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Time for the next chapter of Dawn of Courage. (Warning: contains mild violence, mild language, sexual suggestions)
It had been roughly a day since the party had defeated Captain Bonechill and his Undead Army platoon. They had reached the next village and were busy shopping. Nova was also selling some of his homemade magical accessories, which proved to be a hit among various traveling warriors and mages due to their more unique effects compared to more common versions.
“Whew…” Zeeker said, wiping his brow. “We did good today. We not only restocked on a lot of things we needed but Nova made a pretty profit with his magical accessories. Looks like your hard work in learning that skill paid off, Nova.”
Nova chuckled lightly, “Yeah, well, I’m glad they were such a hit with the various warriors and mages that decided to check them out. At least we have some money stashed away for a rainy day thanks to the sales we made.”
Nina smiled, “You did good, Nova. You can be quite the shrewd businessman, as you were able to haggle for a few extra coins here and there. I’m impressed.”
Sir Reginald nodded, “Indeed, and it’ll help us in the long run, as being able to get a bit of extra coins here and there for later on is important. Now, with all our shopping done we can head for the inn to rest.”
Suddenly, they all heard what sounded like an owl’s hoot, only it resonated more mystical. Everyone looked around, then up to see an owl approach them. It was a snowy white own with midnight black tips, sapphire blue pupilless eyes, a golden crescent moon-shaped crest on its forehead, small feathers looking like horns, golden talons, and a fan tail with what looked like star patterns on it. It fluttered over to the party.
“That’s a Lunar Owl familiar!” Van said.
The Lunar Owl hovered in front of Angelo, holding out a talon. It was then they noticed it was carrying a scroll. Angelo took it, allowing the Lunar Owl to land on his shoulder. Curious, he opened the scroll and looked it over, his eyes widening.
“Gang!” he said, surprised. “This is a message from Joy the witch! And it’s urgent! She says that Fort Aquatica has been under attack from Muu’s forces in an attempt to retake it. My people and Joy have managed to repel the assaults but haven’t been able to outright defeat them. They need our help, as they noticed that the Undead Captain is stronger than normal, preventing them from doing more than forcing the Undead Army back for a bit. We need to return to Fort Aquatica right away to assist in defending it.”
Sir Reginald nodded, “I see. It’s fortunate that we have teleportation magic, otherwise we’d have a long way to go. I’m guessing this Lunar Owl is Joy’s familiar.”
The Lunar Owl hooted in response, nodding its head.
“I’m willing to bet that the Undead Captain is another one powered by a fallen soul,” Kettu growled. “After all, Muu has been doing that lately in an attempt to retake lost territories.”
“That’s a safe bet,” Nova said. “Maybe it’ll be your brother’s soul, Kettu.”
The Werefox replied in a melancholy tone, “I sure hope so. Getting Felix out of Muu’s grip would be a huge relief to me. While I’m in this fight for the long haul, saving my brother’s soul is a high priority for me; it’s the whole reason I’m in this war to begin with.”
Nina nodded, “Yeah, I hear ya, Kettu. But time for that later, let’s get back to Fort Aquatica. Should I do it or would you rather do it, Sir Reginald?”
“You get us to Fort Aquatica, as your Teleport is stronger,” Sir Reginald said. “I’ll get us back here. Plus your Teleport would be able to get us to the front gates and not have to cross over the water, unlike my Warp spell which would only take us to the closest point.”
“Okay. If everyone is ready I’ll get us to Fort Aquatica.”
Everyone gathered up their stuff and gave her a nod of approval.
“Okay, here we go. Teleport!”
The party and the Lunar Owl vanished in a flash of light. They reappeared just outside the front gates of Fort Aquatica, where the docks were. They could see that the Hopper Clan’s capital was now sporting various magical cannons, but there was also damage to the outer walls.
“I see they took up our suggestion in adding some cannons to their defenses,” Zeeker observed. “That’s probably why they’ve been more successful in repelling these attacks lately.”
Angelo nodded, “Indeed. Now, let us enter the fort and check up on everyone. Hopefully we’re not too late.”
The party nodded and opened the front gates. They could see the various members of the Hopper Clan working hard, trying to prepare for the next attack. Their eyes lit up as they saw the party.
“Prince Angelo and the Demon King’s champion party have come to our aid!” a knight said happily.
Just then a happy voice called out, “Angelo!”
Joy swooped down, riding her staff, before jumping into the arms of Angelo, clearly happy to see him.
“Angelo!” she said cheerfully. “I’ve missed you! And I see you got my message. Good work, Ami.”
The Lunar Owl gave a happy hoot, fluttering off Angelo and perching on Joy’s shoulder.
“So, this is your familiar,” Van said. “And judging by the name it’s a female. We didn’t know you had a familiar.”
Joy replied, “It’s standard for a member of the Magic Clan. We all get familiars upon starting our lessons. Ami is my Lunar Owl familiar, and she’s very reliable. I knew she’d find you.” She then focused her attention on Angelo, smiling, “Angelo, my handsome Hopper, I’ve missed you so. I thank you for everything. You people were skeptical of me for obvious reasons but I proved my worth and earned my place here. Now I not only teach magic to your knights but also help defend this castle. And it’s all because you gave me the chance I’ve been seeking. So… thank you. I now have a home, people who like me, and a purpose, all because of you. I’ve even managed to get more powerful magic under my belt. Turns out I was something of a late bloomer, although I suspect that it was your kindness that helped me blossom into a more powerful witch. Thank you so much.”
Angelo gently held Joy, smiling, “I’m glad everything worked out for you in the end, Joy. You deserve to be happy, and I’m glad that my family and people gave you a chance upon my request. But time for that later. Please, take me to my parents so I can get the full details of what’s going on. That way my wonderful friends and I can vanquish this dastardly Undead Captain and protect our people.”
