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Time for the next chapter of Dawn of Courage. (Warning: contains mild language)
The heroic group were continuing on their mission to stop the Undead King and his Undead Army. They were heading to the next village in hopes of picking up supplies. Along the way they had fought some monsters and were busy collecting the useable parts from them.
“Okay, we managed to get a few nice things from our foes today,” Sir Reginald said. “We got some more Bat Seed wings, some Red Platy tails, Snap Rat tails, Devil Kid spears and wings, and some Drill Mole claws. That’ll fetch a decent amount of pocket change.”
Van nodded, “Indeed, Sir Reginald. And facing these monsters is good practice for us when we get to the bigger battles against Muu’s forces. Now, let us be on our way and hope we don’t have any real issues to deal with until we get to the next village.”
Nodding the heroic party made their way down the road toward the next village. After about an hour they finally made it to the nearest settlement. It was a nice, cozy village with plenty of people bustling about while children played.
“Okay, we’re here,” Nina said. “Now, let’s market off our monster parts first. We already know what the Bat Seed wings and Devil Kid wings and spears will fetch. Now, if memory serves, the Snap Rat tails can be sold at monster part shops for 7 copper each, the Red Platy tails can be sold to butchers for 13 copper each, and the Drill Mole claws can be sold to weapon shops for 20 copper a pair. So let’s get that out of the way first before we do anything else.”
Nova nodded, “Right. Lead the way.”
The party went about the village, doing business and bartering for good prices. After a short time they had finished their needed errands and decided to take a break near the center of the village.
“Okay, we got some decent pocket change from the monster parts and managed to get some good supplies for now,” Kettu said. “We still need to shop for food, as we’re starting to get low, but the potions and such took priority, as we can simply hunt and forage if need be. Especially since Van is surprisingly stealthy when it comes to hunting wild animals like boars.”
Van smiled, “Thank you for the compliment, Kettu. We Centaurs are a warrior race, so we need to know how to sneak up on our foes, be it monsters or prey. We can be deceptively sneaky for our size. After we’ve taken a break let us continue with our shopping. Then I suggest we head for the inn for the night.”
Suddenly, some kids ran past the party, with one saying, “There’s a guy performing a magic show by the front of the village!”
“Let’s check it out!” another kid said.
Nova pondered, “A magic show? I admit it does make me curious, as I have a fondness for stage magic. I even know a few tricks myself thanks to summer camp. …Boy did I hate summer camp. Let’s check it out for a bit of fun.”
Nina nodded, “Sure. I wonder what kind of tricks will be shown.”
“I guess it couldn’t hurt to check it out,” Sir Reginald said. “After all, even warriors need a bit of fun every now and then. Let’s go see.”
The party made their way to the front of the village where a strange figure was standing. He looked like an anthropomorphic hyena, covered in spotted fur, had claw-like hands and feet, bright orange eyes, a muzzle full of sharp teeth, a hyena’s tail, and a mane of hair on his head. He was dressed in a sleeveless vest over a blue tunic, long blue pants, a belt full of different pouches, knee-high toeless boots, and a headband.
“It’s a Beastman,” Kettu said.
“Step right up for a grand show!” the Beastman said in a real showman’s voice. “I’ve got quite the performance for you, my fine friends. If everyone is ready we can begin.”
He started to perform various stage magic tricks, one after the other, causing the crowd to applaud at each trick. After a short time he pushed a large box with giant question marks on it into place.
“Okay, for my final trick I need a volunteer,” he said. “Let’s see…” He survey the crowd before walking over to Nova, “You there, my young friend. How about you be my assistant for this final display?”
Nova’s eyes widened, “What?! Me?!”
The Beastman dragged Nova over, “Come now, no need to be afraid. Don’t want to look like a chicken in front of that pretty lady, now do you?”
Nova blushed at the thought before reluctantly complying.
“That’s the spirit!” He turned to the crowd, “Now, with my helpful assistant here, I will place him inside this box and if everything goes accordingly both he and the box will disappear.” He pushed Nova into the box and closed it up, “On the count of three. One… Two… Three! Alakazam!”
