[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Riotous River
Level 9 Nadia (64/90) 
Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Blazermate and Susie’s [@Archmage MC], Geralt’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN], Ace Cadet and Pit’s [@Yankee], Sakura and Karin’s [@Zoey Boey], Rubick’s [@Scarifar], Omori’s [@Majoras End], Nadia Fortune
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2176[/center]

The brief siesta at the river’s headwater, watching all the assorted bears help themselves to a fishy feast, gave the Seekers a chance to group up again after their hijinx on the Eryth Sea spread them thin. Nadia hadn’t been alone in her opportunistic perusal of convenient shipwrecks in the Kove, as she found when most of her comrades pulled up to the riverbank with at least few articles in loot stashed in their rowboats. Given more time the feral would have been only too happy to give the ship graveyard a more thorough search, especially after she piddled away the last of her money on that morning’s pancake feast, but even putting aside the time it would take, this mission was about helping the stranded members of Yellow Team–not helping herself. Besides, how would she even carry all her ill-gotten gains? By using rope to tie together barrels of treasure behind her rowboat like a miniature sea train?

…

It took some effort, but Nadia managed to shelve the tempting idea for now, reasoning that such a craft couldn’t possibly survive these rapids. Now that she got a good look at it, it might be tough just to get her rowboat through there by itself, what with all the potentially hazardous wildlife. Still, she hadn’t been joking around when she told Kazooie that this log flume got her excited. When she looked around, she saw that most of her team had caught up, and now crowded around the precipice of the first cataract like sea lions on a wharf. A few lagged behind, but nothing she needed to worry about. “Well, if you’d ask me what our chances are, I’d say they’re a little fishy…but bearable. Eh? Eh?” Nadia grinned at the others, her smile bright even in the murky rainstorm. “Nyeheheh. This is gonna be a boatload of fun!”

With the Koopa Troop at the head of the pack and Sakura and Karin caught up in the flow, it was off to the races. Nadia splashed through the pebbly shallows with her boat in tow, launched it into the current, and pounced in head-first. A moment later she flew off the edge, dropped a good twenty feet to the waterfall’s bottom, and bobbed to the surface in a spray of water with her heart full of exhilaration. “Woohoooo!” she yowled, shaking herself off. With a huge grin she closed her hands in a vice grip around her oars and got swept away on a wild rapid ride.

Of course, she got about three seconds in before the first problem slapped her in the face, literally. Agitated by the arrival of the boats, the migrating salmon went into a frenzy, and threw all caution to the wind in a mad dash upstream. The big hook-nosed fish, its scales a vivid crimson, smacked her face sideways before landing in the beat. “Hey!” Nadia cried, trying to grab the thing as it thrashed and nearly sending her new hurdy-gurdy into the drink in the process. “No stowaways, chum!” By the time she tossed it out, another one flew her way, but this time the feral and her lightning reflexes were ready. Though her nature urged her to filet the fish with her claws here and now, she just batted it away with her hand, her claws unsharpened. No use killing them if she couldn’t make use of their meat, after all. More salmon leaped her way, but no matter the angle Nadia struck them aside. “Hey, not a bad warmup!” she laughed, her mission momentarily sidelined in favor of fooling around with different attacks. One after another she dished out chops, palm strikes, ridgehands, backhands, headshots, and plenty of old-fashioned punches, leaving the dazed fish strewn about in her wake. Finally, a massive specimen hurled itself at her, big as a Labrador Retriever, but Nadia stepped up to the plate with her tail held like a baseball bat. With a mighty WHACK she sent it flying into the air. “And it’s a home run!” After nearly tumbling overboard Nadia sat back down, chuckling to herself. “Or should I say salmon run?” 

Her amusement turned to dread, however, when the salmon hurled up and slapped down onto the shelf of rock where the Runebear was napping. Disturbed by the meaty impact and the fish’s flailing, the enormous beast rose to its haunches, blinking down at the interlopers raiding its patch of river. As a number of the smaller bears around the riverbanks and cataphracts turned to run, Nadia shrunk down, her ears flattened and her teeth clenched as she let out a nervous laugh. “Ah…aha…hah. Nice…bear?”

In reply the Runebear roared, and a shockwave of pressurized air ripped through the rain to blast apart the water’s surface like a rogue cannonball. “Holy mackerel!” Nadia yelped, seizing her oars. Up ahead, Peach looked back to see why she’d shouted, only for the princess’s eyes to go wide when she saw the Runebear on its feet. “This is bad, beary bad in fact!” Though maybe still not taking this quite as seriously as she should, she immediately bent to the task of getting the hell out of dodge. The giant beast threw itself from its ledge and hit the water in such a tremendous splash that the resulting wave picked Nadia up and sent her boat shooting downstream. “Didja see that!?” the feral hollered as she zoomed up toward Peach. “It bear-ly missed me!”