Joy nodded, “Yes, of course, Angelo. Please, follow me. First thing’s first. Ami, you did a good job. I knew I could count on you. To the Spirit Plane.”
Ami gave a happy hoot before vanishing in a flurry of sparkles. Joy then jumped onto her floating staff and guided the party to where the Aquatica Royal Family was waiting. She did a polite bow from on top of her staff as she approached them.
“Your Majesties, Prince Angelo and his friends have returned,” she said in a courteous tone. “My familiar succeeded in tracking them down and got our message through to them. They are here to help defend our kingdom from Muu.”
King Kermit smiled, “You have done well, Joy. You’ve proven to be a fine addition. I still feel kinda bad for doubting you when you first arrived but you have proven yourself time and time again. Good work.” He then turned to Angelo and the party, “It’s good to see all of you here again. I wish it was during better times, but as the message stated we’re in bit of a bind. A new Undead Captain called Bonegallow has been attacking our home, trying to reclaim it on Muu’s behalf. We’ve been fortunate enough to repel his assaults but he just keeps coming back and we’re running out of strength and energy to keep the defenses up. As you saw, we’ve taken up your suggestion in adding cannons to our defenses, which have been a massive help. And Joy has been just as big of a help to us, as her powerful magic, along with teaching our knights more useful spells outside of our usual elements, has given us more bite to our bark. But we can’t keep it up much longer. So we needed to summon you back here to be our main offense. I’m just glad Joy’s Lunar Owl found you in time, as I don’t think we can take more than one more beating before our defenses crumble.”
Sir Reginald stepped up, “You can rest assured that we will destroy this Captain Bonegallow and stop the attacks, allowing you a much-needed reprieve. Can you give us some more details on our foes?”
Joy said, “I can, as I’ve been taking notes while battling Muu’s forces. Bonegallow looks like a zombified knight with some sort of glowing energy inside of him. He’s also a lot more durable, as he can take a ton of punishment and dish out just as much in return. Even my more powerful magic has only been enough to stall him until he and his Undead Soldiers are forced to retreat. They are using giant zombie fish as their means of attacking us out here in the lake. The zombie fish aren’t tough, as it doesn’t take more than a solid Thunderbolt to fry them, leaving the basic Undead Soldiers to flounder in the water before they are destroyed by it. But they seem to have an endless supply of them. I did notice that Bonegallow seems to be the one who can summon these zombie fish, so taking him out should put an end to those rotting river monsters. Taking him out, however, is the problem. Do you think you can figure out why he’s so damn tough?”
Nina nodded, “Yes. Judging by your description, Captain Bonegallow is an Undead Soldier being powered and enhanced by a fallen soul. We’ve seen it a few times now. Any Undead Captain that is formed from a captured soul becomes much more powerful, has no weaknesses as far as we know, is extremely durable, and can easily take on stronger enemies that regular Undead Captains would struggle to defeat.”
King Kermit looked alarmed, “You mean to tell me that Muu can use captured souls to enhance his Undead Soldiers into more powerful forms!? What about the captured soul? Will it be condemned if the Undead Captain using it is destroyed?”
Nova replied, “Fortunately, no. In fact the opposite happens. If the Undead Captain is destroyed the soul is freed, purified, and is able to ascend safely without fear of being recaptured by Muu. So destroying the body of the Undead Captain is a huge priority. If the body is destroyed then the soul will be released and spared any more pain. One does need to be careful of certain elements, however, because the soul is susceptible to things like hellfire. As such I can’t use my Gorgon Viper familiar to get an advantage, since her hellfire could risk hurting the already tortured soul further.”
Joy’s eyes widened, “You have a Gorgon Viper as a familiar?! That’s the perfect familiar to have against Muu and his army. It’s a shame you can’t use it against these types of Undead Captains. But I bet your Gorgon Viper is very helpful in most other situations.”
“Yes, she is. Elora is her name and she’s proven to be invaluable in our quest. I can’t use her against Undead Captains powered by fallen souls but every other type of Undead Soldier, Captain, and General are fair game for her. She’s been a godsend since I acquired her, helping even the odds against our foes. But we can discuss Elora’s awesomeness later, as we need to focus on dealing with Bonegallow and sinking his battleship before Fort Aquatica takes anymore punishment.”
King Kermit nodded, “Yes, excellent point, Nova. We will leave that to you. Ask Joy and any of our knights for more details so you can map out a battleplan that’ll make Bonegallow and his Undead Soldiers sleep with the fishes.”
Sir Reginald gave a bow, “Leave it to us, Your Majesty. Team, let’s begin mapping out our strategy. Joy, you come, too, as you know more about the situation than we do. Hopefully we’ll have enough time before Bonegallow shows up to get at least the groundwork of our plan down.”
Joy replied, “We should, as Bonegallow prefers to attack around dusk, give or take an hour. That should give us a couple of hours to strategize with the Hopper Clan knights.”
“Excellent. Let’s get to work right away.”
The party and Joy walked out of the throne room to discuss their strategy with the Hopper Clan knights. Joy produced some magical notes that she had taken and showed it to the party, allowing them to get a good idea of what to expect. When the sun was starting to set they had gotten their plan ironed out.
“Okay, we’ve got a solid plan,” Sir Reginald said. “Especially since we’ve got Nina’s and Angelo’s Shaman forms to give us the extra firepower we need.”
Joy said, “I’m still impressed that you can use Shaman magic. Even we Magic Clan members know how much of a game-changer it can be. Shame you can’t use it, Nova, though I do agree with Nina that you could very well gain it, as I, too, have heard that one can obtain compatibility with Shaman magic if exposed to certain energies. And Demon magic is very much an anomaly that could easily give you that ability. But, in any case, we should get the troops ready, as Bonegallow should be coming soon.”