The box was engulfed in several small explosions of smoke. When the smoke cleared the box was gone along with its occupant.
“And there you have it! Thank you all for being a great audience!”
The villagers applauded and tossed various coins into a dish that was in front of him before moving on.
Nina stepped up to the Beastman, “Okay, now that the show’s over, please bring Nova back,”
“Oho! Don’t see too many Phoenix Clan members way out here. Now… um… about your friend… it would appear that my magic went a bit overboard, as… how do I put this? …He’s gone.”
It took a moment for that statement to sink in before Nina exclaimed, “WHAT?! He’s GONE?! Well, get him back!”
The Beastman replied, “Well, you see, little lovely lady, it would appear that my magic went a bit too far and it sent him to another dimension.”
Kettu narrowed his eyes, “I smell a rat. And I’m not taking about those Snap Rats we dealt with earlier.”
Meanwhile, in a darken area, Nova was slowly regaining his senses.
“Oof…” he grunted. “What the hell happened? Where… am I?”
He looked around to see only darkness, trying to feel his way through the tight, enclosed space.
“What the hell?! Where in blazes am I?” He gave a defeated groan, “Looks like we fell for a conman. Or, rather, I did. Now, how do I get out of here?”
Meanwhile, Nina stated, “Another dimension!? You can’t be serious! Bring Nova back this instant!”
The Beastman stroked his chin, saying, “You’re responding in quite the tone, young lady. Is Nova, perhaps… your boyfriend?”
“B-B-Boyfriend?!” Nina sputtered, clearly taken aback by the question. She struggled to respond, blushing, “I… well… He… umm… Nova… uh…”
The Beastman replied, “Well, don’t you worry, I can bring him back. It’ll just take a bit of time for me to figure out which dimension he got sent to. Maybe you can assist me? Hmm?”
Sir Reginald, Kettu, and Van all had unimpressed expressions on their faces, clearly knowing what was going on.
Meanwhile, after fumbling around in the dark for a bit Nova gave a defeated sigh.
“Looks like I’ll have to bust my way out. I’d hate to summon Elora for something as trivial as this but since I’m having enough trouble figuring out left from right I’m gonna need her.” He took out a Summoning Sticker from his Digi-Pack, placed it on the back of his right hand, and stated in a strong voice, “Elora, come forth!”
At the time, Sir Reginald was beginning to lose his patience, “Enough with the flirting, Beastman. Just bring Nova back.”
The Beastman replied, “That’s easier said than done, as—”
However, the ground began to shake, startling everyone. A moment later Elora burst out of the ground nearby, giving a hiss as she did.
“A G-Gorgon Viper!? Where did THAT come from!?”
Nina’s eyes widened hopefully, “It’s Elora!”
Elora shook off the dirt from her body, got out of the hole she had made, lowered her head back into it, and a moment later lifted it back up, with Nova clutching onto one of her horns.
“Whew…” he said. “Glad I’m out of there. I’m already cowardly enough. I don’t need to tack claustrophobia onto my list.”
Nina turned to the Beastman, glaring at him with venomous eyes, who was looking a bit nervous.
“‘Another dimension’, huh?” she snarled. “You con!”
She jumped into the air, did a few front flips, and prepared to axe kick the Beastman, who ducked his head in panic.
“Nina, stop!” Nova stated.
Nina had to hastily flap her wings in order to stop her downward strike. Her wings were flapping out of synch as she tried to right herself in midair before finally returning to an upright position, hovering off the ground. She flew over to Nova, who gave a sigh of relief.
“Nova, are you okay?” she asked. “Why won’t you let me give this guy what for?”
Nova, who was still dangling from Elora’s horn, replied, “He’s not worth it. It was just one trick. Nothing truly serious or anything. And I’m unharmed, which proves it was just a harmless prank. No harm, no foul. It felt more like an elaborate April Fool’s prank or a practical joke, as the victim, me, isn’t hurt. And I can take a joke, especially since the universe is out to get me. So don’t beat his skull in, as he’s not worth it. I’m not too happy about it but since the trick was more or less harmless then I don’t feel the need to punish him.”