“Enough with the damn bear puns!” Peach exploded, letting out a little Mr. Grimm as she went into high gear herself.

What followed was a frenetic downstream chase, involving anyone else unfortunate enough to be in the middle of the pack. Though slow, the Runebear seemed to be nigh-unstoppable, bearreling through any obstacles in its path. At times its incredible bulk just about blocked the river’s flow, creating a swell behind it that slowly grew into a tidal wave as the monster washed downstream. As it turned out, the river itself was nothing to sneeze at, either. The distance it covered compared to the Eryth Sea itself in terms of length, but its path through the mountains was anything but predictable. At times it got very deep, taking the form of a half-flooded crevasse in the stone, but sometimes it got shallow enough that the water washed up around the bends like a giant water slide, where the average person could wade through at knee-height. Here and there the river evened out and widened into a small lake, flat enough that a boater might need to pick up his or her oars again, but as Nadia found out with very little warning the river could also fall away at a forty-five degree angle that left her holding onto her boat for dear life. 

All sorts of obstacles presented themselves, too. There were stones in the water, from normal rocks to natural columns to ancient ruins beneath the surface. Tree trunks flowed down stream and in some cases stuck in the rocks to create blockages, and more than one beaver dam showed up at the end of a small reservoir. In the more verdant areas, plants often dangled over or into the water. Not everything in the way seemed natural, though. Sometimes the Seekers encountered ramps, or speed-boosting rings. Once Junior got tired of destroying them, the others also got a chance to take out the minigame targets suspended over the water, with each providing a couple rupees for their troubles. 

Just after the second forty-five plunge, the river opened up into a [url=https://i.imgur.com/fues1T6.png]foamy pool[/url] where green jungle covered the surrounding crags. There the river split, with one branching path each to either side of the ruined tower right in the middle. Thinking quickly, Nadia went with the flow as it favored the right-hand distributary, but as she passed the central structure she shot out a hand to grab hold, allowing her to swerve behind it to the left-hand path. Unable to fight the current, the Runebear got swept along to the right, and Nadia was home free.

The branches of the river flowed in, out, and around one another, headed in roughly the same direction but different in appearance. They tended to be either rocky, with a smattering of highland timber, or jungly, interspersed by occasional caves. On the rockier path lay the only river town, with solemn huts perched on hardy stilts above the water’s flow, connected by rickety wooden bridges. A few raised platforms featured the ability to deploy rafts, but none of the empty ones would accept one of Steve’s rowboats. The town even included a [url=https://i.imgur.com/aihEEQ0.jpg]restaurant[/url] over the water, where chefs scrambled to serve their customers from atop platforms suspended by ropes. Elsewhere the overgrown remains of aged shrines sat silently in [url=https://www.gamesatlas.com/images/monster-hunter-rise/mhr-shrine-ruins.jpg]waterfall gorges[/url], their mystique impenetrable as the Seekers were swept by. On the more verdant branches, there were [url=https://i.imgur.com/vP7A4FE.jpg]more peaceful stretches[/url] just as often as [url=https://i.imgur.com/AHNAvoK.png]frothing rapids[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/Upj71Yy.png]enormous cataracts[/url]. There were many bridges just waiting to clock the unwary rower in the head, from ladders that a traveler could barely balance across to more solid affairs of metal or stone meant for animal or even vehicle traffic. Speaking of animals, the river had its fair share, from fish and birds to swimming [url=https://i.imgur.com/Fb7wFAX.png]dinosaurs[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/KPFGJdY.png]little monsters[/url] camped out in crevices. Nadia’s heart never got the chance to stop pumping the whole time; even if she happened to slow down for a moment in some mountain pool or basin, it would only be a few seconds before the flow picked right back up again.

Often Nadia caught sight of the others on their way downriver, but between the currents, branches, and hangups, the Seekers were mostly on their own. Considering everything she’d narrowly scraped around and bounced off so far, Nadia couldn’t believe her boat held up as long as it did, but it was only a matter of time until her luck ran out. With the bear out of sight and out of mind, the feral got the chance to enjoy herself. Whenever the opportunity arose she jumped out of her boat to hop along pillars of rock, run over lily pads, swing from vines, scurry along the riverbank if there was one, or otherwise just wall-run along the the sides of cliffs as her boat floated beneath her using her hardened, stone-scarring claws. Putting her agility to the test against these makeshift courses, and finishing them off with a giant leap back into her waiting boat, was an absolute blast, and with each excursion she pulled off more daring maneuvers than the last. At one point, however, she got a little too cocky and for her final trick swung a few loops around a vine that hung across the river, launching toward her boat in a quintuple-backflip. Rather than land in her watercraft the feral smacked her head against the side, knocked it off-kilter, and plunged into the water. “Owww!” She surfaced a moment later with a grimace, holding her head, and no sooner did she open her eyes than she saw her boat drift directly into a big rock and smash to pieces. “Oh…great.”