Suddenly a bell was being rung, with a voice calling, “Captain Bonegallow is approaching! He’s heading for the front gates!”
“Right on cue,” Nova chuckled weakly.
“Our timing is perfect,” Sir Reginald said. “Let’s go and destroy this Undead Captain before Fort Aquatica takes any more punishment.”
Everyone nodded and quickly made their way to the front gates, which closed behind them, followed by what sounded like a lock being put in place. The cannons were then armed and positioned where they needed to be. The party could see the Undead Army riding giant zombie fish. Nina and Angelo both nodded, tapped some of the Elemental Gems on their Shaman Magic Bracelets, and held them up high.
“Elemental Energy Fusion activate!” both said in unison.
They were engulfed in swirling energy and before long they had taken the form of Goddess of Phoenixes and Tsunami Knight. Joy’s eyes became hearts as she saw Angelo in his handsome and powerful-looking Shaman form, looking like she was about to swoon off her staff, but managed to regain her focus and took a more battle-ready position.
“Fire the cannons!” Sir Reginald instructed.
The magical cannons launched blast after blast at the approaching Undead Army, sometimes destroying a few Undead Soldiers or one of the zombie fish. However, any time one of them came toward Captain Bonegallow he merely swatted it aside like it was a ball. His eyes gleamed as he saw the heroic party standing in front.
“So, the Hopper Clan was desperate enough to call back the meddling Demon King’s puppet party to aid in their defense?” he sneered. “Good, that’ll give me a chance to eliminate them and get into Master Muu’s good graces. Bring me their heads!”
The remaining zombie fish, saddled with Undead Soldiers charged ahead, ready to strike the party down.
Nina floated up front, “It’s time for a fish fry! Flames of Judgment!”
She launched her attack, causing a sea of golden flames to flow over the water. The attack effortlessly burned several Undead Soldiers and their zombie fish steeds to ash, prompting the survivors to scatter to avoid getting hit by her attack. Angelo stepped out onto the water, holding his halberd with both hands.
“Time to sink or swim!” he stated. “Maelstrom!”
He gave his halberd a swing, causing a maelstrom to sweep up several remaining Undead Soldiers and their zombie fish steeds. They were sucked into the center of the vortex before it exploded, destroying them like they were bugs. Joy’s eyes became hearts again as she saw this masterful display of Angelo’s might in his Shaman form, almost forgetting to return her focus to the battle. She gave herself a slap across the face and focused on the enemy.
“Focus, Joy, focus!” she said mentally. “You’re in the middle of battle! Don’t get sidetracked by how awesome your man is right now!” She then said aloud, “My turn to get a lick in! Thunder!”
The gem on her staff glowed, followed by thunderbolts raining down upon the remaining enemy forces. While her attack had an effect on the Undead Soldiers and their steeds, Captain Bonegallow merely raised his hand up to block the attack, coming out unharmed.
“Dammit!” the witch spat. “He always does that! Even my Thunderbolt spell can’t hack it! I need something with more power!”
Nina turned to her, “Joy, do you know any Staff-based skills like Bang and such?”
The witch turned to her, “Yeah. I know Bang, Magic Burst, and Sonic Boom. Why?”
Nina took a moment to ponder before saying, “Use Sonic Boom alongside my Phoenix Finish move to create a combo skill. Combo skills pack a much, much bigger punch, easily enough to at least severely damage an Undead Captain powered by a fallen soul.”
Joy looked surprised before nodding, “Let’s do it, Nina!”
Both started to prepare their attacks, aiming at Captain Bonegallow.
“Phoenix Finish!” Nina stated.
“Sonic Boom!” Joy shouted.
They fired their respective attacks. The flaming energy phoenix combined with the powerful shockwave of wind to create a gigantic firestorm with a phoenix’s head in front. The attack effortlessly tore through the remaining Undead Soldiers and their zombie fish before rocketing toward Captain Bonegallow. The Undead Captain looked unimpressed and held out his hand to block the attack. However, to his surprise, the attack effortlessly plowed into him, hitting him with such a force that he wasn’t expecting. He screamed in pain as the attack ravaged his body before the phoenix-shaped firestorm exploded, sending him into the air.
Nova took aim with his bow, “Have a taste of this! Celestial Shot!”
He fired the divine energy arrow at the still-airborne Undead Captain. The arrow struck him and exploded, dealing heavy damage as the Undead Captain began his descent.
Sir Reginald turned to Angelo, “Angelo, finish him off before he can recover!”
Angelo nodded, “I’m all over it!” He faced the falling Undead Captain, stating, “Now you will face my power! Never again will I allow anyone to attack my wonderful home! Sea Splitting Slash!”
He rocketed toward the Undead Captain at blinding speeds, skating over the water, his blade glowing brightly. Before Captain Bonegallow could respond Angelo slashed him before coming to a stop behind him. It was as if time had stopped as the Undead Captain was seemingly floating after the attack. When Angelo placed his halberd onto his back the Undead Captain was suddenly ripped to shreds, leaving only the glowing soul powering him. Everyone got into a more relaxed position, with Joy’s eyes becoming hearts again and looking like she was about to swoon herself off her staff and into the water. She started to lean back, her body hot, almost falling off her staff and into the water before grabbing it and readjusting herself, looking a bit embarrassed, much to the amusement of everyone around her. Angelo merely skated back to where the rest of the party was to rejoin them. The soul then floated over to the party and company and took form, becoming a female lion Beastman, making Zeeker’s eyes widen.
“Beth!?” he sputtered. “Is that you?”