The Beastman looked at Nova hopefully, saying, “Thank you! Thank you for forgiving me! I admit I get a bit carried away whenever I see a pretty lady and your Phoenix girl companion certainly fits the bill. Sorry for my little prank.”
“Like I said, I can let you off the hook because I’m unharmed. But try not to pull something like that again, as others might not be as forgiving as me. Besides, you did put on a good show, as your stage magic tricks were fun to watch, so I’ll let you off with a warning.”
Sir Reginald gave a sigh, “Be thankful that Nova’s a good sport about this. Otherwise Nina’s axe kick would’ve been the least of your worries. Just watch who you pull something like that on next time, as they might not be as forgiving as Nova.”
The Beastman nodded, “Yes, yes, I understand. Thank you for being so forgiving.”
Elora gently put Nova down, allowing him to dust himself off. Nina tackled him in a hug, clearly happy that he was safe, making him blush.
He turned to Elora, “Thanks again for your help, Elora. Sorry I had to summon you for something so trivial but I appreciate you getting me out of that situation. To the Spirit Plane.”
Elora nodded before vanishing in a flurry of sparkles. Nova then took the Summoning Sticker off his hand and placed it in his Digi-Pack.
The Beastman said, “I’m curious to know. How did you acquire a Gorgon Viper as a familiar? Aren’t they considered dreaded due to their nasty temperaments and general disobedience?”
Sir Reginal explained, “Elora was a wild Gorgon Viper that Nova nursed back to health. He ended up winning her trust and she’s been his familiar ever since. And she’s something of an exception: unlike other Gorgon Vipers she’s generally very friendly and unquestionably loyal. She follows Nova’s instructions to the letter and has been incredibly helpful to our mission.”
“Mission?”
Nina replied, “Nova is the Demon King’s current champion. So we’re on the mission to destroy Muu and his forces once and for all. As a result, it was most fortunate that Nova bonded with Elora. Having a familiar that was bred specifically to hunt Undead has been an exceptionally useful to our quest in stopping Muu for good.”
The Beastman went slack jawed, “You’re going up against Muu? Aren’t you afraid of him?”
Nova replied, “Me? Afraid of Muu? Of course I’m afraid of him, you’ve gotta be batty not to be afraid of an ancient super evil being. I’m afraid of all manner of ghosts and undead as I have plasmophobia. Yet, sadly, I was selected by Belzebuth to be his champion against Muu. I have no idea what his reasonings are for selecting a coward like me who is afraid of the very thing I’m tasked to fight but here I sit. I know I can’t go home until I defeat Muu so I just grin and bear it. I hate every second of every fight I have with Muu’s forces and I’m stuck with this gig until either Muu dies or I die, whichever happens first. So I just do my best and hope I can get out of this whole event alive and with all my pieces intact.”
The Beastman’s eyes were wide, “You’re willing to fight Muu despite being afraid of him and his kind? That’s… amazing. Not many would be willing to face Muu even if they weren’t afraid of Undead. And yet, despite your fear of him you’re willing to take the fight to his front door in hopes of ending this 3,000+ year nightmare? That takes guts. I remember some friends who challenged Muu’s forces. They did pretty well, too, having destroyed several platoons. That is, until Muu sicced General Vertebreak on them. From what I heard it was quite the slaughter. The survivors fled while the souls of the fallen were harvested. I don’t know for sure if this information is correct but I have heard that, once in a while, Muu will take a captured soul and fuse it with an Undead Soldier to turn it into a new Undead Captain or General, depending on his needs. Only his Captains and Generals can steal souls from those they have slain, but those souls are then stored in a magical crystal for later use. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
Kettu gained a grim expression, “So… that rumor is true. Any victim of Muu’s Captains or Generals has their souls captured and are used for Muu’s nefarious purposes like creating more Undead Captains and Generals. I was afraid of that. That means Muu could easy use the souls of his victims as meat shields to fend off our attacks.”