Nadia floated the rest of the way in a huff. A strong swimmer, she pushed through the slower parts without any real issue, and when rapids appeared in her way her quick thinking got her through. Well, sometimes; the feral’s resistance to pain came in handy elsewhere. Eventually the elevation leveled out, and all the branches of the river reunited into one big tributary. As the Seekers drifted back together, most of them still miraculously with their boats, Nadia bobbed along with them in the water, bruised, tired, and soaked to the bone. “Don’t want to talk about it,” she muttered sullenly, her droopy ears flicking at the rain. Not long after, the final waterfall deposited the group in a quiet basin at sea level. 

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/4JrI7UZ.png[/img][/center]

Hemmed in on three sides by red-rock cliffs and featuring a handful of giant green mangrove trees, Lake Floria seemed to be a place of relative peace where everyone could recover from the harrowing, multi-faceted trip downriver. With corals down below and a unique [url=https://i.imgur.com/mWLg6t1.png]ribbed texture[/url] on the rock walls, it announced to one and all that they’d finally reached their destination. Nadia clambered up onto a rock, shivering, and got the hair out of her face so the rain could wash the saltwater sting from her eyes. There lay some overhangs nearby that she could have used, but at this point, she didn't even care about being wet anymore. “Y’know, it wasn't that bad, all things considered!” she announced after a moment, keeping a chin up despite the ride’s disappointing end. The whole river ride had taken about half an hour by itself, maybe even longer, and she was worn out. As she looked to the right, she could see through a short curved channel to the open ocean at last. Just a little further, and it would be a straight shot to Twilight Town! Hopefully she could hitch a ride without looking like an idiot in the process.

[center][h3]Nyakuza Metro[/h3]
Level 10 Tora (59/110) Level 10 Poppi (59/110)
Ace Cadet and Pit’s [@Yankee], Bede’s [@Crimson Flame], Tora, Poppi, Vandham, Big Band, Peacock
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1339[/center]

[i]Bloop![/i]

The pale-green barrier deactivated after Tora swiped his pass, allowing him to waddle through. Once Poppi and Bede followed, all four had made it through the checkpoint, and with Vandham in the lead the four began to make their way through the Mint Line station. Just as with the other stations, this one featured its own thematic decor. Rather than the aquariums, water fountains, potted corals, and teal Prismarine bricks of the Blue Line, or the animal-headed statues, pottery, monuments, and sandstone of the Yellow Line, this one featured a rustic, adventurous flair.

It featured a mixture of conventional brick and different kinds of wood, harvested from dozens of different trees with their own colors and textures to make a mosaic of the land’s bounty. Bulletin boards dotted its walls, well-anchored to withstand the rumble of the passing trains, and on them Tora spotted a huge variety of samples, be they leaves, flowers, crops, insects, hides, or monster loot, all carefully preserved. There also seemed to be plenty of pictures, though the only ones that Tora recognized depicted Lumbridge, the First Town. Beyond that, none of the ruins, hamlets, hovels, or natural wonders rung a bell for him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that just about everything here hailed from the Land of Adventure, collected from previous cycles and brought here for safekeeping before the region’s weekly regeneration wiped them all away. For the second time that hour Tora felt as though he were walking through a museum, but unlike Glorious Karnaca, he couldn’t just leave when he got bored. He seated himself on a pale beige Jacaranda-wood bench to wait for the next train.

“Hopefully friends not need coming through here too often,” Tora mentioned after a solid two seconds of sitting still. “Finding pons to get train pass every time seem like big-big chore.”

Leaning back in his own seat, Vandham scratched the side of his head. “Yeah, mate. Lucky fer us, the place wasn’t designed with someone like Poppi around.” He gave a grateful nod to Tora’s companion. “Made right quick work of it, flyin’ around like that, eh?”

Poppi QT-π proudly tossed her long, lavender hair and crossed her arms. “Of course. In this form, Poppi thrusters calibrated for maximum speed and pinpoint precision. Pons stand no chance, wherever they might hide.”

“Too bad other friends not have Poppi!” Tora gloated, looking terribly smug.

Vandham nodded. “There’s the rub, aye. If the Alcamoth mercenaries mean to use this place, it’ll take a bloody fortune to get passes for ‘em all.”

