made his way to the Ali-442 and opened the door.


    ¡°Odell¨C Actually, you¡¯re not in the best shape¡­ Hal, I need help!¡± He shouted. Hal shrugged and ran to help Gwyn with his segment of the plan. Fiona and Odell just watched.


    Rheba had been thrust with enough force to feel like she was shot out of a cannon. Her brown fur, short as it was, furiously gave way in the wind and her orange braids and tail fluttered without care.


    ¡°Mini, points,¡± Rheba managed to say over the gust.


    Currently 1583, I would expect it to be plenty here! The purple Needaimus fastened to her arm happily said. The numbers appeared in the corner of Rheba¡¯s field of vision.


    Rheba weighed her options in her mind. Her Needaimus awarded ¡°points¡± for doing honorable or good things. Anything from holding a door open to giving a compliment to saving people from a burning fire could count, but the Needaimus type was a Surri built for combat. Victory over opponents, taking leadership when none were around, and fighting for glory awarded far more.


    She could spend those points whenever she wanted to add more ¡°weight¡± to her words, and the ability would make it happen. The cost of points depended on how much demand the words conveyed. Something that Rheba could do ordinarily would be 0 points, and the amount scaled up with how extraordinary the announced words would be.


    ¡°I will punch hard enough to bruise!¡± Rheba declared. She reached the beast and decked it in the chin at that moment. The Japhinth let out a cry as its whole head was turned upright. The soundwave from the punch echoed across the water, and the number only Rheba could see began to tick down for the points spent.


    Rheba began to fall, and Harlan quickly caught her from behind. Unlike the Bentulousian warrior, she had remained tethered to Kako¡¯s magic. The plan had been two-fold. Rheba would punch the beast, and Harlan would be used to reel her back in.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fond of this arrangement,¡± Rheba said as a long ear on her head flicked.


    ¡°Nor am I,¡± The scaly scientist replied in disgust.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Fiona shouted from the boat.


    The Japhinth had quickly recovered and was lunging and the duo in the air with its mouth open and ready to snap shut.


    ¡°Pull them back!¡± Odell shouted.


    ¡°Sorry dear, the spells not that convenient,¡± Kako replied in an ¡®oops¡¯ tone.


    Fiona gritted her teeth and zapped next to the duo in the air as they began to fall toward the ocean. Simultaneously, the Japhinth¡¯s large mouth was starting to surround them like a cave in.


    Fiona grabbed the two and quickly locked onto the ship as the beast¡¯s teeth snapped shut. There was a flash of light three times, each getting closer to the boat. They appeared in a final zap on the Sea Spirit an instant later. Fiona breathed heavily and fell over. Between recovering from the previous night¡¯s alcohol and realizing just how close they were to getting eaten whole, she was spent.


    ¡°Fiona! You can teleport others! All this time, you made me walk!¡± Odell shouted from his chair.


    ¡°Not now, Odell!¡± Fiona shouted back weakly as she lay on the ground.


    ¡°Gwyn, are you ready!¡± Rheba shouted.


    The Japhinth was looking at the boat with rage in its eyes. Its jaw ached, and though it could not comprehend how the one who punched was sitting on the ship rather than in its stomach, a roar echoed out from the beast. Its fury would not easily be sated. Unfortunately for the Japhinth, getting angry was part of Captain Stone¡¯s plan.


    The top of the Ali began to slide back, and a Gatling gun quickly was lifted to the top. The group had mounted the bandit''s captured weapon into the Ali at Gwyn¡¯s behest. However, they did not understand why he wanted it. The Nonpareil awkwardly rested his bad left arm onto the gun and firmly gripped the crank in his good right hand.


    ¡°Eat lead, Levy!¡± Gwyn shouted to the Japhinth as he began to turn the crank. Laser energy began to spew out of the end of the rotating gun. ¡°Or lasers, I guess,¡± Gwyn said as the shots sailed past the beast. Hal popped up in the open roof and helped Gwyn rotate the weapon.


    The beast was unprepared as the laser shots bombarded across its face. It seemed to reel back but powered through the pain as it prepared to dive onto the ship and sink it beneath the waves.


    The Japhinth never got a chance to attack, however. As Gwyn moved the gun to shoot it, he targeted the left eye, which was quickly obliterated by the heavy weapon. The beast made a cry of pain and dove into the water.


    Gwyn quieted the Gatling gun. Captain Stone made his way back to the helm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let up on the gun just yet, son; she¡¯s got a bit more fight in her!¡± he shouted. A dark shadow could be seen getting larger and larger from underneath the boat.


    Captain Stone took off as fast as ¡®Sea Spirit¡¯ could move. They just cleared the area of the shadow as large teeth emerged from the water and shut with a loud snap.


    In front of the ship, the beast''s tail grew out of the sea like a giant tree. The captain spun the helm and the boat scrapped against the Japhinth¡¯s smooth hide.


    ¡°She¡¯s serious now!¡± the old captain said with a shout and a laugh. The beast''s head could be seen behind the ship as it chased after. A large wake formed, which might have been confused for a tidal wave in any other situation. As soon as it got close enough, it would be able to swallow the entire ship, crew and all.


    In the distance, the cities of Nun and Aqui began to shrink and go out of view.


    ¡°What do we do!¡± Fiona shouted.


    ¡°Should we throw the Bentulousian again?¡± Harlan asked. Rheba glared at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to shoot the other eye!¡± Gwyn shouted as he, with Hal¡¯s assistance, rotated the heavy gun to aim at the chasing head.


    ¡°Steady boy!¡± She¡¯ll be more dangerous if she¡¯s blind! Just stick with the plan!¡± Captain stone yelled back.


    As the good eye of the Japhinth trained on Gwyn, it dove beneath the waves.


    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Gwyn shouted back to the captain. He was answered with a belly laugh.


    ¡°Captain, you¡¯re having far too much fun!¡± Kako said with a sly smile.


    ¡°Your one to talk!¡± Odell shot back at the writer.


    ¡°Keep calm, young ones! I wouldn¡¯t risk my precious ship with a reckless plan! Look ahead!¡±


    The captain pointed out into the channel in front of them from the helm. All on the Sea Spirit turned to look.


    In the distance, two ships were coasting in the water. They were large and blocky¡ªHobusian in design.


    ¡°Those ships¡­¡± Odell muttered as they came into view. He held a hand to his head like a visor and squinted his eyes.


    ¡°The cavalry is here!¡± the captain shouted. ¡°Use that new-fangled gun to keep her head below the water for a moment!¡± Gwyn did as asked and laid down fire on the sea to keep the beast from coming up.


    As the ¡®Sea Spirit¡¯ sped through the two ships, Odell let out a cry:


    ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s my Dad¡¯s ship!¡±


    Something was shot off like a cannonball from the larger of the two Hobusian vessels.


    ¡°Ease up on the fire!¡± Captain Stone shouted to Gwyn as he stopped the Sea Spirit. The Nonpareil stopped shooting.


    The Japhinth immediately emerged from the water and opened its large mouth. The only thing the crew on the small ship could see looked like a jagged cave that was about to swallow them. Before it could consume the boat, a loud sound like an explosion echoed from atop the Japhinth¡¯s head.


    The beast¡¯s eyes rolled back into its head, and it fell limp and began to float on the water. A light hiss as it fell unconscious was the last thing heard.


    The group on the boat let out a sigh of relief while Captain Stone and Kako chuckled. On top of the Japhinth¡¯s head stood Platon, the Hobusian guard who held the title of ¡®world¡¯s strongest.¡¯ He slid his hand across his bony crown, which seemed to bend back across his head similarly to combing one''s hair. A visible lump could be seen where he had struck the beast on the head.


    Rheba looked at her own fist.


    ¡°I still have a long way to go,¡± she said silently as she tightened her grip.


    ¡°I love it when a plan comes together,¡± mused Captain Stone.


    Platon leaped off the head of the Japhinth as the smaller ship began to make its way to the beast. The crew jumped out and quickly began to wrap ropes around it.


    The world''s strongest landed on the Sea Spirit. The whole vessel shook as his feet made contact. Platon stood straight and looked at the rag tag team. His shoulders were broad, and he was a hair taller than Gwyn, which was well above the average for his species. Notably, no Needaimus was bonded to any limb.


    ¡°Odell,¡± he spoke with a voice that sounded like a rumble.


    ¡°Hey, Platon¡­¡± Odell had tried to sneak from his chair into the confine of the Ali, but the giant Hobusian had arrived before he could hide.


    ¡°Where were you in that fight?¡± Platon asked with his arms crossed. The large Hobusian ship began to sail closer as the world''s strongest gave the prince a disappointed look.


    ¡°Do they know each other?¡± Gwyn whispered after making his way from the Ali to Fiona.


    ¡°Platon teaches all the children of their noble families in combat¡­ he likes to say Odell is his worst student,¡± Fiona explained.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Gwyn suddenly shouted to the Hobusian warrior, ¡°Odell may not have been helpful here¡­ but he took a face full of books so I could defeat a bandit leader!¡±


    ¡°Gwyn¡­¡± Odell whispered in a tone that indicated the Nonpareil should stop helping. Platon closed his eyes and shook his head.


    ¡°Captain Stone!¡± A shout came from the larger Hobusian vessel as it got closer. Odell¡¯s father, King Fio, jumped off the larger ship and landed on the smaller Sea Spirit. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Aqueenians solve their own problems?¡± he asked with a laugh. The captain chuckled in reply and made his way from the helm.


    ¡°You still owe me for the Leth Lake incident!¡± the captain shouted back. Neither of the two had any sort of malice in their voices. When they came close, they clasped hands together in an aggressive handshake.


    With the funeral for King Whitlock taking several days after the regicide, Odell¡¯s father had left Quenth as the team freed Horizon. His ships had to detour due to the Japhinth, and Captain Stone¡¯s call would delay him further, but he was happy to take a bit more time before getting back.


    ¡°What¡¯s the Leth Lake incident?¡± asked Gwyn.


    ¡°Just old men reminiscing; pay no mind to what they say,¡± Odell said while rolling his eyes.


    As the old men got lost in their idle chat, the rest of the team began to relax. The second Hobusian ship began to haul away the Japhinth that they tied to their boat, and Kako happily was writing in a notebook.


    ¡°What are they going to do with Levy?¡± Gwyn asked as he sat down next to their vehakul. Fiona, Odell, and Rheba had chosen to sit and use the Ali as a support to lean back on, and the nonpareil followed suit.


    ¡°Levy?¡± Rheba asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what some old guy on the beach called the Japhinth,¡± Fiona explained as she shook her head. ¡°Gwyn, we shouldn¡¯t name the sea monsters,¡± she added.


    ¡°Hahaha, I like it,¡± Odell said with a laugh.


    ¡°They will pull the Japhinth out to the open sea, them they will release it,¡± Rheba told Gwyn.


    ¡°I see,¡± Gwyn replied. He turned back to listen to the old men.


    ¡°That is why I insist you must join us for a meal on my ship!¡± King Fio said though Gwyn had not heard what led up to his invitation.


    Odell began to squirm.


    ¡°Ah, I suppose it won¡¯t hurt. Hey kids, the hoity-toity king here wants to feed us!¡± The captain yelled to the team. King Fio laughed and smacked Stone on the back.


    ¡°I¡¯m up for some free food!¡± Gwyn replied with a smile. The others did not share his enthusiasm but couldn¡¯t say no to a king.

 68 – A Meal With The Hobusian King

    King Fio quickly had his ship¡¯s crew throw down a ladder. They climbed up to the large Hobusian flagship as Captain Stone tied his boat to the larger vessel.


    In no time at all, the team, Captain Stone, and Kako were all given seats at a long table that stretched across the ship''s inside. The room was an ample, open space with velvet curtains set up on the walls, despite the fact that there were no windows. Candles lit the interior with flickering flames. They were meant to provide a sense of ambiance within the ship.


    Between the curtains hanging on the walls, sets of armor and weapons were placed. They seemed random to the uninformed observer, but as the armor sets circled the room, they represented different eras of the Hobusian empire. Gwyn was the only one that cared to pay them any attention.


    King Fio sat at the end of the table. Odell sat on his right, and Captain Stone sat on his left. The rest of the team randomly sat around the table.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see that everyone is doing well!¡± the king announced at the start of the dinner with a bellowing speech. ¡°I have to admit; I was a little worried when you all were darted off on this quest in such a rush. Of course, I knew Odell would be okay, but imagine my surprise to read about that small town you saved! What a riot. Since that happened, the Fio family¡¯s reputation has gone up massively in the polls!¡±


    ¡°What is he talking about?¡± Gwyn whispered to Fiona, who sat next to him.


    ¡°The Hobusians elect a new king from one of seven noble families every 30 years. Election year just happens to be this one,¡± she quickly whispered back.


    ¡°Now, I know you all still have a hard investigation within Nun,¡± King Fio continued, ¡°And I do not wish to take the murder of my dear friend lightly, but for today we shall drink and be merry!¡±


    As King Fio finished the speech, the food was carried in by the ship¡¯s crew, who temporarily served as wait staff. Their grey hands quickly placed a series of dishes and saucers in front of each person at the table.


    The dish was a traditional Hobusian one. To Gwyn, it looked as if he was just handed a seared steak, fried chicken, bacon, and a small side of potatoes to act as some vegetables. He soon found that the meals were not what they seemed as none tasted like the food he imagined. Surprisingly, the dish that resembled a potato tasted like it was also made of meat. Fiona was the only exception to the others as she was handed a leafy salad.


    Everyone ate in silence for a moment as King Fio looked back and forth. He had intended to give someone else a chance to speak, but no one took the opportunity. He sighed and broke the silence.


    ¡°So, Bentulousian, how is the meal?¡± the king asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Rheba, father,¡± Odell chimed in as he cut his steak-like meat.


    Rheba was eyeing her own piece of faux steak that had been cooked to the point past well-done. She wanted to decry the chef who ruined the perfectly good meat, but she thought it best to hold her tongue in front of the foreign leader.


    ¡°Personally, I like my steaks medium,¡± Gwyn said as he tried to chew the meat. Odell looked at the unaware human, who had just insulted several royal chefs, in shock. For his part, King Fio laughed.


    ¡°The Nonpareil is quite opinionated! I like it!¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Gwyn said as he cut another piece of his steak-like meal.


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    Fiona chuckled, Odell shook his head, and Hal rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I must say, it is a pleasure to eat with you, King Fio,¡± Rheba said after patting her napkin over her mouth. She was keen to change the subject. ¡°You have so many legendary accomplishments.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, trying to flatter me, eh?¡±


    ¡°Not at all; I was raised to respect any great warrior,¡± Rheba explained.


    ¡°He¡¯s not all that great, though!¡± Captain Stone chimed in with a laugh. ¡°I could tell you stories from the old day if you want?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± King Fio¡¯s tone switched from cheerful to serious in an instant.


    ¡°Father,¡± Odell said while rolling his eyes.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for years, and that¡¯s how you are?¡± Stone shouted back with a laugh.


    ¡°Well, enough reminiscing,¡± King Fio said with a cough.


    ¡°Enough, we haven¡¯t even gotten started¨C¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you regale us with the story of your journey so far?¡± the king finished while ignoring the captain¡¯s aside.


    ¡°Oh, well. We left the city. We ended up in the village. We kicked some ass. We left.¡± Gwyn said.


    ¡°Gwyn, that¡¯s not how you tell a story!¡± Kako hissed from down the table.


    ¡°So, was this Someass a formidable foe? Were there other challenges? I¡¯m afraid your tale was a bit lacking.¡± King Fio looked for clarity.


    Hal cleared his throat to catch the attention of all the others. He slid his hand across his emerald, green hair as if to make it neater.


    ¡°Twas a cold and unforgiving night before the morn dawn broke. We found ourselves marooned in an empty farming village the day prior, and the only hope wast for our royal support, your very son, to repair the broken vehakul¡­.¡± Hal continued to tell the story of their trip from the farming campground to the village. He spun it in a manner that favored the Hobusian prince, and his language grew more and more ornate and poetic as the story continued. The tale covered the brave exploits of Odell as he broke free of the bandit prison, fought head-on with the general Icarus, and supported the Nonpareil in the final defeat of the bandit leader.


    When the Netzian soldier finished, he promptly returned to eating his meal without a second thought. Kako made a small clap.


    ¡°You have good potential, boy! If I weren¡¯t so much older, I¡¯d take you as a husband right now!¡± she said with a laugh.


    ¡°A fine tale!¡± Captain Stone added. King Fio nodded in agreement.


    ¡°From time to time, I dabble in prose,¡± Hal said with a roll of his yellow eyes.


    ¡°So, all I have to do is talk fancy, and I can get showers of praise?¡± Gwyn whispered to Fiona.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know storytelling was that easy,¡± she whispered back.


    Harlan shook her head, and Rheba sighed. Hal paid no mind to the two that whispered amongst each other.


    King Fio let out a laugh and smacked his son on the back.


    ¡°Well, that was quite the tale! I wish I were recording it to share back in the capital!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear you didn¡¯t ¡­¡± Odell said as he shyly looked at the floor. He wasn¡¯t sure he liked getting all the attention, especially when events were blown out of proportion like in Hal¡¯s recount.


    The king gave off another belly laugh; then, his face turned serious. Everyone was beginning to finish their meals, and he figured it was the best time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to change the mood suddenly, but I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t invite you to dinner just for all the laughs. What was it? Kako dear, may I ask you to leave the room?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± she happily replied.


    Once the Hobusian-Aqueenian author had left, King Fio began to speak again.


    ¡°I have been looking into the matter of Jol¨C King Whitlock¡¯s murderer myself. She is well regarded in Nun as a beauideal, but I believe she is by no means the master mind. I know our dear Queen Whitlock believed the Mayor of Nun to be suspect, but I think he would only be another pawn for an organization known as Array.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Array?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°A secretive group of sorts. I suppose you could call them an intelligence agency. They have supported many of our nations in the past by providing aid to those that suffered, with the motto that ¡®They shall bring peace to the world,¡¯¡± the king explained.


    ¡°They don¡¯t sound all that bad,¡± Gwyn added.


    ¡°They are also believed to have instigated the last Hobusian and Aqueenian war.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all Gwyn could reply.


    King Fio shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take this investigation lightly,¡± he cautioned.


    Gwyn smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that bandit leader was pretty tough too, but we took him down." The Nonpareil did his best to put his hands up like he was about to box. His right hand made the correct shape, but his bad left hand weakly shook as he tried to ball it into a fist. ¡°We can take on anyone!¡±


    ¡°I hope you are correct,¡± King Fio said. He began to tell the team all he knew of the mysterious organization known as Array.

 69 – At Last, the City of Nun

    When the team, Captain Stone and Kako, finished their dinner with the Hobusian King, they spent a moment to rest before they made their way down to the smaller ¡®Sea Spirit,¡¯ which Captain Stone owned.


    Odell was the last to leave the ship, but he was momentarily stopped by his father¡¯s hand on his shoulder.


    King Fio leaned in close to his second son and whispered:


    ¡°Be wary on your travels; the more I have thought about this, the more I worry about what plots we are playing into.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad; we will be alright!¡± Odell said in a reassuring tone.


    ¡°I hope that is true; in any case, when you are in the city, seek out an old acquaintance of mine. He goes by Tancred, and he runs a detective agency in Nunvo.¡± The king handed Odell a letter. ¡°I had sent an advanced force to the city, but worryingly, I lost contact when it seemed a discovery would be made. When you see Tancred, give him this letter, but don¡¯t open it beforehand¡­ and it''s best to keep it quiet until the time comes.¡±


    ¡°A letter, dad, that¡¯s a bit old-fashioned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it is secure; now, journey on, my son!¡±


    With his father¡¯s final words, Odell made his way down the ladder and joined the rest of the team. He carefully slid the letter into his pocket and joined their casual chat. Captain Stone fired up the ship''s engine and set out toward the city nation of Nun.


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no more sea monsters, right?¡± Gwyn asked as he looked over the edge of the truck-shaped ship.


    ¡°No, Gwyn,¡± Fiona replied.


    ¡°No other towns to stop at?¡± he added.


    ¡°Non at all,¡± the princess replied again.


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯re almost to this city!¡±


    ¡°Right you are!¡±


    The Nonpareil and blue princess jumped in the air with joy while shouting ¡®yay¡¯ in unison.


    ¡°We will need to have a plan for once we arrive,¡± Rheba said as she crossed her arms. Hal nodded in agreement. Harlan reluctantly nodded as well.


    ¡°First thing we need is a change of clothes,¡± Odell said. The others looked at him with confusion. Kako chuckled to herself.


    ¡°He¡¯s right; you¡¯ll only stand out dressed in those clothes,¡± the author chimed in.


    The group looked down at their attire. They wore standard clothes for their respective nation''s attire. Gwyn held the end of the orange cloak on his shoulder and tilted his head. Everything he had seen worn on Resh was undoubtedly striking. He could see how he might stand out dressed like he was.


    ¡°They will have plenty of clothing stores, don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Odell said with a smile. ¡°The more important thing is what we do with the Ali-442.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they have plenty of long-term parking,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Rheba, we¡¯ve been on this long journey; this vehakul is part of the team now!¡± Odell said. ¡°Plus, I want to try my modi¨C I mean, don¡¯t you all feel anything parting ways for so long?¡±


    The others shook their heads in unison.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been that into cars,¡± Gwyn said.


    ¡°The seats are uncomfortable,¡± Fiona added.


    ¡°I¡¯m too tall,¡± Rheba grumbled.


    ¡°It smells¡­¡± Harlan whispered.


    ¡°Netzian technology is superior!¡± Hal boasted.


    Odell¡¯s mouth was wide open in shock. He had thought all the issues of the Ali just added more character to it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little cute,¡± Kako commented.


    ¡°Thank you, Kako; at least someone here has taste!¡± Odell said as he turned away from the group. He crossed his long arms and huffed.


    The rest of the group agreed they would put their transport into long-term storage, much to Odell¡¯s chagrin.


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    As they reached their conclusion, the small ¡®Sea Spirit¡¯ entered the port of Nun. They were immediately surrounded by a swarm of luxury ships making their way out to the channel as they came in close. The citizens of Nun had gleefully watched the Japhinth chase Captain Stone¡¯s small ship away earlier and, now with clear and safe waters, were leaving early in the morning to party through the night.


    The team anxiously sat as the captain expertly maneuvered through the storm of ships. The small ¡®Sea Spirit¡¯ weaved back and forth on the water like it was performing a small dance while the already drunk Nun citizens angrily yelled down:


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡±


    Gwyn made a small confirmation to himself that road rage, or sea rage, in this case, was universal.


    Eventually, the boats cleared up, and Captain Stone gracefully pulled his ship to port. As the team jumped off the boat onto the dock, they stared up at the intimidating bright buildings that towered over them like giants. Odell navigated the Ali-442 from the ship to the port as the captain walked from the helm to the open flat bed of the ship. Some dock employees quickly spoke with Rheba to check the paperwork.


    ¡°Well, this is where we part ways,¡± the captain said to the team as he looked down from the deck of his ship. ¡°It was wonderful getting to know you lot!¡± he added.


    Rheba returned from the paper check and reached a hand up to Stone. It easily reached the captain¡¯s ankles. He happily kneeled down and accepted her handshake.


    ¡°Thanks for your help, captain,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all mine, dear. Next time any of you are in Aqui, stop by my pub!¡± With his final words, the old captain departed Nun and headed back to the coastal town on the other side of the channel. Gwyn, Fiona, Rheba, and Odell waved goodbye as he left. Harlan watched the others and pondered if she should join in, and Hal stood with his arms crossed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is where I must part ways as well,¡± Kako said from behind the team. They turned to look at her. ¡°I have some business in this city, but I do look forward to seeing you again!¡± With her final words, the author, K.A. Natos, turned away and began to walk away from the dock.


    The group gathered together into an incidental huddle shape and discussed what they ought to do next.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here; let¡¯s go see the city!¡± Fiona said.


    ¡°We need to start on reconnaissance right away!¡± Rheba interjected.


    ¡°A place to lay our heads should be prioritized,¡± Hal added.


    ¡°Does it seem like we are getting stared at?¡± Gwyn asked as he looked around.


    There were very few citizens on the docks. A Hobusian, a Bentulousian, and their children stood a little down the way, and a Zenotote and Aqueenian pair of students had stopped their morning commute. All looked and muttered to the others about the odd team on the beach.


    ¡°I told you!¡± Odell hissed to the others. ¡°All our clothes are giveaways that we are from other nations!¡±


    The team quickly hurried into the vehakul and sped off into the streets of Nun.


    ***


    To say the city of Nun was a well-laid-out city would be a lie. The town was initially founded by several small huts built around a grand carnival celebration. As the town grew larger, the streets were laid out wherever the builders pleased. Eventually, it grew into a city, then into the mega city the team drove through.


    The streets curved, bent, and made complete U¡¯s, but the citizens happily walked along the sidewalks through the poor layout without a care in the world. Gwyn couldn¡¯t help but observe the scene outside.


    The carnival nature of the city''s founding carried heavily through its design aesthetics. Bright colors and equally bright lights lined the buildings and walkways. Food stalls were set up everywhere, and vendors dished out all manners of meals.


    The citizens wore brightly dressed, gaudy clothes. The average wear looked more like they would belong in a circus and the fancy options seemed more suitable for a masquerade. Frills and patterns lined the garments, and it quickly dawned on Gwyn that they stood out simply for the lack of chaos in what they wore.


    The city streets were full of citizens of varying species on Resh. Dressed in the bright garb and surrounded by the dazzling lights, they walked and talked with each other without a care in the world.


    ¡°I have lots of questions,¡± Gwyn said as he nearly pressed his face against the passenger seat window of the Ali. He wanted to ask about the city¡¯s history. He wanted to ask about their tastes in fashion. He wanted to ask many things simultaneously and could not decide which should take priority.


    ¡°Later, Gwyn, I see a clothing store!¡± Odell replied. He slowly and awkwardly parallel parked the Ali-442 on the side of the street. To their side was a store with a brightly lit neon light that said, ¡®Garments and Garb.¡¯ The team got several strange looks flashed their way as they entered the store.


    Lines of bright and awkward-looking clothes were set out, and everyone quickly got to work in selecting their new ware.


    ¡°These are a bit much,¡± Gwyn said as he looked at what he tried on. He had found an orange tailcoat that matched the color of his cape. The coat went past his waist and ended at a sharp point. A black circuit bord pattern decorated the coat, and he selected grey-blue pants to accompany it.


    ¡°They are well within our budget,¡± Rheba explained after donning her new outfit. She wore a checkered shirt and a purple skirt. A burgundy vest draped over her shoulders and buttoned just below her chest. Matching checkered socks stretched up just above her ankles.


    ¡°I think he means they are too much in appearance and not budget. Odell said with a laugh. He had found a baggy vest and pants that were split between yellow and green. A series of swirls danced along with the fabric.


    ¡°Simple clothes were in reach; it is your fault for not grabbing them,¡± Hal said as he finished tying a bow tie around his neck. He had selected a brown dotted suit vest and green pants. A short cape that matched his pants was draped over his shoulders.


    Harlan simply shook her head as she joined the group. She wore what looked like a bright orange suit and tie.


    ¡°Hey, you copied me!¡± Fiona said to Gwyn as she was last to emerge from the changing room. She had selected a yellow tailcoat with a more medieval gothic appearance than Gwyn¡¯s, which would have been suitable ware at a fine dining restaurant.


    ¡°I was out first, though,¡± Gwyn replied as Rheba paid the cashier.


    ¡°Do you know any good inns?¡± the Bentulousian warrior asked as her receipt was printed.


    ¡°There¡¯s one down Party Street,¡± the cashier lazily replied.


    ¡°We will check it out, thank you,¡± Rheba replied. She relayed the information to the group, and they quickly set out to find a place to stay after Odell managed to get out of his parallel parking spot.

 70 – A Base of Operations

    The team drove around the city for about an hour before finally making their way to the so-called ¡®Party Street.¡¯ Though, it should have taken only five minutes in a properly laid out and traffic-free city. Odell slowly navigated their vehakul to a brightly colored and blinking inn that looked more like a casino than a place to rest their heads.


    ¡°We will get a room, and Harlan will take the Ali to put in long-term parking,¡± Rheba said as she carefully stretched her long leg out of the cramped Ali.


    ¡°Wait, can¡¯t we¨C¡± Odell was interrupted as he was pulled by the Bentulousian warrior away from the Ali-442. Harlan got into the vehakul and nodded to the others. ¡°Wait, Harlan!¡± Odell cried out as the Ali floated away.


    The Hobusian prince crossed his long arms and puffed his already puffy cheeks to show his disappointment with the others as they entered the inn. They paid him no mind as they got into the building and checked out three rooms. Harlan returned in no time at all, and the whole group sat in one of their rooms.


    The inside of the inn was just as bright as the outside. The bedding and furniture were covered in a neon yellow fabric, and the walls were painted an electric blue. Shiny chrome wall art hung around the room, and lime green trimming divided the pink carpet from the walls.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Gwyn asked while trying not to stare too much at any of the bright room d¨¦cor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go right up to the mayor¡¯s office!¡± Fiona happily declared. The others shook their heads.


    ¡°We will not get an audience with the mayor so easily,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°Should he prove to be an adversary, we will not want an audience with him,¡± Hal added.


    ¡°Where even is the mayor¡¯s office?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Probably in central Nun; we are in Nunno currently,¡± Harlan whispered to him.


    ¡°I thought we were in Nun,¡± the Nonpareil replied.


    It took the group staring at him for a while before they picked up why he was confused. Odell was the first to realize. He made an ¡®ah-ha¡¯ expression and smacked a fist on a palm.


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    ¡°Nun as a city is almost as large as some nations. As such, it is divided into several districts,¡± the Hobusian prince began to explain. ¡°Nun Central is in the middle of the city. The other sections of the town are named with the four directions. On a map: Nunvo is at the top, Nunan is on the right, and Nunno is on the bottom. The last section to the left, Nundy, is currently being built.¡±


    Gwyn nodded to show that he understood. He began to relate the directions with his earth equivalents in his mind.


    ¡°As it is our first time in the city, I would think we ought to take time and explore today,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°Oh, like a vacation?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°But, I¡¯ve already been here¡­¡± Odell added.


    The Bentulousian warrior shook her head.


    ¡°The day is already well underway. We ought to take some time to become acclimated to this strange city''s sights before we try to investigate within it. If we stay in Nunno, it may also contribute to our investigation.¡±


    Hal nodded in agreement with Rheba.


    ¡°Do we split up?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°We might want to, but not individually. Maybe two groups of three, but how should we divide the team?¡± Rheba thought out loud.


    ¡°Maybe we draw straws?¡± Gwyn suggested. The others stared at him blankly.


    ¡°Uh, I hold a bundle of sticks that all look the same, but what is hidden is different. We each grab one, and that is how we split up.¡± The others continued to look at the odd human blankly.


    Gwyn gave up on his explanation. He quickly bonded with Mem and made a series of several sticks with the hotel''s chrome wall art. Three of the sticks were made with an orb and the end, and three more were made without. He showed the group and then held the sticks, so only the identical ends were visible.


    Odell caught on quickly and selected his choice. He pulled one with a sphere. Rheba was next and drew a stick that did not have a sphere. The others made their choices, leaving Gwyn with one leftover.


    The groups formed consisted of Hal, Odell, and Fiona in one and Rheba, Harlan, and Gwyn in the other. The Zenotote scientist and Bentulousian warrior glared at each other with fiery eyes as they realized they were stuck in a group together. Gwyn sighed as he awkwardly stood between them.


    Hal, meanwhile, stood with crossed arms and a frown as Fiona and Odell engaged in a chat on either side of him.


    ¡°Hey, Odell, I once heard theirs a nice restaurant somewhere in this part of town.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of nice restaurants, and this is a big city; you¡¯ll have to be more specific.¡±


    ¡°They serve Aqueenian dishes with a Hobusian flair, or so my father said after visiting once,¡± Fiona clarified.


    ¡°Ah, I know the place! My uncle took me when we visited,¡± Odell said with a smile


    ¡°We came for business, not eating,¡± Hal grumbled to the two of them.


    The two groups departed their room and headed out into the city. Later, the hotel staff would find the damaged wall art and add a hefty fee to the final bill.

 71 – A Beauideal Concert-Match

    The trio of Gwyn, Rheba, and Harlan began to walk down the colorful streets of Nun. Rheba kept her eyes focused forward while Harlan kept hers pointed to the ground. Gwyn looked all around at everything there was to see. Each Needaimus hung on their respective mortal¡¯s shoulder. The trio found that walking through the city and driving through the city, as they had done prior, offered two very different experiences.


    All around, coupled with the many lights and colors, there was an abundance of din. People walking and talking made sounds of merriment, anger, peace, and calm. Machines on the streets echoed their engines through the tall buildings, and assortments of buzzers, whistles, and instruments could be heard occasionally. All the sounds merged into a mess of noise around the trio.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Gwyn tried asking a couple of times, and Harlan would answer him quietly, at least compared to the rest of the city. From her point of view, she had to be louder than ever just so the Nonpareil could hear her words.


    Rheba rubbed her chin as she walked through the town. She had heard stories about Nun and how it was devoid of any plant life, and she had some inkling from broadcasts on the tablets. As they pressed on, she saw how true it was. Her own home had their cities and towns built into, and alongside, a dense jungle. She had often noticed how other nations would be considerate of having some plants: Aqueenians valued a ritual green space, Hobusians valued beautiful rock and plant combinations, and Netzians lined trees and flowers in rows next to their streets, but Nun was devoid of any.


    The Bentulousian warrior did her best to focus her gaze forward to avoid getting too distracted. She wondered if she understood how Gwyn felt since, for the first time, she felt as if she had gone to another world.


    Harlan did her best not to put both of her clawed hands over where her ¡®ears¡¯ would be. She found the city far too overwhelming and anxiety-inducing and wished she was back in the tiny, quiet Aqueenian village where the team had had their campout. After a moment of thought, she shook her head and instead wished to be back in her personal lab.


    ¡°Are we even finding anything out? Maybe we ought to take a break?¡± Gwyn asked after a while.


    They had walked through the streets, but they had not made any progress on their mission other than taking in the sights.


    Rheba was the only one who read the tablet provided by the Aqueenian government in full. Hal had skimmed it, and Harlan glanced at it for a moment, but the Bentulousian warrior was the only one who seemed to know the full extent of their mission.


    After the regicide of King Whitlock, the Aqueenian investigation had found that Dia Mond had a strong connection to the Mayor of Nun; she had been seen going in and out of the Mayor¡¯s estate by paparazzi on many occasions. The information eventually led the government of Aquia to contact Nun. The megacity brushed them off.


    The group''s task was to look throughout the city for signs that Nun was plotting some mass scaled invasion, conspiracy, or any other wrongdoings. It was very vague, which annoyed Rheba somewhat, but she let it go.


    At least to the Bentulousian warrior, what was important was that they ought to engage with some of the events and citizens of the grand city to start finding leads. As she looked forward, she saw a building that would most certainly be an event for them to engage with.


    One of the many beauideal stage-arena¡¯s stood in front of them. It was a lesser arena known as ¡®Sing n Brawl,¡¯ which housed some of the beauideal events.


    At a young age, Rheba discovered the profession known as a beauideal while watching a Bentulousian tablet program about the different sorts of cultures in other nations. The program had spun the event in a negative light, but the much smaller and impressionable Rheba had become instantly enamored with the idea of beautiful singing beauideals. She became a fan but had to keep the matter a secret.


    As the giant warrior stared off into the first Stage-Arena she had seen in real life, she became uncertain if her desire to visit was for the mission or her long-time obsession. Nevertheless, she answered Gwyn.


    ¡°Your right Gwyn; perhaps we ought to stop somewhere for a while to rest,¡± she said.


    Harlan looked up for a moment and off in the distance. She saw the same stage-arena and her green; slit eyes grew wide. She began to shake her head to indicate ¡®no,¡¯ but neither of the other two noticed.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°There will be a beauideal show in that building up ahead; perhaps we should check it out?¡±


    Gwyn made a soft ¡®hmm¡¯ to himself as he thought. He recalled Dia was also a beauideal, and if they engaged her again, it might benefit him to know more about what they were. He was also interested in the culture and planned to ask many questions about how such an event formed.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with that,¡± the Nonpareil finally answered.


    Harlan let her head hang. She took a deep breath as she began to collect herself. Whatever happened, she did not want to get overwhelmed by the atmosphere of a live beauideal show. Unlike Rheba, whose love for the beauideals was well known, Harlan had a secret affection that she did not wish to get discovered.


    ¡°Are you okay with going, Harlan?¡± Gwyn asked as he turned to the Zenotote. She perked up in surprise at his concern for her opinion.


    ¡°Zenototes are too sophisticated to enjoy the simple art of beauideals,¡± Rheba said. Harlan glared at her.


    ¡°I find it surprising that a Bentulousian could even perceive what was going on,¡± the green-yellow lizard replied coolly.


    The two glared at each other for a moment. Gwyn sighed, then he cleared his throat.


    ¡°Are we going?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course, the Zenotote may remain outside if she so chooses,¡± Rheba said as she began to walk to the stage-arena.


    ¡°I would ask you don¡¯t decide things for me!¡± Harlan calmly replied as she followed the Bentulousian warrior. The Zenotote scientist had been swept up with a stronger desire not to lose in some way to Rheba and momentarily forgot her hesitancy to reveal her interests.


    Gwyn shrugged and shook his head. He couldn¡¯t tell if they were getting along now or not.


    ***


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would look like this?¡± Gwyn said as he and the others shuffled into their arena seats. Harlan was on his left, and Rheba sat on his right. The building design and layout were best described as looking eerily similar to a sports arena on earth. It was an indoor space with an ovular shape and stadium-style folding chairs. At the center, the arena was an open, flat plane. A raised platform was in the center that was shaped like an ¡®¢ñ.¡¯


    Lights poured down on the platform so intensely that the crowd around it might have been shrouded in darkness if not for the many blue and red glowsticks that each held in their hands.


    Rheba, of course, had insisted that each of them buy an expensive glowing device from the vendors in the halls before entering the seating area. She, Gwyn, and Harlan held bright blue glowsticks in their hands.


    ¡°What did you think it would look like?¡± Rheba asked Gwyn.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, more like a stage with seating on one side. And more speakers on stage, I guess,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Gwyn, I think you might-¡± Harlan began to say something to the Nonpareil, but a sudden shout from the crowd drowned her out.


    On the stage, an announcer had come to stand in the middle of the ¡®¢ñ.¡¯ He wore what looked to Gwyn like a cross between a referee outfit and a clown outfit.


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    ¡°Welcome all of you lovely people!¡± the announcer shouted. The sounds reverberated down across the audience from hidden speakers on the ceiling. The crowd roared and shook their glowsticks in response. Rheba joined in, and¡ªto Gwyn¡¯s surprise¡ªHarlan happily joined in with the rest of the venue.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not here for me!¡± the announcer happily continued; the crowd laughed along with him, ¡°So, without further ado! Up first, we have the ever lovely, ever blue, Kitten!¡± The announcer gestured to one end of the arena. From open doors, the beauideal emerged.


    She wore a dazzling blue dress that seemed to sparkle in the light as she walked. It had a short skirt and open shoulders. An equally blue Needaimus was bonded to her arm.


    The beauideal, Kitten, was a Netzian. She stood slightly taller than an average human and had pointed grey ears on top of matching hair and a grey tail that danced behind her as she walked onto the platform. Other than Bentalousian ears and tail, she looked like an average human.


    ¡°How are you doing today, Kitten?¡± the announcer asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing wonderful today! Thanks for asking!¡± she spoke in a high, cheerful, and chipper voice.


    ¡°Do you have kittens in this world?¡± Gwyn asked Harlan.


    ¡°It¡¯s something from Netzian lore; supposedly, it¡¯s an adorable creature,¡± the scaly Zenotote explained.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear that!¡± the announcer continued, ¡°but will it stay wonderful with your opponent today! The fiery and always fierce Scarlet Red!¡±


    More shouts echoed from the arena as the next beauideal entered the arena. She was a ruby red Aqueenian with long silver hair and deep blue eyes. Her dress was a lacy white dress which was short in the front and long in the back. A blue Needaimus was bonded to her arm.


    ¡°Well, Scarlet, how are you today!¡± the announcer asked.


    ¡°Why the [bleep] do you care!¡± she snapped at him. An audible beep censored her foul language.


    ¡°Oh, Scarlet, you should watch your language,¡± the announcer said with a laugh. The rest of the crowd laughed along.


    ¡°So, is this like a battle of the bands sort of thing?¡± Gwyn whispered to his companions.


    ¡°Yes, they should start fighting very soon!¡± Rheba replied. Gwyn was growing concerned with what he had agreed to enter.


    ¡°Fighting?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Harlan added, ¡°It¡¯s all a performance.¡±


    Several of the crowd around her began to berate the Zenotote scientist.


    ¡°All a performance; I¡¯ve never heard something so ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, a fake fan here!¡±


    ¡°Why would you even come here!¡±


    ¡°I bet you¡¯re just lost!¡±


    Harlan let her head hang, and Gwyn struggled to find a way to stop the harsh words thrown at her.


    ¡°Hey!¡± he shouted, and the small section around them turned to look. He racked his brain for the next thing to say. Fortunately for Gwyn, Rheba stood up and glared at the berating crowd members from her imposing height.


    ¡°The concert-match is about to begin. Keep quiet,¡± the Bentulousian warrior snapped at them. They quickly fell in line.


    As Rheba sat down, Harlan looked up at her.


    ¡°Th- Thanks,¡± she slowly said. It pained the scientist to thank any Bentulousian.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t for your benefit,¡± Rheba said without turning to Harlan.


    Gwyn recalled Odell explaining how beauideal fans were often stereotyped as extreme, overbearing, and a little on the strange side. He was beginning to see it.


    On stage, the conversation between the beauideals had turned quite lively.


    ¡°You think you so [bleep] cute, don¡¯t you!¡± Scarlet was shouting and pointing at Kitten. The pointed ear Netzian simply smiled.


    ¡°Oh, Scarlet, you always have something negative to say. Can¡¯t you try to be more positive!¡± Kitten replied to the ruby red Aqueenian.


    ¡°[bleep] [bleep] [bleep] you [bleep] and [bleep],¡± the Aqueenian replied as her face grew redder.


    Kitten, and the crowd with her, gasped. Gwyn looked around, confused as the bleeps prevented anyone, not on stage from hearing. Rheba and Harlan didn¡¯t seem to mind as the show went on. The announcer made an awkward laugh.


    ¡°Well, with that lively banter, I think it is time we got this concert-match underway!¡± he quickly backed up to the edge of the arena as each beauideal took a stance. Loud and exciting music began to fill the arena as the opponents locked eyes with one another. Two bright spotlights were set over each of them.


    ¡°?Well, Scarlet, it seems we¡¯re here again. To do battle, as rivals¡­ or are we friends??¡±


    Kitten sang along with the music. Gwyn¡¯s mouth dropped; he was starting to figure out where the event was going.


    ¡°?Friends! Ha, don¡¯t make me laugh! If I saw you on the street, I¡¯d deck you right in the face!?¡±


    Scarlet sang back.


    Watching the two beautiful stars clash was something to behold. Their movements combined fierce strikes with the gracefulness of dance. All the while, they sang banter to each other or simply took the announcer''s job of describing what was going on.


    Kitten leaped back from her red Aqueenian opponent off the center stage and into the open arena. She moved her arms in dramatic motions.


    ¡°?And now you will have to taste the might of my Needaimus!?¡± she sung. All around the Netzian girl, bubbles began to form. The crowd cheered.


    ¡°What?¡± Gwyn managed to say.


    ¡°She has an Iki type that specializes in creating a slick sanitizing compound,¡± Rheba explained, though Gwyn had not expected to be heard over the loud crowd and louder music.


    ¡°?Ha, your pathetic ability is nothing to me!?¡± Scarlet sang her reply. The red Aqueenian stood on the stage one moment and in the next appeared right in front of Kitten. ¡°?Coursing power, red fury, ?¡± Scarlet sang as she kicked at Kitten''s stomach. The pointed ear girl dodged the blow by sliding across a slick of soap on the floor with the grace of an ice skater. Scarlet continued to sing as she tried to hit Kitten. The Netzian girl also sang along simultaneously, and their voices harmonized together.


    Eventually, the Aqueenian beauideal teleported directly behind Kitten. She struck her Netzian opponent in the back, and Kitten stumbled forward. The crowd cheered.


    Gwyn watched passively as he didn¡¯t sense any real danger from the combatants. He wondered if being in real fights had warped his enjoyment of such events. His theory was disproved when he glanced over at Rheba, who was so into the fight he could hardly recognize her.


    The Nonpareil sighed and turned his attention on the beauideals exchanging over-the-top blows as they sang. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m missing something,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    On stage, Kitten had recovered from her blow and was sliding around the stage backward. Scarlet would continually teleport in front of the Netzian opponent, and they would parry one of the other''s blows. The speed of the combatants trading blows was so fast that the audience was liable to get exhausted as they watched.


    ¡°?It was a cold morning. I longed for a friend, but you left me that day, ?¡± Kitten sung.


    ¡°?I simply found my way! No longer would I hold myself back for your sake!?¡± Scarlet replied.


    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Gwyn said as the two beauideals continued their dance-battle.


    ¡°It¡¯s part of their story,¡± Rheba answered as she shook the glowsticks in rhythm with the music, ¡°Kitten and Scarlet were once good friends, but when Kitten started to lose matches, they had a falling out. It was actually a scheme predicated by the beauideal Pincer¡­.¡± Rheba began to rattle off a storied history around the beauideals that covered several seasons of tournaments. Gwyn just nodded as the Bentulousian warrior went into intricate details of beauideal lore. It took Rheba a moment before she realized she got too excited. She made a slight cough into her hand and turned back to the fight.


    Kitten still appeared to ice skate across the arena floor backward while Scarlet continued a barrage of strikes. As she slid across the floor, a slick trail of soapy material was left. The material shined and sparkled as the brightly colored lights pounded on the scene, and the floor began to light up. As the Netzian beauideal swayed, it became clear that she was spelling something out while she sang.


    ¡°?I trained hard, found victory, but you still forgot me all the same!?¡± Kitten sang with heartbreak. She jumped in the air from her faux-ice skating and did a twirl and kick on Scarlet, who had teleported in the perfect spot to take a blow.


    The red Aqueenian disappeared from the air and reappeared on the stage. She looked to be breathing heavy, but her singing did not falter.


    ¡°?So, what? I have moved on! Friends again, we shall not be!?¡±


    ¡°?I know, that is why I came to say a final goodbye!?¡± Kitten finally stopped her skating. As she came to a graceful halt, the word ¡®goodbye¡¯ was completed with the soap as she said it aloud. The crowd echoed in a roar as the beauideals took a brief pause to stare at each other.


    ¡°This is big!¡± some people behind Gwyn were saying.


    ¡°It could indicate a whole new direction for her!¡± another added.


    The Nonpareil frowned. He had sat through calculus, circuit analysis, and many other advanced classes before changing his major to history, but it was at the beauideal concert-match that he felt more confused than he had in his whole life. As far as Gwyn was concerned, he might have gone to yet another new world.


    The beauideals on stage didn¡¯t give Gwyn a chance to think much longer. The music swelled, and they began their fight once again.


    Kitten leaped onto the stage and attacked Scarlet like a graceful boxer. As she struck, she sang in repetition:


    ¡°?Fourteen weeks in the Leth Forest,


    Seventeen in the Calli mountains,


    I admit it was a little abhorrent!


    But I finally found it!?¡±


    As the Netzian girl sang, Scarlet remained on the defensive from the onslaught of punches. The red Aqueenian harmonized with scat singing as she took the brunt of the attacks. The show was coming close to an end, but Gwyn was the only one who didn¡¯t realize it.


    Kitten finished her repetitive chorus with a: ¡°?I found how to win!?¡± As she said ¡®win,¡¯ she hit Scarlet with an upper cut. The red Aqueenian immediately fell onto her back, and the music ended dramatically.


    The crowd let out a final roar. It was filled with sounds of happy Kitten stans with blue glowsticks and sad Scarlet stans with red. Rheba furiously cried out with the crowd as she shook her blue glowstick. Harlan did the same with her blue glowstick but did not bother shouting or putting much vigor into it. However, considering the circumstance, it was more energy than the Nonpareil expected her to give. Gwyn awkwardly sat and stared at the scene as Kitten bowed to the audience.


    ¡°Thank you for your support, everyone!¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll [bleep] her up next time!¡± Scarlet mumbled from the ground. The lights on the stage faded to black, and lights on the ground lit up to aid everyone in leaving. Gwyn remained very confused as they walked from the seats back out to the street.


    Rheba and Harlan had temporarily lowered hostility to discuss a play-by-play of the fight as they exited. It only added to Gwyn¡¯s confusion about the whole event.

 72 – Street Circus Act

    The trio of Fiona, Hal, and Odell made their way down one of the busy streets of Nun¡¯s southern subsection. The scene was very lively, and both the Aqueenian princess and Hobusian prince, who Hal silently dubbed ¡®the royal pains,¡¯ had trouble keeping their eyes focused on what was ahead.


    Hal grumbled as he saw himself as the only one taking the mission seriously. The sooner they found something to report back with, the sooner he would get to go back to his home. He shuddered at the thought of how out of sorts things might be without him at the house.


    ¡°Hey, that restaurant looks good!¡± Odell said with a smile as he pointed to a building across the street. Hal swiftly moved behind his companions and pushed on their backs to keep them moving.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Fiona protested with a thunderous shout.


    ¡°Time is short; we must press on!¡± Hal grumbled.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t a restaurant a great place to get information?¡± Odell protested.


    ¡°Not if your intention is only to stuff your face!¡± Hal snapped.


    ¡°I bet the others aren¡¯t being this stiff!¡± Odell shot back.


    Hal didn¡¯t have to push them for much longer; both royal pains got the message and kept walking through the busy city street.


    Odell walked with his arms crossed and his head turned away from the green-haired Netzian.


    They went for a little longer down the busy street before crossing an intersection and turning. Each of the three could feel they were pointlessly wandering, but no one knew exactly where to go in the massive city.


    Odell felt for the letter his father had given him, which he kept out of sight in his pocket. The Hobusian king had to the so-called ¡®Tancred¡¯ was living in Nun, but he was on the north side of the city, and they would have to catch some city transit to make it there in a day. He wasn¡¯t sure he could convince the others since they had planned to explore the city''s south side, so he figured he ought to bide his time.


    They walked in silence for a while until shouts caught the attention of everyone in the area. The massive crowd of people, including the trio, turned to see.


    A man was standing in front of a large wooden booth with a curtain blocking the view. He was dressed in red pants with black shoes which curled up over his toes. His torso was covered in a sleek black coat with a tail that went very close to the ground. Around his neck, red feathers were arranged in a manner that looked like a lion¡¯s mane, and he wore a hat with three triangle sections draped behind his head like ponytails. The man¡¯s face was covered in a white mask with a long nose and mischievous grin.


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    ¡°Welcome one and all to a brief preview of what the Atlas Circus has to offer!¡± the masked man said as he placed a gloved hand over his eyes like a visor. He looked out to the crowd, quickly getting a look at each and focusing on the trio before continuing:


    ¡°I hope you have prepared yourself for the many strange and wonderful oddities we celebrate in our troupe! Without further ado, I present you with one of our clowns!¡±


    A Zenotote in what appeared to be clown makeup stepped out from behind the curtain. He began to juggle several balls using both his tail and hands. The crowd was unimpressed.


    The man in the mask chuckled, then he snapped his fingers. All at once, the balls lit on fire. The Zenotote kept juggling, though his movements had become more frantic.


    Some of the crowd began to clap. Hal was unamused.


    ¡°There is no need to focus on this side show,¡± he said to the others. Fiona and Odell seemed to agree, and the group started to walk away.


    ¡°But don¡¯t think that¡¯s all we have!¡± the masked man shouted as he began to pull on a rope. The curtain came falling down. The group couldn¡¯t help but turn as the crowd gasped.


    Behind the curtain was a metal frame shaped like a person. The form, however, differed from the machines Savvy had built-in Horizon village. What the genius Hobusian constructed were automatons made from the metals in the mines and artificial intelligence of her design. What stood on the stage was clearly a Needaimus to all that looked.


    The person-shaped Needaimus was as tall as a Netzian. It was a cool blue with red accents and wore no clothes. The metal exterior covered the whole form, and red eyes were placed on the face. What looked like a toothy mouth sat in the appropriate location.


    ¡°And here is our resident strongman, Nighthawk! Is he a larger than normal Needaimus, or an overclocked specimen gone wrong, or something else entirely? We don¡¯t know, and he¡¯s not telling!¡± the masked man announced the newcomer.


    The crowd and trio watched in awe as the Needaimus picked up the booth that it had been standing in only moments prior. With what appeared to be little effort, Nighthawk tore the wooden booth in half and set each side on the street. The crowd all clapped at the show.


    ¡°Come and see this and more at our circus! We have taken up a spot at the Grand Amusement Park in Central Nun!¡± the masked man said. Happy murmurs came from the crowd.


    ¡°We waste our time here,¡± Hal said with a roll of his yellow eyes. The others were curious about the giant Needaimus, but they let it go and began to walk away as the green-haired Netzian took off.


    ¡°Looks like we have located the expected guests,¡± the masked man said in a low voice as he watched the trio leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send word to the boss,¡± Nighthawk replied. Its voice was stiff and mechanical.


    ¡°No, no, let¡¯s let them have fun for today. We¡¯ll get started tomorrow,¡± the masked man said. A grin under his mask was wider and more mischievous than the one painted on top of it.

 73 – Fan Club and Prisoners in Quenth

    A great distance away from the glistening city of Nun, a bus-sized transport arrived in the Aqueenian capitol. Inside sat the four bandits from the small mining village with their hands and legs tied together, and keeping a close watch on the bandits was the trio of the Princess Fiona Fan Club. Each of the trio held one of the captured Needaimus close, but little worry was needed as the mechanical creatures showed no interest in bonding back to their former partners.


    After the village contacted the capital, a force of troops was sent in the large transport. The soldiers had thought the situation was of the utmost urgency and arrived only a day after the group had departed. Since the bus-sized vehakul was too large to go up the mountain, the soldiers spent a whole day marching up with the anxiety of future battle hanging over their heads. They were surprised to find the town liberated and the people celebrating.


    Lieutenant, an Aqueenian soldier who sought to redeem himself after Dia¡¯s regicide, had taken charge of the troops and came prepared for a severe battle. Once it became clear that a fight was not required, he sat down with Mamie, Old Gus, and Adan to get the whole story.


    In the end, a head count was taken of all the captured bandits. Including Vidkun, who had betrayed the town, and the four generals, the bandits, should have numbered 45 in total. Grimes himself admitted to the count when interrogated. However, no matter how many times they counted, only 35 were captured.


    The soldiers fanned out across the city and through the mines. The villagers helped, and no stone was left unturned, but none of the missing bandits showed up. The only clue Lieutenant¡¯s troops got was Grimes cursing ¡°the dirty spies¡± as he was interrogated about the head count.


    In the end, Lieutenant decided to leave two of his commanders, the twins Maxon and Jaxon, and 10 of the soldiers that accompanied him to the village in case the missing bandits returned. He marched the captured bandits and his troops back down. Lieutenant had stayed in Horizon village for four days and hardly slept the whole time; he was ready to leave.


    As his troops had marched out of the town, a trio that called themselves the Princess Fiona Fan Club stopped him and pleaded to join him. He didn¡¯t have the energy to refuse and let them come. The bandits were marched down in one group and a second guided some of the mine vehakuls, which were loaded with Savvy¡¯s captured inventions.


    Upon contacting Quenth, Lieutenant stopped in Qu to drop off the majority of bandits in the manufacturing towns prison. He decided to leave the rest of his soldiers behind in case the sudden influx of prisoners caused unexpected issues. The instructions had been only for the leaders to be brought to the capital.


    Grimes twisted the tied wrist that used to have his crimson Needaimus bonded to it. He frowned as the rope ached his mangled skin.


    ¡°Grimes dear, if you do that, you¡¯ll make it worse,¡± Flora offered gently. The leader ignored her and looked away. The ears on the calico Bentulousian drooped.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get out of this, right Grimes?¡± Icarus asked as they entered the shining capitol. He had asked the question multiple times after their defeat but was answered only with silence. The golden Zenotote still held out hope that their leader had a plan.


    Savvy made a hollow laugh.


    ¡°It seems like we are getting treated like serious prisoners; I wouldn¡¯t expect to get thrown in a prison with lax security.¡±


    Of all the bandits, she had been paying the most attention to the actions of Lieutenant, who had decided to drive the large vehakul with his Needaimus attached and in plain sight. From what Savvy could tell, he followed orders, and she worried about what the orders would lead to.


    The large transport vehakul turned and began to descend into a tunnel under the city.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get out of this, right Grimes?¡± Icarus asked.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Grimes replied in a gruff voice as he answered the golden Zenotote for the first time since their capture.


    Icarus let his head hang.


    As the bandits talked, the trio of the Fiona Fan Club watched closely.


    ¡°Should we say anything to them?¡± Simeon asked.


    ¡°Just leave them be,¡± Sinatra replied, ¡°They will get their punishment; we just need to watch that they don¡¯t do anything funny.¡±


    The transport finally stopped, and Lieutenant stretched his arms to the ceiling.


    ¡°That was too long a drive,¡± he muttered as he got out of the driver¡¯s seat and opened the door. Prince Donn waited outside with his two blue, muscular arms crossed. Behind him stood a small force of his elite guard.


    ¡°Thank you for bringing these bandits here,¡± he said to Lieutenant and the fan club as they exited the bus. Prince Donn¡¯s guards swapped the bandit''s ropes for energy handcuffs and began to guide them off the vehakul.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Simeon asked as he looked at the wide Aqueenian. Sinatra and Siegfried elbowed their green companion in the side.


    ¡°That¡¯s Lady Fiona¡¯s older brother! Didn¡¯t you pay attention at all during our pre-capitol trip meetings!¡± Sinatra hissed. Knowing full well that the trio would look like a bunch of country bumpkins, Sinatra had held several days of study sessions for their trip to the big city.


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    ¡°Ow, careful with the arm!¡± Simeon protested. The trio¡¯s broken bones were recovering well, but they still had them bandaged. Donn laughed.


    ¡°Lieutenant had you three in his report!¡± he spoke in a booming voice. ¡°Your fans of my sister, I hear?¡± he added.


    Siegfried and Sinatra bowed; Simeon remained standing until the other two reached up and pulled him down.


    ¡°Yes, my liege. We have vowed to become knights that are worthy to serve Lady Fiona,¡± Sinatra said in a respectful tone.


    Donn didn¡¯t reply for a moment, but he made a happy smile. Since her birth, Fiona had been scorned by all. He was the only child who clearly remembered the reason, but he never saw any fault with his baby sister. It made the older brother glad to see his younger sister had found some support, even if it was the strange trio.


    ¡°Please stand; you¡¯re all injured from a tough battle. Why don¡¯t you all go and get some rest? I¡¯ll see to it you get the best knight training available! If you wish, I¡¯ll even personally train you.¡±


    ¡°Yessir!¡± the trio shouted in unison.


    The Fan club smiled and happily were escorted to comforting accommodations.


    Donn¡¯s smile quickly faded as he turned to the bandits who were standing just outside of the bus. Each had their arms restrained behind them by a member of the elite guard.


    ¡°Now, you four¡­¡± the Prince said with no hint of friendliness in his tone.


    Prince Donn walked in front of the bandits and eyed each of them closely. His royal guard presented the captured Needaimus.


    ¡°Take them somewhere comforting for the time being. And give the ones with black paint a gentle scrub,¡± the blue prince ordered before turning back to the captured leaders.


    ¡°If I shall be thrown in a hole, then throw me in. If I shall be executed, then off with my head. Spare me your empty words,¡± Grimes spat as Donn stared at him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know why you took over a whole village for a year,¡± The prince demanded.


    Grimes shrugged.


    ¡°It seemed like fun,¡± he nonchalantly said.


    The Aqueenian prince could only shake his head in disapproval. He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°Well, your bit of fun has placed you in the highest form of Aqueenian prison possible.¡±


    Icarus squirmed at Donn¡¯s words, and Savvy made a soft hum as she pondered. Flora leaned closer to Grimes as if she wished to protect him with her giant stature. The guard that held her had trouble keeping her in place. Grimes sneered.


    ¡°Do as you wish; I will be free before long!¡± he confidently declared. The blue prince had no idea where such confidence came from. He shook his head and waved for his guards to take the bandits away.


    The four bandits were led down a weaving spiderweb of stairs. As they descended, the air grew colder and bit at the injured arms of the three that had previously overclocked their Needaimus.


    Icarus began to make a weeping sound as they entered the bottom of the dark dungeon. A large wall was in front of them with a single wide archway cutting through it. The space they were in was dimly lit, but beyond the arch was pitch black. They could not see where they were about to enter.


    Donn steadily made his way down the steps after the bandits. He shivered at the cold but took care not to let the prisoners see. The underground prison was his least favorite place to go to, but a future king could not let others see that.


    As they entered the darkness beyond the archway, the bandits were greeted to a sight of a long hallway. Metal doors with thick bars were placed going down the hallway; each housed one or several prisoners inside. They eyed the newcomers as they passed but didn¡¯t say anything with the Aqueenian royalty present.


    Before long, the bandits were shown their new home. A square cell with stone walls, ceiling, and floor. The large metal door slammed shut behind them as the elite guard locked it. Donn stood in front and crossed his bulky blue arms.


    ¡°Do you wish to say anything else?¡± he asked.


    Grimes spat at the prince.


    ¡°I see, then I shall take my leave.¡± With his last words, Donn left the prisoners alone in the cell. His guard followed after him.


    Once the Aqueenian group had gotten out of earshot, some laughter came from the cell across the hall.


    ¡°What an interesting bunch to come in today,¡± a large shadowy figure grumbled in a deep voice.


    Grimes rolled his crimson eyes. He sat on the floor and began to scratch at the bony spots on his forehead. He had to file every day to keep them from growing. Even with only a couple of days since his defeat, the spots had already started to grow into a Hobusian-esk crown.


    ¡°I suppose new arrivals are the only amusement you get around here?¡± he said to the shadowed figure. The other prisoner made a laugh that sounded somewhat like a grumble.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to have some new conversation partners, the last one in your cell sought to take the easy way out,¡± the figure said.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡± Savvy jumped in, ¡°Might you be willing to grace your new neighbors with a name?¡± she asked.


    The shadowy figure remained silent a moment.


    ¡°Your pretty cute for a Hobusian he said as he eyed the scientist,¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot, but your name please?¡± Savvy did not attempt to hide the annoyance in her voice. The shadowed figure laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the time is good and right; for now, why don¡¯t we get to know each other a little. I¡¯ve been down here so long; what¡¯s going on in the world above?¡± The grumbling tone of the shadowed figure made it hard for the bandits to tell if his question was serious or not.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been out of the loop for about a year, but Array was making some big plans prior to that,¡± Grimes answered sincerely.


    ¡°Oh, Array, that makes me a bit nostalgic,¡± why don¡¯t you tell me everything.¡± The bandits could not see it, but the shadowed figure had a wide grin on his face.


    Grimes told the shadow everything he knew of his former employer leading up to his departure. The shadow happily listened and took in everything, and he waited until Grimes finished before speaking again.


    ¡°It sounds like some real fun is going to start soon. I¡¯ll have to get out of here before I miss it,¡± the shadow concluded.


    They chatted about mundane things for a while. Eventually, the sound of footsteps took up the attention of everyone in the prison hall. Queen Whitlock and two of her royal advisors stepped in front of the bars that held the bandits. She ordinarily would have had more escorts but had come in secret after Donn was long gone.


    ¡°Well, the Queen graces us today!¡± the shadow said with a deep cackle. Queen Whitlock ignored him and pointed to Savvy.


    ¡°I heard some interesting things about you in the report. Your gadgets are something else,¡± she said.


    Savvy laughed.


    ¡°Did you come to recruit me?¡± she asked.


    Queen Whitlock shook her head.


    ¡°No to command you,¡± the blue ruler replied. She pulled up a sleeve of her dress to reveal something in her hand. The bandit''s eyes grew wide, but neither the guards behind her nor the shadow saw what she showed. ¡°I hear that Netzian is your leader; you do realize he could be executed for staging such a takeover,¡± she added.


    Savvy bit her lips and looked to the others. Icarus looked confused. Flora kept a solemn expression. Grimes took a deep breath and nodded his head.


    The Hobusian scientist stepped forward and was let out of the cell. She departed with Queen Whitlock without another word.


    Grimes laughed and leaned back against the wall.


    ¡°Well, some real fun is about to start,¡± the leader said through his chuckles. The shadow cackled with him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s chat a bit longer then,¡± the shadow said. Grimes smiled, and they continued talking through the night.

 74 – Mayor of Nun

    In the center of Nun, an elevator made a ding as a door slid open. A Netzian man stepped out. He was middle-aged with greying hair and a slightly round belly. His eyes were large and dazzlingly green, and his skin had enough of a blue touch that a denizen from earth might think him sickly without Resh as a context.


    His clothes were more formal than the party dress of the city. A black suit jacket was draped over his shoulders, and a yellow tie was pulled up to his neck. In the pocket of his suit, he had a bright yellow handkerchief with a picture of the Beauideal Dia¡¯s face neatly showing.


    The elevator emptied into a hallway with only a set of double doors at the end. The man quickly crossed the space and made his way through the threshold.


    He was greeted to the sight of a secretary¡¯s desk where a blue and white Zenotote sat. She was hastily writing something down while trying to flip through several tablet screens at once. When the Zenotote saw the man, she shot up to a standing position.


    ¡°Mayor Abelard! You wouldn¡¯t believe¡ª¡± she began to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Rom, I¡¯ve heard,¡± the man in the suit said.


    He was the mayor of Nun and had been for many years. As such, he always was showered with news from all over the city as soon as it became available. He had hardly been able to wake up when information of a group fighting a Japhinth outside South Nun had come rushing to him from all sources. To make matters worse, he soon found out the group was the special forces dispatched from Quenth after the abrupt and violent end to the conference.


    He sighed as he made his way to his desk. It was a simple rectangular desk with hardly any ornamentation or details. As Abelard sat down, he began to rub his temples.


    ¡°First Dia goes off on her own; then this troublesome group arrives,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Rom said as she handed him the stack of papers she had just written on. He was reluctant to take them but didn¡¯t show it to his faithful aid.


    ¡°Just what I need!¡± exclaimed the mayor as he quickly read over the papers. He slammed them onto his desk loud enough to make his Zenotote assistant jump. ¡°I apologize,¡± Abelard added after noticing Rom¡¯s reaction.


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    Rom had received two reports at the same time. The first detailed a request from the Aqueenian capitol. They had been pinging the mayor¡¯s office every day since the death of King Whitlock at the hands of Dia. He had decided in the beginning to ignore their calls until he could speak to the beauideal in person. Unfortunately, the winged Aqueenian had eluded him since the regicide occurred.


    Not even his top forces could keep tabs on her outside of her deliberate public appearances. She would appear for concert-matches and then quickly disappear out of sight. Abelard suspected a Needaimus was involved, but he had no more information than that.


    The winged Beauideal had become all but impossible to trace, at least, until that very day. The second report Rom had received detailed where Dia had been located for over a week since King Whitlock¡¯s demise. She had been pictured with some other figures that his office was well aware of¡ª they were wanted criminals.


    ¡°I told that girl repeatedly not to hang out with a crowd like that!¡± The mayor groaned as he rubbed between his green eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been getting reports of all sorts of suspicious characters moving around the city since our guests arrived today,¡± Rom explained as she handed him more papers.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t have entered the city in secret; they just had to fight a monster right at the doorstep,¡± Abelard grumbled as he read the reports. I¡¯m not letting them create a mess in my city!¡± The mayor set his papers down and looked at Rom. ¡°Rally the elite forces.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already done, sir. I had them begin preparing as soon as the news of the Japhinth was coming in.


    The mayor let out a hearty laugh. Rom was the best assistant he had ever come across.


    ¡°If you keep doing so well, you¡¯ll hardly need me to be a mayor! Maybe it¡¯s about time I retired.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you still have a couple of good years left in you. It would be best not to waste them playing your silly game,¡± the blue/white Zenotote said in a neutral tone. She spoke of a sport on Resh that was identical to golf in about everything but the name. Apparently, a Netzian had brought it to the world in the past, but neither the mayor nor Rom was aware of the details.


    ¡°Kids these days are all wrapped up in beauideal shows. You need to learn to appreciate the finer things!¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Rom calmly answered as she walked back to her desk. ¡°You have a mountain of paperwork to complete,¡± she added before returning to drop a mountain of paper onto the mayor¡¯s desk.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m getting rid of all laws, no more paperwork for me!¡± the mayor declared in a joking tone after briefly looking at the first sheet.


    ¡°The amount of paperwork to remove the laws would be more than what is currently on your desk,¡± Rom shot back.


    ¡°Darn,¡± the mayor replied.


    They had had the same exchange before; Rom had not found it amusing the first time or any other time after. The blue /white Zenotote rolled her slitted eyes and returned to her work as the mayor began to read through the documents he was given.


    Elsewhere in the city, an elite force was dispatched to interfere with any who wished to do Nun harm.

 75 – Museum of Nun History

    After leaving the beauideal stage-arena, the trio of Gwyn, Rheba, and Harlan had begun to explore more of the south section of the city. They wandered the busy and loud streets while taking in colorful and bright sights.


    Gwyn tried to stay focused on finding something that could be a lead. Rheba and Harlan had gotten distracted.


    It started with some small banter after leaving the concert-match. Rheba had expressed her enjoyment of seeing Kitten in a live event, and Harlan agreed.


    They seemed to stare at each other for a moment. Gwyn gulped as he worried they might start to bicker.


    ¡°I would not have thought a lizard would enjoy such an event,¡± Rheba said firmly.


    ¡°I would not have expected a warmonger would enjoy such an event,¡± Harlan replied calmly.


    They stared at each with a fierce intensity. Gwyn kept his mouth shut and looked around for something to draw away from. After a moment of glaring at each other, both made a small smile.


    ¡°So, would you say Kitten is the best beauideal of the current season?¡± Rheba asked in a firm tone.


    ¡°Of course, what do you take me for? A Dia Mond fan?¡± Harlan replied in her calm tone.


    Gwyn had no idea what was happening, but it felt like the tension was decreasing, so he let it go.


    ¡°Hmm, so would you say the best beauideal of all time was¡­.¡± Rheba began.


    ¡°Berry the Blue Crusher,¡± the two spoke in perfect unison.


    ¡°Do you take me for a fake fan?¡± Harlan added. Her tone was neutral, but her face showed she was slightly insulted.


    Rheba chuckled.


    ¡°Berry the Blue Crusher?¡± Gwyn muttered to himself. He concluded that all beauideals had odd names.


    The Bentulousian warrior and Zenotote scientist formed a small truce after that moment and chatted about the intricacies of beauideal fights as they wandered the city. Though they still spoke English, Gwyn had no idea what they were saying and instead focused on the surrounding sights. A word quickly drew Gwyn¡¯s attention. ¡®Museum of Nun¡¯ was plastered in neon lights over an unimpressive-looking building. It had long been in debt and was close to shutting its doors.


    He turned to the other two and gleefully gestured to the building.


    ¡°Hey, look! A museum!¡± Gwyn didn¡¯t bother to hide the interest and excitement in his voice.


    Rheba and Harlan were still locked in their conversation but nodded to Gwyn. All had become more of tourists than investigators.


    The staff seemed surprised to see a crowd willingly enter the museum. They had become familiar with seeing reluctant school children on field trips that had no interest in their megacity''s history.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    A tour guide eagerly made her way out to the group with a smile. She was an Aqueenian-Bentulousian hybrid. Her skin was a creamy orange color, and her hair was jet black. Two white pointed ears sat atop her head, and her hair was cut to hang down over where the ears might generally lie. She stood half a head taller than Gwyn, and her eyes were slightly smaller than an Aqueenians usually would be.


    ¡°Welcome to the Museum of Nun! Started by the Sideshow Guild Member, Quirk! My name is Amber. Would you like a guided tour or a free-roaming experience?¡± she asked.


    ¡°How much for each?¡± Gwyn frugally inquired.


    ¡°Both services are offered for free!¡± Amber said without any self-awareness of why the museum was on hard times.


    ¡°Well, how about a guided tour then!¡± The Nonpareil gleefully replied.


    The trio followed after Amber as she began the tour. Though, neither Harlan nor Rheba paid too much attention and continued a banter about beauideals.


    ¡°The city''s history is a unique one,¡± Amber began as they walked past exhibits, ¡°It first started not as a city but as a guild founded during the beginning of the Needaimus Rush period. Sideshow, the guild was one of the Ten Great Guilds that were famous across the land.¡±


    Amber stopped to gesture to a tapestry. It showed a collection of Resh¡¯s species collected around an individual who looked like a hybrid of the four natives¡ªexcluding the Netzians. The figure in front held up an arm with what appeared to be a golden Needaimus attached.


    ¡°Now, the guild founder and leader, Jaap, was recorded as an enigma in history. His species was left to be a mystery, and there are many conflicting writings about what his origins may be. Some modern historians believe that Jaap may not have existed at all, and he is just a combination of stories about the guild''s founding,¡± Amber continued as she gestured for the trio to follow.


    ¡°Very interesting,¡± Gwyn said to himself as they walked to the next display.


    ¡°Sideshow was a very successful guild during the rush period of Resh¡¯s history,¡± Amber explained as she pointed to the following displays. Paintings and murals of figures discovering Needaimus were lined across the wall. She continued as Gwyn eyed each of them.


    ¡°It was a time of great joy, but as the decades went on, the discovery of new Needaimus grew less and less. It wasn¡¯t long until the Needaimus Stall was reached.¡±


    Their tour guide led the group to the next area. The paintings had been replaced with photographs that had an ¡®old-timey¡¯ look similar to the photos from the wild west period on earth.


    ¡°Many of the guilds no longer could fund adventure work, and instead turned into mercenaries for the nations. Of course, Sideshow remained neutral during this time!¡±


    The photos showed many yellowed depictions of different Sideshow members standing and sitting. Many of which were clearly not used to the then novel photographs.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the Needaimus Stall was one of many catalysts which led to what became known later as the Great War. It started with aggression between the Aqueenians and Hobusians. Soon after, the Zenototes and Bentulousians got involved as well,¡± Amber said solemnly as they moved to the war displays of the museum. Photos with weapons and armor were on display.


    ¡°Sideshow fought bravely to remain neutral, but war stretched across the world. Eventually, the guild and a collection of broken survivors from across all nations settled in a section of land they believed safe. Not knowing how long was left, a carnival was started.¡±


    The next section of the display was brightly lit and covered with images of people celebrating.


    ¡°The Grand Carnival, as it became known, lasted for months, then years, and is still going on today! People began to build houses. Eventually, the war ended, and the City of Nun had begun!¡±


    Amber continued to guide the group through the city¡¯s early history and political strife as they tried to balance the Grand Carnival with daily life. It wasn¡¯t until their guide got the beginning of beauideals that Rheba and Harlan took an interest.


    Gwyn listened carefully as he tried to get a feeling for what sort of city Nun was. He was too interested in the history, and the beauideal loving duo was too focused on their conversation to notice the odd glances from Amber to them every now and then as they walked through the museum.

 Excerpt From Jolon Whitlocks Journal 1

    Forward


    The following journal depicts the life of the beloved King Jolon Whitlock the Third. Upon his recent passing, it was discovered that the late king had a passion for recording his thoughts¡ªa secret that was previously only known by his wife.


    The collected journal entries were initially intended to be released to the public as a way to honor his life. However, after review, it was decided that it was best to put the documents in the royal archive instead.


    While King Whitlock was beloved by his people, it was clear that something was afflicting him in his later years. Unfortunately, this document shows the unfiltered inner thoughts of the king during that time.


    Only authorized readers will be allowed to view the text; however, caution is still advised. Anyone who knew the king in his early years and was saddened by his difficulty in the later part of his life may only be at risk of more hurt from seeing his inner thoughts.


    Entry 1


    How to describe such a week as this? I suppose it is best to begin where it started, but I feel like that is mundane and unproductive. Sometimes I have to think about how important those minor details are. Can one genuinely enjoy the ending if they don¡¯t slog through the beginning? I am rambling now; it¡¯s a sort of bad habit of mine. If you wish to read through this text, you will have to simply deal with it.


    I suppose introductions are in order. This is the first page of this document, and any dear reader is liable to be confused by jumping in. That said, I am not sure what readers will pick up this text in the future. My father insisted that a future king should keep a diary, and I suppose I oblige to humor him. Not that I disagree with his perspective, I don¡¯t see anyone being terribly interested in my life even after I take the crown.


    Once again, I see that I have gotten ahead of myself. I should give my name now before I forget entirely. Jolon Whitlock the Third. Named after the great king who famously saved the Aqueenian people from destruction under the Wicked.


    It¡¯s quite a name to have and one I am proud to carry. I wish to not only live up to such a name but to carry it forward to new heights. Indeed, I want to unite the whole of Resh. It may be hard, our world has had a long, bitter history, but I am up for the challenge.


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    Just recently, in fact, I believe I made ample strides toward that goal. In a visit to the nation of Hobbs, I met a man of similar age who goes by the name Jasper Fio. He is the eldest son of the Fio family and the one most expected to be king.


    My visitation was due to an annual peace conference. Once I take the throne, I will be required to host these events once every five years. The event itself was relatively unproductive and pointless. I will keep a note to take special care so that the conferences I host are much more focused and entertaining. We ought to have agreements at a peace conference, after all.


    What is worth noting happened during a break. Jasper and I ran into each other in the hallways. I am ashamed to admit that I had some preconceptions about what he was like; the rumors spread about their nobility are quite something.


    I could only see him as brash, arrogant, and a bit of a fool. Someone who was unfitting to be king. His accomplishments were mere propaganda, his education was subpar at best, and he had heard similar things about me. (Rumors can do wonders on how one interprets someone they never met, can¡¯t they?)


    Naturally, our disagreement turned into a full-on spat, and before long, we each stood with a wooden sword in the courtyard. I want to say I easily overpowered my foe. But that was not the case. Without abilities, trickery, or technology, we were evenly matched.


    Our clash went on well through the night. Anyone excited to watch the royal dual had long left from boredom by that point. We continued our fight until the final blow came not from us but from a young Bentulousian warrior by the name of Zenith, who punched each of us right in the stomach with nothing held back.


    She was easily five years our junior yet towered over us both like a mountain. We were both so tired that a single blow from This warrior was all it took to best us. (had we not been exhausted, I suspect neither would have been beaten)


    ¡®Stop it!¡¯ she had cried with tears in her eyes. ¡®we are supposed to be here for peace!¡¯ Neither Jasper nor I could make a retort¡ªwe were both two injured from her violent blow to reply.


    Nonetheless, our battle was put on hold, and Zenith¡¯s commander offered endless apologies for our injuries. To be honest, most wounds were inflicted by Jasper and me, but neither of us bothered to object.


    What surprised me most was what came after. It seems we have formed a bit of a trio for the remainder of this conference. Some of the others in attendance quickly began to whisper about our little group, but I don¡¯t think the other two cared. I know I certainly don¡¯t care as well. It gives me a wonderful feeling; I think I have found the first steps to a united Resh with this little group of friends.

 76 – Shopping Center

    Hal continued to lead Fiona and Odell through the noisy city streets. They had spent more time walking by places than getting to know the city, and the royal pains had begun to grumble.


    ¡°Hal, we¡¯ve been at this for hours, and nothing has turned up! Shouldn¡¯t we take a break?¡± Fiona complained.


    ¡°I agree; we should at least stop to eat something!¡± Odell added.


    Hal stopped and sighed. He looked around the busy street. They had walked into a section of the town littered with small shops. The arrangement was functionally the same as an outdoor mall, but the buildings had not been built with ease of travel between them. Each shop had been built on top of each other, with stairs going up and down and platforms making bridges between them. It looked like a giant and elaborate Jungle Jim, born out of the wildest childlike imaginations.


    The Netzian soldier had no idea that he laid eyes on the South Nun Shopping Center, a famous section of the city that attracted many tourists. He focused on the businesses and large crowd and figured they might be able to find something that could be carried and eaten.


    ¡°We shall procure food then,¡± Hal said as he pointed to the shopping center.


    Fiona and Odell laid eyes on the elaborately built center.


    ¡°That looks fun!¡± Fiona said


    ¡°I bet they have a store for mechanics!¡± Odell added.


    ¡°Shopping is not the objective; we shall find sustenance and continue,¡± Hal said. His last few words were only heard by the wind as the other two made their way into the crowded shopping center.


    Sort of remind you of home? I can think of three others that run off before you finish talking! No.5 echoed into Hal¡¯s mind with a sound that resembled a chuckle.


    ¡°I find offense in your comparison,¡± Hal muttered as he made his way into the shopping center.


    As his yellow eyes darted back and forth, he quickly realized that neither of his companions was nearby. Both had run off into the crowd. He grumbled to himself and began to walk through the center. Should he try to find them or leave them be? The two choices ran through his head.


    After a short moment of debate, he gave up and got a protein bar out of a nearby equivalent to a vending machine. He began to walk through the center while eyeing the other customers.


    Hal had been focused on charging through the city and not paying too much to the sights around him. Now that he was forced to slow down and examine everything, it was plain that there was far too much to look at.


    The citizens, all dressed in their over-the-top and gaudy clothing, moved from store to store with vigor the Netzian soldier would not have expected. Each seemed preoccupied in their own world and paid no mind as they pushed past each other.


    Hal found a bench that sat up against the outside wall of a store front and watched as the people walked past.


    He did not like talking to others much, but he enjoyed watching them. He took in all the small movements and little ways each person would move as he thought.


    After a while, he came to a simple conclusion. They would not find any information just by walking around the city blindly. There was too much going on for the team to approach the investigation without a plan. Fiona and Odell had been complaining along those lines, but Hal wasn¡¯t about to admit that to them.


    A billboard across the street was playing the news. A Hobusian was talking about the weather forecast in the city for the next day, though much of the other noise made it hard to hear. Once the reporter finished, it switched to an Aqueenian and Zenotote set of anchors. They began to cover the Beauideal news for a sports segment. A picture of Dia flashed on the screen. Hal focused as best he could. No.5, noticing what the Netzian soldier focused on, began to filter out extra din so Hal could hear.


    ¡°The beauideal Dia Mond is scheduled to appear for the event tomorrow at the grand arena in center nun. After allegations of her killing a foreign king emerged, the popular star has been largely elusive for the last couple of days. Any attempts to speak to her have been difficult as she has only shown up for matches and disappeared soon after,¡± the first co-host said.


    ¡°Of course, such allegations are nonsense,¡± the second host chimed in. ¡°It is simply another attempt for an aggressive nation to start something with us,¡± the second co-host added.


    ¡°But we have gotten word that the sitting Aqueenian king, Jalen Wittstock the Fourth, had a recently held funeral ceremony,¡± the first co-host said. It was worded as if she was challenging her host, but it was clear to Hal that she read from a script. The second host shook her head.


    ¡°Obviously, their king was offed by others in the royal assembly. This story is just a cover-up to put all the blame on Nun!¡±


    Hal shook his head and turned away from the report. He jumped immediately as an unexpected face was close to his own.


    An Aqueenian girl his age had stopped and leaned in near the soldier as he was fixated on the Dia report. After he turned her way, they were a hair length away from their noses touching.


    She had aventurine green skin and cheery blue eyes. Her silver hair flowed from atop her head into a long ponytail down to her legs. Her clothes were a bright red dress that seemed as wavy as her hair, and on her back, she had a long and skinny bag with a simple strap draped over her shoulders. Hal couldn¡¯t help but find her very beautiful.


    ¡°You must really like Dia if you are focusing that much,¡± the girl said with a pleasant laugh. Hal collected himself and stood up straight. His face felt a little warm, so he looked off to the side to avoid the strange girl from seeing if it was flushed or not.


    ¡°And you are?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sabia!¡± the girl chirped a response.


    ¡°Why is it that you have entered my personal space?¡±


    Sabia shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; you just seemed interesting!¡±


    Hal shook his head.


    ¡°I must go; companions are waiting for me.¡± He made his way deeper into the jungle jim shopping center. He had been thrown off by an attractive girl appearing suddenly, which frustrated him. ¡®A soldier ought to be focused on the task at hand,¡¯ he thought on loop to himself.


    ¡°Oh, I have nothing to do for a while; I¡¯ll help!¡± Sabia replied. She followed after the green-haired Netzian into the crowd.


    ***


    Fiona and Odell quickly ran into the crazy jungle jim-like market in the direction of the food court. A map at the entrance had given them the way, and they slowed to a walk while they talked casually. The duo assumed that Hal was silently following behind them.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of food they have here!¡± Odell gleefully said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it must be a mix of all cuisines, given the large mix of species within this city,¡± Fiona pondered.


    ¡°As long as they have some meat, I¡¯ll be happy!¡± Odell added.


    ¡°What do you suppose we should do after?¡± Fiona asked as she curiously eyed some of the various shops.


    ¡°As much as I want to explore some of the shops, we probably should get back to searching the city,¡± Odell said with a grimaced expression. In his mind, the words ¡®am I becoming like my father¡¯ echoed as he said something mildly responsible.


    Fiona sighed. She knew Odell was right but wanted to explore the city more before diving into the investigation. Though she ought to have been the one most determined to track down her father¡¯s killer, the blue princess felt largely unattached to the whole situation. The realization dawned on her for a second, but she quickly pushed it down.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°You¡¯d probably like that too, right Hal¡ª¡± Odell turned around while speaking to Hal, but the green-haired Netzian was nowhere to be seen. The Hobusian prince froze, and Fiona turned back as well.


    They immediately began to look in every direction around the busy shopping complex frantically.


    ¡°Hal!¡± Fiona called out, but she only grabbed the attention of the passing shoppers.


    ¡°This is bad! He must have run off somewhere without us!¡± Odell said after a moment.


    ¡°And he¡¯s the one who told us not to run off; how rude!¡± Fiona griped as she crossed her arms.


    ¡°What are we going to do! Can we really tell the others we lost him!¡± Odell said with a worried look.


    ¡°Maybe if we find a Netzian that looks just like him, they will never notice!¡± Fiona suggested. Her younger brother Asha was a collector of rare animals, and she had done just as suggested when she ¡°accidentally¡± let one loose. The Aqueenian princess and Odell stared at each other blankly as they contemplated how stupid of an idea that was. Fiona blushed and looked down; she hadn¡¯t put much thought into her word before speaking.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pretend that was never suggested,¡± Odell said after a moment. The blue princess nodded in agreement.


    The prince took a deep breath.


    ¡°We will just have to trust Hal; he is a soldier, right?¡± Fiona offered. Odell contemplated for a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but we should still try to find him.¡±


    Fiona pointed in the direction of the food hall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start our search that way,¡± she said as her stomach grumbled.


    Odell nodded in agreement.


    Both figured it was reasonable to start the search in the food hall. Hal had known they were going that way, and they thought they might meet up with him there. Unfortunately, even after the duo had waited in a line, bought food, sat at a table, and eaten, the Netzian soldier was nowhere to be seen.


    Once they had finished, they began to search the whole shopping center for the missing teammate.


    ¡°Where could he have gone!¡± Fiona wondered aloud as she tried to look for a green head in the crowd.


    ¡°When we find that boy, we¡¯ll have a stern talking with him,¡± Odell said. He shivered at another realization he sounded like his father.


    After roaming for a while, they finally saw Hal with a pretty Aqueenian girl walking beside him.


    Odell and Fiona quickly found a corner to hide behind and peered out. Odell¡¯s short head was below Fiona¡¯s taller, and neither cared about the odd looks the other customers gave while they passed by.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it; we take our eyes off him for one minute!¡± Fiona said.


    ¡°I suppose he is around that age, but he sure has mixed priorities for someone who told us to stay focused,¡± Odell added.


    ¡°Should we follow after?¡± the princess suggested.


    ¡°Yes, but we need to make sure we aren¡¯t noticed,¡± the prince added.


    The duo began to carefully trail after Hal and the girl. Whenever any sort of cover would be close, they would hide behind it. Neither of the royal duo noticed a pair of strangers who stood on the roof of a shop and stared down at them.


    The first of the pair was a Netzian with clawed fingertips, slit blue eyes, and a long, yellow scaly tail. She had short yellow hair cut down to her neck and wore a black suit. Her partner was a short Hobusian with a crown that looked like it would be better suited on a triceratops. He wore equally black clothes as the Netzian.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to be together?¡± the Hobusian asked.


    ¡°It seemed they are attempting to spy on their friend,¡± The Netzian said with a chuckle.


    ¡°This is no laughing matter, Liv,¡± the Hobusian grunted.


    ¡°We went through many years of specialized training to spy on some silly kids¡­ It¡¯s a little ridiculous, Felix,¡± the Netzian rebutted. ¡°I¡¯m not getting any younger, you know,¡± she added.


    ¡°Speak for yourself; I¡¯m still young,¡± Felix replied. His tone remained serious.


    ¡°You¡¯re a year older than me¡­.¡± Liv replied in a distant tone.


    ¡°They¡¯re leaving the area; we ought to get another vantage point.¡±


    The Netzian sighed. She had been partnered with Felix for about two years, and he never seemed to keep casual banter going for too long.


    Both spies suddenly looked like black blurs as they began to leap across building tops.


    ***


    Hal was annoyed for many reasons. The odd girl, Sabia, continued to walk alongside him and try to make idle chitchat, and he found it increasingly difficult to focus on the task at hand, but that was a minor issue. His real frustration came from who followed them. At some point, Odell and Fiona had found him. Instead of making themselves known so that Hal could excuse himself from Sabia, the royal pains had decided to follow behind in a manner that could be called anything but stealthy.


    To make matters worse, the duo had no idea that the second pair of much more capable agents had been on their tail and ran across the rooftops of the shopping center.


    The green-haired Netzian gritted his teeth as he thought. He could escape Sabia in a manner that would leave all four of those following them on his trail, but then he would have to deal with the extra two agents. He could also lose the agents, but Fiona and Odell would not be able to keep up with that maneuver. As Hal contemplated what to do, Sabia tried to get his attention.


    ¡°Hal, Hal!¡± she shouted until the green-haired Netzian noticed. She had pestered him for his name, and he regretted giving it immediately.


    ¡°Dast?¡± he said.


    ¡°I asked what your Needaimus does?¡± she pointed to the red No.5 bonded to his arm.


    ¡°I would not disclose my secrets so easily,¡± Hal said.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll tell you what mine does!¡± she protested. Hal gave her a confused glance, and she patted the long and skinny black bag on her arm.


    ¡°She¡¯s a little longer than average, so I carry her around in a bag that looks like it would be for sports to avoid attracting attention,¡± the Aqueenian girl explained.


    Hal had been completely fooled. He had assumed she played a sport on Resh known as Beizopol. It would seem like a cross between baseball, soccer, and equestrianism for someone from earth. Players riding horse-like beasts would have to hit a ball to a series of bases along a field.


    The Netzian soldier reframed his understanding of the strange girl for a moment.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I will not disclose my secrets so easily,¡± he replied. Sabia frowned. As she did, an idea popped into Hal¡¯s head. ¡°However, I may disclose them if you provide aid,¡± Hal turned out to the crowd as he continued to speak. When he did, he saw the heads of Fiona and Odell for a moment until they disappeared behind cover. More importantly, he picked up on which rooftop the other two agents were hiding, though he focused on Odell¡¯s and Fiona¡¯s spot to avoid the additional pursuers from catching on.


    ¡°We have some pursuers that might be less than friendly,¡± Hal continued to explain as he looked out to the crowd. He could not see Sabia¡¯s face, but she had no surprise in her expression. Instead, her face was cold and calculating as she quickly locked into where each set of spies was. The Aqueenian girl wrote off Fiona and Odell as goofballs and determined the two on the roof for the threat.


    When Hal turned back to look at Sabia, she quickly made a shocked expression.


    ¡°Oh my! Pursuers! Do you have stalkers or something?¡± she asked in an innocent tone.


    ¡°Perhaps two annoying ones, but they are less critical at the moment. Don¡¯t look, but two unsightly people are watching us from the rooftop behind me. Sabia did as asked and continued to look at Hal.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± she asked in a hushed worried tone.


    ¡°Should our Needaimus work in conjunction; we may be able to devise a plan,¡± Hal explained. Sabia nodded.


    ¡°My June can launch things at a great distance, but I don¡¯t carry anything to fire around!¡± she explained in a hushed voice. That was a lie; she, in fact, carried small, spiked metal spheres wherever she went.


    Hal nodded.


    ¡°No.5 allows me to have a storage space; I can provide an object for you to fire,¡± he explained. ¡°Now, all we need is a plan of action. Hal could have pulled out a weapon, but he suspected the enemy of reacting as soon as they saw it. They would need to make it a surprise.


    Sabia suddenly wrapped her arms around Hal in an embrace. In the distance, Fiona and Odell could be heard shouting ¡®ooh.¡¯ The Netzian soldier''s face was bright red as Sabia¡¯s green face came close.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just stand around and talk; it would look suspicious to our pursuers,¡± she said.


    Hal cleared his throat and took a breath to regain a stoic expression. He began to relay a simple plan, and Sabia nodded in agreement.


    From atop the rooftop, Liv was smiling, and Felix shook his head.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just wonderful, young love!¡± the Netzian agent said happily.


    ¡°They¡¯ll break up in less than a week,¡± Felix grumbled his reply.


    ¡°You¡¯re always so pessimistic; wouldn¡¯t it hurt to smile once in a while?¡±


    The Hobusian agent shook his head in reply. Optimism gets you killed in this line of work. Better to expect the worst, like those two might secretly be on to us and are plotting a retaliation,¡± Felix muttered.


    ¡°Come now, that is a bit much, even for you,¡± Liv said with a smile and shake of her head.


    Felix didn¡¯t reply. He observed with squinted eyes as Hal and Sabia broke from their embrace and headed around a corner while holding hands.


    The unsuspecting Odell and Fiona made their way over to the corner as stealthily as possible. Other customers gave them odd looks as they walked while tiptoeing.


    The agents atop the roof leaped across the buildings silently while all parties followed after the apparent lovers. They navigated across the jungle jim shopping center for several minutes until a long bridge came into view. It was a stretch that Hal was hoping to see. There was only one building behind Hal and Sabia. The more capable agents would have to jump to the rooftop, and Odell and Fiona hid near its side. Felix and Liv were in the air as they flew to the new rooftop when the ¡®lovers¡¯ looked right at them.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Liv said. Felix cursed.


    Sabia quickly unzipped her bag and bonded to her Needaimus. Its rose-colored metal stretched out from her arm like a spear. After the metal gauntlet formed around her limb, she pointed the Needaimus at the agents in the air. Hal handed her a wrench from his ability space, and in an instant, the metal object was fired above the long extension like a bullet.


    The metal wrench fired directly at Liv¡¯s chest. Her partner quickly shoved her while midair, and the attack sliced across his arm. He grunted and held the slice as they landed on the rooftop.


    ¡°Are you okay!¡± Liv shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but we didn¡¯t come here for a fight. Let¡¯s fall back.¡±


    The two spies quickly retreated from the rooftop leaving only The apparent lovers and royalty in the area. Sabia quickly pointed her Needaimus at Odell and Fiona. Odell¡¯s hands shot up in surrender, and Fiona disappeared in a flash.


    Hal put one hand over Sabia¡¯s Needaimus. At the same time, he used his other arm to block a kick from Fiona, which had been aimed at the back of Sabia¡¯s head, as she flashed into view.


    The Netzian soldier sighed.


    ¡°I suppose explanations are in order,¡± he grumbled to his companions.

 77 – Wrapping Up For the Day

    Hal quickly explained to Odell and Fiona how he had just met Sabia that day. The royal duo had crossed their arms in unison and nodded as Hal told them the story. He explained how they had run off, and he was forced to look for them, leading up to meeting the green Aqueenian girl and coming up with a plan to shake off the pursuers.


    "So, you see,¡± the Netzian soldier explained, ¡°We came up with a tactic to lure the spies into a clear shot.¡±


    ¡°So, you were just acting before?¡± Fiona asked with a hint of disappointment, ¡°And here I thought you had found a love, who was also secretly a dangerous person! A forbidden love!¡± The princess added as she watched Sabia slide her long Needaimus back into its bag. The mysterious green Aqueenian girl chuckled as Fiona spoke.


    ¡°I assure you, I have no relations with this girl,¡± Hal said bluntly.


    ¡°Ah, I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Sabia said in a flirty tone as she pulled herself close to Hal. He blushed and turned away from her.


    ¡°My duties as an olde¨C Netzian soldier come first,¡± he stammered in a more nervous tone than usual.


    ¡°Should we give those two some space?¡± Odell not so silently whispered to Fiona.


    ¡°We should, but we really can¡¯t afford to lose Hal again,¡± the blue princess replied.


    ¡°Ah, your right!¡±


    Hal cleared his throat to get the attention of the royal pains.


    ¡°The day is nearly done, and we only have a little to show. Nevertheless, we should head back now.¡± As he spoke, he pulled himself away from Sabia¡¯s grip. ¡°I thank you for your aid this day; we must be going now,¡± he politely added. Sabia frowned, but Hal didn¡¯t notice as he walked over to the royal duo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to give her your contact or anything?¡± Fiona whispered.


    ¡°If we agree on a meetup spot, we can give you a little more time. What happens in Nun stays in Nun, or so they say,¡± Odell added in a hushed tone. The Netzian soldiers¡¯ response was only a heavy sigh.


    From behind them, Sabia giggled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I have a feeling our paths will cross again in the future!¡± she said to Hal as she made a small wave.


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    ¡°Could they be fated, lovers?¡± Fiona asked. Her expression lacked only sparkles in her eyes.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like she would try to kill you!¡± Odell added while his Fiance, Cecilia, momentarily floated in his mind.


    Hal grabbed each of the royal pains by their ears and began to pull them away.


    Sabia waved for a moment longer with a smile on her face. Her smile quickly parted as someone new approached from behind¡ªa Netzian dressed in a plain white suit with a white tie. Even with most of his body covered, it was clear that he was well-built. Voltage yellow hair shot from his skull in a jagged style, and his eyes glared with a cool electric blue. On his knuckles, several pieces of metal had been surgically implanted.


    ¡°That is enough playing for now,¡± the man said to Sabia. She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Do you not care if I find true love, Thorir,¡± the green Aqueenian asked.


    ¡°If you were capable of love, I might,¡± the Netzian answered in a gruff voice. ¡°What did you find out?¡±


    Sabia chuckled.


    ¡°We have two active groups in the town, neither are any concern. Everything can continue as planned,¡± she explained.


    Thorir muttered for a moment as he blankly stared into space.


    ¡°Speak up!¡± Sabia shouted. It was enough to break him out of his trance.


    ¡°I believe they have an authentic Bentulousian warrior; I¡¯d like to fight her,¡± Thorir answered simply.


    Sabia sighed.


    ¡°You will have to go to the leader for that one,¡± she muttered, ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Dia Mond being a wild card. She performed well in Quenth, but we¡¯re talking about assassinating the Mayor of Nun now,¡± she relayed.


    Thorir paid no mind to Sabia¡¯s concerns and got lost in thoughts once again. In his mind, he only had room to visualize future battle moves against his next opponent.


    She groaned and began to walk away. The Netzian followed after, though he continued to stare off into space.


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯d use her height effectively?¡± he pondered aloud as he continued a visualization of fighting a Bentalousian warrior. Sabia didn¡¯t bother answering; she was thinking back to the better conversation she had had with Hal, even though she had done most of the talking.


    They walked down a long, busy street from the jungle jim shopping center.


    Elsewhere, the team reunited at the inn. They all were tired and only exchanged little words over a quick dinner. Hal shared the story of the spies, and the royal pains told the rest of the Netzian soldier¡¯s new ¡®girlfriend¡¯; Hal denied the claims and filled the team in on Dia¡¯s planned appearance at the main beauideal arena. Nothing else of importance was discussed after. It was decided they would sleep and discuss first thing in the morning. The more important matter for most team members was how to divide the rooms.


    It eventually was decided that Gwyn and Hal would share one room. Fiona and Harlan would share the next. Odell and Rheba were given the last. Neither the ashy grey prince nor the brown-furred warrior knew the reason, but the other four divided to ensure that those who snored were isolated.


    With room delegations over, the team spent their first night in Nun. Hal, Harlan, and Rheba tasked their Needaimus with keeping watch through the night¡ªindependent of each other¡¯s knowledge. None liked that one trio had encountered spies and feared the worst could happen in their sleep. In an emergency, the metallic creatures could wake a mortal up by bonding, though it was the most unpleasant wake-up call imaginable. With guards on duty, the team slept soundly through the night.

 78 – Dreams 2

    Hal¡¯s Dream


    Hal was sitting at a table, it was familiar to him, and the people around it were familiar. His mother¡¯s fresh-cooked meal was familiar. Everything was as it should be. Before he could take the last bite, the scene changed. He was a young boy standing in front of a set of tombstones. Three green-haired girls were weeping in front of him. He fought to hold back his own tears, he was the oldest, and he would take care of his sisters.


    When he turned around from the gravestone, he was standing in front of a small, cracked building on the city''s edge. The original Netzians had built it, but it was long since abandoned. He sheltered his family there and became a wanted thief.


    A crowd chased him, more than any had done in reality, as he carried a single cracker.


    ¡®It¡¯s all wrong. This isn¡¯t how it went,¡¯ Hal shouted. The scene shifted.


    Now he stood before his sisters. He recited a silly poem to make the two youngest laugh. The eldest sister rolled her eyes. Hal smiled, but it was short-lived.


    Smoke began to pour in from under the door. He grabbed each of his sisters and ran out; the rundown house had gone up in smoke. The Netzian army detained him. He ordered his sisters to run, but each was captured¡ªone by one. He was forced to lay on the ground and watch as handcuffs went around their tiny wrists. All the while, he cursed the cruelty of it.


    Hal found himself in a cell. His stomach ached from hunger and punches, but he refused to break. They thought he knew more, but he knew nothing.


    The suns set and rose so fast they looked like a blur, the scene shifted at an incredible speed, until in a sudden moment, they froze in the sky. The flying animals froze in the air, and the guard outside his cell was a statue. Only one figure moved in the scene. She walked in with a confident stride and stood in front of the bars.


    Hal looked up. His then long green hair parted to the sides just enough for him to see.


    Feya, the Netzian Dare, stood in front of him. She waved with a scaly hand and smiled.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the troublemaker I heard so much about!¡± she chirped.


    ¡°My sisters?¡± Hal asked in a horse voice.


    ¡°Oh them, we¡¯ve been caring for them at the palace. They¡¯re really sweet girls, you know!¡±


    Hal was shocked; she was the first to tell him what had happened to the three. He would have been suspicious, but his year in confinement left him desperate. He accepted the answer.


    ¡°Take care of them,¡± was all he said as he let his head hang.


    The Dare laughed a loud belly laugh. The boy had been serious for so long that he had forgotten he was only a child. She quickly relayed the forgotten information back to him. The frozen guard moved at Feya¡¯s request. He entered the cell and unshackled Hal.


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    She held out a scaly hand.


    ¡°I think I like you; why don¡¯t you come live with me!¡± she said with a casualness not typical of the situation.


    Hal reached out his hand. Then the dream ended.