The Beastman replied, “Not quite. While, yes, he’ll use those souls to create new Captains and Generals to expand his army, from what I’ve heard once said new Captain or General is slain the soul is freed from its grip and is able to ascend to the afterlife safely. The soul itself becomes a power source but once the new body is destroyed the soul is purified and freed, thus preventing Muu from snatching it again and repeating the process. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. My information may not be completely accurate, but it appears the best way to save the souls that have been captured by Muu is to destroy the bodies of the Undead Captains and/or Generals in order to set them free. They are meat shields in a sense, yes, but once defeated the souls used to power those new bodies are released and allowed to ascend peacefully.”
Sir Reginald stroked his chin, “Hmm… even if what you said may not be totally accurate, it does give us an idea of how Muu can expand his army further. This is actually useful knowledge, as it means we need to hunt down and destroy every single Undead Captain and General in case some of them are being powered by captured souls of Muu’s victims.”
Kettu said silently, “Then maybe there’s still hope for me to save him…”
The Beastman asked, “Please, allow me to accompany you. Your mission to fight Muu has inspired me to join the battle. And the fact that your little champion is willing to take on such a daunting task despite being afraid of the very thing he’s fighting is rather inspiring. Please, will you allow it? I happen to have some good friends who know some useful information on Muu. Sadly, they’re in the next kingdom of Aquatica, but since you’re probably going that way anyway I can see if I can track them down and see if they’ve got some new dirt on Muu. Will you allow it?”
Everyone took a moment to ponder before exchanging nods.
Sir Reginal replied, “Okay, welcome to the party. Just no more con artist tricks, okay?”
“You’ve got a deal. Oh, I guess I should introduce myself since we’re gonna be working together. My name is Zeeker Cackle. And thanks, for both giving me a chance and forgiving me for my little trick.”
Nova replied, “I’ve seen worse con artist scams. At least you put on a good show. And at least you’re nowhere near as bad as Dominic. Welcome to the team, Zeeker. Now, we need to finish our supply shopping and head for the inn so we can be well rested for our next mission.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. They gathered up their stuff and returned to the village to complete their shopping, one member stronger.
Next Chapter: Skullmania
That's it for today. Will Zeeker help contribute to the cause? Or will he spend his time flirting with Nina? Tune in next time to find out.
He Who Laughs Loudest is Lost
The heroic group were continuing on their mission to stop the Undead King and his Undead Army. They were heading to the next village in hopes of picking up supplies. Along the way they had fought some monsters and were busy collecting the useable parts from them.
“Okay, we managed to get a few nice things from our foes today,” Sir Reginald said. “We got some more Bat Seed wings, some Red Platy tails, Snap Rat tails, Devil Kid spears and wings, and some Drill Mole claws. That’ll fetch a decent amount of pocket change.”
Van nodded, “Indeed, Sir Reginald. And facing these monsters is good practice for us when we get to the bigger battles against Muu’s forces. Now, let us be on our way and hope we don’t have any real issues to deal with until we get to the next village.”
Nodding the heroic party made their way down the road toward the next village. After about an hour they finally made it to the nearest settlement. It was a nice, cozy village with plenty of people bustling about while children played.
“Okay, we’re here,” Nina said. “Now, let’s market off our monster parts first. We already know what the Bat Seed wings and Devil Kid wings and spears will fetch. Now, if memory serves, the Snap Rat tails can be sold at monster part shops for 7 copper each, the Red Platy tails can be sold to butchers for 13 copper each, and the Drill Mole claws can be sold to weapon shops for 20 copper a pair. So let’s get that out of the way first before we do anything else.”
Nova nodded, “Right. Lead the way.”
The party went about the village, doing business and bartering for good prices. After a short time they had finished their needed errands and decided to take a break near the center of the village.
“Okay, we got some decent pocket change from the monster parts and managed to get some good supplies for now,” Kettu said. “We still need to shop for food, as we’re starting to get low, but the potions and such took priority, as we can simply hunt and forage if need be. Especially since Van is surprisingly stealthy when it comes to hunting wild animals like boars.”
Van smiled, “Thank you for the compliment, Kettu. We Centaurs are a warrior race, so we need to know how to sneak up on our foes, be it monsters or prey. We can be deceptively sneaky for our size. After we’ve taken a break let us continue with our shopping. Then I suggest we head for the inn for the night.”