“Maybe there someone we can speak to in hopes of coming to arrangement,” Poppi suggested. 

Just then the small group heard a greeting from right, in the direction they’d come from the Metro proper, and when they looked over poor Tora’s eyes went as wide as saucers. On her way over was an absolutely stunning woman, whose abundant physique drew attention like a gravitational field, and whose constant, hypnotic motion -an effortless and rhythmic dance of swinging hair, streaming silks, jingling jewelry, and swaying curves- made it nigh-impossible to look away. She stood six inches taller than Poppi and only three shorter than the brawny Vandham, with impressive muscles of her own and an enormous ponytail that went from reddish-brown to blonde. She seemed familiar somehow, but at the same time totally different. Only after a few seconds did Poppi’s processor, currently not short-circuiting like a certain someone’s, make the connection.

“...Primrose?”

The name, along with a hard nudge in the ribs from Poppi, seemed to kickstart Tora’s brain back into working order. He blinked a few times, shaking his head, and looked back at the statuesque dancer with a slightly more objective eye. “It is!” he exclaimed after a moment. “Rose-Rose, what happen? I mean, Tora sort of know what happen, but…meh-eh-eh!” After getting another bonk from Poppi, he continued, wincing a little. “Meeh…Tora mean, Rose-Rose get into fight? You okay? What about friends Midna and Braum?”

“Shovel Knight too,” Vandham added, his focus squarely on what mattered. “If ya don’t mind, tell what ‘appened.”

After a few moments, Poppi’s optics picked up some more non-cat motion to the team’s right, and she looked over to see a handful of more familiar faces on their way over. “Oh!” she said suddenly, uncrossing her legs as she sat up straight. “Looks like Phantom Thieves are back.”

Sure enough, Joker, Mona, Skull, Panther, Fox, and Necronomicon all arrived in one bunch, having coordinated their arrivals with their comms. Unlike Primrose, Panther had yet to fuse with the Scythana spirit she received the night before, no doubt thanks to the impracticality of standing over seven feet while none of her friends even got close to six. None looked hurt, but Poppi knew that the thieves’ healers could have already worked their magic. After hearing about what happened to Midna’s team, Poppi wasn’t about to assume everyone’s trips went as well as her own.

“Hi-hi!” Tora greeted them, glad for a little extra help in his fight against gravity. “How friends’ trip go?”

“I believe it went well, all things considered,” Fox ventured. “We visited a quaint medieval kingdom by the name of Brightvale, which seemed altogether quite pleasant. It was a verdant and picturesque countryside, with rather friendly and peaceable locals. While there, we happened to witness a cheese-rolling competition. I would’ve liked to set up an easel and commit the memory to canvas, had I the time.”

Mona looked a little less happy. “Yeah, but after that was Tomato Town. We went in expecting a nice farming village, but the whole place was a warzone. Smoking craters, bullet casings, all kinds of ruins and wreckage. Worse still, the war’s still going on a ways off! Turns out most of the region is a gigantic battlefield. And it’s all on the far side of Empty Space from Alcamoth anyway, so we hightailed it back here once we got the word, pronto.” The little thief shook his head wearily, then sipped the juice box he’d gotten from one of the food trucks. “By the way, not that I’m a cat or anything, but have any of you noticed that some of these guys look awfully like me? I mean, big heads and everything!”

“You know I was actually just thinking that? Hehe.” After giggling, Panther delivered her own report. “For us, it was just kind of, like, boring, actually. Just different parts of a big dry area. Not a sandy desert, more like a rocky one. There were some big metal buildings, and one tower that went way, WAY up. Buuut since it was pretty clear, we didn’t need to climb it or anything.”

“I really wanted to though, I’ll have to go back later. For a minute we were totally on the top of Alcamoth’s list, but the other team found somewhere closer, I guess,” Skull added.

“Just snowy cities on our end,” Joker said succinctly. “One normal, one really big but ancient-looking.”

“I’m glad I can’t feel the cold!” Necronomicon chirped.

Vandham nodded, absorbing all the information. “Got it. Since we know Band and Peacock got back from the Black Line, that just leaves the folks who went for Gray. I sure ‘ope that Asbestos bird is keepin’ Nelson and MacGregor safe.”

Less than a minute later, the subway train finally arrived. As it pulled in, Big Band slid up too, using Emergency Break to cancel his Brass Knuckles charge. Poppi couldn’t help but notice that the detective was alone. “Where others?” she asked him, her concern writ on her face.

“They’ve got some other business to mind,” Band replied. “I know it’s a minor drag, but it’ll be just me with the in crowd for the time bein’.”