    Rheba¡¯s Dream


    Rheba was sitting in a crowd of Bentulousians. The seats curved around a stage like a Greek amphitheater. On the stage stood the three active Goliaths. Zenith, with her black and white stripes, stood proud in the center of the other two. To her left was Cleo, a Bentulousian with black fur. She had painted golden lines around her eyes and wore a golden necklace. To Zenith¡¯s right was Aaralyn, who had puffy snow-white fur and crystal blue eyes.


    The crowd cheered for the Goliaths as they began to speak.


    ¡°Warriors! This day we fight!¡± Zenith shouted.


    The battles began shortly after. The crowd was pitted against each other in a tournament, and Rheba quickly felled foe after foe. Her final opponent was to be Zenith herself, and Rheba wanted a match against her mentor more than anything.


    The two were face to face faster than they would be if she had been awake, but Rheba was focused on charging at the black and white warrior in front of her.


    Rheba¡¯s world spun in a flash, and she landed on her back. Then the dream ended.


    Harlan¡¯s Dream


    Harlan stood in her lab. Her scaly elbows leaned on a table, and she gleefully watched some animals run in circles in a cage. They were equivalent to mice but with short faces and long fur. Next to the cage, a beauideal concert-match was airing. The Zenotote scientist¡¯s face was curled into a happy smile.


    Mixolydian entered. As he pushed through doors, which would ordinarily open by sliding automatically, they burst into pieces. Harlan¡¯s lab was no match for her imposing father as he marched across the room. Every step cracked the floor, and glass seemed to shatter as soon as he looked in its direction.


    Harlan shuddered and turned to her father. He said nothing but grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the lab. She refused and complained, but her father did not attempt to respond. Instead, he threw her through the shattered doors.


    She seemed to fall into a dark abyss with the doorway from the lab floating above. As the Zenotote scientist descended, the floating doors shattered along with the image of her father.


    She landed in a new room; a single Zenotote sat on a chair in the middle of it. He was strapped to the chair and cried. His left arm had been replaced with a mechanical one, and the foreign arm sought to choke its new owner. Only the binding to the chair kept the arm from ultimately strangling him.


    Harlan was handed a knife, though no one was in the room to do so. She looked at her face in the blade''s reflection and gritted her sharp teeth. The scientist wasted no time raising the knife in preparation to stab the man. Her father''s words echoed in her mind: ¡®For the Zenototes¡¯.


    In a flash, she was sitting in the chair instead. Her ideal self was in front of her, still holding the knife. A Zenotote with a long face and beautiful eyes. One whose shoulders held firm the same way her fathers did. One that was confident.


    Her ideal self stabbed her, and the floor gave out. Once again, Harlan fell into a dark abyss. To her left, her ideal self swooped in close to finish the job. From her right, a new form came.


    She had experimented time and time on herself with her ability. She could modify creatures to reach new heights, so she thought she could become her ideal, even if only for a few minutes every two months. Unfortunately, the scientist quickly realized she could not shape things in any way she wished.


    The creature the ability acted on had to have the potential to become what she changed it to, and she made the sad discovery that her body had no potential to be beautiful. Not wanting to give up, Harlan focused instead on creating a powerful trump card, no matter how ugly, and that form swooped in on her right.


    The Zenotote scientist closed her eyes and held her hands close to her face as both versions of herself came in close. Then the dream ended.

 79 - Setting Out in the Morning

    In the morning, debates began on how the team ought to be divided. There were three sections of Nun left, and they argued if they should split into groups of three or two.


    "Three will be a formidable force," Rheba said. She, Hal, and Harlan thought it best to keep their teams larger.


    "True, but we are already a formidable force. Teams of two would let us cover more area," Gwyn rebutted. He, Fiona, and Odell thought it best to cover more space with who they had.


    "I understand we fought well in Horizon, but the three of you are technically inexperienced. There was already someone after you yesterday," Rheba argued while looking specifically at Odell and Fiona.


    "Then we''ll split up with one experienced person and one inexperienced person. Even in a group of three, we could still have three unexperienced together," Gwyn shot back.


    Rheba bit her lip. She was used to punching people more than debating them.


    "Fiona and I have also been trained in royal combat; we aren''t completely helpless," Odell added.


    "As long as you have a Needaimus," Rheba shot back.


    Odell shyly looked away.


    Harlan sighed; she took a deep breath and spoke up.


    "I believe it may be best for us to split into two rather than waste more time on this matter," she said. Daylight was already burning, and she thought it best to move out sooner than later. Rheba''s expression matched the one Caesar made before being stabbed. Had she known anything about the earth, she would have simply said, ''et tu, Harlan?''


    With the decision made, the team quickly split up into new groups.


    Fiona and Harlan would head to the center part of Nun. Rheba and Gwyn would head to Nunan in the east. Odell and Hal, after pleading from the former, would head to Nunvo in the north. Their trip would begin at the station for the extensive train system that connected all of the massive city. Each duo got on a different line and headed to a different city section.


    Hal and Odell sat in silence for the first several minutes of their trip. The prince awkwardly looked around the train car for something which could spark a conversation while the soldier sat with both arms crossed.


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    Surprisingly, Hal was the first to speak up.


    "Pray tell, why were you adamant to traverse to Nunvo?" he asked.


    Odell jumped at Hal, starting the conversation. He looked nervously around the car as he debated how much he should share. After a few moments of thought, a new consideration came to the grey prince. If Hal was an ally, why was he keeping it a secret?


    "Well, you see, when we met my father before the city, he gave me this letter," Odell said as he pulled the letter. One of Hal''s green eyebrows raised higher.


    "To whom should that letter be delivered," he asked.


    "Some guy named Tancred, supposedly he owns a detective agency in the vo part of Nun."


    "And you believe such a character ought to be trusted?"


    Odell shrugged.


    "My father seems to believe so. I figured it wouldn''t hurt; otherwise, we will just be wandering in circles."


    Hal nodded.


    "We shall humor your father then." The green-haired Netzian was well aware they had no leads as well. The journey was starting to take its toll on him, and he was more focused on returning to his sisters. The thought that they could have gotten into a lot of trouble since his delayed return shook the soldier to his core.


    "Great! The next step will just be to find where this guy is...."


    "Your father neglected to tell you?"


    "I think he forgot in the all the rush to give me a specific address...."


    Hal sighed.


    The rest of the train ride was left in awkward silence. Odell wondered if he had said anything to upset the soldier, but Hal simply had nothing more he wished to speak about.


    After departing in the northern section of Nun, the duo began the awkward task of asking for directions. Odell had no qualms and happily stopped the colorful citizens of Nun to ask. On the other hand, Hal awkwardly moved to get others'' attention.


    "Pardon me, are you acquainted with a Mr. Tancred?" Hal asked a Bentulousian woman in what might appear to be a party gown but was regular wear in Nun.


    "Oh, that old fool!" the woman suddenly shouted. It surprised Hal, but he remained calm and collected as he faced her.


    "We seek him," Hal added. Some of his awkwardness faded as the conversation suddenly became mission-focused.


    "Yes, if you know, that would be great!" Odell suddenly jumped into the conversation after hearing the woman shout.


    "Yes, I know the fool, and you would be better off seeking a different detective!"


    "We have reasons we cannot. He''s an old family friend," Odell happily said. He tried to be friendly, but his smile irked the tall Bentulousian woman.


    "Really! Then would you give him a message from me?" the woman asked.


    "Sure!" Odell said.


    In almost no time after his agreement, Odell was slapped across the face.


    "You can find him on Queen''s Street. Tell him the message was from Lilly!" The woman stomped off, leaving the duo behind.


    "Do you think I can just paraphrase?" Odell wondered aloud as he held a hand on his face.


    "Jokes are for the dead to enjoy, keep serious," Hal muttered.


    "I don''t know about¨C hey, hold on!" Odell was about to refute Hal, but the Netzian soldier sped off. They had the name of the street; it would be no time at all before the duo encountered the friend of King Fio.

 Gwyn Side Story

    An alarm went off with a grating sound which was especially unpleasant in the morning. Gwyn smacked at it until his hand finally landed on the button. He had thought to create an alarm on his phone but hadn¡¯t bothered to set one up and instead relied on the clock on his desk.


    He carefully sat up and pulled the covers off his body; a leg wrapped in a cast was revealed from underneath them. Gwyn groaned as he laid his eyes on the sight. Many of his friends had signed it, but he preferred not to need it at all.


    ¡°Gwyn!¡± a shout came from outside his door. His mother had come to greet him. ¡°Your father said he¡¯d drive you to school this morning!¡± she added.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± he shouted back.


    The boy, who would later become the Nonpareil on Resh, was currently in his last year of high school. He had run in the track team since his freshman year and had slowly worked to become the ace by his senior year. The coach had been excited this final year since their lineup looked like it would be the best since the school¡¯s founding. They were confident they would beat out all competition that year.


    Then, Gwyn got caught up in an accident.


    He had been walking through the halls at school like any other day. The building had three floors with long corridors that ran down the building. The second and third floors were set up with long balconies parallel to the main corridor.


    There had been some incident, Gwyn was unsure of what was going on, but a freshman girl was being bullied by the railing of the second-floor balcony. She was well above average height, on par with the school basketball players, and often got picked on due to that. Gwyn was walking by and gritted his teeth at the sight of it.


    The girl was pushed and, though not the bullies¡¯ intent, found herself in an unfortunate posture which allowed her to flip over the railing intended for much shorter people.


    The bullies had tried to grab her when they realized what was happening, but she slipped through their grips. Gwyn, on the other hand, recklessly charged forward and leaped over the railing. She was falling headfirst, but he managed to catch her before they hit the ground.


    The doctor had said his leg took the brunt of the impact, and they should be glad nothing else got damaged. The girl was fortunate to be uninjured, and the bullies were suspended. The railing of the balconies was raised threefold to the point where it resembled a wall.


    Gwyn¡¯s coach and teammates reassured him that he did the right thing, and he couldn¡¯t argue with them, but he would be unable to run for the rest of the year.


    As Gwyn reached the top of the stairs, he sighed briefly. He was on crutches, and the stairs were the worst sight to see. He carefully navigated with the supports and slowly descended the stairs.


    It was about halfway down when one of the crutches slipped. Gwyn would have tumbled if he wasn¡¯t caught from behind.


    ¡°Jeez, Gwyn!¡± his younger sister shouted at him. She was a freshman in his school and would typically say harsher things. However, since his accident, she had been nicer. He had suggested she was replaced by aliens at first, which only resulted in a jab to his shoulder to reassure him she was the same person.


    ¡°Sorry, Sis,¡± Gwyn replied without too much argument. He managed to navigate down the stairs as best he could and made it to the table. His mother had already set out beans and toast for breakfast.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Gwyn¡¯s sister griped, ¡°We are in the wrong country for this!¡± The breakfast was the least favorite of his sister, but Gwyn ate without protest.


    ¡°Oh, where did we go wrong with raising you,¡± Gwyn¡¯s father lamented as he entered the room. His voice was sullen but not enough for anyone to think his words were serious.


    ¡°Shut up, dad,¡± Gwyn¡¯s sister said with a roll of her eyes. His dad made a fake sniffle.


    Their breakfast went on without incident, and soon Gwyn slowly navigated into his dad¡¯s car for the trek to school.


    It wasn¡¯t until they pulled away from their house that his father started to talk.


    ¡°So, son, what do you plan to do now?¡±


    ¡°Just finish high school and get into a good college,¡± Gwyn replied with a sigh as he looked out of the window. His father shook his head.


    ¡°Gwyn, I do want you to finish school and get into a good college; your mother will kill us both if you don¡¯t, but I meant more what extracurricular activities did you plan to do.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, dad,¡± Gwyn replied in a frustrated tone, ¡°I¡¯ll just study or something!¡± He stared out the window at nothing in particular. He didn¡¯t know how to feel, given that his leg was broken while saving someone.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re upset, and I know you¡¯re confused. I could just remind you of the Chinese farmer story, but I know that won¡¯t fix anything.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t repeat that story,¡± Gwyn groaned in agreement. He had heard the parable of the farmer who answers ¡®maybe¡¯ to every evaluation of a situation, good or bad, so many times growing up that he could recite it in his sleep.


    ¡°This is your last year of high school, however,¡± his father continued. ¡°You are still young, and I suspect you don¡¯t realize how you might think of this time looking back. I ask you to at least try to find some activity so you don¡¯t think the time was wasted on sulking.¡±


    Gwyn rolled his eyes as the car pulled up to his school.


    ¡°Whatever, Dad,¡± he replied as he maneuvered out of the car.


    They exchanged waves, and his dad drove off. As Gwyn hobbled up to the school doors, he suddenly felt that he was being watched. He turned and quickly located the tall girl, who was poorly trying to hide behind a bush. When she noticed his stare, she sprinted to a side door of the school building. Gwyn sighed.


    ....


    Gwyn spent the rest of his day with eyes located on him. Wherever he turned, the girl was standing. She would see him and run off.


    Ordinarily, he would have chased after her and been fast enough to catch her, but Gwyn¡¯s broken leg prevented such a maneuver. With options limited, he planned with the assumption that she was going to follow him.


    In the middle of the day, when students were going to lunch, he would make his way to a secluded corner of the school. There was a stairwell in the back corner, which was open underneath due to past water damage but blocked off by a large curtain. The school¡¯s financial mismanagement had prevented the proper maintenance and repairs for several years. The curtain had been up so long that people walked past without noticing or thinking anything was off.


    Gwyn planned to hide in the opening behind the curtain before she came around the corner. Then, when the girl got close, he would reach out and grab her by the arm. She would not be able to run away after.


    Unfortunately for Gwyn, he slipped as he made his way down the main hallway and fell backward. He never hit the ground; however, the tall girl seeing his fall, had rushed over and grabbed his shoulders.


    They fumbled around for a moment as Gwyn stood back up and spun around. He looked up at the girl, who was easily a head or two taller than him. At that moment, he figured he would likely never meet anyone taller in his life.


    ¡°Um, um,¡± the girl stammered as she looked down at her feet. ¡°Thank you!¡± she finally shouted out.


    She had been trying to thank him all day but didn¡¯t know how to approach him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Gwyn awkwardly said as he looked away. The two stood there in silence for a moment until the tall girl spoke.


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    ¡°Um, um, I¡¯m Maria! I¡¯d like to know your¡­¡± her voice grew quieter as she spoke until the words became impossible to hear.


    ¡°Gwyn,¡± he answered while picking up on what she was trying to say. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± she shouted before Gwyn could turn away. He jumped slightly at her sudden loud voice. Maria¡¯s face immediately turned red, and she looked at the ground. ¡°My club members thought we should offer you a position since you can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡± she shyly said.


    ¡°Club members?¡± Gwyn repeated.


    She nodded and awkwardly gestured that he should go with her. Gwyn shrugged and followed on his crutches. She was headed to the lunchroom, which was also his destination, so he figured he would listen to what she had to say at the least. It was awkward, but she was trying to show gratitude to him, and Gwyn didn¡¯t want to make it seem like he took it for granted.


    Two boys sat in the lunchroom, far in the dark back corner where the school failed to change the lights. The first was a senior like Gwyn; he wore large square glasses and had slicked-back hair. The second was a sophomore who was giggling while trying to tell a joke to his spectacled companion. He had already begun laughing before he reached the punchline.


    When the glasses-wearing boy saw Gwyn walking up, he flashed a sly, slightly villainous smile.


    ¡°Good to meet you, Mr. Gwyn Black, my name is Ruler, and this is my jester.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I never agreed to be a jester!¡± the sophomore protested with a smile.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, goodbye,¡± Gwyn said as he slowly spun around.


    The so-called Ruler suddenly changed in demeanor as he frantically called out to Gwyn.


    ¡±Wait, wait! That was a joke!¡±


    Gwyn slowly sat at the table with the tall Maria next to him. On the opposite side of the table sat the other two.


    Ruler sat with his elbows resting on the table; he locked his hands together in front of his face and positioned his head just right so that the light from the room created a glare on the lenses.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering why I summoned you here! Why you see, we have¨C¡± the glasses-wearing boy said in a haughty voice.


    ¡°Hey, David,¡± the sophomore interrupted, ¡°We should probably introduce ourselves first.¡±


    The spectacled boy, called David, grumbled.


    ¡°Fine, but you already took my introduction away!¡± he complained to his companion but was ignored.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Casper!¡± the sophomore said. ¡°I¡¯m sure our freshman Maria already introduced herself as well.¡± The boy said with a smile. ¡°Right Maria,¡± he added in a not-so-quiet whisper, ¡°You got to get out of your shell!¡±


    Maria closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.


    ¡°I know! I told him already!¡± she said in a voice louder than Gwyn had heard before but still quiet compared to an average person.


    David cleared his throat as he pushed his glasses up in an attempt to regain some sense of order.


    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Gwyn Black.¡±


    ¡°You can just call me Gwyn.¡±


    ¡°Gwyn then, I would like to formally thank you for saving our precious club member. We are most indebted to you. With that regard, we have mulled over all possible ways to repay you¨C ¡°


    ¡°And by mulled over, he means thought about it for a couple of minutes last night,¡± Casper interrupted.


    ¡°We have determined that the only way to repay you would be to invite you into our secret club.¡± The spectacled boy continued as if he wasn¡¯t interrupted, but his left eye twitched under his glasses.


    Gwyn nodded and debated which was the politest way to excuse himself. When he saw no easy means to run, given his bad leg, he sighed and replied.


    ¡°Alright, what club is this?¡±


    David chuckled like a villain with a secret plot. Casper ducked down to grab something on the floor. He popped back up behind the spectacled boy with a rolled-up banner.


    ¡°My friend, we go by many names, but in this corner, we are known as the isekai club!¡± David said a little too loudly. As he shouted, Casper let the banner unroll, which revealed the club¡¯s name and logo. Some students at a nearby table gave them funny looks before continuing their meals.


    ....


    ¡°Come again?¡± Gwyn said after the declaration by David.


    ¡°We are the isekai club¡­.¡± David repeated in a less confident voice as he noticed the stares and laughs headed in their direction.


    ¡°What¡¯s an ee-suck-ai?¡± Gwyn asked while trying to read the word off the banner Casper held.


    ¡°You know! Transported to another world by truck-kun!¡± David added. Gwyn just shook his head.


    The spectacled boy let his head hang down.


    ¡°You know, the popular fantasy story with the hobbits, and elves, and stuff,¡± Casper added. Gwyn nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw the first film but couldn¡¯t keep watching with all the boring talking trees in the second.¡±


    The isekai club trio gasped in union.


    ¡°Putting that aside for later,¡± Casper said after breaking through his shock, ¡°Imagine if someone from our world could go to that world. That¡¯s isekai!¡±


    Gwyn was only more confused.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a club that¡¯s going to go to other worlds?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, we are a club that appreciates all things fantasy and sometimes science fiction,¡± David clarified.


    ¡°So why don¡¯t you just call yourself a fantasy and science fiction appreciation club or something like that?¡±


    Casper waved his hand dismissively as David replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s too long, and isekai club sounds cooler!¡± Casper and Maria nodded in unison.


    Gwyn shook his head.


    ¡°And why do you want me to join your club?¡±


    ¡°I already told you, it was to show our appreciation! You saved a dear club member and were tragically wounded!¡± David explained, ¡°Since most of your friends are in sports, they will be too busy training and running. We, on the other hand, plan to stay inside and watch anime!


    It would be remiss if someone who acted so heroically for our dear Maria was left to wander in loneliness for the remainder of this year! We figured it would only be fitting to offer a hand to you in friendship.¡±


    ¡°Also, if we get four members, we can make the club official,¡± Casper added. David elbowed him in the side.


    Gwyn found himself being stared at intensely by the three isekai club members.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t act heroically,¡± he protested.


    David shook his head.


    ¡°Tell me, how many would leap over the edge of the abyss to save a random girl?¡± he declared.


    ¡°He considers the whole school a dark abyss; just play along!¡± Casper added. He received another elbow in his side.


    ¡°My roleplay aside,¡± David started.


    ¡°David, you shouldn¡¯t break character!¡± Maria said in a worried tone.


    ¡°So, you admit it?¡± Casper asked while pointing and laughing at the spectacled boy.


    ¡°My roleplay and this pain who sits beside me aside, we do wish to thank you. We are a collection of oddballs¡ªand whatever Casper is¡ªand cannot offer you anything more than company. If you decline, we will respect that, but know our thanks are sincere.


    Gwyn looked around at the faces of the trio. He sighed and nodded.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll humor you for a little bit.¡±


    The faces of the others lit up as Gwyn accepted.


    ¡°Alright!¡± David declared. ¡°Tonight, we shall meet at Gwyn¡¯s house! The weekend is upon us, and I happen to have the expanded editions in my bag. We will be watching the whole trilogy!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± was all Gwyn could reply as everyone nodded in agreement.


    Gwyn¡¯s dad was going to pick him up from school, but a call from his son had stopped him. Gwyn had news about how he had joined a new club, and the members were coming over for a movie night in the club president¡¯s car.


    He joyfully opened the door when they arrived to let the group in.


    ¡°Hello everyone! I¡¯m Gwyn¡¯s dad! I work primarily as a historian with expertise in the fields of¡­.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Gwyn hissed at his father to be quiet.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I also have been thinking about starting a podcast soon. Are kids interested in ones about history?¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Gwyn hissed again as David politely shut the front door. Casper stood and looked around at all the d¨¦cor in the house, and Maria shyly looked at the ground.


    ¡°Oh, should I go get snacks? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not very good at these sorts of things. Gwyn¡¯s mother is better. Oh! I know, maybe I should go get some old photo albums!¡± Gwyn¡¯s dad hit his fist on a palm like he had reached a great discovery.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Gwyn shouted loud enough for his father to finally get the message.


    ¡°Ah, well, I hope you kids have fun!¡± he said as he excused himself from the hall and went around a corner.


    Before Gwyn could get the isekai club upstairs to his room, they were interrupted by his sister coming in.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± she shouted as she walked in. She immediately saw the odd collection of people in her hallway. In particular, the giantess, Maria¡ªwho Gwyn¡¯s sister shared a class with but had never spoken to due to high school popularity politics¡ªstood out. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± she said quickly after.


    Maria tried her best to say something but couldn¡¯t manage the words. Casper noticed the tall girl''s struggling and quickly leaned against the door before Gwyn¡¯s sister could open it. He put a hand on his chin and spoke to her.


    ¡°Will you date me?¡± he said in as suave a voice as he could muster.


    Gwyn¡¯s sister quickly retreated behind her injured brother.


    ¡°What weirdo did you bring into the house?¡± she shouted as she began to look on her phone.


    ¡°Alys, he¡¯s not¡­ actually don¡¯t do that, Casper.¡± Gwyn quickly gave up trying to defend his new friend over his sister.


    ¡°You¡¯re too injured,¡± Casper said with a laugh, ¡°If anyone¡¯s going to stop me, it will have to be Maria!¡± he quickly winked at the tall freshman girl who stared blankly back at him.


    After a moment of thinking, Maria¡¯s face lit up like a light bulb had gone off.


    She cleared her throat and stepped between the siblings and the sophomore boy.


    ¡°That was not funny, Casper,¡± she said while pointing down at him, ¡°even if it was a joke, you should apologize.¡±


    Casper made a fake, sorrowful sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gwyn¡¯s sister, I was trying to make a joke. You¡¯re actually not my type.¡±


    A vein on Alys¡¯ forehead bulged, and she took a deep breath to collect herself. She gave up on her internet search and crossed her arms.


    ¡°I want you to stay away from me,¡± she said with a ¡®humph.¡¯


    ¡°What were you looking up anyway?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Exterminators,¡± his sister answered bluntly.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Casper said with a smile and a nod.


    ¡°Anyway!¡± David interrupted, ¡°the night is still young! We have around 12 hours of content to get to!¡± He quickly began to run up the stairs to find Gwyn¡¯s room.


    ¡°12 hours?¡± Gwyn repeated with a concerned tone.


    Casper nudged Maria in the side and gestured to Gwyn¡¯s sister. The tall girl¡¯s face once again lit up.


    ¡°Um, Alys¡­ would you like to join us for movie night?¡± she asked while staring at the floor.


    Gwyn¡¯s sister¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked around at the others.


    ¡°Not really, but it might not be good to leave you with all these boys.¡± She replied. Maria¡¯s eyes lit up. She was filled with hope that she had made her first friend outside of the isekai club.


    The group of five crowded inside Gwyn¡¯s small room and began to play the films. As the movie went on, Maria quietly answered Alys¡¯ questions. Casper made wisecracks about the story, and David tried to keep him quiet.


    Gwyn managed to fight off tiredness to watch through the films until early in the morning. He happily reported he had enjoyed them and then was remiss to hear the books were better and he would have to read those next.

 80 – The Tancred Detective Agency (And Daycare Center)

    ¡®Tancred Detective Agency¡¯ was written plainly on a neon sign outside a tall and narrow building, and Hal and Odell spotted it in no time. Still, they stopped a moment. Under the glowing sign was a second that added ¡®And Daycare Center,¡¯ which had been handwritten on cardboard.


    ¡°We waste time; let¡¯s enter,¡± Hal said with a shake of his head. He pushed open an old wooden door, and the duo was immediately greeted with the shouts of children in the distance. From the front doorway, there was a long hallway and a staircase. A sign pointed down the hall to indicate ¡®daycare,¡¯ and a sign pointed up the stairs to indicate ¡®detective.¡¯


    Hal and Odell did not waste a moment to ascend the stairs. The shouts quieted as they went up, and they soon reached a single door with tinted glass. Hal looked around a moment to check the surroundings, and Odell carelessly knocked.


    ¡®It¡¯s unlocked!¡¯ a voice came from inside.


    The duo entered a stereotypical detective office. A single desk with chairs sat at the end of the room in front of a window with blinds. Filing cabinets took up much of the wall space, and a giant corkboard had many papers and strings pinned on it.


    There were two figures in the room. The first was a Zenotote girl with a pink head and blue limbs. She wore a red and white dress and had a matching top hat covering the scales on her head. In her hands, she held a broom used only moments before the duo entered.


    ¡°Can I help you, gentlemen?¡± the pink and blue Zenotote asked. It was clear to the duo that her voice had been the one to invite them in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Rym,¡± A shout came from the figure at the desk. A Bentulousian man sat in the chair. ¡°It¡¯s abundantly clear why these two are here today,¡± he added. The man was short, a feature of Bentulousian males, and covered in dark grey fur. From his chin, a long beard ran to his shoulders, and a pair of goggles seemed to enlarge his blue eyes. A purple outfit that looked like it would be in place on any stereotypical detective covered his body.


    Rym rolled her slitted eyes.


    ¡°Surely you can¡¯t know who they are?¡± she asked in an exhausted tone that suggested she¡¯d repeated the line many times.


    ¡°Odell Fio, the Son of King Jasper Fio, an old friend of mine. He is accompanied by Hal Bloodmurder, an up-and-coming Netzian soldier. And don¡¯t call me Shirley!¡± the short Bentulousian answered with a smug look.


    Rym sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°Your last name is Bloodmurder?¡± Odell whispered to Hal.


    ¡°The details are not something you are privy to,¡± the green-haired Netzian replied with a red face. He had come up with the last name as a small child on the streets as a ¡®scary¡¯ way to intimidate the adults. Unfortunately for him, Feya took it seriously and put it on official documents for him and his sisters. The latter of which constantly pestered him about it.


    ¡°As for why you are here,¡± The grey Bentulousian continued, ¡°It is a simple matter to deduce. Rumors have been going around town that the beauideal Dia Mond assassinated the king of Aquia. Then, an injured Hobusian soldier shows up at my door!¡±


    ¡°An injured soldier?¡± Odell asked, but the short Bentulousian continued.


    ¡°It is clear that the two of you, and perhaps more, were dispatched to track down the killer and bring a grand conspiracy into the light!¡± the Bentulousian finished while jumping to a standing position on his chair and pointing to the duo.


    ¡°Tancred¡­¡± Rym muttered under her breath as she pressed a clawed hand to her head, similar to when one has a headache.


    Odell pulled out the letter and handed it to the strange Bentulousian.


    ¡°So, anyway. My dad wanted me to give you this letter¡­ and some lady on the street wanted to slap you as a message.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Lilly, sounds like she¡¯s doing well,¡± the short Bentulousian said with a nod before he quickly snacked the letter and pulled it open. His eyes darted back and forth. As he read, his face turned sour, and his hand clenched tightly on the note. ¡°Have you seen the contents of this letter?¡± the short Bentulousian asked after a moment.


    ¡°No, and my Dad said nothing,¡± Odell confirmed.


    Tancred said nothing and proceeded to rip the letter. He tossed the scraps like confetti and smacked his palms together like he was knocking off dust.


    ¡°Don¡¯t throw it on the floor!¡± Rym shouted in an exasperated voice as she banged the broom to draw eyes on it.


    ¡°Not to worry, the maid can clean it up!¡± Tancred said with a smile as he jumped out of his chair. He was instantly shorter than his desk, and only the sounds of his footsteps confirmed he was walking around.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a maid! You fired her!¡± Rym pleaded.


    ¡°Ah yes, I forgot she was a spy,¡± the short Bentulousian confirmed as he emerged from behind the desk. He held his hands behind his back and nodded.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t a¨C¡° Rym began, but her words were ignored. Tancred walked across the room to Odell and Hal. Both looked down to see the short figure in front of them.


    ¡°Listen close, boys,¡± the short Bentulousian said with confidence. Odell knelt to listen; Hal crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, ¡°my old friend Jasper Fio has made quite a claim and request. I can¡¯t share most of the details on my honor as a great detective, but I will share what I can.¡±


    Tancred looked between his guests to make sure they continued to listen. When he was sure he had the attention of Hal and Odell, he continued:


    ¡°In short, that old king thinks that the beauideal Dia was hired specifically to cause reasonable suspicion on Nun¡¯s mayor. I knew as much from our injured guest; what I didn¡¯t know was how deep old Jasper thought the conspiracy ran.¡± Tancred shook his head. ¡°He has asked me to investigate the deep underbelly of this city to uncover the truth.¡±


    ¡°What truth?¡± Hal said in an annoyed tone. The short Bentulousian only shook his head once again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say with certainty what we may find which could be called ¡®truth,¡¯ but the journey to reach it will be difficult. We must clear the mayor¡¯s name and shine a light on the true villains!¡± Tancred added.


    Odell nodded along, and Hal sighed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I call my sister? She works for the mayor.¡± Rym asked. ¡°If we need to clear a name, we can just meet with him and ask.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid that will not work. If there truly is a conspiracy that runs up to the heights of the mayoral office, we will need to keep the true nature of our search secret! Our Hobusian friend downstairs already suffered heavy injuries for getting too close. We must assume that the enemy is waiting with a rifle to fire upon anyone who might speak too much about them!¡±


    Rym was about to complain about Tancred¡¯s over-exaggeration, but a knock at the door caught the attention of everyone. Odell almost jumped in shock, and Hal found himself reaching into his ability space for a weapon. Tancred laughed, and Rym grumbled to herself as she swept up the torn-up letter.


    ¡°Relax, young boys, our Hobusian soldier simply wants a word,¡± he said to the jumpy duo.


    At the door of the detective''s office stood a Hobusian. He was slightly taller than Odell, with enough bandages wrapped around him to mistake him for a mummy if the concept existed on Resh. His grey face showed from under the bandages, and a broken, cracked crown jaggedly ran alongside his forehead.


    The Hobusian leaned against the door, and several children of various species did their best to prevent him from falling over.


    ¡°Good to see you, Odell,¡± the Hobusian said in a low and tired voice.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± Odell asked. The stranger chuckled.


    ¡°Hagan Aio, Cecelia¡¯s uncle. I think the last time I saw you, you were this tall,¡± the man explained while holding his hand near his waist. Odell made an ¡®ah-ha¡¯ sound as he realized.


    The name was infamous in the Hobusian noble circles, but Odell had never bothered to familiarize himself with the man¡¯s appearance. Last the young prince heard, Hagan had taken up employment as a special agent for the king.


    ¡°The loss must have been severe,¡± Hal commented as he eyed the many bandages on the Hobusian soldier.


    Hagan shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little beat up, but the children thought I needed more medical care,¡± he said with disdain as he tried to gently but forcefully push the children away from himself. ¡°Rym, I believe it is your turn to watch them,¡± the injured Hobusian soldier added with a pleading tone.


    ¡°Why are there children here anyway?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°Detective work can¡¯t pay the bills alone anymore!¡± Tancred said with a bitterness accenting his voice. He waved for the others to follow.


    They were led down the stairs to an open room in the building. A couch and other sitting arrangements had been set up over a thick carpet. Odell and Hal sat on the sofa with Tancred, Rym sat in an empty chair, and Hagan was carefully aided into what looked like a recliner. The children that had followed him and additional ones sat on the carpet in the center and eagerly listened.


    Hagan cleared his throat as he continued to speak.


    ¡°I remained in Hobz for the conference. When the news came out that King Whitlock had perished, King Fio sent a message for me to go to Nun. So I came here and began to look around and ask questions,¡± Hagan stopped and looked to the children at his feet. ¡°This story doesn¡¯t end pleasantly. Should we have them leave the room?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Their parents let them see worse on tablets; keep going,¡± Tancred said with a casual wave of his hand. Hagan shrugged and continued.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I was ill-prepared for what came. I thought I had a lead on the ringleader, but I fell into a trap. My opponents sought to play with me. They snapped my arm first, then my leg. One carried a large scythe, and he tried to cut my innards out. I barely escaped, and I only think they stopped chasing since they thought I was left for dead.¡±


    ¡°Did you die, Uncle Hagan!¡± one younger child asked.


    ¡°If I were dead, I wouldn¡¯t be here, and I¡¯m not your uncle!¡± Hagan snapped at the child. The young ones laughed in response. He cleared his throat and began to address Hal and Odell, ¡°King Fio had given me Tancred¡¯s name, so I managed to crawl my way here for refuge, but I have been out of contact with the king ever since. At the very least, I found something that will prove helpful to you.


    The enemy is planning something new, and they have begun to move. They are still trying to stay in the shadows but are very active. The beauideal Dia is the first lead, but I figure you knew as much. She has to keep making public appearances to avoid suspicion, so I thought I¡¯d leave investigating her for later. The second lead I found is the Hilbert Casino and Hotel. I believe several of their agents are working there; to what end, I cannot say.¡±


    Tancred crossed his arms and nodded.


    ¡°Now you have it,¡± he said to Odell and Hal.


    Odell nodded and looked around at all the faces. He felt he should say something meaningful but couldn''t think of what words to use. Hal managed to speak up for him.


    ¡°The casino shall be a suitable location; let us gather what we need and leave,¡± he said.


    ¡°I thought you might say that!¡± Tancred said with a laugh as he jumped to his feet. ¡°Well, let us be off; we have quite a journey! Rym, you will join us. Hagan, you will continue to watch the kids!¡±


    ¡°Now, hold on a minute!¡± Hagan began to protest, but Tancred had already run out the door. Odell and Hal quickly followed after. Rym stopped and gave Hagan a look of sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m not even an employee! Why am I suddenly in charge of this daycare!¡± The injured soldier protested.


    ¡°Apologies, your backup should arrive soon,¡± Rym said briskly before following The others out the door.


    ¡°Uncle Hagan, do you want to go fight the bad guys too?¡± a child asked.


    Hagan couldn¡¯t form his hand into a fist due to the bandages, but he shook it in the air like he had.


    ¡°I am an elite soldier that specializes in espionage and assassinations, not your uncle!¡±


    ¡°You must not be a very good soldier if you got beat up that bad,¡± another child said in the sort of innocent, but deeply cutting, way only a small child could.


    The injured soldier let his head hang in defeat as the group of four headed out on the streets. The casino was their destination.

 81 – Fiona and Harlan

    Fiona and Harlan sat in silence in the train car for a while. The blue princess tapped her feet anxiously as she tried to think of a conversation topic that might engage the lizard scientist.


    Harlan sat with her arms crossed and stared into space in front of her. She wasn¡¯t looking at anything in particular but was lost in thoughts.


    ¡°So um,¡± Fiona finally said after a long quiet. She never came up with a conversation topic and instead chose to break the silence simply. The Zenotote scientist broke from her deep trance and looked at the princess. Harlan¡¯s expression was blank, and Fiona couldn¡¯t tell if the scientist was frustrated by being spoken to.


    They stared at each other for a moment as Fiona tried to focus on something. The orange Needaimus hanging off Harlan¡¯s shoulder became immediately relevant to her.


    ¡°So, your ability is to make things scarier¡­ right?¡± Fiona asked. She had not witnessed Harlan¡¯s use of the ability and only heard secondhand from Gwyn of what had occurred in Horizon.


    ¡°In a manner of speaking, I suppose that is one outcome. My ability allows the accessing of the future potential a given species may hold,¡± the Zenotote scientist explained. Fiona tilted her head slightly. She squinted her purple eyes before shrugging and nodding to what Harlan said. The green Zenotote shook her head.


    ¡°My ability can¡­ upgrade things¡­ like was done with the Ali,¡± Harlan added. Fiona¡¯s eyes lit up like a light bulb was switched on. Then, her look became more stoic as she entered a quick thought. The expression didn¡¯t last long, and she soon switched to a more concerned look as she spoke:


    ¡°Does it work on people too?¡± The Aqueenian princess asked.


    Harlan nodded.


    ¡°It can, although it will only affect willing participants when they are sapient beings.¡±


    Fiona nodded to pretend she understood.


    ¡°So, if you use it on yourself, do you become Ultimate Harlan?¡± Fiona asked with a childlike sparkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Like a special move from one of those shows?¡± the blue princess asked. Harlan remained equally confused.


    Growing up, neither of the two had much access to the full extent of entertainment available. Harlan had been quickly put into schooling by her father to support the Zenotote Absolutism. When she showed proficiency as a scientist, her path was set. Nevertheless, she had been allowed some free time and spent all of it learning and loving beauideals secretly.


    On the other hand, Fiona did not spend much time on entertainment. She simply recalled a time when Donn had been obsessed with a show of transforming heroes, monsters, and giant machines that the heroes piloted. The show had been written and co-directed by K.A. Natos, though Fiona was unaware of any staff involved.


    ¡°I am unfamiliar with your reference, but please do not call me ¡®Ultimate Harlan,¡¯¡± The Zenotote scientist said calmly.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right; it should sound cuter. I¡¯ll think of something,¡± Fiona said with an agreeing nod. Harlan bit her lip slightly as the frills on her head shuddered, though the movement was too small for Fiona to notice.


    ¡°Please do not come up with any names, princess,¡± Harlan said as Fiona became lost in thought.


    ¡°Harlan Mark 2? No. Neo Harlan? No.¡± The blue princess began to think of names out loud.


    The Zenotote scientist quickly realized that she would have to come up with a change of subject. She began to frantically rack her brain for something she might have in common with Fiona.


    ¡°What is it like to be the daughter of a national leader?¡± Harlan continued to talk in a calm voice, but to her, she had just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°Oh, terrible,¡± Fiona bit at the new conservation like an easy-to-catch fish, ¡°It was classes in the morning, classes in the day, classes at night¡­. Though, I did skip most when possible.¡±


    ¡°Do you dislike classes?¡± Harlan asked with genuine confusion; she always liked to learn new things.


    ¡°They were the worst! Like how they wanted me to learn the proper way to hold a spoon at the dinner table but would never let me eat with anyone important anyway! So, I just skipped the class!¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t skipping the class just lead to being left out, to begin with? Perhaps if you learned as desired, you would have participated more?¡± Harlan offered.


    Fiona¡¯s mouth was wide open for a moment. Then, her face scrunched up as she pondered the shocking revelation.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough about me! What about you, Harlan?¡± Fiona quickly pushed her thoughts away and switched the subject.


    ¡°Me?¡± Harlan asked. As far as the Zenotote scientist thought, she had kept her father¡¯s identity a secret from the others. A careful inspection of Fiona¡¯s expressions showed Harlan that the secret was still intact. ¡°I was¡­ thought to be a little strange when I was born¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, me too!¡± Fiona said with a nod.


    ¡°My father thought best I indulge myself in education¡­ to counterbalance any strangeness I might have been born with¡­.¡± Harlan explained.


    She was careful to keep details vague. Since she had been born with a very flat face and considered very ugly to Zenototes, Mixolydian desired to train her mind to be the smartest in the whole land. Under normal circumstances, the ugly Zenotote children would be disowned and shipped to Nun for adoption if they did not have some obvious value, and the red leader was too stubborn to give up his daughter.


    Her education focus from birth would eventually land her a position as a junior science officer at a very young age.


    ¡°That sounds so boring, though. How can you have fun if you¡¯re learning all the time?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°Learning is fun¡­.¡± Harlan replied in a calm but confused tone.


    They stared blankly at each other for a moment.


    ¡°Is this one of those agree-to-disagree moments?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°I suppose it is,¡± Harlan confirmed.


    The train came to a halt as their conversation reached a lull.


    ¡°Oh, I think this is our stop!¡± Fiona said as she jumped up. The duo quickly exited into center Nun.


    The center of Nun was just as bright, busy, and bustling as the south section the team had seen the previous day. The difference between it and the south section was that many old buildings were left for historical significance. This led to an odd juxtaposition between the modern style and traditional styles.


    The contrast caught the eyes of Fiona and Harlan as they exited the train station, but the regular citizens passed by without a care. The sight was so common that they were blind to the difference.


    ¡°Oh, we should go take pictures in front of that building! We can show them to Gwyn later to mess with him,¡± Fiona said with a villainous chuckle as she gestured to one of the many historical spots.


    ¡°We did not come here to sightsee or find things to bother Gwyn with,¡± Harlan said with a shake of her head.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a little fun before we get there,¡± Fiona said as she crossed her arms and pouted. Since Hal had informed them of the news broadcast, the duo knew the best place to go was the grand stage-arena in Center Nun.


    The arena was the largest beauideal venue on the whole planet. With the capability to house 200,000 people, it filled the role as a place for beauideals and many other sports. The floor of the area was made up of countless tiny triangles which could raise and lower. Combined with holographic technology and the ability to fill or drain water, the building was quickly made one of the modern seven wonders of Resh.


    Fiona and Harlan laid eyes on the imposing structure in no time. It was easy to spot even from the train station, and the Zenotote scientist¡¯s focus saved the duo from little distractions as they walked down the street to it.


    ¡°Are you aptly prepared?¡± Harlan asked Fiona as the arena crept in closer with every step.


    ¡°Prepared for what?¡± the blue princess asked.


    ¡°This may be the first time you face your father¡¯s murderer after¡­.¡± Harlan tried to say softly.


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I should be okay,¡± Fiona answered with a mixed tone.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Harlan paused to consider if she should finish her sentence. After some debate, she figured it was best to understand Fiona¡¯s emotional state before potentially facing Dia, ¡°You haven¡¯t seemed all that concerned with your father¡¯s passing,¡± she said bluntly.


    Fiona nearly jumped at her words. Though the green Zenotote spoke calmly and softly, the words had felt like an attempt to stab. She looked to the ground and began to tap her fingers together.


    ¡°I suppose I haven¡¯t put much thought into it¡­ There¡¯s plenty of stories about him that sound fantastic¡­.¡± Fiona stopped talking but continued to think to herself.


    She had never known a ¡®good side¡¯ to her father, at least not one she could remember, but he had not tried to send her for adoption. When faced with her journey and some of the villagers in Horizon, she realized he still allowed her to live like a spoiled and sheltered princess.


    Harlan¡¯s words about classes berated the back of Fiona¡¯s mind. Had she been given an opportunity to receive his affection? She shook her head. She didn¡¯t like to think deeply about such things. It was easier to run around the castle and cause havoc.


    The Zenotote scientist awkwardly watched Fiona go through her thoughts as they continued to walk. The princess''s blue face betrayed her inner thoughts as she moved from pensive to worried to confused in a cyclical pattern. Harlan figured it was best to drop the issue.


    She was well aware of Fiona¡¯s and the late King¡¯s relation, or at least as knowledgeable as an outsider thought they could be. With Fiona¡¯s varied expressions, she could not determine what to expect when they encountered Dia. The green Zenotote figured it would be best to simply keep an eye on here to avoid any rash actions from being taken.


    The duo continued to walk with only the loud sounds from the city, preventing any awkward silence from creeping in. They didn¡¯t speak again until they stood in front of the arena. A long line of enthusiastic fans was already waiting to enter.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people here today,¡± Harlan said aloud.


    ¡°Is this for one beauideal event?¡± Fiona asked in shock.


    ¡°Hal wasn¡¯t clear on the details, but I would suspect there is a tournament being held today.¡±


    They quickly got in line and slowly moved up to the entrance. After a long wait, they paid and successfully entered the arena.


    The structure was open and vast. Many shops for food and souvenirs lined the walls, and a flood of all species had a clear flow of direction.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Fiona asked as she eyed her tickets. They had procured the cheapest tickets, which read ¡®Nosebleed Seats¡¯ plainly in no attempt to sugarcoat the location. ¡°Do we wait for Dia to appear on stage?¡± she added.


    Harlan shook her head.


    ¡°The last thing we want is a horde of angry beauideal fans,¡± she replied.


    Fiona looked at the passersby in the stadium. She leaned close to the Zenotote scientist and whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they would be much in a fight.¡±


    Harlan shook her head a second time.


    ¡°I would rather fight the whole Aqueenian, Bentulousian, and Hobusian armies than an angry horde of beauideal fans.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just exaggerating.¡±


    Harlan waved for Fiona to follow.


    ¡°I suspect we can find our way backstage. With your ability, we should be able to get past any guards.¡±


    The duo began to sneak their way into the closed-off section of the arena.

 82 – Dia’s Pretournament Chat

    The world¡¯s greatest Beauideal, Dia Mond, was in a grand changing room within the arena. A large vanity sat along the wall; ornate wood trimmings danced around the mirror, and a cushioned stool sat neatly in front. On one wall, a rack contained more dresses than the green Beauideal would ever wear in her lifetime. All manners of colors and patterns were present on the wall as Dia pulled her regular white and black dress off.


    She tossed the old garments to the side and stared at the selections on the rack. After a short moment of staring, the green Beauideal pulled a nearly identical white dress with black trimmings from the choices.


    X, who sat on the vanity in front of the mirror, shook its head as Dia slipped her new clothes on. The process was slightly tricky for her, with the two large wings adorning her back, but with careful fiddling and focused movement of her extra limbs, she got the clothing on and tied it neatly.


    Dia brushed her hands over the skirt and flapped her wings to ensure they were free of any fabric.


    ¡°This one¡¯s much cuter, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dia asked X. The white Needaimus shook its head. Without being bonded to her, X wouldn''t communicate, but Dia still knew her Needaimus well enough to know what it was thinking.


    ¡°There is a difference!¡± she protested to X, ¡°If you look here, you can see the wavy pattern was made differently and the laces here as well,¡± Dia explained. If X could, it would have rolled its eyes. Dia picked up on that and responded by rolling her own yellow eyes.


    Before she could correct the Needaimus more, a knock at the door interrupted the two.


    However, the knock had only been courtesy, as the door was soon opened before Dia could reply. Another green, although a different shade, Aqueenian, entered the room.


    Dia squealed and attempted to cover herself as if she was still changing.


    ¡°Oh no, a peeper,¡± she said in a non-serious tone.


    ¡°Shut up, Dia,¡± The newcomer said in a disappointed tone. She pulled a long, skinny bag off her back, set it on the ground, and adjusted the ponytail tie in her silver hair. Then, the newcomer planted herself on an oversized, comfortable couch in the dressing room.


    ¡°What brings you here today, Sabia?¡± Dia asked.


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    Sabia sighed.


    ¡°A pesky Beauideal that doesn¡¯t listen to orders,¡± she said while looking directly into Dia¡¯s large eyes.


    ¡°Oh my, that must be a troublesome Beauideal,¡± Dia answered with a smirk that showed she knew what Sabia had meant.


    The newcomer responded by throwing a pillow from the couch across the room at Dia¡¯s head. The Beauideal easily knocked the soft projectile to the side with her metal wing.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just stay at the base? We have enough going on with the next phase of the plan, you know!¡± Sabia said in an exhausted manner.


    ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t mind helping out, but my Beauideal fans come first!¡± Dia answered in a sing-song voice. ¡°If you wanted me to play along, maybe you should have told me what the next phase was?¡±


    ¡°I doubt you would listen,¡± Sabia said with a sigh.


    ¡°Try me!¡±


    The silver-haired Aqueenian shook her head. She would have liked to have tailed the Netzian Hal a little longer instead of babysitting Dia, but the bosses made their orders, and she had to follow them.


    ¡°We are planning another assassination, after which we will take control of Nun,¡± Sabia explained. The next stage of their group''s plans was to dispose of Abelard, who was the mayor of Nun; however, the mayor and Dia had history, and they did not know what the Beauideal would do if she got wind of all the details.


    ¡°Assassinate, assassinate, assassinate, is that all your group thinks about?¡± Dia asked as she turned away from Sabia. After getting comfortable in the chair, she made her way to the vanity and began putting on some makeup.


    ¡°Someone who lived in luxury her whole life wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Sabia said dismissively.


    Dia fluttered the feathered wing on her back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve hardly lived in luxury that long,¡± she said with an uncharacteristic harsh glare at Sabia.


    The silver-haired Aqueenian made a small cough as if to clear her throat.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Sabia offered. Dia returned to her happy expression.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about anything! I¡¯ll just win a couple of fights, get some love from my fans, and shake some hands! Then I¡¯ll come right back to the base!¡±


    ¡°Your words don¡¯t reassure me. Nevertheless, I have been tasked with keeping an eye on you today. Please try not to do anything too¡­ well, something like you would do,¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me to be a different person?¡± Dia asked with a laugh. Sabia sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go playing with your opponents, don¡¯t go goofing off after the matches, don¡¯t go trying to make new friends, and for Crenussal¡¯s sake, please do not reveal anything with your loose lips.¡± The silver-haired Aqueenian settled for a short list of things for Dia to avoid doing.


    ¡°Ah, you worry too much. I¡¯m not the best Beauideal for nothing!¡± Dia put her hands on her hips and moved her wings to appear more prominent.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I worry,¡± Sabia said with a sigh, ¡°Why did we bring a stuck-up celebrity in¡­¡± she added too quietly for Dia to hear.


    A new knock at the door got the attention of both girls. Sabia quickly jumped off the couch and scanned the room. She promptly identified several possible hiding places.


    Dia paid no mind to what her fellow schemer was up to and happily addressed who was at the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she said happily.


    Sabia flashed an annoyed look at Dia but could only do it for a moment before leaping into a locker to hide.

 83 – Fiona and Harlan Get Backstage

    Beauideal guards were one of the most interesting around. Often they were selected since they were avid fans of the stars. After becoming a guard, they were given the most intense and all-encompassing military and combat training funded by private individuals. An increase in muscle mass and extensive mental training were required before they could be given a job in their new field. The guards had to be equipped to take down rabid fans, angry beauideals, and occasional crazy people if the situation called for it, and mistakes were heavily scrutinized. Whether facing Needaimus, magic, or skilled martial artist, the guards needed to be able to win.


    A typical beauideal guard wore matching black coats with black ties, which looked like a cross between a suit and a wizard''s cloak. It was rare to see their eyes as they always hid them under dark sunglasses. Their faces were stoic, only allowing emotion when in the presence of their favorite star. The only color allowed on the uniforms were buttons with beauideal faces.


    It was only due to the relative low number of guards and the fact they were all enthusiastic fans under oath to guard the beauideals, which kept other countries from worrying about the private army.


    From down a long hall, Harlan and Fiona peaked out around a corner. A guard stood with his arms crossed and a frown on his face in front of a door to the backstage.


    This particular guard went by Batty; all guards used nicknames when on duty. Three Dia Mond pins lined his neat uniform. He was a Netzian with a round, baby face. Slitted yellow irises would have been visible if his sunglasses had not covered his eyes.


    ¡°He looks mean,¡± Fiona whispered to Harlan.


    ¡°All Beauideal guards do,¡± Harlan replied as she spied down the hall. Batty was already aware of the two, but he continued to stare straight as if he was oblivious.


    The duo retreated from the corner and discussed out of Batty¡¯s view.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can sneak past him; maybe there is another door?¡± Fiona asked. Harlan shook her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s another one just like him at each door. We will just have to be clever,¡± she answered.


    The two began to discuss potential plans with what they had available.


    Batty, meanwhile, began to relax after the two disappeared. He figured they were two fans who eagerly wanted to meet a particular beauideal; it was common for him to see. What was more pressing to the guard was finishing his shift and getting to the audience for Dia¡¯s concert-match. It was typical for guards to be given breaks during their favorite stars time on stage.


    As he was gleefully thinking of his next break while still maintaining a stern face, Fiona zapped behind him. She had figured to lock on to the door behind the guard before retreating for ease of using her ability. Unfortunately, her ability marked her coming with a bright flash of blue light, which was not left unnoticed by the guard.


    Batty immediately turned around, but Fiona teleported away from him before he finished. The guard only faced the closed door. He was not unwise, however, and spun around. Harlan had quickly closed the gap between the hallway corner and the guard, but she was not prepared for him to turn around immediately.


    The green Zenotote had intended to strike the guard in the neck to render him unconscious, but the guard was too quick. He grabbed the hand that reached out to strike him and flipped Harlan over his shoulder. She crashed onto the floor with the door on one side of her and Batty on the other.


    The guard quickly assessed. First, he noted Harlan¡¯s Needaimus, then recalled two faces he had noticed before. Given the Needaimus and movement, he knew they were not fans and had to be on full alert for whatever abilities could come.


    The guard cautiously flipped Harlan onto her stomach and twisted her arm behind her. He couldn¡¯t be sure what her ability was and sought to use pain to restrain her movements. Then he began to scan the hallway for Fiona.


    Batty had not realized that Harlan expected every movement he made and planned accordingly. She knew where she would land and how she would position, which put her in the perfect position to open the door with her scaly tail. As she opened it, Fiona popped out from around the corner. Batty was aware of the door opening and Fiona¡¯s appearance. He quickly guessed what would happen next but could not stop Harlan and Fiona from disappearing in a flash of light.


    The guard stumbled as his grip on the Zenotote scientist was lost. He quickly recovered and entered the backstage. The area was a long series of connecting hallways that led to dressing rooms for each beauideal. He quickly looked up, expecting opponents to drop down; when no attack came, Batty could only assume they had used the teleporting ability to flee swiftly into the hallway. He grunted as he pulled out a radio.


    ¡°This is Batty; two unexpecteds just entered the back. One Aqueenian girl, likely 14 or 15, and another Zenotote girl, likely 15 or 16. Both have Needaimus; one can teleport to some extent,¡± he reported.


    ¡°Batty! How could you let them slip by!¡± another guard echoed through the radio.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, execute backstage plan 42, a second voice said.¡±


    ¡°Yes, commander,¡± Batty replied.


    The whole forces of guards were immediately alerted to the intruder¡¯s presence. While a number stayed at doors to keep more from entering, the remaining guards were rallied to hunt down the intruders.


    Deep within the halls of the backstage, Fiona and Harlan came to a stop in front of a door. Fiona was breathing heavily while Harlan looked around the hallway. She had teleported Harlan and herself down the halls randomly to avoid the guard giving chase.


    The Aqueenian princess discovered two things; the first was that she could not zap others as far as she could herself, which led to an increase in the number of times they had to reappear. The second was that rapidly moving someone and herself over a great distance could quickly cause overexertion.


    Harlan could tell Fiona was exhausted, but she knew they had to keep moving before they got caught. As if to answer the Zenotote scientist''s concerns, footsteps that sounded like a marching army began to echo down the halls in both directions. The guards had already caught up.


    ¡°They¡¯re faster than the guards in Quenth,¡± Fiona said through heavy breaths.


    ¡°Beauideals cause an increase in motivation,¡± Harlan muttered as she looked around. With few options available, she grabbed Fiona by the arm and ducked into the room they stood by.


    As the door shut, Harlan came face to face with two familiar beauideals.


    Two pointed ears twitched as the beauideal Kitten stared at the duo with a comically surprised face. Off to the side of the room, Scarlet sat on a couch with wide eyes.


    Harlan and Fiona looked back and forth between the two beauideals for a moment. The sounds of the guards¡¯ footsteps were quickly growing in scale.


    Kitten frowned as she opened her mouth, but Harlan acted quicker.


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    The Zenotote quickly produced a board from her suit and presented it to the pointed ear beauideal.


    ¡°A signature, please,¡± Harlan shyly asked.


    She had prepared something to sign beforehand to set up a story of passing as fans, but she was secretly glad Kitten was the beauideal she could ask. The green Zenotote bore a small, smug smile as she considered showing the signature to Rheba later.


    ¡°Oh, a fan!¡± Kitten went into her beauideal mode as she clapped her hands together,¡± Of course, I¡¯ll sign.¡±


    Scarlet sat on the other side of the room with her eyes squinted. She glared at Fiona, who tried to look in the other direction shyly.


    Kitten took notice of the red Aqueenian¡¯s staring after finishing her signing. She leaned around Harlan and looked at Fiona.


    Banging at the door soon followed.


    ¡°Guards, open up!¡± echoed from the closed door.


    Kitten squinted her eyes, and then a devious smile went across her face. She grabbed Harlan and Fiona by the arms and maneuvered them across the room to hide them under the vanity. Afterward, she threw a blanket over her and began applying makeup. To justify the cover, the beauideal deliberately poured some cosmetics on the sheet to appear messy.


    At that moment, the guards burst through the door with Batty at the head. They looked all around the room. Scarlet looked away from the guards without a word while Kitten smiled in their direction. Those that were fans of the beauideals shivered as they saw their favorites.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Kitten asked in a sugary sweet voice.


    ¡°Some intruders snuck in, and we have reason to believe they came this way,¡± Batty replied.


    ¡°Intruders! Oh my, I haven¡¯t seen any, but I wish you luck!¡±


    ¡°Kitten¡¯s such an angel!¡± one guard whispered from behind.


    ¡°No, you fool, Dia¡¯s the angel!¡± a fan of the winged Aqueenian snapped back.


    Batty grunted and glared at the feuding guards. They snapped to attention and nodded to each other to say, ¡®we¡¯ll continue our argument later.¡¯


    ¡°Well, sorry to disturb you,¡± Batty said. The guards began to shuffle out and continue their search for the intruders. Kitten didn¡¯t remove the blanket until the dressing room door was firmly shut.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Scarlet asked in a low tone. The pointed ear Netzian made a laugh which resembled an ¡®ohohoho¡¯ before responding.


    ¡°For fun, of course!¡±


    Harlan and Fiona carefully navigated out from under the vanity. As the Zenotote scientist brushed her clothes off, the Aqueenian princess spoke up.


    ¡°Thanks for your help!¡±


    ¡°Anything for a fan!¡± Kitten replied in kind. ¡°Now, to sneak out of here, you just need to¨C¡°


    ¡°Actually, we need to find the beauideal Dia. Do you know where she is?¡± Fiona interrupted.


    Harlan froze and stared at the blue princess in shock. Kitten¡¯s face turned from happy to sullen in a flash.


    ¡°Dia, huh?¡± she said with a low growl shaking her voice.


    Harlan¡¯s slitted eyes darted around the room between the others as she tried to think of what to say to break the tension. It was considered treacherous to mention another beauideal when asking for an autograph, as Harlan had done moments before.


    Fiona punched her flat palm with her Needaimus bonded fist.


    ¡°Yeah, and we have some business to attend with her,¡± the Aqueenian princess added. Fiona had not meant it, but her actions suggested enough for Kitten¡¯s face to soften. Harlan let out a deep sigh of relief as she saw a way out of the treachery.


    ¡°Dia killed her father, you see,¡± the Zenotote scientist explained. She didn¡¯t like giving up crucial information about their mission, but she liked the idea of her favorite beauideal, believing she wasn¡¯t a loyal fan less. Fiona looked at Harlan with shock while Scarlet made an ¡®ah-ha¡¯ expression.


    ¡°You''re Princess Fiona,¡± the red Aqueenian whispered. Kitten was the only one who heard, and she jumped in shock.


    ¡°A princess! Here in my changing room!¡± the pointed ear Netzian gleefully said. Fiona looked slightly uncomfortable, but her time in Horizon had let her get used to the princess role enough to go with the flow.


    ¡°Yes, I am the second daughter to the late Jolon Whitlock.¡± Fiona channeled everything she recalled from her classes, which wasn¡¯t much, to speak politely and curtsy.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± the bright-eyed Kitten said, ¡°And the rumors were true after all!¡± she added.


    ¡°Rumors?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°Of Dia killing a foreign leader! I always knew that biaskylo had it in her.¡±


    ¡°Kitten, language!¡± Scarlet whispered only loud enough for the pointed ear beauideal to hear.


    ¡°So what do you plan to do? I recommend a shoulder throw followed by drilling your elbow in her stomach!¡± Kitten happily suggested.


    ¡°Kitten! We should report her to the authorities!¡± Scarlet whispered back.


    ¡°No way! Do you know how many times she went off script and beat me! No, retribution is needed,¡± the pointed ear beauideal said with a sinister grin.


    As the exchange happened, Harlan sadly looked at the ground. She knew beauideals personalities were not necessarily accurate to their real ones, but she had not expected the sweet Kitten to be so violent and the violent Scarlet to be so shy. Her image was shattered, but the conversation continued without care for Harlan¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°How about a gut punch to bring her to her knees!¡± Kitten happily suggested. She had been making one violent suggestion after the other, which only made Harlan and Fiona more and more uncomfortable.


    Scarlet had quickly made her way across the room and tried to convince the pointed ear beauideal to let up.


    ¡°Please, Kitten, come back to reality!¡± the red Aqueenian pleaded as she gently tried to shake the Netzian girl to her senses.


    ¡°Or maybe we can all gang up on her and¡­¡± Kitten droned on with her plan to take down Dia.


    Fiona looked to Harlan for help on what she should say, but the green Zenotote was too shocked at Kitten¡¯s actual personality to notice the blue princess. After her attempt failed, Fiona figured it would be best to spit something out.


    ¡°So, we really would just like to go see Dia,¡± she interrupted Kitten.


    The Netzian¡¯s ears perked up.


    ¡°Of course, we should go see that biaskylo ourselves!¡± Scarlet let her head hang as she shook it.


    Kitten grabbed Harlan and Fiona¡¯s arms around the wrists while clearing her throat.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go say hello to Dia!¡± she said in a voice that sounded an octave higher than her previous. Her face had become a friendly smile that looked so different she might have been confused with another person. ¡°Come on, Scarlet, you should get ready to go out!¡± Kitten said in her stage voice.


    Scarlet made a small sigh before her expression changed to a smug look. She glared at the three who stood in front of her.


    ¡°Well, what are you standing around for! Get out of here and stop polluting the air!¡± she shouted at the trio.


    ¡°Oh, Scarlet, you¡¯re always so mean,¡± Kitten said with her ears drooped and tears in her eyes. Harlan happily nodded as she saw the beauideals as they were in her mind. Fiona¡¯s mouth was wide open, she looked to the Zenotote scientist in shock, but they were quickly pulled out the door by Kitten before any words could be exchanged.


    Kitten happily skipped down the back halls, and Fiona and Harlan kept close just behind her. Scarlet stomped and grunted behind the trio.


    They quickly encountered some guards who were still ruthlessly searching for the intruders. They had split into groups of two and were planning to leave no stone unturned. Naturally, they stopped Kitten and the group when faces that matched the intruder''s descriptions came into view.


    ¡°Is there a problem, Mr. Guard?¡± Kitten asked in an innocent voice. Her eyes were wide, and her ears drooped. Fortunately for her, the buttons on the guards had her face on one and Scarlet¡¯s on the other.


    ¡°So¡­ Sorry to interrupt,¡± the guard with the Kitten button stammered, ¡°but these two¡­ match the description of some¡­ intruders.¡±


    ¡°Intruders! Oh dear!¡± Kitten held her hand over her mouth in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about any intruders. These two happen to be some up-and-coming beauideals we are mentoring!¡±


    The guard with the Scarlet badge looked intensely at Fiona. He shook his head.


    ¡°Sorry to say, you¡¯re never going to beat Scarlet in a concert-match.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll do my best?¡± Fiona gave her reply.


    ¡°Well, we must be going now, but I hope to count on your continued support!¡± Kitten quickly added before pulling the duo away.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± the Scarlet button guard said with narrow eyes. Kitten, along with Fiona and Harlan, froze. The guard turned to his favorite beauideal, ¡°Would you be able to¡­.¡±


    Scarlet sighed and glared at the guard.


    ¡°Hah? Do you want some attention when you ought to be working? You poggly! Perhaps I should drag you by the ear to report to your superiors! Maybe a quick kick to the shin to get you to shape up!¡± she snapped at him.


    The guard looked like he had been shot, but a happy, creepy smile lined his face.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Your so strange.¡± The group heard the Kitten button-wearing guard say to the other as they walked away.


    As they got out of the guard''s hearing range, Scarlet made a small whimper and rubbed her eyes.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I have one normal fan,¡± she lamented in a small voice.


    ¡°You just have to keep trying! Someone will come along!¡± Kitten said with sparkles in her eyes to the red Aqueenian girl.


    ¡°Biaskylo, I don¡¯t want to hear anything from you!¡± Scarlet snapped after returning to her stage persona.


    ¡°Scarlet¡¯s a little grumpy today; maybe she¡¯s got a tummy ache,¡± Kitten retorted. Her eyes flashed a hint of deviousness as she looked at her fellow beauideal. Scarlet grunted and looked away. Though Fiona and Harlan had no way to be aware, Kitten had once given Scarlet a laxative to humiliate her in a public gathering. The red Aqueenian knew the words were a warning to dial back her harsh persona¡¯s remarks on the pointed ear Netzian.


    Fiona and Harlan followed Kitten¡¯s lead as she continued to move through the backstage. It wasn¡¯t long before they reached a door with Dia¡¯s name printed in shiny letters. Kitten rolled her eyes at the sight of the beauideal¡¯s name and knocked on the door.

 84 – A Beauideal Challenge

    Dia slowly opened the door to greet who was knocking. It moved only enough to create a small gap from which she could peer out while Sabia made her way into a locker to hide. Her yellow eyes immediately focused on Fiona before she noticed the other three that stood there.


    ¡°So, you followed me all the way to Nun?¡± The green beauideal asked in a casual tone. She kept her tone neutral, but from behind the door, she readied her arm, and the white Needaimus, X, bonded to it.


    ¡°Dia, dear, we would like a chat!¡± Kitten said in a sing-song voice. Though her voice and face were sweet, she didn¡¯t waste any time forcing her way into Dia¡¯s room. The others followed suit, and the door was quickly shut. Dia made a confident smile as she gestured to the couches in the room.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a seat?¡±


    All in the room, at least as far as the new visitors were aware, sat on the seats with Dia and began their discussion. The four guests crammed onto the couch and sat opposite Dia, who sat in an enormous, comfortable armchair.


    ¡°We have you now! These girls are firsthand witnesses to your murder!¡± Kitten wasted no time breaking character and yelling at Dia.


    Dia chuckled.


    ¡°And? The Nun authorities are not obliged to punish me for crimes in a foreign nation. The public can be easily swayed to believe whatever I like, and even the four of you don¡¯t have the power to overtake me and drag me back to Quenth.¡± Dia fluttered her wings as if to intimidate the other girls. She moved her metalized arm into their line of sight, similar to how one would brandish a gun.


    Kitten gritted her teeth in frustration. In her haste to confront the green Aqueenian, neither she nor Scarlet picked up their Needaimus. She discovered a fatal error many mortals made when the Needaimus was primarily thought of as something for a job over combat. Without knowing the abilities of Harlan or Fiona, the pointy-eared beauideal did not plan to take a chance.


    ¡°What is your aim? Whose pawn are you?¡± Harlan asked softly. Dia let out an honest laugh.


    ¡°What a silly question,¡± was all she answered with.


    ¡°Do you work for Array?¡± the Zenotote scientist pressed.


    Dia laughed again but couldn¡¯t hide a small fidget at her surprise from hearing the organization¡¯s name. The reaction was lost on the other three, but Harlan picked up on it. Still, the Zenotote scientist wished someone else could do the interrogating.


    ¡°What is Array¡¯s next move?¡± Harlan pressed.


    Dia sighed and leaned back in her chair. She looked up to the ceiling for a moment, then around the room as if to loosen her neck.


    ¡°This conversation bores me. Don¡¯t you have something more interesting to say? Or perhaps we should just duke it out now? Though I warn you, the guards will swoop in if they get the slightest hint of a conflict.¡±


    Dia smiled smugly at the crowd on the couch. As far as she was concerned, she had the others in check. It was apparent to the group that they would have to be careful with their actions, or at least, it was apparent to three members.


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    Fiona leaped up from the couch and rolled her shoulders to loosen them. She put up her fists as if she was ready to fight.


    ¡°Alright! All this talk was boring anyway. Let¡¯s beat her up and go do something fun!¡± she declared. Kitten¡¯s eyes lit up at Fiona¡¯s declaration, and she hopped up next to the princess. Scarlet stared in shock, looking back and forth between the two. Harlan put a scaly palm to her face and shook her head. Dia, for her part, was equally shocked. It was unclear to any of the others if Fiona was aware of the potential consequences and didn¡¯t care or was willfully oblivious to anything that was said prior. Each had their own theory.


    Dia reacted by pointing a finger at Kitten. A sudden blast of energy emitted from the tip, and the Netzian beauideal fell backward. She was quickly caught by Scarlet.


    ¡°Magic¡­ no fair¡­ Biaskylo¡­¡± Kitten weakly muttered as her legs failed her.


    ¡°I forgot about that¡­.¡± Fiona muttered as Dia turned her finger to Fiona. The blue princess quickly disappeared in a flash of light as the spell was released. The energy sailed toward Harlan, but the green Zenotote simply leaned to the side so that the spell hit the couch. A small burn was made where it hit.


    ¡°That¡¯s a designer couch!¡± Dia lamented. At the same time, Fiona reappeared behind the green beauideal. She tried to kick Dia in the head, but the winged Aqueenian ducked under the princess''s leg.


    ¡°Fiona.¡± Harlan shook her head as she stood up.


    Dia hopped up from her chair and turned to inspect it while Fiona tried to punch her. The green Aqueenian quickly deflected the punch with her metal wing even as her attention was on the chair.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Dia cried out. Fiona froze, and Harlan stood in wait. The beauideal opponent took a moment to clear her throat before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re going to tear my dressing room apart!¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± Fiona said. Kitten tried to mutter something, but the weakness spell Dia had hit her with prevented the words from being coherent. Scarlet turned away from the group and softly explained in Kitten¡¯s place.


    ¡°You see, a beauideal¡¯s dressing room is largely funded by the fan base support. Fan¡¯s chip in to buy the star clothes and furniture for their favorite to use¡­.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! You dishonor the thoughts and feelings of all my wonderful fans by damaging the place!¡± Dia added.


    Kitten grunted, ¡®who cares about your stupid fans,¡¯ but her words were too unclear for the others to make out.


    ¡°How about this,¡± Dia began, ¡°We will make this an official match!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± the rest of the room said in unison, including Sabia, who had been hidden during the whole exchange. Fortunately, her voice was masked by the surprise of the others.


    ¡°You all must have no sense for entertainment! Think of it, two special guests facing off with the number one beauideal early in the tournament! It will catch so much attention! And all those eyes will be on me!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just smash your stuff instead?¡± Fiona asked.


    Dia¡¯s gaze became a sudden cold stare.


    ¡°If you do anything to disrespect the love of my fans, I will make you hurt in ways you can¡¯t imagine,¡± she hissed.


    The surprise displayed on the other parties was not to be understated; Dia rarely ever broke character. The green beauideal quickly reverted back to her happy persona.


    ¡°How about this, if you win, and let¡¯s be honest about how silly that thought is, I will tell you everything I know about Array, their plans, and my involvement!¡±


    Fiona turned to Harlan. The princess was ready to continue the fight, but the Zenotote scientist shook her head when their eyes met.


    ¡°We accept those terms,¡± Harlan said. Fiona was surprised, and Scarlet let out a sigh of relief. Kitten was only able to weakly grunt. Dia, for her part, let her shoulders relax once a fight in her dressing room was taken off the table.


    Harlan had figured that fighting in such a small space was not ideal for either her or Fiona. She was confident Dia could keep her promise, the testimony to fans from Scarlet and Kitten would be enough to pressure her after the fact, and she knew Dia wouldn¡¯t use magic in a public match as the quick takedown would detract from the showmanship. In her concern for the dressing room, she felt Dia had mistakenly given them an advantage that was best to be taken.


    If pressed, Harlan would have to also admit to feeding a slight desire to stand on a beauideal arena-stage at least once in her life. Additionally, Rheba would be very jealous when she found out.

 85 – Strangers

    The duo of Rheba and Gwyn found themselves in a park in the east section of Nun. After getting off the train, the duo wandered the city section for a short while; they traveled through streets, roads, and even a fountain square, but nothing worth interest showed to them. In the end, the search led to taking a rest in an extended field of grass.


    Rheba let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°I wish we had been the team to go to central nun. I have a feeling that Harlan is one-upping me somehow.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just imagining it,¡± Gwyn assured.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± she replied as she tried to shake off the feeling.


    Rheba stood up from the grass and brushed off her legs. She turned to offer a hand to help Gwyn up when a shout echoed across the field.


    ¡°Hey there, look out!¡±


    Rheba turned around; a ball was flying to her head. She quickly snatched it out of the air.


    ¡°Sorry about that!¡± a voice rang as two figures came over on what was best compared to a bike. They were made with pedals in the same manner but had hover devices in place of wheels.


    The person who spoke was a Zenotote with orange scales. He stood as tall as Gwyn and had very wide arms and legs. His face was medium-sized, not being as flat as Harlan¡¯s and not being as long as some other Zenototes. He wore a sleeveless coat that hid his tail underneath.


    ¡°My name is Ripple,¡± the Zenotote said as his black eyes darted between Gwyn and Rheba, ¡°This big guy is Thorir.¡±


    The orange Zenotote referenced his companion¡ªa large and bulky Netzian with voltage yellow hair and electric blue eyes. He was dressed in a suit but wasn¡¯t breaking a sweat.


    ¡°Why are you wearing a suit when biking?¡± Gwyn quickly asked as he stood up from the ground.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Thorir answered in a gruff voice. Ripple chuckled.


    ¡°Please excuse his manners; he¡¯s rough around the edges.¡±


    ¡°It is alright; here is your ball,¡± Rheba handed back the sphere that had been thrown. It was a small ball used for sports. She couldn¡¯t help but notice that the duo had come on bikes and lacked the proper equipment typically used in such sporting events. ¡°What is it you were doing?¡± she added.


    Ripple clapped his hands together.


    ¡°Oh, we are just enjoying a little sport of ours. You see, we toss the ball back and forth while riding. It added a level of complexity which is quite rewarding.¡±


    ¡°Seems like a good way to cause a crash,¡± Gwyn said.


    ¡°Or hit someone with a ball,¡± Rheba added as she tossed the ball to Ripple.


    The orange Zenotote caught it and chuckled.


    ¡°I suppose we ought to have been more careful. There is a great restaurant in one of the squares up ahead; why don¡¯t we treat you to a meal as a token of our apology.¡± Ripple bowed as he spoke.


    ¡°A free meal! Sure!¡± Gwyn eagerly replied.


    ¡°I like your enthusiasm!¡± Ripple jumped forward and grabbed Gwyn¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked while shaking Gwyn¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Gwyn, the Nonpareil.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what a title to have! No wonder you have a Needaimus on your arm. you must be amazing!¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that¡­ but I did defeat an evil bandit leader and shoot the eye out of a sea monster!¡± Gwyn replied with a goofy grin. Rheba shook her head. She glanced at Thorir but didn¡¯t stare too long as he looked intensely in her direction.


    ¡°Ah, feats you should be proud of!¡± Ripple replied.


    Ripple and Gwyn happily walked forward while the Nonpareil recounted his exploits on Resh. After every feat, Ripple would respond with how incredible Gwyn was.


    Rheba followed closely behind the duo. She sensed no malice from Ripple, but Thorir was another story. He followed several paces behind the rest with his eyes trained on the Bentulousian warrior.


    As they left the park, it appeared that Ripple was leading them to a crowded place. She figured they would not try anything where the crowd was too thick. As they entered the busy crowd, she rubbed the purple Needaimus bonded to her arm as if to ensure it was still there.


    In no time at all, she found how the crowd could be used against them. Gwyn and Ripple quickly got further along in the group than her or Thorir. She could see him somewhat due to her large height and his golden-red hair being bright enough to focus on. At the same time, she knew the Nonpareil would be lost in a moment if the busy crowd didn¡¯t dissipate. Rheba looked up to a rather tall building.


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    ¡°I will jump to the roof of that building,¡± she said in as quiet a voice allowed for her ability to activate. Thorir still heard the words, but Rheba had already gone into the air. Many of the crowd cheered and hollered for what they figured was a street performer. Gwyn himself turned to see Rheba fly through the air.


    Partner Rheba is calling. Mem said before connecting them.


    Gwyn, Rheba¡¯s voice echoed in his head; something¡¯s not right, get out of there and let¡¯s meet up by the fountain we saw earlier.


    Gwyn turned to Ripple, only to see an angry look as the Zenotote watched Rheba land on the rooftop.


    ¡°Sorry if we¡¯re just misunderstanding,¡± Gwyn quickly said before sprinting through the crowd.


    Ripple gritted his sharp teeth as the Nonpareil was lost in the crowd the Zenotote had hoped to take advantage of.


    Gwyn kept running and pushing past all the different species. Many shouted, and others cursed, but the Nonpareil kept going until he broke through. The street was open enough, and Gwyn began his sprint away, trusting that Rheba was right.


    I think the Zenotote is following. He looks a little angry. Mem informed Gwyn. Ripple had quickly broken from the crowd and was angrily pursuing the Nonpareil.


    ¡°And here I thought I made a friend!¡± Gwyn replied.


    He was just complimenting and flattering you, hardly a friend.


    ¡°Do you remember how to get to the fountain?¡±


    I¡¯ll put up directions.


    In an instant, Gwyn could see what looked like a glowing line that bent around turns.


    It¡¯s just like a GPS, but in my head!¡± he laughed.


    I hope that was a compliment.


    ¡°Uh¡­ so is Ripple still chasing us?¡± Gwyn switched the subject.


    Yes, he¡¯s catching up too. Mem replied. The Nonpareil looked back to see the orange Zenotote chasing after with two long swords in his hands.


    ¡°Oh, damn, where did he get those? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Gwyn shouted as he rounded another bend.


    I didn¡¯t think it was vital unless he catches us. Mem replied.


    Gwyn made his way around another turn into a straight, long section which emptied out on the street. Gwyn chuckled as he knew it was his element. He quickly picked up the pace and increased the distance between him and his pursuer. He had run in track for many years and was glad it still had use later in life.


    As Gwyn reached the end of the alleyway, he became hopeful about his escape. The hope was dashed when one of Ripple¡¯s swords sailed past the Nonpareil¡¯s head.


    Gwyn ducked slightly as the sword flew past his periphery, but his sprint did not slow.


    ¡°Flying swords again! Didn¡¯t I tell you that bandit leader tried that already!¡± The Nonpareil shouted back to his pursuer.


    A second later and he found himself running out of the alleyway. The thrown swords had gotten lodged into a wall opposite the alley¡¯s exit, and a crowd gathered around it to take pictures.


    Gwyn wasted no time to turn and run down the street. Ripple followed while hot on his heels.


    He¡¯s still there,¡± informed Mem to keep Gwyn facing forward.


    ¡°He just won¡¯t give up!¡±


    You seem to think villains are pushovers; you really should change that mindset. Mem cautioned.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Gwyn replied.


    Another sword flew past Gwyn¡¯s head. He jumped to the side in shock and almost ran into a random passerby but kept up his pace. Gwyn looked back to see what Ripple would do next without swords. To his surprise, the Zenotote had two swords in his hands, as if he had never thrown them. From under his clothes, a Needaimus-covered tail had emerged.


    Gwyn stopped and spun on his heel. He was done running and would face his opponent head-on. At that moment, an arrow sailed past his head and struck the ground in front of Ripple. The Zenotote grunted and took a step back.


    Gwyn checked where the arrow had come from, but he second-guessed himself almost immediately. An elf girl with long blond hair stood in the Nun streets with her bow at the ready. She was precisely like Gwyn had seen only a couple of days prior¡ªon the cover of K.A. Natos¡¯ book.


    Next to the elf was a dwarf and a Netzian with a blue Needaimus bonded to his arm. Each stood tall and ready for battle as they faced Ripple. Kako nonchalantly strode up next to the trio of characters from her novel.


    ¡°Hi, Gwyn! You sure know how to get in trouble, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked in a cutesy tone. At the same time, she turned so that Ripple could see the Needaimus that rode on her shoulder. As it wasn¡¯t bonded, it was the equivalent of showing a holstered gun.


    Ripple gritted his sharp teeth as four unknowns entered the fray. He smiled and slid the swords to his sides like he was putting them in sheathes. They dissolved into nothing starting from the tip as if disappearing into the invisible holder.


    ¡°I suppose the element of surprise is lost, but don¡¯t think allies will always come to save you,¡± Ripple shouted before retreating back into the crowd.


    ¡°What was that about pushovers?¡± Gwyn asked.


    There¡¯s a difference between being a pushover and being cautious about a fight against many odd opponents. Mem replied.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Gwyn said before turning to Kako. He nervously looked at the trio of characters previously confined to a book cover. He pointed to them and gave Kako a confused look. She chuckled.


    ¡°Oh, that. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With a wave of her hand, the dwarf began to disappear in purple sparkles. His legs were the first to dissolve and quickly moved up to his head. He made a huff before entirely vanishing. ¡°My focus of magical discipline allows me to create bodies for my characters to inhabit!¡±


    Kako waved another hand, and the Netzian began to disappear. He bowed to her.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me see Resh once again,¡± the character said before vanishing.


    Gwyn didn¡¯t know what to say, but his mouth hung open.


    ¡°Pretty cool, huh? Oh, but don¡¯t go telling everyone. This style of magic is a little advanced for most.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Gwyn replied. His mind was running in circles with thoughts. Kako went to wave her hand again but stopped before making the elf disappear. She got a sly smile.


    ¡°Say, Gwyn, if you want, I could let Mina here stay a while. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind having a pretty elf keep you company. Until I deactivate my spell, she is as material as you or me, after all.¡± Kako said in a teasing tone.


    The elf looked at the ground in a manner that would be easy to mistake for shyness.


    Gwyn shook his head but didn¡¯t know how to respond. Kako sighed, and in a flash, Mina disappeared.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s walk a while then. You¡¯re heading to the fountain, right?¡± Kako asked.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    The two began their walk to the fountain, where Gwyn would meet up with Rheba. Unknown to them, Ripple watched from the shadows. He grunted and pulled out a small device hidden under his clothes. A message was sent for backup.

 86 – Kako and Gwyn

    The pair of Nonpareil and writer reached the fountain in no time. Rheba was nowhere to be seen, and unknown to Gwyn, she was engaged in battle with Thorir.


    He sat on a bench and leaned back to look at the sky. The lights of Nun seemed to filter the blue of it away in a wash of other bright colors. The only spot without light was a building that was being newly constructed next to the fountain square.


    Kako sat down and looked in the same direction.


    ¡°Is there something interesting up there?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, no, I was just thinking.¡±


    Don¡¯t hurt yourself, Mem chimed in Gwyn¡¯s head with a chuckle.


    ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± Kako asked with a tilt of her head.


    ¡°Just about whether or not I should have chased Ripple or not. I¡¯m wondering whether or not we should have had a good brawl in the streets, then I could defeat him, and maybe we could become friends or something!¡± the Nonpareil said with a hopeful glint in his eye. He simultaneously wondered if he could have reached an understanding with Grimes as well.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t some shonen story,¡± Kako replied in a quiet, disappointed voice.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Gwyn asked. He had not heard clearly and thought the Resh native had said something strange.


    ¡°Nothing, dear. I think your outlook, while noble, is a little na?ve. That Ripple fellow seemed like a dangerous person.¡±


    ¡°You may be right, but I can¡¯t know for sure without trying,¡± the Nonpareil answered.


    ¡°Your setting yourself up to be let down,¡± Kako warned.


    Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure he agreed with the writer. He wanted to try to win a villain over at least once while on Resh, childish as the idea might have been. He figured he could at least change the subject since Kako and he didn¡¯t see eye to eye.


    ¡°Where did you learn your... uh¡­ character magic?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Oh, it''s something I spent a long portion of my life studying,¡± Kako answered with a smile as she turned to look at the fountain.


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    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You could say it furthers some goals I have in life.¡±


    Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure what goals would require such a specific type of magic, and he got the feeling Kako wasn¡¯t going to answer, so he focused on a broader question.


    ¡°Is it hard to learn magic?¡± he asked. The writer had to hum in thought a moment before replying.


    ¡°For people nowadays, it is; most have been reduced to using what are known as the seven simple spells, and even those are going out of fashion now.¡±


    ¡°Seven?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Ah, yes. That beauideal you fought happens to know the spell of weakening, and the spell I demonstrated on the ship was the spell of binding.¡±


    ¡°And are your characters¡­ coming to life a simple spell?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, dear, that is an advanced spell almost lost to time. That¡¯s why I asked you to keep it on the down low!¡± Kako said in a flirty tone


    ¡°Do you think I could learn?¡± Gwyn asked. Kako shook her head.


    ¡°Needaimus have been all the rage since the Rush period began. Even if you learned, you would only make yourself taboo among others.¡±


    ¡°Captain Stone seemed to think you were alright. I don¡¯t think the others had any complaints either.¡±


    ¡°An old seadog like him isn¡¯t the best frame of reference, and your companions consist of royalty and soldiers. Most nations have a secret magic squad they would be privy to know about. The average citizen, however, is going to be uncomfortable at best,¡± Kako explained.


    ¡°You seem very informed,¡± Gwyn said.


    ¡°I have to be; I¡¯m a writer!¡± Kako said with a sly smile. Gwyn doubted her claim was anything more than dodging his comment, but he let it slide as a new thought came into his head. He recalled Dia¡¯s spell, which had incapacitated Odell back in Quenth¡¯s castle.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Dia win every match with a weakening spell? Come to think of it, what are the other spells?¡±


    Kako chuckled.


    ¡°Well, I think the beauideal rules prohibit magic; Needaimus are the popular thing right now,¡± Kako rolled her eyes before continuing, ¡°As for the other spells, I can explain them to you in due time. For now, I think we might have some company!¡± The writer turned her head to one of the streets that left the fountain square.


    Ripple stood with his orange, scaly arms crossed. Next to him stood a giant metal Needaimus.


    Gwyn¡¯s mouth hung open as he eyed the hulking metal form. He jumped up from the bench to face the two opponents.


    ¡°Do Needaimus come that big?¡± he asked.


    I shudder to think about it, was all Mem replied with.


    ¡°Well, I think you will be getting your fight after all! Do be careful what you wish for next time,¡± Kako said with a smile as she stood up next to the Nonpareil. Her hands began to glow with a purple hue. The Needaimus on her shoulder jumped off and sat on the bench.


    ¡°Your not bonding?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s more a writing aid than a fighting support anyway!¡± Kako explained. She waved her hand, and Basil, the dwarf, popped up from a bush. He spat out leaves and stepped forward.


    ¡°I could have come from around the fountain,¡± he muttered as he readied his hammer.


    Ripple chuckled.


    ¡°Nighthawk, you take good care of the Nonpareil; I will see to this other interloper,¡± he said to the giant Needaimus.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the mechanical voice of Nighthawk rang out.


    A loud bang echoed across the rooftops, and Rheba flew across the sky. She crashed on the top floor of the building under construction, but Gwyn did not have time to rush to her aid. The opponents in front of them suddenly charged forward to attack.

 87 – Rheba’s Clash on Rooftops

    The rooftops in Nun¡¯s higher buildings were built haphazardly. The designers figured not many people would have a need to go on top of them, so they were where creative liberties were taken. Many angles and shapes lined the tops of the buildings, making them difficult to stand on. Lights of all colors were often positioned to the ground, but some more were set up to shine in the sky or across other buildings. The design was odd, but those that maintained building codes in the city saw no reason to force the designers to comply with any given code for the rooftops. With some of the extreme personalities in Nun architecture designers, they figured that having one space for creative outlet would leave the rest of the building somewhat normal.


    However, the odd design had an unintentional use, which was that when looked at together, they formed a difficult course for what would be known on earth as parkour. Some daredevils had found joy in leaping across the rooftops in secret, but no formal activity had been created on Resh.


    Rheba found herself in the middle of a firsthand experience with the rooftops as she ran across them. She was forced to jump, climb, and slide, pushing her military training to its limits.


    The tall warrior would have not been in such a rush, but as soon as she retreated to the roofs, Thorir quickly leaped after her.


    She had not expected the yellow-haired Netzian to scale the building so quickly and could not increase the gap between them before he could begin his chase.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think a warrior would be such a coward!¡± Thorir shouted from behind as he gracefully leaped and contorted through the unintentional parkour course.


    Rheba¡¯s ear twitched, but she said nothing in reply. She needed to find a place with sound footing to properly engage with her opponent.


    The warrior bounced off a wall to make a 90-degree turn before colliding with the side of a building. She quickly used windowsills to hop up to a higher rooftop. Opposed to the graceful movements of Rheba, Thorir could not change his direction so rapidly and smashed through a window. There was a scream from the tenant of the room as he burst in, but he paid them no mind and quickly began to run across the room.


    As he ran to the apartment wall, he punched two fists together. The metal bonded to his knuckles began to glow, and purple sparks flicked off them. When the hulking Netzian reached the apartment wall, he thrust his fist forward and punched a hole into the next.


    Thorir continued running through the complex, smashing through walls and ignoring the screaming tenants. At the other side of the building, he burst through a window and flew through the air to the next building. As the Netzian anticipated, Rheba had run across the top of the building and was leaping down the next. They came close in the air, and Thorir didn¡¯t let his opportunity go to waste. He threw an electrical punch at Rheba¡¯s head. She only had enough time to block the blow with her forearms before she was thrust through the air.


    Rheba smashed into the next building''s rooftop and rolled several times before coming to a stop. She was quickly back up on her feet as Thorir landed on the roof.


    The opponents had landed in a narrow flat area, where they both stood. To both, their sides was an angled section with poles sticking up like tree trunks. The columns dotted the roof in straight lines on either side of them. Behind the dualling opponents was the fountain where The Bentalousian warrior and Gwyn had planned to meet. She could see Gwyn¡¯s bright hair as he entered the area with a familiar writer.


    Rheba gritted her teeth. She would have to take a stand on the roof or leap down and get Gwyn involved in the fray.


    The Bentalousian warrior took a deep breath and formulated a quick plan. She would combat Thorir on the roof for a moment to assess his ability. If she could not easily best him, she would bring the fight to the fountain and have Gwyn support her.


    ¡°Finally decided to stop? Great! Let¡¯s fight!¡± Thorir said with glee.


    Rheba put her arms up into a fighting stance. She couldn¡¯t help but notice a slight lack of feeling in her two arms, but she shrugged it off and looked at her opponent''s eyes. They were bright like a child might be when buying him candy.


    ¡°I must warn you, I have been trained to take on all species and prepared for all manners of abilities,¡± she cautioned. Rheba planned to use his reaction to assess his confidence.


    Thorir smirked and took a pose of his own.


    ¡°How funny, so have I!¡±


    Neither exchanged another word. They charged at each other in the narrow section of the roof, and each aimed a punch at the other''s head. Thorir opted to take the brunt of Rheba¡¯s blow, letting her fist dig into the side of his face. Rheba figured caution was better and moved her head to avoid getting hit. His knuckles sparked with purple electricity that would have been discharged in the Bentalousian warrior.


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    She quickly swung her leg to hit his side. Thorir thrust his elbow down to stop the blow with a sharp jab. Before she could back up, he grabbed her leg in a hold. With a swipe of her other foot and a twist of her leg, Thorir spun Rheba¡¯s large form in the air and smashed her back into the ground. Before she could get up, he punched her in the stomach.


    Electricity ran through Rheba¡¯s body, and she felt an immediate vibrating pain like many tiny needles stuck in her core. She grunted and pulled her legs back. With a mighty push, she slammed both feet into Thorir and threw him across the rooftop. His back smashed into one of the avant-garde poles the designer had put up. Several cracks formed throughout it from the blow.


    Resh did not have tasers or any device with a similar concept, but Thorir¡¯s electrified attacks were close in comparison. He had found the attacks easily paralyzed Netzians, Aqueenians, and Zenototes. Hobusians¡¯ rougher skin seemed to act as an insulator, making them more challenging foes, and Bentalousians could feel the attacks but often would task several blows before the paralysis set in.


    Fortunately for the yellow-haired attacker, he had faced many opponents who could handle the punch part of his electrified attack. Rheba was the first to not only get taken down in one blow but quickly deliver a harsh counter-attack. He was ecstatic.


    Rheba quickly scanned the Netzian¡¯s limbs for a Needaimus; when she found none, she was forced to make an assumption.


    ¡°You are using the spells of energy and reinforcement, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked as she stood back up. Her stomach still felt off from the blow, but she ignored it as best she could.


    Thorir smirked. He had searched for a strong opponent for years after mastering his craft. He found the idea of a Needaimus abhorrent. Not only did they give abilities that weren¡¯t natural, but they also granted power to people without proper training. A person could do extraordinary feats without earning it, in Thorir¡¯s eyes.


    He had banded together with a small group to research and develop the seven simple spells into a potent fighting force. As he honed his body, he honed his spellcraft. Others left one by one when they realized how challenging the task actually was. Ultimately, the yellow-haired Netzian was the only one who reached mastery.


    He had wandered across Resh for several years after, picking fights with Needaimus users and skilled fighters without prejudice. His only hope was to find someone with sufficient fighting skills to best him, or at least train someone with magic to carry on his legacy.


    Eventually, Array found him and offered him a deal. They would involve him in situations where powerful fighters would gather. Thorir would have rathered fought the strong commanders that offered him the position, but he was not so much of a musclehead to overlook a good deal. He accepted with the goal of picking fights among the organization later.


    Unfortunately for the Netzian, he had not found strong fighters after joining Array. They were mainly focused on Nun upon his initiation, and he saw the citizens of the grand city were too squishy for his liking.


    It had been several years since he had taken a hit and many more since he thought a bone may have been broken. He was happy as could be and made a sinister grin at Rheba.


    ¡°Tell me, what is the Bentalousian rule for getting a Needaimus?¡± Thorir asked as he pushed himself off the cracked pole.


    Rheba¡¯s eyes narrowed. She didn¡¯t see the relevance but was not going to share the information regardless. Seeing the defiance in Rheba¡¯s eyes made Thorir chuckle.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°Just say something if I am wrong. Your culture believes a fighter should be competent first and a Needaimus mortal second. Only after mastering many martial arts skills and winning several live fights, you will be granted a Needaimus.¡±


    What he said was correct, but Rheba was not sure if she should say anything or not. She decided it was better to figure out what her next attack would be. Silently, she considered which words she should say. Only in her vision could she see the estimated amount of points each would cost.


    ¡®I will defeat you¡¯ cost three times her current stockpile. ¡®I will not be electrocuted again¡¯ was even more. She gritted her teeth as the values were an additional way to measure her opponent''s skill level. Rheba could tell that he was strong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes, very good,¡± Thorir said with glee as he took another fighting stance. He quickly lunged forward and threw a kick at Rheba¡¯s waist. She wasn¡¯t sure if the foot would be electrified and leaped back to avoid the strike.


    Thorir had counted on her move. His kick was actually a feint, and he quickly redirected it to the ground and pushed off to lunge closer.


    ¡°I will dodge,¡± Rheba shouted as Thorir moved his sparking fist of purple lighting close to her head. She was able to move in an awkward and contorted manner around him as the fist harmlessly sailed in the air. More impressively, she recovered from the awkward dodge and slammed her foot into Thorir¡¯s back. He was smashed into the rooftop and grunted.


    ¡°So, even you rely on your Needaimus,¡± Thorir lamented. Rheba did not understand his tone or words but jumped back in case he was about to try something. Sure enough, her concern was warranted as a discharge erupted from Thorir¡¯s body.


    He pushed himself and glared at her with rage.


    ¡°Is it too much to ask for a good fight?¡± he grunted as he ran across the rooftop.


    ¡°I would think electrifying opponents would not make for a good fight,¡± Rheba replied as she jumped in the air and over his head. Thorir stopped short of hitting the cracked pole a second time.


    Rheba swiftly began to run across the roof as well. She figured it would be best to end the fight quickly before meeting up with Gwyn.


    She pulled her arm back in preparation to strike as hard as possible. Thorir, on the other hand, suddenly broke off the cracked pole. He spun the pole like a baseball bat at Rheba. She quickly halted and pushed herself back. At the same time, Thorir lunged forward while continuing his swing. The hit connected, and Rheba flew across the sky into the under construction building on the opposite side of the fountain.

 88 – Fountain Fight

    Nighthawk jumped in Gwyn¡¯s direction before the Nonpareil hardly had a chance to think about it. The blue metal fist of the Needaimus opponent was trained on Gwyn¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Qin Shi Huang!¡± Gwyn shouted. He moved back and moved his hands up. In an instant, the ground liquified and moved up to form a wall. The barrier turned solid just as fast as it had liquified to create an instant, concrete wall. Nighthawks fist smashed through, stopping just a hair¡¯s length away from the Nonpareil. As the opponent slowly pulled its fist out of the wall, Gwyn chuckled and spoke, ¡±How do you like that? I spent several days during the mountain car trip thinking of all sorts of special moves!¡±


    ¡°Your attitude is the most grating thing about you,¡± Nighthawk mechanically spat as it pulled the arm out of the makeshift wall. Once the arm was removed, the wall crumbled.


    ¡°Say what you will, and I¡¯d love to test my new moves on you, but I need to go see Rheba!¡± Gwyn said as he turned and ran from the Needaimus opponent. As he ran closer to the partially finished building where Rheba had crashed, he turned around several times to watch Nighthawk.


    Gwyn had expected his opponent to give chase, and the giant blue Needaimus obliged. The Nonpareil was not without a plan; he would draw Nighthawk away from Kako and bring him to Rheba, where they could double team the opponent.


    ¡°Bob Gibson!¡± Gwyn shouted as he scooped up a piece of the ground and threw it at the opponent with his good hand. The attack flew nowhere close to the chasing Needaimus giant. ¡°Hmm, that one¡¯s going to need some work,¡± Gwyn muttered aloud.


    You should be wary, partner, this opponent doesn¡¯t seem like one to be careless with, Mem advised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, but he doesn¡¯t seem nearly as strong as Grimes,¡± Gwyn replied as he ran close to the building. Gwyn stopped and set his hand on the wall by the entrance.


    Nighthawk stopped short, and the two opponents stared at each other, though Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure where to focus on the metal body.


    ¡°I have seen the limits of your ability,¡± Nighthawk muttered, ¡°You would stand to be a bit more creative with your ability.¡± The giant blue Needaimus leaped into the air. As it sailed in the sky, Nighthawk oriented a fist to Gwyn¡¯s head. The Nonpareil smirked.


    ¡°Vlad the Impaler!¡± he shouted as the ground in front of him turned wet. Stony spikes shot up from the ground and hardened. The blue Needaimus crashed into the spikes, but the stone easily gave way to its metal frame. ¡°He¡¯s tough,¡± Gwyn muttered as he retreated into the building.


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    Out by the fountain, Kako and Ripple glared at each other. The orange Zenotote held two swords firmly in his hands, and Kako stood proud with Basil, the dwarf, by her side. Her character readied his hammer and took a step forward.


    ¡°You better give me a good drinking scene for this, witch,¡± he muttered.


    Kako laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the best one yet!¡± she replied to her character.


    The dwarf charged forward and smashed his large hammer into the ground. The ground cracked and opened in Ripple''s direction, who leaped to the side before the fountain square seemed to close like a mouth.


    The orange Zenotote threw a sword at Basil and one at Kako. They whistled as they sailed through the air with points directed at each target''s throats.


    The writer smiled and waved a hand that glowed with purple magic. Before the swords could hit either target, two arrows flew free from the top of the fountain and knocked the blades off course. They harmlessly bounced off the ground as Ripple turned to the top of the fountain. The elf, Mina, was standing on top with her bow, prepared to fire more arrows.


    The Zenotote opponent wondered where she had suddenly come from but let it go as two new swords appeared as particles of dust that spun and wove together into the blades.


    He stretched out his arm and pointed the tip of his blade to Kako.


    ¡°What do you wish to gain from getting involved?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting, and I might get a story out of it!¡± Kako answered. Ripple felt like she was lying but didn¡¯t expect her to stay alive long enough to get more information.


    He shook his head and focused on Basil. Before the dwarf could react, the Zenotote had closed the gap and cut him in two. Ripple expected a bloody scene, he was accustomed to such, but instead, the dwarf''s body dissipated into purple particles.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Basil began to shout what would have been a long string of dwarven curses, but his mouth was gone before he could finish.


    ¡°Basil!¡± Mina shouted with concern as she fired off a series of arrows. Ripple spun like a dancer as he bounced the attack off the flat side of his swords.


    As he spun and deflected, the orange Zenotote focused on Kako and her Needaimus, which sat on the bench far behind her. Once all the arrows were lying on the ground, the opponent again pointed his blade at Kako.


    ¡°I see; you are using a long-range Needaimus technique,¡± he said. Ripple had heard rumors of people practicing using the Needaimus abilities without being bonded but had not seen anything of substance before.


    Kako frowned for a moment; she had figured that though her technique was more advanced than any magic the opponent would be familiar with, he would still assume it was just spells. Nevertheless, she was happy to use a misunderstanding to her advantage.


    Kako made a chuckle which might have been more suited for a villain, but she didn¡¯t dwell on the details with her opponent moments from striking.


    ¡°Ah yes, so you¡¯ve figured it out! Yes, this little Needaimus is a type which allows me to make fictional characters fight for me!¡± she lied. ¡°You best give up now before I am forced to call on the whole army of my anthology!¡±


    ¡°I do not fear your hollow threats; I simply have to cut the Needaimus apart first,¡± Ripple said with a chuckle.


    Kako let out a deep breath.


    ¡°You young ones are always so reckless,¡± she said with a shake of her head.

 89 – Gwyn’s Limit

    The building under construction was best described as a parking garage. Each floor was made of dense and thick concrete, and ramps swirled around for vehakuls to climb up. Wide, round columns were placed in a grid pattern to hold the heavy structure up.


    The building would be used as a special office space upon its completion. Nun, and some of the other nations on Resh, had developed square, blocky vehakuls which functioned as a workspace and house which artists and freelancers would drive around to do various jobs within the nation. Buildings like the one by the fountain served as a place for people to move in and out while doing jobs.


    Due to the difference in use, the parking garage-like structure had painted white floors and walls and better lighting than the earth counterpart.


    Gwyn found the whole structure odd when comparing it to his past experiences but didn¡¯t dwell for too long as Nighthawk was hot on his heels. From what the Nonpareil could guess, Rheba had crashed on the fourth floor of the building.


    He stopped by a pillar and liquified the concrete material.


    Careful not to damage the structure too much, Mem warned.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; I studied engineering for a while,¡± said the confident guy who had taken electrical courses and not structural.