Suddenly, some kids ran past the party, with one saying, “There’s a guy performing a magic show by the front of the village!”
“Let’s check it out!” another kid said.
Nova pondered, “A magic show? I admit it does make me curious, as I have a fondness for stage magic. I even know a few tricks myself thanks to summer camp. …Boy did I hate summer camp. Let’s check it out for a bit of fun.”
Nina nodded, “Sure. I wonder what kind of tricks will be shown.”
“I guess it couldn’t hurt to check it out,” Sir Reginald said. “After all, even warriors need a bit of fun every now and then. Let’s go see.”
The party made their way to the front of the village where a strange figure was standing. He looked like an anthropomorphic hyena, covered in spotted fur, had claw-like hands and feet, bright orange eyes, a muzzle full of sharp teeth, a hyena’s tail, and a mane of hair on his head. He was dressed in a sleeveless vest over a blue tunic, long blue pants, a belt full of different pouches, knee-high toeless boots, and a headband.
“It’s a Beastman,” Kettu said.
“Step right up for a grand show!” the Beastman said in a real showman’s voice. “I’ve got quite the performance for you, my fine friends. If everyone is ready we can begin.”
He started to perform various stage magic tricks, one after the other, causing the crowd to applaud at each trick. After a short time he pushed a large box with giant question marks on it into place.
“Okay, for my final trick I need a volunteer,” he said. “Let’s see…” He survey the crowd before walking over to Nova, “You there, my young friend. How about you be my assistant for this final display?”
Nova’s eyes widened, “What?! Me?!”
The Beastman dragged Nova over, “Come now, no need to be afraid. Don’t want to look like a chicken in front of that pretty lady, now do you?”
Nova blushed at the thought before reluctantly complying.
“That’s the spirit!” He turned to the crowd, “Now, with my helpful assistant here, I will place him inside this box and if everything goes accordingly both he and the box will disappear.” He pushed Nova into the box and closed it up, “On the count of three. One… Two… Three! Alakazam!”
The box was engulfed in several small explosions of smoke. When the smoke cleared the box was gone along with its occupant.
“And there you have it! Thank you all for being a great audience!”
The villagers applauded and tossed various coins into a dish that was in front of him before moving on.
Nina stepped up to the Beastman, “Okay, now that the show’s over, please bring Nova back,”
“Oho! Don’t see too many Phoenix Clan members way out here. Now… um… about your friend… it would appear that my magic went a bit overboard, as… how do I put this? …He’s gone.”
It took a moment for that statement to sink in before Nina exclaimed, “WHAT?! He’s GONE?! Well, get him back!”
The Beastman replied, “Well, you see, little lovely lady, it would appear that my magic went a bit too far and it sent him to another dimension.”
Kettu narrowed his eyes, “I smell a rat. And I’m not taking about those Snap Rats we dealt with earlier.”
Meanwhile, in a darken area, Nova was slowly regaining his senses.
“Oof…” he grunted. “What the hell happened? Where… am I?”
He looked around to see only darkness, trying to feel his way through the tight, enclosed space.
“What the hell?! Where in blazes am I?” He gave a defeated groan, “Looks like we fell for a conman. Or, rather, I did. Now, how do I get out of here?”
Meanwhile, Nina stated, “Another dimension!? You can’t be serious! Bring Nova back this instant!”
The Beastman stroked his chin, saying, “You’re responding in quite the tone, young lady. Is Nova, perhaps… your boyfriend?”
“B-B-Boyfriend?!” Nina sputtered, clearly taken aback by the question. She struggled to respond, blushing, “I… well… He… umm… Nova… uh…”
The Beastman replied, “Well, don’t you worry, I can bring him back. It’ll just take a bit of time for me to figure out which dimension he got sent to. Maybe you can assist me? Hmm?”
Sir Reginald, Kettu, and Van all had unimpressed expressions on their faces, clearly knowing what was going on.
Meanwhile, after fumbling around in the dark for a bit Nova gave a defeated sigh.