The lion Beastman smiled, “Hello, Captain Zeeker. It’s nice to see you again, especially after that bloody battle. I’m glad to see you’re well. And before you say anything, no, I don’t hold what happened that day against you. We all made that same mistake, allowing General Vertebreak to knock us down several pegs, rubbing our failure into our faces. We kinda deserved that for letting our victories over Muu go to our heads. But I know that you harbor a great deal of grief and guilt from that day. Please, don’t try to shoulder all the blame on yourself, as you weren’t the only captain of our army who let our egos get as big as they did. It wasn’t your fault. We all made a critical mistake that day and paid the price for it. But thanks to you and your allies we stand a chance at avenging the fallen and stopping Muu for good. And thanks to you my soul is free from the horrible fate of being a power source for one of Muu’s lackies. Please, Captain Zeeker, continue to fight the good fight and save everyone. We’re all counting on you and your allies, as you’ve given the people hope once again.”
Zeeker nodded, fighting back tears, “I will, Beth, I promise. I learned my lesson that day and I’ve been taking steps to not repeat it. I admit I bowed out of the fight for a while due to my survivor’s guilt but my new friends relit the fire in me again. We will end Muu, no matter what it takes. I’m just grateful you don’t hate me for failing you.”
Beth smiled, “I can’t hate you, Captain Zeeker, as you’re not the one to blame. Or at least you shouldn’t have to shoulder all the blame. We all made that careless mistake that cost us dearly. But you learned from it and are making amends by continuing the fight against Muu. That’s why we followed you, Captain Zeeker, because we believed in you. And we still do. Please, save all the other captured souls so they don’t suffer the same fate I did. Being used as a power source for a special Undead Captain is horrible. Keep fighting, Captain Zeeker, and avenge our fellow Beastmen. No, avenge ALL the souls who have fallen to Muu’s forces. We know you and your allies can do it. Now, it’s time for me to go and rest. Please, noble warriors, don’t give up. Save all of Edyn from Muu and give us our world back. We’re counting on you to bring peace back to Edyn. Farewell.”
She then turned into a sphere and started to float upward. Zeeker saluted as she did, the rest of the party following suit, to Joy’s confusion. When Beth’s soul vanished into the sky everyone relaxed.
“Still no sign of him…” Kettu sighed in a depressed tone.
Nova placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, “We’ll get Felix back, Kettu. We won’t let him suffer. Muu will eventually use him as a power source for a new Undead Captain. And when he does, we’ll make sure your brother is saved from his decaying clutches. It won’t be an easy fight but we will save him. Keep your chin up, as we’ll find him and make sure he can rest in peace.”
Kettu gained a warm smile, “Thanks, Nova, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. While I know that he’s still in Muu’s clutches, which makes my fur bristle, we will find him and save him.”
Sir Reginald nodded, “Indeed. Now, let us report back to King Kermit and the rest of the Royal Family.”
At the time Joy was fluttering around on her staff, gushing at Angelo’s Shaman form, her eyes were hearts, clearly heads over heels for him. Angelo merely stood proudly, allowing Joy to do what she wanted, much to the amusement of the rest of the party. After Joy had finished examining every inch of Angelo’s Shaman form they returned to the inner part of the castle to report to the Royal Family, although Angelo remained in his Shaman form for a bit longer to show it to his family, who all looked starstruck as they saw it.
A little while later, as the sun was starting to set, Nova and Nina were sitting on the same bench they were the last time they were here. Off to their left they could see Angelo, now in his normal form, playing some music on a flute, which he was surprisingly good at. Joy lounged on her floating staff in a rather saucy pose, clearly enjoying it.
Nina chuckled, “I’m glad that Joy is much happier now. Angelo really did her a lot of good. No wonder she’s smitten for him. At least that makes one less rival for me to worry about stealing my man.”
Nova chuckled as well, “True. And that’s fine with me. I still remember the last time we were sitting at this bench. We were discussing what your stance was on possible lovers, such as thinking about other races as options and such.”
“Yes, I remember. You were pretty bold that day, Nova, asking me such a question. It was clear you were testing the waters to see if there was a chance that I could reciprocate your feelings for me. I should’ve realized that sooner, especially after all the chaos it caused later on. I probably drove you mad with all the subconscious hints I was giving you but never realized it myself until it was almost too late. But that’s behind us now and we’re together, and that’s all that matters. It was quite the scenario, to say the least, but it all worked out in the end. And I’m glad for that. After all, you’ve made me so happy, Nova. While some things about you, like your low self-esteem and tendency to put yourself down, annoy me, I accept it. Especially since I know, with some more work, those negatives will vanish. After all, you’re working very hard to make yourself a better person, which is admirable. Not many people, much less men, would be willing to do that. That’s one reason why you’re so wonderful.”
Nova blushed, “Yeah, well, as they say, ‘Behind every great man is an even greater woman’, which holds true for you and me. It was because of you that I gained the motivation to change myself for the better. It probably would’ve happened eventually but you gave it the much-needed kick in the can to get it going. And I thank you for that, Nina, I no longer see myself as the hopeless, worthless loser I once was. I still don’t regard myself super highly yet but it’s progress, even if it’s slow progress. After all, ‘Progress is progress, no matter how small’, as the Blitz family says.”
Nina nodded, “Yes, that’s very true. You still have a ways to go but at the end of the day you’re still my wonderful man. I promise I will return to Earth with you, marry you, and have all your children. I don’t care what anyone else says, you are my future. And I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Both exchanged a kiss before continuing to watch Angelo and Joy playfully flirt with each other. By the time the sun was nearly set everyone had gone to bed, feeling proud that they had saved Fort Aquatica from Muu once again.
Next Chapter: Arrow Dynamics
That's all for today. Looks like Joy the witch is not only much happier but has shifted tracks from Nova to Angelo. One less rival for Nina is good. Tune in next time to see what our heroes face.