Poppi nodded solemnly. “Poppi hope they find whatever it is they looking for, then.” After a final glance through the station she turned and boarded the subway car. Big Band followed suit, and after just a moment the train got rolling.

[center][h3]The Chalk Prince and the Skullgirl, the Prisoner, and Frisk[/h3]
Frisk’s [@Majoras End], the Prisoner’s [@XoXKieroBombXoX][/center]

After arriving in the wintry glade and confirming everyone’s condition, the sledders took a few much-needed moments to try and decompress. All things considered, they couldn’t have asked for a better spot, either. Around them the soft glow of the trees and crystal formations assuaged the fundamental fear and uncertainty that plagued their travails through the gloomy caverns, and now that the storms had subsided, fissures opened in the clouds to reveal a starry night. No worrisome echoes reached them to hint at some nearby danger just waiting for a chance to strike. Even the winds relinquished the relentless fury with which they howled across the faces of Dragonspine, a more dire and inexorable predator than any of the elementals or risen dead Frisk faced.

Still, the shadow of the impostor lay over them. Its specters of doubt, regret, and inadequacy would haunt Frisk for some time, Albedo feared. Though neither he nor Linkle knew exactly what duplicitous events transpired on those dark and snowy slopes, the Skullgirl especially couldn’t stand to see Frisk in a bad state because of them. “I know this is rich, coming from me,” Linkle began. “But…you can’t blame yourself.”

Her eyes fell to the skeletal Spheal, now little more than a curled spine with only a distended ribcage to suggest its former shape. When an idea occurred to her, those same eyes shone blood-red in the moonlight. “I could bring Melony back, if it’d help?” Ghostly flame welled in her palm.

“I strongly advise against it,” Albedo said, his voice somehow soft and firm at the same time. “These sorts of wounds cannot be so easily healed. The best treatment is simply time.” He did not dare lay a hand on Frisk's shoulder, but he attempted to communicate his sincerity nonetheless. “That, and the willingness to look forward. To treasure and protect those who yet remain, then be buried with those who are gone.”

Accordingly, the conversation turned to the living, namely Teba and Joel. “Albedo arrived not long after Teba returned,” Linkle told Frisk. “He was very, very mad, and it was hard to get the details straight, but when he realized Joel was okay he calmed down just a little. Then Albedo showed up, half-frozen, and we started to realize what had happened.”

“Teba is still at camp, looking after Joel. He wanted to depart to a cabin farther down the mountain right away, but Joel insisted that both stay a while longer to wait for word from us.” Albedo stared off into the night. “I think he felt responsible. For sending you and Melony into such danger.” He turned back to Frisk and nodded. “They’re not free, but yes, go ahead and return there.”

Linkle nodded too. “Yeah, let them know we’re okay.”

“We’ll make our way over,” Albedo added. “We’ll be retracing our steps once we get back though. By my calculations, the fishing village isn’t much farther northwest from here.”

With permission given, Frisk could zip back to the campfire in the forest of slain giants. When she approached the fire she saw two figures, but not the two she expected. There was Teba, his snow-white plumage orange in the firelight, but also an unfamiliar man-sized shape. As she grew near, the sound of her footsteps spooked the mass, which split in two. It turned out to be the young Joel, who’d been hugging an unfamiliar [url=https://i.imgur.com/OUewbr5.png]man[/url]. Though Frisk didn’t recognize him, he looked very similar to Joel, and when the gears began to turn in her mind a bright spark of hope rekindled the burnt-out coals of her heart.

Maybe he mistook her for Melony, or merely recognized Frisk through the changes she’d undergone, but at Frisk’s approach, Joel’s face lit up even more. “Dad! This is that person I was telling you about. Her and the others, they were so brave going up into the mountain to look for you! I’m not really sure what happened, but look, they must be okay!”

The man nodded, his look immeasurably apologetic and grateful. “Joel has told me everything about you. I can't thank you enough for trying to help. My memories of my time up there are a little foggy…everything’s blurred together. My memory has still not fully recovered, but Joel and his mother... they are the only ones that I will not... no, that I cannot forget.”

His son sniffed. “Daddy…”

“Daddy's right here, Joel,” Joserf whispered, hugging the boy tight. “Daddy's right here.”

Wings crossed, Teba motioned for Frisk to step aside to give the two their moment. In a low voice, he spoke to Frisk. “He staggered in from the cold just ten minutes ago, half-frozen to death and a little delirious. Things got better after some soup, though.” The Rito nodded at the steaming pot that hung over the campfire. Then his eyes narrowed. “Are the others okay?” After receiving a reply, he sighed. “Look…I’m sorry I blew up on you back there. After learning that you’d been traveling with a fake, everything suddenly clicked. We were all being played against ourselves, and one another.” His eyes settled on the fire. “If only Melony didn’t need to pay the price. But she knew the risks, and was brave enough to take them, even though she couldn’t fight on her own. That’s one tough lady, in my book.” He presented Frisk with a satchel containing Melony’s belongings, including some basic provisions, items, and two Pokeballs. “Do right by her, will you?”