    He spun to face Nighthawk with the liquified concrete floating around him. The metal form grunted and pulled back a fist as it charged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a name for this one, but¡­.¡± Gwyn shouted as he moved the liquid to Nighthawk''s feet. The Nonpareil sidestepped as he hardened the concrete into a cinderblock with both of the giant Needaimus¡¯ metal feet contained within.


    Nighthawk immediately fell face first into the ground, leaving a significant dent in the painted concrete with its forehead.


    Gwyn wasted no time sprinting to the ramp which would take him to the second floor.


    Nighthawk shook its head and, with a swift jerk of metal legs, broke free from the concrete block.


    Gwyn was running as fast as he could across the second floor. He figured his opponent wouldn¡¯t be held for too long and was hoping to get some distance so he could plan.


    ¡°Mem,¡± do you see any weaknesses with that guy?¡± Gwyn asked.


    Unfortunately¡­ I do not¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of a Needaimus that large¡­ and I shudder to think how it happened.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll have to get creative to beat him then!¡± Gwyn said with confidence.


    We should collect Rheba and flee. Without much information, I don¡¯t even know if we have a teammate with a good counter to him. Mem advised.


    ¡°You worry too much! We just need a good plan! What if we encase his whole body in a block?¡±


    I¡¯m not sure it would work or if your compatibility is high enough to accomplish it.


    ¡°We won¡¯t know until we try!¡± Gwyn shouted back.


    Behind the Nonpareil''s feet, a blue metal hand shot through the thick concrete floor. Nighthawk had misjudged just how fast Gwyn could sprint and narrowly missed catching the heel.


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    Gwyn quickly increased the gap as the large Needaimus emerged from the concrete floor.


    ¡°The people building this place aren¡¯t going to be happy about the damage!¡± Gwyn shouted without turning to look at his opponent.


    You¡¯re one to talk, Mem spoke in a tone that would have been best accompanied with a roll of eyes.


    ¡°I was going to fix everything once we beat him!¡± Gwyn tried to defend himself as he ran up the next ramp to the third floor.


    Nighthawk simply jumped in the air and through the next ceiling. The giant metal form appeared in the middle of the room with its arms crossed as Gwyn finished his sprint up the ramp.


    He stopped and stared at his opponent with his heavy breath.


    ¡°The damage to this building will be nothing compared to what we have planned,¡± Nighthawk mused in reply to Gwyn¡¯s earlier comment. ¡°Although, you¡¯ll be shattered into too many pieces to see.¡±


    Gwyn smirked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see who sees what comes later¡­ ah!¡± Gwyn shouted as he messed up making a good comeback. He shook his head and charged at the metal opponent. As the Nonpareil sprinted, he lowered himself to the ground and stretched out his good arm. For his bad arm, he moved it out as much as possible. On either side, Gwyn liquified the concrete and collected it as he ran so that it looked like two waves were rushing with him.


    Nighthawk shook its head and held a hand with the palm facing the ceiling. With a gentle wave upwards, Gwyn was thrust into the air. Then, with a gentle wave down, Gwyn was thrown back to the ground.


    It seems he can move people up and down with an ability¡­ Mem reported, but Gwyn didn¡¯t listen.


    The Nonpareil focused everything he had on landing on the ground smoothly. His foot made contact, and he used it to push forward into a somersault. After his roll, he continued his sprint like nothing had happened. The waves continued to trail next to him through the whole process.


    Nighthawk took a step back but didn¡¯t move enough as Gwyn threw both his arms¡ªthe good more dramatically than the bad¡ªforward. The liquid waves of concrete surrounded Nighthawk and quickly hardened into a rectangular monolith. Gwyn stopped and leaned against his captured opponent''s prison.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± The Nonpareil said through heavy breaths, ¡°Should I call this move Ford or Lucas?¡±


    Partner, I think we ought to get moving and not rest! Mem reported.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mem, he¡¯s trapped now.¡± Gwyn knocked on the concrete block before heading to the next ramp. His pace remained slow as he tried to catch his breath, but once his energy was restored, he began to sprint again.


    He crossed the third floor with no issues and was up to the fourth in no time.


    The Bentulousian warrior was unconscious as she lay in the middle of the floor.


    ¡°Rheba!¡± Gwyn shouted as he mustered his last bit of strength to run to her. Seeing his tall friend beaten down filled him with rage. He made a silent plan to take down her opponent next.


    Banging softly echoed up from the floors below, but it was unnoticed by Gwyn as he tried to check that Rheba was okay. She still had a steady breath, but he had no idea what else to confirm.


    ¡°Rheba, hey Rheba. I took down the big metal guy; you need to wake up so we can help Kako!¡± Gwyn shouted. He put a hand close to Rheba in preparation to try and shake her but stopped since he wasn¡¯t sure if it would be bad with her injuries.


    Gwyn was not paying enough attention as Nighthawks metal form floated from outside the building to the floor Gwyn was on. The metal opponent grabbed onto the wall of the building and propelled itself into the space.


    Partner! Mem shouted, but the warning came too late. Gwyn had a metal fist thrust into his stomach. He let out a surprised gasp as he was flung into the air. Nighthawk was above Gwyn before the Nonpareil could hit the ceiling.


    The metal Needaimus grabbed Gwyn by the back of the neck, and the two plunged with a sudden great speed to the floor while the Nonpareil was held forward like he was some sort of shield. They hit the smooth concrete floor with enough force to break through it in a violent burst. They only missed hitting the unconscious Rheba by a hair.


    Gwyn was stunned as they quickly crossed from the ceiling to the next floor and shattered it as the first had been done. Nighthawk held on tightly, but Gwyn could not react as they smashed the next floor¡ªreturning to ground level.


    The attack was finally stopped by leaving the Nonpareil in a crater on the first floor.


    ¡°It¡­ hurts¡­¡± Gwyn managed to say.


    Partner! Partner! That attack was way above the standard pain limit threshold. I count¡­ multiple broken bones and contusions. You need to stay awake! Mem shouted in a panic. Gwyn couldn¡¯t reply as Nighthawk grunted and loosened the grip on the Nonpareil¡¯s back.


    Gwyn! You can¡¯t lose consciousness now! I think he¡¯s getting ready for another strike! Mem pleaded, but the Nonpareil was out cold.

 90 – Final Moments in the Fountain Fight

    In the fountain square, Ripple and Kako¡¯s characters faced off in a fierce battle. The orange Zenotote continued to throw blades at the writer¡¯s Needaimus, but every attack was deflected by a team of the elf, Mina, and an Aqueenian archer from another of Kako¡¯s fantasy stories.


    Ripple gritted his sharp teeth as he glared at the two archers. He had assumed he could ignore her summoned aid as they would disappear once he felled the Needaimus, but that was proving difficult. The Zenotote found that Kako was very familiar with who she needed to summon in the situation as each character was skilled in archery to a fantastical degree.


    Ripple flicked his own Needaimus-covered tail several times until he realized and reoriented his body language.


    Two new swords appeared in his hands, and he smirked.


    ¡°I say, for a supposed writer, you know your way around a fight,¡± Ripple said as he carefully eyed Kako¡¯s movements. Nothing she did betrayed her thoughts.


    ¡°All writers know their way around a fight!¡± she replied gleefully.


    Ripple shook his head.


    ¡°I highly doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Take it as you will,¡± Kako said with a shrug.


    Ripple had his eyes carefully trained on her to look for an opening. The two archer characters aimed drawn bows at the Zenotote. Kako, on the other hand, looked up at the nearby building where Rheba had been thrown off.


    Thorir jumped from the top of the building, which was at least five stories tall, and cracked the ground as he crashed into it. The Netzian slid some of his voltage yellow hair under his hands as it was the only thing disrupted by the fall. He fiddled with it a moment while the fighting opponents tried not to become so distracted to create an opening for attack.


    ¡°Ripple!¡± Thorir finally shouted once his hair was fixed, ¡°You lied to me about Bentulousian warriors! She was hardly a fierce fighting force!¡±


    ¡°She was a low ranking one at best, and it looks like you still had some struggles. I doubt you would fair well against a Goliath, and I don¡¯t remember filling you with the hope of her giving you a good battle,¡± Ripple spat with no attempt to hide his annoyance.


    Thorir crossed his arms.


    ¡°So, you think one of their Goliath¡¯s would best me,¡± he chuckled, ¡°Fantastic! Let¡¯s kill this sorry person and go find one!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree with you on killing this pesky interferer.¡±


    Kako frowned. She was hoping to avoid bringing too much attention to their fight. As it dragged on, citizens of Nun began to crowd around the periphery of the fountain with a greater love for entertainment than their own personal safety. As the crowd recorded the show on video, the writer was concerned about her magical prowess becoming widely known.


    Before Thorir or Ripple made another move, a loud crash echoed from the building Gwyn had gone into.


    ¡°Ha, sounds like Nighthawk is having fun!¡± Thorir laughed. Ripple rolled his eyes but couldn¡¯t hide a smirk as he thought of the Nonpareil being vanquished.


    The opponents did not know what was happening in the building, but Kako knew magic to keep tabs on someone she touched. She had placed the spell on Gwyn and trembled as she thought of how much pain he had to endure.


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    ¡°This isn¡¯t the right direction,¡± she muttered under her breath. Her opponents couldn¡¯t hear what she said and didn¡¯t care. Both Kako¡¯s archer characters shivered.


    Thorir charged at Kako with sparks dancing around his fists. The archers let their arrows loose, but Ripple quickly intercepted and sliced them out of the air.


    ¡°No hard feelings!¡± Thorir shouted as he got close to Kako, his fist flew out to her, but it didn¡¯t connect. She quickly sidestepped the attack.


    Before Thorir could turn around, purple energy burst from the ground and wrapped around him like ropes. He moved like he was being pulled down but resisted hitting the ground by brute strength alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think we should end this quickly,¡± Kako said with malice in her voice.


    ¡°The spell of binding!¡± Thorir grunted, ¡°You¡¯re pretty skilled. It¡¯ll be fun to take you down!¡± he finished as he used every ounce of his strength to keep from having his face hit the tiles that made up the ground.


    Kako ignored his comments and turned to the building where Gwyn had been bested. Nighthawk held the Nonpareil¡¯s ankle in one hand and Rheba¡¯s in another. The giant Needaimus drug their unconscious and injured bodies behind him as it left the building.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Mina shouted as she turned to see the defeated duo. She was distracted only for a moment, but it was long enough for Ripple to close the gap between himself and her. He quickly slashed the elf in half, and her body disappeared. The Aqueenian archer couldn¡¯t run away in time as the orange Zenotote made a quick follow-up attack.


    ¡°Stupid character flaws,¡± Kako muttered as she took in the whole situation. Nighthawk let go of the defeated foes and walked across the fountain square, Ripple turned to her with a wicked grin, and Thorir was beginning to snap some of the magical bindings with his raw strength. ¡°I suppose you did well; I guess I will have to use 10% of my power!¡± Kako yelled out to the trio of opponents with a smirk. She had always wanted to say something along those lines.


    With a wave of her hand, a group of five warriors leaped from behind the crowd to her side. Some might have seen the warriors appear out of thin air, but Kako didn¡¯t have time to be concerned. The trio of opponents squinted at the odd clothes as they landed next to her.


    The team each wore matching full-body outfits with helmets that covered their faces. Each outfit was a different color, and they made grandiose poses.


    Some in the crowd cheered as they recognized the characters from a show called the Netzian Five, which had been popular in the past.


    ¡°Foul villains, your end has come!¡± the masked man in red shouted.


    Ripple shook his head. He quickly ran to Thorir and cut the spell bindings. Thorir stood tall and shouted with triumph. Kako frowned; swords normally shouldn¡¯t cut a spell like that, but she guessed Needaimus-created ones didn¡¯t have the same rules.


    The opponents collected together and faced the five heroes.


    ¡°She has a pesky ability with that Needaimus,¡± Ripple informed the other two.


    ¡°So, we just take that out first, then her, and then we fight some stronger opponents!¡± Thorir said as he punched a fist into his palm.


    ¡°Focus on the opponent at hand,¡± Nighthawk grunted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you three,¡± Kako said with a shake of her head, ¡°but his story continuing is more important than your own. You will be felled here if you don¡¯t retreat. We won¡¯t hold anything back.¡±


    ¡°My lady,¡± the warrior dressed in blue said, ¡°you don¡¯t mean for us to¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold anything back!¡±


    The team didn¡¯t ask again; they quickly moved their wrists in a flashy manner and pressed a button. In a flash, they disappeared, and five flying machines appeared in the sky. Before any reactions could be made, the machines combined into a larger machine with a humanoid form that began to hover above the fountain square. Kako gritted her teeth; she didn¡¯t want to show off such a large and attention-grabbing display but rescuing the unconscious Gwyn was more important to her.


    Thorir laughed.


    ¡°Ha, I¡¯ve never bested a metal colossus!¡±


    Ripple put his clawed hand on the Netzian¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re falling back. We already incapacitated who we wanted. She¡¯s annoying, but we can¡¯t afford to waste time trying to defeat¡­ that thing.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Thorir protested.


    Nighthawk reached out and put his metal hand on the Netzian¡¯s other shoulder. Thorir grunted but obliged. They quickly fled the fountain square.


    Kako let out a sigh of relief. Other than a massive threat, she wasn¡¯t sure how effective the giant machine would be in such a small space. The combined robot saluted her and flew into the sky, where it dissolved away out of the crowd''s view. Kako sighed at how much magical power she wasted for what became just a show. The crowd cheered and began to dissipate, believing the whole thing was an act, as the writer ran to the injured two.


    ¡°Guess you two need a hospital,¡± she muttered as she saw how badly they were; Gwyn, in particular, was breathing unsteadily.

 91 – Fiona’s Secret

    Back in the beauideal arena, Dia waved her arms extravagantly. Harlan fixed her eyes on the winged star while Fiona turned to look at the others. Scarlet had draped one of Kitten¡¯s arms over her red shoulders and lifted the weakened girl.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take her to an infirmary,¡± the star quietly said, ¡°Will you be okay here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dast,¡± Fiona replied.


    Dia waited until the two other beauideals had left before speaking. She waved her hands like a conductor before an orchestra while speaking.


    ¡°Now that those two meddlesome pests are out of the way let¡¯s get changed for our show!¡±


    ¡°Changed?¡± Harlan and Fiona asked in unison.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Dia replied in a chipper voice, ¡°You weren¡¯t seriously planning to go on stage¡­ dressed like that?¡± the beauideal added in a worried tone.


    Harlan looked down at the orange suit she picked up when they first entered the city. It blended in with the rest of Nun¡¯s citizens, but it was certainly not something a beauideal would wear. Fiona, likewise, wore a tailcoat that would be unsightly to the excited fans. She reluctantly nodded in agreement with their opponent.


    "Harlan!" Fiona cried while the green Zenotote removed her suit jacket and set it on the couch. She ignored the pleas of the blue princess and began to slide dresses on the rail in search of a good one to wear. Due to Dia¡¯s large wings, most dresses had exposed backs, which Harlan hoped to avoid wearing as her scales were still healing from the fight in Horizon.


    She quickly settled on a green and orange dress which would cover the damage. She began to pull off the rest of her clothing and set it aside.


    ¡°Harlan!¡± Fiona repeated. She couldn¡¯t believe that Harlan was going through with Dia¡¯s request. ¡°What if¡­ there¡¯s something in the clothes that might damage us?¡± the blue princess spat nervously as Harlan began to pull the dress over her head.


    Dia chuckled.


    ¡°Something in the clothing! That¡¯s hilarious!¡± she laughed.


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    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight if you don¡¯t wish to,¡± Harlan added as she fiddled with the loose ribbons on her dress.


    Fiona sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll beat her more quickly together,¡± she replied. The blue princess headed to the rack and carefully examined all the dresses. Like Harlan, she settled on one without an exposed back; it was yellow with a short skirt and frilly black highlights. Fiona backed close to the wall and began to slide her clothes off.


    The blue princess paid careful attention to where the other two were looking, and that made Dia curious.


    She inched closer to Fiona and leaned her green head close to the wall. Fiona, in response, pressed her bare back up to the wall. She clung to the dress tightly. Dia¡¯s mouth curled into a grin.


    ¡°I believe the princess is hiding some bad skin,¡± she chuckled. As an Aqueenian, she understood how much they prided having beautiful and glittering skin. A blemish was something to hide.


    Dia, don¡¯t do it, X said in the green beauideals head with a sigh.


    Fiona stayed frozen. Her large purple eyes darted from Dia to Harlan in a plea for help.


    The Zenotote scientist was not able to intercede fast enough. Dia unexpectedly leaped into the air and quickly closed the distance between the two. Fiona let out a yelp and tried to flee, and Dia used the opportunity to sate her curiosity¡ªshe shoved Fiona and got a good look at what she was trying to hide.


    A scar ran along the blue princess''s back, down the left side. It was old and somewhat faded, but the skin remained mangled enough to be recognized as damaged tissue. The shape suggested that it had been surgical in nature, it no longer stayed as straight as it had been when it was new, but years of growing along with Fiona¡¯s body didn¡¯t hide the precision the original cut had been made with.


    Fiona quickly recovered and fled to the other side of the room. She stood with her back facing the dresses and tried to quickly finish changing. Nevertheless, both Dia and Harlan had seen the mark.


    Dia fluttered her left feathered wing and chuckled.


    ¡°A royal princess is cursed!¡± she exclaimed in shock.


    Her words were a more painful attack on Fiona than any physical damage could do. The blue princess let her head hang.


    Harlan crossed the space and stood defensively between Fiona and Dia.


    A ¡®cursed¡¯ Aqueenian referred to one born with a feathered wing on their left side. It was a rare condition that recent adopters of Resh gene research were trying and struggling to trace. The blue princess¡¯s father did not know what to do with his daughter at her birth. It was often believed that a child was cursed by something the parents did, and he racked his brain for what he could have done to cause it. After a few short years, they decided the only thing to do was to cut the wing off. Fiona was secretly carted to a lab in the Calii mountains, where the surgery had been performed.


    Dia shrugged and moved her own wings out so that they were wide.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you are so embarrassed; Aqueenians were meant to fly! You should be proud!¡± she told Fiona. When neither Fiona nor Harlan offered a reply, Dia shook her head and sighed. She left the room without another word while the others finished changing.

 92 – Dia Vs. Fiona and Harlan

    Dia quickly and easily convinced the event organizers to slide in the surprise event. They had been worried that things were growing stale when the tournament had just begun and any suggestion from the top Beauideal was welcome. As they rapidly rearranged the schedule, Fiona and Harlan were positioned in a bland, grey hallway that led to the arena.


    They sat on the ground with their backs pressed against the wall. On the outside, a concert-match was already underway, and a combination of singing and explosions echoed to the duo. Across the boring hallway was another Beauideal who was initially scheduled to go on in the next match.


    Harlan expected the star would have been upset with them taking her spot, but instead, she sat on the ground with an expression of relief. The girl was a Hobusian-Bentalousian hybrid with short stature. She had ears on top of her head, and the crown seemed to grow around like a hard shell. The Zenotote scientist, despite being a fan of Beauideals, did not recognize the one in front of her. She could only figure the hybrid girl was a new star that was still getting the hang of things.


    Fiona sat with her arms crossed and head hanging low. It may have seemed like she was worried Dia or Harlan would talk about her scar, but she wasn¡¯t too concerned about that. As far as the blue princess could figure, Harlan wasn¡¯t one to blab, and Dia could be told to be quiet after they beat her in the coming fight.


    What weighed on Fiona¡¯s mind more was the old memories that had been dredged up. She typically went through life keeping the spot out of sight and out of mind.


    Harlan looked to her companion and frowned. She wasn¡¯t good with comfort or sympathy, though she felt both for Fiona. The tip of the scientist''s green tail flicked while she tried to think of something to say to the princess. No words came to her lips, and she remained silent.


    Cheers could be heard outside the hall as the music came to a halt with a precisely timed crash. The fight was over, and the battle with Dia was next.


    An announcer''s voice echoed as the beauideals exited the stage. The crowd could be heard murmuring as odd news was given.


    ¡°Next up, we have a special event! The beauideal Dia Mond will challenge two unknowns in the singfighting world!¡±


    Fiona and Harlan made their way out to the arena. As they exited the hallway, a combination of sunlight and arena lights overwhelmed their eyes. Harlan was the first to adjust, and she took in the sight of the giant arena.


    It easily bested any arena on earth in scale, with a wide oval section for the fighting to occur, making Dia, on the other side, appear like an ant. The stadium seating stretched high in the sky as if it wanted to reach up and block out the sun. The green Zenotote had some idea of how big it was, but knowing the dimensions and seeing it in person was entirely different.


    The duo stood on a pad marked ¡®stand here.¡¯ They had been instructed not to move off it until the music started. As the announcer continued to shout words to the crowd, the floor in the arena began to move. Sections rose in some places and dropped in others. Trees seemed to shoot out from the ground, and water filled the holes. Holograms of grass and rocks began to morph the flat landscape into a lush hilly terrain.


    Harlan examined their fighting arena closely. The special arena could make any landscape, to an extent, and was supposed to be chosen randomly. However, she could only see clear advantages for Dia littered across the whole place. Some trees stood out, but other than that, no cover remained for the duo who would be confined to the ground. She shook her head.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a fair fight; they don¡¯t want the star to lose,¡± she said to Fiona.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to disappoint them,¡± Fiona replied in a neutral tone. She was determined to beat Dia and have her stay quiet. Harlan found Fiona¡¯s odd demeanor uncomfortable but didn¡¯t know how to say anything to cheer her up. She wished for the skills of Odell or Gwyn, who always seemed to be able to handle the blue princess in stride.


    Dia smiled and waved to her fans, who shouted out with joy at the sight of the star. Harlan also attempted to wave, but it was awkward and mostly ignored by the fans. Fiona followed along with a better but equally ignored wave.


    After the announcer finished setting up the match, there was a loud crash that resembled one from a cymbal. Music began to consume all other sounds in the arena. Dia held a hand over her heart and sang:


    ¡°?Sweet opponents, how must this fight go? We have so much to talk about but so little time. So our fists and rhyme must be what we use in these moments.?¡± She took the sky¡ªspinning and dancing in the air like she was carried by a gentle breeze¡ªas she sang.


    Neither of the duo had been given lyrics to sing; the people running the show hoped to make them look like fools. Nevertheless, Harlan knew enough of what was going on to reply.


    ¡°?Our battle will not be easily forgotten; today is the day the mighty star will fall, and her attitude will be brought in.?¡±


    ¡°Are we supposed to sing¡­ and rhyme¡­¡± Fiona asked; her voice was amplified to mix in the loud music, and her face grew flushed as the crowd and Dia laughed.


    ¡°?Rhyme is up to you, but we will sing loud is what we must do,?¡± Harlan sang. Fiona was surprised at how nice her voice sounded.


    The blue princess shook her head and slapped her cheeks. She looked to their opponent, who fluttered around in the air.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a singer, but fighting I can do,?¡± she replied. After her earlier confusion, the crowd was surprised to hear how nice, awkward as it was, Fiona¡¯s voice sounded.


    Dia crossed the field in no time flat. Her large wings spread wide over the arena, made to give her every advantage possible. As she flew in the direction of the duo, she sang:


    ¡°?My dear opponents, my dear rookies, it would be best to give up now, to be free from looking like a fool. ?¡±


    ¡°?Fools we may be, yet it will be fools to best this self-proclaimed beauideal queen.?¡± Harlan shot back. Dia¡¯s face turned dark momentarily as she swooped in to strike.


    Fiona and Harlan disappeared in a flash of light as the green beauideal was left to punch empty air. Before Dia could react, the duo reappeared in a flash above her. Fiona kicked her in the back while Harlan struggled to get her bearings from the sudden shift in space. Dia landed on her feet and stumbled a moment to regain her bearings.


    ¡°That was a great line!¡± Fiona said to her Zenotote companion.


    ¡°?Make sure to keep your words in song, ?¡± Harlan replied. She struggled to project her voice, which came off as soft and gentle. The manner would have been awkward given the loud and blaring music, but the audio mixers knew how to adjust volume, and Harlan¡¯s tone seemed to provide a soothing contrast. She was quickly garnering fans, and she shuddered as she felt more eyes focused on her face.


    Dia, who had spun around as soon as she was kicked and shot her opponents a proud stare. Harlan leaped back, and Fiona zapped away, but both moved as the beauideal predicted.


    With a spin, she quickly grabbed Harlan by the tail and flung the unsuspecting scientist across the arena. Afterwhich, she ducked to avoid a punch from the suddenly reappearing Fiona. Dia grabbed the princess by the arm, intended to punch her, and flipped her like a ragdoll. Both opponents were thrown farther apart from each other.


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    Dia focused on Fiona first and closed the gap between them with a large flap of her wings. As she came in close to the princess, she kicked. Fiona zapped away but was caught a second time as she reappeared.


    ¡°?Predictable moves, predictable blues, ?¡± the beauideal star chided as she threw Fiona on her back. ¡°?A newcomer might be surprised by your trick, but it soon falls away.?¡±


    Fiona grunted.


    ¡°?I can- uh- do better than that¡­ you know, ?¡± she replied in more of a chant than a song. Her voice surprised the crowd with a pleasant tone, though her lack of improv skills was clearly evident. She matched Harlan¡¯s shudder as she felt the eyes behind her watch her back.


    ¡°?How could you,?¡± Dia said as she took to the air, ¡°?You can¡¯t even reach my heights! ?¡± Dia plunged her fist into the ground where Fiona had just laid. The blue princess zapped away at the last minute possible and out of Dia¡¯s reach.


    She reappeared next to Harlan, whose slitted green eyes examined the whole stage for some living animal to use her ability; without something to transform, the power could be considered useless. Fiona held her hand to her back where she had landed. Her Zenotote companion wanted to try to relay a plan to her, but with their voices being amplified for all to hear, she saw no point.


    She realized that Dia had thought out her challenge before issuing it. The beauideal star knew all the ins and outs of a public fight. It had to be a show as well as a brawl, and the duo was ill-experienced. Harlan found herself clenching her teeth as she pondered if they really had an advantage as she supposed when the challenge was issued.


    Dia danced in the air a moment before flying around the stage. She circled the duo like a vulture as she sang.


    ¡°Poor little Aqueenian girl, all sad and full of strife. Cut short before she could reach her full heights! Poor little Zenotote girl, cold and alone. Isolation is a better comfort than a warm home!?¡±


    Fans around the arena, not realizing that the fight was atypical of a normal one, began to jot notes on what was said. Many believed that the words would be important to the overall beauideal lore.


    Fiona gritted her teeth and, in a flash, appeared behind Dia. She attempted to grab onto the star''s wings as she had done in Quenth, but the green star expected as much.


    Dia spun in the air so that her metal wing smacked Fiona aside like a ball off a tennis racket. The dazed princess crashed to the ground and rolled several times before coming to a stop.


    Harlan could only stare at Dia as she circled in the sky like a vulture.


    ¡°?A star that flew too high does she fear facing an opponent on the ground?¡± Harlan tried to aggravate her opponent, but a smile was the only response she got.


    Dia continued to dance in the sky to the amusement of her audience. Fiona began to push herself up and shook her head. She could tell she wasn¡¯t in the right headspace to be doing battle, but they didn¡¯t have much choice. The blue princess focused on her companion, and in a sudden flash, Harlan was over the head of Dia.


    Neither the beauideal nor scientist saw the move coming, but they managed to strike at one another midair after quickly regaining their bearings. Several blows were traded, but Harlan continued to fall back to the ground, and Dia let her descend.


    Fiona ran across the arena and zapped Harlan to her side before the scientist crashed into the hologram-covered ground.


    ¡°?She¡¯s tough, I have to admit! ?¡± Fiona said.


    ¡°?I suspect we won¡¯t be beating her anytime soon, ?¡± Harlan replied.


    ¡°?Foolish dears, your hope of victory will soon be dashed. I already see your loss in the future! ¡± Dia chimed in.


    She swooped in low to strike at Harlan. Fiona moved her partner out of harm''s way, and Dia headed back into the air. They stared at each other as the music loudly shook the arena. Dia had expected Fiona¡¯s ability to be an issue, but she had no idea the princess had improved enough to teleport others in such a short time. She wanted to end the fight soon and take a relaxing bath.


    ***


    Each side traded blow after blow. Dia kept the show of the battle in her focus, but Harlan and Fiona were quickly defaulting to standard, unappealing brawling techniques to try and get the upper hand.


    Fiona¡¯s teleporting kept the green beauideal from claiming a quick victory. She counted on taking out Harlan first and then finishing off the princess. However, since Fiona could also move Harlan, the star could not catch either one.


    To make matters worse, Harlan had not used her ability during the fight, as far as Dia could tell. She did not know what to expect from the Zenotote scientist but assumed it might be something that could one-shot her if she was not careful.


    Fiona and Harlan had hoped that two-on-one would be an advantage, but Dia continued to show her prowess when put in a concert-match fight. Every move they made was countered elegantly, and her singing didn¡¯t miss a beat even though most of it was improv.


    In a private section of the viewing seats, Kitten and Scarlet had watched the match with bated breath.


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to admit it, but she¡¯s not number one for nothing¡­.¡± Scarlet muttered sadly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk that way!¡± Kitten shouted back. Her pointed ears hung low, betraying her attitude as she watched the match.


    Fiona gritted her teeth as she zapped next to Harlan for what felt like the hundredth time in the match. In the last attempt to attack the star, Dia had landed a blow on the covered scar on Fiona¡¯s back. It hadn¡¯t hurt, but the princess was again reminded of unpleasant memories. She shook her head.


    The winged Aqueenian was fighting her mind as much as her body, and the princess felt a toll.


    Harlan looked around at the crowd. She was trying to keep the many eyes staring at her out of her mind, but the more they shouted and cheered, the more they weighed on her mind. She squeezed her forearm tightly with her free hand in an attempt to draw some of her attention to something else.


    Dia smiled as she stared down at her opponents from the air. She could tell the public battle was beginning to drain them. Her eyes moved in an odd way which was unnoticed as she remained far away from anyone.


    I would wait after a couple more lines¡­ give them some time to try one last counterattack to make sure there are no more tricks. X echoed in her mind.


    Dia¡¯s eyes darted around again.


    No, waiting is best, X confirmed in reply to her rapid eye motions.


    Every experienced beauideal, and warrior for that matter, eventually learned that nonverbal communication with their Needaimus was critical in a battle. Each came up with a technique in tandem with their partners for crucial moments. Some moved fingers, some had a series of hums, and many more methods for communication existed.


    X¡¯s advice was something Dia ordinarily took lightly in most situations, with the exception being battle. She had never gotten bad advice from her partner and hung in the sky to continue singing.


    ¡°?Poor, poor souls. Your misfortune will be for all to recall and see. Your final moments will be engrained in their memories.?¡± she sang to chide the duo into action.


    Harlan looked nervously around at the crowd and then to Fiona, who clearly held a lot of tension in her back. The Zenotote scientist was out of options of what to use her ability on in the mechanical arena, save for herself. She took a deep breath and sang out to her teammate.


    ¡°?Fiona, my ally, please get me up high, then this opposing beauideal will be plucked from the sky. Her wing will be clipped, and she will be brought to her knees.?¡±


    The crowd gasped at her declaration as the blue princess tilted her head to the side. Harlan pointed to the Needaimus on her scaly leg, and Fiona¡¯s eyes lit up.


    In a flash, the blue princess was in the sky again. She boldly sang with the music.


    ¡°?The time has come for you to get taken down!?¡±


    Fiona kicked at Dia, and the winged Aqueenian spun in the air to dodge. Harlan took a deep breath and let her ability tear through her body as she was enveloped in a teleporting flash.


    The time between Harlan¡¯s disappearance and reappearance seemed much longer than it actually was for the winged Aqueenian. She focused carefully on every spot around her in preparation for the attack. All the while, Fiona sang.


    ¡°?You see, Harlan is more than she seems; she¡¯s got a secret move; like a flower, she can bloom!?¡±


    As if Fiona planned it, a moment she would never be able to repeat, Harlan reappeared and kicked Dia in the back on the word ¡®bloom.¡¯ The force from the blow was enough to send the winged Aqueenian crashing into the ground below. She managed to twist her wings in a manner to soften the crash but rolled several times before regaining her bearings.


    Harlan landed on the ground with a thud while Fiona flashed next to her.


    ¡°?Here she is, Blossoming Harlan!?¡± Fiona said as she gestured to her teammate. The crowd cheered. ¡°You look so cool, Harlan!¡± the blue princess added while forgetting to sing.


    The Zenotote scientist had deviated far from her original species. Her scales had melted away into soft but tough green skin. The sharp teeth in her mouth had dulled some save for a stubborn one that seemed to stick out on one side. The frills on her head had grown long and split into fibers that resembled hair more than anything else and hung well past her waist. Instead of her face becoming more elongated, it had become flatter and sculpted. Much as Harlan wanted to deny it, she resembled a Netzian or an Aqueenian more than a Zenotote when she entered the form her ability granted. Her slitted eyes looked shyly at the ground.


    The crowd was in awe. While she seemed to have deviated far from a Zenotote, she didn¡¯t resemble any customarily seen hybrids. She didn¡¯t have the gleam of an Aqueenian or the mammalian nature of a Netzian that they would look for. For everyone in the crowd, it was like seeing a new species for the first time.


    Dia found her footing and stared at the new form of Harlan. She rubbed her back as the blow from the modified scientist still stung.


    ¡°?You forgot to sing,?¡± Harlan replied to Fiona. Her voice had changed to a deeper but gentle tone that, with a slight whisper, caused the crowd to shiver.


    Harlan faced her opponent as the countdown for her change appeared in the corner of her field of vision. She didn¡¯t have much time in the form, and ugly as she saw it, she needed to use it effectively while it lasted.

 93 – A Defeated Beauideal Tells No Secrets

    Batty was having a bad day. He had let two unknowns slip past him in the hallway, and as hard as the collective army of guards tried, they had not found the intruders in the network of hallways that made up the backstage. He had received a verbal lashing from his boss and was demoted several ranks in the Order of the Guards as a result.


    He had hoped the surprise concert-match with Dia, pictured on the buttons that adorned his chest, might cheer him up.


    It didn¡¯t.


    Had he not sat in a chair to watch the fight, he would have fallen over when Dia¡¯s opponents came on the stage. The two that had slipped past him were dressed in beautiful outfits and ready to battle with his favorite beauideal.


    He could do nothing but watch as the two sides clashed in the arena. However, it quickly became clear to him that Dia was not in a tough position. She seemed to take every attack the duo threw at her with grace and confidence. Batty relaxed as his favorite beauideal lived up to her image.


    The guard had relaxed until Harlan¡¯s transformation. The entire crowd became tense at the sight of an unknown ability creating the ¡®Blossoming Harlan¡¯ dubbed by Fiona.


    Dia flapped her wings and attempted to climb back in the air, but Harlan quickly closed the gap between them. The modified Zenotote punched at Dia¡¯s chest, and Dia spun to avoid the strike. As the fist flew next to her body, the green Beauideal shuddered. It seemed like Harlan had enough force to break through a wall.


    She instantly focused her ability on the modified Zenotote. X allowed Dia to be the best at a selected something than everyone else in the ¡®room.¡¯ Immediately, she produced more brute strength than Harlan. Dia punched back at her opponent, which echoed as it landed squarely on the Zenotote¡¯s face.


    Harlan was unfazed. Her ultimate form was created with three primary improvements in mind¡ªstrength, defense, and speed. It took years and several iterations to reach perfection, and it was an uncharacteristic brute force approach that she frowned upon, but she figured the form would have a time and place for use. She responded with a punch to Dia¡¯s stomach, at which the Beauideal gasped. With a flap of her wings and hands held on her stomach, Dia quickly retreated to the air. It was unbecoming for beauideals to simply duke it out.


    ¡°?You¡¯ve done well, I see. An ultimate form granted by your ability? Unfortunately, it will be nothing.?¡± She sang to her two opponents on the ground. Her singing did not falter, and the crowd began to cheer their star on.


    Dia quickly communicated to X:


    ¡®We are in a bind, aren¡¯t we?¡¯


    You shouldn¡¯t have challenged them so recklessly¡­ yes, we are. It seems that form prioritizes attack and defense, and we can only become better than one of them.


    ¡®Can you estimate how long she will have that form?¡¯ The Beauideal realized she would have to stall to win in the end.


    In response to Dia¡¯s request, a countdown appeared in her vision. Unbeknownst to Harlan, the green Aqueenian¡¯s Needaimus had accurately predicted when the transformation would end within several milliseconds.


    Dia quickly switched from being the best at attacking to the best at defense as Harlan jumped off the ground. The modified Zenotote made a powerful uppercut while her dress and long ¡®hair¡¯ flew wildly in the air.


    Dia spun in the air but quickly moved her wings to regain control. She smiled at her falling opponent.


    ¡°?I¡¯m afraid I can no longer feel the pain you give!?¡± she happily sang. The green beauideal planned to wait out Harlan¡¯s ability before finishing the fight.


    ¡°?Fiona, the time is now!?¡± Harlan replied.


    The modified Zenotote disappeared in a flash and reappeared over Dia¡¯s head. She kicked Dia in the back, but the beauideal felt nothing but a tickle. Fiona joined in and tried for a kick, which was equally ineffective.


    Another flash moved Harlan to the front of Dia, and another blow was hardly felt for the winged beauideal.


    Fiona gritted her teeth as she saw no way to take down the winged beauideal. Her ally¡¯s confidence and powered-up form were all the blue princess could find trust in. She moved Harlan behind Dia and zapped in front of the winged Beauideal while preparing to make another strike. Dia smiled as she planned to take the harmless blows.


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    Before either of the duo struck, as the Zenotote scientist was behind Dia, Harlan quickly reverted back to her normal scaly body. The beauideal was unprepared as two kicks hit her from the back and front. Her defense remained the best but was now back to its original state, and each blow was given with as full force as the other girls could muster.


    Harlan thought to begin singing, and Fiona joined in with rambling, incoherent words in an attempt to follow along. The three of them fell to the ground.


    ¡°?Dia the star, with wings so wide it only makes sense you would be ranked so high. ?¡± Fiona quickly zapped next to the green Aqueenian and grabbed her wings. ¡°?Now bested by two strangers, what will come? ?¡± Dia gritted her teeth and forcefully moved her wing to throw Fiona off, but it came too late, and she only succeeded in adding a little softness to the impact. Dia hit the ground hard but quickly began to push herself up.


    Harlan finished as she used the fall to drive her scaly elbow into the grounded Dia. Fiona appeared next to the two and helped her teammate up.


    The crowd was silent as they waited for Dia to get up. It took the announcer far longer than it should to give the final conclusion:


    ¡°D- Dia has lost?¡± he shouted. The music played for a minute longer to wait for a moment where stopping wouldn¡¯t be so abrupt, then the crowd cheered with mixed emotions. ¡°That means¡­ her winning streak has finally ended?¡± the announcer gasped at the realization.


    From inside the private viewing booth, Kitten jumped with joy, and Scarlet held hands over her mouth in surprise. In the seats, Batty could do nothing but let his mouth hang open.


    Dia slowly began to push herself up from the ground. She had quickly broken out of her unconscious state, but it was not fast enough to prevent a declaration of her loss. The space slowly began to flatten into a plain arena as Dia stood up.


    Harlan stood with her arms crossed. Upon seeing it, Fiona followed suit.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a loss¡­.¡± Dia said once she was sure their voices would no longer be amplified to the crowd. She smiled and walked to the duo. They flinched as she pulled them in for a hug. ¡°Fortunately, this match was unofficial. So, I remain undefeated technically. That being said, it was wonderful to have some opponents take me seriously!¡±


    Harlan and Fiona squirmed at their opponent¡¯s unexpected hug.


    ¡°We made a deal before the match¡­.¡± Harlan managed to say. Dia released them from her hold and stepped back. She winked and held a finger to her lips.


    ¡°Such things are best spoken about in private quarters! Why don¡¯t we go back to my room!¡± The winged beauideal spun and waved to the crowd. They cheered and wept for their star. ¡°We can also discuss the details of our next match! Now that I know your tricks, I won¡¯t be trounced next time!¡± she added as she turned back to the duo.


    Fiona, unsure of what to think about Dia, looked to Harlan. The Zenotote scientist shook her head.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she replied. Dia made a smile that was somewhere between friendly and dangerous and waved for the others to follow. She took several steps, then suddenly was thrust back from a blow to the stomach. Anyone familiar with sniping instantly knew the winged beauideal had been shot. As Dia fell to the ground, the crowd gasped.


    ¡°Fiona¨C¡° Harlan shouted as she tried to move, but she was cut short as another shot ran through her leg. The green Zenotote fell to her knees and held her wound. Fiona gasped and zapped before the next shot could hit her.


    From the seats, Batty leaped into action. He quickly ran through the bleachers as Fiona zapped Harlan back into the tunnel they had entered from. The beauideal who had waited at the start with them had a look of horror as Fiona set Harlan next to her.


    ¡°Look¡­ look after her¡­¡± she said as she turned back to Dia. Batty began applying pressure to the wound as the green star looked at the sky in a daze. Fiona tried to extend her ability to the two in the field but found she was prevented from teleporting them.


    ¡°Get out of here¡­ she¡¯s going to attack again¡­ can¡¯t have a fan get hurt,¡± she hazily said to Batty without looking at him.


    The guard gritted his teeth as he gently scooped Dia up. Another shot hit him in his right shoulder from the back. Batty smiled.


    ¡°Fool, now I know where you¡¯re attacking from!¡± he grunted as he turned his back to the sniper and began to walk Dia from the center of the arena.


    Another shot hit him in the leg, but the guard kept going. Dia began to weakly wave to her fans as if to tell them she was alright.


    Batty kept walking but could feel his strength failing. He looked ahead to where Fiona stood in the tunnel, and their eyes met. He swallowed his pride and nodded to the princess, indicating she should support them. Several flashes of light moved them across the arena, and to the surprised¡ªthat her ability began to work¡ªblue princess¡¯s side. Batty fell to his knees as he gently set Dia on the ground. She had fallen unconscious and was breathing unsteadily.


    Several more guards rushed from inside the tunnel to their aid as Batty finally collapsed.


    From atop a building far outside the arena, Sabia sighed. She was laid out on the roof with her long Needaimus pointed to the arena. A scope sat in front of her left eye, and her nonbonded hand sat next to a bag full of what looked like metal thorns wrapped into a small sphere.


    She had overheard Dia¡¯s plan to reveal their secrets, which was something that could not be allowed. As soon as the trio of fighters left, Sabia emerged from her hiding place. She quickly left the arena to the best vantage point and set up to watch the match. Had Dia won, the Aqueenian sniper would have done nothing.


    The loss meant that the beauideals usefulness had simply run out.


    Sabia stood up and sent out a message to her teammates with her Needaimus.


    ¡®Dia has been taken down. I suspect she will end up in the hospital.¡¯


    A reply came in an instant from their leader. The words flashed in her vision.


    ¡®A shame, but no matter of concern. I suspected we would need to do that much for the next phase. All agents are to return to base at once. We will discuss our next steps immediately.¡¯


    Sabia packed up her supplies and quickly left the roof. The rest of the beauideal matches were canceled for the day, and a political battle rose to keep the news of what happened from spreading too far and too fast.

 94 – The Detective Leads the Way

    Odell and Hal walked with Tancred and Rym down the busy streets in Nun¡¯s northern section. The detective led the way while the Hobusian prince walked in step with him. Hal and Rym followed from behind while shaking their heads in unison.


    ¡°Let me tell you, Odell, my boy, that was a tough case to crack!¡± Tancred said as he regaled Odell with a story of his past work. ¡°But, once I saw the letter, it all came together! The girl had been tricked into killing him, then she was offed after by the true villain!¡±


    ¡°True villain?¡± Odell asked as he followed along the story with genuine curiosity.


    ¡°Yes indeed! You see, a powerful adversary wished to take the deceased''s business¡ªbelieving it had been mismanaged. Of course, I easily uncovered the tracks!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Odell said as Tancred went into details of the case.


    ¡°He''s quite excitable,¡± Rym said to Hal as they followed several steps behind.


    ¡°Too much for my liking,¡± Hal grumbled.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he your teammate?¡±


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    ¡°Temporary teammate. I suspect after this mission, we will part ways.¡± Hal said with a blank face that Rym was unable to read. She could not tell how he felt about the prospect of his words.


    ¡°Are you eager to part ways?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have those I need to care for back home; our ways were bound to part eventually.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you seem rather young; who do you need to care for?¡±


    Hal frowned before giving up the information.


    ¡°Sisters,¡± he said while trying to keep it brief.


    ¡°Ah, I see! I have five other sisters myself, so I know the feeling.¡±


    Hal nodded and quickly tried to change the subject.


    ¡°Can¡­¡± he asked, but Rym was already talking.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! You¡¯re so young, but you must be working hard to take care of your family,¡± she said while wiping a tear from her slitted eye, ¡°My sisters only want to goof off! It¡¯s hard being the responsible one! At least one of them has been doing better lately, but the others won¡¯t listen to a word I say. Do you know what I mean?¡±


    Hal made an understanding nod.


    ¡°It would be best for them to realize the struggles of responsibility,¡± he said.


    ¡°I hear you! They were always running around without a care in the world!¡±


    The two, more Rym than Hal, began to banter about sibling troubles while Tancred and Odell continued to talk about the old detective''s past cases.


    All were blissfully unaware of the events transpiring elsewhere within the city as they continued to the casino that Tancred believed to be important. Odell and Hal would soon realize that the chosen path would be just as difficult as the one their teammates went through.

 95 – The Mayor Hears the News + Volume 3 Summary

    Reports had been coming in throughout the whole day from all over the city. People fighting on rooftops, giant machines, odd characters running about, the supposed Nonpareil getting injured, and Dia getting shot by an unknown assailant. Mayor Abelard let the papers slip from his hands as he read about the attack on the beauideal. He slowly moved his hands close to his eyes and wiped away any moisture that had collected. Memories of a young Aqueenian girl on the streets flashed in his mind, but he pushed them out before he could reminisce.


    ¡°That¡¯s the most up-to-date reports I have,¡± the Zenotote secretary Rom replied.


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    ¡°Thanks, Rom¡­ where are they taking Dia?¡±


    ¡°The Nun Central Hospital, just a few blocks away. I also have received word that their Nonpareil and his companion were dropped off in the lobby, but the person who did so has already disappeared without a trace,¡± Rom reported.


    ¡°I see¡­ please prepare a vehakul¡­ Call in our agents to the hospital as well.¡±


    ¡°Already done.¡±


    Abelard made as good a smile as possible, given his solemn mood.


    ¡°You¡¯re always on top of things, but I would like you to grab the golden Needaimus from the vault as well.¡±


    At his words, Rom¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean?¡±


    ¡°I intend to visit this Nonpareil of theirs, yes.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It will be alright, Rom. I won¡¯t do anything too rash.¡±

 96 – An Injured Nonpareil

    Rheba¡¯s eyes opened suddenly. She was lying on a bed that was long enough to keep her feet from dangling off the end. The giantess warrior began to think back to the events that got her in that spot. She had been in battle with the yellow-haired opponent.


    With a sudden jerk, Rheba shot up. Wires hooked between her were jerked, and equipment was suddenly pulled off their resting places as she tried to get up.


    ¡°Rheba!¡± a shout from the Bentulousian warrior''s side caught her attention. She turned to see a familiar blue face.


    ¡°Fiona?¡± Rheba replied though she made no efforts to hide her confusion at seeing the Aqueenian princess in the same room. Nevertheless, Fiona leaped up and wrapped her arms around Rheba. The dress she had worn for battle rustled as she moved.


    ¡°It¡¯s been such a bad day!¡± she complained to her teammate. The blue princess continued to carry on about her match with Dia and the attack that had come from a long-range, but her words were too incoherent for Rheba to make out.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Rheba finally said in a firm tone with as much gentleness as she could. Fiona was shocked by the sudden tone and moved back to a chair where she had anxiously sat prior. ¡°Where is Gwyn?¡± Rheba asked. Fiona shook her head. She moved her mouth, but it took several moments for her to produce words.


    ¡°¡­he¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s been unconscious since being dropped off here. Multiple bones are broken, and he¡¯s on several machines. They say there should be a Kishop Needaimus specializing in his injuries somewhere in Nun, but the user is currently unreachable.¡±


    Rheba¡¯s ear twitched, but she otherwise kept a stoic expression as she moved onto the next question.


    ¡°What about Harlan?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been injured in her leg. They have her patched up and have her rest.¡±


    ¡°And Hal and Odell?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They are still in Nunvo as far as I can tell, but I can¡¯t get either to answer a call.¡±


    Rheba shook her head and moved her legs to the edge of the bed. As she moved, she pulled off the wires for the equipment that monitored her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Harlan,¡± she said as she began to stand up.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re injured!¡± Fiona protested.


    ¡°My injuries are minor compared to the amount of discussion we need to have.¡±


    Rheba felt pain as she walked but didn¡¯t let it show to the blue princess. Fiona chased after as the Bentulousian warrior entered the hallway.


    Some doctors and nurses jumped as the injured patient strolled through the hospital wing without a care, but the stern face Rheba wore deterred them from saying anything in response. The Aqueenian princess kept her head down.


    Fiona gave in and began to lead the way to where Harlan was waiting. They exchanged no words until Rheba burst through the hospital room door. The Zenotote scientist almost leaped out of her bed as the giant warrior burst through. Her leg was bandaged, and the doctors had instructed that she not move around too much on it, but otherwise, she was okay.


    ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± Harlan asked in shock as Rheba seemed to have shaken off any battle damage like it was nothing.


    ¡°Warriors are trained to be tough,¡± Rheba said. Harlan said nothing and simply shook her head in response. ¡°Where is Gwyn?¡± the brown-furred Bentulousian added. She had thought they would be in the same room.


    ¡°In another ward¡­.¡± Fiona said with a somber quiver in her voice. She had been the only one to visit him since they arrived with Dia in tow.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to see him either,¡± Harlan added with a shake of her head.


    ¡°Then we should go to him next!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to be walking,¡± Harlan explained. Rheba strode across the room at her words and lifted the much smaller Zenotote over her shoulder. Harlan attempted to protest, but the trio was soon walking through the hospital again and receiving even more strange looks from the staff.


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy this¡­.¡± Harlan finally said with a sigh, realizing she didn¡¯t have any way to escape. The Zenotote¡¯s orange Needaimus rode on Rheba¡¯s other shoulder next to the Bentulousian''s purple one.


    Fiona kept her head down. She didn¡¯t like the eyes staring at her, especially from behind. The beauideal dress she had not had an opportunity to change out of drew even more unwanted attention. Ever since Dia and Harlan saw her scar, the blue princess had been more squeamish about having eyes on her. She had almost collapsed after the beauideal fight from shear exhaustion brought on by nerves.


    Still, she did her best to hide her worries from the other two.


    The hospital, known as Nun Grand Hospital, was laid out over a vast space formed into a large circle. The building would have appeared like an unfinished column for a giant¡¯s palace from the outside. It housed more floors and rooms than even the Aqueenian castle in Quenth.


    The large and diverse population variance of Nun had led to more and more specialization needed for each of the departments. After years of troubling medical history, the last mayor commissioned a grand hospice for all citizens to get any required care.


    For the trio, the giant building acted as a large maze. Though it was not laid out to be confusing, the scale and unfamiliarity with it made them take several wrong turns.


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    ¡°Can¡­ can I help you?¡± a shy doctor finally asked. He was a short Aqueenian man made all the more shorter as he hunched his back. A smooth, jade, baby face showed that he must have been fresh out of medical school.


    ¡°We are trying to find our friend,¡± Rheba said.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the critical ward¡­.¡± Fiona added.


    The young doctor nodded and gestured.


    ¡°Right this way.¡±


    The group found themselves in front of Gwyn¡¯s door in no time. They all braced for the sight to come as Rheba opened the door.


    The sight of Gwyn wasn¡¯t pretty. The Nonpareil was unconscious on a hospital bed. About every part of him had been wrapped in gauze, and several tubes from machines were connected to his skin underneath the wrapping. His mouth was covered by a machine that kept his breath steady.


    The doctors had tried their best when they found him. Gwyn¡¯s ribs had broken and punctured a series of organs and blood vessels within his body. His limbs were shattered, and his skin was mangled. They considered him lucky to be alive, not knowing Kako had used some magic to patch him up.


    Off to the side of Gwyn sat the draconic looking Needaimus; Mem, its blue head, turned to look at the trio. Had the Nonpareil not been so injured, Mem would have made a snarky comment about Rheba carrying Harlan as she was, but no sounds came from the blue creature.


    Harlan was set down in a chair, and Rheba pounded a fist on the wall.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have split up from him,¡± she grumbled quietly.


    Fiona silently sat down in a second chair next to Harlan¡¯s. Her blue head and shoulders drooped.


    The young doctor who escorted the three looked at each of them with a sad expression.


    ¡°Um,¡± he said to grab the attention of the others. When they turned his way, the doctor continued, ¡°he is stable by the looks of it, so all they have to do is get the medical Needaimus here. It is just taking a little longer than normal¡­.¡± The doctor could tell his words didn¡¯t reassure the trio. Defeated, he retreated from the room.


    ¡°We need to contact Quenth and report,¡± Rheba said after a long moment of silence. The others nodded.


    ¡°But how?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°The tablet I was given should have information, but it was left at the hotel.¡± Rheba leaned against the wall. The pain from her own injuries was starting to catch up with her, but she felt it best not to show it.


    Before they could say anything more, a knock echoed from the door.


    A middle-aged Netzian man stood in the doorway. He had a large, metal square box held with a single handle in one hand. Behind the man stood a blue and white Zenotote carefully eyeing the trio.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± the man said to them. His voice was level, but he refrained from joining in with the somber mood of the room.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Rheba said as she stood straight. Her Needaimus was bonded to her arm in a flash.


    ¡°Take it easy,¡± the stranger held his free hand up defensively, but he showed no concern in his voice that indicated he was afraid in any way. ¡°I suppose introductions are in order. I am Abelard, the mayor of this fine city.¡±


    The trio¡¯s mouths held open in unison.


    ¡°Sir, you shouldn¡¯t go telling these people that so casually!¡± The Zenotote warned from behind.


    ¡°Not to worry, Rom,¡± the Mayor said while looking back to his assistant before he readdressed the trio. ¡°Please excuse her; she is understandably nervous, seeing as your little group is technically invaders to our fair town.¡± Abelard casually strode into the room while paying no mind to Rheba raising her fists and Fiona bonding with her own Needaimus. The mayor placed the box at the end of Gwyn¡¯s bed, next to the Nonpareils wrapped up legs, and turned back to the others so he could speak.


    ¡°We have been aware of you since you entered¡ªit really wasn¡¯t hard considering you fought a monster right outside¡ªand we have been keeping some tabs on your little group. It seems there is some trouble brewing in my town that is outside my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Are you claiming you had nothing to do with the death of King Whitlock?¡± Rheba asked.


    Abelard sighed.


    ¡°I had nothing to do with his assassination. That was just as surprising for me as it was for you.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Rom interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a report from Liv and Felix that the hospital is clear. They will be regrouping shortly and heading this way.


    ¡°Glad to hear it. Has Amber found anything in the records yet?¡±


    ¡°Nothing reported yet.¡±


    Rheba and Harlan had squinted eyes as the mayor, and his assistant went back and forth. Fiona looked back and forth while trying to hide her confusion as best she could.


    ¡°Anyway, I suppose it might have been better to contact you sooner, but you understand I had to be careful.¡±


    ¡°So, what changed?¡± Rheba asked in a stern voice.


    ¡°Well, Dia getting attacked.¡± The mayor did not attempt to hide anything and looked directly at Rheba as he replied. ¡°We visited her, but she¡¯s in no better shape than your Nonpareil friend here.¡±


    ¡°What is your connection to Dia?¡± Rheba added. The mayor chuckled.


    ¡°I guess you could say she¡¯s kind of like a daughter to me; I always told her not to run with bad crowds¡­.¡± Abelard¡¯s voice trailed off at the end of his sentence as he began to stare off into space.


    One of Rheba¡¯s ears flicked as she took a deep breath, but she didn¡¯t press the issue any further.


    ¡°What is your reason for coming here?¡± Harlan finally spoke up. Her green eyes were fixed on the case that the mayor had set next to Gwyn.


    ¡°I heard your Nonpareil was here,¡± the mayor said as he turned to Gwyn, ¡°he doesn¡¯t look like much.¡±


    Fiona moved closer to the mayor as her hands balled into fists. Rheba had to step across the room to catch her shoulder before the blue princess got closer to the mayor. It was unnecessary as Rom quickly had crossed the room and placed herself between the trio and the mayor.


    ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t provoke them without explaining yourself better,¡± the assistant said to Abelard.


    ¡°You¡¯re reprimanding me?¡± Abelard asked in shock.


    ¡°You had it coming,¡± his assistant replied.


    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± The mayor pulled a latch on the metal box and took a step away. It fell open, and a golden form lay in a curled-up position. The room''s light seemed to bounce off the polished gold so intensely that it was difficult to look at it directly. Mem and the other Needaimus seemed to shake at the sight of the golden one.


    Fiona took a step back. She almost tripped, but Rheba managed to catch her.


    ¡°I thought that was in Quenth!¡± the blue princess shouted.


    ¡°You do indeed have a piece the first Nonpareil used. However, we have the original Jaap used,¡± the mayor explained with a smile. ¡°If he is truly a Nonpareil, then our golden Needaimus should be willing and able to patch his wounds.¡±


    ¡°And if he¡¯s not?¡± Harlan asked.


    ¡°Then¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be pretty. No matter, we won¡¯t ask the Needaimus to do anything rash!¡± Mayor Abelard turned to the golden creature. ¡°If you would like to, could you?¡± he asked.


    The golden form pushed itself up on four legs and walked over to Gwyn. Everyone watched for a long moment as it moved its golden head up and down to examine the Nonpareil.


    After what seemed like an eternity for the trio, the golden Needaimus seemed to turn liquid-esk and slid under the bandages around Gwyn¡¯s right arm. The gauze that covered his arm was shattered, and a golden arm was left in place. He began to squirm and writhe.


    ¡°Gwyn!¡± Fiona shouted and stood next to him in a flash of light. Before she could do anything more, Gwyn stopped squirming, and his vitals stabilized. His breathing was calm, and though no one could confirm, his bones had been bonded back together.


    The gold broke off his arm and formed back into a creature while it made its way back to the case. Abelard carefully closed the box, ensuring not to touch the golden metal in the process. He paused a moment to look at Gwyn before nodding to himself. The mayor was surprised to see no one else react, but he decided to leave it unsaid. He turned to the trio and smiled as he spoke:


    ¡°I suspect he will need to sleep a little while longer; why don¡¯t we talk some more about the next steps our groups plan to take. I have a feeling we have much to discuss.¡±

 97 – Alliance with Nun

    The trio, the mayor, and Rom all exited Gwyn¡¯s room and shut the door. For her part, Harlan refused to be carried again and settled for walking on her injured leg, all while hoping the doctor that patched her up wouldn¡¯t see. Mem was left to watch over the Nonpareil as the group found a small meeting room within the hospital. Rom remained in the hallway while the mayor set his metal box in the corner.


    The room had a small rectangular table with four seats on either side. Harlan sat in a middle chair, then Rheba and Fiona sat on either side of her. Abelard sat on the other side.


    ¡°They will be heading here shortly,¡± the blue and white Zenotote said as she entered the room last. She sat next to the mayor and crossed her arms.


    ¡°Now, I suppose we should get right to business,¡± mayor Abelard said. ¡°Firstly, we should discuss the status of your two remaining team members.¡±


    Fiona looked to Rheba. The Bentulousian warrior nodded.


    ¡°They are somewhere in Nunvo, but I have been unable to get in contact with them,¡± the blue princess answered. She kept her tone even and her expression as calm as possible; Hermina and Donn were at the forefront of her mind as she tried to imitate how they met foreign leaders and personal. She hated how awkward it made her feel.


    Abelard rubbed his chin.


    ¡°They have evaded much of my agents as well. Who would have thought they were such skilled agents?¡±


    The trio said nothing but all thought in unison. Hal was skilled, but they were surprised Odell was managing so well.


    ¡°We should head up and try to find them,¡± Rheba offered.


    ¡°And just leave Gwyn?¡± Fiona shot back in surprise. She quickly dropped her attempt to mimic her siblings.


    The mayor shook his head. He wondered why the particular group in front of him had been chosen for such a mission but figured it would be best to hold his tongue.


    ¡°Rheba, you and I can¡¯t leave the hospital,¡± Harlan said with a sigh.


    ¡°A warrior would never rest when companions are in trouble,¡± Rheba replied.


    The room fell into silence until a knock at the door broke it. The two agents who followed after Fiona, Odell, and Hal in the shopping center entered the room. Though, Fiona had never seen them clearly and was completely unaware.


    ¡°Parden the intrusion,¡± the Hobusian, Felix, said.


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    ¡°We¡¯re just going to storm in!¡± the Netzian, Liv, added with a smile. They joined the side of the table with the mayor.


    ¡°We were just talking about their other agents. Would you be able to go retrieve them?¡± Rom asked the new duo.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Felix replied.


    ¡°Aw, but we just got here!¡± Liv griped.


    ¡°I would rather not send strangers to meet up with our frie- comrade,¡± Rheba said as she eyed the two agents.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have Fiona go with them?¡± Rom offered.


    ¡°How does she know my name?¡± Fiona whispered to Harlan.


    ¡°You¡¯re a princess to a foreign government; of course, they would know who you are.¡± Harlan calmly whispered back.


    Rheba shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve earned our trust. Not enough for Fiona to go alone with two of your agents.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not that hopeless in a fight!¡± Fiona interjected. Abelard chuckled.


    ¡°I suppose we should get onto the next order of business. You were sent here as foreign spies, but I would like to propose a truce on that front. I hope it has become apparent that other dangers are lurking within my fair city at the present moment.¡±


    ¡°And how can we be sure the agents that attacked us were not aligned with you?¡± Rheba asked as she crossed her arms.


    ¡°I will give you access to our agents'' records; you can take as much time to comb through as you like,¡± Rom said.


    ¡°Records of particular agents can be omitted,¡± Harlan added.


    ¡°These kids are feisty!¡± Liv interjected.


    ¡°Liv, shut up,¡± Felix hissed at her.


    Abelard scratched his chin. He looked at each of the team members one by one before sighing. His light blue face suddenly became very stern.


    ¡°Look, you three, we have many bad actors running around at the moment. I offered a truce not so you can trust me wholesale but so that we can avoid unnecessary conflict. Two of you are injured, and I have four combatants who can subdue you. You can take the truce now, and we hammer out the details later, or I detain you, and we¡¯ll talk again once this mess is cleaned up.¡±


    Rheba began to slowly stand up and ball her fingers into fists. She gritted her teeth as the pain made it difficult to move. Harlan quickly began to examine the room for the fourth combatant the mayor claimed to have. Fiona¡¯s purple eyes grew wide.


    She teleported next to Rheba and grabbed her arm.


    ¡°We don¡¯t mind a truce!¡± the blue princess shouted.


    ¡°Fiona?¡± Rheba shot back.


    ¡°You¡¯re both already hurt! We can¡¯t have anyone else getting hurt like Gwyn!¡± Fiona replied. Rheba jumped at her words.


    ¡°I agree with Fiona,¡± Harlan answered neutrally as her eyes fixed on a corner of the walls and ceiling, ¡°they have more operative here than we previously believed.¡±


    At her words, Abelard made a wave. On the ceiling, an Aqueenian-Bentulousian hybrid suddenly turned visible.


    ¡°You were in the museum, weren¡¯t you?¡± the previously invisible agent asked.


    ¡°I remember your face¡­.¡± Harlan replied.


    ¡°Amber,¡± she said as she jumped down and made her way to the last open seat of the table.


    ¡°I apologize for keeping her a secret,¡± Abelard said. ¡°Rest assured that she was the last special agent anywhere close to this hospital.¡±


    ¡°And the mayor¡¯s a terrible liar, so you¡¯d be able to tell if he wasn¡¯t being honest,¡± Rom added.


    ¡°Rom! Must you add unnecessary details?¡±


    ¡°If the truth hurts, I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± the blue-white Zenotote said with a shrug.


    Abelard sighed and turned to the trio.


    ¡°So, there you have it; we will go ahead with sending Liv, Felix, and the princess to Nunvo. As a show of trust, the remainder of us will stay at the hospital a while longer, so you can ask any questions you wish.¡±


    ¡°He just wants to stay away from paperwork a while longer,¡± Rom added.


    ¡°Your conditions are acceptable,¡± Rheba said as she gritted her teeth. It felt like she had lost somehow, and she realized she wasn¡¯t cut out for diplomacy.

 98 – Gwyn’s Dreaming

    Gwyn stirred and screamed from within a dark void. There was no air; though he could breathe, his voice didn¡¯t carry. He was moving aimlessly but couldn¡¯t tell or feel where.


    Eventually, he tripped on something and rolled down what seemed like a steep hill. The Nonpareil crashed into a tiled floor and stood up. The darkness had faded, and he quickly recognized the main hallway of his old high school. Before he could do anything, his leg suddenly gave out, and he fell face-first on the floor. A quick inspection showed it had been snapped and wrapped in a cast.


    Shadowy figures appeared before Gwyn. Though their faces were obstructed, he could tell who they were¨Cold high school friends. He tried to call out to them, but the words didn¡¯t carry through the air. They all turned and walked away, leaving the Nonpareil alone.


    He banged his left fist on the ground, but as soon as he did, the whole arm became limp.


    ¡°You look pathetic,¡± a voice came from behind Gwyn. He turned around suddenly to lay eyes on the speaker.


    King Whitlock, the dead Aqueenian king, stood behind the Nonpareil with his arms crossed.


    ¡°Am I dead?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately not, but you came close,¡± King Whitlock replied.


    ¡°I see; this is a dream. I¡¯m imagining you for some reason,¡± Gwyn confirmed with a nod. He pondered what he could have seen or eaten to trigger King Whitlock¡¯s appearance, but nothing seemed apparent.


    The king rubbed his blue brow and groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time; let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Gwyn rolled to a seated position and put his right arm up like he was trying to make an ¡®X.¡¯ The left arm was still too limp for him to move it.


    ¡°No, thank you! I¡¯m not playing along with this stuff anymore, especially in a dream!¡±


    King Whitlock began to grit his teeth.


    ¡°Whatever, I was supposed to take you somewhere, but it seems you can¡¯t see the path.¡±


    King Whitlock walked close to Gwyn, and the scene around them faded into darkness. New shapes began to come into view out of the blackness. It took Gwyn a moment to adjust to the new setting, but he was soon standing in a dark forest. Trees sharply jutted up out of the ground, and their bare branches made a chaotic web that caged off the sky above them. Only a narrow path cut through the dense woods, and the trail was uneven and covered with thorns.


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    Gwyn shuddered and was surprised to realize he was standing; he had not made a motion to get up. Yet, his leg and arms moved like they should.


    King Whitlock moved next to the Nonpareil and pointed out in the distance, down the open path.


    ¡°Be wary,¡± the blue king said.


    The forest suddenly was ablaze, the fire created a new cage above their heads, and Gwyn found himself choking on the smoke for a moment.


    ¡°Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream,¡± he said to himself before he could calm down. The Nonpareil''s attention turned back to where the king pointed. Four creatures he had not seen before were moving across the ground. The simple way to describe them was somewhere between a snake and a centipede, and Gwyn found them hard to look at out of sheer disgust.


    A creature that most resembled a bat flew in low, passing through the fire as if it was either not there or was no concern. The long animals on the ground moved their heads to the winged one. What happened next, Gwyn wished he hadn¡¯t seen.


    The creatures on the ground merged into the body of the one in the air. They bit at the winged beast and then melted into it. Forming what looked like arms and legs. After a minute of metamorphosis, the form looked like a humanoid with giant bat wings. Gwyn shivered.


    Though it was far away, Gwyn could tell that the form was taller than him and possibly Rheba. The two large wings stretched out, and it soon flew back though the fire and out of his sight.


    ¡°Come, we should move forward,¡± King Whitlock grumbled. He tried to move to where the horrifying sight had just occurred, but Gwyn fell to his knees and trembled.


    ¡°Just¡­¡± he managed to spit out.


    King Whitlock shook his head and gently lifted Gwyn off the ground.


    ¡°It seems you are not ready, but you will face more tragedy if you don¡¯t go now.¡±


    Gwyn pulled himself away from King Whitlock and tried to run. His legs moved, but he stayed still and unmoving.


    ¡°Mem! Fiona! Someone wake me up!¡± he shouted.


    The blue king put a hand on Gwyn¡¯s shoulder and shook his head.


    ¡°While I am glad to get away from you, you have hardly grown. Let me offer a word of warning¡­ no, you won¡¯t be able to hear what I have to say.¡± King Whitlock sighed as he saw Gwyn was not giving up on his sprint, which carried him nowhere. ¡°Fine, then let me say three things I¡¯d like you to do. After which, you will wake.¡±


    Gwyn realized he wasn¡¯t getting anywhere and gave up on his running. He nodded, then let his head remain slumped as he listened.


    ¡°First. Watch over my daughter. She will find out¡­ well, just stick by her side, and you¡¯ll know when the time is right. Second. Speak to the mayor of Nun when you wake up, then relay what happened to Donn if you return to Quenth. I have a feeling you¡¯re more likely to listen to them anyway. And Last. You will forget the finer details of this dream after you wake up, but there will be a point when you are reminded. When that comes, we will meet again. Also, I want you to learn some manners before that happens.¡±


    Before Gwyn could reply, he was suddenly staring at the hospital ceiling. His body was covered in a cold sweat, and he couldn¡¯t help but shake as a chill consumed him. He knew he saw something disturbing, but the imagery was quickly fading, and all the Nonpareil could think was that he had had a nightmare.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re awake!¡± Mem said gleefully off to the side while Gwyn grappled with every aching part of his body. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the others!¡± the Needaimus added before flying out of the room. Several nurses screamed as the blue metallic creature sped by.

 99 – The Casino

    The Hilbert family was one of the most well-known and wealthiest in all of Nun. Their great grandfather, the original Hilbert, was a frugal Hobusian who started with a small shop in a corner of Nun¡ªwhich had long since been paved over. The family continued to grow for many years, building larger and grander buildings to accompany the Nun atmosphere.


    The Hilbert Hotel and Casino was made with such grandiose in mind. To say it was a simple building would be an understatement. It was built on a natural lake and could only be reached by crossing a glowing drawbridge. Those deemed unsightly would be thrown into the lake and expected to swim back to shore. The bottom floor was the lobby, the next two floors contained the casino, and the rest contained the hotel.


    Alone, the structure might not be too strange, but the hotel had another feature that would cause people¡¯s heads to spin. It was built like an overly complex merry-go-round with three separate wheels that always slowly turned. The outer wheel would turn counterclockwise, the middle clockwise, and the inner counterclockwise as well. The very center was a still section that acted as an axel to the tall wheel, and the spinning was so slow that one wouldn¡¯t notice until they had become thoroughly lost. Naturally, the building itself functioned as a part of the casino, and every day, there was a possibility to win big for someone who stood in a randomly selected section of the casino¡ªas if it was the most complex roulette ever devised.


    Odell and Hal stood and stared at the gaudy glowing building at the end of the bridge.


    ¡°Are you coming?¡± Tancred shouted back. He was several steps ahead, but his short Bentulousian stature was liable to get lost if they let him stray further.


    ¡°They are obviously overwhelmed,¡± the detective''s assistant, Rym, said as she shook her scaly pink head.


    Nevertheless, Tancred¡¯s words were enough to break the duo out of their surprise, and they quickly formed a group that got in line for the entrance.


    ¡°Must we really come here? I would think you are more interested in gambling the money our agency doesn¡¯t have,¡± Rym groaned.


    ¡°Now, my dear assistant, don¡¯t you recall what Hagan said? This hotel has a lead, and we will find it!¡± Tancred replied with an enthusiastic but hushed tone. ¡°What¡¯s the harm in a little gambling! I have a feeling we will strike it big!¡± he shouted after noticing a few funny looks from others in the line. They were an odd crowd, and two carrying Needaimus was enough to warrant caution. The detective¡¯s words were enough to alleviate their attention, and people began to turn back to their business.


    ¡°How big is this place?¡± Odell asked as he eyed the glowing building that seemed to grow larger and more intimidating with every step they took.


    ¡°Large enough to get lost in, so stay close,¡± Tancred replied with a smile.


    The line moved up slowly but at a steady pace, and before long, the group was the next to speak to the guard at the door. They observed as he talked to a couple trying to make a case for entering the casino. When the guard was not convinced, he grabbed the well-dressed couple by the backs of their shirts and tossed them into the water below the bridge with no more effort than one would give when flicking away a pesky bug.


    Odell was wide-eyed as they walked up to the guard. He wore black clothes and a frown. A scar ran down his shiny green face from a bald head to his chin, and his form was bulky like a bodybuilder.


    ¡°State your business for being here,¡± the guard said.


    ¡°Come on, Harry, I come here all the time to gamble!¡± Tancred replied as he got close to the guard and nudged him with an elbow. The green guard looked down at the short detective and then at the other three.


    ¡°You don¡¯t normally bring others around,¡± he said curtly.


    ¡°I have some friends visiting and thought I¡¯d introduce them to the wonders of gambling at the best place in all of Nun!¡±


    ¡°Two of them look rather young.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never too early!¡±


    Harry sighed.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t cause too much of a stir, the boss is on an extended vacation, and his temp is much more of a hard case.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Tancred replied while gesturing that the others should follow. He quickly got a couple paces ahead within the long hallway to the casino. Lights and colors seemed to flash on the sides as if to distract people coming in before they ever got to their desired destination.


    ¡°Only two of us look rather young?¡± Rym said in shock once she was sure they were out of Harry¡¯s earshot. ¡°I don¡¯t look old, do I?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get too you!¡± Tancred replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look a day over 30!¡± Odell reassured.


    ¡°I¡¯m 25.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­ Hal, help!¡±


    The Netzian soldier looked at Rym¡¯s frustrated glare and Odell¡¯s confused expression and shook his head. He quickly sped up to match Tancred¡¯s pace and left the Hobusian prince to fend for himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty wise to get out of that one!¡± Tancred said with a laugh as Odell tried to stammer out an escape from the hole he put himself in¡ªhis words only dug him deeper.


    ¡°It does not take the wise to know that was a battle which could only end in loss,¡± Hal replied.


    Tancred chuckled but said nothing as they approached two large, wooded doors. They were engraved with geometric shapes and patterns and had ornate golden trimmings.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to our investigation!¡± he happily said. With the short detective¡¯s words, he pushed the doors open. An unnatural and uncomfortable light began to pour in from the other side.


    The inside of the casino was a vast space. The designers sought to waste no area on the floor and set up pillars to distinguish the three rotating sections. Every space in between was covered with tables for playing games and people happily gambling their money.


    A bright red velvet carpet lined the floor, and golden trimmings made a series of ornate and increasingly smaller rings to further divide the sections. The columns were marble, and the ceiling seemed to increase in height with every section. The center had a spiral staircase which gave access to the top floors. Around the room''s outer wall, statues of famous Nun figures were carved and equally spaced.


    The ceiling of the building was encased in bright light, though how it was lit was unclear. The brightness was often compared to the sun, and many considered it like having the twin suns coming to gamble along with them.


    To say the sight was overwhelming for Odell and Hal would be an understatement. Each had no idea how finding leads would be feasible in the setting. Nonetheless, Tancred happily strolled into the casino. Some people greeted him by name as he passed, and he waved hello with his eyes focused on an active table of cards.


    Rym grabbed the short Bentulousian by the back of his coat and pulled him back to the group.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°To get information, my dear Rym. We can discern a lot from a simple game of cards!¡±


    The blue and pink Zenotote shook her head. She ground her teeth together for a second before smiling at the short detective. Odell backed up slightly as her smile seemed more sinister than friendly.


    ¡°You did look at the finance record I gave you this month, did you not? Our office and daycare business doesn¡¯t have nearly enough free cash for you to gamble with!¡± she said in a cheery tone that contained maliciousness.


    ¡°What does it matter if I win!¡± Tancred said with a huff as he pulled himself free of the Zenotote''s grip. He started to walk to the table once again when Rym spoke up.


    ¡°If you lose even a little cash, I will quit on the spot and find more stable work¡­ in an office.¡± Her threat was slightly undermined by a pause in her sentence and her conviction.


    Fortunately for Rym, the short detective was wrapped up in his own little world and didn¡¯t pick up on her pause.


    He grunted and turned back.


    ¡°Fine, we will gather information with other means.¡± He looked up to the group and nodded.


    ¡°We should split up to cover more ground. There is another floor of this casino and not to mention many more for the hotel. Odell can come with me, and Hal can go with Rym. Be on your guard, and don¡¯t say more than you have to.¡±


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    ¡°Alright, Hal, I will check the Casino, and you and Odell can check the hotel,¡± Rym said. Tancred grumbled but didn¡¯t argue.


    ¡°Very well, Odell, my boy, let¡¯s go check out this hotel!¡± he said with a wink to the Hobusian prince.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Odell and Tancred ran off and began to climb the stairs.


    ¡°Was it best for those two to go alone?¡± Hal asked.


    ¡°Tancred can be reliable when he needs to be; they should be fine,¡± Rym said as she rubbed her temples like she had a headache. Dealing with him can be a pain, though.


    ¡°My companions are cut from a similar cloth,¡± Hal replied.


    ¡°Now, we should start asking around, but we must be careful about it¡­.¡± Rym began to say. She was interrupted by several drunk gamblers coming close to them.


    ¡°Ha buddies¡­ wan- to ave some fun?¡± One asked as he threw an arm over the Zenotote assistants¡¯ shoulders. Her scaly face grew tense. They had waited until Tancred left the group and now took the opportunity to pounce.


    ¡°Oh, is one¡¯s¡­ ust a little boy!¡± another said while drunkenly shoving Hal.


    ¡°This is why I avoid these places,¡± Rym muttered. Hal sighed and shoved the drunk back with the same amount of force. He fell over and began to whine.


    ¡°Ah¡­ the boy¡­ arting¡­ a fight!¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it!¡± one that was not nearly as drunk shouted with a laugh.


    Rym began to squirm, but the drunk that hung on her suddenly grabbed her. Hal motioned to the Needaimus on his arm, but the drunks laughed.


    ¡°Not much that going to do you here! Less you want to be thrown out!¡± the soberest of the group chuckled as he took a step closer to Hal. He leaned his chin close. ¡°Go ahead and get a good blow; I won¡¯t be the one getting thrown out!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that!¡± a shout came from across the casino. Tancred and Odell stood with their arms crossed.


    ¡°You were right; they swooped in immediately!¡± Odell said in shock.


    The detective suspected that those who didn¡¯t like him would come in to harass his companions the minute he left. He had whispered as much to Odell while they climbed the stairs, and as soon as they finished going up, they peered back down while hiding as much of their bodies as they could.


    A laugh echoed from the casino''s edge, and a wide Netzian stood up from his table. The casino grew quiet.


    ¡°What a day this is! The great detective graces us with his presence!¡±


    The man walked over with a smug expression.


    ¡°Ah, a crime boss is gambling away his stealings in a casino!¡± Tancred shot back.


    They crossed the room and approached each other. The Netzian was over twice Tancred¡¯s height, but the Bentulousian did not seem intimidated in the least.


    ¡°What case are you working on now? Trying to throw me in jail again?¡± the Netzian laughed.


    ¡°That hardly requires any effort, your rather easy to investigate. I¡¯m here for something more important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you wish to buy some information from old Lucchi?¡± The Netzian said with a smug smile.


    ¡°If I wanted to buy some information, I¡¯d at least get it from a good seller,¡± Tancred shot back.


    Lucchi smiled and waved to another in the casino. In a flash, he had a deck of cards in his hands.


    ¡°How about we play a game? If you win, I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know. And If I win, you tell me whatever I want to know.¡±


    ¡°You assume you have what I¡¯m looking for,¡± Tancred said with a shake of his head. Lucchi leaned over and whispered something in the detective''s pointed grey ear.


    Tancred frowned.


    ¡°Rym, change of plans. You and young Hal go to the hotel. Odell and I will be joining this match!¡±


    ¡°We will?¡± the Hobusian prince said in shock.


    Rym opened her mouth to complain, but when she saw Tancred had a serious look in his eye, she didn¡¯t refuse. The blue and pink Aqueenian grabbed the drunk¡¯s arm that was still wrapped around her and twisted it. He let out a yelp as she broke free.


    ¡°Come, Hal,¡± she said calmly as if nothing had happened. The duo left as Lucchi laughed. He kicked aside the drunk while he shuffled the cards in his hand and threw them down on the table.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this game started.¡±


    ¡°What game?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°Ohellega,¡± Tancred replied as he made his way to the table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to play!¡± Odell whispered back.


    Cards on Resh were something brought initially by the Netzians. The allure of a new multitude of games attracted the many species of Resh, and soon standard decks of playing cards were brought into production. Each species on the planet modified the cards for their own nations, making four styles collectors sought in addition to the original Netzian printings. Over time, the desire for peace brought a standard deck into the mainstream, with each of the four native species taking up one of the suits. Aqueenians for diamonds, Bentulousians for hearts, Hobusians for clubs, and Zenototes for spades. Netzians were relegated to take up the jokers.


    As Tancred quickly explained the game''s rules to Odell, Lucchi shuffled his deck of the Resh playing cards. He waved for one of his subordinates to join in, and they were quickly seated at a round table with Odell and Tancred facing each other from across. The division kept the players on the same ¡®team¡¯ from potentially seeing each other¡¯s hands, but that didn¡¯t stop Lucchi from stacking the deck with his shuffling.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s the young Hobusian''s first time, we will skip round one. Is that okay?¡± the crime boss said.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Tancred replied.


    ¡°Oh, and break off with your Needaimus,¡± Lucchi added as he glared at Odell. The mechanical creatures were excellent at counting cards. The green Needaimus, Cal, quickly separated. It slumped over Odell¡¯s shoulder. Before separating, the Needaimus had warned Odell that Lucchi was controlling the cards in his shuffle and the prince watched closely as two were dealt to him face down.


    He picked up his cards and looked at his hand. A two of hearts and an ace of spades. The deck was placed in the center, and the top flipped up to show a king of diamonds with a blue Aqueenian king¡ªmarking which suit would be the trump for the round.


    Odell cautiously looked around the table at the other players. It had quickly been explained to him that they would play a series of ¡®tricks¡¯ that was the number of cards for the round. Before that, they had to bet how many tricks they would take. Then they would put cards out, and the highest nontrump would win unless a trump was thrown out instead.


    Under normal circumstances in the casino, the bets would be with cash in sets of a hundred for each number of tricks. Due to the deal the detective and crime boss made, the bets were made with dice instead.


    ¡°Zero,¡± Tancred, who was to the left of Lucchi, said. The crime boss''s subordinate also bet zero. Odell looked at his cards.


    ¡°One!¡± the prince shouted before playing the die in front of him with the one showing.


    Lucchi smiled and put his die out with the two showing.


    Tancred played a spade, and the subordinate of Lucchi followed suit. Odell grunted and played his Ace of the same suit. Lucchi finished with a two of diamonds. After taking the cards, he quickly threw out a three of diamonds. No other player had a higher card in the trump, and Lucchi took the round.


    Tancred was next to shuffle and deal, and soon three cards were tossed to Odell.


    ¡°Stacking the deck, I see,¡± Lucchi said with a laugh as he eyed his cards.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk,¡± the Bentulousian said with a grunt.


    Each made their bets, with Tancred taking all three. Odell began picking up on the pattern as the subordinate dealt four for the next round.


    Lucchi had picked a subordinate that could also deal the cards they needed to win. He planed to take two rounds for everyone that Tancred could take and win more points over the long game. The crime boss smiled as he considered his reputation as a patient man, a reputation that only existed in his mind.


    Odell gritted his teeth as the crime boss won the next round. Even knowing what his opponent was doing, he couldn¡¯t do anything to fight against it. The prince silently wished someone else was in his seat. Harlan likely could outplay their game, Hal had enough of a poker face to confuse them, Rheba might flip the table and call out the cheaters, and even Gwyn or Fiona could cause enough of a scene to secretly switch a card. As he debated what his companions might do, the prince was handed the deck to shuffle.


    He knew no fancy card techniques or sleight of hand to give Tancred a favor, and he was too new to the game to possibly find a way out of their dilemma within the game rules. Odell¡¯s head hung as he dealt out the cards randomly and fairly.


    He was a burden in this game, and it frustrated him. He was happier being a clown in the Hobusian capitol while working on different machines and vehakuls. Mechanical things didn¡¯t require special tricks, just a turn of a nut and bolt here and there. All his time to ponder led the young prince to consider what happened in Horizon as cards were being set on the table and trick won.


    In the small mining village, Odell had quickly become caught. He was hardly helpful in the escape and had to run and hide from opponents without his Needaimus. His victory against Icarus was a combination of luck on his part and arrogance on the part of his opponent, and he was only helpful in supporting Gwyn by becoming a punching bag. The grey prince shuddered as the thoughts ran through his head. He had agreed to the trip partly from a whim and partly from frustration, but as he sat at the card table, Odell could only think of how he was a hindrance.


    Tancred managed to pull out a close win for the round, and Lucchi began to deal the next. The crime boss detected the wavering in Odell¡¯s spirit and took the opportunity to speak up.


    ¡°Where did you pull this boy from? He would be better suited for grunt work in my organization than at the table for an important bet!¡±


    Odell slumped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the boy, or you will be surprised!¡± Tancred replied as he eyed his next hand. ¡°And boy, keep your head up; we¡¯re playing a game here!¡±


    Odell snapped back up and looked at his cards. The hand had again been dealt to keep him from winning. He shook his head and stared at the cards. Tancred seemed to have some faith in him, so he had to do his best to live up to that. The prince closed his eyes as others made their bets. He tried to imagine the game as a machine, like the Ali-442 the group had traveled in. He thought there had to be a way that he could make things work.


    They were at another loss as the round ended, but he felt he was starting to pick up the rules better. Odell nodded as Tancred began to deal.


    ¡®I can do this; we can win!¡¯ he thought to himself.


    *****


    Ohellega Rules from ¡®The Many Games¡¯ by Esther Shawn


    Ohellega is a fun game that can be played with three to seven players. The game is played in a series of rounds where each player bets on a number of tricks they will take per round. For the first several rounds, the number of cards dealt out corresponds with the particular round. The first will be one card, the second will be two, the third will be three, and so on. After the hands are dealt, the next top card in the deck is turned face up. The suit shown is what is considered trump for the round. The player to the left will become the new dealer for each round.


    Once hands are dealt, the players rotate counterclockwise, making bids for how many tricks they will take. The player left of the dealer bids first. Every player must bid from 0 up to the number of cards in hand. The very first round is played differently as instead of looking at the single card dealt, the player will show it to other players for bidding. Players do not show their cards from rounds two and beyond.


    After bidding, the player to the left will play a card, and the game will rotate counterclockwise. Players must follow the suit of the first card if possible. The highest card of the suit led will take the trick unless a suit of the trump is played, in which case the highest card of the trump will take the trick.


    After the final round, to evenly split the deck is played, four rounds are played without flipping a card over in the deck. The rounds follow the trumps: Diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades in that order. Then a final round is played with no trump.


    Points are scored only if a player accurately predicts the number of tricks they will take. They will get 10 points for predicting and a number of points for each trick. For example, if a player bids on six tricks, they will get 16 points for accuracy. An incorrect prediction awards zero points.

 100 – A Blue Princess Sets Out

    Fiona walked down a long hallway with the agent''s Liv and Felix at her back. A frown decorated her blue face as Liv made happy banter with her Hobusian partner. For his part, Felix nodded along as he carefully watched the princess¡ªsuspecting she might try to run.


    ¡°Oh, after we¡¯re done, we should stop at that sweets shop on the way back!¡± Liv said with no concern for the mission they were about to embark on. As far as the trio knew, they were going to pick up Hal and Odell and return to the hospital for further discussion.


    Fiona trembled, and her frown grew more intense. The mention of a sweets shop almost tempted her to turn around and make friendly banter with the agent. Liv seemed very much like someone she could enjoy idle chat with, and the realization gnawed at Fiona¡¯s mood.


    To make matters worse, Felix¡¯s gaze at her back only made her more self-conscious about the scar across it. She still wore the beauideal dress that covered it, but the wound seemed to burn as she pondered the idea the others might be looking at it. She hated that it had come back to the forefront of her mind.


    After a long walk full of anxiety, the trio exited the hospital. Fiona found herself out of breath, unaware the stress was draining her energy more quickly than any movement she made. The yellow Needaimus, Sun, bonded to her arm, sought to warn her of increased anxiety, but the blue princess was too lost in thoughts to pay attention to her metallic partner.


    Felix and Liv quickly overtook the princess, and they began to lead the walk to the train station. Fiona shook her head and followed after.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like this; I¡¯m not myself,¡¯ she thought as she did her best to keep up the pace. Her worries had grown from zero in Quenth to what felt like a multitude since coming to Nun.


    As Fiona tried to distract herself with other thoughts, the group came close to the train station. They were shocked to find a crowd waiting outside.


    ¡°Train¡¯s closed!¡± someone was yelling in an attempt to disperse the group.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Felix muttered as he rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Looks like the train is closed, obviously,¡± Liv replied.


    ¡°What I mean is¡­ this is suspicious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a breakdown or something! Happens all the time. No need to be so worried!¡± the Netzian companion to Felix smacked him on the back. Even with her attempt to reassure him, the Hobusian agent was not satisfied and went up to inquire from the man who directed the crowd.


    ¡°He¡¯s always such a worrywart!¡± Liv complained to Fiona as the blue princess came close.


    Fiona nodded. She felt a bit more at ease since the duo took the lead.


    ¡°There is no use worrying,¡± she said.


    ¡°Right! I tell him time and time again and get nowhere! Let me tell you, if you join a secret agent group, make sure you get to choose your partner! You wouldn¡¯t want to end up with a spoilsport.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep that in mind,¡± Fiona looked around the station at the crowd. They all stood around and looked for someone to tell them what to do next. The train being down was liable to mess up the schedules of many in the city.


    Felix returned while shaking his head.


    ¡°No luck; there¡¯s been some kind of accident in the exact direction we want to go. They are planning to open the tracks to the other parts of the city soon, but we will be stuck. It¡¯s all too convenient to be a coincidence,¡± The Hobusian agent said his last sentence while rubbing his chin.


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    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no problem, Felix! We just have to find a vehakul and drive up!¡± Liv suggested. She found his worries to be something better ignored.


    ¡°I suppose we could try to find something; we don¡¯t have any vehakuls in the fleet at the moment, though.¡±


    ¡°Could we rent one?¡±


    ¡°We could, but someone already maxed out the purchase card for this month¡­.¡±


    Felix crossed his long Hobusian arms as he glared up at Liv. She whistled softly and looked away. Fiona perked up.


    ¡°We have a vehakul near our inn,¡± she said. Though the blue princess had no way to know, far on the other side of the city, in the casino, Odell felt a chill go up his spine.


    ¡°I suppose that will work,¡± Felix replied.


    As soon as the train tracks for the south were opened, a short ride from the center of Nun brought the trio to where the Ali had been stored. Liv and Felix stood staring at the transport which had brought the team across a large chunk of Resh.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of ugly,¡± the Hobusian agent said with a frown.


    ¡°I¡­ I have to agree with Felix on this one,¡± Liv added.


    Fiona wanted to argue with the two agents, but she was not particularly fond of Ali¡¯s aesthetic design either. She let her head hang and unlocked the doors. While navigating to the seat, the blue Aqueenian realized she did not know how to drive the vehakul.


    She had spent most of her life in the castle or using her Needaimus to teleport where she needed, and Aqueenian royalty was always chauffeured if the need arose. Though she knew the basic driving principles, she had never been behind the wheel of something before.


    To make matters worse, Odell had spent a fair amount of time modifying the vehakul during their trip. The dashboard was littered with several new buttons and dials, which were set with different colors but had no labels indicating what they did.


    The team had noticed the increase of buttons during their trip but didn¡¯t say anything as they thought it would never be relevant. Now Fiona stared and racked her head for which button was supposed to start the hovering transport.


    The eye¡¯s focused on her from Felix, and Liv only made her more nervous than Fiona would have liked to be. Both agents had decided to sit in the back seats and stared at Fiona from behind. She pressed her back into the seat harder as her purple eyes darted around to take in every button. It seemed like sweat was beginning to bead up on her forehead as her heart began to pound in her chest.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Felix asked in a gruff voice.


    Fiona took a deep breath and selected a button that seemed like the best guess. The vehakul roared to life and began to gently hover over the ground.


    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± she replied. Her voice came out weaker than she would have liked. The blue princess shook her head as she tried to shake the feelings away. She didn¡¯t like thinking so much about things.


    Slowly and steadily, Fiona moved the vehakul forward. She tried her best to hide her inexperience with driving and moved as carefully as possible. The blue princess had no intent to let one of the agents take control; she thought it impractical. More importantly, it stung her pride to think about giving in that easily.


    She managed to get out of the parking lot and onto the street with relative ease. After which, she slowly accelerated through the Nun roads.


    ¡°Take a left here,¡± Felix gave directions from the backseat.


    Getting from the southern section of Nun to the north would take about half a day, even if they sped, and Fiona was driving much slower than either of the agents would have liked.


    ¡°Princess Fiona, dear, you can go faster in this section of the city,¡± Liv said politely.


    ¡°Step on it, girl! We¡¯re not getting any younger!¡± Felix added.


    ¡°Speak for yourself, Felix,¡± Liv added.


    Fiona tensed up as they got on the Resh equivalent of a highway. The road was open, inviting her to go faster, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to.


    ¡°You need to speed up!¡± Felix hollered from the backseat.


    Fiona finally took a deep breath as she pulled off the ramp and into the lanes. She pressed the petal, and all inside the Ali felt a jerk as they rapidly began to accelerate.


    She had decided she didn¡¯t like worrying, and there wasn¡¯t anything important enough to think about. The blue princess pushed away the thoughts without dwelling on them a moment longer, and a smile came across her face. There was bliss to be had in being careless, and she preferred that way of being.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get there in no time!¡± she happily said as the vehakul raced down the road. Several other vehakuls came into view and quickly left as they sped past them.


    ¡°Slow down!¡± Felix quickly changed his tune.


    His words didn¡¯t reach Fiona as she began to feel what driving was like. She silently planned to scold Odell for not telling her sooner.


    They continued down the long stretch of highway to the north part of the city. None knew what awaited them at the end of the road.

 101 – Final Steps of the Plan

    The top floor of the Hilbert Hotel and Casino was dedicated to a massive penthouse suite. The floor took up all three rotating sections. The middle was a large round bed that took up most of the center section. Within the rest of the room sat all manners of ornate furniture and d¨¦cor¡ªmade of golden and silver trimmings and brightly colored fabric.


    Each of the rotating sections of the hotel was marked with equally spaced pillars around the ring¡¯s edges. They served as a reminder for anyone staying in the suite of the slowly spinning hotel. As time went on, the pillars would come closer until they passed just close enough that they would almost scrape against each other.


    It was in the center of the slowly approaching pillars that a lone Netzian man lay. His arms and legs were tied, and he was laid on his side so that he could see one post moving to his stomach and was fully aware of the second moving to his waist.


    On the bed in the center sat a Zenotote man. His scales were light blue which looked as if they had been bleached once in the past, and his tail had been split down the middle sometime in his past; it was forked but not cut off enough for a new one to grow. A white Needaimus lined his arms, and his clothes were an ornate winding of fabrics that challenged even the best-dressed king on earth for visual status.


    He had his scaled arms crossed as he looked down at the bound man with light grey slitted eyes. A forked tongue flicked from a head that closely resembled one of a bearded dragon.


    ¡°Please let me go,¡± the Netzian man begged as he stared at the slowly upcoming doom.


    ¡°I think not,¡± the Netzian replied with a hiss fitting for his lizard appearance.


    A door opened at the end of the room, and a small crowd began to shuffle in.


    Leading the group was a man that wore a mask with a mischievous smile. Close behind was the orange Zenotote, Ripple. After which, Thorir and Nighthawk entered the room. The last to come in was Sabia, who flipped her long ponytail off her shoulder as she walked in.


    The man in the mask walked close to the tied-up Netzian and bent down so the smile was in clear view.


    ¡°Evron, should we really have this poor soul lying here? He is really an eyesore,¡± he said with a slight chuckle lining his words.


    ¡°Please, Nero, I won¡¯t fail you again!¡± the tied-up man began to plead to the masked man. The only response to his words was with a cloth being shoved in his mouth.


    ¡°At least keep him quiet if he must stay here; Pigelys like this only squeal during important meetings!¡± Nero said as he stood back up and left the Netzian to his slowly coming fate.


    ¡°It is not for you to decide what I do or don¡¯t do with unsatisfactory subordinates,¡± the Zenotote Evron spoke in a deep and rumbling voice.


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    Nero shrugged, the mask hiding the expression his face made.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get to business,¡± Ripple said with a sigh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find another fight!¡± Thorir added.


    Evron waved to the group to show that they should settle down. Each of the members gathered close to the bed where he sat.


    ¡°Alright, our first order of business is to discuss our timetable. Originally, we planned to raid the mayor¡¯s office in two days; however, Dia¡¯s hospitalization has given us a great opportunity. We will no longer have to fight through floors of trained personnel. I must thank Sabia for her quick thinking.¡±


    ¡°I was aiming to kill the loose lips, not hospitalize,¡± Sabia said with a shake of her green head. She was mainly disappointed in herself, believing she ought to do better as an assassin.


    ¡°I appreciate your efforts for self-improvement, but don¡¯t look a gift nagtora in the mouth, or so they say,¡± Evron added. ¡°Now, we have delayed the medical network from getting the Needaimus they need, so the mayor will likely stay for a while. Our ally within will act accordingly if he tries to leave.


    I would like to send everyone on this mission to avoid any mistakes, but I have received some troubling reports that should be addressed.


    First, we have some troublemakers walking around this very hotel. Our dear agent between the pillars left too many breadcrumbs for them to follow.¡±


    The tied-up Netzian tried to say something in his defense, but with the cloth in his mouth, it only came out as muffled shouts.


    ¡°Then, I received word from our informant at the train station that a group was planning to head to our section of the city. No doubt to reconnect with the group in the hotel since we are blocking all calls in and out.¡± Evron stopped to look down and sighed. ¡°Why does it have to be so hard? Everything we try to do is falling to pieces,¡± he whined in a higher pitch voice.


    The bleached blue Zenotote made a cough and looked back up to the group. His grey eyes focused on each member for a moment before his deeper voice returned.


    ¡°I suppose we just have to think on our feet. So, We will send the main force to the hospital and focus the rest of our combatants on dealing with the troublemakers. Nighthawk and Ripple will infiltrate the hospital. Nero and I will clean up this hotel, and Sabia and Thorir will take care of the group traveling here. I have already ordered our other fighters to the hospital to assist with the mayor¡¯s demise. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°None, sir.¡± They shouted in unison, save for Thorir, who crossed his arms.


    ¡°Will there be a good fight in my team?¡± he asked while his electric blue eyes focused on Evron.


    ¡°Who can say, my good friend. Sometimes we must do something unpleasant, so the enjoyable times are all that more enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°Spare me your old proverbs,¡± Thorir said with a roll of his eyes.


    Evron smiled and tapped each member''s shoulder with his Needaimus bonded hand, except for Nero. After a couple of seconds, everyone touched disappeared. Nero turned his masked face to Evron.


    ¡°I would have thought I¡¯d be better to handle the assassination.¡± He made no attempt to hide the disapproval in his voice.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how strong the group in the hotel is, and I would think Nighthawk and Ripple are more than capable of completing this mission. You thought Dia was unfit as well, and look how she did!¡±


    ¡°I would hardly think she is a good example. You also thought that team from Quenth would never make it here, but now they are in this very hotel!¡±


    ¡°An unexpected occurrence, I thought our precautions were perfect in delaying them, but with how easily the supposed Nonpareil crumbled, I would hardly think it to be a big concern.¡±


    Nero shook his masked head.


    ¡°It seems we will never see eye to eye. Your decisions will be our downfall one day,¡± the masked figure said before exiting the penthouse. Evron sighed.


    ¡°So dramatic,¡± he replied before following after.

 102 – Gwyn in the Hospital

    Gwyn lay passively on his hospital bed. Somehow, unknown to the Nonpareil, he had been healed of the wounds Nighthawk inflicted. Yet, even with his body put back together, he felt a strong urge to continue claiming he had an injury.


    The idea of getting out there to get injured in another fight weighed heavily on Gwyn as he remembered the intense pain from crashing through several concrete floors. Nervously, he scratched at the shoulder of his bad arm¡ªwhatever had healed him of the broken bones had left the arm just as weak as it had been the whole trip to Nun.


    He stopped scratching a moment as his fingers hit something rough. Gwyn¡¯s eyes narrowed as he felt his shoulder. A stiff, rock-like growth had appeared on the spot. As he felt the texture, his heart seemed to jump in an anxious burst. What was on his arm? Where did he get it? What was going to happen to him next? The thoughts danced around anxious feelings in the Nonpariel''s mind like they were doing a ritual dance around a fire.


    Gwyn began to take deep breaths in an effort to calm down. As he felt his heart steady again, he moved his fingers away from the hard spot on his shoulder.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± he said out loud, but in a hushed tone in case, there was an unexpected listener.


    Gwyn had tired of his otherworld adventure and now sought the comforts of home.


    From outside the hospital room door, Mem came flying back in. Harlan and Rheba followed quickly after, along with mayor Abelard and Rom; the latter two Gwyn did not recognize.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you are well!¡± Rheba said with a smile and a booming voice. Harlan silently nodded in agreement, but her scaly face had a cheery smile which showed she shared the same sentiment. Both were unsure of how well he might recover or if the Mayor¡¯s treatment was going to help at all. Now that they saw the results, the duo was satisfied with what the golden Needaimus had done.


    ¡°I am also glad to see you are doing well!¡± Abelard added in a chipper tone.


    Gwyn looked to the new Netzian man with narrow eyes before turning back to Harlan and Rheba for an answer.


    ¡°He is the mayor of Nun,¡± Harlan replied.


    Gwyn¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he seemed to shift away from the mayor slightly on the hospital bed.


    ¡°Relax, my boy, we made a truce of sorts!¡± The mayor said with a laugh.


    ¡°Indeed, and now that you have awoken, we¡¯d like some information from you,¡± Rom said with a neutral tone.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about that,¡± Rheba pressed.


    Rom shook her head.


    ¡°It was not relevant to you; we wish to ask this Nonpareil some questions.¡±


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    ¡°Now, hold on!¡± Rheba clenched her hands into fists as she took a step toward Rom.


    ¡°Calm down, everyone,¡± the mayor chimed in. He raised his hands with open palms as if he was going to step in between them to prevent a clash. ¡°I just have a couple of things to ask our friend here, I know he is still recovering from an injury, so I won¡¯t get too intense. Would that be okay with you?¡± he directed his question to Gwyn.


    ¡°So long as they are easy questions.¡±


    Gwyn made no effort to hide that he did not want to talk to the mayor in his tone. He would have outright refused and dismissed everyone, but he did not want to hurt whatever alliance Rheba and Harlan had forged.


    "Great! If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to talk to you in private as well¡­¡± Abelard looked at Gwyn first, then turned to see Harlan and Rheba¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Gwyn muttered before his allies could reply. His companions were shocked but went along with his wishes.