Defending Fort Aquatica
It had been roughly a day since the party had defeated Captain Bonechill and his Undead Army platoon. They had reached the next village and were busy shopping. Nova was also selling some of his homemade magical accessories, which proved to be a hit among various traveling warriors and mages due to their more unique effects compared to more common versions.
“Whew…” Zeeker said, wiping his brow. “We did good today. We not only restocked on a lot of things we needed but Nova made a pretty profit with his magical accessories. Looks like your hard work in learning that skill paid off, Nova.”
Nova chuckled lightly, “Yeah, well, I’m glad they were such a hit with the various warriors and mages that decided to check them out. At least we have some money stashed away for a rainy day thanks to the sales we made.”
Nina smiled, “You did good, Nova. You can be quite the shrewd businessman, as you were able to haggle for a few extra coins here and there. I’m impressed.”
Sir Reginald nodded, “Indeed, and it’ll help us in the long run, as being able to get a bit of extra coins here and there for later on is important. Now, with all our shopping done we can head for the inn to rest.”
Suddenly, they all heard what sounded like an owl’s hoot, only it resonated more mystical. Everyone looked around, then up to see an owl approach them. It was a snowy white own with midnight black tips, sapphire blue pupilless eyes, a golden crescent moon-shaped crest on its forehead, small feathers looking like horns, golden talons, and a fan tail with what looked like star patterns on it. It fluttered over to the party.
“That’s a Lunar Owl familiar!” Van said.
The Lunar Owl hovered in front of Angelo, holding out a talon. It was then they noticed it was carrying a scroll. Angelo took it, allowing the Lunar Owl to land on his shoulder. Curious, he opened the scroll and looked it over, his eyes widening.
“Gang!” he said, surprised. “This is a message from Joy the witch! And it’s urgent! She says that Fort Aquatica has been under attack from Muu’s forces in an attempt to retake it. My people and Joy have managed to repel the assaults but haven’t been able to outright defeat them. They need our help, as they noticed that the Undead Captain is stronger than normal, preventing them from doing more than forcing the Undead Army back for a bit. We need to return to Fort Aquatica right away to assist in defending it.”
Sir Reginald nodded, “I see. It’s fortunate that we have teleportation magic, otherwise we’d have a long way to go. I’m guessing this Lunar Owl is Joy’s familiar.”
The Lunar Owl hooted in response, nodding its head.
“I’m willing to bet that the Undead Captain is another one powered by a fallen soul,” Kettu growled. “After all, Muu has been doing that lately in an attempt to retake lost territories.”
“That’s a safe bet,” Nova said. “Maybe it’ll be your brother’s soul, Kettu.”
The Werefox replied in a melancholy tone, “I sure hope so. Getting Felix out of Muu’s grip would be a huge relief to me. While I’m in this fight for the long haul, saving my brother’s soul is a high priority for me; it’s the whole reason I’m in this war to begin with.”
Nina nodded, “Yeah, I hear ya, Kettu. But time for that later, let’s get back to Fort Aquatica. Should I do it or would you rather do it, Sir Reginald?”
“You get us to Fort Aquatica, as your Teleport is stronger,” Sir Reginald said. “I’ll get us back here. Plus your Teleport would be able to get us to the front gates and not have to cross over the water, unlike my Warp spell which would only take us to the closest point.”
“Okay. If everyone is ready I’ll get us to Fort Aquatica.”
Everyone gathered up their stuff and gave her a nod of approval.
“Okay, here we go. Teleport!”
The party and the Lunar Owl vanished in a flash of light. They reappeared just outside the front gates of Fort Aquatica, where the docks were. They could see that the Hopper Clan’s capital was now sporting various magical cannons, but there was also damage to the outer walls.
“I see they took up our suggestion in adding some cannons to their defenses,” Zeeker observed. “That’s probably why they’ve been more successful in repelling these attacks lately.”
Angelo nodded, “Indeed. Now, let us enter the fort and check up on everyone. Hopefully we’re not too late.”
The party nodded and opened the front gates. They could see the various members of the Hopper Clan working hard, trying to prepare for the next attack. Their eyes lit up as they saw the party.
“Prince Angelo and the Demon King’s champion party have come to our aid!” a knight said happily.
Just then a happy voice called out, “Angelo!”
Joy swooped down, riding her staff, before jumping into the arms of Angelo, clearly happy to see him.
“Angelo!” she said cheerfully. “I’ve missed you! And I see you got my message. Good work, Ami.”
The Lunar Owl gave a happy hoot, fluttering off Angelo and perching on Joy’s shoulder.
“So, this is your familiar,” Van said. “And judging by the name it’s a female. We didn’t know you had a familiar.”
Joy replied, “It’s standard for a member of the Magic Clan. We all get familiars upon starting our lessons. Ami is my Lunar Owl familiar, and she’s very reliable. I knew she’d find you.” She then focused her attention on Angelo, smiling, “Angelo, my handsome Hopper, I’ve missed you so. I thank you for everything. You people were skeptical of me for obvious reasons but I proved my worth and earned my place here. Now I not only teach magic to your knights but also help defend this castle. And it’s all because you gave me the chance I’ve been seeking. So… thank you. I now have a home, people who like me, and a purpose, all because of you. I’ve even managed to get more powerful magic under my belt. Turns out I was something of a late bloomer, although I suspect that it was your kindness that helped me blossom into a more powerful witch. Thank you so much.”
Angelo gently held Joy, smiling, “I’m glad everything worked out for you in the end, Joy. You deserve to be happy, and I’m glad that my family and people gave you a chance upon my request. But time for that later. Please, take me to my parents so I can get the full details of what’s going on. That way my wonderful friends and I can vanquish this dastardly Undead Captain and protect our people.”