“Anyway,” he said after another moment. “I’ll help two along to the fishing village nearby, where they can spend the night. You and the others ought to come along as well.” He pointed a wing to the northwest, indicating the direction from which Linkle and Albedo would be coming.

[center][h3]Port O’ Panic[/h3][/center]

Amidst the tropical downpour, turbulent waves driven by the coming storm lapped at the lashed-together rafts and stout wooden stilts of the ocean platforms that constituted the maritime colony called [url=https://i.imgur.com/zq6zGZj.jpg]Port O’ Panic[/url]. The algal growths whirled and fluttered like a dancer’s fans in the current, while the competing clusters of barnacles and mussels put aside their age-old struggle to batten down the hatches against inclement weather. Given the chance, [url=https://i.imgur.com/C43gTyA.png]Reme Losteau[/url] would have liked to do the same, but before he could bunker down he had a job to do. Like any marine iguana, purple-scaled or otherwise, he felt out of sorts whenever clouds rolled in to deprive his cold blood of the sun’s warmth, but it wasn’t the chill of the rain on his wetsuit making him shiver right now. Instead, he braced himself at the sight of the [url=https://i.imgur.com/PCrD8mH.png]dirigible warship[/url] that appeared from the rainy haze, cruising in for an expert water landing at the docks of the Port’s central tower.

A gangplank swung down to clatter against the pier, and a moment later, the ship’s master appeared, peg-legged and purple-clad. He looked to be in a foul mood, far fouler than the weather, with his beak twisted up in a scowl as he ground the three metal prongs of his multi-hook together. The [url=https://i.imgur.com/r5O5U7Z.png]villainous-looking parrot[/url] stomped down to the dock, casting about such a fearsome glare that even the townsfolk peering from their windows shrank back behind the shutters. They’d learned the hard way that the captain’s ego far outstripped his patience -along with his stature- and that he would brook no insult, whether real or imagined. And right now, his feathers looked about as ruffled as a bird’s could be.

Reme’s expression tightened. “LeFwee.”

He marched right up to Reme and shouted in his face. “That’s CAPTAIN LeFwee to you!” he squawked, sending spittle flying into the iguana’s face. “What be the meanin’ of this, ye flea-bitten bilge rats!?”

Anger simmered behind Reme’s aged eyes, but he kept an even keel. “Captain LeFwee. Madam Fish has urgent business with you. Please follow me.”

“That so?” The parrot ground his beak, his eyes narrowed in annoyance at the bothersome rain. “Hmph! Very well. But if there be any funny business…Bosun!”

At the captain’s bidding, the sky vessel Raptor’s dreaded second-in-command showed his face. LeFwee’s bosun descended from the deck with a powerful gait, heedless of the raindrops that spattered atop his broad, crested helmet, or on the coat slung with casual confidence across broad shoulders. Nobody really knew if this silent giant, who stood almost twice as tall as the parrot who commanded him, was a machine or a living being. Only that his name was [url=https://i.imgur.com/KBrAisY.png]Rakkam[/url], and that he was a warrior without peer. Alongside him floated a tentacled companion, a subtly loathsome sentinel that Rakkam seldom went without. Reme just nodded, and led the way across waterlogged planks and creaky stairs.

A few moments later they stood in the Big Room, the port’s largest structure in its central tower, higher than even the tallest [url=https://i.imgur.com/YoMNDFp.png]rafts[/url] that floated nearby. By far the cleanest, most spacious, and best-furnished residence in the whole colony, the [url=https://i.imgur.com/H9yDMjp.png]Big Room[/url] doubled as its town hall, and at the meeting table in its center Reme, LeFwee, and Rakkam found the town’s leader. While the fairy known as Annetta Fish looked more like the siren who’d lead a boat astray than the captain who’d keep it on course, the people of Port O’ Panic had chosen her as their metaphorical ship’s figurehead, and her efforts to live up to that title were plain to see. Her outrageously long sea-blue hair was frazzled with stress, and there were bags beneath her perpetually-narrowed eyes. “C-captain,” [url=https://i.imgur.com/aNDeRsO.png]Annetta[/url] chirped, her once-bubbly voice pitched with agitation. “Thank you for coming so fast!”