    With the Nonpareil''s reply, his companions and Rom shuffled out. The door was slid shut, and they were left alone.


    Abelard sighed and sat in one of the room¡¯s chairs.


    ¡°So, Nonpareil, how did you end up with that title?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I woke up after a fight, and everyone started calling me it,¡± Gwyn replied. The fight with the unkillable seemed like so long ago as he lay in bed.


    ¡°I see, so you know none of the history behind the term?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gwyn answered sharply. His mood was so low that talk of history caused no reaction. The mayor frowned. He had heard from Amber about Gwyn¡¯s enthusiasm for history at the museum and hoped that would be a good lead into a talk. In preparation for The nonpareils waking, Abelard had reviewed much of what he knew to keep everything accurate.


    ¡°I see; well, I¡¯ll keep it brief. The first Nonpareil was an Aqueenian warrior who emerged after the events known as the rupture. That was when Aqueenians and Hobusians were first known to arrive on the scene, and a group we call the ancients was said to have died out. Of course, this was long ago, and many of the legends have been embellished.


    Later on, much later, in fact, the founder of this grand city Jaap came on the scene. To make a long story short, before he died, he confided with his most trusted allies that he was a Nonpareil as well¡ªthe Nonpareil of Nun; at this point, the city was nothing more than a small couple of houses near a circus. He conveyed that each nation had a Nonpareil which defended and watched over their lands even after leaving this world behind and that a final Nonpareil would come to protect the whole world. A Nonpareil of Resh, if you will.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Gwyn asked. His tone showed he was not amused in any way by the story. He had seen and read enough to know the mayor¡¯s next words.


    ¡°I think you might be that Nonpareil of Resh.¡±


    Gwyn shook his head.


    ¡°Your story has many problems, but I¡¯ll just point out one. Why would a non-native to the planet be the one to defend it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hazard a guess, and to be honest, I thought your title might be just another misuse of the word in these current days, at least until very recently.¡± Abelard let his words hang as he considered talking about the golden Needaimus and other details he was privy to as a leader.


    Gwyn shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m no Nonpareil or whatever you want to call me. I don¡¯t care what your stupid Jaap said or what you have to say! I¡¯m just a guy from earth who will be going back home soon.¡± With his words, he mentally solidified his desire to return to his familiar blue planet.


    Abelard frowned and let out a sad sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent some time with hurting young ones in my day¡­. My daughter was adopted after spending a hard life on the streets¡­. I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is that I won¡¯t hold it against you. I will be here and willing to talk whenever you are ready.¡±


    Mayor Abelard didn¡¯t give Gwyn a chance to reply. He stood up, politely made a nod of acknowledgment, and left the room without another word.


    Gwyn crossed his arms and sat in silence as the mayor left. Mem, who had chosen to remain quiet during the whole conversation, found a shelf to sit on and watched over the Nonpareil in his sullen state.

 103 – Hal Vs Nero

    Hal and Rym walked through the hotel halls above the casino. After Tancred and Odell began their card game, the duo had gone to search the upstairs instead.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe him pretending to leave like that!¡± Rym grumbled as they walked. ¡°It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t trust me!¡±


    Hal silently walked beside her as she complained about the short Bentalousian man.


    ¡°He¡¯s always going on and on about cases and detective work, but spying on a cheating spouse or finding lost pets are all we¡¯ve been doing lately. They hardly pay bills, and he acts like it¡¯s all connected to some grand conspiracy!¡±


    ¡°Is it not best to focus on the task at hand?¡± Hal asked with a low grumble in his voice.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right; I should be complaining to his face if I want some changes in the workplace,¡± Rym replied. She had not picked up on the Netzian soldier''s tone and instead made a mental note to do just that once they finished investigating the hotel. Little did Hal realize she was preparing a whole barrage of things to fire at the grey detective when they saw each other next. ¡°So, how did you end up on this whole mission?¡±


    ¡°My commander saw it fit for me to join in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Rym said with no effort to hide the disappointment in her tone. ¡°No tragic backstory. No grand struggle for survival. Were you at least friends before you left?¡±


    ¡°Before they were strangers, now they are allies on the same mission,¡± Hal answered sternly.


    ¡°Wow, kid, you need to loosen up. Far as I can tell, you¡¯re the youngest here, you know.¡±


    Hal rolled his eyes. His mind turned for a moment to Feya, the leader of the Netzians, who had often tried to get him to goof off with her and ditch work. Even though she was almost three times his age, he was often the more responsible one.


    ¡°Age does not dismiss responsibility.¡±


    Rym sniffled.


    ¡°I wish my sisters were even a fraction as responsible as you! I have five of them, and only one is trying to do anything with her life!¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Hal said as he leaned away from the crying Zenotote ever so slightly.


    Rym wiped the tears from her slitted eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got a little emotional there. You should lighten up a little, though. If you¡¯re too stiff, you¡¯ll snap as soon as the wind picks up.¡±


    ¡°What is true for branches is not true for Netzians,¡± Hal replied with a roll of his green eyes.


    ¡°I suppose we won¡¯t see eye to eye,¡± Rym gave in. They walked in silence for a moment through a patch of closed doors to different areas in the hotel before she spoke up again. ¡°So tell me about yourself! Any family back home?¡±


    ¡°Three sisters.¡±


    ¡°Really? Older? Younger?¡±


    ¡°I am the oldest.¡±


    ¡°I would guess you¡¯ve been taking care of them for a while?¡± she asked. Hal had neglected to mention any parents, and given his responsible nature, the assumption was easy enough for the detective''s assistant to make.


    Hal kept his lips pressed firmly together, making sure not to let a single expression betray his desire to appear emotionless in the situation. Rym didn¡¯t bother pressing further but made some guesses as to what Hal was thinking, even with his face stiff like stone.


    As they walked, the duo exited the hallway of rooms and entered an ample space at the center of one of the hotel floors.


    The space was a round room that went up several stories high. An artificial mountain sat in the center, and streams flowed, in four waterfalls, down the side to a pool below. Fake trees and benches were set out around it. The space served as a small park/recreational area for guests to relax.


    ¡°That must have been rough, but you turned out alright!¡± Rym said as they began to walk around the mountain. Hal was beginning to realize she would continue the conversation whether he talked or not.


    A wailing sound suddenly echoed over the heads of the duo. Hal would have felt relief from a break in the conversation if the sound did not concern him. They turned to the artificial mountain¡¯s peak in a flash. At the top was a man dressed in a black tailcoat with a series of red feathers around the neck and his face covered with an odd mask that flashed as a mischevous grin.


    The stranger played on an unsightly, giant metal violin which radiated a sound that was colder than one made of wood. He played with vigor, without a care in the world. Three sections from a hat on his head flailed around as the stranger finished a complex and fast-paced piece. When he was done, the masked man slid the bow into his coat and stood up. He bowed to the audience of two.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, hold you¡¯re applause,¡± the masked man said, even though no one clapped. ¡°I see you are searching around this hotel, and to be honest, I¡¯m supposed to keep some information close to my chest, but frankly, I need you two to turn around or die.¡±


    Rym backed up, and Hal reached into his ability space with his Needaimus bonded arm.


    ¡°Oh wow, that¡¯s a neat ability. It almost looks like you are missing an arm, though!¡± the masked man laughed. As far as he could tell, the green-haired Netzian¡¯s right arm was gone when he grabbed for a weapon. Hal ignored the man and pulled out his oversized sword, Shatter Will.


    ¡°What connection do you have with Dia?¡± Hal asked.


    ¡°Ah! So you¡¯re part of that team!¡± The stranger leaped down from the small mountain and landed in front of the duo. ¡°You know, you weren¡¯t supposed to even make it here. Well, now that you are, I guess I can humor you. I am Nero, second in command of this little group in Nun. We had dear Dia Mond support our plans some time ago, though she is no longer with the group as of¡­ a couple of hours ago, I think.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling us an awful lot,¡± Rym said as she took a step back. Nero let out a clownish giggle.


    ¡°I apologize; it¡¯s a bad habit of mine. I always like to shower people with useful information before I kill them.¡±


    Rym took another step back, and her eyes grew wide. Hal took a step forward and held Shatter Will at the ready.


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    ¡°Fall back,¡± the Netzian soldier said to Rym. He couldn¡¯t put it into words, but he sensed danger coming from Nero that he had never encountered with an opponent before.


    Rym didn¡¯t wait for Hal to shout anything else. She immediately ran out of the small enclosed park within the hotel.


    ¡°You can run, dear, but I will find you later!¡± Nero playfully shouted to the blue-pink Zenotoe as she fled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get backup!¡± she shouted back to Hal before disappearing out of view.


    Hal was left alone to face his opponent. Nero rubbed the chin of his odd mask.


    ¡°You know, you look a little like my dead wife,¡± he said with a slight chuckle.


    Hal ignored the man¡¯s attempts to get him off guard and held his sword at the ready.


    Nero shrugged and sighed. Stretched his arm holding the metal violin away from his body. The enormous instrument suddenly unfolded as the masked man spun it in his hand. At the end of a swift motion, the instrument had turned into a scythe.


    The didn¡¯t exchange any more words.


    Nero quickly closed the gap between them and swiped his blade at Hal¡¯s neck. Hal blocked with Shatter Will by putting the two-handed weapon between his body and the mask man¡¯s scythe. As soon as his first attack was blocked, the masked man let go of his curved weapon and began to strike the green-haired Netzian like a punching bag. Hal grunted and stepped back as Nero struck his face and torso.


    The Netzian solider did not waste any time to let go of his sword and get out of Nero¡¯s range. The sword clanged to the ground while Hal increased the distance between them. He quickly pulled his Twin and Gemini, his flintlock-looking pistols, from his ability space and trained them at Nero.


    The masked man, for his part, quickly scooped up Shatter Will and threw it at Hal; the point was trained at the soldier''s neck. Hal¡¯s yellow eyes grew wide as he jumped to the side to avoid his own weapon. The large blade became imbedded in a fake tree as the Netzian soldier scrambled to regain his footing. Nero didn¡¯t waste any time closing the gap once again. Hal ducked as the opponent''s sharp blade sailed over his head and cut the tips of his green hair.


    From low on the ground, Hal aimed his pistols up at Nero and discharged two energy blasts directly at the mask. Nero chuckled as he moved his head from side to side. The laser shots harmlessly sailed past in a feat that Hal wouldn''t have believed if it wasn¡¯t right in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll need some better toys to take me down.¡±


    The masked man turned the point of his scythe to the ground and swung at Hal¡¯s head. The Netzian soldier managed to jump back from his crouching position before the hit landed. He did a backward cartwheel to keep from stumbling.


    The two pistols were put back in the ability space, and Hal reached for the next weapon. Nero planted the end of his scythe on the ground and used it to lean on as he mockingly waited for Hal to pull his next weapon out. Hal¡¯s hands emerged back out with iron knuckles on them.


    ¡°Getting in close since I have a longer weapon. Sorry to say, I¡¯ve seen it before,¡± Nero said with a laugh. Hal ignored his taunting and charged forward. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you!¡± The masked man shouted as he readied his scythe.


    He swung at Hal, but the Netzian stopped short of the blade''s range. While Nero was midswing, Hal aimed a flat palm at the masked man. Along spear fired from empty air with more force than possible if Hal had just thrown it. Nero¡¯s eyes grew wide from behind his mask, and he only managed to twist his body slightly before the spear shot though his shoulder. He made several jumps backward away from Hal and laughed.


    The Netzian soldier gritted his teeth, he had aimed at his opponent''s heart, but Nero had been swift enough to take the blow in a less vital spot.


    ¡°I have to admit, I didn¡¯t realize you had a move like that! It just makes me more excited to get to know you!¡± Nero¡¯s mask hid a much more unsightly smile as he spoke.


    Hal grunted. His ability allowed him to fire weapons, or any other objects in it, at an incredible speed¡ªeither one at a time or all at once. In most cases, he liked to avoid using the trick.


    The space was ample, but it was not a big enough stockpile for him to fire weapons out like bullets, there was a possibility the weapons might get damaged from the attack, and he had to pick everything up to put back manually no matter where it landed. Due to that, Hal only used the attack as a secret move to surprise an opponent. It was less effective the second time, and now that Nero had seen it, he would know to watch out for the attack.


    Nero giggled as he pulled the spear from his shoulder. The weapon was tossed aside, and the masked man made no indication he was affected at all.


    Hal reached back into his space for another sword. He could tell this fight was going to be a tough one.


    Nero''s fierce intensity did not fade even as the battle wore on each of them. Hal couldn¡¯t explain how he knew, but he would lose if the fight was dragged out.


    He gritted his teeth as he reached into his ability space. He had already used his regular trump of firing a weapon, which proved ineffective. The green-haired Netzian knew that he would have to take a risk if he hoped to survive. From his space, he produced the odd weapon procured in Horizon.


    As Hal held it ready, the pipe-looking object roared to life in a blade of fire.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s something you don¡¯t see every day. I guess you weren¡¯t out of tricks yet!¡± Nero said through a laugh.


    Hal didn¡¯t answer but took a stance with the fiery sword blade as short as possible; the feature which changed the blade length was essential to keep unknown to his opponent. Nero made one last chuckle before leaping across the indoor park. As he flew through the air, he readied his scythe for a clean cut across Hal¡¯s torso.


    The green-haired Netzian, for his part, charged across the park with vigor. His teeth were clenched tight enough that one might expect them to suddenly shatter.


    Hal moved the fiery sword to intercept the metal scythe as the two opponents came close. They collided not with a metal clang but a small burst of fire. Nero let out an audible ¡®hmm¡¯ as his weapon was stopped by the flame.


    Hal was equally surprised. He had expected to cut the metal blade in two. The secret of how the strange weapon worked was only known by the creator, Savvy, and the Netzian soldier didn¡¯t have too much care about the mechanics.


    Without wasting too much time thinking about the blade, he immediately moved to strike Nero. The masked man spun his scythe playfully in a circle to block every blow from Hal. While the two exchanged blows, Nero walked backward and gave a confident chuckle. Hal continued to strike at every opening he saw on Nero, but each was proven to be a deception as the attacks were easily parried.


    With each blow, he became more frustrated. As his anger increased, his attacks became sloppier and easier for Nero to read. A grin lined the face under his mask.


    Hal attempted a broad swipe across Nero¡¯s chest; it was a quick move in which the attacker would quickly switch to a forward stab instead of leaving a glaring opening. Nero leaned back to let the fiery blade move just in front of his chest, then he stabbed Hal¡¯s shoulder with the tip of his scythe before the Netzian could strike again.


    Hal grunted but didn¡¯t give in.


    He took a step closer and tried the move a second time. Nero snorted as he leaned back once again to avoid the strike.


    Hal slid his hand on the hilt of the sword while midswing. The blade suddenly grew in size as it had done in his test. Nero was unprepared as the longer flame blade burned a sear across his chest. The clothes gave way to expose a freshly new burned cut across Netzian skin.


    Instead of crying in pain, Nero let out a bloodthirsty laugh.


    He leaped away from Hal and rubbed the new wound. The mark from left from the blade was deep and long. Had The Netzian soldier been more accustomed to using it, the cut would have been much deeper. It was likely that the masked man himself could have been sliced in half. Hal mentally kicked himself at the failure. He had missed another chance to take the upper hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re a handy guy! I can see you being trouble later on at this rate.¡± Nero turned his scythe so that the reflection showed Hal in it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t play any longer; please save me space in the underworld. Or, at least, I¡¯d like to say that¡­.¡±


    The masked man suddenly increased in speed¡ªfaster than he had been before¡ªand appeared in front of Hal. The Netzian soldier held his blade up in defense and was batted away like a baseball. He crashed into the mountain in the center of the park and cried.


    If malice hung like a cloud, Hal would have sworn the whole room was filled with it. Nero began to hum a haunting tune as he scrapped the scythe on the ground. As a screeching wail echoed in the room from the blade, he added words to his song.


    ¡°?Oh, how sad, the little boy is dead, oh how glad, the little boy is dead. ?¡±


    Hal quickly pulled the power source off his sword and put both items back into the ability space. He produced a long rifle that looked like it might be more at home in the earth¡¯s first world war. He fired off two energy shots before fleeing into the hotel halls.


    ¡°You can run, but it only excites the predator!¡± Nero shouted back. He spun his scythe in one hand before chasing after the green-haired Netzian.

 104 — Evron Appears

    The card game had entered its final round. Even with the blatant cheating that occurred¡ªconveniently overlooked by the casino staff and onlookers alike¡ªTancred and Odell managed to hold out and keep a tied game.


    Lucchi chuckled as the deck was passed to the Hobusian prince. Odell shuddered. Throughout the game, he had not figured out how to cheat the right cards to his ally. For the final round, the cards would be dealt fairly and randomly. Each player received a hand of thirteen cards, with none remaining. Odell gulped as he looked at his own hand. It was something he did not expect.


    Four aces were scattered around the clumps of cards; beyond that, there was a good mix of the lower-value cards among the four suits, with the highest being a five. The Hobusian prince had no poker face, and everyone at the table could tell he was shocked by his hand.


    Odell shook his head and focused on sorting his cards by suit along with the other players. At first glance, he had dealt himself a great hand, but he new he needed to think about it more carefully before getting too confident. With a deep breath, he took another look at the cards.


    Once again, the prince wished he could have had a more capable member of their team playing the game while the crime boss made his bid for how many tricks he would take.


    ¡°Seven!¡± He said with confidence.


    ¡°Seven as well!¡± Tancred added with a laugh.


    ¡°Two,¡± Lucchi¡¯s subordinate said.


    Next up was Odell.


    His yellow eyes darted back and forth among the cards. The four aces seemed nice, but every other card was low. He couldn¡¯t bet too high as the face cards were sure to be scattered among the other players. Odell took a deep breath and glanced at Tancred, who in turn looked at him with trusting eyes. The Hobusian prince felt uncomfortably responsible.


    He looked back at his hand; Lucchi began to drum on the table with his fingers while glaring at the Hobusian. Odell knew he couldn¡¯t count on taking the whole game; he just needed to sabotage Lucchi as best he could.


    ¡°F- four,¡± Odell nervously said.


    The crime boss was the first to go after Odell¡¯s dealing, and with the prince¡¯s bid, he had a guess as to what four cards Odell held.


    A two of hearts was thrown out by the crime boss. Tancred followed with a six of hearts, and Lucchi¡¯s subordinate threw out a two of spades. Odell put out a three of hearts, and Tancred took the stack.


    ¡°Playing it safe, eh,¡± Lucchi mused as Tancred put out a king of spades next. The crime boss''s words were clearly directed at Odell.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± Odell said with a blatant lie. He played low again so that Tancred could take the trick. They had two, but to win, Tancred would need seven without Odell¡¯s, or any other hands, compromising.


    Odell could feel sweat beading up on his neck. He would have hoped with a good trump, it would be easier, but it made it even more nerve-racking to predict what would happen.


    Tancred, for his part, watched Odell closely. The prince didn¡¯t know it, but he sorted his cards from left to right in the order: spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs every time. Whenever he would play a card, his eyes would look at every card in the suit while deciding what he wanted to play. Based on the observations, Tancred had a good guess about how many of each suit Odell had in his hand.


    He planned to inform the prince of his tells after the match, Lucchi and his subordinate would not get the same consideration, but for the time being, it gave him information to try and control the game. The detective only hoped Lucchi hadn¡¯t picked up on all Odell¡¯s tells as well.


    The grey Bentulousian looked back at his hand; it was suitably random. He had a good bunch of face cards and an odd selection of others from various suits. Ordinarily, he wouldn¡¯t have made such a high bet on the hand, but Odell¡¯s clear, accidental revealing of getting a good set of cards was enough to make Tancred want to take a chance.


    He looked at the collection and carefully at was thrown out with the last king of spades, a queen, and a jack were neatly collected. Based on Odell¡¯s movements, he figured the prince had two spades left, one of which the detective assumed was the Ace. He led with a ten of spades and took the next trick making three.


    Tancred felt his heart beat with excitement. He had once spade left, so he figured it would be best to save that for Odell to take.


    As Tancred carefully worked with Odell to take several more tricks, Rym came running down the stairs. She quickly crossed the casino and made her way over to the table.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for you!¡± Lucchi grunted as he eyed his hand. He had to take a trick and get the advantage soon, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to win.


    ¡°We¡­¡± Rym tried to gasp out in her exhausted state, but a henchman to the crime boss began to pull her away.


    ¡°I would like you not to touch my assistants,¡± Tancred said as he threw out a ten of hearts. The players went around the table, and Tancred took his seventh trick. He followed with his spade and let Odell run wild with his aces. It was clear that the game was finished with the crime boss''s loss.


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    Lucchi banged on the table and stood up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you think I¡¯ll take this defeat lying down!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Such a sore loser,¡± Tancred replied with a smile and a shake of his head.


    Odell grinned ear to ear. He had managed to pull it off in the end.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time! The enemy is here!¡± Rym shouted from the side of the room where the henchman still held on to her.


    As if to answer the cry, Evron appeared on the table with his arms outstretched in a welcoming manner.


    Everyone jumped at the sudden appearance of the light blue Zenotote. As his hands were brought close to his chest, he bowed mockingly to the crowd. Bright and regal clothes fluttered with his movements.


    ¡°It is good to see everyone is having fun here!¡± Evron said gently, ¡°I do hope it was satisfying since it will be the last time for some of you.¡±


    ¡°Why you!¡± Lucchi¡¯s subordinate jumped up from his seat and climbed on the table. He pressed his face close to Evron¡¯s scaly one and grabbed his clothes. The blue Zenotote smiled and gently placed his Needaimus bonded hand onto the man.


    Before Lucchi¡¯s subordinate could respond, he suddenly disappeared. There was no effect to indicate it¡ªto the viewers; he was gone in the blink of an eye. Evron brushed his clothes off where the subordinate had grabbed him.


    The crime boss stood up and held out a hand. In no time, some subordinates handed him a giant bat. Odell¡¯s green Needaimus, Cal, quickly moved from the Hobusian prince¡¯s shoulder to bond to his arm.


    ¡°Mind explaining where you sent my man?¡± Lucchi asked with malice dripping from his words.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure. You see, to send people away quickly, I have to have it set to a random destination. He could be anywhere I have once been, maybe down the hall of this hotel, perhaps at the bottom of the ocean from that one submarine trip, and maybe still locked in a cell I once escaped from.¡± The crime boss''s face turned dark. Tancred stepped back from the table, and Odell followed suit. Evron kept speaking, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that look. This is a casino, right? We all like to gamble here. It¡¯s only fitting that I add a little randomness!¡±


    Odell balled his fists and held them up. At the same time, he continued to step away.


    He seems to rely on touch to activate his ability. Leave some distance! Cal warned in the prince''s mind.


    Odell nodded but couldn¡¯t help contemplating. He relied on physical contact to fight; was he unable to strike at Evron? Was he any use against the new foe? The thoughts ran through his mind as he took several steps back.


    Lucchi smiled and held up his bat, and pointed it at Evron.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but the only one allowed to interrupt games around here is me!¡± He turned to Tancred, ¡°You and I will finish our business after this.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Tancred said with a roll of his eyes.


    The crime boss turned back to Evron and let out a shout. At his voice, the others in the casino suddenly rushed at the blue Zenotote. All at once, they brought down various bats and pipes to the table where Evron had stood. He had suddenly disappeared as they came in for the blow. A moment later, he reappeared behind Lucchi.


    The crime boss managed to lunge to the side to avoid Evron touching him. Before his blue-scaled arm could be withdrawn, Lucchi swung his bat. Evron took a blow to his arm and grunted as he winced.


    ¡°Ha! He¡¯s not so tough!¡± some of Lucchi¡¯s subordinates shouted. They charged at the Zenotote as he nursed his wounded arm.


    As they closed in, Evron¡¯s demeanor changed, and he seemed to dance around three men¡ªtapping them as he moved by. One vanished instantly. The other two let out shouts of fear. It took them a moment to realize that they were still there. Figuring the ability must have missed like a bomb could have a dud, they regained their courage and charged at the blue Zenotote while his back was turned.


    Evron smiled.


    Before the gap was closed, one subordinate suddenly vanished. The last remaining one froze, completely forgetting about his attack.


    Evron turned to Lucchi and held his hand with fingers, ready to snap. As he slid them to make the loud sound, the last subordinate vanished. The others shuddered.


    His Needaimus was one that could teleport. When he touched someone, they were tagged with a destination and arrival time. A tagged target would begin a countdown when it hit zero would be the moment teleportation would occur. If he neglected a countdown, he could teleport instantly at the cost of it being random. However, he very much enjoyed seeing the fearful faces of people once they were tagged and had no idea when they would vanish.


    Tancred, for his part, had backed up further in the room and was watching the fight closely. He was incapable of combat, though he often kept a pistol hidden; he could see that timing would be needed against this particular foe. Tancred sought to analyze everything so they could get a winning blow but was having trouble in his study of Evron. It looked as if the bleached blue Zenotote had more hidden, and the detective didn¡¯t want to make a move until he had more information. They would have to stall, which required them to gamble more than they would in any game within the casino. As he watched the gang members slowly and cautiously try to circle the opponent, the short Bentulousian scrutinized everything.


    ¡°Hal¡¯s in trouble too!¡± Rym said in a hushed voice as she came close to him.


    ¡°I suspect he is,¡± Tancred said as he rubbed his chin, ¡°we are all in quite the dilemma against this foe. I fear we may have walked in unprepared.¡±


    ¡°You never come unprepared!¡± Rym shot back. Tancred chuckled.


    ¡°I suppose you are correct. Tell me what you think about this idea. Our opponent here is a Garku type which uses physical touch and timers for teleportation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about timers, but the touch might be part of a mind game he is playing. Rym replied.


    ¡°No, he has tapped himself multiple times, including once before his disappearance earlier. I suspect he has placed multiple countdowns on himself throughout this room. On that note, please run to your left immediately!¡±


    Rym did not question Tancred, and both broke off on the outskirts of the room in a sprint. As soon as they had fled, Evron appeared where they stood with both hands outstretched to tap shoulders that were no longer there. He was shocked at first, then glared at Tancred.


    ¡°How did you know!¡± Rym asked as they continued to sprint.


    ¡°He has more tells than he¡¯d like to think. It seems we must face this opponent with mind and not brawn if we hope to hold out!¡± Tancred shouted back. They met up with Odell as Tancred finished his sentence.


    ¡°Can I even help?¡± Odell asked sullenly.


    ¡°Fear not, lad, you are cleverer than you give yourself credit! If you share even a spec of similarity to your father, you will be able to play a part in taking down this foe.¡±


    Odell took a deep breath and nodded.


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°For now, keep calm and stay moving. Pay attention to your foe and learn his patterns. No man can hide everything about himself if you truly look. We will need to stall this fight long enough to take the upper hand or wait for another party to join. Either way, without knowing our opponent, no lucky moment or surprise aid will be of benefit.¡±


    Odell wasn¡¯t sure he followed, but he nodded anyway. The three of them broke up and began to scatter around the room. Each kept their eyes on Evron, who in turn decided they were the three primary threats in the casino.

 105 – The Hospital Quiet Moment

    After meeting with Gwyn, Mayor Abelard went to see the comatose Dia. Much to the dismay of both Rom and Amber, who were set on guarding him, the mayor asked them to remain outside the door. Rheba and Harlan found themselves in a tiny lobby where they contemplated while waiting. The giant warrior took a relaxed seated position and focused on her breath while Harlan studied a map of the large hospital situated in the space.


    In Dia¡¯s room, the mayor sighed as he sat next to the unconscience winged Aqueenian.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to get involved with the wrong crowd¡­¡± he muttered to the sleeping girl. ¡°If Heloise was still with us¡­ well, she would have harsh words to say to you.¡± The Netzian mayor let his sentence fade to a whisper as his wife''s name was mentioned. It had been she who convinced him one rainy day to save a helpless, cursed Aqueenian child on the street.


    Abelard gently moved Dia¡¯s white hair, so it was more neatly ordered; the hospital had not bothered to keep it well arranged when they worked to stabilize her. ¡®A beauideal should always look their best, even when asleep,¡¯ she had told him time and time again.


    ¡°We are a little delayed in getting the Needaimus we need; just hold out a little longer.¡± The mayor said as he finished moving Dia¡¯s white hair. It wasn¡¯t as neat as it would have been if she had brushed it herself, but it looked presentable. The Netzian mayor gently kissed her green forehead before standing up and moving his hands down his smooth suit like there were wrinkles that ought to be ironed out. Abelard turned to X, who silently sat on a shelf nearby, and shook his head. ¡°She never does listen to either of us, does she?¡± he asked before leaving. The Needaimus nodded in agreement.


    In the lobby, Harlan¡¯s eyes darted around the map. It was hardly interesting, but she needed something to pass the time. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder about what had happened. Dia had been taken out by another foe. Harlan had assumed they were unified with the beauideal, and she never would have expected such betrayal. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had made a mistake in the last battle.


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    After using her ability, the modified subject required a long period before the ability would work again. She had hoped taking out Dia would get them the information they needed, but she feared she wasted her secret move too soon. It would be months before she could use the ultimate form again.


    The Zenotote scientist looked to Rheba, but the Bentulousian warrior was already deep in meditation. She rolled her green eyes; the practices were another divide between the two species that Harlan didn¡¯t know what to do with.


    In his room, Gwyn sat sullenly in the bed. His head was looking down at his legs, and he couldn¡¯t shape his mouth in any other way than a frown. Mem had tried to cheer the Nonpareil up several times, but he wasn¡¯t listening.


    Instead, Gwyn¡¯s mind was focused on back home. His family he hadn¡¯t seen for a while, the friends he would never be able to reconnect with, the life that was gone. He thought about it deeply for the first time since coming to Resh. Though he tried to ignore the feelings when they arrived, his major loss had shaken him enough to contemplate.


    Gwyn didn¡¯t know what to do or how to feel. He was starting to feel excitement for his journey in another world, and everything had come crashing down. He wanted to figure out how to get back to earth, but he didn¡¯t even understand how he got to Resh in the first place. The memory had become hazy, which he attributed to multiple impacts he had endured between the car crash and Nighthawks attack.


    He shook his head and scratched furiously at his hard shoulder. There was little he could do, and he didn¡¯t know which way was right.


    The Nonpareil might have spent the whole day in thought, but he was soon interrupted. A loud explosion tore through a far-off wing in the hospital. All in the various rooms and lobbies were suddenly alert, and bells began to go off. In a new hole along one of the walls, A force of many bandits led by Ripple and Nighthawk entered.


    ¡°Where is the mayor?¡± The orange Zenotote grunted to a passing and fearful doctor. He pointed in the direction that the staff had heard Abelard was visiting. The invading force began to make their way down the halls of the hospital, with the elimination of Mayor Abelard in their minds.

 Halloween Special 1

    A cold chill blew through the empty streets of an abandoned alien ruin. With it, it carried a whistle that seemed to drone on in a haunting tune through the night air.


    After taking a deep breath, a man, who was human by any measure, with natural golden-red hair, zipped up the front of a tracksuit which made up his Halloween costume. His right arm moved freely, but the left was weak and attempts to use the zipper were awkward.


    ¡°Gwyn,¡± the voice of a blue girl beside him hissed. ¡°Why did we have to come here?¡± She asked while staring at him with large purple eyes.


    The girl was Princess Fiona of the Aqueenians, a species known for their soft gem-colored skin and silky hair. The girl would have been considered alien to someone on earth, but they were nowhere close to the blue planet Gwyn once called home. She was dressed in a way that was most simple to describe as a witch, though Gwyn was the only one who recognized her as such. He had been the one to suggest the costumes.


    Gwyn turned and stared blankly at the blue Princess. When he first introduced the idea of Halloween to the denizens of the planet, she had been excited to throw a party in the ¡®spookiest¡¯ spot she could imagine¡ªOld Quenth, the original capital of her nation. What was left of the once mighty city was an archaeological wonderland, or a pile of stones, depending on who was asked.


    Unlike the current Quenth, which was considered to be a marvel of science on the planet known as Resh, the city street they walked down was built long ago. The roads and buildings were made from a stone that seemed to shout out that they should turn back. They pressed on regardless.


    Gwyn wouldn¡¯t have minded exploring the ruins. Seeing all that had to be offered within the centuries-old capital excited him, but they had pressing matters to attend to.


    Fiona held two bags in her hands, and Gwyn held a single one in his hand that had strength; his left hand could no longer grip anything heavy. It was their last trip from their transport, parked outside the city, to a small research station their group had commandeered for their Halloween party.


    ¡°I know it was my idea,¡± Fiona continued after seeing Gwyn¡¯s expression, ¡°but you should have tried to talk me out of it!¡± She knew that he was the wrong person to complain to. Gwyn had been eager to go as soon as he learned such ruins existed. He was disappointed that party prep didn¡¯t allow much time for exploration. Legends said Old Quenth was founded shortly after a hero with the title of Nonpareil lived. Upon coming to the world, Gwyn received the same title, and the potential historical significance of the name shouted out to him to discover.


    Despite his curiosity, he pushed down the urge and continued with Fiona to the location of their party¡ªa small domed building. The windows were oval, and the door was rounded, keeping with some of the stony architecture of the Aqueenian ruins around them.


    The door slid open with a hiss as the duo approached. A burst of din came from within.


    The spot initially set up as a sleeping quarter for archaeologists had been cleared out. In place of them, tables had been set up, and signs had been hung. A mix of many different species was crowded in the space. On the back wall, relative to the door Gwyn and Fiona stood at, a table had been set up with food and drink. And under the oval windows, tables with carved gourds were set up. Pumpkins were not native to Resh, so they had settled on the closest viable option¡ªa misshapen, but suitable, green look alike.


    As the duo walked in, they were approached by a tall companion whose head was cut off by an orange ¡®Happy Halloween¡¯ banner hanging over the doorway.


    Easily double Gwyn¡¯s height and covered with short brown fur from head to toe, their friend, Rheba, leaned down and offered to take the bags of supplies. Her beast-like head, which looked something close to a dog or kangaroo, depending on the angle, moved back and forth as she checked to ensure they weren¡¯t too exhausted.


    ¡°Thanks for making all those trips,¡± she said.


    ¡°No worries,¡± Gwyn replied as he handed her the bag. He wouldn¡¯t have admitted it, but he was happy to be relieved of bringing supplies.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s party!¡± Fiona eagerly added as she ran into the crowd.


    Rheba shook her head and moved across the room to the food table. As the tallest in the room, losing her in the crowd was impossible. She set the bags down in front of a green scaly girl on the other side of the table.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the rest, Harlan,¡± Rheba said in a gruff but not unfriendly voice.


    Harlan nodded and began to pull several items out with her clawed fingers. Her face was blank, and her voice calm as she replied,


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay here and manage the drinks and food, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine over here,¡± Harlan quickly shot down Rheba¡¯s suggestion. She regretted coming to the party as soon as the crowd began to show up.


    ¡°Well, if you change your mind, I think Odell might need an escape¡­.¡± Gwyn said as he approached the table. They all turned to a short, stout, grey-toned alien moving around the small venue to escape his fianc¨¦, Cecelia.


    ¡°Marry me already!¡± she said in a loud voice that neared being a screech, but she restrained from being too loud to keep from disturbing the crowd too much.


    ¡°No!¡± Odell replied. The crowd chuckled and moved so the two could run around the small space without pushing people out of the way.


    The trio at the food table shook their heads.


    Rheba shifted her attention to the happy faces in the crowd.


    ¡°This was a good idea, Gwyn!¡± the tall woman said.


    ¡°We could have done it with a smaller group, though¡­.¡± Harlan added. Her tone was neutral, but Gwyn had a feeling she was frustrated.


    ¡°I never expected everyone to be interested,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Never underestimate this group¡¯s willingness to have a party¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep that in mind.¡± Gwyn looked around the vast collection of Resh natives and made a small smile. He happily joined in with the party.


    ***


    As the party drew late into the night, Gwyn yawned and rested in the back near the lit jack-o-lanterns. A large, muscular blue man greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Getting tired, Nonpareil Gwyn,¡± he said as he leaned against the wall.


    ¡°A little Donn and just Gwyn is fine,¡± the orange-haired human said with another yawn.


    Donn let out a laugh. It might have been infectious if Gwyn wasn¡¯t trying to resist going along. The man was Fiona¡¯s elder brother and the crown prince of his nation. His laid-back attitude, and the clear amount of time he spent lifting weights, made him seem hardly fit to be a leader, but Gwyn tended to keep that to himself.


    ¡°Perhaps you ought to try talking to more people; the Netzian girl over there looks like she would like to have a word with you.¡± Donn avoided pointing and simply nodded in the direction he was speaking about. Gwyn turned slightly so that he could see. A nearly human-looking girl with emerald green hair and yellow eyes repeatedly turned back and forth from his direction and at her younger twin sisters. She wanted to chat with Gwyn but wasn¡¯t sure what to do about it.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not get on Hal¡¯s bad side,¡± Gwyn replied as he tried to spy the older brother of the sister trio. Though Gwyn had kept his distance, Hal had warned that he might cut off Gwyn¡¯s arm if he tried anything ¡®funny.¡¯ Given that it was the most violent the Nonpareil had seen his green-haired friend, he figured it was best to stay a reasonable distance away.


    ¡°He can¡¯t be that scary!¡± Donn said with a laugh.


    They watched the rest of the party continue from the side. A self-proclaimed fan club of Princess Fiona crowded around the girl who was their namesake. They introduced her to several new members, including an unwilling guard, Colton, who had been named the club¡¯s vice president. In another corner, a writer who went by K.A. Natos was regaling a young green girl with fantastical stories of a far-off world.


    ¡°Is that place real!¡± the girl excitedly asked her mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a story, dear,¡± her mother gently replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that!¡± an elderly man who sported a long white beard said, ¡°You have to let her imagination grow while she¡¯s still able to do it!¡±


    On one table near the side, an extensive collection of mechanical creatures sat in what looked like silence. To the natives, they were Needaimus¡ªcreatures who, when bonded to a person¡¯s limb, would grant abilities to the person attached. Though they were silent, they were exchanging words through radio waves. A blue Needaimus, Mem, which resembled a wyvern, shifted uncomfortably. It was the only one willing to talk out loud and longed to make noise.


    Across the room, a Netzian with scales up her neck and on her arms drunkenly danced to some music. Hal appeared from the crowd and put a firm hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Feya,¡± he said sharply, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a leader of a nation¡­¡± his tone was harsh, but his words were ignored.


    By one of the windows, a trio that consisted of a grey creature, a young blue man, and Odell were staring at a crack in the wall. From a distance, Cecilia watched. Odell had scolded her after their earlier display, and she was trying to ¡®respect his space¡¯ as he asked. She fiddled with a pair of scissors that had been left out from decorating. Some others watching kept their distance, just in case she was the type to stab.


    ¡°What do you think, Tancred?¡± Odell asked.


    ¡°Hmm, I suspect it must have been made poorly, see, the handiwork isn¡¯t very good.¡± The short hairy creature replied. His head was similar to Rheba¡¯s, but long grey hair and incredibly short stature made a huge difference.


    ¡°Whatever the problem is, it has got to be some kind of safety violation,¡± the blue man, Adan, added.


    Odell began to press on the wall to see how sturdy it was. The lights suddenly went out, and a crash echoed around the space. The party fell silent.


    ***


    Everyone remained still in the dark. Some Needaimus quickly darted across the black space to bond with their users¡¯ arms, legs, and tails where possible. Of the ones quick to act, Donn was quickly granted night vision by the mechanical creature on his limb. He quickly scanned the room and walked to the breaker box. As some others stumbled around, and several more were given night vision by their Needaimus partners, Donn flipped a switch to turn on emergency power. Lights that were duller than what had been on prior filled the room. With the return of the light came an array of worried talking from the partygoers.


    ¡°Everyone calm down!¡± he shouted with a commanding voice. Despite the misgivings of some to listen to a foreign leader, everyone hushed.


    As Donn spoke, the other Needaimus quickly made their way to bond with their partners. For his part, the Prince pointed to the wall where Odell, Tancred, and Adan had just been investigating a crack.


    The trio had disappeared, and in place of the minor crack in the wall, a large hole had opened to the darkness outside.


    ¡°Odell!¡± Cecilia screeched as she ran to the opening. She shouted his name several more times into the black night, but her echo was the only thing that came in reply. ¡°I should have never let you out of my sight,¡± Cecilia added in a whisper.


    Donn cleared his throat to get the other¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Everyone stay calm; Odell may have just headed to the power station once the lights went out. He and the others are the types to try and fix this sort of thing.¡± Donn¡¯s words reassured the crowd for a moment, but it only remained quiet long enough for a rumbling in the distance to be heard. Murmurs began to echo inside the small building, and Donn frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard,¡± the writer K.A. Natos said in a loud enough voice to cut through the chatter, ¡°that there is a legend around this town.¡± Her words were enough to silence the room. ¡°The geirist of a wicked king was said to continue walking through the dark.¡±


    Harlan rolled her green eyes and muttered too softly for anyone to hear:


    ¡°An old folk tale.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± Gwyn asked Kako.


    She made the type of smile that could only mean trouble


    ¡°Perhaps we ought to go looking for our companions. It is said that when the wicked king catches you, he tears your limbs off and drinks your blood.¡±


    The younger people in the crowd shuddered. Rheba shook her head and spoke out to the group.


    ¡°Kako, this is hardly the time to be playing around. We¡¯ll send a small crowd to the power station to get the others, then plan on packing up for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, I have been writing a horror story, and I guess it got the better of me!¡± K.A. Natos replied. ¡°I will head out to fetch our friends. Who would like to accompany me!¡±


    A group of five was quickly formed, and they ventured out into the darkness. Quiet set in while everyone else waited for their return.


    ***


    Hardly anytime had passed when several screams began to pierce through the night. Some in the crowd settled to say it was just the wind, but others shivered¡ªbelieving they recognized the scream as one of the five who headed out.


    Debate quickly grew in the group.


    Donn tapped Gwyn on the shoulder. His blue face came close to the Nonpareil¡¯s ear so that he could hear over the loud discussion echoing throughout the room.


    ¡°I think it would be best to humor everyone. Would you be able to make a suggestion for me,¡± he said. Gwyn nodded after a moment of hesitation. After the blue Prince relayed his plan, the Nonpareil shouted loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention. The room fell silent.


    ¡°I am sure everything is fine, but if anyone wants to go out looking, we will plan on forming groups to do just that. Personally, I¡¯d like to think of it as a small test of courage for this Halloween celebration.¡±


    ¡°Not quite what I suggested, but not bad,¡± Donn whispered in reply.


    ¡°I, for one, want to go find Odell!¡± Cecilia shouted. ¡°If he¡¯s going to die, he better die alongside me!¡±


    The others somewhat ignored her words as several groups began to form. Gwyn quickly teamed up with Rheba, Harlan, Fiona, and Donn. Hal formed an additional group with his sisters and an odd collection of beauideal celebrity¡¯s and the Princess Fiona Fan Club made up yet another. As Gwyn¡¯s group headed into the hole in the wall, a grey Hobusian girl approached them.


    ¡°If it wouldn¡¯t be too much, would I be able to tag along too,¡± Cecelia asked nervously. ¡°No one else wants to team up with me.¡±


    ¡°After all the shouting you¡¯ve been doing, I can¡¯t blame them,¡± Rheba said with a shake of her head.


    Gwyn sighed. Fiona, Harlan, and Rheba¡¯s eyes told him not to do it. Donn seemed to nod with approval. ¡®The more, the merrier,¡¯ Gwyn could imagine him saying.


    Cecilia looked at her feet. Her previous energy while chasing Odell around the party earlier and hysterically screaming had vanished completely. Not a trace was left in the girl standing before Gwyn. He looked away and scratched at his limp arm.


    ¡°I suppose that would be alright¡­.¡± he replied.


    Cecilia¡¯s face lit up with a smile, but she quickly coughed and twisted her expression back to the same one she used while shouting at Odell.


    ¡°I knew the Nonpareil would have good judgment!¡± she said with a smugness that made Gwyn immediately regret his decision. He sighed and turned back to the hole. No other words were exchanged as they entered the cold night air.


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    ***


    A chill cut to the bone as the team made their way down the abandoned, stony streets. Rheba was the only one who was unfazed, her fur being the perfect insulator. Harlan shivered the worst; scales didn¡¯t agree with cold weather. She wouldn¡¯t have bothered joining the search for just anyone, but Odell, Gwyn, Fiona, and Hal were the exceptions¡ªRheba was about 50/50. She pulled the jacket of her costume closer to her body in an attempt to get warmer but did her best to keep her shaking under control.


    The light of Fiona¡¯s teleportation blinked all around them as the blue Princess zapped from building to building. Occasionally she would shout the name of someone who went missing, but her words quickly faded into the night air. Cecilia, for her part, floated above their heads and looked intensely at every shadow.


    Donn and Gwyn walked in the front. Both had detached from their Needaimus, and the mechanical creatures rode on their shoulders.


    ¡°Are the search parties really necessary?¡± Gwyn asked. ¡°I think they just went to the power station like you said.¡±


    ¡°Very true! But I believe walking through these ruins at night aligns with the Halloween experience you described!¡±


    ¡°Is it best to let everyone worry?¡±


    ¡°Those worrying were going to do it no matter what you or I said. Best to walk around some and let everyone¡¯s fears be relieved when the missing persons appear safe and sound.¡±


    Donn spoke casually, but his eyes were trained forward and narrow like he was prepared for anything to jump out.


    ¡°I suppose that is true, but what should we do in the meantime?¡± Gwyn asked as he looked around the ruins. He resisted an urge to go explore the ancient site.


    ¡°For now, we should head to the old castle! I suspect that will be the perfect place for the Halloween fun!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get the impression you just like saying Halloween¡­.¡± Despite Gwyn¡¯s criticism, he was interested in seeing where the old palace once stood.


    ¡°I concur, partner,¡± Mem added from atop Gwyn¡¯s shoulder. Donn only laughed.


    With a destination in mind, they headed to the ruins of Old Quenth¡¯s castle.


    ***


    The castle¡¯s ruins did not do justice to the mighty fortress that once stood. What was left mainly was the bottom floor and the underground labyrinth beneath. The swirling archery towers had long since crumbled, and the mighty walls could no longer hold back the Hobusian invaders they were built to stop. Still, Gwyn had to stop to take in the sight. He was accustomed to seeing ruins, having gone on several trips with his father, and carefully reconstructing what the palace may have looked like in its heyday.


    ¡°Gwyn! Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Fiona shouted to him as she and the others headed into the castle. The Nonpareil quickly ran in after them.


    What was left of the hallways split into two paths, so the team divided into smaller groups. Fiona, Harlan, and Rheba went right. Gwyn, Donn, and Cecilia went left.


    ¡°I have to say this is a little spooky,¡± Mem chimed in as they began to walk down dark corridors. Its eyes began to glow like a flashlight so that Gwyn could see.


    ¡°Ha, this is nothing to be afraid of!¡± Cecilia said with an arrogant laugh. Her eyes darted around at the dark walls, and her Needaimus bonded fist was clenched tightly. The Hobusian girl increased her pace slightly so that Donn and Gwyn faced her back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of the others would have come here¡­¡± Gwyn said as he looked around the black halls.


    ¡°Not willingly! But what if Odell was dragged off to be dismembered!¡± Cecilia shouted back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t actually believe Kako¡¯s story, do you?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t!¡± Cecilia replied; she turned around to face Gwyn. Her green eyes grew wide, and she froze. ¡°Where did Prince Donn go?¡±


    Gwyn looked behind him, the well-built Aqueenian Prince was easy to spot, so her words only made him nervous. The blue man had vanished¡ªsilently and without a trace. As if to add to the moment, screams came from the other side of the castle. The walls distorted them too much for Gwyn to tell if it was his companions or not.


    Cecelia gulped and looked around nervously. Mem bonded to Gwyn¡¯s arm in a flash, and the Nonpareil soon had night vision.


    ¡°Not good¡­¡± Gwyn said as he backed up to the wall. Cecelia pressed her back close to his.


    ¡°What do we do! I don¡¯t want to die with you!¡± she hissed.


    ¡°I share the same sentiment¡­.¡±


    A scraping could be heard across the floor, and both turned to see the source. The sound came from the tip of a sword as it was pulled across the ground by a shadowy form. It was hunched over and limped in a manner that favored the left leg. The form was tall, and a black metal crown was wrapped neatly around a head that held glowing red eyes.


    Gwyn and Cecilia screamed.


    ¡°A geirist!¡± Cecilia shouted.


    ¡°Run!¡± Gwyn added.


    The Nonpareil began to sprint down the hallway. His Hobusian companion took to the air and floated beside him. She tried to phase through the castle¡¯s walls, but a burning sensation from the old stones stopped her ability from fully working.


    ¡°What do we do!¡± she shouted to Gwyn after several attempts to abandon him failed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Behind his feet, Gwyn used his ability to turn the stony floor into a liquid. He had hoped the shade would slip in, then he could bind it in place. The shadowy form instead ran across the slick floor with ease.


    ¡°Can you do anything useful! I thought you were supposed to be the Nonpareil!¡± Cecelia shouted to Gwyn.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do anything useful! You¡¯re just floating!¡± he snapped back.


    ¡°I am a high-class Hobusian woman; what do you expect of me!¡±


    Gwyn sighed and set his sights down the hall. A door was positioned on their left, and he hoped it would lead to somewhere better. He didn¡¯t waste time to stop and open the door, instead just liquefying it before getting too close. After Cecilia passed through the threshold, he solidified it back in place¡ªmorphing it so that it was bonded to the wall.


    They made a sigh of relief and looked at the new space. The short stretch of the hall beyond the door descended down a staircase into darkness.


    ¡°This is a terrible spot!¡± Cecelia shouted.


    A black sword of shadow pierced through the door, and the duo screamed.


    ¡°Bad or not, I¡¯m not staying here!¡± Gwyn shouted before sprinting down the stairs.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± the Hobusian girl shouted as she floated after him.


    ***


    From the staircase, the duo found themselves within the underground labyrinth that made up the castle¡¯s lower section and weaved through large areas of Old Quenth. The night vision provided by the Needaimus was the only hope they had to find any way out of the old stony maze.


    ¡°I think we lost it¡­.¡± Gwyn said as he looked around.


    ¡°We¡¯re just as lost,¡± Cecilia muttered. She settled her feet on the ground and quickly slumped with her back to a wall. ¡°We¡¯ll die down here; that thing will kill us.¡± She crossed her arms and looked to the ground.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t stop!¡± Gwyn turned back and did his best not to shout. ¡°We need to stay moving until we come up with a plan!¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? Just leave me to die,¡± Cecelia muttered.


    Gwyn sighed and rubbed the back of his head. It was against his judgment, but he sat an arm¡¯s length away from the Hobusian girl.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never really spoken before,¡± Gwyn said after a moment of silence. Cecilia made a small noise to indicate a response; the Nonpareil could not guess what she meant. ¡°You¡¯re Odell¡¯s fianc¨¦, right? You seem to be rather¡­ uh¡­ enthusiastic about it too!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the best thing a useless daughter like me could manage¡­.¡± The Hobusian girl responded.


    Gwyn gulped. He did not expect her to be so open. He had slept through far too much of his single psychology course in school to feel comfortable offering advice. Still, he hoped just talking it out might be enough.


    ¡°Useless is, er, a strong word¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my stepmother¡¯s favorite to use. She says if I hadn¡¯t gotten engaged to Odell, I would have been thrown to the curb long ago.¡±


    Cecilia was looking at her feet and did not see Gwyn make a series of facial expressions as he quickly thought about cartoony evil stepmothers and princesses before pushing the images away¡ªthe Nonpareil did not know any cartoon characters that screamed while chasing their princes around, after all. He rubbed a hand to his temple and sighed.


    ¡°So, have you been engaged for a while?¡±


    ¡°Five years ago, a ball was held at the king¡¯s palace. I was brought along with my stepsisters, mainly for them to show off the glamorous party before sending me away to clean.¡± Gwyn looked away and kept his mouth shut while listening to the story. ¡°They made a point to slam the door to the ballroom in my face, and I ended up wandering through the castle while crying.¡±


    As Cecelia spoke, she sniffled. The Hobusian girl paused a moment while briefly realizing how much she was sharing. It was unlike her to talk so much with anyone but Odell. She looked around the black walls, and her despair once again threw out any concern about sharing.


    ¡°I ended up in the castle garage, where I met Odell. Most would expect the Prince to be at the party, dressed nice and well charming.¡± Gwyn held back a laugh. ¡°But Odell was there under a vehakul and covered with grease. I didn¡¯t realize he was a prince a first, but he was willing to talk, so we chatted.¡±


    ¡°So, you met him then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, believe it or not, but I may have told him my life story then¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I believe it.¡±


    ¡°But we had a good time talking, and he showed me how to use some of the tools in the garage. After a while, some royal officials came looking for him. They said he needed to be at the ball since it was an important time to find a fianc¨¦.¡± Cecilia smiled to herself. ¡°And then he pointed to me and asked why he couldn¡¯t just marry me!¡±


    Gwyn smacked his palm to his forehead. In a certain sense, he was happy to see that Odell had not changed in five years, but in other ways, he was disappointed.


    ¡°Cecilia¡­¡± he began but stopped after realizing it was best to not say anything.


    ¡°They were a little suspicious at first, I was only dressed in rags at the time, but after confirming my family, his father approved the engagement. My stepmother was pleased, or as pleased as that vile woman can be, she said I had finally done something useful for the family, and I better not mess it up¡­.¡±


    Her voice trailed off at the end, leaving Gwyn to ponder what he should follow up with.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about Hobusian royalty, politics, or well, you know, but¡­ if you don¡¯t mind me asking, ignoring all the complicated stuff I don¡¯t understand, what do you think about Odell?¡±


    Cecelia frowned and looked up at the ceiling.


    ¡°When we first met, he seemed like a nice guy, and I was so happy that he suggested he would marry me. I¡¯m not so foolish to realize now that he was trying to get out of the party¡­. But, I think I want to love him, and I want him to love me, but I don¡¯t know if it is for my family or not at this point.¡±


    Gwyn nodded, though Cecilia wasn¡¯t looking at him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say your tactics have been the best¡­. But if you promise to work together to get out of here and promise to dial back your¡­ intensity¡­ I will be your wingman!¡±


    ¡°My what?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ your support in your romantic pursuits.¡±


    Cecilia jumped to her feet.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked chipperly. As Gwyn nodded and stood up, her eyes grew wide, and the Hobusian girl cleared her throat. ¡°I mean, of course, you would want to help a high-class lady such as myself!¡±


    Gwyn shook his head but didn¡¯t make any protest. She was motivated enough at the moment to continue on, and he waved to indicate they should do just that.


    The duo continued through the dark chambers while making casual banter.


    ¡°So, if I told you all that, you should tell me more about yourself too,¡± Cecelia pressed.


    Gwyn groaned but ended up sharing some things about himself and his time on Resh.


    ***


    After what the duo suspected was hours of walking around the labyrinth, they emerged into what the Nonpareil immediately recognized as a royal tomb. The room was a large circle, with four wide stone pillars to divide the space into two sections. The outer ring was lined with tables and shelves, which were likely filled with treasures and valuables at one point. Gwyn suspected grave robbers or the Aqueenian government probably took them at some point. The inner ring was clear save for a large sarcophagus in the center. The lid of it had been pushed off and cracked into four sections.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­.¡± Gwyn said as he wondered if the space had anything to do with the shadow chasing them.


    ¡°That this place is scary! You got that right!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°We should get away from here soon!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if this place has anything to do with the shade that is after us,¡± Gwyn added.


    Cecilia¡¯s eyes lit up. She quickly looked around the room again.


    ¡°Oh, you might be right!¡±


    ¡°Do you think it might have come out of the sarcophagus?¡± he added as he closely examined the cracked lid.


    ¡°I bet if we put the lid on, that will solve our problems!¡± Cecelia offered. Her tone was prideful; she was happy to have come up with a good plan. Gwyn said nothing as he got close and looked at the markings. Pictures had been chiseled into the stone, but what they were trying to indicate was lost on the Nonpareil. He settled for repairing the lid for the moment and began to push the shattered pieces close enough together to weld with his ability.


    ¡°Help push,¡± Gwyn said as he struggled to move the stone.


    ¡°You want me to touch¡­.¡± Cecelia stopped mid-sentence to take a deep breath. She moved next to Gwyn and helped push the stones into place. The break had been in the center of the lid, making a horizontal and vertical line that Gwyn quickly began to liquefy together and reharden. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but he did his best all the same.


    A scraping sound of metal on stone got the attention of the two as Gwyn was finishing the last section. The shadowy form sauntered into the chamber. When it saw them near the sarcophagus, it let out a bellow that seemed to shake the whole space. Cecilia¡¯s eyes grew wide, and Gwyn cursed.


    The shadow quickly ran across the tomb to the duo; at once, the grey girl took to the air, and the Nonpareil darted to the side. The sword clanged on the repaired lid and bounced off harmlessly. The dark form stumbled back, seemingly surprised to see its blade had no effect.


    Gwyn came in close to one of the pillars which held the tomb up and liquified a chunk out of it. In his hands, the stone formed the shape of a sword. The edge of the liquid blade became hard and sharp, and the hilt solidified so Gwyn¡¯s right hand could grip it more tightly. The rest of the blade remained liquid and flowed like a stream.


    Sensing Gwyn¡¯s intent, the shadow turned to him and pointed its dark sword at the Nonpareil¡¯s throat. Gwyn shouted as they charged across the room. He ducked to avoid the strike from the shadowy form and thrust his own blade forward at the shade¡¯s chest¡ªthe stone sword became completely solid as the strike moved close. The shadow slid to the side to avoid the blow and brought its blade down on Gwyn¡¯s stone one. Instead of shattering, the stone blade turned liquid and morphed into a ring around the dark form.


    Gwyn did his best to pull the shade¡¯s blade away, but his one arm wasn¡¯t strong enough. The two engaged in a tug of war as Cecilia flew around the room.


    Ordinarily, she might have tried phasing through the floor to come up and grab the opponent by the feet. But the labyrinth¡¯s stone would not let her Needaimus ability work to its fullest. She picked up a discarded stone and threw it at the shadow¡¯s head. It bounced off the shadow but did not distract the form from its tug-of-war with Gwyn.


    Cecilia began to check her pockets. She pulled out a pair of scissors used for the Halloween decorations. Taking a deep breath, she flew in close and threw the pointed end at the shadow¡¯s head. They harmlessly phased through the shadow and came flying out at Gwyn. He let out a cry of surprise and flinched as the blades passed by his head.


    The Hobusian girl held her six-fingered hands over her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Less talking, more fighting,¡± Gwyn replied as he struggled to keep his stony sword lock from being pulled out of his hand.


    Cecilia examined the room, and her eyes fell on the repaired lid. She pondered how the rock had not phased through, then her eyes lit up.


    ¡°Gwyn, it can¡¯t get through the stone!¡± she shouted joyfully. Gwyn could only grunt in reply. He took a step forward and managed to push the shadow back. It took a step and twisted its foot to hold it in place. Cecilia landed on the floor and clenched her teeth as she lifted the heavy stone lid off the ground.


    With great strain, she began to float back in the air and positioned the lid over the empty sarcophagus. She shouted to Gwyn what he ought to do. He was too focused on his struggle to listen, but even without hearing her, what little he saw was enough for him to guess.


    The Nonpareil began to shove the shade back to its grave. It held on tightly to the sword, unwilling to let go as Gwyn pushed it backward. He was glad his opponent didn¡¯t seem clever enough to let go and flee.


    Gwyn¡¯s legs burned as he used all his might to shove the opponent back. Sweat began to run down his forehead, and he wished his left arm could do something other than weakly sit to the side. The opponent¡¯s resistance was nothing he could scoff at, but he managed to get the back of the shadow¡¯s legs to the sarcophagus edge. With one last burst of force, Gwyn let go of his stone tool. The shadow tripped over the edge and fell into the grave.


    Gwyn shoved the feet that dangled out as hard as he could; his hands only phased through, and he had to pull back as the heavy lid was dropped.


    A loud boom echoed in the labyrinth as it landed on the sarcophagus. The shadowy legs quickly dissolved as if they had been cut off, and both made a sigh of relief.


    Gwyn jumped as soon as a grinding sound echoed in the space.


    ¡°It¡¯s trying to lift the lid!¡± he cried out. Cecilia stopped floating and landed on the lid as Gwyn quickly welded the top to the bottom and sealed it shut. Once he was done, the Hobusian girl jumped off, and they made a sigh of relief. Both fell to the floor and breathed heavily.


    ¡°Quick thinking using your weight to hold it down,¡± Gwyn finally said after a moment of silence.


    ¡°E- excuse me?¡± Cecilia replied in shock.


    ¡°Oh, I uh¡­.¡± Gwyn stammered. His brown eyes darted around the tomb to find something to change the subject. Cecilia began to chuckle. The Nonpareil stopped his panicked search to watch her make a hearty laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so undignified to misunderstand your meaning,¡± she said through her laugh. ¡°Odell was right about you, though,¡± she added while wiping a tear from her eye.


    ¡°He¡¯s been talking about me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s always going on about your adventures together. I don¡¯t know how often he¡¯s talked about your battle with that leader guy in Horizon. Though I think he might exaggerate the role he played when he tells me, no one else seems to know the story the same way.¡±


    Before Gwyn could respond, a feeling like a wave washed over the two from behind. Nothing was in the room with them, but the force they had felt was overwhelming. Their eyes grew wide, and their faces went several shades paler.


    ¡°I think we should get out of here now,¡± Gwyn said.


    ¡°I agree!¡± Cecilia added.


    The duo quickly began to rush back through the labyrinth.


    ***


    Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure how long it took, but eventually, he pushed a heavy stone out of his way and exited to the streets above. The cool night air greeted him, and the position of the twin moons suggested no time had passed. A quick survey of his surrounding let him locate the castle ruins quite a distance away.


    He shook his head and offered a hand to Cecilia as she climbed up from the labyrinth. She considered his help for a moment but opted to clamber out on her own after spotting someone walking in the distance.


    Gwyn gave up on his aid and turned to see a trio approaching. A wave of a long arm told him who it was.


    ¡°Hey, Gwyn!¡± Odell shouted with a cheery voice that expressed no danger was imminent. Beside him were Adan and Tancred, who seemed somewhat satisfied with themselves.


    ¡°Odell!¡± Cecilia shot out of the labyrinth exit and flew to Odell.


    ¡°Oh, Cecilia?¡± Odell shouted as he started to turn and run. His fianc¨¦ was too fast, and she soon grabbed him by his shoulders.


    ¡°Where did you go? We were looking for you every¨C¡° she began to screech but stopped short and turned her head slightly to where Gwyn was standing. The Nonpareil was putting the stone for the exit back in place. She took a deep breath and embraced Odell with a hug. ¡°After the power went out, you disappeared, and we were worried,¡± Cecilia said softly.


    Odell could only stammer as Gwyn finished his work and walked to the group. It wasn¡¯t until he escaped his fianc¨¦¡¯s hug¡ªsomewhat reluctantly¡ªthat Odell was able to speak again.


    ¡°Well, the power went out, and the wall gave way; we figured we would head to the power station to fix it!¡± he explained.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the number of safety violations in that panel,¡± Adan said with a shake of his head. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder it broke; I¡¯m going to have a word with someone about this.¡±


    ¡°At the power station¡­.¡± Gwyn muttered as he shook his head.


    ¡°Gwyn!¡± Fiona suddenly appeared in a flash soon after her voice cut through the night air. Gwyn jumped at her sudden appearance as she zapped right next to him. ¡°Where did you go! We looked all over the castle ruins for you guys?¡± she asked while Harlan and Rheba approached. ¡°Odell! You also disappeared on us!¡± The blue Princess suddenly turned to Odell with a frown.


    ¡°Oh, sorry about that¡­ I¡¯m not sure why we just left¡­ we were so focused on getting the power back on that we must not have said anything.¡± Odell laughed as he realized how much trouble they had caused. Fiona frowned.


    ¡°You know the only one allowed to cause trouble around here is me!¡± she protested.


    Cecilia shuffled her way over to Gwyn and leaned close.


    ¡°Should we tell them about the¡­ you know,¡± the grey girl asked in a hushed tone.


    Gwyn glanced at the crowd that had become engaged in lively conversation.


    ¡°We should probably just keep it to ourselves,¡± he replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± A new voice whispered as a giant blue hand rested on Gwyn¡¯s shoulder. Donn smiled brightly at the other two. Gwyn was about to ask where the Prince had disappeared to but instead focused on a bloody bandaged hand that Donn hid behind his back. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later,¡± the Prince added before speaking to the others in a booming voice. ¡°Well, everyone! I suspect we ought to get back to the party! The other groups should be heading there as we speak!¡±


    Gwyn shook his head. He figured it was best to leave things be for the moment. With a loud voice, he backed up Donn.


    ¡°We only have one night! Let¡¯s get going!¡± The crowd, save for Harlan, threw their fists in the air and cheered.


    They quickly returned to the party with all the others who set out. Everyone had non-inspiring stories of simply walking around the city. Gwyn figured his adventure must have been unique and kept quiet.


    Odell, Adan, and Tancred worked to seal the hole while the rest partied without issue. Once they were done, the Nonpareil subtly suggested that Odell spend some time with Cecilia. He was initially reluctant, but the fianc¨¦s eventually headed to the top of the domed building to talk. Soon the twin suns broke into the sky and marked the next day after the first Halloween on Resh. The couple happily watched the sunrise in peace as Gwyn kept anyone else from going to look for them.

 106 – The Hospital Siege

    As the hospital rumbled from the explosion, Abelard quickly stood up from his chair while Amber and Rom pushed their way into the hospital room.


    ¡°Call for backup,¡± the mayor said swiftly. To his words, Amber could only shake her head.


    ¡°Communication isn¡¯t working. Seems to be some kind of interference.¡±


    Abelard bit his lip before he could let out a series of curses. He didn¡¯t speak for a moment until he was sure he could control his words. `


    ¡°Get the others; we need to devise a plan.¡±


    Across the hospital wing, Rheba and Harlan rushed into Gwyn¡¯s room. Mem had bonded to his arm, but the Nonpareil still lay in the bed.


    ¡°Gwyn, opponents have invaded!¡± Rheba said to him. He sighed in reply.


    ¡°I suspect they have an ample fighting force,¡± Harlan added.


    ¡°And?¡± Gwyn asked in a frustrated tone. His two teammates jumped back in surprise. ¡°Do we go fight the next batch of enemies? How long before someone loses a limb? Or dies?¡±


    Rheba grabbed the Nonpareil and pulled him to his feet. When it seemed like he might slump back down, she pulled until he was lifted in the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she asked with no effort to hide her confusion or exasperation.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see the point,¡± was all Gwyn replied. His brown eyes looked to the side instead of at Rheba as he spoke.


    Sounds of shouting interrupted their conversation as hospital staff ran by the room. A figure dressed head to toe in dark armor walked into view. His appearance was almost that of a medieval knight save for the armor, looking to be made from more black chrome than standard metal.


    As the knight turned to look into the room, he drew a sword and spoke across his communicator.


    ¡°Nighthawk, sir, I have identified three Needaimus users; one appears to match the description of the Nonpareil you gave earlier.


    Rheba didn¡¯t give the new opponent time to hear a reply. She quickly let Gwyn down, crossed the room, and grabbed the surprised knight. He flinched but could not do anything as she flipped the armored opponent in the air so that his head was the closest to the floor. Under normal circumstances, she would have thrown him over her shoulder, but as the inside was tight, the Bentulousian warrior settled on smashing him back into the ground. He let out a grunt as the floor of the hospital gave way to his head. Rheba quickly pulled the knight back out and threw him off to the side; otherwise, he would block the doorway.


    ¡°Nighthawk¡­¡± Gwyn said as he fell back onto his bed. He didn¡¯t like hearing the name again.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Harlan asked.


    ¡°A leader, I take it; we should get going now!¡± Rheba quickly replied. Gwyn gritted his teeth and debated protesting but stood up and followed the others. He didn¡¯t want to think what might happen if he met the giant metal Needaimus a second time.


    Rheba led the group in their sprint; she found her arm touching her stomach, where pain was becoming impossible to ignore. She pushed down her feelings; warriors didn¡¯t show pain and focused on what they ought to do next. The hallway was mostly empty. Every now and then, a staff member or patient would peep out from a room, but the door would quickly shut as the trio passed.


    ¡°We need to meet up with the mayor!¡± Rheba shouted back to the other two.


    ¡°In that case, we are going the wrong way!¡± Harlan shouted. She had trouble hiding the pain in her voice as her injured leg burned from running. Rheba grunted, and they came to a stop. The Zenotote scientist pointed back in the direction they came. ¡°The room mayor Abelard would have been in was that way; we can get there quickly without cutting back past Gwyn¡¯s room.¡± Harlan quickly said as she called back to the hospital map.


    Rheba nodded.


    ¡°Fine then.¡±


    ¡°Fine? Shouldn¡¯t we be trying to flee!¡± Gwyn stammered. His words were ignored by the other two, who began the sprint to the mayor¡¯s location. Gwyn stood motionless for a moment as he contemplated.


    They will leave you if you don¡¯t hurry! Mem¡¯s shouts echoed in his mind. Gwyn chased after, but not before sighing. He caught up with ease and followed behind them as they ran.


    The trio continued to rush through the hospital halls until they met up with Amber. She jumped back in surprise as they rounded a corner at the same time she was about to.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you were so close,¡± the Aqueenian-Bentalousian hybrid girl said with a cough. As she spoke, Abelard came into view with Rom running by his side. The mayor was panting but trying his best not to make it evident while the blue-white Zenotote girl carefully checked all the surroundings.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they would try something this public,¡± Abelard grunted once the two groups were in close proximity.


    ¡°Do you have any idea of their goal?¡± Harlan asked. Abelard rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Either to do away with me or you lot, likely both.¡±


    ¡°We have a long fight ahead of us,¡± Rheba sighed as she considered the pains in her body.


    Gwyn shook his head.


    ¡°We need to run,¡± he shot back while his eyes nervously darted around¡ªas if an attacker would suddenly leap out from nowhere.


    ¡°The Nonpareil is correct; we need to get the mayor away,¡± Rom added.


    Rheba shook her head.


    ¡°If we all flee, they will just pursue. I will do my best to delay the enemy.¡±


    ¡°I will assist her,¡± Amber added, ¡°Rom, you take mayor Abelard and get to safety.¡± The Zenotote assistant nodded. Harlan looked around and nodded as she spoke:


    ¡°Then Gwyn and I will support Rhe-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with the mayor!¡± Gwyn sharply added.


    Rheba and Harlan exchanged a brief glance before looking back toward the Nonpareil.


    ¡°Gwyn,¡± the Bentulousian warrior began in as soft a voice as she could manage, ¡°Don¡¯t you think your support will be more valuable in the fight?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it will.¡±


    ¡°Your ability will be helpful to restrain the foes,¡± Harlan added.


    ¡°They will just escape.¡±


    Rheba let her shoulders sag, and Harlan did her best to show the same physical disappointment. They could tell Gwyn was adamant about going with the mayor and weren¡¯t sure what to say. With her training and battle experience in mind, Rheba thought Gwyn would be better off and ultimately safer with them. Harlan, likewise, figured he could support well without having to get too involved in the fight.


    ¡°You might find your abilities are effective at a range,¡± Harlan tried to argue.


    ¡°We could also work more efficiently together,¡± Rheba added.


    To their words, Gwyn just shook his head. Shouts in the hallway told them there wasn¡¯t enough time for a proper debate.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Rheba said with a sigh, ¡°Amber, Harlan, and I will take on the opponents. Gwyn will support the mayor¡¯s escape.¡±


    They didn¡¯t waste too much time before splitting into two new groups. The trio of fighters began to run down the halls, where shouts and loud noises were heard, and the mayor¡¯s group fled in the other direction.


    ¡°I expected more from your Nonpareil,¡± Amber said to Harlan and Rheba as they ran through the halls, ¡°are museums all he cares about?¡± she added with a snide tone.


    ¡°He¡¯s just feeling a little down, nothing to worry about,¡± Rheba shot back. She could not hide the worry in her voice. Harlan kept her mouth shut as they rounded several corners and met with some of the invaders.


    A duo of two, in the same dark armor they had seen before, stood holding up a Zenotote doctor.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± she shouted.


    Rheba wasted no time to slow down and contemplate the scene. She rushed in and quickly grabbed the soldier who did not hold the doctor. With a flip, she smashed him into the floor while ensuring the person inside would be sufficiently rattled.


    The second soldier jumped and let go of the doctor. Before he could turn around and face Rheba properly, she slammed him into the wall. An indent was left where the armored soldier stuck.


    Rheba frowned and resisted holding the parts of her that ached. She hated fighting armored opponents bare handed as it required more force to take them down, but it was made worse with her injuries reminding her of the recently lost battle.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Harlan stopped with the others and let her weight rest on the leg that had not been injured. All the running around had caused the wound to ache, but she pressed down the thoughts.


    Amber, who observed the duo, shook her head. Had she not known about their injuries, she might not have noticed anything, but with her knowledge, it was painfully obvious that each was hurt. The Netzian agent silently cursed Gwyn for abandoning his teammates; even if he was ignorant of how hurt they were, her opinion of him lowered.


    ¡°We need to hurry; if they have spread out around the hospital, we won¡¯t have luck stopping them,¡± Rheba said as she pushed her attention away from her aches.


    ¡°I suspect they have sent out advanced forces; there is an open area up ahead which would be good for the remaining enemy to wait in,¡± Harlan added.


    They charged ahead without giving Amber a chance to reply. She shook her head.


    ¡°A bunch of hotblooded fools,¡± she spat before vanishing from sight. The agent ran after the duo in stealth as they headed to where Harlan expected the force to be.


    ***


    After making their way through a few more turns, the trio emerged in the open space Harlan knew about. A large pool made up most of the room, and some specialized equipment was off to the side. Under normal circumstances, the space was intended for patient therapy. Benches lined the walls, and around one, the invaders were gathered.


    Ripple was casually slouched on the bench as he observed a tablet. His subordinates all stood around him and relayed information about what the advanced parties were finding. Once someone found the mayor, the remaining force was supposed to head out.


    The orange Zenotote looked up and saw Harlan and Rheba. Amber, who remained invisible, had begun to sneak around the pool.


    ¡°Ah, the Nonpareil¡¯s lackeys. Are you the ones who took out some of my men?¡± he asked as he stood up and stretched. ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter, really. Tell me, what happened to that other support of his?¡±


    Ripple spoke in reference to Kako, but neither Harlan nor Rheba realized who he meant. The Bentulousian warrior held up her fists.


    ¡°What is your goal here?¡±


    ¡°No answer, huh? I suppose after this, I better tell the boss about that strange one,¡± Ripple muttered. He turned to the duo and shouted, ¡°to kill the mayor, of course!¡±


    ¡°Sir, should you be telling them that?¡± a subordinate asked. Ripple rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Concerns like that are unnecessary! They will be dead soon, anyway. Get going.¡±


    At his words, the armored subordinates began to run around the pool shoulder to shoulder, like they were a moving wall. Amber, who they didn¡¯t see, had to jump out of the way to avoid getting trampled as the enemy set their sights on Harlan and Rheba.


    As the armored bandits approached, Rheba moved ahead of Harlan. She crouched down and swept at the floor with her leg, knocking down several of the opposing soldiers in a flash. The remaining ones scattered before the giant warrior could knock them to the ground. She pushed downed bandits into the pool before they could recover from her earlier attack. They frantically began to strip out of their armor as they sank into the water.


    Swords were drawn, and all attention was locked on Rheba. She stood straight and clenched her Needaimus bonded fist. The pains ached, but she figured the troops wouldn¡¯t be that hard of opponents to take down, even if she was a little injured.


    Harlan cut across the room and focused in on Ripple. Unknown to her and the orange Zenotote, Amber ran by Harlan¡¯s side.


    Ripple produced two swords with his ability and slashed at Harlan as she came in close. The green frills on her head were barely missed as she ducked from the attack. At the same time, Amber delivered a punch in Ripple¡¯s stomach. He flinched and backed up while Harlan stood straight.


    ¡°A pesky ability,¡± spat Ripple.


    Harlan quickly grasped what was happening and did her best to make a confident smile.


    ¡°Yes, my ability allows me to strike at a distance even without making physical contact!¡± she lied.


    ¡°A perky one, too; if you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll end up broken like that, Nonpareil!¡± Ripple pointed his swords in Harlan¡¯s direction and began to sprint. The frills on her head quivered slightly at his mentioning of Gwyn, but she refrained from showing emotion. He was quickly stopped as Amber, in her invisibility, kicked him in the shin.


    He stumbled and clenched his sharp teeth. At the same time, he began to think about what Harlan had said. Her act wasn¡¯t convincing enough for him.


    There were four possibilities for someone revealing their abilities details in a fight. Some would expose them as a na?ve mistake, and others would be too confident for their own good. It wasn¡¯t typical, but there also were abilities that got more powerful after the opponent learned of them. However, The most common reason, and one that Ripple had come across many times, was that the opponent would lie. As he took a blow to the back of the head and fell to the ground, the orange Zenotote contemplated the situation.


    Harlan was young, but she didn¡¯t seem foolish enough to give up her ability accidentally or by overconfidence. And the strikes on him felt far too physical for him to believe they were due to a Needaimus, his own ability produced swords that had an odd weight and weird edges, which always gave away their unusual origin.


    As Ripple felt another blow in his side, he snapped his tail in the direction of the attack. It didn¡¯t take a second from it landing on something before he swiped a sword in the same spot.


    Amber suddenly appeared; she let out a cry. Her left hand pressed her right arm firmly as she backed away. Ripple had managed to cut her, and she was finding just how jagged his ability-produced swords were.


    ¡°Nice try, but you¡¯re going to have to get much better at lying to fool me!¡± the orange Zenotote said with a laugh as he glared at Harlan.


    Harlan stared back with a blank face as she redied her arms. Her green eyes quickly darted around the room, but there was nothing to use her ability on. She had already used it up on herself and could not transform for a while longer. The Zenotote scientist quietly wished to herself that she had brought along some of her lab animals.


    Rheba, across the room, hoisted an armored soldier into the air and shoved him into the pool, where he began to pull the plates off his body. Two remained untouched by the warrior, and they began to pull their armor off to avoid the fates of their comrades. Several soldiers who had pulled themselves out of the water focused to aid the others who struggled rather than turn back to Rheba.


    She felt some respect for her opponents as they were willing to support each other rather than take her down, but she pushed it down to focus on the fight.


    The two remaining soldiers had removed their dark armor and faced her with only dark clothes and swords in their hands. The first, slightly taller, was a Netzian with dirty blond hair and copper scales under his eyes. The second was a Hobusian with a crown pointed up like a rhino¡¯s horn.


    ¡°It would be best to give up,¡± Rheba said.


    The opponents didn¡¯t reply. Instead, they charged forward with both swords at the ready. Rheba quickly sidestepped the attack and banged their heads together. The Hobusians crown fractured from the blow, and both sank to the floor.


    The bandits who sank into the water stared at their defeated comrades before looking at Rheba with furrowed brows. She cracked her knuckles.


    ¡°You would have been better off staying under the water; I recommend staying back.¡± Her threat was not hollow, and the bandits knew a properly trained Bentalousian was a force that a common soldier would struggle with. Rheba turned away and charged into the fight with Ripple. Her opponents realized they should be counted lucky to get away as they had, but the cause they fought for was more important in their eyes.


    They all gathered together and charged at Rheba in one unarmored mass. She sighed and quickly knocked each away with a fierce blow. Whether they remained alive or not, Rheba didn¡¯t care to check as she headed back to the fight with Ripple.


    Ripple spun both of his blades to point behind him and lunged backward. Amber was not prepared for his sudden attack. She tried to dodge, but one blade tore a gash into her side. Her pointed ears fell flat as she crashed into the floor with her hands pressed firmly to apply pressure to the wound.


    Before anyone could react, Ripple jumped in the air and spun the swords in his hands. Harlan ducked just in time to avoid her head being lopped off as the orange Zenotote sailed over her. Ripple smiled as he landed firmly on the ground behind her. His specialty was dealing with opponents that couldn¡¯t strike from a long range. He could easily make up for his mistake at the fountain with the trio in the hospital.


    Rheba tried to grab Ripple from behind, but he slid to the side before her hand came close. No movement was wasted by either warrior. The orange Zenotote quickly transitioned from his dodging slide to moving his feet into a good stance. Rheba kept moving to the ground, pressing her hand firmly on the floor as she prepared to sweep his legs.


    The orange opponent smirked and quickly shifted his position. Ripple jumped in the air as Rheba moved her long, thick legs to strike. Her attack harmlessly flew under his clawed feet.


    He aimed the points down at the tall warrior and used gravity to strike. Rheba, guessing his intent, pushed on the ground and rolled out of harm''s way. Ripples blades pierced the floor as Rheba hopped to her feet.


    ¡°I must say, you¡¯re more impressive than Thorir made you out to be. I suppose he¡¯s just too much brute force for delicate fighters like us,¡± Ripple laughed as his blades disappeared. Two new ones appeared in his hands.


    He swung them around like a skilled performer before pointing them at Rheba.


    The tall warrior considered her words before speaking.


    ¡°I will disarm you,¡± she said with a stern face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see you try,¡± Ripple said with a laugh as he charged at her, swords trained at Rheba¡¯s stomach. Rheba took a deep breath and held her arms up; as Ripple approached, she moved her hands in what seemed only like a flick of the wrists. Ripples swords were suddenly thrust to either side of him as his opponent''s seemingly small movement struck just the right points to loosen his grip.


    The orange Zenotote could not react before Rheba went low and struck his stomach with a heavy blow. Ripple was thrown into the air slightly as he let out a gasp. While he remained midair, his swords disappeared, and two new ones materialized in his hands. He threw one into the ceiling, and a chain grew from its pommel like a vine.


    The metal link connected the sword still in Ripple¡¯s hand and retracted to pull him higher. As he moved, Rheba¡¯s follow-up attack¡ªa strike that would have smashed him into the ground¡ªmissed below him. Everyone looked at the orange Zenotoe hanging from the ceiling.


    ¡°I must applaud you; there are not many who make me bring my full weapon out!¡± Ripple shouted from above.


    The connected weapon disappeared and reappeared in his orange hands as Ripple fell. He threw one sword forward with the chain extending. Rheba dodged it and held her arms up for the next anticipated blow. As the first sword was lodged in the floor, the chain retracted, and Ripple was suddenly pulled even faster.


    The chain broke, and he spun the blade for an attack while coming close to Rheba. She went to move back when a sudden burst of pain struck her. The Bentalousian warrior fell to her knees instead, much to Ripple¡¯s surprise. He swiped harmless through the air while pushing off Rheba¡¯s shoulders.


    After a flip in the air, Ripple landed softly by the pool. His chain appeared, and the swords were pulled close together. Rheba took a deep breath before standing back up and facing her opponent. Harlan slowly moved over and stood next to the tall warrior while Amber remained in the back, sewing her wounds. Ripple spun his blades around like he was performing at a circus. It would not have surprised anyone if his movements didn¡¯t end with him swallowing the swords.


    ¡°He¡¯s a tougher opponent than he looks,¡± Harlan said calmly as she twisted her injured leg.


    ¡°We¡¯re just a little off our game; he¡¯s not much,¡± Rheba replied confidently while trying to ignore rubbing her sore spots.


    Ripple snorted and smiled a toothy grin at the duo. He had just received a message via his Needaimus from Nighthawk. The mayor was tracked down, and the giant Needaimus began the pursuit. All Ripple had to do was stall any potential foes, which he had already done.


    Still, something weighed on the orange Zenotote. He wanted to prove himself after the mixup in the fountain fight. Kako had stalled him, and he was hard-pressed to let such an opponent make a mockery of him. He would avenge himself with the current trio and slay all three to prove his worth in the organization of Array. To do so, he would need to get them in close and to do that, he would have to get them into a space that would give him the best advantage.


    With a smile, Ripple¡¯s swords disappeared.


    ¡°Well, it has been fun, but I¡¯m afraid I have better things to do than fight such weak opponents. If you would excuse me,¡± Ripple bowed as he finished his sentence before bursting around the pool to the entrance where the group had come from, running past his fallen comrades without a care for their well-being.


    His pace was slow and deliberate; the others ran after him as best they could with their injuries. All he had to do next was find a suitable spot to turn around and attack.

 107 – Highway Driving

    The highway was wide and mostly empty, which made it perfect for the inexperienced, blue princess to learn how to drive. Liv covered her eyes, and Felix¡¯s face had practically gone white multiple times as the Aqueenian princess swayed across lanes without signaling or checking her mirrors, pressed the gas too hard, slammed on the brakes, and occasionally shouted curses at other lone drivers if they got too close.


    While her captive passengers feared for their lives, Fiona was pleased as she got more comfortable. Aqueenian royalty didn¡¯t have to drive themselves anywhere¡ªchauffeurs were always available. The blue princess smiled as she imagined herself as the first royalty to drive a vehakul in generations. She planned to brag to her siblings as soon as she got home. Felix whispered prayers to Crenassul and the other ancients, despite not believing in the old stories. Liv wished she had finished her will when her Hobusian partner tried to convince her it was a good idea.


    Fiona happily relaxed her shoulders and changed lanes to go around a lone vehakul. She quickly zipped past. The other hovering car slowed down to create as much distance between them and the crazy driver as possible.


    The only benefit to Fiona¡¯s driving was that they would make great time.


    Down the highway, on a bridge that crossed it, Thorir crouched as he stared out at the traffic. Sabia approached from behind and shook her head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really intend to jump, do you?¡± the green Aqueenian girl asked as she bonded her long Needaimus to her arm.


    ¡°I do, I will smash that puny vehakul like a bug, and then we can go raid the hospital.¡±


    Sabia rolled her eyes as she pulled out several small thorny spheres and aimed down the highway. The Ali-442 was quickly coming into view.


    ¡°What if I snipe them first?¡± she asked.


    Thorir wasn¡¯t given time to reply. Within seconds of asking her question, Sabia fired three rounds. The aim was perfect, right at Fiona¡¯s head, but the attacked bounced off the windshield without leaving a scratch. For her part, the inexperienced Fiona thought they had just hit some bugs.


    Thorir let out a hearty laugh.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he roared.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to have reinforced glass¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sure enough, my plan is best,¡± Thorir said as he began to stand on the edge of the bridge. The Ali was quickly approaching.


    ¡°You sure you can time that right without a Needaimus?¡± Sabia asked as she began to walk to their own vehakul. It was a skinny machine that closely resembled a hovering motorcycle. The rider sat in the center with two spherical hovering apparatuses in front and behind them.


    ¡°Needaimus are for fools who can¡¯t do anything,¡± Thorir replied before he jumped off. Fiona let out a yelp as she saw him falling right; a loud thud told her he had landed on the roof. At the same time as the yellow-haired Netzian leaped, Sabia fired up her bike and sped off the bridge. She landed softly right behind the Ali.


    Felix and Liv forgot their fear of Fiona¡¯s driving as the opponents made their presence known.


    ¡°We have two attackers,¡± Felix shouted, ¡°One on the roof and one behind on a Sar-475.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know vehakuls! Be more clear!¡± Liv shouted as she pulled out a short dagger


    ¡°The one you ride like an animal!¡± Felix shouted back as he produced a small flintlock-looking pistol.


    Thorir had begun to pound electrified fists into the roof of the Ali, but the top did not give way to his blows, and as far as he could tell, the current did not reach those inside. He grumbled and checked his feet.


    The brutish Netzian had once discovered running electricity in a certain way allowed him to stick to the metal as if he was pulled to it, Thorir was not well-read enough to understand the mechanics, but he knew how to use it in combat.


    He carefully navigated to the side of the vehakul, defying gravity as he hung off like a wing, and looked through the tinted glass at his opponents.


    ¡°Weaklings,¡± Thorir said solemnly as he crouched on the side and smashed his fist into the glass. Felix and Liv jumped and readied their weapons. Thorir began to hit the side repeatedly. A small fracture eventually appeared. He nodded to himself and continued his barrage.


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    Sabia, on the vehakul, shook her head and aimed her Needaimus at the Ali¡¯s back window. Her ability could vary the firing intensity, and she cursed at herself for assuming the glass was normal the first time. Several thorny spheres were shot and the glass cracked with each blow.


    ¡°Princess! You better have some good equipment on this thing!¡± Felix shouted as he switched his gaze back and forth between the cracking windows.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Fiona muttered as she looked around the dashboard. Odell had clearly added features, but his lack of labeling frustrated the blue princess.


    She shook her head and settled on a red one just by the wheel; red seemed like the best color for desiring something to happen. The Ali shook, then fabric shot out and inflated from the sides. Odell had meant it to be for emergency water crossings, but in the current situation, it was the perfect non-magnetic feature to throw Thorir off the side.


    He quickly shifted to a roll as the Ali sped away; his magically reinforced body protected him from dying, but it hurt far worse than he would have liked. He stood up in a flash and roared to the sky.


    ¡°Not the time,¡± Sabia said as she pulled the Sar close, ¡°get on before they get away.¡±


    Thorir lifted Sabia from the handlebar by the back of her shirt, much to the green Aqueenian''s dismay, and jumped on in her place.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive, you shoot,¡± he grunted.


    ¡°You can be amazingly practical at times like these.¡±


    The vehakul sped down the highway in pursuit of the Ali. Sabia kneeled on the backseat and used Thorir¡¯s wide shoulder as support to aim her long Needaimus. She fired several more precise shots at the back window.


    ¡°Their coming again!¡± Liv shouted to Fiona.


    ¡°Try the big gun!¡± Fiona shouted. She had just remembered the weapon they had used on the Japhinth was stored under the floor. After some explanation and instructions, Felix hoisted the large Gatling gun out of the top panel on the Ali. He mounted it and aimed it at the pursuing bike.


    ¡°Is that?¡± Sabia asked.


    ¡°Big gun, nothing to worry about,¡± Thorir grunted.


    ¡°Dodge, you fool!¡±


    Felix turned the crank, and a flurry of laser fire poured on the street behind the Ali. Thorir weaved the hovering bike back and forth across the highway while the Hobusian chased after them with the attack.


    Liv leaned forward and eyed the buttons on the dashboard.


    ¡°That pink one is kind of cute,¡± she said while pointing to a heart-shaped button.


    Fiona pressed it without a second thought. A large spear shot out in front of the Ali. It was large and wide enough to easily pierce a vehakul in the front if one had been in the transports way.


    ¡°Oh, watch out for the cute ones,¡± Fiona said in shock as she pressed it again. The weapon retracted as if it never had been there.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to help me, then do something!¡± Felix shouted. The gun was getting close to overheating, and he had not managed to hit the oncoming vehakul.


    ¡°Dodge a little more smoothly!¡± Sabia shouted. Good a sniper as she was, it was hard to line up a shot when Thorir zigzagged across the road. Her long ponytail danced in every direction as they went back and forth across the street, and the green girl considered it might be best to cut it off.


    ¡°Gun fire,¡± the yellow-haired Netzian grunted in reply, ¡°A coward''s way to fight,¡± he added even though no one asked.


    ¡®Long range is perfectly acceptable,¡¯ Sabia wanted to shout back as she tried to steady her aim on Felix¡¯s head.


    She fired, and the shot ricocheted off the Gatling gun as it continued to belt out laser fire. It was still close enough for Felix to jump.


    ¡°Any support?¡± he shouted down into the Ali.


    Fiona tried another button. The Ali roared.


    ¡°Uh, come back in and hang on, maybe,¡± the blue princess shouted.


    Felix pulled the gun back in the Ali at her words. As he lowered his head below the roof of the vehakul, there was a sudden acceleration. He and Liv were thrust to the back of the transport and crashed into the cracked window. Several more fractures formed, but it was not enough to break.


    ¡°Odell, what did you do?¡± Fiona¡¯s voice was shaky due to the vibration of the Ali as it rocketed down the road.


    Thorir frowned as the gap began to increase between the two vehakuls.


    ¡°Real warriors don¡¯t need fancy technology!¡± he shouted, though only Sabia could hear him. She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Stop the bike; it seems we will need something faster and more deadly.¡±


    They pulled the bike-like vehakul to the side and made a call for support. The organization had only sent a small force into Nun, but they had been rapidly recruiting members and allies in any way possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Sabia said in a flirty tone. Would you be a dear and loan me that one thing? Oh, don¡¯t worry about it; I just thought it would be fun for a joy ride! Of course, you can come, silly! Yes, we can go back to your place after.¡±


    She spoke for a moment longer to give her location and how fast the person needed to get there. Then the green Aqueenian hung up the phone and spat. ¡°I swear,¡± was all she said in response, but her tone was one of disgust.


    ¡°What did you call in?¡± Thorir asked.


    Sabia smiled. It was the sort of smile that lacked sweetness.


    ¡°A prototype from an office worker who really wanted a date!¡±


    Thorir shook his head.


    ¡°This city is full of fools. Their world will end with them never realizing.¡±


    ¡°If you weren''t such a musclehead, I might think you were trying to be poetic¡­ it doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    Thorir said nothing in reply as he stared down the road. The Ali was only a spec, and he was itching to get back into the fray. Once the vehakul was taken down, he could have more fun with a better opponent.


    Sabia used her Needaimus to see the time. She drummed her fingers on their bike and thought to herself. Once the man she called arrived, he would no longer have use. He would have to die and swiftly. Thorir was unlikely to do it; he didn¡¯t like killing something that didn¡¯t try to punch back. Though she loathed to do it as well¡ªhe would have to be shot at close range. She didn¡¯t like it, especially when she had to deal with the look of shock and hurt from her betrayal. It was much better to kill from afar.


    The green Aqueenian sighed and began to fix her messed-up ponytail. Thorir looked up to the sky and wished a stronger opponent would simply fall out of it. They both knew they would be waiting for a minute.

 108 – Casino Royale

    The crowd in the casino had become thinner and thinner as the fight wore on. Between Evron¡¯s ability to send people away and many fleeing due to his overwhelming advantage, only four were left¡ªOdell, Tancred, Rym, and Lucchi.


    The crime lord shook his head.


    ¡°Cowards, the lot of them,¡± he mumbled as he held his bat ready. The last of his men had fled with some of the regular patrons deep in the hotel. They were unaware that Evron was planning to hunt any witnesses down as soon as he wrapped up in the empty casino.


    Tables had been overturned, and drinks spilled across the floor during the fight. Some bright lights had been cracked, and fancy decorations were damaged. No one inside paid any mind to the damage they caused, however.


    ¡°To you¡¯re right!¡± Tancred shouted. The three others in the casino did as he said. Evron appeared behind where Rym had stood seconds before. His hand was outstretched to grab her, but he clenched his scaly fingers into a fist when his attack had been evaded once again.


    Over and over, Tancred had been reading Evron like a book. Even as the allies split further apart, they listened to his shouted warnings. Lucchi had ordered his subordinates to follow suit after seeing Evron miss multiple times, but none had been willing to let go of their pride.


    The crime boss tightened his grip on the bat that he held.


    ¡°I lost about half my organization to you¡­.¡± he muttered.


    Evron had no interest in Lucchi and instead put his attention on Tancred. The short Bentalousian had issued warnings but was not enough of a fighter to attempt trading blows. It annoyed Evron all the more that the only person to predict his moves was unwilling to fight.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t things ever go right?¡± the light blue Zenotote said in a hushed whine. He cleared his throat and looked to Tancred. ¡°You seem like an admirable opponent. Instead of fighting the losing battle, why not join me?¡±


    ¡°To the left!¡± Tancred shouted. An instant later and Evron just missed swiping where Odell was. The grey prince stumbled as he tried to escape the attack. He had hardly contributed against Evron and was wondering if he could be of any help.


    Evron clenched his hand into a fist again and ground his sharp teeth.


    ¡°Why, why, why!¡± he muttered silently.


    Tancred, without a word, leaped backward to avoid a swipe from a suddenly appearing Evron.


    ¡°The more frustrated you get, the easier you are to read!¡± he shouted mockingly, which only served to irritate Evron more.


    Something snapped in Evron. Tancred didn¡¯t see it, not in time at least; he never assumed that the Zenotote would be able to flip so suddenly.


    Tears streaked down Evron¡¯s face, and he screamed. With a burst of speed, he closed the gap between Tancred and himself and smashed the short Bentalousian into the floor with all his might. Tancred let out a grunt from the sudden blow, but Evron didn¡¯t let up as he struck the grey opponent with a series of punches. No impact set a timer for teleportation on Tancred, Evron was too enraged to think clearly, and even if he was, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to give the short Bentalousian a break.


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    Lucchi picked up on the change and Evron and charged in to strike. He swung his bat at the back of Evron¡¯s head, but the blue Zenotote ducked without even looking at his opponent. He moved quickly but stiffly as he spun around and struck Lucchi in the chin.


    Rym gasped as the crime boss was thrust half his height into the air and crashed down on the ground.


    The casino grew silent for a moment as Evron wiped the tears from his eyes. He was surprised to see both Tancred and Lucchi unconscious on the floor, but he had enough experience with the episodes to know what had happened.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Evron said after clearing his throat, ¡°I meant to do you in more eloquently. Rest assured, I will take the two of you down gracefully.¡±


    Odell gulped, and Rym looked around the room for a place to flee.


    Evron targeted Odell first; useless as the prince may have been for the duration of the fight, he still bore a Needaimus, which made him an instant target for any fighter.


    The Hobusian prince, for his part, picked up on Evron¡¯s intentions and ducked to the side just before the blue Zenotote appeared behind him. Though Odell counted his timing as luck, he was beginning to pick up on the patterns of his opponent.


    While Evron gritted his teeth in frustration, Odell looked around for something he could use to defend himself. He was at risk to touch his opponent as he might get teleported away, and even if he didn¡¯t, the blue Zenotote was no pushover when it came to a fight. Odell silently wished for Hal to still be around as he looked for something to use.


    His eyes eventually locked onto one of the statues along the outer wall. It had had its head knocked off in the battle but was a depiction of one of the Ancients, Hanyss, the daughter of Crenussal as the stories went. She was known as a warden of mining, construction, and tools, among other things, and many statues were made with her holding a large metal hammer. Naturally, Odell saw the hammer.


    He quickly ran to the statue and pulled the large metal weapon off. It had a square face, and the back ended at a point. The handle was long and wrapped with leather. Ordinarily, it would be custom to ask permission from the idol before taking from it, but Odell figured he was in enough of a hurry Hanyss would understand.


    The metal object was forged for decoration, not combat, and it made a loud clunk as its weight brought it to the ground. Evron chuckled as he saw Odell try to lift it in a panic. The blue Zenotote began to stroll across the room to his opponent. He spent the time thinking of the worst location possible to send the young prince.


    Odell took a deep breath to calm himself. He realized he was spinning his wheels like he had in the card game. There was no reason he had to worry, he thought to himself. He considered his time fooling around in the castle garage. The mechanics would hide him under tools and equipment when anyone royal came looking¡ªthey loved that the young prince took an interest in them and showed him all sorts of tricks to the trade. He may not have been the brightest when it came to studies, but Odell was confident that he could work his way around a tool, and what was a hammer if not that?


    He thought about what to do, and once he was calm, the idea sprang out in a sudden burst. There were many times when he used his abilities to float while carrying things around. He never thought much of it, but if only his body was made light enough to float, the tools or whatever clothes he had on would have still weighed him down. The Hobusian prince didn¡¯t have much longer to dwell on his idea and instead went straight to practical use. The hammer was lifted off the ground as he focused his ability on it.


    The sudden movement made Evron stop as Odell turned to him with a wide smile. The prince spun the now lightened hammer around like a baton before setting it firmly in his hands.


    Odell burst across the room in a lightened state. Evron just barely jumped back as the hammer was smashed into the floor. The ground shattered in many directions, and the casino shook as Odell turned it heavy just before impact.


    The prince stumbled some as he was also shocked by the blow''s force. He figured about half the applied weight would be good enough for future attacks as he looked back to Evron. The hammer was lifted again, and he prepared for his next attack.


    Evron shook his head and put his plans to teleport Odell away aside. If it was a random spot, the prince could live, and it was quickly becoming apparent to the blue Zenotote that any chance of that was risky. He would have to kill Odell in the casino and ensure it was thorough to be sure that he would not be a threat in the future. Evron held up his arms and glared at Odell as the prince placed the hammer''s handle across his shoulder. For the grey Hobusian¡¯s part, he was unaware of just how dangerous his foe really was.

 109 – Odell Fell Down

    Odell scanned the casino, it hardly had any of the flair the prince saw when first entering, but he didn¡¯t worry too much about the details. What he was interested in was if he could try a maneuver. The quality of the walls and ceiling were necessary, as well as the floor, and as soon as Odell was sure it would work, he didn¡¯t waste another minute.


    With a strong push of his legs, he shot from the floor like a rocket. Spinning midair, he touched his feet to the ceiling and pushed again to change directions. To Rym and Evron, Odell was ricocheting around the room like he was made of rubber. In reality, he was manipulating his weight with such precision and timing anyone would be surprised to find he had come up with the trick out of boredom one day.


    Odell shot around the room with the hammer firm in his hand. With every change in direction, he would pass right by Evron to throw the blue Zenotote off. The grey prince smiled. He had taken down Icarus in Horizon; he had no need to worry about Evron.


    Evron, for his part, closed his slitted eyes and took a deep breath. He felt some frustration that might flip his switch, but he kept it under control as he calmly assessed the situation.


    ¡°You are hardly as confusing as you think, boy,¡± he finally shouted while taking a step to the side. Odell¡¯s hammer crashed into the ground while the prince¡¯s yellow eyes were wide with shock.


    As the ground cracked, Evron grabbed Odell by the back of his neck and slammed his head near his hammer. He grunted, and the bony crown on the prince¡¯s head developed a small fracture.


    ¡°I almost thought you had something in mind, but it seems you were far too simple,¡± Evron said as he smashed Odell¡¯s face back into the ground. The cracks around the hammer''s head began to grow in response, and the whole casino shook.


    Rym, wide-eyed, tried to shout out to the unconscious Tancred, hoping he would wake quickly and help Odell before it was too late.


    The floor cracked more and more and eventually gave out. Everyone inside, unconscious or not, fell into the lobby below in a drop close to two stories high. Most landed on some tiled floor, but Odell and Evron crashed into an ornate marble fountain, breaking it and spilling the water out.


    A receptionist yelped from the desk and down the hallway; at the front entrance, the guard, Harry, cursed. He quickly began to shoo away people at the door before they could see what was unfolding inside.


    Odell pushed himself up and felt his aching crown, it had chipped, and a large chunk was lost from the fall. His clothes were soaked head to toe and felt heavy and cumbersome. He gritted his teeth and hobbled away from the fountain, the hammer barely hanging in his six fingers as he drug it from the spot. He wiped some water away and did his best to tighten the grip around his weapon.


    Evron made a shout that sounded more like a screech as he stood up. He repeatedly clawed at his wet clothes while muttering, ¡®things never go right.¡¯ Eventually, he tore the beautiful and regal fabrics from his chest and tossed them to the floor. His Needaimus on his arm was the only thing that covered above his waist.


    Revealed on the bleached blue body was a series of missing scales. They appeared as spots, creating a polka-dot effect on the Zenotote¡¯s body. No spot was located over a vital organ, and none was as wide as a spearhead carved from a wooden stick.


    Rym was the only one who noticed; being of the same species, she knew it was odd for Evron to look that way. She silently crept over to Tancred while the blue opponent was focused on Odell.