Joy nodded, “Yes, of course, Angelo. Please, follow me. First thing’s first. Ami, you did a good job. I knew I could count on you. To the Spirit Plane.”
Ami gave a happy hoot before vanishing in a flurry of sparkles. Joy then jumped onto her floating staff and guided the party to where the Aquatica Royal Family was waiting. She did a polite bow from on top of her staff as she approached them.
“Your Majesties, Prince Angelo and his friends have returned,” she said in a courteous tone. “My familiar succeeded in tracking them down and got our message through to them. They are here to help defend our kingdom from Muu.”
King Kermit smiled, “You have done well, Joy. You’ve proven to be a fine addition. I still feel kinda bad for doubting you when you first arrived but you have proven yourself time and time again. Good work.” He then turned to Angelo and the party, “It’s good to see all of you here again. I wish it was during better times, but as the message stated we’re in bit of a bind. A new Undead Captain called Bonegallow has been attacking our home, trying to reclaim it on Muu’s behalf. We’ve been fortunate enough to repel his assaults but he just keeps coming back and we’re running out of strength and energy to keep the defenses up. As you saw, we’ve taken up your suggestion in adding cannons to our defenses, which have been a massive help. And Joy has been just as big of a help to us, as her powerful magic, along with teaching our knights more useful spells outside of our usual elements, has given us more bite to our bark. But we can’t keep it up much longer. So we needed to summon you back here to be our main offense. I’m just glad Joy’s Lunar Owl found you in time, as I don’t think we can take more than one more beating before our defenses crumble.”
Sir Reginald stepped up, “You can rest assured that we will destroy this Captain Bonegallow and stop the attacks, allowing you a much-needed reprieve. Can you give us some more details on our foes?”
Joy said, “I can, as I’ve been taking notes while battling Muu’s forces. Bonegallow looks like a zombified knight with some sort of glowing energy inside of him. He’s also a lot more durable, as he can take a ton of punishment and dish out just as much in return. Even my more powerful magic has only been enough to stall him until he and his Undead Soldiers are forced to retreat. They are using giant zombie fish as their means of attacking us out here in the lake. The zombie fish aren’t tough, as it doesn’t take more than a solid Thunderbolt to fry them, leaving the basic Undead Soldiers to flounder in the water before they are destroyed by it. But they seem to have an endless supply of them. I did notice that Bonegallow seems to be the one who can summon these zombie fish, so taking him out should put an end to those rotting river monsters. Taking him out, however, is the problem. Do you think you can figure out why he’s so damn tough?”
Nina nodded, “Yes. Judging by your description, Captain Bonegallow is an Undead Soldier being powered and enhanced by a fallen soul. We’ve seen it a few times now. Any Undead Captain that is formed from a captured soul becomes much more powerful, has no weaknesses as far as we know, is extremely durable, and can easily take on stronger enemies that regular Undead Captains would struggle to defeat.”
King Kermit looked alarmed, “You mean to tell me that Muu can use captured souls to enhance his Undead Soldiers into more powerful forms!? What about the captured soul? Will it be condemned if the Undead Captain using it is destroyed?”
Nova replied, “Fortunately, no. In fact the opposite happens. If the Undead Captain is destroyed the soul is freed, purified, and is able to ascend safely without fear of being recaptured by Muu. So destroying the body of the Undead Captain is a huge priority. If the body is destroyed then the soul will be released and spared any more pain. One does need to be careful of certain elements, however, because the soul is susceptible to things like hellfire. As such I can’t use my Gorgon Viper familiar to get an advantage, since her hellfire could risk hurting the already tortured soul further.”
Joy’s eyes widened, “You have a Gorgon Viper as a familiar?! That’s the perfect familiar to have against Muu and his army. It’s a shame you can’t use it against these types of Undead Captains. But I bet your Gorgon Viper is very helpful in most other situations.”
“Yes, she is. Elora is her name and she’s proven to be invaluable in our quest. I can’t use her against Undead Captains powered by fallen souls but every other type of Undead Soldier, Captain, and General are fair game for her. She’s been a godsend since I acquired her, helping even the odds against our foes. But we can discuss Elora’s awesomeness later, as we need to focus on dealing with Bonegallow and sinking his battleship before Fort Aquatica takes anymore punishment.”
King Kermit nodded, “Yes, excellent point, Nova. We will leave that to you. Ask Joy and any of our knights for more details so you can map out a battleplan that’ll make Bonegallow and his Undead Soldiers sleep with the fishes.”
Sir Reginald gave a bow, “Leave it to us, Your Majesty. Team, let’s begin mapping out our strategy. Joy, you come, too, as you know more about the situation than we do. Hopefully we’ll have enough time before Bonegallow shows up to get at least the groundwork of our plan down.”
Joy replied, “We should, as Bonegallow prefers to attack around dusk, give or take an hour. That should give us a couple of hours to strategize with the Hopper Clan knights.”
“Excellent. Let’s get to work right away.”
The party and Joy walked out of the throne room to discuss their strategy with the Hopper Clan knights. Joy produced some magical notes that she had taken and showed it to the party, allowing them to get a good idea of what to expect. When the sun was starting to set they had gotten their plan ironed out.
“Okay, we’ve got a solid plan,” Sir Reginald said. “Especially since we’ve got Nina’s and Angelo’s Shaman forms to give us the extra firepower we need.”
Joy said, “I’m still impressed that you can use Shaman magic. Even we Magic Clan members know how much of a game-changer it can be. Shame you can’t use it, Nova, though I do agree with Nina that you could very well gain it, as I, too, have heard that one can obtain compatibility with Shaman magic if exposed to certain energies. And Demon magic is very much an anomaly that could easily give you that ability. But, in any case, we should get the troops ready, as Bonegallow should be coming soon.”