“Aye, that I did,” LeFwee squawked. Reme stepped aside to stand by the door, and Rakkam followed his captain as he stalked over. “But why, pray tell, have I come? That seashell ‘orn of yers…when I ‘ear it blowin’ o’er the briney deep, it means that poor, defenseless Port o’ Panic be needin’ Captain LeFwee to save ‘em. And yet, there be no Marauders in sight. I ain’t one for social visits, wench–need ye a reminder o’ our little agreement’s terms?”

Annetta balked. “N-no, captain! It’s not that, but…”

The parrot slammed his multi-hook down on the table. “But what!? Lest ye forget, the protection money ye pay is for protectin’. If ye mean to stand around flappin’ yer gums, ye better be willin’ to pay fer that, too!”

“Well! It’s a good thing you’re here today to do some protecting, then.” A man’s voice cut in, drawing the others’ attention to the Big Room’s second story. There, they saw a tall figure in a gray-white composite suit, its rubbery texture layered beneath cherry-red armor plates. A purple light glowed within a socket on the chest beneath a facsimile of an ascot plus collar, and an [url=https://i.imgur.com/zAtbAOk.png]intricate helmet[/url] crowned his head. A fine soot-black cape trailed behind him as he made his way downstairs. 

LeFwee glowered at the unwelcome guest. The sight of someone who stood at an impressive 6’10”, higher even than his bosun, made him mad instinctually. “And who might ye be, ye bloody eyesore? Speak up now–can’t hear ye with yer head in the clouds!”

“Ohmigosh! I’m so sorry, Consul, sir!” Annetta panicked.

“Now, now. It’s hardly your fault, miss.” The stranger reassured her, an amused tinge to his words. “We’ve had no occasion to meet before now, so it’s only natural, especially for one of his ilk.” He turned to the incensed captain. “As for you…well, I shan’t raise my expectations unduly, but have you any familiarity with the time-honored game of chess?”

LeFwee looked ready to launch himself at the stranger and gouge him with his corkscrew, but Rakkam laid a hand on his shoulder. The parrot glared at him, then back at the stranger. “...Aye.”

The gentleman clapped his hands. “Well, that makes things delightfully simple! As you know, then, the board is composed of various pieces. From the all-important King and his mighty Queen down to the lowliest Pawn. The two sides fight their battles, over and over again, through victories and losses unnumbered. As for me…well, I am neither pawn, nor knight, nor even king. I am not even on the board. Just a shadow that lies across it.” Closing his eyes -the only part of him visible beneath his suit-, he performed a polite bow. “I am your Consul. You may call me S.”

“Hmph! S? What kind o’ name be that?” LeFwee looked nonplussed. He glanced at Annetta, who gave a shrug and a shake of her head, as if to say [i]just roll with it[/i] “What’re ye prattlin’ on about? If ye not be on the board, then surely ye be nothin’. I meanwhile, be king o’ these ‘ere waters! What’ye mean by ‘consul’, anyway?”

S straightened up, rolling his eyes. “Ah…nevermind. Twas just an analogy, if you will. Consider me the superior of the lovely Annetta here, which in turn, makes me yours. But fret not, for all I ask is business as usual. As I alluded to beforehand, you’re here today to defend Port O’ Panic against some threats that will arrive in the very near future.”

“...What kind o’ threats?” The parrot ran his fingers through his feathery beard.

“It is a band of powerful and highly skilled fighters,” the Consul replied, approaching the table. “They number less than a dozen strong, but what they lack in numbers they more than make up for in power. They are [i]monsters[/i] that make a habit of slaughtering anyone in their way in order to steal their abilities for themselves. I fear Port O’ Panic is directly in their path. Luckily, there is one flaw in their plan: they did not account for the ‘infamous’ LeFwee Pirates. Anticipating no naval adversaries, they come this way in mere rowboats.”

The captain laughed. “Rowboats!? Ye can’t be serious. If that be the case, it matters not how skilled they are. One good broadside’ll blow them straight to Davy Jones’ locker!”

“I’ll thank you not to underestimate these monsters,” S, now seated at the table, told him sharply. “To the poor people of Port O’ Panic, beleaguered by maritime disaster time after time, this is a dire predicament. You must crush them. Do you understand?”

“Fine, fine, says I,” LeFwee told him, sighing. “We’ll ‘it ‘em with all we got. But ye…” he pointed his multi-hook at Annetta. “Owe us double fer this week.”

“Double!?” the fairy squeaked. “We’re just fishers and divers here, we can barely pay you as-is!”

LeFwee turned up his beak. “Sounds like a big fat load o’ not me problem!”

Fingers tented, S spoke up again. “By the way. Not that I harbor any mistrust for the ‘great’ LeFwee Pirates, but to ensure the safety of the whole Sea of Serendipity, I’ve taken the liberty of requisitioning some additional help.”