    ¡°Tancred, hey, wake up,¡± she hissed as she shook the grey Bentalousian. He groaned.


    Evron quickly closed the gap between himself and Odell. A heavy kick slammed into the Prince¡¯s face, causing Odell to fall down. His crown shattered the rest of the way, leaving only a small line of the decorative structure across his forehead.


    The blue Zenotote slammed his clawed foot into Odell¡¯s chest and pinned the grey Hobusian to the ground. Odell grunted as he let go of his hammer and grabbed Evron¡¯s ankles with both hands. He struggled to move the leg.


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    ¡°A little luck can get you a long way, but without proper training, you will eventually lose,¡± Evron sneered as he pressed harder. ¡°I suppose it makes sense a spoiled royal would be the one to irritate me.¡± he leaned in close to Odell to whisper the rest, ¡°Once I am done here, I will personally lead an army to burn your Hobusian capital to the ground.¡±


    Odell stared wide-eyed at the blue Zenotote; there were no lies the prince could detect, just rage and fury from his opponent. He felt a sudden fear of his foe and let go of his grip on Evron¡¯s ankles. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do when faced with Evron¡¯s intensity.


    A blue foot smashed into Odell repeatedly, each getting more intense as Evron sought to use the Hobusian prince as a punching bag that could relieve all his stress. Odell grunted as he took each blow, his Needaimus struggling to dull the pain as the attack grew more and more intense. Evron¡¯s teeth were so tightly clenched together he might have thought they could shatter, but the blue Zenotote didn¡¯t care as he continued his unrelenting attack. He wanted to make Odell hurt, then zap him away to some faraway mountain where he would freeze to death.


    Evron might have succeeded if a sudden push from Rym hadn¡¯t thrown him off Odell. She shoved with all her might into his back right when his foot was in the air; the pink and blue Zenotote could not have planned a better moment even if she wanted to.


    Evron was so ecstatic as he attacked Odell that he didn¡¯t notice Rym sneak up on him. He stumbled forward and turned back with a glare at his new opponent. Rym shuddered and backed up, she was not a fighter, and her job as a detective''s assistant was meant to be a placeholder until her art career took off. It was clear to both her and Evron that she was in way over her head.


    Evron smiled and walked forward. It was deliberately slow¡ªfast enough to keep gaining on her as she backed up, but slow enough to take his time¡ªso that Rym had space to become increasingly anxious as he got closer. He delighted in the expressions people made when they were nervous.


    The bleached blue Zenotote stumbled as Odell moved the hammer¡¯s handle in front of his feet. He glared back at the prince while Rym retreated to the unconscious Lucchi.


    ¡°Get up, get up,¡± she shouted at the crime boss, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to fight, then what are you good for!¡±


    Odell propped himself up with the hammer; Evron smiled and watched the prince shakily move up from the floor.


    ¡°You wish to continue, huh?¡± he laughed.


    Odell wished to run away; with all his might, he wanted to flee from the battle and the mad opponent. He wanted to escape to his father, who was much more skilled in combat. He wanted to rely on his showy brother, who would always draw attention. He even wanted to tell his fiance she wasn¡¯t nearly as crazy as he thought.


    If he was alone, he would have fled. But the sight of the worried Rym trying to wake up the only other fighter in the room and of the unconscious Tancred, who had shown him goodwill, kept the prince standing in one spot. His legs shook, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it was from fear or the beating he had just endured.


    One thing was sure to Odell, he was liable to die at Evron¡¯s hand; he would be teleported to some far-off place and die alone. The thought disturbed the prince most of all. If he died, he would rather it would happen while laughing among friends.


    King Fio had a phrase he always liked to say to both his sons, ¡®A king should die before his subjects, a leader before his subordinate, a friend before his comrades.¡¯ Odell had always thought it a little overdramatic. Times were peaceful on Resh; who would be dying? He had thought the rebuttal many times as he retreated to the garage to play with vehakuls.


    Now standing before those who could not fight, his father¡¯s words rang in his head. He smirked.


    ¡°I am really becoming my father.¡± His words were a mix of laughter and disgust.


    Odell lifted his hammer and glared at Evron.


    Evron smirked before vanishing. The next second, he wrapped his arm around Odell¡¯s neck and began to choke the prince. The hammer clanged on the ground. The Hobusian prince became light and floated so that his feet were the same height as Evron¡¯s head. Then, he made his torso heavy, and both slammed down on the ground. Evron gritted his teeth as he stood up and slammed a foot down. It would have landed on Odell¡¯s head if the prince had not managed to move just out of the way in time. The scaly foot sat right next to his head.


    Evron took a deep breath and became calm enough to decide he had played enough games. He settled on teleporting Odell to a random location and being done with it. As he reached down to touch the prince, a sound caused a moment of hesitation. A loud and obnoxious horn was blaring in the distance where the entrance sat. It sounded like a short tune of squeaky sounds that were popular due to a show K.A. Natos had worked on.


    It was enough to give Odell the strength to push away from Evron and stand up. He recognized the horn; he had installed it as a joke to annoy his teammates during happier times¡ªthough he hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to do so. The Hobusian prince had never thought the sound would be a fitting battle cry for the Ali-442¡¯s arrival. Yet, the vehakul came crashing into the hotel lobby moments later. Its hover devices shut off suddenly, and the troop transport skidded across the room, stopping several steps away from where Evron stood.


    ¡°What now?¡± the bleached blue Zenotote whined.

 110 – Hal Disarmed

    Hal ran through the hotel as fast as he could. He cursed the confused guests as he pushed past them; he cursed Odell being nowhere in sight to support him; he cursed his biology for not giving him long legs¡ªhe cursed about everything he could as he ran through the halls with Nero chasing after him.


    The masked man had not closed the gap since the chase began, but it had not increased either. It was clear to the Netzian soldier that he was being toyed with, and that made him curse all the more.


    Guests screamed and became panicked at the sight of the opponents running through the glamorous hotel. Hal, who carried his long rifle in his arms, and Nero, who spun his scythe around while humming, was already a strange sight, but it was made all the more disturbing as the masked man would occasionally swing his scythe at the occasional guest he passed. Some missed, some lost a body part or two, and some were split down the middle. Nero kept it random to make sure his amusement wouldn¡¯t wane.


    Hal placed his rifle over his shoulder to aim backward and fired several shots. Nero merrily bobbed and weaved to avoid the laser fire. As Hal¡¯s gun smoked from the heat, he slid it back into his ability space. He could tell he needed a plan and would have to come up with it quickly.


    The green-haired Netzian pushed through two doors and exited the hotel into a large balcony. About every five floors, the outermost ring of the circular building was made into a sprawling space that allowed people to view the brightness of Nun in all its splendor. The lake that surrounded the hotel sparkled with many bright colors of light, and the sky was so illuminated by the city Hal had to second guess if it was day or night.


    Between the hotel''s walls and the railing, the only things placed were the occasional bench where a couple or family might sit to enjoy the view. Hal didn¡¯t dwell on the scene for too long as Nero soon pushed through the doors after him.


    The green-haired Netzian ran ahead and spun around to face his foe. They were at least on the tenth floor, and he figured his best chance to win might be to get Nero to take a dive.


    ¡°Ah, what a beautiful scene,¡± the masked man mused as he held out a hand to the shining city, ¡°Though, I personally prefer when a city is on fire¡ªI suppose all the bright lights mimic it somewhat¡­. Nonetheless, you picked a wonderful place to die, I¡¯d like to say.¡±


    Hal reached into his ability space and pulled out a combination of weapons. Around his fingers went his metal knuckles, in his left hand, he held his fiery sword, Passion¡¯s Bite, and in his left, he held a sword Nero had not seen before, ¡®Fairy Bite, the vengeance of a spirit forgotten.¡¯ Around his waist, Hal had quickly set his pistols, Twin, and Gemini. Nero couldn¡¯t help but snort at the sight.


    ¡°More weapons then! A jack of all trades but master of none,¡± the masked man said as he spun his scythe around in a way that could only be considered showy.


    Hal ignored him; he instead looked longingly at Fairy Bite; a sacrifice would be needed to defeat Nero, and the green-haired Netzian looked like he might cry at the thought of losing a weapon. With a deep breath, Hal prepared himself, then he glared at Nero.


    The two locked eyes for a moment before Hal began to charge in close. Nero swung his scythe, and the Netzian soldier ducked to avoid the blow. As the blade harmlessly flew over his green hair, he aimed the point of Fairy Bite at Nero¡¯s leg and thrust. There was a brief whistle from the blade. Then, it ran clean through, and an instant later, it was pulled out. The hole was small but noticeable enough for the masked man.


    Hal nodded; that was his only chance to surprise his opponent with the new blade. Had Nero not been so guarded around his vital areas, the Netzian soldier might have tried for a strike there, but he was getting wise enough in the fight to know he needed to play the long game with the masked man.


    Nero dropped to his knees and glared at Hal. The mischievous smile of the mask hid a hideous expression of anger.


    Hal didn¡¯t waste time; he positioned himself, so Nero was the closest to the balcony edge. He swung his fiery sword at the masked man, who leaped back to avoid the strike of the extending blade. As soon as Nero was moving back, Hal went into action. With a move of his hand, he held his sword Fairy Bite like one might have a javelin. He felt a twinge of hesitation but didn¡¯t let the feeling stop the blade from being thrown at Nero. The masked man was shocked as the whistling sword flew at his chest. He twisted just enough for the blade to run through his shoulder.


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    The Netzian soldier did not plan to give up. He threw his firey sword in the air and drew both pistols from his side. Two laser shots were fired, and the overheated guns were tossed to the ground. Nero spun his scythe to deflect the lasers off the metal blade, but Hal was already catching his fiery sword and charging forward.


    He thrust the blade of fire forward at Nero¡¯s stomach. It was stopped by the metal scythe as the masked opponent¡¯s back pressed against the railing of the balcony.


    Hal wasn¡¯t finished with his attack; he quickly let go of the sword and swung his metal-covered fists at Nero¡¯s head. A large crack ran across the mask''s smile as Nero was thrust over the railing. Hal fell back into a seated position with heavy breath. He had done it, the plan was not foolproof and demanded much from him, but he managed to defeat Nero. As he gasped for air, he hoped the masked man could not swim and would perish in the lake below.


    The green-haired Netzian pushed himself up and began to plan to collect all the weapons he had dropped. There were several on the balcony and several more where he and Nero first met, and he would not be satisfied until all were cleaned and safely away.


    A loud laugh stopped Hal from moving from his spot. He quickly moved to the balcony and cursed as he looked over.


    The scythe was lodged into the side of the building, and hanging on it was the masked man who laughed maniacally. The sword Fairy Bite was still lodged in his shoulder, but Nero didn¡¯t seem to care all that much.


    As he laughed, the cracked portion of the mask fell away, revealing the left side of Nero¡¯s mouth. Where the mischievous smile had once sat was replaced with the smile of what could only be considered a madman.


    Hal backed up and turned to his firey sword. He ran to the blade as Nero flew up from below and landed back on the balcony as if nothing had happened. He pulled out Fairy Bite and threw it over the edge while his laughter subsided.


    ¡°You are quite something! It takes a lot to overwhelm me, even if it was only for an instant!¡± Hal held his blade up, but Nero kept talking. ¡°Where you went wrong was assuming I couldn¡¯t keep up with all your attacks. The thin sword had a surprising amount of force behind it, but the other attacks were rather dull by comparison. Still, I don¡¯t humor everyone,¡± Nero stopped to laugh to himself before finishing in almost a hissing whisper, ¡°You should be glad!¡±


    ¡°Your talk is hardly as amusing as you think it is,¡± Hal replied.


    ¡°I suppose this fun should end soon; I would hate for you to run out of tricks and become boring. So, I¡¯ll just finish you while you are still interesting!¡±


    Hal charged at Nero with his fiery sword still in his hand. He planned to feint an attack and flee; additional aid would be needed to finish his foe; he was quite sure of that now. Nero didn¡¯t seem at all concerned with Hal¡¯s charge and simply kept talking.


    ¡°You see, Needaimus are fun and all, but once the trick runs its course, they get rather boring. I don¡¯t know how many people I¡¯ve seen keep repeating the same move over and over again like it will do something different.¡± In a blur, Nero moved behind Hal. The movement was swift, and the Netzian soldier only saw the masked man disappear.


    Nero held something in his hand as he casually walked behind Hal. At first, the green-haired Netzian only saw from his periphery, but as he turned, what the masked man held became clear.


    A red Needaimus bonded arm. The fiery sword fell from the dismembered limb and clanged on the floor as Hal¡¯s yellow eyes turned to his shoulder.


    The cut was clean. Smooth and precise, it had been made right along the edge of Hal¡¯s red Needaimus, slicing just the exposed skin between the shoulder and the neck in one clean blow. It was a tricky maneuver, the kind brought up in question during military training, but usually passed over due to the chances of a fighter pulling it off being low. A blade that hit a Needaimus would bounce off, and if it swayed too far the other way, it might strike a head, ending the user''s life far more quickly.


    Hal didn¡¯t have time to ponder what had happened. The pain set in as soon as he laid eyes on the wound. He clutched at the injury and fell to his knees. Nero chuckled and tossed the arm to the side. Hal¡¯s Needaimus, No. 5, broke free from the limb and ran back to its partner.


    From underneath the cracked mask, Nero smirked. He kicked No. 5 down the balcony; the red metallic creature bounced on the ground several times before coming to a stop, then the masked man scooped the flame sword up. With a few steps that seemed more like skips, he smacked Hal¡¯s hand away and lifted the Netzian by the collar.


    The flame of the blade was held to Hal¡¯s sliced shoulder. He winced and bit his lower lip to avoid showing any sign of pain to the masked opponent.


    ¡°Probably shouldn¡¯t kill you all the way,¡± Nero mused as the fire cauterized the wound. ¡°Might be a damper to the long-term plan; it is always the worst when you have to work with others, though you wouldn¡¯t know what I mean. I suppose this will be a good lesson; you should count yourself lucky; not many have a chance to learn from a fight with me¡­ on account of them all dying.¡±


    Hal could barely focus on the words Nero spoke. He quickly fell unconscious, to which the masked man shrugged. Once the wound was closed, Nero dropped Hal and the fiery sword to the ground. He slung the scythe over his shoulder and grabbed the Netzian by a leg. Then he happily whistled as he walked away, dragging Hal along.

 Resh Christmas Special - Hal

    Twas Christmas on Resh, in the Netzian Capital of Roanoke.


    Fresh snow had begun to fall, leaving young Hal¡¯s clothes soaked.


    The green-haired boy groaned and threw his jacket to the side,


    The skin bound to his metal arm ached, but if you asked him, he would have lied.


    In the not-so-humble home, which was built for the ruling Dare,


    Feya, the leader in question, made Christmas preparations without care.


    ¡°Hi Hal, come help me put up the reef!¡± she said with glee.


    The boy responded, ¡°don¡¯t you have better things to do than put up a tree?¡±


    She waved away his question with an arm half covered in scales,


    And with a dash to the side, she continued to decorate and all that it curtails.


    ¡°Big brother!¡± voices cried out from a room down the hall.


    Soon two short twins came running without concern that they might trip and fall.


    The first girl, with long, wild green hair and an expression that invited unease,


    The second, with a short bob and a look that suggested she wanted to please.


    Hal¡¯s lips curled up into a smile, a rare occasion, to be sure.


    He pulled both in for a hug as if, for his sour mood, they were the cure.


    ¡°Good to see you, Isabella,


    And you two, Gabriella.¡±


    He greeted both with joy. Family celebrations were the only thing to bring him glee.


    ¡°But where is your older sister? Have you seen Hayleigh?¡±


    The last sister, only 7 days younger than Hal, had not come to greet.


    Feya replied. ¡°Oh, she heard Gwyn might come and is baking some treats.¡±


    Hal made a groan and bonded to his Needaimus,


    He would pull a weapon out and leave no room for Gwyn to discuss.


    ¡°Oh, calm down, Hal,¡± Feya said with a laugh, ¡°She¡¯s not on the street anymore.¡±


    Hal replied: ¡°He may call me a friend, but if he touches her, he¡¯s done for.¡±


    The younger twins, Isabella, and Gabriella seeing Hal needed a distraction, spoke:


    ¡°Big brother, we¡¯ve been thinking about what we want for Christmas, and it¡¯s a cloak!¡±


    Hal turned to his sisters, forgetting his frustration at hearing what he would have to buy.


    He smiled an honest grin and simply asked: ¡°Why?¡±


    Gabriella spoke first: ¡°So I can run and play in the snow!¡±


    Isabella added: ¡°So they won¡¯t see my knife before the killing blow.¡±


    Hal put his hands on top of both their heads, right on the hair,


    And rustled it with tender care.


    ¡°Oh, you know what I want!¡± Feya interjected herself in,


    ¡°I saw a matching necklace to the three you got from Horizon!¡±


    She showed Hal a picture on her tablet, and he nodded to show he understood.


    He asked: ¡°Don¡¯t you think that is a little childish for one so far in adulthood?¡±


    Feya brushed away his questions and pulled the younger twins close.


    ¡°Perhaps I would like to match these two, the cuteness pros.¡±


    Hal shook his head as the leader asked the girls if they¡¯d like to play,


    ¡°You still have work to do!¡± he said before he walked away.


    The other three followed, curious as to where he would go next.


    The green-haired boy had no idea what made them so vexed.


    Hayleigh stood in the fancy kitchen as the other cooks watched in fear,


    the treats were burnt, for the girls¡¯ cooking skills were bottom tier.


    ¡°Oh, Hal,¡± she said upon seeing her older brother, who entered silently,


    ¡°For Christmas, would you be able to get a cookbook? Then maybe I can do it, finally.


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    ¡°A book won¡¯t help; you¡¯d just burn it with the cookies!¡± Isabella said with a laugh.


    Her twin took a charred piece,¡± I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not too bad,¡± she said for Hayleigh¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°You just need some help!¡± Feya chimed in, ¡°I can give you some pointers if you¡¯d like!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can get it,¡± the girl replied, ¡°I just need to find the right way to strike!¡±


    Feya smiled and said: ¡°It¡¯s okay to get help; we¡¯re family; after all, I am your mother.¡±


    Hal corrected: ¡°Adoptive, her family is made up of her sisters and brother.¡±


    Feya made an uncharacteristic frown, which Hal would have noticed if he wasn¡¯t so dense.


    She politely excused herself, and his sisters began to scold him for having no common sense.


    ¡°How could you!¡± Hayleigh cried. ¡°Such words only made sense on the streets.


    But now we live here, eating well and even getting sweets!¡±


    ¡°That was so mean!¡± the twins said together, ¡°Is our brother no better than a toad?¡±


    Hal grumbled and excused himself; he fled to the door and stepped out onto the cold road.


    The Christmas celebration had begun; decorations lined the city,


    Enhanced from Gwyn¡¯s up-to-date input, they made everything quite pretty.


    The only one who didn¡¯t take in the scene, deep in contemplation, was young Hal,


    With hands in pockets and head down, he walked parallel to the snowy canal.


    He stopped at the bookstore first, then the clothing store after,


    Shopping for his sisters was easy, and he hoped to hear their merry laughter.


    With bags firmly in his hands, he stopped next in front of the jewelry store,


    Shopping for another felt to him like quite the chore.


    But he wasn¡¯t so lost that he couldn¡¯t reflect on his words.


    Something was needed to make amends, and nothing would make Hal undeterred.


    Still, the shopkeeper¡¯s words made his quest all the more disparaging:


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time; can¡¯t you see I was robbed? They stole almost everything!¡±


    Thieves had broken in the night before,


    Leaving a calling card on the door.


    Hal recognized the mark, old¡ª¡°coworkers,¡± let¡¯s say¡ª


    He had hoped to never see it again, not since leaving his street criminal heyday.


    Frustrated, the young man found a snowy bench down the path,


    He couldn¡¯t let his face get seen if he would make the criminals incur his wrath.


    That was when a large man in a jolly red suit passed by, having finished delivering gifts without pause.


    It was a new sight to Resh¡ªbut one quickly accepted¡ªthe so-called Santa Claus.


    An idea struck Hal, the perfect plan in which he could trick all their eyes.


    He grabbed the man by the shoulders and asked a question to acquire the perfect disguise.


    ¡°Santa Claus, I need to borrow your suit and beard.¡±


    The man in red, of course, found this request very weird.


    Hal did his best to explain in any way that would make the man hear.


    ¡°Very well, my boy, I understand. I will help, provided you give some Christmas cheer.¡±


    Santa produced an extra coat and boots, along with a white beard and red hat.


    ¡°There is an orphanage on the corner of Main and Sprat,


    I expect you to be there, passing out gifts in this sack.¡±


    The bag was empty; Hal figured the Santa must be some quack.


    He accepted the gifts and donned his disguise.


    Then he departed to beat some criminals and get his prize.


    The robbers had an old warehouse where they set up shop.


    The young Santa walked on the roof, finding a suitable spot to drop.


    There were faces he recognized; he knew them, as he suspected.


    He fastened the beard and hat, his disguise perfected.


    Pulling a sword and gun from the pocket dimension,


    He suddenly broke through the glass and filled the criminals with tension.


    ¡°Its¡­ Santa!¡± one cried in shock.


    Another added: ¡°What a bunch of crock.¡±


    Hal held his sword high as he dashed through.


    It took the criminals a moment before they could muster all their crew.


    They swarmed around him like flies headed to a fire,


    And they were taken down with ease, never realizing the situation was most dire.


    The last of them gave up the treasure with ease; gold and silver metals all piled up,


    Hal quickly pushed everything in his sack, quick to work before there would be backup.


    He left the injured criminals to nurse their wounds, his face still a mystery.


    The plan had worked; they would not be able to track down his family.


    The young Santa returned the jewelry to the shop,


    Signaling out the special one, ¡°I¡¯d like to buy this for full price, do not let it drop.¡±


    The shopkeeper insisted on a discount, but Hal refused.


    He did not want to feel in any way that he may have abused.


    With the sale made, the young boy left the shop, pocketing the gift he wished to go straight home.


    He would need to return the clothes, but the Santa had disappeared, and all he could do was roam.


    Hal almost gave up and walked away but stopped short as the sack began to pull.


    Inspecting inside showed that it had suddenly become full,


    Wrapped presents of all kinds lined the inside,


    So many, in fact, that his eyes went wide.


    What technology the Santa had used escaped the youngster,


    But the orphans¡¯ gifts were there, and he had to deliver, even if he was an amateur.


    The children cried with glee when Santa, though skinny, came to visit.


    They asked for a story, and he told of the bad elves he had just corrected without getting too explicit.


    The presents were passed out one by one to each child,


    Happiness hung in the air, and all couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    When the sack finally ran out, and each had a gift, Hal excused himself,


    Saying he needed to leave and return to the good elves.


    Before throwing the empty sack away, he found a couple more things,


    A handwritten note and five golden rings.


    Good job, young man, the note had written out,


    The clothes and rings are my gifts to you; you will use them wisely, I have no doubt.


    Hal rolled his eyes at the strange man who took Christmas a little too far,


    An examination of the rings revealed that they shined like a star.


    The young man returned to his home and snuck in through the window.


    If his sisters saw him dressed up, it would be like giving them ammo.


    He quickly got to work wrapping, crude as he made it look, the gifts were complete.


    The three siblings were all found gawking at Hayleigh¡¯s burnt treats.


    Hal quickly presented his gifts to his sisters, and they were opened,


    Then he presented the rings, something Hal did not originally intend.


    His sisters slid the rings on their fingers; they were perfect fits. He pointed to his own,


    With a string through the middle and around his neck, where it could be shone.


    Hayleigh began to work hard, and the younger twins jumped in to help. Hal left them to their test,


    Finding Feya was his next task and arguably the most challenging part of the quest.


    She had retreated into her study, frowning while shuffling through papers to sign,


    Hal looked away as he dropped the necklace; he did not see her smile shine.


    ¡°Hal, you¡¯re the best!¡± she cried as she pulled him into a hug.


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± he replied with a shrug.


    The young man continued: ¡°It is almost time for the party. I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you to have fun.¡±


    Hal presented the last ring as they began to walk out, leaving her stunned.


    ¡°My sisters have some; you can match or whatnot.¡±


    He explained, making sure his own was hidden under his shirt so he couldn¡¯t be caught.


    They quickly began to finish the preparations, and before long, the party was underway.


    The celebration was filled with friends from all over Resh, people were merry, and children ran to play.


    The joy carried late into the evening under the lights on the tree, which glowed bright.


    Until the end came, and everyone departed saying: ¡°Have a merry Christmas and a good night!¡±

 111 – The Ali Arrives at the Hotel

    The nighttime highway lights sped by the Ali-442 as Fiona struggled to find which button could slow them down. The button that caused the initial burst in acceleration did nothing when pressed a second time, and whatever Odell had wired in was routed around the brakes. The Ali made a continued roar and shook like it was going to fall apart as it flew down the road.


    In a panicked state, Fiona began to press button after button. Liv and Felix watched helplessly as the vehakul fired off flares, let out a loud horn, had things emerge and return from panels on the side, and all manners of things Odell had wasted time to add to the transport in his free time.


    Fiona herself would have been impressed he got so much done¡ªshe couldn¡¯t argue with his technical prowess at the very least¡ªif she wasn¡¯t so concerned with not crashing.


    She pressed another button and let out a smokescreen behind the Ali, which flooded the road with a thick covering.


    ¡°Princess!¡± Felix cried out. He had been trained for endless torture, awful mind manipulation, and all manners of mental defense for his career, but it was at this moment he discovered a new fear¡ªdying due to Fiona¡¯s reckless driving.


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it!¡± she shouted. The blue princess pressed another button on the dashboard, and the Ali finally made a good sound. Whatever had overdriven the engine was shut off, and they quickly began to decelerate.


    All in the vehakul made a collective sigh of relief. Fiona began to slow down significantly. It was only at that moment she realized that her hands shook. She gripped the wheel tighter to keep them still and made a mental note; she would never drive again.


    They didn¡¯t get too long of a break.


    Liv was the first to notice a large black shadow emerging from within the smokescreen. She tapped Felix and pointed, and the Hobusian agent¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    From within the smoke, an unknown vehakul emerged. It was short and bulky with a metallic black coating. The front resembled a V-shaped snowplow, and the body of it seemed more like a battleship. The hovering technology barely kept the thing above the ground, an open hand wouldn¡¯t have been able to fit, but the flat highway was the perfect spot for it.


    On top of the bulky vehakul stood an equally bulky Netzian man. Thorir smiled as they chased after the Ali. He looked down a hatch at the top and shouted.


    ¡°I see them now; get closer!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and get in here!¡± Sabia shouted back from inside. The yellow-haired Netzian grunted and climbed in one of the vehakul¡¯s many seats. Sabia sat in the front with three tablets connected to cameras on the front sides and back. Thorir was in charge of manning the cannon.


    The strange vehakul was one Nun had been experimenting in for defense. A radical designer had been thinking about bunkers and what would happen if a bunker could move. The result was the giant vehakul that currently pursued the Ali-442.


    Felix returned to the Gatling gun on top and fired at the new opponent, but the laser shots bounced harmlessly off the metal body and quickly dissipated with little explosions, like fireworks. Inside the bulky black vehakul, Thorir turned a crank.


    ¡°This is hardly a way to fight!¡± he shouted as sights on a tablet aimed at the Ali.


    ¡°Shut up and shoot!¡± Sabia fired back.


    Thorir grunted and pulled a lever. Out of the front of the vehakul, a long barrel began to extend. Felix¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he ducked back into the Ali.


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    ¡°Swerve to the side!¡± he shouted.


    Fiona didn¡¯t know what to think, but she did as told. A moment later, a large blast of red energy sailed past the Ali and exploded in front of them. Fiona shivered as they drove past the damaged road.


    ¡°Does your Needaimus have a counter to that!¡± Liv shouted as steam poured out from the sides of the chasing vehakul. The blue princess did not know what to say in response. She might have been able to face it by teleporting around but couldn¡¯t do anything while behind the wheel.


    ¡°Just keep driving; it looks like it needs time to cool down!¡± Felix replied. Both agents moved to the back of the Ali to look at the opposing vehakul.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s so fast!¡± Liv said in shock.


    ¡°They are probably pushing its capabilities. We just need to stall, and then we can get out of this mess.¡± A thought popped up in Felix¡¯s mind, and he quickly looked at the road signs. They weren¡¯t quite where he wanted to be, but they were close enough to get off. ¡°Princess! Get off at the next exit and make a left!¡± he shouted.


    Fiona simply assumed they were close to the hotel and followed his directions. She slammed on the brakes to slow the transport for the turn. The vehakul drifted off the highway while a building exploded from another laser blast.


    Felix shifted to the front and began to give Fiona directions through the streets. The large vehakul chased after, as well as it could through the grid of brightly lit Nun streets. People out to party ran and screamed as they barreled through. As Felix had assumed, the bulky opponent took more time to slow down and speed up, and with every turn, the gap grew more and more.


    Fiona spun and twisted the wheel as fast as she could; with each turn, all of the opponent''s attacks missed by a hair, and the stress caused her to grind her teeth. Eventually, the tall hotel came into view on a long stretch of road that circled the pond. Felix cursed as he looked back.


    Despite the difficulty, the pursuers had not let up. The bulky vehakul was far off but still in view.


    Fiona saw a road that led out to the lake and got an idea. She quickly diverted the Ali down the small road.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Felix shouted with concern.


    Fiona answered by turning off the lights and pressing a button on the Ali. The floatation device inflated in an instant as she drove into the lake.


    The bulky vehakul followed as fast as it could. Sabia didn¡¯t notice the trick until it was too late. She tried to stop, but the large mobile bunker drove directly into the water. The hovering technology held out on the calm lake for a moment but eventually gave out, and the vehakul sank with a large splash.


    The Ali, on its own, groaned as Fiona tried to use her initial momentum to turn around. The hovering devices had sunk under the water and struggled to propel their vehakul. It was slow, but she had been careful not to go too far from the coast. The Ali made a grinding sound as they slowly slid back onto the dry shore. All the while, she wanted to shout for the vehakul to keep going and fight harder.


    As their opponents safely reached the shore, Sabia and Thorir came out of the bulky vehakul hatch, the only thing not submerged in the water.


    ¡°Useless technology,¡± the tall Netzian muttered. Sabia kept quiet, but her green face was twisted in a hideous expression of anger. ¡°Now we do it my way!¡± Thorir grabbed the green Aqueenian before she could protest and leaped off the bulky vehakul. She cried as they landed on top of the Ali just as it came up from the water. The bulky Netzian had one arm wrapped around her waist, which was the only thing that kept her from hitting the ground.


    Sabia let out a yelp as Fiona quickly accelerated. The only thing which would keep her on top of the Ali was Thorir holding on, and she didn¡¯t trust him to remember she was there when he started fighting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡± she shouted as she pointed her long Needaimus down the open hatch in the Ali¡¯s roof. Felix cursed himself for not closing it as he ducked out of the way. The windshield glass cracked as Sabia fired several shots at the driver. She could not get the right angle to hit Fiona, but the blue princess didn¡¯t know that.


    The Ali swerved back and forth as it went around the lake and began its drive across the long bridge to the hotel. She began to echo the horn to warn those standing in the way to move. As people ducked out of the way, Fiona sped up more.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t!¡± Sabia gasped. Thorir laughed in reply and leaped backward off the Ali.


    The vehakul smashed through the front of the hotel. At the same time, Thorir landed flat on his feet and slid to a stop while standing up. He gently set Sabia down, but the green Aqueenian was too shaken to stand¡ªshe fell to her knees.


    Thorir, for his part, smiled.


    ¡°Finally! We can get some good fighting in!¡±


    He left Sabia behind as he marched into the fight.

 112 – A Turn in the Fight

    Fiona and Evron stared at each other for a moment, her in the driver''s seat and Evron steps away from the Ali¡¯s hood. A little further back Odell wiped some sweat from under his broken crown.


    In a flash, the blue princess teleported out of the vehakul and next to the injured prince.


    ¡°Odell! What happened?¡± she shouted. Odell stared at the dinged and scratched Ali for a moment. He closed his eyes while turning away and answered Fiona after a deep breath.


    ¡°Tough opponent; he teleports people away by touching them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one thing after another; it wasn¡¯t supposed to be this annoying; they weren¡¯t supposed to make it this far¡­¡± the bleached blue Zenotoe muttered under his breath. Even if Fiona and Odell wanted to respond, they could not make out enough of what he said.


    As he ground his teeth back and forth, Evron charged at Fiona. She locked onto him as he tapped her. In a flash, the blue princess was gone.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± Odell cried out. Liv held a hand to her mouth in shock as she stepped out of the van with her gun ready. Felix shook his head from inside.


    Evron laughed, turned to Odell, and stretched out his clawed hand to finish the job. There was no way for him to be prepared for a kick in the back of his scaly head as Fiona reappeared¡ªher purple eyes fierce as she glared at her new opponent. In a flash of red light, Odell was moved across the room, far away from anyone else. Evron turned around and gnashed his teeth while pressing a hand to the sore spot on his head. He quickly zapped the blue princess away again, but she reappeared in a blue flash to kick him in the shin.


    As he tried to touch Fiona again, she zapped behind him and kicked him in the back. Evron stumbled forward and rubbed where she had landed a blow. He let out a cry of laughter.


    ¡°A teleporter! Well, that is lovely.¡±


    Fiona reappeared behind Evron, but he disappeared as she tried for another blow. She began to look around for him, but he reappeared and tapped her shoulder before she realized. The blue princess vanished again but returned in a flash of light the next moment.


    Fiona quickly zapped to Odell¡¯s side before Evron could react; he glared at her as he ground his teeth. Liv tried to fire a laser shot at him, but the bleached blue Zenotote leaned to one side to avoid it as he walked in the blue princess''s direction.


    ¡°Odell, what¡¯s the deal with him? He keeps teleporting me all over the place! You wouldn¡¯t believe where that last one was too!¡± she said.


    ¡°I think when he teleports people quickly, it is to a random location. He is probably hoping he¡¯ll get lucky if he keeps sending you away, be careful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little weird to hear you be so cautious.¡±


    ¡°He also seems to have a tendency to lose it¡­ I don¡¯t know, but he will almost become another person if you get him angry enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m pretty good at that!¡±


    Fiona flashed away from Odell without another word. The Hobusian prince leaned on his hammer and sighed. He felt the jagged edge of his broken crown; it would have to be filed, which would reflect poorly on his family. Hobusian practice was to never file one¡¯s crown, as it was a sign of loss and defeat. The grey prince reached a decision after a few moments of thought. When he returned home, he would ask his father to put him in more training. The thought bothered him, but he didn¡¯t like the idea of losing again.


    With his decision made and the battle entrusted to Fiona. Odell¡¯s exhaustion coaxed his eyes shut, they grew heavy, and he slumped to the floor. Within seconds, he was falling over, out cold. His Needaimus, Cal, popped off his arm and attempted to break the prince''s fall to his head smacking the floor. His body made a thump, and the hammer made a clang as both hit the lobby floor. Only Rym noticed Odell passing out, and she quickly left Lucchi¡¯s side to ensure he was okay.


    Fiona and Evron began a wild dance as they traded blows. The blue princess would constantly disappear and reappear, sometimes by her ability and sometimes by her opponents. She would sometimes get in blows, and Evron, after a while, started to mix strikes in with his teleporting touch. What was clear to Liv and Felix as they got out of the Ali was that the fight was not something they could readily jump into.


    A similar conclusion was reached by Thorir, who had run in to join the fight. He shook his head. To the yellow-haired Netzian, it was clear that Evron would come out on top. Fiona had a momentary upper hand due to the slippery nature of her ability, but she did not have the wealth of fighting experience that the bleached Zenotote had to simply trade blows.


    Instead, Thorir turned to the duo of Nun agents. He made a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a whimper.


    ¡°Weaklings¡­ are there no strong fighters anywhere?¡± he muttered.


    Liv aimed her gun at the bulky Netzian and fired several shots. He dodged with a lazy sidestep. Felix stepped forward and pointed his knife.


    ¡°Careful, he seems dangerous,¡± the Hobusian agent warned.


    ¡°You say that about many people, but you might be right this time.¡±


    ¡°If you two back down, I won¡¯t have to smash your heads in. It¡¯s not a bad deal,¡± Thorir offered. He had no interest in wasting time-fighting the two.


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    As he slowly began to walk toward his opponents, Liv fired another shot. It burned a black mark onto Thorir¡¯s arm, but he showed no reaction to indicate pain. Felix charged forward and swiped at Thorir¡¯s stomach. The bulky Netzian was almost twice the height of the Hobusian agent, and as he looked down at his opponent, his eyes were filled with sadness. It was a solemn look as if Thorir had to kill a tiny, helpless animal instead of a trained agent.


    Without hesitation, he drove Felix to the ground with a single downward punch. No electrification, only his brute strength, was required for the foe. The Hobusian agent¡¯s crown was shattered as he was flattened to the floor; he was easily rendered unconscious. Tears flew from Liv¡¯s eyes as she madly fired three shots at Thorir, but none fazed the bulky Netzian.


    Fiona zapped away from her fight into the air above to look at the whole scene. She had watched Felix get taken down, and it was clear she needed an idea if she hoped to win. Liv disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared next to Odell. Both the Netzian agent and Rym jumped in shock from the sudden movement. Seconds later, Thorir¡¯s fist shattered the floor where Liv had just stood. Fiona appeared by Odell as well.


    ¡°Hey, Odell!¡± she cried out, but the prince was too beaten to wake up. Fiona turned to Rym. She thought about asking the blue-pink Zenotote for help but decided against it at the last minute¡ª the detective assistant¡¯s eyes quivered as she held back tears. The Aqueenian princess turned and stared at Evron across the room. He spat as Thorir approached him, and Sabia shakily walked through the entrance.


    ¡°You need help squashing that bug?¡± the bulky Netzian asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Evron snapped, ¡°but apparently, you did on the way here.¡±


    Thorir frowned but kept his mouth shut. Sabia rolled her eyes and joined the other two.


    ¡°While you chit-chat, they can come up with a plan,¡± she sighed while pushing down the feeling of her racing heart and shaky legs. Jumping off that vehakul took at least three years of my life, she added in thought while glaring at the oblivious Thorir.


    ¡°There is nothing for them to do, just watch from the sidelines like good¡­.¡± Evron stopped his sentence short and closed his eyes for a moment. After a few deep breaths, he turned with a grunt to Fiona. ¡°Apologies, I am letting my anger run out to my allies when it should be focused on that biaskylo.¡± His teeth crunched from grinding as he spoke.


    Sabia rolled her eyes and headed over to lean on the wall. Thorir stood a moment before grunting and joining the green Aqueenian.


    Fiona let out a sigh of relief. She, for the moment, only needed to focus on Evron, but she could tell she wouldn¡¯t get anywhere by simply trading blows. Running would have been the most straightforward plan, but Fiona wasn¡¯t sure she could get everyone away quickly enough. She had to fight to protect them.


    At that moment, she took proper notice of the hammer Odell had been using. She had been so focused on his injuries and the fight at hand that the large chunk of metal evaded her attention, and she wondered how she possibly missed it. Her first thought was to pick it up and try it, but considering how heavy it looked, she knew that wouldn¡¯t happen.


    Then another idea came to the blue princess. She pondered it but quickly decided it was best not to hesitate. If Evron was paying attention to the Ali, he would have noticed a flash of blue light there as Fiona disappeared similarly.


    She reappeared near the ceiling, and at the same time, the large Gatling gun appeared next to her. As she fell, the crank of the weapon creaked as it spun. Several laser shots were fired, but Fiona had to disappear and reappear at the top again before getting to close to the ground. She trained the gun at Evron as she hastily spun as fast as possible. He could do nothing as a burst of laser shots bellowed out of the gun and ripped through his torso.


    The attack only lasted a second, long enough fro Fiona to get multiple shots in before she had to teleport again or hit the ground. She zapped back by Odell, and the gun boomed as it landed on the floor next to her.


    Evron had at least ten holes in his chest, but no green ooze of Zenotote blood came from them. Instead, sparks burst out. He stumbled back and held his hand over the center of his chest. A cough brought up oily phlegm. His eyes were like knifes stabbing Fiona, but his legs were too shaky to charge in a blind rage. With no outlet for his fury, he began to violently claw at his arms¡ªtearing scales off in the process.


    A laugh caught the attention of the room. Nero rested on his scythe next to the lobby''s staircase like he was about to fall over.


    ¡°Oh, how the great Evron falls!¡± he chuckled before tossing the unconscious Hal to the side. Fiona¡¯s purple eyes grew wide at the sight of the armless Netzian; Rym held her clawed hands above her mouth. Across the room, Sabia closed her eyes and looked away from the injured boy.


    No one had much time to contemplate. Fiona zapped in front of Nero; her purple eyes were almost ablaze with fury, but she was swatted away like a fly. She bounced across the floor several times before crashing into the outer wall.


    ¡°Hold on, Hal,¡± she whispered as she slowly began to stand back up.


    ¡°Just great,¡± the masked man muttered. ¡°The two I was warned not to kill are making it very hard.¡± He spun his scythe so that is formed back into the shape of a violin and began to play a sad, slow song while walking to Evron.


    ¡°Nero,¡± the bleached Zenotote coughed as sparks flew from his chest. His breath was heavy as he came out of his enraged state, but the bleached blue Zenotote¡¯s body felt weaker. He involuntarily fell to one knee as Nero came close. Even accidentally, making it seem like he had bowed to the masked man, made Evron¡¯s stomach turn.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see our leader losing to¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ some kids, some useless agents, and oh, is that a private detective agency over there?¡± Nero spoke with a sneer. ¡°Now, while I would love to kill this whole crowd, and you do know how I enjoy that, I am a realist, and as such, I know once your backup battery shuts down, we won¡¯t be able to teleport.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Evron shot back as he shakily pushed himself up to his feet.


    Nero sighed. He looked to Thorir and Sabia and shook his head while throwing his hands up.


    ¡°R-e-t-r-e-a-t. You ought to make the command while you are still conscience. We are wasting enough time here already. Have you forgotten the reasons we were in Nun in the first place? Why I heard several reports of our safehouses being raided but not even one word of the mayor¡¯s death yet!¡±


    Evron silently tapped Nero¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You have fifteen minutes to play; burn some of that energy off before we get back to the commander.¡±


    Nero made a broad smile under his cracked mask.


    ¡°I take back what I said! You might be an okay guy!¡± his violin unfolded back into a scythe as he turned to his new opponents.


    Evron stumbled across the room and tapped Thorir next, then Sabia, before finishing on himself. They all disappeared in the order tapped. Thorir sighed and had a whisper of ¡®no good fights¡¯ before getting cut off. Sabia did her best to look at the ground but couldn¡¯t help but move her eyes to look at the injured Hal before vanishing. Evron pulled out his sparking chest, revealing a large oval hole in the center. He tossed the sparking contraption to the side and coughed.


    ¡°Probably has three minutes,¡± the bleached blue Zenotote said before vanishing.


    Nero turned to the remaining opponents. Liv and Rym backed up at the sight of his fearsome smile, or what of it that they could see. Fiona pressed a hand against a wall and used it as support while breathing heavily. The others remained unconscious, blissfully unaware of all that had gone on.

 113 – Nero’s Farwell

    ¡°Now then,¡± the masked man said while spinning his blade around. ¡°Who to kill first?¡±


    He walked to the sparking device that had once been Evron¡¯s chest and picked it up. Stabbing the point of his blade in the machine made it begin to hum and smoke. ¡°Three minutes really is too long,¡± He muttered before tossing it in the air at Liv and Rym. It disappeared in a flash of blue light and reappeared by Nero¡¯s side. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be¨C¡° Nero was cut off as a bright electrical ball formed around him.


    None in the large lobby had a chance to rest from the sight. Instead of hearing cries of pain, they heard laughter¡ªas if someone just showed the masked man something mildly humorous. He stepped clear of the electricity as it dissipated. The clothes and skin that showed were burnt, but Nero didn¡¯t display any signs of being weakened.


    Fiona zapped in front of Nero and jammed her foot into his chest. He was unfazed, but she expected as much. Over her head, the Gatling gun once again flashed in close. She teleported near it and attempted the same move as done on Evron. Nero laughed as he jumped high in the air. The princess had only just started turning the crank when the masked man sliced into the weapon.


    The gun was cut cleanly in two, and Fiona just barely managed to disappear before it was too late. A second slower, her hands would have been sliced along with it.


    Appearing above Nero¡¯s head, Fiona did her best to drive her feet into it. The thought horrified her, but she figured it might be best to try to snap his neck. Nero reached back and grabbed Fiona by the leg as he perfectly landed on the ground. She could not react before he threw her to the floor; her blue face smacked into the ground, and she held hands over where the pain radiated. Before the princess could stand back up, Nero sliced down her back with his scythe. The dress¡¯s back was shredded, revealing her scar. A new stream of blood ran out from where the blade tip made a minor incision.


    He pressed the end of the handle on her now bare back and used it to hold her down.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± Liv cried. She aimed her gun at Nero, but a glare from his masked face made her hesitate a moment.


    ¡°Little princess, your life, however worthless to me, is valued somewhat¡­ only a little. You would do well to take this injury lying down before I am forced to do worst. I mean, just look at your green-haired friend.¡±


    Fiona gritted her teeth as she held in a shudder. She zapped above Nero¡¯s head. He sighed and swung to chop off her legs. Fiona teleported away just as the blade nicked her and reappeared in front of Rym and Liv. The Netzian agent wasted no more time and began to open fire on Nero.


    He spun his scythe around and harmlessly bounced the laser shots away until the gun began to overheat.


    Fiona! Sun said in the blue princess''s mind. I¡¯ve been tracking since he said fifteen minutes earlier. From that moment, you have thirty seconds left.


    The blue princess hardly heard her Needaimus. With several faces behind her, she knew her scar was on full display.


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    Almost as if he knew his time was short, Nero made a charge at the others. Fiona tried to teleport to his side and distract him, but he ignored her, and her blows were weak due to thoughts about her scar showing.


    Liv and Rym backed up with wide eyes showing fear as the masked man closed in. He aimed his heavy blade at Liv and sunk it deep into her left arm before vanishing. She gasped and fell to her knees, her hand pressed firmly on the open wound. If he had more seconds, she would have been cut in two, and that reality was sinking in.


    Fiona fell to her knees, and tears began to roll down her blue face. A rush of feelings she could not identify overtook her.


    The first to speak was the pink and blue Zenotote.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± she shouted to Liv, ¡°don¡¯t just sit there; surely you carry bandages to nurse that wound!¡± The Netzian agent jumped and pulled out some gauze. She wrapped her wound and tied it with her teeth while Rym ran to the princess. ¡°Is there first aid in your vehakul?¡± Fiona shrugged in reply.


    The detective¡¯s assistant wasted no time waiting for a response and began to inspect the Ali. She quickly found the first aid kit and treated the princess''s scarred back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste time on me; check Hal and Odell.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not bleeding at the moment. Besides, Hal might be¡­.¡±


    When Rym finished treating Fiona, she handed half the supplies to her and pointed at Hal, then ran to Odell and Tancred to check wounds. Liv stumbled her way to Felix. Fiona zapped near Hal and held her pointed ear close to his head. She let out a sigh of relief when she heard his breathing.


    Shaky hands moved near the half shoulder that had once held the rest of Hal¡¯s arm. It was burnt and hideous, and she had no idea what to do in order to treat him. She poured some alcohol on a rag and slowly moved a shaky hand close. Hal suddenly grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said in a low voice. The Netzian soldier slowly began to sit up while Fiona studdered over what words she ought to say. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± He grabbed a bottle of water from the first aid supplies and poured it over the burn. His face twisted slightly as he couldn¡¯t stop from wincing.


    ¡°You, you shouldn¡¯t be moving!¡± Fiona finally gasped. Hal shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; check Odell.¡±


    ¡°You are most certainly not fine!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Check Odell!¡± he snapped.


    Fiona relented to Hal¡¯s stubbornness and zapped over to Odell. Rym, who knelt by his side, jumped at her sudden appearance.


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± the blue princess asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive and not too injured, well, except for¡­ He should wake up soon enough.¡±


    They sat in silence; it lasted a long while until Hal¡¯s hand rested on Fiona¡¯s shoulder. She jumped and was only relieved after turning to see it was him. The blue princess''s face quickly made a frown as she began to scold him.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be walking!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get my weapons and Needaimus,¡± Hal said before turning away and shuffling out of the lobby.


    ¡°Hey, wait! Hal!¡±


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Odell croaked from the floor. Both Rym and Fiona turned to the prince in shock.


    ¡°Odell, your alive!¡± Fiona shouted. ¡°But Hal.¡±


    ¡°Let him go; I really want to be alone right now as well.¡± Odell fell silent after and soon was out cold once again. Fiona shook her head but stayed in one spot. She did her best to hold back tears.


    Groaning from Tancred made Rym¡¯s face light up. She turned to see the short Bentalousian pushing rising from the floor. He swayed for a moment before making his way across the room to them. Fiona jumped as he walked behind her but relaxed as his purple coat was draped over her exposed back. She fiddled her arms into the sleeves as best she could.


    ¡°Rym, stay here and keep an eye on young Odell and maybe Lucchi over there if you have free time. Young Princess Fiona. I would like you to accompany me.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°The case is still ongoing, my dear; we are going to gather evidence.¡±


    ¡°Is now really the time?¡± Rym snapped.


    ¡°It is. They left in such a hurry something ought to be left behind for us to gather. This whole fight may have been meaningless if we don¡¯t make an effort.¡±


    Fiona stood up and nodded. She wiped her eyes and looked Tancred with as firm an expression as she could manage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Rym sighed.


    ¡°Just¡­ be careful.¡±

 114 – Final Moments in the Hotel

    Tancred and Fiona slowly made their way up to the hotel''s top floor. All around, the place was in chaos. Staff ran in every direction while trying to soothe the frightened guests. The battle below had shaken the whole casino, and word of Nero¡¯s brutal bloodbath floors above had already spread to the rest of the guests. To say the people were scared would be an understatement.


    Fiona kept her head low as they walked up each floor; she gripped tightly on the purple coat covering her back like a cape; each level of the hotel seemed worse than the last. Eventually, they were stopped by staff, which Tancred had been waiting for.


    ¡°Excuse me, but where do you think you''re going.¡±


    ¡°That is what I was hoping you could tell me! I would like to investigate the room that belonged to a light blue Zenotote.¡±


    ¡°S- Sir, with all due respect, we¡¯re in a crisis and do not have time to be playing detective. Can¡¯t you see all the injured people here?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can; bear in mind that I am one of them, but you and your staff are already taking care of them. What I need to do now is find that guest''s room.¡±


    ¡°Sir! Theres a fire in the penthouse!¡± a new staff member shouted as he ran up to the three.


    ¡°Great, just what we need!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it then, quick, Fiona! Can you teleport us to the penthouse before it is too late!¡± Fiona looked down a hallway to a balcony that overlooked the lake.


    ¡°I can, but it will be risky in my current state.¡±


    ¡°We risk losing clues! Hurry!¡±


    The staff jumped as both Fiona and Tancred disappeared in a flash of light. Their reappearances and disappearances were marked with shouts from either staff or guests as they zapped several times down the hall and out to the balcony.


    Appearing just off the edge, free to fall down into the cold lake below, Fiona looked up to the penthouse balcony. Several flashes of light took them up to the top, and she gasped for air when they finally landed safely at the destination.


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    The room inside was ablaze, and Tancred gritted his teeth. Trying to catch her breath, Fiona could not stop the detective as he charged into the firey room. She stood in shock for a moment to think¡ªher hand clutched tightly on the purple coat. Had she just brought someone to their death? The thought haunted her mind as she fell to her knees.


    ¡°Princess! Water from the lake!¡± the short Bentalousian¡¯s voice cried from inside the blaze. Fiona began to look around in a panic; she stared down at the target but had never tried teleporting a liquid before.


    A ball of fire burst out from the flames, and Fiona didn¡¯t waste another moment to think. She teleported to the surface, scooping water in a flash, and zapped back up to the top. The water was dropped onto the ball of fire, and a drenched Tancred was revealed. Most of his long fur had been singed off. He coughed and put a rolled-up blanket down on the ground. Unraveling, it showed what he had grabbed from the flames.


    Shouts from the other side of the blaze told the duo that the staff had gotten the fire crew to the room. Tancred picked up a book and flipped through it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°A popular Aqueenian romance novel. I thought maybe we¡¯d find some kind of code in it, but it seems one may have just enjoyed this sort of thing. I¡¯ll study it later, to be sure. What I have here might be something more worthwhile.¡±


    Tancred motioned for Fiona to put out her hand. He placed a metal coin on her blue palm.


    The coin was silver, with an etched design that resembled a square divided into nine even boxes. Inside the square, a circle that looked crudely to be marked with Resh¡¯s continents was divided up.


    ¡°A coin?¡±


    ¡°I suspect it is more than that. I¡¯ve seen that symbol before. Beware anyone who has an object with it on it, and beware even more anyone who has a tattoo of it.¡±


    Fiona nodded and tried to hand the coin back. Before Tancred could accept, they heard shouts from the other side of the fire.


    ¡°There are people there! Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re coming!¡± Tancred quickly rolled up the remaining items.


    ¡°Best we get back to the lobby before they get to us. They might try to take everything away, and I would rather not have lost my beautiful fur for nothing.¡±


    Fiona nodded, and they zapped away from the balcony, taking all the items with them. The staff eventually halted the blaze but were surprised to find no one waiting helplessly as they previously had assumed.


    Upon Tancred¡¯s command and Hal¡¯s return, he slumped in moments later with his Needaimus riding his shoulder; they loaded everyone¡ªFiona¡¯s team, Nun Agents, detective, and even Lucchi¡ªin the battered Ali and drove out of the hotel. People watched wide-eyed from the bridge as the vehakul sped and sputtered into the night.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Hal muttered from the passenger seat.


    ¡°For now, our agency,¡± Rym replied from the driver''s seat.


    ¡°I hope everyone in the hotel is alright¡­.¡± Fiona whispered before her exhaustion finally caught up with her. Her head fell to the side as sleep overtook her. The state of everything going on would have to come after she woke.

 115 – Ripple’s Counterattack

    Harlan and Rheba chased after the orange Zenotote as best as they could through the hospital corridors. Most staff and patients had fled or barricaded themselves in a room, but every now and then, a straggler would scream as the opponents ran past.


    Ripple did his best to keep his pace steady for the other two. He smiled a grin of sharp teeth. With Rheba¡¯s stomach aching and Harlan¡¯s leg burning, they could hardly keep up with the orange Zenotote, and he had picked up as much. He was a fan of taking out weak opponents and found pleasure in the feeling of dominance. While he charged through the halls, he was almost salivating at the idea of defeating the injured opponents.


    As the chase carried on, Ripple kept a lookout for any spot where he could take the duo out with ease. Two doors down a hall were open like outstretched arms; they welcomed him with the perfect location beyond.


    The room was open but had a low enough ceiling to prevent Rheba from jumping. Laid out in even rows were sets of hospital beds and equipment, each covered in plastic, on a pallet, or placed in a box. They had stumbled across a storage room for the spare items in the building, and there was enough stuff lying around for Ripple to get to work.


    He charged into the room with a sword appearing in each of his clawed hands. A chain grew from each pommel and snapped together in front of his stomach as he looked for the heaviest box. When one seemed suitable enough, he threw one sword while holding the other close to his chest. The chain extended until the thrown sword pierced a stack of boxes with spare equipment.


    As the chain between his swords retracted, Ripple was pulled forward to the box. The connected swords in his hands and piercing his anchor vanished, and a new set materialized. He threw a blade up and pulled himself closer to the ceiling and over the original box. With another maneuver, he changed direction in midair.


    As Ripple repeated his technique, he made a u-turn in the room and flew back to the duo who had pursued through the open doors. Harlan and Rheba ducked away as Ripple slashed over where their necks were moments prior. He flew past them and quickly began to turn again, not letting himself slow down for a moment.


    Rheba grunted as she picked up a smaller box and threw it at Ripple, but he sliced through it midair¡ªfoam packing exploding out like a burst of dust¡ªand continued forward without worry.


    He focused in on the giant warrior as he sat his blades across each other like a pair of scissors. He aimed for her arm, but Rheba leaned to the side so that only the clothes and fur were shaved off from the attack. Ripple skidded on the ground as he made his first landing since starting his midair technique.


    Without wasting a single moment, the Bentalousian warrior began to punch and kick intensely. Ripple dodged the first couple, but a jab to his shoulder caused him to let out a cry. He slashed at Rheba with his blades, and she dodged as best as her aching body would allow.


    Gashes and slashes appeared across Rheba¡¯s fur and clothes as she began to take more and more of Ripple''s attacks. She took a step back and looked at Harlan.


    The Zenotote scientist had begun to look for an animal or bug which made a home in the storage area. Her sudden focus on the ground made Ripple ignore her potential threat, leaving Rheba to fight alone. Harlan sighed. It was a scary thought, but she almost wished to use her ability on the giant warrior, making a super Bentalousian. Had she not needed Rheba¡¯s approval for the ability to work, she might have done it, which frightened Harlan more than the sword-wielding opponent.


    The hospitals in Nun quickly proved to be much cleaner than the ones in her home, and Harlan settled on grabbing the best weapon from the storage instead. Her search led to a cabinet with various expired medicines tucked inside. Someone had been hiding them; to what end, Harlan could not tell. She might have smiled as she began to examine the contents. Enough variety was available to give her options.


    Seeing Harlan begin to focus on the chemical cabinet, Rheba decided to trust that the green Zenotote knew what she was doing. With a sudden lunge forward, Ripple¡¯s arm was grasped in a hold. Before he could pull back, she twisted in with a sudden jerk. It might have been enough to break his arm, but his struggling weakened her attack enough to spare it.


    Ripple let out a hiss and used his sword technique to quickly pull away from Rheba¡¯s grip. She charged after him as he tried to shake the pain out of his arm.


    Harlan quickly finished a blend that should paralyze him neck down if her hasty preparations were done right¡ªnot that she doubted her ability. She poured the chemical mix into a vial and gripped it tightly.


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    Rheba tried to punch Ripple in his chest, but a quick motion of his swords pulled him to her side instead. He slashed at her side, where her pain was already present, and she let out a yelp while falling to one knee. The orange Zenotote held one scaly arm high in the air with the sword ready to fall down on her neck and smiled.


    ¡°You were pretty tough, might have even been a challenge for Thorir with a little more experience,¡± he gloated.


    Before he could bring his sword down, Harlan¡¯s green fist smacked into the side of Ripple¡¯s face. He took a step back in shock at how the blow had hardly done any damage. The green scientist didn¡¯t waste time thinking about how weak she was and instead tried to punch him in the face once again. He groaned and slapped Harlan off her feet; her weak showing made Ripple feel even a tiny amount of pity. He figured he would kill her quickly once finishing with Rheba.


    As the orange Zenotote turned back to Rheba, a blow to the chine suddenly thrust him into multiple stacked pallets. The Bentalousian warrior had recovered enough to push herself to her feet¡ªshaky as it was.


    ¡°Rheba,¡± Harlan said softly before throwing the vial. Her words were barely picked up by Rheba¡¯s much superior hearing, but she managed to catch the concoction all the same. Harlan pointed to Ripple as he rubbed his chin from the blow, and Rheba nodded to show she understood.


    Harlan charged at Ripple once again, and he rolled his slitted eyes.


    ¡°If you want to die, very well,¡± he muttered. He held both swords ready and prepared to strike. One eye was trained on Harlan, and the other was on Rheba. He wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again so easily.


    As the scaly scientist ran to Ripple, she slid low to the ground to dodge his slash. With a quick change of position, she attempted to strike at his legs with her tail. Ripple expected as much from a fellow Zenotote and cut the green appendage off before it could hit him. Harlan¡¯s eyes grew wide, but her face remained neutral as her tail slid across the floor.


    Rheba didn¡¯t waste any more time. She gritted her teeth and charged in as soon as Harlan was cut. Crushing the vial in her fist, she punched a surprised Ripple in the face. He was unprepared as the concoction covered the side of his face and got into his mouth.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rheba said to Harlan as she offered a hand. Harlan didn¡¯t accept and stood up on her own.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; it will grow back,¡± she said softly. Despite her claim, the wound burned with more pain than she would have liked to admit. They turned to Ripple, who coughed and wiped the mix off his face with his arm. ¡°I would have liked you to have administered that more gracefully,¡± Harlan added softly.


    ¡°Nice try,¡± Ripple said as he took a step closer to them, ¡°but some mix of junk isn¡¯t going to do much right now.¡± The orange Zenotote threw a sword between them and lodged into the back wall. The shrinking chain pulled him close, but he didn¡¯t get far. His grip weakened, and he fell facefirst to the ground.


    ¡°That took too long to activate,¡± Rheba grunted. Harlan ignored her snide tone.


    Rheba fell to one knee as the pain overwhelmed her. She motioned for Harlan to check on Ripple as hands pressed to her gashed side. Harlan shook her head and tried to limp over to the fallen enemy. He was heavier than she expected, and she struggled to turn him over.


    Ripple sighed as his whole body felt numb.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve won this one, but the threatening one seems out of commission,¡± he spat.


    ¡°What do you hope to gain by killing King Whitlock and then trying to assassinate the mayor?¡± Harlan asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not much of a threatening interrogator with a voice that soft!¡± Ripple laughed.


    ¡°What do you hope to gain by killing King Whitlock and then trying to assassinate the mayor?¡± Harlan repeated in as forceful of a voice as she could muster. It still was too weak to threaten her enemy.


    Ripple kept silent as a message was relayed to him through his Needaimus.


    This is Nighthawk. I¡¯ve targeted the mayor. His protection is weak; his killing will come shortly.


    ¡°Well, that mayor of yours will not be in this world much longer. I suppose I can offer you one piece of information, for my own amusement, of course. You see, this is only an early phase in our plans. Our organization has infiltrated some high places, and the mayor¡¯s death will end the first phase.¡±


    ¡°And if the mayor stays alive?¡±


    ¡°Ha! I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re being confident or quizzical. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t tell you anymore; I just thought I¡¯d blab one last time.¡±


    ¡°One last time?¡±


    ¡°Failure isn¡¯t rewarded. Best to go out when you can still smile.¡±


    Ripple¡¯s tongue moved in his mouth, and a small snap was heard as he bit down. Harlan could tell at once what happened but was powerless to stop it. The orange Zenotote¡¯s eyes closed, and he made the widest grin as his life ended. His Needaimus popped off his tail and rolled off to the side.


    ¡°We made a mistake, Rheba; they aren¡¯t willing to be captured.¡±


    Harlan turned to the tall warrior, but she had finally passed out from her wounds. The green scientist sighed and sat down to get pressure on her cut tail and injured leg. ¡°Try calling Gwyn.¡± After a moment of silence, the Zenotote scientist spoke to her Needaimus.


    Call refused; it seems they are in combat. Mirror replied within her mind.


    Harlan nodded and stood up.


    ¡°Track their location.¡±


    With all due respect, you are too injured.


    Harlan shook her head and picked up Ripple¡¯s Needaimus. It had gone dormant from being attached when he died but could wake up at any moment. She set the metal creature by Rheba, and the giant warrior''s purple Needaimus popped off and stood by its fellow creature. Rheba¡¯s Needaimus nodded to indicate it would not let the captured one escape, and Harlan left the room in the direction of the others.

 116 – A Doctor’s Aid

    Several explosions shook the hospital as Rom ran ahead of a slow Mayor and even slower Gwyn. They had fled in the direction away from the invaders, but the sign of the enemies was still clear even far away. Lights flickered due to the damaged electrical system, and a combination of patients and staff had fled in a hurry¡ªleaving equipment, vials, and all other sorts of things littered on the floor. The further they went into the hospital, the more empty it was; a complete evacuation was underway throughout the giant medical center.


    ¡°We need to hurry,¡± Rom said as another explosion shook the hospital. With each boom, the sound got louder, and the Zenotote assistant felt they were not explosions but something far worse.


    ¡°I¡¯m running as fast as I can!¡± Mayor Abelard shouted through exasperated gasps. He had not been fit for at least ten years, and the sweat running down his face like a waterfall showed it plainly.


    Gwyn said nothing but simply looked at the ground. He could outrun both and leave them behind, but he didn¡¯t know how to get out and figured it would be better to stick close than risk running into their enemy alone. The last thing he wanted to do was fight and risk injury again. The Nonpareil scratched at the hard lump on his shoulder; he wondered what was wrong with his limp arm but was unwilling to tear off the hospital clothes to see.


    Another explosion rang out, and as Rom feared, it was getting closer.


    ¡°This way!¡± a voice called out; a hunched doctor stood in a doorway, waving for the others to follow. Rom was the first to run past him in the door; she thanked him in a low voice while running by.


    Gwyn hesitated to follow after the mayor went into the new path, the doctor had smiled at Rom¡¯s words, but it was so twisted and creepy that the Nonpareil couldn¡¯t help but think he was a threat. With a sigh, he collected himself. Just how he smiles, nothing to worry about, Gwyn thought as he ran past.


    The door was sealed shut, and the group faced a smooth wall. The only way to go led straight into a dead end. The doctor fiddled with a tablet as he typed out a message. Rom gritted her teeth as the hunched man aimed his twisted smile at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m only a new member, but to think that I could capture the target so easily!¡± he chirped with glee.


    Gwyn let his head hang, his judgment had been correct, and his doubt had led him into error.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rom asked. The doctor laughed as he pulled two scalpels from his pockets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try anything funny!¡± he shouted while pointing the blade at them. ¡°I¡¯ve already given Mr. Nighthawk this location, and he is on his way!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed that you would support these villans,¡± the mayor said with a shake of his head. ¡°What could have led you down this dark path!¡± As he spoke, Abelard pressed his hand close to his suit, where he had hidden an unloaded firearm and ammunition¡ªone that he hoped he would never have to use, especially on a citizen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± the doctor spat, ¡°everyone knows what Mayor Abelard is planning! Nun has grown too much. Nun is held together by thin threads. Nun needs a new path for the future. We¡¯ve all listened to your speeches very carefully, Mr. Mayor. You plan to destroy this city, to tear it apart!¡± The doctor began to pace back and forth, his hands wildly flying through the air without care for the sharp instruments they held. His voice cracked and shook as one can with extreme ecstasy or fury as he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand! If you tear this place apart, there won¡¯t be anyone to make the good tablet programs; what will I spend my hours on? Or, the delicious food! There won¡¯t be anyone to wake me up in the morning, I pay good money for that, you know, and there won¡¯t be any comfort for all the citizens you leave out in the cold!¡± The doctor stopped pacing and turned with a glare to Abelard. The mayor remained unfazed.


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    ¡°I think you might have the wrong idea here, and I¡¯m not sure what you were told, but¨C¡±


    ¡°Spare me your empty words!¡± The doctor interrupted with a hiss. He aimed his scalpels at Mayor Abelard¡¯s neck and charged.


    Rom intercepted. With a gentle move of her arms, she twisted the doctor¡¯s arms behind his back and pushed him to the ground. His blades made a soft ring on the floor as his grip failed. He was pressed firmly onto the ground and squirmed as Rom pushed all her weight into him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool! Nun will be destroyed if he lives!¡± the doctor spat with enough rage that he almost foamed at the mouth.


    Mayor Abelard leaned down so that he was close. The doctor looked up and snarled. Abelard gently placed a hand on the constrained man¡¯s head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who misled you, but we will not destroy Nun. The ones you have aligned with are more likely to do that. Nevertheless, I will do everything possible to earn your trust.¡± Abelard nodded to Rom, and before the doctor could snarl a reply, the Zenotote assistant hit him in the back of the head to knock him out. She loosened her grip as the unconscious doctor was gently laid on the cold floor.


    ¡°A bit of inconsistent messaging,¡± Gwyn muttered.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Abelard asked.


    ¡°You say you¡¯ll earn back his trust before bludgeoning him.¡±


    ¡°I hardly hit him that hard,¡± Rom replied as she stood up and brushed herself off, ¡°I¡¯m not much of a fighter, but I know some good spots to target for desirable results.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that matters,¡± Gwyn replied.


    Abelard held up his hands to indicate both should stop.


    ¡°Nonpareil Gwyn, we don¡¯t have much time to argue; please let us save these topics for later. If we all die, it won¡¯t matter that we discussed them now.¡±


    ¡°You would do well to spend more time thinking about how you will support us!¡± Rom added. ¡°I had heard you were some great warrior, but you are nothing more than a sniveling child!¡±


    Gwyn gritted his teeth and kept his head low. Trying to argue with them seemed pointless; they wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the horror he felt with his loss to Nighthawk. The pain of having every bone broken. The Nonpareil had realized death was possible, and he had barely brushed past it. He walked up to the sealed door and liquified it open. With a gesture, he indicated that Rom and the Mayor should leave first¡ªnow that he had seen the Zenotote girl could handle herself in a fight, he was content to let her do all the work. The young Nonpareil ran after the two as they returned to the abandoned hallways.


    In the room they left, the doctor¡¯s eyes flashed open. Rom¡¯s attack was evident, and he was able to twist his head just enough to avoid getting knocked out. His hunched body squirmed on the floor to the tablet, Rom¡¯s blows still had left his whole frame feeling heavy, and he began to flick across the screens. The man had expected Gwyn to restrain him with his ability, but as the report stated, the Nonpareil was broken. The doctor typed the confirmation into his tablet and sent a message. There would be no real opposition to stopping the mayor¡¯s death. With the guarantee, the doctor felt satisfied that he had done his job. He swiped to a new screen that simply showed a large red button.


    ¡°Never thought I would have to use this, but for the mission, I suddenly don¡¯t mind,¡± he muttered as well as his numb body would allow.


    ***


    The fleeing trio had hardly gotten away when a large explosion was set off behind them. Gwyn turned back and became white as a ghost as a plume of fire and heat chased after them. The Nonpareil picked up the pace.


    ¡°No, make a barrier!¡± Rom shouted.


    You should be able to do it, partner! Mem added.


    Gwyn gritted his teeth as he spun around. He held his good hand out and liquified a line across the hospital floor and up the walls. With a quick flip of his hand, the space closed in and hardened, and his face ran with sweat.


    Gwyn fell to his knees and scratched at his bad arm.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± he muttered through heavy breaths.


    ¡°We need to keep moving, Nonpareil Gwyn; the enemy won¡¯t let any opportunity slide.¡±


    Gwyn wanted to argue, but he kept the complaints to himself. He stood up and shook his head while taking a few deep breaths. A burning feeling that felt strong enough to melt him filled his chest, and he could not snuff it out. The Nonpareil followed after without complaint; he only hoped Rom would lead them to an escape from their current nightmare.

 117 – The Ballad of Nighthawk

    The large metal frame of the blue Needaimus, Nighthawk, burst through a hospital wall into a new hallway. A nurse who had not yet fled fell to the floor and began to look up in horror at the humanoid Needaimus that towered overhead. Nighthawk paid no mind to the weakling and looked around the hallways for any signs of its target.


    Nothing of use here either; this would have been better with a more in-depth plan prepared. Don¡¯t you agree?


    Nighthawk echoed in its own skull. Whether the Needaimus was trying to address another was unclear to even the speaker. It looked at its own blue metal hands and opened and closed them slowly.


    At least the mayor''s neck should fit in one hand; this job will be over in a snap.


    Nighthawk took a step toward the trembling nurse, crossing a wide gap in a single bound. By grabbing the unwilling observer by the back of his clothes, Nighthawk lifted the nurse to eye level¡ªor at least where eye level ought to have been on the metal creature.


    ¡°Where is the mayor?¡± the Needaimus asked in a smooth, mechanical voice.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know! All- All the talk mentioned him with Dia¡­ so maybe he¡¯s there!¡±


    The Needaimus threw the pathetic nurse to the side, and the man bounced off the wall so hard he was out cold before hitting the floor.


    ¡°To sell out your mayor so quickly, you people in Nun have no sense of loyalty.


    No, he would not be with Dia; that man is smart enough to know he shouldn¡¯t be around her in this scenario. He would be on the move, going as far away as possible, leaving us with little opportunity to hurt his precious girl anymore.¡± Nighthawk paused a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t have any sympathy for her,¡± the giant Needaimus added to the quiet hallway. If asked, it would have said it was talking to nobody.


    Two messages popped up in Nighthawk''s field of vision simultaneously. Choices, choices, thought the Needaimus. One came from Ripple¡¯s Needaimus and was marked with a red exclamation point.


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    Nighthawk opened it and read.


    My dearest Nighthawk, it has been a pleasure to work alongside you for this most noblest of purposes. Unfortunately, as we speak, my mortal, the one you know as Ripple, has been best in combat. The movement of his tongue indicates that he will be following orders and ending his life in mere moments. I am afraid I have little time to send this message, and due to my obligation must stay bonded in the time of his passing. As you are most aware, this will bury my memories of you and our time in Array. I wanted to stress that after my capture, I will likely get a new mortal and accept them wholeheartedly; you know, I have always been high in agreeableness.


    Nevertheless, I wanted to stress that I am happy to have worked with you these last several years. Even after I am partnered again, I would very much like to meet you, even if it is in battle as opponents. It seems the time has come; I must send this message post haste with these last few milliseconds.


    Nighthawk punched a large hole into the wall. The giant Needaimus said nothing and instead turned to the second message, one of the doctors in the hospital that their organization had radicalized.


    The mayor, the Nonpareil, and a third escaping. Map has been marked, and I will be detonating things shortly. The burnt bodies should be ready for collection after.


    ¡°Does that fool think they will be that easy to kill?¡± Nighthawk said with the disapproving shake of a blue head. ¡°Yes, losing a supporter who would be willing to die so easily is a shame. He seemed more promising than that fool Ripple.¡±


    Nighthawk began to walk down the hall as the map was pulled up in its field of vision. An explosion shook the hospital, telling the Needaimus that not only had the deed been done, but it was fairly close to where the targets were. ¡°No. I have no sympathy for Ripple. He lost at the fountain and now again. Bad fighters ought to be removed; otherwise, they will hinder the organization.¡± Nighthawk paused in speech momentarily as it came up to a dead end in the hallway. ¡°Of course, that includes me as well. Unlike that fool, I would have the decency to set off my self-destruct and take my opponents out with me.¡± The large Needaimus punched the wall clean through, leaving a large enough hole for it to walk through. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about Needaimus Taboos. You of all should know better, whoever you are¡­.¡±


    Nighthawk shook its head and decided it best to ignore answering the not-quite voice that pestered it. The Needaimus began to charge through the hole and toward where the escaping trio had just been. The direction was a straight line; no walls would stop the metal creature as it locked in on its prey.

 118 – The Hunter Arrives

    The trio continued to run through the hospital with Rom in the lead. She considered shouting something profane to Gwyn but held it in for fear that it would only make the moody Nonpareil that much worse to deal with. The assistant recalled stories of the heroic Nonpareil that her mother read to her and her sisters when they were small Zenotote girls. The wonder of such a figure existing captivated her imagination and even inspired her to support Mayor Abelard, who himself was under the impression he would play a significant part in the story of the next Nonpareil and prepared for it diligently.


    Rom avoided looking at the mayor¡¯s eyes as they made their escape; she could only imagine how disappointed he must have felt with the hero they got. All their preparation and care might as well have been wasted on frivolous things. The blue and white Zenotote felt as if she wanted to cry. She had often criticized her sister for taking work with a ¡®quack detective¡¯ instead of a truly worthwhile job, but Gwyn was making her convictions crumble faster than a loaf a dry bread.


    She gritted her sharp teeth as the group turned a corner and headed down a long stretch of hallway.


    ¡°Mayor, we are getting close to the exit!¡± she shouted back.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Rom!¡± Abelard did his best to shout back through huffed words. He wished he had listened all the times she told him to take better care of himself.


    Before they could get anywhere close to the end of the hallway, a loud series of booms began to ring out like they were being rapid-fired, coming from the direction the trio wanted to go. Rom stopped and gulped. Then she turned around and waved for the other two to go down a fork in the halls. They didn¡¯t argue, the sound was clear to all, and soon all three fled further into the hospital, away from the sound that approached.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be good!¡± Abelard managed to say through heavy breaths.


    ¡°I fear it is an opponent we are not equipped to handle,¡± Rom replied, ¡°especially when the one who is supposed to be our best fighter is a sniveling coward.¡±


    Gwyn said nothing but rolled his eyes. He didn¡¯t care much for her comments and focused on fleeing as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Now, Rom, we all have bad days, you know!¡± Abelard offered with forced generosity. He would have been lying if he had said Gwyn¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t concerning, but the mayor had hope that the stories of past Nonpareils he had heard were not just tall tales but gave a glimpse of Gwyn¡¯s potential.


    Had the earthling known so much hope was being put on him, his knees would have buckled from the immense pressure. He had too much else to worry about and too much else to focus on. The possibility that Nighthawk was the one approaching was becoming more and more apparent to him. Each boom through the walls eerily reminded him of when he was used as a battering ram to shatter several building floors, and his heart pounded with fear at the possibility of it happening again. At that moment of defeat, several layers inside him were shattered as well, and he had no idea what he could do other than run.


    Mem did its best to cheer Gwyn up with positive words in his mind, but none took. The Nonpareil was too wrapped up in his thoughts and too preoccupied with the hard spots on his limp arm that itched far more than a scratch could alleviate; he still clawed at his arm with his Needaimus-covered hand all the same.


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    Another boom of a shattered wall rushed up behind them, and none of the trio bothered to turn around; they didn¡¯t need to. The intensity of their opponent''s glare was too strong on their backs; it was as if targets had been painted, and each was waiting there turn to be shot. Like a bird of prey was flying overhead, and they were three helpless animals waiting to be captured and devoured. The three felt nothing but fear of the giant Needaimus as it walked in their direction; seconds later, Nighthawk burst into a sprint¡ªheavy footsteps from its metal feet tore the floor in the hallway as it tried to close the gap.


    It was at that point when Rom finally turned to see their opponent; she immediately wished she hadn¡¯t. A body of metal was the perfect defense against her fighting style; she was effectively useless against their foe and, worse, forced to rely on the Nonpareil, who only seemed good at running away.


    Gwyn had already created a gap between him and the two others, leaving his companions in the dust. You don¡¯t have to be the fastest, the earthling had heard before; you just have to be faster than the slowest. It was joking advice his track captain had said during a campout in his freshman year of high school. The group had been worried about seeing bears, so their captain offered some ¡®words of wisdom.¡¯ They competed for the rest of the trip to see who was the slowest and, therefore, the ¡®bear-chow.¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been Gwyn. He was always quick on his feet, and in the present moment, he was glad to be the fastest. If running was what he was good at, he would gladly use it to escape the danger.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Rom shouted at Gwyn as the gap between the trio continued to grow, and the gap between her and Nighthawk continued to shrink. The Zenotote had deliberately slowed down, so the mayor was in front of her to use the same running away principle Gwyn did to justify his flight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get help!¡± Gwyn shouted back. His words, at the very least, weren¡¯t lies. Though he was willing to abandon the others, he hoped to get aid and return. Rheba and Harlan were still in the hospital, and he knew he could count on them to take on a challenging foe.


    ¡°You are the help! Do something!¡± Rom added.


    Gwyn took a deep breath and ran close to the wall, and came to a halt.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± he muttered under his breath as he shoved his Needaimus bonded palm onto it. The whole wall in front of him, a span longer than a semi, liquified. He turned to look, and his skin turned several shades paler at the sight of the old foe. The Nonpareil almost fled again, but by something he only could identify as an unknown force, held steady as Mayor Abelard and Rom approached. ¡°Now?¡± he asked.


    Not yet! Mem replied.


    ¡°Now?¡± he asked again with more panic bleeding through.


    Wait for it.


    Mayor Abelard passed by Gwyn; Nighthawk was close enough for the Nonpareil to see the whites in his eyes if any were visible under the metal Needaimus exterior.


    Now! Mem said.


    The liquified section of the wall flowed like a giant wave at Nighthawk, revealing several quivering doctors who had used the room behind it as a hiding spot; the bulky Needaimus tried to stop but had too much forward momentum to avoid getting hit by the attack. The section of wall encased the metal form in a block that slid down the hall until it stopped just in front of the Nonpareil. Gwyn gasped for air as he turned to the other two. He was surprised to see that they were still running away.


    ¡°Hey!¡± he croaked.


    ¡°Good job!¡± Rom replied, ¡°My opinion of you has improved¡­ but only slightly¡­. That probably won¡¯t hold him long, so let''s get out of here while we can!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that,¡± Gwyn muttered under his heavy breath before taking off after the other two. They fled around a corner as cracks began to form on the solidified casing. Nighthawk was beginning to break out so that the pursuit could start again.

 119 – The Dead End

    Out of breath and overexerted as he was, Gwyn still managed to quickly catch up with the Mayor and Rom. Compared to the young Nonpareil, Abelard was the most at risk of collapsing in exhaustion; without the situation''s intensity, he would have done so immediately. After catching up, Gwyn slowed his pace to follow the rest; it was enough for him to recover his breath and return it to a steady pace even as they sprinted.


    ¡°Good work, Nonpareil, you bought us some time,¡± Rom said.


    ¡°It won¡¯t matter, he¡¯ll just escape, and I doubt I¡¯ll get as lucky with another attack like that,¡± Gwyn muttered so softly the other two almost missed it. He scratched at the hard spot on his left shoulder, and to his alarm, it seemed as if it had grown.


    ¡°We¡­ almost out¡­ once we escape hospital¡­ get vehakul¡­.¡± Abelard gasped. Talking had become difficult in his state. Rom gritted her teeth. She didn¡¯t know how long they had before they were too exhausted to do anything. Had she been more confident, the Zenotote assistant would have insisted on a last stand in a location of their choosing, but with Gwyn being the only one able to face Nighthawk¡ªand being entirely unwilling to do so¡ªshe focused on what they would need to do to escape.


    They were initially running to where she left the mayor¡¯s vehakul; it was a sports model outfitted with armor and weapons for such an occasion. However, with the arrival of Nighthawk, they changed course. She knew they were still headed to the edge of the hospital, but she had no idea what they would find when getting outside. They were hardly in any condition to run further. Rom was confident that she could hot-wire a vehakul, she had learned the skill just in case it was needed to get the mayor to safety, but she was unsure if they would even find a suitable transport to escape. With a heavy sigh, she shouted to Gwyn.


    ¡°Can we count on you to stop him again when he catches up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything that will get me hurt.¡±


    Rom looked to Gwyn and squinted her slitted eyes.


    ¡°Then delay him from a distance; I don¡¯t care how you do it; I just want to ensure we can get away.¡±


    Gwyn looked down at the floor and grunted.


    ¡°I might be able to do that.¡±


    Rom shook her head. She would take what she could get.


    ¡°¡­ trouble¡­.¡± Abelard gasped.


    Neither of the others had been looking straight ahead, but at the mayor¡¯s words, they turned to see what was ahead¡ªa dead end.


    The hospital corridor led to a blank wall with two doors on either side. The door on the left had a sign which indicated it was a lab, and the second had a sign to indicate it was a breakroom, neither of which would lead out of the hospital.


    The trio reached the flat wall, and Rom banged her fist on the dead end.


    ¡°Just what we need,¡± she said through heavy breaths, ¡°we don¡¯t have time to backtrack.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back; he¡¯s still there,¡± Gwyn added. Mayor Abelard leaned on the lab door and did his best to catch his breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident we are almost to the outside, but¡­.¡± Rom began to speak but stopped when Gwyn gently pushed her out of his way. He leaned low and touched a finger to the wall. The point of Mem¡¯s ¡®tail¡¯ touched as well. Moving up in a deformed half-oval shape, Gwyn moved his finger. The tail reflected the movement on the other side while both points liquified a cut into the wall. He might have been able to take out the whole wall in one go but suspected he would feel too exhausted afterward to keep moving.


    As the points reached each other near the top of the oval, Gwyn pushed forward, and the thick chunk of wall boomed on the ground. They had entered another hallway that ran perpendicular to the one they came down; most importantly, the wall of the new hallway opposite to the hole Gwyn made was made up of a series of decretive windows. The outside was just beyond them.


    The trio quickly moved to the window. Gwyn considered putting the wall back, but with the possibility of wasting time, he reconsidered. The giant Needaimus would just run through it anyway. He began to do the same maneuver on the last barrier. Once open, they could flee from the side instead.


    Rom and the mayor stepped forward and examined the outside. It was night, but the glow of Nun¡¯s lights was bright enough to fool someone unfamiliar. They were on the second floor and overlooked a large parking lot that emptied into the streets of the shining city. If they could make it across, they could disappear within the city¡ªAbelard was well-versed enough with the layout to escape.


    The only vehakuls the trio saw were the odd one or two, which passed on the neon-lit street, and several, which were far from the hole they would be escaping from; it would take more time to run to one and hot-wire than to run across the lot itself.


    Further in the city, a bridge connecting the main road to the hospital''s front parking lot was filled with a marching army wearing Nun¡¯s official uniform¡ªdistinct due to helmets and armor outfitted with glowing lights and feathers fastened up top to indicate rank.


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    ¡°Looks like they figured out something was wrong, but they aren¡¯t heading anywhere close to us,¡± Rom said.


    ¡°It will be enough; they will be able to clean up the remaining forces and protect Di¡­ the patients,¡± Abelard added after his breathing had steadied enough; he still sounded like he might choke on the lack of air.


    Gwyn pushed the new oval out with enough force to keep it from dropping just below. The glass shattered as it hit the pavement below. He looked down; though it was only the second floor, his head began to spin. He didn¡¯t like the idea of falling; that was how bones could get broken.


    In the distance, a loud rumble was heard. They turned to see Nighthawk''s blue form charging down the long hallway. Gwyn began to tremble.


    Rom cursed and looked over the edge herself. The hospital had a flower bed running around the perimeter of the building, though all the plants were fake and designed to glow in a myriad of colors. She wasted no time pushing Gwyn out of the hospital.


    ¡°Start running right away!¡± she shouted before doing the same with Mayor Abelard.


    Gwyn screamed too loud to hear her; it took him a moment to realize he had incurred no damage from the landscaping; he stumbled out and looked up. The Nonpareil¡¯s mouth hung open at the sight. Rom had tried to jump but was caught by her blue tail in the metal hand of the giant Needaimus.


    ¡°Rom!¡± Abelard shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, run!¡± she screamed back.


    Gwyn¡¯s head spun, and he forgot his fear for a moment. He liquified the bottom wall of the hospital and shot it up at Nighthawk. The attack formed into a solid rock with a stream of liquid behind it. When the rock hit, the force, or possibly the surprise, caused Nighthawk to release Rom. The rest of the liquid moved up and solidified the metal arm to the side of the hospital. Gwyn caught Rom in his arms and sprinted away with Mayor Abelard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect to get my thanks,¡± Rom muttered, but Gwyn was too distracted to hear. He looked back to see Nighthawk pull its arm free from the trap effortlessly.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± Gwyn shouted as the humanoid Needaimus jumped out. He could see he had made a mistake in angering his opponent. Though the mayor was the true target, Gwyn could tell he would be taken down first now that he had interfered. He wanted to shout that he never should have helped and just fled to save himself. The Nonpareil hated how conflicted he felt; it was like he was tearing himself in half.


    Rom moved her legs out and turned slightly in Gwyn¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m slowing you down. Just flip me, so my feet are down. I¡¯ll be able to run. You need to trap him again. If we escape in the city, we can get away.¡±


    Gwyn did as the mayor¡¯s assistant asked and gently flipped her out of his arms. When her feet hit the ground, she stumbled momentarily but managed to break into a sprint that matched Gwyn¡¯s.


    ¡°If I trap him again, we can get away?¡± Gwyn asked.


    ¡°Yes. I am confident.¡±


    Gwyn took a deep breath. One last time, he told himself, one last attack, then I will never fight again. He repeated in his mind several times before he got enough courage to make a ¡®U¡¯ and charge to Nighthawk.


    The Nonpareil leaned low and came to a halt, pressing his hand to the ground. A large section of the parking lot was liquified. The attack moved like a broad wave at Nighthawk¡ªleaving little chance for escape, or so Gwyn thought.


    Instantly, Nighthawk was high in the air, well above the attack. Gwyn¡¯s eyes grew wide in horror at the sight of it. He pulled his hand off and fell back just enough to avoid being a part of the crater the large Needaimus put in the ground.


    Gwyn stumbled to his feet, shaky as he was, and managed to sidestep a grapple from Nighthawk. The blue Needaimus closed metal hands, meant to grab around the Nonpareil¡¯s throat, and swung them at Gwyn¡¯s head.


    With no time to waste, Gwyn quickly sprinted away from Nighthawk, avoiding the needaimus¡¯ blow and surprising it more than any attack could. The large metal form laughed.


    ¡°The Nonpareil has turned coward! How hilarious.¡±


    Gwyn ignored the provocations and continued to run with all his might. It took him a moment to realize he was running away from Rom and the Mayor, but that fact did not escape Nighthawk. The Needaimus turned to his true prey and charged. Gwyn stopped and looked back while breathing heavily. What could he do against such a foe? He was powerless, but they were more powerless. He liquified a section of the parking lot and formed it into a javelin. Using his ability, the sharp point shot through the air and smashed into Nighthawk. The asphalt crumbled from the blow, but the force was enough to knock the opponent unsteady for a moment. At that exact moment, the mayor¡¯s strength finally gave out, and he fell to his knees¡ªphysically unable to go on.


    ¡°Rom, just run, save yourself; I am confident in your ability,¡± the mayor attempted to say, but his gasps were too intense for any of the words to be clear.


    The Zenotote assistant knelt by Abelard and looked worryingly to Nighthawk. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who was asked, the large Needaimus had turned to Gwyn.


    ¡°It seems I need to take care of you after all; all your efforts have gone to waste anyway; the mayor doesn¡¯t have much left he can do except die,¡± Nighthawk mocked.


    Gwyn stepped back and looked around the nearly empty lot for anything that could help him in the fight. There was plenty of pavement, but any vehakuls or a light post was too far for him to get to in time. Nighthawk charged and quickly closed the gap between them. Gwyn squirmed as a metal fist was brought down like a hammer at his head. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge completely, but the attack missed his skull and hit his left shoulder.


    To the surprise of both Gwyn and Nighthawk, there was no sound of bones crunching; instead, the metal fist clanged on a hard surface. Nighthawk grabbed Gwyn by the hospital clothes, and they ripped as the Nonpareil backed away. His left was bare as it weakly hung near his side.


    Several hard stones had grown on Gwyn¡¯s shoulder and several spots along his bicep. They were a brown color, and though they were undoubtedly rocky, on close inspection, they could be seen as dull scales.


    Gwyn scratched as it itched. Though now seeing it, he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to touch it.


    ¡°I knew you were a fool, but to think you would be that much of a fool,¡± Nighthawk said in shock for the first time, as far as the Nonpareil had ever heard.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Gwyn said as he did his best to not touch the itchy spot. He had no idea what was happening but figured it couldn¡¯t be good. The large Needaimus began to laugh.


    ¡°The Nonpareil was so weak he sought power through drinking the blood of an Unkillable but ended up being cursed instead,¡± Nighthawk said through laughter. Then, on a dime, the metal form stopped laughing and began to walk to Gwyn. ¡°You should be happy I will kill you before anyone else finds out.¡±


    Gwyn moved back with shaky feet as Nighthawk approached. He wasn¡¯t sure what his opponent meant, but his primary focus was avoiding death, first and foremost. His feet were shaky, and his mind raced so wildly that he wasn¡¯t sure what could be done to stop it. All Gwyn was sure of was that he was out of time and in extreme danger.

 120 – Harlan as Backup

    The green Zenotote scientist hobbled as best she could through the hospital hallways while following the path her Needaimus laid out in her vision. Despite the pain that burned from her leg and the nub that used to be her tail, she pressed forward.


    I still don¡¯t think this is a good idea. The orange Needaimus, Mirror, chimed in.


    ¡°Your help is appreciated. We can¡¯t leave the others alone against these foes, especially since Gwyn was not fully there.¡±


    With all due respect, I know a Nonpareil can be useful for your father¡¯s plans, but I don¡¯t think he is this much trouble.


    Harlan shook her head but didn¡¯t respond. She told herself it was simply because Gwyn might make a good pawn. If she won his favor, he might support the Zenotote Absolutism; that was why Mixolydian, her father, had sent her on the mission. It was all a political game to them; the fight wasn¡¯t supposed to get as brutal as it had. All she had to do was passively win his favor.


    She told herself all that repeatedly; she reminded herself of her mission, her duty as an officer for the Zenototes. It was by her father¡¯s good graces that she could even have her position, ordinarily one as ugly as she would get shipped away, especially considering that her father wasn¡¯t married to her mother. But, as hard as an exterior as the red Zenotote leader showed, he was really soft as a kitten inside. He couldn¡¯t bear to part with Harlan once he saw her for the first time. She was his only child. Harlan rolled her eyes at the thoughts of her father. What would he say when he saw her injured as she was? She shook her head and reminded herself of the mission as she hobbled through the abandoned and damaged corridors.


    Her attempts to remind herself of the mission failed. She wasn¡¯t sure she tried hard enough to keep them at the forefront of her attention as something new presented itself. The thought started in the back of her mind and slowly increased¡ªlike it was a speaker on an out-of-control vehakul that drove straight at her¡ªshe couldn¡¯t stop the words from forming.


    I¡¯m worried about Gwyn.


    Not just him, but Fiona, and Odell, and Hal, and even Rheba. And it wasn¡¯t just for their potential use for her country''s political gains. She was concerned about their wellbeing, whether they would make it out of the battle, and in what condition she would see them again. She had not thought she was capable of caring for another besides her father and the animal subjects in her lab. Especially considering she only traveled with them. Was she the kind of weak person who felt affection only from being close to another? She hadn¡¯t thought emotion was so easy to sway, but she couldn¡¯t deny that she cared about everyone making it through the battle.


    She shuddered and thought of an excuse, some small moment to reduce the relation down to. Once found, she could snuff out the moment in her mind, breaking the connection she felt. Such feelings, especially for those in other countries, were risky if she wished to serve the absolutism.


    Harlan focused on her first meeting with Gwyn. She had approached him after the regicide while they locked him in his room. Her father wanted information on the Nonpareil, and she was curious about collecting potential samples from the other worlder. That was the problem, she thought. I approached Gwyn as a subject, like one of my animals. Crenussal help me.


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    The Zenotote scientist shook her head. She was always soft on the lab subjects and talked to them endlessly in private. She had not considered how that habit would make her feel so attached to someone, but she was now aware and focused on pushing the feelings away. Everything was downstream of that moment; once she was free of the emotion, she could continue working with the others calmly and with the true aim in mind.


    Harlan approached the oval-shaped hole in the dead end as she worked to correct her thoughts and emotions. Just beyond, she saw a similar shape carved into the window. She knew immediately that it was Gwyn¡¯s ability and ran forward to the edge of the hospital.


    I sense 4 outside. Gwyn, the mayor and his subordinate, and¡­ well, you¡¯ll see in a moment, Mirror relayed in Harlan¡¯s mind.


    The Zenotote scientist stopped at the window and looked in horror out below. Gwyn slowly backed away from a giant Needaimus while the mayor kneeled¡ªunable to do anything. She felt a surge of concern for the Nonpareil well up inside her, despite all the work she had just done to snuff out such feelings. Taking a deep breath, Harlan did her best to look at everything with a calmer outlook. Emotion wouldn¡¯t do any good against the foe.


    In the distance, a large force of the Nun army was crossing the bridge. They were marching to the hospital but did not know where their mayor was, and even if they did would have to jump off the bridge and run through a decent section of the brightly lit city to get there. Still, it was better than nothing.


    ¡°Mirror, are there any mortals in that crowd?¡± she asked, pointing to the army.


    You wouldn¡¯t believe how many Needaimus they brought. Nun can be serious now and then, I suppose.


    ¡°Send a message to all of them. If we stall long enough, we should be able to get more backup.¡±


    A good plan, but what do we do in the meantime?


    Harlan looked up to the sky and, to her delight, saw a tobi, or the Resh equivalent to a bird, flying overhead¡ªthe specific species being thought of the same way pigeons were on earth. She made a small smile, hardly noticeable to anyone but her, and pulled off an orange section of her Needaimus. It formed into the shape of a gun, and she aimed it at the airborne creature. A burst of energy shot out and struck the tobi, transforming it.


    Given the metal opponent, the Zenotote scientist didn¡¯t have many options for what to evolve. She emphasized the claws and the beak, making them as hard as the potential allowed. The tobi grew three times as large and let out an angry caw before flying to Harlan. She jumped out and landed on the ground as her new aid rested on her shoulder.


    ¡°Aim for the eyes,¡± Harlan told the tobi, and it made a chirp to confirm it understood before flying at the Needaimus. The Zenotote scientist likewise charged in as well.


    Nighthawk suddenly stumbled back as the modified tobi clawed furiously at its face. Gwyn looked in shock as Harlan ran to his side. She immediately noticed the hard rock-like growths on his arm but said nothing as Nighthawk got the tobi away by swinging its metal arm.


    The creature flew above Harlan and Gwyn as Nighthawk shook its metal head. Harlan was shocked to see that the metal exterior covered even the face. He was to be a formidable opponent.


    Gwyn backed up slowly but stopped as Harlan asked him, "Does he have any weak points?¡± He sighed and answered.


    ¡°None. He¡¯s unstoppable.¡±


    Harlan shuddered at Gwyn¡¯s weak tone more than her opponent. Gwyn looked down at first to avoid looking at his ally or foe but quickly focused on something else.


    ¡°Harlan¡­ your tail¡­.¡±


    ¡°It will grow back.¡±


    They had no time to talk as Nighthawk charged forward and swung a fist at Gwyn. Both jumped out of the way and got on either side of the metal opponents.


    ¡°Another pest,¡± Nighthawk grunted. The Needaimus could tell time was running out before the opportunity to kill the mayor closed. Taking out Harlan and Gwyn would have to be done quickly and efficiently. Nighthawk took a stance as the duo considered what the next attack would need to be.

 121 – Mayor Abelard’s Resolve

    The dueling opponents exchanged blows, or more precisely, Nighthawk continued to attempt crippling attacks while Gwyn and Harlan dodged as best they could. With each strike, the ground below the giant Needaimus would crumble as a warning for what would happen to either of the duo should they take a blow¡ªtheir opponent wasn¡¯t holding back, killing the mayor was the true priority, and they were merely a wall to knock down.


    Harlan¡¯s modified tobi attempted to scratch and peck at Nighthawk as the large Needaimus mostly ignored the strikes. The ¡®metal¡¯ Needaimus were made of was more robust and durable than almost any other material on Resh. It could be melted at extreme heat but was impossible to machine or cold form. As such, the metal creatures were often regarded as some of the best armor, and more experienced fighters would use their bonded limbs as shields in fights. Despite all that the tobi tried to do, the enhanced claws could do nothing but provide an annoyance. Harlan had thought their opponent was a severely overclocked case and would still have some face, and more importantly, eyes, showing, but she found that Nighthawk was a different story altogether.


    Gwyn, in the fight, kept moving back and doing his best to avoid the bone-breaking attacks. He occasionally liquified the ground to cause Nighthawk to slip or throw a mass of pavement at his opponent but avoided going entirely on the offensive. Seeing as his opponent was never taken aback fully by any of his attacks, the Nonpareil saw little use in fighting. They could only hope to run.


    From the sidelines, Mayor Abelard did his best to recapture his breath. He had turned around to watch the fight but remained firmly on his knees as his body refused to stand.


    ¡°Is it hopeless, Rom?¡± the mayor finally asked as Nighthawk created another small crater where Harlan had stood seconds prior.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to be more specific,¡± his Zenotote assistant replied. She nervously scratched at the blue scales under her chin while speaking.


    ¡°The whole endeavor. To make our fair city wonderful once again? I knew assassins would eventually arrive at my door, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be such a force of nature.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call a Needaimus a force of nature, sir,¡± Rom replied. Abelard sighed.


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡± There was a moment of silence between the two speakers as the battle, if it could be called as such, raged before their very eyes.


    ¡°Mayor Abelard, with all due respect, giving up like this isn¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve barely known me; we¡¯ve only been working together for two years now¡­. When you get as old as me, that¡¯s just a drop in the bucket.¡±


    Rom grunted and resisted the urge to smack the sullen mayor in the back of his greying head.


    ¡°Sir, please do not make the time we have worked together sound so meaningless. You may not realize it, but I was in a rather sorry state when I first came to your office.¡±


    ¡°I hardly believe that,¡± the mayor said with a laugh. Rom shook her head, didn¡¯t ever want to say aloud what she was about to, and didn¡¯t even know if it was necessary or relevant considering the scenario they found themselves in, but she spoke all the same.


    ¡°I was born in a small village tucked away in the Leth Forest as one in a sextuplet. They always liked to say I was the last one born, but who could really tell.¡±


    ¡°Rom, I know all this.¡±


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    ¡°You don¡¯t know everything¡­. We were a poor family, especially under the Zenotote Absolutism¡¯s rigid system, but our mother worked hard; our father, unfortunately, died young. When we got old enough, my sisters and I would sneak to the forest''s edge to look at Nun shine with all its splendor. We made a vow to make it over here, and once our poor mother passed, just after we became adults, we all piled into a shoddily made dingy, but when we got here, we found just how hard life in the city could be. I thought it was a mistake. Everyone was in their own little worlds, making sure to shine a spotlight so bright over them that they couldn¡¯t see what was three steps ahead. Fortunately, or unfortunately, those people are quick to take on cheap labor and even quicker to take on beautiful brides. We all found work, and some of my sisters seduced their bosses to get into more comfortable positions. I was stubborn, though, and ended up falling into the dark side of Nun; metaphorically, of course, the neon light still shines just as brightly there.


    But, as it turns out, criminal life wasn¡¯t too bad; I finally had money to do whatever I pleased and only a gang leader to bother placating. I learned how to fight and how to manage people. I thought I was happy, swimming in the waste that sank to the bottom of the city. That was, until one day, we had a job to break into the mayor¡¯s house, of all things. I was excited at first; I could get back at the big shot of the city, the one who caused all my problems. Maybe you remember, we had arranged the guard schedule so that we could pay off most to be sick.¡±


    ¡°I recall, it¡¯s not often my house gets broken into, the glass was shattered, and the two guards still on duty had been tied up and thrown in a closet. I was glad you at least spared them.¡±


    Rom shook her head.


    ¡°Lucchi always preferred style over violence, or so he liked to say. Anyway, I bring all this up because of what your stupid house was like. I expected the bigshot of the city of glamour to live, well, more glamorously. I didn¡¯t expect simple furniture and hardly any decorations. I mean, the only things of value you had in that house were clearly bought by your wife, well, except for all the pictures of Dia, which was a bit creepy, I¡¯ll have you know.