Suddenly a bell was being rung, with a voice calling, “Captain Bonegallow is approaching! He’s heading for the front gates!”
“Right on cue,” Nova chuckled weakly.
“Our timing is perfect,” Sir Reginald said. “Let’s go and destroy this Undead Captain before Fort Aquatica takes any more punishment.”
Everyone nodded and quickly made their way to the front gates, which closed behind them, followed by what sounded like a lock being put in place. The cannons were then armed and positioned where they needed to be. The party could see the Undead Army riding giant zombie fish. Nina and Angelo both nodded, tapped some of the Elemental Gems on their Shaman Magic Bracelets, and held them up high.
“Elemental Energy Fusion activate!” both said in unison.
They were engulfed in swirling energy and before long they had taken the form of Goddess of Phoenixes and Tsunami Knight. Joy’s eyes became hearts as she saw Angelo in his handsome and powerful-looking Shaman form, looking like she was about to swoon off her staff, but managed to regain her focus and took a more battle-ready position.
“Fire the cannons!” Sir Reginald instructed.
The magical cannons launched blast after blast at the approaching Undead Army, sometimes destroying a few Undead Soldiers or one of the zombie fish. However, any time one of them came toward Captain Bonegallow he merely swatted it aside like it was a ball. His eyes gleamed as he saw the heroic party standing in front.
“So, the Hopper Clan was desperate enough to call back the meddling Demon King’s puppet party to aid in their defense?” he sneered. “Good, that’ll give me a chance to eliminate them and get into Master Muu’s good graces. Bring me their heads!”
The remaining zombie fish, saddled with Undead Soldiers charged ahead, ready to strike the party down.
Nina floated up front, “It’s time for a fish fry! Flames of Judgment!”
She launched her attack, causing a sea of golden flames to flow over the water. The attack effortlessly burned several Undead Soldiers and their zombie fish steeds to ash, prompting the survivors to scatter to avoid getting hit by her attack. Angelo stepped out onto the water, holding his halberd with both hands.
“Time to sink or swim!” he stated. “Maelstrom!”
He gave his halberd a swing, causing a maelstrom to sweep up several remaining Undead Soldiers and their zombie fish steeds. They were sucked into the center of the vortex before it exploded, destroying them like they were bugs. Joy’s eyes became hearts again as she saw this masterful display of Angelo’s might in his Shaman form, almost forgetting to return her focus to the battle. She gave herself a slap across the face and focused on the enemy.
“Focus, Joy, focus!” she said mentally. “You’re in the middle of battle! Don’t get sidetracked by how awesome your man is right now!” She then said aloud, “My turn to get a lick in! Thunder!”
The gem on her staff glowed, followed by thunderbolts raining down upon the remaining enemy forces. While her attack had an effect on the Undead Soldiers and their steeds, Captain Bonegallow merely raised his hand up to block the attack, coming out unharmed.
“Dammit!” the witch spat. “He always does that! Even my Thunderbolt spell can’t hack it! I need something with more power!”
Nina turned to her, “Joy, do you know any Staff-based skills like Bang and such?”
The witch turned to her, “Yeah. I know Bang, Magic Burst, and Sonic Boom. Why?”
Nina took a moment to ponder before saying, “Use Sonic Boom alongside my Phoenix Finish move to create a combo skill. Combo skills pack a much, much bigger punch, easily enough to at least severely damage an Undead Captain powered by a fallen soul.”
Joy looked surprised before nodding, “Let’s do it, Nina!”
Both started to prepare their attacks, aiming at Captain Bonegallow.
“Phoenix Finish!” Nina stated.
“Sonic Boom!” Joy shouted.
They fired their respective attacks. The flaming energy phoenix combined with the powerful shockwave of wind to create a gigantic firestorm with a phoenix’s head in front. The attack effortlessly tore through the remaining Undead Soldiers and their zombie fish before rocketing toward Captain Bonegallow. The Undead Captain looked unimpressed and held out his hand to block the attack. However, to his surprise, the attack effortlessly plowed into him, hitting him with such a force that he wasn’t expecting. He screamed in pain as the attack ravaged his body before the phoenix-shaped firestorm exploded, sending him into the air.
Nova took aim with his bow, “Have a taste of this! Celestial Shot!”
He fired the divine energy arrow at the still-airborne Undead Captain. The arrow struck him and exploded, dealing heavy damage as the Undead Captain began his descent.
Sir Reginald turned to Angelo, “Angelo, finish him off before he can recover!”
Angelo nodded, “I’m all over it!” He faced the falling Undead Captain, stating, “Now you will face my power! Never again will I allow anyone to attack my wonderful home! Sea Splitting Slash!”
He rocketed toward the Undead Captain at blinding speeds, skating over the water, his blade glowing brightly. Before Captain Bonegallow could respond Angelo slashed him before coming to a stop behind him. It was as if time had stopped as the Undead Captain was seemingly floating after the attack. When Angelo placed his halberd onto his back the Undead Captain was suddenly ripped to shreds, leaving only the glowing soul powering him. Everyone got into a more relaxed position, with Joy’s eyes becoming hearts again and looking like she was about to swoon herself off her staff and into the water. She started to lean back, her body hot, almost falling off her staff and into the water before grabbing it and readjusting herself, looking a bit embarrassed, much to the amusement of everyone around her. Angelo merely skated back to where the rest of the party was to rejoin them. The soul then floated over to the party and company and took form, becoming a female lion Beastman, making Zeeker’s eyes widen.
“Beth!?” he sputtered. “Is that you?”