“Looks like I’ll have to bust my way out. I’d hate to summon Elora for something as trivial as this but since I’m having enough trouble figuring out left from right I’m gonna need her.” He took out a Summoning Sticker from his Digi-Pack, placed it on the back of his right hand, and stated in a strong voice, “Elora, come forth!”
At the time, Sir Reginald was beginning to lose his patience, “Enough with the flirting, Beastman. Just bring Nova back.”
The Beastman replied, “That’s easier said than done, as—”
However, the ground began to shake, startling everyone. A moment later Elora burst out of the ground nearby, giving a hiss as she did.
“A G-Gorgon Viper!? Where did THAT come from!?”
Nina’s eyes widened hopefully, “It’s Elora!”
Elora shook off the dirt from her body, got out of the hole she had made, lowered her head back into it, and a moment later lifted it back up, with Nova clutching onto one of her horns.
“Whew…” he said. “Glad I’m out of there. I’m already cowardly enough. I don’t need to tack claustrophobia onto my list.”
Nina turned to the Beastman, glaring at him with venomous eyes, who was looking a bit nervous.
“‘Another dimension’, huh?” she snarled. “You con!”
She jumped into the air, did a few front flips, and prepared to axe kick the Beastman, who ducked his head in panic.
“Nina, stop!” Nova stated.
Nina had to hastily flap her wings in order to stop her downward strike. Her wings were flapping out of synch as she tried to right herself in midair before finally returning to an upright position, hovering off the ground. She flew over to Nova, who gave a sigh of relief.
“Nova, are you okay?” she asked. “Why won’t you let me give this guy what for?”
Nova, who was still dangling from Elora’s horn, replied, “He’s not worth it. It was just one trick. Nothing truly serious or anything. And I’m unharmed, which proves it was just a harmless prank. No harm, no foul. It felt more like an elaborate April Fool’s prank or a practical joke, as the victim, me, isn’t hurt. And I can take a joke, especially since the universe is out to get me. So don’t beat his skull in, as he’s not worth it. I’m not too happy about it but since the trick was more or less harmless then I don’t feel the need to punish him.”
The Beastman looked at Nova hopefully, saying, “Thank you! Thank you for forgiving me! I admit I get a bit carried away whenever I see a pretty lady and your Phoenix girl companion certainly fits the bill. Sorry for my little prank.”
“Like I said, I can let you off the hook because I’m unharmed. But try not to pull something like that again, as others might not be as forgiving as me. Besides, you did put on a good show, as your stage magic tricks were fun to watch, so I’ll let you off with a warning.”
Sir Reginald gave a sigh, “Be thankful that Nova’s a good sport about this. Otherwise Nina’s axe kick would’ve been the least of your worries. Just watch who you pull something like that on next time, as they might not be as forgiving as Nova.”
The Beastman nodded, “Yes, yes, I understand. Thank you for being so forgiving.”
Elora gently put Nova down, allowing him to dust himself off. Nina tackled him in a hug, clearly happy that he was safe, making him blush.
He turned to Elora, “Thanks again for your help, Elora. Sorry I had to summon you for something so trivial but I appreciate you getting me out of that situation. To the Spirit Plane.”
Elora nodded before vanishing in a flurry of sparkles. Nova then took the Summoning Sticker off his hand and placed it in his Digi-Pack.
The Beastman said, “I’m curious to know. How did you acquire a Gorgon Viper as a familiar? Aren’t they considered dreaded due to their nasty temperaments and general disobedience?”
Sir Reginal explained, “Elora was a wild Gorgon Viper that Nova nursed back to health. He ended up winning her trust and she’s been his familiar ever since. And she’s something of an exception: unlike other Gorgon Vipers she’s generally very friendly and unquestionably loyal. She follows Nova’s instructions to the letter and has been incredibly helpful to our mission.”
“Mission?”
Nina replied, “Nova is the Demon King’s current champion. So we’re on the mission to destroy Muu and his forces once and for all. As a result, it was most fortunate that Nova bonded with Elora. Having a familiar that was bred specifically to hunt Undead has been an exceptionally useful to our quest in stopping Muu for good.”
The Beastman went slack jawed, “You’re going up against Muu? Aren’t you afraid of him?”