    Anyway, we never did find what we were looking for, and there wasn¡¯t much else of value, so the job was considered a bust, but I became curious about the strange leader who lived so¡­ blandly. I started researching what you were about; your charity goals and desire to improve Nun were everywhere. Even when I got people to come out of their little worlds for half a minute, they would unanimously say the city had improved. So, on a whim, I left my life in the gang and applied to work for you.¡±


    ¡°I see; that explains why you improved the background check process on your first day.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you inspired a thug like me to change her ways and work to improve this city. I was initially nervous that I had been fooled by my desires, but you always lived up to my charitable picture of you. If you were gone, the city of Nun would descend into chaos, that I am sure of. So, no matter what you say, I will not abandon you. I would rather die alongside you than see the city fall without you.¡±


    ¡°I am hardly as important as you think,¡± Abelard replied after contemplating, ¡°I am a simple man, overweight and overworked, trying his best to change the spirit of our fair city. But I appreciate you sharing all that with me. I already knew I could count on you, but now, more than ever, I am glad to call you an ally and friend.¡±


    Mayor Abelard reached into his suit jacket and pulled out the pistol he had hidden underneath. It was not Resh-made, but a weapons buff from earth would easily have been recognized as an M1911. A weapon that had been brought by the last other worlder who escaped the war he called ¡®hell in the jungle.¡¯ Nun had taken in the man, and Abelard personally had earned enough trust to receive the man¡¯s sidearm before he passed of old age.


    The mayor was trained in using guns¡ªRom had insisted he learned some way to defend himself¡ªbut was still hesitant to do anything. His fingers shakily loaded a round into the magazine¡ªhe always kept it unloaded out of fear it may go off in his pocket.


    Abelard pushed the magazine back in and readied the gun as his other worlder friend had explained.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how effective this will be, but it should at least briefly confuse our enemy. Give me a clear shot, and we will see what happens,¡± the mayor said to Rom. She nodded.


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± With her last words, the Zenotote assistant ran into the fray to join Harlan and Gwyn. Abelard remained in place and took a deep breath. His breathing had finally steadied enough to run and escape, but he wouldn¡¯t leave the others alone so easily. He aimed the gun at Nighthawk and tried to stiffen his arms to hold them steady. All he needed was a clear shot.

 122 – Nighthawk’s Finale

    Harlan and Gwyn were on the defense; that much was clear to all watching, especially Nighthawk. With every movement they made, they grew more sluggish, and their ability to dodge weakened. It frustrated the Needaimus that the fight had taken so long, but there was clear light at the end of the tunnel.


    The tides turned more to Nighthawk''s favor when Harlan¡¯s ability ran out of time, and the tobi reverted to its usual self and fluttered away without a care. Given the Zenotote did nothing to redo the transformation, the metal giant deduced she couldn¡¯t; as a Needaimus, Nighthawk was very familiar with the limits of abilities and could tell hers had run out.


    Another crater burst open in the ground as Gwyn fell onto his back; he had slipped up with trying to dodge. Nighthawk pulled its fist out and prepared to strike the Nonpareil as he held up his hands¡ªhis good hand being the only one to actually cooperate¡ªover his face.


    Just before it brought the blow down, Rom jumped into the fray and struck the metal Needaimus. She could do little to hurt it, and striking caused more pain to her, but the Zenotote assistant did her best to hit the joints where a good blow might cause some kind of reaction.


    Nighthawk swatted at Rom with the arm meant to take down Gwyn. She barely ducked as the massive attack swung above. The Nonpareil shuffled out of harm''s way. He liquified the ground just enough for Nighthawk¡¯s feet to sink in before making it solid again. Rom backed away as the large opponent effortlessly pulled its feet from the pavement.


    Gwyn gritted his teeth; they were getting nowhere, and he wanted badly to run. He looked to the mayor, who now held a gun and did his best to keep it fixed on Nighthawk. The Nonpareil doubted the weapon would have any effect, but it looked different enough from the ones he had seen on Resh; he assumed it must be from earth.


    ¡°Mem,¡± he whispered.


    Yes?


    ¡°What¡¯s the best way we can constrain this guy?¡± No matter what, they had to escape, and he needed a long enough delay. Fighting was pointless to the Nonpareil.


    Let me run some numbers. I have a reasonable estimate of his strength, but I fear you will become severely overexerted if we try to act with that in mind.


    Gwyn shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to fight; just give me a plan.¡±


    Mem sighed and then relayed the best course of action to the Nonpareil.


    Harlan followed Rom¡¯s attacks, and both struck Nighthawk in the back of the leg. The giant Needaimus fell down as the two Zenototes retreated.


    ¡°Excellent support, whoever you are?¡± Rom said to Harlan. The Zenotote scientist nodded in reply.


    Nighthawk wasn¡¯t down long and pivoted to face the duo. It stomped on the ground and went high in the air, more so than if the Needaimus had jumped.


    ¡°The ability is in use?¡± Harlan whispered in shock. She had little time to think about it before the giant opponent came down like a meteor. Even with the Zenotote pair trying to leap out of the way, it still caught them in the attack''s shockwave. Both rolled on the ground¡ªinjured, but able to push back up slowly.


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    Nighthawk turned to Gwyn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break you next, then finish the job.¡± It took several steps to Gwyn, then stopped as a shocking message came from Evron.


    We are falling back. The message said as plain as day. ¡°Not when I am this close,¡± Nighthawk hissed in reply. The large Needaimus took several more steps to Gwyn as Rom and Harlan tried desperately to push themselves off the ground. The Nonpareil stepped backward with apparent fear painted on his face.


    Abelard didn¡¯t waste another moment; with a loud bang, the bullet fired. It quickly ricocheted off Nighthawk¡¯s face¡ªnot going through or leaving a dent, but the shock was enough to make the Needaimus pause. It was an unfamiliar sound coming from what seemed like a familiar weapon.


    Gwyn, less shocked by the sudden boom, went into action. He lunged forward and smacked both hands flat on the ground while screaming. The ground under Nighthawk¡¯s feet liquified, but unlike before, it was a deep hole that the giant sunk into.


    The layers of payment and support for it were mixed and compressed to be dense, and the entire area sunk slightly as Gwyn grabbed as much material as possible before the entire lot hardened¡ªonly Nighthawks'' head was free. The Nonpareil, covered in sweat, let out a gasp. He felt like he might fall over, but it was worth it if they could escape.


    Before Gwyn could collapse, Harlan caught him, and held him upright. Rom returned to the mayor and helped him to his feet; they walked close to the captured foe.


    ¡°Can you run?¡± Harlan asked Gwyn.


    ¡°In a minute,¡± he said through heavy breaths, ¡°that was more than I expected. He shouldn¡¯t be able to escape for a while, though.¡± Had the Nonpareil felt better, he might have mocked Nighthawk and kicked the Needaimus in the head; it was the least he could do to repay his opponent.


    Nighthawk chuckled.


    ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve put liquid deep in my joints to keep my limbs firmly locked and created a dense prison. I suspect you will get very far before I escape.¡± Nighthawk paused to sigh. In the distance, the mayor¡¯s troops were coming into sight, and with them, at least ten partnered with Needaimus. Overwhelming as Nighthawk was, outnumbered was still outnumbered.


    ¡°They are a little late,¡± Gwyn spat as he saw the approaching reinforcements.


    ¡°It seems my loss is assured; I am not foolhardy enough to take on that many Mortals, especially when they are not tired from battle,¡± Nighthawk said with a metallic sigh, ¡°I suppose I was too weak; my siblings will be annoyed, or perhaps our plans were. Don¡¯t go on believing that this is the end. It is only the beginning; you see, this loss will not deter Array; we already have agents all over the whole of Resh, hiding in every corner. The death of King Whitlock was merely the start, and the death of Mayor Abelard was just a side step, a small bullet point to cross off; we can manage without for a little while longer.¡±


    Having heard enough and feeling somewhat better, Gwyn broke free from Harlan¡¯s support and walked close to Nighthawk. He kicked the captured opponent in the head.


    ¡°Shut up already!¡± he shouted, kicking several more times with bloodshot eyes. The act hurt Gwyn more than Nighthawk, but the Nonpareil was enraged. He stopped only after he took notice of a faint ticking sound.


    Mem was the first to react. The Needaimus broke off Gwyn¡¯s arm and simply shouted,


    ¡°Everyone run!¡± It took a moment for the words to register, but no one bothered to argue with the worried tone of the Needaimus. Nighthawk laughed as the group sprinted in whichever direction they could. Seconds later, the giant Needaimus self-destructed.


    The explosion was not small, even with most of the body encased in the pavement. It burst free from the pavement in a ball of light that rivaled Nun¡¯s many streets. The ground tore to pieces, and none of the allies entirely escaped. The sheer force of the blast threw them forward, all receiving burns on their backs and being rendered unconscious. Had the encasement in the ground not directed the explosion upward, they would have all died.


    The mayor¡¯s troops were in shock as they saw the light and felt the ground shake, but they continued to charge forward, nonetheless. When they finally came close, a massive crater with unconscious bodies just outside the perimeter greeted them¡ªthe people who had escaped barely breathing and needing to be quickly brought back to the hospital they tried so desperately to escape.

 123 – Kako’s Investigation

    The heavy door to a warehouse creaked as Kako gently pushed to get it to open. A blond elf girl¡¯s head appeared in the small opening, and she helped slide the door the rest of the way.


    ¡°Nothing to report, ma¡¯am,¡± the elf said as Kako used a small rag to clean her hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you checked everything, Mina?¡± the writer asked as she threw the rag to the side and walked in. The blond elf looked at her dirty hands and sighed¡ªwiping them off on her pristine green skirt while walking beside Kako.


    ¡°Yes, we did! It looks like this was the warehouse they recently, and I mean very recently, cleared out, but they left nothing useful behind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not ¡®nothing to report,¡¯ Mina,¡± Kako said with a groan, ¡°I should have written you with a higher IQ.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± the elf replied while her long ears drooped.


    Kako stopped in the middle of the dark space and looked up.


    ¡°Can we turn on the lights?¡±


    ¡°Dex is already on it!¡± Mina replied. The lights suddenly flashed on, revealing a wide-open space. The dust on the floor showed that two vehakuls had sat for a long time and had just recently left. The supplies were loaded hastily, and they had not bothered to care about throwing away empty boxes or canisters.


    ¡°Madam!¡± A tall Aqueenian man wearing a trench coat and a bowler hat emerged from a back room. An overly large white handlebar mustache looked like it divided his face into two. He bowed like a gentleman to Kako before continuing. ¡°It seems they wanted to leave in a hurry. Any files were burned, and they smashed tablets rather than trying to pack them all. I think I can recover information from a couple, but I suspect they took things of true importance along.¡±


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    ¡°A fair assessment. Did we find anything else of use?¡±


    ¡°I am having Basil do another search in the area just to be sure, and I plan to inspect their office once again, but I feel it might be a stretch.¡±


    ¡°Very good, Dex; please conduct it nonetheless and report anything you find, even if it doesn¡¯t seem important.¡±


    The tall Aqueenian put a hand in front of his chest and bowed.


    ¡°It will be done, Madam.¡± He left Kako and Mina in the center of the empty warehouse. Kako groaned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Dex is the best character for this sort of thing; if he can¡¯t find anything, it means this organization will be more trouble than I would have liked.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried they would deter your plans?¡±


    ¡°No, none of those are of concern; it just feels like a waste of time. The story I want to write doesn¡¯t have space for such useless villains.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t; you¡¯re not smart enough for these things. Don¡¯t worry about me; I was just venting. I should know better than to do it with the ¡®fanservice¡¯ character.¡±


    Mina frowned but offered no words in reply. She followed Kako as they walked into a back room. A burst of cold poured over them, and the elf girl shivered. She rubbed her hands over where her excess skin was revealed from her thin clothing. Kako shot her a look as she wondered what Mina would say, but the elf remained silent.


    The room was a freezer; the warehouse being a place for storing goods before being shipped across Nun. Kako looked around but didn¡¯t bother wasting much time in the place. She suspected they had used it as a prison; scratching on the walls and spots of frozen blood indicated as much, but the group was tidy enough to clean out bodies. At least it told her what kind of organization had moved into her story. The writer smiled as she walked out, the shivering elf following just after.


    A flash of energy caused the main character of World Exchange! to appear. He kneeled down.


    ¡°Yes, my lady?¡±


    ¡°Lavan, I want you to do some scouting. Check up on Gwyn and make sure he is okay. If Array tries anything, kill them.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± The Netzian protagonist quickly stood up and exited the building; riding on his arm was the blue Needaimus Kako had found from her research¡ªthe appearance had ended up different because of her not having a proper reference, but the name, attitude, and ability were still the same. It was a troublemaker type called Persistent Memory, or Mem, as Lavan liked to shorten it in the novel.

 124 – Aftermath Report

    Mayor Abelard opened his eyes and groaned. He was lying in a hospital bed with several machines attached to confirm that he was still alive. They had set the mayor on his right side, and as he rolled to his back, he found out why; from neck to thigh, it stung.


    Abelard had burned himself enough times before to know what the feeling was, and he did his best not to wince at the pain as he sat up. A guard, someone who wore the official colors of Nun, jumped up and held out hands like he was about to push the mayor back down¡ªbut he would never dare, so he awkwardly danced his open palms in the air while apparently working to come up with words to say.


    ¡°Get me someone who can give a full report,¡± the mayor ordered. He received a salute, and the guard immediately ran out of the door.


    It took only three minutes for Rom to come running in; she had clearly been waiting.


    ¡°Mayor Abelard!¡± she shouted as she rubbed below reddened eyes. He held up a hand to show she should calm down.


    ¡°Take it easy, Rom. Shouldn¡¯t you be resting as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I woke up two days ago and have taken advantage of that for treatment.¡±


    ¡°Two days¡­ you say?¡± Abelard could not hide the concern in his voice. Rom nodded.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been four and a half since we fought that large Needaimus. Our army arrived quickly and got everyone to medical care as soon as possible¡ªthe hospital was still a mess due to the invasion¡ªbut they could not recover our opponent''s body.¡±


    ¡°That is concerning¡­.¡± Abelard replied as he rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Our experts believe everything disintegrated. They say that is to be expected at the center of a Needaimus explosion, but they also made mention that the size of the explosion was not consistent with the size of his body; apparently, it is directly proportional, or so they said.¡±


    ¡°I suppose there is little use worrying about it now,¡± Abelard sighed. He gripped the lining of his bed tightly as he spoke. ¡°How is everyone doing? What came of those who went out? Was Dia okay?¡±


    Rom nodded to his list of questions.


    ¡°Dia is fine. The invaders ignored her hospital room, and the staff was able to evacuate her quickly. She is still comatose¡ªour investigation has found the healing Needaimus we were trying to bring in has gone missing. We will have to wait until she wakes up on her own at this rate. For our group, Amber was badly cut in the fight here. Our allied Bentulousian and Zenotote defeated one invader, but he took poison in favor of being captured. We secured his Needaimus, and none of our visitors have tried to claim it. The Nonpareil and our entire group suffered minor injuries from the fight, save for severe burns from the explosion, and the Zenotote girl lost her tail. The hospital suffered much damage, but it was mostly localized, and the invaders were too preoccupied with you to bother harming bystanders severely; a couple got shoved. As for the group that left¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take over here!¡± a fresh voice shouted from behind Rom; she jumped and turned back with hands ready to strike at a short gray Bentulousian with burned fur.


    ¡°Tancred,¡± Abelard muttered. ¡°We haven¡¯t talked for how many years now?¡±


    ¡°Two years, one season, thirty days, but who¡¯s counting. I have had little to say, and you¡¯re always too busy to write or call.¡±


    ¡°I take it you have something to say now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but,¡± Tancred looked up at Rom, ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss it privately.¡±


    Rom opened her mouth to protest, but Abelard held up a hand to stop her.


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    ¡°Rom, please be sure no one comes into this room.¡± She wasn¡¯t pleased, if her expression was any indication, but nodded and left all the same. The hospital door closed more forcefully than needed, resulting in a loud bang.


    ¡°Feisty assistant you have there; she¡¯ll be good at keeping you in check,¡± Tancred said with a laugh.


    ¡°She seems to have made that her purpose in life. Why did you want to speak to me?


    ¡°Well, I joined up with young Odell and Hal, the two that came with the group, before everything went down. They were all recovering at my place until I could discern the hospital had no enemy agents inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to call you paranoid, but that might have been an excellent decision,¡± Abelard said, thinking of the doctor who tried to stop them.


    ¡°Right! So, we seem to have had a run-in with the bosses of the little invaders; I suspect they are high in the ranks of Array, but not the overall heads. Either way, we had a lot of trouble with them. Young Hal lost his dominant arm, and young Odell had his crown shattered. Your agents Felix and Liv were injured, but the former is in critical condition.


    Abelard stared up at the ceiling and sighed.


    ¡°Was there nothing we could do? The invaders left, but it doesn¡¯t feel like we won; more like they didn¡¯t wish to waste any more time.¡±


    ¡°True, and I think the younger ones feel that much more than we do, but there are some things we can gleam from this whole mess to not call it a total loss. Before leaving the hotel, I gathered some items from our foes, and young Rom has filled me in on what your Needaimus foe said before self-detonating.¡±


    ¡°You are rather optimistic today.¡±


    ¡°Detectives are nothing more than pessimists that want to prove themselves wrong. Based on what I have gleaned, the group here was indeed sent to assassinate you. Their plans turned awry when our travelers entered the city, their attention got divided, and after they went to scout, it seems a third party raided their safe houses. I found arrows, of all things, scattered about and deformation that looked similar to the Nonpareil¡¯s ability, even though he was not there.


    ¡°From what I can gleam, they never expected the traveling band to arrive in Nun. Apparently, dangerous agents were placed in a city on our traveling friends¡¯ way, but the group took a detour through the mountains to get their vehakul repaired. Pure luck; as far as I could tell, it sounded like they had some nasty characters waiting to hurt them. To make matters worse, I believe they intended to use Dia to draw you out. If it eases your mind, I don¡¯t think she fully knew what they had planned, though you will still need to punish her for killing a foreign king.¡±


    ¡°You discerned all that these last couple of days?¡±


    ¡°Why yes, I¡¯ve been quite busy looking at what we¡¯ve gathered, visiting safe houses, and talking with those involved. All for free, I might add.¡±


    Abelard sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll officially hire you to investigate and pay you for the time already spent. If others try to stop me, I¡¯ll have funds taken from my salary.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic! When you get better, let¡¯s get dinner, my treat! And here I thought I would have to make Rym twist her sister¡¯s arm¡­ uh, I mean, we¡¯ll invite them too. It¡¯s great to let them catch up as well!¡±


    ¡°Is that all you came for? I¡¯m suddenly feeling a headache come on.¡±


    ¡°Being wounded will do that to you, but no, I had something else to disclose to you, the real reason I wanted us to talk alone.¡± Tancred¡¯s tone turned more serious, and his voice lowered as if it were likely someone was still listening in. Abelard responded to the tone and corrected his posture to a more attentive position.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Before all this mess started, young Odell showed up with a letter from King Fio, and even before that, one of the king¡¯s agents snuck into the city and was injured. He had quite a bit to say for such a brief letter, but the short of it is that he believed the Aqueenian government assisted Array someone high in the system.¡±


    ¡°He believes they killed their own king? To what end?¡±


    ¡°Our friend didn¡¯t speculate on that point, but he is personally, or probably has already done it by now, scrubbing his own government of any potential bad actors. He advised I should tell you to do so as well, but after this incident, I suspect that was already on the table.¡±


    Abelard nodded.


    ¡°Did he have anything else to say on the matter?¡±


    ¡°He warned we need to investigate. He feared the Aqueenians were already lost, and other countries might fall. I can¡¯t imagine his stress with the election right around the corner.¡±


    Abelard looked up at the plain ceiling.


    ¡°It feels like something large has been set in motion; the fact I¡¯m still alive means my assassination wasn¡¯t as high priority or that it can wait for another time. I fear that will come back to haunt us later. Now more than ever seems to be the right time for a Nonpareil. How is he doing?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to meet him. He seems well enough physically, but I¡¯ve heard his mood could be better.¡±


    Mayor Abelard sighed and laid back down. He had suddenly grown sleepy and waved to Tancred that he should leave. The detective nodded and departed to continue his investigation.


    ***


    As the short detective walked through the hospital halls, he couldn¡¯t help but worry that worse bloodshed and violence were around the corner. He steeled his resolve to find some clue that could prove him otherwise, but he wasn¡¯t optimistic that one would show up.

 125 – A Group Reunited

    Fiona was the first to walk into the hospital room where the Nonpareil rested. Gwyn sat somberly on a hospital bed as the other team members came in one by one, like a funeral procession. They all wore frowns or neutral expressions; not one smile was to be seen. Odell sat with his back facing the mirror, his broken crown plain for all to see. Harlan sat by his side, just by the edge, so the mirror didn¡¯t reflect her missing tail.


    Hal leaned against the wall; his right torso had been encased in bandages to cover the spot where his arm had once been, and Fiona sat in a chair next to him. Rheba stood by the door.


    The blue princess looked around at all the faces and wanted to break the mood in some way, but she was unsure of what might be appropriate¡ªshe had never worried so much about that before. Fiona looked Odell¡¯s way and, perhaps reading her mind, shook his head to indicate ¡®no.¡¯ She looked down at the ground.


    Rheba was the first to speak.


    ¡°I have been in contact with my people, and I have been called back, Benlou. Zenith wants a full debrief.¡±


    Her words got the attention of the others, and they all turned to her. None offered any shock, it was a sensible thing to happen, and none provided any words; Fiona at least wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Save for Harlan, who quietly gave her intentions.


    ¡°I have received a similar summons and will head out.¡±


    Fiona jumped up.


    ¡°Wait, after all that, you¡¯re just going to leave? Shouldn¡¯t we, I don¡¯t know, try to do something as a group? Even just getting one last meal! This is such a terrible way to part!¡±


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    No one replied as they looked down.


    ¡°We should at least exchange contact,¡± Odell quietly added, supporting Fiona¡¯s sentiment.


    Rheba looked like she wanted to refuse; Fiona was sure she would have been against it at the beginning¡ªsaying something like ¡®warriors don¡¯t exchange contact¡ªbut she relinquished her information with ease to all, even Harlan, and with a small ¡®goodbye¡¯ left the room. The Zenotote scientist did the same and¡ªperhaps not wanting to be outdone¡ªreluctantly chased after the tall warrior to share hers.


    Fiona held the handwritten notes; they had no tablets to type with, close to her chest.


    ¡°I will be returning to; I have been away from Roanoke too long,¡± Hal added. Gwyn jumped slightly as the Netzian soldier said the name of his home but didn¡¯t offer any words to explain or delve further. Fiona looked longingly at Hal as she held out the piece of paper. He rolled his yellow eyes but scribbled down information all the same. Without another word, he left the room, seemingly taking extra care to go in the opposite direction Rheba and Harlan went.


    Odell shook his head.


    ¡°I will have to be going too. Hagan secured us some transportation, and he wants to leave soon. You already have my contact, so please share it with the others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± Fiona said softly. Odell stood up and gently sat a six-fingered hand on Gwyn¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Next time, let¡¯s have you come over to Hobith; we can run around that city like we did in Quenth.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Gwyn replied. He seemed surprised that the words escaped his lips.


    Fiona hugged Odell, and the short Hobusian left the room. The blue princess turned to Gwyn.


    ¡°Donn sent me a message saying you will be welcome back in Quenth. Are you going to come?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go back home, but I doubt anyone knows how to do that.¡±


    Fiona swallowed.


    ¡°So, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Guess I¡¯ll stick around with you.¡±


    Fiona approached Gwyn from across the room and reached for him, but the Nonpareil turned away. ¡°Please, leave me alone for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll let you know when our transport arrives. Donn said he would send one out immediately.¡±


    With her last words, Fiona drew back from Gwyn and left him alone in the room. Her head hung down the whole time; she wasn¡¯t sure what could be done.

 126 – Donn Reads the Report

    In Quenth, Prince Donn stood in a lower room within the castle. The place was one of his private quarters and had been converted into what was best described as a gym. Rows of machines were laid out which offered the ability to lift weights or work on strength. There were no options for cardio, as the prince found it a waste of energy.


    Four of the machines were occupied by the Fiona Fan Club members as Donn watched over them.


    ¡°Come on, Simeon, that¡¯s not that much weight. Siegfried, you¡¯ll never be a knight if you don¡¯t pick it up. Sinatra¡­ you¡¯re doing alright¡­ but you should struggle if you want to improve! Colton, I expect those treads to be moving faster!¡± Donn barked at the others.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± they all grunted through their pain.


    The trio, upon meeting Prince Donn, had expressed to him they wanted to be better warriors, and he offered to train them personally¡ªsomething he hoped they hadn¡¯t come to regret; the faces of the trio made the prince worry sometimes.


    Upon hearing Donn was taking disciples, Colton begged to join; he expressed his disappointment and regret for failing to stop Dia, which had resulted in the murder of King Whitlock. Donn felt sympathy for Colton and happily agreed. Little did the green guard know that the fan club was looking for recruits and quickly made him vice president of their group, even though he protested profusely.


    The blue prince had found the whole thing worthy of granting a belly laugh¡ªthe others in the castle often were too serious for his liking. He sat down and smiled while watching his four disciples lift.


    ¡°Donn,¡± Hermina said as her floating chair came into view through the door. She motioned for him to come alone.


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    ¡°All right, everyone, take a break. I have some business to attend to, then we¡¯ll practice swordplay again. Aster will continue teaching you.¡±


    The group groaned at the name but didn¡¯t offer any complaints. Donn had made sure they were aware of the honor of having Donn¡¯s top guard, Queen of the Blade as she was known, teach them, no matter how many bruises they ended up with after.


    Donn and Hermina went to a private meeting room and shut the door. His sister The princess handed him a tablet with the report from Nun, which Fiona sent. Though the younger princess had apparently tried her best to write an official report, the note still came across as an informal letter.


    Hey everyone, it started out harmlessly enough; things could be better here, to be honest. We arrived in Nun sometime in the morning a couple days ago and¡­


    The letter detailed their search through the city as best as Fiona could remember; the tone remained lighthearted until she described Dia getting shot and Gwyn ending up in the hospital. She did her best to repeat everything Tancred had confided in her while she rested at his office with the others before describing how everyone was still recovering in the hospital.


    The crown prince turned a pale shade of blue as he read through.


    ¡°I know,¡± Hermina said before he could reply to the contents.


    ¡°Has anyone else seen this yet?¡±


    ¡°Just us and mother for now. We plan to destroy the file now that you have seen it.¡±


    Donn nodded and turned back to the letter.


    ¡°Send a reply; we will send out a ship immediately to pick her up.¡±


    ¡°I have a scribe drafting it up now.¡±


    Donn nodded and crossed his arms. He stared blankly at the wall while thinking. The crown prince was happy Fiona made it through okay, but he was still adamant she never should have gone. He cursed himself for not disobeying his mother and running to Nun. The opponents his littlest sister described would have been nothing to him, by his estimation. He took a deep breath and stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go lift for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to take the others to sword training?¡± Hermina replied she looked like she was about to say more, but Donn interrupted.


    ¡°Would you be able to take them? Tell Aster something came up; she¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Hermina nodded, and Donn left to his private room. Once the others cleared out, he loaded a bar with almost every weight available and lifted it over his head in silence.

 127 – Villains Undeterred

    Evron silently stared from the deck of a hovering boat as the glowing city of Nun faded out of view. The mayor had been left alive, and Ripple and Nighthawk had gone silent at the hospital. To make matters worse, Nero stood behind the bleached blue Zenotote and played a somber song on his haunting metal violin.


    Sabia stood at the wheel of the vehakul and navigated them down the channel as the light from Nun slowly shrunk in the blackness of night. Thorir took a nap without a care about what had gone on, preparing instead for his next fight in his usual manner.


    ¡°I think I shall call this tune the ballad of Evron¡¯s failed leadership,¡± Nero said with a laugh as he set the bow to the side.


    Evron scratched at his new chest with fake red scales, a spare they had just in case, as his teeth ground tighter.


    ¡°We almost had them,¡± he replied after contemplating, ¡°Those children got in our way.¡±


    ¡°Please do not push all your failure on some meddling children; it is unbecoming for a leader!¡± Nero hissed. ¡°Inexperienced as many of them were, you knew there was a general level of competence. Instead of splitting our forces to take down everyone, it would have been best to send the full group to attack the mayor. Especially given your ability, we could have easily raided the hospital and completed our mission. This is your failure Evron, and you need to own it.¡±


    ¡°Spare me your idle blather; you simply used the time to play. That Netzian soldier¡¯s arm won¡¯t grow back, and we are both aware our sponsors were interested in keeping him alive.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead, I stopped the bleeding, and I suspect he¡¯ll get a wonderful mechanical arm and be right as rain. Though I still have an itching to drive my scythe into his chest.¡± The man had replaced his cracked mask, so it was no longer possible to see if he had a vicious smile underneath.


    ¡°Please stop talking about all this killing!¡± Sabia shouted from the wheel.


    ¡°Your one to talk,¡± Nero chuckled. I heard from Thorir you killed some poor sap you seduced. Our battle-crazed friend said the man looked almost like he was about to cry! Good showmanship, I must say; I wish I had seen it!¡±


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    Sabia¡¯s hands clenched tighter on the helm as she steered them away from Nun without another word.


    Evron continued to scratch at the new red scales which covered his chest. Nun was no more than a small light in the distance, as if one of the stars had fallen to Resh. He turned away and headed across the vessel to a small screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time we gave our final report,¡± the Zenotote leader muttered.


    ¡°Ah, finally worked up enough courage!¡± Nero said in a sing-song voice. ¡°Unfortunately, I already beat you to the punch; you know how the bosses get when information like that gets delayed!¡±


    Evron said nothing as he started the call. No image came on the screen, but a distorted feminine voice came through the speaker.


    ¡°Evron, it¡¯s good to hear from you,¡± the voice said.


    ¡°I am remiss to report we were unsuccessful in eliminating Mayor Abelard. All other tasks were successful within the city, but all our safehouses were raided as we left. We had already destroyed any evidence of value, but it appears some other party was acting near the end.


    The voice sighed, which made a series of crackles when distorted.


    ¡°I suppose that can¡¯t be helped. I understand the force that left Quenth got in the way, and you had no choice but to divide your team.¡± Evron could hear Nero snicker as their commander spoke. ¡°Abelard was less of a priority than Whitlock; the other things prepared in Nun will do for now; for now, we can leave him alive; it won¡¯t hinder the plans. I am more concerned that you lost Nighthawk; creating specimens like him is not easy, as you know.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind forgiving you, but your next assignment will be with both his siblings. They are less forgiving than I.¡± Evron tightened his fist; his next mission had been different before coming to Nun; he could see the change only as a punishment.


    ¡°Of course, I will endeavor not to fail you again.¡±


    ¡°That is right. Now, the rest of you will return to our home base; get some rest since the next missions I have for you will be more involved.¡±


    Thorir sat up.


    ¡°Are we going to get a good fight?¡±


    ¡°That will be up to your opponents to decide.¡±


    The yellow-haired Netzian grumbled and laid back down.


    ¡°If that is all,¡± the distorted voice said, ¡°I have some other matters to attend to back home. I will be the next one to contact you.¡± Nothing more was said as the connection was dropped.


    ¡°Things should be fun going forward!¡± Nero laughed.


    Evron took a deep breath and thought about his battles. The next time he saw the Hobusian Prince or Aqueenian Princess, he would kill them without question. With his determination set, he waved Nero away and drifted into his own slumber.

 128 – Homecoming: Fiona and Gwyn

    The shouts of people on the docks lulled Fiona and Gwyn from sleep, and both grunted as the boat made a thud against the pier. They had been sitting on a bench, side by side, when sleep overtook them.


    ¡°Welcome home, Princess and Nonpareil!¡± Braxen, the dock head, shouted. Behind him, the spiraling towers of Quenth pointed to a clear blue sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be home,¡± Fiona said with a nod. Gwyn said nothing, but slid down the bench further from the princess. She had not been so close when he fell asleep, but their shoulders started pressing against each other at some point. Aqueenian skin was surprisingly soft, considering how much it looked like a gemstone in the light.


    They shuffled off the boat and were greeted by Donn and some familiar faces.


    ¡°Princess Fiona!¡± the fan club trio charged forward. It looked like they might hug her but stopped short as they likely considered their position. Fiona didn¡¯t care and pulled the group close.


    ¡°Simeon. Siegfried. Sinatra. It¡¯s great to see you again! You all look a little bulkier. Donn hasn¡¯t put any weird ideas in your head, has he?¡±


    The trio didn¡¯t reply as they pulled away and attempted to cover their tears with their forearms.


    ¡°We don¡¯t deserve such kindness from our princess!¡± they wept in unison. Colton, who had waited by the vehakul, only shook his head.


    Fiona chuckled and gave her brother a hug. The bulky prince¡¯s large eyes went wide as she came close.


    ¡°What brought that on?¡±


    ¡°What brought what on?¡±


    Donn shook his head and turned to Gwyn.


    ¡°Well, Nonpareil Gwyn, it is good to see you again.¡± He held a giant blue hand forward for Gwyn to shake, but the earthling only stared. After a moment of silence, the crown prince continued. ¡°Well, we have a huge banquet for everyone, then we¡¯ll let you get some rest.¡±


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    Fiona and Gwyn loaded into the vehakul with the prince and fan club and drove through the shining city streets. The Aqueenians all engaged in lively banter, catching up on everything, which Gwyn found off-putting as he leaned against the door and stared out the window. He ignored any attempts to bring him into the conversation, so the others soon let him be.


    A sprawling banquet had been laid out in the castle''s main dining room with more food than Fiona or Gwyn could ever eat, though the former tried as hard as she could¡ªshe must have forgotten how much she enjoyed authentic Aqueenian food. The Nonpareil mostly poked at his food and ate very little.


    At the end of the meal, Colton escorted them to their rooms.


    ***


    ¡°Princess,¡± the green guard whispered as Gwyn slumped after them. He needed to slow his pace to not leave the Nonpareil behind. ¡°Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s just exhausted from the trip,¡± Fiona whispered. She paused momentarily, continuing, ¡°The fighting was rough, and some of us almost died. He probably just needs time to process.¡±


    ¡°I hope that is all it is,¡± Colton murmured as he looked back to Gwyn, who simply grunted in reply to Mem atop his shoulder. He was worried but left it be.


    They reached the Nonpareil''s room, and Gwyn nodded to them. Fiona blocked his path and stared intensely at his brown eyes, to which Gwyn turned his head.


    ¡°Make sure you get plenty of rest, okay?¡± she said.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t stop her from hugging him, but quickly pulled away and retreated into the room. The door slid shut, and a click indicated it had been locked.


    Fiona and Colton were quiet momentarily as they departed from Gwyn¡¯s door, but a conversation soon began as they came close to Fiona¡¯s room.


    ¡°Well, Colton, I didn¡¯t know you were a fan of mine,¡± she said in a playful tone. It came across as forced, but the green guard figured letting the conversation move naturally was best.


    ¡°I was reluctantly brought in and made vice president. Rest assured, princess, I am no fonder of you than any ordinary guard.¡±


    ¡°I think most of the guards hate me.¡±


    ¡°I am no fonder of you than what ought to be expected of an ordinary guard,¡± Colton corrected.


    ¡°Vice president is a pretty big role; it seems odd to me if you are so reluctant.¡±


    ¡°They argued that since I knew you the longest, it gave me a higher status. Truly, I only wanted to learn from Prince Donn.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope you do well in your vice president''s role. I expect lots of activities!¡±


    Colton wanted to snap a sharp retort at the princess, but held off as he swore there was some quivering in her voice.


    ¡°Of course, princess, why don¡¯t you get some rest? The morning will come before you know it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Well, goodnight Colton. She tapped the guard¡¯s shoulder¡ªmissing a hug as he sidestepped¡ªbefore entering her room and shutting the door. Colton heard what sounded like a flop onto her bed, and he assumed she must have fallen right on it without bothering to change¡ªexhaustion coming quickly to take her. He left the sleeping princess in peace.

 129 – Homecoming: Odell

    Odell groaned as a new morning broke through his windows. His old bed felt too comfortable to get up, but he needed to meet with his father to debrief from the journey. Slowly pushing up, he made his way across the room¡ªhis back arced so low his long arms almost dragged on the floor.


    The prince stopped to look in a mirror; his shattered crown was now only a tiny band across his forehead. The king¡¯s royal dresser had done their best to file the jagged edges without letting it look like the cosmetic work was done, but the whole thing looked beyond stupid to him. King Fio had tried to spin it as a battle scar among the court in an attempt to shut down all the quiet whispers about the prince¡¯s unseemly defeat. Odell wished that hats or hoods were acceptable among his people, but Hobusians quickly assumed headwear was an attempt to hide a weak crown; in the given case, they would be right.


    Odell steeled his resolve, held his head high, and marched out of the room. Some servants and guards tilted their heads. They had still not widely announced what happened, but he ignored the glances as he made his way to his father.


    For their meeting, the Hobusian King had chosen a wooden room with a stone fireplace. Two chairs sat angled slightly so that the people could look at the flame and each other easily, and a round table was placed in between for any important papers. They considered it a private room when the king wanted a one-on-one with no disturbances. As Odell shut the door, he twisted the lock, which would tell all servants that their meeting could not be interrupted.


    ¡°Odell!¡± King Fio gleefully shouted. He had already taken a chair and waved for his son to sit in the other. The Hobusian prince did so without question. ¡°You had a long and rough journey. I am just glad to see you got home safely.¡± Odell¡¯s father did not attempt to hide the tears in his eyes, clarifying why the private room had been chosen.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ good to be back, father.¡±


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    ¡°I am glad to hear it. I know I set this up under the pretense of a debrief, but honestly, we can get to all that later. How are you doing?¡±


    Odell jumped; his father usually was so formal it hurt.


    ¡°Honestly, not good. I hardly did anything to help in Nun. It seems all I succeeded in doing was being a heavy rock, one the others had to lug around.¡± Odell¡¯s head hung. The words hurt to say more than they did to think, and he wasn¡¯t sure why he admitted them.


    ¡°I understand. You are still so young, and I had no idea how dangerous the foes were. When you volunteered to go, I must say I was delighted. I thought Nun was causing a stir but would still hold to some principles if you showed up at their door. However, the more I thought, the more I realized how wrong that assumption was. I should apologize; when we met just outside the city, I should have drugged you home with me¡­.¡± King Fio¡¯s voice trailed off as he looked down. His words had become shaky by the end, and if he had anything else to say, it would certainly not come out clearly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dad. I didn¡¯t die, and meeting Tancred was a lot of fun. And modifying the Ali¡ªI wish it hadn¡¯t been damaged so much. We had lots of good food, and the mayor is still alive, evidently¡­.¡± Odell came to a stop. He was racking his brain for anything that sounded positive, but his tone didn¡¯t reflect the words in the slightest. ¡°Anyway, I think I will go to the guardhouse. Platon usually runs this time in the morning, and I think I¡¯ll join him.¡±


    King Fio nearly fell out of his chair. He seemed to ponder a moment, staring with wide eyes at Odell. The gray prince could not tell what his father was thinking. With a swift movement, the king crossed the space and placed a hand on Odell¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I commend you for your diligence, but a long battle like that does not disappear from a single night¡¯s rest. Wait at least one, no two, more before trying anything that may strain you. Platon won¡¯t be going anywhere; rest assured. I have ordered that no one disturb you for the next couple of days unless you call for them; only servants may come to deliver food. Take the time, get recovered, then we will work for whatever goals you have.¡±


    Odell nodded. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he wanted to return to sleep. With the last words said, he departed for his room and closed the curtains. Sleep came quickly for the Hobusian prince.

 130 – Homecoming: Harlan

    The capital city of Wesk was a sight for sore eyes. Even as Harlan stood above ground, where only a few small dirt huts showed any city was around, she felt as if tears might break through the dam of her heart. Restraining her glands, she followed as escorts guided her to one hut. On close inspection, they would surprise a visitor¡ªnone of the dirt buildings were what they seemed. Walls had been carefully constructed to appear like dirt, and the inside housed elevators, which would take them to the city below.


    Her efforts to keep a neutral expression grew harder as the door slid open. She had not seen the main city cavern in so long. Its giant expanse had been hollowed out to be larger than any major city''s central avenue. Stony pillars connected from top to bottom like skyscrapers, each carved out to act as a building in its own right. All up and down the cavern, platforms were connected and crossed, going up and down¡ªin and around¡ªbuildings like a web of organized insanity. Zenototes of all shapes and colors moved to and fro, carrying on with their daily tasks.


    ¡°This way, ma¡¯am,¡± a skinny Zenotote man with black scales indicated. He went by Adder, a nickname that reflected his experience in accounting. Only the Zenotote leader knew what the man¡¯s real name was. Harlan nodded and followed her guide. ¡°Our leader expressed you would likely want to return to your lab immediately, but he wanted to introduce someone important to you beforehand. Rest assured; it won¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Harlan said quietly.


    They walked along the edge of the cavern that overlooked the rest of the city, reserved exclusively for military or emergencies, to a train that brought them to the next cavern. More weaving through the underground network brought Harlan to the Absolutism¡¯s headquarters. It was a single cavern with only a large round pillar in the center that housed the entire government. Only enough space for two guards to walk side by side was afforded between the cave walls and the pillar, but without the center building, it could have easily fit three battleships.


    They entered, and Adder quickly took her to the room where she would meet her father. Instead, a Zenotote girl was waiting. Harlan almost reeled back as the stranger smiled and ran up for a greeting. She looked a year younger than the Zenotote scientist, with the most beautiful aquamarine scales possible, and her clothes were a formal military uniform, the marking showing she was only a recruit. Black frills went down the sides of her head in two clumps, and her tail was unusually short. What was most striking to Harlan was how flat her face was and how smooth her scales looked. By all accounts, the girl looked like she might be a quarter Netzian or Aqueenian¡ªbut someone like that wouldn¡¯t have been brought into the military.


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    When the aquamarine Zenotote saluted Harlan as well as she could, her awkwardness made clear she was very new to the service.


    ¡°Junior Science Officer Harlan, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Recruit Rosemary, and I was just brought in by Leader Mixolydian!¡± The girl did her best to greet Harlan properly. Harlan nodded as Rosemary continued, ¡°the Leader said something came up, and he couldn¡¯t make it, but he wanted me to express to you the desire for our coming together.¡±


    Harlan held back a sigh. Her father wasn¡¯t too busy to come; he wanted them to meet without his presence. Perhaps he hoped they could become friends. He always did that sort of thing, but she would wait for more information before jumping to a conclusion.


    ¡°Yes, of course, please continue,¡± the Zenotote scientist replied after seeing the girl had awkwardly paused.


    ¡°My apologies! Well, Leader Mixolydian was very interested in the flying vehakuls the Nonpareil mentioned in one of your reports. He has decided that you will be responsible for creating one, and I will serve as the test pilot!¡±


    Harlan nodded understandingly. She thought her father would be interested in the strange idea, and the girl who clearly wasn¡¯t all Zenotote would be the perfect test subject if something went haywire. It was all making sense.


    Of course, I am pleased to work alongside you, but after my long trip, I must rest. I will contact you at a later date so we can begin work.


    Rosemary smiled and saluted.


    ¡°Of course! Please take as much time as you need!¡± she stammered.


    Harlan wasted no time dismissing herself and quickly retreated to her private lab. As soon as the door slid shut, she let out a sigh of relief and examined the room.


    Most of the space was set up with equipment, cases, and design tools, save for a small bed in the corner with a beauideal Berry the Blue Crusher poster. The Zenotote scientist quickly walked over to the tank where some of her test miccs¡ªa small animal most closely resembling a mouse¡ªwere held. At the sight of her, the tiny creatures of various colors ran frantically to the glass edge of the tank and pressed their front feet on the transparent wall so they could look up at her. Harlan smiled softly and stroked each of their heads gently before turning off the automatic food dispenser and manually filling their bowl. The hungry creatures got to work, quickly devouring the meal.


    Harlan made her way to the bed after, and sleep came upon her quickly.

 131 – Homecoming: Rheba

    It was easy for Rheba to tell she was almost home. She and her escorts had been sailing with the massive Oniith Forest on their side for several hours, and the trees of the mighty woods were getting taller the closer they got to the deepest section. After another hour, the land rose due to artificial means, and the true landmark came into view. The Great Tree, as it was called.


    Towering above anything else, they believed the tree to be the most ancient in all of Resh. Its trunk was more extensive than some villages and towered higher than many buildings on Resh. The Bentulousians had been taking care of it for as long as they had been around, and the tree had lasted through many disasters brought on by both natural causes and warfare.


    ¡°You never tire of seeing it!¡± One of Rheba¡¯s escorts, a white-furred warrior called Night, chimed in; she and her twin sister¡ªa black-furred warrior called Day¡ªhad ridden with Rheba from Nun to Benlou.


    ¡°It is truly magnificent. A weak warrior such as I do not deserve to take it in,¡± Rheba replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be that way!¡± Night tried to cheer her companion up, but Rheba left and headed to the wheel where Day was directing. The Bentulousian warrior was delighted to go through a doorway without having to duck.


    ¡°About an hour?¡± she asked Day.


    ¡°Probably a little over that,¡± the dark-furred warrior responded.


    Rheba nodded and waited patiently in a calm meditation until the sounds of the boat being raised up funneled in. A few moments later, some mechanical hums and clicks indicated it had been secured. She nodded and exited to the shore. As her home came into plain view, it brought tears to the warrior''s eyes.


    Underneath the canopy of the magnificent tree was a series of smaller trees. Though smaller was relative, as the other trees still towered overhead. Around the trees, the Bentulousians had built buildings with the forest, taking care to only cut down what was needed and not disturb the larger landscape. Most houses were built around the trunks of the woods¡ªresembling complex treehouses more than traditional buildings¡ªand were connected with rope bridges, while the streets were laid out wide enough to let skinny vehakuls through. With how much metal and concrete Rheba had seen recently, it was true bliss.


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    She began walking down the messily laid out streets and waved to the other Bentulousians who recognized her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Rheba! She went on a journey with the Nonpareil!¡± a kid shouted.


    ¡°That¡¯s no big deal; my mommy could beat up the Nonpareil!¡± another jumped in.


    She chuckled as she walked by. The warrior¡¯s destination came into view as she approached the Great Tree. Closest to the giant tree, foliage did not grow as well. The Bentulousians took advantage to build several coliseums and other official buildings directly on the ground. Her destination was a military compound where all newer recruits who had less than five years of service were assigned to sleep.


    A familiar warrior was waiting outside, and Rheba stiffened as her zebra-patterned fur came into view.


    ¡°Zenith, ma¡¯am, how are you this day?¡± The junior warrior thundered while saluting.


    ¡°At ease Rheba; I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well,¡± Zenith replied. She was about a head taller than Rheba but looked down with gentleness in her eyes. Rheba remained stiff.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve so much from you. I have failed your training.¡±


    ¡°I read your report; we all misunderstood what was going on; walk with me.¡±


    Rheba matched Zenith¡¯s pace as they walked into the barracks.


    ¡°Misunderstood?¡±


    ¡°We all thought Nun was behind Jolon¡¯s assassination. If that were true, sending a combined force from the other nations would have been perfect for intimidation. It showed the unity of everyone, and with a Nonpareil to back up, well, Nun would have tried nothing serious if they were responsible. I expected your arrival might have some minor skirmishes, but ultimately they would give in out of fear of invasion on all fronts.¡± Zenith sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°But they weren¡¯t responsible,¡± Rheba finished.


    ¡°Yes, they were as much a pawn as we were. Based on your report, I have already checked our entire military, and two Array agents have shown up. I suspect the others are too smart or too cunning to be caught so easily. We have a lot of work to do, Rheba.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°So, no watching beauideal matches in secret.¡±


    Rheba froze in the hallway while Zenith kept walking. She gulped as her commander looked back. If anything, the warrior had hoped Zenith had forgotten what she said in Quenth.


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am!¡± she said with difficulty, trying to cover up the worry in her voice.


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    Rheba quickly went to her room, a plain space with a single metal frame bed, and fell into the rigid foam. Getting to sleep quickly was no problem.

 132 – Homecoming: Hal

    Hal stepped off the boat and stared at the capital, Roanoke. He nodded and began his trudge through the large city with architecture best described as a London replica from the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The construction had been done to follow a path from the channel down a river, and the city stretched in length more than width as it developed.


    Bridges periodically connected each side of the city, and buildings were in such significant numbers that they had also been constructed out on the bridges. Hal hitched a trolley ride at the first bridge and rode down the city to its end¡ªwhere the river naturally ended and the mansion of the Dare was built. To ease a past rivalry between the people on opposite sides of the river, the house was stretched so that it had equal parts on both sides, but Hal always thought it made it way more extensive than it ought to have been.


    He stood in the courtyard in front of the glamorous mansion and stared up at a statue of Virginia Dare in the middle of a fountain right in front. Hal nodded to the first of the Dares before walking in to face the current, Feya. He rubbed at his bandaged shoulder and wondered what they would say.


    ¡°I have returned,¡± the Netzian soldier shouted as he opened the door; no sooner had he entered when he received 3 feet from high jump kicks.


    ¡°You idiot!¡± 3 girls shouted in unison. The first, his younger sister, by seven days, Hayleigh, kicked him in the stomach. The youngest two, his twin sisters Gabriella and Isabella, took out each knee. They kicked Hal off stable footing and fell flat on his back as servants calmly closed the door behind him.


    ¡°How could you lose an arm?¡± Hayleigh shouted.


    ¡°Look at you! You look so lopsided!¡± Isabella added.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, big brother, Hal. The others wanted to kick you,¡± Gabriella softly added.


    The three of them all burst into tears and threw themselves onto the downed soldier.


    ¡°We¡¯re so glad you got home safely!¡± one yelled, but who, through the wails, was unclear. Hal smiled and did his best to return their embrace with his one arm.


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    They might have continued to pin Hal down, but some clapping and shouting caught the attention of the four. Feya made her way down a gaudy staircase.


    ¡°Hey, you three. He¡¯s injured; give him some space!¡± she shouted, and the three girls¡¯ yellow eyes grew wide with realization. They quickly jumped up, helped their brother to his feet, then stood at his side while Feya walked close. When compared to his sisters, it was clear that they were siblings. Each had the same emerald green hair and subtle facial features inherited from their parents. Feya, on the other hand, was a stark contrast, with green scales on her neck and upper arms and freckles on her face.


    The Dare walked close to Hal and looked at him intensely, especially on his bandaged shoulder where he had once had an arm. Her slit eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she suddenly pulled him close for a hug.


    ¡°Hal! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re not dead!¡± Seeing the Netzian leader¡¯s actions, his sisters joined back in.


    ¡°Stop. Stop. This is not how a national leader should act!¡± Hal shouted as he wiggled out of the unexpected group hug. He did his best to brush his clothes smoothly with his left hand. While Feya sniffled.


    ¡°Maybe not a leader, but I at least hope I¡¯m acting like a mother!¡± she protested.


    ¡°Adopted mother,¡± Hal said under his breath.


    ¡°Well, you girls probably should get going to school. I will meet with Hal to discuss his¡­ eventful trip.¡±


    Hal blinked and turned back to his sisters, each wearing their school uniform. He had completely lost track of the days during the trip and hadn¡¯t realized it was a school day.


    ¡°Get going, you three. Education is important to your future!¡± Hal said gently to the trio. They all smiled and waved before heading out for the day. The Netzian soldier nodded. Losing his arm was bad, but it might let him avoid the same fate for a while longer.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s talk quick and get you rested up for today, so you can join your classmates!¡± Feya said. She got a slight groan in reply. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Didn¡¯t you just say education is important?¡±


    ¡°For my sisters, it is, but I am nothing more than a street criminal.¡±


    ¡°Former, that¡¯s the part that counts! Well, let¡¯s get you debriefed real quick and then off to bed. You probably need rest after that long trip.¡±


    ¡°It is morning already.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll say you¡¯re sleeping in! That¡¯s what I do!¡±


    Hal sighed but knew it was pointless to argue with Feya. He went with her to a private room and told her everything important that had happened in Nun. When she was satisfied with the information, she sent him straight to bed as promised. Despite his protests, Hal fell asleep immediately.

 Contact Exchange - End of Volume 4

    From: Fiona Whitlock


    To: <NunGroup>


    Hello everyone! I hope you all have had time to get settled! I wanted to send out this message, so we have each other¡¯s contact! I have started a <NunGroup> as well so we can send messages to everyone easily!


    I also wanted to raise a question to everyone! Since our last beach trip was ruined by our Japhinth friend, I was thinking we should try planning another! Any objections?!


    From: Harlan Sal <ScienceOfficerHarlan@WeskBase>


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    To: <NunGroup>


    I will be busy then.


    From Rheba Arms <Warrior1258789224@ShlillBarracks>


    To: <NunGroup>


    Harlan, we haven¡¯t even picked a date yet¡­


    From Odell Fio <MechanicPrince@HobithCastle>


    To: <NunGroup>


    I¡¯m down for a trip. ?? Cecilia might have been checking my mail as well, is it okay if she comes? ??


    From Hal Bloodmurder


    To: <NunGroup>


    I was going to say no, but my sister was looking over my shoulder and wants to do it.


    From: Fiona Whitlock


    To: <NunGroup>


    That¡¯s great! I bet we can invite even more people! I¡¯ll start working on a date, everyone ask around and see if there is anyone else who might be interested in coming!

 A2-1 – The Responsible Princess, Fiona

    ¡°Fiona! Fiona!¡± Hermina called from outside the younger princess¡¯s door. Seconds later, Fiona appeared dressed in a glamorous arrangement befitting her princess title. Her hair was neatly combed, and the only ruffles in her dress were intended as part of the fashion. Hermina smiled, but the blue princess could still see the shock on her sister¡¯s face. Even weeks later, she had not gotten used to her little sister¡¯s new fashion or attitude. The younger princess didn¡¯t blame her.


    ¡°What is on the schedule for today, Hermina?¡± Fiona asked politely as the door slid shut behind her. Her Needaimus, Sun, rested gently on a blue shoulder, and her silky black hair was pushed to drape over the other.


    ¡°We have a small banquet to host with other officials around Quenth. It is customary for all the royal family to be present.¡±


    ¡°Of course! When should I arrive?¡±


    Hermina paused a moment before telling Fiona the hour. Most of the family had made a habit of telling Fiona to arrive 2 hours before the planned time¡ªa fact the young blue princess had only recently discovered, much to her shock when she showed up a half hour after the given time. She knew her elder sister was pondering what to say. They had all picked up on the fact Fiona was trying to show up on time. Hermina finally settled on an hour, which Fiona could only guess was still early, based on her current track record.


    With the time set, the princesses departed the room; Fiona walked on the left of her sister¡¯s floating chair as they made idle banter¡ªHermina took most of the time to gossip about things in the castle¡ªand at a fork in the corridors, they split up and went their separate ways. Fiona took a deep breath and headed to her next destination¡ªthe sealed door of Gwyn¡¯s room.


    After returning from their trip, Gwyn retreated into the room and did not come out. As the weeks passed, they all wondered if he ever would. To make matters worse, he had liquified the border of the door and made it solid with the wall, making it impossible for anyone to get in or out without using excessive force. Some advisors had decided it was best to leave him be, but Fiona wasn¡¯t a perfect princess yet, and she didn¡¯t have to listen to everything the advisors said.


    She began her daily routine with three knocks on the door. Fiona shouted to the Nonpareil, ¡°Gwyn, it¡¯s me!¡±


    There was no reply from inside, but an empty tray by the door and signs of a section being liquified and solidified by it told her he was alive. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come out? There is going to be a banquet today?¡± she said.


    No reply.


    ¡°I know it was hard in Nun, but we can¡¯t keep sulking forever¡­. You should at least talk about it. If not to me, then someone else. I can go get anyone you want! We¡¯ve all exchanged contacts and have been chatting about all sorts of fun plans!¡±


    ¡°Go away, Fiona.¡± The voice was hoarse and rough¡ªalmost inhuman. Fiona frowned, and her head fell low. She stared at the floor.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she answered softly, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow.¡± With her last words, she left the door and ended their routine for that day. Sliding her blue hands down her hair, she pondered when life became so complicated.


    ***


    Fiona found Donn and an advisor talking in the center hallway of the castle. The blue prince leaned casually on a column as he listened to his alabaster companion read off a list of problems.


    ¡°So, you see, we¡¯ve had many issues as of late. It seems the staff has grown ever warier after our King¡¯s passing away, and I think that anxiety is building.¡± Fiona overheard the end of the report as she walked in close. Donn made a nod to his sister while rubbing his chin.


    ¡°And you think we should postpone the banquet because of this?¡± he finally asked.


    The advisor, a thin and tall Aqueenian man, nodded.


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    ¡°We may find pushing such joyful events so soon will lead to greater troubles down the line.¡±


    Donn shook his head and crossed his arms.


    ¡°I understand your concerns, but this is a traditional banquet; I think we would have even more problems by canceling. Especially so last minute.¡±


    Fiona looked back and forth between the two men. Each had a posture of being closed off, Donn with his arms crossed and the advisor with his hand firmly buried in his pockets, and both had flat expressions that could not betray any emotions. She wasn¡¯t sure if they disliked each other or if their manners were part of the castle¡¯s internal politics¡ªit had only been a couple weeks since the blue princess started to pay attention.


    ¡°I was looking forward to the banquet this year!¡± Fiona eagerly added, paying no mind to the mood of the other two in favor of her participation in the talk.


    The alabaster advisor sighed as his head drooped. Then he beamed a smile at Fiona, the same expression one might give a young child who said something obvious to an adult. Fiona didn¡¯t like that expression.


    ¡°I am happy to hear that, Princess, but these matters are best left to¡­ more responsible members in our court.¡±


    Fiona¡¯s purple eyes narrowed, and she frowned, but Donn was the next to speak.


    ¡°I, for one, admire Fiona¡¯s desire to take part in official events like this. After her long journey, it will be good for citizens to see her.¡±


    The advisor shook his head and shrugged.


    ¡°I can see that I cannot convince you otherwise. We will do all we can to make this event go as well as possible. But.¡­¡± the alabaster Aqueenian paused as he looked at Fiona. He settled to shake his head and waved goodbye. ¡°Take care that we don¡¯t have unexpected trouble,¡± he added as he walked away. Donn¡¯s brow furrowed, but the prince replied with a neutral parting, ¡°Will do; good talking to you.¡±


    Once the advisor was far enough away, the bulky prince made a face like he had eaten something nasty. ¡°Why did Mother make him the head advisor?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Is¡­ that advisor so bad?¡± Fiona asked innocently. She tried to recall the man¡¯s name but never had taken enough interest to get to know most of the castle staff¡ªmost hated her anyway.


    ¡°Advisor Vance Tempest,¡± Donn said, ¡°I won¡¯t deny his skill. He¡¯s a great asset to the castle. He just rubs me the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Fiona replied. She didn¡¯t know what else to say about the matter and left it alone. Donn shook his head and smiled at his sister.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear you are attending the banquet this year. I think last year we had to¡­ cuff your hands and drag you there.¡±


    ¡°No, that was the year before; last year was when I pretended I was becoming a devotee of Crenussal and hid in the temple¡­ before they kicked me out.¡±


    Donn chuckled and waved to show Fiona should walk with him. The blue princess followed alongside her brother as they went through the castle corridors.


    ¡°Pardon me for my forgetfulness. It seems it is coming on with old age.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t even that old!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid crown prince time differs from pranking princess time. The amount of stress might even cause me to get wrinkles!¡± Donn chuckled.


    ¡°You sound like a Netzian,¡± Fiona said as she shook her head and rolled her purple eyes.


    ¡°Speaking of Netzians, how is Gwyn?¡± The blue princess jumped slightly as Donn changed the subject. ¡°Are you still checking on him?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, of course. He just doesn¡¯t seem like he wants to budge. I¡¯m thinking we should kick the door down and drag him out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it is difficult to say, but I will leave it to your discretion,¡± Donn replied, rubbing his chin. ¡°I hoped to invite him to the weight room, so try to hurry.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like we are short on time.¡±


    ¡°Time is always short for me, dear sister. It will be for you, too, once you see how taxing being a proper princess can be!¡± As the crown prince spoke, he and his sister exited the hallways to a courtyard where Donn¡¯s driver, bodyguard, and fan club president was waiting. Fiona had always found the woman strange. Her chalcedony face was always shaped into a disappointed frown, but she led an army of enthusiastic fangirls.


    ¡°You¡¯re late, sir,¡± the woman said sternly.


    ¡°Sorry, Aster, Fiona and I were chatting!¡±


    Donn¡¯s guard sighed. Long black hair swayed by her hips as she shook her head. Despite her face, she always was easy on Donn.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going; we have lots of prep to do!¡± the guard replied as she opened the side door.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going, Fiona,¡± Donn said as he slid his wide frame through the tiny opening.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To the banquet hall; we¡¯ll help wrap up preparations before the guests arrive.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Alright.¡± Fiona stammered as she slid in next to her brother. ¡°Is it normal for royalty to do this?¡± she asked once the vehakul moved. They were early compared to the time Hermina gave her.


    ¡°Not typically, but I think it lets all the workers know that the royal family appreciates them if we can come to help. The chances diminish once your schedule gets filled, so it¡¯s good to go when you can.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Fiona said as she stared out the window. Their transport pulled free from the castle courtyard and quickly zipped across Lover¡¯s Bridge just after the two sides snapped together. Once passing over, the bridge split and cut the castle back off from the rest of the sparkling city of Quenth. Donn and Fiona chatted casually as they waited to arrive at the banquet hall.

 A2-2 – Gwyn Haunted

    Gwyn angrily clawed at his bad arm as he sat hunched on a bed. Trash was littered around the room, and with all but a single light at his side turned off, it looked like rubble created by a bomb. He closed his eyes to avoid staring out into space and continued to attack an itch that would not cease. His arm felt hard in many spots, and if the lights were all on, he would have seen stone growing larger and larger. There was no telling what would happen when all the spots connected.


    Maybe you should go outside and get some fresh air? Mem offered while bonded on Gwyn¡¯s good arm. He had made clear the Needaimus was not to leave lest he risk being powerless in the face of danger. He couldn¡¯t take that risk; with the Needaimus, he could at least defend himself.


    ¡°Shu-up em,¡± Gwyn grunted, his speech had begun to fail him occasionally, but he didn¡¯t consider it a bother compared to any alternative which risked his whole skeleton being shattered once again. The earthling wasn¡¯t even sure if every bone was broken while in Nun, but it made it easier to talk if he framed it in that manner. The pain had been short, but he still shivered when thinking about the moment. His right hand balled into a fist. Even with Nighthawk gone, he wasn¡¯t positive he would break again. Gwyn let out a shout and punched the soft bed.


    ¡°You look pitiful,¡± a new voice, a surprising voice, assaulted Gwyn¡¯s ears. His brown eyes flicked open, and his head turned with a jerk to the source¡ªnothing.


    Ferociously, his head whipped around the room until the voice spoke again: ¡°Look harder.¡±


    Gwyn squeezed his teeth together and glared as ¡®hard¡¯ as he could as he inspected every curve of the Aqueenian-designed room. Eventually, he saw what had spoken to him. Disgust filled every corner of his face.


    King Whitlock, or a partial amount of the blue monarch, waited with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression painted across his face. The dead king had come back, is what Gwyn thought at first. He jumped back on the bed and crawled backward until his spine touched the bedframe. After a long stare-off, Gwyn realized the king wasn¡¯t in the room as he had assumed. He was there, but not there.


    The king looked solid, but something was off, even in the limited illumination. His sapphire blue face didn¡¯t sparkle correctly, and the shadows on his body seemed opposite to the room lighting like there was another light source Gwyn could not see.


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    ¡°Great. An illus- or schiz-hren,¡± the earthing stammered. His thoughts turned to the possibility of a ghost, but the idea was stupid, and Gwyn had had enough of Resh¡¯s ridiculousness to entertain it properly. He pushed the thoughts down.


    ¡°Why me?¡± King Whitlock moaned. Both their faces turned sour as feelings aligned.


    ¡°Go way!¡± Gwyn shouted. He covered his head with his hands and tightly squeezed his eyes together. Why wasn¡¯t Nun enough? He didn¡¯t want to deal with anything else. Going back to Earth was the only thing he could care about, but it was clear no one on the planet knew how to do that, so he retreated to be left alone. Gwyn wished everyone would honor that wish, but it seemed the Whitlock family would bother him, whether dead or alive.


    The king crossed his arms and shook his head. Even though Gwyn deliberately avoided looking, he felt he could still see all the movements. He knew his eyes were shut, but it was still like he could see King Whitlock standing in the darkness as if the image had gone through his eyelids. The thought disturbed Gwyn.


    ¡°Much as I want to leave you here, I cannot. I am supposed to guide you.¡± King Whitlock moved¡ªsomewhere between walking and floating¡ªto where the door should have been and ¡°pushed¡± it open. In the vision of Gwyn¡¯s shut eyes, he could see a section of blackness slide away to reveal what was on the other side. Instead of the bright Aqueenian hallway that was, in reality, on the other side of the door, the opening gave way to a rocky tunnel that descended. An orange glow of torches offered the only source of light. Cool air seemed to fill the room, and Gwyn shivered as a distant wailing echoed. Whatever the opening was, whatever King Whitlock was, he didn¡¯t want any part of it.


    ¡°Et o. Et out. Get out!¡± Gwyn screamed. The earthling wanted to add ¡®go to Hell¡¯ at the end, but given that his speech was muddled and that he wasn¡¯t sure if the sight of the descending hallway wasn¡¯t a gate to Hell itself, he held back.


    King Whitlock rolled his purple eyes and made a breath that showed obvious annoyance.


    ¡°So be it; I have wasted enough time on you already.¡±


    The dead king entered the opening, and the ¡®door¡¯ slid shut. Gwyn was at last left with only the darkness of his closed eyes. They suddenly shot open, and the earthling took in the scene. His back was pressed to the bed frame, and his face dripped with sweat. Heavy and irregular breathing was the only thing he could focus on for a long while. Gwyn slid forward and fell to his back. The white ceiling was the only thing to look at, but he wasn¡¯t bothered. ¡°Just dream,¡± the earthling whispered before drifting to sleep.

 A2-3 – The Clumsy Princess, Fiona

    Fiona did her best to smile, awkward as she knew it was, as she greeted the Quenth officials who walked up to the curved banquet hall doorway.


    ¡°Welcome. How are you? How is the weather? Are trades doing well?¡± She tried all sorts of greetings, but none seemed to stick. The best reaction she got was a light nod before the officials would approach Donn or Hermina and give condolences for the late King Whitlock. The elder siblings accepted with grace before showing the guests to their tables.


    ¡°Heh, they¡¯re ignoring you,¡± Asha whispered from Fiona¡¯s side. She jumped at her younger brother¡¯s sudden appearance.


    ¡°They just need a minute to shake off their travels! That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Why are you even here, Fiona?¡±


    ¡°I- It¡¯s important for a princess to do these sorts of things, is it not?¡±


    Asha muttered, just soft enough for only Fiona to hear, ¡°No one wants a princess like you to do anything,¡± before greeting some business owners as they walked in.


    ¡°Asha, my lad, great to see you in perfect health!¡± the new guests shouted. If they could have phased through Fiona instead of going around, they might have without a second thought. The blue princess frowned as her brother walked away and chatted with the newcomers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get you down,¡± Donn said as he approached his sister from the side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve gone through worse,¡± Fiona replied with a deep sigh.


    The royal family entered after all the guests had arrived and were seated. The banquet hall was a simple round room with a raised platform for speakers and set up with many circular tables. A long oval table stood in front of the speaker''s platform, where all the royal family sat like they were about to run a panel. The staff briskly moved through the room, and soon each table was filled with enough food to justify the hall¡¯s name.


    Donn tapped on a glass to quiet the room.


    ¡°Welcome, everyone!¡± His voice bellowed through the space without the need for any amplification. ¡°I am happy to see so many familiar faces again; as you know, we have been swamped as of late, but I believe it is still important that we hold these get-togethers. I promise I won¡¯t ramble on for too long, the food has just arrived, after all, and we are eager to start eating, or eager to resume in some of your cases.¡± The sound of several forks being set on plates echoed through the room, along with chuckles. Donn gave only a few brief words after and ended with an ironic toast to Crenussal, which garnered laughs from some, eye rolls from others, and a few squinted eyes from the rest.


    With the opening words made, the royal family proceeded to move around the room with pitchers in their hands. They stopped at each table and refilled juice while making small banter to the officials seated there. Or that was the intent.


    Most guests ignored Fiona as she did her best to greet them.


    ¡°Hello, sir. How is business lately?¡± she cheerfully asked while leaning in to refill a green Aqueenian¡¯s cup. The notes she previewed minutes before guests started arriving allowed her to recognize the man as the head of Quenth¡¯s police, a bitter fellow who went by Bite¡ªthe story Donn told was that it was a nickname his subordinates came up with as a joke, at first. Unfortunately for the blue princess, she was woefully uninformed about anything beyond that.


    Bite replied in a voice that was nearly a snarl, ¡°It is good to see you again, Princess Fiona.¡± Fiona gulped and smiled back. She had no recollection of meeting the man; she used to pride herself on not paying attention to such things.


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    ¡°Y- yes, it¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not long enough, I bet,¡± another at the table chimed in. They chuckled along until a glare from Bite silenced them. Fiona and, most likely, the rest of the table couldn¡¯t tell who exactly the green man was angry at, but he began twirling a long white mustache on his lip as he frowned.


    ¡°This fair is a waste of time, dear princess. You will have a formal complaint on your desk tomorrow.¡± Bite growled.


    ¡°Oh, things like that should really go to Donn¡­. I mean, what about the event displeases you?¡±


    Bite pointed at a plate of fried greens, then gestured to his table, after which he pointed to Fiona.


    ¡°The food. The company. The servers. Shall I continue?¡± Fiona shook her head, but Bite continued nonetheless. ¡°Every year, we put up with this farce, but it is most egregious that it would happen so soon after the death of our ruler. Where is your mother to address this, hmmm?¡±


    Fiona looked around the room for support. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do when faced with such an unhappy person. Donn¡¯s eyes met his sisters, and he nodded. Fiona sighed in relief as she turned back to Bite and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, well if you excuse¨C¡±


    ¡°Running away, huh?¡± A woman next to Bite shot back. The grumpy man rolled his eyes.


    ¡°N-no, there are plenty of other guests who need to be attended to!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re some of them,¡± a man from the same table shouted as he held up a cup. ¡°Get to it, princess; you can at least pour some juice correctly, we hope.¡± Fiona looked down at the pitcher as she began to walk around the table. She didn¡¯t see where the tablecloth stretched to the floor as she took her first step.


    The blue princess slipped. Her hands went into the air as she fell backward to the floor.


    Ah, so I am doomed to always fail as a princess. This was a mistake. She thought as her fingers loosened on the pitcher, and she prepared to hit her head on the ground.


    The impact never came, or rather, it was soft. Bite swiftly reached his hand to her back and stopped her mid-fall. Her face grew pale as the hand pressed on the scar, even though she knew there was no way to tell through the fabric.


    She hastened to her feet. Bite slid his hand away and continued to frown as if nothing had happened. The rest of the table, on the other hand, laughed. The man who had just requested a drink was drenched with the pitcher¡¯s contents. His skin was so red that one might have assumed he was naturally ruby.


    ¡°I, uh,¡± Fiona stammered.


    ¡°The same princess as always, huh,¡± the drenched man replied. He stood up and flipped his napkin to unfold it. Though there was too much water to dry himself, he wiped his face and threw the soaked rag down before storming out of the venue.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Donn said as he approached. His footsteps were quick but strained, like he was holding himself back from sprinting across the room. Fiona was happy he didn¡¯t; doing so would have caused more of a scene, but she wanted him to get to the table as soon as possible.


    ¡°Havvs got the princess pissed, so she threw juice on him!¡± the woman by Bite said through her giggles.


    ¡°No, I!¡±


    ¡°Oh, careful, don¡¯t get her mad; you might be next!¡± another at the table shouted before laughing.


    Fiona looked with wide, moist, purple eyes at Donn. He took a deep breath and shook his head.


    The banter from the table was heard by the nearby guests and soon spread across the hall. Soon all were looking at the princess with a collective mix of humor, anger, and disappointment.


    ¡°Donn, I!¡± Fiona pleaded. Her brother set a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°I know. Why don¡¯t you take your break now, get some fresh air,¡± he answered softly.


    Fiona looked down at her bare blue arm; never so badly did she wish her Needaimus was attached¡ªshe could be gone in a flash. She nodded and began to walk out of the venue with her head down. A few steps of her retreat only incited hoots of laughter from some guests. Her shoulders tensed.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Bite bellowed, loud enough to quiet the room. He stood up and wiped some invisible dust away from his pants. ¡°If you¡¯re going to escort someone, princess, you ought to not get such a head start,¡± he added in a loud grumble.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Fiona replied too softly for anyone to hear.


    Bite whispered to Donn. The blue prince made an unpleasant frown, but nodded in reply. Fiona¡¯s eyes lit up with understanding, and she walked with the police head outside the venue. She felt peace once they were finally standing in the hallway.


    ¡°Th-thanks,¡± she replied once the doors were closed behind them.


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy to get an excuse to escape!¡± Bite barked before walking away.


    ¡°Wait! Where are you going?¡± Fiona shouted back.


    ¡°Just tell them I felt ill; it¡¯s not inaccurate considering that company! And princess, I expect you remember me the next time we meet!¡± he growled.


    With his last words, the green Aqueenian disappeared into the curved halls¡ªleaving Fiona alone to think about what had happened. She pressed her back to the wall and slid down to the floor with a sigh. For a moment, she envied Gwyn and wanted to retreat to her room.

 A2-4 – The First Prototype

    Rosemary looked at Harlan with wide eyes and a smile. It was enough for the scientist to retreat several steps away.


    Harlan coughed in her hand and pointed back to a lit board behind her, the whole purpose of the meeting in the first place, a rough layout of the flying vehakul was projected behind her, and Rosemary patiently sat at a desk that the scientist thought was far enough away¡ªshe was remiss to find that she was wrong. The girl¡¯s energy radiated so much that Harlan would have to put her in a lead suit to block it off.


    ¡°As I was saying, this vehakul uses the existing hover technology on the so-called W.I.N.G.S. I have developed a custom system that will increase the output tenfold.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Harlan, Harlan,¡± Rosemary said as she held her aquamarine hand high. ¡°How will it get high? Won¡¯t that hovering stuff only make it¡­ hover?¡±


    ¡°The hovering only applies additional lift; once the vehakul reaches a sufficient speed, the shape of the wings,¡± Harlan drew what looked like a stretched-out teardrop on the board, ¡°will take over the rest of the job¡­.¡± As the scientist looked back, she frowned. Despite her best efforts, Rosemary was already lost. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just go see the prototype?¡±


    ¡°Oh, is it built already? Will I be flying today?¡± the aquamarine girl asked as she jumped up from her desk.


    ¡°No, today we are having a small model take flight. It would be costly to build a full-sized one at this stage.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense!¡± Rosemary added in a chipper tone. Harlan remained neutral-faced but shook her head as they walked through the underground tunnels of her home. The Zenotote scientist remained silent¡ªthough the Aquamarine girl tried her best to keep a conversation going, Harlan didn¡¯t respond.


    She cautiously half-waved, lifting her hand slightly above her waist, making the action recognizable as a wave to some fellow Zenototes as they passed through the underground city. The citizens carried on with their assigned tasks throughout the capital without concern. Those that saw Harlan¡¯s greeting frowned a moment, first, likely at the sight of her un-Zenotote-like face, then at her odd greeting. With her uniform showing her rank, they nodded politely and continued moving through the day.


    After waving several times, Harlan clenched her hand into a fist and looked at the ground. For a moment, she pondered what came over her. Seeing how her senior reacted, Rosemary waved as well to passersby, though more enthusiastically and with a smile that received even more strange looks.


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    Once they were on the elevator up to the surface, Harlan could no longer hold back a sigh. She ignored Rosemary¡¯s questions about whether or not she was okay and rode up the elevator without another sound.


    On top of the sandy surface, some workers made final adjustments to the prototype. The body resembled a bug¡ªlike the pleaf Harlan used in Horizon, but the wings on the side resembled a bird. The bottoms of the wings were lined with hover devices.


    ¡°Are preparations ready?¡± she asked one worker, who simply nodded in reply. Harlan pointed to the device, which sat as high as her waist. ¡°This is the prototype. We have programmed a simple flight pattern into it and can operate it remotely. That is where you come in.¡± Harlan pointed to a bench on the side with a tablet and a control panel laid out. She said nothing more.


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Rosemary exclaimed as she sat at the spot; she moved the levers and joysticks while watching sections on the prototype move in unison. ¡°So, I¡¯ll test the controls from down here?¡± Harlan nodded. She was glad her father had not picked out an assistant who needed to be told every little thing.


    With the preparations finalized, Harlan ran Rosemary through a quick explanation of each control, and they fired the prototype up.


    It immediately lifted off the ground and thrust forward with a jolt. Rosemary¡¯s Aquamarine face was lit with excitement as she watched the view on the tablet head into Resh¡¯s blue sky. She prepared to twist the controls when a loud crack suddenly rippled from above. All below had been looking at the screen, but now turned to look at the prototype.


    Smoke trailed behind it as it made the sound of popping firewood. Then it exploded.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I wasn¡¯t on that!¡± Rosemary said in shock as they watched the fiery ball crash back down. The workers ran out and dumped fire retardant overtop.


    Harlan rubbed her scaly chin. Where had the error been? My calculations were perfect. Did the design have a flaw? Am I missing something? Thoughts ran through her mind as she pondered just what had gone wrong. ¡°Harlan?¡± Rosemary broke the scientist¡¯s concentration.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get down. This was just the first trial! If we keep working on this, we make something even better for the Absolutism!¡± the aquamarine girl said with a mix of encouragement and pride. Harlan shook her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself; this isn¡¯t the sort of thing that is done overnight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to say anything out of turn!¡± Rosemary gasped. Her brow furrowed as she seemed to ponder what to say next.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Harlan said as she held up a hand. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my lab to do some more work.¡± She walked toward the elevator while Rosemary chased after.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come and keep you company!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring you something to eat later! It seems you never do it.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Harlan replied as the elevator doors cut between them. She sighed as she descended.


    Despite her refusal, Rosemary turned up to her lab several hours later with a freshly prepared meal. Harlan ate silently while listening to the Aquamarine girl go on and on about many frivolous topics.

 A2-5 – Before the Hobusian Election Begins

    ¡°Odell!¡± Cecilia called out through the blocky Hobusian castle halls. She had been looking for him all morning, but the prince was nowhere to be found.


    Ordinarily, such a task would be easy. The first spot to check would be his room, as Odell had a habit of sleeping well past the morning hour. The second spot to check would be the castle garage, where he spent much of his time with the mechanics, and the last spot would be the castle¡¯s ¡®game room¡¯ that King Fio would sometimes also be found within.


    Odell stood in none of the usual locations, which left Cecilia to float through the castle corridors and call his name.


    A gaudy voice called out, ¡°Dear Cecilia! Is my younger brother causing trouble for you again?¡± The eldest prince, Avon, shouted from the castle floor. Cecilia had not even noticed him; she was too focused on finding Odell to care about his older brother.


    ¡°Oh, hi Avon,¡± she said as she floated to the floor and set her feet firmly on the ground, her shoulders lowered as her natural weight returned. Odell¡¯s elder brother flipped his long hair that flowed down his back like a waterfall and took an extravagant stance.


    ¡°He really can be a bother. I try and try to tell him, but he doesn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, well, I ought to keep looking for Odell. We are supposed to go together.¡± Before Cecilia could walk or float away, Avon shouted out to her:


    ¡°Wait! It would be uncouth of me to let such a beautiful lady search alone!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have gotten good at finding my fianc¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Such a tragic line; you should not have to find him at all! A good fianc¨¦ would be by your side at all times! If I was engaged to you, why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Avon,¡± Cecilia said. She shook her head and walked away. The older Hobusian prince followed close by her side. ¡°I will be well on my own, you know.¡±


    Avon held a hand over his heart and bowed slightly to Odell¡¯s fianc¨¦.


    ¡°I think not! I must accompany you to give my brother a proper earful once I see him!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have elections to be worried about?¡± Cecilia asked as they exited the castle into a raised bridge, which extended the hallway to the next building.


    ¡°Child¡¯s play! The Fio family has this election once again. Soon you will be talking to the future Hobusian king! You should get into my favor now before I am forced to purge dissenters!¡±


    Cecilia rolled her eyes and said nothing more as they walked back into the castle. Avon tried to keep a conversation with her, but the Hobusian girl focused on finding her missing fianc¨¦. It was after searching a few more locations where Odell had been known to goof off when it must have occurred to the elder brother.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Avon suddenly said as they stood in the castle¡¯s kitchens, ¡°he did say something about seeking the so-called ¡®hammer master¡¯ the other day. I think he¡¯s been training.¡±


    ¡°Odell? Train?¡± Cecilia said. She could not hide the shock on her face. Her future husband had picked up some strange habits since returning home, he talked about wanting to get better in battle, but she had never thought he was serious. ¡°Am I a failure of a fianc¨¦ for not believing him?¡± she quietly added.


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    With the realization in mind, the duo quickly was able to track down where the master, a burly Hobusian man known as Judas Mack, would be likely to hold lessons. Due to the upcoming elections, the coliseum had its activities suspended, and it was the perfect place to train in secret. After a quick drive across the square and blocky city, the duo entered the stadium seating. Avon wanted to charge in and yell at his brother, and though Cecilia wanted to screech at him as well, she opted to hold off to see just what kind of training the prince was up to.


    The young prince stood in the center of the arena, panting and holding the handle of a long hammer lodged in the ground. To his right stood the Hammer Master, Judas, whose face had a firm scowl, and arms were crossed like a pretzel. Cal, the green Needaimus, sat by the master and watched as Odell struggled to lift the heavy chunk of metal over his head.


    Judas bellowed. ¡°Good, now swing!¡±


    Odell swung the hammer forward and tried to stop it when it floated just in front of his chest¡ªlike swinging a wooden kendo sword¡ªbut the weight overwhelmed him, and the hammer cracked into the ground below. Judas shook his head before shouting: ¡°Again!¡±


    They repeated the process, Odell swinging and failing to stop just before hitting the ground each time until the prince¡¯s gray fingers grew too weak to hold the handle. He fell to a seated position and gasped for air. Cal scurried to the prince¡¯s side and patted Odell¡¯s leg with a small green foot, as if to tell him he had done a good job.


    ¡°How was that?¡± Odell asked as he turned to Judas. For a moment, a shaking head was the only reply.


    ¡°Terrible!¡± the hammer master bellowed. ¡°I thought hammer might be fitting, considering your time in the garage, but I¡¯ve seen better potential in Aqueen¨Cehem, that is, you don¡¯t show much promise as my student.¡±


    Odell¡¯s head drooped as he stared at his empty palms.


    Cecilia gritted her teeth and immediately floated above the seating, wailing like a banshee the whole time.


    ¡°Odell!¡± her words seemed to form through the shouting as she wrapped her two long arms around the sitting prince from behind. She held him close while staring daggers at Judas.


    Before the hammer master could reply, Odell stood up and pushed his finance¡¯s arms off. He stared at all the coliseum seating, likely checking that no one else was watching in secret¡ªAvon had ducked¡ªand Odell turned back to Judas and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.


    ¡°Please, sir, I know I seem hopeless, but I have already tried all the other weapons and am more hopeless with them.¡±


    Judas rubbed the back of his head and looked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel right for a prince to bow to someone like me. If you think you want to try again, I can¡¯t exactly argue with your position.¡±


    ¡°Please, sir, don¡¯t consider my position! Avon may very well lose this election and¡­¡±


    ¡°I would do no such thing!¡± the elder prince shouted as his head popped above the seating. Realizing that he had made a mistake, he covered his mouth and slowly slid back into hiding; while the other three watched.


    ¡°We already saw you! Just get down here!¡± Cecilia shouted back after Avon¡¯s crown had disappeared from sight.


    The elder prince replied in a sing-song voice, ¡°I would never refuse a request from such a lovely lady!¡± With several skip-like bounds, he arrived with the rest of the group. ¡°My dear brother, don¡¯t you realize you have caused so much trouble for Cecilia? She has been looking for you for a long while now!¡±


    Odell¡¯s yellow eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Am I late for something?¡±


    ¡°Beyond late,¡± Cecelia replied. Cal quickly bonded to Odell¡¯s arm, and Cecilia figured the Needaimus must have put a clock in his field of vision. Odell¡¯s mouth hung open as his fianc¨¦ grabbed him by the arm.


    ¡°Sorry, sir! Please consider taking me on as a student!¡± The younger prince shouted as he was pulled away. Judas shrugged and lifted the heavy hammer with ease. He spun it around like a baton and offered the handle to Avon.


    ¡°Want to try as well?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I believe in more refined fighting.¡± Avon flung his hand through his hair as he spoke. ¡°But I would appreciate it if you would support me in this election!¡±


    Judas spun the hammer again and sat it over his shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    With the hammer master¡¯s last words, he left the older prince alone in the arena, following close behind Cecilia and Odell.

 A2-6 – At the Election Hall

    ¡°Odell, your collar is crooked!¡± Cecilia shouted as she fiddled with the fabric near Odell¡¯s neck. They were in the backseat of a long vehakul, but that didn¡¯t stop him from squirming like a child as he tried to pull away from her help.


    ¡°Cecilia! I don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    ¡°Your attire suggests otherwise; look, your jacket has a grease stain! Were you working in your nice clothes again?¡±


    It had been common for the young prince to sneak away, no matter what he was dressed in, and start working on something in the castle¡¯s garage, so she wasn¡¯t surprised or angry¡ªbut maybe a little disappointed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many without stains, and I didn¡¯t realize until I got changed. By then, it was too late,¡± Odell explained.


    ¡°You should have picked out clothes the night before. How could you be sure you didn¡¯t have a matching jacket and pants?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them not matching?¡±


    Cecilia sighed. ¡°Driver, please take a detour to a nice tailor.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be late!¡±


    ¡°When have you ever cared about being late?¡±


    Odell bit his lip and turned his head to look at the blocky city just beyond the window. His reflection showed the broken crown, and as his eyes looked upward, he shook his head. He pivoted in the seat to turn back to the Hobusian girl.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all this, Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do; I¡¯m your fianc¨¦!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to marry me either. My dad took a silly idea too far.¡±


    Cecilia let out a small screech as she grabbed Odell¡¯s collar and shook him. ¡°What are you saying? I love you; you know!¡± she frantically wailed as tears poured from her eyes.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down!¡±


    Odell sighed and pulled Cecilia close for a hug. She quieted in his arms and matched his embrace.


    ¡°Alright, already. I¡¯ll marry you or whatnot.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if his words were to placate her or if Odell spoke the truth, but she figured finding out could wait until later.


    The rest of the ride went in silence. They quickly reached a tailor, and Odell was fitted into new formal attire¡ªsomething that looked like a suit, with a long jacket that went to Odell¡¯s ankles. The belt wrapped above the coat and had a long, teardrop-shaped cloth that ran to his knees. On top of his head, Odell wore what was referred to as the flat cap of shame; a roundish, squarish top hat. It was tall enough to hold a crown but was only ever worn to hide that one was broken. The prince might have been against wearing it if his crown had only been chipped, some Hobusians tried to hide any imperfections, but as his whole crown was shattered, Odell must have decided it was best to conceal it.


    A whole new set was prepared and fitted in minutes, the tailors were not ones to hold a prince up, and soon Odell was sent out in a new green attire. As he walked out of the store, he jumped at the sight of Cecilia. She had changed into a formal dress, using similar motifs and colors of his suit design¡ªmade to match his new clothes and cement them as a pair.


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    He said nothing, and they quickly headed out.


    ***


    Odell groaned at the sight of the election hall. It was a blocky building shaped like an octagon with seating like a coliseum. Instead of an arena in the center, seven circles were drawn on a slowly rotating stage.


    Hobusians had seven noble families which competed in the election every thirty years. They made the winner of the election king over the nation, and the capitol, while the other six families managed a set of territories around the rest of the country. If a new family took over the role of king, they would swap territories with the previous reining family. Such back and forth led to each family ruling over different areas throughout the nation''s life. It made getting citizens to participate that much more difficult¡ªas people in territories of the ¡®good¡¯ families were determined to keep their heads in charge, and those in the areas of the ¡®bad¡¯ families were determined to get rid of their heads before considering who would make the best king.


    Odell grumbled as he was escorted to a box on the arena''s lower level for the Fio family. The room was large, with enough seating to house over a hundred people and a large glass window, allowing him to view the election up close. He walked silently to the front row and sat in while taking in the silence of the empty room. Avon was on the stage in the Fio family circle, and his father was already seated on the ¡®king¡¯s throne¡¯ hovering above the stage.


    From the window, he saw other families were packed into the royal seating like sardines. Most of his aunts, uncles, and other extended relatives enjoyed the royal life far too much and were taking the day to party hard, in case it was their last chance. He shook his head; he might have skipped out on the election as well not too long before


    The gray prince crossed his arms and sighed. He didn¡¯t like the quiet all that much.


    A voice whispered from his feet, ¡°Odell.¡±


    ¡°Wha!¡± he shouted as Cecilia phased through the floor and smiled at him.


    ¡°I snuck away!¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just go through doors like a normal person?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more fun to scare you!¡± Cecilia replied with a devious smile. Odell shook his head.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you stay with the Aio family right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not marrying anyone from the Aio family, and I figured you would be stuck here alone, so I came here!¡± There was a firmness to Cecilia¡¯s tone, and Odell didn¡¯t expect to convince her otherwise. He gestured to the seat next to him, but the Hobusian girl was already flopping into it before she could have seen his motion. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to deal with me!¡± she added with a sly smile as she shifted to get comfortable in the seat.


    ¡°If you say so. Do you want any snacks or anything before they get started?¡± Odell asked as he picked up a tablet in the room.


    ¡°Oh, are you going to call some in?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any, but you can if you want.¡± He handed Cecilia a tablet and she tapped a few selections. She frowned for a moment and deselected several before submitting the request.


    ¡°No need to hold back; it¡¯s just us here,¡± Odell said as he received the tablet. He picked a couple more options and sent the request.


    ¡°I¡¯m not holding back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you eat enough to bankrupt the royal family.¡±


    ¡°Odell! That is not something you should say to your fianc¨¦!¡±


    The gray prince sighed.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t deny that it is true?¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s expression grew dim, and she looked at the ground. After a moment of thought, she suddenly turned and yanked Odell¡¯s hat off, revealing his shattered bony crown.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just us, after all!¡± she chirped. ¡°No need to hold back; I still love you, even with your crown broken.¡± Odell crossed his arms and looked away. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be that way! You still look very handsome, even without your crown.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± the gray prince said with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Cecilia pleaded. Music echoed from the stage as the candidates shuffled into their circles to begin. Possibly thinking Odell could not hear over the sound, Cecilia softly added: ¡°You could get with a girl much prettier than me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly; you¡¯re the most beautiful girl I know,¡± Odell replied gruffly as his head remained turned away. His yellow eyes immediately grew wide. ¡°I better get to the restroom before all this gets underway!¡± he added while jumping up. Before anything else could be said, the gray prince ran out the door.


    ***


    Cecilia was left alone with a red flush on her gray cheeks.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± she said softly, ¡°why don¡¯t you ever say that to my face?¡±


    Odell came back shortly after, walking in with the servers who brought snacks, and neither brought the topic back up as the election announcer came onto the stage.

 A2-7 – The Election Underway

    On the stage, the remaining candidates walked into their circles. Avon put his hands on his hips and eyed his opponents. A man Odell¡¯s age named Adonis stood to the left of Avon. The next to the left was the candidate Ailsa, and next to her was Cam. To Avon¡¯s right, the candidates were Celyn, who he had a soft spot for and Alair. A final podium on the right was left open for Cecilia¡¯s Aio family, but they had opted to skip the election cycle to marry people into the reigning Fio family.


    As the final person found their place on the stage, the round arena lifted above the ground and hovered low. It slowly turned counterclockwise. The election was underway, and the crowd cheered until some monitors on the outskirts of the arena¡ªjust under the floating section displayed a note that they should calm down. From above everyone, a throne connected to two wire ropes, like a swing, lowered with King Fio sitting awkwardly on. He fiddled with the metal crown above his bony one before clearing his throat.


    ¡°Thank you all who have attended; this year¡¯s election for king shall begin!¡±


    Once again, the crowd was fired up and roared. Avon made a pleasant smile and waved out. He could hardly contain his excitement now that the day had finally arrived. At last, he would reign.


    In the past, Hobusian kingship was decided by simple strength alone. After 30 years, the reigning king would have weakened to a point where he couldn¡¯t defend himself, so the custom arose that he would sit atop a steep hill, and the first to knock him off and take the crown was to be the next king. Of course, the other candidates and the reigning king were free to resist.


    Advancements brought by Needaimus only served to amplify the process. At first, the metal creatures were allowed in the election, but the battles proved far too intense and elevated a series of bad kings known in modern times as The Tyrants, so fighting returned to the candidates using simple brawn, the way Crenussal intended as far as Avon was concerned.


    He clenched his hands into fists and stiffened. Adonis was likely to be his biggest threat; he was the bulkiest of candidates and the one most likely to give Avon a hard time in a fight, and as expected, the opponent quickly turned to the elder prince, and his fist dented the floor. Avon barely moved back in time. His eyes darted up for a quick glance. On a billboard above, Adonis¡¯ name had a bar grow slightly as those in the audience voted for him.


    The crowd was another aspect of the elections that candidates had to be weary of. Every fifteen minutes, there was a break from the combat, and each would return to their circle where debate could flair up, but often candidates would cash in votes for boosts in the election. Weapons, support, and all other manner of effects were available, but the elder prince didn¡¯t intend to let this election get drawn out like past ones. He smiled and flipped his long hair.


    In a singsong voice, he addressed the glaring opponent. ¡°My dear Adonis! I am honored you consider me such a worthwhile foe that you direct attacks on me first! Unfortunately, you need to watch your back!¡±


    Behind his foe, Alair and Alisa came in for a strike. Adonis grunted and spun around to face his new opponents head-on. They clashed in an impressive display of Hobusian martial arts¡ªusing heavy and weighty blows to try and cripple their opponents. Avon smiled and flipped his hair again. He had made an alliance beforehand and was happy to see his charisma prevented a betrayal.


    Such agreements were not only allowed but also encouraged in the election. A king had to be a master of negotiations and all other manners of things to rule a country successfully. They also had to be masters of picking sides, which is why Avon was not surprised when Cam¡ªwho he had also made a deal with prior¡ªcame to attack him instead. The boy swung at Avon¡¯s head, and the prince lazily stopped it with his long arm. He shook his head and saw wavering in Cam¡¯s eyes, so Avon leaned his mouth close to the other candidate¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any place in my court then. Best to go play your silly games or whatever you do with those little dolls,¡± he whispered to Cam before the opponent was thrust off the floating platform. He flew across the arena until he smashed into the side wall and was imbedded into it. Avon flipped his hair again, and the crowd cheered. The prince was especially happy to hear more ladies than men cheering.


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    Some of the supervisors on the side of the stage pulled Cam out of the wall. The Hobusian candidate held a hand up to refuse a towel as he looked down to the ground. Avon crossed his arms and waited. He was well aware of his opponent. Cam was a gifted tactician, undefeated in any games, from czaric to a miniature game that the elder Hobusian prince found odd. Even as Cam looked on the verge of tears, Avon was still confident he would have made a good back line general. ¡°A shame, really,¡± Avon said with a shake of his head. Cam looked up and tried to force a glare through his timid personality. When nothing came, the candidate raised his long arms and muttered: ¡°I concede my candidacy.¡± The crowd booed.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± Avon shouted loud enough for attention to turn to him. He felt like he glowed as so many eyes aimed at him, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Let¡¯s not condemn our friend here; the election is a difficult process, and not all Hobusians are cut out for it!¡±


    As Cam was escorted out of the arena, the bar by Avon¡¯s name rose. He turned with glee to his next opponent. The only one, besides Adonis, whom he did not make a deal with before the match was Celyn.


    She was a true beauty. Long hair like Avon¡¯s, light grey skin that looked more smooth than rough, and piercing eyes that showed she had some danger underneath her cute exterior. The elder prince avoided a strike to his head by leaning back and quickly shifted to Celyn¡¯s side. He put his mouth close to her ear and gently squeezed one of her hands.


    ¡°We should play somewhere else,¡± he whispered to her. To his words, the girl¡¯s face grew tense, and he had to duck in order to avoid her forearm. Popping back up, Avon grabbed Celyn¡¯s hands and spun her like they were trying to dance.


    ¡°You would make a fool of a king!¡± she muttered as she broke from his spin.


    ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not.¡± Avon stepped close and took a punch to the stomach without wincing. Celyn couldn¡¯t hide the shock on her face as the unfazed Avon grabbed her arm and pulled her close. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind making a deal with a lovely one such as yourself,¡± he whispered. Celyn pulled her hand free¡ªAvon let her escape, but he wasn¡¯t sure if she knew that¡ªand held her hands close to her chest in defense.


    ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡± she asked cautiously. Avon smiled. That was another reason to like the girl; she wasn¡¯t one to overlook an opportunity.


    ¡°The role of Queen. There are many who could play it, but I think you could truly become it!¡±


    Celyn¡¯s brow furrowed, and her stance loosened. Avon kept his grin plastered on his face. He knew his plan worked. She didn¡¯t reply with words but accepted with a nod before conceding as Cam had done before.


    ¡°You better not be lying,¡± was the last thing she said as she was escorted out of the arena.


    ¡°As if I could lie to such a beauty,¡± Avon said as he flipped his hair, though no one was within earshot.


    He turned to look at the timer and nodded. Exactly as planned. The buzzer for a break rang just as Celyn walked out.


    Avon jumped out of the arena and strode to a referee on the side, where he accepted a velvet towel with golden trimming. He wiped the sweat from his face and shook his head so his long golden hair swayed. The prince was certain he heard some ladies in the crowd swoon at the sight.


    ¡°How would you like to spend your points?¡± the referee asked.


    ¡°Same as the usual, bring the throne down.¡± It was the typical strategy. Without Needaimus enhancement, no one could reach where the throne hovered. The first break would always be used to lower it so the candidates could waste less energy on each other and focus on taking down the king. As the prince expected, the throne with an unhappy-looking King Fio lowered just out of arms reach. A good jump and clamping to one of his dangling legs would pull the king off the throne. In response, the king''s Needaimus clambered from his shoulder to bond to his arm¡ªdue to ¡°old age,¡± the king was allowed to bring the royal Needaimus, Ninth Wave, into the arena to protect himself.


    Avon smiled, his father was getting serious, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    The match resumed in earnest, and Avon sauntered to Adonis. The prince¡¯s opponent tried to strike him down, but Alair and Alisa tackled Adonis from each side and brought him to his knees. Angry eyes turned up to look at Avon, but he did not mind what message a weak opponent might try to send. Avon grabbed Adonis by the crown and shoved his knee into his opponent¡¯s chin. The foe¡¯s face made a thud as it bounced off the floor, and Avon wiped his hands on his pants. Before Alair or Alisa could respond, Avon drove a fist into each of their stomachs. Alisa gasped and was out instantly; Alair held on a minute longer¡ªenough to grab Avon by the collar¡ªbefore he passed out.


    The elder prince smiled and grinned at his father. The fight was finally down to the two that truly mattered. Avon was excited to finally get things over with.

 A2-8 – Father Vs. Son

    There was a pause in the fighting as the unconscious candidates were taken off the stage and placed on some towels in the outer area. A knock-out was not considered a loss¡ªonly surrender or death counted as such¡ªand if they woke before the end, they could jump back into the fray.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget our promise; I just had to get you out of the way,¡± Avon whispered to Alair and Alisa as they were pulled away. He spun his head so his hair flipped and looked at an unimpressed king. It was time he and his father had a heart-to-heart.


    They watched as the last candidate was pulled off the stage, and the referees waved that it would be okay. As soon as they did, King Fio squirmed uncomfortably on the hanging throne. With a sigh, he slid off and let a heavy boom act as the starting bell for the fight¡ªsilencing the crowd in the process.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come a long way, son; I¡¯m very proud to see you standing here today. Nonetheless, per our tradition, I can¡¯t give up this crown without a fight.¡± King Fio moved his hands up in a ready stance. ¡°Come prove you are worthy of being Hobusian King!¡±


    Avon smiled and stood in place. He crossed his arms and shook his head.


    ¡°Were you worthy of being King?¡± He muttered too quietly for his father to hear. King Fio tilted his head a moment but soon came to a conclusion.


    ¡°Waiting for the buzzer to spend points on a weapon, huh?¡± King Fio said with a laugh. ¡°A classic, though I was expecting¡ª¡± The king was cut off as his son came in close with a fist pulled back to strike. He knew his father wouldn¡¯t have time to think; the next move would be a gut reaction. The prince fell back as King Fio moved his Needaimus bonded arm through the air. The space where Avon stood moments prior seemed to deform, but only those familiar¡ªlike the royal family¡ªwould be attentive enough to notice. Wave, as the Fio family liked to call the Needaimus, granted the simple ability to push anything. It seemed harmless enough when explained, but Avon knew better. He felt himself get pulled back close to his father as a vacuum of air closed in the spot that had just been ¡®pushed.¡¯


    King Fio swung at Avon¡¯s head, aiming for his bony crown. The elder prince scoffed and took the blow. It was weak, as Avon expected. His father couldn¡¯t bring out full force against his son, even though he acted like it. He was always soft. They stood motionless momentarily, with the elder prince sneering and his father¡¯s Needaimus bonded fist resting on his forehead. King Fio shook his head, and Avon was suddenly thrust back by the Needaimus ability. He slid across the floor, stopping just at the arena''s edge.


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    Avon smiled and sat up effortlessly. He twisted his neck like he was trying to crack it, though no sound came from it, and pushed himself back to his feet.


    ¡°Well done, son,¡± but you¡¯ll have to try better than that to beat your old man!¡± King Fio beamed.


    ¡°My old man has gotten pretty weak,¡± Avon replied as he charged to his surprised father. Two blows went into the king¡¯s stomach as the elder prince continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been so cozy with other nations for so long, you¡¯ve forgotten your Hobusian pride!¡± Avon¡¯s voice was carried out to the crowd as his father failed to defend himself. ¡°After so many bitter wars with the Aqueenians, you act like buddies with their king! After being used by the Netzians, you still let them in our borders!¡± He jabbed a fist into his father¡¯s chin. ¡°Our history is a proud one! We were mighty warriors, and warfare was as easy to win as a czaric game! The great Nonpareil Martelli would be ashamed of what we have become!¡±


    King Fio was knocked back and stumbled to the edge of the arena. He slid his feet on the ground to regain a more stable stance at the last possible minute.


    King Fio¡¯s voice contained a slight tremble in its response, ¡°Son, Hobusians have been many things over many years. We were not always warriors; we do not need to stay warriors.¡± His Needaimus fused fingers danced between an open hand and a fist, and his right foot twisted back and forth. Avon smirked; he knew his father would be surprised when he laid into him.


    ¡°Pah, I knew you wouldn¡¯t understand, but no matter. You are no longer the king.¡±


    Instinctively, King Fio reached for his head, only to realize the metal crown he wore was not there. He looked in shock as Avon spun the metal band on his finger. ¡°You best behave yourself in my kingdom, Father. Otherwise, I will have to exile you to one of those countries you claim to love just as much¡ªor maybe even more than¡ªour own.¡± Avon put the crown on his head, and the crowd cheered. King Fio didn¡¯t move, but he still looked like he shrunk. His eyes looked at the floor. The old man was having trouble processing; Avon had always played the eccentric prince, so it must have been a shock.


    Wave popped off the ex- king¡¯s arm and scurried across the stage to Avon. The prince gladly accepted.