“Oh, wow, you’re too kind sir!” Annetta made sure to tell him right away.

The parrot drew a different conclusion. “More like lily-livered,” he muttered. “Who be these ‘elpers, then?”

Before S could answer, a cacophony of shouts erupted outside. Reme hurried to open the door, and right on cue a villager burst in. “Madam Fish!” he panted. “It’s the Marauders! They’re here!”

“WHAT!?” the fairy almost fainted, falling backward out of her chair before pulling herself back up to the table, her expression aghast. “They’re attacking now!?”

Reme held his head in his hands. “Madam, I’m so sorry! I should’ve gone back to the watchtower so I could’ve raised the alarm.”

“Back to the ship!” LeFwee roared. “Before they blow us to kingdom come!” He and Rakkam ran for the door, with Annetta flying right behind. S just laughed, stood, then followed at a leisurely pace.

The minute he stepped outside, however, he screeched in dismay, for the villager’s warning had been literal. Parked at the docks right across from the Raptor was the terrifying [url=https://i.imgur.com/h8KLwIU.png]Tinkerslug[/url], a pirate ship built into the back of a giant, three-eyed sea snail. Its deck swarmed with Tinkerbats, while the [url=https://i.imgur.com/OQ71670.png]bestial crew[/url] of the Raptor crowded along its own deck, weapons drawn. Both parties seemed to be in a stand-off, hurling insults and threats at one another over the rain. The elites of both factions stood by, waiting for a signal from their bosses. Finally, perched in the crow’s nest above it all and enjoying every second of it, was the Tinkerslug’s captain: the renowned pirate queen [url=https://i.imgur.com/Vu7rJrA.png]Risky Boots[/url], with her distinctive giant hat and skeletal garb.

LeFwee leaned over the railing, his eye wide. “What in the seven ‘ells’re ye doin’ ‘ere!” he shouted down.

“I was invited here, you chicken-legged clod!” Risky cheerfully yelled back. She aimed a finger gun at him. “Maybe these folks are sick of you protecting ‘em as I am!” When she fired the finger gun, a grappling hook shot from her [url=https://www.gamersdecide.com/sites/default/files/authors/u152962/top_ten_just_cause_4_mods_image_4_0.jpg]wrist-mounted launcher[/url] and hooked info the sea tower, followed shortly by Risky herself. She landed with an acrobatic flip in front of everyone and leveled her scimitar at LeFwee, eliciting a surprised squawk. He stepped back behind Rakkam as he fumbled for his [url=https://i.imgur.com/h4722mB.png]silver gunblade[/url].

“Invited!? By who!?” LeFwee demanded.

S, watching the ruckus as he leaned against the doorframe, waved his hand. “By me, of course,” he said, pretty nonchalant about it all. “Your additional helpers have arrived.”

Annetta looked dumbfounded. “W-what? You’re saying they’ll [i]help[/i] us? But they’ve been the ones robbing and kidnapping us, the reason we had to hire LeFwee in the first place! He and Risky Boots are sworn enemies!”

“CAPTAIN LeFwee!” the parrot roared, raising his blade. “But the wench be right! This sea ain’t big enough fer the both of us. She killed me first mate! ‘Ad an eye for treasure like a ‘awk, ‘e did!”

“And you killed our new healer! You’re the lowest of the low,” Risky snarled.

“Daw, please. We’re pirates, fer Pete’s sake!” LeFwee turned his sour face on the fairy. “What’s this about, some kind o’ bid to knock me off? If ye double-crossed me, Annetta, I’ll gut ye like the Fish ye be! And the beanpole after that! Once I finish off this blue bitch, ‘ere…”

At that Risky laughed. “Ahahahaha! You mean you’ll tell your bosun to, you feathery windbag. Hiding behind his skirts the whole time, too!” She glanced at Rakkam, then back to LeFwee.  “Why don’t we just settle this, here and now!”

“Enough!” S pushed off the doorframe, his voice raised. His eyes shone red, as did those of both pirate crews, captains included. Despite the high tension, the uproar began to simmer down, and when it subsided so did the glow. “Lower your weapons,” S told them. “What you’re up against is far greater in scope than your petty rivalry. If you fail to cooperate, you can kiss both Port O’ Panic and the Marauders’ Den goodbye. Once you’re done, and I’ve distributed your rich rewards, you can get back to wanton mutual destruction.” The mention of rich rewards helped to distract them both. He shook his head in resignation holding his temples, then stepped forward to put a hand on both captain’s shoulders, pulling them together. “Now, both of you, come with me. There’s no time to waste. Here’s what we’re going to do…”