Nova replied, “Me? Afraid of Muu? Of course I’m afraid of him, you’ve gotta be batty not to be afraid of an ancient super evil being. I’m afraid of all manner of ghosts and undead as I have plasmophobia. Yet, sadly, I was selected by Belzebuth to be his champion against Muu. I have no idea what his reasonings are for selecting a coward like me who is afraid of the very thing I’m tasked to fight but here I sit. I know I can’t go home until I defeat Muu so I just grin and bear it. I hate every second of every fight I have with Muu’s forces and I’m stuck with this gig until either Muu dies or I die, whichever happens first. So I just do my best and hope I can get out of this whole event alive and with all my pieces intact.”
The Beastman’s eyes were wide, “You’re willing to fight Muu despite being afraid of him and his kind? That’s… amazing. Not many would be willing to face Muu even if they weren’t afraid of Undead. And yet, despite your fear of him you’re willing to take the fight to his front door in hopes of ending this 3,000+ year nightmare? That takes guts. I remember some friends who challenged Muu’s forces. They did pretty well, too, having destroyed several platoons. That is, until Muu sicced General Vertebreak on them. From what I heard it was quite the slaughter. The survivors fled while the souls of the fallen were harvested. I don’t know for sure if this information is correct but I have heard that, once in a while, Muu will take a captured soul and fuse it with an Undead Soldier to turn it into a new Undead Captain or General, depending on his needs. Only his Captains and Generals can steal souls from those they have slain, but those souls are then stored in a magical crystal for later use. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
Kettu gained a grim expression, “So… that rumor is true. Any victim of Muu’s Captains or Generals has their souls captured and are used for Muu’s nefarious purposes like creating more Undead Captains and Generals. I was afraid of that. That means Muu could easy use the souls of his victims as meat shields to fend off our attacks.”
The Beastman replied, “Not quite. While, yes, he’ll use those souls to create new Captains and Generals to expand his army, from what I’ve heard once said new Captain or General is slain the soul is freed from its grip and is able to ascend to the afterlife safely. The soul itself becomes a power source but once the new body is destroyed the soul is purified and freed, thus preventing Muu from snatching it again and repeating the process. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. My information may not be completely accurate, but it appears the best way to save the souls that have been captured by Muu is to destroy the bodies of the Undead Captains and/or Generals in order to set them free. They are meat shields in a sense, yes, but once defeated the souls used to power those new bodies are released and allowed to ascend peacefully.”
Sir Reginald stroked his chin, “Hmm… even if what you said may not be totally accurate, it does give us an idea of how Muu can expand his army further. This is actually useful knowledge, as it means we need to hunt down and destroy every single Undead Captain and General in case some of them are being powered by captured souls of Muu’s victims.”
Kettu said silently, “Then maybe there’s still hope for me to save him…”
The Beastman asked, “Please, allow me to accompany you. Your mission to fight Muu has inspired me to join the battle. And the fact that your little champion is willing to take on such a daunting task despite being afraid of the very thing he’s fighting is rather inspiring. Please, will you allow it? I happen to have some good friends who know some useful information on Muu. Sadly, they’re in the next kingdom of Aquatica, but since you’re probably going that way anyway I can see if I can track them down and see if they’ve got some new dirt on Muu. Will you allow it?”
Everyone took a moment to ponder before exchanging nods.
Sir Reginal replied, “Okay, welcome to the party. Just no more con artist tricks, okay?”
“You’ve got a deal. Oh, I guess I should introduce myself since we’re gonna be working together. My name is Zeeker Cackle. And thanks, for both giving me a chance and forgiving me for my little trick.”
Nova replied, “I’ve seen worse con artist scams. At least you put on a good show. And at least you’re nowhere near as bad as Dominic. Welcome to the team, Zeeker. Now, we need to finish our supply shopping and head for the inn so we can be well rested for our next mission.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. They gathered up their stuff and returned to the village to complete their shopping, one member stronger.
Next Chapter: Skullmania
That's it for today. Will Zeeker help contribute to the cause? Or will he spend his time flirting with Nina? Tune in next time to find out.