The lion Beastman smiled, “Hello, Captain Zeeker. It’s nice to see you again, especially after that bloody battle. I’m glad to see you’re well. And before you say anything, no, I don’t hold what happened that day against you. We all made that same mistake, allowing General Vertebreak to knock us down several pegs, rubbing our failure into our faces. We kinda deserved that for letting our victories over Muu go to our heads. But I know that you harbor a great deal of grief and guilt from that day. Please, don’t try to shoulder all the blame on yourself, as you weren’t the only captain of our army who let our egos get as big as they did. It wasn’t your fault. We all made a critical mistake that day and paid the price for it. But thanks to you and your allies we stand a chance at avenging the fallen and stopping Muu for good. And thanks to you my soul is free from the horrible fate of being a power source for one of Muu’s lackies. Please, Captain Zeeker, continue to fight the good fight and save everyone. We’re all counting on you and your allies, as you’ve given the people hope once again.”
Zeeker nodded, fighting back tears, “I will, Beth, I promise. I learned my lesson that day and I’ve been taking steps to not repeat it. I admit I bowed out of the fight for a while due to my survivor’s guilt but my new friends relit the fire in me again. We will end Muu, no matter what it takes. I’m just grateful you don’t hate me for failing you.”
Beth smiled, “I can’t hate you, Captain Zeeker, as you’re not the one to blame. Or at least you shouldn’t have to shoulder all the blame. We all made that careless mistake that cost us dearly. But you learned from it and are making amends by continuing the fight against Muu. That’s why we followed you, Captain Zeeker, because we believed in you. And we still do. Please, save all the other captured souls so they don’t suffer the same fate I did. Being used as a power source for a special Undead Captain is horrible. Keep fighting, Captain Zeeker, and avenge our fellow Beastmen. No, avenge ALL the souls who have fallen to Muu’s forces. We know you and your allies can do it. Now, it’s time for me to go and rest. Please, noble warriors, don’t give up. Save all of Edyn from Muu and give us our world back. We’re counting on you to bring peace back to Edyn. Farewell.”
She then turned into a sphere and started to float upward. Zeeker saluted as she did, the rest of the party following suit, to Joy’s confusion. When Beth’s soul vanished into the sky everyone relaxed.
“Still no sign of him…” Kettu sighed in a depressed tone.
Nova placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, “We’ll get Felix back, Kettu. We won’t let him suffer. Muu will eventually use him as a power source for a new Undead Captain. And when he does, we’ll make sure your brother is saved from his decaying clutches. It won’t be an easy fight but we will save him. Keep your chin up, as we’ll find him and make sure he can rest in peace.”
Kettu gained a warm smile, “Thanks, Nova, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. While I know that he’s still in Muu’s clutches, which makes my fur bristle, we will find him and save him.”
Sir Reginald nodded, “Indeed. Now, let us report back to King Kermit and the rest of the Royal Family.”
At the time Joy was fluttering around on her staff, gushing at Angelo’s Shaman form, her eyes were hearts, clearly heads over heels for him. Angelo merely stood proudly, allowing Joy to do what she wanted, much to the amusement of the rest of the party. After Joy had finished examining every inch of Angelo’s Shaman form they returned to the inner part of the castle to report to the Royal Family, although Angelo remained in his Shaman form for a bit longer to show it to his family, who all looked starstruck as they saw it.
A little while later, as the sun was starting to set, Nova and Nina were sitting on the same bench they were the last time they were here. Off to their left they could see Angelo, now in his normal form, playing some music on a flute, which he was surprisingly good at. Joy lounged on her floating staff in a rather saucy pose, clearly enjoying it.
Nina chuckled, “I’m glad that Joy is much happier now. Angelo really did her a lot of good. No wonder she’s smitten for him. At least that makes one less rival for me to worry about stealing my man.”
Nova chuckled as well, “True. And that’s fine with me. I still remember the last time we were sitting at this bench. We were discussing what your stance was on possible lovers, such as thinking about other races as options and such.”
“Yes, I remember. You were pretty bold that day, Nova, asking me such a question. It was clear you were testing the waters to see if there was a chance that I could reciprocate your feelings for me. I should’ve realized that sooner, especially after all the chaos it caused later on. I probably drove you mad with all the subconscious hints I was giving you but never realized it myself until it was almost too late. But that’s behind us now and we’re together, and that’s all that matters. It was quite the scenario, to say the least, but it all worked out in the end. And I’m glad for that. After all, you’ve made me so happy, Nova. While some things about you, like your low self-esteem and tendency to put yourself down, annoy me, I accept it. Especially since I know, with some more work, those negatives will vanish. After all, you’re working very hard to make yourself a better person, which is admirable. Not many people, much less men, would be willing to do that. That’s one reason why you’re so wonderful.”
Nova blushed, “Yeah, well, as they say, ‘Behind every great man is an even greater woman’, which holds true for you and me. It was because of you that I gained the motivation to change myself for the better. It probably would’ve happened eventually but you gave it the much-needed kick in the can to get it going. And I thank you for that, Nina, I no longer see myself as the hopeless, worthless loser I once was. I still don’t regard myself super highly yet but it’s progress, even if it’s slow progress. After all, ‘Progress is progress, no matter how small’, as the Blitz family says.”
Nina nodded, “Yes, that’s very true. You still have a ways to go but at the end of the day you’re still my wonderful man. I promise I will return to Earth with you, marry you, and have all your children. I don’t care what anyone else says, you are my future. And I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Both exchanged a kiss before continuing to watch Angelo and Joy playfully flirt with each other. By the time the sun was nearly set everyone had gone to bed, feeling proud that they had saved Fort Aquatica from Muu once again.
Next Chapter: Arrow Dynamics
That's all for today. Looks like Joy the witch is not only much happier but has shifted tracks from Nova to Angelo. One less rival for Nina is good. Tune in next time to see what our heroes face.