    I¡¯ve seen a lot of nasty transitions in my day, but woe for the son who hurt his father as you did. The Needaimus said in Avon¡¯s mind soon after bonding. Avon rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Needaimus ought to know their place. Your role as the royal weapon can be taken away.¡±


    Your threat is as meaningless to me as my words were to you. No matter, I won¡¯t stir the pot too much; it¡¯s not my place. You ought to say something kind to your father, however.


    Avon shook his head and flipped his long hair. He strolled across the arena and held out a hand to his father. Former King Fio accepted as per tradition but leaned in close to whisper.


    ¡°We should talk after this, son; it seems we have much to discuss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have kingly affairs to take care of and will be much too busy to see you.¡± Avon loosened his grip and walked out of the arena while waving to his adorning fans. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of damage I must undo from the previous king.¡± He didn¡¯t bother turning back to see what expression was on his father¡¯s face.

 A2-9 – Post Election

    Avon sighed as he brushed his Needaimus bonded shoulder. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was pushing some dust away or merely imagined it due to his father¡¯s lack of use over the years. The old man likely couldn¡¯t survive in any proper fight anymore. The elder prince flipped his hair as the vehakul stopped, and his chauffeur opened the door. With a smirk, he stepped out and looked up at the blocky Hobusian castle. It was all his now, and he would use it wisely.


    The front door of the castle¡ªa large metal contraption with spikes jutting out the front¡ªcreaked open, and the head of a servant poked out. His lips moved around, sliding back and forth, a couple of times before he spoke: ¡°Avon, sir¡­ King Avon, sir, we¡­ welcome back. I¡­ I trust ever¡­ everything went well?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Who do you think I am, Clive?¡± Avon strode through the door as Clive held it open. The servant scurried after, letting the large door shut with a heavy boom behind them as he stayed just behind the new king.


    ¡°S¡­ So you told yo¡­ you¡¯re father?¡±


    ¡°Every bit of it! You should have seen the look on his face!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you wo¡­ worry he¡¯ll be¡­ be mad?¡±


    ¡°He will come around once he sees the results! Now is everything prepared?¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ the room is, bu¡­ but most the others wanted to wait until a¡­ after the election.¡±


    Avon rolled his eyes and began to twist the tips of some hair between his grey fingertips.


    ¡°Typical, no confidence,¡± he said with a laugh and a shrug. ¡°Guess they¡¯ve seen the error of their ways.¡±


    ¡°Of¡­ of course, sir.¡±


    Clive waved to a door on their left, and the duo stopped. Avon spun on his heel and gently but firmly grabbed Clive¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Clive, this is the beginning of a new era for the Hobusians, and you get to be a key player!¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no need for that, sir, I¡¯m happy just se¡­ seeing you make it to¡­ to the throne.¡±


    ¡°That was a given, but think grander than that¡­ what will the future hold?¡± To emphasize his words, Avon thrust one hand in the air like he was reaching for a star. He closed the open hand slowly into a fist when nothing conveniently fell in and turned to Clive with a smile. ¡°But we still have work to be done.¡±


    ¡°Of co¡­ course, sir. I shouldn¡¯t neglect my du¡­ duties!¡± Clive scrambled off before Avon could get another word. The prince shook his head and softly snorted.


    ¡°Different kind of work, Clive, but that is a burden only I must carry,¡± he said softly before entering the room. To the prince¡¯s surprise, there was one Hobusian already waiting.


    Her grey face was contorted into an unpleasant expression as she filed a fingernail, but it did not detract from her beauty.


    ¡°Celyn, what a sight to walk into!¡± Avon chirped as he skipped to the girl. She shivered as he ran his grey hand through her course white hair. The elder prince pulled away before she could slap him. ¡°Is that anyway a queen should act?¡± Avon said with a smug face.


    ¡°You better hold a grand wedding; it took all sorts of convincing to get my family to shut up,¡± she said as she resumed filing her nails.


    Avon stuck his hand in the air and spun on his heels in a complete circle.


    ¡°Why of course, there is no such occasion grander than the wedding of a king to his first wife!¡±


    ¡°First wife?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t surely expect someone of grand stature to be bound so strictly.¡±


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    Celyn rolled her eyes and slid her file away. She pushed her hair neatly in place before resting her elbow on the table¡ªher chin firmly pressed to her hand. The new queen looked at Avon with a sad look, but the prince didn¡¯t mind. He spun away from her as sounds of feet came from the doorway. ¡°Welcome!¡± King Avon said as he greeted the first group to arrive.


    The pair of Ailsa and Alair looked like they wanted to spit on him, but doing so would have been a serious crime. Avon strode closer and grabbed each by a hand. ¡°You both performed wonderfully!¡± he said.


    ¡°Spare us,¡± Alair was the first to speak, his voice sharp. ¡°We were supposed to rest before facing each other.¡±


    ¡°We were all going to fight at some point; best to just let the winner take the early lead! Fighting my father isn¡¯t the easiest thing to do, you know.¡±


    ¡°You sure made it seem like it was,¡± Ailsa sighed as she sat at the table.


    ¡°A wonderful observation, my dear. Would you be interested in being the King¡¯s second wife?¡±


    Ailsa slid down the table, away from Avon and closer to Celyn. She whispered something to the Queen.


    ¡°It¡¯s necessary for my ambitions,¡± Celyn groaned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Ailsa said as she looked at Avon, ¡°whatever it is.¡±


    The conversation ceased as more Hobusians began to shuffle into the meeting room. Heads from many departments and other important figures soon stared at Avon¡ªsome with angry expressions, some with happy expressions, and others neutral. The king jumped up on the long table and strutted down it like he was on a runway. He hopped to the floor at the head and spun to smile at the others.


    ¡°Wonderful to see everyone here! Though I would have been happier if more of you were here sooner¡­. It shows confidence in your future king!¡±


    A bang on the table got the attention of everyone. An elder Hobusian wearing a military uniform stood up, keeping his six-fingered hand flat on the table.


    ¡°Spare us your cheap talk.¡± The man, Napoleon, was the military head of the Hobusians. He was shorter than most and known for his fiery temper and big mouth, which was on full display, ¡°I think I speak for everyone when I ask, is what you said during the election going to be your policy as king?¡±


    Avon grinned ear to ear. He knew such a question would come up; he was waiting for it.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Jumping back on the table, King Avon held his long arms to the sky. ¡°I would pull down even Het and Tet for the sake of the Hobusian people!¡±


    ¡°Trying to pull down the suns would only get you burned,¡± Celyn said as she rolled her eyes. Avon crossed his arms and chuckled.


    ¡°It is good for a queen to challenge the king, but I will help you learn how to do it properly later.¡±


    ¡°You speak in grand terms,¡± interrupted Napoleon, ¡°Why don¡¯t you put it more concretely for old timers like me to understand.¡±


    Avon sighed and shook his head. He strode across the table and crouched before the old war dog¡ªpatting his head gently and ignoring the scorn returned in Napoleon¡¯s glare.


    ¡°Very well. The first thing we will do is strengthen our army. We¡¯ve grown weak lately; an invasion would plow through to the castle in no time. I propose a strong push for even stronger fighters to join us!¡± With disgust, Napoleon pushed Avon¡¯s hand away but nodded that he approved of the idea. ¡°After which, we will invest in our technology. The Netzians have been getting busy lately, and we will be outpaced in no time.¡±


    Avon began to pace back and forth down the table as he spoke¡ªhis heavy feet clanging between words.


    ¡°We will offer an incentive for young talent to join. I am thinking of guaranteed education for them or their families and decent retirement support. I am open to suggestions, but not if they try to pull a fast one on our recruits. We are too starved for our defense and infrastructure talent to ¡®play it safe.¡¯ I know some of you want to dial back my father¡¯s past peacetime policies, but I¡¯m telling you to do even better than that old fool, not prove him right.


    ¡°Once our military and technology are improved, we will take a year to get everything in order; we will start evaluating treaties. I plan to reopen negotiations with several nations. We will also be withdrawing from the annual conference. Not only is it a waste of time and resources, but we all saw what happened at the last one¡­.¡±


    Avon jumped off the end of the table and spun to the crowd. They were stunned if their faces were any indication, and he grinned with glee. He had spent countless nights planning for this moment and almost felt a shiver as he drank in the shocked looks.


    ¡°Any questions?¡± Avon asked. His words broke some stunned expressions, chiefly Napoleon¡¯s, who crossed his arms and frowned.


    ¡°Very well, you have my attention. I will play along with you for now, King Avon, but don¡¯t believe my loyalties are fully aligned with you.¡±


    ¡°I never would dare, my dear Napoleon, not to worry, I have all sorts of extra eyes who would keep tabs on you regardless of what you said here. Try to snuff them out if you like; it can be a fun game! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve done the same?¡±


    Napoleon snickered. ¡°A funny one you are. Very well, I¡¯ll take my leave; sounds like I finally can push the new barracks to be built.¡±


    With his final words, the short¡ªfor a Hobusian¡ªmilitary leader hopped from his seat and strode out the door. Avon dismissed the others and waited until he was alone. He smiled and stared at the ceiling.


    ¡°Now the fun begins!¡± the young King said to no one as he drank in the moment. He took a deep breath, his smile not faltering, and shot out the door where his kingdom awaited.

 A2-10 – Transfer Student

    Hal scrapped his feet on the ground as he slowly trudged into a classroom. He loosened a necktie, which was trying to strangle him while examining the room. Nothing had changed¡ªthere were the same people his age gleefully talking about nothing, the same boring posters on the walls, and the same desk in the corner¡ªhe had at least hoped to find his seat had gone missing or become filled by some stranger.


    He settled in the lone desk; it at least sat next to the window so he could space out instead of listening to the lectures. With a yawn, he scratched his shoulder where skin met metal.


    Feya had woken him up bright and early with a ¡°you don¡¯t want to be late on your first day back in so long!¡± She had only arranged for him to have an excused absence for the duration of the conference and completely forgot about his schooling while selecting him to go on the mission. Apparently, as Hal had heard from Haliegh, Feya had gotten in trouble with some of his teachers. As Dare, she should have written them off. She was in charge of the nation, and Hal said as much with a groan, but he knew Feya was too much of a softie to throw around her title.


    He shook his head and rolled his now mechanical shoulder in an effort to relieve an itch. He wore long sleeves and a glove to hide it, and the fabric irritated the fused area. A group of four, chatting about some shop on the boardwalk, stopped suddenly as they noticed the green-haired boy in the corner.


    ¡°Hal!¡± a boy in the group shouted. ¡°We thought you were dead!¡±


    ¡°You owe me lunch now,¡± a second boy said.


    ¡°That was a stupid bet; how many times has he ¡°died¡± by now?¡± a girl in the quartet added.


    Within seconds, the group surrounded him and berated him with so many questions that he could not make out any words. As other students entered, they joined the growing crowd and added to the overwhelming din.


    Despite Hal''s best efforts to stay alone, the others always insisted on bothering him.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that!¡± A voice broke through the noise. Hal immediately knew who it was, and as the group cleared, he saw a familiar smiling face.


    He was tall and slender, with a little definition from muscle. His face was long and thin, and two pointed ears sat on top of his head. Blonde hair ran down to his chin, and no one had any idea whether he had normal ears in addition to the two on his head¡ªthey often asked the green-haired soldier, but he didn¡¯t care. The boy''s name was Bert, and he had been a thorn in Hal¡¯s side since the young soldier started attending school.


    The rest of the class cleared, and Bert sat next to Hal; his desk was the one immediately to the side.


    ¡°Popular as ever,¡± he said with a goofy smile.


    ¡°Cease your wasted words.¡±


    ¡°Oh, as grumpy as ever, too!¡±


    Hal made a small sound, something between a grumble and a growl, but he wasn¡¯t sure if Bert picked up on it. ¡°So why the glove?¡± Bert asked.


    Hal didn¡¯t mean to, but he sat his uncovered left hand on top of his right, pointing more attention to the spot. The last thing the young soldier wanted was to have everyone asking about his metal arm¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to think about it any more than he had to, either. As soon as Bert called it out, the boy regretted only wearing one.


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    ¡°My sisters said it was a new fashion that I had to try.¡±


    Bert laughed. ¡°You take what they tell you too seriously, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make it work.¡± As his laughter calmed down, he added, ¡°who knows, you¡¯ll probably have lots of people copying you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I shudder when I consider that possibility,¡± Hal said grimly.


    Bert laughed, ¡°I do too! Can¡¯t have everyone copying my friend.¡±


    Hal¡¯s self-proclaimed friend attempted to keep chatting with him, but the green-hair boy zoned the words out as the class filled in. Soon, their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Bright, came in. She noticed Hal at first, her eyes clearly locking on him in the corner, but refrained from welcoming him back and calling the boy unwanted attention. Hal had told her not to do so in a message the night before, and he was happy that she granted his wish.


    ¡°Well, class. It¡¯s good to see all of you this morning! I have to start today with a surprising announcement.¡±


    The class began to whisper to each other until their homeroom teacher cleared her throat loud enough for them to notice. ¡°You could at least wait until I finish¡­ I need a drink. Anyway, we have a transfer student.¡±


    Once again, the class was talking among themselves. It was their last year of mandatory education, and the year was already a fourth of the way over; even Hal wondered what the strange situation could be about. In front, Mrs. Bright looked down to the ground and sighed. Hal banged on his desk loud enough to stop everyone from talking. When the class looked at him, he rolled his yellow eyes and pointed forward.


    ¡°Hal¡¯s right, we¡¯ll be here all day if we don¡¯t let her finish,¡± a boy whispered.


    Mrs. Bright shook her head and forced a smile. ¡°Well, everyone! I want to welcome our newest. Classmate, Sabia.¡±


    A green Aqueenian girl with a long silver ponytail tied on the side of her head walked in. She smiled and waved, and the rest of the class returned to discussing amongst themselves.


    Hal had been too injured to see it for himself, but Fiona told him later that the Aqueenian girl from his ¡°date¡± was actually part of the enemy and was present with the foes in the hotel lobby at the final moments of the battle. The blue princess had told Hal with tears in her eyes; apparently, in her mind, she had already crafted a story of forbidden love between the two, which annoyed Hal more than anything else.


    Even still, with Sabia present in the class and knowing what he knew, Hal cautiously eyed her as she strolled down the desk rows; her target was the seat right in front of the young soldier. For a moment, he figured she would pretend they didn¡¯t know each other, but she had apparently just not noticed his face until she was standing right in front of him.


    ¡°Hal!¡± she chirped as her green face lit up. She embraced the surprised boy while the class, at a loss for words, could only manage something like a loud and long sustained ¡°eh.¡±


    ¡°So, he has a girlfriend,¡± a girl said as her eyes watered.


    ¡°How does he know all the good-looking girls?¡± a guy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask him for dating advice!¡± another added.


    Still held close by Sabia¡¯s thin arms, Hal looked up to the ceiling and sighed. He had tried to maintain a quiet, peaceful school life, and the green girl destroyed the last chance of it. Truly, she was the enemy.


    The door to the class suddenly burst open, and his younger twin, Haleigh, charged in. She wanted no time to leap onto the first desk and cross the room, hoping across the desks diagonally leading to Hal.


    ¡°That was fast!¡± a girl¡ªthat Hal knew was his sister''s friend¡ªsaid as she set down her tablet.


    Haleigh flipped in the air and landed on the floor like a gymnast, and the hugger was pulled off Hal instantly. The green girl was not so nicely shoved into the seat in front of Hal. Sabia cocked her head to the side as her large blue eyes squinted.


    ¡°Hal, who is this?¡± Haleigh said with her arms crossed. Her fingers drummed over her skin.


    Hal looked around the room. His sister stood with her arms crossed, Sabia made a flirty wink his way, Bert grinned like a fool, the rest of the students seemed to lean in closer, and Mrs. Bright just sighed and produced a bottle of liquor¡ªnone of the other students were paying enough attention to notice.


    He took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and spoke clearly: ¡°I have no idea; she¡¯s a complete stranger.¡±


    Everyone groaned as tension deflated like a balloon.

 A2-11 – Hal’s Confrontation

    After the morning fiasco ended, the school day went on with lectures as normal. Some students would eagerly look over and eye the strange new girl, but they and Sabia kept calm and didn¡¯t cause disruptions. During breaks, students surrounded her desk and asked questions. Hal listened, but not with much care. The responses were what he would expect from an agent on an infiltration mission. She was part of a family that had to move from Nun to Roanoke for work. She had siblings, but they were back home; her parents traveled a lot¡­ he had used the excuses before, though Sabia did a better job playing the friendly role.


    Some students asked how she knew Hal, but Sabia played it off as a mistake, and the Netzian soldier backed her up where he could. Eventually, the conversation turned to interests and hobbies, and Hal zoned out completely; he knew they would be tailored to fit her environment rather than what she was interested in. She very well couldn¡¯t say assassination was one of her hobbies, though the green-haired boy was certain it was true. He rubbed the joint where his flesh met metal and then zoned out.


    He had no way of knowing what was happening under the surface, but he did not expect to meet an agent so quickly after the battle in Nun. He was certain he told Feya all the physical attributes of their foes, so Sabia should not have been able to get through the school system without some alarm going off.


    Yet, she was there. The infiltration might have begun even before his trip. Hal figured he would need to interfere before it was too late. Nun was one thing, but he did not intend to let any spot of his sister¡¯s home get damaged.


    ¡°Okay, class, break into pairs,¡± Mrs. Bright said as she put an empty bottle on the desk and pulled out another. She hadn¡¯t bothered hiding it even as other teachers had come and gone for lectures.


    ¡°Mrs. Bright, you¡¯re going to get an earful if the principal finds out!¡± a student warned. Their teacher waved her hand.


    ¡°Nah¡­now group up.¡±


    Sabia turned around to flash Hal a mischievous grin; a chill ran up his back. He shook his head, but the green girl had already turned her seat around to face him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we pair up, Hal!¡±


    Others in the class squinted and looked at them, but they said nothing. Bert shook his head at first but then gave Hal a thumbs up. The green-haired boy¡¯s head dropped so low his chin pressed to his neck. He and Bert usually worked together.


    A note was sent across everyone¡¯s tablets. Sabia squinted intensely at the screen before her face lit up.


    ¡°Oh, an outdoors assignment!¡± she chirped.


    Hal shook his head but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    The assignment was to collect pictures of local plant life around the school; Hal figured it was one of Mrs. Bright¡¯s backup activities for when she had too much to drink. He didn¡¯t voice his concerns, but others reached the same conclusion if their whispers as the class walked outside were any indication.


    Sabia, conspicuously, clung to his arm as they walked. Hal heard some noise behind him, words of approval and cries of distress, as she did, but he wasn¡¯t concerned with what they had to say. He was more concerned with a glare from Haleigh, who happened to be staring out the door of her class as the group walked past. He would have trouble explaining it later.


    The class spread out as soon as they walked into the warm Roanoke air, and they started to scatter. Mrs. Bright, who stumbled behind them the whole time, was guided to sit on a decorative stone in the flowerbed by Hal. He took the opportunity to take her bottle.


    ¡°Stay here and sober up.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ m ot unk.¡±


    Hal emptied the bottle in the grass and returned it. She tried to take another drink, then drunkenly and disappointedly whined that she finished it all already.


    ¡°Was that a good idea? That smelled expensive!¡± Sabia asked as they headed to the woods. Hal pondered a moment the Aqueenian girl¡¯s sense of smell but ignored the question and instead led her deep into the woods. They continued until the trees and plants grew so dense that attention was needed to avoid hitting them. Hal eventually stopped as Sabia walked face-first into a tree limb. ¡°Ow!¡± She whimpered as she rubbed her green face.


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    Hal sighed and looked around the space closely. They had gone far deeper than anyone else would have. He could consider it safe to speak freely. Quickly, he took off his glove. In a flash, his robotic hand unfolded. A short blade and gun barrel slid out, and he pointed it at Sabia. The girl didn¡¯t notice as she was turned away, eyeing some plants.


    ¡°Do you think we should get a picture of this one?¡± she asked, pointing to the tree whose branch had hit her face.


    ¡°Enough games. We have come far enough to avoid listening ears. What is your purpose for being here? I have heard of your role in Nun.¡±


    Sabia turned to him with a beaming expression that quickly shrunk to a space between a smile and a frown.


    ¡°So, you heard, huh? Well, not to worry, I won¡¯t cause any trouble. I¡¯m not really sure what I¡¯m doing here anyway. Orders were to go to this school for a little while¡ªadditional details to be sent kind of thing.¡± She began to walk toward Hal. ¡°I was a little disappointed initially, but seeing you here excited me again!¡± Sabia ignored Hal¡¯s arm cannon and moved her body close to his, pressing her torso against his limb that was not mechanical; she leaned in close to whisper in his ear. ¡°We never got a chance to talk much in Nun, but I would love to get to know you better.¡±


    Hal moved back faster than he had in his life. His metal arm folded back into a hand, and he pressed it over a raging heart. He had not known he could be so easily intimidated. Sabia smiled.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Hal replied after he felt he could speak calmly, ¡°I do not wish to waste energy in a useless battle. Shall we consider a truce for now?¡±


    Of all the things Hal needed, it would be more time to prepare against his new foe.


    Sabia chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, a truce is fine, but keep your guard up; you never know when I might stab you in the back.¡± Her face suggested she was teasing, but Hal knew the threat in the words was incredibly likely.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be much if I wasn¡¯t prepared for as such; consider yourself able to be arrested at any moment as well,¡± he replied sternly.


    Sabia sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°Well, should we get some pictures and head back? I¡¯d love to spend more¡­alone time¡­ with you, but people might get suspicious and all that.¡±


    Hal nodded, and they found some good specimens to photograph, though he had to yell at Sabia multiple times to stop posing in his shots.


    ***


    After gathering enough pictures, the duo returned from the dense woods. The school building wasn¡¯t a welcome sight to Hal as he saw a group of other students had already returned and were engaged in a lively chat.


    ¡°Hey, they¡¯re back!¡± one student yelled.


    ¡°Did you two go all the way to Lover¡¯s Bridge?¡± another added.


    Sabia pressed her hand to her cheeks and blushed.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tease us like that!¡± she said as she leaned close to her green-haired companion.


    Hal rolled his eyes and shoved her away. His heart still felt uneasy from before, and he did his best to steady his breathing.


    ¡°Has everyone completed their assignment?¡± he asked.


    The others showed him their pictures with glee. Hal¡¯s lips remained curled into a frown, but he nodded to each image shown.


    ¡°Do you think Mrs. Bright will be okay with these?¡± a student asked. They all turned to look at their drunk teacher gently swaying on the rock Hal had sat her on earlier.


    ¡°Write a good enough report, and they will be acceptable.¡±


    ¡°We have to write a report too!¡± Sabia exclaimed. The others laughed.


    ¡°Did you not read the handout?¡± Hal said without holding back a disappointed sigh. Sabia blushed, then frowned. She crossed her arms and turned away with a ¡®hmph.¡¯


    The green-haired boy soon left to type a quick report while the others stayed behind to chat. Eventually, as Hal expected, another teacher saw them and sent them back to class. Mrs. Bright was absent due to receiving ¡°a scolding.¡± Her third one in the week, according to the other students.


    ***


    ¡°Well, who is she?¡± Haleigh asked on their walk home from school. She had waited until no other students were around, and their two younger sisters had run ahead.


    ¡°She who?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play innocent. The Aqueenian biaskylo!¡±


    ¡°Watch your language. She¡¯s not worth you soiling your tongue.¡±


    Haleigh spoke with a gasp, ¡°Then who is she? Your secret lover from your trip?¡±


    ¡°She is a dangerous foe from a dark organization. She almost killed several of my allies and now has come here to do Crenussal knows what, but I guarantee it will threaten our very way of being.¡±


    Haleigh held a hand over her chest and let out a deep breath.


    ¡°Oh, is that all? Here I was worried for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you haven¡¯t found yourself a girl who¡¯s a bad influence; she¡¯s just a crazy murder.¡±


    ¡°I plan to tell Feya when I get home.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good call. We¡¯ll pluck her right out of the school!¡±


    The conversation shifted to a less serious topic after, one which Hal wasn¡¯t as concerned with, until they got home and told Feya of what happened.


    To Hal¡¯s surprise, she wasn¡¯t concerned with Sabia¡¯s presence and only nodded like he told her information she already knew.


    ¡°Keep an eye on her for now¡± was the only words the Dare offered to the young boy. He went to sleep pondering what she could have in mind. Knowing Feya, it was sure to be reckless.

 A2-12 – Rheba’s New Mission

    Rheba slowly trotted across the base¡¯s courtyard and yawned. She quickly looked to her left and right to ensure no one else was watching the unseemly display. An array of the young recruits were jogging around the courtyard''s perimeter while their superior barked insults at them¡ªthe tall brown-furred warrior felt nostalgic at the sight¡ªbut none looked her way. Rheba shook her head and stood tall with her back straight and shoulders held stiff. She wasn¡¯t ready to admit it, but the trip to Nun had thrown her regular cycle off, and she was having a hard time adjusting back to life in the barracks.


    Rheba switched from a half-asleep trot to an active march as she crossed the remainder of the courtyard and entered the headquarters. She ducked down some while going through the door before realizing it was plenty tall enough. Other recruits had laughed at her doing it since her return, and it frustrated Rheba that she had not broken the habit. She saluted some higher-ranked officers and made sure not to disturb any important conversations.


    Soon, she stood before the door to her destination, Zenith¡¯s private office. It was not good to be called to a Goliath¡¯s office; it either meant she was in trouble or was about to receive a difficult task¡ªpossibly both. Still, the tall warrior knocked without hesitation.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! I have arrived!¡± Rheba said as she stood at attention.


    ¡°At ease, Rheba, come on in,¡± Zenith answered through the closed door.


    The tall warrior froze as she took in the sight; the black and white striped leader sat with hands locked together in front of her face and elbows pressed down in her desk. Before her, on the receiving end of Goliath¡¯s disappointed stare, sat two young recruits with their heads down. Zenith adjusted her position so she could drum her fingers across the desk and motioned with her free hand for Rheba to sit in a chair on the side. The warrior did as directed without a word.


    They stayed quiet a moment even after Rheba sat, and she took a moment to examine the two recruits more carefully.


    They were both young, probably just reached the required enlistment age¡ªat least five or six years younger than Rheba¡ªjust a bit older than Hal. The first had golden fur, which was longer and, in particular, bunched around her neck like a poofy mane. Her eyes were a forest green, and her pointed ears were longer than the average Bentulousian.


    The second by comparison was of no clear relation. She was all black with round ears that drooped instead of standing. Her eyes were a dark brown, and a scar across her dark nose added a white line right down the middle.


    ¡°Rheba,¡± Zenith said after the quiet apparently went on too long, these are some new recruits I would like you to take care of.¡± She pointed to the golden warrior, ¡°This is Blenda.¡± Zenith¡¯s hand moved to the black warrior, ¡°and Kerra. They were caught recently playing beauideal music on the base. I trust you understand that is not allowed.


    Rheba couldn¡¯t help but gulp. She had not heard much about Beauideals since returning but figured Zenith would have something in mind for her return. If she had to guess, the Goliath was hoping Rheba would be forced to give them up if she was tasked to stop the recruits. It was the perfect trap. If she ignored the orders, she was in violation of duties, but if she tried to carry them through, she would be a hypocrite. Either situation was a violation of Bentulousian military protocol. Rheba could be sure Zenith would go easy on her, but the message was clear. They all needed to give up beauideals.


    The brown-furred warrior stood up and saluted by placing a hand over each heart¡ªone on the right side of the chest and one on the left¡ªcrossing the right arm over the left.


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    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am! I will do my best!¡±


    ¡°Good, but please sit down; I have another matter to discuss with you.¡±


    Rheba looked to the young duo, ¡°Should they remain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is nothing confidential.¡±


    Rheba returned to her seat as Zenith spoke. ¡°Due to your valiant efforts in Nun, the other Goliaths and I have met and agreed that you should be promoted effective immediately.¡±


    ¡°But Ma¡¯am!¡± Rheba had leaned forward but stopped to sit upright. Her head fell low¡ªstaying up just enough to keep eye contact¡ªas she continued, ¡°I hardly accomplished anything while on my journey. It would be unfitting for me to receive such a reward.¡±


    Zenith waved her hand dismissively.


    ¡°Flagbearer Rheba Arms, I, Goliath Zenith, hereby promote you to the rank of Spearwarrior. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the future.¡±


    Rheba could only offer a small ¡®thank you¡¯ before the three of them were dismissed from Zenith¡¯s office. She stood with her back to the door and stared up at the ceiling momentarily. Her new companions'' words were the first thing to break her concentration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go thinking we¡¯ll listen to you just because you got promoted!¡±


    Rheba turned to look at the speaker. Blenda, the bright-colored one, had placed her hands on her hips as she spoke. Kerra sighed and shook her head. Her voice was softer, but the words aligned with her companions. ¡°There¡¯s no use arguing with her, Blenda; that¡¯s just how all the older folk are; they are hardly with the times.


    Rheba couldn¡¯t keep her mouth from falling open. She had not expected to see such attitudes in the previously quiet recruits. Carefully trying to force her shocked expression into a friendly smile, she spoke neutrally. ¡°Now, girls, I understand if¡ª¡±


    ¡°She understands!¡± Blenda shouted, and a laugh followed after. Kerra bowed politely to Rheba.


    ¡°With all due respect, we don¡¯t care what you have to say,¡± the dark-furred warrior said after. Rheba felt her shoulders grow tense, but she forced them to loosen up.


    ¡°I know; maybe we¡¯ll listen to you if you are really the bigshot Zenith thinks you are!¡± Blenda said; she turned to Kerra with a grin and nodded. Both girls turned away from Rheba and held their arms out. In a flash, two green Needaimus dropped from a ceiling vent and bonded to accepting limbs.


    ¡°I¡¯d say you lose if you can¡¯t catch us before the night. We¡¯ll stay in the base,¡± Kerra shot before both sped away in opposite directions, Blenda¡¯s laugh carrying down the hallway far longer than the brown-furred warrior would have liked to hear it. Rheba¡¯s left ear twitched, and she stood motionless while trying to take a few deep breaths. The tall warrior wished for a second she had the energy Fiona or Odell did; they seemed like a better fit for the task at hand. She considered calling one of them but let the thought slide. It would be unfitting for a warrior to call on help from foreigners¡ªroyal ones at that¡ªeven if they were friends. She took one last deep breath and began her march back to her barrack, where she had left Mini. It was against protocol for a warrior to bring a Needaimus when meeting with a Goliath, and Rheba¡¯s following of the rules lost her precious time. If there was one thing she learned on her trip, it was fights didn¡¯t always follow a set of rules.


    She reached the courtyard with the other young recruits who were still jogging around for the morning exercise. Not having her Needaimus was likely something Blenda and Kerra would have counted on; they expected to get a good head start from it. Rheba didn¡¯t like giving up so easily. They thought she would go grab her Needaimus, but she decided to do otherwise.


    Rheba quickly turned to the marching girls and barked: ¡°Ladies, I have a question for you!¡±


    The recruits stopped at once and turned with confused expressions to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for two in your class; both are Mortals and troublemakers.¡± It was clear that the group knew exactly who Rheba was referring to. ¡°I want to know their abilities pronto and keep it short!¡±


    ¡°Oh, um. Blenda has a Saient type, which fixes defects, and Kerra has an Iki type meant for chopping and dicing ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, soldier!¡± Rheba barked before charging away. Both the young recruits, Needaimus, sounded like ones their families had passed on rather than one¡¯s issues by a Goliath¡ªlike her own¡ªwhich made sense to her in hindsight of why new recruits had them in the first place. Still, she knew better than to underestimate them. The physical enhancements a Needaimus granted could sometimes be more than enough for a capable fighter, even if the ability itself was considered junk. Still, that didn¡¯t make them unbeatable. She didn¡¯t have to go along with their game, but now that they issued the challenge, the tall warrior intended to show them just how bad they were at playing.

 A2-13– Rheba Faces the Girls

    Rheba charged in the direction that Kerra went first. The dark-furred warrior''s ability seemed like the first to take head-on, and the girl¡¯s attitude was a little better than Blenda¡¯s, so she might be easier to deal with after being beaten to a pulp.


    She only began to slow down once Kerra came into view. To her surprise, the recruit was not hidden and stood in a narrow alley. It was obviously a trap, but Rheba strode forward all the same. She stopped just far enough out of a spear¡¯s range and put her hands on her hips.


    To the left of Kerra hung a rope, and some crates had been tucked along the walls, but the alley remained empty otherwise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have you¡¯re Needaimus?¡± Kerra said. Her eyes were wide, and Rheba wondered if she didn¡¯t have enough time to prepare as she nervously swayed back and forth.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re still going to fight me?¡±


    ¡°Only if you insist on wasting time like this.¡±


    Kerra laughed, and she pulled the conspicuous rope hanging to her left. From the rooftop, a spring mechanism sounded like it went off, and bits of metal were thrust into the air. Rheba didn¡¯t flinch as the sharp fragments flew above her head. She kicked a crate hard enough for her hooved foot to go through and launched it into the air.


    The fragments either stuck or bounced off, and Rheba caught the box for a split second before launching it at Kerra. The recruit made a high-pitched cry, one from shock likely, and put out her Needaimus-covered arm to defend. As the box flew forward, it suddenly split into small bits that went around the dark-furred warrior. Kerra trembled as she clenched her Needaimus bonded fist, and then the recruit flashed a confident grin at Rheba.


    She charged at Rheba, and the brown-furred warrior answered with her own sprint. Rheba threw her fist at Kerra but found her step suddenly gave out. She stumbled, and her opponent landed a blow on her forehead instead.


    Grunting, Rheba backed up and surveyed the area. In the ground, she could see where the dirt had become fine and easily deformed by her foot. Kerra didn¡¯t give her more time to think and closed the gap again, aiming for her stomach. Rheba took the blow and grabbed her opponent in a bear hug. Needaimus boosted defense, so Rheba squeezed as tight as she could until the girl whimpered.


    Kerra grunted, and Rheba felt her footing suddenly give way like she was standing on sand. She twisted her legs before losing her balance and stood firm¡ªfeeling some sharp pains as the contortion became too intense. Her opponent squirmed in response.


    Rheba kept her voice firm and calm as she spoke, ¡°I can think of several ways to hurt you even with a Needaimus attached, but as this is not a fight to the death, I will refrain. I would like you to surrender so we can go find your friend and get over with this.¡±


    ¡°Ha, funny. You seem to be a decent warrior, but I won¡¯t consider this a loss! You have to let go eventually!¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± Rheba said with a smirk. Kerra said nothing in response but soon realized what Rheba meant.


    Despite the pain from twisting her legs, Rheba held firm. Kerra tried to dice the ground again, but the brown-furred warrior expected it and moved her body appropriately to stay standing and maintain her grip. She assumed Kerra had relied on that trick to defeat opponents before; taking out footholds and getting good blows would likely work on any other Bentulousian children the dark-furred girl would have fought growing up.


    In the end, the bare alley would be her downfall. When the trick with the ground failed, Kerra had nothing else to use to her advantage. She tried chopping a nearby crate, but the bits only fell to the ground without a care. Rheba held firm as the suns moved across the sky. Kerra tried to mock Rheba, which eventually turned to pleading as what must have been an hour passed.


    Despite her holding tight, Rheba couldn¡¯t help but worry about the timeline. Blenda still needed to be taken down, and she couldn¡¯t risk leaving the alley as Kerra might get close enough to something her ability could work on. She debated if she should try to knock the poor girl out and end the fight. Slowly, she increased the intensity of her squeezing.


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    Finally, Kerra whimpered. ¡°Okay, I give up.¡± Rheba tossed her to the ground and moved her arms slowly. They popped and cracked, and she did her best to keep a hint that she was feeling sore off her face. Kerra¡¯s Needaimus freed itself from her arm and scurried to her shoulder. The girl stared at the ground as Rheba moved from the softer chopped dirt to solid footing. She felt her legs pop as she finally moved them. Kerra rubbed the spots where she had been clenched, apparently also sore or maybe slightly fractured.


    ¡°Now that we are done here, maybe you can tell me where your friend might be?¡±


    Kerra crossed her arms, wincing at the movement, and turned away.


    ¡°She¡¯s hardly my friend.¡±


    Rheba held in a groan but wasn¡¯t sure she prevented an aggravated inhalation of air. After waiting a moment to calm down, she pointed at Kerra.


    ¡°You¡­ just wait here; I¡¯ll come back later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Rheba wasn¡¯t sure if the tone was too sarcastic and didn¡¯t ponder on it for much longer before she sprinted out of the alley into the base. Some warriors shouted as she barreled past, but the golden-furred target was nowhere to be seen. Rheba must have run around for thirty minutes before she finally stopped to catch her breath.


    ¡°Where did she go?¡± the brown-furred warrior muttered while surveying the scene. She watched carefully as some recruits put a banner on a wall and some higher-ranked girls trotted by while engaged in peaceful conversation. It was as ordinary a day on base as Rheba could expect; she wished she could enjoy it by listening to some beauideal music¡ªin secret.


    Finally, some shouting from behind caught Rheba¡¯s attention. A pointed ear on her head turned the direction before her head did.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you, get out. Get out!¡± One of the older Bentulousian chefs pushed a young golden recruit out of the kitchens¡ªBlenda out at last. The young warrior rolled across the ground until she found a position on her hands and knees.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, my Needaimus ability can¡ª¡±


    The older chef poured out a pot of dubious-looking stew on the ground.


    ¡°There is no way I¡¯d let anyone eat something made with a Needaimus!¡±


    Blenda¡¯s fingers made indents in the ground as she balled them into a fist. She slowly began to push off the ground¡ªeyes glaring at the chef. Rheba interrupted with a fake cough in her hand. Blenda jumped, then grinned.


    ¡°Come to get beat then?¡±


    Rheba sighed and readied her fists. The movement of Blenda¡¯s eyes suggested she was looking to all the brown-furred warrior¡¯s limbs for a Needaimus. Rheba wasn¡¯t one to let the opportunity go to waste. The gap between the two vanished instantly, and Blenda snapped her arms to protect her stomach. She stumbled back and gritted her teeth.


    The chef, wide-eyed, dropped the pot and fled as the two tall warriors glared at each other.


    ¡°Your friend has been defeated; ending this farce would be best for you.¡±


    ¡°You beat¡ª she¡¯s hardly my friend!¡±


    Rheba shook her head. She hoped she wasn¡¯t as difficult as a new recruit as they were.


    Blenda pulled what looked like a dagger from under her uniform; at a closer look, Rheba could see that it was a spear cut far too short. Her eyes narrowed, but she couldn¡¯t block the attack¡ªthe blunt end of a full-length spear jabbing her in the stomach. Rheba grunted and held the spot as Blenda spun her now long weapon over her head. She snapped the spear and aimed the blunt side at Rheba again.


    Injured as she was, Rheba was ready the second time. She caught the extended handle and snapped it before it could impact her. Blenda made a smug grin, and the broken end grew again, ramming Rheba¡¯s chin. The brown-furred warrior stepped back as she watched Blenda break the end again.


    With a proud laugh, the golden-furred warrior chided Rheba, ¡°Worthless! And you are a higher-ranking officer? My abilities are far above your own!¡±


    Rheba shook her head. It seemed both the girls relied on Needaimus tricks rather than fighting ability¡ªas their senior, it was her responsibility to beat some sense in them. She made a soft, friendly smile at Blenda; the look on the golden warrior¡¯s face told Rheba it may have come off in another way. Calmly, the brown-furred warrior strode to her opponent.


    Blenda chuckled and aimed her spear¡¯s blunt end at Rheba. It was a good trick if she used the pointed end, but stabbing a higher-up would obviously be trouble. Either way, Rheba wasn¡¯t worried. As the pole extended, Rheba grabbed it once again. With a shift of her hands, she angled the spear so that it shot over her shoulder. ¡°Do you think you can pull it away? Many have tried, but I¡¯m confident in my grip strength!¡± Blenda said.


    Rheba spun so her back was aimed at Blenda and used both hands to grip the spear. Blenda yelped as she was thrust into the air over Rheba¡¯s shoulder. The golden-furred warrior was completely flipped over, and her head would hit first. She let go to position her hands for impact, and Rheba took the opportunity to strike. She jabbed the blunt end of the spear into her junior¡¯s stomach and used the motion to slam her back into the ground.


    ¡°Learned your lesson?¡± Rheba asked as she spun the spear around, but Blenda was out cold. ¡°Perhaps that was too harsh?¡±


    Rheba spent the rest of the evening explaining to Zenith why the two new recruits were in the infirmary.

 A2-14 – She Wishes She Never Woke Up

    Abelard sighed as he stepped through the threshold to the hospital. An attendant at the desk smiled at him. They exchanged pleasantries, and he was soon down the hallway to Dia¡¯s room. It had been weeks since she was shot, and she went into a coma. The Needaimus that would normally be used to recover her was still nowhere to be found. Rom had confirmed to him¡ªbut at this point, he didn¡¯t need the confirmation¡ªthat video was found with a suspicious individual removing the Needaimus from the hospital. Array had stolen it right from under their noses, and all he could do was wait for the sleeping girl to wake.


    ¡°Ah, Mayor Abelard!¡± a doctor shouted to him from down the long hall. Abelard slid his finger between his shirt collar and neck¡ªadjusting it so it didn¡¯t squeeze so tightly, then turned to the man who called out to him.


    ¡°Good to see you, Doctor,¡± the mayor lied. He hated that he was starting to remember the faces of this particular place.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I caught you! We wanted to talk to you before you went into the room this time.¡±


    ¡°Has her condition grown worse?¡±


    ¡°No, no, nothing like that, it¡¯s improved even, but not perfectly¡­. You see, she¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Abelard didn¡¯t wait for the man to finish. He knew where the conversation was headed and sprinted to the room. Awkward as he may have looked running, he didn¡¯t care. With a heavy breath, the door slid open, and a green Aqueenian girl weakly turned her head.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she mumbled, clearly trying to sound like her peppy Beauideal persona but too weak to get it out just right.


    Abelard fell to his knees and wiped some moisture from under his eyes, thinking he must have walked through some mist. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± Dia weakly said; it was impossible to tell what her tone was meant to be. From a shelf in the room, the white Needaimus, X, hopped to the floor and made its way to Abelard. A pat from the metal foot on his knee helped bring him back into the moment. Gently, he picked up the metal companion, like a feline, and walked to a chair near the bed. X sat in his lap as he scooted the seat closer.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°How long was I out?¡± She shifted slightly and moved her large wings. She winced and clenched her jaw, leaving them where they ended up. The staff likely didn¡¯t know to exercise the wings like her arms and legs, and they must have been unbelievably stiff.


    ¡°Weeks,¡± Abelard said. Dia didn¡¯t reply but groaned and shut her yellow eyes. ¡°The organization you were helping were the ones who shot you. Then, they made an attempt at my life. I wouldn''t be here right now if not for the Nonpareil and his friends.¡±


    ¡°That guy? What did I miss?¡±


    ¡°A lot. A lot of political debates as well. You killed King Whitlock?¡± Dia¡¯s eyes opened and looked at the floor.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°For the future, for Resh. He would have gotten in the way.¡±


    Abelard rubbed his hands through his thinning hair and shook his head. It wasn¡¯t his first time talking to someone caught up in a group, but it hurt more coming from Dia.


    ¡°What are their goals?¡±


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    ¡°To save Resh.¡±


    ¡°Save from what?¡±


    Dia pursed her lips, then bit on the lower one. She looked Abelard in the eyes.


    ¡°A disaster beyond what could be imagined. Jolon Whitlock would have been instrumental in causing it.¡±


    ¡°That is still too vague, Dia.¡±


    The green girl¡¯s face grew stern; Abelard wasn¡¯t sure what she was thinking. He let out a heavy breath and switched the subject. ¡°The Aqueenians have been demanding that you be punished. They want to bring you to Quenth for trial per conference guidelines.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t attend the conference, though.¡±


    ¡°They are using your presence at the last one as Nun¡¯s attendance. You forget your status as¡­. I could not argue away that point, but I have been stalling as you have been unconscious.¡±


    Weak as she was, Dia was able to push out some concern in her tone. ¡°You don¡¯t intend to put me to trial!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not send you to Quenth; they don¡¯t look favorable on¡­.¡± he looked at Dia¡¯s wings, ¡°but you killed the leader of a nation¡ªhonestly, I thought I raised you better¡ªyou will have to be punished in some way, I had hoped we could run a trial in Nun.


    ¡°For now, I will keep you being awake a secret while I try to confirm a fair trial. You need to think long and hard about whose side you are on. Now is not the time to be stubborn; some are calling for execution.¡±


    Dia¡¯s face grew weak, and she turned her head away from Abelard and to the ceiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting sleepy. Would we be able to continue later?¡±


    Abelard sighed and gently set X on the bed next to the green girl. He gently smoothed out some of her messy hair and patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    With his last words, the mayor left the girl alone in the room. He reached for his necktie¡ªbut wasn¡¯t wearing it¡ªand scratched his chin. The next stop would be talking to the doctors about Dia¡¯s condition. Abelard wasn¡¯t looking forward to it.


    ***


    Dia looked up at a bare ceiling and sighed. She moved a hand to her stomach and felt where she had been hit. It was an ugly scar; she couldn¡¯t see it, but she was certain from how it felt. Swimsuits that showed her abdomen were now off the table, a waste of all the time she had spent finding the right amount of sexy.


    X made its way to Dia¡¯s side and nuzzled her chin. She smiled and patted the metal creature on its head. It curled up so that it touched her shoulder and simulated sleep. She was never sure if Needaimus slept, but they would get in a state that resembled it well enough every now and then. Gently, she poked the creature''s head, but it didn¡¯t stir.


    The winged beauideal spent the next few minutes looking around a bare hospital room before the thoughts she was trying to ignore came rushing back in.


    She had been betrayed by her allies and left comatose. The agreement she made covered being kicked out if she betrayed them, but Dia had not taken the whole thing seriously. Even after she plunged a blade into King Whitlock¡¯s chest, she did not take anything seriously. Her lips turned downward, and she tried to slam a fist on the bed, but her limbs were still numb from the coma, and she had trouble moving¡ªshe settled for a violent jerk that knocked a pillow to the floor.


    A trial in Quenth meant execution was on the table. And regicide meant with certainty that she would be deemed guilty. She felt her eyes grow hot, and she clamped them shut. An image of the blue princess, Fiona, invaded her mind. The one that was probably hanging off the Nonpareil¡¯s arm like a biaskylo.


    The princess was free to do what she wanted. The princess wasn¡¯t dumped on the street for having a cursed wing. The princess didn¡¯t have to care about anything in the world. She hated the blue princess.  Fiona got to live the life that Dia only pretended to live, and as her hand closed into a fist, she wished she had plunged the blade into Fiona and not her father.


    Tears began to escape the dam of her eyelids, and Dia did her best to move her hand to wipe them away. She jabbed a yellow eye with a finger before accomplishing the original goal.


    ¡°What do I do,¡± the green girl finally whispered. ¡°Mom, what do I do? I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    She knew the answer would never come; her mother¡ªthrough adoption, but just as loving if by blood¡ªhad long passed, leaving poor mayor Abelard to raise a delinquent beauideal daughter, leaving the green girl longing for someone to listen to, leaving a Needaimus that could make her the best at anything, but without a clear understanding of what to be best at.


    Dia tried to sit up; she had wings, she could fly, but her body was still too weak. She was trapped, with her helpers locked in positions they couldn¡¯t escape, and no one outside who could intercede. The green beauideal pressed her body into the bed and forced out a laugh.


    ¡°I got myself into this mess; I have no one to blame.¡±  She cried until she fell asleep.

 A2-15 – Gwyn Mad

    Mem didn¡¯t remember much. It recalled waking in the Aqueenian Needaimus vault after the last partner had apparently died. It spoke to some blue and green men in labcoats who wrote notes on their tablets. After which, despite a display of a charming personality, the blue Needaimus had been deemed defective. So, it escaped, and it ran.


    It ran and ran until running into the strange human, Gwyn, a boy also doomed to a death sentence. Perhaps it was due to pity or curiosity¡ªboth dangerous traits for a Needaimus to have¡ªit stuck around with the human. That decision took it on a grand adventure and to the misery that now tormented it.


    Though rare as it was, a Needaimus could feel discomfort. Impossible to describe to a being of flesh, it was something that could not be communicated through simple propositions; it required being a Needaimus to understand, and of all the things Mem was sure of, it was a Needaimus. Maybe a bad one, but still one that would feel discomfort from overclocking¡ªand though Gwyn was not intending to do so, the process had already started. Mem¡¯s metal grew slightly and embedded into the human¡¯s shoulder, fixing it into place. Brute force would be required to rip it off, and that was if anyone got there in time. Soon, it would be impossible to remove without going to extremes.


    Gwyn might have scratched at the spot where Mem¡¯s metal was growing; it had to itch at the least, but he was preoccupied with a plate of food on the floor. Hunched over it like a beast, he shoveled piles of food into his mouth, his left hand weakly dropping half of it until he tried again¡ªeach time splitting in half again. Mem had tried to reason with him, but something was wrong. Gwyn could no longer be reasoned with. That had gone out like a light bulb as his left arm was almost entirely encased in stone, the symptom of the disease.


    As Gwyn finished¡ªor maybe got tired with¡ªthe meal, he grasped for a drink, which was gone in seconds. The cup liquified and fell to the floor as he unintentionally used his ability.


    In a raspy voice, he spoke. ¡°Thirsty. Thirsty.¡± It was the only word that had come from his lips for several days. Mem was long past the point of worrying. It didn¡¯t know what to do. It had wondered if partnering with Gwyn was a mistake, but things had gone so smoothly in Horizon, against Grimes, the Needaimus felt like the sky was the limit. It was on the path of destiny with a hero¡ªa Nonpareil. Now, it was stuck on the arm of a savage.


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    Gwyn wandered around the room until he clawed at the wall with weak fingers. Mem wondered if any memories would have helped it in this moment. Could anything in its presumably long life, in the possible multitudes of partners that could help or explain anything? Most Needaimus considered ones who lost their memories to be lost causes¡ªbabies to be ignored and left alone in the nursery. They were beings that lived thousands of years¡ªat least Mem presumed so, and all that history was snuffed out due to remaining attached to an arm or leg. In its short time since reviving, Mem had been fortunate to relearn several of the Needaimus secrets; Fiona¡¯s Sun was kind enough to tell it privately. Some said the partner affected A Needaimus'' personality, so Mem was sure the blue princess was an okay girl. Maybe she could help Gwyn. Or perhaps he would also be deemed a lost cause.


    It couldn¡¯t help but wonder how it was affected by Gwyn. If it would eventually go mad and writhe on the ground in an unidentifiable motion that could be confused between pain and ecstasy. Gwyn was sick for sure; Mem was confident of the assessment after spending several days silently analyzing his biometrics to determine what was wrong. It wasn¡¯t an infection, but it acted well enough like one to explain it that way. Rock growths were the first sign. Gwyn had chosen to ignore them for a while, and Mem went along. Neither knew what to do, and both, perhaps, hoped the problem would simply go away. The Needaimus wished it had pushed Gwyn to leave the room sooner, getting some kind of medical aid before it was quite possibly too late¡ªbefore discovering the mind was the last thing to go.


    Gwyn had spent the last couple of days talking to the wall. From the half of the conversation Mem could pick up on, the rest happened within the nonpareil¡¯s head; he was talking to King Whitlock. The dead king came to haunt him, or at least Gwyn believed that to be the case. Mem should have known his mind was failing then, but it could not detect anything unusual within the biometrics. It wasn¡¯t until Gwyn¡¯s mind finally gave out, and he began to tear things apart, that the Needaimus realized it passed a point of no return¡ªit had made a mistake.


    Mem remained silent as the madded nonpareil activated his ability. The ground began to soften, and all the trash littered across the room formed into nasty-looking puddles. Gwyn smashed his hands into the wall, and a crater formed where he made contact. The situation was getting worse, and Mem could do nothing but watch.

 A2-16 – Fiona Ponders

    Fiona quietly looked back at the door of a long hallway¡ªher only escape from an undesired task if she was going to make a break for it, but doing so would be going back to old ways. Advisor Tempest wanted to do the annual inspection of the royal vault, where many Needaimus and other valuable weapons were stored. It was required that someone of royalty had to come to open the door, and usually, the kids were more available than the queen. At least, that¡¯s what the milt alabaster man told the princess when he found her wandering through the hallways. Fiona wanted to do anything else, but Donn and Hermina were tied up visiting the new Hobusian King, Avon, and she was the oldest one available.


    She didn¡¯t mind doing the task so much, but the advisor was an odd one. He smiled at Fiona in a nice enough way, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was¡ªto put it bluntly¡ªa bit of a creep. His gaze seemed a little too odd, almost as if it were filled with a mix of sorrow and hate. The blue princess wondered whether she was getting an accurate read on him or whether her years of shirking responsibilities were rearing their ugly head once again. She was uncertain that she wasn¡¯t simply looking for an excuse to run away before she could mess something up.


    It never ceased to amaze her how often she would slip up, even as she tried hard to do well. It was starting to get to her. Even weeks later, people were still talking about her dumping alcohol on a whole table at the banquet¡ªthe story had stretched beyond what she had thought possible.


    Shaking her head and turning to Advisor Tempest, she spoke gently.


    ¡°How do these inspections usually go?¡±


    He kept his hands close to his body, pressed near his chest where he firmly held a tablet, and would occasionally look around the room like a bug was flying in circles, but snapped his head in her direction and made his creepy smile.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you wouldn¡¯t know. Well, it doesn¡¯t take too long; I will look around. Check that our records in the system match what is physically there and mark them as okay. We don''t have to check every drawer as long as a certain number is alright.¡±


    ¡°Is this necessary?¡± She wasn¡¯t going to remind him, but only members of the royal family could open the door.


    ¡°For security, not so much. As you are thinking, only royals can enter. But royals tend to take things and not put them back, and bookkeeping must be kept up to date!¡±


    Fiona wasn¡¯t sure if Advisor Tempest was unusually enthused, but he seemed excited to do this odd job. She shrugged as they reached the vault door.


    At the end of the hallway, it looked like nothing more than a solid wall with carved patterns, but Fiona knew better. She pressed her hand to the wall, and it groaned as the mechanical systems fired up. Soon, the barrier slid away. Her yellow Needaimus jumped off her shoulder and sat just outside the door as the duo entered a large spherical room. A series of lines divided the shape from the floor to the top, and upon closer inspection, it was clear each was a drawer. In the center of the room was a pedestal with birdcage-shaped glass. Inside sat a golden shape curled into a ball.


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    Advisor Tempest wordlessly went to work opening some drawers and checking off items on his tablet. Fiona quietly crept up to the center pedestal. The golden shape didn¡¯t move, and she carefully laid a blue hand on the glass before sharply pulling it away. The glass was unexpectedly hot, and she checked her light blue skin for a burn. The last thing the blue princess needed was another mark on it.


    Legends said only a Nonpareil could wield the golden Needaimus. The heat coming from it was enough to suggest that was the case. She recalled her late father boasting about touching the creature directly, but Fiona was now sure it was just that¡ªa boast. She shook her head and tried to turn her attention back to Advisor Tempest, who was now on a ladder checking one of the drawers far above their heads.


    If Gwyn had the golden Needaimus, would he be willing to come out of the room?


    The thought entered Fiona¡¯s mind before she could put up a guard against it. Her old ways instantly came up with several options to smuggle the cage out¡ªleaving a wake of destruction behind in some ideas and silently in others. The blue princess was familiar with many methods; she had done all sorts of schemes over her years of pranking. It only served as unwanted thoughts now...


    "That should be all, everything here and accounted for,¡± Advisor Tempest said as he appeared by Fiona¡¯s side. She jumped slightly. ¡°My apologies, dear; I didn¡¯t realize you were so deep in thought.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s get going then; I am very busy today!¡± Fiona quickly shuffled out of the room and only stayed behind long enough to seal the vault shut. She waved goodbye and bonded to her Needaimus, Sun. In a flash of light, she left the advisor behind and¡ªquickly traversing with a series of blinks through the hallways¡ªwas out to a private balcony, where they had encountered Dia Mond during the conference.


    Fiona slid her fingers across the deformed railing that Gwyn had liquified back then and stared at the ironically named Lover¡¯s Bridge. A couple stood down below, apparently in a fight if the movements of their small bodies were any indication.


    Are you going to stare at the city all day? Sun asked from within Fiona¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not sure what it is I am doing.¡±


    You are standing and watching a distant couple break up.


    ¡°Not that!¡± Fiona sighed. ¡°It seems all I am good for is opening doors. Everyone is still talking about what happened at the banquet, and if not that, then it¡¯s something else. It¡¯s been weeks since we¡¯ve returned, and I think everyone looks at me worse than before!¡±


    Did you decide to be more responsible as a princess so people would look at you differently?


    ¡°I kind of hoped they would!¡±


    Then, your motivation is shallow.


    ¡°It seems the only thing I was good at was doing pranks.¡±


    You weren¡¯t very good at that either.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t very helpful, you know.¡±


    I¡¯m a Needaimus, not a therapist. We don¡¯t really know about these sorts of matters¡­.


    ¡°I should have known to never come to you for advice.¡± Fiona crossed her arms and turned her head away from the arm bonded to Sun.


    I think you were venting, and besides, you never took my advice anyway.


    ¡°Maybe I should try one prank, for old time''s sake!¡±


    That would be a bad idea.


    ¡°What do you know!¡±


    See my previous point about not taking my advice¡­.


    Fiona turned away from the balcony and slid back into the hallway through the window. She pondered what she could try when Sun interrupted her thoughts again.


    You are getting a message from Rheba.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s unexpected!¡± Fiona muttered as the words popped up in her field of vision. She slid her hand in the air to scroll the message, but Rheba kept it short.


    I apologize for the last-minute notice, but some new recruits and I have been sent to Quenth. I just arrived at the dock.


    ¡°Rheba!¡± Fiona cried. ¡°That is super last minute!¡± She shook her head and zapped outside the castle. Looking at a building in the city, she teleported across the skyline, then focusing on the next targets, she blipped through Quenth toward the dock.

 Halloween Special 2

    Donn knew he wasn¡¯t the best at directions; he had been that way since he was a small boy, but he was positive he was never so bad as to lose track of two others he was walking with. Yet, he found himself standing alone in a dark cave; his temporary companions¡ªGwyn and Cecelia¡ªhad all but vanished. Normally, he might say they left him behind, but he knew better. He was the one who was lost.


    He quickly checked his arm and found his Needaimus, Starry Night, or Star for short, still bonded.


    Something is wrong, the Needaimus said in his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me, did we take a wrong turn?¡±


    I don¡¯t even know how to explain it; it is like we left the map altogether. I can¡¯t find our location, let alone give you directions.


    Donn made a soft hum as he rubbed his chin. He looked forward and backward, but only a long, dark tunnel awaited on either side.


    ¡°I suppose either way is fine. Shall we keep walking?¡±


    I don¡¯t detect any traps or any other signs of life as well¡­.


    ¡°Ominous, but let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    The bulky blue prince took a half step forward, lightly pressing the ground with each motion before putting his full weight forward. He had fallen into enough pitfalls in the past and found them rather unfun to deal with in this sort of situation.


    Do you think the others will be okay? Star asked.


    ¡°With how this whole night has gone, there is little reason to speculate. We will find out when we need to, I think.¡±


    Fair enough.


    Donn continued down the long hallway¡ªmaking careful steps while his Needaimus reported anything and everything, whether of interest or not.


    Odd rock formations in the wall were quickly scanned and cataloged, a regular check for others was reported every ten minutes, and scans for traps were done every few steps, among many other things. Donn listened carefully for any piece of information that he might direct Star to expand on, but nothing jumped out. He instead continued his cautious steps.


    Over time, he realized they were descending; the slope was gentle, and without visible signs, it took until Donn noticed a temperature change. He wasn¡¯t sure at first, but Star was able to confirm.


    Do you think we should continue this way? The Needaimus asked.


    ¡°It would be better to go up than down, but,¡± the blue prince turned to look back. A wall had appeared behind him, sealing off the way back up.


    I didn¡¯t detect any movement! Let me run a scan to see what I can find.


    Donn pressed a palm to the cold, rocky barrier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother; this seems to be something your scanners won¡¯t pick up.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t hurt to try!


    Donn chuckled and shook his head. He looked down into the cavern that seemed to go on forever.


    ¡°Say, Star, did you ever hear the story of the guy in the cave?¡±


    I am familiar with it and don¡¯t see the point of bringing it up now.


    ¡°I was wondering, like in that story, if there is some welcomer at the bottom of this cave that we might be able to meet.¡±


    I would very much like to not meet that¡­.


    Donn chuckled, then took a deep breath. ¡°Is this any way to treat guests!¡± he shouted. The echo bounced to the end and then returned to them.


    Seems like there is a wall. Star said.


    ¡°Seems so.¡±


    Donn¡¯s eyes gave in to a blink, and the cavern changed in the seconds in between. When he opened his eyes, they were greeted by a wooden door with a light shining from the other side.


    My sensors did not detect what happened, but the visible change was confirmed. Don¡¯t reach for the handle!


    Donn wasn¡¯t sure Needaimus could feel fear, but the tones in their voices could represent it well enough. Such a voice wasn¡¯t enough to stop him, however. He cautiously turned the knob and pushed the door open.


    The room before them was small but cozy. A table with a hooded figure sat in the center, and a lit fireplace crackled from behind. The walls were covered with paintings of various Aqueenian characters from Resh¡¯s history¡ªa shamed military leader, a failed revolutionary, and the infamous wicked king of the Aqueenians were the first to jump out to the blue prince. Upon closer inspection, he saw they were all less-than-desirable figures. Donn was happy to see his later father wasn¡¯t up there. The prince sauntered forward and pulled back the chair, which sat opposite the cloaked figure.


    The person before him said nothing but shuffled a deck of cards as Donn entered a comfortable position.


    No read on the person before us. They don¡¯t seem to have a Needaimus with them. Star warned. Donn said nothing in reply, but he was feeling pressure from the figure that suggested danger even without a power.


    After the flicking and sliding sounds of cards ended, the figure quietly dealt a hand to Donn and itself. The prince¡¯s two yellow eyes suddenly appeared under the hood, like the stranger had just opened them.


    ¡°Have you ever played a game with your life on the line?¡± the figure asked in a raspy voice. It picked up the cards and began to sort the hand. Donn looked at the facedown ones on the table. The backs were a solid blood red.


    ¡°On several occasions, but never with one like yourself,¡± he answered while picking the hand up. The cards were surprisingly slippery, and he saw no signs of wear.


    The faces of the cards seemed standard enough, and Donn quickly sorted by suits in order of largest to smallest. ¡°What¡¯s the game?¡±


    The hooded figure made a raspy laugh. ¡°You seem awfully quick to play.¡±


    ¡°Not really much point in delaying; I figure we are going this way, might as well get the ball rolling¡­¡±


    That will be the death of you someday¡­. Star added.


    The hooded figure laughed some more before it managed to explain.


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    ¡°The game is a simple one. We each play a card and the higher one wins. The card here,¡± it tapped on a face-up card to the side, ¡°is the trump, so if the card played is trump, it takes priority. The loser gets the trump, and a new one is flipped up. We play until the deck is empty or we are out of moves.¡±


    ¡°Seems simple enough; what is the point of all this?¡± Donn asked as he laid a card facedown.


    The figure laughed, ¡°You might want to play slower than that. I had a strong desire to grab the one they call Nonpareil, but I snatched you instead. Seems he was protected.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for getting in the way,¡± Donn said as he tapped next to his facedown card. The hooded figure slid a card out, and they flipped them face up. The trump was diamonds, and Donn went right for the Ace. He took it, and the figure chuckled as it picked up the trump and flipped to the next.


    ¡°An aggressive one, but I advise you to look at the cards more closely; it won¡¯t be fun if you aren¡¯t attentive.¡±


    Donn said nothing but eyed the won cards sitting in front of him. The Ace he played in the right light and at the right angle had Odell¡¯s face on it. His yellow eyes grew wider, and he quickly checked his hand. Half the cards showed images of familiar faces, people from the Halloween party who had participated in the search. The other half showed pictures of monsters and beasts.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Donn asked; he had to wait for his host to stop laughing before continuing.


    ¡°It is simple, really: the cards you take with your loved ones will free them; the cards you don¡¯t take will keep them sealed. Likewise, the cards you take with beasts you will have to fight. But don¡¯t give me that like I am nothing if not fair. For every beast you defeat, you can trade it for another life. Ah, but if you lose this game or are felled by a beast, I will, of course, take your life for my own. You would make a lovely Ace of Spades¡­. Yes, I like that.¡±


    I detect no Needaimus abilities; this must be magic. Star added. Donn shook his head and looked down at the other card on the table; it reflected a Fionmuala, the great sky beast on par with a Japhinth in the water or an Unkillable on land.


    Donn sighed and laid his cards down.


    ¡°You are a terrible host, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that before. Now, shall we play? You won¡¯t get everyone back otherwise. Oh, and if you don¡¯t win before the night ends, I¡¯ll keep whoever remains.¡± The figure added a snicker to the end of the sentence.


    Donn picked up the card with Odell and let the hooded figure look at the face.


    ¡°If I have rescued Odell, I want to free him now.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that; he can¡¯t join in this game if that is what you think.¡±


    Donn set the card back on the table and tapped on the wood.


    ¡°Very well, then, why don¡¯t I offer you a different game.¡±


    The figure cackled. ¡°Too scared to play mine!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to keep this going. This setup is designed to make me lose at least one person, and then you would probably offer another game to make up for that with its own conditions, and so on¡­. No, I think I am familiar enough with stories to know what you are¡ªI thought you were merely a character from a book¡ªand I am not enough of a trickster to play along as the protagonist did.¡± Donn flexed his arms as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯m more of a fighter, so how about we just do that. Your entire corpus of beasts for all your captives, Gamespinner.¡±


    The yellow eyes in the hood grew wide, and then the figure reared its head back and laughed.


    ¡°How amusing,¡± it said through cackles, ¡°you seem confident in such a setup. Normally, I would keep to the rules, but I¡¯m just helping out today, and this seems far more interesting than the plan! Very well. You will fight the 26 monsters I have in this deck. May Al Omo have mercy on you.¡±


    The room began to stretch, and the scenery morphed as Donn and the Gamespinner moved further apart. The hood went in the air as the cards fluttered like moths off the table and around the Gamespinner¡¯s hand. The face of the creature was ugly. Resembling an arachnid, about twenty more eyes opened across its face, and jaws split in four and began to drool. Six legs kept it upright, and two twisted arms collected the cards into a new deck. Only the Ace containing Odell fluttered around Donn.


    The Gamespinner snickered. ¡°Since I am a fair host, I let the players keep the cards they already won. You are allowed to borrow his ability during the match. The first minute is free, but every second used after drains a day from his life. I think you can imagine what happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s see your monsters then.¡±


    ¡°And you will be fighting¡ª¡±


    ¡°Them all at once. I figured as much; you must do your best to give them a fair fight, after all.¡±


    The Gamespinner hissed. ¡°A confident one, are we?¡±


    Donn hardly had time to reply as the wave of beasts burst forth from around the Gamespinner. The gross form of the master disappeared within the dust of a stampede as beasts of all shapes and sizes stormed to the prince.


    ¡°Well, Star, looks like we have a fight on our hands,¡± Donn said as he clenched his Needaimus bonded fist.


    Please don¡¯t remind me.


    Donn hammered a fist on the head of a large feline-esk beast, which disappeared in a puff of black smoke as he leaped back to avoid the next attack. Three more of the smaller beasts were felled with nothing but his fists, but Donn knew the next wave would not be as easy to defeat. He smiled while taking a few slow steps back. The initial horde of monsters had stopped upon his easy defeat of four of them and watched the prince with care. This gave him a moment to see what exactly he was up against.


    Some of the beasts were simply deadly animals native to his world, others monsters from legends he heard while growing up as a kid. All had glazed purple eyes, suggesting they were either controlled or puppets of smoke, as the first couple suggested. Either way, he knew he had to defeat them. In the back, near the Gamespinner, only one beast stood by. A Fionmuala which sat with its large wings folded to its side. It looked to be engaged in conversation with the Gamespinner. Donn figured it was a clever distraction to make him take his eyes off his opponents.


    He took a deep breath and pulled some marbles from a back pocket. His ability granted by Star allowed him to control the direction of objects¡ªessentially allowing him to always hit the target, but he liked to use the ability as a distraction as well. Throwing the marbles in the air, they began to swirl around him like orbiting planets. The objects served well as a distraction for creatures of lower intellect, and he easily smashed the heads in of multiple beasts before the rest pounced on him.


    The Gamespinner must have watched horrified, at least Donn imagined he did, as the blue prince fended off blow after blow from all sides, slowly taking out each of the beasts¡ªlaunching spinning marbles at eyes or feet to gain the upper hand¡ªuntil he was the only monster left standing. If the freakish arachnid face could make an expression of shock, Donn was sure the one it made as he strode over was of it.


    He pointed a blue finger at the giant flying beast.


    ¡°The last one, yes?¡±


    ¡°This was not what I was promised. This game is a bit boring,¡± the mastermind muttered before vanishing into the shadows. A whisper carried in the air after, ¡°But don¡¯t you worry, we¡¯ll play again some other time.¡± The Fionmula spread its wings and flapped a strong wind at Donn.


    ¡°Guess I have to defeat you, huh?¡± the prince said. The beast made no indication it could hear him and took to the air. The sky had previously been nothing but shadow, but as soon as the giant winged creature entered it, it opened into a vast starry sky.


    Donn crouched low and watched as the beast circled in the air above. With a strong push, boosted by his Needaimus ability, he soared into the sky and grabbed the beast by its wing. It roared and spun, throwing Donn higher up in the sky. After several flips, the blue prince arranged his body for a downward punch and aimed at the opponent. The Fionmula responded by flying up¡ª giant, sharp beak aimed at Donn. He punched the point, and though some cracks formed on the hard beak, the point pierced his hand and sprayed blood up his arm. Before he could be thrust away, Donn grabbed the beast¡¯s mouth and held firm as it violently tried to shake him away.


    ¡°Sorry, Odell,¡± Donn said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to borrow that power to end this quickly.¡±


    Instantly, his body grew thousands of times heavier than he could imagine. Though he didn¡¯t feel the effect much on himself, the beast suddenly arced to the ground. Donn gripped the beak tighter and twisted the head with all his might so the top of the skull would hit first. The creature exploded into a cloud of dust as Donn fell flat on his face. He coughed and waved his hand, and when the smoke cleared, he was back in the castle corridor where he had disappeared.


    Through some coughs, Donn spoke: ¡°Star, status?¡±


    We are back where we left off; scans show the Nonpareil and Hobusian woman are fighting against¡­ something below. Should we go and help?


    Donn pulled some cloth from his pocket and began to wrap his bloody hand.


    ¡°They should be okay; let¡¯s find where the Gamespinner went.¡±


    Status shows no signs of that creature. I fear we might have lost it.


    Donn sighed and sat down, just then noticing his heavy breath. He took a few moments to steady it, pondering how much training he would need before overcoming this weakness. After calming down, he stood up. Star confirmed his companion¡¯s victory.


    ¡°I expect we will see that Gamespinner again! I suspect it¡¯s too much of a sore loser to leave us alone!¡± Donn bellowed.


    Why did you say that loudly?


    ¡°In case it was still listening, I wouldn¡¯t want it to think I was going to forget that easily.¡±


    Sometimes, you just ask for trouble.


    ¡°Very true! Now, should we catch up with the others?¡±


    Very well, I will put a marker for you to follow. That way, you don¡¯t get lost.


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±


    Donn eventually caught up with the others after losing his way despite the marker being in his field of vision.

 A2-17 – Rheba Arrives in Quenth

    Rheba pressed her fingers against her temples as she sat in the belly of the troop transport. They were waiting for clearance from the docks to approach, which gave just enough time for Blenda and Kerra to get into the fifth spat since they departed.


    "She stepped on my foot!" Blenda growled.


    "Considering how big they are, I can see why!¡± Kerra calmly replied


    ¡°Girls, we are in foreign territory!¡± Rheba snapped; she took a deep breath to calm her tone before continuing. ¡°Please remember you represent the Bentalousian nation while you are here.¡±


    Perhaps the pressure of foreign engagement got to them, or the girls realized their squabble wasn¡¯t worth it¡ªeither way, they quieted down and sat upright on opposite sides of the transport.


    ¡°Rheba!¡± The voice of Fiona rang from outside the wooden hull. The door at the top of a short flight of steps began to pull open.


    ¡°I just sent that; she wouldn¡¯t¡­.¡± the brown-furred warrior muttered.


    You underestimate that girl. Mini chimed in from within Rheba''s mind.


    Seconds later, a blue face peered in from above. In a flash of color light, Fiona had her arms around Rheba.


    "I¡¯ve missed you! It¡¯s been hectic here¡ªand a bit boring. Oh, and Gwyn¡¯s been locked in his room; you should help me break down the d¨C¡±


    Rheba cleared her throat before speaking, ¡°Princess Fiona.¡± She eyed the two recruits, who snickered until Fiona¡¯s title was used. ¡°I am glad you were able to come greet us.¡±


    ¡°How did she even get here? Aren¡¯t we at least a league or two from shore?¡± Kerra asked as she glanced out the window.


    ¡°Fiona isn¡¯t one to let any length of distance get in the way,¡± Rheba replied as she pushed the much smaller blue princess off of her.


    ¡°So why are you waiting?¡± the blue princess asked. ¡°Let¡¯s go to land already!¡± She gleefully pointed to where the dock was relative to the boat, but Rheba shook her head.


    ¡°We are awaiting approval.¡±


    Fiona¡¯s outstretched arm fell slightly.


    ¡°Oh, did I¡­ wait, I¡¯m a princess. I¡¯ll give you approval right now. Let¡¯s get going!¡±


    Rheba sighed but wasn¡¯t about to argue if it meant getting back to land. Fiona quickly zapped away. They didn¡¯t have to wait long for the call to approach to come in, and they soon departed to a meeting with a group of nervous Aqueenians.


    ¡°The queen,¡± the dock manager started, ¡°wanted to meet you personally, and we were still waiting on her arrival.¡±


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    Fiona giggled.


    ¡°My mom¡¯s probably going to take forever to get here; they couldn¡¯t wait on the water that long!¡±


    Rheba looked back between the dock manager and the giggling blue princess and shook her head. She eyed Kerra and Blenda, ensuring they weren¡¯t getting funny ideas. Neither seemed to care and stared at the shiny Aqueenian buildings in the distance. She couldn¡¯t blame them; compared to the forest city they were used to, it was a massive change.


    ***


    About an hour passed until Queen Whitlock showed up at the dock. Fiona was gleefully engaged in a chat with Rheba and the two Bentalousian recruits as the dock manager guided the queen into the room where they waited.


    Despite not wearing a formal gown, Fiona quickly was on her feet and curtsied to her mother. Her large purple eyes glanced at her mother and back to their guests. The blue princess had no idea what her mother would say or why she had bothered coming all the way out to the docks.


    ¡°Warrior Rheba, I received word from Zenith regarding your trip here,¡± Queen Whitlock said as she glanced at the two recruits, who shifted like their seats were uncomfortable, ¡°but given the short notice, we did not have enough time to properly welcome you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why did you guys come here anyway!¡± Fiona suddenly blurted out.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been with them all this time and never asked, Fiona?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Mother, but we were still catching up!¡±


    Rheba remained seated, her head as high as the standing Queen, and cleared her throat.


    ¡°Goliath Zenith received word that you were looking for trainers for your guards and sent me to evaluate what kind of warriors you might need.¡±


    Queen Whitlock crossed her arms and replied in a voice cooler than her blue complexion, ¡°Do you have experience for such a task?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, mother!¡± The blue princess said with a casual wave of her hand.


    ¡°I¡­ I do not, but Goliath Zenith thought I would be a good fit since I had recently been to Quenth.¡±


    ¡°Zenith thinks all kinds of things. Very well, then, who are these two?¡±


    Blenda and Kerra jumped slightly as they ended on the receiving end of Queen Whitlock¡¯s ice-blue finger. Fiona tilted her head; they had started getting rather casual with her, but the sight of her mother silenced them almost at once. She didn¡¯t think her mom was intimidating enough for that.


    ¡°These two are my¡­. Young wards, I suppose. I have been tasked with mentoring them, and they had to join me. If you wish, I will send them back immediately. Just say the word.¡±


    Blenda leaned closer to Rheba to speak, but her voice faded to a whisper before the sentence ended, ¡°But I wanted to see the city!¡±


    ¡°Very well, I know the Bentalousians have different mentoring methods than we; I won¡¯t hold that against you; just know you will be held responsible for their actions as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your majesty. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I had expected Prince Donn to reach out, and it means much for someone of your stature to speak to us.¡± Rheba said, her eyes glancing at her feet after she spoke. Blenda and Kerra rolled their eyes, but Fiona figured she was the only one who noticed.


    ¡°I see you know how to talk well. Donn and Hermina, for that matter, are currently away in Hobz. There is a stir after the election, and¡­ well, I think you can imagine all the fires that need to be put out. That city might burn to the ground one day if they aren¡¯t careful.¡±


    ¡°I had heard of the results, but is comparing it to a fire the right metaphor?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I am being dramatic. It¡¯s all just a silly game in the end, and we merely have to play our parts.¡± Queen Whitlock said with a sigh as she glanced at her tablet. ¡°It seems I must go to my next meeting, but Fiona will be able to take you to wherever you need. I will leave you in her capable hands.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡­ uh¡­ Of course, mother, I will represent our people well!¡±


    ¡°I am pleased to hear it.¡±


    With her last words, Queen Whitlock left the girls to plan what they would do next.

 A2-18 – The Disappearance of the Nonpareil

    Colton tried to rub the pain away from his sore green leg. He knew it would be to no avail; it was sore from too much exercise the prior day. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing, playing along with Prince Donn¡¯s weird training regiment; he wanted to become a better fighter, not buff. Their¡ªhis and the rest of the Fiona Fan Clubs members¡ªschedule did include some combat training exercises, but it also included many hours in the Prince''s private gym lifting weights.


    He turned to Sinatra, who was rubbing a sore spot on his arm.


    ¡°Do you think we are seeing any benefits from this?¡± Colton asked bluntly.


    The Ruby Red soldier jumped slightly and looked around the room as if someone important might hear before leaning close.


    ¡°Be careful; you don¡¯t sound like you are as enthusiastic a member of the Fiona Fan Club. Siegfried and Simion might come to steal your spot as vice president.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an enthusiastic member! They can have it!¡±


    Sinatra did not get a chance to reply, as the door to the room soon opened, and none other than Fiona herself strolled in.


    ¡°And this is¨C¡± she was saying to some guests beyond the doorframe but was cut off as Sinatra shouted:


    ¡°Lady Fiona!¡±


    From across the room, the other fan club members, Siegfried and Simion, let their weights make a loud thud on the floor. Before Colton could blink, all three surrounded the blue princess like a pack of begging dogs, shouting a series of incomprehensible questions and comments for the blue princess to reply to.


    ¡°Hold on, you three, we have guests!¡± the trio hushed up, and Rheba, lowering her head to make it under the doorway, slid into the room. Two other large Bentulousian warriors the green Aqueenian soldier did not recognize followed after.


    ¡°It smells like sweat in here!¡± one with golden fur cried as she covered her nose with her hands. Colton couldn¡¯t help but notice all three had Needaimus bonded to their limbs¡ªhe was pretty sure for warriors in their culture, having one was considered a status symbol. Clearly, all three were trouble if they were visiting.


    Clearing his throat and crossing the room. He not so gently shoved the fan club away from Fiona. Leaning close, he whispered.


    ¡°Is there something going on?¡±


    Fiona replied in an equally hushed and slightly worried voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Is there something I forgot I was supposed to be doing?¡±


    ¡°No, the,¡± Colton pointed to the Bentulousian trio.


    ¡°We are here on orders from our leader,¡± Rheba said. Colton¡¯s face flushed as he whispered back to Fiona.


    ¡°Is their hearing that good?¡±


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    The golden-furred Bentulousian replied irritatedly, ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°Is he anyone of importance?¡± the black-furred one asked.


    ¡°Oh, Colton is; what is your rank, Colton?¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°Captain of the castle guards¡­ you were there at the recent promotion ceremony¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, was that the one really early in the morning? I was still half asleep for most of it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well for yourself, warrior,¡± Rheba nodded. The fan club hit Colton on the back.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s been on fire lately!¡± Simeon shouted.


    ¡°But he better watching his back if he thinks he can hold onto that vice president role,¡± Siegfried added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it; please take it from me!¡±


    ¡°You''re not my fan anymore!¡± Fiona said in shock. Colton had thought she was joking, but her face seemed to suggest she might have been hurt¡ªor joking about being hurt¡ªby his comment.


    Colton shook his head and stared at the ceiling. Life was evidently full of surprises; he would never have thought to be the only sensible one in the whole castle. He wishes he had settled for a quieter career.


    After a moment of pointless chatter from the others, the green captain finally said, ¡°Is there a reason you brought them here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! This is one of the training rooms my brother set up for extreme training. I don¡¯t understand most of it, but he says it¡¯s good. These four¡­.uh¡­ gentlemen are learning directly under him!¡±


    The black-furred warrior crossed the room and easily lifted a heavy weight.


    ¡°This is hardly anything,¡± she said in shock.


    ¡°Kerra, save your comments,¡± Rheba barked. The warrior put the weight down and silently shuffled back over to Rheba.


    ¡°Well,¡± Fiona began, clapping her hands, ¡°That¡¯s all the training stuff. What would you like to see next?¡±


    Rheba looked past everyone to the wall and scratched on her Needaimus bonded arm. The ears on her head twitched before she looked down at Fiona.


    ¡°We should see the barracks next, but if it is on the way, I¡¯d like to check on Gwyn if we can; you said he wasn¡¯t doing well?¡±


    Colton shook his head, ¡°Not well, doesn¡¯t begin to describe it.¡±


    Fiona hesitated a moment but finally nodded as she noticed all the eyes on her.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then!¡± Her words sounded forced.


    ***


    Fiona kept a friendly banter up as Rheba walked beside her. She knew Gwyn would be a sorry sight to see, if they even saw him at all, and wanted to keep up some positivity. The blue princess figured she was the only one who should have to feel sad about it. The tall warrior¡¯s two prot¨¦g¨¦s followed close behind, occasionally contributing the occasional comment, and the Fiona fan club followed several paces behind¡ªoff in their own world as the founding trio pestered Colton.


    ¡°And then I slipped on the tablecloth!¡± Fiona said as she recounted the night of the banquet. Rheba¡¯s normally upright ears hung low, but otherwise, the princess detected no difference in the tall warrior as she told her tale.


    ¡°Fiona, with all due respect,¡± Rheba started as Fiona began complaining about Bite. She stopped suddenly as a green servant sprinted into view. The right half of his clothes were gone, with some liquid matching the color of his uniform dripping from the intact half.


    The man stopped suddenly when he saw Fiona and spoke as fast as he could through heavy breaths.


    ¡°Princess¡­ Nonpareil¡­ he¡­.¡± Fiona didn¡¯t reply and vanished in a flash of light. The surprise might have made the exhausted servant fall to the ground, but she didn¡¯t care. She was standing before Gwyn¡¯s door in seconds¡ªor what was left of it.


    The door and surrounding wall looked like it had been melted through, and a trail of deformed floor zigzagged down the hall with the occasional indent in the wall on the most intense points.


    Fiona teleported to the end of the trail where the path melted through another wall¡ªgoing through a series of walls until exiting to a view of Quenth¡¯s skyline. The blue princess zapped to the edge and scanned the ground below frantically. They were several stories up.


    The deformed area seemed to shape into a splash on the ground below, then carved a path to the moat around the castle.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± Rheba barked from the first melted wall. The blue princess turned around and shook her head. Gwyn had vanished.

 A2-19 – The Fanclub Moves Out

    The next hour was spent organizing a search party and sending groups into the city. Many castle guards were rallied and marched across Lover¡¯s Bridge, with the Fiona Fanclub heading the group. Some citizens made odd looks at the force coming out, but Colton waved and shouted back to the others. His hopes were to make it look like a standard exercise. It seemed to work as the crowd grew disinterested and continued their day.


    Once across, the larger group split into small sets and fanned out across the city. The fan club trio followed close after Colton as they made their way through the shiny Aqueenian streets.


    ¡°Is he trying to run?¡± Simeon asked from behind the group. Colton sighed and shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on anything out of the ordinary.


    From his side, walking shoulder to shoulder, Sinatra spoke up. ¡°We won¡¯t know until we find him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been locked away for so long; perhaps being in that state for so long finally got to him?¡± Siegfried added.


    ¡°But he could have left at any time!¡± Simeon said with a laugh.


    Colton shook his head and directed the group into a garage, where they shuffled into a Vehakul¡ªColton driving, Sinatra in the passenger seat, and the other two in the back¡ªand headed out onto the road. He hadn¡¯t known the Nonpareil for long, but he felt they got along well enough that the green guard worried about his wellbeing. Hopefully everything would be well once they caught up with him. There was no telling what was going on; they just had to find him.


    ¡°Do you think Princess Fiona will reward us if we find him?¡± Simeon asked.


    Sinatra sighed, ¡°We should focus on the task at hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will! She¡¯s a kind princess!¡± Siegfried said.


    Colton rolled his eyes.


    ¡°What are you rolling your eyes about!¡± Simeon suddenly said from behind¡ªapparently seeing the reaction in the rear-view mirror.


    ¡°You three. You¡¯re a little too focused on Fiona.¡±


    ¡°Well, we did start the Fiona Fan Club,¡± Sinatra chuckled.


    ¡°That kind of talk is liable to get you kicked out!¡± Simeon added.


    ¡°Or demoted,¡± Siegfried added.


    ¡°Please do!¡± Colton shot back. The two behind him didn¡¯t offer any reply.


    Sinatra suddenly spoke with urgency in his voice. ¡°Colton, turn back; that last street looked¡­ melted.¡±


    The vehakul made a loud hum as it drifted above the road in a ¡®U¡¯ and back to the street. Just before running into a deformed husk of another transport, Colton brought it to a sudden halt. Down the road, a line of malformed road, vehakuls, and objects lead to the back of Gwyn, who stumbled further away with every shaky step. Things all around him, including the ground, deformed with every step.


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    Colton was the first out, sword in hand; he ran to the deformed vehakul and looked in the window. A blue Aqueenian man banged on the glass and shouted something muffled. Apparently, the deformation had sealed him in, but seemed otherwise unhurt. The green guard broke the glass and helped the man out as the fan club approached from behind.


    Simeon held up his blade and twisted it so the flat side was ready for a strike.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just knock him out and get this over with!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Colton shouted, but his words came too late. As he helped the formerly trapped man, the youngest fan club member charged at the stumbling Nonpareil. Simeon shouted as he swung his blade through the air, Gwyn¡¯s head being the clear target.


    The sword liquefied first, leaking out of Simeon¡¯s hand and splashing across the ground and Gwyn¡¯s back. As the fan club member¡¯s momentum carried him forward, his clothes began to melt off his body. Colton shouted a curse as he directed the citizen away. He readied his blade and ran ahead with the other two fan club members.


    Gwyn turned to look at Simeon, and the man let out a cry of fear. The Nonpareil¡¯s skin from his left arm to the left side of his face was covered in stone. On his right, blue metal was beginning to grow and dig into his neck. Sharp teeth ground together as scarlet eyes looked Simeon up and down¡ªlike a beast considering where to start eating. Runs of liquid from his own clothes ran down his body, but he was largely still dressed. The fan club member did his best to cover his nakedness while holding his clothes. The front had melted off, leaving the back loosely hanging on.


    A metal fist was driven into Simeon''s stomach, and the fan club member only managed a grunt before falling to the ground.


    ¡°Thirsty.¡± Colton thought he heard Gwyn say before turning away and restarting his shamble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll let you get away with that!¡± Siegfried shouted. He charged closer, stopping just outside of the apparent range of liquidation. Colton carefully eyed the trench formed in the ground at Gwyn¡¯s feet and imagined the shape above; it would be a small sphere if his guess was correct, likely with a radius at least three-quarters Gwyn¡¯s height.


    Siegfried didn¡¯t waste any time, as he likely made the same guesses Colton did. He stared at the ground, set his sword at his feet, and readied his fists. With a shout, Siegfried charged forward, paying no mind as his clothes splattered on the ground, and drove a blue fist into the back of Gwyn¡¯s head. The Nonpareil stumbled but stayed standing. He stood still momentarily; Colton took the chance to creep a little closer before whipping around and smashing a rocky left arm into Siegfried. The naked fan club member was thrust into the wall of a nearby building¡ªcracking it slightly¡ªbefore he slid down and slumped over on the street below.


    Gwyn growled, and his red eyes flashed back and forth between Sinatra and Colton. The red fan club member looked at Colton with an expression of uncertainty.


    ¡°That was more strength than a Needaimus usually gives, right?¡± Sinatra asked as he made a solemn glance at the unconscious Siegfried.


    ¡°They usually only boost defense; strength is minimal unless the ability grants it,¡± Colton replied. He gripped his blade tightly as he looked at Gwyn. Whatever condition transformed his body, it was not due to his Needaimus. It reminded Colton more of something he heard as a child¡ªin an old legend¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t recall the details clearly.


    ¡°Nonpareil¡­ Gwyn. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but,¡± before Colton could finish, Gwyn turned away and shambled through a building, liquefying the wall as he walked through. They watched with bated breath until he was gone.


    Colton, realizing he held his breath, gasped. He shook his head and assessed the situation. There were a couple more trapped in cars, and two of the fan club members were injured. Given Gwyn''s state, he was sure he couldn¡¯t take him down. Not without the use of life-threatening methods, at least.


    ¡°Sinatra, help the other trapped citizens and check on the other two; I¡¯ll follow Gwyn at a distance and call in for backup.


    Sinatra saluted, and Colton ran to the hole before he could get a reply. Gwyn had already carved down through the building and was out on the next street. Passerby¡¯s screamed as their clothes suddenly slipped off them. The green guard shook his head and pulled out his radio.


    Backup couldn¡¯t come quickly enough.

 A2-20 The Fight Continues

    Fiona shook as the news came in, Sinatra breathing heavily on the other side of the line. Something was wrong with Gwyn, something very wrong. She turned to Rheba, who had heard everything relayed across the tablet, and the tall warrior nodded.


    ¡°We need to take him down,¡± Rheba said, ¡°He is a threat to the city.¡± She crossed her arms, and the blue princess couldn¡¯t tell if her face was stern or if there was a difference between races that she couldn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°But, but¡­.¡± Fiona began. She wanted to say they should try to reason with him, try to get Gwyn to calm down on his own, but the report was clear. The nonpareil was out of his mind, and there was no telling what would be required to stop him. With Donn and the majority of his personal guard out along with Hermina, she was now the royal child with the most authority. And calls from Sinatra across the line meant she needed to decide immediately. There was no telling what meeting her mother was currently held up in; Fiona didn¡¯t have that precious time to go and hunt her down either. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯¡¯¡¯ she stammered.


    Kerra shook her head, and Blenda laughed, ¡°What a pathetic nation! Can¡¯t we just go and take care of this rabid nonpareil?¡±


    Rheba gave her underling a stern look, severe enough that the giant seemed to shrink under her superior¡¯s gaze. The golden warrior looked down and apologized, and Rheba sighed in response.


    ¡°She probably is correct; in some small way, we can assist you while we are here.¡±


    Fiona shook her head, but her words didn¡¯t match.


    ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t hurt him too much.¡±


    ¡°Hah, he¡¯ll only get hurt as much as he has coming to him!¡± Blenda laughed. She shrunk again as Rheba gave her another glare.


    ***


    Rheba sighed as she and her two subordinates squeezed into the back of an Aqueenian transport and sped into the city. Fiona stayed behind, running away at the last minute to make a call. Her blue face looked disgusted just before she shuffled away like she had made some hard choice, so Rheba said nothing and let her go. It was probably nothing to worry about.  Hopefully, it would end up being something helpful.


    What she was worried about was Gwyn, who, after being locked away¡ªby his own will¡ªapparently the whole time since they returned home, was now causing havoc around the city. She silently cursed herself for not visiting sooner. Fiona had expressed concern across the messages they shared, but Rheba figured it wasn¡¯t that bad, or Gwyn would be fine. She didn¡¯t like beating some sense into him, but leaving him to run around wasn¡¯t an option either.


    Taking a good look at both her companions, Rheba cleared her throat.


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    ¡°This may be a tough battle if that fanboy¡¯s report was accurate; leave anything you have a personal affection for in this vehakul, and be prepared for a fistfight. I hope neither of you are shy about brawling naked?¡±


    Kerra squirmed slightly, but neither offered much resistance to the idea.


    Blenda beamed


    ¡°If I take down a Nonpareil, do I get to become one as well?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works¡­.¡± Kerra replied.


    Rheba shook her head and looked out the window.


    The seats of the vehakul were uncomfortable, made all the worse by how they were hunched over under the low ceiling. Their Aqueenian driver said nothing until it was time.


    ¡°We are here.¡± The other two peaked their heads out as well. Before them was a long trail of deformed ground, Colton had stopped to wait for Rheba to de-contort out of the vehakul. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Just up ahead,¡± Colton said as he pointed, ¡°I tried shouting, but it was like he couldn¡¯t hear what I had to say.¡±


    Rheba punched her Needaimus bonded fist into a flat hand.


    ¡°Then we will use our fists to communicate.¡± She waited a minute longer for her apprentices to leave any items of care behind, and then the three charged down the path to the enraged Nonpareil.


    They spotted Gwyn sitting on the ground, emptying a bottle of water into his mouth. He spat, and the bottle liquefied as soon it was empty.


    ¡°Thirsty,¡± he muttered before turning back to Rheba. Crimson red eyes and a contorted face glared at her; the sight was enough to make the warrior take an unexpected step back. It was like she was looking at a monster and not a man¡ªmade all the more concerning considering that she knew what the man was supposed to look like.


    ¡°Al Omo, guide me,¡± Rheba said under her breath.


    Blenda laughed. She strolled forward, fists at the ready, to the Nonpareil sitting on the ground.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this was such a big deal!¡± she shouted as she towered above Gwyn. Her clothes began to liquify and fall off, but she showed no concern. The mad Nonpareil looked up at her but took no action.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Rheba warned, but her words were wasted. Blenda grabbed Gwyn by his red hair and lifted him up so their heads were face to face. She thought the golden-furred warrior muttered something but couldn¡¯t make out any words. Gwyn furiously squirmed as she laughed.


    Blenda laughed until Gwyn¡¯s flailing hands caught onto her arm. She let out a yelp, and Gwyn dropped to the ground. As the golden-furred warrior held a sagging hand, Gwyn pushed to his feet and drove a fist into her stomach. She let out one gasp of air before crashing to the ground.


    Even without looking at her, Rheba could tell Kerra had taken a very large step back.


    ¡°Warriors don¡¯t retreat.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s mad!¡± she replied.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Colton, having just caught up with them, shouted, ¡± His strength has become ridiculous¡­.¡± His voice trailed off as he eyes the now unconscious Blenda.


    Gwyn looked at everyone, then began to stumble away. Rheba gritted her teeth and began to run through words and phrases. The number of points it would cost with each choice appeared in her vision next to her current total. Restraining Gwyn would cost far more points than her ability allowed; even knocking him out was pricy. Whatever was wrong with him, her Needaimus was warning that it was more than she could take on. Nevertheless, she charged forward.


    Reaching for Gwyn¡¯s arm, Rheba felt the clothes up to her shoulders start to droop off. She grabbed The Nonpareil, but he twisted with enough force to pull the giant warrior off her feet. Surprised, she hit the ground and let go. The red-eyed Gwyn turned and growled before striking her in the stomach hard enough to crack the ground under her. As Rheba¡¯s vision blurred and faded, she saw Gwyn headed off into the distance.

 A2-21 Police Force at Their Backs

    Kerra watched uncomfortably as Rheba¡¯s eyes glazed over; she was unconscious, at least the warrior hoped as much; otherwise, she would have wound up in far more trouble than she could have expected. The situation already seemed dire enough; both combatants she knew¡ªbut would never admit¡ªthat were stronger than her were easily taken out. They were hardly fighting a Netzian any longer; whatever he was, it made Kerra¡¯s dark fur stand on end.


    She looked at their green Aqueenian companion. He didn¡¯t look like much, but he was the only one there that could be spoken with. The mad Nonpareil began to stammer off, possibly disinterested in the other two if they wouldn¡¯t try and do anything to him.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Kerra asked. She eyed her companions closely; their clothes were completely removed, and the only covering left was the Needaimus bonded to their limbs. It was rare that Needaimus'' abilities could affect one another; she wasn¡¯t surprised by that, but at the same time, she was relieved. It seemed as if there was some sense left in the whole situation.


    Colton, after taking a moment to reply, finally responded. ¡°Oh, uh, we need to restrain him somehow. I just don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any chance of that happening. As long as his ability is running on full like that, he can melt through any barrier. Unless you have someone who can grow trees in an instant.¡± It looked like his powers didn¡¯t affect living things, though that was Kerra¡¯s best guess. It wouldn¡¯t help unless they had something that could contain him while he was still alive. Dead trees probably would be subject to the same effect with their luck.


    Gwyn stumbled through a building and out onto the next street. He growled at a child who ran away naked, and the other citizens slowly backed up. The civil disruption was just as bad as the destruction he was causing. Aqueenian news would be going on about it for days after.


    Kerra and Colton slowly approached, ensuring they stayed as far away as possible to avoid appearing as a threat. Some vehakuls sped up and stopped in front of Gwyn, and a squad of Quenth¡¯s finest jumped out, aiming rifles at the beastly Nonpareil. He grunted, apparently unfazed by the approach and unable to recognize what was aimed at him, and continued to stumble across the street.


    A rather angry-looking Aqueenian man shuffled out of one of the transports and drew his sword, aiming the point at Gwyn.


    ¡°Wait. Wait!¡± Colton shouted.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The angry-looking man belted.


    What must have been six laser shots rippled into the Nonpareil¡¯s side. He spat in pain. Kerra¡¯s eyes¡¯ grew wide. It made sense; the rifles used energy, and he couldn¡¯t turn that into a liquid, at least not fast enough, but weapons of that nature also needed time to cool. As the tips grew red hot, the red-eyed Nonpareil¡¯s head snapped in their direction. Despite taking several shots to the side, he was still going. The holes burned into his side might as well have been mistaken for harmless scratches as he leaped across the street. The first officer screamed as he was pummeled to the ground with one blow-laying in a puddle of liquified clothes, gear, and his own blood. The others pulled out their swords. They joined their friend in a flash, leaving only the angry-looking leader standing. He grunted in contempt.


    Perhaps due to no show of aggression, Gwyn snarled and turned away. Only then did Kerra realize his movements had been slowly growing more and more fluid. As he aimed his back at the angry officer, he didn¡¯t stumble or shamble. The turn was clean, like he was moving naturally. His arm was also almost completely encased in stone. Kerra gulped. Their foe was getting more dangerous by the moment.


    Gwyn bent low and flew up into the air from a strong push of his legs. He was close enough to a building that a streak of deformed glass and metal appeared next to him like he was a pen over a piece of paper. He kept going up until he flew onto a roof. Kerra could only imagine he would soon be back on the ground if the floors were thin enough, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he would be much harder to track down now.


    ***


    Fiona nervously stepped into the doors of the Quenth¡¯s police headquarters. It had been an hour since they last saw Gwyn, and he was starting to move so fast that any sightings of him were out of date by the time anyone got there. She had done her best to rally the guards before things got too out of hand, but it proved to no avail. From what she had been told, Gwyn used his power to liquefy everything in a sphere around him. Under normal circumstances, he should have been exhausted from just a couple of seconds of using his power¡ªwhat he was doing was equal to running at full speed, and he had never done any training to prepare for it. The blue princess was starting to worry his heart would give out at any minute.


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    As she made her way up to the greeting desk of the headquarters, three familiar faces were waiting and locked in such a deep conversation that they didn¡¯t notice her approach or freezing just out of their group. The tallest, Kerra, stood with her back facing Fiona while Colton and Captain Bite stood on either side of her and looked up to speak.


    Calm down, Sun said in her mind, Take a deep breath and step forward. Don¡¯t be deterred by any tempers.


    Fiona wanted to whisper back, ¡®I know, I know,¡¯ but she was sure Kerra would hear. She followed her yellow companion¡¯s instructions¡ªexhaling and tiptoing into the conversation. She jumped in at the end of Bite¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°¡­and he¡¯ll be good and dead once we do that.¡±


    Given the reaction on Colton¡¯s face, Fiona suspected she wouldn¡¯t like the beginning of the police captain¡¯s sentence any more than the end.


    The trio looked at Fiona. Kerra and Bite only gave a glance, and Colton¡¯s expression seemed like he was relieved. Fiona wasn¡¯t sure she liked that reaction but did her best to remain composed. She didn¡¯t hide it well as she shifted her weight back and forth between her right and left.


    ¡°What is the situation?¡± the blue princess asked.


    Colton blurted out before the others could reply. ¡°They want to shoot Gwyn!¡±


    Bite¡¯s frown fell lower, and his face seemed sourer¡ªFiona wasn¡¯t sure that was possible¡ªbut he cleared his throat and added in a calm voice, ¡°He is a risk to the city; you must realize this princess. We have found that only laser fire can hurt him. I have ordered all weapons around the city to be gathered. After which we will surround him¡­¡±


    Fiona didn¡¯t try to hide the alarm in her voice, ¡°And you¡¯ll slaughter him?¡±


    Bite cleared his throat, standing straight and stiff.


    ¡°Princess, as royalty, you must do what is best for the city. A threat is a threat, no matter what connection you may have to it.¡±


    ¡°Having seen him in person, I agree,¡± Kerra added. ¡°No need for the glance, princess; I know I¡¯m an outsider.¡±


    Fiona didn¡¯t realize she flashed Kerra such an obvious look and forced her face to be as blank and neutral as possible. Her mother was the one who was good at being calm in situations; it would have been better to rely on her, but Fiona was sure that the Queen would be willing to shoot Gwyn just as well. She wasn¡¯t completely convinced Bite made a bad argument, but it didn¡¯t sit right in her stomach.


    ¡°No,¡± Fiona said. She wasn¡¯t sure how stern her voice sounded, so she paused a minute to bring out a more friendly voice. ¡°We can call that the final plan, but I don¡¯t want to go through with it until we are sure there are no more options. Please fill me in on everything we know.¡±


    Good call, Sun chimed in; leaving his plan on the table doesn¡¯t dismiss it outright; no, he just thinks he has to convince you and will be more open to giving information.


    Fiona wasn¡¯t sure she was smart enough to navigate such a plan her Needaimus was suggesting; it was like a five-dimension version of Czaric when she couldn¡¯t even play the basic version, but she was happy to see her partner approving her actions.


    Bite sighed and groaned, taking a minute to make both actions distinct while shaking his head.


    ¡°Very well, Princess. I think your¡ªwhatever this guy is¡ªhas been working on that front.¡± Bite lazily waved his arm in Colton¡¯s direction.


    The green castle guard looked back and forth at everyone for a moment before his shoulders seemed to jump, and he spoke.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he took a minute to clear his throat, ¡°We have seen Gwyn show up at several locations around town. At first, he was stumbling, but now he seems to move more freely. His left side appears to be more encased in stone at every sighting, but no one knows why¡­. Everything in a sphere around him is being liquified. It doesn¡¯t touch him, and his clothes remain intact, but he has been reported to be covered in sweat. The only things he has not been liquefying are containers of drinks, which he has stopped consuming before moving. It is hard to believe, but we think he has drunk over a hundred gallons of water since entering the city.¡±


    ¡°And what of that is useful?¡± Bite grunted. ¡°If he is using his power like that, of course, he¡¯d be sweaty, and if he¡¯s sweaty, of course, he¡¯d need to keep drinking. Unless¡­ we could corral him in a spot without liquid, let him dehydrate himself like a fruit¡­. Yes, that would save us hours of moving expensive weapons and make cleanup easier.¡±


    Fiona was sure her purple eyes grew wider, but she made sure to keep a calm voice.


    ¡°That might be a little excessive.¡±


    ¡°Melting half our city is what is excessive, Princess. Some of us have to live in those buildings.¡± Bite crossed his arms and glared at her. Fiona resisted the urge to take a step back. She really wanted to.


    She wished Donn was still in the city, or Hermina, both her older siblings would be able to take care of the situation in no time and keep with her wishes to not kill Gwyn. Given the situation, she was useless. Spending so many years on pranks gave her nothing to go off of.


    The thoughts were not called for, but many of her past exploits annoying her father instantly came to mind, and then a flash of memory where she really pissed him off. Her eyes lit up. There might be a way.

 A2-22 – A Plan in Motion

    Bite wasn¡¯t too fond of the royal family. Donn was alright, but the others were pompous pricks as far as he was concerned, with no real understanding of what he and his officers had to do to keep their shiny city clean. Fiona was the worst of the bunch; after years of neglect and irresponsibility, she was standing before him at the police station, awkwardly leaning from left to right in a clear show of nervousness, trying to pretend she knew what to do. Colton gave the report of everything they knew, so he just had to wait for the spoiled child to realize she needed to give in.


    He breathed hard through his nose, more than he meant to as he knew it showed his annoyance, as he glared at the princess. Her purple eyes darted around, looking at everyone¡¯s feet, when suddenly her whole face seemed like it was glowing. Her posture immediately straightened, and the tips of her lips curled in a small grin. She had thought of something, and Bite knew it was bound to be trouble.


    ¡°Has Gwyn just been drinking water?¡± she asked calmly, which surprised Bite. Given her earlier demeanor, he had not expected the shift from the princess.


    ¡°What does that matter?¡± the large, dark-furred Bentulousian asked. Bite never got her name and honestly didn¡¯t care to ask. He, however, did agree with the sentiment.


    ¡°Water, juice, and whatever else he can find. It seems like he is avoiding alcohol for the most part, though,¡± Colton replied.


    Fiona nodded like she had just received useful knowledge.


    ¡°Bite, I need you to gather as much Aqueenian wine as you can, the strong stuff that hammers Netzians. Kerra and Colton, you¡¯ll help me get the rest of the materials.¡±


    The princess suddenly seemed so confident that Bite was about to let her run off and start her plan. He shouted for her to halt before she could get out of the door with the other two in tow, pausing momentarily to grind his teeth in frustration before speaking.


    ¡°And what does the princess have in mind?¡±


    She smirked; it was a confident, playful smirk, the kind someone could only make if they had a foolproof plan¡ªor were stupid.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to set a trap; I got a little idea from a prank I once pulled. Gwyn won¡¯t know what hit him!¡±


    Bite didn¡¯t respond but made a sound that showed his disapproval.


    Fiona took a deep breath and strode up so she was face to-face with the captain. She stood about a head shorter than him but, at the moment, seemed so poised that she might be the same height. It was like she had become a different person.


    ¡°If¡­ if this doesn¡¯t work¡­ you can shoot him.¡± She tried to speak confidently, but her last words still wavered, betraying her earlier bravado. Bite sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to entertaining the royal family''s stupid ideas. Fine, but don¡¯t get mad at me when it fails.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Fiona paused and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they looked at Bite fiercely.


    ¡°I won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Ha, you should give up any dreams of being an actor, Princess. Very well, I¡¯ll issue the order. Do whatever you plan to do.¡±


    With his approval, though Bite still wasn¡¯t fully convinced, Fiona ran out. He shook his head and gave his order across the radio. All Strong wine and guns were to be brought to him. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at what his troops were thinking with that order issued.


    ***


    Colton took a heavy breath as he peeked out from the window of a random citizen''s apartment. Bite¡¯s police force had been directing Gwyn in his direction ¨C he still wasn¡¯t sure how the princess convinced the grumpy man to cooperate- and he was left in charge of watching. It was a grueling task, unable to do anything in this moment of need. The green guard had been training for so long to redeem himself, enough that his determination was rewarded with promotion, but in a dire situation, he was just as useless as he was back when King Whitlock was assassinated. Colton shuddered and gripped his arm tightly, steading a shakiness he didn¡¯t want to admit was happening.


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    Below, Fiona was setting up the last steps of the plan, directing some officers Bite had loaned her and Kerra, who apparently was honor-bound to avenge her comrades¡ªBentulousian culture was a weird one. Most Aqueenians would have left it be. Even if it was only due to her upbringing, Colton oddly respected the giant woman for her willingness to help.


    As the blue princess finished setting out bottles of alcohol, she nodded and looked at her handiwork. A line of drinks, each in bottles, but the first couple were deceptive. She was planning to take advantage of Gwyn¡¯s thirst. Colton doubted it would work, but he liked the idea of trying before they shot the Nonpareil dead. Just around the corner lay in wait for many guns with barrels aimed at where Gwyn would walk.


    It was a gamble; he was sure Fiona knew it as well, but they were all¡ªat least she and he¡ªwilling to take it.


    ***


    Fiona sat the last bottle down, forming a pyramid of alcohol, when a smokey steam of orange flew over their heads; Gwyn¡ªor whatever was left of him¡ªwas approaching. She shuddered. Seeing him in such a nasty state seemed worse than getting hurt, and potentially having her clothes liquified- revealing the scar on her back- was a risk she really didn¡¯t want to take, but her friend was in trouble, and only an awful princess would abandon him. Or at least, she thought.


    The blue girl wasn¡¯t sure if her plot would work, but she zapped further down the street and retreated behind a corner. Kerra quickly dived behind her, and some police Bite sent along found their own spots.


    Down the street, a half-naked, the top half completely gone, Sinatra ran at full speed. He almost stumbled over the first bottle in the line Fiona set up sat next to a prime cut of salted meat, but managed to hop around it before retreating to the corner where the princess hid. Three heads peered out from the corner in unison¡ªFiona at the lowest, Sinatra in the middle, and Kerra much higher than the other two.


    Gwyn was a sorry sight. The left half of his body made a horrid grinding sound as stones growing on his skin slid up against each other. His right half had Mem growing up to his neck, and the street deformed as he slowly walked closer. He was too far away for Fiona to see his eyes, but she imagined they turned down at the first bottle at his feet as he stopped just in front of it.


    ¡°So, how does this work?¡± Kerra grunted from above.


    Fiona only managed a ¡®shh¡¯ in response. She wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but everything was in place now. Sure enough, Gwyn saw the food and drink. He pressed his palms on the ground and hovered his nose over the meat first, then¡ªquite possibly deciding it was good food¡ªhe picked it up and scarfed it down. She was happy to see everything going as planned. The meat was oversalted, and if he was already thirsty, it would only worsen the matter. He grabbed the first bottle and guzzled the contents. The first stage was clear. Fiona felt her shoulders loosen.


    The first bottle looked like a golden liquor, but it was, in fact, honey. She had only discovered it by accident once, but Gwyn¡¯s thirst would be intensified by the bottle¡¯s content. He spat loud enough for the trio to hear, hiding behind their corner, then locked onto the next bottle.


    When the blue princess had done it to her father, she had needed to be more subtle with the placement of the next drink; otherwise, he would suspect something, but the mad Nonpareil didn¡¯t need such care. She simply placed the next drink in a line, and he ran right to it and began to chug the contents¡ªmilk. Under certain circumstances, it might have helped, but Gwyn only groaned and spat worse after drinking it.


    The next in line was the pyramid of fine¡ªand very strong¡ªwine. Gwyn rushed close and pulled the top bottle off the stack. The others, shaken by his motion and unsteady on the liquified ground, fell over and laid around his feet. He chugged one bottle, then quickly switched to the next. Fiona was sure he was so thirsty now he would drink every bottle, and he did until stopping halfway through the last one.


    Staggering, Gwyn fell to the ground and remained solid even as he landed on it. He likely had passed out, and the trio seemed to sign in unison.


    Fiona was the first to creep out from the corner. She slid her feet on the ground while slowly closing the gap between them. Gwyn¡¯s eyes, still red but not quite as strong of color, looked her way, and she jumped back. He mumbled something unintelligible before closing his eyes, finally passing out as she had assumed earlier.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Kerra asked from behind Fiona. The blue princess wondered how such a large person could move so quietly, but she let the thought go.


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Fiona! She did it!¡± Sinatra cheered, throwing his arms up so his body formed the shape of a ¡®Y,¡¯ ¡°That is why she is the best princess Quenth has to offer! And I got to see it firsthand!¡±


    The blue princess wasn¡¯t sure who Sinatra was trying to speak to¡ªperhaps he was working on his speech to the other fan club members. She shook her head and grinned, but the smile quickly faded. Gwyn was incapacitated but not fixed.


    ¡°An ambulance, we need to get him to the hospital before he wakes up!¡± she shouted.

 A2-23 – The Hospital Once Again

    Gwyn¡¯s eyes opened to a familiar ceiling ¨C white and curved. It belonged to the Aqueenian hospital, which at the moment didn¡¯t seem too different from the Nun hospital, other than the curved architecture the Aqueenians seemed to prefer. He shuddered at the thought that hospital rooms were the thing he was becoming most familiar with on Resh when another, more important thought entered his mind.


    ¡°How did I get here?¡±


    He didn¡¯t mean to say anything aloud, or perhaps he wanted to determine if someone was in the room with him, waiting for him to wake. A few moments of silence told him he was alone.


    The Nonpareil groaned and did his best to push himself up. His left arm was weak, as always, but his whole body felt especially heavy on top of that. The sight would have been amusing to watch as he squirmed from under the blankets like a caterpillar, deciding it didn¡¯t want to spend any longer in its chrysalis. Once upright, his back pressed to the bed''s headrest ¨C curved, of course ¨C he looked around the room.


    Rubbing the right side of his torso, where the shoulder transitioned into the neck, he pondered what might have happened. The last thing he could remember was being in his room, alone, save for Mem being there. Then he went into a dream; he was sure it was a dream he had just woken from, but the details were scarce, slipping away every second he remained awake. He tried to grasp for something to recall but quickly gave up, deciding a dream that couldn¡¯t be remembered must not have been worth remembering.


    It still didn¡¯t explain why he was in the hospital or why the portion of his upper torso stung so badly he felt he needed to rub it.


    Taking a couple of deep breaths, unsure if he was exhausted or suddenly out of shape, he slid his feet to the edge of the bed and pressed them on the cold floor. Almost immediately, as if it was timed, the door slid open, and Fiona rushed in.


    ¡°Gwyn!¡± she shouted as all he saw was a blue-looking blur approach. She embraced him, and he, still unsteady, fell back onto the bed. ¡°You¡¯re awake! And sane!¡± Fiona said with a voice that sounded like a trembling violin.


    The Nonpareil had questions, but there was a more pressing matter first.


    ¡°Fiona, get off. My side!¡± The blue princess had fallen along with him and was too busy hugging to realize he was in pain¡ªthough he was unsure why it stung so badly. It felt as though something had burned him recently.


    She let go immediately and zapped away from him to the wall. Making a slight cough and keeping her head aimed at her feet, she spoke.


    ¡°Anyway, the doctor probably wants to talk to you,¡± she said in a voice that seemed to be forcing down her previous excitement without hiding it.


    Gwyn, having not realized another had entered, turned to a blue Aqueenian man in a white coat. He made a noise with his throat that sounded like he was trying to clear it or perhaps trying to focus attention on him.


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    ¡°Nonpareil, your case has been¡­ rather extreme, I must say.¡±


    ¡°My case?¡± Gwyn looked at his body, only to notice several large red spots on his left arm and dried, irritated skin on his right. His eyes were wide, and he didn¡¯t notice the doctor speaking until part of the way through his monologue.


    ¡°¡­took several days to stabilize, and removing the growth was challenging¡ªfortunately, that arm was already low functioning, so we could take more risks. Nothing internal was touched. We had to experiment some with the medicine¡­ ah.¡±


    The doctor had stopped and looked to the side. Gwyn turned to see an unhappy expression on Fiona¡¯s face quickly turn to a smile at his gaze. The doctor coughed and continued,


    ¡°Anyway, Nonpareil, as I said before, you have contracted a rare, dare I say mythical, disease known as Hanwell. It is¡­ said to be contracted from drinking the blood of an Unkillable¡­ we think when you fought one before¡­ and were eaten¡­ you may have picked it up.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Gwyn replied. He was sure his expression was blanker than the smooth, white Aqueenian hospital walls. The doctor rubbed the back of his head, apparently unsure of what to say next. ¡°So, am I¡­ going to die?¡± he finally added after a long moment of silence.


    ¡°Die? Not at all!¡± The doctor¡¯s stance loosened, and he pulled two cases from his pocket. ¡°This here,¡± he said while pointing to a blue case, ¡°you should take once every morning, and this,¡± he pointed to a red case, ¡°you take on an as-needed basis; it will help if symptoms flair up!¡±


    Gwyn said nothing as the doctor happily dropped the medicine into Gwyn¡¯s shaky hands. ¡°If that is all, I recommend you get some rest for now!¡± he added before darting out the door.


    The Nonpareil turned to Fiona with a raised eyebrow. She shook her blue head.


    ¡°Believe it or not, he¡¯s the best doctor here¡­ your condition just stumped everyone.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Fiona crossed her arms and walked across the room, turning and leaning back on a different white wall so she could face Gwyn without making him turn his head.


    ¡°Like he said, you have a rare condition. I guess it makes scaly growths as hard as rocks spread across your body and makes you more susceptible to becoming like a beast¡­.¡±


    Gwyn pressed his back to the bed¡¯s headboard. He didn¡¯t say anything and let Fiona continue after a brief pause. ¡°Apparently, the growth started around your heart; that¡¯s why you¡¯ve gone so long without knowing. It will keep trying to spread, and if it gets too far along¡­ well, the legends say the people afflicted turned into statues¡­.¡±


    Gwyn closed his eyes tight and pressed his right hand to his forehead, where he began to feel it sting. ¡°I see,¡± he said.


    ¡°But!¡± Fiona¡¯s voice turned chipper, ¡°The doctor says the medicine will keep things stable!¡±


    Gwyn sighed.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mem, by the way?¡± he asked. The air in between sentences was quiet with his Needaimus¡¯ snark commentary.


    ¡°Your Needaimus is¡­ resting. It seems you accidentally triggered the overclocking process, and¡­ well, it takes a toll on a Needaimus, or at least that¡¯s what Sun told me.¡±


    Gwyn looked up at the plain white ceiling. He wanted to go back into his room¡ªget some peace and quiet¡ªbut that had been the very place his condition got the better of him. He doubted they would leave him alone now; he didn¡¯t even know what to do, what he was trying to do. He just didn¡¯t want to get hurt again, and yet he ended up hurt all the same.


    ¡°Could I just have some time alone?¡± he asked, unsure how his voice sounded.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yes, you¡­ should take some time to rest!¡±


    Fiona left before Gwyn could get another word in, leaving him to a silent room and his thoughts.


    He shifted, so he laid on his back and tried to recall the dream once again. He felt like he had spoken with someone. The phrase ¡®What¡¯s wrong with being a coward¡¯ popped into his mind. Had he said it, or someone else? The Nonpareil didn¡¯t know. He just knew he was tired. The room seemed to grow darker as his eyelids ended. Soon, he was asleep once again.

 A Christmas Party - Christmas Special 2

    Snow was wonderful, and snow in the Netzian capital reminded Gwyn of home ¨C even if it was only a little. The city¡¯s architecture was like what he might see in a historical district back on earth with sharp points, ornate statues, and pillars in line with an older London if he had to guess. He wouldn¡¯t have minded stopping to examine it more thoroughly to be sure, but it was cold, and he wasn¡¯t walking alone.


    The blue princess beside him shivered and rubbed her palms together. She evidently hated the cold and reminded him of every couple of steps they had taken. ¡°Stop looking at the buildings; we need to get inside before I turn even more blue!¡±


    ¡°Is that pos¡­. Nevermind. I don¡¯t think Hal is pacing the floor waiting for us; we don¡¯t have to rush.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s waiting for us; I just want to get somewhere warm!¡±


    She tugged his arm, urging Gwyn to move faster. He rolled his eyes and complied, speeding up to a quick stride to move through the snowy city more quickly.


    They finally arrived at a large mansion at the end of a canal that ran through the city. A large statue labeled ¡®Virginia Dare¡¯ held a sword in the air, pointing down the canal and toward the rest of Resh¡¯s landmass. Gwyn paused a moment to study the figure. She looked young, and the name interested him, but Fiona pulled him to the front door ¨C a rather large double door that could easily allow a Bentalousian through without needing to duck. Shivering blue fingers wrapped around the door¡¯s knocker and rapidly banged. ¡°Let us in! Let us in!¡± Fiona shouted.


    Gwyn shook his head, saying nothing in reply.


    The door opened rather quickly, revealing the green hair of one of Hal¡¯s sisters. It was one of the younger twins, and Gwyn hadn¡¯t yet figured out which was which.


    ¡°He¡­ hello?¡± the green-haired girl shyly said. She looked at Gwyn first, then at Fiona, who still held her hand in the air where the knocker had been. Hal¡¯s sister muttered almost inaudibly, ¡°¡­ome¡­ nsid¡­.¡±


    Fiona picked up the message first and happily brushed past the girl into the warmth. She sighed in relief and spread her arms as if soaking in the heat.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re being overdramatic,¡± Gwyn said as he followed. The younger green-haired girl shut the door ¨C sealing the cold outside. He had to admit the inside of the mansion was much warmer than outside.


    Fiona threw her heavy coat to the side, landing so it hung perfectly on a hook that jutted out. Her purple eyes grew wide, and she looked at Gwyn while pointing at the hook. He said nothing and hung up his own coat beside it.


    ¡°Alright!¡± the blue princess shouted, ¡°where¡¯s this party at?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to wait long for the answer as Odell popped his head out from around the corner.


    He spoke in a hushed whisper, ¡°Fiona! You are finally here! And you made Gwyn late, too!¡±


    ¡°Why are you whispering, Odell?¡± The bleu princess responded.


    As if on queue, Ceceilia¡¯s head phased through a nearby wall. ¡°Odell? Have you seen him?¡±


    Gwyn noticed the grey prince had conveniently disappeared upon hearing his name. He pointed to the corner they saw him pop his head out from.


    ¡°Probably somewhere that way at this rate.¡±


    ¡°I see, thanks!¡± The grey girl disappeared back into the wall, and they quickly heard a yelp from Odell from down the hall.


    ¡°Uh, anyway,¡± Hal¡¯s little sister said, ¡°most people are gathered around this way¡­.¡± They followed her as she led them into the main hall. Odell had expressed that they were the last ones to arrive, but Gwyn thought maybe he was exaggerating. How filled with people the hall was suggested the prince had not been wrong.


    Crowds of different people from all nations were gathered in a large hall that Gwyn was sure was as big as some fields they used for sports. Along the far wall sat a well-decorated Christmas tree with a star sitting at least four times Gwyn¡¯s height in the air. An ornate set of staircases lined the wall to his right, spiraling up in a fashion that could only be seen as gaudy, and the wall to his left was overtaken by a massive window with stained glass depictions of what he could only figure were important figures to the Netzians. He tried to move to get a better look, but the crowd would not allow it.


    Only after deciding to give up did he notice that Fiona had gone in another direction. She would probably be fine, Gwyn hoped. He scanned the faces for someone recognizable. Rheba was the easiest to spot, towering over most of the other guests. Gwyn shimmied through the guests until he stood by the giantess. Her long face was turned downward in a frown - at least, that is how he interpreted the expression.


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    ¡°Quite a party,¡± Rheba said as soon as Gwyn was in earshot relative to the loud crowd noise. ¡°Dare Feya knows how to have fun; at least, that¡¯s what Zenith said before I left.¡±


    The tall warrior¡¯s tone suggested she wasn¡¯t enjoying the party. Gwyn figured the military-style life probably didn¡¯t allow for such things normally, but this was likely a diplomatic trip too. Either way, Rheba looked far too outside of her comfort zone.


    ¡°Do you think Harlan¡¯s doing alright in all of this? I mean, even if she decided to show up.¡± Gwyn asked.


    Rheba¡¯s face turned to a snarl before she cleared it up with a cough.


    ¡°She¡¯s with her companion in a corner, I¡¯m sure.¡± The tall warrior crossed her arms and turned to look in a different section of the room. Gwyn wondered if she could see the person they were discussing, but last, he thought they had gotten along well talking about Beauideals¡ªso he wasn¡¯t sure what her demeanor was supposed to mean.


    A green Aqueenian girl pushed her way through the shoulders of two that stood by Gwyn and Rheba. Her face was mostly covered by an ornate silver mask, leaving only a small spot for her green lips to be upturned into a smile. Taking care to pull a long side ponytail away from the arm of one she passed by, the girl jumped in the conversation as if it was standing there the whole time.


    ¡°I saw your Zenotote friend and her halfway over on that wall!¡± she pointed behind Gwyn to the wall the tree guarded.


    ¡°Who?¡± Rheba asked with squinted eyes.


    ¡°Uh, she goes by Masquerade,¡± Gwyn said. He hadn¡¯t seen the girl for a while, but she had a habit of popping up from time to time.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, I suppose, but is the mask necessary?¡±


    The girl¡¯s green lips turned down to a frown, ¡°But really, there¡¯s no one else in masks here! I thought this was supposed to be a party!¡±


    ¡°You could just take it off,¡± Gwyn suggested.


    Masquerade held her fingers to her lips like she was trying to shush Gwyn.


    ¡°A girl¡¯s got to have some secrets, you know!¡± she replied chipperly with a tilt of her head. She may have winked, but the mask obscured her eyes enough to make it unclear.


    ¡°You seem like quite the character,¡± Rheba said as she looked at the ceiling.


    Masquerade chuckled but didn¡¯t get a chance to reply. At the top of the steps, a woman with fire-red hair shouted out to the rest of the party.


    ¡°Hello everyone, and thank you for coming today!¡± It took a minute for the myriad of conversations to stop, but eventually, each section of the room quieted. They all turned to the woman¡ªFeya, the acting Dare. She smiled a grin that was surely full of sharp teeth, if the Nonpareil recalled well enough, and spoke again. ¡°Now, I must thank all the wonderful helpers who assisted with putting this part together. From my own children, to all the workers here in Roanoke who filled in with their free time, to the Nonpareil for suggesting this party!¡±


    Rheba turned to Gwyn with a surprised expression, and he waved his hands dismissively in response. The Nonpareil had originally brought up the holiday to try and date the Netzian arrival¡ªnow he knew not to underestimate how excited the Dare could get.


    The woman at the top of the stairs continued, ¡°So we will begin what is called a gift exchange!¡± At her words, the doors at the top of the steps opened, and Netzians dressed in red and white outfits moved hovering carts stacked with presents behind her. Seconds later, it was like a colorful was built behind her. ¡°So, we will do this as a tournament-style battle, with the winner getting the best present!¡± Hal emerged from the crowd and ascended the staircase as Feya spoke. His hand reached out and disappeared into his ability, but it looked like it had been removed. ¡°And I must warn you, I¡¯m the toughest fighter here! I can even punch you around the world if¨C¡±


    Hal smacked her in the head with an overlarge paper fan. Gwyn¡¯s eyes squinted; he wondered where the Netzian had learned that. The green-haired boy pushed his paper weapon back into his ability space and turned to face the crowd.


    ¡°Excuse her, she¡¯s had too much to drink.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°There will be no fighting or anything. Please come up and receive a gift in an orderly fashion.¡±


    Masquerade snickered, and Rheba sat her palm over her eyes while shaking her head.


    In a flash of blue light, Fiona appeared in front of a forming line. Gwyn imagined she was grinning ear to ear at Hal, who didn¡¯t react to her sudden appearance. The boy waved for something to be brought over, and what must have been tiny¡ªGwyn couldn¡¯t tell he was handing her anything¡ªwas placed in Fiona¡¯s hand. She turned around with a clear frown and descended the stairs slowly.


    The line went fairly quickly, with everyone receiving a gift in short order. Gwyn was left with something he thought was a book when wrapped. It was about the right size and weight, but he found a box to some alien-looking contraption upon opening it. He rolled his eyes and set it to the side.


    The crowd¡¯s movement into a line, then back into a crowd, shuffled everyone up. He soon found he was standing by Fiona, frowning with her arms crossed.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Gwyn asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Can you believe this?¡± Fiona held out a small pebble held firm between two of her blue fingertips. ¡°I should just throw it away!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Feya, seemingly from nowhere, joined the conversation. Standing next to Gwyn and Fiona, she was a head shorter than the blue princess. ¡°That there is one of the best gifts! An Earthstone!¡±


    ¡°Earthstone?¡± Gwyn asked.


    Feya nodded. ¡°Yes, as the name suggests, it is a piece of rock brought by our ancestors when they first came here. Probably was stuck in some guy¡¯s shoe or something! Oh, don¡¯t worry, we washed it.¡±


    Fiona sighed and held out the pebble to Gwyn.


    ¡°Here, you probably would get more use from it.¡±


    ¡°What use would I get from it?¡±


    Feya looked surprised, ¡°You mean it won¡¯t give you special powers?¡±


    Gwyn couldn¡¯t tell if she was being serious or not.


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating! The home world seems stranger and stranger.¡±


    Gwyn sighed and took the pebble from the blue princess. He deposited it into a pocket. Strange as it seemed, it was still a piece of home¡ªthe closest he had come to it since arriving on the strange world¡ªhe would probably take good care of the little pebble. Though he didn¡¯t want to admit that even to himself.


    In no time, the conversation switched to another topic, and then the shuffling crowd put everyone in new groups. The party carried well into the night until everyone departed for home. Gwyn left tired and ready for bed, but he was happy to have gone.

 A2-24 The Map and Plotters (Volume 5 Prologue)

    Hardly anyone laid out a paper map in the age of illuminated screens, but that made her all the more willing to shove the scattered random items on the table and slam the yellowed relic for the rest of the crew to see.


    ¡°Hey, you knocked off my sticks!¡± came from a gruff Hobusian man. He paid no mind to where her scaly finger pointed, opting to reach down and grab the tightly wrapped leaves.


    A tall Bentulousian crossed her arms. Her face made her words unnecessary, but she provided them all the same. ¡°That map looks too old to be valuable. You wasted money, Amaris.¡±


    Though both had long faces, the furred snouts of Amaris¡¯ companion were always hard to read. Was she angry? Was she joking? The line between was often hard to delineate. Amaris scratched a sharp finger to the red scales at her neck.


    ¡°We can make some good cash here, the stash¨C¡±


    ¡°Is completely a rumor. Do you honestly think there are any more Needaimus vaults left?¡±


    The Hobusian popped up and laid his sticks on the table. One sat in between his lips and he pulled a flame close to ignite the end. He breathed out a burst of putrid smoke as he spoke.


    ¡°Got to say, Daisy¡¯s right. No way any of the major nations would have let something this big go untouched for so long, specially with it between Bents and Zenos space, you know how much those fools hate each other.¡± His round eyes moved back and forth between his Bentulousian and Zenotote companions. Amaris wondered if he was self-aware, or if the smoke had gotten to his brain at long last. She shook her head, taking a deep breath that was careful not to inhale any of the smoke, and tapped on the map with her pointed finger.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Collin¡¯s concerns are well noted. But look at this location, this is far in the ocean beyond the continent. No one in their right mind would recklessly sail that far into the sea. We have a chance to make a fortune!¡±


    Daisy groaned but didn¡¯t say anything when Amaris looked her way. Collin just chuckled and continued sucking in the smoke from his favorite treat. ¡°So, we are in agreement?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling you¡¯re going to go whether we want to or not,¡± Daisy said with a possible roll of her eyes¡ªher head was too high for Amaris to be sure, ¡°and if I don¡¯t go the two of you will most certainly end up dead.¡±


    ¡°Hey now,¡± Collin spat smoke out, ¡°I can handle myself!¡±


    ¡°The last time we encountered trouble you completely lost your head; do you not remember me pulling you out from that pit?¡± Daisy said. Mockery laced her words as she crossed her arms. This time Amaris was sure she grinned. ¡°You were practically crying.¡±


    The Hobusian man held his stick between two fingers and blew a puff of smoke up to his companion¡¯s face. She coughed and waved it away.


    Had Amaris not been covered in scales, she was sure a vein might bulge as it did on some of the other races.


    She snapped, ¡°Enough you two!¡± The other two grew stiff. They glared at each other one last time before shaking their heads and wandering off to different parts of the hideout. The Zenotote scratched her scaly scalp. They were worse than children.

 A2 – 25 Packing Princess

    A blue girl zipped across castle halls with a grin on her face and arms full of assorted beach items. Junk to anyone else who cared to comment on her packing choices, but any who bothered were swiftly ignored.


    It had taken several weeks of planning, and registering, and organizing¡ªall things the princess wasn¡¯t too fond of¡ªto get the trip going and people on board. Mainly trying to get people on board. As expected, trying to work with people over virtual mail was not only difficult, but a trail of great magnitude. Between Hal¡¯s tendency for one-word replies and Harlan¡¯s formal language, the blue girl thought she was on the border of pulling her black hair from her head. It only made matters worse that Gwyn, though back on his feet and on doctor¡¯s orders for occasional fresh air, still remained distant and unwilling to get enthusiastic about much.


    Yet, everything came together, and she was confident that the trip would be a fun vacation. Perhaps a distraction as well.


    I still don¡¯t see the point in this trip, came a voice in her head. She rolled her eyes and zapped up a staircase rather than walking.


    ¡°You Needaimus are always so pessimistic, Sun; we¡¯re going to have lots of fun!¡±


    Fun seems like a long shot. Don¡¯t you have more important things to be doing anyway? Mechanical as the voice was, it sounded annoyed.


    ¡°Not at all! Mother even approved this trip.¡±


    That still strikes me as strange, like she just wanted you out of the way. You know, with Donn and Hermina in Hobith and you on this trip, there will be hardly any of the royalty family around?


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why that matters, you¡¯re just overthinking things again.¡±


    I sure hope I am.


    ¡°You¡¯re a silly Needaimus, you know?¡±


    Her feet gleefully pattered on the castle floor until rounding a corner brought her into collision with a bulky green soldier.


    ¡°Fiona?¡± a voice came from behind the soldier, it was layered with shock and disappointment by the princesses estimate.


    ¡°Hello, Mother.¡±


    Queen Whitlock pressed two fingers to her forehead and stared at the ground while the gruff soldier helped the princess to her feet. Another of the Queen¡¯s escort¡¯s bent down to pick up the dropped beach gear, but Fiona motioned him to stop and scooped it up herself.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Fiona. I am happy to see you preparing for your trip earlier than the last minute, but you must pay attention to others in the halls.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    ¡°Good, now have fun on your trip, we have important matters to attend to.¡±


    Fiona quickly scanned the crowd of burly soldiers surrounding her well-dressed mother. The troops were not the usual castle guards, nor was her mother dressed in ¡®around the castle¡¯ royal garments.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡±


    Queen Whitlock raised a silver eyebrow, quite possibly in shock.


    ¡°Yes, dear. The vile woman who killed your father has woken at last, and we are headed to Nun for her trial.¡±


    ¡°Dia is awake! When¡¯s the trial? I¡­ I want to be there for it.¡±


    If the queen¡¯s eyebrow could raise any higher, it might have. She took a deep breath, then smiled and gently sat a hand on Fiona¡¯s right shoulder.


    ¡°I am happy to see you taking interest, and I understand you had a hand in taking the bia¨C the villain down, but your work is done. This trial will interfere with your beach trip, and there is little more for you to do. Go and have fun.¡±


    Fiona grumbled. ¡°But Mother, with Donn and Hermina away, shouldn¡¯t one of Father¡¯s kids be there too!¡±


    ¡°And they will, I intend to take Asha.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a bit too young for all this political junk?¡±


    ¡°Coming from the girl who would have hidden from me if I asked her to come not that long ago.¡±


    Fiona frowned and shuffled her feet on the floor. Queen Whitlock continued before her daughter could say anything. ¡°Fiona, your current efforts to act as a proper member of the royal family are¡­ admirable, if not a little clunky, but you have planned your trip and should go be away from everything for a little while. Take the time to clear your head and get the Nonpareil to clear his head too. Things won¡¯t be suddenly burning down while you are away.¡±


    The princess thought she might have heard a quiet, ¡°if anything they¡¯ll be more peaceful,¡± from the crowd, but she couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Fiona wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Her mother was right that she would have run away and tucked herself away from all the drama only several weeks prior, and that urge still remained within her even though another part within said she ought to watch the trial of King Whitlock¡¯s killer.


    Perhaps taking her silence as approval of what was said, her mother patted her shoulder and continued down the hall, with a formal goodbye being the last thing said between them. Fiona was sure she had heard one of the soldiers whisper to the Queen how hard it was to raise a troublesome daughter, but given that she hadn¡¯t heard a reply from her mother, she began to question if it had been imagined.


    Once alone, Fiona shook her head and looked down at the beach stuff in her arms.


    You could still postpone the trip. Sun suggested.


    ¡°No, Mother is right; I need to go somewhere peaceful and clear my head.


    Hmm.


    Fiona ignored the muttering of her Needaimus and teleported her way through the rest of the castle until she reached her room. Darting inside, she shoved the beach gear into one of several suitcases laid out on her frilly bed and smiled at her handiwork.


    ¡°All packed!¡±


    Yes, all seven cases are full. Don¡¯t expect me to carry any.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. What am I going to do, strap them on your back?¡± Fiona said with a laugh as her yellow Needaimus popped off her arm and curled up in a small space between the cases on her bed. She thought a nap seemed like a good idea, but she resisted and moved to her papers, where she handwrote notes for trip preparation. The princess couldn''t help but wonder what Gwyn was doing and whether or not she could expect he was packing with the same amount of fervor. Or any fervor at that. She sighed. Hopefully the trip would be good after all.

 A2 – 26 The Tired Earthling

    Gwyn sat in a dimly lit room, rubbing his aching head, which seemed to throb out of sync with his racing heart. Gritting his teeth together, he grunted and reached for a case of pills. Two crunched under his teeth in a sensation that reminded him of hard candies but layered with bitter taste the whole way down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if taking them that much is a good idea,¡± the blue dragon-esk Needaimus chimed in from his side.


    ¡°Shut up, Mem.¡±


    The Needaimus held its wings up like a shrug and curled up on his lap.


    ¡°You probably should go out and get some air. The doctor did say that you need some fresh suns light every now and then.¡±


    Gwyn muttered, ¡°You¡¯re as bad as Fiona. Seeing two of those stupid things instead of one is part of the problem.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out; I want to sleep for a little while longer.¡± He wiped some sweat from his forehead, which became noticeable now that the drumming pain had stopped. Some dream snapped him awake, though now he couldn¡¯t remember. Even if he could, it would just be yet another terrible experience to berate him when least desired.


    ¡°It is getting later in the morning now, though, and you know Fiona has that trip planned. Maybe you ought to pack.¡±


    Gwyn shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to pack. Doing so would mean he really was going on that trip, and something was bound to go terribly wrong. His heart picked back up as the possibilities ran through his mind. He couldn¡¯t know what would go bad, but he could be sure it would be miserable, maybe even fatal. Even his room was not guaranteed to be safe, there could be a fire, or perhaps some kind of equivalent of carbon monoxide by whatever process alien HVAC used.


    The earthling frantically rushed his hands through his hair¡ªback and forth¡ªuntil the reddish strands surely looked like a frayed knot.


    What was he supposed to do? He didn¡¯t know anymore. Did he just come to Resh to lay down and die? Gwyn gritted his teeth and reached for the pill container once again. Mem whipped his hand with its blue tail before Gwyn could. Before he could snap, and he felt a strong enough rush of rage to scream, the Needaimus piped up.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting a message on the royal tablet they loaned you.¡±


    Gwyn snarled but kept his rage held in as he reached for the tablet. He rubbed his once scaly arm while panning his eyes over the screen. A request over the message system¡ªsomething that reminded him of early 00¡¯s email as he understood it¡ªcalled for the Nonpareil to please come to the research lab garages. Gwyn felt some weight on his shoulder as Mem leaned over. ¡°Look at that. You better go see what they want.¡±


    ¡°When I get to it.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Gwyn laid down and was pretty sure he fell asleep for another hour or two. To continue being that tired after many hours of sleep prior was surprising, but he wasn¡¯t about to question. He just needed sleep, that was all.


    Not bothering to brush his hair or change out of the clothes he slept in, Gwyn eventually grabbed his case of pills, tablet, and Needaimus and exited through the sliding door that cut him off from the rest of the busy castle.


    The castle staff was scarce, and the few advisors that passed by would move to the opposite side of the hallway and whisper to each other if there was more than one. Gwyn rolled his eyes after the third time and scratched at his left arm.


    ¡°No scratching; it won¡¯t heal properly!¡± Mem chimed in from atop his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my nurse or my mom.¡±


    Mem probably replied something stupid. Gwyn didn¡¯t pay much mind as he rounded a corner and spotted a castle worker carrying obviously too many bundles. Without a word, he walked up to her and scooped two bundles between his good arm and his side. He tried to support it with his left arm but gave up when the limb proved to be doing more harm than good. The Aqueenian, some green girl he¡¯d never met before, looked dumbfounded and opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Looks like we are going the same way. Let¡¯s get going,¡± Gwyn interrupted in a cold tone. She silently led the way. Occasionally, Gwyn would pick up she was looking at him with wide blue eyes, and when he met them, the girl would snap her head away. They soon reached a kitchen, and he dropped the bundles off without a word and left with a small wave to follow up a quiet ¡®thank you.¡¯


    ¡°How helpful of you!¡± Mem chimed in once they had returned to walking through the halls.


    ¡°I just did the bare minimum of what anyone would have done, can¡¯t have them thinking I am living here for free.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any lip from you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have lips. Needaimus, remember?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it, walking through the halls eased his aching head somewhat. He would never tell Mem, lest he never hear the end of ¡®going out to get some fresh air¡¯. He practically already didn¡¯t hear the end of it.


    Gwyn suddenly felt mad without knowing why and crunched a pill to ease the emotion. He turned another corner, knowing his destination was close, but ran into the third worst obstacle that could be there.


    ¡°Colton, hello¡­.¡±


    ¡°Nonpareil! It¡¯s wonderful to see you!¡± the green guard beamed. Gwyn focused in on the scar on the Aqueenian¡¯s face rather than the face itself. At least it wasn¡¯t Fiona¡­. Or the ghost, but he really didn¡¯t want to think about that.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually on my way to the research garages; I got a call.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know; they¡¯ve been sending a message over the loudspeaker for the last hour in that area. I think they assume you got lost or something.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Gwyn felt his shoulders slump.


    ¡°They might also want to justify putting those in. Got to make sure you play with the toys after you spend lots to buy them,¡± Colton said before laughing. ¡°Well, I heard through the brupmf vine that the princess is getting your old band back together for a trip to Xiakoryfi Resort. I have to say, I am a little jealous¡­ not as jealous as a certain other three individuals¡ªbut staying on guard duty can be rough. With Prince Donn away to discuss new policy with Hobusians and some weird rumors coming from scouts in Roanoke, and now the trial for the king¡¯s murderer, there is a lot going on.¡±


    ¡°Should you be telling me all this?¡±


    Colton first turned a paler shade of green, then brightened back up.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re the Nonpareil. Every Nonpareil has to deal with this kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, I probably should get going to those labs, though.¡± Gwyn started to walk away.


    ¡°Of course, but hold on one more second. I wanted to say I hope you have a good trip!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ thanks Colton¡­. Well, I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    With goodbyes seemingly properly made, Gwyn waved and continued down the hallway to the lab. In the distance, he could hear a voice.

 A2 – 27 A Visit to the Garage

    ¡°Nonpareil Gwyn, Nonpareil Gwyn, please come to garage three. We would like to speak to you about your vehakul. Nonpareil Gwyn¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming already!¡± Gwyn grumbled to the looping disembodied voice as he shuffled close to the door marked with an odd symbol that denoted the number three. It was bad enough that the Quenth scientists were so gung-ho to bring him to see his old car¡ªhe hadn¡¯t even thought much about it since crashing it so long ago¡ªbut the insistence on continuing to address him as ¡®Nonpareil¡¯ over in such a public way drove him insane.


    It had been clear to him from the start that he was no grand hero deserving of some fancy title. After coming home from Nun, and with his insane run around the town of recent, some other folks were starting to catch on. He had heard some not-so-private whispers among some guards about how Prince Donn had bestowed the title as a joke or parody of the earthling. That seemed to be the prevalent theory, though Gwyn had heard others. Had the prince not been away in another nation, the so-called Nonpareil might have opted to meet and see if he could get a clear response from the blue man. He owed Gwyn that much after all the trouble the title had brought.


    ¡°Over to your left, Nonpareil!¡± a stick figure of a scientist said when Gwyn pushed through the door. He paid no mind to some of the stammering explanations the Aqueenian gave while accompanying the earthling to the destination. At first, Gwyn simply zoned him out, but soon he became distracted as a familiar vehicle came into view.


    It was his old car, completely intact as if it had never been wrapped around an Aqueenian decorative column. In fact, even the bodywork on the back looked almost factory-new.


    ¡°It really took a lot of work, but we were determined,¡± the sticklike scientist said to Gwyn. A plump and shorter one wiped some grease on his white, space-age-looking suit and joined the other two.


    ¡°She was really beat up, but not beyond repair,¡± the short Aqueenian said. Gwyn wondered where the quirk of calling a car a ¡®she¡¯ came from in Resh dialect, but didn¡¯t press it.


    ¡°On earth, we would have considered it totaled. Er, that is, sent it to the scrap yard.¡±


    If both scientists didn¡¯t already have blue faces, they might have turned the shade as they gasped in unison. ¡°The scrapyard!¡±


    ¡°Do you really give up so easily when something is broken?¡± the thin man gasped.


    Mem, who had been unusually quiet for the last five minutes, piped up with a chuckle.


    ¡°They¡¯re right, partner; no wonder you looked so shocked when you saw it.¡±


    Gwyn moved his jaw back and forth wondering if he lost any stupid expression he might have made when seeing the old car.


    ¡°Is this all you wanted to show me?¡±


    ¡°Dant Nonpareil, we actually wanted to ask you a couple of questions about your machine,¡± the stout one said. The thin one quickly ran to the table to grab a tablet, presumably to take notes.


    ¡°Now, the first question is, why you have these four wheels on the machine, wouldn¡¯t hover technology suit it better?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have that on earth.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating. Are you getting that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am you dolt, keep asking!¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, we believe we have repaired most of the mechanical systems, but we drained a number of fluids from the machine during the process. My colleague there believes they are unnecessary for the operation, but I have a professional disagreement.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± the skinny scientist said with a roll of his eyes. ¡°Personally, I just think earthlings have unique storage apparatuses for their beverages.¡±


    Gwyn was sure a new stupid expression formed on his face, and he thought he might have taken a step back.


    ¡°Did¡­ did you drink it?¡±


    This time, the scientists were in unison. ¡°Of course.¡±


    The short one added, ¡°After checking the makeup with our Needaimus, we confirmed they were safe to drink. Were they not supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°Every fluid in that car will kill a human, er Netzian.¡± He made a silent note to himself to stick with only water going forward. ¡°Anyway, did you use a Needaimus to repair it too?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± the skinny one said with a rather smug look. ¡°We actually are working on cowriting a paper about the lack of true knowledge gained within society due to Needaimus enhanced development, and repaired this vehakul in painful detail to show the gaps within culture and reason.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°So, the short one added, ¡°If you could direct us to which fluids go where, it would be a big help. I told this dummy we should label the containers as we pulled them out, but he was so insistent on the beverage theory!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re Needaimus said it was safe, you would have come to the same conclusion!¡± Before Gwyn could realize it, they were standing in front of each other, a glare in both sets of eyes.


    ¡°And if you paid attention to the wider application of our thesis, you would have realized that you haven¡¯t learned a thing!¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe someone as idiotic as you could be held in such high esteem!¡±


    ¡°Why not? They hold you in a similar esteem.¡±


    Mem leaned close to Gwyn¡¯s ear to whisper. ¡°You¡¯re going to need to intervene.¡±


    ¡°Just what I need,¡± the Nonpareil muttered. ¡°Guys. Settle down. Uh, fighting will only delay your march to new science or something.¡±


    The two men looked to Gwyn, then to each other, then to the ground before looking back at each other. The short one sighed, and the skinny one grabbed at his wrist.


    ¡°The Nonpareil is right, I apologize. I spoke out of turn.¡±


    ¡°No, I did as well.¡±


    The Aqueenian men locked hands and nodded to each other with what seemed to be respect. Gwyn was sure his face was deadpan but figured it would be best to let the two do their thing and get away as soon as he could. He wasn¡¯t too keen on being with these strange scientists any longer.


    ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t really tell you much about where things go. Maybe the gas if I smell it, but we don¡¯t really know much about these sorts of things.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating!¡± the short man chimed in, ¡°did your society also experience a diminishing of knowledge with Needaimus?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have Needaimus in that world; it must have been something else.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right; well, what is your theory, nonpareil?¡±


    Both scientists inched closer to Gwyn, leaning forward as if to make extra sure they heard what knowledge he might bestow. If only they knew he was a total fraud, they might just let him go. The earthling felt no reason to play up the role.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been much into cultural analysis or philosophizing, so I can¡¯t help you there.¡±


    ¡°How sad,¡± the short one said with his head hanging low. The taller scientist patted his companion''s shoulder.


    ¡°Nevertheless, we are interested. If you have time to think about it, we would love to hear your theories. It would be a massive boost to our paper if we could quote a Nonpareil!¡± Gwyn was sure he had kept free from reactions the whole time, but that last use of Nonpareil made him wince just a little.


    ¡°Yes, another time then. Well, have a good day! I, uh, have a trip I need to pack for, actually.¡±


    Gwyn waved goodbye and marched away as the scientists offered their own parting words. He felt he could finally breathe once he escaped the garage. Only later did it sink in that his car might actually be fixed, and he could escape into a long drive someday. The thought was pleasant; long drives always seemed to clear the nerves¡ªif only for a little while.

 A2 – 28 Sailing out to Sea Sea Sea

    Fiona¡¯s abrupt appearance in a flash of blue light made Rheba¡¯s tail twitch before her long face turned into a longer frown. A pile of suitcases zapped next to her, landing in a perfect pyramid stack.


    ¡°You need to stop teleporting in front of people for no reason.¡± The warrior crossed her arms and looked down at the shorter princess. To her side, the blue girl could see the two younger Bentulousian warriors, whatever their names were, snickering.


    She turned her face up to Rheba and beamed. The giantess was clearly not amused, but didn¡¯t give off any suggestion she was genuinely upset with her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t carry this all on my own.¡± She waved a hand to the pile of cases.


    Rheba groaned


    ¡°Just ask some guards to carry it, princess. What even did you bring along? Isn¡¯t this only a week-long trip?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Rheba closed her eyes and rubbed her snout a moment before nodding. The blue girl couldn¡¯t help but wonder what might have been going through her friend''s mind.


    ¡°Anyway, Fiona, we really shouldn¡¯t be going on this trip. Zenith sent us here on a standard diplomatic mission.¡±


    Fiona pressed a finger to her chin and tilted her head, ¡°But you said you wanted to come?¡± The Bentulousian warrior made a small cough into her fist.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to come, but orders are orders. We are supposed to be here to assist Aqueenian royalty and¡­¡±


    ¡°And since the rest of them are gone, you have to accompany the princess on her trip.¡± Fiona zapped in the air so that she could pat Rheba¡¯s shoulder before gravity pulled her back. ¡°See, I¡¯m not as dumb as the they say!¡±


    The blue princess put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. She beamed at Rheba, but her friend only shook her head without saying a word.


    The golden Bentulousian tottered over and said in what was probably meant to be a whisper, but was still clear as day, ¡°Do we really need to get on that ship?¡±


    The dark-furred warrior chimed in from the back.


    ¡°She¡¯s afraid of the water, don¡¯t pay her any mind, princess.¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid of the water; I¡¯m afraid of drowning in it!¡±


    The two warriors charged close to each other and began spitting vitriol in Bentulousian tongue. Rheba groaned and for a moment Fiona thought she might have shrunk a little.


    ¡°What are they saying?¡± the blue princess asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know,¡± Rheba sighed. Fiona smiled with wide eyes. ¡°No, really, they¡¯re going to get a serious talking to the next time we are alone.¡± Rheba cracked her knuckles. The princess took that as a sign to let it go, and noticing a new figure approaching, she turned.


    Gwyn, in what would be the opposite of best dress to wear to the temple, slumped closer. His face looked as if he expected death to take him any moment. Disheveled hair on his head paired with the stubble on his chin in a sloppy union.


    Colton quickly ran up to his side and handed the Nonpareil a bag, to which Gwyn took and groaned something unintelligible. Mem, who rode on his right shoulder as usual added a friendly ¡°thank you¡± as if to make up for its partner¡¯s attitude.


    The green guard stayed back, turning suddenly and looking around. Fiona wasn¡¯t sure what he was focused on, but it was probably something ridiculous, given his track record. She beamed at Gwyn, but his scowl darkened the area far more.


    ¡°Cheer up Gwyn, the suns up there this time of year is wonderful!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and the stars are even more visible too! And the weather is so clear before all the storms start coming.¡±


    ¡°Huh-uh.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ and¡­ oh they have the best food there too! You¡¯ll love it!¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Rheba put a large hand on her blue shoulder. She lowered her voice so that it didn¡¯t boom as much as normal.


    ¡°Gwyn, you look a little ragged, like after a promotion duel with one of the Goliaths¡­.¡± Rheba looked like she was pondering her words, Fiona guessed the next phrase might be asking if he had a difficult battle recently or something and she jumped in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the gentle sway of the hover ship will help. You know the water ones feel a little different than the land ones, after all!¡±


    Gwyn stared blankly at Fiona and she wondered if she messed up in some way. Fortunately Mem was willing to break the silence before it went on too long.


    ¡°Colton! Quit standing over there like an oaf and come say goodbye already!¡±


    The green guard¡¯s shoulders twitched before he shook his head and marched over to the group.


    ¡°Princess, I¡¯m fairly certain a couple of troublemakers are trying to stow away for your trip without putting in for the proper vacation,¡± he muttered softly. Gwyn¡¯s eyes went up to the sky for a moment, and Fiona wondered if something flew overhead. She frowned and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Your blasted fan club! They¡¯ve converted about thirty percent of the guards, and they all tried to put in for vacation at the same time! So much it was all rejected, so I¡¯m pretty sure the three ringleaders are waiting close by¡­.¡± Colton looked around. Fiona chuckled.


    ¡°Jeez Colton, if you just wanted to say goodbye to us, you didn¡¯t need to go out of your way to make up such an elaborate story. Especially when it¡¯s so obviously false.¡± She put a hand on the guard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thirty percent of guards in the fan club, that¡¯s such a ridiculous lie, but I¡¯ll miss you, of course!¡±


    Colton¡¯s face flushed, and he turned his head to the side. Crossing his arms, he huffed and mumbled something before his words became coherent.


    ¡°Those troublemakers really are coming; you best be going before they get a chance to sneak on.¡±


    Fiona laughed and nudged Gwyn with a soft elbow.


    ¡°Well, you heard him, you have to get going before the whole fan club shows up! Goodbye, Fiona Fan Club Vice President.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me.¡±


    Gwyn sighed and offered a hand to Colton. The green guard accepted.


    ¡°Goodbye Colton¡­. Thanks¡­ for helping with the bag¡­.¡±


    Fiona zapped on the ship and stared out at the open channel of water. Her suitcases clanged on the deck behind her as they teleported next. Despite the shouts from Rheba about recklessly using her abilities, she remained unfazed and cheery. The others loaded on shortly after. With a synthetic horn sound from the ship''s speaker, the vessel pushed up above the waves and gently began to coast down the channel. The wooden planks creaked gently as the hover panels below shifted along with the waves.


    Gwyn found an open bench on the deck and plopped into it. He turned to stare out and watch the shining Aqueenian city shift to natural beaches and water.


    Fiona stared back at her city. Shortly after their departure, a second ship floated out and went the opposite direction in the channel. Her mother¡¯s royal vessel, even from a distance, the distinct shape like a sword cutting across the water, was clear as could be. She was headed to Nun, and what came of the trial was anyone¡¯s guess. The blue princess couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was alright for her to be going to have fun. Maybe Gwyn had the right mindset, if a bit more extreme than necessary.


    She shook her head and grinned. Turning back to the others, the three Bentulousians were back in plain English. The golden-furred warrior turned her nose to Gwyn and laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be the Nonpareil? I bet a village granny could knock him to the floor with a flick of her tail in that sorry state.¡±


    ¡°When we heard you traveled with him, I thought he was at least as tall as us,¡± the dark-furred warrior added.


    Rheba stammered some weak excuse, but Fiona was already charging over to dive into the group of giants.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said with some more volume than intended. After clearing her throat, the princess resumed with a lower level but more feisty tone. ¡°What are you two doing? He¡¯s got much more feats that I bet the two of you have put together.¡± She turned to Rheba. ¡°What¡¯s the lowest rank in your culture? Flagbearer? And these two probably are still recruits? Or maybe just civilians on vacation.¡± Given the warrior-based nature of Bentulousians, Fiona was sure that her words would sting at least a little.


    Rheba¡¯s eyes went wide a moment, and then she spoke in an even tone. ¡°Fiona, that¡¯s enough. Kerra, Blenda, you were out of line. Go to your rooms and cool your heads.¡±


    The two warriors glared at Fiona and wandered off below deck. All the while grumbling at how the ceiling was too low and stairs a trip hazard. Fiona smirked and put her hands on her hips. Rheba lightly chopped her in the head.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°You insulted their whole family lineage saying that, please keep quiet in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d insult them even more if it meant standing up for a friend!¡±


    ¡°Best to make sure you are at least as tall when you stand up.¡± Rheba hoisted her bag over her shoulder and marched to the stairs. As she descended, she made similar grumbles of space that her two wards had earlier.


    Fiona sighed and looked at Gwyn, who was close enough to certainly have heard everything, but never once looked back their way. The vacation was already off to a rocky start. She wondered if they would be okay.


    <hr>


    Within the dark, cramped luggage space, three Aqueenian men shifted and grumbled to one another. They froze with the opening door and waited until more was stowed before talking again.


    ¡°Guys, I told you this place was too cramped for all three of us!¡± Simeon, of the Fiona Fan Club, whined.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I suggested you stay behind!¡± Siegfreid grunted back.


    ¡°Gentlemen, gentlemen. You forget the purpose for us being here,¡± Sinatra added with a singsong swagger added to his voice. ¡°We have much to do for the brothers and sister of the Fiona Fan Club back home. Beach photos! It is our solemn duty to capture the divine presence of our royal princess for all of us to marvel. Such difficulty like cramped spaces and angry superior officer are nothing compared to it!¡±


    The other two, being moved by his words, started to cry and nodded.


    ¡°They spoke in unison; You''re right, boss. Beach Photos!¡±

 A2 – 29 Blue Princesss Plea

    Gwyn retreated to the lower deck as soon as he felt burning discomfort in his stomach. His head was painful on both sides, likely due to his grinding teeth, but it made him wonder if a brain vessel might have burst. He steadied himself on the wall of a hallway as he shuffled down. At some point, the pain turned to dizziness, and he thought he might fall over without support.


    There was no telling how safe the ship was, and he knew that when getting on, but in the moment the thoughts flared up, he began to regret ever getting on the ship. What if some new monster attacked and tore the boat apart? What if their fancy hover technology shut down, and the thing went underwater? What if some villain stowed away to kill them?


    He was certain most of the thoughts were stupid, yet they plagued him endlessly like rancid breath on the nostrils. He almost wanted to shout ¡®shut up¡¯ endlessly, if only to quiet the torrent in his mind.


    ¡°You okay partner?¡± Mem asked from atop his shoulder. Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure how the Needaimus could assume he was anything but not okay. There was no way the metal creature shouldn¡¯t be able to feel the intensity from his thundering heart, it felt like it was pounding hundreds of times harder than it should. Gwyn scratched at his neck before realizing he needed to divert his sole good hand to reach for the pills. ¡°I think you might want to slow down on those.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I¡¯ve checked and double-checked and triple-checked with the doctors about dosage. It¡¯s impossible to OD on these.¡±


    ¡°Not sure what you mean, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the same thing I meant.¡±


    ¡°Just be quiet a moment, my head is killing me.¡±


    In the distance, in the dark of where the hallway curved, Gwyn could see the annoying face of the deceased king. He crossed his arms and shook his head. The earthling crunched the pill between his teeth, and the vision vanished. He felt his heart and head return to normal in an instant and made a sigh of relief. The pain subsided, the monster inside sealed once again. He wondered what would happen if he formed a tolerance to the medicine, but for now, it helped to ease his condition.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a moment.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s only been half a moment at least.¡±


    Mem seemed to perk up on his shoulder, though Gwyn was sure he was the only one who saw the changes in his Needaimus emotions¡ªso he was probably just crazy.


    ¡°Ah, well enough for a, what do you call it, a smartass comeback at least!¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Did you see the man down the hall a moment ago?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve asked me many times before, and my answer is the same.¡±


    ¡°So, no.¡±


    Mem shuffled from his left shoulder to his right.


    ¡°I think you might be feeling some side effects.¡±


    The Needaimus made a point, if no one else could see the same thing Gwyn was seeing, it was a text book case of hallucination. Given that Resh wasn¡¯t exactly the place the earthling could hope to get the proper help, he hoped it wasn¡¯t actually the case; he was drifting closer and closer to the point of no return. He could only imagine coming back to earth practically foaming at the mouth and raving about the other world he wound up in¡ªthey would put him in special care for sure. Though Gwyn could not be sure that he wouldn¡¯t just wake up in a hospital bed anyway. He hoped it could all be a dream at least, like some Alice in Wonderland gone wrong.


    A sudden point of light pressure on the Nonpareil''s back made him jerk and spin around suddenly. A blue princess made a light laugh.


    ¡°What was that? You act like a leneetle crawled up your back.¡± She laughed some more in a soft way that eased Gwyn. She had a nice voice; if anything, he could easily see her doing music or ASMR on earth.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± If the earthling didn¡¯t have a bad arm, he would have crossed them across each other and turned away. Even had he done so, he figured the princess wouldn¡¯t care. He had tried again and again to tell her he wasn¡¯t going on the trip, but it was the motivated Fiona who signed him up anyway and sorted out the details later. Given that she managed to convince him to come in the end, he wasn¡¯t sure he could make too much of a fuss about it.


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    ¡°We¡¯re getting further down the channel! We should go above deck and take in the fresh air! It¡¯s good to let the suns hit your skin!¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s good for sparkly skin, but I turn red like a lobster.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a lobster?¡±


    ¡°A crustacean, lives in water, has lots of little legs and two claws. Turn red when you cook them.¡±


    ¡°You turn red in the sun? Would you look like an Aqueenian?¡± Fiona made a pondering expression that danger alarms should have accompanied. ¡°I might want to see that actually.¡± A devious smile paired with Fiona grabbing Gwyn¡¯s arm before he could skitter away.


    ¡°I mean I¡¯ll get sunburn if I stay outside too long, I won¡¯t turn ruby red, for crying out loud.¡± Fiona¡¯s smile suggested to Gwyn that she knew just as well but was going to use any excuse. He may have been reading too much into it, but either way, now that she had him, it was too late.


    The next instant, they stood on the upper deck of the ship. The sudden shift made his head spin, and he managed to pull his hand free from the princess to cover his mouth. Fortunately, nothing came out this time. ¡°Stop¡­ stop teleporting me without my permission!¡± Gwyn gagged.


    Fiona laughed and patted his back. It was under the very real duress of getting dragged along by the princess¡¯s ability, regardless, that made Gwyn go on the trip; he was hoping he could have avoided it for the duration.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be okay. Besides, it¡¯s traveling in an instant more fun?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gwyn groaned. His stomach seemed to be settling.


    From atop the nonpareil¡¯s shoulder, Mem seemed to shudder.


    ¡°I wish you¡¯d at least give me a warning; I can activate personal level adjustments,¡± the Needaimus added.


    ¡°That would be nice?¡± Gwyn added.


    ¡°Oh, no. They¡¯re for me. You¡¯re on your own, partner.¡±


    ¡°Damn you.¡±


    Fiona chuckled. ¡°At the very least, you¡¯re still good friends with Mem.¡±


    Gwyn, at last feeling okay, shifted his weight so that he stood tall. He looked at the princess, who wore an expression of something he couldn¡¯t identify. Out beyond the ship, the outline of unlived land passed by in shades of browns and greens. The flat prairie-like plains that seemed to dominate most of the Aqueenian land slowly gave way to lusher grasslands and plentiful trees.


    ¡°What do you mean still friends,¡± Gwyn finally asked after a moment of pause.


    An unexpected chop came to Gwyn¡¯s head with a flash of red light. The girl had zapped what she could have cleared in a jump just to get him. He might have snapped at her, but Fiona¡¯s large purple eyes were shaky and quite possibly a little wet.


    ¡°When my friend, Odell, visits, he doesn¡¯t spend the whole time locked in his room until I have to pry him out under doctor¡¯s orders! While my friend, Rheba, has been here, she¡¯s been willing to go to shops and restaurants while not working! Even though she only does one-word replies, my friend, Harlan, at least replies to my electronic mail!¡±


    Fiona seemed to need to take a moment to catch her breath. Or possibly come up with something about Hal to justify her argument. Gwyn didn¡¯t plan to let her continue, though.


    ¡°I¡­ duly noted¡­.¡±


    Fiona¡¯s eyes grew wider, but she didn¡¯t press the issue again. Her face turned back into a grin, though it seemed a little off, and she ran to the edge of the ship. She began to chatter about the passing scenery, telling the earthling all about Resh, but her voice still sounded forced. Gwyn could no longer avoid hearing it. He wanted to run away again, but he walked up next to her and listened instead.


    He still didn¡¯t want to go on the trip, but maybe he could pretend. The thought of the friends left on earth, the family left who he had left without making a reply, echoed in the back of his mind. Didn¡¯t his mom send him something right before he ended up in another world? They might never get a reply from him again; they probably already had his funeral, but he didn¡¯t have to abandon the connections he made in the new world, no matter how strange some of them were. He told himself that, but he wasn¡¯t sure he could flip a switch so easily.


    ¡°So, do you think he can do it?¡± Fiona asked. Gwyn realized the conversation changed, but he wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    Fiona gave him a look of squinted eyes and a downturned mouth. He was pretty sure he knew what she was conveying but wasn¡¯t about to acknowledge it.


    ¡°Odell. I just mentioned how I think he will have the hardest time getting a ship.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ I just figured he would have an easy time¡­ so I didn¡¯t think much of it¡­.¡±


    Fiona chuckled and nudged his side with her elbow.


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, he is!¡± Mem added without any reason too. Fiona laughed again and tapped her Needaimus bonded arm.


    ¡°Sun thinks so too. But I guess that¡¯s okay. Nonpareils shouldn¡¯t be good liars.¡±


    Gwyn frowned and stared out at the distant landscape.


    ¡°Could you not call me a Nonpareil anymore.¡± He didn¡¯t want to convey any anger, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he succeeded. Either way, even with his face turned, the earthling was certain he could feel large purple eyes looking directly at him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Came the princess''s voice in a respectful tone. Then it turned more devious, ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you tell me about how Odell will have such an easy time, o apparent expert on Hobusian culture and current politics.¡±


    Gwyn groaned.

 A2 – 30 Ambassadors in Hobith

    Odell knew he wasn¡¯t the stealthiest of individuals, or the quietest. Or even the quickest. Yet, he also knew he had to try since Avon wasn¡¯t likely to let him just waltz out of the capital with Prince Donn and Princess Hermina visiting. Ever since the Aqueenian entourage had arrived for negotiations with the new king, the whole city was put on practical lockdown. His brother didn¡¯t want the wrong people to go to the wrong places and leak unsavory information, and that included keeping him in the castle.


    But vacation was calling, and more importantly he had promised Fiona he would come on the trip and was trying to do better about keeping the promises he made¡ªpower mad brother notwithstanding.


    He peaked out from a corner and caught the eye of some guards who glared back.


    ¡°You gentlemen lost?¡± the prince asked in the most nonchalant tone he could manage. ¡°I think the king''s shock troops are supposed to be down on one of the subfloors.¡± The soldier duo looked at each other and began to silently walk to the prince. ¡°Oh, are you not shock troops? You just look¡­ so strong¡­ and badass¡­. Oh, that¡¯s a term I learned from the Nonpareil. You may have heard of him. He¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± One guard grabbed Odell by the wrist.


    ¡°Prince Odell, your brother would like you to stay in your room for the next couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°The next couple of hours? But I¡¯ll hardly be able to do anything productive. At least let me go to the garage, or training arena. I¡¯ll be out of the way then.¡±


    ¡°Orders are orders, my prince.¡±


    Odell grumbled and began to stroke the head of the Needaimus that sat on his shoulder. The guards shuddered but held firm. They repeated themselves with no clear indication they would budge, and Odell¡¯s shoulders fell. From around the corner, Cecilia grey face peered out. She waved for him to come to her.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t even walk forward even?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry prince, but you need to turn back.¡±


    Odell shrugged and Cecilia rolled her eyes. She held out a Needaimus bonded arm, then phased down into the floor. The grey prince worried. What was about to pass might not be ideal, but he could apologize later. ¡°Prince Odell!¡± The soldier said getting more firm in his tone. Odell pulled his arm free.


    ¡°Just a minute, I got this cramp in my leg, yeah.¡± Odell made a face of pain and rubbed the side of his leg. ¡°Seems to be some leftover soreness from the training I¡¯ve been doing, you know?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t turn back, we will be forced to turn you back ourselves.¡± Despite the threat, the soldiers didn¡¯t seem too keen on resorting to that. They looked at each other nervously, perhaps unsure how much to hurt a royal family member, perhaps unsure of how hard Odell might fight back.


    Before anything could be done, Cecilia phased from the ceiling above with two bricks in her hands.


    She wouldn¡¯t, Odell thought.


    The grey girl released both bricks from high up. One guard never knew what came, but the second looked up for a brief moment after tracking Odell¡¯s eyes. Both were on the floor in an instant.


    ¡°Odell!¡± Cecilia floated to the ground and wrapped her arms around him.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°Helping you, now let¡¯s hurry before they wake up!¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t be doing much even after they wake up,¡± Odell grumbled as he and Cecilia charged out of the hallway.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the trip!¡± Cecilia, completely oblivious to the pain she caused, began to get romantic about the upcoming trip. ¡°Beach walks. Dinners under moons light. It¡¯s all so romantic. I can¡¯t believe Avon would keep you away!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been too antsy since taking the throne. Doesn¡¯t like the idea of Hobusian royalty mingling with other nations. Woah-¡± Odell skidded to a halt and held out an arm to stop Cecilia. A small Aqueenian entourage was walking through the main hall with several Hobusian advisors surrounding and engaged in an endless wash of chatter.


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    In the center, Odell was quickly able to pick out Prince Donn and his royal swordswoman guard. He guessed Hermina was probably sitting right next to him in her floating chair. ¡°We need to turn back; this is the worst group to encounter if we want to sneak out¡­.¡± Odell felt his words trail as he turned back to see a grinning Cecilia. A devious grin if he ever saw one.


    ¡°Who says we need to sneak out!¡±


    ¡°You want to disrupt the diplomatic mission?¡± Odell felt a little sting in his words since he knew he might have had no issues doing just that not too long ago.


    Cecilia spoke in a singsong voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, the chalcedony lady with the long hair has already spotted us!¡±


    Odell gulped and turned back to see the much taller Aster with arms crossed right behind him. Her two longswords remained hung at her waist, which at least was a good sign.


    ¡°Hey. We were just passing by.¡±


    The entourage had stopped, and the advisor closest to Prince Odell shouted his name. Donn grinned and pushed his way past the sweating man. He held a hand to Odell, and the prince shook it.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been working out; I¡¯m happy to see that. We¡¯ve been here for five days, and I haven¡¯t run into you once! How are you doing, Odell?¡±


    ¡°My Prince,¡± Aster whispered before jerking her head back to the entourage. The advisors squirmed uncomfortably.


    Donn chuckled, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    An advisor with a Needaimus stammered, ¡°Princ¡­ King Avon is on his way. His last meeting let out early.


    ¡°Wonderful, with all the rest of his meetings going so much over, I¡¯m happy to hear he gets a small break!¡± Donn replied.


    Odell gulped. Avon was bound to be pissed. Not only would they be unable to leave for the trip, but he was bound to be locked away with even more security. Cecilia didn¡¯t have enough bricks for that¡­. Most likely.


    The grey girl, for her part, smiled like she had some sort of plan. Odell worried about her sometimes.


    Donn exchanged pleasantries with Odell, who was too nervous about whatever blow-up may come to reply properly. Hermina floated from the crowd to join them as they waited.


    ¡°I hear you¡¯re going to a resort and that my sister did all the planning?¡± the elder princess asked.


    ¡°Um, yeah. Trying to leave at least,¡± Odell replied.


    Hermina clapped her hands together and looked up to her bulky brother.


    ¡°How wonderful, isn¡¯t it, Donn? To think she¡¯d plan a whole trip on her own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of her. It¡¯s enough to make a weaker man cry,¡± Donn said while staring up at the ceiling.


    ¡°King Avon approaches!¡± An advisor shouted. Avon marched into the hall with a scowl on his face. He scratched at his bony crown and surveyed the space. As he turned to advisors they shrunk back, retreating to the closest wall.


    Donn beamed and walked forward.


    ¡°Good to finally catch up with you, young king.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure.¡±


    They clasped Needaimus bonded hands together, and a pulse of air burst around them, knocking some of the less prepared Aqueenian entourage and Hobusian advisors to the ground. Donn laughed.


    ¡°I appreciate your humor, young king, but don¡¯t forget our abilities are perfect counters to one another.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t blame one for having some harmless fun.¡± Avon turned to Odell, ¡°Now, my little brother, didn¡¯t I say you should avoid causing trouble for our guests?¡±


    ¡°I, we,¡± Odell stammered. Cecilia clasped one of his shoulders as she stepped to his side.


    ¡°We were about to head out on our trip. The inter-nation one at the resort. It would be a real bad look if the Hobusian representative is late.¡± She grinned at Odell, and his yellow eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Yes, we were just heading out. If we hurry now, we still can likely beat the Netzians!¡±


    Avon¡¯s inhale and exhale were unusually loud as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. Donn laughed and nudged the king with his elbow.


    ¡°You really ought to let them go. Don¡¯t need to prove Netzian time is actually better than Hobusian do you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose your trip does have diplomatic connotations. Very well, run along, Prince Donn¡­ and I have much to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. Have a great trip, Odell. Aster, why don¡¯t you accompany them to the dock to help with luggage?¡±


    The swordswoman held a hand to her chest and made a 45-degree bow. ¡°Of course, my prince.¡± Odell was about to comment they didn¡¯t have any luggage, but after seeing a glare from Avon, he figured it was best to keep his mouth shut.


    As they walked out the hall, Odell heard the conversation shift to business as it grew more and more quiet.


    ¡°Now then, King Avon, I have a number of things we¡¯ve needed to discuss, but the pressing one is the sudden breaking of the treaty for military presence on the border.¡±


    ¡°Is it not common for¡­.¡±


    Once out of earshot, Cecilia wrapped herself around Odell¡¯s arm and cheerfully smiled.


    ¡°My Odell did such a great job dealing with that mess!¡± Odell wondered what world she was living in. He clenched the fist on the arm the grey girl was not linked to and closed his eyes. What was he able to accomplish?


    ¡°He did alright,¡± Aster said from behind. The ice in her voice had suddenly melted, ¡°but not as well as Prince Donn, kya!¡± The Hobusian duo looked back at a blushing swordswoman with two hands pressed to her cheeks and then looked forward without another word. It was best to leave some things unsaid.


    Aster¡¯s icy demeanor did not return until they reached the docks and arranged a boat for the Hobusian duo. Odell watched the scared captain stammer words to someone he wouldn¡¯t take seriously if he had witnessed the earlier display. Once aboard and seeing Hobith slowly shrink in the distance, the grey prince felt a wave of frustration wash over him. Grateful as he was for Donn¡¯s help, was he so powerless that he couldn¡¯t handle his brother on his own? The waves splashing under the ship seemed to mock him, but he couldn¡¯t tell why he thought that way.

 A2 – 31 Young Asha Enters Nun

    The sight of Nun was immediately unpleasant to Asha as he followed his mother off the boat. Bright lights, disarray in architectural intent, and people dressed in the stupidest of outfits plastered his sight. If the boy had to guess, his mother thought the same, as her blue lips turned down as soon as the city air assaulted them like secondhand smoke.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait long; a silver vehakul about three times the length of a normal one hovered down the ramp after, and the queen waved off some Nun greeters to slip inside her transport. Asha soon followed and, more forcefully than planned, brought the door to shut with a thud. The Nun greeters jumped, possibly thinking it was indicative of something. His mother¡¯s yellow eyes suggested letting the confusion remain, so the young prince did nothing to correct it before they hovered off to the trial.


    ¡°Mother,¡± the blue prince said once they had turned down a road leading away from the docks. ¡°this is a disgusting town.¡±


    ¡°You must not say that out of this vehakul, but yes, this city would be better off burning. It is an experiment that has long proven to be a failure.¡±


    The boy knew he was often considered too young by other members of the castle, and even in his own family, to understand matters such as this. In truth, he was well aware he was much more intelligent than even most of the adults around him, except for his mother. She was a good queen and sharper than anyone, even his late father, so if she said the city was a failure, he didn¡¯t need to question otherwise.


    Not that his first impression led him to think otherwise.


    Asha nodded.


    ¡°Must we really have this trial here, mother? Wouldn¡¯t it have been best to bring the prisoner to Quenth?¡±


    Queen Whitlock sighed and watched some street performers make buffoons of themselves as they drove past.


    ¡°Yes, and I asked the mayor to arrange her transportation, but he insisted she be given trial in Nun as both a citizen of the city and having been arrested in the city. One thing you must remember with politics, my dear, is that sometimes you have to compromise.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why we had to come here?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately. At the very least, we don¡¯t have to walk those streets¡­.¡± As the queen spoke, someone breathed a plume of fire into the air. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was a performance or not, but the people clapped like trained animals all the same. Asha shook his head. His sister had described the city as colorful and unique when she got back. He knew he should have never listened to the likes of her.


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    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be caught dead on those streets.¡± The boy didn¡¯t bother to hide the disgust within his voice. He almost felt as if he would need a mask if he stepped out of the vehakul. If for anything, the smell had to be borderline rancid among all the variety of folk brushing up against each other. ¡°To think father¡¯s murderer would hail from such a filthy place.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is fitting in the end; he was the primary one who let Nun get away with so much. I always told him it would be the death of him.¡±


    Asha couldn¡¯t tell what was on his mother¡¯s mind as she stared out the window at the passing crowd of filth. In one sense, he was sure she still mourned for his late father, yet she spoke with such a matter-of-fact tone that he wondered what sort of prophecy she must have made to him. Either way, he didn¡¯t heed it and now was long buried, never to see anyone ever again. It was up to Asha, the boy was very sure, to carry on the best of what his father had. His other siblings couldn¡¯t be counted on, after all.


    ¡°I heard father was the first to make a peace treaty with the city?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately. In his early years, he really thought he could save Resh, but you only ever knew him after all the years of frustration and disappointment finally caught up with him. I loved that man, but he was a fool until the end.¡± Queen Whitlock turned to Asha and they stared at each other a moment. ¡°There are big changes coming, if you haven¡¯t noticed by all the events happening, then surely you have felt it in the air. Do you know what your place is in all this?¡±


    His mother seemed colder, more distant as she spoke. It was not as if she merely spoke to him, but also to herself as well, as if she was unsure. Asha could imagine losing King Whitlock would have taken a toll, he wasn¡¯t so heartless himself that he didn¡¯t shed a tear for his father, but at the same time her tone didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with mourning.


    The only thing the young prince could imagine was that she was more in tune with the coming changes, perhaps informed well enough to have more foresight than anyone else in this world. Asha was sure his mother was clever enough to have sent out spies. He shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know my place in this, Mother, but I¡¯m confident you will make the right moves. I plan to support the Aqueenian people until the end.¡±


    Queen Whitlock made a sound that crossed a chuckle with a hum and crossed her arms. She looked back out of the window.


    ¡°Our people have fallen to the same sorts of scum that Nun exports; they will need correction, you understand?¡±


    ¡°Correction is a type of support, Mother.¡±


    ¡°Well said, son, very well, we should end this discussion. Our destination is almost upon us.¡±


    Down the road, the base of a large tower was opening. Some guards pushed a crowd on either side of the door to the sides to allow the Aqueenian Vehakul to enter. Before the doors closed back up, Asha caught sight of a crowd of Beauideal fans screaming and throwing things at them. The fools were so caught up in their love of Dia that they wanted to protest? Asha chuckled; they would have a disappointing day.


    He waited until the driver opened the door for him and moved to his mother¡¯s side. Some Nun officials shrunk at the sight of them. ¡°Come, Asha,¡± Queen Whitlock chirped, ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of that pest.¡±


    ¡°Of course, mother,¡± Asha replied as he followed her deeper within the facility.

 A2 – 32 Reunion 1

    The channel had long since grown wider and wider until the land on each side was blurry and grey. In front of the ship lay an ocean that expanded far beyond what the eye could see. Midday suns refracted on the sea in a shining display that could even warm Gwyn¡¯s cold heart. Just a little. He stared at the open expanse and wondered what was beyond the seas.


    Mem clambered up to the earthling¡¯s shoulder and stared out with him. It wasn¡¯t long before the Needaimus felt like the quiet needed to be filled.


    ¡°This is the top of the continent, partner; beyond here is nothing but landless ocean. It¡¯s crazy to think about.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you ever took the time to think.¡±


    ¡°I have been guilty of doing so once or twice; it usually brings trouble, so I try to keep it brief.¡± If Needaimus were able to chuckle, Gwyn was sure his just did. He didn¡¯t question the noise and simply stared back out to the ocean. From what he understood, Resh was one giant landmass broken up by a series of channels through it. Some kind of Pangea situation. Could there be a whole undiscovered land with unknown people like on earth? He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Resh was fairly technologically advanced, so he would think they might stumble across something like that. Still, the possibility of distant lands, and maybe even distant peoples, stirred the spirit of adventure no matter how much he tried to stamp it out for his own good.


    Either way, the closeness of Resh¡¯s land, and seemingly lack of it, certainly raised thoughts of the wars he had seen first back in the history museum. How much was fought over limited land? Gwyn wondered if it was even possible to ask about such a thing. The factors would be so multilayered to the people who fought in the wars that they might not realize something so simple could be the culprit. Or perhaps he was the one being overly simple.


    A nudge to his side made the Nonpareil jump.


    Fiona giggled cutely.


    ¡°I was just trying to get your attention; if I knew you¡¯d move like that, I¡¯d have done something scarier.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. My heart can¡¯t take too many shocks anymore.¡±


    The blue princess wiped under her big, purple eyes and pointed out in the distance. One side of the land was drawing nearer as the vessel approached. Land had become significantly forested as they traveled northward, but a clear artificial break in the forest awaited in the immediate distance. Long beaches curved away from the boat, and a building that looked to Gwyn like a cross between a feudal-era Japanese palace and a luxury hotel stood stalwart at the forest''s edge.


    ¡°The resort, I presume?¡± the Nonpareil asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Built by an other-worlder?¡± Gwyn asked. The princess looked impressed.


    ¡°Right on! How did you know? It was founded by a fellow some time ago. I think they have a little history wing at the place if you¡­ Yes, we can go check it out.¡±


    Gwyn rubbed his face in an effort to remove whatever look Fiona just reacted to and stared back out at the place. Here was a case of someone getting stuck on Resh and making a home. Did they ever try to go back? Was there even a chance to do so?


    ¡°Did they ever talk about missing Earth?¡±


    The princess pressed a finger to blue chin and tilted her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much of the history, but I don¡¯t think earth was the name of the world.¡±


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    The spirit of adventure was pestering Gwyn again and he hoped he wasn¡¯t showing too much interest. He had to let those sorts of feelings die, lest he be caught in a trap like Nun again. They bantered some time longer as the ship hovered closer and closer to a dock. At some point Rheba and her companions wandered above deck. The warrior joined in, but her stewards remained quiet.


    <hr>


    Eventually the shore came into clearer focus. The beach was already littered with people from all corners of Resh happily running and playing on the sand and in the water. Beyond them the resort building watched from a shady enclave in the trees. As the ship floated closer to the docks, which waited closest of all, Gwyn could see green figure standing at the end. Her arms were crossed, and a turquoise girl stood to her left with a large umbrella to protect her companion from the sun.


    ¡°It¡¯s Harlan!¡± Fiona cried just a Gwyn was beginning to recognize who it was. The blue girl waved both arms enthusiastically to the lizard girl, but Harlan did not uncross her arms. Even as the ship pulled up and the walkway lowered to let them disembark, the scaly girl strolled up with arms locked together. Her turquoise friend walked in step, and as Gwyn got closer, he could see the umbrella girl was chatting up a storm to the blank-faced green girl right until they got close.


    Fiona zapped in front of Harlan and pulled her in for a hug, which got the first reaction¡ªone of discomfort¡ªfrom the Zenotote. Gwyn pulled the blue girl back so he and she were shoulder to shoulder. Harlan tapped a clawed finger on her forearm, her slitted eyes looking back and forth from Fiona to Gwyn, then to Rheba and her group as they disembarked.


    ¡°Hello!¡± the umbrella girl piped up with a grin. She looked somewhat scaly, but not completely enough that ¡®Gwyn wondered if she was full Zenotote. ¡°It¡¯s wooonderful to meet some of Harlan¡¯s friends, I¡¯m,¡­.¡±


    Harlan interrupted by putting her hand up.


    ¡°Princess Fiona,¡± she said in a calm, neutral voice. Though her expression was blank as ever, Gwyn had the feeling she was a bit peeved. ¡°In your email, you said we would arrive at suns-rise.¡±


    Fiona giggled and waved a hand nonchalantly. ¡°No one ever takes arrival times that seriously.¡±


    Harlan¡¯s tongue flickered from her mouth, and she sighed.


    ¡°It is midday now, you know. You would benefit from punctuality going forward.¡±


    The umbrella girl leaned forward; she didn¡¯t make any effort to lower her voice.


    ¡°She was seething earlier but is really happy to see you all now! You should have heard her when the boat first came into view!¡± Harlan flicked the turquoise girl¡¯s calves with her tail. ¡°Ow.¡±


    Fiona didn¡¯t seem to notice anything weird and grabbed the umbrella girl¡¯s hand to shake it. The umbrella fell to the dock as the stranger looked at the blue princess with wide eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice to meet a friend of Harlan¡¯s! I thought she only had us, so I¡¯m happy to be proven otherwise! What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Harlan scratched at the side of her face and looked away.


    ¡°She¡¯s my assistant, Rosemary. She¡¯s been helping with a new project.¡± The turquoise girl looked to slump a little at the word ''assistant'' but seemed to get chipper so quickly after that Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure if he imagined it or not.


    The golden-furred Bentulousian stepped next to Gwyn and laughed.


    ¡°You should know, Aqueenian princess, Zenototes don¡¯t do the friend thing. Everyone¡¯s just coworkers or acquaintances.¡±


    Though the golden giantess glared at Harlan, Rosemary was the one to march in front of her and return a scowl.


    ¡°I thought I smelled something horrid. Are you properly washing that fur?¡± the girl, just below the warrior''s chest, said. ¡°Oh, I forgot your kind like to lick yourselves.¡±


    The dark-furred warrior cracked her knuckles and began to march forward, but Rheba caught her on the back of her clothes. Gwyn wondered what the giant warrior would say as she moved close and pushed her golden companion back. Harlan matched the movement, pulling Rosemary away and greeting Rheba in a new face-to-chest standoff.


    There was nothing but silence until Fiona, stammering a little, piped up.


    ¡°Hey everyone¡­ we should go get unpacked¡­ right?¡±


    Rheba and Harlan stared at each other a moment longer before the giantess piped up in a neutral tone.


    ¡°I hear they have beauideal concerts here.¡±


    ¡°They are usually amateurs, but it should still be fun,¡± Harlan replied in her usual flat cadence.


    Fiona looked at Gwyn with an expression he couldn¡¯t figure out. Most likely, she was confused about what to say next. Fortunately for her, and also perhaps the companions of the duo suddenly talking about beauideals, a shout in the distance caught everyone¡¯s attention. They had been distracted enough that a blocky Hobusian vessel crept up with none the wiser.


    ¡°Hey, everyone!¡± A voice similar to Odell¡¯s but muffled in the distance came across the harbor.


    ¡°Has he gotten louder?¡± Rheba wondered.


    Fiona grinned and waved back. ¡°Hey! Odell! You made it!¡±


    ¡°She has as well,¡± Harlan added.

 A2 – 33 Reunion 2

    Gwyn shook his head and did his best to snuff out a grin. Spending some weeks away from everyone was enough to give him a little wave of nostalgia. As if only good things happened on his trip to Nun. He knew better than to let that feeling win, but couldn¡¯t stop himself from shouting hello to Odell as well.


    They waited as the Aqueenian transport sailed off to the yard, and the newcomer lowered the platform for disembarking. Odell ran down the platform and caught an unprepared Gwyn in an extra long arm. Fiona, likewise, was pulled in by the other.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you!¡± The Hobusian cried. His skin was hard and rough against Gwyn¡¯s, and his arms seemed larger than he recalled. As he let them go and tried to do the same to Harlan and Rheba, Gwyn got a better look at the grey prince. Shoulders were wider, and legs beefier to accompany the bulky arms. The crown that had shattered in Nun was slowly starting to grow back out.


    Harlan sidestepped Odell¡¯s embrace, and Rheba simply laughed and knelt to return his greeting.


    ¡°Odell,¡± Fiona said in shock, ¡°Has Donn¡¯s brainwashing gotten to you too?¡± She sounded genuinely concerned to Gwyn and even looked at him with wide, nervous eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get a desire to work out as well, do you?¡±


    ¡°My Odell has been working hard!¡± Cecilia, suddenly between Gwyn and Fiona, piped up. Both the earthling and princess jumped a little. ¡°He¡¯s embraced the path of the hammer, one of the most noble Hobusian paths, and is even training with¡­.¡±


    ¡°Cecilia, we can talk about that later,¡± Odell said with a laugh. He looked around at the crowd. ¡°So, Hal is the only one left?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he should be here soon!¡± Fiona chirped.


    ¡°If he shows up,¡± Gwyn muttered.


    ¡°I just wish you people knew how to be prompt,¡± Harlan said. Gwyn wondered if he heard some annoyance in her voice.


    <hr>


    Hal crossed his arms and stared out at the open water with a frown. Just in the distance, he could see the resort beginning to take shape, and the thought of having to frolic and play was causing pain to form on his jaw and the back of his head. Times were serious, and he should be doing more important things.


    ¡°What are you doing, grumpy?¡± a masked Aqueenian girl leaned her face very close in front of his. She smiled.


    ¡°You should have stayed in Roanoke.¡± Hal had repeated the line about twenty times when the trip started, but the reply was always the same.


    ¡°And miss out on the fun!¡± The girl spun around, waving her arms dramatically as if she were performing a play for an invisible audience in front of them. ¡°And miss the walks under moons-light, miss romantic dinners of the finest cuisine, and miss-¡±


    ¡°Those that care should be subjected to your words.¡±


    The Aqueenian girl, green with a long black ponytail on the side of her head, spun around. The little bit of mouth showing under her mask turned downward, and she put her hands on her hips.


    ¡°You, sir, don¡¯t have a romantic bone in your body.¡±


    ¡°Romance is for fools and the deceased.¡± Hal looked at his metal hand, opening and closing it a couple of times, ¡°I prefer to live in the real world, Sab¡­ Masquerade.¡±


    The girl grabbed his metallic hand, seemingly not caring about how unnatural it was, and grinned at him.


    ¡°Love is the realest thing there is!¡± Hal sighed.


    ¡°You best hope it is more real than our companion''s memories, lest you be seen as a villain right away.¡±


    He already did not want to go on the trip, but giving his sisters some fun in times that would only grow more tumultuous seemed like the proper thing to do. Yet, the green girl who not so subtly invaded Roanoke was intent on following him everywhere as well. He wondered why Feya bothered to allow her to stay around. The green-haired soldier sighed and scratched at where his artificial arm met his skin.


    ¡°Reformed villian! That¡¯s what I keep telling you! Love has set me on a new path in life!¡± Masquarade wrapped her arms around Hal, he sighed and slipped out of her grip. She grinned at him, then made a surprised face before smirking.


    ¡°Hal,¡± the voice of his sister, Haleigh, came from behind with murderous implications. "You shouldn¡¯t be making public displays of affection, especially with that biaskylo.¡± The masked girl leaned into Hal and kissed his cheek. He sighed and shook his head, pushing her face away.


    ¡°The more she is encouraged, the worse she will act,¡± the boy groaned.


    ¡°You wanna fight?¡± Haleigh was clearly too distracted. Masquerade laughed to herself and wandered to the front of the ship. The resort was getting ever so closer, and a crowd had clearly gathered on the docks. Hal was sure it was going to be some familiar faces. They were a headache, but at least some could be reasoned with. Others needed to be kept as far away from his sisters as possible.


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    The younger twins charged up the front to stand next to the masked girl. Isabella tried to lean out further than she should, but the Aqueenian girl gently grabbed her by the shoulder before Hal had to intervene.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty!¡± Izzy shouted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Gabriella more quietly added. Seeing the two happy loosened Hal¡¯s jaw¡ªjust a little. The trip was for them, after all. He would make sure it was a good time, even if it became the last good time for a long while.


    <hr>


    Odell was the first to notice the odd ship in the distance¡ªor perhaps the first to notice what was wrong with it. Others began to gawk and talk about it in their group soon after he laid eyes on it. The hull was completely metal¡ªthat was the first thing anyone would see, but that meant it was far too heavy for hover technology. The boat floated in the water, like something from the pre-needaimus era, which baffled the young prince.


    Why would they give up superior hover tech? The waves were well known to be merciless.


    Beyond the metal hull and primitive flotation method, Odell next locked eyes on a series of large metal cannons that sat in the center and could seemingly rotate to either side. There were only four, but that was enough to suggest the ship meant business. Yet, the heavy weight, the lack of modern technology, and the Netzian symbol painted on the side told him the thing was really a showpiece more than anything else. They were so busy thinking about whether they could, but no one thought about whether they should. He laughed to himself and turned to nudge Gwyn.


    The earthling stood more still than the others, staring with wide eyes at the ship. He gulped and pulled a pill from his case. Odell waited until the medicine was swallowed before elbowing him gently.


    ¡°Can you believe the Netzians? Their ridiculous, huh?¡±


    ¡°Netzians?¡± Gwyn repeated. ¡°Ridiculous?¡±


    They waited until the ship stopped a ways off, and a smaller boat lowered down to come ashore. Lots of green hair bobbed across the waters in a proper hovering vessel. When it came close, the hover tech made a loud hum as the small boat lifted up to the dock.


    ¡°Hal! What is that thing supposed to be?¡± Odell laughed to the Netzian once he and four ladies were standing with them.


    ¡°The latest ship in the Netzian Fleet. Virginia''s Love.¡±


    ¡°More like Virginias Sink. How do you expect to keep that thing in good condition when it''s touching the water all the time?¡±


    Gwyn stepped forward with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Odell boats on earth all touch the water; that¡¯s normal.¡±


    The prince found his friend''s comments intriguing but couldn¡¯t respond before Fiona joined in.


    ¡°Ah! Why are we all talking about a boat? It¡¯s the beach, it¡¯s fun time! Hal just brought four beautiful ladies with him! I mean, they are probably the famous sisters we''ve....¡± She looked at a masked Aqueenian with a look of suspicion, then leaned close to the grey prince so she could speak softly, though they were so close it didn¡¯t make a difference how quietly they spoke. ¡°Odell, wasn¡¯t he talking to a green Aqueenian girl back in Nun too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! You said she turned out to be evil, though. You don¡¯t think?¡±


    ¡°It might just be.¡±


    The duo spoke in unison.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a thing for Aqueenians!¡±


    ¡°Especially green ones!¡± Odell added. The masked girl looked at Hal and grinned, her mouth barely visible where the mask cut off at the bottom, but the expression was still clear. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t rare for Netzians to have a thing for Aqueenians, but Odell never met one so open with his tastes. He patted Hal¡¯s arm, feeling unexpected metal beneath the sleeve, and nodded his head. ¡°We will give you our full support.¡± Fiona nodded along, and even Gwyn¡ªthough he looked a bit confused about everything¡ªmade a weak nod to show his agreement.


    From behind the group, Hal¡¯s sisters had started to mingle with the others on the dock. The two little ones stood and gawked at the giant Bentulousian warriors.


    ¡°Wow!¡± a louder of the two said while staring up at Rheba. ¡°Did you get so tall from drinking milk?¡± Rheba looked at Fiona, who beamed, and then at Harlan with her blank expression. Cecilia piped up and shuffled over to smack Rheba on the back.


    ¡°You got it, little ladies. Make sure you eat all your vegetables, too, if you want to get so big and strong!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget to eat your vegetables?¡± the louder twin asked. Compared to a Hobusian, they weren¡¯t that much shorter. The girl only laughed and ruffled the twin¡¯s green hair.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you should learn your lesson from big sis Cecilia.¡±


    The grey prince was sure he might have fallen over in shock, but managed to stay standing all the same. Never in a million years did he expect to see Cecilia do so well with some children. Sheltered as they seemed to be¡ªgiven the shock at seeing a Bentulousian. The older sister, someone roughly about Hal¡¯s age, stepped close to the twins to pull them away. She said something about being rude, but it was so soft that the grey prince wasn¡¯t sure if he heard right. Then, she quietly tried to introduce herself to Gwyn before retreating behind her brother.


    Odell saw Harlan whisper something to Rosemary, and the turquoise girl piped up immediately after.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t want to stand here all day; let¡¯s drop stuff off and hit the beach!¡± Her words were enough to get the crowd moving, and soon, everyone began to grab things to carry. Fiona, for her part, disappeared in a flash with a stack of cases, much to the groans of Gwyn and Rheba. Odell stayed near the back of the crowd, with the Netzian¡¯s party just behind him so that Cecilia could chat up the twins.


    He tried not to eavesdrop, but he couldn¡¯t help but overhear the older sister say to Hal, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me the Nonpareil was good-looking!¡±


    Odell didn¡¯t look back but had a strong feeling the expression the soldier made wasn¡¯t a pretty one.


    <hr>


    ¡°That was beautiful,¡± Simeon said through tears.


    Sinatra snapped at him, ¡°Shut up, they haven¡¯t gotten far yet.¡±


    The trio had managed to sneak under the dock when everyone else disembarked, but now hung to the supports under the dock as tightly as they could.


    ¡°But all the princess''s friends showed up, and everyone chatted like the good old days,¡± the Fiona fan club member wiped tears from his eyes. He slipped free from his support, and the other two had to grab his shirt to prevent the crier from being lost in the waves below. ¡°But we didn¡¯t get any pictures!¡± the man moaned and wept more.


    Sinatra sighed. ¡°If you are going to be like this the whole trip, we aren¡¯t going to get anything productive done.¡±

 A2 – 34 The Sister

    The group quickly deposited their items into luxury rooms on the top floor and changed into swimsuits. Before even considering leaving his room, Gwyn eyed his arms and chest. He saw no signs of the rocky growth that marked his condition but did notice a couple of scars where the disease had been particularly strong. He rubbed his rough shoulder, then sat his pill case near the door so he wouldn¡¯t forget it. It may turn ugly if he was neglectful.


    The real challenge came after¡ªapplying sunscreen with a bum arm. It was common for the earthling to find everyday mundanity, now some of the most challenging things, due to his left arm''s condition. Yet, what option was there to find a way? He could perhaps ask Fiona to assist, but Gwyn was certain that would result in having a giant glob of sunscreen poured on him or some other idea of a prank as a form of assistance. The Nonpareil was fine on his own.


    Mem, who was useless for such things but always had to give its two cents, sat on the hotel bed and watched.


    ¡°There¡¯s a spot on your back you missed, no to your left. You¡¯re other left.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t helping!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t doing a good job! You¡¯re going to have the weirdest burn mark!¡±


    Gwyn quickly finished the rest of his work and let Mem jump onto his bum shoulder. The Needaimus slipped off right away, and tried to fake brush itself off while Gwyn laughed and held his right arm low. The second time Mem wrapped its tail tightly on the Nonpareil¡¯s arm and with medicine case in hand, Gwyn went out to meet the others waiting in the lobby.


    When the Nonpareil poked his head into the area, he didn¡¯t see anyone waiting yet.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mem whispered, seemingly reading his intent.


    ¡°Checking for the others, it looks like we have time.¡±


    ¡°Time?¡±


    Gwyn¡¯s eyes followed along the path of the lobby to a far corner where a door was marked with a multi language sign. Of what Gwyn could read, museum was laid out clearly. The earthling also took note of some characters that resembled Chinese, but seemed off as if it was a derivation of the original language. He grew more intrigued. Taking one last look across the lobby, and seeing no one he recognized, the earthling power walked across and into his target.


    The smell of history was the first thing that hit him, or, more accurately, dusty old armor and clothes that looked more at home in Feudal Japan than Resh. The room itself appeared to be a circle with a large center set up blocking the other side. One could make a lap around and see everything if there wasn¡¯t another door to somewhere else just out of sight. A small pop-up board promised that ¡®the famous Needaimus of Atsuko¡¯ was inside as well, but that was the least interesting thing offered. Gwyn leaned close so he could read the armor¡¯s plaque in the low light.


    ¡°The armor Atsuko wore when arriving. Huh?¡±


    ¡°Partner, is this really where you wanted to go?¡± Mem¡¯s mechanical voice didn¡¯t mask the disappointment the Needaimus had with him.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Gwyn was admittedly excited to learn about some interesting history, but foremost, he had one question that needed answering. Did they ever find a way back? Given the state of the resort and the fact that the museum was here, he worried he already knew the answer, but he ignored the gnawing thoughts at the back of his mind to admire some art that he supposed Atsuko painted when on Resh. They resembled paintings of the time on earth, but with a flair to style that was foreign. Gwyn wasn¡¯t sure if that foreign element was from Resh or somewhere else. He leaned in close to see the name of one with a cherry blossom tree as large as a skyscraper. Atsuko¡¯s Memories of Bikiyo, painted just before her death, was printed below.


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    ¡°So, you thought about home too, then?¡± Gwyn muttered. He clenched his good hand into a fist and stared at his feet. It wasn¡¯t complete confirmation, but it was close enough. He began to slide over to the next display and jammed his shoulder into someone else¡¯s.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± he spoke in unison with the other person before looking up to meet her eyes. Hal¡¯s elder sister stood before him, even without having gotten a good look at her while at the dock, her face had a similar, albeit softer, structure to the grumpy soldier. She fiddled with the tip of her emerald hair that hung by her shoulder, and her matching eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Oh, uh, hi Mr. I mean, I¡­. My name¡¯s Haliegh. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you?¡±


    ¡°Hal¡¯s sister?¡± Gwyn asked, though he wasn¡¯t sure why since he already knew. The earthling wondered if he was simply looking to help recover after the rocky start to the conversation.


    ¡°Oh, you must not have noticed me at the dock,¡± her shoulders slumped a little before perking back up, ¡°yes, Hal is my elder twin, actually! You can tell I got all the looks¡­. I mean, not that I¡¯m so vain to think I¡¯m gorgeous or anything¡­. Just compared to him, you know?¡±


    Mem chuckled from atop Gwyn¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°She¡¯s like the complete opposite of Hal,¡± the Needaimus said, ¡°got all the charm too, I¡¯d say.¡± Gwyn agreed with the metal creature, but decided it was best to keep that to himself.


    ¡°Oh, is this the Needaimus that talks!¡± Haliegh leaned close to see Mem, before her face turned red and she backed up. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t trying to invade your personal space or anything!¡± The girl pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. ¡°Anyway, what brings you around here? Just trying to kill time?¡±


    ¡°I was interested in the history of this place.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a bit of a thing for museums, I feel sorry for any future girlfriends,¡± Mem added.


    ¡°I can knock you off, you know.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall fall with grace!¡±


    Haliegh giggled at the duo before gasping and covering her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I wasn¡¯t laughing at you¡­ or well¡­. Anyway, I can¡¯t believe you were interested, I was too! I am actually a huge history buff myself!¡±


    Gwyn felt his spirits rise with the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Really? What got you interested?¡± Gwyn asked. The green-haired girl lit up with the question, and any awkwardness in her posture seemed to straighten out.


    ¡°Oh, it was such a long time ago, but I remember like yesterday. My school was on a field trip to the Roanoke museum, and I was fascinated with all the records from when our people first arrived, to¡­ well, everything that came after. Get this, before they were transferred here, our people had already sailed across a large sea to a new land! Oh, the records of people writing about the old world were so fun to read. And¡­ oh,¡± Haliegh put both hands over her mouth before saying in a lower volume, ¡°I¡¯m talking too much, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Gwyn replied. ¡°I would love to see this museum and all these records. It sounds fascinating.¡±


    ¡°It really is! How did you get interested in history, by the way? Is it common back on the homeworld?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Gwyn laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Most kids hate it in school, as far as I recall, but my dad''s a historian, and it just rubbed off, I guess.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you have a wonderful father!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes looked as if they might sparkle like actual emeralds.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ he¡¯s a good guy¡­.¡±


    The conversation was replaced with silence, and Haliegh¡¯s green eyes began to dart around frantically as if she were looking for something to latch onto. She never got to say anything else, as a hand tightly locked around Gwyn¡¯s shoulder from behind. The Nonpareil jumped and spun around to see Hal, looking out for blood with possible murder on his mind.


    ¡°A word,¡± Hal said to Gwyn before giving Haliegh a look. She sighed and waved her hand dismissively at her brother.


    ¡°By, uh, can I call you something other than Nonpareil?¡± Gwyn took notice of how full her eyelashes seemed as she blinked a couple of times and made a soft smile.


    ¡°Please call me Gwyn.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you later, Gwyn?.¡±


    Haliegh shuffled out of the museum. From what the earthling could make out, she immediately began to talk with someone outside the door. The others were likely beginning to meet up. He sighed and turned to the green-haired soldier, who stood a head shorter than him but made up for it in sheer moxy.


    ¡°You do anything to my sister, even look at her funny, and I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Hal muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too, buddy,¡± Gwyn groaned in reply. How could two siblings be so different? ¡°Anyway, we need to go meet up with everyone.¡± The Nonpareil, not wanting to keep the conversation¡ªif it was anything of the sort¡ªgoing turned and walked out the door before Hal could reply.